RTHK: Pakistan airspace closure snarl Asian air traffic A temporary closure of air space over Pakistan has snarled air traffic, especially between Asia and Europe. Pakistan aviation authorities say the country's air space would reopen as of midnight on Thursday. The government closed it on Wednesday after Pakistan said its military had shot down shot down two Indian warplanes, escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. India also suspended flights though some of its northern airports. Air China cancelled its flight Thursday from Beijing to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. According to an employee of the airline's publicity office in Beijing, the status of other flights would be decided later. In Thailand, thousands of holidaymakers were stranded in Bangkok after Thai Airways cancelled all flights over Pakistan. Twenty-seven flights, the majority to and from European routes, have been cancelled, the Thai flag carrier said, with three planes forced to return to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport on Thursday. Thai Airways said nearly 5,000 passengers had been caught up in the cancellations. "There are 4,000 from European flights and 700 to 800 from flights to Pakistan," a Thai Airways spokesperson said. Flights to London, Paris, Brussels, Milan and Munich were all cancelled on Thursday, while 10 incoming flights from Europe were also scratched. (AP, AFP) This story has been published on: 2019-02-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. 2015-2016 El Nino triggered disease outbreaks across globe The 2015-2016 El Nino event brought weather conditions that triggered regional disease outbreaks throughout the world, according to a new NASA study that is the first to comprehensively assess the public health impacts of the major climate event on a global scale. El Nino is an irregularly recurring climate pattern characterized by warmer than usual ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, which creates a ripple effect of anticipated weather changes in far-spread regions of Earth. During the 2015-2016 event, changes in precipitation, land surface temperatures and vegetation created and facilitated conditions for transmission of diseases, resulting in an uptick in reported cases for plague and hantavirus in Colorado and New Mexico, cholera in Tanzania, and dengue fever in Brazil and Southeast Asia, among others. "The strength of this El Nino was among the top three of the last 50 years, and so the impact on weather and therefore diseases in these regions was especially pronounced," said lead author Assaf Anyamba, a research scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "By analyzing satellite data and modeling to track those climate anomalies, along with public health records, we were able to quantify that relationship." The study utilized a number of climate datasets, among them land surface temperature and vegetation data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer aboard NASA's Terra satellite, and NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration precipitation datasets. The study was published Feb. 13 in the journal Nature Scientific Reports. Based on monthly outbreak data from 2002 to 2016 in Colorado and New Mexico, reported cases of plague were at their highest in 2015, while the number of hantavirus cases reached their peak in 2016. The cause of the uptick in both potentially fatal diseases was an El Nino-driven increase in rainfall and milder temperatures over the American Southwest, which spurred vegetative growth, providing more food for rodents that carry hantavirus. A resulting rodent population explosion put them in more frequent contact with humans, who contract the potentially fatal disease mostly through fecal or urine contamination. As their rodent hosts proliferated, so did plague-carrying fleas. A continent away, in East Africa's Tanzania, the number of reported cases for cholera in 2015 and 2016 were the second and third highest, respectively, over an 18-year period from 2000 to 2017. Cholera is a potentially deadly bacterial infection of the small intestine that spreads through fecal contamination of food and water. Increased rainfall in East Africa during the El Nino allowed for sewage to contaminate local water sources, such as untreated drinking water. "Cholera doesn't flush out of the system quickly," Anyamba said, "so even though it was amplified in 2015-2016, it actually continued into 2017 and 2018. We're talking about a long-tailed, lasting peak." In Brazil and Southeast Asia, during the El Nino dengue fever proliferated. In Brazil the number of reported cases for the potentially deadly mosquito-borne disease in 2015 was the highest from 2000 to 2017. In Southeast Asia, namely Indonesia and Thailand, the number of reported cases, while relatively low for an El Nino year, was still higher than in neutral years. In both regions, the El Nino produced higher than normal land surface temperatures and therefore drier habitats, which drew mosquitoes into populated, urban areas containing the open water needed for laying eggs. As the air warmed, mosquitoes also grew hungrier and reached sexual maturity more quickly, resulting in an increase in mosquito bites. The strong relationship between El Nino events and disease outbreaks underscores the importance of existing seasonal forecasts, said Anyamba, who has been involved with such work for the past 20 years through funding from the U.S. Department of Defense. Countries where these outbreaks occur, along with the United Nations' World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization, can utilize these early warning forecasts to take preventive measures to minimize the spread of disease. Based on the forecast, the U.S. Department of Defense does pre-deployment planning, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) takes measures to ensure the safety of imported goods. "Knowledge of the linkages between El Nino events and these important human and animal diseases generated by this study is critical to disease control and prevention, which will also mitigate globalization," said co-author Kenneth Linthicum, USDA center director at an entomology laboratory in Gainesville, Florida. He noted these data were used in 2016 to avert a Rift Valley fever outbreak in East Africa. "By vaccinating livestock, they likely prevented thousands of human cases and animal deaths." "This is a remarkable tool to help people prepare for impending disease events and take steps to prevent them," said co-author William Karesh, executive vice president for New York City-based public health and environmental nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance. "Vaccinations for humans and livestock, pest control programs, removing excess stagnant water -- those are some actions that countries can take to minimize the impacts. But for many countries, in particular the agriculture sectors in Africa and Asia, these climate-weather forecasts are a new tool for them, so it may take time and dedicated resources for these kinds of practices to become more utilized." According to Anyamba, the major benefit of these seasonal forecasts is time. "A lot of diseases, particularly mosquito-borne epidemics, have a lag time of two to three months following these weather changes," he said. "So seasonal forecasting is actually very good, and the fact that they are updated every month means we can track conditions in different locations and prepare accordingly. It has the power to save lives." ### For more information about NASA Earth science, visit: https:/ / www. nasa. gov/ earth This story has been published on: 2019-02-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. 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At the third Eastern Partnership Ministerial Meeting taking place on February 28, EU ministers for digital economy and their representatives will meet their counterparts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, with the agenda of the talks focusing on extending the benefits of the digital single market to Eastern European partners. The informal meeting of the telecommunications ministers (TTE) on March 1 will be attended by the EU ministers of telecommunications, as well as by Andrus Ansip, Vice-President of the European Commission and European Commissioner for Digital agenda. The main topics of the talks will be artificial intelligence and the post-2020 Digital Single Market Strategy.The current Digital Single Market Strategy was presented by the European Commission on May 6, 2015. The purpose of this document is to reduce barriers and provide more business opportunities across the EU in a legal, secure and accessible manner, create an operational digital single market and set in place the appropriate conditions allowing member states, businesses and citizens to innovate and take advantage of digitization.Artificial intelligence was proposed as a topic of discussion at the meeting, given its political, strategic and economic importance for Europe, as it can generate major benefits such as: disease treatment, reducing road fatalities, combating climate change, minimizing the impact of agriculture on the environment, increasing Europe's security, a.s.o.Ministerial informal meetings are a common practice of each Presidency of the Council of the European Union aimed at providing an appropriate framework for a common reflection and the exchange of views on issues of interest at European and international level. Romania's President Klaus Iohannis said he is worried about the latest developments in the Black Sea region as Russia "is threatening the stability of the region," underscoring the need for "a consistent approach across the entire NATO eastern flank." "We need to ensure a consistent approach all across the eastern flank. I am deeply concerned about the developments in the Black Sea region. Russia constantly intensifying its military activity in the Crimea culminating with the Kerch incident and the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine, harassing NATO aircraft and ships, only prove that Russia is still threatening the stability of this region. It is time to ask ourselves most seriously: is NATO efficient enough in these circumstances? What do all these developments say about our posture and our actions? My answer is definitely that we need to do more. We need a robust, land, air and sea defence by providing the right plans, forces and capabilities to strengthen NATO's advanced presence," Iohannis said at the plenary session of the B9 Summit that tackled the security situation in Europe, its neighbourhood and beyond, and implications for NATO adaptation. He pointed out that, firstly the "deterrent posture" in the Black Sea needs to be enhanced."A more robust deterrent posture should begin with filling gaps and the use of agreed measures to their max. A more persistent sea and air presence in the region is needed, both of the riparian NATO members and from the other Allies for surveillance, exercises and port visits. We also need a stronger allied presence," said Iohannis.He told the attending B9 heads of state or government that Romania counts on their support for the multinational brigade in Craiova to be truly multinational, capable of deterring and defending the establishment of the Multinational Division South-East.He pointed out that more attention should be paid to the Eastern partners and that more support should be given."We can increase their ability to defend themselves against any kind of threats, whether military, cyber or hybrid threats or unadulterated propaganda. We can also show them that they are not alone, getting them more involved in training and exercises, in intelligence exchanges and political dialogue on security in the region," Iohannis said.The Romanian head of state also underlined the need for NATO's Western Balkan partners getting more attention, as the region faces complex security challenges, both internal and external. He said that the signing of the NATO Accession Protocol for the future Republic of North Macedonia is a major step in the process of regional reconciliation.According to Iohannis, NATO-EU co-operation is of particular significance when it comes to ensuring a stable and secure environment in the Euro-Atlantic area, and also outside it."The key words for it to function and produce the expected results are complementariness and synergy of actions. Military mobility, support for our Eastern Neighbourhood and Western Balkan partners, tackling hybrid threats should remain common priorities. That is why under the Romanian presidency of the EU Council Romania will support efforts to strengthen the EU's role in security and defence matters," he said.Iohannis said that NATO must be shown as a "strong alliance that delivers.""Our results in all these areas will ensure the success of the NATO leaders' meeting at the end of this year. (...) You can count on us, Mr Secretary-General, to make the appropriate preparations for the meeting. At the same time you can count on Romania to continue to meet all its commitments to NATO," concluded Iohannis.President Iohannis attended a Bucharest 9 (B9) Summit in Kosice, Slovakia on Thursday.Also attending the event were the heads of state of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia, as well as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. A joint statement will be adopted at the end of the meeting to highlight the common assessments and objectives of the B9 member states, including preparations for the next NATO summit meeting scheduled for the end of 2019.Two plenary sessions are organised at the meeting; a commemorative plaque will be unveiled, and in the end, the Romania's President Klaus Iohannis, his Slovakian counterpart Andrej Kiska, and his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, will hold a joint news conference.The Bucharest (B9) format was launched as an initiative of the presidents of Romania and Poland. The first summit took place in November 2015 in Bucharest and the second in Warsaw in June 2018. Former chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and candidate for European Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi was subpoenaed to appear on March 7 before the Magistrates' Investigation Section in the case where she is accused of abuse of office, bribery and false testimony, judicial sources told AGERPRES on Thursday. Kovesi was subpoenaed in the same case on February 15, but she was not heard then because she requested the recusal of the case prosecutor Adina Florea and of the Section chief prosecutor Gheorghe Stan, the reason being their challenged impartiality. The request for Adina Florea's recusal was dismissed on the same day by Stan, after which General Prosecutor Augustin Lazar also dismissed the request for the recusal of Gheorghe Stan.The case in which Laura Codruta Kovesi is accused was opened in December 2018 following a complaint by former deputy Sebastian Ghita who had fled to Serbia after being indicted in several corruption cases. Ghita claims that in 2011 Kovesi asked him to pay 200,000 euro for bringing disgraced trust fund manager Nicholas Popa, internationally wanted back then, from Indonesia on a flight.This week Laura Codruta Kovesi was heard by the European Parliament's CONT and LIBE committees in her bid for the position of EU's Chief Prosecutor and emerged as the top pick following the separate vote by both committees.The proposal resulting from the vote of the LIBE committee and the CONT committee's recommendation will be sent to the EP Conference of Presidents (the EP President and political group leaders) by the Chair of the LIBE committee.A decision on the steps to follow in this procedure will be made on March 7, before negotiations with the EU Council.The European Chief Prosecutor, who will head the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), will be appointed by common accord of the European Parliament and the Council.The European Prosecutor's Office, which is to become operational by the end of 2020, will be an independent and decentralised prosecution office of the European Union, with the competence to investigate, prosecute and bring to judgment crimes against the EU budget, such as fraud, corruption or serious cross-border VAT fraud. President Klaus Iohannis will attend the Bucharest 9 (B9) Summit on Thursday, which will be held in Kosice, Slovakia, according to the Presidential Administration. Also attending the event will be the heads of state of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia, as well as the NATO Secretary General. According to the Presidential Administration, the meeting will address major topics currently on the NATO agenda, focusing on the Alliance vicinity security, including the Black Sea region, namely combating hybrid threats and strengthening resilience in the current international context.Other important topics will be the strengthening of the advanced allied presence, the support for the Eastern partners and for those in the Western Balkans region.A joint statement will be adopted at the end of the meeting which will highlight the joint assessments and objectives of the participating states in this format, including the preparation of the next allied summit scheduled for the end of this year.The Bucharest (B9) Format was launched at the initiative of the presidents of Romania and Poland. The first summit took place in November 2015 in Bucharest, and the second in Warsaw in June 2018.The B9 Format is a platform aimed at deepening dialogue and cooperation among allies on the Eastern Flank of NATO, in view of articulating their specific contribution to the Alliance's ongoing processes in full compliance with the principles of the solidarity and indivisibility of the security of all NATO member states.This year's meeting takes place in a special context as 2019 marks the 70th anniversary since the creation of the North Atlantic Alliance, 20 and 15 years respectively since the accession of the allied states participating in B9. The General Assembly of the judges with the Bucharest Tribunal decided on Wednesday that all the cases pending before this court, except for urgent cases, be postponed between February 28 and March 7, as a protest against the adoption by the Government of the Emergency Ordinance (OUG) 7 on the laws of justice. According to a press release of the Bucharest Tribunal, the judges request: the repeal of OUG 7; the Ombudsman to notify the Constitutional Court of the unconstitutionality of four emergency ordinances (OUG 77/2018, OUG 90/2018, OUG 92/2018 and OUG 7/2019); the immediate resumption by the Superior Council of Magistrates (CSM) of the genuine character of a collegiate body and the cessation of the issuance of press releases by the President of the Council; the cessation of the attacks by political actors on the rule of law and magistrates; the simplification of the evaluation of the CSM members' activity and of the procedure for their revocation; the suspension of the activity of the judiciary crime investigation section pending the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union on the provisional measures requested in Case C-127/19. The judges of the Bucharest Tribunal adopted a statement of principle regarding the situation the judiciary has been facing lately, and this statement is due to be displayed on the courtrooms' doors and published on the court's website.The magistrates decided to postpone the cases pending before the courts, between February 28 - March 7, except for urgent cases, and the program with the public and of the court sessions is to be held as usual.In addition, it was decided to notify the Superior Council of Magistrates as to the need for adoption of urgent measures for the enforcement of the legal provisions regarding the compulsory occupational pension of judges and prosecutors, as well as the referral to the CSM and the Ministry of Justice regarding the need to allocate the material and human resources appropriate for the carrying out under optimum conditions of the judicial activity at the Bucharest Tribunal."The judges of the Bucharest Tribunal show that justice as a public service cannot function without the allocation of an appropriate budget meant to ensure decent conditions for the conduct of the judicial proceedings.The Magistrates of the Bucharest Tribunal call on the Minister of Justice to present a detailed and assumed answer by 01.06.2019, given his quality of authority with legislative initiative and main authorizing officer," the Bucharest Tribunal states.Magistrates also call for the repeal of OUG 7/2019, except for the regulation on access to and promotion in the profession.The statement of principle contains the following provisions:* "Urgent ratification of Protocol No. 16 to the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, whose text was adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 10 July 2013 and opened for signing on 2 October 2013 in Strasbourg. Protocol 16 provides for the possibility for the Highest courts and tribunals of a High Contracting Party may request the Court to give advisory opinions on questions of principle relating to the interpretation or application of the rights and freedoms defined in the Convention or the protocols thereto.* Taking positive legislative or administrative measures to immediately suspend the implementation of the provisions of the laws of justice and the subsequent emergency ordinances criticized by the European Commission, the Venice Commission and GRECO, reviewing these normative acts after a real consultation with the judiciary, taking into account the issues raised by the entities mentioned;* The adoption of measures of the kind previously mentioned in order to suspend the activity of the the judiciary crime Investigation Section until the President of the Court of Justice of the European Union rules on the provisional measures requested in Case C-127/19, the Romanian Judges' Forum Association and the Movement for the Defence of the Prosecutors' Statutes, and the temporary return to the shared competence of the prosecutors' offices structures depending on the object of the crimes (DNA [the National Anticorruption Directorate] with respect to corruption, DIICOT [the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism] as regards organized crime, non-specialized prosecutors' offices for common law offenses, etc.), so as to thus observe the system of checks and balances, specific to any democratic state;* The initiation of the legislative procedures by the right holders in order to amend Law no. 90/2001 for express and imperative conditionality of the Government's right to legislate by emergency ordinances in the field of the laws of justice and of all organic laws on the judiciary, after having obtained the assent from the Superior Council of Magistrates or after the granting of a reasonable time for issuance thereof;* To carry out all legal proceedings by the Ombudsman Institution aimed at notifying the Constitutional Court as to the provisions of OUG 77/2018, OUG 90/2018, OUG 92/2018 and OUG 7/2019, its role being extremely active in the defense of the rule of law as well as the international commitments made to this effect by the Romanian State, as held by the Venice Commission;* Observing the competencies and roles of each Section of the Superior Council of Magistrates and involving the Plenary in all decisions concerning the entire judiciary according to the Constitution, the immediate recovery by the Superior Council of Magistrates of the genuine character of a collegiate body and the cessation of the issuance of press releases by the President of the CSM or by groups of members, meant to facilitate the taking over of the message of a part of the media as coming from the institution itself;* The immediate cessation of attacks by political or associates on the rule of law and the status of Romanian judges and prosecutors, the cessation of actions that intimidate judges and prosecutors and affect the independence of the judiciary;* Fast-track fulfillment by the Superior Council of Magistrates of the power to take immediate measures to provide adequate support to all magistrates;* The implementation of annual evaluation criteria by the magistrates' body of the current activity performed by the members of the Superior Council of Magistrates, as well as revision of the procedure for their revocation by simplifying it and eliminating the competencies of the Judicial Inspection in the revocation procedure. Speaker of the Deputies Chamber Liviu Dragnea on Thursday will meet Zoran Zaev, the President of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, on which occasion he assured the Macedonian official about Romania's support for North Macedonia's European aspirations, while emphasizing the importance that our country grants to the EU's enlargement to include the Western Balkans. Bilateral discussions took place in the context of the adoption by the Deputies' Chamber of the Law on the ratification of the Republic of North Macedonia's Accession protocol with the North Atlantic Treaty organisation, informed a release of the Deputies' Chamber. "The meeting between the two officials is part of the increasing bilateral contacts in the latest while, in the context in which Romania holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union and also due to North Macedonia's accession process with the Euro-Atlantic space. The Speaker of the Deputies' Chamber assured the Macedonian side of Romania's firm support in respect to the European aspirations of North Macedonia, with an emphasis on the importance that our country grants to EU's enlargement to include the Western Balkans. Thus, the President of the Government of North Macedonia voiced his trust in the advancement of this country's EU accession process, after the progresses recorded," specified the press release of the Deputies' Chamber.At the same time, Liviu Dragnea specified that the NATO accession invitation represents a historic moment, as it reconfirms our country's readiness to collaborate both during the accession negotiations and after their conclusion.The agenda of the discussion also included the cultural minorities topic, as the Aromanian community in North Macedonia and the Macedonian on our country territory, have the capacity of contributing of a significant manner to the strengthening and expansion of the bilateral relations, especially in the economic and trade fields.The Macedonia delegation included Bujar Osmani, the Deputy President of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia for European Affairs, Andrej Zernovski, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Gabriel Atanasov, Ambassador of the North Macedonia Republic in Romania. On behalf of Romania there participated in the meeting also Venera Popescu, the representative of the Macedonian minority and Viorel Stanila, the Romanian Ambassador to Skopje. Romania's Presidency of the Council of the EU is launching a strategic and political debate on the future of a highly digitized Europe post-2020, addressing topics such as artificial intelligence and cyber security, the Communications Ministry informs in a release. This strategic debate is the central objective of an informal meeting of EU Communications Ministers, which will take place in Bucharest on Friday. The meeting is organized by the Ministry of Communications and Information Society (MCSI) and is preceded on Thursday by the Third Ministerial Conference with the Eastern Partnership states (PaE). Minister of Communications Alexandru Petrescu presides over the two large-scale events in the digital domain. The meetings are attended by Andrew Ansip, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Single Market, EU communications ministers, delegates of international financial institutions, representatives of the Information and Communication Technology and Civil Society Associations."Romania is now the main pole of debate at European level in the field of digitization in the context of the two events under the aegis of the Presidency of Romania at the EU Council. For two days in Bucharest, together with my counterparts at European level and high-level representatives of the Commission, we will have a hands-on discussion on the digital future of Europe, about the challenges and opportunities in meeting the common goal of increasing the competitiveness of the European economy, in order to ensure the technological autonomy of the EU in terms of technology. We want Europe to become a global leader on all digital levels: 5G technology, artificial intelligence, cyber security, high-performance computing, Big Data," said Communications Minister Alexandru Petrescu.Artificial intelligence, as a subject of great political and economic importance for Europe, is the main topic on the agenda of the meeting."Beyond the numerous applications of artificial intelligence in the economy, its technological aspects entail an ongoing effort of innovation and research. In order to ensure a rigorous technologically-grounded discussion, to set investment priorities and to prepare a framework for robust regulation, I think it is appropriate to address the issue of artificial intelligence within our high-level sectoral meetings, as well," the Communications minister added. There appeared last week an interesting article about Soviet and American intelligence operations centered on San Francisco during the 1970s and 1980s, where Moscow had a very active KGB station that was focused on obtaining Silicon Valley generated high tech information. The piece is entitled The Soviets wanted to infiltrate the Reagan camp. So, the CIA recruited a businessman to bait them. The author of the article is Zach Dorfman, who describes himself as a senior fellow at the New York City based Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. The Council is a little known but mainstream organization that seeks to enlarge the audience for the simple but powerful message that ethics matter, regardless of place, origin, or belief. Since our founding by Andrew Carnegie a century ago, we have been one of the world's top creators of nonpartisan educational resources on international ethics Countering technology transfer, as it was referred to back in the 1970s, was a big deal for western intelligence agencies, driven by concern that the Soviet Union would be able to steal western technology and use it to upgrade its weapon systems as well as its military related infrastructures. A number of European CIA stations, including Germany, actually had tech transfer as the highest priority in their operating directives, meaning that it was considered to be more important than recruiting Soviet officials to learn what the Kremlin was planning to do about recurrent areas of friction like the controversial stationing of intermediate range ballistic missiles in Europe. Given the still ongoing dissection of the events surrounding the 2016 election, the title of the Dorfman article was intriguing, suggesting that the Soviets and now the Russians have been attempting to infiltrate Americas political parties for over forty years. But, like the endless Robert Mueller investigation, is it actually true or is it a contrivance that is useful for those who want to continue to depict the Kremlins activities in the most negative possible light? The intelligence war between the Soviets and the United States at the midpoint in the Cold War was certainly multifaceted and fraught with real danger as mutual assured destruction by the two great nuclear powers was by no means a notion empty of meaning. Looking back on the GOP nomination battle in 1976, one might reasonably recall that Ronald Reagan was a bit of an anomaly, a potentially dangerous hardliner with sometimes quixotic opinions, not unlike Donald Trump. His views on the Soviet Union were largely unknown apart from the usual bromides and the KGB would have had as a high priority the collection of information that would illuminate the somewhat outside the norm Hollywood actor turned politician. All of that given, it would appear that the headline to the Dorfman article is not supported by evidence presented in the text. The narrative describes how an American businessman was used as an access agent to two Soviet intelligence officers beginning in 1975. One of the Russians, Yuri Pavlov, was under diplomatic cover at the Soviet San Francisco Consulate. The American businessman, John Greenagel ran a public relations firm in the city and had a relationship with the Reagan campaign that predated Reagans first run for the Republican nomination in 1975-6. He was also reporting to the CIA about the contact with the Russian, clearly with the objective of developing personal insights into Pavlovs personality and character to permit an eventual recruitment pitch by an Agency officer. In the article, a former FBI counter-terrorism officer concedes that Pavlov wanted to learn about the American political system, and what people were thinking at the time, and he did so openly by asking questions at diplomatic receptions and cocktail parties he was invited to. For example, over lunch with the American Greenagel, Pavlov asked questions about the former California governor: He asked, Is Reagan a warmonger? Why does he want military superiority? Why doesnt he support detente? It was all something that diplomats as well as spies and journalists normally do and it did not include any attempt by Pavlov to recruit Greenagel or anyone else to collect specific information from individuals working on the Reagan campaign. On the contrary, to set the hook for a recruitment pitch of Pavlov by CIA, it was Greenagel who provided the Russian with expensive gifts, including a designer suit and handfuls of $100 bills for expenses. The article concludes In the cat and mouse game of recruiting Cold War spies, its hard to say who came out ahead. What is perhaps most striking about Pavlovs efforts to develop contacts in the Reagan camp was, in fact, how fruitless they seemed in the end. Some of the academics Pavlov targeted did indeed end up working in presidential administrations, recalls Kinane, though Pavlov failed to recruit any of them. Nor was Pavlov ever recruited, or even pitched, by CIA. So did the KGB want to infiltrate the Reagan camp suggesting that 2016 was no anomaly? The answer would have to be no, or at least that if they wanted to do so they didnt try very hard and any comparison to the current state of Russian-American relations as seen through allegations of mutual electoral interference is more than a bit of a stretch. So, the Dorfman articles headlined political message about Moscows alleged interference in US politics is not supported by the story. But Dorfman or his editor gets in the last word coming from the former FBI counter-intelligence officer, even though the evidence does not support the claim: People think this is new. This isnt new. The Russians have been doing this stuff for 40 or 50 years. Its news now because theyve been so successful. Youve got to hand it to the Russians: they know what theyre doing. Theyre more and more sophisticated; theyve learned an awful lot. Now they get somebody like Donald Trump Jr. meeting with them theyre killing them because Americans like Trump Jr. dont know what theyre doing. Nor does the FBI, apparently. Donald Trump despite his image as the standard bearer for some sort of right wing or alt-right wing Conservative movement has boldly come out of the closet to initiate a global effort to end (the) criminalization of homosexuality. On the surface, this move looks like some sort of compromise to win a second term in office, but this could actually lead to a massive ideological victory for Conservatives across America including The Donald himself. Whether this victory is good for America or not is another issue entirely. Although, it is impossible to prove someones personal motivations beyond a reasonable doubt, the easiest argument as to why Trump has made this seemingly 180 degree turn in regards to homosexuality is simple self-preservation as a politician. A few years ago, Trump was riding waves of popularity offering to Make America Great Again if given the Oval Office. Now, many Americans are seeing that Trump is Trying to Make America Great Again, with Many Failures, Compromises and Baffling Flip-Flops. The euphoric honeymoon period is over and Trump will need to become more attractive outside of the base that got him into power, who at this time has very mixed reactions to the results of his ongoing Presidency. Calling to decriminalize homosexuality globally sounds friendly and Liberal and could be used to grab those precious Independent voters who may be on the fence when picking Democrat or Republican. A more modern, friendly, tolerant Trump that still wants to MAGA may be a good offering during the next election cycle. Another theory as to this move, is that Trump is trying to take a page out of the Progressive playbook and use this decriminalization campaign as a means to be able to cry human rights violation whenever it is convenient to do so. The main target of these possible verbal attacks will likely be Iran, which has been on the bad end of the Presidents anger and disgust since even before he took office. Being able to sell Iran as a gay-killing human rights violator is the necessary language that could be needed to get the American political Left to get on board with some sort of action or punishments. Although Trump has so far kept his campaign promise to not start any new wars, he is not afraid to put pressure on adversaries like in Venezuela. Essentially this bold declaration by Trump could be the means to market any action to the Left that he needs, as homosexuality is a core issue to them. The language of human rights speaks to an audience that normally wants nothing to do with troglodyte Trump. The two theories presented above could be both true, but the ultimate goal of #45 is very possibly something much grander. As the man known for coining the greatest election campaign slogan for Conservatives (across the world if you change the second A in MAGA to the name of the local country) in history, the Orange Man knows the value of a powerful statement. When he says that he wants to Decriminalize homosexuality this word is chosen for a reason with a specific goal in mind to push the LGBT rhetoric towards a Libertarian/Conservative agenda. Decriminalization of something that is an aspect of ones private life that does not cause physical harm to others is very much in line with a Libertarian/Conservative worldview. This language perfectly matches up with the ultra-popular I want gay married couples to protect their marijuana plants with guns slogan found on Libertarian memes and merchandise. Decriminalization means getting the government out of their (sex) lives and getting the government out of ones life is exactly the ideological reason why people support Republicans. This new mission is actually far more in line with the American Right than one would think at first glance. Ronald Reagans famous Conservative mantra "In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem" could very well be applied to the LGBT issue. Trumps decriminalization movement hints loudly that the problem homosexuals face is interference from government into their lives and NOT a lack of government action to support them as the American Left would argue. The big implication is that the entire Progressive narrative is not what is needed and that the ultimate goal should be for homosexuals the world over to be given equal opportunity by decriminalization and not equality of results by preferential government laws/programs. It goes by extension that if the ultimate goal of US foreign policy in terms of homosexuality is to get it decriminalized, then Washington is free to cut financial support for all sorts of activists all over the globe. This would be very consistent with Trumps quest to reduce/eliminate government spending on frivolous things that Conservatives feel are not within the duties of the state. Trump is a verbal tactician when given the time to think, and this new policy could really allow him to steal the narrative away from his enemies in a way that makes him look like the good guy fighting for equality while previous presidents twiddled their thumbs. It also could grab some swing states as it makes Trump seem more friendly, while hardcore Conservatives will never vote for any Democratic candidate no matter whom the Dems offer up. Additionally it does allow the Billionaire the means to instantly attack (verbally) a large number of nations across the globe when they get uppity. The Orange Man may seem dumb, but he certainly has a way with words. Photo: Flickr After years of complaints from conscripts, their parents and former soldiers the South Korean army has allowed soldiers to once more have cell phones in the barracks. But there are still rules for the use of the phones. The troops can only use their phones in the barracks after 5:30 PM until lights out at 10 PM. On weekends they can use them from 7 AM to 10 PM. The military will implement this new plan at starting in April 2019 after testing it during 2018. That testing first involved 400 troops in April 2018, then with 7,000 in August. This April all 380,000 conscripts will be free to use their phones under the new rules. South Korean soldiers and their parents have been pressuring the government to allow conscripts to have cell phones with them as they do their two years mandatory service. The military has long banned conscripts from having phones because senior officers considered cell phones, especially smartphones (the only kind most South Korean conscripts have these days) a security risk in the hands of young soldiers. What really annoyed the conscripts is that they saw American soldiers of the same age being allowed to have cell phones with them all the time. Conscripts were also aware that the largest cell phone manufacturer (Samsung) is a South Korean firm and there have been plenty of stories about Samsung phones being used by the American military on active duty and even in combat. So the South Korean soldiers wonder; what is the problem? The problem began in in 2011 when the South Korean Army banned troops from posting images of military equipment or facilities online. It was also forbidden to discuss military matters online. To enforce the ban (which had actually been around for a while, in one form or another), the army set up a monitoring system. By mid-2011, about a thousand troops have been caught violating the rules, and 300 were punished. The new rules didn't keep the North Koreans from getting the military information they want, but it did hurt morale among South Korean troops. This is just one of many reasons for low morale but one that could be easily fixed and eventually the senior leadership was convinced. Back in 2011, the cell phone ban was especially tough for South Korean troops. That's because South Korea is the most wired nation on the planet, with most households possessing high-speed Internet connections. Young men of military age typically have smartphones as well, often more than one. Troops are forbidden to have cell phones or digital cameras with them while on duty, but this is also difficult to police. The barracks are another matter. Despite the complete success of the 2011 cell phone ban by 2012, a growing number of South Korea Army officers were denouncing the smartphone as the most powerful weapon the North Koreans had. The basic problem was that nearly all South Korean soldiers owned smartphones and would go to great lengths to hang on to them, even when forbidden to carry them while on duty. In many cases, smartphones were not allowed on military bases. All this because smartphones distract soldiers from their work, especially boring chores like guard duty. This was discovered, with increasing frequency over the previous few years as NCOs and officers out, especially at night, checking up on the guards, found the troops engrossed in some smartphone game, texting, or reading an e-book. Despite a growing number of soldiers being punished for having, and misusing, smartphones on duty, troops continued to risk using the devices. Some military psychologists were describing this attachment to their cell phones as an addiction. South Korea already recognizes addiction to the Internet or computer games as something worthy of serious medical care. All this was compounded by the fact that most South Korean soldiers are conscripts, who don't want to be in the military anyway. Another problem with cell phones in the hands of soldiers is the amount of secret military information that gets leaked via Facebook pages and the Internet in general. South Korean intelligence experts know that North Korea has security analysts who do nothing but monitor the Internet for stuff South Korean soldiers have posted online. This adds up to a lot of very detailed information (including lots of pictures and videos) on the South Korean military, what it is up to, and what it is planning. In response, the military sought to control the damage smartphones did to the military by admitting to the troops that the senior leaders knew what's going on and why. Soldiers who continued to hurt national security because of cell phone addiction, or simply not thinking before posting something, were warned of more severe punishments. The military leaders said the nation could not afford continued leaks and dereliction of duty (especially by those guarding bases or borders). Despite all this, the forbidden cell phone use continued. It was bad for morale and it wasnt until 2018 that the military leadership decided to try trusting their troops on the issue. This is not the first time such a problem developed. In the 1970s and 80s, there were portable (handheld) radios and cassette tape players to distract troops on guard duty. The U.S. military solved the problem by ending conscription and making it clear that anyone caught on duty with these portable devices would lose their jobs. Thus the smartphone may be the final cause of ending conscription in South Korea. But that has not happened yet and the South Koreans looked to how similar armed forces, with lots of conscripts, handled the problem. This led South Korean commanders to examine how their Israeli counterparts handled the cell phone problem. The cell phones for soldiers policy in Israel has gone through many changes since these devices first appeared after 2005. Not just cell phones, but also the use of social networks. Back in 2010, Israel prohibited active duty troops from even using social networking sites like Facebook. This included access via PCs or smartphones. This was to prevent information on current or planned operations getting to terrorists. These leaks had occurred several times already by 2010. As a result of that one Israeli soldier was court-martialed (and spent ten days in jail) for reporting an upcoming raid on his Facebook page. The soldier had casually mentioned that his unit was going to conduct a raid in the West Bank, to arrest some Palestinians believed planning a terrorist attack on Israel. Another soldier who saw the Facebook posting alerted the army, and the raid was called off. For a long time, the Israelis felt they couldn't ban troops from using social networking sites, mainly because most of them are reservists (and former conscripts) called up for a short period of active duty. Instead, the army just kept reminding everyone that only they can avoid deadly accidents on the information highway. When this did not work a total ban for troops, while on duty, was attempted. That didnt work either. One problem was that for some people social networks like Facebook are an addiction that is not easily overcome. The Israeli army tried constant reminders to soldiers to think twice before they post any military related items on the Internet. To that end, the military released information about the soldier who got convicted, emphasizing the punishment angle. Just another reminder for the troops. But since 2010 the Israelis have also come to realize that cell phones can be very useful in combat. The Americans were demonstrating this in Iraq and Afghanistan. That resulted in local commanders being given a lot of discretion on what the cell phone rules were for their troops. That led to different rules for different units and the debate rages on. South Korean troops ultimately benefitted from the Israeli experience when South Korean leaders paid attention to it and adapted Israeli rules to work, it is hoped, in South Korea. TICKERS: FVAN; FVANF; 1PY Source: Peter Epstein for Streetwise Reports (2/28/19) Paul Cowley, CEO of First Vanadium, speaks with Peter Epstein of Epstein Research about the vanadium market and his company's plan to fast-track its flagship project in Nevada. First Vanadium Corp. (FVAN:TSX.V; FVANF:OTCQB) is one of the better known vanadium companies. Its CEO, Paul Cowley, can be seen in a number of video clips that I linked to at the bottom of the page. Despite being a blue chip name, First Vanadium's market cap is just US$19.5 million. This, for a company that claims to have the highest-grade primary vanadium project in North America, and a plan to fast-track its flagship project in Nevada. To top it all off, management just released a summary of its maiden mineral resource estimate. The maiden mineral resource estimate came in at 303 million Indicated pounds of V 2 O 5 (vanadium pentoxide) @ 0.615% & 75 million Inferred pounds of V 2 O 5 @ 0.52%. That represents a moderate increase in size and grade from the historical resource estimate of 289 million Inferred pounds of V 2 O 5 @ 0.515%. Importantly, 80% of the new resource (in pounds of V 2 O 5 ) is in the Indicated category. At the current vanadium pentoxide price of US$17.60/lb., the in-situ value of First Vanadium's 303 million Indicated pounds of V 2 O 5 alone = US$ 5.33 billion. That's about 275x its market cap. Note: in-situ values can be misleading for early-stage projects, but they can be compared to peers at similar stage. Is vanadium for real? Will Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries cause demand and prices of vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) to soar? Will global infrastructure projects demand greatly increased amounts of vanadium-strengthened steel rebar? Please continue reading for answers to these and many other important questions. Note: Peter Epstein and Epstein Research have no prior or existing relationship with CEO Paul Cowley or First Vanadium. Please give readers the latest snapshot of First Vanadium. First Vanadium Corp. is focused on vanadium and its advanced-stage Carlin Vanadium project located in Nevada, the largest and highest grade primary vanadium deposit in North America. The company is run by professional geologists and engineers who have worked for major mining companies in senior positions in exploration, deposit discovery, construction and mining operations. The company has a tight share structure and is well funded. We just released a maiden mineral resource estimate that's 80% in the Indicated category, and that's larger than our historical resource, which was all Inferred. We are very pleased with these results. Why vanadium? Why not lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel or copper? All of these minerals are going to be winners in the near future with the inevitable rapid demand increases for these metals with the commercialization of lithium-ion electric batteries in automobiles and vanadium redox flow batteries in large power storage applications. There is just not enough production of these minerals from existing mines to meet the projected demand of this exciting evolution in battery technology and commercialization. In addition, in the case of vanadium, it is chiefly used as an alloy for strengthening steel in infrastructure: rebar, pipelines, airplanes and car frames. CIBC Mellon has estimated that there will be $35 trillion dollars of global infrastructure projects starting over the next 20 years, which will spark big demand for vanadium. Tell us more about the Carlin Vanadium project. The Carlin Vanadium project is a black shale-hosted sedimentary bed of high-grade vanadium, which is shallow dipping and near-surface, making it ideal for open pit mining. The project's superior location and infrastructure are added benefits, being located less than 6 miles by road to a major rail hub, a major highway, power and mining community. Furthermore, the grades are higher, about double that of other Nevada-based vanadium projects, and there's significantly more vanadium metal in our deposit, also about double that of our peers. Our maiden mineral resource estimate shows the large scale and high grade of the deposit. How significant has First Vanadium's exploration drilling been compared to historical drilling? How many new holes were drilled? The two drill campaigns that First Vanadium did in 2018 totaling 89 holes were extremely strategic and successful in both in-filling and expanding the deposit. We frequently received assay values with higher grades than those found in the older drill data. This is reflected in our maiden mineral resource estimate that shows a 0.615% V 2 O 5 grade in the Indicated category alone. The infill drilling improved the confidence level to justify a high percentage of the resource being in the Indicated category. Please explain First Vanadium's fast-track approach at the Carlin project. In the 15 months we have had the project, we quickly received permits to drill, conducted two drill campaigns, made significant inroads in metallurgy, conducted environmental studies, and delivered a significant maiden mineral resource estimate, with 80% of the vanadium in the Indicated category, all to advance the project and unlock value for shareholders. These steps are the normal steps taken by companies to advance and de-risk projects, but normally it would take three to four years to accomplish what we have done in 15 months. Is there too much talk about VRBs, which only represent 1%2% of vanadium use? Is the VRB opportunity possibly overrated? The Vanadium Redox Flow Battery has only just started to be commercialized over the last two years and currently draws a small percentage of global vanadium consumption. It will ramp up in the short and intermediate time frame to become a much more significant part of vanadium consumption. For example, one project alone in China, the Dalian project, is expected to consume 7,000 tonnes of vanadium, ~8% of annual production, the equivalent of powering 100,000 homes. You can see that the scaling opportunity is eye-opening. The VRB battery is a superior battery for storing large amounts of electricity and they are forecast to last 25 years, whereas the equivalent lithium-ion battery needs to be replaced every three to five years due to its depleting characteristics. The VRB battery is the ideal battery solution for the green energy space for large-capacity electricity storage in power grids and in wind and solar applications. Some have stated that if vanadium prices are too high, the VRB battery will not be competitive, but continuing technical advancements are being made to bring costs down. Some vanadium producers are offering to lease the vanadium in the battery to reduce costs to the end user. What do you make of the sharp decline in vanadium prices in Q4 2018? Vanadium was the best performing metal in 2018, despite the pull back at the end of the year. September and October 2018 saw a rapid increase in vanadium prices leading up to the implementation of the announced November 1, 2018, Chinese law requiring 30% more vanadium in Chinese rebar. Rapid price increases are normally followed by pullbacks as a normal reactionary correction, but eventually that pullback overreaction needed to stabilize and reflect more prevailing supply and demand factors. Naturally, the reason for the run-up in price is real and is expected to add more demand to the stage. The strong demand for the metal, and the tight supply, are still the normforcing prices up. From mid-January to late-February, the Chinese price of vanadium pentoxide is up 12.8% from US$15.60 to US$17.60/lb. (See chart below from vanadiumprice.com). We expect 2019 will be another strong year for vanadium prices. What's the biggest risk to the Carlin project in the next 12 months? Perceptions. In the valuations of vanadium projects and their in-situ assets, and in vanadium price performance and trajectory through 2019 to provide the investor with confidence and interest in the future of this metal. Thank you, Paul, that was very helpful, I think that readers should have a much better understanding of First Vanadium Corp. (TSX-V: FVAN) / (OTCQB: FVANF) after reading this interview. Congratulations on your maiden mineral resource estimate, and continued good luck on fast-tracking the Carlin vanadium project. RECENT Videos of Paul Cowley and/or First Vanadium: Cambridge House Metals Investor Forum Metals Investor Forum Interview Peter Epstein is the founder of Epstein Research. His background is in company and financial analysis. He holds an MBA degree in financial analysis from New York University's Stern School of Business. [NLINSERT] Disclosures: Note: Peter Epstein and Epstein Research have no prior or existing relationship with CEO Paul Cowley or First Vanadium. 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TICKERS: LBC Source: Streetwise Reports (2/28/19) With two large copper projects under its belt, one in the U.S. and one in Colombia, and with an Inferred resource of nearly 8 billion pounds of copper, this explorer is now taking on a copper-gold project in British Columbia's Golden Triangle. Libero Copper Corp. (LBC:TSX.V:, LBCMF:OTCQB ) is a young company, having been formed in 2016, and since then it has been busy acquiring assets. The first two were copper-molybdenum projects, Mocoa in Colombia and Tomichi in the U.S., in Colorado. "The plan was and is to acquire large tonnage copper porphyry in the Americas, with low holding costs, so we can hold them through to when it's possible to raise capital while minimizing dilution to the shareholder base," Libero Copper Chairman and CEO Ian Slater told Streetwise Reports. "It takes a long time to find good assets that don't have fatal flaws," Slater added. "For example, with Mocoa, our project in Colombia, it took two years of negotiations with B2Gold (BTG:NYSE; BTO:TSX) to acquire that asset." "I believe Libero Copper offers an excellent vehicle to speculate on a long run for copper prices in the years to come." - Sam Pelaez, fund manager Libero has just added a third asset, Big Red, a 17,000-hectare porphyry copper-gold project in British Columbia's Golden Triangle, which is located about 45 kilometers (45 km) southwest of Telegraph Creek and about 80 km west of GT Gold's (GTT:TSX.V) high-grade Tatogga project. GT Gold noted that in 2017 it made two major discoveries at the Saddle prospect at Tatogga: "a near surface bulk-tonnage and potential deep high-grade underground-style epithermal gold-silver vein system at Saddle South and, close by at Saddle North, a large-scale, richly mineralized and high-grade porphyry copper gold mineralized intrusion." Libero this month closed the option agreement to acquire 100% of Big Red. The deal calls for the issuance of 2 million common shares of Libero Copper and cash payments of $440,000 over four years. The sellers retain a 1% net smelter royalty; 0.5% of the royalty can be repurchased by Libero for $10 million. "Big Red is early-stage exploration, but is really, really exciting," Slater said. "It has recently been flown for magnetics and radiometrics outlining an obvious porphyry target, which was confirmed with high grade rock samples. Big Red never had modern exploration over the entire project before as this is the first time it's been consolidated." The company has started the drill permitting process for summer exploration at Big Red. Until then, the company is analyzing the existing data. "There are many decades of geochemistry data on the project," Slater stated. "And we will analyze all that to make sure we have the best drill targets and places we want to follow up with. That is happening over the next few months." The project meets Libero's criterion of low holding costs. "Big Red features pretty non-dilutive acquisition costs. It's a low-cost option deal; even to buy it outright, the total cost is $440,000 over four years, and only $20,000 this year," Slater noted. "Big Red has really exciting grades, really exciting targets, and we can start working on them in July, which isn't far away," Slater relayed. Libero is also continuing to explore Mocoa in Colombia and has applied for drilling permits. Discovered by the United Nations in 1973, the property has seen exploration by AngloGold Ashanti (AU:NYSE; ANG:JSE; AGG:ASX; AGD:LSE) and B2Gold, before being acquired by Libero in 2018. A 2016 resource estimate, using a 0.25% copper equivalent cutoff, resulted in an Inferred resource of 4.6 billion pounds of copper and 511 million pounds of molybdenum. According to the company, "the Mocoa deposit forms a continuous zone of copper and molybdenum mineralization over an area measuring approximately 1.2 km east-west by 1.4 km north-south and extending to depths of more than 1 km below surface." Slater told Streetwise Reports that Libero is talking with major mining companies regarding a potential joint venture to de-risk and increase the tonnage of its Mocoa deposit. Libero's other project, Tomichi, is located about 50 km east of Gunnison, Colorado, in the same state as Freeport McMoRan's (FCX:NYSE) Climax and Henderson molybdenum mines. Tomichi consists of 49 unpatented claims; numerous companies have conducted drill campaigns between 1957 and 1978. A 2017 Inferred resource estimate using a 0.25% copper equivalent cutoff, resulted in 3.3 billion pounds of copper and 555 million pounds of moly. "Libero offers a base of nearly 8 billion pounds of copper in two projects with extensive exploration, and blue-sky exploration upside in British Columbia's Golden Triangle," Slater concluded. "Plus copper demand, driven by numerous catalysts including renewable energy and electric vehicles, is expected to outpace supply." Libero was founded by Leo Hathaway and Ian Slater. Hathaway is a geologist with extensive experience in the exploration and mining sector, and is the executive vice president exploration for Libero. He also serves as senior vice president of Lumina Gold Corp., and is the former chief geological officer for Lumina Copper Corp. He has also served at the vice president exploration for Northern Peru Copper Corp., Regalito Copper Corp., Global Copper Corp. and Lumina Resources Corp. "Leo is an extremely successful geologist; he has been involved in about $3 billion of asset sales where he has been the primary geologist. He is one of the best geologists around," Slater stated. Libero's board includes Rob Pease, who was the CEO of Sabina Gold and Silver. He was also the founder and CEO of Terrane Metals, which he sold to Thompson Creek Metals in 2010 for $650 million. Samuel Pelaez, who until recently was the chief investment officer and portfolio manager with Galileo Global Equity Advisors, acquired Libero shares for the fund he managed while at Galileo. Pelaez told Streetwise Reports, "Libero Copper is pursuing a business model that has proven successful in the past: accumulate development-stage copper porphyry assets during the downcycle, incubate them with in-house talent to later sell them to a hungry copper market in the upcycle. With the key insight of geologist Leo Hathaway, who was a driver of the success of Lumina Copper in the previous cycle, and the market savviness of Chairman Ian Slater, I believe Libero Copper offers an excellent vehicle to speculate on a long run for copper prices in the years to come." Libero has around 61 million shares outstanding, 68 million fully diluted. Management owns 29% of the shares; B2Gold holds a 17% stake in the company. Shares are currently trading at around CA$0.14 on the TSX Venture exchange. [NLINSERT] Disclosure: 1) Patrice Fusillo compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. As of the date of this article, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports has a consulting relationship with Libero Copper. Please click here for more information. 3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. 4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Libero Copper, a company mentioned in this article. Additional disclosures: Sam Pelaez or members of his household own securities of the following companies mentioned in this article: None. Funds controlled by Galileo Global Equity Advisors hold shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: Libero Copper Straight from city council A personal view, by Councillor Steve Morris In this final part of a series on decisions, I turn to changes in New Zealands culture that future leaders will have to navigate. We inherited our basic infrastructure, largely unencumbered by debt, from previous generations. However, current leaders in both local and central government are building todays infrastructure with debt that must be paid off by future generations. As well as paying off the debt of their parents, future leaders will have to make decisions within a culture that is turning toward identity politics. Traditionally, youd expect people to be elected on merit, perhaps being successful in business then taking a pay cut to offer their services in leadership. Mayor Brownless fits this mould. However, some of my generation are less inclined to vote on merit but more concerned with a candidates gender, race, sexual preference or their perceived victimhood. The virtues of determination and enterprise have been replaced by how many victim points a candidate can score. American presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren is accused of pretending to be Native American to garner votes from liberals. Actor Jussie Smollett was arrested, accused of faking a hate-letter and allegedly hiring two men to wear Trump supporter hats and beat him to garner public sympathy and more pay. Why would anyone do these things? Because our culture is starting to exalt perceived victimhood as a virtue. It wont be long before we see candidates using their gender, race or sexual preference as a qualification for office here. I dont envy our next generation of right-minded leaders! Summer tends to be a high point for music lovers, with festivals, big-ticket stadium gigs and outdoor concerts throughout the warmer months. But police would like to remind Homegrown festival goers to be aware of ticket scams. "The types of scams vary the tickets could be fake, you might pay cash but never receive a ticket, or the ticket may differ from what you thought you were buying," says a police spokesperson. "Remember, dont buy goods like tickets from anyone who you are unsure about, never pay money into another account without verifying who the account belongs to, and lastly if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. "Police have contacted Homegrown organisers, who advise that Tixel is the only official reseller of Homegrown tickets." Residents across the Western Bay of Plenty may experience care from a nurse practitioner (NP) rather than a GP at their next visit. The Western Bay of Plenty Primary Health Organisation (WBOP PHO) has the highest number of nurse practitioners working in a PHO in the country, with three NPs employed by the PHO directly in Tauranga and six at PHO medical centres around the region. WBOP PHO Health and Wellness Services staff member Caroline Vanstone was encouraged to become a nurse practitioner by services leader Philippa Jones. Caroline says there is a high demand for nurse practitioners as they can get out into the community and help those with complex health issues. We support people to recognise changes in their condition early and to take the appropriate intervention. Carolines role recently involved her delivering oxygen to a patients home after their hospital discharge, preventing them from going back to hospital. Having a holistic view, and thereby ensuring you are meeting all the needs of the patient, means youre not just focused on one thing, but are considering the whole person. Because of these interventions, the woman was no longer as fatigued and her quality of life improved. Nurse practitioner Megan Brebner at The Doctors Tauranga says her role allows patients to have longer appointments to discuss complex health issues, compared to the short 15 minute doctors appointments. A lot of my job is motivating people to self-manage their health. This qualification allows me to give people a good overview of their illnesses and assess and prescribe on the day. My boss often says she wishes she could multiply me and there is awareness that, with the shortage of GPs, it will be beneficial to the health workforce and the community to have more NPs. To qualify, practitioners must obtain a Masters degree, have valuable experience and present a portfolio before the Nursing Council to showcase projects and research they have completed. Elon Musk is once again in hot water with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for Twitter, this time for not getting pre-approval before sending a tweet. This all started when the federal agency charged Musk with misleading investors for an August tweet where he claimed he had funding secured to take his company private. Tesla was required to hire two new independent members to its board and create a committee to oversee Musks communications as part of the settlement. The SEC says that while Tesla announced Musks Twitter account would serve as a means of announcing news and information, the company had no procedures to make sure his comments would contain information needed to be disclosing in filings. In the end, it was decided that Musk would need pre-approval on any tweets concerning Tesla sent from his Twitter account. Related: Tesla CEO Elon Musk sued by SEC; highlights of the interesting lawsuit This is what brings us here today, as the federal agency alleges Musk sent an unapproved tweet on Feb. 19 saying the electric car maker would produce 500,000 vehicles in 2019. The Associated Press reports that Tesla officials summoned Musk to its California factory and issued a corrected tweet from the CEOs account that it would make cars at a rate of 500,000 per year. Now, the SEC is asking a federal judge to hold Musk in contempt of court for violating the terms of the settlement. See the tweets in question below: Tesla made 0 cars in 2011, but will make around 500k in 2019 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 20, 2019 Meant to say annualized production rate at end of 2019 probably around 500k, ie 10k cars/week. Deliveries for year still estimated to be about 400k. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 20, 2019 In its latest court filing, the federal agency says that Tesla officials confirmed that Musk did not get permission to send the 7:15 p.m. Feb. 19 tweet. They also confirmed that the car makers Designated Securities Counsel arranged to meet with Musk to draft his second tweet correcting the first one at 11:41 p.m. Feb. 19. Musk admitted to not seeking pre-approval for the aforementioned tweets, and is saying that he did not believe he needed to seek it for the subject matter. Finally, it is clear that the information in Musks 7:15 tweet -- a statement of the number of cars Tesla would make in 2019 -- was at least reasonably likely to be material to Tesla and its shareholders and therefore required to be pre-approved, the SEC writes in the lawsuit. Teslas policy lists projections, forecasts or estimates regarding Teslas business as an example of a subject that may be material to Tesla and its shareholders. Musks failure to comply with Teslas policy, and thus the courts final judgement, was not a result of a lack of clarity in either the policy or the final judgement. Read the full latest court filing by clicking here. A.P. reports that legal experts dont believe Musk will be severely punished in the case. Instead, the SEC is looking to get Musks violations on the record in preparation for future violations. Theyre looking at this as strike two, Peter Henning, former SEC lawyer and professor of law at Wayne State University, told the news organization. If he were to do it again, then they would go after him much more strongly. Related: Misleading tweets cost Elon Musk, Tesla $20M each in SEC settlement In the settlement, Musk and Tesla were also each ordered to pay $20 million for its role in misleading investors over a series of tweets from the carmaker with the CEO stepping down as chairman. Musk and Tesla came into trouble when the latter tweeted he had "funding secured" to take his company private. "Musk's statements, disseminated via Twitter, falsely indicated that, should he so choose, it was virtually certain that he could take Tesla private at a purchase price that reflected a substantial premium over Tesla stock's then-current share price, that funding for this multi-billion dollar transaction had been secured, and that the only contingency was a shareholder vote," the SEC's complaint reads. "In truth and in fact, Musk had not even discussed, much less confirmed, key deal terms, including price, with any potential funding source." The SEC complaint alleges Musk picked the $420 price point because he had recently learned about the numbers significance in marijuana culture and thought his girlfriend 'would find it funny, which admittedly is not a great reason to pick a price. NEWFANE, N.Y. -- A North Tonawanda mans elaborate scheme to avoid paying out thousands of dollars in a Super Bowl bet unraveled this week, shortly after troopers found him tied up with duct tape inside his own truck at a Tops parking lot. Police found Robert Brandel, 60, aroudn 2:40 p.m. on Feb. 27 inside his blue Ford F-150 truck on the 3900 block of Lockport-Olcott Road in Newfane. He was in the backseat with a rope tied around his neck, the other end tied to the head rest. Duct tape was wrapped around his hands and ankles. He then spun a bizarre tale for troopers, who began an abduction and robbery investigation. Brandel told police that he picked up two men in his truck on Feb. 25 who had placed bets on a Super Bowl pool. The men brandished a pistol and stole $16,000 in cash he had won from the payout of the pool, Brandel told troopers. Brandel claimed the pair made him drive around various places in Western New York against his will, eventually leaving him tied up in a Tops parking lot, according to New York State Police. But an investigation quickly revealed that Brandel made the whole thing up, police said. In fact, Brandel had run a $50,000 payout Super Bowl pool in which he made up names in some of the squares, hoping to win and take most of the winnings. But it didnt play out as planned, and the man was on the hook for most of the $50,000, police said. So Brandel was arrested and charged. Hes facing charges including first-degree scheme to defraud, a felony, and falsely reporting an incident, a misdemeanor. Hes due in Town of Newfane Court in March, police said. SYRACUSE, NY -- For 56 years, Syracuse beer drinkers had to do without the citys iconic old school brand, Congress. Now, its going to have a choice of two. The Haberle family, operating as Haberle Congress Brewing Co., is launching two beers this spring, both made under contract at Empire Brewing Co. in Syracuse. The first will be Derby Cream Ale, with a test batch making its public debut at the Empire brewpub March 8 and 9 (details below). The second will be called Congress Lager. Final versions of those beers should be available locally by May or June, said Patrick Haberle Hunt, a family member and the companys marketing director. Early plans call for both draft and bottled versions. These Haberle beers will hit the local market less than a year after the well publicized relaunch of a different Congress beer. Congress Craft Lager debuted in August as a joint project from the Onondaga Historical Association and a local craft brewer, Willow Rock Brewing Co. The OHA/Willow Rock beers are now available on tap and in cans at select locations around Central New York. Both Congress beer projects trace their legacies to the Haberle Brewery, founded by German immigrant Benedict Haberle at the corner of Butternut and North McBride streets in 1857. It closed in 1962 -- making it the longest surviving brewery from the citys golden age of the late 1800s, when there were more than a dozen operating primarily on the North Side. Haberle launched its Congress brand lager in the 1890s and renamed itself Haberle Congress after Prohibition. Derby Cream Ale was another Haberle product. The Haberle brands ceased production not long after the brewery closed. In its heyday, Congress was a rival to such regional lagers as Utica Club from Utica and Genesee from Rochester. Now, it looks like an intra-city Congress rivalry is on. OHA Executive Director Gregg Tripoli declined to comment on the new Haberle beers. The OHA, which has a large collection of Haberle and Congress Beer artifacts in its museum collection, says it acquired the rights and trademarks for Congress Beer logos and artwork in 2010, after they had fallen into the public domain. It has been using the logos on T-shirts, glassware and other merchandise sold in its gift shop for several years. In 2017, the association acquired the rights to brew a beer under the Congress name. Some proceeds from the beer sales benefit the OHA, a nonprofit agency. The new Haberle Congress Brewing Co. is headed by Benedict Brett Haberle IV, the great-great grandson of the founder (the name Benedict skipped one generation). He and several other members of the family, including Hunt, now live in the Washington, D.C. area. Another co-owner, Heidi Haberle Hildreth, lives in Georgia. Several other family members continue to live in the Syracuse area, Hunt said. In a news release sent out last year ahead of the OHA/Willow Rock Congress launch, the Haberle family said ... any Congress Beer that you may have been hearing about up to this point is not associated with or authorized by the Haberle family and therefore cannot be deemed authentic or representative of the standards upheld by the Haberle family and the Congress name. In a new release sent out today, Hunt wrote Theres one and only one true Congress beer. But... what could possibly be better than one Haberle beer revival? Well, two. Empire Brewing Co. owner David Katleski said his team has been working with the Haberles to ressurect the historic beer brands since before the OHA announced its project early last year. Empire has even worked with the yeasts found in old bottles of Haberle beer. (The OHA/Willow Rock version is a lager inspired by recipes and formulas in the OHA archives). Congress Beer, brewed by Willow Rock Brewing Co. of Syracuse in patnership with the Onondaga Historical Association, is back in cans for the first time in 50 years. Don CazentreDon Cazentre Katleski said the first new Haberle beer, the Derby Cream Ale, will be different from Empires own cream ale. Ours (Empire Cream Ale) is a light English-style pub ale, he said. "Theirs (Haberles Derby Cream), is a classic New York state, turn-of-the-century version). Katleski said he thinks there may be room for both efforts to restore the Haberle and Congress beers to Syracuse. There could be some confusion, but, who knows, maybe in the end both benefit from the publicity, he said. Willow Rock Brewing owners Rockney Roberts and Kevin Williams, are also looking on the positive side. Were proud of our collaboration with OHA to bring Congress beer back to Central New York," Roberts and Williams said in an email. "Our version, based on the original recipe, has developed a strong following locally, and we look forward to our continued association with OHA and Congress. People in Syracuse are proud of the regions rich history of making beer, and the Haberle Family is part of that story. We wish them well. Tasting Details What: Derby Cream Ale Test Batch #1 Public Tasting Where: Empire Brewing Co., 120 Walton St, in Syracuses Armory Square. When: 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, March 8 and noon to 2 p.m. Saturday March 9. The beer will then be available at the Armory Square brewpub and at the Empire Farm Brewery in Cazenovia while supplies last. Don Cazentre writes about craft beer, wine, spirits and beverages for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook. Ryan Silva is executive director of the New York State Economic Development Council, New York States private, nonprofit economic development organization. It is based in Albany. By Ryan M. Silva | Special to Syracuse.com Its no secret that the term economic development has been painted with a negative brush recently. Only in New York state could we look at Amazon HQ2, with a $5 billion investment, 25,000 new jobs, and an annual payroll of $4.2 billion, and see it as a negative thing. Perhaps it is because the lens through which we view economic development is too narrow and the definition being used by elected officials and the media is inaccurate. Tax dollars per job created is simply one metric that captures the broad work done through economic development. However, even using that limited definition, we can say that our efforts here in New York have been successful. In December 2010, the New York state unemployment rate was 9.4 percent. Today, it stands at 3.9 percent. This is in no small part due to Gov. Andrew Cuomos economic development strategy set in 2011 and the work being done on the ground by local industrial development agencies (IDAs), whose staff live and work in the local communities they are trying to develop. Job creation is just a small part of what IDAs do. They revitalize downtowns, build new infrastructure and create workforce training partnerships, creating a better quality of life in communities across the state. IDAs are economic drivers and job creators. A 2018 report by the Office of the State Comptroller shows that New Yorks 109 active IDAs reported 4,451 active projects that created 234,038 jobs, retained another 311,166 jobs, and generated $95.6 billion in project investment. This is an exceptional return on investment by any measure. Some members of the media would have you focus solely on the tax exemptions given to these projects (which total $715 million). What they dont tell you is that those projects created $600 million in new tax revenue for their communities, not to mention the salaries for more than 545,000 jobs, the income tax generated, and the economic activity that goes back into the local economy. IDAs dont take existing revenue off the tax rolls; they mitigate how quickly the new taxes increase over time based on the $95.6 billion in project revenue. These projects increase revenue coming into local communities. If the IDA does not support these projects, none of the new revenue or jobs would exist. Yet, this captures only a fraction of the work done by economic developers. Get in your car and drive around. Odds are you will see a project that was either supported by or worked on by your local IDA. Take, for example, Novelis Corp., which employs over 1,100 in the town of Scriba and is investing $97 million over the next three years to upgrade its facilities. Consider Welch Allyn/Hill-Rom expanding its operations in Skaneateles to now employ more than 1,000. Look at the city of Syracuse with the $82 million investment to bring the Hotel Syracuse back to life with 225 new jobs, or TCGplayers headquarters, which has created 315 high-tech jobs in the city over the last five years. None of these projects would move forward without private industry working with local IDAs who partnered with Empire State Development. Right now, the economic development industry, and in particular IDAs, are being unfairly labeled and targeted in this state. Economic development is not corporate welfare. It is a public/private, and in many cases academic, partnership to increase the health, wealth and prosperity of our communities. At least thats what we used to call it when our economy was struggling, and we turned to the economic development community to turn things around. We live in highly politically charged times. People are angry and frustrated, turning to the echo chambers in social media to reinforce their own beliefs. The federal government is dysfunctional, and New York states population is declining, specifically in Upstate. We need to build livable and workable communities to attract and retain young talent. That means investing in jobs, infrastructure, workforce development and housing. This work is happening in pockets across the state and needs to be replicated and continued across New York. Thats exactly what your local IDA and economic developers are doing. Lets make sure Albany allows them to continue doing this important work. Ed Griffin-Nolan, a licensed massage therapist for 21 years, is the owner of The Art of Massage and The Spa at 500. For more information on what you can do to stop the crime of human www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking. By Ed Griffin-Nolan | Special to Syracuse.com Cue the laugh track. The world cant stop chuckling at the news that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is one of the hundreds of men charged with soliciting prostitution at a so-called massage parlor in Florida. Even the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que got caught up in the fun, offering a special Jerked and Pulled Chicken Sandwich named after the dapper New Englander with the Super Bowl rings getting caught with his pants down. (Kraft denies the charges of solicitation.) OK, guys. And I do mean guys -- have a good laugh. Then think about this. The illegal activity going on at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida, goes on all across the country, even here in Central New York. Sometimes its just prostitution, sometimes its worse women trafficked and enslaved. The Polaris Project estimates that nearly 25 million people, most of them women, are coerced, threatened or otherwise forced into involuntary servitude worldwide. Tens of thousands of women are sex slaves in the United States. Phony massage businesses, often referred to as massage parlors, are one of the covers that traffickers use to hide their crimes. Fortunately, New York state has the legal framework to put an end to this practice. Sadly, for generations, law enforcement has failed to act to enforce this protection. Since 1968, New York has required that anyone practicing massage therapy must have a license from the New York State Education Department. The licensing exam, administered twice annually, can only be taken after completion of a 1,000-hour class at an accredited massage school. These regulations were passed in recognition of massage therapys beneficial health effects and to protect the public from unscrupulous and untrained people charging for massage. It also protects those of us in the profession from the stigma that has resulted from past association of the term massage (usually accompanied by a wink) with businesses selling sexual services for a fee. This opens an avenue for law enforcement in New York to address possible trafficking in our community. Law enforcement need not charge an unlicensed spa or massage business with prostitution in order to shut them down. All they need do is ask one simple question do you have a license? Some officials I have spoken with use the excuse that these places dont call themselves massage therapists. They use terms such as relaxation therapy or day spa. The objection is irrelevant. The law is clear. Anyone practicing any of the techniques used by massage therapists (and those techniques are spelled out in detail) without a license is subject to the licensing requirement. It is no more legal for someone to conduct massage without a license than it would be for me to pull teeth without a dental license. Even if I hang out a sign saying, teeth puller, I cant pull teeth. Thats what dentists do. The statute is clear. The need to protect the public and those who might be trafficked is urgent. Its time for law enforcement to stop treating this particular crime like a joke. Stop in to every spa and massage therapy practice in the county and ask to see the license. Were happy to display ours. Every reputable spa, every Licensed Massage Therapist will be proud to show you their license. The Polaris Project calls out the human traffickers and their patrons, calling their crime Stealing Freedom for Profit. What, I wonder, should we call law enforcement that fails to use this simple tool to find and root out this evil from our community? Its no joke. Gov. Andrew Cuomo promised New York schools a day off he couldnt deliver this week when a winter storm prompted school districts to shut down across Upstate New York. Cuomo assured districts they wouldnt be penalized if they closed Monday, even if schools had used up their allotment of snow days. He said districts could apply for waivers from a state requirement for schools to be in session 180 days per academic year. But some school districts say the governors comments only caused confusion among parents and administrators. In fact, no districts applied for the waiver and few, if any, will qualify. The state wont even consider waivers until after the school year. The state Education Department said in a statement Thursday that schools that run out of snow days will have to cancel previously planned vacation days to make up for the lost instructional time. In cases where a district has fully exhausted all of its scheduled vacation days, the department has a process by which districts can request a waiver if they are unable to meet the 180-day session requirement, officials said. When Syracuse.com | The Post Standard asked how many districts applied for waivers, the department said it does not receive or consider waivers for extenuating circumstances until school districts file their school year calendar information, which will occur in the summer and fall. Most school districts still have vacation days for April break or staff development days that can be canceled to make up for instructional time lost to snow days. Some Central New York school districts started informing parents this week that they wont qualify for waivers. Instead, the schools will turn vacation days or administrative days into regular school days. The Baldwinsville Central School District informed parents in a note Wednesday that students will have to report to class on April 22, a previously scheduled vacation day, to make up for Mondays snow day. While Gov. Cuomos recent statements concerning this issue may have created confusion, the note said, the New York State Education Department has clearly stated that in order for schools to get a waiver for an emergency closing day when it has exhausted the planned number of days, schools must use all of their unused vacation days prior to seeking a waiver. A survey by Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard of Central New York school districts found about 10 school districts have used all of their allotted snow days. The Syracuse School District is among districts that have started canceling previously scheduled days off for students. Prior to Mondays storm closing, the district turned a superintendents day on March 18 into a regular instructional day for students. Fabius-Pompey School District Superintendent Tim Ryan said his district used its seventh and last remaining snow day on Monday. Ryan said the schools will have to cancel a planned superintendents conference day March 18 if the district has any more weather-related closings. Ryan said he didnt understand why the governor made his comments Monday. The law hasnt changed, Ryan said. So basically, its the same rules we have always worked under. We have no reason to believe that the governors statement supersedes education law. In his statement Monday, Cuomo specifically cited the closing of the Amherst Central Schools near Buffalo. My administration has been in contact with the New York State Education Department and it has confirmed that the day will not be held against the school district or other districts requiring waivers due to insufficient available school days, Cuomo said. Its not clear why the governor used Amherst as an example. Amherst Superintendent Anthony Panella did not respond Thursday to a request for comment. Asked for an explanation, a Cuomo spokesman clarified Thursday that the governor is not asking for Monday to be treated differently than other snow days. We wanted to ensure that schools knew they would not be penalized if they did not have any available school days, said Don Kaplan, a spokesman for the governor. This administration and NYSED have agreed extraordinary condition waivers will be granted in cases where there are insufficient available remaining school and vacation days. HANOI, Vietnam (AP) President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are beginning the second day of their high-stakes nuclear summit with a one-on-one discussion. Trump and Kim met Thursday, the morning after they opened the summit in Vietnam. Trump told reporters that "a lot of great ideas" are "being thrown about." He says "when you have a good relationship, a lot of good things happen." The president also said he's in "no rush" to make "the right deal," a sharp break from his heated rhetoric a year ago about the threat posed by Pyongyang. Kim added that the whole world was watching the talks and suggested that, for some, the image of the two sitting side by side must resemble a fantasy movie. Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick is getting heat from his own party -- angry over his investigations into political foes, including a previously unreported inquiry into county Republican Chairman Tom Dadey. Its complicating Fitzpatricks path to the partys nomination for re-election to an eighth term in November, something that for decades has been a foregone conclusion. The party leaders vote tonight. Fitzpatrick was put in the unusual position of defending himself to leaders of the Onondaga County Republican Committee Monday, who peppered him with questions about his actions beyond the courtroom. Those questions have been prompted, in part, by challenger Gary Lavine, who is accusing Fitzpatrick of abusing his office to settle political disputes. Lavine voiced his criticism to the committee Monday as well. Lavine is mounting a long-shot campaign to wrest support of the 615-person county GOP committee from Fitzpatrick, one of the areas longest-serving public officials. What began as a series of grumblings from party insiders has materialized into a serious campaign from a wealthy candidate with a strong political pedigree. Two other political parties -- the Conservatives and the Independence Party -- have endorsed Lavine. Lavines challenge represents the culmination of years of frustration from some party leaders who are fed up with the district attorneys practice of inserting his office into political affairs. Its an unusual display of defiance against a district attorney who is both loved and feared within his own party for his brash, bullying nature and the power he wields as one of New Yorks top lawmen. Fitzpatrick, who has been in office for 28 years with few electoral opponents, is the clear favorite to win the GOP designation, albeit by a slimmer margin than he has in previous years. He has never faced a primary challenge. According to four of the 18 people at Mondays meeting, Chairman Dadey led off with a question for Fitzpatrick: Why did your investigator show up at my house and serve a letter to my 12-year-old daughter? Fitzpatrick reportedly claimed he wasnt aware his investigator had delivered a letter intended for Dadey to the daughter, and said he would not have approved such a measure. In an email, Fitzpatrick told syracuse.com that Dadey went through a selective list of grievances and that he addressed each concern the chairman raised. That letter was part of an investigation by Fitzpatricks office into the Republican committees spending records, and how Dadey was using party money. At the center of the investigation was money spent at Wegmans on things like sandwiches, drinks and toilet paper. John Niestemski, the GOP treasurer, confirmed Wednesday that he was summoned to the district attorneys office for an interview with an assistant district attorney and two investigators a little more than a year ago. They had questions about how the committees housekeeping fund was being spent, he said. They had pulled records from Wegmans, Niestemski said. They wanted to know what we bought sandwiches for, pizza for, toilet paper for, paper towels for... Niestemski said the GOP headquarters on Erie Boulevard has a full kitchen and bathroom and is staffed throughout the week (usually by city chairman Randy Potter). The investigation, he said, was kind of ridiculous. We dont know what caused it. Weve been filing reports for housekeeping for years and nobody had ever questioned our spending to that point, he said. But Tom and Bill must have had a problem. Niestemski never heard from the DAs office again. He said he must have satisfied their questions. No charges were filed nor was any wrongdoing reported. Dadey, however, was incensed that a DAs investigator had visited his house to deliver a letter requesting he come answer questions about spending. Dadey wasnt home. An investigator flashed a badge to his young daughter through a window and served her with the letter. Dadey declined to comment for this story. Fitzpatrick told syracuse.com he addressed all of Dadeys concerns at Mondays meeting -- a meeting he understood to be a private forum to talk about his plans for the campaign. My office conducts hundreds of investigations every year and does so only upon receipt of credible evidence of wrongdoing or malfeasance," he said in an email. "A number of previous investigations were initiated at the behest of Chairman Dadey and received coverage in your paper. He is likely referring to a grand jury his office convened to probe former County Executive Joanie Mahoney in 2011. Dadey had accused Mahoney of illegally putting her relatives on the GOP committee. So Fitzpatrick opened an investigation into Mahoney. Mahoney, at the time, said Dadey and Fitzpatrick were upset because she had refused to appoint Dadeys sister-in-law or Fitzpatricks son, Danny, to an appoint legislature seat. Potter, the city chair, said the meeting Monday wasnt particularly adversarial, and that Fitzpatrick addressed many of the committees concerns head on. Potter said Fitzpatrick presented a stellar record of in-court accomplishments. However, Potter said he wasnt happy about the investigation into the housekeeping fund. He presented a great case in terms of prosecutions, Potter said. He said I was born to do this,' and I believe him. Hes done a great job as an investigator, but theres been some pettiness involved. I live in the city where weve got murderers, robbers, rapists and its spinning out of control. Id rather see him worried about that stuff than how much toilet paper we use here at headquarters. Lavine, also, has referred to Fitzpatricks investigations as a pattern of abuse of office. He said Fitzpatrick uses his position to settle political scores, something Fitzpatrick has denied. Among multiple issues raised by committee leaders Monday was an investigation into Republican Election Commissioner Michele Sardo two years ago. She was summoned to answer questions from Fitzpatricks office about ballot petitions for a county legislator that were not submitted. The investigation came shortly after the GOP committee elected her to the job instead of Fitzpatricks son, Danny Fitzpatrick. Some party members felt the investigation was retribution for Sardo getting the job over Danny. No charges were filed against Sardo, nor was any wrongdoing found. Fitzpatrick has a history of politically-involved investigations that dont result in charges. In 2017, he convened a grand jury to investigate former mayor Stephanie Miner for alleged misconduct in her battle with Cor Development Cos. over the Inner Harbor. After a nine-month probe, the investigation ended with no allegations of wrongdoing. A judge at one point called the investigation a fishing expedition. Fitzpatrick said a lack of charges doesnt necessarily mean theres no wrongdoing or that an investigation wasnt warranted. In some cases the matters are referred to special prosecutors or to other agencies, he said. In many instances I exercise my discretion to pursue other remedies short of an arrest even though there may exist probable cause. If the investigation results in an arrest I comment on it, if it is closed I do not comment on it. At Mondays meeting, committee leaders raised other previously reported issues, like an investigation into a county legislature candidate running against a client of Fitzpatricks son. Or Fitzpatricks public, door-to-door support of his sons political client in that same race. In 2017, Fitzpatrick campaigned door-to-door with Derek Shepard, then a county legislator, and recorded a robocall on his behalf. Critics said that violated the Code of Conduct for Political Activity set down by the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York, which says district attorneys cannot endorse political candidates. Furthermore, Shepard was using Danny Fitzpatrick as a campaign adviser. Fitzpatrick, at the time, said he did not break the rules and cited an exception allowing district attorneys to speak out against people or policies that undermine public safety. He said Shepards opponent, Ken Bush Jr., was a threat to public safety because he would likely vote against funding for the district attorneys office. The full Republican committee meets tonight at Drivers Village in Cicero to designate candidates. No other candidates for countywide office have an opponent. There are about 615 members of the Onondaga County Republican Committee, according to Potter. More than 100 have requested absentee ballots to vote in the designation, Potter said. Most Republican politicos are confident Fitzpatrick will get the designation, but it wont be by unanimous vote like the other Republicans at the top of the ticket. And Lavine will be on the ballot in November with the Conservative and Independence Parties. If those two split support from the right, it could help the Democratic candidate, Charles Keller, a local defense attorney. Im sure that has to be a concern, Niestemski said. Ellenville, N.Y. A police officer in the Hudson Valley accidentally shot himself in the chest Tuesday while running from a rabid fox. The officers bulletproof vest deflected the shot and he suffered a minor injury, according to the Daily Freeman in Kingston. He was hospitalized, treated and released. The incident took place in Ellenville, west of Poughkeepsie. The officer, Harold Nunuvero, responded to a report of a rabid fox in town, according to the Poughkeepsie Journal. While at the scene, Nunuvero removed his gun from his holster, but couldnt shoot the animal because he was close to a home and a civilian in the area. The fox then aggressively approached the officer, who ran and jumped over a chain link fence, according to the Journal. While jumping, he accidentally fired one round, which hit him in the chest. Another officer at the scene was able to shoot and kill the fox after it charged Nunuvero, the Journal said. Nunuvero has been an officer in Ellenville for four years. Ellenville Police Chief Philip Mattracion called him "a very lucky guy," according to the Freeman. The incident was ruled accidental by New York State Police and was investigated by the Ulster County District Attorney's Office and the Ulster County Sheriff's Office because a police officer was involved, according to the Freeman. Ellenville police are also conducting an internal investigation to ensure all departmental rules and procedures were followed, the Freeman said. Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598 The mayor of an Upstate New York city who has been dogged by criminal probes and allegations of abusing his wife and daughter has now been arrested on federal criminal charges. The Albany Times Union reported that Cohoes Mayor Shawn Morse is now in the custody of federal marshals, and is facing charges related to misuse of political campaign funds. He is scheduled to appear in court Thursday afternoon. Cohoes Mayor Shawn Morse arrested on federal criminal charges https://t.co/sV6HGxNLe6 via @timesunion Brendan Lyons (@Brendan_LyonsTU) February 28, 2019 Morse, who has been mayor of Cohoes since 2015, has been the subject of multiple criminal investigations, including a state police investigation into allegations that he physically abused his wife and daughter. The probe did not result in any charges, but it prompted Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other elected officials to call on Morse to resign in 2018. The FBIs investigation into Morse began in September, when agents arrived at his home and questioned him about vacations he had taken, including a Caribbean cruise. Morses campaign treasurer, Ralph V. Signoracci, was also questioned. He has not been arrested, but the Times Union reported he met with federal authorities multiple times, and turned over all documents related to Morses campaign accounts. Federal authorities are also probing whether Morse was paid by a friend at a federally subsidized job training facility for work he didnt do. Morse continues to be dogged by allegations of abuse going back decades, including an ex-girlfriend who said he picked her up by her throat, and an 18-year old man who claims the mayor choked him. Morse is up for reelection, and is facing challenges from three democratic candidates in the primary. Hazelwood, Mo. A former teaching assistant charged with sodomizing a 7-year-old boy three years ago is also now accused of plotting to murder the child and his mother. Authorities on Wednesday charged Deonte Taylor, 36, and Michael Johnson, 66, with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with a witness, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Johnson allegedly agreed with Taylor to pay for the murder of the boy and his mother in order to prevent them from testifying in the sodomy case. Prosecutors said the person Taylor and Johnson had been in contact with about the killing was an informant. Taylor allegedly asked the informer to kill the pair and then ordered Johnson to pay. Johnson delivered the payments, authorities said, according to the Post-Dispatch. Taylor and Johnson are both being held without bail. Taylor was first arrested in November on the sodomy charges. He was a teaching assistant at an elementary school outside St. Louis when the incident occurred in 2015, police said, according to Fox 2 in St. Louis. Taylor allegedly took the boy from his classroom to another classroom at school and sexually assaulted him. Taylor's DNA was found on the boy's body and clothing, according to the Post-Dispatch. At the time of his arrest, Taylor was working as a fifth-grade teacher at a different school in the area. The victim reported the assault right away and the case was under investigation by a detective who left the department before the investigation was finished. No one completed the investigation until recently when the victim reported the incident again, according to KSDK in St. Louis. Taylor was able to get a teaching certificate and job despite the earlier investigation, the station said. He was placed on leave after he was charged in November. Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598 HANOI - President Trump on Thursday defended North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over the death of American college student Otto Warmbier, whose family says he was brutally tortured while imprisoned in North Korea and died in 2017 after being flown back to United States in a coma. The president condemned the "brutality of the North Korean regime" following Warmbier's death at 22, but he took a softer stance toward Kim at the conclusion of their second summit. "I don't believe he would have allowed that to happen," Trump said. "It just wasn't to his advantage to allow that to happen." Trump said that he spoke to Kim about the death of Warmbier - whose family has called it a murder - and that Kim "feels badly about it." He said the North Korea leader, who rules the country with an iron grip, knew about the case but learned about it only after the fact because, Trump suggested, "top leadership" might not have been involved. "He tells me he didn't know about it, and I take him at his word," Trump said. Trump's defense of Kim mirrors his willingness to take the word of autocrats in other cases despite the findings of his own government or experts, particularly when confronting the leader is not what Trump sees as in his political interest. Trump has not agreed with his intelligence community's assessment that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia who has forged an alliance with the administration - ordered the October assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributing columnist, was reportedly cut up with a bone saw, and messages later showed that the crown prince had plotted in the past to kill him. The Saudi government has blamed the operation on a rogue band of operatives who were sent to Istanbul to bring Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia. Trump has repeatedly said that the crown prince has denied any involvement in Khashoggi's death while emphasizing his own view that preserving the United States' relationship with Saudi Arabia is most important. "Maybe he did and maybe he didn't!" Trump said of whether Mohammed knew of the plan to kill Khashoggi. The remarks were included in an October news release defending his administration's handling of the situation. And Trump has sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin over his denial that Moscow interfered in the 2016 presidential election - even though the U.S. intelligence community has concluded that Russia did interfere as part of an effort to sow discord and help Trump. "I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today," Trump said standing beside the Russian president during a joint news conference in Helsinki in July. Warmbier, a University of Virginia student from Ohio, was detained in Pyongyang after participating in an organized tour in December 2015 and was held for 17 months, after being charged with spying for the United States and making an on-camera confession. It was unclear whether his confession was voluntary or coerced. His parents have stated that all the charges against him were untrue. Warmbier was released in June 2017 and returned to his hometown of Cincinnati in a coma. He died a few days later. Trump said at the time that he was incensed by the death. He forged a relationship with the Warmbier family, even meeting with them in the Oval Office, and introduced them to a rousing ovation at his 2018 State of the Union address. "We need only look at the depraved character of the North Korean regime to understand the nature of the nuclear threat," he said, with Warmbier's tearful family looking on as he described the regime's grisly actions. Otto's father, Fred Warmbier, accompanied Vice President Pence as part of the U.S. delegation to the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, in February 2018. In a statement announcing a lawsuit against the government of North Korea in April 2018, Fred Warmbier said his son was "taken hostage, kept as a prisoner for political purposes, used as a pawn and singled out for exceptionally harsh and brutal treatment by Kim Jong Un. Kim and his regime have portrayed themselves as innocent, while they intentionally destroyed our son's life." A U.S. court has ruled that North Korea owes the family $501 million - though North Korea is unlikely to ever pay any of the damages. As his relationship has warmed with Kim, Trump has said the men "fell in love" and often points to "love letters" he has received from the North Korean leader. He has downplayed human rights abuses in North Korea and has infrequently brought up Warmbier's death. Trump has said to advisers that human rights are not a key concern when negotiating with North Korea, and human rights advocates told The Washington Post in December that they have lost momentum with the administration. At the end of his first summit with Kim in June in Singapore, when asked about Warmbier, Trump described his death as a turning point that helped lead to a ratcheting down of tensions with Kim and a move toward negotiations over its nuclear program. "I think without Otto this would not have happened," he said. "Something happened from that day - it was a terrible thing. It was brutal. A lot of people started to focus on what was going on, including North Korea. I really think that Otto is someone who did not die in vain." "I take him at his word." President Trump defends Kim Jong Un over Otto Warmbier's mistreatment and death https://t.co/uD2qiLXK93 pic.twitter.com/BfEWrY8UAz TIME (@TIME) February 28, 2019 On Thursday, Trump jumped in when an American journalist asked Kim about his human rights record, saying they would discuss it privately. Youve got a lot of people, Trump said of North Korea during Thursdays news conference. Big country, a lot of people. And in those prisons and those camps, youve got a lot of people. And some really bad things happened to Otto. . . . But [Kim] tells me he didnt know about it. 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. Earlier this week, I was on the phone with Spectrum, trying to cancel the companys TV Choice streaming service after writing a review for TechHive. Although I signed up for the service online, the only way to cancel was through a customer service call. This in turn required a conversation about why I wanted to cancel, a warning that my internet price would return to the standard rate (despite it never having dropped to a lower rate), and a pitch on wireless phone service. When Spectrums representative started asking me what kind of phone I was using and whether I was locked into a contract with AT&T, I lost my cool. Do I really have to answer all this? I said. I just want to cancel TV service. In fairness, the Spectrum representative quickly relented and went ahead with the cancellation. But in 2019, when people have more streaming TV options than ever, and nearly all of those options let you terminate service online by clicking a few buttons, its preposterous that cable and satellite providers havent caught up. We should no longer accept that cancellation remains an annoying, intrusive process. I say enough is enough. Why canceling cable is hard The obvious explanation for why cable and satellite companies dont have online cancellation systems is because that would make the process too easy. TV providers would much rather send you to a retention department, where a customer service rep can question your decision, make you second-guess yourself, and possibly dangle temporary discounts as a last resort. Customer acquisition is expensive in a market thats at near capacity, and so they do what they can to get people to stay, and to make it difficult to unsubscribe, says Alan Wolk, the lead analyst for TVRev. Lengthy hold times on phone chains are presumed to be part of the plan as well. Despite this assumption, I wanted to give cable and satellite providers the benefit of the doubt, because maybe there was some technical or logistical reason I hadnt considered. Before filing this story, I reached out to Comcast, Spectrum, Dish Network, and DirecTV for comment. None provided an answer in time for publication. Its worth noting that some companies handle cancellation better than others. Comcast, for instance, lets you cancel service by filling out a form and emailing it, or by chatting with an online representative between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern time. Neither option is idealespecially given that Comcast allows customers of its Xfinity Instant TV streaming service to cancel onlinebut both are better than a mandatory customer service call. The calling process itself has also improved over the years. With Spectrum, I reserved a place in line after wading through the companys automated answering system, then hung up and got a call back when a human was available. Yet none of this streamlining compares to the process of canceling a streaming service. With Netflix, you can head straight to the cancellation page and turn off your subscription with no hassle. Amazon also offers a direct cancellation link, while other services like Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, and Hulu provide clear documentation on how to cancel through their online systems. Even AT&Ts DirecTV Now streaming service is much simpler to cancel than the companys satellite offering. (These links arent hidden either; all of them received top billing in Google search results.) Cancelling service is no more burdensome than signing up, which is the way it should be for any subscription service. Time to complain Although cable companies have little incentive to offer online cancellation on their own, the law could compel them to make things easier. In 2017, the state of California passed a law that requires an online cancellation option for any subscription service that accepts online signups. California Senate Bill No. 313 went into effect last July. It says cancellation methods may include (but arent limited to) a formatted email that customers can send with no additional information. Unfortunately, cable companies dont appear to be the bills intended target. Katie Henzlik, a spokeswoman for state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, who introduced the bill, said its main goal was make companies provide clear notice and cancellation options when someone starts a free trial online. Its meant to affect streaming services such as Hulu and Netflix more than cable companies like Spectrum. Richard Holober, the executive director of the Consumer Federation of California, which sponsored the bill, said he hasnt seen any complaints come in about cable TV service either before or after the bills passing. In other words, people are so used to the ritual of calling customer service to cancel cable that they dont even notice when the law affords a better way. I think its time for this Stockholm syndrome to end. Instead of simply accepting that cable cancellation has been and will always be a pain, we should complain and question why it cant be easier. For years now, cable companies have insisted that theyre trying to improve their historically terrible customer service. I see no reason why that goal shouldnt apply to the act of reducing TV service or cutting it outright. Sign up for Jareds Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter to get this column and other cord-cutting news, insights, and deals delivered to your inbox. Did you know that Microsoft doesn't back up your 365 data? Avoid data loss. Back up your company's Office 365 mailboxes, Teams, and files stored within OneDrive and Sharepoint. Get your free trial of Altaro Office 365 Backup. Predicting the power output of wind farms has been challenging, but its becoming less so with the use of machine learning. Google and British artificial intelligence company DeepMind have been using ML algorithms to improve predictions of the wind power output at Googles wind farms in the Midwest, according to a post coauthored by DeepMind Program Manager Sims Witherspoon and Google Carbon Free Energy Program Lead Will Fadrhonc. The farms, which produce 700 megawatts of electricity enough to power a medium-sized city use the algorithms to predict wind power output 36 hours ahead of generation. With those predictions, wind farmers can make hourly commitments to the power grid a full day in advance. Thats important, because energy sources that can be scheduled for delivery to the power grid are valued higher than those that cant. The value of the energy produced by the wind farms has increased 20 percent compared to when energy output was less predictable, according to the companies. If youre not so certain about what youre going to produce, youll probably discount your output and not sell as much, said Gary Cook, a senior energy analyst at Greenpeace in Washington, D.C. Google cant generate more wind, but with more reliable data, the grid operator can have more certainty about whats being generated and can manage accordingly, he told TechNewsWorld. Meeting Demand Grid providers try to match user demand to the amount of electricity they produce. If they receive power from unpredictable sources, like wind, it makes managing demand more difficult for them. It also adds to their cost of operations. Since they dont know when theyre going to get electricity from unpredictable sources, they need to have alternative instant energy sources online such as batteries to meet demand when theyre not getting any juice from the unpredictable sources. If they can get more advanced warning about the power theyre going to receive from the wind farm, that reduces the challenges in meeting demand, and they have to call upon less of this instant generation capacity, explained Petter Karal, CEO of Seatower, an offshore wind company based in Oslo, Norway. That makes wind power more valuable to the grid, he told TechNewsWorld. A D V E R T I S E M E N T If wind power is more predictable and easier to integrate into the grid, then it will become more competitive for future investment decisions regarding generation capacity, Karal added. Better Models Alternative energy sources can have an impact on global climate change. When renewable energy becomes more competitive than fossil fuels, you will use more renewable energy and less fossil fuels, Karal said. Wind models have been getting better all the time, Greenpeaces Cook noted. What you have here with the collaboration of Google and DeepMind is the taking of a lot of data and crunching it down so you can provide with greater certainty what a location is likely to generate. If the data analysis had to be done by humans, the data set would have to be scaled down. With machine learning, you can take a huge data set, dump it in there, and get more granular and more confident about what the outcome would be, Cook said. Machine Learning can recognize patterns that would be super time-consuming for humans to find. ML-Aided Maintenance Artificial Intelligence has the potential to increase the value of alternative energy, observed Karal. There will be many applications, he said. Some of them we can envision now, but most of them will be invented over time as machine learning becomes more generic and more easily applicable. One current application of ML is maintenance of infrastructure, like offshore turbines. Maintenance of offshore wind turbines is a huge thing, because its a big job to go 20 miles offshore and climb a 300- or 400-foot tower in the middle of the sea. Thats resource-intensive, Karal explained. A D V E R T I S E M E N T If you can have an AI-assisted prediction of when service is required and when the service technician is there, predict further maintenance that could be very valuable, he added. Strengthening Winds Business Case Although it isnt possible to eliminate the variability of the wind, machine learning can make wind power more predictable and valuable. Our hope is that this kind of machine learning approach can strengthen the business case for wind power and drive further adoption of carbon-free energy on electric grids worldwide, Witherspoon and Fadrhonc wrote. Researchers and practitioners across the energy industry are developing novel ideas for how society can make the most of variable power sources like solar and wind. Were eager to join them in exploring general availability of these cloud-based machine learning strategies, they added. Google recently achieved 100 percent renewable energy purchasing and is now striving to source carbon-free energy on a 247 basis, noted Witherspoon and Fadrhonc. The partnership with DeepMind to make wind power more predictable and valuable is a concrete step toward that aspiration. Duplicitous Behavior? Despite Googles commitment to a green future, it seems to be hedging its bets, suggested Brian Merchant in a Gizmodo article. Like Amazon and Microsoft, Google cut deals worth billions of dollars to provide automation, cloud and AI services to the worlds biggest oil companies, Merchant wrote. The deals essentially automate the climate crisis, he maintained, through deals that are geared toward streamlining and improving oil and gas extraction operations. Through a series of deals, Merchant pointed out, Google can use its machine learning to find more oil reserves both above and below the seas, its data services to streamline and automate oilfield operations, and its tools to help oil companies find ways to trim costs and compete with clean energy upstarts. In brief: In a show of online force, the US Cyber Command was able to disrupt the internet access for the infamous Russian Internet Research Agency on the day of the 2018 midterm election. It appears that this attack was more to send a message than to cause damage to the IRA. Individuals familiar with the issue told The Washington Post that "they basically took the IRA offline" for a day or so. This was done in an effort to prevent Russian trolls from spreading false information while Americans were voting. It is also believed that US defense officials gathered intelligence showing IRA trolls were so frustrated with the blockage, that they complained to their system administrators. The IRA is well known for its role in influencing the 2016 Presidential Campaign and sowing discord on social media sites. US federal agents believe the IRA is financed by Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a Russian oligarch with close ties to Putin. Cybercom was granted additional powers to expand its scope of attacks by President Trump and this operation was the first real test of their new strategy. At the time it took place, the attack was not publicized, but now that it has been made public, it appears to have accomplished its goal. This is not the first time that the IRA has been a target of the US cyber campaigns. Several months ago, members of Cybercom direct messaged suspected IRA trolls instructing them not to interfere in further elections. US intelligence operatives shared the real names and online usernames of the trolls as a warning that they were being watched. Officials aren't sure what effect this recent attack will have in the long term, but hope that it will show that the US is serious about preventing further Russian interference. In brief: Disney is reportedly in negotiations with AT&T to buy out its eventual stake in Hulu. The deal could net the telecom over $900 million for the 10-percent stake currently held by WarnerMedia. According to Variety, an anonymous insider has confirmed Disney is in talks with AT&T to pick up its interest in Hulu. Disney, which already owns a 30-percent share in the streaming service, is currently in the process of closing a deal to acquire 20th Century Fox. Once that merger gets regulatory approval, it will gain Foxs 30-percent stake in Hulu and control of the company. The only other shares for Disney to grab would be Comcast/NBCUniversals 30 percent and WarnerMedias 10 percent. Comcast and NBCU are not interested in selling their stake which was picked up in 2016. Disney would like to buy us out, said Steve Burke, NBCUs chief executive. I dont think anythings going to happen in the near term. That leaves WarnerMedias share. Thanks to a recent legal victory against the Department of Justice, AT&T looks to be going ahead with its merger with Time Warner. Back in November of last year, the telecom had voiced intent to sell its interest in Hulu to Disney once the acquisition was complete. John Stephens, AT&T CFO said the company would be looking to off-load minor investments such as Sky Mexico and Hulu to gain working capital [and] help pay down the debt assumed by the Time Warner deal." Hulu is currently valued at $9.296 billion, so assuming Disney made a straight dollar-for-dollar offer, that would be about $930 million for 10 percent. It would also be a reasonable value considering Time Warners initial investment in Hulu was $583 million, plus another $200 million in capital offerings. WarnerMedia is getting ready to launch its own streaming service by the end of the year. Holding on to a minority stake in a competing product is likely low on AT&T's list of priorities. Hulu and AT&T declined comment, and Disney did not respond to a request for comment regarding the talks. In brief: Samsung knows that many consumers employ screen protectors on their devices. The problem, it seems, is that Samsung cant guarantee its ultrasonic fingerprint sensor will work with all third-party screen protectors, especially those constructed of traditional glass or polyurethane materials. As such, it is including a screen protector pre-installed from the factory to eliminate any possible compatibility issues. Samsung will ship its flagship Galaxy S10 with a screen protector pre-installed from the factory. While seemingly a kind gesture, the real reason Samsung made the decision has to do with the technology behind its in-screen fingerprint reader. The Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ utilize an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor built into the lower portion of the phones display. The sensor reads the peaks and troughs of your fingers unique characteristics, a method that is said to be far more secure than traditional 2D scanning. Notably, Samsung said the included screen protector will not be covered under warranty. Itll also be available to purchase as a standalone product for all Galaxy S10 variants for $29.99. Samsungs Galaxy S10 family launches on March 8 starting at $899.99. Check with Samsung or your wireless service provider for more information or to set up a pre-order. Lead image via Sarah Tew courtesy CNET An animal lover in Florida suffered from a bleeding finger and a hole in her wallet after helping a stray cat. Bitten By Stray Cat When Jeannette Parker saw a skinny cat in a rural area outside Everglades National Park in Florida, she decided to give the seemingly hungry animal some food. She gave tuna to the cat. The feline, however, thanked her by biting her finger. Parker cleaned the wound but was worried about rabies since there was a health alert issued by the department of health in Miami-Dade County at the time. She went home in the Florida Keys and called the health department, which was unfortunately closed. She then proceeded to the emergency room at Mariners hospital, where she spent about two hours in the emergency room. She received two different types of injections and an antibiotic, but never talked with a doctor. "I went home happy as a clam," she said. It turned out, however, that Parker's ordeal isn't over. $48,512 ER Bill When the bills came, she realized she was charged $48,512, of which $46,422 was for the antibody booster alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, treatment such as Parkers, which includes the immune globulin and the four doses of vaccine given over a period of two weeks, can cost more than $3,000 on average, but hospitals can set their own price. Richard Evans, a drug industry analyst at SSR Health, said the average wholesale price for the vaccine is $361.26 per milliliter. That should have costed $4,300 for Parker's 12-milliliter dose, a far cry from the $46,422 she was billed. Parker was insured through the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) because her husband works for the federal government at Everglades National Park. After negotiated discounts, the plan paid $34,618 of Parker's ER bill. She still had to pay $4,191 out of pocket for the final $344 of her deductible for the year plus her 10 percent share of the charges that her insurer accepted. "My funeral would have been cheaper," she said. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Spotify goes live in India earlier this week, bringing with it an arsenal of exclusive perks to go against the already-teeming music streaming scene in the country. In 2018, the company announced its plans to enter the world's biggest digital markets, including Africa, Russia, and India. India-Exclusive Features Over 40 million songs are now available on Spotify India. The platform's library includes music from Bollywood movies, which has always been an important part of the Indian culture. Songs from Kollywood and Tollywood are available as well. Just like in other countries, there are also a specially curated playlists for the Indian market, such as Bollywood Butter, Namaste Love, Punjabi101, Rap 91, and Indiestan. This is in addition to Spotify's auto-selected Radio, Home, and Daily Mix playlists. Spotify recommendations will also feature songs from Indian actors and movies. The music streaming service offers support for different languages, including Tamil, Punjabi, Hindi, and Telugu. Notably and for the first time Spotify's free version is giving Indian users access to on-demand music on their smartphones. The Competition Spotify India will go head to head with competitors such as JioSaavn, Gaana, Google Play, Apple Music, and Amazon. With all the competition, Spotify offering a host of country-exclusive features to India is a clever move to help gain a bigger market share, most are probably already using other music streaming platforms in the country. Aside from all the perks mentioned above, Spotify premium in India will cost way cheaper compared to its competitors. The paid platform is available for 119 rupees (or about $1.67) per month, and the company also offers other plans such as a one-day access priced at 13 rupees (around $0.18), one-week plan for 39 rupees ($0.55), and a one-month plan for 129 rupees ($1.81). Students can also enjoy all plans at 50 percent off the original price. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Rumors of layoffs at Apple's autonomous vehicle program started circulating in late January. According to reports at that time, the Cupertino company is letting go of over 200 employees from Project Titan as a move to revamp the entire team. Layoffs Confirmed In a letter sent to the California Employment Development Department, Apple detailed the layoffs, which is set to take effect on April 16. Apple spokesperson Tom Neumayr also confirmed that the letter included the layoffs that was rumored in January. The company will dismiss 190 employees in Santa Clara and Sunnyvale, California, which include 38 engineering program managers, 33 hardware engineers, 31 product design engineers, and 22 software engineers. Apple senior employee relations consultant Pam Oyanagi said that the layoffs are expected to be permanent. "All affected employees have been notified of their separation dates and that their separation from employment will be permanent," Oyanagi said in the letter. Part Of Restructuring CNBC reported the imminent layoffs last month, citing people familiar with the matter. Apple tapped Doug Field, Tesla engineering VP, in August 2018 to lead the Project Titan, and according to the report, the layoffs were seen internally as part of a move to restructure the self-driving car division under Field's relatively new management. During that time, a spokesperson said that affected employees will be moved to other projects. "As the team focuses their work on several key areas for 2019, some groups are being moved to projects in other parts of the company, where they will support machine learning and other initiatives, across all of Apple," the spokesperson told CNBC. Lately, Apple has been seeing a decrease in iPhone sales and revenues, and the layoffs could be an after-effect of the slowdown. Even China, one of the biggest smartphone markets in the world, practically ignored iPhone, forcing resellers in the country to sell units at a discounted price. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Sony and Xiaomi are both partnering with Light toward the production of smartphones with multiple cameras. Light, for the uninitiated, makes cameras with multiple lenses for various uses, such as selective autofocus during post-processing. While years ago, the idea of multi-camera phones seemed ridiculous, it's now increasingly commonplace. Flagship smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S10, are bumping their cameras up to three and sometimes even four on a single device. Multi-camera arrays are the way forward, and consumers can expect more of this soon as Sony and Xiaomi work with Light. Light Strikes Partnership With Sony, Xiaomi The partnerships, it's worth noting, are not joint. Sony, specifically, is working with Light to incorporate its multi-camera array with Sony's image processing system. The goal is to make apps that could take advantage of this integration. Light promises to help Sony phones fit four or more cameras in its upcoming lineup. DSLR Phone Xiaomi's partnership is a little less clear, on the other hand. Precious little detail is available, with the companies only noting that they're working together to make smartphones that can take photos on par with DSLRs. How it's going to achieve such a feat remains to be explained, but the notion is nonetheless exciting. Still, though, Xiaomi's phones remain largely unavailable in the United States, which renders its partnership with Light less thrilling for statewide folks. If they do manage to make a smartphone that takes DSLR-level photos, it's probably not going to hit U.S. shores. Things, however, can always change. Perhaps by the time that happens Xiaomi will have found a way to penetrate the U.S. market. Light Light most recently made waves with the just-announced Nokia 9, which features five cameras. It appears from here on out Light is going to have a more significant presence in the smartphone industry. Light could be one of the primary partners for a lot of upcoming phones, especially as multi-camera arrays become more widely adopted. Even still, the hardware is just one component. As usual, the challenge is to create software that will make the most out of the lenses. Which is all to say that Light's partnership with Sony is particularly exciting in this regard, especially given that Sony's image processing system is one of the best in the business. Make sure to check back with Tech Times as we learn more about what these companies are up to. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Update: The State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating whether T.M. Landry will be allowed to open in its new location T.M. Landry College Prep's moved from its home in Breaux Bridge this week with only a few days of notice to the building's owner, Neal Hebert, who said the school's lease was to expire in November 2020. Hebert said school officials notified him last weekend, just one month after he agreed to reduce the rent by about 40 percent. The school refused to negotiate a lease termination, Hebert said. I proposed that, and they told me that wasnt going to happen. They just packed up and moved out, Hebert said. The school's chairman, Greg Davis, said the move to a former skating rink in the 3400 block of Moss Street in Lafayette was necessary because the State Fire Marshal's Office required expensive improvements to the building in Breaux Bridge. The improvements would have cost $40,000 at a minimum, Davis said. Davis said the school agreed to complete the improvements by the end of February, but then determined it could not afford to do so. We do not have any money in a reserve account for improvements, Davis said. Out of respect for the understanding we had with the fire marshal, we agreed to just go ahead and move because we knew we would not be able to do the improvements. Hebert said the Fire Marshal's Office worked out an agreement with T.M. Landry last July that would have saved a substantial amount of money, but that the school made no progress. There was absolutely no work done to try to meet fire safety code, Hebert said. Can't see video below? Click here. A query to the Fire Marshal's Office was pending on Thursday afternoon. Top stories in Acadiana in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up T.M. Landry gained national notoriety last year when The New York Times reported allegations that the school whose diplomas are not recognized by Louisiana education authorities falsified transcripts to get students into prestigious colleges. Some students also reported physical abuse. The allegations primarily focus on Michael Landry, who co-founded the school with his wife, Tracy Landry. Michael Landry pleaded guilty in 2013 to simple battery after a student accused him of physical abuse. The school hired a private investigative firm to conduct an internal investigation of the latest allegations, Davis said. Paul Pastorek, a former Louisiana superintendent of education, is leading the investigation, which Davis said he hopes will be coming out soon and will be released to the public. Louisiana State Police is also investigating the allegations. Davis said he hopes the Pastorek investigation report will be completed soon, although he is not certain because he is remaining at arms length from it. After The New York Times story was published, school founders Michael and Tracy Landry resigned from the board, while Davis and former BESE member Linda Johnson joined the board. The Landrys remain with the school, Davis said. Enrollment, he said, dropped from 110 to 75 after the article was published. Landry, who was at the new Lafayette location on Thursday, declined comment. "The parents that remain, including me as a grandparent, want our children to be taught by Tracy, Mike and their team," said Davis, who has two grandchildren who attend the prep school. The New York Times story, he said, "does not reflect our experiences at the school." Hebert, who said the lease called for the tenant to pay for all building improvements, declined to comment on whether he was considering legal action against the school. Davis said he was not sure if the school could be held liable, noting that the fire marshals requirements were not expected. He said he did not know if the lease required the school to make the improvements. The owners of the schools new home in Lafayette are paying for most of the fire code-related improvements in that building, Davis said. The building is owned by Hillside Plaza LLC, according to property records. A Hillside Plaza officer, Terry Delhomme, did not return a call Thursday. T.M. Landry previously served notice it would vacate the Breaux Bridge building last summer, when it planned to move into the Northgate Mall. Davis said those plans were abandoned because of the cost of mold remediation. For the past year they have been looking for an excuse to get out of the building, Hebert said. They have not been really forthcoming in what their intentions have been. Got a news tip? Email acadiananews@theadvocate.com Sukha Cafe 7384 Highland Road (inside Yoga Bliss) 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday (225) 663-2381; sukhastyle.com PROS: Flavorful and enticing sandwiches, fresh ingredients, indulgent options like sweet potato fries, a burger, and cake slices that dont weigh you down, plus an inviting atmosphere CONS: Steep staircase could be difficult to climb for some; buddha bowl was somewhat disappointing in comparison to other menu items Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission Dozens of minorities, women, veterans and other business owners on Wednesday complained of a local government contracting world that operates as a "good old boys club" that presents countless challenges and routinely keeps them from taking part. The comments were being collected by a study team at a town hall as part of Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome's disparity study, a yearlong endeavor aimed at making city-parish contracting more equitable. The event was the first of three town halls to be held ahead of the study being completed in October. Local landscaping firms, painters, consultants and construction companies told the study team, led by Denver-based Keen Independent Research, that they face problems like contractors shopping their bids around and unhelpful local government agencies. They also said the process of landing contracts can be confusing and hard to navigate. Brian Fletcher, who owns his own painting company, said the "prime contractors" that win city bids will shop around his subcontracting bid, allowing companies they know to undercut him. Then the company that wins the bid will "cut corners" on the work, he said. It's nearly impossible to win a contract unless he already knows the firm hiring him as a subcontractor, Fletcher said. "If y'all want the honest opinion, Baton Rouge is a good old boys system," he said. "I've fought it for nine years." The bid process is also not explained right to many small and minority businesses, said Tevin Wade, owner of Core Electrical Contractors. It's "hard to tap in" to the current network of contractors and subcontractors, he said. Kahli Cohran, of Civil Solutions Consulting Group, said there's "no teeth" in the current system to get minority participation in public contracting. While his company was borne out of the city's "fair share" program instituted in 2009 with similar goals, Cohran said government agencies that do have procurement goals for minority businesses aim them at lower-rung contracts. Keen Independent Research, which is leading the disparity study, also outlined some of the programs they have helped institute in other cities. Those include a "set-aside" program that let disadvantaged businesses bid against each other in a tiered system that allowed them to move up to bigger and bigger contracts. Other cities have given incentives for prime contractors to award subcontracts to minority-owned and other disadvantaged businesses. Broome first issued an order to conduct the local disparity study, Baton Rouge's first, in 2017 in an effort to fill a campaign promise to help local businesses, especially minorities, women and veterans, land local government contracts. 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 About a year ago, the Metro Council signed off on spending $300,000 on the study. Excess sales tax collections funded the program. The city-parish hired Keen Independent Research to conduct the study. Keen's research began in September and is slated to take a year. The "study team" includes Baton Rouge's Leslie Grover, Cogent Concepts, Octagon Media and SJB Group; Spears Group of New Orleans; Customer Research International of San Marcos, Texas; and Holland & Knight of Atlanta. Broome said during the town hall Wednesday her administration has held equity in business seminars and has tried unbundling contracts to give more local firms a chance. She said she's been pleased with the turnout at those events and at the town hall itself. "I think it's very healthy to have this type of robust discussion," she said. Annettee Keen, of Keen Independent Research, said the last two town halls will be toward the end of the study period, and will give people the opportunity to comment on the draft study. She said the study team will do 60 interviews and other research. Based on the results, Keen and the rest of the study team will likely suggest new programs or policies for Baton Rouge to institute. Keen conducted a similar study in New Orleans recently, which cost $500,000. That included examining more than 2,000 non-city construction contracts and found minority-owned general contracting firms received less than 3 percent of the $14 billion spent over four years. In 2016, only 9 percent of Baton Rouge's 1,115 purchase orders from City Hall went to small and minority-owned businesses, Broome's administration has said. Nearly half of the parish is black, according to 2016 U.S. Census Bureau figures. GONZALES Ascension Parish sheriff's detectives are investigating the second shooting in two weeks in the Bishop Woods area, this time one that left multiple vehicles and homes with damage but no injuries. Deputies responded around 9 p.m. Monday to a report of multiple shots fired near Josh Brown Road northwest of Gonzales off La. 621, Sheriff Bobby Webre said in a statement Thursday. Last week, deputies and a Louisiana State Police task force captured and arrested a Baton Rouge man accused of being involved in an armed robbery in the same area of Ascension Parish in the early morning hours of Feb. 13. But deputies said Thursday they do not believe the two shootings are connected. In the earlier shooting, a 60-year-old homeowner exchanged gunfire with suspected armed robbers during an attempted home invasion on Black Locust Street, killing one, a 20-year-old Baker man. The homeowner was shot in the stomach and remained in critical condition Thursday, deputies said. 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 Deputies have been unable to speak with the man to determine if that shooting was self-defense; deputies captured the second suspected robber Feb. 21. Anyone with information about the latest shooting in the Bishop Woods area should call the Ascension Parish Sheriffs Office at (225) 621-INFO (4636), text 847411 to the sheriff's anonymous tip line from any cellular device or call Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-STOP (7867). To be eligible for a cash reward, callers must contact Crime Stoppers immediately. The Advocate online editor Alex Shoemaker contributed to this story. From left are Iva Tullier; Peggy Aime, president of the Ascension Retired Teachers Association; Jackie Tisdell, public information officer for the Ascension Parish Schools; and Ascension Parish assistant superintendent A. Denise Graves. The widow of Zachary firefighter and volunteer reserve police officer Christopher Lawton is suing the convicted felon accused in Lawton's hit-and-run death in Baker last March, an unusual type of litigation filed by survivors of crime victims. Lawton, 41, and another officer were attempting to arrest Albert Franklin Jr. in the parking lot of a Walmart on Plank Road when Lawton was run over by a U-Haul truck driven by Franklin. +4 Felon indicted on manslaughter charge in March hit-and-run death of Zachary firefighter A convicted felon accused of running over a Zachary firefighter and reserve police officer who was trying to arrest him was indicted Thursday Shannon Lawton's wrongful death lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Baton Rouge state court, says Lawton and the other officer identified themselves as law enforcement officials and ordered Franklin to stop the truck and get out. "Upon observing the officers, Albert Franklin fled the scene in the U-Haul, causing Christopher Lawton to fall from the passenger side of the vehicle and subsequently was struck by the same vehicle near the rear tires," the suit states. Prior to his death, the suit adds, Lawton suffered fear of impending death or great bodily harm as well as severe pain and suffering. New Orleans lawyer Jonathan Friedman, who represents Shannon Lawton and her children, said Thursday the suit was filed to protect the familys right to receive any benefits that they are entitled to. Franklin, 34, of Zachary, is charged with manslaughter in Lawton's death. He has pleaded not guilty, and his next court date is in April. +4 Felon pleads not guilty in March hit-and-run death of Zachary firefighter A convicted felon pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a manslaughter charge in the March hit-and-run death of Zachary firefighter and reserve police Franklin was free on drug and gun counts in East Baton Rouge Parish after posting bail in a November 2017 arrest at the time Lawton and the other officer tried to arrest him March 12 on a gun-related offense that allegedly happened earlier that month. As a result of that March 2 incident, which involved his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, Franklin is now charged with aggravated assault with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. +3 Man booked in killing of Zachary reserve police officer pleads not guilty to prior drug, gun charges A 33-year-old man who was free on bail on multiple drug and gun charges when he allegedly killed Zachary firefighter and reserve police office 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 Franklins record includes a 2005 drug conviction and a 2007 conviction for attempted unauthorized entry of an inhabited building. He also has pending criminal charges in St. Helena Parish stemming from arrests in 2015 and 2016. Those charges include aggravated assault with a firearm, second-degree battery, illegal possession of stolen things and looting. Franklin is being held without bail in East Baton Rouge Parish. Shannon Lawton is seeking damages from him for mental anguish; suffering; loss of enjoyment; loss of love, services, support and affection; and medical and funeral expenses. The suit, which has been assigned to state District Judge Janice Clark, requests from Franklin copies of any insurance policies that covered him, any vehicle owned by him, or any resident of his household. Suits such as this are not commonplace, but at times they produce monetary judgments, although collecting on those judgments against indigent defendants can be an exercise in futility. Three months ago, the widow and children of a former BREC commissioner shot to death in 2017 obtained a $5.6 million judgment against alleged serial killer Ryan Sharpe, who is charged in the killing of Carroll Breeden Sr. and several other men. State District Judge Tim Kelley, of Baton Rouge, issued the default judgment after Sharpe failed to answer a wrongful death suit filed in December 2017 by Breedens widow and five children. +3 BR judge awards $5.6M in damages in wrongful death suit against alleged serial killer Ryan Sharpe The widow and children of a former BREC commissioner shot to death last year have obtained a $5.6 million judgment against Ryan Sharpe, the al Baton Rouge lawyer Kirk Patrick, who represents the Breeden family, has said the suit was never about money and still isnt, but the family felt Sharpe should be held accountable for his actions in every way possible, including civilly and criminally. In 2016, another Baton Rouge state judge awarded $5.5 million to the families of five Ascension Parish residents, including three young boys, killed in a road-rage related crash on Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge in 2011. District Judge William Morvant found the convicted drivers, David Leger, of Palmetto in St. Landry Parish, and Kelsye Hall, of Baton Rouge, equally at fault for the wreck and the damages. The victims families had sued Leger, Hall and their automobile insurance carrier. Baton Rouge lawyer Russell Beal, an attorney for a family that lost several loved ones in that crash, had said the family sued to receive a recognition of the value of their (lost loved ones) lives and what was taken from them. Family members have said they were merely in search of an apology, not money. The U.S. Senate can move fast when it has to, particularly with an astute majority leader such as Mitch McConnell of Kentucky controlling its New Orleans police released video footage Thursday of a dramatic Feb. 17 shootout between officers and a suspect in several robberies, a gunbattle that left the suspect dead and five bystanders wounded in the Central Business District. The footage along with a briefing by NOPD officials revealed the following new details about the incident that killed the suspect, 32-year-old Reginald Bursey: Three of the injured bystanders may have been shot by police as they exchanged gunfire with Bursey. Bursey apparently shot two bystanders. Bursey immediately shot at one of two uniformed officers who approached him to question him in connection with at least one robbery. Despite being about a yard away, he missed the officer and struck a 17-year-old girl walking nearby in the 1100 block of Canal Street. Can't see video below? Click here. Two plainclothes officers investigating the robberies were nearby. Both of them, as well as one uniformed officer, chased Bursey as he turned up Elk Place, about a block away. He continued firing as he made a wide left turn on an intersection that was packed with bystanders. As one plainclothes officer and one uniformed officer fired back, three men who were not involved in the melee were struck, including one who was hit in the abdomen. The gunfire that hit these three bystanders came from the direction of the officers. Bursey got off Elk by making a right-hand turn at Cleveland Avenue, where he may have shot the fifth wounded bystander as he ran and fired, police said. He then hid in some bushes in front of Tulane University Medical Center. He was able to create some distance between himself and the officers because the cops slowed when turning blind corners, officials said. At least some of the officers apparently walked past the bushes where Bursey was hiding without realizing he was there. Officials said they were squarely in Bursey's line of fire, but he didn't fire at that point. A passerby pointed out where Bursey was hiding. Then Bursey squeezed off two shots at the officers, missing again. Two NOPD officers one uniformed and the other in plainclothes fired back, along with one state trooper assigned to patrol the CBD. Bursey was fatally wounded. The plainclothes officer who fired was Amit Bidichandani, 26, a three-year veteran; and the uniformed officer was Brandon Anderson, 31, who joined NOPD in May 2016. Both are on desk duty pending the completion of an internal investigation into their actions during the shootout. The trooper has not been identified. The bystander who was struck in the abdomen remained hospitalized Thursday, police said. Police said some of the officers at the scene broke away from chasing Bursey to tend to the people injured in a mobile gun battle that unfolded over nearly two minutes and a couple of city blocks. The sound of several seconds of non-stop gunfire being exchanged between police and Bursey was captured on the security camera of a public bus as Bursey ran from the corner of Canal and Elk. Speaking to reporters Thursday after the release of the video, NOPD superintendent Shaun Ferguson described Bursey as "a very dangerous and desperate individual willing to do whatever it took to evade capture." Ferguson detailed the lengthy stream of gunfire Bursey unleashed "without hesitation" at officers, adding that there was no point when officers fired without first taking fire. It is so unfortunate that our officers were forced into this violent confrontation which was initiated by the suspect and five of our citizens were hurt," Ferguson said. "That has been the most difficult part for our officers during this situation. Ferguson said NOPD would continue supporting the victims in this case. NOPD detectives investigating two armed robberies in Central City noticed that Bursey had purchased items at a downtown clothing store with a credit card that had been taken in one of the stick-ups. Detectives canvassing the area spotted him near the corner of Canal and South Rampart streets about 6:45 p.m. the day of the melee. When they tried to stop him, Bursey took off, firing at officers as he ran up Canal. The five shot people included four men between the ages of 32 and 37 and a 17-year-old girl. Four of them were waiting at a crowded bus stop near where the shooting broke out. Bursey, who was displaced from New Orleans to Texas by Hurricane Katrina, had had a number of previous run-ins with law enforcement. La Grange, Texas, Police Chief David Gilbreath said Bursey was well known to his agency, with arrests for theft, illegal gun possession and evading police after crashing a car into a dry creek bed. Officials also accused him of being a member of Houstons 59 Piru street gang, a group associated with the infamous Bloods. He returned to his native New Orleans sometime in the fall as a fugitive wanted in connection with a Sept. 8 armed robbery in Columbus, Texas. A father of two young girls, Bursey did not keep a low profile upon his return, with NOPD obtaining a warrant to arrest him on a count of using an ex-girlfriends car without permission in November. Then, police have said, investigators suspected he had robbed a woman of her bag, cell phone and other belongings at gunpoint in the 1700 block of Clio Street in Central City on Feb. 8. Ferguson said police have confirmed Bursey stole a car at gunpoint from two women on Feb. 16 at Carondelet and Josephine streets, also in Central City. Burseys longtime girlfriend, Amy Polk, said he was trying to provide for their daughters, ages 3 and 9, after his failure to hold down traditional jobs, including one at a plastics factory. I wasnt pleased with a lot of the things he had done, Polk said, adding that telling her daughters about Burseys death was the most difficult thing shes had to do. But it was all for a purpose trying to benefit something. Thursdays briefing resulted from a push for transparency in the NOPDs review of lethal use-of-force incidents after the agency entered into a reform agreement with the federal government several years ago. NOPD had not been involved in a deadly police shooting for a nearly two-year period dating to early 2017. But Bursey became the second man to be killed in a gun battle with NOPD so far this year. Police fatally shot Zonell Williams, 33, on Jan. 4 after he first fired at them during an encounter in Treme, striking one officer in his protective vest. The Victorian government has vowed to close a legal loophole that allows owners of multimillion-dollar heritage buildings avoid paying land tax by having the sites valued at $1. The Age revealed on Wednesday that a planning tribunal in December ruled the site of Melbourne's famous GPO - a sprawling 8000 square metre shopping space in the heart of the CBD - was worth only $1 overturning a Valuer-General assessment of $29 million. The site of Melbourne's iconic GPO is worth only $1. Credit:Eddie Jim The tribunal's decision would deliver the GPO's owner - Australia's largest industry super property fund ISPT - a $650,000-a-year windfall in averted land tax. The owners of several other heritage buildings in Melbourne are also appealing their valuations eyeing similar tax savings. Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas said on Thursday he would move to close the legal loophole "whether by way of review through [the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal] or by doing what we do regularly, which is legislation intended to close the gap in what we understand to be is the existing and predictable revenue base of the state." A jury could hear the controversial prosecution of a former spy known as "Witness K" and his lawyer who are both accused of revealing information about the Australian government spying on East Timor, a court has been told. But before the question of any committal or possible jury trial could be decided, on Thursday a preliminary hearing in the case to be heard in secret was set down for August. Canberra lawyer Bernard Collaery. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Tim Begbie, for the Commonwealth, said that since the matter was last in court Attorney-General Christian Porter had issued certificates under the National Security Information Act over the brief of evidence. He said that, in broad terms, the certificates permitted the brief of evidence to be disclosed subject to certain restricted circumstances such as where it can be viewed. The NSW Coalition and Labor opposition are stepping up their fight for the Monaro electorate with separate announcements around justice-system funding in Queanbeyan on Thursday. NSW Deputy Premier and Monaro MP John Barilaro promised to build a new $18 million courthouse for Queanbeyan if re-elected, just as he announced the demolition of the old police station next door. NSW Deputy Premier and Monaro MP John Barilaro announced the start of demolition works on the old Queanbeyan police station on Thursday. Credit:Karleen Minney A new police station was an election promise from Mr Barilaro in 2015, but the building is still yet to be demolished with the state election set for next month. Labor candidate Bryce Wilson was flanked by federal Eden-Monaro MP Mike Kelly and the NSW shadow police minister Guy Zangari to announce 48 new police officers for the Monaro district if Labor is elected in March. The Morrison Government is contemplating stripping the citizenship of a notorious Australian-born ISIS bride who is now stuck in limbo at a Syrian camp with her two young children. But five years after Zehra Duman left Australia at the age of 19 to join the so-called Islamic State, her mother Ossie* has called on the government to help her daughter and two young grandchildren return home. An image from a propaganda video released last year by Islamic State, formerly known as ISIL or ISIS. Credit:AFP The toll this has taken on me is unimaginable, Ossie told SBSs Dateline program. I wouldnt wish this on my worst enemy. Duman shocked her friends and family when she left for Syria in 2014, where she married Melbourne party boy-turned-ISIS fighter Mahmoud Abdullatif, who reportedly died in 2015. With the passing of Professor James Lance, Australia and the world have lost a true giant of neurology. He was the first neurologist appointed in Australia; the first Professor of Neurology in Australia and founder of the first academic Department of Neurology in Australia. He transformed the lives of patients worldwide through his influence on neurology and how it was practised. James Lance was born in Wollongong in 1926, in the front bedroom of the family home where he was dragged into the world with forceps by a local general practitioner. His maternal grandfather James Douglas Stewart founded the School of Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney where the J.D. Stewart Building remains. His father's side were merchants originally from Birmingham who settled in Wollongong. The Lance family established the local department store, eventually acquired by David Jones when Jim's father retired. Professor James Lance developed an early interest in human movement and movement disorders. Credit: As a child, Jim suffered from asthma and his parents were advised to send him to the clean air of Moss Vale, to Tudor House. Subsequent schooling at Geelong Grammar School was cut short in 1941 by interstate travel difficulties during the war and so he transferred to The King's School in Parramatta. It was during his teenage years that Jim developed a strong desire to study medicine, and an eagerness to help others. A meeting with Howard Florey of penicillin fame stimulated Lance's life-long interest in medical research. This was further heightened when he met Peter Bishop who had started the Brain Research Unit at the University of Sydney. Lance described a feeling of enchantment with Bishop's enthusiasm and a career in brain physiology was launched. The twin public housing towers at Waterloo would remain standing and new unit blocks would top 13 storeys, under a lower-density plan for the redeveloped estate put forward by the City of Sydney. The NSW government wants to demolish the housing estate's existing apartments, including the Matavai and Turanga blocks, to make way for 6800 homes in buildings that will climb to 40 storeys. The state government proposes towers up to 40 storeys and two parks for the Waterloo housing redevelopment. Credit:City of Sydney But Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore is urging the government to dump its preferred masterplan for the site in the city's inner south to avoid creating an "urban disaster". The council will on Friday reveal a lower-density proposal for 5300 homes at the 19-hectare site, which is owned by the state government. It's like a step into Sydney's new underworld. Buried about 25 metres beneath Hunter and Elizabeth streets in the CBD lie two giant caverns, and connecting tunnels, excavated for Sydney's multibillion-dollar metro rail line. On the streets and high-rise towers above, thousands of people go about their days oblivious to the engineering feat beneath them to create a new station. One of the giant station caverns for the multibillion-dollar metro line under construction beneath central Sydney. Credit:Matt O'Sullivan The caverns for the Martin Place metro station illustrate the scale of Australia's largest transport project which, by 2024, will carry tens of thousands of passengers every hour on driverless, single-deck trains. A former taxi driver living in Auburn with his wife, children and step-children has been linked to Islamic State accused of administering the group's encrypted messages and travelling to Syria in support of the group in 2015. The man, who is originally from Bangladesh and has been granted Australian citizenship, left his home in Sydney in an attempt to make it to Syria to fight with the Islamic State in early 2015. Among the images found on the phones. He returned from the conflict zone via Turkey six months later, and was promptly picked up by Australian Federal Police officers at the airport as he arrived in September 2015. Concurrently, anti-terrorism investigators from the Australian Federal Police raided the Auburn home he shared with his wife, their children and his wife's children from a previous marriage. A woman who let a dozen dogs live among their own excrement, some confined to small cages and without water, used social media to plead for donations for her animal welfare group. Danielle Lamprecht, 45, who founded Couch Surfers Animal Rescue in Deception Bay, was convicted of animal neglect in Caboolture Magistrates Court on Wednesday. The dogs were living among urine and faeces and some were confined in small crates. Credit:RSPCA Qld Lamprecht pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to treat injuries and seven counts of failing to provide appropriate living conditions. RSPCA Queensland spokesman Michael Beatty said 12 dogs had been kept in appalling conditions. A breakout of measles has sparked a warning from Queensland Health for Brisbane's southside and Redlands bayside. The person from Brisbane's southside had visited multiple stores, a school and gym in the Redlands from February 16-28. These include Victoria Point Mall, each afternoon on February 16, February 17 and February 20, Norm Price Park at Redland Showgrounds in Cleveland on February 16 between 5pm and 9pm. Queensland Health are warning anyone with symptoms to seek medical help. Credit:US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention The person also went to Victoria Point's Aldi on the afternoon of February 17, Thornlands' Carmel College on February 18 and 19, Cleveland's Goodlife gym on the afternoon of February 18 and Princess Polly Warehouse Sale at Highland Park on February 23 between 8.20am and 2.30pm. An Iranian refugee who fatally set himself alight was treated on a cot in a mouldy room in Nauru hospital surrounded by "agitated" people, an inquest has heard. Lifeflight doctor Angus McDonell was on the team to transfer Omid Masoumali to Brisbane about a day after the refugee set fire to his petrol doused-clothes at a resettlement area on Nauru in April 2016. A photograph of Omid Masoumali is held outside the Brisbane Magistrates Court in Brisbane. Credit:AAP Image/Dave Hunt When Dr McDonell arrived on the tiny Pacific island, Mr Masoumali was in an induced coma with burns to about 50 per cent of his body. The situation around him, he testified, was volatile, the hospital unclean and equipment old or not working. EDITOR'S NOTE: The High Court overturned Cardinal George Pell's conviction for historic child sex offences in a judgment handed down April 7, 2020. In a unanimous decision all seven High Court judges found Victoria's Court of Appeal should not have upheld Pell's conviction. It found the evidence could not support a guilty verdict. Defence barrister Robert Richter, QC, has apologised for describing acts of sexual abuse carried out by Cardinal George Pell against two choirboys as "no more than a plain vanilla sexual penetration case". Robert Richter, QC, leaves County Court on Wednesday. Credit:Eddie Jim The prominent Melbourne-based barrister was heavily criticised after he made the comments during a pre-sentencing hearing on Wednesday for Pell, who has been convicted of sexually abusing two boys in a sacristy after Sunday Mass in 1996. "After spending a sleepless night reflecting upon the terrible choice of phrase I used in court during the course of a long and stressful process, I offer my sincerest apologies to all who were hurt or offended by it," Mr Richter said in a statement released on Thursday evening. The US has traditionally exercised influence around the world not just by its wealth and power but by its claim to moral leadership. Yet it is a claim President Donald Trump has all but abandoned in the past two days. The world has watched as he fawns over North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a murderous despot, at their meeting in Hanoi. Back in Washington, Mr Trumps former lawyer Michael Cohen has told Congress about the deception and possible crimes that helped win him the White House. Even though in the interests of realpolitik the US has occasionally embraced bad regimes from Saudi Arabia to South America, it has always at least paid lip service to human rights and the rule of law. Yet Mr Trump has not even pretended to care about the North Korean leaders record at the meeting in Vietnam. Mr Kim, who is described by Human Rights Watch as one of the worlds most repressive leaders, has been feted with the sort of conviviality and attention that some leaders of the democratic world, including our own Prime Minister, must envy. A motorcyclist has been left with serious injuries after being hit by a car in the city's west, with police still searching for the driver. Emergency services were called to Footscray Road in West Melbourne at 5.10am on Thursday, following reports a motorcyclist had been struck. The 29-year-old man was treated by paramedics at the scene and taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with serious injuries to his back and pelvis. He is currently in a stable condition. Police are now hunting for the driver of a white, early 2000s model Mitsubishi van, with registration plates WWX576, which was seen leaving the scene. The car was last seen travelling south on the CityLink, over the Bolte Bridge towards Port Melbourne. A teenage girl tried desperately to save her best friend after the stolen car they were driving crashed into a tree in a horror crash in Melbourne's north in the early hours of Friday morning. Police believe Haylee Glouftsis was driving a Holden Astra when it crashed into a tree on Cooper Street in Epping shortly after 1am. Haylee Glouftsis was behind the wheel of a Holden Astra that crashed into a tree in Epping on Friday morning. She died at the scene. Credit:Instagram Her only passenger was her best friend, a 16-year-old girl from Keilor, who pulled Haylee from the wreckage despite her own injuries. The 16-year-old tried desperately to save Haylee on the side of the road before emergency services arrived, but she died at the scene. Two men have been charged with attempted murder over the brutal shooting of a Sydney real estate agent in Melbourne's west. Mark Dixon, 30, and Jack Harvey, 26, were arrested on Wednesday afternoon at Broken Head in NSW over the shooting of Sid Morgan, a 53-year-old former detective who was shot in the face at a home in Spraypoint Drive about 11pm last Thursday. Jack Harvey (left) and Mark Dixon have been arrested after a manhunt. Credit:Victoria Police He was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition. A week after being shot, Mr Morgan remains in hospital with life-threatening injuries. West Australian Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan denies she acted improperly by using a government jet to attend a concert, saying there was "nothing untoward" and no extra cost to the taxpayer. The opposition has taken aim at Ms MacTiernan, who, after doing work in the state's south, was dropped off in Busselton so she could attend a Jackson Browne concert at Leeuwin Estate winery in Margaret River. Ms MacTiernan said she didn't have time to return to Perth then drive to the concert, was invited to the event in her ministerial capacity, and there was "an element of official business". The WA winery Leewin Estate. She has also come under fire for using a government jet on multiple visits to Albany, where she has a holiday home. If I asked you to sign on to an organ donor register before you kicked the bucket would you be offended? Apparently you would if you work at the government-funded Organ and Tissue Authority. Would you be shocked to hear that just 8 per cent of 18-24 year old Australians have signed up to the organ donor register? I am, because that number should be much higher. We should be encouraging rather than silencing clever marketing campaigns designed to make young people more aware of the register. A Queensland man has been sentenced to six years imprisonment after he buried the body and assumed the identity of a man he met while travelling through WAs Wheatbelt. Dean Patrick White was last seen on March 31, 2017. Credit:WA Police Robert Scanlon, 45, appeared in the WA District Court on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to interfering with the corpse of Dean Patrick White earlier this year. Mr White was reported missing in 2017, and was last known to be in the Quairading area in March that year. His body was eventually found buried in a shallow grave near a campsite in Quairading, but his remains were too decomposed to determine a cause of death. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has formally announced Ita Buttrose as the government's pick to chair the ABC, declaring he trusts the publishing icon to lead the public broadcaster out of a tumultuous period. In a press conference on Thursday, Ms Buttrose said she was a passionate believer in the ABC and promised to protect its independence. She said her priority was restoring stability at the top of the organisation after the high-profile departure late last year of her predecessor Justin Milne and managing director Michelle Guthrie. "Australians trust Ita. I trust Ita and that's why I have asked her to take on this role," Mr Morrison said. "The reason she has been so successful in publishing, in broadcasting, is she has always put her viewers, her listeners and her readers first. And you know what? That's what the ABC needs to do too." The Tax Office rejected an investigation request from whistleblower Richard Boyle months before he went public over allegations the agency was ripping money out of individual and small business accounts under a directive to use more heavy-handed debt collection tactics. Mr Boyle is facing 161 years in prison despite the disclosures leading to a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry making 37 recommendations in a report that described the ATO's performance as "annus horribilis". A letter from the Tax Office's senior investigator Andrew Wunsch in October 2017 dismissed Mr Boyle's concerns. ATO whistleblower Richard Boyle. Credit:James Elsby "The information you disclosed does not, to any extent, concern serious and disclosable conduct," Mr Wunsch wrote. "A disagreement with government policy is not disclosable conduct." One of Australia's top music promoters has warned that festivals and even concerts at wineries could abandon NSW because of "completely shambolic" new regulations. Michael Coppel, the Australian boss of the powerful Live Nation group, said the state government's new hit list of festivals was "inconsistent and completely untenable". Events like Splendour in the Grass may be in jeopardy in NSW due to state-imposed restrictions. Credit:Splendour in the Grass Mr Coppel, whose has toured acts like Pink and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and runs major festivals like Splendour in the Grass, says the regulations are a "knee-jerk reaction to the state election". In a push to calm tensions over its regulation of festivals, the government last week released a list of 14 festivals that it classed as high risk based on drug deaths and illnesses. The complainants were anonymous or had their names redacted in the tabled documents. LNP health spokeswoman Ros Bates detailed allegations from nine whistleblowers using parliamentary privilege on Tuesday afternoon . Ros Bates tabled the allegations against the surgeon in Queensland Parliament on Tuesday. Credit:Darren England/AAP Bariatric surgeon Dr William Braun has worked across public and private hospitals, including the Redcliffe Hospital. A senior Queensland surgeon accused of sexual harassment, bullying and incompetence has been suspended. A Metro North Hospital and Health Service spokeswoman said she could not comment on individual HR matters or active investigations due to privacy and confidentiality reasons. "However, we can say that we have suspended a staff member in relation to the allegations raised," she said. "For legal reasons, we are unable to provide further information." The spokeswoman said the hospital service had zero tolerance towards inappropriate behaviour in the workplace. "Sexual harassment in our health service is completely unacceptable and we actively encourage and support staff to report any incidents," she said. Delhi: In the predawn hours on February 26, India launched an aerial attack - unprecedented in peacetime - on neighbouring Pakistan, in retaliation for a suicide bombing 12 days earlier that killed more than 40 Indian paramilitary soldiers in the disputed valley of Kashmir. Pakistan predictably responded the next morning with its own air strike into Indian-controlled Kashmir. The confrontation could spiral out of control quickly. But fortunately, apart from a wounded Indian pilot and a Pakistani villager hit by falling rubble, the only confirmed casualty so far seems to be truth. A man watches Imran Khan, Pakistan's president, give an address on a television screen in an electronics store in Delhi, India, on Wednesday. Credit:Bloomberg Right now, the more extensive and damaging war in South Asia is the multi-pronged assault on reality by the warriors of Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and hyper-nationalist news channels as well as mendacious governments. Hanoi: North Korea's Foreign Minister held a midnight press conference to dispute US President Donald Trump's account of why the two sides had failed to strike a deal at the Hanoi summit. The unusual press conference was called hours after Trump had left Hanoi and had blamed North Korea for demanding full sanctions relief. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho said his country sought the partial lifting of United Nations' sanctions in return for the dismantling of the Yongbyon nuclear reactor. Ri said it was willing to pledge in writing to permanently end nuclear and long-range missile tests. Authorities in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir have closed all schools and educational institutions in the region and are urging parents to keep their children at home. A key train service linking the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore with India has been suspended until "the security situation improves." Pakistan's airspace remained closed for a second day on Thursday, snarling air traffic. Airlines cancelled dozens of flights to and from Pakistan and India, as well as to Europe to avoid flying over affected airpace. Pakistan and India have fought three wars since independence from British colonial rule in 1947, two over Kashmir, and went to the brink of a fourth in 2002 after a Pakistani militant attack on India's Parliament. Indian army soldiers stand near the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. Credit:AP Earlier on Thursday, troops from India and Pakistan briefly exchanged fire in Poonch, a district in Indian-occupied Kashmir, according to a statement from the Indian army. "The Indian army retaliated strongly and effectively," said Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand, a Defence Ministry spokesman. Indian army soldiers arrive near the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. Credit:AP The firing, that India claims was initiated by Pakistan and lasted for a little over an hour beginning at 6am local time (11:30am AEST), was significantly less elevated than the artillery fire exchanged by the two sides on Wednesday. Pakistan said the firing began overnight. "The firing continued in intervals throughout the night. It was moderate. Even now it's continuing," said Shaukat Yusufzai, an administration official in the Pakistan-controlled part of Poonch. One man was hospitalised after being hit by shrapnel, he added. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a public rally earlier this month. Credit:AP India is building more than 14,000 bunkers for families in Jammu and Kashmir state living close to the border, hoping to keep them safe near their homes rather than evacuate them. On Wednesday evening India's Foreign Ministry handed a dossier to Pakistan that it claimed detailed camps of the Paskistan-based militant group that carried out the bombing two weeks ago. The conflict comes at a critical time for Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi, who faces a general election by May. Late on Wednesday B.S. Yeddyurappa, the leader of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party in the southern state of Karnataka, said India's strike inside Pakistani territory would help the party to win back power in the state - the first such comment from a member of the ruling party. Loading "This has brought a pro-Modi wave all through the country," he told reporters. "The effect of this will be seen in the elections." International concern The latest escalation marks a sudden deterioration in relations between the two countries. As recently as November, Pakistan's leader Khan spoke of "mending ties" with India. The White House urged "both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation." Loading US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement he had spoken separately with the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan and urged them to "prioritise direct communication and avoid further military activity". Pakistan's envoy to the United States, Asad Majeed Khan, said Islamabad would like to see the Trump administration play a more active role in easing the crisis. At the same time, he said the lack of US condemnation of India's strike on Pakistan was "construed and understood as an endorsement of the Indian position, and that is what emboldened them even more. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne joined the US and China in condemning the escalation saying she was "very concerned" about the shooting down of fighter jets on Wednesday. "We would certainly urge both sides to exercise restraint, to avoid further military action. This is a dangerous cycle of escalation," she said in London overnight. She said she'd seek urgent advice from her department on whether Australians in the region should be evacuated. The European Union and other countries also called for restraint. Japan's foreign minister said on Thursday the country was concerned about the "deteriorating situation". The United States, Britain and France proposed the United Nations Security Council blacklist Azhar Masood, the head of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad, the group that claimed responsibility for the February 14 attack. China is likely to be oppose the move. Flights cancelled Thai Airways said it had cancelled more than a dozen flights to Europe due to Pakistan's move, along with all flights to and from the country. Several airlines including Emirates and Qatar Airways, suspended flights to Pakistan on Wednesday, while others such as Singapore Airlines and British Airways were forced to reroute flights. Jerusalem: Israels Attorney-General has announced his plans to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, imperilling Netanyahus political future just 40 days before he is to stand for re-election. The announcement by Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit was the culmination of a two-year investigation into Netanyahus dealings with wealthy businessmen, including Australian media mogul James Packer, a Hollywood movie producer, Israeli newspaper publishers and the head of the countrys largest telecommunications conglomerate. The draft indictment, while expected, sent tremors through Israel's political landscape, coming so close to what's shaping up to be a closely fought election. It's the first time a sitting Israeli leader has ever come so near to criminal charges. Before any indictment is filed, Netanyahu is entitled to a hearing to present his side of the story and try to change Mandelblit's mind, a process that could take months. Loading Cohen pleaded guilty in August to campaign finance law violations for his role in orchestrating the secret "hush money" payments to Daniels and a second woman, former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also said she had a sexual relationship with Trump. Under federal law, individual campaign contributions cannot exceed $2700 per election and must be disclosed. Contributions are defined as payments intended to influence the election. Trump's lawyers have said the payment was not a campaign contribution because it was made to protect Trump's reputation, not to influence the election. Legal experts said Trump would have a stronger defence if he could show he did not know he was breaking the law. While ignorance of the law is not usually an excuse, campaign finance laws are treated differently, said Richard Hasen, a professor of election law at the University of California, Irvine. "For the campaign finance violation to be criminal, prosecutors would have to prove a willful violation," Hasen said. "If Trump did not know that he was violating campaign finance laws by directing the spending he would not be criminally liable." Moscow Trump Tower David Sklansky, a former federal prosecutor, said prosecutors potentially could use Cohen's testimony to build a criminal conspiracy case against Trump regarding false testimony to Congress concerning a Moscow real estate deal that was long discussed but never actually materialised. Cohen testified that, during the 2016 campaign, Trump "made clear" to him that Cohen should lie and say negotiations to build a Trump tower in Moscow ended before the state-by-state Republican primaries began when actually the talks continued for months after that. Cohen pleaded guilty in August to lying to Congress in a 2017 statement in which he had said the talks ended in January 2016 instead of June 2016. Loading Cohen said Trump did not explicitly direct him to lie, but looked him "in the eye" and relayed the false version of events. "In his way, he was telling me to lie," Cohen said, adding that Trump's personal lawyers "reviewed and edited my statement to Congress". It is a federal crime to "knowingly and willfully" give false statements to Congress. It is also illegal to conspire with someone to provide false testimony. "He is saying Trump made clear 'you should lie, and this is the story you should tell' not in as many words, but in a manner that was clear to both of them," Sklansky said. Michael Cohen takes the oath. Credit:Bloomberg Hacked Democratic emails Loading If Trump knew about and endorsed Russian efforts to hack Democratic National Committee emails embarrassing to Clinton that later were released by the WikiLeaks website, this could be used by prosecutors to build a conspiracy case against the president, legal experts said. Trump could also face liability under election laws if he solicited help from a foreign power, they said. Cohen said Trump knew from his long-time adviser Roger Stone there would be "a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clinton's campaign" ahead of the election. US intelligence agencies have said the emails were stolen as part of Russia's campaign of hacking and propaganda aimed at sowing discord in the United States and boosting Trump's candidacy. Russia has denied it. Trump has denied collusion. Stone has pleaded not guilty to charges brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller that Stone lied to Congress about his knowledge of plans by WikiLeaks to release the hacked emails. Donald Trump Jr at rally for his father US President Donald Trump in El Paso, Texas, in February. Credit:Bloomberg Trump Tower meeting Prosecutors could look at whether Trump violated federal election laws by soliciting a campaign contribution from a foreign national in relation to a June 2016 meeting between senior members of his campaign including his son Donald Trump Jr and a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer. Cohen said he witnessed Trump's son tell his father in a low voice, "The meeting is all set". Cohen said he suspected this was in reference to the meeting with a group of Russians who had offered "dirt" about Clinton. Trump has denied knowing about the meeting in advance but has defended it as a "totally legal" effort to gain a campaign edge. Under US election law, presidential campaigns cannot accept or even "solicit" campaign contributions from foreign nationals. Opposition research on Clinton would qualify as a contribution, said Jessica Levinson, an election law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. "If he said, 'Take that meeting, I want dirt on Hillary,' I think that could give rise to a federal election law violation," Levinson said of the president. Wealth and tax claims Trump potentially could face tax fraud charges related to deflating assets to lower his taxes depending on the steps taken, legal experts said. Loading Cohen testified Trump inflated his assets when it served him, including to the magazine Forbes, which tracks the wealth of the richest people in the United States and the world, and deflated his assets to lower his real estate taxes. It is not a crime to lie to Forbes or the general public. Cohen said Trump inflated his assets to obtain a loan from Deutsche Bank. If true, this could violate federal law that bars lying on loan applications. The Trump Foundation New York: Senior figures from across the political spectrum have blasted US President Donald Trump for absolving North Korean leader Kim Jong-un of responsibility for the death of an American college student after he was imprisoned in North Korea. The President's critics said Trump's remarks were the latest example of him siding with a repressive dictator in the face of contradictory evidence, including from his own intelligence agencies. Following nuclear weapons talks with Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, which ended with no agreement, Trump was asked about University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier, who was arrested in North Korea for taking a propaganda banner from a hotel while on a visit to Pyongyang in January 2016. Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years of hard labour but was released in 2017. When he returned to the US he was in a coma. He died days later. CO2 Neutral with Gas-Powered Engine: Mercedes-Benz Citaro NGT Hybrid The switch-over to electric drive systems in urban buses is a complex topic and requires extensive preparations. Thus, the rapid and comparatively less cost-intensive option to implement the especially environmentally friendly intermediate technology goes by the name of the MercedesBenz Citaro NGT hybrid with natural-gas drive. With the optional hybrid module, MercedesBenz has developed a technological treat: The Citaro NGT hybrid is up to 8.5 percent more efficient. Gas engines emit almost no particulate matter and NOx emissions are also very low. When used in conjunction with biogas or bio natural gas, the Citaro NGT hybrid is almost CO neutral. And it is this technology which Augsburg's public utilities are turning to with their six new Citaro NGT hybrid buses. In Oldenburg, the VWG transport company will be putting the world's first Citaro G NGT hybrid articulated bus into operation, and best of all, they will be running it on bio natural gas. Demand around Europe is high: In Bourges, central France, where the transport company STU Bourges is a subsidiary of RATP Dev, has also decided for the Citaro NGT hybrid as well as Spanish providers EMT Madrid and Aucorsa Cordoba. Plus, in the Slovenian capital Ljubljana this summer, the first of a total order of 17 Citaro NGT hybrid buses will take to the streets. John Chapman and Chequita Jenkins were arrested after they allegedly fought at a restaurant in Alabama over crab legs. (Huntsville Police Department) 2 Arrested After Brawl Over Crab Legs at Buffet Restaurant A dispute over crab legs that escalated into a brawl surprised diners at an Alabama restaurant, as well as a police officer who was trying to enjoy a meal. The two people involved have been arrested and are facing misdemeanor charges. Huntsville police officer Gerald Johnson told WHNT that he had just sat down and had taken only two bites from his plate when the fight broke out at Meteor Buffet on Feb. 22. It started when crab legs were late getting to the buffet. It ended with customers using crab tongs like fencing swords and thrown dishes. Details on the crab buffet brawl in Huntsville. https://t.co/EIBsLnCeav pic.twitter.com/at32IYtf67 News 12 Now (@wdefnews12) February 27, 2019 Theres a woman whos beating a man. People are moving around, plates are shattering everywhere, Johnson said. The officer said the diners were waiting impatiently in line for crab legs before they lost their tempers. Johnson described the scene as a fencing match where diners were using their tongs like swords, reported the news station. He said, Its not something you typically hear. Everyone was saying, They cut me in line. She cut me in line. He cut me in line. I was here first,' he said. Theyd been waiting there for the crab legs for a good 10, 20 minutes. When they finally came out, its very heated. Especially if someone is taking more than their fair share. John Chapman and Chequita Jenkins were arrested as a result of the brawl. The argument left Chapman with a laceration on his head. Jenkins was not hurt. Johnson said that after talking to the pair, they admitted they let their anger get the best of them. Chapman is facing disorderly conduct, while Jenkins was charged with third-degree assault. If found guilty, they could end up being fined a couple hundred dollars. Another Buffet Fight In a similar incident in 2016, two people were arrested after a fight at a Connecticut buffet. Police said Clifford Knight, 46, and Lataya Knight, 38, were also arrested after a fight involving crab legs in a buffet line. One of the women involved said she and her son don't even eat seafood. Posted by Hartford Courant on Monday, 11 April 2016 A 21-year-old man named Vinnie Avery was punched in the face and suffered a cut lip and broken front tooth. His mother, Denise Avery, was also attacked. She used pepper-spray in self-defense and to protect her son. She suffered a broken nose and a concussion, according to Hartford Courant, citing a police report. Denise told the news website at the time that the dispute was actually not over crab legs, and that they dont even eat seafood. Instead, the argument started after Denise complained to restaurant staff about a young child with the Knight couple who was running her fingers through the water in the crab leg bowl. She and other diners thought it was unsanitary. Clifford told police that he punched Vinnie after the 21-year-old chest bumped him. Clifford was charged with third-degree assault and disorderly conduct, while Lataya was charged with second-degree threatening and disorderly conduct. Buffet Customers Brawl Over Crab Legs https://t.co/GQ9Hg7soof pic.twitter.com/LO60KAZCwx The Daily Meal (@thedailymeal) April 4, 2016 8-Year-Old Boy Hospitalized After Being Beaten by Father for Not Doing Homework A father in China has not only beaten his son, but also attacked the child with a knife because the boy did not finish his homework assignments, according to the Beijing Youth News. The boy, whose name was not given, will likely have to stay in the hospital for half a month, according to the doctors who tended to him. The father, whose identity was not revealed, is suspected of abuse, the report said. Our hospital is taking care of an 8-year-old boy, his leg was injured, a nurse told the Beijing Youth News. Apparently its because he didnt do his homework that he was hurt. Punishment The attack happened on Feb. 21 in Hunan, China while children were on winter break for the Chinese Lunar New Year. During holidays, homework assignments are given to kids of all ages, including those as young as 8. When the father came home after school and learned that the boy hadnt finished his assignments, the father demanded punishment. I didnt finish my winter homework. When he got home, he beat me, the boy told the Beijing Youth News. The boy was ordered to go through kneeling punishment. This means kneeling, often on a washboard, for a long period of time. Usually the hands will be held above the head to hold up a sign, upon which is written the wrong committed. The boys paternal grandmother saw this, and begged the father to stop the punishment. This angered the father even more, and he grabbed a knife, frightening the grandmother. The two then got into a struggle, and inadvertently the father cut the grandmothers hand with the knife, but also hurt the boy as well, according to the report. All the while, the childs blood began pooling on the ground underneath himself. The father didnt notice until the boy cried out and begged for forgiveness, being unable to endure the pain any longer. The father immediately rushed him to the hospital. No explanation was given for the childs bruising or fractured leg. There was a really big open wound on his leg, a nurse told the Beijing Youth News reporters. Hes going to be on a crutch for a while afterwards. The boy suffered a compound fracture on his lower left leg, the tendons and nerves were damaged, and there were bruises all over his body, according to the report. Stepmother Comments The boys stepmother was also interviewed after the incident. She told the Beijing Youth News that educating the child was quite a headache. We make him go into his room to do homework, she said. But once you look away, hes already run out of the room. The boy usually stays with either of his grandmothers, the stepmother said. The grandparents really spoil him. She said that her husbands mood is usually good and stable, but that he can become very irritated when it comes to disciplining his child. The boys dad is really regretful [for what happened], the stepmother said. When he saw that his son was hurt, his whole body was trembling [with fear], and immediately took him to the hospital. 81-Year-Old Confronted, Assaulted While Wearing MAGA Hat: Officials An 81-year-old man was confronted and assaulted while wearing a Make America Great Again hat, New Jersey officials said. Somerset County Prosecutor Michael Robertson said the elderly President Donald Trump supporter was shopping at a supermarket in Franklin Township at 3:24 p.m. on Feb. 25 when he was assaulted. The incident reportedly began after the victim was confronted about the red Make America Great Again hat he was wearing. The victim sustained minor injuries and declined medical attention, the prosecutors office said in a press release. Known as MAGA hats, the red caps are worn by supporters of Trump, who has been known to wear one himself at times. 81-year-old Trump supporter assaulted over his MAGA hat https://t.co/TLP7qS1hzx pic.twitter.com/ROrKBHQxgT New York Post (@nypost) February 26, 2019 Trump used the phrase as his slogan throughout his presidential campaign and still refers to it after gaining office. The Somerset County Prosecutors Office said that detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit and the Franklin Township Police Department are actively investigating the latest incident against a Trump supporter. It wasnt clear if there was video evidence of the assault. Anyone with information was asked to call the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit at (908) 231-7100 or the Franklin Township Police Department at (732) 873-5533. Man Assaulted, Woman Facing Deportation A woman seen on a video assaulting a man wearing a Make America Great Again hat is an illegal alien who is now facing deportation. Rosaine Santos, 41, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and assault and battery after assaulting Bryton Turner, 23, at a restaurant in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Footage recorded by Turner showed Santos clearly knocking the hat off of his head. Witnesses said she also hit him while being escorted out of the restaurant by police officers. Santos pleaded not guilty and was released pending trial but she was detained on Tuesday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after agents discovered that shes an illegal alien. Deportation officers with ICEs Fugitive Operations Team arrested Rosie Santos, an unlawfully present citizen of Brazil, ICE said in a statement sent to Boston 25 News. Santos is facing local charges for assault and other offenses. She is presently in ICE custody and has been entered into removal proceedings before the federal immigration courts. Santos, a native of Brazil, told police officers at the restaurant that she thought Turner shouldnt be allowed to eat in peace while wearing the MAGA hat. Turner told MassLive after the initial arrest that it was sad to see what happened. I think its sad that people dont know how to behave in public. Just because I dont agree with people doesnt mean Im going to be going around assaulting people, Turner said. 13 News spoke with the alleged victim, Terry Pierce. Hear what he says happened in the story below. https://t.co/Kb231iABRc WBKO Television (@wbkotv) February 18, 2019 Man Arrested for Pulling Gun A Kentucky man was arrested after allegedly pulling a gun on a couple because they were wearing Make America Great Again hats. According to a police report obtained by WBKO, police officers in Bowling Green were called to a Sams Club on Feb. 16 about a person with a gun. Terry Pierce, the alleged victim, said that the other man, identified as James Phillips, pulled a gun because he and his wife were wearing the hats. Pierce said he was shopping in the Sams Club when his wife noticed Phillips making an expletive gesture at her and her husband. She asked him if he had made the gesture and he said he did because of the hats. Pierce told the Gateway Pundit that he responded with the same gesture and said, It goes both ways, buddy. Thats when Phillips pulled a .40 caliber out and stuck it in his face and said, This is a good day for you to die, Pierce said. Phillips eventually left the store. A Sams Club manager approached and asked Pierce if Phillips had just pulled a gun and when Pierce said yes, the manager called the police. Pierce then went outside to look for Phillips. I went out the front of the store to confront him again and thats when I got him in his car. He couldnt leave because his mother was still in the store. And we were having a verbal altercation outside, Pierce told WBKO. He tried telling me I assaulted him and I said, I never touched you. Police officers said video surveillance confirmed that Pierce did not touch Phillips. Witnesses in addition to Pierce said that Phillips pulled a gun on Pierce inside the store. Phillips was arrested for first-degree wanton endangerment and booked into the Warren County Regional Jail. From NTD News Activist Lawyer Could Be Next Slovak President BRATISLAVAEnvironmental lawyer Zuzana Caputova has vaulted past the Slovak ruling partys candidate in opinion polls, just weeks before a presidential election which voters may use to give their verdict on government efforts to crack down on corruption. With the first round of voting on March 16, surveys this week showed Caputova taking a strong lead over Maros Sefcovic, the candidate of former prime minister Robert Ficos Smer party, which has been in power almost continuously since the mid-2000s. The election is a challenge for the three-party governing coalition a year after the murder of investigative reporter Jan Kuciak and his fiancee ignited the biggest protests in the central European countrys post-communist history. The killings, over which four people have been charged although the motive remains unclear, sparked an outcry over perceived state corruption and impunity that many say has not been addressed by the cabinet. Fico resigned as prime minister last year to prevent snap elections and keep the government intact. Sefcovic, a career diplomat and European Commission vice-president, had been ahead in the polls until this week. Caputova, whose most prominent legal case was a 14-year fight against an illegal landfill site in her hometown Pezinok, outside Bratislava, for which she won the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2016, also has the support of outgoing head of state Andrej Kiska. He defeated Fico in the most recent presidential election in 2014. Slovakias president wields little day-to-day power but must approve the formation of new governments and appoints judges to the constitutional court. Smer, which is still led by Fico, has taken a hit in opinion polls over the past year but remains 10 percent ahead of its closest rival for power in parliament. The next general election is in 2020. The party has had almost continuous control of parliament since the mid-2000s, during which time the country of 5.4 million has joined the euro currency and enjoyed fast economic growth fueled by sectors such as car production. Anti-Islamic Campaigner Tommy Robinson Banned From Facebook, Instagram LONDONBritish anti-Islamic campaigner Tommy Robinson has been permanently banned from Facebook and Instagram for posts that the platforms said violated their policies on hate speech. Facebook said that Robinson had repeatedly broken their standards. Tommy Robinsons Facebook Page has repeatedly broken these standards, posting material that uses dehumanizing language and calls for violence targeted at Muslims, the company said in a statement. He has also behaved in ways that violate our policies around organized hate, they added. The ban represents the latest in a series of actions taken by social-media platforms to attempt to stem the flow of what they call hate speech. The term is defined by Facebook as anything that directly attacks people based on what are known as their protected characteristicsrace, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, sex, gender, gender identity, or serious disability or disease. In a statement to the press, Facebook said Robinson had allegedly called Muslims filthy scum bags and allegedly called on people to make war on them. They alleged Robinson had been taking part in events with individuals they deem to be hate figures, such as the Proud Boys and Gavin McInnes. However, they didnt provide specifics of the posts that violated their terms, and an email to their press team to clarify the matter went unanswered. Facebook Inconsistent Tech publication Wired questioned why Facebook had taken the action now, considering Robinson had been on the platform for many years and had amassed over a million followers. Other right-wing commentators, such as Milo Yiannopoulos, havent yet been banned, although Yiannopoulos was removed from Patreon after he was also alleged to be associated with the Proud Boys. Online extremism expert Dr. Bharath Ganesh told Wired that Facebooks management of Robinsons page had been inconsistent. It seems the company is concerned by claims from the right that conservative voices, in both the U.S. and the UK, [believe] their free speech is under attack. Its possible that Facebooks desire to be unbiased has some effect on [its] decision-making in taking down accounts, he said. Facebook said they wrote to Robinson on Jan. 24 to give him a final warning, but had subsequently discovered more hate speech on its platform. Robinson told CNN Business that tech giants [are] working alongside the establishment in order to silence criticism. The more you try to censor me, the more people will want to hear from us, he said. Last year, Robinson was jailed for 13 months over alleged contempt of court for live-streaming outside an ongoing court case involving accused Muslim child-rape gangs. He was released on bail after an appeal judge decided the original judgment was flawed. Bipartisan House Group Wants to Claw Back National Emergencies Powers for Congress WASHINGTONA group of 12 House Democrats and eight Republicans are backing legislation to claw back power from the executive branch on national emergencies. The proposal amends the National Emergencies Act of 1976. There are currently 31 national emergencies in effect as a result of presidential declarations. Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) said in a joint statement that the measure is not a rebuke of President Donald Trumps national emergency declaration. The drugs, violence and human trafficking speak for themselves in regards to the true crisis we are facing. This resolution speaks to the politicization of Congress and its failure to lead. Instead of proactively solving problems, Congress has delegated our precious power away. We must take this power back, Reed said. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) said in the statement that national emergencies are no way to govern, regardless of party By amending the National Emergencies Act, this bipartisan legislation will help Congress wrest back control and prevent further abuse of executive authority. Will Reinert, Reeds spokesman, told The Epoch Times on Feb. 28 that the bill is intended as a compromise between allowing continued excessive use by presidents of the national emergency authorities delegated by Congress and withdrawing those authorities entirely. Reinert said the measure will most likely be referred to the House Judiciary Committee. The measure follows a Feb. 26 245182 House vote to block Trumps Feb. 15 declaration of a national emergency to justify his re-purposing of as much as $8 billion previously appropriated to the departments of Defense, Treasury, and Homeland Security to help complete construction of a wall on the U.S. southern border with Mexico. The block approved by the House is pending in the Senate where it stands a solid chance of being approved if only narrowly because three RepublicansSens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Thom Tillis of North Carolinahave said they will support the measure. Depending on how Democrats like Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) who sometimes votes with Republicans to support Trump, the block could pass or fail by only one or two votes. The Senate has 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and two Independents who caucus with the Democrats. Should the vote be tied, Vice President Mike Pence would cast the deciding ballot, killing the override effort. Trump has promised to veto the blocking measure if it reaches his desk, and it is highly doubtful either chamber of Congress could muster the two-thirds vote required to override a veto. It is against that background that the Reed-Gottheimer proposal is seen by proponents as the basis for a possible compromise on the issue. The most significant provision in the proposal requires that the president must terminate the executive declaration of a national emergency under the National Emergencies Act after 60 days unless Congress (1) has affirmatively authorized the action; or (2) has extended the time period by law. The proposal also requires that once the president has issued a national emergency declaration under the National Emergencies Act, a resolution affirmatively authorizing the action and/or extending the time period shall be the first legislative item considered by the respective bodies with all other legislative action suspended until such resolution is voted upon by the body. If those provisions are approved by Congress and signed into law by Trump, the role of Congress in determining when to end national emergency actions would be significantly strengthened by the 60-day requirement. The law currently does not specify a time limit. This legislation represents an important step to rein in the excessively broad authority that has been delegated to the executive branch and will prevent future circumstances in which legislative leaders rely on the presidents executive authority to let them off the hook for failing to do their jobs, Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah) said in the joint statement. Our government was set up to give power to the American people by giving power to Congress, Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) said in the statement. But Congress has allowed presidents to seize more and more power; declarations of national emergencies are one example of this. We need this legislation to give power back to the people by giving power back to Congress, Lipinski added. Democrats co-sponsoring the measure besides Gottheimer and Lipinski include Reps. Salud Carbajal of California, Debbie Dingell of Michigan, Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Josh Harder of California, Elaine Luria of Virginia, Stephanie Murphy of Florida, Tom OHalleran of Arizona, Kurt Schrader of Oregon, Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, and Tom Suozzi of New York. Republican co-sponsors besides Reed and Curtiss include Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Will Hurd of Texas, Cathy McMorris-Rodgers of Washington, Alex Mooney of West Virginia, Bill Posey of Florida, and Fred Upton of Michigan. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol acting Chief Carla Provost testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill Jul. 31, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Border Patrol Chief Agrees With Trump That There Is A Border Crisis U.S. Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost broke down in a testimony to Congress why the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border qualifies as a national security crisis. There is an ongoing debate as to whether this constitutes a border security crisis or a humanitarian crisis. Let me be clear, it is both, Provost, President Donald Trumps top border official, said Tuesday during a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee. Provosts comments run counter to claims made by Democrats and other Trump critics who argue that, because border apprehensions are down considerably from 20 years ago, there is no actual crisis. While the 361,000 people the Border Patrol caught in fiscal year 2018 is less than half of the 1 million who were caught in the 1990s and 2000s, Provost says there is more to the numbers than meets the eye. Ive been asked many times how the current situation can be a crisis compared to years when we surpassed 1 million apprehensions, the Border Patrol chief said to lawmakers. To understand the numbers, you have to look at whats happening on the ground. In years past, the majority of those apprehended at the border were Mexican nationals who, after taken into custody and documented by Border Patrol, were handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcements Enforcement and Removal Operations office for deportation. In present time, more than half of all border apprehensions are Central American children or families. Due to a 2008 trafficking law, the children cannot be immediately deported because they are not from Mexico or Canada. Provost says the demographic changes have stretched her agency thin. Each day, nearly 25 percent of my agents are diverted away from our border security mission to care for, transport and process family members and unaccompanied children, she said Tuesday. We know that when agents are occupied, narcotics smugglers, criminal aliens, gang members and others use the opportunity to violate our borders and our laws. Agents are being challenged with other requests that are clogging their operations, in addition to the demographic changes. Many of the apprehended migrants are asking for medical care, requiring around 5,000 of her 2,000 agents to care and transport them to medical centers instead of manning the southern border. Provosts comments fly in the face of numerous Democratic critics who have deemed Trumps crisis declaration a fake emergency. Congressional Democrats on Tuesday voted to block Trumps emergency declaration, and a number of progressive groups are suing to block the move in court. Trump is using the declaration to secure a total of $8 billion to fund wall construction on the U.S.-Mexico border. By Jason Hopkins Follow Jason on Twitter. A hand-written letter by the late mobster James "Whitey" Bulger, an envelope and a holiday greeting card emblazoned with his 1959 Alcatraz mugshot, that Bulger mailed from federal prison in Coleman, Fla., in 2015. (Darin Rone/Urban Culture Auctions via AP) Boston Gangster Whitey Bulger Letters Fetch as Much as $1,430 at Auction BOSTONLetters written behind bars by notorious Boston gangster James Whitey Bulger have sold for as much as $1,430 at an auction. The letters auctioned on Feb. 24, provide a glimpse into Bulgers life behind bars before he was killed by fellow inmates last year. The letters were written to a man Bulger met in prison. The auction house says the six letters fetched between $845 and $1,430 each. In the letters, Bulger longingly recalled his old days at Alcatraz, complained about the gentrification of his old neighborhood and discussed how other inmates would try to push his wheelchair when he passed. Bulger was beaten to death in October shortly after being transferred to a troubled prison in West Virginia. He was serving a life sentence for participating in 11 murders. In recently auctioned prison correspondence, James Whitey Bulger singled out Boston Globe columnist Kevin Cullen, calling him his enemy. https://t.co/qccmlBqnSP pic.twitter.com/DROgd7rJR7 The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) February 27, 2019 Mundane Life Behind Bars Locked up for life after 16 years on the run, murderous Boston gang boss James Whitey Bulger couldnt stand how much the world around him had changed. The prison was nothing like his days at Alcatraz, with its great view and clear-cut rules, Bulger said. And the former Irish Catholic stronghold of South Boston he once terrorized was now filled with rich college kids living in expensive condos. World has changed everything different, even the neighborhood, Bulger wrote to a friend he met in the lockup in newly public letters. The letters, provide a glimpse into the once powerful and feared gangsters mundane life behind bars before he was beaten to death by fellow inmates last year. Bulger wrote about the little excitements of prison lifetonight we had an ice cream cone!and his treatment by other inmates. Almost every time Im going anywhere, guys ask hey old timer, want a push or just grab handles and start pushing, Bulger wrote in a letter postmarked in February 2015. One advantage is we can go in the front of the chow line if in a wheelchair. Notorious mob boss Whitey Bulger complained about a changing Boston in letters sold at auction https://t.co/KV1eCrA6i6 pic.twitter.com/8yl8b35K4q WCVB-TV Boston (@WCVB) February 28, 2019 Authorities have said two Massachusetts mobsters are under investigation for 89-year-old Bulgers killing, but no one has been charged. His death hours after he was transferred to a troubled West Virginia prison has raised questions about why the known snitch was placed in the general population instead of the more protective housing. Bulger ratted on the New England mob to the FBI, authorities said, though he insisted throughout his trial that he wasnt an informant but was actually paying the FBI for the scoop on his enemies. The auction house got the letters from a man who says he became friends with Bulger when the geriatric gangster was briefly held at a federal lockup in Brooklyn after being convicted in 2013 of participating in 11 murders, among other crimes. That man, Timothy Glass, said he took Bulger under his wing, and they bonded over their criminal pasts. Glass recalled how Bulger would sign autographs for inmates who asked but had a tendency to give a death stare to guys he didnt like. I was like, this guy is a stone-cold killer at like 80 years old. It was wild, Glass, 55, told The Associated Press. Glass was locked up on robbery and other charges when he met Bulger after spending more than a decade in New York state prison for separate crimes, he said. Inmates werent allowed to write to one another, so after Bulger was transferred to a different prison, Bulger would send the letters to a friend on the outside, who would get them to Glass, he said. Whitey Bulger wished for peaceful death, prison letters say https://t.co/7b2CvmKmIK via @BostonGlobe Shelley Murphy (@shelleymurph) November 29, 2018 In the letters, Bulger complained about the cost of books $32 for the book!, the cold weather All the liberals like VP Gore made a fortune with his scaring people with talk of planet warming and the media, which he called part of and parcel of the corruption instead of society watchdogs. He grumbled about his trial, slammed prosecutors for deals they made with his former friends and promised his appeal would create quite a stir. He also bemoaned what he saw as the unfair treatment of his longtime girlfriend Catherine Grieg, who was sentenced to eight years for helping Bulger avoid capture. I played a rough game and accepted the rough treatment. But feel Catherine was treated too harshly, Bulger wrote. Change in medical classification led to Bulgers transfer from Fla. prison https://t.co/1zKptU9GrD via @BostonGlobe Shelley Murphy (@shelleymurph) November 7, 2018 He talked longingly about his time at The RockAlcatrazwhere the rules were plain and understood and inmates were allowed at Christmas time to buy chocolate, which they would share with prisoners who werent supposed to have candy. Here, they, the inmates, would sell you chocolate! Back then no one ever looked to make a profit on another convict, he wrote. I look back at those years and place with nostalgia. Its all gone. Tucked into some of the letters were pictures of Bulger as a young man or Alcatraz. On the back of one of the photoson a mugshot taken in 1965, the year Bulger was released from prison and returned to South Bostonhe scribbled: the good old days. With another letter, Bulger included a holiday card that he apparently made in 2015 with the message in gold script: Wishing you peace & cheer in the New Year. Next to the cheery greeting is Bulgers Alcatraz mugshot, his eyes piercing blue eyes narrowed and brows furrowed. This handout image provided by the California High-Speed Rail Authority shows construction of a viaduct for the high-speed train in Fresno, California, on July 13, 2017. (California High-Speed Rail Authority via Getty Images) California Activist Calls on Gov. Newsom to Stop High-Speed Rail Project An activist in California is calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to stop the states high-speed rail project in response to President Donald Trumps call for the return of the federal governments investment. It is the time for Governor Newsom and the Democrats to do the right thing, to defund, and to cancel this project immediately, said Konstantinos Roditis, the vice chairman of Reform California, a 527 political action committee dedicated to holding state and local governments accountable. Roditis was a Republican candidate for state controller in the 2018 midterm election. During his campaign, he promised to end the high-speed rail project the first day after swearing into office. He didnt win the election, and joined Reform California to continue his effort to end government waste. This odd project has been sold to the California builders with certain conditions. None of these conditions have been met, and cant be met, Roditis told The Epoch Times in a phone interview. The project originally planned to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles, at a travel time of 2 hours and 40 minutes. However, because of speed restrictions, certain design requirements, and cost concerns, a subsequent report had an estimate of 3.5 to 4 hours of total travel time. Basically, you can literally go to the airport, go through security, jump on a plane in San Francisco, get off the plane [in Los Angeles], go through security again, jump on another plane and come back. You would probably do a whole round trip with pretty much the same time as it would take for the high-speed rail to go one way, Roditis said. In the 2008 state elections, California voters approved Proposition 1A, the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century. Proposition 1A authorized the state to allocate $9.95 billion to build the high-speed system, but required federal matching funds. With total estimated costs of $40 billion in 2008, the remaining balance, in addition to state and federal funding, was expected to be raised from private investments. After Proposition 1A was approved, the state High-Speed Rail Authority issued a new cost estimate, with revised total costs between $98.5 billion and $118 billion. The project has received no private investments. Newsom, in his State of the State speech on Feb. 12, called the project too expensive, slow, and opaque. Newsoms statement was made based on a recent official estimate of a total of $77 billion. Newsom said he would reduce the scope of the project to focus on finishing the 171 miles of the project through Californias central valley from Merced to Bakersfield. One week after Newsoms speech, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) canceled a $929 million grant to the project, and began actively exploring every legal option for the return of $2.5 billion it has already allocated to the project. Newsom, who has criticized DOTs decision as serving Trumps political purpose, shows no intention of stopping the ongoing project. Gavin Newsom basically said: I would rather spend up to $100 billion tax dollars than giving $2.5 billion back to the federal government. Id rather sink more money into it because I hate Donald Trump that much, Roditis said. That is unbelievable and immoral. Roditis said the DOT has the authority to request the return of its previous investment if California cant fulfill what it promised to accomplish on the project. He pointed out that according to DOTs standards, the project is no longer considered high-speed. In some of the regions with dense populations, such as San Francisco and Los Angeles, the project needs to share track with the Southern Pacific Railroad system. In order to do so, the high-speed train can only travel as fast as the regular train line. Roditis believes that the project still continues because of the contractors and labor unions that will directly benefit from the project. Roditis urged Newsom to immediately end the project. If not, I am dedicated to putting a ballot item in 2020, to defund and repeal the high-speed rail once and for all, Roditis said. Journalist and author Jonathan Manthorpe at the national launch of his book "Claws of the Panda" hosted by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute in Ottawa on Feb. 26, 2019. (Jonathan Ren/Epoch Times) Canadas Naivete on China Could End Five Eyes Network, Warns Author National book launch of Jonathan Manthorpes Claws of the Panda raises alarm on Huawei OTTAWACanadas highly romanticized belief that Chinas ruling communist regime can be reformed has not served it well. Thats one of the many takeaways from Jonathan Manthorpes book Claws of the Panda: Beijings Campaign of Influence and Intimidation in China. At its national book launch hosted by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute public policy think tank on Feb. 26, the journalist of 40 years explained that Canadianspoliticians, business people, and ordinary citizens alikeneed to understand that the rule of law does not apply in China; the rule of law is a threat to the one-party state. Canada is never going to change China, wrote Manthorpe. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus progressive agenda including gender equality and environmental reforms went over like a lead balloon in his Nov. 2017 visit. Canada should continue to engage China, but it could be steamrolled if it doesnt rework its approach, says Manthorpe. The problematic belief that Canada could change China with Canadian values remains deeply embedded even today. Relations Canada became one of the first western countries to establish diplomatic relations with communist China when former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau visited in 1970. His son has maintained that connection, naming one of the regimes most vocal supporters, Peter Harder, former president of the Canada China Business Council, as the government representative in the Senate. Decades later, concerns of intellectual property theft have plagued Canadas academic and business relations with China. Chinas technological revolution has relied heavily on acquiring foreign technologies. Nortels demise roughly coincided with Huaweis ascension. Brian Shields, a former senior security adviser at Nortel, previously told NTD Television that sophisticated and persistent hacking from Chinese state actors was a major factor in Nortels fall. Manthorpe doubts Canada can have anything more than a basic WTO trade relationship with China. When new initiatives are put forward, he hopes the first question Canadians will ask is: What benefit to Canada and Canadians can we honestly, realistically expect from the deal? There is very little common groundglobal diplomacy, civic values, mutual security agreementsbetween Canada and China compared to other Asian countries like Japan and South Korea. Our relations with the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] are based solely on trade so when things go wrong, we have no other buffers in the relationships, he said. Beijing has dangled access to the massive Chinese market to eager Canadian businesses for decades but Manthorpe pointed out it is not a market of 1.3 billion. It is actually many much smaller markets of 50 millionone example of how business people struggle to understand the politics and culture of China. Huaweis Challenge Manthorpe said the recent arrest of Huaweis CFO and Beijings subsequent detention of two Canadians and sentencing of a third to death exposed the fundamental incompatibility of our values. It is a critical time for the Sino-Canadian relationship. Canada has a decision to make regarding Huawei and the construction of 5G infrastructure. But, as it relates to Canadas allies in the Five Eyes network, its a pretty important moment in the history of shared intelligence, Manthorpe said. If Canada concurs with Great Britain that the Huawei risk is manageableas opposed to the United States, Australia, and New Zealandthen it could mean the end of the Five Eyes, says Manthorpe. The United States could stop sharing sensitive information with Canada. Will politicians decide keeping Five Eyes is more important than getting cheap switches from Huawei? he asked. Demonstration of Anxiety Beijing is trying to create political legitimacy while maintaining the solid appearance of an authoritarian state. But such regimes are not as solid as they appear, says Manthorpe. They are brittleyou never know when a tap in the right place will make them collapse, Manthorpe said. With Chinese president Xi Jinpings anti-corruption drive, huge amounts of capital are flowing out of China. Canada is one place it is settling. Manthorpe said Canada should examine why that is. Were importing corruption, he said. Canada has no publicly available registries of beneficial owners (true owners) of properties and companies. Campaign of Intimidation The book identifies five poisonous groups that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to terrorize and silence: Tibetans, Uyghurs of the Xinjiang autonomous region, Taiwan, democracy protestors, and practitioners of the Falun Gong meditation discipline. Terror comes in the form of harassing phone calls, hate propaganda, monitoring, intimidation, and bullying of those Canadians visiting China with ties to these groups. Anastasia Lin, who spoke at Manthorpes book launch, was a victim of this harassment. She was born in China and lived there for 13 years before coming to Canada. After her emigration she realized she had been indoctrinated all her life. I was raised in a dictatorship countryour values, the true human spirit was stifled, she said. Lin was chosen as Miss World Canada in 2015 and brought to light the human rights violations in her native country. As a result, her father in China was threatened. As Lin has travelled the world raising the issue of human rights in China, she has met many Chinese who conform to the CCPs will so that their families in China will be safe. Her story provides a typical example, says Manthorpe, of how the CCP tries to silence dissident voices in Canada. Follow Rahul on Twitter @RV_ETBiz A general view of the new headquarters of China Central Television under construction at the Central Business District in Beijing, China, on Aug. 22, 2008. (Andrew Wong/Getty Images) Chinese State TV Under Fire Over Forced Confessions LONDONChinese state television channel CCTV is under fire for broadcasting what campaigners call clear lies in the UK, and it could face similar charges in the United States. Human rights NGO Safeguard Defenders has written to British broadcasting regulator Ofcom about numerous so-called forced confession broadcasts on China Central Television (CCTV) and its English-language counterpart, China Global Television Network (CGTN). The NGO says the broadcasts amount to known and intentional distortion of facts and clear lies, which violate Ofcoms rules on impartiality and accuracy. The complaint was made on behalf of four victims, two of whom are of Chinese descent: Angela Gui, daughter of detained Swedish book publisher Gui Minhai, and Lam Wing-Kee, who sold books in Hong Kong that were critical of the Chinese communist regime. The other two are Swedish national Peter Dahlin and British ex-journalist Peter Humphrey, who both say they were forced to read out statements that had been prepared by police. None of them were formally arrested or charged when the confessions were broadcast. They were instead kept in residential surveillance at a designated location, or what the UN calls enforced disappearances. Humphrey ran a corporate due diligence firm in China that the Chinese state alleged had bought and sold personal data, charges that Humphrey said are false. In the submission, Humphrey said he was drugged, secured to a metal chair, and then placed inside a small cage. CCTV journalists then aimed their cameras at me and recorded me reading out the answers already prepared for me by the police. No questions were asked, he said. Made Under Duress Dahlin was the co-founder of a group that provided support to lawyers in China. The Chinese regime alleged he had violated national security, but he was never brought before a court to face charges. He says he was also forced to read prepared statements, which were then presented as facts in CCTV broadcasts. All statements made by Peter Dahlin were known by CCTV to be made under duress, the submission to Ofcom says. The cameraman and the journalist both were aware that he was kept in a facility for investigation, and were aware that his answers were pre-scripted. Gui Minhai hasnt been seen since his forced confession was aired on CCTV in 2016, in which he was made to say he returned to China to voluntarily turn himself in for a 2003 traffic violation. Eight days after Gui Minhai disappeared, Lam Wing-Kee was taken and blindfolded when crossing the border from Hong Kong into China. After six months in detention, he was released on bail, but not before several videos were recorded. The videos recorded of me were then used by CCTV, with significant post-production, and aired, without any consent ever given, with the clear aim of defaming and attacking me, he said in the submission. The broadcasts took place between 2013 and 2018, and although the submission focuses on just seven, it lists many other forced TV confessions that have also been aired. Power of Revocation A spokesperson for Ofcom said that if they find a breach in the code could have occurred, an investigation could be opened within 15 days. If CCTV has been found to breach the Broadcasting Code, the regulator may fine the channel, ask them not to rebroadcast the program, or require the channel to broadcast their judgment. In the most serious breaches, Ofcom can revoke a channels license. Safeguard Defenders also intends to raise its concerns regarding CCTV with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States in April. Its not the first time the British regulator has been asked to step in regarding foreign television networks. In 2012, the Iranian channel Press TV had its license revoked after the network broadcast an interview with imprisoned journalist Maziar Bahari. Ofcom ruled that the interview had been conducted under duress and fined the channel 100,000 pounds. But Press TV was unwilling and unable to pay, according to Ofcom. In December 2018, Russian channel RT, formally known as Russia Today, was found to have breached impartiality rules over seven broadcasts related to the 2018 poisonings of Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia. RT said that it was reviewing the findings Ofcom has put forward and would decide on its next steps. Dad and Daughter Fined Millions for Stealing $9.5m Winning Lottery Ticket The content is not available due to expiration. Democratic Senators Complain About Border Emergency at Hearing on Russia, China Nuclear Threats WASHINGTONDemocratic members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at a hearing on Feb. 26, challenged the deployment of the military in support of President Donald Trumps national emergency declaration at the southern border, as commanders emphasized the need for modernization of the U.S. nuclear deterrent in the face of threats from China and Russia. Air Force Gens. John E. Hyten and Terrence J. OShaughnessy testified on issues ranging from modernizing the United States nuclear triad (comprised of nuclear-armed air and sea forces and land-based nuclear missiles) and prospects for extending and expanding the New START nuclear arms treaty with Russia, to the need for additional space-based sensor technology, and heightening the U.S. presence in the Arctic to confront increasing Russian and Chinese operations there. Both Republican and Democratic members of the panel agreed generally on modernization of the United States nuclear arsenal, particularly in response to the same by Russia and, specifically, the development by China of its first true triad capability with the Hong-20 bomber, according to Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.). But Democratic senators repeatedly returned to the presidents national emergency declaration in response to border security. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) asked OShaughnessy, commander of the U.S. Northern Command, if most illicit drugs were crossing into the United States at points of entry or elsewhere. OShaughnessy answered, A little bit of both, and then explained a coordinated effort by traffickers to divert border agents with large numbers of migrants and, while agents are processing them, to bring drugs across the border. In further questioning by Perdue, OShaughnessy confirmed that barriers reduced the flow of human trafficking by 95 percent. He further explained that JTF North, under his command, is focused on drug trafficking at the border and that we understand networks. In partnering with law enforcement, JTF Norths intel and military capability does exactly what they would be asked to do overseas, while getting training and increasing readiness cost-effectively, he said. Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) asked OShaughnessy if he or his staff evaluated the legality of the emergency declaration. OShaughnessy answered, Thats beyond the purview of NORTHCOMwere actually executing those orders and direction that we were given prior to that declaration. Hyten, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, emphasized the importance of maintaining the deterrent capability of the U.S. nuclear triad throughout the hearing. He called it the most important element of our national defense. He noted that as opposed to developing new systems, as Russia and China are doing, the United States could maintain deterrence through modernization. But he also warned that these nations developments of their own triads were growing beyond New START, the last nuclear arms agreement between the United States and Russia. This circumstance, combined with Russian violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, gave him concern, as he sees the treaties as tools for limiting adversaries strategic forces and verifying the capability and size of their arsenals. While expressing support for INF and New START, Hyten said hes pessimistic as to INFs survival, given Russias violation of it and lack of interest in renegotiating it, and argued that an extension of New START needs to include expanded terms for elements of Russias arsenal not captured by it. Both Hyten and OShaughnessy highlighted the need for greater space-sensor capabilities, to enhance missile defense efforts and track launches. OShaughnessy also noted Russias and Chinas noticeably stronger foothold in the Arctic, requiring the capacity to detect attack from that region. Their own security strategies are based on holding the United States at risk, OShaughnessy said. George Seay writes that despite the challenges, there is much to be grateful for and much worth fighting for. (De Repente/Shutterstock) Faith Is the Moral Foundation of America Commentary For many religious Americans, the apocalypse is looming, dire and ominous. Widespread abandonment and ridicule of traditional values run rampant. Questioning and disapproving defiance of American history, traditions, and valuesall viewed as corrupted by chauvinism, sexism, misogynism, and racismis building. The majority of Hispanic and African-American children are born out of wedlock, and a significant minority of Anglo and Asian children are as well. Hollywood embraces all the progressive movements of the moment: #MeToo, climate change, the Green New Deal, gender fluidity, as well as embracing countercultural and iconoclastic practices and behavior. Patriotic American traditionalists cant help but feel surrounded by messages, imagery, and priorities that offend and threaten their families. Its everywhere and inescapable. Christian media publications and writers face an ever-present temptation to give up in despair, and feel the battle for our countrys heart, soul, and mind is already lostlost before the battle was even joined. Its easy to despair when you feel public opinion and influences are successfully moving aggressively against you and what you stand for. I would maintain, to the contrary, that this defeatist and negative perspective is fatalist, un-American, and most importantly, unbiblical. It doesnt take a comprehensive survey of world history to stumble across far more adverse moments since the beginnings of the church or America. The Roman Empire wasnt only hostile to Christians, it hunted them, and when captured, Christians were executed in the worst ways possible: crucifixion, beheadings, torture unto death, or being devoured by wild animals for sport. During the Middle Ages, the Black Death wiped out roughly one-third of Europes population. One could look to the neighbor on the right and the neighbor on the left, and very soon, one of them would no longer exist. It must have felt like the world was coming to an end. After World Wars I and II, the world lost more than 50 million people to war, disease, or genocide. This doesnt even count the 50 million more who perished in Maos Cultural Revolution or Stalins gulag excommunications. The adversity we face today in America pales in comparison to the challenges of our ancestors and forefathers, and beyond that, we have so much to be thankful for. Religious liberty continues to be the law of the land, through the First Amendment of the Constitution. And with scores of strict constructionists appointed to the federal courts by the president in the past two years, and scores more to come, persecution of the church and religious folk through the court system isnt likely in the near term. The #MeToo movement has eliminated, in one swift stroke, societys epidemic toleration of abusive behavior, mostly by men. For American women, its a new dawn of freedom from harassment and abuse. This is a development to celebrate, as long as we hold firm to due process and dont convict those who are innocent through accusation alone. Murder and crime rates are at multi-decade lows; and racial reconciliation has come further than anyone in the South in the 1960s could have possibly imagined, despite tension on the left through Black Lives Matter, the kneeling protests, and other forms of peaceful demonstration. The country is economically as strong as it has ever been, and our national defense is the most secure. Our military is the envy of the world, keeps us safe, and preserves the freedom we all cherish. Does the embrace of low standards, bad behavior, and acting out by thought and opinion leaders temper my enthusiasm for where we are as a country? Of course. We have real problems as a society, morally and culturally, and much work lies ahead. But the America we all know is worth both defending and advancing. Churches and synagogues need to champion traditional values and moral standards, without reservation, nuance, or fear. We need religious leaders to be lions, not mice. And traditional American business, civic, and political leaders have to stand up for traditional morality and standards courageously, without fear of public shame or persecution. Are we divided in this country? Are Americans of religious faith and traditional values diminishing in number? Yes to both. Having said that, the homeschooling, school choice, and charter school movements are alive and well. Our country remains one of the most religious in world history. Our people are mostly still committed to the values and standards of the Founding Fathers. There is much to be grateful for and much worth fighting for. But people of faith need to take heart, be of good cheer, and be happy warriors. No one is convinced to change their mind or re-evaluate their position when confronted by judgment, anger, or rebuke. The modern church and its flock must relearn how to appeal and persuade in an attractive, kind, Christlike way. They will know we are Christians by our love, and to live is Christ and to die is gain. These are words to live by, and a moral compass worth dying for. The United States demands nothing less than our best, for the full span of our lives, without defeatism, despair, or loss of courage or conviction, as we defend and advocate for Americas heart, soul, and mind in the years to come. George Seay is a national Christian and civic leader. He is the founder and chairman of Annandale Capital, based in Dallas, Texas. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Florida Fishermen Catch Rare Great White Shark, Release It Back Into Ocean The content is not available due to expiration. The logo of Huawei Technologies is pictured in front of the German headquarters of the Chinese telecommunications giant in Duesseldorf, Germany on Feb. 18, 2019. (Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters) Huawei Units Plead Not Guilty to US Trade Secret Theft Huawei Device Co Ltd and Huawei Device USA Inc pleaded not guilty to U.S. fraud, trade secrets conspiracy and other charges, and a trial date was set for March 2020, the Justice Department said on Feb. 28. The units of Chinas Huawei Technologies Co Ltd were arraigned in U.S. District Court in Seattle, and Chief U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez set trial for March 2, 2020. The two companies were charged in an indictment unsealed last month that they conspired to steal T-Mobile US Inc trade secrets between 2012 and 2014. The charges have added to pressure from the U.S. government on Huawei, the worlds biggest telecommunications equipment maker. Washington is trying to prevent American companies from buying Huawei routers and switches and is pressing allies to do the same. T-Mobile had accused Huawei of stealing technology called Tappy, which mimicked human fingers and was used to test smartphones. Huawei has said the two companies settled their disputes in 2017. Separately, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn have charged Huawei and its affiliates with bank and wire fraud on allegations that they violated sanctions against Iran. An arraignment date is yet to be set in that case. The United States is also seeking the extradition from Canada of Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis chief financial officer and the daughter of its founder, after charging her with bank and wire fraud. A senior U.S. cyber official said on Tuesday that European governments were listening to the U.S. message that Huawei exposes telecommunications networks to security risks. By David Shepardson 5G signs are displayed at the Intel stand at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona on Feb. 25, 2019. (Josep Lago/AFP/Getty Images) Intel Severs 5G Partnership With State-Backed Chinese Chipmaker U.S. tech firm Intel has ended a partnership with Chinese chipmaker Unisoc to develop 5G chips for the Chinese market, about a year after signing the deal. The partnership was a long-term strategic collaboration on the next generation of 5G mobile communication, including the development of a 5G smartphone platform for the Chinese market that featured the Intel 5G modem chip, according to an Intel press release published in February 2018. The deal also included a series of product collaborations using Intels 5G XMM 8000 series modem chips. That chip model allows existing devices, including PCs, phones, and vehicles, to connect to 5G networks, according to Intel. The decision to end the partnership was a mutual decision between the two companies, said Robert Topol, general manager of Intels 5G Strategy and Program Office, during a recent briefing at this years Mobile World Congress, a trade conference held in Barcelona, Spain, as reported in a Feb. 26 report by Japanese media Nikkei. The cancellation comes amid simmering trade tensions between China and the United States; chief among the latters complaints about Chinas unfair trade practices is that Chinese economic policies often pressure U.S. firms operating in China to give up sensitive technology, in exchange for access to the Chinese market. Chinese Chipmaker Unisoc, formerly known as Spreadtrum Communications, is a Chinese mobile chipmaker thats based in Shanghai. It is also a subsidiary of Chinas top chip manufacturer Tsinghua Unigroupwhich is, in turn, owned by the state-owned asset management group Tsinghua Holdings. While the partnership would have given Intel greater access to the Chinese market, its not a big deal for the U.S. chipmaker to lose a partner such as Unisoc, Sean Yang, an analyst with Shanghai-based market consultancy CINNO, told Nikkei. Intel still could engage with other potential Chinese customers to expand its market there, Yang said. On the contrary, for Unisoc, it could mean losing the opportunity to quickly learn from someone in the industry who has the capability to build that technology, Yang added. Nikkei, citing people it didnt identify, said the current trade dispute between Washington and Beijing was a factor in Intels decision to cancel the deal. Intel has been concerned the closer ties with the Chinese government-sponsored company could somehow upset U.S. authorities, given the current tensions between the two sides, an unnamed person with direct information about the cancellation told Nikkei. The unnamed person added that it was former Intel CEO Brian Krzanich who advocated and initiated the partnership in the first place. Krzanich stepped down in June last year after media revelations that he had an extramarital affair with a subordinate. Coincidentally, Unisoc unveiled its own 5G modem chip at the Mobile World Congress on Feb. 26, explaining that the chip design was done without any help from Intel, according to Nikkei. The Unisoc 5G chip, named the IVY510, was touted by Chinese state media as a major achievement for the country. For example, a Feb. 27 article by the state-run Jiefang Daily boasted that the chip would be the first Chinese-manufactured chip for sale around the world, and thus, capable of competing with other global 5G chip suppliers. Last year, Chinese tech giant Huawei unveiled a 5G chip, but they are only used in Huawei phones. US Concerns Its unclear if Unisoc gained any knowledge from Intel for use in its IVY510 chip. But U.S. concerns about collaborations between Chinese semiconductor firms and foreign chipmakers have a history, given that semiconductor chips power nearly every electronic deviceand the Chinese regime has been aggressively pushing for the domestic development of chipmaking technology so it could wean its reliance on foreign imports. The U.S. administration has been especially wary of acquisition and joint-venture deals involving U.S. and Chinese firms. Chinas path [to] the significant global market share would be significantly accelerated if they could acquire or form a joint venture with a leading foreign semiconductor firm, hence their focus on acquisitions and forced technology transfer, Robert D. Atkinson, president of the Washington-based think tank Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), said at a U.S. congressional hearing in April 2017. Atkinson summed it up thusly: In short, Chinas going to do whatever it takes to build a world-class domestic semiconductor industry. If they are successful, this will not only take market share away from U.S. firms, it will harm global semiconductor innovation by leading to lower margins and less R&D investment. Forced technology transfer has been one of the core issues that U.S. President Donald Trump has tried to tackle in trade discussions with China. Foreign companies are often pressured into transferring their technology to their Chinese joint-venture partners in exchange for access to the Chinese market. In the Made in China 2025 industrial policy, Beijing clearly outlines that acquisitions and technology transfers are key for Chinese companies to catch up with foreign competitors. Unisoc has expressed its support for Beijing. During a June 2015 conference held in the southern Chinese city of Xiamen, Unisoc and Tsinghua Unigroup executives convened with officials from the Xiamen government and the national Ministry of Industry and Information. According to a press release published on Unisocs website, they discussed how they could tie together Xiamens economic development with Made in China 2025 and the One Belt, One Road initiative. Unisoc has a branch in Xiamen. Los Angeles County Moves to Take Over Federal Flood Channels, Requests $600 Million to Upgrade Whittier Narrows Dam The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Feb. 26 to push forward to acquire the ownership of 40-mile flood control channels that are now operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). It also requested that Congress allocate about $600 million to repair Whittier Narrows Dam, which a study found might fail in a megastorm. Under the vote, five supervisors of Los Angeles County will collectively send a letter to the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation, asking its support for a disposition study to examine transferring ownership and operations of USACE-owned channels to the district, according to a motion proposed by supervisor Hilda Solis. The district, which refers to the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, oversees 14 major dams and about 500 miles of open channels in the county, providing flood protection for nearly 10 million residents. In addition, there are another four major dams and 40 miles of open channels in the county that are currently managed by the USACE. The motion says the USACE wasnt able to secure all the funds needed to maintain its facilities, therefore affecting part of the countys flood control system by lowering its capacity of reducing flood risk. Update: SR-243, there are two closures in place. Hurley Flats to I-10, and at Saunders Meadow. pic.twitter.com/LUHRxHYwM2 Caltrans District 8 (@Caltrans8) February 14, 2019 Director of Los Angeles County Public Works Mark Pestrella estimated that there is more than $200 million of deferred maintenance for the flood control system, but the USACE receives less than 10 percent of that amount annually to address the problem. After taking over the 40-mile channel, the county will be able to improve the efficiency in designing, building, and maintaining flood risk management projects, the motion states. It will also make it easier for the county to clean up channels and banks that are occupied by encampments built by the homeless population, who are subjected to danger when the area is flooded. Pestrella said he has received positive feedback from President Donald Trump, the White House, and members in Congress, supporting the idea of giving up local facilities to the locals. Supervisor Kathryn Barger said she agreed with the idea of consolidating control of the flood control system but wanted to make sure that were not letting the federal government off the hook with regard to the Whittier Narrows Dam. The dam sits on the San Gabriel River and Rio Hondo approximately 11 miles east of downtown Los Angeles and roughly 7.5 miles downstream from the Santa Fe Dam. The areas both upstream and downstream are highly urbanized with approximately 10 cities located between the Santa Fe and Whittier Narrows Dams and 25 cities between the dam and the Pacific Ocean with around 1 million people. A study conducted by the USACE indicated that the dam might not withstand an epic storm due to overtopping and erosion caused by seepage, which could result in hundreds of thousands of pounds of water per second rushing toward homes downstream. In February, California sustained damages caused by consecutive waves of storms that sparked fears of an ARkStorm, a rare megastorm that could last for weeks and produce massive rainfall and floodwater, which could wreak havoc and impact more than 1.5 million people with cities and lands inundated. The overall resulting storm damage could be $725 billion statewide, tripling the damage of a major earthquake, according to U.S. Geological Survey. If the dam fails during an epic storm, one of the hardest-hit communities would be Pico Rivera, which sits directly below the dam. It is estimated that the city could be under 20 feet of water and nearby Downey could see 15-foot levels. Congressional authorization is needed to upgrade the dam, which is estimated to cost as much as $600 million. In a separate motion, the board voted to urge the federal government to quickly provide that funding. The rehabilitation of the Whittier Narrows Dam is a high priority because of the significant loss of life and high economic impacts that hang in the balance, Solis said. Millions of L.A. County residents live downstream of the dam, and we cannot afford to wait to begin these upgrades. The City News Service contributed to this report. Lynne Patton, Vice President of the Eric Trump Foundation, delivers a speech on the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio on July 20, 2016. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Lynne Patton Calls Cohens Claims Unsubstantiated, Appears at His Testimony Trump administration staffer Lynne Patton made an appearance at the House Oversight Committee hearing on Feb. 27, where Michael Cohen is currently testifying before a panel. Cohen, who was President Donald Trumps former personal attorney, has made a number of allegations against the president during the hearing, calling the president racist and a conman. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) used his questioning time to confront Cohen about his claims that the president is racist. He invited Patton, who is African American, as a guest in her personal capacity to challenge Cohens claims. He said Cohen made very demeaning comments about the president that Miss Patton doesnt agree with. Rep. Mark Meadows presses Michael Cohen for proof of any racist remarks privately expressed by Pres. Trump. Do you have tape recordings of those conversations?Youve taped everybody else! https://t.co/55qPzPJjvk pic.twitter.com/3uHhMlrG3D ABC News (@ABC) February 27, 2019 She says as a daughter of a man born in Birmingham, Ala., that there is no way that she would work for an individual who was a racist, Meadows said, referring to Patton. How do you reconcile the two of those? Cohen replied, As neither should I as the son of a Holocaust survivor. Meadows then said he has spoken to Trump over 300 times and has not heard the president make any racist comments before in private. He then pressed Cohen to give evidence, including whether he has any tape recordings. Ask Miss Patton how many people who are black executives at the Trump Organization. And the answer is zero, Cohen replied. Patton, who serves as an official at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, did not speak at the hearing but had a statement entered on record. In a social media post on Feb. 27, she said that she was honored to be the special guest of Rep. Mark Meadows. She added, it doesnt take you 15 years to call someone a racist. Unless theyre not one. I am honored to be the special guest of @RepMarkMeadows today. I am here in support of @POTUS and in support of the truth, as Michael Cohen (knows that I know) it to be. And the truth is that it doesnt take you 15 years to call someone a racist. Unless theyre not one. pic.twitter.com/jPxeYTbTYT Lynne Patton (@LynnePatton) February 27, 2019 Unsubstantiated Claims In an earlier post on Facebook, Patton said she was sad that Cohen would levy unsubstantiated claimsparticularly those of bigotry and racism. [T]here is no amount of money in the world that would make me work for a man who I thoughtor even suspectedharbored bigoted ideologies, she said in her post, praising Trump for raising five of the most unbiased and open-minded children Ive ever known. Four of whom I count among my very best friends, to date. As someone who considered #MichaelCohen one of my very best friends for the past 10+ years virtually inseparable Posted by Lynne Patton on Tuesday, 26 February 2019 Patton said she had also considered Cohen as one of her closest friends for the past 10 years, adding that Cohen was the person who introduced her to the Trump family. The only word that truly comes to mind this week is sad, Patton wrote. I am sad that Michael has elected to leverage his own personal illegal activities into nothing more than political theater this week with the sole partisan purpose of embarrassing a sitting President with unfounded personal and/or professional gossip. I am sad that Michael would turn his back on a man to whom he has repeatedly said he owes everything in the hope of a reduced prison sentence, she added. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison on Dec. 12 last year for tax evasion, bank fraud, campaign-finance violations, and lying to Congress. He was indicted as a result of the Russia investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller. Man Pleads Guilty to Killing of Postal Worker in Dallas DALLASA Los Angeles man has pleaded guilty to murder in the killing of a postal worker during a road-rage attack on a Dallas expressway last year. Donnie Arlondo Ferrell acknowledged in a federal courtroom in Dallas on Feb. 27, that he fatally shot Tony Mosby. The 58-year-old Mosby was driving a Postal Service box truck on Interstate 30 near downtown Dallas when he was shot in the head on Feb. 19, 2018. Ferrell, who is 26, also pleaded guilty to a weapons count. He faces up to life in prison when hes sentenced June 19. A co-defendant, Bei-jing Tashawna Walker of Hutchins, has pleaded not guilty to being an accessory after the fact and awaits trial. Man Charged in Missouri Couples Deaths ST. LOUISA 22-year-old man is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of a Missouri couple. Deonta Johnson, of Normandy, was charged Feb. 27, in the November 2018 deaths of 47-year-old Igor Zhukov and 43-year-old Michele Laws, from Olivette. Johnson also was charged with two counts of first-degree robbery and four counts of armed criminal action. He was ordered held without bail. Zhukov and Laws were found dead in December in their vehicle at the bottom of a ravine. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the victims met Johnson to sell cellphones. Johnson allegedly tried to steal the phones, causing an auto accident. The charges say he then shot both victims in the head. No attorney for Johnson is listed in online court records. Hes already serving life in prison for killing an elderly Sterling man and a Galesburg man. Also charged in deaths of a couple in Missouri Tara Becker-Gray (@TaraBecker_QCT) May 14, 2014 Wyoming Man Suspected of Shooting Mother Faces Murder Charge CASPER, Wyo.A man suspected of shooting his mother in a Wyoming home is in custody in Colorado and is facing a charge of second-degree murder. The Casper Star-Tribune reports sheriffs deputies in Larimer County, Colorado detained 27-year-old Andrew Steplock late Tuesday night, and authorities are trying to extradite him to Wyoming. Officers found 58-year-old Deborah Steplock at a home just south of downtown Casper early Tuesday morning while responding to a security alarm. Her husband was administering first aid when the police arrived, and she is being kept alive so her organs can be donated. Casper Police Chief Keith McPheeters says detectives are still investigating a motive, and he did not know if Steplock has hired an attorney. Trial Begins For Man Charged With Killing Son, Setting Fire NORWICH, N.Y.A murder trial is underway in central New York for a man accused along with his wife of killing their adopted teenage son and burning their house to cover it up. Ernest Franklin was charged with murder and arson in the March 2017 death of 16-year-old Jeffrey Franklin, who had several disabilities. Prosecutors say the crime was inspired by the movie Manchester by the Sea, where a father accidentally starts a fire that kills his children. Trial begins for man charged with killing son, setting #fire https://t.co/JV1XxhpK7z Emirates 24|7 (@Emirates247) February 28, 2019 In her opening statement on Feb. 27, Franklins lawyer said the prosecutors theory of a murder scheme was too sophisticated for a salt of the earth person like Franklin. She also disputed autopsy report conclusions. Heather Franklin will be tried separately. The fire destroyed the familys home in Guilford, 55 miles southeast of Syracuse. Inmate Billie Cobble. The 69-year-old prisoner on Texas death row for almost three decades for the slayings near Waco of three peopleincluding the parents of his estranged wifehas lost a federal court appeal, moving him a step closer to execution. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP) Man Set To Be Executed For Killing Estranged Wifes Family HUNTSVILLE, TexasA Texas death row inmate once described by a prosecutor as having a heart full of scorpions was set to be executed on Feb. 28, for killing his estranged wifes parents and her brother, who was a police officer. Billie Wayne Coble was condemned for the August 1989 shooting deaths of his in-laws, Robert and Zelda Vicha, and their son, Bobby Vicha, at their homes in Axtell, northeast of Waco. Coble, 70, would be the third inmate put to death this year in the United States and the second in Texas, which is the nations busiest capital punishment state. His attorneys have asked the Supreme Court to delay the execution, arguing Cobles original trial lawyers were negligent for conceding his guilt by failing to present an insanity defense before a jury convicted him of capital murder. A state appeals court rejected Cobles request to delay Thursdays execution and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles turned down his request for a commutation. Coble does not deny that he bears responsibility for the victims loss of life, but he nonetheless wanted his lawyers to present a defense on his behalf, his attorney, A. Richard Ellis, said in his appeal to the Supreme Court. A Texas death row inmate once described by a prosecutor as having a heart full of scorpions was set to be executed Thursday for killing his estranged wifes parents and her brother, who was a police officer. #BREAKING #abc13 https://t.co/6ULEQ8nbQb Steve Campion (@SteveABC13) February 28, 2019 In Cobles clemency petition to the Board of Pardons and Paroles, Ellis said his client suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from his time as a Marine during the Vietnam War and was convicted, in part, due to misleading testimony from two prosecution expert witnesses on whether he would be a future danger. J.R. Vicha, Bobby Vichas son, said it will be a relief knowing the execution will have finally taken place after years of delays. Still, the way they do it is more humane than what he did to my family. Its not what he deserves but it will be good to know we got as much justice as allowed by the law, said J.R. Vicha, who was 11 when he was tied up and threatened by Coble during the killings. Prosecutors said Coble, distraught over his pending divorce, kidnapped his wife, Karen Vicha. He was arrested and later freed on bond. Nine days after the kidnapping, Coble went to Karen Vichas home, where he handcuffed and tied up her three daughters and J.R. Vicha. He then went to the homes of Robert and Zelda Vicha, 64 and 60 respectively, and Bobby Vicha, 39, who lived nearby, and fatally shot them. After Karen Vicha returned home, Coble abducted her and drove off, assaulting her and threatening to rape and kill her. He was arrested after wrecking in neighboring Bosque County following a police chase. Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denies delay of Billie Wayne Cobles execution: https://t.co/wxGStvUmJZ pic.twitter.com/vZKbfSSGZq Waco Tribune-Herald (@wacotrib) February 27, 2019 Coble was convicted of capital murder in 1990. In 2007, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a new trial on punishment. On retrial in 2008, a second jury sentenced him to death. Crawford Long, the former first assistant district attorney in McLennan County who helped retry Coble in 2008, said his heart full of scorpions description of Coble was fitting. He had no remorse at all, said Long, who retired in 2010. J.R. Vicha, 40, still lives in the Waco area. He eventually became a prosecutor for eight years, a career choice inspired in part by his father, who was a police sergeant in Waco when he was killed. His grandfather was a retired plumber and his grandmother worked for a foot doctor. Vicha, now a private practice lawyer, is working to get a portion of a highway near his home renamed in honor of his father. Every time I run into somebody that knew (his father and grandparents), its a good feeling. And when I hear stories about them, it still makes it feel like theyre kinda still here, Vicha said. By Juan A. Lozano And Michael Graczyk Michael Cohen, former attorney and fixer for President Donald Trump, testifies before the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Feb. 27, 2019. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Michael Cohen Claimed He Didnt Want WH PositionPast Reports Suggest Otherwise Michael Cohen, former attorney to President Donald Trump, claimed during his congressional testimony Wednesday that he never wanted to work in the White House, despite reports to the contrary. I was extremely proud to be the personal attorney to the president of the United States of America. I did not want to go to the White House, Cohen told the House Oversight Committee. I can tell you a story of Mr. Trump reaming out [former Chief of Staff] Reince Priebus because I had not taken a job when Mr. Trump wanted me to, working with Don McGahn at the White House General Counsels office. CNNs Dana Bash called Cohens claim a potential problem, explaining that per her reporting, he very much wanted a job in the White House. A panel of multiple other reporters on the network all agreed with Bashs assessment of Cohens White House ambitions, and anchor Jake Tapper said Cohens claim caused his panel to raise their eyebrows because we knew it to not be true. CNN Anchors call out Michael Cohen for lying to Congress about "not wanting" a job in the White House. pic.twitter.com/krQK1QhjHB Jon Nicosia (@NewsPolitics) February 27, 2019 The presidents family also weighed in on Cohens testimony, with Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. saying that Cohen desperately wanted to be the administrations chief of staff. It was the biggest joke in the campaign and around the office, Eric Trump tweeted. Michael was lobbying EVERYONE to be Chief of Staff. It was the biggest joke in the campaign and around the office. Did he just perjure himself again? Eric Trump (@EricTrump) February 27, 2019 It really was the biggest joke of the entire transition, Donald Trump Jr. agreed. The beginning of his bitterness was when he realized that was never going to happen. Nailed it. It really was the biggest joke of the entire transition. The beginning of his bitterness was when he realized that was never going to happen. #Delusional. https://t.co/ddizWugguU Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 27, 2019 GOP operative Arthur Schwartz even claimed that Cohen complained to him on numerous occasions about never being offered a job in the White House. Cohen: I didnt want to go to the White House. LIAR. He complained to me on numerous occasions about the fact that POTUS didnt offer him a job at the WH. #CohenTestimony Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) February 27, 2019 The Daily Beast also reported in July 2018 that Cohen was privately bragging to friends that he was expected to be named chief of staff when Trump took office. He had left his senior position at the Trump Organization shortly after the election, expecting a coveted appointment in the new administration (he had told friends that he even expected to be named chief of staff), only to see President Trump pass him over for any White House post, the Beast reported. Follow Amber on Twitter A 3D-printed YouTube icon is seen in front of a displayed YouTube logo in this illustration taken Oct. 25, 2017. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters) Mom Claims Momo Character Tried to Befriend 6-Year-Old Watching Peppa Pig on YouTube A 6-year-old girl from Louisiana provided a chilling description of how she encountered the Momo challenge while watching videos on YouTube. Amid warnings from police departments and schools, Bre-Andria Roussells mother Brittany Roussell posted on Facebook that her daughter encountered the terrifying avatar while watching a Peppa Pig video on YouTube Kids. She didnt elaborate on how she saw the disturbing characterwhether if she was watching a live show when it appeared or if it was spliced into a standard YouTube video. Six-year-olds chilling response when mum asks her about Momo challengehttps://t.co/MlrPeR5uS3 pic.twitter.com/OhsO4FZAxy Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) February 27, 2019 In the video, the girl explains how she encountered it. When you call her shes going to hang upand then it can start getting freaky She will say: Yes, we can be best friends, the girl said, as reported by the Daily Mail. But when you come to her house, when she sends you the address, shes gonna actually kill you, the girl adds in the clip. She could be in your dreams or she could kill you. Meanwhile, Lyn Dixon, a mother in Scotland said her 8-year-old encountered the Momo challenge on YouTube while he was watching prank videos, reported The Herald in Scotland. The parents said they told the boy that the character wasnt real and told the school about it, prompting them to give an internet safety talk to parents and students. Months later, Dixon added, he encountered it again. He showed me an image of the face on my phone and said that she had told him to go into the kitchen drawer and take out a knife and put it into his neck, Dixon told the news outlet. We have become increasingly aware of highly inappropriate videos circulating online and are being viewed by children Posted by Haslingden Primary School on Tuesday, 26 February 2019 Both times, she said there were parental controls set on the phone and YouTube app. After sharing the post on Facebook, Dixon said other parents told her that their children have been exposed to the character. Its a big fear, that we cant always control what hes exposed to on the internet. You read these stories about children committing suicide and we all know how difficult life is now with the pressures on children, the Scottish mom told The Herald. She said that social media can pose a problem for kids. Social media is a massive part of that. Its horrific and weve got no control over it, she said. IMPORTANT: we are aware that some nasty challenges (Momo challenge) are hacking into childrens programmes Challenges appear midway through Kids YouTube, Fortnight, Peppa pig to avoid detection by adults. Please be vigilant with your child using IT, images are very disturbing Northcott School Hull (@NorthcottSchool) February 26, 2019 The reports prompted the Police Service of Ireland to issue a warning about it this week. The character in the photo below is Momo and when downloaded tells your child to communicate with them via WhatsApp and a number of other widely used apps. Momo then tells your child to self harm or she will put a curse on them, the force said. Hoax or Not? According to urban legends, the challenge involves committing suicide or engaging in other forms of self-harm. CBS News reported that officials investigated the influence of Momo on the death of a 12-year-old in Argentina several months ago. It added that when children allegedly take part in the challenge, they contact a stranger concealing themself as Momo using a creepy image and use WhatsApp. The disturbing face associated with Momo was made by a Japanese special effects company. It has no affiliation with any challenge or game. YouTube on Feb. 27 responded to police and school warnings about the challenge. Contrary to press reports, weve not received any recent evidence of videos showing or promoting the Momo challenge on YouTube, a spokesperson for YouTube told the Daily Dot. Content of this kind, the spokesperson said, would be in violation of our policies and removed immediately. Dr. Dawn Branley-Bell, a so-called cyberpsychologist from Northumbria University, told Yahoo News: I believe that the Momo challenge is largely an urban myth or online hoax. This is the latest hot topic which is spreading like wildfire due to its sensationalist nature and is causing a lot of parents to be unnecessarily worried. Branley-Bell described it as the modern equivalent of the monster under the bed but acknowledges that a small number of children may have been disturbed. Its important, she said, to teach children to think critically. There will no doubt be another challenge that comes along, however, it is undoubtedly likely to involve an element of fearwhether thats through the character fronting the hoax, such as the haunting imagery associated with Momo and Slenderman, and/or a fear of the consequences, i.e., the threat that something bad will happen to you or your family if you do not follow through with the challenges, she elaborated. From NTD News Mom Files Lawsuit After Emotional Support Pit Bull Bites 5-Year-Old Girls Face A woman filed a $1.1 million lawsuit after her 5-year-old girl was mauled by a pit bull that was being used as an emotional support animal at Portland International Airport. The girl was attacked after she tried to pet the dog, said Mirna Gonzalez, the mother. Gonzalez and her children were waiting for an Alaska Airlines flight to Texas on Dec. 18, 2017, when she stepped away to get coffee, reported the Washington Post. Thats when her daughter, Gabriella, asked to pet the pit bull. It then bit her in the face and left her covered in blood, the lawsuit said. Gonzalez is now suing the pit bulls owner, Michelle Brannan. She also filed a lawsuit against the Port of Portland and Alaska Airlines, alleging that the dog was let inside the airport without a carrier, according to the suit. Brannan, she contended in the suit, should have known the dog had vicious propensities. She went through the ticketing process at Alaska Airlines without the pit bull being in a crate, kennel or other secure container, reads the lawsuit (pdf). She then took the pit bull through Port of Portland security without the animal being in a crate, kennel or another secure container. Once inside the secure area of the airport, she went to gate C7 where her pit bull attacked Gabriella Gonzalez. The pit bull severed the child's tear duct and disfigured her upper lip, leaving a piece of it missing. Posted by New York Post on Thursday, 28 February 2019 The dog disfigured the girls upper lip and severed her tear duct, family attorney Chad Stavley said, according to The Washington Post. She was left with permanent scars after undergoing surgery, Stavley said. He is also investigating whether the pit bull was really, in fact, an emotional support animal. KATU in December 2017 reported that the pit bull was quarantined at an animal shelter for 10 days after the incident. The owner was cited by police for not carting the dog. Theres a lot of abuse of this emotional support animal situation, Stavley told the Post, adding that folks who have legitimate service animalspeople who are blind and need guide dogs and the likeare kind of getting thrown into the same boat [as emotional support animals]. He said the dog attack shines a poor light on those folks. It still gives me anxiety, he tells WW. I came pretty close to losing my cookies. Posted by Willamette Week on Tuesday, 26 February 2019 The Port of Portland and Alaska Airlines have not commented on the matter, citing pending litigation. In 2018, Alaska Airlines changed its policies on emotional support animals, requiring owners to keep their cat or dog in a carrier or on a leash at all times. We are making these changes now based on a number of recent incidents where the inappropriate behavior of emotional support animals has impacted and even injured our employees, other guests and service animals, Ray Prentice, Alaska Airlines director of customer advocacy, said in April of last year. He added: Most animals cause no problems. However, over the last few years, we have observed a steady increase in incidents from animals who havent been adequately trained to behave in a busy airport setting or on a plane, which has prompted us to strengthen our policy. Other Incidents In June 2017, an emotional support dog bit a man in the face on a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta. He was forced to get 28 stitches, AJC reported at the time. It is troubling that an airline would allow a dog of such substantial size to ride in a passengers lap without a muzzle, a lawyer for the man, Marlin Jackson, said at the time. Especially considering the dog and its owner were assigned a middle seat despite Delta Air Lines policies that call for the re-accommodation of larger animals. And in February 2018, another emotional support dog bit a girls in the head on a Southwest flight out of Phoenix. During boarding of flight #1904 from Phoenix to Portland, Ore. Wednesday night, our initial reports indicate a support dogs teeth scraped a childs forehead as the young passenger approached the animal, causing a minor injury, Southwest said in a statement last year. EMTs evaluated the child, who was cleared to continue on the flight. The dog and its owner remained in Phoenix as the aircraft departed approximately 20 minutes behind schedule. As always, the safety of our Customers is our highest priority. This undated picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 19, 2017 shows the ground jet test of a newly developed high-thrust engine at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in North Korea. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) North Korean Satellites May Hold Nuclear Bombs Commentary North Korea has two satellites that orbit above America and may hold nuclear bombs, a report recently declassified by the Department of Defense (DOD) warns. If either satellite holds a nuclear bomb, it could be detonated when above America, cause an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), and break Americas electric grid indefinitely. A full 90 percent of Americans could die. A wide consensus has emerged that a nuclear EMP poses an existential threat to America. Official reports from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a task force from the DOD, and the congressional EMP Commission all agree on this point. Kim Jong Un agrees. North Korean state media has threatened that it could destroy the United States by detonating a nuclear bomb at high altitudes for a super-powerful EMP attack. North Korean pronouncements even tie their satellites to their nuclear weapons: The nuclear weapons we possess are, precisely, the countrys sovereignty, right to live, and dignity. Our satellite that cleaves through space is the proud sign that unfolds the future of the most powerful state in the world. North Korea successfully launched its first satellite, the Kwangmyongsong-3, in December 2012. Four years later, in January 2016, North Korea successfully tested a nuclear bomb, potentially a hydrogen bomb. One month later, North Korea successfully launched its second satellite, the Kwangmyongsong-4. President Barack Obama didnt stop or shoot down either of North Koreas satellites. President Donald Trump inherited the situation from the Obama administration. Unusually Low Orbit North Korea claimed the Kwangmyongsong-3 was a weather satellite. However, it orbits at a height of around 450 kilometers (280 miles) which would be unusual for a weather satellite. Weather satellites are often placed at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers to allow for a geostationary orbit, so the satellite can track the same geographical location and provide steady information about the weather there. An altitude of about 500 kilometers places the Kwangmyongsong-3 as the lowest weather satellite launched, based on a list by the satellite tracking page N2YO of weather satellites launched between 1960 and 2018. It orbits at the optimum altitude for an EMP attack; its high enough that the EMP would propagate outward and hit most of the United States, but still low enough to be potent when it reaches earth. Another unusual feature of the North Korean satellites is that they orbit from south to north. Normally, weather satellites go from north to south to help obtain a sun-synchronous orbitto observe conditions on earth under regular sun conditionswhich can be desirable for earth observation satellites. The south-to-north trajectory has military applications though, as it evades Americas early warning radars and national missile defenses. Assessing the Threat American and South Korean intelligence agencies have communicated little to no concern about the North Korean satellites. South Korea assessed that the Kwangmyongsong-4 satellite was merely a cover for developing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). But these intelligence agencies have a poor track record when predicting North Korean capabilities. For instance, in 2016, the New York Times dismissed concerns about North Korea, stating that experts knew North Korea was years away from being able to hit mainland America with an ICBM. One year later, they reported that North Korea had successfully launched an ICBM capable of hitting California. Congress created the EMP Commission as a bipartisan group of experts who would focus specifically on EMP threats and communicate their findings to Congress and the president. The EMP Commission felt the North Korean satellites were an extremely significant development. Either one may hold a nuclear bomb, and Obama was wrong to ignore them. The Obama administration refused to speak with the EMP Commission, despite its repeated attempts to warn about the North Korean satellites. Acknowledging the threat posed by the satellites is a politically difficult step. It could have precluded Obamas preferred policy of strategic patience. The EMP Commission hasnt argued that the North Korean satellites definitely have bombs inside them. Their position has been that the U.S. government simply doesnt know one way or the other; either satellite, or both satellites, could hold nuclear bombs. Easier Than an ICBM Many experts in other fields assume this task would be too technically challenging for North Korea to achieve. However, a nuclear EMP attack from a satellite is actually easier than hitting a target with a nuclear-armed ICBM. An ICBM requires complicated guidance technology to hit a specific spot, and re-entry shielding to allow the missile to enter through the atmosphere at high speeds without breaking. By contrast, a satellite can simply detonate anywhere over the United States, and because the EMP propagates over such a large distance, it would be effective. It also doesnt have to re-enter the atmosphere because it just detonates while in orbit. Further, a low kilotonnage nuke can still cause a potent EMP. Fitting a nuke into a satellite is no big obstacle. Former CIA Director James Woolsey warned that North Korea almost certainly has the technology to make nuclear bombs small and light enough to fit into their satellites (which allegedly weigh around 220 pounds and 440 pounds): Miniaturization was no huge obstacle to the United States. According to the Nuclear Weapon Archive just a few years after destroying Hiroshima with an A-Bomb weighing 9,700 pounds, the U.S. Army had the T-1, a man-carried atomic landmine weighing 150 pounds. The United States long ago developed a nuclear artillery shell, the W48 Enhanced Radiation Warhead, which weighs less than 100 pounds. Difficult to Detect Other people assume that the United States government has the technological ability to detect the radioactive signature emanating from nuclear warheads, and thus, can detect whether a satellite holds a nuclear bomb. However, the basic laws of science impose daunting limits on this possibility. Before a nuclear bomb detonates, it emits relatively little radiation. For instance, uranium-235 has a half-life of more than 700 million years. Whatever small amount of gamma rays it emits will dilute as it propagates outward into a greater area. The signal decreases rapidly, as the inverse of distance squared, and passes below the background radiation level, making the signal impossible to detect. Nuclear materials and devices can be detected at ranges of a few meters up to a few tens of meters, at most, concluded a team of experts in their paper, A Primer on the Detection of Nuclear and Radiological Weapons. To have a chance at detecting gamma rays from the North Korean satellites, the United States would need to place a satellite within meters of their satellite, with the proper detection equipment, and for a long enough time period. Even then, if North Korea took the precaution of shielding a nuclear warhead, it could still be undetectable. Brokenif Weather Satellites The mainstream media has also tried to dismiss the North Korean satellites by releasing numerous articles asserting that the satellites themselves are broken. CNN reported that an anonymous senior U.S. defense official from the Obama administration knew the Kwangmyongsong-4 was incapable of functioning in any useful way because it was tumbling. However, the fact that a satellite is tumbling does not prove that it is not functioning, according to numerous scientists who provided information for this article. Tumbling refers to when a satellite is spinning in a non-controlled manner. This can present problems for satellites that deploy solar panels that have to be oriented towards the sun or for earth-observation satellites that have sophisticated antennas and sensors that must be oriented towards the earth. However, based on the photos of the Kwangmyongsong satellites, none of those concerns apply. They dont deploy solar panels that must orient a certain way, and they have no complex sensors that one would expect on earth observation satellites. To transmit complex information, a satellite needs a high-gain antennaefor instance, a satellite dishthat has to be pointed in the right direction. But the Kwangmyongsong satellites appear to have low-gain antennas. These are not suitable for transmission of complicated data, but they can receive a simple message, even when tumbling. Reuters implied that the Kwangmyongsong-4 was broken because it allegedly hasnt transmitted data back to earth. Once again, their conclusion is ostensibly based on the premise that Kim was telling the truth and it was merely an earth observation satellite, in which case, not transmitting data would be problematic. However, not transmitting data proves nothing regarding whether the satellite can receive a signal and operate a command. Bright Star Former NASA scientist Jonathan Nowacki looked at a photo of the Kwangmyongsong-4 and stated: That is exactly how Id build an EMP satellite: rectangle shaped, solar panels on all sides, simple antennas on the ends. Nuclear bombs are egg-shaped, so you put the egg in a rectangle. Solar panels on all sides means it always has power. Thats not a weather satellite. It has no large sensors. Also, notice a trend in their satellite names? They all translate to mean Bright Star. What is a thermonuclear reaction? A small star. Its like they arent even trying to hide it. Notwithstanding the clear science on the matter, some continue to deny the threat. Denying the Threat NPR held a segment on this issue, where they introduced Jeffrey Lewis as a nuclear weapons expert and asked him to fact-check whether North Korea could detonate a nuclear bomb in a satellite causing a damaging EMP. Lewis burst into loud, extended laughter, and exclaimed the idea was preposterous. However, he gave no reason or evidence to back himself up. Lewis holds a degree in political science and a doctorate in policy studies. He did not respond to repeated requests to clarify his position for this article. The EMP Commission consisted of a bipartisan team of experts that cut across fields, from NASA scientists, to doctorate-level engineers, to experts in nuclear weapon design. They have consistently warned that North Koreas satellites may be functional and hold nuclear bombs. However, the U.S. government has not addressed the situation. The threat posed by North Korean satellites falls into a netherworld where no government agency has taken responsibility. The concept of a nuclear EMP attack is new to humanity and proving difficult for the U.S. government to adapt to. Ironically, it is most dangerous to the United States precisely because it is uniquely advanced and dependent on electronics. A number of government entities were asked to comment on their posture towards the satellites for this article. The DOD, DHS, and various members of Congress on the House Armed Service Committee declined to comment. The American Nuclear Society expressed concern that this topic was not aligned with peaceful uses of nuclear science and referred me to Los Alamos, which didnt respond. NORAD referred me to U.S. Strategic Command, which was the only entity willing to comment. They ostensibly think the North Korean satellites are actually weather satellites: While we track all space activity, we cannot speak on intelligence matters. We would refer you to the North Korean government for the details and characterization of their orbiting satellites. Disaggregated and Dysfunctional Its to be expected that defense and intelligence agencies will be cagey about a sensitive matter, but in this case, the issue seemed to be a reluctance to recognize an explosive problem. Many were ignorant that the issue exists. This echoes concerns raised by people from the EMP Commission that government agencies have refused to assume responsibility for protecting the United States from EMP attacks. The federal government is disaggregated and dysfunctional in its feeble efforts to counter this existential threat, wrote Ambassador Henry Cooper, who served under President Ronald Reagan, was director of the Strategic Defense Initiative under President George H.W. Bush, and has a doctorate in mechanical engineering. Cooper explained that the DOD was a logical choice to protect Americans from EMP attacks because they have proven expertise, from decades ago, up through recently when the DOD spent almost a billion dollars to further harden DOD installations inside Cheyenne Mountain against EMP. However, the DOD has assumed only a supporting role to the DHS in protecting American civilians from EMP. Meanwhile, the DHS eschews such responsibility, refusing to prioritize it. Even though the DHS released a report affirming their belief that EMP attacks threaten America, their response was to call for further study of the problem, with virtually no concrete action. No agency has yet taken the initiative to protect against this acknowledged threat. The only agency that specialized in EMP preparedness was the bipartisan EMP Commission. It contained scientific expertise accumulated over the course of decades, including the chairman, Dr. William Graham, who was actually at the nuclear Starfish Prime test in 1962, and among the team of scientists who discovered the EMP phenomenon. Congress established the EMP Commission for the purpose of making actionable recommendations, which would then be implemented. However, Congress has not implemented their suggestions. In 2017, coincident to Kim threatening the United States with EMP attacks, Congress ended the EMP Commission. Kims two satellites remain in orbit. Daniel Ashman is an analyst from the suburbs of Massachusetts. He is the author of the book Russian Agents: The Clintons Attack Against America. His website is AshmanReport.com and he can be found on Twitter @dashman76. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. FILEA farmer standing in his poppy field that ahead of harvest in Faizabad, Badakshan, Afghanistan, on May 25, 2011. (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images) Opium-Addicted Parrots Raid Poppy Crops in India Licensed poppy farmers in the middle of the harvest in India are struggling with the menace of drug-addicted parrots ravaging their crops. Farmers in the state of Madhya Pradesh, who are licensed by the Indian government to cultivate opium for medicinal purposes, complain about the scourge of parakeets addicted to the crystallized sap in the ripening poppies, the ANI news agency reports. The wild parrots sometimes wait until farmers cut open the poppy pods to help them ripen before sucking out the sap, according to Earth.com, while the more desperate birds tear the pods off the stalks entirely, damaging the poppies and causing permanent loss to the farmers. No Way to Protect Our Produce We lose as much as 10 to 15 percent of our crop to these parrots, Narendra Singh, an opium farmer from Pratapgarh, was cited by DNA discussing the same problem at last years harvest. There is no way to protect our produce from them. We have tried making loud sounds and even use firecrackers to scare the birds. But nothing has helped, said Nandkishore, a poppy farmer from the Neemuch district of central India, NDTV reported. We are already suffering because of uneven rain, and now this. Nobody is listening to our problems. Farmers said if the parrots destroy too much of the crop, they may also face penalties. We acquire a license to cultivate opium. The narcotics department, that buys our crops, has fixed parameters about crop quantity per land holding. If the yield is less, a penalty will be imposed, Singh told DNA. Video footage shows the parrots frantically tearing into the poppies. A large group of parrots feed on these plants around 30 to 40 times a day and some even fly away with poppy pods, said Nandkishore, a poppy farmer from the Neemuch District of central India. This affects the produce. These opium-addicted parrots are wreaking havoc. Farmers said they have to guard the poppy crops day and night to chase away the drug-addled birds. Big Business Growing poppies for opium is big business in Madhya Pradesh, according to India Today, with 38,000 of the 44,000 hectares of Indias licensed poppy cultivation taking place between the state and neighboring Rajasthan. Madya Pradesh is one of the few places in the world where poppies are cultivated under the supervision of the International Narcotics Control Board for legitimate medical purposes. Poppy Pathology One reason the Indian narcotics authoritycalled the Central Bureau of Narcoticsimposes production quotas on licensed farmers is to prevent illicit trade in opium. There is a temptation for farmers to underreport production and sell off the excess to smugglers. A case last year saw police receive a tip-off about two villagers illegally supplying opium to smugglers, and busted the duo with 53 pounds of the drug in their car. But despite steps to curb illicit opium tradeincluding monetary bonuses to farmers who over-produce yet hand over their harvest to the authorities instead of to smugglerspathology goes hand-in-glove with growing poppies for opium. Opium licenses are a symbol of prestige, said Kamlesh Upadhyay, assistant professor of psychology at Government Girls College in Neemuch, according to India Today. People with licenses are much sought-after for marital alliances. But the availability of drugs has also created a huge number of drug addicts here. There is not a single family without drug addicts in villages like Harvar. Indian army soldiers stand near the wreckage of an Indian helicopter after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) Pakistan, India Trade Gunfire As Dossier Exchange Eases Tension MUZAFARABAD, PakistanPakistan on Thursday acknowledged receiving information from India regarding a suicide bombing in the contested region of Kashmir that sparked the latest wave of tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, a day after Islamabad said it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot The information exchanged on the Feb. 14 attack that killed over 40 Indian paramilitary personnel signaled tensions were easing slightly between Pakistan and India. However, the two sides exchanged gunfire through the night into Thursday morning along the so-called Line of Control in Kashmir, forcing villagers to flee their homes, though there were no reported casualties. Meanwhile, members of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharitiya Janata Party called for more military action. Modi himself held a teleconference rally Thursday ahead of national elections, warning that Indias enemies are conspiring to create instability in the country through terror attacks. Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan had called for talks between the two nuclear-armed rivals in a televised address Wednesday, saying: Considering the nature of the weapons that both of us have, can we afford any miscalculation? World powers have called on the nations to de-escalate the tensions gripping the contested region since the suicide bombing. India responded with an airstrike Tuesday inside Pakistan, the first such raid since the two nations 1971 war over territory that later became Bangladesh. The situation escalated with Wednesdays aerial skirmish, which saw Pakistan say it shot down two Indian aircraft, one of which crashed in Pakistan-held part of Kashmir and the other in India-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan later released a video of a man it identified as the pilot. India acknowledged one of its MiG-21s, a Soviet-era fighter jet, was lost in skirmishes with Pakistan. Indias Ministry of External Affairs said late Wednesday it strongly objected to Pakistans vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force, and that it expects his immediate and safe return. India also said it shot down a Pakistani warplane, something Islamabad denied. Kashmir has been claimed by both India and Pakistan since almost immediately after their creation in 1947. The countries have fought three wars against each other, two directly dealing with the disputed region. Both Indian and Pakistani officials reported small-arms fire and shelling along the Kashmir region into Thursday. Government buildings in Muzafarabad, the capital of the Pakistan-controlled section of Kashmir, were used to provide shelter to those who fled from border towns. Indian army spokesman Lt. Col. Devender Anand described the intensity of the firing as lesser than previous nights. Authorities in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir closed all schools and educational institutions in the region and are urged parents to keep their children at home amid mounting tension with neighboring India. Pakistans airspace remained closed for a second day Thursday, snarling air traffic. Pakistans Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal acknowledged his country received a dossier from India about the Feb. 14 attack. He refused to provide details about the information that New Delhi has shared. World leaders weighing in on the tension included President Donald Trump, who began remarks at a news conference Thursday in Vietnam after meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by focusing on India and Pakistan. I think hopefully thats going to be coming to an end, Trump said, without elaborating. Its been going on for a long time decades and decades. Theres a lot of dislike, unfortunately, so weve been in the middle trying to help them both out, see if we can get some organization and some peace, and I think probably thats going to be happening. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also said Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabias minister of state for foreign affairs, planned to come to Islamabad with an urgent message from the kingdoms powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Modi, in his first remarks since the pilots capture, gave a rallying speech ahead of elections in the coming months. Our defense forces are serving gallantly at the border, he told tens of thousands gathered across the country to listen to him in a videoconference from New Delhi. The country is facing challenging times and it will fight, live, work and win unitedly. Meanwhile, Indias finance minister, Arun Jaitley, suggested at a news conference Wednesday that Indian special forces carry out secret missions to capture terrorist leaders in Pakistan, invoking the 2011 U.S. Navy Seal operation to kill al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. I remember when U.S. Navy Seals went to Abbottabad to kill Osama bin Laden, then why cant India? he asked. This used to be only an imagination, a wish, a frustration and disappointment. But its possible today. Just weeks before general elections are due in India, the head of Modis party in Indias Karnataka state, B.S. Yeddyurappa, said Indias pre-dawn airstrikes in Pakistan on Tuesday would help the party at the polls. The violence Wednesday marked the most serious escalation of the long-simmering conflict since 1999, when Pakistans military sent a ground force into Indian-controlled Kashmir at Kargil. That year also saw an Indian fighter jet shoot down a Pakistani naval aircraft, killing all 16 on board. This latest wave of tension between the two rivals first began after the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for a Feb. 14 suicide bombing on Indian paramilitary forces on the Indian side of Kashmir that killed more than 40 troops. India long has accused Pakistan of cultivating such militant groups to attack it. Pakistan has said it was not involved in that attack and was ready to help New Delhi in the investigation. People work on the U.S.- Mexico border wall in El Paso, Texas, on Feb. 12, 2019. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Poll: Majority of Americans Prefer Building Border Wall Over Green New Deal A poll has found that a majority of American voters oppose the Green New Deal. And if Americans had the choice, they would choose to build a border along the U.S.-Mexico border over the Green New Deal, said the Remington Research Group. When asked about the Green New Deal, which has been pushed heavily by socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) in recent weeks, about 51 percent of Americans said they oppose it, 29 percent said they support it, and 19 percent were not sure, the pollster found. Over half (51%) of Americans say they would prefer the U.S. government fund a border wall, rather than The Green New Deal (31%), said the polling firm. Meanwhile, according to the pollster, independents prefer building the wall over the Green New Deal by a two-to-one margin. Republicans would prefer a border wall by a 68-point margin, said Remington Research. If you had to choose, would you rather the United States government spend $5 billion to fund a border wall, or $7 trillion to fund the Green New Deal? was the question the pollster asked likely voters to get its final response about favoring the wall or the Green New Deal. Titus Bond, the president of the Remington Research Group, said the Green New Deal has created an interesting situation for the Democrats Democratic voters support this legislation, while the rest of the country overwhelmingly opposes it. It will be intriguing to watch Democratic leaders and presidential hopefuls navigate this issue with their base while still appealing to mainstream voters, Bond stated. Bloomberg News on Feb. 25 reported that Ocasio-Cortezs Green New Deal, which aims to fight climate change, wont be a cheap solution. The American Action Forum (AAF), which is headed by Douglas Holtz-Eakinwho was in charge of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office between 2003 to 2005found that the plan would cost from $51 trillion to $93 trillion over 10 years. That includes between $8.3 trillion and $12.3 trillion to meet the New Deals plan to eliminate carbon emissions from transportation and power sectors around the United States. Meanwhile, the AAF, described as Republican-aligned by Bloomberg, said the deal will cost between $42.8 trillion and $80.6 trillion for its economic agenda. The Green New Deal is clearly very expensive, the group said. Its further expansion of the federal governments role in some of the most basic decisions of daily life, however, would likely have a more lasting and damaging impact than its enormous price tag. The Remington Research Group said it surveyed 1,212 registered voters around the country. Border Wall Prototypes Taken Down The prototypes for President Donald Trumps contest for a border wall near San Diego, California, were torn down on Wednesday, to make way for a new section of actual border fencing, Reuters reported. Since the test and evaluation of these prototype models is complete, they have served their purpose and are now being removed, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesman Ralph DeSio said in a statement. Using jackhammers, ladders, and blow torches, military special forces and CBP special units spent weeks trying to go under, over and through the walls to test their strengths and weaknesses. The tests of the eight prototypes, which Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Michael Scappechio of the San Diego sector said cost between $300,000 and $500,000 each to build, showed the effectiveness of the kind of steel post, or bollard, fence that already exists along large sections of the border. Now, a new 30-foot-high bollard fence is being built as a secondary barrier along a 14-mile section, behind an existing, 18-feet-high bollard fence, Scappechio said. The ability of agents to see through a barrier is crucial to their safety, and a fence made out of steel posts or bollards is easier to repair when breached and relatively cost-effective, he said, while the 30-foot height is a deterrent to climbers. Reuters contributed to this report. A Great White Shark swims in Shark Alley in Gansbaai, South Africa. near Dyer Island on July 8, 2010 (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) Rare Shark Feeding Frenzy Captured in North Carolina A few beach-goers witnessed an incredible scene at a North Carolina shore a few years ago. Yes, thats a shark feeding frenzy. They were at it for at least 5 minutes. According to the videos uploader: For more than five minutes, the sharks were observed swimming in and out of the surf, some of which became beached in the fury. Donnie Griggs, the cameraman who captured the footage, is an avid waterman who spearfishes, dives, swims and surfs at Cape Lookout often. We want it to be clear that Cape Lookout and the surrounding beaches of Eastern North Carolina are extremely safe for swimming. The presence of these sharks and large schools of fish is actually a sign of a very healthy ecosystem. More Feeding Frenzies Captured on Video A feeding-frenzy takes place when predators in the wild overwhelmed by the amount of prey available. For example, a large school of fish can cause nearby sharks to enter a frenzy. The term is most often used when referring to sharks or piranhas. More Sharks: Embalmed Great White Relocated A dead 4,000-pound great white shark that was suspended in fluids inside an abandoned Australian wildlife park has found a new home. The shark, which has been called Rosie, was discovered by urban explorer Luke McPherson, or Lukie Mc, who posted images and a video of the animal on social media. He found it inside the Wildlife Wonderland Park in Bass, south of Melbourne. His video of the finding went viral on YouTube. 'Rosie has had an amazing journey' Posted by Daily Mail on Thursday, 21 February 2019 After images of the shark were shared en masse on social media platforms, some people called for it to be moved to safety. According to the Daily Mail, some vandals tried to break into the shark tank, which was filled with green embalming fluid. Crystal World and Prehistoric Journeys in Meadows, Australia, said it would rehome the shark, according to the Mail. But a spokesman, Shane McAlister, said it will difficult to restore shark, which died in 1998. He said vandals threw trash inside the sharks tank. The great white sits in a tank of formaldehyde like a discount Damien Hirst. Posted by VICE on Monday, 11 February 2019 Its a remarkable thing, for starters with all the vandalism and everything that has happened to the actual wildlife park and to Rosies tank, he said. Sen. Lindsey Graham arrives at the office of Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell for a meeting January 10, 2019 at the Capitol in Washington, DC. Senate GOPs are negotiating a solution to resolve the partial government shutdown and border security. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) Senator Rips Democrats for Holding Cohen Hearing on Day of Trump-Kim Summit Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) excoriated House Democrats on Feb. 27 for holding a hearing with convicted felon Michael Cohen on the day of President Donald Trumps historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam. A new low for House Democrats: holding hearings with Michael Cohen while President Trump negotiates with North Korea about giving up their nuclear arsenal, Graham, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. Cohen, Trumps former personal attorney, is scheduled to report to prison in May to serve a three-year sentence for financial crimes, campaign finance violations, and lying to Congress. He testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Feb. 27, slandering Trump without offering evidence. Democrats hatred of Trump is undercutting an important foreign policy effort and is way out of line, Graham said. If Republicans had pulled such a stunt, the mainstream media would be outraged! Cohen was sentenced as a result of a case that grew out of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation of alleged collusion between the 2016 Trump presidential campaign and Russia. The charges against Cohen didnt involve collusion, the central theme of Muellers investigation. The special counsel, who is close to concluding the investigation, has not produced any evidence or indictments related to collusion. After interviewing more than 200 witnesses and reviewing documentary evidence, the House and Senate intelligence committees have concluded that there is no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. With Mueller likely to reach a similar conclusion, media outlets that have spun the collusion narrative for more than two years hoped Cohen would finally provide proof that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to win the election. But neither Cohens prepared statement nor the questioning that followed produced any evidence of collusion. According to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Cohens lawyer, Lanny Davis, organized the hearing, having convinced Cohen to testify and committee chairman Elijah Cummings to schedule a session. This might be the first time that someone convicted of lying to Congress has appeared again so quickly in front of Congress, Jordan said. There is a reason this is a firstbecause no other committee would do it. The White House didnt immediately respond to Cohens testimony. Trump responded on Twitter in the hours leading up to his summit with Kim. He did bad things unrelated to Trump. He is lying in order to reduce his prison time, Trump wrote. Arizona teachers march through downtown Phoenix on their way to the State Capitol as part of a rally for the #REDforED movement in Phoenix, Arizona on April 26, 2018. (Ralph Freso/Getty Images) Socialist-led #RedForEd Movement Aims to Reinvigorate Labor, Defeat Trump An aggressive new public school teacher-based political movement, with radical policy goals and socialist backing, is helping organized labor conduct educators strikes in battleground states that President Donald Trump needs to win in 2020 to stay in office. Protesters who are part of the #RedForEd movement are demanding, among other things, teacher salary increases, smaller classroom sizes, and an end to taxpayer support for charter schools and private school vouchers. The #RedForEd movement was a major player in what left-wing activist Lois Weiner, an education professor at New Jersey City University and director of its Urban Education and Teacher Unionism Policy Project, called education spring in the socialist magazine New Politics. In February 2018, teachers launched labor actions in Virginia and West Virginia. In April 2018, they followed suit in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, and Oklahoma. In May 2018, North Carolina was hit. Like the Arab Spring of 2011, the U.S. education spring last year was an explosive wave of protests, Weiner wrote. State-wide teacher walkouts seemed to arise out of nowhere, organized in Facebook groups, with demands for increased school funding and political voice for teachers. In the far-left Jacobin magazine, Weiner wrote in January that the energy of the Red for Ed teacher walkouts last spring in West Virginia, Arizona, Oklahoma, and elsewhere was channeled into electoral activity by both the AFT [American Federation of Teachers] and NEA [National Education Association], with an unrelenting refrain that achieving the demands that had led angry teachers in those states to strike could only be made by electing friendly politicians. Matt Patterson, executive director of Free California, a new Los Angeles-based nonprofit that helps Golden State conservatives organize and counter-organize, said Big Labor is putting big resources into promoting the #RedForEd movement. #RedForEd is part of a national strategy by union leadership to counter the effects of last years Janus v. AFSCME decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, which ended their ability to forcibly extract dues and fees from non-members in the public sector. To offset those financial losses, union leaders have responded by aggressively organizing new workplaces, jacking up dues on existing members, and, as in #RedForEd, launching and threatening strikes to extract greater concessions from school districts. And it seems to be working: Public-sector unions have lost a minuscule number of members since Janus. In fact, in some states, they have actually grown in membership and money. A New Political Power According to Labor Notes, the #RedForEd movement is the brainchild of Noah Karvelis, 24, a Marxist and music teacher in Littleton, Arizona, who focuses on hip-hop and praises the violent Black Lives Matter movement. Karvelis has volunteered for and given money to the Bernie Sanders campaign, Michael Patrick Leahy wrote at Breitbart News. We put Red for Ed day on Twitter, Rebecca Garelli, a math and science teacher in Phoenix, wrote on the Labor Notes website in March 2018. We had an event set up on Facebook. I put it on my personal page because Im friends with everybody I work with. We spread the word on social media. People got itpeople showed up in their red shirts. They were taking pictures, showing: heres my school, heres my school. That got people really fired up. And that got people motivated to join the next action Why Im Red for Ed on Friday of that same week. In Karveliss adopted home state, #RedForEd inspired a planned March 15 school walkout to demand action on the so-called climate crisis. High school students in Phoenix will demonstrate in favor of the astronomically expensive, ultra-radical Green New Deal, a freeze on new fossil fuel infrastructure, and a switch to 100-percent renewable energy by 2030. Student Aditi Narayanan, 16, said rallies at the Arizona Capitol last year to support the #RedForEd teacher walkout and the March for Our Lives protest spurred a group of students, including herself, to activism. Students plan to register voters at the March 15 event, she said, as reported by the Phoenix New Times. #RedForEd leader Karvelis makes no effort to conceal his left-wing radicalism. Karvelis addressed the Socialism 2018 conference organized by a Trotskyist group called the International Socialist Organization in Chicago in July 2018. Weve created an organization now. We have a network of 2,000 leaders who are experienced. Theyve been out on a job action. Theyve organized their campuses. Theyve collected signatures for a ballot initiative, Karvelis told an estimated 1,800 socialists from across the United States. Weve built a new political power in Arizona and its taking control, right now, of the future of the state, Karvelis said. We have to build our own political power. We have to build our own organization. We have to stay true to our values. They have to be Democratic. Karvelis wrote an article for Progressive Times that was published in February, titled From Marx to Trump: Labors Role in Revolution. Without the empowerment of the working class and of organized labor, any revolution is destined from the outset for failure. In these early days of the Trump Era, we must continue our fight and bolster the working class as we strive towards a progressive political revolution. By doing so, we will move our revolution ever closer to imminent success, Karvelis wrote. No Longer Taboo The socialism that Karvelis and other leaders of #RedForEd support has been in the news lately. As presidential candidate and self-described socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) grimaced, the president denounced socialism Feb. 5 in the State of the Union address. Socialist policies have turned once-wealthy Venezuela into a state of abject poverty and despair, Trump said. In the United States, we are alarmed by new calls to adopt socialism in our country. America was founded on liberty and independencenot government coercion, domination, and control. We are born free, and we will stay free. But socialism is apparently no longer the dirty word it used to be in America. During Barack Obamas presidency, Americans seem to have become more accepting of socialism. As Obamas first term began, Newsweek ran a cover blaring, We are all socialists now. This was an exaggeration, but the point was made that the topic was no longer taboo. Recent polling shows that significant percentages of Democrats and millennials support socialist ideas. So its not all that surprising that socialists are coming out of the proverbial woodwork to support #RedForEd. To give just one example, in Oakland, California, the local chapter of Democratic Socialists of America, the nations largest Marxist group, is participating in the ongoing public school teachers strike there by sending manpower. Good morning! On Oakland teacher strike day four, DSA flying squadrons #7 and #9 have joined with teachers and students at Lakeview and Frick respectively! #Unite4Oaklandkids #RedForEd[,] the East Bay DSA wrote in a tweet Feb. 26. Charlie Kirk from Turning Point USA at the CPAC convention in Washington on Feb. 28, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Speakers at Biggest Conservative Gathering Warn of Rise of Socialism Key figures in the conservative movement called out the Democratic Partys surging affinity for socialism on Feb. 28, criticizing the ideology as a failure and a threat to the United States in remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland. In speech after speech, the biggest names among conservative activists, pundits, and officials pointed out the hard swing left toward socialism within the Democratic Party and positioned the fight against the ideology as one of the defining issues in American politics and the 2020 presidential election. The annual conference, the biggest gathering of conservatives in the United States, opened with a video montage depicting the dangers and failures of socialism. The montage featured footage of socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) stating that breadlines are a good thing, socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) admitting that she is a radical, and images of hunger and violence in socialist regimes. A theme-setting opening panel featuring Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) targeted the Green New Deal proposal by Democratic socialist Ocasio-Cortez, suggesting that the policy is emblematic of the Democrats embrace of socialism. Meadows, taking a humorous approach, ridiculed one of the more bizarre proposals of the Green New Deal, which suggested that the United States would eventually need to get rid of farting cows and airplanes. The language has since been scrapped from Ocasio-Cortezs website, but continues to fuel ridicule of the radical proposal. With this Green New Deal, theyre trying to get rid of all the cows, Meadows said, referring to the conservative-owned fast food chain. But Ive got good news. Chik-fil-A stock will go way up because were going to eat more chicken. We can laugh a little bit about it, but this is a serious thing, Meadows added. Theyre trying to take away everything that is foundational to who we are. Conservative television host Deneen Borelli said that Democrats are openly embracing socialism, with 2020 presidential candidates trying to out-left each other. Borelli criticized the socialist policies backed by the 2020 Democratic candidates, including the Green New Deal and Medicare for All, as horrible. America will never be a socialist country, Borelli said, quoting President Donald Trumps State of the Union speech. Trumps former deputy assistant, Sebastian Gorka, said that socialism endangers the world and warned that socialisms encroachment on the United States is an even bigger threat. But you know what the biggest threat to America is? Not socialism in Moscow, Gorka said, transitioning from remarks about Russias malign activity around the globe. [Its] socialism here in America. Gorka pointed out that 52 percent of millennials would like to live in a socialist or communist America, citing statistics from the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. Some 40 Democrats ran on an openly socialist platform during the 2018 midterm election, Gorka said, adding that communism is taking over America under the guise of Democratic socialism. The danger of socialism and communism is personal to Gorka, whose father was tortured by the secret police in Soviet Russia. Like the other speakers, Gorka ridiculed the Green New Deal. Its a watermelon. Green on the outside, deep, deep communist red on the inside, Gorka said. They want to take your pickup truck, they want to rebuild your home, they want to take away your hamburgers, Gorka said, referring to the Green New Deals call to get rid of all combustion-engine cars and rebuild all homes. This is what Stalin dreamed about but never achieved. According to an estimate by the American Action Forum, the Green New Deal could cost up to $93 trillion over the course of 10 years, $33 trillion more than the entire projected spending of the U.S. government in the same timeframe. Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and president of Turning Point USA, positioned the fight against socialism as the defining issue in what he called a culture war leading up to the 2020 presidential election. There is a culture war brewing right now and its a culture war different from the 80s and 90s. It is one fundamental question. What is America? Is America a place for victims or victors? Is America a place where you can achieve your dreams or dwell in mediocrity? Is America a socialist place or is America a place that embraces freedom? Kirk said. That will be the question of the 2020 election. It will be the most important culture war in American history. And we will win. PHILADELPHIA A Collingdale man arrested in November for allegedly creating homemade incendiary devices will appear before Magistrate Judge Marilyn Heffley Friday on a federal indictment for possessing an unregistered firearm. Lemar Jowell King, 24, of the 700 block of Clifton Avenue, was originally charged in Delaware County with four counts of weapons of mass destruction, a felony of the second degree, risking a catastrophe, a felony of the third degree, possessing incendiary devices and possession of instruments of crime, both first-degree misdemeanors, and recklessly endangering another person, a second-degree misdemeanor. Those charges were withdrawn last week in lieu of a federal indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania charging King with one count of possessing a firearm specifically a destructive device described as an improvised incendiary device that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Collingdale police officers and Delaware County Sheriff deputies executed a bench warrant for King at his residence on the 700 block of Clifton Avenue Nov. 13, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court last month. Members of the warrant team entered the residence and saw multiple bottles containing liquid and wicks in plain view, according to the complaint. The team arrested King, secured the residence and called in the Delaware County Bomb Squad. The bomb squad and special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allegedly found three bottles on a table in the front bedroom. The first bottle was described as a plastic lighter fluid bottle wrapped in a gauze-like material secured with blue painters tape. A pack of matches was also attached to the outside of the container, according to the complaint. The second bottle was described as a clear glass brandy bottle containing brown liquid with a wick protruding from the neck, also secured by blue painters tape. The third bottle was described as a 750ml glass wine bottle containing a clear liquid, approximately one-quarter full. The wine bottle also had a wick pushed down into the neck and was secured by a beer bottle cap, according to the complaint. A fourth bottle was also found on a mantle in the same room, according to the complaint. This was described as a 200ml brandy bottle about half full with a clear liquid with a wick protruding from the neck, secured by painters tape. The four bottles were removed from the residence and a sample of the liquid was taken from each, according to the complaint. The bomb squad conducted a controlled burn of the substances. King allegedly admitted in an interview with detectives that he made the devices recovered from his residence. He was initially remanded to the county prison in Concord after failing to post 10 percent of $100,000 bail, but is now in federal custody awaiting his preliminary hearing Friday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Reinitz is prosecuting. King is represented by defense attorneys Maria Pedraza and Mark Wilson. U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) during their second summit meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Feb. 28, 2019. (Vietnam News Agency/Handout/Getty Images) Summit With North Korea Ends With No Deal Trump had to walk away from talks, as Kim demanded sanctions relief HANOI, VietnamPresident Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un failed to reach an agreement at their second summit in Vietnam, as both sides had differences over sanctions relief. Sometimes you have to walk, and this was just one of those times, Trump said at a press conference after his summit on Feb. 28. Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldnt do that. Following the 2018 summit in Singapore, Trump and Kim met for the second time on Feb. 27 and 28 in Vietnams capital, Hanoi. Both leaders voiced much optimism at the start of their meeting when they convened for a one-on-one conversation followed by a social dinner on Feb. 27. Hes quite a guy and quite a character. And I think our relationship is very strong, Trump said about Kim at the press conference. They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted, but we couldnt give up all of the sanctions for that, Trump explained. We had to walk away from that particular suggestion. When asked about whether sanctions will remain, Trump said: We havent given up anything. In the run-up to the summit, Trump said repeatedly that he was in no rush for a deal. I could have 100 percent signed something today. We actually had papers ready to be signed, but it just wasnt appropriate, Trump said. Id much rather do it right than do it fast. North Korea has offered to dismantle the Yongbyon nuclear reactor but wanted sanctions off first. Trump, however, said dismantling of Yongbyon alone was not enough as they have discovered plenty of sites. We had to have more than that. We brought many points up that I think they were surprised we knew, he said, adding that the United States did not want to focus on Yongbyon alone and give up all the leverage that has taken a long time to build. North Korea has about 20 undeclared ballistic missile sites, according to a recent study by Beyond Parallel, a project sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. Trump also said that both sides would continue to work together but did not specify any date for his next summit with the Korean leader. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said despite the outcome both sides made significant progress during the summit. Our teams have gotten to know each other better, he said at the press conference. We know what some of the limits are and challenges are, and I think in the days and weeks ahead we can make progress so we can ultimately achieve what the world wants. Both leaders cut the meeting short without participating in a working lunch. Trump left Hanoi two hours earlier than his planned departure at 6 pm local time. A concrete cross commemorating servicemen killed in World War One, which is the subject of a religious rights case now before the U.S. Supreme Court, is seen in Bladensburg, Maryland, on Feb. 11, 2019. (REUTERS/Lawrence Hurley) Supreme Court Considers Whether War Memorial Can Be a Cross WASHINGTONA war memorial that is a towering 40-foot-high Latin cross must be relocated from public land in suburban Washington because its prominence implies government endorsement of Christianity, an atheist group told the Supreme Court in oral arguments on Feb. 27. The case pitted the American Humanist Association against the American Legion and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, which owns the small plot of land in the center of a busy three-way junction in Veterans Memorial Park in Bladensburg, Maryland. The concrete and granite Peace Cross honors 49 local soldiers who died in World War I. The Legion helped pay for construction which was completed in 1925. The commission took over the memorial in 1961 and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. An atheist group sued in 2014, arguing the massive cross passed by thousands of commuters daily sends an unconstitutional message that government favors one religion over all others. At the original trial, they lost. The judge ruled the monuments primary effect was religion-neutral and there was no excessive entanglement of government with religion. But the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed, finding that it violated the so-called entanglement prong of an Establishment Clause balancing test the Supreme Court invented in Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971). The cross is the preeminent symbol of Christianity and even in the context of a memorial, it serves not simply as a generic symbol of death, but rather a Christian symbol of the death of Jesus Christ. The display aggrandizes the Latin cross in a manner that says to any reasonable observer that the commission either places Christianity above other faiths, views being American and Christian as one in the same, or both. Neal Katyal, representing the park commission, told the justices no one had challenged the monument until now and that its no ordinary cross. The cross doesnt offend the Constitution, he said, explaining that at its center sits a large American Legion symbol. There is no religious text, he added, just four words: valor, endurance, courage, and devotion. Justice Sonia Sotomayor suggested moving the cross or privatizing it to sever the governmental connection. Katyal pushed back, saying that was hypothetically possible but that a move could destroy the now-fragile 94-year-old cross. Give it back to the Legion, Sotomayor said. Katyal replied it is Marylands position that it cannot be given to a private entity because of the traffic concerns. In the context of World War I, crosses have a secular meaning in that they honor those who perished in the conflict, Katyal said. The dominant image of the time, everything from that poem to art, to the war bond advertisements that the United States Government put, to the 1924 congressional resolution, all did use this cross. That poem refers to words written by Lt.-Col. John McCrae of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1915 after he buried a friend who was killed in combat in Belgium. It begins, In Flanders fields the poppies blow, between the crosses, row on row Monica J. Miller, counsel for the American Humanist Association, disagreed. Im not aware of any case or reason to say that a large Latin cross can be stripped of its religious meaning Its meaning as a war memorial is distinctly for Christians. Justice Neil Gorsuch asked Miller if the Ten Commandments, which he noted are depicted in a frieze in the courtroom, were too loud. This is the only area I can think of where we allow people to sue over an offense because, for them, it is too loud. Why shouldnt we apply our normal standing rules and require more than mere offense to make a federal case out of these? Miller replied that it was more than a case of mere offense. Were talking about the government being the speaker and essentially giving you the message as the non-Christian in your community that you are a lesser citizen. Justice Stephen Breyer suggested the religious makeup of the population has changed since 1925. Putting up a Christian cross nowadays would present problems, though that didnt necessarily mean existing crosses needed to be removed, he said. What if the court were to say, Yes. Okay. No more Were a different country now? The cross is not just some sort of passive display that people dont take note of, Miller said, and is more like a billboard, ingraining in your mind [an] association between being Christian and having valor, having courage. Gorsuch seemed to speak for many lawyers when he lamented the courts confusing past rulings on religious symbols and actions, calling them a dogs breakfast. Supreme Court Grants Relief to Brain-damaged Killer WASHINGTONThe Supreme Court temporarily blocked the execution of convicted cop-killer Vernon Madison, whose brain injuries prevent him from remembering the murder, because it was unclear from the record if a lower court considered whether or not his dementia was severe enough to prevent him from understanding why he had been sentenced to death. Madison, 68, killed Mobile, Alabama, police detective Julius Schulte in 1985 while the officer was mediating a domestic dispute. Madison had multiple debilitating strokes in prison in recent years and is now, among other maladies, blind, lame, and mute, according to his attorney. The Eighth Amendments ban on cruel and unusual punishment may allow executing a prisoner even if he cannot remember committing his crime, but at the same time it may also prohibit executing a prisoner who suffers from dementia or another disorder with the exception of psychotic delusions, according to a decision Justice Elena Kagan read from the bench Feb. 27. The sole question on which Madisons competency depends is whether he can reach a rational understanding of why the State wants to execute him, the majority opinion stated. But the opinion held that it was unclear from reading the badly drafted decision handed down by the Circuit Court of Alabama, Mobile County, if that court applied the correct legal test. The state courts brief 2018 rulingwhich states only that Madison did not prove a substantial threshold showing of insanitydoes not provide any assurance that the court knew a person with dementia, and not psychotic delusions, might receive a stay of execution. The vote to require the lower court to reconsider Madisons petition was 5 to 3. Justice Brett Kavanaugh did not participate in the case. In his dissent, Justice Samuel Alito accused Madisons lawyer, Bryan A. Stevenson, of a bait-and-switch. Stevenson flagrantly flouted court rules and the counsels trick was rewarded by the courts majority that made a mockery of our Rules. Stevenson convinced the court to review his clients case to decide if the Eighth Amendment prohibits executing someone who cant remember the crime that put him on death row, he wrote. But before the justices in oral arguments on Oct. 2, 2018, Stevenson conceded the argument he had relied on was wrong and switched course, arguing instead, in Alitos words, that the state court had rejected petitioners claim that he is incompetent to be executed because the court erroneously thought that dementia, as opposed to other mental conditions, cannot provide a basis for such a claim. Stevenson is executive director of a left-wing, anti-death-penalty group called the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch joined in the dissenting opinion. Protestors rally against Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on Oct. 4, 2018. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) The Plight of the Liberal Commentary Theres a paradox at work in the public square. In a world of political correctness, which orients facts and values toward the left, its harder to be a liberal than it is to be a conservative. That sounds wrong, to be sure. Corporate America, Silicon Valley, academia, Hollywood, most media and publishing, government offices, and the arts espouse progressive values and generally deplore the right. But the liberals Ive observed in public and professional situations dont seem to be comfortable. Theyre nervous. Yes, liberalism has racked up one victory after another, from LGBT rights, to multiculturalism in schools, to the removal of Christian content from public grounds. And conservatives often feel defeated and hopeless. President Donald Trump has inspired them, but he seems only a momentary bump in the road leading the United States ever further away from those three traditional pillarsGod, country, and family. But liberals arent at ease. They obey the dictates of the left, but know that being politically correct is no guarantee of security. Its not like membership in a professional guild or confirmation in the Roman Catholic Church, which remains in place as long as one follows the rules. Political correctness isnt a real organization with an official hierarchy. Its a volatile condition whose norms mutate and whose monitors vary from diversity coordinators in human resources, to liberal columnists, to African-American undergraduates. You cant always be certain what is and isnt politically correct and who will tell you. Liberals toe the line of political correctness, but the line keeps moving. The safe spot on which they set their toes yesterday proves an insensitive position today. The openness to other cultures that they displayed last year looks like appropriation this year. When microaggressions get too micro, its hard to screen them out. Liberals are never quite sure when they might have to apologize. Progress must continue, they are told; there is always so much more to do. No matter how liberal and enlightened they are, they cant get too relaxed, not when any group appears to suffer disproportionately, especially a historically disadvantaged one. They have seen too many cases of someone with sterling liberal credentials chided or shunned because he didnt evolve quickly enough when a reform, such as same-sex marriage, came along. For this reason of nonstop progress, liberals fear the left much more than they do the right. Conservatives might accuse them of godlessness, hedonism, double-standards, limousine liberalism, and identity politics. Leftists might accuse them of homophobia or sexism. Which charge scares liberals the most? The Conservative Condition Unlike liberals, conservatives know exactly where they stand when political correctness takes hold of a society. They are politically incorrect, which puts them on the far side of decency and reason. They dont have to question their status. The things that make them conservative identify them firmly as old-fashioned, out of touch, or unenlightened, at bestat worst, bigoted and ignorant. The moral ambiguity that liberals endureyoure either with us or against usdoesnt touch them. Conservatives may think they merely adhere to certain religious beliefs, family values, or political opinions, which a liberal polity allows them to do, but political correctness translates those convictions into something sinister and distorted. If political correctness is merely the obligation to treat people with respect, accepting others as they are, which is how liberals define it, then violations run deeper than political difference and religious pluralism: Violators become inhumane and irrational. Political correctness frames these dissenters as people stuck in a condition, not people with a contention. A person who espouses traditional sex roles, or points to fatherlessness in African-American households as the main cause of blackwhite achievement gaps, or who wants a wall on the southern border, doesnt hold views that must be refuted. That would grant legitimacy to an outlook that doesnt deserve a discursive response. The conservative is more than just mistaken. He suffers from psycho-social problems, from -isms and -phobias that must be exposed and expelled. A fundamentalist Christians objections to same-sex marriage are due to anti-gay animus, not to biblical teaching. A U.S. presidents want to slow immigration is not in order to protect American workers, hes a xenophobe or Islamophobe. The Alliance for Defending Freedom is not a law firm devoted to religious liberty; its a hate group. Conservatism isnt a belief; its a pathology. That sets conservatives beyond the sphere of leftist intimidation. We dont have to prove ourselves worthy the way liberals do. We dont feel the constant surveillance of our words and thoughts. Leftists have given up on persuading conservatives of anything. Their main focus falls on ensuring that the moderates remain correct. There you have the reason for liberal anxiety. Mark Bauerlein is a professor of English at Emory University and senior editor at First Things magazine. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Britain's Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Secretary of State for Departing the European Union Keir Starmer at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels on Feb. 21, 2019. (Francois Lenoir/Reuters) UK Labour Party Backs Second Brexit Vote LONDONBritains opposition Labour Party will back a new referendum on Brexit after Parliament defeated its alternative plan for leaving the European Union, the partys euroskeptic leader, Jeremy Corbyn, said. With 29 days left until the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union, both Prime Minister Theresa May and Corbyn have been forced into making changes to their approaches to the divorce. Corbyn, who voted against membership in 1975 and gave only reluctant backing to the 2016 campaign to remain in the EU, on Feb. 27 gave ambiguous backing for another referendum, saying he would push for one alongside a British parliamentary election. Its the first time since Britons voted in 2016 to leave the EU that one of its two major political parties has thrown its weight behind giving voters a chance to change their minds. But its unclear what the exact question might be. After tonights votes in Parliament, well continue to push for a close economic relationship, based on our credible alternative plan or a general election, Corbyn said. Well also back a public vote in order to prevent a damaging Tory Brexit or disastrous no-deal. John McDonnell, the second-most-powerful man in the Labour Party, said it would put down an amendment calling for a second referendum, as soon as May brought a deal back to Parliament. Britains Brexit minister, Steve Barclay, said there was no consensus in Parliament for another referendum or even on what question might be asked. After months of saying that Britain must leave the EU on time on March 29, May opened the possibility on Feb. 26 of a short extension to the exit date. She is hoping to bring back a tweaked divorce accord for a parliamentary vote, which could come as early as next week but may not take place until March 12. Talks with the EU have moved forward in the past week, but there is a significant amount of work to do, Mays spokesman said. Brexit Maze If her deal is voted down, May has promised that lawmakers will get a chance to vote the day after on whether to leave with no deal and then, on March 14, to vote on asking the EU to delay the deadline. French President Emmanuel Macron said Feb. 27 the EU would agree to extend the Brexit deadline beyond March 29 only if Britain justified such a request with a clear objective. After enduring more than two-and-a-half years of uncertainty since the 2016 referendum, some business chiefs are relieved the threat of a no-deal exit has been pushed back to June, though others said the delay merely prolonged the lack of clarity. I would categorize it as a further annoyance, Aston Martin Chief Executive Andy Palmer told Reuters. Youre holding that contingency stock for longer, which means that your working capital is tied up for longer. Aston Martin, which has authorized as much as 30 million pounds ($40 million) worth of contingencies, is stocking more components and could fly in parts if ports are clogged up. Goldman Sachs said it expected many Brexit-supporting Conservative lawmakers to accept a revised deal, partly because the Labour Party was tilting toward a second referendum. We continue to see the most likely outcome of the current impasse as eventual ratification of the prime ministers Brexit deal, with a three-month extension of Article 50, Goldman said. One Brexit-supporting lawmaker in Mays party said May would have to achieve legally binding treaty change to get support for her deal. If the prime minister brings back something different then, of course, we will look at that very seriously, Theresa Villiers told the BBC. But it would have to be legally binding, treaty change. May has a serious chance of getting a deal approved by Parliament in the next few weeks, Conservative Party lawmaker Oliver Letwin said. She might just squeak it, Letwin told Sky. By Guy Faulconbridge and Kylie MacLellan Violence Mars Nigerias Polls as Buhari Wins Second Term Activists seek justice for victims of violence, advocate e-voting LAGOS, NigeriaAmakiri Ibisaki went to her job at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigerias electoral umpire, during the presidential and national assembly elections on Feb. 23 but she didnt return home. Killed by a stray bullet during electoral violence in Rivers State of Nigeria, she joined the long list of casualties at the polls that were marred by violence, faulty machines, poor logistics, and reports of mass rigging in many parts of the country. Despite postponing the election by a week to address all loopholes, the electoral commission failed to live up to expectations, observers said. Voters in separate interviews with The Epoch Times complained that not only did election materials not arrive at their polling units in time, but the smart-card readers used to verify the voters identity malfunctioned, causing further delays. After it was announced that Muhammadu Buhari, the 76-year-old incumbent of the ruling All Progressives Congress party, had won the election, his supporters took to the streets to celebrate, but there was no joy for those who lost loved ones amid the violence. It is very unfortunate that Ibisaki died while doing her job. The news of losing a colleague in the line of duty is saddening, said a staff member at the INEC who preferred not to give his name. Violence and Disruption In Lagos, which has 5.4 million registered voters, the polls were characterized by violence and irregularities. Video footage flooded the internet showing multiple voting by unidentified persons. Sharing one of those videos on his Twitter account, Farooq Kperogi, a Nigerian academic and staunch critic of the ruling party, wrote, Why would anyone accept the outcome of an election like this? Democracy is supposed to be one person, one vote. Eyewitnesses who spoke with The Epoch Times recounted how people they described as thugs hired by political parties invaded polling booths in the Okota and Shomolu areas of Lagos, carting away ballot boxes and disrupting the polls. Many people were unable to vote as a result. Political thugs disrupted two large polling units in Lafia, Nasarawa State, where I voted. In the end, INEC canceled the results of both units, citing malpractice, said a source who wanted to remain anonymous. It was the same story in Kano which had 6.5 million voters, the highest number in the country. Human rights activist Garba Maryam, who monitored the poll, expressed disappointment over the vote-buying and voter apathy that characterized the poll in the north. People were being paid N500 (less than $2) to vote. Money and plain-clothed security personnel played a significant role, she said. Despite allegations of voter fraud and other irregularities, Buhari described the election as free and fair in his national broadcast after his win was announced. However, his main opponent, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, has called it a sham election and said he plans to challenge the results in court, a process that will dominate Nigerian politics for months. While Buharis supporters have described his victory as a boost for the fight against corruption, his critics, including Maryam, fear that insecurity in the volatile North East will continue. Nigerians voted the former President Goodluck Jonathan out in 2015 for incompetence in tackling insecurity in the North East, and it is unfortunate Nigerians have voted in Buhari despite the fact that insecurity persists, he says. E-Voting as a Solution Fear of anarchy has heightened in the opposition stronghold states in the South-South and South-East zones where voters were disenfranchised and ballot boxes and papers were burned. Observers are concerned that this will affect turnout for the next election. Ahead of the governorship election scheduled for March 9, stakeholders have continued to agitate for an improvement in the electoral process. Activists are calling for e-voting to prevent the vote-rigging and violence that have become the norm. Economics professor Segun Ajibola said it is ridiculous for Nigeria to operate a manual system of voting, and described the current system as old-fashioned and frustrating. He said the results of using a manual voting system have been catastrophic. Nigeria is too big to be using a manual voting method, especially because the country has millions of registered voters. It will be cumbersome, defective, and frustrating to continue in this way, he said in an interview. E-voting is the most effective way to stop the problem, he added. In the long run, e-voting would reduce the cost of running elections in Nigeria. It would also curb impunity. It might be expensive to adopt better technologies to improve our electoral process, but it would be worthwhile and we should do it. Justice for Those Killed The Situation Room, a group of more than 70 civil society organizations that monitored the election across the country, said at least 39 people lost their lives during the election. In a statement, the organizations called for the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of electoral violence while advocating for improvement in the March 9 governorship election. While we acknowledge the efforts of INEC to conduct this election, we would like to emphasize that there were lapses in this election that did not need to happen, the statement said. The Situation Room reiterates that no election in Nigeria should cost the life of any citizen and condemns in the strongest terms the lack of empathy, concern, and sensitivity by the police class regarding these events. Carlos Estela saw Shen Yun at Merriam Theater in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 27, 2019. (Tony Dang/The Epoch Times) PHILADELPHIAMarketing VP Carlos Estela was not expecting Shen Yun Performing Arts to tell stories from Chinas expansive history through dance. But it was ultimately this aspect of the performance that impressed him the most. It was beautiful, Estela said. I very much enjoyed it. Estela, who is marketing manager at Citizens Bank, watched the performance at Merriam Theater in Philadelphia on Feb. 27. The production includes around 20 programs, consisting of classical Chinese dance vignettes, dance-based stories, and vocal soloists. Founded in New York in 2006, Shen Yun Performing Arts aims to revive traditional Chinese culture through music and dance. Modern Stories Shen Yun traverses 5,000 years of Chinese history to share stories onstage that represent the essence of a culture steeped in divine inspiration. For millennia, Chinese people have believed in the divine, and ideas stemming from this belief such as striving for moral improvement, living in harmony with Heaven and Earth, and divine retribution. The performance also includes stories from modern-day China, such as depicting the persecution of people of faith under the Chinese communist regime. While Estela was initially surprised to see this kind of content performed, it turned out to be his favorite program, as he felt a connection with the portrayal. The story was really very moving, he said. The piece was about a young Falun Gong practitioner who is imprisoned and tortured for her belief. While the story was very sad, Estela said, it was even sadder when he found out that this repression is currently taking place in China. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient spiritual practice that consists of meditation exercises and a set of teachings centered on the principles, Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance. The practice flourished in the 1990s in China, leading to an estimated 70 million adherents by the end of the decade. This popularity was unacceptable to the ruling Chinese Communist Party, which launched a sweeping persecution against practitioners of Falun Gong in 1999. Since then, adherents of the practice have been arrested, harassed, imprisoned, and tortured, even to the point of death. Flawless Backdrop The VP, who was seated close to the stage, appreciated how the 3-D backdrop added another dimension to Shen Yuns storytelling. It was pretty ingenious because they gave you the opportunity to really envision where they were at that time, Estela said. In this way, the audience knew exactly what time period they were being transported to, he said. Its also flawless, Estela added. The interaction between the artists and the backdrop, he said, was also very clever. Asked whether this was a production hed recommend, the VP said he definitely would tell his friends. [Id tell them] they have to come and see and enjoy [it] for more than just what they think its going to be, Estela said. With reporting by Tony Dang. The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time and has covered audience reactions since the companys inception in 2006. President Donald Trump speaks about Iran and the Iran nuclear deal in the Diplomatic Room of the White House in Washington on Oct. 13, 2017. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque) Why Trumps Iran Sanctions Are Working Commentary When President Donald Trump announced his administrations withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and the reimposition of U.S. economic sanctions on Iran last May, the naysayers confidently predicted failure. After all, they lectured, it took years of combined U.S., EU, and U.N. Security Council sanctions just to get Iran to suspend development of its nuclear program. How on earth can Trump, going it alone, force Tehran not only to dismantle its nuclear program, but also to curb its development of ballistic missiles and end its support for extremist regional proxies? Its called maximum pressure, and its been phenomenally effective so far. But lets back up. Multilateralism wasnt what gave the first Iran sanctions regime its punch. Rather, it was the 2010-2012 introduction by Congressover the objections of the Obama administrationof tough secondary sanctions on non-U.S. businesses and individuals for proscribed commercial dealings with Iran (mostly in the energy, banking, and shipping sectors) that forced the Iranians to come to the table. The EUs subsequent direct sanctions on Iran and various U.N. Security Council resolutions helped to legitimize the use of this strong-armed U.S. tactic, but it was the threat of exclusion from American markets and financial institutionsa penalty far outweighing the benefits of illicit trade with Iran for most major companiesthat forced the world to ostracize Iran. But the full power of secondary sanctions wasnt brought to bear on the Iranian regime the first time around. The Obama administration began direct secret talks with Iran just four months after the last tranche of sanctions were thrust upon it in December 2012. It feared that aggressive enforcement would cause Iranian hardliners to nix the negotiations, strain U.S. relations with its European allies, and cause the global price of oil to rise. Consequently, while Obama fulfilled his statutory obligations to enforce the sanctions, he used little of his discretionary authority to see that sanctions violators were punished. All told, Iranian oil exports fell by about 40 percent before the lifting of secondary sanctions in 2016, because that was the sweet spot considered ideal for Obamas policy priorities. In sharp contrast, Trumps sanctions are embedded within a comprehensive strategy to roll back, not accommodate, Irans regional hegemonic ambitions. Having wisely nailed down commitments by Saudi Arabia and others who share this goal to increase production as needed, Trumps sweet spot is no export of Iranian oil whatsoever. Maximum pressure means, as senior officials have repeatedly stated, that the United States will punish any sanctionable activity. Of course, thats impractical if potential transgressors violate the sanctions en masse, which is exactly what the EU has tried to make happen. As the Trump administration began the rollout of the sanctions, the EU urged its constituent governments not to abide by them; updated its Blocking Regulation to prohibit citizens of its members states from complying with them; pledged to compensate firms targeted by U.S. sanctions; and pledged to set up a so-called special purpose vehicle (SPV) designed to circumvent the U.S. financial system, by matching Iranian oil exports against EU goods and services of equivalent value. Although Iranian leaders rejoiced, the Trump administration charged ahead, confident, as national security adviser John Bolton later put it, that the European Union is strong on rhetoric and weak on follow-through. The EU relies on member states to carry out its decrees, the member states do whats good for business, and businesses do whats good for their bottom line. U.S. diplomats began fanning out across Europe during the 180-day wind-down period before sanctions fully snapped back, personally visiting companies and warning them to comply. It is unconventional for the United States to enforce them so vigorously on the home turf of its closest allies, the Washington Post noted, and it has been met with local resentment. But it worked. To give them an added push, Trump set his sights on forcing the Belgium-based Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), a global messaging service critical to cross-border financial transactions, to disconnect Irans central bank and other designated financial institutions. SWIFTs disconnection of Iranian banks in 2012 made it so difficult for Iran to transfer money abroad that it couldnt fully spend even its reduced oil revenues on imports. In 2012, however, SWIFT was acting at the direction of the EU. In 2018, the EU was pressing SWIFT not to disconnect Iranian banks. But the Trump administration played hardball, not only vowing to sanction SWIFT, but hinting that individual SWIFT officials may be sanctioned as well. To the surprise of most experts, SWIFT capitulated in early November. Meanwhile, the EUs ambitious promise to set up an SPV as an alternative to SWIFT was a bust. For months, the EU could find no country willing to host the SPV, for fear of being targeted by U.S. countermeasures (France eventually drew the short straw). When the SPV was finally unveiled last month as the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), it fell well short of what the EU promised. European officials said that INSTEX will initially handle trade only in food, medicine, and other humanitarian goods permitted under the sanctions. Moreover, they attached a critical condition to its operation and possible expansionthat Iran fully comply with anti-money-laundering and terrorism finance standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). But Iranian hardliners have prevented Iranian President Hassan Rouhani from adopting FATF standards, fearing that it will conflict with the regimes illicit financing of terrorists and proxies abroad. Even if Iran meets this condition, however, INSTEX will likely prove ineffective because circumventing the U.S. financial system doesnt protect those who engage in illicit transactions with Iran either from detection or penalties. U.S. officials can find out where large volumes of Iranian oil are going simply by picking up a newspaper, and the Treasury Departments guidelines explicitly state that barter transactions could result in sanctions, regardless of whether a financial institution is involved. Bolton put this more bluntly: We will be watching the development of this structure [and] we do not intend to allow our sanctions to be evaded by Europe or anybody else. Ignoring EU decrees and the empty rhetoric of their own governments, most major European companies have pulled out of Iran. Fear of triggering U.S. retaliation is so pervasive that many European banks have refused Iranian financial transactions, even for imports of goods exempt from the sanctions, and branch offices of Iranian-owned companies in Europe have had trouble finding local phone and internet service providers. The Trump administrations maximum pressure tactics have been even more effective outside of Europe. Except for Turkey, all of the (mostly Asian) top importers of Iranian oil agreed to slash purchases in exchange for significant reduction exemptions from the Trump administration. Consequently, Irans oil exports have fallen by 60 percent since sanctions were re-imposed in November. Although the Chinese government has denounced U.S. sanctions on Iran, Chinese companies are eager to comply with them. The Bank of Kunlun, the primary official channel for Chinese-Iranian financial transactions, cut off Iran in November. Contrary to widespread expectations, Chinese companies have not rushed to replace departing European firms in meeting Irans desperate need of advanced oil recovery technology to boost the declining output of mature fields. In December, China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) suspended its investment in Irans South Pars natural gas project. China sees the relationship with the U.S. as paramount over anything else. As a state-owned entity, CNPC will stay clear of bringing any unwanted trouble into this relationship as the U.S. China trade talks are under way, a Chinese state oil executive explained to Reuters. Impact The Trump administrations effectiveness in diminishing Irans oil exports and cutting off its access to the global financial system has far exceeded the expectations of most pundits. These sanctions have surprised people by how effective theyve been, Elizabeth Rosenberg, a senior Treasury Department official in charge of sanctions enforcement during the Obama administration, remarked last week. The impact of renewed sanctions on Iran has been devastating. The re-imposition of sanctions sent Irans national currency plummeting, foreign investment dropping, and prices of food and other essential goods soaring. Irans GDP contracted by 1.5 percent in 2018, and the World Bank predicts that Irans economy will shrink by 3.6 percent in 2019. Irans longer-term outlook appears even bleaker if the sanctions persist. Amid rising unemployment, labor strikes and other demonstrations against the government have been growing in frequency and intensity. Whether all of this pressure will translate into a change in the Iranian regimes behavioror a change in the regime itselfremains to be seen, but there is good reason for optimism. Not only is the economic impact of Trumps sanctions greater than Obamas, but the psychological impact is also greater. Whereas previous sanctions peaked amid ongoing negotiations, giving Iranians hope that the austerity their government asked them to endure would be short-lived, there is no diplomatic light at the end of this tunnel with the Trump sanctions. The Iranian people are being asked to accept open-ended economic misery as the price for their governments nuclear ambitions and pursuit of regional hegemony. In the meantime, maximum pressure on Iran is already eroding its ability to finance extremist proxies. Irans annual financial support for Hezbollah, previously estimated at around $700 million, has reportedly diminished after just a few months of Trump sanctions. So long as Irans Islamist regime is bent on regional domination, better it be as poor and isolated as possible. Ziad Abdelnour is CEO of the New York-based private equity firm Blackhawk Partners, chairman of the Financial Policy Council, and author of Economic Warfare: Secrets of Wealth Creation in the Age of Welfare Politics (2011). Follow him on Twitter @blackhawkinc. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Why We Should Embrace President Trumps Nationalism Commentary Last week, Michael Steele, the former Republican National Committee chairman, shocked a number of Americans, including myself, by equating President Donald Trumps silence about the case of Christopher Hassona U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant charged with planning a mass terror attack against leftist Democratsas hidden sympathy for white nationalism. Steeles accusation against the president feeds into the lefts narrative of Trump and his white supporters being a bunch of white supremacists with a vision of making America great again by getting rid of nonwhites. The term white nationalist had been bandied about ever since Trumps unexpected election. The people who push the narrative of white nationalist Trump followers, paint with a broad brush that taints many ordinary Americans who harbor no ill-will toward ethnic minorities. The label is applied to people and situations without much rational thought preceding the accusation. Even the discredited Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has an official definition that would exclude many of the people who find themselves dismissed as nationalists. The SPLC defines a white nationalist group as one that espouse[s] white supremacist or white separatist ideologies, often focusing on the alleged inferiority of nonwhites. Undoubtedly, there are some white extremists in America; I commissioned interviews with some of them more than a decade ago. However, the vast majority of the people who are called white nationalists dont fit the SPLC definition. Seventeen years ago, I warned about a new kind of white nationalism quite distinct from white supremacy and white separatism. Although I focused on white Americans, I acknowledged the existence of black and brown nationalism. In the concluding chapter of The New White Nationalism in America: Its Challenge to Integration, I warned of the very conditions we see prevalent today. We in America, I believe, are increasingly at risk of large-scale racial conflict unprecedented in our nations history that is being driven by the simultaneous convergence of a host of powerful social forces. These forces include changing demographics, the continued existence of racial preference policies, the rising expectations of ethnic minorities, the continued existence of liberal immigration policies, growing concerns about job losses associated with globalization, the demands for multiculturalism, and the internets ability to enable like-minded individuals to identify each other and to share mutual concerns and strategies for impacting the political system. This combination of factors, in addition to others contributes to a social dynamic that can only serve to nourish white racial consciousness and white nationalismthe next logical stage for identity politics in America, I wrote. There now exists an emerging white interest that is parallel with, and structurally akin to, a black and brown interest, which increasingly sees itself in need of protection from public and private initiatives that are said to favor minorities at the expense of more deserving whites. I concluded by warning of the need for Americans to move away from identity politics and multiculturalism toward an American national identitythe same nationalism the president endorses. Far from driving us apart, a move from identity politics might actually bring us closer together. The American nationalism needed to strengthen our nation would include a re-visitation of our shared history and the set of ideals once associated with the civil religion. Undergirding the civil religion are the Judeo-Christian values and principles that helped make America the envy of the world. Steele is terribly wrong in his assessment of President Trump. White Republicans find themselves betrayed and often attacked by members of their own party. This is especially unfortunate, given the serious nature of the problems facing our nation. Carol M. Swain is a former tenured professor at Vanderbilt and Princeton universities. Her Be The People News blog and podcast empower individuals to think independently, understand their responsibility, and make a difference in the world. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. UPPER DARBY An Upper Darby man went postal on his letter carrier by threatening to stab him for not properly delivering his mail, authorities said. Joseph Piscitelli, 66, of the 200 block of Avon Road, has been charged by police for allegedly brandishing a knife and threatening a United States postal worker late Saturday afternoon outside of his residence. Piscitelli is facing three misdemeanor charges of terroristic threats, possessing an instrument of crime weapon and simple assault and a summary citation of harassment against the federal employee. According to the affidavit of probable cause, police were called by the victim, reportedly in his late 20s, who was delivering mail on the 200 block of Avon Road when he dropped off mail at (the suspects address) by opening the storm door and not putting the mail through the mail slot. At that time, a white male believed to be the resident, came outside and started cursing at the victim and threatened to assault him for not putting the mail into the mail slot, reads the affidavit. The male then went back inside the resident and re-emerged with a knife in his hand telling the victim that he was going to stab him. The victim then walked away from the scene and called 911. Upper Darby police officers Francis Devine and Anthony Capodanno knocked on the door of the residence and a man, identified as Piscitelli, answered in an agitated state, according to the affidavit. Piscitelli walked outside and was identified by the victim as the person who threatened him. Police then placed him under arrest. Piscitelli was released from his preliminary arraignment Sunday morning on $10,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled before Magisterial District Judge Harry Karapalides on March 11. Jody Wilson-Raybould appears at the House of Commons Justice Committee on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Feb. 27, 2019. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick) Wilson-Raybould Says She Received Veiled Threats To Interfere in SNC-Lavalin Case Opposition leader Andrew Scheer says prime minister should resign Making a reference to the Watergate scandal, former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said she had thoughts of the Saturday Night Massacre when she received what she characterized as veiled threats from her government on losing her job unless she cooperated on the SNC-Lavalin issue. She was referring to events on Saturday, Oct. 20, 1973, when U.S. President Richard Nixon ordered his attorney general to fire the special prosecutor assigned to the Watergate scandal. The attorney general refused and resigned, and so did his deputy after Nixon asked him to do the same. Wilson-Raybould made her much anticipated testimony on Feb. 27 before the House of Commons justice committee after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau partially waived solicitor-client privilege, allowing her to speak openly on the SNC-Lavalin affair. During her address, Wilson-Raybould said she believes she was shuffled out of her portfolio to Veterans Affairs in January because she resisted pressure from Trudeau and his senior staff to halt a criminal prosecution of the Montreal-based engineering giant SNC-Lavalin. For a period of approximately four months, between September and December of 2018, I experienced a consistent and sustained effort by many people within the government to seek to politically interfere in the exercise of prosecutorial discretion in my role as the attorney general of Canada, said Wilson-Raybould, who resigned in February after reports of alleged pressure from the prime ministers office became public. Wilson-Raybould said that during a Sept. 17 meeting with Trudeau and Michael Wernick, the governments top public servant, she was warned that if SNC-Lavalin is not given a remediation agreementa type of plea bargain that would allow the company to avoid a criminal convictionit would mean the loss of many jobs and SNC-Lavalin moving out of Montreal. She added that Wernick said there is an election in Quebec soon, a point Trudeau repeated and said, I am an MP in Quebecthe member for Papineau. Wilson-Raybould said she reacted by looking him in the eye and asking, Are you politically interfering with my role, my decision as the attorney general? I would strongly advise against it. To which she said Trudeau responded, No, no, nowe just need to find a solution. The former justice minister said she and her staff continued to be pressured by 10 other people in the Prime Ministers Office and the finance ministers office with around 10 phone calls, 10 meetings, and numerous emails and text messages. In response to her testimony, Trudeau said he completely disagrees with how Wilson-Raybould characterized the events, and maintained that he and his staff always acted appropriately and professionally. Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer said that in light of Wilson-Rayboulds testimony, Trudeau should resign as prime minister and the RCMP should open an investigation into the issue. I was sickened and appalled by [Wilson-Rayboulds] story of inappropriate and frankly, borderline illegal pressure brought to bear on her by the highest levels of Justin Trudeaus government, Scheer said. With reporting by Limin Zhou in Ottawa. With files from The Canadian Press. Wilson-Raybould Says She Was Pushed, Got Veiled Threats on SNC Lavalin OTTAWAFormer justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould says she came under consistent and sustained pressureincluding veiled threatsfrom the Prime Ministers Office, the Privy Council Office, and the finance ministers office to halt a criminal prosecution of Montreal engineering giant SNC-Lavalin. Testifying to the House of Commons justice committee, Wilson-Raybould says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and others repeatedly brought up the risks to the company if it were convicted of corruption and fraud in relation to work it sought in Libya. She says a provincial election in Quebec was a major concern for the Liberal government. Wilson-Raybould was shuffled out of the justice portfolio in January and resigned from cabinet earlier this month, after a story broke that she had been pressured inappropriately to arrange a remediation agreement that would have headed off the prosecution. In her testimony, Wilson-Raybould says the decision not to pursue such an agreement was made in September, but she and her staff heard repeatedly from Trudeaus office and Finance Minister Bill Morneaus office after that, trying to find ways to help SNC-Lavalin. She says she was told repeatedly the decision was up to her, but attempts to talk her into a remediation agreement were relentless. A Chronology of Events in The SNC-Lavalin Controversy: Feb. 19, 2015: The RCMP lays corruption and fraud charges against Montreal-based engineering and construction firm SNC-Lavalin, over allegations it used bribery to get government business in Libya. SNC-Lavalin says the charges are without merit and stem from alleged reprehensible deeds by former employees who left the company long ago. A conviction could bar the company from bidding on Canadian government business, potentially devastating it. Oct. 19, 2015: The Liberals win a federal election, taking power from the Conservatives. Two weeks later, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau names Jody Wilson-Raybould minister of justice and attorney general of Canada. She is the first Indigenous person to hold the post, which combines duties as a politician (heading the Department of Justice) and a legal official (overseeing prosecutions). March 27, 2018: The Liberals table a budget bill that includes a change to the Criminal Code allowing remediation agreements, plea-bargain-like deals between prosecutors and accused corporations in which they can avoid criminal proceedings by making reparations for previous bad behaviour. SNC-Lavalin had lobbied for such a provision in Canadian law. Spring, 2018: Although the bill has yet to pass, SNC-Lavalin contacts Public Prosecution Service lawyers to ensure they have all relevant information for a possible invitation to negotiate a remediation agreement. During the next three months, in response to requests from prosecutors, SNC-Lavalin provides detailed information it sees as making a strong case for an agreement. Sept. 4, 2018: The prosecution service tells SNC-Lavalin it will not invite the firm to negotiate a remediation agreement. Sept. 17, 2018: Trudeau and Wilson-Raybould discuss the SNC-Lavalin file. As attorney general, Wilson-Raybould could overrule the prosecution service, directing it to negotiate an agreement with the company. (Trudeau later says Wilson-Raybould asked him if he planned to tell her what to do concerning the prosecutiona conversation that he says ended with him telling her any decision was hers alone.) Sept. 18, 2018: SNC-Lavalin representatives meet with Privy Council clerk Michael Wernick, Canadas most senior public servant, and Finance Minister Bill Morneau to discuss issues including justice and law enforcement. Sept. 21, 2018: The remediation-agreement provisions come into legal force. Oct. 9, 2018: The prosecution service confirms in writing it will not invite SNC-Lavalin to negotiate a remediation agreement, a decision the company challenges in Federal Court. That challenge is ongoing. Oct. 10, 2018: SNC-Lavalin issues a news release saying it strongly disagrees with the director of prosecutions position and remains open and committed to negotiating a remediation agreement. SNC-Lavalin shares fall nearly 14 per cent, closing at $44.86 on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Thats the lowest close since March 2, 2016. Oct. 11, 2018: SNC-Lavalin meets with Elder Marques, a senior adviser in the Prime Ministers Office, to discuss justice and law enforcement. Nov. 5 and 19, 2018: SNC-Lavalin meets with Mathieu Bouchard, another senior adviser in the Prime Ministers Office, to discuss justice and law enforcement. December, 2018: According to the Prime Ministers Office, Wilson-Raybould raises the remediation case with Gerald Butts, the prime ministers principal secretary, and he tells her to talk to Wernick, the Privy Council clerk. Jan. 14, 2019: Trudeau shuffles his cabinet after the resignation of Treasury Board president Scott Brison. Wilson-Raybould is moved from Justice to Veterans Affairs, widely seen as a demotion. David Lametti, a Montreal MP and former law professor, becomes justice minister. Wilson-Raybould posts a long letter outlining her record as justice minister and noting a great deal of work remains to be done toward reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Feb. 7, 2019: Citing unnamed sources, the Globe and Mail newspaper reports that Trudeaus aides attempted to press Wilson-Raybould, while attorney general, to intervene in the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, and that exasperation with her lack of co-operation was one reason for shuffling her out of the justice portfolio. Trudeau denies any impropriety. Wilson-Raybould says solicitor-client privilege prevents her from speaking about dealings she had on the case while attorney general. Feb. 11, 2019: Ethics commissioner Mario Dion says hes beginning an investigation. Trudeau says hes spoken to Wilson-Raybould and confirmed with her that he said any decision on the SNC-Lavalin prosecution was entirely hers. Her continued presence in his cabinet speaks for itself, he says. Feb. 12, 2019: Wilson-Raybould resigns as veterans-affairs minister and says shes hired former Supreme Court justice Thomas Cromwell to advise her on the limits of solicitor-client privilege. Trudeau says hes surprised and disappointed that Wilson-Raybould has quit, and that if she felt undue pressure in her role as attorney general, she had a duty to report it to him. Feb. 13, 2019: The House of Commons justice committee debates its own probe of the issue. Liberals use their majority on the committee to call one closed-door meeting and hear from senior officials (Lametti as justice minister, the top bureaucrat in his department, and the Privy Council clerk) who can talk about the tension between the minister of justices duties as a politician and his or her responsibilities as attorney general of Canada. The Liberals say this is a first step in a cautious investigation, but the opposition calls it a coverup. Feb. 15, 2019: Trudeau says Wilson-Raybould asked him in September whether he would direct her one way or another on the SNC-Lavalin question. He says he told her he would not. Feb. 18, 2019: Butts resigns as Trudeaus principal secretary. He denies any impropriety but says his presence in the Prime Ministers Office has become a distraction. Feb. 19, 2019: Wilson-Raybould stuns observers by attending a meeting of the very cabinet from which she had resigned a week earlier. Trudeau says she had asked to speak there and was invited to do so but cabinet confidentiality means nothing can be revealed about why or what was said. After the meeting, Wilson-Raybould says she is still talking to her lawyer about what she can and cant say publicly. Feb. 20, 2019: Trudeau says that while an airing of the facts is needed, he is confident the examinations underway by the ethics commissioner and the justice committee will provide it. The Liberals use their House of Commons majority to defeat an opposition motion calling for a public inquiry into allegations the Prime Ministers Office pressured Wilson-Raybould. Feb. 21, 2019: Wernick launches a vigorous defence of the governments handling of the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, bluntly declaring allegations of political interference to be false and even defamatory. The Privy Council clerk also challenges Wilson-Rayboulds assertion that solicitor-client privilege prevents her from responding to allegations. Feb. 25, 2019: Trudeau partly waives both solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidentiality for his former attorney general, paving the way for Wilson-Raybould to tell her side of the SNC-Lavalin saga to the justice committee and ethics commissioner. The order specifically notes, however, that she cannot speak publicly about communication she had with Kathleen Roussel, the director of public prosecutions. Feb. 27, 2019: Wilson-Raybould testifies at the justice committee. Woman Gets 15 Years in Prison for Brutal July 4 Attack on Grandfather A California woman who was charged in the attack of a 92-year-old grandfather was sentenced to 15 years in prison, said officials. Laquisha Jones, 30, of Los Angeles, was charged with felony elder abuse in December. Witnesses said Jones hit Rodolfo Rodriguez, the elderly man, with a brick, and he suffered a broken jaw and broken ribs on July 4, 2018. BREAKING: A Los Angeles woman who allegedly used a block of concrete to repeatedly beat a grandfather in his 90s in Posted by Fox 11 Los Angeles on Thursday, 28 February 2019 The Los Angeles Superior Court announced her sentence on Feb. 28, reported Fox Los Angeles. In December, Jones pleaded no contest in the attack, The Associated Press reported. In the attack, a witness, Misbel Borjas, claimed that Jones yelled go back to your country. The case, however, was not prosecuted as a hate crime, AP reported. BREAKING NEWS: A woman has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for brutally attacking a 92-year-old grandfather with a brick in Willowbrook. Prosecutors said evidence pointed to a possible hate crime. Posted by ABC7 on Thursday, 28 February 2019 Jones is slated to appear in court on April 11 for a restitution hearing. The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department said in July that Jones allegedly beat Rodriguez with a brick. Witnesses at the time said that several men got involved in the attack on Rodriguez. Detectives began an extensive investigation into the assault. They obtained an arrest and search warrant for a suspect. Due to working every angle and lead in the case, it ultimately resulted in the arrest of Laquisha Jones without incident, the office said in a prior report. Arrest made in July 4 attack on 92-year-old man https://t.co/OoHZf4EJ3P pic.twitter.com/Owm78zyNyn Fox5NY (@fox5ny) July 11, 2018 A witness told CNN that Jones allegedly told Rodriguez, Go back to Mexico. Erik Mendoza, the grandson of the victim, also had written in a GoFundMe page that an African-American lady and five other guys assaulted his grandfather. He is doing really bad, has a lot of bruises on his face and a broken cheekbone, he said. Rodriguez is a native of Mexico but a legal resident of the United States, and he was reportedly visiting his family. When he was attacked, he had gone out alone for his daily walk, his grandson told NBC News. Who would do this to anybody? Mendoza asked. A 92-year-old senior citizen, what can he do to anybody? Theres no harm that he meant. Other details about her case are not clear. Violent Crime in the US The number of murders and violent crimes committed in the United States dropped slightly in 2017, according to new crime statistics released in September 2018. Crime declined nationwide last year, consistent with our earlier analyses of 2017 data in the nations 30 largest cities, Ames Grawert, senior counsel for the Justice Program at the Brennan Center for Justice in New York, told the Washington Times. Update (12:53 p.m.): The LA County Sheriff's Department issued a statement on the investigation, saying detectives do Posted by NBC LA on Wednesday, 11 July 2018 Thats the good news. The bad news is that even while crime is falling, the number of Americans incarcerated remains near-record highs. Now is the time to address the problem. The number of cases of manslaughter and murder dropped 0.7 percent in 2017 from the prior year, the report said. Rapes rose by 3 percent and aggravated assault rose by 1 percent, but overall violent crimes dropped 0.2 percent, the report added. In large California cities, crime was up in 2016, the last year data was collected. Data analysis by the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation found that of the 69 California cities listed in the report, 46 had increased in violent crime last year. Some cities saw increases of more than 50% in crime, including murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. In Los Angeles, violent crime rose 16.8% compared to 2015, said the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, citing FBI data. Cities with the largest violent crime increases included Moreno Valley (+66.3%), Burbank (+50.7%), Fremont (+41.6%), El Cajon (+27.8%), Santa Maria (+26.1%), Rialto (+22.7%), Riverside (+22.5%), and Pasadena (+18.1%). It added: The largest increases in murder were reported in San Jose (+127%), Santa Ana (+116.6%), San Bernardino (+100%), San Diego (+41.1%), and Berkeley (+35%). Rapes increased in many cities, including in Corona (+166%), Fremont (+73.6%), Fairfield (+70.5%), and Elk Grove (+68.4%). An Airbnb rival service from online giant Booking Holdings generated $2.8 billion in revenue last year, with the companys Booking.com website now offering more than 1.7 million accommodations outside its traditional focus on hotels and resorts. Booking Holdings and subsidiary Priceline are based in Norwalk, with the companys websites including the Kayak travel search engine based in Stamford. The company has promoted Booking.com heavily in the United States in the past year under the tagline Booking.yeah, and just getting under way a new Be a Booker ad campaign. The company added 1,600 employees last year to give it 24,500 in all, while keeping its U.S. employment capped at 4,200 people. Booking Holdings came just $2 million short of $4 billion in earnings for 2018, a 71 percent increase and lodging it as the second-most profitable company in Connecticut after Farmington-based United Technologies. Travelers spent nearly $93 billion last year on tickets, reservations and other services using Booking Holdings, whose biggest rival is Expedia but with both companies looking to take a piece of Airbnbs business helping private property owners rent out their pads to travelers. CEO Glenn Fogel told investors on Wednesday that four of every 10 people reserving hotel reservations last year on Booking.com used the website at some point to land nights at a privately owned property, with quarterly reservations topping the $1 billion mark for the the first time during the third quarter ending in September. In the U.S., in particular, we need to increase our properties, particularly ... in the beach locations, some of the ski locations, Fogel said Wednesday. I was looking about getting a Hamptons house for the family, and I looked at that on our site and I looked at some of our competitors sites and Im saying, weve got to get some more of that stuff. ... This is a great opportunity for us to increase and really drive ... a little bit in that area and grow our business. Last year was the second for Fogel as CEO, having been promoted entering 2017 for then-interim CEO Jeff Boyd who remains chairman of the board today and under whom Fogel had previously led corporate development, including acquisitions. Booking Holdings spent $134 million in November to acquire the hotel search engine HotelsCombined, adding it to its Kayak subsidiary in Stamford; and last April acquired the tour and activities website FareHarbor for $139 million. As the summer tourism season looms, Booking Holdings is counting on the new ads to give it a fresh boost as it looks to get more people using Booking.com to search for unique lodgings and those willing to offer up their homes and apartments for consideration. We do need ... to make more customers aware of it, and thats part of the coming out with that new branding campaign, Fogel said. Whether it be a single home that is operated by a mom-and-pop that do it once a year for one week, all the way up to very sophisticated players who have multiple units and are working with multiple distribution channels, we want to be able to get all these people onto the platform. Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman NORWALK Customers, renters, employees and business owners who use the Liberty Square Parking lot in East Norwalk will see ticketing and monitoring of the lot officially begin in March. Last year, the Norwalk Parking Authority spent more than $85,000 to perform improvements to the 61-space parking lot that serves the retail complex on the east side of the Stroffolino Bridge. The updates to the lot included landscaping, lighting, curbing, repaving and striping, as well as the installation of two pay stations. The pay stations and rates for the lot officially went into effect in February. Residents and employees of Liberty Square business are required to pay $25 per month for permits. Visitors can pay 50 cents an hour for hourly parking, while the lot also includes three free, 15-minute parking spaces for short-term parking. There was an approximate one-month grace period to get customers used to having to pay for parking there, Michael Harden, vice chairman of the Norwalk Parking Authority said at its meeting on Wednesday. Weve spent the last month as a break in, showing people how to use the machines, learning Park Mobile, having the (ambassador) there for information, he said. (Weve been) giving out the courtesy cards the last couple of weeks, and then the end of this weekend it kind of goes live. Still, Diane Cece, who lives in East Norwalk, voiced concerns about the lot and enforcement. People are talking about having been there recently and getting warnings, she said during the public comment portion. I would say if you have kind of a leeway time when youre putting in new systems there should be at least a 30- to 60-day period before you start warning people or issuing tickets over there because it is brand new for us in East Norwalk to have this in Liberty Square. Some renters, employees and business owners voiced concerns last year when the paid parking was discussed. A petition was started to keeping parking free in the East Norwalk lot in November. Officials said at the time, however, that the management plan for the lot, which will be run by LAZ Parking Ltd., the company contracted by the Parking Authority to manage municipal parking in Norwalk, aimed to bring structured parking to the lot. Some spaces had been previously occupied by vehicles of people living in apartments or walking across the Stroffolino Bridge to nearby SoNo and not frequently the businesses and areas surrounding Liberty Square. Kathryn Hebert, director of transportation, parking and mobility, said that the authority spent a lot of time down there preparing people for the paid parking. There was a lot of handholding and conversations, outreach by a lot of people, she said. Harden said at first there was some confusion about where people could purchase their monthly passes, but because he and others from the authority were there to help people during February, they were able to figure it out. Ive heard a lot of positive things, he said. Everybody is getting used to something new, which nobody likes but before tonight, I heard all positive results. Elected officials throughout the San Diego region are ramping up efforts to form a public alternative to San Diego Gas & Electric, with the city of San Diego leading the way and even the county Board of Supervisors now looking at signing up. Californias three large investor-owned utilities have since 2010 seen more than 8 million customers defect to so-called community choice aggregation programs, from Humboldt to Los Angeles to Solana Beach. However, SDG&E is now facing the largest displacement of a utilitys customer base in the state raising question about everything from grid reliability to whether the public alternative can deliver more renewable energy as promised. Its potentially a very big experiment, said Matthew Freedman, staff attorney with The Utility Reform Network. The people who have been pushing for (community choice) in the San Diego area are genuinely looking to create a better model and push for superior environmental results, he added. But the reality is difficult. You need to do a lot of long-term contracting. Weve see a disconnect in some cases between the desires of the local activists and the performance of the (program) once its been created. When elected officials vote to form a community-choice program, the local investor-owned utility continues to operate the poles and wires needed to deliver energy. However, a publicly controlled agency takes over buying and selling power for a jurisdiction. Customers can opt out of the program if they would rather receive the utilitys rates. After several years of indecision throughout the San Diego region, momentum has in recent months shifted quickly in favor of adopting community choice. Just last February, county elected officials declined to study the issue of forming a government-run alternative to SDG&E. The utilitys parent company, Sempra Energy, had just started a lobbying blitz to raise doubts about the idea, and San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer had yet to make up his mind. Today that lobbying effort has been disbanded, and the city of San Diego is spearheading an effort to form a joint powers authority that would buy and sell electricity in collaboration with other cities. The movement got its latest boost on Tuesday, Feb. 26, when the San Diego Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to draft a blueprint for joining the regional community choice effort. Many of these (programs) have been able to offer highly competitive rates compared to the big utilities, said Supervisor Dianne Jacob, who championed the idea a year ago. The program brings choice and competition to the energy market pure and simple. It allows communities to band together to buy and sell electricity and opens the door to competition. Supervisors Jim Desmond and Kristin Gaspar voted to draft the plan but expressed skepticism about whether it should ultimately be adopted. Despite extensive research, (community choice programs) have left me with more questions than I have answers because this is an ever-evolving construct, said Gaspar, who was opposed to studying the issue a year ago. I support clean energy, she added. I support lower prices, but what I cant support is getting into the energy business without a plan. Desmond said he was concerned about the countys ability to purchase electricity in the most cost-effective manner. Government is not always the most efficient implementor when it comes to business decisions, he said. You know the post office and DMV, even filling potholes is sometimes a challenge. Im just wondering if this could be contracted out to a separate entity that would be part of the (joint powers authority) that wouldnt have to have county employees or maybe just limited county employees. However, with vocal support from newly elected Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, the county is now committed to delivering a blueprint for community choice by October, with updates to the public every two months. We have a mountain of data and evidence that this works, that it provides greater choice, that it has the potential to lower utility rates, Fletcher said at Tuesdays meeting. SDG&E officials said they would back the countys efforts. Our highly trained experts stand ready to support the county should you decide to move forward, SDG&E spokesman Joe Gabaldon said at the hearing. At the same time, formal negotiations between a number of cities are in the works. The San Diego City Council voted on Monday, Feb. 25, to kick off talks with places such as Solana Beach, Chula Vista, La Mesa, Del Mar, Encinitas, Carlsbad, and Oceanside. Officials said the Port of San Diego, the San Diego International Airport, and the County Water Authority, as well as cities in Orange County that are within SDG&Es service territory have also expressed interest. Im so excited about the prospect of this, said Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear of recent developments in favor of community choice. Its a sea change. The perspective is 100 percent different. The political landscape around community choice shifted in October when Faulconer announced his support despite the ongoing opposition campaign funded by SDG&E shareholders, which included many of the Republican Mayors traditional allies. Faulconer touted the government-run program as the best way to ensure the citys pledge to run on all green power by 2035, and said it would lower customer bills. The councils liberal majority was instantly on board. By January SDG&E had seemed to accept that at least 40 percent of its customers would be enrolled in a publicly run electricity program. The utility said the change wouldnt hurt its bottom line as long as a few technical issues were squared away. Utility officials have even started talking about getting out of the business of buying and selling energy altogether. While it will likely continue to operate the electrical grid that services San Diegans, utility executives have approached energy regulators and the Legislature about the somewhat radical idea. Under the current rules, investor-owned utilities are the provider of last resort, meaning they keep the lights on in the event a community choice program fails. SDG&E has been in talks with officials in Sacramento about having the state take over that burden. Joshua Emerson Smith is a reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Gael Branchereau (Agence France-Presse) Stockholm, Sweden Thu, February 28, 2019 07:07 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f000d23 2 Art & Culture Nobel,Literature,MeToo,Sweden,France,Sara-Danius,Jean-Claude-Arnault Free Swedish scholar Sara Danius stepped down Tuesday from the academy that awards the Nobel literature prize, almost a year after she quit as its permanent secretary amid a sex scandal unveiled by the #MeToo movement. The academic's resignation is the latest development in an affair that sprang from the movement to highlight sexual abuse, and forced the Academy to postpone awarding the literature prize in 2018. "I have decided to give up my seat... once occupied by the first woman elected to the Academy, Selma Lagerloef," Danius, 56, said in a statement. "It has been an honor," she added, without giving a reason for her decision. In April 2018, Danius was forced to step down as the Academy's permanent secretary, the first woman to hold that position, owing to a scandal sparked by Jean-Claude Arnault, an influential figure on Stockholm's cultural scene. He was convicted of raping a young woman in October and December 2011, and the academy was caught up in the affair because Arnault was married to one of its members, Katarina Frostenson, who has also resigned. Arnault, who is French, was accused by 18 women in a statement to respected Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter, but has appealed his conviction to Sweden's Supreme Court. The Swedish Academy had generously funded Arnault's Forum club, which was popular among aspiring young authors hoping to make contact with publishers and writers, and he had boasted he was its "19th member". Read also: Nobel literature body rejigs committee after sex scandal Danius, a scholar at Stockholm University, joined the Academy in 2013 and became its permanent secretary two years later. As such she was the voice of the body that awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature to Belarussian journalist Svetlana Alexievitch, US songwriter Bob Dylan and British novelist Kazuo Ishiguro. Her departure highlights a rift in the Academy between those who seek to revive it and an ageing male-dominated clique alleged to sustain a culture of silence that had protected Arnault. It might paradoxically open the door to more female members, as permanent secretary Anders Olsson said Tuesday that three vacant seats would likely be filled by women. "It is necessary for the Academy's balance of men and women," said Olsson, who is leaving himself because he has reached his position's age limit of 70 years. Madelaine Levy, a critic at the daily Svenska Dagbladet agreed, telling AFP: "There is a problem of male/female balance, but also one of the member's advanced age," which she said was an average of 73 years. With Danius however, the Academy was "losing its most popular member, and one of those best known by the public," Levy noted. The impassioned intellectual is also known for her sense of fashion that brightened up often austere galas in the Scandinavian capital. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin A. Kurniawan Ulung (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 28, 2019 11:58 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f00b465 1 Art & Culture #music,#musical,#entertainment,#broadway,#theater,#performance,#Indonesia,#Jakarta,#StudentsLive-Passport-Broadway Free "Lost in the Darkness, a song from the Jekyll & Hyde musical, resonated throughout the Balai Resital Kertanegara concert hall in Jakarta on Sunday, as a group of 23 youngsters acted and danced along to the song. The song opened a Broadway show titled Beyond A Musical Doubt, which revolves around Richard Fletcher, a world-renowned director and choreographer whose passion for music is met with opposition and distrust from his colleagues in a musical theater show he leads. Other songs performed included We Share Everything from the musical Side Show, Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera and Easy as Life from AIDA. Prior to the show, two other groups staged two musicals titled Ready and Confidence, during which Spoonful of Sugar from Mary Poppins, My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music and I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables filled the air. The three Broadway musicals were performed by 70 young people aged 9 to 32. The performers were students of the Indonesia for Broadway training course run by the Bakti Budaya Djarum Foundation and the New York-based StudentsLive - Passport to Broadway program, which provides an educational journey into the world of Broadway musicals, giving students the opportunity to experience, first-hand, a Broadway education program. During the course, from Feb. 20 to 24, the 70 participants selected from 672 applicants by a panel including filmmaker Garin Nugroho and choreographer Ari Tulang underwent intensive training. Over the course of five days, the participants, who brought a range of talents, from dancing, singing to acting, attended training from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. under the mentorship of three experts from StudentsLive artistic director Amy Weinstein, music director Seth Weinstein and choreographer Stephen Brotebeck. On Sunday at Balai Resital Kertanegara, the students not only showed what they had learned during the program, but also competed to win 16 golden tickets to go to New York in July, where they will get further training from musical theater specialists as well as have the opportunity to see live Broadway performances and meet Broadway artists. Ni Made Ayu Raharsini Gurnitha, who performed in Beyond A Musical Doubt, was lost for words when she was announced as one of the 16 winners, saying that the training program was an experience she would never forget. They taught me that when we are on stage, every song we sing, every role we play and every dance we perform must have a purpose. That lesson taught me that in real life, we have to be aware that every decision we make has to have a direction and purpose, the 27-year-old said. Ayu is a Balinese dance teacher in Jakarta, who has taken part in musical performances since she was a student at Limkokwing University in Malaysia. She has dreamed of becoming a Broadway performer since watching Singin in the Rain and the Broadway-themed films Chicago and Dreamgirls. Ayu said that understanding dialog and songs was a challenge for some of the courses participants, as English was not their first language. For me, English was not the main problem. I often traveled abroad, as my father worked for the Foreign Ministry. However, I admit that I still had to open a dictionary to understand much of the jargon in the script and songs because they were not words we tend to use in daily life, she said. I've got it: Sixteen participants of the Indonesia for Broadway training program won tickets to New York, where they will get further training from musical theater specialists in July. (Courtesy of ImageDynamics/-) For Beatrice Gobang, who was one of the youngest participants in the program, memorizing the songs was a major challenge. The songs are long, said the 9-year-old, who is also a member of the Resonanz Childrens Choir. Beatrice, who has performed with Resonanz at multiple concerts, did not win a golden ticket to the Big Apple but was grateful for the opportunity to be mentored by StudentsLive. The elementary school student, who loves playing the violin, said her passion for performing was fully supported by her parents, especially her mother, who encouraged her to take part in the Indonesia for Broadway program. Theater lessons are important, not only for those who want to be professional theater actors but also for those who want to pursue other careers because it can develop their character and soft skills so that they can live in harmony with everyone in society, said Beatrices mother, Avanti Fontana. For Amy Weinstein, her Indonesian students performance on Sunday was already of professional Broadway caliber an accomplishment attained in a short amount of time. And what happened here is, every single person found a way to connect their story, their character, that music, that dance to the most important thing in their individual expression, she said. I am simply blown away. Weinstein said she first became interested in teaching Broadway classes in Indonesia two years ago after meeting an Indonesian friend who was planning to bring some professional Indonesian performers to study musical theater at StudentsLive. She was enthusiastic about the plan as she believed Indonesian people were talented, but at that time, she admitted she did not know the depth of their commitment. They then researched Indonesias artistic and cultural sensibilities and sensitivities.[Then] I knew this was a country that might be able to really understand the unique art form of musical theater, Weinstein said. She was thrilled when the Djarum Foundation approached StudentsLive about the training program. I was in shock and awe, not only at the talent but also at the maturity, hunger and eagerness to learn, Weinstein said. We challenged everybody to go to the highest level. This was a very difficult experience, especially as English is a second language. So, the challenge was to rise as high as they could go. (ste) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) London Thu, February 28, 2019 13:01 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f010acb 2 Books Man-Booker,Man-Booker-International-Prize,books,Literature,awards,Crankstart Free Britain's most prestigious literary prize will revert to being as known as the Booker Prize this year after securing a new sponsor, it announced on Thursday. The annual award for novels, which has been known as the Man Booker since 2002, has struck a sponsorship deal with the charity Crankstart, the Booker Prize Foundation said. Investment firm Man Group announced the end of its 18-year partnership with the prize, which honors writers from English-speaking countries whose work is published in Britain and Ireland. Crankstart has committed to five years of initial funding, with the option of renewing for a further five years, the foundation added in a statement. "We are thrilled that The Booker Prizes have found such marvellous philanthropic supporters in Crankstart, whose founders share our vision and values," said Helena Kennedy, chair of the foundation's trustees. "With its support, we look forward to developing initiatives for The Booker to reach new audiences of every generation and background around the world." Crankstart was established in 2000 by British venture capitalist Michael Moritz -- who provided early backing for firms including Google and Yahoo! -- and his wife Harriet Heyman. Read also: Sponsor pulls out of Britain's Man Booker prize Moritz, who was born in Wales but is now based in the United States, was a journalist before moving into the world of technology investment, while Heyman is a former journalist and a novelist. "The Booker Prizes are ways of spreading the word about the insights, discoveries, pleasures and joy that spring from great fiction," he said in a statement, noting the couple are avid readers. The new arrangement will begin on June 1, meaning this year's award handed out in October will be called the Booker Prize for Fiction. A second prize open to authors of any nationality and awarded annually in May, will adopt its new name -- the International Booker Prize -- in 2020. The winner of the main award currently receives 52,500 (61,500 euros, $69,700), although the bigger prize is seen as a spike in sales which invariably follow. Previous winners include V.S. Naipaul, Iris Murdoch, Salman Rushdie and Ian McEwan among others. The prize, launched in 1969, was only open to novelists from Commonwealth states until it began permitting those from other English-speaking countries to enter in 2014. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Paris Thu, February 28, 2019 16:04 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f021622 2 Entertainment Alejandro-Gonzalez-Inarritu,Cannes-Film-Festival Free "Birdman" and "21 Grams" director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu will head the jury at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival in May, becoming the first Mexican to do so, organizers said on Wednesday. Inarritu, 55, won the best director award in Cannes in 2006 for "Babel", a film with a web of narratives spanning three continents and exploring cultural prejudices. He also won back-to-back best director Oscars in 2014 and 2015, for "Birdman", a black comedy about a washed-up actor starring Michael Keaton, and "The Revenant", which featured Leonardo DiCaprio as a bear trapper battling the elements in the American wilderness. "Cannes embraces all types of cinema, and through the presence of... Babel's director, it is Mexican cinema that the Festival will be celebrating," organisers including Pierre Lescure, President of the Festival de Cannes, said in a statement. They cited "Carne y Arena" (Flesh and Sand) - a virtual reality project showing life as an immigrant and presented by Inarritu at Cannes in 2017 - as a recent highlight of work he has launched in France. Read also: Attendance at Cannes Film Festival pointless: Indonesian Film Board Other jury members for the 72nd edition of the festival, which runs from May 14 to 25, will be announced at a later date. Inarritu succeeds Australian actress Cate Blanchett as jury head. Last year the top "Palme d'Or" award went to "Shoplifters", by Japanese director Kore-eda Hirokazu. Inarritu is among a trio of Mexican film directors who have risen to global prominence in recent years, alongside Alonso Cuaron, who won this year's best director Oscar for "Roma", and Guillermo del Toro, whose feature "The Shape of Water" won the best picture Oscar in 2018. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Madrid Thu, February 28, 2019 18:09 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f0262b5 2 Art & Culture King-Felipe,Spain,statue,ARCO-contemporary-art-fair Free Want to burn a statue of Spain's King Felipe VI? For 200,000 euros, it's a deal -- a contractual obligation, even -- at Madrid's ARCO contemporary art fair, where two artists known for courting controversy are showing a giant effigy of the monarch. The 4.44-metre statue reproduces the king standing tall and looking firmly ahead, wearing a dark blue suit, green tie and white shirt. It is on sale for 200,000 euros ($230,000), with a special clause obliging the buyer to "commit to the artwork being burnt", Luis Navarro, who works with Santiago Sierra, one of the artists, told AFP. "The specificity of this sculpture is that it isn't conceived to endure in time, to be collected, but for the pleasure of being destroyed," said Navarro. Criticised as a "provocation" by the conservative press in Spain, the artwork is on display at the ARCO fair. And the king himself will open the fair on Thursday. This isn't the first time that Sierra and the other artist, Eugenio Merino, have stirred controversy. As the fair opens this year, several Catalan leaders are on trial in Madrid for their part in the Spanish region's 2017 independence bid. Last year, an installation by Sierra which referred to Catalan separatist leaders as "political prisoners" was removed from the ARCO art fair. Read also: Galleries informed that art fair Art Stage Singapore cancelled The state-owned trade fair operator Ifema hosting ARCO subsequently apologised for what some had denounced as "censorship". Merino became famous for making a model of late dictator Francisco Franco's head as a punching ball. Before that, he also made an artwork displaying Franco in a fridge. But insulting the monarchy is an offence in Spain, where several sentences have stirred controversy over the years. In March last year, the European Court of Human Rights criticised Spain for sentencing to jail two young Catalan independence activists who in 2007 burnt photos of former king Juan Carlos and his wife Sofia -- although their sentence was later commuted to fines. The jail sentence had interfered with "freedom of expression", the court ruled. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ju-min Park and James Pearson (Reuters) Hanoi, Vietnam Thu, February 28, 2019 14:05 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f01723c 2 Food Donald-Trump,North-Korea,kim-jong-un Free For sufferers of nuclear anxiety, how about a little dried persimmon punch to settle the stomach? US President Donald Trump gestures as he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sit down for a dinner during the second U.S.-North Korea summit at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam February 27, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis North Korean chefs helped prepare the dinner shared by U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their first meeting in Hanoi on Wednesday, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Trump and Kim met in the Vietnamese capital for the second summit since their first historic meeting in June last year and had dinner at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in the center of Hanoi. Great meetings and dinner tonight in Vietnam with Kim Jong Un of North Korea, Trump said in a message on social network Twitter late on Wednesday. Read also: Kim, Trump arrive in Hanoi ahead of nuclear summit Chefs from North Korea worked together with staff at the colonial-era hotel to create a medley of Western and Korean dishes for the two leaders as they chewed over their differences, the two sources said. The result was an evening that blended two American and two Korean dishes, according to a copy of the menu released by the White House late on Wednesday. The two Western dishes, a shrimp cocktail and a hot and runny-centred chocolate lava cake, were created by chefs at the hotel, the sources said. The two Korean dishes - grilled steak with a pear kimchi and a non-alcoholic dried persimmon punch digestif - were prepared by North Korean chefs specially brought in for the event, the sources added. It was not the first time Trump had tried the sweet persimmon drink. South Korean President Moon Jae-in served it to him as a dessert during a 2017 meeting. The punch, which is designed to aid digestion at the end of a meal, tasted really good, one of the sources told Reuters. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan Thu, February 28, 2019 20:56 1012 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f02b3eb 1 National FPI,NU,Jokowi-Maruf,Medan,North-Sumatra Free The North Sumatra Police named 11 members of hardline group the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) suspects on Thursday for allegedly causing a commotion during the 93rd anniversary event of Indonesia's largest Islamic organization Nahdatul Ulama (NU) in Tebing Tinggi, North Sumatra, held on Wednesday morning. North Sumatra Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tatan Dirsan Atmaja said the suspects, who are all residents of Tebing Tinggi, violated Article 160 of the Criminal Code on provocation. They were shouting misleading statements while wanting the event to be disbanded, Tatan said Thursday, adding that they were wearing shirts with #2019GantiPresiden (2019ChangePresident) on them. He added that the police would detain the suspects immediately to ease the inspection process. Tatan said the suspects were provoking the forum while the religious event was still taking place. They were shouting and insisting that the event be disbanded. The event was attended by authorities, including North Sumatra Police chief Ir. Gen. Agus Andrianto and Tebing Tinggi Mayor Umar Zunaidi Hasibuan. The police have found that their actions were planned prior to the event. Former North Sumatra FPI leader Indra Suheri said the FPI made the move because they assumed that the NU forum would declare support for the incumbent Joko Jokowi Widodo and Maruf Amin, who is a former NU supreme leader. They were protesting the religious event being used as a political arena, Indra, who is now the leader of Forum Umat Islam (FUI) in North Sumatra, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. (das) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar, Bali Thu, February 28, 2019 18:46 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f027a12 1 National drug-dealer,drug-offenses,drug-possession,DenpasarDistrictCourt,narcotics,Australian-citizen,Indonesian Free The Denpasar District Court sentenced on Wednesday Australian Brendon Luke Johnsson and Indonesian Remi Purwanti each to 5 years and 4 months' imprisonment for drug possession. The sentence was much lighter than the 8-year prison term demanded by prosecutors who charged with violating Article 112 (2) of Law No. 35/2009 on narcotics, which carries a maximum sentence of death. "Defendants Remi Purwanti and Brendon Luke Johnsson have been proven guilty of drug possession," said presiding judge I Ketut Kamiarsa. The judge also slapped each of them with an Rp 800 million (US$56,847) fine, or an additional 2 months in prison should they fail to pay the fine. The judge considered some mitigating factors in handing down the lower-than-demanded sentence including, "The defendants admitted their act, showed remorse and promised not to repeat their act again," judge Kamiarsa said. Johnsson and Remi were arrested by the Denpasar Police's drugs squad in a raid targeting their rooming house in Kuta, on Aug 4, 2018, after receiving a tip off from residents. During the raid, police seized 13 packets of cocaine, weighing a total of 11 grams.(iwa) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Theresia Sufa (The Jakarta Post) Bogor Thu, February 28, 2019 16:30 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f023492 1 City bogor,mangosteen,exports Free The Bogor regency administration in West Java exported 1,000 tons of mangosteen, equivalent to seven containers, to China on Wednesday to boost mangosteen exports. The export of the tropical fruit by mangosteen export center PT Mahkota Manggis Sehati in Bogor also aimed to support local farmers as it provided with them with information about exporting requirements and motivated them to improve their product quality and quantity, Bogor Agriculture Agency head Siti Nurianty said. Mangosteen is a potential commodity for export, Siti said during the event, which was attended by about 150 farmers. Bogor is a major mangosteen producer in West Java. In 2017, the regency produced 2,983 tons of mangosteen, 1,095 tons of which were exported. There are 272,211 mangosteen trees in Bogor, with the biggest ones located in seven districts, namely Leuwiliang, Leuwisadeng, Cigudeng, Nanggung, Sukajaya, Sukamakmur and Jasinga. Due to several countries' strict exporting regulations, it was important to maintain a quality product through good agriculture practices, pest control and post-harvest treatment, all of which could help local farmers stay competitive, Siti said. She went on to say that 39 farmer groups that cultivated 527.55 hectares of land had joined the administrations program. Gradually, we will register the [mangosteen] farmland that has yet to implement standard operating procedures, she said. From November of last year to February, the country exported 3,409 tons of mangosteen, with Bogor contributing to 30 percent of it. The remaining came from Subang, Sukabumi, Purwakarta and Tasikmalaya, all in West Java. Bogor Agriculture Quarantine head Banun Harpini said that mangosteen was a new flagship commodity that had been exported to 23 countries, making its trade value in 2018 reach Rp 11.62 trillion (US$790.5 billion). (sau) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 28, 2019 18:35 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f0267a5 4 City Depok,Depok-administration,waste,wastewater-treatment-facilities,water-pollution,pollution Free The city administration of Depok in West Java has warned companies that they may have their business permits revoked for polluting lakes and rivers. The head of the Depok Environment and Sanitation Agencys pollution control unit, Mohammad Isa, said the agency would gradually assess companies before imposing sanctions. Companies operating near lakes and rivers in Depok were obliged to report the quality of wastewater after it was treated and prior to it being released into bodies of water. If the wastewater failed to meet minimum quality standards, the city administration would give companies training on how to improve wastewater management. If they still failed to improve within a certain period of time, they would be required to hire an environment consultant to help them manage their wastewater. If there is no improvement in the wastewater quality, most likely we will revoke their business permit, Isa said on Thursday, as reported by kompas.com. The issue of water pollution surfaced recently after the agency found several lakes and rivers in the city mildly polluted. Most of the pollution, however, came from household waste, the study found. The agency has studied seven lakes and six rivers so far, including Rawa Kalong, Gadog, Plade, Jatijajar, Baru River, Cijantung River and Sugutamu River According to Law No. 32/2009 on environmental protection and management, the administration can impose administrative sanctions, including permit revocation, on parties proven to have violated environment regulations. (sau) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 28, 2019 19:07 1012 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f02942e 4 City stealing,mosque,donation,cctv Free The Cilandak Police have arrested a marbot (mosque caretaker) of Nurul Apiah Mosque at Fatmawati Hospital in South Jakarta, for allegedly stealing money from a donation box in the mosque. Cilandak Police crime unit head First Insp. Sofyan Suri said police received a report from a security guard working at the hospital, who claimed to see the suspect, named Anwar, 56, enter the mosque at 11 p.m. on Friday. Sofyan said the suspect allegedly committed his crime together with a friend named Unang, 48, who used to work as a mosque caretaker. "The suspect told his friend to come to the mosque by sending him a code via WhatsApp that read 'full fridge ready for harvest'", Sofyan said on Wednesday as reported by kompas.com. Their alleged misconduct was recorded by CCTV installed inside the mosque. They both admitted they had stolen money from the donation box several times. "They have committed their act several times with losses amounting to Rp 3 million (US$204)," Sofyan said. Both suspects are facing a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment. (sau) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riska Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Bangkok, Thailand Thu, February 28, 2019 13:49 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f0138d3 1 Business Go-Jek,Thailand,GET-Thailand,ride-hailing-service,startup,ASEAN,expansion,app-based-transportation Free Homegrown ride-hailing app Go-Jek officially launched its operations in Thailand on Wednesday as part of its expansion into Southeast Asia. Under the brand name GET, Go-Jek is collaborating with a Thailand-based team led by CEO Pinya Nittayakasetwat. The move is similar to Go-Jeks expansion into Vietnam last year with Go-Viet, its first presence outside of Indonesia. "We were impressed with how Go-Jek influenced the lives of Indonesian people, so we want to bring the same impact to Thailand," Pinya told the press during GETs launch in Bangkok. He said that Go-Jek supported GET's funding and technology, while his company provided the local knowledge necessary for growth. However, he refused to go into detail on how much Go-Jek had invested in GET. Founder and CEO of Go-Jek Nadiem Makarim said that the expansion into Thailand was a great opportunity for the Indonesian unicorn, as both countries shared similar characteristics. "Thais use motorcycles to get around just like we do in Indonesia," he said. "We also share a similar passion for food, so we think [expanding into] Thailand is a great opportunity for us." Currently, the Thai ride-hailing app provides three services to its customers: motorcycle taxis, food delivery and instant courier services. It has also completed 2 million transactions and has 10,000 licensed drivers in 41 districts in Bangkok. Pinya added that the app would provide a payment system called GET pay, which would enable cashless transactions "very soon". Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 28, 2019 14:20 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f018d4e 1 Business palm-oil,CPO,EU,European-Union,commodity,Luhut-Binsar-Pandjaitan,foreign-law,exports Free Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan has said the government plans to hire foreign law firms to negotiate with the European Union on its restrictive policies on palm oil. "We have agreed with other palm oil stakeholders to hire European law firms to represent us, because they will understand the anatomy better," Luhut said Thursday on the sidelines of a national palm oil farmers meeting in Jakarta. He said the government would determine key performance indicators for the law firms, which will be formed into a team before March 8. Luhut said during the meeting that the government would employ offensive diplomacy against the EU's "discriminatory policies", underlining that the two sides needed to be on an equal footing. He added that palm oil sector had helped the country achieve its Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets, as millions of oil palm smallholders relied on the commodity to earn an income. Indonesia is the largest palm oil producer in the world, and palm oil is the countrys largest export commodity in terms of volume. Ongoing negative campaigns against palm oil in the EU pose a threat to the commodity's export performance. According to the European Palm Oil Alliance (EPOA), the trading bloc was one of the worlds largest consumers of palm oil in 2016. The EU has linked the commodity to environmental degradation and particularly deforestation, which can increase global greenhouse gas emissions. The European Parliament phased out crude palm oil (CPO) in its revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED) II last year, although the regulation is not yet in effect. (ars) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 28, 2019 18:18 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f026633 1 City hercules,imprisonment,land,West-Jakarta,Court Free Prosecutors have asked the West Jakarta District Court to sentence gang leader Hercules Rozario Marshal to three years in prison for his alleged criminal activities related to the illegal occupancy of a 2-hectare plot in Kalideres. Hercules has been charged under Article 170 of the Criminal Code on assault. Exacerbating factors, including the suspects prior criminal record, his alleged assault of victims, his not-guilty plea and his lack of remorse were cited by the prosecutors, kompas.com reported. Hercules' attorney Nuno Magno insisted that Hercules was innocent of the charges. "We say that Hercules did not violate Article 170, we will include this in the defense," Nuno said. After the hearing, Hercules made a one-minute speech to his supporters, stating he was in good health and remained resolute. "I'm brave. If I wasn't a brave man, the state would not have given me [a medal]," he said on Wednesday. Hercules received the Satyalancana Seroja medal for logistical assistance he had provided to the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) during Seroja Operation in East Timor, now Timor Leste, in the 1990s. Hercules and 11 subordinates are alleged to have illegally occupied the land belonging to PT Nila Alam on Jl. Daan Mogot in Kalideres for three months, during which the defendants allegedly intimidated and extorted money from locals. (sau) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Beijing, China Thu, February 28, 2019 20:08 1012 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f02aecd 2 World #China,#HumanRightsAbuse,jailed,human-rights,lawyer,missing Free A prominent Chinese human rights lawyer went missing after he was scheduled to be released from jail Thursday following a two-year prison sentence for state subversion charges, said rights activists. Jiang Tianyong -- who had taken on many high-profile cases including those of Falun Gong practitioners and Tibetan protesters -- was one of more than 200 lawyers and activists detained since 2015 in a sweep aimed at courtroom critics of Communist authorities. Supporters of Jiang, who traveled to the No.2 Henan prison where Jiang was held, told AFP that police outside the jail said the 47-year-old lawyer was "taken away" but did not specify by who. "Police officers drove away people who went near the entrance of the prison," said Yuan Shanshan, the wife of human rights lawyer Xie Yanyi, who was also targeted in what is now known as the "709" crackdown because arrests started on July 9, 2015. Jiang's sister and father had planned to meet him outside the jail, explained his wife, but both have gone missing as well and have been unreachable since Wednesday night. "I am angry at the authorities -- China's law is just trash," Jin Bianling, who is based in the US, told AFP. Authorities said that he would be free after his release from jail, which was a lie, she added. "I was hoping and waiting for Jiang's release from prison," she said. "I didn't expect him to go missing after serving his sentence." Authorities could not be immediately reached for comment. Ongoing restrictions The disappearance of Jiang, who was charged with "inciting subversion" in 2017, comes as China continues to clamp down on human rights activists and lawyers in the country. Last month, Wang Quanzhang, another well-known Chinese lawyer swept up in the 709 crackdown, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for "subverting state power". Meanwhile, other rights lawyers who have been released after serving their prison sentences -- like Jiang -- have continued to face restrictions, said Doriane Lau, China researcher at Amnesty International. "The Chinese authorities had no intention to really protect Jiang Tianyong's freedom," Lau told AFP. The disappearance of Jiang's father and sister is not unusual either, she said. Chinese authorities will often threaten an activist's "family and friends before they were sentenced, during the person's sentencing, and after they are released." Nevertheless, many of the wives of the "709" lawyers have actively campaigned on the behalf of their husbands, despite facing pressure from authorities. Last April, Li Wenzu, the wife of Wang, attempted to march 100 kilometers (60 miles) to the detention facility in Tianjin where her husband had been held. In December, Li was placed under de facto house arrest the day before Wang's trial to prevent her from attending. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Thu, February 28, 2019 12:03 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f00b625 2 World #USA,#SaudiArabia,Donald-Trump,Jared-Kushner,meeting,King-Salman-Abdulaziz-Al-Saud,Mohammed-Bin-Salman Free White House advisor Jared Kushner held talks with Saudi Arabia's king and crown prince during a regional tour to rally support for a long-awaited Middle East peace proposal, US officials said Wednesday. Kushner's meeting Tuesday with King Salman and his son Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the first since journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder by Saudi agents last October sparked global uproar. "Building on previous conversations, they discussed increasing cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia, and the Trump administration's efforts to facilitate peace between the Israelis and Palestinians," the White House said in a brief statement. Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, was accompanied by Jason Greenblatt, the US Middle East peace envoy and Brian Hook, the US special representative for Iran. Earlier this month Kushner briefed countries at a conference in Warsaw on Washington's plans for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinian to be formally presented after Israeli elections in April. Top officials of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain -- none of whom recognise Israel -- attended the Warsaw conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who called the talks a "turning point". But the Palestinians rejected the meeting as an "American conspiracy" with aims to "normalise" the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. The Palestinians have refused to talk to the Trump administration since the US president recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December 2017. They see the eastern part of the disputed city as the capital of their future state and have said Washington's pro-Israel bias meant the US could no longer be the main mediator in stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace talks. The Trump administration has since dealt a series of blows to the Palestinian Authority, including cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in aid for the Palestinians. Amid Kushner's close relationship with Prince Mohammed, Saudi King Salman has rejected some Arab concerns that the kingdom could back a US deal that heavily favoured Israel. He has said the kingdom was committed to an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital. During his tour, Kushner also met leaders in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman this week. He met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey on Wednesday. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Acapulco, Mexico Thu, February 28, 2019 18:26 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f026777 2 Sports #sports,#tennis,Australia,Nick-Kyrgios,beat,Spain,Rafael-Nadal,Mexico-Open Free Australia's Nick Kyrgios survived three match points to beat top-seeded Rafael Nadal 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (8/6) on Wednesday and reach the quarter-finals of the Mexico Open. It was a bravura finish to a drama-filled match in which Nadal, playing his first tournament since falling to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final, had three chances to close it out after taking a 6-3 lead in the third-set tiebreaker. Kyrgios saved the first with a leaping drop shot, and the second with a net-skimming volley. Australia's Nick Kyrgios survived three match points to beat top-seeded Rafael Nadal 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (8/6) on Wednesday and reach the quarter-finals of the Mexico Open. It was a bravura finish to a drama-filled match in which Nadal, playing his first tournament since falling to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final, had three chances to close it out after taking a 6-3 lead in the third-set tiebreaker. Kyrgios saved the first with a leaping drop shot, and the second with a net-skimming volley. Nadal was just wide with a passing shot to make it 6-6, double-faulted to give Kyrgios a chance and sailed a backhand long to end the match after three hours and three minutes. Kyrgios screamed and dropped to the court in celebration -- a conclusion that seemed unlikely when he complained to a trainer after the opening set that he was feeling ill but feared the fallout should he retire. Kyrgios steeled himself to continue, and distractions seemed forgotten as he became absorbed in the battle against the 17-time Grand Slam champion. Down 0-40 in the ninth game of the second set, Kyrgios saved four break points to keep the set on serve and raced to a 5-0 lead in the tiebreaker. Kyrgios, who received treatment on his lower back before the start of the third, was in trouble again in the sixth game, but fought off five break points to stay on terms and push it to the decisive tiebreaker. Kyrgios leveled his head-to-head record with Nadal at 3-3 and will play three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka for a place in the semi-finals. Switzerland's Wawrinka, seeded third, belted 32 winners in a 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 victory over American Steve Johnson. Women's top seed Sloane Stephens also bowed out Wednesday, stunned by Brazilian qualifier Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3, 6-3. Haddad Maia's victory over the fourth-ranked American was her first over a top-10 player in seven opportunities. "It was just a tough match, obviously she played well," said Stephens, who is playing in Acapulco for the first time since winning the 2016 title. "A tough day. But Im not too sad about it. "I'm just going to go back and work some more, practice some more and get ready for Indian Wells." Haddad Maia, 22, next faces China's Want Yafan, who was leading Monica Puig 4-1 when the Puerto Rican retired with an injury. Former world number one Victoria Azarenka of Belarus sailed into the quarter-finals, downing Tatjana Maria 6-2, 6-1. Azarenka fired 20 winners to Maria's 10, and took full advantage of the German's 28 unforced errors. Kyrgios screamed and dropped to the court in celebration -- a conclusion that seemed unlikely when he complained to a trainer after the opening set that he was feeling ill but feared the fallout should he retire. Kyrgios steeled himself to continue, and distractions seemed forgotten as he became absorbed in the battle against the 17-time Grand Slam champion. Down 0-40 in the ninth game of the second set, Kyrgios saved four break points to keep the set on serve and raced to a 5-0 lead in the tiebreaker. Kyrgios, who received treatment on his lower back before the start of the third, was in trouble again in the sixth game, but fought off five break points to stay on terms and push it to the decisive tiebreaker. Kyrgios leveled his head-to-head record with Nadal at 3-3 and will play three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka for a place in the semi-finals. Switzerland's Wawrinka, seeded third, belted 32 winners in a 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 victory over American Steve Johnson. Women's top seed Sloane Stephens also bowed out Wednesday, stunned by Brazilian qualifier Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3, 6-3. Haddad Maia's victory over the fourth-ranked American was her first over a top-10 player in seven opportunities. "It was just a tough match, obviously she played well," said Stephens, who is playing in Acapulco for the first time since winning the 2016 title. "A tough day. But Im not too sad about it. "I'm just going to go back and work some more, practice some more and get ready for Indian Wells." Haddad Maia, 22, next faces China's Want Yafan, who was leading Monica Puig 4-1 when the Puerto Rican retired with an injury. Former world number one Victoria Azarenka of Belarus sailed into the quarter-finals, downing Tatjana Maria 6-2, 6-1. Azarenka fired 20 winners to Maria's 10, and took full advantage of the German's 28 unforced errors. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 28, 2019 12:07 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f00b729 1 City 212-Alumni,prayer,journalist,intimidation,assault,report Free More journalists have come forward to report intimidation and assault during the 212 Munajat prayer event on Feb. 21. Following a police report filed by journalists from detik.com and suara.com, CNN Indonesia videographer Endra Rezaldi filed a separate report with the Jakarta Police on Thursday. "We have just filed a report. We will wait for a police summon to file an investigation report and other things for investigation purposes," said Revolusi Riza, CNN Indonesia head of news coverage, kompas.com reported. Reporters from CNN TV and JPNN also accompanied him as eyewitnesses. CNN Indonesia presented evidence, consisting of a camera and a video footage reportedly showing a group of people asking journalists to delete videos and pictures of an arrested pickpocket, over concerns that the reporting would paint a bad light on a supposedly religious event. Revolusi, who is also the secretary-general of the Alliance of Independent Journalist (AJI), said his side would follow the case, which claimed the 1999 Press Freedom Law had been violated. The case was reported to the Central Jakarta Police just after midnight on Feb. 22 by detik.com journalist Satria Kusuma. Central Jakarta Police spokesperson Adj. Comr. Purwadi said recently that the case was under investigation. The 212 movement is linked to a massive sectarian rally on Dec. 2, 2016 that called for the prosecution of then-Jakarta governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama over blasphemy allegations. (sau) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Islamabad, Pakistan Thu, February 28, 2019 17:25 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f02530a 2 World #Pakistan,#India,Pakistan,release,India,pilot,de-escalation Free Pakistan is prepared to release a captured Indian pilot if doing so will ease soaring tensions with India that have fuelled fears of conflict between the nuclear-armed rivals, its foreign ministry said Thursday. "We are ready to hand over the Indian pilot if it leads to de-escalation," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal told AFP, attributing the statement to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. He spoke a day after the pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, was shot down in a rare aerial engagement between the South Asian neighbours over the disputed region of Kashmir. The incident was the latest in a dangerous sequence of events between the two countries that have sent tensions rocketing, as major world powers including China, the US and the UN urged restraint. It sparked fears of India and Pakistan -- who have fought two wars and countless deadly skirmishes over Kashmir -- entering a cycle of retaliation and counterattacks that could spiral out of control. Varthaman, who rapidly attained hero status in his own country, has become the face of the escalating conflict, with analysts touting him as a potential trump card for Islamabad and perhaps the key to bringing the arch-rivals back from the brink. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 28, 2019 21:57 1012 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f02c84d 1 National South-Jakarta-District-Court,Ratna-Sarumpaet,ITE-Law,#2019PresidentialElection,hoax,fake-news Free The South Jakarta District Court began on Thursday the trial of actress and antigovernment activist Ratna Sarumpaet, who is accused of spreading hate speech. Prosecutors charged the former campaign team member of presidential ticket Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno under Article 14 of the Criminal Code and Article 28 in conjunction with Article 45 of the Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE) Law, all of which concern false news triggering public animosity. The defendant disseminated fake information in public, claiming that she was assaulted by, resulting in swelling on her face, in an attempt to seek public attention, including Prabowos camp, prosecutor Payaman said during a hearing at the court, as reported by kompas.tv. Police arrested Ratna on Oct. 4 at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, hours before her flight for Chile to attend the 11th Women Playwrights International Conference. Prior to the arrest, Ratna shocked the public by claiming she had been assaulted by a group of men at an airport in Bandung, West Java. She also suggested that the assault was related to her campaigning for Prabowo. The police investigated Ratnas claims and found that the swelling on her face had been the result of cosmetic surgery at Bina Estetika Hospital in Menteng, Central Jakarta. Ratna later admitted that there had been no assault and she had indeed had surgery. During Thursdays hearing, Payaman said Ratna had sent messages that included pictures of her swollen face to a number of people, including to another government critic, Rocky Gerung, through WhatsApp. Another message the defendant sent to Rocky read: Hey Rocky, this country is getting worse and crazier. Need you badly, the prosecutor said. Ratnas lawyer Desmihardi appealed the court to allow his client, who has been detained in the Jakarta Polices detention center, to be placed under house or city arrest. He said Ratna was old and vulnerable to illness, adding that she had frequently been sick and received medical treatment at the detention center. Her physical and mental condition will worsen if she continues to be held at the police detention center, Desmihardi said. Ratnas daughters, Atiqah Hasiholan and Fathom Saulina, will act as guarantors for their mother if she is placed on city or house arrest, he added. (das) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Gemma Holliani Cahya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 28, 2019 11:15 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f005025 1 National BPJS-Kesehatan,JKN,JKN-insurance-deficit,health-ministry,health-care,cancer-care,bevacizumab,cetuximab,trastuzumab,Roche,merck Free Pharmaceutical companies say they are disappointed by the governments decision to stop covering the costs of drugs used for colorectal cancer therapy by the national health insurance (JKN), saying that it would hurt their business and also sacrifice cancer patients. The Health Ministry recently removed bevacizumab and cetuximab from coverage in the latest issuance of the national formulary, which lists drugs that can be procured and covered by the JKN, on the grounds that they had limited effectiveness for curing patients while they cost a lot of money to the scheme. Evie Yulin, the biopharma director of PT Merck, a subsidiary of the German pharmaceutical company Merck that produces cetuximab, said that although the company respected the governments decision, it regretted that the ministry did not involve the industry in the discussion before issuing such an important policy. She said cetuximab's participation in JKN as part of the therapy for colon cancer contributed 50 percent of Mercks cancer drug business the country. We hope that we get the opportunity to provide insight to the government and relevant parties regarding the provision of alternative methods of financing and the selection of target patients so that cancer patients can have their right to get affordable treatment, Evie told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. The company received a permit to distribute cetuximab from the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) in 2007 and it has since been used for targeted therapy in colorectal cancer treatment. The ministry and the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) have started to cut back drug coverage and treatments in the past year in their efforts to cut the perpetual deficit experienced by the state insurance, which was estimated to surpass Rp 10 trillion in 2018. The state insurer reported that it had to pay almost Rp 3 trillion only for claims related to cancer drug treatments last year, which was the second largest amount after that for treatments for cardiovascular treatments, which was Rp 9.4 trillion. Last year, the state insurer had tried to remove coverage for trastuzumab, a breast cancer drug, but the ministry ordered the agency to resume it after a patient filed a lawsuit. The latest decision to delist another two cancer drugs, which is to be effective on March 1, was based on the ministrys Health Technology Assessment (HTA) that found the drugs to be less cost effective. The BPJS Kesehatan has suggested patients use alternatives of the drugs available in the national formulary. Ait-Allah Mejri, the president director of PT Roche Indonesia, a subsidiary of a Swiss pharmaceutical company, Roche, which produces trastuzumab and bevacizumab, said the company was very disappointed with the decision that has failed to safeguard the interests of patients. He also questioned the HTA results that concluded they failed to meet the needs of cancer patients. Even if bevacizumab was provided free of charge, chemotherapy treatment alone would not achieve the cost-effectiveness threshold that is currently in place. [..] While we understand the pressure around budgets, it is ultimately patients who suffer. We remain firmly committed to work together with all parties to make bevacizumab available in Indonesia, Mejri said. Roche attained a permit to distribute bevacizumab in 2006 and the drug had been covered by the now defunct state-owned health insurance firm PT Askes in 2008 and later by the JKN. The head of a health insurance policy working group at the National Team for the Acceleration of Poverty Alleviation, Prastuti Soewondo, said it was normal for the companies to resist the new regulation as it makes them lose their markets. However, Prastuti said he believes that the nation is currently fixing the health care system and removing or adding medicine to the national formulary to achieve the rational use of medicine. The mistake we made from the beginning was we had these benefit packages that were too comprehensive and beyond our ability to cover with the relatively small premium contributions. We also did not consider cost effectiveness and fiscal reliability when compiling the drug items in the national formulary, but we are fixing it now, she said. Prastuti also said that the ministry had carried out the HTA carefully before issuing the national formulary. I have to make it clear that these two medicines, bevacizumab and cetuximab, are not cost effective, so the issue here is not about the budget, she said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 28, 2019 The rainy season brings unwelcome slithery visitors, as pythons have been recently found in several locations across Jakarta, ranging from rivers to residents homes. On Tuesday, a 3-meter python entered a house in South Petukangan, Pesanggarahan, South Jakarta through a 6.35-centimeter ventilation pipe. Earlier, on Feb. 10, workers with the Jakarta Environment Agencys water management department found a 5-meter-long python in the Moorkervart River in Kalideres, West Jakarta. On the same day, a resident in Koja, East Jakarta found two 3-meter-long pythons on the street after a flood hit the area. Banjir, ular sanca keluar . Warga di Jakarta Timur pic.twitter.com/rba0HYHkKr Hojin (@chamadhojin) February 21, 2017 to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Geneva, Switzerland Thu, February 28, 2019 17:55 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f025b87 2 World #Israel,#Palestine,UN,accuse,Israel,crime-against-humanity,Gaza Free There is evidence that Israel committed crimes against humanity in responding to 2018 protests in Gaza, as snipers targeted people clearly identifiable as children, health workers and journalists, a UN probe said Thursday. "Israeli soldiers committed violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Some of those violations may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity," the chair of the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Santiago Canton, said in a statement. The inquiry, set up by the UN Human Rights Council, investigated possible violations from the start of the protests on March 30, 2018 through to December 31. "More than 6,000 unarmed demonstrators were shot by military snipers, week after week at the protest sites," it said. "The Commission found reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli snipers shot at journalists, health workers, children and persons with disabilities, knowing they were clearly recognisable as such," it said. The investigators specified that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli troops killed and injured Palestinians "who were neither directly participating in hostilities, nor posing an imminent threat." The UN team also dismissed claims by Israel that the protests were aimed to conceal acts of terrorism. "The demonstrations were civilian in nature, with clearly stated political aims," the statement said. "Despite some acts of significant violence, the Commission found that the demonstrations did not constitute combat or military campaigns." The commission said it conducted 325 interviews with victims, witnesses and other sources, while reviewing more than 8,000 documents. Investigators looked at drone footage and other audiovisual material, the commission said. "The Israeli authorities did not respond to repeated requests by the Commission for information and access to Israel and to the Occupied Palestinian Territory," the report said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anurag Kotoky and Mary Schlangenstein (Bloomberg) Thu, February 28, 2019 12:25 1013 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f00e4e4 2 News Airlines,travel,India,Pakistan Free Global airlines are rerouting and canceling flights after fighter-jet combat between India and Pakistan prompted airspace closures and airport shutdowns, disrupting crucial routes for commercial planes. A United Continental Holdings Inc. flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Delhi was re-routed to London and later canceled, while a Newark-Mumbai flight was shifted to Frankfurt. An Air Canada flight from Toronto to Delhi turned back Tuesday night over Ireland and was scrubbed when it arrived back in Canada. A Vancouver-Delhi flight also was scrapped. The South Asian nations are engaged in the most serious military confrontation in decades, after India said on Tuesday it killed hundreds of militants in a camp inside Pakistan. Pakistan retaliated by shooting down two Indian aircraft and capturing at least one pilot, while India said it downed a Pakistani jet. Pakistan closed its airspace, while airports in North India were shut for hours before restrictions were lifted. Read also: Pakistan shoots down Indian jets, carries out airstrikes in Kashmir Shortest route The disruptions cut off the shortest routes for such flights as Singapore to London, Kuala Lumpur to Frankfurt and Hong Kong to Dubai, based on data compiled by gcmap.com. United said it would continue to operate its Newark-Mumbai and Newark-Delhi flights Wednesday night, flying around Pakistani airspace, and warned customers they would experience extended flight times. The carrier made the decision after working with relevant government authorities and conducting a thorough safety and security review, according to an emailed statement. Air Canada is operating a Toronto-Mumbai flight later Wednesday that uses a different route, said Peter Fitzpatrick, a spokesman for the carrier. The airline canceled service to Delhi from Toronto on Wednesday night, and from Vancouver on Thursday. Asia, Europe Earlier, key transcontinental routes connecting Europe and Asia were also affected: Singapore Airlines Ltd. canceled a Frankfurt-Singapore flight. Westbound trips to London and Frankfurt were forced to divert, causing them to make refueling stops in Dubai or Mumbai, the carrier said in a statement. Thai Airways International Pcl scrapped flights between Bangkok and London, citing escalated tensions between India and Pakistan. The airspace shutdown also will affect flights to 11 countries in Europe, the carrier said. SriLankan Airlines canceled flights to the Pakistani cities of Karachi and Lahore on Thursday following the airspace closing. The U.A.E. Aviation Authority suspended flights to Pakistan, Al Arabiya reported. The impact on some Indian airports weighed on domestic operations as well. IndiGo, Indias largest carrier, Singapore Airlines-affiliate Vistara, Jet Airways India Ltd. and Go Air said flights were suspended at several airports. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 28, 2019 19:38 1012 755cdefc0536cf41304ab1961f02a008 4 News commuter-trains,commuter-line,KCI,Wi-Fi,Jabodetabek Free Commuter line operator PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI) has launched free Wi-Fi for passengers in stations and on its trains in the Jakarta-Bogor-Depok-Tangerang-Bekasi area. Launched on Wednesday at Juanda Station, Central Jakarta, the service is available at 46 stations in Jakarta and will be followed by 37 stations in Greater Jakarta on March 10. Wiwik Widayanti, director of PT KCI, told Antara news agency on Wednesday that hopefully all stations would provide the service in the near future. Read also: Riding the Soekarno-Hatta airport train: A guide To use the service, passengers need to register and then they will be able to access free internet for 30 minutes. After the allowed time, passengers will need to re-login. We hope to expand the service to trains and stations outside Greater Jakarta, such as the Argo Parahyangan train with the Gambir Bandung route. We plan to install them after March 10, said Dadan Rudiansyah, state-owned railway company PT KAI operational region 1 executive vice president. (wng) Leche flan is the Filipino version of French creme caramel. This easy to make custard is slowly baked in a water bath and chilled overnight before eating. The desserts of the Philippines are varied and rich with history. Many foods that were adopted and later became Filipino cuisine were heavily influenced by Spain, China, and America. Through colonization and various occupations, the Philippines has incorporated a variety non indigenous flavors. Up until the Spanish-American War (1898), the Philippines was a colony of Spain. Afterwards, the United States took over until the Philippines was finally recognized as an independent state in 1946. One very significant contribution of US influence are canned goods. Canned evaporated milk and canned sweetened condensed milk, being among the most popular. Both are used in this recipe. What is leche flan? Leche flan is simply a Filipino version of creme caramel. It is a milk custard dessert made by baking a layer of caramel at the bottom of the custard mold. The custard is slowly baked in a water bath or steamed stove-top. After baking, the custard is chilled. Before serving, the mold is inverted and the caramel topping becomes a sauce to the flan. Why bake flan in a water bath? When it comes to custards and egg based desserts, low and slow is the way to go! Do not skip out on the water bath. Overheating or overcooking egg based desserts results in a rubbery texture and an unwanted eggy flavor. The water bath provides an even distribution of heat and helps to prevent overcooking. What kind of molds to use for leche flan? Leche flan is traditionally baked in a liyanera or llanera, an oval tin pan. These tin pans can be found in various sizes and shapes. Unfortunately, I dont have any of those. Instead, I baked my leche flan in a standard 8-inch round cake pan. For individual servings, the flan can also be baked in small ramekins. Bundt pans and muffins tins would also work. Leche Flan Variations The staple ingredients in leche flan are milk, sugar, and eggs. Some recipes call for whole eggs, while others use all egg yolks. My version uses a combination of whole eggs and egg yolks. Sticking to the version I recall watching being made as a kid, this flan is made with canned evaporated milk and canned sweetened condensed milk. Evaporated milk is a lot sweeter than regular milk. For a slightly less sweet version, sub in regular milk (or low-fat milk). Many recipes call for a touch of calamansi or dayap to add brightness to this otherwise very rich, sweet dessert. I used a combination of orange zest and Meyer lemon zest to replicate those flavors. Growing up, leche flan was only served at special occasions and during the holidays. The version we ate was made with all egg yolks. Talk about super rich. One slice probably had a days worth of cholesterol. If youre in the mood for something super special, add a slice of leche flan to halo-halo! 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. AoT at Phuket Aiport providing support as THAI cancels Europe flights PHUKET: Airports of Thailand (AoT) staff are offering support for passengers stranded at Phuket International Airport following THAI Airways International last night cancelling all flights to and from Europe after Pakistan closed its airspace. tourismtransport By The Phuket News Thursday 28 February 2019, 10:51AM The flight tracking service on FlightRadar24 shows the redirected flight path of a flight from Krabi to Helsinki. Image: FlightRadar24 Thai Airways International President Sumeth Damrongchaitham has described the situation as an emergency and called an urgent meeting of top airline officials. He said one obvious stopgap measure was to change the routing of flights between Thailand and Europe. (See story here.) In this situation, the airline must directly inform their clients about flight changes, an AoT public relations staffer told The Phuket News this morning. But if a passenger is unable to get though to contact the airline, Phuket International Airport operators can help and transfer them through to the airline office inside the airport. Please call 076 317230-5, the staffer said. Phuket International Airport does not yet have an official notice for passengers. Thanee Chuangchoo, General Manger of Phuket International Airport, is the only person who is authorised to give official statements, the staffer explained. Attempts by The Phuket News to contact Mr Thanee this morning so far have been unsuccessful. A statement posted on the official THAI Airways International website reads as follows: THAI Cancels Flights to Pakistan and all European Routes Due to Pakistani Airspace Closure 27 February 2019 Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) announced that its flights to Pakistan have been cancelled due to sudden closure of Pakistani airspace as a result of tension between India and Pakistan. Flight Lieutenant PratanaPatanasiri, THAI Vice President, Aviation Safety, Security and Standards Department, said that Pakistani airspace closed suddenly due to tension between India and Pakistan. Therefore, THAI has cancelled its flights to Pakistan and flights operated through Pakistani airspace on 27 February 2019, as follows: Flights TG341 and TG342 to and from Bangkok-Karachi Flights TG345 and TG346 to and from Bangkok-Lahore Flights TG349 and TG350 to and from Bangkok-Islamabad Three flights operate though Pakistani airspace today areas follows: Flight TG916 from Bangkok-London Flight TG974 from Bangkok-Moscow Flight TG926 from Bangkok-Frankfurt The above-mentioned flights were returned to Bangkok and arrived safely at Suvarnabhumi Airport today. THAI has looked after passengers affected by flight cancellations, in accordance to international standards. Furthermore, THAI has cancelled the following 11 flights to destinations in Europe that were operated on 27 and 28 February 2019, in order to maintain the highest passenger and operational safety standards: On 27 February 2019: Flight TG920 from Bangkok-Frankfurt On 28 February 2019: Flight TG910 from Bangkok-London Flight TG924 from Bangkok-Munich Flight TG930 from Bangkok-Paris Flight TG934fromBangkok-Brussels Flight TG940 from Bangkok-Milan Flight TG936 fromBangkok-Vienna Flight TG960 fromBangkok-Stockholm Flight TG970 fromBangkok-Zurich Flight TG950 fromBangkok-Copenhagen Flight TG954 fromBangkok-Oslo The following flights from destinations in Europe to Bangkok on 27 February 2019 have been cancelled: Flight TG911 from London-Bangkok Flight TG921 from Frankfurt-Bangkok Flight TG931 from Paris-Bangkok Flight TG941 from Milan-Bangkok Flight TG945 from Rome-Bangkok Flight TG971 from Zurich-Bangkok Flight TG951 from Copenhagen-Bangkok Flight TG961 from Stockholm-Bangkok Flight TG955 from Oslo-Bangkok Flight TG925 from Munich-Bangkok THAI is monitoring the situation closely in order to properly assess the situation and plans to operate flights on an alternative route that does not pass Pakistan and is now awaiting for airspace authorization. THAI advises all passengers traveling on the afore-mentioned flights to check the Companys announcements and keep abreast of all related news. For information on flight schedules, passengers may check at thaiairways.com or THAI Contact Center at Tel. 0-356-1111, 24-hours a day. THAI passengers who hold tickets on routes affected by flight cancellation may change their itinerary. Fees and charges will be exempted, and conditions apply. THAI operates flights to three destinations in Pakistan: one flight per day to Karachi and Lahore and four flights per week to Islamabad on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Dog attack victim Eemi heads home PHUKET: Five-year-old Finnish boy Eemi Nikula, mauled by stray dogs at Ao Nang Beach in Krabi last Wednesday, was finally cleared by doctors to fly home yesterday. His family wasted no time. They boarded a flight that departed Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok at 1:20am today (Feb 28). tourismanimalsSafety By Eakkapop Thongtub Thursday 28 February 2019, 05:31PM The Nikula family left Thailand on a flight out of Bangkok early this morning (Feb 28).Photo: Sutee Krabi Eemi is much better. His wounds began to heal and he has shown no signs of further health complications, said Dr Songwut Suwannaprasert, Medical Director of Krabi Nakharin International Hospital. Photo: Sutee Krabi Eemi is much better. His wounds began to heal and he has shown no signs of further health complications, said Dr Songwut Suwannaprasert, Medical Director of Krabi Nakharin International Hospital. Photo: Sutee Krabi Eemi is cheerful and can interact normally with people who have come to visit him, Dr Songwut said. Photo: Sutee Krabi Eemi is cheerful and can interact normally with people who have come to visit him, Dr Songwut said. Photo: Photo: Sutee KrabI Eemi and his family departed Thailand on Qatar Airways Flight QR 837, which touched down at Doha at 5:25am. In the attack by strays on Ao Nang Beach last Wednesday (Feb 20), Eemi suffered scratches and bites to his torso, back and buttocks and has a wound about five centimetres long on his right calf. The most dangerous wound was a bite to his neck, where fangs had punctured two holes near his Adams apple. (See story here.) Eemi was discharged from Krabi Nakarin International Hospital on Monday (Feb 25) after doctors were confident his health had improved adequately. He returned to the hospital yesterday (Feb 27) and had the last of his stitches removed, Kritsada Mahamad, Head of Krabi Tourist Assistance Center (TAC) confirmed to The Phuket News today. Eemis father said that Eemi will continue to receive medical treatment at a hospital in Finland next week, Mr Kritsada said. Dr Songwut Suwannaprasert, Medical Director of Krabi Nakharin International Hospital, also confirmed Eemis improved state of heath. Now, Eemi is much better. His wounds began to heal and he has shown no signs of further health complications, he said. He can eat normally, and his mental state has returned to normal. He is cheerful and can interact normally with people who have come to visit him, Dr Songwut said. At the hospital yesterday, Eemis father, Appo Nikula, said, I am very grateful for all the care and attention given to Eemi, I did not think that it would be so special. Our family would like to thank you all, it is greatly appreciated, he said. Erawadee to face charges over Russian illegal worker blitz PHUKET: Police have confirmed they will press charges against the owner of a store in Chalong for hiring 15 foreigners without work permits. tourismpoliceimmigrationRussian By The Phuket News Thursday 28 February 2019, 05:43PM The outlet in Chalong specialises in traditional Thai herbs and medicines and targets Russian-speaking customers. Photo: Phuket Tourist Police Eleven Russians are among the foreigners arrested at the Erawadee outlet on Chao Fa West Rd just south of Wat Chalong during a raid carried out by Phuket Tourist Police and Phuket Immigration Police last Wednesday Feb 20. (See story here.) Chalong Police Chief Col Pakkayot Tanongsak told The Phuket News today (Feb 28), The owner of the store is still under questioning and has not yet been charged. I cannot reveal details around charges until the investigation is complete. We have yet to press charges as we are still compiling evidence. Once our investigation is complete, we will press charges, Col Pakkayit said. In June 2017, the Chief of the Phuket Employment Office (PEO) warned foreigners and employers to be aware of a raft of new penalties for breaches of labour law introduced on June 23, 2017 through an Emergency decree. To all employers and foreign employees, please be careful because some of these new penalties are very harsh, PEO Chief Pitool Dumsakorn told The Phuket News. For example, deceiving that one can bring a foreigner to work without a work permit can incur a fine from B600,000 up to B1 million and from three to 10 years in prison, or both, for each foreign worker deceived, he said. (See story here.) Col Pakkayot confirmed that the owner has decided to close the store for now. Both Col Pakkayot and the inspector handling the case, Capt Somkiet Sarasin, said that they could not remember details of the particular branch in question. Gerd Kotlorz appointed General Manager of Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach PHUKET: Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach has announced the appointment of Gerd Kotlorz as its new General Manager, who formally took up his new position on Monday (Feb 25). tourism By The Phuket News Thursday 28 February 2019, 01:21PM Gerd Kotlorz has been appointed General Manager of the Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach. A German national and highly experienced hospitality professional, Mr Kotlorz moves to Phuket from Bangkok, where currently holds the position of Area Director of Sales & Distribution for Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. He will take over Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach from David Ippersiel, who as General Manager successfully led the resort through its extensive refurbishment and opening phase in 2016. Under Davids tenure, Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach was established as one of the islands most desirable beachfront destinations and an award-winning wedding venue, said a release announcing Mr Kotlorzs appointment. Mr Kotlorz studied aerospace engineering at the Technical University in Berlin, but soon discovered his passion for tourism and hospitality. He spent his formative years working in the aviation industry with major airlines including Pan Am and JAL, taking him to the US and Japan and introducing him to a career in Sales & Marketing. Having moved into the hospitality industry, Mr Kotlorz held a series of senior Sales & Marketing positions with leading European companies including Maritim Hotels and TUI Hotels. He then joined IHG and spent almost a decade at major hotels in destinations across the world, including Oman, Germany, South Korea, Kenya and the UAE. Mr Kotlorz arrived in Southeast Asia for the first time in 2011 as Director of Sales & Marketing for the InterContinental Danang in Vietnam. In 2013, he joined Marriott International. He achieved considerable success in his role as Area Director of Sales & Distribution for Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar, leading a multinational team and driving strong results. A passionate photographer and motorcycle enthusiast, Mr Kotlorz loves travelling around Asia and discovering new sights, sounds and tastes. He devotes his personal time to his wife Julia and his daughter Antonia. Mountain of undelivered mail found at postmans house PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN: A postman in Bang Saphan Noi district faces the axe after thousands of undelivered letters were found in his home. police By Bangkok Post Thursday 28 February 2019, 02:49PM Stacks of undelivered letters are seen at the house of a postman in Bang Saphan Noi post office in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. Photo: Khon Rak Bang Saphan Facebook / Chaiwat Satyaem Pictures of the hoard of undelivered mail were recently posted on Khon Rak Bang Saphan (Bang Saphan Lovers) Facebook page and quickly grabbed news headlines. Santhad Thad Detkerd, a page administrator, also posted a message saying Is this Thailand Post? After waiting for important documents such as bank letters, tax payment forms, cheques and others for months, I have to travel for a long distance to get my mail. Lets take a look. Undelivered letters are piled up inside a house at Ban Chong Lom village, Moo 8 in tambon Chang Raek, Bang Saphan Noi district. A staffer tasked with delivering mail shows no responsibility. What is his office doing? Complaints were lodged several times, but they fell on deaf ears. Photos of thousands of letters left undelivered at the postmans house drew comments from several page followers who had shared the same plight no mail from the postman for several months. Mr Santhad told the Bangkok Post that he had not received letters from the post office since November last year. He had to travel to the offices and banks which had sent documents via mail to collect them himself. The undelivered mail had badly affected him and others, he said. Some local residents were sent court warrants they never received, almost landing them in jail. Mr Santhad said he had filed complaints with Bang Saphan Noi post office, but no action had been taken. He had to turn to social media to force concerned agencies to address the issue. The Bangkok Post contacted the head of Bang Saphan Noi post office about the undelivered mail, but was told that he could not give a press interview. He suggested that the media should contact the provincial post office for accurate information. Theerapong Thepmanee, head of Prachuap Khiri Khan post office, on Wednesday apologised to all affected Thailand Post customers for the undelivered mail. He admitted he was shocked to hear about the hoard of undelivered letters. An investigation found that the postman who did not deliver them had worked at the district post office for seven months. The office had to evaluate the performance of staff every six months and he would not pass the next evaluation, Mr Theerapong said. The postal chief indicated that he would resign before that, so hopefully postal customers will not have to wait another five months for their mail. See original story here. Rawai Pool League: Tight Games and the Odd Demolition PHUKET: The first game in week two features last seasons Division B champions Roses Bar who played host to neighbouring Masaya Bar. Pool By The Phuket News Thursday 28 February 2019, 11:17AM Masaya owner and captain Markus keeps his eye on the ball and stays down on the shot. Photo: Richard Hearne The visitors got off to a good start, with Marcus beating Phillip. The response was rampant Roses went on a tear to take all the remaining singles and both doubles games to go 5-1 in front. A consolation beer was the only redemption for Masaya as Roses Bar continues their unbeaten run in Division A. Shot Bar travelled to White Hart to face the newly promoted White Hart BBQ team. Looking for their first win in Division A, White Hart BBQ couldnt build momentum from the start. Shots Tricky Taka opened his tally against the man-mountain Beppo. Riky then doubled Shots lead with a straight win over Jim. White Hart BBQ captain Gero injected some hope winning the third singles, but Shot Bar were solid through the remaining games and secured another 6-1 victory. The Banana Bar complex was the venue for Stor Bar versus Freedom Bar. Fresh from defeat last week, a hyped Stor Bar were anxious to score their first points of this season. Freedom Bars captain Tom started well to deflate Stor Bars confidence, but the remaining singles points went in to the home team, leaving Stor Bar needing just a point to win the match. In the opening doubles game they secured that point, with Ying and Kaka handing Freedom Bar their defeat. It finished 5-2 and Stor Bar are off the mark. Black Pearl made the trip over to Black Bull this week looking for their second win. It didnt start off well for the visitors, with Andre seeing off Otis in the opening game. Home side Black Bull couldnt get much right after first Black Pearl bar owner Dave pulled the scores level. Then Eddy and Wan raced the visiting team off to 1-3 lead. Black Pearl sealed victory in the first doubles game, and also managed to win the Beer Leg. Black Bull 2 5 Black Pearl. The remaining two games tonight were both hosted by Shot Bar. Black Sheep and Pink Sheep both played at home welcoming White Hart and Mango Bar respectively. First up were two of Rawais top teams battling it out. Current champions Black Sheep put foot to gas, taking all four singles games to secure the early win. White Hart then pulled back a good 0-2 doubles victory, with Phil F and Ben W running the table from the break. The remaining games only added to the winning margin however, giving Black Sheep a very healthy 6-1 victory. Meanwhile, the Pink Sheep girls welcomed Mango Bar into Season 15. Mango, who had a friendly match in week 1, took early control of the first leg and won 2-0. Thai compatriots Thong and Noi played next, and it was neck and neck to the last frame, but Thong made a great shot on the black ball to win. The remaining singles and two doubles games didnt see much resistance from the girls, with Mango Bar winning without dropping a frame. With echoes of MANGO MANGO MANGO going through the room, the girls then played some great pool to win the Beer Leg 2-1. Mango Bar take home a 1-6 win. Division B Division B matches this week produced some very close or very distant matches, with little in between. The first match was one of the close affairs, with Black Panthers hosting Moonlight Bar. It was honours shared in the singles and doubles legs with some good two frames-to-zero margins. It took the Beer Leg to settle the scores, but there was no deciding frame in this match. Moonlight rolled to victory with a good 0-2 margin, taking a free beer and the points on the night. One half of Islander made their way over to Tamarind Bar. Fresh off their loss against brethren A side, Islander B managed to rack up another miss tonight. Home side Bo, Rolf and Michael all won their singles, and only Islander Bs Terry getting points for the visitors. It was only further downhill for the visitors, with the eventual score 6-1 to Tamarind Bar. It was a good night for Cosmo Bar who welcomed Os Bar from Chalong. The home side barely stopped for breath, taking three of the 4 singles and both doubles to claim a very speedy victory on the night. Only Bruce from Os Bar managed a win. The Beer Leg was just as one-sided, with Cosmo claiming the free beer and the points on the night. A far more competitive match was playing out at Happy Jack. The newcomers were playing Kiltn Haggis, and the honours were shared throughout the opening six games. Both sides had two singles wins without their opponents winning a frame, but the doubles were more keenly fought. It would again take a Beer Leg to decide the match tonight, and this one required a deciding frame. It went to the wire, but the home side bravely pulled the victory out of the bag. Happy Jack 4 3 Kiltn Haggis. High drama continued, with Dilligaf in another thriller against visiting Lulu Bar. This would be a match where one side would snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. It was all Dilligaf in the singles, although Nicolas kept Lulu Bar in the match with his early win over Ping. 3-1 down left the visitors with a mountain to climb, but climb they did. Wins in both doubles, and then a straight 0-2 win in the Beer Leg left Lulu Bar savouring a free beer and tonight's points. Tonights final game was a real show. Islanders A team really racked up a superb home victory against Spot Bar. Only losing a single frame in a 7-0 demolition of the visiting side, the scoreboard displayed 2-0 score lines right through to the Beer Leg. Only then did visiting Spot Bar manage to steal their nights only frame. The Islander boys werent giving away the beer, and took tonights final match in style. Islander A 7-0 Spot Bar. Gregg Bremner and Richard Hearne For more information about the Rawai Pool League visit the site at http://www.rawai-pool-league.com And a vibrant Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/RawaiPoolLeague THAI cancels all Europe flights BANGKOK: All Thai Airways International flights between Thailand and Europe were cancelled Wednesday night (Feb 27) and early Thursday after Pakistan closed its airspace. transporttourismSafetymilitary By Bangkok Post Thursday 28 February 2019, 09:08AM These flights all had been cancelled as of midnight Wednesday. Passengers mob the Thai Airways International ticket office at Suvarnabhumi after learning of their flight cancellations. Photo: Twitter / @js100radio Initial flights cancelled were four from Suvarnabhumi TG974 to Moscow, TG954 to Oslo, TG930 to Paris, and TG916 to London and TG296 from Phuket to Frankfurt. But the number of cancelled flights rose quickly, and it appeared all flights between Europe and Thailand would be grounded. Swiss Airlines also cancelled its scheduled flight to Zurich. Flights from Europe to Thailand were almost certain to be affected as well. The flight cancellations also will affect other airports in Southeast and East Asia. Thai Airways International president Sumeth Damrongchaitham described the situation as an emergency and called an urgent meeting of top airline officials. He said one obvious stopgap measure was to change the routing of flights between Thailand and Europe not a trivial task. The situation affects 13 THAI flights to and from Copenhagen, Oslo, Brussels, Paris, Moscow, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Stockholm, London (Heathrow), Rome, Milan and Vienna. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Indian government also closed its countrys airspace over parts of northern India, according to Rakesh Asthana, the director general of the Bureau of Civil Aviation and Security. It was not immediately clear if that would also affect air traffic between Europe and Thailand. THAI cancelled all three of its scheduled flights to Pakistan on Thursday, and Iran's Mahan Air announced the cancellation of its flight from Bangkok to Tehran. Earlier on Wednesday, the Thai embassy in Islamabad had issued a travel warning that advised all Thai travellers to avoid trips to Kashmir, the epicentre of the India-Pakistan dispute and military clashes. Brussels-based Eurocontrol, which coordinates the airspace of 41 nations, told airlines in a bulletin that Pakistans airspace was closed with immediate effect. The airspace closures came as the two countries reported sharp clashes including the reported downing of two Indian warplanes inside Pakistan. Tension has been elevated since a suicide car bombing by Pakistan-based militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police on Feb 14. Other airports including Phuket and Don Mueang, also were affected, and all passengers in Thailand booked on flights heading west are advised to check their flight before heading for the airport on Thursday. Read original story here. THAI resumes normal flight operations to Europe PHUKET: Thai Airways has released a statement announcing that normal flight operations to Europe have now resumed following cancellations due to the conflict between India and Pakistan. transporttourismSafety By Tanyaluk Sakoot Thursday 28 February 2019, 01:18PM Thousands of stranded travellers mill around at Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan province on Wednesday night (Feb 27). Photo: Sutthiwit Chayutworakan Thai Airways Announcement: Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) would like to apologise to all its passengers for any inconvenience caused as a result of sudden closure of Pakistani airspace due to rising tension between Pakistan and India situation. THAI is pleased to announce that normal flight operations to Europe is now resumed through airspace outside Pakistans. Flight Lieutenant Pratana Patanasiri, THAI Vice President, Aviation Safety, Security and Standards Department, said that to ensure the highest standard of operational safety, THAI received permission from the authority to operate its flights through the airspace of the Republic of China. THAIs flights from Bangkok to Europe will be operated as follows: Day-time flights Thursday, 28 February 2019: - Flight TG974/ Bangkok-Moscow (flight will be delayed from the normal schedule) - Flight TG916/ Bangkok-London - Flight TG922/ Bangkok-Frankfurt - Flight TG962/ Bangkok-Stockholm Night-time flights on Friday, 1 March 2019 (passengers are required to check-in on the night of 28 February 2019): - Flight TG910/ Bangkok-London - Flight TG924/ Bangkok-Munich - Flight TG930/ Bangkok-Paris - Flight TG934/ Bangkok-Brussels - Flight TG944/ Bangkok-Milan - Flight TG936/ Bangkok-Vienna - Flight TG960/ Bangkok-Stockholm - Flight TG970/ Bangkok-Zurich - Flight TG950/ Bangkok-Copenhagen - Flight TG954/ Bangkok-Oslo Furthermore, THAI operates flights TG507 and TG508 between Bangkok and Muscat but will not make a stopover in Karachi. THAI cancels flights TG345 and TG346 between Bangkok and Lahore today (28 February, 2019). To assist and facilitate THAI customers in accordance with international standard requirements, passengers who hold tickets on the routes affected by flight cancellation may change their itineraries. Fees and charges will be exempted, and conditions apply. THAI is monitoring the situation closely in order to properly assess the situation. All passengers travelling on the aforementioned flights are advised to check the Companys announcements and keep abreast of all related news. For information on flight schedules, passengers may check at www.thaiairways.com or THAI Contact Centre on 0-356-1111, 24-hours a day. Phuket International Airport also released a statement today providing an update on flights in and out of Phuket and provisions to support affected passengers. Thanee Chuangchoo, General Manager of Phuket International Airport, announced extra seats for passengers on the 4th floor of the international passenger terminal as well as extra staff to help manage the situation. Mr Thanee also provided an update of affected flights. The following flights are delayed: Aeroflot flight SU278/279/ Moscow-Phuket I Fly A/L flight F79557/9558/ Moscow-Phuket Air flight ZF9633/9634/ Yekaterinburg-Phuket Azura Air flight ZF7733/7734/ Moscow-Phuket Azura Air flight ZF5231/7834/ Nizhny Novgorod-Phuket Thai Airways flight TG927/ Frankfurt-Phuket-Bangkok is cancelled. For more information on Phuket flights, contact the AoT call center on 1722 or Phuket International Airport on 076-351666 or 076-351801. See previous story here. 5 tips on handling the holiday season If you are feeling upset or overwhelmed, tell someone. Trying to force yourself to be happy will only lead to feeling worse as the days go by. Difficult markets have taken a toll on Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC). Trading revenue at the company fell 18 per cent to $341 million in the fiscal first quarter from a year earlier, when it had one of its best trading quarters in the past two years. The decline pared earnings in CIBCs capital-markets business by 38 per cent, contributing to an 11 per cent decline in overall profit for the first quarter to miss analysts estimates. CIBCs struggles were similar to those at Canadas other large lenders, including Royal Bank of Canada, Bank of Nova Scotia and Bank of Montreal, all of which posted earnings declines in their capital-markets divisions in a period executives described as challenging with significant market volatility. Key insights The capital-markets division had earnings of $201 million, down from $322 million a year earlier, due to lower revenue from equity derivatives and interest rate trading businesses and higher loan-loss provisions. CIBC pushed deeper outside Canada with its takeover of Chicago-based PrivateBancorp in 2017. That business is part of CIBCs U.S. commercial-banking and wealth-management division, which posted earnings of $168 million in the fiscal first quarter, up 25 per cent from a year earlier. Last November, CIBC executives cited competitive pressures on deposits for a surprise decline in fourth-quarter margins in its U.S. commercial banking and wealth management division. That continued in the first quarter, as margins were 3.32 per cent in the fiscal first quarter, down from 3.34 per cent in the prior quarter. The lenders biggest division, Canadian personal and small-business banking, benefited from industry-leading mortgage growth for years until slowing in the second half of fiscal 2018. CIBC had $201 billion of mortgage balances in the first quarter, down from $203 billion a year earlier. Market reaction CIBC shares have fallen 3.8 per cent in the 12 months through Wednesday, compared with a 0.9 per cent decline for the eight-company S&P/TSX Commercial Banks index. Get more First-quarter net income fell 11 per cent to $1.18 billion, or $2.60 a share, from $1.33 billion, or $2.95 a share, a year earlier. Adjusted per-share earnings totalled $3.01, missing the $3.09 average estimate of 12 analysts in a Bloomberg survey. CIBC raised its quarterly dividend 2.9 per cent to $1.40. Read more about: Credit quality is deteriorating in Canada, and banks are feeling the impact. Toronto-Dominion Bank and Canadian Imperial Bank of Canada both reported fiscal first-quarter results that included higher provisions for loan losses, contributing to earnings that missed analysts estimates. Toronto-Dominion, Canadas second-largest lender by assets, set aside $850 million ($645 million U.S.) for soured loans in the quarter ended Jan. 31, up 23 per cent from a year earlier and the highest level in at least two years. The lenders Canadian and U.S. retail divisions had roughly equal shares of the provisions, at about 36 per cent each of the total, with the rest recorded mainly in the banks corporate segment. The fourth quarter and the first quarter of the year always tend to have elevated provisions because of the holiday spending season, so we tend to see that seasonality in cards and auto, Toronto-Dominions Chief Financial Officer Riaz Ahmed said in a phone interview Thursday. In Canada, bankruptcies are up a little bit and we do see a little bit of rise in delinquency in our retail cards in the U.S. None of them would rise to the level of being of particular concern for us. CIBCs provisions more than doubled across the bank, surging to $338 million also the highest in at least two years. Most came from Canadian personal and small-business banking, the lenders largest division, which saw a 41 per cent jump in provisions to $208 million. Canadian commercial banking set aside $43 million for credit losses, while the U.S division earmarked $16 million for provisions and its capital-markets unit had $66 million, partly due to one soured utility loan. Strong Credit Quality Provisions were hurt by three big non-performing commercial and corporate loans in different industries that were unique events and certainly not representative of any sign of underlying problem, CIBC CFO Kevin Glass said. Provisions for performing loans were affected by changing economic indicators such as housing and oil prices, which he said also arent an indication of any sort of concern. Our core businesses are performing well and there were some unique credit events that impacted our results this quarter, he said in a phone interview. The banks calculations for loan-loss provisions in the year-earlier period were affected by accounting changes. Toronto-Dominion shares slumped 2.7 per cent to $75.23 at 9:43 a.m. in Toronto trading, their biggest intraday decline in two months. CIBC fell 1.1 per cent to $113.42. The two Toronto-based banks also followed their Canadian rivals in reporting poorer performance in their capital-markets operations, driven down by trading in a period company executives have called challenging. Toronto-Dominions capital-markets results were the worst among the big Canadian banks, with a $17 million loss in the quarter from its TD Securities business as investment-banking fees fell and trading revenue was halved from a year earlier. Swing Numbers The wholesale banking business is rarely part of the investment thesis for TD, but it nevertheless forms an important part of the bank and one that can swing numbers, Robert Sedran, an analyst at CIBC Capital Markets, said in a note to clients. Swing numbers it did, moving to a loss that took the overall results notably below consensus, even before considering the higher loan losses. Trading revenue at the TD Securities division totalled $251 million, down from $515 million a year earlier. Toronto-Dominions CFO cited significant market volatility for what he described as a challenging quarter for the wholesale division. The revenue was down as volatile markets made trading conditions difficult and kept clients on the sidelines, Ahmed said. CIBC Capital Markets, meanwhile, had earnings of $201 million, down 38 per cent from a year earlier, with the bank citing lower revenue from equity derivatives and interest-rate trading businesses along with higher loan-loss provisions. Read more about: Ocean City, N.J., faces the biggest hit to its property values from sea level rise on the eastern seaboard, surpassing even Miami Beach, according to a study released Wednesday. But popular Shore communities such as Sea Isle City, Atlantic City, Avalon, Brigantine, North Wildwood, and Mystic Island also made the top 20 list, according to housing data analyzed by scientists with Columbia University and First Street Foundation, a nonprofit focused on risks associated with sea level rise and flooding. Though property values along the New Jersey Shore certainly are increasing, the scientists said their work measures relative erosion of property values. In other words, the homes would have sold for more if not for shrinking shorelines, flooding, and storm surges associated with sea level rise, caused mainly by climate change. For example, a home that might have sold for $800,000 (U.S.) without those issues instead might sell for $650,000. The group has released similar data in the past. But, for the first time, it included numbers for Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. Philadelphia, Croydon, and Bristol, all along the Delaware River, are significantly impacted by environmental changes, the scientists said. They created an online mapping tool so homeowners can plug in their addresses to see if their properties face a relative loss in value. In addition, it shows flooding levels and projected increases over 15 years. New Jersey has been hit terribly hard, said Carolyn Costello, a spokesperson with Brooklyn-based First Street Foundation. In fact, some New Jersey cities have been hit worse than Florida. Ocean City, with relative losses totalling more than a half-billion dollars, tops Miami Beach, facing more than $300 million. Without specifying the address, the authors cited a property on Haven Avenue in Ocean City as an example of the type of relative loss in property value, with a $119,702 dip. Overall, New Jersey faces the second highest losses among states, at $4.5 billion, second to Florida, which is estimated at more than $5.4 billion. The list is derived from research into relative property values of 15 eastern states, including Alabama and Mississippi. To derive their peer-reviewed methodology, Steven A. McAlpine at First Street Foundation and Jeremy R. Porter, a Columbia University professor and consultant for the foundation, initially analyzed only the Miami-Dade County real estate market. They then applied that methodology to analyze millions of other real estate transactions in the east. They took into account square footage, location, trends, and other issues associated with home values. They say they were able to calculate the impact of frequent tidal flooding on home values using data from 2005 to 2017. They found that while most homes did appreciate in value, affected homes appreciated at a significantly lower rate than comparable homes unaffected by tidal flooding. They also found that roads that flood near a home also hurt its value. From Maine to Florida and through the Gulf Coast, we have seen the same phenomenon, Porter said. Increased tidal flooding has led to a loss in home value appreciation. We expect this trend to not only continue in the coming years, but to accelerate along with the accelerating rate of sea level rise. New Jersey is faced not only with rising seas, but also land thats sinking because of its geology. Maryland was also hit hard, losing $555.7 million in relative value. Delaware lost $299.5 million in relative value, with Bethany Beach among the top locations facing relative losses. Pennsylvania lost $10.1 million in relative value, with Bristol seeing more than $3 million of those losses. Croydon lost $2.4 million and Philadelphia lost $1.5 million, relatively small numbers by comparison to the Jersey Shore. But the impact on individuals can be considerable. The authors noted a single property in Ridley Park, Delaware County, lost $51,978 in relative value. Flooding is the costliest natural disaster in the United States, said Matthew Eby, executive director of First Street Foundation. Royal Bank of Canada recently told employees to avoid travel to China, people with knowledge of the matter said, amid a diplomatic feud over the arrest of Huawei Technologies Co.s chief financial officer on Canadian soil. The Toronto-based lender has asked its workers, especially those based in Canada, to skip business trips to China, one of the people said. The bank has requested that at least two Canada-based staff cancel or delay their travel to the country, according to the person, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. It wasnt immediately clear how long the measure would be in effect. Since late last year, the Chinese government has seized at least two Canadians in national security investigations. The moves follow Canadas arrest of Chinese telecommunications equipment giant Huaweis CFO, Meng Wanzhou. Individual RBC employees may exercise discretion to determine which travel is essential, and some investment bankers working on Chinese deals have made trips to the country, one person said. A spokesman for RBC said the company follows travel advisories from the Canadian government and declined to comment further. Read More: As Huaweis influence in Canada grows, some fear spying. Others just want faster internet U.S. government suffers setback in effort to ban Huaweis 5G technology Trump says he wants 5G and 6G technology but what is 6G? A government notice dated January 14 recommends Canadian citizens exercise a high degree of caution in China, the second-lowest of four risk levels, due to the possibility of arbitrary enforcement of local laws. In more extreme cases, the government may advise Canadians to avoid non-essential travel or even to not visit a country at all. UBS Group AG in October imposed restrictions on staff travel to China after one of its employees was detained, Bloomberg reported at the time. Julius Baer also had similar travel ban at the time, people with knowledge of the matter have said. The UBS wealth manager who was detained in China for about three months later returned home, and UBS removed the travel restrictions. Read more about: The Rumble in the Realm of the Mind Jordan Peterson vs. Slavoj Zizek is coming to Toronto, as the two professors will debate Happiness: Capitalism vs. Marxism on April 19 at the Sony Centre. Live Nation announced Thursday that tickets will go on sale March 1 for the clash between Peterson the bestselling University of Toronto clinical psychologist still speaking to packed houses around the globe and Zizek, a Slovenian Hegelian-Marxist critical theorist with a cult following of his own going back decades. The meeting apparently flows out of Zizek reportedly describing Peterson as his enemy last year at Englands Cambridge Union. Peterson responded feistily on Twitter by saying Any time, any place, Mr. Zizek. Peterson gained fame in 2016 for criticizing Bill C-16, legislation which aimed to amend human-rights legislation to include protections for gender identity or expression, as well as the Ontario Human Rights Commissions definition of gender identity, which is described as a persons sense of being a woman, a man, both, neither, or anywhere along the gender spectrum. Peterson expresses his fears about being compelled to use gender pronouns of others choosing I dont believe that its intelligent and appropriate for the government to mandate the words that its citizens should speak, the 56-year-old Alberta native said at the time and the fallout raised his profile internationally, helping his book 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, sell millions of copies. Tell us: Zizek, who grew up under the Communist regime of Marshal Tito in the old Yugoslavia, is the author of dozens of books. Tickets ($40-$110 plus fees) from Livenation.com, Ticketmaster.ca, Sonycentre.ca and the Sony Centre box office. Read more: Jordan Peterson is trying to make sense of the world including his own strange journey I was Jordan Petersons strongest supporter. Now I think hes dangerous Jordan Petersons superfans say theyre not who you think they are VANCOUVERAfter a record number of Canadian medical students were unemployed at graduation last year, a better result in the first round of the 2019 match offered some encouragement. But school leaders say its not enough to relieve their concerns about the number of new doctors going without residency positions. People with medical degrees cant work as fully qualified doctors until theyve completed a paid residency in a particular field: family medicine, surgery or internal medicine, for example. Almost all of Canadas graduating medical students found out where they will complete their residencies Tuesday known to the soon-to-be doctors as match day. A minority were hit with disappointment, finding out they havent been assigned to any residency program and that they may not work in Canada as a doctor for at least another year. The Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) said it wouldnt release details on how many graduates went unmatched until the second round takes place in April, but a medical school administrator told The Star the cross-Canada number was 174 after the first round. Thats less than last years record-breaking number of 222 graduates who went unmatched after the first round. After the second round of the match in 2018, the number dropped to 115, also a record. The phenomenon of unemployed medical grads takes a toll on both students and the health-care system. Training one doctor costs provinces hundreds of thousands of dollars a huge liability when more than 100 do not go on to serve as doctors right away. Read more: New doctors needing a medical residency in Canada face match day with few available spots There must be a better way: More medical grads expected to be jobless after graduation than ever before Tragic case of Robert Chu shows plight of Canadian medical school grads And those who go unmatched live for at least a year in limbo as they wait to see whether they will get a match the next year. Robert Chu, 25, was passed over twice and wrote about the distress he experienced in a letter shortly before he died by suicide in 2016. The University of Toronto, which had the highest number of unmatched graduates after the first round last year 28 cut that number by more than half this year. There were 13 people, five per cent of the total graduating class, that did not match, according to the vice dean of the medical doctor program at the university. Last year was a particularly challenging year for Toronto, said Dr. Patricia Houston in an interview Tuesday. By comparison, this year the university had a happy and successful match day. But Houston said shes still worried about the apparent vagaries of the algorithm used by CaRMS, that can produce such disparate results year-over-year. Dr. Roger Wong, executive associate dean of education at UBCs faculty of medicine, said a long-term solution to the growing number of unmatched medical graduates is simply adding more positions. Thats an argument medical schools across the country have been making for at least two years. He said he was encouraged that over 95 per cent of UBCs graduating class (279 of 288) matched Tuesday but said every non-match is a problem. I think to a medical student who is not matched after the first round, it is a devastating experience, Wong said. Three provinces Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta last year changed the rules of the second-round match to keep more positions reserved for Canadian medical grads. Usually graduates, from all over the world compete for the same positions in the second round. Houston hopes that will give U of Ts unmatched grads, and other unmatched Canadians, an advantage when competing in the second round this year. Of 209 positions available for the second round of CaRMS, 105 of them are reserved for Canadian grads. Read more about: GATINEAU, QUE.Canadas aviation safety watchdog says a significant safety issue exists with a popular small airplane in which three passengers drowned during an attempted landing on a northern lake. The Transportation Safety Board says problems with the Cessna 206s doors have been known for more than two decades with no regulatory action. The risks resulting from delayed egress from the aircraft remain high and more defences are needed to mitigate this hazard, the board said in an aviation safety advisory released Thursday. In the advisory, the board notes the five-passenger, float-equipped plane was on a sightseeing trip from Fort Simpson, N.W.T., to Virginia Falls in Nahanni National Park last August when the pilot lost control while trying to land on a lake. The right wing hit the water, the plane flipped and came to rest upside-down and partially submerged. The pilot and one passenger got out safely and were quickly rescued. The pilot dove back in to try to free the others inside but was unsuccessful. The three remaining occupants were unable to exit the aircraft and drowned; they were found inside the cabin with their seatbelts undone, says the document. The impact forces were well within the range of human survivability. The investigation was unable to determine what egress action, if any, was taken by the passengers who were unable to exit the aircraft. Read More: Plane that crashed in British Columbia in 2017 and killed Alberta couple flew into bad weather, says safety board Bad weather, lack of pilot experience cited in Quebec crash that killed three Killed were 33-year-old Geoffrey Dean of Castor, Alta., and Stewart and Jean Edelman of Saskatoon, who were both 72. The Cessna 206 is equipped with two adjoining cargo doors. The board found that the front door was blocked by the extended flap of the right wing, which stopped the door from opening past eight centimetres. In that position, the rear door can only be opened by actions described on a placard above the handle. Without functional exits, the time required to exit the aircraft may increase, which in turn increases the risk of death in time-critical situations, the board says. The problem has been understood since 1989. In 1991, Cessna released a bulletin to plane owners recommending installation of a spring assembly to automatically retract the rear handle and get that door to open. Transport Canada strongly recommended the spring in 2007, but it wasnt made mandatory. Simpson Air, the company that owned the crashed Cessna 206, hadnt installed it. No one from Simpson Air was immediately available to answer questions. Board spokesman Eric Collard said in an email the door problem cant be linked definitively to the fatalities. The (board) has not conducted any analysis to determine differences between operating doors equipped with or without the spring. The investigation into the accident is continuing, Collard said. No recommendations have been issued to Transport Canada, although the advisory says (Transport Canada) may wish to reassess the suitability of the rear double cargo door as an emergency exit. Department spokesman Simon Rivet said Transport Canada is reviewing the advisory. The department will provide its response to the Transportation Safety Board of Canadas advisory letter within 90 days, he said in an email. Aviation regulators in Canada and the United States had discussed the problem extensively with Cessna between 1999 and 2003. Transport Canada looked at it again in 2005 and commissioned a report on exiting submerged float planes. No action was ever taken. Results of the studies indicated there were no suitable design changes that could feasibly be applied to the entire Cessna 206 fleet, the advisory says. By May 2008, the file was put on hold due to other priorities and the absence of a clear way forward. The board says five accidents resulting in eight deaths have occurred since 1989 in the United States and Canada in which extended flaps blocked the rear double-door. There are more than 250 Cessna 206 planes licensed in Canada for commercial and private use. EDMONTONIf a wine tasted like chemical cleaners and wet dog, youd probably spit it out. But in the world of cannabis, that pungent permutation is considered a desirable taste profile. Other top-ranked buds proudly advertise enchanting aromas of gas, diesel, and skunk, making the job of a cannabis sommelier a strange one. Vancouver company CannaReps developed what it claims is Canadas first cannabis sommelier course last year to train people working in the new industry as budtenders, retailers, and growers, and help them identify and differentiate pot strains. I set out to learn the tricks of the emerging trade, and sniff some dank weed, with CannaReps Sommelier Level 1 course offered by cannabis connoisseur and dispensary manager Julie Domingo. I sat in a classroom for a full day during the one-off Edmonton course for the first time since college. Read more: Cannabis combined with booze will not help your driving. Researchers are trying to quantify that How much will cannabis cost you? Heres a breakdown by province Puff, puff, pass the remote: How weed affects your activity level Unlike in college, however, a dozen jars of fresh weed sat on my desk in plain sight. What a time to be alive. The class of eight was mostly comprised of people working in the industry, who all got a certificate after passing a brief multiple choice exam at the end. We passed around nuggets of cannabis, one strain at a time, handling them carefully with tweezers and gloves and putting them up to our noses to sniff out the distinguishing elements of their aromas. My cynical journalist brain went in with the predisposition that, like wine tasting, this is junk science (come at me, wine snobs). Initially, I found it nearly impossible to find anything distinctive between strains. The first strain, Death Bubba, was a descendent of Hindu Kush and smelled of pine, gas, and skunk or so I was told. The next, Afghani No. 1, was earthy, with overtones of mulched leaves. I could smell some subtle differences once they were explained to me, but was it all in my head? We moved on to identifying by colour, density, and shape, drawing parallels between appearances and smells of various indica and sativa strains. Anything on the market is a mix of the two due to generations of crossbreeding, and we learned that the legitimacy of either label is dubious. But, given there are few broad descriptors that can accurately group strains of cannabis, they can still be useful if taken with a grain of salt. Domingo taught us about terpenes, which give the cannabis its flavour and aroma, and flavonoids, which influence those elements as well as colour. We dug deeper, using a small magnifying glass to identify tiny crystal-like trichomes, spot mould and help determine the overall quality. We looked at trim too many leaves in the mix is no good and squeezed the nugs and felt for bounce back. Ideally, we learned, you want your weed to feel like youre squishing a Nerf ball. We learned about the history and geographic origin of each strain and why they grew they way they did over time. Domingo, who has a deep knowledge of cannabis and a long history of use for medical purposes, connected with industry experts Adolfo Gonzalez and Enid Chen at CannaReps to roll out the sommelier course, which she has been touring through Western Canada this winter. Domingo is from Edmonton, but moved to Vancouver three years ago, when her technology sales and training experience got her a job leading a medical dispensary team at Aura Cannabis that went on to win several Lift awards. It was in that role that she decided it was important to develop and spread a reliable knowledge base for people working in the industry. I noticed there was major issues with budtenders giving anecdotal and personal information about their use, and so recommending it to their customers. And of course, we all know cannabis is a very personalized experience, Domingo said. I had to seek out far and wide the experts in the industry and get the information out there. Domingo studiously parses the available science without making broad or hypothetical claims that often crop up among pot advocates. Her idea of a cannabis sommelier is someone who understands the ancestry and lineage of each variety and can pair that with understanding of the products potency, cannabinoid ratio and terpene ratio, finally grading its quality, which we learned to do at the end of the class. A true sommelier will ultimately be able to match a strain to a clients experience level and recommend the right bud. If you find that right product match, thats what makes you a good cannabis sommelier, she said. In some respects, its just like wine some people will go for a Cabernet Sauvignon, while others prefer a Chianti. Its a matter of finding what the consumer prefers, and following that path. With the potential for intoxication that cannabis offers, however, the stakes are higher in many ways. Domingo explained that before the legal cannabis market, consumers generally had little idea of what they were purchasing. Now that everything is regulated and documented, some longtime users have a lot of knowledge to catch up on. Consumers want to have an expectation, and they want to have that expectation met, she said. If you have a good idea what this experience is going to be like, you can plan your day. Its an interruption in your day if you consume something and now you cant be as productive as you wanted to, or if youre not able to relax and sleep as you wanted to. After prudently examining more weed than Ive ever seen in my life, including some tinctures and distillates concentrates that are roughly 99 per cent pure I started to grasp the subtle differences. Some strains clearly stood out. Sour Amnesia Haze smells like actual Sour Patch Kids candies, Blueberry Kush really does smell like blueberries, and Sapphire reeks of aged cheddar cheese. As a general rule, Domingo said if you like the scent, your body will probably appreciate the high. At the end, we took a multiple choice exam and I scored 88 per cent, enough to earn a certificate. To celebrate, we rolled up three disparate strains of bud into joints and stepped outside to blaze. I could tell the three apart, which was a victory for this lightweight. I wouldnt feel comfortable doling out expert advice just yet, but I will say I left satisfied, a little bit high, and exponentially more knowledgeable about weed than I was when I walked in. Read more about: Toronto police have charged a mall security officer after a teenage girl was sexually assaulted at a Scarborough shopping mall. A 16-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy were at Parkway Mall, on Ellesmere Rd. near Victoria Park Ave., on Feb. 20 when they were allegedly approached multiple times by a mall security officer who offered to give them access to a private room. Once inside, the pair was left alone, police said. When the security officer returned to the room, he told the teens to leave. But once the 17-year-old boy left, the mall security officer closed the door leaving him alone in the room with the 16-year-old girl. Police alleged that he then sexually assaulted her. Mervin Anderson, 36, of Toronto, has been charged with one count of sexual assault, sexual exploitation and criminal harassment. He is scheduled to appear in court on March 26 at 1911 Eglinton Ave. E., in Room 407. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-2922 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477). The case of a man accused killing 10 people by driving a van along a busy sidewalk in Toronto has been put over to April 1. Alek Minassian, of Richmond Hill, faces 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder in the attack last April. Police allege Minassian drove the van down a sidewalk on Yonge St., mowing down pedestrians. The 26-year-old was not present at Thursdays brief hearing. The Crown and defence continue their judicial pre-trial discussions in the case. In late 2018, Ontarios deputy attorney general granted the prosecutions request to skip a preliminary hearing and have the case go straight to trial, which is slated for February 2020. Read more: #TorontoStrong gives out $3.5 million to van attack victims, families Insurer withholds payment to cover care for Toronto van attack victim Case of Yonge St. van attack suspect Alek Minassian heads straight to Superior Court Toronto police are asking or help locating a suspect wanted in an ongoing investigation into a string of sexual assaults near York Universitys North York campus, including one involving a 14-year-old girl. The latest of three incidents happened Sunday, when a 17-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted and assaulted at a residence in the Finch Ave. W and Tobermory Dr. area. Last summer, on Aug. 8, 2018, police say a 14-year-old girl was sexually assaulted at a home near Four Winds Dr. and Keele St. A couple of months later, on Oct. 8 and 9, police say a 21-year-old woman was sexually assaulted at a home in the Sentinel Rd. and Cook Rd. area. Police are looking for 21-year-old Lamar Anthony Howe, of Toronto. He is wanted for two counts of sexual assault, two counts of assault, one court each of sexual interference, assault with a weapon and mischief under, and twelve counts of fail to comply probation order. Police believe there may be more victims in this ongoing investigation. Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact police at 416-808-3100 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477). From the outside there is nothing about the lowrise, brown brick apartment building at 394 Dovercourt Rd. that gives away the extent of the turmoil and anxiety within. But behind its walls a group of renters who barely knew each other have banded together to weather an uncertain future and brace for a fight they fear could end with them losing their deeply affordable homes. I cant even wrap my head around what that would mean, not to mention taking down all the crazy stuff in my apartment, said Kiisti Matsuo, a makeup artist for film and television who pays $758 for a bachelor unit. Maybe Ill have selling parties. Their new landlord has said the building is unsafe and must be entirely rewired, work that could take half a year, and requested that everybody leave by the end of February or risk being ordered out by the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB). What concerns the Dovercourt tenants is the chance of a renoviction, when a landlord uses a legal process to remove long-term tenants during renovations but never intends to let them back in. Matsuos neighbours include a painter and community organizer, an independent business owner and occasional extra for film, a sessional lecturer at York University, a tree-planter and musician, and the director of housing services for Dixon Hall Neighbourhood Services, a multi-service agency that serves marginalized people. Low rent, they told the Star, is what has made it possible for them to live and thrive in Toronto. Theyve posted flyers, engaged a lawyer and hope that speaking about their building will raise awareness around a process that if unchecked, they said, could severely change the landscape of the city. The Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) states that tenants who want to return when work is done can claim their right of first refusal and pay about the same rent, as if they never left. Property owner AIPL Canada Holdings Inc., the landlord, has and will continue to follow the law and respect tenants rights, the Star was told. The tenants realize the units would go for higher rent if empty. Briarlane Rental Property Management Inc., which manages the building as well as neighbouring 382 Dovercourt, also owned by AIPL Canada, lists on its website one-bedrooms starting from $1,850 and studios from $1,650. To most of the Dovercourt tenants, paying market prices is not an option rather, it would be game over for their time in Toronto, as described by tenant Aleksandar Kulauzov. A recent renovictions case involving a nearby building at 795 College St. found that despite ruling the landlord for that building had blatantly disregarded the law forcing tenants out, ignoring their requests to return, and finding new ones to pay more than three times the rent the LTB doesnt have the power to get the original tenants back in their homes. The board fined the landlord $75,000, but thats money it can recoup from the higher rents in less than a year. What we are seeing is more and more of these in the city, which is extremely concerning, said Ana Bailao, chair of Torontos planning and housing committee and councillor for Ward 9 (Davenport). Renovations need to happen, she said, but there must be better ways to make sure buildings dont reach the point where a mass eviction for work is needed. We know there is this loophole that exists, Bailao said. People are being pushed out of their community and it is something that needs to be addressed. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has consulted with landlords and tenant groups on potential changes to the RTA, a spokesperson for Minister Steve Clark told the Star in an email, and that input will be used to help develop a housing supply action plan expected in spring, with potential legislative changes in fall. With any proposed changes brought forward, we will ensure the continued protection of tenants, said Julie ODriscoll. Matsuo said the current law paves the way for gentrification. You are going to lose so much culture, and the culture makers, and all the teachers, artists, musicians, everybody, you are going to lose us all ... Then you dont have a city. You have a cell of a city, she said. It is totally preventable what is happening, but what is happening is profound. Their building was sold for $3.15 million in October 2017 to AIPL Canada, a company incorporated in B.C. with mailing and delivery addresses at a P.O. box in Vancouver and a commercial property called The Masterpiece in India. AIPL also purchased 382 Dovercourt Rd. for about $2.8 million, from the same owners. Both buildings have a history of safety issues. The previous owners were fined $96,000 in provincial offences court for numerous fire code violations about six months before the sale, Toronto Fire confirmed. Deputy Sgt. Jim Jessop told the Star that subsequent inspections resulted in both buildings being cleared before the properties changed hands. Two weeks after the sale tenants were told in writing that a significant number of major issues discovered after purchase and reiterated that the landlord did offer funds to people willing to end tenancies to help offset the costs of finding new places to live. The amount was, the landlord noted, well above what the landlord was required to offer tenants affected through the N13 process. An official notice, the N13, arrived two weeks later informing residents that knob and tube wiring had been used throughout and must be replaced. We have been advised by our building insurance and electrical engineers that this wiring is problematic and dangerous and needs to be replaced, it read. Some tenants left and construction began on empty units. But earlier this month a city inspector found that fire separation was removed prior to obtaining a permit and ordered work in and around four units to immediately cease, according to an Order to Comply dated Feb. 15 and posted at the building. If the landlord wants to remove the remaining tenants, the next step is filing an application with the LTB. By Wednesday afternoon nothing had been submitted. Property management company Briarlane did not respond to emails, calls and a hand-delivered letter containing questions about the property, the order from the city and a request to be connected with the owner. The Star was sent a statement from a Gmail account after emailing the corporate office of Advanced India Projects Ltd. in Haryana, India, and speaking with two men with Toronto phone numbers who were identified as the landlords representative in a notice to tenants and who declined to comment but took messages. The property owner, the statement read, has and will continue to ensure the building is managed and operated in accordance with the law, will continue to respect the rights of all tenants and any comment, suggestion or insinuation to the contrary is simply untrue. In a followup email, the author wrote there has been absolutely no attempt by the property owner to forcibly remove people and if tenants pursued the right of first refusal their wishes would be respected. In a city where the vacancy rates hovers at about 1 per cent and landlords can charge what they want for empty units, the Dovercourt tenants have little choice. Occupied one-bedroom units in purpose-built rental buildings in Toronto cost an average of $1,270 and bachelors $1,089, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CHMC) reports. Full units are subject to rent controls. Empty and new units go for whatever the market will bear. In the Greater Toronto Area, one-bedrooms go for closer to $2,024 and $1,793 for a studio, housing research firm Urbanation, reported. Beyond making a yearly profit there is another incentive to boost rent in purpose-built apartment buildings, albeit one rarely used. Buildings where all units rent at 1.5 times the CMHC average qualify to be converted to condominiums with city council approval. Three applications have come in and just one was approved in the past five years, city staff confirmed. New Democratic Party MPP Marit Stiles (Davenport) said flaws in existing housing law means at the end of the day tenants have very few rights. We are going to end up being a city where only people who are very wealthy can afford to live in our communities, said Stiles, noting the NDP sought to amend the law to address renovictions under the previous Liberal government. My fear is we are going to see more of them not less, Stiles said. The fact is the provincial laws around this are too weak and there are too many loopholes. Convicted Mafia boss Giuseppe (Pino) Ursino smiled faintly when he was sentenced to 11 years in prison on drug trafficking charges in Toronto on Thursday. Based on the evidence at trial, Giuseppe Ursino is a high-ranking member of the Ndrangheta who orchestrated criminal conduct and then stepped back to lessen his potential implication, Superior Court Justice Brian OMarra said at the University Ave. courthouse while sentencing Ursino, 65, a greying grandfather from Bradford with a heart condition. His co-accused, Cosmin (Chris) Dracea, 42, of Toronto, also managed a tight smile as he was sentenced to nine years in prison on the cocaine trafficking conspiracy. Cosmin Dracea knew he was dealing with members of a criminal organization when he conspired to import cocaine, OMarra said. The judge noted neither Ursino nor Dracea had a prior criminal record and they both enjoy strong family support. The wives of both men sat grim-faced in court as the sentences were passed. Both accused are by all accounts good and loving husbands and fathers, the judge noted. The prosecution marked the first time in Canada the Ndrangheta Mafia group has been targeted as an organized crime group since the offence of criminal organization came into effect in 1997, senior federal prosecutor Tom Andreopoulos earlier said in an interview. An Italian police expert testified that the Ndrangheta is a highly structured, hierarchical, international organization. Its based in Calabria, Italy, but also has members in Switzerland, Germany, the U.S., Australia and Canada, with cells or locali in the GTA and Thunder Bay. The Ndrangheta is involved in drug trafficking, extortion, loan sharking, theft of public funds, robbery, fraud, electoral crimes and crimes of violence, OMarra said, adding the group so secretive even members arent told the roles or ranks of those above them. This secrecy is aimed at preventing possible leaks that could damage the organization and allow police infiltration, the judge said. It is not possible to know exactly how many members there are, but there are thousands of members worldwide. The Crowns case was bolstered by police agent Carmine Guido, who on the witness stand admitted he had been a drug abuser, kidnapper, loan shark, con man and muscle for the local mob. He said he even tried to be a hit man. I was kind of an enforcer, Guido said under questioning from Crown Attorney Jeremy Streeter. Guido, whose conversations with the accused were secretly recorded, now lives under a different name in a witness protection program. He testified he didnt trust anybody in 2012 when he decided to work with police. People getting killed, Guido said. It just wasnt the same anymore. Nobody was close. Against each other. Making things worse, Guido said he owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in gambling debts to men in the Ndrangheta. Guido is a career criminal who surprisingly has no criminal record, OMarra said. Read more: Accused tells court he only posed as a cocaine trafficker for money scam Accused crime boss admits at trial he talked to agent about cocaine trafficking but didnt mean it Accused in criminal organization trial says hes no boss not even in my family Last April, a jury found Ursino guilty of trafficking cocaine, trafficking cocaine related to a criminal organization, possession of property directly or indirectly related to an indictable offence, conspiracy to import cocaine and conspiracy to import cocaine related to a criminal organization. During the trial, Ursino denied any inside knowledge on the Ndrangheta. Im not a boss, not even in my own family, Ursino said through an Italian-language interpreter, adding his comments in secretly-recorded conversations shouldnt be taken literally. The stupid words come out of my mouth, Ursino testified. What Im talking is one thing, Ursino said. What I mean is another. Dracea was found not guilty of trafficking cocaine related to a criminal organization; he was found guilty of trafficking cocaine, possession of $60,000 directly or indirectly related to an indictable offence, conspiracy to import cocaine, and conspiracy to import cocaine related to a criminal organization. Dracea testified he was just trying to scam Guido, and wasnt really attempting to import cocaine in shipments of jerk sauce and fish. Court heard that Ursino has had two heart operations since his conviction last year. Ursino will require nine types of heart medication in prison, defence lawyer Dragi Zekavica said during the trial, adding that both Ursinos parents died of heart troubles. The defence lawyers noted the cocaine wasnt actually delivered to the conspirators. The Crown called for a prison sentence of 16 years for Ursino and 14 years for Dracea. Zekavica argued for a sentence of seven years for Ursino while Draceas lawyer, Lydia Riva, said between five and seven years would be appropriate for her client. During the trial, Andreopoulos said Ursino became a GTA Ndrangheta boss in 1996 after the murder of GTA baker Francesco Loiero by Sam Calautti, a Toronto restaurant owner who was later murdered. The Loiero and Calautti murders remain unsolved. Andreopoulos that no one should be deceived by Ursinos benign appearance or letters of support saying he is a family man. The Mafia is Mr. Ursinos milieu, Andreopoulos said. It defines who he is. York Regional Police have charged a Toronto tattoo artist after a woman reported being sexually assaulted on two separate occasions while getting a tattoo from him. Officers say they began an investigation earlier this month after the woman reported being sexually assaulted during two separate tattoo sessions at a shop in the area of Kennedy Rd. and Steeles Ave. in Markham in 2016. Police have charged 44-year-old Kevin Proulx, of Toronto, with two counts of sexual assault. In a Thursday news release, police said Proulx has worked at several different locations throughout the GTA as a tattoo artist. Police believe there may be additional victims. Proulx is scheduled to appear at Ontario Court of Justice Newmarket court on March 20. Anyone with information is asked to contact the York Regional Police Sexual Assault Section at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7071. SHEMAL, AFGHANISTANJanat Bebe sent a son and two grandsons to the Afghan National Police force to fight the Taliban. All three returned home last year in coffins, borne up to a cemetery high above their mountainside village of mud and stone. The village, Shemal, has only about 3,000 residents, but it has lost nearly 60 police officers and soldiers in combat, at once devastating and impoverishing the hamlet. They had no choice except to join, because we have no other way to earn a living here, Bebe said of her son and grandsons. They left behind 17 children whom she must now feed, clothe and educate. Afghanistans war is killing at a staggering rate. President Ashraf Ghani said in January that 45,000 soldiers and police officers had died in combat since late 2014. In recent months, the pace has been 30 to 40 deaths a day, a toll that one senior U.S. commander described to Congress as not sustainable. In a country that has endured 40 years of war, each death is a fresh blow to families and communities that have already borne too much. That is one reason for heightened interest in peace talks between the United States and the Taliban that for some have raised hopes for an end to war or at least for an interlude of peace. Taliban delegates are meeting with U.S. negotiators in Qatar this week. But parents like Bebe and Shen Gul, 70, who lost two policemen sons to Taliban ambushes in northern Afghanistan, are uneasy about what peace might bring. Read More: Taliban hopeful on deal amid new round of talks with U.S. U.S. envoy meets with Taliban co-founder ahead of new talks Mostly, they fear that a deal might bring the Taliban into government, putting a hated enemy of their families into power. But there is also the worry that a truce might lead to reprisals against their family members in the security forces or end their jobs and the salaries that have become so important to their families. If they dissolve the army, the Taliban may kill them, Gul said of his five sons who still serve in the security forces. Many soldiers and police officers say they join out of patriotism and a sense of national duty. But their salaries also sustain extended families and, in villages like Shemal, an entire local economy. We depend so much on their salaries without them, we have nothing, said Malik Ajmer Khan, 53, a village elder whose own son is among some 300 village men he said have joined the security forces in the 18-year war. Khan said the village cannot survive solely on its wheat and corn crops, or on the goats that roam steep mountain paths leading to the village. Accessible by car and then by foot via a muddy track beneath the snow-dusted peaks of eastern Afghanistan, Shemal is so remote that Khan said some villagers have never visited nearby Jalalabad or any city. Bebe said she had to sell her home after her son and grandsons were killed in a Taliban ambush on their outpost in Zabul province a year ago. Her husband died fighting the Soviets in the 1980s, she said. By Afghan custom, she now heads an extended family that includes the dead policemens three widows. Surrounded by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Bebe wore pink sneakers and a robe fastened with a plastic hair clip. She held the youngest, Gulab, an infant whose name means roses. She was born after her father died. I always had a great worry that I would lose one of the men in our family, but I never expected to lose all three at once, Bebe said. Police officers, who are frequently in combat but are not usually as heavily armed as members of the army, suffer higher casualty rates than soldiers do. They are often the last line of defence at small, rural outposts that are vulnerable to being overrun by the Taliban in the face of 1,700 insurgent attacks a month nationwide late last year. Despite the escalating body count, military and police jobs are still prized. Police recruiters in the home provinces of Bebe and Gul said they had more volunteers than they could accommodate. Farid Khan, a police spokesman in Nangarhar province, which includes Shemal, said hundreds of recruits are waiting their turns to join units. Most formations stay at or near full strength because of the backlog of volunteers, he said. Army recruiting totals in Kunduz province have doubled since last year, to 300 to 400 a month, said Col. Abdul Qadier, head of army recruiting there. He said an economic crisis in neighbouring Iran has prompted Afghans to stop looking for work there and apply to the army instead. There are no other job opportunities, Qadier said. But overall, there are still problems with inflated personnel counts in both the army and the police. Officials say they are trying to crack down on misreporting by commanders who sometimes create ghost soldiers in their units to skim the salaries. And the horribly high casualty rate, coupled with a continuing but hushed problem with desertion, creates a constant struggle to train wave after wave of new recruits. A report last month by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction said reported security force strength dropped by nearly 4,000 troops last year the lowest level since January 2015. Starting police officers earn about $203 a month, according to the Afghan Ministry of Interior. Bebes son, Mahmood Jan, and one grandson, Gulab, had served 10 years, and the other grandson, Sekander, served three. Bebe said she was overwhelmed by funeral expenses for the three men. Nearly the entire village turned out for each multiday service, costing her thousands of dollars to feed mourners several times. Families receive a dead police officers annual salary for funeral expenses. They are also supposed to be paid long-term cash benefits, which are typically received months later but only after a slog through government bureaucracy. In Shemal, villagers have opened their homes to the policemens widows and children, Bebe said. They move from home to home while Bebe earns cash cleaning houses. Asked about the lasting effects of the three officers deaths, Bebe replied, Of course I feel sorrow, but Im proud because they died defending their country. They died in a very good way. In fact, she said, she will encourage her five grandsons and three great-grandsons to join the military. The country must be served, she said. For Gul, who said he earned about $2 a day from his small grocery in Kunduz in northern Afghanistan, his sons deaths pierced both his heart and his familys prospects. One of his sons, Awal Khan, was killed four years ago when his police outpost was attacked. Four months ago, a younger son, Mohammad Khan, 38, and 14 other officers were killed in a Taliban attack, he said. Between them, his sons earned about $684 a month. Gul said the government paid him $3,945 for funeral costs. But he must now support an extended family that includes his two wives, plus his sons two widows and their 19 children. Gul said he would welcome a peace deal so that no other fathers lose their sons. My own sons will defend their country until the last drop of their blood, he said. But we want peace, so that I dont lose my other five sons in this bloodshed. In Shemal, Bebe expressed contempt for the Taliban fighters who killed the men of her family. I wish I was young, she said. I would join the military and take revenge for my son and grandsons. She touched the shoulder of her eldest grandson, Suleiman, a slender boy who appeared to be about 12 years old. She said she had urged him to join the military and avenge the family when he comes of age. Suleiman was asked whether he planned to volunteer. Bebe and several village men and boys gathered around to hear his response. Yes, the boy said in a faint voice. I want to serve the country so that we win the war. Suleiman looked up at his grandmother. She seemed to want him to say more. And also, he went on, I have been inspired by the men in my family. Read more about: President Donald Trump arrived at the Metropole hotel in downtown Hanoi on Thursday ready to strike at least a modest deal with Kim Jong Un that would nudge North Korea closer to giving up its nuclear arms. A document had been prepared, ready for the two leaders to sign in a much-anticipated ceremony before reporters. Progress had been made on a joint definition of denuclearization, Trump said a major sticking point in the talks. The North Korean leader assured the president hed continue to suspend tests of nuclear bombs and ballistic missiles. Then Kim decided to press his luck, in the presidents telling. And Trump walked away. The young North Korean leader had been successful before with surprise requests for last-minute concessions. In Singapore, he persuaded Trump to halt joint military exercises with South Korea in the closing hours of their first summit. This time, he went for more. Trump said Kim wanted the U.S. to lift all of its punishing economic sanctions against Pyongyang immediately. In exchange, North Korea would disable its Yongbyon reactor facility that had produced the fissile material for its nuclear bombs. Trump, by his own account, was impressed that Kim was willing to lose a very big facility. But he said he pressed Kim on other nuclear sites uncovered by American intelligence. Moreover, the U.S. side mindful of North Koreas track record of broken promises sought a different sequence of events: disarmament, then sanctions relief. Read More: Trump, Kim summit collapses over sanctions impasse Shares decline after Trump-Kim summit halts without a deal The North Koreans were unwilling to concede to the full inspections regime the U.S. proposed. As the sides went back and forth, reporters were brought into a cafe at the hotel where Trump and Kim were expected to share lunch. A long table with white linens and roses had been set, while a menu of snow fish, apple foie gras jelly, and banoffee pie was being prepared. Back in the meeting room, the two leaders discussed whether to push forward with a deal. And Trump, who had for months been counselled by North Korea hawks within his administration, including National Security Adviser John Bolton, that no deal was preferable to a bad deal, began to balk. He worried that an agreement perceived as lopsided in favour of Pyongyang would result in more media criticism. So Trump pulled a classic Trump move, abandoning the talks. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders was dispatched to tell reporters there had been a change of schedule. The leaders were continuing to talk, but Trumps news conference would move up two hours effectively replacing a signing ceremony for the two leaders agreement. They wanted the sanctions lifted, in their entirety, Trump would later tell reporters. And we couldnt do that. They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted, but we couldnt give up all the sanctions for that. The abrupt decision to curtail the summit seemed all the more jarring because Trump and Kim publicly demonstrated a warm rapport. On Wednesday night, the pair laughed together as a group of international reporters scurried to snap pictures and shout questions during a series of photo ops. And they both adopted a defiant optimism, saying publicly that the talks would validate a diplomatic effort that has drawn skepticism in both countries. Even their private discussions made clear Trump was willing to bend over backwards as he sought a deal. Trump told Kim that he believed he had no role in injuries sustained by a detained U.S. college student, Otto Warmbier, who died after he was returned to the U.S. in a comatose state following detention in North Korea. And the White House booted four American reporters from the leaders dinner on Wednesday after some of the journalists shouted questions at the pair during their initial photo ops. Kim appeared more game to engage with journalists on Thursday, fielding a series of questions from White House reporters a historic first. But one exchange seemed to portend the eventual collapse of the talks and underscored that despite the summits pageantry, the two leaders remained far apart on the details of an agreement. A reporter asked Kim if hed consider letting the U.S. open a diplomatic liaison office in Pyongyang, in exchange for a facility of his own in Washington. The North Korean leader initially demurred, indicating to Trump that he thought it was time for reporters to leave. But Trump told the North Korean hed be interested to hear his answer. Kim paused, then allowed that he might welcome the idea. But, he added, every minute of the summit was valuable, so it would be best for the journalists to leave. In fact, there were fewer minutes left than Kim even knew. The talks collapsed shortly after reporters left the room, and in the end, the North Korean strongman left with only a parting handshake from the American president. We continue to work, and well see, Trump later told reporters. But we had to walk away from that particular suggestion. Read more about: NAIROBI, Kenya - A nearly day-long siege in the heart of Somalias capital ended with all of the al-Shabab extremist attackers killed, police said Friday, as the death toll was at 24 and expected to climb. Capt. Mohamed Hussein told The Associated Press that an operation to clear the besieged buildings had begun, with bodies found. Two of the dead were soldiers, he said. The overnight attack began with a pair of car bombs exploding in a popular area of Mogadishu where Somalis were relaxing at restaurants and hotels Thursday evening. One went off near the home of appeals court chief Judge Abshir Omar, and security forces fought off gunmen who tried to force their way inside, Hussein said. We heard a huge blast, a devastating blast that affected all the buildings, said Mohamed Ibrahim Moalim, the secretary general of the national union of Somali journalists. At least four gunmen then opened fire at nearby buildings and businesses, sparking clashes with hotel guards, he said. Dozens of cars caught fire along busy Maka Almukarramah Road. The extremists then holed up inside buildings, exchanging gunfire with security forces who worked well into Friday to free trapped civilians. More than 35 people were rescued, Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire said late Friday after visiting the area of shattered buildings. The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, Africas deadliest Islamic extremist group, claimed responsibility for the attack and said its target had been the nearby Maka Almukarramah hotel, which is patronized by government officials. The extremist group has targeted it multiple times, killing scores of people. Police said the death toll could rise. Many victims had horrific injuries some had lost limbs, nurse Sadiya Yusuf at Daru Shifa hospital said and hospitals were said to be struggling to cope with the number of causalities. Doctors at Erdogan Hospital in Mogadishu said they had received 55 wounded people, with three succumbing to injuries. Many were in critical condition and 15 had undergone surgeries, said Dr. Ismail Yamas, the hospital manager. The style of the attack echoed previous ones by al-Shabab in Mogadishu as well as the attack in January at a luxury hotel complex in the capital of neighbouring Kenya that killed 21 people. The United Nations mission in Somalia and others in the international community quickly condemned the attack, one of the worst in Mogadishu in months. It came after the U.S. military carried out a number of deadly airstrikes in recent days against al-Shabab, considered the deadliest Islamic extremist group in Africa. Al-Shabab opposes Somalias federal government and wants to impose sharia law. The U.S. has dramatically increased such airstrikes since President Donald Trump took office. The U.S. military command for the African continent reported carrying out 50 strikes in Somalia in 2018. This year, the airstrikes have come at an even faster pace, with 24 so far. The U.S. military command for Africa reported a new one that killed 26 al-Shabab fighters on Thursday in central Somalia, where two strikes earlier this week killed 55. ___ Associated Press video journalist Mohamed Sheikh Nor in Mogadishu, Somalia contributed. ___ Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa BEIJING - A prominent Chinese human rights lawyer disappeared on the day of his scheduled release from prison Thursday and was reportedly taken away by unknown persons. Jiang Tianyong, who defended politically sensitive clients like blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng and followers of the outlawed Falun Gong spiritual group, had completed a two-year sentence handed down for crimes against the state. But supporters who arrived at the prison in central Henan province were told that unknown individuals had already picked him up and taken him away, said his wife Jin Bianling. The Chinese government is so shameless, Jin said in a phone interview from Los Angeles, where she lives with their 16-year-old daughter. Hes completed his sentence now, so he should be free, she said. Is Chinese law just a piece of scrap paper? Jiangs sister and father have also been missing since Wednesday afternoon, when state security agents were supposed to be escorting them to the prison, Jin said. Calls to the prison Thursday rang unanswered. China has increasingly placed those it considers dissidents under various types of extra-legal detention even after they have served their sentences, with no due process or additional charges filed. Chen, the blind legal activist, was confined for years at his home in a northern Chinese village, guarded around-the-clock by hired thugs until his escape in 2012. Environmental activist Wu Lihong has been restricted to his home in the eastern city of Wuxi under constant surveillance since his release in 2010 after serving a three-year sentence over allegedly trumped-up charges of financial crimes. Such restrictions are tightened during politically sensitive occasions, such as next weeks start of the annual session of Chinas rubber-stamp parliament, the National Peoples Congress. Jin said Jiangs sister visited him earlier this month and reported that he was in poor health. His skin tone was darker, he appeared gaunt, and his lips were cracked, Jiangs sister told Jin. He requested that his sister pick him on his release date and bring him to their ancestral home in Henans Luoshan county. On Tuesday, however, state security agents visited Jiangs parents and said he would not be permitted to return home, and would instead be sent to Zhengzhou, Henans capital, where the government would determine his housing and employment. The next day, state security agents said they would escort Jiangs sister and father to the jailhouse to meet him upon his release. The two have since been unreachable, Jin said, with their cellphones shut off despite a prior promise to call Jiangs mother when they arrived at the jail. Prior to Jiangs arrest in 2016, he had worked to publicize the plight of lawyers arrested in a sweeping crackdown on legal advocates that began in July 2015. He was forced to stop practicing law in 2009, after authorities refused to renew his legal license. Jiang was sentenced in 2017 to two years in prison for inciting subversion of state power, a vague charged often levied against human rights activists. Prosecutors accused Jiang of using social media platforms to denigrate the government and judicial authorities said he incited others to subvert state power, including fabricating claims that another lawyer had allegedly been tortured in custody. Jin said she worries about her husbands health, as he suffers from high blood pressure. Our daughter was looking forward to talking to her father, Jin. Now what can we do? NEW DELHIPakistan said Wednesday that it downed two Indian fighter jets and captured a pilot, escalating hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbours a day after Indian warplanes struck inside Pakistani territory for the first time in five decades. The rapid turn of events raised fears that the historical animosities between India and Pakistan could be steering them toward another war. Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan urged India to settle matters through talks, referring to the nuclear weapons both countries hold and the risk of further escalation. All big wars have been due to miscalculation. No one knew how the war would end, he said in a televised speech. My question to India is that given the weapons we have, can we afford miscalculation? Tensions have been rising since a suicide bombing two weeks ago that hit an Indian paramilitary convoy in Kashmir, the disputed territory that has been a chronic flash point. Expectations that diplomacy and calls for calm would de-escalate the crisis have yet to show any obvious result. In New Delhi, officials confirmed that an Indian air force pilot was in Pakistani custody, complicating an already tough landscape for Prime Minister Narendra Modi before hotly contested elections this spring. Read more: Air Canada suspends some flights to India after Pakistan closes airspace amid rising tension India airstrikes in Pakistan hike tensions between nuclear neighbours Q&A: Whats at stake as India-Pakistan tensions rise? Indian opposition politicians seized on what they saw as the opportunity the current crisis presented: 21 opposition parties issued a statement Wednesday to condemn Modi for his politicization of the nations armed forces and the current Pakistani misadventure. A slickly produced video circulated by opposition members claimed that Modi had no qualms capitalizing on a national tragedy and politicizing terror. The fate of the Indian air force pilot in Pakistani custody was likely to further roil India before the election, and New Delhi urged that he be treated with respect under the Geneva Convention, which forbids torture. By Wednesday night, three videos emerged of the pilot, including one featuring him struggling to fend off a mob of men in plainclothes in the middle of a forest. In that video, Pakistani soldiers yell at the crowd to stop beating the pilot and fire warning shots to restrain them. Another video showed the pilot blindfolded as Pakistani security officials asked him questions. A photograph from a third video, posted on Twitter by the spokesman for Pakistans military, showed Pakistani security officials interrogating the pilot. The officers of the Pakistani army have looked after me very well, they are thorough gentlemen, the pilot said in the third video, his face swollen and bruised as he drank a cup of tea. A voice offscreen asks a series of questions. The Indian pilot refers to the interrogator as a major and tells him he is married and from southern India, without specifying where. The Pakistani military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor, identified the Indian pilot as Wing Commander Abhi Nandan and said he had been treated well. The Indian government did not release any identifying details of the captured pilot. In India, panic intensified around Kashmir. Hundreds of residents fled their homes while volunteers painted large red crosses on the roofs of hospitals, hoping the markings would ward off any airstrikes. In Pakistan, dozens of tanks were deployed to the border in broad daylight, underscoring the heightened state of alert as both sides scrambled to shore up their military positions. Such equipment usually is moved under the cloak of night. Indias government confirmed that one of its MiG-21 fighter jets had been lost as it thwarted what the government said was an attempt by Pakistans air force to strike an unspecified target inside India. In the encounter, a Pakistani aircraft was shot down by an Indian fighter jet, New Delhi said, a claim that Pakistan denied. Raveesh Kumar, chief spokesman for Indias Ministry of External Affairs, told a news conference in New Delhi that the government was still ascertaining the facts. He did not respond to Pakistans claims of having downed two aircraft instead of the single jet he acknowledged. He declined to take questions. Although both India and Pakistan say they want to resolve the current crisis diplomatically, the two governments may be beholden to their electorates, amid calls for firm military responses from both sides of the border. In Pakistan, with the capture of the Indian pilot, the current crisis has shored up support for Khan, who took office six months ago and has since faced growing opposition domestically. The crisis has not presented such an opportunity for Modi, who seemed destined just a year ago to clinch a second term as Indias prime minister. Since then, Modi has faced considerable opposition over what critics say is his mishandling of the economy before elections this spring. The capture of the Indian pilot may only weaken his position and lead to a dangerous escalation if Modi chooses to respond militarily. Top Trump administration officials have conducted a full-court press in the past 48 hours to avert a crisis between the two nuclear-armed rivals. The secretary of state, Mike Pompeo; John Bolton, Trumps national security adviser; Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and two senior regional military commanders, Gen. Joseph L. Votel of the Central Command and Adm. Philip S. Davidson, the head of the Pacific Command, have all been calling their Indian and Pakistani counterparts to help de-escalate tensions, administration officials said Wednesday. Pakistans ambassador to the United States called on Washington to play a greater role in easing tensions between the two countries. We would certainly like to have more, and would certainly like to see more active involvement of the United States, Asad M. Khan, the envoy, told reporters. The fears of escalation intensified Tuesday when the Pakistani prime minister promised to retaliate for an incursion by Indian jets hours before. Those airstrikes were the first time since 1971 that the Indian air force had crossed the Line of Control, the de facto border between the Indian- and Pakistani-held areas of Kashmir, to strike inside Pakistan. Ghafoor, the Pakistani military spokesman, said in a news conference Wednesday afternoon that Pakistans air force had struck six targets inside India, without crossing into the countrys airspace. It was unclear what was struck; Ghafoor described the target as an open area that could be hit with no human loss or collateral damage. The Indian air force responded by entering into Pakistans airspace, he added, and two warplanes were shot down. By Wednesday afternoon, the Indian government closed the airspace over parts of the countrys north that host military facilities, including Jammu, Srinagar, Amritsar, Leh and Dehradun, according to Rakesh Asthana, the director general of the Bureau of Civil Aviation and Security. Pakistan also closed large parts of its airspace, including major airports, according to a notice issued by the countrys Civil Aviation Authority. Major airlines suspended flights to India and Pakistan on Wednesday, including Air Canada. British Airways said it had to reroute flights headed to the countries. The Indian air force strike in the early hours of Tuesday morning hit what the Indian government claimed was a training camp belonging to the militant group Jaish-e-Muhammed in Balakot, Khyber-Pakhtunkwha province, resulting in heavy casualties. But the Pakistani government and residents of the area reached by telephone said the strikes instead struck an open ravine, resulting in minimal damage. Those strikes were in response to the Feb. 14 suicide bombing by Jaish-e-Muhammed on an Indian paramilitary convoy in Kashmir. The suicide bombing killed 40 Indian soldiers, the worst incident in Kashmir in three decades. Jaish-e-Muhammed is classified as a terrorist group by the United Nations and blacklisted. Although the group is formally banned by Pakistans government, U.S. and Indian officials say it operates freely in the country, which Islamabad denies. Read more about: SRINIGAR, India - This weeks standoff between India and Pakistan is their latest in a long dispute over the divided Himalayan region of Kashmir, dating back to their independence in 1947. Once unified as a single territory under British rule, India and Pakistan have struggled to create their own unique identities often by pointing to their differences and allying themselves with different world powers. Kashmir has always been the flashpoint between them. Here are some key dates in India-Pakistan relations that helped define the dispute over Kashmir: ___ August 1947 Britain leaves the Indian subcontinent, divided as predominantly Hindu India and mainly Muslim Pakistan. Massive migrations of Hindus and Muslims to their country of choice triggers violence, leaving more than a million people dead. October 1947 India and Pakistan fight their first war over control of Muslim-majority Kashmir, a kingdom ruled by Hindu Maharaja Hari Singh. The war ends in 1948 with a U.N.-brokered cease-fire, leaving Kashmir divided between the two nations, with the promise of a U.N.-sponsored referendum. January 1949 India and Pakistan agree to a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a plebiscite in Kashmir but fail to strike a truce amid disagreements over how to demilitarize. September 1960 India and Pakistan sign the World Bank-brokered Indus Water Treaty for the utilization of the Indus rivers system. The treaty gives control over waters of three rivers each to India and Pakistan. August 1965 Second war over Kashmir erupts. September 1965 India and Pakistan agree to U.N.-mandated cease-fire, ending a stalemated war. January 1966 The Soviet Union mediates peace between Pakistan and India in Tashkent in present-day Uzbekistan, with the two sides agreeing to withdraw to the positions they held prior to the outbreak of war in August 1965. December 1971 A third war between India and Pakistan in East Pakistan ends with the creation of Bangladesh. July 1972 Indian and Pakistani prime ministers meet and sign an accord for the return of tens of thousands of Pakistani prisoners of war. They also rename the cease-fire line in Kashmir the Line of Control. May 1974 India detonates a nuclear device in western Rajasthan desert, a first confirmed nuclear test by a nation outside the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. December 1988 India and Pakistan sign an agreement that neither will attack each others nuclear installations or facilities; deal goes into effect in 1991. December 1989 Armed resistance to Indian rule in Kashmir begins. India says Pakistan supports fighters with weapons and training, labels attacks against it in Kashmir cross-border terrorism. Pakistan says it gives Kashmiris moral and diplomatic support, demanding a U.N.-sponsored public referendum. August 1992 Joint declaration signed by India and Pakistan in New Delhi prohibits use of chemical weapons. May 1998 India detonates five nuclear devices at Pokhran, in Rajasthan. Pakistan responds by detonating six of its own in the Chaghai Hills. The tests result in international sanctions against both. February 1999 Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee rides a bus to eastern Pakistani city of Lahore to meet with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and sign a major peace accord. May 1999 Fresh conflict erupts, Pakistani forces and Kashmiri fighters occupy some Himalayan peaks on the Indian side of Kashmir. India launches a counter offensive using air force and artillery. The U.S. brokers peace. May 2001 Prime Minister Vajpayee and Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf meet in the northern Indian city of Agra, home to Taj Mahal, the monument of love, aiming to resolve the Kashmir dispute, other issues between them. The summit ends without any agreement. October 2001 Insurgents attack the legislature building in Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing 38 people and escalating tensions. December 2001 Gunmen attack Indian parliament in New Delhi, killing 14. India blames Pakistani insurgent groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad, and masses troops along its western frontier with Pakistan and the Kashmir boundary. The standoff ends in October 2002 after international mediation. January 2004 Musharraf and Vajpayee hold direct talks on the sidelines of a regional summit in Islamabad, launching bilateral, official-level meetings to settle outstanding issues. February 2007 A train running between India and Pakistan, known as the Samjhauta Express, is bombed near Panipat, north of New Delhi, killing 68. October 2008 India and Pakistan open a trade route across divided Kashmir, the first in six decades. November 2008 Gunmen mount audacious attacks in Indias financial capital of Mumbai, killing 166 people. India blames a Pakistan-based militant group. November 2012 India executes the lone surviving Pakistani gunman, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, four years after his capture during the Mumbai terror attacks. September 2013 Prime ministers of India and Pakistan meet on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, agree to end tensions between their armies in Kashmir. May 2014 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi invites his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif to New Delhi for his inauguration. December 2015 Modi makes a surprise visit to the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Sharifs birthday and the wedding of his granddaughter. January 2016 Six gunmen attack an Indian air force base in the northern town of Pathankot bordering Pakistan, killing seven soldiers and paralyzing the base for days. July 2016 Indian soldiers kill charismatic Kashmiri rebel leader Burhan Wani, sparking months of anti-India protests and deadly clashes across the region that kill 90 and injure thousands. September 2016 Suspected rebels sneak into an army base in Indian-controlled Kashmir and kill at least 18 soldiers in one of the deadliest attacks on a base in the region; four attackers are also killed. Indian forces later attack militant launch pads in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, inflicting an unknown number of casualties. May 2018 India and Pakistan agree to respect a cease-fire after months of skirmishes along the Line of Control in Kashmir. August 2018 Newly elected Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan offers to start a dialogue with India; Modi congratulates Khan after his swearing-in, expressing a desire for talks. Feb. 14, 2019 A car bombing of a paramilitary convoy in Indian-controlled Kashmir kills 40 Indian soldiers. Militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, headquartered in Pakistan, claims responsibility. India blames Pakistan and promises crushing response. Feb. 26 India launches what it calls a pre-emptive strike on what is says was a terrorist training camp in Pakistan; Islamabad says an empty forested area was hit. Feb. 27 Pakistan says it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot. Feb. 28 Khan calls for negotiations and promises to release pilot the following day. ISLAMABAD - The Latest on escalating India-Pakistan tensions (all times local): 9:10 p.m. Turkish officials say Pakistans prime minister Imran Khan has called President Recep Tayyip Erdogan amid his countrys standoff with India. A statement from Erdogans office said the two discussed the tensions between Pakistan and India and other developments in the region during Thursdays telephone conversation. The statement did not provide further details and officials would not say whether Khan had requested Turkeys assistance to defuse tensions. Islamabad has reached out asking the international community for help to deescalate tensions with India over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. ___ 4:05 p.m. India is welcoming Pakistans decision to free a captured Indian pilot whose Mig-21 fighter was shot down during an aerial skirmish between the air forces of the two countries in disputed Kashmir. Air Vice Marshal R.J.K. Kapoor, an Indian air force spokesman, says the Indian air force is extremely happy and looks forward to the return of the Indian pilot. Talking to reporters, the spokesman did not give any details, such as whether the pilot will be flown from Pakistan on Friday. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in Parliament on Thursday that the pilot will be released as a peace gesture, a step that is likely to help defuse the confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbours over the disputed region of Kashmir. ___ 5:20 p.m. Fresh fighting has erupted between Indian and Pakistani soldiers along the so-called Line of Control that divides disputed Kashmir between the two nuclear-armed rivals. Indias army says Pakistani soldiers are targeting nearly two dozen Indian forward points with mortar and gunfire. Lt. Col. Devender Anand, an Indian army spokesman, says Pakistani troops later Thursday attacked forward posts along the Line of Control calling it an unprovoked violation of the 2003 cease-fire accord. He said Indian soldiers were responding to the ongoing Pakistani multiple attacks along the highly militarized de-facto frontier. Anand said shells were also landing in some civilian areas near the frontier. Police said at least two people, an off-duty soldier and a woman, were injured in the shelling. Pakistani soldiers also attacked Indian positions overnight, the army spokesman said earlier, but described its intensity as lesser than previous nights. He said no casualties involving soldiers were reported so far in fighting since Wednesday night. India and Pakistan routinely trade fire and blame the other for starting skirmishes along the frontier. ___ 4:25 p.m. Prime Minister Imran Khan says Pakistan will release the captured Indian pilot as a peace gesture toward India. Khan made this announcement Thursday while addressing lawmakers in both chambers of parliament, convened to discuss the latest situation amid rising tensions with India over the disputed territory of Kashmir. Khan says he tried to reach his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Wednesday with a message that he wants to de-escalate tension. Khan did not say how India responded to his initiative. He also reiterated his offer for talks to New Delhi, saying this is the only way to solve all issues. ___ 2:55 p.m. China says its in close communication with both India and Pakistan in hopes of promoting a de-escalation of their current standoff. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang says China hopes the two countries can meet each other halfway and resolve this issue via dialogue. Lu said at a daily briefing on Thursday that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed Beijings concerns both to his Indian counterpart at a trilateral meeting in eastern China and over the phone with Pakistans foreign minister. Lu says upholding regional peace and stability was a primary concern. Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang expressed similar sentiments calling for restraint. Ren said both India and Pakistan are friends of China and we believe that the top priority is for the two sides to exercise restraint and to resolve the issue through dialogue and co-ordination. Ren declined to say if China has taken any special measures at its border with Kashmir in response to the India-Pakistan escalation. ___ 2:45 p.m. Pakistans foreign minister says a top Saudi diplomat is coming to Islamabad later in the day to deliver an important message from the Saudi crown prince amid the Pakistan-India standoff. Islamabad has reached out asking the international community for help to deescalate tensions with India over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi says Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs, will a message from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman later on Thursday. Qureshi says he spoke to al-Jubeir on the phone the previous night. He did not give further details. Al-Jubeir will arrive in Islamabad on his special plane even though Pakistan has temporarily closed its air space to all civilian traffic amid tensions with India. ___ 2:20 p.m. Pakistans foreign ministry says India has handed over its file on the deadly Kashmir bombing this month, a sign of easing tensions between the two nuclear-armed rivals. The Feb. 14 suicide bombing targeted Indian paramilitary forces in the Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing 40 troops and leading to a dramatic escalation between India and Pakistan. The ministrys spokesman, Mohammad Faisal, says the Pakistani side will be examining the dossier that Islamabad received through diplomatic channels on Thursday. He refused to provide details about the information that New Delhi has shared. The Indian move to share information comes after Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan offered talks with India. Pakistan also has said it will act against those linked to the Kashmir bombing if actionable intelligence is shared with it. ___ 1 p.m. Indias prime minister says his countrys enemies are conspiring to create instability through terror attacks. The remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi come amid tensions with Pakistan following the areal skirmish between the two countries in disputed Kashmir. Pakistan said it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot on Wednesday. Modi spoke to tens of thousands of Hindu nationalist party workers on Thursday in a video conference from New Delhi. He didnt mention archrival Pakistan but said a united India would fight, live, work and win. The videoconference was meant to galvanize his party workers ahead of elections due by May. Opposition leaders are criticizing Modi for the campaign event during the tense standoff with Pakistan. ___ 11:40 a.m. Members of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis ruling party have called for more military action against Pakistan as tensions dramatically escalated this week between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Modi is to address tens of thousands of workers and volunteers from his Bharitiya Janata Party across the country on Thursday afternoon, rallying support ahead elections this spring in an event being billed as the worlds largest videoconference. Opposition leaders demanded on Twitter that he cancel the event amid the tensions with Pakistan. Twenty-one opposition party leaders met in New Delhi on Wednesday, releasing a statement praising the valour of Indias armed forces and condemning the ruling partys blatant politicization of the events. ___ 11:15 a.m. Authorities in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir have closed all schools and educational institutions in the region and are urging parents to keep their children at home amid mounting tension with neighbouring India. Pakistans foreign ministry said on Thursday that a key train service linking the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore with India has been suspended until the security situation improves. Pakistans airspace remained closed for a second day Thursday, snarling air traffic. There was a complete power blackout overnight in Muzafarabad, the main city on the Pakistani-held side of the disputed Himalayan region because of concerns India could to retaliate after Pakistan said it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot the day before. ___ 11 a.m. Pakistani police say troops deployed in the disputed region of Kashmir continued trading fire with India overnight, forcing villagers living near the contested frontier to move to safer places even as the two nuclear-armed nations appear to be stepping back from the brink. Police official Mohammad Tahir says cross-border fire continued into Thursday but there were no casualties. Government buildings in Muzafarabad, the capital of the Pakistan-controlled section of Kashmir, are being used to provide shelter to those who fled from border towns. This comes a day after Pakistans military said it shot down two Indian warplanes in Kashmir and captured a pilot, answering an airstrike the previous day by Indian fighter jets inside Pakistan. Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan offered peace talks and Indias external affairs minister promised restraint. BRUSSELS - A lawyer for a man charged with terror murder over the killing four people at a Jewish museum in Belgium set about dismantling the case against his client Thursday, accusing investigators of meddling with evidence, prosecutors of intimidating witnesses and some of the witnesses of lying. Gesticulating and bickering with prosecutors in a display that had some lawyers snickering and Presiding Judge Laurence Massart frowning, Sebastien Courtoy claimed the 2014 slayings were carried out by Israeli intelligence agents and not his client, Mehdi Nemmouche. Nemmouche, a suspected French jihadist who spent time in Syria, is accused of murdering an Israeli couple by shooting them in the back of the head at point-blank range with a revolver at the entrance to the Jewish museum in Brussels, before moving inside and gunning down two employees. Courtoy claimed that investigators desperate to secure a guilty verdict had faked some of the security camera images from the scene of the crime just a five-minute walk from the Brussels criminal court which were shown to jurors during the trial. He said investigators are bent on convicting Nemmouche because there were four dead right outside the justice palace. Its an affront to the justice system. When he wasnt whispering in a confidential tone to jurors, Courtoy repeatedly chastised two prosecutors he claimed were annoying him. He said of one: We know what his methods are. He was constantly trying to intimidate the witnesses. It wont work with me. When it came to witnesses, Courtoy branded as liars some of the four French journalists who claim they were held hostage by Nemmouche in Syria. He also pointed out that a woman who was at the museum and said she had watched the attacker, identified him as being of European descent and aged in his forties. Nemmouche is a 33-year-old Frenchman of northern African origin. Nemmouches lawyers have claimed that the real killers were agents from the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and that Nemmouche was a patsy coerced into transporting the weapons. It was a civil execution of the Israeli couple, Courtoy told the court. He did not present any hard evidence of Mossad involvement. The court previously declined a request by Courtoy to call testimony from Mossad agents. The 12 jurors must decide by a majority whether Nemmouche is guilty. Should their secret ballot be tied at 6-6, he would be found not guilty. A verdict is expected on March 7. Should he be found guilty, Nemmouche would likely be sentenced the following day. He faces up to 30 years in prison. If he is acquitted, Nemmouche, who was flanked in court by two police officers in ski masks, would remain jailed as he must faces charges in France over the hostage taking in Syria. Nemmouche has mostly exercised his right to silence during the trial but has suggested that he will speak before it ends. Courtoy said the defence lawyers have been threatened and branded as anti-Semites, Nazis and fascists for defending their client. An alleged accomplice, 30-year-old Nacer Bendrer, is on trial accused of supplying the revolver and assault rifle used in the killings. LONDON - Irelands deputy prime minister said Thursday that the European Union wants to work with Britain to ensure there is a Brexit deal, as Irish drivers were warned they will need new paperwork to cross the currently invisible border to Northern Ireland if the U.K. leaves the bloc without an agreement. The Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland says it has issued insurance firms with 1 million application forms for the internationally recognized Green Card insurance document. British drivers travelling to Ireland or other EU countries will also need the paperwork just one of a host of new rules and hurdles citizens will need to negotiate if Britain crashes out of the bloc without a framework for departure terms and future relations. Currently, auto insurance in any EU country covers the whole bloc. If Britain leaves with a deal, there will be no change until at least the end of 2020. Britain is due to leave the 28-nation bloc on March 29, but so far its Parliament has rejected the governments divorce deal with the EU, raising the prospect of a chaotic no deal Brexit. Governments in EU countries, as well as in Britain, have warned citizens and businesses to prepare for potential disruption to trade and travel as tariffs, customs checks and other barriers are erected between Britain and its biggest trading partner. But U.K. authorities admitted this week that neither individuals nor businesses are ready for a no-deal departure, and the short time remaining before 29 March 2019 does not allow government to unilaterally mitigate the effects of no deal. British lawmakers rejected Mays deal with the EU last month, largely over a provision to guarantee there are no customs posts or other barriers along the Irish border. The mechanism, known as the backstop, is a safeguard that would keep the U.K. in a customs union with the EU to remove the need for checks until a permanent new trading relationship is in place. May wants to revise the deal to reassure opponents that the backstop would only apply temporarily. But EU leaders insist that the legally binding Brexit withdrawal agreement cant be reopened. Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney said the EU wants to work with the U.K. to try to give the reassurance and clarification it needs on the border issue. But he said the EU had made it very clear that the text of the withdrawal agreement will not be reopened. What theyll be providing will be an addition, but in a way that doesnt undermine the meaning of that text, which I think is very important from an Irish perspective, Coveney said in Dublin. May says U.K. lawmakers will get to vote again on her deal including any amendments she secures by March 12. If it is rejected, Parliament will then vote on whether to leave the EU without an agreement or seek to postpone Brexit by up to three months. Any delay would require approval from all 27 remaining EU nations. Austrias leader said Thursday that if Britain seeks an extension to prevent a disorderly exit, Vienna would back it. But Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said he wanted to see Britain leave before European Parliament elections in late May. Kurz said that the participation of a country that wants to leave the European Union in European Parliament elections would, I think, seem more than absurd. Speaking after meeting Kurz in Vienna, chief EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said any delay must serve not to put off the problem but to resolve the problem in the British Parliament. Today, above all we need decisions, much more than extra time, he said. ___ Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this story. KIEV, Ukraine - Hundreds of demonstrators marched across the Ukrainian capital Thursday calling for the impeachment of the countrys president over embezzlement claims. President Petro Poroshenko, who is seeking re-election in a March 31 vote, has come under fire over a media investigation that implicated one of his senior associates in the alleged embezzlement of military funds. The report has dealt another blow to Poroshenko, whose popularity has sunk because of rampant official corruption and economic woes that followed Russias 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula. Poroshenkos rival in the race, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, has jumped at the allegations to push for Poroshenkos impeachment. Protesters carried banners that read, Candidates are many but there is only one marauder, mimicking Poroshenkos campaign slogan, Candidates are many but there is only one president. Polls show that Poroshenko and Tymoshenko are both trailing comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who plays the nations president in a hugely popular TV series. Zelenskiy also mocked Poroshenkos slogan, saying on Facebook, Candidates are many but one of them will certainly go to jail. The investigation, conducted by investigative reporters at Bihus.info, claimed that the embezzlement scheme involved state-controlled defence plants, and cost the state 250 million hryvnias (about $9 million.) The scheme allegedly involved a factory that was controlled by Poroshenko. Poroshenko has denied involvement in the embezzlement and ordered prosecutors to investigate. The parliament on Thursday set up its own a panel to look into the allegations. On Wednesday, the country was also rocked by the constitutional Courts decision to annul a legal article requiring officials to prove that their assets have legitimate origins. The court ruled that the article violated the presumption-of-innocence principle. Ukraine adopted the legal provision in 2015 under pressure from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union, which made their financial assistance to Ukraine contingent on stronger anti-corruption efforts. Valdis Dombrovskis, a European Commission vice-president, expressed concern about the move during Thursdays visit to Kyiv. We must see what exactly the concerns of constitutional Court were, and how it will affect the effectiveness of fight against corruption, he said. Zelenskiy harshly criticized the constitutional Courts decision, saying that the outgoing government has decided to get away with what it has stolen from the people and the army. COPENHAGEN - The Swedish domestic security agency says a person has been arrested on suspicion of spying on refugees who fled to Sweden. The agency, known as SAPO, said Thursday the unidentified person was arrested a day earlier, adding it had been working on the case for a long time. SAPO said the espionage is a way of trying to prevent refugees from expressing criticism of the regime in the country they have fled, adding the agency conducts active work to prevent and counteract the spying on refugees that occurs in Sweden. In June, a 49-year old Tibetan man was found guilty of spying for China by gathering information on Tibetans who had fled to Sweden. A court sentenced him to 22 months in jail. LONDON - The Latest on Brexit negotiations (all times local): 3:40 p.m. A junior minister has resigned from the British government over Brexit, saying he does not agree with the decision to offer Parliament the chance to delay Britains departure from the European Union and rule out a no-deal exit. Ex-Agriculture Minister George Eustice says we cannot negotiate a successful Brexit unless we are prepared to walk through the (exit) door. Prime Minister Theresa May said this week that if lawmakers reject her EU divorce deal they will be able to seek a delay to Britains departure. The move was a concession to growing pressure from lawmakers to remove the risk Britain may leave without a deal an outcome that could spark severe economic disruption. But Eustice, a firm backer of Brexit, said in his resignation letter Thursday that the decision would lead to a sequence of events culminating in the EU dictating the terms of any extension requested and the final humiliation of our country. ___ 2:30 p.m. Official figures show that net migration into Britain from the other 27 European Union countries has fallen to near-decade lows, suggesting that Brexit uncertainty is making the country a less attractive place to work. The Office for National Statistics said Thursday that though the number of EU citizens coming into Britain continues to add to the population, the difference between those coming into the country and those leaving fell in the year to September 2018 to 57,000, its lowest level since 2009. However, net migration to Britain from non-EU countries is at its highest since 2004. Net migration from the EU has fallen consistently since Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016. Part of the reason is that economic rebound in many parts of the EU has lessened the need for many to search for opportunities abroad. ___ 2:15 p.m. The European Unions chief Brexit negotiator says that what is most needed in divorce negotiations with Britain is decisions, rather than extra time. British Prime Minister Theresa May has offered Parliament the chance to delay Britains scheduled March 29 departure if it again rejects her agreement. EU negotiator Michel Barnier said in Vienna Thursday that any delay must serve not to put off the problem but to resolve the problem in the British Parliament. He added: Today, above all we need decisions, much more than extra time. British lawmakers objections to the withdrawal deal have centred on the so-called backstop meant to ensure that the border between the U.K.s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland stays open while a future trade relationship is negotiated. While the EU and Britain are working on clarifications, Barnier stressed anew that we are not going to change the backstop and ... we are not going to reopen the withdrawal agreement. ___ 1:40 p.m. Austrias leader says he would like to see Brexit resolved before the European Parliament elections in late May because it would be absurd for a country that wants to leave the European Union to vote for its legislature. British Prime Minister Theresa May has offered Parliament the chance to delay Britains scheduled March 29 departure if lawmakers fail to approve her divorce agreement with the bloc. EU officials say that, if the U.K. is still a member by the time of the EU elections May 23-26, it would have to take part. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Thursday that if Britain seeks an extension to prevent a disorderly exit, Vienna would back it. But he said that ideally an orderly Brexit should happen by the time of the elections, because the participation of a country that wants to leave the European Union in European Parliament elections would, I think, seem more than absurd. ___ 10:10 a.m. Irish drivers have been warned they will need a special insurance document to cross the currently invisible border to Northern Ireland after next month if the U.K. leaves the European Union without a deal. The Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland says it has issued insurance firms with 1 million application forms for the internationally recognized Green Card document. Britain is due to leave the 28-nation Bloc on March 29 and so far Britains Parliament has rejected the governments divorce deal, raising the chance of a chaotic no deal Brexit. Governments in EU countries, as well as in Britain, have warned of potential disruption to trade and travel. If there is a deal, there will be no change for citizens and businesses until at least the end of 2020. BAGHDAD - Iraqi security officials say two bombs have exploded in the city of Mosul, killing one person and wounding 17 others. The first explosion, a road side bomb, went off Thursday in an area southwest of Mosul near a vehicle belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of predominantly Shiite militias, wounding four. Another car bomb went off near the cultural centre, killing one person and wounding 13, the officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. There was no immediate claim for the bombings, the latest in a string of attacks along roads and in villages in areas north and west of Baghdad. The Islamic State group has claimed many of them. Iraq claimed victory over the organization in 2017 after a four year war. AL-OMAR OIL FIELD BASE, Syria - The Latest on Syria related developments (all times local): 8:45 p.m. The U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group says a prominent French extremist linked to the 2015 attacks on Paris has been killed. The coalition tweeted Thursday that a strike killed Fabien Clain in the Syrian town of Baghouz. It gave no details of when the strike occurred or how he was identified. French authorities did not immediately comment on the announcement, but said last week they were working on verifying reports that Clain had been killed. The day after the Nov. 13, 2015 attacks on Paris, Clains voice announced in a recording that the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. The attacks killed 130 people at the Bataclan concert hall, cafes and the national stadium. ___ 2:30 p.m. A spokesman for U.S.-backed forces fighting the Islamic State group in Syria says they have uncovered a mass grave near the last IS-held pocket in the countrys east. Adnan Afrin said Thursday that the grave unearthed outside the village of Baghouz contains the remains of men and women but said the number of bodies and their identities remain unclear. A video published by Kurdish-run Furat FM TV station emerged showing several bodies dug out from a pit. The Kurdish-led force known as the Syrian Democratic Forces has been locked in a standoff with remaining IS militants holed up in Baghouz with civilians since early February. Afrin says his forces managed to free 24 SDF fighters over the course of evacuating civilians from the area. Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik commissioned as an infantry officer from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, graduated from Ranger School and lived a soldiers life, she said, spending long periods in the field before becoming a physical therapist in the service. After the Obama administration rescinded a ban in 2016 on serving while transgender, she wanted to do something else as a soldier, too: Transition from male to female. The decision did not affect her ability to do her job, she told the House Armed Services Committees subcommittee on military personnel on Wednesday. Stehlik recently returned from a deployment to eastern Afghanistan, where she replaced a pregnant soldier in their unit. She acknowledged having concerns that soldiers in her unit would be comfortable with her treating them, but found that they actually opened up to her after she transitioned. They talked to me and told me things they never would have before, Stehlik said. Things that said theyve never told other people. I asked them why, and the consistent answer is that they valued my authenticity my courage in being myself. It allowed them to do the same thing. Stehlik was one of five U.S. service members who testified before the subcommittee, becoming the first transgender members of the U.S. military to openly talk about their experiences before Congress. They appeared in civilian clothing in their own capacity, describing their experiences at a time when the Trump administration is fighting in federal court to put in place a new policy that will limit many transgender people from serving in their preferred sex. Read More: U.S. Supreme Court lets military implement transgender restrictions Lawmakers introduce bipartisan bill to reverse Trumps ban on transgender troops Military spent about $8M on transgender care since 2016 The other service members testifying were Navy Lt. Cmdr. Blake Dremann, a supply officer; Army Capt. Jennifer Peace, an intelligence officer; Army Staff Sgt. Patricia King, an infantry soldier; and Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Akira Wyatt, a hospital corpsman who is assigned to treat Marine infantrymen. All five service members have deployed, and are eligible to do so now, they said. They all indicated they believe transgender service members should be required to do their jobs to stay in the military. After seeking medical procedures as part of their transition, they were unable to deploy for periods that ranged from a week to a few months, but found doing so was possible by taking personal leave around their units training and deployment schedules, they said. King said that in her case, she and her commander determined that the best time for her to undergo a vocal feminization surgery was through leave around Christmas. By doing this, I shortened the time that I was going to be down because I couldnt speak over Christmas leave, she said. I just used a whiteboard to talk to my kids, and then at the end of January I was ready to go to the field with my unit. The hearing was called by Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., who became chairwoman of the subcommittee after Democrats took over the House in the midterm elections. She said at the outset of the hearing that the witnesses were exceptional, but also exceptionally normal, and condemned the administrations policy change that is now contested in court. Congress cannot let the administrations discriminatory impulses win out, Speier said. The ranking Republican member of the committee, Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Miss., complimented the service records of the witnesses, but also appeared to favour the administrations new policy, which differs from a policy adopted by the Obama administration by barring those who seek to transition gender. It is an unfortunate reality that not every person who desires to serve in the military meets the stringent medical and behavioural health standards needed to maintain a ready and resilient force, Kelly said. However, it only makes sense that any individual who can meet these standards and is otherwise qualified should be allowed to serve. In a separate panel, James Stewart, a retired Air Force general who is now performing the duties of the undersecretary of defence for personnel and readiness, told the subcommittee that the new policy does not amount to a ban. Transgender service members who are currently serving will be allowed to continue, he said, and new ones can join the as long as they are not diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a condition under which people experience distress as a result of the gender they were assigned at birth. The realities associated with the condition called gender dysphoria and the accommodations required for that gender transition in the military are far more complicated than we may assume, Stewart said. Speier took issue with Stewarts statement. Thats a policy that belongs in the dark ages, she said, not in the military of the 21st Century. WASHINGTONFresh from a trip to South America to announce new sanctions against the Venezuelan leadership, Vice President Mike Pence dismissed an idea floated by the Venezuelan foreign minister that President Donald Trump and Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro meet. The only thing to discuss with Maduro at this point is the time and date for his departure. For democracy to return and for Venezuela to rebuild Maduro must go #VenezuelaLibre, Pence tweeted Wednesday afternoon. The remark comes after Jorge Arreaza, Venezuelas foreign minister, addressed the U.N. human rights council Tuesday and suggested Trump and Maduro sit down to seek common ground. On Monday, Pence flew to Colombia to meet with the internationally recognized interim President of Venezuela Juan Guaido and regional leaders to discuss how to further isolate the Maduro regime. Pence called on members of the 14-nation Lima Group, that includes most of Latin America as well as Canada, to freeze the assets of Venezuelas state oil company, PDVSA, and transfer any Venezuelan assets in their countries under Maduros name to the Guaidos representatives. Read More: Diplomats shun Venezuelan envoys speech to UN rights body Trump nears key Cuba sanctions decision over support for Maduro Guaido vows to return soon to Venezuela to lead protests Arreaza has called the border fight between Venezuelan security forces and supporters of Guaido a failed coup and denounced the U.S. government for organizing, financing and leading the effort. Pence said the United States was also sending another $56 million (U.S.) to Venezuelas neighbours to help with the flood of migrants fleeing into their countries. He also promised additional humanitarian aid for the people of Venezuela. U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Mark Green, who travelled with Pence to Colombia, told members of Congress on Wednesday that approximately 195 metric tons of crucial relief supplies, including emergency medical kits, food aid, hygiene kits and nutritional supplies, are ready to be delivered. USAID stands in solidarity with Interim President Guaido and those in Venezuela who seek a government that represents their interests and is responsive to their needs, Green said. So long as Maduro and his cronies continue to crush the people of Venezuela, their economy, and their hope, we know this crisis will continue. Read more about: The U.S. military is one of the most ethnically diverse and integrated institutions in the nation, and has long promoted racial equality. Yet in a string of cases in recent years, Americans bent on racist extremism have been current or former members of the armed forces. The arrest of a Coast Guard lieutenant whom federal prosecutors accused last week of stockpiling weapons and planning to start a race war raised the question of whether the military, for all its efforts to fight discrimination, has a continuing problem with white supremacists in the ranks. Here is a look at the issue and how the military has addressed it: A Persistent Problem Watchdog groups that monitor domestic extremist activity were quick to cite the allegations against the Coast Guard officer, Lt. Christopher Hasson, as a fresh cause for concern, one of a number in recent years involving people with military backgrounds. They have warned that the armed forces can be a training and recruiting ground for hate groups. If you look at the list of domestic terrorism attacks, you will find a lot of veterans, said Heidi Beirich, director of the intelligence project at the Southern Poverty Law Center. Read more: The Latest: Threat allegations keep military officer jailed Coast Guard officer accused of drafting hit list is indicted Threat allegations keep Coast Guard officer jailed The trouble, Beirich said, is that the Pentagon does not see white nationalists in the ranks as a major issue. Weve had a hard time convincing the military of the seriousness of this problem, she said. The Defense Department did not respond to requests for comment for this article, but its posture has generally been that the number of troops involved in extremist activity is tiny, that there are strict regulations against discrimination and extremist activity, and that military commanders are empowered to discipline and discharge troops who break them. The department told Congress in a 2018 letter that, out of 1.3 million serving members of the military, only 18 had been disciplined or discharged for extremist activity over the past five years. Experts say, though, that because extremists generally try to keep their activities in the shadows, the official discipline figures probably understate the scale of the problem. In and Out of the Service In a number of cases, white supremacists have served in the military and then turned to deadly violence afterward. Examples include Wade Page, who opened fire at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin in 2012, and Timothy McVeigh, who bombed a federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995. More recently, a half-dozen current and former service members were linked in 2017 to the Atomwaffen Division, a violent white supremacist group. Saying that the military radicalized these men would be wrong, Beirich said. The military is one of the most diverse, multicultural places you can go get a job, she said. If anything, it de-radicalizes people. Even so, an FBI report in 2008 found that right-wing extremists with military experience were a persistent problem in civilian life. And since then, a number of participants in violent protests mounted by so-called alt-right groups have been active-duty troops or veterans. Drawn to Join Up Some extremist groups encourage their younger members to enlist to get weapons training, Beirich said, adding that the military often has little awareness of these groups and how they operate. And for individuals, she said, the personality traits that may predispose them to extremist views may also predispose them to seek a career involving weapons and the use of force. The military does not want such recruits, but it does not have a comprehensive system for screening them out. All recruits go through a criminal-background check when they enlist, but that would only detect extremists if they have been charged with a crime related to their beliefs; those who have not can slip through. Recruits medical records are reviewed for signs of significant mental illness, but there is no formal psychological assessment that might detect extremist views. How Large is the Problem? Experts generally agree that the problem is more widespread than the military acknowledges. In 1995, after the Oklahoma City bombing and the killing of a black couple by a paratrooper and skinhead near Fort Bragg in North Carolina, the Army conducted a sweeping investigation of extremism in its ranks. It turned up 22 skinheads at Fort Bragg, but the Army found a very, very, very small amount of extremist activity overall, a spokesman said at the time. That has largely been the posture of the military ever since, according to Carter F. Smith, who served for 30 years as an Army criminal investigator and now teaches criminal justice at Austin Peay State University in Tennessee. They always say the numbers are small, and because of that, it is not a priority, Carter said of military officials. Well, the numbers might be small, but they are like a drop of cyanide in your drink. They can do a lot of damage. Smith said that while the military is required to prepare a report every year on the number of domestic extremists in its ranks, it has no law enforcement task force to monitor extremist networks and generate comprehensive data. So every year they get a report based on what they were never looking for, he said. As a result, he said, the figures include only the small number of disciplinary cases that arise on their own, and the military goes on assuming that extremists in the ranks are a minor issue. Onus on Commanders Responsibility for identifying and discharging extremists is left to individual unit commanders. Smith said that many line officers may lack the time and the training for the task, or any feeling that it is necessary. Over the years, he said, when he has offered to brief commanders about the issue of skinheads or gang members in their ranks, the response would often be, We dont have a problem. Military law enforcement was alerted to the Coast Guard lieutenants views by the internet searches he was performing on his work computer, which led to his arrest on drug and gun charges. Smith said it was unlikely that the military will be able to count on other extremists being so careless. They will just react when something bad happens, he said. I dont expect this problem to stop any time soon. It never stopped in the 30 years I worked on it. GUERNEVILLE, Calif. - Tom Orr began moving lyrics and scripts, clothes and photo albums from his apartment as authorities ordered evacuations along a rapidly rising Northern California river that was threatening to reach a historic crest. But the actor and writer couldnt move costumes, computers and performance videos. So he shifted those to his loft bed about 10 feet up and prayed they would survive. On Wednesday, television news footage showed muddy brown water nearly swallowing his ground-level unit and much of the tiny town of Guerneville, part of Sonoma Countys famed wine country and a popular tourist destination. Residents awoke Thursday to sunshine and began assessing the damage as water started receding. Orr, 48, was among those still unable to get into his house after the rain-swollen river climbed to its highest peak in more than 20 years. I feel so helpless just sitting here and waiting before I can go back and start salvaging whatever I can, Orr said in text messages to The Associated Press before preparing for a friend to take him by canoe to work at the Main Street Bistro, one of the few places in town that did not flood. The Russian River in wine country north of San Francisco crested at more than 46 feet (14 metres) Wednesday night, and floodwaters were receding after a two-day storm inundated the area. One National Weather Service station measured 20 inches of rain in 48 hours. While no flood-related serious injuries or deaths were reported in Sonoma County, a man about 150 miles (330 kilometres) to the north in Ferndale died trying to rescue three children. Residents of Armstrong Woods Road evacuate as the water rises north of Guerneville, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The town of Guerneville and some two dozen other communities are at risk of flooding from the Russian River north of San Francisco, which hit flood stage Tuesday evening and was expected to peak Wednesday morning at more than 46 feet - the highest point in nearly a quarter-century. The unidentified man was trying to walk from a barn to his home through up to 5 feet (1.5 metres) of water Wednesday evening when he was carried away by the fast-moving current, said Samantha Karges, a spokeswoman with the Humboldt County Sheriffs Office. Two adults and a child tried to rescue the man, but their tractor stalled in the water. Deputies in a boat then rescued them and the three children from the home, Karges said. The missing mans body was found Thursday morning. He was the father of a 12-year-old trapped in the home with two children under 4, Karges said. She was not sure if all three children were related. The low-lying rural area about 215 miles (473 kilometres) north of San Francisco is home to many dairy farms and flooded when the Eel River went over its banks. In Sonoma County, Guerneville and Monte Rio were cut off by floodwaters that swamped the communities. About 2,000 homes, businesses and other structures were flooded by water up to 8 feet (2.4 metres) deep and about 3,500 people were under evacuation orders. In addition, two wastewater treatment plants were not working, leading to concerns about sewage spills, said Briana Khan, a Sonoma County spokeswoman. Guerneville, a town of 4,500, is a former logging community now popular with day-tripping tourists, including gays and lesbians who flock to the towns resorts and fine restaurants. Throughout the storm, residents with canoes and kayaks gave rides to neighbours and documented the rising water with photos posted to social media. Locals are accustomed to the Russian River flooding in rainy weather, but not like this. In Monte Rio, 28-year-old Michael Super watched helplessly as water seeped in from five different entry points, including doors and walls. He grabbed the cat and dog and found higher ground. He said the landlord has insurance, but the silt and dirty water are a mess to clean. A lot of the furniture will have to go into the dump, he said. Weve seen oil and gas sheens and alcohol bottles so the water is unsafe. Sandra Jagger, 69, said that within hours of her morning walk Wednesday, the water had reached the bottom of the steps leading to her apartment in Guerneville. It came up real fast, she said. I was thinking, Well its going to be fine, itll stop. But when it started coming up the steps, I got a little nervous. Officials received no calls for help overnight from hundreds of people who stayed in their homes instead of heeding evacuation orders, the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office said in a statement. Orr moved to Guerneville about five years ago, driven out of San Francisco by rising costs. He helped create a dinner theatre show at a local restaurant. It didnt work out, but he stayed on, unable to move back to the city. He started moving items out of his house Tuesday afternoon, humming a version of My Funny Valentine called My Floody Valentine to keep up his spirits. By 10 p.m., the water was too high for him to get inside. He doesnt have insurance, but the items he hopes survive are not easily replaceable: computers, floppy disks and VHS video tapes containing decades of essays, performances, ideas for musicals and sassy satirical parodies of Broadway show tunes. Hes a cabaret performer accustomed to cracking jokes to keep the grief at bay. This is the most serious thing thats ever happened to me, but I dont know the punchline, he said. For now, Im trying to do my best to keep everybody laughing. The area expects more rain, but much lighter. Light rain is expected Friday into Saturday. ___ Har reported from San Francisco. Associated Press Writer Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco also contributed to this report. WASHINGTON - After three days of grilling Michael Cohen, President Donald Trumps former lawyer, Democrats are quickly using his words as a roadmap to open new lines of investigation into the presidents ties to Russia and summon additional witnesses. Cohen completed a third day of testimony on Capitol Hill Thursday, one day after publicly branding his former boss a racist and a con man who lied about business dealings in Russia and directed him to conceal extramarital relationships. He was interviewed behind closed doors by the House Intelligence Committee for more than eight hours. As he left the House intelligence interview, Cohen said he would be returning to Capitol Hill on March 6 for another round of questioning with that panel. The weeklong gauntlet of interviews with Cohen launched what is expected to be months of investigations of Trump and those connected to him. Multiple Democrat-led House committees are pledging to investigate not only Trumps campaigns ties to Russia, which are also the subject of special counsel Robert Muellers probe, but presidential conflicts of interest, possible money laundering and other oversight matters that Democrats say were ignored under GOP control. House Intelligence Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff called the closed-door session with Cohen productive and said lawmakers were able to drill down in great detail on issues they are investigating. Another Democratic committee member, California Rep. Eric Swalwell, said Cohen has been asked, based on a lot of new evidence we learned today, to bring corroborating materials that he believes he has. Schiff said the committee will hear from Felix Sater, a Russia-born executive who worked with Cohen on an ultimately unsuccessful deal to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, in an open hearing March 14. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the House Oversight and Reform Committee ranking Republican, left, takes his seat next to Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The committee voted to subpoena Trump administration officials over family separations at the southern border, the first issued in the new Congress as Democrats have promised to hold the administration aggressively to count. The decision by the Oversight Committee will compel the heads of Justice, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services to deliver documents. In addition, a committee aide said the panel also anticipates inviting Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg to testify. Cohen mentioned the Trump Organization chief financial officer several times in his public House Oversight testimony, linking him to hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels, who alleged she had an affair with Donald Trump. Trump denies the affair. The Oversight Committee is also planning on calling additional witnesses after Cohens testimony. The committees chairman, Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, indicated the panel could bring in a broad swath of people that Cohen mentioned in Wednesdays hearing. He told reporters that his panel is poring over the transcript and anyone mentioned multiple times has a chance of hearing from them. Based on who was mentioned in the hearing, possible witnesses could include Weisselberg and two of the presidents children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump. Daniels was also mentioned frequently. Cohen, who pleaded guilty last year to lying to Congress about the Moscow real estate project and reports to prison in May for a three-year sentence, gave harsh testimony about Trump on several fronts Wednesday. He said Trump knew in advance that damaging emails about Democrat Hillary Clinton would be released during the 2016 campaign a claim the president has denied and accused Trump of lying during the 2016 campaign about the Moscow deal. Cohen also said Trump directed him to arrange the hush money payment to Daniels. He said the president arranged to reimburse Cohen, and Cohen brought to the hearing a check that he said was proof of the transaction. He said prosecutors in New York were investigating conversations Trump or his advisers had with him after his office and hotel room were raided by the FBI last April. Cohen said he could not discuss that conversation, the last contact he said he has had with the president or anyone acting on his behalf, because it remains under investigation. Two of Trumps most vocal defenders, GOP Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Mark Meadows of North Carolina, sent a referral to the Justice Department alleging Cohen lied in his testimony. Their letter to Attorney General William Barr details several Cohen statements they said were false, including claims that he never defrauded any bank and did not want a job in Trumps White House. They pointed to Cohens guilty plea for making false statements to a banking institution and to court filings that say Cohen told friends he wanted a White House job. Cohens testimony unfolded as Trump was in Vietnam meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump said he tried to watch as much of Cohens marathon hearing as he could. Trump called the hearing fake and said it was a terrible thing for Democrats to hold it during his summit. He seized on Cohens concession that he had no direct evidence that Trump or his aides colluded with Russia to get him elected, the primary question of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation. Trump said he was a little impressed that Cohen had said that to the House Oversight and Reform Committee. Cohen, shaking off incessant criticism from Republicans , was the first Trump insider to pull back the curtain on a version of the inner workings of Trumps political and business operations. He likened the president to a mobster who demanded blind loyalty from underlings and expected them to lie on his behalf. Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Chad Day, Michael Balsamo and Colleen Long contributed to this report. My loyalty to Mr. Trump has cost me everything: my familys happiness, friendships, my law license, my company, my livelihood, my honour, my reputation and soon my freedom, Cohen said. I will not sit back, say nothing and allow him to do the same to the country. ___ ___ Follow all of APs Trump Investigations coverage at https://apnews.com/TrumpInvestigations RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. - A double-amputee Army veteran shot and wounded a doctor just before a mental health evaluation at a veterans hospital in Florida, authorities said. Larry Ray Bon, 59, of Michigan, arrived at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Riviera Beach on Wednesday morning and was combative for hours, according to the FBI. Authorities said Bon was taken to the emergency room that evening for the mental health evaluation, when he pulled out a gun and shot the doctor in the neck. During the shooting, in between shots, the doctor saw an opportunity to jump on the suspect and disarm him, Justin Fleck, the assistant special agent in charge for the FBIs Miami office, said in a Palm Beach Post report . Hes a pretty heroic individual and probably saved a lot of lives, Fleck said. It was not clear how Bon was able to bring the gun into the hospital. Another hospital employee was grazed by a bullet. VA spokeswoman Mary Kay Rutan says the doctor was treated at a West Palm Beach hospital and released. The doctors name was not released. The medical centre opened for scheduled appointments Thursday. Bon, who has had both his legs amputated and uses an electric wheelchair, served in the Army in the 1970s, but investigators were not aware of him having any combat-related conditions, Fleck said. Nancy Bon told the Post that her son was mentally ill and arrived in West Palm Beach after he skipped a 2016 sentencing hearing in Muskegon, Michigan, for illegally possessing a stun gun. I dont even know where he would have gotten a gun. Hes a felon, she said. Nancy Bon said her sons mental health suffered after he contracted spinal meningitis at age 8. She said he was honourably discharged from the Army after contracting pneumonia during basic training. One leg was amputated after an infection, and the other was amputated 15 years ago after a car accident, she said. Bon refused to co-operate after he was taken into federal custody on an assault charge, authorities said. A hearing on his detention and mental competency was scheduled March 7. According to online court records, Bons only history in Palm Beach Countys legal system was a case in small claims court in 2017 that was dismissed. His name did not appear in county jail records. PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia district attorneys office went too easy on a gunman convicted of shooting and nearly killing a store owner, federal prosecutors asserted Thursday as they filed their own charges against the defendant. Jovaun Patterson, 29, pleaded guilty to using an AK-47 rifle to shoot the store owner during an attempted robbery in May. Under the plea deal with city prosecutors, Patterson was sentenced to a minimum of three-and-a-half years in state prison. The sentence dismayed the victim, Mike Poeng, who was shot in the groin, left unable to work and wound up having to sell his store. U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain, who has clashed with Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, announced Thursday that Patterson faces federal robbery and weapons charges in the shooting, philly.com reported. McSwain accused the DAs office of offering sweetheart deals to violent defendants, saying Krasners policies embolden potential criminals to think they can literally get away with murder. McSwain, an appointee of Republican President Donald Trump, blamed Krasners policies for an uptick in homicides in the city. Krasner, a first-term Democrat who ran on a platform of progressive criminal justice reforms, said he welcomed the federal prosecution of Patterson but rejected blame for the increase in homicides. We are in the middle of an opioid epidemic, Krasner said at his own news conference. Criticizing McSwains comments, he added: It is highly inappropriate to frighten the people who live in Philadelphia. Earlier this month, McSwain filed suit to stop a non-profit from opening a first-in-the-nation supervised drug injection site to address the citys opioid problem. Krasner, who had visited a safe injection program in Vancouver, British Columbia, said McSwain was advocating the failed drug policies of the past and declared: We are not going to prosecute people who are trying to stop people from dying. McSwain has also criticized Philadelphia officials over their sanctuary city immigration policy. In December, Krasner told The Associated Press that McSwain had adopted Trumps shrill style, adding: I dont think its constructive for him to throw rocks, but Im also not going to be silent when he throws them. ___ Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.inquirer.com TOPEKA, Kan. - Kansas lawmakers have hit the halfway point of their annual session and they havent had a hearing on a Medicaid expansion plan or pushed an education funding bill out of committee in the face of a court mandate to boost spending on public schools. And the GOP-dominated Legislature doesnt just appear to be slow-walking new Democratic Gov. Laura Kellys big initiatives. Despite Republican supermajorities, an income tax relief bill that GOP leaders consider an urgent priority hasnt cleared both chambers. Top Republicans began a long weekend Thursday by arguing that lawmakers annual 90-or-so-day session is not unusually sluggish and that committees have laid a foundation for key debates in March and early April. But the first big votes on a wide range of big issues including school funding, Medicaid expansion and even abortion arent coming until after the second half starts next week. The lack of movement on school funding raises the most questions about whether lawmakers are dawdling too much. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled last year that funding isnt sufficient, and the state must tell the court by April 15 how it fixed the problem. The Republican attorney general urged lawmakers to pass a bill by March 15; Kelly called on them to do it by Thursday. I dont know that Im happy with the amount of work weve done, said state Sen. Randall Hardy, a moderate Republican from central Kansas. I would have preferred to see school finance dealt with already. I would have liked to have had a discussion about Medicaid expansion. Kelly took office last month promising a bipartisan governing style , joining new Democratic governors in Michigan and Wisconsin in breaking the GOPs lock on their state governments. Her supporters believe voters repudiated her GOP predecessors conservative fiscal policies and want quick action to help schools and expand the states Medicaid health coverage for the needy. Yet the new governor seemed destined to clash with top Republicans. The Legislature emerged from last years elections more conservative, and GOP leaders are a formidable obstacle to Medicaid expansion and other Kelly initiatives. Republican leaders top priority is seeing that individuals and businesses dont pay more in state income taxes because of changes in federal tax laws at the end of 2017. Kansas legislators typically dont start making decisions about the state budget even in committee until March, and the final decisions on the biggest issues often get crammed into a frenetic week in May or occasionally even early June. Also, the Legislature is still far from its record 114-day sessions in 2015 and 2017, when taxes and school funding also were big issues. All the big stuff is still out there but, you know, thats what the second half is for, said House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, a conservative Wichita Republican. But educators and some legislators, particularly Democrats, are restless about school funding because Kansas is stuck in the last stage of a lawsuit filed in 2010 by four local school districts. A Democratic effort to short-circuit the committee process failed this week in the Senate. Its disappointing that the Legislature is not demonstrating urgency to meet the court deadline, Kelly said in a statement Thursday. Its time for legislative leaders to put politics aside and focus on meeting the needs of our students and teachers. Republican leaders said a school funding bill is coming soon, and a Senate committee has a hearing set for next week on Kellys plan to boost education funding by roughly $90 million a year. The Supreme Court has issued a series of rulings in recent years to force lawmakers to increase spending. A law enacted last year will phase in a $548 million increase in aid to the states 286 school districts by the 2022-23 school year. The court declared it still isnt sufficient to provide a suitable education for every child because the law didnt properly account for inflation in recent years. Mark Desetti, a lobbyist for the states largest teachers union, said the fix is within easy reach. Just put in the additional amount of money for the inflation factor and youre done in court, Desetti said. But Republican leaders contend its not that simple. For one thing, they question whether the state can sustain the extra spending over time without increasing taxes. Several also said they also want to consider whether the extra dollars should be targeted to programs for at-risk students. Others contend that the state should strive to hold schools accountable by making data about students performance more accessible to parents. Meanwhile, Republicans face their own frustrations with the tax relief bill. The Senate passed the measure three weeks ago, with all but two of the 28 Republicans supporting it. Before approving it this week, a House committee added a politically popular provision to decrease the states sales tax on groceries. GOP leaders considered having the full House debate the bill within days, but opted to wait, acknowledging that they need to get a better handle on members views. We wanted to provide tax certainty for Kansans, because theyre filing their income taxes right now, said Senate President Susan Wagle, a conservative Wichita Republican. I am disappointed that they havent seen it as a priority. ___ Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna . GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A western Michigan man has been convicted of first-degree murder in the slaying of a 16-year-old girl who accused him of rape. A Grand Rapids jury issued a guilty verdict Thursday for 43-year-old Quinn James of Wyoming, Michigan. Mujey Dumbuyas partially clothed body was found in January 2018 in woods in Kalamazoo, about 50 miles (80 kilometres) southeast of her Grand Rapids-area home. She had been strangled. James was a maintenance worker at Dumbuyas school and she accused him of sexual assault in 2017. Authorities say James killed the girl while free on a $100,000 cash bond in the assault case. He was sentenced last December to 20 to 30 years in prison for third-degree criminal sexual conduct. His sentencing in the killing is scheduled for March 25. MORRISVILLE, Pa. - A mother accused of killing her 13-year-old son and four other family members pulled the boy out of school about two weeks earlier, a school official said Thursday. Morrisville Superintendent Jason Harris said Thursday that Shana Decree notified the suburban Philadelphia district she was withdrawing Damon Decree Jr. but didnt give a reason. Harris said parents must follow up with a plan on how their child will be educated but the school never heard back from Shana. Our staff is absolutely devastated that this boy is no longer alive. Weve had numerous counsellors and help from the county to help console our kids and our staff and making sense of what is basically senseless, Harris said. Were just heartbroken. Were just absolutely heartbroken. Shana and her 19-year-old daughter, Dominique Decree, are charged with five counts of homicide in the deaths of Damon, Shanas 25-year-old daughter, Shanas sister and the sisters twin 9-year-old girls. The bodies were found Monday at a Morrisville apartment where they all lived after an unannounced visit by a county child welfare official. A police affidavit said the apartment had been trashed, with furniture overturned, glass broken and drywall cracked. One victim was found with a foot through the wall into an adjacent bedroom. Shana Decrees attorney declined comment. Its unclear who is representing her daughter. Police have not yet determined a motive or said how they died. Dominique Decree said at least two victims had been choked, according to the police affidavit. A relative from North Carolina told TV stations this week that another family member had told him the household recently became involved with a cult and was talking about demons being all around, but didnt offer more details. However, police Chief George McClay said there was no indication at the crime scene that the slayings were linked to a cult. On Wednesday night, a large crowd filled a Methodist church in this town northeast of Philadelphia, and across the Delaware River from Trenton, for a memorial service. Pastors from different congregations led mourners in the singing of Amazing Grace and the lighting of candles. We need to be here in solidarity, said the Methodist churchs pastor, Wendy Bellis. We need to gather ... to give love and support. LAS CRUCES, N.M. - A New Mexico city is balking at the idea of renaming a street after the 19th century Old West sheriff who shot and killed the outlaw Billy the Kid. The Las Cruces Sun-News reports Las Cruces city councillors appeared reluctant Monday to endorse the plan to rename the street for Sheriff Pat Garrett. Councillors expressed concern about the cost and Garretts reputation as a sheriff who often took the law into his own hands. Their reluctance angered a group that worked for two years to promote the name change. The Dona Ana County Commission had endorsed the name change, but it requires city approval because the street is within city limits. Garrett gunned down Billy the Kid in 1881 while the outlaw visited his girlfriend in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Oops! Missouri Department of Revenue Director Joel Walters said last year that the states tax withholding tables had been wrong for at least 15 years. He ordered changes to tables to prevent taxpayers from withholding too much money. On Wednesday, he said that was all a mistake. There was no error, he said, leaving some state lawmakers to question if the states handling of taxes can be trusted. Walters told the House Special Committee on Government Oversite that new State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick explained to him the error didnt exist, The Columbia Daily Tribune reported . Walters had previously testified several times to the Legislature that the states withholding tables didnt correctly account for the standard deduction the amount of income taxpayers can subtract before income tax in calculating the federal income tax deduction. Walters said the withholding error had been discovered in September after existing for at least 15 years. Walters ordered changes to the tables that he believed would reduce the impact of taxpayers withholding too much. The change went into effect in October 2018. It felt like in my judgment making that formulaic change made this more accurate, Walters said. I was trying to do the right thing and I was trying to make the calculation more accurate. The state issued new withholding tables, reflecting lower state income tax rates and inflation-adjusted brackets, on Jan. 1, so the issue is gone now, he said. Walters said he wasnt sure why some taxpayers are seeing large swings in their state tax costs, and said the department should determine why that is happening. The agency has told all the major tax preparation software companies to remove penalties in those situations. Wednesday was Walters third meeting with the government oversight committee and 11th testimony overall, which caused Gov. Mike Parson last week to criticize lawmakers for grandstanding on the issue and to praise Walters for his handling of it. The governors statement had upset many lawmakers. It certainly appears to me that the story has been changing, Republican Rep. Dirk Deaton said Wednesday. That is problematic. The state expects to issue $231.5 million less in refunds and collect $134.4 million in increased payments from taxpayers. The department has processed roughly 1 million tax returns since filing began in January. The average tax refund is down $78 and the average tax due is up $65, Walters said. Deaton asked Walters if he was completely confident nothing else in the tables was causing problems. Walters said he could not say that, even though the department and outside sources have reviewed the tables multiple times. To meet Parsons proposed budget for fiscal 2020, tax receipts must grow 1.7 per cent over the year ending June 30. Through Wednesday, receipts are down more than 5 per cent, said Democratic state Rep. Kip Kendrick. ___ Information from: Columbia Daily Tribune, http://www.columbiatribune.com HONOLULU - A man called for jury duty in Hawaii shouted He is guilty! He is guilty! outside a courtroom and ended up spending a night in jail, lawyers said. The lawyer representing Jacob Maldonado said his client had a bad day when he made the outburst Tuesday. He was trying to get out of jury duty, attorney Jason Burks told the court. Obviously, he took a very improper approach to it. Maldonado had been called as a possible juror in a Honolulu misdemeanour assault trial. The court was about to begin jury selection when lawyers alerted Judge Edward Kubo that a potential juror was creating a disturbance outside. Kubo declared a mistrial, finding the mans disturbance had affected the 44 other potential jurors, according to the judges order. The judge ordered Maldonados arrest on a contempt charge and set a $10,000 cash bail. Maldonado spent the night in jail and appeared before Kubo on Wednesday morning. It was so uncalled for, Kubo said Wednesday. The fairness of a trial is mandated and expected. Burks told the judge that Maldonados father was recently diagnosed with cancer and his wife was also dealing with medical issues. Maldonado apologized to the judge, saying he wouldnt do it again. Kubo explained the severity of the outburst, comparing efforts to taint a jury or disrupt the selection process as yelling theres a bomb on an airplane. We have to take it seriously, Kubo said. Maldonado was released without being charged or fined. NASHVILLE - An investigation into a police shooting in Tennessee has found that an officer was wounded by friendly fire during a call in which a black man was fatally shot, a local broadcast report says. Authorities have said officers responding last October to a reported assault located a man matching the suspects description in an apartment. Instead of calling for SWAT team assistance, investigators say, an officer opened a door to the apartment, leading 31-year-old Sershawn Martez Dillon to flee and fire his weapon. Officers returned fire. Dillon was killed and Nashville Police Officer Samuel Galluzzi was wounded. WSMV-TV reports its review of the internal probe by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation found fellow officers shot Galluzzi. The bureau says ballistic findings show Dillon only fired once. Galluzzi was hit twice. ___ Information from: WSMV-TV, http://www.wsmv.com/ WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump asserted on Thursday that the Islamic State group has lost 100 per cent of the territory it once controlled in Syria, but U.S. officials in Washington and accounts from people in Syria said a sliver of land remains contested. Trump made his statement to troops in Alaska during a refuelling stop on his way home from meeting in Vietnam with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He noted that IS has been on the verge of losing its entire so-called caliphate in Syria for many months. Now its 100 per cent we just took over, 100 per cent, he said, adding, The area, the land, we just have 100 per cent. We did that in a much shorter period of time than it was supposed to be. When asked about Trumps comments, the Pentagon referred reporters to the White House. Trump has jumped the gun on IS before. He said on Feb. 15 that the eradication of the IS caliphate would be announced within 24 hours. It was not, and although Pentagon officials remain confident that IS is on the brink of defeat, the struggle is not over. U.S. and other western countries are backing a Syrian group known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, comprised of local Kurdish and Arab fighters, who have battled IS for more than three years. According to a U.S. assessment IS fighters and civilian residents are on in a small sliver of land along the Euphrates River. Officials say military operations have paused in order to separate civilians from the IS militants in that area. The SDF does biometric checks on all adult-aged males to determine if they are IS fighters hiding in the population that is fleeing. Officials said that military operations to clear out the remaining IS fighters will likely restart soon and will probably take some time. Iraqi militias said Thursday they launched dozens of missiles targeting IS militants holed up in a Syrian village across the border. This is the area along the Euphrates that has been ISs last stand. Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan has characterized IS in Syria as on the brink of defeat, while cautioning that measures are required to prevent its revival and return to areas of Iraq and Syria that have been liberated since 2014. When we talk about whats occurred in Syria recently, its been the decimation of the caliphate, he said in Brussels on Feb. 14. And we talk about that in a military context. So, ISIS, Daesh, they no longer hold geography. They no longer govern in the spaces they once held. Their finances have been annihilated. Their ability to communicate on social media has been destroyed. You know, in that regards, theyve been defeated. Does that mean theyve been eliminated? Are there remnants that are scattered or thatre hiding in those communities? Well, they are. But thats the nature of the next phase: How do we maintain security? How do we keep them suppressed? In December, Trump announced that he was pulling all American troops out of Syria, but last week he partially reversed course and agreed to keep a residual force of perhaps a few hundred troops as part of an international effort to stabilize northeastern Syria. ___ Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed to this report. JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - President Donald Trump showered praised on troops and touted the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling when Air Force One made a refuelling stop Thursday in Alaska as the president returned from Asia. Trump was travelling back to Washington after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un collapsed in Vietnam. He didnt discuss those talks during a 20-minute address. Standing in front of an F-22 Raptor fighter jet at an Anchorage base, Trump thanked all those serving in the military in Alaska, our countrys last frontier as Americas first line of defence. He noted that since World War II, Alaska-based forces have served as the top cover for North America. You are a powerful warning to the world to never strike American soil, Trump said. You are a warning that everybody knows about and nobody wants to play with. Trump also noted that the Anchorage base will receive the first of 54 new F-35 stealth fighter jets that will be arriving here very soon. He also said 20 more ground based interceptors will be installed at Fort Greeley, about 100 miles (160 kilometres) south of Fairbanks, to strengthen the nations missile defence system. Trump said hes always had a special place in his heart for Alaska, which likely stems from a grandfather who ventured north to look for gold. The president said his grandfather didnt find gold but opened hotels for others who also travelled north to seek their fortunes. Trump touted legislation to open the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration, an effort finalized after decades of fierce disputes between Republicans and Democrats. The Trump administration and congressional Republicans said the drilling plan would help pay for tax cuts approved by Congress and signed by Trump in December 2017. GOP lawmakers project at least $1 billion in revenue from drilling leases over 10 years. But environmental groups and other critics call those projections wildly optimistic, saying low global oil prices and high exploration costs are likely to limit drilling revenue. Protests have marked recent public hearings on the plan in Fairbanks and Anchorage. The administration plan calls for at least two major lease sales, each on a minimum of 625 square miles (1,619 square kilometres) in the refuges coastal plain. Surface development would be limited to 3 square miles (8 square kilometres). Trump praised Alaskas new governor, Republican Mike Dunleavy, who flew in for the ceremony at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. He said, We really appreciate you got that done, Trump said of the conversation he had with Dunleavy about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Hes not only one of the best governors in the United States, hes definitely the largest, Trump said of Dunleavy, who stands 6 feet, 7 inches (over 2 metres) tall. Trump told Dunleavy he could call him any time he has a problem, and well take care of it for Alaska. Dunleavy, who met with Trump on Air Force One, said Alaska has a remarkable friend and advocate in the president. He clearly recognizes our geographic value and the strategic role Alaska serves in the defence of our nation, Dunleavy said in a statement. From issues like ANWR to his immediate help with the Nov. 30 earthquake, the president has made it clear that Alaskans and Alaskas success is a top priority, he said. The president endorsed Dunleavy in last years election, in which Dunleavy defeated former Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Begich after independent Gov. Bill Walker dropped out of the race just weeks before Election Day. FALMOUTH, Mass. - A woman who grabbed a Make America Great Again hat off a mans head in a Massachusetts restaurant faces deportation, but her immigration lawyer says she is in the U.S. legally. Rosiane Santos was charged with assault and battery for grabbing Bryton Turners hat bearing President Donald Trumps campaign slogan in a Falmouth restaurant Feb. 15. She pleaded not guilty. Turner recorded the encounter and posted it online. The 41-year-old Santos was taken into custody Tuesday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and released pending removal proceedings. ICE says the Brazil native is in the U.S. illegally. Immigration attorney Katarina Kozakova says Santos married a U.S. citizen and has applied for a green card. Turner says that he never wouldve assumed she was illegal and that now she has to suffer the consequences. Last November, Americans took to social media to complain about the unseasonably cold weather they were experiencing, with temperatures a balmy -7 C in New York City. According to the Weather Network, the U.S. endured the coldest American Thanksgiving in one hundred years. More specifically, these frigid Americans complained about us Canadians because where else did their unseasonably chilly temperatures originate than right here, land of oversalted sidewalks, sandpaper knuckles, and air that hurts your face. But I suspect there was one American who didnt complain about the weather last Thanksgiving, not just because she lives in California but because as this weeks events prove, she has an inherently Canadian spirit. Im talking about Kim Kardashian, a woman who can brave the bitter cold (or as she probably calls it, the Kold) as comfortably as any Canuck; a woman, I suspect, for whom -7 C is perfect picnic weather. Kardashian broke the internet for the millionth time this week when she was photographed walking in downtown Montreal, at night time, in temperatures as low as -20 C, wearing six-inch heels and a sheer, off-the-shoulder gown. More importantly, Kardashian, who was in town attending the opening of designer Thierry Muglers exhibit at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art, is not wearing a coat in the photos paparazzi captured of her. Nor is she bracing, flinching, nor clenching any part of her body. She looks totally at ease in the sub-zero breeze, like a kid gliding across on a pond on skates. But whats especially remarkable is that Kardashian wore stilettos on streets so notorious for their iciness, there is currently an entire news cycle playing out devoted to how difficult navigating Montreals pavement is, by foot and car both. And yet, Kardashian chose to do so nearly naked and practically on stilts. Read more: Stargazing | Frock and awe with Kim Kardashian West Advice | Just relax, Toronto Its February, its Canada, its going to snow The Kit | The only three winter coats you need (bonus: theyre Canadian) The international tabloid press seems to think Canadians are mocking the reality star as a result of this bold behaviour. The Daily Mail ran an article on Kardashians winter catwalk under the headline Kim Kardashian is mocked for wearing barely-there dress on -20 degree night out in Montreal as she struggles to walk on ICE in six inch Yeezy heels. Canadians were shocked, the tabloid claims, that she would wear so little in such cold temperatures. But somehow I find myself doubting the existence of these shocked Canadians because there is nothing outrageous in this nation about people dressing impractically for the weather. On the contrary, dressing impractically for the weather could be classified as a national pastime. How about you? Last year, I wrote a piece in this newspaper about what I believed to be a national trend of young men donning shorts in the wintertime. One of these men wore not only shorts, but sandals, while he shovelled snow outside his house, a habit he formed as a kid, because he overheats easily and he doesnt like to feel swaddled. We may complain about the cold constantly but look around. We dont dress for it. The ordinary Montrealers who showed up to get a glimpse of Kardashian outside the museum this month, who appear in the tabloid images pointing their phones in her direction, may not be wearing heels and sheer gowns. But they are definitely underdressed. Where are their hats and gloves? One onlooker is wearing a coat, but shes also wearing sneakers, fringed jeans, and her ankles are completely bare. Shes not alone. The bare ankle thing is central to the winter style of hipster, millennial women in big cities across this country. (Its also way more confounding than Kardashians winter getup because at least Kims look is consistent. Shes thrown caution to the wind chill and she doesnt care. As for the bare ankle look, why bundle up on top if you arent even going to wear socks?) When L.A.-based celebrities come to Canada or go anywhere cold they tend to make a big show of their winter attire. They dress for walking from their car into a restaurant like theyre about to climb Mount Everest. Angelina Jolie wears Canada Goose. Katie Holmes wears Moose Knuckles. Blake Lively wears Sorels. But Kim Kardashian, like a true patriot of this land, wears next to nothing. The question is would she shovel her driveway that way too? If so, she deserves the Order of Canada. Read more about: Canadas top political fixers reacted to Jody Wilson-Rayboulds damning testimony and the prime ministers response with awe and horror. In that order. The prime minister completely blew it, said Robin V. Sears, a long-time NDP strategist who runs Earnscliffe Strategy Group in Ottawa, one of the leading crisis-management firms in the country. This is a moment when his integrity, his credibility, his future is on the line. To respond as arrogantly and flippantly and disrespectfully as he did tonight is not helpful. Jaime Watt, a Conservative strategist and executive chairman of Navigator Ltd., called Trudeaus approach 100 per cent wrong. For decades, Watt and Sears have advised some of the most powerful companies and people around the world on how to survive public relations disasters. The veteran advisers, who regularly contribute to the Stars Opinion section, offered their professional views of what Trudeau should have done, should have said and what he still must do to protect his office and the Liberal party in the wake of the SNC-Lavalin scandal. 1. Start from a place of respect Here is a woman who is rising in public esteem daily and took a huge leap by virtue of her testimony today, Sears said. Trudeau reacted by appearing as if he were celebrating a byelection victory. It was just bizarre. It was tone deaf. Watt praised Wilson-Rayboulds lawyer retired Supreme Court judge Thomas Cromwell for bringing extremely compelling clarity to the former justice ministers address to the Commons committee regarding the Prime Ministers Offices role in mediating criminal charges against SNC-Lavalin. You can see the hand of Justice Cromwell crafting her remarks, Watt said. He writes beautifully. Because she was so direct, I think she has created a problem for the prime minister. And the government will need to answer with equal clarity. She was a very impressive witness, Sears agreed. Read more: Trudeau completely disagrees with Jody Wilson-Raybould 2. Take time to think What Raybould-Wilson told the House of Commons justice commitee about the pressure and persistent veiled threats she faced from Trudeaus top officials is profoundly critical of the character of this government, Sears said. Such a serious accusation demands a thoughtful response. Her case is pretty hard to challenge on the merits, Sears said. All that pressure from all those people over all that period of time its hard to deny it was inappropriate. He should have said Im going to read my former attorney generals remarks with care overnight and Ill have a detailed reaction in the morning, but my initial reaction is I take a different view than she does about the degree to which she felt pressured. Read more: Jody Wilson-Raybould says she was target of veiled threats over SNC-Lavalin prosecution 3. Resist the urge to spin platitudes Its common for leaders in crisis to retreat to their comfort zones when theyre under public fire during a crisis, as Trudeau did during his late-night scrum with reporters in Montreal. But rattling off a series of bumper-sticker quotes is no way to do damage control, Watt said. The way they have to put their case forward is with no funny business. This is a time when spin and prevarication and the usual kind of rhetoric will be very ineffective at countering her. They actually have to employ legal-style communications, not just political-style communications if theyre going to bat down each of the points she made. Read more: How Justin Trudeau addressed Jody Wilson-Rayboulds testimony 4. Location, location, location What Trudeau decides to say next is as important as where he says it. I think they would want to match the formalness of the setting (Wilson-Raybould) had, Watt said, noting Trudeau has a few natural options. He could issue a statement in the House or the National Press Theatre or secure national television time to directly address the entire country. Watt said a formal television address is the way to go. She raised the stakes on this to a level of seriousness and gravity that he would have to match in his reply. These accusations go right to the heart of the integrity of the government that this requires the prime minister talking to the Canadian people. Sears is less specific, but agreed the Montreal scrum was a terrible move. He should have done it in Ottawa. He should have done it outside the prime ministers office. Sears said he thinks Trudeau has time to recover tomorrow or later, but hes got to show that he takes this seriously. That message could resonate through an exclusive interview Trudeau could offer to a member of the media. He needs to just talk about it; weigh the challenges a case like this presents between his obligation to be a champion of an important company on the one hand and on the other, how hard that is to navigate and how seriously he takes that. Something like that would help restore some perception that he understands that Canadians are not impressed by him claiming he did everything right when he didnt. Read more: Opinion | Susan Delacourt: For Justin Trudeau, the days of sunny ways are over 5. Another top Liberal official will need to fall The resignation of Trudeaus Principal Secretary, Gerald Butts, will not be enough to show the public that the federal government understands the magnitude of Wilson-Rayboulds testimony, Watt and Sears agreed. Watt wouldnt speculate on whose head would fall next, but Sears has a prediction based on Wilson-Rayboulds testimony. I think the clerks position (Michael Wernick) is pretty fragile, he said. Not only his testimony before the committee the other day, but the role he played that Jody outlined is pretty troubling. Political staff people misbehave, but the Clerk of the Privy Council is not expected to play that role. Read more: Opinion | Chantal Hebert: Trudeau now finds himself up to his neck in the SNC-Lavalin scandal Read more about: Legislation to extend freedom from old cannabis possession convictions to hundreds of thousands of Canadians is imminent, the Trudeau government signalled Wednesday. But the long-awaited plan to provide pardons for criminal possession of a drug now deemed legal in Canada is unlikely to satisfy critics, who argue that anything short of full expungement is an uneven, unfair remedy for those burdened by prohibitions legal hangover. News of Ottawas move came Wednesday afternoon in a tweet from Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, who wrote, Later today, I will give notice to introduce a bill to provide no-cost, expedited pardons for simple possession of cannabis. With the announcement arriving just moments before former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould reignited the SNC-Lavalin scandal with explosive new details, cynics quickly accused the government of indulging in the politics of distraction. But for as many a half million Canadians with criminal records for cannabis possession, Goodales words were crucial in their own right. In serving notice, Ottawa now is expected to table a bill as early as Friday that will finally reveal the pathway to pardon Ottawa has hinted at for months. Goodale told a news conference last fall that the government was working on such a plan, saying individuals who previously acquired criminal records for simple possession of cannabis should be allowed to shed the burden and the stigma of that record. This will eliminate what are disproportionate consequences and break down barriers, which could mean greater access to job opportunities and education and housing and even the ability to simply volunteer for a charity, he said. Advocates of outright amnesty caution that any such plan could end up being a logistical nightmare, given the nature of police record-keeping in Canada. Estimates vary and if Ottawa has an official tally, it has never been made public but theres a widespread belief that anywhere between 250,000 and half a million Canadians carry the weight of a cannabis conviction. That burden has long been the central plank of the campaign for legalization. Cannabis may not be harmless but the dangers of marijuana, pro-legalization advocates argued, paled compared to the harm imposed by laws that failed to steer people clear of it. Critics have long argued that cannabis amnesty will not simply be a matter of looking up names and hitting the delete key. Police forces across the country enter drug possession charges into a database maintained by the RCMP but often without naming the drug in question. The challenge then becomes how to mine the RCMP data in a way that effectively isolates and expunges charges relating strictly to cannabis possession. Meanwhile, there is a $631 alternative: thats the fee for applicants in Canada who want to apply to have crimes expunged from their records. But applicants often complain the process is glacial and, even after the long wait, success is not assured. Moreover, its a terribly expensive way of addressing a crime that numerous studies say has weighed disproportionately on racialized and economically marginalized Canadians. Some law enforcement officials also note that while some possession convictions arose from as little as a pinch of cannabis, others are the results of plea agreements involving more serious charges, including trafficking, which were subsequently dropped. The difference, they argue, means any attempt at a blanket amnesty for possession charges could still yield uneven results. Reading between the lines of Goodales tweet, NDP MP Murray Rankin called on the government to go beyond pardons and delete criminal possession records outright, writing: Now is the time to let Minister Goodale know that pardons are NOT enough! Expungement is the only way to undo past wrongs. Canadians deserve freedom, not forgiveness. Read more about: OTTAWAThe SNC-Lavalin scandal raises serious legal concerns that border on a constitutional crisis, lawyers say, after former attorney general Jody Wilson-Rayboulds shocking testimony Wednesday. Its clear Wilson-Raybould was removed from her position as justice minister for doing her job, said Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond, a former Saskatchewan provincial court judge who currently teaches and practises law. Its fair to say its a constitutional crisis, Turpel-Lafond said Wednesday night, invoking a term often used to describe the breakdown of the rules underpinning a system of government. The events, as outlined by Wilson-Raybould in marathon testimony before the House of Commons justice committee, shake the foundations of our very system, Turpel-Lafond said. Wilson-Raybould told MPs she was repeatedly and inappropriately pressured by senior members of Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus staff, as well as the countrys top bureaucrat, to cut a deal for SNC-Lavalin to avoid criminal trial on charges of fraud and corruption. Instead, Wilson-Raybould said the Prime Ministers Office was pushing for a deferred prosecution agreement, which would allow the Quebec construction giant to pay a fine and overhaul its corporate governance. Read more: Jody Wilson-Raybould says she was target of veiled threats over SNC-Lavalin prosecution Trudeau completely disagrees with Jody Wilson-Raybould Opinion | Susan Delacourt: For Justin Trudeau, the days of sunny ways are over Wilson-Raybould refused, and found herself shuffled to a different cabinet portfolio in January. Former Ontario attorney general Michael Bryant agreed the scandal amounts to a constitutional crisis, saying Trudeau seems insistent on interfering with the prosecution. That conflicts with a system that requires independence from political influence. It opens the door to prosecuting enemies of the government and giving immunity to its friends which is despotic, Bryant, who is now the executive director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, told the Star. He said the actions of the PMO, as laid out by Wilson-Raybould, undermine public faith in the independence of the judicial process. In the fallout from Wilson-Rayboulds testimony, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer called on Trudeau and Michael Wernick, the clerk of the privy council, to resign. Irwin Cotler, a former Liberal attorney general of Canada, said he doesnt believe Trudeau should step down or that there was an intent on the part of the government to cross the line. I believe that they felt they were asking her to engage in what they believed was a matter of public policy for the importance of Canada and the importance of Quebec, jobs and the like, which she acknowledged was OK, Cotler said. But at a minimum, Turpel-Lafond said the RCMPs integrity section must investigate, noting that 11 highly placed people in the PMO, the public service and cabinet were named by Wilson-Raybould as lobbying her or her staff on the issue. The consequences for that is that our reputation as a nation of the rule of law will be in tatters if we do not take steps, Turpel-Lafond said. And the steps need to be significant, decisive. Read more about: OTTAWACanadas minister in charge of procurement says the Trudeau government wants the federal regime for dealing with companies that have integrity problems to be more flexible a change that could help beleaguered SNC-Lavalin. The engineering and construction giant faces corruption and fraud charges over allegations it used bribery while pursuing business in Libya. If the company is convicted, the updated integrity regime could mean a lighter punishment. The current rules disqualify offenders from receiving federal contracts for 10 years known as debarment though in certain cases the period can be trimmed down to five years. The regime was designed to ensure the Canadian government only does business with ethical companies in Canada and abroad. This week, Public Services Minister Carla Qualtrough said the updated policy, if adopted, will still carry a potential ban from federal contracts of up to a decade, depending on a number of factors including the severity of the transgression. But a draft of the new scheme released last fall shows there is no minimum ineligibility period. Read More: SNC-Lavalin spent $1.95 million on escorts, booze for Libyan dictators son Legault worried about SNCs Quebec jobs amid fallout from Wilson-Raybould claims SNC-Lavalin scandal a constitutional crisis, lawyers say The integrity regime, which has been in place since 2015, is an administrative tool guiding government decisions on which suppliers to buy from not a criminal process. Qualtrough said once the new policy is in place all integrity regime decisions will be handled, without ministerial oversight, by an independent authority known as the registrar of ineligibility and suspension. The proposed changes were brought forward after the Liberal government heard from industry players who felt the existing rules were too rigid, Qualtrough told a House of Commons committee. It was a really a response to some concerns raised about the kind of lack of flexibility in the 10-year term, she said Wednesday under questioning by MPs. We are making a policy choice if this new policy is adopted to add flexibility in the registrars determination of both the severity of the offence and several other kind of factors that they will take into consideration in the decision around debarment and debarment term. Asked if SNC-Lavalin was part of the engagement process, Qualtrough insisted she didnt know. One of her officials then confirmed that the company was indeed among the participants. Qualtrough said the new policy will be finalized in four to six weeks and will cover a wider range of offences. Her department is seeking an additional $2.6 million to cover the expected cost increases associated with the broader scope of misconduct. The current federal integrity regime was introduced in 2015, replacing a framework from three years earlier. The aim is to foster ethical business practices by prohibiting businesses guilty of offences such as bid-rigging, bribery, fraud and money-laundering from receiving government contracts. Federal officials conducted a public consultation on the regime in 2017. A summary of the consultation says most participants thought a disqualification period of 10 years or even five was too long. The principal view was to favour full discretion in the determination of a period of ineligibility, including the ability to reduce the period to zero, a summary of the consultation findings says. The proposal prompted another round of public consultations last fall with the intention of making further refinements before it takes effect. The federal tools to handle corporate misconduct, including the integrity regime, have been under heavy scrutiny in recent weeks and SNC-Lavalins situation has been at the heart of a political storm in Ottawa. The company has pushed unsuccessfully for another way to avoid debarment. It has been seeking a special remediation agreement, a type of plea-bargain, that would allow it to avoid a criminal prosecution. But the federal director of public prosecutions ruled late last year that the case was ill-suited for such an agreement. Former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould testified Wednesday that she decided against overruling the directors decision on SNC-Lavalin and against taking over the prosecution herself. Wilson-Raybould told a House of Commons committee that after making her decision she withstood inappropriate pressure from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other senior Liberal officials to ensure the company got an agreement. She was later shuffled in January to a new cabinet portfolio. Trudeau denies that he or his officials inappropriately leaned on her to help SNC-Lavalin. Read more about: OTTAWAConservative Leader Andrew Scheer has asked the RCMP to launch a criminal investigation into allegations Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his officials tried to politically interfere with the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin. The RCMP acknowledged receipt of Scheers formal complaint to Commissioner Brenda Lucki, but would only say she is reviewing Scheers written request based on explosive testimony by former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould. The force would not say whether it has launched an investigation. The day after Wilson-Raybould went public with testimony that documented a concerted and sustained campaign by Trudeau and his top officials to inappropriately influence criminal proceedings against SNC-Lavalin, Trudeau rejected her characterization of events. He said he and his staff always acted appropriately and professionally. Hours later, Trudeaus former principal secretary and longtime confidante Gerald Butts asked the justice committee to be invited to appear. After a short private meeting, the Liberal-dominated committee agreed to invite Butts, and will recall two senior civil servants, Privy Council Clerk Michael Wernick, and Deputy Justice Minister Nathalie Drouin, who testified before the gag order on Wilson-Raybould was partially lifted. It could be the beginning of an effort to rebut Wilson-Rayboulds version of events which until now, the government has suggested, is all due to a big misunderstanding. There are disagreements in perspective on this but I can reassure Canadians that we were doing our job and doing it in a way that respects and defends our institutions, Trudeau said Thursday. Trudeau said he has confidence the ethics commissioner and Commons justice committee are the proper venues to probe Wilson-Rayboulds allegations and shrugged off Scheers call for his resignation and for the RCMP to investigate him for obstruction of justice. Asked if Wilson-Raybould would continue to sit in his caucus, Trudeau said he hasnt made any decision. I have taken knowledge of her testimony and there are still reflections to have on next steps, he said. Share your thoughts: For her part, Wilson-Raybould took her seat in the Commons Thursday and listened as the Opposition blasted the prime minister who was absent from question period, citing her damning testimony. The prime minister cannot continue to govern, Scheer said in the Commons, and he should have the guts to stand and defend himself. Wilson-Raybould told the justice committee on Wednesday she had resisted a barrage of pressure over the course of four months, that included veiled threats about the prime ministers displeasure with her approach. The pressure, she said, started at the top with Trudeau who wanted her to find a solution to overrule the independent director of public prosecutions and negotiate a remediation agreement or deferred prosecution agreement with SNC-Lavalin. The Quebec engineering and construction company faces bribery and fraud charges related to payments between 2001 and 2011 to the Libyan regime of Muammar Ghadaffi. The company had lobbied hard for a deal that would require it to admit wrongdoing (which it denies), pay a heavy fine, enact corporate governance reforms (which it claims to have done) in exchange for avoiding possible criminal conviction. A conviction could see it banned from bidding on federal contracts for a decade. Wilson-Raybould says she told the prime minister she suspected he was moving her out of her job for not intervening in the prosecution which he denied again Thursday. Her testimony directly contradicted Trudeaus public assertions in the affair. Trudeau has repeatedly told Canadians that Wilson-Raybould never informed him of any concerns she had about undue pressure or political interference despite an obligation she had as attorney-general to do so, choosing instead to remain in his cabinet. Wilson-Raybould told the committee that in a Sept. 17 with Trudeau he did not tell her the decision was hers alone, as he has portrayed it. She said Trudeau asked me to help out, to find a solution for SNC-Lavalin. He pointed to the looming Quebec provincial election, his own role as Papineau MP, and his fear that the company would leave Montreal, with ensuing job losses a concern she says the prime minister raised three times in the conversation. I was quite taken aback. My response and I vividly remember this as well was to ask the prime minister a direct question while looking him in the eye. I asked, Are you politically interfering with my role, my decision as the attorney-general? I would strongly advise against it, she recounted. The prime minister said, No, no, no, we just need to find a solution. Finance Minister Bill Morneau made no apologies for subsequent interventions by his office, and defended the actions of his chief of staff, Ben Chin, who was cited by Wilson-Raybould as inappropriately pressing her office on the SNC-Lavalin prosecution. Bens role is to make sure that we engage with other parts of the government to ensure that they understand economic consequences of decisions. Thats what Ben was trying to achieve. Hes making sure that we understand that jobs are on the line. Its an important part of any decision we take as a government, Morneau said, denying that he directed Chin to intervene on the file. He said that Wilson-Raybould has her opinion. Here are five things the Ottawa bureau is watching for in the fallout over Jody Wilson-Rayboulds testimony on Wednesday. According to Wilson-Raybould, Chin told her chief of staff Jessica Prince in September that if the company didnt get a mediation agreement, they will leave Montreal and its the Quebec election right now, so we cant have that happen. Wilson-Raybould says she spoke to Morneau in the Commons on Sept. 19. He again stressed the need to save jobs. I told him that engagements from his office to mine on SNC had to stop, that they were inappropriate....They did not stop, she told the justice committee. Morneau said he never raised the SNC-Lavalin issue with Wilson-Raybould, but that she raised it with him once to tell him that his staff was talking with her officials, which I see as entirely appropriate, he said. I have no further recollection of that interaction. However Scheer said Wilson-Rayboulds testimony amounted to evidence of obstruction of justice. It is contrary to the Criminal Code to engage in any conduct with the intent to provoke fear in the Attorney General. It is further contrary to the Criminal Code to attempt to obstruct or defeat the course of justice, Scheer wrote in his letter to RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki. Canadians rightly ought to be concerned that criminal law has been violated, said Scheer who demanded Trudeau resign over the affair. Wilson-Raybould detailed meetings, emails, texts and telephone conversations with Trudeau, his top staff, Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Wernick and others in which she said she was subjected to inappropriate political and partisan pressure, including asking her to seek as external legal opinion as a way to justify an intervention in the prosecution. She said officials made veiled threats against her which caused her a very heightened level of anxiety that peaked in a meeting on Dec. 19 with Wernick, Trudeaus clerk and deputy minister, when she ended the conversation by saying I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. Wilson-Raybould said it was her view their actions did not cross a line into criminal interference in her role as attorney general of Canada, a line that many in the Liberal government were repeating and clinging to in the aftermath. Read more: SNC-Lavalin scandal a constitutional crisis, lawyers say Five things Trudeau must do to save himself, the Liberal party Opinion | Chantal Hebert: Trudeau now finds himself up to his neck in the SNC-Lavalin scandal Trudeau acknowledged that jobs were a concern of his, but said none of the discussions crossed the line. Canadians expect their government to look for ways to protect jobs, to grow the economy and thats exactly what weve done every step of the way. But weve also done it in a way that has respected our laws and respected the independence of the judiciary, he said again Thursday. The Liberal governments public message was one of unity as ministers fanned out for interviews across the country on Thursday. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland told CBC Ottawa that she has 100 per cent confidence in Trudeau, and said all ministers, including herself, often have strong, vigorous debates in cabinet and in caucus about difficult issues. But at the end of strong discussions, Freeland said, she believes the prime minister gets to make the final call because he is the prime minister. Freeland described her former cabinet colleague and herself as women with strong opinions. I believe that she spoke, as she said she wanted to do, her truth, Freeland said. Having said that, I am clearly of the view that the prime minister would never apply improper pressure, that the prime minister has always been clear about the unique role of the attorney general, and would respect that. Privately, however, Liberal MPs and party supporters were expressing dismay, not just at the governments inability to communicate a clear message that would put concerns to rest, but at the revelations in Wilson-Rayboulds testimony. Read more about: The average tax refund increased 1.3 percent compared to last year, but the total value of those checks and the number of people receiving the payments continued to drop steadily in the first filing season under the new tax law. The IRS released its weekly data Thursday after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC earlier that tax refunds were up 17 percent week-over-week without explaining how he arrived at that number and whether he was referring to the size of the average refund or the number of refunds issued. The average refund actually increased 19 percent since last week. Refunds averaged about $3,143 for the week ending Feb. 22, up from $3,103 a year prior, according to IRS data. The total value of all refunds decreased about 3.6 percent to $121.2 billion from about $125.7 billion at this time last year. "Despite the higher refund average, we remind taxpayers that weekly filing season data is variable and will continue to fluctuate," Treasury said in a statement. "We caution against drawing broad conclusions on refunds overall this early in the filing season." So far, nearly 38.6 million checks have been issued to taxpayers, compared to about 40.5 million at this point in 2018. Tax refunds have been a sore spot for Republicans who are facing blow-back from taxpayers who didn't get the refund check they were expecting in the first filing season after the GOP tax law went into effect. The law has struggled to break above 50 percent approval in polling since it passed more than a year ago. "That basically gets us to the same level as last year," Mnuchin told CNBC in London after touting the weekly jump. "I would just emphasize that even if people have perfectly done their withholding, people really should be focused on paying lower taxes and those lower taxes are money back into the economy." This week, the IRS released thousands of refunds that had been held at the IRS for additional anti-fraud screening. Checks with refundable tax credits -- such as those for earned income, children or for health care -- are delayed for extra scrutiny. Mnuchin has tried to explain away data and anecdotal evidence that refunds over the first weeks of the tax filing season are lower. Changes to the available deductions and withholding tables mean that ultimately fewer taxpayers will get refunds this year but may have seen more money in each paycheck. The IRS estimates it will send out about 2.3 percent fewer refund checks this year. Instead, those who received a tax cut -- about four in five taxpayers, according to the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center -- received it in their paycheck last year because less was withheld. However, smaller or non-existent refunds have been frustrating to taxpayers who have become accustomed to receiving a check each filing season. "You can tell people you gave them a tax cut," said Christopher Faricy, a political science professor at Syracuse University. "But if they don't believe it and their refunds are smaller, it's a hard sell politically." EDWARDSVILLE Southern Illinois University Edwardsvilles office for Accessible Campus Community & Equitable Student Support (ACCESS) is dedicated to providing reasonable and co-curricular accommodations to diverse learners with major life impairments. On this weeks episode of Segue, SIUEs premier radio show that discusses the lives and work of the people on campus and beyond, host Randy Pembrook, PhD, SIUE Chancellor, interviews Dominic Dorsey, director of ACCESS, the office formerly known as Disability Support Services. This episode will air at 9 a.m. Sunday, March 3 on WSIE 88.7 FM The Sound and siue.edu/wsie. Dorsey joined SIUE in January 2018 after serving at Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI). He received his bachelors in communication studies in 2009 from IUPUI and received his masters in higher education and student affairs in 2011 from Indiana University. He also earned a certification in behavior analysis from the University of Cincinnati. Throughout his entire professional career, Dorsey has worked with students with disabilities with a mission of shifting from ideas of limitations to solutions in accessibility. Welcome to Segue, Dominic! Its great to have you as a champion for our SIUE students, Chancellor Pembrook said. What initially sparked your interest in disability services? I have always had a role as an advocate and activist for others, Dorsey said. My career actually began as a student leader on campus, particularly as I was involved in numerous causes as president of the Black Student Union, working with coalitions with the Latino Student Union, Gay-Straight Alliance and other groups. I had a strong sense of wanting to be on the right side of history and naively hoping to become a voice for the voiceless. Pam King, the director of Adaptive Educational Services at IUPUI, sent out one of her students to the courtyard and told me that she wanted to offer a job to me. I dont want to assert that individuals should aspire to be a voice for the voiceless, when in truth we should seek to listen to those most marginalized and use our privilege to amplify their voice, not replace it, Dorsey said. King noticed Dorseys continuous advocacy for his fellow students and proposed a position where the young man could advocate for students with disabilities. His new mentor noted that civil rights was an important cause, but also explained that many of the conversations of civil rights frequently excluded people with disabilities. She told me, I need your voice and passion for students in my office, so, I took the job, Dorsey says. Dorsey worked in the IUPUI office as a student worker, graduate student, program assistant and eventually reached the position of assistant director. With a large number of students on campus at SIUE, Dorsey encounters individuals that might have a wide array of challenges navigating the educational process, such as vision and hearing, mobility, attention deficit disorder and other issues. What does ACCESS do for those individuals, particularly within the aspects of accommodations and creating an educational environment where students can succeed? Pembrook asked. Our office does not look at one-time solutions, Dorsey said. We want to prepare our students to be successful once they graduate. We want to look at how we can eliminate barriers and help them become as self-sufficient as possible. One of the first things I did when I joined SIUE was eliminate this innate desire to have boilerplate solutions. We look at each student as an individual and situation from an interactive perspective. Each situation will be different and we want the opportunity to think outside of the box for what accommodations are available but still stay within the parameters of what is reasonable on a student-by-student basis. ACCESS assists students by looking at their academic paths, understanding the abilities and technical standards required for that particular field or course, how the individuals diagnosis affects them, and help them become successful in a way that does not circumvent or fundamentally alter the courses curriculum. I hear you talking a lot about learning strategies and effective ways to prepare instead of dealing with some of the things weve traditionally known as disabilities, Pembrook said. Do you rely on those with a background in learning psychology and cognitive strategies, or is that part of your training? First and foremost, Im a lifelong learner. Im also the first to admit that I dont know everything but I surround myself with individuals that do, Dorsey said. Within our office, we approach things from a case management perspective. We also look at teaching pedagogies and learning designs overall. My goal is to ensure that accessibility is a campus-wide perspective and an ideology that we all can adopt. Faculty members should look at their own toolkits, recognize their own able-bodied privilege and know that they will have students with disabilities come into their classes who need assistance. Instead of making those students an afterthought, we want to ensure that classes will not marginalize students. For students who have autism spectrum disorders, issues with social interaction might occur if the student is required to engage in group work. Students with anxiety might struggle in participation-based activities. If a grade for participation is conducted, ACCESS wants to ensure that those students will not be penalized for not being able to muster the courage to interact or engage. Its a collaborative work between our office, the students and the faculty to ensure that our students dont enter a situation where they are doomed to fail, Dorsey said. ACCESS proudly serves as a liaison between students and faculty members that can help figure out what solutions could be possible within each course. To ensure that ACCESS will continue to provide accommodations and equal opportunity to students of all abilities, the SIU Board of Trustees recently approved $535,000 in renovations to ACCESS. The updates will help the office accommodate the more than 700 students who require assistance for testing services and will also renovate its smart seminar room and computer lab space. Renovations include adding a new conference room, increasing testing stations from 10 to 23, including three isolated, quiet testing rooms and installing new audio/visual equipment for the conference room and to monitor the testing areas. Tune in to Pembrook and Dorseys entire conversation at 9 a.m. this Sunday, March 3, on WISE 88.7 FM the Sound and siue.edu/wsie. WASHINGTON - The handmaids had been sent good weather. Dozens of them stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial on an unseasonably warm mid-February morning, wearing deep red cloaks and pristine white bonnets. A handful stretched out on the ground because it was almost noon, and they had been there since 4:30 a.m. In the memorial's central chamber, cameramen prepared to shoot a scene of the dystopian Hulu series "The Handmaid's Tale." "No problem with sitting down," an assistant director said over a speaker to the extras on the National Mall. "Just make sure you're not sitting on your capes." As the handmaids loitered, Washington residents and eager tourists went about their days. A woman wove through the sea of red and up to the eternized president, accompanied by a pair of panting golden retrievers. A jogger rushed past armed men playing members of the show's secret police force and yelled to her friends, "Did you not take a picture of me with the Eyes?" A few young children left their mother's side and wandered toward the handmaids, mesmerized by the unusual garments. Security guards shielded star-struck visitors from getting too close but kept a nearby path open to avoid the wrath of the National Park Service. It was a darkly comical sight, given the gravitas of the handmaids' fictional existence. The characters originated in Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel, in which a totalitarian, Christian fundamentalist society called Gilead seizes control of the United States and forces fertile women into childbearing enslavement. Hulu's adaptation burst onto the scene a few years ago, and the red clothing has since become a symbol of political resistance. Handmaids and regular folks have commingled in the nation's capital before - it generally just means there's some sort of protest going on, whether at the Women's March or outside the Senate hearing of a soon-to-be Supreme Court justice. But these handmaids were the real deal, as confirmed by the presence of Emmy-winning lead actress Elisabeth Moss, seen sitting next to executive producer Warren Littlefield in a shady corner. Moss and co-stars Joseph Fiennes and Yvonne Strahovski usually shoot in Toronto but came to town for two pivotal scenes from the show's upcoming third season, set to premiere in June. Gilead's capital remains in Washington, and the visual drama of the Mall, especially when gazing across the reflecting pool and up at the Washington Monument, lends itself to the show's bleakness. In the show, according to producers, the monument will appear as a cross, Lincoln will literally be blasted out of his chair and hundreds of CGI handmaids will be stationed down the memorial's steps and along the reflecting pool. The second season of "The Handmaid's Tale" follows pregnant handmaid June (Moss) as she lives under the close watch of Gilead commander Fred Waterford (Fiennes) and his wife, Serena Joy (Strahovski), in Boston. June gets separated from her family in the first season, and she's now expected to give the Waterfords her newborn.They treat her horrifically, epitomized in a scene where the commander rapes June in an attempt to induce labor. Serena holds June down during the assault. The show can be heavy-handed with all this violence and emotional torment, and several critics referred to the latest season as misery porn. One such article asked, "Is 'The Handmaid's Tale' still worth the agony of watching it?" The answer depends on your personal agony threshold, of course, but the show has never pretended to serve as a form of escapism. By bringing immense suffering to your living room, "The Handmaid's Tale" also serves as a reminder, as Fiennes said in a phone call after the shoot, to remain wary of what society could become. Fiennes found it "somewhat strange and ugly" to preach Gilead's oppressive ideology in front of a memorial representing the "high ideals of American values." Strahovski, who had also filmed another scene with Moss earlier that morning, said in a separate phone call that she felt like she was "really on the wrong side" while standing on the steps in rich teal garments, the color worn by Gilead commanders' complicit wives. "I kept looking at Lizzie (Moss) in her handmaid outfit feeling, like, 'Oh, if you stood here in a red handmaid's outfit, you'd feel better about it,' because it's a symbol of resistance, really," Strahovski said. "It's really incredible to have people feel inspired by that image." But those who don't watch "The Handmaid's Tale" probably felt confused that day on the Mall. Among the local actresses who played the handmaids were two women who had previously worked together on the Amazon series "Jack Ryan." Asked how they wound up in Gilead, one of them responded that she had submitted her information to a casting call she found on Facebook, and "they got back to me and asked if we wanted to be - what are we? Not bridesmaids. We're ... " "... handmaids," the other answered. They both laughed, hurrying back to their assigned spots after an assistant director instructed all the extras to do so. "Hands clasped, as you do," he said. "Heads down. If you're looking at the person's feet in front of you, that's probably a good lineup, so we don't see your eyes." As the handmaids got in formation, Park Service employees held tourists back from climbing the stairs. It was especially tricky to shoot on location, producer KimTodd said, as they were allowed to film for only about 10 uninterrupted minutes before having to let people in again: "They wouldn't let us move the Lincoln Memorial or reroute the planes" overhead, she joked. Todd, who handles the day-to-day business on set, stood in the corner and watched the live camera footage on a trio of monitors. The screens showed Moss from the back, descending the memorial's steps to stand, and then kneel, between Fiennes and Strahovski. As Fiennes began to speak to the dozens of handmaids before him, a police siren went off. Todd smiled. "Planes give us the same problem," she said. "But nothing can roll off a siren. It pierces. They're made to do that, right? So you can't ignore them." Up on Capitol Hill, the president's former fixer testified before a House Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday. Michael Cohen talked about hush money to cover up a liaison with an adult-film star. He talked about a president who manipulates his estimated wealth to suit his purposes. He talked about a Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer. He called the president a racist, a liar and a con man. It was dirty stuff, coming from the mouth of a man considered equally dirty by President Donald Trump's allies. Then there was Pizza Intern. During a live report of Cohen's testimony outside the committee room, CBS political correspondent Ed O'Keefe was photobombed by an unwitting man with a hunger so large that it had no boundaries - or situational awareness, like the student who tried to squeeze by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand to fetch some ranch dressing. The still-unidentified man is seen digging into what looks like a rectangular box of &pizza. He takes a big, ravenous bite, and before he can even savor the slice, he turns his head hard left, with an expression that is the textbook definition of "deer in the headlights." It would appear that the someone, maybe a CBS producer, told the man he was an unwanted background diner in O'Keefe's report. The man, quickly dubbed the Pizza Intern for his naivete, became an instant online celebrity. Some called him, with both admiration and hyperbole, a "hero" and a "legend." The tweet sent by Mike Uehlein -- who describes himself as a "PR and comms pro" -- has been viewed more than 1.6 million times in the hours since Uehlein posted the five-second clip from a flat-screen TV: "tfw you go to eat your hallway pizza and get told you're in the live shot" The Twitter responses to Pizza Intern's hallway repast ranged widely. Some consider him some kind of wonk-class hero. Others view him as an object of pity. They want to fill his empty, overworked world with all the pizza he can stuff into his face. &pizza, an East Coast chain whose slice the Pizza Intern inhales like a last meal, has embraced the internet's latest instant celeb. The company has already developed a Hallway Pizza, a pie with a decidedly spicy bent. There's even a GoFundMe campaign page, started by someone named Calvin Billien but posted under &pizza, which has already raised $165 (at the time of this story) to keep the Pizza Intern buried in pies. The Washington Post verified with &pizza that this is indeed the company's GoFundMe campaign. The fundraising campaign is part of &pizza's ongoing efforts to capitalize on Pizza Intern. The company has changed its Twitter avatar to the Pizza Intern and has been tweeting out various memes under the #hallwaypizza hashtag. It's further confirmation that, in Washington, there is no viral moment that cannot be turned into a marketing opportunity: "You asked, we answered: The official "Hallway Pizza" is available in shops today!" - &pizza "Always bring the essentials. You never know what'll happen." - &pizza" "Love at first bite?" - &pizza" The Pizza Intern's appeal is not hard to understand. He's not a hero. He's not a hard-luck case in need of a fundraising campaign. He's just another Capitol Hill worker who puts in long hours and doesn't have a moment to sit down and eat a proper meal. But more than that, he's a symbol of something vulnerable - a real hunger captured on camera in all its youthful awkwardness -- in the middle of this ruthless, inhumane era in which we Americans find ourselves. The Pizza Intern is the lost puppy we all want to save. The Pizza Intern is us. Can a $445 bedside coffee maker deliver both convenience and quality? EDWARDSVILLE On Sunday, April 7, the Madison County Historical Society will present a program by Paul Shetley, 5,000 Miles through History: The Ninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the Civil War. The program will begin at 2 p.m. in the fellowship hall of Immanuel United Methodist Church at 800 N. Main St. in Edwardsville. The presentation chronicles the Ninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment from April 1861 through July 1865. Mr. Shetley will use maps, photographs, videos, and reproductions of Civil War period weapons and equipment to provide a window into the life of these Illinois soldiers. In the early years of the war, men of the Illinois Ninth were primarily German immigrants from Madison, Montgomery and St. Clair Counties. Shetley will follow the men of the Ninth as they were recruited in their home towns, mustered into the army, and through life as they campaigned with Generals Grant and Sherman. The Ninth was a gallant regiment that fought in the important battles at Ft. Donelson, Shiloh and Corinth where they suffered appalling casualties. In March 1863 they became Ninth Illinois Mounted Infantry, subsequently riding vanguard for General Shermans Army through Georgia and the Carolinas. They also participated in the Grand Review in Washington, D.C. as part of Shermans Army of Tennessee. The men of the Ninth returned home in July 1865 after an epic journey, mostly through hostile territory, of more than 5,000 miles. Paul Shetley is the retired director of the Environmental Resources Training Center in the School of Engineering at SIUE. He has over 35 years of experience as a water quality professional. He is a resident of Bethalto and is currently the Chair of the Foster Township Historical Museum Committee. His interest in the American Civil War began when, as a very young boy, he visited the Shiloh Battlefield with his parents. He has been active in a reenactment group representing the Ninth for over twenty years and has been researching the regiment for the past decade. Programs in the MCHS Speakers Series are free and open to the public. Regular hours at the Madison County Archival Library are Wednesday- Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, 1 4 p.m. The Madison County Historical Museum is currently closed for renovations. For additional information, call 618-656-1294. EDWARDSVILLE Marvin Johnson, senior director of Integrated Services Management at Johnson & Johnson, Inc., spoke to an audience at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Tuesday, Feb. 19 and delivered a resounding message for African American men facing hardships and dilemmas in corporate America adapt and overcome. It was the caveat around which Johnson measured out advice during his presentation of The Plight of African American Male in Corporate America: A Political and Social Discussion at the Department of Political Science and the Political Science Associations (PSA) Black Heritage Month Symposium. Johnson facilitated the discussion in the SIUE Morris University Centers Hickory/Hackberry Rooms. The black statistics in corporate America are not encouraging, according to Johnson. Of the 327,167 million people in the workforce, 13 percent are African American and 76 percent are white. In 2017, only five blacks led Fortune 500 companies. African American males are getting a bad deal as it relates to corporate America, said Johnson. There are myths on diversity. One says that the American workforce is a melting pot, but reality says 95 percent of top executives are white men. While diversity is a starting point, it will not assure equal footing, noted Johnson. Diversity is being given an invitation to the party, he continued. Inclusion is being asked to dance. Sometimes, we do not know the difference. You can be a part of something without being included. Have you ever been to a meeting where everyone else seems to know what was going on except you? Have you been in situations where the outcome seemed to have been prearranged? You were not included in the strategy and you are not part of the team. You need both diversity and inclusion. Still, you cant sit around and say, Woe is me, stressed Johnson. In Corporate America, you have to constantly reinvent yourself. Johnson pointed out a few impediments for African American men as well as women: Not being equipped to know how to negotiate salary and benefits; Ability to manage emotions in the corporate world; Not asking for what you need He stressed the importance of training to bolster ones areas of weaknesses and to find mentors and advocates. You have to build relationships within your network, said Johnson. A mentor can help you grow in your field but an advocate can be at the table lobbying for you. Timothy E. Lewis, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, coordinated the Black Heritage Month discussion. Addressing the plight of African American men (from the perspective of an African American male), it is evident that there can be individual successes in corporate America, such as Mr. Johnsons indisputable success, said Lewis. However, these successes do not negate the institutional and structural barriers that black men still face. WASHINGTON - D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine, a Democrat, has subpoenaed documents from President Donald Trump's inaugural committee, the latest of several requests from federal and state authorities probing how money was raised and spent for the January 2017 gala. The subpoena, issued Tuesday, requests documents related to committee payments to the Trump Organization or Trump International Hotel, according to two law enforcement officials familiar with the matter. It states that Racine is seeking the documents under his civil authority to ensure that nonprofit groups in the District of Columbia are not "wasteful, mismanaged and/or improperly provided private benefit." Racine's subpoena was first reported by The New York Times. The subpoena set a deadline of March 29 for the inaugural committee to respond, according to the law enforcement officials. If the committee does not meet that deadline, Racine's office could file a lawsuit in pursuit of the documents. A spokesman for the inaugural committee said the committee had received the subpoena and was in touch with Racine's staff. Robert Marus, a spokesman for Racine, declined to comment on the case. Racine has been among the most aggressive Democratic attorneys general challenging the Trump administration. In June 2017, he and Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh filed a lawsuit alleging that the president's ongoing attachments to his businesses violate anti-corruption clauses in the Constitution. The president's inaugural committee has been hit with sweeping requests for documents from federal prosecutors in New York and the New Jersey attorney general's office. Racine's is the third demand for documents this month. The committee, which raised and spent more than $100 million on inaugural events - more than twice the amount raised for President Barack Obama's 2009 inaugural events - was headed by real estate developer Tom Barrack, a longtime friend of Trump. Federal Election Commission filings show that contributions came from an array of corporate interests and wealthy Trump supporters. The U.S. attorney's office in the Southern District of New York indicated in its subpoena that prosecutors are investigating crimes related to conspiracy to defraud the United States, mail fraud, false statements, wire fraud and money laundering. New York prosecutors appear to be interested, among other things, in foreign contributors to the inaugural committee. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal's probe appears to focus on fundraising activities in New Jersey. Racine's subpoena suggests his investigation is taking a different track: scrutinizing whether the inaugural committee violated nonprofit regulations by enriching the president's business interests. That investigation is civil, not criminal. The attorney general has limited power to prosecute crimes in the District of Columbia, where felony cases are handled by the U.S. attorney's office. However, D.C. statutes give Racine broad authority to seek penalties against nonprofit organizations that violate D.C. regulations or act contrary to their purpose, up to and including dissolving those groups. When news broke last week that one of Europe's largest money-laundering scandals in history had widened, Estonia's justice minister had to tear up a speech and start over. "I wrote down my new thoughts half an hour ago," Urmas Reinsalu, a member of the ruling coalition Isamaa party, told a conference on economic security in Tallinn. "The first point is this: what the heck has been happening in our country all these years?" It's a question that's threatening to upset the political landscape in the Baltic nation, where the $230-billion Danske Bank scandal has dented the establishment's image. Now the two main political forces -- the ruling Center Party and the opposition Reform Party -- are facing a populist, anti-immigration party that has emerged as potential spoiler before Sunday's general elections. Led by Mart Helme, whose anti-refugee tirades echo those of nationalist leaders ranging from Rome to Warsaw, the EKRE party has climbed to third place in opinion polls. That may complicate coalition building by forcing Center and Reform into an awkward co-habitation. Both have rejected working with EKRE. But it could also set off a potential bidding war for the populists' support or that of smaller parties. "How much the populists will gain is the key election issue," said Anu Toots, a professor of social policy at Tallinn University. "EKRE could capitalize on the laundering scandals." Center and Reform are battling for a first chance to form a government against the background of years of robust economic expansion that hasn't translated into any meaningful reduction in inequality. A believer in more social spending, Premier Juri Ratas has wooed support through tax breaks for low earners, which Reform pledges to reverse. They're also clashing over how long the country should maintain separate schooling for Estonia's Russian speakers, who overwhelmingly back Center. Support for Center and Reform has remained roughly stable, at 28 percent and 24 percent, according to a poll commissioned by the ERR broadcaster Feb. 7-20. EKRE had 17 percent, versus 10 percent when Ratas's government took power in 2016. About a fifth of those surveyed haven't made up their minds or wouldn't say who they'd vote for. All of this is taking place amid scrutiny into the financial scandal, which deepened last week when Swedbank AB acknowledged it had handled suspicious transactions through its units in the Baltics that linked it to the Danske money-laundering case. Danske is being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission after admitting that a large part of money that flowed through its Estonian unit was probably illicit. The European Banking Authority is also investigating the banking supervisors in both Denmark and Estonia. The Cabinet discussed seeking damages for the Danske scandal on Thursday and agreed to involve ministries, the financial watchdog and the central bank to clarify the country's options, Ratas told reporters. Reinsalu said last week he'd ordered an analysis of "all legal options," indicating Estonia would seek international cooperation on the issue. Center wasn't in power during the period of the laundering allegations, which add to a picture that suggests Nordic banks were the go-to firms to help people in the former Soviet Union channel billions of dollars into the West until as recently as 2015. The Estonian case is just one of the scandals that have exploded across the region, including bribery allegations against Latvian Central Bank Governor Ilmars Rimsevics and a record graft probe in Lithuania. Both Ratas and Reform Chairwoman Kaja Kallas have declared a "zero-tolerance" stance on dirty money. Also, illicit cash transactions by a foreign bank may be "too abstract" for the average voter to get upset about, especially if they didn't lose anything, said Juhan Kivirahk, a researcher with pollster Turu-uuringute AS. But EKRE's Chairman Helme, a former ambassador to Russia, is trying to capitalize on the resentment. He sent a public letter to the prosecutor general and security service on Monday, urging them to publish all the information they had on the Estonian cases before the elections. "It is critical for Estonia's future that the voter would be aware of possible suspicions and links before casting their vote," Helme wrote. A major government program to rebuild the U.S. Virgin Islands after back-to-back hurricanes is unraveling as some contractors walk off the job and others threaten to use storm victims' properties as leverage to recoup unpaid bills. In a letter outlining their grievances over chronically late payments, three large contractors also called on the federal government "to freeze all advances of disaster recovery funds to the USVI until the past due invoices are paid." The dispute over the Sheltering and Temporary Essential Program (STEP), a joint effort by the territorial government and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to repair about 8,000 houses, has been dragging on for months but is now veering into a nasty legal showdown over who is responsible for paying the bills. The subcontractors who are doing much of the cleanup work say the project's chief contractor owes them tens of millions of dollars. That contractor, AECOM, says it can't pay the bills until the Virgin Islands government pays it for past-due invoices. The territory says it is waiting for FEMA to approve the spending. The STEP program is a centerpiece of FEMA's $8 billion effort to help the Virgin Islands rebuild after the territory was devastated by hurricanes Irma and Maria in the fall of 2017. The program is designed to allow people to remain in their homes while work crews repair damage. AECOM, a global development firm that reported more than $20 billion in revenue last year, is implementing the program for the is land. In the joint letter - sent to representatives for AECOM, the Virgin Islands Housing and Finance Agency and Witt O'Brien's, a private disaster response agency that is managing the territory's recovery effort - the subcontractors said they and other firms are collectively owed more than $60 million for work already performed, puttingsome of those firms at risk of insolvency or bankruptcy. The three subcontractors - Polaris Engineering, Lamar Contractors and SLSCO - threatened to file liens on properties in the Virgin Islands where they've done work that has not been paid for. That would create even more uncertainty for thousands of hurricane victims on St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. Johns, the three islands that make up the territory. The subcontractors said they "need to protect their legal rights to ensure that federal disaster recovery funds are not used to pay for something other than their intended purposes." "We have no choice but to act to secure our legal rights," the subcontractors stated in the letter, which set a Friday deadline for coming up with "written plan of action to pay the past due invoices." The letter said some of the subcontractors' unpaid invoices are nearly a year old. Chivonne A.S. Thomas, the president of the Virgin Islands Bar Association, said the threat to file liens on property owners could present "very large implications" for homeowners. Under territorial law, subcontractors can file "a lien to secure payment of the contract price" during a dispute over work performed on a property. Thomas said such a lien would prevent the property owner from selling or using it as equity. But Thomas said that while she isn't sure the liens would stand up in court, territorial law appears to make an exception for projects being done for the Virgin Islands government. Typically, state and territorial governments pay the upfront costs associated with STEP and similar assistance programs, and FEMA reimburses them. But even before the hurricanes, the Virgin Islands was saddled with debt and running low on cash. Michael Chee, a spokesman for AECOM, said checks to subcontractors are lagging because the company has "tens of millions of dollars" in outstanding invoices that first need to be paid by the territory or FEMA. "We are still working diligently to make sure work continues to help the islands get back to normal as soon as possible," Chee said. "Obviously, any funds that we receive will go out to the respective contractors as quickly as possible." Richard Motta, a spokesman for Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., a Democrat, said the territory is trying to work with federal officials so disaster funds are released as "expeditiously as possible." Motta declined to comment further, saying the government does "not comment on potential legal matters." In recent testimony before the territorial legislature, Daryl Griffith, the director of the Housing and Finance Authority, noted that the Virgin Islands had already paid AECOM $136 million. But he added that the program involves "many layers of reviews and approvals before funds are released." Home repairs performed by contractors, for example, must pass inspectionbefore the territory can draw funds from FEMA to pay for the work, he noted. "A worksite is active until all work completion is signed off by the resident, contractor, subcontractor and VI Housing Finance Authority after the final site visit," said FEMA spokeswoman Abbey Dennis, who added that the agency views the dispute as a local matter between the territory and contractors. Frustration among workers, meanwhile, has been mounting. Subcontractor Rob Ord said he is owed more than $3 million for his services providing security to job sites through his company, Falken Industries USVI, and said some subcontractors have also been walking off the job. Carlos Bega, another subcontractor, said he worked as a roofer on St. Thomas for two months and has yet to be paid. Bega, 51, says he is owed about $20,000. "Everyone out here is not being paid," said Bega, who lives in Puerto Rico but traveled to the Virgin Islands to repair homes under the STEP program. "You got people out here without food to eat, but everyone is trying to help each other out." Federal regulators fined social media app Musical.ly - now known as TikTok - $5.7 million for illegally collecting the names, email addresses, pictures and locations of kids under 13, a record penalty for violations of the nation's child privacy law. The fine is the result of a settlement between the Federal Trade Commission and TikTok, which merged with California-based Musica.ly in 2018, over allegations of illegal data collection of children. The TikTok app, like Musical.ly before it, allows users to make videos of themselves lip-syncing to millions of songs, including from children's movies, and is broadly popular among adults and children. TikTok is owned by a Chinese company. The FTC said TikTok had 65 million users registered in the United States, and as of Wednesday, it was the fourth and 25th most popular free app on Google and Apple devices, respectively. The illegal data collection alleged by the FTC predates the merger with Musica.ly and, according to TikTok officials, is no longer in practice. "The operators of Musical.ly knew many children were using the app but they still failed to seek parental consent before collecting names, email addresses, and other personal information from users under the age of 13," said FTC Chairman Joe Simons in a news release Wednesday. "This record penalty should be a reminder to all online services and websites that target children." The 1998 law, called Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, sharply limits the collection of personal data of online users under the age of 13, but regulators in the past have been unsure of how to apply the law to general-interest sites, as opposed to ones specifically directed at children. The law forbids online services from collecting data on children, unless their parents give explicit permission, but it covers only services directed at children or ones that have "actual knowledge" that children are using them. Musical.ly debuted in 2014 and, when counting its successor TikTok, has been downloaded more than 200 million times. The original Musical.ly app required users provide their names, email addresses and phone numbers, and post a profile picture. Until October 2016, the app also collected the locations of users and allowed others to view which users were within a 50-mile radius of them, the FTC said. The FTC noted in its filing that many TikTok users list their ages in short bios they post with their accounts, meaning that the app has "actual knowledge" that they are under 13. The FTC also reported receiving thousands of complaints from parents of young children using the app. In response, TikTok said Wednesday that it would require new users to verify their age, while prompting existing users to verify how old they are. Users under age 13 would only be able to access a "limited, separate app experience" that meets U.S. restrictions on children's privacy, the company said in a blog post. The company has agreed to delete data it collected on children. "We care deeply about the safety and privacy of our users," TikTok continued. "This is an ongoing commitment, and we are continuing to expand and evolve our protective measures in support of this." While the FTC voted 5-0 to accept the settlement with TikTok that resulted in the $5.7 million fine, the commission's two Democrats said in a joint statement that the FTC should have held company executives personally accountable. Democratic Commissioners Rohit Chopra and Rebecca Slaughter - called the fine a "big win" to protect children online - said in a statement, "As we continue to pursue violations of law, we should prioritize uncovering the role of corporate officers and directors and hold accountable everyone who broke the law." Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., who as a House member in 1998 authored COPPA, said in a statement, "While this fine may be an historic high for a COPPA violation, it is not high enough for the harm that is done to children and to deter violations of the law in the future by other companies. I urge the FTC to make COPPA enforcement a top priority and protect the privacy of a uniquely vulnerable class of Americans, our children." Privacy advocates, meanwhile, said the FTC should be more aggressive in policing COPPA, especially in an era when popular general-interest sites such as YouTube and games such as Fortnite are widely popular among children. "It is no secret that tech companies are illegally and knowingly collecting personal information from children," Jim Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, said in a statement. "Musical.ly wasn't the first company and they won't be the last, which is why we need the FTC to continue to regularly enforce the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and hold companies accountable in a big way." Common Sense Media was part of a coalition of consumer and privacy groups that filed a complaint with the FTC last year, saying YouTube routinely violates COPPA, but the commission - as is its standard practice when receiving complaints - has declined to comment on whether it is pursuing an investigation of that company. The TikTok case began with a referral from the Better Business Bureau's Children's Advertising Review Unit. Two men were arrested earlier this week in cannabis trafficking busts on I-72 in central Illinois, and police believe it may indicate a trend in attempts to avoid the fuzz. Donnie C. Huffman, 42, of Cave Junction, Oregon, was charged after a traffic stop Monday on Interstate 72 in Scott County prompted Illinois State Police to bring in a canine unit. Close to 60 pounds of cannabis was found hidden in the 1994 Toyota truck, according to a state police report. Huffman was arrested about 11:30 p.m. Monday on charges of cannabis trafficking, possession of more than 5,000 grams of cannabis and possession of more than 5,000 grams of cannabis with the intent to deliver. Derek P. Utt, 33, of Lancaster, Ohio, was arrested a few hours earlier by state police in Morgan County. Utt was charged with possession of 5,000 grams of cannabis, cannabis trafficking and manufacture or delivery of cannabis, according to jail records. State police Sgt. Troy Rupert said the 60-pound cannabis bust in Scott County was the most caught on I-72 this year in District 20. With so much traffic on the interstate, theres some chance involved. Theres so many motorists and it just so happened that we were able to locate that particular amount (of cannabis), he said. Two other large cannabis trafficking busts also have led to arrests in February. Last week, deputies discovered about 20 pounds of what appeared to be cannabis in the trunk of a car pulled over on I-72, Morgan County Sheriff Mike Carmody said. Bradley D. Mott, 32, of Goshen, Indiana, was pulled over for an equipment violation Feb. 20 on I-72 eastbound, near Mile Marker 70. He is charged with cannabis trafficking, possession of cannabis, and manufacture or delivery of cannabis. On Feb. 9, Scott County Sheriffs deputies arrested Neil P. Cassidy, 33, of Colorado after finding a little more than 12 pounds of cannabis, Scott County States Attorney Michael Hill said. A deputy stopped to help a driver whose truck was broken down on I-72 but searched the vehicle after smelling cannabis, according to the sheriffs department. Trafficking 5,000 grams approximately 12 pounds or more of cannabis and possessing 5,000 grams or more are both felonies. There are several kinds of drugs being transported on the interstates toward Chicago, Indianapolis, New York and even Atlanta, Carmody said. Drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine tend to be transported in smaller amounts that are easier to hide. When traffickers start losing money to busts on certain roads, theyll shift the routes they take. We believe that they are being trafficked through I-72 because theyre avoiding some of these other roads like I-55 and I-57, Carmody said. Carmody said drugs seized on the interstate might not have been headed for a final destination in Morgan County but might have been headed to Champaign County or elsewhere. And we expect someone from Champaign to be out there to stop (drugs) from coming to Morgan County, he said. This Page Is Under Construction - Coming Soon! Why am I seeing this 'Under Construction' page? 24th Annual Sausage Supper BUNKER HILL Zion Lutheran Church Parish Hall will hold its 24th annual Sausage Supper on Sunday, March 3. The supper will be held at the church, 609 E. Warren St., Bunker Hill. The facility is handicap-accessible. Supper includes sausage, mashed potatoes, country gravy, green beans, sauerkraut with pork, applesauce, cranberry sauce, fresh baked bread and a variety of drinks, desserts and pies. Food will be served from noon until 5 p.m., with carry-outs available by in-house pickup or drive-thru until 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance for eat-in/family style adult meals, and carry-outs are also $10. Tickets at the door are $11 for eat-in adults, $5 for eat-in children, and $11 for carry-outs. Children under 5 eat free. Carry-out 10 link fried sausage package is $10. Tickets can be purchased at Meehans Grocery, Spickermans Hardware, Sallys Restaurant and the church office (call the office for times). Fresh, uncooked pork will also be sold Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call the church office at 618-585-3606 or visit www.zionbunkerhill.com. Church Women United Lenten Services ALTON The Church Women United are having Lenten services every Wednesday from Ash Wednesday until Good Friday. Services last 30 minutes and are followed by lunch and fellowship. A free will offering will be collected at the end of the service. The offerings will be split between the Crisis Food Center and Oasis Womens Center. The Lenten lunches cost $5 to help cover the cost for the church providing the meal. Meals include homemade soups, sandwiches and drinks. Services are: Ash Wednesday, March 6 Main Street Methodist Church, 1400 Main St., Speaker Rev. James Webb March 13 Millennium Temple, 810 Blair St., Speaker Rev. Janet Riley March 20 Greater St. James M. B. Church, 2016 Belle St., Speaker Rev. David Goins March 27 Godfrey First United Methodist Church, 1100 Airport Road, Speaker Rev. J.Micheal Porter April 3 Tabernacle M.B. Church, 2621 Amelia, Speaker Rev. Steve Friese April 10 First Presbyterian Church, 4th and Alby, Speaker Rev. Charles Burton April 17 Morning Star M.B. Church, 1 E. 6th St., Speaker Rev. John Buford Good Friday, April 19 Unity Fellowship Church, 1301 W. Delmar St., Speaker Tim Pate GriefShare Support Group, Preschool Enrollment GODFREY Faith Lutheran Church, in partnership with Gent Funeral Home of Alton, is offering a weekly GriefShare Support Group at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursdays through May 23. To register or for more information, please call the church office at 466-3833, ext. 200. Faith Lutheran Church & Preschool, 6809 Godfrey Road, Godfrey, is also accepting enrollments for 2019-20 for both full and half-day preschool classes ages 3 and 4. Enroll early and take advantage of 25 percent off the registration fee during month of March. For more information visit the churchs website at www.flcgodfrey.org or call 466-3833, ext. 200. ALTON Dandre R. Brown, 30, of Godfrey, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Steven D. Weinhoeft, announced Wednesday. Brown, who originally hails from Douglasville, Georgia, had been charged in a six-count federal indictment with five counts of bank robbery and one count of transporting a stolen vehicle across state lines. He pleaded guilty to the charges back in November 2018. Documents filed in federal district court revealed that over a span of six weeks, Brown committed five bank robberies in Madison County. Date Victim Bank City Amount Taken November 29, 2017 U.S. Bank Alton $2,910 December 20, 2017 Reliance Bank Godfrey $2,246 December 22, 2017 Regions Bank East Alton $13,774 January 2, 2018 U.S. Bank Wood River $7,550 January 10, 2018 1st MidAmerica Credit Union Edwardsville $8,882 As part of his guilty plea, Brown further admitted robbing a U.S. Bank in Florissant, Missouri, on December 11, 2017. On that occasion, Brown made off with $1,625 and then fled back to Illinois in a stolen car. Browns six bank robberies all followed the same basic modus operandi. Brown would enter the bank alone wearing something covering his head. He would present the teller with a note and then flee with the money to a vehicle parked a block or two away. On four occasions, when demanding money from the bank tellers, Brown told the tellers he knew where they lived, intimating that he might come after them personally if they did anything to thwart his crimes. Investigators were able to identify Brown because of outstanding police work at the local and federal level. After robbing the U.S. Bank in Alton, Brown dropped the demand note he had presented the teller. The note read, Give me all the money NO Die Packs I have a weapon. Officers with the Alton Police Department found the note in the grass across the street from the bank and sent it to the FBI crime lab, where four latent fingerprints and one latent palm print were discovered and subsequently matched to Brown. A federal arrest warrant was issued, and the United States Marshals Service tracked Brown to Atlanta, Georgia, where they apprehended him on January 23, 2018. Before Brown was sentenced, the district court received statements from several of the victim bank tellers, who reported their experiences as very damaging and traumatizing. One teller was so affected by Browns threats that she became uncomfortable in her home and had difficulty sleeping. The experience led another victim to leave her employment at the bank. The woman whose car was stolen told the court that for a week afterward she was too afraid to go home because, along with her car, Brown had stolen her house keys. Browns criminal record includes a 2006 conviction for armed robbery in St. Louis, and he was on parole for theft when he committed the bank robberies. His federal sentence includes a three-year term of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay over $35,000 in restitution. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address violent crime, the Justice Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN (PSN 2.0) and directed all U.S. Attorneys Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001. This prosecution is the result of a collaborative investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Illinois State Police, Madison County States Attorneys Office, and the following police departments: Granite City, Alton, St. Louis County, Godfrey, East Alton, Wood River, and Edwardsville. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James G. Piper, Jr. and Alexandria M. Burns. President Donald Trump arrived at the Metropole hotel in downtown Hanoi on Thursday ready to strike at least a modest deal with Kim Jong Un that would nudge North Korea closer to giving up its nuclear arms. A document had been prepared, ready for the two leaders to sign in a much-anticipated ceremony before reporters. Progress had been made on a joint definition of "denuclearization," Trump said -- a major sticking point in the talks. The North Korean leader assured the president he'd continue to suspend tests of nuclear bombs and ballistic missiles. Then Kim decided to press his luck, in the president's telling. And Trump walked away. The young North Korean leader had been successful before with surprise requests for last-minute concessions. In Singapore, he persuaded Trump to halt joint military exercises with South Korea in the closing hours of their first summit. This time, he went for more. Trump said Kim wanted the U.S. to lift all of its punishing economic sanctions against Pyongyang immediately. In exchange, North Korea would disable its Yongbyon reactor facility that had produced the fissile material for its nuclear bombs. Trump, by his own account, was impressed that Kim was willing to lose a "very big" facility. But he said he pressed Kim on other nuclear sites uncovered by American intelligence. Moreover, the U.S. side -- mindful of North Korea's track record of broken promises -- sought a different sequence of events: disarmament, then sanctions relief. The North Koreans were unwilling to concede to the full inspections regime the U.S. proposed. As the sides went back and forth, reporters were brought into a cafe at the hotel where Trump and Kim were expected to share lunch. A long table with white linens and roses had been set, while a menu of snow fish, apple foie gras jelly, and banoffee pie was being prepared. Back in the meeting room, the two leaders discussed whether to push forward with a deal. And Trump, who had for months been counseled by North Korea hawks within his administration, including National Security Adviser John Bolton, that no deal was preferable to a bad deal, began to balk. He worried that an agreement perceived as lopsided in favor of Pyongyang would result in more media criticism. So Trump pulled a classic Trump move, abandoning the talks. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders was dispatched to tell reporters there had been a change of schedule. The leaders were continuing to talk, but Trump's news conference would move up two hours -- effectively replacing a signing ceremony for the two leaders' agreement. "They wanted the sanctions lifted, in their entirety," Trump would later tell reporters. "And we couldn't do that. They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted, but we couldn't give up all the sanctions for that." The abrupt decision to curtail the summit seemed all the more jarring because Trump and Kim publicly demonstrated a warm rapport. On Wednesday night, the pair laughed together as a group of international reporters scurried to snap pictures and shout questions during a series of photo ops. And they both adopted a defiant optimism, saying publicly that the talks would validate a diplomatic effort that has drawn skepticism in both countries. Even their private discussions made clear Trump was willing to bend over backwards as he sought a deal. Trump told Kim that he believed he had no role in injuries sustained by a detained U.S. college student, Otto Warmbier, who died after he was returned to the U.S. in a comatose state following detention in North Korea. And the White House booted four American reporters from the leaders' dinner on Wednesday after some of the journalists shouted questions at the pair during their initial photo ops. Kim appeared more game to engage with journalists on Thursday, fielding a series of questions from White House reporters -- a historic first. But one exchange seemed to portend the eventual collapse of the talks and underscored that despite the summit's pageantry, the two leaders remained far apart on the details of an agreement. A reporter asked Kim if he'd consider letting the U.S. open a diplomatic liaison office in Pyongyang, in exchange for a facility of his own in Washington. The North Korean leader initially demurred, indicating to Trump that he thought it was time for reporters to leave. But Trump told the North Korean he'd be interested to hear his answer. Kim paused, then allowed that he might welcome the idea. But, he added, every minute of the summit was valuable, so it would be best for the journalists to leave. In fact, there were fewer minutes left than Kim even knew. The talks collapsed shortly after reporters left the room, and in the end, the North Korean strongman left with only a parting handshake from the American president. "We continue to work, and we'll see," Trump later told reporters. "But we had to walk away from that particular suggestion." - - - Bloomberg's Youkyung Lee and Jihye Lee contributed. Three state corrections employees accused of assaulting a prisoner are facing criminal charges. Sgt. Jason Cremer, Lt. James Fike and Correctional Officer Giovanni Rodriguez were arrested Sunday and Monday on charges of official misconduct and battery, Illinois State Police announced Wednesday. Lt. Craig Nolan said the officers were employed at the Pontiac Correctional Center at the time of the alleged assault. The charges stemmed from a joint investigation by the state police Division of Internal Investigation and the Illinois Department of Corrections Task Force into an incident that happened around Feb. 3. Cremer, Fike and Rodriguez are alleged, while acting in their official capacity, to have knowingly performed an act, which is forbidden by law and without legal justification, which caused bodily harm to an incarcerated individual, according to a state police news release. Justin Trudeau is facing the most explosive crisis of his administration after his former attorney general detailed a months-long campaign by the Canadian prime minister's office to quietly end a legal problem for an iconic Quebec construction firm. In dramatic testimony that lasted nearly four hours, Jody Wilson-Raybould broke her silence with a detailed account of efforts by Trudeau and top aides to persuade her to step in and end prosecution of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. She argues it amounted to interference in the judicial system, though concedes it wasn't illegal, while Trudeau says he was trying to prevent job losses in his home province of Quebec. "I experienced a consistent and sustained effort by many people within the government to seek to politically interfere," the former attorney general said Wednesday afternoon. Wilson-Raybould, who quit the Cabinet this month, also said she faced "veiled threats" about what might happen if she refused to order an out-of-court settlement. Her testimony shook the core of the Trudeau's team, naming him, his finance chief and his most senior aides. The Conservative leader trying to unseat Trudeau in this fall's election called for his resignation, but the prime minister stood his ground and rejected Wilson-Raybould's version of events. The public airing of grievances will inflame the scandal, which has driven the governing Liberals lower in national polls. The ordeal dredges up ghosts of the party's past, which is marked by hand-in-glove ties with corporate Canada -- particularly in Quebec. The political fallout, however, is difficult to predict. Trudeau's path to re-election runs through the largely French-speaking province, where his defense of SNC-Lavalin is being applauded. "I and my staff always acted appropriately and professionally," Trudeau said Wednesday night in Montreal, where he was celebrating a Liberal Party by-election victory. "Our government will always focus on jobs and our economy." SNC-Lavalin had been pushing for what's known as a deferred prosecution agreement to end a criminal case dating back more than a decade, related to corruption charges. The company's stock plunged the most in six years Oct. 10 when it revealed that the Public Prosecution Service of Canada ruled out a negotiated settlement that would have staved off a trial. Settling out of court would also help the company, which employs about 9,000 people in Canada, avoid a ban on bidding for federal government contracts. Wilson-Raybould pulled back the curtain on the effort to change that decision and help the company, in testimony that was aired on national television in its entirety. She spoke to lawmakers only after Trudeau waived privilege to allow her to do so, and believes she wasn't even legally able to intervene. She said the prime minister and his aides wanted to end the case in part to prevent the company's relocation -- and also to avoid electoral fallout for both the federal Liberals and the party's provincial wing. Wilson-Raybould said she resisted intervening because she wanted to uphold the principle of judicial independence and the rule of law, but officials ignored her repeated instructions to stop raising the issue. The former attorney-general identified a series of phone calls and meetings between her or her staff, and Trudeau or several of his top advisers. They include chief of staff Katie Telford; former principal secretary Gerald Butts, who resigned this month; and senior aides Mathieu Bouchard and Elder Marques. She also cited communications with Finance Minister Bill Morneau and his chief of staff Ben Chin. One of the meetings was with Trudeau himself, in September. "The prime minister raised the issue immediately. The prime minister asked me to help out, to find a solution here for SNC," Wilson-Raybould said. She said she'd told him she had made up her mind. "The prime minister again cited the potential loss of jobs and SNC moving," while also stressing that he represents an electoral district in Quebec. She said Privy Council Clerk Michael Wernick, the country's top bureaucrat, also warned her the company "will likely be moving to London" without her intervention. Discussions continued. Wilson-Raybould said Bouchard at one point said bluntly: "We can have the best policy in the world but we need to get re-elected." She met Butts in December in Ottawa, and was already frustrated by what she called "the barrage of people hounding me and my staff." She pushed back. "I raised how I needed everybody to stop talking to me about SNC, as I had made up my mind and that the engagements were inappropriate." She read a text-message conversation with her chief of staff, Jessica Prince, who was relaying a conversation with Butts and Telford. Wilson-Raybould said Prince was told by Butts "there is no solution here that does not involve some interference." She said Prince told her Telford said: "We don't want to debate legalities anymore." Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, who is Trudeau's top rival, demanded the prime minister step down over the revelations. Jagmeet Singh, leader of the third-place New Democratic Party, called for a full public inquiry. Wilson-Raybould was ultimately moved in a cabinet shuffle last month, before the scandal broke. Trudeau at first sought to downplay it by saying Wilson-Raybould's presence in cabinet should speak for itself. She resigned the next day. To be sure, she said she didn't believe Trudeau or his aides broke the law, but that their interventions were inappropriate. Wilson-Raybould also said no one ever flatly directed her to intervene. Trudeau has echoed that. The former attorney general said she didn't think it was inappropriate to discuss the potential of job losses early on, but became inappropriate to continually do it, and to raise the political ramifications of the situation. SNC-Lavalin has said it's no longer focused on getting a remediation agreement, but instead on fighting the case. It's also facing legal proceedings that allege it delayed disclosing that it would not get an offer of a deferred prosecution agreement, from Sept. 4 to Oct. 10. SNC-Lavalin said Wednesday the prosecutor's "final decision" was only made Oct. 9. WASHINGTON - A U.S. pharmaceutical start-up led by a Japanese researcher plans to launch a clinical trial of a new malaria vaccine in the United States this May. The company has developed the vaccine with its own method of attaching proteins from a malaria parasite to the surface of a different but empty pathogenic virus. It aims to establish a way to prevent malaria, which more than 200 million people are infected with each year across the globe. Malaria continues to be rampant in tropical and subtropical areas. Multiple vaccines are in development, but no vaccine has been put into full-fledged practical use. The clinical trial will be conducted by VLP Therapeutics, LLC in Bethesda, Maryland. Wataru Akahata, 45, a former senior researcher at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, serves as chief executive officer of the company. At NIH, Akahata conducted research on the virus that causes chikungunya fever, an infection with symptoms of high fever and headache that typically occurs in such regions as Africa, and developed a technology to create a harmless outer shell of the virus. Akahata has also found that a malaria antibody can be created after a vaccine - created by densely attaching proteins of a malaria parasite to an empty virus - is administered to animals. As the safety of the vaccine has been confirmed in monkeys, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved in late January the company's planned clinical trial. In the trial, which is scheduled to start in May, the vaccine will be given to about 30 people to examine whether they will be infected with malaria after being bitten by malaria-infected mosquitos. If the effectiveness of the vaccine is confirmed, the company will conduct clinical research on a large scale. After obtaining a doctoral degree at Kyoto University, Akahata began his study at NIH in 2002 and founded VLP Therapeutics in 2013. During his graduate school days at Kyoto University, he saw AIDS patients with his own eyes when conducting field research on HIV viruses in Cameroon. From this experience, he continues to make efforts in research, saying, "I want to develop drugs to treat diseases that have no cure." Of the seven Virginia Democrats in the U.S. House who called on Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax to resign in the face of sexual assault allegations, only Rep. Jennifer Wexton has responded to questions about campaign cash she received from Fairfax, saying she donated the money to a charity. Fairfax, a Democrat who was elected lieutenant governor in 2017, donated to all seven U.S. House Democrats from Virginia, as well as the state's Democratic senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. A co-chair of Warner's 2014 reelection campaign, Fairfax made four donations to the senator totalling $4,000 from 2008 to 2014, and gave Kaine a total of $1,500 in 2012 and 2018. Warner, who said Fairfax should resign "if" the allegations against him are accurate, and Kaine, who unequivocally called for Fairfax to leave office, both said through spokeswomen that they have no plans to donate or return the donations. Wexton took the $250 she received from Fairfax in October 2018 and sent it to the Loudoun Abused Women's Shelter on Feb. 11, said her senior adviser, Abigail Carter. Aides to the six other Virginia House members did not return messages seeking comment. On Feb. 6, Vanessa Tyson accused Fairfax of assaulting her when they were both attending the Democratic National Convention in Boston in 2004. On Feb. 8, Meredith Watson accused Fairfax of assaulting her in 2000 when they were both college students at Duke University. Fairfax has forcefully denied both allegations. Wexton's donation to the women's shelter will be used to provide services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, shelter executive director Judith Hanley said. Fairfax donated $250 to Wexton's campaign last year, shortly before she unseated Republican congresswoman Barbara Comstock. The National Republican Congressional Committee earlier this month called on Wexton and Reps. Elaine Luria and Abigail Spanberger - who all flipped red seats blue in November - to return campaign contributions from Fairfax. "Now, Wexton needs to publicly call on her Democratic colleagues to return the money - just like she did with Comstock last fall," NRCC spokeswoman Camille Gallo said Wednesday. During the campaign, Wexton called on Comstock to return donations linked to Republican congressman Patrick Meehan of Pennsylvania after it was revealed that he settled a harassment claim with a much younger aide. At the time, Comstock promised to donate $8,000 from Meehan's campaign and leadership committee to charities that protect women and children. Of the seven House Democrats, only Rep. Bobby Scott, the longest serving member of the delegation, did not call for Fairfax to resign. Scott has been personal friends with Tyson for about a decade, an aide has said. Fairfax gave Scott, Wexton, Luria, Spanberger and Reps. Don Beyer and Donald McEachin each $250, in October of 2018, when they were all on the ballot. Over time, Fairfax had also made three donations, totalling $1,750, to Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Democrat who represents the section of Fairfax County, Virginia, where the lieutenant governor lives. Shortly after Watson made public her allegations against Fairfax, Wexton tweeted her support for both women. "I believe Dr. Vanessa Tyson. I believe Meredith Watson. And I believe Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax must resign,' she wrote. Connolly, Beyer, Luria, Spanberger and Wexton then issued a lengthy joint statement calling on Fairfax to step down. They said they believed Tyson and that Watson's accusations bolstered Tyson's story. They also accused Fairfax of showing "exceptionally poor judgment" in responding to the allegations. "He repeatedly attacked [Tyson], he reportedly used vile and degrading language to describe her, he mischaracterized an investigation into the encounter, and he sought to blame others for events in his own past," the statement says. McEachin issued a statement the same day calling for Fairfax to step down. WOOD RIVER A missing 19-month-old boy taken from his home early Thursday was located shortly before noon, and the 26-year-old homeless woman in possession of the child was taken into custody by Wood River police. At approximately 11:45 a.m. Thursday, a Wood River police officer spotted a black 2017 Nissan Altima taken from the Ladd Avenue home where 19-month-old Azarah Alex R.L. Wohlert was last seen at 2 a.m. Thursday, according to Wood River Police Chief Brad Wells. The child was staying with a caretaker who is known to the police department to have drug and alcohol problems, Wells said. President Donald Trump's diplomatic failure in his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un should surprise no one, says Brian Katulis of the Center for American Progress. "What happened on North Korea is a textbook case of what not to do," he says. "He flew all the way on the other side of the world for a deal that wasn't anywhere close to having the necessary ingredients - let alone being partially baked." He adds, "It was so poorly planned it makes me think Trump may have wanted an excuse just to get out of town during the damaging and embarrassing [Michael] Cohen testimony." It seems that virtually no real progress has been made in talks since the Singapore summit. There was no agreement worked out in advance, so the risk of failure was high. And to top it off, it was evident to anyone keeping an eye on American politics (and the North Koreans study this intently) that Trump was desperate for something to call a win, something to divert attention from domestic debacles. Kim didn't need to give an inch, and Trump wound up with another diplomatic belly-flop. Perhaps it was all for the best. Before the talks broke down, media reports suggested that Trump had already given up on obtaining a full accounting of North Korea's nuclear program, the sort of concession that Republicans vilified the Obama administration for in the Iran talks. "If you have no real plan, no real preparation, and no clearly defined objectives, it shouldn't come as a surprise that you end up with no deal," says Jake Sullivan, former director of policy planning at the State Department and former Hillary Clinton adviser. "Trump needs to turn this over to the professionals now, in hopes that the larger effort doesn't go off the rails." It's not clear what happens next. "They need a different diplomatic approach," former acting CIA director John McLaughlin tells me. "It's foolish to lay all of this on two leaders without adequate pre-meeting work." He adds, "It's also time to get the Chinese, Japanese, and South Korea more directly involved. This is complicated, time-consuming, detail-oriented stuff. It's not a real estate deal." He continues, "North Korea's ultimate goal is to be treated like other states that have acquired nuclear weapons [such as] India or Pakistan. They want to keep enough of their weapons to be a nuclear state, even if they bargain away some of the peripheral elements of the program." Therefore, McLaughlin concludes, "We have to decide whether that's acceptable or not and, if not, to what lengths we are willing to go to reverse it." More egregious than Trump's diplomatic malpractice was Trump's defense of the murderous Kim, a man who has assassinated family members, starved and imprisoned in work camps hundreds of thousands of his countrymen and sits atop a dictatorial regime second to none in human rights atrocities. Despite all that and previous remarks at an address to Congress deploring the fatal mistreatment of an American, Trump played PR man for Kim: Asked by a reporter whether he had discussed with Kim the case of Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia student who was detained in North Korea for 17 months for allegedly stealing a propaganda poster, Trump said he had. Warmbier was in a coma through most of his imprisonment and died at age 22 shortly after being sent home to Cincinnati. Kim rules a totalitarian state, and his government has insisted that Warmbier was nothing but a "criminal." Yet Trump said Kim denied to him any knowledge of or role in his treatment. "He tells me that he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word," Trump said. "Those prisons are rough. They're rough places, and bad things happen. But I don't believe he knew about it." No one aside from Trump could believe that a totalitarian dictator and human rights monster such as Kim would be so clueless. In fact, just a year ago, Trump didn't buy it either. "We need only look at the depraved character of the North Korean regime to understand the nature of the nuclear threat it could pose to America and our allies," he said during his 2018 State of the Union address. "Otto Warmbier was a hardworking student at the University of Virginia. On his way to study abroad in Asia, Otto joined a tour to North Korea. At its conclusion, this wonderful young man was arrested and charged with crimes against the state. After a shameful trial, the dictatorship sentenced Otto to 15 years of hard labor, before returning him to America last June - horribly injured and on the verge of death. He passed away just days after his return." He promised to Warmbier's parents and siblings, who were in attendance, "Tonight, we pledge to honor Otto's memory with American resolve." That didn't last long. "It is simply disgusting what he said exonerating Kim for the murder of a U.S. citizen," Katulis says. "No one has been brought to justice for that murder. The episode shows how weak Trump is when he meets with leaders like Kim and Putin - he turns into a fawning, shrinking violet who kowtows to America's worst adversaries." Trump's egregious comments in Vietnam certainly are reminiscent of Trump's embarrassing gullibility in siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin's denial of interference in the 2016 election over United States intelligence agencies and with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's insistence that he did not know about the gruesome murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump is so needy for approval and so ignorant about the world that he'll apparently believe anything a dictator tells him - so long as it comes with a truckload of compliments and maybe a red carpet or glowing orb. Sullivan dryly remarks, "Maybe we could get Kim Jong Un or Putin to tell Trump there's no emergency at the [southern] border. He would rescind his declaration immediately." Maybe what is required is some serious reconsideration as to whether complete denuclearization can be obtained through diplomacy, even diplomacy backed up by economic sanctions. "It was a fool's errand," Eliot Cohen, former State Department official and frequent Trump critic. "What is striking is how similar this was to all the previous - and doomed - attempts to negotiate the North Koreans out of their nuclear weapons program." Trump seems to believe his mere presence could prompt North Korea to re-imagine their whole theory of regime survival. That's daft -- about as daft as imagining Jared Kusher has the magic key to unlock a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. The president may be a crook, as Michael Cohen alleged in testimony on Wednesday; he's also a fool whose ignorance and narcissism embarrass the United States on a daily basis and makes us less safe and the world less free. Being a 911 dispatcher might be harrowing most of the time, but it also provides moments of levity. Especially on Thanksgiving. In a recent Reddit thread asking 911 dispatchers for "some of the dumbest calls you've gotten," one user related the classic "emergency" call they always get on turkey day. "Every Thanksgiving you'll always get the person who calls because they don't know how long to cook a turkey," they replied. "Never fails." The user also added that "someone always puts a frozen turkey in a deep fryer," causing a house fire. MORE: Redditors who went on reality TV shows reveal how real (or fake) they were FYI for the confused cooks out there: There's another place to call for turkey problems. Butterball's turkey hotline, in operation since 1981, is the appropriate place to direct your queries. ALSO: In-N-Out worker shares cult burger chain's secrets, tips But fowl mishaps are the least of 911 dispatchers' strange stories: Click through the gallery above to read the weird and funny calls dispatchers have received over the years. (Note: Some stories have been edited for punctuation and grammar.) All interestedapplicants should email their updated CVs to people@peoplebrand.co.ug or handdeliver to 3rd Floor, Tirupati Mazima Mall, Kabalagala, Gaba Road. Allapplications should be addressed to the Recruitment Manager; Ever since the Pulwama terror attacks, and the tensions that have followed, celebrities in Pakistan and India have called for peace. However, some like Pakistani actress Veena Malik have been insensitive, fuelling tension. After videos of Indian Air Force's Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman in Pakistani custody emerged on Wednesday, Veena Malik mocked Varthaman in a tweet. Sharing a picture of Varthaman, blinded, and hands tied, Veena Malik said he will be 'received well' in Pakistan. The tweet hasn't gone down well, and actress Swara Bhasker was quick to speak her mind. In a tweet addressed to Veena Malik, Swara Bhasker slammed her 'sick mindset'. Veena ji.. Shame on you & ur sick mindset. Your glee is just gross! Our officer is a hero- brave, gracious & dignified in the face of capture. At least some decency from that major in you army who was questioning #WingCommanderAbhinandan or the many Pakistanis suing 4 peace #sick https://t.co/KvJH8ClkmW Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) February 28, 2019 Veena Malik has been sharing distasteful tweets, mocking India, ever since India attacked terror camps in Balakot. Touched by the compassion of the nurses who tended to her... As the India-Pakistan situation escalates, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has shared some strong words against his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. When noted journalist Barkha Dutt tweeted her disapproval of BJP leader Yeddyurappa's statement claiming BJP will win 22 seats in Karnataka as a result of Balakot air strike, PTI retweeted saying, "We hope you understand that you were manipulated into war mongering. #LetBetterSensePrevail; isolate the ppl who r desperate to win an election. War is in no nations interest,& its soldiers & civilians who are the collateral damage. Dont let one man use it for political mileage." We hope you understand that you were manipulated into war mongering. #LetBetterSensePrevail; isolate the ppl who r desperate to win an election.War is in no nations interest,& its soldiers & civilians who are the collateral damage. Dont let one man use it for political mileage. https://t.co/n538eDBnzf PTI (@PTIofficial) February 28, 2019 This led to further tweets and replies. Dutt replied to the PTI that "Our domestic politics and debate are our business and no one else's. Please focus on your own matters." To which the PTI responded saying, "When your domestic politicking is taking the region to a brink of war, and Pakistan being dragged in, it becomes our business." When your domestic politicking is taking the region to a brink of war, and Pakistan being dragged in, it becomes our business. We will reiterate the PMs stance and say #LetBetterSensePrevail. We have been victims of terrorism. The solution is with dialogue.#SayNoToWar https://t.co/dAcZLEcRKj PTI (@PTIofficial) February 28, 2019 A video posted on the Twitter account of PTI (@PTIofficial) points its fingers squarely at Modiand his need for warmongering as the elections approachas the reason behind the souring situation. The video reiterates Pakistan's call for peace through dialogue, and takes hard swipes at Modi saying that the "latest tension stems from Indian jingoism and war hysteria fuelled by Modi regime in bid to win elections". It shows the address by Imran Khan in which he invites India for dialogue for peace, it also mentions the fact that Pakistan opened its sacred Kartarpur corridor for the Indian Sikh community. The video closes by saying that war hysteria has got the better of Modi regime and that they want peace, but will not compromise on their sovereignty. There is a new leadership in Pakistan today, that wants peace but will not bow down where its sovereignty is concerned. Since taking power, PM Imran Khan has at multiple occasions reiterated the need for a dialogue and resolution. #SayNoToWar pic.twitter.com/GPRA9HgyNV PTI (@PTIofficial) February 27, 2019 In a follow-up tweet, PTI goes further and straight up attacks Modi again. "... a desperate bid to win an election by one man is gripping an entire nation in war hysteria," says the tweet. Naming Modi, again, they say that "war is no one's interest except Narendra Modi; whose escalating ego is reminiscent of dictators who started world wars." The tweet is also tagged with #SayNoToWars. But a desperate bid to win an election by one man is gripping an entire nation in war hysteria. India needs to realise that war is in no ones interest except Narendra Modi; whose escalating ego is reminiscent of dictators who started world wars.#SayNoToWar https://t.co/uNZZ40hXD0 PTI (@PTIofficial) February 27, 2019 Anoother tweet calls for better sense to prevail "as it is time for peace". It calls on India and its people to reject the politics of Narendra Modi that exploits "an entire nations army and its public for one mans political ambitions". Former chief minister and BJP state president B.S. Yeddyurappa has caused huge embarrassment to his party by stating the air strikes by India on terror camps in Pakistan would benefit the saffron party and help it bag more seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The opposition parties, which have been alleging that the BJP-led government at the Centre was using the sacrifices of the soldiers for their political gains, was quick to condemn Yeddyurappa's remark. "In the last 40 years, we had no decisive leader like Modi, who has delivered what he promised. He had told the killing of 40 CRPF men would be avenged and India conducted air strikes. The countrymen, opposition parties and the youth are celebrating it. There is no doubt this will also help BJP in Karnataka bag more than 22 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections," Yeddyurappa had told reporters at Chitradurga on Wednesday. Former chief minister Siddaramaiah slammed Yeddyurappa in a tweet, calling his statement shocking and disgusting to understand.... "It is unfortunate that @BJP4India is calculating electoral gains even before the dust has settled. No patriot shall derive such sadistic gains over soldiers' death; only a anti-nationalist can. What will RSS say about this?" tweeted Siddaramaiah. The remarks also drew flak from BJP leadership too, as retired general V.K. Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, tweeted saying he "begged to differ" with what Yeddyurappa had to say. "@BSYBJP ji, I beg to differ. We stand as one nation, action taken by our government is to safeguard our nation & ensure safety of our citizens, not to win a few extra seats," tweeted Singh, who also posted a link to the speech by former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, stating it highlighted the party's position at all times. The clipping has Vajpayee speaking at the Parliament where he reminds that his party puts "nation first". "Today, the country is going through crisis. As the opposition party(BJP), we have always stood by the government of the day on matters concerning the national security of India. Even prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao had appreciated us, the opposition party, for expressing our solidarity. The Indian unity had dumbfounded Pakistan, as their opposition parties have always tried to pull down the government. But that has never been our tradition or nature. The governments come and go, parties are made or broken, but the country should survive," Vajpayee said in his address. Yeddyurappa, in damage control mode, claimed that his statement had been reported out of context. "My statement is being reported out of context. I said that situation is favourable for BJP, which I am saying for last couple of months. This is not first time that I said that BJP in Karnataka will win minimum 22 seats under the able leadership of Modiji, he claimed. The All India Mahila Congress, the women's wing of the Congress, on Thursday denounced the trolling by rightwing social media handles of a woman who lost her husband in the Pulwama suicide bombing. For Mita Santra, whose husband, Babloo Santra was one of the 40 jawans who died in #PulwamaTerrorAttack , the grief has been followed by abuse. She has been trolled by right winged handles for her "war cannot solve every problem"#MeraJawanSabseMajboothttps://t.co/lqG97xgXQc All India Mahila Congress (@MahilaCongress) February 28, 2019 Mita Santra, whose husband Bablu was among the CRPF personnel killed in the Pulwama attack on February 14, had been attacked for demanding that India and Pakistan pursue negotiations, instead of fighting. The Twitter handle of the Mahila Congress said, For Mita Santra, whose husband, Babloo Santra was one of the 40 jawans who died in #PulwamaTerrorAttack, the grief has been followed by abuse. She has been trolled by right winged handles... Mita Santra lost her husband in the Pulwama attack and now she is trolled by @BJP4India when she appeals in antipathy of war. Such double standards.#MeraJawanSabseMajboothttps://t.co/MvrCtGT5xr Neeraj Kundan (@Neerajkundan) February 28, 2019 Neeraj Kundan, the recently appointed president of the NSUI, the Congress's students wing, targeted the BJP over the trolling of Mita. Kundan tweeted, Mita Santra lost her husband in the Pulwama attack and now she is trolled by @BJP4India when she appeals in antipathy of war. Such double standards. A woman who lost her husband in the #Pulwama attack, Mita Santra, has the courage to #SayNoToWar _ she's being trolled for it. I, and my organisation AIPWA, stand with Mita. In her own way she's just as courageous as any soldier & it's the armchair warrior trolls who r cowards. https://t.co/nYvUEo73Bd Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) February 28, 2019 Human rights activist Kavita Krishnan also declared support for Mita. Krishnan, who is secretary of All India Progressive Women's Association, tweeted her organisation stood with Mita. Krishnan tweeted, ...she's just as courageous as any soldier & it's the armchair warrior trolls who r cowards. Despite the criticism, Mita, who is a schoolteacher, has continued to air her anti-war views. She told PTI on Thursday she was not bothered about social media trolls criticising her stand on war. Mita had demanded that the Indian government engage with Pakistan to ensure the same return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured after his MiG-21 plane was downed on Wednesday. Donald Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen wrapped up hours of explosive congressional testimony by warning that the US president may not accept a peaceful transition of power if he loses re-election in 2020. Given my experience working for Mr Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, that there will never be a peaceful transition of power, he said in a final statement to the House Oversight and Reform Committee after hours of public testimony. In a total five hours of testimony before the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, Cohen admitted that he lied in the previous testimony. He went on to say how Trump was not forthcoming about his relationship with the Russian government, especially regarding plans for a Trump Tower in Moscow. Rob Mueller lead investigator of the probe said that Trump had sought a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2015, a year before the elections. He also said that Trump had prior knowledge regarding WikiLeaks plan to release Hillary Clinton emails. Cohen also said that he was reimbursed with a personal cheque of $35,000 by Trumpfirst of the 11 instalments to Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have an affair with him over a decade ago. Trump has said that he avoided service in the Vietnam War due to bone spurs that rendered him unable to fight. But he confided to Cohen that he did not serve in Vietnam as he thought it was a 'stupid thing to do,' Cohen said in his testimony. You don't use your power of your bully pulpit to destroy the credibility of those who speak out against you, Cohen said. He also said he hoped his testimony helped in order to heal America. In a retort to his former lawyer's testimonial, President Donald Trump said, "He lied a lot." Trump told a press conference in Vietnam after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that Cohen's testimony provided no evidence of collusion by the Trump campaign with Russia in the 2016 US election. Cohen told the lawmakers that while he had no direct knowledge of collusion he had suspicions. Trump complained that the testimony took place during the summit with Kim. He again insisted the probe into Russian collusion is a "hoax" and a "witchhunt" and went on to say that the hearing was fake. China Thursday appeared non-committal about its stand on a fresh proposal moved by the US, the UK and France in the UN Security Council to designate Pakistan-based terror group JeM's chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. China, a close ally of Pakistan, has consistently blocked moves first by India and later by the US, the UK and France to designate Azhar as a global terrorist by the 1267 Committee by putting technical holds. Asked whether China will block the move to designate Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Azhar as a global terrorista listing that will subject him to global travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargoChinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang almost reiterated Beijing's oft-repeated stand at a media briefing here. "As we have said on many occasions, the 1267 committee of the UN Security Council has clear norms on the listing of terrorist organisations or individuals and relevant procedures," he said. China will continue to take a responsible attitude and participate in the discussions of the Security Council's relevant sanctions committees and other subsidiary bodies, he said. Beijing's constant blocking of the move has become a major issue of discord between India and China. China's approach this time is closely watched in view of the transformation of India-China relations after last year's Wuhan summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. China has taken a more guarded approach since the Pulwama terror attack claimed by Pakistan-based JeM which killed 40 CRPF soldiers. Beijing backed the recent strong statement issued by the UN Security Council condemning JeM for the attack. It is to be seen what stand China would take this time about the listing of Azhar as a global terrorist. Mumbai, Feb 28 (PTI) Beleaguered Jet Airways' Chairman Naresh Goyal has agreed to step down as the lenders gear up to acquire majority stake in the airline under a bailout plan, a source said Thursday. When contacted, Jet Airways Vice-President for Corporate Affairs and Public Relations Ragini Chopra said she is "not aware" of the developments. The move comes a day after an urgent meeting of lenders with Goyal and Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer Tony Douglas to resolve various issues between the two promoters as well as lenders and Etihad. The Gulf-based carrier holds 24 per cent stake in the Mumbai-based full service airline, founded by Goyal 25 years ago. State Bank of India is the lead lender of a consortium that has extended loans to Jet Airways, which has been grappling with financial woes and is looking to rejig debt as well as raise funds. On February 14, Jet Airways' board had approved a Bank-Led Provisional Resolution Plan (BLPRP), whereby lenders would become the largest shareholders in the airline. Its shareholders have also approved conversion of loan into shares and other proposals during the extraordinary general meeting on February 21. PTI IAS ANZ HRS New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will provide a loan of USD 455 million to finance the Andhra Pradesh Rural Roads Project, which will connect about 3,300 habitations with a population of more than 250, and benefit around two million people. An agreement in this regard was signed between the AIIB and the government, said a release of the finance ministry. "The project is likely to improve the life of a common man living in the remote and isolated areas in the state of Andhra Pradesh," it said. The objective of the project, it added, is to improve road transport connectivity in previously unserved communities by providing all-weather rural roads in all 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh. Under the project, there are plans to construct rural roads to provide first connectivity, construct cross drainage works and bridges to complete missing links and structures. It is the third project being signed by the AIIB in the state, the other two are in power and water sectors. "The AIIB is keen to support more such projects in India in various sectors," said Supee, director general (investment operations department), AIIB. AIIB is a multilateral development bank headquartered in Beijing, China, which began operations in January 2016. India is the second-largest shareholder in the AIIB and its largest borrower. PTI NKD HRS New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) The government Thursday announced a soft loan of up to Rs 10,540 crore to the sugar industry to help mills clear mounting arrears to cane growers, a move that would cost exchequer up to Rs 1,054 crore as interest subsidy. Sugar cane arrears to farmers have crossed Rs 20,000 crore in the current marketing year 2018-19 (October-September). "To help the sugar industry clear its cane dues arrears, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister today approved the proposal to provide soft loans to the extent of about Rs 7,900-10,540 crore to the sugar industry," an official statement said. The Centre will bear the interest subvention cost at the rate of 7-10 per cent to the extent of Rs 553 crore to Rs 1,054 crore for one year. "Surplus production is also estimated in the current sugar season 2018-19 which has affected the liquidity position of sugar mills resulting in building up of cane price arrears of farmers which has reached to the level of Rs 20,159 crore as on February 22, 2019," the statement said. To ensure that farmers are paid their dues expeditiously, the Centre has asked banks to seek bank account details of cane growers from mill owners, so that amount is paid directly to farmers. "In order to incentivize the mills to clear their dues, CCEA has also decided that the approved soft loans will be provided to those units which have already cleared at least 25 per cent of their outstanding dues in the sugar season 2018-19," the statement said. The decision to provide soft loans comes a fortnight after the Centre raised benchmark selling price of sugar at factory gate by Rs 2 to Rs 31 per kg. Although sugar production is estimated to decline to 307 lakh tonnes in the 2018-19 marketing year (October-September) from record 325 lakh tonnes in the previous year, the output will be much higher than annual domestic consumption of 260 lakh tonnes. Moreover, mills had an opening stock of about 100 lakh tonnes of stock from previous year's production. In last one-and-a-half years, the central government has taken a number of measures to bail out sugar mills as well as cane farmers. The steps include doubling of the import duty on sugar to 100 per cent and scrapping of the export duty. In June last year, the government announced a Rs 8,500 crore package for the industry, which included soft loans of Rs 4,440 crore to mills for creating ethanol capacity. It is bearing an interest subvention of Rs 1,332 crore for this. An assistance of Rs 5.50 per quintal of cane crushed was announced, amounting to Rs 1,540 crore to mills, for 2017-18. This has been raised to Rs 13.88 per quintal for 2018-19, costing over Rs 4,100 crore to the exchequer. Around Rs 1,200 crore was allocated for the creation of 30 lakh tonnes of buffer stock of sugar. That apart, the Centre is providing assistance worth Rs 1,375 crore to mills by compensating expenditure towards internal transport, freight, handling and other charges to facilitate 50 lakh tonnes export during the 2018-19 marketing year. PTI MJH NKD MJH MR MR \R New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) The Union Cabinet on Thursday gave its "ex-post facto approval" for the creation of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the disinvestment of Air India and its subsidiaries and joint ventures, a government statement said. The cabinet also gave its approval for the development of new greenfield airport at Hirasar in Gujarat's Rajkot district. An SPV named Air India Asset Holding Ltd (AIAHL) was set up on January 22 last year as part of financial restructuring of the debt-laden national carrier. The statement on Thursday said "the government has decided to transfer...to the newly-created SPV the debt of Air India Limited amounting to Rs 29,464 crore" as well as "non-core assets, painting and artifacts and other non-operational assets of Air India Limited". Moreover, the government said that the "subsidiaries which are not part of Air India strategic disinvestment viz. AIATSL (Air India Air Transport Services Limited), AIESL (Air India Engineering Services Limited), AASL (Airline Allied Services Limited) are to be shifted to the SPV". The government has been working on ways to revive the fortunes of Air India, which is estimated to have a debt burden of Rs 55,000 crore. The board of directors of the SPV includes Director Finance as well as the chairman and managing director of Air India. It also has joint secretaries of the following government departments -- Corporate Affairs, Investment and Public Asset Management, Expenditure, Economic Affairs -- as its board directors. The government will provide a total of Rs 3,900 crore for servicing Air India's loans transferred to the SPV, according to interim Budget presented on February 1. At a press briefing on Tuesday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said: "For disinvestment of Air India and its subsidiaries and its remaining assets, a special purpose vehicle (SPV)'s incorporation has got the approval." According to the documents presented in the interim Budget for 2019-20, the government has decided to allocate Rs 1,300 crore for the SPV this fiscal. Besides, Rs 2,600 crore would be provided in the next financial year. "The Union Cabinet has been given ex-post facto approval for the creation of the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) and associated activities for the disinvestment of Air India and its subsidiaries/JV (joint ventures)," stated a government press statement Thursday. The national carrier has been in the red since its merger with Indian Airlines in 2007. Air India is staying afloat on a bailout package extended by the previous UPA regime in 2012. PTI DSP HMB Mumbai, Feb 28 (PTI) Extending its fall for the third session, the BSE benchmark Sensex Thursday ended marginally lower after investors squared-off their positions on February derivative contracts' expiry amid concerns over tension between India and Pakistan. Weak cues from other Asian markets and a lower opening of European equities too weighed on market mood, traders said. The 30-share index took off on a strong footing, advancing to a high of 36,085.85 in early session largely on the back of sustained foreign fund inflows and covering-up of short positions by speculators. However, selling activity re-emerged in line with weak domestic and global cues, pushing the index to a low of 35,829.15. It finally settled 37.99 points, or 0.11 per cent lower at 35,867.44. The gauge had lost 308 points in the previous two sessions. The 50-share Nifty also fell 15.70 points, or 0.13 per cent, to 10,792.50 after moving between 10,865.70 and 10,784.85 on alternate bouts of buying and selling. Top losers in the Sensex pack include TCS, Maruti, Hero MotoCorp, M&M, Axis Bank and Tata Steel, falling up to 3.38 per cent. On the other hand, ONGC, Coal India, Vedanta, NTPC, Yes Bank, SBI, L&T, ICICI Bank, Sun Pharma, RIL, PowerGrid and ITC rose up to 4.17 per cent. Investors adopted a cautious approach and were seen squaring-off their positions instead of carrying forward to the March series in the wake of tension between India and Pakistan, brokers said. Market participants were also cautious ahead of the release of GDP numbers and fiscal deficit data scheduled for later in the day. Meanwhile, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net of Rs 423.04 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) made purchases to the tune of Rs 66.81 crore Wednesday, provisional data showed. PTI SUN ANS ANS Mumbai, Feb 28 (PTI) Extending its fall for the third session, the BSE benchmark Sensex Thursday ended marginally lower after investors squared-off positions as February derivative contracts expired amid concerns over tension between India and Pakistan. Weak cues from other Asian markets and a lower opening of European equities too weighed on market mood, experts said. The 30-share index took off on a strong footing, advancing to a high of 36,085.85 in early session largely on the back of sustained foreign fund inflows and covering-up of short positions by speculators. However, selling activity re-emerged in line with weak domestic and global cues, pushing the index to a low of 35,829.15. It finally settled 37.99 points, or 0.11 per cent lower at 35,867.44. The gauge had lost 308 points in the previous two sessions. The 50-share Nifty also fell 15.70 points, or 0.13 per cent, to 10,792.50 after moving between 10,865.70 and 10,784.85 on alternate bouts of buying and selling. "Market continued the rangebound movement due to futures and options (F&O) expiry while mid and small-cap indices outperformed as investors believe that border tensions wont continue for long," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services. "Additionally, focus is likely to shift to economic data and possibility of pre-election rally while FII inflow is picking up and rupee is gaining strength," he added. Among Sensex components, TCS emerged biggest loser by falling 3.38 per cent, while Maruti Suzuki lost 1.77 per cent. Other laggards include Hero MotoCorp falling 1.49 per cent, M&M 1.42 per cent, Axis Bank 1.18 per cent, Tata Steel 0.90 percent, HCL Tech 0.67 per cent, Bharti Airtel 0.63 per cent, Bajaj Auto 0.54 per cent, HDFC Bank 0.45 per cent, Kotak Bank 0.28 per cent, HUL 0.25 per cent, IndusInd Bank 0.23 percent and Infosys 0.10 per cent. However, ONGC topped the gainers' list, climbing 4.17 per cent, followed by Coal India up 3.16 per cent. Also, Vedanta, NTPC, Yes Bank, SBI, L&T, ICICI Bank, Sun Pharma, RIL, PowerGrid, ITC, Tata Motors, Bajaj Finance, HDFC and Asian Paints gained up to 2.88 per cent. Sector-wise, the BSE IT index suffered the most by falling 1.02 per cent, followed by teck down 0.93 per cent and auto 0.67 per cent. However, consumer durables, oil and gas, capital goods, PSU, realty, power, FMCG and bankex indices ended higher by up to 1.29 per cent. The broader markets were in better shape with the small-cap index rising 0.86 per cent and mid-cap index gaining 0.49 per cent. Investors adopted a cautious approach and were seen squaring-off their positions instead of carrying forward to the March series in the wake of tension between India and Pakistan, brokers said. Market participants were also cautious ahead of the release of GDP numbers and fiscal deficit data scheduled for later in the day. Meanwhile, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net of Rs 423.04 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) made purchases to the tune of Rs 66.81 crore Wednesday, provisional data showed. Elsewhere in Asia, Korea's Kospi fell 1.76 per cent, Japan's Nikkei was down 0.79 per cent, Straits Times shed 0.97 per cent and Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0.44 per cent. A similar trend also emerged in European shares with Frankfurt's DAX falling 0.31 per cent and Paris CAC 40 shed 0.13 per cent. London's FTSE too declined 0.82 per cent. PTI SUN ANS ANS New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) The Centre on Thursday approved over Rs 1,600 crore assistance to four states -- Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Manipur -- as compensation for the natural calamities faced by them last year. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the decision was taken at a meeting of a high-level committee chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh here. The committee approved the additional central assistance of Rs 1,604.15 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). Rajasthan (drought) would get Rs 1,206.62 crore, Jharkhand (drought) Rs 272.42 crore, Andhra Pradesh (cyclonic storm 'Phethai') Rs 82.65 crore and Manipur (floods/landslides) Rs 42.46 crore, a statement issued by the MHA said. The meeting was held to consider the additional central assistance to these four states, which were affected by floods, landslides, cyclone 'Phethai' and drought (kharif) during 2018-19. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and senior officers of the Ministries of Home Affairs, Finance, Agriculture and NITI Aayog were present at the meeting. PTI ACB RC Tokyo, Feb 28 (AFP) Lawyers for former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn on Thursday filed a fresh bail request for the auto titan who has been detained for more than three months, the Tokyo District Court said. It is the first bail request filed by the 64-year-old since he shook up his legal team as he crafts his defence to three charges of financial misconduct. The former high-flying executive has been in detention since his shock November 19 arrest, and has tried repeatedly without success to secure bail. Reached by AFP, an assistant lawyer for Ghosn's lead attorney declined to explain how the bail request would differ from previous filings. "We can't comment on details, including any differences in approach this time. We plan to explain about details when we hold a news conference next week," he said. Ghosn's previous legal team even deployed a rarely-used article of the Japanese constitution to force the court to explain why the Franco-Lebanese-Brazilian remained in detention. A judge said Ghosn's continued detention was justified because he posed a flight risk and there was a possibility he would conceal evidence. Ghosn and his lawyers have argued that neither of those is the case, and he even offered to wear a tracking bracelet and hire guards to monitor his whereabouts, pledging to stay in Japan. But so far the courts have shown no inclination to end his lengthy pre-trial detention, which has drawn some criticism internationally and from rights groups. Prosecutors have defended his detention while they investigate three charges of financial misconduct, two involving alleged under-reporting of his salary and a third over a complex scheme in which Ghosn allegedly sought to transfer his losses to Nissan's books. Ghosn has denied all the allegations against him, and in an interview with AFP from his Tokyo detention he slammed his continued detention. "Why am I being punished before being found guilty?" Ghosn asked, speaking to AFP and the Les Echos daily in January. The refusal to grant him bail "would not be normal in any other democracy", he said. Ghosn earlier this month shook up his legal team, replacing his previous lead lawyer -- a former prosecutor -- with hot-shot lawyer Junichiro Hironaka, who has a history of taking on high-profile cases. Ghosn's November arrest sent shockwaves through the auto industry in Japan and beyond. A towering figure once revered in Japan for turning around Nissan's fortune, Ghosn also forged a successful alliance between Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors and France's Renault. But his attempts to deepen the alliance caused resentment in some quarters, and Ghosn has claimed the allegations against him are part of a "plot" by opponents of greater integration between the three firms. (AFP) PMS PMS London, Feb 28 (AFP) Thousands of air travellers worldwide were left stranded on Thursday after Pakistan closed its airspace in response to escalating tensions with India. Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it would keep airspace shut until 11.59 pm local time, disrupting major routes between Europe and South East Asia. Thai Airways has cancelled nearly 30 flights, affecting 5,000 passengers. "All THAI flights from Bangkok to Europe departing near midnight of 27 FEB through early 28 FEB and from Europe to Bangkok departing on 27 FEB have been cancelled due to Pakistan airspace closure," the airline wrote on its Twitter page. The decision affected its services to London, Munich, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Vienna, Stockholm, Zurich, Copenhagen and Oslo, but the airline said at around 0530 GMT that it was resuming normal operations to Europe. Singapore Airlines' was also forced to direct flights to Europe to re-fuel, while a flight to Frankfurt was cancelled. The crisis between nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan and India has raised fears of an all-out war. Pakistan said it would release a captured Indian pilot on Friday, in an overture towards New Delhi. India earlier said its forces had also shot down a Pakistani fighter jet as Pakistan suddenly closed its airspace early Wednesday. The CAA said Thursday morning that it had temporarily restored its airspace, with three flights departing from Pakistan as of 1000 GMT. They were an Emirates service from Peshawar to Dubai, an Air Arabia flight from Peshawar to Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE and a Qatar Airways flight from Peshawar to Doha. Emirates was earlier forced to cancel 10 return flights to Pakistan while Qatar Airways pulled flights to Peshawar, Faisalabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Multan. Saudi Airlines also suspended all flights to Pakistan "until further notice". In Russia, two flights from Moscow to Vietnam and St. Petersburg to Thailand had to turn back to Russia while a Bangkok-bound flight had to land at Uzbekistan. Air Canada suspended flights to Mumbai and New Delhi, diverting an India-bound flight back to Toronto, while seven services from Istanbul to Pakistan were cancelled. The closure affected Thai Airways flights to Scandinavia and Pakistani International Airlines flights to Copenhagen, with local television station TV2 television reporting that 25 Danish students were stuck at Bangkok airport. "The atmosphere is not very good right now. We try to keep up the morale, but it's difficult," said student Sara Bjerregaard Larsen, adding that many were in tears. Thai Airways struggled to find new routes to Europe with Iran "rejecting" a request to travel over its airspace, according to a spokesperson for the carrier. But a few hours later China gave "permission to Thai Airways ... to bypass Pakistani airspace," according to Pratana Patanasiri, Thai Airways Vice President, allowing Thursday night's flights to Europe to resume. But frustration mounted Thursday at Bangkok's main airport at the sudden delays. "We have waited here for 11 or 12 hours already," said Gerda Heinzel 55, a German tourist returning to Munich after a holiday in Phuket. "We have not been given anything to eat, anywhere to stay. There are no German-speaking staff to help us." (AFP) PMS PMS Chandigarh, Feb 28 (PTI) Alleging that the Haryana budget was a reflection of the overall failure of the economy under the BJP rule, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday demanded a white paper on the state of economy. He accused the M L Khattar-led BJP government of leading the state to bankruptcy. "The budget is a reflection of the overall failure of the economy under the BJP government... Allocations on important segment of economy have been reduced and mismanagement of finances is clearly evident... the government must issue a white paper on state of economy," Hooda told a news conference here. Senior Congress leaders from the state -- including Karan Singh Dalal, Raghubir Singh Kadian and Geeta Bhukkal, all of whom are MLAs -- were also present at the conference. Hooda said the total outstanding debt of the state, projected in the budget presented by Finance Minister Abhimanyu earlier this week, was nearly Rs 1.79 lakh crore, which has gone up from under Rs 70,000 crore when Congress was in power five years back. He charged the Finance Minister with having presented a "visionless budget while depending heavily on borrowings". "When we were in power, the economy was in the pink of its health, which is in shambles now," he alleged. He also alleged that the BJP government in the state had failed to bring any major project during its four-and-a-half-years rule. "On the other hand, the previous Congress government had set up four power plants in the state, brought metro train in Haryana, several universities... The BJP has done nothing during its rule except leading the state to financial mismanagement. However, they are expert in event management and know how to blow the trumpet about their non-existing achievements," he further claimed. Hooda said "overlooking and ignoring" vociferous protests and walkout by the Opposition Congress and INLD, the ruling BJP, on the basis of the majority they enjoy in the 90-member Assembly, passed amendments to an Act, opening up thousands of acres to real estate and other non-forest activity that were protected under it for over a century. Chief Minister Khattar had said the Punjab Land Preservation (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2019, which was passed by the Haryana Assembly here on Wednesday, was the "need of the hour", saying as it was a "very old" act and much has changed over the period of time. Hooda said a delegation of Congress members will be meeting the Haryana Governor on this issue. Hooda claimed that the amendment made in the Act would prove disastrous for the oldest mountain range of the Aravalis near Gurugram and Faridabad. "Opening up thousands of acres of land to non-forest activity will destroy the fragile Aravali hills and forest," he claimed. Hooda said the Congress members had suggested that the House Committee comprising members across political spectrum be formed to examine the amended legislation, but the ruling benches rejected the move. He said the Congress members pointed out that there was a "big scam" involved in passage of the PLPA amended bill and that builders and land sharks stand to profit a great deal due to the changed Act. "We will strongly protest against the planned ecological disaster of the Aravalis and will lead a delegation to the Haryana Governor to appeal to him not to give his assent to the new Act," Hooda said. Presenting a Rs 1.32 lakh crore budget for 2019-20 in the Assembly, the Haryana government had on Monday announced new schemes to provide financial and social security cover to families of farmers and those of workers in the unorganised sector ahead of the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls. The budget, which did not propose any new tax, has a total outlay of Rs 1,32,165.99 crore, 14.73 per cent more than the budget for 2018-19. PTI SUN CK (Eds: Disclaimer: The following press release comes to you under an arrangement with PR Newswire. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.) CHANDIGARH, India, February 28, 2019/PRNewswire/ -- In the year 2000, UNESCO announced International Mother Language Day (IMLD) with an objective to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. Focusing on the same, Chitkara College of Education, Chitkara University, Punjab, celebrated International Mother Language Day (IMLD) at the campus. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/828485/ChitkaraUniversityIMLD.jpg) The students from College of Education celebrated International Mother Language Day in assorted and exciting flavors, weaving out various activities to portray the importance of Mother Language. They depicted a thought provoking play 'My Language, My Pride - Meri Bhasha, Mera Maan', in tune with Chitkara University's Erasumus+ project - CLIL@India, to send home the message that if a child has a strong hold on his/her mother tongue, it is easier for them to learn new language(s). While some students recited beautiful self-composed poems in Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Pahadi and English, to narrate the 'agony' of Mother Language; others brought out their creative side to paint 'reflections' of Mother Language on their canvas. Chief Guest for the day, Mr. Louis Lopez, Principal St. Stephen's School, Chandigarh, beautifully summed up the celebration by quoting, "India is a diverse nation and we should be proud of our language diversity. The regional languages collaboratively make a bouquet in which every colour depicts a different language. A child can easily comprehend a new language if Mother Language is used as a medium of teaching." Explaining the importance of Mother Language, Dr. Madhu Chitkara, Vice-Chancellor, Chitkara University, said, "If you talk to a person in a language he understands, it goes to his head. If you talk to him in 'his' Mother Language it goes to his heart. Such is the impact of Mother Language!" She added, "Recognising and appreciating the different languages and cultures in the community is a way for people to grow and change. Each one of us should pledge to celebrate and respect the linguistic and cultural diversity of our country. And we can only expect to do that through learning." Dr. Madhu Chitkara shared that Chitkara University is working with Erasumus+ project - CLIL@India. Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is an innovative pedagogical practice in the Indian Education System to preserve the nation's multilingualism. Through CLIL approach, Chitkara University and Erasumus+ are jointly trying to bring about a balance between English and the regional languages. CLIL is an innovative method that can supplement the 3-language policy in India. About Chitkara University: In the year 2002, Chitkara Educational Trust established its Punjab campus 30km from Chandigarh, on the Chandigarh-Patiala National Highway. In the year 2010, Chitkara University was established by the Punjab State Legislature under 'The Chitkara University Act'. Chitkara University, the best university in Punjab is a government-recognized university with the right to confer degrees as per the Sections 2(f) and 22(1) of the UGC Act, 1956. Chitkara University has been founded by Dr. Ashok Chitkara and Dr. Madhu Chitkara who have been passionate teachers for more than 40 years now. Chitkara Education brings with it a reputation that has been earned through years of serving the career - needs of the student community. It is a reputation for excellence and innovation among coveted employers for preparing graduates who have the knowledge and skills they need for success in their workplace. Chitkara University graduates go on to great careers, as they have their hands-on the responsive teaching methodology. Students from around the county are attracted to Chitkara University because of their commitment to teaching excellence, because they conduct research that makes a difference, because of their industry partnerships and because of their tailored courses. This difference has been acknowledged by students, parent, alumni, government, and industry since the inception of the university. Within a decade, most of Chitkara University academic programs are ranked among the top 50 programs in the country which speaks volumes about their string academic heritage, highly committed faculty, extensive industry collaborations, great international connections, and state of the art campus facilities. Source: Chitkara University PWR PWR (Eds: Disclaimer: The following press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire India. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.) Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India Business Wire India Photo Caption: Mr. Anand S - Project Co-ordinator - Star Trace Pvt Ltd, Mr. P.R. Maheswaran - Chairman Cum Managing Director - Star Trace Pvt Ltd, Dr. V.K.Saraswat - Member, NITI Aayog, (Former Secretary Deference R & D), R.Saravananbhavan - Deputy Adviser (Minerals), Minerals Division, NITI Aayog, Mr. S.K.Pathak - DGM , NTPC Dr. VK Saraswat, full-time member of NITI Aayog, Government of India and former Director General DRDO and Secretary Department of Defence R & D, today inaugurated the Pilot Plant involving a pathbreaking technology at the premises of Star Trace Private Limited, at Red Hills, Chennai (STPL). This plant incorporates a cost-effective technology for reducing the volume of waste and recovering high value minerals, viz., aluminium oxide and iron oxide, major and minor elements including barium (806 ppm), beryllium (5 ppm), boron (311ppm), cadmium (3.4 ppm), chromium (136 ppm), chromium VI (90 ppm), cobalt (35.9 ppm), copper (112 ppm),manganese (250ppm), nickel (77.6 ppm), selenium (7.7 ppm), strontium (775 ppm), thallium (9ppm), vanadium (252 ppm), and zinc (178 ppm). This technology involves physical separation of these minerals as well as toxic materials from the fly ash in the coal-based power plants and other coal using plants. Appreciating the efforts of STPL, Dr Saraswat said that technologies like this for recovering wealth from waste are very welcome and go a long way in helping the already suffering environment. STPL is a committee member of NITI Aayog and its CMD Sh P R Maheswaran thanked the Dr VK Saraswat who extended all support for the R & D for this technology involving utilization of laboratory and research facilities under NITI Aayog. He also highlighted the fact that STPL had provided proprietary technology for Waste to Wealth Generation to M/s Hindustan Copper Limited in their Malanjkhand Copper Ore Tailing Plant with a capex of Rs. 250 Crs., and the same was appreciated by HCL CMD Sh Santosh Sharma. The plant would treat copper ore tailing, considered as waste, to generate precious metals, including 900 grams of gold, 11 kg of silver and 4,500 tonnes of silica every day. This move, part of HCLs strategy to be environment friendly while hedging its risks beyond copper, is likely to generate additional annual revenues of up to Rs 60 crore for the company. Mr Maheswaran also mentioned that STPL, on the award of O&M for this plant, would benefit more than 10000 persons directly and indirectly through the supply chain associated with this Project. He concluded by stating that there is a clear need for the current approach of waste disposal in India that is focussed on uses of high energy/high technology, to move more towards waste processing (that involves public-private partnerships, aiming for eventual waste minimization - driven at the industrial level, and using low energy/low technology resources which STPL provide as pioneers in Waste to Wealth. Sh R Saravanabhavan, Deputy Advisor (Minerals), NITI Aayog and Sh S K Pathak, DGM, NTPC, were also present during the occasion. PWR PWR (Eds: Disclaimer: The following press release comes to you under an arrangement with PR Newswire. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.) PUNE, India, February 28, 2019/PRNewswire/ -- - Conference organized in association with WageIndicator Foundation, Netherlands and Indian Econometric Society Growth, Development and Sustainability during times of increasing uncertainty will take the center stage on March 1-2, 2019 at the 2nd International Conference being organized by the FLAME University in association with the WageIndicator Foundation, Netherlands and the Indian Econometric Society. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/522127/FLAMEUniversitylogo_Logo.jpg ) Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Former Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission of India, will deliver the Inaugural Address on 'India's Growth Prospects: Old and New Challenges', on March 01, 2019. The first day of the conference will also feature a Special Talk by Dr. Isher J. Ahluwalia, Chairperson, Board of Governors of Indian Council, for Research on International Economic Relations on 'The Challenge of Sustainable Development with Growing Urbanization'. The conference has attracted research papers from more than 100 institutions of high academic standing and over 200 delegates from academia and industry across India are likely to participate in this unique event. Speaking about the importance of the Conference, Professor Dishan Kamdar, Vice-Chancellor, FLAME University said, "The Indian economy is the fourth largest and one of the fastest growing economies in the world. But even today we continue to face challenges that are all pervasive and are affecting our people in many ways. There is, therefore, an urgent need to improve various development indicators to make the growth process more inclusive and sustainable. I believe that educational institutions like us have the mandate to engage the academia in exploring ways and means to mitigate these challenges." "I would like to thank the WageIndicator Foundation, Amsterdam, and the Indian Econometric Society for collaborating with the FLAME University in envisioning this aspiration of Growth, Development and Sustainability in an era of uncertainty," he added. While the first day will bring to forefront discussions around issues of national interest, the second day of the conference will feature a panel discussion on 'An Uncertain World: Growth, Development and Sustainability' with panelists such as Dr. Ashok Lahiri, Former Chief Economic Adviser, Government of India, currently a member in the Fifteenth Finance Commission; Sri S S Mundra, Former Deputy Governor, RBI; Ms. Pauline Osse, Director, WageIndicator Foundation, Netherlands; Dr. Vikas Chitre, Honorary Fellow and currently President, Indian School of Political Economy and Dr. Amir Ullah Khan, Professor at M Chenna Reddy HRD Institute, Government of Telangana. Over 135 research papers have been scheduled for presentations across 24 technical tracks in 3 parallel sessions ranging from Health, Education, Macro Perspective, Labour and Livelihood, Growth, Poverty and inequality, Energy and Environmental issues, Finance and Banking, Marketing & Branding, International Trade & Relations, Artificial Intelligence & IT, and General Management during the two-day conference. A Doctorial colloquium for research scholars from different institutions is also being conducted as a pre-conference event on February 28, 2019, to help them to become better researchers and work on research projects of national interest. The conference will witness an interesting congregation of academicians and research scholars from reputed institutions across India, industry veterans, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and investors. About FLAME University FLAME University is the pioneer of liberal education in the country. It aspires to be the most reputed and respected university in India and among the top ranked universities across the world. FLAME envisions itself to be the University of Choice for students, faculty, industry, academia, government and the larger community by creating an impact through its teaching and research. Since its inception, FLAME has been successful in setting benchmarks - unparalleled education experience with its best faculty- student ratio, faculty with great global credentials, association with some of the top international universities, close industry connect, support of an illustrious Board, and creating a strong alumni network. All these are ably supported through the world - class infrastructure and facilities nestled in a picturesque 60 acre green and sustainable campus situated in a valley in Pune. FLAME University has been established as a state private university vide the FLAME University Act 2014 (Maharashtra Act No. II of 2015) of the Government of Maharashtra. The University is recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under Section 2(f), and degrees awarded by the University are recognized under Section 22 of the UGC Act, 1956. Through its four schools-FLAME School of Liberal Education, FLAME School of Business, FLAME School of Communication and FLAME School of Fine & Performing Arts-the institution is committed to develop individuals who value creativity, innovation, determination and enterprise. For more information log on to: www.flame.edu.in Source: FLAME University PWR PWR Ottawa, Feb 28 (PTI) Newly elected Indian-origin lawmaker Jagmeet Singh on Thursday called for a "national public inquiry" into the alleged SNC-Lavalin bribery case and joined the Opposition in demanding the resignation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The SNC Lavalin case is haunting the ruling Liberal party and the government. According to media reports, Trudeau's close aides had lobbied former Justice Minister and Auditor General Joy Wilson-Raybould to abandon plans prosecute the Quebec-based engineering company over accusations of fraud and bribery. Instead, they requested her to pursue a deferred prosecution agreement, which allowed the company to pay a fine. The prime minister has lost the moral authority to govern and must resign, said the 40-year-old New Democratic Party (NDP) leader, who on Wednesday won the by-election to the Canadian Parliament from British Columbia's the Burnaby South constituency seat. He joined the Opposition Conservative party leader Andrew Seers to seek the Canadian prime minister's resignation following a gruelling four-hour non-stop testimony by Wilson-Raybould before parliament's justice committee. Terming her testimony as "explosive and incredibly damaging", the Opposition demanded a through probe into the matter to get to the bottom of the scandal. In her testimony, Wilson-Raybould said she had faced "intense political pressure and even veiled threats relating to the SC-Lavalin case affairs." She said she was warned directly by the prime minister about the possible negative consequences if the company faced any prosecution. Refuting the charges, Tradeau said that while he discussed the issue with Wilson-Raybould, he maintained that was "it not inappropriate?" "We, of course, had discussions about the potential loss of 9,000 jobs in communities across the country, including the potential impact on pensions. My job as Prime Minister has always been to stand up for Canadians and Canadian workers," he said. Tradeau said he and his staff had always acted "appropriately and professionally" in the case. "Neither I nor any members of my staff had put any pressure on the attorney general to end the criminal prosecution on SNC-Lavalin," he told a press conference. Scheer told a press conference that he was "sickened and appalled by Wilson-Raybould's story of inappropriate and, frankly, borderline illegal pressure brought to bear on her by the highest levels of Trudeau's government". PTI CORR SMJ SMJ Hanoi, Feb 28 (PTI) President Donald Trump Thursday voiced confidence that the hostilities between India and Pakistan would end soon, saying he has some "reasonably decent" news with the US involved in trying to help reduce tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. In his opening statement at a press conference at the end of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un here, Trump said the US has some "reasonably attractive news" from Pakistan and India. "We have been involved in trying to help them (India and Pakistan) stop and we have some reasonably decent news," he told the reporters. "I think hopefully that (tensions) could be coming to an end, it has been going on for a long time," Trump said. Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The US president said that there is a lot of "dislike" (between India and Pakistan). India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. Pakistan on Wednesday claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot. Forty CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on February 14 in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a JeM suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. PTI CPS AKJ CPS Islamabad, Feb 28 (PTI) Pakistan Thursday said it will evaluate with an "open heart" the dossier handed over by India on "specific details" of the involvement of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in the Pulwama terror attack on CRPF and the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror outfit in the country. India handed over the dossier on Wednesday to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan, who was summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi to lodge a strong protest over Pakistan Air Force targeting Indian military installations, a day after the Indian counter-terror action against the JeM. The Ministry of External Affairs had said Pakistan was conveyed that India expects Islamabad to take immediate and verifiable action against terrorism emanating from territories under its control. The Pakistan Foreign Office on Thursday confirmed that it received the dossier on the Pulwama attack. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said, "Will evaluate Indian dossier with an open heart." "I wish India would have sent this dossier earlier," Qureshi told Geo News. The Foreign Office in a statement said the dossier will be reviewed by it following which "any and all legal evidence" will be probed. Islamabad will take action against "credible evidence" provided by India, it said. The Foreign Office said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has already made it clear that Pakistan will help in the Pulwama attack investigation. "Pakistan is ready for talks on all subjects including terrorism," the statement added. PTI PMS PMS PMS (Eds: Repeating after correction in para 7 & 8) Hanoi/Washington, Feb 28 (PTI) President Donald Trump Thursday voiced confidence that the hostilities between India and Pakistan would end soon, saying he has some "reasonably decent" news with the US involved in trying to help reduce tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. In his opening statement at a press conference at the end of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the Vietnamese capital, Trump said the US has some "reasonably attractive news" from Pakistan and India. "We have been involved in trying to help them (India and Pakistan) stop and we have some reasonably decent news," he told the reporters. "I think hopefully that (tensions) could be coming to an end, it has been going on for a long time," Trump said in his first comments since India and Pakistan both claimed to have shot down each other's fighter planes on Wednesday, with Pakistan capturing one Indian pilot. Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama attack by claimed by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group. The US president also said that there is a lot of "dislike" (between India and Pakistan). Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talked to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval amidst the tense ties between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack and New Delhi's air strike against JeM terror training camp in Balakot. Pompeo and Doval are understood to have discussed the current situation in the region during the telephonic conversation on Wednesday, official sources in Washington said. US Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan has been working on efforts to de-escalating tensions and urging both Pakistan and India to avoid further military action, the Pentagon said in a statement. Shanahan has been in contact with the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Advisor Bolton, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford and Commander of US Central Command General Joseph Votel on the India-Pakistan tensions, it said. The US State Department also asked Pakistan to abide by its UN Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. "Cross-border terrorism, such as the recent attack on India's CRPF on February 14, poses a grave threat to the security of the region. We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds," a State Department spokesperson said in Washington. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot on Tuesday. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. Forty CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on February 14 in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a JeM suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. PTI CPS LKJ AKJ AKJ Islamabad/London, Feb 28 (PTI) Thousands of air travellers stranded worldwide heaved a sigh of relief as Pakistan announced that its airspace will be fully re-opened by Friday, as the aviation authorities allowed some flights to operate Thursday a day after closing the air traffic over the country in view of escalating tensions with India. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Thursday temporarily restored Pakistani airspace for commercial aviation, allowing some flights to depart. At least three commercial flights departed from Pakistan on Thursday. The three flights included Emirates flight number EK637 from Peshawar to Dubai, Air Arabia G9825 from Peshawar to Ras Al Khaimah, and Qatar Airways QR601 from Peshawar to Doha. The CAA in its latest Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) said the airspace would remain closed until 1 PM Pakistan Standard Time on Friday. Following the announcement, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announce that its flights to Jeddah, Dubai, Madina and Dammam will be departing this evening. After the decision to temporarily open Pakistans airspace, PIA has taken the decision to fly their UAE and Saudi Arabia bound flights, PIA tweeted. The closure of Pakistan's airspace in response to escalating tensions with India disrupted major routes between Europe and South East Asia and left thousands of air travellers worldwide stranded. Various airlines such as Air India, Jet Airways, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines Wednesday announced they were rerouting their flights as Pakistan closed its airspace. Thai Airways has cancelled nearly 30 flights, affecting 5,000 passengers. "All THAI flights from Bangkok to Europe departing near midnight of 27 FEB through early 28 FEB and from Europe to Bangkok departing on 27 FEB have been cancelled due to Pakistan airspace closure," the airline wrote on its Twitter page. The decision affected its services to London, Munich, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Vienna, Stockholm, Zurich, Copenhagen and Oslo. Singapore Airlines' was forced to direct flights to Europe to re-fuel, while a flight to Frankfurt was cancelled. Emirates also cancelled 10 return flights to Pakistan while Qatar Airways pulled flights to Peshawar, Faisalabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Multan. e Airports Authority of India (AAI) has said that due to the closure of Pakistani airspace, air traffic was significantly heavy over the Mumbai region on Wednesday night. PTI PMS AKJ PMS PMS Vienna, Feb 28 (AFP) The European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on Thursday repeated a call for a decision from London on its withdrawal deal, rather than seeking to delay the exit date. "Today, we need above all a decision, it's more important than extra time," Barnier told a news conference in Vienna, adding that the Brexit process stood at a "grave moment". European leaders have already warned that any postponement of the two-year Article 50 process would come with conditions. Britain is due to leave the European Union on 29 March but is currently on course to do so without a deal after British MPs overwhelmingly rejected the withdrawal agreement in January. "The duration of any extension would be linked to the question of what to do with the time," Barnier said. "If it's to sort out a technical question, it could be a few weeks to go up to the eve of the European elections." Barnier also raised the possibility of a longer extension in the case of "new British choices" but pointed out that "if at the time of the European elections the British are members of the Union, legally speaking they like other countries would have the obligation to organise elections". He re-iterated that the withdrawal agreement negotiated between the EU and the UK could not be changed. Gesturing to the voluminous text of the agreement in front of him, Barnier said: "We have finished work! This text is the result of considerable effort that we have made with the British, not against them." Barnier said that talks with the UK government would continue next week. He was speaking after talks with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who also pointed to the problem that the European elections in May pose for any extension. "The participation of a country that wishes to leave the European Union in European elections would be more than absurd," Kurz said. "So our goal has to be that the exit, if it has to happen, happens in an orderly fashion," he added. However, if the House of Commons once again rejected the agreement with the EU in a vote scheduled to take place by the 12 March, Austria would be in favour of a shorter extension if necessary in order to avoid a hard Brexit, Kurz said. British Prime Minister Theresa May is seeking changes to a withdrawal agreement struck with the EU late last year, which she hopes will be enough to get it through parliament's lower House of Commons. But if she fails, she has promised MPs votes on March 13 and March 14 on whether to leave the bloc without a deal, and if not, to seek a short delay. (AFP) SMJ SMJ Dubai, Feb 28 (PTI) Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan Thursday telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan as part of his efforts to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions and underline the importance of dialogue and communication in resolving differences. The Crown Prince, also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, in a tweet said he talked to Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Khan. Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. Pakistan retaliated on Wednesday. Prime Minister Khan announced Thursday that Pakistan will free captured IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman on Friday as a peace gesture, hours after a strong message from India demanding his unconditional release, largely de-escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. "His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, held two phone calls on Thursday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan," his Twitter handle said. Interestingly, his tweet came a day before the UAE hosts the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Abu Dhabi on Friday. India has been invited for the first time to attend the Foreign Ministers' conclave in Abu Dhabi where External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be the "guest of honour". Pakistan, a member of the OIC, has conveyed its reservations over Swaraj's presence at the meeting. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al Jubeir is also scheduled to visit Islamabad on Thursday "carrying an important message" from the Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, reports from Pakistan said. Meanwhile, the official WAM Emirates News Agency, reporting on the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's talks with Prime Minister Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Khan said, "His Highness and the two Prime Ministers exchanged talks on recent developments in the India-Pakistan arena." Sheikh Mohamed emphasised the importance behind dealing with these worrying developments, and working towards easing tensions between the two countries, prioritising dialogue and communication between the parties, it said. The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince stressed the UAE's will to support positive relations between the two neighbouring countries, noting the common historical and cultural ties that brings them together, the report said. "Sheikh Mohammed underscored the UAE's keenness on ensuring peace and stability in India-Pakistan ties, expressing his great confidence in the two countries' leadership prioritising peaceful dialogue in dealing with the developments that have occurred in the past few days," it added. PTI AKJ AKJ United Nations, Feb 28 (AFP) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the US-North Korean summit as "courageous diplomacy" on Thursday even though no agreement was reached, and expressed hope that talks will continue. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ended their second summit in Hanoi with no deal after Pyongyang demanded a full lifting of sanctions. Guterres "appreciates the effort that was made in those discussions, regardless of the results, of the outcome that we saw," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. "Courageous diplomacy has established the foundation to advance sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula." "We all very much hope that these discussions will continue in that direction." The UN spokesman stressed that world diplomats were clear-eyed about the prospects for a quick deal on dismantling North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. "No one, and that includes the secretary-general, ever thought that this process of engaging with the DPRK would be an easy one," said Dujarric. The leaders walked away with no set plans for a third meeting, though Trump said he hopes to see Kim again soon. "Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn't do that," Trump said before leaving Vietnam aboard Air Force One to head back to Washington. Before the summit, there was talk that there could be a political declaration ending the 1950-53 Korean War which finished technically with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. There were also hopes Kim could pledge to destroy North Korea's decades-old Yongbyon nuclear complex, which has long been at the heart of Pyongyang's atomic development but remains shrouded in secrecy. (AFP) MRJ MRJ Hanoi, Feb 28 (AFP) North Korea said Friday it had offered to dismantle its Yongbyon nuclear plant in exchange for partial sanctions relief at Kim Jong Un's summit with Donald Trump, after the meeting ended without agreement. In a highly unusual late-night statement at the North Korean delegation's hotel, foreign minister Ri Yong Ho said Pyongyang had made a "realistic proposal" at the summit in Hanoi. He denied Trump's assertion that Pyongyang had demanded the lifting of all sanctions imposed on it over its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes. "If the US releases partial sanctions namely... those that hamper the civilian economy and the livelihood of our people, we will permanently and completely dismantle all the nuclear production facilities in the Yongbyon area, in the presence of US experts," Ri told reporters. The minister was reading a statement after the two-day Trump-Kim talks closed with no final deal and the US president gave a press conference before flying out of Vietnam. The much-anticipated second summit between the two leaders ended with no agreement reached and a scheduled signing ceremony was dropped. (AFP) MRJ MRJ Guj cops urge citizens to remain alert & not to spread rumours Ahmedabad, Feb 28 (PTI) Even as a high alert has been sounded in Gujarat amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, the state police have asked people to refrain from spreading rumors and propaganda material, which may disturb peace and compromise the country's security. In view of the present situation, police in Ahmedabad and Surat cities have issued advisories for the people and urged them to remain alert. Ahmedabad police said although a high alert has been sounded in the state, people need not panic and they should continue doing their routine work. The advisory urged citizens "not to become a victim of any deliberate propaganda from across the border or from vested interests to divide the people in the name of community or religion". It added that people should take extra care while using social media. In a word of caution, police said "circulation of any divisive content on social media or in any other format is a punishable offence". The advisory urged people not to circulate any hate propaganda, which would affect the integrity of the society. It also asked people not to capture and circulate any specific details related to security forces. Surat police have also issued a similar advisory asking people not to spread rumours and fake messages on social media platforms. Police urged people to remain alert and inform the police in case they spot any suspicious object or persons. Police have also advised people of Surat to keep a stock of essential food items and medicines that would suffice for a month, in case any emergency situation arises. PTI PJT PD NP NP Nobody should have doubts about Maha police's capability: DGP Mumbai, Feb 28 (PTI) Newly-appointed Maharashtra Director General of Police Subodhkumar Jaiswal said Thursday that response of the police force in the state to the current situation was "extremely measured", and no one should have any misgivings about their capacity. Jaiswal was speaking to reporters after taking charge from outgoing DGP Datta Padsalgikar, who retired Thursday. In apparent reference to the heightened tensions at the Indo-Pak border, he said the state police were ready to tackle any situation. "Police are capable of facing any challenge thrown at us and we are handling our challenges very firmly," said Jaiswal. "It has been a very measured response by the police and we are responding in a very measured manner to the situation," the new DGP said. Nobody should have any misgivings about Maharashtra police's capability, he added. He also appealed people to help police in whichever way they can. Talking about security challenges for the coming Lok Sabha elections, he said senior police officers must ensure that "our men are properly trained as per the guidelines of the election commission" so as to ensure free and fair elections. "I am sure all the unit commanders deployed in the field are competent officers. They also know whatever is required to be done to avert any untoward incident," he said. There is "zero tolerance" for corruption in the police force, he said. On the health of policemen, he said they are "assets of the police force" and "therefore it is entirely our duty to look after them". "They should be fighting fit...We are successful in Mumbai in making police fighting fit," said Jaiswal who was city police commissioner before being elevated to the top post. PTI DC KRK KRK Kolkata, Feb 28 (PTI) Following are PTI's top stories from the eastern region at 9 pm. CAL3 WB-INDOPAK-CRPF-WIDOW CRPF personnel's widow wants Indo-Pak dialogue, not war Kolkata: The widow of slain CRPF personnel Bablu Santra Thursday urged both India and Pakistan to hold talks instead of escalating tensions. CAL6 MG-MINE-LD BODY Second heavily decomposed body brought out of Meghalaya's rat-hole mine Shillong: Rescuers have retrieved the second heavily decomposed body of an unidentified digger from a 370-feet illegal rat-hole mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, 77 days after 15 men got trapped inside the flooded coal quarry, an official said Thursday. CAL7 OD-PRADHAN-CHOWKIDAR Modi's critics should admit 'chowkidar sher hai', says Pradhan Bhubaneswar: Post India's air strike on terror camps in Pakistan, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's detractors would now admit that "chowkidar sher hai" (watchman is a lion). CES7 DEF-ARMY-RESCUE Army rescues tourists stranded by blizzard in Sikkim Kolkata: The Indian Army rescued and evacuated over 300 tourists stranded in Changgu and adjoining areas of East Sikkim owing to heavy snowfall, a Defence official said Friday. CES10 DEF-BSF-BGB BSF, BGB conclude joint exercise in Tripura Agartala: Border guards of India and Bangladesh Thursday concluded a three-day joint exercise organised as part of the confidence building measures between the BSF and the BGB in Tripura. CES11 TR-ASSEMBLY-CPIM Oppn voice muffled in Tripura Assembly, says CPI(M) legislator Agartala: Accusing Deputy Speaker Biswabandhu Sen of political bias, Opposition CPI (M) MLAs Thursday alleged their voices were muffled in the Assembly. CES12 SK-HSP-VOTER Influx of outsiders has become scary in Sikkim: HSP Gangtok: Concerned over the sharp rise in headcount in Sikkim's voter list, Hamro Sikkim Party (HSP) said Thursday that the influx of outsiders has become "scary" in this sparsely populated northeastern state. CCM2 BIZ-DBS-SUBSIDIARY DBS to operate as wholly-owned subsidiary in India from Mar 1 Kolkata: Singaporean lender DBS is set to convert its India operations into a wholly-owned subsidiary from Friday, and the transition will have no impact on the services and benefits extended to existing customers. CCM5 BIZ-GOPALPUR PORT Gopalpur Port's capacity to be enhanced to 55 mn tonne by 2025 Bhubaneswar: The Shapoorji Pallonji Group, that became majority shareholder of Gopalpur Port in 2017, is planning to expand its capacity to 55 million tonne (MT) by 2025, a senior company official said Thursday. PTI NN NN Bhubaneswar, Feb 28 (PTI) Odisha's ruling BJD and opposition Congress Thursday strongly criticised the Centre's decision to bifurcate the the Bhubaneswar-headquartered East Coast Railway to create a new zone with its headquarters at Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam. The Railway Ministry Wednesday created the new zone -- South Coast Railway -- giving it a portion of the Waltair division of the East Coast Railway. The portion of Waltair division taken away will now be part of the Vijayawada division, Railways sources said here. Terming the Centre's action a "conspiracy", Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik accused the BJP-led Central government of discriminating against the state. Patnaik threatened the Congress will launch an agitation against the decision. BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said, "It is a betrayal with the people of Odisha. They will give a befitting reply to the BJP for working against the state's interest." The BJP, however, maintained the new south coast zone was formed as per item 8 of schedule 13 (Infrastructure) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. "Ask Congress leaders whether the previous UPA government had not planned to bifurcate the East Coast Railway Zone," said BJP spokesman Golak Mohapatra. PTI AAM SNS TIR TIR New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Thursday left for Abu Dhabi to attend the foreign ministers' meet of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) states, an influential grouping of 57 countries. Swaraj will attend the inaugural plenary of the two-day meeting on Friday. It is for the first time that India has been invited to an OIC meeting as guest of honour. "EAM @SushmaSwaraj departs for Abu Dhabi for 46th Foreign Ministers Meeting of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. For 1st time ever, India has been accorded 'Guest of Honour' status. EAM to address Inaugural Plenary and hold bilateral meetings," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. India's engagement with the OIC comes in the midst of escalating tension between India and Pakistan. The ties strained further after Indian fighter jets bombed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp near Balakot deep inside Pakistan early Tuesday. Pakistan carried out a retaliatory aerial raid on Wednesday. There were reports that Pakistan tried to get Swaraj 'disinvited' from the OIC meet following India's air strike on the terror camp in Pakistan. The OIC had disinvited India from its conference in 1969 in Morocco at Pakistan's behest. The OIC has usually been supportive of Pakistan and often sided with Islamabad on the Kashmir issue. The MEA said Foreign Minister of United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan invited Swaraj as the 'guest of honour' to address the inaugural plenary and that India was happy to accept the invitation. PTI MPB SRY Jammu, Feb 28 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday sent out an advisory cautioning against phone calls by people impersonating as senior officers and asking for details on the security situation in the state. The advisory was circulated to all police officers, the state bureaucracy as well as panchayat heads and others. Officials said the advisory was issued on the request of the Army, which has been apprehensive about details of troop mobilisation and movement of weaponry in villages located along the International Border and the Line of Control being leaked. More than 10 reports have come in over the last 10 days about "police, civil officers as well as some civilians" receiving phone calls from suspicious unknown numbers, the advisory says. The callers impersonated as senior army officers, senior police officers, senior civil administration officers and "tried to inquire about some security related issues", it states. "During investigation by experts, it has been found that these calls are rooted from outside the country through a specialised software due to which some other phone numbers, mostly starting with +91 code, are displayed on mobile screen," it says. It asks people not to entertain such calls and immediately bring the matter to the notice of the local police. Investigations showed the calls were made from outside India, officials said. "Some anti-national elements are trying to get some vital information by fooling the people," an official said. The state has been on edge since February 14 when a suicide bomber attacked a CRPF convoy in Pulwama, killing 40 soldiers. On February 26, India struck a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Pakistan. The next day, tensions escalated with an Indian pilot being captured by Pakistan as both countries claimed to have down each other's aircraft. PTI SKL MIN MIN Srinagar, Feb 28 (PTI) National Conference leader Omar Abdullah Thursday said Narendra Modi "continuing" with his election campaign either indicates that the IAF pilot in Pakistani captivity will be back home in the next couple of days or that the prime minister "does not care enough". The prime minister on Thursday had direct dialogue with BJP workers and volunteers as part of the party's mera booth 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot' programme through, what the party claims, the "world's largest video conference". "PM Modi continuing with his #Elections2019 campaign is the surest sign #WingCommanderAbhinandan will be back in the next 24-48 hours. Either that or he really just couldn't care less," Abdullah said in a tweet. He had Wednesday called for suspension of all political activities till Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthman, who was captured by Pakistan, returns home. "PM Modi must suspend his political activities until #WingCommanderAbhinandan is returned safely. It can't be business as usual with him cross crossing the country at tax payer expense making political speeches while our pilot is a Pakistani captive," Abdullah had said in a tweets after the IAF pilot's capture by Pakistan was confirmed. He had also suggested that opposition parties postpone their Wednesday meeting. PTI MIJ NSD NSD Jammu, Feb 28 (PTI) The Pakistani Army Thursday heavily shelled forward posts along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, drawing retaliation from the Indian Army, an official said. This is the seventh consecutive day that Pakistan has violated the ceasefire by targeting forward posts along the LoC. The PRO, Defence said, "At about 0600 hours on Thursday, Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling with mortars and firing of small arms along the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector". "The Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively", the official said. In view of the prevailing situation, authorities have ordered a temporary closure of educational institutions in a 5-km radius along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts. They have asked all border dwellers to remain inside their homes and not move outside in view of shelling by Pakistan. The year 2018 had witnessed the highest number of ceasefire violation, numbering 2,936 by Pakistani troops, in the last 15 years along the Indo-Pak border. Pakistan continues to violate the 2003 ceasefire agreement with India despite repeated calls for restraint and adherence to the pact during flag meetings between the two sides.PTI AB DV DV New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday urged scientists to mould their research in accordance with the needs of the society and the economy, and pitched for cross-disciplinary research. Addressing the recipients of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for excellence in science and technology here, he said the days of working in silos are over. He said he had asked his principal scientific advisor to prepare a scheme in this regard. "Your participation is a must," he told the gathering. He said that in the coming days, data will be the "new fuel" and the country and the scientific community will have to accordingly invest in it. "The days of one person planting sapling and the other watering it are over...cannot work in silos," he said. The prime minister also pitched for having "local technology" to fulfil the needs of the people and the society. PTI GJS NAB SMN New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to postpone his mega video-conference with BJP workers, saying the nation's energy must be spent on getting the IAF pilot back from Pakistan's custody. Under the BJP's 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot', Modi is slated to have direct dialogue through the "world's largest video conference" with about a crore BJP workers, volunteers and others at noon on Thursday. In a tweet, Kejriwal also asked the prime minister to "sternly" deal with Pakistan. "I wud urge the PM to postpone this. At this moment, we as a nation, need to spend all our energies and time to get the IAF pilot back safely andto sternly deal wid Pak (sic)," he wrote on the microblogging site while the sharing BJP's announcement of the programme on Twitter. An IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat Wednesday during which the two sides said they shot down each other's warplanes that followed an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes that sparked fears of war. IAF sources identified the pilot as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh on Wednesday had taken a dig at the BJP and Prime Minister Modi for the mega video-conference amid heightened tensions with Pakistan. "Entire Opposition is concerned over national security. (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal postponed his hunger strike over full-statehood issue. Congress cancelled its CWC and the Opposition is worrying about unity of the nation. Modi-ji is getting down to strengthen polling booths and the BJP is busy with election rallies," Singh had tweeted. The Rajya Sabha MP's response came to a tweet by the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) about the event to be held on Thursday. It said party chief Amit Shah and other leaders would participate in the programme at the Delhi BJP office here. PTI KND KND NSD NSD New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday chaired a high-level meeting on security amid the heightened tensions with Pakistan and after Imran Khan announced the release of an Indian Air Force pilot captured by his country. Officials sources said the meeting was attended by chiefs of the three Services, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Several other senior officials also attended the meeting held at the prime minister's residence here. An IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat on Wednesday during which the two sides said they shot down each other's warplanes that followed an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes that sparked fears of war. Khan Thursday announced that IAF's captured pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, will be released on Friday as a gesture of peace and the "first step" to open negotiations with India. PTI NAB TDS TDS SOM SOM New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) The Congress on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of doing "crass politicking" on the pre-emptive strikes on JeM terror camp in Pakistan and said he should have worked on strengthening the nation at such a time, instead of focusing on electoral booths for his party. Prime Minister Modi has "misplaced priorities" and he is "desperate only for re-election", the principal opposition party alleged, attacking Modi on a day he addressed BJP workers as part of his party's 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot' programme ahead of Lok Sabha polls. Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the statements made by leaders of the BJP including party chief Amit Shah are playing into the hands of Pakistani propaganda and asked the NDA-BJP government to rein in their "motor mouths". He referred to the statements made by Shah in Gazipur where he sought votes to re-elect Modi in the immediate aftermath of the Indian Air Force strike on terror camps in Balakot in Pakistan and that of former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and Union Minister Giriraj Singh. "This is not the appropriate time to be going ahead with political programmes., However, what really shocked us was as at this point in time when the nation is looking towards its leadership, when the nation wants its leadership to speak to it, the Prime Minister chooses to address the booth workers of the BJP rather than address the nation. "It is unfortunate that at this point in time, when the priority should be further strengthening the nation, the Prime Minister thinks that this is the time to strengthen their electoral booths...Today, there is need to strengthen the nation," he said. Referring to the IAF pilot being in Pakistan captivity, he said Home Minister Rajnath Singh was in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, attending BJP's political programmes and claimed the sensitivity of the entire situation seems to be completely lost on the BJP. He said Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman displayed exemplary courage, and exemplary dignity and exemplary poise in the face of adversity. Tewrai alleged that a Union minister had said that "all those who do not participate in the NDA rally and the Prime Ministers rally on March 3 would actually be considered as Pakistanis". "With great respect all the statements play into the hands of Pakistan. They play into the hands of Pakistani propaganda. We would like to tell the NDA-BJP Government and we would like to tell the BJP that they need to rein in their motor mouths. This is not the time for crash politicking. "The nation today stands as one, but, it is time that the NDA-BJP Government and the Bhartiya Janata Party come together as one with the nation," he said. The Congress leader alleged that while the prime minister has always been claiming that the nation is bigger than the party, but the statements made by him in such a sensitive situation indicate that the "party is bigger than the nation" for him. Tewari said the NDA Government decided on a course of action and the entire nation and the opposition have unanimously stood behind the decision of the government. Pakistan carried out certain incursions into Indian territory, he said these incursions are nothing but "chicanery to subterfuge" for decades of using semi state actors against India. "Four decades of using proxies to target India and its instrumentality. However, what is the matter of grave anguish is the conduct of the BJP. Ever since the pre-emptive non-military strikes were carried by the Government, the Indian National Congress postponed its meeting of the Congress Working Committee and various other political programmes associated with it," he said. The party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, in a tweet, alleged that the prime minister was "hell-bent on creating a video-conference record" when the entire country was praying for the return of its braveheart pilot. "Glaring case of misplaced priorities! 132 Crore Indians pray for safe & immediate return of India's brave-heart Wing Comm, Abhinandan but Modiji desperate only for re-election. Congress cancelled its imp CWC and Rally today. Pradhan Sevak hell-bent on creating a Video Conf. record (sic)!" Surjewala wrote on Twitter. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal also targeted Yeddyurappa saying, "On 27th February B S Yeddyurappa at Chitradurga in a public function said: 'The Indian Armed Forces proved their mettle by destroying the terrorists' hideouts. The impact of this strike will help BJP win more than 22 seats in the state'." "Is this patriotism or crass politics?" he asked. Surjewala, in a tweet, hit out at Prime Minister Modi saying, "The armed forces are taking care of the borders and the Pradhan Sewak the booth. These are the soldiers of power." He also used the hashtag "Booth first or country". PTI SKC RT Srinagar, Feb 28 (PTI) Mainstream political parties of Jammu and Kashmir Thursday welcomed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's announcement that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by the neighbouring country after his MiG 21 went down, will be released on Friday. "The decision to hand over Wing Commander Abhinandan is a great gesture & shouldnt be seen in isolation. It also comes at a time when Pak could've chosen to further escalate an already tensed situation. I see it as a mark of reconciliation. Our leadership should reciprocate," PDP president Mehbooba Mufti wrote on her Twitter handle. The former chief minister said the Pakistan prime minister exhibited "real statesmanship". "It is time for our political leadership to step up & take measures to de escalate the current situation. People of J&K are living under unimaginable duress. How much longer will we suffer for?" she added. National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah also expressed happiness over the development. "Very glad to know that #WingCommandarAbhinandan will be heading home. I'll wait for him to be back on Indian soil before I welcome him back but I'm greatly relieved that PM @ImranKhanPTI has announced the imminent release of our pilot," he said. Earlier, Omar, while reacting to US President Donald Trump's statement on Indo-Pakistan tensions, had said India seemed to have agreed to deescalate in return of the release of the IAF pilot. "So the US has secured the release of our pilot & in turn India has agreed to deescalate is how I read this statement from Trump," he said. Trump, after his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vietnamese capital Hanoi, had said there was "reasonably attractive news" from India and Pakistan. "We have been involved in trying to have them (India and Pakistan) stop and we have some reasonably decent news. I think hopefully that (tension) could be coming to an end," he said. IAS officer-turned-politician Shah Faesal welcomed the Pakistan government's decision to release the pilot, but expressed apprehensions that rabble-rousing by some TV channels may force Islamabad to change its mind. "Welcome home WC Abhinandan. And with this one gesture @ImranKhanPTI has proven himself to be a statesman. "I am happy but I am scared. What if the euphoria in our TV war-rooms forces GoP to change his mind on WC Abhinandan? Those who are claiming a diplomatic victory here rather than appreciating IK's statesmanship, should wait till the pilot reaches home," Faesal said. Welcoming the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot's release, Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone said, "Pakistan PM Imran Khan move to release Abhinandan is a welcome move. Conflicts per se are not irresolvable. Leadership makes a conflict resolvable or irresolvable." Meanwhile, separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also welcomed the Pakistan prime minister's decision. "Welcome decision by Pakistan PM @ImranKhanPTI to release the captive Indian pilot as a peace gesture. Hope better sense prevails the war clouds scatter and the #Kashmir dispute moves towards a peaceful resolution," he tweeted. Pakistan will set free captured IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman Friday as a peace gesture, its Premier Imran Khan announced Thursday. The surprise announcement also came on the heels of India sending a strong message to Pakistan rejecting the possibility of any deal for securing the release of the pilot and demanding his unconditional and immediate repatriation. Indian government sources also emphatically said the pilot cannot be a bargaining chip. PTI MIJ SRY Gorakhpur (UP), Feb 28 (PTI) An advocate was Thursday shot dead inside a court campus in neighbouring Basti district, police said. Citing eyewitnesses, police said Jagnarayan Yadav (63) was working in his chamber when the incident took place. At around 3.30 pm, a youth came to him and after talking to him for some time, took out a pistol and fired at him. The other advocates and people present there tried to chase the culprit, but the youth managed to escape. The police reached the spot and rushed Yadav to a hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. "The body has been sent for autopsy. The reason behind the murder is not clear at this stage. The deceased was a native of Kaptanganj village," Additional Superintendent of Police, Basti, Pankaj Kumar said. PTI CORR NAV SRY Lucknow Feb 28 (PTI) Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday lashed out at the BJP for going ahead with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to party workers through a mega video-conference amid escalating tension with Pakistan. Prime Minister Modi Thursday interacted with over 1 crore BJP workers and volunteers from 15,000 locations across the country in what the party claims is the "world's largest video conference". In a tweet, the SP chief said, "When the entire nation is standing along with the government as an Indian rising above politics, BJP is going to make a record of contact with booth level workers ..even the BJP supporters are ashamed of this." "The situation could be very bad but this suited-booted BJP will continue with its festivities...condemnable," he said. An IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat Wednesday during which the two sides said they shot down each other's warplanes that followed an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes. In another tweet, the SP chief said. "It has been nearly 24 hrs since our pilot has gone missing.On the other hand 6 brave IAF personnel lost their lives in a helicopter crash. The nation is praying. We're all waiting with baited breath but not a word from out leadership.The silence is deafening." PTI SAB DV DV Shimla, Feb 28 (PTI) A Shimla-Chandigarh heli-taxi service, started last May but discontinued due to lack of a dedicated chopper, was launched Thursday by Union Minister for Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu. Prabhu launched the service under Udaan-II scheme by flagging off the chopper flight to Chandigarh from Jubbarhatti airport near Shimla through a video conference. Presently scheduled to under take three flights a week, the service would be upgraded to six a week after over a month, Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur told reporters on the occasion of the relaunch of the service. It will have a fare of Rs 2,880 per passenger per flight, he added. The flight under Udaan-II would take off at 10 am from Chandigarh and reach Shimla at 10.30 am, he said, adding it will leave Shimla at 10.55 am and reach Chandigarh at 11.25 am. Addressing people earlier on the occasion through video conference from New Delhi, Prabhu said the Udaan-II scheme would not only provide better air connectivity, but would also help in providing convenient, comfortable and faster travel facilities to the people in emergencies or for medical treatments. Thanking Prabhu for choosing Shimla for launch of the Udaan-II scheme, Thakur said the state has 63 helipads, while two heliports are coming up at Shimla and Kangnidhar in Mandi district. PTI DJI RAX RAX New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) The Union Cabinet on Thursday gave in-principle approval to a redevelopment plan of Delhi's AIIMS to convert it into a "world class" medical university. The master plan envisages freeing up adequate space through redevelopment, vertical expansion and reorganising the land usage, thus optimising the infrastructure of the institute for the next 20 years, an official statement said. "It is proposed to redevelop the infrastructure of AIIMS by consolidating the patient care, teaching, research, administration and support services in areas in the East Ansari Nagar (main) campus and residential facilities from East Ansari Nagar (main campus) to Trauma Centre extension (new Rajnagar campu)," the statement said. The project would provide highly specialised state-of-the-art healthcare to the patients and integrated one campus answer to all the investigative psychotherapeutic, operative, rehabilitative and vocational needs of the patients. It would ensure smart mobility and accessibility for the patients and become an apex tertiary care centre for advancement of research, clinical applications and management of patients, the statement said. PTI PLB AMP SMN SMN New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) With over 250 screens put up across Delhi, thousands of state BJP workers attended Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mega video conference event 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot' on Thursday. The party's state unit made elaborate arrangements for its members and supporters to make the event a success before the Lok Sabha polls. Booth-level workers of 272 mandals attended the event at 252 different locations across the national capital. BJP chief Amit Shah along with Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and other senior leaders attended the programme at the party's state office. Interacting with party workers from different states, Modi asked them to create awareness among people about the government's welfare schemes to ensure BJP's victory in the upcoming polls. The booth-level workers of RK Puram, New Delhi and Malviya Nagar Assembly constituencies participated in the programme at the Delhi BJP office. The event was watched through the NaMo app. It was also live on BJP's Facebook page, twitter handle and Youtube channel, among others. PTI VIT PLB SOM SOM \R Lucknow, Feb 28 (PTI) Amid reports of differences with its ally BJP, Apna Dal (Sonelal) chief Ashish Singh Patel Thursday said he had a "positive" meeting with Amit Shah, but all options were open if a certain section of saffron party leaders "do not change their attitude". Ashish Singh Patel, the husband of Union Minister Anupriya Patel, had met BJP national president Amit Shah at New Delhi on Wednesday. "We have put up various issues before Shah. Overall, the meeting was positive," he told PTI, adding the talks were regarding the "problems" his party was facing with the BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit. Anupriya Patel had last week accused the BJP of "apparently not taking care of its allies" and said that her party was "free to take its own decisions" regarding the upcoming general elections. "Some differences cropped up between the Apna Dal and the BJP. We had given them time till February 20 to resolve the issues, but there is no answer from the BJP. It appears they are not interested in taking care of their allies," Apna Dal leader and Union Minister Anupriya Patel had told reporters in Bareilly last week. "Now, the Apna Dal is free to make its own decision. A party meeting has been called to chalk out our future course of action," she had said. On Thursday, Ashish Singh Patel alleged that a section of BJP leaders did not want Apna Dal (Sonelal) stay in alliance with the saffron party. "This section used to create many problems for us. If they do not change attitude our options are open," he said. Ashish Singh Patel said a meeting of all the office-bearers of his party, which was supposed to be held in the state capital on Thursday, has been rescheduled due to India-Pakistan tensions. "Our party demands appointment of Dalits and (people belonging to backward communities on 50 per cent police stations of the state besides giving either DM or SP post in districts to these category officers. Our party workers should be considered in appointment in various state corporations," he said. He refuted reports of Anupriya Patel meeting Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as "baseless". Apna Dal, a crucial ally of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, had won two seats -- Mirzapur and Pratapgarh -- in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. PTI ABN NSD NSD Himmatnagar (Guj), Feb 28 (PTI) A fast-track court here Thursday awarded 20 years of rigorous imprisonment to a migrant labourer for raping a 14-month-old girl in Gujarat's Sabarkantha district in September last year. The incident had led to violence against migrant labourers in some parts of Gujarat, leading to an exodus. While special public prosecutor Rashmikant Pandya demanded death penalty for 19-year-old Ravindra Sah, a native of Bihar, Sabarkantha sessions court judge K B Gujarati awarded him 20 years in prison considering his young age. Pandya said he will seek the state government's approval to file an appeal in the high court for enhancement of the punishment. Apart from the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Sah was found guilty under the newly introduced section 376-AB of the Indian Penal Code which provides for the maximum punishment of death sentence for raping children. Following the state government's request, the Gujarat High Court had set up a fast-track court to try the case. The incident took place at a village near Himmatnagar on September 28, 2018. Sah, a factory worker, was arrested the same day. Following the incident, migrant workers from Hindi-speaking states were attacked in parts of Gujarat. PTI CORR PJT PD KRK SRY Delhi HC dismisses National Herald publisher AJL's plea against order to evict its premises. PTI SKV HMP LLP LLP DV DV New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) The Delhi High Court Thursday dismissed National Herald publisher AJL's plea challenging a single judge order to vacate its premises at ITO here. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao rejected the appeal of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) in which it had challenged the Centre's decision asking it to vacate the ITO premises. The AJL had appealed against the single judge's December 21, 2018 order that directed it to vacate the premises at ITO within two weeks, after which eviction proceedings under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, would be initiated.PTI SKV HMP LLP LLP DV DV New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland Thursday told the Delhi High Court it will withdraw arbitration proceedings which were initiated by it following the scrapping of contracts to supply 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force. The firm also said it will pursue the remedy available under the law by filing a civil suit in India. Justice Prathiba M Singh was hearing a petition by the central government seeking to restrain AgustaWestland from continuing with the arbitration process initiated by it in the wake of scrapping of the contracts. The Centre has said the arbitration proceedings cannot continue as several criminal cases were pending against the firm and last December British national Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman in the deal, was extradited from Dubai and is lodged in Tihar jail. After recording the statement of the counsel for the firm and noting that the Centre has no objection to it, provided its objections are kept open, the high court disposed of the government's petition. Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand said the government does not have any objection if it wants to withdraw the arbitration proceedings but the objections should be kept open. The court disposed of the petition with the direction that the firm shall withdraw the claim petition before the arbitral tribunal within two weeks and granted it liberty to file go for civil proceedings. The high court had earlier agreed to examine the plea and had issued notice to AgustaWestland on the plea filed by the Ministry of Defence. It had said however that at this stage, no injunction order can be passed as it has not seen the arbitral record and none of the orders passed by the arbitral tribunal has been placed before it. AgustaWestland had invoked the arbitration clause in the contract for supplying 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force after the deal was scrapped in 2014. The arbitration is pending before a tribunal comprising William W Park, Justice (retd) B N Srikrishna and Justice (retd) B P Jeevan Reddy. The Centre had earlier said there were several criminal proceedings going on against AgustaWestland and sought an injunction on the arbitration. It had said the dispute in the present case is non-arbitrable as per the laws of India because serious and substantiated allegations of corrupt practices, bribery and fraud are involved in the instant case. The Centre had argued that the arbitral proceedings deserve to be stayed as the mandate of the arbitral tribunal stands terminated in terms of Section 29A of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. Section 29A of the Act makes it mandatory to complete the proceedings within 12 months (additional 6 months, in some circumstances) from the date arbitral tribunal enters upon the reference. However, the firm had opposed it saying this case was not governed by the provisions of Section 29A of the Act, as the arbitral proceedings had commenced much prior to the Amendment Act of 2015 coming into force. PTI SKV HMP SA (Eds: Adding details from the judgement, reactions) New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed the pleas of TTV Dhinakaran and VK Sasikala challenging the Election Commission's order granting the AIADMK name and two leaves symbol to the faction led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E K Palaniswami, saying that the figures before showed the Palaniswami-led group "enjoyed a clear majority". A bench of justices G S Sistani and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal upheld the EC's decision of November 23, 2017, saying that none of the grounds of challenge raised by the Dhinakaran-Sasikala faction were made out and there was "no infirmity" in the poll panel's order allotting the party name and symbol to the group led by Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam. After the order was pronounced, senior advocate Abhishek M Singhvi, appearing for Dhinakaran and Sasikala, urged the bench to direct the EC not to allot the pressure cooker symbol to anyone during the next 15 days so that they have time to move the Supreme Court and seek an appropriate relief from there. The EC, thereafter, agreed not to allot the 'pressure cooker' symbol to anyone for next 15 days in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Dhinakaran had floated Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) after he and Sasikala were expelled from the Palaniswami-led AIADMK. The symbol issue has been lingering since April 2017 and the verdict comes as a shot in the arm for the Palanisami-led AIADMK ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Palaniswami on Thursday hailed the verdict, saying that it showed they are the "true AIADMK". Dhinakaran's AMMK said the verdict was expected but vowed to put up a good show in the Lok Sabha polls. The Dhinakaran-Sasikala faction had contended before the court that EC, while trying to ascertain who enjoyed the majority support, ought to have considered the views of the primary members in the party as well and not just its organisational and legislative wings. Rejecting the argument, the bench in its 69-page judgement said that the petitioners (Dhinakaran and Sasikala) had before the EC claimed that the organisational and legislative wings best represented the wishes of the primary members and "subsequently, changed their stand when the members of such wings changed their allegiance". "In view of the aforegoing stand taken by the petitioners, we do not think it lies in the mouth of the petitioners to now turn around and contend to the contrary. Thus, where the General Council is representative of the entire party, a referendum is neither called for nor preferable," it said. The court, referring to the numbers of General Council members, Members of Parliament and MLAs in support of both factions, said "the aforegoing figures show a clear majority enjoyed by the faction led by the respondents (Palaniswami-Panneerselvam)". It was contended on behalf of Dhinakaran-Sasikala faction that 325 affidavits filed before EC in support of the other group were "fabricated". However, this contention was also rejected by the bench which said that even if the number was accepted, the petitioners' group would not enjoy majority. "Thus, at this juncture, it would be useless to remand the matter back to the Commission. Accordingly, the contention must be rejected," the bench said. The petitioners had also contended that when the other side had approached the EC, their plea ought to have been dismissed for not having material particulars and supporting documents. The argument was dismissed by the bench which said the plea filed before EC was not devoid of material facts. Dhinakaran and Sasikala had further contended that the procedure adopted by the Commission amounted to malice in law as it had granted numerous extensions to the other side to produce further documents. The high court rejected this argument as well, saying that such extensions were granted to both sides. "Hence, we do not find that the Commission had unfavourably preferred one faction to the detriment of the other constituting 'malice in law'," it said. "Consequently, none of the grounds urged by the petitioners are made out. We find no infirmity in the order of the Commission warranting interference by this court. All petitions are, accordingly, dismissed," the bench said. The EC in March 2017 had given the 'hat' symbol to the Sasikala-Dhinakaran group after it froze the use of the 'two leaves' symbol to which the group led by Palaniswami and Panneerselvam had also staked claim. The Palaniswami-Panneerselvam faction had at the same time been granted the 'electric pole' symbol. However, on November 23, 2017, the poll panel had ruled in favour of the Palaniswami-Panneerselvam faction by allotting the 'two-leaves' symbol to them. The symbol issue has been lingering since April 2017 in the aftermath of the announcement of the by-poll to Radha Krishnan Nagar constituency in Tamil Nadu following the death of AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa in December 2016. Earlier, rival factions led by Sasikala and Panneerselvam had staked claim over the symbol. Palaniswami was then in the Sasikala camp. Later, a large number of legislators led by Palaniswami revolted against Sasikala. PTI HMP SKV RT New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) A Delhi court Thursday lashed out at the Tihar Jail authorities for failing to justify shifting of Christian Michel, arrested in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal, to a high security cell in isolation, saying it will start an inquiry if it does not get a proper response. Special Judge Arvind Kumar said Michel has been lodged in jail for last 70 days and what happened suddenly due to which he has now been shifted to the high security ward. Deputy Superintendent of Tihar Jail told the court that Michel was shifted to cell number 2 (high security ward) keeping in mind his safety as it was a high profile case. However, he failed to justify the sudden shifting before the court. "Why was there no threat to his security till now. He was kept with other prisoners for 70 days. This was always a high profile case. If that was the case he should have been kept in a high security ward since the beginning. Tell me why all of a sudden he was shifted to a ward where hardened criminals were kept," the judge asked. The court directed the Director General (DG) of Tihar to file a comprehensive reply on the reasons of Michel's sudden shifting to the high security cell and why he was kept with hard-core criminals. The Deputy Superintendent also told the court that hard-core criminals like Chhota Rajan and Shahbuddin have been kept in the same ward. "Please convey the message to the DG (Prison) to direct the concerned authorities who is well conversant with the facts to appear before court on March 5 and apprise the court about the specific reasons. Else, I will start an inquiry on it," the judge said. The jail authority denied Michel's allegations that he was denied common facilities in the new cell like permission to meet visitors, make phone calls, newspapers and said that though he has been kept in isolation all facilities were provided to him. Advocate Aljo K Joseph, appearing for Michel, said no security threat was put forward for 70 days since he was in custody. He claimed Michel was permitted to make phone calls only after his counsel met him, nine days since he was shifted to the new cell. The court sought the response of the Tihar authorities on this and asked it to submit phone call records if they were contesting the allegations. The court had on Wednesday sought a detailed report from jail authorities on Michel's plea claiming that he has been kept in solitary confinement in the prison and had asked the superintendent or a competent authority to appear before it to respond to the allegation that he was not allowed to interact with co-prisoners. The plea sought direction to the authorities to treat Michel at par with other inmates and provide basic facilities during his judicial custody. It claimed that on February 18, the jail authorities conducted a search of Michel's cell to look for a laptop computer allegedly being used by him. It said no computer was found in the cell. However, the authorities shifted him to a high-security cell immediately after, it said. It said when Michel asked for reasons for his "solitary confinement", the jail authorities told him it was the "decision from the top" and there was "serious threat" to his life. The plea sought direction to the authorities to return his personal belongings, including a diary containing contact details of officers of the British High Commission and documents of the case, which were taken away after the search. Michel was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on December 22 after his extradition from Dubai. On January 5, he was sent to judicial custody in connection with a money-laundering case being probed by ED. Later, he was arrested by CBI and is lodged in judicial custody in a CBI case related to the chopper deal scam. Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the scam by ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation. The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. PTI URD SKV SA Junior docs protest over attack on colleague by patient's kin Hyderabad, Feb 28 (PTI) Junior doctors at the state-run Gandhi hospital here staged a protest Thursday over the alleged attack on one of their colleagues by relatives of a patient . Expressing concern over their security, the protesting doctors demanded that the government hold talks with them to resolve the issue. A doctor demanded that health minister (E Rajender) come to the hospital to know the ground realities. Senior health officials, including the DME (director of medical education) Ramesh Reddy, met the protesting doctors. They said the government is keen on improving the things at the hospitals. State Health Minister Rajender, who assumed charge on Thursday, disapproved of attacks on doctors by the relatives of patients, an official release said. Action would be taken against those who attack the doctors, he said. PTI SJR APR APR Muzaffarnagar, Feb 28 (PTI) Amid the escalating tension between India and Pakistan, six nationals of the the neighbouring country, who came here on valid visa, are under vigilance of the local intelligence unit in the district, an official said Thursday. Six Pakistani nationals had arrived here on February 12 and they have valid visa. They are to return to their country before March 27, the in-charge of local intelligence unit here said. They are under vigilance for the length of their stay here, he said. PTI CORR NSD NSD Jammu, Feb 28 (PTI) Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh Thursday visited the family of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Aman Kumar Thakur, who was killed in an encounter between security forces and terrorists in Kulgam. Singh was accompanied by Additional Director General of Police A K Choudhary, Additional Director General of Police (Armed) S J M Gillani and Inspector General of Police (Jammu) M K Sinha during the visit. Singh spoke to Thakur's family members here and assumed them of all possible help from the department, a police spokesperson said. DSP Thakur was killed on February 24 in Turigam village of Kulgam district during an anti-militancy operation that also left three Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists dead. The DSP was leading the operation and was critically injured while trying to evacuate his injured colleague. He was shifted to a hospital, where he succumbed to injuries. Kumar is survived by his parents, wife and a six-year-old son. PTI TAS AB IJT Maharajganj (UP), Feb 28 (PTI) At least 40 school students were injured after two buses collided on the Sonauli-Gorakhpur highway in Purenderpur area here on Thursday morning, police said. The incident took place at 8.50 am, when a school bus collided with a tourist bus, they said. The injured students were taken to hospital, where they received preliminary treatment, police said, adding, a probe into the matter is on. PTI CORR ABN NSD NSD Lucknow, Feb 28 (PTI) Ahead of the Lok Sabha election, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora Thursday held a meeting with district magistrates and other officials of Uttar Pradesh and reviewed the preparations for the polls. Senior officials said that the meeting continued till late evening. In the meeting, instructions were issued by the CEC that electronic voting machines and VVPAT machines should be checked well in time to avoid any glitches during voting. Instructions were also issued to make the voters aware about the helpline number 1950, and media centres be established in every district to monitor the social media. The CEC also said that sensitive places should be identified, and communal amity at those places should be enhanced. Apart from this, CCTV cameras should be installed at sensitive polling centres, and such centres should be identified well in advance. Security should also be stepped up at international and inter-state boundaries. He also said all the directives of the Election Commission must be implemented and stringent action will be initiated against the officials showing laxity. District magistrates, divisional commissioners, superintendent of police and other senior police officials were present at the meeting. PTI NAV SMN SMN CALEB MAGGS, Chariho, Football, Junior; Maggs caught 11 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns in the Chargers loss to East Greenwich on Thanksgiving eve. He had scoring receptions of 1 and 29 yards. LUKE LOWRY, Stonington, Football, Junior; Lowry caught a pair of TD passes in the Bears Thanksgiving Day loss to Westerly. The two scoring receptions matched a record for the holiday game held by five others. Lowry had touchdown catches of 36 and 67 yards. He was named Stoningtons top offensive player in the game. ZACK TUCK, Westerly, Football, Junior; Tuck rushed for 241 yards and scored three touchdowns in the Bulldogs Thanksgiving Day victory over Stonington. Tuck was named the games MVP and was also selected as Westerlys top offensive player. Vote View Results The share price reaction to the creation of a 1.5billion joint venture between Marks & Spencer and Ocado tells its own story. M&S fell with a nasty bump, dropping 12.5 per cent, as the retailer which began on a market stall in Leeds in 1894 sunk 750million of investor funds into a joint venture with Ocado. Needless to say Ocado shares under pressure just a couple of weeks ago after a devastating robotic warehouse fire climbed almost 3 per cent. It took the arrival of Archie Norman at M&S together with the presence of M&S veteran Lord Rose as non-executive chairman at Ocado to serve up the 1.5bn venture The share gyrations are as much about City mechanics as anything else. M&S is asking shareholders to pay for the joint venture in two ways. It is asking them to stump up 600million through a rights issue, and is using the Ocado deal as an excuse to cut the dividend. Shareholders never like that. M&S is not the first player to ask investors to stump up for new technology. As chief executive of Sainsburys in the early Noughties, Sir Peter Davis did the same in an attempt to bring the grocers logistics and warehousing into the 21st century. Unfortunately he bought systems intended for goods deliveries rather than fresh food, and it all ended in a humiliating disaster. In a statement of the very obvious, M&S chief executive Steve Rowe says he has always believed that M&S Food could and should be online. Maybe, but M&Ss online history until now has not been glorious. Having decided an earlier partnership with Amazon wasnt good enough it brought in Laura Wade-Gery from Tesco, who designed M&Ss distinctly user-unfriendly site at vast expense, and never properly addressed the food question. At countless M&S events the idea of online food has come up, trials were mentioned but nothing happened. The optics of the joint announcement told their own story. The two chief executives Rowe at M&S and Tim Steiner at Ocado were rolled out to explain the detail. Truth is, the deal could not be done by them alone. It has taken the arrival of Archie Norman at M&S and the presence of M&S veteran Lord Rose, non-executive chairman at Ocado, to serve it up. The initial reaction from some investors is that M&S is engaged in an expensive experiment and that the pay-off could be a long way away. But we know from the desperation of Sainsburys to merge with Asda and the rush into partnership with Ocado by Kroger in the US that for food retailers, fearful of the presence of Amazon, it is time for boldness. M&S has given itself a lifeline in a highly competitive market. Ocado has demonstrated with Waitrose and Morrisons it has the technical ability. Onwards and upwards! Air stream It could have been Carolyn McCall who announced the M&S tie-up with Ocado had she moved there when Marc Bolland stepped down as chief executive in 2016. Instead, the former Easyjet boss landed at ITV where she faces her own digital challenge. The popularity of online streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon has left terrestrial broadcasters worrying they will be left behind. Big budgets also make it harder for ITV or the BBC to come up with series of the length and quality of The Crown. McCalls response is for ITV to launch its own streaming service, Britbox, with the BBC. The idea is to bring the archives of both broadcasters together on one platform where subscribers will be able to watch everything from Doctor Who to Love Island. Once up and running it is also envisaged that Britbox will start producing original made-for-streaming programmes. The partners are hopeful that this time around the Competition and Markets Authority will not throw a spanner in the works as it did nearly a decade ago. The market has changed radically with online streaming services claiming some 17m viewers. Ofcom is thought to be sympathetic and the plan is, over time, to add Channels 4 and 5 to the service, which might be expected to cost around 7.99 a month. Regulators should back it, as a significant contributor to creative Britain. Alarm bell Something soon needs to change at Vodafone. After a Moodys downgrade earlier this week the shares sank to a nine-year low of 133.6p yesterday in latest trading, where they yield an amazing 9.39 per cent. Senior non-executive director Val Gooding, formerly of Bupa, should be leaned upon to administer urgent care. Nearly half of travel insurance policies won't protect holidaymakers from airlines collapsing, new data reveals. Around 45 per cent of insurance policies offer absolutely no protection against airline difficulties at all, financial information company Defaqto, has revealed. With the collapse of budget airline, Flybmi, last week leaving thousands of passengers stranded abroad, the data suggests many of that number would have been left unprotected by their insurance policy despite potentially believing otherwise. Holidaymakers without sufficient cover are at risk of being unable to claim refunds if the airline they've booked with gets into financial difficulty and leaves them with no transport. Many passengers were left stranded last week after airline, Flybmi, ceased trading last week The research also found that just 48 per cent of travel insurance policies offer cover for airline failure as standard, with only seven per cent offering cover as an option. This data could be worrying for those who have already paid for their holiday insurance without checking the small print at a time in which airlines are increasingly being squeezed by rising costs and Brexit uncertainty. Brian Brown, head of insight at Defaqto, said: 'With flights and holidays cancelled as a result of the Flybmi collapse, a lot of people's holidays will be ruined over the coming months. 'Airline failure is not covered as standard on two fifths of travel insurance policies as the risk is usually relatively small. 'Anyone who has booked a package holiday with Flybmi, will be fully protected through the ATOL scheme and should not lose out. 'However, those who have booked flights directly and haven't travelled yet, are at risk. 'If you paid for your flight with a credit card, you will be able to get a refund from the credit card company and should contact them directly for this. 'If you bought your flight with a debit card, you may be able to claim under your travel insurance policy if you have this cover.' Flybmi blamed their collapse on the rise of fuel and carbon costs as well as the uncertainty surrounding Brexit - a problem which is likely to affect many British travelers and could further affect other airlines in the coming months. The firm joined a number of other airlines who have gone bust in recent times including Germania, Primera Air, Cobalt and British airline, Monarch. How you can protect yourself One way travellers can keep themselves protected from any unexpected cancellations or closures is to book flights on a credit card instead of a debit card. This is because under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, your credit card company and the supplier of goods will be jointly liable for any breach of contract or misrepresentation by the retailer or trader. Therefore, you will be able to make a claim for a refund to your credit card provider, as long as the goods in question were between the sum of 100 and 30,000. Booking flights with a credit card means you are more likely to get a refund than on debit card However, for customers who have booked cheap flights - under 100 - they may not get any of their money back at all. Customers who have paid for flights using PayPal should also receive the same protection under Section 75. If consumers paid by debit card, they may still be able to claim money back through the Mastercard and Visa Chargeback scheme, which most high street banks have signed up to. This will allow customers to ask their card provider to reverse a transaction on their debit card, giving their money back. When booking flights, consumers should always make sure they are ATOL protected as this will ensure they do not lose money or become stranded abroad if your travel company collapses. It is also important that, when booking an insurance policy, customers look in detail at what it offers and make sure that important features, such as protection against airline failure, are included. Most insurance policies will come with a Defaqto star rating, which will advise travellers how much they can expect to get with their coverage. The higher the star rating, the more features and benefits are included in the policy. If you're in the unfortunate situation of needing to claim the cost of a flight back through ATOL, you will need to contact the Civil Aviation Authority for a refund. Otherwise, travellers contact their insurance company, credit card provider and bank as soon as they are aware of any trouble with the airline they have booked with. Marks & Spencer's shares plunged after shareholders were spooked by its 'extravagant' delivery tie-up with Ocado. In its biggest-ever deal, M&S has agreed to pay 750million for half of Ocado's retail division, valuing the entire business at 1.5billion. The partnership will allow M&S to deliver groceries to customers for the first time in its 135-year history. The odd couple: Ocado chief executive Tim Steiner and M&S boss Steve Rowe But the terms of the venture sent shockwaves through the City. In a sign that investors believe Ocado got the better of the deal, its shares rose 2.9 per cent while M&S fell 12.5 per cent, wiping more than 600million off its value. Neil Wilson, analyst at trading platform Markets, said: 'M&S's purchase of Ocado's UK retail business looks rather like one of its own ready meals expensive, not very good for you but easy, quick and ready to heat up.' M&S is now preparing to tap shareholders for 600million its first rights issue to fund the deal, which still needs to be signed off by Ocado shareholders. 19 years in the making M&S's grocery delivery service is the result of 19 years of talks with Ocado. At 6.05am yesterday, a deal was finally done, with Ocado chairman Lord Rose having been on the phone to chief executive Tim Steiner until almost 2am. Rose was chief executive and later executive chairman of M&S for six years, during which time current chief executive Steve Rowe was promoted to the M&S board. But Steiner insisted he pioneered the deal with Rowe, with Rose and M&S chairman Archie Norman playing a minor role. Steiner said: 'He's [Lord Rose] involved as our non-executive chairman as he should be in a major strategic transaction.' Rowe said: 'We should have done it earlier. It is fortuitous Tim and I have found a solution to create this exciting venture.' It will also slash its full-year dividend by 40 per cent to 7.1p per share, the first time it has been cut in a decade. By contrast, Ocado is being handed 750million to plough into the flourishing technology business behind its robot-powered warehouses. Paul Mumford, a fund manager at Cavendish Asset Management, which owns shares in M&S, added: 'Compared to Sainsbury's and Tesco, M&S clearly can't compete when it comes to customers' weekly shops. 'And whichever way you look at it, raising 600million to invest in a joint venture which may or may not work seems an extravagant use of shareholders' money.' But M&S chief executive Steve Rowe insisted the deal was positive for all. 'This is not a gamble,' he said. 'The point that people are missing is this is not just the money that's going on the joint venture. That's one element of it. 'The 70million a year, at least, that we will make in the M&S business through synergies and efficiencies is substantive and does add shareholder value. 'The share price [reaction] has been in response, as much as anything, to the fact there is a rights issue and a movement down in the dividend. This is really the only way M&S could have moved food online.' M&S is fighting to grow sales and profits as more customers go online. It wants a third of its business to be online within three or four years and to revive ailing sales after a dismal Christmas. At least 100 M&S stores are being axed as it races to turn around its disappointing performance. Tim Steiner, chief executive of Ocado, suggested the deal could increase the number of M&S shops. It is the first major transaction to be signed off by M&S under the leadership of Rowe and chairman Archie Norman. Despite talks between M&S and Ocado going back as far as 2000, Rowe denied that he had wasted time. 'I have always said we will not go online if it was unprofitable to do so and destroyed shareholder value,' he said. 'I've been trying to find the right way to do it to enhance shareholder value. 'I believe the joint venture with Ocado is a long-term proposition, is transformational and does add shareholder value. 'I prefer to be criticised for not being robust in my decision-making, rather than it be said I dilly-dallied. I don't think I dilly-dallied.' This may sound a little unfair, but fund manager Neil Woodford has finally got something right, even if it has taken almost five years. He has come under fire of late for a string of horrible investment calls, backing big-name failures such as Provident Financial, Capita and Allied Minds. Back in the spring of 2014, some in the City thought he was making another mistake when he urged AstraZeneca to reject a thumping 70billion offer from US drugs giant Pfizer. With a market capitalisation of 79bn, Astrazeneca is now the largest drug maker in the UK, having overtaken rival Glaxosmithkline The 55-a-share bid was 45 per cent higher than the stock's market value at the time, and many investors were keen to take the money given that Astra's drug pipeline had run dry and its best-selling anti-cholesterol pill was about to lose patent protection. But chief executive Pascal Soriot, with Woodford at his back, stood firm, opting instead to slim the business down and rebuild the pipeline. Fast forward to today and the stubbornness has been vindicated. With a market capitalisation of 79billion, not only is Astra worth more than Pfizer's best offer, it is also now the largest drug maker in the UK, having overtaken rival Glaxosmithkline. Shares dropped 0.2 per cent, or 12p, to 6283p, down from the all-time highs they touched earlier in the week after successful late-stage cancer and stroke trials. Royal Dutch Shell also slipped lower after Canadian investment bank RBC Capital stripped the oil supermajor of its 'outperform' rating and cut its price target. Stock Watch - Webis Holdings Totalisator-style betting firm Webis Holdings proved to be a bad punt after its interims came up short, sending its shares down 9.4 per cent, or 0.25p, to 2.4p. The AIM-listed company's first half of its fiscal year was a challenging one, primarily due to the loss of a large syndicate placing bets. As a result, fewer punts were placed through its platform. This led to an overall pre-tax loss for the half-year period of 444,200, up from a loss of 14,280 a year earlier. Analysts cast doubts over the sustainability of Shell's dividend - possibly the most attractive reason for investing in the Anglo-Dutch titan. If Shell wants to avoid cutting its annual payout for the first time since the Second World War, the abacus-rattlers across the Pond reckon it will need to buy back an extra 22.5billion of shares, on top of the 18.8billion worth it has committed to buy back over the next two years. While that will make the dividend more sustainable, they argue it will limit bosses' power to invest in its portfolio. Shares fell 0.6 per cent, or 14p, to 2384.5p, although that it still well below RBC's reduced target of 2750p. The FTSE 100 closed the session down 43.92 points, at 7107.2, with many of the big dollar earners not reacting well to the pound's resurgence. Wealth manager St James's Place was bottom of the table, down 3.6 per cent, or 35.6p, to 941.2p, after a steady rise in annual profits was overshadowed by a continued slowdown in new business growth. Pre-tax profits jumped by 14 per cent in 2018 to 211.9million, but that was well short of the 32 per cent growth it notched up a year earlier. Net inflows the amount of money being invested into its funds rose 8 per cent over the year to 10.3billion, following a 40 per cent increase in 2017. Among the small caps, printing company De La Rue, which last year missed out on a lucrative deal to print the UK's new blue passports, headed north. Shares rose 2.2 per cent, or 9p, to 428p after the world's largest banknote printer inked a 3.5million deal that will see its track-and-trace system used on all 1.7billion packets of cigarettes and tobacco sold in the UK. The five-year contract was awarded by the Government in a bid to crack down on potentially deadly counterfeit products. Down on AIM, Vimto owner Nichols fizzed 1 per cent, or 15p, higher to 1550p after hiking its dividend 15 per cent after a record set of results. Shares in Metro Bank crashed to an all-time low after regulators launched a probe into an accounting blunder. The stock tumbled 26.5 per cent, or 345p, to 955p, taking its losses since the error was reported just five weeks ago to 57 per cent. The latest sell-off came after Metro revealed the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) are looking into the way it assessed the riskiness of some property loans. Tycoon: Metro Bank chairman Vernon Hill with his wife Shirley and pet terrier Sir Duffield II The bank is now seeking to raise another 350million from shareholders and 500million from the debt markets to bolster its finances. And in a further blow, a 120million grant awarded to Metro so it can boost its business banking operation is at risk because of the debacle. When the accounting error was first made public, Metro boss Craig Donaldson said it was uncovered by his own staff. But days later the Mail revealed it had actually been flagged by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), a part of the Bank of England overseeing the health of the financial system. Donaldson offered to resign but the board asked him to stay. He is giving up his 2018 bonus to try to make amends. On Tuesday, Metro unveiled its plans to raise a total of 850million by the end of the year. It means the lender will have sucked in 1.7billion of new funds in three years. Laith Khalaf, of trading firm Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'If there's a regulatory investigation happening, that lends a lot of uncertainty to what the outcome is going to be and whether there will be financial implications for Metro.' Metro said the PRA and FCA are probing how the accounting mistake was made. The regulators are thought to be investigating whether the bank's mistake created a false market in its shares, by giving the impression it was on a more secure financial footing than it actually was. The watchdogs can fine banks millions of pounds and they can also fine individual bankers or ban them from the industry. Both the FCA and PRA declined to comment. Just days ago, Metro was awarded 120million from a fund intended to boost competition in business banking, set up using money handed over by Royal Bank of Scotland. Rivals who missed out on the cash, handed out by the Banking Competition Remedies (BCR) body, are now expected to complain. John Cronin, an analyst at Goodbody, said: 'I am very surprised at BCR's decision to award Metro 120million.' Tory MP Nicky Morgan, chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, said: 'The latest developments are concerning, especially given that it was awarded the lion's share of the RBS fund. 'It is right that regulators are now investigating this.' BCR declined to comment. Metro shares have dropped 77 per cent after hitting a record high last March, and are worth less than half its 2000p float price. Interserve has sweetened the terms of its rescue deal to placate shareholders Struggling support services provider Interserve has sweetened the terms of its rescue deal to placate shareholders. But it didn't soothe the anger of its biggest investor, which is threatening legal action. Debt-ridden Interserve provoked outcry when it said its second bailout in a year would virtually wipe out investors, cutting their stake from 100 per cent to 2.5 per cent. Interserve has now doubled that to 5 per cent, meaning its lenders will hold 95 per cent, and shareholders will be able to vote on the deal on March 15. Its lenders have agreed to provide an extra 110million of liquidity until 2022 and will shave 10 per cent off what they are owed. Interserve said its debts were 631million at the end of 2018. But Coltrane Asset Management, which owns a 28 per cent stake, was unimpressed last week it proposed an alternative giving shareholders a 10 per cent stake. A source accused lenders of 'holding a gun to the company's head'. Coltrane is said to be planning litigation if the bid fails to go through and EY, the firm's administrator, sells the company in a pre-pack administration. Investors will be able to vote on a proposal by Coltrane to scrap the entire management team except for chief executive Debbie White on March 26. Interserve said it more than halved its loss before tax to 111.3million in 2018, from a loss of 244.4million in 2017, despite its revenues falling by 11 per cent to 2.9billion. British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) has posted an uplift in full-year sales and profits, despite challenges in the airline sector. Engine maker Rolls-Royce swung to a pre-tax loss of 2.9billion last year due to a raft of one-off charges related to its radical restructuring plans. A two-day meeting between North Korea's Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump has ended prematurely and without agreement. This triggered a 0.6 per cent drop in the FTSE 100 at the open to 7,069.44. Aston Martin Lagonda shares crashed to an all-time low as it suffered annual losses of 68.2million. The luxury car maker was hit by one-off costs of 136million relating to its much-hyped float on the London Stock Exchange in October last year including a 61.2million pay-out in staff bonuses. Shares fell 21.4 per cent, or 294.4p, to 1080p as investors made their displeasure known. The company has lost 43 per cent of its value or 1.8billion since the shares floated at 1900p in October. Shaken not stirred: The James Bond car maker has seen shares dive to an all-time low Analysts warned that bosses may even have to seek more money from shareholders to support the business. Chief executive Andy Palmer struck a defiant note, claiming that the stock will rise again and that large shareholders are behind him. He said: We try and speak to our key investors a lot. In every case they will tell us, Were into this for the long term, and you keep doing what youre doing. In the long term, the share price will catch up. Aston sold 6,441 cars in 2018, up 26 per cent on a year earlier, with overall US sales outstripping those in the UK for the first time. The average selling price of its cars was 157,000, down by 2,000 on a year earlier. Bosses are planning to unveil one car a year until 2023 and said its 140,000 SUV, the DBX, is on track to launch later in 2019. It is also developing the Valkyrie, an ultra-high-end electric hybrid intended to be the fastest road-legal car in the world, of which only 150 will be made. The 106-year-old firm is branching out beyond the cars that made it famous into other luxury markets. It has produced speedboats, last year signed a tie-up with Swiss firm TAG Heuer to produce watches and is also behind a luxury Miami apartment block. More exotic projects considered by Aston have included a submarine and pilotless aircraft. These grand ambitions helped drive huge excitement in the run-up to the float, but have so far failed to translate into huge profits. Astons revenues rose by 25 per cent to 1.1billion last year. Its 68.2million loss came after an 84.5million profit in 2017. The firm is also burning through cash as it seeks to grow rapidly, sparking fears it may have to tap up shareholders for more. In 2018 Aston generated 223million from its day-to-day activities but invested 306million in new projects, giving it a shortfall of 83million. Analysts at the broker Quest said if this does not improve then the car maker is likely to need more money, and urged shareholders to sell. The Aston Martin results come amid a turbulent time for the car market, with major cutbacks at Ford, Honda and Jaguar Land Rover. Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show an 18.2 per cent fall in UK production in January compared to a year earlier. A global crackdown on trade by President Trump is damaging worldwide exports, while the European market is struggling because customers have turned away from diesel. SMMT also found that a third of automotive firms had postponed or cancelled investment in the UK because of Brexit. Palmer, whose firm has set aside 30million to cover costs related to Brexit, warned any delay to our departure from the EU will prolong uncertainty and push up costs for manufacturers. He said a late Brexit will force firms to hold onto stockpiled parts for longer, and make it harder to invest. A British company growing cannabis for medicinal use in Jamaica is considering an initial public offering on AIM later this year. Jacana, founded by Alexandra Chong, raised an initial 15million from high-profile angel investors including Passion Capital co-founder Eileen Burbidge, venture capitalist Bill Tai and former Microsoft marketing head Mich Mathews-Spradlin. Each put their own money into the firm and also sit on Jacana's board. Cannabis listing: Jacana, founded by 37-year-old Alexandra Chong, raised an initial 15m from high-profile angel investors A junior market float would make Jacana one of the first companies in the sector to list in Britain. Jacana exported its first medical cannabis flower to Canadian firm Anandia in late 2018. And the company, which has 55 employees and a 100-acre farm in northern Jamaica, plans to sell to patients across North America, Europe and the UK in the coming months. Chong, 37, said: 'Jacana's mission is to provide natural medicine that people can trust.' Audley Shaw, Jamaica's minister of industry, said: 'Our country will play a crucial role in addressing the global demand for medical cannabis.' Most of us, if we have any sense at all, harbor some healthy distrust of the worlds biggest companies. For good reason we fear the concentrated power of giant corporations. What, after all, is one person compared to the overwhelming might of Facebook, Walmart, or Exxon? Yet when it comes to compliance, theres an argument that bigger is better. The idea is this: When big companies have effective compliance programs, theres a lot more compliance in the world, and therefore less corruption. Before reaching that conclusion, though, we have to acknowledge the downside. When corporate giants are crooked, all that power is used to spread dirt across the globe, and that happens too often. Siemens was the archetype for the modern corrupt enterprise. Its growth strategy relied on a willingness to bribe government officials wherever it wanted to do business. And yet, after Siemens narrowly escaped the corporate death sentence in late 2008 and embarked on an epic corporate clean up, it became a world leader in compliance. Look at the numbers. In FY2007, the corrupt Siemens had 173 compliance staff worldwide. By the end of FY2009, the new Siemens had 598 compliance staff. That same year, Siemens fired 244 employees for compliance breaches and disciplined another 473. By 2010, Siemens had a new CEO and an entirely new board. The company had already given in-person compliance training to 1,400 senior managers and 80,000 employees with sensitive functions. That year, more than 140,000 employees completed on-line compliance training. Today Siemens has about 380,000 employees and its a world leader in best-practices compliance. Consider too whats happened at the big pharmas. Last week in the UK, the Serious Fraud Office closed its bribery investigation of GSK without taking any action. That culminated a decade-long campaign of enforcement, during which the worlds biggest drug makers collectively paid billions in penalties for massive compliance failures. Staying with GSK, in 2012 the United States fined the company $3 billion for illegal promotion of drugs and failure to report safety data. In 2014, a court in Changsha, China fined GSK $490 million following a conviction for systemic bribery. In 2016, GSK paid $20 million to resolve FCPA violations alleged by the SEC. Looking at Pfizer, in 2009 U.S. agencies fined it $2.3 billion for misbranding the painkiller Bextra with the intent to defraud or mislead. In 2012, Pfizer paid $60 million to the DOJ and SEC to resolve FCPA offenses. Again in 2009, Eli Lilly paid a $1.42 billion fine for off-label promotion of the antipsychotic Zyprexa. In 2012, Eli Lilly paid $29 million to settle FCPA charges with the SEC. In 2016 Teva Pharmaceutical of Israel landed on the FCPA Blogs top ten list when it paid $519 million to resolve FCPA offenses. And so on . . . . After a decade of enforcement attention, its reasonable to assume the pharmas have learned some important lessons. With their size and reach, they can now be a powerful force in spreading the idea of compliance. The ten biggest drug makers have more than a million employees combined thats a lot of compliance ambassadors. There will always be good reasons to distrust the awesome power of giant companies. In their aim to make money, they too often trample on the rights of individuals. That will never completely stop and we shouldnt let down our guards. Corporations, like the rest of us, need to be held accountable. But we should also recognize that when corporations adopt a deep and sincere culture of compliance, when their leaders truly aim to be good citizens of their communities and beyond, and when those leaders demand the same behavior from every employee and stakeholder, its a huge step in the right direction. In December 2008, when Siemens AG paid $800 million to resolve the first mega-enforcement action under the FCPA, it was surreal to watch a famous corporate giant publicly confess its corrupt past and turn to a compliant future. Since then scores of companies that together employ tens of millions of workers have done the same. Im convinced that all of that confession, remediation, and compliance training has made the world a better and cleaner place. _____ Richard L. Cassin, pictured above, is editor at large of the FCPA Blog. British Airways owner IAG is giving shareholders 600million in dividends after profit and revenues soared. IAG, which also owns Aer Lingus and Spanish airline Vueling, raked in profits of 2.6billion last year, 9.6 per cernt higher than in 2017. Revenues surged 6.7 per cent to 20.9billion. Figures were better than expected but chief executive Willie Walsh warned that profits will be flat this year due to higher fuel costs. Dividend boom: British Airways owner IAG raked in profits of 2.6bn last year, 9.6 per cent higher than a year earlier. Revenues surged 6.7 per cent to 20.9bn The profits boost comes after a massive customer data breach at BA, which could leave IAG with a 500million fine. It has also been a difficult year for the industry generally after a string of collapses and the rescue of regional carrier Flybe, which was effectively bought for 2.8million to save it from administration. But Walsh shrugged off concerns surrounding the sector, adding: Flybe was making up excuses for what has been a poor performance for years. Its not really relevant to the industry at large. Walsh, 57, also dismissed fears that a no-deal Brexit would ground flights. We will continue flying, both the UK and EU have stated that. People dont need to be concerned about that, he said. Earlier this month, IAG placed a limit on non-EU shareholders, but said that UK residents would be treated in the same way as those from the EU even after Brexit. However, Walsh insisted the move had nothing to do with Brexit, even though it led to fears over the treatment of British investors after the United Kingdom leaves the EU. I know the timing of it makes it look Brexit-related, but its related to the influx in US shareholders that we saw going through January and February, Walsh said. Its not an issue. I remain confident that we will have an air transport agreement. Were comfortable that these issues will be addressed. IAG has also ordered 18 Boeing 777-9 planes after shunning Airbus, due to its dissatisfaction with Rolls-Royce, which makes the engines for Airbuss A350 aircraft. A couple who were forced to flee their new home because of a neighbour from hell have launched a landmark legal battle to sue the seller of the 250,000 property. Jason Stevens and Michelle Smith landed their dream home in leafy Surrey in 2017 and moved in, along with their baby son, who turns three on Saturday. But their dreams were soon shattered after they learnt they would be living next door to a 'violent trouble maker'. The first-time buyers claim vendor Christopher Flynn sold them the 250,000 two-bed property in Sutton without informing them how aggressive their new neighbour was. Jason Stevens and Michelle Smith (pictured above) have launched a landmark legal battle to sue the previous owner of the property Christopher Flynn (right) During their first weekend at their new home Jason, 27, who works as a builders merchant and Michelle, 25, who works in a nursery, were subjected to a 'violent outburst' which subsequently caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage to their door, court papers reveal. The couple called the police who advised them that is was unsafe for them to live with their young son next to trouble-maker Peter Passingham. The pair went on to sue Mr Flynn and claim thousands of pounds in compensation in a case which could change the law governing property sales in the UK. They claim that Mr Flynn knew the 'aggressive/violent tendencies of his neighbour', but failed to disclose it in pre-sale documents. They also say that Mr Flynn had previously taken out a restraining order to 'protect himself' from the neighbour, before selling the property to the couple. Epsom Road in Surrey where the couple had purchased the two-bed property in 2017 Despite this, lawyers for Mr Flynn deny he acted dishonestly and say Mr Passingham's behaviour was not his responsibility after he moved out. Central London County Court heard how the couple completed their purchase of the property in Surrey in 2017 and court documents state that police informed the couple that it would be 'unsafe' to live in the property. They claim: 'On the first weekend after completion whilst Ms Smith and Mr Stevens were in the property preparing for redecoration, Mr Stevens, his stepfather and mother were subjected to a violent outburst by Mr Passingham. 'The police attended the scene and the general advice given to the couple, in the light of having an infant son, was not to live in the property until it was safe to do so.' The hearing was held at the Central London County Court at the Thomas Moore building in the Royal Courts of Justice The couple have said they were unable to live in the property on High Trees on Epsom Road and have claimed thousands in compensation for distress and inconvenience, repair of their door, and costs related to accommodation and mortgage payments. What DO you have to tell people about if they are looking to buy your house? When selling a property its important to offer a clear picture to the buyer as to what they are purchasing. Since 2013, the description and sale of property has come under the CPR (Consumer Protection Against Unfair Trading Regulations). The regulation means that if you dont disclose something that could legitimately affect your buyers decision, you could be prosecuted. Things you need to disclose are issues surrounding noise such as whether or not the property is on a flight path as well as if there are plans for this to occur, among other things you also need to say: - If a violent death took place in the property - If there are high levels of crime - Any planning permission applications in the area and whether it has been granted or not - Whether or not your neighbour has an ASBO - Any structural issues with the property While you don't need to tell your buyer if you don't particularly get on with your neighbours you do need to disclose if they have loud parties every weekend or if the police have been called to break up fights. Advertisement Mr Flynn had declared on pre-sale paperwork that he had 'not complained or had cause to complain' about any neighbour, the couple's lawyers claim. They claimed that he represented to the buyers that there were no disputes or neighbour disputes to be concerned about. They said: 'In actual fact, there were disputes involving Mr Flynn's direct neighbour, Mr Passingham. 'Mr Passingham was a violent, aggressive neighbour, who had subjected Mr Flynn and the neighbourhood to incidents of antisocial behaviour and/or violence or aggression. 'Mr Flynn, to protect himself from his neighbour, had applied for and obtained a restraining order in or around March 2017.' The lawyers said that Mr Flynn went to lengths to falsely complete the property forms denying existing of any issues with Mr Passingham. They added that the couple are not trying to undo the sale contract, because Mr Passingham has since been evicted. Mr Passingham was not part of the court claim and therefore has not had a chance to respond to the allegations against him. Mr Flynn's lawyers said: 'It is admitted that there was a dispute between Mr Flynn and his former neighbour, but that this was a dispute which had ended one year and a half prior to marketing the property. 'It is not accepted that Mr Flynn misrepresented the sale.' The case was in court for a planned trial but adjourned after a short hearing. Laura Ashley Holdings plc engages in retailing furniture, home accessories, decorating, and fashion products in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and France. It offers furniture for bedroom, living room, and kitchen and dining; sofas and armchairs; chandeliers, pendants, wall lights, table lamps, floor lamps, decorative lighting and accessories, and string lights, as well as lamp shades and bases; furniture, kitchen and bathroom, matt emulsion, and water based paints; and curtain, lining, PVC, and upholstery fabrics. The company also provides home accessories comprising bathroom products, bedding products, cushions and throws, gifts, dining products, lighting products, mirrors, rugs and doormats, and garden accessories and furniture, as well as accessories for children's. In addition, it offers blinds, curtains, curtain poles, and accessories; and fashion products, such as women's wear, men's swear, girl's wear, accessories, and other collections. Further, the company provides interior design services; licenses products; and owns Laura Ashley The Manor Hotel located in Elstree, Hertfordshire. As of December 17, 2018, it operated 120 stores in the United Kingdom. It also operates 213 franchised stores in 29 territories worldwide. The company was incorporated in 1971 and is based in London, the United Kingdom. Read More KB Financial Group, Inc. engages in providing financial services through its subsidiaries. It operates through the following segments: Corporate Banking, Retail Banking, Other Banking Services, Credit Card, Life Insurance, Investment and Securities business. The Corporate Banking business segment provides services such as loans, overdrafts, deposits, credit facilities and other foreign currency activities. The Retail Banking business segment offers services such as private customer current accounts, savings, deposits, consumer loans and mortgage loans. The Other Banking business segment provides services relating to banking business besides corporate banking and retail banking services. The Credit Card business segment offers services such as domestic as well as overseas credit and debit card operations. The Investment and Securities business segment provides services such as investment banking and brokerage. The Life Insurance business segment provides products such as life insurance and wealth management. The company was founded on September 29, 2008 and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. Read More BNP Paribas SA provides a range of banking and financial services in France and internationally. It operates through two divisions, Retail Banking and Services, and Corporate and Institutional Banking. The company offers long-term corporate vehicle leasing, and rental and other financing solutions; and digital banking and investment services, cash management, and factoring services to corporate clients, as well as wealth management services. It also provides credit solutions for individuals under the Cetelem, Cofinoga, Findomestic, AlphaCredit, and Opel Vauxhall brands; savings and protection solutions, including insuring individuals, and their personal projects and assets; and asset management, private banking, and real estate services. In addition, the company offers global market services, including investment, hedging, financing, research, and market intellingence across asset classes; security services comprising clearing, custody, and asset and fund services, as well as corporate trust, and market and financing services; and corporate trade and treasury, debt financing, specialized financing, strategic advisory, mergers and acquisition, and equity capital market services for institutional and corporate clients. The company was formerly known as Banque Nationale de Paris and changed its name to BNP Paribas SA in May 2000. BNP Paribas SA was founded in 1848 and is headquartered in Paris, France. Read More Unit Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, acquisition, development, and production of oil and natural gas properties in the United States. It operates through three segments: Oil and Natural Gas, Contract Drilling, and Mid-Stream. The Oil and Natural Gas segment explores for, acquires, develops, and produces oil and natural gas properties. Its producing oil and natural gas properties, unproved properties, and related assets are primarily located in Oklahoma and Texas, as well as in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. The Contract Drilling segment is involved in the contract drilling of onshore oil and natural gas wells for a range of other oil and natural gas companies primarily in Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming, North Dakota, Colorado, and Utah. It has 55 drilling rigs in its fleet. The Mid-Stream segment buys, sells, gathers, processes, and treats natural gas for third parties. This segment operates 3 natural gas treatment plants, 14 processing plants, 22 gathering systems, and approximately 1,475 miles of pipeline in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Unit Corporation was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Read More ClassDojo, a San Francisco, CA-based consumer education brand behind the communication app for pre K-8 schools, raised $35m in Series C funding. The round, which brought the total raised by ClassDojo to date to $65m, was co-led by GSV and SignalFire with participation from prior investors including General Catalyst and Uncork Capital. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate international expansion and investment in more education experiences. Founded in 2011 by Sam Chaudhary, CEO, and Liam Don, CTO, ClassDojo is a school communication platform that teachers, students, and families use to build relationships and supportive communities: by sharing whats being learned in the classroom back home through student portfolios, photos, videos, and messages, and And, two, by helping students build social-emotional skills through in-classroom feedback and engaging activities. The funding follows the recent roll out of a new product for families: Beyond School. Available in the existing ClassDojo app, Beyond School is an optional subscription that gives families access to learning experiences for their children at home, beyond whats happening in the classroom. Revenue from Beyond School will be used to keep improving ClassDojo, which will remain free for all teachers, children, and families everywhere. ClassDojo has reached over 95% of U.S. pre K-8 schools and serves hundreds of thousands of schools in a further 180 countries. FinSMEs 28/02/2019 Maze Therapeutics, a San Francisco, CA-based company focused on translating genetic insights into new medicines, raised $191m in funding. The round was led by Third Rock Ventures and ARCH Venture Partners, with participation from GV, Foresite Capital, Casdin Capital, Alexandria Venture Investments and other undisclosed investors. Led by Charles Homcy, M.D., founder and interim chief executive officer of Maze and a partner at Third Rock Ventures, the companys scientific founders are: Mark Daly, Ph.D., a pioneer in the field of human genetics. Dr. Daly is a co-director of the Program in Medical and Population Genetics at the Broad Institute, founding chief of the Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, and director of the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland. Stephen Elledge, Ph.D., a leader in the field of genetics. Dr. Elledge is the Gregor Mendel Professor of Genetics and Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Womens Hospital; an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; and is a recipient of the Lasker Award, Gairdner International Award and The Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. Aaron Gitler, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and genetics expert whose work has focused on understanding the cellular consequences of protein misfolding to suggest potential strategies for therapeutic intervention. Dr. Gitler is a professor of genetics at Stanford University. Sekar Kathiresan, M.D., a renowned physician-scientist and human geneticist who is focused on the genetics of complex diseases. Dr. Kathiresan is director of the Center for Genomic Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital; director of the Cardiovascular Disease Initiative at the Broad Institute; and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Jonathan Weissman, Ph.D., widely recognized for building innovative tools to interrogate the organizational principals of biological systems. He is a professor and vice chair of the Department of Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology at the University of California, San Francisco and investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The Maze leadership team is also comprised of: Tim Behrens, M.D., senior vice president, human genetics; Matthew Brauer, Ph.D., vice president, data science; Jason Coloma, Ph.D., chief operating officer; Jeffrey Finer, M.D., Ph.D., chief technology officer; Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D., vice president, R&D David Morgans, Ph.D., senior vice president, drug discovery; and Tara Nickerson, Ph.D., chief business officer. FinSMEs 28/02/2019 BRIDGEPORT Borough police officers John M. Pizza, Shannon Sell and Paul McLaughlin received commendations at Wednesdays council meeting for their efforts in helping to save the life of a resident on Feb. 8. According to the commendations, read by Bridgeport Police Chief Todd Bereda, the three officers sprang into action after receiving a 911 call for a 31-year-old male in distress and having a seizure at the Belmont Village Apartments on Ross Road at 7:22 a.m. The call was later changed to an alert for respiratory arrest. When police arrived, the man was pulseless, breathless and purple in color. Officer Sell and Officer Pizza took over resuscitation efforts from a loved one while Officer McLaughlin cleared the scene to allow access to paramedics. Pizza continued CPR and rescue breathing until medics from Lafayette Ambulance arrived and revived the man with a defibrillator. The man is now doing well and expected to make a full recovery. His girlfriend contacted the police department to thank them for their timely response. Your quick thinking helped save a life, and is in the best of traditions of the Bridgeport Police Department and the Law Enforcement Profession, Bereda said. Later in the meeting, Bereda requested and was granted, authorization for the purchase of a new patrol vehicle. The more monotone, lower profile vehicle -sans light bar will provide officers with greater stealth and more utility for investigations and traffic control, Bereda said. It is also expected to come in under budget In other business, council authorized a grant application to the Montco2040 Grant Implementation Program for an LED community engagement board outside of Borough Hall. The new electronic sign is estimated to cost a little more than $18, 000 with the county program picking up 80 percent and the borough providing the 20 percent balance through matching funds. A pair of resolutions updating the licensing agreement with Growing Bridgeport Together, the local organization behind the boroughs successful bimonthly spring and summer Twilight on the River events, were also approved by Council. The updated agreement incorporates an auto-renewal component so the group doesnt have to reapply for a license each year. Council also passed a resolution to establish a meeting schedule for the Sustainability Committee, an environmental advisory panel looking into greener and renewable energy sources. In the finance portion of the meeting, council authorized Borough Manager Keith Truman to initiate the bidding process for the acquisition of a new security system to replace the antiquated one now in place at Bridgeport Memorial Park. The borough has already secured $15,000 for the project through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Developments Keystone Communities Program to put toward the estimated $36,000 cost of system hardware. Additionally, Council authorized Truman to initiate a similar process to garner bids for the replacement of two failing air conditioning units atop Borough Hall. The lowest quote the borough received thus far has been $25,000. Truman also updated Council on the collection status of delinquent trash and sewer bills. He reported that more than $96,000 of the boroughs total of $696,000 in trash and sewer arrears for 2018 had been received since collection letters were sent out on Nov. 27 of last year. According to Bridgeport Solicitor Sal Bello, the problem of delinquent payments is entrenched, a result of a lot of bad debt carried by habitual offenders. He characterized the collection process as an arm wrestle and cautioned Council and community members not to view the outstanding debt as a potential windfall, but allowed that the boroughs default rate is as low if not lower than in most. The New York Farm Bureau on Wednesday laid out its national-level policy goals to address several hot-button topics surrounding agriculture in New York. Chief among the Farm Bureau's policy priorities is the expansion of the H-2A visa program, which permits foreign workers to perform seasonal work at places like vegetable, fruit and nursery farms. But because some New York farms primarily dairy require year-round workers, the Farm Bureau is pushing for a more comprehensive guest worker program that will expand the system for farms that need help year-round. Currently, workers have to return to their country of origin for at least three months before seeking readmission to the United States. New York is among the top 10 states with the highest utilization of H-2A guest workers a number that increased 11 percent in fiscal year 2018 from the previous year, according to the New York Farm Bureau. "New York Farm Bureau agrees that having a secure border is important, but the rest of the issue cannot be ignored," said New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher during a conference call with reporters. "There must be a system in place for people who want to work on our farms, who want to stay on our farms to produce the food that feeds our country." Lauren Williams, New York Farm Bureau's senior associate director of national affairs, did, however, acknowledge that opposition to immigration reform exists on both sides of the political spectrum. "The biggest issue when we talk about making changes to immigration for the current workforce is giving them type of status," Williams said. "Some of the (argument against) is 'are we giving people immunity or providing them the ability to work here when they maybe didn't come across legally?' That's the biggest barrier." Immigrants rights advocates also argue that an H-2A expansion would mean foreign workers would be tied to a job with one employer, and would face having their visa revoked should they experience mistreatment and seek work with a different employer. But the expansion of H-2A to include year-round workers could provide flexibility for not just dairy farmers, but also for farmers growing crops like apples. "If you are an apple grower, and you're trying hire an H2A worker to harvest harvest is a moving target. Fruit can come ripe at different times," said Jennifer Ifft, an associate professor of agribusiness and farm management at Cornell. "So, if those (workers) could work on different farms and have some flexibility, that would help." In addition to reforming the H-2A program, the Farm Bureau also identified infrastructure, trade and regulatory reform as its top policy goals. The Bureau is advocating for the federal government to make investments to repair transportation infrastructure like roads, bridges and waterways, but also in improving rural access to broadband internet something 17 percent of rural New Yorkers don't have access to, according to the Farm Bureau. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Farmers use that internet access for things like mapping of field boundaries and irrigation systems, as well as for precision planting and harvesting and the application of fertilizers and pesticides. The Bureau also expressed support for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement that was reached by leaders from the three countries in November. The deal, which is expected to replace NAFTA, is still in the process of being ratified by Congress, but polling shows American voters largely support its passage. "The impact of losing the deal and abandoning NAFTA altogether would be devastating, as New York would see a 15 percent overall drop in exports," Williams said. "When you consider that the farm economy is already suffering, an additional drop in farm income would only exacerbate the pressure our farmers are under right now." Fisher also detailed the Farm Bureau's support for regulatory reform on topics like the Food Safety and Modernization Act and Worker Protection Standards. Also in focus for the Farm Bureau is the implementation of the Farm Bill, which President Donald Trump signed late last year. While the bill's implementation will includes legalizing industrial hemp and helping smaller dairy farms through a reformed safety net, Ifft described it as a "status quo" bill. "It is a continuation," Ifft said of the bill. "Farm programs having constant change is hard for operations. It was predictable. That's something that is good." Schenectady This "will be a year of change" for GE Power, General Electric Co. Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp Jr. wrote in his first letter to the company's shareholders. He said GE has "eliminated some headquarters layers" in its Power unit, which is based in Schenectady. But he added that "we also need to run Power better, improving how we manage our inventory and material management, product development and delivery, and billings and collections." Culp's letter was included with GE's annual report, which outlined progress so far in reducing its debt load and spinning off some of its units to raise cash. GE will focus on its Power, Renewable Energy, Aviation and Healthcare businesses. Culp said renewables will play a growing role, "with roughly two-thirds of global capacity additions through 2040 projected to be in renewables." Employment companywide fell by 30,000, to 183,000, last year, according to the annual report. The decline includes employees whose businesses were sold to other companies and who now work for those new owners. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. GE Power shed 12,000 jobs worldwide, although only a few hundred were in Schenectady. The company also took a a $22 billion goodwill impairment charge in the third quarter, much of it from its failed 2015 acquisition of French energy giant Alstom. Shares on Wednesday gained 22 cents, or 2.1 percent, to close at $10.88, but were down a penny in after-hours trading. Los Angeles The final episodes of "Gotham" airing this year will leave a legacy built on the villains rather than the caped crime fighters. The decision to set the show before Bruce Wayne slipped on the cape and cowl opened up the door for some of Batman's most famous villains The Penguin, The Riddler, The Joker and Catwoman to take the spotlight. None of the costumed and crazed criminals have taken advantage of that more than The Penguin, played by Robin Lord Taylor. His "Gotham" arc has taken him from politics to the criminal underworld. Taylor had bounced around in small TV roles until being cast to play Oswald Cobblepot, known better as The Penguin. Getting to play a character who has been around in DC Comics for 80 years has been a mind-blowing experience for Taylor. "I just wanted health insurance. I never expected that the writers would be so willing to work with us and to allow us to grow into these characters and bring parts of our own life experiences to these characters that they maybe not necessarily had seen before," Taylor said. "They teach you in film school or in camera classes to be as small as possible. The camera in this show was absolutely not that. It was bigger." The Penguin was part of the story from the start, but getting to where Cameron Monaghan's character could officially be called The Joker took several years and multiple death scenes. It started with the dual roles of Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska, but in recent weeks, he took the toxic chemical dive to become The Joker. Monaghan was rarely given a warning when a death scene for his character was going to be in a script. "When my character died in Season 2, they talked to me about bringing me back while we were shooting it," Monaghan said. "I would get scripts where my head would be cut off and think 'I guess that's it.' A couple of my deaths didn't even make it into the show. "I think that is something that's pretty close to the comics with The Joker. It's kind of a running theme so I think it works with this character as well." As for the long time it took to get around to calling his character The Joker, Monaghan looks at it as fitting with the structure of "Gotham." It has been a show about what it was in the past that made Batman and all his foes who they become. At the same time he was getting to play in the DC world, Monaghan was working on the Showtime series "Shameless" and has appeared in numerous TV and film projects since he was 9. The big riddle for Cory Michael Smith was what kind of job he was auditioning for before being cast as Edward Nygma/The Riddler because the actors didn't get to see a script before signing multiyear contracts. The answer to his riddle was the job proved to be a great acting opportunity. "The great relief and joy for me personally in this project was the experience of having five years to build a character on such a grand, operatic scale. And every time that you felt like you were sort of peaking, another wave of devastation would come and we were able to sort of adapt and grow as a person," Smith says. "It was kind of a thrill to recognize the horror that was going to befall you or the tragedy and respond in kind and sort of really digest what that experience is and commit to letting the character change organically and then that's the new person. "Until you hit another pitfall that is your path. And it just felt like we were constantly reinventing and kind of rebuilding ourselves, so I felt like I got to play like five different characters almost. It was really cool." AllMusic says Canadian alt-rockers The Arkells are "known for their passionate, politically charged rock and energetic live shows." They may be from north of the border, but on their latest album, 2018's "Rally Cry," they focus their wrath on a certain resident of Washington, D.C., singing "I can see through all this fake s---/This highest office's sitting vacant" on the bouncy, piano-driven "People's Champ," with its dismissive chorus of "I'm looking for the people's champ/And it ain't you." As noted by AllMusic, tackling topical issues is nothing new for the band: The 2017 song "Knocking at the Door" is a paean to activism ("When the power's with people/I don't get pessimistic") and, with 2011's "Whistleblower," they may have become the only rock band to write a song in praise of those who reveal hidden truths. The band's founding lineup comprised five guys who met at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, a bit more than a decade ago. They take their name from a street near the university where they lived and worked on music. Since then, they have become beloved in their homeland, racking up multiple Juno Awards (Canada's Grammy equivalent), scoring many chart hits in Canada and growing their live audiences to arena size in recent years. Joe Stalvey Kaweeda Adams is in her element. The superintendent of the Albany City School District is on the floor with third-graders, who have been divided into teams during a math lesson. It's a quick visit for the benefit of a photographer, but Adams relishes it and leaves the lesson reluctantly. In another third-grade room, she jumps into an English lesson; in a kindergarten room she reads a book to the children. In all three rooms, she hugs students. In the hallways of Arbor Hill Elementary School, Adams greets staff with hugs and logs notes in her phone about concerns they want to share with her. She is warm, but not effusive more interested in listening than being heard. "I make sure I spend time with kids at least three days out of five," she said later. "I don't want to lose my connection with them." Adams oversees 1,700 employees and approximately 9,000 students in her role. She is in her second year in Albany after 28 years in various jobs in the Clark County School district in Nevada, which includes Las Vegas, and has 327,000 students. Adams started her career as an English teacher and served as a principal, a human resources director, an academic manager and an assistant superintendent before coming to Albany. "I am always an educator, it's just the classroom that changes," Adams said. Anne Savage, president of the Albany Board of Education, said she was struck by Adams' "deep belief every child can and will learn." "She has the ability to see how to make improvements systemically, throughout the whole district, rather than pockets of excellence. If you have a rock star teacher somewhere, that's lovely, but it's not enough," Savage said. Adams grew up in Shreveport, La., and graduated from the University of New Orleans, where she met her husband, Eric. They married and started their lives together in New Orleans, but at the time the city was in an economic downturn, Adams said. "We picked a place on the map and moved to Las Vegas. It was one of the fastest growing cities with many career opportunities," she said. Adams, the younger of her parents' two daughters, grew up in a family that valued education. Her parents graduated from Southern University at Baton Rouge, a historically black college, and both were educators for more than 30 years. Three of Adams' four grandparents also graduated from historically black colleges (Bishop College, Prairie View A&M University, and Grambling State University) during the 1920s and '30s when many African-Americans were not able to attend institutions of higher learning. "They were all educators. My two grandmothers were classroom teachers, and my father's dad was a principal for 30 years. My mother's father was a minister, so a different type of educator in his own right," Adams said. Still, teaching wasn't her first career choice. She went to college planning to become a lawyer. She decided to become a teacher after she worked as a tutor during college and experienced a connection with children. Decades later, Adams says her desire to help children reach their full potential is still what drives her every day. "We must not forget the reason we are here. Every decision we make has to end with the name and the face of a child." Adams' passion for her work gets her out of bed at 4:30 a.m. More Information COMING UP Kaweeda Adams will be our March 13 breakfast speaker in an event titled "Women Who Lead." Find a registration link for her event at tuwomenatwork.com. The 2019 breakfasts are presented by Bank of America. See More Collapse "I get up excited for the day, and I go full throttle all day," she said. She stays up late, too, because she doesn't want to miss anything. She likes to have a schedule even on vacation a trait, Adams said, that makes her husband roll his eyes. She warned her staff not to be surprised by middle-of-the-night emails; she doesn't expect responses at that hour. "When I was in college, my parents' advice was, 'Find work you love and never have to work a day in your life,'" Adams said. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Adams didn't choose Albany at random. It was time to take her career to the next level, Adams said. Her two children were grown and out of the house, leaving Adams and her husband the freedom to move. She was drawn to Albany by its demographics and its challenges. When Adams was hired in 2017, she was the fourth superintendent in eight years to have the job. At the time, only 15 percent of students scored proficient on the state math tests compared to 19 percent on the reading tests and the graduation rate was 58 percent. These factors led to district schools being placed on the state's receivership list. Schools in receivership are given time to improve, usually a year or two years. The Philip J. Schuyler Achievement Academy and Hackett Middle School have been in receivership in recent years. Albany High came off the list in January, while two elementary schools Sheridan Preparatory Academy and Giffen Memorial Elementary remain on it. Adams credits staff for work already done before she arrived for the success at Albany High, where the graduation rate jumped from 50 to 65 percent between 2010 and 2017. Continuing to improve schools means empowering families and building relationships with the city and groups outside of the school system, Adams said. "I am an optimist and I am a root cause analyst," she said. Mari Shopsis, executive director of the Albany Fund for Education, said Adams is a supporter of the nonprofit, which raises money to support students and teachers in the schools outside of what the school budget can cover. "We are very pleased with the leadership she has provided in the district, especially her efforts to strengthen educational equity in the Albany City Schools and to provide opportunities for students to shine through both academic and extracurricular pursuits," Shopsis said. Students come to school with various challenges and obstacles, and the school community everyone, from teachers to custodians to central office staff has a responsibility to the students, Adams said. There is more than one way to succeed, she said. Adams believes in collaboration to meet the end goal: children who graduate from high school with college or career readiness. Adams calls Albany's diversity a strength. According to the most recent state data, 48 percent of the students in Albany's 18 schools identify as black or African-American; 20 percent as white; 17 percent Hispanic or Latino; and 9 percent as Asian, Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. Adams is proud to be an African-American woman at the helm and said it matters for students to see an African-American woman who is comfortable with who she is. Although there are many women in teaching, the numbers shrink in administration. According to a 2016 study by the American Association of School Administrators, only 5.4 percent of school superintendents are black or African-American women. "I want all children to see the possibilities are endless for them," Adams said. "I want young ladies to see that we as women can make a difference in whatever we choose to do, that we can inspire, motivate and lift up those around us." Cohoes This column was updated to reflect the arrest of Cohoes Mayor Shawn Morse on federal criminal charges. The question now, following the Thursday morning arrest of Mayor Shawn Morse, is this: Can he still win reelection? I think he can, although the task just became significantly more difficult. Before we go further, though, let's pause to applaud the candidates who are challenging Morse in the Cohoes mayor's race primary. Politics is a tough business. Running for office under the best of circumstances isn't easy and nobody would call what's been happening in Cohoes the best of circumstances. It is, without a doubt, a difficult time for the city. I won't recount all the domestic-abuse allegations and other controversies that have embroiled Morse since he was elected in 2015. His arrest this morning involves his alleged misuse of campaign funds. Suffice to say that Morse's troubles have polarized the city and are the reason the mayor now faces three Democratic challengers in what is easily the region's most interesting election. "I want to restore honor and dignity to City Hall," said Bill Keeler, who listed "the drama surrounding the mayor, all the allegations and the black eye Cohoes has" as reasons he is running. Keeler, a retired State Police major who began his career as a Cohoes officer, is the most unusual candidate in the race, if only because he has never run for office. Believe it or not, he's the eighth generation of his family to live in the city. In that regard, he has Steve Napier beat, but just barely. The Common Council member, also a mayoral candidate, is sixth-generation Cohoes. His platform centers on the city's desperate need for ethics reform another reaction, in part, to Morse's troubled tenure. Candidate No. 4 is Peter Frangie, a former Cohoes treasurer who believes the cloud hovering over Morse will ultimately hurt the city by discouraging investment and help from state government. I spoke to all three challengers this week. All are articulate and impressive. They have good ideas. Cohoes is fortunate to have the rare mayor's race that offers voters a real choice. Still, despite the strengths of the challengers, the election is really a referendum on Morse. From the mayor's point of view, his opponents are like sharks who think they smell blood. "If it wasn't for the perception that I'm a wounded duck, they wouldn't be running," Morse told me Wednesday. "None of those people could ever remotely do what I've done." My conversation with Morse happened prior to his arrest, obviously. If he wasn't a wounded duck then, he certainly is now. Morse gave no indication that he thought the arrest was coming, or that he had anything at all to worry about. I've talked with the mayor a lot since he was elected and some of those questions were certainly memorable but never have I heard him more relaxed and seemingly at peace than he sounded Wednesday. Yes, Morse was still Morse, pugnacious and bellicose as ever. After refusing calls for his resignation from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others, he seems to be relishing the challenge of the upcoming race. He quickly rattled off what he sees as his accomplishments, including a wave of economic development and three years without a tax increase. But even if voters agree, can they overlook the other stuff? Is the percentage of Cohoes that's mortified by Morse big enough to deny him re-election? Given that the charges against him are unlikely to be resolved by the June primary, could he still win? More Information Contact columnist Chris Churchill at 518-454-5442 or email cchurchill@timesunion.com See More Collapse Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. In Cohoes, a grim joke has it that Morse's base is so loyal he could shoot somebody on Remsen Street and still get 35 percent of the vote. A more serious question: Can he be arrested on federal charges and still get 35 percent? The anybody-but-Morse crowd is certainly worried that having three challengers divides the opposition and provides the mayor with an easy path to re-election. If Morse does win the June 25 Democratic primary, usually the only election that matters in Cohoes, he could still face a Republican or independent with a chance. But don't be shocked if Morse remains mayor next year, despite all the controversy and despite his arrest. In fact, there's ample evidence that the personal failings of politicians, when exposed, only deepens their emotional bonds with voters who see them as authentically human and persecuted by the media. Prominent mayoral examples include Rob Ford in Toronto and Marion Barry in Washington, D.C., who both faced domestic-violence allegations, amid other legal troubles, and won anyway. The best case against Morse is probably this: Cohoes is only beginning to recover from decades of struggle and remains economically fragile. The city can't thrive without outside help and money, and Morse sitting in City Hall discourages skittish developers and business owners. After Thursday's arrest, that's never been more true. Morse is toxic. Here's what he said about that Wednesday: "Cities don't have black clouds," Morse said. "There was a black cloud over my head, and I fought through that storm and continued to build my city." It's going to be an interesting race to watch. I'd advise the challengers to avoid talking too much about Morse's troubles, which voters already know too well, and to focus their campaigns on positive visions for the city. All the candidates, Morse included, love Cohoes. I don't have any doubt about that. If you do, consider that the three challengers spent recent days in the bitter cold, going door to door for the signatures they need to get on the ballot. If that's not love, what is? cchurchill@timesunion.com 518-454-5442 @chris_churchill Hanoi, Vietnam After exchanging praise over dinner, President Donald Trump was expected to open a day of formal talks with Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, on Thursday with a one-on-one session aimed at once again trying to put the North on a schedule for dismantling its nuclear weapons program. A ceremony to sign a "joint agreement" between the two leaders was scheduled to take place in the afternoon, raising expectations for a diplomatic breakthrough that could include steps to declare a permanent peace on the divided Korean Peninsula and build a new relationship with a country that has been a bitter adversary of the U.S. for nearly 70 years. Trump was shaking hands with Kim against a backdrop of North Korean and American flags before dinner, and listening to the young dictator praise his leadership. "I truly believe that this successful and great meeting that we are having today is thanks to the courageous decision, political decision, that your team, Mr. President, reached," Kim said. "I think your country has tremendous economic potential," Trump said. "I think you will have a tremendous future with your country a great leader. And I look forward to watching it happen and helping it to happen." The two leaders met Wednesday at the Metropole hotel in downtown Hanoi, the capital of a country that is undergoing rapid economic growth. American officials hope firsthand evidence of that economic transformation will help persuade Kim to end his nuclear program and establish robust trade ties with the United States, South Korea and other nations. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. U.S. negotiators arrived in Hanoi several days before Trump to meet with North Korean counterparts and lay the groundwork for Thursday's talks. The United States hopes to get Kim to agree to meaningful steps toward denuclearization, in contrast to the results of the meeting between the two leaders last June in Singapore. In the morning, Trump went to Hanoi's presidential palace to meet with President Nguyen Phu Trong of Vietnam. Trump and Trong later signed commercial business deals, including the sale of 100 Boeing 737 Max jets to VietJet Air, a private Vietnamese airline, for nearly $13 billion at list prices. ALBANY - A proposed cut in Medicaid reimbursement rates has ambulance providers in New York warning that the entire industry could be in jeopardy. The ominous prediction stems from the fact that answering an emergency call for a Medicaid patient in New York is already a money-losing proposition because of the state's reimbursement rate, according to the United New York Ambulance Network. While the losses are generally offset by patients with private insurance, the industry maintains that the rate reduction proposed by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's budget would make it impossible for providers to remain open. "To cut further, we can't sustain that," said Mohawk Ambulance Service President James P. McPartlon. Mohawk Ambulance, which operates throughout the Capital Region, already gets its lowest payment for serving Medicaid patients, and the proposed cut would lower the rate by about 22 percent. As mandated responders, McPartlon said they can't pick and choose who they pick up, which means they can't ignore emergency calls that have the potential to put them out of business. The situation is particularly problematic for rural counties, which generally have a disproportionately high Medicaid population and patients require longer transportation, according to McPartlon. "Their costs are higher and they get reimbursed less," he said of operators in rural areas. He said the situation attributed to the recent closure of the Ambulance Services of Fulton County. It's not clear how bad the change would be for Mohawk Ambulance, as McPartlon said they're currently "assessing the impact." He said there isn't additional revenue that could offset the cut, but they could potentially be forced to turn down non-emergency calls for Medicaid patients to save money. That outcome would affect the ability of hospitals and nursing homes to turn over space in their facilities and create a backlog of patients. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. United New York Ambulance Network Chairman David Butler added that the problem is exacerbated by the state's aging population, which only increases the demand for ambulance services. "In situations where Medicare pays an appropriate amount, Medicaid need not pay more than it ordinarily would," said state Budget Division spokesman Morris Peters. "These changes, being taken for consistency, are not anticipated to have any adverse impacts on availably of transport services." A final budget agreement is due on March 31. David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87 . . . 4.00 , , (... BALLSTON SPA The village has taken out another loan to ensure it meets its financial obligations through its fiscal year. But Treasurer John Duffy said the village might not need to use all of the $500,000 revenue anticipation note from Adirondack Trust because the village's finances have improved. "We may need some of it for cash flow," said Duffy, who came out of retirement to join the staff at village hall. "I don't think we will need it all. It's more or less to be ultra conservative. There is no danger that it won't be paid back ... The village is in better shape than it was last year." Last year, the village needed $600,000 in loans and raised taxes 17.5 percent, helping to ward off a 2017-2018 budget shortfall. The loan and tax increase was followed by a critical audit from the state comptroller's office. The state slammed the village's then-budget officer, Christopher Hickey, whom the comptroller said "could not be relied on to make financial decisions." It also criticized Republican Mayor John Romano and village Trustees Robert Cavanaugh and Stuart Hodsoll for knowing of Hickey's shortcomings and doing nothing about it. The budget officer and his deputy resigned and none of the elected officials blamed in the audit are seeking re-election. Duffy said the village is in much better shape than it was last year because of the revenue expectations. Water, sewer, sales and mortgage tax brought in more money than what was budgeted. Romano said it will end its fiscal year with a balance of $250,000. "I am happy to be able to put the truth out there," Romano said in a prepared statement. "The village is doing the right things to resolve its accounting issues, and while doing so, to advise that our financial position is on the upswing." The loan was coupled with the hiring of an accounting firm, EFPR Group. The firm will close out four years of the village's books, from 2015 to 2018, a task that was not completed by the last budget official. The firm will also file the required statements to the state comptroller's office. "We don't know why it was never done," Duffy said. Duffy, a former business official with the Ballston Spa Central School District, who is earning $75,000 a year with the village, said he will concentrate on the current 2018-2019 fiscal year and preparing the 2019-2020 budget. Duffy, who would not commit to the length of his stay with the village, said he came on staff because of his working relationship with Larry Woolbright, who chaired the five-member citizen budget advisory committee. Woolbright, the former chair of the school district's board of education and its finance committee, said he asked Duffy to consider the job because the village was having difficulty finding a replacement for Hickey, who left in the wake of the critical October audit. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "I asked him as a personal favor," said Woolbright who is also running on the Republican line as mayor. "I'm very pleased he agreed." Trustee Noah Shaw, who has been critical of village spending, said he too is happy that Duffy joined the village staff. "I think he is going to do a great job," Shaw said. Shaw is also relieved an auditing firm has been hired. That was the first recommendation made by the citizen budget advisory committee's last fall, but the hiring was delayed for reasons that Shaw said didn't always make sense. He is now hopeful that the village will not continue to borrow. "I hope that in the coming year's budget we can properly anticipate this timing shortfall, and avoid the need for such a bridge loan in the future," Shaw said. 3 1 of 3 Bethlehem Police Department Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Bethlehem Police Department Show More Show Less 3 of 3 BETHLEHEM - Town police are asking for help identifying a man and a woman who are allegedly using stolen credit cards in the town and the Clifton Park area. Anyone who can identify the two people in the photo are asked to contact Bethlehem police at 518-439-9973. Washington President Donald Trump's longtime lawyer and fixer accused him on Wednesday of an expansive pattern of lies and criminality, offering a damning portrayal of life inside the president's orbit where he said advisers sacrificed integrity for proximity to power. Michael D. Cohen, who represented Trump for a decade, told Congress that the president lied to the American public about business interests in Russia during the 2016 campaign and lied to reporters about stolen Democratic emails. Trump also told Cohen to lie about illegal hush payments to cover up alleged sexual indiscretions, the lawyer charged. The accusations, aired at a daylong hearing before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, exposed a dark underside of Trump's business and political worlds in the voice of one of the ultimate insiders. "He is a racist. He is a con man. And he is a cheat," Cohen said of the president. Cohen, who has pleaded guilty to lying under oath to Congress, among other crimes, said he did so to protect Trump. "I am not protecting Mr. Trump anymore," he said. While the details have been different, his portrait of the president broadly resembles those provided by others who have split with Trump, who have described a president who bullies, dissembles and cheats to serve his own interests. But it remained unclear whether his testimony would change the political dynamics of a series of scandals that have already polarized Washington and the country. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, D-Md. and the committee chairman, said afterward that Trump may have committed a crime while in office, but Republicans were unmoved. Assailing Cohen as a proven liar, they denounced the hearing as a "charade" and an "embarrassment for our country." Democrats said Republicans "ran away from the truth" as they sought to defend a corrupt president who has employed "textbook mob tactics." As with so many other moments of the Trump era, the hearing seemed to be as much about partisan theater as fact-finding, with the two sides fixed in their views and unbending in their approach. Democrats and Republicans set forth their own conflicting narratives about the man who once served Trump, either as a dissembling disgruntled former employee trying to reduce his sentence or a fallen sinner who has realized his mistakes and is now trying to redeem himself by coming clean. Through it all sat Cohen, 52, with dark circles under his eyes as he awaits a three-year prison term that begins this spring. Apologizing repeatedly to his family, Cohen portrayed himself as a broken man brought down by hubris, at one point choking up and wiping tears from his eyes at the mention of the impact on his daughter. Through some five hours of testimony, Cohen described his years working for Trump as a trip into a world of deceit in which the now-disbarred lawyer ignored his own conscience to get close to a magnetic person of power. The hearing came while the president was halfway around the world in Vietnam for a meeting with North Korea's leader. His family and advisers expressed anger at the timing of the hearing, arguing that Democrats were undercutting Trump during sensitive nuclear diplomacy for political gain. The president's re-election campaign organization dismissed Cohen as a convicted perjurer who should not be believed. "This is the same Michael Cohen who has admitted that he lied to Congress previously," Kayleigh McEnany, the campaign's national press secretary, said. "Why did they even bother to swear him in this time?" Republicans on the committee aggressively challenged Cohen along the same lines. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the ranking Republican, called Cohen a "fraudster, cheat, felon and, in two months, a federal inmate." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. The hearing drew enormous interest on Capitol Hill, where Democrats just last month took control of the House and are under enormous pressure from their liberal base to impeach Trump. The crowds were huge and the sense of drama palpable. Lawmakers of both parties sat rapt during Cohen's 30-minute opening statement as he outlined his accusations. Cohen laid out a series of actions by Trump that bolster previous allegations and presented documents to corroborate his account, including copies of checks issued by the president or his trust that he said were reimbursements for $130,000 in hush payments Cohen made to Stormy Daniels, a pornographic film actress who alleged an affair with Trump. Cohen said that Trump, as a candidate, initiated the hush payment plan and, while president, arranged for 11 checks reimbursing the lawyer "as part of a criminal scheme to violate campaign finance laws," a crime to which Cohen has pleaded guilty. After news reports about the payments in February 2018, Cohen told lawmakers, the president called him to discuss what the lawyer should say publicly about the scheme. Trump told him to say that the president "was not knowledgeable of these reimbursements and he wasn't knowledgeable of" Cohen's actions. Cohen said he had no "direct evidence that Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia." But, he added, "I have my suspicions." Cohen also recalled being in Trump's office shortly before the Democratic National Convention in 2016 when Roger J. Stone Jr., a longtime adviser, called. Trump put him on speakerphone and Stone reported he had just spoken with Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, who said "within a couple of days there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clinton's campaign." In an interview with The New York Times last month, Trump denied speaking with Stone about WikiLeaks and the emails. Assange's lawyer issued a statement on Wednesday disputing Cohen's account. ALBANY State regulators are hitting pause on an 18-month effort to overhaul New York's on-call scheduling rules after potential changes were panned by the business and labor community. A review of the practice, which gives some retail and service employers the flexibility to schedule a worker's shift at the last minute based on the needs of the business, was initiated by the state Department of Labor in September of 2017 at the direction of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. The department conducted hearings across the state and took multiple stabs at crafting regulations, with a final proposal in December introduced to address concerns raised by business owners about earlier efforts. "Based on extensive feedback in the subsequent comment period, it was clear the department's initial intent to support workers while being fair to businesses was viewed as a one-size-fits-all approach that was not appropriate for every industry," said Jill Aurora, Labor Department director of communications. "Revised rules, issued in late 2018, were praised by opponents and criticized by supporters." The most recent regulations would have required businesses, with few exceptions, to schedule workers' shifts at least 14 days in advance, and pay workers for an additional two hours of work if they were called in with less notice. Additionally, workers would receive two hours of call-in pay if their shift was canceled within the two-week window, and four hours of pay if it happened within three days of the scheduled shift. If an employee is required to be available to work a shift, the regulations guaranteed them at least four hours of pay. Worker advocates say the extra pay is needed to protect workers from last-minute schedule changes that can limit their pay, as well as their ability to schedule child care and other activities. Businesses, particularly those affected by the weather, maintained that the requirements and mandatory wages would hurt their bottom lines. Assemblyman John McDonald, a Cohoes Democrat who owns an independent pharmacy, said in a social media post that the proposal was well intended, but would have negatively affected businesses and resulted in more restrictive schedules for employees. "In my 35 years in business, employees like a relaxed work schedule that allows them time to take off but also providers them certainty of hours," McDaonld said. "The proposal would have limited employers' options, which limits employees options when you think it through." The department said it's letting the current effort expire "due to the constraints of the regulatory process" and expects the issue will be revisited with the Legislature, which could pass a law implementing a comprehensive overhaul. Assemblyman Phil Steck, a Colonie Democrat, said it's appropriate to address this issue legislatively, describing it as similar in nature to the minimum wage law the Legislature adopted in 2016. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. He was confident legislation could be crafted that balanced the "two conflicting principles" inherent in giving employers flexibility and workers predictability. It's not clear, though, how much appetite there is among state lawmakers to reform on-call scheduling. The changes floated by the department generated concerns from both sides of the aisle. The state's decision was described by the business-backed coalition Unshackle Upstate as a "step in the right direction" toward making New York more business friendly. In 2016, national retailers Aeropostale, Disney, Zumiez, PacSun, Carter's and David's Tea struck a deal with then-state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to end the use of call-in scheduling in New York. In 2015, the office secured agreements from Abercrombie & Fitch, Gap and the parent company of Bath & Body Works and Victoria's Secret. David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87 ALBANY In a sign that the tug-o-war stemming from the U.S. Supreme Courts Janus decision continues, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has put a provision in his budget proposal to codify the protection of personal contact information for public employees. While information like home addresses, email or phone numbers of public sector workers isnt generally obtainable from their employers, the governors plan would put into law earlier guidance his Department of Labor issued in the wake of last years Janus decision. He also issued an executive order right after the Janus ruling protecting employees' personal contact information. As part of the Governors Justice Agenda, the Executive Budget advances a proposal to protect the privacy of all public employees by prohibiting public employers from disclosing the personal contact information of public employees, reads part of the budget narrative. The bill puts into permanent law the prohibition of the disclosure of employees personal information by public sector employers, said Division of Budget spokesman Morris Peters. In doing so, it fulfills the Governor's pledge to protect public employees from union-busting campaigns following the Supreme Court's Janus decision. The measure, however, would also mandate that public employers provide information including the address and work location for employees to the unions that represent them. That would come through a change in state Civil Service law. Depending on where one stands, the move is either a symbolic gesture acknowledging what already exists or a welcome move. Aside from names, job titles and salaries, information on public employees is generally protected under privacy provisions already. The governor is looking to impress political supporters by solving a problem that doesn't exist, said Tim Hoefer, executive director of the fiscally conservative Empire Center, which has been critical of rules they believe give advantages to New Yorks many public sector unions. Union supporters, though, cheered Cuomos latest move. "NYSUT strongly supports legislation that will protect the privacy of all public employees at a time when wealthy union busters are trying to spread misinformation about the strength and benefits of union membership," said Matt Hamilton, spokesman for New York State United Teachers, the states major teachers union. NYSUT is one of the unions that could be negatively affected by the Janus decision. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that members of public sector unions arent required to pay agency fees, or dues-like payments if they arent enrolled in a union but are represented by a union. Sparked by an Illinois state employee, Mark Janus, who disagreed with his unions policies, the decision was hailed as a victory for union critics and conservatives and as a setback for public sector unions. Without mandatory fees, public sector union members can still enjoy the benefits of union membership such as collective bargaining while not paying dues. The fear was this could damage the finances of many unions if too many employees chose to stop paying their dues. So far, teachers appear to be sticking with their union membership, and paying their dues, following a concentrated effort by NYSUT and other union officials to convince members that they are getting good value for the money, which can be hundreds of dollars per year or more. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. But at least one new conservative-funded group, New Choice NY, has targeted teachers and other public sector employees. Last summer, following the Janus decision, the group sent an email blast to thousands of teachers, telling them they could opt out of their union dues if they wanted to. The groups spokesman, Bob Bellafiore, at the time said they werent taking sides but were only trying to inform employees of their options. The email blast was followed by leaflets around Christmas time sent to the homes of unionized public employees explaining how they can halt dues payments. This Christmas give yourself a raise, proclaimed one of the fliers. The leaflets and emails underscore the reality that, with the variety of public information sources that are out there, a reasonably well-organized and well-funded group can reach people even if their online or postal addresses arent immediately available. Bellafiore said New Choice NY got information on union members through public sources and the governors latest move wouldnt affect what they are doing. It has no impact on our work, he said. rkarlin@timesunion.com 518-454-5758 @RickKarlinTU Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019 ALBANY U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand recalled being about 8 years old and sitting at a long table in the city's Democratic campaign headquarters, stuffing envelopes with women who were loyal to their organizer, Gillibrand's grandmother, Dorothea "Polly" Noonan. "I'm very much taking a page out of her playbook in my own life," Gillibrand said. It was among the childhood memories that would help shape Gillibrand, who grew up in the midst of a Capital Region political dynasty. Noonan, a famously foulmouthed daughter of working-class Irish immigrants, was the closest confidante and companion of longtime Albany Mayor Erastus Corning II. She wielded power throughout the 1970s and 1980s as part of the arguably corrupt city and county Democratic machine. Gillibrand, a U.S. senator since 2009, credits Noonan with inspiring her entrance into politics dedicating her 2014 autobiography "Off the Sidelines" to "Grandma." More Information First of two parts Kirsten Gillibrand is the Capital Region's first major-party presidential candidate in more than a century. This is a look at her political roots. Read the next installment - a look at the Albany native's rise in politics - here. See More Collapse Decades after Noonan's heyday, Gillibrand vaulted into a political realm far beyond the local one her grandmother was part of: on Jan. 15, she entered the crowded Democratic field for president. Now a homeowner in Brunswick, Gillibrand is likely the first presidential aspirant with Capital Region roots since Chester A. Arthur, president from 1881 to 1885, who lived in Schenectady as a child and went on to graduate from Union College. Gillibrand moved from New York City corporate attorney to upset winner of a U.S. House seat in a Republican-dominated district in 2006. Less than three years later, she was the surprise choice over more-experienced candidates by Gov. David Paterson to fill Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate seat after the former first lady's appointment as secretary of state. The senator's ascension has not come without turbulence. She has faced criticism for abandoning conservative views after joining the Senate, and has been accused of turning on fellow Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton and U.S. Sen. Al Franken, in the wake of the #MeToo movement. "She will not back down if she sees wrongdoing," said Gillibrand's mother (and Polly Noonan's daughter), Polly Rutnik, who like her daughter, is an attorney. "She steps up she doesn't flinch." Life on Noonan Lane Shortly after winning her congressional seat in 2006, Gillibrand said of her grandmother, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." That tree, according to many who knew Noonan, was ambitious and loyal but also feisty and profane. Gillibrand said in her book that her grandmother could put expletives together "as long as a string of Christmas tree lights." Noonan was also accused in 1982 of punching another woman in the ribs outside a Democratic meeting. In 1980, then Times Union reporter Alan C. Miller was at Albany Democratic headquarters on the night of the Democratic presidential primary between President Jimmy Carter, who was backed by the local machine, and U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy. Kennedy beat Carter by 18 percentage points, and Miller heard Noonan say multiple times why she thought Kennedy succeeded: "It was all those Jews," she said a line that appeared in the second sentence of Miller's report the next day. "That was the last time Erastus Corning ever spoke to me," Miller, later a Pulitzer Prize winner and founder of the News Literacy Project, said in a recent interview. Sources within the machine told Miller that Noonan had induced the mayor to stop talking to the reporter. When asked last week about Noonan's comment, Gillibrand said she had never heard it before, and found it offensive. "My perspective of her is very different than anybody who was a peer of her at the time because I was just a young girl looking up at somebody who was doing something really great in my mind," Gillibrand said. Dick Barrett, a former Corning employee and Democratic committeeman, said Polly Noonan "had a way of saying things that could be offensive. I don't know if she was bigoted or not," he added, but "was a product of her generation whatever that means." Noonan first met then-state Sen. Corning when she was a 22-year-old secretary for the Scenic Hudson Commission. The two both married had what even Gillibrand acknowledged in her autobiography was an "unconventional" relationship. They attended events together, and Corning was often at Noonan's house on Noonan Lane at night drinking a scotch, or there in the morning to take Gillibrand's mother and her siblings to school. (The relationship inspired last year's well-received Off-Broadway play "The True," in which Edie Falco played the role of Noonan as the brash guide to Michael McKean's Corning.) Corning died in 1983. His insurance firm, Albany Associates, had a legal clause that allowed the business to be transferred to the Noonans over his own family. Another beneficiary of the Albany machine was Gillibrand's father, Douglas Rutnik, who at one time both served as Albany County public defender and ran a private law firm representing clients with business before the city. Upon Rutnik's appointment in the county public defender's office in 1966 at age 26 the year Gillibrand was born a Knickerbocker News editorial noted Rutnik had also worked for a state Assemblyman. "The plums are being kept in the political family," the editorial said. "Them that has, gets." Gillibrand's mother was also a partner in the couple's law firm, Rutnik & Rutnik, and at one time served as an attorney for the city. The senator has also credited her mother with influencing her work ethic, noting that Polly Rutnik had a toddler and was pregnant with her when she took parts of the bar exam. The Times Union wrote about the Rutnik law firm's questionable deals, including allegations in 1991 that the Rutniks profited by low-balling clients in a Pine Bush land sale that eventually netted a close associate more than $4 million. Polly Rutnik told the Times Union it was her ex-husband who dealt with real estate and development in their firm. "We never represented the same person; it didn't involve me at all," she said. Douglas Rutnik could not be reached for comment. "It was a little more genteel when people didn't go after wives and mothers and grandmothers, you know," Polly Rutnik said. "At some point it's just a little too much." Defending corporations Jennifer Whalen, a Republican member of the Colonie Town Board, is a close friend of Gillibrand's from their high school days at the prestigious Emma Willard School. Whalen shared a New York City apartment with Gillibrand one summer while they were both attending law school. Jennifer Whalen Gillibrand was earning her law degree from UCLA in the early 1990s, and was interning at the high-powered Davis Polk & Wardwell New York City law firm where she would later work. Whalen said Gillibrand would leave for work by 7 a.m. and not come home until after 11 p.m. "She's always been good at burning the midnight oil," Whalen said. When she was a full-time associate at Davis Polk, Gillibrand defended Philip Morris against civil lawsuits and a probe by the FBI at one point flying to a laboratory in Germany where the company was allegedly keeping its health studies a secret. Dennis Glazer, the former head of litigation at Davis Polk and the husband of state's chief judge, Janet DiFiore, said there were dozens of attorneys working on the Philip Morris cases in those years. "All she was doing was the best job she could," he said. Gillibrand now says her work at the "big fancy law firm," made her "deeply unhappy." "I wasn't making the difference I was supposed to make," she said. "It's why I searched so long to get into public service." While working in New York, Gillibrand met her future husband, Jonathan, a British national who was studying at Columbia University. They married in 2001. Unlike his wife, Jonathan Gillibrand's career has been more low-key. He has worked in various jobs since she first won office in 2006 for venture capital firms, a company that builds outpatient surgery facilities, and a limited liability company that tried to bring Formula One racing to New Jersey. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Gillibrand said her husband is taking time off from working to be at home more during her presidential run. Their elder son, 15-year-old Theo, attends boarding school and her younger son, 10-year-old Henry, attends school in Washington, D.C. Move to politics Despite growing up in a rabidly Democratic household, Republicans have played critical roles in Gillibrand's career. During her undergraduate years at Dartmouth College, Gillibrand interned one summer with Republican U.S. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, a good friend of her father. Early in her legal career, she clerked for conservative federal Second Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Roger Miner. But it was Hillary Clinton who Gillibrand said kickstarted her political ambitions in the mid-1990s. In her autobiography, Gillibrand said she started attending small fundraisers in New York City with the hope of getting even a minute to talk with Clinton. After years of attending Democratic fundraisers, and frustrated at not getting bites to work for U.S. attorneys' offices, Gillibrand, in her book, wrote that she approached then U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew M. Cuomo around 2000 about getting a job. Gillibrand's grandmother had raised campaign funds for Cuomo's father, the late Gov. Mario Cuomo; he rewarded her and Erastus Corning's support by appointing Noonan vice chairwoman of the state Democratic Party in 1982. She held that post for about two years. Cuomo hired Gillibrand as a special counsel at HUD and she briefly moved to Washington, D.C. At the 2000 Democratic National Convention, Gillibrand's job was to shuttle Cuomo's then-wife, Kerry Kennedy, around Los Angeles. But the HUD job ended soon after the election of President George W. Bush. Gillibrand, who then got a job at a different corporate New York City law firm, began to construct her path to an elected office when she moved from New York City back to the Albany area shortly before her older son was born in 2003. She chose the 20th District because of her interest in targeting U.S. Rep. John E. Sweeney, a six-year Republican incumbent whose often erratic private behavior later revealed as the result of his struggles with alcoholism had begun to bleed into his public life. She and her husband bought a house for $895,000 in the 20th district in Greenport, Columbia County. According to her autobiography, Clinton talked to Gillibrand briefly on the phone in 2004 about running for Congress, but suggested Gillibrand wait two years to challenge Sweeney. But Gillibrand had another ally an unlikely one in Republican Gov. George Pataki's office. Douglas Rutnik who by then had separated from Gillibrand's mother was dating Zenia Mucha, a top gubernatorial aide. AP archive Following the 9/11 attacks, Sweeney who was a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee developed a formula to ensure that New York City and then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg received a proportionate share of the aid. The move allegedly infuriated Pataki, according to sources working in state politics at the time. By early 2006, people connected to Pataki and Mucha were aiding Gillibrand, including introducing her to big political donors in Albany. That year, Gillibrand and her father sat in Patakis reserved area when he delivered his State of the State address. About two weeks before the election, a political operative leaked a confidential copy of a State Police report that documented what the Times Union had learned months earlier: a 911 call Sweeney's wife had made in 2005. The congressman's now ex-wife, Gaia, told a dispatcher her husband had knocked her around. Sweeney, who denied harming her, claimed at the time the report was fabricated, but later conceded it was authentic. The ensuing news coverage unraveled what was left of his campaign. "I don't know how it was released," Gillibrand said, referring to the confidential report. The race until that point had already been one of the most heated in Congress, as the DNC worked to take over congressional seats nationwide by going against the Iraq War and President Bush. Republicans took their own shots, alleging in a television ad that Gillibrand was a "war profiteer" because her husband held stock in the British defense contractor BAE Systems. Jonathan Gillibrand's father, Sydney, was once a vice chairman at BAE. The couple sold their stock in BAE for between $50,000 and $100,000 shortly after the 2006 election, according to campaign finance records. In the end, Gillibrand pulled off what was considered a stunning upset in a district where Republicans had a 2-1 enrollment edge. She also became the first woman to represent the district, which then stretched from Poughkeepsie to Lake Placid, and the first Democrat to hold the seat since 1978. During her acceptance speech the night of Nov. 7, 2006, she thanked her grandmother, saying Noonan "inspired me at such a young age." "She is up in heaven watching us now," Gillibrand said. Includes reporting by Staff Writers Rachel Silberstein and Brendan J. Lyons. Web presentation by Joyce Bassett. ALBANY After five years of back and forth negotiations, lawmakers in Albany finally reached a consensus this week on legislation to curb the practice of "revenge porn." The proposal approved on Thursday will make it a crime to share sexually explicit photos or videos on the internet with the intent to cause harm to another person, while also giving victims the ability to pursue a civil lawsuit and legal authority to have the content removed. Revenge porn, which is often shared with personal information, can lead to victims being threatened with sexual assault, stalking, harassment and job termination, and can cause some to commit suicide or have trouble forming new relationships. New York is poised to become the 42nd state to regulate the issue when it is signed into law by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, an ardent supporter of the legislation. Carrie Goldberg, an advisory board member at the Cyber Civil Right Initiative, has been pushing the issue since a former boyfriend threatened to expose sexually explicit content of her. During a press conference on Thursday morning, she credited Assemblyman Ed Braunstein, a Queens Democrat, with being a pioneer after he introduced the proposal in 2014, when only three states had a law on the books. "It turns out that New York would not become the fourth state to pass this bill ... or even the 40th," Goldberg said. "I have prepared to give this speech five times, over five years, and I honestly can't believe this day has finally come." She said the legislation, which was approved unanimously, was held up by lawmakers who "refused to act." The delayed action was the subject of finger pointing on the Senate floor while members were celebrating their vote. "It was the staff in the New York state Assembly that held this up," said Sen. Phil Boyle, a Long Island Republican, who rejected the idea that "Google or the internet groups" had stopped a deal in the past. He noted that for six years in a row, while the chamber was under Republican control, the Senate had passed legislation imposing a criminal penalty for the distribution of non-consensual intimate media. Last year, though, Senate Republicans refused to allow a vote on legislation that allowed civil and criminal actions, which passed the Assembly and was the basis for the language that was finally approved. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Braunstein countered that Senate Republican leadership balked at a provision in the legislation that authorized courts to require websites to remove certain content. He added that New York is the first state to grant this type of relief. The Internet Association, whose members include Facebook and Google, stressed its support for state and municipal efforts to criminalize the intentional distribution of non-consensual intimate media. "While the industry continues to have reservations about the bill, it is important for New York state to pass (the legislation) so that victims of these horrific actions will have the ability to hold bad actors to account," John Olsen, a director with the Internet Association, said in a statement. Internet sites that host non-consensual media are protected from civil liability under federal law, and the adopted legislation includes specific language upholding that provision. Many of the companies make so-called good faith efforts to scrub the offending content from their platforms, but supporters of the legislation say that isn't enough. New York City enacted a law last year that made it a misdemeanor offense to share intimate content without the person's consent. David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87 ALBANY - Much to the disappointment of some Eagle Hill residents, the proposed six-story apartment complex at 1211 Western Ave. was approved by the city planning board. In a video posted on an Albany neighborhood Facebook page from the Tuesday evening meeting, attendees complained about the Albany board members approval of the project, which has faced opposition from uptown neighbors who fear the impact the dense development will have on their community. We have a central warehouse on the East and now were going to have a central warehouse on the West, one attendee commented in the video, referencing the asbestos laden, Central Warehouse that has sat vacant for decades. Thanks a lot, guys. Yeah, I hope they put one on New Scotland Avenue, so you can see what its like, another person chimed in. Maryland-based GSX Ventures plan to build the multifamily complex was approved by board members with some conditions, Albany planning commissioner Chris Spencer said. It would consist of 137 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments along with retail and office space near the University at Albany. It also includes covered parking for 154 cars. Spencer said the developers project was OK'd on the condition that a sewer extension permit is approved by the Albany County Department of Health, a traffic maintenance plan is approved by the city, utility lines are buried, and residential lease terms be at least one-year, or longer, to ensure that the project doesnt become a dorm for local colleges. Initially, developer Jon Grant, founder and principal of GSX Ventures, planned to build a complex that would feature 117 units, stoking fears of traffic congestion and water infrastructure problems. Neighbors calls to Mayor Kathy Sheehan prompted the city leader to ask that decisions on the project be held off until residents concerns were addressed. Grant came back with the revised project, but it did little to alleviate concerns and opposition. Longtime Clarendon Road homeowner Steve Burke said it's unclear what the developer plans to do about sewage waste and questioned whether one entrance for emergency workers will be sufficient despite plans to install fire sprinklers in the building. "It's too much on a little site," Burke said, noting the project will be built on less than one acre. "The planning remains incomplete despite the fact that this was first presented to the neighborhood on Jan. 9, 2013." Multiple proposals for the site have been suggested over the years, but those living on nearby residential streets in the shadows of UAlbany and the state Harriman Campus have fought against them. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Burke said while the community has dealt with development at both the university campus and Harriman, it's not been without its impacts on residents. "Each one of these construction projects have damaged our homes, and here we go again," he said. Albany Common Council member Tom Hoey, who represents the neighborhood, said the proposals, including the one approved, is too dense for the area. He said a full environmental impact study should be done before the project goes forward. Theres going to be a lot of impact, he said. The only thing I can do is hope that the right thing is done now. Thats where were at. Burke said there's a lot of angst following Tuesday night's meeting. There has been talk of filing an Article 78 against the city over the project, he confirmed. "This is something that all residents in the city need to be mindful of," Burke said. "Development is highly invasive and being pursued by developers and basically accepted by the planning board." ALBANY - A few months after losing an internal Republican leadership battle, Sen. Catharine M. Young is abruptly resigning her seat. On March 11, the Olean resident will begin a new job as director of the New York State Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at Cornell AgriTech. Young was serving as a county legislator when first elected to the state Assembly in 1998, and won her state Senate seat in a 2005 special election. News of the resignation caught the Capitol by surprise on Thursday, with Senate Republican leader John Flanagan blindsided with news reports of Young's decision during a live radio interview. "I'm not aware of anything," Flanagan told the Capitol Pressroom. "We certainly want to have her here." Less than an hour later, Young made her departure official in a statement that explained she was leaving because of a "new and exciting opportunity." She noted that Cornell "holds special and personal significance" to her and her family, with a connection dating back to 1949 when her father attended college there. In November, after Republicans lost their hold on the majority in the state Senate, Young led an unsuccessful leadership challenge to Flanagan. Following the vote, she said the conference needed to make "some adjustments" and called for the members to unite. As the result of her failed coup, Young was stripped of her leadership role on the chamber's finance committee and lost control of the Senate Republican Campaign Committee. "Serving the people of our region for the past 23 years truly has been the deepest honor of my life," Young said. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "I often have reflected about that sunburned and freckled-faced kid with pigtails who spent so much time working and playing on our farm, always having big hopes and dreams but never realizing that I would someday have the opportunity to find my passion of helping others as a senator," she added. "Leaving my job in the Senate a job that I love has not been an easy decision and it is bittersweet." The vacant seat, which has a large Republican enrollment edge, will likely be filled by November. Young leaves public life with more than half a million dollars left in her campaign account, which is also owed $100,000 by the Senate Republican Campaign Committee. David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87 Kinimo Ngoran isn't a rocket scientist, or any of those high-demand foreigners whom the United States is supposedly looking to bump to the front of the immigration line. But in his time in America, he has made a mark, becoming a beloved and respected member of the Albany community. Mr. Ngoran, a chef at the Capital City Rescue Mission, where he has helped feed the city's homeless, now languishes in federal custody, a victim of the indiscriminate immigration policies of a president who had once assured the public he was only out to get the "bad hombres." Not only has that assurance proved untrue across the country, but it now turns out that President Donald Trump's hostility to immigrants has left highly skilled foreigners and the businesses that want to hire them caught up in bureaucratic delays. The result is an immigration system that's even more broken than before Mr. Trump took office. Mr. Trump, who has built a political career exploiting anti-immigrant and white nationalist sentiments, had promised that his main goal initially at least was to deport dangerous criminals. Others, like the "Dreamers" people brought here as children who have been living upstanding lives he would treat "with a lot of heart." Yet his administration has been heartlessly going after them and other good people in its zeal to oust seemingly anyone it can find who entered the country illegally. Mr. Ngoran is one of the good ones. He came to the United States illegally more than a decade ago, fleeing, he says, violence in the Ivory Coast, where the U.S. State Department advises Americans to "exercise increased caution" because of crime and terrorism. He'd been living a commendable life in Albany, working as a chef at the mission, getting married, checking in regularly with immigration officials and even obtaining legal immigration status late last year before he was suddenly arrested in January by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He's since been held in Batavia Detention Facility near Buffalo while the Department of Homeland Security weighs his fate. His detention has drawn objections from the community, including officials like Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple, a law enforcement official you'd think Homeland Security would listen to. While the Trump administration obsesses over people like Mr. Ngoran, it seems to have also gone out of its way to tinker with the H-1B visa program, through which people with specialized skills can obtain permission to work in the U.S. The Associated Press reports that applicants are being denied work visas or are facing long delays because of demands that they prove in unprecedented detail why they're needed for a particular job. Immigration attorneys and companies that want to hire these immigrants say they never saw disruptions like this before Mr. Trump took office, and that the delays are hurting business. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. It's not as if this program was even big enough to be widely abused; it's capped annually at 85,000 applications. Businesses had been looking to Mr. Trump to broaden the program, not constrain it. This and the many other problems with our nation's immigration system could be intelligently addressed if only Mr. Trump didn't keep sucking the air out of the discussion with his hard-line positions, his fixation on a grandiose, ineffective border wall and a fake national emergency. And if only enough Republicans would work across the aisle on comprehensive reforms that address border and port-of-entry security, programs like H-1B visas, and the millions of undocumented immigrants already here and living decent lives. It's not too different, really, from the story at the City Mission. It doesn't need a rocket scientist, just good, honest people who believe in the American dream. Stephen Kline caught a 25-pound carp on a frigid February day near Amsterdam, at one of the only sections of the Mohawk River that wasn't iced over. Click through the slideshow for some other catches in the state's freshwater lakes and rivers. Editor's Note: This story originally appeared in the Times Union on Nov. 26, 2018. Five years ago, Mariam gave birth to her fifth child as bombs fell, trapping her at home in Damascus, Syria, before her family escaped to Jordan. Two days before Thanksgiving this year, the 36-year-old refugee, resettled in Albany, worked to fry kibbeh, a bulgur wheat pastry crust filled with lamb, nuts and onions, in a steaming pot in a food pantry kitchen on Livingston Avenue. She was one of four refugee women whose names have been changed to protect their identities bustling about the industrial kitchen cooking two holiday celebration orders as part of the budding catering business Syrian Delights. Dalal, 38, drizzled knafeh, fried cheese, with syrup then dusted it with pistachios. After one of her sons almost died when a missile hit her front door in Aleppo, she walked, pregnant, with her husband and five kids to Turkey and gave birth 15 days after crossing the border. Farah, 22, rolled up fatayer be jibneh pastries filled with cheese and parsley. She fled Damascus with her parents and got married in Jordan, but her first daughter died suddenly in her sleep. Fadia, 46, famed for her chicken shawarma, took a break on a stool. The single mother hid for six days in the bathroom when her home in Homs was being bombed before she took her six children by bus to the coast and by boat to Egypt. The four women, who because of cultural sensitivity prefer that their full names not be used, are among 10 female refugee cooks behind the catering service Syrian Delights. The budding enterprise opened operations out of Sister Maureen Joyce Center, run by Catholic Charities, in August. So far the business has received orders for a student meeting, church event, birthday party, and wedding. Now, a handful of women who said they arrived in a new country scared and overwhelmed after war are able to help support their families and share their culture. "I like to cook and I want to offer cooking to the American community so they get to know our Syrian food," Farah said. "I will feel better if this business will grow because I will help my family," Dalal said. "Syria was a great country. We were in peace. People love each other and are generous. This is the Syria I remember." The women were all resettled as refugees in Albany within the last three years. The number of refugees resettled in Albany has since plummeted from more than 400 in 2016 to less than 100 in 2018, according to the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. None of the women worked in Syria, where it was customary for their husbands to support them. Syrian families resettled in the Capital Region often have upwards of six kids, according to the Albany-based New York for Syrian Refugees. Refugees get initial temporary support from a government-contracted resettlement agency, but they struggle to survive long-term on social services and low-income jobs. Mariam's husband constructs homes. Farah's parks cars at a hotel. Dalal's makes pizza. Fadia's 21-year-old son works at a gas station. With limited English skills and sometimes a lack of transportation, men often have little and inconsistent income. Ilham AlMahamid, a Syrian immigrant from before the war who founded New York for Syrian Refugees, saw the need and capacity of the community. More Information Not a member of Women@Work? Sign up at TUWomenatwork.com - and tell a friend. How to order Syrian Delights offers trays of cold and hot food as well as pastries and desserts. For more information or to place an order, contact manager Jan Coles at janc@ny4syrians.org. See More Collapse "When you help them to stand on their feet, they become contributing members of society," AlMahamid said. "Everyone would like to work. They are so motivated to do anything to improve their situations. "We realized that these women are very talented, they really are good and do delicious food, why don't we let them work at these talents and use their skills to improve their financial situation," she said. AlMahamid partnered with volunteer Jan Coles to open the business earlier this year making a deal to use the Catholic diocese's food pantry kitchen free of charge three days a week, securing a permit from Albany County and getting insurance and training for women to work in the commercial kitchen. They hired 10 women as employees after taste-testing food from a pool of 20, although women are only able to work depending on the size and type of each order. The women buy their own ingredients from a Middle Eastern grocery store in Latham and are paid per order, making an average of 10 dollars an hour. Although it's still not enough for their families, every little bit helps and as the women learn, the business grows. "I can see that over time, they've gotten better at understanding how this all operates and who does what when and they do work beautifully together," said volunteer Coles, who now manages the business. "You're with these people who have found each other here, bonded in this beautiful way and then included us in that as well." When she once said to the women that it's so nice they're all friends, they corrected her they are family. Mark Hanniffy has no regrets about his dramatic career switch from teaching organic chemistry in a university to a career in the diplomatic service that has seen him serve as Irelands Consul General to Scotland for almost the past three years. Its a choice I would make again. Ive very much enjoyed what Ive done over the last 12 years, he says. Son of Fidelma and Brendan Hanniffy, he grew up in Coolgreaney Close, Queen Street, Clonmel. He attended Ss Peter and Pauls primary school and the High School, where he sat his Leaving Cert in 1999. He continued his education at the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) where, as well as later teaching organic chemistry, he served as a member of the universitys governing authority and academic council. He holds B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry from NUIG. When I finished the Ph.D. in 2007 I had a choice of whether to pursue a career in scientific research and academia or try something entirely different, something more general with a wider perspective, he says. As someone always interested in international affairs and policy, he applied for a post with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and 12 years later, here I am. Since then he has filled what he describes as very varied roles in different parts of the world, which he says has led to a career that has been interesting if challenging. Prior to taking up duty in Scotland, Consul General Hanniffy served as deputy director of the policy planning unit at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Dublin, and before that as deputy director of the departments economic messaging unit. He was previously posted at Irelands permanent mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland (his first overseas post), where he was responsible for Irelands engagement with the UN and other international organisations on issues relating to humanitarian emergency response, migration, health and development policy. At the time the war in Syria was starting, as well as the humanitarian crisis in Libya. The role involved helping to channel Irish support to the UN humanitarian agencies such as UNHCR, and to inform Irelands own response so that it could make a contribution to international efforts made for people in need of assistance. He has also served in various capacities at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Dublin, including in the departments political division, in the office of the secretary general and on secondment as a policy advisor to the Houses of the Oireachtas. In May 2016 he was appointed as Irelands Consul General to Scotland, and is the sixth occupant of the post since the establishment of Irelands Consulate General in Edinburgh in 1998. According to the last census, more than 60,000 people in Scotland were born on the island of Ireland. And with thousands more of Irish descent living in the country, its no surprise when he says the relationship between Ireland and Scotland is extraordinarily strong. Theres a huge amount of co-operation and traffic between the countries and huge economic interest for Ireland thats being developed here. Its estimated that Irish exports to Scotland have doubled since 2012, and that Scottish exports to Ireland increased by approximately 15% from 2016 to 2017. Ireland is also the fourth largest source of foreign direct investment in Scotland. This economic relationship between the countries was further strengthened last November when 57 Irish companies visited Scotland to explore different opportunities on a trade mission led by Heather Humphreys, Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation. Mark Hanniffy says the relationship between the countries is growing in both directions and is helpful to sustaining and supporting jobs in both countries. Brexit, of course, will pose challenges to the relationship. Theres great energy and momentum in the economic relationship, and were determined to do everything possible to ensure that the outcome of Brexit doesnt damage that trading relationship . He said the uncertainty surrounding the UKs departure from the European Union was causing a degree of concern to Irish citizens resident in Britain, although it appears that the common travel areas will be preserved post-Brexit. However he conceded that the general uncertainty surrounding Brexit isnt helpful. Apart from trade and the economy, he says the Irish Consulate does its best to support and engage with the very large and active Irish community in Scotland. The consulate is currently planning major St. Patricks Day festivals in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Coatbridge in North Lanarkshire, a town near Glasgow that is a historic centre for Irish culture. In collaboration with Conradh na Gaeilge and Scotland GAA, the consulate organised Irish Culture and Heritage Day, a major event in Edinburgh last September. The Consul General says that the event, which showcased aspects of Irish culture including food, sport, language, music and dance, as well as offering advice on genealogy, was a very successful initiative. There are five active GAA clubs across Scotland, while the first overseas branches of Conradh na Gaeilge and Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann were established in the country. Mark Hanniffy says that he tries to return home relatively frequently. Last month he visited his alma mater, Clonmel High School, as well as the Presentation Secondary School in Thurles to address students as part of the global schools programme, when aspects of Irish foreign policy and Irelands campaign for election to the UN security council were discussed. For more Tipperary news read Campaign for Clonmel mother battling Multiple Sclerosis to be launched [February 28, 2019] Aidoc Announces CE Mark for the First AI-based Workflow Tool for Pulmonary Embolism - Aidoc's solution for flagging and prioritizing pulmonary embolisms is now commercially available in Europe TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Aidoc, the leading provider of AI solutions for radiologists, announced today the commercial release of its CE-marked product for the identification and triage of pulmonary embolism (PE) in CT pulmonary angiograms. By flagging obstructions in blood-flow to the lungs, Aidoc prioritizes radiologists' work-queues and helps them detect critical conditions faster, leading to quicker treatment and saving lives. "We're happy to provide the market with yet another CE marked time-sensitive pathology in our full-body AI solution," says Elad Walach, Aidoc co-founder and CEO. "Together with our CE marked solutions for flagging intracranial hemorrhage and c-spine fractures, our comprehensive solution runs in the background and gives the radiologist the peace of mind that no urgent cases are sitting at the bottom of the worklist waiting to be read." In the Unied States alone, up to 600,000 people are diagnosed with PE annually and it is estimated to be responsible for 100,000 annual deaths, making it the third most common cause of cardiovascular death. PE diagnosis can be highly challenging due to its variable and non-specific presentation, making the case that it can truly benefit from AI-driven workflow triage. At ECR in Vienna, Aidoc will be demonstrating its suite of AI-based workflow solutions at booth AI-02 in the AI Exhibition. The diagnostic performance of Aidoc's PE solution at the University Hospital of Basel will be presented as part of the ECR scientific sessions, demonstrating research concluding that Aidoc can complement conventional workflows with worklist prioritization and has the potential to improve the quality of healthcare by accelerating the diagnostic process and communication. About Aidoc Aidoc is the leading provider of artificial intelligence solutions that support and enhance the impact of radiologist diagnostic power - helping them expedite patient treatment and improve quality of care. The company's solutions reduce turnaround time and increase quality and efficiency by flagging acute anomalies in real time. Radiologists benefit from state-of-the-art deep learning technology that is "Always -on", running behind the scenes freeing them to focus on the diagnosis itself. Aidoc's healthcare-grade deep learning algorithms benefit from large quantities of data, making their solutions the most comprehensive in the field, and enabling them to provide diagnostic aid to the broadest set of pathologies. Aidoc is currently deployed at over 60 leading medical centers and has just hit the 1 million mark for total patients reviewed. Media contacts Ariella Shoham VP Marketing Aidoc [email protected] Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/743732/Aidoc_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Alinta and Vestas partner to build Western Australia's largest wind park SINGAPORE, March 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Vestas has received a 214 MW order from leading Australian utility Alinta Energy for the Yandin Wind Farm in Western Australia. Once built, the wind park will be the state's largest renewable power plant, providing affordable renewable energy to more than 200,000 homes. Located approximately 150 km north of Perth, the Yandin Wind Farm project will feature 51 V150-4.2 MW turbines with hub heights of 105 meters to maximise performance in the site's specific wind conditions. Vestas will also construct the entire project through an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) agreement. With a very competitive cost of energy, the Yandin project demonstrates Alinta's determination to make energy more affordable and sustainable for its customers. Once in operation, Yandin will also allow Alinta to reduce its use of natural gas for electricity generation, reducing its energy production costs and illustrating how renewable energy is quickly becoming the lowest-cost energy technology in Australia. Alinta will also look to Vestas to keep Yandin operating at maximum efficiency through a 25-year Active Output Management 4000 (AOM 4000) service agreement, designed to maximise uptime and ensure optimised performance of the project. The service agreement covers scheduled and unscheduled maintenance for the wind turbines, electrical and civil balance of plant. "Yandin is a key project for Vestas, Alinta and Western Australia", said Peter Cowling, Head of Vestas Australia and New Zealand. "We are more than pleasedto be Alinta's partner on this project, as we can see enormous potential for wind energy in Western Australia that is perfectly suited to our industry-leading wind turbines. Our leadership position in providing complete renewable energy solutions in Australia means we have more knowledge and resources to apply to giving our customers, by extension, Australian energy consumers, the most productive, reliable and affordable clean energy around. In this way, we will support Australia's transition towards an energy system entirely powered by renewable energy". The Yandin Wind Farm, the first wind energy project developed by Alinta, and its largest investment in renewable energy to date, will form part of the company's growing renewable energy portfolio in Australia. "Yandin will give Alinta Energy a considerable supply of affordable renewable power for our growing electricity customer base", said Ken Woolley, Alinta Energy's Executive Director of Merchant Energy, "We selected Vestas based on their years of experience, industry-leading technology, and the commitments we share around safety and generating affordable power for Australians". Commercial operations at Yandin are scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2020. About Vestas Vestas is the energy industry's global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service wind turbines across the globe, and with 101 GW of wind turbines in 80 countries, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and 86 GW of wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas' more than 24,600 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future. For updated Vestas photographs and videos, please visit our media images page on: https://www.vestas.com/en/media/images. We invite you to learn more about Vestas by visiting our website at www.vestas.com and following us on our social media channels: www.twitter.com/vestas www.linkedin.com/company/vestas www.facebook.com/vestas www.instagram.com/vestas www.youtube.com/vestas https://plus.google.com/+vestas SOURCE Vestas [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Canada Hosted PBX Market: Strategic Collaborations Key Strategy Adopted by Players to Gain Competitive Advantage The degree of competition is considerably high among the existing vendors in the Canada hosted PBX market. Furthermore, the market exhibits considerable opportunities for the new players to venture in. Considering such high potential for the entry of new players, the hosted PBX market in Canada will witness intensified competition in the near future, prophesized Transparency Market Research (TMR) in a new study. The vendors in the market are competing through strategic collaborations and even partnerships. Currently, Allstream, Inc., Telus Communications, Bell Canada, Cisco System, Microsoft Corporation, and Mitel Networks Corporation hold dominance in the Canada hosted PBX market. These companies held nearly 54% of the Canada hosted PBX market in 2016. Besides forging new partnerships, these companies are also working towards expanding their offerings to gain competitive advantage. As these strategies are forecast to reflect positively on any companys overall proceeds, they can considerably influence the markets trajectory as well. According to TMR, the hosted PBX market in Canada will rise at a whopping 18.2% between 2017 and 2025. At this pace, the market will reach US$1.75 bn by the end of 2025, from its valuation of US$398.6 mn in 2016. By application, telecom & IT and BFSI emerged as the two leading segments in the market. Of these, telecom & IT held dominance with a share of just over 20% in the market in 2016. By enterprise size, large enterprises left behind SMEs to emerge as the market lead. By the end of 2017, it is expected to hold over 68.7% of the Canada hosted PBX market based on value. Download PDF Sample for this Research Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=23204 The hosted PBX market in Canada is primarily gaining from the countrys progress in deploying wireless services. With the government pulling up its stock to make Canada a leading digital nation by the end of 2017, there could be no dearth of opportunities for the hosted PBX market. said a lead TMR analyst. Considering this target, the government has adopted several initiatives to provide high-quality spectrum to help wireless service providers ensure improved standard of services. Integrating the latest technologies is therefore a key aspect observed by organizations across Canada. Among the latest technologies to have forayed in Canada in the last few years, adoption of IP based services have left a lasting impact. The adoption of voice over internet protocol (VoIP) has therefore gained pace in the country. As the hosted PBX technology works on the basis of VoIP, which enables PBX to connect with smartphones, personal computer, and other technologies, proliferation of VoIP will mean lucrative opportunities for the expansion of the hosted PBX market in Canada. As a community-building service, TMCnet allows user submitted content which is not always proofed by TMCnet editors. If you feel this entry is of inferior quality or wish to report it for some reason, please forward the URL to "webedit [AT] tmcnet [DOT] com" with your comments. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Cubic to Exhibit Industry-leading Connectivity Gateway Solutions at IWCE 2019 SAN DIEGO, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Cubic Corporation (NYSE:CUB) today announced its Cubic Mission Solutions (CMS) business division will participate at the International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) held in Las Vegas, Nevada from March 4 8. IWCE is the premier event for critical communications technology professionals consisting of a comprehensive five-day conference featuring workshops, power sessions and exhibition of the latest products, equipment and technology. "Our innovative and software-defined Radio over IP solutions offer our customers critical interoperability between land mobile radios, tactical radios and 4G LTE-enabled smart devices," said Travis Queen, senior director of business development, CMS. "As the only AT&T and Verizon certified gateway provider with embedded 4G LTE, we look forward to showcasing our capabilities and sharing our industry expertise at IWCE this year." Cubic Mission Solutions representatives will be participating in the following panel discussions taking place at the Las Vegas Convention Center: The Future of LMR: Planning for Interoperability, Interworking and Migration with LTE Tuesday, March 5 at 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm Room: N261 Interoperability & Interworking Track Panelist: Neal Nystrom , director of sales engineering, CMS at Room: N261 Interoperability & Interworking Track Panelist: , director of sales engineering, CMS Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC): Voice Options for Non-Mission Critical Users 11:45 am - 1:00 pm Push-to-Talk & Future of Voice Track Panelist: Travis Queen , senior director of business development, CMS Thursday, March 7 atPush-to-Talk & Future of Voice TrackPanelist:, senior director of business development, CMS PTToC Interoperability Now! Thursday, March 7 at 2:15 pm - 3:30 pm Room: N256 Push-to-Talk & Future of Voice Track Panelist: Andrew Narusewicz , senior manager of business development, CMS at Room: N256 Push-to-Talk & Future of Voice Track Panelist: , senior manager of business development, CMS Transitioning to Public Safety LTE: Timelines and Risks Thursday, March 7 at 2:15 pm - 3:30 pm Room: N260 911 & Emergency Communications Track Panelist: Mike Barney , director of public safety programs, CMS at Room: N260 911 & Emergency Communications Track Panelist: , director of public safety programs, CMS RoIP Gateway: An Alternative to ISSI and CSSI Friday, March 8 at 9:45 am - 11:00 am Room: N256 Push-to-Talk & Future of Voice Track Moderator: Mike Barney , director of public safety programs, CMS Speaker: Travis Queen , senior director of business development, CMS Additionally, Cubic Mission Solutions will be showcasing the following solutions at booth 743 on the exhibit hall floor: Vocality RoIP: The Vocality RoIP provides users with a simple to use, small form-factor radio connectivity solution, unlike any in our market today. Connect radios via 4G LTE networks for connectivity beyond normal radio range to anywhere in the world. Suitable for use in a wide range of markets including emergency services, energy production, military applications and more. The Vocality RoIP provides users with a simple to use, small form-factor radio connectivity solution, unlike any in our market today. Connect radios via 4G LTE networks for connectivity beyond normal radio range to anywhere in the world. Suitable for use in a wide range of markets including emergency services, energy production, military applications and more. RoIP Connect: The RoIP Connect is a simple to use and easy to install expansion module for the Vocality RoIP. Each RoIP Connect adds an additional four audio ports, four serial ports and six GPIO's to the Vocality RoIP via a single USB connection. No additional cabling or power sources are required, simply connect a maximum of two RoIP Connects to a Vocality RoIP for increased capacity. The RoIP Connect is a simple to use and easy to install expansion module for the Vocality RoIP. Each RoIP Connect adds an additional four audio ports, four serial ports and six GPIO's to the Vocality RoIP via a single USB connection. No additional cabling or power sources are required, simply connect a maximum of two RoIP Connects to a Vocality RoIP for increased capacity. RAGE Kit: The Radio Access Gateway Extension (RAGE) Kit offers users an ultra-portable interoperability communications gateway solution that weighs less than 10lb. Ideal for First Responders, Rapid Response teams and any other business that depends on a small form-factor and easy to deploy emergency communications solution. The RAGE Kit provides connectivity for up to four disparate radio networks across satellite, Wi-Fi, fixed line and 4G LTE networks without the need for additional cellular routers. Visit Cubic at booth 743 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Follow Cubic Mission Solutions @Cubic_MS and join the social media conversation surrounding the event with #IWCE2019. About Cubic Corporation Cubic is a technology-driven, market-leading provider of integrated solutions that increase situational understanding for transportation, defense C4ISR and training customers worldwide to decrease urban congestion and improve the militaries' effectiveness and operational readiness. Our teams innovate to make a positive difference in people's lives. We simplify their daily journeys. We promote mission success and safety for those who serve their nation. For more information about Cubic, please visit www.cubic.com or on Twitter @CubicCorp. Media Contact Crystal Nguyen Corporate Communications Cubic Corporation PH: +1 858-505-2593 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cubic-to-exhibit-industry-leading-connectivity-gateway-solutions-at-iwce-2019-300803852.html SOURCE Cubic Corporation [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Dallin Anderson of Vivint Smart Home Named a Forty Under 40 Honoree by Utah Business Vivint Smart Home today announced that Dallin Anderson, vice president and general manager of inside sales and acquisition marketing, is one of Utah Business magazine's Forty Under 40 honorees for 2019. Anderson has played a pivotal role in driving Vivint's growth as one of the leading smart home companies in North America. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005949/en/ Vivint Smart Home's Dallin Anderson recognized by Utah Business magazine for his pivotal role in driving Vivint's growth. (Photo: Business Wire) "Dallin has made a major impact at Vivint-diversifying our revenue base, while simultaneously reducing customer acquisition costs," said Matt Eyring, chief strategy and innovation officer at Vivint Smart Home. "His transformational work is the foundation for our highly successful inside sales engine." Anderson is responsible for customr acquisition through Vivint's inside sales channel and leads a talented team of more than 500 salespeople, marketers and analysts. Before Vivint, Anderson was the director of business development at Attack Pattern and spent eight years as a strategic analyst for Intel (News - Alert) and the Boston Consulting Group. He holds an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. The annual Utah Business Forty Under 40 program honors Utah's up-and-coming professionals rising through the ranks at record speed. Utah Business recognized Anderson and the other 2019 honorees at an awards ceremony at The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. The magazine's February issue also features the honorees. About Vivint Smart Home Vivint Smart Home is a leading smart home company in North America. Vivint delivers an integrated smart home system with in-home consultation, professional installation and support delivered by its Smart Home Pros, as well as 24/7 customer care and monitoring. Dedicated to redefining the home experience with intelligent products and services, Vivint serves more than 1.4 million customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit www.vivint.com. Connect with Vivint Smart Home LinkedIn Twitter Facebook View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005949/en/ [February 27, 2019] Florida Keys Community College Provides Notice of Data Security Incident KEY WEST, Fla., Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Keys Community College (the "College") is taking action after discovering that it became the target of a phishing email campaign that compromised several employee email account credentials. What Happened? On October 19, 2018 Florida Keys Community College (the "College") learned of suspicious activity regarding an employee's email account. We immediately launched an investigation, which included working with third-party forensic investigators, to determine the full nature and scope of this incident. The investigation determined that an unknown individual had accessed certain College employees' email accounts between May 5, 2018 and November 5, 2018. The contents of the accounts were reviewed through a manual and programmatic process to determine what sensitive data may have been accessible. On January 7, 2019, we confirmed the identities of the individuals who may have had information accessible as a result of the incident and promptly launched a review of our files to ascertain address information for the impacted individuals. What Information Was Involved? The investigation in this matter confirmed that some combination of the following types of personal information may have been accessible as a result of the incident: name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, passport information, medical information, and username and password. What is Florida Keys Community College Doing? The College takes the security of personal information in our care very seriously. Upon learning of this event, we promptly notified potentially affected employees and worked with them to secure their relevant College accounts. We are notifying state regulators as required by law. We are notifying potentially affected individuals and will be offering these individuals access to 12 months of free identity protection services and providing additional information on steps to protect their identity. The College has security measures in place to protect data in its care and is taking steps to enhance data security protections to protect against similar incidents in the future including implementing increased security measures for account access. We implemented Multi Factor Authentication on all email accounts to prevent unauthorized access to accounts without verification by the account owner. For More Information The College established a dedicated hotline for potentially affected individuals to contact with questions or concerns regarding this incident. For additional information, please call 1-833-231-3356, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., EST. You may also write to us at 5901 College Rd., Key West, FL 33040. Monitor Your Accounts The College encourages potentially impacted individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud, to review your account statements, and to monitor your credit reports for suspicious activity. Under U.S. law you are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. You may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of your credit report. You have the right to place a "security freeze" on your credit report, which will prohibit a consumer reporting agency from releasing information in your credit report without your express authorization. The security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a security freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a security freeze on your credit report. Should you wish to place a security freeze, please contact the major consumer reporting agencies listed below: Experian PO Box 9554 Allen, TX 75013 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com/freeze/center.html TransUnion P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19016 1-800-909-8872 www.transunion.com/credit-freeze Equifax PO Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 1-800-685-1111 www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services As an alternative to a security freeze, you have the right to place an initial or extended "fraud alert" on your file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer's credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer's credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer's identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the agencies listed below: Experian P.O. Box 2002 Allen, TX 75013 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com/fraud/center.html TransUnion P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19106 1-800-680-7289 www.transunion.com/fraud-victim-resource/place-fraud-alert Equifax P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348 1-888-766-0008 www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services Although we have no reason to believe that your personal information has been used to file fraudulent tax returns, you can contact the IRS at www.irs.gov/Individuals/Identity-Protection for helpful information and guidance on steps you can take to address a fraudulent tax return filed in your name and what to do if you become the victim of such fraud. You can also visit www.irs.gov/uac/Taxpayer-Guide-to-Identity-Theft for more information. You can further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes, and the steps you can take to protect yourself, by contacting the consumer reporting agencies, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580, www.identitytheft.gov , 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/florida-keys-community-college-provides-notice-of-data-security-incident-300803710.html SOURCE Florida Keys Community College [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Global Computer-Aided Design Market Anticipated to Reach $13.83 Billion by 2028 FREMONT, California, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --According to the new market intelligence report by BIS Research, titled 'Global Computer-Aided Design Market - Analysis and Forecast, 2018-2028', the global computer-aided design (CAD) market is expected to reach $13.83 billion by 2028. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.35% during the forecast period. The increasing demand from varied end-use applications along with extensive research and development towards the progress of innovative production procedures, are some of the factors driving the growth of computer-aided design software packages. The end-use industries that make use of CAD application include automotive, aerospace, industrial machinery, civil and construction, electrical and electronics, pharmaceutical and healthcare, and consumer goods, among others. Browse more than 90 Data Tables and 144 Figures spread through 259 Pages and an in-depth TOC on "Global Computer-Aided Design Market." For engineers and designers manually -drafting their engineering designs was a challenge, as drafting a precise design with exact measurements as well as editing, updating, and submitting the document used to take enormous time and effort. With the advent of CAD in the 1960s, all these difficulties were overridden as the software helped to create, modify, design, analyze, and optimize an engineering design with reduced consumption of time and increased efficiency. The introduction of CAD software packages facilitated innovative changes in the designs along with reducing the overall operational cost. Consequently, enabled end-user industries to achieve the desired optimal output. The digitalization of designs with the help of CAD software packages has therefore led to a major transformation in the engineering and manufacturing industries. BIS Research Report: https://bisresearch.com/industry-report/computer-aided-design-market.html Presently, CAD software systems are widely accepted across various industries as the systems provide unique features for the design thereby, aiding in the product development processes. According to Arpt Benjwal, Lead Analyst at BIS Research, "Automotive industry currently dominates the global computer-aided design market. It is primarily because of the wide-scale adoption of CAD software packages by automobile manufacturers for automating the designs of several parts and components, such as infotainment system, design of seats, and other accessories used in vehicles, with the help of advanced tools. The automotive industry segment is growing at a significant rate due to the high market penetration of the CAD software in the automotive industry to design different automotive parts." The key players operating in this market have increased their new product launches over the recent years to generate public awareness about their existing and new products and technologies to compete with the competitors' product portfolio. Driven by the rapid evolution of the computer-aided design software packages, there has been a swift growth in the research and development activities by many important players in this market, leading to an increase in the number of business expansions over the last four years. Request for a Sample: https://bisresearch.com/requestsample?id=657&type=download This report is a meticulous compilation of research on more than 100 players in the computer-aided design market and draws upon the insights from in-depth interviews with the key opinion leaders of more than 50 leading companies, market participants, and vendors. The report also profiles approximately 15 companies including supplier and customer profiles. The companies profiled in the report are 3D Systems Corporation, Autodesk Inc., AVEVA Group plc, Dassault Systemes, Hexagon AB, Nemetschek SE, PTC Inc., Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc., and Trimble Inc., Advanced Computer Solutions Limited, Bentley Systems Inc, BobCAD-CAM, Inc., Bricsys NV, Kubotek3D, and Robert McNeel & Associates. Key questions answered in the report: What is the global computer-aided design market size in terms of value ($Million) from 2016-2028 along with the year-on-year growth rates and the CAGR from 2018 to 2028? What are the different product types of computer-aided design software packages and their growth pattern in terms of value in different regions and countries? What are the different operating systems and technology types on which the computer-aided design software packages are used across all industries and their growth pattern in terms of value in different regions and countries? What are the major end-user industries for computer-aided design software packages globally in terms of revenue generation? What is the consumption pattern of the computer-aided design software packages across end users in different regions and countries? Which are the major regions and countries that provide growth opportunities for the computer-aided design market? What is the competitive strength of the key players in the computer-aided design market on the basis of their recent developments, product offerings, and regional presence? Who are the key players (along with their detailed analysis and profiles including their financials, company snapshots, key products and services, and SWOT analysis) in the market? Related Reports: Global 3D Printing Software & Services Market Analysis and Forecast, 2017 to 2021 About BIS Research: BIS Research is a global B2B market intelligence and advisory firm focusing on those emerging technological trends which are likely to disrupt the dynamics of the market. With over 150 market research reports published annually, BIS Research focuses on high technology verticals such as 3D Printing, Advanced Materials and Chemicals, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive, Healthcare, Electronics and Semiconductors, Robotics and UAV, and other emerging technologies. Our in-depth market intelligence reports focus on the market estimations, technology analysis, emerging high-growth applications, deeply segmented granular country-level market data, and other important market parameters useful in the strategic decision-making for senior management. What distinguishes BIS Research from the rest of the players is that we don't merely provide data but also complement it with valuable insights and actionable inputs for the success of our clients. Contact: Bhavya Banga Email: [email protected] BIS Research Inc. 39111 PASEO PADRE PKWY STE 313, FREMONT CA 94538-1686 Visit our Blog @ http://bisresearch.com/blog/ Connect with us on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/bis-research Connect with us on [email protected] https://twitter.com/BISResearch [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Ivanti Brings Together Leading Patch Management and Application Control Solutions with Release of Ivanti Security Controls SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Ivanti, the company that unifies IT to better manage and secure the digital workplace, today announced Ivanti Security Controls. Offering comprehensive patch management for operating systems and third-party applications on physical and virtual servers and desktops, the new solution also enables dynamic whitelisting and granular privilege management from a single management console. Ivanti Security Controls will be demonstrated during RSA Conference 2019, March 4 8, in booth #1143. "Managing the security of today's sprawling device estates is exceptionally time consuming," said Chris Goettl, Director of Product Management, Security, Ivanti. "Our new Ivanti Security Controls platform simplifies security processes through a unified solution that will target the biggest attack vectors threatening today's enterprises. By helping to discover the authorized and unauthorized software in an environment, and protecting and defending against it, this comprehensive new product combines critical components today's organizations need to minimize their security risk exposure while helping security and operations teams better collaborate for more rapid remediation." Ivanti Security Controls is a single, automated patching solution that spans physical and virtual Windows and Red Hat Enterprise Linux servers as well as workstations. It discovers online and offline workstations and servers, scans for missing patches and deploys them where needed. The agentless technology for Windows systems minimizes the impact on system workloads while optional agent policies can also be applied for greater flexibility and patch accuracy. Key features of Ivanti Security Controls include: Heterogeneous environment patching . Support includes OS patching for Windows servers and workstations, Red Hat Enterprise Linux servers, and virtual machines, including the VMware ESXi hypervisor. Thrd-party applications that are targeted most by hackers are also supported, including Adobe Acrobat Flash and Reader, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Oracle Java. . Support includes OS patching for Windows servers and workstations, Red Hat Enterprise Linux servers, and virtual machines, including the VMware ESXi hypervisor. Thrd-party applications that are targeted most by hackers are also supported, including Adobe Acrobat Flash and Reader, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Oracle Java. Dynamic whitelisting . Using trust models in place of lists, controlled and authorized access to applications, services and components is enabled without extensive list management or constraining users. . Using trust models in place of lists, controlled and authorized access to applications, services and components is enabled without extensive list management or constraining users. User-centric privilege management . Administrative rights are controlled without limiting user productivity. Using flexible policy controls, IT can enforce user permissions lockdown while still enabling users to escalate or add additional permissions if needed. By enabling access to only the services users need, environments are significantly more secure. . Administrative rights are controlled without limiting user productivity. Using flexible policy controls, IT can enforce user permissions lockdown while still enabling users to escalate or add additional permissions if needed. By enabling access to only the services users need, environments are significantly more secure. CVE to patch list creation . Closing the gap between security and IT operations teams, Ivanti Security Controls supports third-party vulnerability assessments, regardless of vendor, and identifies the patches that relate to the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs). A patch group of updates is quickly generated to align with a specific vulnerability assessment and can be rapidly approved for remediation. . Closing the gap between security and IT operations teams, Ivanti Security Controls supports third-party vulnerability assessments, regardless of vendor, and identifies the patches that relate to the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs). A patch group of updates is quickly generated to align with a specific vulnerability assessment and can be rapidly approved for remediation. Integration enabled. Using patch REST APIs, Ivanti Security Controls can be integrated with other products to benefit from automated shared processes as well as remote access and control through the unified console. Christopher Duvall , Senior Director, The Chertoff Group. "We need solutions that enable teams to manage infrastructure within timelines that reflect actual threat tradecraft." Ivanti Security Controls does just that, simplifying the historically complex processes of patching, whitelisting and privilege management with a comprehensive solution that also helps organizations go from CVE to patch remediation in hours and minutes, rather than days or weeks. Ivanti Security Controls will also be showcased during Ivanti Interchange 2019 to be held March 11-14 in Madrid and April 29-May 2 in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, visit: https://interchange.ivanti.com/. Ivanti: The Power of Unified IT. Ivanti unifies IT and Security Operations to better manage and secure the digital workplace. From PCs to mobile devices, VDI, and the data center, Ivanti discovers IT assets on-premises and in the cloud, improves IT service delivery, and reduces risk with insights and automation. The company also helps organizations leverage modern technology in the warehouse and across the supply chain to improve delivery without modifying backend systems. Ivanti is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has offices all over the world. For more information, visit www.ivanti.com and follow @GoIvanti. Copyright 2019, Ivanti. All rights reserved. Press Contacts: Leslie Bonsteel Ivanti +1 801 208-1773 [email protected] Erin Jones Avista Public Relations for Ivanti +1 704 664-2170 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ivanti-brings-together-leading-patch-management-and-application-control-solutions-with-release-of-ivanti-security-controls-300804132.html SOURCE Ivanti [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] KBR Awarded Pre-FEED Study Contract for Pacific Coast LNG Project HOUSTON, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- KBR, Inc. (NYSE: KBR) announced today it has been awarded a pre Front End Engineering Design (Pre-FEED) contract by Mexico Pacific Limited (MPL) for a midscale LNG liquefaction project in Puerto Libertad on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide a Pre-FEED and cost estimate for the project. This work will be performed by KBR utilizing the ConocoPhillips Optimized Cascade technology, leveraging the midscale LNG joint development work previously announced by KBR. "We are excited to be a part of this Mexico Pacific Limited LNG project and to deliver innovative LNG technology solutions for our customers," said Farhan Mujib, KBR President Hydrocarbons Delivery Solutions. "We believe midscale LNG projects have an important part to play in the global LNG market." The engagement continues the progress towards commercialization for MPL. "We look forward to working with an LNG industry leader in KBR, and continuing our efforts to provide a world class project with best in class delivered pricing for our Asian buyers," said Josh Loftus, President of MPL. The contract continues a broader competitive process with FEED expected to start mid-2019. For more than 40 years, KBR has been recognized as a pioneer in the LNG industry, designing and constructing one-third of the world's LNG production. About KBR, Inc. KBR is a global provider of differentiated professional services and technologies across the asset and program lifecycle within the Government Services and Hydrocarbons sectors. KBR employs approximately 36,000 people worldwide (including our joint ventures), with customers in more than 75 countries, and operations in 40 countries, across three synergistic global businesses: Government Services, serving government customers globally, including capabilities that cover the full lifecycle of defense, space, aviation and other overnment programs and missions from research and development, through systems engineering, test and evaluation, program management, to operations, maintenance, and field logistics Technology, including proprietary technology focused on the monetization of hydrocarbons (especially natural gas and natural gas liquids) in ethylene and petrochemicals; ammonia, nitric acid and fertilizers; oil refining and gasification Hydrocarbons Services, including onshore oil and gas; LNG (liquefaction and regasification)/GTL; oil refining; petrochemicals; chemicals; fertilizers; differentiated EPC; maintenance services (Brown & Root Industrial Services); offshore oil and gas (shallow-water, deep-water, subsea); floating solutions (FPU, FPSO, FLNG & FSRU); program management and consulting services At KBR, We Deliver. Visit www.kbr.com Forward Looking Statement The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding future financial performance, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the outcome of and the publicity surrounding audits and investigations by domestic and foreign government agencies and legislative bodies; potential adverse proceedings by such agencies and potential adverse results and consequences from such proceedings; the scope and enforceability of the company's indemnities from its former parent; changes in capital spending by the company's customers; the company's ability to obtain contracts from existing and new customers and perform under those contracts; structural changes in the industries in which the company operates; escalating costs associated with and the performance of fixed-fee projects and the company's ability to control its cost under its contracts; claims negotiations and contract disputes with the company's customers; changes in the demand for or price of oil and/or natural gas; protection of intellectual property rights; compliance with environmental laws; changes in government regulations and regulatory requirements; compliance with laws related to income taxes; unsettled political conditions, war and the effects of terrorism; foreign operations and foreign exchange rates and controls; the development and installation of financial systems; increased competition for employees; the ability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions; and operations of joint ventures, including joint ventures that are not controlled by the company. KBR's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Form 10-Qs and 8-Ks, and other U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss some of the important risk factors that KBR has identified that may affect the business, results of operations and financial condition. Except as required by law, KBR undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kbr-awarded-pre-feed-study-contract-for-pacific-coast-lng-project-300803448.html SOURCE KBR, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Major South African Universities Leverage Blackboard Learn in the Cloud LONDON, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackboard today announced that the University of the Free State, the University of Johannesburg and the University of Pretoria are now leveraging the Software as a Service (SaaS) deployment of Blackboard Learn, the company's flagship Learning Management System (LMS). Thanks to the AWS-powered SaaS deployment, the three universities, which are ranked by QS among the top ten institutions of South Africa, will benefit from several enhancements including zero-downtime updates, continuous delivery of new features and reduction of costs. The institutions also have the option to implement the Ultra experience, the next-generation user interface of Blackboard Learn, or continue to leverage the Original experience their students and teachers are familiar with. This flexibility allows the universities to answer their specific requirements, and to further focus on delivering an unparalleled teaching and learning experience that meets the needs of students and faculty. The University of the Free State (UFS) has been successfully utilizing Blackboard Learn as a self-hosted solution for some years. Recently, the IT department and the Center of Teaching and Learning (CTL) decided to take a new approach to the management, maintenance and support of the LMS. The transition to the SaaS deployment perfectly answered the different needs, with the IT team becoming more service oriented and the CTL directly managing the LMS. Thanks to the flexibility of the SaaS delivery model, UFS continued to use the Original experience for the Bloemfontein, QwaQwa and South (undergraduate programs) Campuses and fully implemented the Ultra experience in the delivery of fully online and distance programs on the South Campus. "The SaaS deployment of Blackboard Learn provides UFS staff and students with a technological environment that enables teaching and learning, which is crucial to student success and engagement," said Tiana van der Merwe, Deputy Director for the entre for Teaching and Learning at UFS. "As one of the oldest universities in South Africa, we believe that keeping abreast of technological advancements is what an institution of higher learning must be doing." The University of Johannesburg (UJ) has leveraged the full power of Blackboard Learn via managed hosting for many years. While completely satisfied with the results achieved so far, the University leadership felt that transitioning to a SaaS deployment was critical to deliver on their vision for the next years. The transition to the cloud has been completely transparent for students and teachers who continued to use the LMS without any disruption. After moving to the SaaS delivery model, UJ implemented the Ultra Base Navigation, a component of the Ultra experience that provides quick access to the most critical information from across all courses while maintaining the Original courses currently in use by their faculty and students. "Moving to a SaaS deployment and enabling the Ultra base Navigation was a natural choice to keep the University of Johannesburg aligned with its strategic objectives of global excellence in teaching and learning," said Riaan Loots, Senior Manager of Centre for Academic Technologies at UJ. "The increased adoption of blended and fully online programmes at the University means that Blackboard is crucial for our day-to-day teaching and learning activities. The new SaaS model is scalable during peak periods, has no downtime and offers fast delivery of enhancements and new features - all benefits which we could not ignore." The University of Pretoria (UP) has been a client of Blackboard for the past two decades and, over the years, has integrated all other solutions of the Blackboard portfolio. Their managed-hosting deployment has been instrumental in delivering an enhanced teaching and learning experience to students and faculty. To further build on these successful outcomes, UP decided to move to a SaaS deployment and reap the benefits it provides, while ensuring that staff and students continued to leverage all the features of the Original experience. "The SaaS deployment of Blackboard Learn provides staff and students with greater stability and availability that further enhance the overall online experience," said Dolf Jordaan, Deputy Director E-Learning & Media Development at UP. "It also contributes to creating an educational eco-system to support teaching and learning, and student success strategies. Moreover, the transition has significantly increased the value of our investments in education technology, enabling our University to expand its leadership role in e-learning across Africa." "We are thrilled that UFS, UJ and UP are now able to experience all the benefits of the SaaS deployment of Blackboard Learn," said Robert Speed, Vice President of Russia, Middle East and Africa at Blackboard. "These successful transitions are only the first steps and we look forward to continuing our partnerships with these forward-thinking institutions, further supporting them as they unlock all the new possibilities a cloud-based approach brings to teaching and learning." About Blackboard Our mission is to partner with the global education community to enable learner and institutional success, leveraging innovative technologies and services. With an unmatched understanding of the world of the learner, the most comprehensive student-success solutions, and the greatest capacity for innovation, Blackboard is education's partner in change. CONTACT Massimo Morigi, Blackboard +44 (0)20 70254808 - [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/major-south-african-universities-leverage-blackboard-learn-in-the-cloud-300804052.html SOURCE Blackboard [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] MDxHealth (R): MDxHealth Reports Financial Year 2018 Results and Provides Outlook for 2019 NEWS RELEASE REGULATED INFORMATION IRVINE, CA, and HERSTAL, BELGIUM - 07:00 CEST, February 28, 2019 - MDxHealth SA (Euronext: MDXH.BR), today announced its business update and financial results for the year ended December 31, 2018 and provided its strategic outlook for 2019. 2018 HIGHLIGHTS Total test volume up 18%, with over 39,000 patients tested Total revenue of $28.4 million, equaling the prior year's total (normalized) revenue EBITDA of $-29.1 million compared to a normalized EBITDA of $-22.4 million in 2017 Cash collections on products and services up 15% $44 million in gross proceeds raised via a private placement of new shares Year-end cash and cash equivalents of $26.2 million Michael McGarrity, newly appointed CEO, commented, "I am excited to join MDxHealth and lead the Company forward. Based on the clinical validity and value proposition advanced by the Company to date, I am confident that we have a solid foundation for accelerated operational and commercial execution. I am eager to apply my past experience in leading a disruptive clinical diagnostics business beyond initial adoption into standard of care, bringing tangible value to patients, clinicians and providers. Our path forward will require focus and execution, and I am confident the operating expense reduction put in place in Q4 2018 will support this focus without compromising execution. Only a few days in, I am working closely with the management team to fully integrate into the business and look forward to sharing my assessment and forward vision over the next few months. We will plan to hold an investor call after Q1 Results Release and I look forward to working together to build value for all of our stakeholders including patients, clinicians and shareholders." BUSINESS REVIEW MDxHealth has undertaken the following key initiatives to drive operating performance from top line to and through the business. Realignment of US sales territories based on contracted payor coverage, targeting increased overall cash collections and revenue. Operating expense will focus on activities that support growth of ConfirmMDx and SelectMDx. The operating expense reductions and cash preservation initiatives include: Postponement of commercial roll-out of AssureMDx for Bladder Cancer until after expected completion of the US validation and health economic studies to support reimbursement (expected late 2019). Delay of planned investments in two new products for prostate cancer, InformMDx and MonitorMDx. TEST VOLUME SUMMARY Territory Products FY 2018 FY 2017 FY YoY Volume % billable Volume % billable % Change US ConfirmMDx 20,300 99% 21,400 88% -5% SelectMDx 13,700 93% 8,600 97% 60% EU SelectMDx 5,100 54% 3,100 43% 66% US + EU Grand total 39,100 33,100 18% The Company saw progress in overall test volume growth with over 39,000 patients tested with SelectMDx and ConfirmMDx worldwide in 2018, up 18% from nearly 33,000 in 2017. ConfirmMDx Total US test volume of 20,300 in 2018 compared to 21,400 in 2017. Total test volume growth in Q4 of 11% to 4,796 from 4,329 in Q3 2018. 63% of all ConfirmMDx tests performed in the US fall under existing contracts. Expanded reimbursement coverage attributable to: Assignment of the unique PCT code combined with the newly-issued positive final Local Coverage Determination (LCD) by Medicare (Palmetto GBA) 18 new US payor contracts, including Kaiser Permanente Southern California which serves 4.4 million members, bringing the total contracted payors to 80 Six new US positive coverage commercial medical policies issued; bringing the total to 36 positive commercial policies to date, including 13 of the 36 Blue Cross Blue Shield Association-licensee payors, which collectively provide health insurance in the United States to more than 106 million people Inclusion in the European Urology Association (EAU) clinical guidelines Completion of multicenter clinical validation supporting use of ConfirmMDx in African American men at risk of aggressive cancer missed by prostate biopsy. Data published in the journal Urology Urology Data published in the journal The Prostate on the performance of ConfirmMDx biomarkers in blood samples to help guide personalized treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients. Data published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology also showed the potential of ConfirmMDx biomarkers in urine samples from patients with an initial negative biopsy. These two clinical applications extend the potential of ConfirmMDx to the liquid biopsy market space. SelectMDx Total test volume growth of 61% globally to over 18,800 in 2018 vs 11,700 in 2017. EU tst volume growth of more than 65% to over 5,100 patients tested compared to 3,100 in 2017. 12 additional US payor contracts signed including Government Services Administration (GSA) making SelectMDx available to federal, state and local government buyers; total contracted payors 26 since product launch mid-2016. Inclusion in the European Urology Association (EAU) clinical guidelines Reimbursement obtained in The Netherlands. Eight new EU distribution agreements signed bringing the total to 19, making the test available to 1.2 million men in 50 European countries. The New York State Department of Health reviewed and approved SelectMDx, further validating the quality and reliability of SelectMDx test results. US and EU health economic studies showing that routine use of SelectMDx in clinical practice would result in better outcomes for patients and combined savings of nearly $1 billion dollars for health care providers. Over 10 peer-reviewed scientific papers and abstracts published, including a clinical utility study in the journal Urology Practice. Partnerships Existing license agreement with LabCorp expanded to include rights to patents owned and controlled by MDxHealth relating to the MGMT biomarker for use in oncology, including a brain cancer test. The MGMT biomarker test is a companion diagnostis test for Glioblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer included in the NCCN guidelines and which has its own unique CPT reimbursement code. Under the terms of the agreement, MDxHealth will receive a double-digit royalty payment per test. This test is predominantly used for pharmaceutical service testing. Exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Royal Philips NV for the use of the rights to manufacture and market prognostic biomarker PDE47, enabling the finalization of development of InformMDx for Prostate Cancer, a tissue-based molecular test to stratify patients with a low or indeterminate Gleason score to predict the risk of disease progression. The Company anticipates that InformMDx will provide actionable information to help clinicians guide post-biopsy treatment decisions at the time of diagnosis, as well as post-surgical treatment decisions following prostatectomy. In the US alone, over 150,000 patients per year could benefit from the InformMDx test. POST PERIOD EVENTS Business Updates MDxHealth signs exclusive partnership agreement with LifeLabs to make SelectMDx available in Canada. available in Canada. Positive data for SelectMDx and ConfirmMDx for Prostate Cancer presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (ASCO GU), California, February 14-16 2019: Annual cost savings of nearly $500 million when SelectMDx is used prior to multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) for the identification of US patients at high risk of aggressive prostate cancer. SelectMDx outperforms the Prostate Health Index (Phi) blood test for the detection of high-grade prostate cancer prior to prostate tissue biopsy. Retrospective validation of SelectMDx in German patients confirms robust clinical performance. Clinical utility study demonstrates that ConfirmMDx had a significant positive impact on repeat prostate biopsy decision-making. Data showing SelectMDx for Prostate Cancer urine test outperforms the Prostate Health Index (phi) blood test presented at the 29th Annual International Prostate Cancer Update (IPCU) meeting in Beaver Creek, Co, January 24-27, 2019. Having a SelectMDx urine test available in the physician's office is a major advantage over a blood test as the latter requires a patient to visit an external lab for blood collection. Corporate Governance Company appoints Michael K. McGarrity as CEO of MDxHealth in February 19, 2019 Dr. Jan Groen continues as an Advisor to the Board of Directors Mr. Kurt Schmidt, MDxHealth's Executive Vice President of Finance, is serving as the Company's interim CFO. With over 20 years of senior level financial experience, over 12 of which are the molecular diagnostics industry, Mr. Schmidt has been with the Company for more than two years. The Board of Directors has initiated a search for new independent Directors with relevant U.S. industry experience. FINANCIAL REVIEW KEY FINANCIAL FIGURES Key unaudited consolidated figures for the financial year ended December 31, 2018 (thousands of US dollars, except per share data): ('000) $ 2018 2017 Change Change as a % Revenue 28,397 40,508 (12,111) (29.9)% Gross Profit 16,745 30,305 (13,560) (44.7)% Operating expenses (48,843) (42,579) (6,264) (14.7)% EBITDA (Profit/(Loss)) (29,131) (10,388) (18,743) (180.4)% Operating profit/(loss) (EBIT) (32,098) (12,274) (19,824) (161.5)% Net Income/(Loss) (32,450) (12,288) (20,162) (164.1)% Earnings per share, basic ($) (0.54) (0.25) (0.29) (116.0)% Revenue and Income Total normalized revenue for the year ended December 31, 2018 was little changed at $28.4 million, compared to $28.4 million a year earlier. Including the one-time sale of the Company's patents to Exact Sciences in 2017, total revenue was $28.4 million compared with $40.5 million. ConfirmMDx remained the lead product and accounted for 87% of total product and services revenue. The reduction of ConfirmMDx's contribution to 87% in 2018 from 91% in 2017 also reflects continued strong growth of SelectMDx, both in the US and in Europe. Test volumes for SelectMDx grew by more than 61%, and accounted for 48% of global volumes. The lower price point of SelectMDx compared to ConfirmMDx and the early stage of payor adoption however limited revenue for SelectMDx to approximately $2.4 million, an increase of 30% year-on-year. Revenue recognized on the sales of ConfirmMDx and SelectMDx represented 48% of total gross billings, a slight decrease compared to 2017, with a marginal improvement in the revenue recognition rate for ConfirmMDx being offset by the lower rate applicable to the fast-growing test volumes of SelectMDx. The gross profit margin on products and services decreased from 64% in 2017 to 58% as a result of SelectMDx increasing as a percent of total volume and greater overhead being attributed to COGS, partially offset by continued efficiency improvements in the laboratory. Operating expenses for 2018 of $48.8 million increased by $6.3 million compared to 2017, mainly as a result of a full year of the increased sales force in the US and the European commercial operations including commercial and laboratory staff. Total headcount stood at 186 at the end of 2018 compared to 232 a year earlier, the decrease reflects the optimization of the US organization in December 2018. Cash Position Cash and cash equivalents stood at $26.2 million at December 31, 2018, compared to $16.8 million at December 31, 2017. The net proceeds from new financing of $42.4 million were offset by an operational cash burn of $28.4 million, $2.4 million of unfavorable foreign exchange translation effects, and investments in tangible and intangible assets of $1.4 million. Cash collections from ConfirmMDx and SelectMDx only amounted to $26.5 million, 15% more than a year earlier. OUTLOOK 2019 The Company remains confident in the potential of its two complementary commercial stage products to provide urologists with a clear clinical pathway to accurately identify high-grade prostate cancer whilst minimizing the use of invasive procedures. We believe this clinical pathway, with SelectMDx guiding cancer detection in a pre-biopsy setting and ConfirmMDx in a post-biopsy setting, will continue driving momentum and increase market share on all fronts. In the longer term, SelectMDx will continue to drive growth in the US and international markets. The Company is positive about the outlook for the current year and believes it can achieve a higher volume of genomic testing for both ConfirmMDx and SelectMDx. Growth in 2019 and beyond will benefit from: Completion of the dossier for SelectMDx to file for Medicare coverage Increasing private payor adoption and securing favorable reimbursement rates for ConfirmMDx and SelectMDx in the US, which should improve cash collections Enhanced visibility and clinical utility of the Company's product portfolio through publication of peer-review articles, including: a prospective clinical study combining SelectMDx with mpMRI a EU and US clinical validation study for SelectMDx a health economic study comparing SelectMDx with mpMRI An Evaluation of ConfirmMDx and multiparametric MRI in patients with prior negative prostate biopsy 2019 Reporting Calendar April 24 : Q1 interim business update and management conference call. April 29: Online publication of annual report 2018 May 29: Annual General Meeting August 29: Publication of H1 2019 results October 22: Q3 business update About MDxHealth MDxHealth is a multinational healthcare company that provides actionable molecular diagnostic information to personalize the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Company's tests are based on proprietary genetic, epigenetic (methylation) and other molecular technologies and assist physicians with the diagnosis of urologic cancers, prognosis of recurrence risk, and prediction of response to a specific therapy. The Company's European headquarters are in Herstal, Belgium, with laboratory operations in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and US headquarters and laboratory operations based in Irvine, California. For more information, visit mdxhealth.com and follow us on social media at: twitter.com/mdxhealth, facebook.com/mdxhealth and linkedin.com/company/mdxhealth. Financial Statements and Auditor Review The Company's statutory auditor, BDO Bedrijfsrevisoren CBVA, has confirmed that its audit procedures with respect to the Company's consolidated financial statements, prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted in the European Union, have been partially completed, that the procedures completed to date have not revealed any material adjustments that would have to be made to the accounting information derived from the Company's consolidated financial information that is included in this press release. The condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income may be found on the Company's website at www.mdxhealth.com. The full Annual Report is expected to be made available to the public via the Company's website in April 2019. For more information: MDxHealth Kurt Schmidt, Interim CFO BE: +32 (0) 4 257 70 21 NL: +31 (0) 88 327 2727 [email protected] Consilium Strategic Communications David Daley, Chris Welsh, Jonathan Birt UK: +44 20 3709 5701 [email protected] This press release contains forward-looking statements and estimates with respect to the anticipated future performance of MDxHealth and the market in which it operates. Such statements and estimates are based on assumptions and assessments of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which were deemed reasonable but may not prove to be correct. Actual events are difficult to predict, may depend upon factors that are beyond the company's control, and may turn out to be materially different. MDxHealth expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this release to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based unless required by law or regulation. This press release does not constitute an offer or invitation for the sale or purchase of securities or assets of MDxHealth in any jurisdiction. No securities of MDxHealth may be offered or sold within the United States without registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or in compliance with an exemption therefrom, and in accordance with any applicable U.S. securities laws. NOTE: The MDxHealth logo, MDxHealth, ConfirmMDx, SelectMDx, AssureMDx, PredictMDx and UrNCollect are trademarks or registered trademarks of MDxHealth SA. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. The foregoing information on Kaiser Permanente and the General Service Administration contract awards is not intended to serve as an endorsement of MDxHealth or ConfirmMDx by Kaiser Permanente or the US Government. Attachment Click here for pdf.pdf [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Nevada Virtual Academy Opens Enrollments for 2019-2020 School Year Nevada Virtual Academy (NVVA), an online public charter school, is now accepting enrollments for the upcoming 2019-2020 school year. The tuition-free public school is available for students in 6th through 12th grade throughout the state. NVVA offers a blend of online and face-to-face instruction for students not on grade level or for those who are credit deficient. Students receive the support and resources needed to pursue and reach their academic goals. Advanced independent learners can progress at an accelerated pace, while those who find content and concepts more challenging will receive additional live instruction and support to ensure academic success. "NVVA provides an approach to learning that helps prepare students for post-graduation college or career success," says Yolanda Hamilton, Head of School at NVVA. "Our students thrive in this personalizedlearning environment and our staff is committed to providing them with a superior education experience." All NVVA students are offered a full course load in the core subjects of math, science, language arts, history, art and music. Electives include world languages in middle and high school, as well as high school honors and AP courses. NVVA also offers student clubs, field trips, social outings, and other activities to foster a sense of school community, including an in-person graduation ceremony in the spring. Applications are being accepted during the open enrollment window, which runs from Thursday, Feb. 28 through 4 p.m. PST on Tuesday, April 30, 2019. Families are encouraged to attend an in-person or online information session hosted by the school. For more information on how to enroll, and for a schedule of upcoming events, visit nvva.k12.com. About Nevada Virtual Academy Nevada Virtual Academy (NVVA) is an online public charter school serving students statewide in 6th through 12th grade. As part of the Nevada public school system, NVVA is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the curriculum provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of K-12 proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information about NVVA, visit http://nvva.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005005/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 27, 2019] Statement by Bruce Hills, President of Just For Laughs and John Lewis, SVP of Programming and Operations, SiriusXM Canada TORONTO, Feb. 27, 2019 /CNW/ - Today, we wish to announce our new strategy for Canadian Comedy on SiriusXM Canada. The new channel on SiriusXM 168 will be called Just For Laughs Canada and it will showcase 100 per cent Canadian content; and it will showcase 100 per cent Canadian content; All the content will be performed by Canadian artists independent of the Just For Laughs catalogue; and Canadian artists will be eligible for the same royalties as under the previous channel. We spoke with Sandra Battaglini from the Canadian Association of Stand-up Comedians (CAS) and informed her of our plans for the channel. Quotes "We've listened carefully to the concerns of Canadian artists and regret the stress we have caused the comedy community. We are invested in the growth of Canada's comedy industry and are working to include even more Canadian talent in all our initiatives. To that end, we will continue to engage directly with the industry and work with CASC to strengthen and advance Canadian comedy." Bruce Hills, President of Just For Laughs "Our partnership with Just For Laughs Canada provides an opportunity to bring Canada's comedic talent to a larger audience in Canada and the United States. We understand the importance our platform has to comedians in Canada, and along with Just For Laughs, we will continue to work closely with that community to ensure its success." John Lewis, SVP of Programming and Operations, SiriusXM Canada SOURCE Sirius XM Canada Holdings Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Therap Announces National Conference in Denver, Colorado Jan 28-30, 2020 DENVER, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- After wrapping up a successful national conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, Therap looks ahead to its 2020 National Conference, with the Mile High city taking its turn as host. The annual event is a platform for system administrators, management and professionals from across the nation to share ideas and experiences on implementation and processes they've developed, or are drafting to incorporate their data and accountability into the disability software's electronic health record. This year's conference featured keynote speeches on Using Data to Promote Outcomes, Quality and System Change, and family advocacy in Thinking Through the Lens of Charting the LifeCourse. The three-day event was attended by over 500 Therap users from across the US, featuring more than 200 sessions including workshops on EVV, data driven outcomes, mobile apps, dashboard reporting, program writing, community-based employment and setting up tools like pharmacy interface and electronic claims billing. The Denver conference includes tracts for agencies just starting to use the system, including specific module walk-throughs and user experiencs, to advanced sessions and state-specific topics to attend to registrants' needs. Sessions on specific topics like dashboard reports/business intelligence, moving to community-based employment, tools for children's services providers, aging providers and agencies with early intervention and early childhood programs will be on the schedule. For state departments and representatives from state agencies, sessions on comprehensive incident management, eligibility and determination, referral, waiver management and waiting lists are covered. Breakout discussions on specific state regulations and the latest trends in the intellectual and developmental disability and broader LTSS field feature heavily in sessions, from Value-Based Reimbursement (VBR), managed care, health exchanges and interoperability to EVV and care coordination. The event is an opportunity for agency leaders to gather invaluable practical knowledge, processes and networking for their organizations. About Therap Therap Services provides secure, web-based documentation, communication and electronic billing services to over 4000 intellectual disability and LTSS providers, including state contracts and state disability agencies across the United States. Therap's comprehensive solution is used in HCBS Waiver, ICF/IID, LTSS and other services to document residential and community-based supports, employment, case management, incident reporting, training and electronic billing claim submissions directly to Medicaid. Learn more at www.TherapServices.net. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/therap-announces-national-conference-in-denver-colorado-jan-28-30-2020-300804460.html SOURCE Therap Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Veritas Backup Exec certified for Microsoft Azure and Windows Server 2019 Trusted, easy to use and tailored data protection with integrated Disaster Recovery as a Service across physical, virtual and cloud environments SANTA CLARA, California, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Veritas Technologies, a worldwide leader in enterprise data protection and software-defined storage, today announced that its unified data protection solution Veritas Backup Exec has obtained certification for Microsoft Azure and Windows Server 2019. The latest version of Veritas Backup Exec will empower organizations of any size to tailor their data protection with trusted and seamless support, wherever their data resides, be it on physical or virtual machines or in the cloud. Disaster Recovery is the last line of defense in today's dynamic digital world as it enables organizations to quickly restore their data and critical applications in the case of an IT disaster, ransomware attack or data loss. "Although there is no magic answer on how much impact downtime will have on your business, current industry surveys have shown that the average enterprise organization estimates an impact cost of approximately $5,600 for every minute of unplanned downtime in its primary computing environment," according to a Gartner report1. To avoid massive financial losses and reputational damage, organizations need to recover their business critical infrastructure to the latest point as fast as possible, wherever the applications and the data reside. Veritas shares more than 25 years of collaboration with Microsoft, allowing customers to meet increasingly stricter and tighter data protection and disaster recovery objectives. With the latest certification for Veritas Backup Exec, joint customers can implement a tailored protection with customizable Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for Microsoft Azure and Windows Server 2019 based environments to further optimize their protection and cost. Day One support for Microsoft Windows 2019 Veritas Backup Exec is one of the first data protection solutions in the industry to achieve certifications for Microsoft Azure and Windows Server 2019, giving customers full coverage from day one of its general availability across cloud, virtual and physical deploymnts. With this unified data protection solution, organizations of any size can now centrally manage and tailor the protection needs of their applications and modern workloads. For business critical systems, Veritas Backup Exec adds a cost effective extra layer of protection by leveraging the cloud-based disaster recovery service Azure Site Recovery (ASR) from Microsoft. Veritas Backup Exec uses its integrated feature Instant Cloud Recovery to smoothly interact with this service and automatically create and update off-site replicas of critical virtual machines within ASR. When a critical system failure occurs on premises, Veritas Backup Exec customers will be able to quickly execute a failover to Azure. No investment in secondary sites or upfront licenses is needed to benefit from this additional layer of protection. To further optimize their backup processes and costs, customers can also run tests of their disaster recovery routines for full confidence. All backup and restore operations are simple to configure and manage through the central graphical user interface of Veritas Backup Exec. This will help organizations reduce the complexity of all their backup and recovery tasks. The new certified version of Veritas Backup Exec is available for download starting at $39 per Front-End Terabyte (FETB) per month. "With these industry leading certifications for Microsoft Azure and Windows Server 2019, Veritas once again proves its capabilities to quickly protect new key platforms and workloads," says Simon Jelley, Vice President Product Management at Veritas. "Veritas and Microsoft are working closely together, so that customers can protect their critical business applications across on premises, private and public clouds. Customers will also benefit from Veritas' long term strategy to broadly support any upcoming new workload in the future." "Having day one support for Windows Server 2019 from Veritas Backup Exec helps ensure our customers can embrace our new releases and leverage new capabilities to help modernize their infrastructure," says Guada Casuso, Chief Technology Officer ISV Business at Microsoft. "Customers can be confident that workloads in the cloud or on-premises have that extra layer of protection from Veritas to help them on their digital journey to cloud." 1 Source: Gartner, Inc., Three Moves for CIOs to Lower Business Costs With Cloud, Ron Blair, October 15, 2018 About Veritas Veritas Technologies is a global leader in enterprise data management our software and solutions help organizations protect their mission-critical data. Tens of thousands of businesses, including 97% of Fortune 100 companies, rely on us every day to back up and recover their data, keep it secure and available, to guard against failure and achieve regulatory compliance. In today's digital economy, Veritas delivers technology that helps organizations reduce risks and capitalize on their most important digital asset their data. Learn more at www.veritas.com or follow us on Twitter at @veritastechllc. Forward-looking Statements: Any forward-looking indication of plans for products is preliminary and all future release dates are tentative and are subject to change at the sole discretion of Veritas. Any future release of the product or planned modifications to product capability, functionality, or feature are subject to ongoing evaluation by Veritas, may or may not be implemented, should not be considered firm commitments by Veritas, should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions, and may not be incorporated into any contract. Veritas, the Veritas Logo and Backup Exec are trademarks or registered trademarks of Veritas Technologies LLC or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. PR Contacts US Contact Veritas Technologies Veritas team at Text 100 [email protected] EMEA Contact Veritas Technologies James Blamey +44 7467 688263 [email protected] APJ Contact Veritas Technologies Ban Leng Neo +65 9771 3894 [email protected] Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/466009/Veritas_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Verrency extends its global reach with Banco Davivienda partnership to explore payment innovation services in Latin America BOGOTA, Colombia, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Banco Davivienda, one of Colombia's largest banks, has signed an agreement with global payments innovator Verrency to be a launch partner in Latin America. The deal enables Banco Davivienda to leverage the Verrency platform to rapidly trial and launch new card programs, payment services and fintech partner solutions to its consumers and small business customers. Banco Davivienda joins Verrency's growing list of financial institution clients recognized as innovation leaders in digital transformation around the world. The list includes banks such as Emirates NBD's Liv., the fastest growing bank in the UAE targeting millennials through lifestyle-based banking experiences; Volt Bank, Australia's first independent 100% digital bank; UnionPay, Asia's largest cards network; an as-yet-unnamed Tier 1 US bank; and now, Banco Davivienda in Latin America. Davivienda is widely recognized as one of the largest and most innovative banks in Latin America, and also operates DaviPlata, the largest P2P and G2P (Government to Person) service in Latin America. "What excites us is working with some of the most innovative banks around the globe to rapidly deliver new innovations, all through their existing legacy systems," said Joe Lynam, President of Verrency Americas. "Davivienda is an ideal fit and we're pleased to be working with such a forward-driving team as they look to dramatically enhance their customers' experience." The agreement provides Davivienda the ability to rapidly trial and implement a series of value-added card, wallet and IOT consumer payment solutions including pay-with-points (at any merchant), merchant funded offers, roun-ups (to savings, charity or investment), gamification and card controls, among others. Both Verrency and Banco Davivienda are active global participants of Plug and Play Tech Center, with Verrency being the first FinTech to be selected for three Global Plug and Play locations. "We are excited that such innovative partners such as Banco Davivienda and Verrency are working together to drive payments innovation in South America and that Plug and Play was instrumental in connecting the two of them," said Andrea Sanchez, Plug and Play Tech Center. "Working in partnership with Verrency, a startup with an absolutely innovative offer, has made a perfect match with our vision of innovating to enhance people's lives and make life much better, thanks to our great partnership with Plug and Play Tech Center," said Oscar Rodriguez, Innovation VP for Davivienda. About Banco Davivienda In Davivienda we believe in a simple, warm, easy financial world, capable of generating experiences that brighten and delight life. For this reason, through innovations, we develop solutions to satisfy the real needs of more than 10 million customers, surprising them, adding value to their environment and looking for greater financial inclusion. Davivienda, a Colombian bank, belongs to Bolivar Business Group and since 1972 has devoted its efforts in innovating to enrich with integrity the heritage of individuals, families and companies, as well as to support the development of the rural sector and generate value to society in a sustainable manner . Today we have operations in Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador and Miami in the United States. About Verrency Verrency puts card issuers/ financial institutions back at the centre of innovation. Verrency's payments innovation platform helps issuers to acquire and retain customers and increase card spend while increasing security, control and connectability. Verrency works behind the scenes to enable an ever-increasing range of value-added services for an issuer's customers quickly and easily without major changes to existing payments infrastructure or the need to integrate to point-of-sale systems. Verrency also enables rapid connection to third-party fintech services via its FinTech marketplace with little to no integration. www.verrency.com Media contacts: Verrency Chenny Wulandari at [email protected] or +61 411 582102 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/verrency-extends-its-global-reach-with-banco-davivienda-partnership-to-explore-payment-innovation-services-in-latin-america-300803762.html SOURCE Verrency [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] WayRay's True AR SDK is selected as a 2019 SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards Finalist ZURICH, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The True AR SDK by WayRay has been named one of five finalists in the VR/AR/MR category for the 2019 SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards. WayRay, the Swiss leader of holographic AR displays, has been chosen among other applicants to come to Austin, Texas and demonstrate their True AR SDK at the Interactive Innovation Awards Showcase on March 9, as well as to attend the Awards Ceremony on March 11. Selected from numerous entries for the SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards, the True AR SDK is the first-ever toolset for creating augmented reality applications for cars. With the SDK, custom-made hardware and software, WayRay is aiming to transform any glass surface into a new medium for information and create a global platform where any type of AR content can be supplied and consumed. The True AR Software Development Kit created by WayRay allows developers to build, test, and debug AR apps that run on WayRay's in-vehicle holographic AR displays. With the SDK, developers can create and seamlessly integrate virtual objects like safety alerts, navigation elements, and infotainment features into the world around the car, giving users a myriad of immersive opportunities. WayRay officially released its True AR SDK beta in December 2018, followed by a public showcase at CES 2019 in Las Vegas. In early 2019, the company joined the Reality Virtually Hackathon as a platinum sponsor and provided the True AR SDK to AR app creators in the "Automotive" category. At the 4th annual SXSW Interactive Awards Finalist Showcase on Saturday, March 9, WayRay will demonstrate its True AR SDK hands-on alongside its holographic AR display prototype for SXSW attendees and judges alike. Then WayRay will compete for top honors with the other nominees FundamentalVR, HaptX, Accenture, Subvrsive at the Interactive Innovatin Awards Ceremony on Monday, March 11. Locate WayRay at SXSW: Austin Convention Center, Hall 1, booth 2519 The 22nd annual SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards, presented by KPMG, will recognize the most forward-thinking tech developments in the connected world. Winners are awarded across 13 categories, including VR, AR & MR; AI & Machine Learning; Innovation in Connecting People; Robotics and Hardware; Smart Cities, Transportation & Delivery. Download the full press kit here: https://wayray.com/press/SXSW2019.zip About WayRay Founded in 2012, WayRay is a holographic AR technology company headquartered in Zurich. In keeping the full R&D process under control from product concept to prototype testing WayRay has morphed from a startup into a full-cycle manufacturer of holographic optical systems, hardware, and software. With about 250 professionals employed globally, WayRay has offices in Switzerland, USA, China, and Russia. Over three funding rounds, WayRay has raised about $100 million from Alibaba Group, Porsche AG, Hyundai Motor, JVCKENWOOD, China Merchants Capital, and other investors. The company has also won prestigious industry awards, including the Grand Prize at the 2017 AutoMobility LA Top Ten Automotive Startups Competition, the People's Choice Award and the AR category at Startup Autobahn 2018. Official hashtags: #HolographicAR, #ARforCars, #SXSW For more information, please visit: Website: wayray.com Facebook: facebook.com/MyWayRay Instagram: instagram.com/wayraygram Twitter: twitter.com/WayRay LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/wayray YouTube: youtube.com/wayray View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wayrays-true-ar-sdk-is-selected-as-a-2019-sxsw-interactive-innovation-awards-finalist-300802310.html SOURCE WayRay [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Wolters Kluwer to Share Fintech Expertise at 2019 Securities Industry Institute Stevie Conlon, vice president, tax and regulatory counsel in Wolters Kluwer's Compliance Solutions business, will speak on "Successfully Managing Financial Innovation and Disruption" at the Securities Industry Institute (SII) conference in early March. The event will take place at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School at 12:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 and is co-hosted with SIFMA (The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association). The SII is an executive development program designed for professionals in all areas of financial services, including participants from financial exchanges and regulatory agencies. "Technological change has had a radical impact on our daily lives and it is having a similar affect on the financial industry," says Conlon. "Banks, financial firms and consumers are adopting new technologies and looking for process efficiencies. However, financial firms are subject to significant, ongoing regulatory compliance responsibilites. My goal is to frame these regulatory concerns in a world of technological change by focusing on the compliance challenges presented by cryptocurrencies and financial derivatives, including tax reporting issues." At Wolters Kluwer, Conlon leads the firm's U.S. Advisory Services group, which offers consultative expertise to help financial institutions comply with regulatory requirements. She is also a leader with the firm's Investment Compliance Solutions line of business, where she oversees tax regulatory issues and corporate actions. Both businesses are part of Wolters Kluwer's Compliance Solutions business unit. Conlon also leads the firm's Compliance Solutions Fintech Task Force and is a frequent contributor to Wolters Kluwer's Fintech Consulting Advisory Center, a resource for thought leadership on cryptocurrency, fintech, financial derivatives tax and regulatory issues, and solutions such as GainsKeeper Cryptocurrency, which helps holders of digital currencies manage their tax obligations. Following her SII presentation, Conlon will speak at the following industry events: National Association of Bond Lawyers' The Institute (formerly Tax & Securities Law Institute): Conlon is the featured General Session speaker, "Why Cryptocurrency And Blockchain Will Be Relevant For You," and will cover the essentials of crypto & blockchain activity, regulatory concerns, and municipal finance possibilities for an audience of close to 400 NABL bond lawyers gathered to discuss high-level trends and challenges in public finance law. Thursday, March 7, Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, Bonita Springs, Fla. (formerly Tax & Securities Law Institute): Conlon is the featured General Session speaker, "Why Cryptocurrency And Blockchain Will Be Relevant For You," and will cover the essentials of crypto & blockchain activity, regulatory concerns, and municipal finance possibilities for an audience of close to 400 NABL bond lawyers gathered to discuss high-level trends and challenges in public finance law. Thursday, March 7, Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, Bonita Springs, Fla. Federal Bar Association 42 nd Annual Tax Law Conference : "The Block Chain Gang: Criminal Enforcement & Tax Reporting for Crypto." Conlon will moderate a panel looking at existing IRS guidance for cryptocurrency and important open issues, including tax gains and losses on cryptocurrency and tokens and potential recognition limitations and concerns; and tax reporting, enforcement risks, and related IRS initiatives and statements for cryptocurrencies and ICO tokens. Friday, March 8, Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center, Washington D.C. "The Block Chain Gang: Criminal Enforcement & Tax Reporting for Crypto." Conlon will moderate a panel looking at existing IRS guidance for cryptocurrency and important open issues, including tax gains and losses on cryptocurrency and tokens and potential recognition limitations and concerns; and tax reporting, enforcement risks, and related IRS initiatives and statements for cryptocurrencies and ICO tokens. Friday, March 8, Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center, Washington D.C. 2019 Tax Reporting & Withholding Conference : "Broker Reporting and Cost Basis Issues." Conlon will speak on a range of issues involving cost basis, broker reporting, 871(m), cryptocurrencies, Forms 1099-B, INT and DIV for an audience of tax reporting and withholding professionals. Tuesday, April 30, The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City, Arlington, Va. "Broker Reporting and Cost Basis Issues." Conlon will speak on a range of issues involving cost basis, broker reporting, 871(m), cryptocurrencies, Forms 1099-B, INT and DIV for an audience of tax reporting and withholding professionals. Tuesday, April 30, The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City, Arlington, Va. 43rd Annual Texas Advanced Estate Planning & Probate: In an event hosted by the State Bar of Texas, Conlon and other panelists will present advanced instruction examining the administration of estates with specialty assets, with Conlon providing expertise on virtual currency issues. June 18-20, La Cantera Resort & Spa, San Antonio, Texas. Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions, part of the company's Governance, Risk & Compliance division, is a market leader and trusted provider of risk management and regulatory compliance solutions and services to U.S. banks and credit unions, insurers and securities firms. The business helps these financial institutions efficiently manage compliance obligations tied to loan and deposit origination transactions and workflows, manage risk and regulatory compliance challenges, and gain the insights needed to focus on better serving their customers and growing their business. About Wolters Kluwer Governance, Risk & Compliance Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) is a division of Wolters Kluwer, which provides legal and banking professionals with solutions to ensure compliance with ever-changing regulatory and legal obligations, manage risk, increase efficiency, and produce better business outcomes. GRC offers a portfolio of technology-enabled expert services and solutions focused on legal entity compliance, legal operations management, banking product compliance, and banking regulatory compliance. Wolters Kluwer (AEX: WKL) is a global leader in information services and solutions for professionals in the health, tax and accounting, risk and compliance, finance and legal sectors. Wolters Kluwer reported 2018 annual revenues of 4.3 billion. The company, headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands, serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries and employs 19,000 people worldwide. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005138/en/ [February 27, 2019] XL Axiata Partners with Huawei to Build Southeast Asia's First 5G Ready Simplified Transport Network BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- During Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019, PT XL Axiata Tbk partnered with Huawei to announce the joint construction of the Southeast Asia's first 5G Ready simplified transport network. This network will cover the whole country to fully support XL Axiata's expansion in individual, home, and enterprise services, provide ultimate service experience for end users, and accelerate the digital transformation process of enterprises. XL Axiata is a leading mobile telecommunications service operator in Indonesia. It has extensive network and service coverage in Indonesia and provides data, voice, SMS, and other value-added services for individual, home, and enterprise users. XL Axiata is committed to becoming the most popular data communication provider and has proposed the 3R (Revamp, Rise & Reinvent) strategy to provide rich content services for users and bring digital services to every Indonesian family and enterprise by building a new business model with data services as the core. To accelerate transformation into an all-service operator, Indonesia XL Axiata is promoting unified planning and construction of the entire transport network and building a simplified 5G Ready network to enhance its leading position in the 5G era. Ms. Yessie Dianty Yosetya, CTO of XL Axiata, said, "We are reconstructing the transport network to provide Fixed Mobile Convergence businesses. Huawei's solution supports the construction of a high-bandwidth, low-latency, and simplified transport network, which effectively matches our strategic goal for network simplification. We are confident that this solution will provide optimal network experience for all customers across Indonesia and help them better enjoy digital life." Richard Jin, President of Huawei Transmission & Access Product Line, said, "We are glad to work with XL Axiata to build his future-oriented all-optical transport network. This is an important milestone in the global commercial use of Optical Networking 2.0. In the future, we will cooperate with XL Axiata to achieve more innovations, continuously improve its network O&M efficiency, and build an all-optical transport network centered on user experience, enabling XL Axiata to seize strategic opportunities in the 5G era." Under this backdrop, XL Axiata has applied Huawei's Optical Networking 2.0 solution to significantly simplify network architecture and build a simplified transport network oriented to the Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) and 5G era. This solution uses the industry's first OXC (all-optical cross-connect) device to build a 3D-mesh backbone network and enable one-hop connection between sites to implement fast end-to-end service provisioning. It also promotes the extension of optical networks to end nodes on the network and builds a simplified 5G Ready metro network based on the industry's highest-integration MS-OTN product and industry's first 6-mode-in-1 MA5800 optical access platform. The end-to-end all-optical integrated service transport network helps XL Axiata effectively address the challenges of 10-times bandwidth, 1/10 latency, 100-times network connections, and 10-times network complexity in the 5G era, making XL Axiata evolve toward an all-service operator. In addition, this network will provide more innovative services such as Cloud VR, 4K live broadcast, and premium private line for users, and propel the digital transformation of enterprise customers. MWC 2019 runs from February 25 to 28 in Barcelona, Spain. Huawei is showcasing its products and solutions at booth 1H50 in Fira Gran Via Hall 1, booth 3I30 in Hall 3, the Innovation City zone in Hall 4, and booths 7C21 and 7C31 in Hall 7. For more information, please visit http://www.huawei.com/mwc2019/. -End- About XL Axiata PT XL Axiata Tbk. is one of the major cellular providers in Indonesia. XL's focus is to provide digital services for the people of Indonesia as well as to encourage the development of Indonesia's digital economy. XL commenced operations on the 8th of October 1996 and now provides various digital services for both the consumer and corporate segments which is supported by its wide and high-quality network across the nation. Since December 2014, XL began to deploy its 4G LTE network with a nationwide commercial roll-out of 4G LTE services commencing July 2015. XL is part of the Axiata Group ("Group"). The Group's mobile subsidiaries and associates operate under the brand name 'Celcom' in Malaysia, 'Dialog' in Sri Lanka, 'Robi' in Bangladesh, 'Smart' in Cambodia, 'Ncell' in Nepal, 'Idea' in India and 'M1' in Singapore. About Huawei Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. With integrated solutions across four key domains -- telecom networks, IT, smart devices, and cloud services -- we are committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. Huawei's end-to-end portfolio of products, solutions and services are both competitive and secure. Through open collaboration with ecosystem partners, we create lasting value for our customers, working to empower people, enrich home life, and inspire innovation in organizations of all shapes and sizes. At Huawei, innovation focuses on customer needs. We invest heavily in basic research, concentrating on technological breakthroughs that drive the world forward. We have more than 180,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees. For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com or follow us on: http://www.linkedin.com/company/Huawei http://www.twitter.com/Huawei http://www.facebook.com/Huawei http://www.google.com/+Huawei http://www.youtube.com/Huawei Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20190228/2388897-1 SOURCE Huawei [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 27, 2019] Private LTE in Mining Industry Market: Insights into the Competitive Scenario of the Market Private LTE technologies offer broadband data with mobility and roaming capabilities, SIM-based security, and other features to support connectivity for Internet of Things devices and human end-users. Major factors driving the global private LTE in mining industry market are increase in demand for Internet of Things in the mining industry. Mining processes involve a number of issues in the area of connectivity as mining sites are usually located in isolated regions with minimal cellular coverage. This leads to increased demand for strong communication networks. The strong eco system in the market also strengthens the private LTE in mining industry market. For instance, in June 2017, Redline Communications Group Inc. a provider of wireless networks partnered with Future Technologies Ventures, LLC (Future Technologies) to offer a private LTE network solution to military customers for strategic deployment purposes. With this partnership, Future Technologies Ventures, LLC was able to provide a private network to its existing military customers. However, government rules and regulations for spectrum hamper the private LTE in mining industry market. The global private LTE in mining industry market can be segmented based on solution, application, enterprise size, and region. The private LTE in mining industry market can be categorized based on solution into infrastructure and devices. The infrastructure solution can be segmented into hardware, software, and services. The hardware solution includes EPC, eNodeB Radio Access Network (RAN), network core, small cells etc. and devices includes phones, notepads, and mobile routers. The services solution can be divided into managed and professional services. Request For Report Brochure https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=56715 Professional services can be further classified into installation & integration, support & maintenance, and auditing & consulting. In terms of application, the global private LTE in mining industry market can be classified into remote control operation, security surveillance, camera monitoring, dispatch structures, water-level monitoring, supply control, detection of moving machinery, collision awareness application, fatigue monitoring, conveyor monitoring, machinery alarm monitoring, and others (access control systems, emergency notification system etc.). In terms of organization size, the private LTE in mining industry market can be classified into small-medium organizations and large organizations. Based on region, the global private LTE in mining industry market can be segmented into North America, Europe, South America, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America is estimated to account for high market share in 2018, and it is expected to continue its dominance over the forecast period. This is due to government initiatives to allow spectrum (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) for business applications. The private LTE in mining industry market in Canada is also expected to grow at a high CAGR due to a strong eco system in this region. The private LTE in mining industry market in European countries is expected to expand at a significant CAGR due to increasing need for secure and dedicated networks from industry verticals. Get ToC Of Report https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=56715 The global private LTE in mining industry market is expected to create significant opportunity due to strong eco system partnerships. For instance, in March 2018, Ericsson AB and Ambra Solutions provided a private LTE network for Laronde Mine Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd, a mining company based in Quebec, Canada. The private LTE network is utilizing band 5 at 850 MHz. The installed private LTE network permits the use of IoT sensors and devices to operate, monitor, and collect data throughout the mining site. Moreover, it includes remote control operation for mining machinery, dispatch systems, emergency notification systems, access control systems, automated data collection, ventilation fan monitoring, and gas detection systems. Key companies operating in the global private LTE in mining industry market are Nokia Corporation, Ericsson AB, NEC Corporation, Squire Technologies, Quortus Limited, NetNumber Inc., Redline Communications, SpiderCloud Wireless, Ruckus Networks, Sercomm Corporation, Intel Corporation, Future Technologies LLC, HCL Technologies Limited, ADVA Optical Networking SE, Mavenir Systems, pdvWireless, and Deutsche Telekom AG. As a community-building service, TMCnet allows user submitted content which is not always proofed by TMCnet editors. If you feel this entry is of inferior quality or wish to report it for some reason, please forward the URL to "webedit [AT] tmcnet [DOT] com" with your comments. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 27, 2019] During the Mobile World Congress 2019, IDEMIA Demonstrates How to Grow IoT Product Value with Sierra Wireless In Barcelona, IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, will display its DIM Low Power newest features. Using M2M cellular modules from the IoT solutions leader, Sierra Wireless, it enhances energy saving and security on both LTE (News - Alert)-M and NB-IoT networks. Cellular networks are evolving to connect devices requiring extremely low power consumption. The 3GPP standards like LTE-M and NB-IoT are defined for the Internet-of-Things (IoT) connectivity by using existing network infrastructures. IDEMIA is strongly involved in this IoT evolution, delivering solutions, secure technology using our exclusive know-how. IoT requires devices that are connected everywhere often under extreme environments, especially in Industrial IoT where devices need to last more than 15 years with only a few amounts of data exchanged. Low Power Networks, therefore, play an important role in the IoT industry, introducing new networks and devices able to operate over a long range remotely with low power and optimized solutions. "IDEMIA is a market leader in securing the IoT world. By adapting to different market requirements, across consumer or industrial IoT, IDEMIA has tailored an M2M SIM card that saves power consumption and extends battery life, combined with the strong authentication of the devices," said Fabien Jautard, Executive Vice-President for Mobile Operators activities at IDEMIA. "Together with Sierra Wireless (News - Alert), IDEIA demonstrates the strengths and full compatibility of their newest IoT features, namely energy saving and security in line with IoT evolution and standards", he added. IDEMIA already has commercially available products including this innovative solution in the IoT market with its DIM Low Power, creating additional product value for operators and OEMs. "With the AirPrime HL7800 cellular modules, already deployed massively on the field, Sierra Wireless is proud to offer the most innovative LPWA solutions with the lowest power consumption on the market today.. Cellular IoT devices can now be deployed everywhere and run on battery for more than 10 or 15 years on 4G and soon 5G networks for reliable and secure long-life global service coverage," said Nicolas Damour,, Director for Technology Partnerships at Sierra Wireless. "We are glad to see that IDEMIA brings innovative power consumption optimizations for the SIM card to further boost energy-efficient IoT deployments". Come and discover how IDEMIA grows product value via NB-IoT at the Mobile World Congress (News - Alert) on IDEMIA's booth, Hall 6 Stand 6H30. About IDEMIA IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, provides a trusted environment enabling citizens and consumers alike to perform their daily critical activities (such as pay, connect, travel and vote), in the physical as well as digital space. Securing our identity has become mission critical in the world we live in today. By standing for Augmented Identity, an identity that ensures privacy and trust and guarantees secure, authenticated and verifiable transactions, we reinvent the way we think, produce, use and protect one of our greatest assets - our identity - whether for individuals or for objects, whenever and wherever security matters. We provide Augmented Identity for international clients from Financial, Telecom, Identity, Public Security and IoT sectors. With close to $3 billion in revenues and 13,000 employees around the world, IDEMIA serves clients in 180 countries. For more information, visit www.idemia.com / Follow @IDEMIAGroup on Twitter (News - Alert) View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190227005944/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 27, 2019] HARDCAR Distribution Appoints New COO, Salvatore Moccia, Also Purchases Northeast Security Company, Increasing Footprint in US Cannabis Market PALM SPRINGS, Calif., Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- California based HARDCAR announced today that it has appointed Mr. Salvatore Moccia as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). The company is also announcing that it has purchased National Cannabis Security Services, expanding its title as the nation's largest armored cannabis company. "I've known Sal for over a decade and this isn't the first time that we've built something significant together. When a company is looking to really dominate a space, it needs to bring in the best person it can possibly find, and in this case, that person is Sal Moccia. We are honored that he has accepted the challenges ahead and look forward to the next stages of our national and international growth. Sal has experience in all markets and brings incredible leadership and drive to our team." Todd Kleperis, CEO of HARDCAR Distribution Mr. Moccia has over 25 years of Operations and IT leadership experience with a consistent track record of driving increased levels of productivity, profits and internal/external customer satisfaction. In addition, his extensive acquisition and due diligence background will assist HARDCAR with growing its footprint across the United States, establishing a franchise model which will eventually lead to opening up international markets. "I would first like to say that I am humbled and honored to join such an amazing team and to be part of something that supports our veterans. HARDCAR has proven itself as a leader in the cannabis industry with its innovative business model and superior quality products and services. Together with the vision and experience of CEO, Todd Kleperis, and with my background in acquisitions and mergers and ability to bridge the gap between business and IT, we can take this company to the next level. I look forward to working with the HARDCAR team toward expanding our company's footprint domestically and internationally to dominate this space in the industry." Salvatore Moccia, COO of HARDCAR Distribution In addition, HARDCAR is excited to announce that it has acquired National Cannabis Security Services (NCSS) out of Pennsylvania, expanding its US footprint to over ten (10) states. NCSS wa founded by Mr. Theodore V. Daniels (Ted) and provides security professionals to the legal cannabis industry throughout the northeast. Mr. Daniels is a pioneer in the cannabis security industry and has been featured by a number of syndicated media networks including HBO Vice, Rolling Stone and Wall Street Journal. "My team and I couldn't be happier to be a part of the HARDCAR team and culture. HARDCAR, under the direction of CEO Todd Kleperis and COO Salvatore Moccia, have proven to be the secure transit innovator in the cannabis space. We are excited to expand our existing footprint on the east coast with true financial and transit solutions that just a few years ago, we thought was impossible. We are honored to be with the best in the industry." Ted Daniels, HARDCAR VP of New Development Mr. Moccia's experience in mergers and acquisitions has shown to be industry agnostic. He led HARDCAR's first acquisition conversation within his first two weeks as COO, and finalized it in less than 30 days. Mr. Moccia has brought massive growth to a number of organizations, and this recent acquisition is only a small glimpse into what he intends to bring to HARDCAR. Mr. Daniels and the NCSS team are prior military vets and highly trained in their security practices, adding great value to the HARDCAR team while also building on the foundation of hiring Combat Service and Law Enforcement veterans. Their team is at the front of HARDCAR's Northeast expansion and will play a major role in dominating the US market. For more information about HARDCAR Distribution, please call 1-833-246-4273 or email at [email protected]. Media Contact Jon Pierce [email protected] About HARDCAR HARDCAR is an award-winning cannabis company and long-time contributor to the cannabis industry, with a proven track record of cultivating and solidifying meaningful relationships with businesses and government officials alike. From Cash In Transit (CIT) to Cannabis Distribution, Cannabis Banking, Secured Cannabis Storage, Cannabis Financing, and Cannabis Transport, HARDCAR has all aspects of the cannabis market covered. Their diversified team of highly qualified professionals provides the highest quality industry services to keep their partners' products safe, while always maintaining excellence and compliance throughout their work. For more information, please visit hardcar.com Related Images national-cannabis-security-services.jpeg National Cannabis Security Services HARDCAR is excited to announce that it has acquired National Cannabis Security Services (NCSS) out of Pennsylvania, expanding its US footprint to over ten (10) states. NCSS was founded by Mr. Theodore V. Daniels (Ted) and provides security professionals to the legal cannabis industry throughout the northeast. Mr. Daniels is a pioneer in the cannabis security industry and has been featured by a num hardcar.png HARDCAR HARDCAR is an award-winning cannabis company and long-time contributor to the cannabis industry, with a proven track record of cultivating and solidifying meaningful relationships with businesses and government officials alike. From Cash In Transit (CIT) to Cannabis Distribution, Cannabis Banking, Secured Cannabis Storage, Cannabis Financing, and Cannabis Transport, HARDCAR has all aspects of the salvatore-moccia.jpg Salvatore Moccia Mr. Moccia has over 25 years of Operations and IT leadership experience with a consistent track record of driving increased levels of productivity, profits and internal/external customer satisfaction. In addition, his extensive acquisition and due diligence background will assist HARDCAR with growing its footprint across the United States, establishing a franchise model which will eventually lead View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hardcar-distribution-appoints-new-coo-salvatore-moccia-also-purchases-northeast-security-company-increasing-footprint-in-us-cannabis-market-300803566.html SOURCE HARDCAR Distribution [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 27, 2019] New Truck Boom Cycle Comes to a Close, J.D. Power Finds MCLEAN, Va., Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In the February 2019 Commercial Truck Guidelines Industry Update, analysts from J.D. Power Valuation Services reported that 2019 opened as expected in the auction and retail channels with no changes in pricing. With the new truck boom cycle behind us, it means truckers are satisfied with the units they have in the production pipeline. "Compared to most of 2018, Class 8 orders were extremely low for the third month in a row," said Chris Visser, Commercial Truck Senior Analyst at J.D. Power Valuation Services. "Manufacturing rebounded in January, so we are not yet overly concerned about the health of the economy, but indicators are becoming more mixed and it would be wise to start shifting to a more conservative long-term outlook for inventory management and pricing forecasts." Major findings in the free monthly report note: Pricing Stable at Auctions Seasonal lull in activity means low volume of data Retail Pricing Remains Strong Fewer buyers at dealerships Medium Duty Segments Mixed Lighter GVW units faring better than heavier trucks Download the free February 2019 Commercial Truck Guidelines Industry Update. J.D. Power Valuation Services (formerly NADA Used Car Guide) is a leading provider of vehicle valuation products and services to businesses. The team collects and analyzes more than 1 million automotive and truck wholesale and retail transactions per month, and delivers a range of guidebooks, auction data, analysis and data solutions. J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, J.D. Power has offices serving North America, South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. Media Relations Contacts Geno Effler; Costa Mesa, Calif.; 714-621-6224; [email protected] About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-truck-boom-cycle-comes-to-a-close-jd-power-finds-300803694.html SOURCE J.D. Power [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 27, 2019] ProGrade Digital Announces Strategic Partner Sampling of CFexpress 1.0 Memory Cards with Read Speeds of 1,600MB/s and a CFexpress USB 3.1, Gen 2 Reader ProGrade Digital, Inc., founded with a mission to provide the highest quality professional grade digital memory cards and workflow solutions, announces broader sampling of its CFexpress 1.0 Type B cards. First demonstrated by the company in April 2018 at the National Association of Broadcasters Show (NAB) Las Vegas, CFexpress 1.0 offers next generation memory card performance by leveraging PCIe, Gen 3 interconnect with NVMe host controller interface. ProGrade Digital CFexpress cards provide read speeds up-to 1,600MB/s, and burst write speeds up-to 1,400MB/s. Two performance levels are available: Cobalt (News - Alert) label: delivers minimum sustained write speed of 1,300MB/s; Gold label: delivers minimum sustained write speeds of between 150MB/s and 400MB/s depending on card capacity. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190227005957/en/ ProGrade Digital CFexpress Card 1TB (Photo: Business Wire) Evaluation samples of ProGrade Digital CFexpress cards and readers are available to qualified partners by visiting https://progradedigital.com/prograde-digital-partner-sample-request/ and completing an evaluation form. Once qualified by the company, sample purchases can be made easily through the company's ecommerce site. ProGrade Digital cards and readers will be available for purchase by the general public as soon as firmware for existig compatible cameras is updated or when new devices are introduced into the market. "Having demonstrated the capabilities with CFexpress early last year, ProGrade Digital is pleased to invite development partners globally to evaluate this new card standard for use with their next generation products," said Wes Brewer, founder and CEO of ProGrade Digital. "The CFexpress form factor provides extremely fast data read and write speeds with very low latency, which makes it ideal for imaging, as well as a range of industrial, computational and enterprise applications. Our new CFexpress high speed USB 3.1, Gen 2 reader, adds immediate access of high-speed data transfers from camera to any workstation utilizing commonly available USB ports. Through our new sampling program, plus our ongoing work with imaging industry leaders, ProGrade Digital continues to advance the market adoption of this important new standard for removable storage." ProGrade Digital CFexpress portfolio: CFexpress Cobalt Maximum read speed 1600MB/s Burst write speed 1400MB/s Minimum sustained write speed 1300MB/s Capacities: 325GB, 650GB CFexpress Gold Maximum read speed 1600MB/s Burst write speed 600MB/s - 1000MB/s Minimum sustained write speed 150MB/s - 400MB/s Capacities: 120GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB CFexpress 1.0 Cobalt and Gold both deliver: Fully compliant with CompactFlash Association 1.0 specification NVMe host interface with PCIe Gen3 X2 interconnect Extended battery life and low standby power through NVMe PS0 - PS4 support XQD host interoperable with firmware support Metal enclosure for improved durability and heat dissipation Thermal throttling protects card from overheating Optimized controllers specifically designed for use in professional-grade motion and still capture cameras Unique serialized tracking of every card enabling identification of key components and manufacturing data for the highest quality control Rigorous 100% full card testing down to individual memory chips for optimal quality X-ray proof, shock-proof Temperature ranges: operating 14 to 158F/ -10 to 70C; storage -4 to 185F/ -20 to 85C Dimensions: 29.6mm x 38.5mm x 3.8mm 3-year warranty The CFexpress form factor is forecasted to gain broad industry adoption starting in 2019 due to its backward compatibility with XQD, and its open industry standard support from major device manufacturers. About ProGrade Digital, Inc. ProGrade Digital focuses exclusively on the design and marketing of digital memory cards, card readers and workflow software required by imaging professionals. Flagship products include ProGrade Digital CFexpress and ProGrade Digital SDXC UHS-II V90 memory cards offered in a range of capacities and USB 3.1, Gen 2 high speed readers. ProGrade Digital memory cards and workflow solutions are available for purchase globally through Amazon.com (News - Alert), on the company website and also B&H Photo and Video. High resolution product photos and logo for download: http://bit.ly/ProGradeDigitalPRKit ProGrade Digital is an authorized licensee of SDXC, microSDXC, CFast 2.0, CompactFlash and CFexpress trademarks. All other brand or product names in the release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190227005957/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 27, 2019] Printing Inks Global Market Opportunities And Strategies To 2022 NEW YORK, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- This report describes and evaluates the global market for printing inks. It covers two five-year periods, 2014 to 2018, termed the historic period, and 2018 through 2022, the forecast period. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05734180 The printing inks manufacturing market consists of the sales of printing and inkjet inks by entities (organizations, sole traders or partnerships) that produce printing and inkjet inks. The global market for printing inks reached a value of nearly $33.7 billion in 2018, having increased at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.0% since 2014, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.1% to nearly $38.1 billion by 2022. Growth in the historic period resulted from rising demand in emerging markets and technological advances.Going forward, increased demand from the packaging industry, 3D technological advances and economic growth will drive the printing inks market growth. Factors that negatively affected growth in the historic period were changing regulations, and decreased demand from the paper publishing industry. Factors that could hinder the growth of this market in the future are shortages and price rises in raw materials, and reductions in free trade. The market can be segmented by formulation type into oil-based printing inks, solvent-based printing inks, and water-based printing inks. Oil-based printing inks accounted for the largest share of the printing inks market in 2018 at 39.0%. The water-based printing inks market is expected to be the fastest-growing segmentgoing forward at a CAGR of 4.0%. The market categorized by product type is divided into flexographic printing inks, offset printing inks, rotogravure printing inks and digital printing inks. Offset printing inks accounted for the largest share of the printing inks market in 2018 at 40.9%. The digital printing inks market is expected to be the fastest-growing segment going forward at a CAGR of 3.7%. The market is also classified by end use industries into packaging, print media, commercial printing, and others. Packaging accounted for the largest share of the printing inks market in 2018 at 46.7%. This market is also expected to be the fastest-growing segment going forward at a CAGR of 4.7%. Western Europe is the largest market for printing inks companies, accounting for 35.4% of the global market. It is followed by North America , Asia-Pacific , Eastern Europe , and then the other regions. Going forward, Middle East and South America will be the fastest growing regions in this market, where growth will be at a CAGR of 10.9% and 5.1% respectively. This is followed by Africa and Asia Pacific , where the market is expected to grow at CAGRs of 4.8% and 4.0% respectively. Major players in the market are DIC Corporation, Flint Group, Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co., Ltd., Sakata Inx Corporation, and Siegwerk Druckfarben AG & Co. KGaA. The global chemicals market, of which the printing inks market is a segment, reached a value of nearly 3,375.8 billion in 2018, having grown at 1.0% since 2014, and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9% to nearly $4,241.6 billion by 2022. The printing inks market was the smallest segment in the global chemicals market in 2018. The printing inks market accounted for 1.0% of the chemicals market. The ethyl alcohol and other basic organic chemical market is the largest segment of the chemicals market, accounting for 26.5% of the chemicals market, worth $893.8 billion globally and has grown at a CAGR of 0.8% during the historic period. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.6% during the forecast period. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05734180 About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/printing-inks-global-market-opportunities-and-strategies-to-2022-300803242.html SOURCE Reportlinker [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 27, 2019] Web Content, Search Portals, SEO Services And Social Media Global Market Opportunities And Strategies To 2022 NEW YORK, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- This report describes and evaluates the market for web content, search portals, SEO services and social media globally. It covers two five-year periods, 2014 to 2018, termed the historic period, and 2018 through 2022, the forecast period. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05715672 The web content, search portals, SEO services and social media market consists of the revenues generated from sales of advertising, subscriptions and advisory services by entities. The global market for web content, search portals, SEO services and social media reached a value of nearly $391.9 billion in 2018, having grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.3% since 2014, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.5% to nearly $772.9 billion by 2022. Growth in the historic period resulted from technological development, the emergence of digital media advertising and increased internet penetration. Going forward, the emergence of affordable internet in developing countries, changing social consumer social behavior and rising mobile internet usage will drive growth. Factors that negatively affected growth in the historic period were low education levels, government regulations, high capital requirements and content acquisition costs associated with intellectual property agreements. Factors that could hinder the growth of this market in the future are government regulations including those reflecting antitrust concerns and privacy and other security issues related to social networks. The market can be egmented by type into digital publishing and content streaming, internet search portals, social media, and search engine optimization services. Internet search portals accounted for the largest share of the web content, search portals, SEO services and social media market in 2018 at 39.2%. The internet search portals market is also expected to be the fastest-growing segment going forward at a CAGR of 21.1%. Major drivers of the internet search portals market segment include ease of access to search engines, increasing use of computers and smartphones, and increasing use of the internet for business purposes. The digital publishing and content streaming market which consists of the revenues generated from sales of advertising space and subscriptions can be further segmented by type into digital publishing and content streaming. Content streaming accounted for the largest share of the digital publishing and content streaming market in 2018 at 57.5%. The content streaming segment is also expected to grow at the higher CAGR of the two, at 8.8%. The internet search portals market which consists of the revenues generated from sales of advertising space can be further segmented by industry type into retail and wholesale, transportation manufacturing, food and beverages, financial services, information technology, electrical and electronics manufacturing, media and recreation, transportation services, healthcare and others. Retail and wholesale accounted for the largest share of the internet search portals market by industry type in 2018, at 23.2% The social media market which consists of the revenues generated from sales of advertising space can be further segmented by industry type into retail and wholesale, transportation manufacturing, food and beverages, financial services, information technology, electrical and electronics manufacturing, media and recreation, transportation services, healthcare and others. Retail and wholesale accounted for the largest share of the social media market by industry type in 2018, at 24.7%. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05715672 About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/web-content-search-portals-seo-services-and-social-media-global-market-opportunities-and-strategies-to-2022-300803247.html SOURCE Reportlinker [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 27, 2019] Tortoise Acquisition Corp. Announces Pricing of $225,000,000 Initial Public Offering Tortoise Acquisition Corp. (the "Company") today announced the pricing of its initial public offering ("IPO") of 22,500,000 units at a price of $10.00 per unit. The units will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") and trade under the ticker symbol "SHLL.U" beginning February 28, 2019. Each unit consists of one share of the Company's Class A common stock and one-half of one redeemable warrant, with each whole warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one share of the Company's Class A common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the shares of Class A common stock and warrants are expected to be listed on the NYSE under the symbols "SHLL" and "SHLL WS," respectively. Barclays, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and UBS Investment Bank are acting as joint book running managers for the offering. The Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 3,375,000 units at the initial public offering price. The public offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. When available, copies of the prospectus related to the offering may be obtained from Barclays, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, New York 11717, email: [email protected], tel: (888) 60-5847; Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attn: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, email: [email protected], tel: (866) 471-2526; and UBS Investment Bank, Attn: Prospectus Department, 1285 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10019, email: [email protected], tel: (888) 827-7275. A registration statement relating to these securities has been declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC (News - Alert)") on February 27, 2019. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. ABOUT TORTOISE ACQUISITION CORP. Tortoise Acquisition Corp. was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination. The Company intends to focus its search for a target business in the energy industry. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements," including with respect to the initial public offering. No assurance can be given that the offering discussed above will be completed on the terms described, or at all, or that the net proceeds of the offering will be used as indicated. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company's registration statement and preliminary prospectus for the Company's offering filed with the SEC. Copies are available on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190227006053/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 27, 2019] RepuSure White-Label Online Reputation Management Software Helps Agencies Grow Revenue TORONTO, Feb. 27, 2019 /CNW/ - RepuSure is a user-friendly, white-label online reputation management software designed to help users track and manage online search results. Designed to help public relations and marketing professionals provide better service to their clients, RepuSure monitors both Google and millions of media sources for client names in order to discover online negativity immediately. RepuSure, in short, can be used reactively to address a crisis or proactively to make sure one doesn't happen. With the rise of social media, review sites like Yelp and online forums, having software that provides a precise archive of Google earch results is imperative for any public relations or marketing agency looking to provide comprehensive services to their clients. Most importantly, the RepuSure software provides an unbiased look at your clients' Google search results from their choice of geographic location. Conveniently, RepuSure is also packaged as a white-label software. RepuSure will add your firm's brand to the software and provide you with an individual domain or sub-domain to use. Agencies then have the choice to sell their branded RepuSure software to their clients or build a whole new service around online reputation management. With a recent 16 percent increase in demand for online reputation management (Source: econsultancy poll), RepuSure helps PR firms, brands, and marketing agencies grow their businesses in today's ever-changing media landscape. Supported by Canada's top online reputation management firm, Reputation.ca Ltd. , RepuSure provides the expertise agencies may not have in-house and is supported by a team of online reputation management experts. Based on over 7 years of knowledge and the experience of 3,000 satisfied clients, RepuSure is the essential tool needed to navigate the often confusing world of online media. In order to best serve its clients, RepuSure offers comprehensive customer support. A team of software developers and online reputation management experts are always available to answer users' questions and concerns. ABOUT RepuSure RepuSure is a white-label online reputation management software. By monitoring Google and millions of websites, RepuSure allows public relations and marketing professionals to help their clients track and improve their online presence. RepuSure is backed by Reputation.ca Ltd., the premier online reputation management firm in Canada. SOURCE RepuSure [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 27, 2019] HONOR's Revolutionary Gaming+ Boosts Graphic Performance at MWC 2019 BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- HONOR, a leading smartphone brand, has unveiled its revolutionary Gaming+ technology at Mobile World Congress 2019 (MWC 2019). Gaming+ includes a series of technology updates that significantly increase the performance, graphics quality and image definition of mobile games on the HONOR View20. These upgrades come as HONOR has also announced an ecosystem of applications utilizing its 3D TOF camera that herald a new era of AR life. Mr. George Zhao, president of HONOR, said: "HONOR is happy to announce that the latest member of HONOR's View series, the HONOR View20, has already reached the 1.5 million sales milestone. We are moving one step closer to our goal of becoming the top five smartphone brands in three years. With the revolutionary Gaming+ technology, we have further enhanced the smartphone's graphic performance, satisfying young consumers' increasing demands for better mobile gaming experience. Together with the futuristic TOF 3D camera applications, HONOR is bringing consumers the most diverse and exceptional experiences." GAMING+ AND MORE FUN FOR GAMERS The HONOR View20 was unveiled in Paris last month with five world's first features, including: 48MP smartphone camera, 25MP in-screen front camera, 7nm Kirin 980 AI chipset, AI Triple-Antenna Wi-Fi technology, and aurora nanotexture design. Gaming+ improves the gaming experience by upgrading the overall system with GPU efficiency upgrade, GPU load optimization, high definition and AI loading prediction technology. With these advances on Kirin 980 chipset, the HONOR View20 strives for the highest level of mobile gaming performance. The brand new Gaming+ improves SOC energy efficiency by 20.34%[1]. The Mali-G76 GPU chipset upgrade on Kirin 980 includes transform optimization, which enhances job scheduling and parallel computing. This reduces duplicate instructions and GPU overdraws, as well as increases the data transfer speed between CPU, GPU and memory. In addition, the Kirin 980 GPU works seamlessly with the innovative AI frequency modulation scheduling technology to predict task loads by monitoring frame rate per second (fps), image quality and touchscreen inputs in real time, and intelligently identifies performance bottlenecks. For gaming, the new AI technology improves the load prediction accuracy of each frame by more than 30% compared to traditional methods. Another key featre, GPU optimization, enhances image quality and reduces power consumption. The upgrade also brings high definition capability to gaming, achieving better contrast, higher brightness levels and a wider color palette. As a result of the Gaming+ upgrade, Fortnite Vulkan version can also be supported on the HONOR View20, bringing gamers a faster and smoother experience[2]. In addition, popular mobile games such as QQ Speed and Arena of Valor have been optimized to support the high definition feature. Gamers can now experience greater clarity and capture more details. Moreover, the HONOR View20's TOF 3D camera creates a new dimension of interactive gaming and more possibilities for the next generation of AR life. This camera is equipped with depth sensing, skeletal recognition and real-time motion capture capabilities, allowing consumers to enjoy various interactive functions such as 3D shaping, AI calorie counting, Magic AR and 3D motion-controlled gaming. Brave Jelly is the latest motion-controlled game added to the family. In the future, HONOR plans to partner with more third parties to create an integrated 3D TOF ecosystem that opens up a new era for AR measure, social media and shopping. THE HONOR VIEW20 RECEIVES NUMEROUS MEDIA PRAISE Since its global launch in January, the HONOR View20's superior design and features have been widely recognized by industry experts and consumers. It has received praise from media and influencers, including 5-star ratings from the most prestigious media in the industry: 5-star rating from Stuff - "Honor enters the big leagues with one of the most impressive phones in its class." - 5-star rating from The Guardian - "It is the first phone out of the gate with a hole-punch notch." - 5-star rating from T3 - "The Honor View 20 is, overall, the best mid-range smartphone on the market today." - 5-star rating from Expert Reviews - "With its in-screen selfie camera and 48-megapixel rear shooter, the Honor View 20 is one of the most exciting phones we've seen in ages." At the regional level, the HONOR View20 has also achieved great sales performance. In China, the HONOR View20 is crowned as the dual champion (sales and sales revenue) on online platforms in the price range of RMB 3,000 and above. In the first week after its launch in France, the latest flagship became Amazon's No.1 Best Seller in the category of EUR 499 and above. It also received the Best Selling Flagship Smartphone in Senheng, one of the leading independent retailers in Malaysia. THE HONOR 8X WITH NEW PHANTOM BLUE For the HONOR 8X, HONOR has brought a new phantom blue color to fans in Western Europe. The HONOR 8X has a 2.5D double texture aurora glass body with a grating effect, offering an elegant and smooth look and feel. Since its launch last September, more than 10 million Honor 8X series have been shipped worldwide. Starting from early March, the new HONOR 8X phantom blue will be sold in Fnac in France, on Amazon in Germany, on Hihonor in the U.K., in open market in Italy (including Mediaworld, Unieuro and etc.). About HONOR HONOR is a leading smartphone e-brand. The brand was created to meet the needs of digital natives through internet-optimized products that offer superior user experiences, inspire action, foster creativity and empower the young to achieve their dreams. In doing this, HONOR has set itself apart by showcasing its own bravery to do things differently and to take the steps needed to usher in the latest technologies and innovations for its customers. For more information, please visit HONOR online at www.hihonor.com or follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/honorglobal/ https://twitter.com/Honorglobal https://www.instagram.com/honorglobal/ https://www.youtube.com/c/honorofficial/ [1] Tested in 60fps Vulkan games in HONOR lab [2] Fortnite Vulkan version will be coming soon on HONOR View20 Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20190228/2387804-1-a Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20190228/2387804-1-b SOURCE Honor [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Elliott Discloses Letter to Shareholders of Hyundai Motor Company Elliott Advisors (HK) Limited, which advises various Elliott-affiliated funds (together "Elliott"), today publicly issued a letter to all shareholders of Hyundai Motor Company ("HMC" or the "Company" 005380:KS). In the letter, Elliott detailed the case for the shareholder resolutions that it has put forward for consideration at the Company's Annual General Meeting on March 22, 2019. These resolutions are designed to both transform governance and right-size the Company's over-capitalized balance sheet. The letter comes one day after Elliott disclosed a letter to all shareholders of Hyundai Mobis Co., ("Mobis" 012330:KS), which detailed a similar set of resolutions. Both letters to shareholders can be found at: http://www.acceleratehyundai.com Text of the full letter to Hyundai Motor Company can be read below: 28 February 2019 Dear Fellow Shareholders of Hyundai Motor Company, We write this letter in our capacity as significant shareholders of Hyundai Motor Company ("HMC" or the "Company" 005380:KS). In addition to our investment in HMC, we are also significant shareholders of Hyundai Mobis Co., ("Mobis" 012330:KS), as well as Kia Motors Corporation ("Kia" 000270:KS), which collectively with HMC are referred to herein as "Hyundai Motor Group," "HMG" or "the Group." Yesterday, we sent a letter to our fellow shareholders of Hyundai Mobis detailing the case for the shareholder resolutions we have put forward for consideration at the Mobis Annual General Meeting ("AGM") on 22 March, 2019.1 These resolutions aim to address the serious governance and balance-sheet issues at Mobis that have contributed to its persistent and meaningful underperformance. Today, we write as one of the largest independent shareholders in HMC to make the case for a similar set of resolutions. Like Mobis, HMC has fallen short in its treatment of shareholders due to its retention of substantial excess capital and a lack of independence and accountability on its Board. However, unlike Mobis, and to our significant disappointment, HMC has refused to take even the kinds of small but incrementally positive steps forward taken by Mobis on capital return and governance. Instead, HMC has offered less than zero. Yesterday, the Company unveiled a plan that fails to include any meaningful steps to remedy its balance-sheet overcapitalization, while at the same time proposing Board changes that appear to exacerbate its governance shortcomings. For these reasons among others, we believe that the resolutions we put forward for consideration at the HMC Annual General Meeting ("AGM") on 22 March 2019, which are similar to the ones we put forward at Mobis, are more urgently needed than ever. These resolutions are as follows: Shareholder Resolution A (Agenda No. 1-2-2) : The approval of financial statements for FY2018 at HMC that reflect dividends of KRW4.5 trillion for common voting shares of HMC, representing KRW21,967 per share. If passed, shareholders would receive a one-time dividend equivalent to 17% of HMC's current stock price. The approval of financial statements for FY2018 at HMC that reflect dividends of KRW4.5 trillion for common voting shares of HMC, representing KRW21,967 per share. If passed, shareholders would receive a one-time dividend equivalent to 17% of HMC's current stock price. Shareholder Resolution B (Agenda No. 2-9) : The establishment of Compensation and Governance Committees at HMC. The establishment of Compensation and Governance Committees at HMC. Shareholder Resolution C (Agenda No. 3-1-4, 3-1-5, and 3-1-6) : The nomination of three (3) highly qualified independent director candidates (the "Independent Shareholder Nominees"). The nomination of three (3) highly qualified independent director candidates (the "Independent Shareholder Nominees"). Shareholder Resolution D (Agenda No. 4-3, 4-4, and 4-5) : The nomination of the Independent Shareholder Nominees for the Company's Audit Committee. As HMC shareholders, your support for these resolutions is vital to our shared goal of improving the governance and performance of the Company that we all collectively own. We are therefore asking today for all shareholders to support these landmark resolutions, which are designed to both transform governance and right-size the Company's overcapitalized balance sheet. Background Nearly a year has passed since HMG withdrew its restructuring plan. Over the past year, along with many of our fellow shareholders, we have expressed publicly and privately the need for a more comprehensive plan that seriously and expeditiously addresses the governance and capital-management issues responsible for the Company's continued share-price underperformance. The problems facing HMC are well-known but important to highlight in the absence of sufficient corrective action from management. HMC continues to underperform significantly (by 61% vs. the KOSPI and 43% vs. its peers in the last five years), and as a result, has seen a considerable amount of shareholder value destroyed. Company valuation remains meaningfully depressed, trading at a remarkable discount of up to 82% vs. KOSPI and up to 46% vs. peers. Over the past year, we have sought to enter into constructive dialogue with the Board to find common ground to resolve these issues. Informed by exhaustive research, expert analysis and, importantly, extensive dialogue with other stakeholders, our emphasis has been to advise management at HMG and HMC to take action on the following critical issues to rectify the Company's persistent underperformance: HMG and HMC must return substantial excess capital to shareholders. As identified in Conway MacKenzie's Independent Analysis, both HMC and Mobis have net cash positions that vastly exceed their respective peers. HMC's net cash balance of KRW 14.3 trillion as of 2018 far exceeds auto peers by KRW 8-10 trillion. Affiliates of HMG have been mismanaging these funds, investing in questionable projects that have only heightened the alarm and frustration of shareholders as well as the markets. As identified in Conway MacKenzie's Independent Analysis, both HMC and Mobis have net cash positions that vastly exceed their respective peers. HMC's net cash balance of KRW 14.3 trillion as of 2018 far exceeds auto peers by KRW 8-10 trillion. Affiliates of HMG have been mismanaging these funds, investing in questionable projects that have only heightened the alarm and frustration of shareholders as well as the markets. Corporate governance at HMG and HMC must be brought in line with international best practices. New independent directors are needed in HMC's boardroom to provide diversity, depth of experience, and fresh perspectives to the Company's decision-making processes. The Audit Committees in particular are in need of greater independence. At the same time, establishing new Compensation and Governance Committees would improve the alignment between HMC's Board and its shareholders now and into the future, allowing HMC to attract the independent talent befitting a global Company of its stature. While it has always been our strong preference to engage proactively with the Group's management and advisors in an effort to advance solutions, our efforts at dialogue only recently gave way to constructive exchanges. Although these exchanges did not produce the results we hoped for at HMC, we did work tirelessly in an attempt to build consensus and find pathways forward that would properly address the balance sheet and governance problems preventing HMG and HMC from realizing their full potential. HMC 2019 Annual General Meeting Agenda Given the extensive degree of engagement and the progress made with Mobis, we had been hopeful that HMC leadership would seize the opportunity to improve both its governance and its balance-sheet management. Unfortunately, yesterday's announcement was a disappointment on both fronts, given that the Comany made no serious effort to address capital return and actually took steps backward on governance. Absent any proactive shareholder-return policies such as share buyback plans, we believe that the Company's net cash balance of KRW14.3 trillion is excessive and must be reduced. While management proposed an aggressive KRW45 trillion of R&D spend in the next five years, it failed to provide a convincing argument that when it comes to returns on such spending, the future will be different from the past: HMC's poor track record in capital deployment has resulted in an industry-low ROE of 2.2% as of 2018 and a valuation of just 0.4x P/B. In addition to missed opportunities in the area of capital return, HMC also fell short in addressing its governance problems. HMC's proposed independent directors appear to lack the proper experience and fresh perspectives that are urgently needed at the board level. In fact, the candidates put forward by the Company, with backgrounds primarily in finance and academia, offer significant overlap with the backgrounds of the existing Board members. Furthermore, the Company seems unwilling to increase the ratio of outside to inside directors, capping the number of independent directors at only three. This arbitrary cap will limit progress on improving independence and diversity, and it is not in keeping with international best practices. Fortunately, shareholders will be able to support superior alternatives when it comes to improving capital allocation and governance at HMC. Elliott's resolution regarding the payment of a special dividend would return excess capital to shareholders, who can allocate it to higher-return opportunities. At the same time, the Independent Shareholder Nominees that Elliott has proposed offer three highly qualified and independent candidates who can significantly enhance HMC's Board with their global and diverse board experiences. Each of these nominees is a business leader with a proven track record in his or her field. Shareholders have an opportunity at HMC's upcoming AGM to deliver sustainable solutions that fundamentally address the Company's problems. We believe that our proposed shareholder resolutions are essential to restoring shareholder confidence at HMC. Shareholder Resolutions in Detail We are urging all HMC shareholders to send a clear and compelling message to the Board, and to help drive the necessary reforms at HMC, by supporting the following resolutions at the AGM planned for 22 March 2019. Shareholder Resolution A (Agenda No. 1-2-2): The Payment of Dividends HMC is severely overcapitalized as compared to peers. Maintaining the excess capitalization comes at a real cost to shareholders, with the Company's ROE deteriorating to an industry low of 2.2% in 2018. HMC's management mistakenly believes liquidity needs can only be met by readily available cash on balance sheet.2 While we understand the Company's desire to hold some level of reserves for contingency and working capital requirements, we also note that HMC continues to generate meaningful free cash flow. Maintaining trillions of won as cash on balance sheet for future unknown M&A is poor stewardship of capital given the significant opportunity cost. We are also not alone in noting the irony in reserving trillions of won for future shareholder return, given that the Company is refusing to return excess capital to shareholders today. We also recognize the Company's need to invest in R&D. However, we remain unconvinced that management's investment roadmap detailing KRW45 trillion of spend over the next five years is prudent planning. Given the significant step up in expected R&D spend, shareholders deserve more than the sparse details provided today. We remain skeptical as to whether the incremental investments will offer returns above cost of capital given HMC's poor investment track record, as well as the Group's history of investing in non-core projects. Elliott therefore proposes that shareholders approve financial statements for FY2018 at HMC that reflect dividends of KRW4.5 trillion for common voting shares of Mobis, representing KRW21,967 per share and 17% of the share price. This plan would still leave over half of the excess capital on the balance sheet of HMC while beginning the process to bring its net cash level in line with industry peers. Combined with HMC's strong free cash flow generation, the remaining net cash balance will be more than sufficient for cash reserve and future investment needs. Absent any proactive return of excess capital to shareholders via buybacks or other means, our shareholder resolution is necessary to optimize HMC's balance sheet. Shareholder Resolution B (Agenda No. 2-9): The Establishment of Compensation and Governance Committees at HMC Two new sub-committees will champion shareholder rights and corporate transparency. We seek to create two sub-committees in the articles of incorporation of HMC: a Director's Compensation Committee and a Corporate Governance & Communication Committee, by amending articles of incorporation of the Company. These are standard sub-committees common already to most Korean and international companies, yet are conspicuously absent from the Company's current corporate constitution. A Director's Compensation Committee would establish compensation schemes that are transparent and commensurate with directors' experience and performance, aligning with domestic and international best practice. Crucially, the committee would also ensure independent directors were not financially punished, by ensuring their compensation was properly aligned with the market. would establish compensation schemes that are transparent and commensurate with directors' experience and performance, aligning with domestic and international best practice. Crucially, the committee would also ensure independent directors were not financially punished, by ensuring their compensation was properly aligned with the market. A Corporate Governance and Communication Committee already exists, but hasn't yet been formally incorporated into the Company's AOI. The Committee would protect the corporate value of HMC as well as the interests of the shareholders in the long term. We therefore urge shareholders to join us in supporting the creation of these two sub-committees as an essential step forward in improving corporate governance at HMC. We would envision that the new Independent Shareholder Nominees would also serve on these new committees to ensure independence and accountability. Shareholder Resolution C (Agenda No. 3-1-4, 3-1-5 and 3-1-6): The Nomination of Highly Qualified Independent Director Candidates HMC shareholders deserve to be represented by truly independent directors with global board and in-depth industry experiences. Elliott has nominated three independent directors at HMC with significant and relevant industry experience. The addition of these new directors would grow HMC's Board to 11 from the current 9. These independent directors will represent all shareholders. The three nominees for HMC we are nominating are (see Appendix A): Dr. John Liu : an accomplished engineer and a global technology executive with extensive experience in executive and board roles for multinational public companies. : an accomplished engineer and a global technology executive with extensive experience in executive and board roles for multinational public companies. Randal ("Randy") MacEwen : President and CEO of Ballard Power Systems, a US- and Canadian-listed developer and manufacturer of innovative fuel cell products for mobile and stationary applications. : President and CEO of Ballard Power Systems, a US- and Canadian-listed developer and manufacturer of innovative fuel cell products for mobile and stationary applications. Margaret ("Peg") Billson: an engineer and business leader with more than three decades of executive and board experience at large, complex industrial and transportation companies. We strongly disagree with HMC limiting the number of independent directors to three. Shareholders deserve a fair choice in the board members that will best serve their interests. Shareholder Resolution D (Agenda No. 4-3, 4-4 and 4-5): The Nomination of the Independent Shareholder Nominees for the Company's Audit Committee Effective independent leadership is vital in keeping management focused while avoiding further financial mismanagement and irresponsible investment behavior. HMC's audit committee is required by law to perform key roles in ensuring that the Board fulfills its fiduciary responsibilities. It also oversees the Company's financials and directors' performance of duties, and investigates, where necessary, illicit financial behavior on the Board and within management. It is therefore extremely important that the audit committee be comprised of truly independent members, dedicated to conducting their roles in an unbiased and transparent manner while remaining faithful to all shareholders. We therefore urge shareholders to join us in supporting three of the Independent Shareholder Nominees to serve on the audit committee. * * * * By right-sizing the balance sheet and adding diverse and independent directors to allow for proper shareholder accountability, HMC can fulfill its true potential as an industry leader and financial steward. As ever, we remain open to ongoing dialogue with the Company, specifically on capital allocation and governance. Should new solutions be offered that adequately address the scale of the balance-sheet and governance issues at HMC, we would consider amending our resolutions. As things stand, however, we strongly believe that these reforms are necessary for the safeguarding of the Company's future prosperity. We urge our fellow shareholders to support these resolutions, and we remain available to discuss our proposals and approaches in further detail. Sincerely, Elliott Advisors (HK) Limited * * * * Appendix A Biographies of Elliott's Independent Director Nominees Elliott Proposed Independent Nominee: Dr. John Liu Dr. John Liu is an accomplished engineer and global technology executive with extensive experience in executive and non-executive roles for multinational public companies. Over the last 10 years, Dr. Liu has served as the Group Vice President of Wanda Group and COO of its Internet Technology Business, was the Chief Business Officer of Qihoo 360 and was the President of Google (News - Alert) in China. In these roles, he led the digitation, automation and Internet of Things transformation and partnership strategies with key stakeholders across the Americas, Europe and Asia. Prior to that, Dr. Liu was the CEO of SK Telecom (News - Alert) China and led the company's investment and joint-venture relationships with key corporate and government stakeholders from 2007 to 2012. Dr. Liu has been an Independent Director at the e-commerce company of the Hong Kong-listed China Eastern Airlines (2014 to 2018) and UK-listed ARM (News - Alert) Holdings (2014-2016). He is currently an Independent Director and the Chairman of the Remuneration Committee of Hong Kong-listed Digital China Holdings. Dr. Liu has a PhD from the Technical University of Denmark and a Bachelor's Degree from Beijing Normal University, where he is currently on the Board of Trustees and the Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Education Fund for Beijing Normal University. Elliott Proposed Independent Nominee: Randy MacEwen Randy is seasoned sustainable energy executive with a deep passion and extensive experience in transformative energy technologies. He is currently the President and CEO of Ballard Power Systems (News - Alert), a US- and Canadian-listed developer and manufacturer of innovative fuel cell products for mobile and stationary applications. From 2001 to 2014, Randy was the CEO and held senior executive positions at various sustainable energy companies, including Solar Integrated Technologies and Stuart Energy Systems Corporation. Randy began his career at Torys, a leading Canadian business law firm and today represents Ballard as a supporting member Hydrogen Council and is a Vice Chairman of the International Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association, both of which Hyundai is a member. Randy has a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Western Ontario and Bachelor of Arts degree from York University. Elliott Proposed Independent Nominee: Margaret ("Peg") Billson Peg Billson is an engineer and business leader with more than three decades of experience at large, complex industrial and transportation companies. From 2009 to 2016, Peg was a senior executive and divisional CEO at BBA Aviation, an aftermarket parts and services business supplying the global aviation industry, where she led 2000 employees across four continents. She served as President and COO of a start-up light jet manufacturer from 2005 to 2008 where she oversaw the engineering and design, production, supply chain and flight operations teams. From 1993 to 2005, Peg was a leading executive at Honeywell (News - Alert) International Inc. and Douglas Aircraft Company. Peg previously served as an Independent Director at Skywest Inc., a US-listed aviation company, and currently serves as a member of the Human Resources and Nomination & Governance Committees at CAE Inc., a Canadian-listed aviation training and simulation company serving the civil and defense sectors. Peg has a Bachelor's Degree from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and a Master's Degree in Engineering - Aerospace from California State University Long Beach. * * * * About Elliott Elliott Management Corporation manages two multi-strategy funds which combined have more than $34 billion of assets under management. Its flagship fund, Elliott Associates, L.P., was founded in 1977, making it one of the oldest funds of its kind under continuous management. The Elliott funds' investors include pension plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, foundations, funds-of-funds, and employees of the firm. Elliott Advisors (HK) Limited is an affiliate of Elliott Management Corporation. With a strong understanding of the Korean market and corporate structures, Elliott has a history of successfully enhancing shareholder value in Korea. 1 Elliott's letter to Mobis shareholders can be read in its entirety at http://www.acceleratehyundai.com 2 Hyundai Motor Company CEO Investor Day presentation, Slide 26: Required Liquidity, February 27, 2019 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190227006097/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] OceanAlpha's 5G Unmanned Ship Unveiled at Mobile World Congress On February 25th, the Mobile World Congress (News - Alert) 2019 opened in Barcelona, Spain, and the fifth generation of mobile communication technology (5G) became the hottest topic. Jointly developed by Ericsson, China Mobile (News - Alert), and OceanAlpha, a 5G unmanned boat is unveiled at a live Broadband IoT demo, becoming another focus besides the 5G mobile phone. The demo showcases with an environmental smart vessel -an unmanned boat that operates over a 4G network - that can quickly and efficiently resolve water pollution by collecting water quality monitoring data, identifying the cause of the pollutant with HD cameras and taking necessary measures to address these pollutants. In the demonstration, the OceanAlpha 5G unmanned boat is set on a pool 10 km from the exhibition hall, while visitors can issue an automatic driving instruction to the boat in the exhibition hall to drive the unmanned boat remotely through the console. Visitors can grasp the driving environment information by the HD video returned by the boat camera and other real-time information on he big screen in front of the console. The demo attracted a lot of visitors to operate and query. According to Ran Zhang, general manager of OceanAlpha: "Relying on 5G communication technology, OceanAlpha's unmanned boat can conduct water area monitoring, VR back-end demonstration, water quality monitoring, remote application control, and autopilot. This will completely change the traditional operation of the hydrological survey, water quality sampling & monitoring, environmental law enforcement and other water ecological environment monitoring and supervision by effectively enhances data accuracy, reduces costs and improves work efficiency." About OceanAlpha Founded in 2010, OceanAlpha is the leading and largest Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) company in the world. In the last 8 years, the company has sold more than 400 units across 18 countries on five continents. OceanAlpha has more than 100 R&D engineers and holds 92 USV related patents. To enable human beings to get closer to the ocean with a lower cost, higher efficiency, and a safer manner, OceanAlpha has developed more than 25 models of USVs varying from 1m to 50m. The USV can be applied to environmental measurement, hydrographic survey, oceanology investigation, patrol & rescue and cargo shipping. Visit www.oceanalpha.com or contact [email protected] for more information. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190227006098/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Ctrip CEO Visits Middle East Refugee Centers to Seek Further Commitments SHANGHAI, China, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- From Feb 2nd to 5th, during the Chinese New Year holiday, Ms. Jane Sun, CEO of Ctrip, Chinas largest online travel agency, visited refugee centers in Lebanon and Jordan accompanied by staff from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, seeking further commitments to the region. As a philanthropist who donates tens of thousands of dollars every year to causes which help children suffering from the effects of war, Ms. Sun took the trip to better understand the situation in the region and how she as a philanthropist as well as Ctrip as a leading Chinese company, could better support the region. Refugee settlement in Taanayel Accompanied by staff from UNHCR, Ms. Sun visited a Syrian refugee family in a settlement in Taanayel. The family of six resides in a tent, with the two oldest children going to school while their mother takes care of two younger daughters and cooks for the whole family. The father of the family gets up at dawn every morning to look for work; if he is lucky, he manages to find the occasional day job to support them. Considering that the majority of Syrian refugees do not possess legal documents to work in Lebanon, this precarious situation is in fact relatively fortunate. Though the government of Lebanon opens the border when necessary, the government does not want to turn UN settlements into permanent ones. The population of Lebanon is only 5 million, so they lack the capaity to support 1.5 million refugees permanently. As far as the family is concerned, they are grateful for this chance to escape from the bombs of their homeland and find refuge in Lebanon. Offering help through education Ms. Sun made sure to ask about childrens education at every refugee center she visited throughout the trip, as she is a passionate believer in power of education to change the lives of refugee children. While she was in Chtoura, Ms. Sun visited a local education center. The Maharat Center provides special needs education to ninety Syrian and Lebanese children with learning disabilities and autism, providing extra support to children who have trouble accessing a mainstream curriculum. Ms. Sun offered to connect teachers in the center with similar China-based organizations she is also a patron of, expressing the belief that Chinese organizations can assist counterparts in the Middle East by sharing their experience in educating children with autism. Ms. Sun also impressed on teachers the importance of English education in increasing the future job opportunities of children at the center. The tragedy and human cost of war is felt far beyond the battlefield upon which it is fought, said Ms. Sun upon the trips completion. The perilous situation of these refugees should impel us all to consider our place in the world, and this trip has served to remind me that awareness must be coupled with action. As a leading travel company, co-operation for the common good - regardless of international borders - is an essential part of the Ctrip mission. With the benefit of having visited these families in need, I will do all I can to make sure Ctrip and Trip.com play a positive role in the alleviation of this global crisis. As the presence of Chinese companies has become ever more prominent in world of international business, they are progressively also taking up the mantle of social responsibility on a global scale. In another example of a Chinese entrepreneur demonstrating a commitment to the Middle East, in 2018 Alibabas Jack Ma made a significant donation to teacher training programs for refugees in Jordan. Last year, Ms. Sun led Ctrip Group to undertake three major philanthropic initiatives: the CanDo project, which helps build and operate childrens hospitals a northern part of Syria; the Edesia project, which donates food to young children suffering from malnutrition in western African countries; and the Syrian Paralyzed Children project, which provides artificial limbs to children injured in the Syrian Civil War. Email: [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Falling Rates Drive Acceleration in Defect Risk, According to First American's Loan Application Defect Index First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), a leading global provider of title insurance, settlement services and risk solutions for real estate transactions, today released the First American Loan Application Defect Index for January 2019, which estimates the frequency of defects, fraudulence and misrepresentation in the information submitted in mortgage loan applications. The Defect Index reflects estimated mortgage loan defect rates over time, by geography and loan type. It is available as an interactive tool that can be tailored to showcase trends by category, including amortization type, lien position, loan purpose, property and transaction types, and can provide state- and market-specific comparisons of mortgage loan defect levels. January 2019 Loan Application Defect Index The frequency of defects, fraudulence and misrepresentation in the information submitted in mortgage loan applications increased by 4.6 percent compared with the previous month. Compared to January 2018, the Defect Index increased by 9.6 percent. The Defect Index is down 10.8 percent from the high point of risk in October 2013. The Defect Index for refinance transactions increased by 5.1 percent compared with the previous month, and is up 20.3 percent compared with a year ago. The Defect Index for purchase transactions increased by 5.6 percent compared with the previous month, and is up 3.3 percent compared with a year ago. Chief Economist Analysis: Why is Defect Risk Accelerating? "The Loan Application Defect Index for purchase transactions continued its upward trend, increasing 5.6 percent in January compared with the month before, the fifth consecutive month defect risk in purchase transactions has risen," said Mark Fleming, chief economist at First American. "Overall, the frequency of defects, fraudulence and misrepresentation in the information submitted in mortgage loan applications increased by 4.6 percent compared with the previous month. While overall fraud risk has been on the rise since July 2018 due partially to the impact of natural disasters, the last two months have experienced an acceleration in fraud risk - what could be driving this change?" Plunge in Rates, Spike in Mortgage Applications "Surprisingly, mortgage rates declined in December and continued falling into January, reaching their lowest levels since April 2018. Prospective home buyers and existing homeowners reacted tothe lower rates, resulting in a mini-boom in mortgage applications, both purchase and refinance," said Fleming. "In fact, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, overall mortgage application volume increased 23.5 percent for the week ending on January 4, 2019. The decline in mortgage rates spurred a flurry of refinance activity, with refinance applications surging 35 percent week-to-week to their highest level since July 2018. Similarly, mortgage purchase applications jumped 17 percent. "The Defect Index has historically illustrated a distinct difference in risk between refinance and purchase loan transactions - refinance loan transactions have always been less risky than purchase transactions. The relationship has often shown that as mortgage rates rise, so does overall defect, fraud and misrepresentation risk," said Fleming. "As mortgage rates rise, fewer people refinance, so the share of less risky refinance loan transactions decreases and the share of more risky purchase transactions increases. This dynamic played out throughout most of 2018, as rates were rising. However, the forces driving the acceleration in fraud risk over the last two months are a little less clear because the recent decline in mortgage rates prompted a surge in both purchase and refinance mortgage applications." Rising Demand, Competitive Market May Contribute to Increasing Fraud Risk "The overall rise in purchase and refinance applications, coupled with strong first-time home buyer demand and tight inventory, bodes well for an early spring home-buying season, but may contribute to further increases in defect risk. Historically, purchase transactions tend to be more at risk of defects, fraud and misrepresentation, and the pressures resulting from rising demand and a strong sellers' market compounds that risk," said Fleming. "When home values are rising and the housing market is competitive, more buyers want to enter in the market. As a result, misrepresentation and fraud are more likely on a loan application. "Last week, mortgage rates fell even further to 4.35 percent, their lowest level since February 2018. As home buyers continue to take advantage of this lower rate environment amid a very competitive market, we can expect fraud risk will continue to trend higher." January 2019 State Highlights The five states with the greatest year-over-year increase in defect frequency are: West Virginia (+37.5 percent), Maine (+35.8 percent), New York (+35.5 percent), Nebraska (+33.3 percent), and Alaska (+30.7 percent). in defect frequency are: West Virginia (+37.5 percent), Maine (+35.8 percent), New York (+35.5 percent), Nebraska (+33.3 percent), and Alaska (+30.7 percent). The five states with the greatest year-over-year decrease in defect frequency are: Vermont (-12.8 percent), Florida (-5.1 percent), Arkansas (-3.7 percent), Arizona (-3.6 percent), and Ohio (-1.3 percent). January 2019 Local Market Highlights Among the largest 50 Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs), the five markets with the greatest year-over-year increase in defect frequency are: Richmond, Va. (+33.8 percent), Pittsburgh (+29.2 percent), Buffalo, N.Y. (+26.5 percent), San Jose, Calif. (+26.5 percent), and Hartford, Conn. (+25.4 percent). in defect frequency are: Richmond, Va. (+33.8 percent), Pittsburgh (+29.2 percent), Buffalo, N.Y. (+26.5 percent), San Jose, Calif. (+26.5 percent), and Hartford, Conn. (+25.4 percent). Among the largest 50 Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs), the five markets with the largest year-over-year decrease in defect frequency are: Jacksonville, Fla. (-13.3 percent), Houston (-11.5 percent), Orlando, Fla. (-7.3 percent), Tampa, Fla. (-5.3 percent), and Miami (-4.8 percent). Next Release The next release of the First American Loan Application Defect Index will take place the week of March 25, 2019. Methodology The methodology statement for the First American Loan Application Defect Index is available at http://www.firstam.com/economics/defect-index. Disclaimer Opinions, estimates, forecasts and other views contained in this page are those of First American's chief economist, do not necessarily represent the views of First American or its management, should not be construed as indicating First American's business prospects or expected results, and are subject to change without notice. Although the First American Economics team attempts to provide reliable, useful information, it does not guarantee that the information is accurate, current or suitable for any particular purpose. 2019 by First American. Information from this page may be used with proper attribution. About First American First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF) is a leading provider of title insurance, settlement services and risk solutions for real estate transactions that traces its heritage back to 1889. First American also provides title plant management services; title and other real property records and images; valuation products and services; home warranty products; property and casualty insurance; banking, trust and wealth management services; and other related products and services. With total revenue of $5.7 billion in 2018, the company offers its products and services directly and through its agents throughout the United States and abroad. In 2019, First American was named to the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list for the fourth consecutive year. More information about the company can be found at www.firstam.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005190/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] CloudJumper Appoints MSP Veteran Frank Pulliam as Company Expands North American Channel Presence GARNER, N.C., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CloudJumper , a leading provider of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), Workspace as a Service (WaaS) and Desktop as a Service (DaaS) solutions, today announced the appointment of Frank Pulliam as channel sales manager for North America. Pulliam will report to Max Pruger, chief revenue officer for CloudJumper and is tasked with helping current and new channel partners capitalize on the mid-market opportunity for Cloud Workspace for Azure. Frank Pulliams appointment follows a successful 15-year history in managed services, most recently as partner and vice president for ComSys, a successful managed technology services provider of managed IT and VoIP services. With over 20 years of experience in the IT field and 15 of those years spent running his own MSP organization, Frank has delivered and supported CloudJumpers Cloud Workspace solution suite and understands the benefits available to both partners and customers. As more businesses turn to cloud-based IT solutions for improved business agility and operational efficiencies, Franks focus will center on helping MSPs secure the future of their businesses by leveraging CloudJumpers Cloud Workspace for Azure. CloudJumper has expanded its partnership with Microsoft by integrating the companys Cloud Workspace Management Suite platform with Microsofts Windows Virtual Desktop. The alignment of these solutions allows for fast, simple, centralized deployment of Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop services with management cost-savings for MSPs and business customers. The CloudJumper powered Microsoft solution delivers all of the elements required to rapidly orchestrate Windows Virtual Desktops on Microsoft Azure for employees to improve the mobility and productivity of business computing environments. Having been a managed services provider for more than a decade and delivering services powered by CloudJumper for years, I have a deep understanding of the opportunities available to partners, noted Pulliam. CloudJumper has made great strides in the channel and I look forward to helping the company further support partners, especially in the mid-market, where a lrge portion of my time has been centered. At ComSys, Pulliam managed IT operations and VoIP managed services for the company, leading several teams and providing sales and account management oversight of new and existing clients. A key area of focus was leading projects to replace traditional on-premise systems with various cloud and hosted solutions, including Cloud Workspace services powered by CloudJumper. Prior to ComSys, Pulliam was the owner and engineer of Florida-based MSP Vantage Networks for nearly 10 years. Before Vantage Networks, he was a level 2 systems analyst for Shands Healthcare where he worked with a team of engineers to manage the companys server infrastructure in support of more than 10,000 end users. The overall market [for cloud-based solutions] will double in size in under four years, Synergy chief analyst John Disdale predicted in a research note. Vendor and cloud service operator revenues, measured across seven principal cloud services and infrastructure segments, surpassed U.S. $250 billion in 2018, growing 32 percent year on year, Synergy found.1 Franks appointment is well-timed as spending on business-class cloud services is one of the highest in the industry and is expected to remain so through 20262, said Max Pruger, chief revenue officer, CloudJumper. With his extensive background as an MSP, he will bring a wealth of experience to our partners as interest in Cloud Workspaces continues to skyrocket. To learn more about CloudJumper and the companys Workspace as a Service platform for MSPs and telcos, please contact the company at 844.645.6789 or visit www.CloudJumper.com . Tweet This: [email protected] Builds Upon its Expertise in the Managed Services Space with the Appointment of MSP Professional, Frank Pulliam as Channel Sales Manager - https://bit.ly/2tB7Zca - #WaaS #cloud Resources: Contact CloudJumper today to schedule a product demonstration at: http://cloudjumper.com/contact/ Follow CloudJumper on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/CloudJumperWaaS Visit CloudJumper at: http://www.cloudjumper.com About CloudJumper CloudJumper is a leading software and services company in the Cloud Workspace and RDS enablement markets. CloudJumper Partners can select either CloudJumpers full-service Cloud Workspace platform, or roll their own platform using CloudJumpers award winning Cloud Workspace Management Suite (CWMS) software. CWMS automates delivery of hosted Windows desktops, application services, and Microsoft workloads. It allows IT service managers to deliver app streaming, VDI, DaaS and WaaS with minimal labor, lower costs, and faster delivery times. CWMS is supported in Azure, Google Compute, AWS, and most private clouds. It includes Cloud Resource App (CRA) - a zero-downtime, in-place automated upgrade from existing XenApp & XenDesktop implementations. For more information, visit About CloudJumper or call us at 844.645.6789. ______________________________ 1 Silicon, Enterprise Cloud Spending Boom Crowds out Non-Cloud Tech Budgets, January 15, 2019 2 Forbes, Wikibon Predicts Enterprise Cloud Spending to Growth 16% CAGR between 2016 and 2026, April, 2017 CloudJumper Agency Contact: Joe Austin The Ventana Group 512-531-9119 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Diverst announces the composition of its new Advisory Board MONTREAL, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Diverst, the first comprehensive Diversity and Inclusion SaaS platform for corporations and government agencies, is pleased to announce the composition of its newly-created Advisory Board. This strong and diverse group of people reinforces Diversts own diversity DNA and provides new inclusion and belonging perspectives from important external lenses," declared Diverst founder and CEO, Andre Laurin, who went on to say: The board will help Diverst gain a deeper understanding of the communities it serves, improve and diversify its engagements and collaborations, suggest new modules based on best practices and shape the dialogue that we maintain with all our stakeholders. The board is comprised of the following members, all of whom are leaders in their field: Grace Vandecruze - Managing Director, Grace Global Capital LLC and Board Member of M Financial Group Grace Vandecruze has over 25 years of investment banking experience and an excellent track record advising insurance companies and financial regulators. As both a Board Director and insurance industry investment banking expert, she has advised insurance companies and regulators on mergers & acquisitions, financings, capital strategies, valuations, restructurings, private placements, due diligence and other transactions. Grace has worked on numerous, debt and equity offerings (including IPOs), and regulatory projects in the global life and P&C reinsurance and insurance markets, and more broadly in financial services. She has always been active in the community and has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including The Clay Center and Thomas Memorial Hospital. She also is a licensed sailor and has participated in several Wharton Leadership Treks to Bhutan, Annapurna, Kilimanjaro and Everest Base Camp. Grace received her bachelors degree from Pace University and earned her Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania. Elaine Harris - Founder, Golden Rule Technology, founder of Breakthrough Marketing Technology, LLC and former Director at Honeywell Elaine is strategic business executive and integrative thinker with global experience in market research, insight development, market development, and brand management. She is Founder of Golden Rule Technology, a firm that leverages virtual reality and innovation processes to address issues of inclusion, bias and discrimination, Elaine develops solutions to address issues of bias that negatively impact organizations. A nw understanding of gender and race fosters new thinking and behaviors that will improve the ability of organizations to fully engage all their talent and better serve their communities. Elaines community involvement includes work with Black Alumni/ae of MIT & Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower and Rebuild. Elaine received her B.S. Chemical Engineering from MIT and her MBA in Marketing, Strategic Planning, from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. John Reid - Strategy Consultant John is a business Strategy and Operations Management Consulting Executive with over 20 years of experience in strategy development, global business process redesign, implementation and operational excellence in the pharmaceutical, industrial and consumer products industries. John is a trusted advisor to senior executives on strategic, tactical, and operational management issues in a variety of organizations with a strong focus on implementation. Skilled in advising, building consensus, driving business transformation efforts and providing operational direction to enhance business performance by improving customer value, streamlining cost structures and increasing revenue. He has held various consulting and management positions at Pfizer, PWC, Accenture, McKinsey and Johnson & Johnson. John brings to the Diverst Advisory Board impeccable operating credentials, strategic vision and unparalleled change-management experience. John received his B.S. Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University and Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Robert Rodriguez President of DRR Advisors, LLC Dr. Rodriguez is President of DRR Advisors, a diversity consulting firm specializing in Latino talent initiatives, employee resource group optimization and diversity strategy formation. Robert has worked with over 150 companies in the past 10 years helping them with their diversity programs. Prior to founding DRR Advisors, Dr. Rodriguez had a rich career that spans academia and industry. He has been the Assistant Dean and Senior Director of Diversity at Kaplan University, a Business School Professor at Capella University and an Adjunct Professor DePaul University. Robert was equally prolific in business, holding HR management leadership positions with firms such as R.R. Donnelly & Sons, BP and 3M. Robert is a highly respected advisor, consultant and thought leader in the Diversity and Inclusion space. Dr. Rodriguez is the creator of the widely-adopted 4Cs for ERG management, a highly-coveted public speaker and much sought-after consultant to some of the worlds most trusted brands. Marcus L. Smith Independent Director & Private Investor Marcus L. Smith serves as an Independent Director for NYSE listed MSCI and an Independent Fund Trustee for Eaton Vance. Prior to his board work. Marcus worked for 23 years at MFS Investment Management, where he managed the MFS Institutional International Fund (MIEIX) for 17 years. During his tenure, the portfolio grew from $121 million to over $22 Billion in assets under management. The portfolio received the Lipper Award in 2005 & 2010 for Best 3-year performance of 359 Large Capitalization international portfolios. In addition to his portfolio management duties, Marcus served on the Equity Management committee for 15 years and was directly responsible for staff in Boston, Mexico City, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto & Singapore. Active in the community, Marcus works with several nonprofits including the Posse Foundation, Boston Advisory Board. Marcus earned a Bachelor of Science, Cum Laude, in Computer Science from the University of Mount Union and a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. With the members confirmed, the inaugural meeting of the Diverst Advisory Board is scheduled for the end of March. About Diverst Diverst is the pioneering Diversity and Inclusion SaaS platform for corporations and government agencies. Diverst provides under-represented and un-represented employees with a voice, inclusion, belonging, up-skilling opportunities and aspirational career trajectories. Diverst provides organizations with D&I-aligned engagement, mentorship structures, innovation, expert content, measurement and predictive data; to help increase employee belonging, grow cultural inclusion and to connect D&I with ROI. Diverst is proud to count some of the F500 most recognized and trusted brands as clients. For further information, please contact: Canada & USA Andre Laurin CEO +1-514 566-6606 [email protected] Louis Crevier COO +1-514 349-9834 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Dooney & Bourke Partners with PredictSpring to Launch Its First Mobile App Dooney & Bourke, an American heritage handbag and fine leather goods brand for over 40 years, announced today that it has partnered with PredictSpring, a leading mobile commerce platform, to develop and launch its first ever mobile app. Optimizing the commerce experience for mobile forged the next evolution of the Dooney & Bourke commerce strategy to create a native mobile app to cater to its loyal, mobile-first customer base. After learning that 60% of its web traffic was coming from mobile, Dooney & Bourke sought the convenience and personalization of a native app for shopping and exploring the brand's collections. Dooney & Bourke built its ecommerce experience on Salesforce Commerce Cloud, this enabled the rapid launch of the PredictSpring powered app in weeks. "While our core competency is designing high-end handbags, we maintain a strong commitment to leveraging technology to enhance our customer experience," said Peter Beaugard, Head of Brand Strategy of Dooney & Bourke. "As part of that commitment, we knew we needed a fast, personalized native app that would reward our loyal customers with unique product opportunities, promotions, and content. We look at 2019 as the year of 'social commerce' and we see the app evolving to incorporate more exclusive editorial content and live 'limited edition' sales." Notable features of Dooney & Bourke's new app, powered by PredictSpring, include: App Campaigns That Drive Purchase Urgency: App users gain access to campaigns featuring Dooney & Bourke products, such as the "Bag of the Week" drop offerig new handbags styles to app users, as well as the "The 12 Days of Dooney," which is a daily introduction of 12 new and limited quantity styles. App users gain access to campaigns featuring Dooney & Bourke products, such as the "Bag of the Week" drop offerig new handbags styles to app users, as well as the "The 12 Days of Dooney," which is a daily introduction of 12 new and limited quantity styles. Personalization Quiz: The mobile app offers customers the ability to establish a style profile by answering in-app questions such as preferred bag style and color. This aggregated customer data assists Dooney & Bourke with future product development and promotion strategy. The mobile app offers customers the ability to establish a style profile by answering in-app questions such as preferred bag style and color. This aggregated customer data assists Dooney & Bourke with future product development and promotion strategy. New Feature Coming Soon: DooneyPay - a flexible payment option that offers loyal Dooney consumers the ability to pay for their products with three easy payments. "Customers today expect convenience and an elevated shopping experience when interacting with a brand," said Nitin Mangtani, Founder and CEO of PredictSpring. "Dooney & Bourke realized that a robust native app could provide their loyal customers with such an experience. We're thrilled that we could help them build a fully integrated app to round out their omni-channel customer experience. The features of this new app are consistent with the high-quality reputation Dooney & Bourke has established over the past 40 years." About Dooney & Bourke Founded in 1975 in Norwalk, CT, Dooney & Bourke is a small leathergoods and accessories company that designs and crafts instant classics with the perfect union of timeless American style, the highest regard for materials and craftsmanship, and a dedication to effortless functionality. About PredictSpring PredictSpring is the mobile commerce platform to connect consumer and store associate app experiences. Designed exclusively for brands and retailers, its innovative technology powers native consumer mobile apps, and store associate apps including Clienteling, Endless Aisle, and mPOS. PredictSpring Content Management System (CMS), the first no-coding digital platform enables merchandisers and digital marketers to make on-the-fly changes. Founded by the visionary behind Google (News - Alert) Shopping, PredictSpring powers mobile commerce for the world's leading brands and retailers, including Cole Haan, SMCP, Vineyard Vines, Skechers, Charlotte Russe, and M.Gemi. To learn more, visit predictspring.com. Salesforce and Commerce Cloud are among the trademarks of Salesforce.com (News - Alert), Inc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005193/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] ThermoLift Joins Google Cloud for Startups; Awarded $20,000 in Cloud Computing Credits STONY BROOK, N.Y., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- ThermoLift, ranked #1 by the US Department of Energy's report "Energy Saving Potential and RD & D Opportunities for Commercial Building HVAC," announced that it has been accepted into Google Cloud for Startups. The program is designed to help startups run and scale their businesses in the cloud. As a part of the program, Google Cloud awarded ThermoLift $20,000 in cloud computing credits for advanced engineering. ThermoLift will use Google Compute Engine (GCE) to create high-performance and high-CPU virtual machines and run computationally-intensive engineering simulations. "GCE will provide ThermoLift multi-core and cluster computing capabilities which cut simulation times by days. This allows ThermoLift to run design-exploration and optimization studies at a dramatically increased rate, reducing the time it takes to develop a new technology," said Dr. Siddhartha Gardiraju, ThermoLift Senior Systems Engineer. ThermoLift is developing anatural gas-powered air conditioner and cold-climate heat pump. It combines heating, cooling, and hot water delivery into a single appliance. This results in a 30-50% reduction in HVAC costs, as well as associated reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. In the future, the device will be capable of running on hydrogen and solar energy thereby eliminating all CO 2 and NOx emissions. ThermoLift does not use refrigerants (HFCs), which are potent greenhouse gases that can be hundreds to thousands of times more dangerous than carbon dioxide in contributing to climate change. Without modifications to traditional equipment, the EPA projects that HFC emissions will increase nearly twentyfold in the coming decades, mostly due to increased demand for refrigeration and air conditioning, particularly in developing countries. ThermoLift's President Dr.-Ing. Professor Peter Hofbauer stated, "We are very pleased to work with Google Cloud and proud to have been selected for this award. As a developing company, access to high speed computing allows our engineering cycle to accelerate, a resource not available in the early days of innovation." About ThermoLift: ThermoLift is headquartered at the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center (AERTC) in Stony Brook, New York and receives business development support from Stony Brook University's Clean Energy Business Incubator Program (CEBIP). ThermoLift is funded by private capital from Topspin Partners and the Long Island Angel Network and has received grants from the US Department of Energy, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and the Wells Fargo NREL IN2 Incubator. Additional Information Contact: Paul Schwartz, CEO [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thermolift-joins-google-cloud-for-startups-awarded-20-000-in-cloud-computing-credits-300803337.html SOURCE ThermoLift [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Safe and Sound Schools To Host the Inaugural National Summit on School Safety Safe and Sound Schools, a national school safety non-profit founded by Sandy Hook parents, today announced it will host the National Summit on School Safety on March 29-30, 2019. The event, co-hosted by Region 4 Education Service Center, will take place at the Region 4 ESC (News - Alert) McKinney Conference Center in Houston, Texas. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005515/en/ Featured speakers at the National Summit on School Safety 2019 will include Alissa Parker, co-founder of Safe and Sound Schools, Dr. CJ Huff, education advocate and retired superintendent of Joplin Schools, and Michele Gay, co-founder of Safe and Sound Schools. (Photo: Business Wire) The National Summit on School Safety is the premier gathering of the foremost authorities on school safety. The intensive, interactive two-day conference will cover the key areas essential to comprehensive school safety with inspirational keynotes, leadership round tables, workshops, and hands-on learning activities. "This first-ever event truly spans all areas of school safety to provide the most comprehensive coverageof safety issues our schools face today: mental and behavioral health; school climate and community; health and wellness; operations and emergency management; physical environment; and school law, policy, and finance," said Michele Gay, co-founder and executive director at Safe and Sound Schools. "By bringing together the nation's experts in each of these disciplines, the National Summit on School Safety offers actionable takeaways, tools, and resources school communities can start implementing immediately." Featured speakers at the 2019 National Summit on School Safety include: Michele Gay & Alissa Parker , Sandy Hook Mothers and Co-Founders of Safe and Sound Schools , Sandy Hook Mothers and Co-Founders of Safe and Sound Schools Dr. CJ Huff , education advocate and retired superintendent of Joplin Schools , education advocate and retired superintendent of Joplin Schools Frank DeAngelis , Retired Principal of Columbine High School , Retired Principal of Columbine High School Patrick Ireland , Columbine Survivor , Columbine Survivor Lisa Hamp , Survivor of the Virginia Tech Shooting and School Safety Advocate , Survivor of the Virginia Tech Shooting and School Safety Advocate Dr. Lina Alathari, Chief of the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center "We are witnessing a renewed focus on school safety efforts and more demand for the programs and resources we provide," said Gay. "This Summit is an extension of Safe and Sound School's mission to educate and empower all stakeholders, and ultimately, ensure the safest learning environment for our youth." For more information about the Summit, sponsorship opportunities, or to register, visit the website. Summit Partners Crime Stoppers of Houston (Premier Partner), Allegion, Amulet (News - Alert) Ballistic Barriers, Axis Communications, The Hackett Center for Mental Health, H&H Medical Corporation, Johnson Controls, NaviGate Prepared, PBK, Raptor Technologies, Scholar Chip, and Status Solutions (News - Alert). About Safe and Sound Schools Michele Gay and Alissa Parker founded Safe and Sound Schools in 2013, following the tragic deaths of their children at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Safe and Sound Schools works with school communities and mental health, law enforcement, and safety professionals to create and ensure the safest possible learning environment for all youth. The non-profit organization delivers crisis-prevention, response, and recovery programs, tools, and resources, backed by national experts, to educate all members of the school community, from students and parents, to teachers and administrators, to law enforcement and local leaders. Winner of the 2015 New England Business Association Innovation Award for nonprofits, Safe and Sound Schools continues to answer the growing needs of school communities with custom programs, assessments, and training, reaching schools in every state in the country. For more information, visit www.safeandsoundschools.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005515/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Insight School of Minnesota Now Enrolling for the 2019-2020 School Year Insight School of Minnesota (ISMN), an online public school program of Brooklyn Center School District available to students statewide, is now accepting enrollment applications for the 2019-2020 school year. ISMN provides part-time and full-time enrollment for students in grades 6-12 throughout the state who are looking to keep their education on track as they plan for college and future careers. "At ISMN, we believe in every student's ability to finish high school, and to go on to be successful in whatever they pursue," said Head of School John Huber. "Whether our students are planning for college or want to enter the workforce after graduation, we're here to support their goals and to show them that they can reach their potential no matter the obstacles." ISMN combines online instruction and the support of dedicated teachers to provide a personalized learning experience for students of every ability level and at an appropriate pace for their learning style. The school's online learning environment allows students to work with confidence towards their academic goals. Resources such as remediation programs and concurrent college enrollment are among the school's many offerings that support students regardless of academic abilities or personal circumstances. ISMN offers a rigorous curriculum delivered entirely online, and features block scheduling in grades 9-12, where students can focus on fewer courses at a time in order to focus their efforts each day, receive support through extended class sessions and get real-time help from teachers. The school's online program allows students to progress faster in subjects at which they excel, and spend more time on those where they need additional help. ISMN's state-licensed teachers facilitate lessons during live, interactive online classes. In addition, teachers interact with students and parents via phone, email, web-based classrooms and online discussions, building close partnerships to ensure families feel supported and students feel appropriately challenged. Throughout the year, ISMN students build strong relationships with their classmates and form a close community of online learners. The school's Social and Emotional Learning program ensures students are ready to learn and succeed after high school, by boosting self-confidence and building interpersonal skills. The school's Family Academic Support Team empowers students to overcome challenges in school and in life with a holistic approach, providing early intervention and support services and connecting families with school- and community-based resources. ISMN invites families to attend online or in-person information sessions hosted by the school to learn more. For more information, including a schedule of upcoming events and details on enrollment, visit mn.insightschools.net, follow ISMN on Facebook, or download the K12 mobile app for iOS and Android (News - Alert) devices. About Insight School of Minnesota Insight School of Minnesota (ISMN) is an AdvancED-accredited, full- and part-time online public school program of Brooklyn Center School District that serves students in grades 6 through 12. As part of the Minnesota public school system, ISMN is tuition-free and gives parents and families the choice to access the curriculum provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of proprietary K-12 curriculum and online education programs. For more information about ISMN, visit mn.insightschools.net. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005045/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Insight School of Oklahoma Offers Educational Alternative for Grades 7-12 Insight School of Oklahoma (ISOK), an accredited online public charter school available tuition-free to students in grades 7-12, is now accepting enrollment applications for the 2019-2020 school year. ISOK is an alternative education school that provides students throughout the state with the opportunity to get back on track with their education, and plan for college and future careers. ISOK combines online instruction and the support of experienced teachers to provide a personalized learning experience for students of every ability level and at an appropriate pace for their learning style. The school's online learning environment allows students to work with confidence towards their academic goals. Graduates earn a high school diploma, and those who come to ISOK behind on credits can participate in the school's credit recovery program. "At ISOK, we understand that students may face a variety of challenges when it comes to achieving their academic goals," said Head of School Sheryl Tatum. "We are committed to providing every student and their families with the academic, emotional, and social resources they need to graduate from high school and have a successful future." ISOK offers a rigorous curriculum delivered entirely online, and features block scheduling, where students can focus on fewer courses at a time in order to focus efforts each day, receiving support through extended class sessions and getting real-time help from teachers. The school offers online programs that allow students to progress faster in subjects at which they excel, and spend more time on those where they need additional help. ISOK's state-licensed teachers facilitate lessons during live, interactive online classes. In addition, teachers interact with students and parents via phone, email, web-based classrooms and online discussions, building close partnership to ensure families feel supported and students feel appropriately challenged. Throughout the year, ISOK high school students participate in weekly virtual assemblies, building strong relationships with their classmates and a close community of online learners. The school's Social and Emotional Learning program ensures students are ready to learn and succeed after high school, by boosting self-confidence and building interpersonal skills. The school's Family Support Team includes a licensed social worker and other support personnel to help students set goals and stay on track. ISOK invites families to attend online or in-person information sessions hosted by the school. To learn more about enrollment, and for a schedule of upcoming events, visit ok.insighschools.net, follow ISOK on Facebook, or download the K12 mobile app for iOS and Android (News - Alert) devices. About Insight School of Oklahoma Insight School of Oklahoma (ISOK) is an AdvancEd accredited full-time online public charter school that serves at-risk students in grades 7-12 throughout the state of Oklahoma. ISOK is recognized by the Oklahoma State Department of Education as an alternative school and is authorized by the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board. As part of the Oklahoma public school system, ISOK is tuition-free and gives parents and families the choice to access the curriculum provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of K-12 proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information, visit ok.insightschools.net. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005023/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Xilinx Joins Technology Pathways Initiative The Center for Advancing Women in Technology (CAWIT) proudly welcomes Xilinx (News - Alert), Inc., as a corporate sponsor of the Technology Pathways Initiative (TPI), a groundbreaking effort to strengthen America's workforce growth and evolution in the Digital Age. TPI is a nationwide effort to satisfy unmet demand for workers with the knowledge and skills required to fill an estimated 900,000 computing jobs by 2026. Key to this effort is equipping more women for tech jobs through innovative campus-to-career programs. TPI has made a significant impact on skilled workforce demand since its founding in 2016. Faculty from leading California public universities, supported by prominent tech industry sponsors, are creating and implementing new college degree programs that integrate computing with fields of study such as biology, mathematics, and cognitive science-fields with high female student enrollment that benefit from innovative applications of computing technology. According to CAWIT Founder and President, Dr. Belle W. Wei, "We've made solid progress, but there's more to do. Women remain underrepresented in the nation's technology talent pool. TPI is a catalyst for systemic and sustainable change, from campus to career, to educate more women innovators for the Digital Age." Dr. Wei is Carolyn Guidry Chair in Engineering Education and Innovating Learning, and former Dean of the College of Engineering at San Jose State Universit. TPI Universities TPI universities include: San Francisco State University, San Jose State University, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Riverside, and California Polytechnic State University-six of California's top public universities and major suppliers of local talent to its workforce. Their faculty are establishing new and self-sustaining interdisciplinary degree programs, and making them available to a broader cross-section of students. TPI aims to have faculty from ten participating universities, whose efforts are supported by industry sponsors, by 2020. Learn more about TPI University Partners TPI Industry Partners Xilinx joins an alliance of tech industry partners that are the cornerstone of the Technology Pathways Initiative. These companies have been sponsoring TPI universities in their introduction of new interdisciplinary degree programs since 2016. Founding sponsors-including Intel (News - Alert) Corporation, KLA Foundation and Salesforce-have each contributed $1,000,000 (USD). They also provide support through mentoring, internships, workshops, onsite visits, and other campus-to-career opportunities for college students in TPI degree programs. Learn more about TPI Industry Partners Visit Xilinx online: www.xilinx.com. Visit CAWIT online: www.cawit.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005039/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Undo Expands Software Flight Recorder Technology and US Team, Bringing Greater Certainty to Software Reliability Every year, trillions of dollars are lost due to software failures ($1.7 trillion in 2017 alone), and large, publicly traded companies lose billions in shareholder value on the first day that a failure is made public. Gartner (News - Alert) estimates that network downtime alone can cost up to $5,600 per minute. With increasing complexity in software development, rapid testing and production schedules, and vastly distributed development teams, the current solutions, including static and dynamic analysis tools, available to rapidly resolve these issues are no longer capable of keeping pace. Undo, the leader in software flight recorder technology and trusted by the world's largest companies in data management, electronic design automation, and networking / telecommunications, today announced new expansions to its team and to its proprietary Live Recorder platform. Designed as a "black box flight recorder" for testing, development, and production, Live Recorder gives companies 100% certainty about the factors that led to any software failure, even in the most complex software environments. Record and Replay Exact Failure Conditions: Live Recorder removes all uncertainty from conditions that lead to software failures in development or testing. Record and replay the exact conditions in which a failure occurred and then pinpoint the root of the problem. The recording can be played back any time, anywhere, and debugged interactively. Reproduce tandalone, Shareable Test Cases: Dealing with software runtime errors in a locked-down enterprise IT environment is a massive challenge because customers are unable to send you diagnostics (logs, data, or core dumps) containing sensitive information which cannot be allowed to leave the premises. The new Live Recorder features protect sensitive customer information and enables developer to debug easily offline back at base. Up to 5x Faster Debugging with Fast Forward: Using Live Recorder developers can skip to the end of the recording, where catastrophe usually strikes, and use reverse debugging to start working backwards from that point. The new "Fast Forwarding" feature in Undo's 4.10 release makes skipping to the end of the recording up to 5x faster than in previous releases, reducing developers' time to debug. Turn "Time to Resolution" into "Instant Certainty": With millions of dollars at stake, software reliability is directly linked to relationship management. Time-to-resolution is critical to protecting relationships with valuable customers. Live Recorder reduces time-to-resolution and removes all guesswork when communicating problems and solutions to a client. "When you're providing mission-critical software, it's not unusual to be dealing with confidential customer information, and that's where remote functionality becomes vital," said Barry Morris, CEO of Undo. "Adding these capabilities is a part of our larger focus on making remote diagnostics feasible in secure IT environments and simplifying the process of fixing software failures in complex, multi-process and distributed systems." Undo is trusted by some of the world's largest technology companies including SAP, Cadence Design Systems (News - Alert) and Mentor Graphics with a greater than 95 percent renewal rate. Customers rely on Undo to identify and address the cause of a software failure with absolute certainty, which dramatically reduces the time-to-resolution. "Ultimately, the goal of any software company is to deliver software with the highest possible value to their customers. Looking at increasingly complex system software, such as database management systems, delivering software that is completely free of defects is virtually impossible," said Dr. Alexander Bohm, Chief Development Architect, SAP (News - Alert) HANA "With Undo Live Recorder, we were able to dramatically cut down the analysis time that is required to understand the root cause of very complex software defects." To accommodate increased demand from U.S. companies, Undo also announced its official expansion into the states with a new office in San Francisco. Having a physical presence in the Bay Area allows Undo to be closer to the center of the industries in which its technology is most frequently used. Its U.S. expansion comes on the heels of a record year of growth for the company, during which it raised a $14 million Series B funding round and brought on Morris as CEO. Morris brings over 25 years experience working in enterprise software and database systems, founding NuoDB in 2008, scaling start-ups and publicly held companies alike. Morris, also served as CEO of distributed service-oriented architecture (SOA) specialists IONA Technologies (News - Alert) between 2000 and 2003, and built the company up to $180m in revenues and a $2bn valuation. For more information on Undo and its services please visit https://undo.io. About Undo Undo is the only software reliability platform that can record and replay every aspect of software execution with absolute certainty. Built for mission-critical software, Undo is trusted by the world's largest technology companies to quickly resolve issues in complex applications through innovative "software flight recorder" technology. The Undo Live Recorder enables engineering teams to record and replay the execution of any software program, no matter how complex, to diagnose and fix the root cause of any issue in test or production. With offices in Cambridge, UK and San Francisco, CA, the Undo Live Recorder platform is used by thousands of software engineers across leading technology companies including SAP, Cadence Design Systems, Mentor Graphics (News - Alert), and Micro Focus. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005232/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Ping Identity to Participate in Girls & Science Event, Encouraging Youth to Focus on STEAM Professions Ping Identity, the leader in Identity Defined Security, today announced its participation at Girls & Science, an annual event designed to inspire students to pursue careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM). Hosted by CBS4 Local News, this year's event will be held on March 2 at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and is expected to draw more than 7,000 attendees. "As a technology company, this is a cause that speaks to the heart of our organization," said Andre Durand, CEO of Ping Identity. "We're honored to play a role in raising the awareness of technology professions. The STEAM programs currently being offered in our schools are so important for our youth, as they allow children an opportunity to explore their talents, innovations and ideas." At this year's event, the Ping Identity theme is "You are the Password," which shines a light on the importance of cybersecurity and its various applications. Representing this theme is Remy Lyle, a solutions architect for Ping Identity. She will present a demo on how usrs access applications through fingerprint and heartbeat code authentications. This is done by having the students drop "pucks"-which represent personal identities-into a Plinko board, and provides visibility into how Ping architects particular avenues to ensure the right "pucks" end up in the right application. The purpose is to educate students on identity and access management as a subset of cybersecurity, while also demonstrating real-world use cases in a way that is easily digestible for a younger audience. All ages are welcome and activities will be oriented toward children ages 8 to 13. Ping's participation at the 2019 Girls & Science event is part of the company's broader initiative to promote more women in technology and eliminate the gender gap. To learn more about Ping Identity and its solutions, visit www.pingidentity.com. About Ping Identity Ping Identity envisions a digital world powered by intelligent identity. We help enterprises achieve Zero Trust identity-defined security and more personalized, streamlined user experiences. The Ping Intelligent Identity Platform provides customers, employees and partners with access to cloud, mobile, SaaS (News - Alert) and on-premises applications and APIs, while also managing identity and profile data at scale. Over half of the Fortune 100 choose us for our identity expertise, open standards leadership, and partnership with companies including Microsoft (News - Alert), Amazon and Google. We provide flexible options to extend hybrid IT environments and accelerate digital business initiatives with multi-factor authentication, single sign-on, access management, intelligent API security, directory and data governance capabilities. Visit www.pingidentity.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005300/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Two Online Public Schools Invite Tennessee Students to Enroll for 2019-20 School Year Tennessee students seeking a new choice in public education are invited to submit an application for enrollment in Tennessee Virtual Academy (TNVA) and Tennessee Virtual High School (TNVHS). Both schools-which are full-time, tuition-free online public schools of the Union County Public School system-are now enrolling for the 2019-20 school year. TNVA and TNVHS serve students across the state in grades K-8 and 9-11, respectively. The schools offer students and families a high-quality, personalized learning experience. A combination of online instruction, a rigorous and engaging curriculum, and the support of state-certified teachers help students reach their full potential. Students take a full course load across the core subjects of language arts, history, math and science, and are offered electives in art and music. TNVHS also offers a variety of honors courses and electives including world languages, health and wellness, and fine arts. "At TNVA, we are committed to creating an environment in which students come to class-not because they have to but because they want to learn," said Jennifer Havens, TNVA's head of school. "Our teachers and staff work closely with families to ensure students cultivate a passion for learning that carries them through igh school and beyond." Students choose online school for a variety of reasons including advanced learning, a bullying-free environment, and a schedule that allows for extracurricular pursuits or medical needs. TNVA and TNVHS's online platform gives students the freedom to pursue their academic goals in a safe, supportive environment and at an appropriate pace for their learning style. From live classes and one-on-one instruction to chat sessions and family phone calls, dedicated teachers work in close partnership with parents and students to support academic success. Throughout the year, TNVA and TNVHS also foster a sense of community by bringing students and staff together for in-person field trips, community service opportunities and social events, and by organizing virtual clubs around shared interests. Families are encouraged to attend an online or in-person information session hosted by the schools. To learn more about enrollment and for a schedule of information sessions visit k12.com/how-to-enroll, or download the K12 enrollment app for iOS and Android (News - Alert) devices. About Tennessee Virtual Academy and Tennessee Virtual High School Tennessee Virtual Academy and Tennessee Virtual High School are full-time online public schools of Union City Schools. Both schools are tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the engaging curriculum and tools provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of proprietary K-12 curriculum and online education programs. For more information about TNVA and TNVHS, visit TNVA.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005665/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] FreeWheel Appoints Carl Kalapesi as Chief Operating Officer FreeWheel, a Comcast (News - Alert) Company, today announced that it has named Carl Kalapesi as chief operating officer. In this new role, Kalapesi will oversee the company's global business operations, supporting its three primary business units (FreeWheel Markets, FreeWheel Publishers and FreeWheel Advertisers). He will also lead and accelerate the company's external and industry partnerships and ensure FreeWheel's alignment and progress toward fulfilling key strategic portfolio initiatives. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005682/en/ FreeWheel, a Comcast Company, today announced that it has named Carl Kalapesi as chief operating officer. (Photo: Business Wire) Kalapesi joined FreeWheel this month and reports to the company's general manager, Dave Clark. "FreeWheel's continued product innovation and momentum for publishers and marketers is exciting, but it also means we need to invest in leadership that can help us manage our growth," Clark said. "A strategist at heart, Carl has successfully helped companies across a diverse range of sectrs architect and build a foundation and roadmap for sustained, future growth." Kalapesi brings more than 20 years of experience working with industries spanning media, technology, advertising and economic policy across the U.S., U.K., Africa and Asia. He joins FreeWheel from Oath, a Verizon (News - Alert) Company, where he was most recently vice president, global strategy and business operations. There, he successfully led a team to deliver on growth initiatives, operational and productivity improvements (including the AOL (News - Alert)-Yahoo integration) and data-driven strategic projects. He was formerly at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) where he advised clients in the Technology, Media and Telecom space in the UK and USA. Kalapesi was also vice president, industry initiatives at The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), where he helped establish the industry body's first Programmatic Council. Early in his career, Kalapesi was an economic advisor in international economic development working in Vietnam and Tanzania. He has published several notable industry reports and served as keynote speaker at industry events around the world. He holds a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD. About FreeWheel FreeWheel, A Comcast Company, empowers all segments of The New TV Ecosystem. We are structured to provide the full breadth of solutions the advertising industry needs to achieve their goals. We power the technology, data enablement, and convergent marketplaces required to ensure buyers and sellers can transact across all screens, across all data types, and all sales channels, in order to ensure the ultimate goal - results for marketers. With offices in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, London, Paris, Beijing, and across the globe, FreeWheel, A Comcast Company, stands to advocate for the entire industry through the FreeWheel Council for Premium Video. For more information, please visit www.freewheel.tv, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005682/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Foot Levelers Partners with Women Chiropractors Professional Organization, Donates $100,000 A collaborative partnership was announced today between Foot Levelers, the world's leading provider of hand-crafted custom orthotics, and Women Chiropractors (WDC), a not-for-profit professional organization dedicated to raising up women leaders in the Chiropractic profession. In support of these aspirations, Foot Levelers formalized the relationship on February 14, 2019 and has made a $100,000 donation to help WDC expand its resources. "This partnership comes at an important time: within the next 10 years, it's estimated half of all Chiropractors will be women," says Kent S. Greenawalt, CEO, Foot Levelers. "The growth of the WDC is remarkable, and we are very excited to partner with this outstanding organization. Our entire team will work toward helping the organization to further empower female doctors in Chiropractic technique, leadership roles, educational opportunities, and practical growth. Ultimately, this will help to improve Chiropractic care at a time when drug-free pain treatment options are in high demand." WDC currently has more than 7,400 members in 58 countries. The organization is open to female Chiropractors and female Chiropractic students. WDC provides resources that include scholarships, educational seminars, leadership opportunities, networking platforms, and an online virtual academy launching April 2019. According to a 2012 article published in The Journal of Chiropractic Education, 60 percent of Chiropractic patients are women. Additionally, research shows 78 percent of women consider themselves as the primary healthcare decision maker in their household. Dr. Cyndy Shaft-Toll, WDC founder, says "WDC connects caring, compassionate, confident and charitable Chiropractors. We know that many female patients prefer to see doctors with whom they feel a connection. Together, we are committed to keeping our minds and hearts open, elevating women Chiropractors and students by encouraging growh and igniting the change we all want to see in the world." Shaft-Toll added: "Foot Levelers' generosity will help our organization provide resources to raise up women leaders in the Chiropractic profession. This long-term partnership will help our grassroots organization grow stronger. Foot Levelers shares our commitment and passion in supporting this altruistic endeavor, and furthering our position as a safe, sacred, non-judgmental community for female Chiropractors." Foot Levelers has a long history of supporting the Chiropractic profession. The company has opened several Chiropractic health centers and educational campus buildings, funded Chiropractic research studies, established college scholarships for aspiring DCs, and more. Foot Levelers also hosts hundreds of educational seminars and free webinars each year, all aimed at supporting Chiropractors. "We all know Chiropractic is the answer to so many issues," concludes Greenawalt. "That's why it's vital to support Chiropractors in several ways. We are honored to have this relationship with the WDC and look forward to working with them for many years to come." About Women Chiropractors Women Chiropractors is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization launched from a collective dream of female Chiropractors around the world and founded as an inclusive, multi-generational gathering of Chiropractic women. The WDC community offers education and support that empowers all women Chiropractors in technique, human resources, philosophy and life skills. The goal is to help women connect to a sisterhood that supports each individual to turn her purpose into action. WDC is committed to elevating women Chiropractors and students by encouraging growth and igniting change worldwide. Visit www.womenchiropractors.org; and follow on Facebook (News - Alert) (@womenchiropractors), Instagram (@womenchiropractors) and Twitter (News - Alert) (@womenchiroassn). About Foot Levelers Foot Levelers, the world's leading provider of hand-crafted custom orthotics, has been serving healthcare professionals since 1952. Stabilizing Orthotics help properly support the back, knees, hips, pelvis, and even neck by providing a balanced and symmetrical foundation. Foot Levelers orthotics are proven to reduce LBP by 34.5%. Visit www.footlevelers.com; and follow on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram (@FootLevelers). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005685/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] World Insurance Associates LLC Merges with The DiForte Agency of Staten Island, NY World Insurance Associates LLC, a fast-growing independent insurance agency headquartered in Tinton Falls, NJ, merged with The DiForte Agency of Staten Island, NY on January 1, 2019. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005741/en/ Founded in 1951, The DiForte Agency is dedicated to providing homeowners, business, and auto insurance to businesses and families in Staten Island neighborhoods and beyond. The agency has a wealth of experience connecting clients to the options that best suit their needs, so families and business owners have peace of mind and the crucial financial safeguards that allow them to pursue their goals. The responsive, trained, and professional agents at The DiForte Agency know how to navigate complicated insurance markets to find the best available policies and to facilitate insurance purchases. The DiForte Agency is the second long-standing Staten Island insurance agency to partner with World Insurance Associates LLC, joining Mark Lauria Associates Inc., which celerated its one-year anniversary of the merger in April 2018. "We are proud to welcome The DiForte Agency to our organization," said Rich Eknoian, CEO and co-founder of World Insurance Associates LLC. "They are true insurance specialists and their particular knowledge of the Staten Island community and New York Metropolitan area is a tremendous asset." John R. DiForte Sr, stated, "We look forward to serving our clients with the additional resources and capabilities of World Insurance Associates, and we're excited to be part of the growing World Insurance family." World Insurance Associates LLC is an independent insurance agency headquartered in Tinton Falls, NJ. It offers extensive, cost-effective personal and business insurance solutions in 50 states. The company specializes in transportation, hospitality, self-storage facilities, construction (surety), manufacturers, and law firms. World Insurance Associates also provides group benefits and property and casualty insurance to companies of all sizes in a variety of industries in addition to insurance services for individuals, focusing on coastal properties and high net worth clients. World Insurance Associates began business in 2012, has completed 37 acquisitions, and serves its customers from 24 offices in NJ, PA, NY, CT, RI, ME, OH, FL, and Washington, D.C. The company is ranked #15 on the 2018 NJBIZ 50 Fastest Growing Companies in NJ and #6 in New Jersey's Top Insurance Brokerages, also by NJBIZ. World Insurance Associates made the 2018 Inc. 5000 list at #1680, has been named a Top 100 Independent Property/Casualty Agency by Insurance Journal, and is a Business Insurance 2018 Best Place to Work. For more information, please visit www.worldins.net. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005741/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] IntSights Names Jay Zimmet to Lead Global Revenue Operations IntSights, the threat intelligence company focused on delivering automated defense forward capabilities, announced today that Jay Zimmet has joined the company as Chief Revenue Officer to lead global revenue operations. In addition to joining the executive team, Zimmet will oversee global sales, channels and business development functions at IntSights. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005743/en/ Jay Zimmet, Chief Revenue Officer at IntSights. (Photo: Business Wire) "Jay brings tremendous executive experience to IntSights and will drive our global revenue strategy to the next level," said Guy Nizan, CEO and cofounder of IntSights. "Since our founding in 2015, we have seen triple-digit, year-over-year growth. Jay will be an integral part of accelerating our growth as we deliver new products to market and expand our global footprint." Zimmet brings more than 25 years of enterprise technology experience to IntSights and has a successful track record of building high-performing revenue teams that deliver strong results. Prior to joining the company, he held executive cybersecurity sales roles at CA Technologies (News - Alert), Xceedium (acquired by CA), Verizon Business and NetSec (acquired by Verizon). "IntSights has seen tremendous growth over the past three years and that growth is driven by delivering a strong return on security investment to our customers", said Zimmet. "I am honored to join the company at this stage, and I look forward to working with a very talented team and continuing to build on our growth story." In 2018, IntSights grew by 2.5x in overall ARR and added 2.2x new customers. The company now counts over 200 leading brands across the globe as customers. In 2019, the company anticipates even stronger growth. About IntSights IntSights is redefining cyber security with the industry's first and only enterprise threat management platform that transforms tailored threat intelligence into automated security operations. Our groundbreaking data-mining algorithms and unique cyber reconnaissance capabilities continuously monitor an enterprise's external digital profile across the surface, deep and dark web, categorize and analyze tens of millions of potential threats, and automate the risk remediation lifecycle - streamlining workflows, maximizing resources and securing business operations. This has made IntSights one of the fastest growing cybersecurity companies in the world. IntSights has offices in Amsterdam, Boston, Dallas, New York City, Singapore, Tel Aviv and Tokyo. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005743/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Capgemini to Enter into a Partnership with IDEMIA for the Launch of a Secure IoT Device Management Platform Capgemini will enter into a new partnership agreement with IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, aiming to introduce a secure Internet of Things (IoT) device management platform which reinforces secure connectivity for a vast array of devices and data. This agreement is a step towards meeting the ever-growing need for the connectivity and security of smart objects. Even though cybercrime costs have quadrupled between 2015 and 20191, IOT will create more opportunities for many industries. Given this context, for IoT to be more scalable and trustworthy for clients and end users, connectivity capabilities and security need to be increased. Backed by Capgemini (News - Alert) and IDEMIA's expertise, the joint platform intends to bring to smart devices much needed security and connectivity while simplifying the device on-boarding, configuration and integration with existing customer back-end systems. For example, an e-health app gives doctors flexibility in taking care of their patients via an exchange of critical data and provides them with the possibility to make smarter decisions based on authenticated and encrypted devices, secured access (to change parameters) and secure data flow. In the same way, within a factory or across an infrastructure, it enables machines and devices to connect, to predict and prevent fluctuations. Jean-Pierre Petit, Director of Digital Manufacturing at Capgemini said, "The basic foundation of product or industrial analytics and AI is connectivity coupled with security. Capgemini's agreement with IDEMIA will provide a unique, fully agnostic, configurable and highly secure platform from an end-point device to the cloud." <> The platform will be based on Capgemini's IoT device management platform X-IoT, which securely connects and manages any type of gateway and protocols to the cloud, plus IDEMIA's M-TRUST solution, which guarantees device security of all collected data, command and configurations sent to devices. It can be used for all kinds of devices, from simple smart health devices and smart valves to supply water to a city, through to industrial machinery and devices. Yves Portalier, Executive Vice-President for Connected Objects activities at IDEMIA said: "We are thrilled to join forces with Capgemini, given the excellent fit of our mutual services. Boosted by our M-TRUST solution, IDEMIA brings its globally reputed expertise to Capgemini with a view to stepping up security for Capgemini's clients involved in various sectors that are complementary to those we serve." About Capgemini A global leader in consulting, technology services and digital transformation, Capgemini is at the forefront of innovation to address the entire breadth of clients' opportunities in the evolving world of cloud, digital and platforms. Building on its strong 50-year heritage and deep industry-specific expertise, Capgemini enables organizations to realize their business ambitions through an array of services from strategy to operations. Capgemini is driven by the conviction that the business value of technology comes from and through people. It is a multicultural company of over 200,000 team members in more than 40 countries. The Group reported 2018 global revenues of EUR 13.2 billion. Visit us at www.capgemini.com. People matter, results count. About IDEMIA IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, provides a trusted environment enabling citizens and consumers alike to perform their daily critical activities (such as pay, connect, travel and vote), in the physical as well as digital space. Securing our identity has become mission critical in the world we live in today. By standing for Augmented Identity, an identity that ensures privacy and trust and guarantees secure, authenticated and verifiable transactions, we reinvent the way we think, produce, use and protect one of our greatest assets - our identity - whether for individuals or for objects, whenever and wherever security matters. We provide Augmented Identity for international clients from Financial, Telecom, Identity, Public Security and IoT sectors. With close to $3 billion in revenues and 13,000 employees around the world, IDEMIA serves clients in 180 countries. For more information, visit www.idemia.com / Follow @IDEMIAGroup on Twitter (News - Alert) 1 Source: www.juniperresearch.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005755/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Hoosier Academy at Indianapolis is Now Accepting Enrollments for 2019-2020 School Year Hoosier Academy at Indianapolis (Hoosier), a blended online public charter school, is now accepting enrollments for the upcoming 2019-2020 school year. Authorized by Ball State University, Hoosier is available tuition-free to students in grades K-12 who reside anywhere in the state. Hoosier's blended program, where students attend a Learning Center 2 days per week and work from home virtually in required class-connect sessions the other 3, offers a personalized approach to learning, delivering rich, engaging curriculum designed to assist students who seek alternative pathways to education. Students receive support and resources needed to reach their academic goals, and access programs and courses designed to help with career readiness. "Hoosier is committed to providing a personalized education experience," says Head of School Elizabeth Lamey. "Our students come from diverse backgrounds and are dedicated learners. They thrive in this kind of learning evironment." All Hoosier students are offered a full course load in the core subjects of math, science, language arts, history, art and music. Electives include world languages in middle and high school, as well as high school honors and AP courses. And certain state-mandated classes are required, just like any brick-and-mortar school in Indiana. Hoosier also offers student clubs, field trips, social outings, and other activities to foster a sense of school community, including an in-person graduation ceremony in the spring. Virtual classes are taught by Indiana-licensed teachers who communicate with students and families via phone, chat, and email in addition to the required class-connect sessions. Hoosier is now accepting applications for the 2019-2020 school year. Families are encouraged to attend an in-person information session hosted by the school. For more information on how to enroll, and for a schedule of upcoming events, visit ha.k12.com. About Hoosier Academy Hoosier Academy, a tuition-free, public charter school authorized by Ball State University, offers a blend of online learning and face-to-face instruction through Hoosier Academies Indianapolis, a K-12 blended learning school. With Hoosier Academies, families have access to the curriculum and tools provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of proprietary technology-powered online solutions for students in kindergarten through high school. For more information about Hoosier Academy, visit ha.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005090/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Indiana Digital Learning School Now Accepting Enrollments for 2019-2020 School Year Indiana Digital Learning School (INDLS), an accredited, full-time online public school, welcomes students in K through 11 to enroll for the 2019-2020 school year. INDLS is open tuition-free to all students who reside in Indiana. Authorized by Union School Corporation, and delivered entirely online, INDLS offers a personalized approach to learning, delivering rich, engaging curriculum designed to assist students who seek alternative pathways to education. INDLS is uniquely connected to the Union School Corporation and can offer the student the benefit of an Indiana Public School Diploma. While working towards their high school diplomas, INDLS students can participate in the Destinations Career Program and discover exciting options for their future in a variety of career fields, including: Business, Health and Human Services, IT, and Manufacturing and Trades. They can also earn college credits through partnerships with local colleges and universities and prepare to take industry-recognized certification exams upon graduation. "Some kids know exactly what they want to do with their lives, and some don't yet. Our career program lets tudents try new things and get a sense for what they may want to do," says INDLS Head of School Elizabeth Sliger. "By giving them early exposure to a variety of career options, we empower our students to shape their own future." Virtual classes are taught by Indiana-licensed teachers who provide instruction during live online class sessions daily, and are available to students via phone, email and one-to-one meetings. Students choose online school for a variety of reasons including advanced learning, a bullying-free environment, and the ability to support extracurricular pursuits or medical needs. INDLS's online platform gives students the opportunity to pursue their academic goals in a supportive environment and at an appropriate pace for their learning style. INDLS offers a challenging academic program focused on college preparation and career readiness. Students take a full course load in the core subjects of math, science, English language arts, history, art and career pathways. Electives include world languages, as well as high school honors courses. INDLS also offers student clubs, in-person field trips and social gatherings to foster a sense of school community. INDLS is now accepting enrollments for the 2019-2020 school year. Families are encouraged to attend an online or in-person information session hosted by the school. More information on INDLS, how to enroll, and a schedule of upcoming events can be found at indls.k12.com. About Indiana Digital Learning School Indiana Digital Learning School (INDLS) is an online public school program of the Union School Corporation, serving students across the state of Indiana. INDLS is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the engaging curriculum and tools provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of proprietary K-12 curriculum and online education programs. For more information about INDLS, visit indls.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005004/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Dr. Jonathan Rich Appointed as Lumileds Chief Executive Officer Lumileds today announced the appointment of Dr. Jonathan Rich as Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Rich most recently served as Chairman and CEO of Berry Global, Inc., a Fortune 500 specialty materials and consumer packaging company, from 2010 to 2018. Dr. Rich succeeds Mark Adams, who is stepping down as CEO and from the board of directors but will remain in an advisory role to the company. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005864/en/ Jon Rich named CEO of Lumileds (Photo: Business Wire) "I am very pleased to be joining Lumileds and am looking forward to building on the company's differentiated lighting technology foundation to increase the value we can deliver to customers across a broad set of industries," said Dr. Rich. "The opportunity for lighting innovation to make a positive impact on safety and sustainability is tremendous." Before Dr. Rich held the position of Chairman and CEO of Berry Global, he was president and CEO at Momentive, a specialty chemical company headquartered in Albany, New York. Prior to that, he held positions with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, first as President of the Global Chemicals bsiness and subsequently as President of Goodyear's North American Tire Division. Dr. Rich spent his formative years at General Electric, first as a research scientist at GE Global Research and then in a series of management positions with GE Plastics. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Iowa State University and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has been a visiting lecturer at Cornell University Johnson School of Business since 2017. "Mark Adams has made significant contributions to Lumileds during his tenure, leading the transition to an independent company and cultivating a culture of innovation and customer focus," said Rob Seminara, a senior partner at Apollo and chairman of the board of Lumileds. "On behalf of the Board of Directors of Lumileds, we would like to thank him for his service to the company and wish him the very best in his future endeavors. We are very excited Jon will be joining Lumileds to drive the next phase of innovation and growth and we look forward to working with him again." Added Adams: "It has been a great experience leading Lumileds' transition to an independent company that is focused on delivering lighting solutions that truly make a positive impact in the world. I would like to thank the employees of Lumileds and the Apollo team for their support and wish the company much success in the future." About Lumileds: For automotive, mobile, IoT and illumination companies that require innovative lighting solutions, Lumileds is a global leader, employing more than 9,000 team members operating in over 30 countries. Lumileds partners with its customers to push the boundaries of light. To learn more about our portfolio of lighting solutions, visit lumileds.com. About Apollo Global Management: Apollo is a leading global alternative investment manager with offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Houston, Bethesda, London, Frankfurt, Madrid, Luxembourg, Mumbai, Delhi, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo. Apollo has assets under management of approximately $280 billion as of December 31, 2018 in private equity, credit and real assets funds invested across a core group of nine industries where Apollo has considerable knowledge and resources. For more information about Apollo, please visit www.apollo.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005864/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] South Carolina Virtual Charter School Opens Enrollments for 2019-2020 School Year South Carolina Virtual Charter School (SCVCS), an AdvancED accredited, full-time online public charter school, welcomes families with students in kindergarten through 12th grade to enroll for the 2019-2020 school year. A tuition-free public school, SCVCS is open to students who reside anywhere in the state. SCVCS offers a personalized approach to learning. Students receive the support and resources they need to pursue and reach their academic goals. The school combines online instruction, rigorous curriculum and the support of South Carolina-licensed teachers to provide a personalized experience for each student. "With the online learning platform we can offer students and their families a public school option that meets their unique needs," says Head of School Dr. Cherry Daniel. "Our dedicated staff provide our students with the support they need to thrive in the classroom and beyond." Students are offered a full course loadin the core subjects of math, science, language arts, history, art and music. Electives include world languages, as well as high school honors and Advanced Placement courses. Students and families communicate with teachers via phone and email, and are provided with a unique approach to learning that helps prepare students for post-graduation career and college success. Expanded career readiness classes are also offered at the high school level. A dual credit program enables qualified high school students to earn college credit on select courses. Outside of the virtual classroom, SCVCS offers student clubs and in-person field trips, community service opportunities and social gatherings to foster a sense of school community, including an in-person graduation ceremony in the spring. Families are encouraged to attend an in-person or online information session hosted by the school. For more information on how to enroll, and for a schedule of upcoming events, visit scvcs.k12.com. About South Carolina Virtual Charter School South Carolina Virtual Charter School (SCVCS) is a full-time online public school program that serves students in grades K through 12. As part of the South Carolina public school system, SCVCS is tuition-free and gives families the choice to access the engaging curriculum and tools provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of proprietary K-12 curriculum and online education programs. For more information about SCVCS, visit scvcs.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005105/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Toco Warranty Launches Live Chat And Referral Program With New Online Customer Portal WEST HILLS, Calif., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers seeking service have high expectations they don't want to wait more than 45 seconds on hold and 60% prefer that companies offer an online chat.* Toco Warranty, a new generation of vehicle service contracts (VSC) with pay-as-you-go monthly payment plans, responds with a new online customer portal, MyToco and average wait time of 30 seconds or less for customers who prefer live chat to a live call. Toco Warranty has developed this new support channel to further enhance customer communications and connections. MyToco offers savvy customers a secure, fast and practical solution to access and manage their plans while minimizing their carbon footprint. As part of Toco Warranty's ongoing commitment to put customers first, MyToco provides car owners with increased efficiency and seamless communication with the company. Through the new portal, customers can view their account information, download electronic documents, manage payment plans, send a referral and live chat with a Toco Customer Care specialist. "From sales to service, Toco puts customers first," said Nota Berger, CEO of Toco Warranty. "Toco keeps it simple with transparent and straightforward vehicle coverage plans. The new MyToco portal is yet another example of how we are investing to deliver on our promise to help Americans keep their cars longer and save money and time without breaking a sweat." Accessible through any device at any time, downloadable contracts make it easier for customers to share contract information with their mechanic or other drivers. Customers can quickly and easily make payment updates via the portal which will prevent any delay or denial of claims. Additionally, Toco will cover one monthly payment for any customer who sends a referral that signs a contract and makes their third monthly payment. The customer portal is just the latet addition to Toco Warranty's roster of added-value solutions and benefits available to their customers. Benefits of a VSC with Toco include: no up-front investment or long-term contract to sign, pay-as-you-go plans, a dedicated concierge, 24/hour roadside assistance, freedom to choose your mechanic, and rental car and hotel discounts. For more information about Toco Warranty, visit www.tocowarranty.com, or call 855-298-8626. For reliable car tips and tools, follow Toco on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tocowarranty/ and follow us on Twitter @TocoWarranty and Instagram @TocoWarranty. *Sources (2017): American Express Customer Service Barometer & Live Chat Benchmark Report About Toco Warranty Founded in 2013 and based in Southern California, Toco Warranty's mission is to offer drivers simple-to-use and financially smart vehicle repair coverage that can be purchased using a monthly payment plan. Backed by an A-rated insurance carrier, the company offers vehicle service contracts nationwide, as well as mechanical breakdown insurance for California residents. Toco gets it done for drivers with cars five years and older through plans that cover parts for a car's engine, transmission, drive axle, electrical, cooling system, AC, fuel system, and more. Toco's promise to put customers first is supported by supportive tools and benefits, from the MyToco customer portal and 24/7 roadside assistance to a dedicated concierge and the Ethos Council, which was designed to encourage transparency and ethical practices across the company. For more information, visit www.tocowarranty.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Natalie Alatriste [email protected] 305-967-6676 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/toco-warranty-launches-live-chat-and-referral-program-with-new-online-customer-portal-300804408.html SOURCE Toco Warranty [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Loomis Sayles Announces New Board Members Loomis, Sayles & Company, an affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers, announced today the election of five individuals to its Board of Directors, effective February 19, 2019. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005899/en/ Matt Eagan, portfolio manager and co-head of the Loomis Sayles Full Discretion Team (Photo: Business Wire) Matt Eagan, portfolio manager and co-head of the Loomis Sayles Full Discretion Team Aziz Hamzaogullari, founder and chief investment officer of the Loomis Sayles Growth Equity Strategies Team Maurice Leger, director of product management & strategic planning for Loomis Sayles Rick Raczkowski, portfolio manager and co-head of the Loomis Sayles Relative Return Team Elaine Stokes, portfolio manager and co-head of the Loomis Sayles Full Discretion Team "Each of these individuals embodies the investment culture of Loomis Sayles. They have demonstrated a tireless commitment to excellence and tremendous leadership," said Kevin Charleston, chief executive officer and chairman of the board. "We are confident their insights and expertise will help shape Loomis Sayles' future as we continue to establish our organization as a premier solutions provider for clients worldwide." In addition to these appointments, Beverly Bearden, deputy chief executive officer of Natixis Investment Managers, was elected to the Loomis Sayles Board of Directors on May 24, 2018. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: MATTHEW J. EAGAN, CFA Matt Eagan is an executive vice president, portfolio manager and co-head of the Full Discretion Team at Loomis, Sayles & Company. He has 28 years of investment industry experience as a portfolio manager and fixed income analyst. Matt is a co-portfolio manager of the firm's flagship Loomis Sayles Bond Fund-which won the 2009 Morningstar Fund Manager of the Year award in the fixed income category-as well as the Strategic Alpha, Strategic Income, HighIncome, Institutional High Income, Investment Grade Bond, Fixed Income and Investment Grade Fixed Income funds. He is also a member of the firm's Board of Directors. Matt joined Loomis Sayles in 1997 as a fixed income research analyst for the multisector fixed income team. Prior to Loomis Sayles, he was a senior fixed income analyst at Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and a senior credit analyst at BancBoston Financial Company. Matt earned a BA from Northeastern University and an MBA from Boston University. AZIZ HAMZOGULLARI, CFA Aziz Hamzaogullari is the chief investment officer and founder of the Growth Equity Strategies Team at Loomis, Sayles & Company. He is the portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles large cap, global and all cap growth strategies, including the Loomis Sayles Growth and Global Growth mutual funds and products outside the US. Aziz is also an executive vice president and a member of the firm's Board of Directors. Aziz joined Loomis Sayles in 2010 from Evergreen Investments where he was a senior portfolio manager and managing director. He joined Evergreen in 2001, was promoted to director of research in 2003 and portfolio manager in 2006. Aziz was head of Evergreen's Berkeley Street Growth Equity team and was the founder of the research and investment process. Prior to Evergreen, Aziz was a senior equity analyst and portfolio manager at Manning & Napier Advisors. He has 25 years of investment industry experience. Aziz earned a BS from Bilkent University, Turkey, and an MBA from George Washington University. He is also a member of CFA Society Boston. MAURICE LEGER, CFA Maurice Leger is an executive vice president and director of product management & strategic planning at Loomis, Sayles & Company. He is also a member of the firm's Board of Directors. Previously, Maurice led the firm's strategic marketing group. Maurice has 26 years of investment industry experience. Before joining Loomis Sayles in 2009, he led the institutional investment services group at Old Mutual Asset Management. Prior to Old Mutual, Maurice was head of the product management team at Columbia Management. Earlier in his career, he provided consulting services to investment managers at Accenture (News - Alert) and PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Maurice earned a BA from the College of the Holy Cross and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. RICHARD G. RACZKOWSKI Rick Raczkowski is an executive vice president of Loomis, Sayles & Company, portfolio manager for the Loomis Sayles fixed income group and co-head of the relative return team. He co-manages the Loomis Sayles Corporate Bond strategies and Core Plus Fixed Income strategy, which includes the Loomis Sayles Core Plus Bond Fund. Rick is also a member of the firm's Board of Directors. He has 29 years of investment industry experience and joined Loomis Sayles in 2001. Prior to Loomis Sayles, Rick served as vice president for Back Bay Advisors and was a senior consultant at both Hagler Bailly Consulting and EDS (News - Alert) Management Consulting/A.T. Kearney. He also worked as an economist and industry analyst for DRI McGraw-Hill. Rick earned a BA from the University of Massachusetts and an MBA from Northeastern University. ELAINE STOKES Elaine Stokes is an executive vice president, portfolio manager and co-head of the Full Discretion Team at Loomis, Sayles & Company. She has 31 years of investment industry experience and joined Loomis Sayles in 1988. Elaine is a co-portfolio manager for the firm's flagship Loomis Sayles Bond Fund, which won the 2009 Morningstar Fund Manager of the Year award in the fixed income category. She is also a member of the firm's Board of Directors. Elaine also co-manages a variety of mutual fund and institutional strategies, including the Fixed Income, High Income, High Income Opportunities, Institutional High Income, Investment Grade Bond, Investment Grade Fixed Income, Multisector Income, Strategic Monthly Income and Strategic Income funds, and the Loomis Sayles Multisector Full Discretion, Core Plus Full Discretion, High Yield Conservative and High Yield Full Discretion strategies. Prior to becoming a portfolio manager in 2000, she had experience working in high yield, global and emerging markets. Elaine has served as a senior fixed income trader and portfolio specialist. Elaine is co-head and founder of the Loomis Sayles Women at Work Network and is on the executive board for the Strong Women, Strong Girls nonprofit organization. She earned a BS from St. Michael's College. ABOUT LOOMIS SAYLES Since 1926, Loomis, Sayles & Company has helped fulfill the investment needs of institutional and mutual fund clients worldwide. The firm's performance-driven investors integrate deep proprietary research and integrated risk analysis to make informed, judicious decisions. Teams of portfolio managers, strategists, research analysts and traders collaborate to assess market sectors and identify investment opportunities wherever they may lie, within traditional asset classes or among a range of alternative investments. Loomis Sayles has the resources, foresight and the flexibility to look far and wide for value in broad and narrow markets in its commitment to deliver attractive sustainable returns for clients. This rich tradition has earned Loomis Sayles the trust and respect of clients worldwide, for whom it manages $249.7 billion** in assets (as of December 31, 2018). *Total strategy assets include all assets managed by the respective team. **Includes the assets of Loomis, Sayles & Co., LP, and Loomis Sayles Trust Company, LLC. Loomis Sayles Trust Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Loomis, Sayles & Company, LP. ABOUT NATIXIS INVESTMENT MANAGERS Natixis Investment Managers serves financial professionals with more insightful ways to construct portfolios. Powered by the expertise of more than 20 specialized investment managers globally, we apply Active ThinkingSM to deliver proactive solutions that help clients pursue better outcomes in all markets. Natixis ranks among the world's largest asset management firms1 ($917.1 billion/802.1 billion AUM2). Natixis Investment Managers includes all of the investment management and distribution entities affiliated with Natixis Distribution, L.P. and Natixis Investment Managers S.A. Services/ products are not available to all investors in all jurisdictions. Before investing, consider the fund's investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Visit im.natixis.com or call 800-225-5478 for a prospectus or a summary prospectus containing this and other information. Read it carefully. 1 Cerulli Quantitative Update: Global Markets 2018 ranked Natixis Investment Managers as the 16th largest asset manager in the world based on assets under management as of December 31, 2017. 2 Net asset value as of December 31, 2018. Assets under management ("AUM"), as reported, may include notional assets, assets serviced, gross assets and other types of non-regulatory AUM. AUM does not include Vega Investment Managers, which was transferred to Natixis Wealth Management in December 2018. Established in 1988, the Morningstar Fund Manager of the Year award recognizes portfolio managers who demonstrate excellent investment skill and the courage to differ from the consensus to benefit investors. To qualify for the award, managers' funds must have not only posted impressive returns for the year, but the managers also must have a record of delivering outstanding long-term performance and of aligning their interests with shareholders'. The Fund Manager of the Year award winners are chosen based on Morningstar's proprietary research and in-depth evaluation by its fund analysts. MALR023154 2438374.1.1 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005899/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] TCF Home Loans Leader Named among Top 25 Women in Business by Prairie Business Magazine TCF National Bank (TCF Bank), a subsidiary of TCF Financial Corporation (TCF) (NYSE: TCF), announced today that Ann-Marie Morrow has been named one of the 2019 Top 25 Women in Business by Prairie Business Magazine. Morrow is an assistant vice president and branch manager at TCF Home Loans in Grand Forks, North Dakota. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005923/en/ Ann-Marie Morrow, Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager at TCF Home Loans in Grand Forks, North Dakota (Photo: Business Wire) "This is a well-earned recognition of Ann-Marie's professional excellence and her commitment to making our communities stronger," said Pat Doran, vice president and regional manager, Minnesota and North Dakota at TCF Home Loans. "We are proud to join in honoring Ann-Marie for her dedication and achievements as she exemplifies the values TCF team members bring to their work every day." Morrow established the Grand Forks branch of TCF Home Loans when she joined the company in 2014. In 2018, she was one of the company's top eight mortgage producers nationwide and earned the TCF Consumer Lending President's Club Award. Her colleagues at TCF and in the industry recognize Morrow's deep knowledge of mortgage regulations and guidelines and rely on her as an educator for state and regional events. Morrow is a member of the Grand Forks Area Association of Realtors and chaired its finance committee from 2010 to 2018. She served two terms on the North Dakota Association of Realtors Real Estate Trust Account Committee (2008-2014). Morrow served on a municipal task force to help the city of Grand Forks evaluate its down-payment and closing cost assistance loan program, and she is a member of the Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce. Morrow also played an instrumental role raising funds for a medical hospitality home through the Sunshine Memorial Foundation. The home provides low- to no-cost housing for patients and their families who travel to Grand Forks for medical treatment. Prairie Business Magazine profiles each of its Top 25 Women in Business award winners in its March 2019 issue and will honor them at a reception later this year. About TCF TCF is a Wayzata, Minnesota-based national bank holding company. As of December 31, 2018, TCF had $23 billion in total assets and 314 bank branches in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, providing retail and commercial banking services. TCF, through its subsidiaries, also conducts commercial leasing and equipment finance business in all 50 states and commercial inventory finance business in all 50 states and Canada. For more information about TCF, visit tcfbank.com. Click here to subscribe to news release email alerts for TCF Financial Corporation. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005923/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] In an Unpredictable Industry Landscape, Canon U.S.A. Demonstrates Stability and Financial Soundness During the 2019 Media and Analyst Event MELVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Stability is not a word normally praised; however, in an industry that is navigating through changes, Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, shared positive financial results and customer successes during a recent gathering of esteemed industry analysts and media. During the exclusive event, held February 11-12 in Boca Raton, Florida, Canon presenters, including enterprise, wide-format and production printing, echoed a common theme: The Company's stability and growth were due to working closely with clients and providing exceptional customer service and solutions that help ensure high satisfaction. "With net worldwide sales in 2018 of approximately $36 billion, Canon continues to set itself apart as a strong brand, investing approximately eight percent yearly in R&D to spur technological innovation," said Sam Yoshida, executive vice president and general manager, Canon U.S.A. Inc. "We are optimistic that our growth will remain strong by continuing to support our customer needs and market trends in areas such as cloud/security, offset to digital, vertical markets and digital transformation." Addressing the topic area of document security features, Canon spoke of the recent announcement of the third generation, third edition of its flagship imageRUNNER ADVANCE line. This was the first launch in which Canon MFPs incorporated Security Information Event Management (SIEM) integration and other cybersecurity feature enhancements that allow for activity monitoring and threat detection. In response for the need for security, Pete Kowalczuk, president of Canon Solutions America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., shared staggering security data numbers and the Company's response to this growing trend. "The average data breach in the U.S. cost businesses $7.91 million last year1," Kowalczuk said. "Canon Solutions America is expanding its five-pillar strategy around data security based on: Device, print, document, information and cyber, with new security solutions such as EventSentry and PhishLine from Barracuda." Outpacing industry growth, the Production Printing Solutions Division reported impressive numbers across all print production areas, 83 billion pages were printed on Canon production devices sold by Canon Solutions America in 2018. Exceeding Canon Solutins America's expectation in one year, the Oce ProStream 1000 contributed greatly to its success with four installs in 2018. During the one-day event, guests not only attended executive presentations, but were given the opportunity to hear directly from Canon customers and a dealer during three panel discussions that gave unique insight into real-world benefits of using Canon technology and entrusting the brand as a business partner. Quotes from customers: Chuck Wingard , president of Tree Towns Imaging & Color Graphics located outside of Chicago , shared how the Oce Colorado 1640 wide-format printer has impacted the business. "Not only is the technology nearly four times faster than what it replaced, the print is more durable (ideal for installation by general contractors) and previous issues with dimensional stability have been eliminated." , president of Tree Towns Imaging & Color Graphics located outside of , shared how the Oce 1640 wide-format printer has impacted the business. "Not only is the technology nearly four times faster than what it replaced, the print is more durable (ideal for installation by general contractors) and previous issues with dimensional stability have been eliminated." Jennifer Gilliland , director of desktop engineering at Phillips 66, a Global Fortune 500 company, shared its Managed Print Services transformation experience with Canon Solutions America. "Canon developed a program specifically with a custom short-term lease program, and a right sizing of the environment with more advanced technologies." , director of desktop engineering at 66, a Global Fortune 500 company, shared its Managed Print Services transformation experience with Canon Solutions America. "Canon developed a program specifically with a custom short-term lease program, and a right sizing of the environment with more advanced technologies." Kris Tanner , manager, Solutions Support Group, Schneider Electric, also a Global Fortune 500 company, spoke of its relationship with Canon Solutions America: "They do not treat me as a customer, I'm not just a number on the books. Canon is invested in my success and that is a huge part of why we enjoy our relationship." About Canon U.S.A., Inc. Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $36 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents granted in 2018 and is one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2018. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA. Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office. 1 Ponemon, the 2018 Cost of a Data Breach Study: Global Overview. Availability and specifications are subject to change without notice. Canon products offer certain security features, yet many variables can impact the security of your devices and data. Canon does not warrant that use of its features will prevent security issues. Some security features may impact functionality/performance; you may want to test these settings in your environment. Neither Canon Inc., Canon U.S.A., Inc., nor Canon Solutions America, Inc. represents or warrants any third-party product or feature referenced hereunder. Canon does not provide legal counsel or regulatory compliance consultancy, including without limitation, Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, GLBA, Check 21 or the USA Patriot Act. Nothing herein should be construed as legal or regulatory advice concerning applicable laws; customers must have their own qualified counsel determine the feasibility of a solution as it relates to regulatory and statutory compliance. Canon is a registered trademark of Canon Inc. in the United States and elsewhere. Oce is a registered trademark of Oce-Technologies B.V. in the United States and elsewhere. All other referenced product names and marks are trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged. 2019 Canon U.S.A., Inc. All rights reserved. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/in-an-unpredictable-industry-landscape-canon-usa-demonstrates-stability-and-financial-soundness-during-the-2019-media-and-analyst-event-300804594.html SOURCE Canon U.S.A., Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] One in 12 Canadians are affected by a rare disease*. Are you one of them? Takeda Canada commemorates Rare Disease Day with the launch of video patient stories *Source for the title at the end of the releasei OTTAWA, Feb. 28, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - As part of International Rare Disease Day activities across the country and in collaboration with ten patient associations, Takeda Canada Inc. is privileged to launch a new social media campaign to educate Canadians about the importance of access to early diagnosis, treatment and resources by sharing the compelling stories of patients living with rare diseases. Whether it is a diagnosis, treatment, a support network or other resources, all patients should be able to access what they need to help manage their disease. Lori Culum (Fabry Disease) and Hanan Van Holst (Guillain-Barre Syndrome) are the two patients featured in this campaign, and while the story for every patient of rare disease is different, they are among nearly 3 million Canadians living with a rare disease.ii Lori's story began when she was 5 years old. "For 36 years, I lived with an undiagnosed rare disease. Once diagnosed, you simultaneously have this sense of relief and a sense of worry," she explains. "I have made a choice as to how I am going to live my life and that is not in fear. I will be the best possible role model that I can be for my children." Lori, whose son also has a rare disease, focuses her time on advocacy to ensure that he and others are able to access the right treatment options. It was 2017 when Hanan Van Holst was rushed to hospital unable to breathe. Two days later she awoke paralyzed, intubated, and in treatment for Guillain-Barre syndrome. "I hope that Canadians, if they've heard of a rare disease or if they know someone who has one, will ask a lot of questions, to try to understand and educate themselves on the rare disease that a loved one or a friend has, so they can be a better support to them and be more understanding," she says. Lori and Hanan's stories are captured in videos that will be shared on social media by patient associations from today until March 28th. Our partners include the Canadian MPS Society, Rare Disease Foundation (RDF), Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders (CORD), Canadian Fabry Association, Canadian Association of Pompe, the ILC Foundation and the Regroupement quebecois des maladies orphelines. Their video stories are just one part of a wider collaborative effort to bring awareness to rare diseases, which includes a flag-raising event at Parliament Hill earlier today, hosted by the Rare Disease Foundation (RDF). Representatives from rare disease patient associations from across Canada will converge on the Nation's Captal to discuss the intense patient burden, and how the Federal Government can help make access to necessary diagnostic testing and treatments, where available, a top priority across the rare disease spectrum. Chris Gilmor, an RDF board member and parent of a child with a rare disease, believes a united effort is the best way to be heard. "I strongly believe in raising our collective voice so that rare diseases get the attention they need, and parents and others caring for people with rare diseases get the support they need, to help patients manage their conditions," he said. "This includes having faster and better access to different diagnostic services as well as access to treatments that can make a profound difference to patients and their loved ones." About rare diseases A rare disease is defined as a condition affecting fewer than one in 2,000 people. There are more than 7,000 known rare diseases and many more that remain unidentified.iii About one in 12 people (nearly 3 million Canadians) have a rare disease.iv Most known rare disorders are severe and chronic, with many being degenerative and life threatening. People who do not have a specific diagnosis can be denied access to necessary medical support services.v About International Rare Disease Day International Rare Disease Day is held on the last day of February every year to raise awareness of rare diseases. This year is the 12th edition, coordinated by EURORDIS, the European Organisation for Rare Diseases. On and around this day hundreds of patient organizations all over the world hold awareness-raising activities. www.rarediseaseday.org About the Rare Disease Foundation With a vision of revolutionizing rare disease care, the Rare Disease Foundation (RDF) has as its mission to create communities of patients, caregivers, health care providers, researchers and supporters that work together to transform the lives of those living with rare disease. The RDF is focused on translational care linking basic science and clinical practice to increase the efficiency of rare disease research. This model drives patient-based, treatment-focused research projects from disease characterization to treatment with greater efficiency. www.rarediseasefoundation.org About Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) is a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, committed to bringing Better Health and a Brighter Future to patients by translating science into highly-innovative medicines. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Gastroenterology (GI), Neuroscience, and Rare Diseases. We also make targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. We are focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in people's lives by advancing the frontier of new treatment options and leveraging our enhanced collaborative R&D engine and capabilities to create a robust, modality-diverse pipeline. Our employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients and to working with our partners in health care in approximately 80 countries and regions. For more information, visit https://www.takeda.com About Takeda Canada Takeda Canada headquarters is currently located in Oakville, Ontario. The Oakville and Toronto offices comprise the Canadian sales and marketing organization of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. Takeda Canada is delivering better health for Canadians through leading innovations in gastroenterology, oncology, neuroscience, and rare diseases. Additional information on Takeda Canada is available at takeda.com/en-ca. ____________________________________________ i Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders, https://www.raredisorders.ca/our-work/ ii About orphan drugs and rare diseases. Government of Canada, https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/licences-authorizations-registrations-drug-health-products/regulatory-approach-drugs-rare-diseases/about-drugs-rare-diseases.html iii About CORD. Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders (CORD). https://www.raredisorders.ca/about-cord/ iv About orphan drugs and rare diseases. Government of Canada, https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/licences-authorizations-registrations-drug-health-products/regulatory-approach-drugs-rare-diseases/about-drugs-rare-diseases.html v Rare Disease Foundation: https://rarediseasefoundation.org/about/faq/ SOURCE Takeda Canada, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Community Celebrates Nearly 100 New Affordable Homes for Working Families in the Grandview Commons Neighborhood of Madison Community leaders, newly moved-in residents and development partners came together today to celebrate the completion of HARMONY @Grandview Commons, a new 94-unit affordable-housing community for working families in the region. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228006072/en/ Ellen Sexton, CEO, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Wisconsin, and Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes join community leaders and residents to celebrate the ribbon-cutting for the new HARMONY @Grandview Commons. Left to Right - front row: State Sen. Mark Miller; Madison Mayor Paul Soglin; Chris Laurent, Cinnaire; Terrell Walter, Royal Capital Group LLC; Harmony Apartments residents; UnitedHealthcare's Ellen Sexton; Lt. Gov. Barnes; and Ivan Gamboa, WHEDA Chairman (Photo: Lauren Justice). HARMONY @Grandview Commons features six two-story structures with 28 two-bedroom and 66 three-bedroom apartment homes. On-site amenities for residents include a community clubhouse with a library, computer lab and meeting space, fitness center, playground, picnic area with grills, and private garages. Residents have access to various services and programs such as health and nutrition classes, higher-education courses, financial training and after-school activities, among others. "This is an important day here in Madison, where so many community partners have helped bring affordable, quality, new homes for working families," said Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who helped lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony. "This beautiful new communityis a model for how we can support families and bring innovative thinking to how we support them as they build a brighter future." During the ceremony the developers from Royal Capital Group officially unveiled the new name, HARMONY @Grandview Commons, which is meant to describe the community as a place for blending family and experiences for progressive living. "Harmony, as a part of Royal Capital's nationally branded properties, brings quality, affordable homes to working families who want a contemporary place to live with programs and services that add to their quality of life," said Kevin Newell, president of Royal Capital Group. "What we have helped create with the support of our development partners will benefit the Grandview Commons neighborhood for years to come." The major funders for the new community were the Wisconsin Housing & Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) and UnitedHealthcare. WHEDA provided $11 million in permanent financing. UnitedHealthcare provided $5.4 million in equity funding through a partnership with Cinnaire and Minnesota Equity Fund. "Together with our outstanding partners, WHEDA is continuing its mission to build quality, safe, affordable housing in the city of Madison and Dane County," said WHEDA Board Chair Ivan Gamboa. "Harmony has a very urbanist feel to its design and has integrated on-site services that are very appealing for residents." "At UnitedHealthcare, we understand that some of the greatest barriers to better health are not clinical issues, but rather social and financial barriers, such as access to safe and affordable housing," said Ellen Sexton, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Wisconsin. "We are partnering with other socially minded organizations that understand the value of good health, and how public-private partnerships like these can succeed in helping make a positive impact in our communities." UnitedHealthcare, which employs 11,000 people in Wisconsin and serves the health care needs of nearly 1.7 million people statewide, has invested $384 million to build more than 70 affordable-housing communities in 16 states, helping create more than 3,400 affordable homes for individuals and families. The investments, which include $12 million in Wisconsin, are part of the company's efforts to redefine healthy living by helping address social determinants, like access to affordable housing, that affect people's health and well-being. "Cinnaire, working together with our equity partners UnitedHealthcare and Minnesota Equity Fund, is helping meet a critical need within the Madison community to help provide families with quality, affordable housing with supportive services," said Chris Laurent, senior vice president of Cinnaire. During planning and construction, HARMONY @Grandview Commons, which was built on vacant land located in the Grandview Commons neighborhood on the east side of Madison near downtown, was referred to as The Flats at Grandview Commons. Engberg Anderson was the architect, and Horizon Construction was the general contractor. ACC Management Group is the property manager and coordinates on-site support services. Application and leasing information is available by calling 608-576-6212. Click here to subscribe to Mobile Alerts for UnitedHealth Group. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228006072/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus has such an immersive 6.8-inch display that you'll sometimes forget you're not watching TV. And the back of the Galaxy Note 10 Plus is just as captivating as the front, especially if you opt for the Aura Glow color. Once you look past the eye candy, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus (starting at $1,099/999) is easily one of the best Android phones. It delivers strong performance, a host of new S Pen tricks including Air gestures and above-average battery life. I also like the fast charging and pro-level video effects. However, the cameras could be better. As I discovered during my Galaxy Note 10 Plus review, it's a great phone for those who prefer larger displays. The newer Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is a better bet for power users, because it offers a smoother 120Hz display, faster processor, a bunch of S Pen upgrades and a more powerful 50x zoom camera. But the Note 10 Plus is worth considering if you want something more affordable. Galaxy Note 10 Plus Cheat Sheet (Image credit: Future) The Samsung Galaxy Note 10s mammoth 6.8-inch AMOLED display is one of the best weve ever seen and tested. I love the Aura Glow color and the way it changes color in the light, but not the fingerprint smudges. The huge 4,300 mAh battery allowed the Note 10 Plus to last an average of 10 hours and 47 minutes on our web surfing battery test, which is better than average. The included 25W charger juices the phone pretty fast, as the battery reached 65% in 30 minutes and 33% in 15 minutes. The new S Pen Air gestures are fun but can be finicky. While the Note 10 Plus' cameras perform well in low light, it's not the best. The lack of a headphone jack is a bummer, though Samsung kept the microSD card slot. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus: Price and availability Galaxy Note 10 Plus (left) and Note 10 (right) (Image credit: Tom's Guide) The Galaxy Note 10 Plus costs $1,099 for the 256GB version (999 / AU$1,699). You can also opt for a model with 512GB of storage for $1,199. But you should definitely check out our roundup of the best Galaxy Note 10 deals to get the lowest price. We routinely see Galaxy Note 10 sales that knock the price down to $949 or lower with activation. All of the major U.S. wireless carriers are selling the Galaxy Note 10 Plus, including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. Samsung also offers trade-in deals for those who order their device through Samsung.com. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus: Tech specs Galaxy Note 10 Plus Price $1,099/999 Display 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED (3040x1440) CPU Snapdragon 855 (US); Exynos 9825 (WW) RAM 12GB Storage 256GB, 512GB microSD Slot? Yes Rear cameras 16-MP ultra-wide (/2.2); 12-MP wide angle (/1.5-f/2.4); 12-MP telephoto (/2.1); time-of-flight VGA Front cameras 10-MP (/2.2) Battery 4,300 mAh Battery Life 10:47 Charging 25W; 45W optional OS Android 9 Pie with Samsung OneUI Colors Aura Glow, Aura White, Aura Black, Aura Blue Size 6.4 x 3.0 x .31 inches Weight 6.9 ounces Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus: Design I have to give credit to Samsung. It has managed to cram a 6.8-inch display into a design that's both thinner and lighter than the Galaxy Note 9, which had a 6.4-inch display. This is partly because the Galaxy Note 10 has slimmer bezels, thanks to its Infinity-O display with a cutout for the front camera in the top center portion of the screen. (Image credit: Future) Samsung also removed the headphone jack, which at this point feels more inevitable than controversial. It also allows the Galaxy Note 10 Plus to pack a bigger battery. The good news is that Samsung bundles AKG headphones in the box that use USB-C. Make no mistake, the Note 10 Plus looks and feels like a phablet, especially compared with the regular Note 10 and its 6.3-inch screen. This is definitely a two-handed device, but it's a sleek one. If you like your phone to be flashy, I would pick up the Aura Glow version of the Galaxy Note 10 Plus. The iridescent silver design changes colors based on how the light hits the back of the phone. The only issue is that the Aura Glow model picks up fingerprints quickly; I found myself wiping the back of the phone on my shirts and pants to keep the smudges at bay. A close second for me is the Aura Blue in terms of fashion, but you can also get more traditional Aura Black and Aura White. I do have one other nitpick. While I'm glad Samsung ditched the dedicated Bixby button found on previous models, I wish the volume controls and power button were on the right side instead of the left. After all, most people are right-handed. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus: Display Short of a foldable phone , you won't find a larger screen on an Android phone than the 6.8-inch AMOLED panel on the Galaxy Note 10 Plus. And it is a sight to behold, with the same rich colors and wide viewing angles we've come to expect from Samsung. The screen has the same Quad HD+ resolution as before, but it's certified for HDR10+, compared withHDR10 for the Note 9. When watching the trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, I could make out fine wisps of hair on Rey's head, and Kylo Ren's firey red lightsaber crackled and popped off the screen as he drove it into his enemies. (Image credit: Future) The center cutout or punch hole at the top center of the Galaxy Note 10's screen isn't as offensive as the cutout on the Galaxy S10 Plus. That's because this has a single front camera, compared with two on the S10 Plus that are located on the right side. On our lab tests, the Note 10 Plus' screen turned in some of the best performance numbers we've seen. It hit 686 nits of brightness, which beats the OnePlus 7 Pro (513 nits), iPhone XS Max (606 nits) and Galaxy S10 Plus (625 nits). The OLED panel on the Note 10 Plus hit 212% of the color gamut in Vivid Mode and 124.6% in Natural mode, compared to 123% to the iPhone XS Max and 180% for the OnePlus 7 Pro. The Galaxy S10 Plus wasn't as colorful in Vivid mode (200%) and a slightly higher 136.5% in Natural mode. The one letdown with this screen is that it doesn't offer a refresh rate of 90Hz as some had rumored, which offers smoother performance in phones like the OnePlus 7 Pro . This would have been a welcome upgrade for folks stepping up from the Note 10 to the Note 10 Plus. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus: Fingerprint security The Galaxy Note 10 has an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, similar to the Galaxy S10. The sensor works pretty well overall, but users discovered that both the sensors on the S10 and Note 10 could be fooled using a silicon screen protector. A subsequent software update from Samsung reportedly fixes this issue. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus: S Pen The S Pen has learned some new tricks with the Galaxy Note 10, but I'm not yet sold on how useful they are. The handwriting-to-text feature is designed to let you convert your scribbles and import them, such as into Microsoft Word docs. The functionality generally worked during my brief hands-on time, but the phone sometimes missed a letter. More important, it just didn't feel instant. (Image credit: Future) I like that you can just double tap on words in the Notes app and then tap the convert button that appears. However, I didn't see a way to select all handwritten notes within a note at once, and if you have a longer note the process of double tapping a selection and then dragging the box to enlarge it seems like too much work. If you like the idea of using the S Pen as a pseudo-magic wand, there's Air Actions. This S Pen feature lets you do things like change modes in the camera app by waving the stylus from side to side while pressing the button, or zooming in on a subject by drawing a small circle in the air. I tried the gestures and not all of them worked consistently well. Changing camera modes was easy, as was going from the front to back camera (you just go up and down with the S Pen). However, zooming in and out proved tricky; sometimes I zoomed in and out without a problem, but sometimes I accidentally took a bunch of photos while trying to zoom out. With AR Doodle, Galaxy Note 10 users can draw right on top of people in the camera view, and whatever you draw will follow that person as they move around the frame. It could be fun at parties. At first I thought AR Doodle on the #GalaxyNote10 was pointless. But then I gave it someone who can draw.... thanks @katedylankozuch Full review coming on @tomsguide pic.twitter.com/jHK9GBV9rWAugust 16, 2019 See more I didn't find much use for AR Doodle at first because I'm simply not a very good drawer, but once I put it in the hand of staff writer Kate Kozuch, I could see the potential. She drew an eye patch on fellow writer Adam Ismail, and then added a little parrot on his shoulder. She said she really likes the feature, even though I noticed that the eye patch came away from Adam's face as he turned. Galaxy Note 10 Plus: Cameras With its four camera sensors, the Galaxy Note 10 Plus is definitely an upgrade over the Galaxy Note 9's two cameras. The back of the Note 10 Plus houses a wide-angle camera and telephoto lens like its predecessor, but adds an ultrawide shooter to fit in more of the frame and a depth sensor to achieve more convincing bokeh effects when shooting portraits. Check out the photo gallery below and side-by-side comparisons versus top cameras phones below that to see how the Note 10 Plus' cameras stack up. Image 1 of 13 (Image credit: Future) Image 2 of 13 (Image credit: Future) Image 3 of 13 (Image credit: Future) Image 4 of 13 (Image credit: Future) Image 5 of 13 (Image credit: Future) Image 6 of 13 (Image credit: Future) Image 7 of 13 (Image credit: Future) Image 8 of 13 (Image credit: Future) Image 9 of 13 (Image credit: Future) Image 10 of 13 (Image credit: Future) Image 11 of 13 (Image credit: Future) Image 12 of 13 (Image credit: Future) Image 13 of 13 (Image credit: Future) The Note 10 Plus offers Live Focus effects when shooting portraits, similar to the Galaxy S10 Plus. I like the Big Circle and Color Point effects especially, though the bokeh effect looked a bit messy. Big Circle looks good at first glance but blurred out Adam Ismail's hair. Color Point puts the subject in color and the background in black and white, which I could see myself using more often. Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: Future) Image 2 of 3 (Image credit: Future) Image 3 of 3 (Image credit: Future) In our side-by-side shots with the Galaxy Note 10 Plus and Google Pixel 3 and Huawei P30 Pro, the Note 10 Plus held its own but didn't surpass the competition. However, the Note 10 Plus' Night mode did impress. As you can see from this photo taken in near darkness, the Night mode on the Galaxy Note 10 Plus performs quite well. With Night mode turned on, the gloves on the right become a lot more visible, as does the multi-tool in the foreground and the cube on the left. I then compared the Galaxy Note 10 Plus in Night mode against the Pixel 3 XL's camera with Night Sight turned on. Google's phone has an edge, as it delivered a brighter shot with slightly more vivid colors. In this low-light test on a city street, the Galaxy Note 10 Plus snapped a remarkably bright photo with Night mode engaged; you can make out the buildings and cars clearly. However, some areas of the shot look a little more blown out than in the Pixel 3 XL's shot, especially the lights on the left side. And the tan in the Cadillac's roof on the right looks a little more crisp on the Pixel 3 XL. In this shot of a bar in Grand Central station, the Galaxy Note 10 produces a brighter and warmer-looking photo that Id rather share, but the Pixel 3s image features more realistic colors. This round is really no contest. The Galaxy Note 10 Plus really struggles against the Pixel 3 in capturing a portrait of me inside the New York Public Library. The light above me nearly blows out the scene. My teenage daughter called the photo "garbage." Yikes. The Pixel 3's bokeh effect is almost too aggressive but overall it's the superior shot. Once again the Galaxy Note 10 Plus renders a warm-looking photo in this shot of flowers, and the exposure looks pleasant. Still, Id give the nod to the Pixel 3 in this round, as the details in the petals and veins are much more distinct. Turning our attention to cupcakes, the Galaxy Note 10 Plus delivers more details in the shot from front to back. Check out the chocolate one in the background. However, the Huawei P30 Pro gets the color of the pink frosting right on the cupcake in the foreground, and the white-and-yellow flower looks better on the Huawei pic. The Note 10 Plus' shot just looks less realistic. This photo taken outside the New York Public Library provides an interesting contrast between the Galaxy Note 10 Plus and Huawei P30 Pro. I like both shots for different reasons. The Notes pic is more vibrant, especially the green in the tree off to the right; its almost too bright overall, though, as the Huawei does a better job retaining the shadows. Check out the detail in the columns and in the lion statue. Since we tested the Note 10 Plus' cameras, Samsung released its Galaxy S20 lineup, which features much more substantive camera improvements, especially on the Galaxy S20 Ultra. However, some of those capabilities are coming to the Note 10 Plus by way of a software update. Note 10 Plus owners will be able to take advantage of Single Take, in which multiple shots are captured simultaneously from the phone's different cameras, as well as improvements to Hyperlapse that will allow you to capture time-lapse footage in low-light. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus: Video Samsung says the Note 10 Plus now offers pro-grade video. For example, the phone offers Live Focus video effects, so you can blur out the background or change the background to black and white while the subject is in color. This worked well in my testing; my colleague Rami jumped off some stairs with the Live Focus on and the background of plants and passersby was indeed blurred. I also tried Live Focus on two other colleagues, Adam and Kate, as they walked down a pathway in Bryant Park. The Note 10 Plus did a remarkable job blurring out plants and other people but at times Kate looked a little blurry, too. Still, the whole clip looks pretty compelling and kind of reminds me of a soap opera. I was also impressed with the improved Super Steady mode in the camera. Once you press the little wavy hand icon towards the top of the screen and start recording, the camera can minimize any camera shake. I tested this out by jogging up stairs with the Galaxy Note 10 Plus in one hand and the iPhone XS Max in the other hand. As you can see from the results, the Note 10 Plus' footage looks much smoother, while the iPhone XS Max's video looks a bit shaky. There's also a Zoom-In Mic feature that amplifies the audio in the frame. This feature didn't impress me that much. That's because as I zoomed in on two subject, their words got louder but so did the ambient noise of cars passing by. (Image credit: Future) Samsung backs this all up with an improved video-editing app that's optimized for the S Pen. I appreciated how easy it was to drag the slider tool and trim clips with the pen, and you can choose from multiple effects to spruce up your footage. Galaxy Note 10 Plus: Front camera As for the front 10-MP camera, I didn't love the selfie the Note 10 Plus took of me outside on an overcast day. My skin looks a little washed out, as does the rest of the photo. I do like there's a Night mode for the front camera now, which can come in handy at restaurants, bars, concerts and more. (Image credit: Future) Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus: Specs and performance With its Snapdragon 855 processor, the Galaxy Note 10 should offer comparable performance to the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus, but the addition of UFS 3.0 storage should provide a speed boost. Still, we were hoping that Samsung would have used the newer Snapdragon 855+ chip to achieve higher clock speeds. Geekbench 4 (Multicore) Galaxy Note 10 Plus (12GB RAM) 11,210 OnePlus 7 Pro (12GB) 11,227 iPhone XS Max 11,515 Galaxy S10 Plus (8GB) 10,732 The Note 10 Plus should have plenty of memory for multitasking, as it offers 12GB of RAM standard, compared with 8GB for the regular Note 10. And you get 256GB of storage standard with the option of upgrading to a 512GB model. Unlike the Note 10, the Note 10 Plus includes a microSD card slot for expansion. In everyday use, the Note 10 Plus is a swift performer. In fact, it loaded apps like Chrome, Twitter and Facebook slightly faster than the iPhone XS Max. This phablet also ably handled long play sessions in PUBG Mobile. It delivered console-like detail without any stuttering even at the highest setting, and the phone remained relatively cool. On Geekbench 4, which measures overall performance, the Galaxy Note 10 Plus turned in a very good score of 11,210, which is comparable to the OnePlus 7 Pro (11,227) but lower than the iPhone XS Max (11,515). The Note 10 Plus beats the Galaxy S10 Plus (10,732), which doesn't benefit from UFS 3.0 storage. The Galaxy Note 10 Plus turned in a fantastic score on the 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme (OpenGL ES 3.1) graphics test. It notched 5,781, which surpasses the Galaxy S10 Plus (5,648) and soundly beats the iPhone XS Max (4,339). Samsung's phone fell behind the iPhone once more on our video editing test, for which we transcode a 4K video to 1080p in the Adobe Rush app. After applying a filter and transition effect and hitting go, the Note 10 Plus took 1 minute and 34 seconds to complete the task. That's good, and a few seconds better than the OnePlus 7 Pro, but the iPhone XS took only 41 seconds. When it comes to gaming performance, the Note 10 Plus has an AI-based Game Booster mode for optimizing performance and power consumption based on the game. And you'll even be able to stream games from your PC to this phone using Samsung's Play GalaxyLink, a P2P streaming service that the company says will be available at launch. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus: Battery and charging The Galaxy Note 9's battery was the biggest yet in a Galaxy phone at 4,000 mAh, but the Note 10 Plus ups the ante with a 4,300 mAh battery, which is even bigger than the 4,100 mAh pack in the Galaxy S10 Plus. Galaxy Note 10 Plus 10:47 Galaxy S10 5G 10:56 Galaxy S10 Plus 12:35 iPhone XS Max 10:38 OnePlus 7 Pro 9:41 Google Pixel 3 XL 9:30 LG G8 ThinQ 9:29 On the Tom's Guide Battery Life Test, which involves continuous web surfing over 4G LTE (on T-Mobile), the Galaxy Note 10 Plus lasted 11 hours and 46 minutes. That number proved an outlier, as subsequent tests produced results ranging from 10 hours, 15 minutes to more than 10.5 hours. In the end, across four tests, the Note 10 lasted 10 hours, 47 minutes across four tests, beating the average for a smartphone by more than half-an-hour. By comparison, the Galaxy Note 9 had a slightly longer runtime (11 hours and 16 minutes) but the S10 Plus lasted an epic 12:35. The OnePlus 7 Pro lasted just 9:31 on our test, while the iPhone XS Max has a runtime of 10:38. The regular Galaxy Note 10 lasted an average of 9 hours and 25 minutes, so those who want more endurance should opt for the Note 10 Plus. Samsung does sell another phone with a screen size that's nearly identical in the Galaxy S10 5G. That handset packs a 6.7-inch screen and an even bigger 4,500 mAh battery. On our battery test, the S10 5G lasted a good-but-not-great 10:56. However, this was on Verizon's 4G LTE network, which we've found drains phones faster than T-Mobile's network for some reason. (Image credit: Tom's Guide) The Note 10 Plus comes with a 25-watt charger, but there's an even faster 45-watt charger that Samsung sells separately for $50 (it's currently not available in the UK). You may not need the latter, though. The Galaxy Note 10 Plus get to 33% battery capacity in just 15 minutes and 65% in 30 minutes. The OnePlus 7 Pro got to 60% in 30 minutes with its 4,000 mAh battery, while the Huawei P30 Pro reached 70% in the same amount of time on a 4,200 mAh battery. As you'd expect from a Samsung phone, the Galaxy Note 10 Plus supports wireless charging, but this time around it's 15 watts, while the Galaxy S10 supported up to 10 watts. However, the results are disappointing based on our testing. It took 30 minutes of the Galaxy Note 10 to reach just 21 percent using Samsung's $79 wireless charger stand. You can also use reverse wireless charging on the Note 10 Plus, which means you can charge the Galaxy Buds or other phones using the back of Samsung's handset. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus: DeX for PC No dock required, the Galaxy Note 10 Plus can easily sync with your PC using a single USB cable. Once connected, you'll be able to drag-and-drop files back and forth and use your laptop's mouse and keyboard to navigate the phone. And with the Link to Windows app, you'll be able to receive notifications and send and receive messages on the desktop. (Image credit: Tom's Guide) I tested out the DeX app out on a MacBook Pro, and I had uneven results. The DeX app found the phone pretty quickly, popping up a desktop atop macOS. And I could easily access photos, make calls and even transfer files from the phone to my Mac. (Image credit: Future) However, I got an error message when I tried to drag and drop files from the computer to the phone. It seems like Samsung still needs to work out some kinks with DeX, at least with the Mac. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus: Quick Measure One feature that's exclusive to the Galaxy Note 10 Plus and not available for the Note 10 is Quick Measure, which instantly can give you the dimensions of pretty much any object. (Image credit: Future) It's like an augmented reality tape measure that one-ups the Measure app in iOS, because you get the length, width and depth with a single scan. With the iPhone you have to draw virtual lines on the object before you get a measurement. For example, I pointed the Note 10 Plus at a can and it returned a height of 4.5 inches, a depth of 2.5 inches and a width of 2.5 inches. I verified those numbers using a tape measure and the Note 10 Plus was accurate. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus: 3D Scanner The Galaxy Note 10 Plus does something unique, thanks to its depth sensor on the back. You can scan objects in 3D with relative ease. You just walk around the object and the phone creates a 3D model. Samsung demonstrated this feature during its launch event with a stuffed bear, as you can see in the below tweet. The Galaxy Note 10 doubles as a 3D scanner. Pretty impressive in action. #SamsungEvent #samsunggalaxynote10 #galaxynote10 pic.twitter.com/Jnyr2X7iX0August 7, 2019 See more After the phone is done creating the 3D model, you can embed it into videos and the object can become animated and even mimic dance moves that are on screen. It's a fun demo but I'm not sure how people will use this yet. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus review: Verdict The Galaxy Note 10 Plus is a fantastic big-screen phone. Although the price is quite steep at $1,099/999, you get one of the best and most immersive displays ever in a phone along with strong performance and long battery life. And while Samsung has not caught up to Google and Apple in photography, the Note 10 Plus is still a very capable camera phone with a compelling Night mode and intriguing video effects. (Image credit: Future) If you really want an S Pen with your phone but don't want to spend as much, the smaller 6.3-inch Galaxy Note 10 should satisfy. It has the same processor and mostly the same cameras (minus the depth sensor on the back) in a more compact design than the Note 10 Plus. But if you want a really big screen, the Galaxy Note 10 Plus is worth the splurge, as it also offers more RAM and microSD expansion, along with longer battery life. Those who want the latest and greatest are better off with the newer Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, which offer better cameras, new S Pen features and other upgrades like wireless DeX mode. Overall, though, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus is an ultra-premium, big-screen phone that you'll be psyched to use. BARCELONA Motorola's 5G Moto Mod may have seen its fair share of delays, but rest assured it's real, and it's still coming. The phone maker says it's targeting a spring launch for the product, which attaches onto the back of the Moto Z3 smartphone to enable 5G connectivity. (Image credit: Motorola) The 5G Moto Mod was originally unveiled in August 2018, with Motorola and Verizon, its carrier partner, planning to release the add-on in the first quarter of 2019. The Moto Z3 arrived last September as a Verizon-exclusive handset for $480, and the 5G Mod, when it's released, will allow that phone (and potentially its predecessors, the Moto Z2 Force and Z2 Play) to connect to Big Red's 5G network simply by snapping onto the back. However, it's been a long road to launch,. Tom's Guide sat down with Doug Michau, head of Motorola's product operations, at Mobile World Congress to get caught up on the progress and whereabouts of the highly-anticipated Mod. Back (and forth) to the drawing board While Motorola had been hoping to get the 5G Mod out the door within the early part of 2019, Michau tells us the project faced some setbacks as a result of the 3GPP alliance changing its 5G specifications several times in recent months. In turn, the development team had to keep updating the device to comply with the ever-fluid standard. We started the development of this about a year back or so, and we were looking to launch and be the first to market, Michau said. So originally we were going to launch with a June [2018 5G spec] release, and then it moved to September, and a December release. So now were going to launch on a December release, on specifications which is where the industry in general is in alignment. (Image credit: The 5G Moto Mod interfaces with the Moto Z3 through those gold pins on the bottom of the phone, and is anchored to the device magnetically. (Credit: Shaun Lucas/Tom's Guide)) When the 5G Mod does launch, it might not turn the Moto Z3 into Verizons first 5G-capable smartphone that honor could go to the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, which is also expected sometime in the spring. However, the Mod may still offer a fantastic experience, thanks to everything Motorola has packed into it, including a separate battery and clever antenna design. I can remember back when LTE first came out in 2010, the battery life was just very poor, Michau said. With the Mod, once it runs out of battery, all youre going to do is discontinue 5G service, but your phone will still last all day. In the Z3 we put all-day battery support in there, and were going to make sure that it still holds true even if you have 5G. MORE: Tom's Guide's Best Of MWC 2019 The 5G Mod is also equipped with 4 mmWave antennas on the top, bottom and sides, so that no matter which way the user holds the device, the signal strength wont be severely impacted. Qualcomms X50 5G Modem is onboard, along with a Snapdragon 855 processor (the latter of which, ironically, is significantly more powerful than the nearly two-year-old Snapdragon 835 in the Moto Z3). PC gaming over your hotspot After my chat with Michau, I was invited into a testing room Motorola had set up at the conference, where a shielded simulation base station was blasting a 5G signal at a 5G Mod-equipped Moto Z3. I watched a live demo of a Lenovo ThinkPad running Shadow Of the Tomb Raider using Nvidias GeForce Now cloud computing platform, all while tethered to the 5G device for high-resolution video and barely-noticeable latency. (Image credit: The setup Motorola used to stream a game to a laptop at MWC. Off to the left, out of frame, was a simulated 5G base station blasting a signal at a 5G Mod-equipped Moto Z3. (Credit: Adam Ismail/Tom's Guide)) The 5G Mods multitude of antennas is extremely important, because millimeter wave is significantly more sensitive to physical obstructions than the LTE were used to today. Whenever the signal was interrupted by someone waving their hand through it, the stream stuttered. Thats what Motorola is trying to combat by placing so many antennas in various locations around the Mod. A video demonstration recorded earlier showed download speeds that varied as the phone was flipped or turned dropping from as high as 2.5Gbps to 1Gbps momentarily. However, because another antenna was on the opposite side to pick up where the last one dropped out, within milliseconds, the signal rose back up to 2Gbps. Outlook Motorola is working hard to launch the 5G Mod as soon as Verizons 5G network is ready for it. Specifics on pricing and availability for the Mod are still unknown at this time, though we expect to hear more very soon. And if all goes according to plan, Moto Z3 owners might not be the only ones who will have the opportunity to use it. So definitely Z3 is our first focus, obviously, Michau said. And then were looking to actually go to the [Moto] Z2 devices as well. Michau says that having the Moto Mod platform as a testbed for 5G innovation has been incredibly helpful for Motorola. And while the company wants to make sure its first 5G product is reliable and ready by the time customers get their hands on it, the engineers will also continue to iterate and improve post-launch, with over-the-air updates to streamline the experience. But as long as Motorola can at least produce something thats more reliable than that first wave of LTE devices Michau remembers, users shouldnt have too much to complain about. Moto G7 vs. G7 Power vs. G7 Play: Which Phone Should You Buy? Motorola has updated its G family of phones with three new models that are all available unlocked. Which G7 is the right one for you? The Nokia 9 PureView was one of the more interesting phones we saw at Mobile World Congress this past week. And if you're as intrigued by the phone's five-camera phone setup as we are, you can save $100 on the Nokia 9 when it goes on sale this weekend. (Image credit: Tom's Guide) HMD Global, which designs and sells phones under the Nokia brand, says the Nokia 9 will go on sale Sunday (March 3) for $599. That's a $100 discount off the phone's regular $699 price. But if you want to save on the Nokia 9, you'll need to act quickly. That $100 discount goes away on March 11, when the phone's price goes back to $699. Nokia 9 PureView Nokia 9 PureView You can pick up a Nokia 9 PureView from Amazon, B&H and Best Buy. The unlocked phone will work on GSM networks like the ones operated by AT&T and T-Mobile. MORE: Best of MWC: Foldable Phones and 5G Rule A five-camera array on the back of the phone is clearly the highlight of the Nokia 9. Those 12-megapixel sensors two of them RGB, three of them monochrome are used to construct a depth map when you take a picture. As a result, background blur effects are more smoothly graded, something we noticed during our hands-on time with the Nokia 9. The phone packs in other premium features as well. While you'll have to get by with last year's Snapdragon 845 processor, the Nokia 9 offers 6GB of RAM, a 5.99-inch POLED screen and support for wireless charging. Spaceborne Computer stand seen MWC trade show this week. (Image credit: Paco Freire/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images) Somebody needs to convince Matt Damon to make a movie about getting the Spaceborne Computer back to Earth. The Linux device is comprised of two Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) servers that, according to the BBC, should have returned three months ago but are instead stranded in space with no guaranteed way to get back. Alright, so that movie probably wouldn't do as well as the film adaptation of The Martian, which saw Damon portray an astronaut stranded on Mars. But retrieving these servers could be important to NASA's plan to visit the red planet around 2030. Something like the Spaceborne Computer will be required for that mission. The International Space Station (ISS) currently transmits data to Earth for processing. Instead of the one-second trip from the ISS to Earth, though, sending data from Mars could take about 40 minutes. That means NASA would need a system that can handle lots of data and withstand Mars' environmental conditions but that requires as little work as possible. HPE told the BBC that it met those goals with a pair of servers that cost "thousands of dollars" instead of the $8 million price tag (and decade of development) associated with the ISS' original computer trio. The servers were mostly off-the-shelf, too, less a radiator designed to take advantage of the ISS' cooling system. Here's the good news: both servers remain operational some 530-odd days after their August 2017 trip up to the ISS. As noted above, the original goal was to bring them back to Earth three months ago, so their continued operation is a good sign of their ability to work without a lot of maintenance. The BBC said a Russian rocket failure in October 2018 delayed the servers' return flight. HPE senior content architect Adrian Kasbergen told the BBC that "right now they havent got a ticket" back to Earth, but the hope is to bring them back in June 2019. In the meantime, well, maybe Damon will rally behind the servers. Audit: Nearly 5,000 Rape Kits Untested In Missouri; Kansas City's Turnaround Longest Missouri has at least 4,889 untested rape kits that have yet to be submitted for DNA testing, according to a state audit. In 2017, crime labs around the state tested 869 rape kits, which preserve DNA evidence, the audit said. And the Kansas City Police Department had the longest turnaround among more than 250 law enforcement departments. Locals always tout "smart city" advancement and the progress of tech in this town . . . However, when it comes to dealing data relating to public safety. KCMO lagsfar behind.Read more: Kansas Governor Laura Kelly wanted a quick solution to the on-going school funding lawsuit, but lawmakers are leaving for a mid-session break without having approved a plan. They have until April 15th to agree on how much they want to spend on education and submit arguments for their plan to the Kansas Supreme Court. AMID Defeating Kansas City Chiefs How Patriots owner Robert Kraft could get off in prostitution case New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is charged with two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution after twice visiting Jupiter "rub and tug" massage joint Orchids of Asia Day Spa. Police say the business has ties to an international human-trafficking and prostitution ring. Exburb Runaround Police pursuit ends with crash in Raytown Thursday afternoon Two people were taken into custody after a police chase ended Thursday with a crash at East 63rd Street and Cedar Avenue.Authorities said the vehicle hit another car at the intersection.There was a short foot chase after the crash.Authorities said two minor injuries were reported to the people in the stolen vehicle.Police are still investigating. Neighborhood Shooting Aftermath Rolling gun battle on Ward Parkway in Kansas City: charges | The Kansas City Star A man shot in the face during a rolling gun battle that ended on Kansas City's Ward Parkway is now facing a federal firearm charge. Anthony J. Fikes was in car with a woman and two children when the shooting started near Troost Avenue. Sleaze Scummit Accusations Lee's Summit man charged in connection with fatal 2018 shooting JACKSON COUNTY, MO (KCTV) - A man has been charged in connection with a fatal shooting that happened in August of last year partly due to DNA testing. Rafael M. Armstrong, a 30-year-old from Lee's Summit, has been charged with first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, and two counts of armed criminal action. ALLEGED OLATHE GUNMAN Man charged with shooting woman at Olathe shopping center | The Kansas City Star An Overland Park man is facing multiple felony charges, including attempted murder, after a woman was shot Tuesday night at an Olathe shopping center on south Mur-Len Road. Landon James Smith is charged in Johnson County District Court. Show-Me Second Chance In Missouri Thousands Of Missouri Inmates Whose Paroles Were Revoked May Be Entitled To Relief, Judge Rules Missouri will have to reform its parole policies after a federal judge ruled in favor of thousands of current and former parolees who sued the state, claiming those policies are unconstitutional. Many parolees have been sent back to prison for technical violations of their parole such as crossing a state line, missing a parole appointment or losing a job because their employer found out about their criminal record. Plaza Traffic Scare Man critically hurt after being hit by car near the Plaza, police say Kansas City police are investigating after a man was hit by a vehicle Feb. 28, 2019, at 47th and Main streets. SOURCE: KMBC A man was critically hurt Thursday after being hit by a car near the Plaza, Kansas City police said.The crash was reported about 3:30 p.m. Quick look all of the metro crime news and recent arrests . . .And this is anotherfor right now . . . KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Two suspects and an innocent were person were injured in a high-speed chase that started in Overland Park and ended in Kansas City, Missouri Wednesday night. The driver of a white Cadillac and a passenger inside the vehicle were wanted by Olathe police for aggravated assault and aggravated burglary. Here's one of many reports going out of the way to criticize a faith community and offer a litany of testimony against their practices . . . Check the culture warthat, strangely, garnered more effort than most municipal affairs that cost taxpayers big bucks. You decide . . . MoDOT officials changing lanes on road pre-treating story LEE'S SUMMIT, MO (KCTV) - Officials with the Missouri Department of Transportation say their crews have racked up 61,000 hours on snow removal this winter alone, but it turns out Tuesday night would've been a good time to get more people on the clock. Credit where it's due . . . 12th & Oak won't talk about the issues with media. Meanwhile, with a weekend storm on the way again, here's a look at public officials offering perspective on their latest. Read more: Rape kits sit untested in Missouri. There's a new effort to clear the backlog, but it could take years COLUMBIA, MO. * It will take several years to fully clear Missouri's backlog of untested rape kits, an official in Attorney General Eric Schmitt's office said Wednesday. Schmitt named former Jasper County Judge Keithley Williams as the coordinator for his office's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative. Politicos promise further investigation of this longstanding issue of reported crime neglected. Locally, the testing wait is worse than anywhere in the state. There are about 5,000 KCMO rape kits awaiting examination andwhile locals were waiting for justice.Read more: 12TH & OAK NOW HIRING POTHOLE FILLERS AMID WIDESPREAD COMPLAINTS!!! City hampered by shortage of public works employees KANSAS CITY, Mo - If it's not ice and snow, it's pesky potholes plaguing Kansas City's streets. Dealing with the problems has been made more difficult as the city navigates a staffing shortage totaling nearly 30 open positions in its Public Works Department. Kansas City Westside Conclusion Cross-state chase ends near 28th and Southwest Blvd. KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) - A police pursuit that crossed onto both sides of the state line ended near the area of 28th and Southwest Boulevard Wednesday afternoon. The pursuit began in Missouri before the suspect crossed into Kansas then jumped back across the state line. BREAKING: Police chase near I-35 and 7th St. Local Real Estate Last Chance House flippers buy homes from people facing foreclosure The owners of Faithful Home Buyers KC say they help people who are about to default on their home loans. No One Likes Leawood Rescued Egypt dog ran away from foster home LEAWOOD, KS (KCTV) - A dog that was rescued from Egypt escaped its foster family. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has said that one of the dogs that was rescued from Egypt tested positive for rabies. Unleashed Animal Rescue told KCTV5 Wednesday that that dog was euthanized. Important Local Lady Advocacy Part 1 of 4: Thalia House empowering women, changing lives. The Thalia House in Leawood is helping young women battling eating disorders. Inspirational KCMO Coffee Talk Bo tell it on the mountain: Thou Mayest founder reveals spirit of his brand Your spirit makes you alive - don't ignore its voice when it speaks to you, Bo Nelson advised a captive audience gathered to hear how his entrepreneurial experience at Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters has enabled Kansas Citians to reach their highest good. Kansas City Winter Endures Near 30 degrees Thursday; more snow possible Sunday Thursday will start and finish cold. Look for a high near 30 degrees. Another winter storm will move into Kansas City this weekend, bringing the potential for a... The first family of American media stays winning this week with a bit of curious sisterly closeness:Closer to home, here are some of the top news links we're checking tonight . . .And this is thefor right now . . . Ahead of an official unveiling at the Geneva International Motorshow, Ginetta has today revealed details, imagery and video of its new creation. Combining the precision engineering expertise gained from manufacturing race cars for a range of global race series with the companys heritage in high-power, low-weight road cars, the new supercar is a driver-orientated yet usable package. Taking the unique Ginetta character and bloodline that goes back to road cars such as the giant-killer G10 of the 1960s and infusing technology from Ginettas 2019 LMP1 car, the new supercar represents a truly individual supercar offering. Chairman Lawrence Tomlinson commented: Racing at the highest level has taught us that to win you have to have your overall car concept and every detail exactly right, and weve brought that same philosophy to our first supercar. Starting with a blank sheet of paper allowed us to create a true mid-mid engine design with an all carbon monocoque, LMP-derived aerodynamics and an in-house designed powertrain resulting in a driver-orientated package for the road. This optimised design with mid-mid layout required a bespoke drivetrain which was developed entirely in-house specifically for the supercar. Given the low volume of production, Ginetta werent compromised by having to utilise an existing chassis or drivetrain, allowing the engineers to optimise every aspect of the car. Key to the cars performance was not just the engine position but the design of the unit itself. The engine is an ultra compact and lightweight unit mounted much further back than conventional supercars in a central mid-mid position. This layout allowed the engineers to achieve optimal aerodynamics, a weight distribution of 49% front and 51% rear, utilise a race-derived suspension set-up tweaked for excellent on-road feel and even create a large boot. A dry-sumped 6-litre 90-degree V8, constructed from a single aluminium billet block with forged inners, the unit is manufactured in-house by Ginettas engineers and even features Ginettas own design of throttle bodies. Power is over 600bhp, with torque figures of 700Nm, resulting in a Power to Weight ratio of 545bhp per tonne. Being naturally aspirated engine response is immediate and balancing the car on the throttle requires no electronic aids. The supercar utilises a full carbon fibre monocoque chassis clothed in carbon fibre body panels. The design language echoes that of Ginetta LMP1 cars and this influence not only creates a distinctive aesthetic but truly exceptional aerodynamic performance above traditional supercars. A rear wing with the same aerofoil shape as the latest Ginetta LMP1 racer, underbody diffuser, efficient body ducting and slash-cut side-exit exhausts work together to create incredibly smooth airflow, with downforce at 100mph totalling 376kg just 5% less than Ginettas LMP3 car. As with all top-level race cars, this has all been achieved without the use of active aerodynamics. An adjustable pushrod activated double wishbone suspension system, as used in Ginettas LMP1 car, is utilised all-round offering exceptional road feel. This driver connection is heightened through the hydraulic power assisted steering, with an LMP1-inspired carbon fibre steering wheel with billet aluminium shift paddles, and a fully adjustable floor-mounted pedal box. Ginetta have partnered with another industry leading British manufacturer to create a bespoke gearbox for the new car a six-speed sequential paddle-shift unit with carbon propshaft. This unit not only delivers lightning fast changes but provides a soundtrack akin to the supercars racing siblings. Wheels are Ginetta designed and manufactured units, 19 inches in the front and 20 inches in the rear. These are made specifically for the new supercar and use Ginettas own centre locks as used on race tracks around the world. Behind these sit carbon ceramic brakes. Driver and passenger sit in lightweight ergonomic seats moulded into the cars carbon tub. Alcantara, carbon fibre and billet aluminium punctuate the interior, which is filled with practical technology to further bolster to the cars usability. With ABS, traction control, reverse camera, automatic headlights, park sensors, air conditioning, heated screens front and rear, wireless phone charging and more, the new supercar offers real world practicality with a no-compromise driving experience. Whats more, the cavernous boot has a best-in-class, 675 litre capacity ideal for grand touring. Dry weight is just 1150 kilograms even with a roll-over structure designed to current FIA specifications forming a robust safety cell and giving the chassis an impressive torsional rigidity, resulting in superb on-road driving characteristics. Each owner will be taken through a bespoke specification programme with myriad configuration options available. Ginetta will also take customers through a tailored seat fitting to ensure each car fits the driver perfectly, support the cars with extensive factory warranty and offer an immersive ownership experience further details of which will be announced at Geneva. Tomlinson commented: When setting out on this project, it was important to me that being an owner of this car felt as individual and special as the car itself. Weve always been a straightforward, personal and inherently British company and with this car were offering the chance to own a limited production, truly bespoke supercar built alongside machines from the top level of prototype racing. Our customers will get the opportunity to take to the race track in race cars built alongside their car and shake the hands of the engineers that built them. Our customers become part of the family and we believe that really sets Ginetta and the car apart in the supercar world. I have felt for a long time there was a gap in the market at around the 400k price point for a genuinely low production number supercar, with proper craftsmanship and true race derived know-how and technology. Production will be limited to just 20 units in the first production year of 2020, with 60% of this allocation already sold before the car has been revealed. Sometimes, this job comes with some pretty cool perks. Last week, during my visit to Savannah, Georgia, where I drove the 2020 Toyota Corolla Sedan, Toyota had a little surprise waiting for me - a ride-along with Ryan Tuerck in his mind-altering Corolla Hatch drift car. Suffice to say, the experience made quite the impression on me. Consider It A Caffeine Replacement And, as a special treat, well have ride-alongs with Ryan Tuerck in his Corolla Hatchback drift car. My mind snapped to attention, immediately leaving behind errant thoughts of pricing details and trim levels. It was 9 AM on a Tuesday in Savannah, Georgia, and I was still on Pacific Standard waiting for the first caffeine rush to hit. But suddenly I felt a wave of energy wash over me. Ride-along Ryan Tuerck drift car. I wasnt expecting those words to float my way this particular morning, but hot damn, were they a most welcome surprise. You see, when youre out on a driving program for the new Toyota Corolla, the last thing you expect to wear is a helmet. Lucky enough, Toyota had one waiting for me when I arrived at the Hutchinson Island Race Track 20 minutes later. Preparations Are Made Upon arrival, I immediately made for the pits. It was cold, with grey skies and blowing wind, but I didnt really notice. Before me was the machine the Toyota rep had promised. I approached from the rear, taking in the hatchbacks hugely flared wheel arches and squat stance. One mechanic was busy mounting some fresh rubber, while another splashed some high test into the fuel cell. Tuerck was milling around, trying to stay warm in his race suit while his crew prepped the car. I also spotted Stephan Papadakis, current team owner and a legendary racer in his own right. Note: Ryan Tuerck pictured on the left, Stephan Papadakis pictured on the right. Papadakis was circling the car, discussing some of the finer technical details with another journalist. The days ride-along experience would be on a low-output tune, with less boost and no nitrous. That meant Tuerck would have just 650 horsepower to scare the crap outta us, rather than the full-fat 1,000 ponies used in competition. Before long, the crew dropped the carbon fiber hood and Tuerck hit the ignition. The Corolla spit into life, gurgling lumpy mean noises through the hood-exit exhaust pipes. The smell of race car filled my nostrils, the acerbic scent priming my adrenaline reserves. Try Not To Flail I wasnt the first to take a run, so I chatted with the pit crew while the sound of raw internal combustion and shredding tires drowned out the wind. Huge plumes of blue smoke rose above the surrounding tree line. After a quick tire change (the meats only lasted for a run or two), I found myself strapping into the Corollas passenger-side Sparco race bucket. Race cars are violent, menacing things. They vibrate with a threatening frequency, and they make a sound that rattles through your spine. Business as usual for guys like Tuerck. I gripped my iPhone and primed the camera feature, reminding myself not to accidentally drop it out the window or flail into the pilot on my left. Time For The Smoke Show With a heavy clunk, Tuerck put the machine into gear, dabbed the throttle, and set off for the pit exit. The vibrations increased, as did the sound levels. After passing a few cones, the first straight revealed itself. I sat low, but could clearly make out the long black tire marks stretching in curves towards the first apex. Tuerck gently throttled up, and I could feel the lightweight racers incredible potential. This was nowhere near ten-tenths, and it was on a low-power tune, but my brain was already flooded with neurotransmitters. With a quick stab at the clutch, Tuerck pitched us sideways, first sliding left, then right as we arced around the first corner. Atmosphere rushed into the cabin, mixing with the sound of the high-strung four-cylinder as the rear tires spun at ever-increasing rpms. Before I knew it, we were at the next corner, and the Corolla swung back around in an utterly seamless transition. Tuerck stayed in the loud pedal, and smoke quickly filled the cabin down the following straight. For the next three corners, Tuerck repeated the dance, before powering down the final straight. The whole run lasted less than a minute, but I couldnt wipe the insane grin off my face. What an experience. Ive driven race cars before, but that was my first time in a professional drift machine. The buttery smoothness in the transitions, the ridiculous angle it could achieve, the insane power band these machines are utterly unique in the world of motorsport, and should be celebrated at every opportunity. Ive been a fan of drifting for nearly 20 years now, but I left Georgia with a deeper appreciation. My thanks go out to Ryan Tuerck, Stephan Papadakis, and all the fine folks at Toyota for such an awesome experience. I look forward to seeing what the Corolla can do in the 2019 season - at full boost and with a healthy dollop of laughing gas to boot. Further Reading Ryan Tuercks 1,000-Horsepower Toyota Corolla Hatch Is a Reminder That Drifting Is Completely Amazing Read our full driven review on the 2020 Toyota Corolla. Read our full review on the 2020 Toyota Corolla. Read our full review on the 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid. Read our full review on the 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback. Read our full driven review on the 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback. While some suggested Ferrari might give us a first glance at its upcoming SUV, it turns out that the other rumor - the one that said Ferrari was set to show off a successor to the 488 GTB - stood true. Meet the 2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo, an evolution of the 488 GTB with noticeably better performance and plenty of additional enhancements. The F8 Tributos performance is almost on par with the hot 488 Pista track-focused special LISTEN 03:52 The 2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo Ferrari calls the F8 Tributo a celebration of excellence, explaining that its new eight-cylinder model represents the highest expression of the companys classic two-seater Berlinetta. Its formula is not that different to the car it replaces, but Ferrari says its literally better in every single way. In fact, its performance numbers are very similar to what the spiced up 488 Pista is capable of achieving. Powering the F8 Tributo is an enhanced version of the same 3.9-liter, twin-turbo V-8 that now makes 710 horsepower and 770 Nm or 568 pound-feet of torque. That means that it has exactly as much power and torque as the Pista. Ferrari claims its new Berlinetta sprints to 100 km/h or 62 mph in 2.9 seconds (the Pista does it in 2.85 seconds) and its top speed is 340 km/h or 211 mph. It is marginally slower to sprint compared to the Pista because it weighs 50 kg or 110 pounds more. However, at 1,330 kg or 2,930 pounds, it is some 40 kg or 90 pounds lighter than the 488 GTB it replaces. Ferrari also mentions the fact that the F8 Tributo has 10 percent better aerodynamic efficiency. Its track-honed aero includes an S-duct in the front that is said to increase downforce by 15 percent over the 488 GTB. The car also features the latest generation of Side Slip Angle Control (version 6.1, to be precise) - this system allows drivers to tune how violently the car slides, thus tweaking it to their level of experience (and braveness). The look of the F8 Tributo is, again, an evolution of the 488 Pista. It features slimmer full-LED headlights that are shaped in a way that channels air into the nearby brake cooling ducts. The rest of the shape is quite familiar if you know the 488, but moving to the rear, we spot the new dual light clusters (the 488 had one per side, and the F8 has two), a classic Ferrari design trait. The F8 Tributo is apparently a bridge to a new design language, but to us, it still looks like an evolution of the 488. The louvered Lexan engine cover is a direct nod to the brutal yet iconic Ferrari F40, the last car signed off by company founder Enzo Ferrari and a real milestone in the companys history. The engine cover itself is flanked by vents on either side, and it all looks distinctly racecar-esque. Inside, it looks just as evolutionary as the outside, yet Ferrari says every element of the dash, door panels, and tunnel has been completely redesigned. For the first time, Ferrari is offering a seven-inch touchscreen that allows the passenger to access various functions and see all kinds of information - Ferrari already offers this feature in its top tier models. Ferrari will unveil the 2020 F8 Tributo at the 2019 Geneva motor show where we will try to elbow our way through the crowd to get you live shots from the reveal. 2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo drivetrain specifications ENGINE Type 90-degree V8 turbo Overall displacement 3902 cc Max. power output* 710 HP @ 8,000 RPM Max. torque 568 LB-FT @ 3,250 RPM Length 4611 mm Width 1979 mm Height 1206 mm Dry weight** 1330 kg 0-100 km/h 2.9 s 0-200 km/h 7.8 s Top speed 340 km/h (211 mph) Further reading Read our full review on the 2016 Ferrari 488 GTB. Read our full review on the 2016 Ferrari 488 Spider. Read our full review on the 2018 Ferrari 488 Pista. Read our full review on the 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista Spider. Author and Consultant Terri Sjodin to Serve as Keynote Speaker WINiT, a business unit of GBTA focused on driving positive change for the career mobility of women in the travel-related industries, will host a two-part education session at GBTA Conference 2019 Mexico City which takes place March 19 21. Five-time author and Principal and Founder of Sjodin Communications, Terri Sjodin, will deliver the lunch keynote from Center Stage on Wednesday, March 20. Terri Sjodin is the Principal and Founder of Sjodin Communications, a public speaking, sales training and consulting firm based in Newport Beach, CA. For over 20 years, she has specialized in helping people build and deliver more polished, persuasive and effective presentations. She is the author of five books, including Scrappy and the New York Times Best Seller, Small Message, Big Impact. Terri is a frequent guest on radio and television talk shows throughout the country appearing on The Today Show, Bloomberg, CNN, CNBC and more. The Conference session agenda will include the following WINiT content: Wednesday, March 20: 1:50 2:50 PM Topic: Small Message, Big Impact: Building Your Persuasive Case 4:40 5:40 PM Topic: New Sales Speak: The 9 Biggest Sales Presentation Mistakes and How to Avoid Them Thursday, March 21: 9 9:30 AM Topic: Dealing with Challenging People Bringing WINiT inspired content to GBTA members at events like this one illustrates one of the many benefits of WINiTs integration into GBTA. It allows for an expanded reach of WINiTs mission, making an impact on the careers of more women and men in the travel-related industries around the world. Registration is currently open for GBTA Conference 2019 Mexico City. For more information on the Conference, visit GBTA Conference 2019 Mexico City. Reporters interested in covering the event should contact Colleen Gallagher. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Travel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Travel Industry Wire Lake Erie, the southernmost and fourth-largest of North America's Great Lakes and the 11th largest lake in the world, just can't seem to catch a break. Efforts in the 1970s to curtail the obscene amount of industrial pollutants and sewage being pumped into Lake Erie written off as a biologically "dead" dumping ground ushered in a period of markedly improved water quality. The dire condition of the lake (not to mention its sometimes flammable tributaries) and the impassioned crusade to save it even helped to inspire the formation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1970. Brought back from the brink, Lake Eerie was deemed a success story, a triumph of grassroots environmentalism spurred by concerned citizens. And with a little nudging from the Ohio Sea Grant Program, Dr. Seuss even removed a line from "The Lorax" ("I hear things are just as bad up in Lake Erie") nearly 20 years after the book's original 1971 publication to reflect the lake's newly cleaned-up status. The last couple of decades, however, have not been so kind to the shallowest, warmest, most biologically diverse, most heavily urbanized and, in turn, most ecologically vulnerable of the Great Lakes. That lamentable line from "The Lorax" could be easily inserted back in. Today, the 9,910-square-mile body of water is plagued by ecosystem-disrupting invasive species, fouled by agricultural runoff and suffocated by oxygen-depleted "dead zones" caused by toxic seasonal algae blooms that are so large they can be seen from outer space. Lake Erie hasn't been declared dead again, but it is clinging on to life support. (Technically, the lake's western basin has been classified as "impaired.") Toledo residents are embracing a new approach to cleaning up woefully polluted Lake Erie, especially after the algae scare. (Photo: Don Johnson 396/Flickr) One of several industrial hubs perched on the shores of Lake Erie, Toledo has been particularly impacted by the deteriorating condition of the lake. In the summer of 2014, Ohio's fourth most populous city was effectively shut down for three days when its drinking water supply was deemed off-limits as off-the-charts levels of algal bloom-boosting phosphorous drained into the lake from upstream farms. (A nutrient found in manure and fertilizer, phosphorous is the main culprit in algae blooms.) This marked the first time in U.S. history that an algal bloom rendered a city's water supply unsafe to consume. Even showering in Toledo's microcystin-laced tap water was strongly discouraged. "Stores closed. Hospitals accepted only the most seriously ill patients. Restaurants were empty. And some 500,000 people depended on bottled water in the middle of a brutally hot August," writes The New York Times of the water contamination crisis. It was that crisis and the inefficient response to it on the state and federal levels that led Toledo to put forth what the Times called one of the "most unusual" questions to ever appear on an American voting ballot: Should Lake Erie be given the very same legal rights as a person or business? And Toledo voters said yes. Called the Lake Erie Bill of Rights, the ballot initiative grants Lake Erie with personhood and, in turn, enables private citizens to sue polluters on behalf of the lake as its legal guardians. To read the initiative, scroll down to page 4 of this PDF about the various initiatives on the ballot. Feed by agricultural runoff, toxic summertime slime overwhelms a stretch of Lake Erie at Maumee Bay State Park near Toledo in 2014. (Photo: Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images) Passed by voters during a special election held on Feb. 26, the bill established "irrevocable rights for the Lake Erie Ecosystem to exist, flourish and naturally evolve." It could potentially lead to large-scale clean-up efforts or pollution-prevention measures if any lawsuits brought to trial against polluters namely farms and other agricultural operations are successful. "Basically, Lake Erie is dying, and no one is helping," Thomas Linzey, co-founder of the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF), tells CNN. "And this is the first time this type of law has been applied to this type of ecosystem." The potential to drain city coffers and tangle up courts Proponents of the Lake Erie Bill of Rights acknowledge that even after the vote, the controversial measure could ultimately flounder for years in the court system due to questions over its constitutionality. "There will be all sort of litigation if this passes, to sort things out," Terry Lodge, an Ohio attorney who helped craft the bill, explains to The Guardian. "The authority will be questioned, and all sort of business leaders and political groups will be fighting this to protect their own interests and not be responsible stewards of the environment." Vocal opponents of the bill included Toledo City Council President Matt Cherry, who told CNN it will "immediately go into litigation if passed" and potentially "deter industries from coming to Toledo." He noted that taxpayers would be forced to foot the bill for any ensuing court battles, leaving Toledo in a precarious financial position. An algal bloom turns the Maumee River, which drains into Lake Erie, an alarming shade of green in September 2017. (Photo: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory/Flickr) The Ohio Farm Bureau was also staunchly against the bill given that the state's commercial agricultural operations are the prime targets of the lawsuits. Yvonne Lesicko, vice president of public policy for the Bureau, admits to the Times that farms are indeed largely responsible for the polluted runoff that has rendered large swaths of western Lake Erie un-swimmable during the summer months. She does, however, note that runoff-producing golf courses, lawns and septic systems also share the blame. Lesicko argues that any sort of effective solutions such as further reducing fertilizer use could take years to implement and produce results. "We care very much about the lake," Lesicko explains. "But this is not a solution. In fact, it is counterproductive. This is going to lead to lots of lawsuits and stress." Many Ohio farmers have already implemented runoff reduction measures encouraged by the state but on a voluntary basis with no enforcement component. Per the Ohio EPA, voluntary participation won't cut it for much longer as slime-creating phosphorus levels show no signs of abating. "We don't see the trend line moving big enough or fast enough. It's time for us to consider the next step," said former Ohio EPA director Craig Butler in the spring of 2018 after then Gov. John Kasich, following years of resistance, finally declared Lake Erie impaired. Glancing back to 1972 The vote and even the presence of the initiative on the ballot marks a radical shift in thinking that could potentially be replicated elsewhere. Can other bodies of water or any sort of natural feature for that matter, be it a desert or a river or a forest be granted the same legal rights as human beings? Perhaps so. Conceived by grassroots group Toledoans for Safe Water and drafted by the CELDF, the Lake Erie Bills of Rights is an entirely unique creature the first rights-based law in the U.S. that zeros in on a distinct ecosystem that could impact not just Toledo and the greater Maumee River watershed area but four states, two countries and numerous other major cities (Cleveland, Buffalo and Erie, Pennsylvania, among them). There is, however, some precedent. As Brian McGraw details for The Guardian, threatened ecosystems in other countries been granted legal personhood. They are, however, usually smaller than Lake Erie and involve legal settlements with indigenous people, not anti-pollution initiatives approved by the voters of a single city. In 2014, New Zealand granted personhood to the Te Urewera forest and, more recently, similar legal rights were bestowed to the Ganges and Yamuna rivers by an Indian court. And in a landmark 2008 move, Ecuador drafted "rights of nature" provisions directly into its constitution. An algal bloom in the western part of Lake Erie near Toledo, Sandusky and Cleveland as captured by NASA's MODIS satellite in October 2013. (Photo: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory/Flickr) Closer to home, the nature-protecting thrust behind the ballot initiative can be traced back to the 1972 Supreme Court case Sierra Club vs. Morton, in which environmentalists attempted to block the Walt Disney Company from erecting a massive a ski resort in a remote patch of wilderness in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. The court ultimately rejected the Sierra Club's lawsuit, but it did prompt a famous dissent from Justice William O. Douglas, who argued that trees should be granted the same legal rights as human beings. "Contemporary public concern for protecting nature's ecological equilibrium," Douglas wrote, "should lead to the conferral of standing upon environmental objects to sue for their own preservation." Rights of nature movement picks up steam Established in 1995 with the mission of "building sustainable communities by assisting people to assert their right to local self-government and the rights of nature," the CELDF has framed much of its work around the concept of bestowing nature with the legal rights to thrive and flourish while empowering communities to uphold these rights. As the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports, usually this involves calls to prohibit specific activities such as oil drilling and the dumping of toxic waste. In 2017, Oklahoma's Ponca Nation became the first Native American tribe to adopt a law that upholds the rights of nature just not one specific element of nature but all of it to halt environmental degradation (In this case, fracking.) "What they are doing in Toledo gives us all a tremendous boost of energy, one that will help enlighten humans around the world and show how people in Ohio really do care for the relationship between water and life, and the natural rebalance we are all trying to achieve," Ponca councilwoman Casey Camp-Horinek tells The Guardian. Members of the Leech Lake Band of the Ojibwe Tribe harvest natural wild rice, the first plant to be granted legal human rights, in Mud Lake, located on the Leech River in Minnesota. (Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Flickr) What's more, the Star Tribune details the recent adoption (with assistance from the CELDF) of a tribal law by Minnesota's largest Native American tribe, the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, that grants wild rice legal personhood. Believed to be the first time in the U.S. that a specific species of plant in this case, a type of grass has been bestowed with enforceable legal rights, the move comes as part of a larger effort to block the construction of an oil pipeline through north-central Minnesota. The pipeline itself wouldn't pass through tribal land but would cut through non-tribal waters where the state's tribal populations have treaty rights to hunt, fish and cultivate wild rice, a hand-harvested culinary staple in Minnesota. Per the Star Tribune: [White Earth tribal lawyer Frank] Bibeau said he hopes that codifying the rights will help state regulators understand the tribe's spiritual connection to wild rice. It's not just an important food, but a "major part of our cultural, spiritual connection with the Creator who guided our ancestors to where the food grows on water." Back in Toledo, supporters of the Lake Erie Bill of Rights are hopeful that the vote sends a forceful message to policymakers that something and something drastic needs to be done to halt the flow of pollutants into a long-suffering lake that's health is in fast decline. "These folks kept calling the cavalry, and the cavalry never came," Linzey tells CNN of the concerned Toledo residents who have been pushing for stricter regulations since 2014 ... and long before then. "If (the initiative) wins, it begins a conversation on who speaks for the lake." The people of Toledo may prove the Lorax wrong once again. Treehugger and our third-party partners use cookies and process personal data like unique identifiers based on your consent to store and/or access information on a device, display personalized ads and for content measurement, audience insight, and product development. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Treehugger.com, including your right to object where legitimate interest is used, click below. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. List of Partners (vendors) Growing up in a balloon(ing) suburb Taking in the wonder of Albuquerques fiesta Because I spent my childhood in Plano, Texas, going to my hometowns balloon festival year after year, Albuquerques own festival that rivals Planos has long been on my bucket list. Even after moving to the Southwest, though, I wasnt sure how I would plan a trip to experience this celebration of ballooningafter all, Phoenix is still six hours away from Albuquerque, New Mexico, by car.Theis the worlds largest, with well over 500 registered balloonists. On any day of the weeklong fiesta, you can expect to bump into crowds of 100,000 people as you explore the balloon take-off fields.With numbers like that, it might seem nigh on impossible to ever visit the fiesta. Enter one late September weeknight of grabbing drinks with friends. While sipping on some Phoenix brews, I got to talking with my friend Dolores, whos originally from New Mexico. She happened to mention in passing that the following weekend shed be visiting her brother in Albuquerque for the balloon fiesta.I, of course, said I was so jealous and everythingbut then she said I was welcome to split the cost of gas and hop along for the ride! Not only that, but there was an extra guest room at her brothers house.Now, Im not a spontaneous person by any means, especially when it comes to traveling. This Type-A kind of guy likes to plan out daily activities, make reservations, look up the best coffee shops and restaurants, and just generally daydream about a trip weeks, if not months, in advance. But my schedule was wide open, and I had this huge opportunity staring me in my face, so we clinked our glasses to seal the deal.The following weekend, Dolores, my friend Michael, and I were well on our way to New Mexico. We traversed the steep cliff walls of the Mogollon Rim that stand between the Phoenix valley and the high desert of the Colorado Plateau, stopping right inside the ArizonaNew Mexico border to stroll through Gallups Saturday flea market and enjoy mutton stew, Navajo fry bread, and traditional blue corn mush. One solid days drive later, and we had reached the edges of suburban Albuquerque.When I was a kid, Plano, Texas, fit neatly into your stereotype of a Sun Belt suburb. Cookie-cutter subdivisions of single-family detached homes, corporate headquarters on cheap land, and an excellent public school system had all sprung up on what were once farmlands a half-hour north of Dallas. It was a safe, middle-class communityif rather bland.Today, Plano is reinventing itself as the sprawl machine bulldozes toward Oklahoma. You can now find a historic downtown thats come back to life, superb restaurants that serve Asian immigrant communities, and (some) walkable, urban spaces built around public transit.Every September, a vast lawn butting up against a wooded greenbelt is the stage for around 50 hot-air balloons operated mostly by Texas balloonists. Local vendors representing nonprofits, political parties, and businesses set up shop in the parking lot, offering freebies and samples, while carnival rides entice kiddos and deep-fried everything tempts all.As a hot Friday night grows on, you lay out your picnic blanket on the poky, freshly mowed brush, dodge grasshoppers while setting up your collapsible chairs, and get your phone camera ready for the main event:when balloonists flash their burners on and off, creating a dazzling blinking effect that takes over the entire field.Saturday morning, you roll out of bed, nibble on cinnamon rolls, and catch a glimpse of striking red-white-and-blue balloons filling the sky through the patio window. Its a magical way to wake up, and it was a magical tradition for me to grow up with and carry into adulthood.Decades of accommodating 100,000 daily tourists has made Albuquerque into a logistics expert: free bus shuttles from park-and-ride lots across the city are included in your admission ticket. But if you want to experience the morning liftoff, youve got to show up before dark.When my iPhones alarm clock started going off at four in the morning, my forehead, my shoulders, my stomach all had that awful, piercing ache you get from sleep deprivation. I stumbled into the kitchen to retrieve my bottle of kombucha and hope against hope that this carbonated elixir would power me through the day.The next hour was a blurriding from the house to a mall parking lot, waiting in line for the bus shuttle, riding on the bus from the park-and-ride lot to the balloon field, and waiting in line to get in to the event.Once we made it through the gauntlet, we were greeted with the dazzling lights of funnel cake, hot dog, and lemonade stands. But you can get those anywhere! My friend Dolores and her brother showed me the New Mexican ropes by dragging my groggy self over to the Blakes Lotaburger tent. This Albuquerque burger chain was new to this Arizona-based Texan, but it quickly won me over with aThe Hatch green chile was hot, but not unbearable. Together with a cup of nutty Pinon Coffee, the burrito kept me warm during the frigid pre-dawn hours as I waited with friends for the sun to come up.Apropos of nothingperhaps the Darth Vader helmet balloona troupe of Star Wars cosplayers showed up and processed down the field. Jawas, Stormtroopers, Imperial Guards, and even Boushh (a.k.a. Princess Leia, Bounty Hunter) were all characters I recognized from watching the original trilogy as a nerdy fifth-grader.Unlike in Plano, Albuquerque lets attendees mingle with the balloonsand help them get set up. This was a really cool learning experience as police officers always cordoned the field off far from the spectators in Plano.The day that we visited, they didnt allow the balloons to take off because it was too windy. It had rained the day before and it would end up snowing not long after my friend Michael and I returned to Phoenix. So I wasnt able to get those dramatic photos of balloons lifting off and floating into the sky. Instead, we got to experience a veritable forest of inflated balloons crowded up against each other, floating above a sea of tens of thousands of attendees and nearly that many DSLRs.The usual suspects made appearances here: a Canon balloon, a RE/MAX balloon, even a Colorado state flag balloon, all in your standard teardrop balloon shape.But there were also some unique, more complex balloons: a Darth Vader head, a dairy cow (complete with udders), and a Wells Fargo stagecoach.Once we returned home, I tried to stay awake, hang out, and play with the dogs, but I just couldnt handle being a human on half a nights sleep. The guest bed had a Star Wars-like tractor-beam effect on me that I just couldnt resist, and the resulting three-hour nap rivaled any I had as a kid. editorial@tribune.com eeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 27 Amid tension simmering between India and Pakistan after claims by both countries regarding shooting down each others fighter aircrafts in the aftermath of the air strike at the terror camps in Pakistan, a panic-like situation arose in the border district particularly after the deployment of Army personnel at certain spots. Though there are no orders for evacuation, the armed hostilities in the past between the hostile nuclear-powered neighbours has resulted evacuation of border dwellers many a time. Lately, it was in 2016 post surgical strike that the dwellers here along the international border (IB) were evacuated. At that time, there was a lot of resentment among people against it. Prior to that, migration was witnessed during the Kargil conflict in 1999. Border Area Sangarsh Committee president Rattan Singh Randhawa said, The indo-Gangetic plain in South Asia is one of the most populated regions in the world. Any conflict between the two neighbouring countries will have catastrophic repercussions on people, especially impoverished ones. Dharmpal Singh, 63, a resident Dhanoa Kalan village, said the weapons residents deposited with Gharinda police station on September 9, 2018 should be immediately released. He said residents could use those weapons during conflict, if arises, for self defence. These personal weapons were deposited before the zila parishad and panchayat elections. Massive displacement of people during the 1965 and 1971 wars is still fresh in the memory of Wazir Singh, a resident of Ramdas village. Harjit Singh of Daoke village said there was only nine feet wide bridge without grills which connected his village with the main road and the village is about half a km from the IB. In case of escalation of conflict between India and Pakistan, they would have to migrate to safe places and their mobility could be jeopardised due to the narrow bridge. Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal president Piara Lal Seth said there would be a dip in the business after apprehension of war and stoppage of flights for limited duration. Footfall of tourists will also go down, he said. Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shivdular Singh said his office didnt receive any instruction for evacuation of people from border areas. He said there was no need to panic for people. vermaajay1968@gmail.com Vijay C Roy Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 27 From mentoring and sustainability to regulations associated with legality, there are a lot of challenges which the startups have to face initially. Considering their plight, business incubators in the region are fast catching up on the new generation ideas. The latest to join the incubator bandwagon will be Indian School of Business (ISB), Mohali. There are over two dozen incubators in the region, comprising Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. Apart from government-run premier institutes, private universities, government institutions and private firms are also filing the gap by opening new incubators. According to experts, lack of investor ecosystem, especially funding, mentorship and industry involvement, and the absence of readily available talent are the biggest problems that startups face in this region. In the past 2-3 years, many incubators have started operations in the region which will give fillip to the startup ecosystem. However, the need of the hour is to focus on quality and effective mentorship and funding, said Sumeer walia, director, Centre for Entrepreneurship and Education Development, Chitkara University. Chitkara University started its innovation incubator in 2014. It has incubated around 60 startups. Out of these, 11 were alumni startups and the rest were from tricity, Punjab and other northern states. Most of these were bootstrapped and have raised funds from self, friends and family. Some of them have been provided seed money by the university. The key success factor of our incubator is strong industry- mentor connect, which helps in guiding the startups one-on-one, remotely and through webinars, Walia said. Mohali-based Chandigarh Universitys technology business incubator started operations in 2015. We have a government-approved incubator and this startup hub now operates more than 76 startups with more than 30,000 sq ft of dedicated space. We offer them funds, incubate and nurture both technology and social businesses in domains such as bio-technology, pharmaceuticals, mechanical, software solutions, computing and technology, said H Ghosh, Head (branding), Chandigarh University. The IIT, Ropar, commenced its technology business incubator last year and currently incubating five startups. We have currently five startups and another 8-10 are in pipeline. It will be North Indias biggest facility where we provide all kinds of support to startups such as mentorship, seed money and guidance, said JK Sharma, CEO, technology business incubator, IIT, Ropar. The latest to commence operation is Atal Incubation Centre (AIC), incubation and acceleration arm of the Indian School of Business, set up in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission and NITI Aayog, to nurture innovative startups by guiding them to become scalable and sustainable enterprises. It will open in April. editorial@tribune.com Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 27 In a major relief to them, over 9,300 street vendors will get a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 after the age of 60 as the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has decided to implement the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PMSYM) scheme for unorganised sector workers under the age of 40 and earning up to Rs 15,000 every month. The MC is bringing the scheme for approval of the General House at its meeting to be held tomorrow. The Centre had announced the scheme in the Budget. The scheme entails a minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000 after the age of 60 to its beneficiaries. While the UT Administration has directed all departments to implement the scheme for eligible beneficiaries falling in their domain, the MC has been told to identify and implement the scheme for street vendors. The MC has around 9,300 registered street vendors. The scheme will cover unorganised workers, who are working or engaged as home-based workers, street vendors, mid-day meal workers, head loaders, brick-kiln workers, cobblers, rag pickers, domestic workers, washermen, rickshaw-pullers, landless labourers, agricultural workers and construction workers among others. Only workers between the age of 18 and 40 can avail of the benefits of the scheme. Contribution from workers will change depending on the applicants age. Applicants at the age of 18 will have to contribute Rs 55, whereas workers at the age of 29 will pay Rs 100. Those in the upper age limit of 40 will have to pay Rs 220. The government will then contribute an equal amount as the workers. In case of permanent disability of a subscriber, his or her spouse will be entitled to continue with the scheme or exit by receiving the share of contribution with interest. In case of the death of a pensioner, his or her spouse shall be only entitled to receive 50 per cent of the pension. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Mohali, February 27 Escalation in tension between India and Pakistan led to the cancellation of at least 11 flights, including the Chandigarh-Dubai flight, at the airport in Mohali today. The Indigo Chandigarh-Dubai flight could not take off from the local airport apparently due to the ongoing tension between the two neighbouring countries. The entire northern region is on red alert and the international flight stood cancelled due to security reasons. The Chandigarh-Dubai flight goes over Pakistan and it did not take off today, said sources. The sources said international flight operations would resume tomorrow. Apart from the international flight, the other Indigo flights which were cancelled today included Chandigarh-Delhi, Chandigarh-Bengaluru and Chandigarh-Hyderabad. Flights of other airlines from the city to different destinations, including Lucknow, Srinagar, Mumbai, Pune and Delhi, were also cancelled. Air Indias Kullu-Chandigarh flight was cancelled due to bad weather, said the sources. A spokesperson for the airport said today the Chandigarh airport remained open for flight operations for the entire day. It will open at its normal time tomorrow also, said the spokesperson. Meanwhile, due to cancellation of at least 11 flights, the airport witnessed a huge rush on the premises. Several passengers and their kin, who had come to see them off, were disappointed after the cancellation of the flights. Poonam, who was going to Doha, Qatar, said her programme had got upset due to the cancellation of flight all of a sudden. Similarly, Chandigarh-based Sonia, who was going to Mumbai, said she had some urgent work there, but the cancellation of the flight had left her with no option but to stay and wait. QRTs stationed In the backdrop of escalating tension between India and Pakistan, the security at the local airport has been beefed up substantially. Along with CISF officials, around 50 personnel of the Mohali police have been keeping a strict vigil there. Four Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs), a bus equipped with CCTV cameras and a bomb disposal team have also been stationed at the airport. All vehicles coming to the airport are being checked before entering. The security has been beefed during the past couple of days, said Inspector HS Bal, SHO of the Airport police station. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 27 Taking a serious view of a residential societys decision not to throw open elevators to its residents, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has slapped costs of Rs 10,000. The Bench also directed the Zirakpur MC Executive Officer to visit Astha Apartments along with an expert. If the lifts are found to be in order, these shall be opened to the residents, Justice Nirmaljit Kaur of the High Court asserted. The directions came on a contempt of court petition filed by Indu Sharma. Taking up the matter, the Bench, in December last year, directed its assistant supervising the functioning of lifts in the High Court, Ashish Solanki, to visit Astha Apartments. He was asked to certify the working conditions of seven lifts. In his report, Solanki submitted that defects were found in four of the lifts. Three lifts were stated to be in a working condition. As the case came up for resumed hearing, counsel for the petitioners, on instructions from the petitioners and other residents of Astha Apartments, said all four lifts of Phase II were lying shut and were not operational. Responding, counsel for the respondents stated that the lifts were in order, but had not been put into operation. It was in view of an order passed on September 12, 2018, by which direction was issued regarding inspection by the Executive Officer, Zirakpur, before operating the lifts. It is shocking that in spite of the stand taken before this court that the lifts are now totally repaired and in a functional condition, these have not been opened to the residents on account of an order passed way back on September 12, 2018, which did not bar the respondents from getting the same verified and checked from the Executive Officer, Municipal Council, Zirakpur, for reasons best known. It appears that the same has been done only to harass the residents, Justice Nirmaljit Kaur added. Accepting the request by counsel for the respondents to appoint two local commissioners to be present at the time of inspection by the Executive Officer, Justice Nirmaljit Kaur appointed two advocates Sarvesh Malik and Aditya Singh Chadha. They would accompany the Executive Officer during his visit to Astha Apartments. Taking into account that the lifts are lying closed in spite of the same allegedly having been repaired and the respondents have not made any effort to get the same verified from the Executive Officer, MC, Zirakpur, a cost of Rs 10,000 shall be deposited with the Bar Council, Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Nirmaljit Kaur added. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 27 In the wake of the rising tension between Indian and Pakistan, the UT police today decided that police personnel will not be allowed to go on leave till further orders. Sources said police personnel had been told that they would not be given leave till the time there was an alert. Police officials said patrolling had been intensified to avoid any untoward incident. PCR teams and other wings of the police have been asked to check suspicious vehicles. The police have also been directed to patrol crowded places. Armed police personnel have also been stationed at crowded places. Instructions to check the vehicles entering the city have also been passed to police stations. Patrolling in the city, especially night patrolling, has been intensified, said a police official. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 27 A pall of gloom descended on the Sector 44 residence of Squadron Leader Siddharth Vashisht, one of the pilots of the ill-fated Mi-17 helicopter that crashed at Budgam near Srinagar today, killing six IAF personnel and a civilian. A fourth generation officer in the armed forces, who was commissioned in 2010, the 31-year-old pilot is survived by his wife, Aarti, who is also a Squadron Leader posted at Srinagar, and two-year old son Angad, besides his parents and three sisters. He was the youngest of four siblings. His wife was on leave at Gurugram and is rushing back here. According to Air Force officials, his mortal remains will be airlifted to Chandigarh tomorrow and the last rites will be held here. Family members said Siddharth had studied at Shivalik Public School in Sector 41 and thereafter at DAV College before opting to join the forces. He was adventurous and fond of outdoor life and was keen to be a flier. His father, Jagdish Kasal, had served in the Army before joining Punjab National Bank as an officer. In fact, his maternal uncle, Vineet Bhardwaj, was a MiG-21 pilot, who died in an air crash about 17 years ago. His uncle had been an inspiration for him. Siddharth had been posted to a helicopter unit in Srinagar in July last and prior to this he was based at Coimbatore. He was also part of the IAF rescue operations during the floods in Kerela recently. Family members said he had received a commendation for his services on January 26, besides other awards for his performance. His family originally belongs to Hamidpur village near Naraingarh and had shifted to Chandigarh about a year ago. Wife also a Squadron Leader A fourth generation officer in the armed forces, who was commissioned in 2010, the 31-year-old pilot, Squadron Leader Siddharth Vashisht, is survived by his wife, Aarti, who is also a Squadron Leader posted at Srinagar, and two-year-old son Angad, besides his parents and three sisters. He was the youngest of four siblings. harinder@tribunemail.com The events of the past few weeks have added another insalubrious chapter in the subcontinents history. Pakistan, while claiming to offer the olive branch, also abetted the killing of over 40 paramilitary personnel in Pulwama in a suicide attack. Such a situation was unpalatable for any self-respecting nation. For over three years, the Modi government had drawn a red line on dialogue with Pakistan. It has been resisting talks till the terror issue was first put on the table. This, in diplomatic language, is like walking into a cul de sac, leaving no room for manoeuvring so essential in the world of inter-state relations. This may have left South Blocks practitioners of muscular statecraft little option but to deliver a riposte with military overtones. The chicken may have come home to roost. What seemed to be the perfect non-military strike against a terrorist camp is now showing indications of escalation. If statesmen do not retrieve the situation, both countries could well slide down the slope of an armed conflict which will spell economic destitution for Pakistan and a relatively better, but still unenviable, situation for India. War is not an option for nuclear-armed neighbours and those who start a war do not know how it will end. Narendra Modi and Imran Khan have often spoken past each other. Modi had reminded Khan about his assurance of being a man of his word and Khan now needs to walk the talk. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, too, has said India does not wish to see further escalation and will continue to act with responsibility and restraint. Friendly nations, from the US to Russia and France, have supported India, which can retain their empathy if it does not step up the escalation. The testosterone-laden serenading of muscularity from the sidelines does not account for the devastation that is written into the DNA of conflicts. A step back and dialogue is the need of the hour. editorial@tribune.com Bhartesh Singh Thakur Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 27 Amid strong protests by the Congress and INLD, the Haryana Assembly today passed the Punjab Land Preservation (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2019, aimed at striking a balance between development and environment. As soon as the Bill was introduced by Forest Minister Rao Narbir Singh, the Opposition members were on their feet alleging that it would play havoc with the environment. The Congress charge was led by Palwal MLA Karan Dalal, who termed the Bill as the biggest scam of the so-called honest government. Congress Legislative Party leader Kiran Choudhary alleged that the Bill would favour the builder lobby. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and INLD MLA Parminder Dhull demanded that the Bill be sent to a select committee of the Haryana Assembly. Dhull also questioned its introduction from retrospective effect. Putting up a spirited defence, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar asserted that the Bill had been brought in to strike a balance between development and environment. Khattar asserted that agriculture land and development plans and HUDA sectors were under the PLPA. Already about 1,500 building licences had been given and if the Supreme Court took action under the original Act, it could have serious implications for the state, Khattar reasoned. Under the PLPA, 2019, the new provisions would be deemed to have come into force from November 1, 1966. The new amended PLPA will now not be applicable on lands included in the final development plans, town improvement plans or schemes published under the Faridababd Metropolitan Development Authority Act of 2018, Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority Act of 2017, Haryana Municipal Corporation Act of 1994, Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act of 1975 and the Faridabad Complex Act of 1971. The House was informed that earlier, the PLPA, 1900, was extending over 25% of the area of the state, covering 14 of the 22 districts of the state. The entire districts of Gurugram, Rewari and Faridabad were covered. editorial@tribune.com Ambika Sharma Tribune News service Solan, February 27 The imposition of 200 per cent customs duty on the import of Pakistani cement, which hitherto attracted no duty, has benefited the domestic industry which was feeling the pinch of cheaper imported cement from the country. The state produces 11.45 million tonnes cement annually. Major firms like Ambuja Cements Limited, Ultra Tech, ACC and CCI have their manufacturing units here. Since the domestic cement manufacturers could not compete with the cheaper cement imported from Pakistan, they had failed to utilise their optimum manufacturing capacities. This development is expected to perk up the demand of domestic cement and will help the state as well as the Centre to gain more through taxes. The state government imposes state specific levies like Certain Goods Carried by Road Tax and Additional Goods Tax on cement and an increase in its production will add to the states exchequer. Other levies like the social welfare surcharge, royalty, clean energy cess, environment and health cess and electricity duty will also help the government pocket more, said officials of the cement companies who are assessing the implications of this move. A key cement unit, which has manufacturing plants in Punjab and Himachal, could utilize only 75 per cent capacity. As against 29.65 metric tonnes that it manufactured only 22.95 metric tonnes in the last financial year, said a unit official. During the last five years, the cement industry grew at 4 per cent rate where meager 65 per cent capacity utilization was registered against the long-term average growth rate of 8-9 per cent, said a senior executive of a company. He said cement was sold in Pakistan markets at $100 (per metric tonne) PMT and it was dumped in India at $63 to $65 PMT. The import of cement had attracted no basic customs duty since 2007. This caused the domestic cement industry to suffer. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Shimla, February 27 An Army rescue team on Wednesday recovered the cellphone of one of the five jawans who have been missing since February 20 when an avalanche hit them on the India-China border, near Shipkila, in Kinnaur district. Confirming this, Deputy Commissioner, Kinnaur, Gopal Chand said the cellphone belonged to Nitin Rana (27) of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles. Gopal Chand has been coordinating the search operation being carried out by the Army and the civic authorities. However, he said there was no clue to the missing jawans so far. The DC said the rescue team had been using all search tools available with it, but the bodies of the jawans were yet to be traced. Sources said the cellphone would be examined at the Armys forensic testing lab to ascertain if the jawan had made any call before the avalanche hit them. Rana hailed from Jaisinghpur in Kangra district. He had joined the Army in 2011. The DC said intermittent snowfall in the Kinnaur-Pooh-Namgia region since morning again hampered the search operation today. The DC said the search operation would be resumed tomorrow. Meanwhile, he said the Powari-Kaurik stretch of the national highway had been restored to traffic, though it continued to snow. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Dharamsala, February 27 Two Air India flights to Kangra were cancelled due to the escalating tension between India and Pakistan. The Gaggal airport in Kangra receives three flights a day. SpiceJet arrives at 8 am and two Air India flights in the afternoon. Both afternoon flights were cancelled. Officials said the flights were suspended from Delhi. An international conference on water was scheduled in the Baijnath area of Kangra district, but delegates from foreign countries didnt arrive for the same as the flights had been cancelled. The conference was being hosted by Tibetan guru Tai Situpa. Kishore Kumar, director, airport, said flights were not operating from Delhi. Only one flight operated in the morning. But all flights were cancelled after that from Delhi, he said. Due to the cancellation of flights, many tourists are stranded in Dharamsala. Kangra district shares border with Pathankot in Punjab, which is why security has been stepped up at the entry points. Superintendent of Police Santosh Patial said security at prominent and religious places had been tightened. The situation has also forced the cancellation of many events taking place in the region. Tour operators in the region are worried. Foreign tourists are likely to cancel their visit to the area. We just hope that the situation does not escalate, they said. editorial@tribune.com Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service Baspur (RS Pura), February 27 Amid mounting tension, fear has gripped over 25,000 people living on the International Border (IB) as they dont have any communication with the rest of the country due to a weak mobile network. The villagers fear that in case of any emergency, they would not be able to establish contact with the authorities. There is no mobile network in nearly 30 villages located in the west of RS Pura, said Thoru Ram, nambardar of Raipur Saida village. He said the issue was repeatedly brought to the notice of the authorities concerned but nothing had been done. How will we establish contact with the authorities in case of any emergency? he asked. As there is no network in villages, people gathered at a chowk in front of the shop of Mohinder Singh to attend phone calls. Mobile network is available in this particular location so you will find villagers gathered here to make or attend a call, he told The Tribune. Mobile network is poor in villages namely Bidhpur Jattan, Bega, Bera, Choga, Raipura Saida, Abdullian, Chandu Chak, Layian, Chak Bula, Korotana, etc. Keeping in view the prevailing situation on the border, anything can be happen. How will we establish contact with the authorities at that time? asked Darshan Singh, nambardar of Choga village. Even for ambulance and other emergency services, we have to rush to areas where network is available, he said. Earlier, wireless in local loop mobile service was provided to every village with a tower so as to provide round-the-clock communication services to border residents. But after launching of the service, the authorities snapped it. Raj Kumar, a resident, recounted that on May 18, 2018, Tarsem Lal and his wife Manjeet of Chandu Chak village had lost their lives due to unavailability of an ambulance service. The couple was injured in shelling from across the border. Villagers face brunt Mobile network is poor in Bidhpur Jattan, Bega, Bera, Choga, Raipura Saida, Abdullian, Chandu Chak, Layian, Chak Bula and Korotana villages editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Jammu/Srinagar, February 27 Hours after the Indian Air Force (IAF) dismantled terror camps on Tuesday, the Pakistan army targeted civilian areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in the state. The Pakistan army used missiles and mortars to pound border villages all along from Akhnoor to Poonch which started around 5.30 pm on Tuesday and continued till midnight. On Wednesday morning, Pakistani troops targeted Indian posts in the Uri sector in north Kashmir which resulted into the suspension of the Cross-LoC trade. The Army retaliated with similar weapons and decimated five posts of the Pakistan army. Since 5.30 pm on Tuesday, the Pakistan army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violations by shelling with heavy calibre weapons in 12 to 15 places along the LoC. The Army retaliated for effect and our focused fire resulted in severe destruction to five Pakistani posts and a number of casualties to its army. The Pakistani troops were also seen firing mortars and missiles from civilian houses, using villagers as human shields. However, the Army targeted Pakistan posts away from civilian localities, a defence spokesman said. In exchange of fire, five men of the Army suffered minor injuries of which two were evacuated to the Military Hospital for treatment. They are stable, he added. The Pakistan army fired mortar shells towards Indian posts around 3 am from across the LoC in the Kamalkote and Kalgi areas, a senior police officer from Baramulla told The Tribune. Following this, Pakistan again violated ceasefire in the same area around 8.30 am during which some houses were damaged. However, the damage was minimal with no loss of life or injury to the civilians, an official said. Vaishno Devi chopper service suspended Katra: Amid heightened tension, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board on Wednesday suspended the helicopter service between Katra and Sanjichhat. Chief Executive Officer of the shrine board Simrandeep Singh said following the government directions, the service had been suspended till further orders. However, the yatra is on through the traditional as well as the new track. The cable car and battery car services were available like other days. OC editorial@tribune.com Suhail A Shah Anantnag, February 27 Two Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants were killed by security forces in Shopian district of south Kashmir on Wednesday. With the killing of the two ultras, the total number of JeM men gunned down since the Pulwama attack has reached eight. They were killed in three gunfights in Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian districts. Among the two militants, one was a local resident and another a Pakistan national. The local militant has been identified as Suhail Nazir Mir, a resident of Saidapora, Payeen area of Shopian district. The other one, from the incriminating material found on the body, is thought to be a Pakistan national. Efforts are being made to ascertain his identity, a senior police official said. The operation was initiated by the security forces at 7.15 am on Wednesday in the Meemandar area of Shopian district. We had prior inputs regarding the presence of the militants in the area, following which a cordon and search operation was launched, the police official said, adding that the militants opened indiscriminate fire as the cordon was being laid. The fire was retaliated, by 8.30 am both were killed, the official said, It was a clean operation with no collateral damage. Later, the body of the local militant was handed over to the family while that of the Pakistan national was taken to an undisclosed location for burial. The security forces have upped the ante against the JeM after the suicide car bombing of February 14 which left at least 40 CRPF men dead in the Lethpora area of Pulwama district. Pak militant among slain Among the two militants, one was a local resident and another a Pakistan national. The local militant has been identified as Suhail Nazir Mir, a resident of Saidapora, Payeen area of Shopian district. The other one, from the incriminating material found on the body, is thought to be a Pakistan national, a senior police officer said. shriaya.dutt@tribuneindia.com Mumbai, February 28 Bollywoood celebrities on Wednesday called for peace and wished for the safe return of an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot who is in Pakistan's custody. Pakistan said it had Wing Commander Varthaman Abhinandan in its custody. Here's what the celebrities have to say: Actress Nimrat Kaur, who comes from an Army background: "Strength and resolve to the family and loved ones of Wing Commander Abhinandan. The nation's prayers and thoughts are with him in this tough hour. May this stoic, dignified officer be back on Indian soil soon." The video to be shared with the underlying message loud and clear. Immense respect for #WingCommanderAbhinandans exemplary valour and balance. What a true soldier. So proud. #RealHero https://t.co/MQWX7rokwI Nimrat Kaur (@NimratOfficial) 27 February 2019 Flimmaker Karan Johar: Thoughts and strength to #WingCommandarAbhinandan amd his familly....India stands tall and proud with you.... Thoughts and strength to #WingCommandarAbhinandan amd his familly....India stands tall and proud with you.... Karan Johar (@karanjohar) 27 February 2019 Megastar Amitabh Bachchan: T 3103 - Abhinandan .. with a bowed head .. congratulations. T 3103 - Abhinandan .. .. Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) 27 February 2019 Veteran Actor Anupam Kher: It is an infinite, special frontier, even the ocean, and the two sailors of the earth have never been defeated by human beings, turning to storms.Salute the courage of #IAF officer #WingCommandorAbhinandan. Indians sitting in every corner of the world are convincing of your bravery and are with you. Jai Hind. , , , Salute the courage of #IAF officer #WingCommandorAbhinandan. pic.twitter.com/LxDZSB6SoI Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) 27 February 2019 Former beauty queen Sushmita Sen, the daughter of a retired Indian Air Force officer, wrote: "We are all praying for the safe return of Wing Commander Abhinandan." We are all praying for the safe return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman #IAF gratitude from the daughter of a retired Indian Airforce officer @fbhutto for choosing humanity first & a way to peace Dugga Dugga & God bless https://t.co/6ztsyV5Dss sushmita sen (@thesushmitasen) 27 February 2019 "To all those who cheered from the sidelines yesterday, with all humility I ask you to read the next sentence. 'He has still not returned'," filmmaker Nikkhil Advani tweeted. To all those who cheered from the sidelines yesterday, with all humility I ask you to read the next sentence. He has still not returned #wingcommanderabhinandan #SayNoToWar Nikkhil Advani (@nikkhiladvani) 27 February 2019 Farhan Akhtar: Thoughts with #WingCommanderAbhinandan and his family. Hoping for his early and safe return. #IndianAirForce. Thoughts with #WingCommanderAbhinandan and his family. Hoping for his early and safe return. #IndianAirForce Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) 27 February 2019 Actress and daughter of Colonel V.K. Jaitley, Celina Jaitly said that Tuesday's action by India was "counter terrorism" and "no civilians (were) hurt, no military personnel targeted/hurt. "What Pakistan did is an act of war, they targeted military personnel, while no one wants war, Pakistan has aggravated the situation. Praying for Wing Commander Abhinandan's safe return." #India action was #counterterrorism no civilians hurt,no military personnel targeted/hurt,what #pakistan did is an act of war,they targeted military personnel,while no one wants war, #pakistan has aggravated the situation.Praying for #wingcommanderabhinandan safe return #jaihind Celina Jaitly (@CelinaJaitly) 27 February 2019 Actress Taapsee Pannu re-tweeted the news about Varthaman and said this is what she feared in all "this celebration" after the IAF fighter jets struck terror launch pads in Pakistan on Tuesday. Now this is why I feared in all this celebration. Now what ! https://t.co/E8lLdurr9h taapsee pannu (@taapsee) 27 February 2019 Actress Swara Bhasker said: "Bring back Abhinandan." Some celebrities also urged the media and social media community to be more responsible and to steer clear from spreading anger. Swara wrote: We hope and pray for the safety of our soldiers and officers. Please stop circulating fake and old videos and creating panic and miscommunication. Things are tense and volatile as it is. Please be responsible. Veena ji.. Shame on you & ur sick mindset. Your glee is just gross! Our officer is a hero- brave, gracious & dignified in the face of capture. At least some decency from that major in you army who was questioning #WingCommanderAbhinandan or the many Pakistanis suing 4 peace #sick https://t.co/KvJH8ClkmW Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) 28 February 2019 Ranganathan Madhavan: It's a war against terror not between two nations yet. Dear MediaYou can actually stop this escalation... Please let's be responsible and work towards peace. Its a war against terror not between 2 nations yet. Dear Media -you can actually stop this escalation .. please lets be responsible and work towards peace. Ranganathan Madhavan (@ActorMadhavan) 27 February 2019 Shekhar Kapur: It's really important not to fan the flames of war rhetoric. It's not a game. You are not facing bullets or bombs. You are not the family praying and hoping fervently that your husbands, brothers or fathers are safe. Nor living in border areas in fear. It's easy to be armchair soldiers. Its really important not to fan the flames of war rhetoric. Its not a game. U r not facing bullets or bombs. U r not the family praying and hoping fervently that your husbands brothers or fathers are safe. Nor living in border areas in fear. Its easy to be armachair soldiers. Shekhar Kapur (@shekharkapur) 27 February 2019 Richa Chadha: Can news media be tried for inciting war? For ugly graphics, video game footage, provocative hashtags. Funnily, here is one place we are united eh India, Pakistanin fake news! Can news media be tried for inciting war ? For ugly graphics, video game footage, provocative hashtags ? Funnily, here is one place we are united eh India, Pakistan - in fake news! TheRichaChadha (@RichaChadha) 27 February 2019 Vishal Dadlani: Indian or Pakistani, if you have any brains and any love/respect for your soldiers, say it out loud. We don't want war. We need peace. IANS shriaya.dutt@tribuneindia.com Tribune Web Desk Chandigarh, February 28 B-town is well aware about how much Ranveer Singh showers love on his wife Deepika Padukone. Their public display of affection has been melting hearts ever since they got married last November. We personally think he needs no help in the best husband department. But, he thinks there is still room for improvement. The Simmba actor made an appearance on Kareena Kapoor Khans new radio show, Ishq 104.8 FMs, What Women Want. On her show, they talk all about women and what matters to them. Ranveer asked for some Bebology on how to be top, top husband to his wife, DP. Ranveer: Hi Kareena, I just got married, so please share tips on how to be a top husband. Kareena: Ranveer the whole of India knows how loving you are towards Deepika. You don't need any tips at all. The amount of love you give to Deepika is the sweetest thing we get to watch pic.twitter.com/38owBJmqvX #DeepVeerwale - Ranveer Deepika FC (@DeepVeer_FC) February 27, 2019 Kareena felt that Ranveer was just fishing for compliments because everyone knows how much Ranveeer adores his wife. Bebo said: Wow! Ranveer now you are just fishing. The whole country knows that how loving you are towards Deepika. You dont need any tips at all. The amount of love that you shower on Deepika is the sweetest thing that I think everybody gets to watch. But Ill give you one tip, its actually magical. You know, give each other some space. Then all else will fall into place. Ranveer added he is also looking forward to finally working with her. The two will be seen in Karan Johars, Takht. Apart from Bebo and Ranveer, the film features: Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar, Janhvi Kapoor and Anil Kapoor. monicakchauhan@gmail.com KV Prasad Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 28 Even as steps to de-escalate the tensions building up between India and Pakistan began with Islamabad deciding to release IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, India reiterated any talks with the neighbour will depend on its action against terror. India expects that Pakistan take immediate, credible and verifiable action against terrorists, its proxies, its infrastructure and cross-border terrorism, top sources in the government said after Pakistan made it known that Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted to talk to PM Narendra Modi. Additionally, India also sought to convey that release of the captured IAF pilot cannot be a condition to delink process since Pakistan Air Force jets targeted military installations in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. The sources maintained it was Pakistan, which was creating hysteria of a possible military action against the country by closing the airspace, telling diplomats that India would carry out missile strikes or is moving a naval ship to attack Karachi. Maintaining that India viewed Pakistans attack unprovoked act of aggression, the sources maintained that operational issues would remain away from public domain, while retaining the right to retaliate. The argument was when India carried out aerial attack in Balakot, it was against terrorist camp and by attacking India through Pakistan Air Force jets and targeting military facilities, Islamabad sent a message it was shielding the terrorists. In its demarche to Pakistan served through its acting High Commissioner, India handed over a dossier with specific details of terror group Jaish-e-Mohammeds (JeM) complicity in Pulwama terror attack and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan with the expectation that Pakistan will take immediate action against terrorism emanating from territories under its control. New Delhi also sees a major diplomatic triumph that international community saw reason behind the Balakot attack was Indias action against terror after Pakistan refused to take any action despite several evidence provided, as has been its won since Parliament attack of 2001 or 2008 Mumbai terror strikes in Mumbai. Now with three members of Permanent 5 France, the United States, United Kingdom moving a fresh proposal in the UN Security Council to designate JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, India hopes that China too would be on board. amansharma@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 28 India on Thursday called Pakistans bluff and showed evidence of the use of F-16 fighter jets despite the US having banned Islamabad from using these in any offensive role. There is enough evidence to show F-16s were used in this mission and Pakistan is trying to hide this fact, Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor said at a press briefing here late in the evening. He was talking about Pakistan Air Force (PAF) breaching the LoC on Wednesday. Opinion: The Chance India took The fact remains one PAF F-16 was shot down by an IAF MiG-21 Bison aircraft, he said. The IAF officer was countering Pakistans claim that F-16s were not used and no Pakistani plane was downed by Indian Air Force. The IAF presented parts of AMRAAM missile, carried by the PAF only on F-16s, which was recovered from the east of Rajouri in Indian territory. Flanked by Major General Surinder Mahal and Rear Admiral DS Gujral, Air Vice Marshal Kapoor said they had credible proof that target was destroyed in their strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Balakot, Pakistan. It is premature to give the number of casualties, he said. Asked whether evidence would be released, the IAF officer said it was upto the government to decide. About Pakistans gesture to release IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, he said it was in consonance with the Geneva Convention. The IAF officer went on to question Pakistan saying it had claimed to have intentionally dropped weapons in open space where there was no human presence or military posts. The fact is that the PAF aircraft targeted military installations. However, they were intercepted by IAF fighter aircraft that thwarted their plans, he said, adding that PAF bombs had fallen in Indian Army formation compounds. shriaya.dutt@tribuneindia.com Rameswaram (TN), February 28 Two Sri Lankan nationals were arrested near here on Thursday on charges of entering the country illegally after alleged 'involvement' in a murder case in Colombo, police said. Acting on intelligence inputs, police nabbed Singha Chirandha and Sapras from VIP Nagar near Ramanathapuram, about 45 km from here. Besides, two local residentsRiyaz and Mohammed Gayoomwith whom the Sinhalese men were staying were also arrested, police said. Police said the two had escaped escaped from Sri Lanka after allegedly killing one of their relatives over a property dispute and had come to Rameswaram recently by illegal ferry. Later, they had reached Ramathapuram where they were staying with the locals, who belonged to Sethu Nagar near here, police said adding the Lankan duo was being interrogated. PTI vinaymishra188@gmail.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 27 Backing the armed forces in anti-terror operations, a united Opposition minus Samajwadi Party today lamented what it called blatant politicisation of the sacrifices of armed forces and regretted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not taken them into confidence on the emerging security situation. Leaders of 21 parties met for over three hours and issued a statement condemning the Pulwama attack and asking the PM to take the nation into confidence on matters of sovereignty. National security must transcend narrow political considerations. The leaders observed that the PM has regrettably not convened an all-party meeting as per the established practice in our democracy, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said after the meeting. which was attended among others by TMC president Mamata Banerjee, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu and BSPs Satish Chandra Mishra. The leaders expressed concern on the emerging security situation. Post the statement from the Ministry of External Affairs regarding targeting of our military installations and loss of one fighter aircraft, the leaders condemned the Pakistani misadventure and expressed their deep concern for the safety of our missing pilot. Leaders urged the government to take the nation into confidence on all measures to protect Indias sovereignty, unity and integrity, Gandhi said after the meeting. The Opposition leaders were also concerned that Home Minister Rajnath Singh addressed a rally in Chhattisgarh today with many privately asking, How can he Home Minister hold an event on a day when an IAF pilot is missing in action? He is responsible for Indias internal security. The Congress, meanwhile, postponed its working committee meeting which was scheduled to be held at Ahmedabad tomorrow and Gandhi cancelled his public rally in solidarity with the forces. shriaya.dutt@tribuneindia.com Kolkata, February 28 The widow of slain CRPF personnel Bablu Santra on Thursday urged both India and Pakistan to hold talks instead of escalating tensions. She also urged the Narendra Modi government to ensure the safe release of Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, captured by Pakistan on Wednesday. Mita Santra, widowed on February 14 in a suicide bomb attack on a CRPF convoy that claimed 40 lives including that of her husband, said she was not worried about criticism on social media over her anti-war stand. "We should give dialogue a chance instead of war that will lead to loss of so many more lives," Santra told PTI while urging the government of India to make all efforts to ensure Varthaman's return. "I urge our government to engage with that of Pakistan to get back Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman safely," she added. Varthaman was captured following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control in which a Pakistani F-16 jet was downed. The IAF also lost a MiG 21 Bison jet being flown by Varthaman. Apart from the loss of human lives, war leaves an indelible mark on economic and social front affecting the people of countries involved, Santra said. It is natural that the armed forces will have to go to war and make the ultimate sacrifice, but the Indian government must ensure their security, she said. "I want security of the forces to be ensured. All the forces, be it the Army or the paramilitary like CRPF or ITBP, are of the government of India and it is the duty of the government to take necessary measures to ensure their security," she said. Santra said she was not bothered about social media trolls criticising her stand on war, adding that if one person has criticised her, ten others appreciated her approach. Following the death of her husband in the car bomb attack on the CRPF convoy by Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pulwama, Santra had said that war should be avoided as it will snuff out the lives of many more on both sides of the border, leaving women widowed, mothers without sons and children without fathers. "After February 14, nothing touches me. Anybody can say anything, I am not worried," said the mother of a six-year-old girl, who has a masters degree in modern history and teaches in a private school. However, she wondered if those criticising her had a family member serving in the armed forces. "Sitting in their homes, some people are saying so many things, but do they have any of their family members in the Army, Air Force, Navy or paramilitary forces?" she asked. Stating that she has been offered a compensatory job in the CRPF, Santra said she has not yet decided on taking it as the transferrable job will come in the way of taking care of her aged mother-in-law. "I want a job in the West Bengal government as was promised by ministers who visited our house following my husband's death," she said. PTI vinaymishra188@gmail.com New Delhi, February 27 Indias contact diplomacy bore fruit after both China and Russia agreed it is important to eradicate the breeding grounds of terrorism and extremism, which is seen as a thinly veiled reference to Pakistan. The Foreign Ministers of the three countries are currently in China for a pre-arranged meeting in the Russia-India-China (RIC) format. We agreed to jointly combat all forms of terrorism through closer policy coordination and practical cooperation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at the end of the RIC meeting. The fact that India was able to persuade Russia and China to speak against the breeding grounds of terrorism suggests a forward movement in its endeavour to root out Jaish-e-Mohammed from its sanctuaries. However, Indias diplomatic outreach struck a sore note in Pakistan. Its Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi threatened to boycott a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) if Sushma Swaraj was the guest of honour. The tense situation also elicited a rare statement on the region from Dmitry Peskov, the Press Secretary of the Russian President, who said Moscow is extremely concerned about the news coming in, we are very closely monitoring the situation and, of course, we urge all parties to show restraint. Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asked his Indian and Pakistani counterparts to prioritise direct communication and avoid further military activity. He is in Hanoi marshalling the US-North Korea summit, but the tension in the sub-continent elicited personal intervention. Pompeo asked Islamabad to address the core issue of the current acrimony terrorist camps on its soil that led to Indian airstrikes. In his conversation with Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday, he underlined the intensifying Indo-US security partnership while with Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi he underscored the priority of de-escalating tension. Similar messages of restraint and enjoining Pakistan to dismantle terror camps have come from France, China, Australia and the EU. Nepal, as the current Chair of SAARC, called on both sides not to engage in actions that would threaten the regions stability. TNS pardeepdhull@gmail.com Kolkata, February 28 Former envoy to Pakistan G Parthasarathy, who played a key role in bringing back IAF pilot K Nachiketa during the 1999 Kargil war, has expressed confident that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman too would return safely. Parthasarthy recollected that growing international pressure had forced Pakistan to come up with a goodwill gesture of releasing Nachiketa, a flight lieutenant who was forced to eject in Pakistani territory after his jet developed a technical snag 20 years ago. I am confident that Abhinandan would be back safely. I have no doubts about it. Pakistan has to abide by the Geneva Convention (of 1929), they just cant violate it, he told PTI. Varthaman was captured by Pakistan on Wednesday after his plane was shot down. The Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot will be governed under the Geneva Convention of 1929. India had demanded the immediate and safe return of Varthaman and strongly objected to the neighbouring countrys vulgar display of an injured defence personnel in violation of international norms. Parthasarathy, the then Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad, was at the helm of the negotiations for Nachiketas release. The (Kargil) war (was) getting politically uncomfortable for Pakistan. People (the international community) realised that they (Pakistan) had started the war through intrusion, he said. And, at that point of time, Pakistan was heavily dependent on Americans, and the Bill Clinton administration had turned the screws on them. So, as a show of goodwill gesture, Pakistan decided to release our pilot, he said. Pakistan had wanted to make a media spectacle of the release, the former diplomat said, adding, I insisted that the release had to be in accordance to the Geneva Convention, which Pakistan agreed to. On the ongoing situation at the India-Pakistan border, Parthasarathy said that with the US, France and the UK moving a fresh proposal in the UN Security Council to designate Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, its a diplomatic win for India. The international recognition acted in a measured manner and is a positive. Obviously, no one wants it to escalate beyond a point. So, the government will have to think over what needs to be done to respond to yesterdays provocation by Pakistan, he said. PTI gspannu7@gmail.com Tribune Web Desk Chandigarh, February 28 Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai on Thursday urged the prime ministers of India and Pakistan to engage in dialogue to settle the current conflict and long-standing issue of Kashmir. In a statement posted on Twitter, she said, As a Nobel Laureate, UN Messenger of Peace, a citizen of Pakistan and a student, I am alarmed by the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan - and concerned for people living on both sides of the border. Everyone aware of the horrors of war would agree that retaliation and revenge is never the right response - once started, it rarely ends. Millions of people are suffering today because of existing wars - we dont need another. Our world cannot even care for all the people currently in peril. I ask the Prime Minister of Pakistan lmran Khan and the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi to show true leadership in this difficult time: to sit down, shake hands and settle the current conflict and longstanding issue of Kashmir through dialogue. I ask the international community to support talks between India and Pakistan and to help prevent loss of lives and homes. Citizens of both countries know that the true enemies are terrorism, poverty, illiteracy and health crises - not each other. The situation between India and Pakistan has been tense since the February 14 Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives which was claimed by the Jaish-e-Mohammad. editorial@tribune.com Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 27 The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Centre on a PIL challenging its decision to regularise the entry and stay of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Christian and Parsi victims of religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who are compelled to seek shelter in India. The notice was issued by a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on the PIL filed by Forum Against Citizenship Act Amendment Bill, which challenged the Passport (Entry into India) Amendment Rules, 2015, the Foreigners (Amendment) Order, 2015 and an order dated December 23, 2016 issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, terming them violative of the Constitution. These rules and regulations exempted persons belonging to minority communities in Bangladesh and Pakistan, i.e. Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians forced to come to India because of religious persecution on or before the 0December 31, 2014, from the application of provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946. Under the amended rules, such Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians may be without valid documents or with expired documents, including passport or other travel documents, but can continue to stay in India. The PIL said the sub-ordinate legislation in question violated the basic structure of the Constitution as it went against secularism, for illegal immigrants were granted citizenship only on the basis of religion pursuant to the impugned legislation. The sub-ordinate legislation impugned herein is, however, unprecedented, in the sense that never before has religion been specifically identified in the citizenship law as the ground for distinguishing between citizens and non-citizens. It has introduced religion as a new principle into the citizenship law and can be conveniently branded as communally motivated humanitarianism, the petition read. vinaymishra188@gmail.com Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 27 India and Pakistan are on a razors edge. On Wednesday, both countries shot down each others fighter jet in Jammu and Kashmir. An Indian Air Force pilot has been captured by Pakistan. Airspace over western parts of India and also in Pakistan was closed for civilian flights, indicating further escalation. The Line of Control (LoC) is on high alert and there is constant firing from across both sides. The IAF bases are in a state of readiness. Islamabad targeted three places close to the LoC and adjacent to Indias forward military bases. Sources indicated that India did not hit any military target, only the Balakot terror camp and that the Pakistan strike is escalatory in nature. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been briefed on the preparedness of the forces with the three service chiefs laying out the options. In J&K, Indian fighters chased the PAF out, but lost a plane. Also, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured by Pakistan. Though there has been no loss on the ground, the fact that Pakistan chose targets close to military establishments and then held a press conference to say it wanted to show its capability has riled the Indian establishment. The MEA said: The Pakistan Air Force was detected and the IAF responded instantly. A Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft was shot down by a MiG-21 Bison. The Pakistani aircraft was seen falling from the sky on the Pakistan side. It did not specify which plane. Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, DG, Inter-Services Public Relations of Pakistan, said: We had the option to fire at them (India), but did not target their supply depots. We wanted to show we can do everything, but dont want to at the cost of peace. rchopra@tribunemail.com Islamabad, February 28 Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi over the telephone to offer him peace, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Thursday. Qureshi told Geo News that if India gives priority to peace, Pakistan is ready for peace. Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to talk to Narendra Modi on the telephone and ready to extend an invitation of peace. Is Modi ready?" he asked. We are ready for every eventuality. If they give priority to peace, we are ready for peace. If they prioritise dialogue, we are ready for dialogue," the Foreign Minister said. Qureshi also confirmed the receipt of India's dossier on the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed in an attack claimed by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Let's talk together on the basis of the dossier. I am ready to talk. You want to talk about terrorism, I am ready. You want to talk about peace, I am ready. You want to make it a common challenge, I am ready," he said. The dossier handed over by India has "specific details" of the involvement of the JeM in the Pulwama terror attack and the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror outfit in Pakistan. In New Delhi, government sources said that Pakistan must first take concrete and specific anti-terror steps when asked about talks with Prime Minister Khan. Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama attack by JeM. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. Pakistan on Wednesday claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com New Delhi, February 28 The Congress on Thursday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has misplaced priorities and that he was desperate only for re-election. It also accused the saffron party leaders of politicising the bravery of the armed forces, while referring to Karnataka BJP leader B S Yeddyurappas comment that Indias pre-emptive strikes on terror camps in Pakistan have created a wave in favour of PM Modi and will help his party win over 22 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The partys chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, in a tweet, alleged that the Prime Minister was hell-bent on creating a video-conference record when the entire country was praying for the return of its braveheart pilot. An IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat on Wednesday during which the two sides said they shot down each others warplanes that followed an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes that sparked fears of war. IAF sources identified the pilot as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Glaring case of misplaced priorities! 132 Cr Indians pray for safe & immediate return of Indias brave-heart Wing Comm, Abhinandan but Modiji desperate only for re-election. Congress cancelled its imp CWC & Rally today. Pradhan Sevak hell-bent on creating a Video Conf. record (sic)! Surjewala wrote on Twitter. The Prime Minister on Thursday had direct dialogue with BJP workers and volunteers as part of the partys Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot programme through, what the party claims, the worlds largest video conference. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal also targeted Yeddyurappa saying, On 27th February B S Yeddyurappa at Chitradurga in a public function said: The Indian Armed Forces proved their mettle by destroying the terrorists hideouts. The impact of this strike will help BJP win more than 22 seats in the state. Is this patriotism or crass politics? he asked. Surjewala, in a tweet, hit out at Prime Minister Modi saying, The armed forces are taking care of the borders and the Pradhan Sewak the booth. These are the soldiers of power. He also used the hashtag Booth first or country. Dear Modiji/ Jaitleyji, Any more questions on politicisation. Regards, 132 Crore Indians, he wrote on Twitter and tagged a report quoting Yeddyurappa that pre-emptive strikes will help BJP win 22 of 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka. Yeddyurappa has since gone back on his remarks saying that was not what he meant. Twenty-one Opposition parties on Wednesday expressed deep anguish over what they alleged was blatant politicisation of the sacrifices of armed forces and urged the government to take the nation into confidence on all measures to protect Indias sovereignty, unity and integrity. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 28 Father of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has sent out a message saying he is proud of him. Wing Commander Varthaman had attacked a Pakistan Air Force plane over Nowshera in J&K on Wednesday when he was hit by a Pakistani weapon. He had bailed out of his MiG 21 jet and his parachute landed in Pakistan. He was captured by Pakistan. His father Air Marshal S Varthaman (retd), in a message sent out to his friends, has thanked them for showing concern and wishes. Air Marshal Varthaman, himself a fighter pilot, had commanded the vital Eastern Command and retired in 2012. Abhi is alive, not injured, sound in mind, just look at the way he talked so bravely...a true soldier...we are so proud of him, said the father. In the message, the senior Varthaman said he hoped Wing Commander Varthaman is not tortured and would come home safe and sound. Thank you all for being with us in this hour of need. We draw our strength from your support, he concluded. rchopra@tribunemail.com Beijing, February 28 Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi made an urgent phone call to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to update him about the tensions between Pakistan and India, Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. During the phone call, Wang briefed Qureshi on Chinas efforts to promote peace talks and reiterated his hope that Pakistan and India would exercise restraint and earnestly fulfil their commitment to prevent the escalation of the situation, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Qureshis phone call came as tensions between India and Pakistan rose on Wednesday after Pakistan claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot in response to Indian counter-terrorism in Balakot. Late at night on February 27, 2019, Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi made an urgent call to State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi to update him on the situation between Pakistan and India, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Qureshi made the phone call after Wang held extensive talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Russia, India, China (RIC) Foreign Ministers meeting in the Chinese city of Wuzhen. Swaraj forcefully raised the terror strike issue with her Chinese counterpart and said the Pulwama attack is the direct result of the impunity and cover provided to the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group by Pakistan. Swarajs meeting with Wang came a day after India destroyed a major Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) terror training camp in Pakistan. China, a close ally of Pakistan, has repeatedly foiled Indias attempts to brand JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN. The JeM, founded by Azhar, has already been in the UNs list of banned terror outfits. Wang told Qureshi that China would continue to play a constructive role in easing the current tension. He expressed deep concern over the escalation of tension between Pakistan and India and briefed Qureshi on Chinas efforts to promote peace talks and reiterated his hope that Pakistan and India would exercise restraint and earnestly fulfil their commitment to prevent the escalation of the situation, the statement said. Wang also stressed that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be truly respected. China does not want to see any behaviour that goes against the norms governing international relations, it said. At the RIC Ministers meeting, India won the support of China and Russia in the fight against terrorism as China and Russia agreed to step up policy coordination. Briefing the media after the RIC Ministers talks, Wang said, We agreed to jointly combat all forms of terrorism through closer policy coordination and practical cooperation. Especially important is to eradicate the breeding grounds of terrorism and extremism. But at the same time, Wang tried to cautiously tread a fine line, highlighting that Pakistan, which is its close ally, is also opposed to terrorism. China, Russia and India have reaffirmed our strong opposition to terrorism in various forms and manifestations. At the same time, we believe that Pakistan has always been opposed to terrorism, he said at the joint press conference with Swaraj and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Elaborating on Chinas stand, Wang said, On the recent developments between India and Pakistan, China appreciates the statements from Indian and Pakistani friends saying they will avoid escalation of the situation. He said China for its part is playing a constructive role as a mutual friend. As a mutual friend to both India and Pakistan, we do hope that they can conduct dialogue to establish facts through investigation to keep things under control, and maintain peace and stability in the region. In this process, China is playing a constructive role not the opposite, he said. PTI vinaymishra188@gmail.com Azhar Qadri Tribune News Service Srinagar, February 27 Seven persons, including two Indian Air Force pilots and a civilian, were killed in a helicopter crash in central Kashmirs Budgam district today, officials said. The Mi-17 IAF helicopter crashed in an open field at Garend Kalaan village, 7 km from Budgam town, around 10 am. The cause of the crash could not be ascertained. A police official said seven charred bodies were found from the scene of the crash and that their identities were not immediately known. A senior civil administration official said six of the seven dead were IAF personnel. A civilian, Kifayat Ganai, who was working in the fields, was also killed. Local villagers rushed to the site soon after the crash. A villager said he was in the fields when he heard a loud thud. Five to six persons were in the fields when the helicopter came crashing down, he said. A video showed a plume of smoke rising from the site of the crash, which is close to the IAF airfield and the civilian airport. A government official said a technical team of the IAF assessed the wreckage as the site was secured by the Army and police. The crash came amid a state of heightened alert along the border. rchopra@tribunemail.com United Nations, February 28 The US, the UK and France have moved a fresh proposal in the UN Security Council to designate Pakistan-based terror group JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, a listing that will subject him to global travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo. The fresh proposal was moved on Wednesday by the three permanent veto-wielding members of the 15-nation Security Council. The Security Council Sanctions Committee will have 10 working days to consider the fresh proposal submitted by the three members. The proposal is the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist. In 2009, India moved a proposal to designate Azhar, whose UN-proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility for the suicide attack against Indian security forces in Pulwama on February 14 in which over 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed. In 2016 again, India moved the proposal with the P3--the United States, the United Kingdom and France--in the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar, also the mastermind of the attack on the air base in Pathankot in January 2016. In 2017, the P3 nations moved a similar proposal again. However, on all occasions, China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, blocked India's proposal from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee. It remains to be seen how China will vote on the proposal this time. China, a close ally of Pakistan, has consistently blocked moves, first by India and later by the US, the UK and France, to designate Azhar as a global terrorist by the 1267 Committee by putting technical holds. France assumes the crucial rotating presidency of the UN Security Council in March. At least 40 CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on February 14 in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a JeM suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. India has strongly reiterated its appeal to all members of the international community to support the proposal to list terrorists, including Azhar, as designated terrorists under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, and to ban terrorist organisations operating from territories controlled by Pakistan. PTI vinaymishra188@gmail.com Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 27 A day after Indias non-military, pre-emptive action against Jaish camps in Pakistan, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today referred to the US Navy Seals operation in Pakistans Abbottabad to hunt down Al-Qaeda founder Osama-bin Laden, arguing if America could carry out such an operation, why cant India? If US Navy Seals could kill Osama, anything is possible today. A week is too long a time in politics.... I recall how the US Seals took away Osama from inside an Abbottabad compound in Pakistan. We would think, why cant we do the same? Today we know we can do it, Jaitley said. Referring to the Opposition parties expressing concern over politics over martyrs, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra remarked, Fake news are being propagated by Pakistan. In such times, we should all stand united to show that India is one against Pakistan. It is shocking to see such an immature reaction from the Opposition. Sources said PM Narendra Modi, who was at a function in Vigyan Bhawan, cut short his address when handed over a piece of paper by a PMO official. He waved at the audience and left forthwith. Reports say the party is in a huddle over hostilities with Pakistan, discussing multiple channels open at the international level. Meanwhile, the PM is to address one crore booth workers on Thursday. Karyakartas, volunteers and eminent citizens will connect with the PM through the NaMo App from 15,000 locations in various districts and mandals, a BJP statement read. The interaction is being organised across 14,000 BJP mandals in 896 districts and metropolitan cities. All CMs and ministers of BJP-ruled states will participate. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 27 In view of escalating tension at the Indo-Pak border, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh held a meeting with top officials of the Army, Indian Air Force, BSF, ITBP and the state police at the Punjab Armed Police headquarters this evening. Officials who briefed him at the meeting were Major Gen RK Singh, BSF DIG Sunil Mohan, Sq Leader Rahul Naik and ITBP Commandant Achal Sharma. The officials told him about the security measures undertaken at the sensitive installations, including Army bases and airports in the region. The officials of the civil administration said adequate steps had also been taken to prepare the civil hospitals to handle any exigency. Capt Amarinder assured all possible help to the Army to ensure that the border areas remain stable. The state, he said, was fully prepared to deal with any eventuality. He asked the police and security forces to sensitise the people about the situation and appealed to the people in the border areas to be wary of rumour mongers. While the CM was scheduled to set out for his two-day border tour this morning from Pathankot, he could not fly from Chandigarh due to inclement weather followed by air space restrictions. Since he had two functions slated for Jalandhar tomorrow, he chose to travel by road to the PAP, take a meeting with the armed and paramilitary forces, the police and district administrations today. He is now slated to move to border areas of Amritsar before noon after winding up two functions tomorrow morning. After Amritsar, he will visit Tarn Taran, Pathankot, Faridkot and Ferozepur over the next two days to instill confidence among the people. gspannu7@gmail.com Ravneet Singh Tribune News Service Patiala, February 28 Two contractual nurses jumped from the roof of Government Rajindra Hospital here in the evening on Thursday and sustained serious injuries. The women had been protesting atop the building for the last 23 days. Insiders said one of them was shifted to the ICU. They added a class-4 employee also broke his leg after one of the women fell on him. Officials of the police department, the administration and health officials reached the spot to take stock. The women have been identified as Karamjit Kaur Aulakh (37), president of Punjab contractual and ancillary staff union and Baljit Kaur Khalsa (35). Karamjit Aulakh had jumped in the Bhakhra canal in 2016 over the same demands. The nurses had blocked roads and held various protests earlier. They had climbed atop the hospital building on February 7 to register their protest and held camp at the top of the building for 23 days before jumping on a lower roof at about 6 pm today. The nurses have been demanding full pay scale along with regularisation of jobs since years. The extent of injuries sustained by them is yet to be confirmed by doctors. Jasmeet Kaur, one of the nurses, said the women were in serious condition. She said, The government had assured us a meeting with the chief minister in Chandigarh today but our six representatives were met by Brahm Mohindra, health and family welfare minister. The meeting remained inconclusive as the minister only gave verbal assurances. Later, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, leader of Punjab Ekta Party, soon condemned the state government over the issue. He said, The government has turned a blind eye towards the legitimate demands of the nurses forcing them to jump from the 6th floor of the hospital to register their protest. The chief minister has failed to prevent such an untoward happening in his hometown. Kumar Amit, Deputy Commissioner (DC), and Mandeep Singh Sidhu, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), reached the spot and took stock of the situation. The DC said, The administration had installed a net and laid down mattresses in case the women jumped from the top floor. We made efforts and encouraged them to resolve the matter through talks but they remained steadfast. The doctors are looking after them. We urge them to resolve the matter through talks. editorial@tribune.com Legal Correspondent Ludhiana, February 27 The court of Sessions Judge Gurbir Singh today dismissed the plea of former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini for making him party in the City Centre case. The Vigilance Bureau is the complainant not Sumedh Singh Saini. He was having no locus standi to file the present application. He is neither complainant nor aggrieved party. He only supervised the investigation, observed the court while dismissing his plea. The state governments Prosecution Department opposed the plea of the Vigilance Bureaus former Director Sumedh Singh Saini to hear him before passing any order on the closure report in the City Centre case involving Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. Challenging the locus standi of Saini to file the plea, the Prosecution Department termed him to be an outsider in the present proceedings. Whatever he had done at that time was done in his official capacity and not in private capacity, which ceased with the demitting of his office after transfer from the Vigilance Bureau, claimed Director, Prosecution, Vijay Singla during arguments in the court. From the close scrutiny of the file, it is clear that the file in question was never put up before the applicant for any order or approval. Hence, he cannot be said to be an informant, getting a right to be heard, says the reply filed by the prosecution. Denying the claim of former VB Director that he was informant in the City Centre case, the prosecution asserted that he had nothing to do with the case in question. It was stated Chief Minister Amarinder Singh during his previous term marked an inquiry into the case after media reports in September 2006. It was enquired by the then Director, VB, CSR Reddy, with the assistance of subordinate officers. But with the change of government, he was wrongly booked. Meanwhile, the application seeking the withdrawal of prosecution against state law officer Harpreet Sandhu remained pending. Before filing the closure report, the Prosecution Department has sought withdrawal of prosecution against Sandhu. On August 19 last year, the bureau had filed a closure report in the court of Sessions Judge on the basis of further investigation carried out by it on the application of one of the accused Chetan Gupta of New Delhi. The VB had claimed that nothing wrong was done and figures of loss to state exchequer were false and imaginary. Director, Prosecution, Vijay Singla, SSP, Vigilance, Rupinder Singh, District Attorney Ravinder Abrol, former AAG Harpreet Sandhu, Roopesh Sharma, Gurmukh Singh, Sainis lawyer Ramandeep Sandhu and Ajay Arora were present in the court. No locus standi amansharma@tribunemail.com K V Prasad Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 28 India on Thursday said the country is open for talks on the Kartarpur corridor that were scheduled for March 13 and receive the delegation from Pakistan, top sources in the government said. Emphasising that the issue was one that is connected with the sentiments of a significant population of the country, New Delhi said it would welcome the delegation to take forward the project to create a corridor from India to Pakistan connecting the Kartarpur shrine. Sources said India has not called it off nor has it stopped the Samjhauta Express train service between India and Pakistan. Much before the Pulwama attack, both countries agreed upon the date when Islamabad will send across its team for discussions to operationalise the 4-km corridor. It was also agreed then that a delegation from India would pay a reciprocal visit for follow-up talks a fortnight later. editorial@tribune.com Ludhiana, February 27 A doctor has been arrested for sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman who went to his clinic to buy medicine. The accused has been identified as Dr Vinod Shukla, a resident of Raju colony, Tibba road. According to the complainant, yesterday she along with her mother and younger sister had gone to the clinic of the accused to get medicine. The doctor sent her mother to a store to get medicine and took her inside his cabin on the pretext of treatment, while told her younger sister to stay outside. After I was made to sit inside his cabin, he bolted the door and attempted to rape me. I resisted and raised the alarm. I also indulged in minor scuffle with him following which my mother came and I managed to open the door, the victim said. Later, when her parents went to the doctors clinic to talk about the incident, a heated argument broke out between them and he also injured her mother following which they filed a complaint against him, the complaint said. Investigation officer ASI Janak Raj said after receiving the complaint, action was taken in the case and the doctor was arrested. He added that the medical examination of the girl was also being conducted. TNS gspannu7@gmail.com Tarn Taran, February 28 Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to let him go and receive IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman which he said would be a huge honour for him as he and his father are alumnus of the NDA like him. Dear @narendramodi ji , Im touring the border areas of Punjab & Im presently in Amritsar. Came to know that @pid_gov has decided to release #AbhinandanVartaman from Wagha. It will be a honour for me to go and receive him, as he and his father are alumnus of the NDA as I am, he tweeted. Dear @narendramodi ji , Im touring the border areas of Punjab & Im presently in Amritsar. Came to know that @pid_gov has decided to release #AbhinandanVartaman from Wagha. It will be a honour for me to go and receive him, as he and his father are alumnus of the NDA as I am. Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) February 28, 2019 Amarinder Singh welcomed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khans announcement on the release of the captured IAF officer, terming it a goodwill gesture that would help ease the prevailing tensions at the border. Interacting with Border Security Force (BSF) personnel at the Khalra observation post during a tour of border areas in Tarn Taran district as part of his confidence-building measures for residents, he said that the Pulwama attack by Pakistan-backed terror forces was an act of cowardice, necessitating the retaliation by the Indian Government. Amarinder Singh, however, hoped normalcy would return soon at the border. The chief minister extended all support on behalf of his government to the BSF to deal with the current situation in the aftermath of the IAF strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Pakistans Balakot. We are there for you, he told the BSF personnel. A nostalgic Amarinder Singh, who served as a captain in the Army in the 1960s, also recalled his own days in the sector in 1965. I found the morale of the people and forces in the border areas very high. I met officials and personnel from the Army and the BSF and they all were well prepared to deal with any situation, he told media. During his tour, the chief minister interacted with residents of at least 15 border area villages, including Shaheed Baba Tara Singh Wala, Rajoke, Kalia Shatara, Dholan, Lakhna and Kals and urged them to remain calm and not to be swayed by rumours. Assuring the huge crowd that had gathered at village Mastgarh, just two km from the International Border, to see him, the chief minister reaffirmed his commitment to ensure the safety and security of every citizen. Having lunch with them, he urged all to guard against manufactured hysteria and not get waylaid by rumours. The Punjab Government stands shoulder to shoulder with you in this critical hour, he told the residents in village Kals, urging them not to panic. Earlier, he also visited the 14th BSF Battalion headquarters at Khemkaran and was briefed about the overall defence preparedness by Inspector General, BSF, Mahipal Yadav and assured that the force was fully prepared to thwart any untoward incident from across the border. Interacting with the bereaved family of Pulwama martyr Sukhjinder Singh of Tarn Taran, the chief minister extended his condolences, assuring them of all possible support and assistance. On his arrival at village Ghariala in Tarn Taran earlier, he took stock of the situation and was briefed by top police and administrative brass regarding the prevailing situation and measures taken for the security of citizens. He asked the civil and police administration to work in coordination to prevail upon the border residents not to leave their homes in panic but to jointly hold meetings of village panchayats and prominent local residents to instil a sense of confidence. Amarinder Singh also impressed upon the residents not to be swayed by the false propaganda and desist from rumour-mongering in the prevailing situation. He said that he was in constant touch with the Centre and keeping a tab on the situation. Six border districts Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Fazilka and Pathankot fall on the states 553-km-long border with Pakistan. TNS/IANS editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 27 To check the flow of river waters into Pakistan, the state government has demanded Rs 412 crore from the Centre for the construction of a dam at Makora Pattan on the Ravi-Ujj conglomeration. The state also wants the Centre to accord it the status of a national project. During a meeting with Union Minister for Water Resources, Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Punjab Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Water Resources Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria today said with the construction of this dam, about 600 Cs of river water flowing to Pakistan could be stopped and the state would be able to use this water for irrigation purposes. Informing Gadkari of details of the project, both Bajwa and Sarkaria said a 7-km-long channel would be constructed to carry through this water to put it in the Kalanaur-Ramdas Canal System to further utilise it to irrigate 1 lakh acre of land devoid of irrigation facilities. Moreover, with this project the state government would also be able to utilise this water to provide clean drinking water to 100 villages and six townships of this border area, added the ministers. Giving in principle approval to the project, Gadkari asked the state to submit detailed project report (DPR) so that all technicalities were examined before constructing this project of national importance. The state ministers also asked Gadkari to decide upon the Center-state funding pattern for the already approved project of strengthening and upgrading Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBBD). They also appealed to the minister to extend the Jammu-Katra Express Highway project to be constructed through Amritsar-Dera Baba Nanak and Kalanaur. editorial@tribune.com Aman Sood Tribune News Service Patiala, February 27 The Jails Department, in alleged violation of the Punjab Jail Manual, has allowed two personal security guards of IG Paramraj Singh Umranangal inside Patiala Central Jail where the officer is lodged following his judicial remand in the case of police firing at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan on October 14, 2015. Jaspal Singh, Jail Superintendent, confirmed that the IG had been provided additional security due to possible threat perception to his life. He said, We had sought additional security from the police and they provided us three gunmen who were already attached with the IG. They have now been attached with the jail security. No VIP treatment is being extended to the officer. Umranangal, who has remained as SSP, Patiala, and then IG Patiala, was shifted to Patiala jail after his police remand ended on Tuesday. Sources said, It is a high security prison and no additional security is allowed to any high profile inmate. But the department has selectively allowed two personal security gunmen of the IG inside the jail barracks. As per the jail manual, no inmate is allowed his personal security inside the jail and only the jail guards and officials are allowed near the barracks. The jail authorities maintain that the IG was given additional security as the jail had more than three dozen gangsters and the tempers are already high for his alleged role in firing at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan. Former Moga SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma, who has also been arrested in the case of killing of two Sikh protesters, is also lodged in the same jail. Patiala Deputy Commissioner Kumar Amit has said he has been informed by the department officials that personal gunmen were allowed for Umranangal due to the threat perception to him inside the jail. This was done following a request by the jail officials, he said. When contacted, Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said he would look into the matter. Threat perception high: Official Jail Superintendent Jaspal Singh said the threat perception to IG Paramraj Singh Umranangal (pic) was high. When asked for more security, the police provided us three gunmen who were already attached with the IG. No VIP treatment is being extended to him, he claimed.violation of law As per the Punjab Jails Manual, no inmate is allowed his personal security inside the jail and only the jail guards and officials are allowed near the barracks Will look into matter: Minister Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said he would look into the matter and check for any rule violation. rajivbhatia82@gmail.com Dubai, February 28 Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan Thursday telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan as part of his efforts to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions and underline the importance of dialogue and communication in resolving differences. The Crown Prince, also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, in a tweet said he talked to Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Khan. Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. Pakistan retaliated on Wednesday. Prime Minister Khan announced Thursday that Pakistan will free captured IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman on Friday as a peace gesture, hours after a strong message from India demanding his unconditional release, largely de-escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. "His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, held two phone calls on Thursday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan," his Twitter handle said. Interestingly, his tweet came a day before the UAE hosts the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Abu Dhabi on Friday. India has been invited for the first time to attend the Foreign Ministers' conclave in Abu Dhabi where External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be the "guest of honour". Pakistan, a member of the OIC, has conveyed its reservations over Swaraj's presence at the meeting. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al Jubeir is also scheduled to visit Islamabad on Thursday "carrying an important message" from the Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, reports from Pakistan said. Meanwhile, the official WAM Emirates News Agency, reporting on the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's talks with Prime Minister Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Khan said, "His Highness and the two Prime Ministers exchanged talks on recent developments in the India-Pakistan arena." Sheikh Mohamed emphasised the importance behind dealing with these worrying developments, and working towards easing tensions between the two countries, prioritising dialogue and communication between the parties, it said. The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince stressed the UAE's will to support positive relations between the two neighbouring countries, noting the common historical and cultural ties that brings them together, the report said. "Sheikh Mohammed underscored the UAE's keenness on ensuring peace and stability in India-Pakistan ties, expressing his great confidence in the two countries' leadership prioritising peaceful dialogue in dealing with the developments that have occurred in the past few days," it added. - PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com Ottawa, February 28 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, facing the biggest crisis of his tenure, disputed testimony on Wednesday from his former justice minister that government officials inappropriately pressured her to help a major firm avoid a corruption trial. The allegations by Jody Wilson-Raybould prompted the leader of Canadas main opposition party to insist that Trudeau quit just months ahead of an October federal election. Wilson-Raybould told the House of Commons justice committee that she had confronted Trudeau over what she said were persistent efforts by officials to help construction firm SNC-Lavalin Group Inc evade trial on charges of bribing Libyan officials. I strongly maintain, as I have from the beginning, that I and my staff always acted appropriately and professionally, Trudeau told a televised news conference in Montreal. I therefore completely disagree with (Wilson-Rayboulds) characterization of events, he continued, brushing off a demand from Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer that he resign. Wilson-Raybould said officials imposed consistent and sustained pressure on her from September to December last year to ensure SNC-Lavalin pay a large fine rather than go to trial. In my view, these events constituted pressure to intervene in a matter and that this pressure, or political interference to intervene, was not appropriate, she told the committee. Reuters monicakchauhan@gmail.com Washington, February 28 Author Fatima Bhutto, the granddaughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, on Wednesday asked the Imran Khan government to release an Indian Air Force pilot captured after an air combat. Pilot Abhinandan Varthaman was captured on Wednesday after he ejected safely from his MiG 21 Bison aircraft but landed across the Line of Control. India has demanded immediate and safe return of the Wing Commander Varthaman, who was and was taken into custody by Pakistani army following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control. "I and many other young Pakistanis have called upon our country to release the captured Indian pilot as a gesture of our commitment to peace, humanity and dignity," Bhutto, 36, wrote in an op-ed in the New York Times. "We have spent a lifetime at war. I do not want to see Pakistani soldiers die. I do not want to see Indian soldiers die. We cannot be a subcontinent of orphans," said Bhutto, a writer who is also niece of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. "My generation of Pakistanis have fought for the right to speak, and we are not afraid to lend our voices to that most righteous cause: peace," said daughter of Murtaza Bhutto, son of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. She said Pakistan's recent history was bloody and no one has suffered more violence than its own citizens. "But our long history with military dictatorships and experience of terrorism and uncertainty means that my generation of Pakistanis have no tolerance, no appetite, for jingoism or war," she said. Bhutto said like her, a large section of the population was against the escalation of tensions. "I have never seen my country at peace with its neighbour. But never before have I seen a war played out between two nuclear-armed states with Twitter accounts," Bhutto said. In the afternoon on Wednesday, #saynotowar hashtag began to trend in Pakistan, before hitting the worldwide number 1 spot on Twitter. Tensions between India and Pakistan rose following the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack. Following the incident, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. PTI monicakchauhan@gmail.com Hanoi, February 28 Ready with an ashtray at a railway station, taking away gifts of flowers and giving directions to staff, Kim Yo Jong has been rushed off her feet as personal secretary to her brother and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam. Kim Yo Jong, who holds the title of vice-director of the ruling Workers' Party, came to the world's attention at the Winter Olympics in South Korea a year ago, when her big smile and relaxed manner made her a hit with many south of the DMZ. But it has been non-stop for her on the trip to Hanoi, trailing her brother during his second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, her hair neatly half swept back in trademark fashion, making sure everything goes like clockwork. Kim Yo Jong, 29, in high heels and black two-piece suit, was ubiquitous even before her brother, a stickler for cleanliness, arrived in Hanoi on Tuesday. As Kim Jong Un took a cigarette break at a railway station in the southern Chinese city of Nanning, she approached him holding a crystal ashtray in two hands, footage from Japanese broadcaster TBS showed. After Kim's train rolled into the Vietnamese border station of Dong Dang, Kim Yo Jong was the first person to emerge, alongside protocol chief Kim Chang Son. She appeared at one point to slightly push aside Kim Yong Chol, the leader's chief nuclear envoy and top aide, as she sprinted from the train towards her brother and took welcome flowers from him. When Kim Jong Un signed an agreement with Trump after their first summit in Singapore last June, he ditched a pen sterilised by his security officials in favour of one offered by his sister. "It is most fascinating because we see her discharging technical and hygienic tasks on one hand, but she also has to fulfil certain ceremonial tasks as one of the visiting VIPs," said Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert at the Washington-based Stimson Centre's 38 North think tank. The Kims' keenness on cleanliness is rooted in the era of their late father, Kim Jong Il, when immaculateness was key and sanitisers were widely used, Madden said. Experts also say the use of a personal ashtray or pen in particular is intended to prevent the ruling family's DNA being collected by foreign governments. "The paranoia about medical intelligence involved Kim Jong Il, so the security units may have continued the policy with his son," Madden said. Since her debut on state media in December 2011, Kim Yo Jong has quickly climbed the leadership ladder. She was named as an alternate member of the party's all-powerful politburo in late 2017 as her brother draws his most important people closer to the centre of power. At the Olympics, her every move was scrutinised. Crowds applauded as she stood for the South Korean anthem during the opening ceremony. But some critics said the aloofness and high-tilted chin spoke of someone who sees herself "above anyone else". As for the summit, Trump said he and Kim Jong Un had failed to reach agreement on denuclearisation due to North Korean demands to lift punishing U.S.-led sanctions. Reuters pardeepdhull@gmail.com Dhaka, February 28 Amina Begum, a Rohingya woman living in a refugee camp in Bangladesh, is undeterred in her quest to join her husband in Malaysia even though she already fell prey to traffickers once. The 18-year-old says she was raped by a soldier in Myanmar, and even the risks associated with taking the perilous sea route from Bangladesh to Malaysia seem preferable to returning home. She is one of many Rohingya refugees desperate to make the journey before the start of the looming monsoon season, leaving law enforcement on high alert as traffickers seek to cash in. The living standard in the camp (near Coxs Bazaar) has improved, Begum told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by telephone via a translator. But I know one day we will have to go back to Myanmar and I have no future there. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), a paramilitary force, rescued Begum and 11 others during a raid near the border with Myanmar - the latest law enforcement crackdown that has seen at least 100 Rohingya refugees rescued from traffickers this year. Having recently married another Rohingya refugee over the phone - a practice she says elders in her village have allowed - Begum paid brokers in the hope of joining him in Malaysia. Like Begum, Sharmin Khatoon who wanted to go to Malaysia to live with her relatives also fell foul of traffickers and was found with 20 other Rohingya by police this month in a house near the coast, a departure point for boats heading to Malaysia. BGB officials say brokers are misleading refugees like Begum and Khatoon as all the trafficking routes to Malaysia have been closed ever since mass graves of Rohingya and Bangladeshis were found along the border between Malaysia and Thailand in 2015. And many Rohingya are being cheated of their money by traffickers who are not actually capable of transporting people from Bangladesh to Malaysia, according to law enforcers. Anti-trafficking organisations, however, fear that the routes through the Bay of Bengal, which became active around 2010, are now being used again by traffickers to move increasingly desperate Rohingya refugees out of Bangladesh. Risks It has been 18 months since more than 7,30,000 Rohingya fled persecution in Buddhist-dominated Myanmar and set up camps in the worlds biggest refugee settlement south of Coxs Bazar, Bangladeshs top tourist location. The camps have become more organised, but there are no signs the Rohingya might be able to leave soon. Recent police activity suggests the risk of being trafficked has grown due to the promise of work and better lives abroad. Records from law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh show at least 100 Rohingya refugees have been rescued from traffickers this year in Coxs Bazar, with most trying to get to Malaysia. Abu Bakar Siddique, from the Ministry of Home Affairs, said this week that 63 human trafficking cases involving Rohingya have been heard by mobile courts to-date in Bangladesh and that thousands of people have been prevented from leaving the camps. The United Nations migration agency - known as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has identified and provided support to at least 217 victims of trafficking in Coxs Bazar since the crisis began, a spokeswoman said. However we believe this figure represents just a fraction of the true number of Rohingya refugees affected by trafficking, said Fiona MacGregor of the IOM in Bangladesh. (This is) due to the clandestine nature of the crime, the likelihood that most people trafficked do not return to camps, and because victims may be reluctant to seek help due to fear of reprisals. Cheated Charities say traffickers have been active ahead of the monsoon season, which is due to start in April. The sea is calm now and thats whats encouraging traffickers, said Omar Sadeque, a field officer with the non-profit Young Power in Social Action. Once the monsoons begin in April, no one will want to take the sea route. However, law enforcers in Bangladesh do not believe that traffickers are capable of taking the Rohingya to Malaysia. In most of the cases we have seen that the brokers cheated the Rohingya and escaped on a different boat with the money, said Lieutenant Colonel Asaduzzaman Chowdhury, a BGB official. The Bangladesh government, which has said that no Rohingya would be forced to go back to Myanmar, is working on new projects to prevent them from being trafficked. Officials are trying to improve the environment and conditions in the camps by creating more jobs and building better shelters. The government is also raising awareness about trafficking and plans to erect watch towers to better monitor the situation. But ... its not easy to say youre successful when you have (one million) people stuck in a small area, Siddique said. Nonetheless, desperate Rohingya refugees such as Khatoon will try to continue chasing the Malaysian dream. Its better to die in the sea than go back to Myanmar, she said. Theres hope in the sea, but theres no hope in Myanmar. (Thomson Reuters Foundation) vinaymishra188@gmail.com Washington, February 27 President Donald Trumps former personal lawyer told Congress on Wednesday that Trump knew ahead of time that WikiLeaks had emails damaging to Hillary Clintons presidential campaign, and he testified that Trump is a racist, a conman and a cheat. Michael Cohen suggested in prepared testimony obtained by The Associated Press that Trump also implicitly told him to lie about a Moscow real estate project. Cohen has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the project, which he says Trump knew about as Cohen was negotiating with Russia during the 2016 election campaign. The hearing was expected to provide the most damning depiction to date of Trumps campaign and business operations from a onetime member of the Presidents inner circle. It is the latest step in Cohens evolution from legal fixer for the president he once boasted that hed take a bullet for Trump to a foe who has implicated him in federal campaign finance violations. Cohens claims that Trump had advance knowledge of the emails contradict the president's assertions that he was in the dark, but it was not clear what evidence Cohen had to support the allegation or even how legally problematic it would be for Trump. Special counsel Robert Mueller has not suggested that mere awareness of WikiLeaks plans, as Trump confidant Roger Stone is purported to have had, is by itself a crime. Cohen arrived in the hearing room just before the session was to start. An earlier restriction that the hearing was not to delve into Russia would not be followed, said House Reform and Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings of Maryland. Trump lashed out at Cohen on Twitter, saying that his lawyer did bad things unrelated to Trump and is lying in order to reduce his prison time. AP House strikes down border emergency The US House of Representatives dealt a blow to President Donald Trump on Tuesday, approving a resolution blocking him from obtaining funding for a Mexican border wall through his declaration of a national emergency. Dismissing a veto threat by the president, the Democratic-controlled House struck down Trumps emergency declaration by a comfortable margin of 245-182, sending the measure to the Republican-held Senate. Thirteen Republicans joined Democrats in voting to terminate Trumps emergency declaration. AFP vinaymishra188@gmail.com Tokyo: A baby boy weighing just 268 gm (9.45 oz) at birth was sent home after months in a Tokyo hospital, the smallest surviving male baby in the world, Keio University hospital said. The boy was born through Caesarean-section last August after he failed to gain weight during the pregnancy and doctors feared his life was in danger. The boy was in intensive care until his weight reached 3.2 kg and he was discharged on February 20, said Dr Takeshi Arimitsu of the Universitys School of Medicine, Department of Paediatrics. Reuters Nepal minister among seven killed in helicopter crash Kathmandu: Nepals Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Rabindra Adhikari and six others were killed when a private helicopter crashed in eastern Nepals mountainous Taplejung district, according to a media report. Besides Adhikari (39), the Air Dynasty helicopter was carrying Nepals prominent aviation and hospitality entrepreneur Ang Tsering Sherpa, Prime Ministers personal aide Yubaraj Dahal, two officials of the Tourism Ministry and a body guard of the minister. The helicopter caught fire after it hit the Chuchche Dada hill in Taplejung district in the mountain region of northeast Nepal. All seven on board the helicopter, including pilot Captain Prabhakar KC, have been killed in the crash, an Air Dynasty official was quoted as saying by the Himalayan Times. PTI 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. You are definitely to blame if you can stand by and watch the significant harm of other hum TROY, N.Y. Catholic Central High School and Siena College have launched a new Crusader to Saint academic partnership that will allow senior class students to take college-level courses on Sienas campus while completing their high school academic requirements. Beginning this fall, students attending Catholic Central will be able to apply to the program and meet with Siena College admissions counselors to identify areas of interest and associated coursework. Students will be able to enroll in as many as to three courses per semester in business, management, history, political science, and the arts, with the ability to earn up to 24 college credits through this program during their senior year of high school. This program will not only enhance the academic experience offered at Catholic Central, it brings together two of the Capital Regions strongest academic institutions, said Ridge Harris, chairman of the Catholic Central High School Board of Trustees, in a press release. Were so excited for our current and future students who will have the opportunity to participate in this amazing program. Siena College president Br. F. Edward Coughlin, O.F.M., Ph.D. said Siena will be pleased to welcome the Catholic Central seniors who are eager to begin their college journey to campus. This will be an excellent opportunity for them to explore liberal arts education at the college level, to contemplate which major and career path could be a right fit for them, and how they can impact society for the better, he said in the release. We believe Catholic education is about unlocking potential and the opportunities this affords our high school students are sure to be endless, added Giovanni Virgiglio, diocesan chancellor and superintendent of Schools for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. Partnerships are most powerful when our shared ministries to educate young adults beautifully align. Ones journey from Crusader to Saint will certainly create a cohort of graduates that will make the world a better place. High school principal Christopher Signor thinks the student experience at Catholic Central will be transformed by this program in a positive way, he said in the release. Were proud to offer this program to Catholic Central students and their families and are thankful for Sienas partnership. This unique program will expand the possibilities of the students who walk through these halls. More information about the Crusader to Saint program is available on the Siena College website at www.siena.edu/offices/admissions/saints-in-the-high-school-partnership-programs/catholic-central-high-school. - The research was conducted by the London-based Open for Business, a coalition of global companies - The researchers found Kenya's homophobia against gays and lesbians negatively impacted on the country's economy - The report came against the backdrop of intensified fight for LGBT rights in the country with a court expected to deliver a ruling - The Kenyan law bans same sex unions while the society at large abhors such unions Kenya loses between KSh 18 billion (US$ 180 million) and KSh 130 billion (US$ 1.3 billion) annually as a result of discriminating against members of the LGBT community, a new report by Open for Business, a coalition of global companies has claimed. The report suggested the country would be at a much better place economically if it advocated for LGBT inclusion as an important ingredient for economic growth. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Kenyan atheists demand homosexuality be legalised in the country The report by Open for Business, a coalition of global companies, showed Kenya lost up to KSh 130 billion annually due to discrimination against gays and lesbians. Photo: Standard. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Anglican Church of Kenya says no to gay priests and same sex weddings The report seen by TUKO.co.ke on Wednesday, February 27,claimed Kenya's homophobia against gays and lesbians negatively affected the country's economy in different ways. "Discriminating against members of the LGBT community led to loss of up to KSh 130 billion annually due to poor health outcomes, reduced tourism and lower productivity," the London-headquartered Open for Business researchers noted. READ ALSO: Anglican Church of Kenya says no to gay priests and same sex weddings The researchers added whereas homophobia hurt the Kenyan economy in a number of ways, LGBT inclusion could lead to increased productivity and revenue. "An increased level of LGBT inclusion can benefit Kenya's cities, companies and tech sector where LGBT community members can help create innovative ecosystems necessary for start-ups," the report indicated. Report was released by Open for Business, a coalition of global companies. Photo: Open for Business. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Nairobi church where gays and homosexuals are highly welcome The report was released hot on the heels of intensified fight for the rights of LGBT in Kenya with the High Court expected to make a landmark ruling on the weighty matter. The court was expected to give a ruling on the the legality and illegality of same sex marriage in the country on February 22, 2019. However, a three-judge bench comprising Justices Roselyne Aburili, John Mativo and Chacha Mwita pushed forward the judgment to May 24, 2019, citing a busy schedule. The petition was filed by director of National Gay and Lesbian Rights Commission (NGLRC) Eric Gitari who was seeking to have Sections 162 and 165 of the Penal Code which criminalises same sex marriages scraped. The Kenyan law bans same sex unions while the society at large abhors such unions. Do you have a life-changing story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Underage Prostitutes And Drug Users in Kenya - On Tuko TV Source: Tuko This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices. - Most parts of Pokot have been hit by acute shortage of water and food since January 2019 - This has caused local herders to migrate to Uganda which is rich in water and animal feeds - Earlier, a Ugandan official had directed that armed Pokot residents trespassing into Uganda be shot dead - Area MP called for humanitarian aid from charitable organisations and urged Uganda to be accommodative - The lawmaker, however warned Pokot herders against causing trouble in Uganda to avoid being arrested or shot Following a prolonged drought ravaging West Pokot county, local herders have migrated to Uganda in search of pasture and water to save their livestock from imminent death. Area MP Mark Lomunokol on Tuesday, February 26, said hundreds of Pokot herders had crossed to Amdat, Kuen, Nabilatuk and Moroto districts in Eastern Uganda with their cattle. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: KWS investigating increased cases of hyenas biting off buffaloes' testicles Nearly half of the population risks starving to death after basic supplies, for instance, water and food ran pout in December 2018. Photo: Ebru TV Source: UGC READ ALSO: Dennis Okari flies new wife for honeymoon to Asia Lomunokol expressed fear that nearly half of the population risked starving to death after basic supplies like water and food ran out in December 2018. Most residents hardly afford a meal a day and livestock are in the verge of dying. This has forced most pastoralists to migrate to Nakipirpirt area Amdat and grazing fields in Moroto hills, Lomunokol told TUKO.co.ke when contacted for a comment. READ ALSO: Kenyan newspapers review for February 28: Boy, 12 crashes infant to death while driving He said the situation was worrying and required immediate humanitarians response. We are worried of the health situation of the children. Most of the residents rely on milk. We urge charitable organisations to come to their rescue," the MP said. This emerged one month after a senior state official from Uganda directed the country's military to shoot armed Pokot herders found trespassing. READ ALSO: Ethiopian Airlines: Africas largest flag carrier flies high with zero funding from government Ugandan authorities complained that the Pokot community always unleash horror on Ugandans as they pursue herding grounds and food. On his part, Lomunokol urged the sister country to understand the headers plight. The legislator, nonetheless, cautioned the herders against causing trouble in Uganda if they wanted to benefit from water and pasture. Story by Robert Manyara TUKO.co.ke correspondent 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. HIV+ Man Surprise Proposal to Girlfriend | Tuko TV. Source: Tuko Breaking News - Kinoti assured the public he would do everything within his means to protect lives - The DCI boss promised to take legal action against police officers kill innocent Kenyans - He asked members of the public to collaborate with the police in combating crimes Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti has vowed to deal with rogue police officers who kill innocent citizens in the country. Kinoti assured the public that days were long gone where the police could kill civilians and go unpunished. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens. READ ALSO: DCI boss George Kinoti shows off his shooting skills, hits targets using pistol and rifle DCI George Kinoti vows he'll never allow cover up for police officers who kill innocent people Source: Depositphotos READ ALSO: DCI launches probe into KSh 63 billion tenders awarded to controversial Italian company The fiery while was speaking in Kayole, Nairobi, during a sensitisation forum where he was accompanied by Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji also warned those who would attempt to cover up such cases of dire consequences. "I stand before God, if myself or anybody who will ever cover for someone who has killed an innocent person, let God curse me. I am saying no one will ever cover for a police officer who kills under my watch," he said He asked members of the public to collaborate with the police in combating crimes adding that his office would protect all witnesses who would be ready to testify in sensitive cases. READ ALSO: William Ruto apologises for inappropriate dressing during Judiciary function The country's top detective rubbished claims that there existed extrajudicial killings in the country. Kinoti's words were echoed by DPP Haji who said the two offices would work together to ensure efficiency in arresting and prosecuting perpetrators of crimes. Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Follow us on Telegram: Tuko news Kijana Wamalwa'sUnwanted Children I Tuko TV Source: Tuko Newspaper If you are not vaccinated, this just might be an incentive! Employees of the Donetsk-Luhansk regional directorate of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine have detained a militant who had previously guarded the wreckage from Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was shot down in Donbas in July 2014, the State Border Guard Service has reported. "Operatives of the Donetsk-Luhansk regional directorate of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine from the Joint Forces [...] have detained a citizen of Ukraine who directly participated in the activities of the illegal armed formation 'Vostok' ['East']. Data from social media, where he appeared in a photo taken against the background of the wreckage from the Boeing 777 passenger aircraft, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, shot down by Russian armed formations, helped confirm the criminal activity of the detained militant," the report reads. According to the report, the militant had guarded the airplane's debris and material evidence for almost two months. He also confirmed reports that a rocket that shot down the Boeing aircraft had been launched from the area of the settlement of Hrabove, Shakhtarsk district, Donetsk region, which was occupied by Russian mercenaries at that time. The investigation is ongoing. Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over Donbas in July 2014. There were 283 passengers and 15 crewmembers on board the plane. All of them died. In September 2016, the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) said it had been established on the basis of irrefutable evidence that the plane had been shot down by a 9M38 Buk missile launched from the area controlled by pro-Russian militants in the eastern part of Ukraine. In addition, the JIT said on May 24 that the Buk missile system from which the aircraft was downed belongs to the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces stationed in Kursk. op Russian occupation forces launched 11 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) area in eastern Ukraine over the past day. On February 27, Russian-led forces launched 11 attacks on Ukrainian troops. 122mm artillery, 120mm and 82mm mortars were used six times, and 44 shells and mortars were fired, the press center of the JFO Headquarters reports. In addition, the Russian occupation forces fired on Ukrainian positions, using anti-tank missile systems, grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, small arms and sniper's weapons. In the zone of action of tactical force East, Russian-led forces used 120mm mortars, grenade launchers of different systems and small arms to shell Ukrainian positions near Vodiane (94km south of Donetsk); 82mm mortars and anti-tank missile systems outside Chermalyk (31km north-east of Mariupol); sniper's weapons - near Hnutove (20km north-east of Mariupol). In the zone of action of tactical force North, the enemy fired 122mm artillery, 82mm mortars and anti-tank missile systems on Ukrainian defenders near Krymske (42km north-west of Luhansk); 82mm mortars outside Zhovte (17km north-west of Luhansk); heavy machine guns and small arms outside Novoluhanske (53km north-east of Donetsk); small arms outside Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk). As a result of the shelling, one Ukrainian serviceman was wounded in last day. According to the intelligence, two invaders were killed and five more were wounded on February 27. A tactical vehicle of the enemy was destroyed. Today, the enemy has not opened fire yet. The Joint Forces reliably control the enemy on the contact line, adhering to the ceasefire agreements. ish As prepared for delivery. I am delighted to be here with you to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Human Security concept. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the Governments of Japan, Norway, South Africa and Thailand and to the UNs Human Security Unit for inviting me to deliver this keynote speech today. The Concept of Human Security The concept of human security was brought to life in UNDPs landmark 1994 Human Development Report, entitled, New Dimensions of Human Security. The report introduced a new concept of human security, which equates security with people rather than territories, with development rather than arms. It recognized that measuring income is simply not enough to gauge the wellbeing of people. The 1994 report stressed that human security is people-centered and, is concerned with how people live and breathe in a society, how freely they exercise their many choices, how much access they have to market and social opportunities and whether they live in conflict or in peace. The concept revolves around the importance of affording people freedom from fear and freedom from want. The concept of human security has of course evolved since the landmark 1994 report. General Assembly resolution 66/290 of 2012 was an important milestone as it described human security as, the right of people to live in freedom and dignity, free from poverty and despair. In 25 years, the concept has gone from the theoretical to the practical. It is an idea that has now been rightly recognized by many governments as well as the broader development community. Just last year, the UN Secretary-General said that, Human security, national security and global security are indivisible. When people fear for their lives, their communities, societies and countries are at increased risk. When people enjoy safety, so do their countries and the world. There has also been an enormous increase in interest among policy-makers and scientists in both subjective wellbeing. Behavioral economics has recognized the fundamental role that fear can play in peoples lives, shaping their wellbeing and behaviour. This is especially pertinent given the number of conflicts and violence that we are seeing across the world. Human security links to the human development approach which is about expanding the richness of human life, rather than simply the richness of the economy in which human beings live are clear: one cannot exist without the other. Human security as a key approach further 2030 Agenda As with the human development approach, the concept of human security it is closely related to the 2030 Agenda. Human securitys people-centered approach is an essential tool to realize the core ambition of the 2030 Agenda that is to leave no one behind. The concept of human security ensured a better Agenda 2030 than would otherwise have been possible to negotiate. Both the SDGs and human security recognize that development challenges are complex and interlinked and that, an integrated, multi-dimensional approach to development is needed. The humanitarian-development-peace nexus also sits at the core of the notion of human security. Essentially, it is a recognition of the fact that sustainable development and sustaining peace are two sides of the same coin. UNDP works on the range of SDGs that are human security-related. Echoing human security principles, the 2030 Agenda emphasizes a very basic human needs such as a world free of poverty, hunger, disease as well as access to safe drinking water and food. SDG 16 is one of the key SDGs to promote human security. It sets us the goal to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. UNDP, as the UNs development arm is undertaking much of this work. Its interventions on the ground are designed to support the rule of law, build sustainable state institutors and foster security and resilience. By doing so, we are contributing to individuals ability to thrive and prosper, to live in peace and free from fear. Achieving human security as with the SDGs - requires close cooperation amongst various stakeholders including states, international organizations, business, civil society and academia. This is, I know, a belief that JICAshares with us. Madam Sadako Ogata, a former head of JICA, stressed that human security meant both protecting and empowering people and I am proud that we continue to cooperate with JICA to achieve this around the world. Japans significant contributions to the Global Fund are critical to ending AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics - this tangible contribution represents a snapshot of how they are using multilateralism to bring positive change at the micro-, human-level. Moreover, TICAD continues to demonstrate the importance of a multilateral approach that advances human rights - one of the core tenets of the human security approach. Following on from TICAD 6 which was of great significance as it was the first time that TICAD was be held on the African soil the upcoming TICAD 7 will serve as a further critical juncture. UNDPs practical promotion of human security Promoting human security is integral to UNDPs approach to supporting countries achieve their development aspirations. UNDPs Strategic Plan recognizes that inclusive and accountable governance systems and processes are vital building blocks to drive structural transformations and the fact that building resilience to the impact of disasters and emergencies is crucial to supporting sustainable development and human security. The UN Human Security Trust Fund finances programmes that translate the human security approach into practical actions - providing concrete and sustainable benefits to vulnerable people and communities threatened in their survival, livelihood and dignity. UNDP has been one of the largest implementers of the Trust Fund receiving over $150 million and participating in over 100 programmes. As we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Fund this year, I would like to sincerely thank the Government of Japan, which led the establishment of the Fund. Japan has contributed continuously to this fund since then which has allowed UNDP to bring concrete results to people on the ground. For example: In Costa Rica and Panama - a joint programme between UNDP, IOM, UNFPA and UNICEF is supporting local and national authorities to develop an effective cross-border strategy - as indigenous groups from western Panama cross into Costa Rica in search of seasonal employment. The programme has strengthened the economic, food and health security of these vulnerable groups in Panama. In Ethiopias Gambella Regional State, UNDP, in cooperation with other UN agencies, and with great support from Japan, has worked to enhance the resilience of internally displaced persons as well as refugee-hosting communities. In Afghanistan, UNDP is promoting alternative livelihoods to opium cultivation for 230,000 people by strengthening community-based local production and marketing of high-value crops, such as apples, pomegranates, pistachios and grapes. Closing From Costa Rica to Ethiopia to Afghanistan - across 170 countries - UNDP is proud to work with governments and the UN system to make human security a reality, widening opportunities for people in order to allow them to fulfill their full potential. I will close with a special thanks to the tremendous cooperation we have had and will continue to have with Japan on this vital work. We are very proud to be able to continue to help advance both human security and the 2030 Agenda to deliver a fairer and a more secure future for all. A Syrian refugee registers at UNHCR's office in Cairo, Egypt, in September 2016. UNHCR/Scott Nelson CAIRO, Egypt When 15-year-old Syrian refugee Abdallah rises each morning to make the journey to the busy barber shop in Cairo where he works, the sun has not yet fully risen over the already-teeming Egyptian capital. Since dropping out of school three years ago to take the job, Abdallah has worked exhausting 12-hour shifts each working day sweeping floors, making tea and performing other menial tasks for the equivalent of just US$12 per week. Reflecting on this meagre return for all his hard work, Abdallah says he would far rather continue his education. But with two older siblings with disabilities and his father Samir unable to work due to injury, the US$80 the family currently receives each month from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is insufficient to cover the familys needs. "I would love to go back to school." I would love to go back to school, but I cannot afford to stop working because what we receive from UNHCR is not enough to cover my siblings basic needs or my parents medications, Abdullah explained. The familys plight is a familiar one for the vast majority of the roughly quarter of a million registered refugees and asylum seekers currently living in the country. Some 80 per cent of the total are living in desperate humanitarian conditions, unable to meet even their most basic needs such as food, shelter or healthcare. On Thursday, UNHCR warned that its essential support programmes for refugees in the country were under severe pressure, due to a combination of increasing arrivals and inadequate resources. Ongoing conflicts and insecurity in Yemen, the Horn of Africa and sub-Saharan Africa have seen the number of registered refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt increase by 24 per cent in the past two years. "We are unable to provide them with the bare essentials." Meanwhile, two months into 2019, UNHCR is operating with only four per cent of its annual US$104.2 million budget for its operations in the country. These refugees require timely and adequate humanitarian assistance, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. Yet, right now we are unable to provide them with the bare essentials or maintain our core refugee protection programmes in this country. The result is that families like Abdallahs face a daily struggle to get by, with many sinking into poverty and debt and being forced to resort to the most desperate measures to survive, including child labour and early marriage. This is despite the Egyptian governments generous support to refugees, which includes free education and access to health care on an equal footing with Egyptians. "Our situation is very challenging in Egypt." Abdallahs father Samir, 58, described the desperation of their situation since arriving in the country from the Syrian capital Damascus in 2013, which has left them reliant on the money that his 15-year-old son brings in. Our situation is very challenging in Egypt, he said. We cannot offer our children the specialized care they need and I developed back problems from carrying them around. I wish I could get proper medical care to be able to work and provide for them. With more funds made available by generous donors, UNHCR will be able to better support Abdallahs family and many other families in similar vulnerable situations. Sudanese refugees visit a medical clinic for baby wellness checkups in the Zamalek district of Cairo, Egypt, December 2017. UNHCR/Scott Nelson Support for refugees in Egypt is under severe pressure due to increased arrivals and inadequate resources, warned UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, today. Ongoing conflicts in Yemen and in Sub-Saharan Africa have forced more people to flee to Egypt. Over the past two years the number of registered refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt has increased by 24 per cent. Meanwhile, current refugee programmes in Egypt which are meant to assist and protect a quarter of a million refugees, more than half of whom are Syrian with others from Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan and Yemen, are just four per cent funded. The surge in the refugee population coupled with funding shortfalls are leaving many refugees without critical support and protection. I am deeply troubled by the fact that eight out of 10 refugees in Egypt are living in desperate humanitarian conditions. They cannot meet even their most basic needs. Putting bread on the table is a daily challenge, said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. These refugees require timely and adequate humanitarian assistance. Yet, right now we are unable to provide them with the bare essentials or maintain our core refugee protection programmes in this country. Two months into 2019, UNHCR is operating with only a fraction of its annual USD104.2 million budget to support and protect refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt. Despite Egypts hospitality and support to refugees, including through the provision of free education and access to health care on an equal footing with Egyptians, many refugees struggle to feed their families, to send their children to school and to keep themselves sheltered. Many are rapidly sinking into debt and poverty, forcing them to resort to most desperate measures to survive, including child labour, early marriages, or are being forced to turn to the streets. Without timely, predictable and flexible funding, UNHCRs essential protection activities for refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt - including refugee registration and refugee status determination processes, prevention of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and response programs, legal assistance and child protection activities - are at risk. UNHCR is particularly concerned about the ability to sustain its protection programs for refugee children especially those separated from their families. Forty per cent of refugees in Egypt are children. Many arrived in Egypt unaccompanied and are still separated from their families. For more information on this topic, please contact: Washington has also called on Moscow "to release all of the Ukrainians, including members of the Crimean Tatar community, it has imprisoned in retaliation for their peaceful dissent." U.S. Secretary of State is calling on Russia to return to Ukraine control over Crimea, reiterating the fact that this is Ukrainian territory. "Five years ago, Russia's occupation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula fueled an escalation of Russian aggression. Russia attempted to upend the international order, undermined basic human freedoms, and weakened our common security. The world has not forgotten the cynical lies Russia employed to justify its aggression and mask its attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory. Russias use of force against a peaceful neighbor must not be tolerated by reputable states. The United States reiterates its unwavering position: Crimea is Ukraine and must be returned to Ukraines control," Pompeo said in a statement published on the State Department website. The United States remains gravely concerned by the worsening repression by Russias occupation regime in Crimea, the top diplomat added. "During the past five years, Russian occupation authorities have engaged in an array of abuses in a campaign to eliminate all opposition to its control over Crimea. As part of this campaign, Russia has arbitrarily detained and wrongfully convicted individuals for peaceful opposition to the occupation, and in some cases has forcibly transferred these individuals from occupied Crimea to Russia," Pompeo said. Read alsoNATO says militarization of Crimea, Azov and Black seas by Russia threat to Ukraine sovereignty In this regard, the United States has called on Russia "to release all of the Ukrainians, including members of the Crimean Tatar community, it has imprisoned in retaliation for their peaceful dissent." This includes Oleh Sentsov, Oleksandr Kolchenko, Volodymyr Balukh, Ruslan Zeytullayev, and approximately 70 others. "We call on Russia to cease all its abuses immediately, to end its occupation of Crimea, and, in the meantime, to comply with its obligations under international law, including the law of occupation," the statement reads. Read alsoUkrainian journalist sees Crimea annexation as story about place in history rather than about money Pompeo recalled that in the Crimea Declaration of July 25, 2018, the United States "reaffirmed its refusal to recognize the Kremlins claims of sovereignty over Crimea." "The United States also condemns Russias illegal actions in Crimea and its continued aggression against Ukraine. The United States will maintain respective sanctions against Russia until the Russian government returns control of Crimea to Ukraine and fully implements the Minsk agreements. The United States reiterates its unbending support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, within its internationally recognized borders, including its territorial waters," Pompeo concluded. The anti-corruption watchdog raises alarm over the CCU decision's consequences. The abolition by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine of the Criminal Code article providing for liability for illegal enrichment is a step backward in anti-corruption reform, the National Anti-corruption Bureau says. The National Bureau believes that the lifting of criminal liability for illegal enrichment, which is a consequence of the ruling of the Constitutional Court, opens up to officials opportunities for abuse and provides indulgence for committing criminal corruption offenses. Now assets worth millions, obtained from sources whose legality has not been proven are not considered a criminal offense in Ukraine, NABU noted in a statement released on its website Wednesday. Such a move, NABU opines, is politically motivated and contradicts Ukraine's obligations under the ratified UN Convention against Corruption, the agreements with the International Monetary Fund and the European Union. NABU also reminded that Lithuania had earlier faced the problem of constitutionality of anti-corruption legislation, but the Constitutional Court in this country recognized such legislation as constitutional, although it is even harsher than the Ukrainian one. Read alsoConfirmed: Constitutional Court cancels Criminal Code article on illegal enrichment Similar debate about the allegedly unconstitutional nature of the wording of the article took place in Lithuania. However, having considered the issue, the Lithuanian Constitutional Court recognized the provision on illegal enrichment as being in line with the Basic Law of the state. Note that this norm in Lithuania is much tougher than the Ukrainian version. It applies not only to individuals, but also to legal entities. In particular, the article provides that a person who, on the basis of property law, owns property worth more than 500 minimum subsistence payments, (more than EUR 19,500) and was aware or should have been aware of the fact that this property could not be acquired at the expense of legitimate income, shall be subject to punishment in the form of a fine or arrest, or imprisonment for up to 4 years with the obligatory confiscation of property, the statement says. NABU is convinced that the CCU made a political decision: "Fear of responsibility on the eve of the launch of the newly created High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine, which will hear cases forwarded from NABU and SAPO, including on said charges, switched on peculiar political mechanisms of regulation." Also, the statement says that from now on, all proceedings against corrupt officials will be closed: Currently, NABU detectives are investigating the facts of illegal enrichment worth a total of over half a billion hryvnias within 65 criminal proceedings. There are many judges, prosecutors, people's deputies, former and current senior state officials among those whose assets raise questions regarding the legality of their origin. Read alsoAntAC on cancellation of criminal liability for illegal enrichment: Serious consequences for Ukraine The CCU decision means that all criminal proceedings concerning the illegal enrichment of these persons will be closed. Just like the cases that are already being heard in court. We are talking about the head of the State Audit Service (accused of illegal enrichment worth almost UAH 10 million), the military prosecutor of the ATO forces (almost UAh 3 million), the judge from Luhansk region (more than UAH 13 million), and the minister of infrastructure (more than UAH 4 million)," the statement adds. The Bureau noted that it would be impossible to resume the investigation in respect of targets of all 65 criminal proceedings, as well as suspects and indited persons on the already established facts of illegal enrichment (in case the relevant article is reinstated in the Criminal Code) because the law has no retroactive effect. "Therefore, the property acquired will be considered legal by default, regardless of its origin," noted NABU. We are convinced that such developments are not in line with public interests and the requirements of purging the government from corruption. The decision by the Constitutional Court is a step backwards in Ukraine's anti-corruption struggle and a step towards revenge of the old system, the Bureau summed up. As UNIAN reported earlier, on Feb 26, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine canceled the article of the Criminal Code on illegal enrichment as unconstitutional and in breach of the Criminal Procedure Code. On Feb 27, Irina Lutsenko, the president's envoy to parliament, said that the head of state would soon submit to the Verkhovna Rada a new bill on the punishment of illegal enrichment. The protocol stipulates the transfer of detained fishermen to the side whose citizenship they have. The Ukrainian and Russian sides have signed a protocol on catching of aquatic bioresources in the Sea of Azov. The document is designed to improve the safety of Ukrainian fishermen working in the Sea of Azov, according to the website of the State Agency for Fisheries of Ukraine. Guided by the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and a number of agreements between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, the Ukrainian side made efforts to hold the 30th session of the Ukrainian-Russian Commission on Fisheries in the Sea of Azov in Kyiv. The meeting was held on October 23-25, 2018. Read alsoNATO says militarization of Crimea, Azov and Black seas by Russia threat to Ukraine sovereignty As noted, the commission is a joint body created to coordinate the activities of both sides and establish basin-wide limits on catching of resources. Despite the conclusions regarding the need to enter the negotiation process, the work of the commission was not completed, as a result of which the protocol of the 30th session of the commission was not signed. The agency stressed that fact affected the interests of Ukraine. "Due to non-signing of the commission's protocol, there are no legal grounds for setting limits on catching of aquatic bioresources for 2019, as well as normative acts for Ukrainian fishermen to catch fish in the Sea of Azov. Therefore, due to the absence of the commission's protocol, Ukrainian fishermen cannot legally catch aquatic bioresources there," the report says. "The absence of the commission's protocol will let Russian law enforcement agencies increase pressure on Ukrainian fishermen and provide the Russian side with legitimate grounds for detaining Ukrainian fishing vessels in the Sea of Azov. Thus, the Russian Federation may receive additional leverage for exacerbating social tensions in an important region for Ukraine, where fishing is one of the main activities. It will also provide the Russian Federation with grounds to assert that Ukraine does not fulfill its obligations under international treaties," the agency said. According to Chairman of the State Agency for Fisheries of Ukraine Yaroslav Belov, after lengthy consultations with the relevant executive authorities, it was decided to send the protocol to the Russian Federation through diplomatic channels. "The protocol sent for signing provides a number of advantages for Ukraine. One of them is the distribution of a quota on catching gobies in the amount of 9,000 tonnes for Ukraine and 6,000 tonnes for the Russian Federation. In addition, the protocol stipulates the transfer of detained fishermen to the side whose citizenship they have. This should help to increase the level of safety of Ukrainian fishermen during their economic activities. The protocol was signed through diplomatic channels," he said. UNIAN memo. On the morning of November 25, Russia blocked the passage to the Kerch Strait for the Ukrainian tugboat "Yany Kapu" and two armored naval boats "Berdyansk" and "Nikopol," which were on a scheduled re-deployment from the Black Sea port of Odesa to the Azov Sea port of Mariupol. The Ukraine Navy Command noted that the Russian side had been informed of the plans to re-deploy the vessels in advance in accordance with international standards to ensure the safety of navigation. The Russian coast guard ship "Don" rammed the Ukrainian tugboat, damaging the Ukrainian vessel. As the Ukrainian boats were heading back in the Odesa direction after being rejected passage via the Kerch Strait, Russian coast guards opened aimed fire on them. All 24 crew members on board were captured and later remanded in custody for two months, being charged with "illegal border crossing" (the sailors are facing up to six years in prison). Three crewmen were wounded in the attack. Russian-controlled "courts" in occupied Crimea ruled that all 24 detainees should be remanded in custody, after which they were transferred to the Moscow-based Lefortovo and Matrosskaya Tishina detention centers. Moscow's Lefortovo district court in the middle of January 2019 ruled to keep the Ukrainian sailors in remand until the end of April 2019. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with various organizations, is implementing projects to prevent the involvement of Ukrainian sailors in illegal activities and to safeguard their rights and interests. Director of the Department of the Consular Service of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Serhiy Pohoreltsev has said the number of Ukrainian sailors who are detained and remanded in custody in other countries for illegal activities is growing, namely there are 186 people in Greece and over 150 in Italy. "The number of our sailors who are arrested, detained or were sentenced is very high. It is more than 150 people in Italy, and 186 people in Greece. There are also detainees in other countries, not in such a large number," he told journalists, according to an UNIAN correspondent. Read alsoUkraine, Russia agree via diplomatic channels on fishing rules in Azov Sea According to the diplomat, recently there have been many cases when Ukrainian sailors are captured by pirates, or when they are used by criminal groups to smuggle illegal migrants and goods. In his words, two Ukrainians are now in captivity of pirates in Somalia. In this regard, the Foreign Ministry is looking for new solutions in their work. "First of all, we believe that we must act proactively," Pohoreltsev said. In particular, a memorandum was signed with the trade unions of sea transport workers of Ukraine and there is an active cooperation with this organization. "The result of this cooperation was the release of 64 seamen, who are citizens of Ukraine, only last year alone," he said. Pohoreltsev noted the Foreign Ministry, together with various organizations, is implementing projects to prevent the involvement of Ukrainian sailors in illegal activities and to strengthen their protection, rights and interests. The relevant decision was backed by 229 MPs registered in the session hall. The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, has authorized an interim commission of inquiry (ICI) to probe into a media report on army procurement fraud involving state-run Ukroboronprom Concern. The parliament passed a resolution on an urgent investigation into the facts made public in the media about fraud involving Ukroboronprom and senior officials (No. 10104). The motion was tabled by the chairmen of the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko and People's Front parliamentary factions, according to an UNIAN correspondent. The relevant decision was backed by 229 MPs registered in the session hall with the minimum required being 226 votes. Read alsoAll criminal cases on illegal enrichment to be closed following Constitutional Court's "political" move NABU According to the resolution, the powers of the parliament's ICI to probe into facts of embezzlement in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and undermining of the state's defense capability from 2004 to 2017 cover any offenses in the defense sphere, including in 2018-2019. The lawmakers instructed the ICI to immediately investigate the materials that were made public in the media about the purchase of spare parts, components and equipment for Ukroboronprom's enterprises at prices inflated two to four times higher than the purchase price. In addition, the ICI was instructed to hold an open meeting together with representatives of the Prosecutor General's Office, the Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office, the National Anti-corruption Bureau, the Ministry of Defense, the Ukroboronprom group of companies and other officials to investigate the facts of army procurement fraud. The resolution states the parliament should an ICI progress report at its next plenary session. It was recommended that members of the Parliamentary National Security and Defense Committee, the Committee on the Prevention and Counteraction of Corruption, the Committee on Legislative Support of Law Enforcement Activities take part in the commission's work. As UNIAN reported earlier, investigative journalists from the Nashi Groshi project shared a video on February 25, 2019, with results of their probe into in large-scale embezzlement of budget funds in the defense complex. The journalists claim Ihor Hladkovsky, the son of First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleh Hladkovsky, as well as heads of enterprises incorporated into Ukroboronprom, and other senior officials were involved in the fraud schemes. The FSB statement said the couple pleaded guilty. An officer of Russia's Black Sea fleet and his partner have been imprisoned on charges of spying for Ukraine, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on February 28. Russia's North Caucasus Regional Military Court sentenced Major Dmitry Dolgopolov to 10 years in prison and Anna Sukhonosova to 9 years after convicting the couple of selling classified materials to Ukraine's intelligence, according to RFE/RL. Both the FSB and the Russian military court described Sukhonosova as Dolgopolov's "common-law wife." Read alsoDaughter of Putin's spokesman working in European Parliament: RFE/RL "The named individuals collected and handed to Ukraines Security Service materials containing state secrets on operations of units of the Black Sea Fleet," an FSB statement said. The FSB statement said the couple pleaded guilty. The Security Service arrested the two in the occupied Crimea back in September 2017. On February 15, some 140 Ukrainians were held for hours at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine allows for an option to abolish a visa-free regime with Israel if the rights of Ukrainian tourists are systematically violated at border checkpoints. Speaking at a Kyiv press conference Feb 28, press-secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Kateryna Zelenko recalled that on Feb 15 some 35 citizens of Israel were denied entry to Ukraine at the Boryspil Airport, while Israel, in response, held all 140 passengers who arrived on the flight from Kyiv, European Pravda reports. "In the future, we will assess the scale and nature of violations of the rights of Ukrainians abroad and the degree of the countries' readiness to deal with cases of law violations. If foreign governments fail to properly deal with fighting illegal hiring and employment of Ukrainian citizens, if the rights of Ukrainian tourists and travelers are systematically violated, we will review the conditions of travel, including the feasibility of maintaining a visa-free regime for citizens of those countries where the rights of our fellow citizens are being systematically violated," Zelenko told journalists. According to the spokesperson, the note has been handed over to Israeli diplomats stating that the protection of the rights of citizens of Ukraine, including during their short-term trips and long-term residence abroad, is a priority for the Ministry and Ukrainian authorities. "We have intensified cooperation with our Israeli partners to carry out deeper monitoring of the situation with ensuring the rights of Ukrainians traveling to Israel... The problem is systemic, and it needs to be addressed at the level of inter-agency cooperation," Zelenko said. Read alsoUkraine considering training of troops in Israel It should be noted that recently, cases where Ukrainian citizens were held at the Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv have become frequent, while some Ukrainians undergo a long questioning about the purpose of their visit, and some are then denied entry and sent back to Ukraine. According to the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs, this practice is explained by the increase in the number of illegal migrants from Ukraine. As UNIAN reported earlier, since year-start, the number of entry denials by Israeli immigration authorities issued to Ukrainians was five times higher than that issued by Ukraine to Israelis. On February 15, some 140 Ukrainians were held for several hours at Israel's Ben Gurion airport. Ukrainians were not allowed entry upon their arrival without explanation and banned from moving around the airport without escort. According to Ukraine MP Heorhiy Lohvynsky, Ukrainians were detained in response to the Ukrainian border guards' move to deny entry to 35 Israelis who had arrived to the Boryspil airport in Ukraine. Read alsoUkraine, Israel diplomats meet to resolve airport row The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that 35 Israelis had been detained at the airport near Kyiv, 28 of whom had purchased tickets for various flights. According to Lohvynsky, Ukrainian border guards had legal grounds to deny crossing to the said foreign nationals over to the lack of sufficient funds to support their travel expenses or failure to confirm the purpose of their visit. However, as a protest response, according to Israeli Interior Ministry officials, all 140 Ukrainian passengers who arrived from Ukraine in Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport were also denied entry. Donald Cook will depart the Black Sea on March 1. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) departed Odesa, Ukraine, February 27, 2019, after completing a scheduled port visit as part of its continued Black Sea presence and support to NATO allies and regional partners. While in port, the ship hosted senior-level government discussions between U.S., Ukrainian, and other European representatives, including Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Ambassador Kurt Volker, U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, and U.S. European Command Civilian Deputy to the Commander Ambassador Philip Reeker, the U.S. 6th Fleet said on its website. Read alsoU.S. Navy's missile destroyer arrives in Ukraine's Odesa (Photo, video) "Donald Cook's port visit to Odesa served as the third opportunity for our ship to engage with our Black Sea allies and partners in 2019. Last month, we conducted a maritime exercise with our counterparts in the Georgian Coast Guard. Just a few days ago, we conducted training at sea with a Turkish frigate, and today we concluded a short, but significant visit to Odesa that allowed us to strengthen the U.S.-Ukrainian maritime relationship. These valuable engagements allow us to learn from each other, and I look forward to any future opportunities to return to the Black Sea," Donald Cook Commanding Officer Cmdr. Matthew Powel said. Leading up to the port visit, the ship conducted maritime interoperability training with the Turkish navy, aimed at enhancing regional maritime stability, combined readiness and naval capability with NATO allies and partners. Read alsoUkrainian parliament backs admission of foreign military to Ukraine for drills in 2019 Donald Cook entered the Black Sea on February 19, to strengthen interoperability with NATO allies and partners and demonstrate collective resolve in the Black Sea. Donald Cook is the third U.S. naval vessel to conduct operations in the Black Sea in 2019, marking the fourth U.S. ship to visit Odesa since January 2018. In January, Donald Cook and Fort McHenry conducted port visits to Georgia and Romania, respectively. The U.S. Navy routinely operates in the Black Sea consistent with international law, including the Montreux Convention. After departing Odesa on February 27, Donald Cook will depart the Black Sea on March 1, as scheduled. It will then continue its eighth forward-deployed naval forces patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. Russian-made submachine gun, automatic rifle, pistols, anti-tank grenade launchers, ammo, grenades, and explosives were seized. Operatives of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) who are part of Ukraine's Joint Forces deployed in Donbas to repel Russian aggression discovered in Donetsk region a cache full of weapons and ammunition n intended for the use in acts of sabotage and terrorist attacks. SBU along with the local police forces discovered the arsenal in a private garage in the strategic port city of Mariupol, according to the SBU press service. "Law enforcers seized from the cache a Russian-made special submachine gun with a silencer, a Kalashnikov assault rifle, a Margolin pistol, a Luger P38 pistol, two RPG-26 anti-tank grenade launchers, 3,000 5.45mm rounds, 1,000 9mm rounds, 10 RGD-5 and F-1 grenades with fuses, POM2r mine, four kilos of TNT and a remote detonator," the report says. Read alsoUkrainian troops intercept drone spotted near ammo depot General Staff Security operatives established that the garage where the cache had been set up belongs to a resident of Kherson region, who is currently in Russia. Seized weapons and ammunition have been sent for examination the SBU said, adding that further investigation is underway. According to intelligence reports, two enemy troops were eliminated and another five were wounded. Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 11 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action. Read alsoRFE/RL: Death toll up to 13,000 in Ukraine conflict, says UN rights office "One Ukrainian soldier was wounded in the past day. According to intelligence reports, two invaders were killed and another five were wounded," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in an update on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on February 28, 2019. Russian occupation forces opened aimed fire from 122mm artillery systems, 120mm and 82mm mortars, anti-tank missile systems, grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns and small arms to attack the Ukrainian defenders of the villages of Vodiane, Chermalyk, Hnutove, Krymske, Zhovte, Novoluhanske, and Stanytsia Luhanska. "Since Thursday midnight, Russian-led forces haven't attacked Ukrainian positions yet," the report said. After the occupation of Crimea, the Russian authorities decided the Sea of Azov could be turned into their territorial waters. Russian lawyer and human rights activist Nikolay Polozov says Russia wants to occupy Kherson and Mykolayiv regions in Ukraine's south to create the so-called land corridor towards Russian-occupied Crimea. Read alsoRussia seeks to create "land corridor" to occupied Crimea Joint Forces Commander "After the occupation of Crimea, the Russian authorities decided the Sea of Azov could be turned into their territorial waters. To build the Kerch Bridge, delineate and heavily militarize the territory, oust Ukraine," he told UA:Pershyi [First] TV Channel, according to the Obozrevatel media outlet. "This is a kind of base of operations for further occupation of Kherson region, Mykolayiv region, etc. That is, to create prerequisites for conquering the land corridor towards Crimea," Polozov said. Police began a criminal investigation into the officers' actions and submitted a case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office in January 2019. A major Russian energy company is "90-percent confirmed" to start exploration in Equatorial Guinea before the end of 2019, the African country's Energy Minister Gabriel Mbaga Obiang ima told Sputnik in an interview LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th February, 2019) - A major Russian energy company is "90-percent confirmed" to start exploration in Equatorial Guinea before the end of 2019 , the African country's Energy Minister Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima told Sputnik in an interview. "I have a very good scoop, that there is a major Russian company that is 90 percent confirmed that before the end of this year will be in Equatorial Guinea. It's almost done. We are receiving a lot of interest, a lot of encouragement, that's what they are saying. Personally they are interested in the blocks that have discoveries. So it's not going to be just exploration blocks, they will be able to send both an exploration plan and a discovery plan," the minister said. Obiang Lima did not disclose the name of the company. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Nigeria's lack of compliance with the agreement on oil output cuts will be discussed by OPEC and non-cartel producers in April, Equatorial Guinea's Energy Minister Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima told Sputnik in an interview LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th February, 2019) - Nigeria 's lack of compliance with the agreement on oil output cuts will be discussed by OPEC and non-cartel producers in April Equatorial Guinea 's Energy Minister Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima told Sputnik in an interview. "We all make sacrifices and I think it's right for everyone to make the same sacrifice. You can't just get one that does something and the other ones to keep producing or having exceptions. So, that [low compliance rate of Nigeria] is something that will definitely be discussed in April [between OPEC and non-OPEC]," the minister said. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will stick to the country's quota under the OPEC-non-OPEC oil output cut deal despite the state's current low compliance with the agreement, NNPC Group Managing Director Maikanti Kachalla Baru told Sputnik on Wednesday. Nigeria pledged to reduce its oil production by 40,000 barrels per day under the latest output agreement, concluded in December. The country had been exempt from previous OPEC-non-OPEC oil production cuts because its production had already been impacted due to the militant groups' insurgency. Saudi Arabia has said that its stance is consistent in supporting Yemen, its people and legitimate government in confronting the Iran-backed terrorist Houthi militia, which is the main cause of the conflict in Yemen GENEVA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 28th Feb, 2019) Saudi Arabia has said that its stance is consistent in supporting Yemen, its people and legitimate government in confronting the Iran-backed terrorist Houthi militia, which is the main cause of the conflict in Yemen. "The Kingdom continues to provide all forms of support and assistance to the brotherly people of Yemen," Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, told a high-level meeting of the 40th Ordinary Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva yesterday. According to the Saudi Press Agency, SPA, Al-Jubeir also referred to assistance provided to Yemen amounting to more than US$13 billion by January 2019 and providing $500 million for 2019 at the pledging conference for Yemen on Tuesday. In his speech, Al-Jubeir pointed out the Saudi position on the Palestinian cause, saying it is firm and categorically rejects any prejudice to the historical and legal status of the city of Jerusalem. "The Kingdom calls on the relevant United Nations organs and mechanisms, including the Human Rights Council, to fulfill their responsibilities to defend the rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination and establishment of their independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital," he added. The Saudi Minister stressed Kingdom's stand with the brotherly Syrian people and their right to territorial integrity, independence, unity, and free from any foreign forces. It also stresses the importance of finding an urgent solution to this crisis under Security Council resolution 2254, looking forward to continuing support for the efforts of the UN envoy. Al-Jubeir said that the Kingdom condemns gross and systematic violations of human rights being committed against the Rohingya minority, and calls for concerted efforts to put an end to these violations, return refugees to their lands and provide them with humanitarian assistance. UAE Ambassador to Kazakhstan Dr. Mohammed Ahmed bin Sultan Al Jaber has attended the meeting held by Kazakhstan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Beibut Atamkulov, with heads of diplomatic missions of Arab countries accredited to Astana ASTANA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 28th Feb, 2019) UAE Ambassador to Kazakhstan Dr. Mohammed Ahmed bin Sultan Al Jaber has attended the meeting held by Kazakhstan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Beibut Atamkulov, with heads of diplomatic missions of Arab countries accredited to Astana. At the meeting, Minister Atamkulov pointed out that President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, attaches great importance to cooperation with Arab countries. He also highlighted Kazakhstan's interest in the development of trade and economic relations, as well as in joint investment projects in energy, logistics, agriculture and other areas. Atamkulov also briefed the audience on the priorities assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On the sidelines of the meeting, Dr. Al Jaber met with Atamkulov and discussed bilateral ties and ways of supporting them in various sectors. They also exchanged views on issues of mutual interest. (@FahadShabbir) Angolan Foreign Affairs Minister Manuel Augusto said on Thursday ahead of talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that he wanted to raise the issue of Russia's role in Africa during the negotiations MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th February, 2019) Angolan Foreign Affairs Minister Manuel Augusto said on Thursday ahead of talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that he wanted to raise the issue of Russia 's role in Africa during the negotiations. "I am looking forward to our negotiations, during which we will discuss various issues relating to the interests of bilateral cooperation and talk about the role that Russia plays on the African continent," Augusto said. Lavrov, for his part, thanked his counterpart for the hospitality extended to him during last year's visit to Angola. "I remember quite well our constructive talks and the appointment with the president which made an important contribution to the further development of our relations," Lavrov stated. He added that he wanted to discuss the whole range of issues relating to bilateral relations as well as the two countries' cooperation in international organizations during the talks. Phillip Koo, MD provides his expert commentary on next-generation imaging (NGI) techniques and the future application of NGIs for evaluation of advanced PCa progression and management. Koo reviews the use of various PET scan advances as well as MRI for advanced PCa patients, inclusive of recent trial data, for example, the recent Phillip Koo, MD provides his expert commentary on next-generation imaging (NGI) techniques and the future application of NGIs for evaluation of advanced PCa progression and management. Koo reviews the use of various PET scan advances as well as MRI for advanced PCa patients, inclusive of recent trial data, for example, the recent PRECISION study. He also comments on available radiotherapeutics and the role of radium 223 for its survival benefit and its application with novel hormonal agents. He also discusses the practical challenges associated with accessibility and reimbursement for NGI advances. Finally, we conclude this issue with a review of Octobers As 2018 concludes, I look forward to the pending important trial readouts which will assuredly impact the field of GU Oncology. I look forward to sharing this issue of Everyday Urology - Oncology Insights with you. Thank you for readership and your feedback. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! Written by: Finally, we conclude this issue with a review of Octobers ESMO 2018 Congress in Munich, Germany. This ESMO Spotlight includes coverage of Dr. Cora Sternbergs presentation on the use of immunotherapy for the treatment of renal and bladder cancers, results from the phase III study IMmotion151 for metastatic renal cell carcinoma, preliminary results from the TRITON study for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, and the coverage of other presentations impacting the role of chemotherapy in GU cancer treatment.As 2018 concludes, I look forward to the pending important trial readouts which will assuredly impact the field of GU Oncology. I look forward to sharing this issue of Everyday Urology - Oncology Insights with you. Thank you for readership and your feedback. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!Written by: Neal Shore, MD, FACS is an internationally recognized expert in systemic therapies for patients with advanced urologic cancers and innovative therapies to treat patients suffering from prostate enlargement symptoms. Dr. Shore was recently appointed President-Elect of the Large Urology Group Practice Association (LUGPA), which seeks to provide urologists with all the tools they need to effectively care for patients. Neal D. Shore, MD, FACS, is the Medical Director of the Carolina Urologic Research Center. He practices with Atlantic Urology Clinics in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Dr. Shore has conducted more than 100 clinical trials, focusing mainly on prostate and bladder disease. Welcome to the final 2018 issue of Everyday Urology - Oncology Insights. On December 6, 2018, UroToday celebrated its fifteenth year online. Over the years, the site has productively evolved, providing concise and innovative coverage of relevant and clinically important contemporaneous updates in urologic oncology as well as curating cutting edge educational videos and discussions amongst leading experts within the field. This issue of Everyday Urology includes some of UroTodays leading voices, featuring a compilation of perspectives on important and rapidly changing topics in GU Oncology, focusing upon androgen deprivation therapy and nuclear medicine imaging advances. In the following pages, we explore how the aforementioned therapeutics and technology data is reshaping the evaluation, treatment, and diagnosis of urologic cancers, thereby enabling physicians to maintain and strive towards optimal patient outcomes.Thomas Keane, MD provides a concise and well-balanced update on the use of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for the evaluation and treatment for advanced prostate cancer patients. As Keane describes, ADT has been the mainstay for initiating the treatment of advanced and metastatic disease since the 1940s today, more than half of all prostate cancer patients will undergo ADT. In his update, Keane discusses the toxicities related to ADT including an important focus upon cardiovascular health, and thus considers how outcomes may differ by various patient characteristics, for example, age and ethnicity, and thereby suggests processes for improved risk management. He also expounds his discussion with a review of the STAMPEDE and LATITUDE groundbreaking trials and the combinatorial use of both docetaxel and abiraterone acetate with ADT. Bachelor finale : Ex-Baskets player Andrej Mangold hands over the last rose Bonn Andrei Mangold had to hand over the last rose in the shows finale. In the last episode of this season of "Der Bachelor" a decision had to be made. Jennifer and Eva were the two remaining candidates. Andrej Mangold found the decision difficult and shed some tears. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Von Nathalie Dreschke Twenty women fought for the heart of Bachelor Andrej Mangold. Week after week, the former Telekom Baskets Bonn player distributed roses to the candidates. Many tears were shed, not only among the women, but also Mangold's eyes shone suspiciously often. In the end only Eva and Jennifer remained. Two women who, according to their own statements, could hardly be more different. But they can't deny the one thing they have in common: they want to get the last rose from Andrej. And who does the Bachelor want? According to his own statement, he is in love with both women. "I don't know how I can make a decision," he says. With tears in his eyes, of course. Only who or what can help him with the decision? Of course, his mother and his stepfather. First they both get to know the 25-year-old Jennifer. Especially the mother is enthusiastic, because Jennifer's hobbies are sports, fitness and reading. She prefers books about personality development. Mangold's mother is amazed. Probably the audience, too, because this passion has been kept secret by the Bremen woman until now. Eva from Dusseldorf also scores points with Andrej's mother and stepfather. And this despite the fact that the stepfather lived in Cologne for a while. But that's okay for the 26-year-old. The meeting runs smoothly, the bachelor is in love and lets his emotions run free in the form of tears. He confesses his feelings to Eva, who stands in front of him in a long white dress on the last night of the show, looks deeply into her eyes and says that something is missing. With no emotion visible in her face, the bachelor accompanies her back to the car. "The decision hit me harder than her," Mangold sums up. Flames engulf apartment : One person killed in Pennenfeld apartment fire Bonn One person was killed in an apartment fire on Thursday in Pennenfeld. Police found the body of the victim inside the apartment, which had been completely engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken One person died in an apartment fire on Maidenheadstrae in Pennenfeld on Thursday. Emergency responders found the mans lifeless body in the apartment. A neighbor across the street had alerted the fire department shortly before 12:30 pm and rescue units made their way to the Pennenfeld housing complex. "When we reached the scene of the fire, the apartment on the second floor was completely engulfed in flames", said Hans-Peter Halbach, the head of the fire department, describing the situation on site. Heavy smoke development meant the smoke permeated all the way to a nearby street. The remaining apartments in the building were evacuated. Numerous people, including many pupils from neighboring schools, witnessed the fire. "At first, we had no information as to whether there were still people in the apartment," said Halbach. Then a fire squad equipped with breathing apparatus entered the apartment via the stairs, while another unit fought the fire from the turntable ladder. One person was found dead in the apartment shortly afterwards. According to GA information, the deceased was a 52-year-old man who lived in the apartment. Police say the cause of the death and fire remain unclear. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire and prevent flames from spreading to other apartments. They checked the neighboring apartments for smoke afterwards and found they were still inhabitable. Only the apartment where the fire broke out was uninhabitable. On the ground floor of the apartment building is the Pennenfeld neighborhood management office. A total of 25 members from professional fire and rescue services were on the scene as well as volunteer firefighters from Lannesdorf and Mehlem. Police have taken over the investigation of the fire. Bringing the personal hospitality and inspired flavor of Italy to Las Vegas renowned Summerlin community, Executive Chef Partner Gina Marinelli shares her passion for food, family and friends at her first restaurant, La Strega, now open for dinner at 3555 South Town Center Drive (Pictured: Margherita Pizza Photo credit: Anthony Camblin / La Strega) Through March 13, La Strega will be open to the public for a special preview period Tuesdays- Sundays, and all guests will receive a 33 percent discount on their check. With grandparents from Lake Como and Sicily, Marinelli started her Italian culinary journey in her familys kitchen. She honed her skills with some of the industrys best chefs, including Scott Conant, Michael Mina and Shawn McClain, on one of the worlds biggest culinary stages, the Las Vegas Strip. Now, Marinelli is sharing her love of food and cooking by offering a culinary journey of Italy with elevated techniques, unique presentations and superior ingredients at her own restaurant, La Strega. I want to create a home for my guests where they can relax and enjoy innovative yet approachable dishes that celebrate the amazing flavors found throughout Italy paired with my own culinary twists, said Marinelli. From the moment they walk in the door, I want my guests to forget the stress of daily life and simply enjoy their friends and family over a delicious meal made from my heart and soul. Marinellis menu showcases her personal interpretations of Italian cuisine infused with contemporary yet simple flavors. Appetizers include raw selections such as Hamachi served crudo style with chili gremolata, truffle salt and cilantro and from-the-farm options like Burrata di Stefano served with spring garlic salsa verde and house-made bread. La Strega boasts reimagined pasta dishes like Rigatoni Bolognese with wild boar, nduja and Grana Padano, and Pasta AI Frutti Di Mare with stewed calamari, lobster and rock shrimp, spicy pomodoro and mint breadcrumbs; traditional pizzas with handmade dough; and entrees such as chicken Milanese with polenta and dandelion greens, stewed mussels with couscous and spring vegetables, and a stuffed whole fish. The dessert menu offers sweet indulgences like The Bomba, a house-made donut filled with coconut budino and a Chianti Affogato, a vanilla bean gelato with a Chianti float and wine must, as well as the classic, yet often hard-to-find savory option of artisanal cheeses. For the kids, Marinelli will offer custom-built pizzas and pastas for picky and hard-to-please youngsters. La Strega also features an expertly curated wine menu from former Giada sommelier, Stephanie Torres, and a handcrafted cocktail program featuring iconic favorites as well as non-alcoholic libations made with Italian spritzers and bitters. Leading the restaurant team is Derek Scharadin as the restaurants general manager who brings nearly a decade of restaurant management experience overseeing venues from Miami to Las Vegas, including most recently at Echo & Rig Butcher and Steakhouse at Tivoli Village. Meaning witch in Italian, La Stregas ambiance will bewitchingly transport guests to Italy the moment they step in the door. Custom designed decor and accents that Marinelli collected from her travels abroad create an authentic European setting. The restaurants artistic centerpiece is a one-of-a-kind mural inspired by the witches of Benevento and their iconic walnut tree. Spanning multiple walls, the mural was created by local artist Holly Rae Vaughn, whose other works of art can be found downtown and at various Clark County public parks and spaces. The restaurant offers a Loggia inspired by the Amalfi coastline where guests can comfortably enjoy al fresco dining and cocktails year-round. Other dining areas include an intimate lounge and a dining room that overlooks an open kitchen with marble counters and gold accents. The real magic will be how people feel when they leave, added Marinelli. I hope our hospitality and food will lift their spirits and help them remember that life, like food, is a something to enjoy and celebrate. I want La Strega to be a special retreat where guests feel like they stepped into Italy and can enjoy all of its warmth and flavor but its conveniently located in their own neighborhood. I am excited to cook for those who call Las Vegas home. Maxies at The LINQ Promenade will debut on March 15, becoming Las Vegas newest hotspot for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Maxies menu will feature ostentatious breakfast and lunch classics, as well as a collection of contemporary deli dishes (Pictured: Cotton Candy Pancakes). Operated by Hospitality Boulevard, Maxies will be located next to the base of High Roller, the worlds tallest observation wheel. Who is Maxie? Ryan Klaasen, co-founder and chief executive officer, Hospitality Boulevard explains the idea of the name. Food carries so many wonderful memories from our childhoods. The name Maxie is the idea that shes Grandma Maxie and her food brings back warm and happy memories. We talk about these wonderful memories as we eat the food and these memories are strong because they touch our senses of taste, touch, smell and the sense of love and happy familiarity in our hearts, says Klaasen. Maxies will offer contemporary modern diner decor with distinctive accents such as a clean color palette of gray and white punctuated with pops of aqua and red, a black and white checkerboard ceiling and comfortable indoor and outdoor seating. Maxies signature breakfast dishes will include: Cotton Candy Pancakes: Pancakes stuffed and topped with fluffy cotton candy and drizzled with maple syrup Pancakes stuffed and topped with fluffy cotton candy and drizzled with maple syrup Fruity Pebbles French Toast: French toast infused with Fruity Pebbles cereal and served with vanilla syrup French toast infused with Fruity Pebbles cereal and served with vanilla syrup Peanut Butter & Jelly Tacos: Silver dollar pancakes stuffed with peanut butter and strawberry jelly Silver dollar pancakes stuffed with peanut butter and strawberry jelly Stuffed Biscuit & Gravy Sandwich: Brisket and shredded Colby cheese with chopped brisket gravy Brisket and shredded Colby cheese with chopped brisket gravy The Mexican Omelet: Monterey Jack cheese, chopped green chiles, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes and sour cream with fresh cilantro Monterey Jack cheese, chopped green chiles, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes and sour cream with fresh cilantro Bodybuilder Breakfast: Egg whites, pulled chicken, peppers and onions with chunks of sweet potatoes For guests longing for familiar deli entrees with Maxies something extra: BBQ Brisket & Eggs Benedict : Beef brisket, poached eggs, cheesy Bechamel sauce with a dash of hot sauce, all stuffed into a hollowed brioche loaf : Beef brisket, poached eggs, cheesy Bechamel sauce with a dash of hot sauce, all stuffed into a hollowed brioche loaf Pastrami Benedict: Sliced pastrami, poached eggs, crispy potato latkes and hollandaise sauce, stuffed into a hollowed brioche loaf Sliced pastrami, poached eggs, crispy potato latkes and hollandaise sauce, stuffed into a hollowed brioche loaf The Jackpot: Triple decker pastrami and corned beef with melted Swiss cheese, and coleslaw topped with Russian dressing on rye bread Triple decker pastrami and corned beef with melted Swiss cheese, and coleslaw topped with Russian dressing on rye bread The Big Macher: Chophouse burger topped with grilled onions, pastrami, Russian dressing and Swiss cheese on toasted Challah bread. Additional traditional deli staples such as Matzah Ball Soup (shredded chicken, fresh vegetables in a homemade chicken broth) will also be served. For guests pressed for time Maxies will launch its Grab-and-Go menu. Upon entering the restaurant, guests will see the assembly line where they can build their own boxed lunches and dinners with options including sandwiches, as well as bagels and cream cheese. At the entrance will also be a bar serving juices (flavors will include orange, pineapple, grapefruit, mango, cranberry, celery and lemon and super greens) and cereal-flavored milkshakes including: PB & J: Capn Crunchs Crunch Berries and Reeses Pieces cereal, fresh strawberry jam and peanut butter topped with whipped cream Capn Crunchs Crunch Berries and Reeses Pieces cereal, fresh strawberry jam and peanut butter topped with whipped cream Banana Elvis: Peanut butter with banana, chocolate, Coco Pebbles with whipped cream, chocolate syrup and caramel Peanut butter with banana, chocolate, Coco Pebbles with whipped cream, chocolate syrup and caramel Cotton Candy: Fluffy cotton candy, cotton candy cream cheese, pop rocks, Capn Crunchs Crunch Berries A new collection of cocktails and a Saturday brunch menu will also be announced later this year. We created a warm and relaxing restaurant that serves food that tastes great and looks great, appealing to everyone, from families to groups, concludes Joey Pintozzi, co-founder and vice president of sales and marketing, Hospitality Boulevard. With the excitement and energy of The LINQ Promenade and all of the attractions and special events it offers, Maxies will be a restaurant guests of all ages will love. Pursuit, a business unit of Viad Corp, has announced that it will expand its flight ride concept to Las Vegas. Modeled after Pursuits highly successful FlyOver Canada attraction, FlyOver Las Vegas will provide guests with an exhilarating flight experience over the American Southwests most iconic locations, picturesque scenery and natural wonders. Video: FlyOver Las Vegas httpvh://youtu.be/vGtp1K81RR8 With construction to begin later this year, the new attraction is anticipated to open in early 2021. This new Las Vegas experience will mark the third FlyOver attraction for the global adventure travel brand, following the highly anticipated launch of FlyOver Iceland in Reykjavik in summer 2019. The new year-round attraction will be located on Las Vegas Boulevard. The launch of FlyOver Las Vegas will provide visitors with a truly unforgettable experience showcasing some of the most iconic and visually stunning landscapes in the American Southwest, said Lisa Adams, VP of FlyOver Attractions. We look forward to bringing a brand new flight ride to such a widely visited destination as we continue to expand and enhance our current portfolio of unforgettable world-class experiences. FlyOver Las Vegas will highlight iconic destinations in and around Nevada with filming locations expected to include the expansive Grand Canyon in Arizona, Zion and Arches National Parks in Utah, and Lake Tahoe in California. The story of our growth is grounded in our commitment to refresh, improve and expand our global collection of iconic, unforgettable and inspiring adventure travel experiences, said David Barry, President, Pursuit. Building a new FlyOver attraction in a globally recognized tourism destination like Las Vegas marks another milestone in Pursuits strategic growth. The new attraction will enable us to connect visitors with a distinctive experience that showcases both the vibrancy of Las Vegas along with the stunning natural wonders of the Southwestern United States. The FlyOver Las Vegas flight ride utilizes a unique and state-of-the-art moving platform with six degrees of motion, multi-sensory special effects and a 52-foot spherical screen that provides guests with an unparalleled flight across iconic locations and natural landscapes. Special effects, including wind, mist and scents, combine with the rides motion to create an unforgettable visceral experience. Before becoming President and First Lady of the United States of America, Bill and Hillary were just two hopelessly devoted, liberal lovebirds.After first locking eyes at Yale Law School back in 1971, a young Hillary Rodham, pre-presidential candidate days, approached Bill Clinton outside of their school library with a confidence that has followed her throughout her career.I was studying in the library, and Bill was standing out in the hall talking to another student I noticed that he kept looking over at me. He had been doing a lot of that. So I stood up from the desk, walked over to him and said, If youre going to keep looking at me, and Im going to keep looking back, we might as well be introduced. Im Hillary Rodham. That was it, Hillary stated on her website From that moment forward, Hillary and Bill became the powerful duo that they are today!Who knew that it took Bill three times to ask his, now-wife, Hillary, to marry him before she said yes! I actually turned him down twice when he asked me to marry him. He asked me in England on a trip after law school graduation. I said, you know, I cant say yes. I feel too badly. And then about a year later he asked me again, and I said no. He said Im not going to ask you again until youre ready to say yes, Hillary remarked about her numerous proposals. Looks like she finally did! Fire fighters and onlookers gather at the scene of a fiery train crash at the Egyptian capital Cairo's main railway station on February 27, 2019. (Photo: AFP / Hussein Talal) Transport Minister Hisham Arafat resigned after the incident, the Cabinet said in a statement. State television said authorities had arrested the train driver. Footage circulating on social media from a security camera inside the Ramses station showed the train failing to stop as it arrived at platform six, smashing through the buffers and a metal end railing, and exploding into a huge ball of fire. Passengers carrying luggage ran for their lives as the fire spread, and several people were running covered in flames, witnesses said. Health Minister Hala Zayed said authorities had not been able to identify many of the 20 bodies recovered because they were too badly burned. Witness Ibrahim Hussein said: "I saw a man pointing from the locomotive as it entered the platform, and screaming 'There are no brakes! There are no brakes!', before he jumped out of the locomotive. And I don't know what happened to him." Security sources said there was no indication that the crash was deliberate. The transport minister said the train's diesel tank had exploded. Egypt has one of the oldest and largest rail networks in the region and accidents causing casualties are common. A train collision in Alexandria killed more than 40 people in 2017. Egyptians have long complained that successive governments have failed to enforce basic safety standards for the railways. The fire sent smoke billowing above the station. Inside, the train's charred engine could be seen tilted to one side next to a platform. INVESTIGATION Bystander Mina Ghaly added: "I was standing on the platform and I saw the train speed into the barrier. "Everyone started running but a lot of people died after the locomotive exploded. "I saw at least nine corpses lying on the ground, charred." Zayed said that as well as the 20 killed, 43 people were injured, 15 of whom had been released after treatment. State television earlier put the death toll at 25 and said 50 were injured. Ahmed Youssef, a doctor at Al Helal hospital, close to the station, said more than 20 injured had been admitted, most of them in serious condition. Witness Ahmed Abdeltawab said the platform had been crowded with passengers waiting for another train and people fled in flames. "The fire overwhelmed them and they ran while they were on fire until they fell metres from the incident," he said. "The scene was terrifying." Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, announced from the station that the incident would be investigated and anyone found responsible would be held to account. "Any person found to be negligent will be held accountable and it will be severe," Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli said as he arrived at the site. Egypt has one of the oldest and largest rail networks in the region and accidents causing casualties have been common. Egyptians have long complained that successive governments have failed to enforce basic safety standards for the railways. The official statistics agency says there were 1,793 train accidents in 2017. Student Ali Ramadan said he had suffered burns and injured his foot when he ran into a concrete bench on the platform. "I don't know when these train accidents will end ... They told us they got millions of dollars' worth of new locomotives and trains, and people are still dying because of train accidents," he said. The Transport Ministry briefly suspended all arrivals and departures at the station before reopening all platforms except the one where the crash happened. The African Legal Support Facility (ALSF) has completed a two-day workshop for African lawyers and government negotiators, aimed at strengthening their capacity to negotiate complex deals involving investments in key economic sectors. The workshop, co-organized with the African Business Law Firms Association (ABFLA) under ALSF, was held in Accra, Ghana, from February 14-15, 2019. Forty government negotiators and 30 lawyers in private practice representing public and private organizations across Africa, attended the workshop. In his opening remarks, Stephen Karangizi, Director and Chief Executive Officer of ALSF said the topics covered were carefully chosen to fill identified knowledge gaps between lawyers academic training and legal practice. Stories Continues after ad Participants benefited from a wide array of rich legal contributions and content on the techniques needed to successfully negotiate sustainable and equitable investment agreements for projects in the energy, mining, oil and gas sectors, officials say. Further, the negotiation and legal intricacies of infrastructure projects and public-private partnerships were also covered. Participants and government officials attending the workshop commended the initiative, stating that the skills acquired were relevant and vital for the effective and efficient discharge of their professional duties and official responsibilities. Karangizi said the academys curriculum was co-developed by ALSF, national and regional bar associations, including the Southern African Development Community Lawyers Association (SADCLA), the East African Law Society (EALS) and the International Training Centre in Africa for Francophone Lawyers (CIFAF) based in Cotonou, Benin. The academys capacity building initiative is also accessible virtually via a portal with learning tools and documentation sourced from the ALSF library. The Accra workshop was also an opportunity for the ALSF to call on Regional Member Countries to contribute to the financial resources of the ALSF all in a bid to strengthen its capacity to support African countries with their creditor litigation and negotiations for complex commercial transactions. Similar ALSF Academy sessions were held in Kigali, Rwanda, and Cotonou, Benin, in October and November 2018. Quang Ninh authorities meet with the DPRK Party delegation on February 27. At the centre are Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Van Doc (R) and Vice Chairman of the WPK Central Committee Ri Su Yong (Photo: VNA) The delegation was led by Ri Su Yong, Politburo member, Vice Chairman of the WPK Central Committee and head of the WPK International Affairs Department; Kim Pyong Hae, Politburo member, Vice Chairman of the WPK Central Committee and head of the WPK Cadres' Affairs Department; and O Su Yong, Politburo member, Vice Chairman of the WPK Central Committee, and head of the WPK Economic Affairs Department. The tour was part of the WPK delegations sidelines activities during their trip to Vietnam for the second DPRK US Summit in Hanoi and the official friendship visit to Vietnam by Chairman of the WPK and the State Affairs Commission Kim Jong-un. In Quang Ninh, the delegation was welcomed by Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Van Doc and Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee Nguyen Duc Long. At the reception, Doc introduced the provinces potential and strengths to the delegation, recalling the visit to Ha Long Bay made by then WPK Chairman Kim Il-sung in November 1964. Ri Su Yong, on behalf of the delegation, thanked the local authorities for the warm welcome they have received. Elon Musk, pictured in 2017, is a visionary and inventive boss, but is also highly unpredictable AFP/Brendan Smialowski Musk, 47, is a visionary and inventive boss but is also highly unpredictable, especially on social network Twitter, where he often communicates in defiance of rules imposed on executives of publicly traded companies. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday (Feb 25) accused him of violating the terms of a court-endorsed deal between him and the regulatory agency stating that he should avoid sending any tweet that could affect the price of Tesla shares. On Feb 19, he tweeted that Tesla would make 500,000 cars in 2019 - up from the 400,000 that the company had estimated until then, as it grapples with production problems with the Model 3. Musk corrected himself four hours later, saying that Tesla would indeed produce about 400,000 cars this year: "Meant to say annualised production rate at end of 2019 probably around 500k." But that correction was not enough for a federal judge, who gave Musk two weeks to explain why he should be spared from being held in contempt for violating the agreement with the SEC. OPTIONS "No CEO would survive this," said Charles Elson, a corporate governance specialist at the University of Delaware. "If the board wishes to get ahead of the problem, they may have to take action as serious as relieving Musk of his executive responsibilities, at least for a period of time," said Stephen Davis, a senior fellow at Harvard's Program on Corporate Governance. For Davis, executives of publicly traded companies have a responsibility to provide accurate information. "You have special responsibility to be accurate ... if information is not accurate, then the question arises, are you the right person to be running a public company?" Last year, the SEC opened an investigation into Tesla and Musk after he tweeted that he planned to take Tesla private and already had the financing to do it - an assertion that proved false but nonetheless made investors who bet against the company lose millions. CREDIBILITY AT STAKE To settle fraud charges stemming from the tweet, Musk had to resign as Tesla chairman, both he and the company had to pay a US$20 million fine and the SEC demanded oversight of his social media use. "We are skeptical that (Tesla) can prove oversight, particularly given that its new general counsel resigned last week just hours after the social media posts in question," said Garett Nelson of CFRA Research. "We believe Musk is likely to be subject to additional penalties which could include any number of measures - additional fines, social media restrictions or worse." While the Feb 19 tweet "was presumably to highlight what (Tesla) has achieved in a short period of time, it also opens the door to potential legal jeopardy for Musk", said Canaccord Genuity analyst Jed Dorsheimer. The penalty against Musk could be heavy because the SEC's credibility as guarantor of investors' interests is at stake, said Davis. "It's not only about Elon Musk. I think at the end of the day it's also about the SEC sending a signal to all corporate leaders that the information they release to the market needs to be accurate," he added. Musk's reasoning is that "if I leave company collapses and everyone loses so therefore I can do whatever I want" - an argument the SEC should ignore, Elson said. "Unless they react to this appropriately, they've got a real problem enforcing these laws against other people." Workers of the An Phat Plastic facility welcoming the DPRK delegation The DPRK delegation includes Ri Su Yong, Kim Pyong He, and O Su Yong, vice chairmen of the Executive Committee of the Workers Party of Korea (WPK), as well as Defence Minister No Kwang Chol and Park Yong Nam, Gangwon Provincial Party Committee Secretary, among others. Nguyen Manh Hien, member of the Central Committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party, Hai Duong Party Committee Secretary cum Chairman of the People's Council, was also there to welcome the DPRK delegation. On An Phat Holdings side there were Pham Anh Duong, chairman of APH and chairman of AAA; Nguyen Le Trung, general director of An Phat Plastic, and other leaders of the corporation receiving the delegation. The visit took place under the framework of the DPRK-US Hanoi Summit held on February 27-28, 2019. During the visit, the DPRK delegation discussed with chairman Pham Anh Duong and the leaders of An Phat Holdings issues of economic development, especially for the private sector, which is focus area for promotion in Vietnam. The private sector is one of the most important drivers for the countrys economic development. Thereby, the success of An Phat Plastic and An Phat Holdings has been lauded for their significant contribution to socioeconomic development. APH has created over 4,000 jobs across the country through 12 factories and 11 subsidiaries. This is one of the remarkable achievements of private sector, one of the best cases of sustainable growth and creating a closed ecosystem for DPRK's businesses to learn from. The meeting between the DPRK delegation and leaders of An Phat Plastic Duong introduced the history and achievements in production and social responsibility that An Phat Plastic and An Phat Holdings have amassed over the past 16 years. The high-level delegation of DPRK was interested in projects under development, such as An Phat Complex and the project on restarting Dinh Vu fibre factory. At the meeting, the delegation was introduced the outstanding products of An Phat, such as biodegradable microcomputer bags, PE bags, and other environment-friendly plastic items. The DPRK delegation also highlighted the modern production lines of An Phat Plastic, and its role in auxiliary industry, as well as training and skilled human resources development. The visits of the DPRK delegation to An Phat Plastic and other Vietnamese enterprises are a foundation for potential co-operation between Vietnam and DPRK businesses and the two countries. High-level delegation of DPRK visiting An Phat Plastic factory "The meeting with the DPRK delegation also helped us understand the policies and the characteristics of their market in order to make proper decisions. We are planning to expand to all countries and regions over the world. We have already got numerous South Korean clients, and in the time coming we would like to bring APH products to the people of the DPRK," Duong said. Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from next month's Miami Open after undergoing shoulder surgery. (AFP/OLGA MALTSEVA) "We are sad to announce that @mariasharapova has withdrawn as she heals from a right shoulder procedure she underwent last week," a Miami Open post on Twitter said. "We wish Maria a speedy recovery and look forward to having her back in Miami in 2020!" In a statement on the WTA website, the 31-year-old Russian star said she had undergone a "small procedure" in an attempt to fix a longstanding shoulder problem. "As many of you know, I have struggled with shoulder pain since last summer. For ten weeks post US Open, I focused on getting my rotator cuff and scapula strong to support a surgically repaired fraying tendon and a small labrum tear. Although my shoulder got strong, it didn't help the pain on impact. "After a few different opinions in a few different countries, last week I had a small procedure done which will take a few weeks to heal." Sharapova had already withdrawn from next week's WTA Indian Wells event citing the shoulder injury. Sharapova has been struggling back to top fitness since watching from the sidelines during her 15-month doping ban that ended in 2017. The former world number one missed out on a place in the Australian Open quarter-finals last month, but insisted she still believes she can increase her tally of five Slam titles. The two leaders suddenly cut short the summit, cancelling a planned lunch and the signing ceremony of a joint statement. The US and the DPRK are talking about another future summit. Photo: AFP White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that the two leaders had very good and constructive meetings and raised the possibility of another future meeting. The two leaders discussed various ways to advance denuclearisation and economic-driven concepts, she said in a statement. No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future. Speaking earlier ahead of the one-on-one talks at the Metropole Hanoi, where the summit was organised, President Trump underlined that his administration had switched tack from demanding the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea to quickly give up its nukes over the longer-term. Speed is not very important to me, Trump said, adding that it was more important to do the right deal when dismantling Pyongyangs arsenal. Yesterday evening, at a bilateral meeting, President Trump told Chairman Un that they had a very successful first summit. I felt it was very successful, and some people would like to see it go quicker. Im satisfied; youre satisfied. We want to be happy with what were doing. But I thought the first summit was a great success. And I think this one, hopefully, will be equal or greater than the first. And we made a lot progress, and I think the biggest progress was that our relationship is really a good one. And as Ive said many times and I say it to the press, I say it to anybody that wants to listen: I think that your country has tremendous economic potential. Unbelievable. Unlimited. And I think that you will have a tremendous future with your country a great leader. And I look forward to watching it happen and helping it to happen. And we will help it happen. Stranded passengers wait outside the Thai Airways ticket counter at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok on Feb 28, 2019, after the airline cancelled 11 Europe-bound flights. (Photo: AFP/Lillian Suwanrumpha) Twenty-seven flights, the majority to and from European routes, have been cancelled, the Thai flag carrier said, with three passenger jets forced to return to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport on Thursday. The cancellations follow a snowballing crisis between nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan and India, which has raised fears of an all-out war. Pakistan claimed it shot down two Indian Air Force planes in its airspace, although it later clarified only one Indian pilot had been captured. India said its forces had also shot down a Pakistani fighter jet as Pakistan suddenly closed its airspace. Thai Airways said nearly 5,000 passengers had been caught up in the cancellations. "There are 4,000 from European flights and 700 to 800 from flights to Pakistan," a Thai Airways spokesperson said. "We are waiting for permission to fly over other countries," she said, explaining Iran had rejected a request to fly over its airspace. "Now we are contacting China," she added. The carrier said stranded passengers were put up in hotels at its expense. But frustration mounted Thursday at Bangkok's main airport at the sudden delays. "We have waited here for 11 or 12 hours already," Gerda Heinzel 55, a German tourist flying back to Munich after a holiday in Phuket. "We have not been given anything to eat, anywhere to stay. There are no German-speaking staff to help us." Flights to London, Paris, Brussels, Milan and Munich were all cancelled on Thursday, while 10 incoming flights from Europe were also scratched. The cancellations are a blow to Thai Airways during one of the country's most popular travel periods. Several airlines, including Emirates and Qatar Airways, also suspended flights to Pakistan on Wednesday. Others, such as Singapore Airlines and British Airways, were forced to reroute flights. Singapore Airlines said on Thursday all of its Europe-bound flights would continue as planned, without any refuelling stops, and they would reroute to avoid the affected airspace as necessary. Malaysia Airlines said on its website it was not currently flying over the affected airspace and was avoiding Pakistan and northern Indian airspace for flights to and from Europe until further notice. Tensions between India and Pakistan have been running high since at least 40 Indian paramilitary police were killed in a Feb 14 suicide car bombing claimed by Pakistan-based militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir. The risk of conflict rose dramatically on Tuesday when India launched an air strike on what it said was a militant training base. Both countries ordered air strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday, the first time in history that two nuclear-armed powers have done so, while ground forces have exchanged fire in more than a dozen locations. US President Donald Trump (right) and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (left) sit for a dinner at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi on Feb 27, 2019. (Saul LOEB/AFP) HANOI: US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un smiled, shook hands and dined on Wednesday (Feb 27) in Hanoi, expressing optimism that their highly personal brand of diplomacy will lead to a deal on Pyongyang's nuclear programme. At the start of around two hours of talks and dinner at a luxury hotel in the Vietnamese capital, Trump predicted a "very successful" summit, due to resume on Thursday and end in a still unspecified signing ceremony. US President Donald Trump (centre right) and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (centre left) sit with others for a dinner at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi. (Saul LOEB/AFP) The two-day get-together follows up on the leaders' initial historic meeting in Singapore in June, where Trump launched his charm offensive to try and get Kim to give up his nuclear arsenal. Shaking hands and smiling in front of a bank of a dozen alternating US and North Korean flags, they briefly took questions from reporters before starting one-on-one talks, then the dinner. US President Donald Trump (left) shakes hands with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un following a meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi. (SAUL LOEB/AFP) Critics said the Singapore summit was light on concrete results but Trump said the Hanoi talks would be "equal or better than the first" time. Kim said: "I am certain that a great outcome will be achieved this time that will be welcomed by all people." The White House said that on Thursday Trump and Kim will meet again one-on-one, before continuing talks alongside advisers throughout the morning. This will culminate in a "Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony," the White House said without providing further detail. A press conference is also scheduled before Trump returns to Washington. But the president has been dogged by scandal at home, where his former lawyer Michael Cohen described him as a "conman" in nationally televised testimony to Congress starting shortly after Trump finished Wednesday's negotiations on the other side of the world. Asked by reporters if he had any reaction to Cohen's bombshell testimony about hush money payments and murky business dealings in Russia, Trump simply shook his head. But Trump later responded to the early release of the testimony by trying to discredit Cohen. "Michael Cohen was one of many lawyers who represented me (unfortunately)," Trump tweeted. "He was just disbarred by the State Supreme Court for lying & fraud. He did bad things unrelated to Trump. He is lying in order to reduce his prison time." BIDDING TO MAKE HISTORY Seeking a big foreign policy win to push back against domestic troubles, Trump believes he can make history with North Korea and claims Japan's prime minister has already nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize. His goal is to persuade Kim to dismantle his nuclear weapons and resolve a stand-off with the deeply isolated state that has bedevilled US leaders since the end of the Korean war in 1953. To lure Kim into radical change, Trump is believed to be considering offering a formal peace declaration - though perhaps not a formal treaty - to draw a line under the technically still unfinished war. At the same time, Washington faces mounting pressure to extract significant concessions from Kim, who has so far shown little desire to ditch his nuclear capability. Washington and Pyongyang disagree even on what denuclearisation means precisely. And while North Korea has now gone more than a year without conducting missile and nuclear tests, it has done nothing to roll back the weapons already built. FROM INSULTS TO LOVE A former real estate tycoon who often boasts he is one of the world's best negotiators, Trump is pitching a vision of North Korea as a new Asian economic tiger if it surrenders its nuclear status. He said the country could quickly emulate the summit's host, Vietnam - a communist state once locked in devastating conflict with the United States, but now a thriving trade partner. A vendor waits for customers while displaying T-shirts with pictures of US President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi during the second US-North Korea summit. (Ye Aung THU/AFP) Trump sent a tweet touting North Korea's "AWESOME" potential if his "friend" Kim takes the non-nuclear route. And Trump has invested himself personally in the relationship with Kim, creating the diplomatic equivalent of a Hollywood odd-couple bromance. Before Singapore, they were slinging bizarre insults - Trump calling Kim "rocket man" and Kim calling him a "dotard." With North Korea then busily testing missiles and conducting underground nuclear tests, analysts feared the duo were egging each other on towards a catastrophic confrontation. Now, Trump talks of "love" and claims that his ground-breaking policies defused the threat posed by Kim. Critics warn Trump is so keen to score a deal that he could give away too much, too quickly, endangering US allies South Korea and Japan. In Singapore, Trump took his own generals by surprise when he announced a suspension of military exercises with the South - something the North badly wanted. Washington would ideally like Kim to dismantle a key nuclear facility at Yongbyon, allow in international inspectors, or even hand over a list of all his nuclear assets - something the North Koreans have categorically refused to do. In return, Trump is believed to be considering dangling relief from tough international sanctions. Opening diplomatic liaison offices is another possible US concession. Another possibility is a joint declaration to end the Korean War - a hugely symbolic gesture which some analysts fear would upset the delicate power balance in a region where the US and China are already struggling for influence. Those pushing for a scaled-back US foreign policy footprint around the world would welcome the gambit. "If you get an end of war declaration, I think that's really important symbolically because it starts to change the mentality," Daniel Davis, at the conservative Washington-based Defence Priorities think tank, told AFP. And Trump deserves credit, he said. "You just can't ignore the fact that he's the only one of the last nine American presidents that has even gotten to this point. No one else has even had the conversations, no one else has had these summits." Vietnam and the United States are expecting a surge in bilateral ties Though having worked in Vietnam for many years, Adam Sitkoff, executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), could not imagine that the country would receive state visits by two American presidents in just a few short years. Today, the United States and Vietnam are partners and that is something once thought unimaginable, Sitkoff told VIR. American companies and investors are now active in almost every sector of Vietnams economy, helping to integrate the country into the global supply chains, creating quality jobs, and making the country more productive, safer, and cleaner. It is a credit to the people of both nations that we have been able to move beyond the tragedies of our shared past to build such a strong and vibrant relationship. Trade has ultimately become the cornerstone of the US-Vietnam relations. Yesterday US President Donald Trump held bilateral talks with Vietnams Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, within the framework of the historic Hanoi summit between the US and North Korea. Both Vietnam and the US agreed that they will further economic, trade, and investment ties, with the facilitation of firms from both sides to conduct business and investment in their respective markets. Coming in from the airport, seeing everything thats been happening and been built, even since last year when we were spending time together during my second trip. Youve made tremendous progress and its a great thing for the world to see. And now the world is actually watching and theyre looking at Vietnam, President Trump said. He added that since his last meeting in Vietnam just over a year ago, the two nations had been conducting numerous trade negotiations, with more deals to be made in the future. Since that meeting, weve done a lot of trade, and whether its Boeing or a couple of others, were going to be signing some very big deals where youre buying a lot of different products from the United States, which we greatly appreciate, Trump said. Yesterday, Vietnam and the US signed a number of co-operation deals on aviation co-operation (see box). During Trumps first state visit to Vietnam in November 2017, the two countries signed a series of co-operation deals worth a total of more than $12 billion. At the time, Trump stated that in the early 1990s, nearly half of Vietnam survived on just a few dollars a day, and one in four did not have any electricity. Today, an opening Vietnamese economy is one of the fastest-growing on Earth. It has already increased more than 30 times over, and Vietnamese students rank among the best in the world, and that is very impressive. This is the same story of incredible transformation that we have seen across the region, he stressed. In 2016 former president Barack Obama also paid a state visit to Vietnam. The trip helped widen the doors for more of Vietnams goods, further strengthening firm groundwork for the two nations to boost bilateral co-operation, especially in agriculture. Specifically, the US allowed the importation of fresh mango from Vietnam into the continental US, effective from the end of 2017. Today, Vietnam can export dragon fruit, rambutan, litchi, longan, and star apples to the States. Strong interest in Vietnam Sitkoff of AmCham said that American businesses and investors have had a transformative role in the development of Vietnam over the last 25 years. From managerial practices and technologies to service standards and ethics, the US business community has affected Vietnam in many positive ways and overseas investment has helped to promote both economic and social development. Last month, US-based Pfizer Group, one of the worlds premier biopharmaceutical firms, inked a deal on transferring pharmaceutical production technology to Vietnamese enterprises, with the first products scheduled to be manufactured next year. According to the groups regional president for Asia and Emerging Markets, Pierre Gaudreault, Pfizer decided to invest in Vietnam as it sees potential in the market and its surrounding areas, as well as the countrys open investment policies. A few months ago, US-backed Cargill Vietnam opened a new $28 million feed mill in the southern province of Binh Duong to better serve livestock farmers in southern Vietnam. The mill is Cargills 12th animal nutrition facility in the country, and its largest and most technologically-advanced. The 48,000 square metre mill produces a wide portfolio of poultry and swine feed, and has an annual capacity of 240,000 tonnes. Vietnam is a key animal nutrition market for Cargill and we are committed to long-term and sustainable investment in the country, Philippa Purser, group director of Cargill Feed and Nutrition, told VIR. According to AmCham, many American companies are operating across the spectrum of economic activities here, including efforts to help Vietnam become more productive and efficient. It is important to know that while Vietnams official investment statistics rank the US quite low, the truth is that the United States is one of the top investors in Vietnam. The misunderstanding comes from complicated US tax laws and corporate structures that utilise global supply chains and systems, Sitkoff said. For example, Intels $1 billion assembly facility in Saigon High-Tech Park is an investment made through Intel Hong Kong, and therefore classified as a Hong Kong deal, despite Intel being an American company. Another example is Proctor & Gambles $100 million factory in Binh Duong, an investment made through P&G Singapore, even though Proctor & Gamble is a famous US corporation. There are many examples like this, Sitkoff added. We believe the United States is one of the top five investors here, and they are here selling cosmetics, soft drinks, and alcohol, cars, aircraft, software, industrial goods, educational services, financial and legal services, agricultural products, and so much more. President of the National Centre for APEC Monica Whaley told Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc that leaders from US businesses highly appraised Vietnams business environment and expressed the desire to launch long-term operations in the country, as well as play a role in attracting more American firms to pour investment into the country. Big names such as General Electric, Boeing, Coca-Cola, Nike, Microsoft, Metlife, UPS, and Exxon Mobil have set up shop in Vietnam. According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investments (MPI) Foreign Investment Agency, most of the key business sectors have seen the presence of big US investors, such as oil and gas with ExxonMobil and AES; aviation with Boeing and ADC-HAS; and IT with Microsoft, Intel, and HP. According to the MPI, as of January 20, the US was the 11th-largest foreign investor in Vietnam with 908 projects, registered at over $9 billion. Bilateral trade turnover between the two nations soared 120 times between 1994 and 2018, from $450 million to over $60 billion, according to Vietnams Ministry of Industry and Trade. Last month Vietnamese exports to the US reached $5.15 billion, up 42.1 per cent on-year. At the MoU signing ceremony (Photo: VNA) Training for educational managers, developing the Vietnamese version of Rightsapp - the first mobile application that allows users to quickly access the United Nations human rights treaties and agreements, and building an interactive learning portal on human rights will be included in the programme. At the signing ceremony, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese Party Central Committees Theoretical Council and HCMA Director, described this as an important event as it marks bilateral cooperation in promoting and protecting human rights through education, consolidating the friendship between Vietnam and Australia. Thang affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and Government always pay attention to respecting, protecting and implementing human rights. Particularly, the Constitution amended in 2013 reflects Vietnams respect for human rights and ensures better implementation of citizens fundamental rights and obligations. Vietnam has joined bilateral and multilateral forums on human rights. In addition, it has signed and ratified seven of the nine core UN human rights treaties, and set up regular dialogue mechanisms on human rights with many countries, including Australia. To raise public awareness of human rights through education, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved a project to integrate lessons on human rights into the public school curricula during 2017-2025. Under the programme, the HCMA is responsible for working with agencies to have human rights taught in all public education facilities by 2025, he added. For her part, President of the Australian Human Rights Commission Rosalind Croucher said Australia attaches much importance to relations with Vietnam and her commission will work with the HCMA to carry out the project in an effective manner. Thang is visiting Australia from February 25-27. Before working with the Australian Human Rights Commission, he visited the University of Sydneys Law School and Centre for International Security Studies to study their human rights teaching. He will continue his business trip to New Zealand on February 28. Local enterprises took part in the Guidelines to take advantage of C/O regulations in CPTPP seminar. - VNS Photo Hoang Nam Certificate of origin (C/O) is a must to receive tax incentives from CPTPP members and C/O for CPTPP is complicated and totally different from what Viet Nam has done before, Pham Binh An, director of the HCM City International Integration Centre, told the seminar, which was titled Guidelines to take advantage of C/O regulations in CPTPP. To support Vietnamese enterprises, the Ministry of Trade has issued Circular 03, which guides them and answers all their questions. Trinh Thi Thu Hien, head of the certificate origin sub-department at the Ministry of Trades import export department, said: This is a great chance for Vietnamese enterprises to expand their markets and attract more FDI and global supply chains if they can meet the stipulations under the C/O regulation. CPTPP allows all production chains, even very minor ones, to get tax incentives, encouraging CPTPP members to increase their investment in other member countries. Hien said Viet Nam has signed bilateral free trade agreements with seven members of the CPTPP. Local firms can apply for C/O either under FTAs or the CPTPP depending on production level and which one offers lower tax. CPTPP is just beginning and tariffs are starting to fall while FTAs have been in effect for a long time and taxes have already been cut. She pointed out that a new provision in the CPTPP is that exporters can self-issue C/Os based on information stipulated in the CPTPP. If Vietnamese enterprises are ready to spend time to study and prepare for granting C/O themselves, they can get a lot of benefits like saving the time required to go to authorities and the expenditure and getting them any time they need, An told Viet Nam News. However, if they do not strictly follow the guidelines, their products might attract high tariffs and even be returned or banned. Asked what enterprises should do about exports between the time the CPTPP came into effect, January 14, and March 8 when the circular comes into effect, he said: C/Os will be issued with retrospective effect and there will be no problems for exporters. For the garment sector, the CPTPP has a separate chapter and garment companies should study it carefully. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the CPTPP will have a huge and positive impact on Viet Nams investment and trade as a whole, with the garment, footwear, and food and beverage sectors to be the biggest beneficiaries as import tariffs will be eliminated on most of their products. A recent study by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) found that the trade deal could add 1.32 and 4.04 per cent to Viet Nams GDP and exports by 2035. In terms of investment attraction, CPTPP commitments on services and investment will help Viet Nam improve its investment climate and attract more foreign direct investment, it said. In terms of institutional reforms, the CPTPP will help Viet Nam further improve the local business and investment climate. Also according to the study, the deal will create an additional 20,000-26,000 jobs annually. Viet Nams deadlines for removing tariffs are later than for other nations. Almost all nations have to reduce tariffs on Vietnamese goods as soon as the deal takes effect, Canada on 94 per cent of tariff lines, Chile on 95 per cent, Japan on 86 per cent, and Mexico on 77 per cent. But the rate for Vietnam is only 66 per cent, increasing to 86 per cent over the next three years. MPI statistics show that as of October 20, CPTPP nations had invested well over US$120 billion in Viet Nam, accounting for 35.7 per cent of the countrys total registered FDI. The special silver coin to celebrate the DPRK-US Hanoi Summit. Source: Vtv.vn From 6.00am on February 27, hundreds of people were lining up to buy silver coins to celebrate the DPRK-US Hanoi Summit at the headquarters of Vietnam Stamp Company (14 Tran Hung Dao Street, Hanoi). The company had to set up a registration table and instruct buyers to wait in line to officially issue the silver coins. The expected sales amount was 300 coins, however, due to the large number of people registering, Vietnam Stamp Company decided to issue 500 coins at the cost of VND500,000 ($21.74) per coin. The pure silver coins mark an important diplomatic event of Vietnam in 2019. The coin has a diameter of 3.5 centimetres, one face featuring the image of a dove, the symbol of peace, an olive branch, and the flags of the DPRK and the US. The other face has the image of a lotus and the date of the summit. A full set of products includes one silver coin, one high-end gift box, and a certificate of issuance signed and stamped by the director of the company. Vietnam Post broke double records with its commemorative stamp set issued for the DPRK-US Hanoi Summit. Source: VietnamBiz Also related to the second DPRK-US Summit, the Ministry of Information and Communications in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has just held a special launching ceremony of the DPRK-USA Hanoi Summit stamp set in Hanoi. Using typical art language and a tight colour scheme, the stamp set shows the US and DPRK leaders shaking hands in front of a backdrop of peaceful and friendly Vietnamese bamboo. It also depicts the Vietnamese flag and the bird of peace with the line Partnership for sustainable peace in order to confirm Vietnams ability to organise international events as well as proving the countrys friendliness, hospitality, and responsibility towards sustainable global peace. Under the stamp is the image of Khue Van Pavillion, a symbol of Hanoi, where the second DPRK-US summit is taking place. The Khue Van Pavilion, literally the pavilion of the constellation of literature, is located within the citys Temple of Literature, which is the first university of Vietnam. On November 21, 2012, the pavilion was selected to be the symbol of Hanoi according to the Law on the Capital City by the National Assembly. With its meaningful language, this small stamp will help get across the messages Vietnam Safe and Friendly Destination and Hanoi City of Peace to international friends. It also confirms the countrys role as a UN member country a responsible and reliable partner of the international community in maintaining peace, stability, and development. According to Vietnam Post Corporation, 800,000 out of two million stamps have been printed, while the remainder would continue to be printed and released in the next few days. Ngo Hoai Thanh, head of the postage stamps department of Vietnam Post Corporation, said that this stamp set is a record as preparation time from design, printing to release only took five days. The stamp set attracted people's and stamp collectors attention. By the afternoon of February 27, the 800,000 sets of stamps were sold out. This was another record in stamp sales in a single day for Vietnam Post. South Africa's coal-mining heartland has the worst air quality in the world, according to a recent study by environmental organization Greenpeace. The 12 large coal mines in this area make it the worlds hotspot for toxic nitrogen dioxide emissions. Residents and health experts say the effects of this are ruining their health and their lives. VOAs Anita Powell went to the coal heartland of Middelburg, South Africa, and filed this report. VOA Khmer's Sou Pichchinda narrates. As U.S. President Donald Trump talked about his decision to walk away from a possible historic agreement with North Korea Thursday, he warned that Washington could do the same with Beijing. China and the United States have said they are making real progress in their efforts to resolve deep differences over trade. Late last week, talks that were supposed to end on Friday, went on until Sunday. And President Trump has agreed to delay a hike in tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods, a deadline that was originally set for Friday. The two sides are working hard, officials say, and plans are under way for Trump to invite his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to meet at his Mar-a-Lago home in March. However, there are also concerns that the two may not be able to bridge their differences over what China should do to further open up its economy. That much was apparent from Trumps remarks during a press conference on Thursday in Hanoi. Following an abrupt change in the schedule that was originally expected to end with a signing ceremony, the president said that much like the talks with North Korea in Vietnam, trade talks with China could go either way. Speaking of China, we are very well on our way to something special, but well see, Trump said. I am always prepared to walk. I am never afraid to walk from a deal. And I would do that too with China if it didnt work out. In remarks to reporters, Trump highlighted the role that he said China was playing in helping advance denuclearization on the Korean peninsula and could play if Pyongyang drops its nuclear ambitions and embraces economic development. China was discussed during their meetings, he said. We did talk about China today, a lot, Trump said. Hes (Kim) getting along with China and so are we. What they discussed specifically, the president did not say. He did note the tremendous support China gives to North Korea economically, but added that North Korea was calling the shots and not taking orders from anybody. Much like the divisions that Washington has with Pyongyang over what steps need to be taken before sanctions should be removed, there are concerns that Chinas leaders are not willing to go far enough in responding to U.S. demands for structural reform, such as ending generous state subsidies of Chinese firms, forced technology transfers and obstacles to market access. Liao Qun, chief economist with CITIC Bank international, said Beijing was likely to take Trumps remarks in stride, noting that China has gotten used to his tactics. What Trumps remark means, he said, is that the deal still isnt 100 percent closed. Like Trump has said, theres a possibility that there wont be a deal. So, lets not be too optimistic and let down our guard, he said, noting that some may have been getting overly optimistic following last weeks talks, the delay of the deadline and Trumps floating of possible meeting with Xi Jinping. Overall, I think both countries are moving toward a positive direction, Liao said, adding that it also seems like U.S. officials are trying to cool down sentiment and expectations. President Trumps top negotiator, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, told Congress on Wednesday that a new trade deal with China was not close to being completed. If we can complete this effort, and again I say if, and if we can reach a resolution on the issue of enforceability, we might have an agreement that enables us to turn the corner in our relationship with China, Lighthizer said. A senior commerce ministry official has called on the United States to carefully consider the consequences of imposing trade sanctions on Cambodia over its human rights record. Two US congressmen, Alan Lowenthal, and Steve Chabot, this week filed a bill that proposes the US government consider removing Cambodia from the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), a preferential trade scheme. Seang Thay, a commerce spokesman, said on Wednesday that the US should not rush to judgment and first look at the happy faces of garment workers. Its merely a request that they come and look in every corner [of the country], he said. Its improper to listen to just one person, two people, three people, or four people. They should come and see whats going on with Cambodians. Thay added that the economic impact of removing Cambodia from the GSP would be devastating. He added that if the motivation behind the move was a perceived democratic deficit, Washington should reconsider. It doesnt mean that Cambodia is not grateful for what we have been given so far, such as tax exemptions on some goods, but we paid tax on other goods, he said. Phay Siphan, a government spokesman, and Ken Loo, secretary general of the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC), could not be reached for comment. Moeun Tola, executive director of the Alliance of Labor and Human Rights, said the GSP was essential for the Cambodian economy, along with the EUs Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme, which is also under review. Cambodia must not let them happen at the same time, both the EBA and GSP, he said. Under the GSP, Cambodia has received preferential trade status since 1997. The country exported $400 million in garments and textile products to the United States duty-free last year, according to GMAC. The adoption of a European Union money-laundering blacklist, which includes Saudi Arabia as well as Puerto Rico and three other U.S. territories, could be blocked by EU governments under a procedure launched on Thursday, two EU diplomats told Reuters. At a meeting on Thursday, some national envoys opposed adopting the list, triggering a process that could lead to it being delayed or withdrawn, the diplomats said. The move came after Saudi Arabia's King Salman sent letters to all 28 EU leaders urging them to reconsider the inclusion of Riyadh on the list, one of the letters seen by Reuters showed. The listing of the Saudi Kingdom "will damage its reputation on the one hand and it will create difficulties in trade and investment flows between the Kingdom and the European Union on the other," the King wrote. One diplomat said Washington has also pressured EU countries to scrap the list. The U.S. Treasury said when the list was approved by the European Commission that the listing process was "flawed" and it rejected the inclusion of the four U.S. territories. The diplomat said the Saudi lobby had intensified at the summit of EU and Arab League leaders earlier this week in Sharm el-Sheikh. At that meeting, British Prime Minister Theresa May discussed the issue with the Saudi King, the diplomat said, adding that Britain and France are leading the group of EU countries opposed to the kingdom's inclusion on the list, confirming a Reuters report earlier in February. For the list to be blocked, a majority of 21 states is necessary. EU officials said that around 15 countries have already declared their opposition to the listing. The list was first adopted by the European Commission on Feb 13 and lists 23 jurisdictions including Nigeria, Panama, Libya, the Bahamas and the four U.S. territories of American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. For the first time, the EU listing used different criteria from those used by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which is the global standard-setter for anti-money laundering. The FATF list is much smaller and does not include Saudi Arabia and U.S. territories. Michael Cohen's testimony is just the beginning. The House oversight hearing with President Donald Trump's former attorney, coming in advance of special counsel Robert Mueller's report, heralds what Democrats in Congress view as the long days ahead providing checks and balances on the Oval Office. For some, the outcome may - or may not - lead to grounds for impeachment. For others, impeachment cannot come fast enough. What is certain, though, is the mounting tension. As the hearings and investigations unfold, Democrats, particularly those running for the White House, may be speeding toward a moment when they have no choice but to consider the I-word. Newly elected Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, among the most outspoken lawmakers on impeachment, says that as the 2020 presidential candidates visit her Detroit-area district, most residents are going to ask where they stand on this issue. Voters are less concerned with Mueller's Russia investigation, Tlaib said, than with the day-to-day White House operations and whether or not there's a crooked CEO in the Oval Office. Hours into Cohen's testimony Wednesday, New Hampshire's statehouse Speaker Steve Shurtleff, a Democrat, said that impeaching the president was becoming a realistic option. They're putting a lot of meat on the bone, Shurtleff said in an interview. It could be a one-two punch, he said of the Cohen hearing and Mueller report. I think it'll connect a lot of dots. Trump allies have tried to use the prospect of impeachment as a political weapon. The president's former chief counselor, Steve Bannon, had warned before the 2018 elections that Democrats would impeach the president if they won control of Congress. Republicans are taking up that mantle. At the start of the Cohen hearing, the top Republican on the panel, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, said the only reason for the session was so Democrats could pursue impeachment. Another committee Republican, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, called the hearing a circus not worth Americans' time. And newly elected Republican Rep. Carol Miller of West Virginia said the sole purpose was discrediting the president. If it was not already obvious, Miller said, there are members here with a singular goal in Congress to impeach President Trump. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has kept calls for impeachment at bay by insisting that Mueller first must be allowed to finish his work, which reports suggest could happen in the coming weeks, and present his findings publicly - though it's unclear whether the White House will allow its full release. Pelosi says the House shouldn't pursue impeachment for political reasons, nor should it hold back for political reasons. Instead, she says lawmakers need to do their jobs as a co-equal branch of government and go wherever the facts lead. The American people expect us to hold the administration accountable, said Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I, a member of House leadership. And if during the course of that we come upon sufficient evidence that warrants his removal, I think they expect us to do that. But Democrats are not there yet, at all. So far, the Democratic Party's potential 2020 class has tried to avoid the impeachment question altogether, fearful that calling for impeachment before the Mueller report is out could undermine the process and trigger a voter backlash. Among them, only former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke has directly called for Trump's impeachment. Others approached the Cohen hearing in more cautious and creative ways. Sen. Kamala Harris of California, used the hearings as a fundraising opportunity. Are you watching Michael Cohen testify before Congress today? campaign manager Juan Rodriguez wrote. There's a lot to unpack, but it's abundantly clear: if we are finally going to get to the truth, Congress must act to protect Robert Mueller from being fired before his findings in the Russia investigation are made public. He asked for donations of between $10 and $250. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts sent an email during the hearing promising, if she becomes president, not to pardon anyone implicated in the Trump investigations. She set down a challenge for others running to do same. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota tweeted that Cohen's testimony is a big deal. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said in a brief chat that he wasn't watching the hearing but was looking to digest it.' And Howard Schultz, the former Starbucks CEO considering an independent bid, said the testimony is another stark reminder of President Trump's utter disregard for honesty and decency. The liberal base is restive, though. A new group, By the People, launched a pledge drive urging members of both parties in Congress to show leadership by extending the legislative branch's oversight to the next step of impeachment. We already know Donald Trump has committed impeachable offenses, said Alexandra Flores-Quilty, a spokesperson for the group. We can't wait any longer and want our representatives to move forward now. So far only Tlaib and fellow newly elected Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota have signed on. Another new Democrat, Rep. Joe Cunningham of South Carolina, said impeachment was not central to his campaign for office. Our constituents back home sent me up here to do a job and focus on certain issues and that's not something I'm focused on right now, he said. Surveys show impeachment has merit for some voters. In a January Washington Post-ABC News poll, about as many Americans said Congress should begin impeachment proceedings (40 percent) as said they approved of the job Trump is doing as president (37 percent). Billionaire liberal activist Tom Steyer, who has poured millions of dollars into a campaign calling for Trump's impeachment, said Cohen's testimony marked a turning point in the debate because it's clear Trump broke the law. His group is launching a TV ad over the next week to highlight that point. It ended the argument. It didn't end the fight, Steyer said in an interview. Steyer says Democrats can only wait on the Mueller report for so long before they have to make their own decisions. His group is hosting town halls in the hometown districts of key House chairmen - including Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, who presided over the Wednesday's hearing. But as the Oversight Committee chairman exited the hourslong sessions, Cummings told reporters the only people using the I-word were the Republicans. Not one person on our side mentioned the word impeachment, the chairman said. Canada's opposition leader formally asked federal police on Thursday to investigate a claim of political meddling by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government in the criminal prosecution of engineering giant SNC-Lavalin. The House of Commons scheduled an emergency debate Thursday on the deepening controversy, the most serious faced by Trudeau since assuming office in 2015. Conservative leader Andrew Scheer accused the Liberal prime minister's inner circle of possibly attempting to obstruct justice, in a letter to Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Brenda Lucki -- which the RCMP confirmed to AFP it has received. "The matter at hand appears, on its face, to be a gross violation of the law," Scheer wrote. He pointed to "explosive testimony" by former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould, who told the House of Commons justice committee on Wednesday that Trudeau's staff and other senior officials applied undue pressure on her to settle a criminal case against SNC-Lavalin. The Montreal-based company was charged in 2015 with corruption for allegedly bribing officials in Libya between 2001 and 2011 to secure government contracts during former strongman Moamer Kadhafi's reign. Wilson-Raybould, after resigning from cabinet, testified that she experienced a "consistent and sustained effort" to politically interfere in the prosecution of one of the world's top engineering firms. She added that she faced "veiled threats," and described the intense pressure on her to comply as "inappropriate," but stopped short of suggesting it was illegal. In the end, Wilson-Raybould refused to ask prosecutors to settle, and the trial is set to proceed. Trudeau has rejected her characterizations of events, saying Wednesday that he had made clear to his former attorney general that the "decision around SNC-Lavalin was Jody Wilson-Raybould's and hers alone to make." Thursday morning, dodging calls to resign, he said: "My team and I have always acted in a professional manner." "Canadians expect their government to look for ways to protect jobs, to grow the economy, and that's exactly what we've done every step of the way ... in a way that has respected our laws and respects the independence of the judiciary," he added. For weeks, Trudeau's Liberal government has been rocked by the allegations first reported by The Globe and Mail newspaper, only eight months before elections. Canada's ethics commissioner has launched an investigation into the matter. The bishops of the Catholic Church in South Sudan are expressing concern about the future of South Sudan's peace agreement, signed last year. The bishops said in a statement Thursday they welcomed the agreement as a step forward. "However, the concrete situation on the ground demonstrates that it is not addressing the root causes of the conflict in South Sudan,'' they said. The bishops said human rights abuses continue with impunity, including murder, rape, widespread sexual violence, looting and occupation of civilian land and property in South Sudan. "There is no will or commitment for peace among many of our leaders, hate speech and propaganda abound, and there is a thirst for revenge among our communities,'' the bishops said. The statement said many of the committees and commissions mandated by the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan, (R-ARCSS), have not been set up or are late in getting started. President Salva Kiir's government, the main rebel group led by former vice president Riek Machar and most other armed groups signed the peace deal designed to end South Sudan's five-year civil war. However, Angelina Teny, the chairperson of the strategic defense security board, a body tasked with security arrangements, said not much has been achieved. Rebel forces were supposed to be gathered on bases before being integrated into the national army. "That is the prerequisite for the formation of the TGONU (Transitional Government of National Unity)," she noted. But the process has yet to begin, only two months before the "transitional" period defined in the peace deal begins. Church recommendations South Sudanese Catholic Church leaders said one of the key drivers of the current conflict is the number of states and their boundaries. Kiir redrew South Sudan's map five years ago, increasing the number of states. "The consequences of not settling the controversial issue of the 32 states before the onset of the transitional period, and of not fully consulting the people on the ground, are too grave to ignored,'' the bishops said. The church made 17 recommendations to the South Sudan government, stressing the need for an inclusive approach to the search for peace in South Sudan. "While we thank the (regional bloc) IGAD for its efforts, we note that the government of South Sudan is a member of IGAD and that other IGAD members have their own national interests. It thus becomes difficult for IGAD to act as a truly impartial mediator," the statement said. Official's response South Sudanese Information Minister Michael Makuie Lueth reacted angrily to the bishops' statement. "I am sorry and disappointed to hear such comments from a renowned religious sect," he said Thursday. "I am saying this because it is our strongest belief that the agreement addresses all the concerns of the people of South Sudan. It is fighting corruption. It is for reform. It is for democratic transfer of power, and it is for all the things for which everybody has been yearning." The information minister is on a tour of the Bahr el Gahzal area with Kiir to drum up support for the peace agreement. "Where are you all from?" my colleague asks a young boy named Chamil in Arabic. Minutes ago, he and several other boys arrived at this makeshift transit camp after escaping the battle for the Islamic State group's last stronghold in Syria. Chamil looks about 11 years old and is surrounded by seven other boys, all a bit younger than him. "Indonesia," he replies quietly. He is among more than 1,000 people that came here this day on cargo trucks from a war about 30 kilometers away. Internationally backed Syrian forces are fighting IS for its last patch of land, which is not much more than a refugee camp along the Euphrates River near the village of Baghuz. In the past week alone, more than 6,500 people have been trucked out, far more than anyone expected. But it is the militant group's last stand, and the battle has dragged out for weeks. Here in the transit camp, we meet ardent IS supporters, confused foreign children and women unsure of where they stand. Chamil answers a few questions in barely audible Arabic before sitting down and turning to his brother. In the distance behind him, a long row of men guarded by soldiers line up with their hands in the air. But Chamil's father is not among them. He is still inside the fight in Baghuz. His mother died before they moved to Syria four years ago. "My dad is here," Chamil whispers, meaning he believes his father is still alive. Strange last days Throughout IS conflicts in the past two-and-a-half years, buses, trucks, military vehicles and packed cars have fled war zones, carrying out civilians. But commonly, in the final days of critical battles, it's hard to say who is who. Everyone is believed to be somehow related to IS, but that doesn't mean everyone is involved. At the transit camp here in Syria, soldiers order the men in line to kneel and then begin searching for weapons. We are told several men admit to being Islamic State fighters and vow their mission will continue. Others deny being involved. A few women, draped head to toe in black veils, which are quickly growing brown from a gathering dust storm, also declare that the Islamic State will live on, despite their recent defeats. "It is God's will," says Umm Anas. Her friend nearby tilts her head away from journalists' cameras and makes sure her eyes remain covered in black fabric, despite the wind. "OK," I say, "But do you believe in what they say, that people who are not Sunni Muslims should be killed?" "Yes, this is religion," she responds calmly. My colleague and I are taken aback. Until now, most people we've met fleeing IS territory in Syria or Iraq are deeply relieved to be away from the bombing, usually having survived a siege. We have seen countless women coming out of IS areas, ripping off their veils and cursing the group. Even "true believers," with hopes of melting back into civilian society, are known to decry the militants. But pro-IS declarations among people fleeing Baghuz have become common in recent weeks. "Islamic State is not finished," Umm Anas says to another journalist. "There will be victory." Several soldiers move closer, appearing curious but not bothered. They know she will go to a camp, not to a jail. 'I am afraid' Behind a collection of about 20 white tents, empty with the wind yanking their flaps off the ground, another woman sits on the ground next to two suitcases and a cardboard box. Three sleeping children surround her, hiding their heads from the sand. Another child, Ibrahim, 4, has his leg bandaged in dirty gauze and appears to be trying to make some kind of sandcastle. His leg was injured by a bomb; shrapnel from the blast also immobilized the woman's arm and killed her fifth child. She says that after they were transported out of Baghuz last night, her husband was taken away with the other men for investigation. "He was a janitor in a mosque," she explains. "He was poor and crippled. He had to swear allegiance [to IS] to get the job." The wind briefly flips open the black fabric covering her eyes. She looks young and sad. Her forefinger pokes through a tear in her black glove, and holes in her long black covering reveal a frayed rose-colored sweater underneath. She tells us her name but then asks us not to publish it. I ask why she is afraid to use her name. "I don't know who I'm supposed to be afraid of, but I am afraid," she says. We ask her if IS told her these forces would be cruel to her, and that torture and rape were widespread. Militants have long told civilians under their rule this falsehood to frighten people out of trying to run away. "Not that," she says, slightly misunderstanding the question. "But when the trucks came to get us, the soldiers shouted at us, and ordered us to hurry and leave behind everything but our clothing. My husband told me to bring batteries, but the soldiers said I couldn't." Refugee or enemy? A moment later an investigative officer walks over to our secluded spot behind the tents, towering above the woman and her huddled children. "Where are you from?" he barks. "Aleppo," she says meekly. "Why are you still here?" he asks loudly. "They left the wounded women here," she says, trailing off. She doesn't know why she is still sitting in the sandstorm waiting to be told where to go. The officer is satisfied and strides off. The woman folds a bit on herself and trembles, weeping just loud enough to hear. She says she realizes the soldier was gruff, but not cruel. Still, she is terrified. Here outside of IS territory in Syria, she doesn't know how she will be received. Is she a refugee or an enemy? Congressional Democrats on Wednesday criticized a plan to divert money from Defense Department projects to fund President Donald Trump's U.S.-Mexico border wall under emergency powers. At a committee hearing that yielded a few new details about how Trump wants to move money between accounts without the approval of Congress, the Democratic chairwoman of the panel delivered a harsh rebuke to Pentagon witnesses. "I'm not sure what kind of chumps you think my colleagues and I are," said Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who chairs the Appropriations military construction subcommittee. 'Circumventing Congress' "What you are doing is circumventing Congress to get funding for the wall, which you could not get during the conference process," she said, referring to a bipartisan spending measure approved by Congress and signed into law by Trump on Feb. 14. Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert McMahon told the panel that no military construction projects already approved by Congress would be canceled. He said there could be deferrals of projects for which funds have not yet been dispensed. McMahon said that no money would be taken away from housing for soldiers and that the Pentagon would target project deferrals with "no or minimal operational readiness risks." He said the Pentagon will ask that any funding that is deferred be fully replenished in next year's appropriations bills making their way through Congress in coming months. Which projects? Republican Rep. Kay Granger of Texas urged McMahon to inform Congress of the specific projects the Pentagon would defer. He said specific decisions had not yet been made. Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine expressed concern that a deferral could delay maintenance at a Portsmouth naval shipyard in her state. She also said she feared that the White House could target projects in congressional districts whose House members voted to terminate Trump's emergency declaration. On the day he signed the bipartisan spending measure which provided $1.37 billion for physical barriers on the border, but not the $5.7 billion he wanted for his wall Trump declared a national emergency at the border, saying that would empower him to shift money from other accounts to his wall. The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a resolution to terminate the emergency order, although the Senate has not yet acted on the measure. Even if the Senate approved it, Trump would likely veto it. States' lawsuit Democrats say the order tramples on Congress' constitutional authority to make major decisions about spending U.S. taxpayer funds. A coalition of 16 U.S. states has already sued Trump to block his emergency declaration. The White House has identified $3.6 billion in Pentagon construction projects that it says can be tapped for building the wall, which Trump first proposed when he was a presidential candidate. At that time, he promised Mexico would pay for it. Since Mexico has refused, he now wants U.S. taxpayers to foot the bill. Trump says a wall is needed to fight illegal immigration and crime; Democrats say it would be too costly and ineffective and that there is no actual emergency at the southern border. Turkey is carrying out its largest naval exercises in a display of its rapidly growing navy. The show of force comes amid rising regional tensions over territorial and energy exploration rights disputes. Dubbed "The Blue Homeland," the drills involve more than 100 ships operating across the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea and eastern Mediterranean. On display in the 10-day exercise are many of Turkey's newest warships, along with the use of high-tech domestically produced drones. "Turkey is a regional power, and this naval exercise is to show the world that Turkey is a player," said international relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankaras Middle East Technical University, It is a show of strength in military terms to any country in the region. They should be aware how important it is to be with Turkey or to work together with Turkey or the risk of being against Turkey," he added. "It is showing the flag, the showing of the muscles. We are here in the Mediterranean; we have our interests in Cyprus, we have our interests in gas exploration and economic interests. Turkey has many outstanding disputes with Greece over territorial waters, which saw the two NATO members in the past go to the brink of war. Energy exploration in Cypriot waters is also a new point of rising tension. The Mediterranean island is divided between Greek and Turkish-Cypriot communities since a Turkish military intervention in 1974, following a Greek-inspired coup. The international community only recognizes the Greek-Cypriot administration. However, Ankara says the Greek-Cypriots must collaborate with the Turkish-Cypriot government in energy exploration after recent massive finds of natural gas in the islands territorial waters. "Nothing at all can be done in the Mediterranean without Turkey," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced last week. "We will not allow that, [unilateral Greek Cypriot energy exploration]. He declared that Turkey would begin drilling for oil and gas near Cypriot waters with two new exploration ships. Despite Ankaras rhetoric, Greek Defense Minister Evangelos Apostolakis sought to play down the naval exercises, calling them regular Turkish military training activities. Unnerving Cyprus, Greece Analysts say Turkeys powerful display of modern naval prowess will likely unnerve both Nicosia and Athens, which is the Greek-Cypriots' main ally. Turkey has resumed expanding its naval power after a decade, so we are talking about important material capabilities and the expansion of the Turkish navy should threaten the Greeks, said international relations professor Serhat Guvenc of Istanbuls Kadir Has University. But Greece has been struggling to come out of this deep recession, he added, Therefore they dont have money to respond to this Turkish naval expansion. Turkeys growing military capabilities are forcing new regional alignments, say analysts such as Guvenc. Athens is trying to remedy the lack of financial resources with the involvement of third parties, namely Russia and the United States, he said. Greece traditionally has good relations with Russia, which has been building up its naval presence in the eastern Mediterranean as part of its backing of the Damascus government in Syria's civil war. Until recently, however, the Greek government has had a frosty relationship with Washington. [Greek Prime Minister Alexis] Tsipras was elected on a relatively anti-Western, anti-American platform, he added, But Greek-American relations have been improving, and the Greek government has been the most cooperative in decades in terms of promoting military cooperation with the United States. In December, Greece and the United States launched a strategic dialogue to increase cooperation. We recognize Greece as a key player in the east Mediterranean. Greece emerges as a leader of regional stability. Our strategic dialogue will lead to a stronger future, said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Pompeo also added that Washington was working to strengthen relations with democratic allies there, like Greece and Cyprus and Israel. The three countries are already cooperating in the development of significant gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean. They also have had strained ties with Turkey. "Turkeys policy toward its neighbors is threatening and aggressive, and this is and will have repercussions, said political scientist Cengiz Aktar of Athens University. We should not forget that Greece is expected to sign in the [coming] months, a mini security arrangement with the United States, to which Egypt, Israel and Cyprus could potentially join as non-NATO countries, and this is clearly aimed at Turkey, he added. Turkey maintains that it poses no threat to any of its neighbors and that it is only committed to defending its rights and those of its allies. But analysts warn such words will likely do little to allay neighbors' concerns, with Turkey committed to expanding its armed forces, in particular, its navy. U.S.-backed Syrian forces battling Islamic State militants in their last hideout in eastern Syria said they have rescued dozens of Yazidi children held by the militant group for years. Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led alliance, said last week that they had successfully freed more than a dozen Yazidi children from IS as they evacuated civilians from the Syrian town of Baghuz. "Among many children saved from [IS] territory today, a group of Yazidi children also arrived to safe areas," SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali said in a tweet. Yazidis, a Kurdish-speaking religious minority, are viewed as infidels by IS extremists. In August 2014, IS militants made a massive attack on Sinjar, once home to the largest Yazidi community in the world. At least 5,000 Yazidis, mostly men and boys, were killed during the attack on the Iraqi city. Sex slaves, soldiers IS then kidnapped thousands of Yazidi children and women, who were subsequently used as sex slaves and child soldiers. The 12 children recently freed by IS in Baghuz are now in a special residence near Hasaka, a Kurdish-held area in northeast Syria. "I was held for more than four years," said Mazin Salim, 14, a former captive. "When they first took me from my village [near Sinjar], they kept me in Mosul for several weeks," he told VOA in a phone interview this week. Salim added that "along with many other Yazidi children, I was then taken to a location in Syria. I believe it was Aleppo. After staying there for a few months, they transferred us to Raqqa." Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS, was liberated by the SDF with support from the U.S.-led coalition in October 2017. "When fighting intensified in Raqqa, they moved us to an area near Baghuz," Salim said. The Yazidi teenager said that while he was in custody, IS indoctrinated him with its extremist ideology. "In the beginning, they would beat me every day because I didn't know Arabic and didn't know anything about Islam," Salim explained. "But slowly, they taught me how to read verses from the Quran." 'Cubs of the Caliphate' During its brutal reign in Syria and Iraq, IS recruited child soldiers to be part of what it called "Cubs of the Caliphate," a unit made up of brainwashed and abused children who would carry out suicide attacks, execute civilians and perform other cruel acts. "I checked up on all of these children," said Shahin Hossein, a Kurdish doctor who has been providing medical care to the Yazidi children since their arrival. "All of them have varying degrees of psychological problems." Hossein said some of the children have been suffering from physical illnesses for a long time without receiving any treatment. Since the battle to capture Baghuz began this month, it has been easier for SDF fighters to find Yazidi children and women. "Before this final battle in Baghuz, we had contacts in Daesh territory who would provide us with information about Yazidi captives," SDF spokesman Bali told VOA, using an Arabic word for IS. "So, we would carry out special operations to rescue them. But since all civilians are leaving Baghuz, it is easier to identify Yazidis as they come out of the town." Once they are identified, Yazidi children and women are taken to a different location, separate from camps hosting other civilians fleeing IS. "Our job is to receive them, give them medical treatment and then facilitate their return to Sinjar," said Mahmoud Resho, a coordinator at the Yazidi House Council, a local organization that supports Yazidi refugees and captives. "So far, we have a total of 25 children and a woman who are waiting to go to their families in Sinjar," Resho told VOA. A child who refused to be named for security reasons said that he was able to communicate with his family in Sinjar through the Yazidi House Council and that "he can't wait to see them again." Resho said the Iraqi government has recently closed its border with Syria. "That's why these people have been waiting for a while," he added. Uncertainty about families Another problem facing Yazidi children rescued from IS in Syria is that many don't know the whereabouts or statuses of their families, Resho said. "These kids have been kidnapped for almost five years. Some of their families are either killed or have migrated to Europe," he said. Salim said he doesn't know what awaits him in Sinjar. "I miss my family so much, but I don't know whether they're alive or dead," he said. A new survey shows a widespread lack of confidence in U.S. leadership from residents around the world, with only 31 percent approving of the job performance of American leadership, which drops it below global perceptions for both Germany and China. The new poll by Gallup, released Thursday, shows that during President Donalds Trump second year in office, views of American leadership remained roughly the same after dropping 18 points during Trumps first year. The report said the U.S. numbers for 2018 suggest that the doubts sowed in Trumps first year about U.S. commitments abroad have taken root and the unpredictability of the U.S. president in now somewhat expected. Both China and Russia gained considerable ground in the survey, which is based on responses from people in 133 countries. Chinas median approval rating rose to 34 percent and Russias rating reached 30 percent, nearly equaling the U.S. number. Those gains in Russia and Chinas approval numbers were thanks in part to large increases, by 10 percent or more, in more than a dozen countries. Many of those gains were in nations where the United States lost ground, including Mexico and Turkey. According to the survey, Germanys leadership received the highest median approval number, at 39 percent. However, this was Germanys first score below 40 percent in a decade. The research, which Gallup has been carrying out since 2007, showed that respondents disapproved of U.S. leadership more than any other world power asked about in the poll. The U.S. disapproval rate was 40 percent, considerably higher than the disapproval numbers for Germany (22 percent), China (28 percent) or Russia (31 percent). Gallops Global Managing Partner, Jon Clifton, said in the report that Trumps America First foreign policy wasnt designed to win friends around the globe and noted that Trump has taken many unpopular global measures since he took office, including pulling out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal, as well as engaging in trade wars with Europe and China. Clifton says that while Trumps actions were not intended to make America popular, their effect could cost the United States in terms of foreign policy leverage. He cited research from Dartmouth College and the University of Sydney that found public opinion around the world about U.S. foreign policy does affect countries policies toward the United States. In November, a survey released by the Pew Research Center found similar global views about the United States. Data from 25 countries showed that respondents had little confidence that President Trump would do the right thing in global affairs and rated him lower than German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Europe Europe is the region in which the image of U.S. leadership fared worst, according to the Gallup survey. The approval rating of American leadership on the continent was 24 percent, down 1 point from the previous year. The disapproval rating was 59 percent, up three points from 2017. The European country that had the most positive rating of U.S. leadership was Kosovo, at 80 percent, which also led the world in approval of U.S. leadership. Only one other European country had a majority of its population report a favorable view of American leadership in 2018: Albania, at 69 percent. The European country with the least favorable view of U.S. leadership was Russia, at 11 percent. However, Russias view has increased 9 percentage points since Trump took office, and Russia no longer gives the lowest approval rating of American leadership in the world, which was the case during the Obama administration. Other European nations that gave the United States an ultra-low approval rating were Norway (12 percent) and Sweden (13 percent). While Europeans approval of American leadership was low overall, their view of Russian leadership was even lower, at 21 percent. They equally frowned on the leadership of Russia and the United States, with nearly 6 in 10 Europeans disapproving of the leadership of the two countries. Europeans had the highest view of Germanys leadership, with 56 percent approving. That number was similar to the previous year, at 54 percent. Americas The perception of U.S. leadership increased last year among its closest neighbors, rising in the Americas from 24 percent to 31 percent. Increases were made in every country in the region except three: Canada, Chile and El Salvador. The countries that had the biggest positive increases were the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Haiti. During a year in which the United States renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, those two countries had two of the highest disapproval numbers for U.S. leadership. Seventy-nine percent of Canadians and 74 percent of Mexicans disapproved of U.S. leadership in 2018. Overall, the region was more likely to approve of Germanys leadership, giving it a 35 percent approval rating. Approval of Chinas leadership, at 30 percent, was similar to the United States, while Russia came in last at 28 percent. While the approval numbers for all four countries, the United States, Germany, China and Russia, were roughly in the same range in the Americas, the disapproval rating for the United States was much higher (53 percent) than for the other countries, which ranged from 24 to 33 percent. Respondents in the Americas were also much more likely to say they didnt know enough about the leadership of Germany, China and Russia to either approve or disapprove, with more than a third having no opinion or declining to answer the question. Only 17 percent of respondents had no opinion or did not answer the question regarding U.S. leadership. Asia The approval of U.S. leadership in Asia increased by 2 percentage points since last year, but still remained in record-low territory at 32 percent. The region, defined by Gallup as including East Asia and parts of the Middle East, approved of both the leadership of Germany (36 percent) and China (34 percent) more than the United States. Russia was seen as equal to the United States at 32 percent. Majorities in just five countries in the region approved of U.S. leadership: Israel (67 percent), the Philippines (61 percent), Mongolia (60 percent), Nepal (55 percent), and Myanmar (52 percent). The countries or regions with the lowest approval of U.S. leadership were Iran (85 percent), the Palestinian territories (81 percent) and Yemen (75 percent). Gallup said the two factors that probably hurt the U.S. image most in the region were the escalating trade war between the United States and China, and the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. Despite the low approval of U.S. leadership in the region, the U.S. rating declined substantially in only three countries: Iran, where the United States renewed sanctions; Turkey, which was engaged in a trade dispute with the United States; and Cambodia, where the United States has threatened sanctions over the political climate. Positive views of U.S. leadership increased substantially in several countries in the region, including India, Taiwan, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan. Africa The image of the United States is strongest worldwide in Africa, according to the Gallup survey. More than half of African respondents (52 percent) were positive toward American leadership. The number is higher in most sub-Saharan African nations and lower in North Africa. There were only five countries in all of Africa where residents were more likely to disapprove than approve of U.S. leadership: Namibia, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Morocco. The countries with the most favorable view of the leadership of the United States were Togo, Guinea, Niger and Ghana, all of which had at least two-in-three respondents expressing support. Favorable ratings for the United States rose by double digits in four countries: Rwanda, Zimbabwe, the Republic of Congo and Niger. Africans also had a favorable view of China, which has invested heavily in the continent. Approval of the leadership of China was 53 percent, one point higher than the approval of U.S. leadership. Both China and the United States had low disapproval ratings, with 16 percent for China and 19 percent for the United States. Approval ratings for the leadership of Russia (37 percent) and Germany (46 percent) trailed those for the Untied States and China. The tension between India and Pakistan that led to both sides flexing their military muscles this week was triggered by a terror attack claimed by a U.S.-designated terror group based in Pakistan. India blames Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) for the suicide attack in Indian-administered Kashmir this month, which killed about 40 Indian paramilitary troops. India justified its airstrikes this week inside Pakistan by saying it targeted the JeM training camp. Here is what is known about the group: What is Jaish-e-Muhammad? JeM, or the Army of Muhammad, was founded in 2000 with an aim to liberate the Indian-administered Kashmir area and to ultimately unite it with Pakistan. Indian officials and international terrorism authorities consider JeM a lethal terror group and accuse it of launching numerous assaults in India, including on an Indian Parliament building, local residents and Indian army bases. Both the U.S. State Department and the United Nations have designated JeM as a terrorist organization. Pakistan outlawed the group in 2002 after JeM attacked India's Parliament in December 2001. The group then changed its name and has continued to operate under the new name of Tehreek-ul-Furqan. Where is JeM based? Jaish-e-Muhammad reportedly is based in the Peshawar region of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkwha province, and Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-administered Kashmir. The group follows strict Sunni ideology and has ties with other Sunni terror groups, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). LeT and LeJ are both U.S.-designated terror networks based in Pakistan that are strong proponents of the liberation of India-controlled Kashmir. JeM also had close ties with the al-Qaida terror group and the Taliban. Additionally, it is believed al-Qaida provided funds to JeM to carry out terror acts in Kashmir. India has long accused Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence of covertly providing support to the JeM network and its leader, Masood Azhar a claim denied by Pakistan. Who founded the group? Azhar, from Pakistan's Punjab province, founded JeM. The Muslim cleric started the hard-line Islamist group after being freed from an Indian prison in 1999 in exchange for 155 hostages from an Indian Airlines plane that had been hijacked by militants and taken to Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province in the 1990s. Azhar reportedly received his militant training from a jihad camp in Afghanistan in the 1980s and later fought against Soviet troops in Afghanistan. Before founding JeM, Azhar was an active member of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, a U.N.-designated terror group that rebranded itself as Harkat-ul-Ansar in 1993 following a ban. In recent years, India repeatedly has proposed having the JeM leader designated as a global terrorist through the U.N. Security Council. But China, a Pakistani ally, has blocked the move several times. In a video message released in 2014, Azhar claimed he had more than 300 suicide bombers at his behest who could attack India if Narendra Modi were to become India's prime minister. Modi was sworn in as prime minister on May 26 of that year. Attacks in India Jaish-e-Muhammad is responsible for carrying out several deadly attacks in India over the years. In October 2001, JeM's operatives carried out a car bomb attack on the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislative Assembly Complex in Srinagar, killing more than 35 people. In December 2001, militants belonging to JeM and LeT attacked the Indian Parliament in New Delhi. Six Indian police personnel were killed. The attack escalated tension between India and Pakistan to an extent that prompted the archrivals to deploy troops along their border. JeM militants also attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station in India in January 2016. Three members of India's security force were killed. JeM also has carried out attacks inside Pakistan. It twice attempted to assassinate former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in 2003 after being declared a terrorist group by the government the prior year. Talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, ended early, these are key takeaways from Trumps closing news conference: Trump described the talks as a very productive two days He said Kim has a certain vision and its not exactly our vision on denuclearization He said Kim wanted all sanctions lifted, which the United States could not agree to Trump said Kim promised him hes not going to do testing of rockets and missiles or anything nuclear He said dismantling the Yongbyon nuclear complex was discussed in exchange for lifting of sanctions Trump described China and Russia as having been helpful in the process No commitment yet to a third summit, but hopes next meeting could be soon North Korean leader Kim Jong Un left open the possibility of denuclearization during his meeting Thursday with U.S. President Donald Trump. If Im not willing to do that, I wouldnt be here right now, Kim said in response to a question from reporters in Hanoi, Vietnam. When asked if he is willing to take concrete steps toward denuclearization, Kim said that is what is under discussion. Trump said the two leaders are having very productive discussions and that he thinks the relationship between the two sides is better than it has ever been. I think no matter what happens were going to ultimately have a deal thats really good for Chairman Kim and his country and for us. I think ultimately thats whats going to happen, Trump said. Important 'we get it right' The short-term, concrete outcome of the two-day summit was not clear as it neared its conclusion Thursday. The days schedule released by the White House originally included a signing ceremony for some unspecified document. But when Press Secretary Sarah Sanders announced that a planned news conference would be moving up by two hours, she declined to comment on whether the signing would take place. At the start of their meeting Thursday, Trump expressed a position of patience when it comes to the nuclear talks with North Korea. Whats important is we get it right, Trump said. WATCH: President Trump Looking for 'Right Deal'; Kim Not Pessimistic Trump predicted long term fantastic success when it comes to North Korea, saying the country will be an economic powerhouse. Kim noted the attention the summit is garnering, likening it to a fantasy movie while saying he will do his best to bring a good result. Lowered expectations While some U.S. officials have attempted to lower expectations for the outcome of the second summit, Trump is under pressure to extract something beyond the vague commitment made by Kim last June in Singapore on pledging to give up his nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in exchange for a lifting of crushing international sanctions on the impoverished country. The Singapore summit was hailed as a historical event as Washington and Pyongyang have never had diplomatic relations. When Trump took office there were fears of a renewed war with North Korea as the U.S. president threatened to unleash fire and fury like the world has never seen on the northeast Asian country in response to its threats against the United States and its allies. During their talks Thursday, both Trump and Kim also expressed a favorable view of the possibility of North Korea allowing the United States to open an office in Pyongyang. Its actually not a bad idea, Trump said, after the prospect was raised by a reporter. I think thats something which is welcomeable, Kim said. Some US skepticism U.S. intelligence officials remain skeptical that Pyongyang intends to follow through on Kims Singapore pledge to denuclearize. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told a congressional panel last month that North Korea has halted its provocative behavior by refraining from missile tests and nuclear tests for more than a year. As well, Kim Jong Un continues to demonstrate openness to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Despite the end to testing, Coats cautioned that we currently assess that North Korea will seek to retain its (weapons of mass destruction) capabilities and is unlikely to completely give up its nuclear weapons and production capabilities. The U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Syria says in a new report that lawlessness remains widespread throughout Syria, despite a general winding down of the war as pro-government forces make military gains. In its report to be submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council on March 12, the commission said there had been a significant drop in fighting in Syria during the reporting period from mid-July 2018 to mid-January 2019. That, it said, was mainly due to extensive military gains made by forces allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and an agreement between Turkey and Russia to establish a demilitarized zone in northwestern Syria. But U.N. investigators said the war was not over. They said attacks by pro-government forces in Idlib and western Aleppo have caused scores of civilian casualties. They said civilians also suffered from the fighting by Syrian Democratic Forces and the U.S.-led international coalition against Islamic State militants in Deir el-Zour. Chairman Paulo Pinheiro said the commission did not evaluate decisions made by any member state engaged in Syria. But he told VOA the commission was deeply concerned about the possible implications of any large-scale troop withdrawals. He said they could deepen insecurity and endanger the rule of law and human rights. Greater instability seen "The withdrawal of U.S. troops from northern Syria or from those at the al-Tanf zone in the south near Rukban indeed have the potential to deepen ... security vacuums," Pinheiro said. "And in the north, to increase tensions between Kurdish and Turkish forces." A U.S. military base in the al-Tanf safe zone in Rukban, a Syrian desert outpost near Jordan, is sheltering thousands of displaced civilians. Washington had said it would withdraw 2,000 U.S. troops from eastern Syria, near the Turkish border, since IS militants had been defeated. But it has since decided to keep 500 troops in the predominantly Kurdish-controlled area. Though the war appears to be winding down, the commission said it was unsafe for millions of internally displaced people and refugees to return to their homes in Syria. Before sustainable returns are feasible, it said, there must be a substantial and permanent reduction of hostilities. The three-member commission said all warring parties must guarantee returnees will not face persecution, discrimination, arbitrary detention and torture. It said that only tangible progress toward a political settlement ending the eight-year-old conflict would make that possible. Michael Cohen, President Donald Trumps disgraced former personal lawyer and fixer, is headed for three years in prison for lying to Congress, cheating on his taxes and a host of other crimes. He faced a tall order Wednesday to convince lawmakers that Trump had engaged in criminal activity before and after the 2016 election and that the president was a cheat and con man. With Democrats wary of Cohen and Republicans poised to shred what little remains of his integrity as a lawyer and operative, Cohen dug several potentially incriminating documents out of boxes in storage in a bid to bolster his explosive claims during testimony before the House Oversight Committee. The documents included a personal check for $35,000 that Trump signed Aug. 1, 2017, to partially reimburse Cohen for $130,000 in hush money that was paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels to prevent her from going public with her story of a sexual liaison with the president that might have torpedoed his campaign. Payments Cohen said he made the payment at the direction of Trump, contrary to what the president has said, implicating him in what prosecutors say was a violation of campaign finance law. The presidents lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has acknowledged the payment but has said it did not violate campaign finance laws because it came from Trumps personal funds rather than his campaign. Cohen says Trumps canceled check was part of the hush money payment. Nevertheless, the appearance of a check written against Trumps personal account seven months after Trump had taken office was an eye-opener for many of the lawmakers, congressional aides and reporters packed in the hearing room. Among the other documents that Cohen produced before the lawmakers: copies of Trumps financial statements from 2011 to 2015 showing that the former New York billionaire real estate mogul may have inflated or deflated the value of his assets, depending on whether he wanted to impress potential lenders like Deutsche Bank or financial publications like Forbes, or sought to minimize his exposure to real estate and income taxes. Cohen also revealed copies of letters he wrote on Trumps behalf threatening the presidents high school and colleges and the College Board to not release his grades or test scores. WATCH: Cohen Testifies Trump Involved in Hush Money Payments Cohen, the most high-profile witness to testify against a sitting American president since former White House Counselor John Dean implicated President Richard Nixon in 1973 in a cover-up conspiracy, has emerged as a star witness in a wide-ranging federal investigation into Trumps business and political affairs. Cohen came into the hearing with many questions about his checkered past and credibility as a witness. Republicans blasted the committees Democratic leadership for inviting a liar and scofflaw to testify before Congress. Weve brought the committee to its knees, said Republican Rep. Jody Hice of Georgia. This is a mockery of what our purpose is. Trump lashes out from Hanoi Trump, in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi for a nuclear summit with North Koreas Kim Jong Un, accused Cohen of lying. Cohen, who last year pleaded guilty to nine criminal counts, acknowledged questions about his credibility and repeatedly apologized to members of Congress and his friends and family. He said that he spent the last week scouring through boxes of documents in search of evidence to corroborate his testimony. The documents were part of a trove of evidence seized by FBI agents from Cohens office, home and hotel room last year. Investigators later returned the documents to Cohen. I recognize that some of you may doubt and attack me on my credibility, Cohen said. It is for this reason that I have incorporated into this opening statement documents that are irrefutable and demonstrate that the information youll hear is accurate and truthful. In his opening statement, Cohen recounted how Trump directed him to silence Daniels as well as former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who had also alleged an affair with Trump. Trump denied both womens allegations. To pay off Daniels, Cohen said, he was directed by Trump to use his personal funds from a home equity line of credit in order to avoid any money being traced back to him (Trump) that could negatively impact his campaign. Cohen testified that Trump spread out his reimbursements over 11 months to make them look like Cohen was on a retainer for legal services. A second $35,000 check shared with the committee was signed in March 2017 by Trumps oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg. He said one of his biggest regrets was that he lied to first lady Melania Trump about the payoffs. Catch and kill scheme Cohen arranged for tabloid publisher American Media Inc. to pay McDougal $150,000 during the campaign, but he said Trump never reimbursed the company for the hush money payment. AMI has confirmed it bought the rights to McDougals story in a catch and kill scheme and is cooperating with federal prosecutors. Republicans on the committee sought to cast doubt on the significance of the checks. Rep. Mark De Saulnier of California said the checks do not prove reimbursement for the hush money payment. However, Bennett Gershman, a professor at Pace Law School in New York, said the checks supported Cohens claim that they were for reimbursement for silencing Daniels. Certainly the documents he presented bolstered his credibility, Gershman said. They do provide corroboration. The financial documents turned in by Cohen put Trumps net worth at $4.2 billion in 2011 and $4.5 billion in 2012, and $8.4 billion in 2013. During the 2016 campaign, Trump boasted that he was a really rich man worth more than $10 billion. But Bloomberg News estimated his net worth at about $2.9 billion. Cohen said that while Trump exaggerated his wealth to get a good bank loan or a better insurance deal, he sometimes understated his assets to pay less in taxes. The Trump Organization has denied the allegations. Russia meeting Not everything Cohen alleged about Trump was supported by documentary evidence. Cohen claimed that his former boss knew and approved of a controversial June 2016 meeting between Trump advisers and a group of Russians, a claim Trump has dismissed. Cohen said he recalled being in a room with then-candidate Trump when Donald Trump Jr. walked in behind his father and whispered into his ear, The meeting is all set. I remember Mr. Trump saying, OK, good let me know, Cohen testified. Donald Trump Jr. agreed to the meeting with the Russians after learning that they had dirt on Democrat Hillary Clinton and has said that his father didnt know about it. But Cohen said, Nothing went on in Trump world, especially the campaign, without Mr. Trumps knowledge and approval. Stone, WikiLeaks Cohen also accused Trump of involvement in secret efforts by his associates to obtain Democratic emails stolen by Russian operatives and handed over to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. During a July 18 or 19, 2016, Trump Tower meeting with Trump, Cohen recalled Roger Stone, a longtime Trump adviser, calling to inform the Republican candidate that WikiLeaks was about to release a massive dump of damaging emails about Clintons campaign. Mr. Trump responded by stating to the effect of wouldnt that be great, Cohen testified, recalling that Trump had put Stone on a speakerphone. WikiLeaks leaked the stolen emails July 22, 2016. Stone was indicted by a grand jury last month in connection with efforts to solicit the emails from WikiLeaks in coordination with Trump campaign officials. He has pleaded not guilty. During his testimony, Cohen also raised the possibility that Trumps legal problems may run deeper. He said federal prosecutors in New York are investigating other criminal matters as part of a broader look at Trumps business and political activities. Scott Amey, general counsel at the Project on Government Oversight in Washington, said Cohen came off as a truthful witness. Everyone is going to hear this testimony and realize that Mr. Cohen has a very checkered past, has lied to the IRS, and to state and local officials in New York, Amey said. But that doesnt mean once a liar always a liar. At some point Cohen decided to turn things around and start telling the truth. He seems to be trying to provide truthful statements to the committee. Musical virtuoso Andre Previn, who mastered almost every type of genre, died Thursday at 89. His manager gave no cause of death in making her announcement. The Berlin-born Previn was a child prodigy, but his family fled Hitler's Germany when he was 9 years old. They eventually settled in Hollywood, where Previn launched his career orchestrating scores for films. His work can be heard gracing the soundtracks of such musicals as My Fair Lady, Porgy and Bess, and Gigi. While working in Hollywood, Previn became enamored with jazz, but may be best remembered as a classical composer and conductor, serving as principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. He also led the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Houston and Pittsburgh symphonies. Throughout his career, Previn won four Oscars and 10 Grammys. Previn was married five times, including to actress Mia Farrow, with whom he adopted three children. One of them, a Korean orphan named Soon-Yi, created a scandal when she married Farrow's then-boyfriend, film director Woody Allen. Previn once said he would like to drive over Allen with a steamroller. North Korea is disputing President Donald Trump's account of why the summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un collapsed, saying the North demanded only partial sanctions relief in exchange for shutting down its main nuclear complex. Trump, who was on his way back to Washington on Thursday, said before leaving Hanoi that the talks broke down because Kim insisted that all the punishing sanctions the U.S. has imposed on Pyongyang be lifted without the North committing to eliminate its nuclear arsenal. Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho commented during an abruptly scheduled middle-of-the-night news conference. Earlier on Thursday, Trump told reporters the North had demanded a full removal of sanctions in exchange for shutting the Yongbyon nuclear facility. Ri said the North was also ready to offer in writing a permanent halt of the country's nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and that Washington wasted an opportunity that ``may not come again.'' He said the North's position wouldn't change even if the United States offered to resume the dialogue. Trump had said in Hanoi that there was a proposed agreement ``ready to be signed.'' However, he said after the summit was cut short, ``Sometimes you have to walk.'' Asked about the North Koreans' claim that they had demanded only partial sanctions relief in exchange for shutting down their main nuclear facility, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said: ``I'll refer you back to the president and Secretary [of State Mike] Pompeo's remarks at the press conference'' in Hanoi. No lunch, no ceremony Mere hours after both nations had seemed hopeful of a deal, the two leaders' motorcades roared away from the downtown Hanoi summit site within minutes of each other, their lunch canceled and a signing ceremony scuttled. The president's closing news conference was hurriedly moved up, and he departed for Washington more than two hours ahead of schedule. The disintegration of talks came after Trump and Kim had appeared to be ready to inch toward normalizing relations between their still technically warring nations and as the American leader dampened expectations that their negotiations would yield an agreement by North Korea to take concrete steps toward ending a nuclear program that Pyongyang likely sees as its strongest security guarantee. In something of a role reversal, Trump had deliberately ratcheted down some of the pressure on North Korea, abandoning his fiery rhetoric and declaring that he wanted the ``right deal'' rather than a rushed agreement. For his part, Kim, when asked whether he was ready to denuclearize, had said, ``If I'm not willing to do that I won't be here right now.'' The breakdown denied Trump a much-needed triumph amid growing domestic turmoil back home, including congressional testimony this week by his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who called Trump a ``racist'' and ``con man'' and claimed the then-presidential candidate had prior knowledge that WikiLeaks would release emails that would damage Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016. Trump insisted his relations with Kim remained warm, but he did not commit to having a third summit with the North Korean leader, saying a possible next meeting ``may not be for a long time.'' Though both he and Pompeo said significant progress had been made in Hanoi, the two sides appeared to be galaxies apart on an agreement that would live up to stated U.S. goals. ``Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that,'' Trump told reporters. Weapons would be left Kim, he explained, appeared willing to close his country's main nuclear facility, the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center, if the sanctions were lifted. But that would leave him with missiles, warheads and weapon systems, Pompeo said. There are also suspected hidden nuclear fuel production sites around the country. ``We couldn't quite get there today,'' Pompeo said, minimizing what seemed to be a chasm between the two sides. Long-standing U.S. policy has insisted that U.S. sanctions on North Korea would not be lifted until that country committed to, if not concluded, complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization. Trump declined to restate that goal Thursday, insisting he wanted flexibility in talks with Kim. ``I don't want to put myself in that position from the standpoint of negotiation,'' he said. White House aides stressed that Trump stood strong. The failure in Hanoi laid bare a risk in Trump's unpredictable negotiating style: Preferring one-on-one meetings with his foreign counterparts, his administration often eschews the staff-level work done in advance to assure a deal and envisions summits more as messaging opportunities than venues for hard-line negotiation. There was disappointment and alarm in South Korea, whose liberal leader has been a leading orchestrator of the nuclear diplomacy and who needs a breakthrough to restart lucrative engagement projects with the impoverished North. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said that the clock on the Korean Peninsula's security situation has ``turned back to zero'' and diplomacy is now ``at a crossroads.'' Liaison office The two leaders had seemed to find a point of agreement when Kim, who fielded questions from American journalists for the first time, was asked if the U.S. may open a liaison office in North Korea. Trump declared it ``not a bad idea,'' and Kim called it ``welcomable.'' Such an office would mark the first U.S. presence in North Korea and a significant grant to a country that has long been deliberately starved of international recognition. There had long been skepticism that Kim would be willing to give away the weapons his nation had spent decades developing and that Pyongyang felt ensured its survival. But even after the summit ended, Trump praised Kim's commitment to continue a moratorium on missile testing. If the first Trump-Kim summit in Singapore last year gave the reclusive nation's leader an entrance onto the international stage, the second appeared to grant him the legitimacy his family has long desired. Kim, for the first time, affably parried with the international press without having to account for his government's long history of oppression. He secured Trump's support for the opening of a liaison office in Pyongyang, without offering any concessions of his own. Even without an agreement, Trump's backing for the step toward normalization provided the sort of recognition the international community has long denied Kim's government. Experts worried that the darker side of Kim's leadership was being brushed aside in the rush to address the North's nuclear weapons program: the charges of massive human rights abuses; the prison camps filled with dissidents; a near complete absence of media, religious and speech freedoms; the famine in the 1990s that killed hundreds of thousands; and the executions of a slew of government and military officials, including his uncle and the alleged assassination order of his half brother in a Malaysian airport. Members of a U.S. House Armed Services subcommittee on Wednesday heard testimony from five transgender members of the U.S. military, just over a month after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration can ban future transgender members of the military. The ruling made Jan. 22, 2019, said transgender men and women already serving in the military can stay, but any further applicants who have already undergone a gender transition could be barred from the service. Members of the service with gender dysphoria, or a feeling that their physical gender does not match the gender they feel themselves to be, would be required to serve as their physical gender. The Trump administration said the restrictions were necessary because of "tremendous medical costs and disruption" of having transgender military personnel serve. But the five transgender witnesses Wednesday testified that their openness about their gender identity has helped other service members to be transparent as well. U.S. Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik, a physical therapist, said her patients have told her they could be more honest with her because of her own authenticity about her identity. She said that has made her more effective at her work. Army Capt. Jennifer Peace said, "I consider myself to be a prime example of what a transgender service member can do." She said she fears that the new ban would keep transgender service members already on the force from taking opportunities that would require leaving the military, because they would be banned from returning. Staff Sgt. Patricia King said the people under her command were readier for combat because her transgender status made for a more open atmosphere. "There were no secrets, no false bravado, no hiding," she said. "We built cohesion in a way that I have never seen in my 19 years of service. That's the value of openness." And Jesse Ehrenfeld, a U.S. Navy veteran who now studies gay and lesbian health at Vanderbilt University, said there is "no medically valid reason to exclude gender-transitioned individuals from military service." He added, "There is nothing about being transgender that diminishes an individual's ability to serve. ... Banning transgender troops harms readiness through forced dishonesty." The Trump administration introduced the transgender ban in July 2017 via a tweet by the president. Civil rights groups have sued to overturn the restrictions. Pakistan will release the Indian fighter pilot captured after his plane was shot down earlier this week in the disputed Kashmir region. Prime Minister Imran Khan announced Thursday during a parliamentary speech that it will turn over Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman on Friday as a "peace gesture" toward its nuclear-armed neighbor. "In our desire of peace, I announce that tomorrow [Friday], and as a first step to open negotiations [with India], Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody, Khan said. Varthaman was captured Wednesday after flying over the Line of Control, the de-facto border in the disputed Kashmir region, and into the airspace of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. A second Indian fighter jet was also shot down during the skirmish, but crashed in India-controlled Kashmir. New Delhi also claims it shot down a Pakistani fighter jet, a claim denied by Islamabad. The announcement came just a few hours after U.S. President Donald Trump indicated to reporters in Hanoi that the United States was playing a role to help lower tensions between the South Asian nuclear armed rivals. We have reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India. They have been going at it, we have been involved in trying to help them stop. And we have some reasonably decent news. I think, hopefully that will be coming to an end, Trump noted. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters Thursday on a flight from Vietnam to Manila he spent a good deal of time speaking Wednesday night with the leaders of India and Pakistan. Pompeo said the conversations were aimed at making sure there was a good information exchange between the leaders and encouraging them "not to take any action that would escalate and greatly increase risk. The recent developments involving both countries was likely to be discussed Thursday during a meeting between U.S. Under Secretary for Political Affairs David Hale and the Pakistani ambassador to the U.S., Asad Majeed Khan, at the State Department. Despite Pakistan's announcement that it would return the captured Indian pilot, India remains on a "heightened" state of alert, according to Indian army Major General Surendra Singh Mahal. "We are fully prepared and in a heightened state of readiness to respond to any provocation from Pakistan," Mahal said at a news conference in New Delhi. Indian police also tightened security Thursday in states bordering Pakistan. Barricades were erected and additional officers were deployed in India's northern Punjab state, the Ludhiana District, the state of Gujarat and the desert state of Rajasthan. Pakistan closed off its civilian airspace after the aerial firefight, a decision that forced Thai Airways to cancel a number of flights, leaving nearly 5,000 passengers scrambling to find other flights. Thai Airways later received permission to fly over China's airspace. Pakistan and India have moved closer to the brink of war since 40 Indian paramilitary forces were killed in a suicide attack in the town of Pulwama in Indian-controlled Kashmir on February 14. New Delhi has accused Pakistan of shielding militant group Jaish e Mohammad, which has claimed responsibility for the attack. A spokesman for Pakistan's Foreign Ministry says it has received a dossier from India about the attack. Indian jets entered Pakistani airspace Tuesday for the first time since 1971, when the two countries went to war to destroy what they said were JeMs training camps in Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The rivals have gone to war three times since achieving independence from Britain in 1947. The two sides briefly exchanged fire across the contested border in Kashmir on Thursday. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said his Saudi counterpart, Adel al-Jubeir, would arrive in Islamabad later Thursday carrying a special message from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Numerous media organizations working in Venezuela have denounced authorities for harassing, bullying and even confiscating the equipment of journalists as they cover the ongoing crisis in that South American country. While embattled President Nicolas Maduro assures that press freedom is respected in Venezuela, journalist groups tell another story. Cristina Caicedo Smit has this report. The first Iranian-American woman to win an Oscar, Rayka Zehtabchi, said she wants to build on Sundays triumph of her documentary about menstruation by producing several films with Iran- and women-related themes. Im very interested in telling Iranian stories as well as womens stories, the 25-year-old Los Angeles-based filmmaker told VOA Persian in a Skype interview on Monday. Escalating tensions between India and Pakistan continued Thursday with armed skirmishes between the nuclear-armed rivals and the closure of Pakistani airspace stranding thousands of air passengers. Pakistani and Indian forces briefly traded fire across the contested border in Kashmir Thursday. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Pakistan shut down its civilian airspace Wednesday after it said it shot down two Indian warplanes that had flown over to its side of the Line of Control, the de facto border in the disputed Kashmir region, and captured one Indian pilot. New Delhi also claims it shot down a Pakistani fighter jet, a claim denied by Pakistan. The decision by Islamabad to close off its airspace forced Thai Airlines to cancel all flights to and from Bangkok to most of the major cities in Europe, leaving nearly 5,000 passengers scrambling to find alternative flights. Thai Airlines later received permission from China to fly over its airspace. Several other airlines, including Singapore Airlines and British Airways, were forced to reroute several flights to avoid Pakistan's airspace. Pakistan and India have moved closer to the brink of war since 40 Indian paramilitary forces were killed in a suicide attack in the town of Pulwama in India-controlled Kashmir. New Delhi has accused Pakistan of shielding the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, which has claimed responsibility for the suicide attack. Indian jets entered Pakistani airspace Tuesday, for the first time since 1971 when the two countries went to war, to destroy what they said were JeM's training camps near Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Social media videos by locals from the area showed the strike hit a sparsely populated wooded area. After hours of dramatic public testimony about U.S. President Donald Trump's business and political life, longtime Trump lawyer Michael Cohen returned to Capitol Hill Thursday to meet with lawmakers again. The session before the House intelligence committee is a closed-door event, just as his appearance at the Senate intelligence committee was earlier this week. It was at the House Oversight Committee where Cohen made news Wednesday by calling Trump a "racist," a "con man" and a "cheat." Trump pushed back Thursday during a news conference in Vietnam after a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He said Cohen was "incorrect" and that he "lied a lot." His only praise for Cohen was that he was impressed his former lawyer did not lie about collusion. The most important question up there was the one on collusion, and he said he saw no collusion, Trump said. WATCH: Trump on Cohen Testimony Trump also reiterated his repeated defense that his presidential campaign did not collude with Russia. Cohen told the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday that while he did not have direct evidence of collusion, I have my suspicions. The president attacked the ongoing investigations into possible connections with his campaign and Russia, calling Wednesdays hearing shameful. This should never happen to another president. This is so bad for our country, Trump said. WikiLeaks, Roger Stone Cohen told lawmakers Trump knew his campaign adviser, Roger Stone, was in contact with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange about Russian-hacked Democratic National Committee emails damaging to his 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton before WikiLeaks released them to the public. Cohen also said he witnessed a conversation between Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr., which Cohen believes was about a 2016 Trump Tower meeting between senior campaign officials and a Russian lawyer tied to the Kremlin. Cohen: 'I know what Mr. Trump is' Cohen spent nearly six hours telling the House committee about his decade as Trumps personal attorney. Donald Trump is a man who ran for office to make his brand great, not to make our country great. He had no desire or intention to lead this nation, only to market himself and to build his wealth and power, ... Cohen said. I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trumps illicit acts rather than listen to my own conscience. I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. Cohen said nothing happened within the Trump Organization without Trump knowing about it. Russia negotiations Cohen said Trump secretly directed negotiations for a Moscow real estate deal, while publicly claiming during the campaign that he had no business interests in Russia, which would have posed a conflict. Trump repeatedly lied to voters about not having any business dealings with the Russians because he never expected to win the election and didnt want to pass up landing a lucrative real estate deal in Moscow, according to Cohen. Cohen said that while Trump did not directly tell him to give false testimony to Congress about the Moscow negotiations, the president made clear that he wanted me to lie. Cohen detailed reimbursements from Trump for hush money Cohen paid weeks before the election to keep adult-film star Stormy Daniels quiet about an affair she alleges she had with Trump more than a decade ago. Cohen provided the committee a copy of one check for $35,000 that he said Trump personally signed from his personal bank account while he was president. He said the check was one of 11 installment checks. Racist remarks Trump is a racist, a con man, and a cheat, Cohen alleged. The country has seen Mr. Trump court white supremacists and bigots. You have heard him call poorer countries shitholes. In private, he is even worse, Cohen testified. He once asked me if I could name a country run by a black person that wasnt a shithole. This was when Barack Obama was president of the United States. While we were once driving through a struggling neighborhood in Chicago, he commented that only black people could live that way. And, he told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid, according to Cohen. He said Trump once arranged for a fake bidder at an auction to pay $60,000 for a portrait of Trump, then reimbursed the bidder out of funds from Trumps charitable foundation so Trump could hang the painting at one of his country clubs. It was my experience that Mr. Trump inflated his total assets when it served his purposes, such as trying to be listed among the wealthiest people in Forbes, and deflated his assets to reduce his real estate taxes, Cohen said. Prison sentence Cohens testimony comes about two months before he begins a three-year prison term after pleading guilty to financial crimes, campaign finance violations and lying to Congress. He also has been disbarred and can no longer practice law in the state of New York. Republicans zeroed in on Cohen as someone who cannot be believed because he lied to Congress before and is going to prison for it. They also described Cohen as someone who is angry because he did not get a White House job he allegedly coveted and is interested in the millions of dollars he could collect from book, movie and television deals. They claimed Cohen and the Democrats are out to destroy Trump and that he is seeking a lesser prison sentence for his crimes. Cohen briefly spoke to reporters after the hearing, saying he is humbled. He thanked House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings for giving me the opportunity today to tell my truth. Beginning of a process After hearing Cohen speak, Cummings said he believes Trump committed a crime while in office, saying Wednesday was the beginning of a process and that Americans want accountability. He dismissed Republican charges that the hearing was a circus and travesty, saying this was about the checks and balances between the legislative and executive branches members of Congress are constitutionally bound to uphold. Cohen is the highest profile witness since the 1970s Watergate scandal to testify in Congress against a sitting American president. The last time the United States witnessed anything like this was in 1973, when former White House Counsel John Dean delivered a dramatic testimony that implicated President Richard Nixon and others in a cover-up effort in the Watergate affair. A year later Nixon became the only American president to resign. Cohen pleaded guilty last year to eight criminal charges, including campaign finance violations in connection with the payments to Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also alleges she had an affair with Trump. He also pleaded guilty to one count of lying to Congress about the Trump Organizations efforts to negotiate a deal to construct a Trump Tower in Moscow. U.S. President Donald Trump says he does not believe North Korean leader Kim Jong Un knew about the brutal mistreatment suffered by the late American Otto Warmbier during his imprisonment in the isolated regime. The 22-year-old University of Virginia student was visiting North Korea with a tour group when he was arrested and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in March 2016 on suspicion of stealing a propaganda poster. He died the next June after he was returned to the United States in a coma. During a question and answer session with reporters in Hanoi Thursday, President Trump was asked if he had confronted Kim about Warmbiers death in 2017. Trump said he really believed something bad happened to Warmbier, but said he doesnt think the top leadership knew about it. I dont believe that he would have allowed that to happen, the U.S. president said, referring to Kim Jong Un. Just wasnt to his advantage to have allowed that to happen. Those prisons are rough theyre rough places, and bad things happen. Trump said Kim told him he felt very badly about it. A U.S. federal court judge last November ordered Pyongyang to pay more than $500 million to Otto Warmbiers family. His parents filed a lawsuit against the reclusive regime, claiming their son had been intentionally beaten. It is unlikely North Korea will pay the judgment since there is no mechanism to force it to do so. Despite their collapsed talks in Vietnam this week, U.S. President Donald Trump seems to harbor no ill feelings towards North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, calling Kim a real leader. In a television interview recorded in Hanoi with Sean Hannity of Fox News that aired Thursday night, Trump described Kim as smart as you can be and mercurial. Trump also said that he likes Kim and Kim likes the president. Some people say Oh, you shouldnt like him. I say, Why shouldnt I like him? He said the two of them get along great. Talks fall apart The table had been set for a celebratory lunch at the landmark Metropole Hotel and a ceremony prepared for Trump and Kim to sign agreements. But both events were hastily canceled just before noon Thursday, bringing a premature end to the second summit by the leaders of the two countries. You always have to be prepared to walk, Trump said, adding I could have signed something today and confirming, we actually had papers ready to be signed. The president added that Kim wanted sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldnt do that, Trump explained at a news conference in the Hanoi, after the talks collapsed. They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas we wanted, but we couldnt give up all the sanctions for that. He said they discussed dismantling the Yongbyon nuclear complex, but a complicating matter was another uranium enrichment site. WATCH: Trump on why deal wasn't signed Kim, according to Trump, had promised at dinner the previous evening that North Korea would not conduct further nuclear or missile tests. North Korea's foreign minister, Ri Yong Ho, at a rare midnight media briefing in Hanoi, declared that his country's negotiating stance would not change even if the United States seeks further talks. At the two-day summit the Americans demanded one additional concession from Pyongyang beyond the dismantlement of the Yongbyon complex, Ri told reporters at the Melia Hotel where Kim is staying. Calling it a realistic proposal, he said North Korean negotiators sought a partial sanctions relief in exchange for continuing to halt its nuclear and long-range missile testing. In his news conference, President Trump described the Hanoi talks as "productive" and said he thinks the two sides will eventually reach an agreement about denuclearization of North Korea. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, standing alongside Trump, in a large conference room of the JW Marriott Hotel plastered with colorful banners touting the summit, said he hoped talks between the two countries would resume soon. There were timing and sequence issues that prevented the two leaders from crossing the finish line, said Pompeo, who along with National Security Adviser John Bolton are seen as hardliners in the administration in dealing with Pyongyang. Trump, in response to a reporters question, said he had not committed to a third summit with Kim. He also indicated North Korea, which has had numerous international sanctions imposed upon it, would not be punished for the lack of progress. I dont want to talk about increasing sanctions, theyre strong, said Trump, noting the burden they have had on impoverished North Koreas population. The U.S. president said he would make calls on the way home on Air Force One to South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. There was a quick expression of disappointment in Seoul, where Moon has been a cheerleader for the Trump-Kim talks. It is unfortunate that we didnt see a complete agreement between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un, read a statement issued by South Koreas presidential Blue House spokesman Kim Eul-kyeom. At the same time, it is also true that we have more meaningful progress than ever before. It is little wonder these negotiations broke down after Trump has spent more time in office blowing up nuclear treaties than building them, said Akira Kawasaki of the international steering group of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which was awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. We need a real plan rooted in the international community and treaties like the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which the Koreas could join tomorrow and begin the disarmament process with legitimacy. A former State Department official, who specialized in Korean issues, expressed hope the two countries will resume working-level negotiations as soon as possible. If, as President Trump claims, the United States walked away as a negotiating tactic, that is not necessarily a bad thing because it can demonstrate to North Korea that Washington is not desperate for any deal whatsoever at the summit and that Pyongyang can't just use the time pressure and media focus in a summit situation as leverage, Mintaro Oba told VOA. It's equally possible that U.S. negotiators walked away from the prospect of smaller but meaningful gains because their negotiating position was too inflexible or there were disagreements on the U.S. team. That would be far more concerning. Patience, lowered expectations While some U.S. officials attempted to lower expectations for the outcome of the second summit, Trump was under pressure to extract something beyond the vague commitment made by Kim last June in Singapore on pledging to give up his nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in exchange for a lifting of crushing international sanctions on the impoverished country. I suspect North Korea calculated that Trump was desperate for a deal and was going to fold on sanctions relief. It wasn't a bad bet, I think, but it didn't end up paying off. Trump is actually quite unpredictable about when he folds and when he raises, said James Acton, the co-director of the nuclear policy program of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The Singapore summit was hailed as a historical event. When Trump took office there were fears of a renewed war with North Korea as the U.S. president threatened to unleash "fire and fury like the world has never seen" on the northeast Asian country in response to its threats against the United States and its allies. During their talks Thursday, both Trump and Kim also expressed a favorable view of the possibility of North Korea allowing the United States, which has no diplomatic relations with the reclusive Asian nation, to open an office in Pyongyang. There had also been speculation the two leaders might agree to discussions about a peace treaty. Minor breakthrough Technically, a state of war still exists on the Korean Peninsula as three years of trench warfare ended in 1953 only after the longest-negotiated armistice in history. There was one historic, albeit minor, breakthrough during Thursdays talks. During two events intended for photographers, Kim for the first time responded to questions from foreign reporters. The initial reply was to a question on whether he was feeling confident about a deal that was asked by David Nakamura of the Washington Post, the days designated print reporter for the White House press. Kim replied in Korean: Its too early to tell. I wont prejudge. From what I feel right now, I do have a feeling that good results will come. Any such results, however, will presumably now have to wait for a future encounter between the two leaders. U.S. lawmakers expressed anger Thursday about President Donald Trump's defense of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who claimed he knew nothing about the alleged torture of a jailed U.S. college student who later died. Otto Warmbier, charged with stealing a propaganda poster during an organized tour, was sentenced to 15 years at hard labor in North Korea in March 2016. Freed 15 months later, Warmbier, in a comatose state, died shortly after he was brought back to the United States. Trump, speaking after his summit meeting with Kim in Hanoi, said Kim told him he felt "very badly about it" and that "he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word. ... He knew the case very well, but he knew it later. ... I don't believe that he would have allowed that to happen. Those prisons are rough they're rough places, and bad things happen." Several members of Congress said they had a hard time believing not only that Kim had no knowledge of the Warmbier case, but also that Trump had more faith in Kim than in his own intelligence agencies. 'Very gullible' "I think the president is very gullible in this regard. He seems to have a very odd affinity toward dictators," Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii told VOA, while Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, also a Democrat, said Trump's attempt to "exonerate" Kim was "abysmal." "This is a guy who is the maximum leader and when there are Americans in custody there, Kim Jong Un knows how important that is," Kaine said. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, said there was "something wrong" with Trump for choosing to believe "thugs." But Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota said what Trump says in public about Kim might be different from what he privately feels. "He may very well be saying that so that he can continue a dialogue with North Korea rather than creating another area in which that becomes an item of discussion," Rounds said to VOA. There has been no comment from Warmbier's parents, who were Trump's guests at the 2018 State of the Union address, when he condemned the "depraved character" of the North Korean state and blamed its "dictatorship" for Warmbier's injuries and death. It is still unclear what caused Warmbier to fall into a coma while imprisoned in North Korea, but his parents say he was tortured. A U.S. federal judge in November ordered North Korea to pay more than $500 million in damages to Warmbier's family, but it is highly unlikely they will ever see the money. VOA's Michael Bowman on Capitol Hill contributed to this report. President Donald Trumps former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who was interviewed for more than seven hours behind closed doors before the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday, is to return to Capitol Hill March 6 to finish testifying. The committees chairman, Democrat Adam Schiff of California, announced Cohen would be returning, as will Russian-born businessman Felix Sater, who worked on the Trump Tower Moscow project with Cohen. Sater has attracted media attention as a result of his ties to Trump and involvement in the proposal. The New York Times reported in August 2017 that Sater referenced his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin in emails to Cohen and said the real estate deal would help elect Trump to the presidency. Our boy can become president of the USA and we can engineer it, Sater wrote. I will get all of Putins team to buy in on this, I will manage this process. Schiff said the closed-door session with Cohen was productive. He said lawmakers were able to drill down in great detail on issues under investigation. Focused on Russian interference The closed-door session was expected to focus on topics related to the panels investigation into Russias interference in the 2016 presidential election and ties between Russia and Trump associates. Thursdays developments come on the heels of public testimony the day before from Cohen, in which he called his former boss a racist, a con man and a cheat. Trump fired back in a televised interview on Fox News Thursday night, calling Cohens testimony a terrible display of dishonesty. Earlier Thursday in Vietnam, Trump said during a news conference after a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that Cohen lied a lot. Trump also reiterated his repeated defense that his presidential campaign did not collude with Russia. Cohen told the House committee Wednesday that he did not have direct evidence of collusion but, he said, I have my suspicions. He told lawmakers Trump knew his campaign adviser, Roger Stone, was in contact with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange about Russian-hacked Democratic National Committee emails damaging to his 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton, before WikiLeaks released them to the public. Prison sentence delayed Cohen's return to Capitol Hill on March 6 is the date he was originally supposed to report to prison to begin serving a three-year sentence. A judge allowed his report date to be delayed two months, after Cohen's attorney requested time for Cohen to prepare for his congressional testimony. On Thursday, news reports emerged saying the House Intelligence Committee plans to bring in Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization's longtime chief financial officer, to testify. In Wednesday's testimony, Cohen said that Weisselberg was directly involved in Trump's legal practices. Cohen alleged that Weisselberg and Trump discussed reimbursements for hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels, who claimed an affair with Trump, and that Weisselberg was aware Trump committed potential insurance fraud by inflating his assets. History The last time the United States witnessed anything like this was in 1973, when former White House Counsel John Dean delivered a dramatic testimony that implicated President Richard Nixon and others in a cover-up effort in the Watergate affair. A year later Nixon became the first and only American president to resign. Cohen pleaded guilty last year to eight criminal charges, including campaign finance violations in connection with the payments to adult film actress Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also alleges she had an affair with Trump. Trump has denied both claims. Cohen also pleaded guilty to one count of lying to Congress about the Trump Organization's efforts to negotiate a deal to construct a Trump Tower in Moscow. Ukrainian lawmaker and presidential hopeful Vitaliy Kupriy survived two violent attacks in the past and he is taking no chances now. One attack involved an assailant coming at him with a hammer. As campaigning heats up in the countrys presidential race, he is shadowed by two mountainous bodyguards. It is hardly surprising that he is alert to danger he has been a thorn in the side of the rich and powerful for years. He has used an NGO he founded to try to kick-start a string of high-profile corruption cases, including one against businesses owned by incumbent President Petro Poroshenko for profiting from currency speculation using, Kupriy alleges, insider information. The rights lawyer and deputy chairman of a parliamentary panel overseeing Ukraines law enforcement agencies does not have any illusions about his chances of emerging as a frontrunner from the pack of also-rans in an election featuring an unwieldy field of 44 candidates. That is not the point of his candidacy, he tells VOA. Broken system His objective is to highlight how broken the judicial and law enforcement system is in Ukraine and how political corruption is as bad now, he says, as it was when pro-Moscow authoritarian president Viktor Yanukovych was ruling the country and plundering Ukraine. Yanukovych was driven from office in 2014 by the Euro-Maidan uprising. Our agencies have collapsed. We dont have the rule of law, he says. I go to different cities and hold town-hall meetings and last year I traveled to 130 cities. Aside from poverty, the major complaints are about the courts and law enforcement and how when people complain to the police about crimes against them nothing happens and the criminals just pay off the police. From petty bribery to high-level graft, corruption is one of the key issues in a presidential race that many say is one of the dirtiest they can recall. The current surprise front-runner popular TV comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy has built his political outsider campaign around the issue. With a month to go before the first round of polling, Zelenskiys nearest rivals Poroshenko and former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko have been slinging mud at each other, trading corruption accusations. Tymoshenko made a fortune in the natural-gas business, earning her the nickname the gas princess for her role in shadowy dealings back in the 1990s. On Tuesday, an investigation by an independent news outlet, BIHUS.info, rocked the election with allegations linking the son of one of Poroshenkos closest associates and former business partner, Oleg Gladkovsky, the first deputy secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, to a money-laundering and smuggling scandal. The scheme, the outlet alleged, led to the embezzling of millions of dollars from state defense enterprises and involved the smuggling of used parts from Russia and selling them to Ukrainian defense companies at inflated prices. According to the National Security and Defense Council, Gladkovsky was suspended from his post after the allegations were aired pending an investigation into the claims. Later it was reported he had resigned, but both he and his son deny the allegations. 'Ugly and dirty campaign' Poroshenko has not been directly implicated in the accusations of wrong-doing. Even so, Tymoshenko has demanded Poroshenkos impeachment, and some analysts suggested the expose could upend the incumbent presidents bid for re-election. Just wonder if this will be a terminal blow for Poroshenkos campaign, Tim Ash, senior sovereign strategist at BlueBay Asset Management, a major European investment house, said in a note to clients. All sides have a lot to lose in this campaign, I guess it is going to be an ugly and dirty campaign. The gloves just came off, he added. Corruption involving the armed forces is a highly emotive issue in Ukraine. The conflict in the east with Russia has cost an estimated 13,000 lives since 2014. The embezzlement allegations come as no surprise to Kupriy, a native of the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro (formerly Dnipropetrovsk), where he headed a department combating racketeering. He was briefly a member of Poroshenkos parliamentary bloc but broke with the president in March 2015 after clashing with him over stalled reforms. Last year, he was involved in an ugly verbal spat with Poroshenko in the parliament over the war in the east, which he believes the president has not pursued with enough vigor. Breaking with Poroshenko has had consequences, he says. Friends and allies of his have been targeted for prosecution and he is under investigation himself by the countrys chief military prosecutor, Anatoliy Matios. His wife is a multi-millionaire, he says of the prosecutors spouse. How is this possible? He has spent his whole career in government agencies. He says it is his wifes business, but we know whats going on, he adds. A request for comment by VOA from the military prosecutors office went unanswered. Inaction Kupriys tactic has been to follow high-profile graft cases and when theres no action by prosecutors and the anti-corruption agencies to go to the courts to get them to order probes are advanced. I have 60 current cases. My style is to be like a bulldozer and push hard, he says. But once he has secured a court order there is little he can do to get the investigations to be handled seriously. His biggest focus has been on corruption involving former Yanukovych aides and friends. Most of the cases have just stalled but meanwhile the assets are stripped off the accused and transferred into offshore companies, whose ownership is unclear. The property should be seized for the people, and not just confiscated and transferred into the hands of others. This is a question of due process. We lose the opportunity of the property being sold and the proceeds put into the national treasury, says Kupriy, a father of three who spent four years studying and working in Australia. The West is frustrated His outrage has been echoed by Western governments and independent observers, who have urged Ukrainian authorities to enact root-and-branch reform. Since Yanukovychs ouster of 2014, several anti-corruption agencies have been set up in close cooperation with the assistance of Ukraines Western allies, including the U.S.. Among them the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office, the State Bureau of Investigation, and an anti-corruption court. But there has been open warfare between the agencies. Forty-eight out of 180 major investigations into top officials and oligarchs have been completed, but no one has been sentenced to jail terms and hearing dates keep being postponed. Analysts say theres been progress in reducing corruption in the gas and banking sectors, but otherwise graft has returned to pre-Maidan levels. What went wrong? The short answer is that the new institutions dont work, or in the case of NABU, theyre being blocked from doing their job, wrote Mykola Vorobiov, a Ukrainian journalist, in a study for the Atlantic Council, a U.S. think tank. To the frustration of Western allies, Ukraines highest court struck down Wednesday a provision forcing officials suspected of corruption to prove that their assets are legitimate. The court ruled the requirement unconstitutional on the grounds it violates the principle of the presumption of innocence. The provision was introduced in 2015, a quid pro quo demanded by the International Monetary Fund for loans need to shore up Ukraines economy. NABU officials say the ruling will force them to shut down more than 60 corruption cases. The new U.N. special envoy for Syria said Thursday his goals in the period ahead are to achieve concrete action on detained and missing people and the convening of a committee to draft a new constitution for the war-torn country as soon as possible. Geir Pedersen said he also wants to begin a sustained dialogue with the government and opposition on building trust and confidence, to engage a wide-range of Syrians, and to help the international community deepen its dialogue on achieving a political settlement of the eight-year conflict. Pedersen's first briefing to the U.N. Security Council indicated a much broader approach to trying to end the war and restore peace to Syria than his predecessor, Staffan de Mistura, who spent his last year trying unsuccessfully to form a constitutional committee. The Security Council has been deeply divided over Syria, with the U.S. and its allies backing the opposition and Russia and China supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad's government along with Iran and other countries. The result has been near-paralysis of the U.N.'s most powerful body. Pedersen focused on a resolution the council did succeed in adopting unanimously in December 2015 endorsing a road map for peace. It contains all the elements for a political solution, he said, and calls for a truly Syrian-led and owned political process which he stressed is key if any peace deal is to be sustained. The new envoy noted that key international players express emphatic support for a political settlement for Syria and agree on the need to counter terrorist groups. They share an appreciation of the realities of 2019 and that real diplomacy is needed to address them, Pedersen said, noting that currently different formats make different contributions. In the early years of the Syrian conflict there was a large international contact group, but in recent years Russia, Iran and Turkey the guarantor states in the so-called Astana process aimed at ending the violence in Syria have become the key international diplomatic players in Syria. Pedersen said he believes there are real possibilities for strengthening international support, and a need to be creative. If we are to see how issues can be unblocked and how to help the parties move in a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned process, a common forum where key states engage seriously on those issues may be needed, he said without elaborating. As he deepens discussions with the government and opposition, Pedersen said, I sense a wide acceptance of the notion that convening a credible, balanced, inclusive and viable Syrian-led and owned constitutional committee, under U.N. auspices in Geneva, can be important to revitalize the political process. It can be a door opener to a deeper dialogue and genuine negotiations, he reiterated. Pedersen expressed hope that we can finalize the rules of procedure and the composition of the committee in the near future. De Mistura said at his last press conference in December that an an extra mile was needed to form a constitutional committee because a list of participants from civil society submitted by Russia, Iran and Turkey wasn't acceptable to the United Nations. Pedersen also said some challenges must be addressed urgently, including the future situation in Syria's northeast, where U.S.-backed forces are fighting the Islamic State group in the last village it controls and a cease-fire in the last opposition-held stronghold in Idlib remains fragile. Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia expressed hope that soon the Astana guarantors will manage to achieve mutually acceptable solutions on the Idlib de-escalation zone and also the northeast. He said Russia shares many of Pedersen's assessments and pledged support to the U.N. envoy's efforts to restore peace to Syria. The key words that you mentioned is the need to restore, rebuild lost trust, not just within Syria but also around Syria, all of the players that are working on Syria, Nebenzia told Pedersen. France's U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre said an inclusive political solution is the only way to avoid a new black decade in Syria and he urged the Security Council to overcome its divisions and unite in helping to restore peace to Syria. United Nations investigators are accusing Israeli soldiers of having intentionally targeted civilians during crackdowns last year in Gaza against weekly Palestinian protests. They say some of the incidents may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity. The three-member U.N. Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2018 Gaza Protests says it will submit its report to the U.N. Human Rights Council in March. The commission says that between March 30 and December 31 of last year, 189 Palestinians were killed and more than 6,000 unarmed demonstrators were shot by Israeli military snipers at the protest sites near the separation fence in Gaza. It reports four Israeli soldiers were injured during the demonstrations. Commission member Sara Hossain of Bangladesh told VOA there is no justification for the shootings and killings of unarmed Palestinian civilians. We are saying that they have intentionally shot children. They have intentionally shot people with disabilities. They have intentionally shot journalists - knowing them to be children, people with disabilities and journalistsand they have been shot at by snipers who also have spotters available with them, who have high, very high-level technology available to see who is out there in the field, said Hossain. Israel rejected the report as a "theater of the absurd" and called it "hostile, false and biased." Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, offered a withering response to UN HRC report, saying, "This council is blinded by hatred of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces." The U.N. Human Rights Council has come under the spotlight before for what critics charge are anti-Israel views. The United States withdrew from the body last year, citing its chronic bias against Israel." It also has also been criticized for having some of the world's worst rights abusers among its 47 members. But the council has commissioned important investigations, including into abuses in Syria and North Korea. U.N. investigators say they received no cooperation from the Israeli government. They say Israeli authorities have not responded to repeated requests for information and have not allowed them to access either Israel or the occupied Palestinian territory. As a consequence, they say they have relied on thousands of images and recordings made by demonstrators, the media and Israeli forces. Commission members also conducted 325 interviews with victims, witnesses and other sources, including Israeli non-governmental organizations, and gathered more than 8,000 documents. Commission Chair Santiago Canton of Argentina said the inquiry finds reasonable grounds to believe Israeli security forces have committed serious violations of human rights under international humanitarian law. These violations clearly warrant criminal investigations and prosecutions and we call on Israel to conduct meaningful investigations into these serious violations and to provide timely justice and reparations for those killed and injured, said Canton. Israel has accused Hamas, the de facto authority in Gaza, of using the noisy protests as a cover for militants to sneak into Israel. Hamas has said demonstrators were pressing for a "right of return" for descendants of Palestinian refugees to ancestral homes in what is now Israel. It also said people were protesting the blockade of the Gaza Strip and the relocation of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May. The report says Hamas encouraged the use of incendiary kites and balloons, causing fear and significant damage to property in southern Israel. It calls on Hamas to put an immediate stop to the practice and to find and bring to justice those responsible for such actions. So what comes next? After President Donald Trump's long-awaited second summit with North Korea ended inconclusively, the adversaries enter a period of deep uncertainty, if not fresh crisis. Trump, who had built up expectations for months over his second outing with leader Kim Jong Un, left Hanoi early with no deal and no agreed plan for another summit. North Korea said it offered to close its Yongbyon nuclear plant in return for a partial easing of sanctions, but Trump the self-styled master negotiator called for complete denuclearization in exchange for full sanctions relief. "The fact that there was no deal and not even a partial deal, despite the fact that President Trump indicated that a small deal was possible I think that is a significant disappointment," said Frank Aum, a former top adviser on North Korea to US defense secretaries. "All that shows to me that everyone came up empty-handed without a clear picture of where we're going in the future," said Aum, a senior expert at the US Institute of Peace. With Trump already having taken the unorthodox approach of personally negotiating with Kim, observers wondered whether other officials, even Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, could make progress in the face of disagreement between heads of state. "It's hard to see credible negotiations continuing. The whole point of leader-level talks was to meet with the person who can make actual decisions. That cuts both ways," said Abraham Denmark, director of the Asia program at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars. But Aum said diplomacy still remained viable, seeing as how North Korea made clear it would not resume missile testing and that the United States is keeping its freeze on joint exercises with South Korea a goodwill-building dual suspension that had been proposed by China. "That means there is still hope that over the next couple of years" more progress can be made, Aum said. U.S. senators of both parties endorsed President Donald Trumps decision to cut short a summit with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un if no nuclear accord acceptable to the United States was on the table. No deal is better than a bad deal, West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin told reporters in Washington Thursday. Part of the art of the deal is knowing when to walk away, Republican Mike Rounds of South Dakota said on Capitol Hill. Im glad he [Trump] exercised it that way and had the wherewithal to say, Even though I want a deal, this is not the right time. The second encounter between Trump and Kim, held in Vietnams capital, Hanoi, ended abruptly Thursday, reportedly amid an impasse over the pace and timing of sanctions relief for North Korea relative to Pyongyangs timeline for denuclearization. If the president and the team there did not think we were likely to get something good, then its good that we didnt give up anything, Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine said. At the same time, U.S. senators differed in their assessments of the Trump administrations handling of North Korea, a country whose nuclear program has bedeviled U.S. administrations for decades. I certainly dont want any president to sign off on a bad deal, but usually enough homework is done in advance to anticipate, if not predict, the outcome in this case, apparently, that wasnt done, the Senates No. 2 Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, told VOA. Diplomacy by narcissism doesnt work, Hawaii Democrat Mazie Hirono said. I dont think the president is capable of forcing any kind of a deal on Kim Jong Un. I think Kim is very clear on what he wants he wants our troops out of the DMZ [Korean Demilitarized Zone]. By contrast, Republicans praised Trumps overall effort. The president should be commended for his personal commitment to persuading Kim Jong Un to pursue a different path, Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said. It was smart to bring Kim Jong Un to Singapore [for the first summit last year] and to Vietnam to expose the North Korean delegation to the kind of economic prosperity that could be possible if he were to choose a new path. I think anytime youre talking rather than fighting with one another, theres an opportunity to perhaps make things better, Senator Rounds said. As [former president] Ronald Reagan used to say, Trust but verify. And Im very pleased to see this president follow along that same path. Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden disputed any comparison between Reagan and Trump. Ronald Reagan, though I disagreed often [with him], had real principles you dont see that with these [Trump administration] folks, Wyden told VOA. You didnt get the sense that the administration went in there [the Hanoi summit] with a clear plan. It was kind of vintage Trump. He was going to wing it [improvise], and it was just a disappointing result all around. Analysts also weighed in. Trump correctly emphasized principles and long-time allies over a premature peace declaration and his new-found relationship with Kim Jong Un, Korean affairs researcher Bruce Klingner of the Washington-based Heritage Foundation said. While details remain unclear, it appeared North Korea offered only its Yongbyon nuclear facility in return for removal of all sanctions. While tempting, a bad deal is indeed worse than no deal. It could have been worse, Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Robert Manning said. And it also illustrates the perils of top-down diplomacy. Manning said the summit would have yielded better results if U.S. and North Korean negotiators had hammered out the framework of an agreement ahead of the encounter. VOA's Korean Service and Mandarin service also contributed to this report U.S. President Donald Trump signaled there might be an easing of tensions between nuclear-armed South Asian rivals India and Pakistan after days of escalation that resulted in skirmishes between their air forces and fears of all-out war. I think reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India. Theyve been going at it and weve been involved in trying to have them stop. Hopefully, thats going to be coming to an end, the U.S. president said at a press conference in Vietnam after he finished a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Later in the day, Pakistans prime minister, Imran Khan, announced his country was going to release as a peace gesture an Indian pilot captured Wednesday when Pakistan shot down an Indian war plane. Welcoming Pakistans announcement, Indian Air Force Vice Marshal R.G.K Kapoor said that the IAF (Indian Air Force) is happy and looks forward to return of Wing Commander Abhinandan" (Varthaman). Asked if it was being seen as a goodwill gesture, he said, We see it as a gesture in consonance with Geneva Conventions. The pilot's return, however, could be a kind of breakthrough. That could create the conditions for any diplomatic discussion, dialogue, says Manoj Joshi, a strategic affairs expert at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. Many analysts on both sides said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi could not afford to lose face ahead of a tough election soon, so Pakistan might have to offer him something to present to his public. Khan, according to Lahore-based political analyst Rasool Bakhsh Raees, had already made one such concession by offering to have a dialogue with India on terrorism. Pakistans policy for a decade-and-a-half has been that they were willing to discuss terrorism with Kashmir and a host of other issues, Raees said, calling it a big change and saying that if Modi were wise, he would seize the opportunity. So far, Modi has avoided taking calls from the Pakistani prime minister, who said he tried to reach out. Even if the hostilities between the South Asian rivals subside under international pressure, the head of the Institute for Conflict Management in New Delhi, Ajai Sahni, feared that aerial combat along their disputed border in Kashmir could become the new normal. What I see basically is that this is going to turn into the new normal, that as we have the incessant cycle of cross-border firing, in which hundreds of lives are lost, we will also have now the possibility of occasional or frequent aerial air skirmishes in which more lives will be lost. The Line of Control, the de facto border in Kashmir, is already volatile, with thousands of instances of cross-border shelling in the last few years, disrupting lives in villages close to it. The shelling was so heavy Tuesday night, according to residents in the border town of Chakothi on the Pakistani side, that they were forced to flee their homes to nearby Muzaffarabad to take shelter. WATCH: Trump Says US Working to Ease India-Pakistan Tensions Tensions between the two countries mounted after an attack earlier this month in Pulwama in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed more than 40 security personnel. A Pakistan-based group, Jaish e Mohammad, claimed responsibility. Even though Pakistan claims it does not support militant groups and Prime Minister Khan has offered to cooperate in the investigation of the attack, the international community's reaction seems to indicate the country might face long-term pressure over the issue, even after the current crisis is over. In the wake of the attack, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pressed Pakistan to take meaningful action against terrorist groups operating on its soil. The European Unions high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Federica Mogherini, said Pakistan needed to take clear and targeted action related to all forms of terrorist activity, saying [t]errorism can never be justified. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for accountability under international law and the perpetrators of the terrorist acts be brought to swift justice. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said his country would work to ensure those responsible for the attack are held to account. A fresh proposal is expected to be tabled by the United States, Britain and France in the U.N. Security Council to designate the head of JeM, Masood Azhar, as a global terrorist. This has been a long-standing demand of India but previous bids have been blocked by China, ostensibly on behalf of Pakistan. JeM is already on the U.N.'s list of terrorist organizations. Pakistans leader said the country was already taking action against all terrorist groups in compliance with the Financial Action Task Force requirements. The international terror funding monitor has placed Pakistan on its watch list. The United Nations Security Council is set to vote Thursday on dueling U.S. and Russian resolutions on controlling the turmoil in Venezuela, but both could fail. The United States, leading the 50-nation support for self-declared interim president Juan Guaido as the legitimate leader in Caracas, is calling for adoption of a measure urging "the peaceful restoration of democracy and rule of law" in Venezuela. The resolution calls for a new, free and fair presidential election and unimpeded transport of humanitarian aid into the South American country. Russia and China, which are continuing their support of embattled socialist President Nicolas Maduro, are likely to veto the U.S. resolution. A competing Russia resolution instead calls for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, but says that Maduro needs to approve aid deliveries, which he has blocked from entering the country on the grounds that they are a pretext to a U.S. military invasion. The Russia measure, which expresses "concern over the threats to use force" against Venezuela, is unlikely to garner the nine votes necessary for adoption, U.N. diplomats say. U.S. President Donald Trump has not ruled out U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, but has not moved to overthrow Maduro even as the U.S. has led a coalition of South American and European nations in recognizing Guaido. Orchestrated humanitarian show U.S. and Russian diplomats exchanged verbal broadsides this week about their positions on Venezuela. Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called last Saturday's attempt by the Venezuelan opposition to move aid shipments from Colombia into Venezuela nothing but a "humanitarian show" orchestrated by the United States. Nebenzia said the Trump administration's sole goal is "regime change, including with threats to do so via foreign intervention." Elliott Abrams, the U.S. envoy for Venezuela, rebuked the Russian envoy, saying, "I reject from start to finish, I reject from top to bottom, accusations of military interventions from a country that is occupying the territory of Georgia and Ukraine." Ahead of the U.N. Security Council votes, Abrams told reporters that U.S. policy "is to use as much diplomatic and economic and political pressure as we can," along with the several dozen countries supporting Guaido, "to support the Venezuelan people's desire for democracy." Troops and supporters of Maduro last Saturday blocked the entry of trucks carrying humanitarian aid - food and medical supplies - in violent clashes, at the Colombian and Brazilian borders with Venezuela, that resulted in four people being killed and dozens injured. A big problem U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters that getting aid into Venezuela to assist millions of people in need of basic necessities remains difficult. He spoke en route to the Philippines from this week's summit in Vietnam between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Trump. "We are hopeful that over the next couple of weeks, we can really begin to make a dent in that problem. It is a big problem," he said. Guaido is in Brazil to meet with President Jair Bolsonaro, another supporter of his and a Maduro opponent. Earlier in the week, Guaido met with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Colombian President Ivan Duque about the Venezuelan conflict. Maduro has threatened Guaido with arrest if he returns home. But Guaido said he plans to go back, telling a television interviewer, "A prisoner is no use to anyone. Neither is a president in exile. My role and my duty is to be in Caracas, despite the risks and regardless of what that implies." Maduro told the U.S. network ABC News that Guaido would have to face justice when he returns for flouting a ban on foreign travel. Meanwhile, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez is holding talks Friday in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, looking for continued support for the Maduro government. Zimbabwe might have surpassed its 2018 gold production target, but some say there is little to show for it as the countrys economy remains in crisis. Kudzanayi Zvomuya is a small-scale gold panner in Bindura, about 100 kilometers north of Harare, waiting while his 20-plus kilograms of stones are processed to see how much gold they contain. This 31-year-old man is among many people in this mineral-rich area who have abandoned farming for gold mining. However, Zvomuya says not much has changed for him financially since he gave up farming six years ago. Remaining hopeful Gold is a good source of income, he said, but some risks are involved, such as becoming trapped underground. At least 24 miners died in mid-February after heavy rains flooded two mines near Kadoma, a city roughly 145 kilometers or 90 miles southwest of Harare. But there is nothing anyone can do, given the harsh economic environment, Zvomuya said. Others have managed to buy cattle or built nice houses through gold, so, I am hopeful, he said. Zvomuya later crawls into a dilapidated office made of poles and grass, where a waiting buyer pays him for the gold, but neither reveals how much. He has an appeal to President Emmerson Mnangagwas government, which resembles that of another small-scale miner, 27-year-old Norman Jomupi. They should equip us with electric pumps to drain water underground or if we are working in or near rivers, Jomupi said. Plus as youths, they should give us our land to mine. Here we are just mining but we do not own it. Small miners need support Small miners accounted for 50 percent of Zimbabwes 2018 gold production of 33 tons. Despite the figures, analysts point to corruption, mismanagement and a lack of proper policies as reasons for Zimbabwes failure to benefit much from the countrys mineral wealth. Tinashe Chisaira, a lawyer from People and Earth Solidarity Law Network, sees another reason. I cant really say we are failing to drive value from gold as a nation, he said. Gold is already valuable as a mineral. But what I can say is that the state is failing to support certain institutions involved in the gold extraction sector for example, the artisanal and small scale miners. The government minerals monitoring agency says the issue of property rights has to be addressed to bring a smile to small-scale miners like Zvomunya and Jomupi, who are toiling for Zimbabwe. Mines Minister Winston Chitando says small miners are helping the economy. We have the Zimbabwe Mining Federation, the entity which the government is working with, to coordinate the activities of the small-mining sector. In terms of statistics, we did 33 tons of gold (in 2018) of which over 50 percent came from [the] artisanal mining sector. We also have a lot of artisanal mining in the chrome ore where, again, we estimate that over 50 percent of chrome come from artisanal miners, he said. But regardless of that, the small-scale miners, and most Zimbabweans, still suffer from shortages of basic commodities, such as fuel, bread and foreign currency, in a country rich in resources such as lithium, diamonds and platinum. Zimbabwe is in the midst of its severest economic crisis in a decade. The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) says it is extremely concerned over recent unprecedented attacks by President Emmerson Mnangagwa and several organizations on human rights defenders particularly human rights lawyers, doctors and nurses for carrying out their legitimate activities. In a statement, the ZLHR said these attacks are not only unwarranted but greatly undermine any progress made in advancing human rights Zimbabwe, a country with a history of human rights abuses. The ZLHR said of particular concern was the persistent attacks on human rights lawyers and doctors over the last four weeks by suspected state security agents through the media. It said the attacks include claims made in the state-controlled at the end of January that human rights lawyers wanted to effect regime change and undermined the judiciary and remarks by Citizens Forum that the ZLHR fueled public protests in January. Citizens Forum made some baseless and spurious allegations against ZLHR accusing the organisation of organising the protests and being responsible for causing the deaths of people and loss of property. The so-called Citizens Forum followed this up by visiting ZLHRs head office in Harare on Thursday 7 February 2019 and handed in a petition, giving ZLHR an ultimatum to respond to its demands within 48 hours failing which it would besiege the organisations offices. An independent check by ZLHR has confirmed that leaders of Citizens Forum, Lonias Rozvi Majoni and Hosiah Mviringi identify themselves as affiliates of the ruling ZANU PF party. The ZLHR also noted that the organization was attacked by the Zimbabwe African Union Patriotic Front Youth League, which was unhappy over their legal representation of people who were arrested and detained for staging public protests. The organization said it was shocked by Mnangagwas attacks. On 16 February 2019, the president Emmerson Mnangagwa also made disturbing utterances condemning lawyers, doctors and nurses representing those who had been arrested in connection with the January 2019 protests and threatened undisclosed action against them. The statement by the president is the latest in a series of attacks against lawyers representing individuals arrested and charged with committing several offences during the anti-government protests held in January 2019. ZLHR is extremely concerned about the safety of its lawyers and staff members as well as the doctors who have been providing support to the injured human rights defenders (HRDs). The ZLHR said these unwarranted attacks on lawyers, doctors, nurses and other HRDs for carrying out their legitimate activities are unacceptable as being in direct violation of international norms and standards, the Constitution of Zimbabwe and the rule of law. Although ZLHR accepts everyones right to express themselves, it is pertinent that such rights should be enjoyed without threats or instilling fear in HRDs of harassment, intimidation, assault or fear for lives. ZLHR is also concerned that the recent attacks on lawyers undermine the rights of lawyers to be able to consult freely with their clients and to represent their clients in court to provide effective legal representation as enshrined in Sections 50 and 70 of the Constitution. The ZLHR said the intimidation and harassment of lawyers breached Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantee the right to legal counsel of ones choice. Further, the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, guarantees the right of all persons to be assisted by a lawyer to protect their rights and to defend them in all stages of criminal proceedings. The Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers also provide that governments must ensure that lawyers are able to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hinderance or harassment and that lawyers are not identified with their clients as a result of discharging their functions. ZLHR calls on the Government of Zimbabwe to cease targeting of lawyers and other HRDs for doing their work and take action against the above-named leaders of the so-called Citizens Forum. Presidential spokesperson George Charamba was unreachable for comment. The United States Government has set aside US$15 million in additional funding to respond to the critical food security situation in Zimbabwe. Ina statement, the U.S said the contribution, provided through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), brings the total U.S. funding for the current lean season to US$38 million, ensuring nearly 600,000 rural Zimbabweans have adequate food supplies before the next harvest. United States Ambassador Brian A. Nichols announced the contribution in response to the United Nations Flash Appeal for humanitarian assistance during a press briefing Thursday in Harare. The United States is committed to the people of Zimbabwe. We are proud to work with the United Nations, and non-governmental organizations, to deliver this assistance quickly and efficiently to the communities and people who need it most, said Ambassador Nichols. The United States has allocated US$38 million to the World Food Program (WFP) to provide food rations and cash transfers to purchase food for nearly 600,000 Zimbabweans in 19 districts. These food and cash distributions will maintain the nutritional status of vulnerable Zimbabweans and alleviate suffering for those affected by food insecurity. In addition to this emergency response, USAIDs programs are improving long-term food security for Zimbabwe by building resilience to future shocks. The United States is providing US$144 million over seven years to non-governmental partners Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture and World Vision to address the underlying causes of chronic food insecurity and malnutrition in rural areas. USAID has also provided US$20 million over five years to Fintrac, Inc. and LEAD Trust to reduce rural poverty and improve food security through increased agricultural production and market linkages for small-scale farmers. This impact is not possible without non-governmental organizations who are capable and committed implementing partners. Poor weather conditions in Zimbabwe, including erratic rainfall and long dry spells, have contributed to increased humanitarian needs across the country. An estimated 2.9 million rural Zimbabweans are facing food insecurity 30 percent of the rural population. Parker James Montgomery, of Alexandria, died on Tuesday, November 30, 2021, at the Medical Center of Aurora in Aurora, CO at the age of 22 years old. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. Former ballerina Wendy Whelan will take over as associate artistic director. Photo: Owen Hoffmann/Patrick McMullan via Getty Image After almost a year-and-a-half of turmoil, the City Ballet has picked its new leaders. The New York Times reported this morning that Jonathan Stafford and Wendy Whelan will be taking the reins at the prestigious ballet company. Stafford takes on the official role of artistic director, and Whelans title is associate artistic director, but the two said they plan to work as a team. The City Ballet went through a public reckoning with misconduct accusations and cultural issues last year. Peter Martins, the longtime director who served in the top role for nearly 30 years, retired in January 2018 after allegations that he verbally and physically bullied dancers, and gave preferential treatment to dancers who engaged in sexual activity with him. After the allegations were made public in late 2017, an interim team of four leaders was appointed to head the company. Stafford was part of that team. Then, just before the 20182019 season opened last fall, three male principal dancers were forced out after they were accused of sharing explicit, nonconsensual photos of female dancers. Alexandra Waterbury, was one of the women in the shared photos, filed suit in the State Supreme Court over the incident. She formerly dated principal dancer Chase Finlay, who was one of the three forced out. Despite widespread accusations of misconduct, the company later exonerated Martins after an investigation did not corroborate the accusations. Martins worked under acclaimed City Ballet founder George Balanchine, and the new leadership will be the first team to have not worked directly with Balanchine himself. Whelan danced with the company for 30 years, including as a star ballerina, and both Stafford and Whelan trained at the City Ballets School of American Ballet. Justin Peck, a choreographer who was on the interim team with Stafford, will assume the role of artistic adviser. This post originally misstated that the number of male principal dancers forced out was 14. It has been corrected to three. Decatur police arrested Preston Tatum on Tuesday and charged him with third-degree burglary. The Decatur Police Department was called to Courtyard Apartments in the 2200 block of Arcadia Drive on a burglary call on Jan. 22, said Emme Long, department spokesperson. The victim reported his apartment had been burglarized and that some of his personal belongings had been stolen. Investigators developed Tatum as a suspect after he was captured on video surveillance that was inside the victims residence, Long said. A felony warrant for Tatum was obtained on Jan. 26 and he was located by Officer Allen Rawls and placed under arrest on Feb. 26. Tatum was transported to the Morgan County Jail, where he was booked for his charge. WAAY 31 got mixed reactions Wednesday night when we talked to people at the pump about the proposed 10 cent gas tax increase. Some people said 10 cents was a bit much, but others said it would be money well spent. "I'd prefer to have good, safe roads without big potholes and chunks out of them, so I'm in favor of it," Phil Owen said. Owen told us he thinks adding 10 cents to Alabama's fuel tax is a worthwhile investment. "Here in Huntsville with the increase of traffic and people the roads really do need a lot of repair," Owen said. Heather Lawson wants road repairs but just not at the cost proposed by the governor. "I think 10 cents is a little much. Maybe something like two cents," Lawson said. The governor's plan puts the money generated by the increase toward transportation infrastructure improvements as well as preservation and maintenance projects. Owen likes the idea under one condition: the money has to be used on roads. "Problem is when they start taking money saying 'hey we need money for roads,' but yet we put it in over here and spend it over there," Owen said. In an interview with local radio host Jeff Poor, Mayor Tommy Battle said he supports the part of the plan where some proceeds from the gas tax would be used to fund the Port of Mobile's expansion. Battle said helping Mobile will help Huntsville, especially when Mazda-Toyota starts shipping out cars using roads and eventually the port. "As long as the money's not put in the general fund and is specifically allocated for road repair and improvement I think that's fine," Owen said. WAAY 31 also spoke to representatives from both Madison and Huntsville public works departments over the phone and they both agreed more money for road repair is needed. If it's passed by state legislature during the upcoming session, Governor Ivey's proposed 10 cent increase will roll out over three years. Local farmers could lose a lot of money after the amount of rain and flooding weve had. Some Limestone County farmers told WAAY 31 their wheat and corn crops could be affected. WAAY 31 got a look at some of the flooded farmland and found out what it could mean for farmers financially. Probably a quarter of a mile, we have about 70 acres of wheat that was looking really good. It was a little late, but we got it up," one farmer said. That Limestone County farmer told WAAY 31 the recent flooding weve had could do some serious damage to the wheat he planted. As a farmer, we love water, but we like it in a timely manner," he said. "Water, I think, is the most powerful thing we have on Earth. While about 70 acres of his wheat is covered by that powerful water, the farmer says the flooding could also delay the planting of his other crops. "We always plant corn around the 20th or 25th of March, and thats just a few weeks away now," he said. The farmer told WAAY 31 hes also concerned about his irrigation systems that are currently under water. We dont really know the magnitude of down time or things that have been broken or destroyed, because we know water and electricity dont go hand-in-hand, and a lot of our systems have electronic computer boards that are completely submerged right now. But the farmer says hes not going to waste time worrying. What can we do, Dad? I said, We cant do anything. Weve just got to pray about it and just relax, because we cannot take the chance of having harm done to them or myself to go in and check the stuff we cant do anything about," he said. WAAY 31 spoke with another Limestone County farmer who said about 50% of his wheat has been compromised by the flooding, and his own corn-planting will also be delayed. Both farmers told WAAY 31, its hard to tell, at this time, exactly how much money they could lose due to the flooding. UPDATE: (2/28/19 4:43 p.m.) According to the Alabama Department of Transportation, on Thursday, crews milled and placed a layer of asphalt binder on the damaged section of U.S. 231 on Brindley Mountain, and all lanes were open as of 2:30 p.m. Seth Burkett with the department said, weather permitting, crews will pave a wearing layer over the asphalt binder on Friday. Single-lane closures should be expected on the southbound roadway between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., and crews will first close the outside lane and then the inside lane, Burkett said. A photo taken Wednesday of a crack on U.S. 231 that was caused by flood damage A photo taken Wednesday of a crack on U.S. 231 that was caused by flood damage A photo taken two days ago of a crack on U.S. 231 that was caused by flood damage A photo taken two days ago of a crack on U.S. 231 that was caused by flood damage ----- According to the Alabama Department of Transportation, crews will repair pavement on U.S. 231 southbound in the Brindley Mountain area of Morgan County on Thursday, February 28, if weather permits. The outside southbound lane is currently closed near milepost 301.7, north of Bell Point Road, because of a crack that formed after the recent heavy rainfall. ALDOT says it is possible crews will close the entire southbound roadway going up the mountain and run traffic in both directions on the northbound roadway, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday. If this happens, officials say southbound traffic will be diverted to the inside northbound lane in the area of Douglas Road and directed back to the southbound roadway north of Apple Grove Road. ALDOT says two-way traffic on the northbound roadway will be separated by traffic cones and state troopers will assist with traffic control. Lower speed limits will be in place, and officials say drivers should be prepared to slow down and make lane changes. Delays should be expected, and ALDOT says it will continue to monitor the area, following the pavement repair. The crack seems to be getting bigger, judging from the eyes of WAAY 31 reporter, Kody Fisher, who saw it two days ago and again on Wednesday. The bottom picture on the left is what the crack looked like two days ago, and the picture above is what it looked like on Wednesday. WAAY 31 learned more information on Wednesday about the Madison County doctor whose clinic was raided by federal agents. On Tuesday, drug enforcement agents carried boxes of evidence out of Choice Medicine in Toney. Doctor Celia Lloyd-Turney is currently under restrictions by the state medical board for prescribing pills, in excess, to patients. Two families have filed wrongful death lawsuits against her as well. Credit: Celia Lloyd- Turney, M.D. Facebook page Credit: Celia Lloyd- Turney, M.D. Facebook page The clinic was open for part of the day Wednesday, but it closed around lunch time and never reopened. The Drug Enforcement Administration confirmed federal agents raided Lloyd-Turney's clinic on Tuesday. One man WAAY 31 spoke to didn't want to go on camera, but he said he's never seen the lot so empty. Lloyd-Turney came outside the clinic Wednesday afternoon and said she was closed for the remainder of the day. She said she couldn't speak about what happened on Tuesday. Lloyd-Turney said she wasn't at the clinic when federal authorities arrived, and she didn't know what they took with them. She's currently on a 2-year restriction, in effect until September of 2019. The state medical board said Lloyd-Turney prescribed opioids in excess and dispensed them for no legitimate medical purpose, among other violations. Right now, she can only prescribe limited amounts of drugs at a time and was forced to surrender her pain management registration. Wrongful death lawsuits were filed against Lloyd-Turney, and family members of two former patients state their loved ones died from mixed drug toxicity. One of the lawsuits claims she prescribed nearly 600 opioid pills to a victim in the two and a half months leading up to her death. Federal authorities said in the next 10 days, more information should be released about the investigation. As for Lloyd-Turney's legal battles, one of her wrongful death lawsuits is scheduled for jury trial in October. She's expected to be in court in March on the other wrongful death case. Fred J. Aegerter was born in Reconvilier, Switzerland on April 5, 1946 to Gottfried and Frieda (Wuhl) Aegerter. He passed away February 15, 2019 in Woodland, Washington at the age of 72. Freds family came to Canada in 1948 with Fred spending his second birthday aboard ship on the Atlantic. Seven years later the family moved from Quebec to the Pacific Northwest in search of a place with a milder climate. The family eventually settled on Puget Island in 1956. After Fred graduated from Wahkiakum High School in 1964, he served in the U.S. Army. His service included a tour of duty in Vietnam with the 17th Artillery that was attached to the 1st Air Cavalry. He remained in contact with many of his Army buddies until his death. On May 1, 1971, he married Rita (Kooki) Alberding, and together partnered with Freds brother John in the operation of the family dairy farm. They were dedicated dairy farmers with the reputation of running an impeccably clean farm. Freds service to the community spanned many decades. He served as Commissioner for the Puget Island Fire Department for 33 years, and as a board member of the Cathlamet FFA Agricultural Advisory Board for more than 20 years. He also was a county committeeman for the Farm Service Agency for 25 years, which gained him the distinction as the longest serving FSA committeeman in U.S. history. In addition, he was an active member of the Oldsmobile Club of Oregon, where he and his 1967 Oldsmobile were notorious for cleaning up awards. Throughout his life he remained in contact with his relatives in Switzerland and his former classmates in Canada. Fred also enjoyed woodworking, classic cars, history, and travel. His favorite trips included hiking the Bernese Alps and Canadian Rockies; Branson, Missouri; and traveling by train. Fred was outgoing, personable, and proud of his family and Swiss heritage. He will be remembered for his smile, rosy cheeks, the ability to tell a good story, and maybe a little mischief here and there. Fred is survived by his wife Kooki and brother John of Puget Island, son Tony (Annalei) of Puget Island, daughter Anna of Portland, and son Alex of Pullman. He is also survived by two adored grandchildren, Jarrett and Nora. He was preceded in death by his mother and father. At Freds request there was no service. Memorial contributions can be made to the VFW Post 5297 (c/o William Tawater, 80 N. Welcome Slough Road, Cathlamet) or the Cathlamet FFA. - Paid Obituary - FotoDuets/iStock(WASHINGTON) -- U.S. regulators announced a settlement with a company it took action against for deceptively marketing a plant extract that it claimed caused weight loss, and whose marketing strategy involved fake positive Amazon reviews. The Federal Trade Commission said it was the agencys first-ever lawsuit against a company for commissioning fake paid reviews on retail sites like Amazon. The FTC sued Cure Encapsulations, Inc. and its owner, Naftula Jacobowitz, for "deceptive marketing" claiming that its product, Quality Encapsulations Garcinia Cambogia Extract with HCA, causes weight loss by suppressing appetite, and blocks new fat cells from forming without any scientific proof. The suit also alleges that the company used a company called AmazonVerfiedReviews.com which no longer exists -- to write fabricated reviews and give the product 5 stars. The FTC claims that Jacobowitz told AmazonVerfiedReviews.com that the extract needed an average rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars, saying, Please make my product stay a five star, according to the agency's press release. People rely on reviews when theyre shopping online, Andrew Smith, the FTCs director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. When a company buys fake reviews to inflate its Amazon ratings, it hurts both shoppers and companies that play by the rules. A lawyer for Cure Encapsulations said there have been no false reviews since June 2015, and any fake reviews have been taken down. "There [is] no misconduct after that date -- no more false reviews -- and all have since been removed," August Horvath, a lawyer for both the company and Jacobowitz told ABC News. Garcinia cambogia, a fruit native to Indonesia, has been heavily marketed for its weight loss abilities across different media platforms. As part of the settlement with the FTC, which was announced Tuesday, Cure Encapsulations is required to send emails to all of its customers, stating, "According to the FTC, we deceptively claimed -- among other things that our product causes significant weight loss, is a powerful appetite suppressant, and blocks the formation of new fat cells. We dont have scientific proof for any of those claims," according to a filing with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Amazon shut down Cure Encapsulations ability to sell its products on its platform on Tuesday after the FTC announcement, Horvath said. The settlement was originally signed by the company in October, and was finalized last week, delayed in part by the government shutdown, he said. But because Amazon has stopped sales for the product on its platform, and the business is "basically an Amazon storefront," Hovarth said the future of Cure Encapsulations hangs in the balance. "Wed like to work through Amazon in good faith to get it resolved, he said. In 2016, Amazon sued AmazonVerfiedReviews.com, and the company has since gone out of business. Amazon, which has been battling the cottage industry of fake reviews, commended the FTC lawsuit. The retail giant has been criticized over the credibility of customer reviews as the number of third-party sellers using its platform has skyrocketed, creating opportunities to exploit the review process. "We welcome the FTCs work in this area. Amazon invests significant resources to protect the integrity of reviews in our store because we know customers value the insights and experiences shared by fellow shoppers, an Amazon spokeswoman wrote in an emailed statement to ABC News. Even one inauthentic review is one too many. We have clear participation guidelines for both reviewers and selling partners and we suspend, ban, and take legal action on those who violate our policies." Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Norwegian businesses care about cooperating with Vietnam in aquaculture. (Photo: congthuong.vn) Norway is one of the important North European partners in terms of economy and trade of Vietnam, with positive results achieved in trade and investment relations over the past years. Statistics from the Vietnam Customs show the two-way trade turnover reached USD363 million in 2018, and over USD44 million this January. Vietnam exported mainly textile and garment, footwear, wooden products and cashew nuts to Norway, while importing fisheries, machines, devices and fertilizers from Norway. At present, there are 41 valid Norwegian projects worth USD166 million in Vietnam. In a recent reception for Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Grete Lochen, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung encouraged Norwegian businesses to cooperate with Vietnamese ones, especially in the maritime sector, shipbuilding, aquaculture, alternative energy and tourism. According to the Norwegian Ambassador, Norwegian businesses appreciate cooperation potential with Vietnam, confirming that they care much about aquaculture and processing of fisheries products, alternative energy, exploitation and processing of oil, especially solar energy projects. While Deputy Prime Minister Dung asserted that Vietnam would create a favorable and transparent investment and business environment for foreign businesses, including Norwegian businesses./. Former questore of Bari comes to Rome. Carmine Esposito becomes Rome's new questore, or police commissioner, after being appointed by Italy's council of ministers, the principal executive organ of the Italian government. Esposito, aged 62 and originally from Naples, has a degree in law and public administration. He joined the police force in 1985, going on to hold senior roles in Naples, Sicily and Brescia before becoming police commissioner in Bari. Esposito takes over in Rome from outgoing commissioner Guido Marino who is retiring from the role he held for the last two years. Rosetta Stame read names of Fosse Ardeatine victims at memorial each year. Italian president Sergio Mattarella has led tributes to Rosetta Stame, the daughter of Ardeatine massacre victim and partisan fighter Nicola Ugo Stame, who died in Rome on 27 February aged 81. President Mattarella said that she "defended with courage and determination the memory of the martyrs of the Fosse Ardeatine and of all who fell for freedom." President Mattarella with the late Rosetta Stame As head of the Families of Italian Martyrs of Freedom Association, Stame read out the names of the victims of the Ardeatine massacre as part of a state ceremony at the mausoleum site each March. The annual service is held in memory of the 335 people killed in Rome by occupying Nazi forces on 24 March 1944. The mass killing in 1944 was in retaliation to a partisan attack on a column of marching German policemen the day before on Via Rasella, near Piazza Barberini in central Rome. The Nazis decided that ten Italians should be executed for each German, an order soon authorised by Hitler who stipulated that it be carried out within 24 hours. Fosse Ardeatine Mausoleum Located in the Appia Antica area, the mausoleum can be visited Mon-Fri 08.15-15.15, and Sat-Sun 08.15-16.45. Numerous personal items belonging to the Fosse Ardeatine victims can be found in Rome's Liberation Museum on Via Tasso, a former Gestapo headquarters where Jews and resistance figures were tortured during the Nazi occupation of Rome from 1943-1944. Rome's John Cabot University marks International Women's Day. 5 March. John Cabot University (JCU) in Rome hosts a panel discussion entitled Women Through the Ages: Looking Back and Moving Forward, in the Aula Magna, Guarini Campus, on Tuesday 5 March at 18.00. The discussion is part of a week-long series of events, from 4-8 March, to mark International Womens Day. Participants include: Mariarosiy Calleri (filmmaker and Ambassador for women entrepreneurs at the EU). She will discuss the importance of promoting positive and alternative female role models. Sylvia Poggioli (journalist, Senior European Correspondent, National Public Radio). She will discuss the #MeToo movement in the US and Italy. Vanna Vannuccini (journalist for La Repubblica, specialising in Iran) with Farian Sabahi (author and JCU professor). They will discuss the changing roles of women in Iran. Wilma Labate (director and screenwriter): She will discuss the challenges faced by Italian women working in the male-dominated field of cinema. The discussion will be moderated by Professor Tara Keenan, John Cabot University. Those attending the event will be asked to show identification at the door, and must register in advance. A kiosk bar in the style of a tram carriage makes for an unusual but popular meeting place in the area of Rome where Aventino converges with Testaccio. Seating is strictly out-doors, with mismatched tables and chairs and even a swing-seat, tucked away under exotic plants, and illuminated with candles by night. Tram Depot brings a quirky splash of colour to an area otherwise noted for its busy traffic junction and Rationalist-style post office. The venue is frequented mainly by Rome residents but also tourists who stumble upon it after visiting the nearby Non-Catholic Cemetery or the Pyramid of Cestius. Tram Depot serves great coffee, cornetti, sandwiches, smoothies, grattachecca in the summer months, craft beer and cocktails. Open 08.00-02.00, from spring to autumn. No toilet facilities. The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday it had fined American Airlines $1 million and Delta Air Lines $750,000 for violating federal rules prohibiting lengthy tarmac delays at U.S. airports. Under most circumstances, airlines are prohibited from allowing domestic flights to remain on the tarmac for longer than three hours, and international flights for more than four hours, without giving passengers an opportunity to deplane. The projects at risk under Trumps emergency declaration are those that have already been approved and funded by Congress but are not yet underway. Congressional officials have circulated a list of about $21 billion in military projects that fall in that category, spanning numerous states as well as U.S. facilities overseas. These are the projects at risk because the little-known statute the Trump administration is using to tap the military construction account limits the defense secretary to using unobligated funds or money that has been appropriated for certain projects but not yet spent. Dear Amy: I have a good friend who is very nice, very thoughtful and very dependable. Whenever anyone needs to reach her, my friend is just one text message away. But that is just what seems to be the problem she is always reachable, and her phone is always there, ringing off the hook with text messages. Vinegar is a workhorse around the house. Cheap, safe, readily available and versatile, its often my go-to for cleaning quandaries. Ive compiled my favorite hints, helps and recipes involving vinegar in a handy pamphlet. Would you like to receive one? Its easy! Visit my updated website, Heloise.com, to order, or send a long, stamped (70 cents), self-addressed envelope, along with $5, to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Pair heated vinegar with baking soda for a bubbly, scrubbly clean! Moss and co-stars Joseph Fiennes and Yvonne Strahovski usually shoot in Toronto but came to town for two pivotal scenes from the shows upcoming third season, set to premiere in June. Gileads capital remains in Washington, and the visual drama of the Mall, especially when gazing across the reflecting pool and up at the Washington Monument, lends itself to the shows bleakness. In the show, according to producers, the monument will appear as a cross, Lincoln will literally be blasted out of his chair and hundreds of CGI handmaids will be stationed down the memorials steps and along the reflecting pool. 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 Even when visiting a legitimate travel site, you might not be entirely safe. Consider the data breach Marriott disclosed last year, in which hackers accessed its reservation systems over four years and exposed private information of up to 500 million customers. Experts say its not a question of if, but when the next data breach will happen. Sullivan said the company would seek to fill as many jobs as possible with local hires and take steps to encourage its employees to become a part of the community. For example, at the companys Seattle headquarters, the cafeteria was designed to be too small for all of the Amazon employees at that site, an effort to encourage them to patronize local restaurants. The company holds volunteer fairs to introduce employees to opportunities in the community. The subpoena, issued Tuesday, requests documents related to committee payments to the Trump Organization or Trump International Hotel, according to two law enforcement officials familiar with the matter. It states that Racine is seeking the documents under his civil authority to ensure that nonprofit groups in the District are not wasteful, mismanaged and/or improperly provided private benefit. Warner said he changed his mind after realizing that an increasing number of D.C. residents commute for work to Virginia. He previously had been worried that as a state, Washington could impose a commuter tax on Virginians driving into the nations capital for jobs. Warner said the reverse-commute pattern will only grow when Amazon expands into Northern Virginia. The IFCs own audit found the 2010 power-plant project in India that sparked the initial lawsuit did not go smoothly, and it criticized IFC as inadequately supervising the activity. The company did not comply with the environmental and social action plan for the plant, the court noted in its opinion Wednesday. Lisanti, who issued a public apology earlier this week, told The Washington Post after the incident that she did not recall making the remark. On Thursday, she said there was no independent verification that she had used the slur, even as she accepted responsibility for doing so. He and several like-minded colleagues wrote an article for the Drum, outlining their ethical concerns about the study. They also sent articles about Tuskegee to several newspapers, including The Washington Post. We didnt get very far with that approach, Dr. Jenkins recalled in a 2017 interview with the podcast Choice/Less, saying that he and his colleagues should have written a news release instead. But Ramoss attorneys said they needed more specific facts on times and exact locations within the office, pinpointing where each victim was killed or injured to help them ascertain Ramoss behavior and manner of action. They argued, for example, that they need to know in the bill of particulars whether the state contends Ramos fired indiscriminately from the entrance of the office or went methodically through the property gunning down victims. Such details, Ramoss attorneys argued, would speak to whether the actions were deliberate and premeditated or had a nexus to mental illness. Of the six Virginia Democrats in the U.S. House who called on Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax to resign in the face of sexual assault allegations, only Rep. Jennifer Wexton has responded to questions about campaign cash she received from Fairfax, saying she donated the money to a charity. Police also said Irving was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon after he allegedly shot a person in the 1300 block of North Capitol Street NW on Feb. 18. The victim in that shooting was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening, police said. Isaac was one of several thousand migrant children taken from their parents at the border during the Trump administration, according to a report issued in January by the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services. More than 2,700 children were separated from their families under the administrations now-abandoned zero tolerance prosecution initiative. After months of court orders and administrative chaos, the majority of these children were reunited with their parents some in Central America but most in the United States. TPS was established by Congress in 1990 to prevent the deportation of immigrants to countries in the throes of natural disasters, armed conflict or other calamities. During the past three decades, nearly 500,000 immigrants have benefited from the program, including large numbers of Salvadorans and Hondurans who were allowed to renew their permits on an 18-month basis for nearly two decades. AECOM, a global development firm that reported more than $20 billion in revenue last year, is implementing the program for the island. In the joint letter sent to representatives for AECOM, the Virgin Islands Housing and Finance Agency and Witt OBriens, a private disaster response agency that is managing the territorys recovery effort the subcontractors said they and other firms are collectively owed more than $60 million for work already performed, putting some of those firms at risk of insolvency or bankruptcy. Detroit police officer fired over comments about black woman: A white Detroit police officer accused of making racist comments about a black woman during a traffic stop has been fired. Video of the incident shared on Gary Steele's Snapchat account a few ago showed the officer saying "priceless" and "bye Felicia" as the 23-year-old woman walked home. The woman's car was seized because the license plate had expired. Police Chief James Craig announced Steele's firing Wednesday. The caption on the Snapchat tags read: "What black girl magic looks like" and "celebrating Black History Month." Craig said investigators found other cases of Steele making disparaging remarks about black people. Morris, however, said the company facilitates only the sale of medicine made by brand-name companies such as Pfizer and Merck licensed by the FDA in the original packaging. He said individual consumers submit prescriptions from U.S. doctors. Those are rewritten by doctors in Canada, Britain and Australia and filled by bricks-and-mortar pharmacies in those countries, he said. The drugs are then mailed to consumers, who pay, on average, 30 percent of the price they pay here. Hours before the talks began Wednesday, several vans carrying people in inmates uniforms left the Modelo prison in the capital, Managua, escorted by heavily armed police. The government did not say how many were let go, but the Committee of Relatives of Political Prisoners put the number at about 60, mostly the elderly or people with health problems. Trump, he said, is unkind, ungenerous and fundamentally disloyal, covering up affairs, trying to hide his grades, inflating his worth, giving no sign that he loved our nation, cheating his way out of serving in Vietnam, becoming an autocrat and, yes, lying about his dealings with Russia and leaning on Cohen to do the same. Donald Trump is a man who ran for office to make his brand great, not to make our country great, Cohen testified. He had no desire or intention to lead this nation, only to market himself and to build his wealth and power. If the administration had pursued a more substantive approach to the negotiations, Mr. Kim would have known the position he brought to Hanoi was a nonstarter. By Mr. Trumps account, the 35-year-old ruler offered to shut down the Norths Yongbyon nuclear complex in exchange for the removal of all sanctions something that would have left his regime in possession of other nuclear facilities, not to mention its existing arsenal. (North Korea says it asked for nullification of five U.N. resolutions that contain most, but not all, sanctions.) Pyongyang has twice before struck deals to close Yongbyon, only to renege. Even if its closure were guaranteed in this instance, it would fall far short of the minimum the United States should require for the lifting of sanctions. On top of all that, Trump committed two huge, unforced errors. He refused to say the negotiations goal was to fully denuclearize North Korea. I dont want to put myself in that position, from the standpoint of negotiation, he said. That contradicts everything his officials keep saying and actually weakens his own negotiating position. I became an ordained minister in the denomination through that crack. A sort of underground railroad for queer ministers-to-be ferried me from Arkansas to freedom in a different Methodist conference in Illinois, where I was nurtured and ultimately ordained. But this feat was possible only because ordination was a matter left to these regional divisions. The portions of the so-called Traditional Plan that prevailed at this weeks conference could forestall that feat from happening again. The plan strips away annual conferences and congregations abilities to welcome, marry and ordain queer people, and it makes punishing those that defy the new rule much easier. Whereas other proposals that were brought to the conference allowed more flexibility, the Traditional Plan sets a rigid approach not only to LGBTQ inclusion but also generally to questions of theological diversity and practice throughout our connection of 12 million members worldwide. Cohen provided no evidence that Trump knew about the infamous Trump Tower meeting. Last July, CNN breathlessly reported that Cohen had told Mueller that Trump knew in advance about the June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower in which Russians were expected to offer his campaign dirt on Hillary Clinton and that he was present, along with several others, when Trump was informed of the Russians offer by [Donald] Trump Jr. Thats not what Cohen told Congress on Wednesday. He testified he didnt know about the Trump Tower meeting in advance he read all over the media about it but that in retrospect he thought that Trump Jr. might have been telling Trump about the Russia meeting when he walked into Trumps office and whispered into Trumps ear in front of Cohen the meeting is all set. Big difference. I did the same thing you are doing now for 10 years, Cohen said, sounding like an Old Testament prophet. I protected Mr. Trump for 10 years. . . . And I can only warn [that] people that follow Mr. Trump, as I did blindly, are going to suffer the same consequences that Im suffering. . . . Look at whats happened to me. I had a wonderful life. I have a beautiful wife. I have two amazing children. I achieved financial success by the age of 39. I didnt go to work for Mr. Trump because I had to. I went to work for him because I wanted to. And I have lost it all. The prospect for continuing, and perhaps escalating, legal confrontation was clear from the jaw-dropping congressional testimony Wednesday by Michael Cohen, Trumps former fixer. Cohen said he is cooperating with a probe by the U.S. attorney in Manhattan into other potential criminal issues involving Trump, beyond Muellers inquiry. It is impossible to know the seriousness of those probes, or the jeopardy they pose for Trump and his family, but they arent going away soon. In a one-paragraph concurrence, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch almost endorsed Thomass argument: The appropriate vehicle for incorporation may well be the Fourteenth Amendments Privileges or Immunities Clause, rather than, as this court has long assumed, the Due Process Clause. Gorsuch cited Yale law professor Akhil Amars book The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction, in which Amar notes that if those who wrote and ratified the clause merely meant to apply against the states the Bill of Rights, they could, and presumably would, have said so. Hence, it is reasonable to think that, properly construed, the clause denotes a richer menu of rights, encompassing those in Anglo-American legal traditions and state constitutions, and not ignoring the Ninth Amendment: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. For Trump his mind uncluttered by creed or conviction it can be a coalition only of the loyal. He insists on it. Loyalty to his person is his main perhaps exclusive measure of support. Some Americans may be drawn toward Trumps views on immigration or on trade. But it is absurd to think that Trump, in most cases, holds their loyalty because of immigration or trade policy. His persona is ultimately his appeal. He generally talks not to persuade or inspire but to incite or demean. Man and message are one. Now, however, he has little left to lose. So when he laid out Trumps motivations, it carried a ring of truth, and not only because the self-described fixer was in a position to see and understand the many levels of calculation that went into the endeavor that put Trump in the White House. In Cohens telling, Trumps expectation that he would lose became the predicate for many of his otherwise inexplicable actions during the campaign. For a president who has yet to receive an extensive scientific briefing on climate change, the topic amounts to a political litmus test ahead of the 2020 elections. Rather than accept the conclusions espoused by elites and loathed by many of his voters, Trump has opted to question the premise that global warming represents a major problem or, at times, if it even exists. And now through its new working group, his National Security Council is working to muster ammunition for his arguments. Trump has not agreed with his intelligence communitys assessment that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who as the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia has forged an alliance with the administration ordered the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in October. Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributing columnist, was reportedly cut up with a bone saw, and messages later showed that the crown prince had plotted in the past to kill him. The Saudi government has blamed the operation on a rogue band of operatives who were sent to Istanbul to bring Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia. Weisselberg had received limited immunity from federal prosecutors in Manhattan as they investigated hush money payments that were made to two women who alleged having affairs with Trump. Under the terms of that limited immunity, prosecutors used Weisselberg primarily to authenticate documents related to the hush money payments, according to a person familiar with the matter. It is unclear if prosecutors are still exploring his role in the matter. As most of you know, I am a survivor of domestic violence, and that is why this motion to recommit is so personally important to me, Lesko said to the chamber. She then told the story of a woman in New Jersey who was killed by her abuser while waiting for her firearm application to be approved. For a journalist, the success of a well-framed question is typically defined by how revelatory the answer. But what about when the very act of answering is what matters most? That was the question my colleagues and I asked ourselves as we arrived at the Metropole ahead of the summit. As the White House traveling press pool for the day, our 13-member group was responsible for chronicling the meetings between Trump and Kim for the hundreds of correspondents in Hanoi and the thousands more in Washington and around the world. It was smart to bring Kim Jong Un to Singapore and Vietnam, to expose the North Korean delegation to the kind of economic prosperity that could be possible if he chooses a new path, McConnell said on the Senate floor. High-level diplomacy can carry high-level risks, but the president is to be commended for walking away when it became clear insufficient progress had been made on denuclearization. But former governor Chris Christie (R-N.J.), who is close to the president, said on ABC that he can guarantee Trump is sitting in Vietnam right now, fuming that no ones defending him. He also argued the performance was either a failure of those Republicans on the Hill or a failure of the White House to have a unified strategy with them. So it was that a festive table at the Metropole was set for lunch for the two on Thursday. But the meal was suddenly canceled around noon. Trump and Kims name cards were still on the tables minutes later, as their motorcades were whisking them back to their hotels. Trump, who dislikes long flights and prefers to sleep in his own beds, took off from Vietnam two hours ahead of schedule. We were certainly closer today than 36 hours ago, and were closer than we were a month or two before that. So real progress was made, he said. I think everybody hoped we could do this better, but the departure was with an agreement we continue to work on what has been an incredibly difficult problem. Everyone walked away in that spirit. I think its probably good that the president, if he has to get this done, go ahead and do it on an emergency but not at the expense of the military, Inhofe said. And if it ends up at the expense of the military, that its going to inflict damage on the military, then I have to act accordingly. Harris said in a statement: Marijuana laws in this country have not been applied equally, and as a result we have criminalized marijuana use in a way that has led to the disproportionate incarceration of young men of color. Legalizing marijuana is the smart thing to do and the right thing to do to advance justice and equality for every American. I do not see the leader of North Korea as somebody whos a friend, McCarthy said. We know what happened to Otto. We know what this country has done. I support the president in his effort to denuclearize them, but I do not have a misbelief of who this leader is. But after meeting with Rao for nearly an hour, Hawley said before the vote Thursday that he was convinced that she would interpret the law according to its text and history and not be influenced by changing social and political times. That was similar to the message from Thomas during his call with Hawley. The justice told the senator that Rao does indeed have an originalist judicial philosophy, according to a person familiar with the conversation who was not authorized to speak publicly about it. For buyers struggling to make sense of a neighborhoods pluses and minuses, Matyas often stood ready to remind them that a truly perfect neighborhood didnt exist. There would always, hed caution, be pros and cons to any community. It would be up to potential buyers to sort through the clutter and determine whether any negatives outweighed the good. It is rare for the international media to be afforded such accessibility to the North Korean leader, and the summit Wednesday and Thursday drew as many as 3,000 journalists from around the world to Hanoi. On the first day of the two-day event, Kim made no comment, just cracked a smile and shook his head at a media onslaught so different from what he is used to at home. Trump told White House reporters, Dont raise your voice, please. This isnt like yelling with Trump. Pakistan says it will release an Indian fighter pilot it captured Wednesday, easing the immediate risk of further conflict between India and Pakistan after the two nuclear-armed rivals engaged in their most dangerous military encounter in decades. Calling it a peace gesture, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan told Parliament on Thursday that the pilot would be released Friday. The announcement lowered tensions on the subcontinent and allayed fears that India and Pakistan could be sliding toward war. In recent days, world leaders have called on both countries to step back from outright conflict after they engaged in tit-for-tat airstrikes and their first aerial combat in nearly 50 years. Pakistans announcement that it would free the pilot came hours after President Trump said there was reasonably decent news from Pakistan and India that had raised his hopes for a reduction in tensions. [Looming behind the India-Pakistan tensions: Two growing nuclear arsenals] Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters that he had spent a good deal of time engaging with the leaders of both countries over the phone Wednesday night, encouraging them not to take any action that would escalate and greatly increase risk. Pakistans move to release the Indian pilot provides a way for the two countries to de-escalate the situation at a point where both can plausibly claim victory for their domestic audiences. On Tuesday, India launched airstrikes for the first time on an alleged terrorist training camp within Pakistan, a response to a massive suicide bombing in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Feb. 14 that killed 40 paramilitary police officers. Pakistan retaliated by conducting airstrikes Wednesday just across the unofficial border that divides the Himalayan region of Kashmir. It said it downed two Indian planes in the ensuing confrontation although India insists it lost just one while also capturing the fighter pilot. Commercial flights were suspended across Pakistan and a large swath of northwestern India after the confrontation. Announcing the release of the pilot to cheers in Parliament, Khan told lawmakers that Pakistans desire for de-escalation should not be confused for weakness. He accused India of rushing to blame Pakistan for the Feb. 14 attack and promoting war hysteria. In India, Air Vice Marshal R.G.K. Kapoor told reporters Thursday evening that the countrys air force is extremely happy and looks forward to the return of the pilot, identified by Indian media outlets as Abhinandan Varthaman. The countrys armed forces remain in a heightened state of readiness, added Indian army Maj. Gen. Surendra Singh Mahal. He indicated that further escalation from Indias side was not imminent but said its forces stood prepared to respond to any provocation from Pakistan. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking reelection this spring, has not commented on the impending release of the pilot. He also remained silent after the situation escalated Wednesday, spurring fears that India could be preparing further military action. [Serious and dangerous: Countries urge India and Pakistan to cease fighting] Earlier Thursday, Modi addressed his partys workers and referred to unnamed enemies who he said are trying to destabilize and attack the country. India will grow as one, he said. India will fight as one. India will win as one. Indian officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity under government ground rules, said their main demand was for Pakistan to take steps against militant groups such as Jaish-e-Muhammad, which asserted responsibility for the suicide bombing. The United States designated Jaish-e-Muhammad a terrorist organization in 2001. India has long accused Pakistan of sheltering and supporting such groups, which have carried out attacks in Kashmir and elsewhere in India. Pakistan denies the allegations, but its intelligence services have links to militant groups. On Thursday, the spokesman for Pakistans Foreign Ministry, Muhammad Faisal, confirmed that it had received a file from India containing details on the Feb. 14 attack. Action will be taken on any actionable intelligence, if found in the dossier, he said. Experts said the immediate risk of further conflict probably has passed. India cannot escalate now, said Kabir Taneja, a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a think tank in New Delhi. There is no tenable reason to do so with the imminent release of the Indian pilot, he said. However, this weeks confrontation will have a lasting impact on the strategic equation between India and Pakistan, Taneja said, making future such incidents more likely. There is a new status quo as far as cross-border operations are concerned, he said. Now India can and will use air power in response to major terrorist attacks in Kashmir and beyond. In some ways, Indias strike Tuesday was the most significant since its 1971 war with Pakistan, said Vipin Narang, a political scientist and expert on nuclear strategy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Modi has introduced an uncertainty, as Pakistan doesnt know where they can be hit now. But neither side wants a broader war, Narang added. Now that both have got their shot in, there is an opening for de-escalation. Hussain reported from Islamabad, Pakistan. Read more Pakistan captures Indian pilot after shooting down aircraft, escalating hostilities India strikes Pakistan in severe escalation of tensions between nuclear rivals At least 38 killed in deadliest attack on security forces in Indian-controlled Kashmir in 3 decades Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong (R) holds talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam, Feb. 27, 2019. (Xinhua/VNA) HANOI, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's top leader Nguyen Phu Trong and U.S. President Donald Trump said during their talks here on Wednesday that they attach importance to developing the comprehensive partnership between the two countries. General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President Trong highly appreciated U.S. cooperation in such fields as economy, trade, education and dealing with war aftermaths, especially dioxin detoxification, and proposed that the two countries should continue foster cooperation in other fields, including bomb and mine clearance, and assisting victims of Agent Orange, the Vietnam News Agency reported. Thanking Vietnam for its careful preparation for the ongoing 2nd DPRK-U.S. summit despite of short notice, Trump said the United States would continue to cooperate with Vietnam to promote their comprehensive partnership in a more pragmatic and effective manner, and invited Trong to visit the United States this year. The two leaders agreed to strengthen economy, trade and investment ties, and stated that the two countries should maintain contacts and exchanges of high-level delegations, and reinforce existing dialogue mechanisms. They also supported continued cooperation on overcoming war consequences. Also on Wednesday, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with Trump. The U.S. president is in Hanoi for his 2nd summit with Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), after their first summit in Singapore in June 2018. 2 1 [ Editor: Zhang Zhou ] It was a good tactical position to start with . . . but an untenable position to maintain throughout negotiations, said a former U.S. intelligence official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to avoid becoming involved in the politics of the issue. The question was always going to be, when do we soften, and how do we do it in a way so that we can say with a straight face that were not lifting sanctions, but make enough modifications so that we can actually get something back from the North Koreans. The culture clash between Kim, who rarely travels outside of North Korea, and the thousands of foreign journalists who descended on Vietnams capital for the talks, has been on display all week. When Kim checked into his hotel on Tuesday, the White House promptly shut down a press filing center set up for the traveling press corps to cover the summit. The last-minute change sent the U.S. press scrambling. Television networks had spent weeks setting up cameras, lights, monitors and other equipment shipped halfway across the world to accommodate Kims desire for privacy. Netanyahu has argued that Mandelblits move is undemocratic, since it means voters will go to the polls having heard the allegations but without the prime ministers having had a chance to fully put forward his defense. He has compared it to cutting off the arm of a man for theft, only for him to be acquitted later. Can anyone give him back his arm? Can anyone give you back the elections? he said in a video he released this year. Guaido, whose claim on the Venezuelan presidency has been recognized by more than 50 other nations, traveled to neighboring Colombia last Friday, defying a court order prohibiting him from leaving the country. Opposition leaders had hoped the next day would be a turning point in Venezuelas political drama, with the military forced to allow in international humanitarian aid stationed at the borders. Instead, the armed forces largely stayed loyal to Maduro. Guaido has since broached the possibility of enlisting outside military help to oust the sitting Venezuelan president. Trudeau initially dismissed the allegations as false but has since said that while he did discuss the SNC-Lavalin prosecution with Wilson-Raybould, the decision on the prosecution of the company was hers alone to make. He added that if she at any time felt she was being improperly pressured, she should have raised it with him directly. For years, the militarys deployment in domestic affairs has been hotly debated in Mexico. Lopez Obradors immediate predecessor, Enrique Pena Nieto, introduced a policy that allowed troops to take on police duties. But the Supreme Court of Justice ruled last year that the policy was unconstitutional, arguing that the military could not be deployed indefinitely. Part of Lopez Obradors push for the national guard called for Congress to change the constitution, which it did, to allow for the creation of the new force. The protests were also intended to help win international recognition of the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their former homes, which sit within Israeli territory. Roughly 75 percent of Gazans are registered by the United Nations as refugees, descendants of an estimated 750,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes when Israel was created in 1948. Many still live in one of Gazas eight refugee camps, the report said. Western Australia's sluggish housing market has forced BGC to defer the sale of its large stable of construction businesses. The 59-year old WA-based firm, one of Australia's largest private companies, hired Macquarie Group to find a buyer last year for the sale reportedly worth about $2 billion. After Len Buckeridge died in 2014, the company passed to his family. Credit:John Mokrzycki But after a review amid Australia's sharpest property downturn in a generation, the board decided to halt the process and Macquarie recommended to proceed only with the possible sale or divestment of its contracting business, which includes mining maintenance and construction units, chairman Neil Hamilton said on Thursday. "This is not a market in which anything near optimal valuation could be considered, so we are just turning it off and getting on with running the business," Mr Hamilton said. "In a reasonable market, we will revisit the motion." It's the battle set to define financial markets in an era of information uncertainty. And investors, regulators and the media are all being caught in the crossfires. On one side listed-company boards, executive teams, their powerful public relations consultants and sell-side analyst spruikers. On the other: activist short sellers - some of them highly credible, others shady and operating anonymously. Activist short sellers are becoming a new force in global sharemarkets. Credit:Peter Braig Short selling - profiting from a decline in the price of a security - is a practise as old as markets themselves, and a positive force to counter exuberance. But activist short selling campaigns, in which investors publicly take a short position in a company's shares and then outline their thesis behind it - sometimes quite loudly and theatrically -is a relatively new phenomenon, at least in Australia. Loading "Botox" is a brand name for botulinum toxin, which is produced by bacteria and relaxes muscles when injected by blocking signals from nerves that tell the muscles to contract. When injected into the face it can help soften hard lines caused by facial muscles contracting, so is commonly used to help minimise the appearance of forehead lines and crow's feet, with the effects lasting around three to six months. The Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS) has called for tighter regulation around cosmetic procedures in Australia stating many beauty salons offering cosmetic procedures and injectables were out of their depth. According to Tina Viney, CEO of Aesthetics Practitioners Advisory Network, all cosmetic injectables are classified as Schedule 4 drugs and require a prescription by a registered medical physician. A registered nurse can inject but only under the supervision of physician. It is illegal in Australia for non-medical practitioners to administer Botox or cosmetic fillers. Too much injected into the face can change the way the jaw moves, making you look like a robot or unable to smile or frown. Cumpston says consumers should do their research before undergoing botox or fillers. Things to look out for include making sure the practitioner owns the clinic, pays the insurances, relies on return trade and has real experience ( i.e. proper medical training and at least five years full time injecting. He says google reviews also are a reasonable guide. He also warns against practitioners who are too willing to take on customers. "Have a consultation... if you are getting a hard sell to do multiple procedures when you are 35, maybe think again. In any given day I can turn away as many people as I treat. Not everyone needs something," he says. Problems injecting into the forehead can cause your eyebrows to sit at different heights or one eyelid to droop. Loading The main risk with injectible toxins is that they can make the face appear lopsided if not administered correctly. David Gateley, a consultant plastic surgeon and owner of London's nakedhealth Medispa says: "Too much injected into the face can change the way the jaw moves, making you look like a robot or unable to smile or frown. Problems injecting into the forehead can cause your eyebrows to sit at different heights or one eyelid to droop. "In all these cases, the only thing to do is wait for around three months until the effects have worn off." He warns that rarer, but more serious, risks include infections, blurred vision and allergic reactions particularly if the toxin has been ordered online. Botox is also not suitable for pregnant women, because the effect on unborn babies is unknown, or for people with myasthenia gravis, an immune condition that causes muscle weakness. What risks are involved with fillers? Fillers involve injecting a substance that "plumps up" the face. It is mainly used to make lips bigger and cheeks more pronounced, but can also be used to smooth wrinkles by filling under lines and creases, with effects lasting from four months to a year. Fillers can be made from different substances, but the most common is naturally occurring hyaluronic acid. Synthetic fillers, including those made from silicon, and collagen fillers are also used. As with Botox, fillers injected incorrectly can cause facial features to appear wonky or swollen "trout pout" or lumpy lips are common complaints or make skin appear red or bumpy. Perths western suburbs, some of which are dodging the population boom, are also dodging their fair share of public housing as a resource-limited Housing Authority looks to sell off its more expensive properties. The department is also failing to spread its public housing stock into some of Perths urban fringe suburbs, with the states fastest-growing council, Serpentine-Jarrahdale, containing only four Housing Authority properties out of 10,000. Public housing, on average, has a 3.63 per cent presence in Perth's property market. Credit:Rob Homer According to a report obtained by WAtoday under freedom of information laws, the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale in Perths south-east has the second-lowest public housing presence in the state at 0.04 per cent, beaten only by the Town of Peppermint Grove, which has none. The 2018 Market Presence report, which provided indicative statistics only, was sourced after the Housing Authority refused to provide a breakdown of Perth's 30,881 social housing dwellings by suburb to determine if it was meeting its one in every nine policy. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has used the departure of the last refugee children off Nauru to increase the pressure on Labor over the medical transfers legislation and claim Australians will be "kicked off" waiting lists for healthcare and public housing. The assertion was rubbished by crossbench MP and doctor Kerryn Phelps, the primary architect of the legislation, who said it was nonsense to suggest the small caseload would squeeze Australias hospital system. Mr Dutton confirmed the final four minors on Nauru, along with their families, left by plane for the United States on Wednesday, to be resettled under the arrangement struck by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. Home Affairs Peter Dutton said Australians had a right to be angry about the medical transfer legislation. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen He said it was "a big day" and "a big achievement" for the Coalition government after Labor put thousands of children into immigration detention, including on Nauru. Cairo: A fight between two train conductors unleashed a speeding, unmanned train that slammed into a barrier and exploded in the Egyptian capital's main train station, killing at least 25 people, authorities say. Railway officials said the single railcar collided head-on with the buffer stop, causing a huge explosion and fire. At least 47 people were also injured, many of them critically. Police guard the front of a damaged train inside Ramses train station in Cairo, Egypt. Credit:AP The deadly blaze blasted through people on the platform in the busy Ramses Station in downtown Cairo. New York: As Donald Trump was in Vietnam trying to halt the rise of a new nuclear state, the President's former personal lawyer was back home hurling verbal hand grenades at his former boss. Michael Cohen's appearance before Congress was such a big deal in the US capital that bars opened early so people could watch it on big screens. Expectations were high among Democrats that this would be a politically disastrous day for Trump. A poster on display during Michael Cohen's testimony to Congress. Credit:Bloomberg Cohen, after all, served as Trump's right-hand man for a decade: if anyone could dish the dirt on Trump, this was the guy. STAMFORD A New Canaan mother still remembers the terrible last sounds she heard from her 2-month-old daughter, an emotional description that was read Wednesday during the sentencing of a former East Side day care owner who pleaded guilty to the 2016 killing of the child. Nydia Carrillo-Maldonado, 36, who owned Little Bears Beginnings Day Care, was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in jail after pleading guilty in December to first-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a child. Stamford States Attorney Richard Colangelo read an emotional statement from Bella Redondos parents, Katy and Fernando, who held onto each other on a bench behind the prosecutors desk in the courtroom. I will never forget the calls you made to me that day. I heard her screams in the background. That was the last thing I heard from my Bella, Colangelo said, reading the statement. I will never hear her call me mommy, but I heard her cry in pain while you sat there for hours without doing anything to help her. In the statement, the parents said they did not want to attend the sentencing because they felt Carrillo-Maldonado deserved a harsher punishment. But they said they forgave her even though she has not apologized. Carrillo-Maldonado pleaded guilty under the Alford Doctrine, meaning she disagreed with the facts of the case but realized she would likely be found guilty at trial. The babys death was ruled a homicide caused by blunt-force trauma to the head. Carrillo-Maldonado called 911 around 3 p.m. on July 12, 2016 when the baby had trouble breathing. The medics found evidence of head trauma in addition to the breathing issues, police said. The baby died several hours later at Stamford Hospital A few weeks after the childs death, Carillo-Maldonado surrendered her day care license. Carillo-Maldonado, who her attorney said had a long and personal relationship with the Redondos, was charged in August 2016. Today, for my family and I, its the end of a nightmare that began three years ago, Colangelo read from the statement. The scariest three years of my life, where the world felt like it was on our shoulders. Carrillo-Maldonados friends spoke kindly of the woman, drawing the ire of the judge and attorneys. I appreciate the comments of the last two speakers, but the focus is not on this defendant, but on a child who died as a result of this defendants negligence or recklessness, I should say, Judge Gary White said. That childs parents have suffered and will continue to suffer and this is about the victim and her family. Its not about the defendant. Nobody is saying this defendant intentionally harmed this victim. But it was her recklessness and misconduct that this child died. Colangelo also raised concerns about Carillo-Maldonados lack of remorse. I find it striking that her friends said they were sorry, but she hasnt, Colangelo said. Mark Sherman, an attorney representing the Redondo family, agreed. I just sat there and listened and your honor heard them. But there are no Im sorries, no contrition, he said. I find it appalling that we are here and there isnt an ounce of contrition and I would ask the court to consider that when you impose sentence. White said Carrillo-Maldonado received all the consideration she deserved, but he said he did not want to accept a guilty plea from someone who believed she was innocent. White even offered to take her pleas back and put her to trial. But Carrillo-Maldonados attorney, Christian Bujdud, asked White to impose the sentence that was agreed upon in December. jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com WESTPORT State representatives are speaking out both in favor and against tolls after Gov. Ned Lamont offered two potential paths for instituting highway tolls in his budget proposal last week. First-term state Sen. Will Haskell, D-26, campaigned on the implementation of tolls and said hes sticking by his promise. People in my community are commuters and dont understand why the train has gotten slower. Theyre frustrated by crumbling transportation infrastructure and understand we cant make improvements unless we have the funds we need, Haskell said. Lamont, too, has said tolls or all who drive through the state are the best long-term solution, for financing Connecticuts transportation needs. The toll plan should come with concessions, including a provision that says those who live within 10 miles of a toll dont have to pay, Haskell said, adding residents who travel across state lines more than 40 times per month and those who have a Connecticut E-Z Pass should also receive a discount on tolls. Theres tremendous opposition to tolls because we live in the land of steady habits, but sometimes those habits are really bad, Haskell said. Fellow Democratic representative Jonathan Steinberg, D-136, also said he favors tolls and similar concessions as Haskell, but wants to see a more fleshed out toll plan. Lamont presented one plan to toll both trucks and cars and another to toll only trucks. Steinberg said he doesnt favor the latter because tolling only trucks is potentially unconstitutional and will not generate enough revenue to fix the states failing roads and bridges. So many interstate drivers drive through our state, but Connecticut taxpayers pay for infrastructure improvements, and we need more tools to support that. What were trying to do make sure its not all on Connecticut taxpayers, Steinberg said. The two other state representatives whose districts encompass parts of Westport expressed more lukewarm opinions about the reinstitution of tolls. If natural market forces cause the gas tax to disappear over time, then Im willing to consider them, but right now I dont think we need them. Even if I did, we dont have enough detail and I wouldnt vote for it without more detail, said state Rep. Gail Lavielle, R-143. The gas tax currently helps funds transportation infrastructure improvements and may decline in the future due to the rise of fuel efficient cars, Lavielle said, adding evidence of declining gast tax revenue is not clear enough to necessitate tolls to substitute for gast tax revenue. State Sen. Tony Hwang, R-28, said tolls wouldnt be an immediate panacea to our transportation ills. When asked about solutions, said he was open to exploring public private partnerships and a prioritization of transportation projects through the Legislature. Although he does not have a vote in the Legislature, Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe said hes concerned tolls may may aggravate traffic in town if people choose to use local Westport roads to avoid highway tolls. Marpe said hes also worried about the impact of tolls on people who commute into Westport to work from out of state. Im as much an advocate to fix our transportation system as anyone and recognize this will take billions of dollars, Marpe said, adding hes in favor of tolling trucks, but wants to see the state reduce costs through pension reform to free up money for transportation fixes. It isnt enough to keep raising money. I think we need to save money as well and direct it toward important transportation infrastructure investments, Marpe said. Includes reporting by Humberto J Rocha svaughan@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2638; @SophieCVaughan1 News Premium On the 20th anniversary of Wexford container tragedy in which eight migrants died how the life of one of the survivors has turned out People visit the antique market along the Naviglio Grande in Milan, Italy, Feb. 24, 2019. The antique market, organized by the Association of Naviglio Grande, takes place along the banks of Naviglio Grande, a canal in Milan, on the last Sunday of every month. More than 380 exhibitors brought their vintage furniture, jewelry, books, prints and accessories to the February's market. The market attracted antique enthusiasts and tourists from all over the world. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting) 9 1 [ Editor: WPY ] Law enforcement agencies across several states have arrested and charged three people in a drug bust that yielded $1 million in drugs. James Frazier, 33, of Cambridge, Maryland and Seaford, Delaware; Trivette Jackson, 37, of Federalsburg, Maryland and Dover, Delaware; and Donisha Holland, 25, of Seaford, Delaware, are all facing several drug related charges by Delaware State Police. Maryland State Police said several agencies began an investigation last fall into a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing large amounts of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana throughout the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. Police said Frazier was previously the largest illegal drug supplier in the area. The investigation wrapped on in February, and several search and seizure warrants were issued in Maryland, Delaware Virginia and New York. Law enforcement recovered the following items: More than 5,900 grams of suspected heroin/fentanyl mixture More than 1,100 grams of suspected cocaine More than 300 grams of suspected crack cocaine More than 450 grams of suspected methamphetamine More than 74 lbs. of suspected marijuana More than 70 methylphenidate (Schedule II) prescription pills Five regulated firearms, two of which were reported stolen One money counter More than $97,900 in suspected drug-related cash Five vehicles with an estimated value of $140,000 More charges are expected to come down for others involved in the operation. A Johnson County lawmaker has become the first Iowa legislator to endorse any 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful.Rep. Amy Nielsen, D-North Liberty, has thrown her support behind U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, who formally announced his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination Feb. 1."Now more than ever, we need Cory's message of optimism and unity," she said in a 38-second video announcing her endorsement.Nielsen, 41, served as mayor of North Liberty from 2014 to 2016. In 2016, she was elected to represent House District 77, which includes North Liberty, Tiffin, Oxford, Shueyville, Lone Tree and the rural areas west and south of Iowa City. She was re-elected in 2018.She pointed to Booker's record of bringing people together as mayor of Newark, N.J."As a former mayor myself, I know the types of tough decisions that you must make when you are the city's chief executive officer and how that prepares you to tackle big things in the future," Nielsen said.Booker is part of a growing field of candidates competing in Iowa's first-in-the-nation precinct caucuses scheduled for Feb. 3, 2020. Although the pace of the campaign has picked up rapidly over the last month, there have been few endorsements. Momentum toward legalization of marijuana continues to grow. That doesnt mean local officials have to like it. In fact, many of them have taken action to ban the possession of pot, including in states where recreational use is becoming acceptable.New Jersey lawmakers are widely expected to legalize pot this year. They have determined that the drug is relatively benign and undeserving of criminal penalties. The fact that legalized marijuana sales have helped boost tax revenues in other states doesnt hurt.But about 50 local governments in New Jersey have passed laws banning marijuana sales or possession within their borders. Nearly all the bans were put in place last year in anticipation of state action on the issue. It came from the publicity of the state legalizing it, says Robert White, the mayor of Saddle Brook, N.J., which imposed its ban in October. We had a lot of residents who talked to myself and other council members, saying they didnt want to see marijuana sold in Saddle Brook. A similar dynamic exists in Michigan, where about 80 communities have opted out of the legalization law adopted by voters in November.White admits that as a former police officer, he may be biased against legalization. Hes heard the argument that marijuana is no worse than tobacco and alcohol, but wonders why state officials want to encourage another potential problem. Pot has gotten much stronger over the past 20 years, he points out. Because recreational marijuana was illegal everywhere until five years ago, the large-scale studies that are common before pharmaceuticals are legalized have not been conducted.The National Academy of Medicine has suggested that there could be real dangers to marijuana, but that theres not enough information to know for sure. Barnegat, N.J., Mayor Al Cirulli fears that the movement of marijuana out of joints and bongs and into flavored products such as gummy bears will make it more appealing to children. Its kind of ironic, Cirulli says. You see commercials on television about drug addiction, and here we have a governor and a legislature that are going to allow this because they think theyre going to make money.Both White and Cirulli recognize that local bans may have limited effect. As a practical matter, banning marijuana within small jurisdictions wont be much of a deterrent if theres a dispensary operating one town over. And, even if the final state law doesnt preempt local governments, there are likely to be lawsuits.Still, quite a few local leaders in New Jersey are determined to do what they can to keep pot out of their towns. The only thing we can do is not to make it accessible, Cirulli says. Well fight them every step of the way. But imagine being sent there surrounded by darkness because you can't see. Or unable to hear a corrections officer yelling instructions because you are deaf. Or unable to walk to the chow hall because you need a wheelchair.A federal judge in Detroit recently determined that the Michigan Department of Corrections for years violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with respect to about 200 prisoners statewide who are deaf or hard of hearing, and it could be placed under the watch of an independent monitor.The lawsuit, brought by Michigan Protection & Advocacy Service, heard evidence that hearing-impaired prisoners had no effective way of talking with their loved ones by phone, couldn't be sure they'd be notified of a prison emergency such as a fire, and in some cases were disciplined because they couldn't hear and attended discipline hearings without hearing aids or sign language interpreters.The ADA, which took effect in 1990, requires public facilities -- including state prisons -- to accommodate people with disabilities so they get a level of service and programs equal to those who don't have such disabilities.Prisoners who are blind -- the department says there are about 40 statewide -- or use wheelchairs -- the department says there are 65 -- say the department, which didn't issue its first policy directive related to prisoners with disabilities until last August, has flouted the ADA with respect to their disabilities, too. A few have sued separately, but not in a successful class-action suit like the one for deaf prisoners.Among the concerns raised:-- Geraldine Taeckens, who is blind and recently served two years for health care fraudat Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility near Ypsilanti, said prisoners with sight were routinely allowed to use knitting needles, pens, and even scissors. But there were strict controls placed over the slate and stylus she needed to write Braille because prison officials viewed the stylus as a potential weapon, she said. As a result, it was difficult to get a slate and stylus when she needed one, such as during phone calls when she might want to take notes, she said.-- Terrance Pugh, who was paroled in 2018 after serving more than six years for drugs and weapons offenses, sued the department in 2012, alleging he was assigned a top bunk in violation of a medical order that he sleep in a lower bunk, that he was given a wheelchair too small for his 300-pound-plus frame, that the department wouldn't replace the chair when it broke, causing him to fall, and that he was cut off from five consecutive meals when he couldn't use the broken wheelchair to get to the chow hall and officials would not deliver meals to his cell.-- Marvin Bennett, who was paroled in 2011 and is now 61, had a chronic herniated disk in his spine when he was sentenced to two to 20 years for larceny in 2009. As a result of a medical assessment given upon arrival, Bennett was assigned to a ground-floor cell and a lower bunk. Despite that order, he was assigned a fourth-floor cell upon arrival at the former Mound Correctional Facility in Detroit, requiring him to climb several flights of stairs each day. Bennett fell down the stairs in 2010, after which he needed a wheelchair. The case was settled for an undisclosed sum after U.S. District Judge Arthur Tarnow refused to dismiss Bennett's claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act.The Corrections Department could not say how many of its nearly 39,000 prisoners require ADA accommodations because of mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder. But prison officials say about 9,500 prisoners, or 24 percent of the population, are being treated for mental health issues, of which close to 4,000 have serious mental health problems. Many control their conditions with medication and do not require special accommodations under the ADA, but prisoners being treated differently from the general prison population include 220 mental health in-patients at Woodland Correctional Center in Whitmore Lake, 770 prisoners in residential treatment programs at various sites, and 250 prisoners in adaptive skills residential programs at two Michigan prisons, spokesman Chris Gautz said.Among the findings in the case involving deaf prisoners, U.S. District Judge Sean Cox determined the department only offered 60-year-old and "obsolete" technology in the form of teletypewriters for deaf inmates to make phone calls, despite the fact the Federal Communications Commission offers free access to videophones, which are standard use for the deaf, and on which deaf prisoners can speak through sign language interpreters. A department official acknowledged most prisoners' family members no longer have teletypewriters and said their use was "comparable to sending someone a fax to their homes versus an email."The court is finalizing a consent judgment under which the department will be overseen by a federally appointed monitor for two years. A hearing to determine the fairness of the proposed class-action settlement is set for March 21.Under the proposed order, the department would be not only required to make videophones available to all deaf and hard-of-hearing prisoners, but would have to provide hearing aids and access to sign language interpreters for all "high stakes" interactions and programs, including medical appointments and religious services, as well as institute mandatory training for all prison staff on how to identify and interact with deaf and hard-of-hearing prisoners.Though the lawsuit sought orders requiring the department to take certain actions -- not monetary damages -- the department will also be required to pay $1.3 millionto cover both the plaintiffs' attorney fees and the cost of the independent monitor.The department argued it has taken steps to render the lawsuit moot, but U.S. Magistrate Judge David Grand, who helped Cox adjudicate the case, said the department didn't act until after the suit was filed in July 2015, and still has more to do."Prior to the commencement of this action, it is undisputed that the MDOC did not have guidelines for medically classifying prisoners with hearing deficits, and had no policies related to housing such prisoners at appropriately designated facilities, or to providing specific communications accommodations," Grand said in a report to Cox.In one incident, inmate Ralph Williams, now 64, who is serving a life sentence for murder, was sent to solitary confinement for 40 days after he was forced to appear at a misconduct hearing without a hearing aid, leaving him "completely unable to hear or communicate," according to a plaintiffs' court filing in the case.The Corrections Department now has an ADA coordinator in each prison, but spokeswoman Holly Kramer said that change didn't take effect until last August, which is after Cox ruled in favor of the deaf prisoners on several of their claims.That's also about the time the department's first policy directive related to prisoners with disabilities took effect. Among other provisions, it requires that upon arrival all prisoners be assessed for disabilities requiring special treatment under the ADA."The offender shall be provided a reasonable accommodation if it is determined necessary and if it would not create an undue hardship," the directive says.Prior to the policy, "medical protocols would have ensured prisoners with disabilities were provided with ... aids or reasonable accommodations when necessary," Kramer said. The new directive "was designed to streamline the process and make it clearer and more efficient" for both prisoners and staff, she said.Taeckens, 67, a former commissioner on the Michigan Commission for the Blind who was a state-licensed clinical social worker, was sent to prison in 2016 after she was found guilty of submitting tens of thousands of dollars in fraudulent billings to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, including billing for psychotherapy for patients who received massages. She was released on parole last July.In May 2017, she sent a letter to state lawmakers detailing what she perceived as violations of the ADA at Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility, affecting not only her and the one other blind prisoner there, but also female prisoners who are deaf and use wheelchairs."In general, prisoners with disabilities are not well-understood by staff, often criticized or disbelieved, (and) not given proper equipment for healthy functioning and equal access," Taeckens wrote in the letter.Among her concerns was a lack of input in the assignment of prisoner aides to guide and otherwise help blind prisoners. It's essential the prisoner be assigned someone they trust because the aide could be involved in reading correspondence related to personal issues and would be expected to respect confidentiality, Taeckens said.One aide assigned to Taeckens "spread my (personal) stuff all over the place," Taeckens said. Another "kept running me into stuff."Taeckens "wanted to be able to dictate who her aides were and have the ability to 'hire' her friends, rather than be assigned one," Gautz said in an email. "In prison, we do not allow prisoners to be in a position of authority over other prisoners by being able to hire and fire them."A major concern for Taeckens was restricted access to the slate and stylus she uses to write Braille. Taeckens said the stylus used to punch holes in paper is no more dangerous than pens, knitting needles or dull scissors that prisoners are allowed to own and carry freely, but prison officials required that it be kept in a lockbox at the officers' desk. She couldn't take the device out of the unit, was required to return it when there was a shift change, and to get it, she had to provide her prisoner ID, which is also needed to access the chow hall.To get it from the desk, "sometimes I had to wait an hour and a half, sometimes I had to wait 13 minutes, sometimes there was an officer who couldn't find it," Taeckens told the Free Press."I kept saying, 'It is not the object that is the weapon, it is the person,' " Taeckens said. "A person can use anything as a weapon. There was a lady, an inmate, that used a chicken bone and stabbed somebody."Mark Cody, legal director for Lansing-based Michigan Protection & Advocacy Service, which is handling the deaf prisoner lawsuit, said he would require more information before giving an opinion, but a lack of equal access to writing materials is a potential violation of the ADA.Gautz said officer and prisoner safety must come first."The small, blunt scissors are the type of child-size scissors you see in primary education classes," Gautz said. "The knitting needles and crochet hooks are either plastic or wooden. The stylus however, is metal and pointed, not blunt."It is kept "on a tool inventory for safety and security as it is equipment owned by the state and requires control accountability," he said. Similar rules apply to clothes irons in residential units and screwdrivers in vocational training areas, he said.Gautz said that during the time Taeckens was housed at Women's Huron Valley, the department purchased additional slate and stylus kits for the prison school, the program building, and the fieldhouse.Taeckens said just as she had problems with prisoner aides, so do prisoners who need wheelchairs and someone to push them. At the women's prison, a lack of reliable access to aides results in such prisoners missing meals and appointments, and the wheelchairs themselves were often in poor repair and/or beneath ergonomic standards, she said.Gautz said wheelchairs are repaired regularly.Pugh, now 38, who was serving time at Cotton Correctional Facility near Jacksonon drugs and weapons charges, represented himself in his case against several prison officials. While most counts were dismissed before trial, Pugh was able to put his case against one official in front of jurors after U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Binder wrote in a report that he found it "somewhat troubling" that Pugh would miss meals for two days after his wheelchair broke and a nonmedical prison official canceled a medical order to have his meals delivered to his cell, believing that Pugh was "malingering."The prison official "offers no explanation as to why the RN (registered nurse) would not be qualified" to make the judgment about the in-cell meals, and did not explain "why she ... who is not a medically trained person of any kind, would be better-suited to make the decision as to whether (Pugh) required in-cell meals or whether he could walk from the housing unit to the chow hall," Binder wrote.Jurors ultimately ruled against Pugh, in favor of the prison official.Bennett, who, like Pugh, was given a bed assignment that was contrary to a medical order issued in light of his disability, received a cash settlement in his federal lawsuit, said Troy attorney Teresa Gorman. The amount of the settlement was not immediately available.Patricia Kefalas Dudek, a Farmington Hills attorney who advocates for people with disabilities and their families, said prisons for the most part are not set up to be health care providers, and that's especially true in the area of mental health. They are also part of bureaucratic systems that do not accommodate change easily and a lack of ADA enforcement provides little impetus for prisons to make sure they are in compliance, she said.Cody, the legal director at Michigan Protection & Advocacy Service, said prisons are set up for uniform treatment, but compliance with the ADA can involve making accommodations that are sometimes prisoner-specific.Gautz said the department looks at each case separately, as required by law."As it relates to the mentally ill, we have always said that prison is not the ideal place to treat someone with a mental illness," but the department is required to provide both physical and mental health care to prisoners, and it "takes great care and spends millions of dollars annually to do so."Chris Davis, the agency attorney who has the lead role in the lawsuit involving deaf prisoners, said a notice sent out about that pending settlement prompted many prisoners with other types of disabilities to contact the agency and provide information."We're just sort of starting to sort through them," Davis said.Cody said that going forward, the agency is particularly concerned about prison officials using segregation -- a type of solitary confinement -- as a way of handling mental health issues.The department recently launched a program at three prisons called START, which provides programs to high-security prisoners with mental health issues, as an alternative to segregation, Gautz said. JUNEAU, Alaska - Gov. Mike Dunleavy has fired the chair of a state commission tasked with overseeing oil and gas drilling in Alaska, saying Hollis French was neglectful in his duties. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/2/2019 (1013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this Dec. 5, 2018, file photo, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks at a news conference in Anchorage, Alaska. Dunleavy has fired the chair of a state commission tasked with overseeing oil and gas drilling in Alaska, saying Hollis French was neglectful in his duties. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, File) JUNEAU, Alaska - Gov. Mike Dunleavy has fired the chair of a state commission tasked with overseeing oil and gas drilling in Alaska, saying Hollis French was neglectful in his duties. French argues his firing was politically motivated, brought on by his seeking commission action on a Cook Inlet gas leak. French said Wednesday that the evidence he's seen indicates his fellow commissioners were unhappy with his position. Dunleavy, a Republican, issued an order Tuesday removing French from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, effective immediately. French, a Democratic former state senator, can appeal. Dunleavy said he based his decision on the findings of a hearing officer who found that "chronic absenteeism" by French negatively affected office morale and caused others to handle work for French. Hearing officer Timothy Petumenos also found that no commission work was considerably delayed or affected by French's absences and that other commissioners and staff did not seriously confront French to allow him to address the issue. Dunleavy wrote that it was his judgment that French "neglected his duty to routinely show up for work, to work a full day, and to do his best to perform his obligations" as a full-time commissioner. French took issue with that. "To me, that's not why you remove someone from office," he said, adding later: "It calls for a mild correction, not execution." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The gas line leak involved the company Hilcorp. Campaign contribution records showed Hilcorp Energy Co. gave $25,000 to Dunleavy for Alaska, an influential third-party group that supported Dunleavy's campaign for governor. The donation is shown as Jan. 29, after Dunleavy initiated proceedings to remove French. Dunleavy took office in December. The contribution was first reported by blogger Dermot Cole. Matt Larkin, campaign manager with the Dunleavy for Alaska group, said he personally solicited the contribution from Hilcorp to help cover campaign expenses and said it had nothing to do with French. Messages seeking comment were left for Hilcorp and a Dunleavy spokesman. In 2014, French won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor but stepped aside when the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, Byron Mallott, became Republican-turned-independent Bill Walker's running mate. The so-called unity ticket of Walker and Mallott won later that year. French was appointed to the commission in 2016 by Walker and later confirmed by the Legislature. BANGKOK - A temporary closure of air space over Pakistan snarled air traffic Thursday, especially between Asia and Europe, though some airlines adjusted by rerouting their flights. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/2/2019 (1013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Stranded passengers stand outside an airport after it was closed for civilians operations amid tension along the border with Pakistan in Jammu, India, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan shot down two Indian warplanes Wednesday in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured their pilots, its military said, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals to a level unseen in 20 years. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) BANGKOK - A temporary closure of air space over Pakistan snarled air traffic Thursday, especially between Asia and Europe, though some airlines adjusted by rerouting their flights. In Bangkok, an important and busy hub for transcontinental flights, thousands of travellers were stranded. The closure of a main route for many flights to the Middle East and Europe was likely to be costly for airlines having to carry extra fuel and take longer journeys than usual. Bangkok airport officials said over 4,000 travellers were affected. Those needing help were getting access to accommodations and alternative travel arrangements, they said, though some of those stranded complained they were getting no help at all. The terminal was so crowded that the chief of Thailand's immigration police, Surachate Hakparn, tweeted a warning to "Please spare your time for your trip!" A group of 25 Danish students stay overnight at Suvarnabhumi Airport after they were unable to board a connecting flight Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Bangkok, Thailand. A temporary closure of air space over Pakistan snarled air traffic Thursday, especially between Asia and Europe, though some airlines adjusted by rerouting their flights. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) The disruptions brought a month-long tropical holiday for a group of 25 Danish students unable to board a connecting flight in Bangkok to an unhappy end. "The guard over there just said we have to go down to the basement to sleep. So we can't get any help or information," said Sara Bjerregaard Larsen, 21. Thai Airways says it had rerouted flights to Europe outside Pakistani air space. Malaysia Airlines also said in a travel advisory on its website that it was avoiding air space over Pakistan and northern India "until further notice." The first available flight to London on Thai Airways, according to its booking website, was Thursday, March 7. Pakistan aviation authorities said the country's air space would reopen as of midnight Thursday (1900 GMT). The government closed it Wednesday after Pakistan said its military had shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot, escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. India also suspended flights though some of its northern airports on Wednesday. Those facilities were back to normal on Thursday, but flights both to the U.S. and Europe out of New Delhi were affected. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. A United flight from Newark, New Jersey, to New Delhi was rerouted through London and later cancelled, and Air Canada cancelled flights from Toronto and Vancouver to the Indian capital. As of mid-morning Thursday, Chinese airlines had changed the routes of seven flights due to the closure of Pakistani airspace while foreign airlines were allowed to divert 40 flights through Chinese airspace, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said on its website. Air China cancelled its flight Thursday from Beijing to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. According to an employee of the airline's publicity office in Beijing, the status of other flights would be decided later. The closing of Pakistan's airspace saw Gulf Arab airlines, which serve as a link between East and West in global travel, rapidly reshuffle their flights. In the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, civil aviation authorities immediately halted their flights to Pakistan. Airlines in those countries include the long-haul carriers Etihad, Emirates and Gulf Air. Saudi Arabian Airlines and Oman Air similarly cancelled flights to Pakistan. Pakistanis work in a variety of blue- and white-collar jobs across the Gulf Arab states. Canada's auto industry was left on the sidelines in a major spending commitment by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles this week, just as analysts were raising concerns about the future of the company's Brampton, Ont. assembly plant. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/2/2019 (1012 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A Chrysler Group LLC employee takes a break on the assembly line during the production launch of Chrysler vehicles at the assembly plant in Brampton, Ont. January 7, 2011. Canada's auto industry was left on the sidelines in a major spending commitment by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles this week, just as analysts were raising concerns about the future of the company's Brampton, Ont. assembly plant. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese Canada's auto industry was left on the sidelines in a major spending commitment by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles this week, just as analysts were raising concerns about the future of the company's Brampton, Ont. assembly plant. The US$4.5-billion commitment by FCA in Michigan, set to create 6,500 jobs, will build a new assembly plant and upgrade existing ones comes after intense political pressure in the U.S. to increase domestic manufacturing. The investment, which will pave the way for a new three-row Jeep and other models as part of the company's increasing focus on trucks and SUVs, highlighted the risks for the Brampton plant that produces passenger cars. "That doesn't bode well," said John Holmes, professor emeritus at Queen's University, who co-wrote a report out this week on Canada's auto industry. "The big challenge for Brampton has been that, yeah they got the new paint shop after the last round of bargaining with Unifor, but they're building mainly sedans, and the market is really, really soft for cars." The company and union have downplayed threats to the plant, but the report by Holmes and University of Guelph provost Charlotte Yates notes the plant needs new vehicles in growing segments to survive, even as capital commitments to Canada's auto sector decline. Investment in Canada's vehicle assembly sector averaged just $1.2 billion a year between 2010 and 2017, down from $2.3 billion a year in the previous decade, the report said, while since 2004, greenfield investment in Canada has totalled $1 billion compared with $15 billion in Mexico. There's little sign the trend will reverse as the auto sector prepares for flatter growth in North America and a dip in demand in China. The big Detroit auto companies are increasingly shifting to higher-margin large vehicles to prepare, such as General Motors' decision to shut its Oshawa, Ont. assembly plant that produces sedans by the end of the year. FCA has also shifted away from cars, discontinuing the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart in 2016, as it focuses on expanding its SUVs and trucks under the Jeep and Ram names as well as its higher-end Italian brands. The company is predicted to phase out the Chrysler 300 produced at Brampton by 2021, said Joseph McCabe, president and CEO of AutoForecast Solutions LLC, though the plant should still get the next generation Dodge Charger and Challenger muscle cars. "We see that the Charger and Challenger remain the halo products in their car strategy, but they are literally the only thing left in Chrysler's car strategy in North America." There is a chance, though, that the company could cut the Chrysler car line-up, built on its LX rear-wheel drive platform, entirely, said McCabe. "It's going to be literally an on and off approach. Either they stay in the car business and they need a place to put the LX and they'll keep it there. Or, they get out of the car business and then all of the sudden, unfortunately, Brampton gets ramped up to the highest risk facility that Chrysler has in North America." FCA spokeswoman LouAnn Gosselin said the company doesn't discuss future plans and products, including the future of Brampton, but did say the company is committed to what it's producing there. "The products built there have a very loyal and engaged customer base and remain an important part of our product portfolio in the United States and North America, and will continue to be," she said by email. Unifor president Jerry Dias was also quick to assure that the company is committed to Canada, and the Brampton plant that employs some 3,348 unionized workers. "They are absolutely committed to their facilities here in Canada," he said. "That plant has been on two shifts for years. It's steady, they have a loyal customer base, and they're not going anywhere." He said he wouldn't be surprised if the company announces another vehicle to complement the Charger and Challenger, noting that FCA has held off on spending part of the $325 million it committed to the plant's paint shop until it figures out the next step for the plant. The company's investment this week in the U.S., however, shows how important government support is for the industry, said Dias. "There's no question when you have governments that are vocal and active and challenging the companies, you're much more able to get results." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. He said Canadian governments still need to step up. "The sound of their silence is deafening." Holmes and Yates also called for more concerted government assistance for the sector in their report, especially targeted support for companies that commit to build green vehicles. FCA said its new investments in Michigan would allow for electrification of future Jeep vehicles. And while Canada didn't get new investments in the latest news, any investment in the Great Lakes region is a win for a sector that is heavily integrated across the border, said Holmes. "Investments in new assembly capacity in Michigan, or Ohio, and Indiana probably holds out some potential for increased parts sales for Ontario firms," said Holmes. The region as a whole has been eager for new investment as production has trended further south. Holmes noted in the report that of the 17 new North American assembly plants announced since 2006, 10 have gone to Mexico, seven to the southern United States and none to the Great Lakes region. FCA said in its announcement that the new assembly plant with be the first built in the city of Detroit in almost three decades. HALIFAX - The federal government is stepping in to regulate a company's controversial plan to use water from one of Nova Scotia's major rivers to create huge underground caverns to store natural gas, but a Mi'kmaq leader says Ottawa's move doesn't go far enough. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/2/2019 (1012 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Protesters gather at the Alton Natural Gas Storage LP office in Stewiacke, N.S., on October 4, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan HALIFAX - The federal government is stepping in to regulate a company's controversial plan to use water from one of Nova Scotia's major rivers to create huge underground caverns to store natural gas, but a Mi'kmaq leader says Ottawa's move doesn't go far enough. Environment and Climate Change Canada says the proposed regulations for the Alton Gas project will be aimed at managing potential threats to fish, fish habitat and human health. However, Millbrook First Nation Chief Bob Gloade said it appears the department has already decided to grant the company an exemption to a provision in the Fisheries Act that bans depositing so-called "deleterious substances" into waterways frequented by fish. "It seems like it's just a quick approach to rubber-stamp this without proper engagement, consultation and evaluation of the implications of this," Gloade said in an interview Thursday. "It's to accommodate one company's ability to move forward on a particular project." Federal officials could not be reached for comment, but the company issued a statement saying it is committed to safe operations that will protect the Shubenacadie River. "As designed and operated, we are confident that Alton will not have an impact on fish or fish habitat in the Shubenacadie estuary," the company said. For the past 12 years, Alton Gas has been planning to pump water from the river to an underground site 12 kilometres away, where it will be used to flush out salt deposits, creating up to 15 caverns. The leftover brine solution would then be pumped back into the river over a two- to three-year period. The project has been on hold since protests started in 2014, and a protest camp was set up near the river two years later. A protester at the camp declined to comment when reached Thursday. Calls to other protest leaders and members of the nearby Sipeknekatik First Nation were not returned. However, Gloade made it clear he's worried the project will damage the 73-kilometre tidal river, which runs through the middle of mainland Nova Scotia. "They are giving them the go-ahead to do it without knowing ... that the salinity content is not going to raise above a certain point," he said. "This is not something that has happened before, so they can't given any assurance that it's not going to cause any harm." Alton Gas says it has scientific studies showing the brine will not hurt the environment. "Brine release at Alton has been extensively studied, both during the project's provincial environmental assessment and the independent review led by the Mi'kmaq the recommendations from which we are fully committed to implementing." "That being said, we appreciate that some people continue to have questions about the brine release process. We continue to engage with project stakeholders with respect to questions they may have, and we are open to the development of the new regulation by Environment and Climate Change Canada." The federal department says regulations under the Fisheries Act, due later this year, will establish "conditions on any brine releases." "The project is designed to ensure that the salt concentration ... (in) the river would not exceed the highest naturally occurring salt concentrations in the river," the department said in a notice of intent posted Monday on its website. "The objective of the regulations under consideration is to manage the risk of potential threats to fish, fish habitat and human health from fish consumption." Veronica Petro, a spokeswoman for the department, said in a statement that the regulations will be developed "in consultation with Nova Scotia and Indigenous Peoples." Last Friday, Alton Gas applied to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia for an injunction that would order the removal of protesters from the riverside site near Fort Ellis, N.S. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The company says it wants the RCMP to remove "trespassing" protesters who have "consistently" blocked access to the site. The company has insisted it has consulted with local Indigenous people, and the provincial government has agreed. More importantly, the company says it has already secured the permits it needs to start pumping water from the river. But the delays are adding up. The company, a subsidiary of Calgary-based AltaGas, had initially planned to have construction completed between 2013 and 2018. However, the company recently asked the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board to extend its cavern construction permit to Sept. 1, 2023. Follow @NovaMac on Twitter With the end of construction of the $4.7-billion Bipole lll last year, and the scheduled completion of the $8.7-billion Keeyask Generating Station in 2020, at least one economic growth forecaster believes that is going to nudge this province into a slow-growth phase. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/2/2019 (1013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. With the end of construction of the $4.7-billion Bipole lll last year, and the scheduled completion of the $8.7-billion Keeyask Generating Station in 2020, at least one economic growth forecaster believes that is going to nudge this province into a slow-growth phase. In fact, in its latest quarterly provincial forecast delivered Wednesday, the Conference Board of Canada is expecting 0.7 per cent GDP growth in Manitoba in 2020 the lowest in the country. MANITOBA HYDRO Construction of Keeyask Generating Station in 2018. One economist in Manitoba said the province has not been at the bottom of such a list in 20 years. Marie-Christine Bernard, director of the provincial forecast at the Conference Board, said the completion of those capital- and labour-intensive construction projects, combined with a continuing slowdown in production in the provinces mining industry, were the main factors in the historically low forecast. "There has been a lot of investment with Manitoba Hydro projects, and as those projects are completed and very near completion, you are going to see much weaker investment," she said. "That is one of the main factors. The other one that we have been following closely is that there has been declining mineral production and activity in the mining sector in Manitoba." Although Hudbay Minerals did announce last week that it would invest around $124 million to beef up gold production at its Lalor mine in Snow Lake, its flagship mine in Flin Flon, where the company has been mining for 90 years, is shutting down in 2021. As well, Vale closed its nickel smelter in Thompson in the summer after closing a smaller mine the previous year. Even with the new investment upcoming in Snow Lake, the north will have lost more than 1,000 jobs in the mining sector. In the winter 2019 Provincial Outlook report, the Conference Board notes that "job losses in utilities, mining and other sectors of the economy are limiting future consumption growth. Growth in public spending will be lower as the provincial government tries to wrestle down its deficit." In an interview, Bernard said her office has been watching mineral production come down. And while she said it is not a big sector in the Manitoba economy, "it has been declining for a number of years and it is taking away from GDP growth." The provincial economy cant help but take a hit with the fall-off in investment upon the completion of the multi-billion-dollar transmission line and the soon-to-be-completed generating station. But Bernard notes there are still sizable projects on the books, like the Roquette pea protein processing plant and Simplot French-fry plant expansion. Business investment is still expected to grow by a solid 5.9 per cent in 2019 before falling off in 2020. She said agriculture and manufacturing will also continue to progress at a modest pace. "They are not the problem," she said. The grim forecast is just that a forecast. The Conference Board, like the half-dozen or so banks that publish forecasts, regularly revises them. The Conference Boards previous forecast had Manitobas economy growing at 0.9 per cent in 2020. And at this point, the Conference Boards forecast is an outlier when it comes to the pessimistic outlook for 2020. The average of all the forecasters the big-six banks plus Laurentian Bank, IHS Global Insight and the Conference Board not including this latest Conference Board release, has Manitobas real GDP expected to grow by 1.7 per cent in 2019, tied for seventh among provinces, and by 1.5 per cent in 2020, tied for fifth among provinces. Fletcher Baragar, the associate head of the economics department at the University of Manitoba, said the Hydro mega-projects and mining industry slowdown have been on everyones radar for some time. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Well know better when the budget comes out (how the province may tackle weaker economic growth)," he said. "But the message from the provincial government is that it is holding the line on a whole range of spending. Maybe that is having an effect." Baragar also wonders if disputes the province is engaged in with the city and the federal governments might be affecting some infrastructure spending. "But politics can change," he said. Bernard said the Conference Board makes some assumptions in producing its forecasts, including the give and take between the federal and provincial governments. "Some of it is our own assumptions," she said. "There is a deficit to tackle in Manitoba, so it is highly likely there wont be a stimulative budget (in Manitoba)." martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca FRANKFORT, Ky. - Twelve-year-old Hannah Piedad first encountered vaping an electronic form of smoking at a New Year's party. It was the smell that got her attention. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/2/2019 (1013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Republican state Sen. Brandon Smith speaks to a legislative committee in Kentucky with some students from Johnson County Middle School on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Frankfort, Kentucky. The students asked lawmakers to pass a bill that would set up an anonymous tip line for students to report when other students are vaping or using e-cigarettes at school. After their testimony, Republican Sen. Steve Meredith vowed to amend the bill to ban all e-cigarettes and vaping products for anyone under 21. Right now, the smoking age is 18.(AP Photo/Adam Beam) FRANKFORT, Ky. - Twelve-year-old Hannah Piedad first encountered vaping an electronic form of smoking at a New Year's party. It was the smell that got her attention. "I was intrigued because it smelled just like maple syrup," she said. Now the student at Johnson County Middle School in eastern Kentucky has testified before lawmakers in this tobacco state that e-cigarettes have become commonplace at her school despite a state law requiring a person to be at least 18 to buy them. Piedad and her classmates told state lawmakers Wednesday that they regularly find their peers vaping in the bathroom, with many hiding the products in plain sight. They plug them into their laptops to fool teachers into thinking they just have a USB storage device or they carry them around in water bottles with secret compartments. "Imagine a whole generation of us, but addicted to nicotine. That is what's happening all across Kentucky right now,' warned Emily Farler, 13. The students' testimony before the Kentucky Senate Health and Welfare Committee highlights a challenge for tobacco companies, which have bet their future on e-cigarettes and other vaping products. But those products have drawn the scrutiny of federal regulators, who blame their flavoured varieties for appealing to children and halting what had been a steady decline of youth smoking rates. Altria, one of the world's largest tobacco companies, has purchased a nearly $13 billion stake in Juul Labs, one of the leading makers of e-cigarettes. Recently, those companies have been trying to persuade state legislatures across the country to raise the tobacco age to 21 in an effort to address concerns by the Food and Drug Administration. Similar proposals have been filed in Tennessee, Delaware and Arkansas. And last week, Virginia became the seventh state to raise the tobacco age to 21. But lawmakers in Kentucky, one of the country's largest tobacco-producing states, rejected a similar effort on Monday. Republican state Sen. Stan Humphries, who is a tobacco farmer, declared just before that vote that "tobacco is still king." But Wednesday' testimony from the middle school students appears to have revived efforts to raise the vaping age in Kentucky. The students urged passage of Senate bill 218, which would set up a way for students to anonymously report concerns about vaping at their public schools. Following the student's testimony, Republican Sen. Steve Meredith said he would amend the bill to include a ban on people 21 and younger from purchasing e-cigarettes and other vapour products. It would still allow 18-year-olds to purchase traditional cigarettes and chewing tobacco. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "If you can't get the whole pie I'll settle for half the pie. This is a good start," Meredith said. All tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, are already illegal for anyone under 18 in Kentucky. But Meredith said 80 per cent of high school seniors turn 18 before they graduate, offering a potential conduit for the products into public schools. E-cigarettes contain nicotine, and a 2016 U.S. Surgeon General report concluded youth exposure to nicotine of any kind can cause addiction and harm brain development. Juul Labs spokesman Ted Kwong declined to comment about Meredith's proposed amendment, which would affect Juul products but not traditional tobacco products. Earlier in the week, Kwong said the company supports raising the minimum purchase age for all tobacco products and is "committed to preventing youth access of JUUL products, and no young person or non-nicotine user should ever try JUUL." It's unclear if Meredith's proposed amendment will have enough support to pass this year. But the middle school students were delighted their testimony inspired Meredith to try again. "I think that's pretty cool," said 13-year-old Constance Martin. "Normally when you think of like a middle school kid you just think they are going to, like, go home and play video games. But no, we are here testifying in front of a committee. That's wild." OTTAWA - Canada and Mexico are dealing with lingering hard feelings over last summer's surprise Mexican trade deal with the United States as their new continental trade pact awaits a final stamp of political approval. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/2/2019 (1013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Mexico President Enrique Pena Nieto, left, as Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, looks on after participating in the USMCA signing ceremony, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais OTTAWA - Canada and Mexico are dealing with lingering hard feelings over last summer's surprise Mexican trade deal with the United States as their new continental trade pact awaits a final stamp of political approval. Two weeks ago, the head of a visiting delegation of Canadian parliamentarians told the newly installed Mexican foreign minister his country threw Canada "under the bus" last August when it forged a bilateral trade deal with the United States during the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. A top Mexican trade official tells The Canadian Press that while there may have been a misunderstanding, the U.S. side deal was the work of the previous Mexican government, and Canada and Mexico's new leaders are moving forward constructively. The side deal between the U.S. and Mexico appeared to blindside the Trudeau government, forcing Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland to abort a three-country trip to Europe. Canada and U.S. negotiators reached an 11th-hour agreement that was signed two months later on Nov. 30 by the country's three leaders Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President Donald Trump and former Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto, who was on his last official day in office. The deal must now be ratified by the legislatures of all three countries, but with turmoil in Washington, and a slowly-shuttering political window in Ottawa with a fall federal election on the horizon, that is far from certain. Moreover, Canada and Mexico insist the Trump administration will have to lift its punishing tariffs on their steel and aluminum exports, which the mercurial president imposed under a controversial national security clause in U.S. trade law both countries say was illegal. Canadian and Mexican politicians have been holding a series of regular meetings and exchanges, including a two-day session of parliamentarians in Ottawa this week, and a gathering of the ParlAmericas group, a network of legislators from 35 Western Hemisphere countries, earlier this month. The head of Canadian ParlAmericas chapter, Liberal MP Bob Nault, expressed Canada's dissatisfaction about last August's Mexican side deal with the country's new foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard, during the organization's Mexico City meeting earlier this month. "We did say very clearly in our last meeting in Mexico with the foreign affairs minister that we were frustrated with the feeling that Mexico was sort of moving away from the trilateral agreement," Nault said in an interview. Nault said he was concerned about "the way it unfolded at the end," and a perception "that Canada got thrown under the bus by Mexico." He said that represented a break from "what we originally felt was the approach, that is, Mexico and Canada had to be very close to each other to make sure we got a good deal for our countries and make sure the U.S. didn't overtake us." The Canadian Press has previously reported, citing anonymous sources, that Freeland gave Mexican negotiators an upbraiding over their bilateral deal during an August meeting in Washington. "I think it's getting better," Nault said this week of the relationship. "Overall, we both have the same position: we want the tariffs removed. We want them removed now. We want to move forward with ratification." Luz Maria de la Mora, Mexico's deputy trade minister, acknowledged the past Canadian complaints, but she said the two countries are moving forward constructively. "That was part of the negotiation process ... right now, it's over," de la Mora said in an interview. "The previous administration in Mexico was responsible for doing that. But at the end of the day, it might have been the case that it actually helped the process." The Mexico-U.S. side deal marked the start of nearly two months of intense talks between Canadian and American negotiators because the Trump administration imposed a Sept. 30 deadline for Canada to sign on to the U.S.-Mexico pact or potentially be cast adrift. De la Mora succeeded Juan Carlos Baker, one of Mexico's top negotiators, when the new Mexican government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was sworn in on Dec. 1. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Lopez Obrador won the Mexican presidency in July, branding himself a socialist reformer dedicated to ending decades of corruption and improving the plight of Mexican workers. His term didn't begin until Dec. 1, which left a window for the Pena Nieto government to finish negotiating a trade deal that Lopez Obrador would have to sell to his country's lawmakers. During the transition, members of Lopez Obrador's team joined the Mexican negotiators, but de la Mora said they acted as observers, not participants. She said that extended to the Mexican decision to move forward with a bilateral deal with Canada. "We were not involved in that decision at all," de la Mora said. "If at some point during the negotiations there were misunderstandings or miscommunications, those moments are over." She cited the fact that half a dozen of her cabinet colleagues visited Ottawa in November before they were sworn in, in order to forge a good working relationship. "It would be very positive that the three countries have this agreement approved this year, really. It would be something that would send a really good signal to the markets." On Wednesday, in the morning, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC departed Government House for official travel to central western Queensland. Following, at Hughenden, His Excellency visited FJ Holdens Cafe. Following, His Excellency visited St Francis Catholic School Hughenden. Following, His Excellency visited Hughenden State School. In the afternoon, at Richmond, His Excellency visited the Treats For Your Table bakery. Following, His Excellency visited the Australian Red Cross Richmond. Following, His Excellency visited the Richmond Post Office. Following, His Excellency visited the Richmond Shire Council administration building. Following, His Excellency visited Richmond State School. Following, His Excellency visited the Richmond Hospital. Following, at Julia Creek, His Excellency visited the Julia Creek Police Station. Following, His Excellency visited Julia Creek State School. Following, His Excellency visited Corrinas Cafe and Bakery. Following, His Excellency returned to Government House following official travel to central western Queensland. OTTAWA - Canada's minister in charge of procurement says the Trudeau government wants the federal regime for dealing with companies that have integrity problems to be more flexible a change that could help beleaguered SNC-Lavalin. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/2/2019 (1012 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Public Services and Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough responds to a question during Question Period in the House of Commons, Tuesday, February 26, 2019 in Ottawa. Qualtrough says the Trudeau government wants to add flexibility to its integrity regime for corporate wrongdoing - a change that could help beleaguered SNC-Lavalin avoid a lengthy ban from bidding for public contracts.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - Canada's minister in charge of procurement says the Trudeau government wants the federal regime for dealing with companies that have integrity problems to be more flexible a change that could help beleaguered SNC-Lavalin. The engineering and construction giant faces corruption and fraud charges over allegations it used bribery while pursuing business in Libya. If the company is convicted, the updated integrity regime could mean a lighter punishment. The current rules disqualify offenders from receiving federal contracts for 10 years known as "debarment" though in certain cases the period can be trimmed down to five years. The regime was designed to ensure the Canadian government only does business with ethical companies in Canada and abroad. This week, Public Services Minister Carla Qualtrough said the updated policy, if adopted, will still carry a potential ban from federal contracts of up to a decade, depending on a number of factors including the severity of the transgression. But a draft of the new scheme released last fall shows there is no minimum ineligibility period. The integrity regime, which has been in place since 2015, is an administrative tool guiding government decisions on which suppliers to buy from not a criminal process. Qualtrough said once the new policy is in place all integrity regime decisions will be handled, without ministerial oversight, by an independent authority known as the registrar of ineligibility and suspension. The proposed changes were brought forward after the Liberal government heard from industry players who felt the existing rules were too rigid, Qualtrough told a House of Commons committee. "It was a really a response to some concerns raised about the kind of lack of flexibility in the 10-year term," she said Wednesday under questioning by MPs. "We are making a policy choice if this new policy is adopted to add flexibility in the registrar's determination of both the severity of the offence and several other kind of factors that they will take into consideration in the decision around debarment and debarment term." Asked if SNC-Lavalin was part of the engagement process, Qualtrough insisted she didn't know. One of her officials then confirmed that the company was indeed among the participants. Qualtrough said the new policy will be finalized in four to six weeks and will cover a wider range of offences. Her department is seeking an additional $2.6 million to cover the expected cost increases associated with the broader scope of misconduct. The current federal integrity regime was introduced in 2015, replacing a framework from three years earlier. The aim is to foster ethical business practices by prohibiting businesses guilty of offences such as bid-rigging, bribery, fraud and money-laundering from receiving government contracts. Federal officials conducted a public consultation on the regime in 2017. A summary of the consultation says most participants thought a disqualification period of 10 years or even five was too long. "The principal view was to favour full discretion in the determination of a period of ineligibility, including the ability to reduce the period to zero," a summary of the consultation findings says. The proposal prompted another round of public consultations last fall with the intention of making further refinements before it takes effect. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The federal tools to handle corporate misconduct, including the integrity regime, have been under heavy scrutiny in recent weeks and SNC-Lavalin's situation has been at the heart of a political storm in Ottawa. The company has pushed unsuccessfully for another way to avoid debarment. It has been seeking a special remediation agreement, a type of plea-bargain, that would allow it to avoid a criminal prosecution. But the federal director of public prosecutions ruled late last year that the case was ill-suited for such an agreement. Former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould testified Wednesday that she decided against overruling the director's decision on SNC-Lavalin and against taking over the prosecution herself. Wilson-Raybould told a House of Commons committee that after making her decision she withstood inappropriate pressure from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other senior Liberal officials to ensure the company got an agreement. She was later shuffled in January to a new cabinet portfolio. Trudeau denies that he or his officials inappropriately leaned on her to help SNC-Lavalin. OTTAWA - Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says it makes no sense for Ottawa to use one hand to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline for $4.5 billion, and another to push legislation that would deter investors from future energy projects. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/2/2019 (1012 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Rachel Notley, Premier of Alberta, arrives to appear as a witness at a Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources in the Senate of Canada Building in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA - Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says it makes no sense for Ottawa to use one hand to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline for $4.5 billion, and another to push legislation that would deter investors from future energy projects. Notley was in Ottawa Thursday giving the Senate her take on Bill C-69, the Impact Assessment Act, which overhauls the way energy projects are assessed for their effects on the environment as well as contributions to the country's social and economic well-being. When Environment Minister Catherine McKenna introduced the legislation a year ago, she said it was designed to attract new investment by giving the industry certainty about the criteria by which their proposed projects would be assessed and set timelines for reviews. Notley says the bill does the opposite. "I will give (the Liberal government) credit for stepping in to buy Trans Mountain, but I also think there is a high level of investor uncertainty that exists right now in the way in which it's written," she said in a press conference after the committee meeting. "We cannot allow that uncertainty to continue. You can't build trust by saying, 'Trust us.' You build trust by providing clarity." Other provincial governments of different political stripes have joined Notley in calls for changes to the bill before it becomes law. On Thursday, the Senate committee studying the bill heard requests from Newfoundland Premier Dwight Ball and Saskatchewan Energy Minister Bronwyn Eyre. Ontario Energy Minister Greg Rickford presented to the Senate's energy committee earlier this week. Ball agreed with Notley that scrapping C-69 is not the way to go, but asked for amendments to exempt offshore oil exploration. He said the bill will drive capital investments elsewhere, to places where production doesn't have the same environmental protections as Canada does. Rickford told the committee C-69, as written, would make building new or replacing existing pipelines "impossible" and fears it will impede Ontario's nuclear energy policies. The federal government hasn't yet published a list of project types that would be affected by the legislation. The House of Commons made more than 130 amendments before it landed in the Senate. Tim McMillan, president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, told the committee last week the changes from MPs made the bill more complicated and provided less clarity. McMillan said the long, drawn-out legal challenges that have delayed the Trans Mountain pipeline will be the norm if the bill passes as-is. In particular, there is too much discretion given to cabinet to interfere in a project's approval, he said. McKenna's spokeswoman Sabrina Kim said in a statement Thursday the government is open to considering additional amendments. She blames the environmental assessment policies of the former Conservatives for the legal challenges delaying energy projects, and said the Liberals are keen to ensure the system protects the environment while still getting Canadian resources to market. Among the amendments Notley wants to see are a hard two-year deadline for the assessment and review process. She noted the proposal to expand Trans Mountain, which would triple an existing pipeline's capacity between Edmonton and Burnaby, B.C., was first brought forward in 2013 and remains mired in legal battles. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Notley also wants most new Alberta energy projects, including in-situ oilsands developments and petrochemical refineries, exempted from the bill because of existing provincial review processes and her government's climate-change policies. She said the Alberta government has attracted $12 billion in investments for petrochemical and upgrading facilities. "We don't want to see that caught up in duplicative regimes that scare away investors we've worked so hard to attract," she said. Notley told senators Alberta's struggle to get its oil to market has become a national unity issue, noting her government forced oil companies in the fall to cut production because of a collapse in oil prices. "Over in the Maritimes they are importing Saudi oil. Here in Ontario you are importing American oil, both at world prices, and meanwhile in Alberta we are cutting production," she said. "I told (the Senate) very clearly this is not how you build a country." The proposed Energy East pipeline that would have carried Alberta crude to eastern Canadian refineries was abandoned in 2017 with TransCanada citing market changes and uncertainty created by federal government policies. Notley said if C-69 passes, it will certainly discourage anyone from trying to get that pipeline back underway. OTTAWA - If an Indigenous woman in labour in Winnipeg is being challenged on whether she is fit to parent her newborn, Treasury Board President Jane Philpott says she hopes a new law on Indigenous child welfare will help ensure that mother can keep her baby. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/2/2019 (1012 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA - If an Indigenous woman in labour in Winnipeg is being challenged on whether she is fit to parent her newborn, Treasury Board President Jane Philpott says she hopes a new law on Indigenous child welfare will help ensure that mother can keep her baby. Too many Indigenous children are being placed in foster care, Philpott said. "I hope anybody that has to do with the care of that mother thinks twice about what the best thing is to do for that child, because the best thing for that child is to be raised with her family, raised in their culture surrounded by their land and their lineage and their loved ones," the former minister of Indigenous services said. Philpott delivered an unusual off-the-cuff speech at the announcement of new legislation tabled Thursday in the House of Commons that seeks to affirm the right of Indigenous Peoples to have jurisdiction over child welfare in their communities. The main purpose of the bill is to stop the over-representation of Indigenous children in foster care a situation that has become so dire in Canada it has been described as a humanitarian crisis. Currently, Indigenous children account for 52.2 per cent of children in foster care in private homes, according to 2016 census data. The bill was tabled by Seamus O'Reagan, who took over as Indigenous-services minister from Philpott after last month's cabinet shuffle. But Philpott's role in bringing the legislation to life was on the tip of every tongue Thursday. The legislation had been delayed while the government addressed concerns that it wouldn't adequately respect Indigenous communities' sovereignty and authority over their own children. Thursday, First Nations, Inuit and Metis leaders applauded the new bill as a turning point in Indigenous Peoples' right to self-determination and reconciliation. The bill, C-92, emphasizes the need for the child-welfare system to promote more preventative care and support for families instead of apprehending Indigenous children from their mothers. It outlines factors that have to be taken into consideration when determining the best interests of an Indigenous child, including not only the child's physical and emotional needs, but also cultural and spiritual upbringing; the child's own views and preferences; and the importance to the child of an ongoing, positive relationship with his or her family and Indigenous community. Metis National Council Clement Chartier hugs Jane Philpott, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government, during a press conference regarding the introduction of Bill C-92, An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Metis children, youth and families in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Indigenous Services Minister, Seamus O'Regan, back right, and Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, look on. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick It also will clearly indicate that no Indigenous child will be taken from a family solely due to poverty, lack of housing or the state of the parents' health. An order of preference will be established to ensure that if an Indigenous child must be removed from a parent, he or she will go to a family member or an adult who belongs to the same Indigenous community. The bill also stresses that siblings should be kept together when it is in their best interest. O'Regan called the legislation "historic," saying the goal is to see fewer Indigenous children taken from their families. "Fewer children will be apprehended, more children will stay with their families, more children will stay in their communities and that will make for happier, healthier children in this country," O'Reagan said. Child welfare legislation was one of the first five calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. National Chief Perry Bellegarde of the Assembly of First Nations said the legislation is an important first step, but he stressed the need to have it passed before Parliament dissolves for the October election. Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, a national organization representing Inuit in Canada, said he was encouraged by the co-operation offered by the Trudeau government to Indigenous communities in crafting this bill. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "This is a major milestone," Obed said. "Within child welfare, this legislation will hopefully be able to push back against the colonial legacy that we face all around us in this country in relation to federal legislation and provincial and territorial legislation and in general attitudes about our children and, in many cases, the disregard that most Canadians have had about the plight of Indigenous children in this country." Speaking of that Indigenous mother-to-be in Winnipeg or elsewhere in the country, Philpott pleaded for new ways to ensure her child remains safe. "Maybe there are challenges for that mom. Maybe she wasn't raised by her own mom and therefore might struggle. Or maybe she's had health issues, maybe she's been so traumatized in her life that she's dependent on substances to be able to deal with her pain," Philpott said. "The solution for that mom and that baby is not to rip them apart. We've got to find another way ... This is not just important for First Nations, Inuit and Metis families. This is essential for our entire country." Follow @ReporterTeresa on Twitter. Manitoba's cannabis regulator says it seized about $34,000 worth of illegal products from vendors at the HempFest Cannabis Expo in Winnipeg this past weekend, and issued its first provincial tickets for unauthorized sale of cannabis. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/2/2019 (1013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Manitoba's cannabis regulator says it seized about $34,000 worth of illegal products from vendors at the HempFest Cannabis Expo in Winnipeg this past weekend, and issued its first provincial tickets for unauthorized sale of cannabis. The seized products included 4,992 individual infused gummy candies and 1,371 grams of cannabis bud, according to Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba spokeswoman Kristianne Dechant. Also confiscated were 142 "gummy bars," 108 containers of topical cream, 59 packages of cannabis seeds, and various types of potent concentrates meant for smoking or vaping, including shatter and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) distillate. Investigators pack up illegal edible products that contain THC at the Hempfest Canada Expo at the RBC Convention centre Saturday afternoon. (Photos by Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press) Two $2,542 tickets for unauthorized sale of cannabis were issued by LGCA inspectors, said Dechant. The inspectors didn't call police. "LGCA inspectors have the authority to issue offence notices and seize illegal product under the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act," Dechant wrote in an email to the Free Press. "The HempFest Cannabis Expo was held (Feb. 23 and 24) at the RBC Convention Centre, which holds a liquor licence from the LGCA and, as such, is subject to regular inspections." The Free Press observed LGCA inspectors seizing illegal cannabis products at the expo Saturday. The inspectors appeared to be focusing on vendors who were selling products that contained THC, the chemical compound primarily responsible for the high derived from using cannabis. Two $2,542 tickets for unauthorized sale of cannabis were issued by LGCA inspectors. LGCA wouldn't explicitly say whether the illegal cannabis products were actually sold before its inspectors took action, but said the inspectors "observed activity that led to the tickets being issued and cannabis seized." Many vendors were also selling cannabidiol (CBD) products without a licence, which is technically illegal under the federal Cannabis Act. "LGCA inspectors prioritized addressing THC products, as THC is the main psychoactive component in cannabis, while CBD does not cause intoxication," Dechant wrote. Both CBD and THC are controlled substances under federal law, and require government licences to produce and sell. LGCA wouldn't explicitly say whether the illegal cannabis products were actually sold before its inspectors took action, but said the inspectors "observed activity that led to the tickets being issued and cannabis seized." Cannabis products containing CBD including oils, capsules and dried cannabis bud can be accessed legally with a doctor's authorization through Health Canada's medical marijuana regime. Some CBD products are also available at licensed recreational cannabis stores. CBD has recently become a darling of the natural health industry, and it's not hard to find products that are produced and sold without government authorization. Unlicensed CBD products for sale at the HempFest Cannabis Expo included oils, topical creams, roll-on sticks, candies, teas and vape pens. Sacha Hockenhull with the HempFest Canada Expo emphasized only two of the expo's exhibitors were subject to enforcement action from LGCA. "After LGCA did their assessment and wrote their fines and stuff, the venue, RBC Convention Centre had the exhibitors removed from the show floor," he said. "And they remained removed for the rest of the show." Unlicensed CBD products for sale at the HempFest Cannabis Expo included oils, topical creams, roll-on sticks, candies, teas and vape pens. The expo's exhibitors must agree not to sell illegal products, said Hockenhull. "Basically, they decided to go ahead and do it anyway, even though we had contacted them three or four times, and they had signed an agreement with us saying they would not do that." Hockenhull said Cannabis law enforcement by a provincial regulator is new for HempFest, which has six expos planned for 2019, with Winnipeg the first stop. Edmonton is next on March 2 and 3. Before legalization on Oct. 17, 2018, he said, the RCMP used to show up at HempFest events. "I would say that yes, enforcement is getting stronger on that, and we are acting accordingly to make sure that we comply." solomon.israel@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @sol_israel The union representing employees at Assiniboine Park Conservancy is calling on Winnipeg city hall to review the non-profit agencys operating practices, following a dispute over the termination of custodial workers. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/2/2019 (1013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The union representing employees at Assiniboine Park Conservancy is calling on Winnipeg city hall to review the non-profit agencys operating practices, following a dispute over the termination of custodial workers. Gord Delbridge, president of Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500, sent a letter Tuesday afternoon to Mayor Brian Bowman and all members of council, explaining he was concerned about the agencys public accountability and compliance with the terms of a 2010 agreement that set out its obligations when it took over management of the park and zoo. Delbridge said the Conservancys decision to eliminate 14 unionized custodial employees and replace them with subcontractors was done in a breach of the collective agreement. "We are told by (the Conservancy) the decision to contract out is strictly cost savings. However, we have not been offered any detailed costing or business plan to substantiate the projected savings," Delbridge states in a letter to all members of council. Delbridge added he believes the Conservancy has already hired a contractor to replace the unionized workers, adding he questions whether the contract was awarded through a public tendering process as required in the 108-page management agreement. "When we met with (the Conservancy) to ask questions and to deal with this, they told us the decision has already been made and they dont have to tell us anything," Delbridge told the Free Press. "We're going to be pushing with the mayor and council that they comply with the terms of reference in the (2010) agreement with the City of Winnipeg. They should be held to the same standard as the City of Winnipeg." A Conservancy spokeswoman confirmed the work is being contracted out, but denied anyone is losing their jobs. Laura Cabak, manager of communications, said nine employees are impacted and theyve been given the options of bumping into another position if theyre qualified; taking seasonal work; or taking a layoff. Cabak said the Conservancy had been using a combination of unionized and contract staff for custodial services. "Following a thorough cost-benefit analysis, the decision was made to shift the remaining in-house custodial services to a new external service provider," Cabak told the Free Press through an email exchange. Cabak said CUPE has been "involved and consulted" throughout the decision-making process. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. However, Delbridge denied that statement, explaining thats why the concerns are going to arbitration. Delbridge said Conservancy management has withheld information from the union, despite repeated requests. When the union offered to meet with management to find the necessary cost-savings that would preclude the job eliminations, a process stipulated in the collective agreement, he said the union was rebuffed. As well, Delbridge said the union has filed an unfair labour practise complaint with the Manitoba Labour Board, as the job eliminations occurred after notice was given to bargain a new collective agreement. The Conservancy "is required to follow the same procedures and policies for procurement, contracting out and tendering as that of the City (of Winnipeg), and its clear to us thats not happening," Delbridge said. A spokesman for Bowman confirmed he did receive Delbridges letter, but as of the end of day Wednesday he had not yet read it and could not comment. aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca OTTAWA The federal Liberals Manitoba lieutenant is reconvening trilateral talks, in the hopes of diffusing mounting tension over the Pallister government's delay in accessing various federal funds, which now amount to $1.9 billion. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/2/2019 (1013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA The federal Liberals Manitoba lieutenant is reconvening trilateral talks, in the hopes of diffusing mounting tension over the Pallister government's delay in accessing various federal funds, which now amount to $1.9 billion. "Were looking forward to making progress," International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr told the Free Press. Carr admitted his plan to have regular talks between himself, provincial cabinet ministers and Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman had fallen by the wayside, with just one meeting held more than a year ago. "We should have these quarterly, or at least three times a year, and be loyal to the dates," he said Wednesday, adding his government "will do its part to be available when convenient for our partners." He was speaking a day after the Free Press revealed at least $1.6 billion in federal cash allocated for Manitoba over the next decade has sat untapped, often due to disagreements over cost sharing. ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS Canadian International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr Toronto MP Adam Vaughan told a phone-in radio show Feb. 24 that Manitoba was "refusing to take federal dollars" through the Liberals national housing strategy due to a "clash of ideologies." Manitoba is eligible for $302.7 million through the housing strategy, according to a briefing note prepared for Families Minister Heather Stefanson shortly after she took on the role in August 2018, and obtained through a freedom of information request. That brings the total amount of federal funding to $1.9 billion, spanning infrastructure, mental health, carbon retrofits and housing. Carr said his office received Monday a response from Stefanson (who is also deputy premier) to a mid-February letter requesting a meeting, in which he proposed three dates. In November 2017, Carr wrote to both Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister and Bowman, asking the three "to meet on a regular basis" to discuss "maximizing the opportunities available to Winnipeggers and Manitobans." At the time, Carr said the meetings were to help deal with untapped infrastructure dollars, and disagreements on everything from cannabis legalization to health-care transfers. PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Bridge over troubled waters: Back in 2016, Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson applauds as Federal Minister Jim Carr and Premier Brian Pallister shake hands to begin a joint endeavor to improve water quality in the Lake Winnipeg Watershed. "A healthy tension can be a good thing. But constant bickering is not healthy," he said at the time. The only meeting that took place was Jan. 18, 2018, when Carr, Stefanson and Bowman discussed topics such as the North American free trade and methamphetamine abuse. While the premier's office has demanded Vaughan apologize for his recent comments, they seem to have provoked movement within the provincial government, with some departments reaching out this week over longstanding funding programs to prioritize projects. While some of that funding is in limbo, most of it has been agreed upon through various interim agreements. Yet the federal Liberals are worried the money will flow so late they wont have much for Winnipeg MPs to showcase ahead of the fall election. Last-minute applications might stall during the election period, when rules restrict how Ottawa issues funding. Sources familiar with Manitobas infrastructure allocation say part of its delay surrounded a year-long standoff over how Ottawa funded the Lake St. Martin/Lake Manitoba flood channel outlets project. WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES In less tense times, in 2017, Pallister and Mayor Brian Bowman shake hands during a meeting to attract Amazon to Winnipeg. In the initial bilateral proposal dated July 6, 2017, Manitobas green infrastructure allocation was just over $450 million, with almost $250 million of that going to the outlets project. By the time the province signed the agreement on June 4, 2018, the channels outlet project had been funded through a separate disaster management allocation. The province retained its $450 million in green funding, after successfully pushing Ottawa to fund the outlets channel separately, instead of the project eating up most of its green infrastructure cash. Its unclear as to whether that year-long delay has continued to the provinces slow rollout of projects under the so-called Phase 2 funding. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Meanwhile, sources within various federal departments, who were not authorized to speak with media, described an exceptionally difficult process in signing major cost-sharing agreements with the Manitoba government over the past three years. The Pallister-led Tory party was elected to power in 2016. While provinces tend to squabble over federal allocations, bureaucrats described slow responses from their Manitoba colleagues, and some departments sending staff who are of a lower rank than others at the table, and thus less knowledge of certain files. All three levels of government struck a positive note about their looming trilateral meeting. Multiple sources said Bowman was reluctant to hold trilateral meetings without Pallister himself attending; he declined that claim. with files from Alexandra Paul and Jessica Botelho-Urbanski dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca OTTAWA The Liberals long-awaited plan to reduce the number of Indigenous kids in foster care has received instant backlash from Manitoba, the epicentre of the child-welfare problem. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/2/2019 (1012 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA The Liberals long-awaited plan to reduce the number of Indigenous kids in foster care has received instant backlash from Manitoba, the epicentre of the child-welfare problem. "This is a very significant change in the child-welfare system, and I dont believe they adequately consulted us on this," provincial Families Minister Heather Stefanson told the Free Press Thursday. "We felt we could have been a key player at exercising change in this area, that is in the best interest of children." Meanwhile, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) says the federal reform of child and family services (CFS) doesnt allow enough devolution. Both were reacting hours after federal Indigenous Services Minister Seamus ORegan tabled a bill that would allow Indigenous groups to form agreements with Ottawa to take control of CFS agencies and go over the head of reluctant provinces. Bill C-92 comes a year after Ottawa called an emergency summit to deal with the massive disproportion of Indigenous children apprehended by CFS agencies, often for reasons related to poverty. Manitoba leads the country in both the amount and rate of child apprehensions, 87 per cent of which involve Indigenous kids. The Pallister government is working on an overhaul of its own CFS structure, which was semi-devolved to authorities led by First Nations and Metis in 2003. Currently, CFS authorities uphold provincial laws and manage budgets from federal and provincial governments. Both levels of government have altered their funding formulas in the past year, because of a controversial incentive where CFS agencies budgets are largely based on how many kids theyve apprehended, leaving scant money for prevention work and parental training. Thursdays federal bill would enable Indigenous governing bodies (such as bands, tribal councils and Metis communities) to enter "co-operation agreements" with Ottawa, to affirm their "inherent right" and jurisdiction over CFS and create their own laws and agencies. It requires Indigenous groups to try including their provinces, whom Ottawa can override after 12 months of "reasonable efforts" to include them. Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) said Thursday a roundtable of provinces and Indigenous partners would define "reasonable" efforts; the bill lists no criteria. AMC Grand Chief Arlen Dumas said the bill "is not specific enough" to affirm First Nations jurisdiction and slammed Ottawa as "interlopers taking our corporate knowledge and spinning it for their own desires." The AMC has drafted its own bill, and signed an agreement with Ottawa in December 2017 to affirm its role in devolution. That left Dumas "very disappointed" in Bill C-92. "It builds upon a lot of good words, but theres actually no teeth to it," Dumas told reporters in Winnipeg. "Youre still beholden to the auspices of the authorities." Yet the Manitoba Metis Federation hailed Bill C-92. The head of its federal body, Clement Chartier, told reporters "implementation could prove to be a challenge but (the) desire is there." Stefanson said shell review the bill and hear what Indigenous leaders have to say. Shes open to looking at changes to retrofit the existing authorities, or to overhaul the entire structure. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. ORegan assured Trudeau-appointed senators the bill wont put minority and provincial interests into conflict both are ground for the Senate to kill legislation and that hes already planned a meeting with the Conservatives to prioritize the bill for the last four sitting months of Parliament. Former ISC minister Jane Philpott gave an impassioned speech, recounting Winnipeg mothers having their children taken away from maternity wards due to so-called birth alerts. She said Manitoba seemed enthusiastic about the federal overhaul. "This is essential for our entire country," she said. "Theres going to be a heck of a lot of hard work ahead, but this is going to change peoples lives." Kevin Hart, the Manitoba regional chief for the Assembly of First Nations, said the legislation could stop many Indigenous kids from ending up in homes that strip them of their culture. Hart said he expects "push-back from the non-native foster parents out there" because it will undercut "an industry that perpetrates genocide." dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca Are you or a loved one aging, perhaps with a chronic heart or lung condition that limits daily activities? Do you have an older parent in a nursing home or who needs assistance with daily living activities? If so, read on and make the pledge. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/2/2019 (1013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Are you or a loved one aging, perhaps with a chronic heart or lung condition that limits daily activities? Do you have an older parent in a nursing home or who needs assistance with daily living activities? If so, read on and make the pledge. As physicians, we see death every day. We see death made worse and more painful by poor advance care planning. Yet, despite the certainty of death in all our futures, it is astonishing how often families and loved ones have neither discussed nor planned for the inevitable. Discussing death is hard. But not having these crucial conversations is far worse. More than 50 per cent of Canadians who die each year do so in hospitals. We no longer die quickly at home from acute illnesses such as infections, but from chronic illnesses whose protracted course often ends in hospitals. Death has been removed from daily life and is managed for us in sanitized institutional environments. Perhaps because death is less familiar, it is easier to fear. It is certainly much easier to ignore. Consider older nursing-home residents, most in their mid-80s, many of whom have some dementia, have daily pain, depressive symptoms and are affected by diabetes, heart and lung disease or stroke. "Frailty" is the term used to describe such persons, whose complex burden of age-associated conditions increases their risk of further decline. Their life expectancy is normally around 18 months shorter still if they lose weight, need more assistance or become short of breath. Because we do not have crucial discussions, as many as 30 per cent of frail nursing home residents are admitted to an intensive care unit and 50 per cent to hospitals in their last month of life. Because we have not normalized difficult conversations around death, we will never know whether this is what they would have wished. A key reason is fear. Fear of death, fear of the unknown, fear of dying in pain and alone. Fear of talking to doctors and nurses about death. Fear of being abandoned if they forgo aggressive care options. Fear of dying in pain and alone in a community ill-equipped to address their needs. Doctors and nurses are also afraid. They have limited training with difficult conversations. They fear the sense of defeat from the sense that they are giving up on patients. Fear is why these discussions dont happen. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. So this year, pledge to overcome your fear of death and have an end-of-life discussion with your frail loved ones and with your doctors and nurses. Reflect on what matters to you most your values, your life goals and expectations, and anything else you feel is important. Ask yourself: how do your wishes align with the specific and best-practice care choices that you might have to make, today or in the future? Know that you can seek help from your doctor or nurse, or use one of many available tool kits. Once your wishes are clear, it is critical that they be honoured. Write them down. Share them with your loved ones and powers of attorney, who need to know because they might have to speak on your behalf one day if you lose that ability. Share them with your doctors and nurses. Know that you are allowed to change your wishes, especially as your health changes. Our health-care system must pledge to overcome its inertia and engage decision-makers and community stakeholders to ensure that all Canadians have equitable access to quality services that support their wishes as they approach the end of life. Failure to do so is a pledge to continue with 3 a.m. "do everything" resuscitation attempts that prevent natural death, and that many frail patients would never have wished for, had that crucial discussion taken place. Paul Hebert is a senior scientist at the Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de lUniversite de Montreal, and a full professor in the department of medicine of the Universite de Montreal. George Heckman is the Schlegel Research Chair in geriatric medicine, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo and an assistant clinical professor of medicine at McMaster University. Both are researchers with Canadian Frailty Network. As Canadas top public servant, Michael Wernick was supposed to provide insight into the SNC-Lavalin fiasco in his appearance on Parliament Hill last week. Instead, he opened his appearance with a warning, sounding an alarm that Canadian political discourse is heading into a frightening place, stating he fears assassination and that somebody is going to be shot as the country heads into a federal election. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/2/2019 (1013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion As Canadas top public servant, Michael Wernick was supposed to provide insight into the SNC-Lavalin fiasco in his appearance on Parliament Hill last week. Instead, he opened his appearance with a warning, sounding an alarm that Canadian political discourse is heading into a frightening place, stating he fears "assassination" and that "somebody is going to be shot" as the country heads into a federal election. Wernick was heavily criticized for being too partisan, and for providing testimony that only muddied the waters further. The job of the clerk of the Privy Council is supposed to be professional, non-partisan and objective. He is supposed to advise the prime minister and elected government officials how to manage the country. At least, thats what it says on paper. Many observers were critical of his appearance before the justice committee last week, however. His opening remarks were viewed as "politics of fear" by Wesley Wark, a leading expert on national security and a visiting research professor at the University of Ottawa. Still others, including associate professor Emmett Macfarlane of the University of Waterloo, said Wernicks testimony "gave the impression of the kind of circling-the-wagons effect." In total, his comments were not easy to dismiss or ignore, and perhaps underscore just how fractured things are right now in Ottawa. Of course, Wernicks appearance at the justice committee coincided with the arrival of the United We Roll protesters on Parliament Hill. The convoy of truckers and oilfield workers, which originated from Red Deer, Alta., arrived in the nations capital in a bid to call attention to the plight of those unemployed by the downturn in the oil and gas industry and the failure of the Liberal government to gain traction on two important pipeline projects that would bring Alberta oil to international markets. It was in this context that Wernick prefaced his opening statement. He spoke of his concerns about "the reputations of honourable people who have served their country being besmirched and dragged through the market square about the trolling from the vomitorium of social media entering the open media arena." He spoke, without naming him directly, to comments made by Conservative Sen. David Tkachuk, who urged the convoy to "roll over every Liberal left in the country." Tkachuk has refused to apologize for his comments. Wernick responded in his statement: "Its totally unacceptable that a member of the Parliament of Canada would incite people to drive trucks over people, after what happened in Toronto last summer. Totally unacceptable, and I hope that you, as parliamentarians, are going to condemn that." In April 2018, a van was driven onto a crowded sidewalk in Toronto, killing 10 people and injuring another 16. Wernick continued, saying Canadians dont have to worry about the rule of law in this country in the SNC-Lavalin affair or in the criminal case against the militarys former second-in-command, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. He was adamant that ethical guidelines were followed. So, is the clerk of the Privy Council non-partisan? Well, it seems the expectation that he should be unbiased is changing. The late Canadian public administration guru Peter Aucoin suggested that the role of the top public servants is shifting, terming this new reality "promiscuous partisanship." The idea is that civil servants fervently support the government of the day at the risk of sounding partisan, until the next government is formed. Then they just as fervently offer the same support for the next set of ideas. And before Conservatives get too chippy, they should be reminded of Wayne Wouters, the Privy Council clerk under former prime minister Stephen Harper, who was also castigated for being too partisan in a 2014 study released by the think tank Canada 2020. Wouters was taken to task for his battle with then-budget officer Kevin Page when Wouters defended the Conservative governments decision to block the release of details on $5.2 billion in spending cuts. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Tasmanian researcher Dennis Grube says this type of partisanship is exacerbated by the 24-7 news cycle, in which the public servant is increasingly the public face of government. In years past, their words of counsel may have been provided in private and with anonymity; now, they are being asked to speak in front of committees and in front of cameras and reporters as the desire for public transparency grows. Grube suggests that if governments increasingly are expecting public servants (in this case, Wernick) to take on public roles, then our "Westminster tradition needs to catch up with the new realities of practice and evolve some conventions that allow civil servants to fulfil their public roles without being targeted with allegations of partisanship." As political observers, were forced to sit back and try to parse it all in order to understand what is truth and what is partisan. Shannon Sampert is a political science professor at the University of Winnipeg. s.sampert@uwinnipeg.ca Twitter: @paulysigh It took about 60 seconds of testimony from former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to reduce Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's credibility to smouldering wreckage. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/2/2019 (1013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. It took about 60 seconds of testimony from former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to reduce Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's credibility to smouldering wreckage. Right out of the gate Wednesday afternoon, speaking to the House of Commons justice committee, Wilson-Raybould outlined what she called "improper political interference" in her department's handling of the SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. prosecution not only by Trudeau's senior political staff, but also by the prime minister himself. Wilson-Raybould described multiple attempts, by multiple people, to get her to intervene in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, one of Canada's largest engineering firms, which is charged with paying tens of millions of dollars in bribes to Libyan officials to secure government contracts. The prime minister and his staff, Wilson-Raybould said, wanted the firm to be granted a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) that would allow it to pay fines instead of facing criminal prosecution. Wilson-Raybould said her director of prosecutions decided SNC-Lavalin did not qualify for a DPA, and she believed it would be improper for her to overrule that decision. SEAN KILPATRICK / THE CANADIAN PRESS Jody Wilson-Raybould appears at the House of Commons Justice Committee on Wednesday. She said she was told failure to intervene and secure a DPA for SNC-Lavalin could lead to the company relocating to the U.K., while also impairing the federal Liberal party's electoral fortunes in Quebec. She said she was asked to consider the 9,000 employees of the firm and the economic impact that would come if it was crippled by a criminal prosecution. After making it clear she wouldn't intervene, Wilson-Raybould described a four-month period in late 2018 where she "experienced a consistent and sustained effort by many people within the government to seek to politically interfere in the exercise of prosecutorial discretion in my role as the attorney general of Canada." When she didn't give in to the arm-twisting, Wilson-Raybould was summarily demoted in a cabinet shuffle and replaced with Montreal MP David Lametti. A short time later, she resigned from cabinet altogether, a decision that she is still prevented from discussing in detail. And yet, even as Wilson-Raybould detailed the pressure she endured at the hands of Trudeau and his senior political aides, there remained a single, overarching and as-yet-unanswered question: why didn't SNC-Lavalin qualify for a DPA, given the Liberal government seemed to have created a law for that express purpose? SEAN KILPATRICK / THE CANADIAN PRESS Jody Wilson-Raybould said she 'experienced a consistent and sustained effort by many people within the government to seek to politically interfere in the exercise of prosecutorial discretion in my role as the attorney general of Canada.' By way of background, last year the Liberal government introduced legal amendments to its omnibus budget bill for the provision of DPAs. These agreements are not unique to Canada; its DPA law is consistent with similar laws in other countries, including the United States. It took several years of deliberation and an extensive consultation process before the law was introduced. History will show clearly SNC-Lavalin intensively lobbied the government to introduce and pass this law. And yet, it seems pretty obvious now the law introduced last December was a bad fit for the SNC-Lavalin case. To be eligible for a DPA, a company must have forward voluntarily to report the crime and publicly apologized for its actions SNC-Lavalin fails on both of those points. It took a multi-year police investigation to reveal the alleged bribery and fraud at the firm. And although the company has publicly disclosed steps to remove all the executives reportedly involved, it has not really apologized. JUSTIN TANG / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leaves his office with his then-principal secretary Gerald Butts in April 2018. Butts resigned last week in the wake of the SNC-Lavalin scandal breaking. So, when Wilson-Raybould decided not to overrule her director of prosecutions, it appears to have been a decision based on a fair and accurate interpretation of the government's law. And yet, Trudeau and his senior staff continued to press. Were the prime minister and his staff aware the law they had crafted and passed the previous fall did not provide relief to SNC-Lavalin? Did they know the law was a bad fit but did not care because of the political stakes? This may well be the most important issue going forward. Implicit in the arguments Wilson-Raybould said were put forth by Trudeau and his senior staff is the idea she could intervene, and there was a reasonable and legal way to make SNC-Lavalin's round peg fit into the law's square hole. That view is somewhat valid given it comes from the very people who created the law in question. If Trudeau and his staff did not understand the limitations of the DPA provisions as they introduced them, their attempts to pressure Wilson-Raybould into overruling her director of prosecutions were sloppy and reckless. Dan Lett | Not for Attribution A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world that is sent every Tuesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS Wilson-Raybould shakes hands with Justice Committee Chair Anthony Housefather before her testimony. If they did understand the limitations, and wanted the attorney general to intervene anyway, at the risk of breaking one of Canada's laws, then we may well be nearing acts that are criminal in and of themselves. Interestingly, the issue of whether SNC-Lavalin could have been offered a DPA is currently being studied by a federal court. If the firm is successful, there may well be room to reassess Wilson-Raybould's decision not to intervene. However, if the federal court justice agrees with the director of prosecutions SNC-Lavalin is not eligible, it may matter little what Trudeau and his staff believed, they will have been encouraging an attorney general to break the law. The penalties for such an offence could be much more severe than losing the next federal election. dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca (TNS) Dueling bills on how local governments can control the placement of small wireless facilities as telecommunication companies prepare to build a 5G network nationwide had those gathered in Annapolis, Md., to testify on Tuesday switching between offense and defense as the state Senate Finance Committee heard both bills simultaneously.The pair of competing bills arrived in Annapolis this session despite months of negotiations between elected officials and wireless telecommunication companies in an attempt to reach a consensus on rules for deploying the emerging cellphone technology. The parties were far from reaching one, however, with counties and municipalities supporting one bill and companies such as Verizon, Sprint and AT&T supporting another.We had been working off one bill, said Bill Jorch, manager of government relations and research at the Maryland Municipal League. The closest we got on negotiations was not introduced.The sole legislative priority of the Maryland Municipal League in 2019 is to stop the pre-emption of local zoning authority to select the placement of the small wireless facilities. This is in reaction to a Federal Communications Commission order that shortened the review period and capped the fees local governments could charge wireless telecommunication companies to use utility poles in existing rights of way. The order is being challenged in court.For the wireless carriers, however, the bills are about creating some certainty before they build.Several carriers are supporting SB 937 sponsored by Sen. Katherine Klausmeier (D-Baltimore County), which would grant wireless providers the right not subject to zoning review and approval to install, operate, modify, maintain and replace utility poles and small wireless facilities in a right of way.This would streamline the deployment of small wireless facilities in the state, said Joseph Askew, vice president of state government affairs for Verizon in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Similar bills have been considered and passed in at least 21 other states in the last two to three years.What were trying to promote is investment in the state of Maryland in a robust way. ... If both bills fail, there wont be the amount of investment to ensure you have a robust wireless infrastructure in the state of Maryland, Askew said.In the last 12 years, AT&T alone has seen a 470,000 percent increase in data usage on its network, said LaTara Harris, regional director for external and legislative affairs for AT&T in Maryland.Time is of the essence, you heard from my colleagues on the panel too, and you also understand that your constituents are demanding faster, reliable mobile broadband connections to improve all aspects of their lives, Harris said.Local governments want the 5G technology to come to their towns and cities; however, they also want to maintain control of where it is placed and other aesthetic qualities.SB 713 sponsored by Sen. Pamela Beidle (D-Anne Arundel), would give local governments broader control of where small wireless facilities are installed. The governments would also be able to charge up to $2,500 or 2 percent if the gross revenue of a wireless provider to attach to a utility pole and have 180 days to approve or disapprove of a complete application.The bill would also create a Digital Inclusion Fund to provide grants and loans to authorities to install wireless facilities and poles in underserved areas of Maryland. The fund would be paid for by a 1 percent surcharge on wireless providers sale of wireless services in the state.The fees and timeline proposed in SB 713 are not reasonable, according to Askew. The industry is looking to establish a law to access poles fairly, with a clear time frame and process to review the applications and reasonable fees to deploy the new technology, he said.The wireless industry fought for the same certainties in 2018, but the bill got stuck in committee. Maryland lawmakers may not have the luxury of punting on a decision for another year, however, with the Federal Communications Commission order now out.We really need some control over whats installed in our communities, Beidel said in defense of her bill. At the end of her unprecedented 30-minute statement to the House of Commons justice committee regarding the inappropriate pressure she experienced for months by the prime minister and nearly a dozen government officials to have federal prosecutors drop criminal charges against SNC-Lavalin, former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould made it crystal clear why she was there. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/2/2019 (1013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould started and ended her statement with the same word, Gilakasla, which means thank you but also means welcome. (Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press) At the end of her unprecedented 30-minute statement to the House of Commons justice committee regarding the "inappropriate pressure" she experienced for months by the prime minister and nearly a dozen government officials to have federal prosecutors drop criminal charges against SNC-Lavalin, former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould made it crystal clear why she was there. She said: "I will conclude by saying this I was taught to always be careful of what you say because you cannot take it back and I was taught to always hold true to your core values and principles and to act with integrity these are the teachings of my parents, grandparents and community. I come from a long line of matriarchs and I am a truth teller in accordance with the laws and traditions of our Big House this is who I am and who I will always be." In case anyone has questions remaining, the issue between Jody Wilson-Raybould and Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government is an Indigenous issue. It is a Canadian issue, yes. It is a political issue, yes. But it is undeniably an issue of an Indigenous person taking a principled stand against a Trudeau-led government, an issue of a Kwakwakawakw refusing to give up being Kwakwakawakw, and an issue of what Canada looks like through Indigenous eyes. Just like her father, the Kwakwakawakw hereditary chief Bill Wilson, spoke to Pierre Trudeau during the 1983 constitutional talks telling him that Indigenous peoples will always be Indigenous, and Canada would be better spent reconciling that fact in law and practice Wilson-Raybould brought the "laws and traditions of our Big House" to Canadas biggest house. She spoke the truth. Jody Wilson-Raybould never gave up being Kwakwakawakw. (Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press) She spoke about ethics and responsibility, and was masterful during cross-examination, making the committees Liberal party MPs and their pre-written directions from the Prime Ministers Office look silly, nit-picky, and ultimately irrelevant. She directly responded to the prime ministers accusation that "Jody didnt bring any concerns to my attention", by citing with incredible detail a four-month long "sustained effort" involving meetings, inappropriate requests and veiled threats from the PMO and his staff. She brought the Liberal government in which she is still very much a part to its knees, leading endless pundits to wonder: what is her endgame? I can tell you what it is: to show Canada what actual reconciliation looks like with Indigenous peoples. For too long, Canadian political parties have used mostly Patrick Brazeau-like Indigenous puppets for their policies and photo opps. Indigenous peoples in Canadas government are fine as long as they smile, dont speak out, or rock the boat especially when it comes to the economy. Whether it be in 19th-century fights over the train line on the prairies, hydro dams in the north, or pipelines in B.C., Indigenous peoples are fine as long as they let Canada do what it wants, when it wants, and get out of the way. If Indigenous peoples interrupt the flow of money by talking about rights, marching for land claims or offering "radical ideas" like the Earth and water matters, they are marginalized, arrested or erased. If there is anything Canada has proven time and time again is that when it comes to economy, everything else comes second especially if youre Indigenous. Some Indigenous politicians still believe in the system, and power to them. Occasionally, an ethical one can survive in the Canadian political system and even propose ideas with Indigenous values Romeo Saganash comes to mind but these never have much impact in policy and practice. Jody Wilson Raybould stayed true to her core values and principles. (Adrian Wyld / The Canadian Press) Money, power and profit are what matters in Canada, and Indigenous peoples better not stop this. Jody Wilson-Raybould, by saying "this is who I am and who I will always be," literally interrupted it all at once. She didnt refuse to intervene in the charges against SNC-Lavalin because of guilt, fear over being caught or even an altruistic "do the right thing" story. She acted because she is Kwakwakawakw. She acted because she comes from an ethical and responsible people, committed to the hard work of building relationships via ceremony and tradition. She acted because she has people to answer to some of them Kwakwakawakw. Look up the Kwakwakawakw. They are potlatch people who perform a ceremony about sharing all of their wealth, embodying a commitment to community first, individuals second. To be Kwakwakawakw means relationships first, personal gain second. Relationships are easy when people think and act the same. When they get along and "get over" their differences. Relationships are hardest when people actually show who they are. When theyre responsible, disagree, and show their truest selves. Whats at the end of this hard road are real relationships not just people who smile, stay silent and get over things. Real relationships are when people look across the table at one another, share the gifts of who they are and then figure it out. Real relationships are about commitment. Jody Wilson-Raybould did exactly that. She even refused to lose her temper when asked questions that insulted her integrity and judgement. She even refused to resign as attorney general and even being a Liberal MP. And, in the end, she never gave up being Kwakwakawakw. Jody Wilson-Raybould started and ended with the same word, Gilakasla, which means "thank you" but also means "welcome." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Welcome, Canada, to what it means to actually have a meaningful relationship with Indigenous peoples. Its uncomfortable and challenging, I know, but its too late to go back now. Too many words have been spoken. The days of only money, power and profit mattering might even change if we keep going. I dont know. The path of actual reconciliation where integrity, responsibility and truth arent just buzz words but mean something is difficult, I know, but its the path to the Big House. A better house. A real house. With cannabis now as legal as beer or cigarettes, its easy to forget about Canadas cannabis criminals. Perhaps thats why the federal government needs a reminder. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/2/2019 (1013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. With cannabis now as legal as beer or cigarettes, its easy to forget about Canadas cannabis criminals. Perhaps thats why the federal government needs a reminder. Canadians who have a criminal record for possession of cannabis a 2014 study said there were 500,000 of them were undoubtedly optimistic last October when Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale promised relief is coming. The initial hope was that the government would proactively clear all their criminal records for cannabis possession, but Mr. Goodale only promised a bill to make it easier for them to get pardons. "I would expect it to be in the House of Commons for consideration before the end of the year," Goodale said at the time. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale promised a bill to make it easier for people with records for possession of cannabis to get pardons. (Adrian Wyld / The Canadian Press files) The old year has ended, the new year is well underway and such a bill is nowhere to be seen. The Free Press recently contacted Mr. Goodales office to request an update, but a spokesperson declined to offer details. If the ministers office is too busy to write the bill, perhaps he can reconsider adopting a bill on the issue that is already written. Bill C-415, a private members bill put forward in October by the New Democratic Party, lets the Parole Board of Canada completely expunge the criminal records of people previously convicted of certain cannabis-related crimes. That bill allowing expungement would go further than Mr. Goodales stated intention of allowing pardons. A pardon, sometimes called a record suspension, means the criminal record in question is kept separate from other records. It may be disclosed, but only in certain circumstances. Expungement, a more forceful measure, wipes convictions off the books completely. As the bills author, Victoria MP Murray Rankin, put it, "This allows people to honestly respond to any question, I have never been convicted of a criminal offence." The federal government needs to move quickly to erase the criminal-record stigma left over from the days when marijuana was illegal in Canada. (Tijana Martin / The Canadian Press files) The federal government recently chose expungement to let people apply to have criminal convictions for consensual sexual activity between same-sex partners erased from the public record, righting a historical injustice to the LGBTTQ* community. Want more great journalism? Get our best news and features delivered in your inbox every weekday evening. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Why not expunge, rather than pardon, the records of cannabis criminals? The current Liberal government says crimes are only expunged for laws which are unconstitutional, those which would be inconsistent with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms if they happened today. Mr. Goodale has said cannabis convictions dont meet the high criteria for expungement. Instead, he promised, but has not yet delivered, a bill to make it faster and less expensive for people to seek pardons on their own. Currently, people have to wait five years before they can apply to the Parole Board of Canada for a record suspension for simple possession. Mr. Goodale proposes to waive that waiting period, and the regular $631 fee to apply for a pardon. If thats as far as the government is prepared to go, so be it. But go there soon. Cannabis convicts are eager to get out from under the record of criminal convictions that can make it difficult to get some jobs, to volunteer with agencies that require criminal-record checks, to get home mortgages and to cross some international borders. With legalization, the Liberals erased the social stigma of using cannabis. They should move quickly to erase the criminal-record stigma thats left over from the bad old days. ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's prime minister pledged on Thursday his country would release a captured Indian fighter pilot, a move that could help defuse the most serious confrontation in two decades between the nuclear-armed neighbours over the disputed region of Kashmir. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/2/2019 (1013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Pakistani Kashmiris flee the town of Chakoti which is about 3 miles, 5 km, from the Pakistan Indian border, following the intense exchange of fire between Pakistan and India, at the Line of Control in Pakistani Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's military said Wednesday it shot down two Indian warplanes in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured two pilots, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals to a level unseen in 20 years. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal) ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's prime minister pledged on Thursday his country would release a captured Indian fighter pilot, a move that could help defuse the most serious confrontation in two decades between the nuclear-armed neighbours over the disputed region of Kashmir. Prime Minister Imran Khan made the announcement in an address to both houses of Parliament, saying he tried to reach his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Wednesday with a message that he wants to de-escalate tensions. "We are releasing the Indian pilot as a goodwill gesture tomorrow," Khan told lawmakers. He did not say whether the release was conditional. An Indian government official, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak publicly, warned that even if the pilot is returned home, New Delhi would not hesitate to strike its neighbour first if it feared a similar militant attack was looming. Modi earlier in the day warned that "India's enemies are conspiring to create instability in the country through terror attacks." Indian passenger Abida Bano cries as she arrives at Lahore railway station to travel to India, in Lahore, Pakistan, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The Pakistan government temporally suspended the operation of the Samjhuta Express that runs from Lahore to New Delhi, India, after escalation of tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Khan also said that he had feared Wednesday night that India might launch a missile attack, but the situation was later defused. He did not elaborate. "Pakistan wants peace, but it should not be treated as our weakness," Khan said "The region will prosper if there is peace and stability. It is good for both sides." Meanwhile, fresh skirmishes erupted Thursday between Indian and Pakistani soldiers along the so-called Line of Control that divides disputed Kashmir between the two nuclear-armed rivals. India's army said Pakistani soldiers were targeting nearly two dozen Indian forward points with mortar and gunfire. Lt. Col. Devender Anand, an Indian army spokesman, called it an "unprovoked" violation of the 2003 cease-fire accord between the two countries. He said Indian soldiers were responding to ongoing Pakistani attacks along the highly militarized de facto frontier. A young woman was killed and two others, including an off-duty soldier, were wounded in the shelling in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said. ADDS HELICOPTER CRASH AND UPDATES CASUALTIES - Kashmiri villagers and Indian soldiers gather near the wreckage of an Indian helicopter after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019. The crash killed six Indian air force officials and a civilian on the ground. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) World powers have called on the nations to de-escalate the tensions gripping the contested region since a Feb. 14 suicide bombing killed over 40 Indian paramilitary troops in Indian-controlled Kashmir. India responded with a pre-dawn airstrike on Tuesday inside Pakistan, the first such raid since the two nations' 1971 war over territory that later became Bangladesh. The situation then escalated further with Wednesday's aerial skirmish, which saw Pakistan say it shot down two Indian aircraft, one of which crashed in Pakistan-held part of Kashmir and the other in India-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan later aired a video of a man it identified as the Indian pilot. India acknowledged one of its MiG-21s, a Soviet-era fighter jet, was "lost" in skirmishes with Pakistan. India's Ministry of External Affairs said late Wednesday that it "strongly objected to Pakistan's vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force," and that it expects his immediate and safe return. India also said it shot down a Pakistani warplane, something Islamabad denied. Kashmir has been divided but claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan since almost immediately after the two countries' creation in 1947. They have fought three wars against each other, two directly dealing with the disputed region. ADDS HELICOPTER CRASH AND UPDATES CASUALTIES - Indian army soldiers stand near the wreckage of an Indian helicopter after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019. The crash killed six Indian air force officials and a civilian on the ground. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) Both Indian and Pakistani officials reported small-arms fire and shelling along the Kashmir region into Thursday morning. There were no reported casualties. Authorities in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir closed all schools and educational institutions in the region and are urged parents to keep their children at home amid mounting tension with neighbouring India. Pakistan's airspace remained closed for a second day Thursday, snarling air traffic. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal acknowledged his country received a "dossier" from India about the Feb. 14 attack. He refused to provide details about the information that New Delhi has shared. World leaders weighing in on the tension included President Donald Trump, who began remarks at a news conference Thursday in Vietnam after meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by focusing on India and Pakistan. "I think hopefully that's going to be coming to an end," Trump said, without elaborating. "It's been going on for a long time decades and decades. There's a lot of dislike, unfortunately, so we've been in the middle trying to help them both out, see if we can get some organization and some peace, and I think probably that's going to be happening." Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also said Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia's minister of state for foreign affairs, planned to come to Islamabad with an urgent message from the kingdom's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Modi, in his first remarks since the pilot's capture, gave a rallying speech ahead of elections in the coming months. "Our defence forces are serving gallantly at the border," he told tens of thousands gathered across the country to listen to him in a videoconference from New Delhi. "The country is facing challenging times and it will fight, live, work and win unitedly." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Just weeks before general elections are due in India, the head of Modi's party in India's Karnataka state, B.S. Yeddyurappa, said India's pre-dawn airstrikes in Pakistan on Tuesday would help the party at the polls. The violence Wednesday marked the most serious escalation of the long-simmering conflict since 1999, when Pakistan's military sent a ground force into Indian-controlled Kashmir at Kargil. That year also saw an Indian fighter jet shoot down a Pakistani naval aircraft, killing all 16 on board. This latest wave of tension between the two rivals first began after the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for a Feb. 14 suicide bombing on Indian paramilitary forces on the Indian side of Kashmir that killed more than 40 troops. India long has accused Pakistan of cultivating such militant groups to attack it. Pakistan has said it was not involved in that attack and was ready to help New Delhi in the investigation. ___ Associated Press writers Aijaz Hussain in Srinagar, India; Ashok Sharma and Emily Schmall in New Delhi; Roshan Mughal in Muzafarabad, Pakistan; Adam Schreck in Hanoi, Vietnam, and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates;contributed to this report. It may be a bit of an understatement to say that government services are scattered online.Of course, it certainly varies by jurisdiction, but more often than not, residents of a given city must visit disparate websites to find digital services. For example, this could entail visiting one site to pay a parking ticket; another to check on the status of a business license; another to handle taxes; and so on. But a new website is working to consolidate digital services and information for every city across the country on one easy-to-search platform.That company and its site are called Evergov and its currently being beta-tested with live users, said Krishna A. Vaibhav, co-founder of the Bay Area company. The company has so far attracted more than 6,000 users in a number of ways, including ads on Google and Bing.The website has a simple goal, laid out across the top of its main page: All your government services in a single place. Below that is a search bar, where visitors can use to enter the city they live and the service they are looking for. Right now, Vaibhav said, the selection is limited, but the developers are working to add more jurisdictions, services, and functionality to the site, which first launched last year.Its user-centric and still in beta," Vaibhav said. We still want to learn a lot and see ways that what were doing can add more value.The way it works now is simple. Once a user enters their city, the site simply brings up a list of available digital services. For example, for Folsom, Calif., whereis headquartered, the services currently include paying for traffic tickets, submitting public records requests and applying for a fire permit. Below the municipal list is another set of services for the next jurisdiction up, Sacramento County. By following links, users are eventually funneled to the actual government site.If the platform does not have any services for the city the user lives in, Vaibhav said, the search will be logged and the developers will prioritize that jurisdiction to be added soon. In this way, they hope to find and add the thousands of disparate municipal government resources and services available across the country.The platform also uses a chatbot to guide users to what they came for, and Vaibhav said there is a possibility that their inquiries can eventually be used in a communicative channel designed to foster better engagements between agencies and their constituents.When Evergov first launched last year, it was known as Openly, which is still the entitys corporate name. In the time since it has gone live, Vaibhav said developers learned that the vast majority of users were searching for services from smaller or mid-sized governmental entities. This makes sense, given that state agencies and larger cities have been working for years to consolidate their own digital services and create single login interfaces that save citizens the trouble of navigating to different departments.Moving forward, Evergov is working to collect more feedback, expand in its coverage, and ideally by May be able to list services for the jurisdictions that cover 82 percent of the country by prioritizing cities with more than 50,000 residents. Although he acknowledged the goal might be overly ambitious, Vaibhav said by June the company is targeting an increase from 6,000 users to somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000.Figuring out the long-term business model be it fee-based or another route is also still a priority. (TNS) Amid calls for breaking up tech giants, the Federal Trade Commission is launching a task force to focus on monitoring competition in the tech industry.The task force will have 17 attorneys, including staffers from the commissions Bureau of Competition. It will investigate anticompetitive conduct, the FTC announced Tuesday.Technology markets, which are rapidly evolving and touch so many other sectors of the economy, raise distinct challenges for antitrust enforcement, said Bruce Hoffman, the director of the Bureau of Competition who will oversee the task force, in a statement. By centralizing our expertise and attention, the new task force will be able to focus on these markets exclusively.The FTC did not mention companies by name.But U.S. tech companies such as Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon have faced accusations of monopolistic behavior at home and abroad.Europe last year fined Google $5.7 billion over its Android practices, a ruling the company is appealing. That followed a $2.7 billion fine against Google by the European Commission in 2017, on charges that Google favored its comparison-shopping service over others. Last year, European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager began looking into Amazons use of data it gathers from its merchants, and into Apples purchase of Shazam, which was later approved.In the United States, advocacy groups including the Open Markets Institute and Demand Progress last year urged the FTC to break up Facebook, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp. Political candidates have brought up the possibility of breaking up Facebook and Google, echoing the sentiments of op-ed writers, authors and academics.Now is the time to act, Robert Cruickshank, campaign director for Demand Progress, said Tuesday. In the case of Facebook, it controls too much of social media. There is nowhere else to go. As long as it owns potential competitors, it has no incentive to do things differently.The FTC has faced criticism over its lack of action on recent controversies involving tech giants. For example, there is speculation that Facebooks Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal last year violated the companys 2011 settlement with the FTC. The agency has yet to address whether thats the case, but reports say it is considering a multibillion-dollar fine.We call on the FTC to protect consumers and democracy by enforcing the law in a substantive way rather than slapping these companies on the wrist with fines that ultimately do not change their behavior, said Sarah Miller, deputy director of Open Markets Institute, in a statement Tuesday. (TNS) Nassau, N.Y., officials will get nightly reports detailing potential problems with county vendors from ethical conflicts to bribery convictions using artificial intelligence technology, County Executive Laura Curran announced Wednesday.Exiger, a Manhattan-based company that uses the technology with financial clients, is offering the software to Nassau without charge under an 18-month pilot program. The company generally works with financial institutions, issuing specialized reports to them about potential risks to their business.Computer-generated searches can home in on occupational and safety violations, bankruptcy filings, criminal indictments, convictions for bid rigging, fraud and debarment, Exiger officials said.Curran, a Democrat, said the county will begin using the software on March 4. She called it "another big step that will take Nassau County from worst, to first, when it comes to transparency and ethics in procurement."Previously, officials said, government officials had reviewed open source records "basically a Google search," Curran said.The new software uses "natural language processing" to refine searches to capture particularly relevant information, rather than a crush of findings a Google search could generate.For example, with banks, "is there now something about this oligarch, did you do something that now we need to know about?" said Mike Cherkasky, Exiger executive chairman.Cherkasky is a former federal monitor who oversaw the carting industry on Long Island, HSBC and the Los Angeles Police Department. He also is a former rackets bureau chief in the Manhattan district attorney's Office."There is some mistrust in government but going forward, we have to prove to our taxpayers that we are spending their money properly. We're very heavily taxed here in Nassau County," Curran said.In 2015, Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas issued a report describing Nassau Countys contracting process as "a diffuse, paper-based system, with critical components of contract files scattered between agencies.Without a comprehensive, central contract and vendor database, this system is nearly impossible to thoroughly audit or review," the report said.Department officials previously ran queries about vendors online, via Google, but that took time and was not done consistently, said Robert Cleary, chief procurement officer."The county has very few people to do this. You've got one person in each department basically looking at their contracting process," he said. "Even if somebody does do a deep dive, they're not necessarily knowing what they're looking for. This artificial intelligence does a lot of that information for you." Training for educational managers, developing the Vietnamese version of Rightsapp - the first mobile application that allows users to quickly access the United Nations human rights treaties and agreements, and building an interactive learning portal on human rights will be included in the programme. At the signing ceremony, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese Party Central Committees Theoretical Council and HCMA Director, described this as an important event as it marks bilateral cooperation in promoting and protecting human rights through education, thereby consolidating the friendship between Vietnam and Australia. Prof. Dr. Thang affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and Government always pay attention to respecting, protecting and implementing human rights. Particularly, the Constitution amended in 2013 reflects Vietnams respect for human rights and ensures better implementation of citizens fundamental rights and obligations. Vietnam has joined bilateral and multilateral forums on human rights, signed and ratified seven of the nine core UN human rights treaties, and set up regular dialogue mechanisms on human rights with many countries, including Australia. To raise public awareness of human rights through education, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved a project to integrate lessons on human rights into the public school curricula during 2017-2025. Under the programme, the HCMA is responsible for working with agencies to have human rights taught in all public education facilities by 2025, he added. For her part, President of the Australian Human Rights Commission Rosalind Croucher said Australia attaches great importance to the relations with Vietnam and her commission will work with the HCMA to carry out the project in an effective manner. Prof. Dr. Thang is visiting Australia from February 25-27. Before working with the Australian Human Rights Commission, he visited the University of Sydneys Law School and Centre for International Security Studies to study their human rights teaching methods. He will continue his business trip to New Zealand on February 28. (TNS) Ohios top elections official is backing a bill meant to toughen the states cyberdefenses in time for the 2020 campaign.Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, testified Tuesday in Columbus in favor of Senate Bill 52 , which would create a civilian reserve force to help prevent and fight back against cyberattacks.The bill also requires the secretary of states office to hire an information security chief and makes the secretary of state a member of a state committee that helps develop Ohios cybersecurity plans. It also requires local boards of elections to conduct post-elections audits by hand-counting ballots or reviewing paper trails of electronic voting machines.The Ohio Cyber Reserve wouldnt be paid unless they are summoned for active duty. The current bill sets aside $100,000 to fund the reserve in 2019, and another $550,000 for 2020.Testifying before the Ohio Senates government oversight committee, LaRose said he recently attended a classified briefing with federal homeland security and intelligence officials in Washington, D.C., about possible threats to the 2020 election.We are on the front lines of that battle, and we have to do everything to ensure that Ohio is a leader in the nation in securing our cyberinfrastructure, including our elections infrastructure, LaRose said.Senate Bill 52 is sponsored by Sen. Theresa Gavarone, a Bowling Green Republican appointed to the state senate earlier this month.Ohio Adjutant General John Harris, who leads the Ohio National Guard for Gov. Mike DeWine, also testified on Tuesday in support of the cybersecurity bill. He referenced the January hacking of the Akron city governments servers as an example of the threat governments face. Moelis Australia Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial services. It operates through two segments, Asset Management, and Corporate Advisory and Equities. The Asset Management segment offers asset, fund, and investment management services to domestic and foreign high net worth and institutional investors. The Corporate Advisory and Equities segment offers strategic and financial advisory services related to mergers and acquisitions; equity capital markets; debt capital markets; and restructuring and recapitalizations, as well as provides underwriting and institutional stockbroking services. It also provides securities research, sales, and trading execution services to institutional and high net worth clients. The company was founded in 2009 and is based in Sydney, Australia. Read More Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA engages in the traditional banking businesses of retail banking, asset management, private banking, and wholesale banking. It operates through the following segments: Spain, the United States, Mexico, Turkey, South America, and Rest of Eurasia. The Spain segment includes mainly the banking and insurance business that the group carries out in Spain. The United States segment consists of the financial business activity of BBVA USA in the country and the activity of the branch of BBVA SA in New York. The Mexico segment refers to banking and insurance businesses in this country as well as the activity of its branch in Houston. The Turkey segment reports the activity of Garanti BBVA group that is mainly carried out in this country and, to a lesser extent, in Romania and the Netherlands. The South America segment comprises of operations in n Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The Rest of Eurasia segment includes the banking business activity carried out by the group in Europe and Asia, excluding Spain. The company was founded in 1857 and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Becton, Dickinson and: (Bard Istanbul Healthcare Limited Company), Accuri Cytometers, Accuri Cytometers Inc., Adaptec Manufacturing Singapore, Alverix, Alverix Inc., Atto Bioscience, BD Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., BD Infection Prevention BV, BD Kiestra BV, BD Kiestra Total Lab Automation, BD Rapid Diagnostic (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., BD San Luis Potosi S.A. de C.V., BD Switzerland Sarl, BD Ventures LLC, BD West Africa Limited, BDX INO LLC, Bard (Thailand) Limited, Bard ASDI Inc., Bard Access Systems Inc., Bard Acquisition Sub Inc., Bard Australia Pty. 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Bard Netherlands Sales B.V., CME America LLC, CME Ltd., CME Medical (UK) Limited, CME UK (Holdings) Limited, CRISI Medical Systems, CRISI Medical Systems Inc., Caesarea Medical Electronics, Cardal II LLC, Care Fusion Development Private Limited, CareFusion, CareFusion (Barbados) SrL, CareFusion (Shanghai) Commercial and Trading Co. Limited, CareFusion 213 LLC, CareFusion 2200 Inc., CareFusion 2201 Inc., CareFusion 302 LLC, CareFusion 303 Inc., CareFusion Asia (HK) Limited, CareFusion BH 335 d.o.o. Cazin, CareFusion Corporation, CareFusion D.R. 203 Ltd., CareFusion France 309 S.A.S., CareFusion Germany 318 GmbH, CareFusion Iberia 308 S.L., CareFusion Israel 330 Ltd., CareFusion Italy 312 S.p.A., CareFusion Manufacturing LLC, CareFusion Mexico 215 S.A. de C.V., CareFusion Netherlands 328 B.V., CareFusion Netherlands 503 B.V., CareFusion Netherlands 504 B.V., CareFusion Netherlands Financing 283 C.V., CareFusion Resources LLC, CareFusion S.A. 319 (Proprietary) Limited, CareFusion Solutions LLC, CareFusion U.K. 244 Limited, CareFusion U.K. 305 Limited, CareFusion U.K. 306 Limited, Carmel Pharma AB, Carmel Pharma Inc, Cato Software Solutions, Cell Analysis Systems Inc, Cellular Research, Cellular Research Inc., Clearstream Technologies Group Limited, Clearstream Technologies Limited, Clontech Laboratories Inc, Corporativo BD de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Cubex, Cytopeia, DLD (Bermuda) Ltd., DVL Acquisition Sub Inc., Davol Inc., Davol International Limited, Davol Surgical Innovations S.A. de C.V., Difco Laboratories Incorporated, Distribuidora BD Mexico S.A. de C.V., Dutch American Manufacturers (D.A.M.) B.V., Dymax Corporation, Embo Medical Limited, Enturia de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Enturican Inc., FJ International Inc., FlowCardia Inc., FlowCardia LLC, FlowJo LLC, Franklin Lakes Enterprises L.L.C., GSL Solutions, Gamer Lasertechnik GmbH, GenCell Biosystems, GenCell Biosystems Ltd., GeneOhm Sciences, GeneOhm Sciences Canada Inc., Gentest Corporation, Gesco International Inc., Gesco International LLC, HandyLab Inc, HandyLab Inc., IBD Holdings LLC, Ionotophoretics Corporation, JoHome LLC, Kabushiki Kaisha Medicon (Medicon Inc.), Liberator Health and Education Services Inc., Liberator Health and Wellness Inc., Liberator Medical Holdings Inc., Liberator Medical Supply Inc., LifeBond, Limited Liability Company Bard Rus, Loma Vista Medical Inc., Loma Vista Medical LLC, Lutonix Inc., Med-Design Corporation, Med-Design Investment Holdings Inc., Med-Safe Systems Inc., MedChem Products Inc., Medafor Inc., Medegen LLC, Medinservice.com Inc., Medivance Inc., NAT Diagnostics, NAT Diagnostics Inc., NOW Medical Distribution Inc., NOW Medical Distribution LLC, Navarre Biomedical LLC, Navarre Biomedical Ltd., Neomend Inc., Nippon Becton Dickinson Company Ltd., Omega Biosystems Incorporated, P.R.C.(Isialys)Societe a responsabilitie limitee(Societe a associe unique), PT Becton Dickinson Indonesia, PharMingen, PreAnalytiX GmbH, Pristine Access Technologies Inc., ProSeed Inc., Procesos para Esterilizacion S.A. de C.V., Productos Bard de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Productos Para el Cuidado de la Salud S.A. de C.V., Puls Medical Devices AS LC, PureWick Corporation, Roberts Laboratories Inc., Rochester Medical Corporation, Rochester Medical Ltd., Saf-T-Med, Safety Syringes, Safety Syringes Inc., Sendal S.L.U., SenoRx Inc., SenoRx LLC, Shield Healthcare Centers Inc., Sirigen, Sirigen II Limited, Sirigen Inc., Sistemas Medicos ALARIS S.A. de C.V., Specialized Cooperative Corporation, Specialized Health Products Inc., Specialized Health Products International Inc., Specialized Health Products International LLC, Staged Diabetes Management LLC, Straub Medical, Straub Medical, Straub Medical (US) LLC, Straub Medical (United Kingdom) Ltd., Straub Medical France, Surgical Site Solutions Inc., TVA Medical, TVA Medical GmbH, TVA Medical Inc., Tepha, Touchstone Medical Limited, Tri-County Medical & Ostomy Supplies Inc., TriPath Imaging, TriPath Imaging Inc., Vas-Cath Incorporated, Vascular Pathways Inc., Velano Vascular, Venetec International Inc., Venetec International LLC, Y-Med Inc., and Y-Med LLC. Bridgepoint Education, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides postsecondary education services in the United States. Its academic institutions, Ashford University and University of the Rockies, offer associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs in the disciplines of business, education, psychology, social sciences, and health sciences. The company offers its programs primarily through online; and at its campuses. As of December 31, 2017, its institutions offered approximately 1,200 courses and 80 degree programs; and had 45,730 students enrolled. The company was formerly known as TeleUniversity, Inc. and changed its name to Bridgepoint Education, Inc. in February 2004. Bridgepoint Education, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Read More CCL Industries Inc. manufactures and sells labels, containers, consumer printable media products, technology driven label solutions, polymer bank note substrates, and specialty films. The company operates through four segments: CCL, Avery, Checkpoint, and Innovia. The CCL segment offers pressure sensitive and specialty extruded film materials for decorative, instructional, functional, and security applications in the consumer packaging, healthcare, chemicals, consumer electronic device, and automotive markets. This segment also provides extruded and laminated plastic tubes, aluminum aerosols and specialty bottles, folded instructional leaflets, precision decorated and die cut components, electronic displays, and other complementary products and services. The Avery segment offers printable media products, including address labels, shipping labels, marketing and product identification labels, business cards, and name badges supported by customized software solutions; and organizational products, such as binders, sheet protectors, indexes and dividers, and writing instruments. This segment also provides direct to consumer digitally imaged media products, such as labels, business cards, name badges, and family oriented identification labels supported by unique Web-enabled e-commerce URLs. The Checkpoint segment provides technology-driven, loss-prevention, inventory management, and labelling solutions, including radio frequency and radio-frequency identification solutions to retail and apparel industries. The Innovia segment offers specialty, high-performance, multi-layer, and surface engineered biaxially oriented polypropylene films for pressure sensitive label materials, flexible packaging, and consumer packaged goods industries. The company operates in Canada, the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, and New Zealand. CCL Industries Inc. was founded in 1951 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Read More American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. 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Changing plans Seattle real-estate impact Relationship with City Hall (TNS) Amazon is abandoning a prominent downtown Seattle office project 10 months after it threatened to do so if the city imposed a new business tax.While the Seattle City Council ultimately reversed itself on the so-called head tax, Amazon confirmed Wednesday it will not occupy the 722,000 square feet of space it had leased in the Rainier Square tower under construction at Fifth Avenue and Union Street. The company did resume construction on another high-rise it had paused as part of last Mays threat.We are always evaluating our space requirements and intend to sublease Rainier Square based on current plans, Amazon said in a statement, adding that the company has more than 9,000 open jobs and 2 million square feet of new space under construction in Seattle, and that it will continue to evaluate future growth.The Amazon executives doing those evaluations exit February with much more to consider than when they entered the month. Meanwhile, the companys growth in Seattle and relationship with the city will likely figure prominently in the upcoming City Council election season.On Valentines Day, Amazon abandoned its plans for a major campus in New York City, which would have accommodated up to 25,000 employees as it was built over several years. (It has upward of 2,000 people working in the city in areas including advertising, fashion and publishing.)The company said it would spread those jobs across several other North American tech hubs where it has offices, but indicated no immediate plans to accelerate growth in Seattle as a result of its false start in New York. Nor did it indicate it would restart its HQ2 search process, the yearlong sweepstakes it launched in 2017 that yielded in November a split decision with New York and Northern Virginia tapped for huge new offices.Now, in addition to seats for 25,000 would-be New York employees, Amazon if its growth trajectory holds would need to find space for thousands more who would have worked in downtown Seattle.At 722,000 square feet, the Rainier Square lease was one of the biggest in Seattle history. It provided room for at least 3,500 employees, and perhaps up to 5,000.Amazon had previously secured two large spaces in downtown Bellevue, its original hometown, enough to accommodate 4,500 people. The Puget Sound Business Journal reported this month that the company is looking to expand even more in Bellevue, although Amazon has not commented on its Eastside plans. Other big tech companies in the region maintain locations on both sides of Lake Washington to tap talent in the city and its suburbs.Scheduled to open next year, the $570 million Rainier Square tower project will be the second-tallest building in the Pacific Northwest, at 58 stories. It also will include luxury apartments and a hotel, as well as a PCC Community Markets on the ground floor.Even by Amazons standards, the office commitment was huge: Only a few companies Starbucks, Google and Facebook have more office space in Seattle altogether than Amazon was planning to occupy in Rainier Square.In addition to its size, Rainier Square represented a bit of a departure for Amazon, which has about 40 buildings and 45,000 employees in South Lake Union and the Denny Triangle, to venture south toward downtown.The impact the pullout will have on the local office market is mixed: On one hand, its a ton of space to fill, and likely too big for any one company to take. But on the other hand, the office market unlike the cooling residential real-estate market is overheated with demand from companies.Colliers International released a report Wednesday showing the vacancy rate in downtown Seattle is 7.1 percent only Manhattan and the Bay Area had tighter markets, among major metro areas. Office rents for top-tier Class A properties downtown, like Rainier Square, have also been rising as companies like Google, Facebook and WeWork continue to snatch up large amounts of space.Seattles economic base is much broader than it was in 2007, the last time a similarly large chunk of top-tier space came on the market unexpectedly. When Washington Mutual then Seattles biggest office tenant went under and vacated 1.2 million square feet in the city, it kind of imploded our market, said David Gurry, senior vice president of Colliers in downtown Seattle.Its my opinion that 720,000 square feet of space will really have an insignificant impact on the market, Gurry said. Theres enough demand from companies in the city of Seattle and those moving in from places like Silicon Valley that I think itll get gobbled up pretty quickly.The stakes for Amazon to sublease the space are significant, even for a company that made an $11.2 billion profit last year. The company doesnt release its lease terms, but leases for new buildings in Seattle typically last 10 to 15 years. When Amazon signed its Rainier Square lease in fall 2017, rents in downtown were about $42 per square foot a year. Based on that, its total rent bill for the building would be in the neighborhood of $30 million a year, or $300 million over a typical 10-year lease.Gurry said its possible a sublease deal could even be slightly profitable for Amazon and Seattle-based Wright Runstad & Co., the towers builder and owner. Office rents have risen about $5 per square foot in the year and a half since Amazons original lease, so it could make a small profit likely split 50/50 between Amazon and Wright Runstad if it is able to sublease the full space.Greg Johnson, president of Wright Runstad, said he couldnt say why Amazon pulled out of the building and if its tied into any larger threads about the companys future here.Its a relatively small part of what they occupy in the region, so I wouldnt necessarily try to read that much into it, Johnson said, noting subleasing goes on pretty frequently in Seattle.While signing a single, noteworthy company before the project broke ground was a win for Wright Runstad, he said it will still be a success if another strong company or group of tenants ultimately fills the building, which he expects to be the case.We wish (Amazon) well and hope its super successful in subleasing the space, Johnson said. I think the good news for Amazon is were in a very robust market and theres other people and companies out looking for space, and there isnt much available. I think theyre going to fill it up pretty quickly.Questions swirled around Amazons presence in Seattle even before the fight over the head tax and the announcement of a public courting of other cities for a so-called HQ2.Rightly or wrongly, blame for the citys worsening traffic, affordability and homelessness has been laid at the feet of the nearly 25-year-old tech and commerce giant, whose outsize growth made it an easy target.Amazons decision in 2007 to consolidate its Seattle presence in an urban corporate campus in the South Lake Union neighborhood ushered in a decade of rapid change and the arrival of tens of thousands of high-paying jobs in technology and associated fields. Other major tech firms such as Facebook and Google followed Amazon into a neighborhood of old warehouses and commercial laundries that was redeveloped en masse by the late Paul Allens Vulcan Real Estate.The tech boom here overlapped with a marked increase in homelessness, which was declared an emergency in the city in 2015, leading some City Council members last spring to propose a per-employee head tax on high-grossing businesses.In response, Amazon said it would pause construction planning on an office high-rise known as Block 18 and consider subleasing its space in the Rainier Square tower. The threats spooked the citys construction-worker unions, which split with service-worker unions that were supporting the tax.When Mayor Jenny Durkan and a council majority sought to compromise with business leaders in May by passing a smaller version of the tax, Amazon announced it would move ahead with Block 18, one of several new buildings going up in the Denny Triangle. But the company never recommitted to the Rainier Square space, even after an effort to nix the measure through a referendum, backed by Amazon and other local businesses, pressured the council into repealing the tax less than a month later.The annual tax of $275 per employee on companies grossing at least $20 million per year would have raised about $47 million in 2019 for low-income housing and homeless services. Kshama Sawant, one of two council members who opposed the repeal, described Amazons Rainier Square announcement Wednesday as a told you so moment.This is a good reminder for us that backing down to the bullying of corporations never stops their bullying, said Sawant, praising activists in New York City who protested tax breaks for Amazon, causing the company to pull out from its campus plans there. (Two Seattle council members, Teresa Mosqueda and Lisa Herbold, spoke at a New York event organized by Amazon opponents in January.)As the next step, people in Seattle should gather courage and renew our fight to tax big business for social housing, Sawant said.Sawants colleagues showed little appetite to revisit the matter last fall as they and Durkan drew up a new budget. But the council that reversed itself last June will soon look very different.Seven of nine seats are up for grabs this fall, and four incumbents already have decided not to seek re-election. Sawant is running again, and the head tax and Seattles relationship with Amazon and the still-growing tech sector likely will be hot topics in many races.Whether or not this building is occupied by Amazon workers, we have a housing crisis. We have transportation issues, said Mosqueda, who also opposed the head-tax repeal and whose seat isnt up for election until 2021.We would welcome workers from Facebook, or Google, or Apple, just like we would welcome workers from Amazon, Mosqueda added. But we still dont have as much housing as we need, and we still need to double-down on our investments.Durkans office issued a brief statement late Wednesday about the strength of the citys economy and its attractiveness to employers, but did not address specific questions about Amazons decision.An Amazon spokesman said two weeks ago that its buildings under construction in Seattle would bring its total in the city to 14 million square feet, which will be the completion of our Seattle campus. The spokesman later backpedaled and issued a statement saying only that the company will continue to evaluate future growth in Seattle the stance reiterated Wednesday and declined to comment further.The company has had a steady number of job openings in the city about 9,800 as of Wednesday, though its unclear how many of those are for expansions in the city rather than hiring as part of regular turnover. Amazon has been saying since last fall that it has 45,000 employees in the city, up from 40,000 in March 2018.Mosqueda said the Rainier Square news isnt a sign that Seattle is a bad place for Amazon to do business.Theyre on track to reach 50,000 employees here, she said. This is a city that not only welcomed them in but helped them succeed. For that success to now be sustainable, we have to get on the same page about investments in housing, transit and infrastructure.Amazons statement Wednesday follows the publication of a marketing flyer posted earlier by technology news site GeekWire showing that the Rainier Square space was on the market.(Seattle Times staff reporter Daniel Beekman contributed to this report.) Genworth Financial, Inc. is a financial services company, which engages in the provision of insurance, wealth management, investment and financial solutions. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Mortgage Insurance, Australia Mortgage Insurance, U.S. Life Insurance, and Runoff. The U.S. Mortgage Insurance segment offers mortgage insurance products predominantly insuring prime-based, individually underwritten residential mortgage loans. The Australia Mortgage Insurance segment offers flow mortgage insurance and selectively provides bulk mortgage insurance that aids in the sale of mortgages to the capital markets and helps lenders manage capital and risk. The U.S. Life Insurance segment offers long-term care insurance products as well as service traditional life insurance and fixed annuity products in the United States. The Runoff segment includes the results of non-strategic products which are no longer actively sold but continue to service its existing blocks of business. Its non-strategic products primarily include variable annuity, variable life insurance, institutional, corporate-owned life insurance and other accident and health insurance products. The company was fo Read More Ameresco, Inc. engages in the provision of energy services, including energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, asset sustainability, and renewable energy solutions for businesses and organizations throughout North America and Europe. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Regions, U.S. Federal, Canada, Non-Solar Distributed Generation (DG), and All Other. The U.S. Regions, U.S. Federal, and Canada segments offers energy efficiency products and services, such as design, engineering and installation of equipment and other measures to improve the efficiency and control the operation of a facility's energy infrastructure; and renewable energy solutions and services. The Non-Solar DG sells electricity, processed renewable gas fuel, heat or cooling, produced from renewable sources of energy, other than solar, and generated by small-scale plants; and operations and maintenance services for customer owned small-scale plants. The All Other segment focuses on the provision of enterprise energy management services, consulting services, and integrated-photovoltaic. The company was founded by George Peter Sakellaris on April 25, 2000 and is headquartered in Framingham, MA. Read More Intu owns and manages some of the best shopping centres, in some of the strongest locations, in the UK and Spain. Our UK portfolio is made up of 17 centres, including eight of the top-20, and in Spain we own three of the country's top-10 centres, with advanced plans to build a fourth. We are passionate about creating compelling experiences, in centre and online, that make our customers smile and help our retailers flourish. We attract around 400 million customer visits and 26 million website visits a year offering a multichannel approach that truly supports retail strategies. Our strategic focus on prime, high-footfall flagship destinations, combined with the strength and popularity of our brand, means that intu offers enhanced footfall, dwell time and loyalty. This helps our tenants flourish, driving occupancy and income growth. We are committed to our local communities, with our centres supporting nearly 130,000 jobs (representing about 3 per cent of the total UK retail workforce), and to operating with environmental responsibility. We have already met or exceeded a significant number of our 2020 environmental targets. Read More Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. provides technical, professional, and construction services. The company's Aerospace, Technology, Environmental and Nuclear segment offers scientific, engineering, construction, nuclear, environmental, and technical support services to the aerospace, defense, technical, and automotive industries. Its Buildings, Infrastructure and Advanced Facilities segment develops/rehabilitates plans for highways, bridges, transit, tunnels, airports, railroads, intermodal facilities, and maritime or port projects; develops or rehabilitates critical water resource systems, water/wastewater conveyance systems, and flood defense projects; and provides engineering design, construction management, design build, and operations and maintenance. This segment also designs and constructs buildings; offers consulting, engineering, procurement, construction management, and delivery services for life sciences clients; and provides services relating to modular construction and other consulting and strategic planning services, as well as offers services in containment, barrier technology, locally controlled environments, building systems automation, off-the-site design, and fabrication of facility modules. The company's Energy, Chemicals and Resources segment offers services relating to onshore and offshore oil and gas production facilities, processing facilities, gathering systems, and transmission pipelines and terminals; feasibility/economic studies, technology evaluation, conceptual engineering, front end loading, detailed engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and commissioning services; and engineering, procurement, and construction solutions. This segment also provides services, such as manufacturing complex, expansions, modifications, and management of plant relocations; construction management and field construction services; and services to operate and maintain facilities. The company was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Read More Racing Point is putting a brave face on a notable shortage of test kilometres so far in Barcelona. Not including Williams, the former Force India outfit has collected the least test mileage of any team. But technical boss Andy Green insists the Racing Point plan is in fact "on schedule". Mexican driver Sergio Perez is also quoted by motorsport-magazin.com: "We need more kilometres on the last two days to see where we really are. "But we did not expect to drive too much because we plan to go to Melbourne with a heavily modified car," he added. (GMM) Land Securities Group Plc is a real estate investment trust. The firm engages in owning, developing and managing offices, shopping centers, and retail parks. It operates through the Central London, Regional Retail, Urban Opportunities, and Subscale Sectors segments. The Central London segment includes all assets geographically located within central London. The Regional Retail segment includes all regional shopping centres and shops outside London and outlets. The Urban Opportunities segment includes assets for capital investment. The Subscale Sectors segment mainly includes assets that will not be a focus for capital investment and consists of leisure and hotel assets and retail parks. The company was founded by Harold Samuel on February 15, 1944 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More Manulife Financial Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services in Asia, Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Wealth and Asset Management Businesses; Insurance and Annuity Products; And Corporate and Other segments. The Wealth and Asset Management Businesses segment provides mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, group retirement and savings products, and institutional asset management services through agents and brokers affiliated with the company, securities brokerage firms, and financial advisors pension plan consultants and banks. The Insurance and Annuity Products segment offers deposit and credit products; individual life, and individual and group long-term care insurance; and guaranteed and partially guaranteed annuity products through insurance agents, brokers, banks, financial planners, and direct marketing. The Corporate and Other segment is involved in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance businesses; and run-off reinsurance operations, including variable annuities, and accident and health. It also manages timberland and agricultural portfolios; and engages in insurance agency, portfolio and mutual fund management, mutual fund dealer, life and financial reinsurance, and fund management businesses. Additionally, the company holds and manages oil and gas properties; holds oil and gas royalties, and foreign bonds and equities; and provides investment management, counseling, advisory, and dealer services. Manulife Financial Corporation was incorporated in 1887 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Read More Hertz Global's quiet period expires on Monday, December 20th. Hertz Global had issued 44,520,000 shares in its initial public offering on November 9th. The total size of the offering was $1,291,080,000 based on an initial share price of $29.00. During Hertz Global's quiet period, insiders and any underwriters involved in the IPO are prevented from issuing any earnings forecasts or research reports for the company because of SEC regulations. Following the expiration of the company's quiet period, it's expected that the brokerages that served as underwriters on the stock will initiate research coverage on the company. National Fuel Gas Co. is a holding company, which engages in the production, gathering, transportation, distribution, and marketing of natural gas. It operates through the following segments: Exploration and Production, Pipeline and Storage, Gathering, and Utility. The Exploration and Production segment handles the exploration for and the development of natural gas and oil reserves in California and in the Appalachian region of the United States. The Pipeline and Storage segment transports and stores natural gas for utilities, natural gas marketers, exploration and production companies, and pipeline companies in the northeastern United States markets. The Gathering segment builds, owns, and operates natural gas processing and pipeline gathering facilities in the Appalachian region. The Utility segment sells natural gas to retail customers and provides natural gas transportation services in western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1820 and is headquartered in Williamsville, NY. Read More Nevsun Resources Ltd. engages in the mining and development of mineral properties in Europe, Africa, and North America. It explores for gold, copper, zinc, and silver deposits. The company's principal assets include Timok project, a copper-gold development project in Serbia; and Bisha copper- zinc mine in Eritrea. It also holds exploration licenses and permits in Serbia and Macedonia, as well as in the Bisha mining district. The company was incorporated in 1965 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. As of January 7, 2019, Nevsun Resources Ltd. operates as a subsidiary of Zijin Mining Group Company Limited. Read More Its called the Devils Nightcap for a reason. Photo: Markus Marty The year has still barely begun, but already New York City is teeming with new bars promising to introduce us to innovative cocktails. There are spinoffs from already-beloved standbys like Long Island Bar, Dear Irving, and Death & Co.; first-time bars from former employees of the NoMad and Sunday in Brooklyn; and a handful of restaurants that take their drinks as seriously as their food. Most importantly, none of them are phoning it in, whether theyre making a much-needed update to the pickleback, what were prepared to call the winters best new drink, or the juicy Bloody Mary weve been waiting for. Here are the cocktails worth sipping at the latest entrants to the citys ever-bustling bar scene. Devils Nightcap Where: NO BAR How Much: $13 At Angela Dimayugas new gay bar, this whiskey-and-rum cocktail is infused with a soothing jasmine rice syrup to complement the drinks fiery togarashi-spiced rim. A non-boring drink in a non-boring space? Yes, please. Storm Front Where: Lost Hours How Much: $20 The menu at this Death & Co. offshoot in midtowns new Hotel 3232 highlights four elements, starting with air drinks and working its way to four relatively aggressive fire cocktails. The standout is this light combination of floral notes, with a cloud of fluffed egg whites floating on top. Its so eminently drinkable that youll forgive this bar for being so dang small. Photo: Erinn Springer The Wildest Redhead Where: Dear Irving on Hudson How Much: $18 This new cocktail from the uptown outpost of Dear Irving is exactly the type of thing you want to sip in a midtown lounge on a cold night: blended Scotch with lemon, honey, soul-warming allspice dram, and cherry brandy. Smoky Mountain Song Bird Where: Hunky Dory How Much: $12 The power of this cocktail from bartender turned restaurateur Claire Sprouse is that it hits on so many great trends in cocktails: Floral notes in the form of turmeric, old-world mystique in the form of Madeira wine, and earthiness in the form of mezcal. A drink from an all-day cafe shouldnt be this serious or this good, but expectations are made to be broken. Peppis Amaro-Palooza Where: Peppis Cellar How Much: $13 The aesthetic at this spot located under the new Australian-born Italian restaurant Gran Tivoli is meant to evoke an old-school bar in Rome. Now, we dont know much about Roman bars, but we do know that when in Rome, you go for the amaro, and this cocktail featuring the bars own amaro blend, made a little lighter with lemon, orange, and egg whites, is just the ticket and pretty much the perfect post-dinner digestif. Photo: Melissa Hom Lemon Drop Where: The Fly How Much: $12 Classy versions of trashy drinks are everywhere these days, but its still impressive that drink pro Nialls Fallon has seen fit to overhaul the once-woebegone Lemon Drop. His take features American-made limoncello and amaro, and fresh lemon juice. The result: a delightfully tangy cocktail that you can drink all night with no regrets. Maple Yuzu Where: Bar Laika How Much:$14 What makes this cocktail from this new Clinton Hill spot stand to is that it does such a great job of blending the expected maple syrup and Evan Williams bourbon with the delightful and somewhat unexpected yuzu juice and sea salt. Its exactly the type of cocktail we look for when we want to keep it simple, but interesting. Auntie Grizelda Where: Citroen How Much: $14 Hidden within a no-frills bistro is, perhaps, Greenpoints most interesting new bar. Take, for example, this drink named for an obscure Monkees song which features tequila spiked with serrano peppers, celery shrub, a thinly sliced cucumber that curls its way up the glass, and freshly cracked black pepper. Like a Bloody Mary that just returned from a wellness retreat, this drink is rejuvenating without actually being healthy at all. In other words: its perfect. Photo: Nick Johnson/All Good NYC Paradise Pickleback Where: Mister Paradise How Much: $9 Okay, yes, the drinks here are named things like the Party Lobster, Cafe Disco, and Dr. Angel Face but the underlying recipes are dead serious. NoMad alum Will Wyatt isnt afraid to experiment with ingredients like olive oil, tomato dashi, and fermented habaneros (but not all in the same drink yet). The drink that really stands out is Wyatts revisionist take on ye olde pickleback, which features a mix of whiskey and more mellow amaro in shot form, and subs an ice-cold mignonette granita for neon green pickle juice. It means youre not shooting back two shots like an animal, but taking a shot followed by a spoonful of fine mignonette. Rendezvous Where: Valerie How Much: $15 Cocktails that are heavy on the technique can sometimes be tiresome, but this one featuring bacon-washed gin, maple pear puree, and cardamom bitters is just plain fun. Honestly none of these things should go together, but somehow Valerie makes it work: Its a little bit umami, a little bit fruity, and very boozy. There is not enough analysis data for Petro Matad. 4.5 Community Rank Outperform Votes Petro Matad has received 131 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Petro Matad has received 63 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Petro Matad has received 67.53% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Petro Matad and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe MATD will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe MATD will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next 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 Tableau Software, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides business analytics software products. It offers Tableau Desktop, a self-service, powerful analytics product with data; Tableau Server, a business intelligence platform for organizations; Tableau Online, a hosted software-as-a-service version of Tableau Server; Tableau Prep, a data preparation product for combining, shaping, and cleaning data; and Tableau Public, a cloud-based platform for analyzing and sharing public data. In addition, it offers Visual Query Language (VizQL) for databases, which is a computer language for describing pictures of data, including graphs, charts, maps, time series, and tables of visualizations; Live Query Engine that interprets abstract queries generated by VizQL into syntax understandable by database systems; and Hyper, an in-memory data engine technology that helps customers to analyze a range of data sets by evaluating analytical queries directly in the transactional database. Further, the company provides support, maintenance, training, and professional services. It serves organizations in various industries, including business services, energy and telecommunications, financial services, life sciences and healthcare, manufacturing and technology, media and entertainment, public sector, and education, as well as retail, consumer, and distribution industries. The company sells its products directly, as well as through indirect sales channels, such as technology vendors, resellers, original equipment manufacturers, independent software vendor, and distributors in the United States, Canada, and internationally. Tableau Software, Inc. was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Read More 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 Village Farms International, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, produces, markets, and distributes greenhouse-grown tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers in North America. It operates through three segments: Produce Business, Energy Business, and Cannabis and Hemp Business. The company also owns and operates a 7.0 megawatt power plant that generates and sells electricity to British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority; and produces and supplies cannabis products. It markets and distributes its products under the Village Farms brand name to retail supermarkets and fresh food distribution companies, as well as products produced under exclusive arrangements with other greenhouse producers. The company was formerly known as Village Farms Canada Inc. and changed its name to Village Farms International, Inc. in December 2009. Village Farms International, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Delta, Canada. 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 Zalando SE operates as an online fashion and lifestyle retailer. It offers a range of products, including shoes, apparel, accessories, and beauty products for women, men, and children, as well as free delivery and returns services. The company also sells its products through its Zalando Lounge; and brick-and-mortar stores in Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, Leipzig, Hamburg, Hanover, MAnster, Stuttgart, Mannheim, and Ulm. It serves in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The company has a strategic partnership with Sephora SAS to create the online prestige beauty destination. Zalando SE was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Berlin, Germany. Read More UTICA, N.Y. -- Dominican pride prevailed at Utica City Hall Wednesday afternoon. Members of the local Dominican community gathered there at noon to raise the flag of the Dominican Republic. They also sang their national anthem. A member of the committee that put together the flag raising explains why. "Today is the 27th of February, and it's the 175th anniversary of our dependence of the Dominican Republic, said Sonia Martinez, a member of the committee. Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri also read a proclamation and thanked the Dominican community for being part of Uticas diverse fabric. Tien Ho. Photo: John Parra/Getty Images Jaded veterans of New Yorks restaurant scene were no doubt excited to hear that the chef Tien Ho had returned to the city. For those who dont know, Ho was a key player at Momofuku during its early years, first as the chef-partner of the excellent Ssam Bar and then as the original chef of the now-closed Ma Peche. After a brief detour with Gabe Stulman, Ho worked on concepts for the Morgans Hotel Group and then in 2015 left restaurants to work for Whole Foods. Now, Ho is back in New York as the culinary director of Londons Rhubarb Restaurant Group, overseeing its two restaurants and event space in the controversial, planned city-within-a-city Hudson Yards much to his own surprise. When I left New York, I felt like, Id spent 15 years in New York, Im good. Lets look for the next thing, Ho says. I told myself no more restaurant openings, but I am just a glutton for punishment because it is freaking hard. Now, Ho is settling back into New York after returning about a month ago. This wasnt what he planned when he left Whole Foods last summer. He had talked about staying in Austin and maybe opening something there. We felt like we were really trying to plant our roots there, Ho says of that city. I thought about opening a bar I dont know if it was a midlife crisis or what. The last thing Austin needs is another bar. If youve been there, you know. At Momofuku, Ho was a key player in the restaurant group that has, in many ways, been New Yorks most influential over the last 20 years. Ssam Bar, for example, has been one of New Yorks most consistently interesting restaurants since it opened in 2006, and Momofukus style has been copied so often it became a shorthand years ago now. With Rhubarb, Ho is literally overseeing a restaurant in the sky: one of the two projects is at the top of 30 Hudson Yards, a vertigo-inducing 1,300 feet in the air and complete with its own observation deck. That restaurant wont open until late this year or early next year, but Rhubarb will open Wild Ink, which sounds like it will be an Asian fusion restaurant, on March 15. After having been away from New York for three years, Ho is not quite ready to say what he thinks about the state of dining in New York in 2019. I havent had a chance to really see the city much. You know, it was already changing when I left, Ho says. He does point to the usual stuff finding good cooks, rent, the struggles of mom and pop restaurants but its more about whats changed for him since going corporate with Morgans. I was kind of struggling with it at first because I was like, Oh, I want to be a chef with one restaurant, Ho explains. I actually fought it at first. I was like, I dont even know what a corporate chef is, that sounds horrible, that sounds just weird. I dont want to do it. While Ho admits he hasnt even had much time to get out (Im so busy, zero time. Its been nonstop, he says, chuckling) hes been taking notes for when he can finally get out on the town. He pulls up his list, name-checking Racines, which recently brought on the talented chef Diego Moya; Pinch Chinese, where a Din Tai Fung alum makes the soup dumplings; and Via Carota, the West Village favorite. Whats new for Ho, he says, are the younger chefs coming up and doing their own, young thing the constant, vital churn of this city thats no doubt part of what drew him back here. So when I started looking again, I narrowed it down to two cities I would live in: New York or L.A., because Id never actually lived there and I thought, Oh, thatd be a cool new city to figure out for the next adventure, Ho says. But because of my relationship with this city, it just pulls you back in. UTICA, N.Y. -- The former Utica College student convicted of making a terroristic threat was sentenced to 12 years in state prison. And before he was led away, Fahrudin Omerovic addressed the court. Omerovic was sentenced Thursday after the two-day lockdown at Utica College that happened nearly a year ago. That lockdown caused a heavy police presence on campus, and even students hiding under their desks fearing for their lives. Thursday in Oneida County Court, Omerovic begged the judge to be understanding. "The events of March 5, 6 of 2018, I believe forever changed the landscape of this community and particularly the people of Utica college and the surrounding community, Hon. Michael Dwyer said. He asked the judge to be lenient with his sentence. The people I spent years alongside in classrooms. Seeing them testify in regards to what i lived through for what my selfishness and my drug abuse brought me to unknowingly make those mistakes your honor. I still do not remember it and I still ask for understanding. A just punishment, which I understand I will have to get, Omerovic said. Omerovic and loved ones were visibly emotional as the judge handed him his 12 year sentence, which includes 4 years of post-release supervision. The judge told Omerovic how his actions impacted the college. They have had to double the amount of officers patrolling the campus on a daily basis, they have had to significantly increase security measures in all of the residence halls, they have had to increase the number of cameras on campus, Dwyer said. The defense attorney feels the length of the sentence will ruin Omerovic's future. "I believe that a message has already been sent prior to the sentencing. The response it's gotten by the media and the community has heard about this case the community already knows that there's going to be a harsh for this type of act and we do live in a different time and that's such actions terroristic threats type calls cannot be tolerated, but I say again, you can send a message, have a just punishment, without a lengthy prison sentence, the defense said. Omerovic also received another one to three years for a forgery charge that he pleaded guilty to that he will serve concurrent to his 12 year sentence. NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. -- A rabid fox was killed by a New Hartford police officer after it bit two people. It happened on Imperial drive last Friday. The Oneida County Health Department says the people immediately started rabies post-exposure treatment. The fox was sent to the Wadsworth Center for testing where positive results were reported. This is the second case in a week of an animal testing positive for rabies in our community, said Oneida County Director of Health, Phyllis D. Ellis, in a statement. It is extremely important that residents are attentive to basic safety measures for the protection of their families and pets. Officials sent along rabies prevention reminders to always keep in mind: Dont feed or touch wild animals or stray dogs or cats Be sure your dogs, cats and ferrets are up-to-date on rabies vaccinations. Vaccines for dogs, cats and ferrets after three months of age are effective for a one-year period. Revaccinations can be effective for up to three years, depending on the product used. Pets too young to be vaccinated should be kept indoors Don't try to separate two fighting animals. Wear gloves if you handle your pet after a fight. Keep family pets indoors at night. Don't leave them outside unattended. Don't attract wild animals to your home or yard. Keep your property free of stored bird seed or other foods. Feed pets indoors. Tightly cap or put away garbage cans. Tell children not to touch any animal they do not know. Encourage children to immediately tell an adult if they are bitten by any animal. If a wild animal is on your property, let it wander away. Bring children and pets indoors and alert neighbors who are outside. It is important to contact police, municipal, or wildlife control officials. Seek medical attention and report all animal bites or contact with wild animals to your local health department. ALBANY, N.Y. -- Senator Joe Griffo is proposing a new bill for each county in New York state to get their own state senator The bill would keep the state Assembly based on population, making New York states structure more similar to that of the entire country. This proposition, Griffo says, would help with the concerned divide between upstate and downstate New York. "What we are striving for, and what I believe firmly, is how to achieve that balance. We have situations where the population center is downstate, and we recognize that, Griffo said. Griffo went on to say that if this bill were to pass, there are no guarantees that the political balance of votes would be different of course, but that the geographic balance would be more equal. Say goodbye to Sir Elton. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Events to check out this weekend, February 28 to March 3. 1. Salute the outsiders. Nicknamed the laureate of American lowlife in 1986 by Time magazine, Charles Bukowski may be gone, but the lowlifes live on, honoring him at the Charles Bukowski Memorial Reading tonight at the gallery at (le) Poisson Rouge. Now in its 12th year, readers like poet George Wallace, playwright/novelist Richard Vetere, and playwright Michael Puzzo will read their favorite passages, with a chance for you to get up on stage too (just keep it under three minutes). And Sunday morning at the 92nd Street Y, Michelle Dean discusses her book Sharp with Meg Wolitzer, focusing on ten women including Dorothy Parker, Hannah Arendt, Susan Sontag, Joan Didion, Nora Ephron, and their literary assertion and impact in a male-dominant New York. 2. See internationally inspired dance. The choreography and music of Battery Dance aim to reflect the multiplicity of cultural influences in American society. Tonight at the Schimmel Center at Pace University, see a program including the world premiere of The Red Line by choreographer Tadej Brdnik of the Martha Graham dance school, with music by Syrian-born composer and clarinetist Kinan Azmeh, a Grammy-winner and member of Yo-Yo Mas Silk Road Ensemble. Tickets are $19 to $29. 3. Be inspired by ladies who art. You may not be able to be Oprah but you can replicate her tastes by purchasing work she curated with Agnes Gund for this Fridays auction at Sothebys. Titled By Women, for Tomorrows Women, the show is comprised exclusively of works by women artists, including Jenny Holzer, Carrie Mae Weems, and Kiki Smith, and headlined by Cuban artist Carmen Herreras Blanco y Verde, which is estimated to catch a cool $1.52 million. This goes down at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow and all Sothebys auctions are open to the public, but if youd rather avoid accidentally bidding on something, you could always head to the Guggenheim. The Hilma af Klimt exhibition is still up and if you havent seen it, its about time you did. 4. Pick a film festival, any film festival. This weekend, you get not only single films based on your interests, but whole festivals dedicated to them. Through Sunday at Barnard is the Athena Film Festival, with works by and about women and this year honoring Nina Shaw, one of the founding members of Times Up, alongside panels on filmmaking and screenings like Lady Parts Justice in the New World Order on Friday, followed by a Q&A with Lizz Winstead and filmmaker Ruth Leitman. Through Sunday at the Teachers College at Columbia University, the African Diaspora International Film Festival focuses on the black American experience with films including The Robeson Effect, about the friendship of actors Danny Glover and Ben Guillory and the founding of their theater company, with a Q&A to follow on Friday. Francophiles might enjoy Rendez-Vous With French Cinema, at the Film Society of Lincoln Center through March 10, with contemporary French works, many with Q&As and all with English subtitles, and drone enthusiasts can see the object of their affections and its cinematographic applications at the New York City Drone Film Festival on Friday and Saturday at the Liberty Science Center, with panels, screenings of movies shot using drones, and classes with hands-on experiences. Try it at your own risk. 5. Sip some talk soup. Why just listen to the radio when you can discuss how to to harness the technology for the better? Through Sunday, the On Air Fest contributors including Roxane Gay, Radiolabs Jad Abumrad, Amber Tamblyn, Still Processings Jenna Wortham, and more converge at the Wythe Hotel for discussions, performances, live podcast tapings, and more, all exploring the future of audio. And get your fill of talking about Warhol at Andy Warhol After Pop, two days of free discussions of the artists later works at the New School, in conjunction with the exhibition Andy Warhol From A to B and Back Again, at the Whitney. The event is free but registration is required. 6. Visit the most gorgeous venue in New York. A show at the Appel Room is like the New York you see in the pictures: glitzy and glamorous, with a window-backed stage framing a view of Central Park. This weekend, you can have that New York with your choice of shows as part of Lincoln Centers American Songbook series. Tonight, see the experimental stylings of Son Lux; tomorrow, catch actor and Juilliard grad Oscar Isaac; and on Saturday, enjoy the most New York of them all, the great Martha Plimpton, who pairs songs by Aimee Mann with American presidents. Its very Martha! 7. Steep yer tea. Drink the good stuff and learn about it, too, at the newly launched tea classes at Luv Tea, the West Village tea salon. The salons mission is to educate curious tea drinkers about high-grade oolongs, with theirs sourced from the owners family farms in Taiwans Alishan region. At the classes, youll learn everything from the basics of Taiwanese oolong, grading scales, brewing, and how to conduct a tea ceremony, to at the advanced level tea roasting and how to make bubble tea from scratch, which is apparently something you can do. Reservations can be made online. 8. Laugh at jokes! The UCB East venue may have closed but its shows live on at Subculture in the East Village, with favorites on Sunday like the stand-up lineup of If You Build It, and the everything-goes We Hope YOU Have Fun, with a lineup including comedian Emmy Blotnick, and Ziwe Fumudoh, writer for Desus & Mero. Also on Sunday, Patton Oswalt at the Beacon Theater. Theres no opening act, so show up early for that one. 9. Party for a cause. Fat Tuesday is next week, but you can start early and for a good cause at the Bell House this Sunday at Its Common Census: A Mardi Gras Bash to Make Every Person Count. Comedians Pat Regan and Christi Chiello host a variety show to benefit Southern Echo, a Mississippi-based nonprofit focused on redrawing voting maps to get everyone fairly represented in the 2020 Census. Play drag bingo, see some burlesque, and dance to the funk tunes of the L-Train Brass Band. Beads and Vieux Carres optional. 10. Say goodbye to the Rocketman. Hes hobnobbed with movie starlets and princesses, was delightful in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and for over 50 years has turned us all into tiny dancers. Now its time for Sir Elton Hercules John to say goodbye, but in true signature style. When hes done with his three-year Farewell, Yellow Brick Road tour hell have played over 300 shows, matching with his sales of over 300 million records. A few of those shows come our way this week, first on Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, then next Tuesday and Wednesday at MSG. Friday and Saturday hell be in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center. Dress to impress, because you know he will. It's the last day of February, and winter is ... getting pretty old. No better time to check out this list of the world's best beaches. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. (You can also get "5 Things You Need to Know Today" delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.) 1. North Korea summit Air Force One is in the air and on its way home this morning, after President Trump's second summit with Kim Jong Un ended early. The President said his talks with the North Korean leader broke down without a deal after Kim insisted the US lift all sanctions on his country. Trump didn't want to do that. So, a planned working lunch and signing ceremony with the two men was canceled. "Sometimes you have to walk," the President said in a news conference in Hanoi right before he left town. Click to get the latest updates and analysis on the summit, and check out pictures from Trump and Kim's meeting. 2. Michael Cohen It's Day 3 on Capitol Hill for Michael Cohen. The ex-Trump fixer and lawyer will testify behind closed doors today to the House Intelligence Committee. Everyone is still absorbing his explosive testimony from yesterday, when he essentially called the President of the United States a racist conman and criminal. To review, Cohen said: President Trump knew longtime confidant Roger Stone talked to WikiLeaks about hacked Hillary Clinton emails before they were released. Trump inflated his net worth to get on Forbes' list of richest people, yet deflated it for tax purposes. Trump lied about the Trump Tower Moscow negotiations during the campaign because he didn't expect to win the presidency. Trump directed him to pay off Stormy Daniels. Trump directed him to threaten schools so they'd never release his grades or SAT scores. He didn't know of any direct evidence that Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia. So, what happens now, after Cohen presented this mob-like view of Donald Trump's world? It's clear that nothing Cohen said yesterday will make Trump's base or Republicans desert him. And Democrats aren't set, just yet, to prep articles of impeachment based on the words of this extremely flawed witness. But Cohen's testimony does provide a road map, of sorts, that Dems can use as they investigate the President. Click for minute-by-minute coverage of the hearing, Cohen's day in pictures and six takeaways. 3. India and Pakistan Pakistan says it shot down two Indian fighter jets over the disputed border region of Kashmir, in a significant escalation of the crisis between the two nuclear-armed powers. India confirmed the loss of one plane and said it shot down a Pakistani jet. Pakistan claimed to have captured an Indian pilot and published a video of him; India demanded his safe return. The confrontation happened a day after India said it launched airstrikes in Pakistan territory in the first such incursion by Indian air force planes since the India-Pakistan war of 1971. India and Pakistan both control parts of Kashmir, but each claims the region in full. The latest skirmishes are the most serious crisis over the disputed border area in years. This represents the first big political test for Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has only been in office for six months. President Trump, during his news conference in Vietnam, hinted that "reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India" is coming, alluding to possible US attempts to de-escalate the crisis. Click here for the latest updates on the conflict. 4. California flooding After days of heavy rain, Northern California's Russian River has turned the town of Guerneville into an island. The river crested last night at over 45 feet (about 13 feet above its flood stage), with the rising floodwaters submerging almost all roads leading into town and essentially cutting off the community of 4,500 residents. About 2,000 homes and buildings in Guerneville have flooded, and 59 people have been rescued. Residents paddled through the streets in canoes and kayaks. The river is expected to start dropping today and tomorrow. 5. School funding Add this tidbit to the debate over school funding and equity (or lack of it) in public schools: US school districts with mostly white students get $23 billion a year more in funding than districts in which most students are not white. This stunning -- but not entirely surprising -- information comes from a report by the nonprofit EdBuild, which promotes equity in public schools. EdBuild found the average "white" district got $13,908 for every student in 2016, while "nonwhite" districts got only $11,682 per student. EdBuild blamed this money gap on the way Americans pay for education, with tax dollars controlled locally. EdBuild's CEO said local governments should rethink how school districts are drawn and noted the funding gap is a vestige of America's segregated past. BREAKFAST BROWSE Back on the job Sully, the late President Bush's service dog, has a new job. The yellow Labrador is now helping patients at Walter Reed medical center. Snow bound Talk about a lucky find: A snowplow driver in California found a woman alive inside a car buried in snow. Sort of a sequel "Four Weddings and a Funeral" fans, get ready. The gang's getting back together after 25 years for another wedding. 'Starry' planet Check out these photos. No, they're not some recently unearthed van Gogh paintings. They're new pics of Jupiter taken by NASA's Juno spacecraft. Pika-who? Video game lovers are hyped over Nintendo's new Pokemon video games, which include three never-before-seen Pokemon. TODAY'S NUMBER $3 million The price tag for the US-Mexico border wall prototypes in the San Diego area that are now being torn down TODAY'S WEATHER AND FINALLY Take a deep breath This Shih Tzu celebrates his first birthday just like the rest of us: surrounded by loved ones and blowing out the candle on his cake. (Click to view.) WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Purdue President Mitch Daniels said he did not entice potential presidential candidate Howard Schultz's visit earlier this month. However, Daniels said he's not surprised Schultz chose the university to give a policy speech. "[It's] Sort of a 'Purdue-like' story," Daniels said of Schultz's background. "He came out of public housing in New York City, worked his way up, created a great company from essentially scratch. He could have been a Boilermaker with a story like that. In that sense, I guess I thought he fit in here." It's been three weeks since the visit. Despite what many thought, Schultz did not launch a presidential campaign as an independent. Rather, he used it as a way to explore interest from a midwest university. Daniels said the two had one extended conversation prior to his visit. Other than that, he said he doesn't know him well but thinks highly of him. "I asked him what he was thinking," Daniels said about a possible presidential bid. "Right before he got here, he had taken on a lot of criticism from people who, as a matter of politics and tactics, thought his running would not serve their interests." Daniels said anytime the university can welcome a distinguished businessman like Schultz, it will. As of now, Schultz is continuing to explore options for a possible campaign. In 2016, Purdue invited the three candidates for president to campus. Only Libertarian Gary Johnson took them up on it. Daniels said the university would be open to doing the same for the 2020 race. In a draconian abuse of his powers, UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid has revoked the citizenship of Shamima Begum, who left Britain in 2015 when she was a 15-year-old schoolgirl to join the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria. A few days ago, Begum gave birth to a son in a Syrian refugee camp. Javid said he would use all [his] power to stop anyone who joined IS from returning to the country, including stripping people of their citizenship, justifying this with the claim that Begum constitutes a threat to the safety and security of Britain and the people who live here. His decision is a blatant attack on democratic rights that effectively makes both Begum and her newborn baby, stranded in a refugee camp, stateless. Javid implied that she would not be left stateless since she would be entitled to Bangladeshi citizenship. This claim was immediately rejected by the Bangladeshi government as she had never visited the country, held a Bangladeshi passport or even applied for one. Begum made newspapers headlines when she left Bethnal Green in East London for Syria in February 2015 with Amira Abase, 15, and Kadiza Sultana, 16, joining another girl from the same neighbourhood who had gone to Syria a year earlier. Shortly after her arrival, she married a Dutch Islamist, Yago Riedijk, 12 years her senior, by whom she had two children. Both children died recently as a result of sickness and malnutrition amid the atrocious conditions in the refugee camp. Her family has appealed to Javid to help secure Shamima and her childs return to the UK as a matter of urgency. Mohammed Akunjee, the familys lawyer, said, Our position is that to all practical purposes she has been made stateless We are considering all legal avenues to challenge this decision. It should be noted that the Nazis stripped Jews and opponents of their regime of citizenship in order to deprive them of basic rights. Since then, citizenship has been understood as the right to have rights. Last November, a ruling by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, a superior court of record in the UK that was established by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission Act 1997, ordered the UK government to restore British citizenship to two nationals, known as E3 and N3. Like Begum, they were of Bangladeshi origin, and because of the governments decision, were made stateless. The ruling invalidates Britains now routine and increasing use of citizenship deprivation orders. According to government figures, some 104 people were deprived of their citizenship in 2017up from 14 in 2016on the grounds that their presence in the UK was not conducive to the public good. A further nine temporary exclusion orders were issued in 2017. Anything that comes out of Javids mouth is likely to be a lie. For decades, the British government has used Islamist groups for its own ends, both overseas and at home, allowing them to operate out of London. It protected them and used them as proxies to fight for regime change as and when the need arose in line with Britains constantly shifting foreign policy. British nationals went to Libya to join Islamist groups in the NATO-led operation to overthrow the countrys leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. The same Islamist militias were later shipped off to take part in the next US-sponsored regime-change operation against President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, alongside offshoots of Al Qaeda. A further 900 Britons are believed to have travelled to Syria to join IS as fighters or in other roles, under the watch of then Home Secretary Theresa May. The British government and security forces worked closely with these terrorist outfits in both Libya and Syria (as well as in covert operations in Central Asia), and then allowed them to return without hesitation, helping to spawn a layer of British-born jihadis. These included Salman Abedi, who killed 22 people in a suicide bomb attack at the Manchester Arena in May 2016, and Rachid Redouane, a member of February 17th Martyrs Brigade that killed eight people in the London Bridge/Borough market attack the same year. Within days of the Manchester and London attacks, the authorities were forced to admit that the perpetrators were known to the police, and that the MI5 intelligence agency had prior warning from the FBI that Abedi had planned a terrorist atrocity. In effect, MI5 gave him a free hand to launch his attack. It subsequently emerged that Abedi was first allowed to travel and fight in Libya against Gaddafi, before he and his brother received British government assistance to flee Libya onboard a Royal Navy vessel, HMS Enterprise in August 2014. Abedis presence aboard the ship was known at the highest levels of the British state, with then Prime Minister David Cameron personally informed. In the case of the three young girls who went to Syria, they were being groomed online. Dal Babu, a friend of the Begum family and former Met police chief superintendent, told BBC Radios Today programme that the police were fully aware that the 15-year-old Begum was being groomed by IS but failed to tell her parents. Thats a shocking level of incompetence. The police gave her a letter to say they wanted to interview her, it was found in the schoolbag after she was gone, he said. It is entirely possible that instead of being incompetent, the police were acting to protect the intelligence services and their Islamist networks that were grooming and recruiting potential jihadis and young girls to serve as their brides. The Home Secretarys denunciation of Begum as a threat to the countrys security is bogus. She was a schoolgirl who had three children in less than four years. So far, some 40 percent of the 900 people known to have left Britain to fight with IS have already returned to the UK. The Syrian Democratic Forces, which is close to capturing the last IS-controlled territory in Syria, say they have captured more than 800 European fighters, and have another 2,200 women and children in their custody, including at least 20 British women and children. Others, including the alleged British members of an IS execution cellknown as the Beatlesare among the thousands captured and held in Kurdish-controlled areas following their defeat in Syria. None of the returnees have been prosecuted, supposedly because police and prosecutors had been unable to build a case for prosecution against most of them. One must ask if this is because they, like the Libyan fighters, might prove to be useful elsewhere in another proxy war? It also raises the question as to why Javid has sought to prevent Begum from returning to Britain. If the authorities have evidence of wrongdoing, why dont they bring her back and prosecute her? Do they fear what she might reveal? At the very least, Javid is using the opportunity to whip up a ferocious media storm, stirring up a poisonous atmosphere of xenophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment. On Wednesday, it emerged that management at a shooting range, Ultimate Airsoft Range, on The Wirral, Merseyside, had authorized the use of photos of Begum for target practice in what can only be described as incitement to a hate crime. The attack on Begum and her familys democratic rights must be opposed. They are part of the government and state machinerys ongoing efforts to eviscerate the entire framework of legal and democratic rights fought for in the course of hundreds of years. Ultimately, the target is not the reactionary Islamist network, but opposition from the working class to the governments policies of austerity, militarism and war. The danger of all-out war in Asia continued to rise yesterday, after the Indian air force bombed targets deep inside Pakistan on Tuesday. Yesterday, as fighting mounted, Pakistan announced that it had carried out a strike in India. Amid heavy shelling across the Line of Control (LoC) between Pakistani- and Indian-administered Kashmir, the two countries air forces clashed and lost several fighter jets. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry released a statement claiming that its jets had struck nonmilitary targets in India from within Pakistani airspace. It added that the strike was not a retaliation for the Indian strike, though Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has pledged that Pakistan will retaliate, and that Pakistan is fully prepared for further escalation. Pakistans military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor claimed two Indian MiG-21 fighters crossed into Pakistani territory and were shot down, and that the two pilots were captured. One airman was identified as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, and Pakistani authorities released a picture of him in detention. Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar claimed India shot down one F-16 jet belonging to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), after Pakistan targeted military installations on the Indian side of Kashmir with airstrikes. In a sign that they expect the conflict to continue to escalate, both countries announced the closure of airspace and the suspension of commercial flights. Pakistan reportedly closed its airspace altogether and indefinitely closed three airports in cities near the Indian border. All flights from major airports, including Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore are suspended indefinitely. India has suspended flights from airports in Kashmir and the state of Punjab until further notice. Washington, which has sought for over a decade to develop India as a diplomatic and military ally against China, is pouring fuel on the fire, tacitly backing the Indian attack. This poses immense dangers to humanity. Should fighting continue to escalate to a nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan, hundreds of millions would die, and such a conflict could easily draw the two countries main allies, the United States and China, into a global conflagration. Yesterday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement legitimizing the Tuesday bombing, which was a clear violation of international law. Pompeo did not criticize the Indian attack. Instead, he said he had spoken to Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj following Indian counter-terrorism actions on February 26, to emphasize our close security partnership and shared goal of maintaining peace and security in the region. With Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, on the other hand, Pompeo underscored the priority of de-escalating current tensions by avoiding military action, and the urgency of Pakistan taking meaningful action against terrorist groups operating on its soil. While all the governments make empty statements opposing escalation, Washington, New Delhi and Islamabad are ratcheting up the conflict. Pompeo said he had told both Ministers that we encourage India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, and avoid escalation at any cost. In Wuzhen, China, where she was meeting with Chinese and Russian officials, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said India wants to avoid further escalation of the situation. Nonetheless, Beijing and Moscow bowed to Indian officials demands and endorsed moves to eradicate the breeding grounds of terrorismthe pretext New Delhi gave for bombing Pakistan, after blaming Pakistan for a deadly February 14 bombing of Indian forces at Pulwama, in Kashmir. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said: Chinas position is clear. We hope the two countries can exercise restraint, engage in dialogue and take action to ensure peace and stability in the region. The most direct warning came from the Pakistani prime minister, who addressed the nation warning of the danger of miscalculation and of world war. He declared, All wars are miscalculated, and no one knows where they lead to. And World War I was supposed to end in weeks, it took six years [sic] The US never expected the war on terrorism to last 17 years. Alluding to the nuclear weapons held by the armed forces of both countries, Khan said: If this escalates, things will no longer be in my control or in Modis. Nonetheless, the US and Indian governments and Khan himself continue to escalate the fighting, even as they make veiled references to the danger of nuclear war. The immense danger in this situation is that working people in Asia, in the United States and around the world are not fully aware of the imminent danger of a nuclear holocaust provoked by the policies of American imperialism and the bourgeoisies of South Asia. The decades-long war drive by US imperialism to dominate Eurasia, now targeting China, is coming together with the historic bankruptcy of the capitalist classes of the Indian subcontinent. India is spiraling towards a catastrophic war with Pakistan rooted in the 1947 communal partition of the Indian sub-continent by British colonialism, with the connivance of the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League, between Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. Partition served to drown revolution against British colonialism in blood, divide workers along national lines and defend capitalist rule. Over 70 years later, these conflicts, which three times exploded into Indo-Pakistani wars costing millions of lives, threaten to unleash a world war. Both the Indian and the Pakistani regimes are deeply unpopular among workers and the rural poor and, particularly in the run-up to the AprilMay 2019 Indian general elections, they are stoking war hysteria to press the population to rally behind them in war. After the Pakistani strikes Wednesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held an emergency meeting with top security officials. There were no reports on the contents of their discussions. According to PTI, Modi had been up all night Tuesday monitoring the Indian Air Force operation to attack an alleged terrorist camp at Balalkot, and relaxed after the bombing raid was over. Then he was busy with the next days schedule, meeting with defence officials and ministers to plan the next moves. Modis ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its Hindu extremist allies have organised rallies across the country since the attack Tuesday on Pakistan. They are no doubt encouraged by US National Security Advisor John Boltons statement after the Pulwama attack that Washington recognizes Indias right to self defence against cross-border terrorism. War fever is also spreading in Pakistan, as well. Pakistans Dawn newspaper reported yesterday that after the downing of Indian fighters, a mood of belligerent triumph spread across Pakistani news stations and online. The enormous war danger vindicates the perspective of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) advanced in its statement, Socialism and the Fight Against War. The only way out is developing an international socialist movement of the working class against war and building the ICFI across South Asia and the world. The political establishments of both India and Pakistan are all entirely implicated in this conflict. While Pakistans political parties are rallying around Khan and the army, a group of 21 opposition parties in India including two Stalinist parties issued a statement supporting the war drive. In a statement yesterday hailing the armys valour and bravery, they regretted that Modi had not called an all-party meeting as per established practice in our democracy. They complained of Modis politicisation of the war and asked Modi to include them as he whips up war fever. They condemned Pakistani misadventure and expressed deep concerns for the safety of our missing pilot, asking the government to take the nation into confidence on all measures to protect Indias sovereignty, unity and integrity. The only way forward for workers is a break from all factions of the capitalist ruling elites and, rallying support from workers around the world, develop their independent political struggle for a Union of Socialist Republics of South Asia at the head of the toiling masses. Only the ICFI fights for this program, and it urges workers and youth to turn to this struggle and fight to build sections of the ICFI in India, Pakistan and around the world. In the lead up to rallies demanding freedom for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, on March 3 in Sydney and March 10 in Melbourne, Socialist Equality Party campaigners have won widespread support from workers, students, retirees and other defenders of democratic rights. They represent a broad cross-section of the population that rightly views Assange as a heroic figure, who is being persecuted for exposing the war crimes, illegal diplomatic intrigues and mass surveillance operations of the most powerful governments in the world. Their sentiments stand in stark contrast to the positions of the Australian Liberal-National Coalition government and the entire political establishment. Questioned at Senate estimates hearing last week, senior representatives of the Coalition reiterated their refusal to take any action to secure Assanges release from Britain, and safe passage to Australia, with a guarantee against extradition to the US. Ciao Ciao, a 32-year-old chef originally from Brazil, told SEP campaigners in Melbourne: Ive been following WikiLeaks for years, especially since they released the [Collateral Murder] video of the US troops in the chopper in Iraq shooting innocent civilians. Ever since Ive been following Julian Assange. His work is affecting how politics is done around the world. Ciao spoke about the WikiLeaks publication of leaked US diplomatic cables detailing imperialist intrigue in his country of origin: In Brazil, Julian exposed two senators who at the time were acting as informants for the US government. So, whatever the Brazilian government was doing back then, they told the US government what they were doing, and how they were doing it. WikiLeaks showed how attached Brazilian politics is to the US. Asked why he thought Assange had been targeted, Ciao replied: Politics! For exposing the politicians and the corruption and the dirty games that are played with politics throughout the world. Thats the main reason hes been pursued in this way. Its sad that the Australian government doesnt do anything about him or his situation. Hes trying to contribute to society in general. He has been contributing way more than any politician. I think its a good call to hold the rally. First of all, to show what people think about him, the majority of people. Because what he did wasnt anything to hurt us, the people, it only hurt the politicians. Julian did something to help us. Thats why the rally is important. People should learn more about him, hes a very important person in our history. Sue, a housing worker who assists homeless people in Melbourne, said, Its about freedom of speech. Assange should be able to say whatever he wants to say. He and WikiLeaks need to be able to keep providing vital information to the people. The fact that hes effectively locked up is an outrageous human rights violation. The Australian government havent assisted him. Theyre dominated by the hard-right. People like the government minister Peter Dutton just want to go around locking people up and coming down hard on people for saying something that goes against their agenda. The world needs to stop worrying about security so much and start worrying about the environment, so well all have jobs and water to drink. Kathryn Kathryn, an IT worker at a mining firm in New South Wales, commented: I support the rally being held by the SEP. Julian Assange needs to be set free. Something should have been done much sooner. More people need to be made aware of his plight. The media has been silent so as to prevent working people from being conscious of what is happening to him. WikiLeaks played a key role in sparking the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions in 2011. It showed people what the ruling class was doing all around the world. When you see it in that context, it makes sense why governments and the media corporations dont want to make young people aware of it. Jeff, an electrical engineer, stated: I applaud the intent of Melburnians wishing to free Julian Assange, who I deem to be Australian of the year, every year since his arrest, for the courage of his voice and conviction. Julian Assange has to be freed. If theres no freedom for him, dont tell me about freedoms in any context. Julian Assange is the sound voice of protection for everybodys rights. If his rights arent protected, then no ones are. Show me any editor of a newspaper organisation or a TV reporter with a microphone in his hand. He cannot hold that position if he speaks truth. There is control over the media. Tanvir Tanvir, 24-year-old IT student in Sydney, commented: Assange was doing the right thing and because of that, governments are conspiring against him. We should all be supporting him and defending freedom of speech, but the Australian government is doing nothing about it. Its not just about defending Julian Assange. Its about fighting for the future. The attacks on Assange mean that if we speak out then we will be treated the same way. There are such close ties between the Australian and US governments. They are always conspiring for war. There will be more wars coming. We want to stop war because we have seen what damage it brings. We are being blinded from the truth and I think the government should be honest with the people. Im going on March 3 and I think everyone should come because we need to take action to free Assange and end war. Leon Leon, who is originally from Russia, is studying for a Bachelor of Medical Science at the University of Newcastle. Its disgusting what they have done to Assange, he said. WikiLeaks is a really important news source and alternative, where ordinary people can get the actual facts and find out what is going on. He is being silenced. It is not democratic at all. Edward Snowden released information that the American government was virtually spying on everyone. They are doing that because they need to control people. Knowledge is power and they are scared of that. They are going after Assange because he was telling people what governments didnt want them to know. The government and the media are in the hands of big business who make all the major decisions. Byron Byron, a first year Bachelor of Communications student at the University of Newcastle, said: What Julian Assange did was reveal to the public around the world the corruption and war crimes of governments, especially the US government. That information needs to be shared, but the governments dont want that because it poses a threat to their rule. The internet should not be censored in any way. It should be a free public tool for information and should not be controlled by any corporation or any government. Workers and young people need to attend this rally to show the corporations, governments and the world that they support freedom of the internet and freedom for Assange. Sam, a first year Social Science student at the University of Newcastle, noted: When Julian Assange was first forced into the Ecuadorian Embassy, I was only ten or eleven years old. I knew nothing of what Assange did. Sam As Ive grown up, Ive become more aware of why theres been such a witch-hunt against him, from Sweden to the United States. His website and his work expose the endemic corruption of the capitalist economy we live under and the interests of governments, which have colluded with the US to cover up war crimes in the Middle East, illegal offshore accounts and exploitation. It speaks to the situation in Australia where we have these political organisations like Labor, the Greens and the unions, who claim to be looking out for the working class, but as soon as that runs contrary to the interests of the dominating powers, like the US, they say nothing. Assange has been thrown to the wolves by these organisations. Theres been little-to-no media coverage about Assange recently, and the media coverage there has been, has been negative. People need to demonstrate against this and attend the SEPs rally to free Julian Assange. The authors also recommend: Rally to demand the Australian government acts to free Julian Assange! Sydney Martin Place Amphitheatre, March 3! Melbourne State Library, March 10! Rescuers said they could hear the voices of some of those trapped in makeshift mining shafts in a muddy hillside in the Bolaang Mongondow area of North Sulawesi province and believed many were still alive. "We are able to detect that many of them are still alive because we can hear their voices, as there are some places where air is getting in and out and there are gaps in the mud," Abdul Muin Paputungan of Indonesia's disaster agency told Reuters by phone. At least three bodies had been found and 15 people rescued by 8 a.m on February 27 (0100 GMT) after the mine collapsed the previous evening, according to the disaster mitigation agency and media reports. The Indonesian government has banned such small-scale gold mining, although regional authorities often turn a blind eye to the practice in more remote areas. With little regulation, the mines are prone to accidents. Search-and-rescue teams and military officers were working together but using simple tools such as spades and rope because conditions remained dangerous, with the land still prone to shifting and sliding, Paputungan said. He said the families of victims had started gathering at the mine site to wait for news. Photos released by the agency showed rescue workers and villagers on a muddy hillside scrambling to pull out survivors and carry them away on stretchers during the night. Disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said dozens of people were mining for gold when beams and support boards broke suddenly. "Evacuation efforts continued through the night because of the number of people estimated to be buried," he said. Dozens of maquiladora plants that agreed to the 20-32a 20 percent raise and a bonus of 32,000 pesos (US$1,700)demanded by workers in Matamoros, Mexico, are escalating their reprisals against the historic wave of strikes that began in the city on January 12. This has included thousands of firings. Rosalinda, a worker at Kearfott who has made public appeals for support from the international working class through the World Socialist Web Site, reported that she was fired this weekend along with 30 of the most militant workers. We are still organizing to help those on strike and to keep battling those union leaders that have supported the companies, allowing them to step on the agreement, she said, referring to a no-reprisal clause. Since the salary increased significantly, they dont want to pay that. Moreover, they have ended the 40-hour week to continue with 48 hours for all fellow workers, she added. An Inteva worker told the WSWS that, after agreeing to the 20-32, the company carried out a series of layoffs as maquiladoras attempt to fire everyone, pay full severance, and force those who want to continue working to agree to 176 weekly pesos and not the [post-raise] 211 pesos. Some will change their business name to bring down salaries again. Of course, theyll do this with the help of the trade union. The largest business umbrella organization in Mexico, the Business Coordinating Council (CCE) threatened up to 50,000 layoffs in Matamoros in response to the invitations to carry out work stoppages in other cities. Meanwhile, the maquiladora owners association, Index, which includes companies that produce 68 percent of Mexican exports, continue to appeal for the intervention of the administration of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (also known as AMLO) of the ruling Movement for National Regeneration (MORENA) party and the union bureaucracy to stop the greater independent initiative by and militancy of rank-and-file workers across the country. In the same state of Tamaulipas, about 200 metalworkers struck at a yard in the town of Altamira owned by the Spain-headquartered Dragados Offshore. Amid demands of up to 100 percent wage increases, this was followed Tuesday by a strike of 2,000 workers of the same company in a yard in the state of Veracruz about 20 miles south and, on Wednesday, by a blockade of the gates in Altamira, turning it into a total strike among the 2,900 workers. The trade union, which belongs to the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM), has feigned support for the actions while working to negotiate down the demands. Today, after rejecting a 1 percent raise proposal and demanding 12 percent instead, workers at the Autonomous University of Mexico City (UACM) plan to join a wave of strikes across public universities that began 28 days ago with demands for a 20 percent raise at the Autonomous Metropolitan University. Workers there were inspired by the Matamoros rebellion. The Universities of Oaxaca, Coahuila and Chapingo are also on strike. Hundreds of elementary and high-school teachers have also been on strike since January in the southern states of Oaxaca and Michoacan demanding unpaid allowances. For several weeks, they blocked crucial railways that severely affected trade through the largest Mexican seaport at Lazaro Cardenas. About 1,000 striking teachers demonstrated in front of the Public Education Secretariat in Mexico City on Wednesday. On Monday about 400 workers at three plants in MatamorosSigosa steelworks, Seyco Joits and Sistemas Estructurales y de Construccion struck demanding the 20-32. The associated local union, led by Javier Zuniga Garcia, has claimed to support the wildcat strikes while arguing that workers in these plants already make more than others in the city. After partial stoppages since January 29, the 700 Coca-Cola workers in Matamoros at one of the largest bottling plants in Latin America have been on a full-fledged strike for two weeks in defiance of court rulings branding their action illegal. Since Tuesday, about 500 workers at the Spring Window Fashions maquiladora in Ciudad Victoria, 200 miles southwest of Matamoros, have been striking, demanding to leave the trade union since it rejected their demands for a 16 percent raise. Claiming to be independent but belonging to the same right-wing CTM, the Industrial Maquiladora Union led by Maria Dolores Zuniga convinced workers to transfer to her union. Zuniga canceled a planned strike earlier this month among 6,000 workers, agreeing to a 16 percent raise compared to the 30 percent demanded by workers. In response, one of these companies, Kemet, announced this week that it would eliminate two of its four shifts and fire 700 workers, with Zuniga discarding any fight and simply advocating workers demand full severance pay. After workers at Walmart in Matamoros and many other cities were planning to join the wave of wildcat strikes to demand the 20-32, the Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants (CROC), affiliated with the right-wing Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), quickly mobilized to enroll workers and take over negotiations to prevent the wildcat strikes. Instead, the CROC issued a strike announcement for March 20 involving about 90,000 of the 200,000 workers at Mexicos biggest retailer. A Walmart spokeswoman told Reuters on Monday after speaking to the union that the dialogue was positive. In Matamoros, 15 auto parts suppliers are still on strike. The Mexican Association of the Auto Industry (AMIA) noted to El Financiero on Monday that 80 percent of parts produced in the city go to the US and Canada, seriously crippling production at major plants there, and that within Mexico the strike has shut down production at three assembly plants and seven others have been affected. The president of the Mexican Association of Cars Distributors (AMDA) summed up to the financial daily that companies in Matamoros have two options: appeal for police intervention or leave the city. There is a sentiment of a lack of rule of law given how this situation was triggered and there is fear that the same could happen in other border cities like Ciudad Juarez, he added. On Tuesday, the president of the Mexican Confederation of Industrial Chambers (CONCAMIN), Francisco Cervantes Diaz, said they are working closely with the AMLO administration and MORENA senator and union leader, Napoleon Gomez Urrutia, to address the wave of illegal strikes. The problem could extend to the Bajio region and the south of the country, he warned. Facing the growing challenge from below and the deepening of the crisis of global capitalism, the Mexican ruling class and its US imperialist bosses will act with increasing ruthlessness. As Lopez Obrador accelerates the creation of a new National Guard for domestic military operations, the Central Bank and Goldman Sachs dramatically cut down their 2019 growth forecasts for Mexico this weekwith the latter warning of idiosyncratic factors like strikes. Meanwhile, the trade-union bureaucracy is working everywhere to co-opt, isolate and shut down each rank-and-file struggle, while strengthening its corrupt and corporatist collaboration with management and the state. On the other hand, workers across North America and globally are going on the offensive after decades of a one-sided war by major corporations against their living standards. This year has seen 71,000 teachers from several states participate in a wave of strikes, while almost 2,000 workers at the Wabtec locomotive plant in Pennsylvania initiated Tuesday the first major strike in the manufacturing sector in three years, according to the Huffington Post. Resistance is also growing against General Motors plant closures in the US and Canada and mass layoffs by the largest automakers partly being used extort concessions out of the 140,000 US autoworkers facing contract negotiations later this year. Workers entering the class struggle need to break decisively from the nationalist and pro-capitalist trade unions and parties to coordinate their struggles internationally against the same corporate and financial elite in a political and revolutionary movement for socialism. Teachers, students and other workers expressed their determination to fight on the fifth day of the strike by 3,000 educators in Oakland, California. In conversations with reporters from the World Socialist Web Site, teachers and their supporters also expressed anger over being kept in the dark by the Oakland Education Association (OEA) about the unions backroom negotiations with the school district authorities and state Democrats. Picket line in Oakland Supporters of the WSWS Teacher Newsletter distributed leaflets calling on teachers to join the newly formed Oakland Rank-and-File Strike Committee, to take the conduct of the strike out of the hands of the OEA and fight for the broadest mobilization of teachers and all workers to stop all budget cuts and school closures and fight for a 30 percent pay increase and full funding for public education. Phong, an Oakland native, who has taught in the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) for nearly a decade, told reporters, My job as a teacher pays me just enough to pay the rent, not including my car or bills or anything else, which is insane. I work two other jobs, including teaching classes at UC Davis (University of California-Davis), and work about 60 hours each week. No one should have to do that. The only thing that drives me is I love this environment and this group of students. Phong He continued, Many teachers in Oakland are forced to move into environments that arent safe, because theyre the only places where rent is affordable. And living in those environments, where there is gun violence and poverty, is not sustainable. Referring to the unions demand for a paltry 12 percent raise over the next three years and rejection of any fight against budget cuts and school closures, Phong said, I think that what OEA is advocating for is just not enough. Each year youre increasing by four percent, thats only like an extra $100 each month. To be completely honest, 12 percent is nothing. We should get median pay at least, to incentivize teachers coming back to teach in this environment where its not easy to teach. We need to pay teachers a fair rate, and 12 percent is not a fair rate. Jessie and Rumi Rumi, an art teacher with a homemade costume that said, WE ARE ANGRY, spoke about the teacher retention crisis. Not having enough support as a new teacher makes it very difficult to be here. The limit for an art classroom is 25 students per class but the district never honors it. In my first year I had 36 students in my tiny classroom, alongside getting low pay. I felt overwhelmed, and, it comes with not getting enough support, not enough counselors and all of that. I want to stay here. I love the kids and thats why I am here, but give us what we need! Were just asking for the basic needs for students and teachers. Jessie said, The school district officials prefer to have young and unexperienced teaching staff that isnt able to mobilize. They would like to be able to break strikes and thats why were so susceptible to the charter school movement as well. Out of one side of their mouth the district will say we need more funding and out of the other side of their mouth they will spend that money on charter schools, taking money out of our school district. The WSWS also spoke to Emily, a young teacher in her first year, who said that in her division of the school a teacher in their third year is considered a veteran due to the high turnover. Emily spoke about her studentsonly a few years younger than sheand their view on the strike. They definitely support the strike; the seniors are very knowledgeable about whats going on. But, my freshmen too, are taking the bus across town to meet us for the strike. She continued, My students recognize how the strike is related to other issues, including gentrification in Oakland. They get that there is unfair treatment. Going to school here [Oakland high school] they see the Piedmont schools right around the corner, she said, referring to a wealthy city adjacent to Oakland. Ahmed Ahmed, a Yemeni student at Fremont High School, who has organized high school students to support teachers, said, Teachers deserve way more than they get. California is a wealthy state; theres no such thing as a budget deficit. Last year, they ended up with a $30 million surplus and now they claim there is a budget deficit. We always have money for wars but not for public education. Many teachers expressed enthusiasm for the WSWSs call for a state and nation-wide strike. Cole, a history teacher said, I definitely support a statewide strike and I think we need to march on the capitol next to demand that we have more funding for education in California. Workers at the Wabtec locomotive plant in Erie, Pennsylvania struck Tuesday, the day after new owners unilaterally imposed sweeping concessions on 1,700 workers at the plant. The walkout came after last-minute appeals by the United Electrical (UE) workers union for a temporary extension of the previous contract failed. The new terms include a two-tier wage structure, mandatory overtime, the consolidation of job classifications and the demand that employees use vacation during temporary shutdowns. Workers currently on layoff who are called back to work would be forced to accept wage cuts of up to 38 percent under the two-tier structure, and the company can hire temporary workers to fill up to 20 percent of jobs at the plant. Wabtec, formerly Westinghouse Air Brake Technology, just completed an $11 billion merger deal with General Electric to buy its transportation division as part of moves by GE to divest itself of some $20 billion in assets in order to raise cash to pay down debts. Because of the deal, Wabtec will now be listed in the S&P 500 stock index. The company was required to recognize the United Electrical workers as the bargaining agent at the locomotive plant, but it is not required to abide by terms of the existing labor agreement. The GE deal included Wabtecs purchase of the locomotive engine plant in Grove City, Pennsylvania, employing about 1,000 working under terms of a separate agreement. Engines built in Grove City are used for final assembly in Erie. Wabtec now also owns the former GE Transportation plant in Fort Worth, Texas, which is non-union. This weeks walkout is the first open-ended strike at the facility since 1969-70, when a 14-week company-wide strike against GE won gains, including improved health benefits, sick leave and cost of living. Management has attempted to maintain some operations at the Erie plant, with police escorting strikebreakers across the picket lines. In a statement justifying its actions, Wabtec said that new hires would be paid a competitive wage and that cuts were needed in order to compete in global markets. Workers have responded enthusiastically to the strike, with mass picketing at all the gates. There have been reports of wide community support, with Erie residents stopping by with food and coffee for the strikers. The walkout takes place in the midst of an ongoing series of strikes by teachers who recently walked out in Los Angeles, Denver and West Virginia. A strike by teachers in Oakland, California, is continuing with broad public support. This in turn is part of a growing wave of strikes internationally, including the upheaval of low-paid maquiladora workers in Matamoros, Mexico, which led to a parts shortage and production slowdown at Ford plants in the US and Canada. The strike at Wabtec is one of the largest strikes by industrial workers in the US since the strike by 6,500 oil refinery workers in 2015 and the seven-month lockout in 2015-16 of 2,200 workers at Allegheny Technologies, Inc. Both struggles were betrayed by the United Steelworkers union. Erie is a city that has been devastated by decades of deindustrialization, along with large parts of the Northeastern US. The locomotive plant is one of the few workplaces in the area that still pay what by contemporary standards is a relatively decent wage. About one in four residents in Erie live in poverty. Wabtec is a global corporation with operations in North and South America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia. The company makes a wide range of transportation related products, including locomotives, freight cars, passenger transit vehicles and power generation equipment. Many of the locomotives built at the Erie plant are for export. GE Transportation has been highly profitable, with a reported profit margin of 16.5 percent through the middle of 2018. Locomotive orders are also up sharply. Albert Neupaver, Wabtec executive chairman, received a reported $3.24 million in executive compensation in 2017. According to wallmine.com Neupaver cashed in Wabtec stock worth over $6 million over the last seven years. Wabtec CEO Raymond Betler was the highest paid officer, receiving $3.35 million in 2017. He cashed in $3.8 million in stock options in 2018 alone. Erie locomotive workers face the danger of being isolated and betrayed by the United Electrical workers union. The UE has not sought to link the struggle of workers in Erie with those of other GE workers and industrial workers, including steelworkers and autoworkers. Instead the UE is promoting Democratic politicians such as US Senator Bernie Sanders, who has decided to make the strike an issue in his campaign to become the Democrats presidential nominee. The Vermont senator tweeted Tuesday, Im proud to stand with the locomotive manufacturing workers of @ueunion Local 506 and 618 in their fight against GE/Wabtec to maintain decent wages and working conditions. For all Sanders professions of sympathy for workers, the Democratic Party has presided over a social disaster in Pennsylvania and across the United States. Under the Obama administration social inequality soared to record levels while part-time and temporary work supplanted full-time employment. Erie's Democratic mayor, Joe Schember, a former bank official, has dispatched the police to escort management strikebreakers across worker picket lines. Jerry Dias, president of the Canadian Unifor union, whom the UE touts as an ally, also professed support for the Erie workers. In response to the announcement by General Motors that it is closing its factory in Oshawa, Ontario, Unifor has sought to divert workers anger by targeting Mexican workers, calling for a boycott of Mexican-assembled GM vehicles. At the same time it has moved in quickly to squelch militant protests by GM workers. Unifor did nothing to oppose the recent closures of the GE Transportation factory in Petersborough, Ontario, which had been in operation for 125 years and at one point employed 6,500 workers. The closure followed a series of lawsuits over health and safety conditions. The plant had seen a high level of illness among former employees that, according to a report, were linked to exposure to more than 3,000 toxic chemicals. Wabtec workers should study the experience of Caterpillar workers in Canada. In 2012, Caterpillar locked out workers at its Electro-Motive Diesel locomotive assembly facility in London, Ontario, after they refused to accept a 50 percent wage cut. Management then announced that the plant would be shut down and production shifted to a facility in Muncie, Indiana, where wages were just $12 an hour. The Canadian Auto Workers, which later became Unifor, caved in totally, accepting the closure in exchange for a miserable severance payout. To avoid a similar betrayal, Wabtec workers must fight to link their struggle with the ongoing strikes by teachers and broader sections of the working class, including workers at UPS and Amazon as well as autoworkers, steelworkers and telecom workers. Absolutely no confidence can be placed in the UE, which has conducted no serious preparations for a fight. The World Socialist Web Site advises workers to form a rank-and-file strike committee, independent of the union, to fight to spread the strike to other Wabtec facilities, including Grove City, and block shipments of products or equipment out of the plant. No confidence can be placed in the sugar-coated lies of politicians like Sanders. Workers can win only by relying on their own organization and strength. We urge Wabtec workers interested in learning more about rank-and-file committees to contact the World Socialist Web Site. Michael Cohen, the former attorney for Donald Trump, has testified under oath at the House Oversight Committee that he overheard a phone call between Trump and political consultant Roger Stone on an unspecified date in July 2016. Cohen stated: Mr. Stone told Mr. Trump that he had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange and that Mr. Assange told Mr. Stone that, within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clintons campaign. Mr. Trump responded by stating to the effect of wouldnt that be great. The WSWS has no way of knowing whether Cohen, a convicted perjurer, is lying about over-hearing this phone call. If Roger Stone did make such a statement to Trump, however, then Stone was lying, and he has publicly admitted to the fact. Stone, a self-promoting and dubious figure, sought to bolster his credentials during 2016 by claiming to have inside knowledge of what WikiLeaks was publishing concerning the US presidential election and when it would be released. Most absurdly, he claimed to have had dinner with Julian Assange, who has been effectively imprisoned in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since June 19, 2012. Stone was indicted on January 24 by the investigation headed by special counsel and former FBI director Robert Mueller, for making multiple false statements to HPSCI [House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence] about his interactions regarding Organization 1 [WikiLeaks]. Stone categorically denied before the HPSCI ever having communicated with WikiLeaks or Julian Assange. He admitted that he had been lying when he had publicly claimed to have done so. The months of investigation preceding the indictment involved the forensic examination by Muellers team of the records of all of Stones communications including phone, SMS, online chat, Twitter messaging and every other means. The Mueller indictment did not include a single example of Stone speaking with or communicating directly with WikiLeaks or Julian Assange. Instead, he was indicted on five counts for making false statements about his approaches to radical radio host Randy Credico and right-wing Infowars.com editor Jerome Corsi. Stone had contacted both to try and find out what leaked information WikiLeaks possessed and when it would be publishing it. The information provided to Stone by Credico and Corsi was largely speculative and often inaccurate. Both have denied they were provided anything by WikiLeaks and have stated they relayed information to Stone that had already been publicly revealed and was being widely discussed. Perhaps Roger Stone did, sometime in July, seek to ingratiate himself with Trump by claiming Assange had told him about an impending publication of leaks from the Democratic Party that would have an impact on Hillary Clinton. Julian Assange had publicly revealed, on June 12, 2016, in an interview with British ITVs Peston on Sunday, that WikiLeaks had emails linked to Hillary Clinton and would be publishing them. The Mueller indictment did not mention the one example of when the official WikiLeaks Twitter account did communicate with Stone during the electionon October 13, 2016because it confirms that it had no relationship with either him or the Trump campaign. As the WSWS wrote on January 30, 2019: Stone messaged WikiLeaks to complain that it had publicly stated it had no relations with him. The right-wing operative asserted that he was defending WikiLeaks, so it should therefore stop attacking him. WikiLeaks replied: We appreciate that [the defence]. However, the false claims of association are being used by the democrats to undermine the impact of our publications. Dont go there if you dont want us to correct you. Stone replied two days later: Ha, the more you correct me the more people think you are lying. Your operation leaks like a sieve (see: Stone indictment presents no evidence of links between WikiLeaks and Trump campaign). In other words, the Mueller indictment left out a categorical statement by WikiLeaks that his claims of association were false. WikiLeaks and Assange did not collude with Russia or the Trump campaign. As a media organisation, it published leaks that it had been given, by an unknown whistleblower source, exposing that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) had sought to undermine the campaign of Bernie Sanders in the party primaries to ensure the nomination of Hillary Clinton. Later, WikiLeaks published further leaksemails sent by Clinton campaign manager John Podestathat contained speeches given to corporate audiences by Clinton in which she boasted of her militarist record and pledged to protect the interests of Wall Street and big business. The political responsibility for the victory of Donald Trumpvia the Electoral College, not the popular voterests squarely with the hierarchy of the Democratic Party, including Bernie Sanders. Despite the facts exposed by WikiLeaks, the Democrats nominated Clinton, a despised right-wing warmonger. In doing so, it abandoned the 13 million, mainly younger and working-class people who had voted for Sanders due to his claims to be a socialist and for a political revolution. In disgust, millions of people, particularly in key industrial states, did not vote at all. The motive behind the vilification of WikiLeaks over the DNC and Podesta leaks has three main components. Firstly, it is part of the political civil war over which faction of the American ruling class will control the White House and the levers of state power. Secondly, it is a pathetic attempt by the Democratic Party to explain its defeat in 2016. And finally, by slandering Assange as being a Russian stooge, the defenders of the imperialist establishment are attempting to justify both his persecution and the broader attempt to censor and silence all independent and critical media. All defenders of democratic rights need to reject the attack on WikiLeaks and demand the immediate and unconditional freedom of Julian Assange. The author also recommends: Rally to demand that the Australian government acts to free Julian Assange! Sydney, Martin Place Amphitheatre, 2 p.m., March 3! Melbourne State Library, 1 p.m. March 10! President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, are set to meet next month in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare against a backdrop of deepening economic crisis and rising social discontent in both neighbouring countries. In South Africa, miners in Johannesburg are set to strike for the second time this year beginning today. Independent Online reported Friday that the Minerals Council South Africa was deeply concerned about the potential consequences of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Unions (Amcu) intention to embark on secondary strikes at mining companies next week AMCU will down tools in the platinum and coal sectors in support of its members who have been on strike for three months in the gold sector at Sibanye-Stillwater. Chief executive Roger Baxter said that 15 member-companies had received notices of secondary strike action from Amcu with effect from the night shifts of February 28 and 29, to around March 7, 2019. Sibanye-Stillwater miners are striking over wages and job cuts. The corporations have responded by threatening to fire striking miners. In Zimbabwe, the situation is even more tense, with bread shortages putting a population already facing fuel price hikes, a currency shortage and a drought in a dire situation. The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe has warned that Zimbabwe has just a weeks worth of wheat, forcing a 70 percent price rise in a loaf of bread. The currency shortage has made imports of flour impossible. In the past weeks, tens of thousands of teachers struck to demand better conditions and a wage rise until the teachers unions, working in tandem with the ZANU-PF government, forced them back to the classroom. This came after a major public sector stayaway called by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), which backs the bourgeois opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The strike was met with brutal repression and arrests. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) estimates that 1,100 people were arrested during the ZCTU protest. At least 700 have appeared in court, where they were represented by lawyers from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR). Mnangagwa has responded by denouncing doctors and lawyers as accessories to the January 14 stayaway for the crime of telling strikers that if anyone gets arrested, they should go to a certain place, there are lawyers waiting to defend them. If anyone gets hurt, they should go to a certain place, there are doctors waiting to treat them. He threatened, We are now going after those doctors who were involved in those activities. Those lawyers that were inciting violence, we are now going after them. So those who choose violence, we are prepared. Mnangagwa is preparing massive state repression, involving lethal force, to quell social dissentdescribing strikes and protests as a well-organized plan, engineered by local NGOs well-funded and by the [MDC] opposition. MDC leader Nelson Chamisa spoke to France 24 to deny that he was working with any foreign powers to unseat the ruling governmentamid reports that he is demanding a rotating two-year presidency between himself and Mnangagwa. For his part, former ZANU-PF leader and deposed president Robert Mugabe used his 95th birthday to denounce his former ally Mnangagwa for using the army to kill people. He speaks for a still powerful faction within ZANU-PF and the military, amid reports of renewed popularity due to the crisis that followed the coup that deposed him and placed Mnangagwa in power. Mugabe has even suggested throwing his weight behind Chamisa saying during last years elections, I said I cant vote for those who have caused me to be in this situation ... so there is Chamisa left. Mnangagwas threat against lawyers and doctors came less than a week after he reassigned four of his top generals to diplomatic posts. All four played a key role in the toppling of Mugabe in November 2017Major-General Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe, who was commander of the Presidential Guard, Air Vice-Marshall Shebba Shumbayawonda, Major-General Martin Chedondo and Major-General Douglas Nyikayaramba. Mnangagwa is targeting anyone whose loyalty is suspect, especially those close to Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, the former head of the armed forces who has stronger ties to the military than the former spy chief, Mnangagwa. The recent return of Chiwenga in full health from India guarantees that this factional confrontation will deepen. With Mnangagwa under intense pressure from western imperialism to reorient Zimbabwe away from China and Russia, threatened by his own military power base, a bourgeois constituency that is increasingly fearful of being displaced by international capital and facing the growing resistance of the masses to the eternal assaults on their living standards, working conditions and dignity, further conflict is inevitable. For his part, Ramaphosa began his career as the head of South Africas largest union, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), and was elected African National Congress (ANC) general secretary in 1991, playing a central role in the multiparty negotiations that resulted in an end to legal apartheid white minority rule, while leaving capitalist interests intact. He used his influence as a union leader to promote the ANC, a bourgeois nationalist party, among black workers and was richly rewarded for his services. In the post-apartheid era, he has become one of South Africas wealthiest figures, with a net worth of $675 million. Hated as the Butcher of Marikana for having urged on the police assault that ended the lives of 47 miners striking against Lonmin, Ramaphosa sat on the board of directors as a non-executive director and owned substantial shares in the company. Mnangagwa is also a billionaire, who made much of his money during his time as ZANU-PF finance minister and was described as Zimbabwes richest man in US diplomatic cables made public by WikiLeaks. Known as the Crocodile for his role as an enforcer for Mugabe, he has his hands steeped in blood, playing a prominent role in the Gukurhundi Massacre between 1983 and 1987, which claimed over 20,000 lives. Salivating at the prospect of growing their wealth exponentially, the two presidents are anxious to finally free Zimbabwe of Western sanctions so they can get down to business. According to a report by Bulawayo24, an African Development Bank (AfDB) team will next month visit Zimbabwe for talks with the government over debt clearance systems and possibilities of further private sector loans. This comes after ZANU-PF condemned the extension of existing sanctions against Zimbabwe by the European Union (EU), which stopped short of targeting individuals close to Mnangagwa. Secretary for information and publicity, Simon Khaya Moyo, urged the EU to listen to the calls by the South African Development Community, the African Union and the rest of the world to unconditionally lift the sanctions. Mnangagwa for his part is desperate to prove that Zimbabwe is indeed, Open for Business, having invited his counterpart to the country to prove this to the imperialist powers. Making Mnangagwas intentions to further ingratiate himself to Western imperialism clear, Zim News reports, The party holds the firm position that the evidently genuine engagement and re-engagement efforts being pursued by Zimbabwe under the colossal stewardship of His Excellency the President CDE ED Mnangagwa deserves the support of the international community more particularly the EU and their Western allies. Ramaphosa is seen as a reliable set of hands to help bring about the kind of economic restructuring the imperialist powers are looking for in Zimbabwe, with his visit prompting hope that Mnangagwa is finally willing to break with the system of patronage associated with Mugabe. As EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini recently noted, [T]he key question is to understand whether the old system has been dismantled or it remains in place under a different leadership All decisions on [sanctions] listings including new listings can be swiftly adopted if the situation requires it. We are monitoring the situation very closely and stand ready to adjust our decision. COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) Officials in a Mississippi city say they will seek to rebuild a tornado-damaged school campus that housed an alternative school. Columbus Superintendent Cherie Labat tells local media the district will rebuild the former Hunt High School, which housed the district's alternative school. The campus lost its roof and upstairs classrooms in Saturday's storm. The Columbus Success Academy, as the alternative school is known, has been relocated to Columbus High School. Labat says the district is talking to insurers about paying for repairs Hunt was the city's segregated high school for African-Americans before Columbus schools integrated in 1971. A museum dedicated to the school's history is also regrouping after the tornado. Mississippi officials say flooding and tornadoes have damaged more than 650 buildings and 400 roads and bridges. The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions that year, and was closely linked to other 1848 revolutions in the Habsburg areas. The revolution in the Kingdom of Hungary grew into a war for independence from the Austrian Empire, ruled by the Habsburg monarchy. 9:00 am - Raising the flag of Hungary with military honours at Kossuth Square In commemoration of the Hungarian Revolution and Independence War of 1848-1849, the flag of Hungary will be raised with military honours at Kossuth Square. After hoisting the flag, a procession will head out to the Hungarian National Museum, being the next scene of commemorations. 10:30 am - PM Orban Viktor will deliver his speech at the garden of the National Museum 9:00 am -6:00 pm - Free Family programs in the Buda Castle On the occasion of the National Day, visitors are welcome in the Buda Castle to participate in traditional programs. At events taking place in several locations, children could take part in skill competitions; craftsman workshops and even prepare their own kokardas. 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm Free Family programs in the garden of the National Museum On 15th March 2018 the Parliament building and the Visitor Center are not open for visitors. On 16 March Parliament is open for visitors from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm Due to national holiday, on 16th March 2018 there will be an open day in the House of Parliament. Visitors will have the chance to get a glimpse of the Grand Hall, the Dome Hall and the Holy Crown from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Preliminary registration is not required, the admission is free for all visitors. The approach direction to the Building is from Alkotmany Street. A security check is required prior to entering the House of Parliament. Visitors must not enter the building with large bags, packages or objects capable of causing personal injury, such as pocket knives, knives, gas spray etc. Along of expected great attendance, long queueing up is probable. During the open day from 8 am to 4 pm regular visits led by trained guide are also available. These groups depart from the Visitor Centre. The one thousand years of Hungarian legislation exhibition may be also visited from 9 am to 4 pm. 10:00 am - 3:00 pm: on Andrassy Avenue between Oktogon and Heroes Square, a 1848 metre long national flag is going to be spread out Further info The following museuns are open for visitors on 15 March: Budapest History Museum/Castle Museum Institute of Military History and Museum National Archives House of Hungarians Varkert Bazaar More: marcius15.kormany.hu MTI Photo: Kovacs Tamas As Ferenc Gyurcsanys Democratic Coalition (DK) nominates Mr Gyurcsanys wife as its top candidate for the EP elections, a pro-government commentator points out that her grandfather was a leading figure of the Communist regime, while her partys spokesman takes up her defence. On 888, Laszlo Sentesi-Zoldi warns Klara Dobrev that she has now ceased to be a private citizen and will not get away with the past of her family. You, madame, in your person and your family, are the embodiment of what we, the majority of Hungarians are fighting against, he writes. Mrs Dobrevs grandfather, Antal Apro was a member of the Political Committee of the Communist Party throughout the Kadar era. When asked about him, she told ATV I cant identify with my grandparents. On Hirklikk, journalist Zsolt Greczy MP, who is also the DK spokesman, argues that Klara Dobrevs personal performance makes her worthy of serving as an MEP. She is a successful businesswoman, well versed in the system of EU subsidies, and was chief of staff of the successful Socialist electoral campaign in 2002. What more should she have done? He asks. This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of XpatLoop.com or the publisher. Your opinions are welcome too - for editorial review before possible publication online. Click here to Share Your Story MTI Photo: Ujvari Sandor International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on March 8. It is is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. The day has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911. The day is not country, group or organization specific - and belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. Gloria Steinem, world-renowned feminist, journalist and activist once explained "The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights." Started as a Socialist political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries, primarily Eastern Europe, Russia, and the former Soviet bloc. In some regions, the day lost its political flavor, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother's Day and Valentine's Day. In other regions, however, the original political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner. International Women's Day 2019 Campaign Theme: #BalanceforBetter The future is exciting. Let's build a gender-balanced world. Everyone has a part to play - all the time, everywhere. From grassroots activism to worldwide action, we are entering an exciting period of history where the world expects balance. We notice its absence and celebrate its presence. Balance drives a better working world. Let's all help create a #BalanceforBetter. Call on the masses or call on yourself to help forge a better working world - a more inclusive, gender equal world. Souce: internationalwomensday.com Michael Cohen appeared before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday for the first time since agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors in both the Southern District of New York and the Special Counsels Office investigation. In his opening statement, Cohen revealed stunning new details suggesting President Trump had prior knowledge of Wikileaks intention to release emails hacked from the DNC and the Clinton campaign, about his possible awareness of his sons attempts to get dirt on the Clinton campaign from Russian nationals, about the presidents involvement in hush money payments used to influence the election, and about the presidents lawyers involvement in editing his previous false testimony to Congress. The members of the Oversight Committee, moved by this historic moment and united by the common cause of scrutinizing these jaw-dropping claims and moving to hold the president responsible. Kidding!! Committee Republicans instead sought to undermine Cohens claims by impeaching his character, over and over and over again. Related stories Charlie Kirk Insists He's Not Already Running for President What Mark Meadows Did Was Racist How Republicans, Democrats and Trump Responded to Michael Cohen's Hearing Here, five ways Republicans tried to discredit Cohen. A liar Mr. Cohen, youve claimed to have lied, but youre not a liar, Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA) said. Just to set the record straight, if youve lied, you are a liar by definition. The record, for what its worth the record, at that point, was quite clear on the point. Cohen admitted in his opening statement that he lied to Congress and the American public. But in case there was an ambiguity, Republicans hammered the point home. Cohen, Jim Jordan said, is a guy who is going to prison in two months for lying to Congress. A scorned man who is going to prison for lying to Congress, Rep. Mark Green repeated. Hes going to prison for lying to Congress and hes the star witness to Congress. Story continues Youre a pathological liar, Rep. Paul Gosar charged. You dont know truth from falsehood, Rep. Mark Meadows charged that Cohen fabricated his claims painting Trump as a racist, asking Cohen if he had the remarks on tape. Youve taped everybody else! Meadows said. A convicted felon Mr. Cohen, can you tell me the significance of May 6? Rep. Michael McCloud (R-TX) asked. May 6th, it turns out, is the day Cohen is scheduled to turn himself in to federal authorities to serve his sentence for tax evasion and lying to Congress. Republicans hammered him on the point again and again. Jordan kicked it off, characterizing Cohen as A guy who is going to prison in two months for lying to Congress. He went on to pull out a poster with prosecutors description of Cohen blown-up in extra large font. Heres what the U.S attorney said about Mr. Cohen: While Mr. Cohen enjoyed a privileged life, his desire for ever greater wealth precipitated an extensive course of criminal conduct. Mr. Cohen committed four four distinct federal crimes over a period of several years. He was motivated to do so by personal greed. And he repeatedly repeatedly used his power and influence for deceptive ends. Cohens consciousness of wrongdoing is fleeting, his remorse is minimal, his instinct to blame others is strong. Theres only one thing wrong with that statement. His remorse is nonexistent. He just debated a member of Congress saying, I really didnt do anything wrong with false bank things that Im guilty of, Im going to prison for, Jordan said. Rep. Mark Green joined in: If you read the sentencing report on Mr. Cohen words like deceptive and greedy are scattered throughout that report. It paints a picture of a narcissist, a bully, who cannot tell the truth whether its about the president or about his own personal life. A tool of the Democratic Illuminati In his own opening statement, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) attempted to paint the entire hearing as a sham, orchestrated by a shadowy liberal cabal intent on impeachment. Lanny Davis choreographed the whole darn thing, Jordan declared, exasperated. Lanny Davis! the Clintons best friend, loyalist, operative. Lanny Davis put this all together. Tom Steyer, Jordan intimated, was also involved. They just want to use you, Mr. Cohen, Jordan said. Youre their patsy today. Theyve got to find somebody somewhere to say something so they can try to remove the president from office. Because Tom Steyer told them to. Tom Steyer, Jordan went on to note that Steyer had recently organized town halls in the districts of Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD). Thats true, but it undercuts Jordans point: Steyer is currently running ads and holding town halls in an attempt to strong arm Democrats who he believes to be insufficiently bullish on impeachment, including Nadler and Cummings. If they were already in on the scheme as Jordan is suggesting, such efforts wouldnt be necessary. Remember how all this started, Jordan went on, conspiratorially. The Clinton campaign hired Perkins law firm, who hired Glenn Simpson who hired a foreigner Christopher Steele who put together the fake dossier the FBI used to get a warrant to spy on the Trump campaign. But when that whole scheme failed and the American people said were going to make Donald Trump president, they said weve got to do something else. A man who was and is looking to make a buck Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) drew attention to shady business dealings Cohen engaged in after Trump was elected, offering consulting services to the Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis, the Kazakh bank BTA, and Korea Aerospace Industries. During the hearing itself, Meadows announced he would seek a criminal referral against Cohen for illegal lobbying activity and violations of FARA, the Foreign Agents Registration Act. For her part, Rep. Virginia Foxx wanted to know how Cohen planned to make money now that he could no longer practice as a lawyer. (On the eve of Cohens testimony, an appeals court in Manhattan granted a request to remove Cohens name from the state bars list of attorneys allowed to practice in New York.) The implication was that Cohen would seek to profit from his redemption tour. Can you commit under oath that you will not that you have not and will not pursue a book deal? Foxx asked Cohen. (He said no.) Can you commit under oath that you will not pursue opportunities to provide commentary for a major news network based on your experiences working for the president? she asked. (No, again, he replied.) Can you commit under oath that you will not pursue political office in the state of New York? (No, Cohen answered.) An embittered ex-employee who desperately wanted to work in the White House Cohen, the Republicans insisted, turned on Trump because he wasnt given a job in the White House. (The presidents sons, Don Jr. and Eric Trump, live-tweeting the hearing, vigorously agreed with the characterization.) Heres what I see, Jordan said. I see a guy who worked for 10 years and is here trashing the guy he worked for for 10 years, didnt get a job in the White House, and now, now youre behaving just like everyone else who got fired or didnt get the job they wanted like Andy McCabe, like James Comey same kind of selfish motivation after you dont get the thing you want. Thats what I see here today and I think thats what the American people see. Cohen, for his part, shrugged off the aspersions cast on his character. I just find it interesting, sir, that between yourself and your colleagues that not one question so far since Im here has been asked about President Trump, Cohen responded to Jordan at one point. Thats actually why I thought I was coming today. Not to confess the mistakes that Ive made. Yes, Ive made mistakes and Ill say it now again and Ill pay the ultimate price and I am not here today and the American people dont care about my taxes, they want to know what it is that I know about Mr. Trump and not one question so far has been asked about Mr. Trump. Sign up for Rolling Stones Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A 1-year-old girl is dead after police allege a drunk driver sped into the parking lot of a Texas store and struck a shopping cart in which the childs mother had placed her while loading groceries into a car. The child, identified as Corinna Tovar, was in the baby seat of the cart when a blue Ford Ranger pickup turned into the lot of a Dollar General in San Antonio on Monday afternoon at a fast rate of speed and took a wide turn as it drove in, police spokeswoman Romana Lopez confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE. The collision with the cart caused the child to fly out of the cart, police said. The childs mother and another woman both were injured when, after striking the shopping cart, the pickup then struck a vehicle parked near the mothers car. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Authorities arrested and booked 25-year-old David Fuentes on charges of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault. He was being held on a $50,000 bond on the first charge, and a separate $25,000 bond on the second charge, according to police. The two adult victims, one of whom suffered serious bodily injury, were treated at a hospital where the infant was pronounced dead from her injuries, police said. Neither of the adults were immediately identified. The stores surveillance camera captured the incident, and charges against Fuentes could be upgraded depending on the fate of the adult victims, police Sgt. Ralph Salazar told local ABC affiliate KSAT. It could not be determined if Fuentes had retained an attorney who might speak on his behalf. Whats new on Netflix, you ask? How about a too-fast-for-love, no-holds-barred biopic on Motley Crue, actor Chiwetel Ejiofors directorial debut, Ricky Gervais deciding to tell folks whats really on his mind (uh-oh) and even more Arrested Development? Or how about the scoop on whats going on over at Hulu, like Aidy Bryants breakthrough sadcom on body positivity? Or maybe Amazon Prime is more your jam, in which case youll be happy to hear that a new series based on a 2011 killer-waif movie and a conspiracy thriller starring Kate Beckinsale is heading your way. Heres what youll be streaming over the next month. (Our network and cable-TV recommendations can be found here.) Related stories 'Arrested Development': Bluths Try to Find Money in Border Wall, Banana Stand in New Trailer Watch Idris Elba Play DJ-Turned-Nanny in 'Turn Up Charlie' Trailer Watch Brit Marling's Alternate Reality Mysteries Intensify in 'The OA' Season Two Trailer The Act (Hulu, Mar. 20th) America, your unquenchable thirst for true crime programming has precipitated this anthology series that will focus on one high-profile case per season. (Wait, arent there already shows on networks and basic cable channels that do this as well? Shhh, be quiet now.) First up: The sad tale of Gypsy Blanchard, brought before the courts for killing her own mother, Dee Dee. Maybe her many illnesses may had something to do with this heinous act of violence? (Google munchausen syndrome by proxy.) Joey King portrays the young defendant opposite Patricia Arquette as mommy dearest. Should be a properly salacious, shocking and scandalizing account. After Life (Netflix, Mar. 8th) The latest series from professional button-pusher Ricky Gervais imagines a man with no regard for the people around him, who says and does whatever he pleases irrespective of who it might offend. (So, its the closest thing well get from him to an autobiopic.) As Tony, he has it all made until his wifes sudden death from cancer completely undoes him, flushing all the joy out of his life. He goes Howard Beale and decides hes not going to take it anymore, relaying every last impolite thought that passes through his head in an effort to feel something, anything again. But what starts as a bleak existential anti-comedy softens into something more hopeful as Tony learns that life may be worth living after all. Story continues Arrested Development, Season 5B (Netflix, Mar. 15th) Yes, the lauded meta-sitcom returns for the second part of its latest season; yes, we understand if, due to bad press, behind-the-scenes drama and that still-cringeworthy group interview, the bloom is off the Bluth rose a bit. This back half finds Buster going on trial for murder [cue dramatic musical flourish], the family faces a few hiccups regarding their plan to build a border wall [cue extremely topical reference] and per a press release, the gay mafia somehow plays a part [cue headscratching and general confusion]. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Netflix, Mar. 1st) For his directorial debut, actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) adapts William Kamkwambas memoir of his extraordinary boyhood in the impoverished nation of Malawi. His village teeters on the brink of collapse due to an unforgiving drought. Our hero (Maxwell Simba) has designed blueprints for a crude water pump that could bring life back to their land; a scheming government representative, however, has plans of his own. Ejiofor does double duty as the lads stern father. Prep for uplift. Catastrophe, Season 4 (Amazon, Mar. 15th) The chemistry between stars Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney remains this comedys north star, though the times, they are a-changing for our screen couple. For example: Rob is back in Alcoholics Anonymous and intends on doing it right this time; and Sharons now has cholesterol issues to deal with, facing a diagnosis of her body as being filled with meatballs and margarine. But this is still the same ol Catastrophe thats turned the British show into a bona fide hit on both sides of the pond. If a guy cant make a lighthearted joke about the arrival of children signaling the end of your life and then try to have sex with his wife while wearing a neckbrace, whats the point of anything, really? The Dirt (Netflix, Mar. 22nd) Never mind Bohemian Rhapsody; what you want nay, need is the retelling of Motley Crues debauchery-filled rise and fall. The tell-all book on which this film is based remains one of the most staggeringly hedonistic chronicles of the era, a time when men drank and snorted and shagged until they could no longer move. Daniel Webber, Iwan Rheon, Douglas Booth and none other than Machine Gun Kelly embraced the powers of hairspray to play the arena-filling hellraisers, Armed with kickin lixx and skin-tight leopard-print spandex. Devils, you will be shouted at. Hanna (Amazon, Mar. 29th) Remember Joe Wrights 2011 film Hanna? It cast a young Saoirse Ronan as a junior assassin trekking across the wilds of Finland. This series-length adaptation doesnt mess with a good thing, recasting the central role (up-and-comer Esme Creed-Miles) without altering much of the premise beyond the setting. In America, Hanna and her extreme survivalist father (Joel Kinnaman) must evade capture by an off-the-books CIA agent (Mireille Enos so yes, its an unofficial Killing reunion) who may not have their best interests at heart. No soundtrack from the Chemical Brothers this time around, but Amazon has apparently spared no expense on the relentless, bone-crunching action scenes. Juanita (Netflix, Mar. 8th) Alfre Woodard is a woman fed up with her irresponsible grown children, her thankless hospital job and the sorry excuses for men in her life. So of course she plots a getaway to get her groove back, though this particular round of Eat Pray Love roleplay brings her to less-than-exotic Butte, Montana and employed at a local diner. Anyone whos felt trapped in their own life, whos had to accept less than they felt they deserved, whos made do with fantasizing about Blair Underwood instead of actually dating boy, do we have a show for you. Shrill (Hulu, Mar. 15th) Aidy Bryant leads the charge in this adaptation of Lindy Wests memoir about a woman going nowhere in therapy, in her relationship with a douchebag, in her job under a condescending editor with zero potential for advancement. Luckily, shes about to go on an odyssey of self-acceptance and empowerment. Hey, judgemental world! [Extends middle finger]. Bryant has been a key utility player on SNL for years now, but this could be the show that makes her a star. The Widow (Amazon, Mar. 1st) A plane crashes in the Congo. While the authorities presume everyone has perished, theres one body they cant account for. It belongs to the husband of Georgia Wells (Kate Beckinsale), who becomes consumed by a single-minded obsession with uncovering the full story of what happened. Because, well, its starting to look like rumors of her husbands death have been greatly exaggerated. And also, that crashing in the Congo was no coincidence. Oh, and that the plane didnt go down due to engine failure. We smell a conspiracy thriller! Sign up for Rolling Stones Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. On CNN Tonight, Don Lemon called out Republican congressman Mark Meadows of North Carolina for bringing a black Trump administration official, Lynne Patton, to the Michael Cohen hearing before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday as an example of why Donald Trumps not racist. During the hearing, Cohen gave multiple instances of racism on the part of Trump, saying hes much worse in private. But Meadows argued that the presence of Patton proved otherwise, and Lemon took issue with Meadows using Patton as a prop. He brought a special guest, Lynne Patton, who is a Trump administration official, as if she were a live prop, trotting her out in an attempt to prove that this president couldnt possibly be racist. Lemon said, later adding, What hes essentially saying is this president cant be racist because hes hired this black woman? Thats not how racism works. Instead of just giving his point of view, Lemon had hoped to have Meadows on to talk about it, but he chose to go somewhere a little more friendly. And by the way, in fairness, in truth, we asked Mark Meadows to come on. I wanted to hear from him himself to explain, to have a thoughtful conversation, Lemon said, but he went on Fox News with Sean Hannity tonight. And I think I could have had a really good conversation about this with him. Id still like to have that conversation. The hearing got heated when Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., said that Meadows bringing Patton to prove Trump isnt racist was itself racist. Meadows, who can be seen in a 2012 speech talking about sending then-President Obama back to Kenya or wherever, took offense, thinking that he himself was being called a racist. Tlaib later clarified that she was not calling him racist, just the act, and Lemon made the distinction. So you did a racist act. Or you made a racist statement. Does that make you entirely a racist? No, Lemon said. But the act of what you did can actually be racist and shortsighted. Story continues CNN Tonight airs weeknights at 10 p.m. on CNN. Watch Trumps latest sexual misconduct accuser tearfully recount the alleged incident: Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. When it comes to moderating content, Mark Zuckerberg probably gets the sense that Facebook is damned if it does and damned if it doesnt.The social network has been ridiculed in the past for not doing enough to police its platform which, despite a scandal-filled 2018, still closed the year with 2.3 billion monthly users.Now, Facebook is once again being skewered by its critics despite hiring thousands of content moderators in recent years after The Verge published a harrowing look at what its like to spend all day scanning the worst Facebook has to offer: racism; violence; beastiality; self-harm; murder.For the 1,000 moderators at Cognizant, a Phoenix-based vendor used by Facebook, its all part of the job. And unsurprisingly, it inflicts a significant mental toll on its workers. Some current and former employees told The Verge they drink on the job or smoke weed to numb their emotions. Others said theyd developed PTSD-like symptoms. One former moderator, scared that angry ex-colleagues may return to the office, said he brought a gun to work each day.Also Read: Facebook's Top-Secret Content Moderators Smoke Marijuana to 'Numb Their Emotions,' Report SaysWhile this was met with understandable horror by many tech reporters, former Facebook director and current Wired writer Antonio Garcia Martinez argued this is the painful but obvious byproduct of Facebook reluctantly stepping up its moderation.The same [Facebook] critics who call on the company to take on responsibility for moderating content (an operational job they dont want, and had to be pressed to perform), will of course be shocked, shocked at the human cost in reviewing billions of pieces of random content, Martinez tweeted.The same FB critics who call on the company to take on responsibility for moderating content (an operational job they don't want, and had to be pressed to perform), will of course be shocked, shocked at the human cost in reviewing billions of pieces of random content. https://t.co/GSzzA6k2Nt Antonio Garcia Martinez (@antoniogm) February 25, 2019Martinezs reaction raised a valid point: What do we even expect Facebook to do?Social media companies like Facebook are between a rock and a hard place, tech ethicist David Ryan Polgar told TheWrap. If theyre more proactive and remove content, the other side says, How dare you? Youre not the government. But then if theyre more libertarian and say its a marketplace of ideas, then theyre not handling their social responsibility.Facebook has beefed up its moderation efforts since it was roundly blamed for letting Russian trolls run bogus political ads during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The company also added several thousand moderators in 2017 in reaction to several videos depicting both murder and teens taking their own lives. Other social platforms like Twitter have followed suit in the last two years. Currently, Facebook employs about 15,000 reviewers around the world.Also Read: Facebook Shuts Down Data-Collection App OnavoIn a wide-ranging discussion with Harvard professor Jonathan Zittrain earlier this month, Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg touched on the difficulty of moderating billions of posts each day. Zuckerberg said the company wants to make sure borderline content, or content that approaches violating its rules, doesnt become the most shared content on Facebook. At the same time, he acknowledged that the company doesnt want to be in the business of determining what is and isnt true.I believe very strongly that people do not want Facebook and that we should not be the arbiters of truth in deciding what is correct for everyone in the society, Zuckerberg told Zittrain. I think people already generally think that we have too much power in deciding what content is good.The challenge Facebook is grappling with, Zuckerberg said, is striking a balance between free expression on the one hand, and safety on the other, where users rightfully have an expectation of us that were going to do everything we can to stop terrorists from recruiting people or people from exploiting children.Like Martinez, Polgar said this was a challenge Zuckerberg only took on to silence the companys critics.Zuckerberg and [Twitter chief] Jack Dorsey, if they could shift away this power, they absolutely would, Polgar said. Think about how much time and PR nightmares theyre stuck in because theyre trying to clean up behavior online.Its a responsibility Facebook is likely stuck with, though, now that its begun moderating in the first place. And if thats the case, there are a few options that can be explored to make this undesirable job a bit more palatable.The first fix, Polgar said, would be to pay its moderators better. As The Verge pointed out, Cognizant reviewers earned less than $29,000 per year or about eight times less than the average Facebook employee makes. If theyre going to sift through disgusting and depressing content all day, he thinks they should at least be paid decently.Also Read: Facebook Acted Like 'Digital Gangsters,' British Parliament SaysAnother option would be to provide more mental health resources for its moderators. A Facebook rep told TheWrap the company was looking to include even more regular and comprehensive focus groups with its vendor employees than it currently does, but didnt elaborate on specific programs itll implement.Still, these changes wouldnt act as a surefire panacea. Humans would still be taking the mental brunt of it. Artificial intelligence could potentially ease this burden, somewhat.A person familiar with Facebooks moderation efforts said the company already depends on AI to target much of the content its trying to eradicate, including posts related to terrorism and pornography. AI also helps to prioritize the most important posts for moderators to review, like content related to self-harm. But a future where human moderators are replaced entirely by AI is unlikely.There will most likely always be a need for humans as part of this process, the Facebook employee said, because of the nuance needed to review posts.This week has shined a light on the bind Facebook finds itself in. To moderate billions of posts each day is a near-impossible task that comes with a substantial human cost. To improve this effort by paying better or hiring more moderators would be pricey. On the other hand, to abandon it would be a PR catastrophe and allow the ugliest content to float around Facebook. Strictly from a business standpoint, this isnt feasible, as some users and advertisers would run away.Zuckerberg made his choice to fight the worst content on Facebook, but the halfhearted attempt has once again provided ammunition for the companys critics the same critics Facebook was looking to satiate by focusing on content moderation in the first place.Read original story Is Facebook Stuck in a No-Win Position When It Comes to Moderating Content? At TheWrap When it comes to moderating content, Mark Zuckerberg probably gets the sense that Facebook is damned if it does and damned if it doesnt. The social network has been ridiculed in the past for not doing enough to police its platform which, despite a scandal-filled 2018, still closed the year with 2.3 billion monthly users. Now, Facebook is once again being skewered by its critics despite hiring thousands of content moderators in recent years after The Verge published a harrowing look at what its like to spend all day scanning the worst Facebook has to offer: racism; violence; beastiality; self-harm; murder. For the 1,000 moderators at Cognizant, a Phoenix-based vendor used by Facebook, its all part of the job. And unsurprisingly, it inflicts a significant mental toll on its workers. Some current and former employees told The Verge they drink on the job or smoke weed to numb their emotions. Others said theyd developed PTSD-like symptoms. One former moderator, scared that angry ex-colleagues may return to the office, said he brought a gun to work each day. Also Read: Facebook's Top-Secret Content Moderators Smoke Marijuana to 'Numb Their Emotions,' Report Says While this was met with understandable horror by many tech reporters, former Facebook director and current Wired writer Antonio Garcia Martinez argued this is the painful but obvious byproduct of Facebook reluctantly stepping up its moderation. The same [Facebook] critics who call on the company to take on responsibility for moderating content (an operational job they dont want, and had to be pressed to perform), will of course be shocked, shocked at the human cost in reviewing billions of pieces of random content, Martinez tweeted. The same FB critics who call on the company to take on responsibility for moderating content (an operational job they don't want, and had to be pressed to perform), will of course be shocked, shocked at the human cost in reviewing billions of pieces of random content. https://t.co/GSzzA6k2Nt Story continues Antonio Garcia Martinez (@antoniogm) February 25, 2019 Martinezs reaction raised a valid point: What do we even expect Facebook to do? Social media companies like Facebook are between a rock and a hard place, tech ethicist David Ryan Polgar told TheWrap. If theyre more proactive and remove content, the other side says, How dare you? Youre not the government. But then if theyre more libertarian and say its a marketplace of ideas, then theyre not handling their social responsibility. Facebook has beefed up its moderation efforts since it was roundly blamed for letting Russian trolls run bogus political ads during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The company also added several thousand moderators in 2017 in reaction to several videos depicting both murder and teens taking their own lives. Other social platforms like Twitter have followed suit in the last two years. Currently, Facebook employs about 15,000 reviewers around the world. Also Read: Facebook Shuts Down Data-Collection App Onavo In a wide-ranging discussion with Harvard professor Jonathan Zittrain earlier this month, Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg touched on the difficulty of moderating billions of posts each day. Zuckerberg said the company wants to make sure borderline content, or content that approaches violating its rules, doesnt become the most shared content on Facebook. At the same time, he acknowledged that the company doesnt want to be in the business of determining what is and isnt true. I believe very strongly that people do not want Facebook and that we should not be the arbiters of truth in deciding what is correct for everyone in the society, Zuckerberg told Zittrain. I think people already generally think that we have too much power in deciding what content is good. The challenge Facebook is grappling with, Zuckerberg said, is striking a balance between free expression on the one hand, and safety on the other, where users rightfully have an expectation of us that were going to do everything we can to stop terrorists from recruiting people or people from exploiting children. Like Martinez, Polgar said this was a challenge Zuckerberg only took on to silence the companys critics. Zuckerberg and [Twitter chief] Jack Dorsey, if they could shift away this power, they absolutely would, Polgar said. Think about how much time and PR nightmares theyre stuck in because theyre trying to clean up behavior online. Its a responsibility Facebook is likely stuck with, though, now that its begun moderating in the first place. And if thats the case, there are a few options that can be explored to make this undesirable job a bit more palatable. The first fix, Polgar said, would be to pay its moderators better. As The Verge pointed out, Cognizant reviewers earned less than $29,000 per year or about eight times less than the average Facebook employee makes. If theyre going to sift through disgusting and depressing content all day, he thinks they should at least be paid decently. Also Read: Facebook Acted Like 'Digital Gangsters,' British Parliament Says Another option would be to provide more mental health resources for its moderators. A Facebook rep told TheWrap the company was looking to include even more regular and comprehensive focus groups with its vendor employees than it currently does, but didnt elaborate on specific programs itll implement. Still, these changes wouldnt act as a surefire panacea. Humans would still be taking the mental brunt of it. Artificial intelligence could potentially ease this burden, somewhat. A person familiar with Facebooks moderation efforts said the company already depends on AI to target much of the content its trying to eradicate, including posts related to terrorism and pornography. AI also helps to prioritize the most important posts for moderators to review, like content related to self-harm. But a future where human moderators are replaced entirely by AI is unlikely. There will most likely always be a need for humans as part of this process, the Facebook employee said, because of the nuance needed to review posts. This week has shined a light on the bind Facebook finds itself in. To moderate billions of posts each day is a near-impossible task that comes with a substantial human cost. To improve this effort by paying better or hiring more moderators would be pricey. On the other hand, to abandon it would be a PR catastrophe and allow the ugliest content to float around Facebook. Strictly from a business standpoint, this isnt feasible, as some users and advertisers would run away. Zuckerberg made his choice to fight the worst content on Facebook, but the halfhearted attempt has once again provided ammunition for the companys critics the same critics Facebook was looking to satiate by focusing on content moderation in the first place. Read original story Is Facebook Stuck in a No-Win Position When It Comes to Moderating Content? At TheWrap Ever since its publication in 1966, Tom Pendeltons novel The Iron Orchard has been embraced as a cult favorite by many movers and shakers in the Texas oil industry and, of course, by many more who thrill to accounts of success and excess in that storied realm largely because of its brutally authentic yet unmistakably sympathetic portrait of a West Texas wildcatter who traverses a dramatic arc of rags to riches to really bad behavior. Not surprisingly, there have been a few previous attempts to adapt the book into a Hollywood-huge movie. (Paul Newman and George Peppard were among the names floated for those unmade epics.) But, appropriately enough for a tale about a maverick oil man in the Lone Star State, it has taken an independent production outfit and Texas-tied filmmakers to finally bring the project to the screen. After a tour of regional festivals, the project opened first in its home state Feb. 22, with plans to gradually expand to other markets. Attractively filmed by DP Mathieu Plainfosse on location in Midland, Odessa, Austin, and several other Texas locations, The Iron Orchard is the sort of labor of love that required the pinching of pennies and the kindness of strangers. Actor-turned-director Ty Roberts, working from a script he co-wrote with Gerry de Leon, reportedly got maximum bang for the limited bucks in his budget with the help of local businesses in communities where period-appropriate hotels, automobiles, and other items were made available, and real-life Texas oilmen made their own generous contributions to the movies production values by lending humongously expensive oil-drilling equipment for use in key scenes. All of which doubtless proved invaluable to filmmakers striving to persuasively enhance a narrative that spans from 1939 to the mid-1950s. The narrative itself, however, is not without its bumpy stretches. The Iron Orchard is satisfyingly involving and entertaining as a whole call it Giant Lite and you wont be far off the mark and the performances are sufficiently compelling to ease a viewer through some abrupt and elliptical transitions. There are times, however, when you may find yourself wishing the producers had chosen to adapt Pendeltons 384-page novel into a limited-run series rather than a 112-minute film. Story continues (It should be noted, by the way, that Tom Pendelton actually is the pen name of the late Edmund Pendleton Van Zandt Jr., son of a prominent Forth Worth family, who used an alias partly because he feared offending the Texas oil industry notables who were customers of his familys bank.) Lane Garrison propels the film with his vibrant performance as Jim McNeeley, a poor but ambitious young man whos firmly rebuffed by the well-to-do family of Mazie (Hassie Harrison), the alluring beauty he loves, and more or less banished to the oil country of West Texas in 1939. McNeeley stubbornly strives and gradually thrives, refusing to be beaten down (literally or figuratively) in the initially hostile environment, and relentlessly pushing himself to rise from a back-breaking job as an oil-field worker to a risk-taking career as a Texas wildcatter. Along the way, he woos and weds the similarly discontent Lee (Ali Cobrin), whos inconveniently married to another man but not for long when they first meet during his hard-scrabble days in West Texas. He also befriends Dent Paxton (Austin Nichols), an improbably sophisticated oilfield veteran who becomes a confidant, business partner and, on more than one occasion, calming influence for the brash McNeeley. Unfortunately, it comes as little surprise when McNeeley ultimately, inevitably, betrays both of his most loyal intimates, as he is driven by past slights and ravenous appetites. Early on, Lees father an effective cameo by Ned Van Zandt, son of the novels author warns her that oil men want respect its like a disease. But thats not enough to fully prepare her when, after they move to a lavish Fort Worth home where her husband can lord it over the folks who dissed him way back when, she discovers him reconnecting with the once-elusive (and currently gold-digging) Mazie. Dent is treated even worse when he attempts to talk McNeeley out of a risky maneuver that might cause collateral damage to a desperate co-conspirator. Indeed, McNeeleys cruel and savagely homophobic response to Dent, a closeted gay man, ignites the most discomforting and dramatically potent scene in all of The Iron Orchard. Whether McNeeley is boldly pitching deals with richer and more established oil men, or clawing away at last best chances to avoid the disgrace of bankruptcy, Garrison strikes the perfect balance of cocksure swagger and not-so-quiet desperation while offering a credible and creditable portrayal of a man forever on the verge of plunging into the abyss because of the same instincts that initially fuel his ascent. He and supporting players Cobrin and Nichols help to make The Iron Orchard an absorbing story, even if you wind up wishing more of that story had been told. Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts! Jussie Smolletts legal defense team has to do three things to save him from conviction: Discredit the main witnesses against him, rebut the police theory that he staged a hoax to get a raise, and explain a $3,500 check. Thats the summation from defense attorneys who spoke with TheWrap and Mark Geragos, one of Smolletts legal advisers, has already signaled that he agrees, at least in part. Police suggested they had an open-and-shut case against Smollett when they charged him last week with filing a false police report. But there are several ways Smollett can try to convince a jury hes been wrongly accused. Also Read: Why Jussie Smollett Probably Won't Get Prison Time Smollett at first told police, on Jan. 29, that two men beat him, put a rope around his neck and covered him in bleach while shouting racist and homophobic slurs and referencing MAGA. Last week, police said Smollett, a star of Foxs Empire, had actually hired brothers Abimbola Abel and Olabinjo Ola Osundairo, to attack him, and then reported it as a crime in order to get a salary increase. Everyone agrees that Smollett had ties to the brothers, both of whom are weightlifters. Ola Osundairo appeared on Empire. ABC News said Smollett wrote Abel Osundairo a check for $3,500. Police say it was to pay for the attack, but the check says it was for training and a nutrition plan. The pair were first arrested and questioned by police as persons of interest. But after 48 hours, police released them without filing charges, saying new evidence had emerged. Police filed charges against Smollett soon after. Geragos raised questions on his Reasonable Doubt podcast about what happened while the brothers were in custody. Did you charge them? Did you give them immunity? Did you do anything with them? he asked. You said they changed their story in the 48th hour why did they change their story? Was it lawyer-driven? A person with knowledge of internal discussions among Smolletts defense team told TheWrap that they believe the brothers made a last-minute deal to avoid charges. Story continues Gloria Schmidt, an attorney for the brothers, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Geragos said police had a stronger case against the brothers than against Smollett. I have not seen anything that supports this idea or the narrative that they put out there that he was in cahoots with anyone. They have a whale of a case against the two guys the two brothers but thats it, he said. Los Angeles-based criminal defense attorney Lou Shapiro, who is not involved in the case, said Smolletts team can argue that any deal casts doubt on the brothers credibility. Clearly some deal was struck, or some promise was made to them to tell the story and maybe it was a coerced confession in some way, Shapiro said. Maybe it wasnt a deal, maybe they just felt so coerced and pressured that they had to tell the story just to get out, right? Thats another angle. Also Read: Chicago PD Superintendent: 'There's a Lot More Evidence' Jussie Smollett Staged Attack (Video) Geragos also took issue with Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnsons argument that Smollett staged the attack because he was dissatisfied with his salary. Not only is that not true, they have video evidence that thats not true, he said. They didnt talk to his lawyer, they didnt talk to anybody at the production company, they didnt talk to an agent. Nobody. Ive done that. I know for a fact thats untrue. Thats categorically untrue. Thats not the motivation, yet that was what was articulated as the motivation. As TheWrap previously reported, Smollett was making around $125,000 per episode on Empire and there had been no salary dispute between the actor and the show. Several people told TheWrap that Smollett had never sought a raise. The theory that staging this would somehow help him get an increase in salary, that doesnt follow logically, right? Shapiro said. Just because somebody is the victim of a hate crime doesnt mean that their boss is gonna go, OK, now were gonna give you that raise you asked for. Only because youre a victim of a hate crime, now were going to give you that raise.' Geragos believes police assigned salary as a motive because it seems so inexplicable that Smollett would stage an attack on himself. They dont need motive for a crime. Its not an element of a crime, he said. But, its inexplicable if theres no motive. Also Read: Fox Removes Jussie Smollett From Final 2 Episodes of 'Empire' Season 5 Following Arrest Another potential play for the defense: Go after Johnson. A person privy to internal discussions among Smolletts legal team said Johnson may have been playing to the cameras to protect his own job, which could be in danger if Toni Preckwinkle wins a runoff to become the next mayor of Chicago. In December, the Chicago Sun Times wrote that Police Supt. Eddie Johnson will be looking for a new job or living off his police pension in the event of a Preckwinkle victory. Preckwinkle told the paper that Johnsons force has a code of silence, and cited what she believes were cover-ups in the police shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Shapiro said there could be several ways for Smollett to explain why he wrote Abel Osundairo the $3,500 check. He has to explain the check, he has to give what they call a plausible factual scenario for why he wrote that check, he said. ABC News posted a copy of a check Monday which is dated Jan. 23 six days before Smollett reported the attack and contains the memo line: 5 week Nutrition/Workout program (Dont Go). A person close to Smollett told ABC News the check was for $600 per week for a workout plan, plus $100 per week for nutritional help. The person said Abel Osundairo was helping Smollett get in better shape for a video for a song called Dont Go. ABC News also published text messages it said were between Smollett and one of the brothers, whom he called Bon, in which the two discussed exercise and meal regimens. Meghan Blanco, another California-based criminal defense attorney not involved in the case, told TheWrap that Smolletts team should seize on the shifting explanations for the check. Its not unusual that he would write a check to personal trainers. So I would focus on that, she said. And the fact that that piece of information was provided to law enforcement early on that it did not fit with law enforcements narrative of what they wanted to have happened so they re-approached the brothers and got them to change their story to fit whatever the law enforcements narrative was. And when they came and told the news and the public about what had transpired, they had neglected to tell anyone that the brothers had initially told them that the check was for personal training. I think thats a huge oversight on their part and I would argue that was intentional. Blanco said the shifting details surrounding the case wouldnt hurt Smollett, because people who are traumatized often make errors under pressure. I expect that in the weeks and months to come, his attorneys are going to be able to piece together the information that was relayed to law enforcement in a way that makes sense and is consistent with their firm belief that the two men attacked him and that Jussie was the victim in this case, she said. Read original story Jussie Smolletts Lawyers Build His Defense Strategy: Heres How it Might Look At TheWrap Did we just figure out the reason A-listers are suddenly revisiting Vintage Thierry Mugler? From Cardi B's 1995 couture oyster look at the 2019 Grammy's followed by Miley Cyrus' plunging black Mugler suit, the legacy French fashion designer has been popping up more than usual in pop cultures latest moments. Case in point: Kim Kardashian's python beaded gown she wore for her latest appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." The 1983 body hugging dress was just the start of her Mugler wardrobe binge. A week later, Kim stepped out for the Hollywood Beauty Awards in New York City wearing one of her most risque looks to date. The dress? A strategically crisscrossed cutout dress from Spring 1998 that redefined the word cleavage. Well, we finally got some answers when the KKW beauty mogul jet set to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts on Monday for the pre-opening of an exhibition honoring the 40 year history of Thierry Mugler. Kim took to her Instagram stories to share two bold vintage looks she wore to the VIP opening. First up was a one-shouldered Grecian gown featuring a bodice of gold armor (think Troy meets Athena). Next, was a white sculpted mini dress with a bust-baring corset styled with conceptual armbands. Origins is a recurring new music feature in which we have musicians share the influences that led to their most recent track. Ben Kweller recently returned with his first new music in five years but his comeback isnt limited to his own work. The Texas rawkers own label, The Noise Company, is also gearing up for some fresh releases, including the debut from their latest signee, Little Dan. Based in Austin, Little Dan reaches back into the 90s for his sound, a blend of alt-radio power-pop and peak emo lyricism. In fact, the artists debut single, Crimson & Clover (We Were So Young), pays direct homage to the music that poured from his stereo way back when, as well as the emotional renaissance of those youthful times. The track shows Little Dans embrace of the young romances barefaced melodrama, the kind that often leads to a torrent of heart-on-your-sleeve statements like, How am I supposed to sleep with you still running through my veins?/ For you, Ive died a thousand times. While he begs to just put on Crimson and Clover and work through his amorous struggles, ringing guitars and punchy halts in the music fill the listener with a sense of raw freedom. True to its nostalgic influences, the song has that freewheeling mix of immaturity and confidence we all felt in our chest back when love was new. Crimson & Clover (We Were So Young) comes to us via a silhouette-filled music video, which you can watch below. Crimson & Clover (We Were So Young) is officially out tomorrow via NoiseCo. Little Dan is also prepping his debut full-length, Lovesick, for release later this year. The effort features production from the Grammy-nominated Chris Frenchie Smith (Fastball, The Front Bottoms). For more on the track, Little Dan has broken down its Origins. Tommy James and the Shondells and Jimmy Eat World: The song is confident but lacks self-assuredness. Its an ode to both the original Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells as well as Jimmy Eat Worlds A Praise Chorus. Story continues Shadows: Little Dan Crimson & Clover (We Were So Young) origins shadows For the video we wanted to create something using stuff that was already laying around in our rehearsal studio some lights, a blanket, our instruments etc. As soon as we landed on the shadow concept, it just started unraveling and the pathway on how to execute this video was crystal clear. Superbad and Paramores Still Into You: A little mix of the opening credits from Superbad meets the lyric video for Still Into You by Paramore. The silly bits are inspired by my dog Miles and our friends. Young Love: Little Dan Crimson & Clover (We Were So Young) origins shadowsLittle Dan Crimson & Clover (We Were So Young) origins shadows sexual undertones romance I went in knowing we couldnt leave out the sexual undertones of the song but I wanted to still keep it fun and innocent. The love interest in the video has other plans and the reveal leaves the main character manically downplaying the whole pursuit of love by chalking it up to just being young and finds release in a hefty dose of rock-n-roll freedom with his homies. Former Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen told Congress on Wednesday that while he hid lots of secrets for his boss, he knew nothing about two videos that could be devastating to the president if they exist.Cohens testimony brought discussion of two never-proven videos the so-called elevator tape and golden showers tape into full public view. But in a win for Trump, Cohen said he did not believe they are real, even as he recited a slew of other accusations against his former boss.Cohen said under questioning from Rep. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat, that he has heard rumors of a tape in which Trump supposedly struck his wife Melania in a Trump Tower elevator, and that the video was sold to an unknown buyer at auction. But he denied it was real.Also Read: Tom Arnold Says He Gave Trump 'Elevator Tape' Details to a 'Real Journalist' (Podcast)Actually Im certain its not true, Cohen said. I dont believe that auction was real and dont believe Mr. Trump ever struck Mrs. Trump, ever.Until now, news outlets have attempted legalistic write-arounds to explain what is said to be on the elevator tape if there is a tape. Heres an example from last July, in The Huffington Post.The rumors vary from journalist to journalist, but the common understanding is that somewhere out there, a tape might exist of Trump doing something in an elevator, though exactly where that somewhere is and what that something might be, no one in media can say. Thats because no one in media seems to have seen the tape or is even confident it exists.Reporters have also sought the so-called Golden Showers tape since former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele referred to it in the so-called Steele Dossier. The document cited an unnamed source who contended that Trump hired prostitutes to urinate on a bed President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama had once slept in at the Moscow Ritz-Carlton.No one has ever proven the tape to be anything but an anti-Trump fantasy. Trump has mocked it, joking that he is too much of a germaphobe to ever be involved in such a thing. But the concept of the tape endures in comedy routines and conspiracy theories.BuzzFeed was first to report on the accusation, which most mainstream news media outlets have avoided because of its total lack of substantiation.That may explain the scant news coverage on Tuesday of the delicate dance performed by Cohen and Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, as they struggled to discuss the possible existence of the video without getting into detail. (A PBS video that includes the exchange, posted above, has fewer than 300 views as of this writing.)Are you aware of anything that the president has done at home or abroad that may have subjected him to or may subject him to extortion or blackmail, Raskin asked.I am not, no, Cohen replied.Are you aware of any videotapes that might be the subject of extortion or blackmail? Raskin asked.Also Read: Michael Cohen to Call Trump a 'Racist,' 'Conman' and 'Cheat' in Congressional TestimonyIve heard about these tapes for a long time. Ive had many people contact me over the years. I have no reason to believe that that tape exists, Cohen said.In June 2018, comedian Tom Arnold posed for a picture with Cohen and told NBC News that Cohen has all the tapes. He was promoting his Viceland show The Hunt for the Trump Tapes, which tracked Arnolds failure to locate any tapes damaging to Trump. Cohen denied at the time that he had spoken to Arnold about anything significant, and said they had run into each other by chance.In a lengthy interview with TheWraps Shoot This Now podcast in November, we pressed Arnold on what he knew about the tapes, and he was unable to prove anything. You can listen to it on Apple or right here, starting around the 10:30 mark:Also Read: Michael Cohen Hired Tech Consultant to Rig Online Drudge, CNBC Polls for Trump (Report)Conservative lawmakers spent most of their question time on Wednesday trying to undermine Cohens credibility. They noted that he faced a prison sentence in part for lying to Congress before.But at least two conservative outlets addressed Cohens denial of one bit of purported dirty laundry.COHEN: I HAVE NO REASON TO BELIEVE TRUMP PEE TAPE EXISTS, said the Daily Caller headline.Michael Cohen: I have no reason to believe Trump golden showers tape exists, read the Examiner headline.Read original story Michael Cohen Denies Existence of Trump Elevator Tape or That Other Tape At TheWrap Former Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen told Congress on Wednesday that while he hid lots of secrets for his boss, he knew nothing about two videos that could be devastating to the president if they exist. Cohens testimony brought discussion of two never-proven videos the so-called elevator tape and golden showers tape into full public view. But in a win for Trump, Cohen said he did not believe they are real, even as he recited a slew of other accusations against his former boss. Cohen said under questioning from Rep. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat, that he has heard rumors of a tape in which Trump supposedly struck his wife Melania in a Trump Tower elevator, and that the video was sold to an unknown buyer at auction. But he denied it was real. Also Read: Tom Arnold Says He Gave Trump 'Elevator Tape' Details to a 'Real Journalist' (Podcast) Actually Im certain its not true, Cohen said. I dont believe that auction was real and dont believe Mr. Trump ever struck Mrs. Trump, ever. Until now, news outlets have attempted legalistic write-arounds to explain what is said to be on the elevator tape if there is a tape. Heres an example from last July, in The Huffington Post. The rumors vary from journalist to journalist, but the common understanding is that somewhere out there, a tape might exist of Trump doing something in an elevator, though exactly where that somewhere is and what that something might be, no one in media can say. Thats because no one in media seems to have seen the tape or is even confident it exists. Reporters have also sought the so-called Golden Showers tape since former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele referred to it in the so-called Steele Dossier. The document cited an unnamed source who contended that Trump hired prostitutes to urinate on a bed President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama had once slept in at the Moscow Ritz-Carlton. Story continues No one has ever proven the tape to be anything but an anti-Trump fantasy. Trump has mocked it, joking that he is too much of a germaphobe to ever be involved in such a thing. But the concept of the tape endures in comedy routines and conspiracy theories. BuzzFeed was first to report on the accusation, which most mainstream news media outlets have avoided because of its total lack of substantiation. That may explain the scant news coverage on Tuesday of the delicate dance performed by Cohen and Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, as they struggled to discuss the possible existence of the video without getting into detail. (A PBS video that includes the exchange, posted above, has fewer than 300 views as of this writing.) Are you aware of anything that the president has done at home or abroad that may have subjected him to or may subject him to extortion or blackmail, Raskin asked. I am not, no, Cohen replied. Are you aware of any videotapes that might be the subject of extortion or blackmail? Raskin asked. Also Read: Michael Cohen to Call Trump a 'Racist,' 'Conman' and 'Cheat' in Congressional Testimony Ive heard about these tapes for a long time. Ive had many people contact me over the years. I have no reason to believe that that tape exists, Cohen said. In June 2018, comedian Tom Arnold posed for a picture with Cohen and told NBC News that Cohen has all the tapes. He was promoting his Viceland show The Hunt for the Trump Tapes, which tracked Arnolds failure to locate any tapes damaging to Trump. Cohen denied at the time that he had spoken to Arnold about anything significant, and said they had run into each other by chance. In a lengthy interview with TheWraps Shoot This Now podcast in November, we pressed Arnold on what he knew about the tapes, and he was unable to prove anything. You can listen to it on Apple or right here, starting around the 10:30 mark: Also Read: Michael Cohen Hired Tech Consultant to Rig Online Drudge, CNBC Polls for Trump (Report) Conservative lawmakers spent most of their question time on Wednesday trying to undermine Cohens credibility. They noted that he faced a prison sentence in part for lying to Congress before. But at least two conservative outlets addressed Cohens denial of one bit of purported dirty laundry. COHEN: I HAVE NO REASON TO BELIEVE TRUMP PEE TAPE EXISTS, said the Daily Caller headline. Michael Cohen: I have no reason to believe Trump golden showers tape exists, read the Examiner headline. Read original story Michael Cohen Denies Existence of Trump Elevator Tape or That Other Tape At TheWrap Original Disney Mouseketeer Dennis Day Has Been Missing for 6 Months: Reports Dennis Day, one of the original Disney Mouseketeers, is missing Dennis Day, one of the original Disney Mouseketeers from the 1950s, has been missing for over six months. Lt. Jeff Price from the Phoenix, Oregon police department confirmed to PEOPLE that Day is currently a missing person. I initiated the case on July 27 of 2018, Price said. As of today, with the help of the Oregon State Police, Jackson County Sheriffs Office, National Missing and Unidentified Person System, and numerous friends and family, the case remains open with no leads as to Denniss whereabouts. Though Day, 76, has been missing from Phoenix since July 15, according to the Mail Tribune, his family didnt find out about until they saw a missing persons report on TV in January, NBC News reports. The July missing persons report was reportedly filed by Days husband, Ernie Caswell, who suffers from age-related memory loss. Ernie was in the hospital at that time, and he realized Dennis hadnt come to visit him in a few weeks, Days sister, Nelda Adkins, told NBC. So he had someone from the hospital call the police and report Dennis as missing. In January, one of Days family members turned on the television to see a missing persons report for him. He saw it on the news broadcast and called us immediately, Adkins said. I called Phoenix Police Department the very next day, and weve been working on it ever since. The whole family got in on it. Dennis Day and his husband, Ernie Caswell According to NBC, Days case is being handled by the Phoenix Police Department and the Jackson County Sheriffs Office. The Jackson County Sheriffs Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. RELATED: Hunting for the Truth About Her Missing Daughter, Mom Finds 2 More Women Who Mysteriously Vanished Police reportedly told Adkins that a roommate who was living in Day and Caswells home said that Day had left on foot the last time he was seen, saying he was going to visit friends. Ernie, at the time, was in the hospital, so he wasnt even at the house, Adkins added. Dennis had a car, but the car was left behind. He left his dog and his cat behind, too he loved them dearly, just like children. Story continues Dennis Day and his sister, Nelda Adkins Adkins claimed that when she spoke to police, they said that they had already searched Days home and a nearby graveyard and creek. According to local station KOBI-TV, police also found Days car along the Oregon coast with two people inside. The station reported that the people inside were not known by Day or Caswell and the finding of the car didnt lead anywhere. They said they brought in cadaver dogs, too, Adkins added. But they never found anything that would imply a crime had happened. RELATED: Missing Colo. Moms Fiance Asked Nurse to Steal Drugs and Poison Coffee: Get Rid of Kelsey Disneys The Mickey Mouse Club first aired from 1955-1959. The childrens variety show was rebooted in 1977 and then again, most famously, from 1989-1994, when future A-list entertainers Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera starred as singing and dancing Mouseketeers. According to the Mail Tribune, Day was a Mouseketeer from 1956-57 and a long-time entertainer and director for the California Renaissance Pleasure Faires & Dickens Fair. Hes not the type of person who would just disappear. Especially with his significant other being in the hospital he was very dedicated to him, Days niece Denise told NBC. We are worried. [We] just need answers. We love him. Were just kind of lost with what to do, or how to find him. I miss our conversations, I miss swapping vegetables with him over the fence, Allie Jensen, Dennis Days neighbor told KOBI-TV. According to a Facebook page set up to help find him, Day is described as 57? with gray and brown hair, weighing approximately 150 lbs. Anyone with information about Days disappearance is encouraged to call Lt. Jeff Price of the Phoenix Police Department at 541-535-1113, ext. 309, or the anonymous tip line at 1-888-960-6450. Photo credit: John Moore - Getty Images From Esquire WASHINGTON-One block up and one block over from where the Michael Cohen circus had established residency, the Supreme Court served up an unexpected slice of simple humanity. The case before it was brought by the Equal Justice Initiative, the criminal-justice reform group down in Alabama headed by Bryan Stevenson, and it concerned a Death Row inmate named Vernon Madison. In 1985, Madison killed a police officer. He has spent 33 years in solitary confinement. Today, due to a series of strokes, Madison is suffering from dementia and doesn't even remember his crime. From The New York Times: In 1985, Mr. Madison killed a police officer, Julius Schulte, who had been trying to keep the peace between him and his ex-girlfriend, Cheryl Greene, as she sought to eject him from what had been their shared home. Mr. Madison appears to remember none of this. He has had at least two severe strokes, and he is blind and incontinent. His speech is slurred, and what he says does not always make sense. Photo credit: Alex Wong - Getty Images He has asked that his mother be told of his strokes, but his mother is dead. He soils himself, saying that no one will let me out to use the bathroom, though there is a toilet in his cell. He has said he plans to move to Florida. He can recite the alphabet only to the letter G. Mr. Madison also insists that he never went around killing folks. By a 5-3 decision, in which Chief Justice John Roberts voted with the four more liberal justices, the Court sent Madison's case back to the lower court to sort out. In her majority opinion, Justice Elena Kagan concluded that, while Alabama theoretically still could kill Madison, its courts now have to consider dementia as a bar to his execution based on her reading of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. This is something of a revolution in Eighth Amendment jurisprudence, and it is significant that Roberts joined in it. (In Slate, Mark Joseph Stern proposed an interesting theory that the chief justice was listening to one of his clerks, who, in 2015, had written a law review article arguing that the Founders had a broader definition of insanity than the law allows now. The decision in Madison's case would be in keeping with that idea.) It is very likely, of course, that Vernon Madison will die long before the final adjudication of his case. He will die of natural causes. Story continues Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook page here. ('You Might Also Like',) What Trump Really Thinks of Don Jr. and More Surprises & Highlights from Michael Cohen's Testimony Michael Cohen's Donald Trump Testimony: Biggest Surprises Michael Cohen formerly President Donald Trumps longtime personal lawyer and fixer, who now says he disgraced himself remaining in Trumps service testified publicly before Congress on Wednesday that Trump is a racist, con man and cheat who engaged in criminal conduct during both the 2016 presidential campaign and his presidency. Cohen pleaded guilty last year for lying to Congress in 2017 about the Trump Tower Moscow dealings, and the illegal hush money he paid during the 2016 presidential election to buy the silence of adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy playmate Karen McDougal who both claim they had affairs with Trump. Earlier Wednesday, while in Vietnam for denuclearization talks with North Korea, the president wrote in a tweet that Cohen is lying in order to reduce his prison time. A spokeswoman for Trumps reelection campaign amplified the days talking points for the president and his Republican allies. This is the same Michael Cohen who has admitted that he lied to Congress previously. Why did they even bother to swear him in this time? said the Trump campaigns Kayleigh McEnany. Here are six big revelations from Cohens ongoing testimony to Congress on Wednesday, which began at 10 a.m. ET and is expected to last into the afternoon. 1. Trump allegedly wrote a personal check to reimburse Cohen for buying Stormy Daniels silence Along with his testimony, Cohen submitted what he said was a copy of a $35,000 check from August 2017 that Trump had personally signed, one of 11 checks that Cohen said reimbursed him for the illegal hush money Cohen had paid on Trumps behalf to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Cohen also submitted to Congress what he said was a copy of the $130,000 wire transfer that he had made to Daniels attorney. Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was paid the money to stay silent about an alleged affair she had with Trump in 2006, which he denies. After also first denying any knowledge of the payment, Trump admitted in May that he had reimbursed Cohen. Story continues Cohen said on Wednesday that Trump had instructed him to lie to First Lady Melania Trump about the affair. Lying to the First Lady is one of my biggest regrets, Cohen said. She is a kind, good person. Not mincing his words, Cohen then said: The president of the United States wrote a personal check for the payment of hush money as part of a criminal scheme to violate campaign finance laws. RELATED: A Look at the President Trumps Most High-Profile Critics: Lawmakers, Celebs, a Justice and More 2. Cohen remembers Trump as racist and self-serving As part of his testimony Cohen described what he called his former boss many (and severe) character flaws, including being a racist, distorting the truth about his wealth and trying to hide his grades and SAT scores. Cohen also said that he did not believe Trump intended to make our country great. Donald Trump is a man who ran for office to make his brand great, not to make our country great, Cohen said at the beginning of his testimony. He had no desire or intention to lead this nation only to market himself and to build his wealth and power. Mr. Trump would often say, this campaign was going to be the greatest infomercial in political history.' Cohen recalled several examples of Trumps racist remarks. He once asked me if I could name a country run by a black person that wasnt a shole, Cohen said. While we were once driving through a struggling neighborhood in Chicago, he commented that only black people could live that way. And, he told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid. Cohen also described an alleged incident where Trump asked him to find a straw bidder to purchase a portrait of himself at an auction to ensure that the Trump portrait would go for the highest price of any portrait that afternoon. According to Cohens testimony, the portrait was bought for $60,000 and Trump directed the Trump Foundation, which is supposed to be a charitable organization, to repay the fake bidder, despite keeping the art for himself. According to Cohen, Trump also tried to hide his grades and SAT scores. Cohen submitted a letter along with his testimony that he said hed sent at Mr. Trumps direction threatening these schools with civil and criminal actions if Mr. Trumps grades or SAT scores were ever disclosed without his permission. Cohen added that he believed Trump inflated his wealth when it served his purposes, such as trying to be listed among the wealthiest people in Forbes and deflated it when it did not, so as to reduce his real estate taxes. Cohen also slammed Trumps attitude towards the country: The sad fact is that I never heard Mr. Trump say anything in private that led me to believe he loved our nation or wanted to make it better. In fact, he did the opposite. Trumps reason for being deferred from the Vietnam War draft was also called into question in Cohens testimony. While Cohen said that Trumps reason for deferment was due to a bone spur, When I asked for medical records, he gave me none and said there was no surgery. [The president] told me not to answer the specific questions by reporters but rather offer simply the fact that he received a medical deferment, Cohen testified. He finished the conversation with the following comment: You think Im stupid, I wasnt going to Vietnam. 3. Cohen claims Trump had direct knowledge of stolen Clinton emails Cohen claimed that in summer 2016 Trump was told by longtime adviser Roger Stone who has since been charged in the ongoing Russia investigation by Robert Mueller about forthcoming emails that would be damaging to opponent Hillary Clintons campaign. In July 2016, days before the Democratic convention, I was in Mr. Trumps office when his secretary announced that Roger Stone was on the phone, Cohen testified on Wednesday. Mr. Trump put Mr. Stone on the speakerphone. Mr. Stone told Mr. Trump that he had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange and that Mr. Assange told Mr. Stone that, within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clintons campaign. Mr. Trump responded by stating to the effect of Wouldnt that be great. Stone has denied to The New York Times and ABC News that this conversation took place and Trump has denied knowledge or any connection to the Democratic emails published by WikiLeaks. Stone has pleaded not guilty to charges of false statements, witness tampering and obstruction of justice that were brought by Mueller in connection with the Russia probe.) If Cohens testimony is true, this is the first time anyone has said Trump had direct knowledge of the WikiLeaks dump, which came on the eve of the 2016 Democratic National Convention. The president has vigorously denied any conspiracy with Russian officials, whom the U.S. intelligence community believes interfered in the 2016 election to aid Trump over Clinton. The emails obtained by WikiLeaks were taken from Clinton campaign and Democratic party officials by Russian hackers, according to Muellers office. RELATED: Melania Trump Is a Good Person Who Was Lied to About Donalds Alleged Affair with Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen Says Michael Cohen 4. Trump knew of and directed the Trump Tower project in Moscow, Cohen claims Cohen testified that Trump allegedly urged him to downplay a project to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, which Cohen said was was well underway throughout the campaign. (It has now been terminated.) To be clear: Mr. Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it, Cohen told Congress. He lied about it because he never expected to win the election. He also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions of dollars on the Moscow real estate project. There were at least a half-dozen times between the Iowa Caucus in January 2016 and the end of June when he would ask me Hows it going in Russia? referring to the Moscow Tower project, Cohen continued. Trump also had his own lawyers review and edit Cohens 2017 testimony to Congress about the Trump Organizations business dealings in Moscow, Cohen said. And so I lied about it, too because Mr. Trump had made clear to me, through his personal statements to me that we both knew were false and through his lies to the country, that he wanted me to lie, Cohen said. And he made it clear to me because his personal attorneys reviewed my statement before I gave it to Congress. Later in his testimony, Cohen said the president could be oblique in his word choice but clear in his meaning to longtime associates. He doesnt give you questions, he doesnt give you orders. He speaks in code, Cohen said of Trump, and I understand the code because Ive been around him for a decade. Michael Cohen (left) and President Donald Trump 5. Cohen has his suspicions about whether or not Trump colluded with Russia Though Cohen said that he does not know if Trump colluded with Russia, as Mueller is investigating, he gave new details about the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting where Russians offered dirt on Hillary Clinton. Sometime in the summer of 2017, I read all over the media that there had been a meeting in Trump Tower in June 2016 involving [Donald Trump] Jr. and others from the campaign with Russians, Cohen said. Something clicked in my mind. I remember being in the room with Mr. Trump, probably in early June 2016, when something peculiar happened. Cohen said that he remembered overhearing Donald Trump Jr. and his father discussing a meeting. Don Jr. came into the room and walked behind his fathers desk. I recalled Don Jr. leaning over to his father and speaking in a low voice, which I could clearly hear, and saying: The meeting is all set. I remember Mr. Trump saying, Okay good, let me know. Cohen added: What struck me as I looked back and thought about that exchange between Don Jr. and his father was, first, that Mr. Trump had frequently told me and others that his son Don Jr. had the worst judgment of anyone in the world. And also, that Don Jr. would never set up any meeting of any significance alone and certainly not without checking with his father. For his part, Don Jr. seemed to be following Cohens testimony closely throughout Wednesday. He tweeted frequent criticisms of it, including saying Cohen was lying when Cohen testified that he did not want to work in the Trump White House. Don Jr. also retweeted numerous other messages slamming Cohen as untrustworthy and unbelievable. Only Democrats could hate someone so much that they would try to disrupt nuclear peace talks with testimony from a convicted felon, Don Jr. tweeted Wednesday morning. During questioning from Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Cohen said that, based on his experience with Trump, the president is likely to work with anyone even a foreign power like Russia. RELATED: Michael Cohen Will Testify That Former Employer Trump Is Racist and a Con Man: Reports As Cohen testified on Wednesday, Trump was in Vietnam for a summit with North Koreas dictator, Kim Jong-Un. When asked if he had a reaction to Cohens testimony, Trump said nothing and shook his head. Back in December, Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for one count of making a false statement to Congress, eight felony counts of tax evasion, bank fraud and campaign finance violations. He is expected to report to federal prison on May 6. Baby boy, 6-year-old girl among 4 dead in apparent murder-suicide at Illinois home: Police originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Two young children were among four dead in what police are investigating as a murder-suicide at a home near Chicago, police said. Officers responded to a report of a shooting at a home in Joliet Wednesday about 10:20 p.m, according to the city's police department. That's when they found the victims, including a 6-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy, dead on the second floor, police said. "It appears at this time to be a murder-suicide. No one else is being sought," police said in a statement, adding there's no threat to the public. PHOTO: Four dead in apparent murder-suicide in Joliet, Ill. (WLS) (MORE: Man whose estranged wife, daughter allegedly killed son in murder spree wants them in jail for life) The victims were identified as Brandyn Lee, 34; Jacquelon Gaskin, 28; Gianna Lee, 6; and Giovanni Lee, 1, said the Will County Coroners Office. Relatives of the victims told ABC Chicago station WLS that Gianna and Giovanni were the children of Lee and Gaskin, who were a couple. PHOTO: Four dead in apparent murder-suicide in Joliet, Ill. (WLS) PHOTO: Four dead in apparent murder-suicide in Joliet, Ill. (WLS) (MORE: Ohio man, parents found dead in apparent murder-suicide in small town) It was not immediately clear who carried out the killings. The coroner's office said it will determine the cause and manner of death. What happened at the home, about 40 miles outside of Chicago, is still under police investigation. The Joliet Police Department added that it "encourages anyone who is feeling suicidal or knows of someone who is suicidal, to seek help by either calling 911 or seek help with a licensed professional." Brave 2-year-old is fighting rare ovarian cancer as family holds onto hope: 'She's our hero' originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com In a rare occurrence, a toddler is being treated for a bout with ovarian cancer. Now, her family is determined to raise awareness about her condition. McKenna Shea Xydias, known to family and friends as "Kenni," was diagnosed on Feb. 15 with ovarian yolk sac tumor. The 2-year-old's parents, Mike and Meagan Xydias, said the news came as a shock, but they were focused on getting their little girl treated as soon as possible. "The immediate reaction was, 'How could this happen?'" Mike Xydias, a dad of three from Senoia, Georgia, told "Good Morning America." "I knew of this being [more common] in women. I didn't realize that it could happen to such a young kid." Ovarian yolk sac tumor is a rare, malignant tumor of cells that line the yolk sac of the embryo, according to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. The cause is unknown, and it's most often found in children before the age of two. PHOTO: Kenni Shea Xydias in an undated file photo with her mom, Meagan Xydias of Senoia, Ga., prior to Kenni's cancer diagnosis. (Courtesy The Xydias Family) This childhood form of ovarian cancer is rare and accounts for less than five percent of all ovarian cancer cases, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Treatment depends on the stage and location of the tumor, Cincinnati Children's said on its website. If the tumor is in the ovaries, patients will undergo chemotherapy and surgery. Mike Xydias said that about a month ago, he and his wife, both teachers, received a call from Kenni's daycare to pick her up because she was running a fever. On another occasion, Feb. 7, the daycare told the Xydias' that Kenni's belly was bloated and she appeared to be uncomfortable. Again, her parents brought her home. PHOTO: Kenni Shea Xydias poses in an undated file photo with her father, Mike Xydias of Senoia, Ga. (Courtesy The Xydias Family) "We took her to the doctor at that point they thought it was gas so they told us to give her gas drops and let them know if she got anymore fevers," Mike Xydias said, adding that Kenni was sent home yet again, a week later with a temperature of 102. Story continues "I pick her up, I have to stay home with her the next day," Mike Xydias said. "The whole [next] day she was fine, no temperature. But she had difficulty using the bathroom. Meagan made an appointment for her Feb. 14 in the afternoon. That day, daycare called. She had a fever of 103." Mom Meagan Xydias brought Kenni to the pediatrician where they performed an X-Ray. "They said her bowels looked full and it looked like a big gas bubble," Mike Xydias said, adding that his wife brought Kenni to the hospital shortly thereafter. PHOTO: Kenni Shea Xydias poses in an undated file photo with her brothers, Jackson, 5 and Cason, 4, at CHOA Scottish Rite hospital in Atlanta. (Courtesy The Xydias Family) Doctors performed an ultrasound that determined there was a mass located around Kenni's ovaries. Later, a CT and MRI determined there were several cancerous tumors one being 14 centimeters on her right ovary, another near her liver and others scattered throughout her abdomen, according to her father. Dr. Robert Wenham, chair of Moffitt Cancer Centers Gynecological Oncology Program, told "GMA" that while Kenni's condition is "very, very rare" it can still happen. "Among all ages combined, Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors 'GCTs' [which includes yolk-sac tumors] make up about one in four ovarian tumors in all ages with about one in five of those tumors being cancerous, and only one in five of those being yolk-sac tumors," Wenham said. Days later, Kenni had surgery to remove her right ovary as well as five inches of her small intestine. She is scheduled to begin chemotherapy treatments this week, Mike Xydias said, adding that Kenni's cancer is stage three malignant. "I know Meagan and I both agree that Kenni is our hero with how she's dealing with this," Mike Xydias said. "She is a ball of energy and a stereotypical 2-year-old. She's the youngest child, where she is the boss and she's extremely stubborn, which a great character trait in going to fight cancer. She doesn't let anything stop her." PHOTO: McKenna Shea Xydias, known to family and friends as Kenni, colors in her hospital room during cancer treatments at CHOA Scottish Rite hospital in Atlanta. (Courtesy The Xydias Family) For now the Xydias' hope to raise awareness as Kenni undergoes treatment. "I know it can be hard as a mom to go to your doctor and say, 'Something is not right' because they know what they're doing, but sometimes you have to trust your gut," Meagan Xydias told "GMA." "I hope after hearing Kenni's story people are willing to say, 'Hey, can you do one more check?'" she added. The Xydias' said they've received an outpouring of support from loved ones near and far through upcoming fundraising events hosted by their neighborhood friends as well their family in New York. The funds will cover Kenni's medical bills and support her parents as they take leaves from their teaching jobs. "It's given us strength to be able to overcome this," Mike Xydias said. 'Captain Marvel' star Annette Bening hints about Supreme Intelligence's relationship with Carol Danvers originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com "Captain Marvel" star Annette Bening revealed some juicy hints about her "godlike" character ahead of the movie's release next week. Bening's role in the latest Marvel film remained tightly wrapped until a new trailer dropped earlier this week and gave fans a first glimpse of her character, Supreme Intelligence. PHOTO: Annette Bening appears on 'Good Morning America,' Feb. 28, 2019. (ABC News) "It's kind of fun to have to say 'I can't reveal what's going on,'" she said of the role shrouded in secrecy. "I've never had that experience before -- it was great fun to do it." (MORE: New 'Avengers: End Game,' 'Captain Marvel' trailers air during Super Bowl) PHOTO: A scene from 'Captain Marvel.' (Marvel) Bening is seen on-screen beside Brie Larson, who plays Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, and fans have already speculated if their characters are actually mother and daughter. (MORE: 'Captain Marvel' star Brie Larson calls 1st ever solo female Marvel superhero 'inspiring') "I can neither confirm nor deny, but I will say there is more than what we have revealed," Bening teased. "I am playing the Supreme Intelligence, I'm a god-like entity -- of course," she said, playfully brushing her hair back and laughing. Bening, 60, said she "got to read the whole script" and then looked to her own kids for advice about the role. "I did consult with my kids so they could kind of explain sort of what the history of that is," she said. "Because there's a specific history to the character and I sort of have the entire intellect of the entire Kree people over the last million years in my head." PHOTO: A scene from 'Captain Marvel.' (Marvel) The 21st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is set in 1995 and follows the journey of Danvers as she becomes one of the universe's most powerful heroes. When a galactic war between two alien races reaches Earth, Danvers finds herself and a small cadre of allies at the center of the maelstrom. Story continues "GMA" aired another new clip from the highly anticipated film ahead of its March 8 release. "The warriors have to go into this secret chamber to sort of prepare for battle, so that's the scene you're seeing there," Bening explained. The cast and filmmakers of the new Marvel Studios film watched the full movie together at the European Gala Screening on Wednesday. ABC News and Marvel are both part of parent company Disney. Challenges ahead even if a US-China trade deal is reached: ANALYSIS originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Before leaving Washington to attend his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, U.S President Donald Trump tweeted that he would delay hiking tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods because of "substantial progress" during the talks between American and Chinese negotiators. Trump even predicted that Chinese leader Xi Jinping would join him at his Florida residence Mar-a-Lago for a "signing summit" later in March. The news was met with initial optimism. Chinas Xinhua news agency hailed progress in the trade talks, writing the two sides made substantial progress... on such specific issues as technology transfer, protection of intellectual property rights, non-tariff barriers, service industry, agriculture and exchange rates. However in the days since, just as the Trump-Kim summit collapsed in Hanoi, Trump's top trade negotiator, Robert Lighthizer, and the Chinese ambassador to Washington, Cui Tiankai, have both started to dial back expectations. Lighthizer told the House Ways and Means Committee Wednesday that much still needs to be done both before an agreement is reached and, more importantly, after it is reached, if one is reached. Cui, in an interview with Hong Kongs South China Morning Post (SCMP), said while the trade deficit can be quickly addresses through purchasing more American goods, it would take years for China to achieve the structural reforms the U.S. is demanding, like further opening up Chinas economy to the US companies because it will have to go through Chinas legislative process. Peking Universitys Zha Daojiong, an expert on Chinas economic relations with the world, who consults regularly with Chinese government agencies, told ABC News that a deal will surely be struck, but with caveats. Whatever deal that's going to be signed, it is more likely to be the basis for further consultations, Zha said. It is not going to be a once-and-for-all [deal]. Story continues This is not the first trade deal between China and the U.S., said Zha. But this may be the most comprehensive deal the two sides will have signed due to the tangibility of consequences for companies and individuals involved. As such, just like in the US, [China has) numerous interests at stake. With economic growth slowing in China for the first time in decades, Beijing may wish to move past the current trade tensions with the U.S. to focus on pressing issues at home. One positive development that emerged from Lighthizers testimony is the fact that both sides seem to agree on a specific enforcement procedure to make sure the any agreement will be followed. American negotiators have historically complained that the Chinese side did not always follow through on their promises and reports emerged earlier this week that discussions over enforcement was one of the remaining sticking point between the two sides. At the Trump's press conference in Hanoi after he abruptly walked away from the negotiating table with Kim Jong Un, he threatened he would be prepared to do the same if he didnt like the deal with China. Even if the current trade tensions are resolved between Trump and Xi, the U.S.-China relationship has already appeared to move into a more competitive phase. The trade war has exacerbated the chasm between the two nations and their ability to see eye-to-eye on a myriad of other issues. The arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou at the behest of U.S. officials in December is already seen by many ordinary Chinese as a clearly political move. The trade dispute may have gotten Beijing and Washington to the negotiating table but trade is just the tip of the iceberg. Zha cautioned Americans about betting too much on Trumps personal diplomacy with Xi. U.S. side will find it very costly if it truly believes that this whole matter revolves around one person, Mr. Xi, and that one person only, Zha said. A single person is much easier to win back, or not, than a nation. Democrats, conservative group knock down Betsy DeVos 'school choice' plan originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A Trump administration proposal aimed at encouraging "school choice" appeared to be dead on arrival in Congress after both House Democrats and a conservative think tank issued statements Thursday saying it was the wrong way to go. The legislation, pitched by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos with GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Bradley Byrne of Alabama, would offer $5 billion a year in tax credits for scholarship donations to privately run education programs. In a press conference, DeVos said these "education freedom scholarships" would open up opportunities for kids who believe they have been failed by their public school, and boost participation in much-needed career and technical education programs. State participation would be optional. PHOTO: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos meets with students at Ashland Elementary School in Manassas, Va., April 25, 2017. (Maria Danilova/AP, FILE) Democrats, who control the House, quickly dismissed the idea as shrinking the pot of federally available education dollars, while the conservative Heritage Foundation said the move could "open the door" toward more regulation and complicate the tax code. The swift pushback all but guaranteed the legislation would go nowhere this year and leaves DeVos without a signature win on her flagship issue of school choice. (MORE: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos reverses stance on civil rights probes that led to lawsuit) "The federal tax code is an inappropriate place to intervene in state education policy," according to a statement posted on the Heritage Foundation web site. Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, said: "House Democrats will not waste time on proposals that undermine public education. Were focused on reversing our chronic underfunding of public schools so that all students regardless of their background can learn in schools that are healthy, safe, and provide a quality education." Story continues President Donald Trump in his State of the Union address this month said "the time has come to pass school choice." DeVos applauded alongside many of the conservatives in Congress. Conservatives have been divided, however, on how to do it. One concern is that a future Democratic administration could use the tax credits as a means of regulating private schools and dictating admissions. For their part, Democrats say public education funding is already too small. And limiting the federal revenue stream further through tax cuts would eventually hurt public schools, they argue. In her remarks on Thursday, DeVos predicted pushback from those who have a vested financial interest in suppressing education freedom. Cruz said "not one penny" would be pulled from public schools. Youll hear that our proposal is an attack on public education, DeVos said at a press conference, flanked by local school-choice advocates. But beware. Thats fake news. ABC News' Stephanie Ebbs contributed to this report. Ballerina Melanie Hamrick Celebrates Her Newest Work: A Ballet With Moves Like Jagger Photo: Rob Rich Photo: Rob Rich Photo: Rob Rich Photo: Rob Rich Photo: Rob Rich Photo: Rob Rich I just let Melanie do her thing, said Mick Jagger of his latest project: a ballet set to the tunes of the Rolling Stones. He was referring to his partner, the American Ballet Theatre corps de ballet member Melanie Hamrick, with whom he has a son. She picked all the songs and did all of the choreography, Jagger said. Last night, the couple, along with a smattering of New Yorks most graceful ballerinas (Calvin Royal III, April Giangeruso, Herman Cornejo, Brittany DeGrofft) gathered at the tip-top of Chelseas Moxy hotel in the not-yet-opened Fleur Room, a cocktail bar serving Manhattans against a backdrop of the citys most famous skyscrapers (the Empire State Building is visible in all its glory). Hosted by Joanna DeFelice, the party gave the dancers an opportunity to come together outside the dance studio to toast the new production. Though Hamrick is no stranger to the stage (she matriculated through the School of American Ballet before landing at ABT over 10 years ago), this marks her first foray into choreography. Were in the final stages now, so its just rehearsal, rehearsal, rehearsal, she said. About which songs audiences can expect, Jagger maintained a tight lip: Im not sure shed want me telling you; youll just have to see it for yourself! This writer certainly will, though not until April 18 when the production, thematically named Porte Rouge, (or red door . . . perhaps to be painted black?) makes its stateside premiere at the Youth America Grand Prixs spring gala at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, following its debut at Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, on March 24. And while the Rolling Stones on pointe sounds novel, balletomanes may remember a certain Christopher Brucechoreographed piece from 1991 by the name of Roostera jaunty piece inspired by Jaggers famously twitchy chicken dancing. However, this piece will benefit from a more direct participation from Jagger and company, who lent their expertise on all matters of costume and set design. It might appear that for Rolling Stones fans, you can always get what you want. If youre reading this odds are travel more is high up on your bucket list. However, like the rest of us, you probably have a few day-to-day responsibilities that get in the way. Namely, a job. But, what if we told you your job didnt have to prevent you from seeing the world? All you need to do is a land a job at Mentimeter, an interactive meeting tool used by 30 million people worldwide. Why? Because each year Mentimeters CEO, Johnny Warstrom, moves the company to a new country for an entire month so his employees can soak up a new culture and bond even deeper as a group. We just got back from spending a month in Palermo, Italy, soaking up the sunshine and the ornate decor at La Bella Palermo, a stunning 14th century seaside palazzo where we both worked and slept, Warstrom shared with Travel + Leisure. From its baroque interiors and extensive art on display, to its [harbor] views and many [cozy] nooks to convene and work, this Sicilian gem was quite a feast for the senses, and served as a another inspiring location for Mentimeters relocation program. Each February, Warstrom moves the company around, but the relocation process starts months before. The key, he said, is to find a location that is innovative and forward-thinking with a culture and environment that inspires employees, but also a warmer place where the Sweden-based company can escape to during the cold winter months to seek fresh inspiration. We ensure that the whole team is involved in the decision-making process, and employee feedback before, during, and after the trip is an essential part of making the relocation program such a success, Warstrom said. A major reason for the move is to not only allow for more inspiration, but to also allow the employees to experience a new culture through group activities and ample free time. The team is good at initiating activities that are based on their own interests but also making sure that these are open for everyone to join, he said. For example, in Palermo, we [organized] various activities, from food and wine tours, hiking trips, to spending a Saturday night at the opera. Story continues Beyond play, the team also visits places to get a better understanding of customers in the area and their own corporate cultures, which both improves their working relationships and allows the company to take in a new perspective. One would think all this free time would lead to employees slacking off, but according to Warstrom, the exact opposite is true. A change of scenery is a breath of fresh air, and can definitely be felt in the teams engagement, he shared. Most significantly, in how they collaborate across different teams. We can see the value of shared experiences having a direct impact on business results. From every retreat I see how we come back a more efficient team with numerous innovative ideas that wouldnt come up in normal week at the office. And really, Warstrom is onto something. As T+L previously explained, a study by Rice University in conjunction with Columbia University and the University of North Carolina, showed that living abroad increases self-concept clarity, which means those who choose to live in a new country or move about often tend to have a better sense of self than those who dont. All of this movement leads to one great outcome: That better sense of self and a shared experience so deep that work now feels like play. Living together in a new city, as a team, nurtures a positive company culture that sees employees both trust and have confidence in each other. Through shared experiences, our social bonds with colleagues improve and our working relationships improve significantly more than they would in a traditional workday at home, Warstrom said. True to the cliche, relocating for some time allows you to see things from a fresh perspective, and that can hugely benefit the creative and analytical minds in a start-up. This can lead to new product ideas, resolutions of problems on which weve been stuck, and so much more. Also, its a lot of fun, and when youre having a good time at work, your work improves. Want to join them? All you need to do is apply for a job before they depart somewhere new in 2020. The duchess has arrived. Kate Middleton and Prince William continued their visit to Northern Ireland on Wednesday with an outing to the Empire Music Hall in Belfast. Swapping out her red Carolina Herrera coat dress and go-to LK Bennett lace-up boots from earlier in the day, the Duchess of Cambridge or, since shes in Ireland, Lady Carrickfergus opted for a glittering mermaid-esque aquamarine Missoni midi gown with an empire waist and billowing sleeves. Kate, her signature blowout intact, accessorized with a translucent pendant necklace a small beige clutch, and a matching pair of suede Gianvito Rossi pumps. Middletons royal date, Prince William, kept his look in line with his daytime style, stepping out in a navy suit with a white dress shirt peeking out from beneath his blazer. RELATED: Kate Middleton Follows Meghan Markle's Lead in Carolina Herrera This outing marks the close of Kate and Willss first day in Ireland tomorrow will be their second and final day abroad. Duchesses: They're just like us. Not in many ways, obviously, but they do share our penchant for rewearing our favorite pieces. Case in point: The Duchess of Cambridge just dusted off a pair of her favorite L.K. Bennett booties while in Northern Ireland. The black suede lace-up booties come from one of Kates fave brands, L.K. Bennett, and feature a 3.5-inch heel block heel. If you remember, she wore the shoes just a few weeks ago while visiting Londons Lavender Primary School in support of Childrens Mental Health Week. Best of all, theyre currently on sale ($260, down from $495). Per Daily Mail correspondent Rebecca English, the Duke and Duchess are on an unannounced two-day visit to Northern Ireland, where theyll visit Belfast, Fermanagh and Ballymena to celebrate the young people of Northern Ireland. Heads up, the boots are only available in select sizes, so, if we were you, wed add to cart, stat. RELATED: Meghan Markle Can't Stop Wearing Kate Middleton's Favorite Shoes Photo credit: Jeff J Mitchell - Getty Images From ELLE Kate Middleton just stepped out for her final and fanciest engagement of the day during her two-day tour of Northern Ireland with Prince William. The Duchess of Cambridge arrived at a party at Belfast's Empire Music Hall, wearing a mint Missoni pleated dress with nude heels. The dress itself retails for $2,480. She wore her hair down with it. Photo credit: PAUL ELLIS - Getty Images Tonight at the party, Kate and William will be meeting youth making a difference in Northern Ireland. According to the Palace, "guests will encompass representatives from Northern Irelands business, arts and sport sectors, including Dame Mary Peters who was today appointed Lady Companion of the Most Noble of the Garter by Her Majesty The Queen." Kate and William's visit tonight is a surprise engagement, as is the entire tour. The Palace just announced the Northern Ireland tour today and detailed its first day itinerary on its site. The two have visited Belfast and Fermanagh so far and will be "celebrat[ing]the young people of Northern Ireland," throughout their engagements, the Palace revealed. Kate and William's first major joint overseas tour of 2019 comes just two days after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry concluded their three-day tour of Morocco. Meghan and Harry also had several evening events in Morocco where they dressed up. Meghan wore a bespoke Dior gown to a reception the British ambassador there threw for them, a Valentino dress when she arrived in Casablanca, and a Carolina Herrera gown when she met the King of Morocco with Harry on their last night. ('You Might Also Like',) The trend of getting plastic surgery to look more like a celebrity is nothing new. Kylie Jenner's lips, Angelina Jolie's cheeks and Kate Middleton's nose have all inspired people to go under the knife. But more and more people are paying good money to look like the newest royal, Meghan Markle. Last October, London-based physician Dr. Rita Rakus told InStyle that the duchess "has always been a beauty and style icon and someone that many women aspire to look like." She attributed it to people seeing "her as a real person who has fulfilled the ultimate dream being young, having your own career, and finding true love with a prince." Nonetheless, in a recent episode of ABC's "Nightline" that aired on February 25, two women who had dreams of looking more like the Duchess of Sussex spent months and thousands of dollars on plastic surgery to do so. Renita, a real estate agent and mother of six, said people already told her that she looked like Meghan, but there were certain things about herself that she wanted to get fixed. "I have an infatuation a little bit with Meghan Markle. I want to look like her. I want to have the body that I've always wanted. I mean, 10 years later after having kids and three c-sections, you're just not comfortable anymore," Renita told the reporter. She further explained, "I know that I'm not going to look just like her. But at the same time, she has a lot of features that I admire and I would like them on me." Renita received five procedures: liposuction, fat grafting to her buttocks, a breast lift with implants, rhinoplasty and a tummy tuck. In total, her 11-hour surgery cost $42,000. Sochi, a lawyer and single mother of three, also hoped a new appearance would help boost her confidence and in turn, improve her dating life. She received three treatments in seven hours liposuction, fat grafting to her buttocks and cheeks and rhinoplasty coming in at $30,000. Story continues Lucky for both of these women, they each received discounts from their doctor for appearing on TV so they didn't pay the full prices outlined above. However, these numbers demonstrate just how far people are willing to go to emulate Meghan Markle. Many spend the money to get her nose, cheeks, skin or lips. After months of recovery, the women showed off their transformations at a royal-inspired luncheon and compared themselves to cardboard cutouts of Meghan. But whether or not they actually looked just like the duchess, they both admitted that just feeling like they have more of her attributes made them feel more self-confident. You can check out the full "Nightline" segment in the video at the top. Education. Just that word stirs up a wide range of reactions from people. Teacher. Another word that carries so much power. Disabled. Well, wed be here all day discussing that. What happens when you put together two of those words? You get an explosive combination. From an early age, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. That drive and desire stayed with me throughout my adolescence into my late teens. I was a good student with even better grades. I received a full four-year scholarship to a private university in my hometown of Miami, Florida. My initial major was accounting. I absolutely loathed it. Around my sophomore year, a campus organization got a group of volunteers together to go to the nearby elementary school and tutor underprivileged youth. I immediately jumped at the opportunity because I knew it would help satiate the hunger I had to teach. After a few months, I decided I wanted to minor in Education. I made an appointment with the dean of the School of Education. She informed me that you could not minor in Education, only major in it. My response was I would double major in Accounting and Education. The response I got has stuck with me for 23 years. Related: Please Recognize My Accomplishments Before My Disability How are you going to be a teacher? Who is going to write on the board for you? How are students going to understand you? Ironically, there we were having this conversation and she understood me just fine. I left that meeting feeling dejected and heartbroken. It was devastating to be told I could never follow my hearts desire just because I was disabled. Five years later, I found myself teaching Sunday school at my church. I taught kindergarten that year. I enjoyed every second of being in a classroom and wished I could be a real teacher. Fast forward a few more years and me moving to a smaller town in Southeast Georgia. Once again I was teaching Sunday school and a separate family session on Tuesday evenings. During the first two years, the parents constantly complained that my speech impediment made it too difficult for them to understand me. Story continues Related: Don't Pat People in Wheelchairs on the Head My students had no trouble. The issues didnt stop there, though. Month after month during the Tuesday night family sessions, two mothers and a father would sit and mock me/my speech as I taught. Three adults mocked me because to them, my speech impediment equaled a lack in mental capacity. Perhaps if they were educated about disabilities, in particular cerebral palsy, they would have treated me differently. Theres also a chance that they were just uneducated and mean spirited. Ive taught children from all walks of life and on a broad education spectrum. Though all my students are special, two stand out the most. Both were autistic. When each came to me as new students, their mothers warned me that they were not very responsive. As time passed, that turned into he doesnt respond to anyone the way he does to you. Disabled educators are important. However, in doing research for this article, I was hard pressed to find statistics on how many there are in the American school system. That alone speaks volumes. Statisticians have once again found a way to marginalize an entire community. Related: Dear Sibling of a Child With Cerebral Palsy: You Are Amazing Its time for society to break free of the mindset that disability equals or should equal disadvantage. Children would benefit and grow exponentially if they had a teacher with a disability. It would teach them from an early age about differences and how to adapt to and accept those differences. Inclusion in the classroom has been a major topic of discussion in recent years. However, this discussion should not only pertain to students. In 2019, disabled educators should be as commonplace in the classroom as their able-bodied counterparts. Read more stories like this on The Mighty: To My Girlfriend, When She Says She 'Can't Walk Right' How My Daughter's Disability Changed Our Family for the Better When I Was Afraid to Talk About My Disability A tornado that swept through eastern Mississippi over the weekend might have leveled their church, but in the emotional aftermath of the deadly storm, the congregants of the First Pentecostal Church of Columbus found that they dont need four walls to worship. According to the National Weather Service, nine tornadoes were reported Saturday across Alabama, northwestern Georgia, and Mississippi. One person died as a result of a tornado that touched down in Columbus. Luckily, nobody was inside the First Pentecostal Church when winds tore it to shreds. The Rev. Steve Blaylock told CBS News that the building was "a total loss," with a wall pushed in, holes in the roof, and substantial water damage. On the morning after the storm, he and a few congregants tried to salvage what they could of the church. There were, of course, baptisms to be done. "We had about four or five baptisms planned," Blaylock told The Dispatch. "After we got out here Saturday night and saw how bad it was, I asked the people who were wanting to be baptized if they wanted to wait or if we could use a portable baptismal. They said, 'Let's go ahead and do it because we feel like we need to have a prayer service or something to pull us together so we're not just all broken-hearted.' So, we said OK." WATCH: This Georgia Reverend Once Officiated 11 Weddings In A Day With the help of a borrowed baptismal pool and some folding chairs, nine people were baptized in a makeshift outdoor service Sunday morning. Blaylock guessed around 100 people showed up. "I'm so humbled by the help and support," he told CNN. "I don't know what God's plan is, I always know it's gonna work together for our good," Blaylock, who came to the church more than 20 years ago, told his congregation. Speaking with Fox, the 61-year-old said hes certain of one thing: "We will rebuild. We've got a good church here. It'll be a testimony of God." You can donate to the First Pentecostal Church of Columbus rebuilding efforts here. LAUDING LIBERTY: Dignitaries from the fashion and diplomatic worlds rubbed shoulders Wednesday evening at the American ambassadors residence in Paris in celebration of the upcoming opening of the new Statue of Liberty Museum. The event was held in honor of Diane von Furstenberg, who has led fund-raising efforts for the new museum, set to open this May, over the past three years, gathering $100 million for the project. Related stories Lachlan Watson Talks Height Discrimination at the Kenzo Show Jane Birkin Hopes To "Never Stop Touring" Saint Laurent Dazzles Guests With Eiffel Tower Setting Theres something magical about the Statue of Liberty, said Von Furstenberg in her address to guests. As well as fund-raising, Von Furstenberg is behind a documentary about the famous statue due out later this year and has also co-written a book with Robert Belot, to be published by Rizzoli in May. Thank you all for helping me, for giving me books, for teaching me so much about Lady Liberty, this French woman who represents America, freedom, immigration, and especially the American dream, said the designer. Jamie D. McCourt, the U.S. ambassador to France and Monaco, raised a toast to Diane, to her passion for this project, and her great success. The moment was a poignant one for the diplomat, whose own grandparents immigrated through Ellis Island, as she was presented with a certificate attesting to their arrival. Lady Liberty is an icon, an international symbol of freedom and hope, she said. Its very moving for me to organize this event this evening. Stephen Briganti, the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundations president and chief executive officer, explained how the need to create a new, bigger museum on Ellis Island proved apparent after 9/11, when visitor numbers to the monument had to be limited for security reasons. About five years ago, we decided to build a museum for people who couldnt get into the Statue of Liberty. To build something like this without any government money, we had to have a team, and that team needed to be headed by somebody who can open doors, he said. Story continues Diane has done a wonderful job of rallying corporate America, foundation America and even individuals. Attendees at the event included IMF head Christine Lagarde and Steve Mnuchin, the U.S. secretary of the treasury, who was on an unscheduled trip to Paris and reportedly staying at the embassy. Other guests included Anna Wintour, Bianca Brandolini dAdda, Christian Louboutin, Karlie Kloss, Natalia Vodianova, Antoine Arnault and Farida Khelfa. For Vodianova, the Statue of Liberty represents hope. Americas been great to me, my career really took off when I went there, said the model and philanthropist, who described Von Furstenberg as a great friend, shouting out To Diane when the toast was raised. It was the importance of freedom that resonated with Khelfa, who has just wrapped a documentary about women in Saudi Arabia. Being a free woman is everything I aspire to in life, she said. Ive always chosen freedom, everything else is secondary. Launch Gallery: Paris Celebrates Lady Liberty with Diane Von Furstenberg Photo credit: Pool/Samir Hussein - Getty Images From Harper's BAZAAR Climbing into a helicopter to fly deep into Moroccos Atlas Mountains, you would be forgiven for forgetting that Duchess Meghan is over seven months pregnant. In fact, given how busy recent months have been for the new royal, it would be tough for anyone to object if she wanted to sit out the early-morning expedition-especially after flying in from London less than 48 hours earlier. But the February 24 trip was a chance to visit a charity championing a cause close to her heart-universal education opportunities for women-and there was no way she was going to miss it. With Prince Harry's help, she carefully sat down in the cabin and placed noise-isolating headphones over her head. Ready for takeoff. Photo credit: Pool/Samir Hussein - Getty Images Her energy is boundless, British Ambassador to Morocco Thomas Reilly, who escorted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their three-day visit to the country, tells BAZAAR.com. Heres a woman jumping into a helicopter to fly 1,400 meters [almost 4,600 feet] high, still smiling and ready to do it all, ready to push the issues that matter. Adds a friend of the duchess, who notes that shes feeling so great in her final trimester, Thats 'Super Meg' for you-giving it her all. Her energy levels have never failed to impress me. From gender equality and universal education opportunities to social entrepreneurship and female empowerment, the visits three-day itinerary shone a spotlight on the issues most important to the duchess. Prince Harry, already established as a humanitarian force of his own, often let Meghan take the lead during their nine Moroccan engagements, leaning in to her ear periodically to see if his wife was feeling okay along the way. She always was. After their helicopter dropped them off in the small town of Asni, Meghan spoke to executives from Education For All, a charity that provides education opportunities to girls from rural parts of Morocco, about the importance of universal literacy. Its important that every girl has access to further and higher education, she said. Meghan, conscious of a potential language barrier, even prepared questions in a French to ask the 12- to 18-year-old students who live at the boarding house. Story continues Photo credit: Tim P. Whitby - Getty Images Their visit to Asni was important and especially important to me, says Reilly. The purpose of Education For All is to make sure that no girl in this country gets left behind. Girls who dont traditionally have the opportunity to continue their education deserve the same chances as everyone else. The cause is something that really resonates with [Harry and Meghan] and they both kicked it out the park that day. Education For All, which currently supports 250 girls at a time, hopes that the couples visit will finally help the organization replicate their success in Asni across the rest of Morocco, which has a 51 percent female population. Its not a tall order-a visit from Harry and Meghan has changed the future of many charities. "Girls who dont traditionally have the opportunity to continue their education deserve the same chances as everyone else." -British Ambassador to Morocco Thomas Reilly Meghans ability to deliver as a working member of the British royal family also serves as a reminder to the world of what she stands for. While Palace aides say it wasnt intentional, almost every engagement on the Sussexes overseas visit involved subjects that have featured heavily in Meghans philanthropic repertoire. Given the continued presence of negative commentary in the U.K. press, its a perfectly-timed recap before the duchess begins maternity leave. It was one of those times where everything just lined up, Reilly says of the itinerary. I listed the areas of interest to the Royal Visits Committee when putting in a request for the couple to visit and the response was, Wow, this is absolutely perfect for them. Photo credit: Pool/Samir Hussein - Getty Images There was even an overseas appearance from Together: Our Community Cookbook when the couple spent an afternoon with Moroccan chef Dar Moha. Meghan and Harry cooked a Moroccan pancake recipe from the New York Times bestseller with children from underprivileged backgrounds and disabled staff who work at a specially-designed restaurant in the capital of Rabat. Theyll be so proud to see this, Meghan said while chatting with Moha about her collaboration with the women of west Londons Hubb Community Kitchen. The message has traveled far. Clutching a signed copy of the book, Doha later told reporters, She has an amazing heart. When Kensington Palace announced the Sussexes Moroccan visit in January, little was known about the purpose of the somewhat short-notice plans to travel at the request of British Government. But with the country on the brink of Brexit, the need to build relations is clear. And a large spotlight on the bilateral relationship between U.K. and Morocco, a gateway into North Africas fast-growing economy, would be an easy feat thanks to the 100 members of the worlds press accredited to cover the superstars of the British royal family. Compared to the King of Spains state visit to Morocco earlier this month, Hary and Meghan's impact on the country has traveled further and wider. This was a very different kind of trip-personal, informal and away from the pomp and pageantry of traditional visits, Reilly says. Moroccans loved the way [Meghan and Harry] were so spontaneous and cared so deeply. Photo credit: Samir Hussein - Getty Images Local children were equally taken. While learning about equine therapy during a February 25 visit to the Moroccan Royal Federation of Equestrian Sports, the couple demonstrated their easygoing charm with young kids receiving equine assisted therapy (EAT), and took their time to stop and chat to many of the children. Theyll be great parents, says Reilly. They really make time for everyone on these engagements. You try and move them on to the next section and theyre both like, Wait, we still havent spoken to everyone yet. Photo credit: Pool - Getty Images The couple also quickly won over Reillys own children, Elsa, eight, and Orla, 12, whom they first met at an evening reception in the British Ambassadors residence. The girls got to meet Harry and Meghan twice and they both got big hugs, says Reilly. Theyre both great role models, and for the girls, Meghan is absolutely someone they can look up to. Shes a strong woman focusing on the things that matter. Landing back in the U.K. today after a private evening resting in Morocco, Meghan will continue working over the weeks ahead, her final days of pregnancy before giving birth in April. Palace sources tell BAZAAR.com that the duchess still has a number public and private engagements in the diary, although air travel is now officially off-limits. Last engagement of the trip for Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan (in @HouseofHerrera), meeting King Mohammed VI at Dar-al-Makhzen, his official residence here in Rabat. Also in attendance was Prince Rachid, Princess Meryem, Princess Hasna and Crown Prince Hassan pic.twitter.com/zp47YqZeF1 - Omid Scobie (@scobie) February 25, 2019 Reilly tells BAZAAR that the couples final engagement in Morocco-a February 25 meeting with King Mohammed VI-was the perfect opportunity to thank the couple for their generosity before leaving. I cant think of better ambassadors for the U.K., he told the couple as they stood on the steps outside Rabats Dar-al-Makhzen palace. But Im American, Meghan laughed, blushing at the kind compliment. Well youre also one of us now, he responded. Youre both gems. ('You Might Also Like',) World stock markets came under pressure Thursday as a summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un ended abruptly without an agreement. Asian equities had been fluctuating throughout the day on tempered optimism over China-US trade talks, weak factory data from Beijing and fresh geopolitical tensions in Kashmir. But they took a decisive turn south after an expected lunch and signing ceremony between the United States and North Korean leaders was called off at the last minutes. Asian markets were also pressured by data showing China's manufacturing activity in February at its worst level in three years. In Europe, Frankfurt and Paris managed a small recovery by the close, while London remained in the red. US stocks finished modestly lower following data that showed economic growth slowed in the fourth quarter but still topped analyst expectations. "Global equities in general have pulled back as risk sentiment took a hit after the US and North Korea failed to reach an agreement over denuclearization for the (Korean) peninsula," said XTB analyst David Cheetham. "US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un abruptly cut short their summit in Hanoi, and in doing so cancelled a signing ceremony as the two leaders failed to make any tangible progress and agree terms on the deal." The two sides put forward starkly different accounts over the breakdown of a high-stakes summit in Hanoi, with Trump saying the talks ended because the North Koreans wanted sanctions lifted in their entirety and North Korea saying that it promised a complete dismantling of nuclear facilities in exchange for sanctions relief. The US economic report showed growth tapered down to an annual rate of 2.6 percent in the fourth quarter, a sharp drop from 3.4 percent in the third quarter, but above the 2.3 percent expected by analysts. "The data we had today is slightly better than people would have thought," said Maris Ogg of Tower Bridge Advisors. Story continues "The market reaction shows us that the worst fears are not going to be realized." Analysts have been readying for a pullback or pause in US stocks after Wall Street surged nearly 20 percent since late December. - Key figures around 2200 GMT - New York - Dow: DOWN 0.3 percent at 25,916.00 (close) New York - S&P 500: DOWN 0.3 percent at 2,784.49 (close) New York - Nasdaq: DOWN 0.3 percent at 7,532.53 (close) London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.5 percent at 7,074.73 (close) Frankfurt - DAX 30: UP 0.3 percent at 11,515.64 (close) Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.3 percent at 5,240.53 (close) EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.5 percent at 3,298.26 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.8 percent at 21,385.16 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng: DOWN 0.4 percent at 28,633.18 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.4 percent at 2,940.95 (close) Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3263 from $1.3309 at 2200 GMT Euro/pound: UP at 85.72 pence from 85.43 pence Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1374 from $1.1370 Dollar/yen: UP at 111.39 yen from 111.00 yen Oil - Brent Crude: DOWN 36 cents at $66.03 per barrel Oil - West Texas Intermediate: UP 28 cents at $57.22 per barrel burs-jmb/dg Jerusalem (AFP) - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will visit Israel days before its April 9 general election, the Israeli foreign ministry told AFP on Thursday. Bolsonaro, a far-right former paratrooper intent on forging close ties with the US and Israel, said before taking office that he planned to follow US President Donald Trump's lead in moving Brazil's embassy to Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, himself a right-winger, attended Bolsonaro's January inauguration in Brazil. The foreign ministry spokesman said that Bolsonaro would visit from March 31 to April 4. "Netanyahu hopes Bolsonaro will move his embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," Israel's Haaretz daily wrote on Thursday. "In exchange, Israel is expected to offer information and procurement opportunities to assist Bolsonaros flagship project, domestic security." Announcement of an embassy move or just recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital would be a welcome move for Netanyahu who is fighting for a fifth term in office. While Israel has declared the whole of Jerusalem as its "eternal and indivisible" capital the Palestinians claim the mainly-Arab east side of the city, occupied by Israel in 1967 and later annexed, as the capital of their future state. Most nations have avoided moving embassies there pending a negotiated resolution of the dispute. Trump unilaterally recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December 2017 and moved the US embassy there last May. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain has not yet made any decision on its security policy for national 5G networks, the head of Britain's National Cyber Security Centre said on Wednesday, amid a furore over the alleged risks of using Huawei telecoms equipment. Speaking at a cybersecurity conference in Brussels, NCSC head Ciaran Martin said equipment made by China's Huawei was subject to detailed oversight in Britain and the government had strict controls over where it was used. "It is not in any sensitive networks including those of the government. Its kit is part of a balanced supply chain with other suppliers," he said, adding that a policy decision would be made later this year after a government analysis is completed. "Our regime is arguably the toughest and most rigorous oversight regime in the world for Huawei," said Martin, whose NCSC is part of Britain's GCHQ spy agency. Huawei, the world's biggest producer of telecoms equipment, faces intense scrutiny in the West over its relationship with the Chinese government and allegations of enabling state espionage, with the United States calling for its allies not to use its technology. No evidence has been produced publicly and the firm has repeatedly denied the claims, but the allegations have led several Western countries to restrict Huaweis access to their markets. Pressure has been growing on Huawei in Britain, one of its most important markets in Europe, since a government report in July last year found that technical and supply-chain issues with the company's equipment had exposed national telecom networks to new security risks. Commenting on the report, Martin said: "As we said then, and repeat today, these problems are about standards of cyber security; they are not indicators of hostile activity by China." Martin said Huawei had pledged to address the problems, but acknowledged that doing so would take some years. (Reporting by Jack Stubbs and Foo Yun Chee; writing by Jack Stubbs; editing by Georgina Prodhan) Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. When a child is sick and conventional medicine isnt helping, parents understandably often turn to alternative treatments. Recently, that includes cannabidiol, aka CBD, which is a cannabis compound found in marijuana and hemp thats being touted as a remedy for everything from pain and arthritis to seizures and sleep problems. Unlike the cannabis plants other well-known compound, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD does not get users high, its nonaddictive, and it has a low risk of side effectswhich makes it seem like an appealing option for children. While CBD is being used widely by adults, the best evidence for it comes from studies focusing on children with certain kinds of epilepsy. And increasingly, parents are giving CBD to their children to manage a range of other conditions, such as autism and anxiety. CBD has become a very popular over-the-counter type of treatment that parents get on their own and give their children, and some say they see a big improvement, says Doris Trauner, M.D., distinguished professor of neurosciences and pediatrics at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and a physician at San Diegos Rady Childrens Hospital. Every other patient I see is asking about it. But she cautions that for many health problems the research is still in its infancy. And while CBD doesnt pose many clear risks, its also not totally benign, says Trauner, who is launching a clinical study examining the benefits and risks of CBD on children with autism. People tend to think that because its natural and plant-based that its safe, she says. But CBD can cause side effects, such as diarrhea, changes in appetite, fatigue, and interactions with some medications. In addition, CBD products sold online and in retail stores are mostly unregulated, making it difficult to know whether the tinctures, balms, gelcaps, and gummies available contain what the label claims. Story continues Still, many experts are hopeful about CBDs potential. Though much research has been in animals, three recent randomized placebo-controlled double-blind trials in humans (the gold standard for scientific studies), found that a CBD-based drug called Epidiolex was effective in reducing seizures in people with Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, two rare but devastating forms of epilepsy. The landmark studies led the Food and Drug Administration to approve Epidiolex in June 2018, making it the first (and only) prescription CBD-based medication. The emergence of Epidiolex has helped legitimize CBD, but using it (and other cannabinoid-based products) to manage childhood conditions remains controversial and is largely uncharted territory. Heres what you need to know if you are thinking about using CBD for your child. CBD for Seizures What parents say: Adam Adache, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., says that Epidiolex has been life-changing for his daughter Maya. Now 11 years old, she began having seizures as a baby and was later diagnosed with Dravet syndrome. For most of her life, she endured multiple seizures each day, and none of the medications shed been given provided long-term help. Some were scarier than others, but they were all scary, Adache says. On Epidiolex, Maya has gone from having up to 20 seizures a day to having only about one seizure every few weeks or month. Its been amazing, Adache says. Occasionally well see the small partial seizures, but theyre very few and far between . . . it was a dramatic change, night and day. What research says: Orrin Devinsky, M.D., director of NYU Langones Comprehensive Epilepsy Center in New York City and a principal investigator in the Epidiolex trials, says its clear that CBD can reduce the most important and disabling seizures in people with Dravet or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. But he acknowledges that it doesnt work for everyone with those forms of epilepsy, and some research has shown that CBD may not be effective for other types of seizure disorders. Whats more, Epidiolex differs in important ways from the CBD sold online or in retail stores. For one thing, as an FDA-approved prescription drug, it comes in a highly purified form, with numerous safeguards in place to ensure that it contains what its manufacturer claims, in the proper amounts, and is produced in a facility thats free of contaminants. Also, the dosages are higher than what is suggested on the labels of most over-the-counter CBD products. Still, its not unreasonable to try over-the-counter CBD products to manage your childs seizures, as long as you talk with your doctor and take safety precautions. (See CRs tips on how to try CBD safely.) Go slowly and try to be systematic and monitor, Devinsky says. And because CBD is fat-soluble, give it to your child along with a food that contains fat. This will help the body absorb the CBD better and maximize what youre getting, he says. CBD for Autism What parents say: Valerie Hoback, of Conestoga, Penn., says she tried a few brands of CBD before finding oneHempWorx CBDthat helped her 11-year-old son Wyatt, who has a mild form or autism. Since he started taking it in June 2018, Hoback says, Wyatt no longer experiences the head explosions or the screaming in his brain, as he used to describe the way he felt. Hoback emphasizes that CBD has not cured Wyatts autism, but it has helped him to move forward with school, therapy, and life at home, she says. What research says: Animal studies suggest that CBD may affect autistic behaviors, and some scientists are beginning to investigate whether it has the same effect in humans. For instance, Trauner, in San Diego, will soon launch a first-of-its kind double-blind placebo-controlled study examining the effect of a synthetic form of CBDone created in a lab, not extracted from a planton children with severe autism. The research, Trauner says, is to see whether the drug will improve the more negative symptoms associated with severe autism, such as aggressive behavior, self-injurious behavior, persistent repetitive behaviors, and hyperactivity. Several prescription drugs offer some help for people with autism, but they can have serious side effects. If we can find something that doesnt have those side effects and has a good safety profile that works, it could make a huge difference, Trauner says. It could allow these children to reach their potential. Devinsky is also hopeful that CBD may prove to be effective in treating autism, in part because of parallels between that condition and epilepsy. Some genes that cause autism also cause epilepsy, and some of the physiologic changes in nerve cells in autism are also similar to those in epilepsy, Devinsky says. So its not a shock that we might get some benefit from drugs that might work on both disorders. CBD for ADHD What parents say: Last October, Lindsey Elliott started giving her 11-year-old son Tyler about 15 mg of a CBD oil made by a company called Elixinol to see whether it would help his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). For years, Tylers inability to focus made it hard for him to pay attention in school and keep up with schoolwork. But after trying CBD, Tyler has improved leaps and bounds, Elliott says. Both he and his teacher have noticed a big difference. Tyler feels like he can concentrate more, and he feels more part of the team because hes not sitting there lost. But not all parents have had the same experience. This past summer, Jaime Cammack of Middlebury, Vt., bought a CBD product for her elementary-school-age son, who has ADHD. Fellow parents had mentioned that the compound had helped their sons ADHD, and Cammack was seeking an alternative to prescription drugs. She chose organic gummies made by Upstate Elevator Supply and gave her son one 10-mg gummy three times a day from July through September. I went into it hopeful that wed found a more natural way to knock the edge off of [his] highs and lows, but we found there was very little difference, Cammack says. She decided to stop using the CBD, given that it was expensive and provided minimal help, and instead started her son on medication. The prescription we are currently using is much more effective at enabling our son to curb his impulses and focus, Cammack says. Instead of taking 2 hours to do a single math worksheet, it takes roughly 10 minutes, and that is a big win for our daily routine. What research says: Theres not much research on CBD and ADHD directly, but theres growing evidence that CBD can ease anxiety, a problem that sometimes accompanies ADHD, Devinsky says. Scott Shannon, M.D., assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and author of Mental Health for the Whole Child (W.W. Norton, 2013), agrees. He says that while he does not routinely recommend CBD for ADHD, Kids that have an anxious variety of ADHD may get some benefit. CBD for Pain What parents say: Hoback, in Pennsylvania, says that CBD has not only helped manage her son Wyatts autistic behaviors but also eased her 15-year-old daughter Emmas migraines, which she has suffered from since she was 3 years old. She is on a prescription medication for the migraines, but it will only help if she is able to catch them in time, Hoback says. If not, shes in terrible pain and has vomiting. So we tried rubbing the CBD cream on her head when the migraines get bad. It takes her head pain away in about 20 minutes. Its a bit unbelievable. What research says: There have been no clinical human trials evaluating CBD and migraines specifically. But research suggests it may treat pain (possibly including migraine pain) by interacting with receptors throughout the body, through pathways called the endocannabinoid system. The receptors may affect the pain messages that cells send to each other. Other research shows that CBD can fight inflammation, which may also relieve pain. CBD Caveats and Risks to Consider Talk with your childs doctor. If youre considering CBD for your child, let your pediatrician know so that he or she can manage your childs overall care, monitor possible side effects, and help you avoid medication interactions. Its hard to find physicians at this point who are experienced and comfortable in this area, so thats going to be a challenge, Shannon says. But I think thats a good goal, if they can find a professional who can guide them with this. Watch for side effects. Overall, research suggests that CBD has few side effects, especially compared with the powerful prescription medications sometimes used to treat serious childhood conditions, Shannon says. In the Epidiolex trials, for instance, the side effects were minor, including problems such as liver function abnormalities, lethargy, decreased appetite, and diarrhea, (especially at higher doses), but the medication has very good safety data, Devinsky says. Still, little is known about the risks of taking CBD long-term, so it should be used cautiously, especially in children. And it can interact with several medications, so be extra-careful if your child regularly takes any over-the-counter or prescription drugs. (See CRs tips on how to try CBD safely.) Look for a reputable product. CBD products sold online and at many retail stores arent subject to rigorous testing, and some have questionable quality. A 2017 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that evaluated CBD products bought online found that 26 percent of them contained less CBD than what was listed on the label. It is a bit buyer beware, says Bonni Goldstein, M.D., medical director of Canna-Centers, a medical practice based in California. So look for a company that can provide third-party testing and a Certificate of Analysis, or COA. These results should indicate how much CBD (and THC) the product contains, as well as how the product did in tests checking for contaminants. Anybody who says, we dont have test results, move on and find another company, Goldstein says. If your pediatrician cant advise you on CBD products, check out Realm of Caring, an independent nonprofit that conducts research on cannabinoids and offers education services. (Read more on how to shop for CBD.) Start low and slow. It can take time to figure out an appropriate dose of CBD. Goldstein, who has treated many children with CBD (often in combination with THC) for conditions such as autism and epilepsy, says that theres no one size fits all, and it takes trial and error to find the right product and dosage for each child. I prepare parents that it will likely take us six to 12 months to see what will work, Goldstein says. A good rule of thumb: Start at a low dose and increase gradually, which will guard against side effects. Store CBD safely. Just as you would with any other medication, remember to store CBD products out of reach of children, especially if they are gummies and could be mistaken for candy. Though taking large amounts of CBD may not be lethal, it could cause stomach upset, among other problems. Also, if the product is mislabeled and contains more THC than listed (hemp-derived CBD products may contain up to 0.3 percent THC), it could be intoxicating. More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright 2019, Consumer Reports, Inc. For decades, American presidents have sought a deal to disarm North Korea, only to be frustrated at every turn. At the center of these efforts is the sprawling nuclear research center at Yongbyon, where three reactors provide the country with the ability to make more nuclear warheads or worse, peddle the material to third parties. So it comes as little surprise that once again, as President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sit down for a second summit in Hanoi, Yongbyon has emerged as a vital element of any prospective deal. The nuclear center, comprised of nearly 400 buildings peppered over 3.4 square miles, has been called the crown jewel of Pyongyangs nuclear infrastructure. Its believed that all of the nations plutonium is produced at the complex, along with highly enriched uranium and tritium, which is necessary to make a powerful thermonuclear weapon. Although Pyongyang is a long way from giving up its nuclear weapons entirely, the diplomatic path toward that goal is more visible than it has been in years. Kim is aware that Yongbyon, which has been producing plutonium since 1986, is perhaps his biggest bargaining chip in negotiating relief from economic sanctions that have long crippled his country. He indicated he might be willing to accept limits on nuclear fuel production earlier this year during a national New Years address. And he told South Korean President Moon Jae-in last September he was open to shutting down at least one reactor. But it will take more than a vague promise to show progress. Arms control analysts warn that any agreement to shut down Yongbyon must be detailed with straightforward demands that can be verified by international inspectors who will have access to equipment, documents, and personnel to confirm compliance. Siegfried Hecker, former director of the nuclear weapons design center at Los Alamos, N.M., and now a professor of management science and engineering at Stanford University, is one of the few foreigners to have toured Yongbyon. He witnessed 2,000 centrifuges capable of producing highly enriched, weapons-grade uranium. The facility, he said, has since doubled in size. The bottom line is that shutting down and dismantling Yongbyon will eliminate the ability to produce more plutonium as well as tritium, Hecker said. It is highly unlikely that reactors exist anywhere else in North Korea. Dismantling Yongbyon will greatly limit highly enriched uranium production, but not end it. Story continues Dismantling the 5 megawatt plutonium production reactor represents a good start at the facility, he said, because that would be easy to verify. However, North Korea has already twice agreed to shut down parts of the nuclear center, only to fire it back up again once relations soured. The Agreed Framework signed by Washington and Pyongyang in 1994 called for Korea to halt nuclear-weapons development in return for two light-water nuclear power plants, from which it is difficult to generate the fissile material for bombs. In 2007, as a result of the so-called SixParty Talks, Korea again agreed to shut down a reactor and invite the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors for verification. A year later, Pyongyang publicly demolished a cooling tower at its main reactor. Once diplomatic relations deteriorated, however, it was restarted after the engineers devised a way to cool the reactor by pumping in water from a nearby river. In both cases, Korea dismantled equipment but was able to quickly restart because the sensitive material, such as furnaces for fuel fabrication and reprocessing equipment, was close at-hand. If were serious about stopping operations there, the sensitive equipment needs to be removed from North Korea this time, said Jeffrey Lewis, an analyst with the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies Middlebury Institute of Strategic Studies. Moreover, any destruction of nuclear facilities must be inspected by IAEA, he said. Pyongyang shouldnt be allowed off-the-hook from verification like their decision last year to blow up tunnels leading to an underground nuclear test site, which was only observed by international journalists. Inspectors need to be allowed to do the forensic work to ensure compliance, Lewis said. Either way, delivering any sort of blow to Pyongyangs sprawling missile and nuclear weapon infrastructure will take a herculean, years-long effort the likes of which have never been seen before. No nation that has amassed such an arsenal has ever given it up. As a result, many arms control analysts are dubious of the Trump Administrations stated goal of a complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Yongbyon is the only known facility where North Korea produces weapons-grade material, but analysts believe its not alone. For instance, Lewis discovered another site at Kangson, just outside Pyongyang, using commercial satellite imagery. There are more facilities that we dont know about, Melissa Hanham, a non-proliferation expert and director of the One Earth Future Foundations Datayo Project. Regardless of what happens in Hanoi, we will be living with a nuclear North Korea. She pointed out that any agreement should also acknowledge Pyongyangs missile capability. It is a crucial topic, considering the Trump Administration pulled out of its obligations under the Iran Nuclear Deal, in part, because Iran continued developing and testing missile technology. Under the 2015 agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran removed the core of its Arak heavy water nuclear reactor and filled it with cement in exchange for sanctions relief. Yet the Trump Administration tore up the deal last year, citing Tehrans continued missile testing even though it wasnt explicitly part of the deal. We cant repeat the mistakes of the past, Hanham said. Under Kim, the country relentlessly pursued it toward its military goal of being able to unleash a nuclear strike on the U.S. and its allies. North Korea is now believed to have a dozen or more nuclear warheads and an arsenal of several hundred short- and medium-range ballistic missiles capable of hitting South Korea, Japan, along with U.S. military bases and territories in the region. Pyongyang also has developed long-range missiles that can range every major city in the continental United States. North Korean state-run media says the nation now has a standardized nuclear weapon design with warheads small enough to be affixed atop ballistic missiles. The nation has not yet demonstrated a fully functional reentry vehicle, which carries the warhead atop the ICBM, capable of surviving the searing heat, pressure and vibration of falling from space back to Earth. Nor has it shown an ability to hit a target with precision, but it has demonstrated enough advancement to be treated as a full-fledged nuclear weapons state. North Koreas string of 23 missile launches in 2017 posed serious national security concerns for the U.S., including two ICBM launches that climbed to new heights in outer space several times higher than the International Space Station. The two launches only went a short distance but if their astronomical trajectories were flattened out, the missiles would be capable of hitting nearly all of the United States. Meanwhile, North Korea continued to develop medium-range ballistic missiles that are driven on a mobile launcher into a remote area, blasted off, and delivered to their targets. The weapons are considered deeply destabilizing to Asian allies because of their capability to launch a devastating strike without early warning. North Korea does appear to have halted its overt testing efforts, which may be a result of Trumps maximum pressure campaign, or, some a reflection that Pyongyang has learned what it needed to learn from its missile tests last year and is secretly working on another aspect of the program. After decades of defying international pressure to hold off on additional weapons development, North Korea did not test in 2018 and has yet to test-launch a missile in 2019. With reporting by Feliz Solomon in Hanoi Demonstrators gathered in Peshawar on February 27 to urge Pakistani leaders to go to war with India as the two countries clash over Kashmir. Tension between India and Pakistan is high following a series of air attacks involving both sides, in which fighter jets from each nation were shot down and an Indian pilot was captured by Pakistani forces, Reuters reported. Indias Ministry of External Affairs summoned on February 27 the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan to lodge a strong protest at the unprovoked act of aggression by Pakistan against India earlier today. Credit: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty via Storyful U.S. President Donald Trump began meeting Wednesday with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in their second summit together in less than a year. Held in the Vietnamese city of Hanoi, the meeting is intended to bring about North Koreas de-nuclearization, and possibly provide a formal end to the Korean War. The two men previously met last June in Singapore. That historic summit ended with some backslapping and fine words, but little solid progress has been made since. Related stories Live Updates as Michael Cohen Testifies Before Congress Michael Cohen: Trump Is a 'Racist,' 'Conman' and 'Cheat' Alfonso Cuaron on His New Oscars, Netflix and if Trump Should Watch 'Roma' After motorcades across Hanoi, they shook hands in front of an array of flags at the citys Metropole hotel. Trump wore a dark two-piece suit, Kim a smart boiler suit, but both men looked tired, and Kim appeared somewhat overawed. In early remarks in front of cameras, Trump predicted greater results that at the first summit. He said the achievement of the first summit was their getting to know each other. Kim said he was certain that an outcome, rather than stalemate will be achieved this time. If a deal is reached, it would give Trump a rare foreign-policy victory at a time when his presidency is increasingly embattled at home. On Tuesday, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives voted to block Trumps declaration of a national emergency that would allow the building of a border wall with Mexico. And on Wednesday, his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, is scheduled to testify before Congress in an extraordinary, and potentially explosive, public hearing. Cohen is expected to tell the House Oversight Committee and Reform that Trump is a racist, a con man and a cheat, according to news organizations that have seen copies of his prepared remarks. Cohen is also expected to point to weaknesses in Trumps past explanations about his medical deferment from military service, and the irony that Trump is now in Vietnam, having avoided active service there. Story continues Both Trump and Kim arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday local time, Kim having taken the long overland route by train through China. The two men met on schedule Wednesday evening at 18.40 local time (6.40 am EST) and then headed in to a social dinner. A full day of discussions and a press conference at some point will follow on Thursday. Earlier Wednesday, Trump met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Trump took to Twitter between to talk up the importance of the summit meeting. Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuculearize. The potential is AWESOME, a great opportunity, like almost none other in history, for my friend Kim Jong Un. We will know fairly soon Very Interesting!, he wrote on Twitter. Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts! CAIRO (AP) Egypt has rejected criticism from a U.N. human rights body about a recent spike in executions allegedly involving confessions made under torture, saying Cairo categorically rejects any infringement into the affairs of its judiciary. In a Sunday statement, the foreign affairs ministry said the nine death sentences carried out Wednesday of alleged Islamists followed "fair and transparent trials." The nine were found guilty of taking part in a 2015 bombing that killed the country's top prosecutor, Hisham Barakat. U.N. Human Rights Office spokesman Rupert Colville told reporters Friday that Egyptian authorities should take all measures needed to guarantee due process and investigate allegations of torture. Colville said that judges had ignored accounts of torture to extract confessions. A total of 15 people have been executed in Egypt this year. PARIS (AP) The European Court of Human Rights ordered France to pay 15,000 euros ($17,000) to an Afghan migrant for failing to protect him when, as a 12-year-old, he lived alone in a makeshift migrant camp in Calais. Thursday's decision is limited to the case of Jamil Khan, who spent six months in the squalid camp, one of scores of unaccompanied minors there. Khan sneaked across the English Channel in March 2016 and now lives in Birmingham. The Strasbourg court said that it wasn't convinced the French government did all it could to care for and protect the child, as a court had ordered after a lawyers' group filed a complaint on his behalf. The court ruled authorities had breached Europe's human rights convention forbidding inhuman or degrading treatment. The decision comes amid controversy over a new French database on young migrants who claim to be children. The number of migrants officially recognized as underage in France tripled between 2015 and last year, to more than 17,000 people, the Interior Ministry said in a statement Thursday. But it said a much larger number of adult migrants claim to be children in order to seek special state aid and shelter from local governments. If local officials determine that they are adults, these migrants then travel to other regions to apply again for child benefits, the ministry said. So the government issued a decree last month allowing the creation of a nationwide database of migrants seeking child benefits, including their photos and fingerprints. UNICEF and several other rights groups objected, and filed a complaint Thursday with the Council of State, France's highest administrative body. The rights groups fear the new database doesn't respect privacy rights, encourages authorities to deport young migrants, and will scare isolated children away from seeking help. By Kylie MacLellan, William James and Elizabeth Piper LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May won a two week reprieve on Wednesday from British lawmakers, who postponed a threatened rebellion aimed at blocking a no-deal Brexit after she agreed to a possible delay to Britain's departure from the EU. But the opposition Labour Party announced it would now support a new public vote on Brexit, the first time since Britain voted in 2016 to leave the EU that one of its main parties has backed giving voters a chance to change their minds. After months of saying that Britain must leave the EU on time on March 29, May opened up the possibility on Tuesday of a short limited extension to the exit date. That was enough to avert a showdown in parliament on Wednesday with lawmakers -- including ministers in her own government who had said they were prepared to join a rebellion this week to avert an exit with no agreement. May's climbdown took much of the heat out of a series of votes on Wednesday that could have ripped control of the entire process away from the government. In the end, lawmakers backed her promised timetable. But it now means British citizens and businesses will not learn how, or possibly even whether, they are to leave the European Union until the final weeks or even days before the deadline. After a deal she negotiated with European leaders was rejected on Jan. 15 in the biggest parliamentary defeat in modern British history, May is hoping to bring back a tweaked divorce accord for a vote, which could come as early as next week but may not take place until March 12. May has now promised that if her deal is voted down, lawmakers will get a chance to vote on whether to leave with no deal, or to ask the European Union to delay the deadline. Lawmakers voted 502-20 in support of an amendment proposed by opposition Labour lawmaker Yvette Cooper that spelled out May's proposed timetable. The government backed the amendment. Before May's concessions on Tuesday, Cooper had been assembling support from all parties for an amendment that would have ensured parliament had a chance to block a no-deal exit and seek a delay. Wednesday's votes also saw lawmakers defeat a Labour proposal for a permanent customs union with the EU. While that was widely expected, Labour had said this week that its failure would be the trigger for the main opposition party to pledge its support for a new referendum. "Disappointed the government has rejected Labours alternative Brexit deal," Labour's Brexit spokesman, Keir Starmer, said. "Thats why Labour will put forward or support an amendment in favour of a public vote to prevent a damaging Tory Brexit." Lawmakers also rejected a proposal on Wednesday by the Scottish National Party calling for no-deal Brexit to be ruled out under any circumstances. Most lawmakers oppose a no-deal exit, but May's promise to allow a vote on that after the vote on her deal was enough to persuade many not to intervene yet. Another measure, calling on the government to guarantee the rights of EU citizens in the event of a no-deal exit, was also passed with government support. MACRON SAYS DELAY NOT AUTOMATIC French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that the EU would agree to extend the Brexit deadline beyond March 29 only if Britain justified such a request with a clear objective. "If the British need more time, we would support an extension request if it was justified by new choices from the British," Macron told a joint briefing with Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel in Paris. "But we would in no way accept an extension without a clear view on the objective pursued." French officials have said Paris would agree to delay Brexit only if that came with a credible solution, for example if Britain called an election, held a second referendum, or presented a new plan that was acceptable to all sides but needed more time to be finalised. Merkel said she was "totally on the same line" as Macron but appeared more willing to show flexibility. "If Britain needs some more time, we won't refuse but we are striving for an orderly solution i.e. an orderly exit of Britain from the European Union," she said. The big shifts on Brexit by both May and Labour this week reflect turmoil within both major parties as the Brexit deadline approaches. Eight Labour lawmakers and three Conservatives quit their parties last week to set up a new anti-Brexit group, the biggest such schism in British politics for decades. Lawmakers in both parties have threatened further defections. (Additional reporting by Michelle Martin in Berlin; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Peter Graff) Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (C), Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) and Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj hold the 16th meeting of the foreign ministers of China, Russia and India in Wuzhen of east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 27, 2019. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang) HANGZHOU, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- China, Russia and India on Wednesday agreed to enhance coordination and cooperation, firmly uphold multilateralism and jointly fight against terrorism. The agreement came as Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held the 16th meeting of the foreign ministers of China, Russia and India in Wuzhen, eastern China's Zhejiang Province. Noting that the world today is undergoing unprecedented changes that have not been seen in the past 100 years, Wang said China, Russia and India, as influential major powers and important emerging economies, should enhance coordination, converge consensus, cement cooperation and jointly promote world peace and stability. Wang said leaders of the three countries successfully held a meeting in Argentina last November, which pointed out the direction for and provided a strong impetus to trilateral cooperation. He suggested that the three countries should firmly safeguard the international system with the United Nations (UN) as the core, and adhere to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and deepen counter-terrorism and security cooperation. It is necessary to resolutely oppose unilateralism and protectionism, continually push forward the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment and promote the construction of an open world economy, said Wang, adding that all of the three countries have proposed their initiatives of connectivity, and they should cooperate with each other and jointly promote the process of regional integration. Lavrov and Swaraj said the international community should observe the principle of the UN Charter and comply with the norms of international laws and relations. They called on the three countries to give full play of multilateral platforms including the UN to further strengthen coordination and cooperation and make joint contributions to properly handle international and regional hotspot issues and tackle challenges facing humanity. After the meeting, the three countries released a joint communique. The three foreign ministers also attended a joint press conference and conducted in-depth exchanges of views regarding the current international situation and trilateral cooperation. The three sides agreed to jointly combat all forms of terrorism, enhance communication over counter-terrorism policy and practical cooperation and will especially make efforts to eradicate terrorism and extremism. On the Venezuela issue, they said it should be settled by Venezuelan people through constructive dialogue rather than resorting to violence, and military intervention is opposed. The three sides also agreed to constantly consolidate and expand trilateral practical cooperation, and work on setting up a meeting mechanism among their defense ministers in an appropriate time. China also proposed to discuss "China, Russia, India plus" cooperation, so as to improve global influence of the trilateral cooperation. The next meeting between three foreign ministers will be held in Russia, Wang said. CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) A team of American journalists led by Univision's Jorge Ramos said they had their camera equipment and phones seized at Venezuela's presidential palace after Nicolas Maduro abruptly ended an interview Monday. Ramos, one of the most influential Spanish-speaking journalists in the U.S., told The Associated Press late Monday that Maduro cut short the interview after 17 minutes when he was shown video on an iPad shot a day earlier of young Venezuelans eating food scraps out of the back of a garbage truck. The Univision team left the Miraflores palace after two hours without having their telephones, footage or four cameras returned, Ramos said. He said they were informed by intelligence agents that they would be deported Tuesday, when they were already scheduled to return to their base in Miami. "They stole my work," Ramos said. "My job is to ask questions." Venezuela's government denied Ramos' account. They accused him of trying to stage an international incident after a senior State Department official and Sen. Marco Rubio relayed reports on social media of what they called Ramos' detention at the same time an interview shot earlier in the day with U.S. network ABC was being aired. "Hundreds of journalists have passed through Miraflores and received the same decent treatment we give all those doing journalistic work," Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said on Twitter. Ramos, who interviewed Maduro's mentor, Hugo Chavez, three times, said Maduro accused him of siding with the government's opponents in the political fight for power now raging in Venezuela. More than 50 governments around the world have recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's rightful leader after Maduro was sworn in for a second term last month following what the critics say was an illegitimate election. Ramos has previously angered one of Maduro's strongest critics: U.S. President Donald Trump, who famously had the journalist removed from a news conference on the campaign trail in 2015 when he asked about his anti-immigrant views toward Mexicans. HELSINKI (AP) Nearly a million people are eligible to vote Sunday to choose Estonia's 101-seat Riigikogu legislature, where the outgoing prime minister and his Center Party is pitted against the center-right opposition Reform Party. Both want to keep at bay a nationalist, far-right party with an anti-immigration, xenophobic and Euroskeptic agenda, which has increased its popularity since the last election in 2015. ___ WHO'S RUNNING Ten political parties and 15 independents totaling 1,099 candidates are up for election. The main contenders are the Center Party, whose backers include ethnic Russians who make up 25 percent of the population in this former Soviet republic; the center-right Reform Party that advocates liberal economic policies; and the Social Democrats, focusing on social and welfare issues. Juri Ratas has been heading a coalition of his Center Party, the Social Democrats and the conservative Fatherland since November 2016, when the previous, center-right government collapsed after internal disputes and a lost confidence vote. ___ WORTH KEEPING AN EYE ON. Polls show the nationalist, far-right Estonian Conservative People's Party, known by its acronym EKRE, has gained in popularity in recent years. Led by father and son Mart and Martin Helme, it claims to represent true Estonian values. The party has harshly criticized the EU's compulsory quotas for taking in refugees. EKRE's rhetoric has led the main parties to say there's no place for the populists in the new government, no matter how well they do in the election. ___ THE MAIN ISSUES Top of the list are economic and domestic issues such as taxation and health care, and how to lure back tens of thousands of people who have emigrated particularly to neighboring Finland and Britain leaving Estonia with a shortage of skilled workers. A few thousand immigrants mainly from former Soviet states are making up for the labor shortage. The government is keeping a tight annual quota on workers from outside the European Union a particular irritation to the flourishing startup scene. Story continues All parties agree that Estonia is an active EU member and a staunch Washington ally, and that NATO is the cornerstone of the country's security policy. But Russia has maintained interest in the military and security affairs of Estonia and its Baltic neighbors since they joined NATO in 2004. ___ THE POLLS A Feb. 25 poll commissioned by Estonia's public broadcaster ERR based on 4,700 respondents showed Ratas' Center Party could win 28 percent of the vote, up from 24.8 percent in 2015, with the Reform Party coming in second with 24 percent. EKRE is on 17 percent. Pundits say the top two parties may end up forming a coalition, possibly with one junior partner from the smaller parties. ___ CAMPAIGNING AND VOTING ONLINE One of Europe's most wired nations, Estonia in 2005 was the first country in the world to use online balloting for a national election. Some 26 percent of voters had cast their ballot via a dedicated government website by the deadline of Feb. 27. No online voting takes place on the election day. Candidates have been trained to secure their home pages in case of hacking and Estonian authorities closely track fake news and disinformation. Estonia's electoral committee has so far reported no attempts from Russia or elsewhere to interfere with the election, either through hacking, fake news or disinformation. Microsoft said last week that Estonia was not among countries targeted by a hacking group with alleged links to Russia ahead of the EU parliamentary elections in May. HANOI, Vietnam (AP) The Latest on the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (all times local): 12:45 a.m. Friday North Korea is disputing President Donald Trump's account of why the summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (kim jawng oon) collapsed. North Korea's foreign minister says the North demanded only partial sanctions relief in exchange for shuttering its main nuclear complex, and that the discussions collapsed after the U.S. demanded further disarmament steps. Ri Yong Ho's comments during an abruptly scheduled news conference in Hanoi on Friday contradicted the explanation by Trump, who hours earlier told reporters that the North had demanded a full removal of sanctions in exchange for shuttering the Yongbyon nuclear facility. Ri says the North was also ready to offer in writing a permanent halt of the country's nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and that Washington wasted an opportunity that "may not come again." He says the North's position wouldn't change even if the United States offers to resume another round of dialogue. __ 8:20 p.m. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says nuclear negotiations with North Korea will resume quickly following the collapse of President Donald Trump's summit with Kim Jong Un (kim jawng oon). Pompeo tells reporters aboard his plane Thursday that his team will get back to work "tomorrow" although no new meetings have yet been scheduled. Pompeo said progress was made between Trump and Kim at their talks in Hanoi but not enough to warrant signing any kind of agreement. The White House had scheduled a signing ceremony but abruptly canceled it along with a lunch when it became clear an agreement could not be reached. Pompeo spoke as he flew to Manila from Hanoi, Vietnam, for talks with senior Philippines officials. __ 6:35 p.m. South Korea's presidential office says U.S. President Donald Trump regretted the collapse of his nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam but expressed "firm" commitment to continue negotiations. Story continues The office of South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday that Trump in a phone conversation with Moon discussed the details of his talks with Kim as he flew out of Vietnam. The Blue House says Moon encouraged Trump to continue his efforts for accomplishing the "historic feat of resolving the world's last remaining Cold War rivalry." It says the leaders agreed to meet soon to discuss the nuclear issue. Trump says he "walked away" from talks with Kim after it was clear the two sides remained at odds over ending the North's nuclear program. Kim was asked whether he was ready to denuclearize and said, "If I'm not willing to do that I won't be here right now." ___ 5:10 p.m. The Kremlin says that talks at the U.S.-North Korean nuclear summit in Vietnam appear to have failed because the parties proved unwilling to compromise and make concessions. Talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wrapped up two hours earlier on Thursday after the parties failed to reach an agreement. Trump says the U.S. was unwilling to meet North Korea's demand to remove all U.S.-led international sanctions in exchange for the shuttering of a North Korean nuclear facility. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Moscow is encouraged by the fact the negotiations did not break down completely. But Peskov laments the lack of "small steps" and flexibility that could have helped to achieve some progress. Peskov says the North Korean nuclear program is a complicated issue that is "impossible to solve in one go." ___ 4:55 p.m. China says the U.S. and North Korea must "meet each other halfway" after no agreement was reached between the two countries' leaders during their nuclear summit in Vietnam. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said during a regular news briefing Thursday that the situation in the Korean Peninsula experienced a significant "turnaround" over the past year, a "hard-won result" that is worth cherishing. Lu says the U.S. and North Korea have returned to the correct path toward a political settlement, which is "the only way out." During his post-summit press conference, U.S. President Donald Trump called Chinese leader Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng) "a highly-respected leader all over the world" who has been "very helpful" with North Korea. Trump says China is highly influential because of its high volume of trade with North Korea. ___ 4:30 p.m. South Korea's presidential office says it was "unfortunate" that U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un failed to produce an agreement in their high-stakes nuclear summit in Vietnam. But it says it expects "active dialogue" to continue between Washington and Pyongyang. The Blue House said Thursday it believes Washington and Pyongyang deepened their understandings of each other during their "long and deep discussions" in Hanoi. It says Trump raising the possibility of sanctions relief in exchange for nuclear disarmament steps from the North shows that the nuclear negotiations between the countries have entered an "elevated level." The collapse of the Trump-Kim summit could prove to be a setback for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, whose ambitions for inter-Korean engagement hinge on a nuclear breakthrough between Washington and Pyongyang. ___ 3:50 p.m. President Donald Trump has departed Vietnam after failing to reach an agreement during his second nuclear summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. The U.S. leader said he "walked away" from talks with Kim after it was clear the two sides remained at odds in talks over ending the North's nuclear program. Trump says the North had demanded a full removal of U.S.-led international sanctions in exchange for the shuttering of the North's Yongbyon nuclear facility, and the U.S. wouldn't agree to that. Trump took off from Hanoi more than two hours early after the abrupt change in schedule. Air Force One is scheduled to refuel in Anchorage, Alaska, before returning to Joint Base Andrews outside Washington late Thursday. ___ 3:40 p.m. South Korean media are reacting with alarm over the collapse of the nuclear summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Yonhap news agency said Thursday that the clock on the security situation of the Korean Peninsula has "turned back to zero" and that the diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff with the North was now "at a crossroads." Financial News wondered whether Washington and Pyongyang would struggle to keep the momentum of dialogue alive and anticipated the nuclear negotiations becoming a prolonged battle. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who met with Kim three times last year and lobbied hard to revive nuclear diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang, was expected to comment on the outcome of the Trump-Kim summit later Thursday. ___ 3:25 p.m. President Donald Trump is hopeful that India and Pakistan may be on the cusp of progress after the two countries exchanged gunfire through the night along the Kashmir region a day after Islamabad said it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot. Trump told reporters Thursday at the end of a two-day summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam that India and Pakistan have "been going at it" and that the U.S. has been involved, "trying to help them both out" to "see if we can get some organization and some peace." He says: "I think probably that's going to be happening," adding: "We have, I think, reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India." World powers have called on the two nations to de-escalate tensions that have gripped the region since a Feb. 14 suicide car bombing killed over 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. The situation escalated with Wednesday's aerial skirmish. ___ 3:05 p.m. President Donald Trump says his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un fell through after the North demanded a full removal of U.S.-led international sanctions in exchange for the shuttering of the North's Yongbyon nuclear facility. Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in Vietnam on Thursday that the United States wasn't willing to make a deal without the North committing to giving up its secretive nuclear facilities outside Yongbyon as well as its missile and warheads program. Experts have said Washington shouldn't give up too much for a Yongbyon-only deal as the North is believed to be secretly operating other uranium enrichment sites hidden around the country. Trump says that the summit ended on a good note but that there are no current plans for a third summit. ___ 3 p.m. President Donald Trump says he doesn't think North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was involved in the mistreatment of American college student Otto Warmbier, who died after being detained in the isolated country. Trump says of Kim: "He tells me that he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word." Trump has taken credit for freeing American prisoners abroad and used Warmbier's death as a rallying cry against the North's human rights abuses before softening his rhetoric in advance of talks with Kim. Warmbier, a 22-year-old University of Virginia student from Ohio, was visiting North Korea with a tour group when he was arrested and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in 2016 on suspicion of stealing a propaganda poster. He died in June 2017, shortly after he returned to the U.S. in a coma. ___ 2:55 p.m. President Donald Trump won't commit to saying the U.S. is demanding complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea before removing sanctions on that country. Trump spoke Thursday at a news conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, after he announced that he had walked away from his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un without a deal being reached. Trump says: "I don't want to put myself in that position from the standpoint of negotiation." Trump and other U.S. officials have long maintained that denuclearization was a prerequisite to lifting sanctions on North Korea. Trump said earlier that U.S. sanctions were the sticking point in the talks with Kim. ___ 2:50 p.m. U.S. President Donald Trump says he has not committed to a third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after their second summit ended early without a deal. Trump told reporters at a news conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Thursday at the end of two days of talks that "we'll see if it happens," but that he has "not committed." As for any further meetings, Trump says, "It might be soon. It might not be for a long time." Trump took questions from reporters after talks with Kim ended early. Trump says that Kim asked the U.S. to lift sanctions in exchange for certain steps toward denuclearization. Trump says he refused. ___ 2:25 p.m. President Donald Trump is explaining the abrupt and early end to his Vietnamese summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un by telling reporters: "Sometimes you have to walk." Trump said Thursday that North Korea wanted him to lift U.S. sanctions on the country in exchange for denuclearization, but he wasn't willing to do that. Still, he says Kim assured him he'll continue to hold off on nuclear and missile tests. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday at the news conference in Hanoi that he wishes the two sides could have gotten further. He says they asked Kim to do more and "he was unprepared to do that." ___ 1:40 p.m. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un have failed to reach an agreement at their second summit in Vietnam, but talks between the two nations will continue in the future. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says the two leaders discussed denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. She adds: "No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future." Still, Sanders is describing the meetings between Trump and Kim as "very good and constructive." Trump and Kim departed the hotel where they've been holding summit negotiations far earlier than planned Thursday. A joint agreement signing ceremony was scrapped. ___ 1:25 p.m. President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un have departed the hotel where they've been holding summit negotiations far earlier than planned. The leaders had been expected to hold a working lunch as well as attend a joint agreement signing ceremony at the Hanoi Metropole hotel on Thursday. Instead, they departed in separate motorcades within minutes of each other after doing neither. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters before Trump departed that there had been a "program change," but she did not provide further explanation about what had prompted the upheaval or whether any deals had been agreed to. Trump is scheduled to hold a news conference at 2 p.m. two hours earlier than originally scheduled before he departs Hanoi. ___ 12:55 p.m. Talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un are wrapping up earlier than expected. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters on Thursday that "negotiations are still ongoing" between the two delegations. Trump and Kim were scheduled to have lunch but did not enter the dining room where reporters were assembled. Sanders says Trump will return with his delegation to his hotel soon, providing no updates on a scheduled joint signing with Kim that had been on the books for 2 p.m. Sanders says Trump's press conference, which had been scheduled for 4 p.m., has now been moved to 2 p.m. at his hotel. ___ 12:50 p.m. South Korean President Moon Jae-in expects to speak with U.S. President Donald Trump on the phone following Trump's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over the future of the North's nuclear weapons program. A spokesman for Moon said Thursday that the call could take place shortly before Trump departs Vietnam or when he's aboard the presidential plane. Moon is desperate for a breakthrough in nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang so he can continue to push engagement with North Korea. Moon recently told Trump in a phone conversation that the South was ready to proceed with inter-Korean economic projects to induce further nuclear disarmament steps from the North. ___ Noon South Korean President Moon Jae-in plans to offer new proposals for inter-Korean engagement following the high-stakes nuclear summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Moon's announcement is planned for a Friday ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of a 1919 uprising by Koreans against Japan's colonial rule and will likely include plans for economic cooperation between the rival Koreas. Moon is desperate for a breakthrough in nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang so he can continue engagement with North Korea. He has driven the three-way diplomacy but is now held back by tough U.S.-led sanctions against the North. Kim and Trump are meeting Thursday in Vietnam as they inch closer toward establishing formal ties. ___ 11:25 a.m. President Donald Trump says it's "a good idea" for the U.S. to open a liaison office in North Korea, as Kim Jong Un calls the notion "welcomable." In an unprecedented question-and-answer session with reporters Thursday in Vietnam, the two leaders of the technically-warring countries inched closer toward establishing formal ties. Asked by an American reporter if he was willing to allow the U.S. to open an office in Pyongyang, Kim said through a translator, "I think that is something which is welcomable." Trump says that he considers it "a good idea," adding that it should happen "both ways." Earlier Thursday, Kim said he wouldn't be holding a summit with Trump if he weren't willing to make good on his denuclearization pledge. Tensions between India and Pakistan continue to escalate at speed, with both sides reportedly shooting down one anothers air force jets, Indian airspace being temporarily shut to commercial planes north of Delhi, and investors fleeing for safer havens. The current crisis began on February 14 when Pakistan-based militants launched a suicide bombing inside the Indian part of the disputed Kashmir region, killing 40 police force members. It stepped up dramatically this week when Indian jets bombed what Delhi said was a terrorist training camp on the Pakistani side. India claimed to have killed 300 people in the strikes. On Wednesday, Pakistan said it had shot down two Indian Air Force jets, and had captured two pilots. India, however, insisted it only lost one plane, in an incident where Indian jets intercepted Pakistani warplanes that had crossed into Indian airspace to attack military installationsthe Indian Air Force also said it had shot down one of those planes. These are the first aerial attacks to occur across the Line of Control that splits Kashmir since 1971, at which time the countries were at war. The two countries, which both have nuclear weapons, have fought several times over Kashmir. History tells us that wars are full of miscalculation. My question is that given the weapons we have can we afford miscalculation, said Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in a Wednesday broadcast. We should sit down and talk. Following the latest skirmish, Indian airlines canceled flights to cities in the north of India, due to airspace restrictions. However, later in the day, an official from Indias civil aviation regulator said flights to north Indian airports could immediately resume. Pakistan is at the time of writing still maintaining a ban on aircraft entering from Delhi at an altitude of below 32,000 feetthat ban has led Air India to reroute flights taking off from Delhi that would have passed over Pakistan. The situation has led some investors to turn to safer havens, with the Japanese yen and Swiss franc both strengthening in the wake of Pakistans downing of the Indian aircraft. Pakistans KSE 100 index fell by as much as 1,500 points Wednesday, while Indias BSE Sensex index also fell 600 points. House Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, left, presides over Michael Cohen's testimony Wednesday. Michael Cohen, the former personal lawyer and self-described fixer for Donald Trump, on Wednesday inveighed against his former boss, calling him a "cheat" and a "liar" and saying he was ashamed for concealing alleged crimes committed by the longtime New York real estate mogul. Cohen, appearing with his lawyer Lanny Davis sitting behind him, delivered a scathing opening statement to the U.S. House Oversight Committee, which is investigating Trump's financial dealings and potential conflicts of interest associated with his business empire. "Today, I am here to tell the truth about Mr. Trump," Cohen said Wednesday. In his 20-page prepared testimony, Cohen called Trump a "racist," "liar" and a "conman." He said he was ashamed of many things, including "my weakness and misplaced loyalty" and "my own failings." "I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump's illicit acts rather than listening to my conscience," Cohen said in his statement. Cohen refuted Trump's statements during the presidential campaign that he had nothing to doat allwith Russia. "To be clear: Mr. Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it. He lied about it because he never expected to win the election. He also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions of dollars on the Moscow real estate project." Cohen last year pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal district court to charges that included lying to Congress about the timeline of the real estate project in Russia that Trump was pursuing during the presidential campaign. Cohen had said talk of the hotel project ended in January 2016 when, in fact, those discussions, which allegedly involved Trump, continued for many months afterward. Cohen told the House panel that "Mr. Trump's personal lawyers reviewed and edited my statement to Congress about the timing of the Moscow Tower negotiations before I gave it." Trump, tweeting from Vietnam on Wednesday, where he was traveling for talks with North Korea, said: "He did bad things unrelated to Trump. He is lying in order to reduce his prison time." Cohen, in his written testimony, described Trump as "intoxicating." He said: "When you were in his presence, you felt like you were involved in something greater than yourselfthat you were somehow changing the world." He said he "touted the Trump narrative for over a decade. That was my job. Always stay on message. Always defend. It monopolized my life." Story continues Michael Cohen is sworn in Wednesday for his testimony before the House Oversight Committee. Screen shot YouTube "Donald Trump is a man who ran for office to make his brand great, not to make our country great," Cohen testified. "He had no desire or intention to lead this nationonly to market himself and to build his wealth and power." Cohen's planned testimony Wednesday was expected to focus partly on his role in facilitating hush-money payments to an adult actress named Stephanie Clifford, who has claimed a sexual affair with Trump before he became president. Cohen last year pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations tied to the payment of $130,000 to Clifford, who performs as Stormy Daniels. "I am going to jail in part because of my decision to help Mr. Trump hide that payment from the American people before they voted a few days later," Cohen said in his testimony. House Republicans immediately set to work painting Cohen as a liar, casting doubt on the credibility of his testimony. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the ranking member on House Oversight, on Wednesday called Cohen "a guy who can't be trusted." Jordan noted Davis role, saying he was a longtime friend and operative for the Clintons. This is the Michael Cohen hearing presented by Lanny Davis. That's right, Lanny Davis choreographed the whole thing," Jordan said. Cohen acknowledged his shortcomings. "For those who question my motives for being here today, I understand I have lied, but I am not a liar," Cohen said. "I have done bad things, but I am not a bad man. I have fixed things, but I am no longer your 'fixer,' Mr. Trump." Cohen is expected to report to federal prison, to begin serving a three-year sentence, on May 6. When he gets out, he'll have to find work that doesn't involve being a lawyer. A panel of New York justices disbarred Cohen for his felony convictions. Read more: Ex-Trump Lawyer Michael Cohen Is Disbarred in New York State DC Circuit Upholds Muellers Special Counsel Appointment Roger Stone Is Bench Slapped, Gagged Over Hostile Instagram Post Manafort 'Repeatedly and Brazenly Violated the Law,' Mueller Tells DC Judge 'Knock It Off': Judge Upbraids Reed Smith Partner Litigating Mueller Case Michael Cohen, the former personal lawyer and fixer to Donald Trump, is publicly testifying before the House Oversight Committee delivering remarks under oath in which he calls the President a racist, conman and cheat. The public testimony kicked off contentiously Wednesday with a motion from Republican Rep. Mark Meadows asking to delay the hearing, arguing that evidence was not submitted early enough. The panel voted against the motion. A copy of Cohens prepared opening statement was made public the night before the hearing. While Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, initially said the hearing would not extend to matters related to the investigation looking into links between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential election by special counsel Robert Mueller, he said at the start of the hearing that the committee would not restrict questions about Russia. Cummings said that Cohens opening statement raised questions about Russia, allowing questions about the investigation from the committee. Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, ranking member of the Oversight Committee, spoke after Cummings and made the argument that Cohen is a fraudster, cheat, felon and in two months a federal inmate who cannot be trusted and is a patsy for the Democrats who want to remove President Trump from office. The live testimony before Congress takes place as Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam. When asked if he had any response to Cohens testimony, Trump didnt answer and just shook his head. In a tweet early Wednesday, Trump said Cohen is lying in order to reduce his prison time. Cohen is set to begin a three-year prison sentence in May following his guilty plea. Michael Cohen was one of many lawyers who represented me (unfortunately). He had other clients also. He was just disbarred by the State Supreme Court for lying & fraud. He did bad things unrelated to Trump. He is lying in order to reduce his prison time. Using Crookeds lawyer! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 27, 2019 Among those expected to question Cohen on the House Oversight Committee are Democrats Cummings, Reps. Carolyn B. Maloney, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley. Meadows, Justin Amash, Paul Gosar and Virginia Foxx are some of several Republicans who will question Cohen. Story continues Follow along for updates as Cohen testifies before Congress and above, watch the hearing live. Cohen calls Trump a racist, conman, and cheat in prepared statement Cohen, who was disbarred in New York after pleading guilty to lying to Congress about his pursuit of a potential Trump Tower development in Moscow and committing campaign finance violations, called Trump a cheat in his testimony. Cohen suggested in his testimony that Trump implicitly instructed him to lie about the real estate project in Moscow and says Trump knew he was lying to Congress. Cohen said that Trump knew about and directed negotiations for the Moscow development project during the presidential campaign and lied about it. He also told the House committee that Trump knew in advance about WikiLeaks release of emails that were damaging to Hillary Clintons presidential campaign. Cohen claimed that Roger Stone told Trump about the email dump from WikiLeaks in June 2016; the first emails were released in July of that year. Cohen additionally detailed racist statements from Trump, including saying that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid. Cohen says Trump, while in office, paid him off to reimburse costs related to silence Stormy Daniels Cohen provided a check to the committee that Trump personally signed, while he was in office, to reimburse him for a $130,000 payment made to keep Stormy Daniels, a porn star, quiet about her affair with Trump. Trump has previously claimed to know nothing about these payments. During the hearing, Cummings asked Cohen: Is there any doubt in your mind that President Trump knew exactly what he was paying for? There is no doubt in my mind, he said. Cohen says Trump is all about winning Committee member Debbie Wasserman-Schultz asked Cohen if he believed Trump had asked for the WikiLeaks email dump. Cohen said he was not aware and added, Mr. Trump is all about winning. Asked by Wasserman-Schultz if Trump would have the potential to cooperate or collude with a foreign power to win the presidency at all costs, Cohen answered, Yes. Mr. Trumps desire to win would have him work with anyone, he said. Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch spars with Republicans Massachusetts Rep. Stephen Lynch refuted the Republicans line of questioning toward Cohen after GOP committee members repeatedly brought up his crimes in anger throughout the course of the hearing. Lynch noted that a number of other people associated with Trump, including Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort, have emerged as criminals. Your side ran away from the truth, and were trying to bring it to the American people, Lynch said. Lynch then questioned Cohen about the Trump Tower Moscow deal. Cohen said he briefed Trumps children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump about ten times on the deal. Cohen says he spoke with Novartis multiple times In another heated exchange between Meadows and Cohen, the congressman asked how times many Cohen had spoken with representatives from the pharmaceutical giant, which previously paid him $1.2 million for access to his knowledge of the enigma of Donald Trump, he said. Cohen said hed talked to Novartis about six times. Cohen and Rep. Jim Jordan have tense exchanges Cohen and the Republican Congressman have sparred on and off throughout the hearing. Jordan at one point accused Cohen of wanting a job at the White House, and said hes now behaving just like everyone else who got fired or didnt get the job they wanted. Cohen pushed back at the accusation, saying he did not want to go to the White House. I was offered jobs. Trumps sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, who have been tweeting throughout the hearing, disputed Cohens account. Nailed it. It really was the biggest joke of the entire transition. The beginning of his bitterness was when he realized that was never going to happen. #Delusional. https://t.co/ddizWugguU Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 27, 2019 Later, Jordan asked why Cohen didnt deny a BuzzFeed report that said Trump directed Cohen to lie to Congress. It wasnt our responsibility to be the fact-checker, Cohen said. Cohen says his attorney, Lanny Davis, is representing him for free Asked by Republican Jody Hice who was paying his attorney, Lanny Davis, Cohen said the lawyer was working for free. So hes doing all this work for nothing? Hice asked. Yes sir, and I hope so, Cohen responded. Hice said, I kind of doubt it. Davis, who previously served as special counsel to Bill Clinton, has been accused by Republicans of orchestrating the testimony. Jordan, in his opening remarks, said, Theyve got to find somebody somewhere to say something to remove the president from office. They didnt find him. Lanny Davis found him. So now Clinton loyalist, Clinton operative Lanny Davis has persuaded the chairman of the oversight committee to give a convicted felon a forum to tell stories and lie about the president of the United States. With reporting from Alana Abramson. London (AFP) - British MPs agreed Wednesday to give Prime Minister Theresa May more time to work on her EU withdrawal deal after she promised they could delay Brexit if necessary, but European leaders warned that any postponement would come with conditions. MPs voted by 502 to 20 to endorse May's plan, a radical shift in strategy made only after the threat of revolt by ministers who fear Britain crashing out of the European Union on March 29 without a deal. May is still seeking changes to a withdrawal agreement struck with the EU late last year, which she hopes will be enough to get it through parliament's lower House of Commons. But if she fails, she has promised MPs votes on March 13 and March 14 on whether to leave the bloc without a deal, and if not, to seek a short delay. "The government's policy is to get the legally binding changes so a deal can be brought back to this house... and we can leave on March 29 with a deal," May said. Any delay must be approved by the other 27 EU member states, and the bloc's leaders have agreed to look at any request from Britain. But some questioned what it would achieve without a breakthrough in London, where MPs still cannot agree how to implement the 2016 Brexit referendum result. "We don't need more time: what we need most of all is a decision," French President Emmanuel Macron said after meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Paris. In Madrid, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said: "Although Spain will not oppose granting a possible extension, this must have an assured perspective of resolution." - EU citizens' rights - May had repeatedly ruled out delaying Brexit, even after her deal -- covering citizens' rights, the financial settlement, a transition period and plans for the Irish border -- was overwhelmingly rejected by MPs in January. Her U-turn on Tuesday prompted outrage among hardliners in the ruling Conservative party, with influential anti-EU MP Jacob Rees-Mogg warning that "any delay to Brexit is a plot to stop Brexit". Story continues Twenty Conservatives rebelled against the prime minister during the main vote on Wednesday, while many others abstained. However, May's change of plan averted a rebellion by pro-Europeans who fear economic chaos if Britain ends its 46-year-old relationship with the EU without a deal. In a rare moment of unity, MPs moved on Wednesday to protect the rights of 3.6 million Europeans living in Britain and one million Britons in the EU in case of a "no deal". They backed without a vote an amendment urging the government to try to preserve the expat rights set out in the divorce agreement, whatever happens. May's government has already vowed to protect the rights of those in Britain but agreed to try to encourage a joint EU approach. - Another referendum? - Opposition to the Brexit deal, agreed in November after almost two years of negotiations between London and Brussels, is focused on the so-called backstop plan to avoid checks on the Irish border. May is seeking legal guarantees of the temporary nature of the arrangement, which Conservative MPs fear would keep Britain in the EU's customs union indefinitely. The opposition Labour party by contrast wants a new customs union with the bloc after Brexit, but its plan was defeated by 323 to 240 on Wednesday evening. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn dramatically shifted his own position on Brexit this week by opening the door to backing a second referendum. After Wednesday's defeat, he said: "We will back a public vote in order to prevent a damaging Tory Brexit or a disastrous no deal outcome." But he said Labour would also "continue to push for the other available options to prevent those outcomes, including a close economic relationship based on our credible alternative plan or a general election". MPs also voted by 324 votes to 288 against a Scottish National Party motion to avoid "no deal". HANOI, Vietnam (AP) A tearful North Korean defector shouted "Please, let me go back home!" as a black limousine carrying North Korean leader Kim Jong Un passed by her in Hanoi on Tuesday. Shin Eun Ha is one of two North Korean defectors who flew to Vietnam to wish for progress during a second summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump this week. They joined a crowd gathered near a Hanoi hotel where Kim is staying. Shin said she hopes the summit will help achieve peace so she can return to her hometown of Musan, which she fled in 2003. "For defectors, North Korea isn't a country of hatred but a place that we are desperate to go back to even in our dreams," Shin told The Associated Press. "I hope to see a day when we can go back to North Korea by taking a train like Kim Jong Un used to come here." Later Tuesday, when Kim's limousine left his hotel, escorted by motorcycle outriders, Shin cried and shouted repeatedly, "Please, let me go home." "I don't understand why we should live while missing our hometown," Shin said. She and her fellow defector came as part of a popular South Korean TV program featuring North Korean defectors. Shin, a 30-year-old nurse in Seoul, has been a regular guest on the program, titled "Now On My Way to Meet You." About 30,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War to avoid political oppression and economic hardship. Shin said she left the North with her parents, who feared heavy punishment after they were caught making money from missionaries by passing out cassette tapes containing religious sermons and hymns to fellow North Koreans. When Shin left, Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, was North Korea's leader, the second in a dynastic line that started with Kim Il Sung, his father and the country's founder. Shin said both Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung were "god-like figures" and that she couldn't even dare to publicly say their names when she was in North Korea. She said Tuesday was the first time she was in the same area as a North Korean leader. Nam Hee Seok, a popular South Korean comedian who works on the TV program, said North Korean defectors appearing on the show hope for peace on the Korean Peninsula so they can exchange letters with their relatives in the North. He said some defectors have traveled through Vietnam on their way to South Korea. SheKnows Heidi Klum does it again! Shes kicking off the week with her latest nearly nude photo thats also a throwback from a magazine shoot she did when she was 36 years old. It doesnt matter that almost 12 years have passed since this image was taken, she looks just as fabulous in 2021. The black-and-white [] The Pakistani air force said Wednesday that it downed two Indian warplanes and took one pilot captive in the latest escalation of a recently reinvigorated conflict between two hostile nuclear powers. Indian officials disputed the Pakistani account, telling Reuters that both Indian pilots and a civilian were killed in the crash. The planes were downed after crossing the disputed border region of Kashmir into Pakistani territory, according to Pakistani officials. The attack represents the latest salvo in a tit-for-tat escalation that began earlier this month when a suicide bomber killed 40 Indian police officers in Kashmir. Pakistani terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad took credit for the February 14 bombing but Pakistani officials have denied any involvement. In response to the bombing, India launched an airstrike against a Jaish-e-Mohammad training camp in Pakistan on Tuesday. Indian officials claimed a very large number of Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and jihadis were killed in the attack while Pakistani officials said no one was harmed. The airstrike was the first time Indian planes crossed into Pakistani territory since the two countries went to war in 1971. Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan urged Indian officials to come to the negotiating table during a broadcast address to the nation on Wednesday. History tells us that wars are full of miscalculation. My question is that, given the weapons we have, can we afford miscalculation, Khan said. We should sit down and talk. More from National Review BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) Human Rights Watch is denouncing Colombia's government for appointing at least nine officers to key army positions despite credible evidence implicating them in serious human rights violations during the country's long civil conflict. The human rights organization released a report Wednesday condemning the government of President Ivan Duque for promoting Gen. Nicasio de Jesus Martinez Espinel as army chief and promoting eight other officers linked to abuses. The men are "credibly implicated" in what is known as the "false positive" scandal, in which security forces killed several thousand civilians during the height of the military's offensive against leftist guerrillas and counted them as rebels to inflate combat deaths to obtain coveted bonuses, the group said. "The Colombian government should be investigating officers credibly linked to extrajudicial executions, not appointing them to the army's top command positions," said Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director for Human Rights Watch. He said their appointments send a troubling message to troops: "That engaging in these abuses may not be an obstacle for career success." Martinez Espinel denied any wrongdoing and in response to the report said he trusted fully in Colombia's justice system to clear his name. "God and my subalterns know how we've acted," he said. It's not the first time Human Rights Watch has accused Colombia's government of turning a blind eye to wartime violations in making army promotions. In 2017, the group expressed concern that four colonels and one general strongly linked to the extrajudicial killings were on a list of candidates for promotions. Colombian courts have convicted hundreds of mostly low-ranking soldiers for their roles in the "false positive" killings but more senior army officers have largely escaped unscathed. The country's special peace tribunal is also reviewing the cases. The court was established following the signing of a 2016 peace deal with the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia to end Latin America's longest-running armed conflict. Those who fully confess to any crimes are unlikely to spend any time in jail. Story continues Human Rights Watch notes that Martinez Espinel was second-in-command of the 10th Brigade during years for which prosecutors have opened investigations into 23 killings. The group said a document it had obtained indicates Martinez Espinel certified the payment of about $400 to an informant who provided information leading to "excellent results" in which two purported guerrillas were killed. Martinez Espinel said he had "no idea" if he had made the payments. Human Rights Watch said courts concluded the two dead were Hermes Carillo, an indigenous civilian, and 13-year-old Nohemi Pacheco. Two soldiers and a former paramilitary were convicted in 2011 of abducting them from their home, murdering them and putting weapons on their bodies so that they appeared to be rebels killed in combat. Under international law commanders can be held responsible for crimes carried out by subordinates that they knew about or should have known about. Photo credit: Bill Clark - Getty Images From Esquire WASHINGTON-On July 24, 1974, a congressman named Thomas Railsback leaned into the microphone in front of him on the broad, curving dais of the House Judiciary. Railsback was a Republican from Moline, Illinois. The issue before him that night was whether to vote to send to the full House of Representatives articles of impeachment against Richard Nixon, a Republican from California who, at that moment, was the President of the United States. You could see the anguish on Railsback's face the way you can see the current still running in a river that is only thinly iced. "I wish," Railsback said in a ragged voice,"that the president could do something to absolve himself." Then, Tom Railsback, Republican of Illinois, voted "Yea" on all three articles of impeachment against Richard Nixon. I mention this bit of history only to illustrate how utterly and completely the Republican Party disgraced itself on Wednesday when Michael Cohen, the current president*'s former king fixer, sat before the House Oversight Committee to describe some of the garish and baroque offenses against the law and the republic committed by Donald Trump. There was not a single Railsback to be found. Not one Republican asked a question about the specific offenses that Cohen had illuminated in his opening statement. Photo credit: Alex Wong - Getty Images Instead, they hammered away at Cohen's own crimes-which, of course, did nothing but remind the folks watching at home on whose behalf Cohen had told so many lies and paid off so many women. They spent great chunks of their time trying to get Cohen to promise he wouldn't sign a book deal after he gets out of the federal sneezer in three years. Rep. Michael Cloud of Texas told Cohen that any subsequent book deal would be "kind of sweet," as though he'd be willing to spend three years in a federal prison if an editor from Random House would be waiting on the day he got out. Who was your favorite? Was it Paul Gosar of Arizona, the guy whose entire family made a commercial for his opponent the last time he ran? (Gosar struggled so long with the phrase, "pathological liar" that he gave Cohen to opportunity to ask,"Are you referring to me or to the president?") Was it jacketless Clay Higgins of Louisiana, who once filmed a campaign spot at Auschwitz? (Cohen mentioned at one point that he'd consulted some documents that were stored in boxes. Higgins demanded that a warrant be served on the boxes only to be told that Robert Mueller already had examined the contents and returned the boxes to Cohen. Unbelievably, these boxes came up again a few minutes later.) Story continues Was it Bob Gibbs of Ohio, who seemed to drift away to Oz in the middle of his sentences, or Carol Miller of West Virginia, who was simply appalled at being a part of this when the committee could be discussing "neo-natal abstinence syndrome," a condition afflicting newborns due to their mother's drug use in utero? A worthy topic, surely, but hardly the provenance of the House Oversight Committee. And everybody kept yielding time to the egregious ranking Republican member, Jim Jordan of Ohio, or to Jordan's fellow Freedom Caucasian, Mark Meadows of North Carolina, and those two jamokes couldn't get out of their own way. Jordan insisted that some dark-Dare he say, Clintonian?-forces were behind Cohen's testimony, using the name of Lanny Davis, the old Clinton hand who is Cohen's attorney, as a conjuring word. Jordan expressed surprise that Cohen might have consulted with the chairmen of other committees before which he might testify. He got so insufferable that Steve Lynch, Democrat of Massachusetts, went all Southie on Jordan's mug, running through a litany of people connected with the Trump campaign and/or the administration* who have been arrested, indicted, convicted, or copped a plea. Photo credit: Alex Wong - Getty Images He went on: For two years, you want to talk about an agenda, my friends on the other side refused to bring any of these people up before the committee. Today, for the first day, we have one witness who voluntarily is coming forward to testify. Your side ran away from the truth and we're trying to bring it to the American people. This sent Jordan, who's been peddling the deep-state nonsense for two years now, into orbit. Comey! McCabe! Strzok! Page! Rosenstein! 25th Amendment! And this was the guy to whom The Cousin Nobody Likes, the collected probate court judges of the Confederate States of America, and Auschwitz Guy yielded their time. As for Meadows, well, he thought he had something going with an item regarding contracts with foreign clients on a disclosure form that Cohen had signed, only to have Cohen point out that, contrary to Meadows's obvious reading deficits, the form referred only to foreign governments, for whom he had not worked. Meadows thundered away that Cohen was dodging the truth only to have a copy of the form pop up all over the Intertoobz in about 15 minutes, just long enough for Congresswoman Katie Hill to read it into the record and make Meadows look like a fool. "You'd think they'd have had more than that," Steve Lynch said later. "I don't think any of them asked any questions about the possible criminal actions by the president." He's right. None of them did, and only notable eccentric Justin Amash of Michigan shied away from trying to discredit Cohen. Photo credit: Tom Williams - Getty Images This was a vivid look into the chronic ward of the prion disease that has eaten away the higher functions of American conservatism-and, thus, those of the Republican Party as well-since Ronald Reagan first served up the monkey brains almost 40 years ago. These are the complete creatures of the talk-show culture, the perfect products of two and three generations of gerrymandered in-breeding. These are the monsters from inside The Bubble. You could see this moment coming during the Obama years, in which the country returned the two worst Congresses in American history, full to the gunwales with Bible-banging crazy people. Sooner or later, this was going to be all that was left, and it was going to have to confront a serious crisis with unserious people. That's what Wednesday was about. As for Cohen, he gave as good as he got, and it was easy to forget for a moment what a bought-and-paid-for hoodlum he'd always been. He did the contrition dance deftly and, by and large, managed to stay cool under Meadows's provocation and Jordan's idiocies. He even did a better job debunking some of the alleged Trump misdeeds-love-children, the mysterious meeting in Prague-than the Republicans on the commitee bothered to do. There was something about him that yearned for the old days when he was sitting around Trump Tower with the boss, paying off porn stars and threatening high-school records offices. It would have been poignant if it wasn't all as sordid as the worst brothel on the Singapore docks. Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook page here. ('You Might Also Like',) By Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed President Donald Trump's candidate, a former coal lobbyist, to lead the nation's top environmental regulator, infuriating Democrats and conservation groups who said his policies were endangering public health. Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, a Washington insider with years of experience working as a congressional staffer, was nominated by Trump in January to permanently replace Scott Pruitt, who resigned in July after widespread criticism for alleged ethical missteps. "As acting administrator of EPA, (Wheeler) has prioritized commonsense policies that protect our air and water, while allowing our economy to grow," said Senate Republican John Barrasso of Wyoming following the 52-47 vote. Only one Republican in the Republican-controlled Senate opposed Wheeler, Maine's Susan Collins, who argued his efforts to roll back standards on emissions blamed for climate change takes the country in the wrong direction. Business interests like oil and coal, eager to see reduced regulation, were quick to hail Wheeler's confirmation while Democrats and conservation groups are worried that environmental rollbacks under the Trump administration are going too far. "Throughout his career, Andrew Wheeler has shown a clear disregard for the EPAs mission to protect the public and environment," said Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein from California, after voting against him. While running the EPA on an interim basis, Wheeler oversaw the weakening of Obama-era rules limiting carbon and mercury emissions from power plants and standards on carbon dioxide emissions from cars and trucks. He has also advanced an initiative to lift a summertime ban on higher ethanol blends of gasoline that was enacted to curb smog. "Andrew Wheeler has been instrumental in advancing the most regressive environmental proposals of the Trump Administration weakening public health protections against dirty cars, heat-trapping methane, toxic mercury, pollution from coal plants, and so much more," Moms Clean Air Force, a civil society group combating air pollution. Story continues During his confirmation hearing in January, Wheeler said he did not believe climate change was a major crisis - a stance that resonates with Trump's skepticism but which clashes with the scientific consensus that global warming will have devastating consequences if not addressed urgently. Like Pruitt, Wheeler held nearly 20 times more meetings with industry representatives than with conservationists during his first two months on the job, according to a copy of his schedule reviewed by Reuters. Prior to the vote, Wheeler had also faced a brief pushback from five Republican senators from oil states - including Ted Cruz of Texas - over what they perceived as his support of policies favorable to the ethanol industry. The corn and oil industries have conflicting interests when it comes to biofuels like ethanol, which compete with petroleum for market share. All five senators had met with Wheeler earlier in February over the issue and voted to approve Wheeler on Thursday. Michelle Bloodworth, president of America's Power (ACCCE), a coal industry lobby group said Wheeler was a "thoughtful leader who understands the need for sensible environmental policies." (Additional reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Peter Cooney and Marguerita Choy) Dakar (AFP) - Senegal's Macky Sall, a stolid 56-year-old ex-geologist who had challenged his former mentor to become president, has big plans to take his country "further and higher" on the path to development. Sall, who was re-elected in Sunday's poll, campaigned on the back of his "Emerging Senegal" reform plan, which he credits with boosting water and electricity provision, farm output, and new infrastructure. A geological engineer by training, the portly Senegalese leader is often called "Niangal" -- a nickname in the local Wolof language which refers to his closed, austere expression. A self-proclaimed social liberal -- despite a flirtation with Maoism in his youth -- Sall has described himself as coming from a long line of warriors. Warriors "prefer dying to losing face," he said when his autobiography was published in November. In it, he describes a slow, steady rise from a modest background all the way to the top, despite a stint in the political wilderness. But critics argue that such single-mindedness has made Sall willing to bend the rules to get what he wants, even if it means using the courts to rule out challengers. And some say he did just that to sideline potential challengers in Sunday's presidential election. Former Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall, and Karim Wade, son of the previous president, were both disqualified from running following graft convictions that were questioned by rights groups. Sall has denied abusing his powers, but told France 24 television in November that if re-elected, he might consider an amnesty for both men. - Big mistake - Sall was born into a modest family in the western city of Fatick, to a civil servant father and a mother who sold groundnuts. He graduated from Dakar's Cheikh Anta Diop University with a degree in geology, before heading to France to further his education in the field. Although his father was a dedicated member of the ruling Socialists, who had been in power since independence from France in 1960, Sall himself was quickly disillusioned with the party. Story continues In 1989, he joined the opposition Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) led by Abdoulaye Wade and was at his side when the opposition leader finally unseated the Socialists during the elections of 2000. A year later, Wade named him minister of mining. In 2003, Sall became minister for territorial administration and government spokesman, then a year later, he was named prime minister. In 2007, he managed his mentor's election campaign but lost his spot as premier shortly afterwards, only to be elected Speaker of the National Assembly. - Falling out with Wade - It was during this period that Sall fell out with Wade after failing to inform him that parliament was summoning his son Karim for questioning over allegations of improper financing. For him, the showdown was a "turning point". Lawmakers promptly drew up a law reducing the Speaker's mandate from five years to one, prompting Sall to resign in October 2008. Several months later, Sall formed the liberal Alliance for the Republic (APR), and in 2009, was elected mayor of Fatick -- a year when the opposition claimed several large towns in legislative polls as dissatisfaction with Wade grew. While Wade spent 25 years in opposition before finally winning the presidency, Sall won the country's top political prize on his first attempt. In a first round of voting on February 26, 2012, Sall came second to his one-time mentor but prevented him from winning outright, forcing the octogenarian into a run-off. Ultimately Sall won the backing of his former rivals, with the opposition and civil society joining forces to support him in order to prevent Wade from getting a third mandate that many viewed as unconstitutional. burs-ml/hmw/ri/boc Juba (AFP) - South Sudan's Catholic church warned Thursday that a six-month-old deal to quell the country's brutal war was falling apart and that all sides were gearing for fresh fighting. "While the level of the conflict has reduced, the cessation of hostilities agreement is not holding," Archbishop Paulino Lukudu said in a powerful statement endorsed by bishops after talks in the capital Juba. "All the parties are involved either in active fighting or preparations for war." The war began in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup. A conflict erupted that split the country along ethnic lines. Nearly 400,000 people are estimated to have died and millions have fled their homes, many of them pushed to the brink of starvation. "The value of human life and dignity is forgotten as human rights abuses continue with impunity, including murder, rape, widespread sexual violence, looting and the occupation of civilian land and property, Lukudu declared. Critics of the September 2018 deal say the accord is largely a repeat of a previous failed agreement -- but this time without major international funding to support it. That deal fell apart in 2016 with Machar fleeing the capital on foot chased by tanks and helicopter gunships, and the carnage that followed sparked warnings of possible genocide. Church leaders have a powerful voice in South Sudan, traditionally playing a key role in bringing warring sides together. Kankainen on Wednesday stated that the funds should be spent exclusively and directly on promoting the production of reasonably priced housing. ESA KANKAINEN , the managing director at the Housing Foundation of Finland, has pleaded with lawmakers to reject a proposal to transfer 73 million euros from the Housing Fund of Finland (VAR) to Suomen Rata, a newly established special-purpose company promoting the development of railway infrastructure in Finland. The Parliaments Audit Committee recommended last year that the fund retain its independence and spend its assets directly on housing-related projects. Its recommendation was unanimously approved by the Parliament in October. Kankainen argued in his blog that the proposal to transfer assets away from the fund is incredibly short-sighted. Hopefully the Parliament will not approve the proposal, which would contradict the statement issued by the Parliaments Audit Committee. It recommended specifically that the assets be directed exclusively to housing, he reminded. He also reminded that the fund is made up of interest and repayment fees associated with the housing loans of low and middle-income people granted under Arava, a now-defunct system for financing social housing. The intention is to use the funds to develop rail transport. The proposal has been justified with claims that it would benefit housing production indirectly. This is an issue of principles, however, because the housing fund has been designed to directly support reasonably priced housing, and one should not deviate from that, wrote Kankainen. Aleksi Teivainen HT Source: Uusi Suomi Washington (AFP) - SpaceX will try to send a dummy to the International Space Station this weekend in a key test for resuming manned US space flights, perhaps this year if all goes well. Since the shuttle Atlantis returned to earth on July 21, 2011, no American astronaut has blasted off from US soil for a tour in space. NASA pays Russia to get its people up to the orbiting research facility at a cost of 82 million dollars a head, round trip. In 2014, the US space agency awarded contracts to SpaceX and Boeing for them to take over this task. But the program has suffered delays as safety requirements are much more stringent for manned flights than for unmanned missions to deploy satellites. No one in America wants to relive the tragedies of the US space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, which disintegrated in mid-air in 1986 and 2003. Three years behind schedule, a Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to blast off Saturday from Cape Canaveral at 2:49 am (0749 GMT) with a Crew Dragon capsule in its nose. It will aim for a rendezvous one day later with the ISS. The capsule is scheduled to return to Earth on March 8. If all goes well, two astronauts will be aboard the next time such a seven-seat capsule is launched. That is supposed to happen in July but delays are possible. "These things always take longer than you think," said Lori Garver, who was the number two official at NASA when the contracts were awarded to SpaceX and Boeing under then president Barack Obama. Back then this decision was controversial, with lawmakers complaining about changing the way America sends people into space and the loss of contracts and jobs for big, veteran aerospace companies based in their states. "We have very few heroes left, and astronauts are our heroes. And loosening our grip at NASA and allowing companies to take the lead on transporting them was a challenge for some. It still is," said Garver. - Less expensive - SpaceX is no rookie when it comes to trips to and from the space station. The company founded by Elon Musk and based in Los Angeles has carried out 15 resupply missions to the orbiter since 2012. One of its ISS-bound rockets exploded in 2015. Story continues The second, crewed version of the Dragon rocket has been adapted from the cargo model, which has proved to be reliable. Saturday's mission is still a "big deal," said SpaceX vice president Hans Koenigsmann. "This is an absolutely critical first step that we do as we move towards returning the crewed launch capability back here to the US," said William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator with NASA Human Exploration and Operations. It has taken years to get within reach of that goal. "I don't think very many people thought that the length of time between the termination of Shuttle and a new vehicle was going to be as long as it has been," said Roger Launius, former chief historian of NASA. The cooling of US relations with Russia has increased pressure for the US to be able to send people to space on its own. NASA has always relied on the aerospace industry for its manned space programs. Launius recalls that back in the days of the Apollo moon missions "almost everybody in that room were contractors, not NASA employees." What is new now is that NASA no longer covers all development costs and does not own the spacecraft that will be used to send people into space. Rather, it buys a service for a set price: the 2014 contracts call for $4.2 billion for Boeing and $2.6 billion for SpaceX, with six missions and a test flight. That is a fraction of the $4 billion per year it would have cost to keep the original shuttle program alive, said Garver. An unmanned Boeing test flight is scheduled for April. Michael Neufeld, head curator in the Space History Department of the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, stressed the significance of NASA opting to go with two companies that are competitors. "One of the lessons of the shuttle is, don't bet on one vehicle," he said. "If there's an accident at least you're not totally stuck." Khartoum (AFP) - Hundreds of Sudanese protesters rallied Thursday in Khartoum and its twin city Omdurman against the rule of President Omar al-Bashir, despite a ban imposed on unauthorised demonstrations, witnesses said. Last week Bashir declared a year-long state of emergency across the country, and issued a slew of orders to curb nationwide protests against his rule, including a ban on any unauthorised rallies. He also gave sweeping powers to security forces to carry out raids and search people. Thursday's rallies came as the authorities set up special emergency courts to investigate violations of the directives issued by Bashir, with offences punishable by up to 10 years in prison. But protesters chanting their rallying cry "freedom, peace, justice" demonstrated across several districts of the capital Khartoum and Omdurman on Thursday, in defiance of the ban, witnesses said. Witnesses said areas including Street 60 and Shambat in Khartoum and parts of Omdurman saw some of the biggest gatherings since the protests erupted in December. Riot police confronted the protesters in some districts with tear gas, witnesses said. "We came out today because we have no alternative," said protester Siddiq, who gave only his first name for security reasons. "The only alternative we have is to overthrow this regime. We will continue despite the state of emergency." Several protesters were arrested and taken to the emergency courts, lawyers said on condition of anonymity. Deadly clashes surrounding protests have rocked Sudan for more than two months, with demonstrators taking to the streets since December 19 after a government decision to triple the price of bread. The protests swiftly mushroomed into nationwide rallies against Bashir's three-decade rule, with people calling on him to step down. Sudanese officials say 31 people have died in protest-related violence so far, while Human Rights Watch says at least 51 have been killed, including medics and children. Story continues Bashir, who swept to power in an 1989 Islamist-backed coup, has remained defiant. Last week he also dissolved the federal and provincial governments and appointed 16 army officers and two officers from the feared National Intelligence and Security Service as provincial governors. The United States, Britain, Norway and Canada have criticised the state of emergency as a "return to military rule". "Allowing security forces to act with impunity will further erode human rights, governance and effective economic management," the four Western countries said in a joint statement Tuesday. "The return to military rule does not create a conducive environment for a renewed political dialogue or credible elections." Khartoum hit back at the rebuke on Wednesday, saying it was an "intervention" in the country's internal affairs. "The state of emergency will not impact freedoms of people and their rights," the foreign ministry said. By Jibran Ahmed and Rupam Jain KABUL/PESHAWAR,Pakistan (Reuters) - Taliban and American officials holding talks in Qatar on ways to end the war in Afghanistan have held extensive discussions on how foreign troops could be withdrawn and on how to guarantee the country would not be used again by outside forces to attack other countries, the Taliban said in a statement on Thursday. The U.S. special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said in a tweet that the meetings in Doha were productive. "We continue to take slow, steady steps toward understanding and eventually peace," Khalilzad adding that the talks would be continued on Saturday after a two day break. After Wednesday's session, the two sides decided to adjourn in order to hold consultations and prepare for their next session, according to the statement issued by Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid. The two sides had resumed talks this week after making significant progress in an earlier round of discussions, also held in Doha, in January. While the United States and other powers has long maintained that the peace process should ultimately be Afghan-led, the Taliban this week reiterated opposition to direct talks with President Ashraf Ghani's administration in Kabul, which it regards as an illegitimate government. The Taliban said their newly-appointed political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar met with Khalilzad, and General Scott Miller, the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, as well as senior members of the Qatari government this week. Baradar, a co-founder of the hardline Islamist group, was released from a Pakistani jail last year to participate in the talks, and his presence at the negotiating table demonstrated Taliban's readiness to engage at a more senior level. U.S. President Donald Trump said he intended to reduce U.S. forces in Afghanistan. And in his annual State of the Union address to Congress this month, Trump said: "Great nations do not fight endless wars." The United States intervened in Afghanistan in 2001 to help opposition forces topple a Taliban government which had sheltered the al Qaeda militants responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. Washington and its allies later sent troops to prevent the Taliban from returning to power, and have been locked in a war with the insurgents ever since. A senior Taliban commander informed on the content of the talks told Reuters that the two sides could soon reach an agreement assuring the United States that Afghanistan would not be used against them or their allies in the future. He said the Taliban had resisted pressure from the U.S. delegation to declare a ceasefire before the onset of warmer spring weather, which usually flags off an escalation in the insurgency. "They repeatedly ask for a ceasefire. But the answer is no from our side," the commander said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Last year, almost 4,000 civilians were killed in the conflict, including a record number of children, making it the single deadliest year for Afghan civilians since the United Nations began documenting casualties a decade ago. (Additional reporting by Eric Knect in Doha, writing by Rupam Jain, Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore) Elon Musk 's renewed feud with the Securities and Exchange Commission after another errant tweet raises concern over the Tesla board's ability to control the electric car maker's strong-willed and unpredictable CEO. "His board has to act," said Charles Elson, director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware. "They seem to be incapable of acting, which is very disappointing." The board's independence and ability to restrain Musk have been frequently called into question. Several board members have close ties to Musk either through family or business. Board members include his brother Kimbal Musk, a restaurateur and Tesla (TSLA) investor, and Antonio Gracias, a long-time investor who also sits on the boards of Musk's companies Solar City and SpaceX. Tesla declined to comment for this article. The SEC accused Musk on Monday of violating his Sept. 29 agreement with the agency, which settled securities fraud charges for allegedly misleading investors with a series of inaccurate tweets last summer saying he had secured the funds necessary to take Tesla private at $420 a share. Musk agreed to pay fine of $20 million, step down as chairman for three years and refrain from tweeting material information about the company's operations and finances without company review and approval. Tesla also had to pay $20 million. Tweets on Feb. 19 have Musk in the SEC's crosshair again and pushing for contempt charges. He has until March 11 to explain to a federal judge in New York why he shouldn't be held in contempt after tweeting production numbers for 2019 that were inaccurate and that Musk corrected later that day. The SEC said Musk sent the tweets without submitting them for review or getting company approval. Under the deal, Tesla was also required to add two independent directors to the board. Software mogul Larry Ellison, chairman and chief technology officer of Oracle (ORCL), and Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, global chief human resources officer of pharmacy chain Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), joined the board in December. Story continues It also promoted Australia telecom executive Robyn Denholm, who joined Tesla's board in 2014, to replace Musk as chair in early November. But it is unclear how much power she actually has over Musk, Kelley Blue Book editor Matt DeLorenzo said Tuesday on CNBC's " Power Lunch ." "There was this agreement to bring in Robyn Denholm as the chairman, and the real question here is: Is that window dressing? I mean the question is, "Who is sort of Elon's boss and how is this issue going to be addressed?'" DeLorenzo said. After the SEC's filed its most recent complaint, Musk took to twitter again to criticize the agency, saying "Something is broken with SEC oversight." Even with the new additions, Musk seems to control the board, including who is appointed and removed, Elson said. Any attempt to rein him in results potentially in their replacement. "And they value, I guess, being on the board more than acting as normal board members would in such a situation," Elson said. "In most companies, they would be gone." In its complaint, the SEC cited an interview Musk gave with CBS' "60 Minutes" in December when he said the company doesn't need to review his tweets. Asked how the company would know if he is planning to send a potentially stock-moving tweet without being able to read it, Musk told the news show, "Well, I guess we might make mistakes. Who knows?" Turnover in Tesla's executive ranks have also raised red flags, especially the sudden departure of former General Counsel Dane Butswinkas, who left after just two months on the job. Tesla has lost more than 40 executives since 2016. "That should be a signal of something," Elson said. Former SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt told CNBC that Musk should be held in contempt for his comments. Although Pitt said he does not know why Butswinkas left, he thinks many recently departed executives may feel Musk doesn't listen to them. "For somebody who's a high-powered, very capable lawyer as he was and is, that has to be incredibly frustrating," Pitt said Tuesday on " Squawk Box ." "I think the same problem exists in a lot of areas, and unless the board steps up its oversight, we will continue to see this huge amount of turnover." HANOI (Reuters) - President Donald Trump criticized his former attorney Michael Cohen on Thursday for lying in testimony to Congress but found reason to praise him, too, for not alleging Trumps campaign colluded with Russia in 2016. Trump, speaking at a news conference in Vietnam after failing to achieve a peace deal with North Koreas Kim Jong Un, called the blockbuster hearing back in Washington fake and said it should not have been scheduled during his trip. "He lied a lot, but it was very interesting because he didnt lie about one thing, he said no collusion with the Russian hoax," Trump said. "I wonder why he didnt lie about that too like he did about everything else. I was actually impressed that he didnt say, 'well, I think there was collusion for this reason or that'. He didnt say that." Cohen testified on Wednesday, calling Trump a "conman" who knew in advance about the release of stolen emails aimed at hurting his Democratic rival in the 2016 election campaign. Trump criticized the timing of the hearing saying it should not have been happened while he was on an important trip. "Having a fake hearing like that and having it in the middle of this very important summit is really a terrible thing. They could have made it two days later or next week," he said. "But having it during this very important summit is sort of incredible." Trump has called an investigation into possible collusion between Moscow and his presidential campaign a witch hunt. Cohen, 52, was a close aide of Trump for years and his testimony could increase the legal and political pressure on the Republican president. But Cohen did not appear to disclose a "smoking gun" that could sink his former boss. Cohen said he had no direct evidence that Trump or his campaign colluded with Moscow during the election campaign. Possible collusion is a key theme of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, which has dogged the president during his two years in office. Trump has repeatedly denied the allegation as has the Kremlin. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Robert Birsel) By Sarah N. Lynch and Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen testified on Wednesday that Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG initially wanted him to lobby for the company when it retained him with a $1.2 million contract, but that Cohen refused. "Novartis sent me their contract, which stated specifically that they wanted me to lobby. That they wanted me to provide access to government, including the president, " Cohen said. "That paragraph was crossed out by me, initialled, and written in my own handwriting that says I will not lobby or do government relations work," he told members of the House Oversight Committee. Novartis is one of several companies that paid Cohen through his firm Essential Consultants after Trump was elected in order to glean more insight into Trump's administration. When news of those payments came to light last year, the drugmaker's ex-chief executive said the contract was a mistake and he should have tried to fire Cohen in March of 2017. Cohen testified on Wednesday that he had offered Novartis in-person and telephone access "whenever they needed," and estimated he spoke with the company about six times. "Six times?! Wow! $200,000 a phone call," Republican Congressman Mark Meadows replied. Last year, former Novartis CEO Joe Jimenez, who had co-signed the contract with Cohen alongside general counsel Felix Ehrat, said: "We wanted to terminate the contract at that point, but in the end we decided there would be almost-certain litigation. Novartis spokesman Eric Althoff, in an emailed statement on Wednesday, said the company "previously addressed all questions" regarding its relationship with Essential Consultants and considers the matter closed. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch and Doina Chiacu in Washington; additional reporting by Deena Beasley; editing by Meredith Mazzilli and James Dalgleish) By Jeff Mason and Hyonhee Shin HANOI (Reuters) - A second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un collapsed on Thursday over sanctions, and the two sides gave conflicting accounts of what happened, raising questions about the future of their denuclearization negotiations. Trump said two days of talks in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi had made good progress in building relations and on the main issue of denuclearization, but it was important not to rush into a bad deal. He said he had walked away because of unacceptable North Korean demands. "It was all about the sanctions," Trump told a news conference after the talks were cut short. "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that." However, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told a news conference past midnight and hours after Trump left Hanoi that North Korea had sought only a partial lifting of sanctions "related to people's livelihoods and unrelated to military sanctions". He said it had offered a realistic proposal involving the dismantling of all of its main nuclear site at Yongbyon, including plutonium and uranium facilities, by engineers from both countries. "This is the biggest denuclearization step we can take based on the current level of trust between the two countries," Ri said in a rare exchange between North Korean officials and reporters. "Its hard to say there will be something better than what we offered. We may not have such an opportunity again. We need such a first step on the road to complete denuclearization. Our fundamental stance will never change and even if U.S. seeks further talks, our position wont change," Ri said. North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui told the same briefing she had the impression that Kim "might lose his willingness to pursue a deal" after the U.S. side rejected a partial lifting of sanctions in return for destruction of Yongbyon, "something we had never offered before". White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, asked about North Korea's statements, said the president was aware of the comments and the White House had nothing to add to what Trump said at the Hanoi news conference. Trump spoke to the leaders of South Korea and Japan on his way back from Hanoi and told them that the United States would continue to work with them and talk to North Korea, Sanders said. Reporting on the summit, North Korean state media KCNA said Kim and Trump had a constructive and sincere exchange of views and decided to continue productive talks, without mentioning that the talks ended abruptly with no agreement reached. The meeting was an important chance to build trust and lift the relationship between the United States and North Korea to the next level, it said. Kim expressed gratitude to Trump for traveling so far and actively putting in efforts to get results, KCNA added. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the two countries could hold further meetings, but there was no plan to do so immediately. The United Nations and the United States ratcheted up sanctions on North Korea when the reclusive state conducted repeated nuclear and ballistic missile tests in 2017, cutting off its main sources of hard cash. NO LUNCH Trump and Kim were supposed to have had a working lunch at the French-colonial-era Metropole hotel after a morning of meetings. "Sometimes you have to walk, and this was just one of those times," Trump said, adding "it was a friendly walk". At the same briefing, Trump warned he could also walk away from a trade deal with China if it were not good enough, even as his economic advisors touted "fantastic" progress towards an agreement to end trade disputes. Failure to reach an agreement on North Korea marks a setback for Trump, a self-styled dealmaker under pressure at home over his ties to Russia and testimony from Michael Cohen, his former personal lawyer who accused him of breaking the law while in office. The collapse of the talks raised questions about the Trump administration's preparations and about what some critics see as his cavalier style of personal diplomacy. Since their first summit in Singapore in June, Trump has stressed his good chemistry with Kim, but there have been doubts about whether the bonhomie could move them beyond summit pageantry to substantive progress on eliminating a North Korean nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States. Things had appeared promising when the leaders met on Wednesday, predicting successful talks before a social dinner with top aides. The White House had been confident enough to schedule a "joint agreement signing ceremony" at the conclusion of talks. Like the lunch, the ceremony did not take the place. (Graphic: Vietnam holds Trump-Kim summit - https://tmsnrt.rs/2VkEAP4) MARKETS HIT "No deal is a surprise, especially as they were both all smiley last evening," said Lim Soo-ho, senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy. "But no-deal today doesn't mean there won't be one in coming months. It means stakes were way too high for the two leaders to give another wishy-washy statement like they did in Singapore." Daniel Russel, the State Departments former top diplomat for East Asia until early in the Trump administration, said the failure showed Trump had rushed into the summit. The Hanoi Summit validates Benjamin Franklins axiom that by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail, he said. "The hard diplomatic work of narrowing differences and exploring options had simply not been done, so it is not surprising that the two leaders encountered insurmountable differences." The Singapore summit, the first between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader, produced a vague statement in which Kim pledged to work toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. But little progress followed. North Korea's old rival South Korea, which backs efforts to end confrontation on the peninsula, said it regretted that no deal had been reached but the two sides had made progress. News of the summit collapse sent South Korea's currency lower and knocked regional stock markets. South Korea's Kospi index closed 1.8 percent lower, marking the biggest one-day percentage loss since Oct 2018. Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said difficulties in the talks were unavoidable but the two sides should press on and China would play a constructive role. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he backed Trump's decision and wanted a meeting with Kim. TESTING Kicking off their second day of talks in Hanoi, Trump said he would be happy as long as North Korea conducted no more nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests. North Korea has conducted no tests since late 2017, and Trump said Kim had promised him there would be no resumption. Besides Yongbyon, Trump said there were other facilities he wanted included in a deal - and the North Koreans had been surprised the Americans knew about them - but they had baulked. U.S. intelligence officials have said there is no sign North Korea would ever give up its entire arsenal of nuclear weapons, which Kim's ruling family sees as vital to its survival. Russel said Kim might have thought he could drive a hard bargain, given Trump's domestic troubles. "Kim Jong Un is not testing ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs at the moment, but he is testing Donald Trump. Kim may have wanted to see if Trumps domestic legal and political woes made him desperate enough to take any deal he could get." For live coverage of the summit, click: https://www.reuters.com/live/north-korea (Reporting by Soyoung Kim, Jeff Mason and Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Joyce Lee, Jeongmin Kim, Jack Kim, James Pearson, Mai Nyugen, Ju-min Park, Khanh Vu in HANOI, Ben Blanchard in BEIJING, David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick in WASHINGTON; Editing by Robert Birsel, Grant McCool and Sonya Hepinstall) By Alberto Sisto ROME (Reuters) - The United States' ambassador to Italy, Lewis Eisenberg, met Telecom Italia (TIM)'s CEO Luigi Gubitosi on Wednesday, the U.S. embassy said. The U.S embassy and Telecom Italia declined to comment when asked if the visit was related to U.S. demands that its European allies do not use technology supplied by China's Huawei International. Huawei, the world's biggest producer of telecoms equipment, faces international scrutiny over its ties with the Chinese government and suspicion Beijing could use its technology for spying -- something the company has denied. Eisenberg saw TIM's chief "as part of (his) ongoing outreach with Italian and U.S private sector leaders," the U.S. embassy said on Twitter, adding that the meeting had been "pleasant". Eisenberg made no comment to Reuters at the end of his visit at the TIM's headquarters in Rome, which lasted some 30 minutes. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cautioned European allies on Monday against deploying equipment from Huawei on their soil, saying it would make it more difficult for Washington to "partner alongside them". However, there are signs some European governments are reluctant to heed Washington's call. The head of Britain's National Cyber Security Centre said on Wednesday Britain is able to manage the security risks of using Huawei equipment in national telecoms networks and has not seen any evidence of malicious activity by the company. German's economy minister said earlier this week the government is still in talks on whether Huawei will be allowed to participate in building the country's high-speed internet infrastructure. Italy's industry ministry meanwhile has denied press reports it was ready to ban Huawei and ZTE Corp from playing a role in building its fifth-generation mobile phone network under U.S. pressure. TIM has said it will keep working with Huawei until told otherwise by the government. TIM and Fastweb are part of a consortium with Huawei to test 5G infrastructure in the southern towns of Bari and Matera. Huawei has partnered with Vodafone in developing an ultrafast network in Milan. (Reporting by Steve Scherer; Writing by Giselda Vagnoni; Editing by Crispian Balmer and David Evans) By Yeganeh Torbati WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department refused more than 37,000 visa applications in 2018 due to the Trump administration's travel ban, up from less than 1,000 the previous year when the ban had not fully taken effect, according to agency data released on Tuesday. The United States denies nearly 4 million visa applications a year for a variety of reasons, including for practicing polygamy, abducting children or simply not qualifying for the visa in question. The data released Tuesday was the first comprehensive look at the human impact of Republican President Donald Trump's ban, imposed shortly after he took office and initially blocked by federal courts. The ban has especially affected people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen, countries where the number of visas issued slid 80 percent in 2018 from 2016, the last year without a travel ban. Trump's initial January 2017 executive order banning entry to the United States by citizens of several Muslim-majority countries launched a fierce fight in federal courts over whether the policy amounts to an unlawful "Muslim ban" or is a legal exercise of presidential power. The administration revised the policy following court challenges, and the Supreme Court allowed it to largely go into effect in December 2017 while legal challenges continued. In June 2018, the high court upheld the new version of the ban. As a result, most people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen have not been able to enter the United States for well over a year. Venezuela and North Korea also were targeted in the current policy, but those restrictions were not challenged in court. The figures released on Tuesday show the government denied 15,384 applications for immigrant visas - given to those who want to live permanently in the United States - due to the "2017 Executive Order on Immigration." A State Department spokeswoman confirmed that term referred to the travel ban policy. In addition, 21,645 applications for non-immigrant visas - given to people coming for short-term visits for business, tourism or other reasons - were denied due to the ban. Approximately 2,200 visa applications overcame denials based on the travel ban last year, but it was unclear how many of those applications were initially made last year or earlier. The data did not include how many visa applications were made by citizens from countries affected by the travel ban. Every month, the State Department releases the numbers of visas issued to citizens of all countries, including those under the travel ban, but it does not publish equivalent monthly information on the number of visa applications or denials by country. Other, previously released data from the State Department shows that the number of U.S. visas issued to citizens of the countries under the travel ban has dropped drastically as a result of its implementation. In the fiscal year from Oct. 1, 2017 through Sept. 30, 2018, citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen - the five countries consistently on the travel ban list throughout its different iterations - received approximately 14,600 U.S. visas. That is down 80 percent from approximately 72,000 visas issued for citizens of those countries in the 2016 fiscal year, when no such ban was in place. The denials have affected people like Rasha Jarhum, a Yemeni human rights defender who applied for a U.S. visitor visa in October to attend events on women's rights. The U.S. consular officer "refused to even take my passport to process anything," Jarhum said. The officer handed her a piece of paper citing the executive order as the reason for her visa denial, a picture of which Jarhum posted on Twitter. Ahmad Shariftabrizi, a U.S. citizen and oncologist in New York, is considering leaving the United States if his wife, an Iranian citizen, is unable to receive a visa to join him. The couple, who wed in 2017, applied for her visa that year, and she was denied in December 2018, he said in a phone interview. The U.S. government is now reviewing whether she is eligible for a waiver to the ban, which has been rarely granted. The uncertainty and distance is extracting a huge emotional toll on the couple. "The separation from my wife is making both of us break down psychologically," he said. "It's extremely difficult." (Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati; editing by Mica Rosenberg and David Gregorio) DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen is deeply concerned about recent hostilities in the country and is urging all sides to reduce tensions, his office said on its Twitter account on Thursday. Yemen's Houthis have agreed with the Saudi-backed government to implement a ceasefire in Hodeidah province and withdraw their respective forces as part of a U.N.-sponsored peace agreement signed in Sweden in December. "What we need now is speedy redeployments according to an RCC plan," the office of Martin Griffiths said, referring to a Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) as part of the peace agreement. (Reporting by Sylvia Westall; Editing by Hugh Lawson) LONDON (Reuters) - There should be no confusion over the United States' support for key Middle East allies such as Jordan, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Thursday, as Saudi Arabia's finance minister also pledged more of its support. Jordan's government fell last year after spending cuts and tax rises imposed under an IMF program caused rare public protests. The country, which sits between Israel, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, is traditionally a regional diplomatic hub. "I don't think there is any confusion over U.S. support," Mnuchin told a panel discussion at an investment conference. Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan said his country will continue to provide financial aid and support, including through its $500 billion mega project, known as NEOM, which extends across Saudi's border into Jordan and Egypt. Saudi alongside Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates put together a $2.5 billion package in June to help shore up Jordan's struggling economy. "We are Jordan and I mean that, I seriously mean that," Jadaan said. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, whose government was hosting the event, said the international community needed to form "a global coalition to back Jordan". (Reporting by Marc Jones and Tom Arnold) NEW YORK, Feb 27 (Reuters) - The United States has asked the United Nations Security Council to vote on Thursday on a draft resolution calling for free and fair presidential elections in Venezuela and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, diplomats said. The draft resolution is likely to be opposed by Russia, the diplomats said. A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by Russia, China, France, Britain and the United States to pass. Russia and the United States have been at loggerheads over a U.S.-led campaign for international recognition of Juan Guaido, the Venezuelan opposition leader and head of the countrys elected National Assembly, over President Nicholas Maduro. Guaido last month declared himself the interim head of state. Earlier this month the United States proposed a draft Security Council resolution, which prompted Russia to propose a rival text that makes no reference to elections or aid. A revised U.S. draft, seen by Reuters, was circulated on Wednesday. It was unclear if Russia planned to put its text to a vote as well. The U.S. draft asks U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to help ensure there is a free, fair and credible presidential election with international observers. It stresses the need to ensure the safety of all the members of Venezuelas National Assembly. The U.S. envoy on Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that he was concerned for Guaidos safety upon his return to Venezuela. Guaido crossed into Colombia on Saturday in preparation for efforts to move aid over the border to Venezuela. He then met with members of the Lima Group, a bloc of nations from Argentina to Canada, on Monday in Bogota. The United States and dozens of other nations have recognized Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate president, but Maduro still controls the military, state institutions and oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA, which provides 90 percent of the country's export revenue. Story continues The United States targeted Venezuela's government with new sanctions on Monday and called on allies to freeze the assets of state-owned PDVSA after deadly violence blocked humanitarian aid from reaching the country over the weekend. In Geneva, Venezuela Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, addressing the U.N. Human Rights Council, suggested on Wednesday that Maduro and U.S. President Donald Trump meet to "try to find common ground and explain their differences." Maduro also "stands ready for dialogue" with the Venezuelan opposition, he said. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing By Cynthia Osterman) Tens of thousands more visas were denied in 2018 than previously because of President Trumps travel ban on certain countries, according to data released Tuesday. According to Reuters, the State Department said it rejected over 37,000 visa applications last year because of the travel ban restrictions, many times more than the 1,000 blocked in 2017, before the ban kicked in completely. The ban mostly affects the Muslim-majority countries Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. Visas issued to those countries are down 80 percent since 2016. About 14,600 visas were granted to applicants from those five countries from October, 2017 to September, 2018, down from the 72,000 approved the year before. The ban also restricted visas for those from Venezuela and North Korea. Last year, the government rejected 15,384 applications for immigrant (permanent resident) visas because of the ban, as well as 21,645 short-term visit applications. After Trump announced the ban in January, 2017, citing terrorism concerns from the countries listed in the order, it faced challenges in several federal courts over whether the ban was illegally discriminatory against Muslims. The administration tweaked the order, and the Supreme Court approved the implementation of most of it in December, 2017. The Court upheld the current version of the ban last summer. The U.S. denies close to 4 million visa applications every year for a laundry list of reasons, including criminal activity and not qualifying for the particular visa sought. More from National Review Washington (AFP) - Despite declaring Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro illegitimate, the United States has maintained contact with him to ensure the safety of the embassy, a US envoy on the crisis said Wednesday. Elliot Abrams, who was appointed last week after the United States recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president, said that Washington was sending a message that Maduro needed to protect the mission. "We have contact with the de facto regime -- by which I mean the Maduro regime. We have contacts with them because we are concerned about things like the safety of Americans," Abrams told reporters. "We have long had contacts with people whom we have not granted diplomatic recognition in different countries around the world," he added. Maduro had ordered the United States to pull its diplomats by last Saturday. Washington refused, saying it no longer recognized Maduro and that Guaido had welcomed US personnel to stay. But Maduro did not move to close the embassy physically at the deadline and said Saturday that his government was in talks with Washington on diplomatic representation. "We have to figure out what the status of the embassy is going to be over time," Abrams said, reiterating US warnings that the Maduro regime "has obligations to protect the embassies and we will hold them to these obligations." Abrams vowed that the United States would keep stepping up pressure on Maduro, a leftist firebrand who presides over a crumbling economy that has sent millions fleeing. The United States has already sanctioned Venezuela's state oil company and blocked its assets in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Abrams said assets would be converted into humanitarian aid for Venezuela, although he said there was not much in the coffers of the embassy in Venezuela. "So we're all looking around the world to see what other assets there are, whether in bank accounts or things like gold," he said. Abrams is a veteran Republican policymaker on Latin America, playing a key role in anti-communist campaigns in 1980s Central America that were widely criticized by human rights groups. By Anthony Boadle BRASILIA (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, visiting Brazil to drum up support for his bid to push for a change of government in his country, said on Thursday he will return to Caracas by Monday despite threats of imprisonment. Guaido said the leftist "regime" of President Nicolas Maduro was "weak, lacking support in Venezuela and international recognition." Speaking to reporters after meeting with Brazil's right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, Guaido called for the enforcement of economic sanctions against the Maduro government to continue "so that everything is not robbed in Venezuela." Guaido, head of Venezuela's National Assembly, last month invoked constitutional provisions to assume an interim presidency, arguing that Maduro's re-election last year was fraudulent. He has since been recognized by most Western nations as the rightful leader of Venezuela. But he faces possible arrest if he returns to Venezuela for disobeying a Supreme Court order that he should not leave the country pending an investigation. He said on Thursday that he and his family had received threats, including of prison. He did not provide further details. Following a visit this week to Colombia for the launching of a U.S.-led plan to get humanitarian aid into Venezuela, Guaido is visiting Brazil to build diplomatic pressure against Maduro. He is set to leave on Friday for Paraguay and said he would plan his route back into Venezuela over the weekend. "We continue to strengthen relations with countries that have recognized our efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela and hold free elections," Guaido said in a Twitter message, after meeting in Brasilia with diplomats from about 20 European Union member states. He said there was no chance of dialogue with the Maduro government without discussing elections as a pre-condition. Bolsonaro said in a joint statement after meeting with Guaido that the opposition leader was the hope for restoring a "free, democratic and prosperous Venezuela." Brazil was one of the first to recognize Guaido, after the United States and Colombia. It is hosting one of the Venezuelan opposition's collection points for aid, and together with the United States has funded some 200 tonnes of food and medicine being stockpiled in the northern city of Boa Vista. Venezuela's opposition failed to get that aid across the border as planned last weekend after Maduro closed it, sparking protests that killed one person and injured others. Russia and China, which back Maduro, vetoed on Thursday a U.S.-authored resolution at the United Nations Security Council calling for free and fair presidential elections and open access for the aid efforts. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington was still working on plans to get the aid delivered to Venezuela, which is suffering from a deep economic crisis marked by widespread shortages of basic necessities. "We are hopeful that over the next couple of weeks, we can really begin to make a dent in that problem," Pompeo told reporters while flying to the Philippines from Vietnam. Maduro denies his oil-rich nation has any need of aid and accuses Guaido of being a coup-mongering puppet for Washington. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Lisandra Paraguassu, additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Manila,; Editing by Paul Simao and Rosalba O'Brien) US President Donald Trump hailed "a very special relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as they met in Vietnam for a second summit on Wednesday and said he was satisfied with the pace of denuclearization talks despite some criticism they were not moving quickly enough. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The US president appeared upbeat with Kim even as on the other side of the world in Washington his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen called Trump a "conman" who knew in advance about the release of stolen emails aimed at hurting his Democratic rival in the 2016 election campaign. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (Photo: AP) "Great meetings" and a "Very good dialogue," Trump said on Twitter after dinner with Kim at Hanoi's French-colonial-era Metropole hotel while the White House said the two planned to sign a "joint agreement" after further talks on Thursday. Facing increasing political and legal pressure at home over investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election, Trump has devoted significant time and effort to trying to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for promises of peace and development, a foreign policy goal that has confounded multiple predecessors. The Hanoi meeting was Trump's second meeting with Kim in eight months and he appeared to reiterate recent statements that he was in no rush. "We had a very successful first summit," he told Kim. "I felt it was very successful, and some people would like to see it go quicker; I'm satisfied; you're satisfied, we want to be happy with what we're doing." Asked by a reporter if he was "walking back" on denuclearization demands, Trump said "no". Trump and Kim held a 20-minute, one-on-one chat before they sat down to dinner with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trump's acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Kim's top envoy Kim Yong Chol and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho. On Thursday, the two leaders are scheduled for a series of meetings at the Metropole, beginning with another one-on-one session lasting 45 minutes, the White House said. The two leaders would hold a "joint agreement signing ceremony," at the end of the meetings, which would be followed by a news conference by Trump at 3:50 pm Hanoi time (08:50 GMT). The White House has given no indication as to what the signing ceremony might involve, although the two sides have held discussions that have included the possibility of a political statement to declare the 1950-53 Korean War over, which some critics say would be premature. Asked if he would declare a formal end to the Korean War, which concluded with an armistice, not a peace treaty that North Korea has long sought, Trump said: "We'll see." Their summit in Singapore in June was the first meeting between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader and ended with fanfare but little substance. Trump and Kim pledged to work toward denuclearization and permanent peace on the Korean peninsula, but there has been little progress since. Kim said they had overcome obstacles to meet a second time and praised Trump for his "courageous decision" to begin a dialogue. "Now that we're meeting here again like this, I'm confident that there will be an excellent outcome that everyone welcomes, and I'll do my best to make it happen," Kim said. "We're going to have a very busy day tomorrow," a smiling, relaxed-looking Trump, said seated beside Kim at a round dinner table with the other four officials and two interpreters. "Our relationship is a very special relationship." Trump indicated a more flexible stance in the run-up to Hanoi, saying he was in no rush on denuclearization as long as North Korea, which has not tested a nuclear weapon or intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017, maintained that freeze. Trump risks squandering vital leverage if he gives away too much, too quickly, critics said. Evans Revere, a former US negotiator with North Korea, said Trump was under pressure given his domestic problems and "Kim may be tempted to push Trump even harder for concessions, knowing how much the president wants and needs that testing pause." US intelligence officials have said there is no sign North Korea will give up its entire arsenal of nuclear weapons, which Kim's ruling family sees as vital to its survival, and analysts say Pyongyang is unlikely to commit to significant steps without an easing of punishing US-led sanctions. The two sides have discussed partial denuclearization measures, such as allowing inspectors to observe the dismantlement of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear reactor, US and South Korean officials say. US concessions could include opening liaison offices or clearing the way for inter-Korean projects. Trump has appeared to be betting on his personal relationship with Kim, and the economic incentive after 70 years of hostility between their countries. "Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize," Trump said on Twitter ahead of the meeting. ANKARA - White House adviser Jared Kushner discussed his Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, and the two also discussed increasing US-Turkish cooperation and ways to boost economic conditions in the region. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Kushner, who has responsibility for Washington's Israel-Palestinian policy, has said the peace plan will address final-status issues of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, including establishing borders. The White House said the meeting with Erdogan included Kushner, Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt and US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook. Kushner and Erdogan meet in Ankara (Photo: AFP) "They discussed increasing cooperation between the United States and Turkey, and the Trump administration's efforts to facilitate peace between the Israelis and Palestinians," the White House said. "Additionally, they discussed ways to improve the condition of the entire region through economic investment." Erdogan has been one of the most vocal critics of US President Donald Trump's support for Israel. Last year he said the United States had forfeited its role as mediator in the Middle East by moving its Israel embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing the city as Israel's capital. "The United States has chosen to be part of the problem rather than the solution," the Turkish president said last May, days before he hosted a summit of Muslim leaders which threatened economic measures against countries which followed the United States in moving their embassies to Jerusalem. Israel considers all of Jerusalem its eternal and undivided capital, a status not recognized internationally. Palestinians want East Jerusalem, captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War, as capital of a future state. In an interview broadcast on Monday on Sky News Arabia during a visit to US-allied Gulf Arab states, Kushner made no specific mention of a Palestinian state, whose creation had been a key goal of Washington's peace efforts for two decades. But he said the long-awaited peace proposal would build on "a lot of the efforts in the past," including the 1990s Oslo accords that provided a foundation for Palestinian statehood, and would require concessions from both sides. US officials said that Kushner, who is Trump's son-in-law, is expected to focus on the economic component of the plan during his week-long trip to the region. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un cut short their summit schedule during a second day of talks in Vietnam on Thursday, but it was not clear whether it was because of a deadlock in their nuclear negotiations. Earlier, both Trump and Kim had expressed hope for progress on improving relations and on the key issue of denuclearization, in their talks in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi. An Israeli woman living in the United States accused former IDF chief and Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz on Wednesday of sexually harassing her 40 years ago, when she was 14 years old. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Gantz's party said the allegations were "a complete lie," and his lawyer sent her a letter threatening legal action. Nava Jacobs, who left Israel in 1982, first made her claims against Gantz in December, saying the alleged harassment took place while the two were attending HaKfar HaYarok youth village and boarding school in Ramat HaSharon, around 1976. Benny Gantz (Photo: EPA) In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Jacobs repeated her allegations. "I was a teen in the midst of adolescence, a young girl at HaKfar HaYarok," she wrote about the incident. "I was innocent, and I still didn't understand the things that were going on at the youth village, and certainly not what the things that were happening between boys and girls." "It happened one day at the cowshed, where I most loved to be, among the animals," she wrote. "Benny Gantz burst inside, coming toward me, and he had a very scary look in his eyes. He was a big man, among the oldest at the village. He came close to me with a terrifying look, opened his pants, and exposed his penis in a way that made me feel I was in danger." She went on to write that "I froze, and even if I wanted to escaped, he blocked the way. He stood there and laughed and had a terrifying look on his face, like a predator. I was lucky his friend showed up and pulled him away from me." "I stayed at the cowshed stunned, crying and humiliated," Jacobs wrote. "For many years later, I remembered the scary eyes, which put terror into me as he looked at me. He ruined my life. This was my first encounter with sexuality, and he acted like a pervert." Nava Jacobs' post Her post caused a storm online, with some expressing their support of her, while others slammed her. In a video she posted in the wake of the outcry, Jacobs doubled down, insisting that "My story is completely true. I read your comments on Facebookwomen who write such disgusting things to me. Don't you have children? I have nothing to gain, I live in the United States. I exposed myself only to bring out the truth, because I love the State of Israel and don't believe such a man is even capable of sitting in the Israeli government." To Ynet, Jacobs said that "the boys would pull all kinds of pranks. I went to the cowshed on my own, and all of a sudden they showed up and he (Gantz) did this for no reason. I was a young girl then. They laughed and fled." "He didn't touch me nor did anything to me," she clarified. "I've never spoken to anyone about it, I was ashamed of it. Why would I tell people such a thing? It just grieves me that such a man wants to be prime minister. This is my country, after all, and I help Israel a lot." Gantz's Blue and White Party claimed political elements were behind Jacobs' allegations, describing her Facebook post as "incitement." "This is a complete lie. Yesterday, it was a blood libel about the graves of the sacred IDF soldiers, and tonight it's a baseless allegation about Benny Gantz and his days at HaKfar HaYarok in the 1970s. The political incitement has crossed all lines. The incident is being handled on a legal level," the party said in a statement. Gantz's lawyer said that "the post constitutes libel, and it's clear to all that the sole purpose of this post is to use Facebook to harm my client as part of the elections campaignin which my client is running for the premiership with the Blue and White listand spread lies about him." He demanded the immediate removal of the post and informed Jacobs that if she fails to comply, legal action will be taken against her. The ruling Likud Party denied any connection to the post. 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. US President Donald Trump's "deal of the century" to achieve peace in the Middle East will not include establishing a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, rather a Palestinian autonomy in the Gaza Strip with political and economic links to the West Bank, the Al-Quds newspaper reported on Thursday. In addition, the Palestinians will hold negotiations over Area C of the West Bank, which is under Israeli military control. Furthermore, Israeli settlements will remain under Israel's jurisdiction, but will not be expanded, according to Al-Quds. The deal will also include strengthening the cooperation between Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians over the management of the Al Aqsa mosque. US President Donald Trump's "deal of the century" to achieve peace in the Middle East will not include establishing a Palestinian state, and instead will propose Palestinian autonomy in the Gaza Strip with political and economic links to the West Bank, the Al-Quds newspaper reported on Thursday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter In addition, the Palestinians will hold negotiations with Israel over Area C of the West Bank, which is under Israeli military control. Furthermore, the Jewish settlements will remain under Israel's jurisdiction, but will not be expanded, according to Al-Quds. US President Donald Trump (Photo: AFP) The deal will also include strengthening cooperation between Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians over the management of the Al Aqsa mosque. Moreover, most of IDF checkpoints will be removed, enabling the Palestinians free movement across the West Bank. However, Area B and area C will remain under complete Israeli control. Sources involved in the formulation of the deal said that some $25 billion will be invested in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, in addition the US will transfer an additional $40 billion to Egypt, Jordan and possibly Lebanon "to ensure their cooperation" in implementing the deal. The report comes three days after Kushner, Trump's senior advisor and son-in-law, told Sky News Arabia in Abu Dhabi: "We want to get advice from them (countries in the region) on what is the best way to proceed and share with them some of the details of what we will be pursuing, especially on the economic vision for all the opportunity that exists if there is peace." In an interview broadcast on Monday on Sky News Arabia during a visit to US-allied Gulf Arab states, Kushner made no specific mention of a Palestinian state, whose creation had been a key goal of Washington's peace efforts for two decades. Kushner, who has responsibility for Washington's Israel-Palestinian policy, has said the peace plan will address final-status issues of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, including establishing borders. But he said the long-awaited peace proposal would build on "a lot of the efforts in the past," including the 1990s Oslo accords that provided a foundation for Palestinian statehood, and would require concessions from both sides. He added the deal focuses on permanently solving the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians and that the Americans wish to see Gaza and the West Bank united under one leadership. Kushner and Erdogan meet in Ankara (Photo: AFP) "Addressing the matter of the Israeli-Palestinian borders will ensure free movement of people and goods (across the West bank), leading to new opportunities. The Palestinian economy is restricted as long as peace is not achieved," he said. On Wednesday, Kushner met with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, and the two discussed increasing US-Turkish cooperation and ways to boost economic conditions in the region. "They discussed increasing cooperation between the United States and Turkey, and the Trump administration's efforts to facilitate peace between the Israelis and Palestinians," the White House said. "Additionally, they discussed ways to improve the condition of the entire region through economic investment." What started in January 2, 2017 when police investigators first arrived at the official residence in Jerusalem to question Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on suspicions of corruption against him was expected reach the moment of truth on Thursday with an announcement by Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit on whether or not he sought to indict Netanyahu in three cases, exactly 40 days before Israelis go to the polls. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter But with just hours to go before Mandelblit's anticipated decision, the Likud Party filed a motion with the Supreme Court to stop the announcement from happening before the April 9 elections, on the grounds that it would unfairly impact on Netanyahu's prospects of re-election. "The decision to hold the announcement today is the result of pressure by leftist thugs, and constitues blunt intervention in the election process," the motion said. According to TV reports on Wednesday evening, Mandelblit has decided to indict Netanyahu, pending a hearing in all three cases. In Cases 1000, Netanyahu and his family are suspected of receiving illicit gifts from wealthy donors. In Case 2000, Netanyahu is suspected of trying to negotiate favorable coverage in the Yedioth Ahronoth daily (Ynetnews' sister publication) in return for promoting legislation against rival paper Israel Hayom. In Case 4000, Netanyahu is suspected of receiving favorable coverage on the Walla! News website in return for regulatory benefits to telecommunications giant Bezeq, which owns the site. Prime Minister Netanyahu (Photo: AFP) Mandelblit is expected to charge Netanyahu with fraud and breach of trust in Case 1000 and Case 2000 , and with bribery in Case 4000 Billionaire and Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan, who is a suspect in Case 1000, will reportedly not be charged, while Yedioth Ahronoth owner and publisher Arnon Mozes, who is a suspect in Case 2000, is expected to be indicted for bribery, pending a hearing. Finally, former Bezeq majority shareholder Shaul Elovitch, who is a suspect in Case 4000, will also reportedly be charged with bribery. The attorney general will inform the lawyers of each of the suspects of his decision and offer to hold a hearing for each of them, after they've received materials on the main findings of the police investigation against them. The investigative materials, however, will only be provided to the suspects after the April 9 elections, to ensure the information doesn't leak to the press and is used in propaganda against Netanyahu in the run up to the vote. Mandelblit's public statement will include some 20 pages, including the main charges against each of the suspect. The statement will also include State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan's position on each of the cases. Netanyahu, who was in Moscow on Wednesday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, dismissed the reports on Mandelblit's expected decision. "The accusations of bribery are ridiculous," said a statement on his behalf. "Prime Minister Netanyahu never received anything from not gave anything to Elovitch. The coverage on Walla! was negative and intensified ahead of the elections. Every decision regarding Bezeq was approved by the responsible regulators and the prime minister acted flawlessly, as determined by the justice ministry in an official document. Initially, the criminal investigation against Netanyahu, which was launched in January 2017, concerned Case 1000, but over the two years that have passed the investigation branched out, and the prime minister was questioned about a dozen times in that cas and two others: Case 2000 and Case 4000. Case 1000 This case, which is also known as the "illicit gifts affair," concerns gifts the prime minister and his family allegedly received from American billionaire Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer. The gifts mostly included champagne and expensive cigars. The investigation found there was an alleged organized system, which operated for about a decade, with Netanyahu and his family demanding and then receiving gifts worth a total of some NIS 1 million. In return for the gifts, Netanyahu allegedly used his position to influence government policy for the betterment of his associates, particularly Milchan. Milchan and Netanyahu in 2015 (: gettyimages) Tax benefits - One such favor was the premier's invested interest in extending tax benefits for returning residents to over 10 years, something the police estimated would have saved Milchan millions of dollars. Finance Ministry officials rejected the proposal, saying it was contrary to the public interest, because fewer taxes would be collected. US visa - Netanyahu is also suspected of working to aid Milchan renew his visa to the US. The prime minister allegedly turned to then-US Secretary of State John Kerry, then-US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro and Israel's Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer, asking for their help in extending Milchan's visa. Channel 2 merger - The prime minister allegedly worked to promote the merger of the two TV networks that shared Channel 2, Keshet and Reshet, which Milchan sought to run, in addition to owning shares in commercial competitor, Channel 10. "Communications Ministry Director-General Shlomo Filber intervened and acted on behalf of Netanyahu in order to advance Milchan's affairs. In return, the prime minister was promised sympathetic coverage (from Channels 2 and 10)," police said. The Tata project - According to the police, the most glaring example of Netanyahu working against Israel's interests to benefit Milchan was his efforts promote a free trade zone on the Israel-Jordan border, a project Milchan sought to promote as part of his partnership with Indian industrialist Ratan Naval Tata. The project, which police noted went against the recommendations of the defense establishment, would have generated Milchan and Tata "a huge profit," but ended up being scrapped because it would've cost the state an unreasonable amount in security expenses. Channel 10 - Netanyahu allegedly acted in violation of the law when he handled the affairs of Channel 10, despite knowing his friend Milchan owned shares in the channel. Case 2000 According to the police, Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth owner and publisher Arnon Mozes discussed mutual assistance to promote one another's interests during private meetings that began in 2009 and lasted for several years. As part of these talks, the two allegedly discussed the possibility of Mozes helping Netanyahu secure his position as prime minister through positive and favorable coverage in Yedioth Ahronoth. In return, the prime minister would aid Mozes to promote Yedioth's financial interests by initiating and supporting moves to weaken rival newspaper Israel Hayom. The investigation further found Netanyahu and Mozes took actual steps to promote each other's interests as part of the understandings reached between them, "or at the very least made it appear to the other they were doing so," police noted. Yedioth Ahronoth owner and publisher Arnon Mozes (Photo: Avi Mualem) Among the steps Netanyahu allegedly took to aid Mozes were: his support of a bill to prevent the free distribution of newspapers, dubbed the "Israel Hayom bill" as the daily is handed out for free; his efforts to reduce Israel Hayom's distribution; and his efforts to cancel the paper's weekend edition. In addition, Netanyahu, the minister of communications at the time, allegedly mediated between Mozes and potential buyers for Yedioth Ahronoth. The police investigation was based on two recordings made at Netanyahu's behest and without Mozes' knowledge. The recordings document meetings between Netanyahu and Mozes at the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem and were recorded by his then-chief of staff Ari Harow on his cellphone. Harow has turned state's witness. Both Netanyahu and Mozes claimed to the police that they did not truly intend to promote the matters discussed in their talks. Case 4000 This case, which is also known as the "Walla!-Bezeq affair," is considered by police and the Israel Securities Authority as the gravest of the three cases. Two of Netanyahu's top confidantsformer Communications Ministry director-general Shlomo Filber and former media advisor Nir Hefetzhave turned state's witness and are believed to have provided police with incriminating evidence. Netanyahu is suspected of taking bribes and acting in a conflict of interest by promoting regulations worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Bezeq and its then-majority shareholder Shaul Elovitch, including Bezeq's merger with the satellite TV company Yes. In return, the prime minister allegedly demandedboth directly and indirectlyto receive favorable coverage on Walla! News, which is owned by Bezeq. Netanyahu and Elovitch (Photo: Marc Israel Sellem, Orel Cohen) According to the police investigation, from 2012 to 2017 the prime minister and his associates "blatantly intervened" on a near-daily basis in the Walla! News site, using the connections with Elovitch and his wife Iris to influence appointments there and to promote flattering articles and pictures while quelling critical stories of the prime minister and his family. Police also said the Elovitch couple influenced the content published on Walla! News in return for regulatory decisions made by Netanyahu, which benefitted Shaul Elovitch and the Bezeq company. Elovitch and his wife Iris are also suspected of giving bribes, obstruction of justice and money laundering. In addition, Stella Handler, the former CEO of Bezeq, and Amikam Shorer, the former chief strategy and corporate development Officer at Bezeq, could also face charges. It's a sad day for Israel. For decades now, every prime minister has also been a criminal suspect. The only comfort is that despite corruption, the rule of law presides. No one gets a free pass not even the most powerful person in the country, and not even the president. But that's hardly any comfort, since whatever Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit says Thursday will be met with public outrage. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter It's not that the majority of the public thinks the rule of law in Israel is corrupt. But we do have to admit that most of the participants in both sides of the public debate about Netanyahu's guilt, have made up their mind and taken a stand on the matter, without waiting for the attorney general to share his own conclusions. AG Avichai Mandelblit and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: Gil Yohanan) A rigid perspective leads many members of the public to believe that some within the law enforcement authorities are acting from personal motivation rather than a desire to get to the truth. This doesn't mean that whatever Mandelblit says is inevitably based on dishonest motives far from. But it's hard to shake the feeling that the decision about Netanyahu's affairs was influenced by external pressures. Too many activists, journalists and politicians have already decided what the verdict will be. They have preached, they have protested, they have yelled. Every leak has become a headline and every headline has become a conviction. High-ranking judicial figures have been dragged into this media campaign against the PM. It's important to clarify that even if external pressures and personal motivations have been at work in regards to Netanyahu's cases, it doesn't make him free of corruption. And even if the criminal charges against him cannot be proven and I do hope that this will be the case the prime minister's actions are riddled with corruption. Even though he and his supporters do raise some rightful claims about a public campaign of slander, leaks and pressure there are undeniable facts describing gifts of phenomenal value, dubious decisions that aided his inner circle, unreasonable pressure on the media in the pursuit of positive news coverage, and on and on it goes. All of this clarifies that Netanyahu has to give up the role of prime minister. The indictments to be announced Thursday don't deal with a one-time glitch, but rather with a grim, ongoing narrative. This is the home stretch in the campaign for Netanyahu's future. Both camps are ready for battle, but no one will be the winner in this fight, and we will all be the losers. If there's still a chance to stop this fight from ripping Israeli society apart irreparably, it's best that Mandelblit reaches a deal with Netanyahu. The deal should include wiping out the charges against the prime minister in exchange for his resignation. There is no need to seek harsh judgment, but rather let's make a deal to avoid undermining Israel's rule of law. In truth, a deal could be its savior. RAMALLAH - Palestinian lawmaker Khalida Jarrar was released by Israeli authorities on Thursday after 20 months of holding her in detention without raising charges, her family said. The 56-year-old Khalida Jarrar was held under "administrative detention," an Israeli policy that permits holding people for months at a time without charges. In 2015, she served 15 months after being convicted of incitement to violence and "promoting terror activities." A senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, she was arrested again in July 2017 and held since then. She was initially scheduled to be released last October, but her detention was then extended another four months. GENEVA - United Nations investigators said on Thursday Israeli security forces may have committed war crimes over the killing of 189 Palestinians and wounding of more than 6,100 at weekly protests in Gaza last year. "The Israeli security forces killed and maimed Palestinian demonstrators who did not pose an imminent threat of death or serious injury to others when they were shot, nor were they directly participating in hostilities," the panel report said. The panel had confidential information about those believed to be responsible for the killings, including snipers and commanders, which was being given to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet for her to share with the International Criminal Court (ICC), it said. Israel on Thursday hit back furiously at a UN Human Rights Council's report claiming Israeli soldiers intentionally fired on civilians and could have committed crimes against humanity during a string of crackdowns against Palestinian demonstrators last year in Gaza that left 189 people dead. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The independent Commission of Inquiry mandated by the Human Rights Council said more than 6,000 people were shot by military snipers using live ammunition to repel protesters near the separation fence. The panel showed video of shootings of protesters as it issued a report on the violent March of Return protests the Palestinian launched in March, 2018. The goverment called the report "hostile, false and biased," while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the report reflected the council's "obsessive hatred" of Israel. "The UN Human Rights Council is setting new records of hypocrisy and lies stemming from its obsessive hatred toward Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. Hamas is the one firing missiles at Israeli civilians, throwing explosive devices and carrying terrorist activity during demonstrations on the Gaza border," Netanyahu said. UN Human Rights Council (Photo: AFP) "Israel wont allow Hamas to violate its sovereignty and hurt its citizens and will preserve its right to defend itself. IDF soldiers will continue defending with determination Israeli communities and civilians from Hamas and other terror organizations funded by Iran, which declares its intention to annihilate Israel," the prime minister added. Acting Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz echoed Netanyahu's sentiments, saying that the council had "produced another hostile, mendacious and slanted report against the State of Israel ... No one can deny Israel the right to self-defense and the obligation to defend its citizens and borders from violent attacks." Incendiary balloons being launched from Gaza into Israel The three-person panel said civilians who did not pose an "imminent threat" were among those killed and injured. It acknowledged significant violence linked to the demonstrations, but said they did not amount to combat campaigns, essentially rejecting an Israeli claim of terror activity by Palestinian armed groups. Israel dismissed the panel's comments on these Gaza militants as "absurd." The panel said Israel needed to do more to allow the injured, even today, to gain access to proper medical care, and urged Israel's government to authorize a "meaningful" investigation into the events. The commission also faulted Hamas, which runs Gaza, for not preventing use of incendiary airborne devices tied to kites and balloon that scorched swathes of Israeli farmland during the protests. The report was based on 325 interviews and meetings with victims, witnesses, government officials and members of civil society from all sides, and more than 8,000 documents. Gaza border riots (Photo: AFP) The commission said it heard from 15 contributors from the Israeli side, including non-governmental organizations, but got no cooperation from the Israel government. The panel said its mandate was to identify those it believed responsible for the violations, and it planned to hand over a confidential file with such information to UN human rights chief Michele Bachelet, who could hand it over the International Criminal Court and national authorities. The Israeli government has repeatedly lambasted alleged bias against Israel by the 47-member Human Rights Council. The Trump administration pulled the US out of the council last year, citing in part such alleged bias. Israel is the only country in the world whose rights record comes up for discussion at every HRC session, under "Item 7" on the agenda. Item 7 on "Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories" has been part of the council's regular business almost as long as it has existed. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit on Thursday called for Prime Minister Netanyahu to face charges in all three of the open corruption investigations into his actitvities, hours after the High Court rejected a last-ditch attempt by the Likud party to scupper his recommendations until after the April 9 elections. The indictments recommended by Mandelblit will be subject to a hearing beforehand. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Mandelblit, who was once Netanyahu's cabinet secretary, recommended bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges in Case 4000, in which Netanyahu is suspected of receiving favorable coverage on the Walla! News website in return for regulatory benefits to telecommunications giant Bezeq, which owns the site. Benjamin Netanyahu and Avichai Mandelblit (Photo: Gil Yohanan) The attorney general also called for charges of fraud and breach of trust in both Case 1000, in which Netanyahu and his family are suspected of receiving illicit gifts from wealthy donors, and Case 2000, in which Netanyahu allegedly tried to negotiate favorable coverage in the Yedioth Ahronoth daily (Ynetnews' sister publication) in return for promoting legislation against rival paper Israel Hayom. In a statement released through the Justice Ministry, the attorney general said that the decision to call for charges against Netanyahu was made after "a thorough examination of the evidence gathered during the investigations" both by the police and the Israel Securities Authority, as well as taking into consideration the opinions presented by the office of State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan. Mandelblit said that the decision to indict was not final, and a pre-indictment hearing would be arranged in coordination with the prime minister's legal team. The Likud issued a furious statement following the release of the recommendations, accusing Mandelblit of political persecution of Netanyahu. The witch hunt against the prime minister began with an attempt to link to him four bribery cases. Even before the hearing, three of them collapsed (Case 3000 was closed and Cases 1000 and 2000 do not include bribery charges). The rest will also collapse like a house of cards as soon as the prime minister confronts the state witnesses, said the party in an official statement. Both the party and Netanyahu claim that announcing the recommendations in the run up to the April 9 elections would seriously damage the prime minister's chances of re-election. What are the investigations? Case 1000 This case, which is also known as the "illicit gifts affair," concerns gifts the prime minister and his family allegedly received from American billionaire Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer. The gifts mostly included champagne and expensive cigars. The investigation found there was an alleged organized system, which operated for about a decade, with Netanyahu and his family demanding and then receiving gifts worth a total of some NIS 1 million. In return for the gifts, Netanyahu allegedly used his position to influence government policy for the betterment of his associates, particularly Milchan. Benjamin Netanyahu and Arnon Milchan in 2015 (: gettyimages) Tax benefits: One such favor was the premier's invested interest in extending tax benefits for returning residents to over 10 years, something the police estimated would have saved Milchan millions of dollars. Finance Ministry officials rejected the proposal, saying it was contrary to the public interest, because fewer taxes would be collected. US visa : Netanyahu is also suspected of working to aid Milchan renew his visa to the US. The prime minister allegedly turned to then-US Secretary of State John Kerry, then-US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro and Israel's Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer, asking for their help in extending Milchan's visa. Channel 2 merger: The prime minister allegedly worked to promote the merger of the two TV networks that shared Channel 2, Keshet and Reshet, which Milchan sought to run, in addition to owning shares in commercial competitor, Channel 10. "Communications Ministry Director-General Shlomo Filber intervened and acted on behalf of Netanyahu in order to advance Milchan's affairs. In return, the prime minister was promised sympathetic coverage (from Channels 2 and 10)," police said. The Tata project: According to the police, the most glaring example of Netanyahu working against Israel's interests to benefit Milchan was his efforts promote a free trade zone on the Israel-Jordan border, a project Milchan sought to promote as part of his partnership with Indian industrialist Ratan Naval Tata. The project, which police noted went against the recommendations of the defense establishment, would have generated Milchan and Tata "a huge profit," but ended up being scrapped because it would've cost the state an unreasonable amount in security expenses. Channel 10: Netanyahu allegedly acted in violation of the law when he handled the affairs of Channel 10, despite knowing his friend Milchan owned shares in the channel. Case 2000 Police say that Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth owner and publisher Arnon Mozes discussed mutual assistance to promote one another's interests during private meetings that began in 2009 and lasted for several years. As part of these talks, the two allegedly discussed the possibility of Mozes helping Netanyahu secure his position as prime minister through positive and favorable coverage in Yedioth Ahronoth. In return, the prime minister would aid Mozes to promote Yedioth's financial interests by initiating and supporting moves to weaken rival newspaper Israel Hayom. Arnon Mozes (Photo: Avi Mualem) The investigation further found Netanyahu and Mozes took actual steps to promote each other's interests as part of the understandings reached between them, "or at the very least made it appear to the other they were doing so," police noted. Among the steps Netanyahu allegedly took to aid Mozes were: his support of a bill to prevent the free distribution of newspapers, dubbed the "Israel Hayom bill" as the daily is handed out for free; his efforts to reduce Israel Hayom's distribution; and his efforts to cancel the paper's weekend edition. In addition, Netanyahu, the minister of communications at the time, allegedly mediated between Mozes and potential buyers for Yedioth Ahronoth. The police investigation was based on two recordings made at Netanyahu's behest and without Mozes' knowledge. The recordings document meetings between Netanyahu and Mozes at the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem and were recorded by his then-chief of staff Ari Harow on his cellphone. Harow has turned state's witness. Both Netanyahu and Mozes told that they did not truly intend to promote the matters discussed in their talks. Case 4000 This case, which is also known as the "Walla!-Bezeq affair," is considered by police and the Israel Securities Authority as the gravest of the three cases. Two of Netanyahu's top confidantsformer Communications Ministry director-general Shlomo Filber and former media advisor Nir Hefetzhave turned state's witness and are believed to have provided police with incriminating evidence. Netanyahu is suspected of taking bribes and acting in a conflict of interest by promoting regulations worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Bezeq and its then-majority shareholder Shaul Elovitch, including Bezeq's merger with the satellite TV company Yes. In return, the prime minister allegedly demandedboth directly and indirectlyto receive favorable coverage on Walla! News, which is owned by Bezeq. According to the police investigation, from 2012 to 2017 the prime minister and his associates "blatantly intervened" on a near-daily basis in the Walla! News site, using the connections with Elovitch and his wife Iris to influence appointments there and to promote flattering articles and pictures while quelling critical stories of the prime minister and his family. Netanyahu and Elovitch (Photo: Marc Israel Sellem, Orel Cohen) Police also said the Elovitches influenced the content published on Walla! News in return for regulatory decisions made by Netanyahu, which benefitted Shaul Elovitch and the Bezeq company. Elovitch and his wife Iris are also suspected of giving bribes, obstruction of justice and money laundering. In addition, Stella Handler, the former CEO of Bezeq, and Amikam Shorer, the former chief strategy and corporate development Officer at Bezeq, could also face charges. Arnon Mozes is the publisher and owner of Yedioth Ahronoth Group, which includes Ynet and Ynetnews. A lawyer for a man charged with "terror murder" over the killing four people at a Jewish museum in Belgium set about dismantling the case against his client Thursday, accusing investigators of meddling with evidence, prosecutors of intimidating witnesses and some of the witnesses of lying. Gesticulating and bickering with prosecutors in a display that had some lawyers snickering and Presiding Judge Laurence Massart frowning, Sebastien Courtoy claimed the 2014 slayings were carried out by Israeli intelligence agents and not his client, Mehdi Nemmouche. Nemmouche, a suspected French jihadist who spent time in Syria, is accused of murdering an Israeli couple by shooting them in the back of the head at point-blank range with a revolver at the entrance to the Jewish museum in Brussels, before moving inside and gunning down two employees. Benny Gantz, the greatest threat to the continuation of Benjamin Netanyahu's premiership, on Thursday called on the prime minister to "show responsibility and resign" following a call by the attorney general to indict him on charges in three corruption investigations. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who was once Netanyahu's cabinet secretary, called for Netanyahu to face charges in all three of the open corruption investigations into his activities, hours after the High Court rejected a last-ditch attempt by the Likud party to scupper his recommendations until after the April 9 elections. The indictments recommended by Mandelblit will be subject to a hearing beforehand. If and when you prove your innocence, you will be able to return to the public arena with your head held high, "Gantz said." I expect you to wage your legal battles a private man and wish you success in that endeavour. This evening, when the attorney general decides to indict an acting prime minister, is painful for every Israeli patriot," Gantz added. "Given the publication of the attorney-general's recommendations this evening, and the circumstances that have been created, sitting together (in government) with Benjamin Netanyahu is not an option." Benny Gantz and Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: AP, EPA) Gantz joined a growing of chorus of those demanding from the prime minister to resign from his position. Labor party leader Avi Gabbay was among the first to call on the prime minister to resign. "Netanyahu is embarrassing the State of Israel, destroying everything else in order to save himself. Israeli citizens do not want corrupt leadership, said Gabbay. Netanyahuresign! Dont wage your battles from the prime minister's house." MK Shelly Yachimovich, leader of the opposition, also called on Netanyahu to quit his post. Netanyahu can not run in the elections and cannot continue being a prime minister even for a another day," she said. Meretz leader Tamar Zandberg accused Netanyahus ruling Likud party of being the prime ministers partners in crime. "Today its clear why the Kahanists had been brought back to the Knesset Its not just Netanyahu, the Likud party and the extreme right are accomplices in these crimes the alternative is a government with the Meretz party in it," Zandberg said. The sternest out of Netanyahu's critics was Hadash-Taal co-chairman Ayman Odeh, who said the prime ministers place is in prison His incitement against the Arab population, calling the left traitors, his policy of divide and conquer, all meant to sway the attention from his corrupt policies, he said. Netanyahus top priority is himself, and certainly not the citizens." Meanwhile, Netanyahu's past and current coalition partners appear to back the embattled prime minister. Benjamin Netanyahu and Avichai Mandelblit (Photo: Gil Yohanan) Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz from the Likud party said despite trusting the attorney generals integrity and honesty, he believes the prime minister has Israel's best interests at heart he is not a corrupt person. I hope after the hearing, these accusations will fade away," he said. Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud), also expressed his support for the prime minister. "The announcement seeking indictment against a party leader 40 days before the elections without a prior hearing constitutes irreversible public and political damage not only to him, but to an entire party and to the electorate, he said. We will continue with all our might the campaign on the way to the Likud victory and the establishment of a strong right-wing bloc." "The prime minister should have the right to the presumption of innocence, like any other Israeli citizen, said the New Right party in an official statement. We respect the Attorney General's decision, but as the attorney general said himself, he will attend the hearing with an open heart and a willing soul, so will we wait for the outcome We will recommend that the president places the task of forming the next government on Benjamin Netanyahu." Mandelblit recommended bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges in Case 4000, in which Netanyahu is suspected of receiving favorable coverage on the Walla! News website in return for regulatory benefits to telecommunications giant Bezeq, which owns the site. The attorney general also called for charges of fraud and breach of trust in both Case 1000, in which Netanyahu and his family are suspected of receiving illicit gifts from wealthy donors, and Case 2000, in which Netanyahu allegedly tried to negotiate favorable coverage in the Yedioth Ahronoth daily (Ynetnews' sister publication) in return for promoting legislation against rival paper Israel Hayom. The Hamas militant group says that Egypt has released eight Palestinians, including four of its members, from detention after years of denying knowledge of their abduction. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh announced the release of the detainees and thanked Egypt upon his return from a three-week trip to the country on Thursday. The four Hamas militants were abducted in August 2015, when unknown gunmen ambushed a bus ferrying a group of Palestinian travelers across the Gaza-Egypt border. Residential building activity hit an all-time high in 2018 but also started to slow in the same year, according to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The residential building industry was able to record $68.7 billion worth of work on new homes over the year. The large amount of building work done is a product of having such a large number of homes under construction during the year. The figures also confirm that the volume of activity began to retreat from the peak during the second half of the year. The total value of building work done on new homes declined by 3.7% in the final quarter of the year, said Geordan Murray, senior economist for the Housing Industry Association. The figures also showed that some leading indicators of residential building activity, such as sales of new residential lots, new home sales, building approvals, and housing finance, all dropped significantly during the latter stages of 2018. What does this mean? The pipeline of new residential building work is declining. In addition, as the homes that are under construction reach completion, fewer new projects will potentially replace them. The number of homes under construction will continue to decline throughout this phase of the cycle and the value of building work will decline accordingly, said Murray. The current figures provide an indication that next weeks GDP figures will reveal that the slowdown in new home building has detracted from GDP growth for the second consecutive quarter, according to the HIA. The industry group also forecasts more declines in home building over the next two years, which could be a headwind for economic growth. News Washington, DC - Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo: "On behalf of the Government of the United States, I extend congratulations to the people of the Dominican Republic on your 175th anniversary of independence. "The United States and the Dominican Republic enjoy a strong relationship rooted in familial and cultural ties and a long history of cooperation on security, trade and investment, disaster preparedness, and education. We value the Dominican Republics leadership on issues of regional interest, including as a member of the United National Security Council this year. Your country has played an essential role in promoting democracy in the hemisphere and contributing to the prosperity of our peoples. We look forward to deepening our partnership with the Dominican Republic through the U.S.-Caribbean 2020 initiative as we work towards a future of mutual security, growth, and prosperity. "The United States values our longstanding friendship and wishes the citizens of the Dominican Republic a happy Independence Day celebration." Living Section Wellton, Arizona - Share your love of books and reading! The Wellton Library Book Club will meet Friday, March 1st, 15th, and 29th at 10:00 a.m. All are welcome to attend. Friday, March 1st @ 10:00 a.m. Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson Friday, March 15th @ 10:00 a.m. Loves Dangerous Challenge by Ellynore Seybold Friday, March 29th @ 10:00 a.m. The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty Most books are available for checkout at the service desk. The March 15th title is available via Biblioboard, an online resource accessible via the YCLD website. Staff can assist with finding and downloading the book to most internet-enabled mobile devices. The Wellton Library is located at 28790 San Jose Avenue in Wellton, AZ. For more information, call (928) 785-9575. Living Section Wellton, Arizona - Do you love D.I.Y.? On Thursday, March 7th, the Wellton Library will host a Chicken Craft at 11:00 a.m. Try your hand at turning a gourd into a colorful chicken! There is no charge to attend; participants are seated on a first-come, first-served basis. Supplies are limited. The Wellton Library is located at 28790 San Jose Avenue in Wellton, AZ. For more information, call (928) 785-9575. Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - Arizona Western Colleges Department of Diversity, Inclusion, and AccessABILITY is hosting an upcoming Veteran Network Ally Training for the campus and community to attend. The Veteran Network Ally program was developed at California State University Long Beach as a faculty and staff awareness program designed to educate members of the university community about the military, foster a supportive campus atmosphere, and establish a network of visible allies for veterans. The hope is that participants can form mutually beneficial relationships with veterans and active duty military to both, increase awareness and understanding of the military from a civilian perspective and assist in creating an easier and smoother transition process back into civilian life. AWC is a veteran friendly campus and this training is instrumental in fostering that culture. The free training will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday, March 7, in room SC 115 located in the Student Success Center on the AWC Yuma Campus, 2020 S. Ave. 8E. To register for the training, please contact Gabriela Siqueiros at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (928) 344-7683. Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - It was announced at last weeks City Council meeting that Fire Marshal Kayla Franklin has earned the Certified Fire Investigator (CFI) designation conferred by the International Association of Arson Investigators. Franklin, who has served as Yumas Fire Marshal since 2014, is one of only two CFIs in Yuma and only one other person in Arizona earned this certification in all of 2018. The Certified Fire Investigator designation is arrived at through an application process that examines the applicants achievements in education, training, and experience. All achievements must be documented and verified before being approved to take the all-inclusive CFI examination covering job performance requirements set forth by the National Fire Protection Association. The proctored test was administered in Prescott last year. In addition to being Yumas first female Fire Marshal, Kayla has served with the Yuma Fire Department for 13 years and has been in the fire service for 18 years. In 2014 she was also awarded the official designation of Fire Marshal by the Commission on Professional Credentialing (CPC). As Fire Marshal, Kayla oversees the operations (investigations, inspections, plan review, and code enforcement) of YFDs Community Risk Reduction Division. Congratulations on your achievements and outstanding service to the citizens of Yuma! Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - The 9th annual Camp Inferno was held last week at the Public Safety Training Facility, 3575 South Avenue 4E. Camp Inferno is a joint program between the City of Yumas Fire Department and Parks and Recreation Department. Camp Inferno is an adventure immersion program allowing participants to experience a day in the life of women in fire and life-safety services. The goal of the program is to afford the opportunity for real world experience where young ladies are encouraged to challenge themselves on numerous physical and mental firefighter tasks in a controlled environment. Participants learned and demonstrated firefighting skills with fire department equipment and gear. They learned lifesaving emergency medical techniques including Continuous Chest Compression CPR, and basic first aid. 14 young women of high school age took part in this years event. Camp started on Tuesday February 19th at 4:00 pm with a camp orientation, CPR class, and uniform/protective gear fitting. It continued on Friday February 22nd from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm with team building activities. The last day, Saturday February 23rd started at 08:00 am and concluded at 5:30 pm with hands on drills and learning experiences throughout the day. Congratulations to this years Camp Inferno graduates, and to all those who make this annual event possible! Today Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 74F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. Low 54F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow Sun and a few passing clouds. High 74F. Winds light and variable. The word slay queen has become one of the most used phrases in Ghana due to the activities of some women on social media. Slay queen is used to describe ladies who often show off on social media because of the way they dress. Slay queen is not a bad word like many people consider it. The real brain behind slay queen is to describe beautiful ladies who dazzle on Instagram with their beautiful pictures. In Ghana, there are some photo models who are regarded as slay queens due to their 'hot' photos and showing cleavages. READ ALSO: Princess Shyngle slammed by social media user for wearing waist trainers They are either receiving accolades for their body figure or people are liking the dress they wore. Here, YEN.com.gh brings to you eight most popular slay queens in Ghana. 1. Jjorm Jjorm is one of the top slay queens on Instagram. On her Instagram page, Jjorm wrote that she is an entrepreneur, actress, musician, commercial model, brand ambassador and humanitarian. Jjorm, however, do not get attention because of all the professions she listed in her bio. Instead, Jjorm is noted for posting very attractive photos of Instagram. The 'slay queen' receives a lot of likes and comments because in almost all her pictures, Jjorm reveals some cleavages. Since she has a beautiful figure, her pictures receives a lot of attention, making her one of the top slay queens on Instagram. Jjorm owns a wine shop aside slaying. 2. Mi Lady Afia Afia is one of the most sought after slay queens on Instagram. Day in day out, she posts very attractive pictures that receive a lot of likes and comments. Afia good sense of fashion, revealing cleavages and her body figure are the elements that gives her a lot of attention on Instagram. Afia has been featured in some few music videos depicting that soon she will become a video vixen. 3. Nana Ama Dee Nana Ama Doreen is one of the most loved slay queen on Instagram because of her good body looks. Almost all the time, Nana Ama is seen posting very beautiful photos on Instagram for which she receives a lot of likes and comments. On her Instagram, Nana Ama Dee describes herself as a photo model. With over 15,000 followers on Instagram, Nana Ama Dee seems to grab a lot of attention with her 'tundra.' READ ALSO: Shatta Wale shakes KNUST with impressive performance in latest video 4. Eyram Eyram is a top Instagram slay queen due to her beautiful photos that she posts often. Eyram on her Instagram page describes herself as a brand influencer, brand ambassador and a photo model. Her photos receive a lot of attention because Eyram is fond of wearing fashionable dresses in quest to advertise them. As the face of Sultan Drink Ghana, Eyram has advertised and modeled for a lot of brands in Ghana. 5. Afia Ansah Her bubbly body is always the center of attraction on Instagram, making her one of the top slay queens in Ghana. Afia Ansah who often posts beautiful pictures on her Instagram page receives a lot of likes and comments since she reveals some cleavages. Her thick figure is one that is often talked about as well as her ardent support for popular rapper, Sarkodie makes her popular. With over 36,000 followers on Instagram, Afia Ansah describes herself as a fashion and lifestyle personnel. 6. Prissy Otubea Prissy Otubea is one of the known slay queens on Instagram due to the 'hot' photos and videos that she normally posts on Instagram. Describing herself and as a photo and commercial model, Prissy receives a lot of attention because of her thick figure. With over 17,000 followers, Prissy is gradually becoming one of the top Instagram stars. 7. Brenda Kuffour Brenda Kuffuor is a Ghanaian photo model and one of the top slay queens in Ghana. With very 'hot' photos on Instagram, Brenda often gets tongues wagging because of her beautiful figure. All photos that Brenda posts on Instagram receives a lot of likes and comments making her photos trend often. With over 60,000 followers on Instagram, she interest her followers with her good curvy looks. 8. Zea Zea Bee is a Ghanaian fashion blogger based in California, USA. Zea is one of the top queens on Instagram who slay a lot and for such reason she attracts a lot of likes and comments. With over 270,000 followers, Zea has become one of the most popular Instagram slay queens who wow her followers with her curvy body. READ ALSO: Hajia4reall shows off fresh Lamborghini Huracan worth $200,000 Ghana News Today: Anas drops another expose / Mahama wins NDC presidential primaries | #Yencomgh Source: Yen The 2013 winner of Ghanas Strongest, Sani Mohammed, is reportedly among those declared wanted over the shooting incident which happened at the NDCs Ashanti regional office. On February 18, 2019 a violent scuffle at the NDCs regional secretariat in Kumasi led to the death of one person. The deceased was reportedly shot thrice following a gun battle between alleged party vigilante groups. Sani Mohammed. Source: Ghanaweb. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Ghanaians react to Prophet Nigel Gaisies prophecy that John Mahama will win 2020 election One other person is reported to have sustained serious injury and was rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for treatment. The Ashanti Regional Police subsequently launched a manhunt for 12 suspects believed to be involved in the shooting incident. MyNewsGh.com, reports that the 2013 winner of Ghanas Strongest, Sani Mohammed, is among those declared wanted by the police. This, the report claims, was revealed by the police Public Relations Officer (PRO), ASP Godwin Ahianyor. Sani Mohammed was reportedly spotted at the crime scene on the day of the shooting incident. READ ALSO: Akufo-Addo commissions ceramic tile manufacturing company under 1D1F We now know that the motorbikes that went to the party premises were more than one and the suspects that have been mentioned so far in our investigations include one Wayo a resident of Tafo, we have gotten Sani who was once winner of TV3s Ghanas Strongest, ASP Ahianyor is quoted as saying. We also have Ja Rule also a resident of Tafo, Element a resident of Ayigya Zongo, Petit a driver at Tafo, we have Rock whose location is yet to be known, Fayis, Akon, Mijima and Warrior. The police PRO urged the public to assist with any information which could lead to the arrest of the suspects. Ghana News Today: Residents of East Legon complain of narrow road | #Yencomgh READ ALSO: Kennedy Agyapong paid big for secret tape - Oman FM staff Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook now! Source: Yen President Akufo-Addo has named the ministers and their deputies for Ghanas newest regions. Per a release from director of communications at the presidency, Eugene Arhin, dated Thursday, February 28, 2019, they would be presented to Parliament to be sworn in. YEN.com.gh understands that current ministers and deputies of some regions have also been changed in the latest release. Source: Facebook.com/Eugene Arhin Source: UGC READ ALSO: 5 facts gathered so far about the leaked Ofosu Ampofo tape Source: Facebook.com/Eugene Arhin Source: UGC Some Ghanaians are however not too excited about the announcement and have expressed their reservations about the list: Bempong wished to confirm if the new list therefore shot up the list to 124. To Nana Yaw, the list is wasteful, reckless, infantile and an abuse of resources. Adu sarcastically congratulated them for a lean government. Euche also expressed concern about the number of ministers. To Nartey, the list merely represents an increase in the number of busybodies with little to show for the efforts. To Menzs, Ghanaians have a cause to cry, as its leaders are selfish and greedy. Otabil however argued for an independent manager for the cedi, as the exchange rate was not the best. READ ALSO: Alabi begins campaign for Mahama ahead of 2020 elections I don't do secular music. I do good music with good themes: Kuami Eugene - Star Gist| #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 News ISLAMABAD: Amid mounting international pressure, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced that the captured IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman in the custody of its armed forces would be released on Friday. Speaking in his country's Parliament, Imran Khan said that the pilot would be released as a ''peace gesture'' towards India. "The release of the pilot is the first step towards open negotiations," he said while confirming that he would call Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the day. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan: As a peace gesture we are releasing Wing Commander Abhinandan tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/J0Attb6KDC ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 Addressing a joint session of the National Assembly, Khan said the India-Pakistan situation should not "get out of hand" otherwise "Pakistan will have to retaliate". "Countries are ruined because of miscalculation," said Khan. Alleging "war hysteria" in India, he said, "I'm afraid that there might be a miscalculation.'' "War is not a solution. If India takes any action, we will have to retaliate," PM PM said. The joint session of Parliament was called to discuss the rising tensions with India. The surprise announcement came barely an hour after country's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Prime Minister Khan is ready to talk to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions. The announcement was greeted by thumping of desks by Pakistani lawmakers. Sources claimed that the captured IAF pilot will arrive home through Wagah Border on Friday. India had so far maintained a strong position and had demanded the immediate and safe release of the pilot. Government sources had earlier said that India was absolutely against any deal with Pakistan for his release. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had on Wednesday morning told a leading Pakistani television channel Geo TV that his country is willing to return the captured IAF pilot this week if it helped ease the crisis with its neighbour. ''Pakistan is willing to consider returning the captured IAF pilot if it leads to de-escalation of tensions with India,'' FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi had said. His statement came a day after Pakistan detained Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control when his MiG 21 fighter jet was hit. On being asked if he is open to meeting his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj on sidelines of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meet, Qureshi said he will not hesitate to meet but OIC is not the right forum for talks with Swaraj. Qureshi further told Geo TV that if India gives priority to peace, Pakistan is ready for peace. "Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to talk to Indian PM Narendra Modi on the telephone and ready to extend an invitation of peace. Is PM Modi ready?" he asked. "We are ready for every eventuality. If they give priority to peace, we are ready for peace. If they prioritise dialogue, we are ready for dialogue," the Foreign Minister said. Qureshi also confirmed the receipt of India's dossier on the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed in an attack claimed by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). In New Delhi, highly placed government sources had said that India has not asked for consular access to the IAF pilot, and is insisting on his unconditional and immediate return. Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) assured that the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot was safe and sound. "The armed forces rescued him from the mob that went after him after his plane crashed in Kashmir," the FO said. India on Wednesday summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan and demanded the immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot who was detained by Pakistan following an aerial engagement by air forces of the two countries. It has also been made clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, the External Affairs Ministry said in New Delhi, adding that it has conveyed strong objection to the neighbouring country at the "vulgar display" of an injured personnel in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. (With Agencies Inputs) ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is willing to return the captured Indian Air Force pilot this week if it helped ease the crisis with its neighbour, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told a leading Pakistani television channel Geo TV on Thursday. ''Pakistan is willing to consider returning the captured IAF pilot if it leads to de-escalation of tensions with India,'' Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said. His statement came a day after Pakistan detained Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control when his MiG 21 fighter jet was hit. On being asked if he is open to meeting his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj on sidelines of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meet, Qureshi said he will not hesitate to meet but OIC is not the right forum for talks with Swaraj. Pakistan's Geo News: On being asked if he is open to meeting Indian EAM Sushma Swaraj on sidelines of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation(OIC) meet. Pakistan Foreign Minister SM Qureshi said he will not hesitate to meet but OIC is not the forum for talks with Swaraj. https://t.co/3yVbgYMyi1 ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 Qureshi further told Geo TV that if India gives priority to peace, Pakistan is ready for peace. "Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to talk to Indian PM Narendra Modi on the telephone and ready to extend an invitation of peace. Is PM Modi ready?" he asked. "We are ready for every eventuality. If they give priority to peace, we are ready for peace. If they prioritise dialogue, we are ready for dialogue," the Foreign Minister said. Qureshi also confirmed the receipt of India's dossier on the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed in an attack claimed by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Meanwhile, in New Delhi, highly placed government sources said that India has not asked for consular access to the IAF pilot, and is insisting on his unconditional and immediate return. Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) assured that the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot was safe and sound. "The armed forces rescued him from the mob that went after him after his plane crashed in Kashmir," the FO said. The Express Tribune reported that Pakistan is yet to decide whether the IAF pilot will be declared a prisoner of war (PoW) and which convention will be applied. "The decision (on the IAF pilot) will be announced in a day or two," the report said. India on Wednesday summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan and demanded the immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot who was detained by Pakistan following an aerial engagement by air forces of the two countries. It has also been made clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, the External Affairs Ministry said in New Delhi, adding that it has conveyed strong objection to the neighbouring country at the "vulgar display" of an injured personnel in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. (With Reuters/Agencies Inputs) New Delhi: Popular television actress Jazz Sodhi, who made her debut by working in Punjabi films is all set to make her Bhojpuri film debut with filmmaker Vishal Verma's 'Aaye Hum Baarati Baraat Leke'. The film is presented by Yashi Films and is being made under the banner of OCA Production Private Limited. It is being produced by Sanjay Singh and Pradeep Prabhakar. Like other film industries, the Bhojpuri film industry is also growing rapidly due to which actors and actresse of different industries are now working in Bhojpuri films. The film 'Aaye Hum Baarati Baraat Leke' is being shot in Mathura and this marks actress Jaswinder Kaur's Bhojpuri film debut. Jaswinder is popularly known as Jazz Sodhi and has worked in several Punjabi films as well as television serials. Talking about her debut Bhojpuri films, Jazz told B Films digital media that this film is somewhat connected to her personal life which is why she agreed to do the film. The actress further added that she has not spoken to her co-star Dinesh Lal Yadav hence she doesn't know much about him. However, the actress was all praises for Avadesh, who plays the villain in the film. Jazz said that Avadesh is a very good and honest person and that the two engaged in a great conversation on sets. The actress further added that it felt like her and Avadesh have known each other for a long time and that the two co-stars have also clicked a few pictures together. Aaye Hum Baarati Baraat Leke also stars Anoop Arora, Tej Bahadur Yadav, Santosh Wehlwan, Un Pandey, Kiran Yadav, Chintamani Singh, Sanjay Mahanand in pivotal roles. New Delhi: Telecom operator Bharti Airtel Thursday said its Board has approved fund raising plans of up to Rs 32,000 crore through a mix of rights issue and bond, a move arms the company with firepower to take on market competition intensified by Reliance Jio. The mega fund-raising plans outlined by Bharti Airtel comes just days after Vodafone and Aditya Birla Group said they will infuse over Rs 18,000 crore into India's largest telecom operator Vodafone Idea Ltd through a rights issue. In a statement here, Bharti Airtel said the Board of Directors have "approved the fund raising of upto Rs 32,000 crore through rights issuance of upto Rs 25,000 crore and Perpetual Bond with equity credit upto Rs 7,000 crore". Perpetual bond of up to USD 1 billion (about Rs 7,000 crores) denominated in foreign currency is "subject to price, market conditions and other terms and conditions as acceptable, and with conditions allowing for full accounting equity credit and subject to all applicable laws..." The terms of the rights issue cleared by the Board include price of Rs 220 per fully paid equity share (a premium of Rs 215 per fully paid equity share over face value of Rs 5 per share); and a rights entitlement ratio of 19 shares for every 67 shares held by eligible shareholders, the statement added. The Board has authorised the 'Special Committee of Directors for Fund Raising' to proceed with rights issue, and determine its terms and conditions including setting the record date, finalisation of the Letter of Offer and other details, and also authorised the 'Committee of Directors' to decide, assess and conclude on the issuance of the Perpetual Bond. The Indian telecom sector - the world's second largest in terms of subscriber base - has been bruised by falling tariffs, eroding profitability, and mounting debt, amid stiff competition triggered by disruptive offerings of Reliance Jio, owned by India's richest man Mukesh Ambani. The industry has been seeking urgent relief measures entailing debt restructuring, cut in levies, and release of GST input tax credit locked up with the government. Bharti Airtel recently posted a 72 percent drop in consolidated net income for the three months ended December 2018 at about Rs 86 crore, amid market turbulence triggered by cut-throat competition in India business. The Q3 earning score card of telecom operators recently presented a picture of contrasts. While rival Reliance Jio posted an overall 65 percent rise in net profit to Rs 831 crore on year-on-year basis in the home turf, Airtel's losses from India operations (before exceptional items) stood at Rs 971.9 crore, compared to a net income of Rs 373.5 crore in the year-ago period. Airtel's consolidated net debt stood at Rs 1.06 lakh crore as compared to Rs 1.13 lakh crore in the previous quarter. Mumbai: Amidst the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan, budget carrier GoAir announced that Indian Armed Forces opting for rescheduling or cancellation of flights can do so without any charge. The rescheduling and cancellation fees for Indian Armed Forces can be done for free upto March 15, GoAir said. Effective 28.02.19, GoAir will allow rescheduling or cancellation of reservations, free of charge, across all sectors, upto 15th March 2019 to all the brave defence personnel who have been asked to resume their duties by the Indian Armed Forces, the company said in a statement. Besides, GoAir will allow all passengers travelling to/from Chandigarh (IXC), Srinagar (SXR), Jammu (IXJ) and Leh (IXL) (with travel date upto 15th March 2019 free of charge cancellation if the passenger wishes to, and free of charge re-booking on a date that is +/- 7 days from originally scheduled date, it added. The Pakistani Air Force on Wednesday carried out a retaliatory strike, a day after Indian struck inside Pakistan, destroying the biggest terrorist training camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). NEW DELHI: Amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan, highly placed government sources on Thursday confirmed that at least 20 fighter aircraft of Pakistani Air Force (PAF) had crossed into the Indian side on Wednesday. It was reported on Wednesday that at least three Pakistani jets had violated the Indian air space and dropped bombs on the way out. Pakistani jets had entered the border areas of Nowshera sector in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Wednesday morning. However, the Pakistani jets were chased away by the Indian Air Force and one of the PAF jets - F-16 bomber was shot down by the Indian fighters. In the brief aerial engagement with the Pakistani aircraft, one MiG-21 pilot went missing and was later captured alive by the Pakistani forces a video of which was later aired by the Pakistani media channels. Based on the eyewitnesses account and the videos shot by local residents, the sources claimed that it was now beyond doubt that at least 20 PAF jets had crossed into the Indian side and dropped bombs while being chased away by the vigilant IAF fighters. The Pakistani jets had made an unsuccessful attempt to target vital military installations at the Indian side of the border. Pakistan's claims that its air force did not target the Indian military installations during Wednesday's air intrusion was also rubbished by the Defence Ministry on Thursday. The officials said that the Pakistani jets clearly targeted multiple military installations in Naushera and Rajaouri sector, but their attempts were foiled by the combat patrol team of the Indian Air Force. Sources said that the alertness of the armed forces remained at the highest level in the aftermath of the incident. They said that the leaves of security forces have not been cancelled, though leaves of personnel holding important positions are being curtailed. The sources also said that there has been no mobilisation of ground forces yet and that some forces are ready to move at short notice. An IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after aerial combat on Wednesday during which the two sides said they shot down each other's warplanes that followed an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes that sparked fears of war. The aerial engagement between India and Pakistan for the first time since the 1971 war marked a dramatic escalation of confrontation prompting world leaders to urge the two neighbouring countries to exercise "utmost restraint". India said it shot down an F-16 warplane of Pakistan while it lost a MiG 21 during the fierce engagement between the air forces of the two countries along the Line of Control. In yet another provocation, the airspace violation comes hours after the Pakistani Army's ceasefire violation in the same area with mortars earlier on Thursday. The Pakistani soldiers started to fire at the Indian posts once again at around 1 pm. The enemy forces fired mortars across the Line of Control in the Krishna Ghati sector but there has been no damage on the Indian side. The Indian soldiers, too, responded by targeting the Pakistani posts. NEW DELHI: Air Canada on Thursday announced that its flight services to India will resume from midnight. ''Flights to Delhi will resume tonight from both Toronto (AC 42 Feb 28) and Vancouver (AC 44 March 1, it leaves shortly after midnight local time). There are no flights to Mumbai scheduled for Feb 28, it is four times a week,'' Air Canada said, according to ANI. Air Canada: Flights to Delhi will resume tonight from both Toronto (AC 42 Feb 28) and Vancouver (AC 44 Mar 1, it leaves shortly after midnight local time). There are no flights to Mumbai scheduled for Feb 28, it is four times a week. pic.twitter.com/43pD0z1jYk ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 ''Our flexible re-booking policy for customers remains in place. Information will be updated on the official Air Canada website as it becomes available. We are working to move all customers from Wednesday,'' it added. The Air Canada had on Wednesday temporarily suspended its flight services to India, following a decision by the Pakistan government to close its airspace. Air Canada cancelled one flight to New Delhi from Vancouver, while another flight en route to India was turned back to Toronto. "We have put in place a goodwill policy for affected customers and are monitoring the situation in order to resume service once the situation normalizes and we determine it is safe to do so," Canada`s largest air carrier said in a statement. Air Canada operates daily service from Toronto and Vancouver to New Delhi and four times weekly between Toronto and Mumbai. A day after India carried out aerial strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) camp in Balakot in Pakistan in which a "large number" of terrorists were killed, Jammu and Kashmir saw heightened military activity today, with Pakistani jets violating the Indian air space and dropping some bombs in the Rajouri sector after which one of their fighters was shot down. Following Pakistan`s action, India said it foiled an attempt by Pakistan Air Force to carry out strikes in Jammu and Kashmir by shooting down an F-16 fighter plane while losing its own MiG-21 jet after which a pilot was missing in action. On Wednesday, flight operations across eight airports in India - Amritsar, Pathankot, Srinagar, Jammu, Shimla, Dharamshala, Kullu and Leh were shut briefly. Operations later resumed in all the airports. India summoned Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan and lodged a strong protest over the unprovoked act of aggression by Islamabad against New Delhi, including the violation of the Indian airspace by Pakistan Air Force and targeting of Indian military posts. ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Wednesday said that all international and domestic flights operations across the country will remain suspended on Thursday. Quoting CAA, Pakistan-based ARY News reported that the flight operations in the country would remain shut until further notice. "NOTAM is still in place and airspace over Pakistan remains closed. Apology for an earlier tweet that indicated the partial opening of our airspace for commercial aviation. Any further information will be shared accordingly," the CAA tweeted early on Thursday. Qatar Airways on Wednesday issued a statement confirming that due to the heightened tension on the India-Pakistan border, its flights to Faisalabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar and, Sialkot airports stand temporarily suspended. Pakistani media reported that thousands of travelers were left stranded by affected airlines that not only land in Pakistan, but fly over its airspace. Thai Airways announced that all its European routes "departing near midnight of 27 FEB through early 28 FEB" were canceled "due to closure of Pakistani airspace. The airline said in a statement that there will be no Thai Airways flights between Bangkok and London, Munich, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Vienna, Stockholm, Zurich, Copenhagen and Oslo on Thursday. All THAI flights from Bangkok to Europe departing near midnight of 27 FEB through early 28 FEB and from Europe to Bangkok departing on 27 FEB have been cancelled due to Pakistan airspace closure. More info, https://t.co/vurqfPKswg. Thai Airways (@ThaiAirways) February 27, 2019 The sudden closure of airspace forced other airlines to divert or re-route their flights. Some airlines made stops to take on extra fuel to complete extended journeys without entering Pakistan airspace. Singapore Airlines released a statement confirming some of its flights from Singapore to London would have to stop in either Dubai or Mumbai to refuel. Flight tracking company Flightradar24 on Wednesday posted a map of flight paths in and out of Pakistan showing all flights to the country had stopped. International flights that transit between Indian and Pakistani airspace now being affected. Some flights returning to origin, while others appear to be seeking alternate routing. https://t.co/sXbkX0qrGI pic.twitter.com/tojnJCii4w Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 27, 2019 It may be recalled that flight operations were shut down for few hours across eight airports in India - Amritsar, Pathankot, Srinagar, Jammu, Shimla, Dharamshala, Kullu and Leh. Flight operations, however, later resumed as normal in all the airports, PTI reported. Meanwhile, Air Canada has decided to temporarily suspend its flight services to India, after Pakistan decided to shut its airspace. Pakistan's decision to shut down its airspace comes in the wake of an Indian Air Force Wing Commander being taken in custody by Pakistan when three fighter jets of Pakistan Air Force violated the Indian air space Wednesday morning. The morning raid was launched by three Pakistani F-16 fighter jets but Indian Air Force quickly reacted, forcing the Pakistani jets to return wothout casuing any damage inside Indian territory. India has demanded that Pakistan must release the IAF Wing Commanded immediately, strongly underlining that "no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody." The developments came a day after India bombed Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) biggest training camp in Pakistan, 11 days after Pulwama attack that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel. (with ANI inputs) The US State Department told ANI that Washington has urged both sides to take immediate steps with an aim to de-escalate the situation and hold dialogue to reduce tension. The US has said New Delhi and Islamabad that further military activity will only worsen the situation between the two nuclear-power nations. The US, however, backed India once again and said that cross-border terrorism,such as recent suicide attack on CRPF bus in Pulwama poses serious threat to security of the area. The reiterated that Pakistan must abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and take meaningful actions to block the access of terrorist groups to funds, ANI reported. PTI reported that US Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan is in constant touch with the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Advisor John Bolton, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford, and Commander of US Central Command General Joseph Votel regarding India-Pakistan tensions. "Acting Secretary Shanahan's focus is on de-escalating tensions and urging both of the nations to avoid further military action," the Pentagon said in a statement. Meanwhile, India's Ambassador to the US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, has said that New Delhi will not accept any act of terrorism silently and will give "appropriate response" to all terrorism incidents. While interacting with Indian students from the various universities from the Greater Washington area, Shringla stressed that Pakistan must meet its international obligations to destroy terrorist networks and terrorists operating on its soil. Canada also urged for de-escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan. "Canada is gravely concerned about rising tensions between India and Pakistan. We urge both sides to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any further military escalation," Chrystia Freeland, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, said. Calling for a durable diplomatic solution to problem between the two nations, Freeland added, "Dialogue between India and Pakistan is needed to identify a durable diplomatic solution and maintain peace and security in the region," Freeland said. The Canadian Foreign Minister, however, stressed that his country will always support the global fight against terrorism. "We are committed to working with India, Pakistan and our international partners in this effort," she said. Just 11 days after the Pulwama terror attack, India retaliated strongly by bombing Jaish-e-Mohammad's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. On Wednesday, three Pakistani fighter jets violated Indian airspace and entered in Jammu and Kashmir but they were pushed back by Indian Air Force. (with PTI inputs) For the first time since the February 26 airstrikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM0 terror camps in Pakistan and the failed air raids by the Pakistani Air Force a day later, the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy will hold a joint press conference at 7 pm on Thursday in New Delhi. The Pakistani air raids on Wednesday morning in Jammu and Kashmir's Naushera was targeted at Indian military installations. "We believe that the Pakistan air intrusion was an attack on military installations. We believe that the Indian Air Force pilot was illtreated by the Pakistan Army in violation of the Geneva Convention," Defence Ministry officials told news agency ANI. The officials also added that the Pakistan Army is actively supporting the JeM terror group which carried out the dastardly suicide attack on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama on February 14 resulting in the death of 40 soldiers. "We believe that the Pakistan Army is actively supporting the Jaish-e-Mohammed and is harbouring the leaders including Masood Azhar in its facilities," they told ANI. IAF jets had bombed three JeM terror camps in Pakistan's Balakot and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir's Chakothi and Muzaffarabad early on February 26 morning in a "non-military" and "pre-emptive strike". A day later three Pakistani jets tried to attack Indian military installations on February 27 which was foiled by IAF MiG-21 fighters. One Pakistani F-16 fighter was shot down while a MiG-21 too went down in PoK after being hit by enemy fire. The IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman ejected and was caught by the Pakistani forces. Imran Khan has announced that he would be released on Friday. India has asked the Pakistani forces to release Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman under Geneva Convention. "India also strongly objected to Pakistans vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. It was made clear that Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return," the Ministry of External Affairs demarche issued to the Pakistani Acting High Commissioner said. UNITED NATIONS: The United States, Britain and France proposed on Wednesday that the United Nations Security Council blacklist the head of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), which was involved in attacking an Indian paramilitary convoy in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on February 14. However, the move is likely to be opposed by China, which previously prevented the Security Council`s Islamic State and al Qaeda sanctions committee from sanctioning JeM leader Masood Azhar in 2016 and 2017. China`s UN mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new proposal. The February 14 attack, the most deadly in Kashmir during a 30-year-long insurgency, increased tensions between Pakistan and India. The United States, Britain and France have asked the 15-member Security Council sanctions committee to subject Azhar to an arms embargo, global travel ban and asset freeze. The committee operates by consensus and members have until March 13 to raise objections, according to the proposal seen by Reuters. When the council committee previously considered blacklisting Azhar in 2017 the Chinese Foreign Ministry said there were clear rules for listing a person or group as a terrorist, and that China has always believed the relevant U.N. committee should operate on the principles of objectivity. JeM is a terror group that forged ties with al Qaeda and was blacklisted by the U.N. Security Council in 2001. In December 2001, Jaish fighters, along with members of another Pakistan-based terror group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, attacked India`s parliament, which almost led to a fourth war. The Security Council condemned the February 14 attack in a statement last week, which was agreed after several days of negotiation. Diplomats said China had been opposed to a reference of JeM, however the agreed statement did eventually note that JeM has claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan`s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has written at least twice to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and they spoke on the phone on Tuesday. In a February 26 letter, seen by Reuters, Qureshi called on Guterres and the Security Council to urge India to halt "acts of aggression." India`s U.N. Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin told Reuters on Wednesday: "Our efforts are focused on countering terrorism and we are working with many global partners in pursuit of that objective." U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters that the United Nations has had contacts with India at "various levels." He said on Wednesday that Guterres was available to mediate should both parties agree. "The United Nations message both publicly and privately to both sides is to urgently take steps to lower tensions through meaningful mutual engagement and meet the responsibilities to maintain peace and security in the region," Dujarric said. NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force personnel, held captive by Pakistan, will be handed over once the ongoing hostility between the two neighbour nations end, diplomatic sources told Zee News. While Islamabad has not conveyed this to New Delhi by any form of formal or informal communication, sources said that the border nation is bound by the Charter of the United Nations Section to release the prisoner of war (POW). Following the air combat between the two nations on Wednesday, Pakistan released footage of an IAF personnel. India later slammed Pakistan for the vulgar display of the injured IAF personnel and demanded that he be handed back safely. All prisoners shall be treated with the respect due to their inherent dignity and value as human beings, states the Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners, adopted by the UN General Assembly. There shall be no discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, it adds. Indian Air Force chased out Pakistan Air Force warplanes and shot down an F-16 plane, after three aircraft were seen entering Indian territory. Pakistan also shot down a MiG aircraft. India has issued a demarche to Pakistan, objecting to the "vulgar display" of the injured IAF pilot in violation of all norms and said Islamabad must ensure that no harm is done to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. Pilots association support Government in 'fight against terrorism' The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also summoned Pakistan`s acting High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah and lodged a strong protest at "the unprovoked act of aggression by Pakistan against India earlier today, including violation of the Indian air space by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and targeting of Indian military posts." It also gave Pakistan a dossier with specific details of Jaish-e-Mohammed`s complicity in the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, which killed 40 CRPF personnel. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been asking India to provide "actionable intelligence" to take action against those involved in the Pulwama attack. JeM, based in Pakistan, had claimed responsibility for the attack. New Delhi: Almost two weeks after Navjot Singh Sidhu's controversial remarks that Pakistan cannot be blamed for the Pulwama attack, the Congress on Thursday attempted to save face and called it his personal opinion. Sidhu had been widely slammed for advocating peace with a country that had sheltered several terror outfits with a proven anti-India agenda. Even after Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF troopers lost their lives, the Punjab minister had said that Pakistan cannot be blamed for it. While political leaders across Punjab had demanded his resignation, Congress on Thursday attempted to steer itself away from the row. "There is a time to act and a time to talk. Dialogue can only take place when the atmosphere is conducive for it. The current atmosphere is not conducive. If Navjot Singh Sidhu has an opinion, that is his personal opinion and not that of the Congress," said party spokesperson Manish Tewari. While Sidhu may have advocated dialogue as the way forward with a country that refuses to acknowledge, let alone act against home-grown terror, Congress has been slammed for playing politics at a time when India-Pakistan tensions are on an upward trajectory. In a joint statement released by 21 opposition parties led by Congress on Wednesday, the Modi government was accused of playing politics with the sacrifices of the Indian armed forces. A day later, Tewari accused PM Narendra Modi of addressing booth workers rather than the nation amid tensions with Pakistan. The tone and tenor of Congress led finance minister Arun Jaitley to call for opposition parties to introspect and not make 'ill-advised statements'. New Delhi: Days after the Indian Air Force (IAF) targetted the biggest Jaish-e-Mohammed's training camp in Pakistan's Balakot, Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor on Friday said that they got the desired result in the strike. "Got the desired effect of Balakot strikes, whatever we intended to destroy we got that result," AVM RHK Kapoor said during a press briefing today evening. However, on being asked to give a tentative number on terrorists killed in the operation, he said, "Premature to say a number of casualties on the camp. Whatever we intended to destroy, we got that result." "We have evidence to show that whatever we wanted to do and the targets we wanted to destroy, we have done that. Now, it was up to the political leadership to decide when and how to release evidence of the Balakot strike's success," he said during the conference. He was responding to a question that there was some scepticism about whether IAF fighters had hit the intended targets. Kapoor said there is credible information and evidence that "we hit the intended targets" and it was premature to assess the casualties and damage. The IAF showed parts of Amraam missiles as proof that Pakistan used F-16 aircraft to attack Indian military establishments on Wednesday. "Pakistan lied that no F-16 was used but there was enough evidence," Kapoor said. Stating that Pakistan aircraft targeted military installations, he added that PAF bombs were unable to damage any of India's defence installations. Kapoor was addressing the media along with the representatives of the Army and the Navy, who both said the armed forces are on high alert and ready to meet any security challenge on land and sea. Tensions between the two countries escalated after Indian fighters bombed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp near Balakot deep inside Pakistan early Tuesday. It came 12 days after the JeM claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Kashmir, killing 40 soldiers. On Wednesday, Intelligence agency sources claimed that at least 42 trained suicide bombers, who were living in the Jaish's camp in Balakot, were completely destroyed during the IAF strike, carried out on Tuesday morning. As per sources, most of these suicide bombers were waiting at the launch pad to enter India and wreak havoc. The Markaz Syed Ahmed Saheed training Camp in Balakot was headed by Mohammad Salim alias Ustad Ghauri, the brother-in-law of JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar. The terror camp was hit hard at between 3:45 am and 3:53 am by IAF's Mirage 2000 fighter jets in an operation which lasted around 21 minutes. The pre-dawn airstrikes by IAF destroyed at least three Jaish control rooms in Balakot. (With Agency inputs) HANOI, VIETNAM: US President Donald Trump Thursday said that there's finally some decent news from India and Pakistan, amid simmering tensions between the neighbour nations. "I think reasonably attractive news (is coming) from Pakistan and India," said Trump while speaking at a news conference in Vietnam after a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "They have been going at it and we have been involved and have them stop. We have some reasonably decent news," he added, as reported by news agency ANI. Expressing hope of ending the decades-long conflict, Trump added, "Hopefully it's going to be coming to an end, going on for a long time, decades and decades." National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval spoke to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on telephone on Wednesday, hours after Pakistan's failed retaliation attempt. During the conversation, Pompeo said NSA Doval that Washington supported Indias decision to take action against Jaish-e-Mohammad's terror camp in Balakot, Pakistan. Earlier in the day, the US State Department urged both India and Pakistan to take immediate steps with an aim to de-escalate the situation and hold dialogue to reduce tension. The US has said New Delhi and Islamabad that further military activity will only worsen the situation between the two sides. The US, however, backed India saying that cross-border terrorism, such as recent suicide attack on CRPF bus in Pulwama poses serious threat to the security of the area. The US reiterated that Pakistan must abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and take meaningful actions to block the access of terrorist groups to funds, ANI reported. Trump-led US administration has adopted a strong approach to terrorism, repeatedly asking Pakistan to stop supporting terror groups on home soil. The ongoing tension between India and Pakistan remained high on Thursday with India demanding that Pakistan must release Indian Air Force pilot captured by Pakistan Army on Wednesday after his MiG 21 crashed inside Pakistani territory. High-level meetings are being held in Delhi to finalise the strategy to tackle the aggression shown by Pakistan and teach the neighbouring nation a good lesson. The international community is standing firmly behind India and it is expected that Indian government would respond in the perfect possible way. Here are the top developments of day 3 of India-Pakistan tension: - Imran Khan says IAF pilot in Pakistan's custody will be released tomorrow (February 28). - Pakistan violates ceasefire in J&K's Nowshera sector, resorts to mortar firing. - Sources say that 20 PAF jets had crossed into Indian airspace on Wednesday (February 27). - When asked if Pakistan Foreign Minister SM Qureshi is open to meeting Indian EAM Sushma Swaraj on sidelines of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meet, he told geo news that he will not hesitate to meet but OIC is not the forum for talks with Swaraj. - Two Pakistan jets violated Indian airspace in Krishna Ghati sector in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch on Thursday afternoon. However, the Indian Air Force chased the jets out. - Indian Army and Indian Air Force to address a joint press briefing in New Delhi at 5 pm, Thursday. - I think reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India, they have been going at it and we have been involved and have them stop, we have some reasonably decent news, Trump said. - India will live as one, grow as one, fight as one, win as one: PM Narendra Modi - Picture of downed Pakistani Air Force jet F 16 seen in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Commanding Officer of Pakistans 7 Northern Light Infantry and other PAF personnel were seen standing near the wreckage. - Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard are on high alert along the coastline of Maharashtra and Gujarat amid the escalation of tension between India and Pakistan, sources told Zee media. - Indian High Commission in Pakistan gave a demarche to Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday for the immediate and safe return of IAF pilot, sources told ANI. - NSA Ajit Doval and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a telephonic conversation on late Wednesday night. - Pakistan violates ceasefire Thursday morning in Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control in Poonch district. - Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a free hand to the three armed forces of the nation in a crucial security meeting on Wednesday. - Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) issues statement supporting the government. - In a big win for India, the United States, Britain and France proposed that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) blacklist the head of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) Maulana Masood Azhar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met the chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force at his official residence to hold discussions over the security situation after Pakistani aircraft violated Indian airspace and an Indian pilot was taken into custody by Pakistan. This was the second such meeting of PM Modi with the three chiefs in 24 hours. In fast-paced development on Wednesday, both India and Pakistan shot each other's warplanes following an unsuccessful attempt by Pakistan Air Force to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes. India shot down an F-16 warplane of Pakistan while it lost a MiG 21 during the fierce engagement between the air forces of the two countries along the Line of Control(LoC). Later, Pakistan released the video of captured IAF personnel prompting strong response from New Delhi. The government slammed Pakistan for the vulgar display of the injured IAF personnel and demanded that he be handed back safely. As tension mounted, the entire airspace north of New Delhi was briefly "vacated". Nine airports in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab were closed for civilian traffic for some part of the morning but opened later in the day. Jammu and Kashmir was the centre of much of the action on a day of escalating tensions between the two neighbours. The developments came a day after India bombed Jaish-e-Mohammed's(JeM) biggest training camp in Pakistan, 11 days after Pulwama attack that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel. Here's how world media reported the developments of Day 2 of tension between India and Pakistan: BBC: BBC reported that Pakistan has claimed shooting down two Indian military jets and capturing an Indian pilot in a major escalation between the two nuclear powers. India said it had lost one MiG-21 fighter and demanded the immediate and safe return of its pilot. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said the two sides could not afford a miscalculation and called for de-escalation of tension. CNN: Reporting the developments of February 27, CNN said that Pakistan said that its air force shot down two Indian fighter jets, in a significant escalation of the crisis between the two nuclear-armed powers. India later confirmed the loss of one plane and said it shot down a Pakistani jet while responding to the violation of Indian airspace of Pakistani fighter jets. Pakistan claimed to have captured an Indian pilot and Islamabad released a video of captured pilot. India slammed Pakistani for releasing the video demanded the safe return of its pilot. The confrontation between the two countries came a day after Indian Air Force launched airstrikes in Pakistan territory to target terror camps. Washington Post: In the most ominous military confrontation between India and Pakistan since both tested nuclear weapons two decades ago, Pakistan said it shot down two Indian military aircraft over its territory Wednesday and launched strikes in Jammu and Kashmir, reported Washington Post. It added that India claimed it shot down a Pakistani fighter jet in the aerial encounter. The most volatile aspect of the confrontation was Pakistans capture of an Indian fighter pilot. A photo was posted by Pakistani military officials of the captured Indian pilot. Guardian: The Guardian reported that India has called for the safe and immediate return of a fighter pilot seized by Pakistan after being shot down during tit-for-tat incursions over Kashmir that have edged the pair closer to war than at any point in the past 20 years. Pakistan released a video showing the Indian pilot in uniform as he gave his name and rank. India said it strongly objected to Pakistans vulgar display of the injured personnel of the Indian air force in violation of all norms of international humanitarian law. India's external affairs ministry said it had summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan, Syed Haider Shah, and lodged a strong protest at the violation of the Indian air space by Pakistan. South China Morning Post: Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan called for talks with India and warned of miscalculations that could lead to nuclear war in a national television address on Wednesday, reported South China Morning Post. Imran addressed the media hours after his nations air force claimed to have shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot. The warning and overture came amid flaring tensions between the nuclear-armed nations that started Tuesday when the Indian Air Force bombed terror camps in Pakistan. People watch a TV live broadcast about top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam, Feb. 27, 2019. Kim and Trump met Wednesday night in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi for their second summit to discuss concrete ways for peace on and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu) HANOI, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump met Wednesday night in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi for their second summit to discuss concrete ways for peace on and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Kim and Trump shook hands and smiled in their first encounter at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, where the two leaders were slated to briefly sit down one-on-one before having a social dinner, opening their two-day summit. The handshaking was made with flags of the DPRK and the United States standing behind them. A banner hanging above the flags read "Hanoi Summit" both in English and Korean. The summit came about eight months after the first Kim-Trump meeting in Singapore in June last year, where Trump pledged to provide security guarantees to the DPRK while Kim reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to a complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The two leaders stood around for a moment for a photo opportunity, before sitting down at the same place for a brief one-on-one chat. Noting "efforts and patience" were needed more than ever in the period that had passed, Kim said he was convinced that they can create an "outcome that everybody will welcome" in his second meeting with Trump. There was some mistrust and misunderstanding standing in the way of the two leaders, Kim said, but they overcame the obstacles to meet again in Hanoi in 260 days or so. Trump said he hoped his meeting with the DPRK leader would be "equal or greater" than their first summit. The U.S. president said he had a "successful" first meeting with Kim, they had made "a lot of progress" and the greatest one was his good relationship with Kim. He added that the DPRK has tremendous, unbelievable and unlimited economic potential. After the short appearance in front of journalists, Kim and Trump had a 20-minute one-on-one d-door dialogue, before having a social dinner with their aides and translators present. Trump was joined at the dinner by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Accompanying Kim were Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the DPRK's ruling Workers Party of Korea (WPK) Central Committee, and Ri Yong Ho, member of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and foreign minister. The two leaders were expected to try to hammer out a deal for the peace and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. They were slated to sit down again Thursday at a negotiating table for concrete ways to achieve the goal. "As key parties (of the Korean Peninsula issue), the DPRK and the U.S. should take measures on the basis of mutual respect and meet each other halfway, taking into account and accommodating the reasonable concerns of each other," Lu Kang, a spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry, said at a daily briefing Tuesday. Lu said China had been playing and would continue to play its role, repeating China's main position on the peninsula issue -- to achieve denuclearization of the peninsula, and to achieve and safeguard lasting peace and stability of the peninsula and Northeast Asia. Kim arrived first in Vietnam on Tuesday morning by a train that departed Pyongyang, the DPRK's capital, Saturday and cut across southern China to a Vietnamese border town. Then, he transferred to a limousine bound for Hanoi. He became the first sitting DPRK leader in 55 years to make an official visit to the Southeast Asian country. Trump landed in Hanoi on Tuesday night, staying in the J. W. Marriott Hotel in the Vietnamese capital. Kim's lodging is the Melia hotel, some minutes' drive from Trump's hotel. Security was tightened near the hotels, surrounded by armed police and soldiers as well as international journalists and spectators hoping to catch a glimpse of the two leaders. NEW DELHI: India on Thursday confirmed that Pakistan had violated the country's airspace on Wednesday and made an unsuccessful attempt to target vital military installations by using its F-16 bombers. During a joint press meet by the Army, Navy and the Air Force - the officials said that a MiG -21 fighter jet had indeed shot down a Pakistan F-16 bomber after the jets from the neighbouring nation violated India's airspace with an intention to target Indian military installations on Wednesday. Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor said, ''The IAF fighters were tasked to intercept the intruding Pakistani aircraft and managed to thwart them. Although PAF jets dropped bombs, they were not able to cause any damage.'' ''One Pakistani F-16 was shot down by an IAF MiG 21 Bison Aircraft. East of Rajouri, parts of F-16 have been recovered, inside the Indian territory,'' AVM Kapoor said. ''There is credible evidence that we destroyed target during our airstrikes on a JeM camp in Pakistan's Balakot,'' Kapoor. Responding to a question on bombing on JeM terror camps in Pakistan's Balakot, AVM RG Kapoor said, ''It will be premature to say anything on the number of casualties on the camp, whatever we intended to destroy we got that result. But we have evidence that proves that IAF MiG 21 bison downed an F-16 and the F-16 crashed on PoK side. We found AMRAMM debris East of Rajouri. AMRAMM is only found on Pakistani F-16. We also registered F-16's electronic signature on our equipment.'' ''We have evidence to show that whatever we wanted to do and targets we wanted to destroy, we have done that. The decision to show the evidence is on senior leadership,'' he added. Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor: We have evidence to show that whatever we wanted to do and targets we wanted to destroy, we have done that. Decision to show the evidence is on senior leadership pic.twitter.com/RxwZKJOZaG ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 To a question on Pakistan's announcement to release the captured IAF pilot, he said, ''Pakistan's gesture to release Wing Commander Abhinandan is in consonance with Geneva Convention,'' He, however, added that the IAF is happy that Wing Commander Abhinandan is returning tomorrow.'' Speaking on his turn, Major Gen Surinder Singh Mahal said the Indian armed forces are ready to meet any eventuality. ''As long as Pakistan continues to harbour terrorists, we will continue to target the terror camps, '' Major General Surendra Singh Mahal said. Gen Mahal blamed Pakistan for ''escalation of tension between the two countries'' and warned that Indian forces are prepared for any contingency if enemy provokes us. We are fully prepared to respond to any provocation from Pakistan, the officer said in the joint press briefing. Speaking on his turn, Navy Rear Admiral DS Gujral said, ''We are ready for any misadventure by Pakistan and we are ready for resolute action. We want to ensure the safety and security of our citizens.'' The joint press conference was addressed by Major Gen Surinder Singh Mahal (Army), R Admiral DS Gujral (Navy) and Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor (Air Force) at North Block - Central Secretariat. The joint press conference by the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy was held around 7 PM on Thursday in New Delhi. Earlier, in a surprise announcement, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced that the captured IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released on Friday as a "gesture of peace". The announcement from Pakistan PM during a joint session of Parliament came barely an hour after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Khan is ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions. As the Opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif took the floor of the House, Prime Minister Khan apologised for interrupting and said he wishes to announce that the Indian pilot captured by Pakistan Air Force on Wednesday will be released Friday as a "peace gesture". The announcement was greeted by thumping of desks by Pakistani lawmakers. Pakistan detained Wing Commander Varthaman following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control when his MiG 21 fighter jet was downed. Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) said that the Indian Air Force pilot was safe and sound. "The armed forces rescued him from the mob that went after him after his plane crashed in Kashmir," the FO said. India had on Wednesday summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan and demanded the immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot who was detained by Pakistan following an aerial engagement by air forces of the two countries. It was also made clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, the External Affairs Ministry said in New Delhi, adding that it has conveyed strong objection to the neighbouring country at the "vulgar display" of an injured personnel in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. Two Pakistani Air Force jets on Thursday afternoon violated the Indian airspace one again by crossing the Line of Control in Krishna Ghati sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch. However, the Indian Air Force fighters chased the Pakistani jets out. Authorities are yet to confirm the same even as tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbours continues to be very high. BREAKING : Pakistani jets again violates Indian air space, chased back. pic.twitter.com/p6zpGHxMQl Zee News (@ZeeNews) February 28, 2019 The airspace violation comes hours after the Pakistani Army's ceasefire violation in the same area with mortars earlier on Thursday. The Pakistani soldiers started to fire at the Indian posts once again at around 1 pm. The enemy forces fired mortars across the Line of Control in the Krishna Ghati sector but there has been no damage on the Indian side. The Indian soldiers, too, responded by targeting the Pakistani posts. Earlier in the day, Pakistani Army Thursday heavily shelled forward posts along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, drawing retaliation from the Indian Army. This is the seventh consecutive day that Pakistan has violated the ceasefire by targeting forward posts along the LoC. IAF bombed JeM terror camps in Pakistan's Balakot and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir's Chakothi and Muzaffarabad, in response to the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 which claimed the lives of 40 jawans. A day later three Pakistani jets tried to attack Indian military installations on February 27. IAF chased out Pakistan Air Force warplanes and shot down an F-16 plane but also shot lost a MiG 21 aircraft. Pakistan later released footage, showing an IAF pilot in captivity. A statement from India`s foreign ministry said the pilot`s treatment was a "vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention," ordering his immediate release. NEW DELHI: The Government of India (GoI) on Thursday briefed foreign diplomats over the ongoing crisis with Pakistan after its jets violated India's airspace on Wednesday and were chased and one of them was shot down by the Indian Air force. According to news agency ANI, top officials of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) today held a briefing of diplomats from 10 countries, including Germany, Dominican Republic, Nigeria, South Africa and Belgium. During the briefing, the MEA officials reportedly apprised the foreign diplomats about India's stand vis-a-vis the crisis with Pakistan and its demand for the ''safe and immediate return'' of the captured Indian pilot. Delhi: Visuals from outside Ministry of External Affairs. Meeting of Foreign Secy with diplomats from 10 countries, including Germany, Dominican Republic, Nigeria, South Africa & Belgium, has concluded. The Foreign Secy briefed them on updates in situation b/w India & Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/vGD1Z7hVpY ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 It is understood that India has also made it clear to the foreign diplomats of ten countries that there will be ''no deal'' whatsoever with Pakistan and it wants nothing less than the safe and urgent release of its pilot. News agency ANI, quoting sources, reported that India has outrightly rejected any possibility of a deal with Pakistan to bring the pilot back home and has accused Islamabad of trying to create a 'Kandahar-type pressure.' Sources also said that India wants Pakistan to know that they should not use the pilot has a card to negotiate with. A day earlier, on Wednesday, India had slammed Pakistan for the vulgar display of the injured pilot and had said that it violates the Geneva Convention. Tensions between the two countries are extremely high since the terror attack on a CRPF convoy on February 14 which killed 40 troopers. The attack was claimed by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed. India hit back with its air force crossing the LoC and hitting several terror camps in the wee hours of Tuesday in what was a pre-emptive strike against non-military installations. Pakistan, instead of concentrating on addressing the problem of home-grown terrorism, has been harping that India is guilty of war-mongering. Even still, its air force crossed into Indian air space on Wednesday in an unsuccessful bid to target Indian military installations. In the dogfight that ensued, one F-16 jet of PAF was shot down while India lost a MiG-21 Bison jet. Its pilot was taken into custody by Pakistan forces. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister of Pakistan - Shah Mahmood Qureshi - has said that his country is willing to release the pilot if it ensures tensions with India ease off. The Pakistan FM said that PM Imran Khan's offer of talks with PM Narendra Modi on all issues of conflict was still open and it is ready to come to the negotiation table if New Delhi responds positively. Jammu: Indian and Pakistani troops traded heavy mortar and small arms fire on Thursday on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir`s Poonch and Rajouri districts amid India-Pakistan tensions. After heavy firing in Poonch district that started in the morning, the Pakistan Army violated the bilateral ceasefire at four places in neighbouring Rajouri district. Defence Ministry spokesperson Lt Colonel Devender Anand said: "Continuing its nefarious designs, the Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation in Sunderbani, Mankote, Khari Karmara and Degwar sectors of LoC. "After ceasefire violation first at 6 a.m. and then at 1 p.m. in Poonch, the Pakistanis used mortar shells and small arms to target Indian positions in these four sectors in Rajouri. "The ceasefire violation started at 3 p.m. and is still going on. The Indian Army is retaliating strongly and effectively," the spokesperson said. Indian and Pakistani armies earlier traded mortar shells and small arms fire in Poonch district in two spells on Thursday. Authorities have shut all educational institutions within a 5-kilometre of the LoC and the International Border in Rajouri, Poonch and Samba districts. India-Pakistan tensions have steeply mounted ever since a suicide bomber killed 40 CRPF troopers in Kashmir. India bombed the Jaish-e-Mohammed`s training camp at Balakot in Pakistan on Tuesday and Pakistani jets intruded into Indian air space the next day. A day after Indian Air Force crossed the Line of Control (LoC) Tuesday and destroyed a major terrorist training camp, Pakistan attempted to strike back and failed. India vs Pakistan: Catch the latest updates on Live TV Live updates: India-Pakistan tension and IAF pilot taken POW - Day 3 Both India and Pakistan shot each other's warplanes following an unsuccessful attempt by the border nation to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes. India said it shot down an F-16 warplane of Pakistan while it lost a MiG 21 during the fierce engagement between the air forces of the two countries along the Line of Control(LoC). India later slammed Pakistan for the vulgar display of the injured IAF personnel and demanded that he be handed back safely. While highlighting Pakistan's flip flops over IAF personnel, India reiterated that Pakistan does not appear to be acting on the issue of terrorism. "The DG ISPR had tweeted that there is only one Indian pilot in Pakistan's custody. This is directly contradictory to his earlier tweet which claimed two pilots were in their custody," said a top source. February 26's pre-dawn operation of the IAF came 11 days after the terror attack that killed 40 CRPF soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. The attack was claimed by proscribed group Jaish-e-Mohammad The ongoing tension between India and Pakistan following Indian Air Force's daring airstrike on Jaish-e-Mohammad's terror camp in Pakistan on February 26 is refusing to die down as Pakistan violated Indian airspace on Wednesday with a plan to target Indian military buildings. At least three F-16 fighter jets of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) crossed the LoC to target Indian military buildings but the Indian Air Force responded quickly forcing the PAF jets to retreat. Here are the top 10 developments of the last two days: 1. US, France, UK have proposed listing of Jaish e Mohammad(JeM) Chief Masood Azhar according to news agency Reuters. Listing under the 1267 committee of United Nations Security Council will freeze his assets and put him global no flight list. French govt last week said it will be proposing his listing with British govt sources confirming to WION that they in talks with UNSC members for his listing. 2. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be going to UAE today for 2 day Organisation of Islamic Cooperation foriegn ministers meet on 1st and 2nd March. This is for the first time India has been invited as a guest at the meet. Meanwhile, Pakistan's foreign minister SM Qureshi has threatened to boycott the meet if India is not disinvited. Speaking to a Pakistani channel, Qureshi said, "If Sushma Swaraj attends the meeting then I will not participate in it". 3. India has pointed out to the contradictions and repeated flip flop of Pakistan over its claim on the capture of an Indian Air Force pilot. Highlighting the contradictory statements made by the Pakistani Army post the capture of an IAF personnel, a top source told WION, "The DG ISPR had tweeted that there is only one Indian pilot in Pakistan's custody." The Pakistan PM also in his statements mentioned "Pilots". The source said, "This is evidence that the Pakistani officials and military were not briefing their PM correctly.", Adding, "If they cannot even present the right facts before their Prime Minister, how can we trust them to take any action against terrorists." 4. Pakistani airspace remains closed in the aftermath of strikes launched by the country on Indian military installations. Jet Airways in a statement said due to the closure of Pakistani airspace, flights to and from India will not be flying over Pakistan and re-routing to ensure safety and security of its operation. The rerouting will be increasing the flight time. International flight routes have been disrupted due to the tensions. Thai Airways has cancelled its Europe flights while Air Canada has cancelled flights to India. 5. India has slammed Pakistan at the 40th session of the human rights council. In an addressed by India's permanent representative Rajiv Chander United Nations Offices in Geneva said, "We expect that Pakistan lives up to its commitments and takes follow up actions to dismantle all Jaish E Mohammad and other camps and hold the terrorist accountable for the actions". 6. In an email statement to WION, the US has called India & Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity & return to stability. The US state department urged both sides to take "immediate steps to de-escalate the situation, including direct communication." Adding, further military activity will exacerbate the situation. It also called Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny "terrorists safe haven & block their access to funds" 7. The four Indians stranded in Lahore are likely to come back to India by Wagha today. They are stuck in Lahore since all flights in Pakistani airspace were grounded in the backdrop of Pakistan strikes on Indian military installations. Meanwhile, Pakistani authorities have said that they have suspended Samjotha express. According to Pakistani media reports, the train was cancelled this morning. 8. According to news agency ANI, NSA Ajit Doval and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a telephonic conversation on Wednesday night. During call the Pompeo said that the US supported Indias decision to take action against JeM terror camp on Pakistani soil. Remember India's external affairs minister also spoke to Pompeo on Tuesday in the aftermath of the Indian strikes on JeM camps in Pakistan. 9. Indian Ambassador to US Harsh Shringla has said that New Delhi will not keep quiet to any act of terrorism. According to news agency PTI, Shringla said India will be giving "appropriate response" to all terrorism incidents. He also called on Pakistan to meet its international obligations to crackdown on terrorist networks and safe havens within its territory. 10. The Indian markets opened in positive. The markets have been trading in negative in the backdrop of India Pakistan tensions for the last 2 days. Pakistan's karachi stock exchange has fallen more than 2000 points in last 2 days. New Delhi: In a press briefing of all three wings of the Indian armed forces, Pakistan's numerous lies were busted with evidence even as the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy warned the neighbouring country to not attempt any misadventure. With tensions between the two countries on a high, representatives from Indian Army, Air Force and Navy said that forces are on high alert and ready to thwart any Pakistani aggression. Following are the statements issued by Air Vice Marshal Ravi Kapoor of the Indian Air Force, Major General Surinder Mahal of the Indian Army and Rear Admiral D S Gujral of the Indian Navy: Indian Air Force: On 27 Feb 19 at around 1000 hrs IAF radars detected a large package of PAF aircraft heading towards the Indian territory towards general area Jhangar. They breached the Indian airspace west of Rajauri in Sunderbani Area. The ingressing aircraft were observed to be at various levels. IAF fighters including MiG-21 Bison, Su-30 MKI, Mirage-2000 were tasked to intercept the PAF aircraft. The PAF aircraft attempting to target military installations were intercepted by IAF fighter aircraft which thwarted their plans. Although PAF bombs have fallen in Indian Army Formation compounds however they were unable to cause any damage to our Military Installations. In the aerial combat that ensued one F-16 of PAF was shot down by an IAF MiG-21 Bison. The F-16 crashed and fell across the LOC in POJ&K. The IAF lost one MiG-21 in the aerial engagement and though the Pilot ejected safely his parachute drifted into POJ&K where he was taken into custody by Pakistan Army. There have been many factually incorrect statements that have been made by Pakistan. a) The First blatant disinformation was that two IAF aircraft were shot down by Pakistan and three pilots were downed. This figure was later revised downwards to two IAF aircraft and two Pilots. The fact however, is that Indian Army units had reported sighting two parachutes falling in the POJ&K which were of two F-16 pilots shot down by the IAF MiG-21 Bison. Pakistan later in the evening changed its statement to say that one Indian pilot was in their custody. Therefore, it was only by late evening that Pakistan accepted the fact. b) Secondly, Pakistan claimed that they intentionally dropped weapons in open space where there was no human presence or military posts. The fact is that the PAF aircraft targeted military installations. However they were intercepted by IAF fighter aircraft that thwarted their plans. Although PAF bombs have fallen in Indian Army Formation compounds however they were unable to cause any significant damage to our Military Installations due to swift IAF response. c) Pakistan also stated that no F-16s were used in the operation and no Pakistani Plane was downed by Indian Air Force. There is enough evidence to show that F-16s were used in this mission and Pakistan is trying to hide this fact. Also, parts of AMRAAM Air to Air Missile which is carried only on the F-16s in PAF were recovered East of Rajauri within the Indian territory. Therefore, the fact remains that one F-16 of PAF was shot down by an IAF MiG-21 Bison aircraft. d) IAF has recently learnt that Pakistan has announced that Wg Cdr Abhinandan will be returned to India tomorrow. IAF looks forward to the return of Wg Cdr Abhinandan. Indian Army: In response to the counter terrorist strike by the Indian Air Force, Pakistan Army first resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violations in Sundarbani, Bhimbar Gali, Naushera and Krishna Ghati Sectors on 26 Feb 19 with effect from 5 O Clock in the evening and again during the night. This was responded to by the Indian Army in a befitting and appropriate manner. As my Air Force counterpart has elaborated, on 27 Feb 19, Pakistan Air Force attempted to target military establishments in J&K. Specifically, they targeted a Bde [Brigade] HQ, a Bn [Battalion] HQ, forward defences and a Lgs [Logistics] Installation. However, given the high level of preparedness along the Line of Control and the immediate and punitive response by own forces. The Pakistan Air Forces designs were foiled. We continue to maintain strict vigil along the Line of Control and the IB [International Border] Sector. Our Ground Based Air Defence Weapon Systems have been put on alert on all along the Line of Control and some parts of the IB. Mechanised Formations too have been placed on Standby. I wish to assure the nation that we are fully prepared and in a heightened state of readiness to respond to any provocation by Pakistan. Despite the present turn of events, the Indian Army is committed to maintaining peace and stability in the region and will continue to act against agencies who harbour inimical designs against India and citizens of our country. Indian Navy: The Indian Navy is deployed in high state of readiness and remains poised in all the three dimensions on surface, under-sea and in air to deter, prevent and defeat any misadventure by Pakistan in the maritime domain. I can assure of a resolute, swift and strong response when needed. We stand as one with the Army and Air Force to ensure the safety and security of the nation and our citizens. New Delhi: A wreckage of AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile), fired at India by Pakistani Air Force's F-16 fighter plane was spotted by the Indian Army on Thursday. As per the report, the debris was recovered by the army on the Indian side. This comes hours after the wreckage of an F-16 fighter plane was found by Pakistani armed forces in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) after it was brought down by a MiG 21 fighter during Wednesday's failed air raid. Amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan, highly placed government sources on Thursday confirmed that at least 20 fighter aircraft of Pakistani Air Force (PAF) had crossed into the Indian side in Naushera on Wednesday morning to target Indian military installations but were intercepted by IAF's MiG 21s. The MiGs chased the PAF jets and shot down one of the planes which fell in PoK. Also Read: Pakistan's F-16 bombers fired 'beyond visual range missile', claim sources One MiG 21 too was shot down by the Pakistani forces and the IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman captured. Defying the Geneva Convention, the Pakistani armed forces released videos of the IAF wing commander where he is seen and heard giving out his rank, name, service number, religion and marital status. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs came down heavily on Pakistan for the vulgar display of the injured IAF officer and demanded that he be handed back safely. India issued a demarche to Pakistan on Wednesday evening, saying Islamabad must ensure that no harm is done to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. Here's everything you need to know about AMRAAM: The AIM-120 AMRAAM is a modern American beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. Designed with a 7-inch (180mm) diameter form-and-fit factor, and employing active transmit-receive radar guidance instead of semi-active receive-only radar guidance, it has the advantage of being a fire-and-forget weapon when compared to the previous generation Sparrow missiles. When an AMRAAM missile is launched, NATO pilots use the brevity code Fox Three. The AMRAAM is the world's most popular beyond-visual-range missile, and more than 14,000 have been produced for the United States Air Force, the United States Navy, and 33 international customers. The AMRAAM has been used in several engagements and is credited with ten air-to-air kills. In early 2006, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) ordered 500 AIM-120C-5 AMRAAM missiles as part of a $650 million F-16 ammunition deal to equip its F-16C/D Block 50/52+ and F-16A/B Block 15 MLU fighters. The PAF got the first three F-16C/D Block 50/52+ aircraft on July 3, 2010 and first batch of AMRAAMs on July 26, 2010. Indian High Commission in Pakistan gave a demarche to Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday eevning seeking immediate and safe return of Indian Air Force's MiG 21 pilot who was taken into custody by Pakistan on Wednesday after his fighter jet crashed inside Pakistani territory. It is to be noted that Pakistan's acting High Commissioner in New Delhi was also given similar demarche on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, the Ministry of External Affairs had said that a MiG-21 had been lost while a pilot was missing after Indian forces repelled three Pakistan Air Force jets which had violated Indian airspace. The Indian Air Force had shot down one Pakistani F 16 jet. Later, Pakistan released the footage of captured IAF pilot, prompting an immediate response from India with the government slamming Pakistan for the vulgar display of the injured IAF polit. Pakistan government claimed that the captured IAF pilot has revealed his identity as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. As tension between India and Pakistan mounted during the day, the entire airspace north of New Delhi was briefly "vacated". Nine airports in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab were closed for civilian traffic for some part of the day but was opened in the evening. Sources claimed that the PAF jets had entered the Indian territory to target an Indian Army Brigade headquarter and an oil depot but had to beat a hasty retreat after IAF jets came into action. The PAF's jets only managed to drop their non-guided bombs at a considerable distance from the intended areas. "In that aerial engagement, one Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft was shot down by a MiG 21 Bison of the Indian Air Force. The Pakistani aircraft was seen by ground forces falling from the sky on the Pakistan side," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Wednesday evening. "In this engagement, we have unfortunately lost one MiG 21. The pilot is missing in action." Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the three service chiefs on Wednesday hours after Pakistani aircraft violated the Indian airspace. During the meeting, the three services chiefs apprised the PM about the countrys preparedness to deal with any possible retaliatory action by Islamabad. NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: The Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard are on high alert along the coastline of Maharashtra and Gujarat amid the escalation of tension between India and Pakistan, sources told Zee media. Both the agencies have been patrolling the seas with increased strength in vessels. Authorities are also checking fishing trawlers' documents. They have been asked to be extra cautious and alert with the stealth submarines of Pakistan which may try to operate within Indian territory, sources added. Mumbai has been one of the most preferred targets for terrorist organisations and has witnessed several terror attacks, including explosions in Mumbai suburban trains in July 2006, and the unprecedented attacks of 26 November 2008, when two prime hotels, a landmark train station, and a Jewish Chabad house were attacked. Security was also stepped up at the two major ports of the Eastern region - Paradip in Odisha and Kolkata - on Wednesday following the escalation of tension between India and Pakistan. Frisking and patrolling of security personnel have started in the two ports. In the wake of the Indian Air Force's airstrikes on terror camps across the Line of Control on Tuesday, a high alert was already issued across the bordering states including Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. The major pre-dawn operation was undertaken as a retaliatory measure in the aftermath of the deadly Pulwama attack on February 14. In the wee hours of Tuesday, the IAF carried out multiple air strikes at terror launch pads and control rooms of Pakistan based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), destroying them and killing 200 to 300 terrorists. In a failed retaliatory attempt, three Pakistani aircraft entered Indian airspace but were chased out by the IAF. The IAF, which shot down Pakistan Air Force's F-16 warplane, lost a MiG fighter jet in the process. Pakistan also claimed to hold an IAF pilot captive after the air combat Wednesday. A statement from India`s foreign ministry said the pilot`s treatment was a "vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention," ordering his immediate release. New Delhi: "No deal. No negotiation. IAF pilot must be released immediately." This is the strong message that India sent out to Pakistan after Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was taken into custody by forces across the LoC on Wednesday. A day later, Imran Khan announced that the pilot would be released on Friday in what he termed was his country's 'peace gesture.' His announcement though cannot hide India's firm and direct resolve to bring back the IAF pilot. India had strongly condemned the vulgar display of the injured pilot on Wednesday and said it was a violation of the Geneva Convention. Pakistan had also been warned to hand back Wing Commander Varthaman. Sources said a day later that Pakistan was trying to create a 'Kandahar-like pressure' on India but New Delhi was resolute. Meanwhile, New Delhi had also mobilised the world community with the Ministry of External Affairs briefing 10 diplomats to apprise them of the Indo-Pak situation and the status of the IAF pilot. Signs that Pakistan was under pressure began showing when the country's foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said earlier in the day on Thursday that the IAF pilot could be released if it assures peace with India. The announcement from his prime minister came just hours after. Pakistan had called for dialogue with India but has failed to address the primary and grave concern of terrorism on its soil. New Delhi has maintained that Pakistan has not acted effectively against terrorist organisations which have repeatedly targeted India. NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre on Thursday imposed a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), Jammu and Kashmir and declared it as an unlawful association under Section 3 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Separatist group Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir was banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for alleged anti-national and subversive activities, said PTI quoting government officials. A notification on the ban was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) after a high-level meeting on security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The separatist group is alleged to be involved in anti-national and subversive activities in the country and is in close touch with Pakistan-backed terrorist outfits. The notification issued by the MHA stated that the Centre is of the opinion that the JeI is in close touch with terrorist outfits and is supporting extremism and terrorism in J&K and elsewhere. It further states that the JeI is supporting terrorists and separatist groups fighting for this purpose. The order came days after the J&K Police arrested over 150 Jamaat leaders as part of a major crackdown on Pakistan sympathisers and the separatists. Security forces launched a crackdown on separatist forces and arrested many leaders and cadres of the Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir after the February 14 terrorist attack in Pulwama, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. New Delhi: Thursday was not a good day in office for Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. A day after feigning bravado at Pakistan Air Force jets violating Indian air space, he was hit on Thursday by India's stern warning to return the captured IAF pilot - Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. With it being clarified that India won't negotiate or make deals for his return, Imran announced by the afternoon that Abhinandan would be released on Friday as a 'goodwill gesture.' The 'goodwill gesture' from Pakistan came largely due to the position India took through the day to bring its pilot back home - immediately and safely. Sources had said that India had made it clear that no deals would be made with Pakistan over the issue of Abhinandan's return. That Pakistan had violated Geneva Convention by displaying vulgar images of the injured IAF personnel was highlighted as well. The world community was mobilised with the Ministry of External Affairs briefing a number of foreign diplomats on the situation. Abhinandan would now come back home through the Wagah border even as India remains on high alert due to other developments in the day. Pakistan Air Force, earlier on Thursday, attempted to violate Indian airspace once again but was thwarted back - once again - by alert IAF jets. The attempted incursion happened in J&K's Krishna Ghati sector. When that did not work, Pakistani ground forces resorted to mortar shelling in Nowshera sector. The Indian forces retaliated with equal measure to what is fast becoming a self-destructive habit of forces across the Line of Control (LoC). It is this habit of challenging India that was addressed by representatives of Indian Army, Air Force and Navy in an evening joint briefing in which many of Pakistan's claims from a day earlier were also busted. Warning Pakistan to not attempt misadventures against India, the armed forces' representatives said high alert remains and any aggression or transgression would be dealt with with a heavy hand. (Also read: Full statements from IAF, Indian Army and Indian Navy) Indian Air Force's Air Vice Marshal Ravi Kapoor then said that F16s were indeed used when Pakistan Air Force violated Indian airspace on Wednesday. Busting Pakistan's claim that no F16 was mobilised, a portion of an AMRAAM air-to-air missile was also shown as proof. Of all the fighter jets with PAF, AMRAAM missiles can only be used by F16s. Air Vice Marshal Kapoor also said that PAF had targeted military installations in India but was thwarted by Indian Air Force jets. This also busts Imran Khan's claim that the objective of Wednesday's airspace violation over India was to show PAF's capability and that it had no intentions of hitting civilian or military targets. India has now, once again, made it clear that there is no change in the message to Pakistan regarding acting against terrorism and terrorist organisation. Imran Khan, who has harped on the need for peace and dialogue, now has to walk the talk and act against terrorism emanating from Pakistani - a demand that has been coming in from across the world. In a swift and precise operation, 12 Indian Air Force Mirage-2000 fighter jets crossed the LoC and dropped 1,000-kg laser-guided bombs on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Balakot inside Pakistan on Tuesday, eliminating at least 300 terrorists. On Wednesday, Pakistan made an unsuccessful attempt to raid some military establishments in India as three F-16 fighter jets of Pakistan Air Force violated Indian airspace but they failed in their objective to cause damage inside Indian territory after MiG-21 of Indian Air Force forced them to retreat. The MiG 21 also managed to shoot down one F16 jet of PAF. MiG-21 is one of the most widely used fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF). This single engine, single seater multirole fighter aircraft of Russian origin forms the backbone of the IAF. MiG-21 BISON is a multi-role, all-weather air defence aircraft which can hit a maximum speed of 2,230 kilometers per hour (Mach 2.1). It carries one 23mm twin-barrel cannon with four R-60 close combat missiles. On the other hand, the F-16 which is also called Fighting Falcon or Viper is famous for its agility and these fighter jets were first inducted in Pakistan Air Force in early 80s. Pakistan Air Force uses the F-16C/D variants of F 16, which is a multirole combat aircraft. The MiG 21aircraft comes equipped with modern Radar and Avionics systems and carries a mix of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. In 1962, an agreement was signed by the Indian government with the Soviet Union to buy the MiG-21 and deliveries began the next year. Bengaluru-based Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) started making the first MiG-21 in 1967 after receiving the licence from the Soviet Union. Available in both single-seat and double seat configuration, the F-16 Falcon is a single-engine aircraft. The fighter jet can pull 9-g manoeuvres, reaching a maximum speed over Mach 2. It has maximum high speed of 2120 kmph, a length of 15.06 metre and a wingspan of 9.96 metre. Weighing 8570 kg (dry), the F 16 jet has a maximum takeoff weight of 19200 kg. Powered by a General Electric F110-GE-129 engine, this fighter jet has a dry thrust of 17,155 lbf (76.3 kN) and Thrust with afterburner of 28,600 lbf (127 kN). Though the MiG-21 is not a very large aircraft but it can fly at a very high speed which allows it to sneak up to enemy planes from low altitude. The presence of a delta wing, just like Mirage 2000, makes the MiG 21 highly manoeuvrable in dogfights. MiG 21 is a single seater plane with a length of 14.7 m (48 ft 2 in) and wingspan of 7.154 m (23 ft 6 in). The empty weight of MiG 21 is 5,846 kg (12,880 lb) and its loaded weight is 8,725 kg (19,230 lb) with 2 K-13A missiles. The maximum takeoff weight of this fighter jet is 9,800 kg (21,600 lb). Powered by a 1 Tumansky R-25-300 afterburning turbojet, the dry thrust of MiG 21 is 40.21 kN (9,040 lbf) and the thrust with afterburner is 69.62 kN; 97.1 kN WEP (15,650 lbf; 21,825 lbf WEP). The MiG 21 is loaded with one internal 23 mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23L autocannon with 200 rounds. It can carry air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, KAB-500KR TV-guided bombs and 4 500 kg (1,100 lb) bombs. The F-16 can carry rockets, air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles and air-to-ship missiles along with a wide variety of bombs. Like Mirage 2000, ti also comes equipped with a radar on-board. In a daring operation, 12 Indian Air Force Mirage-2000 fighter jets crossed the LoC and dropped 1,000-kg laser-guided bombs on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Balakot inside Pakistan on Tuesday, eliminating at least 300 terrorists. The Mirage-2000, manufactured by French company Dassault Aviation which also manufactures Rafale fighter jets, had played an important role in helping India win the Kargil war in 1999. On Wednesday, Pakistan made an unsuccessful attempt to raid some military establishments in India as three F-16 fighter jets of Pakistan Air Force violated Indian airspace but they failed in their objective to cause damage inside Indian territory after IAF jets forced them to retreat. Mirage 2000 is seen by many as India's answer to F-16 fighter jets, which is manufactured by American company Lockheed Martin. There is no denying the fact that Mirage-2000 most versatile and powerful aircraft of IAF. First commissioned in 1985, IAF gave Mirage 2000 a new name Vajra meaning lightening thunderbolt in Sanskrit. The important role played by Mirage 2000 during Kargil war prompted the government to acquired 10 more Mirage 2000 jets in 2004. The IAF currently has 50 Mirage 2000 fighter jets. On the other hand, the F-16 which is also called Fighting Falcon or Viper is famous for its agility and these fighter jets were first inducted in Pakistan Air Force in early 80s. Pakistan Air Force uses the F-16C/D variants of F 16, which is a multirole combat aircraft. The Mirage 2000 is powered by a single shaft engine called SNECMA M53. The SNECMA M53-P2 engine, which is rated at 65 kN (15,000 lbf) in dry thrust and 95 kN (21,000 lbf) in afterburner powers most of the Mirage 2000s. This is a single seater jet but can be converted into a twin seat jet if required. Measuring 14.36 metre, the wingspan of Mirage 2000 is of 91.3 metre. The plane weighs 7500 kg (dry) and has a total takeoff weight of 17000 kg. The fighter jet can attain a maximum speed of Mach 2.2 (2336 kmph) and can travel 1550 km with drop tanks. It can touch a maximum height of 59000 ft. The Mirage 2000 comes loaded with a fly-by-wire flight control system and Sextant VE-130 HUD, which displays data related to flight control, navigation, target engagement, and weapon firing. The Mirage 2000 is capable of carrying laser guided bombs, air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles. It also boasts of a Thomson-CSF RDY (Radar Doppler Multi-target) radar on board. Available in both single-seat and double seat configuration, the F-16 Falcon is a single engine aircraft. The fighter jet can pull 9-g manoeuvres, reaching a maximum speed over Mach 2. It has maximum high speed of 2120 kmph, a length of 15.06 metre and a wingspan of 9.96 metre. Weighing 8570 kg (dry), the F 16 jet has a maximum takeoff weight of 19200 kg. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney engine, this fighter jet has a dry thrust of 17,155 lbf (76.3 kN) and Thrust with afterburner of 28,600 lbf (127 kN). The F-16 can carry rockets, air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles and air-to-ship missiles along with a wide variety of bombs. Like Mirage 2000, ti also comes equipped with a radar on-board. Apart from India, Mirage 2000 is used by France, Egypt, UAE, Peru, Taiwan, Peru, Greece and Brazil. On the other hand, F-16s are used by several countries, including NATO members like Turkey, Belgium, Norway and United States. New Delhi: India has made it clear that there is no question of striking any deal over an IAF pilot in Pakistan's custody and instead, has told the neighbouring nation that he be returned immediately. News agency ANI, quoting sources, reported that India has outrightly rejected any possibility of a deal with Pakistan to bring the pilot back home and has accused Islamabad of trying to create a 'Kandahar-type pressure.' India, however, is absolutely against the idea of a deal or any talks regarding the pilot and has demanded his immediate return. Sources also said that India wants Pakistan to know that they should not use the pilot has a card to negotiate with. A day earlier, on Wednesday, India had slammed Pakistan for the vulgar display of the injured pilot and had said that it violates the Geneva Convention. Tensions between the two countries are extremely high since the terror attack on a CRPF convoy on February 14 which killed 40 troopers. The attack was claimed by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed. India hit back with its air force crossing the LoC and hitting several terror camps in the wee hours of Tuesday in what was a pre-emptive strike against non-military installations. Pakistan, instead of concentrating on addressing the problem of home-grown terrorism, has been harping that India is guilty of war-mongering. Even still, its air force crossed into Indian air space on Wednesday in an unsuccessful bid to target Indian military installations. In the dogfight that ensued, one F-16 jet of PAF was shot down while India lost a MiG-21 Bison jet. Its pilot was taken into custody by Pakistan forces. Meanwhile, foreign minister of Pakistan - Shah Mahmood Qureshi - has said that his country is willing to release the pilot if it ensures tensions with India ease off. New Delhi: After India's strong message to Pakistan for Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman's immediate release, Imran Khan announced on Thursday that the IAF pilot in his country's custody would be returned home on Friday. Twitter, which had rallied behind India in demanding the immediate release of the IAF pilot, erupted in celebration with most hailing the valour and bravery of Wing Commander Varthaman in the face of adversity. Huge diplomatic win by India & at this moment I can only think of #AbhinandanVarthaman 's family who will be very Happy to see him tomorrow. #JaiHind #WelcomeBackAbhinandan vinay viveka vardhan (@vinayvardhan02) February 28, 2019 Pak had no option but to release Wg Cdr #AbhinandanVarthaman as per Int'l norms, so stop calling it as 'peace gesture'. Goodwill gesture would actually be when Pak hands over Masood Azhar & Hafiz Saeed to India. ???? DESH #PKMKB (@devrajshukla) February 28, 2019 #AbhinandanMyHero Our hero #Abhinandan to return home tommorow. Big diplomatic win for India. Pakistan has surrendered before the war. pic.twitter.com/MFvFo9vTl4 ???? CA Rajesh Saini ???? (@RajeshSaini6497) February 28, 2019 Pak clearly bogged down by intl pressure, USA in particular. Imran released the statement #Abhinandan post Donald Trump's statement that 'a good news will follow shortly'. ajay nagvekar (@ajaynagvekar) February 28, 2019 Wing Commander Abhinandan will return home on Friday through the Wagah border. His release his unconditional. Pakistan Army once again violated ceasefire on Thursday as it resorted to heavy shelling at 6 am in Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control in Poonch district. Indian Army retaliated immediately forcing the Pakistani forces to stop the firing at around 7 am, ANI reported. #JammuAndKashmir: Pakistan violated ceasefire at 6 am today in Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control in Poonch district. Indian Army retaliated effectively. Firing stopped around 7 am https://t.co/3VGaDZxHP5 ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 "At around 6 a.m. today, Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling mortars and firing small arms along the Krishna Ghati sector," Defence spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand said. All educational institutions within 5 km of the LoC and the international border in Rajouri, Poonch and Samba districts have been shut down. The Army on Wednesday said at least five soldiers got injured after Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu by resorting to shelling with heavy calibre weapons. Army sources said that unprovoked ceasefire violation was initiated by Pakistani Army in 12 to 15 places all along the LoC. Two out of five injured soldiers were taken to a military hospital for treatment and are stable. Indian Army retaliated to ceasefire violation within no time and destroyed five posts of Pakistan Army. Army sources said Pakistani troops were also using civilian houses to fire mortars and missiles at Indian posts. Earlier, the Jammu-based Army spokesman had said that Pakistan had violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Akhnoor, Nowshera, Krishna Ghati Sector. PTI reported that the Pakistan Army resorted to heavy mortar shelling on forward areas in Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts on Tuesday. NEW DELHI: The government sources on Thursday claimed that there is credible evidence to suggest that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16s fighters were involved in the aerial engagement on the Line of Control (LoC) on Wednesday. The sources based their claims on the reports that parts of AIM-120 AM-RAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) were found on the Indian side. The projectile is a ''beyond visual range missile'' carried by F-16s, the sources told news agency IANS. It may be recalled that an PAF F-16 was shot down by IAF combat air patrol, but Pakistan has not yet acknowledged the loss even though visuals of the wreckage of the aircraft appeared on Thursday. It was also earlier reported that the wreckage of Pakistani Air Force's F-16 fighter, which was shot down by Indian Air Force jets on Wednesday, was spotted and photographed. According to news agency ANI, which tweeted photos of the F-16 debris which fell in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir after it was brought down by a MiG 21 fighter during Wednesday's failed air raid, multiple IAF sources confirmed that the wreckage is of the Pakistani plane. Several Pakistani Army soldiers, too, are seen near the F-16 with ANI reporting that one of them is the Commanding Officer of Pakistani Army's 7 Northern Light Infantry. A large number of PAF fighters had crossed into the Indian side of the border and violating the Indian airspace but were soon were challenged by the IAF fighters. The F-16 - PAF's most advanced jet - was challenged and one of them was shot down by IAF`s vintage Mig-21 Bison. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman had engaged the aircraft and fired the R-73 missile in the dog fight. However, in the brief aerial engagement, the MiG- 21 crashed and its pilot ejected over the Pakistan side of the border. He was then captured by the Pakistani forces, further escalating tension between the two nuclear-powered nations. However, in a surprise announcement, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced that the captured IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released on Friday as a "gesture of peace". The announcement from Pakistan PM during a joint session of Parliament came barely an hour after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Khan is ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions. As the Opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif took the floor of the House, Prime Minister Khan apologised for interrupting and said he wishes to announce that the Indian pilot captured by Pakistan Air Force on Wednesday will be released Friday as a "peace gesture". The announcement was greeted by thumping of desks by Pakistani lawmakers. NEW DELHI: A day after Pakistan claimed to capture an Indian Air Force pilot, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) Thursday issue statement supporting India's fight against the government. "ICPA being a patriotic and responsible union would like to extend complete support and co-operation in all operations as the situation demands. We will support the government and the PMO in this fight against terrorism. "We, as Air Indians take pride and feel duty bound towards national interest and pledge our support to the Nation and as pilots we consider ourselves as the second line of defense after the armed forces to serve our country," the association said in a statement. The association's statement's come within 24 hours after Pakistan released footage of an IAF personnel in captivity. India later branded Pakistan`s videos as a "vulgar display" of an injured airman, saying they violated international humanitarian law and the Geneva convention. "Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return," it said in a statement. India said Pakistan has committed an "unprovoked act of aggression" by targeting Indian military posts with its air force and sought immediate and safe return of an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot in its custody. After an aerial engagement in the J&K`s Nowshera sector on Wednesday, Pakistan claimed that it has captured one Indian pilot. India has issued a demarche to Pakistan, objecting to the "vulgar display" of the injured IAF pilot in violation of all norms and said Islamabad must ensure that no harm is done to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also summoned Pakistan`s acting High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah and lodged a strong protest at "the unprovoked act of aggression by Pakistan against India earlier today, including violation of the Indian air space by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and targeting of Indian military posts." It also gave Pakistan a dossier with specific details of Jaish-e-Mohammed`s complicity in the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, which killed 40 CRPF personnel. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been asking India to provide "actionable intelligence" to take action against those involved in the Pulwama attack. JeM, based in Pakistan, had claimed responsibility for the attack. The MEA said in a statement it was clearly conveyed to Pakistan that India reserves the right to take firm and decisive action to protect its national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity against any act of aggression or cross-border terrorism. "Regret was expressed at the continuing denial by Pakistan`s political and military leadership at the presence of terrorist infrastructure in territories under its control. A dossier was handed over to Pakistan side with specific details of JeM complicity in the Pulwama attack and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan," the statement said. NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a free hand to the three armed forces of the nation in a crucial security meeting on Wednesday. The PM held back-to-back meetings with the chiefs of the armed forces, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and other top officials throughout the day as tensions escalated with border nation Pakistan. The chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force met the Prime Minister at his official residence and updated on the security situation after Pakistani aircraft violated Indian airspace and an Indian pilot was taken into custody by the neighbouring country, sources said. This is the second such meeting with the three chiefs in 24 hours. A high alert has been issued in the border areas due to the increasing tension on the Indo-Pak border. Apart from this, police and paramilitary forces are being alerted in all other major cities of the country. In fast-paced development on Wednesday, both India and Pakistan shot each other's warplanes following an unsuccessful attempt by the border nation to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes. India said it shot down an F-16 warplane of Pakistan while it lost a MiG 21 during the fierce engagement between the air forces of the two countries along the Line of Control(LoC). Later, Pakistan captured IAF personnel and released his footage. India slammed Pakistan for the vulgar display of the injured IAF personnel and demanded that he be handed back safely. This is the first aerial engagement between India and Pakistan since the 1971 war. As tension mounted, the entire airspace north of New Delhi was briefly "vacated". Nine airports in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab were closed for civilian traffic for some part of the morning but opened later in the day. Jammu and Kashmir was the centre of much of the action on a day of escalating tensions between the two neighbours. There was also nightlong heavy firing and shelling on forward and civilian areas from across the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch with the Army and the Border Security Force(BSF) being put on the highest degree of alertness. The developments came a day after India bombed Jaish-e-Mohammed's(JeM) biggest training camp in Pakistan, 11 days after Pulwama attack that killed 40 jawans. NEW DELHI: Cutting across the political lines, top leaders on Thursday welcomed Pakistan's announcement to release captured Indian Air Force (IAF) Abhinandan Varthaman on Friday as a major step towards de-escalating tension between the two countries. In a surprise announcement, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced that the captured IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released on Friday as a "gesture of peace". The announcement from Pakistan PM during a joint session of Parliament came barely an hour after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Khan is ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions. As the Opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif took the floor of the House, Prime Minister Khan apologised for interrupting and said he wishes to announce that the Indian pilot captured by Pakistan Air Force on Wednesday will be released Friday as a "peace gesture". The announcement was greeted by thumping of desks by Pakistani lawmakers. Pakistan detained Wing Commander Varthaman following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control when his MiG 21 fighter jet was downed. Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) said that the Indian Air Force pilot was safe and sound. "The armed forces rescued him from the mob that went after him after his plane crashed in Kashmir," the FO said. India had on Wednesday summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan and demanded immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot who was detained by Pakistan following an aerial engagement by air forces of the two countries. It was also made clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, the External Affairs Ministry said in New Delhi, adding that it has conveyed strong objection to the neighbouring country at the "vulgar display" of an injured personnel in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. Here are some quick reactions:- Captain Amarinder Singh, Punjab CM ''I'm very happy, I had demanded his release earlier too. This is going to be a step towards goodwill and I hope this will be lasting.'' Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wing Commander #AbhinandanVarthaman to be released by Pakistan: I'm very happy, I had demanded his release earlier too. This is going to be a step towards goodwill and I hope this will be lasting. pic.twitter.com/s1wWOI5hZu ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 Kiran Bedi, Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Indian IAF Fighter Pilot #Abhinandan held captive comes back home tom. for Indias firm stand and international glare. ...Indian IAF Fighter Pilot #Abhinandan held captive comes back home tom. for Indias firm stand and international glare. Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) February 28, 2019 Navjot Singh Sidhu, Punjab Cabinet Minister Every noble act makes a way for itself... your goodwill gesture is a cup of joy for a billion people, a nation rejoices... I am overjoyed for his parents and loved ones. @ImranKhanPTI Every noble act makes a way for itself... your goodwill gesture is a cup of joy for a billion people, a nation rejoices... I am overjoyed for his parents and loved ones. Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) February 28, 2019 Mehbooba Mufti, PDP chief Good news, the whole nation will be relieved. I hope our leadership will also reciprocate this peace gesture. I hope Imran Khan will stand by his word and take steps on Indian dossier on Pulwama attack. Imran Khan has acted like a statesman. NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is set to leave for the UAE on Thursday to participate in Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) conclave in Abu Dhabi as the Guest of Honour despite Pakistan's threat to boycott the meeting if India is allowed to attend it. The conclave will be held from March 1 to 2 and Sushma Swaraj is scheduled to address the plenary of the 46th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, ANI reported. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday said that he will not attend the OIC conclave if Swaraj participated. It is to be noted that UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan has invited Sushma Swaraj to address the OIC meet. This is the first time that India has been invited to attend the inaugural plenary of the foreign ministers' conclave of the OIC as the 'guest of honour'. The invitation to External Affairs Minister at this time when the tension between India and Pakistan is at a high is of huge strategic importance because OIC is a powerful grouping of Muslim majority nations. Calling the invitation a "welcome recognition", the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said that it recognises the presence of 185 million Muslims in India and the contribution made by them in preserving the pluralistic ethos of the country. The OIC has invited India at a time when New Delhi is making all efforts to to isolate Pakistan internationally at diplomatic level following the ghastly terror attack in Pulwama, which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel. The MEA said in a press statement that United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan has invited Swaraj to attend the conclave as the 'guest of honour' and also address the inaugural plenary. "We see this invitation as the desire of the enlightened leadership of the UAE to go beyond our rapidly growing close bilateral ties and forge a true multifaceted partnership at the multilateral and international level," the MEA said in a release. "We see this invitation as a milestone in our comprehensive strategic partnership with the UAE. We also see this invitation as a welcome recognition of the presence of 185 million Muslims in India and of their contribution to its pluralistic ethos, and of India's contribution to the Islamic world," it added. The OIC is made up of 57 countries, majority of which are Muslim majority. (with PTI inputs) JAMMU: In a major development, the Union Cabinet on Thursday approved Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019. This was announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in a joint press briefing with IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad after a Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. FM Jaitley announced that the Union Cabinet today approved the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 and amendment to the Consitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) order 1954 by the way of Constitution (Application to Jammu & Kashmir) amendment order, 2019. ''Once the Ordinance is issued, it would pave the way for bringing persons residing in the areas adjoining the International Border within the ambit of reservation at par with persons living in areas adjoining Actual Line of Control,'' FM Jaitley said. ''Once notified this will pave the way for giving the benefit of promotion in service to the SCs, STs and also extend the reservation of up to 10% for economically weaker sections in educational institutions and public employment in addition to the existing reservation in Jammu and Kashmir,'' he added. Among other decisions, Jaitley said that the Union Cabinet has also approved the development of New Greenfield Airport at Hirasar in Gujarat's Rajkot. Besides, the Union Cabinet also cleared an investment proposal for transmission component of Arun-3 Hydro Electric Project (Nepal portion) by Sutlej Jal Vikas Nigam (SJVN) Limited. In today's meeting, the Cabinet approved setting up of a special purpose vehicle - Air India Assets Holding - for transfer of the national carrier's working capital loans, which are not backed by any assets, as well as four subsidiaries, the minister said. "The Union Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval for the creation of the SPV and associated activities for the disinvestment of Air India and its subsidiaries or JV," the FM said. The four subsidiaries which have been transferred to the SPV are Air India Air Transport Services (AIATSL), Airline Allied Services (AASL), Air India Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL) and Hotel Corporation of India (HCI). Also, non-core assets - painting and artefacts, and other non-operational assets of the national carrier too will be transferred to the SPV. These subsidiaries and assets are not part of the Air India strategic disinvestment, which is being planned by the government. Speaking on his turn, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that Union Cabinet nod to promulgating an ordinance to give legal backing to voluntary seeding of Aadhaar with mobile numbers, bank a/c has been given. The Union Cabinet also provided its approved Rs 10,000 crore Phase-II of FAME project for faster adoption of electric vehicles. To a question on video links pertaining to captured IAF pilot Abhinandan on YouTube, Prasad said, ''We had received complaints.. yesterday an unfortunate instance had come up where humiliating videos of the Wing Commander (Abhinandan) had been uploaded on YouTube from the Pakistan side. We had sent a notice to YouTube and complying with the same that they took down 11 such videos.'' The IT Minister also gave a piece of advice to social media platforms to ensure that they are not misused by those with malicious agenda. ''In the light of the situation prevailing in the country today, we expect the social media platforms to ensure that they should not allow their platform to be abused by content which is designed to weaken the morale of the country,'' the IT Minister said. National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Wednesday talked to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on telephone. During the conversation, Pompeo said NSA Doval that Washington supported Indias decision to take action against Jaish-e-Mohammad's terror camp in Balakot, Pakistan, ANI reported. Sources: NSA Ajit Doval and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a telephonic conversation late last night. Pompeo said that the US supported Indias decision to take action against JeM terror camp on Pakistani soil pic.twitter.com/9u5jx8GE9X ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 In a related development, the US State Department has urged both India and Pakistan to take immediate steps with an aim to de-escalate the situation and hold dialogue to reduce tension. The US has said New Delhi and Islamabad that further military activity will only worsen the situation between the two sides. The US, however, backed India saying that cross-border terrorism, such as recent suicide attack on CRPF bus in Pulwama poses serious threat to the security of the area. The US reiterated that Pakistan must abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and take meaningful actions to block the access of terrorist groups to funds, ANI reported. Meanwhile, India's Ambassador to the US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, has said that New Delhi will not accept any act of terrorism silently and will give "appropriate response" to all terrorism incidents. While interacting with Indian students from the various universities from the Greater Washington area, Shringla stressed that Pakistan must meet its international obligations to destroy terrorist networks and terrorists operating on its soil. PTI reported that US Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan is in touch with the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Advisor John Bolton, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford, and Commander of US Central Command General Joseph Votel regarding India-Pakistan tensions. "Acting Secretary Shanahan's focus is on de-escalating tensions and urging both of the nations to avoid further military action," the Pentagon said in a statement. Just 11 days after the Pulwama terror attack, which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel, India retaliated strongly by dropping bombs at Jaish-e-Mohammad's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. On Wednesday, three Pakistani fighter jets violated Indian airspace and entered in Jammu and Kashmir but they were pushed back by Indian Air Force. New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin called Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday to express his condolences over the Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF troopers lost their lives. Expressing Russia's solidarity with the people of India in the aftermath of the dastardly terror attack which was claimed by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed, Putin said that his country stands firm with India in the fight against terrorism. In return, PM Modi thanked Putin for his steadfast support towards India's efforts in protecting its territory from cross-border terror attacks. He also renewed India's commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in countering terrorism as a pillar of a privileged and special strategic partnership. Both leaders also agreed that the growing cooperation between the two countries will take their Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership from strength to strength. A day after India took strong objection to the capture of an Indian Air Force pilot by Pakistan Army, Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal on Thursday said that the IAF pilot held captive by Pakistan is "safe and healthy" and Islamabad will decide on the status of captive Indian pilot in a couple of days. "India has raised the matter of the pilot with us. We'll decide in a couple of days what convention will apply to him and whether to give him Prisoner of War status or not," Dr Faisal was quoted as saying by Dawn. Meanwhile, Indian Defence Ministry officials on Thursday said that violation of Indian airspace by Pakistani fighter jets was an attack on military installations and the IAF pilot was "ill treated by the Pakistan Army in violation of the Geneva Convention". "We believe that the Pakistan air intrusion was an attack on military installations. We believe that the Indian Air Force pilot was illtreated by the Pakistan Army in violation of the Geneva Convention," Defence Ministry officials told news agency ANI. Defence Ministry officials also added that the terror group Jaise-e-Mohammad is receiving active support from Pakistan. It is to be noted that a suicide bomber owing allegiance to JeM had carried out the dastardly suicide attack on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama on February 14 resulting in the death of 40 soldiers. "We believe that the Pakistan Army is actively supporting the Jaish-e-Mohammed and is harbouring the leaders including Masood Azhar in its facilities," they told ANI. Dr Faisal also confirmed that Pakistan has received India's dossier on the Pulwama attack on Thursday and Islamabad will take steps if actionable evidence has been provided in the dossier. He added that Pakistani officials are yet to analyse the dossier. On Tuesday, IAF jets had bombed three JeM terror camps in Pakistan's Balakot and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir's Chakothi and Muzaffarabad in a "non-military" and "pre-emptive strike". A day later three Pakistani jets tried to attack Indian military installations on February 27 which was foiled by IAF MiG-21 fighters. One Pakistani F-16 fighter was shot down while a MiG-21 too went down in PoK after being hit by enemy fire. The IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman ejected and was caught by the Pakistani forces. The wreckage of Pakistani Air Force's F-16 fighter, which was shot down by Indian Air Force jets on Wednesday, has been spotted and photographed. According to news agency ANI, which tweeted photos of the F-16 debris which fell in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir after it was brought down by a MiG 21 fighter during Wednesday's failed air raid, multiple IAF sources confirmed that the wreckage is of the Pakistani plane. Several Pakistani Army soldiers, too, are seen near the F-16 with ANI reporting that one of them is the Commanding Officer of Pakistani Army's 7 Northern Light Infantry. A group of three PAF fighters including the F-16s had crossed the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Naushera on Wednesday morning to target Indian military installations but were intercepted by IAF's MiG 21s. The MiGs chased the PAF jets and shot down one of the planes which fell in PoK. One MiG 21 too was shot down by the Pakistani forces and the IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman captured. Defying the Geneva Convention, the Pakistani armed forces released a video of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman where he is seen and heard giving out his rank, name, service number, religion and marital status. India has slammed Pakistan for the vulgar display of the injured IAF officer and demanded that he be handed back safely. India issued a demarche to Pakistan on Wednesday evening, objecting to the "vulgar display" of the injured IAF pilot in violation of all norms and said Islamabad must ensure that no harm is done to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. However, Pakistani claims the photo is of the MiG-21 wreckage. The Pakistani media is denying that F-16s took part in the failed air raid. According to Pakistani media, the raid was carried out by JF-17 Thunder jets all of which returned safely. The Pakistani defence forces also claimed that the officer being referred to in the photo is Major whereas Commanding Officers are Lieutenant Colonel or above. New Delhi: A joint search operation by Indian Arny, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), local police and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) personnel to search five Army personnel trapped in a snow avalanche in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, resumed on Friday. At least five troopers went missing on February 20 after an avalanche hit the snow-bound Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. the avalanche was triggered by sliding of a glacier near Namgia Dogri, bordering Tibet, burying six Jammu and Kashmir Rifles troopers. Sixteen J&K Rifles' troopers were on a routine patrol in the area. A mobile phone, believed to be of one of the personnel's was found on Thursday. Earlier on February 24, on Sunday, officials said chances of survival of those trapped in the snow were slim. Officials said a lot of snow had accumulated at the avalanche site, 350 km from the state capital, and fresh snow has made treks treacherous. The snow has solidified into hard rocks, making it difficult to dig, they said. Local mountaineers are also involved in the operation. The body of one trooper has been found last week. The state government said two separate parties of the Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were patrolling Namgia Dogri when the avalanche hit. Five ITBP troopers were also injured in the disaster. Blizzards, high-speed winds, fresh snowfall and poor visibility had been severely hampering the rescue operations, an Indian Army spokesperson told IANS. The India Metrological Department (IMD) has predicted more snowfall in the region on March 1-2. (With Agency inputs) A decade since independence, India had had some vital and valuable experience of what it takes to be a democracy. While one party Indian National Congress - was still overwhelmingly dominant in the political framework of the country, people at large were beginning to take note of what elections are all about and to an extent how their vote could possibly count. The experience of having had Lok Sabha elections from five years ago, however, was one of the biggest advantages ahead of 1957 Lok Sabha election. That men and matter from the previous elections were used to a large extent also helped bring down expenditure massively. The INC was expected to dominate once again but that elections were being ingrained as a firm component of the Indian democracy was noteworthy. This was especially significant because of what was happening in the immediate neighbourhood. A constitutional coup in Pakistan in 1953/54 had exposed how General Ayub Khan had a mighty say in the politics of the country when he helped Governor General Ghulam Muhammad in dismissing Khawaja Nazimuddins government. Early of signs of political instability in Pakistan aside, India still had challenges of her own. How to reach more and more people in the country? How to convince people to come out and vote? How to update people on the voting process? The Election Commission at the time had to, once again, work overtime to address issues and challenges galore. Significant developments in the last five years: 1954: India and China sign Panchasheel 1954: India sets up its atomic energy program 1955: HEC 2M, Indias first computer, set up in Kolkata 1956: Reorganisation of Indian states on linguistic basis 1956: Second five-year plan introduced with focus on rapid industrialisation Status of states: As mentioned previously, Indian states had been reorganised on linguistic lines. Lok Sabha election 1957 was conducted in a total of 17 states and union territories. These were: Andhra Pradesh Assam Bihar Bombay Kerala Madhya Pradesh Madras Mysore Orissa Punjab Rajasthan Uttar Pradesh West Bengal Delhi (UT) Himachal Pradesh (UT) Manipur (UT) Tripura (UT) The average number of contestants per constituency was about three and it was a number that remained more or less constant till the elections in 1977. In a total of 494 seats, there were 91 double-member constituencies. The weakness of multi-member constituencies, however, had been realised and recognised immediately after the previous election. According to an Election Commission report on the 1951/52 elections and published on record by Nuffield College (Oxford University) in an analysis, it was mentioned that a large number of people cast all their votes into the ballot boxes of the same candidate, resulting in cancellation of all but one vote. An EC report on the 1957 elections did give a state-wise breakdown of votes rejected because of cumulative voting and other reasons. 95.7% of three million votes rejected in these elections was because of cumulative voting. Political parties in the fray: The dominance of Congress was here to stay with only three other national parties Communist Party of India, All India Bhartiya Jan Sangh and Praja Socialist Party contesting the 1957 elections. In fact, the total of 15 political parties is the lowest number of parties to have ever contested in the Lok Sabha elections. The other state parties in the 1957 elections were: Janata Forward Block (Marxist) Ganatantra Parishad Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha Jharkhand Party Peoples Democratic Front Praja Party Peasants and Workers Party Akhil Bhartiya Ram Rajya Parishad Revolutionary Socialist Party All India Scheduled Caste Federation While Congress was confident of yet another resounding performance in the elections, the other parties national and state were scampering for what little they could hold on to. In a report published in Far Eastern Survey in the same year, James R Roach a veteran of WW2, a distinguished professor in international relations and a cultural attache in the American embassy in New Delhi summed up the strategy of the contesting political parties. All the opposition parties made what use they could of many local grievances and of widespread local Congress failings: unemployment, food shortages, rising food prices, higher irrigation rates, dissatisfaction with states reorganisation, corruption and nepotism at local and state levels, the slow rate of development and (in some states) the slow pace of land reform settlement, inefficient state and local administration, southern feeling that the north dominates and is favoured by the government, evidence of caste considerations in local Congress politics, growing Congress acceptance into membership of men of wealth and conservatism, dissatisfaction of former Congress office holders denied candidacy etc. he wrote. Despite all these often valid criticisms, on some of which Congress was most vulnerable, no opposition emerged as a convincing, clear alternative. Nehru simply was above any important or effective criticism, although it was suggested in some seriousness that he should quit Congress and lead the opposition because democracy requires a strong opposition. The above report was published in the month of May when the election was still underway. Laying the electoral roadmap: Most of the processes created and adopted for the first-ever elections in the country were brought back for the elections in 1957 as well. Sukumar Sen, much like from five years back, deserved credit for taking note of even the smallest of details and had made it a point to store ballot boxed to bring down costs of subsequent elections. In fact, after the 1951/52 elections, and despite some of the shortcomings of it, Sen had been invited to Sudan to conduct the countrys first-ever elections there. Apart from the fact that the triple-member constituency from 1951/52 election was removed by First Delimitation Commission in 1955, and turned to a two-member constituency, not much has changed as far as election roadmap was concerned. The daunting task of taking the electoral process to more and more people remained and the plague of illiteracy prevailed. While the electoral process may not have altered, the dynamic character of the country itself had evolved. Election 1957: Indias second Lok Sabha election took place between February 24 and June 9. It witnessed yet another dominant performance from the Indian National Congress a party which managed to gain seven more seats from the previous elections, although this was because the size of the Lok Sabha had been increased by five. The Indian National Congress vote share also saw a jump from 45% to 47.8%. The party managed to win five times the number of votes than the second-largest party Communist Party, which too had managed to gain 11 more seats than what it won five years ago. Many political experts and analysts feel the win in the 1957 elections was more significant for the Indian National Congress than the one in the previous election. They feel that the challenges, even if on a small scale, were far more in number for the party this time around. Roach, in the same report mentioned above, felt there was a general acceptance among masses that what the governing class said was right, was right. The attitude (of voters at the time) is one of uncritical, unexamined acceptance of the correctness of the decisions of those who govern. Individuals may complain privately but, despite occasional protests on something concrete and close to home, the Indian public and not merely the uneducated public is passive, usually unquestioning, and frequently uninformed, he wrote at the time. While it is possible that Roach saw Indian elections from the American perspective and, perhaps, with ample influence of the Cold War prevailing at the time, many others do feel that the lack of a strong opposition was too big a factor to bring down someone of Nehrus persona. Once again, the bulk of Indian National Congress strength lay in north India with 85.5% of its seats coming from there. That regional parties anywhere in India were still in their nascent stages meant the larger national parties had no fear on that account. For the national parties, it was appeared more about counting their consolation wins to go from strength to strength. The election in 1957 also saw a minor jump in voter turnout from 44.87% in 1951/52 to 45.44%. Interestingly, 42 seats and 19.3% of the votes went to independent candidates. There were also some key winners in the elections Atal Bihari Vajpayee had registered his first win in elections and in the same year, would be praised by Nehru for his oratory skills. Nehru even predicted, correctly, that Vajpayee would one day become Indias Prime Minister. VK Krishna Menon too registered a win in the 1957 election and it was to mark the start of a very powerful career. Menon was made the Minister of Defence and would deliver an eight-hour speech at the United Nations in the same year as the election, on Indias position on Kashmir issue. It was also the last election conducted in India under the guidance of Sukumar Sen. Sen passed away on December 19 of 1958 but had left behind a legacy that Indians still largely follows every time they come out to vote. Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday offered to receive the captured Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman after he is released by Pakistan on Friday. The Punjab CM expressed his desire in a tweet to PM Modi. "Dear @narendramodi ji, I'm touring the border areas of Punjab & I`m presently in Amritsar. Came to know that @pid_gov has decided to release #AbhinandanVartaman from Wagha. It will be an honour for me to go and receive him, as he and his father are alumni of the NDA as I am," Punjab CM said in a tweet. Dear @narendramodi ji , Im touring the border areas of Punjab & Im presently in Amritsar. Came to know that @pid_gov has decided to release #AbhinandanVartaman from Wagha. It will be a honour for me to go and receive him, as he and his father are alumnus of the NDA as I am. Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) February 28, 2019 The 35-year-old Wing Commander was captured by Pakistan on Wednesday after his MiG fell in Pakistani territory during an aerial dogfight. In a surprise announcement, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced on Thursday that the captured IAF pilot will be freed as a "goodwill gesture" on Friday. The announcement from Pakistan after New Delhi made it clear that there will be no deal in this regard and demanded his unconditional, immediate and safe release. The IAF pilot is likely to be released by Pakistan through the Wagah-Attari joint check-post, around 30 km from Amritsar. Singh had earlier welcomed Imran Khan's announcement as "a goodwill gesture that would help ease the prevailing tensions at the border." The Chief Minister is presently touring the border villages in Punjab, which share the border with Pakistan. Singh has also extended all support on behalf of his government to the Border Security Force (BSF) to deal with the current situation in the aftermath of the IAF air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp at Balakot in Pakistan in the wee hours of Tuesday. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Delhi Police to arrest Amrapali group CMD Anil Sharma, and 2 directors forthwith in a criminal complaint filed against them. SC said that the Economic Offence Wing of Delhi Police can arrest Amrapali directors Shiv Priya and Ajay Kumar in the case. We had never stopped any agency from arresting the directors, who are presently housed at a hotel under the detention of UP police, a bench of Justices Arun Mishra and U U Lalit said. The apex court also directed attachment of personal properties of Amrapali CMD, including his bungalow in South Delhi. The court also made it clear that the properties of the other two directors of Amrapali will also be attached. The court is seized of a batch of petitions filed by home buyers who are seeking possession of around 42,000 flats booked in projects of the Amrapali Group. On February 14, the SC had grilled Anil Kumar Sharma for Rs 94 crore of homebuyers' money being shown in his bank account and also warned that it would send him to jail for his "reluctance" in disclosing the identity of a person, who had bought company's shares worth Rs 140 crore from the multi-national firm JP Morgan. The top court gave Sharma one last opportunity to return Rs 6.55 crore of homebuyers' money, which he had transferred to his daughter, by February 28 and sought explanation of Rs 94 crore shown in his bank account. On February 11, the apex court had taken strong exception to two prime properties of Amrapali, including a five-star hotel, finding no bidders in an auction and said that prima facie it looks like "cartelisation is at work". In the same hearing, the court also appointed a valuer to ascertain the exact value of 5,229 unsold flats including those booked by Amrapali for just Rs 1, Rs 11 and Rs 12. With PTI Inputs Actor Nivetha Thomas is pretty happy to have been part of 118, a thriller which will hit the screens on March 1. It has been sometime since the Malayalam actress has been seen in a Telugu film and with her cute looks, Nivetha is back to spill magic with her performance on screen. She was much appreciated by the Telugu audience for her performance as Pallavi in Ninnu Kori. The actor had actually taken a break from film to complete her thesis. She says, I was constantly working by listening to scripts and stories. However, I am a graduate now and so, I can completely concentrate on work and films now. I am playing the role of a mysterious woman in 118. Touted to be a film which is based on Deja vu, it is all about how and why a man tries to follow his recurring dream. Elaborating on the storyline, the actor said, It is all about a man who tries to find the mystery behind his dream. Everyone gets dreams and not all of us would like to dig into it. But in this film, Kalyan Ram does. The Ninnu Kori actor, who will be seen in the last twenty minutes of the film says that she wants to do justice to the film and her role and has never been bothered about her screen time or the importance of the role. She further adds, This role for me was kind of a challenge. I wanted it to be the best and give my best. So I think I have done that. Directed by KV Guhan, the film is produced by Mahesh S KOneru under East Coast Productions. Rameswaram: Two Sri Lankan nationals were arrested near here Thursday on charges of entering the country illegally after alleged 'involvement' in a murder case in Colombo, police said. Acting on intelligence inputs, police nabbed Singha Chirandha and Sapras from VIP Nagar near Ramanathapuram, about 45 km from here. Besides, two local residents -- Riyaz and Mohammed Gayoom -- with whom the Sinhalese men were staying were also arrested, police said. Police said the two had escaped escaped from Sri Lanka after allegedly killing one of their relatives over a property disputeand had come to Rameswaram recently by illegal ferry. Later, they had reached Ramathapuram where they were staying with the locals, who belonged to Sethu Nagar near here, police said adding the Lankan duo was being interrogated. LONDON: Britain`s opposition Labour Party will support a new referendum on Brexit after parliament defeated its alternative plan for leaving the European Union, the party`s leader Jeremy Corbyn said. With 29 days left until the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union, the leaders of Britain`s two main parties have been forced into making key turns on the divorce in recent days. After months of saying that Britain must leave the EU on time on March 29, May opened up the possibility on Tuesday of a short limited extension to the exit date. Corbyn, who voted against membership in 1975 and gave only reluctant backing to the 2016 campaign to stay, on Wednesday gave an ambiguous backing for another referendum saying he would push for one alongside a national election. "After tonight`s votes in parliament, we`ll continue to push for a close economic relationship based on our credible alternative plan or a general election," Corbyn said. "We`ll also back a public vote in order to prevent a damaging Tory Brexit or disastrous no deal." John McDonnell, the second most powerful man in the Labour Party, said the party would put down an amendment calling for a second referendum as soon as May brought a deal back to parliament. After May`s deal was rejected on Jan. 15 in the biggest parliamentary defeat in modern British history, she is hoping to bring back a tweaked divorce accord for a vote, which could come as early as next week but may not take place until March 12. BREXIT MAZE If her deal is voted down, May has promised lawmakers will get a chance to vote on whether to leave with no deal the day after and then on March 14 to vote on asking the EU to delay the deadline. Lawmakers on Wednesday voted 502-20 in support of an amendment proposed by opposition Labour lawmaker Yvette Cooper that spelled out May`s proposed timetable. The government backed the amendment. "We continue to see the most likely outcome of the current impasse as eventual ratification of the Prime Ministers Brexit deal, with a three-month extension of Article 50," Goldman Sachs said. Goldman raised the probability of that outcome to 55 percent from 50 percent while cutting its view of no-deal Brexit to 10 percent from 15. It kept the probability of no Brexit at 35 percent. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that the EU would agree to extend the Brexit deadline beyond March 29 only if Britain justified such a request with a clear objective. "If the British need more time, we would support an extension request if it was justified by new choices from the British," Macron told a joint briefing with Germany`s Chancellor Angela Merkel in Paris. "But we would in no way accept an extension without a clear view on the objective pursued." OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, rejecting an opposition call for his resignation, disputed allegations on Wednesday by his former justice minister that government officials inappropriately pressured her to help a major company avoid a corruption trial. The remarks by Jody Wilson-Raybould, made during almost four hours of sometimes dramatic testimony to the House of Commons justice committee, deepened the worst crisis of Trudeau`s tenure months before an October election. Wilson-Raybould said she had confronted Trudeau over what she said were persistent efforts by officials to help construction firm SNC-Lavalin Group Inc evade trial on charges of bribing Libyan officials. "I strongly maintain, as I have from the beginning, that I and my staff always acted appropriately and professionally," Trudeau told a televised news conference in Montreal. "I therefore completely disagree with (Wilson-Raybould`s) characterization of events," he added, brushing off a demand from Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer that he step down. The case forced the resignation of Trudeau`s principal private secretary, Gerald Butts, earlier this month. Wilson-Raybould said officials imposed "consistent and sustained pressure" on her from September to December last year to ensure SNC-Lavalin pay a large fine rather than go to trial. "This pressure, or political interference to intervene, was not appropriate," she said, adding that some officials had made veiled threats unless she cooperated. The head of the federal civil service, she said, told her that Trudeau would "find a way to get it done one way or another. So, he is in that kind (of) mood and I wanted you to be aware of that." Wilson-Raybould said those exchanges prompted her to think of the so-called Saturday Night Massacre of 1973, when the U.S. attorney general and his top deputy quit rather than obey an order from President Richard Nixon to fire an investigator probing the Watergate scandal. She added, however, under questioning from Liberal legislators that she did not feel the pressure on her had been illegal. Wilson-Raybould was unexpectedly demoted in January and resigned from the Cabinet this month. She said she was convinced the SNC-Lavalin case had prompted her demotion. `NEED TO FIND A SOLUTION` SNC-Lavalin was seeking a so-called deferred prosecution agreement to allow the firm to escape with a fine. Wilson-Raybould had the power to scrap the decision to go to trial but decided against it. A trial is pending for the company. SNC-Lavalin has said it had sought to avoid a trial because the executives accused of wrongdoing had left the company and it had overhauled its ethics and compliance systems. SNC-Lavalin is based in the province of Quebec, where the Liberals have said they need to pick up seats to stand a chance of retaining a majority government. Wilson-Raybould said officials cited the danger that the firm might cut jobs or move its headquarters out of Quebec if found guilty. She cited several senior officials in the offices of Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau as among those weighing in. A Morneau spokesman denied the minister or his staff had ever pressured Wilson-Raybould. Wilson-Raybould said that during a Sept. 17 meeting with Trudeau, he asked her "to find a solution" for SNC-Lavalin. "I asked: `Are you politically interfering with my role? ... I would strongly advise against it.` The prime minister said: `No, no, no, we just need to find a solution.`" Trudeau told the news conference that "our government will always focus on jobs" and said officials had discussed the implications of SNC-Lavalin cutting its workforce. Wilson-Raybould said that in mid-December, her chief of staff expressed concerns about possible political interference during a chat with Butts. Citing her chief of staff`s account of the exchange, Wilson-Raybould quoted Butts as saying: "There is no solution here that does not involve some interference." HANOI: US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will hold another day of talks at their second summit in eight months on Thursday, after swapping compliments at a dinner but giving no sign of progress on the key issue of denuclearisation. Trump hailed "a very special relationship" when he met Kim in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi on Wednesday and said he was satisfied with the pace of talks, despite some criticism they were not moving quickly enough. "Great meetings" and a "Very good dialogue," Trump said on Twitter after dinner with Kim at the French-colonial-era Metropole hotel while the White House said the two planned to sign a "joint agreement" after further talks on Thursday. The White House has given no indication of what the signing ceremony might involve, although the two sides` discussions have included the possibility of a political statement to declare the 1950-53 Korean War over, which some critics see as premature. They have also discussed partial denuclearisation measures, such as allowing inspectors to observe the dismantling of North Korea`s Yongbyon nuclear reactor, U.S. and South Korean officials say. U.S. concessions could include opening liaison offices or clearing the way for inter-Korean projects, but critics say Trump risks squandering vital leverage if he gives away too much, too quickly. The Hanoi summit was Trump`s second with Kim since an inconclusive meeting in Singapore in June that produced much fanfare but little substance and there had been little sign of concrete progress since. The U.S. president nevertheless appeared upbeat with Kim even as his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testified at a congressional hearing in Washington, calling Trump a "conman" who knew in advance about the release of stolen emails aimed at hurting his Democratic rival in the 2016 election campaign. Facing mounting pressure at home over investigations into Russian meddling in the election, Trump has sought a big win by trying to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for promises of peace and development, a foreign policy goal that has confounded multiple predecessors. Trump told Kim on Wednesday he felt the first summit was "very successful". "Some people would like to see it go quicker; Im satisfied; youre satisfied, we want to be happy with what we`re doing." The leaders exchanged views at dinner with the aim of achieving comprehensive and ground-breaking results from their summit, state news agency KCNA said on Thursday. "Sincere and in-depth views were exchanged to bring about a comprehensive and groundbreaking outcome," it said. TRUMP SAYS NOT WALKING BACK Asked by a reporter if he was "walking back" on denuclearisation demands, Trump said, "No". Trump and Kim held a 20-minute, one-on-one chat before a dinner that also involved U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trump`s acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Kim`s top envoy Kim Yong Chol and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho. On Thursday, they two leaders have a series of meetings scheduled at the Metropole, beginning with another one-on-one session lasting 45 minutes, the White House said. After a "joint agreement signing ceremony" Trump plans a news conference at 3:50 p.m. Hanoi time (0850 GMT). Asked if he would declare a formal end to the Korean War, which concluded with an armistice, rather than a peace treaty that North Korea has long sought, Trump said on Wednesday: "Well see." The June meeting was the first between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader. It produced a joint statement in which Kim pledged to work toward denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and the two sides committed to establish new ties and build a permanent peace regime. But there has been little progress since. Kim said on Wednesday the leaders had overcome obstacles to meet a second time and praised Trump for his "courageous decision" to begin a dialogue, adding that he was "confident that there will be an excellent outcome that everyone welcomes". Trump said late last year he and Kim "fell in love", but whether bonhomie can move them beyond summit pageantry to substantive progress on eliminating a North Korean nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States is a big question. Trump indicated a more flexible stance in the run-up to Hanoi, saying he was in no rush as long as North Korea, which has not tested a nuclear weapon or intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017, maintained that freeze. U.S. intelligence officials have said there is no sign North Korea will give up its entire arsenal of nuclear weapons, which Kim`s ruling family sees as vital to its survival, and analysts say Pyongyang is unlikely to commit to significant steps without an easing of punishing U.S.-led sanctions. Trump has appeared to be betting on his personal relationship with Kim, and the economic incentive after 70 years of hostility between their countries. "Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize," Trump said on Twitter ahead of the meeting. US President Donald Trump said he had walked away from a nuclear deal at his summit with Kim Jong Un in Vietnam on Thursday because of unacceptable demands from the North Korean leader to lift punishing US-led sanctions. Trump said two days of talks in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi had made good progress in building relations and on the main issue of denuclearisation, but it was important not to rush into a bad deal. "It was all about the sanctions," Trump said at a news conference after the talks were cut short. "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn`t do that." North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told a later news conference in Hanoi that North Korea had sought only a partial lifting of sanctions and had offered a realistic proposal at the summit. He said that if the United States partially removed sanctions, North Korea could permanently dismantle all production of plutonium and uranium under observation by US experts. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the North Korean foreign minister`s remarks. The United Nations and the United States ratcheted up sanctions on North Korea when the reclusive state undertook a series of nuclear and ballistic missile tests in 2017, cutting off its main sources hard cash. Trump and Kim cut short their talks, skipping a planned working lunch at the French-colonial-era Metropole hotel after a morning of meetings. "Sometimes you have to walk, and this was just one of those times," Trump said, adding "it was a friendly walk". He later left Vietnam to return to Washington. Failure to reach an agreement marks a setback for Trump, a self-styled dealmaker under pressure at home over his ties to Russia and testimony from Michael Cohen, his former personal lawyer who accused him of breaking the law while in office. Trump said Cohen "lied a lot" during Congressional testimony in Washington on Wednesday, though he had told the truth when he said there had been "no collusion" with Russia. The collapse of the talks raised questions about the Trump administration`s preparations and about what some critics see as his cavalier style of personal diplomacy. Since their first summit in Singapore in June, Trump has stressed his good chemistry with Kim, but there have been doubts about whether the bonhomie could move them beyond summit pageantry to substantive progress on eliminating a North Korean nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States. Things had appeared more promising when the leaders met on Wednesday, predicting successful talks before a social dinner with top aides. The White House had been confident enough to schedule a "joint agreement signing ceremony" at the conclusion of talks. Like the lunch, the ceremony did not take the place. MARKETS HIT "No deal is a surprise, especially as they were both all smiley last evening," said Lim Soo-ho, senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy. "But no-deal today doesn`t mean there won`t be one in coming months. It means stakes were way too high for the two leaders to give another wishy-washy statement like they did in Singapore." The Singapore summit, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, produced a vague statement in which Kim pledged to work toward denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But little progress followed. News of the summit failure sent South Korea`s currency lower and knocked regional stock markets. South Korea`s Kospi index closed 1.8 percent lower, marking the biggest one-day percentage loss since Oct 2018. North Korea`s old rival South Korea, which backs efforts to end confrontation on the peninsula, said it regretted that no deal had been reached but the two sides had made progress. Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said difficulties in the talks were unavoidable but the two sides should press on and China would play a constructive role. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he backed Trump`s decision and wanted a meeting with Kim. There was no indication of when Trump and Kim, or their negotiators, might meet again. Kicking off their second day in Hanoi, Trump said he would be happy as long as North Korea conducted no more nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests. North Korea has conducted no tests since late 2017, and Trump said Kim had promised him there would be no resumption. Trump said he and Kim had discussed dismantling North Korea`s main nuclear facility at Yongbyon, which Kim was willing to do, but Kim had wanted sanctions relief first. There were other facilities that Trump said he wanted included in a deal - and the North Koreans had been surprised the Americans knew about them - but they had baulked. "We asked him to do more and he was unprepared to do that, but I`m still optimistic," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the news conference, referring to Kim. Trump said the United States would be able to inspect some North Korean facilities but he did not go into specifics. TESTING TRUMP? Daniel Russel, a former top State Department diplomat for East Asia, said Kim might have thought he could drive a hard bargain, given Trump`s troubles at home. "Kim Jong Un is not testing ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs at the moment, but he is testing Donald Trump. Kim may have wanted to see if Trumps domestic legal and political woes made him desperate enough to take any deal he could get," he said. Trump had indicated a more flexible stance in the run-up to the Hanoi summit prompting some critics to warn that he risked squandering leverage over North Korea if he gave away too much. US intelligence officials have said there is no sign North Korea would eve give up its entire arsenal of nuclear weapons, which Kim`s ruling family sees as vital to its survival. Earlier Kim and Trump, sitting across from each other at a conference table, appeared confident of progress, and Kim had suggested he was ready to give up his nuclear bombs. If Im not willing to do that, I wont be here right now, Kim told reporters through an interpreter, when asked if he was ready to give up his nuclear weapons. TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday he fully backed US President Donald Trump`s decision to end his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un without an agreement. "I fully support President Trump`s decision not to make the easy choice," Abe said following a telephone call with Trump. "I am determined that I must meet Chairman Kim next," he added, reiterating his desire to have a summit with the North Korean leader. Abe said Trump, at his meeting with Kim in Vietnam, had raised the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Koreans agents. Shinzo Abe has said Japan would not normalise diplomatic ties with Pyongyang or provide economic assistance until North Korea gave a full accounting of all those taken and return any abductees who are still alive. People and Indian army gather near the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed at village Garend Kalan of Budgam, about 34 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, Feb. 27, 2019. A pilot and a co-pilot of Indian Air Force (IAF) were killed after a Mi-17 jet crashed Wednesday in Indian-controlled Kashmir, Indian officials said. Meanwhile, Pakistan army said on Wednesday the Pakistan Air Force has shot down two Indian fighter jets inside Pakistani airspace and ground troops arrested one pilot of the destroyed jet, according to a military statement. (Xinhua/Javed Dar) ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday invited India for dialogue to counter terrorism and reduce tensions between the two neighbors. The Pakistani prime minister was addressing the nation amid tensions between the two countries following a recent suicide attack on the Indian police in Indian-controlled Kashmir. "Both countries cannot afford miscalculation because of the weapons we have. Pakistan is ready for dialogue to counter terrorism. Let's sit on the table to find out solution to the problems," Khan said after Pakistan army said its air force shot down two Indian fighter jets along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir region. Confirming downing of the Indian fighter jets, the prime minister said, "Pakistan responded in compulsion" after the Indian aircraft had entered the Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. "We hold two Indian pilots," said Prime Minister Khan who reminded India that there had been miscalculations in the previous wars so there was a need to use logic and sagacity. Pakistan denied any involvement in the suicide attack and the prime minister promised investigation if India shared any actionable and credible evidence. Khan again offered cooperation to help India investigate the tragedy and hoped "better sense" will prevail and both countries need to resolve issues through talks. On the same day, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said Indian forces fired along the LoC on Tuesday in Nikial and Khuiratta sectors in Pakistani side of the LoC, leaving four civilians dead. Meanwhile, Indian acting High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to lodge a formal protest and condemn the "unprovoked ceasefire violations" by the Indian forces. The Pakistan military said on Wednesday that it did not want to escalate the tension with India and urged New Delhi to accept its "offer of peace." Tensions grew between the two neighbors after India claimed to have carried out air strikes in the Pakistani side of LoC on Tuesday, and Pakistan said it shot down two Indian fighter jets inside Pakistani airspace earlier on Wednesday. India confirmed that Pakistan downed one of its fighter jets MiG-21 and the pilot had gone missing, which Pakistan claimed that he was in its custody. India also summoned Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah in New Delhi and appealed for the safety and safe return of the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot, identified as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, at the earliest date. "It was made clear that Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return," said an official communication given by India to the Pakistan acting high commissioner. Major General Asif Ghafoor, director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan army's media wing, told a press conference that "India should accept our offer of peace." He urged the international community to play its role to defuse the current soaring situation to save peace in the region as Pakistan did not want to push the region towards war. Ghafoor was briefing the media about Wednesday's situation in which Pakistan army said its air force shot down two Indian fighter jets inside the Pakistani airspace and ground troops arrested two pilots of the destroyed aircraft. Earlier Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said in a statement that "Pakistan has, therefore, taken strikes at the non-military target, avoiding human loss and collateral damage. Sole purpose (is) being to demonstrate our right, will and capability for self-defense." Pakistan's military also denied Indian media's reports that Indian forces shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet. India claimed that its air force targeted a camp of the Jaish-e-Muhammad group in Tuesday's airstrikes, which was blamed for the Feb. 14 suicide bombing on Indian paramilitary troopers in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed some 40 people. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman said, "We have no intention of escalation, but are fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm. That is why we undertook the action with a clear warning and in broad daylight." Two photo exhibits, Un Estudio Propio. Mujeres en el Arte (A Room of Ones Own: Women in Art) and Desde Nosotras (From Us), opened this week as part of the Mexican capitals celebration of International Womens Day , observed March 8. The exhibits at the Galeria Abierta de las Rejas de Chapultepec, an open-air gallery on Mexico Citys Paseo de la Reforma, were organized in conjunction with the municipal governments Tiempo de Mujeres (Time of Women) Festival. The time of women has come to this city, the municipal secretary of womens affairs, Gabriela Ramirez, said during the inauguration of the exhibits. Across 10 days, from March 8 to March 17, 790 artists will take part in 150 events at 27 venues. The feminine city will become reacquainted with its women, capital Culture Secretary Jose Alfonso Suarez said. While the situation for women has changed since the first International Womans Day in 1910, more than half of women still lack access to certain opportunities and to full human rights, Mexico Citys director of heritage, Maria Guadalupe Lozada, said. To remedy that deficiency represents a challenge for the country and for the city, she said. The objective of the photojournalism exhibition is for people to know what we are doing every day, EFE photographer and event organizer Sashenka Gutierrez said. The idea for the show emerged from a gathering in the Mexico City neighborhood of Coyoacan and a committee was formed to solicit entries. Organizers expected interest in the project to be limited, committee member Jasmin Ortega said, but more than 60 women photojournalists submitted examples of their work for display along the railing of Chapultepec park. Some of the photos included date from 40 years ago. We see each other on the street and we recognize each other. Together we make a 12-hour shift into something fun and we can tell the story of this country, Ortega said. We exhibit on the street because that is where we create our visual discourse and where we suffer discrimination. In todays Mexico, where violence against journalists is reaching an unprecedented level, women in journalism are a particularly vulnerable group. Women journalists are starting to notice the micro-aggressions they must combat, another member of the group, Monica Gonzalez, told EFE. Un estudio propio. Mujeres en el arte includes images of women in the arts, ranging from painting to literature to dance. Inspired by novelist Virginia Woolfs A Room of Ones Own, the aim of the exhibition is to insist on womens right to a private space where they can create, according to Rossana Cervantes of the ComuArte collective. Talks aimed at resolving Nicaraguas deadly socio-political crisis resumed Wednesday between government and opposition representatives but without the participation of leftist President Daniel Ortega. The Vaticans apostolic nuncio to Nicaragua, Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag; and Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, the archbishop of Managua, are serving as observers to the negotiations, which have resumed after a national dialogue that began in mid-May 2018 was indefinitely suspended. Sommertag conveyed the greetings of Pope Francis and his prayers and desire that Nicaraguas socio-political crisis can be resolved responsibly and for the good of everyone. He also read some remarks contained in a May 11, 2018, letter to Ortega from the pontiff, who said humble and sincere dialogue is a good means of promoting peace and finding just and compassionate solutions to social and political problems. The negotiations are taking place behind closed doors at the Managua campus of the INCAE Business School. The governments delegation is led by Foreign Minister Denis Moncada, ruling-party lawmakers Edwin Castro, Jose Figueroa and Wilfredo Navarro, Judge Francisco Rosales and student leader Luis Andino. The delegation of the opposition Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy is led by a former ambassador to the United States, Carlos Tunnermann, and the presidents of Nicaraguas two main business federations, Jose Adan Aguerri and Mario Arana, respectively. It also includes the executive director of the Nicaraguan Foundation for Economic and Social Development (Funides), Juan Sebastian Chamorro; an opposition politician and former deputy foreign minister, Jose Pallais; and student leader Max Jerez. Tunnermann told reporters that the agenda for the talks and methodology to be followed will be defined on Wednesday and that afterward the delegates will start discussing the issues in detail. The Civic Alliance reiterated that it will call for the release of people detained during anti-government protests last year and the restoration of rights, freedoms and guarantees enshrined in Nicaraguas constitution. It also is demanding electoral reforms that guarantee fair, free and transparent elections and justice for the victims of the violent protests that began on April 18, 2018. In the lead-up to the resumption of talks, Nicaraguas unicameral legislature (controlled by Ortegas allies) approved a controversial tax overhaul aimed at boosting the governments coffers and addressing that Central American nations severe economic woes. Those problems stem from the violent socio-political crisis that erupted last April after Ortegas administration announced cuts to Nicaraguas social security program. Nicaraguas severe crisis has left 325 dead since April, according to the Washington-based Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, although some local humanitarian groups put the number killed since the anti-government demonstrations began at 561. The government, for its part, only recognizes 199 deaths and says it is the target of a coup attempt by right-wing opponents. Explosive Device from Gaza Hits Israeli Home The Fellowship | February 28, 2019 An Israeli home in the Eshkol region was damaged Wednesday evening when an explosive device attached to a cluster of balloons was launched from Gaza into Israel. No injuries were reported. As tensions rise between Israelis and Palestinians on the Gaza border, two terrorist groups in Gaza pledge ongoing protests until the Israeli blockade is lifted. Iran is testing a series of new missiles that will bolster the arsenals of terrorist groups. One group, Islamic Jihad, claims their rockets have the ability to strike the Israeli city of Tel Aviv. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued to speak out against Iranian aggression in Syria, saying Israeli forces will not back down. The state of Israel made history this week by launching the first Israeli spacecraft to the moon. Prime Minister Netanyahu hailed it as a huge step for Israeli technology. This weeks Israel in the News Perspective features Fellowship President Yael Eckstein reflecting on her new role. Rescuers work at a fire site at a train station in Cairo, Egypt, Feb. 27, 2019. At least 20 people were killed and more than 40 others wounded when a fire erupted inside the main train station in the city center of Egypt's capital Cairo on Wednesday, state-run Nile TV reported. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) CAIRO, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 people were killed and more than 40 others wounded when a fire erupted inside the main train station in the city center of Egypt's capital Cairo on Wednesday, state-run Nile TV reported. The blaze broke out as a train crashed onto the pavement, the report said. According to the advisor to the Egyptian transport minister, the train in Ramsis Station hit the concrete barriers at the end of the pavement. Meanwhile, a security source told state-run Ahram news website that the heavy crash caused explosion of the fuel tank before the fire broke out. "The explosion was horrible. I saw two men flying out of the train's windows with their bodies on fire," Ali Kamal, a passenger from the site told Xinhua. It was difficult to rescue anyone, he added. Dozens of ambulances and firefighters had rushed to the scene. Eyewitnesses at a hospital said the corpses were completely burned. Doctors told Xinhua that most of the wounded are of second or third degree of burn and in critical conditions. The train movement to and from Cairo has been suspended. Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly is following the repercussions of the incident with the transport minister, according to Nile TV. Egypt top prosecutor ordered urgent investigations into the incident. "The era of keeping silent on those making mistakes has ended," Madbouly said. "No easiness in dealing with those responsible for the train blaze," he added. Washington, Feb 28 (IBNS): A day after India and Pakistan got engaged into an air fight, the United States has urged both the countries to "cease all cross-border military activity" and deescalate the situation immediately, media reports said. The US also said Pakistan must abide by the UN Security Council Commitments and should not give the terrorists a safe heaven. The United States, the United Kingdom and France have also submitted a fresh proposal at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to designate Pakistan-based militant organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) chief Masood Azhar, who had carried out the Pulwama attack, as a global terrorist. Tension between India and Pakistan. A day after the Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted a surgical strike across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as a response to the Pulwama attack, Pakistan claimed that it has shot down two aircrafts of the IAF and captured a pilot. The neighbouring nation also released a video and claimed that it is of an Indian pilot named Abhinandan. In response to the claims, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said: "The Pakistan Air Force was detected and the Indian Air Force responded instantly. In that aerial engagement, one Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft was shot down by a MiG 21 Bison of the Indian Air Force." "The Pakistani aircraft was seen by ground forces falling from the sky on the Pakistan side. In this engagement, we have unfortunately lost one MiG 21. The pilot is missing in action. Pakistan has claimed that he is in their custody. We are ascertaining the facts," he said. In the Pulwama attack, which took place on Feb 14, over 40 Indian paramilitary personnel were martyred. In the surgical strike, India claimed a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated. Let's talk: Imran Khan tells India Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said his country is ready to sit on any form of 'dialogue' with India on the issue of 'terrorism'. Addressing the nation, Khan was quoted as saying by Geo News: "I wanted to take you into confidence regarding the situation arising since yesterday. We offered India that we are ready to cooperate with them in any kind of investigation after the Pulwama attack. I know the grief the families of [those killed in Pulwama attack] have been going through." Image Credit: Donald Trump Instagram DPRK top leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump sit down before their one-on-one chat during the second US-DPRK summit at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam February 27, 2019. [Photo/Agencies] The second summit of Democratic People's Republic of Korea top leader Kim Jong-un and United States President Donald Trump began on Wednesday in Hanoi, Vietnam, with both leaders expressing hope and confidence that this week's talks will be successful. The two leaders greeted each other with warm smiles and shook hands for several seconds in front of the flags of their countries at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel. Trump said his previous talks with Kim in Singapore were a great success and the Hanoi meeting will "hopefully be equal or greater than the first". He added their personal relationship constituted the biggest progress and told Kim that the DPRK has tremendous economic potential. Kim said he would do his best to produce a "great outcome" to be welcomed by all people. The pair started a one-on-one meeting with their translators after the photo session. It was followed by a "social dinner" involving some of their top aides. US President Donald Trump and DPRK top leader Kim Jong-un sit down for a dinner during the second US-DPRK summit at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam February 27, 2019. Also pictured at right are US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. [Photo/Agencies] Two US officials Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Mick Mulvaney, the White House's acting chief of staff joined the dinner session, which last about an hour and a half. Kim Yong-chol, a senior official of the Workers' Party of Korea, and DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho were at the dining table as well. The dinner session was thought to serve as a tone-setting test for the formal talks scheduled on Thursday morning, which may decide the future of a peace process that has been stalled after the two leaders' Singapore summit in June. On Wednesday, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing hopes the Hanoi summit between Kim and Trump will take an important step forward to achieve denuclearization and establish a peace mechanism on the Korean Peninsula. "China expects the meeting between leaders of the DPRK and the US will continue moving forward in the direction of the 'dual-track' approach," Wang said at a news conference after the 16th meeting of the foreign ministers of China, Russia and India in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province. Analysts have described Kim and Trump's Singapore summit as focused on breaking the ice to pave the way for full-scale diplomacy on denuclearization, improved ties and a formal conclusion to the war on the Korean Peninsula, going beyond the armistice reached in 1953. Now the two nations are facing a more daunting task of attempting to reach specific deals over details, going beyond a vaguely worded joint statement, they said. US President Donald Trump and DPRK top leader Kim Jong-un shake hands before their one-on-one chat during the second US-DPRK summit at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam February 27, 2019. [Photo/Agencies] Wang Junsheng, an international relations expert with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, expressed his optimism about the second summit and said that given the DPRK's announcement that it would shift its strategic focus to economic development, the country will likely make concessions on giving up its nuclear weapons during this summit in exchange for the lifting of sanctions and the declaration of the end of the war. Wang said denuclearization is an irreversible trend. But Jenny Town, a research analyst at the Stimson Center in Washington, worried that it will be difficult for the two leaders to generate a specific road map and schedule for denuclearization at a single summit. Also on Wednesday, the Republic of Korea's presidential Blue House spokesman said, "Whatever concessions Trump and Kim may make at their upcoming summit will be significant as they will mean further progress toward the complete denuclearization of Pyongyang." Trump met separately with Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc earlier on Wednesday. Kim is likely to meet the Vietnamese leaders during his two-day "official goodwill" visit after the summit with Trump, given the local media reports saying Kim would leave the country on Saturday. New Delhi, Feb 28 (IBNS): In a joint briefing by the Air Force, Army and Navy, the Armed Forces on Thursday said Pakistan had tried to attack the military installations of India but failed to inflict any damage. Their designs to target our installations by dropping active payloads were thwarted, said the Indian defence top officials outside the Ministry of Defence building. Air Vice Marshal Ravi Kapoor, Indian Air Force (IAF) said: "Pakistan military tried to target military installations. We have conclusive proof that F-16 was used by Pakistan." The Armed Forces held the briefing after Pakistan announced it will release Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman from its captive on Friday. The IAF had conducted surgical strike on Tuesday as a response to Feb 14 Pulwama attack, which had left over 40 Indian paramilitary personnel martyred. HIGHLIGHTS: Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor said though Pakistani bombs exploded in Indian military formation, it caused no damage. "There is enough evidence to show that F-16s were used in this mission through their electronic signatures. Parts of AMRAAM, air to air missile which is carried only on the Pakistani F-16s was recovered east of Rajouri within the Indian territory," said Kapoor. "We are fighting terrorism. So long Pakistan continues to support them we are ready to target their training camps and areas," said one defence official. "We are prepared for any contingency," he said. The officials said Pakistan lied that they shot down two Indian aircraft. They said the surgical strike caused the damage intended but premature to give any figure. The officials said ceasefire violation by Pakistan continues. "We have been giving them befitting reply and will continue so," said Major general Surendra Singh Behal. Indian officials said they are happy that the pilot will be returned by Pakistan in accordance with Geneva convention. Image Credit: Screenshot grab from live video When Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam went to trial in September 1955 for murdering Emmett Till, a young writer traveled from New York to Sumner, Mississippi, to cover the trial for The Nation magazine and learned lessons about what America was and what it has become. Dan Wakefield, now 86 years old and a permanent resident of Broad Ripple, is sharing how that trial, as well as his friendship with the late African-American writer James Baldwin, impacted him in a public talk March 12 at St. Lukes United Methodist Church. Wakefield was just six months out of college when he went to Mississippi for the trial. It was his first story for a national magazine. He recalled recently at a Broad Ripple coffeehouse one of his main hangouts these days how the Greyhound bus he took didnt even quite get him to Sumner. It dropped him off a couple miles short and he had to walk the rest of the way. Wakefield and other writers from the North were called outside advocators by most whites in Sumner, a rural town about 130 miles north of Jackson. Bryant and Milam were on trial for murdering Till, a 14-year-old African-American whose incriminating offense was allegedly flirting with a white woman while on vacation. Till was born and raised in Chicago. Remembered as one of the most brutal hate crimes of the 20th century, Bryant and Milam kidnapped, tortured and lynched Till before dumping his body in the Tallahatchie River. A jury of exclusively white men acquitted Bryant and Milam after just over an hour of deliberation. The non-guilty verdict wasnt a surprise to many, including Wakefield, but it still drew emotion from those who had to see the process play out. Its one thing to read about lynchings and think thats history, Wakefield said, but then to see men set free who had murdered a boy, to see it with your eyes, its something you never forget. Bryant and Milam sold their confession to Look magazine in 1956. The story detailed how the two men beat Till with a gun, shot him and threw him in the river with a cotton-gin fan attached with barbed wire to his neck to make him sink. Bryant and Milam, both now dead, couldnt be tried for the same crime twice, but the Justice Department re-opened the investigation into Tills murder last year. One of the details from the trial that has stuck with Wakefield through the years is Tills great-uncle, Moses Wright, giving his testimony and pointing to Bryant and Milam to identify the murderers. Wakefield called it the most dramatic moment in the trial because most white people assumed fears of repercussions would keep Black people from testifying so defiantly. Wakefield took the weekend after the trial to write his story from a hotel room, and his first sentence is what he said he considers to be his best ever: The crowds are gone and this Delta town is back to its silent, solid life that is based on cotton and the proposition that a whole race of men was created to pick it. After the trial, when Wakefield was back home in New York, he would sometimes meet with his friend Baldwin, who would ask about the trial. One of the things Baldwin was most curious about was how the people in Sumner reacted to the non-guilty verdict. Well thats the amazing thing, Wakefield told his friend. The people in the town thought it was just fine. Baldwin corrected Wakefield: You mean the white people in the town. Wakefield realized he had spent most of his life seeing things only from the perspective of white people, even as he covered various civil rights events in the South, including the Montgomery bus boycott later in 1955. Its something Wakefield continued reckoning with later in his life. I think white people really dont know American history, he said. Were not taught the real American history. You know, I went to School 80 here in Broad Ripple, and I went to Shortridge, and I went to college at Columbia and lived in New York, and yet Ive come to realize in the last couple years that I really havent been taught American history like it really was. Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick. DAN WAKEFIELD TALK Wakefield will talk about his experience covering the Emmett Till trial in 1955 and his friendship with James Baldwin. Fellow Indiana author Phil Gulley will join Wakefield. When: 7 p.m. March 12 Where: St. Lukes United Methodist Church, 100 W. 86th St. Cost: Requesting $25 donations (free for students) A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the event is free, but the host, Christian Theological Seminary, is requesting $25 donations that will go to Indiana Writing Centers Building a Rainbow program. It is free for students. Emmett Till More employers are trying to hire a diversity of races, genders and sexual orientations. While those diversity efforts are helpful, they often overlook another important demographic: the disabled. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in four people have a disability, yet people with disabilities encounter unique problems in the job searching process. To help job searchers with disabilities and employers connect easier, Tangram Business Resourcing and the Autism Society of Indiana will host the Ability Aware Reverse Job Fair. The job fair will showcase 25 young job seekers with disabilities. They consist of recent college graduates, soon to be college graduates and some people without a degree but have a certification. The job seekers boast a wide variety of expertise, with IT being the most popular skillset. People with disabilities can come into a higher-level job, Angie Vandersteen, business development manager at Tangram Business Resourcing, said. Its about finding the right fit, the right person, who just happens to have a disability, for this higher-level job. Its a reverse job fair because job seekers do not approach employers. Employers approach job seekers. Traditional interviewing processes can unintentionally filter out people with disabilities, especially if the disability is not readily noticeable. For example, Vandersteen said interviewers tend to repeat questions if they dont receive an answer in one and a half seconds. That time frame is much too short for people who process information differently. In addition, online assessments that ask the same question multiple times in different ways can confuse people on the autistism spectrum. Lets call a job interview what it is, said Todd Root, the director of development at the Autism Society of Indiana. Its a sociability test. Thats all it is. If you have an issue with social [skills] you are going to fail. Things are stacked against you. When the employer approaches the applicant as opposed to the other way around, it relieves social anxiety. Being able to better approach disabled applicants is also useful for businesses because employers dont miss out on employees who bring a unique perspective as well as possessing natural problem-solving skills that come from dealing with challenges,Vandersteen said. For example, Root, who is on the autism spectrum, said his brain is like seven different monitors running at once. While that way of thinking can occasionally complicate workplace communication, it allows him to focus on large quantities of information simultaneously. The job fair also promises a unique solution to the skills gap: if many companies experience difficulty finding qualified candidates due to low unemployment, then they should search among groups with traditionally high unemployment such as disabled people. Right now, employers are having a tough time because of the low unemployment rate that is out there right now, and we all are thinking differently about that workforce and how to attract that workforce, and here we have individuals that have skillsets, Tammy Robinson, managing principal Engaging Solutions, a company that will attend the job fair, said. The event can even benefit organizations not looking to hire. Not only do business owners get to interact with the disabled community but they can also attend disability awareness and etiquette training sessions, allowing their company to become a better environment for both future and current disabled employees. So many companies are really putting more into diversity and inclusion, Vandersteen said. However, theres still a misconception out there that diversity is [only] race and gender. Disability is as much a part of diversity as those other classifications. Contact staff writer Ben Lashar at 317-762-7848. Follow him on Twitter @BenjaminLashar. While there is no more room for job seekers in the Ability Aware Reverse Job Fair, there is plenty of room for potential employers. When: 3-5 p.m. March 6 Disability Awareness and Etiquette Training Session One, 2 p.m. Session Two, 3:30 p.m. Where: Rapp Family Conference Center at Eskenazi Health Campus, 720 Eskenazi Ave. Cost: Free Registration: Contact Angie Vandersteen at 317-968-9035 or avandersteen@thetangramway.org Currently, medical marijuana is legal in 33 states, and Indianas neighbors seem to be adopting looser attitudes about marijuana. Kentucky is considering legalizing medical marijuana, Ohio allows medical use, Illinois will likely adopt recreational use and Michigan already has. With so many other states legalizing cannabis, Hoosiers are fiercely debating the drugs future in Indiana. However, the debate does not resemble a Republican versus Democrat squabble. State Rep. Jim Lucas, a Republican supporting marijuana reform, said over 50 percent of Republicans now support legalization along with over 80 percent of Democrats. State senators and representatives on both sides of the aisle have proposed bills this session loosening marijuana laws. Lucas is unsure of the bills future because many Hoosier leaders doubt legalization will help the state. Gov. Eric Holcomb, Attorney General Curtis Hill, the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council and the Indy Chamber of Commerce have all come out against legalization. Kevin Brinegar, president and CEO of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, doubts legalization is in Indianas immediate future because of both conversations with legislators and a lack of movement behind current pro-marijuana bills. This is an issue thats not going away, Lucas said. And were going to be forced to deal with it sooner or later, and I would much rather deal with it sooner. In favor of legalizing Marijuana advocates argue legalization will curve excessive punishments for drug crimes. According to David Phipps, communications director for the nonprofit cannabis advocacy group Indiana NORML, Indiana punishes cannabis users harshly. A first-time offender can receive a year and a half in prison and be fined up to $3,000. The jail time can be particularly harmful for families as offending youth miss school and may now have a record for the rest of their lives, and parents who serve jail time cannot provide for their children. When were separating children from their parents, think what that would do to that child, Phipps said. Were traumatizing children every day because a few lawmakers disagree with cannabis use. This is just as absurd as if we to separate families over a father or mother drinking a beer. Legalization of marijuana could benefit many people including the elderly and those suffering from chronic pain, Phipps said. Jeff Staker, founder of Hoosier Veterans for Medical Cannabis, noted marijuana use helps veterans suffering from chronic pain or PTSD. In addition, using marijuana instead of opioids could eliminate a reliance on opioids, he added. According to Lucas, states that legalize marijuana see a 25 percent reduction in opioid-related deaths, making marijuana a potentially helpful tool to combat the opioids crisis. Unlike many prescription medications, you cannot die from an overdose on cannabis, Lucas said. That makes it very safe, and dosages are very easy to figure out. Against legalizing Many critics of marijuana doubt its medical benefit because the FDA has not approved it. Randy Miller, executive director of Drug Free Marion County, concedes that cannabidiol (CBD) oil, a marijuana extract, is legal in Indiana while not approved by the FDA, but he also adds that CBD oil contains less tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) than other forms of marijuana and is therefore safer. Miller also worries that either medical or recreational legalization could lead to more children using marijuana, especially because the perception of marijuana among youth is troubling. Around 20 percent of fifth graders in Marion County use marijuana regularly, according to Miller. Weve seen reports indicating that youth, because they hear marijuana is not only not dangerous but a medicine, report driving or riding under the influence of marijuana, and they dont understand thats dangerous, Miller said. Critics also are not convinced marijuana helps adults. Brinegar noted a study that points to higher rates of mental illness and violent behavior among those who use marijuana 300 or more times a year. Miller also noted anecdotal evidence suggests marijuana negatively impacts motivation and motor skills. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce worries what those effects will mean for business. Medical marijuana usage can become recreational marijuana use, and that might lead to a less efficient workforce, Brinegar noted. Weve seen data from states such as Colorado that have recreational marijuana that have seen considerable increases in workplace injuries, absenteeism, traffic accidents [and] failed drug tests because even though its legal at the state level, its sill illegal at the federal level, Brinegar said. Contact staff writer Ben Lashar at 317-762-7848. Follow him on Twitter @BenjaminLashar. Many cities have some kind of citizens academy for everyday people who want a better understanding of what their first responders do, but Troy Riggs, then the director of public safety, wanted something more all-encompassing for Indianapolis. He commissioned Dane Nutty and Jim King in early 2014 to brainstorm what eventually became the Public Safety Citizens Academy, a free 12-week course that gives residents a behind-the-scenes look at the work of the citys first responders and their various agencies. King, then in the training division at Indianapolis Fire Department and now the academys program director, said Indianapolis was well equipped to offer this type of course because the citys public safety departments are better connected than in other major cities. The program takes its students who range from curious private citizens to public employees who want to know more about the work theyre a part of through the entire emergency process, from the 911 call to the emergency room, for example. The program also includes looks at investigative work, the SWAT team and animal control, among other things. The academy holds two courses a year, with the second one this year happening in the fall. Those who attend the academys next course which meets every Thursday from March 7 to May 23 will get an insight that is more informative than what you see on TV, according to King. Theres plenty of firefighter shows and police dramas that dont even scratch the surface, he said. Those things are a lot of times just not a good representation of what we do. Damon Lane, who works in the Office of Public Health and Safety, is getting ready to go through the course. Lane, 46, is in the re-entry division at OPS, so part of his job is helping the formerly incarcerated transition back into a normal life, and said he wants to have a better understanding of the citys various agencies to hopefully help him do his job better. Lane, who was incarcerated for five years, said his work is especially personal because he was in the same position as the people he now assists. I define myself as a student of life, he said. As people, we evolve. Theres opportunities to learn, and even though Ive been in the office, technology changes, people change. Jamie Jansen, community affairs manager at OneAmerica, went through the course last fall and graduated in November. She said she was surprised by the extent to which the city relies on first responders not just for emergency services, but for concerts and other large events that require more resources than what the public eye can easily see. Jansen, 33, said she appreciated the transparency of the agencies her class learned from, since one of the goals of the program is to build relationships between the community and first responders. Were all in this community together, right? she said. I think for the community to stay a safe place and for it to grow and be a place people want to live in and work in, there has to be that relationship. The academy is getting ready for its 10th class, something its founders want to take some time to celebrate and appreciate. But theyre also thinking of ways to expand the program. Nutty, now the executive director of the Indy Public Safety Foundation, said part of the next step for the course could involve targeting certain populations such as youth and a rising Burmese population with a program that would be especially useful for them. Its a far cry from where everything began five years ago. I was nervous about the first class, King remembered. I thought, whos gonna sign up for this? Why are they wanting to do this? This thing has exploded in so many ways. The potential is incredible. Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick. The Public Safety Citizens Academy is a free 12-week course that gives people a behind-the-scenes look at what the citys various first responders, including firefighters, do every day. (Photo/Chameleon Studio Photography) Reacting to the victory of President Muhammad Buhari, The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomole has congratulated President Buhari on his re-election bid. Oshiomole asserted that those who predicted anarchy for Nigeria ahead of the 2019 presidential election have been put to shame. He also declared that the political career of Senate President, Bukola Saraki has been dead and buried and that led to his loss on Saturday National Assembly election. Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar is not destined to be president. The former Edo state governor said this, while briefing journalists at the APC national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday. Oshiomholes statement was in reaction to Atiku, describing last Saturdays elections as the worst in Nigerias history. Was he going to rule Nigeria against our wish? Citizens must hold their leaders accountable to their policy choices. Even when he said even if he if he will die he will sell NNPC many believed that he has collected deposit. It borders on arrogance that our future is tied on his presidency. Atiku is destined never to be president of Nigeria. Leadership is about character. Atikus desperation is so obvious, so desperate that in 2003, he challenged his own boss president Olusegun Obasanjo not to do a second term. Rather than Atiku that rigging has come to stay and why the numbers dont add up in the absence of massive rigging, I just think that he needs to be reminded that the essence of the collective effort that has been made, and all those who I can describe as genuine friends of Nigeria have been trying to improve the electoral process. We have petition that we have written to INEC how we were rigged out in Akwa Ibom state and it is interesting that it is PDP that is complaining about the outcome of election in Akwa Ibom state. How do you explain that INEC cancelled so many units not only in Akwa Ibom state, so many other states in other to be able to declare PDP candidates as winners. That is how senator Akpabio was rigged out in Akwa Ibom state. A group identified as the Mandate Protection Vanguard (MPV), has lambasted the prime minister Theresa May, for congratulating President Muhammadu Buhari on his victory at the 2019 presidential election. The prime ministers while congratulating Buhari for winning his reelection, said the UK would more than love to continue its relationship with Nigeria under him. Celestine Eromonsele, MVP national president, however said theres nothing to congratulate Buhari about, taking into cognisance the way the elections were conducted while also asking that May, tenders an apology. His words: Manipulations and rigging of the elections. What started as a peaceful election ended up being one of the most horrible daylight rape of our democracy. Ballot boxes were snatched and some destroyed by fire, he said. Card readers were stolen and many tampered with to accept without verification and in many places card readers were not used at all. Pre-thumb-printed ballot papers were stuffed into the ballot box. Breach of the INEC security measure was evident with the use of 2015 stamps. Multiple voting by illegally acquired PVCs was used by APC members. Impersonations by people voting more than 20 times with different cards. We ask Theresa May whether standard used to conduct last Saturdays presidential election in Nigeria where so many people died, ballot boxes snatched, military personnel deployed to the strongholds of the major opposition party, PDP to disenfranchise voters are what she termed free, fair and credible? Is it because Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is patronising UK hospitals, reason she was endorsing illegality?. We hereby call on United States and the European Union not to tow the path of Theresa May. We urge EU to reject the election in the name of fairness. America is known for justice, European Union should stand firm against the sham and rape of of democracy going on in Nigeria. Vanguard Youths suspected to be members of All Progressives Congress, yesterday, went on rampage in Makurdi town, destroying Governor Samuel Ortoms and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, campaign billboards. Thisday A former Governor of Abia State and senator-elect, Orji Uzor Kalu, has called on Nigerians, irrespective of tribe, religion or political affiliations, to accept the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in last weeks presidential election, and also urged Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, to congratulate the president for his victory. The Sun The Igbo World Union (IWU), a pan Igbo socio-cultural group has declared that the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari, in the just concluded general election has brought the emergence of president of Igbo extraction closer to South East. Daily Times Following the defeat of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in both Presidential and National Assembly especially in Kwara State, the Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has cajoled the Senate President, Bukola Saraki for his failure to win his bid to the senate. Leadership The director general, Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation in Ekiti State, Dr Olusegun Osinkolu has said that the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in the presidential poll further attests to the fact that Nigerians appreciate the landmark achievements of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government in the last four years. Daily Trust Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, yesterday, said he couldnt deliver five million votes to President Muhammadu Buhari because of low turnout during Saturdays presidential election. The Nation Three persons were yesterday feared killed and many others, including policemen, injured after violence broke out at Alaba Rago in Lagos State. Tribune IT is with huge excitement that Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999. The military had governed the people for long after sacking the the 1st and 2nd Republics in 1966 and 1983 respectively; the excitement that greeted the inauguration of the 4th Republic was expected. Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks(ORLANDO, Fla.) -- NOTE: Warning! This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: Galaxys Edge. "Punch it!" "This is where the fun begins!" "The garbagell do!" Pick your favorite Star Wars line to say out loud. When Galaxys Edge opens, youre gonna need all of them. For the first time, Disney is pulling the curtain way back on its biggest theme park expansion ever, inviting reporters for a behind-the-scenes look at how new rides, technology, food and merchandise are all coming together in a place where guests can create their own Star Wars story. "You will not think that youre in a theme park," said Bob Chapek, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. "Everything is very, very immersive." Galaxys Edge is set to open this summer at Disneyland in California and in the fall at Disneys Hollywood Studios in Florida. Official opening dates have not been announced. The setting for Galaxys Edge is the Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu. Its a relatively new planet in Star Wars lore that -- by design -- doesnt have the name recognition of places like snowy Hoth or sandy Tatooine. "We know those places and we know those stories that happened there, and we know that were not in them," said Scott Trowbridge, the Walt Disney Imagineering creative executive charged with integrating the Star Wars franchise into the parks. "This place, Black Spire Outpost, is designed from the very get-go be a place that invites exploration and discovery." The goal, said Imagineering story editor Margaret Kerrison, was to come up with an accessible narrative that doesnt require guests to have an encyclopedic knowledge of Star Wars. "I want to walk into this land and be on the same level as everyone else, from the really hardcore Star Wars fan, to someone who knows nothing about Star Wars," Kerrison said. There are two major new rides, or attractions, in Galaxys Edge. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run puts six crew members -- pilots, gunners and engineers -- in the cockpit of the most famous hunk of junk in the galaxy on a mission for the space pirate Hondo Ohnaka. Riders will be able to wander the Falcons famous crew hold, sitting at the engineering station or the holographic chess table where C-3PO once warned R2-D2 to "let the wookiee win." "We want to give guests the opportunity to roam around and explore," said Asa Kalama, an Imagineering executive creative director. The Falcon ride is essentially a tricked-out flight simulator based on video game technology that reacts to every cockpit control input in real time. "How well you actually do is up to you," said Disney Imagineering producer Jaqueline King. "If you dont collaborate, youre not going to do as well." Damage the Falcon, and your crew may owe Hondo some galactic credits. Complete the mission, and you might earn enough to get that price off your head. The second major ride is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, described as four attractions in one and one of the most ambitious Imagineers say theyve ever attempted. "Its super complicated," said April Warren, a show programmer for Walt Disney Imagineering. "I dont think either of these attractions could have been built before now. We are pushing the bounds of technology." The ride entrance is tucked away in a remote forested section of Black Spire Outpost, with a design similar to the Resistance base seen in The Force Awakens. Rebel X-wing and A-wing fighters are parked outside. Guests will find themselves on a Resistance ship that gets captured by a First Order Star Destroyer. The sets here are absolutely massive, and so exceptionally detailed that guests may want to stop and stare at all of the cool stuff rather than try to make their escape from Kylo Ren himself. Along the way look for appearances by Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac reprising their respective movie roles as Rey, Finn and Poe. "This is one of the most epic attractions we have ever built in terms of size and scale and complexity," Trowbridge said. He wont say how long Rise of the Resistance will last, but will say an internet rumor claiming a 28-minute run time is wrong. "Cast members" set to play Black Spire locals are starting to get training to understand their back stories. "We want to empower them to be able to play like never before," Kerrison said. "A lot of them are Star Wars fans, and they are so incredibly excited that theyre making up things where we have to say hold on, wait'You cant be Hans second cousin. Thats not a thing.'" Everything about Star Wars: Galaxys Edge is meant to be completely immersive, from Ogas Cantina, to Dok-Ondars Den of Antiquities, to the food and marketplace shops. And yes, there will be blue milk. Ogas will feature alcoves where guests can hang out drinking cosmic cocktails like a Fuzzy Tauntaun while listening to new tunes spun by a familiar-looking droid DJ named Rex. Fans of the Star Tours ride that first opened at Disneyland in 1987 will recognize Rex as the original Starspeeder 3000 pilot. Side note for any concerned Star Tours fans: according to Disney, the ride isnt going away. "We have no plans to do anything with Star Tours," said Walt Disney Imagineering spokesman Frank Reifsnyder. "Star Tours will remain open." Interactivity at Galaxys Edge is also built-in to the Play Disney Parks app, designed to pull visitors even deeper into the story. Logging in will allow guests to take on "jobs" for the Resistance or First Order. A mission for your chosen side, for example, might include hacking into droids and ships to download secret schematics. The app will also translate words written in the Star Wars alphabet of Aurebesh, handy for decoding special messages and Easter eggs. "We launched this as a way to turn wait time into play time," said Kelsey McCullough with Disney Parks. And those wait times, if history is a guide, are sure to be long. Disney said its very aware that too many people jammed into Galaxys Edge could ruin the Star Wars experience, but isnt yet saying what ideas might be on the table to keep the crowds manageable. "We want people to have a great time. We want people to be comfortable. We dont want people to endure the experience," Trowbridge said. "Were trying to find ways to accommodate all of those folks. Hopefully it wont get to the point where its not fun." In the end, Disney and Lucasfilm collaborators hope theyve built in plenty of Star Wars danger, mystery and romance with enough scale and detail to please the toughest galactic customer. "Ive been very fortunate to be on a Star Wars set," said Pablo Hidalgo, creative executive with the Lucasfilm Story Group. "But it pales in comparison to what this is. Because when youre on a set you turn the corner and you see the plywood and the lamps and the guys eating the doughnuts. But when youre here, it doesnt take a lot of effort to completely lose yourself in Star Wars." The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of Lucasfilm/Star Wars and ABC News. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Joint Communique of the 16th Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Russian Federation, the Republic of India and the Peoples Republic of China Zhejiang, 27 February, 2019 1. We, the Foreign Ministers of the Russian Federation, the Republic of India and the Peoples Republic of China held our 16th meeting in Zhejiang, China on 27 February 2019 and discussed international and regional issues of common concern. 2. The Ministers recalled that the Russia-India-China (RIC) Informal Summit in Buenos Aires in November 2018 was an important milestone, during which the three leaders agreed to strengthen coordination, build consensus, enhance cooperation and promote world peace, stability and development. The Informal Summit imparted fresh impetus into the trilateral cooperation. The Ministers reiterated their commitment to work together to further their cooperation on important issues discussed at the Informal Summit and take the trilateral cooperation to a new level. 3. The Ministers reiterated the importance they attached to the Russia-India-China trilateral format as a platform to foster closer dialogue and practical cooperation in identified areas. As countries with significant international and regional influence, the three countries stand ready to expand mutual consultations and cooperation on international and regional issues of mutual interest in the spirit of mutual respect, respect for sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, unity, mutual understanding and trust. The common development and close cooperation of the three countries is conducive for world peace and stability and promoting global growth. 4. The Ministers reiterated their firm commitment to multilateralism and the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. The Ministers recognized the need for reform of multilateral institutions. They recalled the 2005 World Summit Outcome document and reaffirmed the need for a comprehensive reform of the UN, including its Security Council, with a view to making it more representative, effective and efficient, and to increase the representation of the developing countries so that it can adequately respond to global challenges. Foreign Ministers of China and Russia reiterate the importance they attach to the status of India in international affairs and support its aspiration to play a greater role in the United Nations. 5. The Ministers supported the G20s leading role in global economic governance and international economic cooperation. They expressed their readiness to enhance communication and cooperation including through G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting and other means, through consultations and mutual support in areas of respective interest. They looked forward to positive outcomes from this years Osaka Summit. 6. The Ministers reiterated the importance of BRICS cooperation and commended the fruitful results of the Johannesburg Summit. The three countries will work actively to implement the outcomes of the successive BRICS summits, deepen BRICS strategic partnership, strengthen cooperation in the three pillar areas of economy, political and security cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges. 7. The Ministers underlined that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an important, effective mechanism in promoting multilateral political, security, economic and people-to-people exchanges in the region, plays an important role in maintaining regional peace and stability and promoting prosperity and development of its member states. The Ministers welcomed the outcomes of the Qingdao Summit held in June 2018, which emphasized inter alia, the principle of Shanghai Spirit. The Ministers reiterated necessity to expand cooperation between SCO member states, observers and dialogue partners. They called for broadening contacts and interactions between SCO and international and regional organizations especially with United Nations Organization and its specialized bodies, as well as with ASEAN and others. 8. The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to equal, indivisible common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. The Ministers reiterated the importance of the role and the need for closer cooperation and consultations in various regional fora and organizations such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) and the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), to jointly contribute to regional peace, stability, sustainable development and prosperity. 9.The Ministers strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They called on the international community to strengthen UN-led global counter-terrorism cooperation by fully implementing the relevant UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law , while respecting sovereignty and independence of all states, and expeditiously finalizing and adopting the UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the earliest. They reiterated that states and their competent agencies play a central role in both national and international counter-terrorism efforts. They also stressed that terrorist groups cannot be supported and used in political and geopolitical goals. 10. The Ministers stressed that those committing, orchestrating, inciting or supporting terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice in accordance with existing international commitments on countering terrorism, including the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the FATF standards, international treaties, including on the basis of the principle "extradite or prosecute and relevant international and bilateral obligations and in compliance with applicable domestic legislation. 11. The Ministers underscored the importance of the three international drug control convention and other relevant legal instruments which constitute the cornerstone of the drug control system. They reiterated their commitment to address the world drug problem, on a basis of common and shared responsibility. The Ministers expressed their determination to counter the spread of illicit drug trafficking in opiates from Afghanistan, which poses a serious threat to regional security and stability. 12. The Ministers believed that the United Nations should play a key role on security-related issues in the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and welcomed adoption by the UN GA 73-d session of the resolutions Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security and Countering the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes. They agreed that the UN has a key role in developing universally accepted norms of responsible state behavior in the use of ICTs to ensure a peaceful, secure, open, cooperative, stable, orderly, accessible and equitable ICT environment. They recognized the need for a universal and binding regulatory instrument on combating the criminal use of ICTs in the UN framework and reiterated that all countries should participate in the evolution and functioning of the Internet and its governance on an equal footing. It is important to ensure the inclusiveness and openness of relevant international processes and the fair distribution of basic internet resources, and to build a multilateral, democratic and transparent Internet governance system.They remained committed to working together for the peaceful, secure, open, cooperative and orderly use of ICTs. 13. Emphasizing the indivisible nature of peace and security, the Ministers stressed that current challenges to international security require urgent efforts to promote global stability. Such efforts should be based on the principles of consensus and respect for interests and concerns of all interested States. 14. Prevention of arms race in outer space is a key factor for maintaining international peace and security. The Ministers expressed their serious concern about the possibility of an arms race in outer space and of outer space turning into an arena for military confrontation. They reaffirmed that the prevention of an arms race, including of the placement of weapons in outer space, would avert a grave danger for international peace and security. The Ministers emphasised the paramount importance of strict compliance with the existing legal regime providing for the peaceful use of outer space. They also reaffirmed that there is a need to consolidate and reinforce this regime. They welcomed the meeting of the Group of Governmental Experts to discuss possible elements for a legally binding instrument on the prevention of an arms race in outer space including inter alia, on the prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space. They stressed that practical transparency and confidence building measures may also contribute towards non-placement of weapons in outer space. They reiterated that the Conference on Disarmament, as the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, has the primary role in the negotiation of a multilateral agreement or agreements, as appropriate, on the prevention of an arms race in outer space in all its aspects. They supported the UN Group of Governmental Experts to consider and make recommendations on the substantial elements of the above-mentioned internationally binding instrument. 15.They advocated the compliance and strengthening of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (BWC), including by the adoption of the Protocol to the Convention with the effective verification mechanism. To address the threat of chemical and biological terrorism, they supported and emphasized the need for launching multilateral negotiations on an international convention for the suppression of acts of chemical and biological terrorism within the Conference on Disarmament. 16. The Ministers reiterated support for the Government and people of Afghanistan in their efforts to achieve an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process and to build a peaceful, secure, united, sovereign, democratic, stable, prosperous and inclusive country that exists in harmony with its neighbours. The Ministers reaffirmed their support to the efforts of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces in fighting terrorist organizations. 17. The Ministers stressed the importance of multilateral interactions on the Afghanistan issue, including the SCO, the Moscow Format, the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process, the Kabul Process and the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan. They welcomed the successful holding of a meeting of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group at the level of deputy foreign ministers in Beijing on 28 May, 2018 and the Second Round of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan on 9 November, 2018. India offers to host the next SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group at the level of deputy foreign ministers meeting in 2019. 18. The Ministers welcomed the significantpositive changes in Korean Peninsula since 2018 and DPRKs declared commitment for denuclearization. They welcomed the talks and consultations between the US and the DPRK, as well as improvement of inter-Korea relations. The Ministers reaffirmed that the Korean Peninsula issues should be resolved by peaceful and diplomatic means and expressed the hope that all parties concerned work together for continued progress in the political settlement process and realize denuclearization and lasting peace on the Peninsula at an early date. 19. The Ministers underscored that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear issue was an important achievement of multilateral diplomacy, which serves international and regional peace and security and the common interests of the international community. Recalling the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian Nuclear Programme and the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, they called upon all parties to fully comply with their obligations and ensure full and effective implementation of the JCPOA to promote international and regional peace and security. They recognized Irans right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy as also the international communitys strong interest in the exclusively peaceful nature of Irans nuclear programme. 20. The Ministers reiterated that a two-state solution should be pursued to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue through negotiation based on the relevant UN resolutions, the principle of land for peace, the Arab peace initiative and pre-existing agreements between Israel and Palestine, leading to the establishment of a sovereign, independent and united State of Palestine coexisting peacefully with the State of Israel. 21. The Ministers stressed that a political and diplomatic solution, is the only reliable way to solve the Syrian issue. They reaffirmed support for the Geneva peace talks, the role of the UN as the main channel of mediation and the implementation of UNSC Resolution 2254. The Ministers welcomed the efforts of the Astana guarantors for improvement of the situation in Syria and the results of the fourth trilateral meeting in Sochi in February 2019. The Ministers hoped to see that the Constitutional Committee starts its work as early as possible, and that a political solution that accommodates the legitimate concerns of all parties could be found through an inclusive Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process, with a view to seeking a political settlement of the Syrian conflict and safeguarding Syrias sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.The Ministers called for enhanced coordination to fight against all terrorist organizations in Syria including those listed by the UNSC. The Ministers stressed the urgent need for socio-economic reconstruction in Syria and called upon the international community to provide necessary assistance in that regard in de-politicized and non-discriminatory manner, contributing, inter alia, to the return of Syrian refugees. 22. The Ministers expressed concern over the continuing conflict in the Republic of Yemen, which has resulted in civilian casualties and damages to civilian infrastructure. The Ministers called on the international community to take necessary measures to support the political settlement process and improve Yemens economic and social conditions. The Ministers also called on all parties to the conflict to abide by the Stockholm Agreement. 23. The Ministers stressed that the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Libya should be respected and upheld. They encouraged various factions in Libya to overcome their dissension and engage in broad-based, inclusive political dialogue pursuant to the Libyan Political Agreement to seek mutually acceptable solutions on all outstanding issues. The Ministers reaffirmed support for the UN-led political settlement process and the political transition plan proposed by the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Libya Ghassan Salame, and called on the international community to make joint efforts for substantive progress in the political settlement process. The Ministers expressed support to Libya in its fight against the ISIL, Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. 24.The Ministers declared that they are closely following the emerging situation in Venezuela. They called for the principles of United Nations Charter, the norms of international relations and international law to be adhered to by all. They are of the view that it is for the people of Venezuela to find political solution to resolve their differences through constructive dialogue and discussions, without resorting to violence. They stated that democracy, development, peace and security in Venezuela are of paramount importance for the progress and prosperity of the people of Venezuela. 25.The Ministers noted the intensified cross-border capital flows and risks as a result of the monetary policy adjustments by key developed economies. The Ministers supported strengthening the global financial safety net (GFSN), with a strong, quota-based and adequately resourced IMF at its centre. The Ministers stressed their hope to see the IMF complete the 15th General Review of Quotas by the Spring Meetings 2019 and no later than the Annual Meetings 2019, and agree on a new quota formula as the basis for realignment of quota shares to result in increased shares for dynamic economies in line with their relative positions in the world economy and hence likely in the increased shares of emerging markets and developing countries as a whole, while at the same time ensuring the voice of the poorest members. 26. The Ministers expressed their firm commitment to a rules-based, transparent, non-discriminatory, open and inclusive multilateral trading system centring around the WTO and firmly opposed to unilateralism and protectionism. They supported efforts to improve the WTO and believed such efforts should uphold its core values and basic principles and reflect the interests of all its members, especially developing members.The pressing task is to resolve the deadlock on appointments to the Appellate Body, an issue which concerns the WTOs survival. 27. The Ministers agreed that the imposition of unilateral sanctions beyond those adopted by the UNSC as well as long-arm jurisdiction were inconsistent with the principles of international law, have reduced the effectiveness and legitimacy of the UNSC sanction regime, and had a negative impact on third States and international economic and trade relations. 28. The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals in order to achieve equitable, inclusive, open, all-round, innovative and sustainable development in a balanced and coordinated manner in the economic, social and environmental dimensions and attain the goal of eradicating poverty by 2030. The Ministers urged developed countries to honour their ODA commitments on time and in full and provide capital, technological and capacity-building assistance to developing countries in accordance with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. 29. The Ministers welcomed the agreement reached at COP 24 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Katowice on guidelines for operationalizing the Paris Agreement. They restated their commitment to combating climate change. 30. The Ministers welcomed the holding of a Russia-India-China Vice Foreign Ministers/Deputy National Security Advisors Consultation on Afghanistan in May 2018 in Moscow. 31. The Ministers expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the 16th Trilateral Academic Conference held in Russia in May 2018 and welcomed the 17th Trilateral Academic Conference to be held in China. 32. The Ministers welcomed the successful second edition of the visit of RIC young diplomats hosted by India in April 2018 and agreed to hold the third such interaction in Russia in 2019. 33. The Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation and the External Affairs Minister of the Republic of India thanked the Peoples Republic of China for hosting and making excellent arrangements for the meeting. 34. The Ministers decided to hold the next trilateral meeting in Russia. The time and venue of the meeting will be agreed through diplomatic channels. Nigerians have taken to their Twitter handle to fire heavy shots at the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress(APC), Adams Oshiomole, for saying that the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is not destined to be the president of Nigeria. Oshiomole had earlier today, 28th February, while addressing a post-presidential election press conference, cited that Atikus lack of character is why he might never be the President of Nigeria. Reactions: When you see a talkative, you dont need a Soothsayer to enlighten you. Infomister (@uchenna2k2) February 28, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Thats why APC rigged with federal might. God will judge all of you according to the role individually played in this election. Kayode Olaniyi Emmanuel (@kayode_olaniyi) February 28, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Agbero talking Kayode Olaniyi Emmanuel (@kayode_olaniyi) February 28, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Mr saint atiku is far better than u in all ramifications Chiamaka1233 (@chiamaka1233) February 28, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Just like what happened to Bukola Saraki, a former governor of Kwara state and presently, Nigerias Senate president in the just concluded national assembly election some Lagosians are seeking the fall of Bola Tinubus dynasty. These Lagosians are saying they are tired of Lagos being totally in the pocket of Tinubu, therefore have started a movement to take his grip off Africas commercial hub. However, there is an argument that the movement(Otoge Lagos) is being championed mainly by Igbos in Lagos and not by the majority of Lagosians because of their hatred for the former Lagos governor. Some critics have also argued that Lagosians, they are really serious about ending Tinubu godfatherism, must go off social media, and start a door-to-door sensitisation to enlighten people not merely by trending a hashtag on Twitter. See reactions https://twitter.com/InstaFaceTweet_/status/1101190408397238272?s=19 https://twitter.com/OtogeLagos/status/1101151979705954305?s=19 I really hope this hashtag is to stop SanwoOlu from winning the forthcoming election? Cos I'm tired of a robot being controlled by a remote being the Governer of Lagos. We need our roads to be expanded and a Cleaner, organized Lagos. #OtogeLagos if this # isn't about dat, f**k M33NAT (@M33natAjibola) February 28, 2019 https://twitter.com/KingsleyEhidia1/status/1101155094844882950?s=19 Those that think, it wont work https://twitter.com/holliGirlfriend/status/1101163748499353600?s=19 https://twitter.com/EverestNwagwu/status/1101156256696487938?s=19 If you think what happened in Kwara is impossible in Lagos, wait till 9th March. #OtogeLagos is a very appropriate name for Tinubu's coming doom. #EndSARS #EndSARSNow (@Deji_OoniAbj) February 28, 2019 https://twitter.com/Kingayo01/status/1101160192715173890?s=19 https://twitter.com/Sam_Debayo/status/1101177580756127745?s=19 Lauretta Onochie, President Muhammadu Buharis aide on social media has taken a slight jab at the former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, over his decision to contest the results of the presidential election in court. While reacting to a statement by Secretary, Government of Federation, Boss Mustapha, wherein he urged the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in last Saturdays election to go to court said its now the turn of lawyers to dupe the ex VP. Boss Mustapha had asked Atiku to go to court if he pleases as the president is not jittery This was after the latter, expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the polls, describing it as the worst in Nigerias history. In her reaction, Onochie stated that Atiku had been duped by Politicians, Clerics, Marabouts, Media, Baby Political Parties, half Ohaneze, half Afenifere, half PANDEF, etc, and it is now the turn of lawyers. See post Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike has accused the former governor of the state and minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, of collaborating with the army to manipulate the outcome of the just concluded presidential and national assembly elections. In a statement signed by Simon Nwakudu, Special Assistant to Governor Wike, on electronic media to the governor, the army was also accused of being a judge in their own cause and revealed how they arrested officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and carted away election materials. See statement When the soldiers arrested the Rivers State Commissioner of Urban Development and Physical Planning, Dr Reason Onya for being among the approved PDP agents to escort materials, the Commissioner called me. I requested to speak with the Officer to demand the release of Onya who was on legal electoral function for the PDP. The officer who declined to talk called back later and I informed him that Onya was on a legal assignment. The mischievous press briefing by the 6 Division is tantamount to a coup against a constituted authority. In my capacity as Governor, I spoke with about 10 different officers when PDP official agents raised concerns. The Army cannot be a judge in their matter. You cannot parade officials on legal Electoral duties. You cannot change the narrative. They have violated all known laws. Mrs Mary Efeture Imawuya INEC Electoral Officer of Ikwerre LGA, INEC Electoral Officer for Emohua Local Government Area, Kenneth Etah and INEC Electoral Officer of Okrika Local Government. Area of Rivers State, Mr Leo Okon who addressed the Rivers East Senatorial District Collation Centre at Elekahia were unequivocal in their indictments of the soldiers and their criminal activities during the elections. The major problem they should defend is the INEC Officers who declared that the soldiers of the Nigerian Army abducted them, carted away materials and concocted results. It was the soldiers and the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who abducted the Electoral Officer of Ikwerre LGA and compelled her to write results. Following the shocking outcome of last Saturdays national assembly and presidential elections, Reno Omokri has urged politicians to have legal businesses other than politics. Some bigwig politicians like Senate president Bukola Saraki, former Senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, former governors of Oyo and Delta states, Abiola Ajimobi and Emmanuel Uduanghan, respectively and more, that ran for Senate and House of Reps, lost to the shock of many Nigerians. In what may seem like a piece of advice to these politicians, Omokri urged them to find and invest in businesses that would help them maintain their standard of living, once they are no longer in power. His words: I encourage all politicians to strive to have a business. Invest in real estate. Buy shares. Find some legal business to do that can maintain your standard of living without being dependent on government. Doing so will make you able to speak your mind every time, not your stomach National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has said that the party has no problem, meeting the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar in court. Atiku had blatantly rejected the outcome of last Saturdays presidential election, saying it is the worst the nation has seen in the last 30 years. However, Oshiomhole said the former vice president had from the word go, made up his mind that unless he wins, the election is not free and fair and it is only free and fair if he is returned as the candidate, while speaking on Thursday in a press conference. You cannot possibly deny anyone the right to challenge the outcome of an election however free and fair like myself when I believed I was cheated out. If you have cause to dispute the outcome of an election, the only lawful way open to you is to go to court. So, we hope and we are looking forward to meeting Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in court and the facts will be laid bare but if I might dare him, we might also choose to cross-petition. "We are going to make our most informed choice, but it is up to all of us to make sure this person is successful," says Luis Rico-Gutierrez, Dean of the College of Design and a cochair of the committee, at a panel about the College of Engineering dean search at Howe Hall on Nov. 27. HONG KONG, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The chief executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) departed Wednesday for Thailand to unveil the HKSAR's third economic and trade office in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Chief Executive Carrie Lam is scheduled to officiate at the opening ceremony on Thursday of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (ETO) in Bangkok, another ETO in ASEAN cities after Jakarta and Singapore. The opening of the new ETO will further enable Hong Kong to explore the ASEAN market, especially after a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the HKSAR and ASEAN was signed in 2017, Lam told media at the Hong Kong International Airport before her departure Wednesday afternoon. In the HKSAR government's 2019-2020 budget delivered Wednesday morning, Financial Secretary Paul Chan said that the government will further expand Hong Kong's market coverage by enlarging its FTA and ETO networks, so as to create more business opportunities for enterprises. According to the HKSAR government's Information Services Department, during her visit to Bangkok, Lam will also meet with senior officials of the Thai government, address a business seminar co-hosted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand, and officiate at the opening ceremony of collaboration activities of a Hong Kong arts group and the Bangkok Art and Culture Center. It has been more than four years since Apple acquired Beats by Dre, but the latters brand is still going strong. And now Beats has a new partnership. As was first spotted by WatchGeneration, Beats by Dre has partnered up with the Japanese luxury fashion brand Sacai to launch new headphones. Specifically, these are beaded BeatsX headphones, and they definitely stand out. The cables are beaded, and they can be customized to fit each owners preference. However, there is a catch. These beaded BeatsX headphones wont be going out to the general public via Apples website, or even Sacais. Instead, the companies are planning on launching a dedicated pop-up store in Paris, France, on Monday, March 4. You can check out a behind-the-scenes video of the new beaded BeatsX headphones just below. Heres the description: Beats by Dr. Dre and sacai have joined together to reinvent BeatsX Wireless earphones in three new whimsical color-ways: Burned Red, Deep White, and True Black. Take a behind-the-scenes look at the concept and creation of the collaboration with sacais Founder / Designer Chitose Abe and Beats President Luke Wood at sacais headquarters in Tokyo. And the video: BeatsX headphones are typically pretty cheap, but that isnt really the case with this exclusive model. Beats by Dre and Sacari are pricing the beaded BeatsX at $200. What do you think of the Beats by Dre and Sacai BeatsX headphones? Would you pick one up Apple sold it broadly? [via WatchGeneration An engineer checks big data automatic monitoring equipment at a weather station in the experimental base of a pilot planting project. Photo by Liu Dongjun from Xinhua News Agency "When I first went to Lhasa and saw trees there over 20 years ago, I wondered how nice it would be if there were also trees in my hometown," said Samten Dargye, a 48-year-old herdsman from Nagqu City in northern Tibet. The man hadnt been out of his hometown nor seen trees before he was 26 years old. Nowadays, Nagqu , with an average altitude exceeding 4,500 meters and more than 6 months of snow period and soil freezing period each year, ends its history as the only city without trees in China by continuously improving the survival rate of trees via technology. "Today, we can see green trees in summer in Nagqu, though fewer than those in Lhasa. We had never seen trees in our childhood. But kids now can see," Samten added. Hailed as the "roof of the world" and the "third pole of the earth", Tibet is not only the "source of rivers" and the "ecological source" for China, South Asia and Southeast Asia, but also the "starter" and "modifier" of the climate change of Asia and even the Northern Hemisphere as a whole. It plays an extremely vital role in ecology. In recent years, Tibet has further advanced the afforestation campaign and implemented the project for afforestation in the basins of the Yarlung Tsangpo, Nujiang, Lhasa, Nyangchu, Yalong, and Shiquan rivers. Statistics show that 75,000 hectares of forests were planted in Tibet in 2018, with 863 villages ending the history of no trees. The forest coverage rate of the region rose to 12.14 percent in the same year. West Zhejiang Road in downtown Nagqu is flanked by 612 trees along the 1,200-meter-long green belt, the first of its kind in the history of the city. In November 2016, guided by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Tibet Autonomous Region, Elion Group, a leading Chinese company specialized in land remediation and ecological rehabilitation, undertook the major science and technology project of planting trees in extremely cold areas of high altitude in Nagqu. "After more than two years of hard work to address technological challenges, especially after the test of severe cold, strong wind and strong ultraviolet rays, the trial planting saw initial results," said Hao Wei, the project leader of Elion Group. To support the work, the Tibet Autonomous Region invested 10 million yuan ($1.493 million) to establish a pilot planting area of 113,300 square meters. Tibet's forestry and grassland bureau allocated a special fund of 1.18 million yuan ($176,000) for protection of planted trees in winter in Nagqu. Stretches of trees are also planted in Purang County, Gar County, Zanda County and other places with sandstones, poor soil quality, hypoxia at high altitude, drought and less rainfall in Tibet's Ngari Prefecture. Eight villages in Zanda County ended the history of no trees in 2018. According to the forestry department of Ngari Prefecture, about 11 million trees have been planted in the prefecture, covering an area of 45,473 hectares of afforestation as well as prevention and control of desertification. "We feel happier as the city turns green," said Jamyang, a local official who has worked in the prefecture for more than 30 years. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Trucks loaded with daily use run through the Yiwu Bonded Logistic Center in Yiwu, east Chinas Zhejiang province on Feb. 25, 2019. The foreign trade of Yiwu hit a monthly record this January. Photo: People's daily online Chinas foreign trade performed better than expected in 2018 amid complex global economic conditions. Three figures are especially eye-catching. Last year, Chinas total value of imports and exports of goods stood at 30.5 trillion yuan ($4.56 trillion), up 9.7 percent year-on-year. Its imports and exports of services totaled 5.2 trillion yuan, rising 11.5 percent from a year before. Both sets of figures have created new records. $510 billion The total commodities imports and exports reported a net increase of $510 billion from a year ago, more than the annual volume created in 2001 when China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO). 16.8 percent According to WTO statistics, Chinas contribution to global import growth was 16.8 percent in the first three quarters of 2018. In the second half of 2018, China unveiled a series of policies to stabilize foreign trade. By the end of last December, the overall customs clearance time of China's imports and exports has been reduced by 56.36 and 61.19 percent, respectively. The countrys general tariff has been reduced to 7.5 percent from 9.8 percent in 2017. The steady growth of foreign trade has brought huge opportunities to Chinese enterprises, consumers as well as international companies. Zou Jiahao, manager of a clothing store in Changshu, east Chinas Jiangsu province, said he had to recruit more employees who could communicate with foreign customers as his consumer base was enlarging. Yang Lei, a citizen in Zhengzhou, capital city of central Chinas Henan province, said food from around the world were coming onto her dinner table and her closet was also filled with more and more clothes from different countries. Place and order in the morning and Ill get the parcel before the next afternoon, she noted, speaking highly of the delivery efficiency of cross-border e-commerce platforms. We have purchased color-coated sheets and galvanized plates from Chinese manufactures for 8 years in a row, as they are smooth, high-strength, resilient and corrosion-resistant, the president of an iron and steel company in Egypt surnamed Halid introduced to his client at the Port of Sokhna. Zhao Zhongxiu, president of Shandong University of Finance and Economics, said the complex and ever-changing international environment has tested the resilience of the Chinese industries. By Jhoo Dong-chan Shinhan Financial Group's board has nominated four candidates as outside directors. The four are VIG Partners Senior Adviser Byeon Yang-ho, former presidential secretary for finance and economy Lee Yoon-jae, Sungkyunkwan University law professor Sung Jae-ho and First Bridge Strategy Founder and CEO Huh Yong-hak. Of them, Lee was recommended by IMM Private Equity (PE), Shinhan Financial Group's new major shareholder. Adding the four to the group's existing outside directors, Shinhan will have 13 board members the Shinhan Financial Group chairman, the bank CEO and 11 outside directors. VIG Partners Senior Advisor Byeon Yang-ho The four candidates are expected to be appointed after the group's regular general shareholders' meeting slated for March. 27. They will serve a two-year term. VIG Partners Senior Advisor Byeon spent his entire career with the Ministry of Finance and Economy before he joined Vogo, the predecessor of VIG Partners, in 2005. As a civil servant, he has played key roles for 28 years in various macroeconomic projects, including engineering the restructuring of Korea's sovereign debts as well as its corporate and financial sectors after the Asian financial crisis in 1997. He was also named by Wall Street as one of the "15 most influential people in the world economy" in 2001. Former presidential secretary for finance and economy Lee Yoon-jae By Park Hyong-ki Hyundai Card's "Gapado Project" in collaboration with the Jeju local government and One O One, a local architecture firm, is being spotlighted for its contribution to redeveloping and restoring Gapa Island. Gapa is a small island located about 2 kilometers south of Jeju Island, which administers it. The credit card company started the project in 2012 with its partners to help design and build a cultural center, and restore the fishing and agricultural ecosystems on the island. They completed the project in 2018. This was part of efforts to help the island attract young adults to start companies there in agriculture, and prevent an exodus of young people. They also sought to boost tourism. The project was highlighted in a special cover story in the February edition of Domus, an Italian trade magazine for architects and designers. Architect Gio Ponti founded the magazine, which is sold in more than 90 countries, in 1928, according to Hyundai Card. The project has also been recognized at the International Forum (iF) Design Awards in Hanover, Germany. Earlier this year, it won the Region Branding Award at the ceremony, whose annual forum is celebrating its 66th anniversary this year. The iF Design is considered one of the big three design awards along with Red Dot Design and IDEA Design. "We will aim to promote Gapa Island as a model for restoration and redevelopment globally," Hyundai Card said in a press statement. The card company said the project can serve as an exemplar model of a private, public, academic partnership. It has also worked with Kyonggi University's architecture department. Hyundai Card has been widely known for its work in culture with marketing campaigns to promote its brand with museums and movie theaters. Recently, it said the company seeks to become an IT company with a focus on using technologies such as artificial intelligence and data analysis. Hanoi cityscape / gettyimagesbank By Park Hyong-ki Hopes have dashed for North Korea to adopt Vietnam's economic development model as it failed to strike a denuclearization deal with the United States in Hanoi. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended their talks earlier than expected as Trump refused to lift sanctions as Pyongyang wanted. The U.S. president has constantly indicated he will not rush to reach a deal. This came as a surprise as the two sides discussed the North's economic future with Vietnam's foreign investment model gaining the spotlight. Trump has said Vietnam's "thriving" economy could serve as an "awesome" model offering a lot of growth opportunities for North Korea, if Pyongyang completely dismantles its nuclear arsenal. Analysts say Vietnam's reforms, policy flexibility and openness to foreign investments can be useful for North Korea to follow, despite the breakdown of the summit. This is because it would be hard for Pyongyang to catch up with China, given that its economic gap with Beijing has become "too wide and huge" not to mention that with South Korea. With Vietnam's growth in manufacturing, thanks to its 1986"Doi Moi" policy aimed at renewing its economy by adopting Western market principles mixed with socialism, the country is rising fast and has the capability to overtake China as Asia's production center. After more than three decades, it is starting to see fruitful results, as Vietnam's economy grew 7.1 percent in 2018, above its initial target of 6.7 percent. gettyimagesbank There is some resemblance with the way China and Vietnam grew through reforms and market openness. But analysts say Vietnam has been more "flexibility and open" to foreign investors than China. "Vietnam's attitude towards foreign investors has been very friendly," said Kim Jin, a senior analyst at Woori Finance Research Institute, part of Woori Financial Group. The similarities between Korean and Vietnamese cultures could make it easier for North Korea to take after Vietnam's economic model. Because of this, South Korean companies such as Samsung Electronics were able to enter and settle there without much trouble. She added Vietnam is expected to become Southeast Asia's biggest exporter by 2030. Vietnam has been rising as the best alternative center to China amid the trade conflict between the U.S. and China. Lee Chang-min, a KB Securities analyst who focuses on Southeast Asian markets, agreed Vietnam's openness to foreign investments helped boost its manufacturing capacity from ground zero. He noted manufacturing accounts for around 20 percent of Vietnam's gross domestic product. gettyimagesbank "Like China, Vietnam let bygones be bygones with the U.S. Then, it was able to grow as its market adopted a proactive foreign investment policy with the rest of the world," Lee said. "Vietnam's manufacturing model is a good one, compared to Singapore, which has become a service-driven economy." The country has 17 free trade agreements (FTAs), including with South Korea. Its FTA with the European Union will be ratified soon. So the question is will North Korea put its past behind it and restart its economy like its ideological allies China and Vietnam? If so, North Korea has the potential to grow at a similar velocity as those two countries have, Lee said. This year, the U.S. and China celebrate their 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties. The U.S. normalized relations with Vietnam in 1995. Hyundai Motor headquarters in Yangjae-dong, Seoul / Korea Times file Top firms raise dividends to appease increasingly vocal minority shareholders By Nam Hyun-woo Samsung, Hyundai Motor and other top conglomerates are scrambling to prepare for their upcoming shareholders' meetings next month as they have to deal with a range of thorny issues, including reappointing their owners as board members, according to company officials Monday. The reason behind their concern is the enhanced activism among shareholders, as not only overseas investors but also domestic private equity funds (PEFs) and the state pension operator are hopping on the bandwagon of shareholder activism. According to Hyundai Motor, the carmaker will hold a board of directors meeting soon to decide on the schedule and agenda for the March regular shareholders' meeting. Industry officials expect this will likely take place a week before or after the shareholders' meeting of its affiliate Kia Motors slated for March 15. Key issues for this year include whether the company will name Hyundai Motor Group's de facto chief, Executive Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun, as the company's CEO. Hyundai Motor is currently headed by Chung's father, group Chairman and CEO Chung Mong-koo. Along with the senior Chung, President Lee Won-hee and Vice President Ha Eon-tae are registered as the company's co-CEOs, but the younger Chung has been virtually leading the company in recent years. Chung's potential appointment is expected because the group named him as the lead vice-chairman of Hyundai Motor Group in September and made sweeping changes among group executives in December, which was interpreted as tightening Chung's control over the group. "Hyundai Motor Group's recent future strategies, such as commitment to hydrogen cars and smart mobility, were all driven by the junior Chung," a conglomerate official said. "Given Chung's significance in the group and Hyundai Motor's management, it seems there will be no problem for Chung to become the official head of the company." Chung's term as a standing director of Hyundai Motor will end March 10. The company's directors will likely decide to table a motion giving him another term at their meeting and then decide whether to name him as CEO of Hyundai Motor. One of the remaining concerns for Hyundai Motor Group is the U.S. activist fund Elliott. As of November, Elliott holds a 3 percent stake in Hyundai Motor, 2.1 percent in Kia Motors and 2.5 percent in Hyundai Mobis. Since Hyundai Motor Group has been struggling with Elliott's apparent attacks over its ownership structure, chances still remain that Elliott or other PEFs may make last-moment demands of the group before the shareholders' meeting, a source at a PEF said. Samsung Electronics headquarters in Seocho-dong, Seoul / Korea Times file By Lee Kyung-min Two of Korea's major insurance companies are showing keen interest in joining the ongoing competition to operate the country's third internet-only bank, in a move to capitalize on new opportunities created by the new digital entity. The move pursued mostly in the form of equity investment is part of efforts to find new subscribers in their 20s and 30s through the digital platform, to diversify the source of profits amid a market currently nearing saturation. Kyobo Life Insuance is the second-largest life insurer and Hyundai Marine and Fire Insurance is the third-largest non-life insurer. "We are open to various ways to expand the firm's business including buying shares in a consortium that has already declared a bid to seek preliminary approval with the financial authorities," a Kyobo official said. "Nothing has been determined yet. More specifics and particulars will be made public later." Similarly, Hyundai is mulling joining the consortium led by Shinhan Financial Group. Shinhan said Feb. 11 that it will form a consortium with Viva Republica, the operator of Toss, a popular mobile transfer app. "We are considering whether to join the consortium," a Hyundai official said. "We cannot comment further until directed otherwise," he added. The latest move is intensifying competition to create the country's third internet-only bank. Korea's two existing internet-only banks are Kakao Bank, operated by mobile messaging service provider Kakao Corp., and K bank, operated by telecommunications firm KT. Hana Financial, the nation's fourth-largest financial group by total assets, formed a consortium with SK Telecom, the country's largest mobile carrier, and Kiwoom Securities, an online brokerage services provider. KB Financial has a 10 percent stake in Kakao Bank, established by Korea Investment Holding and Kakao Corp. Woori Financial has a 13.79 percent stake in K bank, established by KT, the second-largest mobile carrier. According to data from the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), the net income of insurers was 7.27 trillion won ($6.49 billion) in 2018, a 7.4 drop from a year earlier. By contrast, the asset of internet-only banks stood at 12.7 trillion won, nearly double that from a year earlier. While they have yet to report net income, the rapid increase in assets only about a year after their launch in 2017 is boosting hopes that they will become profitable in the coming years. The Kensington Jeju Hotel will close its doors in May, and Shinsegae Chosun Hotel will operate it with a new name after remodeling. / Courtesy of Kensington Jeju Hotel By Kang Seung-woo The Kensington Jeju Hotel, one of tourists' favorite properties on the resort island, will close its doors in May. However, it will be revived as a brand new hotel that will be operated by Shinsegae Chosun Hotel, which aims to place itself as one of the locally grown hospitality giants along with Hotel Shilla and Lotte Hotels and Resorts. "Until the end of May, the hotel will be operated in the name of the Kensington hotel," a Kensington official said. "After that, Shinsegae will take over the business and the name is probably likely to be changed." In February 2018, E-Land Group sold the Kensington hotel and a nearby site allotted for building the Sangrok Hotel to B&M Development, a subsidiary of SK Group's real estate developing unit SK D&D, for 128 billion won ($114 million) in a bid to improve its financial stability. Even after selling the Kensington, it has still remained an operator of the five-star hotel, located in the Jungmun Tourist Complex in a southern part of the island. However, the operation deal is scheduled to expire in June and Shinsegae Chosun Hotel will succeed the operation and management. Upon the takeover, the property is expected to undergo a one-year renovation, which is likely to start in July. According to a market report, SK D&D is set to invest more than 200 billion won 57.3 billion won for this year and 150 billion won for next year in remodeling the property. "Nothing has been decided yet about the hotel's naming, concept and others," a Shinsegae official said. It is forecast that SK D&D will launch an extensive renovation of the Kensington, including improving its 221 rooms and changing the interior concept. However, its rooftop pool and restaurants that have gained recognition from tourists are likely to remain intact. In particular, 40 pool villas will be built at the site originally reserved for the Sangrok Hotel. It will be the first time for Shinsegae Chosun Hotel to operate a hotel on Jeju Island, where its rivals Shilla and Lotte have established strong footholds. It is the accommodation arm of retail giant Shinsegae Group. Shinsegae currently runs Westin Chosun hotels in Seoul and Busan, the Four Points by Sheraton Seoul Namsan and the L'Escape Hotel. The latest deal is seen as a move for Shinsegae Group Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin to bolster his company's hotel business. As Shinsegae is set to manage the Kensington hotel, there are mixed responses on the deal. Some are concerned the hotel may lose its identity aiming to cater to both families and young vacationers, considering Shinsegae's latest setback from the L'Escape Hotel. Under the concept of the 19th-century Paris aristocracy, Shinsegae launched its ambitious standalone brand last July, but it has yet to live up to expectations. However, others say if the Kensington takes advantage of the nearby site, it could emerge as one of the top three hotels on Jeju. North American and European members of the Church of God visit the New Jerusalem Pangyo Temple in the New Year of 2019. / Photos from Church of God 125 members from 10 countries wowed by Korea's rapid economic growth By Han Myung-duk At the beginning of 2019, the World Mission Society Church of God (General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol, hereafter the Church of God) received guests the 73rd Overseas Visiting Group. The group was made up of 125 Church members from 10 countries in North America, Europe, Central and South America, Asia and Africa, and most of them visited Korea for the first time. During their stay, they participated in various events such as Bible study, visiting local churches, and sightseeing. In addition to the meaning of the first visit in the New Year, the people of the world gathered in one place to convey a message of hope for the prosperity and well-being of the global community. It was special from the beginning. Remarkable growth in about a half-century amazes the world It was the year 2000 when the Church of God started to receive overseas visiting members in earnest. Up to the 73rd group, about 1,500 members had been visiting Korea every year. For the members of over 7,000 Churches of God in 175 countries, Korea is the country where God the Father and God the Mother, who are testified in the Bible, have appeared. So their visit to Korea is a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and a great blessing. Although foreigners' visits to Korea decreased due to the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2015, about 240 members from 23 countries visited Korea and over 2,000 members came to Korea in 2016 alone. Recently, the world's intellectuals from economic, legal, medical, and scientific circles entered Korea as a visiting group and participated in the International Bible Seminar and the Talk Concert against climate change, contributing to raising general awareness. The experts in many fields shared international issues to seek ways to change the world positively. This shows how the Church of God Overseas Visiting Groups enhance national prestige. Touring around Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, the guests visited the Lotte World Tower observatory in Jamsil and were surprised at the development of Korea. The Church says, "Before visiting attractions, the overseas visiting group members briefly study Korean history. From the 1910-45 Japanese colonial period to the 1950-53 Korean War and the miracle of the Han River in the 1980s to 1990s, we introduce them to the energy potential and outstanding?characteristics of Korea which started as the poorest country and has become one of the world's top 10 economic powers in about 50 years. Today, we've made a special visit to the world's fifth-tallest building to view the development of Seoul at a glance." The visiting group members looked around Seoul, listening to the explanations of the guide, and let out exclamations. While taking pictures of the scenery with their mobile phones, they said, "How can a country develop this much in just 50 years? It's surprising!" Some members stood on the glass-bottomed Sky Deck which overlooks the ground, making a gesture of flying. "It's taken quite a long time for the United States to develop into a great power as it is now. However, Korea has achieved rapid growth in a very short period of time. Some parts seem to have developed more than the U.S," said Carrie Michelle Song from Albany, NY, U.S. "I had fun at the Lotte World Tower Aquarium, seeing a variety of fish, and the Sky Deck was amazing in the observatory. I was scared at first, but after a while I felt like I was flying in the sky," said Ekaterina Kaurkovskaya, a student at the National Pedagogical Dragomanov University in Ukraine. The 73rd Overseas Visiting Group members talk while looking around the Church of God's History Museum. Cultural exchange through visits to local Churches The year 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of Daejeon City and the 30th anniversary of its promotion to metropolitan city status. Daejeon has made this year the "Visit Daejeon Year" and promotes it extensively. There's no mistake that the Church of God Overseas Visiting Group members, who visited Daejeon at the beginning of the New Year, are precious guests to Daejeon citizens aiming to attract more than 5 million tourists. "All the visiting group members hope that the Visit Daejeon Year will be successful. We have many Churches in Daejeon, and this time we visited the Seo-gu Church located near KBS Daejeon Broadcasting Station and Art Center," the Church explains. Like the Churches of God in other regions, the Churches in Daejeon work steadily for the development of communities, promotion of residents' wellbeing, and environmental cleanups as well as taking on the basic roles of a church. Around the Lunar New Year's Day, the Church donated 75 duvets, which are winter necessities, to six administrative agencies, and conducted environmental cleanups throughout Daejeon such as Jung-gu, Yuseong-gu, and Daedeok-gu, including the surroundings of Pai Chai University and Daejeon University. "Our country will launch a new government this year. People's expectation of the new president is great. Both Daejeon and Mexico are on the new starting line. I hope both will go well," said Oscar Sanchez Suarez from Mexico, giving a thumbs-up. The 63rd Overseas Visiting Group from Europe and Central and South America have a good time at Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon that displays King Jeongjo's filial piety. Maria S. Aguirre, who works at the Samsung Semiconductor New York Office, is amazed that the Daedeok Science Town in Daejeon led Korea to the top of the world in the IT industry. "Koreans work really hard. Once they set a goal, they try their hardest to fulfill it, working from early in the morning. But what impressed me the most during this stay is the warmheartedness of Koreans. Most people say that happiness comes when they are happy. But Korean Church members say, 'I am happy because you are happy.' Such kindness makes me happy as if I am in the arms of my mother," she said with a big smile. The Church staff led the visiting group, telling them about Korean tradition, culture, and manners in the bus on the way to another destination. The staff introduced beautiful Korean etiquette and culture, such as laying emphasis on family, treating guests wholeheartedly and respecting the elderly. Probably because of that, the visiting group members said, "God bless you," gathering both their hands and lowering their heads whenever they made eye contact. Although they were different in skin color, language, and age, they came together as a visiting group and experienced cultural exchanges, learning and sharing their differences. The 63rd Overseas Visiting Group at Songdo International Business District where 15 U.N. offices are located. China will open around 400 majors related to big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics in universities in 2019, China's Ministry of Education (MOE) announced on Feb. 26. The press conference of Chinas Ministry of Education on Tuesday. Photo From: Global Times Another 612 new engineering research projects will also be implemented in universities. "AI and big data are newly established majors and will be taught in some directions like computer application technology, information and communication, control science and engineering," Fan Hailin, deputy director of MOE's Department of Higher Education, told the Global Times on Tuesday. China has set the target becoming a major center for AI innovation and world leader in AI technology and applications by 2030. "New courses of some less commonly taught languages of the countries along the routes of the Belt and Road Initiative, including Belarusian, Kurdish, Maori, Bislama and Dhivehi, will also be open in some universities," Fan said. Beijing Foreign Studies University and Shanghai International Studies University, China's two leading language universities, have added 11 less commonly taught language majors including Kurdish, Maori, Tongan, Samoan and Comorian, and Uzbek major respectively to undergraduates in 2018. Most of them were languages of countries participating in Belt & Road Initiative. At the conference, the ministry also vowed to continue promoting online courses (MOOC) in 2019. Specifically, MOE said it will help train at least 10,000 science teachers through the platform. Currently, the ministry has announced 1,291 MOOCs. The universities and colleges that opened online courses included top-notch Peking University and vocational schools like the Nanjing Institute of Industry Technology. The subjects vary greatly from traditional science subjects such as physics and chemistry to those of profound cultural essence such as the analysis of Chinese literature masterpiece "Dream of the Red Chamber" and ancient medical classic "Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon." Some new majors in medical sciences including precision medicine and translational medicine and intelligent medicine have been established, and 74 university affiliated hospitals have been approved as the first national clinical teaching and training demonstration centers. Some new majors in medical sciences including precision medicine and translational medicine and intelligent medicine have been established, and 74 university affiliated hospitals have been approved as the first national clinical teaching and training demonstration centers. China has built the world's largest higher education system. The number of undergraduate colleges has reached 1,245 and the total number of undergraduate students is 28.31 million. The gross enrollment rate of higher education has reached 48 percent, according to the conference. Jung Sang-gyu poses with his book "Forgotten Heroes, Independence Fighters." Courtesy of Jung Sang-gyu By Park Jin-hai Jung Sang-gyu, author and social activist, is an odd man out. People of his age have grown increasingly nonchalant to history as they are busy honing foreign language skills and pursuing higher education. Jung, who studied mathematics and economics at the University of Oregon, renounced his permanent U.S. residency status and chose to join the Air Force to fulfill his military duty. In 2014, while he was serving as an officer, he began to study independence fighters, and a year later launched the "Independence Fighters App." "I was no different from others before. As an expat student living in the U.S., I had lived fiercely constantly trying to prove myself, competing with other students," said the 31-year-old Jung who is a working committee member for the Presidential Commission on the Centennial Anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement and the Korean Provisional Government. He was determined to come back to his home country for his sick father and aging mother, but his comrades he met at the frontline division changed his entire life. "In my division, there were soldiers from families of independence activists including the great-grandson of Kim Gu who led the Independence Army. From them, I heard stories about their families unlike I had ever heard before. I was so moved by how they gave their lives for the people and the country under Japan's colonial rule," he said. "At the same time, I was so ashamed of myself, having lived without knowing of their sacrifices and noble spirit. As an Air Force officer myself, I felt inspired by all those independence fighters as the great officers who lived before me, with my heart filled with overwhelming emotions. I thought not only me, but all others should learn about their great deeds." "Independence Fighters" mobile application Jung developed Then he came up with the idea to make a mobile application. His "Independence Fighters App" gives the push alarm service to its over 330,000 users on commemorative days like the date of their birth/death along with stories of those forgotten heroes. It also provides information on memorials, museum and statues of those heroes in a user's vicinity. While he was preparing for the service, trying to find information about those activists, he learned how those heroes were forgotten, Jung said. "There are some 14,000 names the government registered as independence fighters. But, going over school history books over the past 10 years, only the same 20 to 25 names of independence fighters appeared repeatedly with no addition of new names. Learning more about those nameless heroes, I couldn't help but think that although they are anonymous, their deeds were no lesser than well-known heroes, say, Yu Gwan-sun and An Jung-geun." Through his application, Jung says he reached many descendants of independence fighters who want to reclaim their parents' or grandparents' honor. "Under the current system, those now aged sons and daughters should bring the documents that can prove their dead ancestors' participation in the independence movement. It means they have to travel to Japan and China, accompanying translators, and collect related documents on their family history. That is almost impossible for financial reasons and their old age. So they end up writing petition letters to presidents and mayors for help, but nothing is done on the part of government," he said. To be registered with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, they again should meet some unilateral requirements including minimum three-month imprisonment. "Mentioning such reasons as lack of budget and personnel, the government didn't even try to make a joint committee that can study and verify those many forgotten independence fighters. Using networks of people from independence families, I'm planning to launch a private entity in the field of the independence movement that works like VANK, an NGO conducting public diplomacy." "Forgotten Heroes, Independence Fighters" North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump held in-depth discussions during their first day of meetings in Hanoi to produce "epoch-making results" at this week's summit, Pyongyang's official news agency reported Thursday. "Considerable progress made in the bilateral relations after the Singapore summit were highly appreciated and sincere and deep opinions were exchanged with a view to making comprehensive and epoch-making results in the talks in order to meet the interest and expectation of the whole world for the successful Hanoi summit," the Korean Central News Agency said. The KCNA said their summit in Hanoi started thanks to the "ardent wishes" and "extraordinary determination" of the two leaders to end confrontation and enmity and usher in peace and prosperity in their place. On Wednesday, Kim and Trump held around half an hour of one-on-one talks, the first day of their two-day summit, which was followed by a small group social dinner also involving their top aides. Trump touted "great meetings" and "very good dialogue." Kim said he would do his best to produce a "great outcome" to be welcomed by all people. The KCNA's report on the first day of talks between the leaders was quick and detailed. The report covered remarks the two leaders made during the meetings and the time and place of the meetings. It came just around eight hours after the dinner ended. The agency reported that Kim and Trump will meet again Thursday, the last day of their two-day summit. The North's official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, also devoted its entire front page to coverage of the meetings. North Korea's media have been active in their coverage of the Kim -Trump summit in contrast with their tendency to remain secretive about their leader's trip. Kim and Trump met after their first-ever meeting in Singapore last June, which produced a vaguely worded agreement on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The two are expected to focus on fleshing out the Singapore agreement by including additional concrete denuclearization steps from North Korea and corresponding measures from the U.S., possibly including easing sanctions and improving ties that Pyongyang has long demanded. (Yonhap) U.S. President Donald Trump, right, holds a meeting with North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un during the second U.S.-North Korea summit at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi on February 28, 2019. AFP HANOI U.S. President Donald Trump said again Thursday that he is in "no rush" with North Korea as he headed into a second day of talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi. "Speed is not that important. To me, I very much appreciate no testing of nuclear rockets and missiles," Trump said at the start of one-on-one talks, with Kim seated to his right. The remark suggests a long road ahead to denuclearize the North. "Chairman Kim and I had a great talk about that last night. We had a very good talk about that. Again, I am in no rush. We don't want the testing. We've developed something very special with respect to that," he said. The "no rush" remark, which Trump has made repeatedly in the run-up to their meeting, has fed speculation that the president is lowering expectations for the summit and possibly backing down from the U.S. goal of complete denuclearization of the regime. Trump said Wednesday that wasn't the case. "We had very good discussions last night. There were a lot of great ideas being thrown about. I think very importantly though, the relationship is very strong," he said. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un take a walk after their first meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. AP U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un take a walk after their first meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. AP North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, U.S. President Donald Trump, Kim Yong-chol, Vice Chairman of the North Korean Workers' Party Committee, and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talk while Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un and first vice department director of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee looks on at the Metropole hotel during the second North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi, Vietnam February 28, 2019. Reuters By Jung Min-ho Working toward a nuclear deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, U.S. President Donald Trump remains silent on the regime's brutal human rights abuses, leaving advocates worried that he may not address the issue. Ahead of the two leaders meetings in Hanoi on Feb. 27-28, human rights groups urged Trump to raise the issue directly with Kim. "Over a year ago, President Trump stood in front of Congress and pledged to challenge North Korea's human rights record," said Francisco Bencosme, advocacy manager for Asia-Pacific at Amnesty International's U.S. branch. "Since then, President Trump has repeatedly disregarded the human rights of the North Korean people to gain favor with Kim Jung-un. His silence in the face of relentless and grave human rights violations has been deafening." "The people of North Korea have endured enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, forced labor in prison camps, a total absence of press freedom, severe restrictions on freedom of expression and movement, and decades of separation of families. But President Trump has turned his back on them for the sake of a photo-op." The scope of North Korea's human rights violations is unclear. However, according to a 2014 U.N. report, the North was committing "widespread and gross" human rights abuses. Another report that Human Rights Watch released last year said North Korean officials such as police officers and detention facility guards frequently assaulted people, including women. Experts say Trump appears to be taking a cautious approach to dealing with the issue out of concerns that a blunt approach would solve nothing but derail nuclear diplomacy. "Both leaders must ensure that human rights are a focal point of this summit," Bencosme said. "No country is exempt from international law and their obligations to uphold human rights." North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un speaks during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the second U.S.-North Korea summit at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi on February 28. AFP North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said Thursday he remains committed to the denuclearization of his country, saying that otherwise he wouldn't be having talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi. Speaking to a pool reporter at the start of an expanded meeting involving top officials of the two sides following one-on-one talks with Trump, Kim also said that they were talking about concrete denuclearization measures. "If I weren't willing to do that, I wouldn't be here right now," Kim said in response to a question whether he's ready to denuclearize. Asked again if he's willing to take concrete denuclearization steps, Kim said, "That is what we are discussing right now." Kim also said he would welcome the opening of a U.S. liaison office in Pyongyang. "I think it is something that is worth welcoming," he said, indicating the issue will be included in their much-anticipated Hanoi declaration to sum up the results of their two-day summit here. As the reporter asked Kim whether he's talking about human rights with Trump, the president stepped in and said, "We are discussing everything. We're having very, very productive discussions." Earlier, the two leaders kicked off the Thursday session with a half-hour private talk at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi and took a brief stroll in the courtyard of the hotel before they were joined by top aides for minuteslong conversations: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Kim Yong-chol, a senior Workers' Party official. Kim vowed utmost efforts for a successful summit. "Let me assure you I will do my best to bring a good result ultimately today," Kim said. "I wouldn't say that I'm pessimistic. I do have a feeling that good results will come out." U.S. President Donald Trump listens to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi on, Thursday, Feb. 28. AP On the other hand, Trump effectively sought to lower public expectations on summit results, reiterating that he does not care about the pace of the denuclearization process. "Speed is not that important to me ... I am in no rush," he said, thanking Kim for suspending his country's nuclear and missile testing. He instead emphasized his good relationship with the young North Korean leader, which he said heralds "a lot of good things" to happen. The former businessman cited North Korea's incomparable economic potential when it becomes free from sanctions after denuclearization. After holding a working lunch, Kim and Trump plan to sign a joint statement around 2 p.m., according to the White House. Kim may be seeking to trade the shutdown or dismantlement of the Soviet-era Yongbyon nuclear complex for Trump's declaration of a symbolic end to the 1950-53 Korean War and some sanctions relief if possible. With regard to the possibility of an end-of-war declaration, Trump said Wednesday, "We'll see." The North's state media reported that the leaders are eyeing a "comprehensive and epoch-making" accord. "Sincere and deep opinions were exchanged with a view to making comprehensive and epoch-making results in the talks in order to meet the interest and expectation of the whole world for the successful Hanoi summit," the Korean Central News Agency said, referring to their first-day meeting that lasted around two hours and 20 minutes. Trump also plans to brief reporters in person on the outcome of this week's bargaining with Kim before heading back to Washington on Thursday evening. (Yonhap) By Jung Min-ho U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would discuss everything, including human rights, with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at their summit in Hanoi. Before sitting down for a second round of talks that day, the two briefly took questions from the media. A journalist asked Kim if he would be "discussing human rights" with Trump. While Kim's interpreter was translating the question, Trump cut in and said, "We're discussing everything We're having very, very productive discussions." Captured from Washington Post reporter David Nakamura's twitter U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong-un cut short their second summit Thursday without reaching an agreement, a stunning collapse of talks that caused both leaders to leave their Vietnam meeting early and cancel a planned signing ceremony. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the leaders had a ''very good and constructive meeting'' and discussed ways to advance ''denuclearization and economic driven concepts.'' She said their teams ''look forward to meeting in the future. Both leaders motorcades roared away from the downtown Hanoi summit site within minutes of each other after both a lunch and the signing ceremony were scuttled. Trump's end-of-summit news conference was moved up and White House aides said he would address the sudden change in plans. The breakdown came just hours after Trump and Kim appeared to inch toward normalizing relations between their still technically-warring nations as the American leader tamped down expectations that their talks would yield an agreement by the reclusive country to take concrete steps toward ending its nuclear program. In something of a role reversal, Trump deliberately ratcheted down some of the pressure on Pyongyang, abandoning his fiery rhetoric and declaring he was in ''no rush. We just want to do the right deal.'' Kim, for his part, when asked whether he was ready to denuclearize, said ''If I'm not willing to do that I won't be here right now.'' Furthering the spirit of optimism, the leaders seemed to find a point of agreement moments later when Kim was asked if the U.S. may open a liaison office in North Korea. Trump declared it ''not a bad idea'' and Kim called it ''welcomable.'' Such an office would mark the first U.S. presence in North Korea. But questions persisted throughout the summit, including whether Kim was willing to make valuable concessions, what Trump would demand in the face of rising domestic turmoil and whether the meeting could yield far more concrete results than the leaders' first summit, a meeting in Singapore less than a year ago that was long on dramatic imagery but short on tangible results. (AP) Children from the Vietnam-North Korea Friendship Kindergarten in Hanoi wave flags, Tuesday, welcoming North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to the city for a two-day summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk Kim may hold another summit with Xi By Lee Min-hyung HANOI North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is likely to engage in a hectic diplomatic schedule in Vietnam and possibly in China after wrapping up his two-day summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, Thursday. Kim's post-summit itinerary begins Friday with two extra days of an "official friendly" visit in the Vietnamese capital, according to the regime's state-controlled Korea Central News Agency (KCNA). Other details regarding his return to Pyongyang have yet to be released, with speculation surfacing over the possibility that he may hold another summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on his way home. The possibility was raised, as there is ample chance for this as he returns to Pyongyang by train. On Tuesday, Kim traversed China on board a heavily armored train to the border with Vietnam. The train is getting maintenance service in Nanning, China, located close to the border. D iplomatic relations between China and North Korea also add to the likelihood of Kim visiting Beijing or somewhere else in China for a summit with Xi. Beijing-Pyongyang ties have been rapidly improving, with their leaders holding four summits since last March. "There is high probability that Kim will hold a summit with Xi on his return trip, as his train passes through China," a diplomatic source said. "Even if relations between Washington and Beijing are not in good shape, Kim will meet with Xi en route to Pyongyang and discuss future strategies by sharing the outcome of the meeting with Trump." Kim has sought to take advantage of China's diplomatic power in his ongoing negotiations with the U.S. on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Only a week after the first Trump-Kim summit last June, the North Korean leader and first lady Ri Sol-ju met with their Chinese counterparts in Beijing to share details with Xi about the results of the historic summit in Singapore. This year also marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Beijing and Pyongyang. But it remains to be seen whether a Kim-Xi summit will take place, as Kim's travel itinerary is still shrouded in mystery. It came as a surprise that Kim made his way by train, rather than an airplane which many experts predicted would be his means of transportation for the recent summit with Trump. On his stay in Hanoi, Kim is highly likely to meet with Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong for a summit, as Kim's grandfather Kim Il-sung, the founder of the regime, did in 1958 and 1964 with then-Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh. Aside from the diplomatic schedule, Kim is also expected to travel to the northern industry city of Haiphong for a field inspection. The visit reflects Kim's strong willingness to develop the regime's dire economic conditions and attract more foreign investment by seeking to get sanctions relief from the international society. A group of North Korean ranking officials, including Ri Su-yong, a top figure in charge of North Korea's foreign affairs, inspected the area on Wednesday, in what is seen as a signal that Kim may also travel to the site sometime during his stay in Vietnam. Chances are that Kim may also make his way to the Vietnam-North Korea Friendship Kindergarten in Hanoi. The North established the education facility in 1978, and Kim can possibly show off his country's diplomatic ties with Vietnam by making a trip there. U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hand with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ahead of their dinner at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Wednesday. / Capture from White House Twitter By Kim Hyun-bin As the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ended without producing any agreement, now all eyes are on how North Korean media will portray the historic talks. In the past, North Korean media were notorious for name-calling and condemnations for any person, organization, and country that stood in its path. But following the first U.S.-North Korea summit last June in Singapore which was a promising and groundbreaking event easing tension on the Korean Peninsula Washington-Pyongyang relations, the North Korean media have much toned down its rhetoric against the U.S. It is to be seen whether the media will revive its hostile stance and offensive rhetoric against the U.S., like they used to call the U.S. president a "dotard." Considering the atmosphere that the two countries do not want to rupture the talks despite the current setback, North Korean media's expression about the U.S. may not be that harsh. But it is very likely that they may blame the U.S. side for the failure of a deal and highlight Kim's efforts in the summit, as it would be unacceptable for the media of the dictatorial state to portray its "dear leader" has failed in anything. Until Thursday morning before the talks between the two leaders began and failed in Hanoi, Vietnam, the North Korean media have ramped up positive reporting about the summit, unprecedentedly covering the event in a swift and extensive manner. The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party of Korea, plastered the first two pages of a special six-page edition with 17 pictures of the two leaders' historic meeting, starting from their first encounter in Hanoi and the last social dinner the two leaders seemed to enjoy. Front page of Rodong Sinmun / Yonhap The first page highlighted Kim and Trump's summit with a large bold headline saying Kim met Trump and had talks and dinner. Beneath were large color photos of Trump and Kim shaking hands at the entrance of the meeting hall at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi. "The endless confrontations and tensions have come to an end as North Korea and the U.S. heads of states showed passion and effort, being able to enter a new era of peace. Their extraordinary decisions have led to the historic second North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi, Vietnam," the paper wrote. On the second page, there were 13 pictures mostly from the dinner. "Officials from the two countries sat around the round table and the dinner progressed in a peaceful and friendly atmosphere," the paper wrote. "They exchanged sincere and in-depth opinions to bring out comprehensive and ground-breaking results in this summit." The Korean Central News Agency, Pyongyang's state-run news agency, also had extensive coverage of the summit. It made the first report just eight hours after the dinner finished unusually fast reporting considering North Korean media, controlled by the regime, usually report events related to its leader one or more days after the events have taken place. It said the two leaders exchanged "candid and truthful dialogue," adding the historic second North Korea-U.S. summit began following the two leaders' determination to put an end to the vicious circle of confrontation and bring a new era of peace and prosperity. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un hold a meeting during the second U.S.-North Korea summit at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi on Thursday. The planned signing of the so-called Hanoi Declaration was canceled, and the White House issued a statement saying "No agreement was reached at this time," adding that "respective teams look forward to meeting in the future." AFP-Yonhap By Kim Ji-soo "The relationship is just very strong and when you have a good relationship a lot of good things happen," U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday, as he sat facing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The two leaders were briefly meeting the press before they embarked on the real negotiations constituting the second North Korea-U.S. summit. Kim, his cheeks slightly flushed but smiling, said "I believe by intuition that good results will be produced." The two, who were meeting for the first time in eight months, visibly demonstrated a familiarity, a bit of trust or a desperate realization they need each other. Kim needs U.N. sanctions lifted while Trump needs to achieve denuclearization, yet these goals require serious sacrifices by both parties. The sacrifices may well have been too grave; the talks essentially broke down Thursday. North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un travels in a vehicle following the second U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi on Thursday. AFP-Yonhap The summit seemed to start off well. Kim was seen breaking into a big smile during the first-ever dinner between the two Wednesday. Earlier, Trump called Kim "my friend Kim Jong-un" as he espoused an "awesome future" if Kim agreed to give up his nuclear arsenal. The North Korean leader was less profuse, but he appeared surer of his footing and seemed to make more direct eye contact. Some observers noted how the friendly gestures may have been rehearsed. At some point, the North Korean leader seemed to wear an expression of a man who got what he wanted but was not sure that he really wanted what he got. Kim answered questions from Western reporters, but grew combative at times in addressing them. Trump, facing a political crisis back home, seemed concerned even as he smiled. As the world waited for good results, however, the working lunch and the anticipated signing of the so-called Hanoi Declaration were suddenly canceled. The White House issued a statement saying, "No agreement was reached at this time," and added that "respective teams look forward to meeting in the future." A view of the table in the room which was supposed to host a working lunch between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, that was cancelled, during the second U.S.-North Korea summit at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday. Reuters-Yonhap Vietnamese residents gather near the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel where the second NOrth korea-U.S. summit entered its second day Thursday. One man is seen holding up a sign saying "Welcome." Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk (Photo/Xinhua) Tian Jing (pseudonym), a high-school graduate from North China, did not know what "smart pills" were when she took them for the first time. She only tried them because her mother told her they could improve her exam performance. At that time, Tian was at the beginning of her third year in high school, and had fallen out of the top 10 in the class. In the first and second years, she had consistently been in the top five. Two months later, Tian was back in the top 10. But now, after finishing the national college entrance examinations, she is at the Beijing Gaoxin hospital receiving drug rehabilitation treatment, according to a report in The Beijing News on February 20. Xu Jie, the chief doctor at the rehabilitation center, told The Beijing News that half of their patients who suffer from Benzedrine abuse started by taking so-called smart pills such as Ritalin and Concerta. The youngest of the patients was 14 years old, Xu said, noting most Ritalin takers were under huge stress or facing serious family conflicts, thus using study or work as an outlet. Black market The main ingredient in these smart pills is methylphenidate, a central nervous system stimulant that is a strictly managed psychotropic medication both in China and abroad. Methylphenidate is a mild central stimulant compared to methamphetamine, but it is still addictive. Long-term use of the drug can cause anxiety, over excitation and mania, Hua Zhendong, technical director of the China National Narcotics Control Commission national narcotics laboratory, told the Global Times on Tuesday. Central stimulants like Ritalin and Concerta can only be prescribed by hospitals to children who are under 14 years old and are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Bai Hanping, an expert on adolescent psychology with the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, told the Changjiang Daily in June 2018. When searching for groups related to Ritalin on social media platform QQ, the Global Times reporter found a dozen. Six groups run by the same person caught the reporter's attention, as each has more than 1,000 members. The six sequenced groups are all named "smart pills/Ritalin/adhd." Liu, the administrator of the six huge QQ groups selling Ritalin, told the Global Times reporter, who posed as a buyer, on Tuesday that the pills would not lead to addiction or cause any serious side effects. "Most users lose their appetite after taking the pills, and some others suffer slight headaches, but it's not a big deal," Liu said. He said users can stop for one day every five days to avoid getting addicted. Liu also added this Global Times reporter to a WeChat group with 35 members. According to him, all the members are taking smart pills for exams. The group is named "I Want to be a Smart Ass." However, Hua noted that "stopping one day after five days' use would not protect users from getting addicted in the long term." His words tally with what happened to Tian and Xinxin (pseudonym), another high-school graduate who had taken Ritalin for two months. Tian started to lose her hair and became unable to sleep one month after taking the pills. Her mother stopped giving her the pills after one term - four to five months - after noticing her symptoms, but Tian could not stop. Without the pills, she felt sick, suffered headaches and could not concentrate. Unknown to her parents, she started to buy pills on QQ, and became more and more addicted. The pills she bought online turned out to be ecstasy, said The Beijing News. Smuggling problem Liu sells Ritalin produced in the US, Pakistan and Switzerland. US Ritalin is sold at 1,400 yuan ($209) for 50 pills; Pakistani Ritalin 390 yuan for 30 and Swiss Ritalin 460 yuan for 20. When asked how he obtained the pills, Liu said they were smuggled into China. Hua noted that drug smuggling is actually a serious problem. The growing number of overseas purchasing agencies has made it even more difficult to carry out customs inspections of drugs, he said. "Many sleeping pills and slimming drugs agents purchased from Japan and Thailand contain controlled substances in China. But if the agents do not declare them by name and hide them in other goods, which is usually the case, customs officials won't discover them," Hua said. Hua called for strengthened customs inspections on drugs. Smart pill abuse is not a problem exclusive to China. A documentary released on Netflix in March 2018 revealed how Americans were abusing stimulant medicines, including Ritalin and Adderall (dextroamphetamine), as some kind of "jet fuel." While the exact number of abusers is hard to gauge, as of 2015, the ADHD drug industry was a $13 billion business, and is expected to reach $17.5 billion by 2020, Quartz reported in 2016. After stopping taking the pills, Xinxin, 18, felt like she was going to die, according to The Beijing News. U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo address a press conference after a meeting with the North Korean leader, in Hanoi, Vietnam, 28 February 2019. EPA U.S. President Donald Trump held a press conference with hundreds of reporters in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday, after his historic talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that ended without a deal. Below is a full rush transcript of the press conference. >> Thank you prime minister and president of Vietnam. We're in Hanoi. It's an incredible city, and what's happened over the last 25 years has been incredible for the people of Vietnam, the job they've done, economic development. Really something special. So I want to thank all of the people of Vietnam for having treated us so well. We have I think reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India. They've been going at it, and we've been involved in trying to have them stop. And we have some reasonably decent news. I think hopefully that's going to be coming to an end. It's been going on for a long time, decades and decades. There's a lot of dislike, unfortunately. So we've been in the middle trying to help them both out, see if we can get some organization and some peace, and I think probably that's going to be happening. We have Venezuela as you know has been very much in the news, and we're sending supplies. Supplies are getting through a little bit more. It's not easy. It's hard to believe somebody would say let's not do it. What difference would that make except it's great for his people to let it get through. But we're sending a lot of supplies down to Venezuela. People are starving to death. And you would really think that the man in charge currently would let those supplies get through. We are getting them into some of the cities and some of the areas that need them most, and it's not an easy job. It's very difficult actually. On North Korea we just left chairman Kim who had a really I think a very productive time. We thought and I thought and Secretary Pompeo felt that it wasn't a good thing to be signing anything. I'm going to let Mike speak about it, but we literally just we spent pretty much all day with Kim Jong-un, who is he's quite a guy and quite a character. And I think our relationship is very strong. But at this time we had some options, and at this time we decided not to do any of the options, and we'll see where that goes. But it was it was a very interesting two days. And I think actually it was a very productive two days. But sometimes you have to walk. And this was just one of those times, and I'll let Mike speak to that for a couple of minutes, please. >> Thank you, Mr. President. We had been working, our teams the team that that I brought to bear as well as the north Koreans for weeks so we could make a big step along the way towards what the two leaders had agreed to back in Singapore in June of last year. We made big progress, and indeed we made even more progress when the two leaders met over the last 24, 36 hours. Unfortunately, we didn't get all the way that ultimately made sense for the United States of America. I think chairman Kim was hopeful that we would. We asked him to do more. He was unprepared to do that, but I'm optimistic. I hope our teams will get together in the days and weeks ahead and work out. It's a very complex problem. We have said since the beginning this would take time. Our teams have gotten to know each other better. We know what some of the limits are and challenges are, and I think in the days and weeks ahead we can make progress so we can ultimately achieve what the world wants. I wish we could have gotten a little bit further, but I'm very optimistic that the progress that we made both in the runup to this summit as well as the progress that the two leaders made over these past two days put us in a position to get a really good outcome. And the president and chairman Kim both felt good that they had made that progress, but couldn't quite get along the line any further to make a deal that would have been bigger at this point. I hope we'll do so in the weeks ahead. Thank you, Mr. President. >> Major, please. >> Has this process been more difficult than you thought, and was the north Korean demand for lifting of some sanctions the real sticking point here in that you did not want to do that and they did >> It was about the sanctions. >> Will there be a third summit, Mr. President? >> Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that. They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted, but we couldn't give up all of the sanctions for that, so we'll continue to work and we'll see. But we had to walk away from that particular suggestion. We had to walk away from that. >> Will all the sanctions that are currently in existence remain, sir? >> They're in place. I was watching as a lot of you folks over the weeks have said, oh, we've given up we haven't given up anything. And I think frankly we'll be good friends with chairman Kim and North Korea, and I think they have tremendous potential. I've been telling everybody they have tremendous potential, unbelievable potential, and we're going to see. But it was about sanctions. They wanted sanctions lifted but they weren't willing to do an area we wanted. They were willing to give us areas but not the ones we wanted. John? >> As we know, I mean there's an incredibly complex set of issues that are at play here in terms of lifting sanctions and what denuclearization is. Did you get any resistance towards what there's a line of thinking that he wants to keep some nukes. I mean, would you allow him to do that? >> I want to comment excuse me, I don't want to comment on that exactly, but he has a certain vision and it's not exactly our vision but it's a lot closer than it was a year ago. And I think, you know, eventually we'll get there. But for this particular visit we decided that we had to walk, and we'll see what happens. Okay? >> Look, we have a gentleman nobody's ever heard. Sean Hannity, what are you doing here Sean Hannity? Should we let him do a question? John, go ahead. >> So if he wants the sanctions completely off and you want more on denuclearization, how can you bridge that gap? >> With time I think it'll be bridged at a certain point, but there is a gap. We have to have sanctions and he wants to denuke, but he wants to just do areas that are less important than the areas that we want. We know the country very well, believe it or not. We know every inch of that country, and we have to get what we have to get. Because that's a big give. Yes, Sean, please. >> I work in radio TV. Mr. President, thank you. Mr. Secretary, thank you. Mr. President, if you could elaborate a little bit more. We have some history. President Reagan walked away, a lot of condemnation at the time, and it ended up working out very well in the end for the United States. Was this mostly your decision, and what message would you want to send chairman Kim as he's listening to this press conference about the future and your relationship? >> Well, Sean, I don't want to say it was my decision because what purpose is that? I want to keep the relationship, and we will keep the relationship. We'll see what happens over the next period of time. But as you know we've got our hostages back. There's no more testing. And one of the things importantly that chairman Kim promised me last night is regardless he's not going to do testing of rockets and nuclear not going to do testing. So, you know, I trust him, and I take him at his word. I hope that's true. But in the meantime we'll be talking. Mike will be speaking with his people. He's also developed a very good relationship with the people really the people representing North Korea. I haven't spoken to prime minister Abe yet. I haven't spoken to president moon, South Korea. But we will, and we'll tell them it's a process and it's moving along, but we felt it wasn't appropriate to sign an agreement today. We could have, I just felt it wasn't appropriate. Jonathan? >> Thank you, Mr. President. Two questions if I may. First, did you learn anything new about chairman Kim through this meeting? And secondly, of course, while this was going on and the drama back in Washington, your former lawyer Michael Cohen who worked for you for ten years, his office right by yours at trump tower, he called you a liar, a con man, a racist. What's your response to Michael Cohen? >> Well, it's incorrect. And it's very interesting because I tried to watch as much as I could. I wasn't able to watch too much because I've been a little bit busy, but I think having a fake hearing like that and having it in the middle of this very important summit is really a terrible thing. They could have made it two days later or next week, and it would have been even better. They would have had more time. But having it during this very important summit is sort of incredible. And he lied a lot, but it was very interesting because he didn't lie about one thing, he said no collusion with the Russian hoax. And I said I wonder why he didn't lie about that too like he did about everything else. I was actually impressed that he didn't say, well, I think there was collusion for this reason or that. He didn't say that. He said no collusion, and I was a little impressed by that, frankly. He could have gone all out. He only went about 95% instead of 100%. But the fact is there is no collusion, and I call it the witch hunt. This should never happen to another president. It's so bad for our country, so bad. You look at this whole hoax, and I call it the Russian witch hunt and I now add the word hoax. It's very bad for our country. I was impressed with the fact the most important question up there was the one on collusion, and he said he saw no collusion, so we'll see what happens. But it was pretty shameful, I think. Yes, ma'am, please. >> President Trump? >> How about one of you instead of three. >> Actually I do have the microphone, I guess so >> Excuse me, excuse me. Person in the front go ahead. No, no not you. Yeah, we'll get to you, thank you. >> Thank you, president trump. What was the atmosphere like when you walked away from the negotiation table and >> I think it was very good, very friendly. This wasn't a walk away like you get up and walk out. No, this was very friendly. We shook hands. We you know, there's a warmth that we have and I hope that stays. I think it will. But we're positioned to do something very special. This has been going on for many decades. This isn't me. This should have been solved during many presidential runs, and, you know, people talked about it. They never did anything. I get a kick out of so many people from past administrations telling me how to negotiate when they were there in some cases for eight years, they did but I think the relationship was very warm, and when we walked away it was a very friendly walk. Mike, you might want to speak to that for a second. >> No, I agree. I talked with my counter parts as well. We hope we do more, but everyone's very focused on how we continue to build on this. We were certainly closer today than 36 hours ago and we're closer than we were a month or two before that. So real progress was made. I think everybody hoped we could do this better, but the departure was with an agreement we continue to work on what has been an incredibly difficult problem. Everyone walked away in that spirit. >> And may I add you and chairman Kim are from very political systems. You are from different generations >> It's a very different system. I would say that's true. We just like each other. We have a good relationship. Yeah, it's a different system to put it mildly, but we like each other. Good relationship. Go ahead in the back. Go ahead. >> Mr. President, do you think it was premature to have held the summit when all these things had not been tied down? I mean the white house schedule last night it said signing agreement today, and wonder as a follow-up question whether you could sketch out what the next few months look like. >> You always have to be prepared to walk. I could have signed an agreement today, and then you people would have said, oh, what a terrible deal, what a terrible thing he did. No, you have to be prepared to walk, and there was a potential we could have signed something I could have 100% signed something today. We actually had papers ready to be signed, but it just wasn't appropriate. I'd much rather do it right than do it fast. Yes, please, go ahead. Go ahead. Go. First, go. Yeah? You have to speak up. >> I'm a reporter from south Korea and I appreciate your effort to ad denuclearization on the Korean peninsula, and could you elaborate the various ways you discussed with chairman Kim to denuclearization? >> We discussed many ways and the denuclearization is a very important word, has become a very well-used word. And a lot of people don't know what it means, but to me it's pretty obvious we have to get rid of the nukes. I think he's going to have a chance to have one of most successful countries rapidly on Earth, too. If you think of it you have on one side Russia and China and on the other you have South Korea and you're surrounded by water. And among the most beautiful shorelines in the world. It's tremendous potential in North Korea, and I think he's going to lead it to a very important thing economically. I think it's going to be an absolute economic power. Yes, go ahead, please. Go ahead. >> David Sanger from "The new York Times." Six months ago when you spoke or eight months ago in Singapore you said if you didn't have something in six months we should come back and ask you about it. In that time you have seen chairman Kim increase the number of missiles he's produced and continue to produce more nuclear material, and that's been a pressure point on you because he's showing the arsenals getting larger while this is going on. >> Well, some people, David, are saying that and some people are denying that. They have shots from above, way above. And some people are saying that and some people aren't. But I could have taken that out today. But I think you and others would have said we didn't get enough for what we'd be giving up. And, you know, don't forget we're partners with a lot of countries on this, if you think about it with the sanctions. We have a whole big partnership with the united nations and many countries including Russia, China and others. And then of course South Korea is very important to this whole thing, and Japan. I don't want to do something that is going to violate the trust that we built-up. We have a very strong partnership. >> So can you just give us a little more detail? Did you get into the question of actually dismantling the complex? >> Yes. >> And did he seem willing ultimately to take all of that out? >> Totally. >> He just wants all the sanctions off first. >> He wants the sanctions off, and as you know there's plenty left after that. I just felt it wasn't Mike and I spent a long time negotiating and talking about it to ourselves, and I felt that particular as you know that facility while very big, it wasn't enough to do what we were doing. >> So he was willing to do but you wanted to do more than that. >> There's other things you haven't talked about that we found that the people didn't know about. >> Including the uranium enrichment plan. >> Exactly. And we brought many points up. I think they were surprised we knew. If we did the one level and gave up all of that leverage that's been taking a long time to build >> So you're not willing to take off the >> David, I want to take off the sanctions so badly because I want that country to grow. That country has so much potential but we had to give up that deal. >> There are also timing and sequencing issues associated with that as well that we didn't quite get across that finish line as well. Even that facility in all of its scope which is important for sure, still leaves missiles and war heads and weapons systems. So there's a lot of other elements we couldn't get to. Members of the Feminism for Youth group call for a proper government investigation and response to sexual harassment at middle and high schools in front of Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child recently included Korea's #SchoolMeToo movement as one of the main agenda items for its September conference in Geneva, Switzerland, after young activists testified before the committee in early February. Yonhap Gil Won-ok, a victim of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, and Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon look around an exhibition about the issue held at Seoul Center for Architecture & Urbanism in central Seoul to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1919 March 1 Independence Movement, Thursday. / Yonhap I volunteer for Results Korea, a nonprofit organization that operates globally to spread awareness on issues related to poverty. My letter is in repose to a Jan. 23 Korea Times article, "Infectious diseases spread nationwide." The article highlighted the concerning nature of the recent spike in cases of chickenpox, measles and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and the threat to public health this represents. Their resurgence comes as global aid organizations struggle to curb the rise of far deadlier infectious diseases. I am writing to inform your readers of the chance Korea has to change the course of the fight against tuberculosis (TB). TB infection rates are rising globally, and unlike measles, another prominent and deadly infectious illness, it has been resistant to international efforts to slow its spread. Tuberculosis in Korea was eradicated with the help of foreign aid, before which it ravaged the Korean Peninsula during and after the Korean War. During this period, it was the leading cause of death. Thanks to international aid, 96 percent of tuberculosis in Korea was eradicated. Due to its elimination, Koreans think of TB as an infectious disease of the past replaced by measles, RSV and chickenpox. Korea must look beyond its borders and turn now to help those still suffering. Tuberculosis is still common around the world and among infectious diseases it has the highest mortality rate. A third of TB patients do not know they are carriers for the disease, which has stymied attempts to combat its spread. The Global Fund, an organization fighting AIDS, TB and malaria, will have its budget replenished in October 2019 in Lyon, France. Korea's contribution to the fund was just 1/1,000th of its total budget. By increasing its contribution tenfold, Korea can show its dedication to the fight of the spread of infectious disease. Since its creation in 2002, the fund has saved over 2.7 million lives. If not for efforts made in the past on Korea's behalf, Korea could be facing a resurgence of tuberculosis, instead of chickenpox. We hope that Korea will do its part. Jodie-Ann Asher graduate student Yonsei University Seoul Members of the Korea Kindergarten Association rally in front of the National Assembly on Yeouido in Seoul, Monday, against new bills that would impose stronger financial regulations on kindergarten operators. / Yonhap By Lee Suh-yoon Faced with mounting government pressure to improve their financial transparency, private kindergarten owners announced an all-out suspension of operations Thursday, saying they would delay the start of the spring semester indefinitely. The decision, which was announced just four days before the new semester's scheduled start Monday, is likely to bring huge inconvenience to parents of preschool children. "We will delay opening our kindergartens for the new semester until the government changes its stance," Lee Deok-sun, head of the Korea Kindergarten Association (KKA), said in a press conference at the association's office in central Seoul. "The Ministry of Education has refused our calls for dialogue and continued with its persecution of private kindergartens." The KKA warned the delay will continue until the government agrees to scrap three bills targeting kindergarten operations. The bills, currently pending at the National Assembly due to opposition from the Liberal Korea Party, would make private kindergartens use Edufine, a state-run accounting system, as well as ban owners from serving as administrative heads, and subject canteen food to the same standards as public preschools. The KKA has repeatedly lashed out at calls for public accountability, saying private kindergartens should be considered the operator's "private property." However, it said it would take a step back and accept Edufine, which private kindergarten operators were told to adopt following revelations of rampant corruption at privately run kindergartens last October. As to the KKA's move, the ministry said the collective suspension was in violation of the Child Education Act and the Fair Trade Act, saying it will take administrative action against the 2,274 participating kindergartens. Then North Korean leader Kim Il-sung, center, the late grandfather of current leader Kim Jong-un, speaks to a Korean kid at an orphanage in Swider, 100 kilometers north of Warsaw, Poland, in this July, 1956 file photo. Kim paid a visit to the secluded Polish city on the sidelines of his state visit to Eastern Europe. The orphanage once housed 600 Korean War orphans until 1959 since the first batch of 200 Korean children arrived there Nov. 23, 1951. / Photo from Lee Hae-sung South Korean kids believed to be among orphans sent to NK By Kang Hyun-kyung In the wake of the 1950-53 Korean War, many Korean children were mired in the twists and turns of Korea's turbulent modern history. After their parents died on the battlefield, some orphans were discovered and protected by North Korean soldiers and initially sent to North Korea. From there, they were loaded onto a train heading to China, then transferred to another train for their destination in Eastern Europe. The children, aged from 4 to 13, spent their childhoods at orphanages in Eastern European countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic, for years of education and training. They learned local languages and other coursework, as well as North Korean history. All children sent to Eastern Europe during and after the Korean War were repatriated to North Korea by 1959 and participated in the post-war reconstruction of the country. Little is known about their lives after they were sent back to North Korea. There is no accurate information about the number of Korean War orphans in Europe. But some experts estimate it could be nearly 6,000. In South Korea, there have been media reports about North Koreans in Eastern Europe since 1992. And all of the Korean War orphans in Eastern Europe were reported to have come from North Korea. Some experts, however, challenge the long-held view, claiming that South Korean kids were among the orphans sent to Europe in the 1950s. Lee Hae-sung, professor and director of Korean Studies at the University of Wroclaw in Poland, said he has evidence showing some of the orphans were from South Korea. "One of the children I found during my research of the orphans was from Seoul," he told The Korea Times in an email interview. He said her name is Kim Yeon-sook or Kim Young-sook, noting he didn't know which one is correct, mainly because the Polish pronunciation of her name made it harder to conclude which is the right one. "I was told she was raised in an orphanage in Swider, some 100 kilometers north of Polish capital Warsaw. She was among the Korean War orphans sent to Poland. I obtained information about her in 2011 from Ms. Ewa Willaume who was a teacher there in 1958. The Polish teacher had vivid memories of the Korean girl and said she was cute and polite and was talented in music and choreography." Professor Lee Hae-sung, left, interviewed Jozef Browlec, center, former director of the orphanage in Plakowice, Poland, for his research work on Korean War orphans in Eastern Europe. / Photo from Lee Hae-sung Swider is one of the three Polish venues that housed Korean War orphans. The first batch of Korean children arrived in Golotezyzna in 1951 during the war. The orphanages were located in the woods, hardly noticeable from outside the forest. Such secluded venues were chosen carefully to house Korean War orphans because the Polish government at the time reportedly didn't want to let the public know about the Korean children. Back then, Poland was undergoing post-war reconstruction and the Polish government was concerned about a possible backlash from its people for using resources to raise and educate foreign children. Professor Lee said Kim Yeon-sook (or Young-sook) in the picture came from Seoul, South Korea. / Photo from Lee Hae-sung Lee said it's "quite convincing" that some of the children were from South Korea. In the early stages of the Korean War, North Koreans occupied Seoul and other parts of South Korea and then the U.S.-led allied forces pushed them back. While moving back and forth on the Korean Peninsula, North Korean soldiers found many war orphans. It makes sense that some of the orphans North Koreans believed their nationals could have been South Korean children. South and North Koreans are the same race and use the same language. There are no racial or physical traits that can distinguish Southerners from Northerners. Unlike today, South and North Koreans would have had few cultural differences in the early 1950s because the two Koreas were separated in 1945 at the end of World War II. The Korean War broke out only five years after separation of the two Koreas. Jolanta Krysowata, a Polish journalist who unearthed the Korean War orphans in Poland, released the documentary film "Kim Ki Dok" in 2006 and the related book "Feathers of Fallen Angels" in 2013 based on her years of research, first raised that some orphans were South Korean. In director Chu Sang-mee's documentary film "The Children Gone to Poland," Krysowata said nearly half of the Korean War orphans, who were sent to the rural Polish city of Plakowice, were South Koreans. The film tells the stories of North Korean children who were taken to the orphanage in the secluded woods of Plakowice in 1953. The orphanage once housed over 1,200 Korean War orphans. The documentary film sheds light on those children's quick adaptation to the Polish educational environment and their carefree lives there. Krysowata said the orphans had medical checkups after they arrived at the orphanage in Plakowice. According to her, Polish doctors found some children had parasites in their lungs and some parasites were from outside Poland. Later they found the parasites were related to epidemics that occurred in South and North Korea, she said. "Their findings suggest that the children were from both South and North Korea All the children were sent to North Korea, although some of them were South Koreans. I wonder why South Korea has never requested (the North) to send their children back," she said in Polish and her remarks were translated into Korean subtitles. The Korea Times contacted the Polish journalist for further details regarding her claim, but she didn't respond. Eastern European countries are said to have made the offer to take some North Korean orphans after they knew North Korea was grappling with a surge of war orphans. The bloody Korean War had resulted in some 100,000 orphans. Professor Lee said South Korea had an estimated 40,000 or more orphans, predicting the number of orphans would be more in North Korea due to U.S.-led air strikes. In late May 1951, days before North Korea's Children's Day on June 1, then North Korean official Hur Jung-sook, who was in charge of overseas public relations, contributed an op-ed to East European newspapers and pleaded for help for the orphans. Describing the war orphans as child martyrs, she wrote North Korean mothers were in anguish and remained hopeless because there was nothing they could do to help those poor kids. Hur's op-ed appealed to some Eastern European countries and they offered to take care of and train war orphans to be future leaders. The countries that joined the cause include Poland, Romania, Czech Republic and East Germany. China also helped. Dr. Kim Young-ja, also known by her German name Young-ja Beckers-Kim, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the newsroom in Seoul, Feb. 22. Kim and her husband Christopher Beckers are working on the Korea Room project inside Valec Castle in the northwestern region of the Czech Republic to exhibit letters, postcards and photos from North Korean orphans, who studied in the castle in the 1950s, after they were sent back to their home country. The Czech Republic is one of the Eastern European countries that once accepted Korean War orphans for training. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul Digging out once-forgotten Korean War history In South Korea, Korean War orphans, who had gone to Europe for training in the 1950s, were once forgotten history. They were brought to light in 1992 when MBC TV released a video clip, acquired from a Polish TV station, featuring Korean children at an orphanage in Poland in 1951. Since then, some dedicated experts have chronicled the lives of those children to remind South Koreans of the consequences of the war. Kim Young-ja, also known by her German name Young-ja, Beckers-Kim, has been working on a project to establish a Korea Room inside the Valec Castle in the northwestern part of the Czech Republic to commemorate the Korean children. The castle once housed the Korean War orphans in the 1950s. According to her, the entire budget needed to make it happen will be around $10,000. "I will raise funds for the project," Kim, a retired professor of philosophy who lives in Regensburg, Germany, with her German husband, said during a recent Korea Times interview at the newspaper in Seoul. She said the South Korean government would be unwilling to set aside funds for the project because of a possible public backlash. South Korean media outlets reported the orphans were all from North Korea. This fueled skepticism about the Korea Room project because South Koreans would think the country has no good reason to finance the project to commemorate North Koreans. Kim herself also believes all the children, who had studied in Eastern Europe, were from North Korea. But she noted establishing such a facility is necessary because otherwise Korean War history could be forgotten. She said she wrote letters to both South and North Korean embassies in Berlin to move the project forward. "No one answered me," she said with a sigh. Kim came to know about the presence of North Korean children in the Czech Republic five years ago, because of her curious husband Christopher Beckers. "My husband likes the Czech Republic, so he visits the country frequently. About five years ago, he saw a short article about the Korean orphans in a German language newspaper circulated in the Czech Republic," Kim said. "The story awakened him and he has since done research about the Korean orphans." In the Czech Republic, Kim said it was difficult to trace those children. Situated in the northwest of the country, the village of Valec, which houses the castle, was once the venue for Germans who were forced to flee their country during the Hitler era. "After World War II, the Germans were again forced to move back to Germany. So there were few people there who knew about the North Korean children," Kim said. But such an obstacle had not stopped Kim's curious husband. After years of endeavors to reach out to people familiar with the Korean orphans, Beckers finally met a lady who taught the North Korean children in Valec Castle. "She had quite a bit of information about the children and most of them are photos showing the North Korean children. One of them featured North Korean leader Kim Il-sung during his visit to the Czech Republic. She handed over them to my husband," Kim said. The couple plans to exhibit some 50 pieces, including photos and postcards the children sent to Czech teachers after they were sent back to North Korea, if the Korea Room project is established inside Valec Castle. In 2016, U.S. online journalist Ryan Socash, right, made a YouTube video of the Korean children. / Courtesy of Ryan Socash This combined photo shows three freedom fighters based in Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s who launched their own independence movement. From left are Baek Jung-ki, Yun Bong-gil and Kim Ik-sang. / Yonhap This is the first in a series of articles highlighting Korea's independence fighters overseas ED. By Kang Hyun-kyung The March 1 Independence Movement was an inspiring event in history. Reading out the prepared "Declaration of Independence" statement at the Taehwagwan Restaurant in Insadong, Seoul, in 1919, 33 activists announced that Korea must be a free independent state and determine her own fate. Nationwide uprisings then followed. Some 2 million Koreans took to the streets in the peaceful uprisings across the country, calling for "Freedom for Korea." The popular protests continued for three months until May, despite Japan's brutal suppression of the participants. Korea's peaceful, non-violent uprising also inspired Mohandas Gandhi to launch his nonviolence movement against the British colonial rule of India. The March 1 protests, meanwhile, became a turning point in Korea's independence movement. Overseas independence groups gained momentum as freedom fighters migrated to China, Russia and the United States after the popular uprising. Japan's brutal crackdown on the protesters, which led to the deaths of around 7,500 civilians with nearly 16,000 wounded and 47,000 arrested, fanned skepticism among independence fighters. They thought that launching an anti-Japan campaign at home was less likely to bear fruit. Some began to look outside the country to find a new base camp for the independence movement. "Organizers and those who were involved in the resistance movement were arrested and some were tortured to death. The activists who managed to escape arrest and became wanted by the Japanese police realized their years of endeavor to achieve Korea's independence were about to become in vain if they were caught," said Ban Byung-yool, a professor of Korean history at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. "To avoid arrest and continue the independence movement, some crossed the Tumen River to find a home in Vladivostok, while some crossed the Yalu River for China." The northeastern part of China, particularly the greater Manchuria area, and the Russian Far East emerged as favorite foreign lands for freedom fighters because of the Korean diaspora in place there. According to Ban, in the northeastern part of China, there were already some 70 armed groups fighting for Korea's independence. Large groups had 700 to 800 fighters while smaller ones had 200 to 300. Koreans' migration into northeast China and the Russian Far East had begun in the 1860s. In the face of famine and poor crop production caused by extreme weather conditions at the time, Korean farmers relocated to the regions for better lives. Some settled in the northeastern part of China along the border with today's North Korea, while some found new homes in the Russian Far East. Freedom fighters who migrated to these regions after the March 1 Independence Movement teamed up with local Korean groups and launched an armed resistance against Japan. In the face of the stronger presence of freedom fighters in northeast China, Japan sent two brigades there. Tokyo's brutal crackdown and armed clashes with freedom fighters resulted in enormous loss of life on the Korean side. This propelled another migration of freedom fighters. Here, some activists migrated to the Russian Far East to team up with local groups. Meanwhile, some intellectuals chose the United States as their new base camp for the overseas independence movement. "Some freedom fighters went to California via Shanghai," Ban said. Freedom fighters' migration to the United States was noticeable after the March 1 Independence Movement. According to National Archives, 541 Koreans went to the United States between 1910 and 1924. They obtained student visas to, but they were freedom fighters in disguise. In the 1920s, there were two U.S. regions that saw a Korean diaspora the vast majority lived in California and some on the East Coast, particularly in the greater Philadelphia area. "Korean people on the West Coast were migrants from Hawaii. In early 1900s, thousands of Koreans migrated to Hawaii to work as laborer on sugarcane plantations. Later some of them continued on to California for better lives. Meanwhile, Korean people on the East Coast were intellectuals who migrated to the United States from the late 1890s," Ban said. Freedom fighters collaborated with Korean-Americans to protest Japan's colonialism. Unlike freedom fighters in China and Russia who were engaged in armed conflict with Japan, Korean intellectuals in the United States played a key role to raise the awareness of opinion leaders there. They contacted journalists and pastors to inform them of Japan's brutal crackdown on Korea and that its occupation was against the will of Koreans. They also translated the Declaration of Independence and other key documents calling for Korea's independence into English and other languages to help the international community properly understand the situation. Participants of an event to reenact the March 1 Independence Movement take selfies at Hyochang Park in Yongsan, Seoul, Thursday, a day before the 1919 movement's 100th anniversary. A dozen ceremonies commemorating the centennial will take place in Seoul, Friday. / Yonhap By Kim Jae-heun Many parts of Seoul will be filled with shouts of "manse" (short for long live Korea), Friday, as various events marking the 100th anniversary of the 1919 March 1 Independence Movement will be held alongside reenactments of independence rallies. A celebration hosted by the central government will be held from 11 a.m. at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, participated in by President Moon Jae-in and around 10,000 people, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Seoul Metropolitan Government, Thursday. The event will look back at the achievements of independence fighters against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea and their sacrifices in the name of freedom. It will begin with the arrival of people in two rally re-enactment marches, one coming from Dongnimmun, or Independence Gate, in Seodaemun-gu, and the other from the Daehan Gate of Deoksu Palace in Jung-gu. Thirty-three people will march with a military honor guard at Gwanghwamun. They will represent the past, present and future of Korea, including living patriots, family members of independence fighters, victims of sexual slavery and forced labor by the Japanese military, Vietnam War veterans and bereaved families of pro-democracy activists. The participants will also read the Proclamation of Independence, which was read out by 33 cultural and religious leaders on March 1, 1919. The government will bestow the Republic of Korea Medal, the highest national order of merit, posthumously to Yu Gwan-sun, a renowned female independence fighter who took part in the March 1 movement and died in jail in September 1920. Fifty drones will be flown over the city displaying the national flag at noon. More marches, performances and concerts will also be held at Seoul Plaza and Seodaemun Prison History Hall among many other places. A bell-ringing ceremony is slated for 11:30 a.m. at the Bosingak Pavilion. The bell ringers will include Yu's nephew Yu Jang-bu and Lee Chun-sik, a surviving victim of Japan's forced labor. Traffic in central Seoul will be controlled for almost the whole day. All roads between Gwanghwamun and Deoksu Palace, as well as the road in front of Gwanghwamun will be closed to vehicles from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. "Besides the ceremonies organized by the central and city governments, mass rallies are expected at Seoul Station, Namdaemun and Euljiro 1-ga. It is better for celebration participants and the public to use public transportation or detour around the event areas," the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said. South Korean President Moon Jae-in will unveil the details of his new proposal for the future of the Korean Peninsula on the 100th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement, a Seoul official said Thursday. The announcement, coming one day after a second North Korea-U.S. summit, is expected to focus on future economic cooperation between the two Koreas and Seoul's commitment to playing a leading role in the process. On Friday, the president will attend the national ceremony marking the anniversary of the historical protests against Japan's colonial rule across the country in 1919. Japan ruled Korea from 1910-45. President Moon earlier highlighted the importance of the centennial, saying it marks an event when the nation took the matter into its own hands 100 years ago. He says the country will again set the course of its own nation for the next 100 years with the so-called new Korean Peninsula regime. "We will actively prepare for the new Korean Peninsula regime that will move from war and confrontation to peace and coexistence, from factionalism and ideology to economy and prosperity, while standing not in the periphery but at the center of history," he said in a weekly meeting with his top secretaries held at his office Cheong Wa Dae on Monday. The president will unveil the details of the new Korean Peninsula policy in the national ceremony, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said earlier. It will come one day after the historic meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi. Moon has repeatedly welcomed the second U.S.-North Korea summit while expressing hope for progress toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. While he recognizes the need for improved relations between Washington and Pyongyang and a nuclear deal between the two to rid the North of its nuclear ambitions, the South Korean president insists the fate of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula must be decided by the two Koreas. "We are no longer in the periphery of history. I hope we will open a new era with pride and confidence that the strength to decide and open the next 100 years rests in us," Moon said in a Cabinet meeting held Tuesday. The new policy is widely expected to call for active economic cooperation between the two Koreas and freer access of goods and people across their borders that may turn the peninsula into a logistics hub linking countries in South Asia with those to the north and in Europe. To this end, the South Korean president has already introduced the New Southern and New Northern policies, under which he seeks to greatly improve the country's diplomatic and economic relations with all its neighbors. In his telephone conversation with Trump last week, the South Korean president offered to resume his country's economic cooperation with North Korea as an incentive for the North's denuclearization steps that Trump may place on the negotiation table. Trump has agreed to call Moon as soon as his meeting with Kim is over to explain the outcome of their summit. (Yonhap) By Park Ji-won Almost seven out of 10 South Koreans want the resumption of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and tours to Mount Geumgang in North Korea, according to a poll released Thursday. In the poll of 502 adults nationwide conducted by Realmeter, 68.9 percent said they support the reopening of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and resuming of tours to Mount Geumgang, which will only possible after the U.S. eases sanctions on the North. Meanwhile, 26.5 percent said they disagree with this idea. The support rate increased by about 20 percentage points compared to the survey conducted in June 2017, the pollster said. To be specific, other than supporters of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), supporters of ruling and minor political parties agreed with the resumption. The data came amid talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi. It has been largely expected that the U.S. will agree to provide a partial lifting of sanctions to the North in response to the regime's certain denuclearization measures. The inter-Korean industrial park has been closed and reopened several times amid political turbulence. It was the last shut down in early 2016, when the Park Geun-hye administration pulled out all South Korean businesses and their workers as part of its unilateral sanctions against the North. At its peak, the complex housed more than 120 South Korean firms with some 50,000 North Korean workers. Young people care most about education, employment topics at upcoming "two sessions": survey (Photo/Xinhua) BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese young people most care about education and employment topics to be discussed at the annual sessions of China's top legislature and the national political advisory body, the China Youth Daily reported Thursday. A survey conducted by the newspaper found 79.8 percent of the respondents said they are most concerned with education during the "two sessions," followed by employment at 77.1 percent. The survey was conducted among over 49,000 people aged below 40 across the country. The National People's Congress, China's top legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the national political advisory body, will start their annual sessions on March 5 and 3 respectively. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's interpreter Sin Hye-yong is heading to the Metropole hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam, Wednesday. Sin was newly appointed as Kim's interpreter for this second summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam. / Yonhap By Park Ji-won The new interpreter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un came to the stage at the Hanoi summit, replacing former interpreter Kim Ju-song who translated North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's speech during the first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore last June. Accompanying Kim is Sin Hye-yong, according to a press release from the U.S. presidential office on Wednesday. Not much is known about Sin, who hadn't been identified by the media until the beginning of the summit. She made her debut when Kim met with Trump at Hanoi's century-old Metropole hotel where they had dinner together on the first day of the summit. Since then, she has been translating Kim's every word into English for Trump. The interpreter is the only person who is allowed to join the one-to-one meeting between the leaders, and is likely to be highly trusted by the North's regime with her English ability. A North Korean woman worked as an interpreter at the meeting between Kim and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in October, but it is unknown whether it was Sin or not. Previously, Kim was accompanied by Kim Ju-song who is known as a member of the foreign ministry of North Korea. According to the book "Password from the Third Floor" written by Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat who defected to the South in 2016, the interpreter graduated from Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies and worked for the ministry's translation department. Critics say the reason behind the change of interpreters was likely due to the possibility that Trump's female interpreter Lee Yun-hyang, who accompanied the U.S. president for the first summit and this time, attracted media attention as the sole female figure, which somewhat derailed the summit. Lee has worked with the State Department and White House under former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and served Trump last November during a visit by South Korean President Moon Jae-in. She is known to have earned a master's degree in interpretation and translation from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul and received a Ph.D. from the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting at the University of Geneva in 2009. President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump / Yonhap By Kim Bo-eun President Moon Jae-in said he expects a good outcome in talks between the U.S. and North Korea that will follow the second summit between the leaders of the two nations held in Hanoi, Thursday, which failed to produce an agreement on denuclearization. "Because the leaders confirmed each of their stances and discussed details, I expect a good outcome in talks that will follow," he said in a telephone call with U.S. President Donald Trump made on the latter's way back to Washington later in the day, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Trump expressed regret over the failure to reach a deal at the summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, but stated his willingness to continue talks with the North to resolve the denuclearization issue, the presidential office said in a statement. He also asked Moon to play an active mediating role to enable this, and Moon in response pledged to provide as much support as he could. The call lasted for 25 minutes; and took place nine days since their last call on Feb. 19. Meanwhile, the failure to reach a deal on denuclearization steps and corresponding measures is likely to keep inter-Korean economic projects on hold. The outcome of the summit has also posed uncertainty on the North Korean leader's visit to Seoul, which was expected to take place in the coming weeks. The Moon administration had hoped that positive developments in the North's nuclear disarmament and its relations with the U.S. would create a favorable mood for Kim's visit to Seoul. The government hoped for the U.S. to grant a partial easing of economic sanctions on the North for its denuclearization steps, to enable the restart of inter-Korean economic projects such as the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and tours to Mount Geumgang in the North. However, the failure to reach an agreement signals that sanctions will not be eased for the time being. Inter-Korean projects, put on hold for months due to the lack of progress with the North's denuclearization, will likely continue to be deferred. Meanwhile, President Moon is set to speak about his plans for peace on the Korean Peninsula, during a ceremony at Gwanghwamun Square, Friday, marking the 100th anniversary of the 1919 March 1 Independence Movement. At a meeting with aides Monday, Moon said he "will prepare for a new system on the Korean Peninsula, shifting from the past of war and conflict, to peace and coexistence, from political camps and ideologies to prosperity." U.S. President Donald Trump meets Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong (not pictured) at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam, Wednesday. Reuters-Yonhap By Kim Ji-soo With the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea in place in Hanoi, the host country has shown a big hearty welcome with a jolt of pride alongside a high level of security. Young North Korean leader Kim Jong-un received a lot of attention when he arrived in Hanoi, Tuesday. When he left his hotel in the afternoon to visit officials at the North Korean Embassy, the crowd outside cheered. Children at a kindergarten, founded in 1978 with assistance from the North, were seen with North Korean flags painted on their cheeks to welcome the leader. On Wednesday morning, Kim stayed in the hotel while senior officials visited the tourist destination Ha Long Bay, and the major industrial city of HaiPhong. U.S. President Donald Trump disembarks from Air Force One at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Tuesday. AFP-Yonhap Trump arrived late Tuesday on Air Force One, and his motorcade was greeted by streets decorated with American, North Korean and Vietnamese flags, and people crowding in windows to capture his arrival on cellphones. Students from Nguyen Du secondary school wave the U.S. and Vietnamese flags in Hanoi, Wednesday. Reuters-Yonhap U.S. security personnel outside the Presidential Palace scan the crowd Wednesday. AP-Yonhap "Tremendous crowds, and so much love!" the U.S. president tweeted. In many respects, the host country is a safe ground where North Korea could claim its desire to emulate the "Doi Moi" style economic reforms and further strengthen a relationship forged when Kim's grandfather, Kim Il-sung, visited twice some 50 years ago. For the United States, Vietnam is also an illustration of how much a communist nation can achieve through normal ties with the world's superpower. Vietnam's economy is regarded to have taken off in earnest with its normalization of ties with the United States in 1995. Trump iterated in his Wednesday meeting with Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong that Vietnam is a good example for North Korea to follow in developing its economy. Vietnamese policemen sit on stools near the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Wednesday. APF-Yonhap The Korean government is struggling to convince critics that it is not seeking more control over the internet. gettyimagesbank By Jung Min-ho The Korean government is under massive criticism after blocking access to hundreds of porn and gambling sites by opening up user data packets a method some people believe opened the door to China-style internet censorship. The Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), an internet censorship body, said on Feb. 11 that it had blocked access to 895 overseas-based websites with "harmful" content, including Pornhub, the world's largest porn site. While doing so, the KCSC said it used Server Name Indication (SNI), which allows one IP address to serve multiple domain names over https. The move sparked controversy among many people, including computer scientists, over how much control the government should have for the right balance between protecting victims of "revenge porn" a big factor behind the measure and internet freedom. On the Cheong Wa Dae website, a petition against the new rule has garnered nearly 250,000 signatures. "It's regrettable that Korea appears to be following in the footsteps of China to censor the internet," the petitioner said. On Saturday, about 100 people protested at Seoul Station Plaza. Simply put, if anyone tries to access a harmful website using https, the government opens up the data packets to find out the web server the person wants to access. While other information in the data packet is encrypted, the server address is not. Therefore, the government can block such access. Lee Gwan-hoo. Experts share the concern about privacy and freedom of expression. "In my opinion, the idea of opening up user data packets is not desirable and could invade privacy even though most information is encrypted," Lee Gwan-hoo, professor of information technology and analytics at the American University's Kogod School of Business, told The Korea Times. "The reason is that once the packet is open, even the encrypted information could be decrypted if the government finds out the 'private key.'" "In terms of freedom of expression on the internet, the new SNI-based blocking method does not necessarily increase the current level of limiting it because the new method just enforces the existing policy and regulation. However, in principle, the very idea of the government determining which websites are harmful and blocking them is a threat to freedom of expression." Sauvik Das. By Jung Min-ho Cho Hyun-ah, 44, the Korean Air heiress who made headlines around the world for the 2014 "nut rage" incident, is being investigated for allegedly attacking her husband during divorce proceedings. The Suseo Police Station in Seoul said Saturday that investigators started analyzing evidence provided by her husband, surnamed Park, 45, who claims Cho's abusive behavior against him and five-year-old twin sons destroyed their marriage. In a recently released video, Cho shouts "Die! Die!" at Park, who told investigators his wife repeatedly "strangled him" and threw a tablet PC at him, which seriously injured his toe. On Feb. 20, Park said he was preparing for a long legal battle. "I thought it would be better to put up with it, but when my child asked me, 'Dad, would you protect me?,' I was able to get up the nerve (to fight)," he wrote on Facebook. "I'm afraid of standing up to a chaebol family, but as a father, I will protect my children." Cho's lawyers denied the allegations and accused Park of being an alcoholic, which they said was the chief problem in the relationship. Cho said she may sue him for defamation. Park, a plastic surgeon, met Cho in elementary school. The two married in October 2010 and started living separately in May 2017. They have gone through divorce proceedings since Park filed for divorce in last April. A police officer loads seized articles into a vehicle after the search and seizure of Burning Sun nightclub in southern Seoul on Feb. 14. / Yonhap By Kim Jae-heun In the wake of drug-linked rape allegations at a Gangnam-based nightclub, police are set to all-out combat narcotics circulation. According to the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) Sunday, it will conduct a three-month intensive crackdown on drug-related crimes, mobilizing all narcotics agents across the country, until April. "The police will put out all its effort to eradicate crime using illegal drugs through this intensive control," a police officer said. "We will also actively protect the identity of those making reports as they are important in solving the issue at hand and will make sure that they are protected with anonymity." Some 1,063 police officers are likely to take part in the crackdown, including investigators, cyber police and officers in charge of sex crimes. By Lee Min-young A Thai man has been detained after an alleged hit-and-run incident that killed one Chinese and injured four others, police said Sunday. Mokpo Police Station in South Jeolla Province said it is investigating the man, 36, whose identity is being withheld, for allegedly striking five Chinese pedestrians while driving a truck at Sinan about 8:20 p.m. on Feb. 23. He was unlicensed and under the influence of alcohol, police said. After he fled the scene, the victims were brought to a nearby hospital, but a man, 71, later died. Police said the victims were returning home after working at a spring onion farm in the county. The suspect turned himself in to police two hours after the incident. Police said the suspect and the victims were illegal immigrants overstaying their visas. A bronze statue of martyr Kang Woo-kyu stands in front of Seoul Station, Friday. Kang threw a grenade at Japanese Governor-General Makoto Saito in 1919 and was executed the following year. Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon This is the second in a three-part series on historic sites in Seoul related to the By Lee Suh-yoon With the 100th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement just a week away, The Korea Times compiled a list of sites that are easily accessible on Seoul Metro Line 4, running north-south through the city. All the sites are in the old part of Seoul north of the Han River. Out of these, Hyochang Park is located furthest south, 10 minutes by foot west of Sookmyung Women's University Station exit 9. Once a royal graveyard called Hyochangwon, the site was turned into a park by the Japanese governor-general between 1924 and 1940. The park now houses the graves of three martyrs Yun Bong-gil, Yi Bong-chang and Baek Jeong-gi who died in confinement after enacting a series of attacks on Japanese forces and leaders. A fourth grassy mound next to the three martyrs signifies an honorary grave for Ahn Jung-geun, a well-known independence fighter who assassinated Hirobumi Ito, the first resident governor of occupied Korea. Ahn's body could not be retrieved after independence. On either side of the martyrs are the graves of three key figures of the Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai (Lee Dong-nyeong, Cho Seong-hwan and Cha Ri-seok) and the grave of Kim Koo, one of the leaders of the provisional government. Next to the grave is a museum where visitors can walk through Kim's life. This is the second in a three-part series on historic sites in Seoul related to the March 1 Independence Movement in 1919 and other activities for Korea's independence from the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule. ED.By Lee Suh-yoonWith the 100th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement just a week away, The Korea Times compiled a list of sites that are easily accessible on Seoul Metro Line 4, running north-south through the city.All the sites are in the old part of Seoul north of the Han River. Out of these,is located furthest south, 10 minutes by foot west of Sookmyung Women's University Station exit 9.Once a royal graveyard called Hyochangwon, the site was turned into a park by the Japanese governor-general between 1924 and 1940. The park now houses the graves of three martyrs Yun Bong-gil, Yi Bong-chang and Baek Jeong-gi who died in confinement after enacting a series of attacks on Japanese forces and leaders. A fourth grassy mound next to the three martyrs signifies an honorary grave for Ahn Jung-geun, a well-known independence fighter who assassinated Hirobumi Ito, the first resident governor of occupied Korea. Ahn's body could not be retrieved after independence.On either side of the martyrs are the graves of three key figures of the Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai (Lee Dong-nyeong, Cho Seong-hwan and Cha Ri-seok) and the grave of Kim Koo, one of the leaders of the provisional government. Next to the grave is a museum where visitors can walk through Kim's life. President Moon Jae-in pays his respects to key figures of the Korean Provisional Government set up outside the country in 1919 after the March 1 Proclamation of Independence, at Hyochang Park in Seoul on Liberation Day, Aug. 15, 2017. Korea Times file The next stop is Seoul Station. Get out at exit 2 where you will be greeted by a grenade-wielding statue of Kang Woo-kyu, an independence fighter who was executed after his attempt to assassinate Japanese Governor-General Makoto Saito. Follow the wall leading away from the square, past the police station, until you see a small memorial stone just before reaching the post office. The stone roughly marks the site where thousands of students and civilians led the second "manse" ("long live" an independent Korea) rally on the morning of March 5, 1919, four days after the March 1 movement and the Proclamation of Independence. The plaza in front of Seoul Station, then called Namdaemun Station, was teeming with people heading back to the provinces after attending the state funeral of King Gojong, the last monarch of the Joseon Kingdom whose death in January amid rumors he was poisoned by the Japanese fueled the March 1 Movement. Thousands of students who had been hiding from the eyes of Japanese authorities in small alleys and storage rooms around the station flooded the square at once, waving banners that read "Long live an independent Korea." It was the first mass rally that took place after March 1. The rally was entirely organized by students as the 33 religious leaders who signed the proclamation of independence were all locked up. A stone commemorating the second "manse" rally on March 5, 1919, is set up along the sidewalk leading up to Yeomcheon Overpass near Seoul Station, Friday. Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon Using swords and guns, Japanese police broke up the rally after protesters reached the Bosingak pavilion in Jongno. Seventy-five were arrested, according to records. News of the rally at Seoul Station, the capital's main node to the provinces, traveled fast along the tracks. According to one study by Myongji University, "manse rallies" erupted in some 60 counties located along the tracks, and spread to 160 other counties further away. The students' manse demonstration at Seoul Station sparked the first workers-led strike just three days later. Two hundred workers walked out of a printing press factory run by the Japanese government of Korea in Yongsan, shouting manse and waving the Taegukgi, the national flag of Korea. This rally in turn sparked a series of other workers' rallies. Just one day after the strike at the printing press, 120 streetcar motormen stopped operations in Seoul and 500 child laborers at a cigarette facility in Jongno streamed out of the factory to shout "manse." There is no sign marking this first manse rally by workers on site, located a 15-minute walk from Sinyongsan Station and Samgakji Station on Line 4, and now home to Korea Telecom's Wonhyo office. A commemorative stone in front of the Bank of Korea's Money Museum in central Seoul, Friday, marks the site where independence marchers clashed with Japanese military police on March 1, 1919. Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon Travel further up the line to Hoehyeon Station, previously known as Namdaemun Market Station. A short walk to the Bank of Korea's Money Museum out of exit 7 brings you to another nondescript memorial stone. According to the inscription, it's the site where thousands of independence activists clashed with Japanese military police while marching toward the Japanese governor-general's building after the reading of the proclamation of independence at Tapgol Park on March 1, 1919. Hundreds were injured. The next stop is Jangchungdan Park, which can be reached from Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station exit 5. You could also skip the 15-minute walk by switching to Line 3 and getting off at Dongguk University Station. A statue of independence activist Yu Gwan-sun, often referred to as Korea's Joan of Arc, stands at Jangchungdan Park in Jung-gu, Seoul, Friday. Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon Connected to Namsan Park and the Dongguk University campus, Jangchungdan Park was originally the site of Jangchungdan, a shrine Emperor Gojong built to honor Empress Myeongseong who was killed by Japanese soldiers at Gyeongbok Palace, and army generals who died trying to keep out foreign intruders. Colonial Japan took down the shrine in 1910 and made the site into a park filled with cherry blossom trees and statues of Japanese soldiers. The park now hosts commemorative statues of well-known independence fighters such as Yu Gwan-sun and Lee Jun. Simujang, a hanok residence where monk Han Yong-un lived. Courtesy of Cultural Heritage Administration Statues of independence fighters Lee Hyo-jung and Park Jin-hong from Dongduk Girls' High School are inside a women's cell at Seodaemun Prison History Hall in northwestern Seoul, Friday / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul This is the final in a three-part series on historic sites in Seoul related to the March 1 Independence Movement in 1919 and other activities for Korea's independence during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule. By Lee Suh-yoon With the centennial anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement taking place Friday, Seodaemun Prison in northwestern Seoul is bustling with activity. "We're getting weekend-volume visitors on weekdays now," Lee Seung-yun, a curator at Seodaemun Prison History Hall, told The Korea Times during a visit last Friday. Young children, students, and a group of military servicemen milled about the stark grounds and wandered by the cold brick cells of the former prison, now a walk-through museum symbolizing Japanese brutality during its 1910-45 occupation of Korea. Three thousand and seventy people were imprisoned here in 1919 for their participation in the March 1 Independence Movement. They were mostly charged with violating security laws and given sentences of up to 12 years imprisonment. A man passes outside Seodaemun Prison which will host various events for the centennial anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement, Friday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul The sudden influx of political prisoners overcrowded cells and taxed prison resources and personnel. Prison guards could not silence the sudden collective outbursts of "manse!" (short for "Long live an independent Korea") from the activists packed behind the bars, according to records. "In a new movie on activist Yu Gwan-sun, she organizes a one-year anniversary manse rally inside Seodaemun Prison on March 1, 1920," Lee said, waving her hand at cell 8, where Yu stayed inside the women's prison building located near the main entrance. "But it wasn't actually the first such rally. Several manse rallies took place inside the prison then the Japanese simply could not keep all the jailed activists under control." An undated outline of a Korean chessboard is engraved in the floor at one of the cells of Seodaemun Prison, probably used by its past inmates to pass the time. Seodaemun Prison was renamed Seoul Detention Center after Korea's independence from Japan. In 1987, the prison facilities were relocated to Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul The Korea Times' vernacular sister paper the Hankook Ilbo recently unearthed the lyrics of a song Yu sang with other female prisoners while continuing their struggle behind bars. It goes as follows: Whenever the seven knelt to pray to the Lord wearing mud-colored uniforms. Whenever they were thrown two plates with a half-bean rice ball through the window. They prayed with tears of blood. They prayed with tears of blood. Korea lives. Korea lives. Mountains are moved. The sea boils. Korea lives. Korea lives. On April 28, 1920 the day of Crown Prince Yi Un's arranged marriage to Japanese Princess Masako Nashimoto over 2,150 political prisoners were freed from Seodaemun Prison on a special pardon while others had their jail terms reduced. A mirror-panel room is filled with portraits of female independence activists inside Seodaemun Prison. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul A young visitor looks around a temporary exhibition at Seodaemun Prison. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul "It was a very strategic move by Japan painting a symbolic union of the two countries under the Japanese Empire on one hand while easing the unmanageable situation inside the prison on the other," Lee explained. But the royal pardons came too late. Records show dozens of March 1 activists perished within the prison walls from torture, the winter cold and infectious diseases. A multi-purpose prison Seodaemun Prison housed both convicted and yet-to-be convicted political prisoners. For the latter, police questioning and court hearings all took place within the prison walls. Dispatched police officers carried out interrogations in underground chambers that doubled as torture rooms. Today, mannequins and medieval-looking instruments produce a "It was a very strategic move by Japan painting a symbolic union of the two countries under the Japanese Empire on one hand while easing the unmanageable situation inside the prison on the other," Lee explained.But the royal pardons came too late. Records show dozens of March 1 activists perished within the prison walls from torture, the winter cold and infectious diseases.Seodaemun Prison housed both convicted and yet-to-be convicted political prisoners. For the latter, police questioning and court hearings all took place within the prison walls. Dispatched police officers carried out interrogations in underground chambers that doubled as torture rooms. Today, mannequins and medieval-looking instruments produce a vivid rerun of the suffering that took place there. An interrogation room inside Seodaemun Prison / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul A self-sufficient facility, the prison subjected its prisoners to forced labor. Prisoners spent most of their time at one of the 12 textile and clothing factories built alongside the prison buildings. All were taken down now used as adjacent parking lots except for one building preserved along the northern edge. Female and male prisoners slept and worked in separate quarters. In the middle of the grounds stands Gyeokbyeokjang, an enclosed fan-shaped "exercise yard" partitioned with rows of brick walls that prevented prisoners in different cells from talking to each other during brief sun-basking sessions. Gyeokbyeokjang, an enclosed "exercise yard" partitioned with rows of brick walls / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul A grassroots movement The preserved demographic data of the political prisoners taken into Seodaemun Prison in 1919 provides new historical insight for the March 1 Independence Movement. On Monday, Seodaemun-gu Office and Seodaemun Prison jointly published surviving records of 1,014 out of the 3,070 political prisoners who passed through its gates in the wake of the 1919 movement. The three-volume compilation of prisoner registration cards carrying mug shots, date of birth, and profession strips down the popular belief that the movement was led mostly by students and intellectuals. Of the recorded prisoners, 54 percent were farmers. Students, religious leaders and teachers together made up 26 percent. The prisoners came from all corners of society, totaling 80 professions including factory workers, nurses, district officials, police officers, money lenders and even carriage drivers. A three-volume compilation of the remaining 1,014 prisoner registration cards for independence activists held at Seodaemun Prison / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul "Schools and religious circles acted as command centers during the initial planning stages of the March 1 Independence Movement," Lee said. "But what brought about the movement's dramatic expansion afterward was grassroots activism based on regional and familial ties." People in their 20s made up almost 40 percent of these recorded prisoners. Only 33 of the 1,014 prisoners with remaining records were women, as female activists usually supported the rallies from the back rather than the frontlines which were more vulnerable to arrest. Around 230 were arrested for participating in rallies in regions that are now parts of North Korea. Yu Gwan-sun (1902-1920). Student at Ewha Girls' School. Sentenced in July 1919. Died in jail in September 1920. Kim Kyung-hwa (1901-unknown). Student at Paiwha Girls' School. Sentenced to one year in April 1920. Released the same month on a suspended sentence. Twenty-four of the 33 female political prisoners with surviving records are from Paiwha Girls' School. Kim Kyo-young (1858-unknown). Farmer from Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. Sentenced to 18 months in June 1919. Released in April 1920 on a special pardon. Kim Sang-jin (1897-unknown). District office clerk at a town in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. Sentenced to one year in April 1919. Released in April 1920. Kim Wan-soo (1889-unknown). Carriage driver from Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Sentenced to one year in September 1919. Released on special pardon in April 1920. Kim Soon-ho (1902-unknown). Nurse trainee at Namdaemun Severance Hospital Medical School. Sentenced to six months in December 1919. Released on special pardon in April 1920. Min Gui-deuk (1893-unknown). Factory worker in Seoul. Sentenced to six months in September 1919. Released on parole in February 1920. Yoo Yeo-dae (1878-1937). Presbyterian pastor and one of the 33 religious leaders who drafted the March 1 Proclamation of Independence. Organized "manse" rallies at his hometown in Uiju, North Pyongan Province, currently in North Korea. Arrested in March 1919. Sentenced to two years in October 1919. Released in November 1921. Chun Chang-yeo (1888-unknown). Small business owner from North Jeolla Province. Sentenced to eight months in May 1919. Released in January 1920. Chung Ho-suk (1886-unknown). Police officer at Deoksu Palace Police Station. Sentenced to one year in February 1920. Released in May 1920. Cha Jae-nam (1849-unknown). Horse driver from Hwanghae Province and oldest political prisoner on record. Sentenced to 15 months in November 1920. Release date missing. Han Yong-un (1879-1944). Buddhist monk, poet and one of the 33 religious leaders who drafted the March 1 Proclamation of Independence. Arrested in March 1919. Sentenced to three years in October 1920. Released on parole in December 1921. Trump holds a press conference at the Marriott Hotel on Feb. 28, 2019. (Photo/People's Daily) Hanoi (Peoples Daily) Trump holds a press conference at the Marriott Hotel, and the big screen of the Hanoi News Center is showing it live. President Trump said North Korea wants the US to lift the entire embargo, but "we are not ready to do thatWe have to avoid this special problem," he said. "We had a constructive time. President Kim is a person with an interesting personality, our relationship is very strong. However, sometimes you have to go slowly," President Trump said referring to the summit with the North Korean president, affirming that the two sides agreed "the signing of the agreement is not really appropriate". After Trump spoke, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went on stage to announce the details. "We have achieved real progress ... in the past 24-36 hours." But added that the two sides "cannot go to the end of the road" yet. (Photo/People's Daily) Pompeo said he was still optimistic that the US and North Korean teams could continue to meet in the next few weeks. "He has a certain vision, not really the same as our vision, but has come much closer than a year ago," the US president said, answering a reporter's question about the non-vision vision. Reporters asked if President Trump was the one who made the decision to end the discussion with President Kim Jong-Un? "I don't want to say that it's my decision, because what is the purpose of doing that?" The US president answered, "but we will still keep the relationship open." Trump then turned to mention his past achievements, talking about the return of US prisoners in Korea to the US and President Kim's promise of not continuing to conduct particle tests. "I believe he is the same as he said," the president said. (Photo/People's Daily) President Trump said his discussions with President Kim were "friendly" and no one left in anger. "We still love each other, we have a good relationship," he said. "We did not achieve meaningful things for the US. I think President Kim hoped the two sides could agree. We asked him to do more, but President Kim was not ready to do that. However, I'm still very optimistic," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a news conference. He said the negotiations would be very time consuming. "We will continue to work to make progress and achieve the desired world goal of denuclearization of Korea, reducing threats to the people of America and around the world," Pompeo said. "People talk a lot, but for me it must be you need to be ready to give up nuclear weapons," Trump said. America does not give in to demands from North Korea President Trump said President Kim is ready to remove the Yongbyon base, but wants all sanctions to be removed first, something the US president does not want to do. Secretary of State Pompeo later said that even if the Yongbyon facility was dismantled, North Korea still had many other nuclear facilities and arsenal, making President Trump unable to reach an agreement with President Kim. "There are no plans for the next summit," Trump said. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un became the first leader of his isolated country to travel to Vietnam since his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, visited in 1964, when he arrived on Tuesday (February 26) for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Kim's train arrived at the Vietnamese border station of Dong Dang early on Tuesday, where he disembarked to travel the 170 km (105 miles) to Hanoi by car. Top Vietnamese officials were on hand to receive him at the station with a red-carpet including a guard of honour and numerous North Korean and Vietnamese flags decking out the station. Kim's close aide, Kim Chang Son, who has been in Hanoi for several days preparing for the summit, was spotted at the station before Kim's arrival. His sister, who has emerged as an important aide to Kim and travelled with him from Pyongyang, was spotted getting off the train before he disembarked. (Reuters) A young couple with matching expressions stare nervously into the camera with deep brown eyes. He, a Vietnamese student, has just met the love of his life. She, a North Korean, is forbidden to love him back. He was from Vietnam. She was from North Korea. Their story of forbidden love is a bit like Romeo and Juliet, but with a much happier ending. Pham Ngoc Canh was 22 when he first saw Ri Yong Hui. He said he knew instantly that she was the love of his life. PHAM NGOC CANH, 69, SAYING: "I thought immediately to myself that I must marry that girl." In 1967, as Vietnam and the United States were locked in war, 200 Vietnamese students were sent to North Korea. Their mission: gain the skills needed to rebuild the state once the war was over. Canh was one of them. He was apprenticing at a fertilizer factory when he spotted Ri, working in a laboratory. He plucked up the courage to ask for her address. Her friends called him 'Viet Cong.' Vietnamese man Pham Ngoc Canh, (L), and his North Korean wife Ri Yong Hui pose together holding their wedding photograph outside their house in Hanoi on February 13, 2019. - A handkerchief, illicit letters and secret visits -- the first three decades of love between a Vietnamese man and his North Korean sweetheart were counted out in stolen moments and small tokens of devotion. AFP Former North Korean factory worker, Ri Yong Hui, 70,SAYING "I felt sad when we first met - because I knew from the beginning that this would be a love that couldn't come true." Relationships with foreigners were strictly forbidden, by both - North Korea and Vietnam - at the time. It remains banned in the North to this day. Canh took monthly secret trips to visit Ri at her home during his stay but left in 1973. The couple stayed in touch and waited - for over 20 years. Then in the 90s- North Korea was wracked by famine. Canh raised seven tonnes of rice in donations to send to the North... worried that Ri and her people would starve. His efforts touched North Korean officials who agreed the two could marry... and live in either country. In 2002, decades after their first meeting, the two finally wed in the Vietnamese embassy in Pyongyang. And settled in their new life together in Hanoi, where they still live today. Vietnamese man Pham Ngoc Canh, (L), and his North Korean wife Ri Yong Hui walk holding hands in an alley outside their house in Hanoi on February 13, 2019. AFP Now, enjoying freedoms that would be impossible in North Korea, Canh and Ri have high hopes for the upcoming summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, which is set to be in Hanoi. They hope it will be a step towards peace. PHAM NGOC CANH, 69,SAYING: "I think that we have to live to love. There's nothing bad in loving." And, the happy couple say theirs is a love that beat socialism. (Reuters) Marines from Thailand, the United States and South Korea took part in an amphibious assault drill on Saturday (February 16) at a Thai naval base in Thailand. The exercise was part of the 38th Cobra Gold, an annual event attended by soldiers from 29 nations, including over 4,500 soldiers from the U.S, several Southeast Asian nations such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. It aims to strengthen relationships among military personnel throughout countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and also offers the chance for combat officers to exchange techniques and skills Cobra Gold started in 1982 and is now one of the largest Asia-Pacific military exercises held in Thailand every year. The training in recent years has mostly focused on humanitarian and disaster relief. (Reuters) A soldier takes part in the Amphibious Assault Demonstration during the Cobra Gold multilateral military exercise on Hat Yao Beach, Sattahip District, Chonburi Province, Thailand, February 16, 2019. Reuters By Lee Min-young "Often women would say, I'm not ready for this. If someone is even suggesting they should do it, they are ready. Men don't ask themselves these questions," said Helen Clark, New Zealand's 37th prime minister, during an interview with The Korea Times on the sidelines of The Global Engagement & Empowerment Forum held on Feb. 14-15 at Yonsei University, Seoul. Clark, a regularly featured New Zealander in Forbe's list of the world's most powerful women, was the first female prime minister of her country where she served three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008. She was at the helm of the United Nation's Development Program from 2009 to 2017 also the first and only woman to hold the position. Not only has she been playing an important role in achieving gender parity and advancing women's rights by herself being an inspiration for many women around the world, but she also has long been at the forefront of global efforts to increase female representation in politics. Question. Korean society is in a very crucial period of transition with these woman's rights movements gaining ground and issues that have once been neglected are resurfacing with women reacting in a furious and aggressive way. What do you think about these recent developments in Korean society? Answer. I believe it is positive because if we look at underlying factors holding women back, one of them is just straight-out prejudice and lack of respect for women. And to treat women the way some men have treated them in the workplace or other contexts, where sex and gender-based violence is completely unacceptable, and it often creates an atmosphere of fear and limits people's potential. You think of the vulnerability of young women in some of these work situations, where a senior person is doing this to them, they are terrified to say anything. Will it blight their career? But actually their career is already blighted because they are being victimized in this way, so I really applaud the courage of brave women who have spoken up in countries around the world on these issues and we have to make it clear that such behavior is unacceptable. Q. Do you think there could be ways that men could actively be part of this process? A. Well I think a lot of men are part of the process and women would not have been able to get as far as we have without support. If I think back to 1893 in New Zealand, women won the right to vote first in the world. That was voted for by an all-male parliament. Women could not have that without that support. So that tells us how basic it is. And I think most men are positive but there are elements which are resistant. And over time they will decline in number as the new norm becomes that women participate to their full potential. Q. You have served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, which is quite a long time, and you recently were a candidate for secretary general at the United Nations. How did you do all this? How did you make it possible? A. I was the beneficiary of being from a family where there were very high expectations of us as girls. My parents have invested in our education and were very supportive of all the choices that we made. I went to an all-girls school, which was of course very affirmative of girls and their potential. I was part of a generation where girls went to university in equal numbers with boys. So I had expectations that I could do whatever I wanted to do. It proved not always to be easy when I started to pursue a career in politics, but New Zealand made it possible for me to run into glass ceilings. It proved not possible to break through them at the United Nations, but women have to keep trying because someone will go through. And once you set a pattern, that changes everything. In my own country now for more than half of the last 21 years, the prime minister has been female, so young girls and women can look at that position and think, "That could be me. That person looks like me. I'm not just looking at a row of gray suits. People like me can do these things." And that's so empowering. Q. Here in Korea the birth rate is extremely low, which usually comes from fear that if they give birth to a child or create a family they will not be able to keep their careers. In New Zealand, what kinds of discussions are taking place surrounding these kind of problems? A. Firstly, the choice not to have children is a valid choice. I never had children. I did not want to have children. I was very interested in other things in life, including my political career. The current prime minister on the other hand has a baby and that's her decision and I completely support her decision. I think the challenge is to make it possible for women in all parts of society to have that choice. And unless the social provision is good, many women will feel they can't do it. So what I think we have to push for is firstly, proper parental leave when small babies are born so that parents can take a reasonable amount of time out of work without losing their position at work. That's very important. And secondly, when they return to work there must be proper childcare provision; you must be able to put your baby where the baby will be safe and well cared for, well nurtured. But if the social policies are not supporting that then you will continue to see your birth rate down below replacement level. Q. What do you think is the role of influential and empowered women? A. Firstly, the role is to share experience, to support, to mentor and encourage. Also to be clear that it's not easy doing the kinds of things that I've done. I was able to do things with a lot of support from other people and also being prepared to stand up and say yes I would try for that. And I think for women often the issue is to build confidence. Often women would say I'm not ready for this. If someone is even suggesting they should do it, they are ready. Men don't ask themselves these questions. So you have get rid of what's sometimes called the imposter syndrome, where women are doing a certain position and then they feel someone's tapping them on the shoulder and saying, "You shouldn't be here." Yes, you should be here. Never be troubled by the imposter syndrome. I think that is one of the roles I can play now to encourage women to have the confidence to try. By Arthur I. Cyr The highly publicized meeting between President Donald Trump of the United States and leader Kim Jong-un of North Korea, in Hanoi Vietnam Feb.27 and 28, is significant for reasons of history and policy. In November 2017, Trump made an extensive trip through East Asia, including China, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam. Stops included the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, held in Danang, Vietnam. The traditional spelling of this third largest city in the nation is Da Nang, just as the traditional spelling of Vietnam is Viet Nam. Americans do not like empty spaces. We turn unused real estate into productive enterprises. Getting rid of spaces between words speeds up pronunciation. After all, time is money preferably dollars. The fast-moving, fast-talking technocrats who dominated policy during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations brought precisely that perspective to decisions. One result was the vast, destructive Vietnam War. Unfortunately, quantitative measures of dead bodies, enemy weapons and weight of documents captured were not reliable indicators of progress. Given the enormous scale of American firepower, increasing totals meant mainly that the enemy was growing more numerous. Where quantitative measures are central is in the tough and quite tangible world of commerce, trade and investment. APEC is today perhaps the most important intergovernmental network in East Asia to promote those activities. President George H.W. Bush and Secretary of State James Baker deserve great credit for making APEC a firm reality. Australia Prime Minister Bob Hawke conceived the organization. Australia over the decades has moved in the direction of free markets, and a much more explicit national commitment to tolerance, directly reflected in official policy toward indigenous populations. The Obama administration decision to station a U.S. Marine contingent in Australia underscored the strong bilateral ties between the two nations, dating back to World War II. Vietnam hosted the 2006 APEC summit. That gathering provided a useful opportunity to highlight that nation's economic growth and the wider commitment to multilateralism. That nation for understandable reasons was long a special case. For years after Hanoi's military victory in 1975, the newly unified country was unable to turn the corner from political revolution to economic development. Vietnam did not join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations until 1995, nearly three decades after the creation of the development organization. Recent years have witnessed escalation of maritime conflicts across the Pacific. For example, in April 2014 China authorities impounded the Baosteel Emotion, a freighter of Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines. The move was part of commercial claims resulting from World War II. The two nations also both claim the Senkaku Islands. China and Vietnam are traditional enemies, a reality masked by their ideological alliance as Communist partners during the long Vietnam War. Maritime conflicts and occasional violent clashes between these nations continue. There are military security aspects to APEC summits, though the focus is economics. In the 2008 summit held in Peru, Americans and Russians discussed differences over Moscow's invasion of Georgia, and missile developments in Europe and Korea. In 2006, Hanoi honored U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld with a parade. Poignantly, American flags were prominent. The realities of economics challenge communist control in Vietnam as well as China, and now even in North Korea. Yet to succeed in today's commercial Pacific, we must respect basic cultural differences. French journalist Bernard Fall brilliantly analyzed French and American IndoChina wars. In 1967, a landmine killed him in Vietnam. Read his book "The Two Viet Nams." Arthur I. Cyr (acyr@carthage.edu)is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College and author of "After the Cold War." By Choe Chong-dae This year marks the centennial anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement. Accordingly, a variety of commemorative events have been planned by government and other commemoration committees, as well as academic and religious circles. Although the movement started in 1919, more than one century after the French Revolution, there are many similarities between the two historical events in terms of ideals such as liberty, fraternity, egalitarianism, justice and self-determination. Its sacred spirit still remains in our hearts to this moment as a vivid and living memory. Throughout the humiliating and brutal Japanese colonial rule during the decade 1910-1919, Koreans desperately longed to restore their sovereignty. The manifesto of "self-determination" enunciated by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson inspired Koreans to pursue their aspiration to become an independent nation. On Feb. 8, 1919, nine years after Japan had colonized Korea, approximately 600 Korean students in Tokyo issued the declaration of Korean independence at a rally held in the heart of Tokyo. Their ardent pledge to fight against the Japanese colonial reign sparked the independence movement across Korea. The 33 leaders selected to represent the people of Korea signed the Korean Declaration of Independence on March 1. Among them were 15 Cheondogyo adherents, 16 Christians and two Buddhists, with the main leader being Sohn Byung-hi, the third great leader of Cheondogyo. From then on, they led the way with consistent and nonviolent actions against the oppressive Japanese colonial rule. The movement was a nationwide campaign against Japanese colonialism in which a large number of people, irrespective of age, gender, locality, religious philosophy or social mores, joined on the basis of humanitarianism. With a unity of purpose, Korean religious groups, whether Christians, Buddhists or adherents of Cheondogyo, cast aside doctrinal differences and devoted themselves to the peaceful restoration of Korea's sovereignty. It's hard to think of the movement without recalling the great contribution of Cheondogyo's humanistic ideas of egalitarianism and philanthropy. Originally called "Donghak" or Eastern Learning, Cheondogyo (Heaven Way), was established by Choe Che-u, better known by his pen name Su-un in Gyeongju in April 1860 and quickly became Korea's most influential indigenous religion in modern times. Its basic philosophy is that "everybody possesses God in the mind of the people," which proclaims equality against discrimination. It was an attempt to restore dignity to the masses while duly improving their standard of living with a sense of worth. Possessing an established nationwide presence of facilities, Cheondogyo amassed significant grassroots support and lent its organizational experience to the movement. Remarkably, substantial funds from the Cheondogyo treasury were made available to Christian and Buddhist participants, as well as for the independence activities of Korean representatives abroad. Moreover, Cheondogyo printed a large number of pamphlets and posters at its own publishing company, Boseong-sa, for distribution throughout Korea. They lithographed, with hand-carved woodblocks, the Declaration of Independence and a memorandum to the Japanese government. At that time, the Cheondogyo religious movement was quite popular, with more than 2 million followers 10 times as big as the Christian community in Korea, with around 200,000 followers. Thus Cheondo-gyo was well off financially and able to finance the independence movement. They played a critical role in leading a nationwide movement through nonviolent actions centrally planned and executed for Korean independence. Even 25 years before the movement, Cheondogyo, under the leadership of Choe Si-hyeong (pen name Haewol), led the Donghak Peasant Revolution in 1894 against unjust social conditions and abuses of power by the upper echelons of nobles, aristocrats and officials of the Joseon Kingdom. Though the March 1 Independence Movement did not initially succeed in reaching its paramount goal of national independence, the experience and memory of the movement became a spiritual foundation for fierce struggle for independence against Imperialist Japan throughout the Japanese colonial period. Consequently, it was significant in strengthening national unity, leading to the establishment of the Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai, China. Furthermore, it's noteworthy that the movement played a significant role in bringing the issue of independence to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, resulting in worldwide attention which helped lead to Korea's liberation in 1945. To the world the movement was the voice of Koreans' longing for freedom and national unity. Behind Korea's subsequent democratization and globalization was the spirit born from that movement. Since the March 1 Independence Movement, there have been many other democratic movements such as the April 19, 1960, Revolution which overthrew the authoritarian regime of Syngman Rhee; the Gwangju Uprising, the pro-democracy movement of May 1980; the nationwide demonstrations for democracy in July 1987; and the massive candlelight rallies in 2016-2017 which resulted in the toppling of the Park Geun-hye government. While the historical circumstances of these movements may differ, their original roots against injustice can be traced back to Cheondogyo (Donghak) principles of egalitarianism and respect. The philanthropic mission of Cheondogyo to the March 1 Independence Movement should not be undervalued. Choe Chong-dae (choecd@naver.com) is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and director of the Korean-Swedish Association. By Joschka Fischer BERLIN U.S. President Donald Trump has proved truly disruptive to the transatlantic relationship. His questioning of America's mutual-defense commitments presents NATO with an ominous and potentially existential crisis. The U.S. security guarantee, after all, is one of the two pillars upon which European peace and prosperity have rested since the end of World War II. And nor has Trump spared the second pillar: the rules-based global trade system and economic order. Just two years after Trump's election, Europeans find themselves shivering alone in the icy winds of international politics, rightly wondering what is to be done. It stands to reason that Europe must deepen its internal bonds, close ranks, and strengthen its military capacity. Some might question whether this is what Europeans truly want, given that we are living in the age of Brexit, which will deprive the European Union of its second-strongest military and economic power. But just because the British don't seem to know what they want doesn't mean the rest of Europe is in the same boat. In fact, most Europeans favor a stronger, more powerful EU with a joint security policy. The big exception is Germany. As the EU's economic engine and most populous member state, there can be no joint security policy without the country that sits at the very heart of Europe. But it is an open question whether achieving joint European security with Germany's participation is even possible. Europeans must not allow wishful thinking to obscure important facts, as happened when the European Monetary Union was being formed in the 1990s. From the start, there were pronounced differences between individual member states not only with respect to economic and fiscal policy, but also in terms of political culture and mentality. Nonetheless, willful ignorance prevailed, and the monetary union was launched without the integrated political institutions that such a project requires. The EU must not make this mistake again. Today, the main fact that cannot be ignored is that a joint security policy will require a compromise between Germany and France, the two largest and most powerful member states. Such a compromise will not come easily. The two countries' political mentalities, historical narratives, and geopolitical interests are simply too far apart, and in many cases diametrically opposed. Still, owing to its particular history, Germany poses the bigger obstacle, even if its official rhetoric suggests otherwise. For its part, France's traditional self-image reflects its long history as a great European power, even if that era and Europe's global dominance generally has passed. As a nuclear power and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, France views its military actions and arms exports not as moral failures but as the prerogatives of a world power conducting foreign policy. The genius of Charles de Gaulle was to claim the status of a victorious power for his country after World War II. Doing so invited French citizens to forget the Vichy regime, the defeat by the Nazis in 1940, and the internal political rifts of the 1930s. It was thanks to de Gaulle that France maintained its historical course. The same cannot be said for Germany. During the 20th century, Germany made two bids for European hegemony and world domination, and the price it paid was its own destruction, to say nothing of Europe's. Its sense of historical continuity was demolished in 1945, at which point its culture and traditions were devalued and its territorial integrity destroyed. Germany became synonymous with aggression, terror, and genocide. Postwar Germany abandoned military-based power politics and foreign adventurism, and concerned itself primarily with economic development. Germans simply saw no other way to gain re-entry to the democratic West, let alone reclaim political sovereignty. This strategy culminated in the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990. With the shift away from power politics in 1945, Germans on both the left and the right became pacifists. And to this day, many Germans remain deeply and emotionally committed to neutrality, despite many decades of European integration and NATO membership. This has been particularly true in the post-reunification period, owing in no small measure to America's security guarantee and willingness to manage the dirty business of power politics on Germany's behalf. But this cozy division of labor, like the American-led postwar order, came to an end with the election of Trump. A German return to traditional power politics certainly has its risks. But the alternative is to maintain the status quo and forego a joint EU security policy. A policy consisting of more than lofty words necessarily implies a deepening of political integration in the name of European sovereignty. Without common export rules, for example, there can be no meaningful cooperation on European armaments development, let alone more far-reaching and ambitious projects. Germans are currently engaged in an intense debate over defense spending, which must rise to 2 percent of GDP by 2024 to meet the country's NATO commitments. Given the foreseeable geopolitical risks on the horizon, in the absence of a joint EU security policy, German defense spending would have to rise even higher to make up for the U.S.'s withdrawal from Europe. Needless to say, Germany's rearmament on its own would raise many questions and historical concerns. Rearmament with and for Europe and NATO, however, would be a completely different matter. One way or another, Europe must grow stronger. It is in everyone's interest that Germany be productively engaged in that process. Joschka Fischer, Germany's foreign minister and vice chancellor from 1998 to 2005, was a leader of the German Green Party for almost 20 years. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org). No agreement reached at Hanoi summit The second U.S.-North Korea summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, Vietnam, came to an abrupt close Thursday without any agreement being reached. The Hanoi summit failed to meet the worldwide expectations to produce a more specific outcome than the first Trump-Kim summit in Singapore in June 2018, as the two sides were unable to narrow the persistent gap in their denuclearization negotiations. Things started to look bad with the cancellation of a planned lunch and the signing of a joint statement that was supposed to be known as the Hanoi Declaration. The two leaders returned to their respective hotels Thursday afternoon after meetings earlier in the day. The turn of events has shocked the world since the two leaders started their encounter in Vietnam on a very positive note. The two leaders kicked off their highly anticipated summit with friendly words for each other, with Trump emphasizing his "good relationship" with Kim. Kim stressed his determination for good results, saying he would not be there if he did not have the "will to denuclearize." But the talks looked shaky when they showed glaring differences, such as when Trump said he was in no hurry for denuclearization, but Kim said that for him, timing was important. Such discrepancies reflected the lack of sufficient coordination prior to the summit. There are many factors that contributed to the summit's collapse, but the main reason is that the two sides failed to reach a realistic compromise. The U.S. has wanted North Korea to commit to more concrete measures for denuclearization, such as the verified dismantlement of its Yongbyon nuclear facilities and more. But Kim's priority lies in rebuilding North Korea's economy and demanding the lifting of sanctions that have greatly hampered its economic growth. It is also unfortunate that the talks came amid a political crisis for Trump, who is being attacked for a wide range of scandals. As he was visiting Hanoi, Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal lawyer, testified on Capitol Hill about Trump's alleged wrongdoings while in office during a hearing of the House Oversight and Reform Committee. These circumstances were not conducive for Trump to concentrate fully on the talks with Kim. Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a press conference before leaving Vietnam. They called the talks "productive"and showed their willingness to continue to forge good relations with North Korea. But they stressed that sanctions will remain until they are able to achieve denuclearization on their terms. The most worrisome aspect is that Pyongyang could react in a hostile way following the collapse of the talks. To prevent such an unfortunate situation, the U.S. and North Korea must keep up their negotiations for peace on the Korean Peninsula. The failed Trump-Kim talks place South Korea in a difficult situation as well. Moon had been hoping for a successful summit to pave the way for Kim's visit to Seoul in the near future. Seoul should pay keen attention to the situation and come up with corresponding strategies rather than pushing too hard for Kim's visit to Seoul or inter-Korean economic cooperation. By Donald Kirk HANOI The slogan, "Hanoi, City for Peace," would have seemed unimaginable when I was a correspondent in Saigon at the height of the Vietnam War nearly half a century ago. This capital of what we then called "North" Vietnam was the heart of a desperate surge southward that is still not entirely understood. The face of the drive was communist but the motivating force was an historic nationalist desire to reunify a nation that had inexorably expanded southward centuries before. So doing, the Vietnamese had resisted Chinese control, had overrun the Cambodian or Khmer kingdom in the Mekong River delta, and then all but destroyed the Cham civilization that had also once flourished in the south. The fierce instinct for unity fed the war against the French colonialists that culminated in their defeat at Dienbienphu, the artificial division of Vietnam between two Vietnams in 1954 and unremitting warfare against U.S. forces and the Saigon regime that finally collapsed nearly half a century ago. Against this background, it is almost unreal to be visiting here in an atmosphere not only of peace but of U.S.-Vietnamese friendship that had once seemed totally impossible. The atmosphere is made all the more incredible by the sight of the flags of Vietnam, the U.S. and North Korea testifying to Vietnam's emergence as a strong and prosperous country eager for friendship on all sides. It would be a mistake, however, to compare the experiences of Vietnam and North Korea. Yes, they are both communist countries, dominated by powerful central party rule, but Vietnam has long since gone capitalist with private enterprise flourishing on innumerable levels. The GDP of Vietnam increased by an amazing seven percent last year even as the government expanded relations with the United States, seen as a foil against Chinese domination. North Korea, in stark contrast, remains so tightly controlled that private markets have to flourish illegally or semi-legally for the sake of survival while legitimate large-scale private enterprise is largely unknown. Kim's switch to emphasis on economic development is more talk than substance even if he's not ordering nuclear tests. The contrast is even more striking when one considers the differences between latter-day South Korea and the entity we knew as "South Vietnam" during the Vietnam War. South Korea's economy is now the 12th-biggest in the world, defended by a military establishment that's capable of withstanding attack from the North. South Vietnam was never more than an economic dependency of the U.S. even if the Vietnamese entrepreneurial spirit was evident then, as now, in the South as well as the North. South Korea today is so strong economically that for sure North Korea is going to need lots of aid and investment beginning with construction of roads and railroads. All the while Kim Jong-un holds a club over the South in the form of a nuclear-and-missile program that threatens the region. Which leads to the overwhelming difference between North Korea and Vietnam today. North Korea's nuclear program makes it a rogue nation, breathing defiance for no reason other than to bolster the ego of a despotic dynastic ruler. Unlike North Korea, Vietnam has never wasted its resources on nukes and missiles or left its people to go hungry while sending tens of thousands into prison camps and kidnapping hapless victims from South Korea and Japan. In theory, North Korea might share Vietnam's suspicions, sometimes hostility, toward the overweening power of China. While Vietnam stood up against the Chinese in a border war 40 years ago, however, Kim has prostrated himself before China's President Xi Jinping in visits to Beijing with his wife, sister, aides and advisers, looking for Chinese assurances and support. Besides defying China decades ago, Vietnam has sought to counter China's claims over the South China Sea. That's a bold, risky policy in which Vietnam is ill-equipped to compel the Chinese not to exploit resources of oil and gas within its territorial waters. For that reason alone, Vietnam needs military ties with the U.S. that would have seemed the stuff of fantasy when I was writing about the war from Saigon in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Yes, Saigon is now "Ho Chi Minh City," named for the founder of modern Vietnam, but it's a commentary on life in Vietnam these days that a younger generation that never knew the war still tends to call it Saigon. Vietnam may not be a "free country" politically, but the Vietnamese enjoy a degree of real freedom that North Koreans can only fantasize. Donald Kirk (www.donaldkirk.com) wrote two books and hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles about the Vietnam War. GENEVA, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRC) on Monday jointly pledged to step up action to prevent, end and respond to sexual and gender-based violence in and around conflict. Through their work in conflict zones around the world, the two organizations said they see the enormous and lasting damage caused by sexual and gender-based violence, which is used as a tactic of war to dehumanize victims and destabilize entire communities and societies. "Throughout my years at UNHCR, [the UN Refugee Agency] I was frequently horrified by first-hand accounts of sexual and gender-based violence in war zones, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the former Yugoslavia," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "Last year in Bangladesh, Rohingya refugees told me of the gang-rape of women and girls in their homes before they fled Myanmar. And earlier this month, we heard of brutal sexual violence, including the rape of at least 130 women and girls, in South Sudan between September and December last year," he said. Guterres said that the world is growing ever more aware of sexual and gender-based violence in and around conflict and it must do more to prevent it and to hold the perpetrators to account. The world needs to remember that all forms of violence against women, including domestic abuse, increase in situations of armed conflict and displacement, he said. ICRC President Peter Maurer said, "Too often sexual atrocities are accepted as an inevitable by-product of war. This must end." "The law is clear: rape and other forms of sexual violence are a violation," he said, adding that the UN and the ICRC were pledging to do better for the survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. The two leaders were accompanied by Julienne Lusenge, who works with survivors of wartime sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). "It is time to stop using women's bodies as battlefields," said Lusenge. "I am pleased to join my voice with the United Nations and Red Cross Red Crescent movement, to emphasize the need for direct and adequate action. "Direct support to grassroots women's organizations will enable us to treat victims and survivors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo within hours and provide them with access to legal services, transforming them from victims into agents of change and protectors of humanity." A hand bears the mark of an election stamp on the day of the June 13 local elections last year. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar By Jon Dunbar A letter arrived in the mail from Elections Canada, Feb. 14, confirming my right to vote in Canadian elections from overseas has been restored. This may sound crazy, but until last month Canadian citizens living overseas for more than five years didn't have the right to vote. Because we've been gone for so long, it was argued we don't have a vested interest in the politics of our country of origin. Last year, after Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, China arrested two notable Canadian nationals within its territory, seemingly in retaliation. One was my friend, Michael Spavor. Michael remains in Chinese custody on absolutely meaningless charges of endangering Chinese national security, seemingly because his home country government dared to carry out an arrest as requested by America. Meng is on bail in her Vancouver home while the U.S. calls for her extradition. The Canadian government is struggling to make contact with Michael and working to secure his release. So don't tell me overseas Canadians don't have a stake in our country of origin. I have been a Canadian resident of South Korea for 15 years, and while Canada has suppressed my voting rights for years, Korea has invited me to vote in three local elections since 2012. In recognition of the growing importance of multiculturalism here, the government in 2005 allowed for permanent residents to vote in local but not national elections, after holding an F-5 visa for three years. My first time voting was in the 2012 legislative election, where I was constrained from voting in almost all categories but one or two local races. I joined a long line at a school in Yeonhui-dong to cast my vote, and not one single person in line with me or working the polling station batted an eye at this white foreigner voting. Voters decorate their hands with the ballot stamps to advertise that they'd voted, something I learned after it was too late. I walked away with stamps on my hands in the Seoul mayoral elections in 2014 and 2018, both highly consequential elections. I was able to vote for mayor, local district representative, proportional representation in which I just select a political party, and education office head. Both times, I did my research in advance and made informed choices. It does make sense that people like me can participate in selecting community leaders who have a direct influence on our local communities, but at the same time cannot vote in national or federal elections of a country in which we are not citizens. I only wish my home country, Canada, had been as reasonable. In 1993, Canada enacted a law that disenfranchised any Canadians who had lived abroad for over five years, but it wasn't enforced strictly until the 2006-15 Stephen Harper government. After being barred from voting in the 2011 federal election, Jamie Duong and Gillian Frank, two Canadians living in the U.S., challenged the law in court and won in 2014, but the Conservatives appealed and once again barred overseas Canadians from voting in the 2015 federal election while the legal battle continued. Harper's opponent Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau's winning campaign platform included a pledge to reform elections so all Canadians could vote. But after Trudeau won, there was little progress in overseas voting rights for years. Electoral reform looks less attractive once you're the party in power. We've seen a similar phenomenon in Korea's political candidates who promise electoral reform and constitutional amendments, only to give up when they take power. Citizenship does not rub off, and when you go abroad you do not leave your nationality behind. We carry Canadian passports. Our visas are hinged on our citizenship. We represent Canada in our countries of residence, except when they mistake us for American. We breathe the air that is polluted by fossil fuels like that which my home province of Alberta continues to dig out of the ground. I fulfill my duties as a taxpayer according to the Korea-Canada tax treaty. And, as seen by my friend Michael's imprisonment, our wellbeing and security hinge on the international reputation and actions of our home country. Fortunately, the Supreme Court ruled Jan. 11 that the blatant unconstitutionality of the voting restriction was, in fact, a problem, calling our right to vote a "core tenet of Canadian democracy." I hope Michael, after he is cleared of all charges and released, takes solace that during his months-long Chinese imprisonment, the Supreme Court restored his right to select his political representatives, even if he chooses not to return to Canada. Canadian election system Canadian elections work differently from Korean ones. Canada is divided up into federal electoral districts called ridings, and you vote for the representative in your riding. Whichever party wins in the most ridings reserves the right to select the prime minister. Trudeau himself had to run in a local election for Papineau, a riding in Montreal, Quebec. So if you live in Papineau, a multicultural district with 47 percent of residents claiming their first language is neither of Canada's two official languages of French and English, then Trudeau is your Member of Parliament. Thus, in restoring our right to vote, we must register a Canadian address for voting purposes, which could be: your last Canadian address where you lived before leaving the country; the current home address of a spouse or common-law partner; a relative of yourself, your spouse or your common-law partner; a person you are a dependant of; or a person you would live with if you were living in Canada. This system makes it extra difficult to justify overseas Canadians voting. While we deserve federal representation, I don't really need to vote for city mayor or provincial premier. The perfect solution to this is staring me in the face whenever I stamp a Korean ballot: Introduce a partial proportional representation system, where we don't vote for a local riding, but for a political party, and that determines how many proportional representative seats each party wins. Canada was considering electoral reform to introduce proportional representation, but Trudeau has backed down from putting it to a referendum. Nobody gets everything they want in politics, and now that I've won the right to vote in not one but two countries, I'm happy to once again share my opinions in the form of an electoral ballot. Jon Dunbar ( ) is a copy editor of The Korea Times. Former PM hit for discrediting impeachment of Park It is hard to understand why former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is running for the leadership of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, has attempted to make the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye null and void. Hwang should realize his attempt is nothing more than defiance of the rule of law and a negation of the democratic system of the nation. Hwang must have gone too far in wooing votes from stalwart supporters of Park who was ousted from power for her involvement in a massive corruption scandal. He might feel like defending the disgraced former head of state only because he was the prime minister under Park's rule. He was also her justice minister after building his 28-year career as a prosecutor. Hwang also served as acting president until the May 2017 inauguration of President Moon Jae-in from the National Assembly's passage of the impeachment motion against Park in December 2016. He received reports regularly about the prosecution's investigation of the ousted president and her confidant Cho Soon-sil. Thus, few could know about the corruption case better than Hwang. For this reason, it is surprising to see Hwang claim the impeachment process lacked legitimacy. He even raised the possibility that the evidence found on the tablet PC of Choi might have been fabricated. It is nonsense to question the validity of the evidence which was the smoking gun in impeaching Park and convicting her and Choi for abuse of power and corruption. Hwang had maintained a low profile about Park's impeachment until recently when he joined the race to elect a new leader of the LKP, whose predecessor was Park's then-ruling Saenuri Party. Now, Hwang has revealed his true colors in his bid to take the helm of the LKP. During a televised debate with two other candidates Feb. 19, he expressed his opposition to her impeachment. He implied it was improper to impeach the president for political reasons without compelling evidence. He did not stop here. When asked about the possibility of the evidence on Choi's tablet being fabricated in another televised debate Feb. 21, Hwang made an affirmative answer. But it is a wrong answer because both the district court and the appeals court confirmed the validity of the evidence proving Park's collaboration with Choi in abuse of power and corruption. Hwang is in blind pursuit of his political ambition. He appears to believe his total disregard for the court decisions might help rally far-right supporters of Park behind him in the race. But he risks going against the rule of law and democratic principles. Hwang's ludicrous remarks reflect his party's tendency to tilt toward the extreme right. Three LKP lawmakers have come under criticism for dismissing the May 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy movement as a riot instigated by North Korean commandos. One of them is Hwang's rival candidate Kim Jin-tae. The LKP decided to expel another lawmaker Lee Jong-myeong from the party, but the public's outcry is growing over the anachronistic remarks. More worrisome is that the LKP has increasingly lost its ideological identity as a conservative party since Park's impeachment. This loss seems to lend support to far-right extremists who are trying to reinstate Park's honor. If it elects such a figure as Hwang in Wednesday's party convention, the LKP has no future. This will only deepen the public's distrust and speed up the disintegration of the party which has already been mired in factional struggles. Government advised to undo ex-president's four rivers project A joint panel of officials and private experts recommended Friday that two of five weirs built along the Geum and Yeongsan rivers be dismantled to improve their water quality and ecosystems. This recommendation has significant implications because President Moon Jae-in is trying to keep his campaign promise to backpedal on the Four Rivers Restoration Project carried out by former President Lee Myung-bak. The proposal announced by the Four Rivers Survey and Evaluation Planning Committee calls for the dismantlement of the Sejong Weir on the Geum River in the central part of the country and the Juksan Weir on the Yeongsan River in the southwestern region. The panel proposed the partial dismantlement of the Gongju Weir on the Geum, while suggesting that the Baekje Weir on the Geum and the Seungchon Weir on the Yeongsan be opened permanently. The committee established by the Ministry of Environment made the announcement based on its months-long studies on the water quality and ecosystems surrounding the five weirs as well as their economic benefits, water management and use for drinking and irrigation, and local residents' views on the project. The ministry plans to make a final decision on whether to accept the recommendation in July after reflecting different opinions about it. However, it may face difficulties in the decision-making process because both environmental activists and local residents are against the panel's proposal. Environmental civic groups argue that the suggestion is not good enough to revive the aggravated water quality and ecosystems. They call for the complete dismantlement of all the weirs. On the other hand, some farmers along the rivers are against the proposal, saying the destruction of the weirs will cause a lack of water for agricultural use. That's why the ministry will have to make strenuous efforts to arbitrate conflicting interests and reach a consensus on the rectification of the four rivers project. In fact, the Lee administration recklessly pushed for the project by spending 22 trillion won ($19.5 billion) during his 2008-13 rule. Then President Lee ignored strong opposition to the project and pushed for it in a bulldozer style under the name of restoring the four major rivers, including the Han and the Nakdong. All 16 weirs were built on the four rivers. But they have slowed the flow of the rivers, causing the spread of harmful blooms of algae which deteriorated water quality. The Moon government should decide on how to undo the project based on a cost-benefit analysis as well its effects on the ecosystems. The panel's proposal for the dismantlement of the weirs is estimated to cost 175.2 billion won. It should not lead to another waste of taxpayers' money. To be clear, the backpedaling of the project should not be politically motivated to erase the legacy of Lee or Park Geun-hye, who was ousted from power for a corruption scandal. Instead it must be aimed at letting the rivers flow again and restoring nature. Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Chairman Park Yong-maan, speaks during a luncheon attended by lawmakers and municipal chamber of commerce chairmen at an annex of the National Assembly on Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday. On Park's right is National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang. Courtesy of KCCI. By Baek Byung-yeul Chung Eui-suk, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics Samsung Electronics recently wowed the world with the launch of its Galaxy Fold foldable smartphone. The firm said it thinking of developing "rollable" and "stretchable" smartphones to continue to lead the industry trends with new form factors. During the Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade fair in Barcelona, Chung Eui-suk, executive vice president and head of the software and artificial intelligence division at Samsung, recently said the future forms of smartphones could even be rollable or stretchable models which can be "stretched to go from a smartphone to a tablet" "We are proud to have introduced Samsung's first-ever foldable smartphone, and we are excited about what's next from foldable to roll-able and even to stretch-able," he said. "New device designs that can be folded in multiple ways are no longer beyond the realm of possibility and Samsung is ready to usher in these options and create meaningful experiences for consumers that help them do more of what they love." Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Fold foldable smartphone / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics Bodyfriend headquarters in Dogok-dong, Seoul / Courtesy of Bodyfriend By Nam Hyun-woo Bodyfriend CEO Park Sang-hyun poses at an event to celebrate the company's 10th anniversary in this March 2017 photo. / Courtesy of Bodyfriend By Nam Hyun-woo The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) is searching for innovative companies in Korea for the chamber's 2019 Innovation Awards, according to KGCCI Wednesday. The chamber held a kick-off event for its fifth Innovation Awards in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and announced it had begun searching for this year's most innovative companies. The annual event was initiated in 2015 with the purpose of fostering innovative ideas and strategies of companies that are active in Korea. Since participants can take advantage of the strong business network of the KGCCI, the awards are regarded as a chance to promote trade and business ties between firms in the two countries. "Past successes are important but innovations create the future of companies and even countries," KGCCI President & CEO Barbara Zollmann said. "It is not always about disruptive innovations. Small but crucial innovations can decide about entering new markets or transitioning of an old business model to a new one, bringing value to the company and society." The winners of the KGCCI Innovation Awards are selected and evaluated by a high-ranking German/Korean jury with members representing business, academia and research. The ideas and strategies are evaluated under four criteria such as degree of innovation, proven success in the market, positive effect to the company and benefits for society. The applications for this year's awards are open from March until May. After the evaluation period from June to August, the KGCCI will hold an award ceremony on Sept. 27. Four companies were awarded last year. Domestic bedding brand Allerman was awarded for "Innovation in Business," global technology and service provider Robert Bosch Korea was awarded for "Innovation in Digitalization," domestic lighting startup Lumir was awarded for "Innovation in Sustainability" and connected car service company OWiN was awarded with the Chairman Award. "For the sixth consecutive year, Korea is on top of the Bloomberg Innovation Index followed by Germany on second in 2019," KGCCI Chairman and Bayer Korea President Ingrid Drechsel said. "This is a perfect fit to launch the 5th KGCCI Innovation Award in Korea. We hope to find innovative ideas and companies and to support them in realizing and accelerating their business in Korea as well as in a global market." Michel Combes, CEO of Sprint, speaks during the presentation of the new LG V50 ThinQ 5G smartphone at the Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona, Spain, Feb. 24. The fair started with press conferences on Sunday, before the doors open on Feb. 25 and runs until Feb. 28. AP LG Electronics Inc. introduced its first 5G smartphone with a detachable secondary screen and a 4G flagship model during a launch event in Barcelona on Sunday, joining the latest industry trend to showcase next-generation connectivity devices and new form factors. The South Korean consumer electronics giant unveiled the V50 ThinQ that supports 5G networks alongside the 4G-based G8 ThinQ on the eve of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona, the biggest mobile show of the year. The move highlights the company's determination to turn the fate of its money-losing mobile business through innovation. While LG previously launched the G series in the first half of the year and the V series in the second half, the company has changed its strategy this time around by launching them at the same time. The company hopes this will allow it to better position itself in the fast-changing mobile market. The V50 is the company's first 5G phone and is set to debut in time for the commercialization of the ultra-high-speed network in South Korea and the United States in the first quarter. "LG's first 5G handset will exceed expectations, offering uncompromising reliability, and allow users to experience high-quality content at 5G speeds that can deliver up to 20 times the speed of 4G," LG said. The handset maker introduced a dual screen as an optional accessory for the 5G model to double the screen real estate. This, it said, can enhance the gaming and multitasking experience of the device. In select games, the dual screen can be used as a dedicated controller, resolving the problem of thumbs getting in the way of the action. Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 855 chipset along with X50 5G modem will power the V50 to support high-resolution games and data-heavy applications without latency. The phone with a 6.4-inch OLED full vision display is equipped with a 4,000 mAh battery, 20 percent larger than its previous model, and uses vapor chamber technology to better disperse heat that can impair the performance of the high-function phone. LG said it will partner with 10 major carriers in major markets where 5G service will be launched this year, including the United States, South Korea, Australia and European countries. During the event held at the Barcelona International Convention Centre with media representatives and global partners, LG also announced its 4G flagship model, the G8 ThinQ. Lee Seok-ho, country manager of Symantec Korea, speaks during a press conference at the Mercure Ambassador Seoul Gangnam Sodowe hotel, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Symantec Korea By Baek Byung-yeul Korean telecom firms SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus are being urged to invest more in cybersecurity as connected devices running on fifth-generation (5G) network services can be more vulnerable to cyberattacks, said a country manager of U.S.-based cybersecurity firm Symantec, Tuesday. "While a growing number of people are using internet of things (IoT) devices, these products are vulnerable to cyberattacks," Lee Seok-ho, country manager of Symantec Korea, said during a press conference in Seoul. "We presume this could be worse in the upcoming 5G network era. Though Korean telecom firms are expanding their investments in building infrastructure for 5G networks, they seem to be less interested in investing in improving cybersecurity." Kim Bong-hwan, senior manager of the firm's systems engineering, explained IoT devices in the 5G era will likely to be exposed to more cyber threats because those devices are connected directly with the 5G network. "Currently those IoT devices are connected with users' home WiFi routers but more and more devices will be run directly on 5G networks. This makes it hard for cybersecurity firms to detect and block cyberattacks as they need to cover every device," Kim said. Symantec held the conference to announce its annual Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR) to give an overview of the latest trends in cybersecurity threats. The firm analyzed data from its Global Intelligence Network, which records, monitors and blocks cybersecurity attacks in more than 157 countries. Kim also said more firms should be aware of a new type of cyberattack called "formjacking." "Formjacking attacks happen on retailers' websites where cyber criminals inject malicious code to steal shoppers' payment card details," Kim said. Symantec blocked more than 3.7 million formjacking attacks on endpoint devices in 2018. And nearly a third of all the new type of cyberattacks occurred in November and December, the busiest online shopping period of the year. Greg Clark, CEO of the firm, said "formjacking represents a serious threat for both businesses and consumers" because "consumers have no way to know if they are visiting an infected online retailer without using a comprehensive security solution." Kim added Korean consumers who purchase goods directly via overseas website need to be aware of the formjacking threat. KT Chairman Hwang Chang-gyu, left, shakes hands with Saudi Telecom Company (STC) Group CEO Nasser Al Nasser after signing a memorandum of understanding during the Mobile World Congress trade fair in Barcelona, Wednesday. / Courtesy of KT By Baek Byung-yeul KT has teamed up with Saudi Telecom Company (STC) to improve telecommunications infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and co-develop new technologies, a move designed to expand its reach in the Middle East market, the firm said Wednesday. The two firms signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade fair in Barcelona. KT said its Chairman Hwang Chang-gyu and Nasser Al Nasser, CEO of STC Group, attended the ceremony. With the partnership, KT and STC will cooperate to upgrade fixed-line and mobile networks in Saudi Arabia and collaborate to launch smart city, smart media and next-generation telecom services. Collaborating with STC, KT plans to export its information and communications technology (ICT)-based services such as GiGA Wire high-speed internet service, GiGAeyes visual security service, fifth-generation (5G) network service, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) services and big data service to the Middle East region. STC is the state-run telecom firm. As the largest telecom operator, it had 3.17 million fixed-line subscribers and 20.5 million mobile subscribers as of 2017. The firm also has been providing wireless services in other countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait and Turkey. Hwang said cooperation with STC would help the Korean firm secure new markets. "Through the cooperation between the two companies, we will be able to create new markets, increase customer convenience and lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution and innovation," he said. The CEO of STC Group said he hopes cooperation between the two firms will expand not only in Saudi Arabia but across the Middle East. KT said it is hoping to export its GiGA Wire service to the Middle East as the high-speed internet service has been recognized around the world. KT has exported the service to many countries including the United States, Turkey, Malaysia and Botswana. The GiGA Wire service is a technology that can provide internet connection speeds up to 1 Gpbs (gigabits per second) with a copper telephone line. KT said it is low-cost and suitable for environments where optical fiber cannot be deployed as the service doesn't require additional optical cables. Using the service, KT is trying to forge alliances with many countries. Last October, the firm successfully demonstrated its GiGA Wire service in Cairo, Egypt. China to donate over 200,000 panda-themed care parcels to 11 Belt and Road countries in 2019 Panda-themed care parcels (Photo/huanqiu.com) China plans to send over 200,000 panda-themed care parcels to 11 Belt and Road countries (BRI) duing 2019, said the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) on Feb.26. The panda parcel is a 105-item collection including bags, stationery, toys, and daily necessities wrapped up in an outer packing printed with panda pictures that also have included design characteristics of the receiving countries. The panda parcel project aims to improve learning conditions and further promote overall development of primary students in these countries under the Belt and Road framework. In 2018, the CFPA distributed more than 50,000 panda parcels to Cambodia, Nepal, Namibia, and Myanmar. For the next three years, it will strive to dispatch 1 million panda parcels to developing countries under the BRI. Kia Motors' union head Kang Sang-ho, front row second from left, speaks to reporters at the Seoul High Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, Friday, after the court ruled in favor of the union members' demand for the company to recalculate their salary and pay the unpaid amount. Yonhap Ruling against Kia Motors to increase firms' labor expenses By Nam Hyun-woo A high court ruling ordering Kia Motors to pay 312.5 billion won ($277.8 million) to its employees in unpaid ordinary wages is unnerving many companies as they may be ordered to do the same, shouldering tens of trillions of won in additional labor costs, industry officials said Sunday. A total of 115 companies with more than 100 employees including such companies as Samsung Heavy Industries, Hyundai Mobis, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, and Hyosung are in a legal battle against their employees over ordinary wages as of last year, according to Rep. Ha Tae-keung of the Bareunmirae Party. The Seoul High Court on Friday upheld a lower court ruling that ordered Kia Motors to pay the amount after counting regular incentives and bonuses into ordinary wages, which is the standard for calculating overtime, severance and other allowances. When more salary categories are included into the ordinary wage, those allowances also increase. In 2011, 27,400 Kia Motors union members sought 1.09 trillion won from the company and the lower court recognized a part of their demand, ordering the company to pay 312.6 billion won in unpaid wages and 109.7 billion won in interest. The amount declined slightly in the high court ruling as the court excluded meal and family allowances in calculating ordinary wages. There was a disputed point in the legal battle involving the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and the courts looked into whether the union's demand is posing a serious threat to the company's management. Kia Motors management claimed the litigation is a threat and a violation of the duty, citing its deteriorating operating profit ratio, but the courts did not recognize the claim. Companies and business organizations expressed their concern over the ruling. The Korea Employers Federation (KEF) issued a statement and described the ruling as "unacceptable." "The ruling has only recognized one side's logic and ended up creating a burden for the company," said the lobby group representing managements' side. "A company's managing status is an integrated outcome of its various internal and external factors. Judging a company's status by its accounting books has its limit." The KEF continued that other carmakers in Korea are suffering difficulties due to conflicts over ordinary wages and the country's car industry is facing a crisis stemming from high labor expenses, but the ruling overlooked such a reality. The KEF anticipated that extra labor costs stemming from potential suits for companies over ordinary wages may stand at up to 38.6 trillion won. The Korea Labor Institute also estimated the additional labor costs could amount to 21.9 trillion won. "The Kia Motors ruling has set up a precedent that union workers can collect additional payments out of their wage agreement with the company," a conglomerate official said. "Korea's conventional wage system has created this fallout and there should be a clear law defining what can be recognized as ordinary wages rather than letting companies to be swayed by each case." To accelerate growth in the manufacturing sector, Korean companies have been setting base pay low and paying high incentives to enhance productivity. However, this structure became a risk to the management as courts recognize various incentives as part of the ordinary wage in a growing number of cases, experts said. "The ruling is feared to raise uncertainties over corporate management and deteriorate industrial competitiveness," Korea Economic Research Institute researcher Choo Kwang-ho said. "To prevent both management and labor from becoming victims of the envisioned ordinary wage suits, detailed directions on applying the covenant of good faith and fair are necessary." Seen above is Hyundai Motor's Ioniq electric vehicle used by Singapore's ride-hailing firm Grab. Hyundai Motor Group has been making vast investments in the cride-sharing industry across the world, but is hesitating to do so in Korea because of regulations and taxi drivers' strong opposition. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor By Nam Hyun-woo Hyundai Motor Group is making vast investments in ride-sharing and other mobility services across the world, but is hesitating to do so here on its home turf. Industry officials said Monday not only the automotive giant but also world-leading ride-sharing firms may ignore Korea as a market, because of the country's taxi drivers' strong opposition and entangled regulations over the promising business. According to a source in the ride-sharing industry, Hyundai Motor Group ended negotiations recently over acquiring at least a 10 percent stake in Green Car, one of Korea's pioneering car-sharing firms. Green Car's largest shareholder is Lotte Rental, and it welcomed refiner GS Caltex recently as its second-largest stakeholder with a 10 percent share. The source said Hyundai Motor Group also considered investing in the firm and possibly forming an alliance, but canceled the plan. This is not the first time Hyundai Motor Group has extended its hands to domestic ride-sharing firms. In 2017, Hyundai Motor bought a 12.2 percent stake worth 5 billion won ($4.46 million) in domestic startup Luxi, but sold the stake quickly the next year to Kakao Mobility, which purchased a 100 percent stake of the company. The moves are in a stark contrast to the group's overseas investments. Last year, Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors invested a total 310 billion won into ride-hailing firm Grab and leased 200 electric vehicles to the Singapore-based company. Following the move, Hyundai Motor Group betted on Australia's peer-to-peer car sharing firm Car Next Door and India's No. 2 car sharing firm Revv. Hyundai Motor is operating its own car-sharing service in the Netherlands using its Ioniq electric vehicles. Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun has also been sparing no efforts in stressing the importance of the new generation of transportation. "Hyundai Motor Group is striving to provide freedom of movement to everyone by investing in mobility services, such as ride-sharing and ride-hailing," Chung said in a speech in India last year. Though Hyundai Motor Group did not elaborate on its reason for not investing into domestic car-sharing services, industry officials cited "domestic taxi drivers' strong opposition" and negative views over a "conglomerate of such a size extending its hands toward a business for innovative startups." Currently, Korea's taxi drivers are in a fight against multiple ride-sharing firms. Kakao Mobility suspended its pilot ride-sharing service on Jan. 18 due to continued protests from taxi drivers. Earlier, the company postponed the official launch of the service, slated for Dec. 17, following the death of a cab driver who set himself on fire in protest. Taxi drivers are also in conflict with SoCar, a domestic car sharing service, filing a complaint with the prosecution against the company's CEO. The government and legal authority's unfavorable stance is another setback for Hyundai Motor to invest into ride-sharing businesses, industry officials said, citing a domestic court's illegalization of Uber X carpooling service in Korea. "Taxi drivers are even opposing startup-based car-sharing services, and a stronger opposition is expected for Hyundai Motor's potential entrance to such a service, given the country's anti-chaebol sentiment," an official at a domestic car industry said. Hyundai Motor CEO Lee Won-hee, left, poses with other executives during the launching event of the Genesis G90 sedan at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, Nov. 27, 2018. Yonhap By Nam Hyun-woo Hyundai Motor will invest 45.3 trillion won ($40.53 billion) in research and development for new cars and future mobility technologies over the next five years, the automotive giant said Wednesday. The company also set a goal of reaching 7 percent in operating margin and 9 percent in return on equity by then, marking the first time that the company has suggested a tangible operating goal to investors. In a presentation to investors and analysts on Yeouido, Wednesday, Hyundai Motor CEO & President Lee Won-hee announced the company's mid- and long-term investment plan containing such details. "We will continue making efforts to maintain our stable financial structure and recover our competitiveness and profitability," Lee said. Under the plan, the carmaker will earmark 30.6 trillion won for its R&D. Of them 20.3 trillion won will be used for developing new cars and 10.3 trillion won will be improving its manufacturing facilities. Most of the new car budget will be used for SUVs and luxury cars. With the investment, the company plans to increase the number of Hyundai Motor and Genesis SUV models from four in 2017 to eight next year. Also, the company seeks to raise its Genesis brand's U.S. market share to 4.8 percent this year, up from 1.6 percent last year. For future mobility technology, the company will invest 14.7 trillion won. Of that, car sharing and smart mobility sectors will occupy 6.4 trillion won, vehicle electrification will take 3.3 trillion won and autonomous driving will receive 2.5 trillion won. The remainder will be used for other research fields. By doing so, Hyundai Motor said it will enhance its existing partnerships with mobility service firms across the world and seek other innovative business opportunities, which can bring synergy between manufacturer and service provider. The company will debut an electric vehicle platform next year which can be used for various electric vehicles and operate a pilot project of robot-taxi in Korea by 2021. "The car industry is now facing the first paradigm shift in a century, and it is time to seek fundamental improvements at the very root of the business," a Hyundai Motor official said. Lee expected the investment will allow the company to reach its goal of operating margin and return on equity standing at 7 percent and 9 percent, respectively, by 2022. Hyundai Motor's return on equity has been declining from 18.6 percent in 2013 to 1.9 percent last year. Lee also pledged that the company will continue efforts to improve shareholder value. Hyundai Motor posted disappointing earnings last year, but kept its dividends the same as 2017 at 4,000 won per share. Following that, the company share's payout ratio rose to 70.7 percent last year to 26.8 percent in 2017. "By expanding investments, we will build the fundamental for sustainable growth," Lee said. "Also, we will enhance shareholder value through various measures, to achieve those goals early." AmorePacific's fragrance factory in Chartres, France / Courtesy of AmorePacific Cosmetics giant rushing to unload unprofitable assets amid sluggish sales By Nam Hyun-woo AmorePacific Chairman Seo Kyung-bae Indian soldiers and Kashmiri onlookers stand near the remains of an Indian Air Force helicopter after it crashed in Budgam district, outside Srinagar on February 27, 2019. - Officials said an investigation was underway into the cause of the crash, which came as Pakistan claimed to have shot down two Indian fighter jets in the divided and disputed Kashmir region. AFP Pakistan and India said Wednesday they had shot down each other's warplanes, in a dramatically escalating confrontation that has fueled concerns of an all-out conflict between the nuclear-armed rivals. Calling for talks with India to defuse the situation, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan warned of the potentially catastrophic consequences should "better sense" not prevail. "Can we afford any miscalculation with the kind of weapons that we have and you have?" he said in a televised statement. Pakistani soldiers stand next to what Pakistan says is the wreckage of an Indian fighter jet shot down in Pakistan controled Kashmir at Somani area in Bhimbar district near the Line of Control on February 27, 2019. - Pakistan and India said on Febraury 27 they had shot down each other's warplanes, in a dramatically escalating confrontation that has fuelled concerns of an all-out conflict between the nuclear-armed rivals. AFP US President Donald J. Trump (L) talks with Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China Liu He (R) during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 22 January 2019. EPA-Yonhap By Catherine Wong Washington and Beijing remain divided over the U.S.'s demand that China make structural changes to its economy, analysts say, despite the trade war truce's being extended. U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted on Sunday that "substantial progress" had been made on intellectual property protection, technology transfer, agriculture, services and currency, after negotiators wrapped up two days of extended talks in Washington. Trump also said he would push back the March 1 deadline for a boost in US tariffs on more than US$200 billion of Chinese goods, and that he would soon meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida "to conclude an agreement". China also offered to buy an additional 10 million metric tonnes of American soybeans during the latest round of talks, according to US Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Trump's upbeat assessment of the trade war negotiations was echoed by China's official news agency Xinhua, which also reported "substantial progress" in the talks but said in a commentary that the two countries remained at odds over some issues and that new uncertainties could emerge. US Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China Liu He participate in a US-China trade talk meeting in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, DC, USA, 21 January 2019. EPA-Yonhap Brock Silvers, managing director of Kaiyuan Capital, said despite the truce extension, the US would be unlikely to stop pushing for structural changes to China's economy. "Those issues have always been at the core of US demands," he said. "Yet the ongoing difficulties therein can't obscure that the [two] parties have made progress on a variety of issues. Trump has reasonably decided that such progress warrants a ceasefire extension." Silvers also said it was "surely no coincidence that the extension was announced just prior to important talks in Hanoi between Trump and North Korea's Kim [Jong-un], in which the US would greatly benefit from Chinese cooperation". "After the US-North Korea summit, look for China and the US to re-engage in difficult discussions over still unresolved structural trade issues," Silvers said, referring to the second summit between Trump and Kim held in Hanoi this week. In one of his tweets on Sunday, Trump not only called the trade talks in Washington "productive" but also said the Chinese president "has been very helpful" over his upcoming meeting with the North Korean leader. A man and a woman walk past an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm in Tokyo Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Most Asian share benchmarks are lower as a rally spurred by the Trump administration's decision to hold off on increasing tariffs on imported Chinese goods fades. AP-Yonhap In this 2015 file photo, a masked protester displays a sign reading: "Block reclamation of Henoko Beach." AP Residents of Japan's Okinawa go to the polls Sunday in a closely watched referendum on the controversial relocation of a US military base to a remote part of the island. The vote is seen as highly symbolic but is also non-binding, raising questions about what effect it will have, even if opponents of the move, including Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki, prevail. The ballot will ask residents whether they support a plan to reclaim land at a remote coastal site for the relocation of the Futenma base from its current location in a heavily-populated part of Okinawa. The referendum was initially planned as a yes-no vote on the move, but a "neither" option was added after several cities with close ties to the central government threatened to boycott the vote. Although the referendum is not legally binding, "it is significant that people in Okinawa can express their will through the vote," said Jun Shimabukuro, a professor at Ryukyu University in Okinawa. "It can be a test to gauge if democracy is working in Japan," Shimabukuro told AFP. The relocation of Futenma to Nago, 50 kilometres (30 miles) away, was first agreed in 1996 as the US sought to calm local anger after US servicemen gang raped a local schoolgirl. But the plan has long been stalled in part over local opposition. 'Making a fool of Okinawa' The Futenma base has stoked tension with local residents over problems ranging from noise and military accidents to crime involving base residents. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government says the relocation will address those concerns, but many in Okinawa want the base relocated elsewhere in Japan. They argue that the region bears a disproportionate burden when it comes to hosting US military troops in the country. Okinawa accounts for less than one percent of Japan's total land area, but hosts more than half of the approximately 47,000 American military personnel stationed in Japan. Anti-base rallies have been staged daily in Okinawa since campaigning for the referendum began in mid-February. But the vote has not stopped reclamation work at Nago, with construction workers continuing to shovel dirt into the ocean offshore with bulldozers. "We hope the referendum will boost the momentum of our fight," demonstrator Masaru Shiroma told AFP, as more than 100 fellow activists tried to block trucks entering the construction site on Friday. "The government is making a fool out of Okinawa," he added. "Our fight will continue even after the referendum, and will go on until the government gives up the plan." 'Precious votes' Polling stations open in most parts of Okinawa at 7:00 am (2200 GMT on Saturday), though some more remote parts of the chain of subtropical islands started voting earlier in the week. The ballot closes at 8:00 pm with exit polls expected soon after and official results from as early as midnight. Okinawa's governor is required to "respect" the vote's outcome if it is approved by at least a quarter of eligible voters around 290,000 votes. Tamaki has urged residents to turn out and cast their "precious votes" in the poll. An opinion poll by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper this week found 59 percent of people in Okinawa oppose the reclamation while 16 percent support it. The survey also found 80 percent of respondents want Abe's government to respect the results. But there has been little sign Abe's government will shift course if the vote goes against the move, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga saying there were no plans to halt the relocation regardless of the outcome. Japan's military alliance with the United States is seen as a key partnership, and Okinawa's location near Taiwan has long been viewed as having huge strategic importance for US forward positioning in Asia. (AFP) An Indian patient who drank toxic bootleg liquor is treated at Kushal Konwar Civil Hospital in Golaghat district in the northeastern Indian state of Assam on Feb. 23. AFP Ninety-eight workers have died and at least 200 others have been hospitalised in northeastern India after drinking toxic liquor, officials said Saturday, in the latest case of alcohol poisoning in the country. The deaths in Assam state came less than two weeks after tainted liquor killed about 100 people in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. In addition to the latest toll, at least 200 more people were still hospitalised, according to a statement by the Assam government. Golaghat district deputy commissioner Dhiren Hazarika said people started falling sick after consuming a batch of illegally produced liquor late Thursday. The victims, who include many women, worked at local tea estates in the region. The death toll could rise further as both officials said some of the afflicted were in a critical condition. "The people came to the hospital with severe vomiting, extreme chest pain and breathlessness," doctor Ratul Bordoloi, joint director of Golaghat's health department, told AFP. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has ordered an inquiry into the deaths. State police said they had arrested one man for selling the liquor, and authorities said two excise department officials were suspended for failing to take adequate precautions over the sale of the alcohol. Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told AFP that state authorities had collated "at least 80" deaths in the districts. "But apart from this some more people died outside the hospital," he added. "I also met the family members and relatives and ensured them that the perpetrators will not be spared," Sarma said in a Twitter comment. Some media reports, citing anonymous sources, said that more than 100 people had died and the exact number was still being verified by authorities. Cheap, locally made liquor is common in parts of rural India and bootleggers often add methanol a highly toxic form of alcohol sometimes used as an anti-freeze to their product to increase its strength. If ingested in large quantities, methanol can cause blindness, liver damage and death. Hundreds of mainly poor people die each year in the South Asian country from tainted liquor, which normally costs just a few US cents a bottle. Of the estimated five billion litres of alcohol drunk every year in India, around 40 percent is illegally produced, according to the International Spirits and Wine Association of India. Many Indian states have implemented or pushed for prohibition, which, according to critics, further increases the unsupervised manufacture and sale of alcohol. (AFP) People burn firecrackers to celebrate after Indian authorities said their jets conducted air strikes on militant camps in Pakistani territory, in New Delhi, India, February 26, 2019. Reuters Courtesy of Record Store DayThe 2019 installment of Record Store Day takes place Saturday, April 13, and the complete list of exclusive releases that will be available at independent record shops has now been revealed. Among the many artists issuing limited-edition vinyl discs on the big day are John Lennon, The Rolling Stones, Queen, Billy Joel and Elton John. Lennon's Record Store Day release, Imagine (Raw Studio Mixes), features stripped-down early versions of the songs from his classic 1971 album Imagine culled from the deluxe Imagine box set released last year. The Rolling Stones have three offerings: a single featuring a performance of "She's a Rainbow" from an October 2017 concert in Paris; a reissue of the U.K. version of the band's 1966 compilation Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass), pressed on green vinyl; and a 50th anniversary edition of the U.K. version of the group's Through the Past Darkly hits LP. Queen will release a picture disc of the 2018 Bohemian Rhapsody soundtrack, while guitarist Brian May is issuing a 12-inch disc featuring two versions of his recent solo tune, "New Horizons." Joel's offering is the first-ever vinyl release of his Live at Carnegie Hall 1977 concert album. Elton is issuing Live from Moscow, a two-LP set featuring recordings from a May 1979 concert in the Russian capital that originally was broadcast on the U.K.'s BBC radio. A mono version of the two-LP Woodstock soundtrack, marking the festival's 50th anniversary, also will be available. Other artists releasing limited-edition vinyl for RSD this year include Badfinger, Eric Clapton, Crosby, Stills Nash & Young, The Doors, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Al Green, Madonna, Van Morrison, Elvis Presley, Prince, Procol Harum, Otis Redding, Sly & the Family Stone, The Troggs and U2. Check out the full list at RecordStoreDay.com. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Company (Vietjet Air) and the USs Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) have inked a contract worth 12.7 billion USD for 100 new 737 MAX planes according to list prices. Vietjet Air President and CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao and BCA President and CEO Kevin McAllister signed the deal on February 27, witnessed by Party General Secretary and President of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong and US President Donald Trump. The signing ceremony took place on the occasion of the DPRK-USA Hanoi Summit Vietnam on February 27-28. Kevin McAllister said the BCA is pleased to expand its partnership with Vietjet Air and contribute to the carriers growth. The new and state-of-the-art airplanes such as the 737 MAX will help Vietjet grow more efficiently and bring great travel experiences for its passengers. The strong growth of Vietjet and the countrys aviation sector has helped stimulate travel within Vietnam and connecting Vietnam with the rest of Asia, he said, adding that Boeing is proud to support this economic development, which in turn supports engineering and manufacturing jobs in the US. In 2016, Vietjet Air signed an order for 100 B737 MAX planes with Boeing - the biggest commercial aircraft deal in Vietnams aviation industry. It is now the largest B737 MAX customer in Asia. Vietjet Air President and CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao said the signing of todays deal is one of the important steps of Vietjet in its international flight network expansion plan with a higher capacity, thus offering passengers with more exciting experiences when being able to fly to more new international destinations. In addition to the aircraft deal, Boeing will partner with Vietjet to support the airline as well as the Vietnamese aviation industry to enhance technical expertise, train pilots and technicians as well as improve management capabilities. The same day, Vietjet Air and the USs General Electric Group signed a 5.3 billion USD agreement on long-term service maintenance of LEAP-1B engine. The agreement includes the provision of backup engines and service packages for the new and modern aircraft that the airline had ordered.-VNA A snake has made its way across three continents, travelling from Australia to Scotland in a tourist's suitcase, according to local media reports Monday. The non-venomous spotted python was found in the shoe of Moira Boxall on Friday after her return from a summertime holiday in Australia, broadcaster ABC reported. Paul Airlie, Boxall's son-in-law, who lives with his family in Mackay, a city in Queensland, told the Australian broadcaster the find was a surprise. "She was not at all expecting to find the snake when she was unpacking a bag when she got back to Scotland," he said. The snake had hidden in Boxall's shoe, which had been packed inside the suitcase. "Somehow or other it got from Mackay to Glasgow without being detected," Airlie told ABC. "Snakes are as foreign to a Scot as snow is to a Queenslander," he added. In the photos, shared with local media, the snake had shed its skin during the journey inside the shoe. "I don't know exactly when it shed its skin but it had to happen on the flight which is strange," Airlie said. The snake is in quarantine in Scotland. (DPA) This April 18, 2017, photo shows Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attending a joint press conference in Tbilisi, Georgia. EPA/ZURAB KURTSIKIDZE-Yonhap Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif resigned without warning late Monday (local time), offering an "apology" to the nation as the nuclear deal he negotiated with world powers is on the verge of collapse after the U.S. withdrawal from the accord. Zarif's resignation, if accepted by Iran's relatively moderate President Hassan Rouhani, would leave the cleric without one of his main allies in pushing the Islamic Republic toward further negotiations with the West. There was no immediate reaction from the U.S. It remains unclear why Zarif chose to leave his post now and what effect it will have on the atomic accord, which Iran has been complying with. He likely briefed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei before offering his resignation. Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, previously backed the American-educated envoy through the nuclear negotiations. The veteran diplomat first hinted at his resignation with a vague Instagram post in which he offered an "apology" for his "inability to continue to his service." The post included a drawing honoring Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, as Iranians commemorate her birth Tuesday. A Foreign Ministry spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, confirmed to the state-run IRNA news agency minutes later that Zarif had resigned but gave no reason for his departure. Earlier Monday, Zarif met members of the activist group Code Pink in Tehran, smiling as he posed for a photograph with them. However, he was not seen in images later in the day showing Syrian President Bashar Assad meeting Khamenei and Rouhani. Iran has been one of Assad's main supporters during the years-long war in Syria. On Sunday, Zarif criticized Iranian hard-liners in a speech in Tehran, saying: "We cannot hide behind imperialism's plot and blame them for our own incapability." "Independence does not mean isolation from the world," he said. Analysts say Rouhani faces growing political pressure from hard-liners within the government as the nuclear deal unravels. Iranian presidents typically see their popularity erode during their second four-year term, but analysts say Rouhani is particularly vulnerable because of the economic crisis assailing the country's rial currency, which has hurt ordinary Iranians and emboldened critics to openly call for his ouster. Reaction to Zarif's resignation was swift. A prominent reformist lawmaker, Mostafa Kavakebian, wrote on Twitter that Rouhani should reject Zarif's resignation as his departure would only "make enemies of Iran's dignity happy." Hassan Mohammadi, a Tehran-based political analyst close to Rouhani, said he understood it was Zarif's third time submitting his resignation in the past year. "It is part of plan for changing the track in foreign policy in Iran. A negotiation-seeking foreign minister is not a favored person anymore," Mohammadi told The Associated Press. "Iran needs a tough foreign minister from now on; someone who does not offer a smile towards the West." The son of a wealthy family, Zarif overcame hard-line objections and Western suspicions to strike the accord with world powers that saw Iran promise to limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions. But the deal was later challenged by the administration of President Donald Trump, which pulled America out of the accord. In doing so, Trump also fueled doubts of Iranians still wary of U.S. interests decades after Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Zarif himself faced withering criticism at home after he shook hands with President Barack Obama. Meanwhile, officials in the Trump administration have also been pressuring Iran through social media, with one State Department official tweeting an unflattering GIF of Zarif saying: "How do you know (at) JZarif is lying? His lips are moving." Zarif, 59, served as Iran's ambassador to the United Nations from 2002 to 2007, first under reformist President Mohammad Khatami and then under hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad wanted him replaced, but Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei intervened to keep him in the position for another two years as Iran soon found itself an international pariah over its nuclear program. Iran insisted its atomic program was for peaceful purposes only, while the West feared it could be used to make nuclear weapons. Secret backchannel talks between the United States and Iran in Oman became full-fledged negotiations over its nuclear program. During the talks, Zarif met then U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry more than 50 times something that would have been unimaginable only a few years earlier. Kerry and Zarif's rapport extended beyond just the nuclear negotiations. Kerry directly reached out to his counterpart in January 2016 to help secure the release within 24 hours of 10 U.S. Navy sailors seized by Iran after they mistakenly entered Iranian territorial waters. Cliff Kupchan, chairman of the Eurasia Group and a longtime Iran watcher, described Zarif's resignation as a "bolt from the blue" from a diplomat who had served as "the face of Iran" for years. He said that while it was still too early to determine what prompted Zarif's resignation, it didn't necessarily signal a major shift away from the nuclear deal. "I think Zarif can charm the fangs off a snake and has done so many, many times," Kupchan told AP. "Whether it's dealing with Bashar Assad or (Russian President) Vladimir Putin, he's their ambassador to a very tough neighborhood." "The Iranians are pretty good at making their life even harder than it has to be and this would be another step in that direction if he was forced out," Kupchan said. (AP) In this Feb. 23, 2019 file photo, Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari leaves after casting his vote in his hometown of Daura, in northern Nigeria. AP The City recently issued a letter to a sub-commitee of the San Diego Historical Resources Board (HRB) and local tribal councils explaining its role in the removal of an artifact without input from native tribes from Cuvier Park in La Jolla in 2017. In the letter, the City acknowledges there should have been more oversight, and attempts to state what could be done to prevent it from happening again in the future. However, some of those involved are not satisfied with the findings. The Native American milling rock, known as a metate (pronounced mah-ta-tay) or bedrock mortar was located in the park alongside Coast Boulevard, but removed in 2017 to accommodate a sidewalk expansion project. The metate had not been inventoried as a formal historic artifact with significant ties to the site, prior to its removal. It is currently and temporarily being housed in a secured area of the Citys Rose Canyon operations yard. It is unknown when, how or why the rock came to rest in La Jolla. Historically, Native Americans lived in whats known as the Spindrift Archaeological District in La Jolla Shores, but the extent of this Village has not been mapped. Artifacts, which include ashes from a campfire to pottery to human remains, have been found buried in piecemeal searches and out at sea. The metate discussion took place at the Feb. 11 HRB Archaeological and Tribal Cultural Resources sub-committee meeting downtown, where the City presented its response. The bedrock mortar got removed because there were issues between departments not sharing information, and City staff not consulting with the experts on staff and the Park & Rec Department thinking they were doing the right thing by moving it to protect it, HRB sub-committee chair Courtney Coyle told La Jolla Light. You arent just supposed to talk to City staff, you talk to tribes. That didnt happen. What happened here seems to bear witness to a systemic issue where the City only looks at the archaeological value, not tribal value, of some of these resources. That resource, where it was, was really important could be one of the last accessible bedrock mortars in La Jolla. At the request of local tribes, the City produced a report, authored by Myra Herrmann, City Planning Department planner/archaeologist/tribal liaison. The three-page report delved into the sidewalk expansion project, which required the metates removal, and an Archaeological Survey and Evaluation of Cultural Resources conducted in the 1990s that the City used to reference resources that needed to be preserved. None of the cultural resources tested, and evaluated for significance in 1996, were found to be important, primarily because of a loss of integrity due to impacts sustained over many decades of public use and facilities improvements, and due to a lack of research potential beyond that realized by the testing effort that has been completed, the report read. Further, the report determined: City staff agrees there should have been more oversight regarding the removal and relocation of the bedrock mortar to facilitate project implementation. While we cannot place blame on this oversight with one individual or department, we regret there was not a clear line of communication regarding this specific incident to avoid conflict and/or concern. We do believe however, that the quick action by Shoreline Parks staff resulted in ultimate protection and safe keeping of the bedrock mortar, despite not consulting with qualified archaeological staff, or members of the local Kumeyaay community. Going forward, Herrmanns report stated the City would conduct staff training regarding the importance and sensitivity of archaeological and tribal cultural resources and would work with its IT department to better map these resources in the future. The report concluded: We look forward to working with the Kumeyaay community to identify an appropriate location in Cuvier Park or another coastal park location where it can be reinstalled or replicated and appropriately interpreted; or, if agreed to by all interested parties, repatriate the bedrock mortar to the Kumeyaay community as previously discussed. These options are still on the table, and we are available to bring closure and resolution to this important issue. The Response The conversation fell short of an apology, Coyle said. There wasnt any assurance that things have been corrected at the City, so this wouldnt happen again. It seemed as though staff wanted to jump ahead to reinstall it rather than iron out the process. Im a little disappointed at the lack of change to the system. And she is not alone. While some tribal council representatives declined to comment, Native American historian, comedian and storyteller Abel Silvas told the Light: The City wants to sweep this issue under the rug. Its a sad story and all comes down to the City not wanting us to talk about or care about these resources. He added: These artifacts represent how people got their food; theyre spiritual and special. (The metate) is a sacred item. But apparently the City just sees it as a rock. When you die, your body goes into the soil. So soil is sacred, but the soil around the bedrock is not treated as such. They should have kept it where it was and called the tribes. We should have been consulted. However, Silvas said he appreciated the cultural sensitivity training to which the City has committed. Ron May, architect, president and principal investigator for the preservation consulting firm, Legacy 106, critiqued the Citys use of a study from the 1990s as its basis and concluded: The rock belongs in the park, not in a warehouse somewhere. This is a very valuable educational tool for children, tourists and adults. There should have been an interpretive plaque installed on the park lawn to explain how the milling feature functioned in the prehistoric society. (To have it) removed to a warehouse is a travesty. According to the report, the next step is to organize a trip to the La Jolla Shores and Cuvier Park areas to see if there is an appropriate location for it to be replaced. In a store that is named after a precious stone, one would expect a special level of service when it comes to jewellery. Marina Cremers and her team do not disappoint. The store offers carefully selected pieces from Italian designer Marco Bicego and Danish brand Shamballa Jewels, as well as a jewellery appraisal service, but the majority of its jewellery activity is centered around the creation of bespoke jewellery pieces for its discerning customers. For Marina Cremers, there are three distinct kinds of bespoke jewellery request, each of which A LEmeraude is perfectly capable of satisfying thanks to its excellent long-standing relations with a Swiss jewellery workshop and a precious stone dealer, not to mention Marinas own extensive experience and her archive of previously realised pieces. It is only because of such relationships of trust that the family-owned company is able to deliver the quality for which it is renowned. Bespoke ring creation A l'Emeraude A customer might bring an existing piece of jewellery that she would like transformed, explains Marina Cremers. It could be a ring that has been inherited, for example. In this particular case the attachment to the object can be very emotional. We usually remove the principal stone and create a new, more modern setting around it to suit the customers tastes. Alternatively, we could start with the stone itself. Its colour and what it evokes inside us will then serve as the inspiration for the design of the piece. Then there is the truly bespoke piece. A customer might come to the store with no idea of what she wants, says Marina Cremers. In this case we will guide them and accompany them throughout the entire creative process. We would essentially start with a blank sheet of paper. There are no limits and, as a pair of bespoke cufflinks prove, the service is equally appreciated by men as well as women. The blank sheet of paper is, of course, more likely to be a blank computer screen. But the questions needed to fill it remain the same. What is more important to the customer? Is it the quality or the size of the stone, the colour of the gold? As the answers to these questions emerge during a dialogue with the customer, the design starts to take shape. Bespoke jewellery creation A l'Emeraude What is very interesting is to be able to have a genuine dialogue with the customer, says Marina Cremers. They will usually give us a lot of information that allows us to design something that really fits with their personality. The resulting creations are produced in a jewellery workshop in Geneva that ensures the level of quality required, but also a continuity of style, always with a trace of A LEmeraudes own style in each piece. Its a style that Marina Cremers describes as very pure, fine, airy and timeless. Bespoke ring A l'Emeraude The entire process can take up to a month, which seems thoroughly reasonable for a unique piece created from scratch. The cost naturally varies depending on the project and the customers requirements, but falls within the same range as the watches offered by A LEmeraude. Swiss quality naturally comes at a premium over settings made elsewhere, but Marina Cremers points out that the prices offered by A LEmeraude are fair and honest. In any case, price is irrelevant as far as bespoke jewellery is concerned, since it is impossible to compare prices for a unique piece. And no price can be put on the proximity A LEmeraude enjoys with its local Swiss craftsmen. The San Diego Active Transportation & Infrastructure Committee (ATIC) meeting on dockless scooters came and went Feb. 20 without even a mention of City Council member Barbara Brys recommended regulations. Instead, the committee voted unanimously to forward Mayor Kevin Faulconers recommendations with amendments to the full City Council at a date to be determined. Bry issued her recommendations the week before Faulconer by way of a memo to ATIC chair and City Council member Mark Kersey. Kerseys representatives did not answer why Brys recommendations were not heard, but told La Jolla Light: every Council member will have the opportunity to weigh in when it is heard at the full Council. In speaking with the Light the day after the hearing, Bry said she had not yet read the full text, including what amendments were suggested, but once she reads the version that will go before the Council, she will decide what, if any, suggested amendments she would make. The Feb. 20 meeting opened with Mayoral representative Greg Block outlining the Mayors plan, followed by comments from those on both sides of the issue for almost an hour. Faulconers regulations cover six primary areas: limiting maximum speed of motorized scooters in designated zones, vehicle staging and parking, rider education, data sharing, fees and legal indemnification for the City of San Diego. Speed: Companies would be required to restrict vehicle speeds using geo-fencing technology in designated zones to 8 miles an hour in the following areas: the boardwalks in Mission Beach, Pacific Beach and La Jolla, as well as Spanish Landing and Petco, Balboa, Mission Bay and NTC parks. In the North Embarcadero and Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade, dockless bikes and scooters would be slowed to 3 miles an hour, with riders receiving alerts that those areas are no-ride zones. Parking: Riders will also be prevented from ending rides in certain high-traffic areas, including on the boardwalks, around Petco Park and the Embarcadero in downtown. Those working for dockless bike and scooter companies will also be restricted in where they can set up the vehicles. The devices must be staged in groups of no more than four and at least 40 feet apart. The devices cannot be parked within 500 feet of K-12 public schools or hospitals, or within six feet of bus and trolley stops. Residents would be encouraged to report improperly parked or abandoned vehicles using the citys Get It Done app. Dockless scooter and bike companies will be notified as a result and given three hours to move a device or face impound and other fees. Fees: Companies would be required to obtain operating permits every six months in January and June, which declare and fix the size of each vehicle fleet. Companies would have to pay associated fees to be established by the City Council. The mayor has proposed $253 a permit and up to $150 per device annually. Block said these fees would act as a de-facto cap on the number of scooters and has been calculated based on amounts other cities are imposing. Those scooters illegally parked and reported could be impounded, and the Mayors regulations suggest a $65 retrieval fee, and $1 per day fee for storage of impounded devices. Education: Motorized scooters must be labeled in 40-point font that Riding on Sidewalks is Prohibited, as well as any age requirements adopted by the operator. Data: Operators would be required to share data on fleet sizes, how often devices are used, trips and parking locations, accidents and maintenance. City Indemnification: Each operator will be required to indemnify the City from liability claims and each will need to hold a liability insurance policy. Many of the speakers in favor of the regulations represented the scooter companies most donning their company shirts. Among their minor objections were the fee structure proposed. In the organized presentation against the regulations, Jonathan Freeman called the regulations window dressing and said the scooter reps gloated because the recommendations were favorable to the scooter companies. Freeman added the regulations do not adequately address misuse of scooters and that, We have time to come up with better alternatives to problems that affect thousands of residents. In summer 2017, journalist Samantha Allen took a road trip to visit parts of the United States, which, depending on your outlook, might be considered the real America, the flyover states or a complicated mixture of those terms. The GLAAD Award-winning journalist and senior reporter covering LGBTQ news for the Daily Beast assembled her experience into her new book, Real Queer America: LGBT Stories From Red States. The purpose of Real Queer America, Allen writes, is to document whats actually happening in the real America that more and more LGBT people are calling home to capture some of the progressive cultural shifts that people on the coasts dont read enough about in a media environment that focuses mostly on a handful of horrific incidents and regressive laws. After all, she says, almost half of the queer population in the U.S. is spread across the South, the Midwest, Texas and the Dakotas, and other red regions. So where are their stories? Allen, in this book, pushes back against the singular narrative of suffering in these states, choosing instead to showcase the resistance, the community-building and the culture of LGBTQ folks who live in Utah, Texas, Indiana, Tennessee, Mississippi and Georgia. And for me, a queer person who moved to the red state of Nebraska, these uplifting stories of community are very familiar. Folded into the reportage too is Allens own story. Advertisement Real Queer America is a book necessary for anyone in or allied with the queer community. Samantha Allens book, Real Queer America: LGBT Stories From Red States, is the culmination of her reporting trips throughout the country. (From Samantha Allen) Allen has a good reason for making Utah the first stop on her weeks-long road trip crisscrossing the countrys middle. Utah is home to Brigham Young University, which Allen attended as an undergraduate, an institution that then had a very anti-LGBTQ honor code and which, although it allows out gay students in, still bans any homosexual behavior. It was in this restrictive Mormon institution that Allen first packed a bag full of womens clothing, got in her silver Honda and found isolated parking lots where she could change. Shed drive around at night, makeup messy, clothes still ill-fitting, but, as she writes, as long as [her] foot stayed on that pedal, [she] felt alive. Allen shares her path to transition in short anecdotes that unfold over the chapters, cleverly keeping readers enthralled with both her careful reporting and personal narrative, which brings her from the closeted Mormon young man she was perceived to be all the way to a queer transgender woman, married to her wife, Corey, whom she met its too perfect at the Kinsey Institute in Bloomington, Ind. (Alfred Kinsey was a sex researcher, inventor of the Kinsey Scale, which introduced sexuality as a gradient rather than a binary; as Allen writes, If youre an American who has had good sex, you owe a debt to Kinsey. Allen and her partner Corey visit the Kinsey Institute where they met. (Samantha Allen) Real Queer America is far more than one trans womans coming out story. The bulk of the book is spent doing what Allen has been doing for years, and doing well: reporting. In each state she visits, she meets people who are trying to make a difference, like Troy Williams, executive director of Equality Utah, a queer advocacy group; black trans activist Nicole Lynn Perry, whom Allen meets at a protest at the Texas State Capitol where Perry wears a shirt reading Transgender Veteran: I Fought for Your Right to Hate Me. Allen also interviews those who benefit from this kind of work, like 19-year-old Jeannie, who finds a homey, welcoming space in Encircle, a Provo, Utah-based LGBTQ family and youth resource center, which sits directly across from a Mormon temple in the citys downtown and which hadnt existed yet when Allen lived there. The protest over the bathroom bill at the Texas State Capitol. (Samantha Allen) She also talks to those who are simply trying to live their lives and do good work where they are, like Jess Herbst, the trans mayor of New Hope, Texas, who tells Allen that being transgender has nothing to do with my job. The car on blocks and the house next door are way more important than what Im wearing. Theres also Temica Morton, who, in 2016, organized the first pride parade in Jackson, Miss., or Jesse Pandolfo, a Boston native who now runs WonderLust, an LGBT nightclub where everyone including Jacksons burgeoning transgender community feels welcome. And Real Queer America reflects the story of people just like me. A book jacket for Samantha Allens Real Queer America: LGBT Stories From Red States. (Little, Brown & Co.) When I chose to move from New York City to Lincoln, Neb., for graduate school, I knew what I was getting myself into. Nebraska is a red state, infamous in the LGBTQ community because this is where Brandon Teena was raped and murdered not exactly the place where a queer, Jewish, leftist person with a wishy-washy gender would expect to make a home. What I didnt know before moving here was how many queer people I would meet in my department, or how much Id fall in love with the Alley, a recently shuttered bar that was home to nightly (yes, nightly) drag shows, or how many Black Lives Matter rainbow signs Id see in my neighborhood reading, All Are Welcome Here. I didnt expect it, and my coastal friends certainly didnt either, nor that I would meet and start dating a woman in my first month in corn country. So, when I first saw the title of Allens new book, I breathed a sigh of relief finally, I thought, here was a book that could both educate me and affirm what Id begun to understand about red states. None of which is to say that Allen is trying to sugarcoat the LGBTQ experience. She doesnt try to sell middle America as a fuzzy, warm place that is unilaterally safe for or welcoming of queer folk. Real Queer America is a book necessary for anyone in or allied with the queer community, especially those of us who see the bad news day after day. But shes sharing the beauty of the spaces that LGBTQ+ people have carved out for themselves, and shes giving credit where credit is very much overdue, because its the queer folk who live and stay in red states whether by choice or due to a lack of options who have to survive there and work to make them better. :: Real Queer America: LGBT Stories From Red States Samantha Allen Little, Brown and Co., 320 pp., $27 Masad is a writer, book critic and PhD candidate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The Washington Post and Simon & Schuster imprint Scribner are planning to release a book version of special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs report if it ever becomes public, the publisher announced Thursday. The book is expected to contain the special counsel offices findings in its investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, as well as reporting by the Post into the controversy that has dogged President Trump and his administration in connection with the probe. Its not a sure thing that the report will become public. The special counsel office is to submit its work to Atty. Gen. William Barr, who will then determine what to do with it, and its far from certain that hell release it to the public. Andrew Coan, a law professor at the University of Arizona, told The Times that nobody can predict what will happen after Mueller submits his report to Barr. Advertisement No one really knows or can predict with any uncertainty how this is going to play out, Coan said. Not only do we not know what the attorney general is going to do with Robert Muellers report, we dont know what Robert Muellers report is going to look like. The Posts book is to feature an introduction by journalists Rosalind S. Helderman and Matt Zapotosky, Scribner said, and be edited by Peter Finn, the Posts national security editor. It will also cover the criminal indictments that have resulted from Muellers investigation, Scribner said. So far, over 30 people have faced charges related to the investigation, including Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who was convicted of fraud last year. Post Executive Editor Martin Baron said that the planned book will come at a supremely important moment in American history. The Post has dedicated vast reporting resources to the special counsels investigation and the events that led to it, and we are now proud to join with Scribner in providing context and perspective, he said. Government reports have been published as books before, sometimes to critical acclaim. In 2004, W.W. Norton & Company published the 9/11 commission report as a book; it was later named a finalist for the National Book Award for nonfiction. And in 2014, indie press Melville House published the Senate Intelligence Committees report on torture by the CIA. The Mueller report is the most anticipated investigative document of this century, and its findings are of vast importance to the United States and to the rest of the world, Scribner publisher Nan Graham said in a news release. We are thrilled to partner on this book with The Washington Post, whose reporters and editors have provided indispensable and authoritative analysis of Robert Muellers historic investigation and the related filings. In 1984, a young Mexican American author from Chicago published a novel called The House on Mango Street. It didnt take long for the book to capture the attention of the nation and beyond, sending Sandra Cisneros to the top tier of American novelists. The book is now a staple of school reading lists, and is widely considered a contemporary classic of American literature. Since then, Cisneros has won considerable critical acclaim for her books, including Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories, Caramelo and A House of My Own. In February, PEN America announced that Cisneros will be awarded the third PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature, citing her formidable and awe-inspiring body of work, which includes fiction, memoir and poetry. Cisneros will accepted her award Tuesday, which comes with a $50,000 cash prize, at the 2019 PEN America Literary Awards Ceremony. Cisneros spoke to The Times via telephone from her home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Youre the third writer to win this award after Adonis and Edna OBrien. How does it feel to be in that kind of company? Advertisement Its astonishing, because I dont feel like Ive finished with my work yet. I feel like Im just beginning. But on the other hand, the Texas Institute of Letters gave me a lifetime achievement award, so I guess Im qualified. I always am the most surprised when I get any award, but I think at these heights, as we would say in Spanish, the most astonishing part is the lifetime part of the award. I truly dont feel that I have arrived where I want to be yet. I feel like Im just getting started. You live in Mexico now, after years of living in the U.S. What made you decide to move to San Miguel de Allende? I came here by chance to do a lecture, and I just kept coming back, and feeling comfortable here, because you hear Spanish and English. People come from all over the world, its a small town, and you dont have to drive a car, and that all appealed to me. Also, I have roots here in this region, not in this town, but in this countryside, near the airport is where my mothers family is from. At that time I really needed to get out of San Antonio; I was just very distracted by too many things. So I rented a house here and unlike most people, who buy a house in 48 hours, it took me three years. So I was kind of slow by San Miguel standards Do you find that you feel more at home there than you did either in Chicago or San Antonio? I feel, at this age, at home in myself. Its not a matter of finding a place thats perfect, because no place is perfect, but finding a place thats conducive and nurturing to me as a writer. I didnt feel that in Chicago. I didnt feel that it was a good place for me to write. It was exhausting for me to live in Chicago, and San Antonio was exhausting in another way. It was conducive in the beginning because of low overhead, when I first got there in 1984. For an artist you need low overhead and you need a community of writers or artists that become a spiritual family. I had both in San Antonio for a time. I think all writing and all art is a spiritual act. Sandra Cisneros I had the spiritual family in Chicago but I didnt have the low overhead. Coming here, I almost became too much of a nurturer and a connector when I lived in San Antonio. I started two foundations, and I just found myself distracted from my own writing by looking after the careers of other writers. I really needed to find a house with a big wall around it, and some place that I could retreat and recharge, and I find that here in Mexico. Has living in Mexico changed the way that you write at all, or maybe the way that you think about literature? Well, I certainly look at the United States in a different way now. I bet. From this side, it looks a little more civilized over here. I think we have a president that people have confidence in here, and we have optimism here. And we have unity, in Mexico, compared to the United States. I think that one of the things that changed for me living here, Mexico doesnt look as perfect as it did when I would come as a tourist. Once you live here you start seeing all of its flaws and its problems. But at the same time you see up close how all of the native Mexicans endure, their strength, their capacity to endure, their collective generosity with one another. You do see the flaws too. Theres good and bad everywhere; theres certainly good and bad in Mexico. Im encouraged, and I feel humbled and inspired by the Mexican people. Is your spirituality a big part of your writing life? I think all writing and all art is a spiritual act. I always talk about writing from a perspective of being spiritual. I dont mean it in connection with any religion, but I mean spiritual in the sense of being really present and alive in the moment. Similarly, youve been an activist for so long, not just with immigrants rights, but with feminism as well. Do you think that writers have a moral obligation to also be activists, or is it something you felt you yourself have a moral obligation to do? I think everybody is an activist at some level. Maybe theyre not aware of it, but anytime that you stand up in justice for someone you love, is that not activism? I think it is. And I think that were living in a time that I see that expansion through different groups that are standing up and organizing or speaking or writing or making some effort to make change. When you go to rallies or you go to demonstrations you see all different kinds of people and all colors and all ages and thats the beautiful part. Theres a lovely quote by Langston Hughes, a poem called Make America America Again. I think he was ripped off! I think that they altered that by saying Make America Great Again. This year is going to be the 35th anniversary of The House on Mango Street, which is obviously taught to a lot of young people in schools. How do you feel that so many people consider that a book that has changed their lives, especially for young women and young Latinx readers who feel empowered as readers and writers and people because of that book? Im very lucky because there are so many good writers out there, so many good poets and novelists and painters and dancers and great playwrights. I think I just was born under a star, as my father would say. I was just lucky that I wrote the book for the right time. Because I think that all books and all art is medicine. But we glom on to what is going to heal us. And we could come across a book and not have any reaction to it until another time in our life, because its not the right prescription for that time in our life. I just feel that my little book was written at the right time. Can you talk about Puro Amor, the recent book that you published on Sarabande Press? Ive always been an artist before I was a writer, but Sarabande is a little house and they allowed me to include my drawing. Im very excited, and my friend Liliana Valenzuela, my translator, did a beautiful job. The book is one Im especially fond of, because Im always giving it away in Mexico. Anytime that you stand up in justice for someone you love, is that not activism? I think it is. Sandra Cisneros I also like that its affordable for most people, and its one short story, and I like to perform it too. Im performing it with Liliana at the Texas State Capitol during the Texas Book Fair. And I performed it in Mexico City and here in San Miguel with Mexican performance artist Astrid Hadad. Shes a political feminist performer and she had a lot of fun presenting the book. Is this the first time youve had your own illustrations in one of your books? Yes, and weve already gone back to print, and my dream is that well never go out of print. I just like it so much, this book. I was always known as the artist in grade school and in high school and throughout my years in college. Maybe in graduate school people didnt know, but when I was an undergraduate, when the English department needed an illustration, they would always ask me to do it. So I always was the artist. Im still working on developing other parts of myself. I feel like Im just getting started, because Im collaborating with Derek Bermel, a composer, writing [an adaptation of] House on Mango Street. Were going to be developing it into an opera. And then Im working with my friend in Santa Fe, a designer named Nancy Traugott, she has a line of clothing called Homefrocks. She and I are working on textiles, a series of vintage and vintage-like fabrics, so Im working with her. Then Im working on editing this chorus of 60 interviews that I did last year for the Ford Foundation, and putting those together [as] a chorus of voices for performance. Im just am doing a lot of different things. Thats why I feel like Im just getting started. What advice would you give to younger writers? Would you urge them to not just concentrate on writing but on other forms of art, or other things that would make them happy? When I teach writing, I tell people to go to the theater, or go look at an art exhibit, or go see a movie or listen to some music. Because sometimes working different parts of your brain helps you problem-solve, and get out of a situation where youre stuck. Ive done that myself, and the older I get, the more I find that helps my writing. If you earn your own money you can control your own destiny. Sandra Cisneros I always give young people this advice: One, earn your own money. Because if you earn your own money you can control your own destiny. And usually when you want to follow the arts, nobody can believe that youll do anything good with it. Theyll talk you out of it, and theyll berate you, and theyll make you feel bad. Because they dont realize you already have a lot of doubts as it is. So earn your own money so you can control your own destiny. That doesnt mean that youll make money from your art. You have to presume youll make none! And that way youll have a day job, maybe two. But your real identity will be in your art. The second thing is to control your fertility. Again, its about controlling your destiny. And it doesnt matter if youre a man or a woman. You can lose your way from your sacred path if you have a child. Its going to detour you from your sacred path, and you really need to take care of your fertility. And the third thing is that solitude, which most of our society sees as something negative, is sacred. That is the time for you to develop you. And I cant repeat that enough, especially to women, because we tend to love in ways we give away all of ourselves and we leave nothing for us. Maybe I want to add a fourth Oh, sure, please do. Gandhi believed that the highest work you could do is that of service. And another quote of his is, To find yourself, lose yourself in the service of others. I think the reason why Ive achieved success is because Ive made art on behalf of those I love and in service to them. And not because I wanted to make any money or win any awards. I think thats a rule, a spiritual rule, that Ive learned in my life. That whatever we do with love, on behalf of those that we love, with no personal agenda, its always going to come out beautiful. I would encourage young people to do work of service, and to not think about their ego but think about dissolving that ego. And the way you dissolve your ego is by doing work that honors your ancestors. And so any time you do anything like that its always going to better than making money. I dont know that I can say what Im going to do with my award money. Can I say what Im going to do with my award money? Sure, please. Im going to help my employees buy their first home. I just love them, and theyre my family here. My spirit family. And Ive always wanted to buy them a house, and now I can. I get so worried. If something had happened to me, if I got hit by a bus or something, I wouldnt have fulfilled my promise. I told them, once I have my house, I need to help you get yours. Were all so happy and thrilled about it. I feel like we have an obligation to change the world with one person at a time. Maybe we cant buy a house for everybody, but we can look them in the eye and we can treat them like human beings. I get so thrilled that Im able to do something for people that I love. And I cant change the whole country, but I can help one family. Schaub is a writer in Texas. Three years after he promised to sell an all-electric Model 3 mass-market sedan for $35,000 before incentives, Elon Musk may finally be coming through. The Tesla Inc. chief executive announced Thursday the company will immediately start taking orders for the lower-priced, 220-mile-range version of the car, with the company website promising delivery in two to four weeks. In a conference call with reporters Thursday, Musk also said the company wont be profitable in the first quarter of 2019, as promised. He also announced a the widespread closure of most of the companys retail outlets. The company will move to an online-only system for car sales. Retail stores will be converted into galleries and information centers, Musk said. He didnt say how many stores will close. Questioned about job cuts, Musk said Thats not todays topic. Ordering a car at Tesla requires a $2,500 prepayment, meaning the move could help the company preserve cash to help it pay off debts and meet current expenses. On Friday, Tesla must pay $920 million to bondholders, with an additional $183 million due on another bond issue in April. Advertisement Buyers will have the ability to test drive Teslas for up to a week and get a full refund if theyre not happy, Musk said. Although social media sites are rife with complaints from people waiting weeks or months for promised refunds, Musk said, Were going to make it super easy to get a refund, like, one quick refund. Tesla promised a $35,000 Model 3 in March 2016 and began taking refundable $1,000 deposits. Musk said the number of remaining reservation holders doesnt matter. He said he has no idea how many $35,000 Model 3s the company will sell. I dont know what the demand is, he said. Well see. Well find out. If Musk knows what the profit margin on the lower range Model 3 will be, he wouldnt say. Asked that question Thursday, he said, Yeah, were not going to talk about that. Next question. In October, he said it would take six months to achieve a positive gross margin on a $35,000 Model 3. Some analysts say the less-expensive Model 3 may be too little, too late. If this model had come out when the Model 3 first launched and passion for Tesla was at its peak, shoppers might have given more latitude. But the expectations have been set and its likely going to be a tough sell moving forward, said Jessica Caldwell, an analyst at Edmunds. Though Musk promised last year to be profitable every quarter going forward, he said Thursday that we do not expect to be profitable in the first quarter because of special charges and the costs of sending cars to China and Europe. Theres a lot going on, he said. A profit in the second quarter is likely, he said. Although Tesla is cutting back retail stores, Musk said the company plans a significant increase in head count for service technicians. The expansion of Teslas service network has not kept pace with increased Model 3 sales, leading to delays and customer complaints. My top priority this year is making service amazing at Tesla, Musk said. According to a Musk memo to employees published by CNBC however, Musk said the increase in head count is planned for next year. The CEO used his Twitter account Tuesday night to tease Thursdays announcement. He continued teasing Wednesday, offering no details on the mystery. From the stock markets opening Wednesday to the close Thursday, Tesla stock gained more than $18 a share, or about 6%, finishing at $319.88. In after-hours trading Thursday, the stock was down more than 3%. The Model 3 news comes on the heels of a contempt charge filed against Musk on Monday by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC says Musk violated the fraud settlement reached with the agency in September by tweeting false information about the number of cars Tesla plans to produce this year, and by sending the tweet without getting corporate permission first, as the settlement requires. The settlement stemmed from an August 2018 tweet in which Musk falsely claimed hed struck a deal to take Tesla private. The federal judge who will consider the contempt complaint has not yet set a hearing date but has ordered Musk to file a brief explaining himself by March 10. russ.mitchell@latimes.com Twitter: @russ1mitchell A curious, not to say bizarre, line of chatter has emerged in connection with the fight between Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The argument seems to be that the SEC is wary of coming down too hard on Musk for his alleged violations of securities law and CEO norms because removing Musk from management the nuclear option, so to speak would hurt only Tesla shareholders. That would be true, its said, even of any lesser steps by the SEC to rein in his authority at the electric car company. Among the leading exponents of this argument is Musk himself, which should give you a clue to its pertinence and logic. Musk voiced it via Twitter on Tuesday, apropos of the SECs request that a federal court find him in contempt for issuing an inaccurate Feb. 19 tweet about Teslas production rate. I want to be clear. I do not respect the SEC. Elon Musk Advertisement In response to a followers tweet asserting that Musks tweet hadnt affected the price of Tesla shares, but the SECs contempt motion did, Musk tweeted, Exactly. Something is broken with SEC oversight. But hes not alone in fretting that stiff SEC action would hurt only his shareholders, who are ostensibly innocent parties. Heres John Coffee, a distinguished expert in securities law at Columbia University, quoted by Yahoo Finance: The court is a little bit hamstrung because while they want a strong deterrent theyre supposed to be serving shareholders, Coffee said. I dont think any judge wants to eliminate him from Tesla because a lot of people believe that Tesla cant survive without him. Similarly, Bonnie Hancock, a management expert at North Carolina State University, told the Wall Street Journal, Its a situation where its hard to say whats the right thing to do for the shareholders. Its a horrible distraction that hes created, but if they ultimately removed him as the CEO, thats an even bigger distraction. A quick recap: In August, Musk tweeted that he had made a deal to take the car company private for $420 a share, a substantial premium over its price at the time. The tweet said funding for the transaction was secured. In fact, he had made no such deal and no funding was secured. The SEC sued Musk and Tesla for misleading investors. The regulators soon reached a settlement in which Musk and the company would each pay a $20-million fine, Musk would give up his post as Tesla chairman though he would remain CEO, and he would agree that he would submit any tweets carrying potentially material information about Tesla to company lawyers for pre-approval. He didnt keep his promise. In December, he told 60 Minutes that his tweets still werent being vetted in advance. (I want to be clear, he told the interviewer, Lesley Stahl. I do not respect the SEC.) Feb. 26 byplay on Twitter between a follower and Elon Musk--now tweeting under the handle Elon Tusk. (Twitter) And on Feb. 19, he issued an inaccurate claim about Teslas 2019 auto production that also had not been vetted. This week, the SEC made the point that the Feb. 19 statement was a flagrant violation of the settlement, and asked the federal judge overseeing the case to declare Musk in contempt. The judge has scheduled a hearing for March 11 in New York. Musk was back on Twitter on Wednesday, now posting under the new handle Elon Tusk. In a series of rapid-fire tweets he said that Some Tesla news would be issued Thursday at 2 p.m. California time. Speculation in the market is that the announcement is related to the rumored Model Y electric SUV. It is unclear if the tweets were pre-approved by Tesla, or if the content was sufficiently material to fall within the settlement terms. Thursday 2pm Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 27, 2019 Some Tesla news Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 27, 2019 The SEC hasnt said what punishment it would like to see if Musk is found in contempt of court. Thats where the notion that its hands are tied in pressing for a significant penalty comes from. The underlying notion, obviously, is that Musk and Tesla are so closely identified with each other that the company would crater if he were removed or his authority were significantly constrained. More precisely, its stock would crater because its so widely assumed that hes responsible for Teslas success. As arguments against strict punishment for corporate wrongdoing go, this is amazingly weak. For one thing, the extent to which Tesla depends on Musk is a dynamic situation if Musks behavior becomes a legal or economic liability for the company, then it will be better for Tesla if hes ousted. Moreover, to say that Teslas success depends on Musks presence is tantamount to saying that its a lousy company being kept afloat by its CEOs celebrity. As it happens, thats a plausible point. Teslas struggles to reach profitability arguably are related to bad decisions made by Musk, including its production infrastructure and the poor manufacturability of some of its cars the result of design decisions attributed to, yes, Musk. As the companys quarterly disclosures reveal, much of its reported profit comes not from selling cars but from financial engineering, including the sale of government emissions credits. Most important, the idea that the SEC should go easy on Musk to protect his shareholders contradicts the common argument against regulations that would promote so-called shareholder democracy ensuring access to the proxy statement, for example, or reining in excessive executive compensation, or banning stock structures that give founders unassailable control of their company even if they own a minority of the stock. The idea is that discontented shareholders always can vote with their feet. They dont like it, they can sell their stock. Thats true as far as it goes, but doesnt it also apply when a company CEO runs afoul of the law or the regulators, as Musk has? Numerous factors go into an investors decision to hold a stock, such as an assessment of the companys future earnings and the extent to which theyre reflected in the share price, the prospect that it will acquire or be acquired, and the capabilities of management. The last of these surely encompasses whether management will get the company in trouble with the SEC, leading to a fine or a forced restructuring in the corporate suite. Is your CEO inclined to pick a fight with the most important securities regulator in the land? Thats a factor. Does he show an inability to fulfill his legal commitments? Thats a factor. Will he cost the company, say, $20 million in fines, with the prospect of stiffer penalties to come? Thats a factor. For one reason or another, Tesla shares closed Wednesday at $314.74, or 5.3% higher than their close Feb. 25, when the SEC filed its contempt motion. Investors, in other words, are factoring into their investment decision a bet that the SEC will show itself to be a paper tiger and wont trample on Musk in court. They may be right, or they may be wrong. But theyre making a deliberate calculation, and backing it up with their own money. If the SEC demands that Musk permanently step away from Tesla, and the shares tank, should we feel sorry for them? Obviously not. They cant claim to have been blindsided because the possibility that the SEC will demand harsh redress is on the menu. They can vote with their feet today or hang in there with their fingers crossed. But none is a prisoner of the system. No one is forcing them to own Tesla shares, and no one is preventing any holder from selling out. (Some may own Tesla via a mutual fund, but if theyre completely ignorant of their exposure, then they probably havent been paying attention to their semiannual portfolio reports, and whos fault is that?) The SEC may have reasons to go easy on Musk at this moment, and reasons to lower the boom among the latter, what authority would the SEC and federal courts have against corporate wrongdoers in the future if they allow such a blatant breach of an agreement to pass? Moreover, dont investors and the market generally have an interest in incentivizing good behavior by corporate executives? The least of the SECs concerns should be that its enforcement of a legal commitment would hurt shareholders. If any investors are still holding Tesla stock when a stiff judgment comes down, its their own problem. Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com. Return to Michael Hiltziks blog. Gap Inc. will spin off its better-performing Old Navy brand into a separate public company, the apparel retailer announced Thursday. Its stock leaped as much as 23%. The remaining company which still needs a name will consist of the namesake Gap brand, Athleta, Banana Republic, Intermix and Hill City. It will have annual revenue of about $9 billion, compared with Old Navys $8 billion, the company said. As part of the reorganization, the company plans to slash the store count of the struggling Gap brand by closing 230 locations over the next two years. These closures are expected to erase $625 million in sales. In November, the San Francisco company said it may close hundreds of stores that dont fit its vision for the Gap brand. A month later, it announced it would shut a three-story location on Manhattans 5th Avenue. Advertisement The Gap brand has struggled as part of a broader slump for bricks-and-mortar retailers, even as the lower-priced Old Navy brand has resonated with discount shoppers. In the latest quarter, Old Navys same-store sales were flat, while Gap and Banana Republic sales declined. Art Peck, chief executive of Gap, is to maintain that role at the new company. After the split, Sonia Syngal, who is CEO of Old Navy, will lead the stand-alone company. As part of the separation, Gap shareholders will receive a proportional stock distribution and own equal shares of both Old Navy and the new company. The deal is set to be completed in 2020 and is subject to final approval from Gaps board of directors. Gap made its announcement after the stock market closed. Its stock soared in after-hours trading. At the end of regular trading, the shares had been down 1.4% this year and down nearly 20% compared with a year earlier. The Washington Post was used in compiling this report. The Chinese tech giant Huawei has pleaded not guilty to U.S. charges that it stole trade secrets from T-Mobile. A company representative entered the pleas Thursday in federal court in Seattle, where a 10-count indictment was unsealed in January. Charges include conspiracy to steal trade secrets, attempted theft of trade secrets, wire fraud and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors say Huawei stole the technology behind a robotic device that Bellevue, Wash.-based T-Mobile used to test smartphones. Related: U.S. investigating whether Chinas Huawei stole trade secrets, report says Advertisement Huawei has also been charged in New York with bank fraud and sanctions violations. The allegations feature in a major trade dispute between the worlds two largest economies. The U.S. has accused China of using predatory tactics to turn Chinese companies into leaders in tech fields such as robotics and electric vehicles. A number of Arab and world leaders have extended their condolences to the Egyptian people and government over the deadly train crash in a Cairo railway station on Wednesday that killed 20 people and injured 43 others. Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz has has extended condolences to Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, conveying his sympathy to the families of the victims and wishing a speedy recovery for the injured. The leaders of Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Iraq, Yemen, and the UAE also expressed condolences and solidarity with the Egyptian people and government. In a letter to President El-Sisi, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow shares with the Egyptian people and the families of the victims their grief and wished a speedy recovery for the injured. A statement by the Turkish foreign ministry also extended condolences to the Egyptian people. The French foreign minister, as well as the Dutch, German and British embassies in Egypt, also extended condolences to the victims of their families. At least 20 people were killed and 43 others were injured when a blaze broke out in Cairo's Ramses Railway Station early Wednesday. Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly accepted the resignation of Minister of Transportation Hisham Arafat after the accident on Wednesday. CCTV video circulated online shows that a locomotive was left unattended at a train yard after its driver jumped out to speak with the conductor of another train that crashed into the first locomotive. The locomotive then sped off towards the railway station as its motor was left running when it was abandoned by the driver. Shortly after the accident, President El-Sisi said he has instructed the government to hold those responsible accountable for the crash after conducting the necessary investigations. Search Keywords: Short link: Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart is teaming up with the worlds largest cannabis company, taking on an advisory role at Canopy Growth Corp. to help develop a broad new line of products for both humans and animals. I am looking forward to working with the Canopy Growth team, Stewart said in a statement Thursday. Im especially looking forward to collaborating on developing products that can help people and their treasured animal companions. Stewart, 77, is an animal lover who co-hosts a cooking show with rapper and well-known pot connoisseur Snoop Dogg. Canopy, based in Smiths Falls, Canada, is conducting several clinical trials exploring how cannabis compounds can improve human and animal health, including research into the effectiveness of CBD, a non-intoxicating compound, to treat anxiety in animals. Cannabidiol, its formal name, has soared in popularity and is thought by its proponents to help with everything from stress to inflammation and insomnia. Advertisement Its really about duration and quality of life for animals that respond well to CBD, Canopy Chief Executive Bruce Linton said in an interview, adding that hemp is an easily digestible protein that can be added to pet food. Shares of Sequential Brands Group Inc., which owns the Martha Stewart media and merchandising brands, surged Thursday, although it wasnt clear whether the company would be involved in the partnership. The shares soared nearly 56%, their biggest one-day gain since 2012, before subsiding a bit; they were up 27.5% at $1.53 around 9:40 a.m. Pacific time. Canopy shares rose as much as 4.8% in Toronto. The U.S. farm bill, passed in December, legalized CBD derived from hemp under certain circumstances. But the Food and Drug Administration has said any CBD product marketed as having therapeutic benefits must be approved for its intended use before being introduced into interstate commerce. Cannabis is legal in Canada but not yet in food and beverage form. Canopy announced in January that it will spend as much as $150 million to build a hemp facility in New York state, its first production plant in the United States. Linton expects the company to eventually have hemp facilities in multiple states. Parsons Corp. said Thursday its moving its headquarters from Pasadena to the Washington, D.C., area so that the engineering, construction and cybersecurity firm can support its sizable workforce in Washington and be closer to key customers. The privately held firm is not relocating California employees to its new headquarters at its existing facility in Centreville, Va., nor will there be any job cuts related to the move, said Virginia Grebbien, Parsons chief marketing officer. Parsons employs nearly 500 in Pasadena and 1,400 in California overall. The firm has about 2,400 employees in the Washington area and 16,000 worldwide. The company said the move would not involve a major shift of the executive suite because its senior management already mostly operates outside of Pasadena. Chief Executive Chuck Harrington and Grebbien work out of Charlotte, N.C., for instance, and its chief operating officer, Carey Smith, already works in Centreville, the company said. Advertisement Parsons, with annual revenue of $3.6 billion, focuses on the defense, intelligence and infrastructure sectors, and its strategic actions over the past 10 years, including acquisitions, have led to the Washington metropolitan area having Parsons largest concentration of employees worldwide, Harrington said in a statement. The move of our corporate headquarters to the Washington area will support this concentration of employees in the region, he said. The move also puts us in closer proximity to many of our existing and potential clients, as well as key decision makers who influence policy and funding initiatives across our markets, Harrington said. Parsons becomes the latest in a line of large corporations to move their headquarters out of California to other states for various reasons in the last decade while sometimes retaining a sizable workforce in Southern California. Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. shifted its headquarters to Dallas from its longtime home in Pasadena in 2016. One reason: The firm said it would benefit from a business friendly economic and cultural environment. Another major engineering firm, Aecom, remains headquartered in Century City. Toyota Motor Co. also picked Texas when it moved its North American headquarters from Torrance to the Dallas suburb of Plano in 2014. The automaker said the shift enabled Toyota to move the companys brainpower close to the companys manufacturing base, primarily in the South. Occidental Petroleum Corp. also chose Texas in 2014 when it relocated its headquarters from Los Angeles to Houston, a major center for the oil and gas industry. Other examples include Northrop Grumman Corp., which moved its headquarters to Falls Church, Va., from Century City in 2011 so the aerospace company could be closer to the Pentagon and other decision makers in Washington. Chris Thornberg, founder of Beacon Economics in Los Angeles, noted that Parsons and many of these other firms are maintaining employment in Southern California and their decision to shift their headquarters is more about corporations evolving than the idea that jobs are leaving. In no way, shape or form does any of this suggest that the Southern California economy isnt booming it is and having one of these firms headquarters leaving is such a drop in the bucket, he said. Parsons wants to be closer to D.C., thats where their bread and butter is, and this is a shift to get in front of power brokers in D.C., Thornberg said. Its no reflection on the health of the Southern California economy. james.peltz@latimes.com Twitter: @PeltzLATimes Southwest Airlines received FAA approval Wednesday to begin flights between California and Hawaii, a move that could lower fares on the routes. The Dallas-based airlines chief operating officer, Mike Van de Ven, said it will announce the timing for selling tickets and beginning flights in coming days. The Federal Aviation Administration will increase oversight of Southwest for the first six months, an agency spokesman said, adding that the additional monitoring is standard practice. Southwest plans to launch flights to four of the Hawaiian islands, including Oahu. It will fly from four California cities: San Diego, San Jose, Oakland and Sacramento. Southwest has said it can book travelers to Hawaii faster from those airports because slots for additional flights are available there. Advertisement The airline said it expects to soon announce other California airports for service to Hawaii possibly including Los Angeles International Airport. Southwest needed FAA certification of its ability to operate long over-water flights with twin-engine jets where the options for emergency landings are few. In recent weeks Southwest has operated several test flights with FAA personnel on board to monitor such things as navigation and communications. Southwest hoped to begin selling Hawaii tickets last year, but that target had slipped even before the 35-day partial government shutdown that began in late December and resulted in the furlough of thousands of FAA employees. Southwest Chief Executive Gary Kelly has left open the option of adding flights between islands, a move that would encroach on markets dominated by Hawaiian Airlines. Amazon.com Inc. has been awash in counterfeit products for years and sometimes, sellers allege, those crude copycats are even mixed in with the inventory of real goods and sent to customers who ordered the real thing. Now the company has announced tools that let sellers remove knockoff listings from the site and help prevent individual counterfeit items from being shipped out. To speed the removal process, Amazon said that its now allowing some companies to remove listings for other sellers counterfeit goods. Previously the companies had to report the fakes and wait for Amazon to investigate before taking action. Amazon also said it has created unique serial codes that can be placed on products during the manufacturing process, which can then be monitored by Amazon so that knockoffs could be removed from the delivery chain before theyre shipped to customers who ordered the genuine item. That step appears to respond to concerns by sellers like Jon Fawcett, whose company, Fuse Chicken, makes durable cellphone cables. Fawcett has said he noticed his customer reviews suddenly plunge and then ordered some of his own products from Amazon and received counterfeits. Advertisement Thats when I recognized how big the problem was, Fawcett said last year. Products were being thrown into a single bin in Amazons warehouse, real and fake. Amazon, in court filings, denied mixing knockoff Fuse Chicken products with genuine ones. On Thursday, Amazon said it has also been testing automated technology that it said can prevent 100 times the number of counterfeit products on its site by scanning logos, trademarks and other key data. The company said its now scanning more than 5 billion products daily for telltale signs of counterfeiting. Our aim is that customers always receive authentic goods when shopping on Amazon, Amazon executive Dharmesh Mehta said in a blog post. Amazon announced the anti-counterfeit program, called Project Zero, on its blog Thursday. The project is currently invitation-only, but the Seattle company said its working to add more brands quickly. Pierson is a Times staff writer. Wells Fargo & Co. boosted an estimate for potential legal losses by $500 million while disclosing that its in early talks to resolve another round of investigations into sales abuses at its branches. The San Francisco company said it might have to spend as much as $2.7 billion more than what it set aside by the end of December to resolve a variety of investigations and other legal troubles up from $2.2 billion at the end of September. The higher estimate for reasonably possible legal losses essentially a worst-case scenario shows risks grew as the bank and authorities examined abuses in recent months and discussed potential penalties. The change stems from a variety of matters, including probes of its sales to retail customers, Wells Fargo wrote Wednesday in an annual regulatory report. The bank said its in preliminary or exploratory talks to resolve those probes with the Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission, but there can be no assurance as to the outcome. Scandals erupted in 2016 in Wells Fargos branch network, where employees facing aggressive quotas opened millions of bogus accounts, and have since emerged across other business lines. Chief Executive Tim Sloan, a three-decade company veteran who took the helm as the troubles forced out his predecessor that year, faces heightened scrutiny from Washington in coming months as he tries to lead the bank through the turmoil. Advertisement Sloan is set to appear before the House Financial Services Committee next month for a hearing on the banks abuses and cleanup. Meanwhile, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has ramped up calls for his ouster as she launches a 2020 presidential campaign. In a report last month, Wells Fargo said it reformed pay practices, reorganized units and replaced directors. Still, it acknowledged theres more to do. Punishment of the company hasnt been limited to fines and restitution. Last year, the Federal Reserve imposed an unprecedented sanction, forbidding the bank from boosting total assets beyond their level at the end of 2017 level until it addresses lapses to the regulators satisfaction. And this week, the company disclosed that its losing its status as a well-known seasoned issuer, a designation that makes it easier to raise money by selling securities. On Wednesday, the firm also provided updates on several other inquiries: Craig Ferguson is wasting no time trying to sell his Hollywood Hills home. Finding no takers at his previous asking price of $6 million, the late-night television host has relisted the place for $5.199 million. Built 115 years ago, the Craftsman-style spot sits behind gates on two-thirds of an acre. The lushly landscaped grounds are comprised of five different structures: a four-bedroom home, guest cottage, recording studio, gym and library. Original millwork and splashes of hardwood fill the living spaces in the main residence, including a bright living room and a kitchen with a granite island. Upstairs, the master suite expands to a custom bathroom and a balcony with treetop views. Advertisement In the guest cottage, a lofted bedroom space overlooks an expansive living room. The property has a total of seven bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms in 6,812 square feet. Outdoor spaces complete the palm-topped grounds. Theres a brick-paver patio with a fountain, a turf yard and a swimming pool surrounded by cabanas and flagstone. Jory Burton and Heather Shorr of Sothebys International Realty held the listing. Ferguson, 56, is best known for hosting The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson for a decade on CBS. More recently, the Scotland native hosted Join or Die with Craig Ferguson and Celebrity Name Game, for which he won a pair of Daytime Emmy Awards. Records show he bought the home seven years ago through a trust for $4.1 million. Previously, he owned a Beachwood Canyon Mediterranean that has also belonged to comedian Chris DElia and screenwriters Keith Merryman and David A. Newman. jack.flemming@latimes.com | Twitter: @jflem94 The technology industry isnt known for its activist culture, but after years of relative silence some workers are beginning to challenge practices they consider unfair, such as mandatory arbitration. A push is underway across the sector to end companies long-held practice of forcing staffers to take workplace disputes to arbitration instead of suing. Workers at Google persuaded the search giant to drop its requirement that employees waive their right to bring disputes against it to court, starting March 21. The campaign has found some prominent backers, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), who on Thursday introduced legislation that would end mandatory arbitration clauses nationwide. Were not willing to wait for corporate America to do the right thing, Blumenthal told reporters Thursday. This kind of injustice has to end for the sake of everyone in the workplace, men and women. Advertisement Mandatory arbitration, some workers contend, undercuts one of the few means of recourse in cases of company misconduct by forcing secret deliberations. Some tech companies have begun to alter their policies as they face more forceful objections from staff. Google is unusual in that it is doing away with forced arbitration for employees under all circumstances. Last year, Microsoft Corp., Uber, Lyft and Facebook Inc. announced that they would let employees with sexual misconduct complaints pursue their cases in court. But for disputes on other topics, those companies bans on lawsuits remain. An Uber spokesman acknowledged that it was just a first step but said arbitration plays an important role in the justice system. We watched as some companies tried to create policies in a surgical fashion, carving only a narrow category of cases where justice might be received, Tanuja Gupta, a Google employee who was one of the organizers of the November walkout, said at a news conference introducing the bill Thursday. But workers continued to beat the drum of intersectionality and highlight the root cause of all inequity: the structural imbalances of power. And slowly, some companies started to relent, rolling out blanket policies that eliminated forced arbitration. Blumenthal and Johnsons Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act would not ban arbitration entirely. It would prohibit companies from requiring employees, as a condition of employment, to waive their rights to sue. There are few state laws that serve to regulate arbitration agreements because the government upholds them at the federal level through the Federal Arbitration Act that is in place today. In California, recent attempts to pass a similar law have failed. Last year, the California Chamber of Commerce put such a measure on its annual list of job killers, arguing that it would open companies to lawsuits that would discourage them from hiring new employees. The bill passed the Legislature, but Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed it, citing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld mandatory arbitration clauses. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce echoed many of those concerns after the bill was introduced, saying that such legislation would create a forced litigation system. The package of proposals introduced today would eliminate the ability of the vast majority of employees and consumers to solve most disputes, while creating class-action lawsuits that primarily benefit plaintiffs lawyers, said Lisa A. Rickard, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform. While proponents of this legislation make eliminating arbitration sound good, in reality it is simply a forced litigation scheme that will cut most people off from justice. A new poll of 1,200 voters by Hart Research Associates found that 84% supported legislation to end arbitration requirements. Close to 90% of Republicans and 83% of Democrats supported the bill, and most preferred to have their own disputes heard in court, the survey found. johana.bhuiyan@latimes.com Twitter: @jmbooyah When The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wildes only novel, was published in Lippincotts Monthly Magazine in July 1890, London critics furiously attacked the author. False art, said a notorious review in the Scots Observer, which went on to accuse Wilde of gross immorality. The writer famously shot back, There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Offering up a sharp defense of art for arts sake in his Gothic novels withering repudiation of Victorian prudery, he declared, Books are well written, or badly written. That is all. Im not aware of any such critical slam aimed directly at Allen Ruppersberg for his fantastic 1974 work based on Wildes novel although Conceptual art was then certainly under furious establishment attack. Its just as well. This version, a highlight of the artists deeply engaging retrospective at the UCLA Hammer Museum, is a masterpiece of early Conceptual art. The Picture of Dorian Gray, a peak achievement made near the end of the movements powerful first phase, is a cornerstone of Ruppersbergs impressive career. In it, the artist hand-copied Wildes entire Faustian text, word for word, in felt-tip pen onto raw, stretched canvases. Once in a while he messed up a word, crossed it out, and then continued on. Advertisement Allen Ruppersberg, The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1974, marker on canvas (Christopher Knight / Los Angeles Times) Allen Ruppersberg, The Picture of Dorian Gray (detail), 1974, marker on canvas (Christopher Knight / Los Angeles Times) In the book, Dorian Gray is the subject of a painting by Basil Halliwell, an artist obsessed with the young mans physical beauty. When Dorian falls into a life of sensual hedonism, he sells his soul so that the painted portrait will age and decay, while he retains an ageless magnificence. Things do not go well. Each of Ruppersbergs 20 canvases is 6 feet square. Unlike Halliwells picture, which got locked away in a closet to rot in private, they take up a lot of space. The work has been described as a painting about a book about a painting. Since no paint is involved, however, Id say its more like a drawing about a book about a painting. Drawings were once mostly made as preparations for paintings, but this one pulls up short. Its a study that conjures a fictional painting. Wilde imagined it as a critical template for moral duplicity for the ruin caused by a double life, one played out in public and the other hidden away in private. As Ruppersberg drew in 1974, America was melting down in the scandalous revelations of Richard Nixons Watergate crimes. That history gives the piece powerful resonance for our grinding national disorder today. Ruppersberg has made lots of drawings of books over the years Hemingways The Old Man and the Sea, The Elements of Style by Strunk & White, Horatio Algers Strive and Succeed and Charles Baudelaires Les Fleurs du Mal among them. Those books subjects nature, technique, success, symbolism catalog arts dilemmas. Allen Ruppersberg, Greetings From California, 1972, acrylic on canvas (UCLA Hammer Museum) I know of only one major painting of a book Greetings From California, a 1972 acrylic on canvas that shows a bright orange tome, tagged a novel by A. Ruppersberg, floating peacefully in a dark blue sky over a silhouetted hill at sunrise. Look twice and the breaking dawn resembles a breaking ocean wave, the book its surfboard. Closed and enigmatic but waving hello like a postcard from the edge, the painting was accompanied by an edition of 200 paperbacks, most of their pages left blank. Los Angeles, proverbial place for reinvention, a city claimed to be without a past, presents a story waiting to be written. Born in Cleveland, Ruppersberg, now 74, moved to L.A. to study commercial art in 1962. Hes divided his time between L.A. and New York ever since, interspersed with some European sojourns. Greetings From California hangs at the exhibitions entrance. The show offers a rare opportunity to see his early work. Especially pungent is a group of five small aquariums with mundane objects inside gravel, a little bird house, a box of chocolates, a coin purse holding a eucalyptus leaf atop a sheaf of paper and more. Allen Ruppersberg, Untitled (Canvas Aquarium), 1968, mixed media (UCLA Hammer Museum) My favorite features a small blank canvas on a barren little plain of pebbles. Each aquarium is a poetic universe a cross between a Surrealist box by Joseph Cornell and a soundstage at a Hollywood studio. The aquariums were harbingers of two legendary Ruppersberg installations. Als Cafe was a functioning coffeeshop the artist opened near MacArthur Park, although the menu featured small assemblage sculptures rather than bacon and eggs. Als Grand Hotel, perhaps inspired by the old Barbizon Hotel next door to the cafe, was a functioning Hollywood inn with rooms to rent. The cafe and the hotel precede by 20 years the 1990s vogue for so-called relational art sculptures built as social environments, places where people come together to participate in shared activities. The hotel is gone but nicely evoked in the exhibition by a slide show of photographs projected onto surrounding walls in a small room. It suggests how the installation led a double life an actual social space and a work of art. So do the drawings, although more elliptically. Drawing is a staple of Conceptual art because it most closely tracks an artists unfolding thought, from brain to hand to surface. Ruppersbergs graphite book-drawings are ruminative in the extreme. Their content is hidden, since a picture of a book cannot be opened. But they do have internal meanings, which can be found outside themselves by searching out the actual texts. Ruppersbergs drawings catalog arts dilemmas, but the pictures urge an observer to explore those quandaries too. Time unfolds in space dramatically so in his The Picture of Dorian Gray. All those canvases lean against walls, stacked up and occupying a whole room. The hand of the artist is omnipresent, thanks to the autograph penmanship. But Ruppersbergs visible hand is layered over Wildes invisible one as well as over fictional Basil Halliwells, the novels portrait painter. The present and the past, the real and the imaginative are embodied. Art generates art. Intellectual Property, ably organized by the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, is a welcome sequel to Ruppersbergs 1985 midcareer survey at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Its a blissful retrospective, art revealed as delighted exploration of sober matters. That includes the Day-Glo posters papering walls, which the artist began to produce in the mid-1980s. (He stopped in 2012, when L.A.s Colby Poster Printing Co. went out of business.) Based on the familiar, cheaply made signage that turns up on telephone poles and fences to advertise prizefights, church carnivals and swap meets, theyre ancestors of Mark Bradfords very different, more recent paintings produced from thickly collaged, handmade street signs. The big example here a tour de force mixes found commercial posters with Ruppersbergs own graphic interpretation of a phonetic reading of Howl, Allen Ginsbergs Beat-era lament for Americas outcasts. Like Dorian Gray, Ginsbergs 1956 poem was first attacked as obscene, then worked its way into historys canon through the sheer force of its artistic power. Allen Ruppersberg, Big Trouble (detail), 2010, mixed media (Christopher Knight / Los Angeles Times) That trajectory makes Big Trouble, a 2010 installation at the end of the show, especially trenchant. Cutouts feature Scrooge McDuck imagery plucked from 10 framed prints of a classic Disney comic strip. They track the buffoonish competition among mega-rich characters to erect the biggest, most expensive statue to honor their own self-importance. The notably gray statue cutouts are plywood stage flats, the big-bucks contest turned into a cut-rate theatrical spectacle. The colorful framed comics, now missing the statue images, are full-throated works of art rendered by gifted if little-revered draftsmen. As a wicked allegory of todays rapacious art world, a tale of ever larger and more extravagant statues to Cornelius Coot erected by McDuck and the Maharajah of Howduyustan is hard to beat. And a remarkable loop is created: Enclosed is the arid landscape inside that early aquarium at the shows start, plus the story of ruinous decay in Wildes Picture of Dorian Gray, so harrowingly inflamed during an earlier Gilded Age. Allen Ruppersberg: Intellectual Property 19682018 Where: UCLA Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood When: Tuesdays-Sundays, through May 12 Information: (310) 443-7000, www.hammer.ucla.edu FROM THE ARCHIVE: Ruppersberg at the Santa Monica Museum of Art in 2009 DESERT X: I drove 198 miles to see 19 artists work. Heres the best To understand the American dream, playwright Boni B. Alvarez, son of Filipino immigrants, looks at what it means to those on the outside, looking in. His current play, America Adjacent, eavesdrops on a group of Filipinas who covertly reside in East Hollywood while waiting to give birth. Their newborns will have U.S. citizenship, but as the women get a closer look at this country theyve heard such good things about, they begin to wonder whether its all they were led to believe. The characters are all women, a rarity. Rarer still, all seven are Filipina or of Philippine descent. I started writing plays that I wanted to see, Alvarez says, but also plays that I could see myself in, or people that I know in. Advertisement Im definitely Filipino American in my work equal stress on Filipino and American. Im exploring it for myself, and Im also showing how Filipinos fit into the national landscape that we didnt just pop up over here, and that the relationship with the Philippines is not accidental. There was imperialism, the bounties of war. People are here for a reason, and theres always something more meaningful behind why theyre here. Alvarez sits in the office at the Skylight Theatre, where America Adjacent is being introduced. Its his sixth play produced in L.A. in the last decade. A native of East Palo Alto, he moved from the Bay Area to L.A. in 2004 to attend USC and now lives in Hollywood. These are American stories, not just Filipino American stories. His canvas is really a bigger canvas. ... People get something out of it that is true for them. Director Jon Lawrence Rivera Prominent among his plays are Bloodletting, introduced by Playwrights Arena and remounted for Center Theatre Groups annual Block Party, and Fixed, introduced by the Echo. In the former, a Filipino American brother and sister sense supernatural forces at work while visiting the Philippines to scatter their fathers ashes but come to realize theyre the ones with an extraordinary power: the strength to root out the pain in their lives and begin to heal. Fixed takes place here in Los Angeles, where a diaphanous star of drag balls and a macho but soulful lover might live happily ever after if the world would just let them alone. These vivid, funny, complex individuals all standing their ground amid buffeting cultural, social and familial forces are a hallmark of Alvarezs writing. Everything about me lends itself to my writing, he says. Being Filipino American and growing up in a black and Latino neighborhood. Being the fat kid who doesnt want to get beat up or teased. Being the gay kid whos closeted. At a young age I had a pretty wide perspective on people. I knew how to behave within various populations. And that, I think, is huge, being aware of your environment and how you fit in or how you dont fit in and if you want to fit in how you need to adjust. Its, like, this forced character study. America Adjacent at the Skylight Theatre (Ed Krieger) Through a story about motherhood and dreams for the future, Alvarez positions America Adjacent to address such hot-button issues as immigration and perceptions of what makes America great. The Filipinas in the play dont intend for their children to be anchor babies. Theyll take the infants home to raise them, but they want to provide their children the option to one day return as citizens to study or relocate permanently. The women are warehoused in a birthing house, a residence in an ordinary neighborhood where they live a secluded existence, away from prying eyes. Its a clandestine business venture of a sort uncovered in Southern California, although those catered to the Chinese. Alvarez is not aware of such enterprises for Filipinas. Although Los Angeles seems a veritable land of plenty, the Filipina mothers-to-be mostly end up experiencing it as crowded and dirty populated by struggling masses. Its a great country, Alvarez says, but it is very unlivable for most of the people here. I feel that way all the time. Just driving down the street, Im pleading with people, Please dont crash into me, because that would set me off, financially, for a while. Its my own disillusionment, that there is no American dream. The production is directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera, who gave Alvarez his entree to L.A. theater. Rivera who runs another L.A. company, Playwrights Arena checked out Alvarezs student work at the urging of a USC professor, and a bond quickly formed. There was something really, truly authentic about his depiction of Filipinos in the United States, Rivera says, and I felt I was hearing a fresh new voice. He presented the student-begun Ruby, Tragically Rotund in 2009. These are American stories, not just Filipino American stories, adds Rivera, who has now directed four of Alvarezs plays. His canvas is really a bigger canvas, telling stories about living in the United States about being displaced, about identity crisis. People get something out of it that is true for them. Having participated in playwrights labs run by theaters across the city, Alvarez has ties to a number of companies. America Adjacent grew out of a play nurtured in Skylights lab. Hes tenacious, Skylights producing artistic director, Gary Grossman, says. Hes never settling; hes always working and hes always listening. Playwright Boni B. Alvarez talks with America Adjacent cast members Arianne Villareal, left, and Samantha Valdellon. (Nick Agro / For The Times) An actor before he was a writer, Alvarez performed in Bloodletting and Fixed. He has been thoroughly immersed in theater since junior high, when he landed his first role in a childrens theater production. He pursued acting as an undergraduate at Sarah Lawrence College and as a graduate student at the ART/MXAT (American Repertory Theater/Moscow Art Theater) Institute at Harvard and performed in New York before reassessing and switching to writing. Moving to L.A. in 2004, he became a member of USCs inaugural class in a master of fine arts program in dramatic writing. He credits the local playwrights who instructed him there principally Velina Hasu Houston (Tea), Oliver Mayer (Blade to the Heat) and Luis Alfaro (Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles) as mentors. When he graduated three years later, the Playwrights Arena production of Ruby, Tragically Rotund was already in the works. A decade in, Alvarezs career has reached a classic good news/bad news point. I think people think Im more successful than I am, he says. Yes, hes been steadily produced in L.A.s small theaters: three shows by Playwrights Arena and one each by Coeurage, Echo and Skylight. But most playwrights are making their money in TV, he says, a medium in which he has tried but not yet secured a gig. I just dont have enough friends who are creators of shows yet, he jokes. Nor does he have an agent for his writing, although he does for acting. For the bulk of his income, Alvarez teaches including at least one class a semester as an adjunct professor at USC and makes himself available as a script consultant to other writers. His roster of projects-in-the-works includes one about the 1904 Worlds Fair in St. Louis, for which 1,000 Filipinos were shipped in to inhabit a re-created Philippines; another about European Jews who found refuge in the Philippines during World War II; and one prompted by the fact that 2017 Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock had a Filipina girlfriend. Theyre all stories of outsiders, and for Alvarez, being an outsider has been an inside track to achievement. Im still trying to find my place, Alvarez says. I think thats why my plays dont really offer solutions or timelines. My plays just offer you things to think about, from multiple lenses. America Adjacent Where: Skylight Theatre, 1816 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz When: 8:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays and, beginning March 4, 8 p.m. Mondays; ends March 24 Tickets: $15-$41 Info: (213) 761-7061, skylighttheatre.org Is Green Book the best picture? Regarding Why This Is So Not Best Picture [Feb. 25]: Just as Justin Chang said I would, I take offense at his review of the best picture Oscar winner, Green Book. Reasonable disagreement? No, it was a hatchet job; the film was great. Mindy Taylor-Ross, Venice Advertisement :: I find this Green Book backlash ridiculous. This is a film about two men, opposites, who through a dangerous journey found friendship and grew to have each others backs. They changed each others lives on countless levels. Don Shirley, in this film, did not take any back seat to Tony Lip or anybody. He established the boundaries of their journey ... period. Both men evolved because of this rich relationship. Bob Garrett, Studio City :: Justin Changs diatribe, and Kenneth Turans more measured view [Crowd-Pleasers Capture the Votes, Feb. 25], that Green Book did not deserve the best picture award exemplifies all that is wrong with Hollywood movie critics: Stop telling us (and Academy voters) what to like or not like. The old one mans trash is another mans treasure holds true. Maybe its best to just leave it at that. Rick Solomon, Lake Balboa :: I was so happy that Green Book won best picture. Justin Changs negative response to the win was a real bummer. Martin Towery, Cypress :: I would hazard to say that most Americans have never heard of the actual Green Book that black motorists needed to ensure their safety during car trips in the Southern states from 1935-1965. It is still shocking to witness the racist treatment of Don Shirley during his concert tour, a mere 100 years after the Civil War. The film was hard-hitting enough for Rep. John R. Lewis, Harry Belafonte and Octavia Spencer. Ben Nethercot, Topanga :: In my opinion, Green Book is a great movie that deserved its best picture Oscar. I simply dont care that it didnt pass muster with jaded movie critics, whose rigid thinking and preconceived prejudices allow them to dismiss the nuances of the complex relationship that evolved in the movie between Don Shirley and Tony Vallelonga. Michael Armstrong, Hawthorne :: If I had a vote for best picture it would have been for Black Panther, a powerful, celebratory and beautiful movie. That was not chosen as best picture, but instead Green Book, which is a cliche-ridden, sticky-sweet story presented from the savior, white drivers perspective. What I did take away from the best picture winner is knowledge about a genius musician, composer and pianist, Donald Shirley. He should be known to all Americans. Jane Cashell, Irvine :: Justin Chang has written the most important words this award season regarding the film Green Book when he asks, Who gets to tell whose story? Why is Don Shirleys story told from a white protagonists point of view? What a shame and what a lost opportunity to help people like me gain maybe a glimmer of understanding about the truth of Don Shirleys experience. Mary Scott, Northridge :: I think Justin Chang, like many movie critics, forgets why people go to the movies in the first place. In this day and age of 24/7 news coverage and social media, not always reassuring and positive, we go to the movies to forget our cares and worries, and to be entertained. We dont dissect the film and pick out what the movie got wrong, but rather what it got right! Alba Farfaglia, San Clemente :: I was glad Justin Chang had the character to write why the best picture Oscar for Green Book was wrongheaded. But he seems to think movies should be morally and socially pure. Can we discuss Olivia Colman in The Favourite? After watching that movie, my thought was if England can survive a Queen Anne, perhaps the U.S. can survive a Trump presidency. Christine Gregory, Beverly Hills :: It took a while, but Justin Chang eventually managed to blame Trump for Green Book being awarded best movie. Wim Scholten, Culver City :: If Justin Chang believes another movie should have won the best picture Oscar, thats fine. Was it necessary to accuse those of us who like Green Book of Trumpian anti-intellectualism? Must we also loathe such films as To Kill a Mockingbird and Glory because of the sin of a white perspective? Bruce Janger, Santa Monica :: As an African American, I was offended by the presumption that only black audiences can take the moral high road on matters of race. Really? Folly, arrogance and cruelty come in all colors. Dont tell us what is white and what is black. Sidney Morrison, Los Angeles 1 / 32 Jim Burke, Charles B. Wessler, Nick Vallelonga, Peter Farrelly and Brian Currie, winners of the best picture award for Green Book. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 32 Rami Malek (lead actor), Olivia Coleman (lead actress), Regina King (supporting actress) and Mahershala Ali (supporting actor), winners in the Oscar acting categories. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 32 Rami Malek, winner as lead actor for Bohemian Rhapsody. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 32 Olivia Colman, winner of the lead actress Oscar for her role in The Favourite. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 32 Nick Vallelonga, left, Peter Farrelly and Brian Currie, winners of the original screenplay award for Green Book. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 32 Andrew Wyatt, left, Anthony Rossomando, Lady Gaga and Mark Ronson pose with the original song award for Shallow from the film A Star Is Born. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 32 Andrew Wyatt, left, Anthony Rossomando, Lady Gaga and Mark Ronson, winners of the original song Oscar for Shallow. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 32 An emotional Lady Gaga poses with the original song Oscar for Shallow. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 32 Supporting actor winners Mahershala Ali and Regina King. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 32 Producers David Rabinowitz, left, Kevin Willmott and Charlie Wachtel pose with the adapted screenplay award for BlacKkKlansman. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 32 Alfonso Cuaron, winner of the director, foreign language film and cinematography Oscars for Roma. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 32 Spike Lee, winner of the adapted screenplay award for BlacKkKlansman. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 32 Mahershala Ali, winner of the supporting actor Oscar for Green Book. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 32 Spike Lee, left, winner of the adapted screenplay Oscar, and Mahershala Ali, supporting actor winner for Green Book. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 32 Ludwig Goransson, winner for the score in Black Panther. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 32 Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman, winners of the Oscar for live action short film for Skin. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 32 Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman, winners of the Oscar for live action short film for Skin. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 32 Becky Neiman-Cobb, left, and Domee Shi, winners of the animated short film Oscar for Bao. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 32 Melissa Berton, left, and Rayka Zehtabchi, winners of the live action short film award for Period. End of Sentence. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 32 Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles, Paul Lambert and J.D. Schwalm, winners of of the visual effects award for First Man. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 32 Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles, Paul Lambert and J.D. Schwalm, winners of of the visual rffects award for First Man. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 32 Bob Persichetti, left, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, winners of the animated feature film award for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 32 Regina King, winner for supporting actress in If Beale Street Could Talk. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 32 John Ottman, winner of the film editing Oscar for Bohemian Rhapsody. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 32 Jay Hart and Hannah Beachler, winners in the production design category for Black Panther. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 32 Jay Hart and Hannah Beachler, winners in the production design category for Black Panther. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 32 Ruth Carter, winner of the costume design prize for Black Panther. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 32 Ruth Carter, winner of the costume design prize for Black Panther. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 32 Nina Hartstone and John Warhurst, winners of the sound editing award for Bohemian Rhapsody. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 32 Paul Massey, from left, Tim Cavagin and John Casali, winners of the Oscar for sound mixing in Bohemian Rhapsody. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 32 Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney, winners of makeup and hairstyling for Vice. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 32 Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill, winners of the documentary feature prize for Free Solo. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Host behind the curtain Who says there was no host at the Oscars? No doubt sitting alone in a booth away from the action for her 10th year was the splendid announcer Randy Thomas. She was perfect and should receive her own award. Harvey Kern, Los Angeles :: Looking for Jussie Smollett balance Mary McNamaras article about Jussie Smollett and the ensuing national conversation about hate crimes [What Jussie Says About Us, Feb. 23] was surprisingly well-balanced. As a reader who usually disagrees with her, I was pleased. However, McNamara couldnt quite get through her column without some obligatory Trump bashing. She opined: Hate crimes happen. But wearing a MAGA hat is not a crime, and people do so for a variety of reasons just like people wear Che Guevara T-shirts for a variety of reasons. If that analogy is acceptable, how about this: People put Bernie Sanders bumper stickers on their vehicles for a variety of reasons, just like people put pictures of Hitler on their bedroom walls for a variety of reasons. I dont think that would sit too well with Bernies supporters. Ken Grow, Newbury Park :: Mary McNamara targeted a problem that has become rampant in our society. Say or write the story now, and check its accuracy later. More and more stories seem to be tried in the media without the benefit of due process. How has this happened to a society that values a free press? Libby J. Atwater, Ventura Melissa Berton, center left, and Rayka Zehtabchi, center right, accept the Short Film (Live Action) award for Period. End Of Sentence. during the telecast of the 91st Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Oscars menstruation documentary Bravo to Mary McNamara for her article about this Oscar-winning documentary, Period. End of Sentence, [Small Step for Women, Feb. 22]. Not only did McNamara tell the story of these girls in India and their menstrual issues, but she did it in a very entertaining way. The idea that a female character is 1,875 times more likely to be eaten by a zombie than to be seen having cramps in a movie is a great eye-opener. Marlene Bronson, Los Angeles The conversation continues online with comments and letters from readers at latimes.com/calendarfeedback 1 / 30 Director Peter Farrelly, center, and the cast of Green Book as they win Best Picture during the telecast of the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 30 Viggo Mortensen and the cast of the Green Book react during the telecast of the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 30 Mahershala Ali, center-left, and Viggo Mortensen celebrate the best picture win for Green Book during the telecast of the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 30 Olivia Colman is kissed by her husband, Ed Sinclair, as she is announced as lead actress winner for The Favourite during the telecast of the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 30 Rami Malek embraces costar Lucy Boynton after winning the Oscar for actor in a leading role for Bohemian Rhapsody. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 30 Barbra Streisand speaks onstage at the Dolby Theatre during the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 30 Lady Gaga reacts after winning the Oscar for best original song for Shallow from A Star Is Born at the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 30 Spike Lee accepts the adapted screenplay award for BlacKkKlansman during the telecast of the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 30 Spike Lee enthusiastically accepts the adapted screenplay award for BlacKkKlansman from Samuel L. Jackson and Brie Larson during the telecast of the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 30 Husband-and-wife team Jaime Ray Newman and Guy Native win the Oscar for live action short film at the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 30 Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper perform Shallow from A Star Is Born during the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 30 Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper perform Shallow from A Star Is Born during the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 30 Melissa Berton, center left, and Rayka Zehtabchi accept the award for documentary short for Period. End Of Sentence during the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 30 Mike Meyer and Dana Carvey introduce Bohemian Rhapsody during the telecast of the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 30 Hannah Beachler celebrates her win for production design during the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 30 Mahershala Ali, winner of the Oscar for actor in a supporting role, shakes hands with fellow nominee Sam Elliott during the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 30 Bette Midler waves to the crowd after performing The Place Where Lost Things Go during the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 30 Keegan-Michael Key drops in from above during the telecast of the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 30 Jennifer Hudson performs original song nominee Ill Fight during the telecast of the 91st Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 30 Nina Hartstone, Oscar winner for sound editing, embraces Queen guitarist Brian May during the 91st Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 30 John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone accept the Oscar for sound editing for Bohemian Rhapsody during the 91st Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 30 Hannah Beachler greets Spike Lee, center, during the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday in the Dolby Theatre. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 30 Stephan James and Elsie Fisher during the telecast of the 91st Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 30 Ruth E. Carter accepts the Oscar for costume design for Black Panther during the 91st Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 30 Hannah Beachler and Jay R. Hart accept the Oscar for production design for Black Panther at the 91st Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 30 Evan Hayes, left, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Shannon Dill, Alex Honnold and Sanni McCandless onstage to accept the Oscar for documentary feature for Free Solo at the 91st Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 30 Regina King, front, accepts the Oscar for actress in a supporting role as presenters Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler watch onstage at the Dolby Theatre. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 30 Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler during the telecast of the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 30 Brian May and Adam Lambert during Queens performance to open the telecast of the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 30 Queen performs to open the telecast of the 91st Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) calendar.letters@latimes.com Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi issued a decree on Thursday approving an amendment to a deal on the US aid to Egypt with regard to bilateral cooperation in the science and technological domains. Under the amendment, the USAID will extend to Egypt $ 20 million instead of $ 16 million to promote science and technology collaboration. The deal is part of five grant agreements signed in July 2018 between Egypt and the United States worth $45 million in the fields of agriculture, higher education, science and technology, health, and governance. It also includes partnerships between Egyptian and American educational organizations; the agreement is set to boost school education and educate teachers of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Search Keywords: Short link: Timely headlines can either augment a truth-based movies effect or ironically act as the real-world prism through which we say about a lesser film, Why am I not as moved as I should be? The latter is, sadly, the case with Saint Judy, a well-meaning but cliche-ridden fictionalized account of how Los Angeles-based immigration attorney Judy Wood (Michelle Monaghan) tenaciously argued for asylum status for an Afghan woman (Leem Lubany) persecuted in her homeland for operating a school for girls. Writer Dmitry Portnoy (who interned for the real Judy Wood) and director Sean Hanish think they have an Erin Brockovich on their hands as immigration law upstart and single mom Judy detaches from her cynical boss (Alfred Molina), starts her own shingle, then latches on to a case she ultimately believes could lead to the designation of women targeted in other countries as a protected status under U.S. asylum law. But what Saint Judy really feels like is the pilot for a run-of-the-mill broadcast network drama about a plucky attorney, an antagonistic ex-husband (Peter Krause) whos her moral opposite, the other-side lawyer (Common) she flirts with, and the son shes trying to raise right. The early glimmers of something soulful and sobering rooted in investigative details and detention center realities ultimately give way to the tired mechanics of give-it-all uplift. Monaghan is effectively cast because of her intelligent grit, but as depicted here, Judy Woods hard road to the 9th Circuit is also a path to the ninth circle of biopic blandness. ------------ Advertisement Saint Judy Rated: PG-13, for thematic material and language Running time: 1 hour, 46 minutes Playing: In limited release See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour Movie Trailers calendar@latimes.com @LATimesMovies The rule of law. Crimes against humanity. Bringing justice to an unjust world. Worthy topics all, but would you actually want to see a film about them? If the work in question is Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz, the answer is an unequivocal yes. Thats because Ferencz, the last surviving lead prosecutor at World War IIs Nuremberg Trials and still very much active at age 98, has an exceptionally engaging presence to go along with his unexpectedly compelling life story. Self-aware, funny and articulate, blessed with a first-class temperament, Ferencz is front and center telling his own tale, which includes being the key player in whats been called the biggest murder trial in history. Yes, there are talking heads like Gen. Wesley Clark and attorney Alan Dershowitz to fill in the details for director Barry Avrich, but they are window dressing to the main event. Advertisement For more than being a great raconteur, the dapper Ferencz benefits from a career trajectory that is as much the result of happenstance as careful planning. Though he proved supremely suited to it, being the leading figure for decades in the fight for an international criminal court was not exactly a career Ferencz mapped out for himself. In fact, the son of Jewish immigrants from Hungary who traveled to the U.S. third class because there was no fourth class, Ferencz not only didnt have college on his mind, hed never so much as met anyone whod gone there. A stint at New Yorks City College led to a scholarship at Harvard Law, where he made a chance connection to a professor who was an authority on war crimes. World War II changed Ferenczs life, but not in the ways he anticipated. His small stature (around 5 feet) held him back from enlisting, and after a variety of postings he was sent to concentration camps like Buchenwald as they were liberated to gather evidence for future trials. The experienced changed his life. A photograph featured in the film Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz. (7th Art) Even today, decades after the fact, Ferencz breaks down when he describes what he saw: The stench, humans crawling like rats. Its incomprehensible to the rational human mind. He was traumatized by what he saw at the camps, says his son Don. It fueled a nuclear reactor inside this man. So much so that the son remembers being asked every night at dinner, and I mean every night, What have you done for mankind today? That experience plus his law degree led to working on one of the 12 postwar Nuremberg trials that focused on the members of the Einsatzgruppen, SS units that specialized in the mass execution of Jews and victims of the Nazi regime. Because the 22 people he brought to trial had been responsible for the deaths of more than a million victims, his trial was called the biggest murder trial of all time. Ferencz only went after the biggest fish, the highest ranking and most educated members of the Einsatzgruppen, and though he says with pride I got the bastards, the lesson he learned continues to haunt him. War will make mass murderers out of otherwise decent people, he says more than once. I have seen it again and again and again. Thats the effect of war. When Ferencz returned to private practice after the war, he found that big firms were reluctant to hire him: They said, If we have to hang Nazis, well call you. So he began practicing what fellow attorney Dershowitz calls human rights law when there was no such thing. That led him to a decades-long campaign for an international criminal court, reasoning it was common sense: if there were international crimes individuals must be held responsible. Some of the most engaging stories in the film come from lawyer/diplomat David Scheffer, who relates walking from New Yorks Penn Station to the U.N. during a blizzard to get on the record the U.S. last-minute signature on the treaty to finally establish such a court. Though the court was established in the Hague in 2002, the U.S. Senate has yet to ratify the treaty, but Ferencz has neither given up hope nor stopped believing that such an institution is essential. Its time to stop before we kill everybody, and were on that path now, he says with conviction. Law is better than war. ------------ Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz Not rated Running time: 1 hour, 23 minutes Playing: Laemmles Music Hall, Beverly Hills kenneth.turan@latimes.com @KennethTuran This Magnificent Cake!, a stop-motion film written and directed by Marc James Roels and Emma de Swaef, is a series of feverish meditations on a brutal episode in African history. In 1885, Leopold II of Belgium, seeking a slice of this magnificent African cake, became de facto owner of much of what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. The rubber, ivory and precious metals taken from the Congo made Leopold fabulously wealthy, but millions of Congolese died from overwork, torture and disease until their hellish exploitation was exposed in 1904. In a series of linked episodes, the filmmakers explore the thoughtless cruelty of the European grifters. Leopold, haunted by nightmares, takes out his discomfort on a hapless Belgian musician who flees to Africa. At a luxurious hotel that serves as a gateway to the jungle, the heir to a well-known bakery absconds with the family funds and begins a life of drunken dissolution, while a nasty child pushes a piano over a railing, crushing a native servant. The animation is minimal, but the cloth faces of the puppets seem to change expression as light plays over them, creating an unsettling vitality. The overscaled hallways and caverns increase the sense of alienation: The characters are as vapid as the hotel that symbolizes the colonial regime. Advertisement At 44 minutes, This Magnificent Cake may be a long short or a short feature. Either way, its an intriguing, disturbing film, utterly unlike American studio animation. Screening with Cake are two other stop-motion shorts. In Oh Willy , also by Roels and de Swaef, a chubby little man copes with memories and nightmares, including the appearance of a surprisingly maternal yeti, after his mother dies in a nudist colony. Niki Lindroth von Bahrs The Burden, from Sweden, depicts groups of anthropomorphized animals performing strange musical numbers. The storytelling is minimal, but the animation is often appealing, especially a pair of tap-dancing mice who execute a snazzy buck-and-wing while cleaning a fast-food outlet. ------------- This Magnificent Cake! In French and Dutch with English subtitles Not rated Running time: 1 hour, 15 minutes Playing: Starts Friday, Laemmle Glendale ------------ See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour Movie Trailers calendar@latimes.com @LATimesMovies The camera, tweezer-close, skims the surface of an unidentified body, the skin and hairs like a pale wasteland, a curled appendage lies in rest like a sleeping giant, and theres the atmospheric sound of light breathing. Its an opening that makes it clear Romanian filmmaker Adina Pintilie is in a zeroing-in frame of mind with her offbeat, intellectualized study of sexuality, identity and bodies, Touch Me Not. Her unflinching inquiry is part fiction, part reality, with a dash of personal essay, and asks us to think of intimacy as the ultimate expression of empathy, but one that starts inward, requires active participation and thought, and maybe even group work. In the touch-therapy sessions at a medical facility, the exercises get right to it. The white-clad participants we encounter include individuals with physical challenges, or in the case of gentle, shy Tomas (Tomas Lemarquis), a condition (alopecia) that sparks crippling self-consciousness. Theres talking, sure, but also strangers gently caressing each others faces with each others eyes closed, an intoning moderator delicately imploring everyone to think of their partners features as a new landscape. Watching these sessions from a hallway window is Laura (Laura Benson), a walled-up middle-aged woman who is there to visit an infirm male patient whose relationship to her is never explained, but which clearly adds to her emotional distress. Ready to deal with her own closeness issues after being rebuffed for a friendly chat by her standing male prostitute appointment she looks for a new partner online. With her new escort hires, played by real sex workers, Laura primarily asks, watches and listens, a combination of scientist and patient. Talky transgender German Hanna (Hanna Hofmann) tries to bring out Lauras playfulness regarding role-playing and sexuality, while a soft-voiced, bearlike Australian man (Seani Love) introduces her to BDSM techniques that play with boundaries and reactions. Advertisement Adding a further layer of personalization to this commingling of actors in character and non-professionals is that Lauras interactions are being observed by director Pintilie herself through a device attached to a film camera. Laura is on one level the directors subject she and Pintilie talk after each encounter, hashing out their feelings about it but also Pintilies conduit to a freeing world of healthful connection and freeing self-identification, as the filmmaker reveals when she speaks for herself about her own intimacy issues. If it all sounds a bit abstract and archly realized, it is, due in part to occasionally disruptive sound effects and music cues, which feel more arty than organic, and design choices like all that antiseptic white that seem more distracting than aesthetically resonant. But in the overall, Touch Me Not, which won last years Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, is fairly mesmerizing as a mindful curio that blends performance and honesty, artifice and openness, to achieve a kind of inviting clarity about the healing power of bodily contact. Pintilie has a way of nudging the strangeness of her fiction/documentary hybridization so that your engagement isnt predicated on narrative catharsis, but simply a desire for the continued frankness of it all. Which makes her pocket ace for the movies themes a man with spinal muscular atrophy named Christian (Christian Bayerlein), a figure in the touch therapy scenes he is Tomas assigned face-touching partner who speaks with quietly stirring articulateness about the empowerment he feels as someone who doesnt allow his disability to affect his life as a sexual being capable of deep connection with others. That Pintilie prominently features Christian with his girlfriend Grit (Grit Uhlemann) among the patrons of a sex club Tomas visits actually rescues this unabashedly adult scene from its thickly graphic showiness. For all the talk of sexuality in the film, these two whether being erotic for the camera or simply affectionate (Grit smiling as she gives Christian an ooh-worthy scalp rub) become the movies most candidly tender heart, its best example of intimacy as a worthy form of meaningful communication. ------------ Touch Me Not Not rated Running time: 2 hours, 5 minutes Playing: Starts March 1, Laemmle Glendale See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour Movie Trailers calendar@latimes.com @LATimesMovies Not to get all alliterative about it, but Woman at War is something wonderful. Made with a finely honed sense of the ridiculous as well as unexpected emotion, this modern Icelandic saga is completely serious about its wall-to-wall wackiness, which of course is the only way to go. Director and co-writer Benedikt Erlingsson has chosen to start his film, which he puckishly describes as a mainstream blockbuster story for everyone, with a scene that could have come from a whole other kind of movie. To a military drumroll, a metal arrow is put into a bow and aim carefully taken. We hold our breath, wondering if were watching a trained assassin, or maybe a celebrated big game hunter, but the target aimed at is something very different. A woman named Halla shoots at a huge electrical pylon, causing widespread power outages. She wants to sabotage a nearby aluminum plant and dissuade multinational corporations from coming in, damaging the environment and opening the door to global warming. Advertisement It turns out Halla (played by Halldora Geirharosdottir) is a dedicated eco-warrior what we have witnessed is her fifth such attack so successful that news reports talk darkly of organized sabotage by a foreign terrorist network. In reality, its just her. Though these issues are serious, and though Halla herself insists I am not a criminal, I am trying to prevent crimes against us, there is something slyly ridiculous about the way the whole business is treated by Erlingsson and his co-writer, Olafur Egill Egilsson. For example, getting away clean from her latest attack requires Halla to solicit the help of Sveinbjorn (Johann Sigurdarson), a grumpy, overweight farmer in bib overalls who might just be her unacknowledged second cousin. Indisputably adding to the humor is the unusual way Woman at War has chosen to deal with its music. Instead of simply putting melodies on the soundtrack, director Erlingsson has chosen to have them played live on screen by a three-person trio, musicians who pay attention to the action but are gloriously unseen by the actors. In her non-terrorist life, Halla is someone very different, a peace-loving choirmaster who has large pictures of Gandhi and Nelson Mandela on her living room walls and smiles at everyone she meets. Halla and her yoga-teaching twin sister, Asa, are both impeccably played by top Icelandic actress Geirharosdottir, someone with the skill to make the films exactly calibrated character delineation effective. Helped by Baldvin (Jorundur Ragnarsson), a friendly mole inside the Icelandic government, Halla is trying to decide if she should quit the bow-and-arrow stuff while shes ahead and issue the ecological manifesto shes been planning. With American thermal cameras preparing to monitor Icelands highlands from space and even Israeli operatives getting into the act, Halla is leaning toward mothballing her weapon when life throws her a curve. A surprise phone call reveals that an application Halla made years earlier to adopt a child has unexpectedly been acted on, and a woeful-looking 4-year-old girl, complete with a backstory that would draw tears from a stone, is ready for her to pick up in war-torn Ukraine. As Halla tries to balance the appeal of activism with the joys of impending motherhood, Woman of War ups the ante by introducing a three-voice Ukrainian choir, all in native dress, who sing up a storm at key decision-making points. With a masterful melding of the serious, the comic, the ridiculous and the musical, Woman at War is joyful to experience though difficult to sum up. It may not have won this years foreign language Oscar or even made the short list of nominees, but its kind of delicious absurdist fun is always in too short supply. -------------- Woman at War Not rated Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes Playing: Laemmles Royal, West Los Angeles; Playhouse, Pasadena; Town Center, Encino kenneth.turan@latimes.com @KennethTuran Enrique Olvera and Daniela Soto-Innes are headed to Los Angeles, opening two side-by-side restaurants in the Arts District by fall. Damian will serve a la carte Californian-Mexican cuisine, while Ditroit will be an all-day taqueria serving mostly vegetable tacos. Olvera said the duo, both high-profile chefs from Mexico City, want to party. I think thats whats missing from some restaurants in L.A.: a little taco, a little mezcal, a little fiesta. Los Angeles, he said, is one of our favorite cities and the logical next step for us in the U.S. They are already partners in Cosme and Atla, two Mexican restaurants in New York; Olvera also owns Pujol in Mexico City and several other spots. Advertisement We love L.A. he said. Historically, aesthetically, gastronomically, I feel L.A. and Mexico City are connected. I feel a personal, mystical connection to L.A. I feel like I was born here. He said Damian would not be a copy-paste of Cosme, a contemporary Mexican restaurant in New Yorks Flatiron District, but that there would be some similarities. The beauty of opening restaurants is you can take little bits from what youve learned along the way and push them forward, he said. The restaurants, just steps away from Bestia, will nixtamalize their own corn for masa, have a mezcal-oriented bar, and focus on local produce and seafood. Of the vegetarian bent of the taqueria Ditroit, Olvera said people are moving towards that, but we also see that meat should be celebratory which is consistent with Mexican cooking. Jesus Cervantes will be chef de cuisine and move to L.A. from New York (he previously held the same role at Cosme); Soto-Innes will split her time between L.A. and New York. Olvera will be there periodically, as he is at his other restaurants. The restaurants are scheduled to open in August or September. Damian and Ditroit, 2132 E. 7th Place, Los Angeles. I was on vacation the day I got a text message from Pablo Alvarado, director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. He had a story to pitch to me about camaraderie and the importance of labor centers for immigrant workers. On the phone, Alvarado said that a worker from the Pasadena labor center was dying of cancer. He had no family in the U.S., but his fellow laborers had been keeping him company, sharing meals and singing Mexican ballads with him as he weakly strummed his guitar. Alvarado didnt know how long Eduardo Hernandez had left to live. It could be a few days, he said, or a few hours. It clearly was a touching story about friends, many of them far from home and living in the country illegally, coming together at a difficult time. But then, as so often happens in journalism when we can pause to take a closer look, the story transformed into something else a tale of forgiveness, legacy and what matters most when youre about to die. Advertisement The labor center had gotten word to Hernandezs family that he was dying, and his wife, Cecilia Rebeca Chavez, and sons Hugo and Alfredo Hernandez rushed to his hospital bed in Pasadena. They would reunite for his last 20 hours alive. He would only get to utter one last word to them: Perdoname Forgive me. Hernandez was far from perfect. He was an alcoholic who got antsy staying in the same place for too long. He left his wife and young children in search of something better. He broke promises, left Chavez a single mother and rarely sent money to help her afford necessities. Column One: Alone in the U.S., an immigrant has one dying wish: To reunite with estranged family But to his family, harboring resentment was pointless. They didnt hesitate to fulfill Hernandezs dying wish to reunite with them. By then, it had been 10 years since theyd last heard from him. After his death, I was able to join the family when they went to his dilapidated apartment in Pasadena and uncovered hard truths about his life. Rumors still circulate in Mexico of making easy money in the U.S. The reality is far different. People still believe it, Chavez later said of those rumors. They come back [to Mexico] empty-handed, but talk about it like a great experience. When I saw where he lived, I realized how difficult it was. Three months after the familys visit to Pasadena, I visited them in Mexico. An hour from Mexico City, Nicolas Romero was a collection of rolling hillsides, lush green at the time from spring rains. Chavezs entire extended family lives on a compound there. The family of Eduardo Hernandez gathers in the Panteon San Rafael, a local cemetery, to sing and leave fresh flowers on Eduardos grave. Hernandez died in California, but the family brought his body back to Mexico for burial. (Meghan Dhaliwal for The Times) The city of 350,000 people was a farming community until factories opened up. Chavez works for a plastics manufacturer and Alfredo makes car parts. Inside their modest brick home, the family reminisced about Hernandez. Adults sat on couches and chairs pulled out from the kitchen table. Grandkids piled onto the living room bed where Chavez sleeps. Occasionally, rain pounded on the metal roof so hard that we couldnt hear one another speak. It dripped inside and made the lights flicker. When it calmed down enough, Chavezs brother Alvaro pulled out a guitar to play some of Hernandezs favorite songs. Hernandez had taught him to play guitar as a teenager, and Alvaro taught Hernandezs children in his absence. Now the family gathers at his grave every month and, with his guitars, sings to him. On a recent afternoon, I called Chavez to see how the family was doing. She said the pain of losing Hernandez had just started to hit them now, nearly a year after his death. That week, they had gone to a birthday party and all four of her children ended up in tears. They lamented that their lives could have been different had he stayed and wondered aloud why, all those years ago, he left in the first place. andrea.castillo@latimes.com | Twitter: @andreamcastillo A 30-year-old Sylmar man who was caught on video punching two women in the face last month at a downtown Los Angeles hot dog stand has been charged with five counts of battery, authorities said. City Atty. Mike Feuers office on Wednesday said Arka Sangbaran Oroojian was charged Friday and faces up to 30 months in jail and $10,000 in fines. Oroojian turned himself in to the Los Angeles Police Department last month as video spread of him punching the two women in the face after they came to the defense of a hot dog vendor Oroojian had been arguing with Jan. 26 near 6th and Spring streets, police said. Attention Los Angeles this guy brutally punched two women at a hotdog stand on Jan. 26 in the area of 6th & Spring. Someone knows him, and we would like to be one of those people. If you have any info contact Detective Gonzalez 213-996-1851 (after hours contact 213-486-6606). pic.twitter.com/DN1Og1lToM LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) January 29, 2019 Advertisement Oroojian punched the first woman after she told Oroojian to grab his hot dog and leave, police said. Following that punch, a second woman tripped Oroojian, causing him to fall to the ground, according to the city attorneys office. He then got to his feet and again punched each woman in the face, causing both to fall to the ground, authorities said. As they attempted to get up, Oroojian punched them in the face again before running away, according to the city attorneys office. The two women were diagnosed with injuries including a concussion, a broken finger and facial bruising, according to the city attorneys office. Oroojian turned himself over to police three days later after the video went viral on social media. javier.panzar@latimes.com @jpanzar Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian said Wednesday that he wants the city to pursue a ballot measure to fund programs for young children and could put the issue before voters as soon as next year. In a newly released proposal, the councilman is asking city staffers to report back on ways to expand licensed child care programs at the Department of Recreation and Parks. Krekorian said that before the last recession, the department offered licensed child care programs at 26 facilities. Now, he said, that number has plummeted to just two. Among his suggestions was a ballot measure like those pursued in San Francisco, where voters narrowly approved a tax increase to fund child care last year. Doing so, he said, could help protect programs for young children from the ups and downs of municipal budgeting. When the city has to make hard choices about its budget, Krekorian said, I dont want our children to be the victims of those hard choices. Advertisement His proposal, which calls for city staffers to report back on a possible ballot measure and other public and private funding options, was backed by Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who joined Krekorian at a news conference Wednesday, as well as Councilmen Mitch OFarrell and Marqueece Harris-Dawson. Child care and early childhood education in California are funded through a complex patchwork of government programs. Those publicly funded programs do not have room to serve all of the California children who are eligible, with access especially crimped for infants and toddlers, according to an analysis by the nonprofit Learning Policy Institute. In Los Angeles County, licensed centers and family child care homes only have capacity to serve 13 percent of working parents with infants and toddlers, Krekorian said in his proposal, citing a 2017 county and First5LA study. In California, it costs more to pay for child care and early education than it costs to send a student to the California State University system, he said. This is imposing an unbelievably difficult burden on working families. It is hurting our ability to build the economy of the future. And it is depriving these young children of the best opportunity that theyll have to succeed later in life, Krekorian told reporters Wednesday. Those problems are especially acute for poorer families, said Kim Pattillo Brownson, vice president of policy and strategy for First 5 LA, a public agency focused on early childhood education. Only 6% of L.A. County working families with babies and toddlers who are eligible for child care services, based on income, actually receive those services, she told reporters. Krekorian also suggested that the city look into possible funding in the state budget proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The councilman said Wednesday that he did not know what expanding such programs might cost, but said that he envisioned that any subsidies would be based on financial need. The proposal now heads to council committees focused on education and economic development for further review. emily.alpert@latimes.com Twitter: @AlpertReyes A 20-year-old man was charged this week with three felonies based on allegations that he forced an Irvine teenager to perform a sex act on him and then threatened to release video of the incident in an extortion plot. Prosecutors charged Gaoyang Gary Li with one count of oral copulation of a person under 18 and two counts of delivery of a threatening letter with intent to extort. He has not entered a plea, according to Orange County Superior Court records. Irvine police began investigating Li in late January when a 16-year-old girl reported that she had been sexually assaulted. She told police that she met Li on Tan Tan, a Chinese dating app, in September and agreed to meet him after they continued to communicate on the WeChat app. Police said Li contacted the girl in late January through the dating app and when they met, forced the girl to perform oral sex. He then threatened to post a video of the incident on social media and send it to the teens friends and family unless she sent him money, authorities allege. Advertisement Police arrested Li on the UC Irvine campus on Feb. 6. It is not clear whether he is a student at the university. He was released from custody two days later because no formal charges were filed against him. Detectives continued to investigate the case and arrested Li a second time at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday. Authorities said he was attempting to flee to China. Li is being held in Orange County Jail in lieu of $1-million bail. He is expected to appear in court Thursday, according to jail records. Irvine police are also investigating Li in connection with another alleged sexual assault and are looking for other possible victims. Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Gavin Hudson at (949) 724-7168 or ghudson@cityofirvine.org. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @Hannahnfry Related Telecom Egypt says internet services fully restored after damaged undersea cable bypassed Egypt's Minister of Communication and Information Technology Amr Talaat witnessed on Thursday the signing of an MoU between Telecom Egypt and leading international telecommunications company Nokia to build the first cloud infrastructure in Egypt exclusively for Internet of Things (IoT) services. The signing came during the Mobile World Congress (MWC), a four-day event considered the largest conference and exhibition for the mobile industry, in Barcelona, Spain. Talaat also witnessed the signing of an MoU between the two companies with the aim of cooperating in the development and testing of new uses of 5G technology. As part of the MoU, Nokia and Telecom Egypt will also explore joint marketing initiatives and work to accelerate the development of an IoT partner ecosystem in the country. Telecom Egypt will use Nokia's Worldwide IoT Network Grid (WING) as a platform to launch IoT services for the enterprise segment later this year. Nokia WING enables operators like Telecom Egypt to offer IoT services to enterprises on a global scale. Telecom Egypt will be able to tap into the growing IoT market fast and cost-effectively due to the Nokia WING one-stop model, which includes a worldwide IoT Infrastructure-as-a-Service and pay-as-you-grow business model. WING enables Telecom Egypt to provide global IoT service at almost local prices as opposed to more expensive roaming prices. Adel Hamed, managing director and CEO of Telecom Egypt, expressed appreciation for the collaboration with Nokia for this IoT initiative. "We have worked with Nokia in the past and we are confident that Nokia WING will enable us to bring world-class IoT use cases to our enterprise customers in Egypt and later in the region," Hamed said. "We are pleased to announce this collaboration with Telecom Egypt to enable next generation of IoT services for Egypt and the African market. Our cloud-native IoT proposition and pay-as-you-grow business model makes it possible for Telecom Egypt to move fast to address the vast IoT market opportunity in Egypt," said Ankur Bhan, head of WING business at Nokia. In November 2018, acting executive president of Egypt's National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) Mostafa Abdel-Wahed predicted that 5G frequencies would be assigned to telecom operators in Egypt by the beginning of 2020. Egypt's state-owned telephone company Telecom Egypt was the first mobile operator to obtain 4G technology in August 2016. Search Keywords: Short link: A federal appeals court decided unanimously Thursday to revive much of a proposed class-action lawsuit brought by Southern California Muslims against the FBI that claims they were subjected to surveillance because of their religion. The decision by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will return the case to a district court for further review. The lawsuit, filed by the ACLU of Southern California, alleges that for at least 14 months in 2006 and 2007, the FBI paid a confidential informant to spy on Muslims in Southern Californias mosques and elsewhere. A federal judge dismissed the bulk of the lawsuit in 2012 after the government argued it could not defend itself without disclosing state secrets. Advertisement In a 103-page decision, the 9th Circuit said the district court should not have dismissed claims without more careful review and consideration of ways to continue the case without jeopardizing national security. In other cases, that has included redacted documents, prepared summaries of the evidence and limited disclosure to lawyers. Judge Marsha S. Berzon, a Clinton appointee to the 9th Circuit who wrote the decision, acknowledged the case would reverberate in the national conversation about how to respond to threats of terrorism without fueling a climate of fear rooted in stereotypes and discrimination. The governments contention that the suit could not be defended without disclosing matters of national security does not warrant dismissal of this litigation in its entirety, the court said. The fundamental principles of liberty include devising means of forwarding accountability while assuring national security, Berzon wrote. The case arose out of a counterterrorism investigation known as Operation Flex. The Muslim community contended it amounted to dragnet surveillance whose purpose was to indiscriminately gather information on Muslims. The FBI contended the operation was intended to prevent terrorist acts and focused on fewer than 25 people. Craig Monteilh, the paid FBI informant, told the Islamic Center of Irvine that he wanted to convert to Islam. He attended prayers and donned Muslim robes and a skullcap and videotaped congregants with a camera hidden inside a button on his shirt. He gained a reputation for being absentminded: He was forever leaving behind his keys or cell phone. They contained hidden recording devices. Monteilh said the FBI paid him $177,000 to infiltrate about 12 mosques in Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. His two FBI handlers directed him to find Muslims who could be compromised because of immigration, sexual or business issues, he said. At first, the Muslim community embraced Monteilh. But members became alarmed when he began talking about violent jihad. They reported him to Irvine police and to the FBI, and obtained a restraining order against him. The operation did not produce any charges of terrorism. Monteilh eventually broke from the FBI and cooperated with the ACLU. The 9th Circuit said the district court should determine whether the FBIs electronic surveillance was lawfully authorized and conducted and whether it violated Muslims constitutional rights. The ruling also revived the opportunity for Muslims who were captured by the surveillance to have their records expunged. Ahilan Arulanantham, an ACLU senior counsel, said he was very happy with the decision. We didnt win everything, but we won the opportunity to have the legality of this program assessed, and that is the most important thing, he said. The district court will now have to decide whether this surveillance was lawful, both on religious discrimination grounds and on privacy grounds, he said. That is a significant victory, he added. Carl J. Nichols, who represented two FBI supervisors in the case, declined to comment. We are reviewing the decision, he said. maura.dolan@latimes.com Twitter: @mauradolan Southern California Edison is making big plans to reduce the chances of fire ignition in high-risk areas such as La Canada Flintridge, proposing to spend more than $118 million throughout its service area on enhanced vegetation management between now and 2020. As part of a 119-page Wildfire Mitigation Plan, required by state law and submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission on Feb. 6, the utility aims to reduce threats posed by falling trees and hanging limbs near power lines by removing at least 7,500 trees (with funding being sought for the removal of up to 15,000) in 2019 and maintaining a 12-foot clearance around all electrical wires. Contracted work crews have been busy on the streets of La Canada and neighboring Altadena in recent months, trimming or topping trees to accommodate the new radial requirement, far greater than the 4 feet standard previously imposed. The results of their labor visible on several La Canada residential streets north of Foothill Boulevard is causing concern among at least one arborist and residents who fear such extreme pruning could imperil the health of certain tree species. Advertisement Theyre topping trees, which are going to go into a permanent state of decline, said Rebecca Latta, a longtime arborist who has clients in La Canada. They need to do a better job of explaining to us why they need to go to 12 feet. Vegetation poses a threat At a wildfire town hall last week at Pasadena High School, officials from Edison International and the CPUC explained maintaining vegetation was a chief concern. We collect statistics on ignitions, said Elizaveta Malashenko, deputy executive director for CPUCs Office of Safety and Enforcement. At 25%, the top No. 1 cause is vegetation contact with power lines. Arborist Rebecca Latta stands near a topped-off deodar cedar on Hook Tree Road in La Canada Flintridge on Monday. (Tim Berger / La Canada Valley Sun) Between 2015 and 2017, 132 ignitions occurred in the distribution voltage infrastructure that carries power from substations to customers in Edisons high-risk fire areas, the utilitys mitigation plan indicates. Of those, contact from vegetation accounted for 22 fires, or 17%. Vegetation-related ignitions in higher voltage transmission infrastructure, which carries power from power plants to substations, was lower, with only one instance during the same two-year period, accounting for 5% of fires. Pedro Pizarro, president and chief executive of Edison International, told the town hall audience that his utility inspects and trims more than 400,000 trees in high-risk fire areas each year. We know that homeowners care deeply for their surrounding environment and foliage, and we want to respect that, he said. However, we will prioritize safety of your home and our communities first and foremost, so we will trim trees when needed. Crews on the march Following orders to maintain adequate clearance, some 400 contractor work crews consisting of at least one groundsman and one foreman are inspecting private trees on residential streets throughout Edisons territory and notifying customers when work is needed. La Canada is an area of high concern, according to David Guzman, who oversees Edisons vegetation management program. There are a lot of trees in that area, it has a dense population, and its at an interface with the [Angeles National] Forest, so its definitely something we look at closely, he said. In the past, branches were trimmed back to a 4-foot radius around trees, with fast-growing species receiving at least 6 more feet of pruning, Guzman said. But since the CPUC passed a new regulation in December 2017 recommending a 12-foot clearance for all vegetation in high-fire-risk areas even when lines are covered or insulated the particular species of a tree no longer factors into the pruning. We have a basic, across-the-board trim area of 12 feet, Guzman said, adding arborists pre-inspect trees. Latta worries over-trimmed trees may suffer and become even greater fire hazards. If you top the tree, you expose the whole upper canopy to sunburn. And if you have any other issues going on, root rot or other health problems, the tree doesnt have enough resources to defend itself, she said, naming deodar cedars and some pines as particularly vulnerable. The arborist also claimed some homeowners were not receiving proper notice before trim work was done on their property. Guzman said customers receive door hanger notifications from inspectors at least 30 days in advance and a second notice days before trimming is scheduled. If people cannot reach the number provided, Guzman recommended calling Edison at (800) 655-4555 and asking for a vegetation management manager who can look up properties and report details. Despite the established notification process, Pizarro warned residents at the Feb. 21 town hall that public safety trumps standard operating procedures. Of course we want to give advance notice, but if we see something we think is a hazard, well take it on the spot, he said. Locals want more input Edisons enhanced vegetation management plan just doesnt sit right with La Canada resident Taylor Carbonetti, who had a crew perform some trimming at her Hill Street home, but was shocked to see what she considers over-pruning in several other parts of town. It looks like if you were making paper trees and you just took scissors and took all the tops off its intense, said Carbonetti, who went on Facebook to inform neighbors. Youre walking around and start noticing all these trees are chopped. And were seeing the trucks everywhere. Meanwhile, Latta said she appreciates Edisons efforts to keep at-risk foothill communities safe, but wishes they would have developed a more collaborative approach, with input from stakeholders. Shes currently trying to raise awareness in local arborist circles. Its not my intention to do anything other than get their attention and get them to develop some options, she said. Why is it were not being allowed to be part of the conversation? Caradine writes for Times Community News. sara.cardine@latimes.com After a decade spent fighting the Mongols motorcycle club and its violent members in court, federal prosecutors appeared poised last month to deliver a decisive blow when a jury voted to strip the notorious club of trademarks it holds on its coveted logo. But a federal judge in Santa Ana Thursday let the Mongols off the ropes, refusing to enforce the jurys decision after ruling that taking control of the insignia from club would be unconstitutional. Denying Mongol members the ability to display the logo on their leather riding jackets and elsewhere would overstep the right to free expression embedded in the 1st Amendment, as well as the 8th Amendments ban on excessive penalties, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter found. There is a realistic danger that the transfer of the rights associated with the symbol to the government will have a chilling effect, Carter wrote. Advertisement In a sternly worded, 51-page ruling, Carter unambiguously knocked down each of the arguments prosecutors had made in favor of wresting away control of the trademarks the clubs leaders used to maintain tight control over its image and membership. In doing so, the judge dealt a significant setback to the novel legal strategy prosecutors had concocted in the case, which aimed to apply federal forfeiture laws, which are typically used to take cash, houses and other tangible property, to the abstract rights associated with a trademark. Carter said the government was well within its rights to take weapons, ammunition and other contraband seized in raids against the Mongols. However, likening the Mongols to a ship, the judge wrote, The Government is not merely seeking forfeiture of the ships sails. In this prosecution the United States is attempting to change the meaning of the ships flag. Prosecutors claim that rights to the insignia should be stripped because it was a vital part of the clubs criminal activity a powerful image used to generate fear among the general public fell far short of clearing the high barrier the 1st Amendment requires the government to clear if it wants to restrict speech, Carter wrote. Since the group was formed in late 1960s, the image of a Genghis Khan figure in sunglasses riding a motorcycle beneath the groups name has been the foundation of the Mongols identity, which over the years has included involvement in drug dealing and violence by many members. Only those who have been admitted to the inner ranks of the insular group are allowed to stitch the large patches of the insignia onto their riding apparel. And in the closed-off world of motorcycle clubs, built largely around rivalries and alliances with other groups, the logo serves as an unmistakable signal to friends and enemies. We are ecstatic that the Mongols motorcycle club has been able to win this 1st Amendment battle for itself and all motorcycle clubs, said Stephen Stubbs, an attorney for the Mongols. The government has clearly overreached into a realm that the Constitution does not allow. They tried to ban symbolic speech. In a statement, a spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office said, We are disappointed in the ruling, adding that prosecutors believe the countrys laws obligated Carter to order the trademarks to be forfeited. The government is definitely considering an appeal, he said. In December, after a lengthy trial, a jury convicted the Mongols organization of racketeering and conspiracy charges, finding that the group shared responsibility for murder, attempted murder and drug crimes committed by individual members. The verdict cleared the way for prosecutors to go after the trademarks as part of the sentence against the club. Following more testimony and legal wrangling over the forfeiture issue, the jury voted unanimously that the Mongols should lose control of the trademarks, finding that there was a direct link between the image and one of the criminal charges the club faced conspiracy to commit racketeering. Calling the verdict the first of its kind in the nation, U.S. Atty. Nicola Hanna said seizing the Mongols trademarks would serve to attack the sources of a criminal enterprises economic power and influence. But rather than order the trademarks forfeited, Carter set a hearing to examine, among other things, the 1st Amendment issues raised by the verdict. When both sides arrived in court Thursday to make their cases for signing off on the jurys decision, Carter who during the trial made no secret of his concerns that the novel legal strategy crossed constitutional lines had his order already written. The judge said 1st Amendment issues were undeniably at play because the type of trademarks the Mongols own, called collective membership marks, dont serve any commercial purpose but only help members to identify themselves as part of a group. And because the jury had found the logo was tied directly to the conspiracy charge but not the murders and other violent crimes with which the club was accused of participating, Carter concluded forfeiting the trademarks would violate the Constitutions 8th Amendment, which forbids the government from imposing excessive punishments. Denying members control over the logo would be an unjustified and grossly disproportionate punishment, he wrote. In laying out the rationale for his decision, Carter revisited the long history of the governments pursuit of the Mongols. Formed in the 1970s in Montebello by a group of mostly Latino men who reportedly had been rejected for membership by the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, the club has expanded over the decades to include several hundred members in chapters across Southern California and elsewhere. In 2008, nearly 80 Mongols members were charged in a sweeping racketeering case that included an array of alleged murders, assaults and drug deals. Prosecutors devised the strategy of stripping the Mongols of their trademarks in that earlier case. At a news conference announcing the charges, then-U.S. Atty. Thomas P. OBrien laid out the strategy, saying that taking control of the trademarked insignia would give the government the authority to force Mongols members to remove the image from their riding jackets. All but two of the defendants in the case pleaded guilty, and a judge agreed the trademarks should be forfeited but ultimately reversed himself after deciding none of the people charged in the case actually owned the trademarks. That led prosecutors to try again with a second racketeering case that was largely the same as the first but which named only one defendant: Mongol Nation, the entity that prosecutors say is made up of the clubs leaders and owns the trademarks. Carter has not yet imposed a sentence on the Mongols in the current racketeering case. The punishment could include monetary fines. Judge Carters decision recognizes that there are many punishments and penalties that can be imposed, but denying speech rights raises serious 1st Amendment concerns, said Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the law school at UC Berkeley. Joseph Yanny, a criminal -defense attorney who argued the case for the Mongols, expressed disappointment that the judge had rejected his requests that the verdict be tossed out altogether. But he acknowledged that allowing the club to maintain control over its logo was a major win. Losing the trademarks, he had said during the trial, would have amounted to a death sentence for the Mongols. The governments case, he said, was an attempt to impose collective guilt on an organization for the crimes committed by some of its members. Thats never been the law in this country, he said. joel.rubin@latimes.com Follow @joelrubin on Twitter With the abrupt collapse of President Trumps second nuclear summit Thursday, another key prong of his audacious foreign policy appeared in disarray, at least for now. The breakdown of talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi came as the White House struggled to win regional support for its still-secret Mideast peace proposal, and as Trumps efforts to unseat the president of Venezuela have yet to produce results. With all three priorities, Trump has discovered that his enthusiasm, flattery and TV-reality-style showmanship havent been enough to untangle the diplomatic knots in some of the worlds most troublesome regions. Trump has found little international support for his withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran and his pullout from the Paris climate agreement. He has squabbled with Americas traditional allies in Europe and Canada and challenged international institutions and alliances as obsolete. Advertisement But his signature foreign policy efforts may be the most directly affected by his unconventional approach. Trumps senior advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, wrapped up a five-nation Middle East tour Thursday intended to raise support for a possible Israeli-Palestinian peace plan what Trump has called the deal of the century. The White House has repeatedly promised to release details of the plan and now says it will do so in April after the Israeli elections. But Palestinian officials have boycotted any meetings with senior U.S. officials, so its prospects for success remain dim. Kushners latest visit to the region was overshadowed by his first meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman since the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in a Saudi consulate. U.S. intelligence has assessed that Mohammed likely authorized the murder. According to the White House, Kushner and other officials discussed greater U.S.-Saudi cooperation, the administrations peace proposal, and ways to improve the condition of the entire region through economic investment. The statement didnt mention Khashoggi. U.S. efforts to dislodge Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and to install opposition leader Juan Guaido, also have come to naught so far. Vice President Mike Pence has led the charge. He met with Guaido on Monday in neighboring Colombia and announced new sanctions on Venezuelan officials. That came two days after a U.S.-backed effort to send convoys of food and medicine into Venezuela from Colombia and Brazil led to deadly clashes between anti-Maduro protesters and Venezuelan security forces, leaving at least four people dead. The administration has signaled that it will push a resolution at the U.N. Security Council calling for free, fair and credible presidential elections in Venezuela. But Russia, which supports Maduro, is expected to veto it. U.S. officials insist that members of Maduros army and spy services have begun to defect to the opposition. But Guaido was reported in Brazil on Thursday, and Maduro appears firmly in control. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo said the anti-Maduro campaign was not doomed. We are hopeful that, over the next couple of weeks, we can really begin to make a dent in that problem, he told reporters as he flew from Hanoi to Manila on Thursday. It is big problem. The setback for Trumps diplomacy was strongest at the nuclear summit in Hanoi. This should not have happened, Richard Haass, president of the nonpartisan Council on Foreign Relations, tweeted after the summit collapsed. Busted summit is risk you run when too much faith placed in personal relations w leader like Kim, when summit inadequately prepared, and when president signaled he was confident of success, the tweet read. Several experts said Trump was correct to walk out in a dispute over Kims demands to lift some U.S. sanctions in exchange for a promise to dismantle North Koreas main production facility but not the only one for the enriched uranium and plutonium used in nuclear bombs. But, they said, the negotiations should not have reached that point, a breakdown that could impede the resumption of talks. This is the risk of trying diplomacy of this delicacy at the highest level, Susan Rice, national security advisor to President Obama, told NPR. When leaders fail under such a spotlight, its harder to put Humpty Dumpty back together. It wasnt clear if Trump acted on his own or at the urging of advisors, something he has not always done. Trump met alone with Kim at their first summit in Singapore in June. In Hanoi, Pompeo, who has urged more caution on North Korea and openly contradicted the president about the nuclear threat, accompanied Trump. Trumps national security advisor, John Bolton, also sat at the table in Hanoi with Kim and Trump. Bolton, who views Pyongyang with deep suspicion, was previously sidelined in the nuclear negotiations. Olivia Enos, a fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, which has advised Trump on foreign policy, offered several suggestions for dealing with North Korea that Trump could apply to other international negotiations. The emphasis going forward should be placed less on high-level summitry and more on working-level dialogue, Enos said in an email Thursday from Hanoi. That is where real progress is made because the thornier subjects can be discussed with a frankness that cannot happen when the two leaders meet during public, high-level summits. For Trump to attend the Hanoi summit with high expectations but without a pre-negotiated deal was a risky strategy. That should be avoided in the future, she said. For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter The Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments about whether the 1st Amendments ban on the establishment of religion by government is violated by a 40-foot cross that sits on public land on a traffic island in Bladensburg, Md., near Washington, D.C. The answer to that question is an emphatic yes, for the reason offered by a federal appeals court. It held that the so-called Peace Cross, erected in the 1920s as a memorial to the fallen in World War I, sends the message to a reasonable observer that the government agency that maintains the cross either places Christianity above other faiths, views being American and Christian as one [and] the same, or both. The Supreme Court should affirm that ruling. The justices long have struggled with when to allow religious symbols on public property. In a pair of decisions in 2005, the justices ruled against the posting of the Ten Commandments in Kentucky courthouses while upholding the placement of a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the Texas state capitol. Both decisions were 5-4, and only one justice Stephen Breyer was in the majority in both. Advertisement Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute Breyer voted to uphold the Ten Commandments monument in Texas partly because it had stood for 40 years without being challenged in court. He also worried that a court ruling dismantling the monument would create the sort of religious divisiveness the 1st Amendment was designed to avoid. At Wednesdays argument, he suggested that the Peace Cross might also be justified by its longevity. History counts, he said. A decision to grandfather in the Peace Cross just because its been around for a long time would be disappointing. Even worse would be a ruling that used this case to loosen standards for judging all religious displays on public property. Thats essentially what a lawyer for the American Legion asked the court to do, suggesting to the court that such displays are unconstitutional only if they coerce onlookers to participate in a religious observance. The right question for the court is whether a religious symbol on public property endorses one religion over others. The Peace Cross clearly does. In defending the cross, a lawyer for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission pointed out that there is a long tradition of crosses being used to memorialize war dead. But Justice Elena Kagan noted that, while a cross might seem to Christians the natural way to honor the fallen, for members of other faiths, that symbol is not a way to memorialize the dead and does not have that meaning. At a time when Americans subscribe to a wide variety of religious beliefs or none at all its vital for government to be religiously neutral. This imposing cross may serve as a commemoration of the dead, but it does so as the central symbol of the Christian religion. It shouldnt be located on public property. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook A federal court judge recently declared what should already have been obvious: Its unconstitutional to require only men not women to register for the military draft now that women can serve in combat. For most of the 20th century, the United States required men ages 18 through 25 to register with the Selective Service System so that the government could identify would-be soldiers if the president and Congress authorized a draft. The mandate applied to men alone because only men could serve in combat roles in the military. That limitation was removed in 2015, however, when the Pentagon opened all combat jobs to women. While historical restrictions on women in the military may have justified past discrimination, men and women are now similarly situated for purposes of a draft or registration for a draft, Judge Gray H. Miller wrote in his ruling, which found the Military Selective Service Act unconstitutional but stopped short of ordering the government to include women in the registration requirement. Advertisement Arent there smarter, more efficient ways to raise an army in times of need? Indeed, its only logical and fair that the registration requirement should apply equally to men and women if the United States continues to have a Selective Service System. But that should be a very big if. The lawsuit brought by the National Coalition For Men, a mens rights organization, covered the narrow question of who should register. The bigger question is why should the nation require anyone to register for a draft that is purely hypothetical? Arent there smarter, more efficient ways to raise an army in times of need? Lawmakers actually teed up these questions in 2017, creating the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service to study whether the nation still needs a draft registration system and, if so, who should register and how the system could meet modern-day national security needs. The commissions recommendations are due next year. Its long past time for Congress to reconsider the Selective Service System. Registration is a vestige of a very different era, when young men could be conscripted to serve in the military involuntarily. The U.S. ended the draft and shifted to an all-volunteer military in 1973, after public support for conscription had dwindled amid the bloody, years-long Vietnam War. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan led President Jimmy Carter to reinstate registration seven years later so the country would have a draft-ready list of potential soldiers in case of national emergency. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute Even after the attacks of 9/11 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, however, the U.S. has continued to rely on a highly trained and professional all-volunteer military. Its hard to imagine a situation in which Congress would reinstate and the public would support drafting young people into involuntary service. The nation spends more than $23 million a year to register young men and to maintain the database of their information. Sure, thats chump change in the federal budget. In peacetime that database is primarily used to recruit volunteers and to verify that young men have registered for Selective Service (failing to do so can result in the denial of financial aid for college, a government job or other benefits). And its questionable how useful this mass database would be for a military increasingly reliant on highly specialized skills for 21st-century warfare. The Pentagon has called Selective Service registration a low-cost insurance policy for a national emergency. But when Carter reinstated the draft registry in February 1980, registration forms were ready by July, and by September the Selective Service had received registration cards from 93% of eligible men. This was before the Internet arrived to enable instant online registration and the quick, cost-effective gathering of data. Yes, of course, women have a civic duty just like men and should be called upon to serve if that time of need comes. But progress isnt adding women to what may be an obsolete draft registry system. Congress should fix the system first. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook The abrupt end to President Trumps summit meeting with North Koreas Kim Jong Un may strike some as a huge embarrassment for a president who portrays himself as the ultimate dealmaker. It wasnt. Instead, Trump deserves credit for leaving Vietnam when he concluded that Kim was insisting on unreasonable terms the lifting of all U.S. economic sanctions if the North dismantled its nuclear complex in Yongbyon. Before the summit, it was thought North Korea might decommission that site in exchange for the U.S. agreeing to a formal statement ending the Korean War and perhaps relief from some sanctions. But Trump said Kim demanded much more: the lifting of sanctions in their entirety. Added Trump, We couldnt do that. (North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong Ho disputed Trumps account, saying that the North asked for the lifting of only those sanctions that hamper the civilian economy and the livelihood of our people.) Trump and his advisers had indicated they were willing to make concessions and accept incremental steps from North Korea rather than immediate denuclearization. Reportedly the administration was even willing to defer its demand that the North provide an inventory of its nuclear stockpile and ballistic missiles. But in the end, Kim apparently wasnt content with such concessions. The presidents decision to leave without even a vague agreement is especially notable in light of his boasting about his personal relationship with Kim. (He had said, only half-jokingly, that we fell in love.) Advertisement But it was still the right decision, and it doesnt necessarily mean the engagement is over or that the U.S. and North Korea wont reach an agreement in the future. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute In 1986, President Ronald Reagan walked away from a summit with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik, Iceland, after failing to reach a sweeping agreement on reducing nuclear arsenals. But the U.S. and the Soviets continued to communicate, and in 1987 Reagan and Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range And Shorter-Range Missiles (INF) treaty, which grew out of discussions in Reykjavik. (Irony alert: The Trump administration has announced that the U.S. is withdrawing from that agreement.) Trump has been widely criticized for being too eager to make a deal and overconfident in his ability to bond with foreign leaders. His decision to reject an unacceptable offer from Kim may reflect the counsel of harder-headed advisers, but the final decision was his. He has acted against type, and his critics should thank him for that. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook UPDATES: 1:07 p.m.: This editorial was updated with a comment from North Koreas foreign minister. Two lawyers representing Keith Tharpe visited some of the jurors who had sentenced the Georgia man to death in 1991 as part of their preparations for an appeal. And juror Barney Gattie gave them something noteworthy to work with. Tharpe is black, Gattie is white. Gattie told the lawyers and signed an affidavit saying that he thought there were two types of black people. First were those Gattie called black folks and second were those he called the N-word. I felt that Tharpe, who wasnt in the good black folks category in my book, should get the electric chair for what he did. Gattie added: After studying the Bible, I have wondered if black people even have souls. Gattie also said that some of the jurors voted for death because they felt that Tharpe should be an example to other blacks who kill blacks, but that wasnt my reason. Remarkably, no judge has ever reviewed whether those 1998 statements indicate that Tharpes race was a factor in the jury sentencing him to death, violating his 6th Amendment right to a fair trial. For more than 20 years. Advertisement Whats the holdup? In part, procedural rules and laws. For the legal wonks among you, Tharpes argument and the history of his case is laid out here. The short version is that no impeachment laws and court rules bar testimony about what occurred during jury deliberations to be cited as evidence in appeals, including, as laid out in the Federal Rule of Evidence, any jurors mental processes concerning the verdict or indictment. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute That changed somewhat under a 2017 court ruling, Pena-Rodriguez vs. Colorado, in which the Supreme Court held that the no-impeachment rule cannot apply in cases in which jurors later say they relied on racial stereotypes to make their decisions. As SCOTUSBlog sums up the decision: The 6th Amendment requires that the no-impeachment rule give way in order to permit the trial court to consider the evidence of the jurors statement and any resulting denial of the jury trial guarantee. Which brings us to the Tharpe case. The Supreme Court will discuss Friday morning whether to accept Tharpes appeal asking the nine justices to order a lower court to consider whether Gatties affidavit and statements and other possible bias among jurors tainted Tharpes trial. Note that the issue before the Supreme Court is not whether Tharpe deserves a new trial, but whether a lower court must hear his argument that his constitutional rights were violated. Capital punishment is a barbaric, medieval holdover that relies on an imperfect, easily manipulated system. This is a matter of fundamental justice that becomes even more significant when the sentence at hand is death. Capital punishment is a barbaric, medieval holdover that is arbitrarily imposed under an imperfect, easily manipulated system. But if we allow the government to exert this power, we must demand that constitutional rights be preserved (that there is no guarantee is a strong argument against a system that determines who lives or dies). The Supreme Court ought to take this case and ultimately order lower courts to, finally, do the right thing and hear Tharpes appeal. Republicans on the House Oversight and Reform Committee did themselves no favors Wednesday by approaching Michael Cohen as a man to be tarred and feathered, not probed as a witness. But they raised a question about the hearing that Democrats had no good answer for: What was the point? Cohen was there to dish dirt on his former employer, erstwhile real estate entrepreneur Donald J. Trump. And Democrats were eager to accumulate it as Cohen recited his view of Trumps legal, ethical and moral failings. Members of the majority seemed especially keen to find more instances of Trump breaking the law, and Cohen was the insider who supposedly knew where the bodies were buried. Much of what Cohen offered was familiar, although it still made for great theater at times. Yet few of the accusations concerned actions Trump has taken as a candidate or as president. The main exceptions were the previously known bits about Trumps continued efforts to build a skyscraper in Moscow even as he ran for president and the payments in 2017 that Cohen said reimbursed him for buying a porn actress silence about an alleged tryst with Trump. Sure, it was titillating to hear allegations about Trumps rule-bending (or breaking) in the real estate industry. Among many other things, Cohen accused Trump and his minions of artificially raising or lowering the value of Trump Organization assets when applying for loans or paying taxes. No one should get away with bank or tax fraud. Advertisement Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute But as Republicans on the panel pointed out, Congress has better ways to spend its time than cataloguing all the ways Donald Trump has been a bad person. And just because the House Oversight panel has a wide-ranging portfolio, thats no reason for it to spend its time exhuming Trumps past. Thats a job for federal and state prosecutors in New York, and they seem to be doing it. And this panel in particular has more important things to do. Key officials in the Trump administration spent two years violating scores of ethics rules and norms, ignoring federal laws and trampling on legal procedures in their haste to erase seemingly every initiative by the Obama administration. And they did so without a peep from the GOP-controlled House and Senate. Now, one of those chambers has new management. There is much work to be done just to make sure that this administration faithfully executes the laws of the United States, and to find and correct instances where it has not. The House Oversight panel can and should be a big part of that process. Recent history offers a lesson here. Democrats ought to recall what happened after Republicans took over the House halfway through President Clintons first term, then set about chasing every scandal they could find from his years in Arkansas. Clinton went on to win a second term. A century ago this week, Congress passed a law officially designating the Grand Canyon a national park. Depending on how you count whether you include earlier national parks that were later eliminated, for instance the Grand Canyon was either our 12th or 15th national park, or somewhere in between. But it could have been our second national park. Indiana Sen. Benjamin Harrison introduced a bill proposing as much 37 years earlier. If Harrisons colleagues in Congress had passed that legislation, we might not have given the executive branch the sweeping powers over national monuments that presidents continue to abuse today. The most enduring consequence of this 37-year wait: the precedent it set for executive powers over public lands. Advertisement Harrison acted just a decade after John Wesley Powell led the first official expedition through the Grand Canyon, in 1869, and three years before Yellowstone became the first national park, in 1872. Harrisons bill was forwarded to Interior Secretary Henry Teller, a Coloradan who was no fan of this newfangled notion of conservation. Teller told the Senate that the bill was unnecessary: The natural scenery along the Colorado River of the West, within the boundaries of the proposed reservation, does not require the creation of a public park to preserve it. This doomed Harrisons attempt, as well as two subsequent attempts he made. Congress was unwilling to proceed in the face of opposition from the executive branch. Harrisons failed proposals opened the door for private interests to engage in mining, irrigation, water development and tourism in the area. Eventually, all this business prompted presidents to act to protect the Grand Canyon. First, Harrison, who was elected president in 1888, established a forest reserve there. Theodore Roosevelt then created a game preserve. Next, in 1908, Roosevelt proclaimed the Grand Canyon a national monument, invoking new powers that Congress granted to the executive branch in the Antiquities Act of 1906. Eleven years after that, Congress finally passed a law declaring it a national park. The most enduring consequence of this 37-year wait: the precedent it set for executive powers over public lands. In passing the Antiquities Act, Congress was careful to limit the presidents power to smaller sites with historic or scientific value. But Congress messed up. The actual text ended up being far more sweeping than the laws intent. Congress had repeatedly rebuffed attempts by the executive branch to empower the secretary of the Interior with the ability to designate scenic landscapes as new national parks. But the Antiquities Acts reference to places with scientific and historical value offered a backdoor means of protecting areas that were really valued for their scenery. And though earlier proposals would have limited national monuments to only 640 acres, the final text had a more flexible provision, referring to the smallest area necessary. Roosevelt was the first to exploit this opening when he named the Grand Canyon a national monument. At the time, his action provoked a bit of an outcry, but the reaction was muffled because, well, it was the Grand Canyon. Most everyone agreed that it deserved our highest level of protection. Indeed, many thought it was a national park already. Initially, the presidents use of the Antiquities Act to designate national monuments that function as national parks was viewed as a temporary, interim measure, pending full congressional study of the area. But presidents soon named other large, scenic landscapes as national monuments, citing Roosevelts action. Many of our most iconic national parks began as national monuments, including Zion, Grand Teton and Glacier Bay. Then, in recent decades, Presidents Clinton and Obama proclaimed many more national monuments, and much larger ones, citing the Grand Canyon as precedent. In many cases they acted because Congress had declined to elevate the areas to national park status. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute This presidential practice has it backward. The original idea was to give Congress time to decide about national park status, not to override decisions that Congress has already made. Now, acting under a similarly broad view of presidential power, President Trump wants to shrink some of those monuments, and his power to do so is currently being litigated. Congress is perfectly capable of managing the complex task of extending conservation protections to public lands. This month, the Senate passed a sweeping public lands conservation bill. It took public lands to bring a divided government together, Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines said of the legislation. House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raul M. Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat, called the bill an old-school green deal. Had Congress listened to Sen. Harrison instead of Interior Secretary Teller in 1882, we would be celebrating the 137th anniversary of Grand Canyon National Park instead of its centennial. We also wouldnt be stuck with the tradition of executive overreach that still haunts us today. John Copeland Nagle is a law professor at the Notre Dame Law School. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook The launch of Egyptsat-A enhances Egypts role in Africa and boosts its cooperation with Russia The Egyptian satellite, Egyptsat-A, launched on Thursday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, has settled into its designated orbit, Egypt and Russia announced soon after the launch. The satellite has reached its designated orbit, everything works well, telemetry is being transmitted, the solar panels have opened, reported Vladimir Ustimenko, head of the Press Bureau of Russias State Space Corporation Roscosmos. In a press conference in Cairo on Friday, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar confirmed the successful launch and placement in orbit. The process was closely watched by aerospace and other authorities in Cairo and Moscow, especially in light of two previous incidents. In 2010, the first in this series of satellites, Egyptsat-1, slipped out of its orbit and contact with it was lost. In 2016, a joint Egyptian-Russian committee revealed that Egyptsat-2 had been unresponsive to commands since mid-April 2015, a year after being launched from the Baikonur space station in April 2014. The compensation from a Russian insurance agency largely paid for the production of Egyptsat-A, which cost approximately $100 million. The new satellite will serve scientific research and development in Egypt in many ways. In an interview with Sputnik news agency, Higher Education Minister Abdel-Ghaffar said that Egyptsat-A, a significantly upgraded model of its predecessor, is equipped with more sophisticated and precise imaging and tracking technologies. The data it transmits will improve meteorological forecasting and assist in the development of early warning systems for natural disasters such as floods and landslides. The new satellite will simultaneously support Egypts role in Africa in the fields of scientific research and development. According to reports of its technical specifications, Egyptsat-A belongs to a more advanced generation than its counterparts in the Arab region and the continent. Earlier this month the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) approved Egypts bid to host the headquarters of the African Space Agency. As officials in Cairo have noted, this represents an additional vote of confidence in Egypts continental leadership at a time when Cairo holds the AU chair. According to Minister of Higher Education Abdel-Ghaffar, there are a number of steps that Egypt needs to take in order to host the African Space Agency. One is to pass legislation governing a national Egyptian space agency to follow through on the Egyptian parliaments decision, in December 2017, to create a body to be tasked with planning and creating the infrastructure for a domestic aerospace technology industry. Practical measures towards these ends are already in progress and considerable progress has been made in the development of the required infrastructure and technical facilities. Egypt presented these achievements to the AUs Scientific, Technical and Research Commission (STRC) in October as part of the review of Egypts scientific, logistical, technological and financial capacities for hosting the African Space Agency. In addition to meeting or exceeding the technical criteria specified by the AU commission, a number of other factors allowed the Egyptian bid to prevail over others. These included the allocation of a suitable plot of land on which to build the agencys headquarters, $10 million to establish it, and an offer to cover its running costs for at least five years. The development and launch of Egyptsat-A also boosts Egyptian-Russian relations which have been growing closer in many fields. Hussein Al-Shafie, advisor to the Russian Space Agency in the Middle East, says Egypts National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences has already acquired a collection of new-generation satellites as part of its drive to possess the latest aerospace technology. Meanwhile, Cairo and Paris have agreed to launch a satellite for security-related purposes. Egypt also explored the possibilities for cooperation with China during President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisis visit to Beijing to take part in the China-African Summit in September. According to Alaa Al-Nahri, deputy director of the UN Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology, China could offer a manufacturing partnership that will give Egypt the opportunity to contribute up to 50 per cent of the satellite and offer the opportunity for technological transfers. He said that China will assemble some parts and send them to Egypt while Egypt will assemble a portion of the components domestically at the assembly plant that Egypt began to construct east of Cairo in 2015. It is the first such plant in the Arab region. Egypt is progressing in leaps and bounds towards the acquisition of the technologies it needs to advance in the various realms of scientific research and, simultaneously, the technologies it needs to serve its security requirements. It has also begun to explore manufacturing these technologies through partnerships with the countries that originally created and produced them. In addition to placing these technologies at the service of national interests, Egypt will also use them to help realise the collective aims and aspirations of the AU. *A version of this article appears in print in the 28 February, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Up and working Search Keywords: Short link: To the editor: Im troubled by the anecdotal depiction of such a complex problem as medical care for immigrants in federal custody. As a physician who has practiced in both federal and county medical centers, I too can recall countless similar stories of medication lapses and incorrect treatments, many caused by physicians working to provide a proper standard of care. I can also recall managing the care of countless immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally often untreated, advanced in their pathologies and non-English speaking in already crowded hospitals. Despite being underfunded and a political scapegoat for the left, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement continues to protect our communities from the most dangerous immigrants who are here illegally. No one is perfect, but in this scenario, one group is clearly part of a problem while the other is at least part of the solution. Michael Kendall, M.D., Azusa Advertisement .. To the editor: In reading one article about the substandard care given to immigrants in ICE custody, and another in the same print edition on the plight of homeless college students living in their cars, does one not realize our economys resources are already overextended? Frequently citizens who do not support Californias sanctuary state policy are unthinkingly referred to as racist, but to quote James Carville, its the economy, stupid. A country can only be as strong as its weakest link. Diane McDowell, Los Angeles Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: Obviously, what counts is the effective tax rate paid before and after the law took effect, not what refund is received. (Shrinking tax refunds are a growing problem for GOP tax law, Feb. 25) It seems to me that the L.A. Times provides its rationale for focusing on returns in this article by quoting an economist from the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, who said that if people judge the tax law by the refund and not the total tax you pay and the refund is lower than what you got last year it stands to reason youre going to be unhappy. Buried inside the article is what an expert at the Tax Institute at H&R Block said: Most people are going to come out ahead overall. As for the San Jose couple unpleasantly surprised by the taxes they owe this year, whatever happened to personal responsibility? They live in a home worth about $1.4 million, earn $220,000 per year, live in California and evidently didnt pay any attention to the new tax laws impact on them. Whose fault is that? Advertisement Terry Cavicchi, Thousand Oaks .. To the editor: The issue of tax refunds can be put alongside budgeting and credit-card usage when it comes to financial literacy. High schools need to require that all students take a class on financial literacy. This should not be an elective, but rather a part of the required senior economics course. Students should practice how to read a pay stub, how to read a W-2, and how to prepare a simple tax return. They would then conclude that a larger refund simply means that the government earned more interest off their money. It is sad that we Americans cannot regularly manage our own savings and thus budget for those expenditures that often get paid with a refund check. Judith M. Seki, San Gabriel Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook It wasnt that long ago that Michael Cohen and congressional Republicans were on the same side. In 2017, President Trumps former personal attorney was on Capitol Hill to defend his boss, in testimony he now admits contained lies. Since then, in the wake of what Cohen called the daily destruction of our civility to one another, the former fixer flipped on the president and pleaded guilty to lying to Congress, tax evasion and other criminal activity. On Wednesday, in a packed congressional hearing room, Cohen issued a blunt warning to the Republican lawmakers trying to discredit and rattle him in defense of the president. I did the same thing that youre doing now for 10 years. I protected Mr. Trump for 10 years, Cohen told his former allies. I can only warn people. The more people that follow Mr. Trump as I did blindly are going to suffer the same consequences that Im suffering. Advertisement It was one of several hostile exchanges between Cohen and Republicans during the daylong hearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, considered one of the most rambunctious panels on Capitol Hill. It was also the first in what could be a long series of Democratic House hearings investigating the presidency. Cohen, who is headed to prison in two months for as long as three years, expressed a combination of remorse and contrition for a 10-year career working for Trump. Well-prepared and well-spoken, he mostly remained calm as GOP lawmakers methodically detailed his past crimes and repeated lies, making little effort to defend or explain beyond claiming it was all to protect Trump. At times he appeared frustrated with the relentless GOP line of questioning. When Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) called him a pathological liar, Cohen snapped back, Are you referring to me or the president? He even tried to claim the high ground when Republicans criticisms grew personal. At one point, they hung a banner in the hearing room that read, Liar, liar, pants on fire. Cohen said he blamed himself for a silly taunt that he called really unbecoming of Congress. Its that sort of behavior that Im responsible for. Later he accused Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) of intentionally twisting his words. Shame on you, Mr. Jordan. And then he chastised Republicans for not focusing on the actions of Trump. I just find it interesting, sir, that between yourself and your colleagues that not one question so far since Im here has been asked about President Trump, he said. Thats actually why I thought I was coming today, not to confess the mistakes that Ive made. 1 / 13 Michael Cohen, President Donald Trumps former personal lawyer, is sworn in to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) 2 / 13 Michael Cohen speaks before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill. (Olivier Douliery / Abaca Press) 3 / 13 Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) questions Michael Cohen as he testifies before the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) 4 / 13 House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) makes closing remarks after testimony from Michael Cohen. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) 5 / 13 Michael Cohen, former attorney to President Donald J. Trump, becomes emotional while listening to the closing remarks of House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) (Michael Reynolds / EPA / Shutterstock) 6 / 13 At one point, Republican critics hung a banner in the hearing room that read, Liar, liar, pants on fire. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) 7 / 13 Michael Cohen speaks before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) 8 / 13 Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, (D-N.Y.) questions Michael Cohen as he testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) 9 / 13 An image of a check signed by President Trump, that was allegedly used for hush money, is displayed on a screen as Michael Cohen makes his opening statement before the House Oversight Committee. (JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX / JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX) 10 / 13 A quote about Michael Cohen, attributed to the U.S. Attorneys Office, is put on display during testimony before the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill February 27, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong / Getty Images) 11 / 13 Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) questions Michael Cohen as he testifies before the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) 12 / 13 Michael Cohen listens to questions before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill. (Jim Lo Scalzo/ EPA / Shutterstock) 13 / 13 Michael Cohen arrives to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) Republicans responded with outrage that the committees new Democratic leaders would provide a forum to a witness who just months ago admitted he lied to Congress. For Republicans, the hearing served as their first opportunity to show how aggressively they would defend the president from what is likely to be a wave attacks from Democrats in the House. They did not hold back. Cohen is a guy who is going to prison in two months for lying to Congress, said Jordan. This might be the first time someone convicted of lying to Congress has appeared again so quickly in front of Congress. Certainly its the first time a convicted perjurer has been brought back to be a star witness in a hearing. Republicans, newly disposed to the minority and seemingly unprepared for Cohens feistiness, landed few blows that will last beyond the days news cycle. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) tried to accuse Cohen of lying on a form to the committee in which Cohen said he didnt have any contracts with foreign entities in the last two years. But the form only asked about contracts with foreign governments. Cohen may have added to his credibility by debunking some of the more colorful allegations against Trump, such as unfounded domestic violence rumors or speculation he had a love child. Cohen also said he had not seen proof of collusion between Trump and Russia or other foreign governments. If he was just gung-ho to get the president, he would have said, Sure, he colluded, said Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D-Mass.), a member of the committee. He was very measured in his remarks and I think that helped his credibility. Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) said Cohens testimony, including copies of checks he provided to the panel purporting to be Trumps payoff to hide an extramarital affair, would need to be verified before they could be deemed credible. That needs to be assessed but, you know, a lot of it was partisan theater, he said. He presented some documentation. There are signatures on there. There are people you could ask to corroborate things. Its unclear whether any voters minds were changed by the hearing. But that may not matter. Republicans and Democrats questions were seemingly from different planets, said Republican strategist Doug Heye, which means credibility is in the eye of the beholder. If youre a Trump supporter, nothing that happened is going to change your mind. If you oppose Trump, nothing that happened is going to change your mind, he said. And most minds were made up well before this hearing. Times staff writer Sarah D. Wire contributed to this report. The latest from Washington More stories from Jennifer Haberkorn In 1980, former California Gov. Ronald Reagan was elected the nations 40th president. Blondie topped the music charts, the sequel to Star Wars packed movie theaters and Kamala Harris was a 16-year-old finishing high school. Nearly four decades later, Harris is a leading candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, the favorite in Californias March 3 primary and, as a U.S. senator, the states most serious White House contender since Reagan entered the Oval Office. The differences are stark. Reagan was a son of the American heartland, a California transplant, a Republican anointed by Southern Californias conservative establishment. Harris is a California native, the daughter of immigrants her father from Jamaica, her mother from India and a Democrat steeped in the liberalism of the San Francisco Bay Area. Advertisement Together, they bookend 40 years of dramatic political and demographic transformation in their home state (along with five more Star Wars sequels). In their own way, Reagan and Harris both embody the California of their time and, more broadly, changes across America. (Sources: California Department of Finance, California Secretary of States Office, California State Library, Political Data.) Whos in and whos on the fence? The state that ushered Reagan to the White House was predominantly white and Republican-leaning, an arsenal of the Cold War and a hotbed of anti-tax fervor. The California that serves as Harris national springboard has more brown than white residents, is strongly Democratic and a leader in high-tech innovation, and has twice voted in recent years to pay more taxes. Shes everything hes not and, in many ways, thats what the states become, said Mike Madrid, a GOP strategist in Sacramento, who has spent two decades fighting within the party to broaden its appeal, especially among the states burgeoning Latino population. Harris, of course, has enjoyed nowhere near the political success of Reagan, who in addition to serving two terms as California governor twice captured the White House the second time in a 1984 landslide of historic proportion. She is a freshman in the Senate, after serving two terms as California attorney general and, before that, district attorney of San Francisco. Although Harris had an impressive start to her presidential campaign and places well in national polls, the Democratic race is just beginning as the field continues taking shape. Before she even makes it to Californias early primary, and a hoped-for boost from home-state voters a year from now, Harris will have to perform well in contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and, especially, South Carolina, where she is counting on strong support from its sizable African American electorate. Still, on paper at least, Harris profile a biracial woman from a state at the beating heart of the anti-Trump resistance appears well-tailored to the mold of the Democratic Party heading into 2020, much as Reagan reflected, and indeed hastened, the changes that transformed the GOP and the nation in 1980. In Reagans case it was a triumph of Sun Belt conservatism, grounded in a strong national defense, assertive foreign policy, promotion of traditional family values and aversion to big government programs and the taxes that finance them. Californians had spoken vehemently on the latter just two years prior, passing the property-tax-slashing Proposition 13, which spawned a nationwide taxpayer revolt and helped lift Reagan to the White House. His appeal reached beyond Republicans to conservative Democrats, as it did in California, and not just because of his policies. He had a charismatic quality. He was believable, said Stuart K. Spencer, the strategist who helped elect Reagan governor and then president. But the biggest thing, he was really a nonthreatening politician. The states electorate then was overwhelmingly white and the middle class thriving, thanks to the sturdy pillars of Californias economy: the defense, construction, agriculture and manufacturing industries. But in the early 1990s, with the end of the Cold War, the defense industry contracted and Californias archipelago of military bases shrunk, dealing a serious blow to the economy, especially for those lacking a college education or the specialized skills needed to work in the growing fields of finance and high-tech. Many white residents fled the state, quitting California for lower-tax neighbors like Arizona and Nevada, or seeking more conservative political climes, like Idaho and Texas. They were replaced in part by immigrants like Harris parents, drawn to California by its sterling university system, and others lower down the economic ladder, attracted by entry-level jobs in the agriculture and service industries. Republican Gov. Pete Wilson managed to win reelection in 1994, thanks to a hapless opponent, his deft handling of several natural disasters and embrace of Proposition 187, a harsh-edged measure targeting illegal immigration and later mostly voided in court. What followed was a slow unraveling of the state GOP. Wilsons support for Proposition 187, which sought to deny healthcare, education and welfare benefits to those in the country illegally, antagonized and energized Democratic-leaning Latinos, whose voting ranks swelled from the mid-single digits when Reagan became president to more than a quarter of eligible voters in Novembers midterm election. Gov. Pete Wilsons 1994 reelection came as California was in transition. (Matt Sayles / Associated Press) At the same time, the national GOPs hard-line stance on issues like guns and immigration and the increased prominence of religious conservatism pushed moderate, live-and-let-live Californians away from the Republican Party, boosting Democrats to power and turning Reagan Country into a pale memory. Forty years on, it is Harris who represents the values and culture and demographics of the liberal Democratic state weve become, said Mark DiCamillo, a nonpartisan pollster who has spent decades plumbing the opinions of California voters. Harris ventures now to lead a national Democratic Party that has shifted decidedly leftward, its success built on a foundation of women, minorities and socially broad-minded young people. In short, a coalition that has come to greatly resemble Californias populace. Seeded in the Golden State is the notion of destiny, a conceit its fertile land is where trends germinate and the future is first glimpsed. Indeed, changes that helped transform California from red to blue have since manifested elsewhere in Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico. Demographically, the country is headed in a similar direction. In 1980, nearly 9 in 10 voters were white. In 2020, nonwhites are expected to account for fully a third of eligible voters, the most ever. There is no guarantee that Harris will be chosen as her partys standard-bearer. Many of her positions support for higher taxes on the rich, universal healthcare, debt-free college are shared by fellow candidates, who differ only in their means of achieving those goals. More significantly, there is the question whether Democrats, in moving so conspicuously from the center, are placing themselves out of step with a majority of voters. William Frey, a demographics expert at Washingtons Brookings Institution, sees America in the long term looking increasingly like California does today. The question in the short term, he said, is whether we have a big backlash against that kind of Democratic-minority-progressive type of coalition, thus yielding Trump a second term. The general election is 20 months off. Only if Harris wins her partys nomination and, in November 2020, the White House will it be clear whether the state that produced President Reagan has yielded another albeit very different political sequel. But for now, anyway, parts of the script have a familiar ring. CALIFORNIA COUNTDOWN How Californias early primary illustrates the states political inferiority complex Democrats, facing a big candidate field, ask: Who can beat Trump? Californias presidential primary: Heres what you need to know mark.barabak@latimes.com @markzbarabak The Florida Bar is investigating Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who is licensed to practice law in the state, for his incendiary tweet accusing Michael Cohen of infidelity. On Tuesday, he tweeted, Hey @MichaelCohen212 - Do your wife & father-in-law know about your girlfriends? Maybe tonight would be a good time for that chat. I wonder if shell remain faithful when youre in prison. Shes about to learn a lot. Hours after he posted the message, Gaetz apologized and deleted it, insisting that he did not intend to threaten President Trumps former lawyer on the eve of his highly anticipated testimony before Congress. The Florida Bar is aware of the comments made in a tweet yesterday by Rep. Matt Gaetz, who is a Florida Bar member, and I can confirm we have opened an investigation, spokeswoman Francine Andia Walker said in a statement to the Washington Post. Advertisement Cohen delivers warning to GOP lawmakers now attacking him: Dont blindly follow Trump After the investigation, the bar will decide whether to file charges against Gaetz with the Florida Supreme Court, Walker said. If rules have been violated, the Florida Bar will vigorously pursue appropriate discipline, she said, declining to comment further. In an email to the Post, a spokeswoman for Gaetz downplayed the regulatory agencys investigation. It seems that the Florida Bar, by its rules, is required to investigate even the most frivolous of complaints, said Jillian Lane Wyant, Gaetzs chief of staff. In the tweet in question, Gaetz suggested without evidence that Cohen, who is married, had girlfriends, prompting some legal observers and Democrats to accuse the Florida Republican of engaging in witness tampering. About seven hours later, he issued a mea culpa in a tweet addressed to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), who had earlier issued a statement obliquely admonishing the congressman. While it is important 2 create context around the testimony of liars like Michael Cohen, it was NOT my intent to threaten, as some believe I did, he wrote just before midnight. Im deleting the tweet & should have chosen words that better showed my intent. Im sorry. Michael Cohen answered most of the big questions we had The apology may not appease Democrats, who are demanding action against Gaetz. Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.), sent an official request to the chairman and ranking member of the House Ethics Committee on Tuesday, asking them to open an investigation into Gaetz. Rice suggested that his tweet may violate a federal statute against witness tampering and intimidation. After the House Committee on Ethics thoroughly investigates this matter, I urge you to make any and all appropriate referrals to DOJ, Rice writes in the letter. Gaetz, a staunch Trump ally who frequents the Fox News circuit to defend the president, has a history of making inflammatory remarks and pushing conspiracy theories, such as claims that Democrats in Florida tried to steal the November midterms with illegal ballots. In 2018, he invited a right-wing internet troll as his guest to the State of the Union address and appeared on a radio show hosted by Alex Jones of Infowars. When the Post reached Gaetz by phone after he sent the tweet, he made no apologies, maintaining that his message wasnt meant to intimidate Cohen, but rather to question his truthfulness. Challenging the credibility and veracity of a witness is something that happens every day in America, he said, and we need more of that in Congress when people intend to come and lie to us. Michael Cohen, who worked as President Trumps personal lawyer and New York fixer for more than a decade, suggested that Trump had skirted or violated federal banking, tax and campaign finance laws. Democrats have charged that Trump, his subordinates and Republicans have been trying to silence Cohen as he has turned on his former boss. On Tuesday, Gaetz took to the House floor to question if Cohen even lies to his own family, saying his web of lies are not to be believed. But Gaetzs tweet drew swift rebuke from Democrats and legal observers, who argued he crossed a line. This isnt a scene from Godfather II, Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), tweeted at Gaetz. Witness intimidation is not going to work. Hey @mattgaetz: Do you know about 18 U.S.C. 1512(b), which prohibits tampering with witnesses to official proceedings? Stephen Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, wrote on Twitter, mimicking Gaetzs tweet to Cohen. Hey @mattgaetz, began Ryan Goodman, former special counsel to the Defense Department and now a New York University law professor. Does your personal attorney know youve just engaged, very clearly, in the crime of witness tampering? Maybe tonight would be a good time for that chat. Pelosi did not directly condemn Gaetzs tweet. But in a statement issued around 6 p.m. on Twitter to all House members, she said: I encourage all Members to be mindful that comments made on social media or in the press can adversely affect the ability of House Committees to obtain the truthful and complete information necessary to fulfill their duties. She urged that the House Ethics Committee should vigilantly monitor these types of statements, which she said may not be constitutionally protected speech. Gaetz apologized and deleted his tweet about six hours later. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), a close ally of Donald Trump, sought to defend the president against Michael Cohens accusation of racism in a congressional hearing Wednesday. Meadows introduced a character witness Lynne Patton, a former Trump family event planner who is now an official at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Patton, who is African American, did not testify but stood just over Meadows shoulder as the lawmaker said she disagreed with Cohens statements and pressed the former lawyer for proof of his assertion that Trump was a racist who had made derogatory comments about African Americans. She says that as the daughter of a man born in Birmingham, Ala., that she would never work for an individual who was a racist, Meadows asserted. Advertisement Michael Cohen describes a culture of criminality around Trump As neither should I have, as a son of a Holocaust survivor, Cohen replied. Meadows said he had talked to Trump more than 300 times and had never heard him make a racist comment. He asked whether Cohen had documentation or tape recordings that would back up his allegations. Cohen said he didnt but pointed out that the Trump Organization did not have any high-level black employees. Ask Ms. Patton how many people who are black are executives at the Trump Organization, and the answer is zero, he said. Lynne Patton. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images) Patton had at least some previous experience of allegations that Trump made racist statements. In August, CBS published a tape recording released by Trumps former aide Omarosa Manigault Newman in which she, Katrina Pearson and Patton discussed Trumps use of the N-word. In Cohens hearing, Republicans pursued a repeated line of attack: Blast his credibility. Again and again, they raised his convictions on bank and tax fraud charges and lying to Congress. And they pressed him to admit that some of his crimes were not committed on behalf of Trump. Mr. Cohen, you called Donald Trump a cheat in your opening testimony. What would you call yourself? asked Rep. James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky. A fool, Cohen said. No comment on that, the lawmaker replied, before adding that he didnt think Michael Cohen is capable of telling the truth. If we have the opportunity to subpoena witnesses, we should subpoena witnesses who are not recently disbarred, not a convicted felon and witnesses who have not committed bank fraud and tax fraud, he said. A senior Senate Republican warned President Trump on Thursday to reconsider his emergency declaration for the southern border, hinting the GOP-controlled Senate could rebuke him and overturn it. In a floor speech, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) urged Trump to find other ways to get the money. I support what the president wants to do on border security, but I do not support the way he has been advised to do it, Alexander said. Alexander refused to say whether he would join three other Republican senators who have said they will support the effort to rescind Trumps emergency declaration. Advertisement Democrats need just one more Senate Republican to join them, assuming all Democrats vote in favor. The resolution easily cleared the Democratic-controlled House on Tuesday evening by a vote of 245 to 182. Trump has said he will veto it if it reaches his desk, and neither chamber is expected to have the votes to override him. Trump issued his own warning Thursday in an interview with Fox News Sean Hannity, saying that Republicans who support the Democrats resolution are putting themselves in political risk. I think that really its a very dangerous thing for people to be voting against border security, Trump said. I think they put themselves at great jeopardy. But Alexander said many other Republican senators share his view that the administration should find other ways to fund the wall. He pointed to several nonmilitary sources, such as unused Treasury and counter-narcotics funds. It is unnecessary and unwise to turn a border crisis into a constitutional crisis about separation of powers when the president already has congressional funding authority to build 234 miles of border wall that he requested, Alexander said. Trump issued the emergency order the day after Congress explicitly denied him the $5.7 billion he requested funding for the wall and instead provided $1.375 billion for border barriers. Trump said at the time he was issuing the declaration because it was an expedient way to get the funds. Democrats, and some Republicans, argue that the president is stepping on Congress constitutional role to decide how taxpayer funds are used by issuing an emergency declaration, which allows him to tap billions of dollars appropriated for the Defense Department. I understand that the president is disappointed that the funding that he requested did not pass, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Thursday. Collins is a co-sponsor of the Senate resolution to rescind Trumps order. But the failure of Congress to pass funding in the amount the president prefers cannot become an excuse for the president to usurp the powers of the [legislative] branch. The other two GOP senators who have said they will vote to rescind the emergency declaration are Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. The latest from Washington More stories from Sarah D. Wire The Senate on Thursday confirmed Andrew Wheeler to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, handing the reins of the agency responsible for ensuring clean air and safe drinking water to a former coal industry lobbyist. The 52-to-47 vote removed the word acting from Wheelers title, installing him as the agencys full-fledged administrator. But it left the EPAs recent focus unchanged. Under Wheeler, it is expected to continue its anti-regulatory crusade that has made it the nemesis of environmental groups and put it in constant conflict with states such as California that are leading the push to abandon fossil fuels. Wheeler assumed control of the agency on an interim basis in July 2018 after President Trump chose him to replace former Administrator Scott Pruitt, who resigned under a cloud of federal investigations. Scrutiny of Pruitts lavish spending of taxpayer money and the use of his position to enrich his family turned him into a political liability. When the spotlight became too intense, it fell to his deputy to continue Trumps agenda of rolling back Obama administration environmental regulations. Advertisement Under Wheeler, the EPA has introduced a variety of proposals favored by the industries it regulates. They include a proposed repeal of the Clean Power Plan, which sets limits on carbon emissions from coal and gas-fired power plants, and a push to weaken the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards regulation by assigning more importance to the costs incurred by corporations and less to the potential health benefits of air pollution restrictions. Another of the agencys proposals would strip federal protections from millions of acres of waterways and wetlands, including up to two-thirds of Californias inland streams. Most Republicans continue to support these policies, but the aggressive anti-regulation push has cost Wheeler the backing of some of the more moderate senators who voted a year ago to confirm him as deputy administrator. Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine voted against his confirmation. I believe that Mr. Wheeler, unlike Scott Pruitt, understands the mission of the EPA and acts in accordance with ethical standards, Collins wrote on Twitter. [H]owever, the policies he has supported as acting administrator are not in the best interest of our environment and public health, particularly given the threat of climate change to our nation. All Democrats voted no, including Sen. Joe Manchin III, a centrist from West Virginia and a defender of the coal industry. A longtime Washington insider, Wheeler has often been viewed as a more disciplined version of his former boss. Pruitts rush to undo long-standing rules and his lack of familiarity with the complicated process of rewriting regulations led to a raft of lawsuits, many of which succeeded in delaying or stopping his initiatives. For this reason, some of Wheelers foes in environmental advocacy groups worry that he may be a more formidable opponent. Still, he faces an array of challenges. Democrats control of the House has placed the EPAs efforts to dismantle clean-water and -air rules under a harsh spotlight. There has been renewed attention on the agencys declining enforcement actions, including significant drops in some of the penalties levied against polluters. The climate crisis, which Wheeler has essentially pushed to the back of the agencys to-do list, has also been front and center in the new Congress. House Democrats have held a series of hearings focused on global warming and the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to help prevent catastrophic floods, wildfires and droughts. The result is a stark contrast between the everything-is-fine messages coming out of the federal agency tasked with environmental protection and lawmakers in the House who believe the EPA has been captured by fossil fuel interests. At his Senate confirmation hearing, Wheeler showed no sense of urgency to address climate change. I would not call it the greatest crisis , he told senators. I consider it a huge issue that has to be addressed globally. In the latest example of the difficulties that lie ahead, the Trump administration recently decided to end already faltering talks with California aimed at resolving a dispute over fuel-economy standards. The next stop is likely to be a long legal battle that could continue beyond the 2020 presidential election. California officials have said they are prepared to go to court to defend the states power to set its own, stricter pollution standards for cars and light trucks. Years of litigation could tie up the EPAs plans to weaken the existing standards and anger car manufacturers caught in regulatory chaos. Wheeler has spent more than two decades in Washington. He began his career at the EPA in the 1990s, under former President George H.W. Bush, before shifting to politics. He spent 14 years advising Sen. James M. Inhofe, one of the most prominent and vocal climate change deniers in Washington. The Oklahoma Republican famously brought a snowball onto the Senate floor to debunk global warming. Later, Wheeler became a lobbyist, often working behind the scenes to advance the interests of coal, oil and gas companies. At the lobbying firm of Faegre Baker Daniels, his top client was Robert Murray, chief executive of Murray Energy Co., the largest privately held coal company in America. During the presidential campaign, Murray emerged as a major supporter of Trump. He later delivered an action plan to the White House, laying out a four-page wish list of the environmental and mine safety regulations he wanted to see unwound. Speaking from the Senate floor on Thursday, Inhofe urged his colleagues to confirm Wheeler. Theres no one more qualified anywhere in America to handle this job than Andrew Wheeler, he said. Hell be a good steward of the environment without punishing our states, without punishing our farmers, without punishing our job creators. The latest from Washington More stories from Anna M. Phillips A proposal championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to require new transparency standards for charter schools across California was passed by state legislators Thursday, an effort that would align the campuses with guidelines followed by traditional public schools. The legislation marks a symbolic shift in the long proxy war between teachers unions and charter-school backers over education policy, after back-to-back election cycles in which the two sides spent tens of millions of dollars on rival candidates in Californias top statewide races. Senate Bill 126, which Newsom is expected to quickly sign into law, codifies a recent opinion from California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra that governing boards of charter schools should be subject to the same open-meetings laws and conflict-of-interest standards as public school districts. Former Govs. Jerry Brown and Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed earlier versions of the legislation, describing the measures as going too far. In comparison, Newsom made it clear last month he supported the plan and asked state Sen. Connie Leyva (D-Chino) to carry the bill, fast-tracking its passage through both houses in just seven weeks. Advertisement Gov. Newsom is marking off a new approach that both reflects a different governing philosophy and in all likelihood his desire to respond to the politics that played out during the primary election, said John Rogers, a professor of education at UCLA. Newsom last year called for more transparency around charter school operations on the campaign trail months before a group of advocates including Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and Los Angeles philanthropist Eli Broad funded a record-setting $23-million independent expenditure campaign in the governors race supporting former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and running attack ads criticizing Newsom. Teachers unions lined up behind the governor. The move against Newsom perplexed education and political leaders because he had previously supported the charter school model as mayor of San Francisco. The effort fell flat when Villaraigosa failed to advance to the November election. It remains to be seen how education reformers, led by the California Charter Schools Assn., will respond to the new political dynamic in Sacramento. Will they continue to fight each measure as if no compromise is acceptable or will they try to take on a new tactic and work with the governors office to rationalize a set of legislation that hasnt been updated in many years? Rogers said. Newsom spoke about his desire to address charter school transparency at a news conference last month, saying he wanted to move the bill with a sense of urgency. I want to get a transparency bill on my desk as soon as possible, Newsom said, something Ive advocated for, something I want to push over the edge. The legislation came together following teacher strikes in Los Angeles and Oakland, which highlighted demands for smaller classrooms and higher wages, as well as more accountability and restrictions for charter schools. In a statement, the charter school association praised Newsoms leadership on the issue after nearly a decade of debate. The bill was the product of negotiations between lobbyists for unions and charters in recent weeks. In the end, the California Teachers Assn. endorsed the measure and the charter school group took a neutral position. His team brought all parties together to hammer out a deal where everyone had to compromise for the greater good, said Carlos Marquez, CCSAs senior vice president of government affairs. Nathan Click, a spokesman for the governor, said the legislation fulfilled a key campaign promise. Gov. Newsom has long supported greater charter school transparency and believes that every school that receives public tax dollars should be held to basic standards of accountability and transparency, he said. This debate has lingered for far too long, and the governor took a leadership role in helping get this bill to the finish line. The legislation requires charter schools and entities managing charter schools to provide advance notice of meetings and to hold them in public, respond to public-records requests, and to disclose income and financial assets. Eric Heins, president of the California Teachers Assn., said he welcomed the new governors approach. But he dismissed any notion of political retribution, saying the bill is good policy. Im glad that we have a Legislature and governor that gets that and is moving on it, Heins said. Its good for students and its good for democracy because it sheds light on how our money is being spent. Heins said the powerful teachers lobby was also pushing for laws to give local school districts ultimate authority to approve new charter schools and to require charters to operate in the districts that approve them. Newsom has also asked state Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond to craft a report by July 1 detailing the financial effects charters have on traditional school systems. Were beginning to see a ground shift and I hope it continues, Heins said. Its a long time coming. Times staff writer Phil Willon contributed to this report. More stories from Taryn Luna taryn.luna@latimes.com Follow @tarynluna on Twitter. A state panel censured retired Republican Judge Steven Bailey for misconduct on Wednesday, citing the use of his judicial title and prestige of office to raise funds for and promote his unsuccessful campaign for California attorney general last year. The decision by the California Commission on Judicial Performance bars the former El Dorado County Superior Court judge from seeking or holding judicial office, or accepting assignments and appointments from any California state court. It says the commissions review of the record and observation of Bailey reveals a judge who plays by his own rules with little concern for whether his conduct comports with the rules applicable to all judges under the Code of Judicial Ethics. Bailey issued a statement disputing the commissions findings, saying he followed advice from a judges organization in regard to limits on activity when considering a run for office. This is and was a political hit by a Democrat-dominated commission designed to damage me politically nothing more, nothing less, Bailey said. I sought, received, and followed ethics advice from the California Judges Association that is now being second-guessed 10 years later. Advertisement Bailey lost the November election for state attorney general to Democratic incumbent Xavier Becerra, who received 61% of the vote. The commission announced its investigation before the Nov. 6 election. It said in a statement that Baileys conduct in raising funds and campaigning for a partisan, nonjudicial office while working as a judge, explicitly referring to his judicial title, and relying on the prestige of judicial office, is fundamentally inconsistent with the independence, impartiality, and integrity of the judiciary. Among its findings, the commission said Bailey attended political events at which he distributed campaign donation envelopes and cards that referred to him as a sitting judge and stated that his judicial experience and his legal and legislative skills make him uniquely qualified to be Californias Attorney General in 2018. Bailey argued that any rule preventing a sitting judge from running for office violates the First Amendment. Judge Bailey alleges that he did not engage in misconduct because he was conducting an exploratory, rather than actual, campaign, the commissions report added. The panel also found that, when referring defendants to an alcohol monitoring company, Bailey failed to disclose that his son worked on commission for the firm. patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com Twitter: @mcgreevy99 A growing number of people fleeing violence are seeking refuge in Egypt, placing "severe pressure" on under-resourced agencies seeking to support them, the UN said Thursday. "Ongoing conflicts in Yemen and in Sub-Saharan Africa have forced more people to flee to Egypt", said United Nations refugee agency UNHCR in a statement. Over the past two years, the number of registered refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt has increased by almost a quarter, it said. The UN has registered around a quarter of a million refugees and asylum seekers in the country, according to figures published in February. Most are from war-ravaged Syria, Sudan or Ethiopia. "Support for refugees in Egypt is under severe pressure due to increased arrivals and inadequate resources," UNHCR warned. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said eight out of 10 refugees in Egypt are living in "desperate humanitarian conditions". "They cannot meet even their most basic needs. Putting bread on the table is a daily challenge," he said. But, he said, the agency was operating on a fraction of the budget needed to help them. "These refugees require timely and adequate humanitarian assistance. Yet, right now we are unable to provide them with the bare essentials or maintain our core refugee protection programmes in this country," he said. Grandi was speaking days after Egypt hosted a summit of European and Arab leaders, who agreed to work together to manage irregular migration and refugee flows, although without laying out specific measures. Cairo presents itself as a champion of the fight against irregular migration and a model for integrating refugees on its own territory. Search Keywords: Short link: This would be a first for California: state government buying insurance to protect itself against overspending its budget. But before you start pelting the politicians and screaming fiscal irresponsibility, know that the budget-busting would be for fighting wildfires. That puts it in an entirely different category from, say, controversial spending to help immigrants who are here illegally, or trying to register voters at the notoriously jammed DMV. No sane person is going to gripe about overspending tax dollars to douse a deadly wildfire. Advertisement But it does amount to a sucker punch for state budgeters, who might be forced to grab money from other state programs to pay for the firefighting. Fortunately in recent years the robust California economy has been producing state revenue surpluses. So, little problem. Another recession is a certainty, however. And so seemingly is something else: devastating wildfires worsened by climate change. Gov. Gavin Newsoms recent budget document contained this passage: Conditions in the states wildlands are changing rapidly. Despite additional precipitation vegetation remains critically dry. Weather events are more extreme, winds blow with more intensity for larger durations and humidity levels are lower for longer periods of time. Conditions historically observed in Southern California vegetation are moving north and higher in elevation. The budget document also notes that 2018 brought the largest, deadliest and most damaging fires in the states history. Wildfires in California killed over 100 people, destroyed more than 22,700 structures and burned over 1.8 million acres. Emergencies of this magnitude are becoming a more regular occurrence. Heres why some leading Democrats are proposing that the state insure itself against budget-busting wildfire calamities: For the current fiscal year, the Legislature and former Gov. Jerry Brown budgeted $443 million for firefighting, and the total tab so far is $936 million. For the previous fiscal year, $427 million was budgeted and costs were $948 million. More from George Skelton So three elected officials state Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), state Treasurer Fiona Ma and Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara have proposed legislation that would authorize the state to buy private disaster insurance to protect it against overspending on wildfires. Depending on the policy, if the state overspent its budget by $500 million, it might be reimbursed $400 million. We would use insurance to hedge against a big, bad fire season, says Dodd, whose wine country district was devastated by wildfires in 2017. California has never done this. But Oregon has. For four decades, the state has bought wildfire insurance costing $61 million and received $102 million for claims, according to backers of the California legislation. So if the Oregon insurers lose money, why would they keep selling the policies? That answer will have to wait for another day. The Federal Emergency Management Agency also buys policies to protect its emergency flood funds from drying up during a calamity. Coverage of California politics Most of us have house insurance, auto insurance, maybe earthquake and flood insurance, says Ma, whose husband is a career firefighter and has battled several major wildfires. Why doesnt the state have disaster insurance to reduce its [financial] exposure? Thats a serious question legislators and the governor will need to answer. Here are some reasons why maybe not: Those premiums are very expensive as high, Im told, as 30% of the payout value. With taxes rolling into Sacramento, why not just budget more for firefighting and use the would-be premium money for extra fire prevention? Moreover, the state already is reimbursed by the feds for its firefighting in national forests. So its budget-busting is not as severe as advertised. During the current fiscal year, $202 million is expected from Washington. But buying insurance to protect against fiscal surprises does raise some intriguing possibilities. Maybe the state could insure itself against breaking the bank on public works like a $77-billion bullet train that is so far projected to cost more than double the original sticker price. How about a policy to hedge against a revenue-killing recession? Maybe citizens could even buy insurance to protect themselves against a hefty tax increase. Naw. No insurer would be foolish enough to sell that in California. Theres also other wildfire insurance legislation percolating in Sacramento. One bill would establish a state catastrophe fund to provide extra liability insurance for utilities. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. declared bankruptcy, fearing it could be liable for up to $30 billion for fire losses. The fund would help utilities stay afloat when theyre drowning in claims. Utilities and the state would pay into the fund. This would provide the utilities financial stability to keep the lights on in California, says the author, Assemblyman Chad Mayes (R-Yucca Valley). Another wildfire insurance bill would help burned-out victims who are underinsured or uninsured. A fund modeled after one in Florida to help hurricane victims would be created, and the state and utilities would finance it. Victims could turn to it for claims that private insurance didnt cover. Communities need to be rebuilt not just homes but small businesses, says the author, Assemblywoman Autumn Burke (D-Marina del Rey), who recently visited the virtually incinerated Sierra foothills town of Paradise. All you see is burned-out homes and chimneys. As for the state buying insurance to protect itself against breaking the budget, the politicians need to remember one thing: Both the state and the insurer cant be winners. One will get burned. george.skelton@latimes.com Follow @LATimesSkelton on Twitter A Glendale man is being accused of stealing a dog from a Burbank home earlier this month, police say, and he reportedly left behind a note admitting to the theft. Zarik Khosravi, 35, was arrested on suspicion of residential burglary after he allegedly stole a dog that belonged to the roommate of a family member. The dogs owner told authorities this wasnt the first time he had taken the 1-year-old husky/German shepherd mix from its home. Sgt. Derek Green, a spokesman for the Burbank Police Department, said in a previous incident Khosravi reportedly took the dog after climbing through a pet door at the house in the 1800 block of North Frederic Street. He then dropped the animal off at a shelter in Los Angeles. Because the dog was chipped, the owner was able to retrieve her pet. The dog has never been harmed by Khosravi, according to Green, and its unknown why he would take the pet. Its almost like he has some kind of obsession with the dog, Green said. The most recent theft took place sometime on Feb. 1 after Khosravi allegedly removed a backdoor off its hinges to enter the home. He then reportedly left the note behind saying he had the dog. He eventually returned with the pet on Feb. 4, but no arrest was made at that time, Green said. Instead, the incident was documented and forwarded to the Los Angeles County District Attorneys office, which eventually issued an arrest warrant. Khosravi, who was on parole for a previous burglary conviction, was taken into custody by Glendale police on Feb. 22. He is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court on March 14. andy.nguyen@latimes.com Twitter: @Andy_Truc Years ago, I worked for a team of editors who hired someone from another department in the company. It became clear pretty quickly that the newly minted editor was out of his element not the born wordsmith his colleagues were. Like those other editors, he would send me, the copy editor, an email to tell me when an article was waiting to be reviewed in a shared computer folder. But, whereas the others would tell me there was a story waiting for me in the queue, he would report hed sent me something in the cue. Some things youve just got to know. If youve heard the expression eek out a living, youre not going to check your dictionary to see if thats a valid definition of eek. Only by having read and noted, either consciously or subconsciously, that the correct term is eke out a living, would you understand that eek is an error. Here are some other things that, as Ive learned in my editing career, youve just got to know. Ordnance. I once edited an article that mentioned unexploded ordinance. An ordinance is a rule or law passed by a local government, often dealing with things like parking or potholes, which are unlikely to massively combust. The writer wanted ordnance, which means military weapons, often artillery, which you dont want left lying around unexploded. Till. Everyone, or almost everyone, uses the one-syllable alternative to until. Its pretty natural to assume that the shorter term is actually a shortened form, a truncation that lobs off the first syllable and replaces it with an apostrophe: til. You can contract it that way if you like, but youll be out of sync with every professional editing style in American English. They all agree that the term you want is till. This did not evolve from an error. Till actually predates until and means essentially the same thing. Commas around etc. The abbreviation etc. is a bad choice for news-quality writing because journalism calls for specificity. Terms like etc. and and much more! gloss over details and serve as sort of a cop-out by the writer. But in marketing writing and feature articles, these terms have their place. In the case of etc., that place is between commas. Traditional use dictates that the abbreviation etc. is preceded and (unless it ends a sentence) followed by a comma, according to the Chicago Manual of Style. Sleight. If youve heard someone talk about a magician doing card tricks, you may have heard the expression slight of hand. But if youd read those same words, you would have seen sleight of hand. The noun sleight means deceitful craftiness and it can also mean dexterity or skill. Out of curiosity, I did a Google search for the word sleight minus the words of and hand. Except for a German film by that title and some references to people with the last name Sleight, I found no indication that people uses this word outside the sleight of hand expression. No serial comma before an ampersand. The serial comma, also known as the Oxford comma, has a lot of fans. Its the optional comma before a conjunction in a series, as in red, white, and blue. Its neither right nor wrong. You can opt for red, white and blue if you prefer. But if youre going to replace that and with an ampersand, the choice is no longer yours. When an ampersand is used instead of the word and (as in company names), the serial comma is omitted: Winken, Blinken & Nod is a purveyor of nightwear, notes the Chicago Manual of Style. JUNE CASAGRANDE is the author of The Joy of Syntax: A Simple Guide to All the Grammar You Know You Should Know. She can be reached at JuneTCN@aol.com. With the solemn expression of someone lost in a memory, Dilan Oezkan gazed at the vacant lot where the Costa Mesa Motor Inn once stood. This is the place where I first realized I was homeless and what that meant, he said. The now-defunct motel once a hotbed for drug dealing and prostitution served as Oezkans home from ages 8 to 10. He lived in countless motels throughout his childhood, but the Motor Inn remains the one he remembers most. Returning to the site for the first time recently, Oezkan wondered what became of the other motel kids who used to live there, whether they overcame vast odds and found their way out of poverty. This brings back loads of hardship and struggle, Oezkan, now 18, said. But I never thought I would be where I am now. Dilan Oezkan walks along the fence, remembering what it was like to live in the now torn down Costa Mesa Motor Inn property in Costa Mesa. He was able to fight his way out of poverty and get his own apartment. He will soon attend college. (Don Leach / Times OC) Fleeing a situation he described as abusive, Oezkan came to the United States in 2005 from Germany with his mother and siblings. We had no money, Oezkan said. We were instantly homeless when we landed. The Oezkans spent two years in Texas homeless shelters. When the shelters were at capacity, Oezkan slept outside with the other boys and men. Oezkans mother met the man who would eventually become her childrens stepfather at one of the shelters, and they all moved to Orange County in 2007 to be closer to his family. Oezkans childhood was defined by instability, living in motels throughout the county and sleeping in bedrooms with his four siblings. He attended seven elementary and six middle schools. It was rough as a kid, Oezkan said. Switching schools and leaving friends was hard. It was embarrassing to go to school a lot of the time because I was wearing clothes where my shorts were up to my thighs, and my jacket was longer than my shorts, so it looked like I wasnt wearing any pants. I would get made fun of a lot for looking homeless. Dilan Oezkan at school in a scene from the film, Homeless: The Motel Kids of Orange County, by Alexandra Pelosi. (Courtesy of Dilan Oezkan) While living at the Motor Inn, Oezkan and his family were featured in a 2010 documentary by Alexandra Pelosi, Homeless: the Motel Kids of Orange County. The film depicted the struggles of homeless children living in one of the wealthiest counties in the country. There were 27,119 homeless students countywide in the 2016-17 school year, according to the Orange County Department of Education. They made up 5.5% of the 490,430 enrolled students. OCDE spokesman Ian Hanigan said the 2017-18 numbers have yet to be released. Pelosi, daughter of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, said Oezkan has maintained contact with her since her documentary was filmed. A lot of these kids, the light had gone out in their life by age 10, but Dilan still had that spark, Pelosi said. Dilan had dreams all kinds of fantastic dreams about living in a big house and how hed make it out. But the rest of them didnt even dream. Their souls were already crushed by age 10. I was 10 years old, so it was fun to have the camera follow me around, Oezkan said. Years later I was like, Oh it was actually a documentary about the big struggles of my life. Now every time I watch the documentary I break down and cry. Though his stepfather was unemployed for some time, Oezkans mother worked as a certified nursing assistant. Even so there were times when the family didnt have enough money for a motel and slept outdoors. Despite the lack of constancy, Oezkan and his sister Celine Oezkan studied all the time. From early on, both realized that education was the key to escaping the cycle of homelessness. Trials continued when Oezkans mother kicked him out at age 15 following a disagreement. He was able to stay with friends until the Illumination Foundation, an Orange-based nonprofit, started funding an apartment for him in Costa Mesa about a year ago. Dilan is such an incredible young man, said Paul Leon, president and chief executive of the Illumination Foundation. Hes had the hardest of the hard in his life. He was able to be so resilient, despite constantly being faced with different obstacles. He understood early on that he needed to get an education. For him to stick with it under those incredible odds, its a tribute to his spirit and fortitude. Dilan Oezkan, left, with his brother Ben at school in a scene from the film, Homeless: The Motel Kids of Orange County, by Alexandra Pelosi. (Courtesy of Dilan Oezkan) Oezkan will graduate from Saddleback High School in Santa Ana with a 4.4 weighted GPA. He was recently presented with a certificate of recognition for his academic performance in the face of adversity by Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do. As we make monumental progress on homelessness in Orange County, Dilans story is a reminder to us all about what can be accomplished, Do said. Dilans work ethic, positive attitude and perseverance is an inspiration to us all. Oezkan plans to attend college in the fall. Hes been accepted to San Francisco State, Cal Poly Pomona and Sacramento State, and is still waiting to hear back from Columbia, Penn., Georgetown and USC. Pelosi wrote him letters of recommendation. Dilan still has a tough road ahead of him, Pelosi said. Theres that bridge that young people need to cross in order to make it into adulthood. Thats the bridge Dilan is on. It could still go terribly wrong if he doesnt get the money for college. I just pray he makes it across that bridge. Oezkan will be the second of his siblings to attend college. Celine Oezkan attends Chapman University on a full scholarship. The Costa Mesa Motor Inn before it was demolished last year. Though the motel provided an affordable housing avenue for the homeless, it had become known for attracting crime. (File photo) Oezkan plans to double major in political science and history. If he ever reaches elected office he plans to use my authority toward ending homelessness. He currently has scholarships that provide about $6,500 in support each year. To attend the top schools on his list, Oezkan is going to need to secure more financial help. He knows whatever job he gets in college wont cover tuition. Pelosi finds her former subject worthy of financial aid. Dilan deserves way more than I ever got in my life, Pelosi said. If there is meritocracy in America, this kid is going to get into a good college, and he is going to get scholarship money to pay for it. If he doesnt, its a true indictment against the whole system. He did everything that was asked of him. Nobody could be more worthy. As a student at Laguna Beach High School in the early 2000s, Sarah Elliott spent many lunch hours in the classroom of her graphic design teacher, tinkering with cameras and photo editing software. She crafted cards and organized fashion shoots with her friends. When you think Laguna Beach, I just think arts, said Elliott, 34. I was always in an arts class in school in Laguna Beach, from elementary school to middle school. Then I took photography [in high school]. They nurtured my passion for arts and design and being creative and thinking outside the box. Kerry Pellow, who was Elliotts teacher and has taught graphic design and photography classes in Laguna for 20 years, said the camera just fell into place with Elliott. Pellow said she remembers the astounding photos Elliott brought back from family vacations abroad. She had an eye for almost reading emotion with her photos, Pellow said. She could capture a kid who didnt want to be photographed. And Sarah could, in that moment, somehow pull something off. She was magical. Elliotts knack for photography earned her a Festival of Arts scholarship for visual arts in 2003. She then headed to New York, where she devoted herself to photography at Parsons School of Design. The $10,000 she received over four years from the Festival of Arts supported her as she honed her craft in unpaid internships with Vogue and James Nachtwey, a conflict photojournalist whose coverage spans South America, Asia, parts of Africa and the United States. The Festival of Arts scholarship annually rewards students from Laguna Beach who excel in film, performing arts, visual arts and writing. Last year the scholarship committee awarded $87,400 to 48 students, including $29,800 to graduating high school seniors. The deadline to apply this year is March 8. We look for the talent, the passion, the follow-through, said Festival of Arts board member Pat Kollenda, who leads the scholarship committee. We love if they actually make a living in the field they were awarded in. I mean, thats fantastic. After Elliotts 2007 graduation from Parsons, she apprenticed for a year with war photographer Stanley Greene, whose repertoire includes coverage of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the aftermath of the Soviet Unions collapse. In 2008, based on advice from her mentors, she decided to move to Kenya. She had vacationed there with her family in high school and the trip had made a huge impact. If you really wanted to work abroad, you needed to be there, she said. It was kind of a no-brainer that I definitely wanted to go to Kenya. She would be gone for just a year, she told her parents. Armed with a list of contacts in the American news media, she flew to Kenya in January 2008. Her arrival coincided with the national elections at the end of December, which had thrown the country into political turmoil and violence. For a photojournalist, it was a perfect opportunity. I really hit the ground running, she said. Kenya was essentially exploding. For the next six years, Elliott threw herself into photojournalism, taking assignments for the New York Times, Newsweek, Time magazine, the Telegraph and other news publications around the world. [It] is so funny thinking back on that, Elliott said. I told my parents that I was just going to go for a year and kind of dip my feet into the business and make a name for myself and then I would come back to the U.S. But then I loved Kenya so much and I loved the work I was doing there and the stories I was working on. I couldnt see myself moving back to the States to continue to pursue photojournalism. While covering Kenyas post-election crisis and other major international news, Elliott felt a mission to photograph underreported stories involving women. Being a woman, it made sense to me, she said. Not that I have more empathy than men do, but I focused on womens stories that were fairly sensitive that I felt like only a woman could tell. Over the next few years, she delved into topics affecting women in Kenya and other parts of eastern and northern Africa, including the Langata Womens Prison and illegal abortions in Kenya. Her photo story for the latter won third place in a 2011 World Press Photo competition. A 20-year-old Kenyan woman who was six months pregnant sits in a midwifes house in the slum of Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya, in this 2010 photo by Sarah Elliott. (Courtesy of Sarah Elliott) Her last major news story took her to Libya on three month-long trips to photograph women who played a role in the countrys 2011 uprising against longtime leader Moammar Kadafi. She adopted Women of the Revolution as a personal project. I felt like the majority of the coverage we were seeing coming out of these places was purely male-focused. It was all frontline fighting and photos of the rebels, of men and AK-47s, Elliott said. I just kind of thought, well, women make up half or more than half of society and yet all were seeing is photos of men. What are women doing during this time? She worked on the project as the revolution unfolded. Her photos ran in a New York Times article. Yet as her photojournalism career thrived, she felt herself longing to return to her family in the United States. Her trips to Libya were really intense, she said. Home in Nairobi, Kenya, was a compound lined with electric fences and a bedroom locked in with metal rape gates. I lived at this heightened state for six years while I was working there, she said. I never really had the decompression time. I was always on alert. Elliott moved back to New York. She struggled with the cultural transition but eventually found solace in work that hearkenedback to her Laguna Beach roots: style photography. To go from photojournalism to shooting home interiors is crazy, she said. But I am really enjoying, like, personal life stability and I have always loved architecture and interior design and design in general, so it kind of makes sense that photographing homes has been a really great fit for me. Since returning to the U.S., Elliott has shot home tours for furnishings company West Elm, food photos for Bobbi Browns new book and interior design for several clients. She recently moved with her husband to upstate New York, but she still visits her coastal hometown regularly. I dont know if I didnt grow up in Laguna that I would have been so exposed to the arts and thinking about it in the way that this was a career option, she said. It was ingrained in me. Who is a hero? Ask La Canada Unified School District students, and youll get a wide range of answers. For Palm Crest Elementary sixth-grader Sophia Luu, its mom Verna Leung, whos always there for her and does things for her when she needs help. For Paradise Canyon third-grader Ajit Sampath, its garbage men who work hard in formidable conditions to keep homes neat and tidy. For PCY kindergartener Aiden Dalvi, its the firefighters who helped put out the 2017 La Tuna fire that threatened his grandparents home in Montrose. Luu, Sampath and Dalvi expressed appreciation for their individual heroes by participating in this years Reflections Art Program, an annual contest held by the National PTA that asks students to reflect upon and interpret a theme through writing, film, photography, visual arts, music and dance. This years Heroes Around Me inspired 159 district students in grades K-12 to submit art entries for school-site competitions. From those, the La Canada PTA Council selected 61 winners, who went on to compete at the regional District level. District winners (LCUSD had 11 this year, including Luu for dance and Sampath for literature) will move onto the California State PTA contest and have a chance of making it to the national level. In an awards ceremony Tuesday night organized by Reflections Chair Dorothy Chen, La Canada PTA Council members celebrated this years crop of talent. The Reflections program requires more than artistic talent, said mom Billie Melillo, who takes over as event chair next year. It requires you to consider the theme, think creatively and interpret what it means to you. Sampath said hes always been fascinated by garbage trucks, so he was excited when his mother, Nan, took him to a transfer station. There, he interviewed a worker, Mr. Quactooalis, who became the subject of Sampaths essay Unsung Heroes, which earned him a first place trophy in the intermediate level literature category. I actually met the garbage man and did an interview, the third-grader said. They have to work really hard, driving back to the dump. It takes two hours. Dalvi was motivated to enter the contest when he remembered how relieved he was when firefighters helped save his grandparents house from a fire. We were living right by the mountain and learned we had to evacuate. Then the next time I looked, I was like, Firefighters are putting out the fire! Then I was, Phew! he recalled. The song Never Know, featuring vocals and drums by the 6-year-old student, gave Dalvi a chance to thank his newfound heroes directly. Youll never know, youll never know/ Youre my hero/There was all of them/Hi, youre my hero/Youre my hero, he sang. sara.cardine@latimes.com Twitter: @SaraCardine Southern California Edison is making big plans to reduce the chances of fire ignition in high-risk areas like La Canada Flintridge, proposing to spend more than $118 million throughout its service area on enhanced vegetation management between now and 2020. As part of a 119-page Wildfire Mitigation Plan, required by state law and submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission Feb. 6, the utility aims to reduce threats posed by falling trees and hanging limbs near power lines by removing at least 7,500 trees (with funding being sought for the removal of up to 15,000) in 2019 and maintaining a 12-foot clearance around all electrical wires. Contracted work crews have been busy on the streets of La Canada and neighboring Altadena in recent months, trimming or topping trees to accommodate the new radial requirement, far greater than the 4 feet standard previously imposed. The results of their labor visible on several La Canada residential streets north of Foothill Boulevard is causing concern among residents and at least one arborist who fear such extreme pruning could imperil the health of certain tree species. Theyre topping trees, which are going to go into a permanent state of decline, said Rebecca Latta, a longtime arborist who has clients in La Canada. They need to do a better job of explaining to us why they need to go to 12 feet. Vegetation poses a threat In a Wildfire Town Hall forum held last week at Pasadena High School officials from Edison International and the CPUC explained maintaining vegetation was a chief concern. We collect statistics on ignitions, said Elizaveta Malashenko, deputy executive director for CPUCs Office of Safety and Enforcement. At 25%, the top No. 1 cause is vegetation contact with power lines. Local arborist Rebecca Latta on Hook Tree Road with a topped off deodar cedar behind her. "Theyre topping trees, which are going to go into a permanent state of decline, she says. (Tim Berger / La Canada Valley Sun) Between 2015 and 2017, 132 ignitions occurred in the distribution voltage infrastructure that carries power from substations to customers in Edisons high risk fire areas, the utilitys mitigation plan indicates. Of those, contact from vegetation accounted for 22 fires, or 17%. Vegetation-related ignitions in higher voltage transmission infrastructure, which carries power from power plants to substations, was lower with only one instance during the same two-year period, accounting for 5% of fires. Pedro Pizarro, president and chief executive of Edison International, told the town hall audience his utility inspects and trims more than 400,000 trees in high risk fire areas each year. We know that homeowners care deeply for their surrounding environment and foliage, and we want to respect that, he said. However, we will prioritize safety of your home and our communities first and foremost, so we will trim trees when needed. Crews on the march Following orders to maintain adequate clearance, some 400 contractor work crews consisting of at least one groundsman and one foreman are inspecting private trees on residential streets throughout Edisons territory and notifying customers when work is needed. La Canada is an area of high concern, according to David Guzman, who oversees Edisons vegetation management program. There are a lot of trees in that area, it has a dense population, and its at an interface with the [Angeles National] Forest, so its definitely something we look at closely, he said. In the past, branches were trimmed back to a 4-foot radius around trees, with fast-growing species receiving at least 6 more feet of pruning, Guzman said. But since the CPUC passed a new regulation in December 2017 recommending a 12-foot clearance for all vegetation in high-fire-risk areas even when lines are covered or insulated the particular species of a tree no longer factors into the pruning. We have a basic, across-the-board trim area of 12 feet, Guzman said, adding arborists pre-inspect trees and perform quality control work of about 30% of grid work to ensure clearance. Latta worries over-trimmed trees may suffer and become even greater fire hazards. If you top the tree you expose the whole upper canopy to sunburn. And if you have any other issues going on, root rot or other health problems, the tree doesnt have enough resources to defend itself, she said, naming deodar cedars and some pines as particularly vulnerable. The arborist also claimed some homeowners were not receiving proper notice before trim work was done on their property. Guzman said customers receive door hanger notifications from inspectors at least 30 days in advance and a second notice days before trimming is scheduled. If people cannot reach the number provided, Guzman recommended calling Edison at 1 (800) 655-4555 and asking for a vegetation management manager who can look up properties and report details. Despite the established notification process, Pizarro warned residents at the Feb. 21 Wildfire Town Hall public safety trumps standard operating procedures. Of course we want to give advance notice, but if we see something we think is a hazard well take it on the spot, he said. Locals want more input Edisons enhanced vegetation management plan just doesnt sit right with La Canada resident Taylor Carbonetti, who had a crew perform some trimming at her Hill Street home but was shocked to see what she considers over-pruning in several other parts of town. It looks like if you were making paper trees and you just took scissors and took all the tops off its intense, said Carbonetti, who went on Facebook to inform neighbors. Youre walking around and start noticing all these trees are chopped. And were seeing the trucks everywhere. Meanwhile, Latta said she appreciates Edisons efforts to keep at-risk foothills communities safe, but wishes they would have developed a more collaborative approach with input from stakeholders. Shes currently trying to raise awareness in local arborist circles. Its not my intention to do anything other than get their attention and get them to develop some options, she said. Why is it were not being allowed to be part of the conversation? sara.cardine@latimes.com Twitter: @SaraCardine A captured Indian air force pilot will be released within a day as a peace gesture, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said Thursday. The move could help end a tense standoff between the neighboring nuclear-armed states that intensified Wednesday after both sides claimed to have shot down warplanes. The de-escalation appeared to be foreshadowed by President Trump earlier in the day during a news conference held at the end of his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam. We have, I think, reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India, Trump told reporters. Advertisement Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo told reporters Thursday on the flight from Hanoi that the U.S. remained engaged with India and Pakistan, encouraging both sides to de-escalate. I am hopeful that we can take down the tensions there at least for the time being so they can begin to have conversations that do not present risk of escalation to either of the two countries, Pompeo said. Khans announcement, which was delivered to parliament in Islamabad, comes a day after he urged his Indian counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to open dialogue between the two sides, warning a miscalculation could lead to war. Pakistan and India were already in a heightened state of alert. Pakistan temporarily closed its airspace, roiling air traffic between Asia and Europe on Thursday. The current round of hostilities between the bitter rivals started Tuesday when Indian warplanes targeted a terrorist camp in Pakistan. The incursion by India is the first of its kind since 1971. The strike was in response to a suicide attack Feb. 14 in the disputed Kashmir region that left 40 Indian paramilitary personnel dead. Having pledged to retaliate for Indias incursion, Pakistan bombed Indian military installations Wednesday and then claimed to have shot down two Indian warplanes over Kashmir and captured a pilot. India confirmed the capture but said only one plane had been lost; it also claimed to have downed a Pakistani air force jet. The captured Indian pilot, Wing Cmdr. Abhinandan Varthaman, served as a rallying point over the last two days with Indian celebrities lauding him on social media for his bravery while praying for his safe return. Varthaman, who is reportedly in his 30s, is the son of a retired air force marshal who consulted on the 2017 Tamil-language film Kaatru Veliyidai. The plot? An Indian air force pilot is shot down by Pakistan and held captive. Pakistani villagers who discovered Varthaman said he didnt know which side of the disputed border hed parachuted into. He was holding a pistol in his hand and asked us whether he was in India or Pakistan, said Abdul Majeed, a resident of Horran, a village about five miles from Indian-controlled territory. Varthaman realized he was in enemy territory when he shouted Jai Hind! (meaning Victory to India) and was answered with chants of Long live Pakistan. The badly injured airman fired his pistol into the air and lunged into a nearby pond, where he began frantically soaking maps and documents stashed in his flight suit and swallowing them one by one. I saw him swallow at least four, said Majeed, 45, who said he eventually subdued Varthaman after a brief scuffle. I captured an Indian air force pilot, Majeed said in a phone interview Thursday. It is like a dream come true. I have been treated as a hero since yesterday. Initial video released out of Pakistan showed villagers pummeling Varthaman. Another clip showed him blindfolded, his face bloodied. In a third video, the impressively mustachioed pilot sips tea with his captors. The tea is fantastic, said Varthaman, who apologized to his interrogator for declining to disclose where he was from, or to give the model of the plane he flew or the purpose of his mission. In adversity, he is maintaining his composure when many of us would maybe break down, said Mohonto Panging, a former Indian air force pilot who served with Varthaman. We are trained well for these kinds of situations, but actually facing it and practicing it is different. Experts said Varthamans release is a mandatory first step toward dialing down tensions. A prolonged captivity would have served to rally hard-liners in both countries. So far, raising the profile of Varthaman has made him a rallying cry for the more jingoistic parts of Indian society, said Jonah Blank, a senior political scientist at the Rand Corp. The more hes used as a pawn by either side, the less chance he has of coming home soon. Even if Varthaman is returned Friday, India will need Pakistan to demonstrate it will take meaningful action against terrorists based within its borders, such as the group responsible for the Feb. 14 suicide attack, Jaish-e-Muhammad, experts say. In lieu of that, the goodwill forged by Varthamans release will be short-lived, said Ajey Lele, a senior fellow at the New Delhi-based Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses. This release is a good gesture, Lele said, and Im sure India will welcome it, but I dont think that it will be a sufficient gesture. Times staff writer Pierson reported from Singapore and special correspondents Sahi from Islamabad and Malhotra from New Delhi. david.pierson@latimes.com | Follow me @dhpierson The collapse of President Trumps summit with North Koreas Kim Jong Un left confusion in its wake Thursday, with each side blaming the other and no clear path forward in the nuclear standoff. As Trump flew home from Hanoi, site of the abbreviated gathering, a growing outcry erupted in the United States over Trumps defense of Kim in the 2017 death of American college student Otto Warmbier, whose family said he suffered brutal torture while imprisoned in North Korea. But despite the president returning empty-handed, Trumps political allies praised what they called his acumen in walking away rather than accepting a bad deal, and some analysts cited early signs that North Korea still wanted to keep open the lines of communication. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) took to the Senate floor to declare that Trump had made the right call. Advertisement High-level diplomacy can carry high-level risks, but the president is to be commended for walking away when it became clear insufficient progress had been made on denuclearization, McConnell said. Trump cut short his summit with Kim earlier Thursday, rejecting the North Korean leaders offer to dismantle a major nuclear complex in exchange for the removal of U.S.-led economic sanctions. Trump said that the U.S. wanted more concessions from Kim and that talks would continue. But the president wouldnt commit to holding a third summit after two high-profile meetings have failed to produce a concrete agreement on rolling back Pyongyangs nuclear weapons program. Sometimes you have to walk, Trump said at a news conference in the Vietnamese capital before departing for Washington on Air Force One. This was one of those times. Less than 12 hours later, a North Korean official took the rare step of holding a news conference to tell reporters: Kim made a realistic proposal, and it was the U.S. that was obstinate in its demands. In a Hanoi hotel lobby after midnight, Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said North Korea had proposed dismantling its main nuclear complex and permanently halting all nuclear and long-range missile testing in exchange for a partial lifting of sanctions, but the U.S. was not ready to accept our proposal. Our principal stand will remain invariable and our proposal will never be changed, he said. This proposal was the biggest denuclearization measure we can take at the present stage in relation to the current level of confidence between the DPRK and the United States, Ri said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. In response to Ris comments, a senior U.S. official said early Friday that while the North Korean delegation did not seek the lifting of all sanctions, it wanted to remove enough to gut the maximum pressure campaign of squeezing the countrys economy. The relaxation of sanctions would have freed government funds for more weapons development, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with State Department rules for speaking about negotiations. So to give many, many billions of dollars in sanctions relief would in effect put us in a position of subsidizing the ongoing development of weapons of mass destruction in North Korea, the administration official told reporters traveling with Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo. Now, they didnt ask us to do that, but that is effectively the choice that we were presented with. As Trump flew home via Alaska, where he briefly addressed troops during a refueling stop at Elmendorf Air Force Base, even some supporters expressed dismay over Trumps about-face on Warmbier, the 22-year-old who was held for 17 months by North Korea and died shortly after being returned home in a vegetative state. At the time, the president decried Pyongyangs cruel dictatorship, and had the students parents, Fred and Cindy Warmbier, as guests at his 2018 State of the Union address. After the latest summit, though, Trump essentially absolved Kim of responsibility, saying the North Korean leader claimed to be unaware of any mistreatment, and I will take him at his word. The backlash was swift, especially in light of Trumps past embrace of authoritarians claims over those of his own intelligence services. Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican from Warmbiers home state of Ohio, said Kim should not be let off the hook in the death, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) called Trumps comment strange, citing thugs that the president chooses to believe. Even without that burgeoning controversy, the summits collapse represented a setback for Trump, who watched his made-for-TV diplomacy eclipsed by the congressional testimony of his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who suggested at a House hearing Wednesday that the president had violated federal laws with payoffs to conceal alleged extramarital affairs. Asked about Cohens testimony at the news conference, Trump said his former confidant lied a lot. I think having a fake hearing like that and having it in the middle of this very important summit is really a terrible thing, Trump said. Trump indicated that Kim was willing to agree to dismantle Yongbyon, a sprawling nuclear complex that includes North Koreas only plutonium reactor as well as facilities to produce highly enriched uranium. But in exchange, Trump said, Kim wanted U.S. sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldnt do that. Ri said North Korea had only asked for a partial lifting of sanctions five of 11 currently in place, the harshest penalties imposed after a series of nuclear tests. President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (Evan Vucci / AP) Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo elaborated that shutting down Yongbyon still leaves missiles, warheads and weapons systems. Trump said the U.S. wanted North Korea to give up secret facilities other than Yongbyon, adding: We know every inch of that country. Analysts relying on satellite images have said North Korea has at least one other facility to produce uranium. When it became clear that the two sides were too far apart to reach an agreement, the White House scrapped plans for a working lunch and canceled a scheduled signing ceremony. (It had never been clear what was going to be signed.) Trumps motorcade departed the meetings at Hanois Hotel Metropole shortly before 1:30 p.m. local time, more than an hour earlier than planned. THANK YOU to our generous hosts in Hanoi this week: President Trong, Prime Minister Phuc, and the wonderful people of Vietnam! pic.twitter.com/AMqF0dfRhP Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2019 Trump was under pressure before the Vietnam meetings to show progress in his outreach to Kims enigmatic dictatorship. Last Junes summit in Singapore yielded only vague promises from Kim to denuclearize, with no definition of what that meant and no road map to reach that goal. But this weeks meetings, which began with a dinner Wednesday, failed even to produce the mostly symbolic concessions that many observers had expected, such as an agreement to open diplomatic liaison offices a step toward establishing normal ties or declaring an end to the Korean War. The summit did elevate Kim for the second time in nine months, placing him side by side with the U.S. president on the world stage their faces painted on city walls and screened onto souvenir T-shirts, their countrys flags flying together from lampposts, the imagery of their easy interactions broadcast live around the world. The sudden breakdown in talks Thursday came just hours after Trump and Kim demonstrated a growing chumminess and expressed optimism about making actual progress. Asked by a reporter if he felt confident, Kim who had never before answered questions from a reporter said, I wouldnt say that Im pessimistic. Later, Kim responded to another question about whether he was willing to denuclearize. If I was not, I wouldnt be here, he said. Trump, with reporters and cameras in the room, lauded Kim: That might be the best answer youve ever heard, he said. A few hours later, after the summits premature conclusion, Trump made it clear that he is no longer demanding Kims complete and verifiable denuclearization. I dont want to put myself in that position from the standpoint of negotiation, Trump said at Thursdays news conference a remarkable departure from Pompeos statement last year that the complete and verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula is the only outcome that the United States will accept. Trump said Kim assured him that North Korea would continue a moratorium on missile tests that has been in place since last April. That followed a provocative series of nearly 23 North Korean missile launches over 10 months, including an intercontinental ballistic missile that landed in Japanese territory. I trust him, and I take him at his word, Trump said. I hope thats true. But in the meantime, well be talking. Trump repeatedly emphasized his warm relationship with Kim, the head of a family dictatorship that is accused of grave human rights violations. A United Nations inquiry in 2014 found the Kim government responsible for widespread torture, deliberate starvation and other horrific rights abuses. Among other crimes, Kim is believed responsible for the execution of his uncle and the bizarre airport assassination of his half brother. In the Warmbier case, Trumps willingness to accept Kims denial was strikingly similar to his credulity with other autocrats. Last July in Helsinki, Finland, he accepted Russian President Vladimir Putins denial of 2016 election interference over the conclusions of U.S. intelligence officials. And in November, he again refused to accept his own governments findings about Saudi Arabias crown prince having orchestrated the murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, telling reporters that it was impossible to determine the princes involvement. Shortly after taking off from Hanoi, Trump called South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who has nudged Trump along his path of engagement with Kim. A spokesman for Moon tried to strike a hopeful note, saying it was meaningful progress for Trump to have publicly expressed a willingness to lift sanctions in exchange for denuclearization, and that South Korea would work to keep the momentum going in U.S.-North Korea talks. Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, said on Twitter that the summit was an outright failure but said Trump made the right decision to push for more than minimal steps and take no deal over a bad deal. Cha added: Not clear where it goes from here when leaders cant agree. Others said talks between the two countries seemed likely to continue at the working level, even if prospects for another Trump-Kim summit were unclear. Jean Lee, the director of the Woodrow Wilson Centers Korea Program, said a face-saving interval would probably be necessary before working-level talks could resume. The presentation of events by North Korean media in coming days, she said, will provide clues as to whether Kims government wanted to remain engaged in the process. Christopher Green, a senior advisor to the International Crisis Group, said that while the summit was a setback, North Korea had probably staked out a maximum position on sanctions removal that it didnt expect Trump to accept. Both parties likely concluded that it would be all right to walk away this time, looking tough for their respective domestic audiences by going home empty-handed, Green said. It may be frustrating for advocates of peace on the Korean peninsula, but it wont do the two leaders any great harm. Times staff writers Laura King and Tracy Wilkinson in Washington contributed to this report. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia said on Thursday it had freed 24 of its fighters from Islamic State militants in the jihadists last enclave near the Iraqi border. The SDF provided no details about how its fighters were recovered, and it was not immediately clear if others remained under Islamic State group control in the enclave at Baghouz. The force, the main partner of the US-led coalition against the jihadist group in Syria, has been trying to evacuate thousands of civilians in Baghouz before storming it or forcing the surrender of the remaining jihadists, who the SDF has said are mostly foreigners. Part of Baghouz, a tiny cluster of hamlets and farmland on the banks of the Euphrates River, is all that remains of Islamic State groups territorial foothold that once straddled the two countries. Thousands of people of many nationalities have streamed out of the final shred of land in recent weeks, an exodus of both its supporters and victims, surpassing initial estimates and delaying an end to the battle. The varied backgrounds of those who have came out attests to the way Islamic State group drew in people from across the world, and swept up Syrians and Iraqis in its rule. The group has been adapting for some time and has mounted a spate of guerrilla-style attacks in Syria of late. Search Keywords: Short link: City Council Meeting Time Change The Lincolnton City Council Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, December 7 at 7pm has been moved up to 6pm. Lincoln County ripped from 10th Congressional District (ATLANTA, GA) Lincoln County is slated to be ripped from its historic inclusion in Georgias 10th Congressional District and instead placed in the 12th... Secret Santa program in dire need of either toys or donations 56 Lincoln County children are counting on Secret Santa for presents under the tree this Christmas, but so far the non-profit group has only received... Advertising & Marketing Mega Clima Kenya Expo 2019 Mega Clima Kenya Expo 2019 28.02.2019 15:04:39 - MEGA CLIMA EAST AFRICA is HVAC+R industry exhibition which will be organized by Elan Expo will take place on 27-29 August 2019 at Kenyatta International Convention Centre at Nairobi, Kenya. (live-PR.com) - MEGA CLIMA is in KENYA now after its success in Nigeria, Algeria and Iraq: Megaclima East Africa! New Gateway for Cooling with AFRICA! MEGA CLIMA EAST AFRICA is HVAC+R industry exhibition which will be organized by Elan Expo will take place on 27-29 August 2019 at Kenyatta International Convention Centre at Nairobi, Kenya. EAST AFRICA ONE OF THE LARGEST COMMERCIAL MARKETS East Africa - MEGA CLIMA is in KENYA now after its success in Nigeria, Algeria and Iraq:Megaclima East Africa!New Gateway for Cooling with AFRICA!MEGA CLIMA EAST AFRICA is HVAC+R industry exhibition which will be organized by Elan Expo will take place on 27-29 August 2019 at Kenyatta International Convention Centre at Nairobi, Kenya.EAST AFRICA ONE OF THE LARGEST COMMERCIAL MARKETSEast Africa is one of the largest commercial markets for refrigeration and air conditioning units. Rising population, developments in the residential markets, growing commercial and industrial units makes East Africa market more preferable for the HVAC products. Kenya imported $48 million worth of units last year, up from $11.9 million 10 years ago. Kenya has in the past few years experienced a property boom with contractors taking advantage of the vertical space for more returns from commercial and residential commercialization leading to demand of single unit air conditioners and chillers as opposed to several units. Mega Clima East Africa is more than just an exhibition; face to face meetings provide to connection that not possible to reach on the internet or over the phone. The exhibition for HVAC&R will provide networks with engineers, contractors and HVAC+R industry professionals; there are unmissable opportunities to do business and discover new technologies. These exhibitions will give chances to collaborate between local and global HVAC+R sector players from all around the World. Mega Clima East Africa offers well-rounded product range; Air Conditioner Units, Fans, Fan Coils, Recuperators, Air Filters, Air Ducts, Heat Pumps, Burners Boilers, Interior Heaters, Wall Hung Boilers, Alternative & Renewable Energy, Hot Water Heaters, Stoves Electric Heaters, Chillers- Cooling Towers, Close-circuit Liquid Refrigeration Systems, Cold Rooms, Refrigeration Compressors, Refrigeration Components, Installation Components, LPG and lNG systems, Radiators, Pipes Valves, Pumps, Boosters, Installation Armatures, Water Counters, Fittings Storages, and Fire Installation Components. AFRICA WILL COOL OF WITH MEGA CLIMA The General Manager of ELAN EXPO Mr. Suer AY expresses their success After the successful years with ELAN EXPOs experience in HVAC+R sector, and lengthy discussions with the industry regarding the need for a focused HVAC+R event in Nairobi- Kenya, we have responded and will launch MEGA CLIMA EAST AFRICA. Kenya is a major communications and logistics hub, with an important Indian Ocean port and strategic land borders with Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and Somalia. Kenya has been described as "the cradle of humanity, and also Nairobi is East Africas capital and main financial hub will provide the perfect platform to take the event to a higher level. Mega Clima Kenya, will be the most comprehensive air-conditioning systems exhibition in the East African region prepares to bring national and international brands together. Mega Clima welcomes HVAC+R professionals serving commercial, industrial, residential and institutional markets. In our previous HVAC Expos - Mega Clima West Africa 2018 (Nigeria), Mega Clima Iraq HVAC Expo 2018 and Algeria Best 5 - 7th Mega Clima North Africa 2018, manufacturers from all over the world exhibited their systems, equipment, and components with air-conditioning, heating, plumbing, ventilation, and refrigeration applications. Thousands of contractors, engineers, OEMs, distributors and other industry professionals attend the exhibitions in search of new products and services. In our previous exhibition Mega Clima West Africa 2018 in Nigeria is deemed significant in the HVAC+R sector: we bring together 86 exhibitors from 17 countries; Belgium, China, Egypt, Ghana, India, Kuwait, Lebanon, Nigeria, South Africa, Turkey, U.A.E., Switzerland, U.S.A., South Korea, Japan, Germany, Cyprus and more than 4200 visitors all around the World. Top global brands such as Siemens, York, Carrier, LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Haier, Daikin, Bluaberg, Emerson, Midea, Bitzer, Kimmco, PeraBeam, Wilo, and other sector giants were present and all reported excellent contacts and business conducted across the 3 days of the event. In addition to the exhibitors, Mega Clima West Africa HVAC Expo 2018 played host 624 B2B meetings, comprehensive educational programs as 9 certified workhops and 600+ workshops. In ur other successful exhibition in Algeria, we organized the Algeria Best 5 which includes 5 important sectors HVAC was one of the main sector. In the North Africa HVAC Expo we hosted 82 exhibitors from 12 countries; Turkey, Algeria, China, Greece, India, Italy, Iran, Portugal, Tunisia, Germany, South Korea and U.A.E. and more than 11.500 professional visitors. We ensured 460 B2B meetings during the Algeria HVAC Expo. In 4th International Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Exhibition in Iraq Mega Clima Iraq Hvac Expo 2018, there are 83 international participants, 390 B2B meetings, more than 9700 professional visitors from 11 countries; Turkey, Iraq, U.A.E., England, Italy, USA, Belgium, Malaysia, Jordan China and India. In MEGA CLIMA EAST AFRICA, KENYA-NAIROBI will prove to be an exhibition in which we will bring together international participants and visitors from all around the World. Throughout the exhibition we will organize workshops and provide participants and visitors to meet each other, and share knowledge and experiences, we also give our special attention to B2B meetings to establish business contacts." SAVE THE DATE!!! MEGA CLIMA EAST AFRICA which provide perfect interaction to all sector; HVAC&R, Pumps, Valves, Fittings, Fire Prevention, Water Treatment and Insulation will take place between the dates 27-29 August 2019 at Kenyatta International Convention Centre at Nairobi, Kenya. ABOUT ELAN EXPO Elan Expo was founded in 1997 and now manages over 30 market-leading B2B events in up to 9 countries each year. Headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey, it is currently active in Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Morocco, Iran, Iraq, and Algeria. Elan Expo employees over 90 people who are passionate about the communities that they serve and skilled at creating the ideal circumstances for relationships to develop, knowledge to be gleaned and deals to be done by the departments of sales, marketing, B2B, visitor promotions, project, finance and advertising. Elan Expos operation is active in exhibitions with the multiple sectors such as Real Estate & Investment, Construction & Building Materials, Furniture & Decoration, Food &Agriculture, Beauty & Cosmetic, Fashion & Textile, Healthcare & Medical Products, HVAC, Landscape & Urban, Municipality & City Planning, and LED & Advertising. Elan Expos knowledge of communities they serve, their ability to attract the right people and their skill of curating the physical space and creating memorable experiences bring thousands of like-minded people together. It is the shared experience and the opportunities to make human connections which allow businesses to grow. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us; Istanbul Headquarters Address Details Tel: +90 212 273 18 18 Fax: +90 212 273 18 19 Website: e-mail: is one of the largest commercial markets for refrigeration and air conditioning units. Rising population, developments in the residential markets, growing commercial and industrial units makes East Africa market more preferable for the HVAC products. Kenya imported $48 million worth of units last year, up from $11.9 million 10 years ago. Kenya has in the past few years experienced a property boom with contractors taking advantage of the vertical space for more returns from commercial and residential commercialization leading to demand of single unit air conditioners and chillers as opposed to several units.Mega Clima East Africa is more than just an exhibition; face to face meetings provide to connection that not possible to reach on the internet or over the phone. The exhibition for HVAC&R will provide networks with engineers, contractors and HVAC+R industry professionals; there are unmissable opportunities to do business and discover new technologies. These exhibitions will give chances to collaborate between local and global HVAC+R sector players from all around the World.Mega Clima East Africa offers well-rounded product range; Air Conditioner Units, Fans, Fan Coils, Recuperators, Air Filters, Air Ducts, Heat Pumps, Burners Boilers, Interior Heaters, Wall Hung Boilers, Alternative & Renewable Energy, Hot Water Heaters, Stoves Electric Heaters, Chillers- Cooling Towers, Close-circuit Liquid Refrigeration Systems, Cold Rooms, Refrigeration Compressors, Refrigeration Components, Installation Components, LPG and lNG systems, Radiators, Pipes Valves, Pumps, Boosters, Installation Armatures, Water Counters, Fittings Storages, and Fire Installation Components.AFRICA WILL COOL OF WITH MEGA CLIMAThe General Manager of ELAN EXPO Mr. Suer AY expresses their success After the successful years with ELAN EXPOs experience in HVAC+R sector, and lengthy discussions with the industry regarding the need for a focused HVAC+R event in Nairobi- Kenya, we have responded and will launch MEGA CLIMA EAST AFRICA. Kenya is a major communications and logistics hub, with an important Indian Ocean port and strategic land borders with Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and Somalia. Kenya has been described as "the cradle of humanity, and also Nairobi is East Africas capital and main financial hub will provide the perfect platform to take the event to a higher level.Mega Clima Kenya, will be the most comprehensive air-conditioning systems exhibition in the East African region prepares to bring national and international brands together. Mega Clima welcomes HVAC+R professionals serving commercial, industrial, residential and institutional markets. In our previous HVAC Expos - Mega Clima West Africa 2018 (Nigeria), Mega Clima Iraq HVAC Expo 2018 and Algeria Best 5 - 7th Mega Clima North Africa 2018, manufacturers from all over the world exhibited their systems, equipment, and components with air-conditioning, heating, plumbing, ventilation, and refrigeration applications. Thousands of contractors, engineers, OEMs, distributors and other industry professionals attend the exhibitions in search of new products and services.In our previous exhibition Mega Clima West Africa 2018 in Nigeria is deemed significant in the HVAC+R sector: we bring together 86 exhibitors from 17 countries; Belgium, China, Egypt, Ghana, India, Kuwait, Lebanon, Nigeria, South Africa, Turkey, U.A.E., Switzerland, U.S.A., South Korea, Japan, Germany, Cyprus and more than 4200 visitors all around the World. Top global brands such as Siemens, York, Carrier, LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Haier, Daikin, Bluaberg, Emerson, Midea, Bitzer, Kimmco, PeraBeam, Wilo, and other sector giants were present and all reported excellent contacts and business conducted across the 3 days of the event. In addition to the exhibitors, Mega Clima West Africa HVAC Expo 2018 played host 624 B2B meetings, comprehensive educational programs as 9 certified workhops and 600+ workshops.In ur other successful exhibition in Algeria, we organized the Algeria Best 5 which includes 5 important sectors HVAC was one of the main sector. In the North Africa HVAC Expo we hosted 82 exhibitors from 12 countries; Turkey, Algeria, China, Greece, India, Italy, Iran, Portugal, Tunisia, Germany, South Korea and U.A.E. and more than 11.500 professional visitors. We ensured 460 B2B meetings during the Algeria HVAC Expo. In 4th International Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Exhibition in Iraq Mega Clima Iraq Hvac Expo 2018, there are 83 international participants, 390 B2B meetings, more than 9700 professional visitors from 11 countries; Turkey, Iraq, U.A.E., England, Italy, USA, Belgium, Malaysia, Jordan China and India.In MEGA CLIMA EAST AFRICA, KENYA-NAIROBI will prove to be an exhibition in which we will bring together international participants and visitors from all around the World. Throughout the exhibition we will organize workshops and provide participants and visitors to meet each other, and share knowledge and experiences, we also give our special attention to B2B meetings to establish business contacts."SAVE THE DATE!!!MEGA CLIMA EAST AFRICA which provide perfect interaction to all sector; HVAC&R, Pumps, Valves, Fittings, Fire Prevention, Water Treatment and Insulation will take place between the dates 27-29 August 2019 at Kenyatta International Convention Centre at Nairobi, Kenya.ABOUT ELAN EXPOElan Expo was founded in 1997 and now manages over 30 market-leading B2B events in up to 9 countries each year. Headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey, it is currently active in Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Morocco, Iran, Iraq, and Algeria.Elan Expo employees over 90 people who are passionate about the communities that they serve and skilled at creating the ideal circumstances for relationships to develop, knowledge to be gleaned and deals to be done by the departments of sales, marketing, B2B, visitor promotions, project, finance and advertising.Elan Expos operation is active in exhibitions with the multiple sectors such as Real Estate & Investment, Construction & Building Materials, Furniture & Decoration, Food &Agriculture, Beauty & Cosmetic, Fashion & Textile, Healthcare & Medical Products, HVAC, Landscape & Urban, Municipality & City Planning, and LED & Advertising.Elan Expos knowledge of communities they serve, their ability to attract the right people and their skill of curating the physical space and creating memorable experiences bring thousands of like-minded people together. It is the shared experience and the opportunities to make human connections which allow businesses to grow.For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us;Istanbul Headquarters Address DetailsTel: +90 212 273 18 18Fax: +90 212 273 18 19Website: kenyahvacexpo.com/ e-mail: info@kenyahvacexpo.com Press Information: Elan Expo Yldz Posta Street No:30/24 34349 Besiktas - Istanbul - TURKEY Contact Person: Elif AY International Sales Coordinator Phone: +902122731818 eMail: eMail Web: http://kenyahvacexpo.com/ 28.02.2019 15:04:39 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. Advertising & Marketing Mega Clima West Africa 2019 Mega Clima West Africa 2019 28.02.2019 15:05:20 - Mega Clima West Africa 2019: 3rd International Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Exhibition which is organized by Elan Expo will be held on 11-13 July 2019 at Landmark Centre at Lagos, Nigeria. (live-PR.com) - Largest HVAC+R Industry Platform in West Africa MEGA CLIMA NIGERIA EXPO 2019!!! Mega Clima West Africa 2019: 3rd International Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Exhibition which is organized by Elan Expo will be held on 11-13 July 2019 at Landmark Centre at Lagos, Nigeria. OUR PREVIOUS MEGA CLIMA EXPOS ARE OUR MAIN REFERENCE IN NIGERIAN MARKET The General Manager of ELAN EXPO - Largest HVAC+R Industry Platform in West Africa MEGA CLIMA NIGERIA EXPO 2019!!!Mega Clima West Africa 2019: 3rd International Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Exhibition which is organized by Elan Expo will be held on 11-13 July 2019 at Landmark Centre at Lagos, Nigeria.OUR PREVIOUS MEGA CLIMA EXPOS ARE OUR MAIN REFERENCE IN NIGERIAN MARKETThe General Manager of ELAN EXPO Mr. Suer AY illustrates his experiences in Nigerian HVAC+R sector with these words; Our previous Mega Clima Expos are our main references in Nigeria Market. Nigeria market is a profitable market in West African region for the HVAC+R sector investments by virtue of its large market size and population. Nigeria is also a perfect communication and logistic hub with a perfect Atlantic Ocean port, for these remunerative reasons we prefer Nigeria Market for the third time to organize the 3rd Mega Clima Nigeria Expo on 11-13 July 2019 with the product line of Refrigeration Systems & Components, Installation Systems, Ventilation & Air Conditioning Systems & Equipments, Heating Systems & Equipments, Water Purification, Treatment Systems & Equipments, Insulation Materials Service Groups. We organized a successful Mega Clima Expo last year, local and international sector giants showcased their newest technology such as Samsung, Carrier, LG, Panasonic, Wilo, FCGL, SIEMENS, DAIKIN, Midea, BLAUBERG, YORK, EMERSON, Haier THERMOCOOL, Inventor, Bitzer, BRISCOOL, Fanexfan, Ihlas Ev Aletleri, Baymak, DOGU, Impo and Anadolu Bakr. Their positive feedback is honor for us; Mr. Kenneth Nwauzome from Carrier expresses their experience in our Mega Clima Nigeria Expo as; The show was well organized, an improvement of 2017s show. We had about 60% business leads which shows that the visitors were really from HVAC industry. Your team members were all wonderful and always in place and willing to help where there is a challenge. I hope 2019 will be better than 2018. Mr. Manish Bhatia from EMERSON; We really appreciate the hard work put by ELAN officials in making MEGA CLIMA successful. The Expo was great in building clients and bringing new technologies of HVAC in WEST AFRICA MARKET KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. In the opening ceremony we hosted honorable quests from Nigeria; Council Member and Representative of the President of COREN Engr. Rabiu Ali FNSE, President of Association of Professional Women Engineers in Nigeria Engr. Felicia Agubata, Deputy President Nigeria Society of Engineers and Representative of the President Engr. Mohammed Babagana, Director Ministry of Works Bornu State Engr. Kori Shettim, President ASHRAE Nigeria Chapter Engr. Tunde Ogunde, President Nigerian Institute of Mechanical Engineers Engr. Robinson Ejilah, Honourable Commissioner for Water Resources Borno State Dr. Zainab Gimba, Permenant Secretary Ministry of Water Resources Dr. Fidelis Anukwa, Chief Engineer Federal Ministry of Water Resources Engr. Hauwa Sadique, Executive Director Agricultural Services Hadejia-Jamaare River Basin Development Authority,Kano Engr. Maamun Dau Aliyu, Director General Rural Water Supply Agency Ebonyi State Engr. Sunday Opoke, Managing Director of Lagos Water Corporation Engr. Muminu Badmos, Registrar Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria Engr. Wopa Kamila Fnse and Head of Professional Development COREN Engr. Agabi Joseph. Mega Clima Nigeria Expo 2018 was also officially supported by many valuable associations such as APWEN (Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria), COREN (The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria), Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce, Nigeria Chapter of ASHRAE (American Society of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers), Nigerian Society of Engineers, Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers, The National Alliance of Research Associates Programs, International Institute of Refrigeration and SON ( The Standards Organization of Nigeria). I want to send my special thanks to our exhibitors, associations which were support us, our honorable guests, the visitors and my successful team. SAVE THE DATE!!! Mega Clima West Africa 2019: 3rd International Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Exhibition which was hosted 86 international participants from 17 countries; Belgium, China, Japan, Egypt, India, Ghana, Nigeria, Germany, South Africa, Lebanon, Kuwait, Turkey, U.A.E., South Korea, Switzerland, USA and Cyprus, 4200 professional visitors with 624 meetings at the B2B programs, 600+ attendees and 9 certified workshops in the last edition in 2018, will take place between the dates 11-13 July 2019 at Landmark Centre at Lagos, Nigeria. ABOUT ELAN EXPO Elan Expo was founded in 1997 and now manages over 30 market-leading B2B events in up to 9 countries each year. Headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey, it is currently active in Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Morocco, Iran, Iraq, and Algeria. Elan Expo employees over 90 people who are passionate about the communities that they serve and skilled at creating the ideal circumstances for relationships to develop, knowledge to be gleaned and deals to be done by the departments of sales, marketing, B2B, visitor promotions, project, finance and advertising. Elan Expos operation is active in exhibitions with the multiple sectors such as Real Estate & Investment, Construction & Building Materials, Furniture & Decoration, Food &Agriculture, Beauty & Cosmetic, Fashion & Textile, Healthcare & Medical Products, HVAC, Landscape & Urban, Municipality & City Planning, and LED & Advertising. Elan Expos knowledge of communities they serve, their ability to attract the right people and their skill of curating the physical space and creating memorable experiences bring thousands of like-minded people together. It is the shared experience and the opportunities to make human connections which allow businesses to grow. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us; Istanbul Headquarters Address Details Tel: +90 212 273 18 18 Fax: +90 212 273 18 19 Website: e-mail: Mr. Suer AY illustrates his experiences in Nigerian HVAC+R sector with these words; Our previous Mega Clima Expos are our main references in Nigeria Market. Nigeria market is a profitable market in West African region for the HVAC+R sector investments by virtue of its large market size and population. Nigeria is also a perfect communication and logistic hub with a perfect Atlantic Ocean port, for these remunerative reasons we prefer Nigeria Market for the third time to organize the 3rd Mega Clima Nigeria Expo on 11-13 July 2019 with the product line of Refrigeration Systems & Components, Installation Systems, Ventilation & Air Conditioning Systems & Equipments, Heating Systems & Equipments, Water Purification, Treatment Systems & Equipments, Insulation Materials Service Groups.We organized a successful Mega Clima Expo last year, local and international sector giants showcased their newest technology such as Samsung, Carrier, LG, Panasonic, Wilo, FCGL, SIEMENS, DAIKIN, Midea, BLAUBERG, YORK, EMERSON, Haier THERMOCOOL, Inventor, Bitzer, BRISCOOL, Fanexfan, Ihlas Ev Aletleri, Baymak, DOGU, Impo and Anadolu Bakr. Their positive feedback is honor for us;Mr. Kenneth Nwauzome from Carrier expresses their experience in our Mega Clima Nigeria Expo as; The show was well organized, an improvement of 2017s show. We had about 60% business leads which shows that the visitors were really from HVAC industry. Your team members were all wonderful and always in place and willing to help where there is a challenge. I hope 2019 will be better than 2018.Mr. Manish Bhatia from EMERSON; We really appreciate the hard work put by ELAN officials in making MEGA CLIMA successful. The Expo was great in building clients and bringing new technologies of HVAC in WEST AFRICA MARKET KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.In the opening ceremony we hosted honorable quests from Nigeria; Council Member and Representative of the President of COREN Engr. Rabiu Ali FNSE, President of Association of Professional Women Engineers in Nigeria Engr. Felicia Agubata, Deputy President Nigeria Society of Engineers and Representative of the President Engr. Mohammed Babagana, Director Ministry of Works Bornu State Engr. Kori Shettim, President ASHRAE Nigeria Chapter Engr. Tunde Ogunde, President Nigerian Institute of Mechanical Engineers Engr. Robinson Ejilah, Honourable Commissioner for Water Resources Borno State Dr. Zainab Gimba, Permenant Secretary Ministry of Water Resources Dr. Fidelis Anukwa, Chief Engineer Federal Ministry of Water Resources Engr. Hauwa Sadique, Executive Director Agricultural Services Hadejia-Jamaare River Basin Development Authority,Kano Engr. Maamun Dau Aliyu, Director General Rural Water Supply Agency Ebonyi State Engr. Sunday Opoke, Managing Director of Lagos Water Corporation Engr. Muminu Badmos, Registrar Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria Engr. Wopa Kamila Fnse and Head of Professional Development COREN Engr. Agabi Joseph.Mega Clima Nigeria Expo 2018 was also officially supported by many valuable associations such as APWEN (Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria), COREN (The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria), Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce, Nigeria Chapter of ASHRAE (American Society of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers), Nigerian Society of Engineers, Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers, The National Alliance of Research Associates Programs, International Institute of Refrigeration and SON ( The Standards Organization of Nigeria).I want to send my special thanks to our exhibitors, associations which were support us, our honorable guests, the visitors and my successful team.SAVE THE DATE!!!Mega Clima West Africa 2019: 3rd International Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Exhibition which was hosted 86 international participants from 17 countries; Belgium, China, Japan, Egypt, India, Ghana, Nigeria, Germany, South Africa, Lebanon, Kuwait, Turkey, U.A.E., South Korea, Switzerland, USA and Cyprus, 4200 professional visitors with 624 meetings at the B2B programs, 600+ attendees and 9 certified workshops in the last edition in 2018, will take place between the dates 11-13 July 2019 at Landmark Centre at Lagos, Nigeria.ABOUT ELAN EXPOElan Expo was founded in 1997 and now manages over 30 market-leading B2B events in up to 9 countries each year. Headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey, it is currently active in Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Morocco, Iran, Iraq, and Algeria.Elan Expo employees over 90 people who are passionate about the communities that they serve and skilled at creating the ideal circumstances for relationships to develop, knowledge to be gleaned and deals to be done by the departments of sales, marketing, B2B, visitor promotions, project, finance and advertising.Elan Expos operation is active in exhibitions with the multiple sectors such as Real Estate & Investment, Construction & Building Materials, Furniture & Decoration, Food &Agriculture, Beauty & Cosmetic, Fashion & Textile, Healthcare & Medical Products, HVAC, Landscape & Urban, Municipality & City Planning, and LED & Advertising.Elan Expos knowledge of communities they serve, their ability to attract the right people and their skill of curating the physical space and creating memorable experiences bring thousands of like-minded people together. It is the shared experience and the opportunities to make human connections which allow businesses to grow.For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us;Istanbul Headquarters Address DetailsTel: +90 212 273 18 18Fax: +90 212 273 18 19Website: westafricahvacexpo.com/ e-mail: info@westafricahvacexpo.com Press Information: Elan Expo Yldz Posta Street No:30/24 34349 Besiktas - Istanbul - TURKEY Contact Person: Elif AY International Sales Coordinator Phone: +902122731818 eMail: eMail Web: http://westafricahvacexpo.com/ 28.02.2019 15:05:20 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. Entertainment Rio Carnival live streaming parades & street carnival Rio Carnival live 28.02.2019 09:13:22 - Watch live stream coverage from Rio de Janeiro for the Carnival 2019. Main schools parades streaming online from the Sambodrome. (live-PR.com) - Carnival is back in Rio again this year, with the usual festival of sound and colour, culminating in the main parades in the famous and iconic Sambodrome. For all of the live stream and online coverage from the Rio Carnival: www.myworldevents.com/parade/rio-carnival.html Rio Carnival information Taking place over the mardi gras period each year, Carnival in Rio is one of the biggest such events anywhere - Carnival is back in Rio again this year, with the usual festival of sound and colour, culminating in the main parades in the famous and iconic Sambodrome.For all of the live stream and online coverage from the Rio Carnival:Rio Carnival informationTaking place over the mardi gras period each year, Carnival in Rio is one of the biggest such events anywhere in the world, with the main parades and parties attended by an audience of well over a million people. The highlight of the carnival is the main schools parade in the Sambodromo stadium on Carnival Monday and fat Tuesday, although in the days leading up to this there are many other parties, festivals, concerts and events taking place all across the city. Parades The typical Rio carnival parade is filled with revelers, floats, and adornments from numerous samba schools which are located in Rio (more than 200 approximately, divided into five leagues/divisions). A samba school is composed of a collaboration of local neighbours that want to attend the carnival together, with some kind of regional, geographical and common background. There is a special order that every school has to follow with their parade entries. Each school begins with the "comissao de frente", that is the group of people from the school that appear first. Made of ten to fifteen people, the "comissao de frente" introduces the school and sets the mood and style of their presentation. These people have choreographed dances in fancy costumes that usually tell a short story. Following the "comissao de frente" is the first float of the samba school, called "abre-alas" ("Opening Wing" in English). These are followed by the Mestre-sala and Porta-Bandeira, with one to four pairs, one active and three reserve, to lead the dancers, which include the old guard veterans and the "ala das baianas", with the bateria at the rear and sometimes a brass section and guitars. The Samba school parades were held in the Praca Onze was known the birthplace of samba carioca called Pequena Africa. Future Estacio de Sa, together with Portela and Estacao Primeira de Mangueira paraded for the first time in the city in 1929. In 1930, five schools were already parading. With the works of in Avenida Presidente Vargas the parade moved there, from 1942 to 1945 the parade was held in Sao Januario. From 1952 temporary stands for the public to watch the parades were built, and in 1961 paid tickets made their debut to take advantage of the rising international and national interest and the increasing tourist arrivals. In 1974, due to the works of the subway, that year's parade was held and broadcast on the first time on color television from Avenida Presidente Antonio Carlos. In 1978, the parade was transferred to the Marques de Sapucai Avenue, where it remains up to this day. In 1983, the then governor Leonel Brizola, commissioned the architect Oscar Niemeyer the project of a permanent local stadium for the parades in that area, because until then the bleachers were assembled at the time of the carnival and then removed. In 1984, the government decided to give Rio Carnival its new home in the Sambadrome. Today, some of the most famous events of Rio Carnival are ticketed events. There are different types of Sambadrome tickets that are available for purchase. Grandstand tickets are general admissions tickets that are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are not allocated ahead of time. Frisas are open air box seats located along the samba runway. Camarotes are luxury boxes situated between the frisas and the grandstands. Sector 9 is the tourist sector which are the same as grandstand tickets, with the difference being that they are allocated so people have assigned seats. As the parade is taking place in the Sambadrome and the balls are being held in the Copacabana Palace and beach, many carnival participants are at other locations. Street festivals are very common during carnival and are highly populated by the locals. Elegance and extravagance are usually left behind, but music and dancing are still extremely common. Anyone is allowed to participate in the street festivals. Bandas are very familiar with the street carnival especially because it takes nothing to join in on the fun except to jump in. One of the most well known bandas of Rio is Banda de Ipanema. Banda de Ipanema was first created in 1965 and is known as Rios most irreverent street band. in the world, with the main parades and parties attended by an audience of well over a million people.The highlight of the carnival is the main schools parade in the Sambodromo stadium on Carnival Monday and fat Tuesday, although in the days leading up to this there are many other parties, festivals, concerts and events taking place all across the city.ParadesThe typical Rio carnival parade is filled with revelers, floats, and adornments from numerous samba schools which are located in Rio (more than 200 approximately, divided into five leagues/divisions). A samba school is composed of a collaboration of local neighbours that want to attend the carnival together, with some kind of regional, geographical and common background.There is a special order that every school has to follow with their parade entries. Each school begins with the "comissao de frente", that is the group of people from the school that appear first. Made of ten to fifteen people, the "comissao de frente" introduces the school and sets the mood and style of their presentation. These people have choreographed dances in fancy costumes that usually tell a short story. Following the "comissao de frente" is the first float of the samba school, called "abre-alas" ("Opening Wing" in English). These are followed by the Mestre-sala and Porta-Bandeira, with one to four pairs, one active and three reserve, to lead the dancers, which include the old guard veterans and the "ala das baianas", with the bateria at the rear and sometimes a brass section and guitars.The Samba school parades were held in the Praca Onze was known the birthplace of samba carioca called Pequena Africa. Future Estacio de Sa, together with Portela and Estacao Primeira de Mangueira paraded for the first time in the city in 1929. In 1930, five schools were already parading. With the works of in Avenida Presidente Vargas the parade moved there, from 1942 to 1945 the parade was held in Sao Januario. From 1952 temporary stands for the public to watch the parades were built, and in 1961 paid tickets made their debut to take advantage of the rising international and national interest and the increasing tourist arrivals. In 1974, due to the works of the subway, that year's parade was held and broadcast on the first time on color television from Avenida Presidente Antonio Carlos. In 1978, the parade was transferred to the Marques de Sapucai Avenue, where it remains up to this day. In 1983, the then governor Leonel Brizola, commissioned the architect Oscar Niemeyer the project of a permanent local stadium for the parades in that area, because until then the bleachers were assembled at the time of the carnival and then removed.In 1984, the government decided to give Rio Carnival its new home in the Sambadrome. Today, some of the most famous events of Rio Carnival are ticketed events. There are different types of Sambadrome tickets that are available for purchase. Grandstand tickets are general admissions tickets that are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are not allocated ahead of time. Frisas are open air box seats located along the samba runway. Camarotes are luxury boxes situated between the frisas and the grandstands. Sector 9 is the tourist sector which are the same as grandstand tickets, with the difference being that they are allocated so people have assigned seats.As the parade is taking place in the Sambadrome and the balls are being held in the Copacabana Palace and beach, many carnival participants are at other locations. Street festivals are very common during carnival and are highly populated by the locals. Elegance and extravagance are usually left behind, but music and dancing are still extremely common. Anyone is allowed to participate in the street festivals. Bandas are very familiar with the street carnival especially because it takes nothing to join in on the fun except to jump in. One of the most well known bandas of Rio is Banda de Ipanema. Banda de Ipanema was first created in 1965 and is known as Rios most irreverent street band. Author: Martin Kerrigan e-mail Web: http://www.myworldevents.com Phone: 0035799813173 28.02.2019 09:13:22 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. Advertising & Marketing 5th Azerbaijan Rec Expo 2019 5th Azerbaijan Rec Expo 2019 28.02.2019 15:02:44 - 5th RecExpo; Azerbaijan International Real Estate and Investment Exhibition which is organized by Elan Expo took place on 21-23 November 2019 at Baku Expo Center at Baku, Azerbaijan. (live-PR.com) - The Unique Real Estate and Investment Exhibition in the Caspian Region RECEXPO!!! 5th RecExpo; Azerbaijan International Real Estate and Investment Exhibition which is organized by Elan Expo took place on 21-23 November 2019 at Baku Expo Center at Baku, Azerbaijan. AZERBAIJANIS PREFERENCE OF INVESTMENT: REAL ESTATE Azerbaijan which is located in the western coasts of the Caspian Sea and has around - The Unique Real Estate and Investment Exhibition in the Caspian Region RECEXPO!!!5th RecExpo; Azerbaijan International Real Estate and Investment Exhibition which is organized by Elan Expo took place on 21-23 November 2019 at Baku Expo Center at Baku, Azerbaijan.AZERBAIJANIS PREFERENCE OF INVESTMENT: REAL ESTATEAzerbaijan which is located in the western coasts of the Caspian Sea and has around 10 million populations is one of the most powerful countries of the Caspian region with its underground resources and the high purchasing power. Azerbaijan is the 25th biggest economy according to World Banks Doing Business Report 2019; it has around 42 billion US dollars at the end of 2018. Azerbaijani investors are inclined to make investment abroad in recent years; such as UAE, EU, USA, Georgia, etc. Their valuable currency, passion for the luxury life and some internal taxation policies leads them to invest foreign countries. Azerbaijanis also prefer to make foreign investments as buying houses on abroad for the holidays, educational preferences or business opportunities; there is some countries offer the investors citizenship when they buy a house. AZERBAIJAN REAL ESTATE EXPO: RECEXPO 2019!! The General Manager of ELAN EXPO Mr. Suer AY explained their success in Azerbaijan; 5th Azerbaijan RecExpo is the unique Real Estate & Investment exhibition in the Caspian region for five years. We are the best and only in this market and growing our portfolio annually into the Azerbaijani investors; we are enlarging our international exhibitor scope also according to our previous years. In our 4th edition RecExpo 2018 more than 6200 people visited our Real Estate and Investment Expo with the profile of 24% investors, 32% homebuyers, 18% real estate professionals and 26% other. We hosted 97 international exhibitors with 232 international projects. Companies from 9 countries; Azerbaijan, Turkey, England, USA, Spain, U.A.E. Georgia, Portugal and Montenegro, did not miss the opportunity to sale their projects to Azerbaijani investors. They finished the expo with an average of 3 sales and 9 pre-sale orders per company. We provided many good relations with the leading companies of real estate sector during our previous shows such as Emaar, Damac, Agaoglu, Kuzu Group, Remax, Sinpas, Keller Williams Realty, Portonovi Montenegro, Sur Yap, Turkerler Holding, Ege Yap, Dubai Land Department, Dreamland, Baku White City, Emlak Konut, Absheron City, Azinko, InvestAz, and many others from worldwide. We collected much perfect feedback from the companies; their satisfaction is so important for us, I want to send our pleasure them to work with them. We also provide enormous publicity for the RecExpo 2018 in Azerbaijan; during our marketing campaign, we sent 100 thousand invitations, 60 thousand e-mails, 20 thousand minutes phone calls, 310 thousand second Radio & TV advertisements and published 90 outdoor advertisements, 105 website advertisements, 26 newspaper advertisements. We promoted our events via social media also; we have around 160 thousand likes on Instagram and Facebook posts. To sum up, Azerbaijan RecExpo 2019 is an unmissable opportunity to meet the potential buyers and purchasing agents of the Caspian Region real estate market and many local and international investors. SAVE THE DATE!!! 5th RecExpo; Azerbaijan International Real Estate and Investment Exhibition which will meet you to eager Azerbaijani investors will take place between the dates 21-23 November 2019 at Baku Expo Center at Baku, Azerbaijan. ABOUT ELAN EXPO Elan Expo was founded in 1997 and now manages over 30 market-leading B2B events in up to 9 countries each year. Headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey, it is currently active in Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Morocco, Iran, Iraq, and Algeria. Elan Expo employees over 90 people who are passionate about the communities that they serve and skilled at creating the ideal circumstances for relationships to develop, knowledge to be gleaned and deals to be done by the departments of sales, marketing, B2B, visitor promotions, project, finance and advertising. Elan Expos operation is active in exhibitions with the multiple sectors such as Real Estate & Investment, Construction & Building Materials, Furniture & Decoration, Food &Agriculture, Beauty & Cosmetic, Fashion & Textile, Healthcare & Medical Products, HVAC, Landscape & Urban, Municipality & City Planning, and LED & Advertising. Elan Expos knowledge of communities they serve, their ability to attract the right people and their skill of curating the physical space and creating memorable experiences bring thousands of like-minded people together. It is the shared experience and the opportunities to make human connections which allow businesses to grow. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us; Istanbul Headquarters Address Details Tel: +90 212 273 18 18 Fax: +90 212 273 18 19 Website: E-mail: 10 million populations is one of the most powerful countries of the Caspian region with its underground resources and the high purchasing power. Azerbaijan is the 25th biggest economy according to World Banks Doing Business Report 2019; it has around 42 billion US dollars at the end of 2018.Azerbaijani investors are inclined to make investment abroad in recent years; such as UAE, EU, USA, Georgia, etc. Their valuable currency, passion for the luxury life and some internal taxation policies leads them to invest foreign countries. Azerbaijanis also prefer to make foreign investments as buying houses on abroad for the holidays, educational preferences or business opportunities; there is some countries offer the investors citizenship when they buy a house.AZERBAIJAN REAL ESTATE EXPO: RECEXPO 2019!!The General Manager of ELAN EXPO Mr. Suer AY explained their success in Azerbaijan; 5th Azerbaijan RecExpo is the unique Real Estate & Investment exhibition in the Caspian region for five years. We are the best and only in this market and growing our portfolio annually into the Azerbaijani investors; we are enlarging our international exhibitor scope also according to our previous years. In our 4th edition RecExpo 2018 more than 6200 people visited our Real Estate and Investment Expo with the profile of 24% investors, 32% homebuyers, 18% real estate professionals and 26% other. We hosted 97 international exhibitors with 232 international projects. Companies from 9 countries; Azerbaijan, Turkey, England, USA, Spain, U.A.E. Georgia, Portugal and Montenegro, did not miss the opportunity to sale their projects to Azerbaijani investors. They finished the expo with an average of 3 sales and 9 pre-sale orders per company. We provided many good relations with the leading companies of real estate sector during our previous shows such as Emaar, Damac, Agaoglu, Kuzu Group, Remax, Sinpas, Keller Williams Realty, Portonovi Montenegro, Sur Yap, Turkerler Holding, Ege Yap, Dubai Land Department, Dreamland, Baku White City, Emlak Konut, Absheron City, Azinko, InvestAz, and many others from worldwide. We collected much perfect feedback from the companies; their satisfaction is so important for us, I want to send our pleasure them to work with them.We also provide enormous publicity for the RecExpo 2018 in Azerbaijan; during our marketing campaign, we sent 100 thousand invitations, 60 thousand e-mails, 20 thousand minutes phone calls, 310 thousand second Radio & TV advertisements and published 90 outdoor advertisements, 105 website advertisements, 26 newspaper advertisements. We promoted our events via social media also; we have around 160 thousand likes on Instagram and Facebook posts.To sum up, Azerbaijan RecExpo 2019 is an unmissable opportunity to meet the potential buyers and purchasing agents of the Caspian Region real estate market and many local and international investors.SAVE THE DATE!!!5th RecExpo; Azerbaijan International Real Estate and Investment Exhibition which will meet you to eager Azerbaijani investors will take place between the dates 21-23 November 2019 at Baku Expo Center at Baku, Azerbaijan.ABOUT ELAN EXPOElan Expo was founded in 1997 and now manages over 30 market-leading B2B events in up to 9 countries each year. Headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey, it is currently active in Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Morocco, Iran, Iraq, and Algeria.Elan Expo employees over 90 people who are passionate about the communities that they serve and skilled at creating the ideal circumstances for relationships to develop, knowledge to be gleaned and deals to be done by the departments of sales, marketing, B2B, visitor promotions, project, finance and advertising.Elan Expos operation is active in exhibitions with the multiple sectors such as Real Estate & Investment, Construction & Building Materials, Furniture & Decoration, Food &Agriculture, Beauty & Cosmetic, Fashion & Textile, Healthcare & Medical Products, HVAC, Landscape & Urban, Municipality & City Planning, and LED & Advertising.Elan Expos knowledge of communities they serve, their ability to attract the right people and their skill of curating the physical space and creating memorable experiences bring thousands of like-minded people together. It is the shared experience and the opportunities to make human connections which allow businesses to grow.For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us;Istanbul Headquarters Address DetailsTel: +90 212 273 18 18Fax: +90 212 273 18 19Website: rec-expo.net E-mail: info@rec-expo.net Press Information: Elan Expo Yldz Posta Street No:30/24 34349 Besiktas - Istanbul - TURKEY Contact Person: Elif AY International Sales Coordinator Phone: +902122731818 eMail: eMail Web: http://rec-expo.net 28.02.2019 15:02:44 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. Advertising & Marketing 4th Morocco Food Expo 2019 4th Morocco Food Expo 2019 28.02.2019 15:01:24 - 4th Morocco FoodExpo 2019; International Food, Hospitality and Technologies Exhibition which is organized by Elan Expo took place on 06-08 December 2019 at Office des Foires et Expositions (OFEC) at Casablanca, Morocco. (live-PR.com) - The most delicious fair in the Northern Africa Morocco FoodExpo!!! 4th Morocco FoodExpo 2019; International Food, Hospitality and Technologies Exhibition which is organized by Elan Expo took place on 06-08 December 2019 at Office des Foires et Expositions (OFEC) at Casablanca, Morocco. THE APPETISING FOOD MARKET MOROCCO Morocco is the most profitable food market in the African region with its perfect - The most delicious fair in the Northern Africa Morocco FoodExpo!!!4th Morocco FoodExpo 2019; International Food, Hospitality and Technologies Exhibition which is organized by Elan Expo took place on 06-08 December 2019 at Office des Foires et Expositions (OFEC) at Casablanca, Morocco.THE APPETISING FOOD MARKET MOROCCOMorocco is the most profitable food market in the African region with its perfect location, annual growth rate, and its dependency to the international food market. Morocco is located to Northern Africa with a perfect close-range of Europe, less than 15 kilometers away from Spain. Morocco which has around 36 million populations is the 6th largest economy among the 14 Middle East and Northern Africa countries. It had a GDP of 140.1 billion dollars in 2016. Moroccan is famous for producing wheat, sugar beet, orange, potatoes, tomatoes, olives and olive oil but it is strongly dependent to foreign food markets such as grain, sugar, coffee, tea and many other products. Being a multilingual country, having a stable political structure, having tax free agreements with many countries and Moroccan food industrys dependency on the international food industry make all eyes are on Morocco market in recent years. FOR THE FOURTH TIME MOROCCO FOOD EXPO FoodExpo is one of our Food and Hospitality events in the international market. We are growing annually in the Moroccan market; we are enlarging our international exhibitor scope according to our previous years in Morocco. In our 3rd edition of the Morocco FoodExpo 2018 we hosted 81 more companies when we compare with our 2017 show. In our successful 2018 edition 187 companies participated from 16 countries; Germany, Austria, China, Morocco, India, Italy, Egypt, Lebanon, Netherlands, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, U.A.E., USA and Turkey with 6400 professional visitors, 460 B2B meetings and also we hosted specialized events such as Live Demonstration, Conference and Workshops with a well-organized marketing campaign. During the marketing campaign, we sent 112 thousand invitations, 180 thousand e-mails, 120 thousand SMSs, and published 55 outdoor advertisements, 72 website advertisements, 18 newspaper advertisements. We promoted our events via social media also; we have around 18 thousand likes on Instagram and Facebook posts. I thought that with these numbers we show our professionalism in Moroccan food market. Mr. Suer AY The General Manager of ELAN EXPO MOROCCO FOOD EXPO IN PARALEL WITH THE SIEMA EXPO 2019!!! The next edition of MOROCCO FOOD EXPO is the concurrent expo of the SIEMA EXPO 2019; International Food Processing, Packaging and Machinery Exhibition which will take place between the dates 06-08 December 2019 for the fourth time at Office des Foires et Expositions (OFEC) at Casablanca, Morocco. SAVE THE DATE!!! 4th MOROCCO FOOD EXPO: International Food, Hospitality and Technologies Exhibition which will provide you to unmissable opportunities to do business with a large scale of the Food Industry will take place between the dates 06-08 December 2019 at Office des Foires et Expositions (OFEC) at Casablanca, Morocco. ABOUT ELAN EXPO Elan Expo was founded in 1997 and now manages over 30 market-leading B2B events in up to 9 countries each year. Headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey, it is currently active in Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Morocco, Iran, Iraq, and Algeria. Elan Expo employees over 90 people who are passionate about the communities that they serve and skilled at creating the ideal circumstances for relationships to develop, knowledge to be gleaned and deals to be done by the departments of sales, marketing, B2B, visitor promotions, project, finance and advertising. Elan Expos operation is active in exhibitions with the multiple sectors such as Real Estate & Investment, Construction & Building Materials, Furniture & Decoration, Food &Agriculture, Beauty & Cosmetic, Fashion & Textile, Healthcare & Medical Products, HVAC, Landscape & Urban, Municipality & City Planning, and LED & Advertising. Elan Expos knowledge of communities they serve, their ability to attract the right people and their skill of curating the physical space and creating memorable experiences bring thousands of like-minded people together. It is the shared experience and the opportunities to make human connections which allow businesses to grow. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us; Istanbul Headquarters Address Details Tel: +90 212 273 18 18 Fax: +90 212 273 18 19 Website: E-mail: location, annual growth rate, and its dependency to the international food market. Morocco is located to Northern Africa with a perfect close-range of Europe, less than 15 kilometers away from Spain. Morocco which has around 36 million populations is the 6th largest economy among the 14 Middle East and Northern Africa countries. It had a GDP of 140.1 billion dollars in 2016.Moroccan is famous for producing wheat, sugar beet, orange, potatoes, tomatoes, olives and olive oil but it is strongly dependent to foreign food markets such as grain, sugar, coffee, tea and many other products. Being a multilingual country, having a stable political structure, having tax free agreements with many countries and Moroccan food industrys dependency on the international food industry make all eyes are on Morocco market in recent years.FOR THE FOURTH TIME MOROCCO FOOD EXPOFoodExpo is one of our Food and Hospitality events in the international market. We are growing annually in the Moroccan market; we are enlarging our international exhibitor scope according to our previous years in Morocco. In our 3rd edition of the Morocco FoodExpo 2018 we hosted 81 more companies when we compare with our 2017 show. In our successful 2018 edition 187 companies participated from 16 countries; Germany, Austria, China, Morocco, India, Italy, Egypt, Lebanon, Netherlands, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, U.A.E., USA and Turkey with 6400 professional visitors, 460 B2B meetings and also we hosted specialized events such as Live Demonstration, Conference and Workshops with a well-organized marketing campaign. During the marketing campaign, we sent 112 thousand invitations, 180 thousand e-mails, 120 thousand SMSs, and published 55 outdoor advertisements, 72 website advertisements, 18 newspaper advertisements. We promoted our events via social media also; we have around 18 thousand likes on Instagram and Facebook posts. I thought that with these numbers we show our professionalism in Moroccan food market.Mr. Suer AYThe General Manager of ELAN EXPOMOROCCO FOOD EXPO IN PARALEL WITH THE SIEMA EXPO 2019!!!The next edition of MOROCCO FOOD EXPO is the concurrent expo of the SIEMA EXPO 2019; International Food Processing, Packaging and Machinery Exhibition which will take place between the dates 06-08 December 2019 for the fourth time at Office des Foires et Expositions (OFEC) at Casablanca, Morocco.SAVE THE DATE!!!4th MOROCCO FOOD EXPO: International Food, Hospitality and Technologies Exhibition which will provide you to unmissable opportunities to do business with a large scale of the Food Industry will take place between the dates 06-08 December 2019 at Office des Foires et Expositions (OFEC) at Casablanca, Morocco.ABOUT ELAN EXPOElan Expo was founded in 1997 and now manages over 30 market-leading B2B events in up to 9 countries each year. Headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey, it is currently active in Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Morocco, Iran, Iraq, and Algeria.Elan Expo employees over 90 people who are passionate about the communities that they serve and skilled at creating the ideal circumstances for relationships to develop, knowledge to be gleaned and deals to be done by the departments of sales, marketing, B2B, visitor promotions, project, finance and advertising.Elan Expos operation is active in exhibitions with the multiple sectors such as Real Estate & Investment, Construction & Building Materials, Furniture & Decoration, Food &Agriculture, Beauty & Cosmetic, Fashion & Textile, Healthcare & Medical Products, HVAC, Landscape & Urban, Municipality & City Planning, and LED & Advertising.Elan Expos knowledge of communities they serve, their ability to attract the right people and their skill of curating the physical space and creating memorable experiences bring thousands of like-minded people together. It is the shared experience and the opportunities to make human connections which allow businesses to grow.For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us;Istanbul Headquarters Address DetailsTel: +90 212 273 18 18Fax: +90 212 273 18 19Website: www.moroccofoodexpo.com/ E-mail: info@moroccofoodexpo.com Press Information: Elan Expo Yldz Posta Street No:30/24 34349 Besiktas - Istanbul - TURKEY Contact Person: Elif AY International Sales Coordinator Phone: +902122731818 eMail: eMail Web: http://www.moroccofoodexpo.com/ 28.02.2019 15:01:24 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. Advertising & Marketing 4th Nigeria Build Expo 2019 4th Nigeria Build Expo 2019 28.02.2019 15:05:02 - Nigeria Build Expo: 4TH International Construction and Building Materials & Technologies Exhibition which is organized by Elan Expo will take place on 27-29 June 2019 at Landmark Centre at Lagos, Nigeria. (live-PR.com) - The Industry-leading trade show NIGERIA BUILD EXPO is on the stage again!!! Nigeria Build Expo: 4TH International Construction and Building Materials & Technologies Exhibition which is organized by Elan Expo will take place on 27-29 June 2019 at Landmark Centre at Lagos, Nigeria. RISING STAR OF WEST AFRICA Nigeria is the most developed country in the West Africa. Nigerias large market size and - The Industry-leading trade show NIGERIA BUILD EXPO is on the stage again!!!Nigeria Build Expo: 4TH International Construction and Building Materials & Technologies Exhibition which is organized by Elan Expo will take place on 27-29 June 2019 at Landmark Centre at Lagos, Nigeria.RISING STAR OF WEST AFRICANigeria is the most developed country in the West Africa. Nigerias large market size and annual growth rate make Nigeria more attractive for the foreign and national investors; it holds 43% of all projects in the total project value in Africa. After 1950s, with increasing of the prices in the oil sector, the transportation, manufacturing and especially in the construction sectors are increased rapidly in Nigeria. Within a decade from 2006 to 2016; Nigerias gross domestic product (GDP) grew at average rate of 5.7% per year and it reached 375 billion dollars at the end of 2017. Nigeria became the most crowded country in the West Africa with 191 million inhabitants 47% of West Africas population- and a rising market in the international trade undoubtedly. Nigeria has large youth population; so labor is relatively cheap; both skilled and unskilled. With an army of unemployed graduates, employers have a big pool to tap for and at a relatively cheap cost. Nigerias construction industry is in the perfect situation in recent years; huge projects which have billion dollars budget prefer to Nigeria. Nigeria builds approximately 100,000 homes annually, this means construction sector in Nigeria is booming. SECTOR GIANTS GET TOGETHER AT 4TH NIGERIA BUILD EXPO The General Manager of ELAN EXPO Mr. Suer AY express as Nigeria Build Expo is more than a trade show for us, we called ourselves as inhabitant in here because we organized this expo for last 3 years annually. We are supported by many local associations and institutions; such as APWEN (Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria), COREN (The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria), ACEN (Association for Consulting Engineering in Nigeria), Nigeria Chapter of ASHRAE (American Society of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers), The Nigerian Institute of Building, Nigeria Institution of Civil Engineers, Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, Nigeria Society of Engineers, African Association of Interior Designers, Nigerian Institute of Architects and Nigerian Institute of Town Planners. Nigeria Build Expo is an avenue of interaction in Building, Construction and Design industries which hosted 81 exhibitors from 10 countries; Italy, China, Turkey, Spain, Indonesia, Egypt, Nigeria, Russia, India and U.A.E. and more than 4.200 visitors all around the World. We arranged 420 B2B meetings, 11 certified workshops, 15 valuable speakers, 400+ workshop attendees and more than 100 media partners promoted our event through print, online, and social media channels. Sector Giants such as National Paints, Purechem Industries, Novacolor, GLC Paints, Roxy for Plastic & Metal Products, Maxmech Equipments and Ramco Industries attended our previous show and they are looking forward for our next exhibition. I am saying that according to our previous exhibitors feedbacks. As I mentioned before we are the one of the most experienced organizers in Nigeria. EXPANDING THE NIGERIA BUILD EXPOS SCOPE WITH THE CERAMICA EXPO!!! Mr. AY mentioned that they are expanding their Nigeria Build Expos scope with the CERAMICA WEST AFRICA. For the first time the consecutive build expo will hold with a complementary sector. The next edition of NIGERIA BUILD EXPO will take place between the dates 27-29 June 2019 for the fourth time with a new hole called as CERAMICA (International Ceramic, Bathroom, and Kitchen Exhibition) at Landmark Centre in Lagos, Nigeria with concurrent conferences and workshops. DONT MISS THAT OPPORTUNITY SAVE THE DATE!!! 4th NIGERIA BUILD EXPO which provide you perfect interaction to all sector; Construction Tools & Equipments, Materials & Machines, Oilfield & Gas Field Equipment & Services, Building Materials & Equipments & Machines, Iron & Steel Products, Pipes & Plumbing, Drilling & Well Servicing, Roofing Systems, Bathroom & Kitchen Equipments, Floor Covering, Paints, Heavy Machinery, Stone & Stone Equipment & Machineries, Wood Products, Decoration, Furniture and Glassware will take place between the dates 27-29 June 2019 at Landmark Centre at Lagos, Nigeria. ABOUT ELAN EXPO Elan Expo was founded in 1997 and now manages over 30 market-leading B2B events in up to 9 countries each year. Headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey, it is currently active in Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Morocco, Iran, Iraq, and Algeria. Elan Expo employees over 90 people who are passionate about the communities that they serve and skilled at creating the ideal circumstances for relationships to develop, knowledge to be gleaned and deals to be done by the departments of sales, marketing, B2B, visitor promotions, project, finance and advertising. Elan Expos operation is active in exhibitions with the multiple sectors such as Real Estate & Investment, Construction & Building Materials, Furniture & Decoration, Food &Agriculture, Beauty & Cosmetic, Fashion & Textile, Healthcare & Medical Products, HVAC, Landscape & Urban, Municipality & City Planning, and LED & Advertising. Elan Expos knowledge of communities they serve, their ability to attract the right people and their skill of curating the physical space and creating memorable experiences bring thousands of like-minded people together. It is the shared experience and the opportunities to make human connections which allow businesses to grow. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us; Istanbul Headquarters Address Details Tel: +90 212 273 18 18 Fax: +90 212 273 18 19 Website: E-mail: annual growth rate make Nigeria more attractive for the foreign and national investors; it holds 43% of all projects in the total project value in Africa. After 1950s, with increasing of the prices in the oil sector, the transportation, manufacturing and especially in the construction sectors are increased rapidly in Nigeria. Within a decade from 2006 to 2016; Nigerias gross domestic product (GDP) grew at average rate of 5.7% per year and it reached 375 billion dollars at the end of 2017. Nigeria became the most crowded country in the West Africa with 191 million inhabitants 47% of West Africas population- and a rising market in the international trade undoubtedly. Nigeria has large youth population; so labor is relatively cheap; both skilled and unskilled. With an army of unemployed graduates, employers have a big pool to tap for and at a relatively cheap cost.Nigerias construction industry is in the perfect situation in recent years; huge projects which have billion dollars budget prefer to Nigeria. Nigeria builds approximately 100,000 homes annually, this means construction sector in Nigeria is booming.SECTOR GIANTS GET TOGETHER AT 4TH NIGERIA BUILD EXPOThe General Manager of ELAN EXPO Mr. Suer AY express as Nigeria Build Expo is more than a trade show for us, we called ourselves as inhabitant in here because we organized this expo for last 3 years annually. We are supported by many local associations and institutions; such as APWEN (Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria), COREN (The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria), ACEN (Association for Consulting Engineering in Nigeria), Nigeria Chapter of ASHRAE (American Society of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers), The Nigerian Institute of Building, Nigeria Institution of Civil Engineers, Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, Nigeria Society of Engineers, African Association of Interior Designers, Nigerian Institute of Architects and Nigerian Institute of Town Planners.Nigeria Build Expo is an avenue of interaction in Building, Construction and Design industries which hosted 81 exhibitors from 10 countries; Italy, China, Turkey, Spain, Indonesia, Egypt, Nigeria, Russia, India and U.A.E. and more than 4.200 visitors all around the World. We arranged 420 B2B meetings, 11 certified workshops, 15 valuable speakers, 400+ workshop attendees and more than 100 media partners promoted our event through print, online, and social media channels.Sector Giants such as National Paints, Purechem Industries, Novacolor, GLC Paints, Roxy for Plastic & Metal Products, Maxmech Equipments and Ramco Industries attended our previous show and they are looking forward for our next exhibition. I am saying that according to our previous exhibitors feedbacks. As I mentioned before we are the one of the most experienced organizers in Nigeria.EXPANDING THE NIGERIA BUILD EXPOS SCOPE WITH THE CERAMICA EXPO!!!Mr. AY mentioned that they are expanding their Nigeria Build Expos scope with the CERAMICA WEST AFRICA. For the first time the consecutive build expo will hold with a complementary sector. The next edition of NIGERIA BUILD EXPO will take place between the dates 27-29 June 2019 for the fourth time with a new hole called as CERAMICA (International Ceramic, Bathroom, and Kitchen Exhibition) at Landmark Centre in Lagos, Nigeria with concurrent conferences and workshops.DONT MISS THAT OPPORTUNITY SAVE THE DATE!!!4th NIGERIA BUILD EXPO which provide you perfect interaction to all sector; Construction Tools & Equipments, Materials & Machines, Oilfield & Gas Field Equipment & Services, Building Materials & Equipments & Machines, Iron & Steel Products, Pipes & Plumbing, Drilling & Well Servicing, Roofing Systems, Bathroom & Kitchen Equipments, Floor Covering, Paints, Heavy Machinery, Stone & Stone Equipment & Machineries, Wood Products, Decoration, Furniture and Glassware will take place between the dates 27-29 June 2019 at Landmark Centre at Lagos, Nigeria.ABOUT ELAN EXPOElan Expo was founded in 1997 and now manages over 30 market-leading B2B events in up to 9 countries each year. Headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey, it is currently active in Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Morocco, Iran, Iraq, and Algeria.Elan Expo employees over 90 people who are passionate about the communities that they serve and skilled at creating the ideal circumstances for relationships to develop, knowledge to be gleaned and deals to be done by the departments of sales, marketing, B2B, visitor promotions, project, finance and advertising.Elan Expos operation is active in exhibitions with the multiple sectors such as Real Estate & Investment, Construction & Building Materials, Furniture & Decoration, Food &Agriculture, Beauty & Cosmetic, Fashion & Textile, Healthcare & Medical Products, HVAC, Landscape & Urban, Municipality & City Planning, and LED & Advertising.Elan Expos knowledge of communities they serve, their ability to attract the right people and their skill of curating the physical space and creating memorable experiences bring thousands of like-minded people together. It is the shared experience and the opportunities to make human connections which allow businesses to grow.For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us;Istanbul Headquarters Address DetailsTel: +90 212 273 18 18Fax: +90 212 273 18 19Website: www.nigeriabuildexpo.net/ E-mail: info@nigeriabuildexpo.net Press Information: Elan Expo Yldz Posta Street No:30/24 34349 Besiktas - Istanbul - TURKEY Contact Person: Elif AY International Sales Coordinator Phone: +902122731818 eMail: eMail Web: http://www.nigeriabuildexpo.net/ 28.02.2019 15:05:02 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. The head of Libya's internationally recognised government and a rival military strongman have met and agreed to hold elections aimed at ending years of instability, the United Nations said Thursday. Unity government leader Fayez al-Sarraj met Khalifa Haftar on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, where they agreed "on the need to end the transitional phase through general elections and on ways to preserve the stability of Libya and unify its institutions," the UN's Libya mission UNSMIL tweeted. The North African country has been torn between rival administrations and a myriad of militias since the NATO-backed overthrow and killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. Chief among them are Sarraj's Government of National Accord, based in Tripoli, and a rival administration based in the east and backed by Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army. The leaders had agreed to a Paris-brokered deal in May 2018 to hold a nationwide election by the end of the year. But instability, territorial disputes and divisions in the oil-rich country delayed those plans. Talks in Italy in November laid bare deep divisions between the key power brokers, with some delegates refusing to sit side by side and Haftar snubbing the main conference to organise separate talks with international leaders. United Nations envoy Ghassan Salame told the UN Security Council last month that he was planning to organise a national conference inside Libya within weeks to pave the way for elections. But analysts have warned that the UN's efforts could be threatened after Haftar's forces launched an offensive into the south in mid-January, aimed at rooting out "terrorists" and foreign fighters. Powerful Tripoli-based militias have condemned Haftar's operation as a power grab, although the GNA itself has not been as explicit in its opposition. People traffickers have taken advantage of the chaos to turn Libya into a major conduit for migrants seeking a better life in Europe. - Jihadist attacks - The LNA already controls vital oil installations in Libya's east, but its power struggle with the GNA has left the country's vast desert south a lawless no-man's land. The rugged territory bordering Algeria, Niger, Chad and Sudan has become a haven for jihadists and armed groups, including Chadian rebels. Libya's instability has also made it vulnerable to jihadist groups, which have carried out numerous attacks in recent years, including more than 20 in 2018 against institutions linked to the GNA and Haftar's forces. But UN efforts to reach a political settlement and restore stability have so far failed. The African Union last month called for a global conference in July to try to resolve the conflict in Libya. It asked the AU Commission "to take, jointly with the United Nations and the Libyan government, all the necessary measures for the organisation of presidential and legislative elections in October 2019." The AU's current chief, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has underscored the need for "African solutions to African problems." Search Keywords: Short link: To access our in-house intelligence please request a trial here. Read this article and more for a 30 day period. Are you already an Managing IP subscriber? Login here Hamas called for Israel to be held accountable on Thursday after a UN probe said its soldiers may have committed crimes against humanity in their response to Gaza unrest. "The report indicates beyond any doubt that the Israeli occupation has committed clear war crimes against the Palestinians who came out to protest peacefully to demand the right of return and lift the siege," Bassem Naim, a senior official for the Islamist movement that rules the Gaza Strip, told AFP. He called on "the international community to hold the Israeli occupation accountable for the war crimes that it continues to commit against the Palestinians." Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, based in the occupied West Bank, also welcomed the probe's findings. Rights groups including Amnesty International also called for further action to hold Israel accountable after the report. Israeli rights group B'Tselem renewed a call for soldiers to refuse to comply with the army's open-fire rules along the Gaza border. Israel flatly rejected the report, calling it "hostile, deceitful and biased" while saying its actions have been necessary to defend the border. Protests and clashes broke out along the Gaza border on March 30 last year. Demonstrators have been calling for Palestinian refugees to be allowed to return to their former homes now inside Israel, which Israeli officials say is akin to calling for their country's destruction. They accuse Hamas of using the protests as cover for infiltrations and attacks, while rights groups and Palestinians say protesters posing little threat have been shot by Israeli snipers. At least 251 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since March 2018, the majority shot during weekly border protests and others hit by tank fire or air strikes in response to violence from Gaza. Two Israeli soldiers have been killed over the same period. Israel launched three military offensive on Gaza since 2008. *This story was edited by Ahram Online. Search Keywords: Short link: Stock Market Beware of Confirmation Bias Albert Einstein once said: Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are incapable of forming such opinions." To Mr. Einstein, it was quite clear that people have their biases, and it is extremely rare that they are able to disassociate themselves from those biases, if ever. It is for this reason that investor seek out analysts who provide support to their pre-determined biases. We call this bias confirmation. And, almost every investor you speak to is afflicted with this condition. This phenomena is quite evident on Seeking Alpha, which is a crowd sourced website. Most readers gravitate to an analyst simply because that analyst supports the readers own personal perspective Therefore, this process turns into a popularity contest with regard to the analysts you support rather than actually seeking out intellectually honest perspectives about the stock market. Analysts are also infected by the same confirmation bias disorder. Andrew Lang (1844-1912) once quipped: "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." And, this is exactly how analysts further their own confirmation bias. They have made their determination about the market, and then seek out statistics and facts to support that perspective. This is how herding in our financial market works. The analyst has made his/her determination about the market, the investor has made his/her determination about the market, and then they find each other on a site such as Seeking Alpha, and then support each other in the comments section, which then perpetuates their combined confirmation bias. Ultimately, do you think this to be healthy for your investment account? In 1996, Robert Olson published a study in the Financial Analysts Journal in which he studied the effects of herding upon expert fundamental analysts predictions of corporate earnings. After studying 4000 corporate earnings estimates, he arrived at the following conclusion: Experts earnings predictions exhibit positive bias and disappointing accuracy. These shortcomings are usually attributed to some combination of incomplete knowledge, incompetence, and/or misrepresentation. Mr. Olsons article suggests that the human desire for consensus leads to herding behavior among earnings forecasters, with the herd always looking for the current trend to continue unabated and indefinitely. Bob Barbera, chief economist at Mt. Lucas Management Co., said that allowing the pace of economic growth in the last three to six months to dictate the next three to six months beats most forecast except when it matters. What Bob is saying is truly amazing, that is, if you are a thinking person. In effect, he is saying that as long as the herd is moving in the same direction over a 12-month period, then the first six months will dictate the direction of the last six months. Well . . .duhhh!! Yet, it is the last four words of his statement that really means anything. Bob is clearly implying that if the market changes direction in the second six-month period, then the first six-month period will not be able to forecast the second six month period. That is when it matters. In other words, as long as the herd is moving in the same direction, it will continue to move in the same direction . . . until it turns. Isnt that just brilliant? Yet, this is what herding is all about. The great majority of the time in the stock market, it makes sense to run with the herd. When you try to turn against the herd while it is stampeding, oftentimes you get trampled. Yet, there are times in the market when running with the herd will lead you off the cliff. And, if you mindlessly run with the herd without having a grander perspective, you are bound to find yourself falling off that cliff. That is when it matters. So, how do you identify that period of time when it matters? That is where an understanding of market sentiment is key, so you can understand when it is ready to turn. Market sentiment provides early warning as to when you are approaching that cliff, and it allows you to move to the sidelines and allow the herd to run off the cliff without you. So, feel free to come join me at our new site FATrader.com, where you can directly chat with me and our other analysts who have over 100 years of combined experience in the financial markets. Avi Gilburt has launched a new site called FATRADER.com, a live forum hosted by a team of top fundamental analysts aiming to showcase research and elevate discussion in areas of the market like biotech, commodities, and sustainable investing where fundamental and macro analysis is critical. 2019 Copyright Avi Gilburt - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. The $32 Trillion Push To Disrupt The Entire Oil Industry Global oil and gas companies are increasingly facing an uphill battle as global warming policies are taking their toll. Most analysts and market watchers are focusing on peak oil demand scenarios, but the reality could be much darker. International oil companies (IOCs) are likely to face a Black Swan scenario, which could end up being a boon for state-owned oil companies (NOCs). Increased shareholder activism, combined with global warming policies of institutional investors and NGOs, are pushing IOCs in a corner, constricting financing options for oil companies. The first signs of a green revolution in the shareholder-investors universe are there, as investors have forced Dutch oil and gas major Shell to officially change its strategy, investing in more renewable energy and energy storage. The Dutch IOC wasnt forced by to do so because of mismanagement or a lack of reserves but due to a well-orchestrated investor/stakeholder offensive. Several other peers, such as BP, ENI or Total, are expected to experience comparable situations. And it has become clear that not only oil and gas giants are being targeted, after one of the worlds largest mining and commodity trading companies, Glencore, decided to put a limit on its thermal coal investment. The group stated that this was done after it was confronted by a largely unknown shareholder network called Climate Action 100+, which claims to be backed by more than 300 investors, managing assets of around $32 trillion. The group was founded a little over a year ago but has already forced oil majors boardrooms to take radical decisions. The above shows that international hydrocarbon and mining sectors are facing a new obstacle, being confronted by large groups of socially and environmentally engaged shareholders, which are no longer looking at commercial value only. A combination of activist institutional investors, international pension funds and NGOs, is a new force to be dealt with. Stock-exchanged listed companies will need to address the will of their shareholders, especially with regards to climate change policies or decarbonization of the economy. After decades of having focused on creating maximum shareholder returns, things have changed dramatically, but maybe not for the better. For Climate Action 100+, which includes investors such as Calpers, Allianz SE, and HSBC Global Asset Management, making profitable investments remains a top priority, but they will no longer look accept a passive stance towards climate change. Without complying with the demands of NGOs and socially engaged investors, access to new capital for new oil and gas upstream projects will be reduced. Some even expect that the role of Western IOCs could decline in the next couple of years, due to political shareholder engagement policies. To force IOCs, such as Shell or BP, to comply with policies that would halve their net carbon footprint by 2050 could result in a death-wish for these companies in the long-run. The demise of IOCs, as we know them right now, could come sooner than many may expect. This will, of course, come at a cost for energy-hungry regions or consumers. With a net demand growth for oil and gas in the coming years, the world will need all hands on deck to support upstream investments to bring the hard-needed oil and gas reserves and volumes to the market. With less financing options for IOCs, and also oilfield services, the already existing investment gap in upstream investment worldwide will only grow wider. In contrast to what some media sources are suggesting, oil and gas demand will not diminish, on the contrary, oil and gas prices will rise due to a lack of supply. That this picture is not a future nightmare scenario but is already the reality, is shown by the fact that a growing amount of smaller oil and gas companies have become insolvent. The latter is partly caused by global warming constraints and lower oil prices in general. The first casualties are falling in Europe, mainly the UK, where 16 companies went bankrupt in 2018, in comparison to zero in 2012. British accountancy firm Moore Stephenson stated that lower prices were the main cause. At the same time, increased costs (North Sea decommissioning) and lower oil price expectations are doing the rest. If the international financial markets are going to take over the doomsday scenarios presented by pressure groups and NGOs, independent oil and gas companies are going to be hit extremely hard. No investor is willing to invest in a sector or company that looks to hit rock-bottom in the next decade. Stranded reserves reports, as presented by the Bank of England and others, are not helping at all to change perceptions. Western consumers and politicians, however, should not already start to cheer a green revolution and the end of the oil era. The future is different and could be even less positive than currently is assessed. Financial pressure on IOCs is opening up a Pandoras Box. By removing market-oriented oil and gas giants from global markets, the only way to gain access to oil and gas will be the national oil companies (NOCs). Not only are they the real owners of the overwhelming majority of hydrocarbon reserves in the world, but NOCs are also not constrained by shareholder activism or NGO pressure. The main driver for NOCs is to support the sustainable economic growth of their home country or government. In stark contrast to IOCs, which are fully focused on shareholder value and profits, NOCs have a long-term national approach, in which other factors are playing a role. Saudi Aramco and its peers are not only the sole owner of the reserves but also of most of the value chain. The ongoing downstream focus of NOCs can be seen as a push to gain control of the entire value chain, from exploration to sales. This position is still of value to institutional investors and national financial institutions, as the combination of long-term access, ownership and extensive value chain control, is very attractive. The Fitch AA+ rating of Abu Dhabis ADNOC shows that NOCs have become very attractive, even more than IOCs at present. Mainstream investors, hedge- and pension funds, are and will be interested in financing NOCs, as long as demand and profits are there. Western consumers and the industry should however also realize that a transformation of power to NOCs will also mean that market fundamentals will change, and possible unexpected hiccups in supply will occur at the will of governments, not due to market fundamentals. NOCs are still controlled and owned by national governments. Supply risks will increase if IOCs see their influence in the hydrocarbon sector diminish. Destruction of knowledge, technical capabilities and additional financing, could constrain the hard-needed push for new oil and gas production. Political and environmental pressure groups should realize that pushing too hard for change could produce a boomerang effect of unwanted-order. To force IOCs to change their investment strategies, and abandon highly profitable upstream projects, while investing in renewables, could be more destabilizing than anticipated. Between 2014 and 2018, upstream oil and gas investments have been hit hard, leaving a $1 trillion investment gap. This development will impact the market within the next 24 months. Lower oil supply will push up prices if demand continues to grow. Link to article: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-32-Trillion-Fund-Transforming-The-Oil-Industry.html By Cyril Widdershoven of Oilprice.com 2019 Copyright OilPrice.com - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Nokia and Ericsson Are Making a Huge ComebackBuy Them Before Most Investors Realize This In 2017, American officials discovered that ZTE was selling phones to US enemies like North Korea. The US government told ZTE to stop. It refused. So lawmakers banned ZTE from doing any business in America. ZTE had been manufacturing roughly 25% of its phone parts in the US. So the ban crippled its business overnight. ZTEs shares plunged 55% in two weeks, and the stock has never recovered: Now president Trump is getting ready to bring down a much larger and more important firm. And this time two forgotten stocks stand to hand investors big gains in the fallout. Trump Is Likely to Outlaw Huawei in America As you may have heard, Chinese phone maker Huawei is accused of putting secret backdoors into its phones. If true, they allow Huawei to spy on Americans who use Huawei phones. Huawei is officially a private company. But it is widely known to be an arm of the Chinese government. The US and China have been squabbling over this for a while. But the situation has reached its boiling point. President Trump is widely expected to sign an executive order outlawing Huawei products in America. Keep in mind, Huawei isnt some rinky-dink company. It sells more phones than Apple (AAPL) and generates as much revenue as Microsoft (MSFT). But most importantly, Huawei is the worlds largest maker of 5G infrastructure. Who Will Replace This Top 5G Supplier? 5G is one of the most disruptive technologies today. It is the new lightning-fast cell network our phones will soon run on. And the Great Upgrade to 5G is one of the largest infrastructure projects in history. Thats why I recommended a company that is already raking in cash from the 5G buildout in my free special report, The Great Disruptors. You can get you free copy here. It had secured $100-billion worth of 5G contractsover five times more than any of its rivals. But with Trump expected to ban Huawei, almost all of Huaweis 5G infrastructure contracts have been cancelled. AT&T cancelled its 5G deal with Huawei last year. UK-based Vodafone cancelled its 5G contract with Huawei this year. The governments of Japan, Australia, and New Zealand have stepped in to ban their cell companies from working with Huawei on 5G. Of course, all the 5G infrastructure still needs to be built Billions of Dollars Are Set to Flow to Nokia (NOK) and Ericsson (ERIC) You might call these two forgotten stocks. Not all that long ago they dominated the cell phone market. Nokia alone controlled 50% of the cell phone market in 2007. Today it controls less than 1%. And Ericsson shut down its phone business years ago. They both totally missed the smartphone revolution. Their stocks have gone nowhere over the past decade: But Nokia and Ericsson are two of the worlds only makers of 5G equipment. Nokia and Ericsson control 50% of the 5G infrastructure market, according to IHS Markit. And heres the key. There are only four major makers of 5G equipment and infrastructure in the world: Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei, and ZTE. As I mentioned, Huawei and ZTE are essentially banned from the Western world. Which means phone companies have little choice. They must work with Ericsson and Nokia to get 5G up and running. Nokia and Ericsson Are Already Singing Multi-Billion-Dollar Contracts The two companies recently won multi-billion-dollar 5G infrastructure contracts from Verizon and AT&Tthe two largest US phone companies. And 3rd-place T-Mobile has agreed to pay Nokia and Ericsson $3.5 billion each to build its 5G networks. In short, Nokia and Ericsson have been handed the giant 5G infrastructure market on a silver platter. When Nokia reported earnings two weeks ago, its network equipment sales shot above $6 billion for the first time in five years. Meanwhile, Ericssons 5G-related revenue jumped 10% last quarter. Its a Rare Low-Risk, High-Reward Investment Opportunity The market is beginning to recognize both companies will be big winners from the 5G buildout. After a decade of being stuck in the mud, Ericssons stock has surged 50% in the past year. Nokia stock has climbed 20%. As the 5G rollout kicks into high gear, both stocks are low-risk, money-making opportunities. For example, Nokia sold around $20-billion worth of network equipment last year. My research shows this should jump above $50 billion in the next two years as 5G ramps up. So no matter what happens with the stock market, a tidal wave of money is about to flow into Nokia and Ericsson. By Stephen McBride http://www.riskhedge.com 2019 Copyright Stephen McBride - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. This Privacy Policy (Policy) sets out our data collection and processing practices and your options regarding the ways in which your personal information is used. This Policy contains important information about your personal rights to privacy. Please read it carefully to understand how we use your personal data. We may update this Policy from time to time without notice to you, so please check it regularly. The provision of your personal data to us is voluntary. 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Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns whatsoever about the way in which your data is being processed by emailing the Data Protection Manager at webmaster@marxist.com Big LoudThe much-anticipated new record from Jake Owen will arrive in about a month, the Florida native announced Thursday morning on Instagram. Jake unveiled the news by posting nine photos that, together, form the album cover. It's a retro postcard of a palm tree on a beach with large letters superimposed over it. It's reminiscent of the cover of Bruce Springsteen's debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. Jakes Insta bio now says Greetings from Jake new album out 3.29.19. The square, album-shaped photo reads Greetings from Jake Owen." Inside each letter of Jakes name is another drawing, including one thats a picture of him, as well as one that says "Honky Tonk." Since Jakes top ten, ACM-nominated current hit is Down to the Honky Tonk, the smaller pics may be clues to the songs on the album. Others include a peach, a pickup truck, a lady in a red dress, a mountain scene, and a sailboat. This will be Jakes first album for Big Loud, the label he signed with since leaving his longtime home at RCA. I Was Jack (You Were Diane) became the fastest-rising #1 of Jakes career back in July. Hes also released the tracks Catch a Cold One, Made for You, and Something to Ride On. The announcement this week that the US will be keeping some troops in Syria has once again drawn attention to the incoherence of its strategy in the region On 19 December last year, US President Donald Trump announced that he would withdraw US troops from Syria after more than four years of the US presence in the country. However, this week Washington announced that it would keep 200 soldiers in northern Syria under the protection of various US military bases in the region and in Syria itself. The troops will represent a toehold for the US in Syria, meaning that the US will not in fact be leaving Syria and that its withdrawal has turned into a redeployment. The decision to keep 200 US soldiers in Syria confirms that the White House has decided to prevent Turkey from interfering in areas east of the Euphrates River and comes amid reports of talks by the US administration with actors in the Syrian crisis about creating a safe zone in northern Syria and deploying forces to monitor it. Pentagon Spokesman Sean Robertson said that US troops would create a safe zone in northeast Syria as part of a multinational force in cooperation with NATO members that would be free of any Turkish or Syrian opposition forces. US-supported Kurdish militias in northern Syria welcomed the move, since it will protect the region under their control which they describe as the Kurdish region of Syria even though the majority of the original residents there are Syrian Arabs. Although Washington has not entirely retracted its decision to withdraw its forces, keeping a token number of troops in Syria means an understanding has not been reached with Turkey about Turkish troops in the area. It also means that European countries will also be encouraged to keep their forces in northern Syria. It will now be difficult for Turkish forces to expand east of the Euphrates in northern Syria, since the presence of a single US soldier will be enough to protect all the Kurdish militias that Ankara wants to eradicate from the region because they pose a threat to Turkeys security. Turkey views the Kurdish forces as an extension of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) that Ankara lists as a terrorist group. The US has been pressuring Turkey to distance itself from the Russian-Iranian alliance in Syria and coax it into an alliance with Saudi Arabia to isolate Iran. In return, the protection of the Kurdish militias in northern Syria will end. However, Turkey does not trust US promises, and it has hesitated about moving towards Washingtons position without concrete guarantees. It has formed an alliance with Russia, Iran and China, put pressure on Europe through the issue of the refugees, says it could surrender Idlib in northern Syria to Russia, and has indicated it could send the three million refugees living there to Europe. Several conflicts are now underway in Syria. The first is the war on the Islamic State (IS) group, and the second is the revolution against the regime led by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad that has ruled Syria as a sectarian dictatorship for decades and has committed multiple crimes against humanity. The third is the war between Syrias separatist Kurds, who saw the Syrian Revolution as an opportunity to secede and form an independent Kurdish national entity. The US has used the Kurds to fight IS, but this has upset Turkey because of Kurdish ambitions to create a separate state that would include large swathes of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. The fourth conflict is a multilateral one, with the US and Russia as major players in dividing up the Syrian cake. The final one is between Iran and the Arabs, a conflict which Iran has launched in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon in order to take control of the Middle East as part of its strategy to become an influential player on the global stage. Amid all these conflicts, US interests would be best served by remaining in Syria even after IS is defeated. The US understands that withdrawing its troops would mean an immediate loss for the Kurds, which whom it is allied, and victory for the Al-Assad regime to regain control across Syria and continue ruling a hereditary state. It would also mean victory for Russia, which would become a leading player in the Middle East, and it would mean increased Sunni and Shiite radicalism and the creation of a climate encouraging the formation of nationalist, religious and ethnic states in the region and more crises for the US. Some in the US believe that contrary to Trumps claims IS has not been entirely defeated. Both Syria and Iraq lack the political institutions that can ensure stability, and this has been exacerbated by Irans sectarian war against the Sunnis in the region. One of the problems of US policy is that it is based on Trumps slogan of America First, and Trump has not engaged in wider consultations on the Syrian crisis or looked beyond present circumstances to the re-establishment of the Syrian state. Trump has not sought answers on how to rein in Russia and Iran, calm Turkey or appease the Arabs. Such questions have complex answers, and dealing with them is beyond Trumps abilities or experience. Instead, he decided to declare victory over IS and abruptly pull US troops out of Syria, only to later go back on his decision when its inadequacy became obvious. But the US still does not have clear plans in the region, making its present strategies more mystifying. Five conflicts are being fought out in Syria, with the US being the only country that can end them through alliances or the use of a big stick. Yet, the US has only sought to manage the crisis in Syria without playing a role in its solution. It continues to watch the Syrian tragedy from afar, a strategy which will cause it to lose its credibility and prestige and could result in many other problems in the long run. *A version of this article appears in print in the 28 February, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: America first, Syria last Search Keywords: Short link: Thousands of travelers were left scrambling on Thursday when Thai Airways International canceled more than a dozen flights to and from Europe after Pakistan closed its airspace amid rising tensions with India. Flights to and from London, Munich, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Vienna, Stockholm, Zurich, Copenhagen, Oslo, Frankfurt and Rome had been scheduled to fly over Pakistani airspace on Thursday, Thai Airways said in a statement. That left passengers scheduled to leave Thailands main Suvarnabhumi International Airport searching to find alternative flights. Most of the airlines European flights leave after midnight. Last night there were about 5,000 passengers who came to check-in but unable to fly, mostly Thai Airways, Colonel Umnart Chomshai, superintendent of tourism police at Suvarnabhumi Airport, told Reuters. Another airport official said a help center had been set up for stranded travelers. Thai Airways said it would resume flights later on Thursday after China granted permission to use its airspace for nearly a dozen flights to Europe scheduled to leave on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. However, it said all flights to and from Pakistan were canceled. The airline operates one flight a day to Karachi and Lahore and four flights per week to Islamabad. You Have To Wait Swiss tourist Gerlinde Hoff, 60, stayed overnight at Suvarnabhumi airport with her husband and they were still waiting by midday to find another flight home. They only say you have to wait, you have to wait, you have to wait, she said. Im angry and Im tired. It was such a nice holiday and now its a little bit not so nice. Thailand is among the worlds most popular tourist destinations, receiving more than 38 million visitors last year, about 6.8 million of them from Europe. Pakistan closed its airspace after India and Pakistan both claimed to have shot down the others fighter jets on Wednesday, with Pakistan capturing an Indian pilot a day after Indian warplanes struck inside Pakistan for the first time since a 1971 war. World powers have urged restraint between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors, who have fought two wars over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. Many airlines route flights over Pakistan and the closure of its airspace caused major disruptions on Wednesday. Emirates and Qatar Airways suspended flights to Pakistan and others, such as Singapore Airlines and British Airways, were forced to reroute flights. On Thursday, Singapore Airlines said all of its Europe-bound flights would now continue as planned, without the need for refueling stops, and they would reroute to avoid the affected airspace as necessary. Malaysia Airlines said on its website it was not currently flying over the affected airspace and was avoiding Pakistan and northern India for flights to and from Europe until further notice. Tensions have been running high since at least 40 Indian paramilitary police were killed in a Feb. 14 suicide car bombing claimed by Pakistan-based militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Search Keywords: Short link: Indian forces remain on a "heightened" state of alert despite Pakistan's promise to free a pilot shot down in air raids this week, top Indian military chiefs said Thursday. Top generals from the Indian air force, army and navy also renewed claims that India had shot down a Pakistani F-16 jet in the air battles after an attack Wednesday on military installations in Indian-administered Kashmir. "We are fully prepared and in a heightened state of readiness to respond to any provocation from Pakistan," said the army's Major General Surendra Singh Mahal at a press conference. Search Keywords: Short link: [February 28, 2019] Wyoming Virtual Academy Offers Education Alternative to K-12 Students Statewide Wyoming Virtual Academy (WYVA), an online public school program of Niobrara County School District #1, welcomes families to apply for enrollment for the 2019-2020 school year. A tuition-free, full time online public school, WYVA serves students in grades K through 12 with an alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar education. "At WYVA, we are proud to partner with families to give their children the best education possible," said Jeff Verosky, Wyoming Virtual Academy's head of school. "Our dedicated teachers and staff bring the curriculum to life and support each student's goals, whether they are preparing for college or careers." Students at WYVA are offered a full course load in the core subjects of English/language arts, math, science, history, world languages, art and music. A variety of electives, honors and Advanced Placement courses are available to high school students. WYVA affords students the opportunity to plan ahead for college and the workforce. Eligible WYVA students in grades 11 and 12 can take advanced courses and receive up to 32 tuiton-free credits to apply both to their high school diploma and a post-secondary degree. Career-focused students can choose from a range of profession-focused courses for a competitive edge in the workforce, discovering possible careers in information technology, government and public administration, marketing, finance, the arts and many others. WYVA's teachers facilitate live, interactive online classes, allowing students to enjoy a safe learning environment anywhere with an internet connection. Outside of scheduled classes, teachers are regularly in touch with families via phone and email in order to provide support and to challenge their students to reach their full potential. Enrollment is now open for the 2019-2020 school year. To learn more about WYVA and enrollment requirements, families are invited to attend online and in-person information sessions and events hosted by the school throughout the year. For more information and for a schedule of upcoming events, visit wyva.k12.com, follow WYVA on Facebook, or download the free K12 mobile app for iOS and Android (News - Alert) devices. About Wyoming Virtual Academy Wyoming Virtual Academy (WYVA) is an accredited full-time online public school that serves students statewide in kindergarten through 12th grade. A public school program of Niobrara County School District #1, WYVA is tuition-free to Wyoming students and gives families the choice to access the curriculum provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of K-12 proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information about WYVA, visit wyva.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005044/en/ [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Arizona Virtual Academy Now Enrolling for 2019-2020 School Year Arizona Virtual Academy (AZVA), an accredited online public charter school, welcomes families to apply for enrollment for the 2019-2020 school year. Currently in its 15th year of operation, AZVA is available tuition-free to students in kindergarten through 12th grade who reside anywhere in Arizona. AZVA offers an alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar education, by combining online instruction, rigorous curriculum and the support of state-certified teachers to provide a personalized learning experience for each student. AZVA teachers facilitate live, interactive online classes in the core subjects of English/language arts, math, science, history, world languages, art and music. "We proudly offer Arizona families a variety of programs, to meet the diverse needs of students across the state," said Head of School Kelly Van Sande. "Whether online or in-person, for gifted students or those who need additional resources, we are devoted to providing educational opportunities that are as unique as the students we serve." In 2018, the Phoenix Business Journal listed AZVA's high school among Arizona's top 50 public high schools based upon 2016 SAT scores. The school's RISE Program - Reaching Intellectual Success and Excellence - offers eligible gifted students in grades 3-8 an opportunity to take their learning to a deeper level with supplemental lessons, accelerated courses, interest-based projects and field trips, and more. Eligible high school students can earn college credit through concurrent enrollment opportunities while still in high school, at no cost to the family. Complementing its online learning platform, AZVA also offers a blended learning program, combining online courses with in-person instruction and support for students in grades 4-12. Blended learning centers are located throughout the Phoenix Metro area, as well as Kingman and Tucson, and feature on-site support, student enrichment and socialization opportunities. Students choose online school for a variety of reasons, including advanced learning, a bullying-free environment, and the ability to support extracurricular pursuits or medical needs. AZVA's online platform and blended learning centers give students the opportunity to pursue their academic goals in a supportive environment and with resources to suit their learning styles. Enrollments are now being accepted for the 2019-2020 school year. To learn more, families are encouraged to attend online and in-person information sessions hosted by the school. For more information about AZVA and how to enroll, as well as a schedule of upcoming events, visit azva.k12.com, follow AZVA on Facebook, or download the free K12 mobile app for iOS and Android (News - Alert) devices. About Arizona Virtual Academy Arizona Virtual Academy (AZVA) is an AdvancED-accredited, full-time online public charter school that serves Arizona students in kindergarten through 12th grade. As part of the Arizona public school system, AZVA is tuition-free and gives parents and families the choice to access the curriculum provided by K12, Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of K-12 proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information visit azva.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005008/en/ [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ] [February 28, 2019] Dennis acquires Kiplinger Dennis Publishing (Dennis), the leading international media group and publisher of The Week in the US and the UK, today announces that it has acquired Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. (Kiplinger), a market leader in business and personal finance information, in print and online. Kiplinger, founded in 1920 in Washington, D.C. and run by three generations of the Kiplinger family, publishes the largest paid-subscription publications in several financial fields: business forecasting (the weekly Kiplinger Letter); taxes (the biweekly Kiplinger Tax Letter); retirement living (the monthly Kiplinger's Retirement Report) and yield-oriented investing (the monthly Kiplinger's Investing for Income). Its most widely read products are Kiplinger's Personal Finance, the 600,000-circulation monthly magazine which pioneered personal finance journalism in 1947, and Kiplinger.com, its website with four million unique visitors and more than 30 million page views per month. Dennis is one of the most dynamic media organisations operating in the US and UK markets. Its portfolio of over 30 brands currently operates in four areas of excellence: Current Affairs, Technology, Automotive and Lifestyle, reaching over 50 million unique users and selling over 2.5 million magazines every month. James Tye, Group CEO of Dennis, said: "Kiplinger is everything we look for in a business: It is blessed with strong brands that have developed a high degree of trust with their readers, allied to a vibrant, growing digital business. Kiplinger is run by an experienced leadership team that understand the value of authoritative and concise information in the finance category as well as the key role the various Kiplinger brands play in delivering excellent results for its advertising clients." Dennis currently owns The Week based in New York, which boasts over 550,000 paid-for print subscribers and 5.8 million monthly unique users to its award-winning current affairs website TheWeek.com. The Week is renowned for both its concise style and the unique balance it brings to an increasingly fragmented and divided news landscape. Dennis was acquired by one of the UK's leading Private Equity firms, Exponent, in October 2018. Washington-based Kiplinger is the first acquisition that Dennis has made in the US since it changed ownership. Tye continued: "Kiplinger is a great fit for Dennis. It expands our presence into the finance category, an area we already have an impressive footprint in with the The Week and MoneyWeek. It is also a business with strong, recurring, subscription revenues; Dennis stands out as a company that is bilt around brands that readers trust and want to buy. I look forward to working with Denise Elliott and her talented team to keep growing the relevance, reach and revenues of the Kiplinger business." Denise Elliott, Senior VP and Chief Operating Officer at Kiplinger, will step up to run Kiplinger as CEO from the company's Washington DC headquarters and will become part of the Dennis Leadership Team. Jack Griffin, Chairman of Dennis, said: "Dennis has deep expertise in developing and growing well-loved media brands, both in print and online. We see a significant opportunity to continue to grow our business through expanding our reach and reputation globally. The Kiplinger acquisition marks the beginning of our focus on expansion through launch and acquisition in the US, one of the largest and most exciting media markets in the world." Knight Kiplinger, 71, will remain Chairman of KWE's former parent, Outlook, Inc., and will serve as an informal advisor to Kiplinger and Dennis on editorial content, with the title of Editor Emeritus. None of Outlook's substantial real estate holdings in Maryland and Martin County, Fla., are part of the transaction, and will continue to be owned and managed by the Kiplinger family. Knight Kiplinger, formerly Kiplinger's Chairman and Editor in Chief, said "Dennis will be an excellent custodian of not just the Kiplinger business, but of our editorial integrity and focus on strong reader service." Kiplinger was represented in the transaction by Berkery Noyes & Co in New York, and assisted by the Washington law office of Venable. Dennis was legally represented by Travers Smith in London and Choate, Hall & Stewart in Boston, and assisted by Oaklins DeSilva & Phillips in New York. About Dennis Publishing Group Dennis Publishing Group (Dennis) comprises Dennis Publishing Ltd in the UK and The Week Publications Inc. in the US. Dennis is one of the most dynamic media organisations, operating in the UK and US markets. Its portfolio of over 30 brands, operates in four areas of excellence: Current Affairs, Technology, Automotive and Lifestyle, reaching over 50 million unique users and selling over 2.5million magazines every month. Dennis has transformed its approach from its traditional print publishing roots to a multi-platform publishing and ecommerce business spanning both the UK and US, with a group turnover of over 190m. Dennis brands include The Week, Money Week, Auto Express, Expertreviews.co.uk, BuyACar.co.uk, Cyclist and Viz. Dennis holds the title of AOP Digital Publishing Company of the Year, 2016 & 2018, and British Media Awards Media Company of the Year 2016 & 2018. For more information, go to Dennis.co.uk. The Week was launched in 2001 and is based in New York. It boasts over 550,000 paid-for print subscribers and 5.8m monthly unique users to its award winning current affairs website TheWeek.com. About Kiplinger Kiplinger was founded in 1920 by a former Associated Press (News - Alert) economics reporter, W. M. Kiplinger (1891-1967), whose tersely written Kiplinger Washington Letter (launched in 1923) and Kiplinger Tax Letter (1925) became the prototypes for modern newsletter journalism and the most widely read newsletters in the world. In 1947 W. M. Kiplinger and his son, Austin H. Kiplinger (1918-2015), launched Kiplinger Magazine, the first magazine to give its readers advice on their personal finances. Under the leadership of Knight Kiplinger, the company expanded into video, audio and online information in the 1990s, also launching new periodicals on retirement living and income investing. In 2007, Kiplinger was named one of "America's "Most Ethical Companies" by Ethisphere magazine, and Kiplinger's Personal Finance won the 2009 General Excellence Award in the large-magazine category, from the Society of American Business Writers and Editors (SABEW). It has won or been a finalist for numerous online content honors, including MIN's Best of the Web, EPPY and Webby awards. About Exponent Established in 2004, Exponent is one of the UK's leading private equity firms, investing in companies with enterprise values between 100m and 400m. The company seeks to identify untapped potential and navigate complexity to unlock growth for its portfolio companies and investors. Its current and former investments in consumer media and publishing businesses include the Times Educational Supplement, Immediate Media and the Racing Post. A selection of Exponent's other investments include Quorn Foods, Photobox Group, Loch Lomond Whisky, Big Bus Tours, the Ambassador Theatre Group and Trainline. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005557/en/ [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com/wimax's Homepage ] The British Council announced three Egyptian winners of the Study UK Alumni Awards 2018-2019 in a ceremony at the British Embassy in Cairo on 26 February. A total of nine UK alumni in Egypt were shortlisted and recognised for their outstanding achievements as business professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders, and for their important contribution to strengthening collaborative ties between the UK and Egypt. The prestigious international award celebrates UK higher education and the achievements of UK alumni all over the world. Now in its fifth year, the award received more than 1,400 applications from international UK alumni in more than 100 countries, representing more than 120 UK higher education institutions across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Following in-depth interviews with a judging panel, recipients were selected for the three award categories: Professional Achievement, Entrepreneurial, and Social Impact. The Professional Achievement Award, which recognises alumni who have distinguished themselves through exemplary leadership in their professional field, was presented by a London Business School 2007 graduate, adventurer and entrepreneur Omar Samra, to the winner Samir Omara, graduate of the University of Exeter. Omara is the head of Professional Development for Teachers at the First Professional Development Programme run by the Egyptian Ministry of Education. BC The Social Impact Award, which acknowledges alumni who have made an exceptional contribution to creating positive social change, was presented by Khaled Habib, radio presenter and CEO of Fit for Life, who studied at the British School in Egypt, to the winner Maha Helali, a graduate of the University College London. Helali is now the vice-head of a new Committee for Women with Disabilities within the National Council for Women (NCW), and in 2017 was named as one of the top 50 Most Influential Women by Amwal Al-Ghad magazine in its Outstanding Women Initiative to empower women. BC The Entrepreneurial Award, which highlights alumni who have played a leading role in innovation or creative solutions, was presented by world-renowned jeweller Azza Fahmy, who was also offered by the British Council earlier in her career a six-month grant to study jewellery making in London, to the winner Omnia El-Rashidy, a graduate of the Sheffield Hallam University. El-Rashidys community-based medical programme enhances the quality of life for families with disabled children. She worked as a Medical Consultant for the National Council of Disabilities and Function in Egypt and currently takes her expertise to hospitals, teaching professionals her newly-adopted treatment approach. BC This years winners were chosen by an esteemed panel of juries that included British Council Egypt Director Elizabeth White, head of education at British Council Egypt Sahar Khamis, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the British University in Egypt Shadia Fahim, as well as Nevine Sharaf, Chevening programme manager at the British embassy, Khaled Habib, Mohamed Salheen, general secretary at the National Engineering Committee, Supreme Council of Universities, and Heba Kholeif, winner of the Social Impact Award in the 2017 UK Alumni Awards. British ambassador to Egypt Sir Geoffrey Adams said, Bringing together Egyptian talent and British education is a recipe for success. The winners of the awards today show just how true this is. Were working to give more Egyptians the opportunity to benefit from the UKs world-leading education system, not just in the UK but here in Egypt too, including through a growing number of partnerships between British and Egyptian institutions. I cant think of a better use of celebrating the Egyptian students success in the UK than getting together the alumni of the British Universities in Egypt, because in Egypt they are the best talented by definition and they build their country making it even better as they get the best British universities can offer, he said. Egypt is the first country to host the awards this year and will be followed by awarding ceremonies in another 12 countries, including Ghana, Pakistan, and the USA. Search Keywords: Short link: LOWER SALFORD Township officials have decided what will be done with about three-quarters of the more than $800,000 the municipality is getting from the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 stimulus funding to assist in the financial recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. "This is actually spending some of the ARPA money," Lower Salford Township Board of Supervisors Chairman... Get festive at Happy Holidays from Roxborough! Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. We can survive without the help ... On Monday, Feb. 11, the Board of Education adopted its 2019-2020 superintendent's proposed budget after a two-month-long process. The adopted budget has a 5.96 percent increase. Some might think the proposed increase is extreme and unreasonable. However, after months of examining the budget, we, the Board of Education, unanimously voted to approve the budget because we know that without the funding, we are not able to provide educational opportunities and extracurricular opportunities for the students of Berlin. Over the past five years, Berlins adopted BOE budget increases have been minimal and inadequate. This is best depicted in the chart below which compares the five-year average operational budget increases and the five-year average mill rate increases/decreases of towns with similar demographics. Regardless of the mill rate increase/decrease all the towns listed demonstrate their commitment to the educational system by providing operational budget increases that are far above what has been the ongoing practice in Berlin the last five years. Berlin Public Schools operational budgets are not keeping pace as other communities demonstrate a greater commitment to their education system. The net current expenditures per pupil for the state of Connecticut is $18,243 for 2017-2018. (That is the state average to educate a student in Connecticut.) Berlins net current expenditure per pupil is $16,457 for 2017-2018. Berlin is spending less per pupil than the state average to educate our students. The ability to pay is a number developed by the state of Connecticut. There are 169 towns in the state. Berlins wealth ranking is 65 out of the 169. Our per pupil expenditure should be around 65 out of the 169. However, Berlin ranks 106 out of 169. This means Berlin has the ability to pay and spend more based on the demographics and wealth of our town, yet year after year we are not adequately funding our schools. Berlin should be above the state average of the net current expenditure per pupil closer to $18,243 or even above, and closer to 65 versus 106 out of the 169 towns in our state. The Board of Education is expecting a 10.78 percent decrease in federal funding for the 2019-2020 school year. Over the past five years, the federal funding has decreased significantly which has caused the district to make cuts, increase classroom sizes and eliminate programs. Over the past few years, the Board of Education has had to make difficult decisions in order to save money, such as eliminating elementary school assistant principals, paraprofessionals and courses and programs, which led to teacher layoffs. If the Board of Education sees the same minimal increase we will not be able to sustain what we currently have. Increases to contractual salaries, transportation/utilities, contracted services, benefits and out-of-district tuition's make up an increase of $2,030,021 or 4.66 percent. Without a substantive increase to the funding provided to the Board of Education, we cannot sustain Berlin as a competitive school district with rich educational and extracurricular opportunities for our students. We invite you to attend the next Board of Education meeting on Monday, March 11 at 7 p.m. Submitted by the Berlin Board of Education MERIDEN The RJ Media Group, owner of the Record-Journal, closed on a deal this week to purchase The Cheshire Herald from longtime owners Joe and Maureen Jakubisyn. The Cheshire Herald, a weekly publication founded in 1953, will continue to operate with a fully-staffed office located in Cheshire, RJ Publisher Eliot White told Record-Journal employees Wednesday. This acquisition is an important part of the Record-Journals strategic growth plan, White said. It makes us a stronger local news and advertising organization and a stronger local company overall. White is president and publisher, and the fourth generation of his family to lead the Record-Journal. Liz White Notarangelo, Eliot Whites daughter, serves as executive vice president and assistant publisher of the Record-Journal. She will become The Cheshire Heralds new publisher. As a Cheshire resident, Ive learned that The Cheshire Herald is a foundation in this community, Liz White said. Its an honor to carry on the tradition of The Herald as the Jakubisyns pass the torch to our family-owned media company. We feel this is a perfect addition to RJ Media Group and were committed to continuing to provide quality local news and helping local businesses grow. This is an exciting time for our company and we look forward to working with even more people now in our local community. Started by Howard and Ruth True, the Cheshire Herald was later purchased by August Loeb, who served as publisher from 1963 to 1981. Joe and Maureen Jakubisyn have worked at the paper for a combined 90 years 31 years as publishers. Ive always had a tremendous love for newspapers since I could read, Maureen Jakubisyn told The Cheshire Herald. I studied journalism in college and had a background in bookkeeping when, 40 years ago this week, I stopped by the Notch Store and saw an ad in The Herald for an office person/bookkeeper at the paper. I applied and started on my birthday 40 years ago. From there it has been exciting to be able to be in the center of the hub of Cheshire activity. Joe Jakubisyn began working for The Cheshire Herald when the publication was printed in Hamden. Loeb, the publisher, approached him one day with an invitation to become a sales person. He accepted the job while staying on as a printer in the evenings. He eventually became a full-time salesman and worked 50 years for The Herald, according to the newspaper. The Jakubisyns took on new roles within the company and became jacks-of-all-trades around the newsroom. We worked as a team, Maureen Jakubisyn said, with me staying more in the office and Joe still selling ads. We wore many hats, and there was never a dull moment. The Cheshire Herald has 11 full- and part-time employees. In addition to the Record-Journal, the RJ Media Group also owns and operates six weekly newspapers, including the Cheshire Citizen. The Cheshire Citizen will continue its separate news coverage and mail delivery to Cheshire households. Ive known Joe and Maureen for 30 years and respect their commitment to local journalism, Eliot White told The Cheshire Herald. We are pleased that they have selected us to carry on their proud tradition as the source of trusted local news and advertising in Cheshire. I am also pleased that my daughter will be leading this new era of The Cheshire Herald. As publisher, she will bring her enthusiasm and strong background in journalism and business. mgodin@record-journal.com 203-317-2255 Twitter: @Cconnbiz National Army, BSF troops put on high alert All residents of the border areas have been asked to remain inside their homes. (File) Jammu, Feb 27 (PTI): | Publish Date: 2/28/2019 12:00:00 AM IST The Army and BSF have been put on the highest degree of alertness along the border here after air space violations by the neighbouring country and the night-long heavy firing and shelling by Pakistani troops on forward and civilians areas across the LoC which stopped on Wednesday. Authorities have ordered temporary closure of educational institutions in a 5-km radius along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch districts on Wednesday amid mounting tensions between the two countries, following the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 and an Indian air strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed camp inside Pakistan on Tuesday. All residents of the border areas have been asked to remain inside their homes and not venture outside. There was night long-heavy firing and mortar shelling along the LoC in most of areas in Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts. However there was no firing and shelling from across the border on Wednesday, officials said. Army and BSF troops have been put on highest alert along the LoC and International Border (IB) in view of the high degree of tension in wake of air space violations, they said. According to some reports, panic gripped the residents of border areas and some locals have left their homes and moved to safer areas. Pakistan on Wednesday said that its jets crossed the Line of Control to undertake strikes in India for self defence. Indian officials said Pakistani fighter jets on Wednesday violated Indian air space in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch and Nowshera sectors but were pushed back by Indian aircraft. On Tuesday night, the Indian Army destroyed five Pakistani posts along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir in a befitting retaliation to firing from across the border, resulting in a number of casualties to Pak troops, a defence official had said. The Indian Army retaliated for effect and our focused fire resulted in severe destruction to five posts and number of casualties to Pak army (along LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts), a defence PRO said. From 6:30 pm Tuesday, the Pakistani Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling with heavy calibre weaponry along the LoC out of frustration, he said. The Pakistani troops were also seen firing mortars and missiles from civilian houses, using villagers as human shields. However, the Indian Army targeted the Pakistani posts away from civilian areas, the PRO said, adding that this resulted in a number of casualties to Pak troopers. In exchange of fire, five soldiers of the Indian Army suffered minor injuries, out of which two of them were shifted to a military hospital for medical treatment. They are stable. Gibson's big sand tiger beetle (Photo by Ted MacRae) Gibson's big sand tiger beetle One of North Americas largest tiger beetles, the Gibsons big sand tiger beetle is among the insect worlds fiercest predators. Too small to harm humans, the Gibsons big sand tiger beetle hunts ants and other insects with its ferocious jaws. What does the species look like? The Gibsons big sand tiger beetle measures 14 to 21 millimetres in length. It is known for the beautiful dark red to purple stripe down its back, which is set against an ivory-coloured background. The stripe varies between individuals, but it is typically wider at the top and tapers to the bottom, often forming an imperfect heart shape. The Gibsons big sand tiger beetle has six legs, and antennae so long they could be mistaken for two extra legs. Below the antennae are two mandibles (mouth parts) used for hunting. What is the species behaviour? The Gibsons big sand tiger beetle is so big that it can eat most insect species, including other tiger beetles within their geographical range. Due to its large body size, it warms up more slowly than most other tiger beetles and becomes active later in the morning. Like most beetles, the Gibsons big sand tiger beetle goes through four stages of development: egg, larval, pupal and adult. The larva burrows 30 to 200 centimetres into the ground to survive the cold Canadian winter. Come spring, the larva positions itself at the top of its cup-like burrow and hides beneath the surface. It then strikes with its mandibles at any insects that happen to fall into the mouth of its burrow. Once fully grown, the Gibsons big sand tiger beetle mainly hunts on foot, but it can fly to escape danger. They are better at flying than landing, however, and will often tumble to the ground upon landing. Predators While the Gibsons big sand tiger beetle is a fierce predator, it is far from being at the top of the food chain. Robber flies, lizards and birds all hunt Gibsons big sand tiger beetle. Gibsons big sand tiger beetles prey on ants, but the ants often fight back. It is not uncommon for researchers to find ant heads attached to parts of the beetles. This indicates that a large enough group of ants may be able to overpower the beetle, turning the hunter into the hunted. Where does it live? Heavily adapted to active sand dunes (dunes with little vegetation, which allows them to shift and blow in the wind), the Gibsons big sand tiger beetles range is localized within southern Saskatchewan and possibly southeastern Alberta. It will eventually be pushed out if a sand dune has too much vegetation since it is not a preferred habitat type. Gibsons big sand tiger beetles are found on the Nature Conservancy of Canadas (NCCs) Dundurn property in Saskatchewan. It is also suspected that they can be found on the Asquith properties close to Saskatoon, given that the similar sandy habitat is also present at these locations. What is its conservation status? Recently listed as threatened under the Species at Risk Act, the Gibsons big sand tiger beetle has been on the decline in recent years. Its biggest threat is habitat loss. Invasive plants also play a role in the loss of this species habitat. Invasive plants that are better able to survive in sandy regions grow over sandy dunes. When plants stabilize a sandy area beyond a certain point, the area is no longer hospitable for several sand dune specialists, including Gibsons big sand tiger beetle. Active sand dune habitat in Saskatchewan is expected to continue to decline in the future. With less available habitat, Gibsons big sand tiger beetle populations become more isolated from each other, making the species less resilient to natural population fluctuations. What is NCC doing to protect this species? Conserving important sand dune ecosystems is imperative. NCC manages the growth of invasive species and will promote sustainable grazing, both of which are strategies to prevent the dunes from stabilizing on the Dundurn property, where the beetle is found. On February 01, The Papua New Guinea Defence Force commissioned the first Austal-built Guardian-class patrol boat, the Her Majesty's Papua New Guinea Ship Ted Diro (HMPNGS Ted Diro). On February 01, The Papua New Guinea Defence Force commissioned the first Austal-built Guardian-class patrol boat, the Her Majesty's Papua New Guinea Ship Ted Diro (HMPNGS Ted Diro). HMPNGS Ted Diro during sea trials (Picture source : Austal) Ted Diro is the first of 21 Guardian-class patrol boats to be gifted to 12 Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste under the Pacific Maritime Security Program, the successor to the original Pacific Patrol Boat Program in which Australia gifted vessels to Pacific Island nations between 1987 and 1997. The larger and more capable Austal-made Guardian-class can support mixed-gender crewing and will assist nations to combat a wider range of maritime security issues, including transnational crime and illegal fishing. The 39.5 meter steel hulled patrol boats are built by Austal under a contract from May 2016, with a contract option in April 2018 taking the program to 21 vessels valued at AU$ 335 million. In addition to the gifting of 21 vessels, the Pacific Maritime Security Program includes contracted region-wide fixed wing aerial surveillance, ongoing sustainment and training support, the continuation of Defences maritime adviser network, and infrastructure upgrades to support the safe and secure berthing of the vessels. Papua New Guineas former Pacific Patrol Boat, ex-HMPNGS Rabaul, arrived in Australia for environmentally responsible disposal in October 2018, and NUSHIP Ted Diro was handed over to Papua New Guinea in November. Madison v. Alabama provides clarity rather than makes new law. In this case the Supreme Court held 5-3 that the Eighth Amendment prohibits a person who lacks a rational understanding due to mental illness for why the death penalty has been imposed to be put to death regardless of what mental illness the person is suffering from. Continue > By Lisa Soronen Madison v. Alabama provides clarity rather than makes new law. In this case, the Supreme Court held 5-3 that the Eighth Amendment prohibits a person who lacks a rational understanding due to mental illness for why the death penalty has been imposed to be put to death regardless of what mental illness the person is suffering from. Vernon Madison was sentenced to death for killing a police officer in 1985. Since then he has suffered a series of strokes and has been diagnosed with vascular dementia. He claims he no longer remembers the crime for which he has been sentenced to death. In Ford v. Wainwright (1986), the Supreme Court held that the Eighth Amendments ban on cruel and unusual punishments disallows executing a person who has lost his sanity after sentencing. The court clarified the scope of that category in Panetti v. Quarterman [2007] by focusing on whether a prisoner can reach a rational understanding of the reason for [his] execution. Madison initially argued that he could not be executed because he could not remember his crime. He ultimately conceded that he can because a person lacking memory of his crime may yet rationally understand why the state seeks to execute him; if so, the Eighth Amendment poses no bar to his execution. The majority of the Supreme Court agreed with Madison, in an opinion written by Justice Elise Kagan, because Panetti asks about understanding, not memorymore specifically, about a persons understanding of why the state seeks capital punishment for a crime, not his memory of the crime itself. Alabama initially argued that Madison could be executed because he suffers from dementia instead of psychotic delusions, which Ford and Panetti suffered from. Alabama ultimately conceded that a person suffering from dementia may be unable to rationally understand the reasons for his sentence; if so, the Eighth Amendment does not allow his execution. Again, the Supreme Court agreed with Alabama that Panetti focuses on the effect of the mental disorder, not its cause: an inability to rationally understand why the state is seeking execution. The Supreme Court was unable to determine whether Madisons execution could go forward because the lower court didnt determine whether Madison had a rational understanding of why Alabama sought to execute him. The court sent this case back to the lower court to make that determination. Chief Justice John Roberts joined the more liberal justices to form the 5-3 majority. Justice Brett Kavanaugh didnt participate in the case. Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, dissented arguing that the only issue the court had agreed to hear in this case was whether the Eighth Amendment prohibits the execution of a person who cannot recall committing the murder for which the death sentence was imposed. They agreed with the majority it does not. Lisa Soronen is executive director of the State and Local Legal Center and a frequent contributor to the NCSL Blog on judicial issues. Meredith News Selectman candidates spar in Moultonborough by Ein Plummer MOULTONBOROUGH Candidates for selectman sparred over issues such as the town's demographic shift, the proposed community center, and other topics during a Meet the Candidates Night. Candidates for different town offices met with voters at the Moultonborough Function Hall on Sunday night. Board of selectmen candidates Chris Shipp, the incumbent, and Chuck McGee discussed their priorities and stances on different issues, debate that often turned heated and contentious. McGee described himself as a fiscal conservative and expressed concern with how the proposed town budget increase $680,000 and the proposed school budget increased $700,000, saying the town will be facing around $1.4 million in increased spending. Shipp later said both he, as a selectman, and McGee, as a member of the Advisory Budget Committee, voted in favor of all warrant articles and only disagreed on the ones related to the proposed community center. "I was pretty surprised, especially considering how things aren't going well in regards to spending," Shipp said. McGee said he started getting interested in town politics in 2016 when an article for $85,000 was on the warrant for a sidewalk study, saying this is a project that has come to the voters repeatedly and shot down each time. McGee said the same is true of the community center project. "I'm running because I'm concerned that we're not listening to the majority of the voters when we vote down projects once or twice in a community," McGee said, later saying, "We need to represent the majority of the community who vote and when the majority speak you need to listen to them." Shipp said he does listen to the people when he makes decisions, saying all the people include families, young people, retirees, middle aged people, and more. He also said considering any municipal project requires thinking 50 years into the future. Shipp said he supports a community center with a gym on the Taylor Property, a facility in an easily accessible location that meets everyone's needs. "When I make a decision, I think about everybody. I don't just think about people in my demographic group," Shipp said. McGee said he would like to see more young families come to town, but said he didn't know how to bring more in with the lack of higher paying jobs in the area. Later, he said the key to bringing more young families in town is jobs, saying the town has an excellent school system but most students who graduate are going other places. Unless a business comes into town to do that, he didn't see how Moultonborough would be made more attractive for young families. He said the town already pays $14 million for the school system, $500,000 for the Recreation Department, and $600,000 for the library, which has children's programs. "I don't know what else you'd like me to do for them," McGee said. At the same time, more second homeowners and retirees are coming into town, and additionally, there is a population of people working in industries that serve them such as landscaping, restaurants, and more. Shipp said bringing in more people to Moultonborough, especially younger people, is important. He said he has been in favor of marketing the town and there was $75,000 in the budget for marketing. That funding was later scrapped which Shipp said he thought was shortsighted. "I want us to maintain a small town character too, but I want to maintain a well-rounded population," Shipp said. "To say that the schools alone are going to do it; that's simply not true. We need the infrastructure to attract young families." A number of attendees challenged McGee on his views and countered his statements. A number of people questioned McGee's his statement that he represents all people, stating his letters to local papers mainly reference retirees and second homeowners. McGee said he does represent all people in town. McGee talked about the new community center in Fryeburg, Maine, a prefabricated steel building that was that was built for $1.7 million. He said he visited Fryeburg and spoke with the Parks and Recreation Director about the town and the project, saying Fryeburg has similarities to Moultonborough in it had lost a number of employers and was losing young people. "What I saw was a town that didn't have a lot of money that did a lot of hard work," McGee said. He said Fryeburg built a building with a maintenance free exterior and did so all through fundraising and not through taxes. McGee said he has the same kind of building as his barn. Shipp said it took Fryeburg 15 years to raise funds for that community center. Some attendees countered the Fryeburg facility was an eyesore and they would not want to see that type of building in the middle of Moultonborough. McGee said he wasn't against a community center or a gym, but said he wasn't sold that there was a need for more gym space. Mcgee said he would rather a community center be at the Lion's Club. He said he was disappointed that the selectmen didn't put forward the two phase approach of doing a community center building then putting on a gym later. While talking about affordable housing, Shipp said one of the best ways to bring more of it in town is to alter allowed densities. The town took that approach by creating the Village Overlay District which allows or higher density housing and cluster development. Shipp said he was more in favor of the Lion's Club property being used for high density, cluster housing, which is needed for affordable housing. "This is an 18 acre lot I've heard builders say was a builder's paradise," Shipp said. McGee said he wasn't in favor of any apartments, condominiums, or any kind of cluster housing development being built on the Lion's Club property. MOULTONBOROUGH Candidates for selectman sparred over issues such as the town's demographic shift, the proposed community center, and other topics during a Meet the Candidates Night.Candidates for different town offices met with voters at the Moultonborough Function Hall on Sunday night. Board of selectmen candidates Chris Shipp, the incumbent, and Chuck McGee discussed their priorities and stances on different issues, debate that often turned heated and contentious.McGee described himself as a fiscal conservative and expressed concern with how the proposed town budget increase $680,000 and the proposed school budget increased $700,000, saying the town will be facing around $1.4 million in increased spending.Shipp later said both he, as a selectman, and McGee, as a member of the Advisory Budget Committee, voted in favor of all warrant articles and only disagreed on the ones related to the proposed community center."I was pretty surprised, especially considering how things aren't going well in regards to spending," Shipp said.McGee said he started getting interested in town politics in 2016 when an article for $85,000 was on the warrant for a sidewalk study, saying this is a project that has come to the voters repeatedly and shot down each time. McGee said the same is true of the community center project."I'm running because I'm concerned that we're not listening to the majority of the voters when we vote down projects once or twice in a community," McGee said, later saying, "We need to represent the majority of the community who vote and when the majority speak you need to listen to them."Shipp said he does listen to the people when he makes decisions, saying all the people include families, young people, retirees, middle aged people, and more. He also said considering any municipal project requires thinking 50 years into the future.Shipp said he supports a community center with a gym on the Taylor Property, a facility in an easily accessible location that meets everyone's needs."When I make a decision, I think about everybody. I don't just think about people in my demographic group," Shipp said.McGee said he would like to see more young families come to town, but said he didn't know how to bring more in with the lack of higher paying jobs in the area. Later, he said the key to bringing more young families in town is jobs, saying the town has an excellent school system but most students who graduate are going other places. Unless a business comes into town to do that, he didn't see how Moultonborough would be made more attractive for young families.He said the town already pays $14 million for the school system, $500,000 for the Recreation Department, and $600,000 for the library, which has children's programs."I don't know what else you'd like me to do for them," McGee said.At the same time, more second homeowners and retirees are coming into town, and additionally, there is a population of people working in industries that serve them such as landscaping, restaurants, and more.Shipp said bringing in more people to Moultonborough, especially younger people, is important. He said he has been in favor of marketing the town and there was $75,000 in the budget for marketing. That funding was later scrapped which Shipp said he thought was shortsighted."I want us to maintain a small town character too, but I want to maintain a well-rounded population," Shipp said. "To say that the schools alone are going to do it; that's simply not true. We need the infrastructure to attract young families."A number of attendees challenged McGee on his views and countered his statements. A number of people questioned McGee's his statement that he represents all people, stating his letters to local papers mainly reference retirees and second homeowners. McGee said he does represent all people in town.McGee talked about the new community center in Fryeburg, Maine, a prefabricated steel building that was that was built for $1.7 million. He said he visited Fryeburg and spoke with the Parks and Recreation Director about the town and the project, saying Fryeburg has similarities to Moultonborough in it had lost a number of employers and was losing young people."What I saw was a town that didn't have a lot of money that did a lot of hard work," McGee said.He said Fryeburg built a building with a maintenance free exterior and did so all through fundraising and not through taxes. McGee said he has the same kind of building as his barn.Shipp said it took Fryeburg 15 years to raise funds for that community center.Some attendees countered the Fryeburg facility was an eyesore and they would not want to see that type of building in the middle of Moultonborough.McGee said he wasn't against a community center or a gym, but said he wasn't sold that there was a need for more gym space. Mcgee said he would rather a community center be at the Lion's Club. He said he was disappointed that the selectmen didn't put forward the two phase approach of doing a community center building then putting on a gym later.While talking about affordable housing, Shipp said one of the best ways to bring more of it in town is to alter allowed densities. The town took that approach by creating the Village Overlay District which allows or higher density housing and cluster development. Shipp said he was more in favor of the Lion's Club property being used for high density, cluster housing, which is needed for affordable housing."This is an 18 acre lot I've heard builders say was a builder's paradise," Shipp said.McGee said he wasn't in favor of any apartments, condominiums, or any kind of cluster housing development being built on the Lion's Club property. Meredith News Meredith Library dedication celebration this Saturday Holiday events going on this weekend Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com Newfound Landing Orange resident reels in the big one at Alexandria VFA's Ice Fishing Derby by Donna Rhodes write the author Christopher Drouin of Orange was excited when his 6.43 pound, 28-inch lake trout not only took first place in that category but turned out to be the overall winner in the Alexandria Volunteer Firefighters Association Ice Fishing Derby last weekend. (Photo by Donna Rhodes) (click for larger version) ALEXANDRIA Christopher Drouin of Orange said he has never caught a fish that made it to the Winner's Board for the Alexandria Volunteer Firefighter's Association Fishing Ice Fishing Derby, but this year, he hit the jackpot. His 6.43 pound, 28-inch catch not only received the $150 first place prize for the largest lake trout; it also brought home the $1,000 Grand Prize for the largest fish pulled in over the two-day event. Drouin said he had actually been jigging for perch off Whittemore Point over the weekend when he felt a tug that was a quite a bit more than he expected. "It took me a long time to pull it in on just a two-pound test line," he said as he held up his winning fish. "It's been a great weekend!" He added that due to the unusual circumstances under which the Laker was caught, he was off to find a taxidermist to mount it for him. "This is something I want to remember," Drouin said. Young Hunter Crowley of Bedford had a great weekend as well. The Alexandria derby places all catches on the board for potential prize money, but if children have entries that get knocked off that leader board, they are placed into the special children's category, open to fish of any species. Crowley, who caught a trophy-winning trout in the Webster Lake Derby last weekend, came up big in Newfound Lake this week, too. His 3.26-lb. rainbow trout not only came in third-place overall, but was first for the youth division as well. "I came out of the ice hut and saw a flag was up so I ran right over to my tip up," Crowley said. "It took a lot of line and it was a good two-minute fight to pull him in." He also had a few other fish that made it to the winner's board so Sunday night he drove home with trophies, cash and gift certificate for his efforts. Many older, experienced anglers said that they would like to have Crowley give them some tips for success in the future. Other winners in the children's category were 11-year-old Ava of Canterbury who placed second in the competition and Jayden Gilpatric of Bridgewater who came in third. Trophies for the children's division were once again provided by Tracy Simula, who said he has done so since 2005 in memory of his dad Richard Simula who was an active member of the Newfound community. "It's great to see kids out here taking part in outdoor activities like this and I will support it for as long as I can," he said. Other first place winners in the derby were Walter Young (cusk), Art Pitts (pickerel), Gerald Miller (rainbow trout), and Cory Stillings who pulled in the top perch. Each first place catch awarded entrants with $150 in cash, second place paid $100 and third place received a $50 prize. Lt. James Kneeland of N.H. Fish and Game said that on Saturday there was great weather on Saturday and he saw a lot of fish being pulled in by participants. Derby organizer Jim Shokal of Alexandria Volunteer Fire Department was happy with not only the weather at the start of the weekend, but the great attendance they had for the fire department's 28th annual ice fishing derby. "We had a total of 477 people register and while that's not quite a record, it was an excellent turnout and we thank all who took part," Shokal said. Throughout the two days there were also more than $2,000 in raffle prizes awarded thanks to donations from local businesses and community partners. AVFD Chief George Clayman was equally pleased with this year's derby success. Clayman said, "We want to thank everyone in the community for always supporting us, specifically all who donated to and took part in the derby. We had a great year and look forward to seeing everyone again next year." ALEXANDRIA Christopher Drouin of Orange said he has never caught a fish that made it to the Winner's Board for the Alexandria Volunteer Firefighter's Association Fishing Ice Fishing Derby, but this year, he hit the jackpot. His 6.43 pound, 28-inch catch not only received the $150 first place prize for the largest lake trout; it also brought home the $1,000 Grand Prize for the largest fish pulled in over the two-day event.Drouin said he had actually been jigging for perch off Whittemore Point over the weekend when he felt a tug that was a quite a bit more than he expected."It took me a long time to pull it in on just a two-pound test line," he said as he held up his winning fish. "It's been a great weekend!"He added that due to the unusual circumstances under which the Laker was caught, he was off to find a taxidermist to mount it for him."This is something I want to remember," Drouin said.Young Hunter Crowley of Bedford had a great weekend as well. The Alexandria derby places all catches on the board for potential prize money, but if children have entries that get knocked off that leader board, they are placed into the special children's category, open to fish of any species.Crowley, who caught a trophy-winning trout in the Webster Lake Derby last weekend, came up big in Newfound Lake this week, too. His 3.26-lb. rainbow trout not only came in third-place overall, but was first for the youth division as well."I came out of the ice hut and saw a flag was up so I ran right over to my tip up," Crowley said. "It took a lot of line and it was a good two-minute fight to pull him in."He also had a few other fish that made it to the winner's board so Sunday night he drove home with trophies, cash and gift certificate for his efforts. Many older, experienced anglers said that they would like to have Crowley give them some tips for success in the future.Other winners in the children's category were 11-year-old Ava of Canterbury who placed second in the competition and Jayden Gilpatric of Bridgewater who came in third.Trophies for the children's division were once again provided by Tracy Simula, who said he has done so since 2005 in memory of his dad Richard Simula who was an active member of the Newfound community."It's great to see kids out here taking part in outdoor activities like this and I will support it for as long as I can," he said.Other first place winners in the derby were Walter Young (cusk), Art Pitts (pickerel), Gerald Miller (rainbow trout), and Cory Stillings who pulled in the top perch. Each first place catch awarded entrants with $150 in cash, second place paid $100 and third place received a $50 prize.Lt. James Kneeland of N.H. Fish and Game said that on Saturday there was great weather on Saturday and he saw a lot of fish being pulled in by participants. Derby organizer Jim Shokal of Alexandria Volunteer Fire Department was happy with not only the weather at the start of the weekend, but the great attendance they had for the fire department's 28th annual ice fishing derby."We had a total of 477 people register and while that's not quite a record, it was an excellent turnout and we thank all who took part," Shokal said.Throughout the two days there were also more than $2,000 in raffle prizes awarded thanks to donations from local businesses and community partners.AVFD Chief George Clayman was equally pleased with this year's derby success.Clayman said, "We want to thank everyone in the community for always supporting us, specifically all who donated to and took part in the derby. We had a great year and look forward to seeing everyone again next year." Newfound Landing TTCC celebrates 67 years of Santa's Village with Holiday Stroll Pair of Bear boys earn All-State soccer honors Recent Donna Rhodes Christmas Parade returns to Tilton this weekend 2021-Dec-02 Public input sought on renaming of local cemetery 2021-Dec-02 Founders reflect on Turkey Trots 40-year history 2021-Nov-24 PRHS students, staff organize fundraiser for student in need 2021-Nov-24 Bonan to become Fire Chief in Holderness 2021-Nov-18 Plymouth police welcome new Chief, Deputy Chief 2021-Nov-11 More... Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com Plymouth Record Enterprise Area police and safety personnel take part in active shooter training drill by Donna Rhodes write the author Bonnie Stevens of Plymouth Fire Department was paired with Thornton Police Officer Dan Gilman to emergency methods on packing gunshot and knife wounds during an active shooter drill at Campton Elementary school. (Photo by Donna Rhodes) (click for larger version) CAMPTON Thirty-eight members of police, fire and ambulance departments in the Pemi-Baker, Newfound and White Mountain regions took part in a special training program at Campton Elementary School on Feb. 16, where they learned life-saving skills and tactical information on secure ways to work together in the event of an active shooter event. Taking part in the all day training session were representatives of Campton-Thornton Fire and EMS along with police officers from both Campton and Thornton; Plymouth Fire Department; Ashland fire and police departments; Bristol Fire and EMS; along with emergency responders from Lin-Wood, Littleton, and the Franconia Ambulance Service. "This has been really interesting," said Kate Varin, an EMT from Franconia. "We thought it was great that Campton-Thornton invited those of us from up north to this training that we might not otherwise have received." CTFD Fire Chief Dan Defossess explained that the opportunity for the multi-department training session was made possible through a Homeland Security grant. The grant not only allowed staff from N.H. Fire Standards and Training and Emergency Medical Services to lead the session, but paid for the participants' time as well. "For us this was a big deal. It's all about things we wouldn't normally have access to," Defossess said. "Every day, you hear about things like this (mass shootings) happening and we want to be prepared." Gerard Christian is the Clinical Systems Program Coordinator for NHFST&EMS and said the Campton training session was the largest they have held so far in bringing police, firefighters and EMTs together. The day began with classroom sessions comprised of a mixture of police, fire and EMS personnel. While police would be involved in any initial confrontation with an attacker, known as a "Hot Zone," they would then need to protect emergency medical personnel who would be called in to assist any victims of the incident. That joint response area is considered a "Warm Zone," a place outside the preeminent "Hot Zone," where immediate danger is not perceived, but security is still required. During the course of the morning's training sessions, police were shown ways in which they could provided immediate care for victims before bringing them to the "Warm Zone." There the officers would continue to watch over EMS crews as they provided any immediate emergency treatment to the wounded before carrying them out for transportation to a nearby hospital. While some of the participants listened in on ways to address an active shooter situation, others from both spectrums of emergency response learned some other basic care techniques they may need during such an event Realistic looking body parts and blood were provided so police, firefighters and EMTs could see a simulation of injuries they would most likely experience during a mass casualty event. Instructors demonstrated methods on how to effectively pack bleeding wounds, like those sustained through gunshots or knives, ways to apply "chest seals" to treat situations such as a collapsed lung, and how to address basic airway management. Participants then moved on for more comprehensive training in how police would bring emergency medical personnel into a "Warm Zone" to care for any victims. The procedure used is called "stacking," where armed police officers would guard the front of a crew of EMTs and paramedics, while another armed officer watches from the rear. Medical personnel can then make a rapid assessment of the victim, load them onto a stretcher if necessary, and carry them, by police escort, to an awaiting ambulance. "This is all about linking security and medical forces together in an emergency situation," Christian said. "With this training, everybody gets an idea about what the other does." After a lunch break, members of Scouting Troop 58 of Campton-Thornton and Waterville Valley joined the drill by stepping in to be "victims" of a potential active shooter inside the school. Defosses said one girl in particular gave them all a chilling realization of what a true emergency of that sort would be like. "That girl screaming gave it a little bit of reality. One of the moms that were present got teary eyed over it. There were definitely some emotional moments as we did that drill," said Defossess. "The afternoon brought everything we learned over the course of the morning together. It was a great training session. Our take-away about this is that what we learned can be applicable to other events, should they ever occur." The chief said there was a lot of great feedback from those who attended the session and he hopes they can hold another area training program in the near future. "Things like this can happen anywhere at any time and we all need to be prepared," Defossess said. CAMPTON Thirty-eight members of police, fire and ambulance departments in the Pemi-Baker, Newfound and White Mountain regions took part in a special training program at Campton Elementary School on Feb. 16, where they learned life-saving skills and tactical information on secure ways to work together in the event of an active shooter event.Taking part in the all day training session were representatives of Campton-Thornton Fire and EMS along with police officers from both Campton and Thornton; Plymouth Fire Department; Ashland fire and police departments; Bristol Fire and EMS; along with emergency responders from Lin-Wood, Littleton, and the Franconia Ambulance Service."This has been really interesting," said Kate Varin, an EMT from Franconia. "We thought it was great that Campton-Thornton invited those of us from up north to this training that we might not otherwise have received."CTFD Fire Chief Dan Defossess explained that the opportunity for the multi-department training session was made possible through a Homeland Security grant. The grant not only allowed staff from N.H. Fire Standards and Training and Emergency Medical Services to lead the session, but paid for the participants' time as well."For us this was a big deal. It's all about things we wouldn't normally have access to," Defossess said. "Every day, you hear about things like this (mass shootings) happening and we want to be prepared."Gerard Christian is the Clinical Systems Program Coordinator for NHFST&EMS and said the Campton training session was the largest they have held so far in bringing police, firefighters and EMTs together.The day began with classroom sessions comprised of a mixture of police, fire and EMS personnel. While police would be involved in any initial confrontation with an attacker, known as a "Hot Zone," they would then need to protect emergency medical personnel who would be called in to assist any victims of the incident. That joint response area is considered a "Warm Zone," a place outside the preeminent "Hot Zone," where immediate danger is not perceived, but security is still required.During the course of the morning's training sessions, police were shown ways in which they could provided immediate care for victims before bringing them to the "Warm Zone." There the officers would continue to watch over EMS crews as they provided any immediate emergency treatment to the wounded before carrying them out for transportation to a nearby hospital.While some of the participants listened in on ways to address an active shooter situation, others from both spectrums of emergency response learned some other basic care techniques they may need during such an eventRealistic looking body parts and blood were provided so police, firefighters and EMTs could see a simulation of injuries they would most likely experience during a mass casualty event. Instructors demonstrated methods on how to effectively pack bleeding wounds, like those sustained through gunshots or knives, ways to apply "chest seals" to treat situations such as a collapsed lung, and how to address basic airway management.Participants then moved on for more comprehensive training in how police would bring emergency medical personnel into a "Warm Zone" to care for any victims. The procedure used is called "stacking," where armed police officers would guard the front of a crew of EMTs and paramedics, while another armed officer watches from the rear. Medical personnel can then make a rapid assessment of the victim, load them onto a stretcher if necessary, and carry them, by police escort, to an awaiting ambulance."This is all about linking security and medical forces together in an emergency situation," Christian said. "With this training, everybody gets an idea about what the other does."After a lunch break, members of Scouting Troop 58 of Campton-Thornton and Waterville Valley joined the drill by stepping in to be "victims" of a potential active shooter inside the school. Defosses said one girl in particular gave them all a chilling realization of what a true emergency of that sort would be like."That girl screaming gave it a little bit of reality. One of the moms that were present got teary eyed over it. There were definitely some emotional moments as we did that drill," said Defossess. "The afternoon brought everything we learned over the course of the morning together. It was a great training session. Our take-away about this is that what we learned can be applicable to other events, should they ever occur."The chief said there was a lot of great feedback from those who attended the session and he hopes they can hold another area training program in the near future."Things like this can happen anywhere at any time and we all need to be prepared," Defossess said. Recent Donna Rhodes Christmas Parade returns to Tilton this weekend 2021-Dec-02 Public input sought on renaming of local cemetery 2021-Dec-02 Founders reflect on Turkey Trots 40-year history 2021-Nov-24 PRHS students, staff organize fundraiser for student in need 2021-Nov-24 Bonan to become Fire Chief in Holderness 2021-Nov-18 Plymouth police welcome new Chief, Deputy Chief 2021-Nov-11 More... Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com Winnisquam Echo Candidates for office introduce themselves to Tilton voters by Donna Rhodes write the author TILTON Voters in Tilton were invited to Candidates Night at the Tilton Town Hall last week, where those running for offices this year had a chance to introduce themselves and answer questions from the moderator and audience. With only three contested races, two for Board of Selectmen and one opening on the Sewer Commission, Town Administrator Jeanie Forrester, filling in for Town Moderator Chuck Mitchell, began the evening with candidates for selectman. Opting to run for a one-year term that will fulfill a position vacated earlier last year, Katherine Dawson said the short term would be a good opportunity for her to wind down her lengthy tenure with the board and allow others an opportunity to join next year. Asked by Forrester to explain her greatest strength and how she would use it if elected, Dawson said, "Undoubtedly my 20 years of experience as selectman." She went on to say she would continue to use her diverse knowledge and familiarity with municipal government to do her best for Tilton. Her final question was what she believed to be the greatest need or problem facing the town and how would she resolve it. Dawson said town, county and school taxes were a problem. "We have to look at the needs and not the wants. When taxes go up it hurts everybody," she replied. Her challenger this year is Jason Wright. Wright introduced himself as a native of New Hampshire who moved to Tilton in 1996. The opportunity to run for a one-year term he felt was not only a good way to get acclimated to the Board of Selectmen but the best choice for his family at this time. Wright's background is in engineering and he currently runs the New Hampshire State Surplus. His previous work experiences included real estate and jobs in both the corporate and industrial fields. Wright said he would bring his experience in managing budgets to the board, adding that he would use his creative thinking skills to find more creative ways to handle how money is spent. When asked his greatest strength, he stated that he does his homework, checks his facts then makes solid decisions that he can both defend and support. As to the greatest need or problem in the town, Wright said the town needs to develop a plan, to look at the town and emergency services and decide what it should look like in 20 years. "I don't think we can do it in a year but it's something the selectmen and every committee in town needs to look at," he said. For the three-year term, candidates include incumbent Joe Jesseman and challengers Eric Pyra and Dick Olson. Raised in Tilton, Jesseman said his strength is his two-term experience on the board and many other town committees, and his willingness to collaborate. He said he approaches everything with an open mind and has even voted against his own self-interests at times because "it was the right thing to do." The biggest problem he sees is the drug issues that affect families, children and the community and said he would continue to support programs that care for children and young adults. Jesseman also said that he is involved in many ways with the community outside of his role in town government in his desire to make Tilton a better place. "I want to continue to make this a better place. I've seen other thriving communities and I want Tilton to join in on this," he said. Pyra said he has been a resident of Tilton since 2001 where he and his wife chose to raise their two children. In 2012 he joined the Planning Board, has been a past member of the Budget Committee and Zoning Board, and is currently a fire commissioner and member of the Tilton Police Department Building Committee. "There's a lot of potential here and I like to be part of it," he said. He feels representing residents of the town is an important role for selectmen while economics is the biggest problem the town faces. If elected, he said he would like to encourage more business along Main Street and work to attract commercial industry to Business Park Drive. At the age of 26, Olson, who received an honorable discharge from the Army due to an injury, is the youngest candidate for selectman. He sees his age as a benefit however, bringing new ideas and new perspectives to the board. When asked what he believes to be the most important role of a selectmen Olson said he felt it to be the negotiation of contracts, weighing decisions carefully and having the ear of the people. "I want to leave the town better for children," he replied. His greatest strength is in contract negotiation, something that benefitted him with a shop he had in Derry. As to what the greatest needs or problems of the town, Olson stated that the town needs to take a second look at itself and someone his age might bring things to light that others might not have noticed over the years. He said he would also like to see the community do more for veterans. He and Wright are also running for Sewer Commission, where Wright is the incumbent. Wright said that he has a lot of experience and knowledge of the sewer district and that means a lot. Running for his fifth term, he has been part of expansion and improvements to the system but it's not done yet. "I'd like to see the project through to continue up West Main Street where buildings back up to the river," he said. As for experience, Olson on the other hand said he has already been accompanying Commissioner Peter Fogg to some of the town's pump stations so he can learn more about it. At times he has even helped with some repairs. "I'm very familiar with different types of pumps and I'm able to fix them," he said. Elections for these and other positions in Tilton will take place on Tuesday, March 12, at Winnisquam Regional High School. TILTON Voters in Tilton were invited to Candidates Night at the Tilton Town Hall last week, where those running for offices this year had a chance to introduce themselves and answer questions from the moderator and audience.With only three contested races, two for Board of Selectmen and one opening on the Sewer Commission, Town Administrator Jeanie Forrester, filling in for Town Moderator Chuck Mitchell, began the evening with candidates for selectman.Opting to run for a one-year term that will fulfill a position vacated earlier last year, Katherine Dawson said the short term would be a good opportunity for her to wind down her lengthy tenure with the board and allow others an opportunity to join next year.Asked by Forrester to explain her greatest strength and how she would use it if elected, Dawson said, "Undoubtedly my 20 years of experience as selectman."She went on to say she would continue to use her diverse knowledge and familiarity with municipal government to do her best for Tilton.Her final question was what she believed to be the greatest need or problem facing the town and how would she resolve it. Dawson said town, county and school taxes were a problem."We have to look at the needs and not the wants. When taxes go up it hurts everybody," she replied.Her challenger this year is Jason Wright. Wright introduced himself as a native of New Hampshire who moved to Tilton in 1996. The opportunity to run for a one-year term he felt was not only a good way to get acclimated to the Board of Selectmen but the best choice for his family at this time. Wright's background is in engineering and he currently runs the New Hampshire State Surplus. His previous work experiences included real estate and jobs in both the corporate and industrial fields. Wright said he would bring his experience in managing budgets to the board, adding that he would use his creative thinking skills to find more creative ways to handle how money is spent. When asked his greatest strength, he stated that he does his homework, checks his facts then makes solid decisions that he can both defend and support. As to the greatest need or problem in the town, Wright said the town needs to develop a plan, to look at the town and emergency services and decide what it should look like in 20 years."I don't think we can do it in a year but it's something the selectmen and every committee in town needs to look at," he said.For the three-year term, candidates include incumbent Joe Jesseman and challengers Eric Pyra and Dick Olson.Raised in Tilton, Jesseman said his strength is his two-term experience on the board and many other town committees, and his willingness to collaborate. He said he approaches everything with an open mind and has even voted against his own self-interests at times because "it was the right thing to do." The biggest problem he sees is the drug issues that affect families, children and the community and said he would continue to support programs that care for children and young adults. Jesseman also said that he is involved in many ways with the community outside of his role in town government in his desire to make Tilton a better place."I want to continue to make this a better place. I've seen other thriving communities and I want Tilton to join in on this," he said.Pyra said he has been a resident of Tilton since 2001 where he and his wife chose to raise their two children. In 2012 he joined the Planning Board, has been a past member of the Budget Committee and Zoning Board, and is currently a fire commissioner and member of the Tilton Police Department Building Committee."There's a lot of potential here and I like to be part of it," he said.He feels representing residents of the town is an important role for selectmen while economics is the biggest problem the town faces. If elected, he said he would like to encourage more business along Main Street and work to attract commercial industry to Business Park Drive.At the age of 26, Olson, who received an honorable discharge from the Army due to an injury, is the youngest candidate for selectman. He sees his age as a benefit however, bringing new ideas and new perspectives to the board. When asked what he believes to be the most important role of a selectmen Olson said he felt it to be the negotiation of contracts, weighing decisions carefully and having the ear of the people."I want to leave the town better for children," he replied.His greatest strength is in contract negotiation, something that benefitted him with a shop he had in Derry. As to what the greatest needs or problems of the town, Olson stated that the town needs to take a second look at itself and someone his age might bring things to light that others might not have noticed over the years. He said he would also like to see the community do more for veterans.He and Wright are also running for Sewer Commission, where Wright is the incumbent. Wright said that he has a lot of experience and knowledge of the sewer district and that means a lot. Running for his fifth term, he has been part of expansion and improvements to the system but it's not done yet."I'd like to see the project through to continue up West Main Street where buildings back up to the river," he said.As for experience, Olson on the other hand said he has already been accompanying Commissioner Peter Fogg to some of the town's pump stations so he can learn more about it. At times he has even helped with some repairs."I'm very familiar with different types of pumps and I'm able to fix them," he said.Elections for these and other positions in Tilton will take place on Tuesday, March 12, at Winnisquam Regional High School. Winnisquam Echo Christmas Parade returns to Tilton this weekend Belmont residents receive Community Heritage Awards Recent Donna Rhodes Christmas Parade returns to Tilton this weekend 2021-Dec-02 Public input sought on renaming of local cemetery 2021-Dec-02 Founders reflect on Turkey Trots 40-year history 2021-Nov-24 PRHS students, staff organize fundraiser for student in need 2021-Nov-24 Bonan to become Fire Chief in Holderness 2021-Nov-18 Plymouth police welcome new Chief, Deputy Chief 2021-Nov-11 More... Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com The Charger Blog Captain Kristen (OKeeffe) Dorfman 14, a judge advocate and special victims counsel for the United States Army, attributes much of her success to her experience at the University. By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications U.S. Army Captain Kristen (OKeeffe) Dorfman 14 Kristen Dorfman 14, a captain in the U.S. Army, represents victims of sexual assault throughout the justice process. She credits many of the experiences she had as a student, especially her involvement as a student leader with ChargerREC, for preparing her for such an influential position. "So much of what I learned helps me every day," said Dorfman, who majored in criminal justice. "I am constantly tasked with new challenges, and I know that I must attribute a lot of my success as a leader to my time with ChargerREC." She joined the ChargerREC team as a customer service attendant, greeting members as they came in. Often working early morning shifts, she says the members who came in full of energy brightened her days. Dorfman says she made many close friends while working at ChargerREC, and she is grateful for the opportunity she had to meet people of diverse cultures and backgrounds. She eventually was given more responsibility, serving as a building supervisor. "So much of what I learned helps me every day. I am constantly tasked with new challenges, and I know that I must attribute a lot of my success as a leader to my time with ChargerREC." Kristen Dorfman 14 "It made me feel much more confident in myself, knowing that I was trusted with helping to run the facility," she said. "Whether it was opening in the morning, closing at night, assisting my peers with their duties, or aiding and reporting any injuries or events, I was up for the challenge." Juggling her position with her full-time course load, Dorfman also completed an internship with the State of Connecticuts judicial branch, working with the clerks office. Shes grateful for the opportunities that she had as a Charger. "I truly learned how to be a leader and how to be part of a team," Dorfman said. "These skills have been important in every aspect of my current job, and many jobs I've had since graduating. I learned that the best leaders are successful because they know how to also be part of a team." By PTI MUMBAI: Malaysian budget airlines group AirAsia Thursday announced the launch of a new technology centre in Bengaluru to help it design and create custom-built solutions for the group's airline and digital businesses. The move is a part of the global initiatives that the company is exploring to drive its digital transformation, a release said. India is a source for innovation and cutting-edge technology, and offers us tremendous growth potential when it comes to our mission to develop an all-encompassing travel technology ecosystem," said Aireen Omar, AirAsia deputy group deputy chief executive officer for technology and digital, at the launch of the new facility. ALSO READ | Air Asia launches flight to Bangkok The centre will deploy a team of around 35 AirAsias software engineering and technology (AASET) experts, who would work to streamline the airlines digital assets such as its website and mobile app along with creating and implementing new products and enhancements such as the new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot, among others, for a seamless journey. "We look forward to further developing our team of specialist software engineers, analysts and product development teams in the region," Omar added. The opening of AirAsias new technology centre demonstrates the airlines commitment to building world-class technology in the country, said Sunil Bhaskaran, managing director and chief executive officer AirAsia India. Indias skilled manpower can address the requirements of the global market - at the same time adding value to the Indian ICT industry and helping to strengthen the industry ecosystem," he added. The Bengaluru-based low cost AirAsia India is a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons and AirAsia group. By PTI NEW DELHI: The Cabinet on Thursday cleared an FDI proposal of telecom operator Vodafone Idea Ltd ahead of its proposed up to Rs 25,000 crore rights issue. "The Cabinet has approved the proposal of Vodafone Idea Ltd, which had proposed foreign direct investment of more than Rs 5,000 crore which may extend up to Rs 25,000 crore," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said. Last month, the board of directors of Vodafone Idea Ltd had approved Rs 25,000 crore fundraising plan by way of rights issue to the existing eligible equity shareholders. The promoter shareholders Vodafone Group and Aditya Birla Group have told the board that they intend to contribute up to Rs 11,000 crore and up to Rs 7,250 crore, respectively, as part of such rights issue. The promoter shareholders have also said that in case the rights issue is under-subscribed, each of the promoter shareholders reserves the right to take up part or whole of the unsubscribed portion, subject to stipulated law. Vodafone Idea's board has authorised the Capital Raising Committee to decide the nuances of the rights issue, issue price, rights entitlement ratio, record date, timing of the issue and other matters. The proposed rights issue will arm Vodafone Idea Ltd with ammo to take on market competition intensified by Reliance Jio. Also, Vodafone Idea has recently approached the the telecom department seeking two-year moratorium on its annual spectrum payment of about Rs 10,000 crore, citing high debt levels and stress on the balance sheet. British telecom major Vodafone holds 45.1 stake in the combined entity, while Kumar Mangalam Birla-led Aditya Birla Group controls 26 per cent and Idea shareholders own 28.9 per cent. The mega merger was announced a few months after the entry of the deep-pocketed Reliance Jio, whose aggressive pricing and freebies impacted the financials of the entire industry, which has even seen bankruptcies and asset sell-offs. The Cabinet nod comes on a day when another telecom operator Bharti Airtel's Board has approved fundraising plans of up to Rs 32,000 crore through a mix of rights issue and bond. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: THE rising fiscal deficit of state governments has become a matter of great concern as the deficit of 19 states amounted to 25.9 per cent of the budget estimate in the third quarter of this fiscal, which is the worst in eight years. Aggregate fiscal deficit of 19 states amounted to 25.9 per cent of the budget estimate (BE) in 3QFY19, almost double the average of 13.2 per cent during the last five years, said the Economy Observer, a report by Motilal Oswal. Consequently, in the first nine months, the aggregate fiscal deficit of the 19 states touched 62.5 per cent of the BE versus an average of 44.3 per cent across the last five yearsthe worst in at least the past eight years, it said. The Centres fiscal deficit, at 112.4 per cent of BE, was also the highest in at least 19 years. The issue was also flagged by Finance Commission chairman N K Singh last week during his visit to Telangana. What we found so far is varied conformity to the fiscal goals by the states as they are at different stages of disobedience and compliance. Therefore, each state needs to have a separate road map to bring down the fiscal deficit and the debt, Singh told media persons after his meeting with Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. Bihars fiscal deficit was 5.5 times the full-year BE, while Kerala, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh (MP) almost breached their full-year targets during the period. Another problem area is that GDP growth in states is not matching their spending. Aggregate total spending of 19 states increased by 16.2 per cent YoY in 3QFY19, the fastest pace of spending growth in two years. Growth, however, was aided by multi-year lowest growth of 2.7 per cent a year ago in 3QFY18, the report added. According to Nikhil Gupta, lead economist and the author of the report, slower growth in receipts vis-a-vis spending during 9MFY19 led to higher fiscal deficit during the period. By Express News Service BENGALURU: A city-based student pilot, Abhay Ashvin, will visit Linkoping in Sweden, home of the Gripen fighter jet manufactured by Saab. The opportunity to get up-close with one of the worlds advanced fighter jet programmes was offered to Ashvin, the winner of the Gripen Warrior contest. On Saturday, during the Aero India show, five Gripen Warrior finalists took their seats in the Gripen flight simulator and 24-year-old Ashvin, a student pilot at the Government Flying Training School, Bengaluru, emerged victorious. His success was the culmination of a month-long contest hosted by Saab for all Indian combat aircraft enthusiasts. The Gripen Warrior challenge involved an online test of aviation knowledge and flight simulation of the Gripen fighter. The contest drew nearly 2,000 participants across 27 states, a statement from Saab said. Were excited to engage with the defence enthusiasts of India and give one of them the chance to live a life-long dream; getting up close to the worlds best fighter aircraft, says Ola Rignell, Chairman and Managing Director of Saab India Technology Pvt Ltd in a statement. Mats Palmberg, Vice President, Industrial Partnerships, Saab, said the competition was a great way for India to see and understand the complex technologies that make defence and security solutions by Saab so uncompromising and effective. By Express News Service CHENNAI: The Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard are on high alert along the coastline of Tamil Nadu amid escalation of tension between India and Pakistan after the Indian Air Force carried out an air strike on a JeM terror camp in Balakot on Tuesday. A defence spokesman said that the Navy is on high alert but refused to divulge details. It is learnt that the Indian Navy along with Indian Coast guard, is patrolling the seas. An Indian Coast Guard source told Express that all the ships are at sea, patrolling the coastline of India along with Indian Navy vessels. South India is home to critical infrastructure including the nuclear installations in Kalpakkam and Kudankulam near Kanniyakumari. We are leaving no stone unturned and checking fishing vessels if we suspect something, the coastguard source said while urging fishermen to divulge information if they suspect something along the coast. Indian Navy commander T Venkataramani (Retd) told Express that Indian Coast is now well prepared to handle any threats. We have radars all round. We also have Coast Guard patrolling the sea with an increased strength in vessels. We are well prepared to take on Pakistan Navy and our Long Range Maritime Reconnaisance is such that we have the ability to patrol the seas from Australia to South Africa, said the official. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Well-wishers and political leaders continued to express solidarity with the family of the IAF pilot, Wg Cdr Abhinandan who is in Pakistans custody. Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar and DMDK treasurer Premalatha were among those who met the family at their suburban residence in Chennai. Jayakumar lauded Abhinandans parents for their courage. Abhinandans father Air Marshal Varthaman (retired), served the nation during the Kargil war while his grandfather Simhakutty too had served the nation during the second world war in the Air Force, the minister recalled. DMK MLA S R Raja, Lok Sabha MP K N Ramachandran, VIPs, and police officials visited Varthamans residence. Parents leave for Delhi Meanwhile, Abhinandans parents left for New Delhi to receive him after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in a joint session of his countrys Parliament that the pilot will be released on Friday as a gesture of peace. Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthaman (retd) and his wife Dr Shobha Varthaman left for Delhi by an Indigo flight late evening while refusing to talk to a large congregation of media in front of the gates. Earlier, in a statement Air Marshal Varthaman said, He is a true soldier, we are proud of him. I pray he doesnt get tortured and comes back safe and sound in body and mind. By Express News Service Mahatma Gandhis fans across the world will have a unique opportunity to possess the first-ever Euro Souvenir Indian notes that celebrate 150th year his birth anniversary. The limited-edition Zero Euro 12notes commemorative series has been unveiled by UAE-based specialized numismatics company, Numisbing, with just 5,000 notes of each design. The first two notes of the series have been launched and the rest will be launched sequentially until Oct 2, 2019. The first note discusses the three vows that young Mohandas gave to his mother Puttlibai before he left for England for studying law. These were: he wouldnt drink alcohol, abstain from non-vegetarian food and will look upon other women as mothers or sisters. The second note is based on the incident wherein Gandhi was thrown off a train at the Pietermaritzburg Railway Station, South Africa in 1893, when he refused to move from a whites-only compartment. The notes, designed by Dubai-based Indian artist Akbar Saheb, are based on interesting and famous incidents from Gandhis personal and political life, paying rich tribute to the legendary figure, who remains a beacon for many. Speaking about the initiative, Numisbing founder Ramkumar said,Besides the fact that these commemorative notes have a huge shelf value, the bigger reason for the initiative was to bring Mahatma Gandhi back to life using incidents that are more than just history lessons. The Zero Euro note is a souvenir banknote authorized by the European Central Bank and are printed in the same security printers which are used to print the Euro banknotes. These notes carry all the security features of Euro banknote, except that they are all marked as 0, and are tested to ensure they cannot enter circulation as legitimate financial currency, said Numisbing co-founder Steve. Srividya Palaparthi By Express News Service KOCHI: Vedkiran was devastated when he wasnt able to hire the right chef who shared his vision for healthy, tasty and sophisticated desserts in his establishment. Now, as a businessman himself, he couldnt afford to go away for a three-year course to learn all the nuances taught in pastry school. I needed a place that could give practical training in this regard. Theoretical training through conventional courses was not enough, says Vedkiran. A small look into the state of pastry chefs in the country showed him a bigger picture. Bangalore-based 'Whitecaps International School of Pastry' was not just a startup but also what Vedkiran needed to equip his own business along with the entire food industry. After failing to find a pastry chef who matches my vision, I did some research into finding professionals and realised that there wasnt any professional institution to teach confectionery or baking. I always wanted to start up in the food industry and through this research, I also realised the gap that the education sector had with the confectionery industry, says Vedkiran. Although some may argue that baking is too niche a category to have an institute for, Vedkiran begs to differ. We as Indians have a conventional way of seeing things. Anything that isnt usual, we consider niche. But if you look deeper, most of the urban populace is familiar with international gourmet food. And confectioneries, dessert bars are on a rise lately. You can find sophisticated outlets that exclusively serve desserts running successfully. Todays urban citizen is not happy with the usual. And, as the industry grows so does the need for professional pastry chefs. Thats where Whitecaps International comes in, he explains. Whitecaps International School of Pastry offers three-month specialisation courses in various skills required to be a pastry chef with 1 week of industry experience. Our alumni are already placed in star hotels across the country, says Vedkiran. As Vedkiran learns along with students, he also has the help of Aravind Prasad, a celebrity chef who represented India globally. Ved shares, He helped me structure the courses and his experience and expertise got our students the hands-on learning that they needed to go ahead and pursue their dreams. Their alumni are placed in prestigious positions in establishments like Shangi La, Ritz Carlton and Hyatt Regency. Started with a self-funding of `1 crore, Vedkiran after just one year of establishing the institute valuated the company for `11 crores and acquired investment for a 6 per cent share in the company. Besides expanding the infrastructure of the Bengaluru institute, Vedkiran plans on franchising the institute to Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. In a Nutshell By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: Finally, the Central government on Wednesday announced a new railway zone for Visakhapatnam -- a key promise made in the AP Reorganisation Act- 2014 -- ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the Steel City on Friday. The proposed zone christened the South Coast Railway or SCoR for short will be headquartered in Vizag and will comprise the Guntakal, Guntur and Vijayawada divisions. Announcing the zone at a press conference in New Delhi, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal clarified that the Waltair division will be divided with one part merging with the Vijayawada division under SCoR and the other being headquartered at Rayagada in Odisha under the East Coast Railway (ECoR). The announcement on Wednesday evening came amid threats by the Pratyeka Hoda Sadhana Samithi and the ruling TDP to stage demonstrations during the Prime Ministers visit. It immediately sparked celebrations in the BJP camp while the response from the TDP was muted. The Opposition YSRC welcomed the announcement and claimed credit too. So elated was the BJP state leadership that its senior leaders, who were incidentally in Vizag to oversee arrangements for Modis visit, celebrated at the Vizag railway station. BJP state chief Kanna Lakshminarayana, former union minister D Purandeswari, MLA P Vishnu Kumar Raju and others took part in the celebrations. We were expecting an announcement by Modi himself. However, with the model code of conduct coming into force in view of the MLC elections, the party leadership might have announced the railway zone ahead of Modis visit, a BJP leader told TNIE. Though welcoming the move, TDP leader and Srikakulam MP K Ram Mohan Naidu said his struggle will continue as seven stations of Srikakulam are still in Khurda Road Division - Palasa, Jhadupudi, Mandasa Road, Summadevi, Ichapuram, Baruva, and Sompeta. We demand that these stations also be included in the South Coast Railway zone, he said. The creation of a new zone means that the existing South Central Railway (SCR), which used to cover divisions in AP and Telangana as well as some others in neighbouring Maharashtra, will have less number of divisions under its jurisdiction. The SCR will now have only Hyderabad, Secunderabad and Nanded divisions in both the States. Piyush Goyal didnt go into the details and confined himself to a brief statement. Recalling that the Reorganisation Act required the Centre to examine the feasibility of a railway zone in Vizag, he said it was decided to go ahead to create the new zone with headquarters in Vizag after consultations with all the stakeholders. The Pratyeka Hoda Sadhana Samithi and other activists who have been demanding the new zone initially welcomed it but soon questioned the viability of SCoR, claiming that 70 per cent revenue would go to the ECoR and only the rest to the SCoR. The main cause of their displeasure is the Centres decision to divide the Waltair division and merge one part of it with Vijayawada division and make the other part as a new division with headquarters in Rayagada under the ECoR. However, the BJP countered the argument, pointing out that the Centre had to take into consideration the interests of Odisha as well. PMs visit as scheduled Visakhapatnam: Despite heightened tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of surgical strikes, there will be no change in Prime Minister Narendra Modis scheduled visit to Vizag on March 1, said BJP state president Kanna Lakshminarayana, who is overseeing arrangements for PMs meeting, here on Wednesday. Waltair division to be divided Waltair division will be divided with one part merging with Vijayawada division under the SCoR and the other being headquartered at Rayagada under the ECoR By Express News Service Late actor Sridevis last film, MOM, is set to be released in China on March 22. The revenge thriller was earlier released in 39 regions around the world including Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, UAE, UK, USA, and Singapore. Directed by Ravi Udyawar, MOM features Sridevi in the role of a biology teacher who avenges the brutal rape of her teenage stepdaughter. The film marked her 300th on-screen appearance, and later won the actor a posthumous National Award. AR Rahman also won a National Award for the music of MOM. Sridevi passed away on February 24, 2018 in Dubai while attending a family wedding. Her last Malayalam project, Sree Sree Devaraagam, was shelved due to her death. She made a cameo appearance in the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Zero, which was released posthumously. Speaking about the MOMs China release, Boney Kapoor said, MOM is a film that has connected with both, mothers and audiences, from every region. This is Sris last film and our aim is to tell this beautiful story and showcase her most remembered last film to as many people as possible. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Leaders of 21 Opposition parties supported the armed forces and the government in the fight against terrorism, but at the same time lashed out against the blatant politicisation of the sacrifices made by the soldiers. Speaking after a meeting of Opposition parties, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said, The meeting of 21 parties expressed their deep anguish over the blatant politicisation of the sacrifices made by our Armed Forces by leaders of the ruling party. National security must transcend narrow political considerations. The Opposition is also peeved at not being consulted over the developments taking vis-a-vis Pakistan. The Prime Minister has, regrettably, not convened an-all party meeting as per the established practice in our democracy, Rahul said. The opposition leaders lauded the action taken by the IAF against the terrorist camp across the LoC on Tuesday, but expressed concern over the emerging security situation. Condemning the Pakistani misadventure, they expressed concern for the safety of the IAF pilot reportedly taken captive. They urged the government to take the nation into confidence on all measures to protect Indias sovereignty, unity and integrity. The BJP, however, dismissed the charge of politicising the sacrifice of the armed forces, with Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Arun Jaitley claiming the Oppositions joint statement was bolstering the case of Pakistan. Dismissing the allegation as baseless, Javadekar said the Opposition joint statement was being used by the Pakistani media to project that Indian parties were not united in the fight against terror. Appealing to the non-NDA parties to introspect, Jaitley said, Let the country speak in one voice. By PTI NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday approved an order for giving reservation benefits to economically weaker sections and for promotion in government jobs to SCs and STs in Jammu and Kashmir. The decision has been taken by a meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said at a press conference. "It will serve the purpose of application of relevant provisions of the Constitution of India, as amended through the Constitution (Seventy-Seventh Amendment) Act, 1995 and Constitution (One Hundred and third Amendment) Act, 2019 for Jammu and Kashmir, by issuing the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Amendment Order, 2019 by the President under clause (1) of Article 370," he said. The order will have to be promulgated by the President. Ramananda Sengupta and Mayank Singh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday mulled various responses to the Pakistani aircraft intruding into Indian territory, and the capture of an IAF MiG 21 Bison pilot, who was shot down over PoK while challenging the intruders. Most experts, however, argued that the incident should not cause Delhi to lose focus from the main objective of destroying terrorist camps across the border. Former Army Chief General VP Malik said that the targeting of Indian military installations could lead to a limited war. The point is that Pakistans action can escalate to limited war if this action-reaction phenomenon continues. While insisting that a full-scale war is not in either nations interest, We have to be always prepared, he said. This intrusion that followed Indias bombing of non-military targets in Pakistan should not surprise us, opined former Air Chief Marshal FH Major. Before such operations are launched these kinds of escalations are always factored. While former diplomats were hesitant to spell out options saying that the situation was too fluid and that the Indian reaction depended on the political leadership, AB Kukreja, a diplomat who served in Pakistan, felt that diplomatically, we can downgrade relations further, and expel their officials from India. We can also stop talks on the Kartarpur corridor, though that might hurt Sikh sentiments. And then of course, there is the water card. Though the threat cannot be implemented overnight. According to him, it was important not to lose sight of the main objective, which was to stem the flow of terror from Pakistan. Air Marshal Bijoy Pandey, former air officer commanding in-chief of Headquarters Training Command, believes that Pakistan is not capable of conventional war... because it is only capable of proxy war using terrorist outfits, the battle will be confined to J&K. He said the Indian forces were engaged in cleaning the Valley of terrorists, which could yield results over time. We have flexed our muscles, and the PM has given a free hand to the forces. But this does not mean we can launch a war, the objective should be to clear out other major terrorist bases in Pakistan. And instead of using special forces like in the surgical strike that followed the terror strike on Uri, India should increasingly use strike aircraft backed by satellite. By PTI NEW DELHI: A delegation of IAF team will on Friday receive Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, captured by Pakistan during an aerial combat, at the Wagah border, official sources said. Varthaman's MiG 21 was shot and he bailed out after bringing down one Pakistani F-16 fighter during a dogfight to repel a Pakistani attack on Wednesday morning, he said. He has been in Pakistan since then. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in Parliament on Thursday that Varthaman would be released on Friday as a "peace gesture". Tensions between the two countries escalated after Indian fighters bombed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp near Balakot deep inside Pakistan early Tuesday. ALSO READ: 'We just completed a pilot project, have to do real one': Modi's first reaction to Abhinandan's release It came 12 days after the JeM claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Kashmir, killing 40 soldiers. A team of Indian Air Force officials will receive Wing Commander Abhinandan at the Wagah border on Friday evening, the sources said. It is not clear whether Varthaman will be handed over to the International Red Cross or to the Indian authorities by Pakistan. India on Wednesday demanded the immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot. "We are happy that our pilot who had fallen across the Line of Control and was in the custody of Pakistan is being released. We are extremely happy to have him back. We only see it as a gesture which is in consonance with the Geneva Conventions," Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor, the assistant chief of Air Staff, told a news conference. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has offered to receive Wing Commander Varthaman at the Attari border. The Congress leader tweeted his request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Dear @narendramodi ji, I'm touring the border areas of Punjab & I'm presently in Amritsar. Came to know that @pid_gov has decided to release #AbhinandanVartaman from Wagha. It will be a honour for me to go and receive him, as he and his father are alumnus of the NDA as I am," he wrote. By Online Desk Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express his deep condolences over the Pulwama terrorist attack and conveyed the solidarity of his country with New Delhi in its fight against terror. Modi thanked Putin for Russia's steadfast support for India's efforts to protect its interests against cross-border terror attacks, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said. Meanwhile, the army, navy and the air force Thursday said they are in a heightened state of readiness and fully prepared to deal with any provocation by Islamabad, notwithstanding Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's announcement of releasing the captured IAF pilot as a "gesture of peace". In a first joint media briefing after Pakistani fighter jets targeted Indian military installations, the three forces said Pakistan has escalated the tension by targeting these installations in an aerial raid on Wednesday and India was ready for a befitting reply to any eventualities. "The Pakistan Air Force aircraft attempting to target military installations were intercepted by IAF fighter aircraft which thwarted their plans. PAF bombs have fallen in Indian Army formation compounds, they were unable to cause any damage to our military installations," said Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor, assistant chief of Air Staff. He said in the aerial combat, one F-16 of Pakistan Air Force was shot down by an IAF MiG-21 Bison. The F-16 crashed and fell across the LOC in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Here are the highlights on the India-Pakistan border tensions By PTI NEW DELHI: Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad, which was responsible for killing of 40 CRPF personnel in Pulwama, had resolved in a conference more than a year ago that its "Ghazwa-e-Hind" (Holy War Against India) will continue irrespective of Indo-Pak ties, according to an intelligence report. Citing the report, officials said the conference organised in Okara district in Pakistan on November 27, 2017, saw more than 2,000 participants showering praise on organisational activities of JeM and the role played by its chief Masood Azhar, the mastermind of February 14 Pulwama strike in Jammu & Kashmir, among other terror attacks in India. According to the intelligence report prepared on the basis of inputs from across the border, JeM resolved at the conference to continue what it called its 'Ghazwa-e-Hind'. The conference was addressed by JeM leaders Abdul Rauf Asghar, Md Maqsood and Abdul Malik Tahir. Asghar said the Indo-Pak friendship and bilateral trade would not end 'jihad' as there were many youths ready to sacrifice, the report said. It further said that another six-day meeting, held in February 2018, saw the JeM's 'Shoba-e-Taaruf' (Department of Introduction) conducting 13 interaction sessions in which 700 people, including 65 'Ulemas' (religious scholars), participated. The JeM terrorists had carried out a suicide attack on February 10, 2018 on Indian Army's Sunjwan camp in Jammu and Kashmir in which five Army officers were killed and many more were injured. Five JeM terrorists took part in the attack in which three were killed and two escaped. The report said it was described by the JeM as a pre-planned operation carried out on the Sunjwan Camp by JeM as part of "revenge" operations launched by the 'Afzal Guru Shaheed Squad' in Kashmir. The intelligence report also mentioned a four-day visit to Sialkot district in March 2018 of JeM's 'Shoba-e-Taaruf' delegation, comprising Mujahid Abbas, Rashid Mushtaq and Abid Mehmood, during which it organised 17 sessions attended by 1,500 people, including 50 'Ulemas'. The delegation recruited 22 people for training course and 91 for 'Daura-e-Tafseer' (Training on Jihad and Quran). The participants also promised to take part in religious events organised by the JeM and the 'Ulemas' expressed satisfaction over the schedule for training prepared by JeM chief Masood Azhar. They also appreciated religious services rendered by Masood Azhar and prayed for JeM 'Mujahideen'. The delegation held five separate sessions with JeM activists, which were attended by 28 'Ulema' and activists, the report said. Mayank Singh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter jets intruded into Indian air space around 10.30 am on Wednesday to strike military targets, Indian sources said, adding that the aircraft were chased away from the Line of Control. Three F-16s crossed the LoC in the Nowshera area in an operation launched on the Indian Armys military locations, a senior officer said. We have a Brigade Head Quarter, Unit Head Quarter and the other administrative building in the area, the officer pointed out, adding that the Pakistani jets locked on to four Indian military targets. Our operation on Tuesday in Balakot was against a non-military target and we have been telling Pakistan through our government to take action and dismantle the terrorist facility, the officer said, adding that Pakistans act was clearly a military aggression. Pakistans head of the ISPR (Inter Services Public Relations) Maj. Gen Asif Ghafoor claimed the jets had locked on to six targets. The PAF jets dropped bombs at four places, which included one close to the Brigade Headquarters and another near the ammunition point in Nariana, another source said. IAF fighters, which were already in the air because of the heightened tension, engaged the Pakistani jets, but in the process, an IAF MiG-21 flown by Wing Commander Abinanadan Varthaman reached near the LoC and was shot down by air defence guns of Pakistan. The pilot ejected but landed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. All this would have happened within a few minutes, added an officer. Former Army Chief General VP Malik (Retd) said Wednesdays developments would escalate the conflict. We went in for a non-military target. But if Pakistan starts attacking our military areas, things will escalate. Burke/Triolo Productions/ThinkstockPre-sales are underway now for Reba McEntire's July 26 and 27 shows at Connecticut's Foxwoods Resort Casino. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday. A special UK edition of Keith Urban's Graffiti U album will be released March 8, immediately after he headlines five shows as part of the Country to Country Festival. The European release adds his three Ripcord hits, "Blue Ain't Your Color," "The Fighter (featuring Carrie Underwood)," and "Wasted Time," to his latest set. Brantley Gilbert and Brett Eldredge are set to headline Tailgate Fest 2019 August 17 and 18 in Norco, California, 45 minutes outside of Los Angeles. Tickets are on sale now. The vinyl version of Josh Turner's new gospel album, I Serve a Savior, will be available March 8. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Ayshvarya Narayanan By Online Desk It was not just people in India who were shaken when news about the deadly Pulwama terror attack broke out. The NRI community abroad was jolted as well. While everyone offered condolences for the martyred soldiers' families, 26-year-old Viveik Patel wanted to be more than just a social media warrior. Viveik, an NRI residing in the US, started a Facebook fundraiser to support the families of the 42 slain soldiers of the Pulwama attack. He started the initiative to raise $25,000 USD and to his surprise, he got it in just three to four hours. He once aspired to join the Indian Army and even got selected, but he couldn't make it as he wanted to pursue higher education. Over $1 million (over Rs 7 crore) in just 14 days with contributions from more than 26,000 donors is no ordinary feat. Viveik, the brain behind the cause, says he feels fantastic about the huge response. Viveik started the fundraiser on FB as he was unable to contribute through the government portal 'Bharat Ke Veer.' Speaking to Express, he says, "I couldn't make the payment on the government website as it asked for documents like PAN, which I didn't have with me. Also, the site was down due to heavy traffic. Then I thought I will create an FB fundraiser and make it more convenient for others to connect." He suggested that the government website should have a simpler donation process. "No one wants to go through a tedious, complicated process. Options like passport number or foreign national identity number could ease the process for NRIs. We don't need an FB fundraiser if the government portal has flexible options," he adds. Earning the trust of people to donate money in the fundraiser was a huge challenge for Viveik but he believes that his initiative will change this notion. "When I started this, I decided that I should set an example for everyone to trust social media fundraisers and I hope this has definitely made an impact," asserts Viveik, who credits the donors for making the highest fundraiser in the history of FB possible. His family can't be any prouder. Earlier, his nationalism was always judged as he moved to the US but now, he doesn't have to prove it to anyone. With his efforts, now 'Bharat Ke Veer' has started to accept USD and even FB supports payment through more currency options. "It's a huge achievement. Now, people from across the globe can contribute towards this fund," he says. The next big task for him is to ensure the transfer of money. He is in touch with the Indian consulate in New York, which is providing him with all the support. "Things are going in the right direction but it's a long process and it's going to take some time. But definitely, the funds are coming to India," he assures. Viveik works with a team which shares all the updates about the fundraiser on a FB page, ensuring everything is transparent. Viveik, who hails from Gujarat's Vadodara, works as a business analyst with Conduent in Virginia. His parents are lawyers by profession. When asked about the best compliment he has received so far, he says with laughter, "It was from my parents who told me that I am not wasting time on social media anymore." Viveik says the NRI community is very optimistic about the government under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi after the recent airstrike against Pakistan. "We are so positive that this is the guy who can lead us in the future as well," he concludes. By PTI KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday said lives of jawans are much more valuable than electoral politics, but the nation has a right to know what actually happened at Balakot in Pakistan following the IAF's airstrike there. Citing foreign media reports that not much damage was done by the Indian Air Force's pre-emptive strike on terror camps at Balakot, she said, "The Force should be given an opportunity to come up with facts." "After the air strikes, we were told there were 300 deaths, 350 deaths. But I read reports in the New York Times and the Washington Post which said no human was killed. Another foreign media report said only one person was injured," Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat here. She said, "We have the right to know, people of this country want to know how many were killed (at Balakot). Where the bomb were actually dropped? Was it dropped on the target?" Government officials had said on Tuesday that in a pre-dawn strike, the IAF bombed and destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp at Balakot in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, killing over 350 terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. At a media briefing in the national capital on Thursday evening, Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor, assistant chief of Air Staff, said it was up to the political leadership to decide when and how to release evidence of the Balakot strike's success. He was responding to a question on the scepticism in some quarters about whether IAF fighters had hit the intended targets. Kapoor said there is credible information and evidence that "we hit the intended targets" and it was premature to assess the casualties and damage. Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, said, "Every citizen loves the country and every citizen also has the right to know the truth." Apparently targeting the BJP, she alleged that an attempt was being made to reap electoral benefit from the Pulwama terror attack and the air strike at Balakot. "We don't want politics over the blood of jawans who guard our frontiers. I condemn this attempt by some to reap political dividends to get votes. We don't want any war for the sake of elections, we want peace," she said. She regretted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not meet the opposition leaders after the Pulwama terror attack or the IAF air strike at Balakot. Wondering why no preventive measures were taken after Pathankot and Uri terror attacks, she said the Pulwama attack took place despite warning by intelligence agencies. The Jaish-e-Mohammed's Pulwama terror attack on February 14 had killed over 40 CRPF jawans. "We are not in favour of war for the sake of politics. But certainly, we will support whatever steps are taken for the interest of the nation," the chief minister said. She said the country is eagerly waiting for the safe return of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who is now under the custody of Pakistan. Pakistan held Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman Wednesday after fighter jets of both the nations engaged in an air battle following an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in a joint session of Pakistani Parliament earlier in the day that IAF's captured pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be a gesture of peace. By Bloomberg India has always had the capacity to strike back at Pakistan in response to the actions of the non-state actors its military controls. What New Delhi has always struggled with is the ability to control what follows -- to limit the spiral of escalation, to retaliate without provoking a full-fledged war between two nuclear-armed states. There was a brief moment after the Indian Air Forces strike in Pakistani territory in the early hours of Tuesday when it appeared that a way to thread that needle had been discovered. Rather than restricting itself to attacking terrorist training camps just across the Line of Control that divides Kashmir, India for the first time in decades struck areas that were undisputedly part of Pakistan itself. Strategists in New Delhi seemed confident that theyd fundamentally shifted the red lines in Kashmir and expanded Indias arsenal of possible retaliatory measures against Pakistan-backed militant attacks. For that to be true, however, both Indian and Pakistani politicians would need to retain control of their (mutually incompatible) domestic narratives. The Indian government -- facing a tough re-election campaign in just a few weeks -- had to be able to tell its electorate that it had made Pakistan pay, claiming unofficially to have killed as many as 300 terrorist recruits. Pakistan had to be able to assert the opposite -- that the Indians had hit nothing but a forested hilltop before being chased off by Pakistani fighter jets. Thats why the Indian government was initially very careful to have its chief diplomat brief the press, rather than anyone connected with the military. Indias foreign secretary also stressed that this was a non-military action, meaning that it wasnt directed at the Pakistani military and that a central aim of the planning was to ensure there were no civilian casualties. Meanwhile, Pakistans ruling party was busy mocking the Indian medias claims on Twitter, accusing journalists of watching too many Bollywood movies. In general, as long as both sides focus on reassuring their domestic constituencies rather than contradicting each others version of events, the chances of conflict are paradoxically lower. The problem is that in this crisis like any other, facts inevitably intrude. The mere fact that Indian jets had penetrated Pakistani airspace at will was too embarrassing for Islamabad not to strike back. It did so with care, launching air strikes on Wednesday that it similarly claimed were planned to avoid any civilian casualties. No doubt Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Pakistani military hoped to be allowed their narrative -- that theyd shown Pakistan couldnt be trifled with -- without provoking a reaction from India. But, one major and unwelcome fact -- the capture of an Indian Air Force pilot, allegedly shot down as he pursued Pakistani jets across the de facto border -- has eliminated that possibility. The two sides can no longer simply settle down and claim that theyd intimidated the other. (India said it shot down a Pakistani F-16, which Pakistan denied.) Inevitably now, Indians will begin to ask questions. Why was a MiG-21 having to fight F-16s, rather than one of the Indian Air Forces frontline fighters? Was there a lack of preparation, or a failure of strategy? Indias ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had been hoping to go to voters claiming to have been far more muscular than its predecessors had been toward Pakistan. Its supporters on social media were already crafting this narrative. Now the government faces pressure to up the ante in an effort to get its pilot back. This is the important point: There is no longer a clear path to de-escalation for the Indian government that also allows it to declare victory. Nor will Pakistan be able to back down if India responds, having vowed not to allow any challenges to its sovereignty. The mistake both sides made was to assume that truth in todays world can be independent of fact -- and so that the old rules about escalation would no longer apply. We had better hope that, somehow, each government regains control of the narrative and that they have the moral and political courage to step away from the brink. (This column does not necessarily reflect either the opinion of The New Indian Express or of Bloomberg.) Ramananda Sengupta By Express News Service NEW DELHI: In a highly escalatory move, Pakistani fighter jets crossed into Indian territory on Wednesday morning, and the pilot of a chasing Indian MiG-21 Bison was captured after it was shot down in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Pakistan too lost an aircraft, as an F-16 was shot down in the dogfight and its pilot had ejected over PoK, officials said. The tension led to the closure of all airports in J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, though they were opened later in the day. In a terse press statement on Wednesday afternoon, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, accompanied by Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor, said details were being ascertained about Pakistans claim of having captured one Indian pilot. In that aerial engagement, one Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft was shot down by an MiG-21 Bison of the Indian Air Force. The Pakistani aircraft was seen by ground forces falling from the sky on the Pakistan side. In this engagement, we have unfortunately lost one MiG-21. The pilot is missing in action, he said. Later, in an admission that its pilot had been captured, India summoned Pakistans Acting High Commissioner to lodge a strong protest against Pakistans vulgar display of an injured personnel of the IAF in violation of all humanitarian norms and the Geneva Convention. India also expects his immediate and safe return, he was told. India said it reserves the right to take action to protect its security, sovereignty and territorial integrity. In Islamabad, the Pakistan Army released a 46-second video showing a blindfolded man claiming he is IAFs Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. I am an IAF officer. My service No is 27981, the man is seen saying. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level security meeting and met with the service chiefs in the evening, though details of those discussions were not known at the time of going to Press. For his part, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said in a televised address that his countrys air force crossed the Line of Control only to show its capability. He urged India to consider talks instead of escalating things further. I ask India: with the weapons you have and the weapons we have, can we really afford a miscalculation? If this (situation) escalates, it will no longer be in my control or in Narendra Modis, he said. The international community, while endorsing Indias strike on a terrorist camp in Pakistan on Tuesday, urged calm and restraint from both sides. While the US urged Pakistan to take meaningful action against terror groups operating on its soil, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he spoke to Pakistans Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Indias External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. I expressed to both ministers that we encourage India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, and avoid escalation at any cost. I also encouraged both ministers to prioritise direct communication and avoid further military activity, he said. Speaking in Moscow, a Kremlin spokesman said, We are extremely concerned about the news coming in, we are very closely monitoring the situation and, of course, we urge all parties to show restraint. President Putins press secretary Dmitry Peskov said, Russia is concerned about the aggravation of relations between India and Pakistan and calls on both sides to show restraint. A statement released by the acting spokesperson of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, said, France is concerned about the deterioration of the situation. It calls on Pakistan and India for de-escalation. Geneva norms on PoW ignored Prisoners of War (PoWs) are protected against any act of violence, as well as against intimidation, insults, and public curiosity, according to Article 13 of the Geneva Convention. So, Pakistan releasing a video of the captured MiG pilot violated the Geneva norm. Also, Article 118 states: PoWs shall be released and repatriated without delay after the cessation of active hostilities By PTI NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday chaired a high-level meeting on security amid the heightened tensions with Pakistan and after Imran Khan announced the release of an Indian Air Force pilot captured by his country. Officials sources said the meeting was attended by chiefs of the three Services, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Several other senior officials also attended the meeting held at the prime minister's residence here. An IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat on Wednesday during which the two sides said they shot down each other's warplanes that followed an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes that sparked fears of war. Khan Thursday announced that IAF's captured pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, will be released on Friday as a gesture of peace and the "first step" to open negotiations with India. Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: To stop Indias river water from flowing into Pakistan, the Punjab government has sought Rs 412 crore from the Centre to build a dam at Makora Pattan on the confluence of Ravi and Ujh rivers. The state has also impressed upon the Centre to accord it the status of a national project. After a meeting with the Union Minister for Water Resources Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday, Punjabs Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Water Resources Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria told mediapersons that with the construction of this dam, about 600 cc of river water flowing into Pakistan could be checked and utilized by the state for irrigation. Bajwa and Sarkaria said that a 7-km channel would be constructed to hold this water and route it to the Kalanaur-Ramdas Canal System so that it could be used to irrigate 1 lakh acres of land, Giving an in-principle nod, Gadkari asked the state to submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR). Anand ST Das By Express News Service PATNA: With the seat-sharing deal in Bihars Opposition RJD-led Grand Alliance hanging in the balance and depending solely on the go-ahead from jailed party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Congress is in a dilemma over whether party president Rahul Gandhi should meet him at a Ranchi hospital where he is in judicial custody. Gandhi is set to address a Congress rally in Ranchi on Saturday to kick off the partys campaign for the Lok Sabha polls in the state. Saturday is the day on which the ailing 70-year-old Yadav is allowed to meet visitors as per jail rules, it is widely expected that Gandhi may pay him a visit and seal the vexed seat-sharing deal for Bihar. But Congress leaders say they have no information about such a visit being in Gandhis schedules for the day. In fact, since Yadav has been convicted in four cases of the fodder scam and handed jail terms of over 27 years, Congress leaders are wary of the possible negative implications of a meeting between him and Gandhi on Grand Alliances performances in the polls. Bihars ruling JD(U) and BJP have been pillorying Grand Alliances failure to finalise a seat-sharing deal and claiming that no deal could be sealed till Gandhi falls at the feet of the convicted Lalu in jail. Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar had attacked Gandhi earlier this month, saying that Gandhi had squandered his goodwill by allying with Yadav. So far, there is no programme of the party president (Gandhi) paying Yadav a visit in Ranchi. If at all he goes and meets him, that would be his personal choice and a courtesy visit to inquire about Yadavs health, said a senior Congress leader. The political costs of such a meeting at this time could be high for the alliance, especially for us, he added. When Yadav was under treatment at AIIMS in New Delhi in April last year, Gandhi had visited him. But Congress leaders pointed out that Yadavs condition then was delicate and that he was shifted to AIIMS from RIMS in Ranchi with Jharkhand High Courts permission. Unlike then, Yadav has neither sought nor has granted permission to seek treatment outside Ranchi, said another senior Congress leader. The huge difficulty for them (Grand Alliance) is that no decision on seat-sharing can be taken unless Rahul Gandhi, who had torn apart a copy of the cabinet proposal for an ordinance on corruption, visits the convicted Yadav in jail and falls at his feet, said deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi of BJP. By Bloomberg As Asias most acrimonious rivals face off, the fate of a captured Indian Air Force pilot may hold the key to whether -- and how -- each side is able to step back from broader conflict. India and Pakistan, which have fought three major wars since the bloody partition of 1947, regularly exchange artillery and small-weapons fire across a disputed border. But the situation that flared up earlier this month escalated dramatically into Wednesday, with the loss of an Indian MiG 21 fighter jet and the pilot later paraded on Pakistani television. While the U.S., Russia and China are all calling for calm, domestic political pressures make it far from easy for either side in the conflict to back down. Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi must contest a general election within weeks, while his counterpart, Imran Khan, faces a military that is seeking to assert its dominance when Pakistan is in the eye of a financial and economic storm. Where the Latest India-Pakistan Conflict May Lead: QuickTake The full political fallout of the exchanges remains unclear, but its evident that the capture of a pilot complicates matters and will heighten tensions, said Sandeep Shastri, a political scientist and Pro Vice Chancellor at Jain University in Bangalore. ALSO READ: The India-Pakistan crisis - What we know Neither country can afford a full-blown conflict, yet neither leader can afford to look weak -- all the more so with their publics whipped into a nationalist frenzy. Vulgar Display Still, in an address to the nation, Khan called for India-Pakistan talks to resolve the situation, saying that better sense should prevail. A Pakistani official in Washington said his country wants peace and dialogue with India to avoid escalation and confrontation, but he said India must help resolve the underlying conflict over Kashmir. That may in part reflect Pakistans greater exposure to the financial and economic fallout. Pakistans benchmark stock index plunged as much as 3.8 percent in Karachi, while Indias S&P BSE Sensex was down a mere 0.2 percent in Mumbai after gaining earlier in the day. ALSO READ: JeM attacker deployed SUV loaded with nearly 300 kg of explosives Any sense of optimism in New Delhi at Khans conciliatory stance was undermined by the appearance shortly later of the downed Indian pilot on television, thanking the Pakistani Army for rescuing him from a mob. Indias Foreign Ministry promptly objected to Pakistans vulgar display of air force personnel in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. It demanded the immediate and safe return of the pilot. The Pakistani official in Washington, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the pilot in custody is being treated well and isnt under duress. Modi, who must contest a general election within weeks, is drawing political capital by using Pakistan as a punching bag, the official said. The Pentagon said in a statement Wednesday that Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahans focus is on de-escalating tensions and urging both of the nations to avoid further military action. The latest incident puts enormous pressure on the Modi government in India to continue pressing ahead with the cycle of retaliation, said Pratyush Rao, associate director for India and South Asia at consultancy Control Risks. Airspace Shut Indian and Pakistani fighter jets engaged each other early on Wednesday in one of the most serious military confrontations in the fifty years since the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. India and Pakistan each shut parts of their respective airspace in the wake of the action. (Later in the day, India reopened the airports it had shut down) While skirmishes between both sides are not uncommon, particularly in the disputed Kashmir region in the north, the geopolitical importance of the actors is changing. Pakistan is the main conduit to Afghanistan and enjoys at least nominally good relations with China, while India is aligned with the U.S. and has ambitions to become a true global power. ALSO READ: How IAF plotted and executed Surgical Strike 2.0 India in particular has transformed since the two countries last faced off in 1999. Now the worlds fastest growing major economy, Indias population of some 1.3 billion is forecast to overtake Chinas to become the worlds largest by 2024. New Delhi and Islamabad both say publicly they dont want the situation to escalate. But domestic politics suggest India and Pakistan may continue to spar regardless. Modi, a Hindu nationalist, is facing a stiffer contest for re-election this spring than had been projected even a few months back, as he reaches out to his countrys more than 875 million voters at a time of weak job growth. The apparent capture of a pilot exacerbates his dilemma. Burger Discounts On the ground, tensions have run high ever since India blamed Pakistan for a suicide bombing in Kashmir on Feb. 14 that killed 40 Indian paramilitary troops. Some Indian hotels put up signs saying Kashmiris werent welcome, while a sitting state governor urged Indians to boycott the state and Kashmiri businesses. After Indias retaliatory airstrikes on Tuesday, an Indian burger chain offered a celebratory 20 percent discount. The early morning raid, when Indian fighter jets crossed into its neighbors airspace and bombed what India said was a major terrorist training camp, was done purely in self defense, said G.V.L. Narasimha Rao, a lawmaker and spokesman for Modis ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. India does not have any intention to escalate the fight. ALSO READ: Avoid escalation, focus on getting Wing Commander Abhinandan back, advise former IAF brass Modi and his government now find themselves in a bind: Unable to concede and yet constrained in its actions by Pakistans apparent capture of a pilot, said Michael Kugelman, a senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center in Washington. The bottom line, he said, is that Modi cant afford politically to accept the olive branch that Pakistan has now extended to him. Pakistans Military For his part, since coming to power last year on a ticket of transforming his nation, Imran Khan has repeatedly called for peace talks with India -- while running up against a grinding economic malaise that forced him to try to raise funds from China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. His government is also negotiating Pakistans 13th International Monetary Fund bailout since the late 1980s. President Donald Trumps decision to cut some $2 billion in U.S. security aid has also squeezed Pakistans defense funding. ALSO READ: Pakistan used its Air Force to target India's military installations, bid foiled: MEA on border standoff Fear of Indian dominance continues to dictate strategy in a military that has directly ruled Pakistan for almost half its 71-year history. The army is the nations most dominant organization and has long been seen as one of the main obstacles to peace with India. The latest flare-up will likely help boost its case for more spending, said Kamal Alam, a visiting fellow at the London-based Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies. Its just possible that theres already been an end to the military action, with honor maintained on each side leading to international mediation, said Katharine Adeney, director of the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute. Theres a caveat, however. It really depends on how Pakistan uses the captured soldier, she said. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Just as the news of an Indian Air Force pilot being captured by the Pakistan Army broke in the early hours of Wednesday, social media handles from across the border were abuzz with messages and tweets to maintain peace and calm. Lahore-based Saad Siddiqui shared that captured IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was apprehended by the Pak army after his MIG-21 crashed, was a victim of politics. Siddiqui wants Pakistan to treat Abhinandan well and send him home. ALSO READ | Author Fatima Bhutto seeks release of captured Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman My request to the Pakistan Army is to not torture Abhinandan. He is just a victim of politics. Send him back to his land. Social activist Rimmel Mohydin voiced her concern after viewing a video of Abhinandan doing the rounds on social media post his capture. There is a soft corner for Abhinandan among the citizens of Pakistan and they want him to be treated fairly. Writer, Omar Qureshi, said, No one in Pakistan is calling him a terrorist. Imagine how the Indian media would have portrayed IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan had the situation been reversed. According to the Pakistan media, the step forward for both India and Pakistan is to sit down on the table for talks and de-escalate the situation. ALSO READ | Wg Cdr Abhinandan a Chennai boy, son of highly decorated Air Marshal The media praised the message that Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan delivered in his address post the dogfight near Nowshera. By ANI NEW DELHI: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a telephonic conversation late on Wednesday night, where the latter asserted that the US supports Indias decision to take action against Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp on Pakistani soil," sources said. "NSA Ajit Doval and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a telephonic conversation late Wednesday night, Pompeo said that the US supported Indias decision to take action against JeM terror camp on Pakistani soil," sources told ANI. READ MORE | Pakistan must take 'meaningful action' against terrorist groups, reiterates US A day after India carried out aerial strikes on a JeM camp in Balakot in Pakistan in which a "large number" of terrorists were killed, Jammu and Kashmir saw heightened military activity on Wednesday, with Pakistani jets violating the Indian air space and dropping some bombs in Rajouri sector after which one of their fighters was shot down. Following Pakistan's action, India said it foiled an attempt by Pakistan Air Force to carry out strikes in Jammu and Kashmir by shooting down an F-16 fighter plane while losing its own MiG-21 jet after which a pilot was missing in action. Pakistan later claimed that the Indian pilot was in its custody. Following the development, India strongly objected to Pakistans vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. MEA in a strongly worded statement yesterday said, "It was made clear that Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return." It is worth mentioning that after Indian Air Force carried out multiple aerial strikes at terror launch pads in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir on Tuesday, the United States had asked Pakistan to avoid military action and take meaningful action against the terrorist group operating on its soil. "I spoke to Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi to underscore the priority of de-escalating current tensions by avoiding military action, and the urgency of Pakistan taking meaningful action against terrorist groups operating on its soil," read the statement from Secretary Pompeo. Acknowledging Indian actions as "counter-terrorism" action, the US Secretary of State said, "Following Indian counter-terrorism actions on February 26, I spoke with Indian Minister of External Affairs Swaraj to emphasize our close security partnership and shared the goal of maintaining peace and security in the region," read the statement. "I expressed to both the Ministers that we encourage India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and avoid escalation at any cost. I also encouraged both Ministers to prioritize direct communication and avoid any further military activity," it read. The air strikes by IAF killed a large number of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders of Jaish, including Jaish chief Masood Azhar's brother-in-law. (ANI) By PTI NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force Thursday said it is very happy that captured pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman is returning home but dismissed suggestions that it was a goodwill gesture from Pakistan, insisting it was in line with the Geneva Conventions. "We are very happy Abhinandan will be freed tomorrow and look forward to his return," Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor, assistant chief of Air Staff, said. He was speaking at a first joint media briefing along with the Navy and Indian Army officials after Pakistani fighter jets targeted Indian military installations in an air raid on Wednesday. Varthaman's MiG 21 was shot and he bailed out after bringing down one Pakistani F-16 fighter during a dogfight to repel a Pakistani attack on Wednesday morning, he said. ALSO READ: Indian pilot Abhinandan's family serving India for generations He has been in Pakistan since then. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in Parliament on Thursday that Varthaman would be released on Friday as a "peace gesture". Asked if the IAF sees it as a goodwill move, he said IAF sees it as a gesture in consonance with the Geneva Conventions. "As far as IAF is concerned, we are happy that our pilot, who had fallen across the Line of Control and was in the custody of Pakistan, is being released. We are extremely happy to have him back. We only see it as a gesture which is in consonance with Geneva conventions," Air Vice Marshal Kapoor said. The Army and the Navy officials said the armed forces are on high alert and ready to meet any security challenge on land and sea. Tensions between the two countries escalated after Indian fighters bombed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp near Balakot deep inside Pakistan early Tuesday. It came 12 days after the JeM claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Kashmir, killing 40 soldiers. Asked about India's assessment about damage caused to the JeM terrorist training camp inside Pakistan during India's air strike on Tuesday, the Air Vice Marshal said, "There is fairly credible evidence with us which proves that there was damage to the camps." "The weapons hit the intended target and they caused damage that was intended. However, it will be premature to say that what was the number of casualties we have been able to inflict on those camps and the number of those killed," he said. There were reports that around 350 terrorists were killed in the strike on the JeM camp at Balakot in Pakistan. The IAF official said it was for the higher leadership of the government to decide how and when to present the evidence of damage to the camp or whether to present them or not. On Wednesday's operation by Pakistani Air Force, he said the Pakistani jets attempted to target military installations but IAF aircraft thwarted their plans. "The PAF bombs have fallen in Indian Army formation compounds. They were unable to cause any damage to our military installations," he said. He said in the aerial combat, one F-16 of Pakistan Air Force was shot down by an IAF MiG-21 Bison. The F-16 crashed and fell across the LOC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The IAF official also rejected Pakistan's contention that F-16s were not used in the operation and no Pakistani plane was downed by IAF. "There is enough evidence to show that F-16s were used in this mission and Pakistan is trying to hide this fact. Also, parts of AMRAAM Air to Air Missile which is carried only on the F-16s in PAF were recovered East of Rajouri within the Indian territory," he said. The IAF also showed a piece of the AMRAM missile at the news briefing. "The fact remains that one F-16 of PAF was shot down by an IAF MiG-21 Bison aircraft," said the Air Vice Marshal. He said Pakistani aircraft package which was part of the Wednesday's operation comprised F-16s and JF 17s and perhaps some Mirages and that India countered them with Mig 21 Bisons, Mirage 2000s and Sukhoi 30s. Sources said Pakistan deployed around 24 aircraft out of which three came inside Indian airspace. He said there have been many factually incorrect statements made by Pakistan after the retaliatory strike Wednesday including its initial claim that two IAF aircraft were shot down by Pakistan and three pilots were downed. "This figure was later revised to two IAF aircraft and two pilots. The fact, however, is that Indian Army units had reported sighting two parachutes falling in the PoK which were of two F-16 pilots shot down by the IAF MiG-21 Bison." "Pakistan later in the evening changed its statement to say that one Indian pilot was in their custody," he said. He also rejected Pakistan's claims that they intentionally dropped weapons in open space where there was no human presence or military posts. By PTI NEW DELHI: A Delhi court Thursday lashed out at the Tihar Jail authorities for failing to justify shifting of Christian Michel, arrested in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal, to a high-security cell in isolation, saying it will start an inquiry if it does not get a proper response. Special Judge Arvind Kumar said Michel has been lodged in jail for last 70 days and what happened suddenly due to which he has now been shifted to the high-security ward. Deputy Superintendent of Tihar Jail told the court that Michel was shifted to cell number 2 (high-security ward) keeping in mind his safety as it was a high profile case. ALSO READ: VVIP Chopper case: Delhi court dismisses Christian Michel's bail plea However, he failed to justify the sudden shifting before the court. "Why was there no threat to his security till now. He was kept with other prisoners for 70 days. This was always a high profile case. If that was the case he should have been kept in a high-security ward since the beginning. Tell me why all of a sudden he was shifted to a ward where hardened criminals were kept," the judge asked. The court directed the Director General (DG) of Tihar to file a comprehensive reply on the reasons of Michel's sudden shifting to the high-security cell and why he was kept with hard-core criminals. The Deputy Superintendent also told the court that hard-core criminals like Chhota Rajan and Shahabuddin have been kept in the same ward. "Please convey the message to the DG (Prison) to direct the concerned authorities who is well conversant with the facts to appear before court on March 5 and apprise the court about the specific reasons. Else, I will start an inquiry on it," the judge said. The jail authority denied Michel's allegations that he was denied common facilities in the new cell-like permission to meet visitors, make phone calls, newspapers and said that though he has been kept in isolation all facilities were provided to him. Advocate Aljo K Joseph, appearing for Michel, said no security threat was put forward for 70 days since he was in custody. He claimed Michel was permitted to make phone calls only after his counsel met him, nine days since he was shifted to the new cell. The court sought the response of the Tihar authorities on this and asked it to submit phone call records if they were contesting the allegations. The court had on Wednesday sought a detailed report from jail authorities on Michel's plea claiming that he has been kept in solitary confinement in the prison and had asked the superintendent or competent authority to appear before it to respond to the allegation that he was not allowed to interact with co-prisoners. The plea sought direction to the authorities to treat Michel at par with other inmates and provide basic facilities during his judicial custody. It claimed that on February 18, the jail authorities conducted a search of Michel's cell to look for a laptop computer allegedly being used by him. It said no computer was found in the cell. However, the authorities shifted him to a high-security cell immediately after, it said. It said when Michel asked for reasons for his "solitary confinement", the jail authorities told him it was the "decision from the top" and there was "serious threat" to his life. The plea sought direction to the authorities to return his personal belongings, including a diary containing contact details of officers of the British High Commission and documents of the case, which were taken away after the search. Michel was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on December 22 after his extradition from Dubai. On January 5, he was sent to judicial custody in connection with a money-laundering case being probed by ED. Later, he was arrested by CBI and is lodged in judicial custody in a CBI case related to the chopper deal scam. Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the scam by ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation. The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. Mayank Singh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The IAF on Thursday produced evidence to confirm its claim of Pakistan Air Force using American-made F-16 aircraft to violate the Indian air space along the Line of Control (LoC). Air Vice-Marshal RGK Kapoor said that PAF on Wednesday had used AMRAAM missiles mounted on its F-16s to target Indian military installations in Jammu and Kashmir. Denying Indias claim of shooting down an F-16 aircraft, Pakistan's Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor had said on Wednesday that his country didn't even use any such fighter jet in the entire operation. Three F16s had violated the Indian Airspace and entered in Nowshera sector, Jammu and Kashmir at about 10:30 am on Wednesday morning. IAF's Combat Patrols had chased and shot down one F16, the debris of which fall inside Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK). ALSO READ: IAF to receive Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman at Wagah border post: Sources Speaking during a joint press conference by the top brass of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force on the Defence Ministry lawns, the forces presented the pieces of the AMRAAM missiles which are mounted only on the F-16 fighter jets. Major General Surinder Singh Mahal refuted the lies of DG ISPR who had said on Wednesday that they did not target any military installation. General Mahal said, PAF Fighters targetted Brigade Head Quarter, Unit Head Quarter and Logistics Base. Speaking on the release of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman on Friday, Air Vice-Marshal RGK Kapoor, Assistant Chief of Air Staff said that the IAF was very happy that the fighter pilot is returning home but dismissed suggestions that it was a goodwill gesture. He insisted that the development was in line with the Geneva Conventions. The three officers also assured the country that the forces were in a high state of readiness to respond to any provocation by Pakistan. ALSO READ: Vladimir Putin dials PM Modi, expresses Russia's solidarity with India's fight against terror We continue to maintain strict vigil along the Line of Control and the IB (International Border) sector, Major General Surinder Mahal told reporters. Our ground-based air defence weapon systems have been put on alert all along the Line of Control and some parts of the IB. Mechanised formations too have been placed on standby. I wish to assure the nation that we are fully prepared and in a heightened state of readiness to respond to any provocation by Pakistan, he said. Navys Rear Admiral DS Gujral said, I can assure of a resolute, swift and strong response when needed. We stand as one with the Army and Air Force to ensure the safety and security of the nation and our citizens. Avay Shukla By Not since the early years of Independence has our country been in such a fractured and dissonant state as it is today. Back then it was states like Kashmir, Hyderabad and Nagaland resisting being a part of India. Today the issue is one of opposition-ruled states rejecting the authority of the Centre and its agencies, and attempting to build legislative and policy walls to keep them away from its shores. The concept of federalism is being seriously threatened by these developments, and though some pushback (by the states) has always existed it has now been taken to a new level by the BJPs contempt for all other political parties, and its personal style of adversarial politics and governance. This is in sharp contrast to its 2014 promise of promoting federalism, just one in a long string of promises that have never seen the light of day. This pushback by the states comes in many forms, the latest of course being the actions of Mamata Banerjee against the CBI on February 3. It was bound to happen sooner or later, given the manner in which the CBI was being used against opposition leaders exclusively. The warning signsthree states, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal withdrawing permission for the CBI to operate therewere there but Delhi either failed to read them or ignored them, and now has been left licking its wounds. The constitutionality or correctness of Mamatas action, as also her disallowing political leaders landing rights in her state, is certainly open to question. But the damage to our federal structure has been doneit is now a foregone conclusion that more states are likely to follow the trail hacked out by the Bengal CM. The Centres disdain for any consultation with states before ramming through its programmes is also driving a wedge between it and the states. Never before have so many states opposed central schemes: The Ayushman Bharat health programme has already been rejected by West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Delhi who feel their own schemes are more beneficial. The recently announced farmer income guarantee scheme is likely to face a similar fate. This will in turn create more friction and distrust between New Delhi and the state capitals. An even more disturbing trend is the widening gulf between the southern states and the northern ones, particularly the Hindi heartland states. This is the result of inept politics, economics and demographics. The first is exhibited frequently in the Centres attempts to foist Hindi on the southern states every once in a while, such as by naming metro stations and milestones on national highways in Hindi. The economic disparity between them was exacerbated by the revised TOR of the 15th Finance Commission that adopts the 2011 Census as a basis for devolution of funds to states instead of the 1971 figures, which had been the norm so far. This is significant because the four southern states have had a much lower population growth than the northern ones since 1971. This will translate into reduced allocations for the southern states, further exacerbating the resentment of the South against the North. The demographic imbalance has sown the seeds for another, more dangerous challenge in the coming years. As the populations in the southern states decline and become older in relation to the rest of India, this will create a vacuum in labour supply. Excess labour from a poorer North will inevitably migrate to the South, creating social tensions. We have already seen the first signs of this in the recent violence against people from Bihar in Gujarat over the rape of a young girl. These perceptions will drive states to devise legal and illegal means to curb the movement of outsiders to their states, thus eroding one of the fundamental premises of our Constitution. This has already started. Himachal Pradesh and J&K already have laws that prohibit outsiders from buying land there. Just last year the Delhi government ordered that 80 per cent of the beds in a government hospital there would be reserved for people from Delhi (it was struck down by the Delhi HC). It has been trying to impose similar quotas in government colleges. Madhya Pradesh has just issued an order mandating that industries which benefit from government programmes will have to employ 70 per cent locals. As unemployment and poverty defy solutions, more states will erect barriers to entry of people from other states. Hypernationalism is forcing hundreds of Kashmiris back to their own state from other states after the Pulwama attack. The Centres obsession with security has already made migration from one state to another difficult for the common man. Various ID requirements such as Aadhaar, ration cards etc., are now mandatory in all walks of life, from opening a bank account to receiving the monthly PDS dole or even to vote (the AAP alleged that in Delhi, the names of 20 lakh voters from UP and Bihar have been deleted). A migrant from a village will find it difficult to negotiate these barriers, and will therefore in all likelihood be denied all these benefits or rights. These are all straws in the wind that do not portend well for the idea of one India. If the states and the Centre are in a constant state of antagonism and do not acknowledge each others writ or powers; if people are not able to move freely, study or work where they wish to, vote based on their current place of residence; if they are subjected to violence or discrimination because they are outsiders, then we are not one country but a federation of silos. Avay Shukla served in the IAS for 35 years and retired as Additional Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh Email: avayshukla@gmail.com Ajay Kanth By Express News Service KOCHI: The Kerala Police have sounded an alert and spruced up intelligence coordination as they know that more than 3,000-km distance between Kerala and Kashmir cannot be a factor for the state to remain complacent at this time of Indias heightened offensive operation against terrorist groups. Following the countrys second surgical strike on terror camps on Pakistani soil, the Kerala Police have started collecting ground-level inputs on extremist organisations sleeper-cell activities other than strengthening coastal security. The police have upped the surveillance considering that terrorists could retaliate for Indias strike and the state should be prepared to diffuse any terror plot. Weve alerted all district police chiefs to remain alert and take necessary steps to strengthen surveillance. Directions have been issued to coastal police and intelligence wing to step up monitoring, said state police chief Loknath Behera. He also added the police were into various discreet operations without causing any panic to keep track of the suspected terror modules. Keralas close link to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir came to light after it was proved that four militants who were killed in two separate encounters with security forces at Kupwara district in 2008 were from Kerala. The deceased were identified as Muhammed Fayaz, 23, Muhammed Fahiz, 24, of Kannur, Abdul Raheem, 28, of Malappuram and Muhammed Yassin, 28, of Ernakulam. These youth were recruited from Kerala by an organised recruitment cell of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and sent to Kashmir valley for training. By Express News Service BARIPADA: Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Mansukh Laxmanbhai Mandaviya on Wednesday slammed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for not introducing Central schemes in Odisha. Speaking at the Vijay Sankalp Samabesh organised by BJP at Badasahi block here, the Union Minister said he would talk in Odia fluently if he stayed in Odisha for 10 days. It is surprising that the Chief Minister, who has ruled the State for over 19 years, still cannot speak the local language, he said. Around 12.5 crore farmers from across the country are set to benefit from Pradhan Mantri Kisan Yojana. However, the State Government has sent the names of only 12 lakh farmers for inclusion under the scheme, he said. While lakhs of people in the country have benefited from the Centres Ayushman Yojana, Odisha Government is yet to pass on the benefits of the scheme to its citizens, he said. The Union Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a befitting reply to Pakistan by bombing the JeM training camps at Balakot for the Pulwama terror strike and people should vote for him in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Modi has shown his 56-inch chest to Pakistan, he said. What happened recently (the Balakot bombing) is possible only under the Modi Government. He (Modi) will never compromise with the pride of the nation... The country is safe in his hands, Mandaviya said. In a veiled attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the Union Minister said Modi never takes leave to relax in Italy like some other leaders. There is also no corruption charge against the BJP Government, he said. Mandaviya called upon the people to oust the Naveen Patnaik Government in Odisha in the upcoming Assembly polls. Odisha will progress if a BJP Government is formed in the State and Modi is elected Prime Minister for the second time, he added. By Express News Service CHENNAI: On February 7, DMKs party organ Murasoli carried a strangle little box item, titled: Not supporting Hindus is wrong. The party paper was quoting its late leader M Karunanidhi. The article claimed that while its important to support minorities, not supporting Hindus was wrong. Simply being the majority is not a sin, it said. The timing of the message on Murasoli has raised a few eyebrows. The quote was published shortly after members of some fringe right-wing units circulated an old video in which DMK president MK Stalin is seen criticising Hindu marriage rituals and customs. Though Stalin had said he does not care about such campaigns against him, the box item proved otherwise. Political analysts see it as an attempt to nullify claims of Hindutva groups that DMK is an anti-Hindu organisation. In general too, the party has been cautious, off late, in avoiding such a tag. The party, analysts feel, is trying to send out a message that its inclusive, despite having emerged from the Dravida Kazhagam, which was known for its strong campaigns against Brahminism and certain practices in Hinduism. The party, in the recent times, has been side-stepping issues that would portray it otherwise. Earlier this month, when some BJP leaders and members of other Hindutva groups raised a hue and cry over an art exhibition at Loyola College, which they claimed hurt Hindu sentiments, the DMK remained silent. It did not issue any statement. Stalin, similarly, issued a statement condemning the murder of PMK worker Ramalingam near Kumbakonam for allegedly opposing religious conversions. Stalin is trying to prevent the shifting of loyalties of upper caste Hindus and a section of Devendrakula Vellalar towards the BJP, says political analyst Raveenthran Duraisamy. However, the change in stance has created some flutter among the hard-core DMK members, who still believe in Dravidian ideologies. A few old-timers defended the approach, saying the party has avoided criticising any religion since the time of its founder CN Annadurai. Our policy is Ondre Kulam, Oruvanae Devan. Hence we never intentionally criticise any religion. But, as a party with social awareness, we make comments on superstitious practices in name of religion, says a former union secretary of DMK from the delta region. Some old-timers also pointed out that in 1958, under Annadurai, the party distanced itself from a magazine titled Nathigam (Atheist). Interestingly, several of these DMK old-timers and historians couldnt recollect Karunanidhi making such a statement about Hinduism. By Express News Service Thirupanamoor, a nondescript village in Tiruvannamalai district is praying for the safe return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Though he grew up in Selaiyyur, his father, retired Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthaman was born here. Abhinandan last came here when he was a child, says retired teacher Adirajan (85). The entire village has come together to organise a five-day-long special pooja in Jain temples across Karanthai, Vembakkam and Thirupanamoor villages, starting today. They are a Jain family and often visit the Karanthai temple, says Adirajan. Retired Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthaman played a crucial role in the Mirage 2000 upgrade ahead of the Kargil conflict in 1999, the very same aircraft that was used in the offensive against Jaish-e-Mohammed targets in Balakot. He has also been advocating the need to upgrade the fighter squadrons and weapon systems and recommending the creation of a Chief of Defence Staff post. In an ironic twist, Air Marshal Vardhaman worked as a consultant for Mani Ratnams movie Kaatru Veliyidai where the pilot hero was captured by Pakistan. Abhinandan, the MiG-21 Bison pilot, trained at the Tambaram airbase. He has two children. His wife and children arent staying here currently, a maternal relative told the media. It broke our heart to see his visuals on TV. But its a relief knowing that they are treating him well, says D Goundhi, another relative. By PTI RAMESWARAM: Two Sri Lankan nationals were arrested near here on Thursday on charges of entering the country illegally after alleged 'involvement' in a murder case in Colombo, police said. Acting on intelligence inputs, police nabbed Singha Chirandha and Sapras from VIP Nagar near Ramanathapuram, about 45 km from here. Besides, two local residents -- Riyaz and Mohammed Gayoom - with whom the Sinhalese men were staying were also arrested, police said. Police said the two had escaped from Sri Lanka after allegedly killing one of their relatives over a property disputeand had come to Rameswaram recently by illegal ferry. Later, they had reached Ramathapuram where they were staying with the locals, who belonged to Sethu Nagar near here, police said adding the Lankan duo was being interrogated. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: TELANGANA and the Australian governments will examine feasibility of collaboration in mu- tual fields of interest including education, skill development and training, agriculture and IT. Both the governments have decided to prepare a basic framework to draft a Memorandum of Understanding and chalk out the future course of action. In a meeting with the Australian delegation led by Northern Territory Government Education and Workforce Minister Selena Uibo at the State Secretariat on Wednesday, Chief Secretary SK Joshi said there was a vast scope for mutual cooperation between India and Australia in the fields of education, agriculture, IT and training sectors. He mooted an action plan for bilateral cooperation in these fields. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: The teachers of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidhyalayas (KGBV) and Urban Residential Schools (URS) across the State staged a maha-dharna on Wednesday demanding regularisation of their services and equal pay for equal work. They have been raising the demand for a long time, but the authorities never gave ears to it, which led them to stage the protest. A total number of 11,000 teachers are known to have been working in the 475 KGBV schools and 194 URS across the state. The protestors said that if the State government fails to intervene in the issue, they will resort to hunger strikes. These teachers are paid much less than their regular counterparts. They are forced to work for more hours, but are still denied job security or health benefits, said Chava Ravi, general secretary of TS United Teachers Federation. Special officers of KGBV are paid Rs 25,000 whereas government high school principals get Rs 37,000. KGBV teachers are paid Rs 20,000 while their counterparts in government schools get Rs 28,940. As many as 3000 teachers were recruited to model schools in 2013 and have not been transferred since then, even though government teachers are eligible for transfers every 5 years. ENS Economic Bureau By HYDERABAD: The State government signed a pact with the government of Taizhou (China), and Taizhou Medical Hi-Tech Development Zone here on Wednesday to share the know-how, support and assist research in the field of life sciences, biotechnology and medical devices. The agreement, singed on the concluding day of BioAsia 2019, will be valid for two years, during which period they will identify new technologies and industry requirements to expand public industrial service platforms within industrial cities. The MoU also allows both partners to facilitate matchmaking of companies and research institutes from their respective regions in the related fields towards R&D, regulations, manufacturing practices, commercialisation and other areas of mutual interest. Participating in a panel discussion during the day, Shobana Kamineni, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals, said besides industry, governments too are equally responsible in giving the required push to startups and taking their ideas to market. She recalled how the Israeli government gives full funding support to incubators promoting startups. Any new firm can start working on its idea with the government pitching in around 80 per cent of the funding. A similar arrangement needs to be built in our country as well, she reasoned. Concurring with her, Dr Krishna Ella, CMD, Bharat Biotech, said one of the major factors affecting the growth of startups includes regulation and that focus should be given to the healthcare sector. Meanwhile, the State governments annual flagship event concluded Wednesday and the Lifetime achievement award was given to Dr BS Bajaj of Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (Faba) for his outstanding contribution to the healthcare industry and for initiating international collaboration for Indian companies. In its journey of 16 years, BioAsia has provided platform to initiate partnerships and around 18,000 business meetings have been organised at BioAsia in last 16 years with delegates from over 90 countries participating in BioAsia so far. We are sure that the trend will continue in the next edition of BioAsia in 2020 as well, said Jayesh Ranjan, IT secretary of Telangana. The event saw about 35 investors including Lighthouse Canton, Fulcrum, 50K Ventures, 3one4 Capital, Unitus VC, Ah! Ventures, Anthill Ventures, RoundGlass, and M&A division of Dr Reddys. The 16th edition of the event saw the highest-ever participation of 2,400 delegates, over 100 speakers and participation of more than 700 corporates. According to the organisers, a record number of 1,700 partnering meetings -- a first in the history of BioAsia -- were conducted during the three days. By PTI BEIJING: Beijing expressed hope Thursday that the US and North Korea will keep talking, saying the nuclear issue will not be solved "overnight", after a much-anticipated summit in Hanoi ended without a deal. China is Pyongyang's sole major ally and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un travelled across the neighbouring country by train to his second meeting with US President Donald Trump, which ended ahead of schedule Thursday without any joint announcements. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said he had yet to hear what Trump or the North Korean leader had to say about the meeting. "But I have always hoped that everyone can realise that the nuclear problem on the Korean peninsula has been going on for many years, and that solving this problem is definitely not something that can be achieved overnight," Lu said at a regular press briefing. ALSO READ | US-North Korea 2nd summit: Kim-Trump nuclear talks end with 'no agreement' "It is not a very easy process, otherwise it would not have dragged on until today," Lu said. Lu reiterated Beijing's call for Washington and Pyongyang to "take care of each other's legitimate concerns." "I hope that both sides can continue to maintain such a dialogue," he said. Kim met with Chinese President Xi Jinping four times in the past year, most recently in January. The meetings were seen as opportunities to brief each other before and after Kim's meetings with Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. It is unclear whether the North Korean leader will see Xi when he takes the train back across China to return home as the route is a tightly-guarded secret. China is North Korea's main trade partner, but it has backed a raft of UN sanctions following Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests. North Korean deputy foreign minister Ri Kil Song met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday in Beijing. "This is the right time to come," Wang said. ALSO READ | China says Trump-Kim summit 'important step' towards denuclearisation "We can discuss how to take the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the DPRK as an opportunity to promote the healthy and smooth development of bilateral relations," he added, using the acronym for the North's official name. Ri said the purpose of his delegation's visit was to "put into practice the important consensus reached during the meetings" between Xi and Kim "and to further strengthen communication and exchanges between the two foreign ministries." By PTI MUMBAI: German airlines group Lufthansa Thursday said the closure of Pakistan airspace is unlikely to have any "major" impact on its operations even as advised its customers to consult its website and check the flight status before flying. Following the Pakistan government's decision to shut its airspace Wednesday in the wake of developments along the Western borders of India, the airlines are rerouting the West-bound traffic to and from India. "With immediate effect, Pakistan has closed its airspace due to the current dispute with India. In addition to our routes to India, connections to Bangkok and Singapore are also affected. We are already preparing adjusted routings and will increase the amount of additional fuel in the event of delays," a Lufthansa group said in a statement. Some traffic rights for the new routing must also be secured, it said adding, "overall, it is to be expected that there will be hardly any major impact on flight operations." Thousands of flights have reportedly been disrupted across the world due to the closure of the Pakistan airspace. The national airports' operator Airports Authority of India has also introduced contingency procedures/routes to facilitate the transit of overflying flights across the Indian Peninsula. In order to achieve that, a sample simulation study of expected traffic was done and various NOTAMS (Notice to airmen) were taken Wednesday night, which contained guidelines for flights/ATC for planning their flights," AAI said in a statement. Notam, or notice to airmen, is given to pilots and include information on potential hazards on a flight route. By PTI HANOI: President Donald Trump Thursday voiced confidence that the hostilities between India and Pakistan would end soon, saying he has some "reasonably decent" news with the US involved in trying to help reduce tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. In his opening statement at a press conference at the end of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un here, Trump said the US has some "reasonably attractive news" from Pakistan and India. "We have been involved in trying to help them (India and Pakistan) stop and we have some reasonably decent news," he told the reporters. "I think hopefully that (tensions) could be coming to an end, it has been going on for a long time," Trump said. WATCH: Residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir flee home amid tensions Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The US president said that there is a lot of "dislike" (between India and Pakistan). India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. ALSO READ | Sushma Swaraj to leave for UAE to attend OIC meet amid Pakistan threat to boycott The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. Pakistan on Wednesday claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot. Forty CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on February 14 in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a JeM suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. By AFP SEOUL: The abrupt end to the summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un came as no surprise to North Korean defectors in the south, with one saying simply: "I told you so!" The defectors, who now live in Seoul, chatted and laughed at the office of North Korea Free Radio as they awaited news from the US president and the leader of their former homeland. But they quickly fell silent as it became clear the talks were deadlocked. Cha Ri-hyuk, 33, said at the radio station -- which is staffed by defectors and broadcasts into North Korea -- that he was not shocked by any deal outcome. ALSO READ | US-North Korea 2nd summit: Kim-Trump nuclear talks end with 'no agreement' "I knew that Kim Jong Un would never give up the nukes. If the two countries were to make an agreement, I think they would have done it in Singapore last year," added Cha, who left North Korea in 2013. Jo Young-hwa, aged 39, who defected a year earlier, said his countrymen "don't care" about the summits. "Whenever I talk to them in the North, they are not interested. They don't bother trying to learn anything about it. If you say something 'wrong' you can be prosecuted. You are being monitored by so many people all the time. The no deal outcome will come as a huge disappointment for South Korea's president, who had touted the summit as a "remarkable breakthrough" for peace negotiations on the Korean peninsula. His presidential office said earlier this week it had hopes Trump and Kim would formally declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War. Big questions now face the dovish leader, who was set to unveil details of a new economic cooperation policy between the two Koreas on Friday. In Seoul's main railway station, dozens of people of all ages were glued to TV screens, sombre faced as Trump explained why he and Kim had failed to reach an agreement. Some expressed sympathy for the North Korean leader. "I feel bad for Kim Jong Un who made a very long train journey to get to Hanoi only to walk away from the meeting with empty hands," said Jang Ho-su, 36, a government employee. Lee Gap-yong, a 71-year-old a taxi driver, said Trump could have been "more flexible". "I think he wanted too much out of Kim, to an extent that Kim could not agree to." South Korea's presidential office expressed regret at the summit's outcome but said: "meaningful progress" had been made. By PTI LONDON: Skilled professionals and students from India received a majority of UK visas in 2018, according to the latest statistics revealed by the Home Office on Thursday. Indian professionals, including doctors and software engineers, have dominated Britain's Tier-2 skilled visa category for some time, accounting for 54 per cent of all such visas granted in 2018. In the latest analysis, the Home Office said that Indian nationals marked the largest increase in the grant of Tier 2 visas, up by 6 per cent at 3,023 more visas compared to the previous year. The analysis also noted a hike in the number of student visas granted to Indians last year, up 35 per cent to hit 19,505, with Chinese students dominating that segment at 99,723 visas but marking only a 13 per cent hike. China held on to the tourist visa lead, with 56,095 or 11 per cent more visitor visas granted to Chinese nationals last year compared to an increase of 43,771, or 10 per cent, for Indian nationals. "Chinese and Indian nationals together accounted for just under half, 48 per cent, of all visitor visas granted," the Home Office said. The 2018 data reflects a continuing trend of an increase in immigration to the UK from outside the European Union (EU), compared to a fall in immigrants from within the EU as the Brexit deadline of March 29 nears. Figures show that 261,000 more non-EU citizens from countries like India came to the UK, the highest since 2004. In contrast, net migration from EU countries continued to fall to a level last seen in 2009. "Different patterns for EU and non-EU migration have emerged since mid-2016, when the EU referendum vote took place. Due to increasing numbers arriving for work and study, non-EU net migration is now at the highest level since 2004," said Jay Lindop, director of the Centre for International Migration at the UK's Office of National Statistics (ONS), which analyses Home Office data to develop a picture for the UK's migration flows. "In contrast, EU net migration, while still adding to the population as a whole, has fallen to a level last seen in 2009. We are also now seeing more EU8 citizens, those from Central and Eastern European countries, for example Poland, leaving the UK than arriving," she said. The ONS said that overall, net migration, immigration and emigration figures have remained broadly stable since the end of 2016. In the year to September 2018, a total of 627,000 people moved to the UK and 345,000 people left the UK resulting in an annual net migration figure of 283,000. The ONS found that more citizens from Central and Eastern European countries, known as the EU8 and including countries like Poland, Slovakia and Lithuania, are leaving the UK than arriving. This pattern differs from all other EU countries. The issue of migration continues to be a highly contentious one in Britain, with control over borders to end free movement of people from EU member-countries having played a crucial part in the campaign for leaving the EU in the June 2016 referendum. Last year, British Prime Minister Theresa May had pledged that Brexit would level the playing field for migrant workers coming to work in the UK, with EU migrant workers no longer being able to "jump the queue" ahead of those from countries like India under her government's post-Brexit immigration plans. By ANI ISLAMABAD: All international and domestic flights operations across Pakistan stand suspended on Thursday, said the country's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Quoting Pakistan's aviation agency, ARY News also reported that the flight operations would remain shut until further notice. "NOTAM is still in place & airspace over #Pakistan remains closed. Apology for an earlier tweet that indicated the partial opening of our airspace for commercial aviation. Any further information will be shared accordingly," the CAA tweeted early on Thursday. Airlines like Qatar Airways issued a statement on Wednesday wherein it asserted that due to the ongoing situation on the India-Pakistan border, its flights to the airports in Faisalabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar and, Sialkot stand temporarily suspended. On Wednesday, flight operations across eight airports in India - Amritsar, Pathankot, Srinagar, Jammu, Shimla, Dharamshala, Kullu and Leh - were shut briefly. Operations later resumed in all the airports. Meanwhile, Air Canada has temporarily suspended its flight services to India, after Pakistan's decision to shut its airspace. These measures come in the wake of an Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman being captured by the Pakistani army on Wednesday when the Pakistan Air Force violated the Indian air space. Fighter jets from the Indian Air Force repulsed the morning raid launched by Pakistani F-16 fighter jets which prevented damage on Indian troop positions or infrastructure. India has since sought the immediate and safe return of the personnel, strongly underlining that "no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody." On Tuesday, India launched an anti-terror strike against a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror training camp in Pakistan's Balakot, in which a large number of terrorists have been killed by the Indian Air Force, according to Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale. The air strike was carried out in the aftermath of the February 14 terrorist attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, which claimed the lives of over 40 CRPF personnel. Pakistan-based JeM staked responsibility for the attacks, which have been widely condemned by the international community. There has been mounting global pressure against Pakistan to stop providing support and a safe haven to terrorists ever since. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's political leaders Thursday supported Prime Minister Imran Khan's peace initiative to defuse rising tensions with India in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack, saying war was not a solution to problems between the two countries. Prime Minister Khan said Thursday Pakistan was ready for talks with India on all issues including terrorism, maintaining that dialogue is the "only way" for peace and stability in the region. Chairing a Cabinet meeting, Khan briefed the members about the latest developments in the Indo-Pak relations following the February 14 Pulwama terror attack which killed 40 CRPF soldiers. Almost all political leaders, who spoke during the joint session of Parliament convened to discuss the security situation, said that war was not a solution of the problems. They, however, said Pakistan should fight back if a war was imposed on it. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz representative and joint opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif in his speech fully supported the government initiative to engage in peace diplomacy with India to end the current tension. Noting that Kashmir problem should be resolved, Sharif said to "hold Pakistan responsible for Kashmiri resistance is an age-old tactic employed by India". "The world should understand, that in the presence of all these things, there can never be peace. In this situation, I believe more Burhan Wanis will be born," he warned. Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama attack claimed by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. Pakistan on Wednesday claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot. Later, Prime Minister Khan said that Pakistan will release the captured Indian pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as a goodwill gesture. Sharif also lauded the armed forces for their retaliatory action against "Indian intrusions". "PAF fighters deserve praise. They have made the nation proud. It has been proven that our armed forces will defend every inch of this land and not hesitate from making any sacrifices," he said. Pakistan Peoples Party leader and former premier Raja Pervaiz Ashraf welcomed the goodwill gesture by the government to release the captured pilot. He also said that Pakistan Army was ready to face any threat and will retaliate with full power if a war was imposed. "We are blessed with one of the best armies but we do not want to escalate," he said. He, however, urged the government not to boycott the OIC meeting over the issue of the invitation to Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj. Railway minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said that the initiative of prime minister Khan was laudable but doubted that the Indian leadership was serious about peace with Pakistan. "What is the guarantee for peace with India if another attack occurs, and again India blamed Pakistan?" he asked. PML-N leader Senator Raja Zafarul Haq said peace was important for the two countries. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Thursday said it will evaluate with an "open heart" the dossier handed over by India on "specific details" of the involvement of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in the Pulwama terror attack on CRPF and the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror outfit in the country. India handed over the dossier on Wednesday to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan, who was summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi to lodge a strong protest over Pakistan Air Force targeting Indian military installations, a day after the Indian counter-terror action against the JeM. ALSO READ | Pakistan FM Qureshi makes 'urgent' phone call to Chinese FM, briefs him on Indo-Pak tensions The Ministry of External Affairs had said Pakistan was conveyed that India expects Islamabad to take immediate and verifiable action against terrorism emanating from territories under its control. The Pakistan Foreign Office on Thursday confirmed that it received the dossier on the Pulwama attack. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said, "Will evaluate Indian dossier with an open heart." "I wish India would have sent this dossier earlier," Qureshi told Geo News. WATCH: Donald Trump says America will diffuse Indo-Pak tensions by being the middleman The Foreign Office in a statement said the dossier will be reviewed by it following which "any and all legal evidence" will be probed. Islamabad will take action against "credible evidence" provided by India, it said. The Foreign Office said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has already made it clear that Pakistan will help in the Pulwama attack investigation. "Pakistan is ready for talks on all subjects including terrorism," the statement added. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minster Imran Khan Thursday announced that IAF's captured pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released on Friday as a "gesture of peace". The surprise announcement during a joint session of Parliament came barely an hour after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Prime Minister Khan is ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions. As the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif took the floor of the House, Prime Minister Khan apologised for interrupting and said he wishes to announce that the Indian pilot captured by Pakistan Air Force on Wednesday will be released Friday as a "peace gesture". The announcement was greeted by thumping of desks by Pakistani lawmakers. ALSO READ | Pakistan PM Imran Khan cautions India against 'miscalculation'; offers talk to defuse tensions Earlier, Qureshi said that Pakistan is willing to consider returning the captured IAF pilot if it leads to "de-escalation" of tensions with India. Pakistan detained Wing Commander Varthaman following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control when his MiG 21 fighter jet was downed. Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) said that the Indian Air Force pilot was safe and sound. "The armed forces rescued him from the mob that went after him after his plane crashed in Kashmir," the FO said. WATCH: Pakistan couldn't let India be judge, jury and execution, Imran on Wednesday's retaliation India Wednesday summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan and demanded immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot who was detained by Pakistan following an aerial engagement by air forces of the two countries. It has also been made clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, the External Affairs Ministry said in New Delhi, adding that it has conveyed strong objection to the neighbouring country at the "vulgar display" of an injured personnel in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is ready for talks with India on all issues including terrorism, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday, maintaining that dialogue is the "only way" for peace and stability in the region. Chairing a Cabinet meeting, Khan briefed the members about the latest developments in the Indo-Pak relations following the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 and subsequent aerial engagement by the two countries' fighter jets. "Dialogue is the only way for peace and stability in the region," Khan said. FOLLOW Indo-Pak standoff LIVE UPDATES: Will release pilot Abhinandan tomorrow as peace gesture, says Imran Khan "I had made an offer to India to investigate the Pulwama attack and hold dialogue on bilateral issues. Pakistan is ready for talks with India on all issues including terrorism," Geo news quoted Khan as telling Cabinet members. India on Thursday told Pakistan that it has to take concrete steps against the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group before they could engage in talks. A 12-point agenda, including the current security situation, was discussed during the meeting and the ministers of foreign affairs and defence briefed the Cabinet on the Indian "aggression". "The Cabinet praised the armed forces for their calibrated response to the Indian aggression which was designed to give a message that though Pakistan has the capability, it does not intend to harm innocent civilians or cause undue damage," according to an official statement. The report quoted Khan as saying that he "tried to call Modi last night" (Wednesday). "The Cabinet reaffirmed Pakistan's firm commitment to peace and stability while fully protecting its sovereignty, preserving its territorial integrity and responding with full force in case of any external aggression," the statement said. WATCH: Pakistan couldn't let India be judge, jury and execution, Imran on Wednesday's retaliation Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Prime Minister Khan is ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Modi over the telephone to offer him peace. Qureshi told Geo News that if India gives priority to peace, Pakistan is ready for peace. "Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to talk to Narendra Modi on the telephone and ready to extend an invitation of peace. Is Modi ready?" he asked. "We are ready for every eventuality. If they give priority to peace, we are ready for peace. If they prioritise dialogue, we are ready for dialogue," the Foreign Minister said. Qureshi also confirmed the receipt of India's dossier on the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed in an attack claimed by Pakistan-based terror group JeM. "Let's talk together on the basis of the dossier. I am ready to talk. You want to talk about terrorism, I am ready. You want to talk about peace, I am ready. You want to make it a common challenge, I am ready," he said. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. Pakistan on Wednesday claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot. Later, Prime Minister Khan said that Pakistan will release the pilot as a goodwill gesture. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al Jubeir will visit Islamabad on Thursday "carrying an important message" from the Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman. Qureshi said he spoke to the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, a close ally of Pakistan, on Wednesday night and he expressed his desire to visit Pakistan, the Express Tribune reported. In New Delhi, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to India on Thursday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia visited Islamabad on February 17, where he said dialogue was the only way to resolve "outstanding issues" between India and Pakistan. ALSO READ | Pakistan to release IAF pilot tomorrow: PM Imran Khan After concluding his high-profile tour of Pakistan, Prince Muhammad also visited India and held talks with Prime Minister Modi and extended all cooperation to India and other neighbouring countries to deal with terrorism and extremism. Pakistan Foreign Minister Qureshi also welcomed US President Donald Trump's statement on Indo-Pak tensions, saying the US' intervention will prove beneficial for promotion of peace in the region. "We support President Trump's statement," Qureshi said while addressing the media after the federal cabinet meeting on Thursday. Qureshi said, "I am glad the US president has noticed the gravity of the situation and decided to intervene." WATCH: Donald Trump says America will diffuse Indo-Pak tensions by being the middleman "Pakistan has long-lasting relations with the US, and Washington's intervention will prove beneficial for promotion of peace in the region," he said, adding that, from the first day we have maintained that we support peace. "In his opening statement at a press conference at the end of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, Trump voiced confidence that the hostilities between India and Pakistan would end soon, saying he has some "reasonably decent" news with the US involved in trying to help reduce tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. "We have been involved in trying to help them (India and Pakistan) stop and we have some reasonably decent news," he told the reporters. By Associated Press MANILA: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday he will discuss US concerns about Chinese actions that threaten freedom of navigation in the disputed South China Sea with Philippine officials during an overnight visit to Manila. Pompeo arrived late Thursday and immediately met with President Rodrigo Duterte at an airbase. He was expected to brief Duterte about unsuccessful talks between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, which he also attended. "We're worried that the Chinese are using their power in ways that will deny freedom of navigation in the region and that's important to every country in Asia, and the Philippines included," Pompeo told reporters as he flew to Manila from Hanoi. ALSO READ | US sails two warships close to disputed island chain in South China Sea; angers Beijing When asked if the US was concerned about China's actions, Pompeo replied "absolutely," adding that Washington has a national security strategy to address the problem. The long-seething territorial disputes are a key irritant between Washington and Beijing, which has turned several disputed barren reefs into islands with runways and other military facilities. In addition to China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also contest ownership of the strategic waters, where US Navy ships have sailed close to Chinese-occupied islands to assert freedom of navigation. Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Romualdez said by telephone that a proposed move to re-examine the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty between Washington and Manila was also expected to be discussed during Pompeo's meetings with Philippine officials. Romualdez said the Philippines has sought a review of the 1951 treaty, which calls on the allies to come to each other's defense against an external attack, to update it. An initial meeting between Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and a Pentagon official will be held next month in Manila before formal talks begin, he said. In the past, Filipino officials have tried to clarify whether the Philippines could invoke the treaty to seek US help in case of an attack in the South China Sea. Duterte, who took office in 2016, has been a challenge to the US. because of his frequent attacks on US security policies and his crackdown on illegal drugs that has claimed the lives of thousands of mostly poor drug suspects. He lashed out at former President Barack Obama over criticisms of the crackdown but has had better relations with Trump, who has invited him to visit the White House. Duterte has revived once-frigid ties with China and sought Chinese infrastructure funding and trade and investment. He has reached out to Russia and once threatened to end the presence of US counterterrorism forces in the country, although that has not happened. "This is a long-standing, deep relationship between our countries and I hope to go build on that with my counterpart Teodoro Locsin and President Duterte," Pompeo told reporters. By PTI UNITED NATIONS: The US, the UK and France have moved a fresh proposal in the UN Security Council to designate Pakistan-based terror group JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, a listing that will subject him to global travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo. The fresh proposal was moved Wednesday by the three permanent veto-wielding members of the 15-nation Security Council. The Security Council Sanctions Committee will have 10 working days to consider the fresh proposal submitted by the three members. The proposal is the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist. In 2009, India moved a proposal to designate Azhar, whose UN-proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility for the suicide attack against Indian security forces in Pulwama on February 14 in which over 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed. In 2016 again, India moved the proposal with the P3 - the United States, the United Kingdom and France in the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar, also the mastermind of the attack on the air base in Pathankot in January, 2016. In 2017, the P3 nations moved a similar proposal again. However, on all occasions, China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, blocked India's proposal from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee. It remains to be seen how China will vote on the proposal this time. China, a close ally of Pakistan, has consistently blocked moves first by India and later by the US, the UK and France to designate Azhar as a global terrorist by the 1267 Committee by putting technical holds. France assumes the crucial rotating presidency of the UN Security Council in March. At least 40 CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on February 14 in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a JeM suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. India has strongly reiterated its appeal to all members of the international community to support the proposal to list terrorists, including Azhar, as designated terrorists under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, and to ban terrorist organisations operating from territories controlled by Pakistan. By Online Desk President Donald Trump said he feels India and Pakistan are on the cusp of de-escalation a day after Islamabad said it had fired into Indian territory, shot down IAF aircraft and captured an Indian pilot. Islamabad had claimed that its actions were in retaliation to India's act of intruding into Pakistan airspace on Tuesday. Trump told reporters Thursday at the end of a two-day summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam that India and Pakistan have "been going at it" and that the US has been involved, "trying to help them both out" to "see if we can get some organization and some peace." He said: "I think probably that's (peace) going to be happening," adding: "We have, I think, reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India." World powers have called on the two nations to de-escalate tensions that have gripped the region since a February 14 suicide car bombing in Pulwama killed over 40 CRPF personnel. The situation escalated with Wednesday's aerial skirmish. The US had earlier asked asked Pakistan to abide by its UN Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. This US statement came after India on Wednesday handed over to Pakistan a dossier with specific details of involvement of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in the Pulwama terror attack. Pakistan's ambassador to the United States had earlier criticised the US for its failure in condeming India's Tuesday airstrike on Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Also Read - India-Pakistan standoff: Can President Trump do a Bill Clinton? Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan told reporters in Washington Wednesday that the US response to the airstrike was "construed and understood as an endorsement of the Indian position, and that is what emboldened them even more." Ambassador Khan also repeated Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's assertions that Pakistan has made a "sincere" offer to investigate the Pulwama suicide bombing. He said Pakistan wants "dialogue" with India and not war, but noted that the prime minister has authorised Pakistan's armed forces of Pakistan to respond "decisively and comprehensively to any aggression." By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is willing to consider returning the captured IAF pilot if it leads to "de-escalation" of tensions with India, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Thursday. His statement came a day after Pakistan detained Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control when his MiG 21 fighter jet was hit. "Pakistan is willing to consider returning the Indian pilot if it leads to de-escalation," Qureshi said here. In New Delhi, government sources said that India has not asked for consular access to the IAF pilot, and is insisting on his unconditional and immediate return. ALSO READ | India won't make any 'deal' with Pakistan on captured pilot Abhinandan Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot was safe and sound. "The armed forces rescued him from the mob that went after him after his plane crashed in Kashmir," the FO said. The Express Tribune reported that Pakistan is yet to decide whether the IAF pilot will be declared a prisoner of war (PoW) and which convention will be applied. "The decision (on the IAF pilot) will be announced in a day or two," the report said. WATCH: After capturing IAF pilot, Imran talks peace India Wednesday summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan and demanded immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot who was detained by Pakistan following an aerial engagement by air forces of the two countries. It has also been made clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, the External Affairs Ministry said in New Delhi, adding that it has conveyed strong objection to the neighbouring country at the "vulgar display" of an injured personnel in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. The ordinands stand at the call to Holy Orders read by the assistant priest. then a set of cruets, along with a tray and towel of the sort used at the washing of the priests fingers at Mass. The newly ordaines subdeacons are then dismissed to return to their place in the choir. One of the newly ordained subdeacons sings the Epistle of the Mass. The subdeacons exchange the Kiss of Peace with the bishop. On Saturday, February 9th, His Excellency Robert Finn, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph, ordained nine men to the subdiaconate at the FSSP seminary of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska. Seven of the men are members of the Fraternity itself, and two are of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer on the island of Papa Stronsay, Scotland. (Their superior is seen at the back of the choir in the first photo.)The bishop briefly addresses them on the duties of the subdiaconal order, according to a text prescribed by the Pontifical.The bishops and major ministers kneel at the altar, while the ordinands lie prostrate in front of it, for the singing of the Litany of the Saints.Towards the end of the Litany, the bishop rises, receives his crook and miter, then turns to the ordinands, and sings the invocations, That Thou may deign to blessthese chosen ones. - That Thou may deign to blessand sanctify these chosen ones. - That Thou may deign bless, sanctify and consecrate these chosen ones., (making the sign of the Cross over them where I have put thesign.) The bishop then delivers another, lengthier admonition in the form of a sermon, according to a preset text in the Pontifical.The, by which the instruments of the ordained ministry are given (more or less symbolically) by the bishop to the ordinands: first, of the chalice,The ordinands are then vested with the amice, maniple and tunicle, after which they receive the Epistle book. (It is a common custom for several of them to touch the book at once, as we see here.)At the end of the ordination, the bishop imposes upon them the reading of the nocturn of the following day, the beginning of the obligation to read the Divine Office, which traditionally began with the subdiaconate. Reporter Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk). Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Reporter Tim Mitchell is a reporter at The News-Gazette. His email is tmitchel@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@mitchell6). Reporter Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey). Reporter/Columnist Julie Wurth is a reporter covering the University of Illinois at The News-Gazette. Her email is jwurth@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@jawurth). Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), answers reporters' questions at a regular press conference on Feb. 28, 2019. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei) (The following English text of the press conference is for reference. In case of any divergence of interpretation, the Chinese text shall prevail.) Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang: Friends from the media, good afternoon! Welcome to the first regular press conference of the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) in 2019. I have two announcements to release at the beginning. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic China and April 23rd, 2019, will be the 70th birthday of the PLA Navy. As is approved by the CMC, the PLA will host multi-national navy activities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the PLA Navy in Qingdao, Shandong Province. We will release relevant information in due course and we welcome your participation and coverage of the event. Based on agreements of the Chinese and Cambodian militaries, the two sides will hold the "Dragon Gold 2019" Joint Training from March 10th to 27th in a training base of the 70th Infantry Brigade of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) in the Kampot Province. The PLA will send 252 soldiers mainly from the Southern Theater Command Army to participate. The drill will include professional subjects training, tactical training and comprehensive training. It is aimed to promote friendship, deepen cooperation and improve counter-terror capabilities of both parties. The Dragon Gold is a major cooperation program between the two militaries and this year's event is the third of its kind. Cambodia is close neighbor and a strong friend of China. In the recent two days, Lieutenant General Hun Manet, the Deputy Commander in Chief of the RCAF and Commander of the Royal Cambodian Army, is visiting China. The Chinese military is willing to work together with the Cambodian military to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, protect regional peace and stability and deliver benefits to the two countries and peoples. Question: Recently, US politicians and military officers said on different occasions that the US military would continue its freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea. Do you have any comment Answer: China has indisputable sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea and its adjacent waters. Recently, with the joint efforts of China and the ASEAN countries, the situation in the South China Sea is steadily improving. Against this backdrop, the repeated trespassing into neighboring waters and airspace of South China Sea islands by US vessels and airplanes is not only unwelcomed by all regional countries but also undermines Chinas security of sovereignty, violate international laws and norms and endangers peace and stability in the South China Sea. The Chinese side is firmly opposed to these operations. China respects freedom of navigation and overflight entitled to all countries in the South China Sea under international law. Facts have proved that navigation in the South China Sea is free. However, freedom of navigation is not equal to trespassing and violating laws. The Chinese side is firmly opposed to military provocation by any country under the pretext of freedom of navigation that harms the sovereignty and security of littoral countries and undermines regional peace and stability. We demand the US side to respect Chinas sovereignty and security, respect the common aspiration of regional countries to protect peace and stability in the South China Sea and do not stir up trouble and make waves in the region. The Chinese military will take solid measures to safeguard national sovereignty and security, and protect regional peace and stability. Question: Recent media reports say that there is a positive momentum of development in the relations between China and Japan. Against this background, the defense departments of the two countries held an experts meeting for the direct hotline of the Maritime and Air Liaison Mechanism. Can you brief us on the details of the meeting and can you make some comments on the current China-Japan relationship? Answer: Since last year, the defense departments from China and Japan have been actively pursuing defense exchanges and cooperation. The two sides have signed and initiated the Maritime and Air Liaison Mechanism, and held the inaugural annual meeting and a special meeting. This mechanism plays an important role in preventing miscalculation and protecting peace and stability in the East China Sea. From 19th to 21st of February this year, the defense departments of the two countries held in Tokyo an expert meeting for the direct hotline of the Maritime and Air Liaison Mechanism. The two sides had candid and productive discussions, and agreed on stepping up the process of building the direct hotline so as to fully capitalize on the mechanism and develop the defense relationship. China-Japan defense cooperation is an important component of the relations between the two countries. Currently the China-Japan relationship has been back on the right track, and we are willing to work together with the Japanese side to implement the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, strengthen exchanges and communication between the defense departments, properly manage differences, and enhance security mutual trust so as to create favorable conditions for realizing new development of the China-Japan relationship in the new historical period and contribute more to world peace, stability and prosperity. Question: I have two questions. First, the PLA Rocket Force has launched its official Weibo accounts recently, which received wide attention from the outside world. We noticed that the PLA Rocket Force has opened two different official accounts. Do you have any special consideration? Second, just now you introduced that the PLA Navy will hold multinational naval activities on its 70th anniversary of its founding. Which major Chinese naval vessels will attend? Will the aircraft carrier Liaoning and Chinas first home-made aircraft carrier participate in the relevant activities? Has China invited the navies of major foreign countries to participate, such as the United States and France? Answer: On your first question, the PLA Rocket Force is the essential force for Chinas strategic deterrence, a strategic support to Chinas status as a major country, and an important foundation stone for safeguarding national security. On February 19th, the PLA Rocket Force launched two official accounts on Weibo and Wechat, namely Chinas Rocket Force and Dongfeng Delivery. The launching of the two official accounts at the same time is because they will focus on different contents. Chinas Rocket Force will mainly publish official information and updates of the Rocket Force, while Dongfeng Delivery will mainly tell stories and self-made videos of the Rocket Force in a more down-to-earth manner. We hope you can continue to follow the official Weibo and WeChat accounts of the Rocket Force. On the second question, the commemorative activities marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PLA Navy, including multinational naval activities, are now being planned and prepared. We will release the information in due course. As for whether the aircraft carrier Liaoning and other naval ships will attend, we will release the information in due course. Question: My question is about the Veterans Support Law. Do you have any updates on this law? Some reports say that this law will be submitted to the Two Sessions in 2019. Could you confirm that? Answer: We have noticed that the Ministry of Veterans Affairs(MVA) has done a lot of work on protecting the legitimate rights and interests of veterans. The MVA told us that in order to make the legislation in a scientific, democratic and legitimate manner, and to hear opinions from all parties, they have drafted the Veterans Support Law, and sent it to relevant CPCCC and state departments, provincial governments and related military departments for opinions. This draft is in line with President Xi 's important directive on veteran work and emphasizes both inheritance and innovation. It makes systematic design and specification on veterans retirement handover, resettlement, education and training, employment, support and pension. It also includes innovative measures, such as establishing special treatment for war veterans, building personal profile for all veterans, issuing veteran ID, and building a pilot responsibility and evaluation system on the resettlement of veterans. Currently, the MVA is reviewing and studying the feedback from different departments. And they will keep coordination with related departments and make adjustment to the draft in accordance with the spirit of the CMC Military Policies and Institutions Reform Meeting. When the draft is better preparedwe will release it to the public for suggestion and then submit it to the National Peoples Congress for deliberation. Question: My question is about the CPLA Military Training Inspection Regulation. What are the features of the PLAs first regulations on military training supervision? Answer: The chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) Xi Jinping signed the order to launch the trial CPLA Military Training Inspection Regulation recently. It is a significant outcome of PLAs military training development and also marks that the military training inspection has entered a new stage. There are four main features of this regulation. First, it turns the strategic decision made by President Xi Jinping and the CMC to establish a training inspection mechanism into concrete institutional rules. Second, it is a theoretical innovation on the missions, features and laws of military training inspection under the new military structure. Third, it focuses on solutions to peace-time ills and prominent problems in military training. Fourth, the regulation underlines a training inspection mechanism that covers all units as well as the whole-process of training. This comprehensive design provides unified regulations for training inspection in the whole process including guidance and practice, and also provides a strong institutional support for the promotion of strict training in accordance with regulations and realistic training for actual combats. Question: The 16th China-Russia-India Foreign Ministers Meeting was recently held in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province. After the meeting, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov jointly met with the press. They have mentioned that the three countries are discussing on building a Defense Ministers Meeting mechanism at an appropriate time. Do you have any comment on this? Answer: The media has given full coverage to the China-Russia-India Foreign Ministers Meeting. And on the China-Russia-India Defense Ministers Meeting mechanism, the Chinese side is willing to maintain coordination and communication with the other two parties. Question: Last year, there were frequent exchanges between Chinese and Russian militaries and the Chinese side sent troops for the first time to participate inVostok-2018 strategic exercise. Could you please tell us the cooperation between Chinese and Russian militaries in 2019 and will Chinas participation in Russian strategic exercise be a regular arrangement? Answer: In 2019, under the guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, Chinese and Russian militaries will seize the opportunity of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries to further promote exchanges at different levels, strengthen cooperation in high-level exchanges, realistic training and military competition and maintain good interactions and coordination in multilateral venues. The two sides will keep the military relationship running at a high level so as to add new impetus to the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between the two countries and make positive contribution to peace and stability in the region and the world. Question: Last year, China conducted many joint exercises with foreign militaries. Can you tell us the plans for joint exercises with foreign militaries this year? Answer: Thank you for your attention to the Chinese military. China-foreign joint exercises and training have become an important form of training of the Chinese military and have been normalized. They are conducive to setting up closer China-foreign military relationship and improving the realistic combat capabilities of the Chinese military. As for this years joint exercises, we are maintaining close communication and coordination with foreign militaries. I believe some brand exercises and institutional exercises will be continued this year. Question: The Moving China - 2018 has announced the list of winners recently. We noticed that many active-duty or retired service members and veterans are on the list, such as Chinas nuclear commander Cheng Kaijia, Chinas Hero Captain Liu Chuanjian, Minesweeping Hero Du Fuguo, and the courageous folk hero Lyu Baoming. What is your comment on that? Answer: First, Id like to express my congratulations and respect to the winners of Moving China - 2018. For a long time, the service members and veterans accounted for a large part of the nominees and winners of the Moving China program. This is a great encouragement to the whole military. These heroes are from the people, for the people and they are moving the people with their actions. They are outstanding representatives of all men and women in uniforms. They practice the goal of serving the people wholeheartedly with their actions and even their lives. They deserve the glory name as peoples soldiers and are proved worthy of the trust of the Party and the people. The awards are both their personnel honor and the honor for all service members. It also shows the respect and admiration for service members by the whole society. In the new era, all PLA officers and soldiers will carry on the fine tradition of the heroes and models, always uphold the nature, purpose and true colour of the peoples armed forces, shoulder the historic mission of strengthening and revitalizing the military in the new era, add glory to the August First military flag with real actions, and make new and greater contributions to the Chinese Dream and the Dream of building a powerful military. Question: Recently, two US military vessels sailed across the Taiwan Strait again after last months operation, and this is the fifth operation in the past eight months. Foreign media considered these actions as the support for Taiwan. Do you have any comment? My second question is that some Japanese media reported that Japans defense ministry has invited many foreign countries including China to the ship parade of Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force in October. Will China participate? And also will Japan send ships to the multinational navy activities in April in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PLA Navy? Answer: The Chinese side is fully aware of all the moves of relevant US military vessels and keeps high alert to these moves all the time. And here I want to reiterate that Taiwan is a part of China; the Taiwan question concerns Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is also the most important and sensitive issue in the China-US relationship. We urge the US side to abide by the One China Principle and the Three China-US Joint Communiques, and carefully handle the Taiwan -related issues. As for your second question, in line with the improving bilateral ties between China and Japan, the two sides will have a series of exchanges and interactions in defense and security areas this year such as the productive experts' meeting for the direct hotline of the Maritime and Air Liaison Mechanism. As for the specific exchanges and programs, we will keep communication with the Japanese side and release information in due course. We are currently preparing for activities celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PLA Navy , and we will release relevant information according to the progress in our preparations. Question: There is a question from one of our netizens, whose online name is . When can we see more barracks opening activities in more provinces in China? Answer: Thank all the netizens for their attention to the national defense and military construction of China, as well as to the news release of the Ministry of National Defense. 2018 is the year when the barracks opening work is fully carried out, and many barracks have opened their doors to the society. We have said that the door of the Chinese military would open wider. This year, some troops in 10 big and mid size cities will open to the public during the Army Day. Meanwhile, related departments will organize opening activities of naval vessels and air forces aircraft together with the 70th anniversary celebration of the Navy and the Air Force. Question: I have three questions. Firstthere were many highlights in 2018 for Chinas international military cooperation. Could you please share with us the plan and measures of Chinas international military cooperation this year? Second, this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PLA Navy. Recently, the MND website published some posts of the PLA Marine Corps, mimicking the style of the blockbuster movie Wandering Earth. Why did the MND release these posts? Are there any changes in the future in the draft, training, equipment and missions of the PLA Marine Corps? Third, recently, some media reported on a new type of ship-borne UAV of the Navy and this fixed-wing UAV, is capable of vertical takeoff and landing. Could you please tell us more details? Answer: International military cooperation is an important for the Chinese military to build it into a world-class military. 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China. It is also an important year for the development and reform of international military cooperation. The international military cooperation this year can be summed up in four aspects: First, staying with the political guidance. In line with Xi Jinpings thinking on strengthening the military, we will promote international military exchanges and cooperation in all areas to safeguard national sovereignty, security, development interests and serve the building of a world-class military and the community of shared future for mankind. Second, serving the big picture. To build an all-dimensional, wide-ranging and multi-tiered pattern of international military cooperation in the new era, we will pursue steady growth in military relationships with major countries, enhance relations with neighboring countries, expand relationships with developing countries and be more engaged in multilateral security cooperation mechanisms so as to firmly safeguard Chinas security interests and peace and stability in the world. Third, focusing on improving combat capabilities and readiness. We will strengthen exchanges and cooperation in professional areas, strengthen exercises, training and competition with foreign militaries, underline realistic training in the subjects, contents and methods of training so that international military cooperation can be a bigger contributor to the improvement of combat capabilities of our troops. Fourth, making contributions to the world. We will vigorously fulfill the responsibility of a major countryactively participate in international peacekeeping, vessel protection and humanitarian rescue missions, strengthen international arms control and non-proliferation cooperation and provide more public goods to the international community. On your second question: the PLA Navy is a major force for maritime operations and is responsible for safeguarding Chinas maritime sovereignty, security and rights and interests. During the reform of force structure and composition, the PLA Navy Marine Corps was established. It is an important step to strengthen the force structure of the PLA Navy. As an arm of the Navy, the PLA Navy Marine Corps plays an important role in conducting diversified tasks, such as overseas vessel protection and flood and earthquake relief missions. In line with Chinas national security needs, we will continue to strengthen services and arms and improve their capabilities to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests. On your third question: I do not have any information on the ship-borne UAV you just mentioned. However, I would like to say that China develop its equipment based on its evaluation of security threats it is facing. And China follows the principle of coordinated development of defense and economy and the principle of independence, innovation and civil-military integration. We carry out the research and production of weapons and equipment on ourselves. Question: In early January, the Central Military CommissionCMC issued the annual training order. Could you please tell us what new measures the PLA major units are taking to study and implement the CMC training order? Answer: On January 4 this year, CPCCC General Secretary, P.R.C. President and CM Chairman Xi Jinping signed the CMC Order No.1 of the year to launch the annual military training. In mid January, the CMCs Training Management Department sent three inspection teams to examine the implementation of the order in all the PLA major units. Weve already seen rapid and solid actions in all major units in implementing the CMCs annual training order. It opened a good start of annual training and signifies a new surge of conducting training. Here, Id like to mention three points: First, all the major units study and implement Chairman Xi Jinpings order according to their respective training needs. They are carefully making the annual training plans now. Second, the party Committee leaders of the major units take the lead in having strict training and making great efforts to improve commanding and combat capabilities. Third, the major units are raising the difficulty and intensity of the training to steel the troops with gallantry and bravery of wining battles. Meanwhile, we also noticed that the second batch of over 900 new military training outlines have been officially launched and come into force from January 4, 2019. It signifies that the main body of the new military training outlines have been established. The two batches of more than 1600 new military training outlines provide substantial support to the PLA and the Peoples Armed Police Force to implement the CMCs training order and conduct realistic military training. Question: Following last month's military exercise by British warships in the South China Sea, the UK Secretary of State for Defense Gavin Williamson recently claimed that the UK would send its HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier and F-35B carrier-based fighters to the South China Sea to display hard power. Do you have any comment? Answer: At present, with joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries, the situation in the South China Sea is peaceful and stable, and is developing in a positive direction. We have noticed that the spokesperson for British Prime Ministers Office has clarified on the remarks by certain people in the UK. China respects and safeguards the freedom of navigation and over-flight entitled to all countries in the South China Sea under the international law. However, China is firmly opposed to some countries' military provocations in the South China Sea under the guise of "freedom of navigation". The Chinese military will firmly fulfill its defense duties, safeguard national sovereignty and security, and protect peace and stability in the South China Sea. Question: On Feb. 26th, India launched an air strike on Pakistan-controlled Kashmir with 12 airplanes. Pakistan sent out fighters to respond. Yesterday, Pakistan officially declared that it shot down Indian aircraft. Do you have any comment on the military clash between Chinas neighbors? Answer: We have noticed the latest development and we are closely watching the situation. India and Pakistan are two major countries in South Asia. A harmonious relationship between the two countries serve the interests of the two countries as well as peace, stability and development in the region and the world. We hope the two sides can exercise restraint, properly handle related issues through dialogues and coordination, and prevent further escalation. Question: Recently, the PLA Daily has some reports about proposals submitted by military representatives of the NPC (National People's Congress), including amendment of National Defense Law, legislation of military operations other than war as well as overall arrangements on border and coastal defense works. Are these proposals reflection of the promotion of running the military in accordance with the law, and whats the current status of running the military in accordance with the law? Answer: President Xi Jinping attaches great importance to principles of running the military with strict discipline and in accordance with the law. He has raised them to a strategic position and pointed out the direction and scientific instructions for the promotion of these principles. Currently, the entire armed forces are committed to deepening the promotion of running the military in accordance with the law, speeding up the development of military legal system with Chinese characteristics, pressing ahead with the fundamental transformation of the way to run the military, promoting legal awareness through publicity and educational campaigns, actively advancing law-based management in the military, and establishing and improving the mechanisms of legal consultation and service. With a view to resolutely maintain their fine image, Chinas armed forces strive to manage the troops more strictly in all respects by fully implementing military rules and regulations, restoring and improving the traditional mechanism of using bugles to communicate and command, carrying out safety inspection to find out and tackle potential safety problems, stepping up garrison military policing efforts, taking targeted measures to strengthen the management of military vehicles, and putting into place a mechanism of regular notification on garrison military policing efforts. Question: Just follow up on the situation of India-Pakistan conflict. India and Pakistan are both neighbors of China. Will the Chinese military increase the level of alert or take any actions in case the situation deteriorates? Answer: Both India and Pakistan are important South Asian countries. As for the current India-Pakistan conflict, we believe that the top priority is for the two sides to exercise restraint, properly resolve the issue through dialogue and coordination, and take effective measures to prevent further escalation of the conflict. Question: According to media reports, the first batch of civilian employees recruited by the Peoples Liberation Army(PLA )and the Peoples Armed Police(PAP) are now on their posts. Will the PLA and PAP recruit civilian employees on a larger scale this year? And what are the supporting policies to attract these talents? Answer: With progress in the reform of the military and national defense, many measures on the support of service members as well as civilian employees are being researched and implemented and the society are paying higher respect and admiration to the armed forces. I believe that with more preferential policies to be staged in the future, the military will be more attractive to the talents in our society and it will be able to keep more high-quality military officers. The work of attracting talented personnel will reach a new stage. Question: First, recently, foreign media reported that a type-055 missile destroyer will be named after Lhasa. Can you confirm it? Besidesis the type-055 missile destroyer in service now? Second, news on the Internet said that Pakistan air force pilots flying China-made JF-17 fighters to shoot down Indian military aircraft. Id like to know your comments on that. Third, will China and Russia hold a maritime joint exercise in 2019? Answer: We have released related information on the new type destroyer, and this type of destroyer is undergoing related trials at present. The construction of the ship is in steady progress according to the plan. The PLA has regulations on the naming of naval ships and the new vessel will be named according to relevant regulations. On the second question, as I mentioned before, I believe the current priority is for the two sides to exercise restraint, and to stabilize the situation through dialogues and coordination and prevent further escalation. As the common neighbor of the two countries, China hopes to see peace and stability in the region, which conforms to the fundamental interests of all countries in the region. As for the third question, I just briefed you on the considerations about the military cooperation between China and Russia. We want to keep the relationship between the two militaries running at high level, so as to continue to enrich the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination with new connotation of the times and security connotation. On detailed cooperative programs, we are keeping close communication with the Russian side. Question: On February 22nd, an exhibition with the theme of "CPLA (Chinese People's Liberation Army): A Force for World Peace" concluded in New York. Please brief us on the exhibition and its achievements. Answer: From February 11 to February 22, local time, a photo exhibition with the theme of "CPLA: A Force for World Peace was held at the UN headquarters in New York. It was co-hosted by the CMC Political Work Department and the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations. The exhibition was divided into four sections such as participating in UN peacekeeping missions, securing international maritime passages, providing international relief assistance, as well as conducting security exchanges and cooperation. Via exhibition boards, pictures and short videos, the exhibition provided a multi-angle and multi-level demonstration of the Chinese military's contribution to world peace. Some UN officials and officials of other countries permanent missions to the UN attended the exhibition. Under-Secretary-General for Field Support Atul Khare in his speech hailed China's important role in UN peacekeeping operations and thanked Chinese military's constant and widespread support to UN peacekeeping operations. Question: During each years Two Sessions, Chinas defense budget will attract much attention. Some critics say that Chinas defense budget is not transparent and open enough. And the National Peoples Congress spokesperson reiterates every year that the increase of Chinese defense budget is mainly for the upgrade of weapons and equipment as well as the improvement of living standard of servicemen. Could you give us more details and more explanations? For example, does the defense budget include the cost of research and development of weapons and the cost of purchasing weapons from abroad? We also noticed that since last year, Chinas Coast Guard was assigned to the command of the Armed Police Force, which aroused much attention. Does the defense budget also cover the part of the Coast Guard? Answer: First, we are firmly opposed to the false accusations against China's defense spending. China insists on comprehensive consideration of development and security, of national wealth and defense capabilities, and sticks to the coordinated development of national defense construction and economic growth. We adhere to the principle of diligent and thrifty military construction, make rational determination of the scale and structure of defense expenditures, and manage and use defense expenditure according to law and based on state's economic development level and national defense needs. We publish Chinas defense budget at each plenary session of the National Peoples Congress. I want to stress that to being in line with the defense law and budget law, Chinese government includes all defense expenditure in the defense budget and submits the defense budget to the National Peoples Congress for approval. The process is open and transparent. The defense expenditure can mainly be divided into three parts as the cost on personnel, the cost on training and maintenance, and the cost on equipment. The defense expenditure covers the cost of active duty forces, reserve force and the militia. As for the expenditure of peoples armed police force, the website of the Treasury Department has published the related information and you can refer to that. Question: On February 28th, US President Donald Trump confirmed on the press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, that he did not signed any paper with the DPRK (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea) leader Kim Jong-un on their second summit. Whats your comment? Answer: We support the DPRK and the US to solve problems through dialogue and coordination and achieve substantial progress on the denuclearization and lasting peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula. We expect that relevant parties can make efforts and China will also continue to play a constructive role in this issue. If there are no more questions, here concludes todays regular press conference. Thank you! Mrs Lam speaks at the Thailand-Hong Kong Strategic Partnership business seminar co-hosted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand. Chief Executive Carrie Lam (fourth left) and Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak (fourth right) officiate at the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Bangkok. Chief Executive Carrie Lam today opened the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Bangkok and met Thailands Prime Minister. Mrs Lam, accompanied by Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau, attended the offices opening ceremony, with Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak as the officiating guest. In her speech, Mrs Lam thanked the Thailand government for its support in making it possible for the office to commence operation just 17 months after she announced the plan in her maiden Policy Address in October 2017. She hoped the office will play the role of facilitator, connecting businesses and organisations between Hong Kong and Thailand, and fostering co-operation. Speaking to the media in Bangkok, Mrs Lam said: I'm sure the presence of this office will usher in a new era of closer collaboration between Hong Kong and Thailand, not only in terms of trade and investment and commerce, but also in other areas like culture, education, technology, creative industries and people-to-people exchange. In the morning, Mrs Lam met Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Mrs Lam said Thailand is an important partner of Hong Kong and this was her third visit to the country since taking office. Noting that she met Mr Prayut at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting earlier, Mrs Lam said such frequent contacts are a testimony of the importance attached to the bilateral relations by both sides. She said the Free Trade Agreement between Hong Kong and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the related Investment Agreement were signed in late 2017. She thanked the Thailand government for the co-ordination role it took throughout the negotiations, as well as its timely ratification of the free trade agreement and its efforts to encourage other ASEAN member states to expedite their ratification process. Mrs Lam also met Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai. At a business seminar co-hosted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand, the Chief Executive briefed about 1,000 participants on the latest situation of Hong Kong and the areas in which collaboration with Thailand can be enhanced. She and Mr Somkid witnessed the signing of four Memorandums of Understanding at the seminar between Cyberport, the council and a Hong Kong company with the Thailand Board of Investment and InnoSpace Thailand to promote co-operation of startups and incubation services. Addressing the seminar, Mrs Lam spoke on the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, saying Hong Kong will play a key role in the initiative, especially in the development of an international innovation and technology hub in the bay area. She encouraged Thailand to work with Hong Kong to promote the development of I&T and startups. During a lunch with Mr Somkid and members of Thailands business sector, Mrs Lam encouraged enterprises to leverage Hong Kong's advantages as an international financial, transportation and trade centre to explore together the markets along the Belt & Road and in the Mainland. Mrs Lam also officiated at the opening ceremony of a year-long collaboration between Zuni Icosahedron and the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre. She said Hong Kong's arts and culture scene is blooming and she believes there is much room for enhancing exchange and co-operation between the two places. On arrival in Bangkok yesterday afternoon, Mrs Lam met representatives of Hong Kong organisations to learn about their work and lives in Thailand. She later attended a dinner hosted by Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Kingdom of Thailand Lyu Jian. BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Approved by the Central Military Commission, a multinational navy event will be held to commemorate the 70th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, a spokesperson for the Chinese military said Thursday. The event will be hosted in Qingdao, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province, said Ren Guoqiang, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, at a press conference. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and April 23 is the 70th founding anniversary of the PLA Navy. A banquet for the Botswana leader will be held this evening ahead of the big day tomorrow, where eight memoranda of understanding and agreements covering political and diplomatic, economic, social and defence and security are expected to be signed. CEO's 'Cold' Zoom Call: 'I Come to You With Not Great News' Vessels and aircraft including the aircraft carrier Liaoning and latest submarines, vessels and fighter jets take part in a review in the South China Sea on April 12, 2018. /Xinhua Photo China's defense ministry has announced that it will hold an international maritime parade on April 23 in waters off Qingdao city, east China's Shandong Province, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy. This information was released by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense at a regular briefing on Thursday in Beijing. At the event, the ministry's spokesperson Ren Guoqiang also addressed a question by CGTN on the U.S. military's increasing "Freedom of Navigation" operations in the South China Sea. "Navigation does not equal trespassing and should not violate laws." Ren reiterated. Chinese aircraft carrier at the navy parade in the South China Sea / CCTV.com Photo He also warned against stirring up of trouble in the region, saying the Chinese military will take resolute measures to firmly defend its national sovereignty. Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy was established on April 23, 1949. On April 12, 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, reviewed the PLA Navy in the South China Sea. Last April, China launched its biggest naval parade in the South China Sea. It featured 48 vessels and 76 fighter jets, including the Liaoning aircraft carrier, J-15 fighter jets and nuclear submarines as well as more than 10,000 personnel. On April 26, 2017, China launched its second aircraft carrier in the Dalian shipyard of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corp., a milestone in the development of the country's home-made aircraft carrier. The first domestically-built aircraft carrier came after the Liaoning, a refitted former Soviet Union-made carrier that was put into commission in the Chinese navy in 2012. China's second aircraft carrier / VCG Photo In September 2017, China launched its first replenishment oiler, the 40,000-tonne "Hulun Lake", a new type of naval auxiliary ship which can refuel aircraft carriers at sea, making China's navy development more hierarchical and scientific. And in June 2017, China launched a new destroyer, a 10,000-tonne domestically designed and produced vessel. As the first of China's new generation of destroyers, it is equipped with new air defense, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons. It marked a major step for the country in improving the navy armament system and building a strong and modern maritime force. (Newser) A woman charged with assault and battery after a diner said she knocked his "Make America Great Again" cap off now faces deportation. Immigration officers arrested Rosiane Santos on Tuesday, USA Today reports, accusing her of being a citizen of Brazil living in Massachusetts illegally. A lawyer for Santos told Boston.com that she has a green card application pending and is married to an American citizen. She has been released from ICE custody but awaits a court date. She had been arrested by local police Feb. 15 after the restaurant confrontation, which the diner, Bryton Turner, captured on video. "I dont think ICE or anything would've been involved if it wasn't for the video," Santos' husband told Boston 25 News. story continues below The videowhich includes commentary by Turnershows Santos walking past him from behind and knocking off his cap, which bore Donald Trump's campaign slogan. The police report said she appeared to be intoxicated and told officers Turner shouldn't wear the cap in a Mexican restaurant. "She's been through a lot in her life; she felt she had to stand up for herself and for other people," her husband told Boston 25. After her ICE arrest, Turner issued a statement: "Unfortunately for her this country has laws in place to protect its citizens and they have to be obeyed. That's what makes this country great." (Read more Make America Great Again stories.) (Newser) India has demanded that Pakistan release a fighter pilot shot down Wednesday over Kashmir, after a video was released showing the man blindfolded and bloody. India called the video a "vulgar display of an injured personnel," the BBC reports. Pakistan said the pilot was being "treated as per norms of military ethics." Pakistan says it shot down two Indian warplanes, the biggest escalation of the conflict over Kashmir in years, after India launched an airstrike on what it called an insurgent camp in Pakistan. India said that attack was a response to a bombing that killed at least 40 of its troops in Kashmir; Pakistan denies involvement in the bombing, CNN reports. Both nations control parts of Kashmir but claim all of it. story continues below And both nations say they don't want war. India will act "with responsibility and restraint," its foreign minister said. "We should sit down and talk," Pakistan's prime minister said. The fears are widespread: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has talked to officials in both countries, and the British foreign minister said his government also has been working to defuse the situation. "You have two nuclear powers who have a long history of tension squaring up against each other and now in the start of some kind of military conflict," Jeremy Hunt said, per the CBC. "So it's an extremely dangerous situation." (Bombing was deadliest in Kashmir history.) (Newser) In his congressional testimony Wednesday, Michael Cohen blasted President Trump's character"racist," "con man" and "cheat" aren't exactly endorsementsbut so far the media is focused on Trump's possible law-breaking. The New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal are all leading with that issue, especially in relation to hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels and Trump's alleged knowledge of WikiLeaks dumping Hillary Clinton's emails. There's also Trump's apparent suggestion that Cohen lie about Trump Tower Moscow negotiations; Trump's awareness of the Trump Tower meeting with Russians; and the $60,000 Trump portrait paid for by Trump's charity. But even with Cohen's supplied documents, can Trump really be charged? Willful crimes: A legal expert tells the Times that Cohen's hush-money story (Trump apparently approved the payments) could be part of a campaign-finance charge, but prosecutors will need to prove he willfully violated the law. And knowing about the Wikileaks dump may not be enough, others say; active coordination with Russians would be a real smoking gun. story continues below 'Jaywalking' charge : Even the Post is surprisingly tame"Most of his most important contentions require explanation and inquiry," writes Aaron Blakewhile Ann Coulter says the hush-money payments were likely legal and would only amount to a fine anyway: "I'd be more impressed if they got Trump on a jaywalking charge," she writes at Breitbart. : Even the Post is surprisingly tame"Most of his most important contentions require explanation and inquiry," writes Aaron Blakewhile Ann Coulter says the hush-money payments were likely legal and would only amount to a fine anyway: "I'd be more impressed if they got Trump on a jaywalking charge," she writes at Breitbart. Conspiracy : Oddly, a conspiracy case might stick even though Cohen testified that Trump only implicitly told him to lie about the Trump Tower Moscow project. "If you're going to make a case of conspiracy with the Russians, that's going to be front and center," former federal prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg tells the Times. : Oddly, a conspiracy case might stick even though Cohen testified that Trump only implicitly told him to lie about the Trump Tower Moscow project. "If you're going to make a case of conspiracy with the Russians, that's going to be front and center," former federal prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg tells the Times. That other probe : Fox News anchor Chris Wallace saw a bigger risk for Trump in Cohen's allusion to an ongoing criminal investigation by the Southern District of New York. "So that raises the real possibility of criminal exposure," he said, per Newsweek. : Fox News anchor Chris Wallace saw a bigger risk for Trump in Cohen's allusion to an ongoing criminal investigation by the Southern District of New York. "So that raises the real possibility of criminal exposure," he said, per Newsweek. The Trump clan: The Democrats repeatedly questioned Cohen about Trump's family, suggesting that's where investigations are heading. "It will only be a matter of time before the Oversight Committee requests that Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner speak to congressional investigators," writes Kurt Bardella at USA Today. The eye-roll : Rep. Stacy Plaskett is getting some attention for what might be an eye-rollor at least a look of exasperationwhen combative Rep. Jim Jordan got upset about not having Cohen's opening statement in advance, per the Hill. "Stacey Plaskett is all of us looking at Jim Jordan, the last person who should address anyone's character," tweets Atlantic writer Jemele Hill with a video of the moment. : Rep. Stacy Plaskett is getting some attention for what might be an eye-rollor at least a look of exasperationwhen combative Rep. Jim Jordan got upset about not having Cohen's opening statement in advance, per the Hill. "Stacey Plaskett is all of us looking at Jim Jordan, the last person who should address anyone's character," tweets Atlantic writer Jemele Hill with a video of the moment. Racism : Cohen's accusation of Trump's racism led to an angry exchange between Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Mark Meadowsone that devolved into a question of whether Trump and Meadows each have a black friend. "This is not a helpful way to talk about racism," writes Dara Lind at Vox. "...Nothing new was learned as a result of any of this." : Cohen's accusation of Trump's racism led to an angry exchange between Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Mark Meadowsone that devolved into a question of whether Trump and Meadows each have a black friend. "This is not a helpful way to talk about racism," writes Dara Lind at Vox. "...Nothing new was learned as a result of any of this." Cohen's character : Republicans are slamming Cohen's character on various fronts, including his claim that he never wanted a White House job, per Politico. "Michael was lobbying EVERYONE to be 'Chief of Staff,'" tweets Eric Trump. "It was the biggest joke in the campaign and around the office. Did he just perjure himself again?" : Republicans are slamming Cohen's character on various fronts, including his claim that he never wanted a White House job, per Politico. "Michael was lobbying EVERYONE to be 'Chief of Staff,'" tweets Eric Trump. "It was the biggest joke in the campaign and around the office. Did he just perjure himself again?" OAC: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was "sharp and crisp" near the end of the day when she brought up other possible Trump crimes, like insurance fraud: She "put in perhaps the single most impressive appearance of the hearing," writes Ed Kilgore at New York magazine. See video here. (Read more Michael Cohen stories.) China's first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Type 001A, leaves the shipyard of Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd. for the fifth sea trial in Dalian city, northeast China's Liaoning province, 27 February 2019. Photo: IC China's second aircraft carrier reportedly set sail from the Dalian Shipyard Wednesday afternoon for its fifth sea trial, three days after the country's first carrier, the Liaoning, left the same shipyard. Experts believe it indicates a further step toward the final delivery of the second carrier. The domestically made Type 001A aircraft carrier left the shipyard in Northeast China's Liaoning Province under the assistance of multiple tug boats Wednesday afternoon, according to photos and accompanying captions released by IC, a Chinese image and photo provider, on Wednesday evening. The testing of carrier-based aircraft could be the focus of this sea trial, an IC photo caption reads. Photos taken by local residents and uploaded to the internet last week show guide lines and possibly a non-skid coating were being painted on the Type 001A's flight deck, which are considered necessary for the takeoff and landing of aircraft. The warship is said to have already successfully tested its avionics, radar and communication systems in previous trials, so it is likely fighter jets will conduct take offs and landings this time, an anonymous military expert told the Global Times. Li Jie, a Beijing-based naval expert, told the Global Times that he believes such a test is likely, or at least there will be preparations to enable future tests. "This sea trial will go a step further toward the final delivery of the new aircraft carrier," Li said. Full-sized models of an electronic warfare version of the J-15 warplane and a Z-18 helicopter were also spotted on board the Type 001A as it embarked on the sea trial, Hong Kong-based newspaper Wen Wei Po said Wednesday. The Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, was already at sea after leaving the Dalian Shipyard on Sunday. The two aircraft carriers could rendezvous in the northern Yellow Sea near Dalian, Chinese military observers said, as an area has been quarantined for a military exercise from Sunday to March 5, according to a notice the Maritime Safety Administration of China released on Friday. China will conduct a multinational naval activity in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the People's Liberation Army navy on April 23, said spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense Ren Guoqiang at a routine press conference on Thursday. With the Type 001A and the Liaoning both at sea at the same time they could be preparing for the celebration parade, said Li. Chinese military enthusiasts are thrilled by the idea of such a speculation, with some writing online posts that they cannot wait to see China's first pair of aircraft carrier strike groups. However, even if the two carriers train together, it is probably only for parade purposes as the second carrier is still not combat-ready, the anonymous expert said. The Type 001A has not been delivered to the military yet and therefore might not even make it to the parade, he said. (Newser) The family of a TV meteorologist who committed suicide after undergoing laser eye surgery says a series of videos found on her phone and a 30-page suicide note make clear her Dec. 12 suicide was linked to her Lasik SMILE surgery in October. "There was nothing else that we can attribute it to," husband Dan Rose tells ABC News. Fox 2 Detroit's Jessica Starr, 35, knew something was amiss within days of the Oct. 11 surgery, he says. She complained of "incredibly dry eyes" and "had almost no night vision. She had starbursts that she was seeing during the day and at night." In hindsight, Rose believes Starr became depressed and "started to withdraw from life." Starr's mom watched as she lost 25 pounds. "She said, 'I'm not eating and I'm not sleeping, Mom. This is worrying me. I don't think it's gonna get better.'" story continues below SMILE (small incision lenticule extraction) surgeryin which a laser creates a tiny opening on the eye before altering tissue within the corneahas been performed more than 1.5 million times and is regarded as less invasive than Lasik eye surgery, per ABC. Doctors do acknowledge complications including glare and halos, especially at night. But "compromising complications are extremely rare, at less than 1%," according to the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, which notes recovery can take "several weeks" or longer. Starr reached out to multiple doctors and a therapist as she suffered over two months. "She said, 'Dan, it's like my eyes and my brain aren't communicating like they used to. I can't process like I used to,'" Rose recalls, per Fox 2. He adds awareness of the case could save a life. (He's now focused on his two young kids.) (Newser) The last of the Great Escapers has died. Dick Churchill, a British Royal Air Force veteran who took part in the famous 1944 mass escape from the Stalag Luft III POW camp, died earlier this month at his home in England, the New York Times reports. He was 99. The squadron leader was nicknamed "chief rabbit" for his work in digging the tunnels used in the breakout immortalized in the 1963 movie The Great Escape. He was the last survivor of the 76 men who made it out of the camp. Only three escapees made it to a safe country. Some 50 men who were recaptured were executed on the orders of Adolf Hitler. Churchill said he believes he avoided execution because the Germans thought, incorrectly, that he was related to Winston Churchill and could be used as a bargaining chip. story continues below Churchill and other survivors were able to describe the Gestapo men they had seen taking others away, which helped the RAF's Special Investigation Branch track them down after the war, the Telegraph reports. Churchill, who joined the RAF at 18 in 1938 and was captured in 1940 after his bomber was shot down, had planned to make his way across Germany posing as a Romanian woodcutter, but he was recaptured within two days after he was found hiding in a hayloft. He was reluctant to discuss the escape in later years, but once told the BBC: "You could be a quiet person, do nothing much, above all dont annoy the Germans or the Gestapo, or you can try and do the opposite and feel better as the result of doing it." He is survived by his two sons. (The escape's chief forger died in 2012.) (Newser) Pakistan's prime minister pledged on Thursday his country would release a captured Indian jetfighter pilot the following day, a move that could help defuse the most-serious confrontation in two decades between the nuclear-armed neighbors over the disputed region of Kashmir. Prime Minister Imran Khan made the announcement in an address to both houses of Parliament, saying he tried to reach his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Wednesday with a message that he wants to de-escalate tensions. "We are releasing the Indian pilot as a goodwill gesture tomorrow," Khan told lawmakers. He did not say whether the release was conditional, reports the AP. story continues below There was no immediate reaction from India, though Modi earlier in the day warned that "India's enemies are conspiring to create instability in the country through terror attacks." Meanwhile, a temporary closure of airspace over Pakistan snarled air traffic Thursday, especially between Asia and Europe, though some airlines adjusted by rerouting their flights. In Bangkok, an important and busy hub for transcontinental flights, thousands of travelers were stranded. The terminal was so crowded that the chief of Thailand's immigration police tweeted a warning to "Please spare your time for your trip!" Thai Airways says it has rerouted flights to Europe outside Pakistani air space. Malaysia Airlines also said in a travel advisory on its website that it was avoiding air space over Pakistan and northern India "until further notice," the AP reports. (Read more Pakistan stories.) (Newser) It's a tough choice people face in Afghanistan, where almost constant war has raged on for more than four decades: Keep fighting and sustaining massive casualties, or broker peace with the Taliban to end these mass deathsand risk putting enemies into power who may then slaughter members of security forces they once fought. That's the dilemma outlined by the New York Times, which interviews people who've lost family members in law enforcement and the military. President Ashraf Ghani said last month that 45,000 security force members have died since he came to power in September 2014. Earlier this month alone, the Taliban killed 26 security force members on an air base in the province of Kunduz, per PBS. story continues below Cops die at a higher rate than those in the military, because they're not armed as heavily and because they're the ones last left to defend remote outposts that get attacked, the Times notes. But for those who live in Afghanistan, there aren't many other options. "They had no choice except to join, because we have no other way to earn a living here," says Janat Bebe, a woman from the village of Shemal whose son and two grandsons were killed in combat last year; she's now responsible for helping take care of the 17 children they left behind. Her own husband died fighting the Soviets in the '80s. Still, money isn't the only reason people join: Patriotism is also a factor, and even Bebe says she hopes her five remaining grandsons and three great-grandsons will become recruits. "The country must be served," she says, adding that if she were younger, she'd suit up herself. (Read more dangerous jobs stories.) (Newser) The summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un may have ended abruptly, but there's at least one sensitive subject that seems to have been smoothed over: the treatment of Otto Warmbier. Trump says he doesn't hold the North Korean leader personally responsible for the University of Virginia student's death. "Some really bad things happened to Ottosome really really bad things," says Trump, per NBC News. "But [Kim] tells me that he didn't know about it and I will take him at his word." Warmbier was arrested on a trip to North Korea in 2016, and he died in 2017 after being returned to the US in a vegetative state. story continues below "I really believe something really bad happened to him and I don't think the top leadership knew about it, Trump told reporters. I did speak about it and I don't believe that he would have allowed that to happen," he said of Kim. "It just wasn't to his advantage to allow that to happen. Kim, he said, "felt badly" about the death. Politico sees this as a notable turnaround for Trump, who brought Warmbier's parents to his State of the Union address last year and said their son's story showed that "depraved" North Korea was "a menace that threatens our world." (Warmbier's parents won a huge judgment against the regime.) (Newser) Women in Europe have it best, legally-speaking. Belgium, Denmark, France, Latvia, Luxembourg, and Sweden are the only countries that offer legal equality for men and women, according to a report by the World Bank. It looked at 35 indicators related to jobs, marriage, personal safety, property ownership, travel, inheritance, and more, reports Quartz, and those six countries scored a perfect 100. Among the questions considered: "Is a married woman not legally required to obey her husband?" "Is there paid [maternity] leave of at least 14 weeks available to women?" With a score of 83.75, the US sits behind Mexico, Colombia, and Zimbabwe. Axios points out the US doesn't number among the first 60 countries on the list of 187 countries. story continues below The global average is 74.71 out of 100, which means "a typical economy only gives women three-quarters the rights of men in the measured areas," World Bank interim president Kristalina Georgieva writes in an introduction to the report. The silver lining is progress: No countries could boast of legal equality among the sexes a decade ago, when the global average was 70.06, and all but 56 have made strides since then. Sub-saharan Africa passed 71 laws addressing women in the workplace, workplace harassment, and domestic violence over the decade. Just 19 similar reforms were passed in the Middle East and North Africa, where women still have less than half the rights men do, per Reuters. Nine countries are very close to equality: Canada, Finland, and Spain are among those with scores of 97.5. (See the best US states for women.) (Newser) The dust is still settling on Michael Cohen's testimony about President Trump on Wednesday, but some consensus is emerging among Democrats: that newcomer Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may have asked the sharpest questions of all, ones that might lead to specific new lines of inquiry into Trump's finances. The details: The video: Watch the exchange between AOC and Cohen via PBS News Hour. Watch the exchange between AOC and Cohen via PBS News Hour. Fact-checker's view: Glenn Kessler, the Washington Post's Fact Checker columnist, sums things up in a tweet: "Some lessons that other lawmakers could learn from @AOC's good questioning of Cohen: a) follow-up on previously asked questions that still need answers b) be precise and detailed and c) avoid much grandstanding. You might elicit news." Colleague Aaron Blake of the Post writes that her "simple but effective" questions "actually unearthed new information." Glenn Kessler, the Washington Post's Fact Checker columnist, sums things up in a tweet: "Some lessons that other lawmakers could learn from @AOC's good questioning of Cohen: a) follow-up on previously asked questions that still need answers b) be precise and detailed and c) avoid much grandstanding. You might elicit news." Colleague Aaron Blake of the Post writes that her "simple but effective" questions "actually unearthed new information." 3 names: At one point, AOC asked, "Did the president ever provide inflated assets to an insurance company?" Cohen said yes. "Who else knows the president did this?" she asked, to which Cohen listed three members of the Trump Organization, "Allen Weisselberg, Ron Lieberman, and Matthew Calamari." And just like that, her question gave House investigators and federal prosecutors "yet another trail to chase," writes Jonathan Swan at Axios. story continues below Ramifications: AOC "was the first to hammer home on possible tax fraud by Trump," writes Galen Druke of FiveThirtyEight. "That is potentially being investigated by the Southern District of New York and the state of New York. Various legal experts believe that investigations out of those jurisdictions are more of a legal threat to Trump than Mueller's is." AOC "was the first to hammer home on possible tax fraud by Trump," writes Galen Druke of FiveThirtyEight. "That is potentially being investigated by the Southern District of New York and the state of New York. Various legal experts believe that investigations out of those jurisdictions are more of a legal threat to Trump than Mueller's is." Tax returns: AOC also seemed to lay a path for Democrats to subpoena Trump's tax returns, per Quartz. "Do you think we need to review his financial statements and his tax returns in order to compare them?" she asked Cohen in regard to allegations that Trump lied about his assets. At another point: "Would it help for the committee to obtain federal and state tax returns from the president and his company to address that discrepancy?" Cohen agreed it would. AOC also seemed to lay a path for Democrats to subpoena Trump's tax returns, per Quartz. "Do you think we need to review his financial statements and his tax returns in order to compare them?" she asked Cohen in regard to allegations that Trump lied about his assets. At another point: "Would it help for the committee to obtain federal and state tax returns from the president and his company to address that discrepancy?" Cohen agreed it would. Bartending helped: Amid widespread praise for her questions, AOC tweeted: "Thanks! Bartending + waitressing (especially in NYC) means you talk to 1000s of people over the years. Forces you to get great at reading people + hones a razor-sharp BS detector. Just goes to show that what some consider to be 'unskilled labor' can actually be anything but." Amid widespread praise for her questions, AOC tweeted: "Thanks! Bartending + waitressing (especially in NYC) means you talk to 1000s of people over the years. Forces you to get great at reading people + hones a razor-sharp BS detector. Just goes to show that what some consider to be 'unskilled labor' can actually be anything but." Beating the hype: Yes, AOC is going to get attention no matter what she does, writes Ed Kilgore at New York, and he's been skeptical about all the hype. But on Wednesday, near the end of a long hearing, AOC was "crisp, succinct, and very focused on raising some previously undiscussed potential criminal liability issues for Trump that Cohens testimony suggested (e.g, insurance fraud), including several where the hot-button issue of Trumps missing tax returns might be germane." (Read more Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stories.) (Newser) A mom wants $1.1 million from Alaska Airlines and the owner of a pit bull that bit her 5-year-old's face at Portland International Airport in 2017. It was part of a spike in incidents involving emotional support animals, as reported by various airlines. Alaska Airlines was among those to update its rules in response: As of October 2018, it permits only dogs and cats with appropriate documentation, and the animal must be kept on a leash or in a carrier. Fox News reports that's not the policy that was in place on Dec. 18, 2017, when Mirna Gonzalez alleges the airline allowed a pit bull with "vicious propensities" to be uncontained, per her lawsuit. Awaiting a flight to Texas, Gonzalez had left 5-year-old Gabriella with a 13-year-old brother while she went to get coffee. She then heard a scream and turned to see Gabriella's face covered in blood, per the Washington Post. story continues below Gonzalez claims owner Michelle Brannan assented to her daughter's request to pet the pit bull apparently serving as an emotional support dog, which severed her tear duct and took a chunk out of her upper lip (see a graphic photo). Gabriella "required surgery to repair complex facial lacerations and a damaged tear duct," per the suit filed Monday in Oregon's Multnomah County Circuit Court on behalf of the family from Pasco, Wash. Her attorney says Gabriella was also left with scarring. The complaint also names the Port of Portland, which requires that emotional support animals be kept in a carrier, or on a short leash if they're too large, per the Oregonian. After the attack, port police cited Brannan for failing to crate the pit bull. She reportedly carried a therapist's note referencing an emotional support animal. (Another bite came after a flight was boarded.) (Newser) The defense lawyer for the man who was once the third highest-ranking official in the Catholic Churchand who's now awaiting sentencing for attacks on two 13-year-old choirboys in Australiais apologizing for referring to the crimes as "plain" and "vanilla." The assaults by George Pell, then archbishop of Melbourne, after a Sunday mass in 1996 lasted "less than six minutes" and there was "no ejaculation," Robert Richter said in Victoria County Court Wednesday, adding the victims were "naughty boys" for consuming church wine in advance, per News.com.au. "This is no more than a plain, vanilla sexual penetration case where a child is not volunteering," Richter added in a clear description of rape, per the Australian Associated Press. Judge Peter Kidd countered that Pell's crimes were brutal and callous. The chief commissioner of Victoria police also took issue with the wording. story continues below So, too, did activist Manny Waks. "It has left me and many others shocked and upset," he wrote in a letter to Richter, who appeared not to recall the comment as he left court Wednesday. A statement expressing "sincerest apologies to all who were hurt or offended" came a day later after what Richter described as "a sleepless night reflecting upon the terrible choice of phrase." "It was in no way meant to belittle or minimize the suffering and hurt of victims," he continued, noting he'd already acknowledged the crimes "merited imprisonment." Pell, 77, faces up to 50 years on one count of sexually penetrating a child and four counts of an indecent act with a child at his March 13 sentencing. However, a criminal law expert tells the Guardian the "grounds of appealing on unreasonableness is solid" as only one victim served as witness, and the second denied the attack before his death. (Read more Cardinal George Pell stories.) (Newser) Israel's attorney general on Thursday recommended indicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with bribery and breach of trust in a series of corruption cases, a momentous move that will shake up Israel's election campaign and could spell the end of the prime minister's political career. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced his decision after more than two years of intense investigations and deliberations, the AP reports. Police had recommended indicting Netanyahu for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three different cases that ranged from accepting expensive gifts from wealthy allies to allegedly trading influence for more favorable press coverage. The final decision on indictment will take place after a hearing at which Netanyahu is given the opportunity to defend himself. story continues below That process is expected to take many months and be completed long after the April 9 elections. But the recommendations immediately cast a cloud over the campaign and Netanyahu's future. No sitting prime minister has been charged with a crime in Israel's history. Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert served time in prison for corruption, but had already resigned by the time he was charged. Netanyahu doesn't look to go that quietly. He denies any wrongdoing and calls the various allegations a media-orchestrated witch hunt aimed at removing him from office. He has vowed to carry on and is deadlocked in the polls, 40 days before Israelis go to vote. (More on the charges here.) (ABC News) Chris Watts arrives in court in Colorado for his sentencing on Nov. 19, 2018.(LAKEWOOD, Colo.) -- The Colorado man convicted of killing his pregnant wife and two young daughters spoke to investigators and provided more information about the murders, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said Thursday. Local, state and federal investigators visited convicted killer Chris Watts behind bars on Feb. 18, during which "Watts provided investigators with additional information about the murders of Shanann, Bella, and Celeste," the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said in a Thursday statement. The CBI said it plans to release a written report and audio file of the interview on March 7. Chris Watts was sentenced in November to life without parole for the August murders of his wife, Shanann Watts, 34, and their daughters Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3. Chris Watts' father, Ronnie Watts, said his son did not tell him the details about the conversation, but Ronnie Watts told ABC News Thursday, "In my heart I know he didn't kill those girls." Ronnie Watts said his son calls him every night and "knows the Bible inside and out." "It's over and done with," Ronnie Watts said of the case. "I am confused why they [the investigators] went out there in the first place." Chris Watts had pleaded guilty to all charges again him, and in exchange, prosecutors did not pursue the death penalty, the Weld County District Attorney's office said. In August, right after the crime, Chris Watts spoke to reporters, saying his wife vanished with his daughters without a trace, leaving her purse and keys at home. "My kids are my life," he told ABC Denver affiliate KMGH. "I mean, those smiles light up my life." "When I came home and then walked in the house, nothing. Vanished. Nothing was here," he said. Within days of the disappearance, Chris Watts was arrested and the bodies of his wife and children were found. Chris Watts declined to speak at his sentencing but his attorney, Kathryn Harrold, said her client is "devastated" and "is sincerely sorry for all of this." Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Cohen, citing his experiences in working for Trump for more than a decade, concluded, "He is a racist. He is a con man. And he is a cheat." Cohen's testimony is occurring about two months before he is set to report to prison for a three-year term after pleading guilty to financial crimes, campaign finance violations linked to the 2016 election and lying to Congress. "Donald Trump is a man who ran for office to make his brand great, not to make our country great," Cohen said. "He had no desire or intention to lead this nation -- only to market himself and to build his wealth and power. The campaign -- for him -- was always a marketing opportunity." Cohen lied to Congress about those negotiations during his testimony in 2017 for which he later pleaded guilty. Cohen said that while Trump did not direct him to provide false testimony to Congress, the president had made clear to him "that he wanted me to lie." Cohen said Trump secretly directed negotiations for a Moscow real estate deal, while publicly claiming during the campaign that he had no business interests in Russia, which would have posed a conflict. Cohen said Trump repeatedly lied to voters about not having any business dealings with the Russians because he never expected to win the election and didn't want to pass up the possibility of landing a lucrative real estate deal in Moscow, according to Cohen. Cohen, at the start of expected hours of testimony, told lawmakers that Trump knew that his campaign adviser Roger Stone was in contact with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange about the release of hacked Democratic National Committee e-mails damaging to his 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton before WikiLeaks released them to the public. Trump, in Vietnam for his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jung Un, assailed his former lawyer on Twitter ahead of his testimony, saying he "was just disbarred by the State Supreme Court for lying & fraud. He did bad things unrelated to Trump. He is lying in order to reduce his prison time." Republican lawmakers on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform disparaged Cohen's conduct that led to his guilty pleas for tax fraud and lying to a bank. Congressman Mark Green said, "He's a fake witness. His appearance here is a travesty." Democratic lawmakers zeroed in on Cohen's testimony about Trump's actions. Cohen detailed reimbursements to him by Trump for hush money payments Cohen made in the weeks before the 2016 election to keep adult film star Stormy Daniels quiet about an affair she alleges she had with Trump more than a decade ago. Cohen said Trump personally signed 11 checks from his personal bank account while he was president, and provided the committee a copy of one check for $35,000. But Cohen said he did not have direct evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to help Trump win, a key allegation that special counsel Robert Mueller has been investigating for nearly two years. "I have my suspicions," Cohen said. Cohen cited as potential collusion evidence a conversation he witnessed between Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr. Cohen says he believes the topic was a 2016 meeting that occurred at Trump Tower in New York involving the younger Trump, the president's son-in-law and now senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, his campaign manager Paul Manafort, and a Russian lawyer with ties to the Russian government. That meeting has drawn scrutiny, including from Mueller. President Trump has denied having advance knowledge of the talks, and in August downplayed allegations that his side was there to get potentially harmful information about Clinton, saying such acts are "totally legal and done all the time in politics." Cohen said one time Trump arranged for a fake bidder at an auction to pay $60,000 for a portrait of Trump, then reimbursed the bidder out of funds from Trump's charitable foundation so Trump could hang the painting at one of his country clubs. The lawyer said, "Mr. Trump is a cheat. It was my experience that Mr. Trump inflated his total assets when it served his purposes, such as trying to be listed among the wealthiest people in Forbes, and deflated his assets to reduce his real estate taxes." He called Trump a "racist," saying he often disparaged blacks. "The country has seen Mr. Trump court white supremacists and bigots," Cohen said. "You have heard him call poorer countries 'shitholes.' In private, he is even worse. He once asked me if I could name a country run by a black person that wasn't a 'shithole.' This was when Barack Obama was president of the United States. While we were once driving through a struggling neighborhood in Chicago, he commented that only black people could live that way. And, he told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid." Cohen is the highest-profile witness since the 1970s Watergate scandal to testify in Congress against a sitting American president. The last time the United States witnessed anything like this was in 1973, when former White House Counsel John Dean delivered a dramatic testimony that implicated President Richard Nixon and others in a cover-up effort in the Watergate affair. A year later Nixon became the first American president in history to resign. Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress once before and will have his work cut out to persuade lawmakers he is telling the truth this time. Facing a lengthy prison sentence, Cohen struck a deal with prosecutors. In August, he pleaded guilty to eight criminal charges, including campaign finance violations in connection with the payments to Daniels and McDougal. In December, he pleaded guilty to one count of lying to Congress about the Trump Organization's efforts to negotiate a deal to construct a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 presidential campaign. In return, he received a three-year prison sentence. He's scheduled to report to prison in early May. As part of his plea agreement, Cohen is continuing to cooperate with federal prosecutors in New York who are investigating Trump's business interests and millions of dollars of donations made to his presidential inaugural committee. Cohen was a fundraiser for the committee. (Newser) When President Trump explained to reporters why his summit with Kim Jong Un ended prematurely, he cited one big reason: North Korea wanted the US to lift all sanctions in exchange for the dismantling of its main nuclear facility. Not so, says North Korea's foreign minister. The North asked for only a partial lifting of sanctions, Ri Yong Ho said at a hastily arranged news conference, reports the BBC. "We offered a realistic proposal in this meeting," he said. Specifically, the North agreed to decommission its nuclear facility at Yongbyon under the supervision of US experts, reports the Washington Post. story continues below In exchange, the North wanted the US to end only those sanctions that affected civilians, though he did not provide details of exactly what that means. Given the current level of trust between North Korea and the United States, this was the maximum step for denuclearization we can offer, Ri told reporters, per the New York Times. However, the AP reports that Ri also said the North had been prepared to offer a written pledge to halt nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and that Washington wasted an opportunity that "may not come again." (Read more North Korea stories.) The First High Criminal Court yesterday sentenced two defendants to death after finding them guilty of smuggling 68 kilograms of hashish from Iran through the sea. Without revealing further information on the defendants age or nationalities, Muharraq Governorate Chief Prosecutor Adnan Mattar confirmed that three individuals were involved in the case. He explained in a statement issued here yesterday that the court ordered to impose the capital punishment on two of the defendants and to fine them BD10,000 each, while the third defendant was fined BD13,000. The details of the incident were initiated when the Public Prosecution received a report from the Anti-Narcotics Department in Interior Ministry, informing that a network that smuggles and promotes narcotic substances in the country, with the purpose of selling, was detected, Mr Mattar said in the statement. He explained further: The department was also informed that the network is working to bring in further quantities of narcotic substances in co-ordination with an Iranian citizen, who supplies them at the borders of the territorial waters of the Kingdom. The official said the defendants were caught in the middle of the sea as a result of co-ordination between Interior Ministrys Police Aviation and Coast Guard Command. Sixty-eight one-kilo blocks of hashish were detected in the possession of the defendants. The Public Prosecution had earlier accused the defendants of smuggling drugs with the intention of selling and referred the case to the First Criminal Court, which announced its sentence yesterday. Drug smugglers are frequently detected in Bahrains territorial waters while coming from Iran. On February 19 this year, the Interior Ministry announced the arrest of five drug traffickers who were attempting to traffic more than BD1.6 million worth of Hashish, Marijuana and Shabu from Iran through sea. US-backed forces in eastern Syria scrambled yesterday to extract more families from the last dreg of the caliphate before delivering a final blow to holdout jihadists. Several thousand people -- fighters and their relatives -- are believed to be holed up in the last pocket of territory controlled by the Islamic State group, barely half a square kilometre near the Iraqi border. Nearly five years after IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi ascended a pulpit in a mosque in Mosul calling on Muslims to join the newly proclaimed caliphate, the so-called Islamic State is only days away from dying in a tiny village few Syrians had ever heard of until recently. Thousands of its last denizens, many of them women and children, have been pouring out of the riverside hamlet of Baghouz in recent days, posing a huge humanitarian challenge for the Kurdish fighters leading the operation. Survivors of the months-old siege spilling out of the double-trailer trucks that transported them out of Baghouz tell harrowing tales of starvation and many of the evacuees require immediate medical attention. Human shields screened by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who have spearheaded the battle against IS in Syria, with support from a US-led coalition. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, about 10 percent of the estimated 50,000 people who fled the last jihadist bastions since December were IS members trying to slip back into civilian life. The diehard jihadists, among them many foreigners, still clinging to the last patch of the caliphate in Baghouz have also been using civilians as human shields. Footage captured by the BBC from positions held by Iraqi paramilitary forces across the Euphrates river shows an improvised camp, where what appears to be a jihadist can be seen running among makeshift tents. As warplanes fly overhead, a woman is seen collecting water from the river in plastic jerrycan while black men move stealthily among the jumble of minivans and civilian shelters that make any direct air strike impossible. The SDF launched its final offensive against IS territorial control in September 2018. The operation has been deadly and slow, with one top French officer even publishing stinging criticism of the coalitions reluctance to fully involve its ground forces. US President Donald Trump announced late last year he was ordering a complete troop pullout from Syria, leading the SDF exposed to Turkish military threats. A security vacuum could also see a quick resurgence of the Islamic State group, which has lost all its bastions in Syria and Iraq but remains a potent guerrilla force. Even the US military warned that IS could potentially re-establish territorial control in some areas with six months absent sustained counterterrorism pressure. Traumatised children With aid agencies struggling to provide basic relief to famished civilians evacuated from the remote Baghouz area, Save the Children highlighted the trauma the youngest among them had suffered. The children who fled ISheld areas were likely to have witnessed acts of brutality and lived under intense bombardment and deprivation in the last enclave held by the group, the British charity said. One of the children cited in the report was an 11-year-old named Mai. I always tried not to look when there were beheadings. I would hide behind my mum, she was quoted as saying. The charity stressed much more needed to be done to help these children. That includes funding and access for case management and protective services, and for foreign children repatriation to their countries of origin, said Save the Childrens Syria response director, Sonia Khush. Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Zayed Bin Rashid Al Zayani, said Bahrain will be launching amphibious buses by mid-2019 to facilitate the movement of visitors and residents in the Kingdom. The minister, speaking during a celebration held on the occasion of Arab Tourism Day, said, Through celebrating Arab Tourism Day, we aim to highlight the cultural and tourism landmarks in the Arab countries, within the sustainable development through various programmes that come within the objectives of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism and the Arab Tourism Organisation. The event was held under the slogan Tourism and Sustainable Development, in response to the invitation of the Arab Tourism Organisation to celebrate the birth of Arab traveller Ibn Battuta, which falls on the 25th of February. Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) held the celebration under the patronage of the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Zayed Bin Rashid Al Zayani on Monday at Vatel Hospitality and Tourism Business School in Al Jasrah. The event was held in the presence of the Chief Executive Officer of BTEA, Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, several dignitaries in the tourism sector along with several representatives in the tourism sector including hotels and restaurants. During the ceremony, two panel discussions were held. The first focused on Ecotourism: Mangroves and Pearl Diving Projects, while the second focused on Hospitality Sector: Sustainable Human Resources. Our annual celebration of Arab Tourism Day comes in line with the Authoritys strategy to develop the tourism sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain, which is an important sector that contributes to the GDP, further increasing employment rates and supporting the national economy, said the Chief Executive Officer of BTEA, Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa. Erdogan was in the forefront of condemning U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Turkish president called an emergency summit of the Organization of Islamic Conference in Istanbul to condemn Trump's move and rally support for the Palestinians. Hamas is working closely with Ankara, says international relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara's Middle East Technical University. "Under Erdogan, Turkey supported Hamas from the very beginning financially," he added, "Turkey supported Hamas in every conflict with Israel. Erdogan is critical of U.S. policy [toward the Palestinians], and the rhetoric will remain very critical." Kushner has special responsibility for Israeli-Palestine policy and is touring the region to build support for what he reportedly calls "the deal of the century." Erdogan is a critical player in the region because of his strong backing of the Palestinian cause and Hamas. Analysts suggest Erdogan could prove to be more flexible to Kushner's efforts than his rhetoric suggests. "It will depend on what the Israeli and American side offers to Turkey," said Bagci, "technically, Turkey is on the side of the Palestinians. If Turkey is to play a role [in supporting the peace plan], then there will have to be concessions from Israel and America." Kushner's Ankara visit comes amid broader strained bilateral relations. In January, Erdogan snubbed Trump's national security adviser John Bolton, refusing to meet him during his visit to Ankara. Instead, Erdogan chose to deliver a speech to parliament sharply criticizing Bolton. Ankara blames Trump's ministers and advisers rather than the president himself for the current tensions. Despite ongoing pressures, Erdogan continues to describe his relationship with Trump as positive. Analysts say Kushner, being Trump's son-in-law, offers an inside track to Erdogan. "We can call it the second-track diplomacy," said Bagci. "If they don't trust those around them, they use their sons-in-law if the presidents can't meet. It's always been like this here. It's nothing new in the region." Erdogan's son-in-law, economy tsar Berat Albayrak, also attended Kushner's meeting with Erdogan. The U.S.-educated Albayrak is believed to have built a strong working relationship with Kushner that reportedly saw them arrange the last meeting between the U.S. and Turkish presidents. No official statement was released after Kushner's three-hour meeting with Erdogan. However, bilateral issues were also reportedly discussed, including Syria. Erdogan is demanding the creation of a 30-km-deep safe zone in Syria to protect the Turkish frontier from the YPG Kurdish militia, deemed as terrorists by Ankara. "What is important to us is that Turkey will control the secure zone," Erdogan said on Tuesday. "We cannot leave the control to Germany or France or America. I clearly told this to them." Trump initially proposed the secure zone as a means to ease Ankara's security concerns, but also to protect the YPG from Turkish attack. The Kurdish militia is a crucial ally in America's war against the Islamic State. U.S. military support of the YPG has soured ties, with Ankara accusing Washington of allying itself with terrorists. Erdogan Tuesday called U.S. generals' commitment to recover weapons given to the YPG as "insincere." Such mistrust, analysts say, is compounded with lack of clarity of White House policy over Syria. "The Turks will expect their counterparts to make more concrete proposals [on safe zones] so that the two sides can engage in negotiations involving alternative plans," wrote columnist Burhanettin Duran in the Daily Sabah. Duran also heads SETA, a Turkish research group with close ties to the government. While Turkish forces continue to mass on the Syrian border, analysts suggest it remains unlikely Ankara will act unilaterally in Syria. Erdogan claimed he would probably meet with Trump in April. The timing of the meeting is an issue believed to have been raised by Erdogan during his talks with Kushner. Turkey's imminent purchase of Russia's S-400 missile system, analysts say, is likely to have been on the agenda of Kushner's talks. The missiles are due to be delivered later this year in the face of warnings of sanctions by Washington. The White House claims the missiles pose a security threat to NATO weapon systems. Erdogan on Tuesday again reiterated the missile sale would "definitely" be completed. With missile deliveries slated to begin as early as July, time is limited for the NATO partners to avoid a crisis. However, given lack of trust between the sides, analysts say, Erdogan will be looking for a face-to-face meeting with Trump to find a compromise. According to this years National Intelligence Worldwide Threat Assessment and Senate testimony by top-ranked intelligence officials, Americans can expect Vladimir Putins Russia to continue its efforts to aggravate social, political and racial tensions in the United States and among its allies. So, to best prepare for future Russian assaults, we should look to the past and study the mindset of the Cold War KGB the intelligence service in which President Putin spent his formative years. The history of the brutal Soviet security services lays bare the roots of Russias current use of political arrests, subversion, assassination, fake news, espionage and the weaponisation of lies. None of those tactics is new to the Kremlin. In fact, those tactics made Soviet Russia the worlds first intelligence state, and they also distinguished it from authoritarian states run by militaries. Todays Russia has become even more of an intelligence state after Putins almost 20-year tenure as its strongman. In the USSR, the party ruled. It was only after the rise in the 1980s of Yuri Andropov Putins role model and mentor that the KGB became the states most important institution. Then, a decade after the Soviet Union fell, Putin rose to power and recruited many of his former KGB colleagues to help rebuild the state. The result is a regime with the policies and philosophy of a supercharged secret police service, a regime that relies on intelligence operations to deal with foreign policy challenges and maintain control at home. Putin and his cronies had thrived in an empire where the KGB was the sword and shield of the state, so they regularly return to their tried-and-true weapons when dealing with 21st-century problems. The intelligence services have even been used to covertly drug Russias Olympic and Paralympic athletes the mark of an ultimate intelligence state. How did this start? After the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, Vladimir Lenin established a secret police service called the Cheka to be his main weapon of repression and terror. Under Felix Dzerzhinsky, a ruthless revolutionary, the Cheka was tasked with keeping the leadership in power at all costs. It served as judge, jury and executioner for the state, using sabotage, censorship, repression and murder to keep the population in line and external enemies at bay. As Dzerzhinsky remarked, We stand for organised terror, and the Cheka is obliged to defend the revolution and conquer the enemy even if its sword does by chance sometimes fall upon the heads of the innocent. During Dzerzhinskys time, monarchists, socialists, White Russians and outsiders all conspired to overthrow Lenin and the Bolshevik government. The main underground resistance bringing these forces together was the Monarchist Union of Central Russia, which operated secretly throughout Europe and inside the Soviet Union. But unbeknown to those in that organisation, it was a trap a full-fledged honey pot created by the Cheka to draw in enemies of the Soviet Union so they could be identified, neutralised and killed. This fledgling secret police service hoodwinked the established intelligence services of Europe, and in so doing showed its guile, patience and cruelty. Britains Ace of Spies, Sidney Reilly, who became Ian Flemings model for James Bond, was just the most famous individual to be lured to the Soviet Union, interrogated and executed. Misplaced trust became a model for a century of Soviet and Russian subversive efforts, and the Cheka remained a source of pride for future Russian intelligence operatives. Indeed, Russian intelligence officers including Putin still celebrate Chekist Day every Dec. 20. Over the decades, the Soviet and Russian secret services developed tools and habits based on their Chekist experience that set them apart from their counterparts in the West. Rather than focusing on collecting and analysing intelligence, they developed expertise in propaganda, agitation, subversion, repression, deception and murder. Indeed, the first senior defector from the new Bolshevik state, Boris Bajanov, fled to British India in 1928 with assassins on his tail. Bajanov, Stalins personal secretary, reported that the Kremlins primary foreign policy was to use covert means to weaken its enemies from within, so that if war came, it would be easier to win. The Cheka and its successors sowed chaos abroad with propaganda, disinformation and sabotage while managing mass arrests and gulags at home. Bajanov added that Soviet cultural and diplomatic institutions were simply cover mechanisms meant to hoodwink Western intellectuals, foment commercial and political unrest and undermine democracies from within. In other words, their purpose was to throw dust in the eyes of educated people in the West. Over the years, defector after defector came to the West with the same story. Indeed, the Kremlin deployed an army of spies and recruited informants around the world to steal secrets, spread disinformation and support terrorists and rogue regimes. The security services built their hybrid warfare on a form of deception called reflexive control an effort to manage the perceptions of adversaries so they would be fooled into acting against their own interests. The method included distracting, exhausting and confusing opponents in order to ultimately control their animating narrative. Operation Infektion was one such worldwide disinformation effort. Its goal was to spread the story that the virus that caused AIDS was a weapon the Pentagon had designed to destroy developing countries. The Russian operation to influence the 2016 American presidential election was a more recent example. Assassination, too, is nothing new. When he arrived in the West, Bajanov explained that the Soviet leadership would send assassins to kill anyone who knew the true nature of the Kremlins inner workings. This practice has continued. The unsuccessful 2018 Russian attempt to murder Sergei Skripal in Britain is almost indistinguishable from the Cold War KGB assassination of Ukrainian nationalist Stepan Bandera in 1959. Assassins covertly tracked Bandera to his Munich address and used a KGB-manufactured gun that sprayed poison to make Banderas death appear to have been a heart attack. It was only a KGB assassins eventual defection years later that revealed the truth. As the United States seeks to engage Russia, it must realise that the Kremlin tiger will not change its stripes. Russias efforts to forcefully defend itself stem from a profound sense of insecurity, bred from centuries of invasions and breakdowns of the state. Few countries have suffered more. So a central element of Russias statecraft since the days of the czars has been deceiving and weakening its enemies from within. In that sense, Russias well-sharpened tools of political tradecraft are explainable and logical, even though condemnable. Western unity is our best defence. Putin seems to know he cannot compete with the West on a level playing field. He wields his Chekist fog machine to bewilder, confuse and paralyse his enemies because it is all he has. And as long as our politics are tribal, and Americans see domestic political opponents as the real enemy, the Kremlins efforts to leverage and exploit our weaknesses will continue. We should avoid threatening Russias sovereignty and instead work with our allies to defend ourselves vigorously and in unison from cyber, physical and hybrid attacks, and push back when threatened. This being the case, President Donald Trumps anti-European sentiments are surely his greatest gift to Putin. A 34-year-old man wanted over the fatal stabbing of an elderly man in Hiroshima City last week was apprehended in Shiga Prefecture early Wednesday, police said, reports Jiji Press Police apprehended Yukinobu Tomita on a road in Otsu City. He is wanted over the murder and robbery of 86-year-old Kazuhiro Uematsu, who was found bleeding from stab wounds to the head in front of the first-floor toilet of his residence by his wife on the morning of February 20. Thereafter, Tomita received nine stitches at the base of his left thumb at a hospital in Hiroshima City. The results of a DNA analysis of material left at the hospital proved to be a match for blood found at the crime scene, police said previously. Yukinobu Tomita Yukinobu Tomita (Twitter) On February 24, police released a portrait of Tomita, who is shown wearing glasses. A person resembling the suspect was also spotted in security camera footage at JR Fukuyama Station in Fukuyama City at around noon on February 22. Three days later, security camera footage showed a person believed to be Tomita inside convenience store in Osaka City. The person's left thumb was covered by a bandage, which was consistent with the medical treatment Tomita received. Thereafter, an analysis of security camera footage showed a person believed to be the fugitive riding a bicycle, police said. - tokyoreporter.com He was among two dozen Metropole guests touring an underground air raid bunker at the hotel used during the Vietnam War that was rediscovered by chance in 2011 while the hotel was renovating its poolside Bamboo bar. The United States and North Korea are technically still at war, because the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. "We hope Trump and Kim make some progress with their denuclearization and hopefully open North Korea to the outside world," said Stephen Fries, a doctor from Colorado whose long-planned family trip was disrupted by preparations for the summit. The Metropole could begin a new chapter as a symbol of peace if Trump and Kim, as some officials in Seoul and Washington expect, formally declare an end to the last remaining Cold War conflict after their two-day summit. The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi has hosted dignitaries and celebrities from Charlie Chaplin on his honeymoon in 1936 to "Hanoi Jane" Fonda during her 1970s anti-war campaign and even Trump himself on a recent visit to the Vietnamese capital. A storied French colonial-era hotel once used by the North Vietnamese government to house foreign guests during the Vietnam War is set to host U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as they meet for a second nuclear summit on Thursday. Secrets and Security The elegant interior of the 118-year-old Metropole thronged with security personnel and hotel staff on the summit eve as final preparations were made. Nearby street corners were guarded by armed police, while security staff searched pot plants around the pool. In a letter distributed ahead of the leaders' arrival, the hotel's general manager notified guests of the "very strict security measures" expected in the coming days. All but one entrance to hotel will be blocked during the summit and a temporary checkpoint has been installed to screen guests, who need to show copies of their passports to gain access to the hotel. Trump and Kim likely chose Metropole for its ability to keep secrets, Nguyen Dinh Thanh, former head of marketing at Metropole, told Reuters. "When superstars come here, some journalists offered $2,000-$5,000 or more to staff to take a photo of that superstar, but that has never happened," said Thanh. "That shows Metropole has a tradition of keeping secrets as well as knowing how to treat VIP guests." Celebrities and Controversies Heads of state from European kings and British royals to U.S. and South American presidents have all chosen the Metropole as their Hanoi abode. It has attracted celebrities such as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in 2007, but perhaps its most iconic guest is American actress Jane Fonda, who stayed for two weeks in 1972 when visiting then-enemy territory. A controversial photo of her sitting with North Vietnamese troops atop an anti-aircraft gun used to shoot at American planes earned her the nickname "Hanoi Jane." The Metropole also hosted Graham Greene, who wrote part of his seminal 1955 work, "The Quiet American" there, and numerous war correspondents during the 20-year-long Vietnam War that ended in 1975. Trump, who stayed in the hotel on his last visit to Vietnam in 2017, has chosen the easier-to-secure JW Marriott hotel this time. Kim is staying at the Melia Hanoi hotel. Despite its long history of hosting VIPs, the Metropole is not an ideal summit venue from a security point of view, said Le Van Cuong, who used to head the strategy institute of the Ministry of Public Security. "Metropole is definitely more tricky to protect the leaders, especially because of the lack of space. In the protection job, space gives us advantages. Metropole sits right in the center of crowded streets, so it's difficult to ensure security," Cuong told Reuters. "Singapore chose an isolated island and protection on such island is much easier, definitely easier than Metropole." Trump and Kim held their first summit at Singapore's Capella hotel, a refurbished British Royal Artillery mess on the resort island of Sentosa. Dr Afiomah Uche, the Medical Director of Asokoro District Hospital, FCT, has dismissed speculations of suspected cases of Lassa fever in... Dr Afiomah Uche, the Medical Director of Asokoro District Hospital, FCT, has dismissed speculations of suspected cases of Lassa fever in the hospital, describing the rumour as baseless, unfounded and dangerous. Uche said this in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja. According to the statement, the message currently going around on social media was an old untrue message of over a year ago. It, therefore, called on the public not to panic as the Federal Capital Territory Public Health Department had put adequate measures in place to manage such challenges. The national response of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is also in place to checkmate such outbreak of the fever, the statement added. It was gathered that most residents of Abuja had been in the panic mood since they got information on social media suggesting an outbreak of Lassa fever in Asokoro hospital. The message purportedly emanated from one Dr Bewaji whose other identity could not be verified. The message read: Please there is suspected case of Lassa fever in Asokoro District Hospital now, nobody should come to the accident and emergency unit of the hospital. According to the trending message, the disease is deadly, we lost two nurses and a doctor already, it is serious; please dont go near anyone with a fever. Dont go near any hospital premises, for now, Lassa fever is real and killing people fast, please pass it round. The hospital, however, called on the residents to discountenance such message and visit the hospital when the need arises. Sani Shinkafi, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Zamfara state, has ejected all the displaced pe... Sani Shinkafi, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Zamfara state, has ejected all the displaced persons in his houses for voting for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Saturdays elections. Zamfara is one of the states where President Muhammadu Buhari had a good outing in the election. At a news conference in Gusau, the state capital, on Wednesday, Shinkafi explained that he took the action because he expected the IDPs to vote out a government that could not provide for them or guarantee their security. I have asked all the IDPs residing in my Shinkafi houses to immediately pack out because they are not serious in life, he said. These are people who had to leave their villages due to insecurity caused by a government that could not provide such basic necessity to them, yet they went and sold their votes at the last elections trying to bring back the same gang. He said in spite of earlier advice to the displaced persons to vote out those who failed them in the past years, they did the exact opposite. He claimed that the IDPS allowed themselves to be bought over during the election by the people who failed them. Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is not destine... Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is not destined to be president. Speaking with journalists at the APC national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday, Oshiomhole said its arrogance on Atikus path to think Nigerias future is tied to his presidency. He was reacting to Atikus description of the elections as the worst in Nigerias history. Was he going to rule Nigeria against our wish? Citizens must hold their leaders accountable to their policy choices. Even when he said even if he if he will die he will sell NNPC many believed that he has collected deposit, Oshiomhole said. It borders on arrogance that our future is tied on his presidency. Atiku is destined never to be president of Nigeria. Leadership is about character. Atikus desperation is so obvious, so desperate that in 2003, he challenged his own boss president Olusegun Obasanjo not to do a second term. Oshiomhole said APC was rigged out on Akwa Ibom state reason Godswill Akpabio, serving senator, lost his re-election bid. Rather than Atiku that rigging has come to stay and why the numbers dont add up in the absence of massive rigging, I just think that he needs to be reminded that the essence of the collective effort that has been made, and all those who I can describe as genuine friends of Nigeria has been to try to improve the electoral process, he said. We have petition that we have written to INEC how we were rigged out in Akwa Ibom state and it is interesting that it is PDP that is complaining about the outcome of election in Akwa Ibom state. Dr. Doyin Okupe, who served as media aide to ex-presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan at separate times, says EFCC has star... Dr. Doyin Okupe, who served as media aide to ex-presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan at separate times, says EFCC has started what he describes as media trial. Okupe said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had released a press briefing on Thursday, alleging that he received N750m, whereas the issue was never mentioned when he was arraigned in court on Wednesday. The politician expressed this via his Twitter handle, @doyinokupe. It may be recalled that Okupe was arraigned in January for alleged N702m money laundering, with the trial adjourned until February 27. The January 14 arraignment had been on 59 counts of money laundering and criminal diversion of funds, preferred against Okupe before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, alongside two companies, Value Trust Investment Ltd and Abrahams Telecoms Ltd. On Wednesday, February 27, the EFCC opened its case against Okupe before Justice Ojukwu, and was alleged to have collected the money from the Office of the National Security Adviser for doing nothing. At the Wednesday trial, the first prosecution witness, Osas Azonabor, an EFCC operative who was led in evidence by the Counsel to the EFCC, Ibrahim Audu, told the court that in 2016, the EFCC received an intelligence report that some individuals were paid by the Office of the NSA for doing nothing. Azonabor said that, in the course of investigations, it learnt that the first defendant, Okupe, was a beneficiary and that the EFCC wrote the Office of the NSA asking for proof of payment vouchers. According to him, after analysing the payment vouchers, it was realised that the cash payment of N50m was made into Okupes account, as stated in the voucher of April 8, 2014. He also stated that another cash payment of N6m was found to have been made to Okupe on April 2, 2014. The witness further told the court that EFCCs investigation found N50m paid into the bank account of Value Trust Investment Limited, with Okupe as a director; and that another N35m was paid into the account of Abraham Telecoms Nig. Limited, to which Okupe was a signatory. Detailing Okupes explanation about the money, Azonabor told the court: He said that he was the SSA to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan from 2012 and that he was on a monthly salary of N835,000, paid to him by the SGF. The defendant also said that he received N10m monthly for 24 months from the office of the NSA and that the money was reduced to N5m monthly between January and May 2015. Azonabor said that Okupe told the EFCC that the money was for special services, but when he was asked to explain what it meant, Okupe said part of the money was used for the sponsorship of a national television programme, Insight. The dust from the just concluded 2019 Presidential election is yet to settle as Nigerians are not done having a debate over it. Th... The dust from the just concluded 2019 Presidential election is yet to settle as Nigerians are not done having a debate over it. The argument continued yesterday on Instagram as Nollywood actresses Foluke Daramola and Geogina Onuoha had a rift over their different political views. The intense rift began when Geogina shared a throwback video of APC National chairman, Adams Oshiomole, mistakenly using the word rigging in place of defeat during a press conference last year. Georgina shared the video and asked her followers if she heard right. Foluke who is an APC supporter saw her post, was apparently irritated by it and cautioned Georgina to stop with the inciting post. What are u saying? Is that not a mistake? Besides did Buhari win in Edo? Pls @georginaonuoha stop all these incitements abeg just stop pls Foluke wrote In her reaction, Georgina wrote:@folukedaramolasalako my darling, from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Too grave a mistake for a man who led the labor union for years. Given we all make mistakes or have slip of tongues, but to incorporate rigging? Nah.. nothing like misspoke. I wish Nigerians as a whole the very best. The level of our ignorance is palpable and perplexing. Actually, the TV responded this was during the Osun state election that involved the Adelekes. With the Presidential and parliamentary polls over, attention has now shifted to the National Assembly and the leadership contests in t... With the Presidential and parliamentary polls over, attention has now shifted to the National Assembly and the leadership contests in the two chambers. In the House of Representatives, the shape of the contest is narrowing down to a re-enactment of the 2015 contest with a possible contest between the outgoing Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara and the incumbent majority leader, Femi Gbajabiamila. In 2015, Dogara representing Dass/Toro/Tafa Belewa Federal Constituency of Bauchi State edged out Gbajabiamila representing Surelere Federal Constituency of Lagos State despite the preference of the All Progressives Congress, APC leadership for the latter. Clashed with each other over the juicy office. Gbajabiamila was later compensated with the position of the Majority Leader following the intervention of the presidency and the party leadership. However, the situation has since changed. Dogara defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP on whose platform he returned to the House. His exit from the APC many believe, was largely orchestrated by the bitterness between him and the mainstream of the political elite in his native Bauchi State with Governor Mohammed Abubakar. Incidentally, the two lawmakers, both of them lawyers have individual rich legislative profiles. How the scenario may play out Dogaras emergence in 2015 was largely a product of a popular movement. Despite the overt pressure from the party leadership, majority of the party members in the House voted Dogara and ditched Gbajabiamila who was obviously who was and is still regarded as a disciple of Southwest political leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the APC national leader. With Dogaras defection to PDP and the loss of his partys presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar to Buhari, it is obvious that APC would form the government at the centre and would also want to produce the next speaker. A Titanic clash imminent But the question of who produces the Speaker has since been demystified. Recall that former Speaker Aminu Tambuwal of the PDP in the 7th Assembly defected to PDP while in office and was left to serve out his term. Presently, Dogara who emerged on APC platform but later moved to PDP and on the verge of completing his term has remained in office. This is so because the constitution is not specific on which party that must produce a speaker or a Senate president. It only provides for a speaker and a Senate president who shall be elected from amongst the members. It, therefore, goes to mean that even if the members decide to choose from amongst themselves a colleague from a political party with the least number of elected parliamentarians as Speaker, it is so binding on all. His or her removal can only be effected through a two-third majority vote. It is on this basis that Dogara may be running for the office again despite the fact that his new party is likely to form the minority in the new House. Dogaras strength/weaknesses At the moment, Dogaras chances of serving a second time as speaker may be bright especially given the way he has been able to carry out his duties in the last three years. Even when he defected to the PDP, his members did not raise much mutter. Another layer of Dogaras strength is drawn from his ability to hold consultation with his colleagues on many legislative issues. Again, the Speaker is no stooge to anybody. Except God and his colleagues, so there is no trace of godfatherism to him. This is a pass mark for him. However, what may clog his chances is the fact that his PDP didnt win the presidential election. So, whether the APC would allow the members to choose their speaker in a free and fair manner is an issue in the offing. Gbajabiamilas strengths/weakness Obviously, Gbajabiamilas dream to become Speaker in 2015 was derailed by the popular agitation for Dogara at that time. He is seen as a very good opposition leader who in his time as leader of the opposition between 2011 and 2015 successfully put the leadership to task. A very good orator, however, a major challenge for him is his capacity to carry people along, a strong factor that resonated against his aspiration in 2015. A strong factor that may challenge his aspiration is the internal conspiracy within the APC from those who do not want to see a very close associate of Tinubu in such a high profile position. Even though he is one of the leading APC member in the House, the prospects of having him in such a high profile position of power is one that is bound to raise issues among those in the APC who are suspicious of Tinubu. Other factors Meanwhile, there are still other factors that may likely deny both men the office. One of these factors is the power-sharing formula of the APC and the PDP. If the APC decides to zone the Speakership slot to either Southeast or South-South geopolitical zones, it then means that Gbajabiamila may be ruled out. National Chairman, Igbo Reawakening Forum (IRF), Uchenna Ufearoh, has described President Muhammadu Buharis reelection as an act of Go... National Chairman, Igbo Reawakening Forum (IRF), Uchenna Ufearoh, has described President Muhammadu Buharis reelection as an act of God, saying no cabal could lay claim on the victory. He said the victory had retired those he referred to as institutions dragging the country behind over the years. Speaking exclusively with the Nation on Thursday, Ufearoh also noted that the country was gradually being restructured through the victory. He said, Honesty, it was God that gave Nigeria the victory and I dedicate it to him. No human cabal or forces can claim they put Buhari back in power. Most institutions that have been holding Nigeria for a very long time have been dumped by this victory. Im very happy and excited Buhari won. Ufearoh expressed assurance that the President would take advantage of his second term in office to consolidate on his previous achievements. Buhari fulfilled his 2015 campaign promises to a reasonable extent. You know when youre building a house, the foundation doesnt appear fanciful. Its difficult to appreciate the structure until you start laying the blocks. Thats when the beauty would be better appreciated. The president in the past three and half years has been at the foundation level. This victory has given birth to a new Nigeria. Mr. President will reinforce and consolidate on his previous achievements, he added. He however regretted the state of confusion and lamentation the Igbos had found themselves, expressing optimism of a new beginning. His words, Its very unfortunate that the Igbos have been engrossed in politics of hatred and lamentation. It seems we are confused. We dont even know were entrapped and were finding it difficult to discern our internal conditions and contradictions. But its my prayer that we get our acts together and do the needful because you cant get the presidency without alliances with other regions. When you keep on hating everybody, what you get in return is hatred. You dont aspire to rule Nigeria by visiting others with hatred. We have to start by establishing alliances so that our neighbors can feel us and we feel them. While calling on the President to be magnanimous with his victory, Ufearoh called on the losers to accept defeat in the spirit of sportsmanship. They should not sink the ship of the state because of their loss. Let them join hands with Buhari to rebuild and move Nigeria forward, he appealed. Three persons were yesterday feared killed and many others, including policemen, injured after violence broke out at Alaba Rago in Lago... Three persons were yesterday feared killed and many others, including policemen, injured after violence broke out at Alaba Rago in Lagos State. It was gathered that violence erupted at Okokomaiko before noon when some youths celebrated the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in last Saturdays election on the expressway. Sources said the youths, armed with cutlasses and bottles, sang songs of victory from Alaba Rago and marched towards Okokomaiko, blocking the expressway and challenging other road users. They were said to have resorted to violence at Okokomaiko, attacking traders and destroying their shops. A woman, who identified herself as Blessing, said: They came from Alaba Rago and were celebrating President Buharis victory. They shouted Sai Baba and marched towards Okokomaiko. When they got to Okokomaiko, they started destroying traders goods and this made them (traders) to run for fear. The hoodlums went to Okokomaiko Police Division and the officers tried to stop them, but they were violent. They attacked the officers and injured some of the policemen. We heard gunshots and later news started spreading that they killed one of the policemen. Parents ran to schools to take their children. Vehicles were not moving on this busy road because the youths also burnt tyres. It was terrible. Soldiers later came to restore peace. A meat seller, Sule, condemned the violence, saying it made it impossible for him to sell. I am from the North and those who caused this violence are also from the North. I have not sold anything since morning. What will I do with this meat now? he said. A motorcyclist said policemen arrested some people when they got to the scene. He, however, alleged that those arrested were innocent bystanders and not the perpetrators of the violence. At the time of this report, policemen from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and soldiers were still on the scene. An RRS helicopter was hovering over the area. The police yesterday morning averted a clash between hoodlums on Lagos Island after a faction attempted to prevent traders from opening their shops. The Nation learnt that hoodlums stormed Oluwole, Nnamdi Azikwe, Tinubu, Bamgbose and Alli streets around 9am, accusing traders of not voting for their candidates during last Saturdays elections. They were, however, confronted by another faction, who found their actions to be provocative. Policemen from Area A Command intervened to stem a potential crisis. Police spokesman Chike Oti, a Chief Superintendent (CSP), said 37 suspects were arrested at Alaba Rago, adding that investigation had begun. He confirmed that the hoodlums attacked police vehicles and injured personnel who attempted to take them off the highway. Oti said: Some youths blocked the highway and information was sent to the police. Policemen on traffic control duty were deployed and they tried to make them to leave the road, but they attacked the policemen. Some policemen sustained injuries. Reinforcement was dispatched to the scene and 37 persons were arrested. The investigation is on. Thirty-nine descendants of independence fighters against Japanese colonial rule were granted Korean citizenship on Wednesday. The Ministry of Justice invited them for a ceremony ahead of the 100th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement and Korean government in exile in Shanghai. Since 2006, the Justice Ministry has searched descendants of independence fighters who live abroad, mostly in the Central Asia and Russia where their ancestors fled, and has so far awarded fast-track Korean citizenship to 326 people. The United Kingdom has felicitated with President Muhammadu Buhari on his electoral victory in the Saturdays presidential election. ... The United Kingdom has felicitated with President Muhammadu Buhari on his electoral victory in the Saturdays presidential election. Mr Buhari was declared the winner of the election in the early hours of Wednesday. The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has opposed the result, calling for a halt. A statement from the UKs minister of state for Africa, Harriett Baldwin, said the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is consistent with Parallel Voters Tabulation (PVT) employed by the civil society for the election. The UK government called on political actors aggrieved by the elections outcome to seek redress within the ambits of the law while ensuring peace and harmony. We urge any party or individual who wishes to challenge the process to do so peacefully and through the appropriate legal channel and we encourage Nigerian authorities to examine all allegations of wrongdoing carefully, and take the necessary action against individuals found responsible. The statement also condoled with families who lost their lives in the course of the elections. No one should die in the exercise of their democratic rights, Ms Baldwin added. She pledged the UKs contribution to support Nigeria and its civil society in drawing lessons from these elections and strengthening its democracy. Several African leaders have also congratulated Mr Buhari. King Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco described Mr Buharis victory as an affirmation of the level of confidence Nigerians have in their president and promised to work with him to advance the interests of both countries. President Alpha Omar Conde of Guinea also extended his congratulations, describing the re-election of Mr Buhari as a dose of hope for the West African region. Thor Explorations, a company hailing from Vancouver, is going to begin construction on Nigerias gold mine which will be a first for the ... Thor Explorations, a company hailing from Vancouver, is going to begin construction on Nigerias gold mine which will be a first for the country. Thor Explorations (TSX-V:THX), which is a Canadian listed mining company, will soon begin constructing the Segilola project in Nigeria, the first ever large-scale gold mine project for the country. The company released results of their independent definite feasibility study (DFS) for gold mining. Thor will also construct a processing plant capable of outputs of up to 625,000 tons per year alongside an open pit mine. These plans will comprise of a double-stage grinding, elution, gravity, carbon-inleach, conventional crushing circuit, smelting to make gold ore, and electrowinning. Segun Lawson, the companys President and CEO, has this to say about the projects feasibility studies, The PFS not only returned solid economics at a low capital cost, but also identified several specific opportunities for further Project optimization. These are the focus areas of the DFS, as we strive to enhance the Segilola Projects value for all of our stakeholders. According to the study, Thor will begin construction at the beginning of this years second quarter (Q2), and will continue for the next 18 months. The Segilola Gold Project will require investment of $87 million, which is scheduled to be recoverable in around 1.5 years, and will create over 2.5 tons of gold on an annual basis in the five year lifespan of the mine. The estimated net present value of the project is at $138 million and it will likely leverage from the excellent sensitivity of gold prices due to the current geopolitical environment. Thor Explorations, a Vancouver-based company, has finished an Independent Preliminary Economic Assessment (IPEA) for an underground extension. This particular project is going to last for three years and will be used to supplement production in sync with the mining operations. The proposed underground project will require an additional investment of $13 million and is projected to produce 1.03 tons of gold per annum. The Canadian company acquired license for its operations in Segilola in August 2016, but subsequently renewed its mining license for an additional 25 years only 90 days later. Segilola is situated around 120 kilometers from Lagos, a city in Nigeria. After carrying out an initial prefeasibility study (PFS) in October 2017, Thor Explorations spent a significant portion of its time in 2018 carrying out the definitive feasibility work and undertaking predevelopment work streams to optimize the project. The company, which is based in Vancouver, first gained mainstream attention in February last 2018 by the investment and mining community after winning its Investing Mining Indaba 2018 competition, and it gained recognition as potentially the most profitable emerging mining company among 22 similar juniors who performed in the competition. The company has a diverse portfolio of projects, and is currently engaged in two separate projects, one in Douta, which is South East of Senegal, and Hounde, located towards the West of Burkina Faso. Thor Explorations is strongly supported by the local governmental bodies which envision a strong growth of their mining industry. The Nigerian government is also offering an attractive fiscal incentive program to provide support to the company in order to help develop the countrys fledgling mineral resources industry. With the conduct of last Saturdays Presidential and National Assembly elections and the results declared by the Independent National E... With the conduct of last Saturdays Presidential and National Assembly elections and the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the next stage of battle would be who becomes number three citizen of the country. In the next couple of weeks and months, the nation would be saturated with stories and permutations as to who emerges the President of the Senate of the 9th National Assembly come June 8th, 2019. Following the results released by INEC after the National Assembly election, the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, APC has the highest number of both new and old senators, with a total number of sixty-four Senators. The opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has a total of forty Senators, the Young Progressive Party, YPP has one Senator, bringing that to a total of one hundred and five Senators, with four yet to be declared in Imo, Taraba and Plateau States. In determining who becomes the Presiding officers, this brings us to the factor that the Senate Rule allows only a ranking senator to be selected for this purpose and being that the APC has the majority, the candidate may come from within its caucus. Another determining factor for clinching the position of Senate President is that out of 109 Senators, the person who has the highest number of votes becomes Senate President. Top of the list of those believed to be in the contest is the present Senate leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan, APC, Yobe North who was picked for the position by the APC caucus prior to the emergence of the Present Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki in 2015. Senator Lawan who is loved by his colleagues, is seen as one who is well prepared for the position against the backdrop that in 2015, the North West Senators had adopted him as their preferred candidate for the position and the former Senate President, Senator David Mark had preferred him to Senator George Akume who was also interested then. He is about the highest-ranking legislator in the Senate having been elected to the House of Representatives in 1999. Another thing that would work in his favour is that in Yobe State where he comes from, other Senators are coming as fresh ones and age is also on his side, and he has the energy, vigour, and experience, just as a former contender for the position, Senator Akume has been kicked out of the Senate and will not be at the 9th Senate. Another Senator who has been interested and still very much interested is former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Nasarawa West, and age may not be on his side as he is now seventy-two years and came to the Senate in 2011. What may work for him is that in his state, other Senators elect are new especially with the coming of the present governor, Tanko Almakura. The former Senate leader, Senator Ali Ndume, Borno South is also said to be eying the position. It was gathered that the South-South would produce the Deputy Senate President and with the calculations, the present deputy Chief Whip, Senator Francis Alimikhena, APC, Edo North is most suitable for the position following his experience, age and having served as a principal officer, he is already equipped for the position. Though from the South-South, Senator Ovie Omo- Agege, Delta Central was reelected, he would be adequately compensated for being a very loyal supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari with a very juicy committee to chair. With the conduct of last Saturdays Presidential and National Assembly elections and the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the next stage of battle would be who becomes number three citizen of the country. In the next couple of weeks and months, the nation would be saturated with stories and permutations as to who emerges the President of the Senate of the 9th National Assembly come June 8th, 2019. Following the results released by INEC after the National Assembly election, the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, APC has the highest number of both new and old senators, with a total number of sixty-four Senators. The opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has a total of forty Senators, the Young Progressive Party, YPP has one Senator, bringing that to a total of one hundred and five Senators, with four yet to be declared in Imo, Taraba and Plateau States. In determining who becomes the Presiding officers, this brings us to the factor that the Senate Rule allows only a ranking senator to be selected for this purpose and being that the APC has the majority, the candidate may come from within its caucus. Another determining factor for clinching the position of Senate President is that out of 109 Senators, the person who has the highest number of votes becomes Senate President. Top of the list of those believed to be in the contest is the present Senate leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan, APC, Yobe North who was picked for the position by the APC caucus prior to the emergence of the Present Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki in 2015. Senator Lawan who is loved by his colleagues, is seen as one who is well prepared for the position against the backdrop that in 2015, the North West Senators had adopted him as their preferred candidate for the position and the former Senate President, Senator David Mark had preferred him to Senator George Akume who was also interested then. He is about the highest-ranking legislator in the Senate having been elected to the House of Representatives in 1999. Another thing that would work in his favour is that in Yobe State where he comes from, other Senators are coming as fresh ones and age is also on his side, and he has the energy, vigour, and experience, just as a former contender for the position, Senator Akume has been kicked out of the Senate and will not be at the 9th Senate. Another Senator who has been interested and still very much interested is former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Nasarawa West, and age may not be on his side as he is now seventy-two years and came to the Senate in 2011. What may work for him is that in his state, other Senators elect are new especially with the coming of the present governor, Tanko Almakura. The former Senate leader, Senator Ali Ndume, Borno South is also said to be eying the position. It was gathered that the South-South would produce the Deputy Senate President and with the calculations, the present deputy Chief Whip, Senator Francis Alimikhena, APC, Edo North is most suitable for the position following his experience, age and having served as a principal officer, he is already equipped for the position. Though from the South-South, Senator Ovie Omo- Agege, Delta Central was reelected, he would be adequately compensated for being a very loyal supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari with a very juicy committee to chair. The North Korean Embassy in Madrid came under attack by a group of unknown men on Feb. 22 who took staff hostage for several hours. Spanish newspaper El Confidencial on Wednesday reported that a number of unidentified men broke into the embassy, bound and gagged the staff and held them hostage for over four hours. One female staffer who managed to sneak out sought help from the neighbors, and a local person accompanied her to the police. When the police arrived at the embassy, the men fled the scene in two cars. The paper reported that when the police arrived, a smartly dressed man with a badge with a picture of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un answered the door and said everything was fine. But then he bolted out of the embassy with the other assailants. Police believe that the man who answered the door was one of the drivers, suggesting that at least one member of the group is Korean or able to pass as Korean. Police said some computers and other communication devices were stolen, and three staff sustained minor injuries and are being treated in hospital. Police are questioning staff what kind of information was stored in the stolen computers, suspecting that the assailants were after something specific. The embassy has declined to comment on the incident so far. Korea's total fertility rate dropped to 0.98 last year, or less than one child likely to be born to Korean women over their lifetime. Korea is the only country in the OECD whose fertility rate has dipped below 1. The rate dwindled even though the government spent more than W58 trillion to encourage childbirth over the past two years (US$1=W1,119). Statistics Korea released the data on Wednesday, saying the country's total fertility rate in 2018 plunged from 1.05 in 2017, which was already a record low. Only 326,900 babies were born last year, 30,000 fewer than the previous year. Signs for the future are not encouraging. Last year, the birthrate fell among those in their 20s and 30s, the peak fertility age, to 24.4 and 66.1 babies per 1,000 women, down 13 percent and six percent. Women in their late 30s had more children than those in their late 20s, the first full reversal of the traditional pattern. Only 10 years ago, the birthrate among those in their late 20s was nearly four times as high as among those in their late 30s. The average age for childbirth therefore rose to 32.8 years, up 0.2 on-year. Those aged 35 or older accounted for 31.8 percent of all new mothers, up 2.4 percentage points over the same period. Feature: Learning Chinese increasingly popular in Lebanon amid growing trade ties From:Xinhua | 2019-02-28 08:29 A Lebanese girl shows her name card in Chinese at the Confucius Institute of Saint Joseph University in Beirut, Lebanon, Feb. 27, 2019. The increasing trade ties between Lebanon and China have encouraged more Lebanese to be involved in the Chinese culture and traditions. Young Lebanese students are developing an intellectual curiosity to learn Chinese. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich) by Dana Halawi BEIRUT, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The increasing trade ties between Lebanon and China have encouraged more Lebanese to be involved in the Chinese culture and traditions. One way to gain increased awareness about the Chinese culture is to learn China's rich language, and young Lebanese students are developing an intellectual curiosity to learn Chinese. "I love Chinese," said Nadim Sheety, a 7-year-old student studying at Lycee Fronco-Libanais in Beirut. Sheety told Xinhua that his teacher at school taught students about China and the Forbidden City, a palace complex in central Beijing. "The teacher gave us a project about China and since then I realized how interesting the culture is. It is a completely new world for me," said Sheety, who is learning Chinese at Confucius Institute, a Chinese language and cultural center at Saint Joseph University in Lebanon. Sheety's mom expressed how happy she is that her son is learning Chinese. However, she said there should be more awareness in Lebanon about the places that teach the Chinese language. "It took me a long time to find out that Saint Joseph University has such courses," she said. Adam Eid, a 7-year-old student studying Chinese at Confucius Institute as well, told Xinhua that he traveled around five times to China because his father is doing business with the country. "I loved it. I decided right away that I want to learn Chinese. I wish I can live in China for some time to get to know more about the culture and practice the language," he said. Growing number of university students also learn about the importance of Chinese which adds value to their careers. "Learning Chinese has given me the chance to work with big companies that deal with China," said Gacia Dekermejian, a Lebanese University graduate with a bachelor degree in Chinese language. Dekermejian helps companies in marketing their products in China by translating their stories online from Arabic and English to Chinese. She also works for Elie Saab, a Lebanese fashion designer, by marketing his products online in Chinese. Likewise, Caren Chemali, who also graduated with a bachelor degree in the Chinese language from the Lebanese University, said her university studies were of great importance and advantage to her career. "I am proud to be a university teacher of Chinese language at the age of 21," she said. Chemali, who teaches at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, also gives private lessons for people who are interested in the language. Liu Li, former vice-director at Confucius Institute, said that some of the institute's students were employed by Chinese companies in Dubai while others have majored in translation and they succeeded in finding jobs in the field. Liu said that most of the teenagers who are learning the language have parents who are doing business with China. He also noted that most of the Institute's students say that Chinese language will give them an opportunity to have a great future. "Teenagers are not forced to learn the language. They are very devoted and they love it," he said. The Lebanese University is the only educational establishment in Lebanon to offer a bachelor degree in Chinese language. Other universities such as Saint Joseph University and the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik offer selective courses to their students. While learning Chinese is gaining more and more momentum among the Lebanese, Liu believe that there is still a long way to go before the language gets well spread in Lebanon. Liu stated that by the end of last year, students registered at Confucius Institute reached 302 for the two semesters while they have been increasing at the annual rate of 10 percent for the past five years. Liu said that 10 students from all over Lebanon got scholarships to study in a university in China in partnership with Confucius Institute. "Every year, we host a summer camp in China. Last year we had 19 students who went for summer camps and spent 10 days learning the Chinese language and culture with another four days touring in Beijing," he said. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next Top five conditions seen at rare diseases clinic announced From:Shine | 2019-02-27 16:29 The leading five rare diseases seen at the nations first rare disease clinic at the Childrens Hospital of Fudan University arehemophilia, congenital curved spine, tuberous sclerosis, progressive muscular dystrophy and hepatolenticular degeneration, according to the hospital. With the fall of World Rare Disease Day on Thursday, the hospital launched a charity consultation on Wednesday to promote the knowledge of rare diseases and call for more social awareness. Rare diseases are those with incidence lower than one in every 500,000, or lower than one in every 10,000 among newborn babies. There are over 7,000 known rare diseases in the world, about 80 percent of which are inherited. Half of those with rare diseases show symptoms upon delivery or during childhood. With over 16.8 million people with rare diseases in China, the reasons for the majority are still unknown. Targeting rare disease diagnosis and treatment, the hospital set up the nations first rare disease clinic in 2017 so far 29 rare diseases have special clinical services in the hospital. Kathmandu, February 28 Nepals Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) is now an accredited agency of the Green Climate Fund, a key fund under the aegis of the UN Framework Convention of Climate Chante. The 22nd Board Meeting of the Fund, which was established to assist developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change, decided to approve AEPCs application to become an accredited agency. With the decision, AEPC has become the first Nepal-based public entity to receive accreditation from the global entity. With the accreditation, AEPC can now develop adaptation and mitigation projects to mobilise money from the GCF by applying to the fund through the Ministry of Finance, the national designated national body of the fund. International agencies such as IUCN, FAO and UNDP were the only GCF-accredited bodies working in Nepal until now. The government has also been trying to secure accreditation for National Trust for Nature Conservation. According to sources, GCF is likely to consider NTNCs application during its next board meeting. Courtesy Attorney Jennifer Hansen(ST. LOUIS, Mo.) -- A Missouri day care center is under investigation by police after surveillance video showed a worker flinging a 3-year-old girl by the arm into a cabinet, splitting open her forehead, and then claimed in an incident report that the child accidentally fell, police and an attorney for the girl's family said. The little girl suffered a large gash on her forehead that required seven stitches after she was taken to a hospital by ambulance, Jennifer Hansen, an attorney for the child's family, told ABC News on Wednesday. "They did their research, they went to a daycare that they thought was safe and they left their child with people they paid to keep them from harm," Hansen said of the girl's parents. "They ... couldn't have foreseen that a day care worker could do what they did to their daughter." Hansen said the girl's injury from the day care center incident got infected and required her to stay in the hospital for three days. Hansen said the family wants to remain anonymous, but have given her permission to speak on their behalf. "The reason that they've come forward is because they are concerned that what happened to their daughter could very well happen to any other child," Hansen said. She said the incident occurred on Feb. 1, and the parents were given an incident report in which the worker allegedly wrote the child's injury was the result of a "fall" on the carpet. But it wasn't until five days later that the child's parents learned what really occurred when they requested to watch the surveillance video with the director of the Brighter Daycare and Preschool in the St. Louis suburb of Pine Lawn, Hansen said. The director, according to Hansen, hadn't viewed the footage until she watched it with the parents. "The family requested they look at the surveillance video because they had trouble understanding how their daughter could sustain such a severe injury as a result of a fall," Hansen said. "They only learned that what had been called a 'fall' was actually an assault." In the surveillance video viewed by ABC News, the girl is seen calmly standing at a table when the worker walks up to her, grabs her by the arm and pulls her. The worker is then seen hurling the child, who falls and slides across the floor, hitting her forehead on the edge of a cabinet. Sgt. Kevin Smith of the North County Police Cooperative told ABC News that while reviewing the video of the incident, police discovered a second incident where a different child at the day care center was injured by a worker. Smith said that in the second incident, a worker grabbed the child by the arm so hard that the employee's fingernails punctured the child's skin and left bruising. He said both incidents remain under investigation and police plan to present evidence within two weeks to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney, who will decide whether to file criminal charges against both employees. The two employees, whose names were not made public, have both been fired by the day care center, Smith and Hansen said. A woman who answered the phone at Brighter Daycare and Preschool on Wednesday said the center had no comment. Hansen said the family has not decided whether to file a lawsuit against the center. She said the parents have removed their daughter and their son from the facility. "Physically, she's on the mend. She's working with a plastic surgeon to help minimize what will likely be a lifelong scare," Hansen said of the girl she represents. "Emotionally, she and her family are rightfully traumatized by what happened." Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Kimi Raikkonen says Alfa Romeo has started to dig deeper into the set-up of its C38 contender, but the Finn insists it's still about guess work for now. The 2007 world champion viewed his new team as an unknown quantity at the outset of pre-season testing, but admitted that Sauber had actually designed and rolled out a well-balanced racing car. "When we got the car, it's been working well and been really nicely balanced," said Raikkonen. "Last week we didn't really do a lot of set-up work but we tried a lot of things today, just to see what happens when we change parts. "So far, it's OK. I don't know where we are. It's guessing from our side, we only know what we do." The Swiss outfit's positive performance so far in Barcelona appears to put it in the running for a top spot among F1's mid-field contenders. But like its rivals, Alfa Romeo Racing's new-spec charger is a work in progress. Raikkonen is hoping the team can settle by the end of the week on a good set-up compromise before it heads to Melbourne. "There's always a lot of things and we always run out of time every year, but that's the same as everybody," the Iceman added. "We'll try to put things where we think it's best now, do our programme, and see what we get in Australia. "Every circuit is different, especially Australia, it's a street circuit. So we need to have an idea if the set-up is not where we want, what are we going to do. "That was really today we tried to figure out." Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers . 20 . . 120 2,07 . 50 . ... If youve considered learning a new language to open up a new realm of reading, you could do much worse than Arabic. Though its mastery may demand a considerable amount of time, it repays the investment as the language of not just a country but an entire region of the world, and a region with a deep textual history at that. Anyone interested in becoming a student of Arabic, casually or seriously, can get their start at our collection of Arabic lessons available free online, and when up to speed on reading might consider a visit to Arabic Collections Online (ACO), a digital library of Arabic-language texts now boasting 10,042 volumes across 6,265 subjects, all of them also available free online. With a list of contributing partners including institutions in both America (New York University, Princeton, Cornell, Columbia) and the Middle East (the American University in Cairo, the American University of Beirut and United Arab Emirates National Archives) and, as ArabLit notes, a $1.34 million grant received last August ACO aims to digitize, preserve, and provide free open access to a wide variety of Arabic language books in subjects such as literature, philosophy, law, religion, and more. This mission addresses not just a lack of widely available Arabic texts on the web, but the condition of much of the material digitized, as many older Arabic books are out-of-print, in fragile condition, and are otherwise rare materials that are in danger of being lost. Though clearly an ever more valuable resource for students of Arabic, ACO has much more to offer those already acquainted with the joys of the language. ArabLit specifically points out two of its featured Egyptian titles this month, Tawfiq al-Hakims Return of the Spirit ( ), which English translator William Maynard Hutchins describes as a gloriously Romantic tribute to the solidarity of the Egyptian people of all classes and religions and to their good taste and excellent sense of humor, andColors () by Taha Hussein, one of the countrys most influential intellectuals of the 20th century. But the full scope of Arabic-language literature, as the already vast holdings of Arabic Collections Online reveals, extends beyond Egypt, and far indeed beyond the past couple of centuries. To those about to explore it,bil-tawfiq. via Goodreader Related Content: Free Arabic Lessons How Arabic Translators Helped Preserve Greek Philosophy and the Classical Tradition The Only Surviving Text Written in Arabic by an American Slave Has Been Digitized & Put Online: Read the Autobiography of Enslaved Islamic Scholar, Omar Ibn Said (1831) 70,000+ Religious Texts Digitized by Princeton Theological Seminary, Letting You Immerse Yourself in the Curious Works of Great World Religions A Map Showing How Much Time It Takes to Learn Foreign Languages: From Easiest to Hardest Based in Seoul, Colin Marshall writes and broadcasts on cities, language, and culture. His projects include the book The Stateless City: a Walk through 21st-Century Los Angeles and the video series The City in Cinema. Follow him on Twitter at @colinmarshall or on Facebook. 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. The Morning Briefing: Michael Cohen, North Korea, AOC, and Beto O'Rourke By Dustin Rowles | Politics | February 28, 2019 | If youre just waking up, the news this morning is that Donald Trump abruptly ended talks with North Koreas Kim Jong-un, departing from Vietnam two hours early with no deal. For the Trump White House, this is actually good? Because it means that Trump didnt accept a bad deal. If Trump is to be believed, negotiations broke down because North Korea agreed to denuclearization only if all sanctions against the country could be lifted. Trump, however, wasnt prepared to lift all sanctions, so he walked away from a deal. He claims that he and Kim Jong-un still have a warm relationship (fascist bros!), and negotiations will continue. Trump said Kim promised he'd still refrain from testing "of rockets and nuclear," regardless of the non-deal, "so, you know, I trust him, and I take him at his word. " Daniel Dale (@ddale8) February 28, 2019 I think a murderous dictator is exactly the kind of guy we should be trusting! Ultimately, however, thats not bad if what Trump is saying is true. Thats up for debate, however, because the way things work in situations like these is that we have to take the word of a man who has lied over 9,000 documented times since the beginning of his Presidency. Also, he booted four reporters from his dinner with Kim because the Associated Press reporter had the audacity to ask a question? The nerve of these journalists! One takeaway thats not going to sit well with anyone is this comment from the press conference afterward: BREAKING: President Trump, asked about responsibility for the death of American Otto Warmbier after his detainment in North Korea, President Trump says "a lot of people, big country," and Kim Jong Un "tells me that he didnt know about it, and Ill take him at his word. pic.twitter.com/GQ1Wcqxiu4 MSNBC (@MSNBC) February 28, 2019 You mean, like how Putin didnt know about Russian meddling in American elections? Or how the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia didnt know about Jamal Khashoggis death? I mean, two years into the Trump presidency and the world leaders with whom the President is most close are not Justin Trudeau or Theresa May or Emmanuel Macron or Angela Merkel. Its Kim Jong-un, the Crown Prince, and Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, well talk more about Michael Cohen a little later this morning, but there were a few key takeaways from yesterdays testimony, namely that Cohen exposed a lot of issues but also didnt really say anything that we didnt really already know. Cohen hearing was astonishing for 1) sheer volume and variety of alleged misconduct by the president 2) extent to which it all seems plausible and consistent with what we know of his character 3) how numb we have become in two short yrs to such disclosures Greg Miller (@gregpmiller) February 27, 2019 Democrats scored a lot of political points during the hearing, and the Republicans completely bombed by not asking any substantive questions, but there were no major bombshells in the hours of testimony. Chris Christie on Republicans at Cohen testimony: "I can guarantee" Pres. Trump is "sitting in Vietnam right now, fuming that no one's defending him." https://t.co/cQKR8VvPRB pic.twitter.com/JVogHMcAvL World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) February 27, 2019 There were some dangers raised by Cohen. The fact that Trump might have known about the Wikileaks dump from Roger Stone is not necessarily collusion, but the fact that Trump denied that knowledge under oath is a problem. Fox News' Andrew Napolitano says Michael Cohen's testimony should be of concern for Trump. "He paints a potentially grave picture for the president. If the conversation he says he overheard with Roger Stone is true, then the president lied under oath." https://t.co/DEOS3G13yw Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 28, 2019 Probably the best line of questioning actually came from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who illustrated exactly why Republicans are terrified of her. She did what Kamala Harris did in testimony with Jeff Sessions last year: Used her time to implicate others and lay the foundation for more hearings (and Trump taxes!) Notwithstanding the hype, the fact is that @AOC knows how to ask questions at a hearing, which a lot of other members don't. She just successfully laid the predicate for issuing subpoenas to several more witnesses & seeking Trump's taxes. David Lauter (@DavidLauter) February 27, 2019 There were some theatrics, too, mostly over whether Mark Meadows and Donald Trump are racists (they are). Mark Meadows trotted out a black Trump employee as a prop to show that hes not racist, and he got called out on it by Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley. Meadows brings African American party planner, Lynne Patton, who worked for Trump org (and now runs part of HUD) to refute racism allegations. pic.twitter.com/x22GDtr6H3 Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) February 27, 2019 Rep. Rashida Tlaib calls out earlier remarks from Rep. Mark Meadows: Just because someone has a person of color, a black person, working for them does not mean they arent racistthat someone would actually use a propin this chamberis alone racist in itself. pic.twitter.com/thxouuQM7D Axios (@axios) February 27, 2019 .@AyannaPressley: Would you agree that someone could deny rental units to African Americans, lead the birther movement, refer to the diaspora as sh*thole countries and refer to white supremacists as fine people, have a black friend and still be racist? Michael Cohen: Yes. pic.twitter.com/DS1GvubGBl CBS News (@CBSNews) February 27, 2019 I think the Cohen statement that probably resonated the most yesterday was this one: Cohen: "I'm responsible for your silliness because I did the same thing that you're doing now for ten years. I protected Mr. TrumpI can only warn people the more people that follow Mr. Trump as I did blindly are going to suffer the same consequences that I'm suffering" pic.twitter.com/smNHbWzmVK Tom Namako (@TomNamako) February 27, 2019 Although this one probably struck the most terror: Holy shit. I worry that if Mr. trump loses in 2020, there will not be a peaceful transfer in power.#CohenTestimony (((evan shapiro))) (@eshap) February 27, 2019 Meanwhile, outside of the Cohen hearing, the Florida Bar has opened up an investigation against Matt Gaetz for threatening Michael Cohen on Tuesday night. Also, Beto ORourke announced that he would not seek John Cornyns Senate seat in 2020, strongly suggesting that hell join the race for President. Sophie Turner And Jessica Chastain Flex In 'Dark Phoenix' Trailer | Michael Cohen Is Still A Major A**hole Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba. Header Image Source: Getty Images New York, US (PANA) - Arms control, the illegal exploitation of natural resources, and the United Nations role in silencing the guns in Africa were the focus of a Security Councils debate on Wednesday, aimed at conflict prevention across the continent Brussels, Belgium (PANA) - In a recent note to the Belgian Government, the UN sanctions Committee says Belgium "could not release the interest generated by the US$ 14 billion of Libyan bank-frozen funds in that country", after the death of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 Abidjan, Cote dIvoire (PANA) An Ivorian delegation led by the minister of Foreign Affairs, Marcel Amon-Tanoh, will on 1-7 March take part in the 46th session of the Council of Foreign Affairs ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, government sources said on Thursday Brazil's Forest Products Sector Exported $10.7 Billion in 2018, Up 25.5% over 2017 The main market for Brazilian pulp continues to be China, which imported US$3.5 billion of this product, an increase of 37.7% compared to 2017. Feb. 28, 2019 - Cenarios Iba, the bulletin of the Brazilian Tree Industry (Iba), indicates that 2018 was a record year for the sector, with improved performance in exports and the trade balance. The sector exported US$10.7 billion an increase of 25.5% over 2017. Increases were seen in exports of pulp (+31.5%), wood panels (+7.3%), and paper (+8.3%). The trade balance for the planted tree sector stood at US$9.7 billion, which represents an increase of 28.4% compared to 2017. The sector's share of the trade balance totaled 4.5% of all Brazilian exports combined and 10.6% of agribusiness exports. The main market for Brazilian pulp continues to be China, which imported US$3.5 billion of this product, an increase of 37.7% compared to 2017. The paper segment is still focusing on exports to Latin America, where the value traded rose by 13.0%. Latin America is also the main destination for wood panels, with US$179 million of this product traded, an increase of 18.5%. Below are the performance indicators for Brazil's planted tree sector in 2018: Production. Pulp production remained high, closing the year with the best performance in the history of the sector. Over the twelve months of 2018 21.0 million tons were produced, an increase of 7.7%. Paper remained stable, with 10.4 million tons produced throughout 2018; tissue paper rose by 3.7%. Domestic Sales. Wooden panels sales continued to rise, with an increase of 2.9% over the accumulated value for 2017 and 6.7 million m3 sold in the domestic market. Meanwhile, domestic sales of paper held steady at 5.5 million tons (+0.5%). Export Volumes. Pulp maintained its strong pace of foreign sales and advanced 11.5% in 2018, with 14.7 million tons sold. Exports of wood panels expanded by 4.2% during 2018, with 1.3 million m3 of this product directed to foreign market. The Brazilian Tree Industry (Iba) is the association responsible for institutionally representing the planted tree production chain, from the fields to the factory, with its main stakeholders. Launched in April 2014, it represents 50 companies and nine state entities for products originating from planted trees (wood panels, laminate floors, pulp, paper, energy forests and biomass) in addition to independent producers of planted trees and institutional investors. To learn more about Iba, please visit: www.iba.org . SOURCE: Brazilian Tree Industry (Iba) If you haven't heard, Ariana Grande's latest, and arguably most iconic, body of work, thank u, next, dropped earlier this month. Ever since promotion for the album began last year, the Internet has been at work finding ways to ingrain the album into everyday vernacular, using visuals and lyrics from the videos for both "thank you, next" and "7 rings" in memes and thirst traps as far as the finger can click. Leading up to the album drop, Grande took to Twitter to spill all the tea about her new material. One of the most highly anticipated songs, "NASA," was speculated to be about former fiance Pete Davidson, after fans unearthed a picture of the two in which Davidson sported a NASA T-shirt. Grande quickly confirmed that the song had nothing to do with the t-shirt but rather the concept of needing space, alluding to her longtime love affair with the galaxy. As it turns out, Grande and space go together perfectly. Remember when she set her music video for "Break Free" on a distant Star Trek-esque planet? Or how she is constantly tweeting random moon emojis? When "NASA" dropped, NASA (yes, the actual National Aeronautics and Space Agency) tweeted their support of her new album, sending everyone into outer space. However, Grande has recently taken a new project under her wings and is now advocating for the planets. Being a NASA fanatic, Grande took to Twitter this week to call for more cosmic emojis. Requesting new solar additions alongside the Earth, sun, and moon options, she expressed her desire for "more planet emojis next update please," naming Saturn as a top choice. Since they first became part of our digital lexicon, people have been petitioning emoji creators to launch a larger variety of emojis pertaining not only to objects, but also identity structures spanning hair types, skin colors, religious representation and disabilities. While Grande's plea for more planets is a far stretch from the discussion of inclusion on the emoji platform, her tweet highlights that emojis must continue adapt to the culture. And if there is anything we have learned from thank u, next, it is that what Grande wants, she gets. So, emoji creators: please listen to the current queen of pop music or risk pissing off Saturn right before it goes into retrograde on April 30. Stream Ariana Grande's "NASA," below. Photo via Instagram The final vote determining the next mayor of Chicago will be revealed after an April runoff, following the concession on candidate Bill Daley to two Black women. The women vying for mayor are Cook Count board president Toni Preckwinkle and former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot. What's most remarkable is regardless of who wins, they are making history: Chicago is the nation's third-largest city, and only now will a Black woman run it for the first time. While Preckwinkle and Lightfoot are tied for the top two slots, Daley, the son and brother of two past Chicago mayors, and a chief of staff to former President Barack Obama, finished third in a field of 14 candidates. That's another historic moment: the field of candidates lined up to replace retired Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel ultimately became the most-crowded mayoral ballot in the city's history, assuring that no one would secure the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff. Related | How White Women On Instagram Are Profiting Off Black Women "This, my friends, is what change looks like," Lightfoot told supporters on Tuesday night. Preckwinkle noted that though change was in the air, "our fight is far from over." The election results also reflect the city's continuing shift to the left, which isn't surprising considering the city's history of Democratic rule. Daley, whose father and brother ran Chicago for 43 years combined, represented old-guard establishment politics in the minds of voters, and as the Democratic party shifts left nationally, winds of change and renewal are inevitable. Considering the independent anti-corruption and police-reform platform of Lightfoot, who once served as president of the Chicago Police Board and the city's Police Accountability Task Force, and Preckwinkle's experience as city planner for economic development and her support from organized labor unions, the change both candidates are advocating for is needed now more than ever. Since announcing her candidacy last May, Lightfoot was critical of reform efforts following the 2014 fatal shooting of Black teenager, Laquan McDonald. That case brought national attention and calls for Emanuel's resignation. Additionally, Lightfoot is openly gay, and suggested in her election-night speech that this would be another major first for the Chicago mayoral office. That said, whoever wins the vote on April 2 will inherit control of a city plagued by deep and ongoing social and financial issues, including a high murder and crime rate, population decline, and large pension cuts. Regarding finances, the city's four pensions are reportedly underfunded by $28 billion. Unfortunately, Emanuel's efforts to financially boost retirement system by raising property and utility taxes and increasing the city's contributions has only funded the pensions by 27 percent. Chicago reportedly must come up with at least $1 billion by 2023 to cover mandatory payments. But as we know from Democratic poll results and those elected to office, if anyone is equipped to take problems like these on with citizens' best interests at heart, it's Black women. London designer Yang Li is always creative when it comes to showing his clothes. Last season, he held a presentation in a smoky, crumbling Paris showroom, the sort of place where you might go for a secret rave (emphasis on the you I, personally, would not be invited). It was fitting for a designer who loves noise music; Li, with his secondary line slash music collective, Samizdat (as in literature banned by the state in the Soviet Bloc) has worked with notable figures in the scene, like Japanese multi-instrumentalist KK Null and British industrial band Godflesh. Li makes garments you could wear to an underground party or a particularly chic office. His work is both languid and severe, sharply tailored while flowing off the body. He's innovative and due for a bigger break. And so for his fall 2019 collection, Li skipped the usual presentation and selected 25 subjects to shoot themselves in his clothes, in what he calls an "Automatic Show." They all posted their images on Instagram today at 4 PM Paris time, creating a lookbook via hashtag. It feels like a sign of where the industry is heading. Related | Barragan Goes Home to Mexico City Li's subjects include widely-acclaimed Spanish actress Rossy de Palma, porn star and writer Stoya, industrial music pioneer Genesis P-Orridge, models Ali Michael, Ruby Aldridge, Lily McMenamy, and Sasha Melnychuk, stylists Stella Greenspan and Camille Waddington, actresses Aomi Muyock and Asia Argento, and writer and fashion blogger Susie Lau, aka Susie Bubble. Check out their work, below. Families Denied Access to Secretive Trial of Iran's Detained Conservationists 02/28/19 Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran International Outcry Against Rampant Denials of Due Process Judge Abolqasem Salavati is in charge of conservationist's case Detained conservationist Morad Tahbaz was summoned to two closed-door sessions February 24-25, 2019, in Tehran's Revolutionary Court system, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) has learned. A knowledgeable source told CHRI that the families are unlawfully being denied access to the trial: "The families are not even being let inside the courtroom. The only thing the lawyers are telling the families is that everything will turn out okay. The families and the defendants cannot speak freely because an [security] agent is always present during their meetings inside prison." Tahbaz, conservation scientist Niloufar Bayani, and two other conservationists are facing the charge of "corruption on earth," which could carry the death penalty. Tahbaz is one of nine conservationists who were arrested by agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC's) Intelligence Organization in Tehran in January 2018 and held for months in solitary confinement until finally granted extremely restricted access to counsel shortly before their trial. One of the conservationists, Iranian Canadian sociologist Kavous Seyed-Emami, died in Tehran's Evin Prison in February 2018 less than two weeks after he had been detained. Since the trial began with the reading of the indictment against the remaining eight, the detainees' families have been denied access to information about their loved ones' court sessions. Denial of Due Process Iran's judiciary has strived to keep the trial secret but CHRI has learned that as of February 25, each of the eight conservationists will be tried separately at Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court. Some of the detainees have been blocked from hiring counsel of their choice and told to choose a lawyer from a list approved by the court. The conservationists have also not been given sufficient time to consult with their lawyers or prepare their defense even though the prosecution has had 12 months to build cases against them. Many of the accusations against the defendants-Bayani, Tahbaz, Houman Jowkar, Taher Ghadirian, Sepideh Kashani, Amir Hossein Khaleghi, Sam Rajabi and Abdolreza Kouhpayeh-are based on forced "confessions"extracted under extreme physical and psychological pressure, Bayani told the court last month. When Bayani stood up on the second day of the reading of the indictment on January 30, 2019, and objectedto its references to forced "confessions," she was unlawfully barred from being present in court on the third and fourth day alongside her co-defendants. The indictment was read to the defendants, who were not given their own copies, during four court sessions on January 30, February 11, 12 and 13 at Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court presided by Judge Abolqasem Salavati. Salavati is notorious in Iran for issuing harsh sentences in politically sensitive cases. In interviews with CHRI, several human rights lawyers who have worked in Iran criticized Salavati for ignoring arguments by the defense in court and bowing to the demands of the prosecution, especially in cases in which the arresting authority was the IRGC's Intelligence Organization. Six of the eight defendants have been appointed lawyers approved by the court. Judge Salavati has allowed the other two to have their own lawyers. Sam Rajabi's lawyer, Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, was rejected by Judge Salavati and not allowed to be present during the reading of the indictment. In a letter to Member of Parliament (MP) Mahmoud Sadeghi, Rajabi's sister, Katayoun Rajabi, complained about the banning of her brother's chosen lawyer from the courtroom and described it as a violation of Article 48 of the Criminal Procedures Regulations. "Mr. Sadeghi, I urge you to support us as a parliamentary representative now that my brother is being tried behind closed doors and denied the lawyer of his own choice," she wrote. On February 25, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) quoted an unnamed source claiming the defendants were granted access to their lawyers. Reacting to complaints from a lawyer who had not been permitted by Judge Salavati to advise his client in court, IRNA's source said: "During court proceedings is not the right time for lawyers and clients to meet and have a discussion." The IRNA report described the defendants as alleged spies who had engaged in "espionage against military centers." It remains unclear exactly why the conservationists have been detained without due process for the past 12 months. The IRGC's Intelligence Organization arrested the eight conservationists on January 25, 2018. The day before, the agents had arrested their colleague, sociologist Dr. Seyed-Emami, who died suddenly in Tehran's Evin Prison on February 8 while held there without access to a lawyer for interrogations. The remaining eight, all staffers of the Tehran-based Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, where Seyed-Emami was managing director, were held incommunicado without access to counsel for several months after their arrests. Since late January 2019, at least three people familiar with the cases have been interrogated in Tehran. "This month [February] at least one person was arrested for a day and last month [January] two people were interrogated for four to five hours," said a source on the condition of anonymity, adding that at least two of the detainees' computers were confiscated from their homes. The source added that the three were released after being warned not to speak publicly about the cases or their own detentions. Subjecting friends, family members and lawyers of defendants held in politically sensitive cases to various forms of harassment and intimidation is common in Iran to prevent them from speaking to media outlets. Bayani and Seyed-Emami's widow, Maryam Mombeini, were both pressured to engage in staged scenes set up by Iranian agents to implicate them in the false narrative that the prosecution has been building around the conservationists. In one instance, plainclothes agents transported conservation scientist Niloufar Bayani out of Evin Prison in Tehran to several locations in an affluent town for a day and directed her to engage in specific acts while filming her without her consent. In another instance, plainclothes agents including a film crew forcefully entered the home of now-deceased academic Kavous Seyed-Emami (one of the original nine conservationists arrested who died while in detention in Evin Prison in February 2018 under highly suspicious circumstances) and pressured his grieving widow to make false statements on camera while denying her access to a lawyer. Widow's Travel Ban Extended Mombeini has been barred from leaving Iran despite calls from the Canadian government for her to be granted permission to travel back to Canada to live with her two sons who left the country in March. The travel ban that was imposed on her that month was recently extended for another three months even though she has not been formally charged, her son Ramin Seyed-Emami told CHRI on February 19. "...She herself has not been accused of anything and yet they have banned her from traveling! Someone explain to me how this can be justified under religious, ethical, legal, political, intelligence or security principles?!" tweeted Member of Parliament Mahmoud Sadeghi after hearing of the extension. Iranian authorities will soon review the travel ban on Maryam Mombeini, the wife of Canadian-Iranian conservationist who died a year ago in Evin Prison under suspicious circumstances, according to the family's lawyer. "After talking with the judiciary's representative in Evin Prison, we were told that inquiries will be made in the coming week to ask permission to end the ban on my client," attorney Payam Derafshan told a state media outlet on February 27. Seyed-Emami's family has petitioned the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) organization to allow them to respond to the unsubstantiated accusations the broadcaster has aired against the deceased academic. Three major state agencies in Iran, including the country's highest security body, have stated that the detained conservationists are all innocent of the spying charges they're being held on. Their continued detainment has prompted an international outcry. The UN has called the charges against the conservationists "hard to fathom" and in February 2018 stated, "Nowhere in the world, including Iran, should conservation be equated to spying or regarded as a crime." Twenty-six members of the European Parliament have urged Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to free the eight conservationists. The MEPs also reminded the president that 12 months after Iranian Seyed-Emami was found dead in Evin Prison where he was being held for interrogations, Iranian authorities have not conducted an impartial investigation into his death and have placed a travel ban on his wife. Ahmadinejad Says There Was More Freedom In Iran During Monarchy 02/28/19 Source: Radio Farda In an unprecedented move, an ultra-conservative website run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has published an interview with former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, marking the first time state media has given the former president a platform since his term ended in 2013 amid soured relations between him and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad In the interview with Fars News Agency earlier this week, Ahmadinejad, known for not mincing his words, said Iranians are less free under the current cleric-dominated ruling system than they were four decades ago during the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. "Although the ruling establishment reacts less harshly against its dissidents, it has expanded the sphere of its confrontation with the people. I mean, comparing with the past (during the Constitutional Monarchy), the situation with freedom is much worse today," Ahmadinejad said. Claiming that the Islamic Republic is less brutal in its treatment of prisoners than it used to be, Ahmadinejad nevertheless lamented that the number of people incarcerated for criticizing the regime has increased. "[The Islamic Republic's] prisons are currently crowded with the critics of the heads of the three branches of power, the judiciary, the Majlis (parliament), and the executive administration," Ahmadinejad said. Though he has rebranded himself as an outspoken critic of Iran's ruling establishment in recent months, during his presidency Ahmadinejad bragged about the "absolute freedom" enjoyed by the people of Iran. After his second term ended amid clashes with the Supreme Leader, Ahmadinejad began to present himself as less of an establishment insider. When his close confidant and former Deputy for Executive Affairs Hamid Baqaei was sentenced to fifteen years in prison on corruption charges and his former Chief of Staff Esfandyar Rahim Mashshshaei was given five years on similar charges last year, Ahmadinejad became a vociferous critic of the regime, demanding the heads of the judiciary, parliament, and the executive branch step down and hold free elections. Iran's judiciary was repeatedly accused by rights groups of suppressing opposition during Ahmadinejad's eight years in power. "We were truly unaware of the unjustifiable actions by the judiciary at the time. We really did not know but later we were informed [of many facts]," Ahmadinejad said. "As you are not aware of many facts for the moment, we were also unaware of many cases and kept in the dark at the time. Nevertheless, God willing, you will soon be informed of the facts as well." In the latest of a series of open letters to the Supreme Leader the former president has penned in recent months, Ahmadinejad called the heads of all three branches of government a "gang," and accused them of abusing their power to imprison his allies. In the letter, Ahmadinejad accuses the speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary, the Larijani brothers Ali and Sadeq, of joining forces with President Rouhani to attack the former president's supporters. He also said they are responsible for the recent widespread unrest and protests expressing dissatisfaction with the ruling establishment. In previous letters to the Supreme Leader Ahmadinejad has warned that "public dissatisfaction with the regime's performance is serious and extremely high." He also demanded structural reforms in institutions such as the conservative-led Guardians Council and the judiciary, and called for the establishment of a constitutional court and a ban on the armed forces intervening in political and economic activities. Khamenei has so far not responded directly to any of Ahmadinejad's comments or letters, though he has implicitly admonished him in speeches on at least two occasions IRAN: Soleimani Issues Statement To Mollify Zarif's Resentment 02/28/19 Source: Radio Farda The commander of Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Qods force, General Qassem Soleimani issued a statement on February 27 to mollify Mohammad Javad Zarif's resentment, which apparently led him to resign two days earlier. An artwork showing Javad Zarif (L) and Qassem Soleimani (by Bozorgmehr Hosseinpur) When Zarif announced his resignation he referred to the fact that he was not invited to attend meetings with the visiting Syrian strongman Bashar Assad who was visiting Tehran. Mr. Soleimani, on the other hand was present both in the meeting with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and with President Hassan Rouhani. IRGC news agency quoted Soleimani as saying, "There was no intention behind doctor Zarif's absence from the meeting". Soleimani's statement and his getting involved in Zarif's resignation issue show that the Assad meetings did play a major role in the foreign minister's decision to quit. In addition to Zarif's absence, Rouhani was also not present in Assad's meeting with Khamenei. Soleimani has further reiterated that Iran's foreign minister is indeed in charge of the country's foreign relations. Zarif's resignation came abruptly, creating a shock among Iranians. President Rouhani and a majority of parliament members immediately came to his defense and eventually Rouhani rejected the resignation, leading Zarif to say he will stay on. Envoys, Cultural Figures To Mark Persian New Year Norooz In Tehran 02/28/19 Source: Tehran Times TEHRAN - Tehran's Milad Tower will host an international ceremony in honor of Persian New Year or Norooz on February 28. Ambassadors, diplomats and cultural figures of various countries have been invited for the event, Mehr reported on Monday. Norooz, which usually falls on March 21st every year, marks the beginning of spring across a vast geographical area including Iran, Azerbaijan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Iraq. It is registered on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. The event will stage programs by artists, performance troupes, and craftspeople from regional states. It will also present lectures on Norooz rituals and its history in the region. Traditions that are practiced in Norooz vary from place to place, ranging from leaping over fires and streams in Iran to tightrope walking, lighting candles at house doors, traditional games such as horse racing or the traditional wrestling practiced in Kyrgyzstan. Join our 11th Annual Celebration of #Nowruz @UCLA on March 10th! A Free event for the entire family from 12PM - 5PM. For more info please visit https://t.co/WrgTz6SFfY #Farhang.org https://t.co/CX2oXZVYzR Farhang Foundation (@farhangfound) February 13, 2019 As the first Iranian-American elected to any public office in Florida, I am honored to be hosting the FIRST EVER Persian New Year Party in the Florida Capitol. Tallahassee, are you ready to party like a Persian? #Iranian #Persian #Noroozhttps://t.co/6OvcmjhEeZ Rep. Anna V. Eskamani (@AnnaForFlorida) February 26, 2019 artas/iStock(WASHINGTON) -- House Democrats made good on a top campaign promise on Wednesday, passing a bill to strengthen background checks for people purchasing firearms. After taking control in November, Democrats made it a priority to bring up the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 after years of Republicans blocking a vote. The bill, which passed 240-190, now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate, where it's unlikely to advance. The measure would require universal background checks for most gun purchases or transfers -- including those at gun shows, conducted online or through classified ads -- but not if the firearm is purchased from a relative. The measure also allows temporary transfers of firearms without a background investigation to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm, and by law enforcement and the military. There is no person in this body whose political survival is more important than the survival of our children, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said during debate on the measure. We're grateful, again, to the young people, parents, survivors across America who have told their stories, marched for their lives and demanded change. This bill delivers that change: ensuring that people who are a danger to themselves and others cannot purchase a gun and perpetuate violence in our communities. Republicans voted overwhelmingly against the measure -- with just eight Republicans voting in favor, including Reps. Vern Buchanan, Mario Diaz-Balart, Brian Fitzpatrick, Will Hurd, Peter King, Brian Mast, Chris Smith and Fred Upton. H.R. 8 would not prevent gun violence, Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., argued. It would make the exercise of Second Amendment freedoms and the right to self-defense more difficult for law-abiding citizens. Two Democrats voted against the measure -- Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Colin Peterson of Minnesota. Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was badly injured in a mass shooting in 2011, called the vote a testament to courage. When the days were darkest when it looked like the gun lobbys money and influence would forever silence any debate in Washington about stronger gun laws, courage shone through, Giffords stated. Courage embodied by relentless advocates and resilient survivors who never lost sight of the fact that a safer future is possible. Courage exemplified by leaders who victoriously ran for office promising to fight for solutions to make our country safer from gun violence. Just eight weeks into the new Congress, courage is what inspired the U.S. House of Representatives to pass H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. The House will vote on a second gun control measure on Thursday, H.R. 1112 Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019, which would address the so-called Charleston Loophole that currently allows the sale of a firearm to proceed if a background check is not completed within three days. That bill also is expected to pass the House, though it is not anticipated to see the light of day in the Senate. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. American activists visiting Tehran slam Trump for scrapping Iran deal 02/28/19 Source: Press TV Visiting Tehran, members of an anti-war NGO based in the US criticize the Washington administration for abandoning the multilateral 2015 nuclear deal and re-imposing bans on Iran, saying such a move is the outcome of extensive lobbying by the Israeli and Saudi regimes, America's staunchest allies in the Middle East. Speaking at a press conference in Tehran's Milad Tower on Wednesday, activists from CodePink: Women for Peace, a grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end US funded wars and occupations, denounced Washington's anti-Iran policies, which are backed by the regimes in Tel Aviv and Riyadh. "Both Israel and Saudi Arabia did tremendous amount of lobbying to try to stop the Iranian nuclear deal from being signed. The Israelis got as a compensation more of our tax dollars and the Saudis got as compensation US support for the destruction of Yemen," said Medea Benjamin, CodePink co-founder. Tensions intensified between Tehran and Washington last year, when President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the US out of the nuclear accord, officially named the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and unleashed the "toughest ever" sanctions against Iran. Since then, the US has been trying to coerce the Europeans into following its lead and withdrawing from the nuclear accord with Iran. Elsewhere in her remarks, Benjamin raised the alarm at the possibility of a new war in the Middle East. "We are worried about the US going to war with Iran, we are worried about the US bombing Iran. We are worried about another disastrous war in the Middle East and we don't want to be party to that," she said. "We don't want to be involved in another war. It is almost 20 years now that the US has invaded and occupied countries in the Middle East. It's been such a disaster for the people of this region. we don't want to see it get even worse," she added. Ann Wright, another CodePink member, condemned illegal American sanctions and vowed efforts towards changing the Trump administration's hostile approach on Iran. "We do not want our government in the United States to be having the sanctions put on Iran. It's the United States who abrogated the framework agreement treaty. We are here to say to the Iranian people we are going to work hard in the United States to get our government to change its policies," she said. Earlier this week, CodePink activists met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and students at University of Tehran. Codepink activists with Iranian FM Javad Zarif Great day today visiting Tajrish Bazaar on our peace delegation. We made new friends and heard stories about sanctions. #CODEPINKinIran #peacewithIran pic.twitter.com/Z1MabkOBay Medea Benjamin (@medeabenjamin) February 26, 2019 DAY 3 blog (a wee bit late), in which we reflect on our meetings with Foreign Minister Zarif and students at the University of Tehran. #CODEPINKinIran #PeaceWithIran #NoSanctionsNoWarhttps://t.co/3cEX7Nnpwi CODEPINK (@codepink) February 27, 2019 The National Teaching Council (NTC) has released the results of the maiden teacher licensure examination. Out of the 28,757 teachers who wrote the examination, 21,287, representing 74 per cent, passed, while 7,432 failed. The results of 26 candidates have been withheld pending the completion of investigations into their alleged involvement in examination malpractice, while 12 have had their entire results cancelled. The results have been posted on the councils online portal for candidates to access them from today. Details of results Giving details of the results in an interview in Accra yesterday, the Executive Secretary of the NTC, Dr Mrs Evelyn Owusu Oduro, asked all those who sat for the examination to check their results from the NTC online portal at www.exams.ntc.gov.gh, using their personal identification numbers (PINs) and the serial numbers used during the registration for the examination. "Candidates can also obtain their results at the colleges of education where they sat for the examination," she directed. She said even though there were failures, the outcome of the examination was encouraging, particularly so when it was the maiden edition. Statistics Giving statistics of the results, Dr Mrs Oduro said out of the 13,110 females who sat for the examination, 3,938 failed while out of the 15,647 males who wrote the exams, 3,532 failed. She explained that those who failed would be required to join the next batch to write the examination in March this year. She said the licensure examination had come to stay and that those without the licence would not be allowed to enter classrooms to teach, be it in public or private schools. Targeted candidates Dr Mrs Oduro explained that the targeted candidates were those who completed colleges of education this year or those who read Education in the various universities and colleges who were desirous of seeking employment with the GES. The executive secretary explained that all newly trained diploma students from the various colleges of education who wanted to teach would be required to write the examination in their respective colleges. She explained that those who were already teaching, both in public and private schools, would not be required to write the examination but would undertake a number of in-service professional training programmes to upgrade themselves to enable them to obtain the licence. She, therefore, asked teachers already in the classroom to disregard social media reports that those already teaching would be sacked because they did not have the licence. Why the licensure exams Dr Mrs Oduro explained that the rationale behind the licensure examination was not to prevent people from getting employment, as was being expressed by some students in the colleges of education. The examination is to ensure that we have quality teachers to teach our children and raise the standard of teaching in Ghana. It will also prepare Ghanaian teachers to be accepted globally, she explained. Initial resistance The licensure examination was initially resisted fiercely by some teacher unions and a section of the newly trained teachers who threatened to hit the streets in protest. While the trainees accused the NTC of devising means to deny them employment, the teacher unions described the timetable for the conduct of the examination as hastily put together. However, the NTC strongly dismissed the position of the teacher unions, saying that since 2016, it embarked on sensitisation exercises to educate all stakeholders and the Teacher Trainees Association, Ghana (TTAG) on the examination. The NTC said it engaged with the vice-chancellors and registrars of the universities, the executives of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), the Conference of District Directors of Education, among other, on the examination. However, after a meeting with the Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the unions, which initially expressed their reservations about the examination, later rescinded their decision. Source: Daily Graphic 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 Controversial former AIDS Ambassador Joyce Dzidzor Mensah says she will do whatever it takes in her own capacity to solicit for funds to help build Ghanas National Cathedral. She said her bold move to beg for money onboard a train in Germany shows how patriotic she is to see the house of God established. People dont understand me. Only deep thinkers will understand what I do, she said. A video making the rounds on social media suggests that Ms Dzidzor Mensah, while onboard a train sought to solicit for funds from the passengers. Speaking sarcastically to those aboard the train, Joyce Dzidzor explained that the country was in dire need of funds to put up a cathedral in order for God to come and live in and to help solve the countrys numerous problems. We are building a church for Jesus Christ to come and live in Ghana because we have too much problems. We do not have enough schools for the children, we do not have enough drinking water, we do not have ambulances so when people fall sick they die, she explained. Carrying a yellow bowl, Joyce Dzidzor moved from one passenger to the other urging them to make a donation starting from 100 euros before eventually dropping to 50 euros. President Akufo-Addo recently met with the Christian community in the diaspora to admonish them to support the construction of the National Cathedral financially. It is unclear if the former AIDS Ambassadors action is a mockery of the first gentlemans move or just a stunt highlights her displeasure at the government's decision to build the cathedral. But in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie, Joyce Dzidsor said I was not making fun of the President and I will never do that. I will continue to beg and will send the money to the Cathedral committee or government as my help to see the Cathedral established. This is what I want to achieve and I will do it, she told host Kwesi Aboagye. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Washman007 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 It has turned out that the immediate-past National Security Coordinator, Yaw Donkor, did not sanction the purchase of the cyber-security equipment for the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) for counter terrorism purposes. An Accra High Court hearing the case of the former National Communications Authority (NCA) Board Chairman and four others was told that Mr. Donkor was not even aware of plans by the then Deputy National Security Coordinator, Alhaji Salifu Osman Mimina, one of the accused persons, to purchase the equipment. The investigator of the case, Detective Chief Inspector Michael Nkrumah, told the court that during interrogation, Mr. Donkor indicated that he never authorised his deputy Alhaji Osman to write any letter to NCA requesting financial assistance for the purchase of the equipment. Led in his evidence-in-chief by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Yvonne Attakora-Obuobisa, the investigator told the court that the former National Security Coordinator said he had no knowledge of the request letter which he (Detective Nkrumah) showed to him. Interestingly, the witness also revealed that Mr. Donkor stated that NSCS did not need the Pegasus system, and that if the council needed it, it would pass it through him because he was the representative at the National Security Council and not his deputy Alhaji Osman. He told me that he was seeing the letter for the first time and that he had no knowledge of it. He further told me that he never authorised his deputy Alhaji Osman to write the letter to NCA, the witness said. Detective Chief Inspector Nkrumah told the court that he extended his investigations to the current National Security Coordinator, Joshua Kyereme, who also indicated that he was not aware of the request letter seeking funds to purchase the letter. According to him, there was no record of the request letter at the NSCS Registry where such letters and requests emanate. He stated that the National Security Coordinator showed him the handover note from his predecessor which did not contain the request letter. Baba Kamara The investigator further told the court that when the equipment arrived in the country, they were installed on the premises of Baba Kamara, former National Security Advisor to former President John Mahama. Detective Chief Inspector Nkrumah stated that the airway bill on the equipment was also addressed to the office of Mr. Kamara as the consignee of the equipment. He said Mr Kamara, however, denied prior knowledge of the Pegasus equipment and airway bill. I further found out from him as to why the equipment was installed on his premises and he said he was there in early 2016 when Alhaji Osman approached him that NSCS was purchasing cyber security equipment and he needed a place to install them. Baba Kamara further said that he voluntarily gave out a single room which was empty for Alhaji Osman for that purpose, Detective Nkrumah. The investigator said, I then asked Mr. Kamara why the equipment were moved from his house to a private warehouse and he indicated to me that in early 2017 after the NDC had handed over to NPP, he asked Alhaji Osman to retrieve the items from his premises and send them to the National Securitys premises. So he could not tell why the pieces of equipment were taken to the PSB Warehouse, the witness added. Trojan Horse Meanwhile, the trial judge, Justice Eric Kyei Baffuor, has dismissed a Trojan Horse application by Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, counsel for William Tetteh-Tevie, to expunge the testimony of the Deputy National Security Coordinator Duncan Opare. The court also dismissed another application by Reindolf Twumasi Ankrah, counsel for businessman, George Dereck Oppong, to exclude the admission of certain documents the prosecution intends to rely on because they were not part of the earlier disclosures. The investigator would continue his testimony on February 28, 2019. 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 Attempts by lawyers for Seidu Agongo, the man standing trial with Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni, for their alleged cause of financial loss to the state in series of fertiliser deals to tender a document as evidence, to suggest the fertilizer in contention was liquid in nature, has been rejected by the Accra High Court. Lead counsel for Agongo, Mr Benson Nutsukpui, wanted to tender the document through the second prosecution witness, Dr Alfred Arthur, a scientist at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), during cross-examination yesterday. But in a ruling, the court, presided over by Mr Justice Clemence Honyenuga, held that it would be against the rules of court and also unfair for counsel to tender the document through Dr Arthur, who was not the author and had also no knowledge about it. The ruling of the court followed an objection raised by the prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mrs Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa. It will be most unfair to tender a document through a witness who does not know anything about it. Consequently, I will allow the objection and decline to allow the document to be tendered through PW2 (Dr Arthur), Mr Justice Honyenuga held. Rejected document The said document, which was not admitted into evidence by the court, was a report by a committee set up by CRIG and the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) of COCOBOD to investigate the disappearance of a document requested by Agongos lawyers. Following an application by Agongos lawyers for some documents from CRIG to aid their clients defence, the court on December 3, 2018, ordered CRIG and CHED to make those documents available. Although CRIG and CHED provided most of the documents on December 17, 2018, lawyer for COCOBOD, Mr Johannes Vegba, informed the court that a letter dated October 21, 2014, which formed part of the documents, was missing. According to him, not only was the letter missing; the file in which the letter was expected to be placed had also been tampered with. He further told the court that COCOBOD had formed a committee to investigate the disappearance of the said letter. The committee came out with its report on January 31, 2019 and it was subsequently filed at the court on February 1, 2019. Arguments Raising an objection against the tendering of the document through Dr Arthur, the DPP argued that per the Evidence Act, the report should not be admitted into evidence. According to her, the committees report had nothing to do with the trial neither was the witness invited to appear before the committee or had anything to do with the committees work. He (Dr Arthur) does not know anything about the report and, therefore, cannot speak to matters within it, she said. In response, Mr Nutsukpui argued that the report came about due to the courts order and, therefore, it should be admitted into evidence. Authors available Mr Justice Honyenuga rejected the arguments of Mr Nutsukpui and held that the committee was not set up by an order of the court. Also, he was of the view that the right procedure was for counsel to apply for an order from the court to invite the authors of the report who were the members of the committee to appear before the court. The committee report was written by officials of CRIG and CHED, who are still in their official employment and would have been better witnesses to tender it as evidence, he held. Hearing continues on March 4, 2019. Case against Opuni and Agongo Dr Opuni, a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), and Mr Agongo, the CEO of Agricult Ghana Limited, are on trial for their alleged engagement in acts that incurred financial loss of GH271.3m to the state in a series of fertiliser deals. They have been charged with 27 counts, including wilfully causing financial loss to the state, contravention of the Public Procurement Act, defrauding by false pretence, money laundering and corruption of a public officer. The two have pleaded not guilty to all the charges and are on self-recognisance bail of GH300,000 each. Source: Graphic.com.gh 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 Nearly a month since the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency by-election shooting incident, a supposed chief of Wala is still reportedly in possession of unspecified quantities of empty ammunition shells he is alleged to have collected from the crime scene. It would be recalled that while appearing before the Justice Emile Short Commission last week at the Osu Castle in Accra, DSP Abena Benewaa, the East Legon District Police Crime Officer, said the chief of Wala in Accra was with a collection of spent shells on that day but he refused to give the collection to the police. She claimed the chief had briefed her that he had the collection of shells. But after nearly four weeks since the shooting incident, the shells have not been taken from the chief for investigation. Chairman of the Commission, Justice Short asked the Director of Operations of the Ghana Police Service, DSP Kwasi Ofori, why since that the day the chief had not been made to surrender the shells. But the Police chief said he had detailed officers to visit the chief whom he said resides at Agbogbloshie, a suburb of Accra, to retrieve the bullets. He told the Commission that the Chief is someone he knows personally and has interacted with on a number of occasions. Interestingly, when Justice Short asked if he knew the name of the chief, he retorted no. He also told the Commission that the Crime Officer of East Legon did not brief him about the Chief having the shells in his possession nor did she tell him also about the fact that two school kids from the La Bawaleshie Presbyterian Junior High School picked up two empty shells on that day and submitted to the police. The shooting incident reportedly occurred at the residence of the NDC Parliamentary Candidate, Delali Kwasi Brempong on January 31, 2019 during the by-election. 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 two siblings who were reported missing in Takoradi in the Western region have been found in Accra. 15-year-old Grace Arthur and 13-year-old Benjamin Arthur went missing Saturday morning and the case was reported to the police. Information is sketchy as to how the children were found in the Greater Accra region, over 220 kilometers away from their home in the Western Region. A lady who is said to have found them told Connect FMs Omanbapa morning show on Wednesday that she first spotted the children at Kaneshie First Light area, and after the publications by the various brands under the Media General TV3, Connect FM, 3news.com and Onua FM she combed through the area throughout the night to get them. She said the children were then sent to the Kaneshie Police Station. The Kaneshie Police is in contact with the Takoradi Central Police to get the kids reunited with their family at Mpintsin, a town in Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis. Elated mother of the children, Patience Mensah expressed her profuse gratitude to the Media General when she spoke to Connect FM for the role the media outfit played in finding the kids 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 The man who was allegedly resurrected in a video by Pastor Alph Lukau of Alleluia International Ministries has been identified as Brighton from Zimbabwe. Brighton is a 29-year-old man who worked at timber a company in Pretoria. The company, Vincent Amoretti Ltd, told Eyewitness News on Tuesday that the last time they saw Brighton was on February 19th, when he arrived late for work. Brighton has not been at work since last Tuesday and is his absence, is being treated absent with leave. Now, one of Brighton's former employers has revealed the extent of his deception and that he has been arrested. 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 Ace investigative Journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas is out with another expose barely five weeks after one of his partners was assassinated, damning his detractors that he will not be silenced. The documentary centered on one of President Akufo-Addos priorities in his administration i.e the fight against illegal mining widely known as Galamsey reveals the involvement of government officials circumventing measures to curb the canker. One of such government officials captured in the secret filming is the Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Mr. Charles Cromwell Bissiw, who is seen taking cash amounting to GHC35,000 in three meetings through one Andy Owusu, a connection man, to circumvent the process to renew the mining license for ORR Resources Enterprise. The documentary, titled Galamsey Fraud which lasts a little over 27 minutes is only the first part with the continuation to be premiered at a later date. Watch the Part 1 of the documentary below: 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 Management of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) on Wednesday said it has not instructed any person or groups of persons to solicit for application for a job interview and or placement at the Board. Mr Francis Akwasi Opoku, the Director, Human Resource and Solicitor Secretary, COCOBOD said it was serving notice to prospective job seekers to be wary of fraudsters, who were extorting huge sums of money from job seekers in exchange for jobs at the Board. Mr Opoku in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the Job recruitment scam in Accra said the COCOBOD has been battling with large numbers of job seeker, since October last year. He said young graduates across the country troop to COCOBOD office in Accra with the claim that they have been scheduled for interview for job placement. He said these scammers used names of high-profile persons and influencer like chiefs, CEOs of public institutions, politicians, clergy and other opinion leaders to lure unsuspecting job seekers to sending monies through mobile money platforms for job interviews and placement at COCOBOD. The Director said sometimes the scammers also use fake social media platforms and website addresses, the most recent being www.visionqualitycocoa.simdif.com. He said these scammers defraud the job seekers with an amount between GH500.00 and GH5,000.00 with the assurance for job placement at COCOBOD. Following this, Management of COCOBOD issued various warning to prospective job seekers through the mass media with the hope that the public will be guided accordingly, he said. He said as a corporate entity, all job vacancies at COCOBOD were advertised through the national dailies. He said COCOBOD does not demand money from prospective job seekers before offering them jobs and emphasized that currently there was no recruitment exercise ongoing at COCOBOD Head Office and any of their officers nationwide. Mr Opoku, therefore, advised job seekers to be wary of such scammers and report them to the law enforcement agencies. We will also continue to work closely with the law enforcement agencies to bring such scammers to book, he added. 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 Brong Ahafo Regional first Vice Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe popularly known as Abronye DC says he is surprised President John Mahama has publicly denied his donation to Nigerias opposition leader, Atiku Abubakar, prior to their election. According to him, the former President is known for his lies over the years when in power after citing an example of Mahamas relationship with world known gay activist Andrew Solomon. Mahama is known for having a tight relationship with lies. We all know how he strongly denied having any connection with renowned gay activist, Andrew Solomon, but later, their strong friendship was revealed and exposed, he told Peacefmonline.com in an interview. A statement from Abronye DC accused Mr. Mahama of raising $1.5 million to support Mr. Atiku Abubakar. Abronye expressed that he was concerned because the money could have been used by the former president who is a senior citizen of this country and thinks there is hardship to support governmental initiatives such as building more schools to support the free SHS policy, expanding the 1 district 1 Factory initiative and several other polices. He added that even if Mr. Mahama did not want to support this government with his money, he could have used it to support the unemployed, hungry and vagabond NDC foot soldiers who have resulted to vigilantism, killing their colleagues at their party offices, causing mayhem and disrupting the peace in this country. But a counter statement from the Office of the Former President states the claim is untrue and must be treated with the contempt it deserves. It says: President Mahama has sent no money to any candidate in Nigeria, and Mr. Debrah has not been anywhere near Nigeria. Reacting to Mahamas denial, Abronye DC insisted with no valid proof that Mr Mahama donated the whooping amount. John Mahama is a very close friend of Atiku Abubakar and his current donation is just one among several others which he has given to the Nigerian opposition leader, he bluntly said. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Ambrose_wash Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen referred to President Trump as a racist, con man, and cheat during his opening statement before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, February 27. Cohen said: "I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trumps illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. Cohen adds: He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat. Cohen also said President Trump knew his longtime political advisor Roger Stone was in contact with Wikileaks during the 2016 campaign about possible dirt on Hillary Clinton. He said: "He was a presidential candidate who knew Roger Stone was talking with Julian Assange about Wikileaks drop on Democratic National Committee emails." Roger Stone has denied working with Wikileaks. Cohen also brought documentation to show the president reimbursed him for hush money payments made during the campaign. Watch the video below. 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 Outspoken Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, wants National Chairman of the opposition NDC, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, charged with treason in an alleged audio recording purported [but confirmed] to be his voice. According to Kennedy Agyapong, contents of the leaked tape must be condemned after insisting that the NDC Chairman face the law for his reckless utterances to incite mayhem prior to the 2020 elections. Hope you remember when I made some comments and was charged with treason by the CID. Ofosu-Ampofo is not human than me so he must face the law just as I did, he said in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show, Ghana Montie. Kennedy Agyapong Charged With Treason Tuesday, April 17, 2012, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong was charged with treason - this follows investigations into a statement he allegedly made on an Accra based radio station, Oman FM, inciting supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to foment trouble. He was arrested after declaring war in reaction to attacks on NPP supporters during the biometric registration exercise in 2012. Ofosu-Ampofos Leaked Tape A leaked audio purported to be the voice of NDCs National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, which went viral on Tuesday, is creating fear and panic ahead of the 2020 General elections. The leaked tape which is believed to be from a meeting held at the NDCs headquarters days after the infamous Ayawso West Wuogon by-election violence, captures leading members of the opposition party allegedly planning strategies the NDC will use to regain power in 2020. National Chairman, Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo, who could be heard speaking to some party members without equivocation, noted the NDC will target lives of NPP members in 2020 since state security cannot protect them. According to him, another delicate aspect to win the 2020 election is targeting the EC Chairperson, Madam Jean Mensa. We must wage a relentless war on this EC Chair, me she doesnt want to see my face . . . he told the party gathering. We will go after them, but we will not go after them face-to-face. We have to use tactical operation to make life very uncomfortable for them. We will target some people and we will let the people know that their lives are in danger, Ofosu-Ampofo allegedly said. CID Invites Ofosu-Ampofo Over Leaked Tape Meanwhile, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has invited the chairman of the opposition party over the contents of the leaked tape. The CIDs invitation of Mr Ofosu-Ampofo follows the security agency's interception of the leaked tape, ASP David Eklu Director-General Public Affairs said in a news release Wednesday. Mr Ofosu-Ampofo is to report at the CID headquarters Thursday at 10 am, portions of the release read. "Concocted & False" It followed the NDCs strong denial of the contents of the leaked tape. In a statement of its own, the NDC described the leaked tape involving its national Chairman as concocted and false. The NDC states for the records that the statements and attributions contained on the said tape are concocted and false. They are inconsistent with the character and track record of Chairman Ofosu-Ampofo and do not reflect the values he has always stood for, the NDCs Director of communications Sammy Gyamfi said. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Ambrose_wash Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has stated that the Government of Ghana has taken notice of accusations by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the government has bugged the offices of the said party and doctored a tape recording of a meeting of its leadership which appears to show the leadership of the said party conspiring to create insecurity in the country. In a media briefing at the Ministry, the Information Minister said the Government as a matter of policy and practice does not bug the offices or homes of political parties and their leadership. Indeed it is not the policy or practice of Government to illegally interfere with the privacy or communication of persons or organizations in Ghana, he said. He added that, to do so will be an infringement on the constitutional provisions of privacy; reiterating that Government finds it distasteful that NDC chooses to bring the name of the state into disrepute in its attempt to respond to queries about the validity and origins of the said conspiratorial conversation. The practice of accusing the state and seeking to portray to the global community of democratic watchers that the state is involved in some illegality is unpatriotic and has the potential to undermine the growing respect that Ghana has for its resilient democracy and respect for rule of law, he stated. Whilst President Akufo-Addos administration cannot speak for past administrations, including the immediate past NDC administration, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said this administration does not and has not bugged offices of Political parties, its key actors, individuals or organizations for that matter. Without prejudice to the admission of the tape and its contents by officials of the party including Deputy Communication Officer, Kwaku Boahen and others, the Information Minister said the Ghana Police Service has commenced an investigation to determine for itself the level of seriousness that ought to be attached to the said recording. It is our understanding that the Police investigation will also determine whether or not indeed the leaders of NDC in a conspiracy to commit acts to cause insecurity within the Ghanaian jurisdiction. He however urged all Ghanaians to support this investigation preferably done with the support of the necessary international acoustic analysts to determine the validity, identities and the level of seriousness to be attached to the alleged conspiracy. Matters of security are key to the cohesion and stability of the state and therefore must be handled with the highest level of seriousness at all times and Government urges the security agencies to do so in this incident as well, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said. He therefore feared that the alleged conspiracy, if true, puts at risk politically exposed persons, families and associates of the ruling party, women and children in Ghana. He stressed it puts at risk state organizations such as National Peace Council and the Electoral Commission; thus the necessary steps therefore to ensure the security of such persons and institutions is being examined. Government takes very seriously any attempt to attack constitutional and legal entities like the Electoral Commission and the National Peace Council or any conspiracy to deploy violence and panic through kidnappings and mob attacks using vigilante groups or in general any enterprise to create insecurity within the Ghanaian jurisdiction, he stated. He said Government will continue to resource and assist the security agencies to forestall any conspiracies to commit crime and acts that create a state of insecurity in Ghana. The capacity and determination of the state to maintain peace and security and protect Ghanas enviable image remains unchanged. And the Akufo-Addo administration will not renege on its responsibility in this field. The government urges all stakeholders of our democracy to seriously take a dim view of acts that have the potential to undermine the nations democracy. Leadership from across the Political and civil society landscape should as a matter of urgency take a keen interest in complimenting the efforts of the state in further deepening our democracy and security. He maintained that Government will continue to act in accordance with law and best practice in preserving the security and the sense of security and will deal resolutely with any persons found culpable in an effort to undermine the sense of the security in the state. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] 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 Former Member of Parliament for Bantama constituency, Henry Kokofu has slammed the National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, over a leaked tape in which he is purportedly charging his party members to take some incendiary actions against the Electoral Commissioner and the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP). In the leaked audio recording, a voice which has been associated with Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo could be heard telling the party members to "wage war" against the EC Boss, Jean Mensa and also make life uncomfortable for the NPP members. We must wage a relentless war on this EC Chair . . ." he said. We will go after them, but we will not go after them face-to-face. We have to use tactical operation to make life very uncomfortable for them. We will target some people and we will let the people know that their lives are in danger, Ofosu-Ampofo allegedly said. Following circulation of the leaked tape, the NDC Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi denied the contents of the tape describing it as "fake" and "doctored". The NDC states for the records that the statements and attributions contained on the said tape are concocted and false. They are inconsistent with the character and track record of Chairman Ofosu-Ampofo and do not reflect the values he has always stood for, the NDCs Director of communications Sammy Gyamfi said. Few minutes later, the Deputy Communications Officer of the party in an interview with Kwasi Aboagye on Neat FM's 'Ghana Montie' contradicted the position of his boss, Sammy Gyamfi; saying "we the party [NDC communication] members are very happy of what our Chairman said and we will do exactly that. What he said is dear to our hearts that is why we clapped for him during the meeting which was recorded and leaked". Addressing the issue on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, Henry Kokofu asked the appropriate security agencies to take the matter up and investigate it thoroughly to unearth the truth. He strongly believed the voice on the leaked tape is that of Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo saying "it won't last long for the man to come out and apologize publicly" and the NDC will be disgraced after they are exposed by Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo who, to him, will soon man up and take responsibility for his statements. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana 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 Mortuary Workers Association of Ghana will on Tuesday 5th March embark on a strike to press home their demands and conditions of service. According to them, efforts to have these demands addressed by the Labour Commission have proved futile. Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, the General Secretary of the Association, Mr. Richard Kofi Jordan added that their conditions of service are so poor that some of the members receive a paltry two hundred Ghana Cedis (200gh). "Our working conditions are also poor that we have informed various authorities, but they have blatantly refused to do something about it. "Since they have refused to have our challenges addressed, we are laying down our tools from Tuesday, 5th March," he said. He also stated there is no provision for universal medical checkups for workers, among many other illegalities they want the government to correct. "We have sent many proposals regarding their problem in October 2017 and subsequently in June and September 2018 to the Ministry of Health but have not received any response," he added. Some of the issues of concern which bothers on illegalities are enumerated as follows: 1. Many of the Mortuary Workers are denied perpetual their annual leave in violation of section 20 of Act 651. 2. Most Mortuary Workers work more than the required 8 hours including Saturdays and Sundays in violation of section 33 of Act 651. 3. Most have been employed as casual and temporary workers in violation of section 74 and 75 of Act 651, which does not guarantee job security especially in the environment in which they work. 4. In terms of remuneration, it is unfortunate to state that Mortuary workers are treated as most unrecognized in the sector and for that matter, least paid on the salary structure of Ministry of Health with no single allowance. 5. Many of the Mortuary facilities are understaffed, no maintenance which compromises on health and safety rules of the sector making the workers unnecessary to suffer in silence. 6. In terms of their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), some have to struggle to get them to use making the working conditions at some facilities undesirable. 7. There is no provision for universal medical checkups plan in violation of sections 118 of Act 651. 8. No overtime is paid which is in violation of section 35. 9. They are not paid for public holidays in violation of section 72 of Act 651. 10. They work on weekends on which are resting days by law which will amount to overtime but are not paid. In summary, these are some irregularities or illegalities being perpetrated against this class of workers by the Health Ministry and its agencies with impunity. It is, therefore, surprising that the Ministry of Health does not see these infringements on the rights of the Ghanaian Mortuary worker and is reluctant to resolving them. Hence our resort to an industrial action (STRIKE) starting from Tuesday, 5th March, 2019. Total withdrawal of all services until we are convinced that our concerns presented to the Ministry of Health are fully addressed. Meanwhile, we wish to take this opportunity to sympathize with the public who will be inconvenient in this trying times. Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] 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 IT APPEARS the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has more damage control to do in the coming days to repair its tainted reputation over the explosive leaked tape recording purported to be for its National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo. The initial pieces of the two-hour long recording contained only what is alleged to be the voice of Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo, a Pentecost elder. In the audio recording which emerged on Tuesday, February 26, 2019, he was heard calling on members of his party to assassinate political opponents of the NDC and carry out kidnappings apparently to create the impression that Ghana is not safe. But DGN Online understands the remaining pieces of the damning audio recording capture gurus of the NDC notably Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu; NDCs Deputy General Secretary, Barbara Asamoah; former Ghanaian High Commissioner to India, Sam Pee Yalley; former Minister of State in-charge of Private Sector, Rashid Pepuo, and even the Communications Director of NDC, Sammy Gyamfi. Interestingly, Mr. Gyamfi has been mounting spirited defence for his party and accusing the ruling NPP of bugging in the NDC offices and planting secret tape recorders. Government has since denied the claims, describing the actions of the NDC unpatriotic. DGN Online has gathered that in the remaining leaked tapes, the voices of Mr. Iddrisu and the rest of the NDC executives could be heard at a meeting following the Ayawaso West Wuogo Constituency by-election, planning to give monies to some individuals and groups to carry out hatchet jobs for the party. 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 A planned meeting between the National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo and the police over the leaked audio failed to take place. Accordin got sources, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo was yet to receive a formal invitation letter from the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) as of Thursday morning. The CID had asked Mr Ofosu-Ampofo who has come under fire over comments he allegedly made in the secret recording to report at the headquarters at 10am on Thursday. In interview with Peace FM's reporter, Yaw Obeng Manu who was at the CID headquarters, journalists from various media houses waited at vantage points with their cameras to capture Mr Ofosu-Ampofos arrival at the CID headquarters on Thursday morning, but it never saw the light of day. Operation vehicles of the Formed Police Unit (FPU) including water cannons were seen positioned at vantage points with police personnel in full gears ready for any operational duties at the entrance of the CID headquarters. However, three hours after the scheduled meeting, there was still no show amidst suggestions that Mr Ofosu-Ampofo has decided not to honour the police invitation. Two members of the NDC legal team, Mr Victor K. Adawudu and Abraham Amaliba visited the CID headquarters to meet top police officers. After the closed-door meeting, the lawyers told journalists who were waiting outside that, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo was yet to receive the invitation letter and that, they were there to verify from the police if they had indeed invited Mr Ofosu-Ampofo following information they had picked from various media houses. The National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) says Chairman Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo has not received any official invitation from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service. According to the National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyemfi, the unprofessionalism and bias nature of the Ghana Police must stop. Speaking on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he maintained that the police has not contacted the National Chairman and that they find it strange such information is circulating in the media. I am putting it on record that our Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo has not received any letter from the CID department," he said. He therefore called on the media to be fair in their news reportage and stop being bias and playing double standards. Source: Isaac kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] 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 Founder and leader of the Glorious Word and Power Ministry International, Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah has said he is not a worker of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to determine the whereabouts of the three kidnapped girls in Takoradi. According to him, the three missing girls is beyond him to reveal their whereabout and more over, not one of his responsibility to search for them. Three girls - Priscilla Blessing Bentum, Ruth Love Quayson and Priscilla Koranchie has been kidnapped in Takoradi for some months now yet to be found, although the prime suspect, identified as a Nigerian national Samuel Wilson Udoterg, has been apprehended by the police. The worrying situation has led to residents of Takoradi mounting pressure on the police including staging demonstrations to look for the girls. Prophet Owusu Bempah reacting on radio stated that the Lord is yet to open his spiritual eyes to see the location of the missing girls. Ive heard that some three ladies are missing in Takoradi, but please for such a case is it a prophet that investigates or looks for them or it should rather be the CID? Im not a CID officer to find the missing ladies. If the Almighty God has revealed their whereabouts to me I would have by now told the whole country where theyve been hidden, but the Lord has not done that. Someone will say, Prophet you see a lot of things but why cant you tell us the whereabouts of these girls? Elisha was a very powerful prophet but God didnt reveal to him when the Zaraphat womans son was going to die. Elisha said as for this one, God hid it from me. If you are a prophet it doesnt mean you see or can foretell everything, he added. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/Peacefmonline/[email protected] 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 Minority Caucus of Parliament on Thursday, staged a walkout from the chamber in protest against the Public Holiday (Amendment) Bill. The Minority walked out after some of them including the Minority Leader Hon Haruna Iddrisu as well as some Majority Members had made contribution to the motion moved by the Minister of Interior for the passage of the bill. Hon Haruna Iddrisu said the passage of the bill will amount to disrespect to Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah who played a lead role in the struggle for the country's independence, hence they cannot be part of it. He cautioned that a future NDC government will amend the law . The bill seeks to amend the Public Holidays Act 2001 ( Act 601) to provide for the 7th Day of January, the 4th day of August and 21st day of September, as additional statutory public holidays, and for the celebration of the 25th day of May and the 1st day of July as a commemorative . Government, last year, laid a new bill before Parliament to amend the Public Holidays Act to include January 7 and August 4 as statutory public holidays. The new bill which was laid by the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, on Thursday, December 13 is seeking to make January 7 Constitution Day and August 4, Founders Day. It is, however, proposing to scrap the AU holiday on May 25 as well as the Republic holiday on July 1. If approved, the already existing Founder's Day holiday which is observed on September 21 will now be observed only as a Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day and would be a public holiday. This means the AU and Republic days will also be observed only as commemorative days. Background In 2017, President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, proposed that August 4 should be observed as Founders Day in memory of the successive generations of Ghanaians who contributed to the liberation of the country from colonial rule and September 21 set aside as a memorial day for Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first President who was instrumental in the fight for the 6th March independence. Other public holidays Ghanaians will continue to enjoy other public holidays, New Year's Day (January 1), Independence Day (March 6), Good Friday and Easter Monday. Others are Eid-ul-Adha (Hajj period), Eid-ul-Fitr (Ramadan period), Workers' Day (May), Farmers' Day (Ffirst Day in December), Christmas Day (December 25) and Boxing Day (December 26). The House, presided over by First Deputy Speaker and MP for Bekwai, Hon. Joe Osei Owusu, subsequently passed the bill in the absence of the Minority. Source: Emmanuel Akorli/ Peace Fm/ Parliamentary Correspondent 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 Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has debunked claims that the Akufo-Addo government is spying on officials of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). The government of Ghana, as a matter of policy and practice, does not bug the offices or homes of political parties and their leadership. Indeed, it is not the policy or practice of the government to illegally interfere with the privacy or communication of persons or organisations in Ghana, Mr Nkrumah said at a press briefing on Thursday, 28 February 2019. The NDC had accused the government of shameful state-sponsored espionage. The NDC is fully aware of evil and wicked plots by certain elements within National Security and government to spy on meetings of its officials, record and, in turn, doctor such recordings for their spiteful ends, National Communication Officer of the NDC, Mr Sammy Gyamfi, stated on Wednesday, 27 February 2019 in the wake of a leaked audiotape which contains a voice that resembles that of NDC Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo inciting party communicators at a meeting to wage a relentless war against the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission. However, Mr Nkrumah told journalists that: Whilst President Akufo-Addos administration cannot speak for past administrations, including the immediate-past NDC administration, this administration does not and has not bugged offices of political parties, its key actors, individuals or organisations for that matter. He added that the practice of accusing the state and seeking to portray to the global community of democratic watchers that the state is involved in some illegality, is unpatriotic and has the potential to undermine the growing respect that Ghana has for its resilient democracy and respect for rule of law. 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 Longueuil, Quebec (February 28, 2019) The Planetary Society, the worlds largest independent space interest organization, praised Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus announcement today that the Canadian government will invest more than 2 billion dollars in its space program. The investment includes support for the Lunar Gateway and the development of a new Canadarm and related AI technologies. The Planetary Society and its 50,000 global members have an active role in promoting public support for space exploration in Canada. Space unites us, Bill Nye, CEO, said. Today we celebrate Canada for increasing its participation in the international effort to understand the cosmos through space exploration. From its brilliant engineers to its talented astronauts, Canadas contributions to space science and exploration are influential and critical. We at The Planetary Society are honored to have played a role in advising the space program through our representation on the Canadian Space Advisory Board. Since 2013, The Planetary Society has advocated for increased investments in the Canadian space program. Kate Howells, National Coordinator for Canada, serves on Canadas Space Advisory Board where she provides strategic policy advice for the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. Last year, she and Nye met with Prime Minister Trudeau to discuss the state of Canadian space policy and the need for greater investment. Canada has a legacy of leadership in space robotics, Howells said, and this investment ensures that well continue that legacy. This is a huge step forward for Canada and will carry us into the future of space exploration along with longstanding international partners, while fostering the next generation of scientists and engineers here at home. I applaud the Government of Canada for making this bold move. Its now up to Canadians to make sure that this ambitious plan is seen through to fruition regardless of any changes in the political winds. In 2018, The Planetary Society rallied thousands of people to contact their Members of Parliament as an official partner of the Dont Let Go Canada campaign. The result was a remarkable show of public support for Canadas space program and its potential involvement in the Lunar Gateway program. Without political support from Parliament, the landmark investment announced today would not have been possible. The Planetary Society will continue to engage the Canadian public in support of Canadas ongoing investments in space science and exploration. The mandate of the Canadian Space Agency is to promote the peaceful use and development of space, to advance the knowledge of space through science and to ensure that space science and technology provide social and economic benefits for Canadians. The Canadian Space Agency's mission statement is to lead the development and application of space knowledge for the benefit of Canadians and humanity. Interviews available upon request. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Welcome Guest! You Are Here: This article is part of State of Health, a series examining health disparities, how they affect Michigan's children and seniors, and the innovative solutions being developed to address them. It is made possible with funding from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. When Julia Brodeur's* refugee foster daughter first arrived in Michigan from her home country, she spoke just enough English to tell her new foster parents what food she liked and what sport she was interested in playing. But when it came to the knee pains she sometimes suffered, the girl had no way to describe the sensations or talk about what might be triggering them. "We realized pretty quickly that language barriers were going to be an issue when it came to her medical health," Brodeur says. "She didn't have the vocabulary needed to tell us what she was feeling, or even to explain her symptoms to a doctor when she was sick." Brodeur's daughter struggles with any kind of physical discomfort, which isn't unusual for refugee foster youth with histories of trauma. But the result was a minefield of misunderstandings. The doctor once diagnosed Brodeur's daughter with asthma after she complained of being unable to breathe when she runs, not understanding that she was just having the normal experience of getting winded. "A lot of the time she doesn't understand what medical staff are really asking her," Brodeur says. "I often have to act as the go-between, explaining to her what they're saying and doing while it's happening, and trying to fill them in on her history so they have a clearer picture of where she's coming from." Having a health care translator like Brodeur is vitally important for many Michiganders who may struggle with health literacy the ability to effectively understand and communicate with health care providers. Although almost everyone has likely experienced not understanding their doctor, health literacy issues may be especially pronounced for refugees, youth, and disadvantaged communities. But a number of organizations and programs in the state are working to bridge the communication gap. Foster care agencies provide extra support Anna Yamaguchi-Gradilla, an unaccompanied refugee minor supervisor at Samaritas foster agency in Lansing, says all foster parents of refugee children will face health literacy issues at some point. "We've had young girls arrive here in Michigan from other countries, and struggle to explain something to a doctor or a foster parent because there's so much stigma attached to women's health in their cultures," Yamaguchi-Gradilla says. "As a result, they're afraid to talk about their medical concerns. Overcoming cultural barriers is very important if you want to ensure that people get the care they need." Those barriers may differ depending on what community you live in. Yamaguchi-Gradilla says doctors in Lansing, where she works, are generally well-equipped to deal with the city's large refugee population, but Brodeur says doctors in her community are not as culturally aware. Another barrier to health literacy has to do with a refugee patient's country of origin. All doctor's offices are required by law to provide translators to people who can't speak English, but Yamaguchi-Gradilla says that's "easier said than done." "Finding a Spanish-speaking translator is relatively easy here in Lansing," she says. "Finding one that speaks Tagalog isn't!" That's why Samaritas works so hard to make sure each foster family has the necessary resources to address their foster child's health care needs, whether it's sending a caseworker to doctor's visits or finding a translator for the child. "That way these kids can get the medical care they so desperately need," Yamaguchi-Gradilla says. Mini medical school teaches children preventative awareness Language and culture barriers are huge, but so is general lack of education about the importance of preventative care. However, the Michigan Health Council (MHC) has found that one way to overcome Michigan youngsters' lack of health literacy is to begin their medical education at a young age. Mini Medical School, a program developed by the MHC, teaches children how to take care of their growing bodies while also focusing on the importance of disease prevention. Brandess Wallace. "We cover a lot of ground with these kids," says Brandess Wallace, MHC's community engagement and education coordinator. "We talk about bone health, dental care, nutrition, the importance of exercise, and basic first aid. We also introduce them to medical instruments, letting them touch and play, which helps them understand the purpose of each instrument." But this particular playtime addresses another major barrier to health literacy in children, and even in many adults: fear of going to the doctor. "One of Mini-Medical School's goals is to address some of the fear and anxiety that children feel when they're in the health care setting," Wallace says. "We give kids a chance to interact with different medical instruments that a medical professional may use during a visit. That helps to alleviate their fears, and hopefully leads to more positive encounters with health care professionals in the future." Michigan Health Council's Mini Medical School. The whole point of Mini Medical School, according to Wallace, is that kids learn the importance of preventative medicine. "It's more than just eating your fruits and vegetables and staying active," she says. "But to understand that, they have to be taught to take ownership of their own health and wellbeing." Teaching children about preventive health, anatomy, and basic body functions empowers them to have agency over their own bodies, now and in the future. "We want to promote health literacy and plant the seed that encourages Michigan's kids to advocate for their health as they grow into adulthood," Wallace says. The state is making strides towards reaching vulnerable populations Brenda Jegede, the manager of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' Health Disparities Reduction and Minority Health Section (HDRMHS), agrees that what we learn as children plays a major role in how we approach health care as adults. She says minority populations' fear and mistrust of the health care system are among the largest barriers to health literacy in Michigan. Brenda Jegede. "We have to look at the relationships certain racial groups have with institutionalized care," Jegede says. "Native Americans, for example, have a long history of being oppressed by institutions. So they're only slowly rebuilding their relationships with the institutions that provide that care." HDRMHS public health consultant Shronda Grigsby says HDRMHS has worked with providers statewide to address and overcome those barriers. But how exactly does one overcome the ingrained fear of institutions that comes after generations of oppression? "It can take a long time to repair that damage," Grigsby says, but even small steps can make a big difference. "Having someone that looks like you behind the counter when you walk in, or seeing a poster on the wall that represents your culture, are small things that can go a long way towards helping people feel welcomed when they step into a medical health facility," she says. "We also provide training for medical staff to help them understand the existing barriers and how to overcome them." Shronda Grigsby. HDRMHS is also addressing health literacy issues in Michigan by awarding capacity-building grants to health care organizations that can reach out into communities and directly impact disadvantaged populations. Jegede says several Detroit-area primary care clinics are currently using HDRMHS grant funds. "It allows them to increase access to health care for people, with a focus on building relationships between patients and providers," Jegede says. "That helps significantly with overcoming some of the barriers to health literacy." The grants allow clinics to provide training for onsite health care providers. Some also hire health care workers to do outpatient work in their communities, providing better education about available services and teaching people to advocate for themselves in a health care setting. "Health literacy affects every aspect of people's care. People can't be connected to the care they need when they don't know it's there, or they don't understand what they need, or they don't understand what's being offered," Jegede says. "By investigating issues like cultural competency, historical relationships with institutions, and ethnic disparities in health care, we can work towards making sure all people in Michigan are more health literate." * Name changed to protect the identity of the foster youth. Sarah Hillman is the news editor at Capital Gains and has been writing stories about issues that impact people's lives for years. She is also the writer and illustrator of a children's book about leadership qualities. Mini Medical School photos courtesy of Michigan Health Council. Annandale, VA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/28/2019 --Professional Healthcare Resources is an organization wholly dedicated to offering the people of Maryland, Virginia, as well as Washington DC, incredible personal care, health care, hospice, and skilled nursing services. They even provide services for physical therapy in Annandale and Arlington. Professional Healthcare Resources offer all of their services in the spirit of absolute compassion and respect for their patients. Their extensive services are typically designed to aid the ones recovering from recent illness or hospitalizations, as well as the individuals who require some additional assistance with the activities of their daily life. As people are recovering from an injury or illness, they might need specific advanced medical resources and skilled nursing that are found in hospitals. For this Professional Healthcare Resources offers efficient services of skilled nursing in Baltimore and Washington DC. This competent nursing service improves the recovery time of the patients, prevents the chances of hospital readmission, as well as enables them to get back to their everyday activities as fast as their treatment allows them to do so. The team of healthcare professionals present at Professional Healthcare Resources ideally aids the patients to manage their health most efficiently, and subsequently, enjoy the best possible care outcomes. Whether the patients need long or short term care, the skilled nurses of Professional Healthcare Resources tend to work with them, as well as their family members and physicians throughout the care process. These nurses even customize a plan of care for patients that reflect their distinct preferences and needs. The skilled licensed practical nurses (LPNS) and qualified registered nurses (RNS) of Professional Healthcare Resources tend to have both the experience and resources required to provide a plethora of services to their patients. Give Professional Healthcare Resources a call at 703-752-8700. About Professional Healthcare Resources Professional Healthcare Resources is a family owned and operated home healthcare and hospice center that offers their services to the people of Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC. Speaker of Parliament stresses importance of tribal role in deterring aggression [28/February/2019] SANAA, Feb. 28 (Saba) - Speaker of the Parliament Yahya al-Ra'i on Wednesday affirmed the importance of strengthening the unity of the national ranks to meet the challenges and losing bets that aim at ruining the social unity in Yemen. Al-Ra'i called during his meeting with the president of the tribal cohesion council, Sheikh Daifallah Rassam, and a number of leaders of the council to unite all efforts in preserving the homeland, its security and stability, and not neglecting national sovereignty. He called on the Yemeni people to support the fronts until achieving the victory. He pointed to the historical role represented by the Yemeni tribes as a strategic reserve in the face of the invaders and occupiers, stressing that Yemen is the cemetery of the invaders throughout history. The Speaker of Parliament praised the efforts of the tribal cohesion council in supporting the fronts, defending national sovereignty, the dignity of Yemenis and serving national issues. For his part, the President of council said the Yemeni tribes refuse to be humiliated and that represents a safety valve to repel the aggression and thwart their plans. He pointed out that the Yemeni tribe has proved today that it is the fortified fortress and the safety valve of the homeland in the face of US-saudi-backed aggression coalition. He pointed out that the document of tribal honor prepared by the tribal cohesion council and blessed by the president of the Supreme Political Council was found to consolidate the principles and national constants, and to confirm the role of the Yemeni tribes in making historical changes in the defense of the homeland and its sovereignty, security and stability. He pointed out that the document of tribal honor strengthens the internal front to confront aggression, and embodies the principles and values that characterize the Yemeni tribe. He stressed the importance of standing alongside the political leadership and the executive and legislative authorities. He called on the Yemeni free men to play their roles in deepening national unity and mobilization to confront aggression on various fronts. At the end of the meeting, the President of Council delivered to the Speaker of Parliament and his Deputy Abdul Salam Hashwal copies of the tribal honor document to consolidate the national constants. AA Saba Information Minister inspects work progress in Taiz Radio, praises its role [28/February/2019] Taiz, Feb. 28 (Saba) - Minister of Information Daifallah Al-Shami briefed on Wednesday on the progress of the work of Radio Taiz and its special radio programs related to confronting the US-saudi-backed aggression coalition and its misleading campaigns. During the visit, Minister al-Shami listened to an explanation from the Radio director Faisal al-Haj on the radio activity and the difficulties facing the work. Haj pointed to the damage caused to the radio by the bombing of the Air Force for radio stations in Al - Arous Fort in Jabal Sabr and the center of transmission in Hoban and the looting and destruction of studio buildings in the area of Thaabat by the coalition mercenaries, pointing to the efforts made to resume broadcasting on Taiz radio. The Minister of Information praised the role played by Radio Taiz as one of the oldest local radio stations, which was launched in 1964 despite the scarcity of possibilities. He stressed the importance of the role of the radios especially in light of the current situation that the country is going through as a result of the continued aggression in raising awareness and education and mobilizing efforts and energies in confronting the aggression and uncovering its plans that target Yemen land and humanity. Al-Shami pointed out that the national media represent a front against the aggression and its campaigns of misinformation, pointing out that the targeting of media by aggression is contrary to all international norms and covenants. The Information Minister noted the great role played by the radio workers who are currently working to resume broadcasting and the continuation of radio work. AA Saba Bollywoood celebrities on Wednesday called for peace and wished for the safe return of an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot who is in Pakistan's custody. Pakistan said it had Wing Commander Varthaman Abhinandan in its custody. Here's what the celebrities have to say: Actress Nimrat Kaur, who comes from an Army background: "Strength and resolve to the family and loved ones of Wing Commander Abhinandan. The nation's prayers and thoughts are with him in this tough hour. May this stoic, dignified officer be back on Indian soil soon." Strength and resolve to the family and loved ones of #WingCommanderAbhinandan. The nations prayers and thoughts are with him in this tough hour. May this stoic, dignified officer be back on Indian soil soon. Nimrat Kaur (@NimratOfficial) February 27, 2019 Former beauty queen Sushmita Sen, the daughter of a retired Indian Air Force officer, wrote: "We are all praying for the safe return of Wing Commander Abhinandan." We are all praying for the safe return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman #IAF gratitude from the daughter of a retired Indian Airforce officer @fbhutto for choosing humanity first & a way to peaceDugga Dugga & God bless https://t.co/6ztsyV5Dss sushmita sen (@thesushmitasen) February 27, 2019 "To all those who cheered from the sidelines yesterday, with all humility I ask you to read the next sentence. 'He has still not returned'," filmmaker Nikkhil Advani tweeted. Actress and daughter of Colonel V.K. Jaitley, Celina Jaitly said that Tuesday's action by India was "counter terrorism" and "no civilians (were) hurt, no military personnel targeted/hurt. "What Pakistan did is an act of war, they targeted military personnel, while no one wants war, Pakistan has aggravated the situation. Praying for Wing Commander Abhinandan's safe return." Actress Taapsee Pannu re-tweeted the news about Varthaman and said this is what she feared in all "this celebration" after the IAF fighter jets struck terror launch pads in Pakistan on Tuesday. Actress Swara Bhasker said: "Bring back Abhinandan." Some celebrities also urged the media and social media community to be more responsible and to steer clear from spreading anger. Swara wrote: We hope and pray for the safety of our soldiers and officers. Please stop circulating fake and old videos and creating panic and miscommunication. Things are tense and volatile as it is. Please be responsible. Ranganathan Madhavan: It's a war against terror not between two nations yet. Dear Media -- You can actually stop this escalation... Please let's be responsible and work towards peace. Shekhar Kapur: It's really important not to fan the flames of war rhetoric. It's not a game. You are not facing bullets or bombs. You are not the family praying and hoping fervently that your husbands, brothers or fathers are safe. Nor living in border areas in fear. It's easy to be armchair soldiers. Richa Chadha: Can news media be tried for inciting war? For ugly graphics, video game footage, provocative hashtags. Funnily, here is one place we are united eh India, Pakistan - in fake news! Vishal Dadlani: Indian or Pakistani, if you have any brains and any love/respect for your soldiers, say it out loud. We don't want war. We need peace. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday said he would not be at a summit with US President Donald Trump if he was not ready to denuclearise. The second summit between the two leaders in Hanoi, Vietnam, comes eight months after their first meeting in Singapore. They are believed to be discussing a roadmap for removing nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula and could also announce a formal treaty ending the Korean War. Trump tried to limit expectations, saying there was "no rush" for a deal, the BBC reported. But after Kim told a reporter that if he was not ready to denuclearise he "wouldn't be here", the US leader responded: "That might be the best answer you've ever heard." Washington had previously said North Korea had to unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons before there could be any sanctions relief, but that condition is known to be a sticking point for the North Koreans. Speaking ahead of their talks, Trump appeared to again address scepticism about the success and progress of their last summit, saying he wanted to get the "right deal". "I've been saying very much from the beginning that speed is not that important to me. I very much appreciate no testing of nuclear rockets, missiles, any of it," Trump said, adding that he had "great respect" for Kim. Meanwhile, answering his first question from a foreign reporter, Kim said: "It's early to tell, but from my instincts, I do have a feeling that good results will emerge." The leaders were joined by their advisors. From the US side, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney were present. Kim was accompanied by Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho and the regime's senior official Kim Yong Chol. The North Korean leader said they would "have a very interesting dialogue" and hoped the Hanoi summit delivers "an outcome welcome by everyone". He also alluded to the slow progress of negotiations, saying "it's been a period that required a lot of patience and effort". Kim said the "outside world" had "misunderstood" the US-North Korean relationship in the period after the Singapore summit and added they shared a "very interesting conversation" upon meeting on Wednesday. Pakistan suspends Samjhauta Express (File photo) Authorities in Pakistan have suspended the Samjhauta Express between India and Pakistan in view of rising tensions between the countries. The train, which was to leave Lahore for Attari in India early on Thursday, was cancelled and did not arrive here, security officials said. Passengers who were to travel to India were told they could seek a refund for their booked tickets. The train runs between both countries on Mondays and Thursdays. It links Lahore with Attari in Punjab. A link train (of Samjhauta Express) ferries passengers from Attari to Delhi. On Wednesday, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said the Samjhauta Express (link train) service will continue as per schedule from Delhi to Attari in Punjab. Following the Jaish-e-Mohammad's suicide bombing of a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama which killed 40 troopers, the passenger footfall in the train fell drastically. Hardly a hundred passengers travelled on Monday. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi over telephone "to extend an invitation of peace", Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Thursday. Qureshi also said that Pakistan was willing to consider returning an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot it is holding since Wednesday if it leads to de-escalation of tensions between the two countries. The Minister told Geo News: "Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to talk to Narendra Modi on the telephone and ready to extend an invitation of peace. Is Modi ready?" He added: "I have just received the (Indian) dossier (on the Pulwama terror attack) and have not gotten the chance to examine it... I will still say that we will see and examine the dossier with an open heart. "I wish they (India) would have sent this dossier earlier. They attacked first and then sent the dossier. If they would have sent the dossier first and sought Pakistan's answer, there would be no need for an attack. "If there is de-escalation with the return of this (Indian) pilot, Pakistan is willing to consider this. We are ready for all positive engagement," he said amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan since a JeM suicide bomber killed 40 CRPF troopers on February 14. Asserting that Pakistan had been calling for peace since day one, Qureshi said: "If India wants to talk about terrorism, then we are ready. "You (India) want to risk regional stability for politics," he said, in an apparent reference to upcoming parliamentary elections in India. "It could be the need of politics but history will not forgive you." Qureshi asked: "God forbid there is a war, Pakistan will be affected but will India's economy not suffer?" The Minister added that the Saudi Foreign Minister was departing for Pakistan. He also welcomed US President Donald Trump's statement on Pakistan-India tensions. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman The captured Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot will be freed on Friday "as a peace gesture", Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced on Thursday. Addressing a joint session of the National Assembly, Khan said the India-Pakistan situation should not "get out of hand" otherwise "Pakistan will have to retaliate", the Dawn reported. "Countries are ruined because of miscalculation," said Khan. Alleging "war hysteria" in India, he said: "I'm afraid there might be a miscalculation. "War is not a solution. If India takes any action, we will have to retaliate." The joint session of Parliament was called to discuss the rising tensions with India. "The only purpose of our strike (on India on Wednesday) was to demonstrate our capability and will," said the Prime Minister. "We did not want to inflict any casualty on India as we wanted to act in a responsible manner." He said he tried to call Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the telephone on Wednesday because "escalation is not in our interests nor in India's". Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman of the IAF was captured by Pakistanis on Wednesday after his MiG was shot down and fell in Pakistani territory during a dogfight. Re: Issue of H.R.P.P. bylaws If Laauli was elected by his constituents to represent them in Parliament, and he does this by voting against the PMs bill, and then the PM kicks him out of the party because he is not loyal to the PM, then Laauli should be allowed to remain as an independent MP because he represented the voters who elected him. This is a no brainer, and only someone who acts like a dictator would believe that this man should be out of Parliament until a by-election re-elects him as the representative of his constituents. This is a perfect example of how the Government operates a manipulated majority government, which gives him absolute power over all decisions affecting all Samoans. Samoans abroad who live in democracies understand this, which is why they throw dog food and pigs heads at him and swear at him. They do this because they see how bad it is and they are frustrated. This is not a democracy, no matter how much PS Jeffrey, or Hollywood Joe argue that it is a democracy. They might be the same person. I cant imagine more than one person would argue such nonsense non-stop in the Samoa Observer. Wendy Wonder Dear Editor, Re: Who is the author of all this confusion? On point Mataafa Keni! I think our self-serving politicians are to blame for most if not all of this nonsense. The ruling government is forever changing things to tighten control over everything by amending and repealing our legislation to suit their agendas. It is known from history that when a country is a single party state, well it tends to become an Authoritarian/Dictatorial regime. We need to be aware of what is going on in our country. What better way to scourge and oppress our people, by keeping them destitute. Then give them just enough at the right time to make them think the government is doing a lot for them and they should be grateful. With all the monies received from Aid, Charities, grants and loans you would think Samoa does not have water, electricity, health, education, employment, social issues, poverty, domestic violence, crime, drug and alcohol problems. Well there is plenty of it in paradise! There is so much injustice for the poor man but plenty privileges and two tiered judicial system for the top end of town. People are depressed and have lost confidence in our greedy politicians. Oh but dont you dare criticize the Supreme Leader and his regime unless you want to see what the inside of a cell looks like, you might even get to visit Tanumalala thats if they ever finish building it. This regime has passed laws to suppress our voices, to suppress our minds, to suppress our moral obligations to our society. We have been conditioned to be submissive and follow orders. Weve become desensitized to the betrayal and performance of the very people we voted for to lead and protect us. So who is coming up with these amendments? They sleep throughout Parliament time and then suddenly wake up. Eureka! Ive got a great idea of how to ruin the lives of our people. To stay in power they will pass laws that is designed to break down our society thus making it easier to control people. Our culture and traditions will be harmed. Starting from lax customary land legislation engineered to slowly loosen the matai and aigas pule over their customary land. Laws that harm freedom of speech, laws that restrict freedom of information, laws that could allow teachers to abuse students, laws that allow young people to sell tobacco and alcohol, laws that allow foreign investors to buy up our lands without being citizens, laws that allow foreign countries to deplete our fish stocks, etc. Our leaders downplay reports of poverty, of prostitution, of domestic violence, of child abuse, of crime mostly linked to drugs and alcohol. And yet they pass laws to allow the young who are prone to vices easily obtain these. Break down of our cultural traditions start from the next generation losing their cultural identity. But it doesnt look like there is much concern from our leaders except building their legacy. A nation of sheep will soon have a government of wolves. Soifua. Oisole Illustrating the wide range of U.S. grievances with China, a Senate committee released a report Wednesday highly critical of the Beijing-funded Confucius Institute, which operates centers at about 100 American universities. After an eight-month probe, the Senates Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations described systemic problems in the institutes language programs, saying they lack transparency, threaten academic freedom and give the Chinese government access to the U.S. education system that China does not extend to American programs. Senate investigators uncovered no evidence connecting the Confucius Institute with Chinese espionage, an increasing U.S. concern that has prompted the Trump administration to step up its monitoring and enforcement efforts at American campuses. But the investigation, which was earlier reported by The Times, found that the Chinese government had provided about $158 million over the last 13 years to establish and run more than 100 Confucius Institutes in the United States, including seven in California, to promote the study of Mandarin and Chinese culture at universities and K-12 schools. Advertisement The subcommittee also turned up lapses in U.S. government agencies oversight of the programs. Its 92-page report detailed instances in which the State Department improperly issued U.S. visas to Confucius Institute teachers from China, while the Education Department failed both to establish clear guidelines and to ensure that universities complied with requirements to report grants from foreign governments of $250,000 or more in any year. Investigators said that the United States had attempted to set up similar programs at Chinese campuses. But U.S. funding for those American Cultural Centers ended last fall, the report said, after at least 80 episodes of active interference by the Chinese government that prevented the opening or functioning of some of the 29 centers planned by the State Department. Absent full transparency and full reciprocity for U.S. cultural outreach efforts on college campuses in China, Confucius Institutes should not continue in the United States, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), the subcommittees chairman, said in a statement. Staff investigators said they were exploring legislative options. Chinese Embassy spokespersons in Washington did not respond to requests for comment. The director of the Confucius Institute U.S. Center, a kind of public relations and support office for the programs, denied that the Chinese government has had a big hand in the operations of Confucius Institute centers as the report indicated. The Confucius Institute is not controlled by China, but is controlled by American universities and is part of American universities, said the director, Gao Qing. U.S. universities have varying arrangements with the Confucius Institute and its Beijing-based funding agency, Hanban. But each of the campus programs is generally managed by a board consisting of members from the U.S. university and a partner Chinese school, which sends teachers and provides teaching material. University administrators have been keen to host the Confucius Institute, in part to attract Chinese international students paying full tuition, despite reported instances of Confucius Institute staff attempting to influence public events and speakers, particularly on subjects sensitive to China, such as Taiwan, the island entity that China claims as its own. The Confucius program has drawn increasing suspicion among American officials, in part because the centers are soft-power instruments of Beijing. Separately, U.S. policymakers have taken a confrontational approach to Chinas aggressive moves to strengthen its high-tech firms, military capabilities and political influence around the world. FBI Director Christopher Wray last year called the academic community naive about the intelligence-gathering threat from China and said that the bureau was warily watching the Confucius Institute. Although China has indicated no backing away from its global Confucius program there are about 500 centers worldwide analysts said its heyday in the United States appears to be over. Since late 2017, 13 Confucius Institute centers in the United States have closed or given notice of closing, including at the University of Michigan. Tufts and some other universities are weighing whether to renew contracts with Hanban. In 2014, the University of Chicago cut its ties with the institute after faculty members raised concerns about the threat to academic integrity. The American Council on Education, a group representing colleges and universities, last summer urged presidents of schools hosting Confucius Institute centers to take a number of steps in light of the heightened concerns about China. It recommended making public any memorandums of understanding with Hanban, as well as financial information, and ensuring that Confucius Institute activities do not infringe on academic freedom. The Senate subcommittee report went further. It recommended that Congress require the disclosure of contracts for students and faculty to review, that the federal government consider making the Confucius Institute register as a foreign agent working on behalf of the Chinese government and monitor its compliance with visa regulations, and that American universities properly report foreign gifts. Officials from the State and Education departments and from Congress Government Accountability Office, which conducted a parallel review of the Confucius Institute, are scheduled to testify on Chinas impact on the U.S. Education System at a Senate hearing Thursday. The latest from Washington More stories from Don Lee The 24 Hour Fitness San Marcos club opens its doors to the community with a celebration from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday at 641 S. Rancho Santa Fe Road. The event includes club tours, prize drawings, group training demonstrations, GX24 studio classes and more. This will be the companys 31st club in the San Diego area. The 24,100-square-foot clubs amenities feature classes for strength, cycle, dance, cardio, senior fitness and more, as well as Zumba, BodyPump, and POP Pilates included with membership; hundreds of digital classes available on demand; personal and small group training programs, designed to elevate performance and motivation (additional fees apply); rows of cardio and strength machines, plus free weights for every level of fitness; and dedicated zones for resistance training, core work, stretching, functional and sports-specific workouts. Spacious locker rooms with private showers are also part of the experience, and a pro shop offers nutritional products, snacks and workout gear. To experience the new gym, download a free guest pass to https://www.24hourfitness.com/SanMarcos. Get your poke on: AhiPoki has opened an outlet at the Promenade shopping center in Escondido. AhiPoki serves fresh ahi poke seafood bowls with Hawaiian fusion flavors, made to order every time. Start with a base of white or brown rice, salad, kelp noodle or half and half. Then add two or three scoops ($9.95 or $11.95) of seafood tuna, spicy tuna, albacore, scallops, shrimp, Spam, tofu and more. Choose a sauce like garlic soy mirin, wasabi citrus or house spicy, then top it off with anything from green onion, cucumber, edamame, sesame seeds or pickled radish (and lots more choices). The stores also offer Spam and unagi musubi, salmon and unagi bowls, and the Ahirrito, a kind of ahi poke burrito. AhiPoki is open daily from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. at 1270 Auto Park Way. Visit www.ahipokibowl.com. Call (760) 317-1171. Casual clothing brand Faherty is scheduled to open in March in the One Paseo shopping center in Carmel Valley. (Courtesy photo) Advertisement Faherty for One Paseo: Faherty, a casual clothing brand, is scheduled to open its first San Diego-area location in March in the One Paseo shopping center in Carmel Valley. The 5-year-old company already stretches coast to coast, with stores in Boston and Nantucket, Mass., New York City and Sag Harbor, N.Y., and Malibu. Co-founders and twin brothers Alex and Mike Faherty, both lifelong surf enthusiasts, launched their namesake brand in 2013, after leaving positions in private equity and at Ralph Lauren, respectively. The company works to support sustainability in its fabric choices and manufacturing. The new store is at 12265 El Camino Real. Hours will be 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Visit FahertyBrand.com. Solana Beach is now home to StretchLab, an assisted stretching boutique, which opened recently at 437 S. Highway 101. (Courtesy photo) Stretch yourself: Solana Beach is now home to StretchLab, an assisted stretching boutique, which opened recently at 437 S. Highway 101. The newest trend in health and wellness, deep stretching works to decrease pain, lower risk of injury and reduce stress. It also encourages better flexibility and range of motion. The studio is owned and operated by local entrepreneur Angie Cohen, who realized the importance of stretching after a serious back injury in her twenties. StretchLab offers a variety of one-on-one personalized stretching services, as well as a 50-minute head-to-toe deep stretch that addresses all major muscle groups, and two small-format group stretches. Monthly memberships are available for four, eight or unlimited visits per month, as well as drop-in packages. StretchLab Solana Beach is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Call (858) 793-3539, visit www.StretchLab.com, or email SolanaBeach@stretchlab.com. laura.groch@sduniontribune.com Chula Vista projects a $2.5 million budget surplus for the current fiscal year, the city announced last week. This news, added with the announcement that the citys reserve fund is fully funded, stood out as two bright spots for a city facing long-term budget deficits fueled by rising pension costs. Chula Vistas 2019 fiscal year budget also includes money for five new police officers. Before approving the Measure A sales tax increase in June 2018, the City Council made a commitment to hire five new police officers every year. Both the city manager and director of finance have said Chula Vista may not be able to afford to hire five police officers every year going forward. Advertisement Unless the city can identify new revenue sources, hiring new public safety positions will be paid for by Measure A sales tax revenue or grants. But, at least for the current fiscal year, the council kept its commitment to hire the five police officers. The reason behind Chula Vistas projected $2.5 million surplus are a couple of unexpected one-time funds. One of them is $1 million of sales tax revenue the city received from Sacramento that was meant to come in during the last fiscal year but came in this year. The other is savings from unfilled job openings at the police department. The city set money aside for a certain number of jobs but now that they havent been filled, they get the money back, said the citys Director of Finance, David Bilby. Having a fully funded reserve balance the fund currently has about $24 million or 15 percent of the general fund is a big deal because when Chula Vista wants to improve its credit rating or issue bonds, the credit agencies look at that reserve fund as a sign of healthy finances, Bilby added. Chula Vista is currently putting together its 2020 fiscal year budget and expects to present a balanced budget to the City Council in the spring. Part of the process includes several public meetings and workshops in March and April. Mayor Mary Casillas Salas encouraged anyone who has questions about the citys finances to attend those public events. It is really important that they come out and look at the budget process, Salas said. We get questions about our budget and if they were able to come and really weigh in on their priorities it would be helpful to us as a council. Despite the current projected surplus, the city still faces year-over-year deficit growth because pension costs are growing faster than revenues. The pension issue continues to plague the long-term financial plan and we hope to continue to work to resolve that fiscal deficit, Bilby said. Because of the way the states pension system is structured, the amount of money Chula Vista has to pay for pensions increases every year for the next five years. For example, the city owes $21 million this year and $24 million next year. Contact Gustavo Solis via Email or Twitter Mayor Serge Dedina reaffirmed his commitment to keeping Imperial Beach one of the coolest, most awesome little beach towns around during his State of the City address Monday. Dedina highlighted the citys recent accomplishments, including new development, lower crime rates, and progress in its ongoing sewage pollution lawsuit against the federal government. The mayor, who is the son of immigrants and grew up in a working-class household, promised to give residents the best quality of life possible. His 30-minute speech centered around the theme of commitment commitment to keep the city safe, clean and make it a great place to live, raise a family and enjoy a high quality of life. Ive said it before and I believe more than ever that you shouldnt have to be a millionaire or live in Rancho Santa Fe or Beverly Hills to have a high quality of life, he said. We should be able to do that in Imperial Beach. Advertisement Regarding new development, Dedina specifically pointed out the new Hampton Inn that is currently under construction along Palm Avenue and the shopping complex at Ninth Street and Palm Avenue. Both are examples of business developments that Imperial Beach should continue to attract to grow the tax base, Dedina added. The city also wants to make it easier for Imperial Beach residents to work on their own projects by making the building department more efficient. The mayor wants to make it faster for the city to process building permits so people can spend more time working and less time waiting. When it came to public safety, Dedina thanked the Sheriffs Department, Fire Department and local lifeguards. Imperial Beach has one of the lowest crime rates in the county and lifeguards watched over more than 1.7 million beach visitors in 2018. Going forward, the city plans to install more street lights to improve safety and visibility at night, Dedina said. Finally, the mayor praised progress made with the citys lawsuit against the federal government over sewage spills that close beaches. Last year, the city of San Diego, Port of San Diego and state of California joined the lawsuit, which alleged Clean Water Act violations. Dedina also thanked County Supervisor Greg Cox for lobbying up a storm in Washington. While lauding the progress, the mayor stressed that its not enough. Everyone has to do more. The mayor concluded the speech by thanking the residents of Imperial Beach. Thank you for making IB a totally awesome town, he said. Contact Gustavo Solis via Email or Twitter Will Green Flash Shine Again? Has Green Flash extinguished the dumpster fire that nearly destroyed the Mira Mesa craft brewery in 2018? CEO Michael Taylors answer: Green Flash Brewing Company is not dead. We are thriving. That would be a remarkable turn-around. Over two dizzying weeks last spring, it sold its Virginia Beach, Va., brewery; folded Poways Cellar 3 and its barrel-aged and sour beer program; and retired a mountain of debt by selling its assets to an investment group led by Richard Lobo. Once distributed in 50 states, the brewery pulled back to eight: California, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and Nebraska. The existing breweries in Mira Mesa and Alpine Green Flash owns Alpine Beer continued, while a new taproom opened in Lincoln, Neb. Advertisement Were treating 18 as a foundational year, said Taylor, and 19 as a growth year. Among the advances Taylor cited: an increased sales staff; a bright redesign of bottles and cans, stressing the Flashs coastal San Diego roots; and a renewed commitment to experimentation, with the taprooms acting as test labs. The brewery, led by Green Flash veteran Erik Jensen, recently debuted a hazy India pale ale, Tropical DNA, in bottles and cans, and returned West Coast IPA to its original recipe. Taylors hiring last May raised eyebrows and concern. He came from Anheuser-Busch InBev, where he had led that corporations purchase of 10 U.S. craft breweries. Was he prepping Green Flash for a similar fate? I didnt come to the company to prepare the company for a sale, he said. I came to the company to build the company and be an entrepreneur again. At Green Flash, he noted, a new beer can be proposed and approved in a single day. You cant do that in a multinational corporation. At its peak in 2016, Green Flash produced 91,000 barrels of beer. Last years figures reflected a company in free fall: 33,000 barrels. Taylor predicts a 20 percent rebound this year, lifting sales to about 40,000 barrels. Im 100 percent focused on growth, he said. Fighting Words Ian Roberts insists San Diego is not the Capital of Craft. The title, he argued in a recent email, belongs to the great state of Michigan. He cited last weekends Winter Festival, with 1,100-plus beers from about 150 Michigan breweries. Theres also the Michigan Brewers Guilds Summer Beer Festival, July 26-27 in Ypsilanti, pouring more than 1,000 beers from the Wolverine State. Show me a Californian beer festival that can feature over 1,000 Californian beers, he wrote. The gauntlet has been tossed down. Anyone care to defend the honor of California breweries? Random Question from My Editor Q. As a beer columnist, how much do you drink? A. On average, one to two beers a day. Some days are beer-less, while at festivals I may drink enough 1- to 3-ounce samples to equal four or five beers. (On those occasions, a designated driver ferries me home.) When reviewing a beer, I take notes on two separate occasions. Like people, beers have distinct personalities. Some reveal themselves quickly, while others need more time and attention. Kings of Beer Skeptics beware. Erik Jensen, Green Flashs brewmaster, insists hes making West Coast IPA (7 percent alcohol by volume) the way it was first intended. In his office, Jensen has the handwritten notes from the original recipe. Jensen says he follows that recipe to the letter. While I believe him, I understand why some have doubts. West Coast debuted decades ago. Since then, Green Flash had marketed several versions, including a boozier (8.1 percent ABV) imperial IPA that was sold through last year. The original? This is The IPA That Time Forgot. Its brighter and nimbler than the 2018 West Coast, yet more substantial than the one-dimensional fruit bombs now being sold as hazy IPAs. Over a firm base of British Crystal malts, Simcoe, Columbus, Centennial, Citra and Cascade hops deliver aromas and flavors of pine sap and grapefruit zest. A bracing bitterness persists throughout, without pushing aside the caramel-like malts. Bold and well-rounded, West Coast IPA is an invigorating blast from the past. This, Jensen said, is a beer that inspired my generation. Best of the Week Friday: OBriens Pub, 4646 Convoy St., has nine beers on tap from Bakersfields Great Change, the latest venture from Kyle Smith, a former Kern River brewer. Friday-Sunday: Stone IPA Madness Tip-Off Weekend is at the brewerys Escondido and Liberty Station bistros, plus taprooms in Oceanside (310 N. Tremont St.), downtown San Diego (1202 Kettner Blvd.) and East Village (795 J St.). Saturday: Coronados San Diego tasting room (1205 Knoxville St.) hosts a luau, 1 to 5 p.m., complete with island-inspired food, music and its new beer, Leisure Lagoon. Parting Thought Now that Green Flash has resuscitated the original West Coast IPA, could Stone bring back its original Pale Ale? Beer Videos Twitter: @peterroweut peter.rowe@sduniontribune.com Looking for a place to celebrate Fat Tuesday next week in San Diego? Let the good times roll at these hot spots boasting special dishes, cocktails and Mardi Gras happenings starting this weekend. The Big Easy Bites and Booze Self-Guided Tour includes 20 bites and 20 New Orleans-inspired sips. 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday. Gaslamp Quarter. $25 by Friday; $30 the day of the event. Attendees must be 21 years or older and have a valid ID. Tickets: sdmardigras.com Guests will sample craft cocktails from 21 of the best bars in San Diego County at the San Diego Bartender Shakedown. The one-night-only event takes place under one roof from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday at Liberty Station, Building 177, 2875 Dewey Road, San Diego. $100 VIP (6 p.m. access), plus admission to the VIP lounge throughout the evening; $65 general admission (7 p.m. access with no VIP admission). 21-and-up. bit.ly/2It5d2T Point Loma Fish Shop will celebrate the holiday with a special shrimp gumbo. Pair it with your choice of the restaurants wine or bring in your own bottle with a $5 corkage fee. Guests can also choose from pale ales to IPAs and stouts to ciders. Monday through March 7. 1110 Rosecrans St., Suite 100, San Diego. thefishshoppointloma.com Advertisement Gingers, just steps from the Barleymash, will celebrate Fat Tuesday with karaoke and classic martinis like The Cosmo, a blend of Skyy Citrus Vodka, Cointreau, fresh lime and cranberry juice. Bar bites can also be ordered from Barleymashs menu. 8 p.m. Tuesday. 600 Fifth Ave., Gaslamp Quarter. (619) 255-7373. gingersgaslamp.com Barleymash will host its Beads, Brews & Bacardi Mardi Gras party featuring New Orleans-inspired food, drinks and music. Bites include a shrimp po boy with golden fried shrimp and gumbo and sips like The Nola, with Bacardi Superior Rum, raspberry and lime or the Bourbon Street, a mix of Teeling Whiskey, coconut, coconut milk and nutmeg. 10 p.m. Tuesday. 600 Fifth Ave., Gaslamp Quarter. (619) 255-7373. barleymash.com The Smoking Gun will serve a $25 All-You-Can-Eat Crawfish Boil. Wash it all down with specialty cocktails, wine, beer or boilermakers (a beer and shot) such as the Ramrod, made with Henebery Whiskey and a pint of Cali Creamin. 555 Market St., San Diego. (619) 233-3836. thesmokinggunsd.com The worlds biggest hot dog chain Wienerschnitzel is expanding its pioneering chili cheese fries line with three flavor extensions as part of a limited-time Chili Cheese Fries Around the USA offer, available through April 28. The three new loaded chili cheese fries spotlighting regional tastes: Italian chili cheese fries (New York Citys Little Italy); Tex-Mex chili cheese fries (San Antonio); and Thousand Island chili cheese fries (central California coast). San Diego (4), National City, La Mesa, Chula Vista (2), Imperial Beach, Spring Valley, El Cajon (2), Escondido, Santee, Oceanside (2). wienerschnitzel.com The 17th annual Hillcrest Mardi Gras celebration returns with a neighborhood-wide party bus party crawl. The event features six party buses, five party stops, dozens of participating bars, clubs and venues, along with exclusive drink deals and entry, circus performers, drag queens, giveaways and plenty of beads. 6 to 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. Hillcrest. $10 advance; $15 after the first 300 tickets are sold. bit.ly/2GFd1Nn New on the menu Kettner Exchange has unveiled a new seasonal cocktail menu featuring drinks like Tipsy Tea Party, made with pomegranate white tea-infused gin. green chartreuse, lime, lemongrass, pomegranate and cucumber; Coco Jalisco is made with Blanco Tequila, Tepache (a Mexican spiced pineapple liquor), pineapple, lime and coconut; Smoked Giuseppe, a mix of Kettner Exchanges Single Barrel Mezcal, sweet vermouth, Cynar, coffee liquor and salt; English Channel, made with London Dry Gin, Cocchi Americano, Luxardo Bitters and orange bitters; and You Had Me at Aloe, made with gin, Aloe Liqueur, Cointreau and lemon. 2001 Kettner Blvd., San Diego. (619) 255-2001. kettnerexchange.com Flower Childs new rotating dinner taco options include chicken pastore with charred onion, caramelized pineapple, avocado salsa and cilantro; grilled steak with roasted peppers and onions, avocado, aged white cheddar and cilantro; Korean barbecue tofu with kale kimchi and sesame radish slaw (vegan); and grilled shiitake mushroom with caramelized tofu, avocado salsa, pickled onion and cilantro (vegan). Bring a friend and enjoy 2 plates of tacos and a carafe of blackberry sangrias for $25. 2690 Via De La Valle, Del Mar. (858) 314-6818. iamaflowerchild.com Tender Greens has revamped its West Coast menu with dishes like the harvest chicken salad, Mediterranean salad, caprese sandwich, made with mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, arugula and aioli on ciabatta and grilled salmon with seasonal salsa, sprouted brown rice, Cotija, cabbage slaw, lime crema. Del Mar (opening in April), downtown San Diego, La Jolla, Mission Valley and Point Loma. tendergreens.com Openings Storyhouse Spirits, an urban distillery, bar and lounge, has opened its doors in East Village. Founders Matt Kidd and Steve Kuftinec, in collaboration with the design team from Blalock & Partners Architectural Design Studio, have created three distinct spaces blending old and new. The venue includes a distillery the second largest in San Diego and production facility, a bar opening to a street side patio and a mezzanine with skyline and water views. A tasting room and full-service bar and lounge will offer cocktails, wine and beer as well as casual fare, including seasonal small plates centered on dishes cooked in the signature copper wood-fired oven. Selections include beef and lamb gyros with avocado Naan, pickles, labneh, and raita (condiment); and locally sourced and house-cured halibut served on a bed of citrus, jicama and golden beets and garnished with pickled chili and a light citrus vinaigrette. 1220 J St., San Diego. storyhousespirits.com carolina.gusman@sduniontribune.com Jeune et Jolie, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Maybe its how the door of the 2-month-old nouvelle French restaurant in Carlsbad always swings open with a warm welcome from staff every time a customer approaches. Perhaps its executive chef Andrew Bacheliers exquisite Coquille in vin jaune sauce, which is the best scallops dish Ive tasted in years. Or it might be the design of the charming, art deco-inspired 90-seat bistro with a full open kitchen smack in the heart of the room. But I think its secret is the excited buzz that permeates the room every night. The cooks line up to watch Bachelier with eager anticipation as he puts the finishing touches on every plate. The well-trained wait staff know every ingredient of every dish and where it was sourced, including the nightly carte blanche tasting menu. And the clearly pleased diners know theyre in for something special at what is certain to become one of San Diego Countys most successful new restaurant launches of the year. 1 / 15 The exterior of Jeune et Jolie restaurant in Carlsbad. (Lily Glass) 2 / 15 The bar and dining room of Jeune et Jolie restaurant in Carlsbad. (Lily Glass) 3 / 15 Parisian cafe-style table line the wall facing the open kitchen at Jeune et Jolie restaurant in Carlsbad. (Lily Glass) 4 / 15 The open kitchen and dish cupboards, located right in the dining room, at Jeune et Jolie restaurant in Carlsbad. (Lily Glass) 5 / 15 The communal table for tasting menu and large party diners sits in between the bar and the open kitchen, seen in background, at Jeune et Jolie restaurant in Carlsbad. (Lily Glass) 6 / 15 Jeune et Jolie owner John Resnick and his wife, Sarah, with their children Elsie June, left, and Wiley, right. Resnick named the restaurant after the middle names of his daughter, Elsie, and chef Andrew Bacheliers daughter, Margot Jolie. (Lily Glass) 7 / 15 Jeune et Jolie executive chef Andrew Bachelier with his fiance Larah, and their children Madden, left, and Margot Jolie, right. The restaurant is named for the middle names of owner John Resnicks daughter, Elsie June, and his daughter, Margot Jolie. (Courtesy of Lily Glass) 8 / 15 The art deco-inspired wall in the bar, with its reel-to-reel stereo system. (Lily Glass) 9 / 15 Jeune et Jolie beverage director Leigh Lacap in the restaurants art deco-inspired bar. (Lily Glass) 10 / 15 One of the dishes at newly opened Jeune et Jolie restaurant in Carlsbad: Crevette, featuring prawns, baby vegetables, peanuts and consomme. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 11 / 15 Rafael Hernandez, along with others, works in the kitchen at Jeune et Jolie, getting ready for dinner service at the nouvelle French restaurant, which opened Dec. 15 in Carlsbad. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 12 / 15 Joe Bell prepares sourdough baguettes at Jeune et Jolie restaurant, which opened Dec. 15 in Carlsbad. The nouvelle French restaurant has an ambitious French pastry program. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 13 / 15 One of the new dishes at Jeune et Jolie restaurant in Carlsbad: Ris De Veau, with veal sweetbread, celery root, onion andblack truffle. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 14 / 15 Vietnam, one of bartender Leigh Lacaps new cocktails inspired by Frances former colonies at newly opened Jeune et Jolie restaurant in Carlsbad. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 15 / 15 The sign for Jeune et Jolie, a nouvelle French restaurant that opened Dec. 15 in Carlsbad. It was launched by the owner and chef of nearby Campfire restaurant. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) Advertisement Jeune et Jolie French for young and beautiful is the second collaboration between owner John Resnick and chef Bachelier, who first teamed up in late 2016 to open Campfire, an open-flame cookery restaurant a block south on State Street. Where Campfire is rustic, playful and family-friendly, Jeune et Jolie is an elegant and intimate date-night destination. Bachelier spent nearly five years in the kitchen at Addison, the countys only five-star restaurant, and his refined techniques and plating finesse turn every plate into a culinary work of art. But that doesnt mean Jeune et Jolie is pretentious. Its lively and colorful and fun. An old-fashioned reel-to-reel-style stereo pumps out ear-pleasing, not-too-loud modern music and brightly hued French art fills the walls. The bar and kitchen are surrounded on virtually all sides by diner tables, so everyone is a part of the action. With the cooks so close to the diners, its like pulling up a seat in grand-meres kitchen, where diners eat off simple pottery dishes that are stacked up in open cupboards beside the gargantuan Hestan stove/oven. PoirePoire, a salad of Asian pears, radish, Parmesan and olives at Jeune et Jolie restaurant in Carlsbad. (Lily Glass) On a couple of recent visits, I tasted my way through most of Jeune et Jolies dinner menu, which has yet to be posted online, since its still undergoing minor tweaks. Bacheliers menu takes classic French dishes and gives them a Southern California twist, substituting native regional produce, lightening the heavy sauces and adding a touch of whimsy to the plating. The delicious frog legs are playfully presented as miniature chicken drumettes spiked with the fermented chili sauce inspired by Frances former colonies in Southeast Asia. The Lapin appetizer wraps housemade rabbit sausage in hollowed-out cooked carrot casings. Standout dishes besides the scallops include the Agneau, a hearty and perfectly cooked pair of lamb chops served in a rich savory sauce; the eye-catching Aubergine, an eggplant and risotto dish with green curry sauce that resembles veggie sushi; and the time-consumingly prepared Poussin, a tender young chicken, de-boned and served roulade-style inside its crispy skin. The menu is divided into four sections: Un (one), small bites priced from $8 to $12; Deux, appetizers priced from $13 to $19; Trois, entrees priced from $25 to $34; and Quatre, desserts priced from $8 to $12. Diners can also order a $85 tasting menu with five to six courses of off-menu items. Betterave, a salad of beets, leek, horseradish, matcha and black tuille at Jeune et Jolie restaurant in Carlsbad. (Lily Glass) The bread and pastry program is overseen by Campfire alumnus So Young Kim. Shes making mini-baguettes, pate a choux (puffed pastry for cream puffs or gougers), brioche in the style of Japanese milk bread and, for weekend brunch, beignets. Bar manager Leigh Lacap has created eight cocktails inspired by France and some of its former colonies, like Vietnam and Martinique. The centerpiece of the cocktail program is a custom-built, four-spout ice-water fountain for cocktails made with a dozen varieties of absinthe and pastis. The absinthe cocktails are available in traditional and frappe style. Theres also a 70-bottle program of mostly French wines with a strong emphasis on low-intervention wines made with fewer additives. Bottles range in price from $35 to $120, and wines by the glass are $10 to $18. Most everything Ive tried at Jeune et Jolie is magnifique. But the well-founded complaint Ive heard most often is the restaurants bread pricing, which at $9 for a small baguette and single brioche roll may be the most expensive bread service in San Diego. A month after opening, the price was pared down a dollar from $10, but it still needs rethinking. For the most part, the Trois-level entrees are robustly portioned. But some of the Un and Deux level dishes are small and overpriced, like the single madeleine cookie with a dab of citrus creme and caviar, for $7. The technique and quality ingredients in each dish is impressive, but right-sizing some of the portions would quell most complaints. The desserts range from a traditional and decadent chocolate mousse to delicate pastries. Depending on the number of dishes ordered, you may not have room. A good rule of thumb would be to order three dishes per person, and splurge on the bread, which is fresh-baked daily and served with ultra-creamy butter from Normandy, France. Since I first spent a summer in France at age 15, Ive traveled to the country many times. I feel that Jeune et Jolie captures both the nations classic flavors as well as the its joie de vivre. But the French could take a few lessons from the Carlsbad restaurants staff in its old-fashioned American-style warmth and hospitality. Jeune et Jolie Hours: Dinner service from 5 p.m. (last seating at 10 p.m.) nightly. Raw bar and bar, 4 p.m. to close. Brunch service, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Where: 2659 State St., Carlsbad Phone: (760) 637-5266 Online: jeune-jolie.com pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com. Twitter: @pamkragen Thousands of budding young scientists and their families will discover how the arts put the STEAM in STEM at the annual San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering Expo Day at Petco Park on Saturday. For the first time in its 11-year history, the festival presented by the Illumina Foundation will include various arts-related activities and organizations designed to inspire the inquisitive minds of both young and old using dozens of new and returning hands-on learning, interactive activities and experiments to inspire Pre-K-12 students and families to engage in science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM). This years Expo Day brings together STEAM enthusiasts of all backgrounds, cultures, neighborhoods and ages, said Sara Pagano, managing director of the San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering. Were excited to work with some of the top arts-related organizations in San Diego County, including A Reason to Survive (ARTS), in National City and Writerz Blok San Diego in the Chollas View area, to showcase the importance of the arts in STEM, and how all topics are intertwined. The fun doesnt stop on Expo Day. Festival Week takes place Sunday through March 10 and includes more than 90 events around the county engineered for kids in grades K-12 and adults 21 and up. Most events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. Advertisement Back by popular demand is the festivals 21 and Up series, a collaboration with the Fleet Science Center. This series spotlights adult science enthusiasts and encourages them to pursue their passion in STEM and STEAM with like minds, proving that education doesnt stop after school. The series features events like Suds & Science (March 4); For the Love of Surfing: How Science Shapes Surfing and How Surfing Shapes Science (March 6); and Fleet Night of Science: Childhood Playground Nostalgia (March 9). For a complete listing of events, visit the festivals website: lovestemsd.org Also returning is STEM in Your Backyard series, smaller versions of Expo Day featuring 20 to 25 free, hands-on and interactive activities held in various communities throughout San Diego County, including Logan Heights Library in Barrio Logan (3 to 6 p.m. March 5), High Tech High in San Marcos ( 3 to 6 p.m. March 6), Hillsdale Middle School in El Cajon (3:30 to 6:30 p.m. March 7) and Castle Park High School in Chula Vista (10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 8). Kids of all ages enjoy Expo Day and Festival Week because they get a chance to be hands-on with animals, robots and other exciting experiments, Pagano said. Parents will be able to capture the real a-ha moment themselves and witness the spark of learning alongside their children. Heres a sampling of what youll find at Expo Day: Millipore Sigma Returns With A New Cube: The Curiosity Cube, a retrofitted shipping container turned mobile science lab, is equipped with the latest technology to spark curiosity in the future generation of scientists. The Flu Bug: Visit Quidels booth to get a first look at how rapidly the flu can spread. Watch as it lights up the guests throughout the park as the epidemic grows with contact. Be On the Lookout for Dumbo: Meet Walt Disneys favorite elephant before Americas beloved friend takes flight. Fashion Meets Science: Meet the fashion design students of San Diego Mesa College who have taken inspiration from science images provided by Salk Institute and turned them into fabric patterns for their next runway hit. Pre-K Zone: Children under 5 can let their imaginations run free at these STEAM-related activities provided by Childrens Discovery Museum, the San Diego Library, Science Delivered and North American Fitness and Health. Between Park at the Park and Tot Lot. TEDxKids@ElCajon Take the Stage: TEDxKids@ElCajon returns for a third year for TEDx kids talks starting at 11:20 a.m. on the Dugout Stage. Hear some inventive ideas from tomorrows future movers and shakers. Expo Day Stage Performances: Everyones favorite math rappers The Music Notes will break down math concepts from simple addition to advanced algebra using rhythm and rhyme. Fleet Science Center, Mad Science, Mollie Molecule, to name a few, will captivate audiences with explosive STEM fun. The experts at Ecovivarium will offer a up-close and personal experience with reptiles who call Southern California home. Illumina Foundation Stage. San Diego Festival of Science and Engineerings Expo Day When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday Where: Petco Park, 100 Park Blvd., downtown Admission: Free ion Online: lovestemsd.org carolina.gusman@sduniontribune.com While the presidents former attorney Michael Cohen made headlines testifying before Congress Wednesday, a few senior defense officials were grilled in the same building at another Congressional hearing on military issues that could affect San Diego County. A House Appropriations subcommittee called a hearing on the impact that President Donald Trumps proposed border wall project may have on military readiness, now that he has declared a state of emergency. Trump has said he wants to divert up to $8.1 billion toward the border wall, including $3.6 billion of unobligated funds in the military construction budget. Unobligated funds in this context is money that has been appropriated, or set aside, but that hasnt been spent because no contracts have been awarded. Losing unobligated funds, even temporarily, could muddy the timeline for military projects around the globe, observers said. Advertisement It is a real threat, Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, said in an interview with the Union-Tribune. The notion that we would take money from those, in effect delaying them, doesnt make any sense. Robert McMahon, assistant secretary of defense for sustainment, testified at the subcommittee hearing that the military projects likely to be deferred will impose no or a minimal impact on military readiness. That wasnt enough for some Congress members, who said they want to know which military construction projects may be de-funded or delayed. Its clear these projects are critical to our military readiness and military families, said Rep. Susan Davis, D-San Diego and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, which is why I voted to block Trumps national emergency declaration. Delaying these projects means delaying our military readiness, and there is no guarantee that Trump wont raid these projects in the future. Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee recently disseminated a list of hundreds of military construction projects which they say are vulnerable because of unobligated funding. That list includes 26 projects at bases in San Diego County, totaling more than $940 million. The San Diego projects include some high-profile weapons systems and training facilities on Navy and Marine Corps installations. For instance, there is almost $80 million set aside for airfield improvements on Naval Air Station North Island, needed to accommodate the Navys new CMV-22B Ospreys. Marine Ospreys are a common sight around MCAS Miramar, but North Islands will be the Navys first. Marine V-22 Ospreys perform at the 2018 Miramar Air Show. The Marines have been flying the aircraft for years now, however, the Navy has yet to receive them. Funds for new aircraft infrastructure at Naval Air Station North Island were approved by Congress but could be diverted. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) A new Osprey squadron VRM-30 officially stood up on North Island in December but, as of now, it has no aircraft. Cmdr. Ronald Flanders, a spokesman for Naval Air Forces, said new facilities are needed before the aircraft are expected to arrive in 2020. Flanders said he could not say if the timeframe for Osprey deployment would be affected by the emergency declaration. Another new aircraft the Marines next generation F-35B vertical takeoff and landing fighter is due to arrive at MCAS Miramar early next year. Vertical landing pads and a taxiway for the base are among the projects that could be delayed or canceled, according to the list. The F-35B Lightning II, Joint Strike Fighter demonstration at the MCAS Miramar Air Show. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) Marine Capt. Matthew Gregory, a spokesman for the base, said he has not heard that project would be delayed, and he expects the fighters to arrive on time. At this point, it hasnt been brought up, he said. Everything is on timeline. Also on the list are more $600 million in projects for Navy Special Warfare on Coronado. Construction is underway on the new Navy SEAL Coastal Campus at the southern end of the Silver Strand and, since many contracts remain to be awarded, a lot of that money could be redirected, the list suggests. Another Navy project on the list is a new $48 million pier for Naval Base San Diego. Lee Saunders, a spokesman for Naval Facilities Engineering Command, declined to comment on which projects could be affected. Thats pure speculation and an issue for Congress and the president to decide, he said. Other projects possibly in the crosshairs include several at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, such as $47 million in potable water distribution improvements and almost $50 million for a maintenance and warehouse facility, the list shows. Department of Defense Spokesman Christopher Sherwood said during an interview Wednesday that no decisions have been made regarding which projects to be cut. Robert McMahon, assistant secretary of defense for sustainment, testified at the subcommittee hearing that Trump is legally authorized by the emergency declaration to take funds from any project on that list. At this point in time every unobligated dollar within the department is in consideration, McMahon said. But, it is unlikely that any project would be cancelled outright, he said. Instead, affected projects would be deferred to a later budget year, he said. That means the defense department intends to ask Congress again to fund the projects. Some Congress members said there is no guarantee that funding will be restored. I would want to reappropriate money for these projects, Peters said, but the concern, of course, is weve done this work and won the battles for San Diego, but we dont know what the next budget would do. Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, said at the hearing he supports President Trump, but he wants more information about how the Department of Defense would determine which projects to keep and which to delay. We have to solve the crisis at the southern border, Carter said, but not at the expense of those whove bravely served. Military readiness and border security are not mutually exclusive, said Michael Harrison, a spokesman for Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, in an email. Harrison noted that the list of vulnerable projects came from the Democratic House members, who are against the Presidents emergency action. This does not mean, however, that the administration is actually reducing funding from these specific projects, he said. Added Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, whose district includes Camp Pendleton: Im hopeful that members here will be able to explain the importance, and (Trump) and his staff will hear the disturbing facts, of where the funds will come from. If we want to keep the safety and security of the country in place, we have to have military that is trained effectively. Contact Andrew Dyer via email or Twitter. Frustrated by delays in agreeing to plans for coping with looming shortages on the Colorado River, the head of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California wants to move the deal forward by agreeing to shoulder additional supply cuts. If the proposal is approved by the Metropolitan board, California would join a multi-state drought contingency plan and the water district would ensure its access to reserves stored in Lake Mead. I believe the pros outweigh the cons, said Metropolitan General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger, whose agency supplies Los Angeles and the rest of the urban Southland. California and Arizona both missed a key deadline this month to finalize agreements for the drought plan drafted by the seven Western states that depend on Colorado River supplies. Advertisement Although Arizona appears ready to wrap up its end of the deal, California has been stymied by the Imperial Irrigation District. Imperial, a sprawling agricultural district east of San Diego, says it wont sign off until the federal government sends money it was promised for restoring the Salton Sea. Kightlingers proposal would bypass the need for Imperials signature by assuming responsibility for the irrigation districts future delivery cuts in addition to those expected of Metropolitan. He said he would ask the board to approve the workaround at its March 12 meeting. I believe we need the drought contingency plan, Kightlinger said. I believe the entire system is in danger. If California and Arizona fully agree to the drought plan, that would head off action by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which oversees management of the lower Colorado River. Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman has warned that the federal government will develop its own shortage plans if the Colorado River basin states dont agree on how to share the burden of delivery cuts. Nearly two decades of drought have depleted the river and the huge reservoirs that fill faucets and irrigation ditches from Colorado to Southern California. Federal water managers have repeatedly warned that the time is approaching when they will have to formally declare a shortage, triggering a cascade of river rationing. Under the drought plan, Arizona, Nevada and California would reduce their withdrawals from Lake Mead in progressive steps to keep the reservoirs levels from dropping low enough to jeopardize hydropower production and, eventually, water releases. Imperial has senior rights to the largest water allocation on the entire river and diverts the bulk of Californias share of the Colorado. Metropolitan takes the second-biggest share of Californias diversions. Imperial has agreed to the broad outlines of the multi-state shortage plan, but before district directors ink the final documents, they want the federal government to provide $200 million for Salton Sea restoration work. The lake is sustained by irrigation runoff from the Imperial Valley. But as Imperial sold some of its river water to San Diego, both irrigated acreage and field runoff declined, causing the lake to shrink. As the shoreline recedes, parts of a lake bed laced with farm chemicals and other pollutants have turned to dust, fouling the air. The lake has also grown increasingly salty, worsening its already bad water quality. All that was anticipated when the San Diego water sales were agreed to more than a decade ago. The state and federal governments promised costly restoration programs. But they have been slow to materialize. Imperial officials say they are optimistic they can line up the $200 million in federal funds, paving the way for board approval of the drought accord. I think everybody is trying to resolve the matter, said Henry Martinez, Imperials general manager. Were not just sitting around. But its not happening fast enough for Kightlinger, who is concerned about Lake Mead. Under a 2007 agreement, Metropolitan, Imperial and agencies in Arizona and Nevada have been allowed to store reserves in Lake Mead for future withdrawal. But if a river shortage is declared, those withdrawals would end. Kightlinger said he wants the drought plan to go into effect as soon as possible so the states can take steps to avert a shortage declaration and maintain access to their Lake Mead reserves. Metropolitans staff calculated the agency would wind up with more water if it absorbs Imperials future cuts than it would if reserves were locked up in Lake Mead, Kightlinger said. Being able to bank water and have access to it is worth it, he said. Kightlinger said the reaction was positive when he floated his proposal Monday at a Las Vegas meeting with Burman and representatives of neighboring states. Imperial officials were also at the meeting. They wanted us to keep waiting until the Salton Sea is resolved. I said, It doesnt seem to be any closer, Kightlinger recalled. If Metropolitan does seal Californias end of the deal, Imperial could join later, Kightlinger added. And if that happens, Metropolitan would no longer be responsible for the cuts intended for Imperial. bettina.boxall@latimes.com Twitter: @boxall Hundreds of inmates at the Terminal Island federal prison on the harbor front spent one of the coldest periods in decades in frigid cells with no heat and only blankets for warmth before they were transferred temporarily to another facility. As outside temperatures plunged into the low 40s at night, two units that housed more than 200 inmates lost heat after an underground steam line failed in January at the low-security federal lockup that sits at the entrance to Los Angeles Harbor in San Pedro. Inmates were provided with extra blankets, officials said. But by many accounts, the blankets were thin and offered little protection against the chilly harbor air, according to people familiar with events who declined to be named for fear of retaliation. Some inmates got sick from the constant cold, said two attorneys representing inmates as well as a friend of an inmate. After weeks of failing to restore the steam line, the inmates were transferred on Feb. 20 to a federal correctional institution in Victorville until repairs are made. Advertisement The Terminal Island prison, originally opened in 1938, houses about 1,100 inmates convicted of low-level offenses such as drug crimes and fraud, mostly without histories of violence. Officials did not return several calls seeking comment on how they were tackling the heating issues and why it took nearly a month to transfer the affected inmates to another facility. In an email, the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Washington issued a statement acknowledging the problems and said they were being addressed. On Jan. 24, staff discovered that an underground steam line that provides heat to two housing units had collapsed, leaving those two units without heat, the statement said. About 232 inmates are housed in the units, according to the bureau. Upon discovery, staff developed a plan of action for repairs and continually monitored weather conditions while repair work was underway. Inmates who requested extra blankets were provided them, the statement said. Inmates were moved to the Victorville prison only after complaints had reached such a level that federal officials outside of the facility learned of the cold conditions, said one source who had knowledge of the events. The prison initially used inmates and staff for the repair work, another source familiar with the efforts, said. Inmates reported to their lawyers and family that they had been placed on lockdown and that the move to Victorville came suddenly. The inmates arrived at the high-desert location which had received recent snowfall in chains. They are being housed at a medium-security prison, one of several lockups at the Victorville site, which is also home to a high-security facility and a womens prison. The facilities have a history of overcrowding; when immigration detainees were transferred there last summer, the employees union protested. This month is the coldest February in Los Angeles since 1962, with an average high temperature at 60.6 degrees as of Sunday, the National Weather Service said. Nighttime lows in San Pedro have repeatedly reached the low 40s and possibly colder. There was no estimate of when the inmates would be allowed to return to Terminal Island. A closed Hydronic Loop Heating System is being installed to restore heat to the housing units, and inmates will return after it is installed, the Bureau of Prisons statement said. Rich Rust, president of Local 1680 of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents prison workers, said he expects the heating system to be back on line by as early as next week. Employee areas in the affected housing blocks have had heaters during the repairs, he said. The episode at Terminal Island is the latest this winter involving a federal jail or prison. In Brooklyn, N.Y., the Metropolitan Detention Center was plunged into cold and darkness for a week after a fire on Jan. 27. Conditions were so bad that inmates banged on windows and walls for help. Like Terminal Island, the Brooklyn facility is near the waterfront. Lawyers in New York sued the Bureau of Prisons earlier this month over the Brooklyn facility, labeling it a humanitarian crisis. richard.winton@latimes.com Twitter: @lacrimes On Sunday night, Dimiter Marinov was on stage at the Dolby Theatre holding an Oscar for best picture. So what was he doing pushing a shopping cart through a San Diego Albertsons on Tuesday? With a laugh, he explains Tuesday was his wifes birthday. She asked him that morning what he was getting for her. I told her the best thing I can do for you is give you an Oscar, said the Green Book actor who lives in Carlsbad. Wonderful, she replied. Heres your list of groceries. Hence, when I called him, Marinov was in the store grocery shopping. Im just a regular human being like everyone else, he says. I cook for my family all the time. Actually, Marinov is anything but regular. However, despite living a Cinderella story he remains true to his unpretentious roots. Advertisement Actor Dimiter Marinov, shown at a pre-Oscar event on Feb. 22, says he doesnt care much for the awards ceremonies and flashy stuff. He didnt even attend the Oscars Governors Ball. If you want to see me, watch the movie, he says. (Maury Phillips / Getty Images for GBK Productions) You might recognize Marinov from his many roles, usually typecast as a bad guy or Russian spy. He was in the 2012 Navy SEAL movie Act of Valor and in Behaving Badly with Selena Gomez. He has appeared in several TV series: Strangers, Barry, Shooter, Baskets, Ray Donovan, Scorpion, NCIS: Los Angeles, Agent Carter and Law and Order: L.A., to name a few. Perhaps you remember him from his Nikon commercial with Ashton Kutcher or his portrayal of Brad, a sidekick to Peggy in the humorous Discovery Card ads. Some longtime San Diegans might recall him from the San Diego Rep (Superior Donuts directed by Sam Woodhouse n 2011), the Old Globe (Betrayal in 2002), Poway Center for the Performing Arts (One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest in 2002) as well as kids programs at the San Diego Zoo and YMCA. In fact, Marinov was traveling back and forth from his YMCA cooking camp when working on Green Book. You also might have heard him play violin in local restaurants in his Bulgarian music threesome, Da Trio. Or perhaps you bought pizza from him. For six years, he ran a pizzeria, Medicos Cafe and the Balkan Catering service at the intersection of Fifth and Hawthorn streets. Every morning, I would get there at 6 a.m. and make 20 pounds of pizza dough by hand, recalls Marinov. He regularly drove to Otay Mesa to purchase ripe tomatoes from farmers for his sauce. He also made his own sausage. As to his heroes, he shines the spotlight on Woodhouse, who discovered me, hired me and offered me my first Equity contract, and on downtown coffee shop owner Bassam Shamma, who gave him his first San Diego job as a dishwasher. Marinov had driven his Volkswagen here from Tennessee in 1993 after defecting from a touring Bulgarian performance group. Six months later, Shamma promoted him to manager. I would come in at 7 a.m., open at 8 a.m. and go home as late as 3 to 4 a.m., but I was happy because this was a man who took me in and treated me with respect and love. This is what America is all about, says Marinov. At the time, he spoke four languages but little English, so he enrolled in evening City College classes. I hung out with Americans, Marinov says. I wanted to become part of this great country because it was my choice to be here. He had grown up and trained as a classical musician in Bulgaria during the Communist era. After being drafted and serving in the Army, he was imprisoned for trying to defect. Upon his release, he studied in a national theater and film academy, then joined a traveling performance troupe. The actor, 54, is an unabashed fan of San Diego, rebuffing suggestions that he move to Los Angeles. San Diego is where my heart is. Id rather drive two hours to L.A. because when I come back, I come back to a place I love and people I care for. Initially, he was passed over for the Green Book role of trio player Oleg for being too mature. Six weeks later, though, he was asked to return. His manager told him they wanted him to play a cello or at least hold one correctly. So Marinov did what any classically trained violinist might do. He hired a San Diego Symphony cellist to teach him cello in five days. He felt he understood Oleg because he had so many similarities to the man upon whom the character was based. Both had grown up in a Communist regime. Both were political refugees of Jewish/Christian heritage, and both had defected. When he auditioned, director Peter Farrelly asked Marinov to give his own interpretation of the character. Five weeks of nail biting later, Marinov learned hed beat out better known actors for the role. Farrelly and the script writers invited the cast members to improvise and make suggestions. I would say 20 percent of the script changed during filming, Marinov estimates. Academy Award presenter Julia Roberts handed him the Oscar. How did it feel to hold? whispered co-star Viggo Mortensen. Great. But its not mine, Marinov replied. No, it is, Mortensen told him. Hold it proudly. Practice, because one day you are going to hold your own. diane.bell@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1518 Twitter: @dianebellSD Facebook: dianebell.news After months of anticipation, Israels attorney general announced his intentions to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in three criminal cases, an unprecedented action likely to have a major, if uncertain, impact on his chances to win a fourth consecutive term in the nations April 9 elections. In a 57-page letter, Atty. Gen. Avichai Mandelblit said he had decided, after the conclusion of more than two years of criminal investigations, that Netanyahu, 69, should face charges of fraud, bribery and breach of public trust. In the case considered most legally perilous, Netanyahu is accused of abusing his role as minister of communications so as to provide regulatory concessions to his friend, the Israeli communications titan Shaul Elovitch, who was the controlling shareholder of Bezeq telecom. Mandelblit also announced his intention to indict Elovitch, who is accused of benefiting by up to $300,000 from the deal, through which Walla news, Bezeqs popular website, was to provide Netanyahu supportive coverage. Advertisement Pending a hearing in which Netanyahu has the right to dispute each of the charges, formal indictments would be filed against the prime minster, who is seeking reelection in a polarized political field in which more than two dozen parties are vying for 120 seats in the Knesset, Israels parliament. You have damaged the reputation of public service and the publics faith in it, Mandelblit wrote, in a blistering explanation of his long-awaited decision. You operated under conflict of interests, you abused your authority ... and you corrupted public servants working under you, he said, in a reference to numerous senior Netanyahu aides whose testimony as states witnesses helped to build the prosecutions brief. In addition to the Bezeq case, Netanyahu also could face trial in a matter called Case 2000, in which prosecutors say recordings obtained by the police show he negotiated with Arnon Mozes, the publisher of the popular tabloid Yediot Aharonot, to quash its principal rival, the pro-Netanyahu daily free paper Israel Hayom, owned by American casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, in exchange for favorable coverage for the prime minister. The attorney general also announced he intended to indict Mozes. In a third investigation dubbed Case 1000, Netanyahu is accused of fraud and breach of trust for allegedly demanding and accepting luxurious gifts including champagne and cigars and jewelry for his wife, Sara, from wealthy business contacts including Hollywood-based producer Arnon Milchan and the Australian billionaire James Packer. Though unsurprising after months of media leaks, the indictments threw the country into a frenzy. Everything has now changed for Netanyahu, the prime ministers biographer, Anshel Pfeffer, wrote in Haaretz. Changing the attorney generals decision, though theoretically possible, Pfeffer said, will be especially difficult. One of the largest teams of investigators ever from the police and Securities Authority, and attorneys at all levels of the Justice Ministry have worked on this case for three years, Pfeffer noted, summarizing Netanyahus predicament. There was even a devils advocate team of lawyers tasked with presenting the defendants case. Netanyahus leading position in the polls has held steady since he announced the April 9 elections in December. But it is difficult to predict the effect of the announcement on Israels polarized political landscape. In an impassioned speech following Mandelblits announcement, Netanyahu charged that the planned indictments were no more than a plot led by the media, the judiciary and his left-wing opposition to overthrow his lengthy rule. It is an outrage aimed at overthrowing the right-wing government and replace it with left-wing government, he said. Thats their aim. Referring to himself in the third person, as Benjamin Netanyahu, the most maligned man in the history of Israeli media, the prime minister said the case laid out against him endangered Israeli democracy, and, for the last three years, had put his family through the seven circles of hell. Netanyahu also called the investigation a witch hunt as well as a house of cards that will end up as dust. The left knows it cant win at the ballot box, he said, so they are persecuting me to topple the government and bring Lapid and Gantz to government, in reference to Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid, two prominent opposition leaders who called on him to resign after the attorney generals announcement was made public. Labor Party leader Avi Gabbay also called on Netanyahu to resign, saying in a radio interview that this is a black day for the country. The prime minister is a national symbol. I ask you not to embarrass the citizens and fight to clear your name not from the prime ministers residence, Gabbay said. Israels judiciary has a history of uncompromising legal prosecutions of senior political figures. Facing the accusation of rape, Moshe Katsav resigned the presidency in 2007. He was convicted in 2010 and, a year later, was sentenced to seven years in jail. In 2014, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was convicted of corruption charges, eventually serving 16 months out of a 27-month sentence for fraud and bribery. In a statement, Netanyahus party, Likud, said the announced indictments represented political persecution and also called it a witch hunt. The unilateral publication of the attorney generals decision only a month before the elections, without giving the prime minister an opportunity to refute these false accusations, is a blatant and unprecedented intervention in the elections, the party stated. We must not allow this to happen. Tarnopolsky is a special correspondent. Less than 12 hours after the second summit between President Trump and North Koreas Kim Jong Un abruptly fell apart, a North Korean official disputed Trumps account of the talks, saying the nation had made a realistic proposal. Kim offered to make a written commitment to no longer test long-range missiles and to allow inspections at the countrys main Yongbyon nuclear complex, foreign minister Ri Yong Ho said in a rare news conference, held after midnight in Hanoi, Vietnam, the site of the summit. Reading from a prepared statement, Ri said the U.S., in walking away from the summit, had given up on an opportunity for the best deal North Korea was willing to offer at this stage. He did not mention Trump by name. This proposal was the biggest denuclearization measure we can take at the present stage in relation to the current level of confidence between the DPRK and the United States, Ri said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. Advertisement Ri contradicted Trumps account that North Korea had demanded sanctions against the country be lifted in their entirety, saying Kim had only asked that sanctions that hamper the civilian economy and the livelihood of our people be removed. Ri said the sanctions Kim had asked the U.S. to lift were the five imposed in 2016 and 2017, of a total 11 in place the harshest of the sanctions that were enacted after a series of nuclear tests. In a press conference after talks with Kim were cut short and a signing ceremony and luncheon were scrapped, Trump told reporters he had to walk away from a potential deal because North Korea wanted to give up too little in return for more than the U.S. was willing to give. Trump said North Korea needed to give up secret nuclear facilities in addition to Yongbyon, which the nation has agreed to dismantle in past rounds of negotiations with the United States. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also noted that shuttering Yongbyon would still leave intact most of North Koreas missile, warheads and weapons systems. Trump spoke before hundreds of reporters in a hotel ballroom, atop a stage decked out with the American flag and a logo for the Hanoi Summit. Ris unscheduled late-night press conference appeared almost spontaneously put together in response to Trumps remarks, and was held impromptu at the lobby of the hotel where Kim is staying. Trump said the relationship remained positive and called the talks productive, leaving open the possibility of future talks without committing to a third summit. Ri, though, said even if the U.S. and North Korea were to continue negotiations, Kim Jong Uns position would remain the same. Our proposal will never be changed, he said. A North Park family is frustrated theyve had trash cans swept up into city trash trucks three weeks in a row, forcing them to store their garbage elsewhere and lobby city officials for a replacement. City regulations require residents to cover the $95 cost to replace trash cans that get swept up, which city officials say has become increasingly common as trash cans across the city get older and more damaged. This is criminal, said Kathy Taylor, has video documenting two incidents where her trash cans were swept up in front of her North Park home. They say this only happens to damaged cans, but one of ours was brand new. The trouble started on Feb. 7, when her black trash can went missing after the citys weekly neighborhood pick-up. Advertisement When the first one disappeared, we couldnt find it anywhere, Taylor said. We thought maybe the trash truck ate it, so I did a Google search and realized that really happens thats a thing. The Taylors spent $99 on a replacement can at Home Depot that they say meets city standards and specifications. They also decided to videotape the next trash pick-up on Feb. 14. It almost happened again. The video shows the trash truck taking our can, then the driver yells an obscene word and then he gets out and climbs up the ladder, manages to get the can out and set it back up for us, Taylor said. The family recorded the next pick-up on Feb. 21, during which the new Home Depot trash can was swept up into the city trash truck and not returned to the curb, Taylor said. City officials said that, because of concerns about potential injuries, trash collectors are urged to not retrieve cans that get unintentionally swept away. City officials call those fell-in-truck episodes. They estimated that happens about 50 times a month. City officials blame it on older and damaged cans which, they say, are harder for the citys can grippers to successfully lift, dump out and return to the ground. Oftentimes grippers are in need of adjustment which can result in a fell-in-truck episode, Paul Brencick, a city spokesman, wrote in an email Wednesday. If a resident purchases a non-approved container, this can often result in the gripper not functioning given the configuration of a non-standard container. Brencick said customers who experience such incidents should quickly contact the citys Environmental Services Department so there can be a quick resolution to the problem. Taylor, however, said she was frustrated with how city officials treated her. We called Environmental Services and we were told we needed to buy another can, she said. They said they would investigate, and if the investigation went in our favor we could get a city can in two to three weeks. Oh, and they didnt want our video for the investigation! City officials also offered Taylor an interim solution that she didnt consider ideal. They said we could schedule a manual pickup for our trash over the next three weeks, she said. We were supposed to take all of our trash over the three weeks and put it in bags and put them on the curb. But then, suddenly, city officials contacted Taylor on Tuesday to tell her they would be sending her a brand new can at no charge, which happened a few hours later. While pleased, Taylor said she is frustrated that it took calls to the media and to multiple city officials to resolve the situation. And, she noted, the city still isnt square with her family, because two cans were swiped away and only one has been replaced. Were down a trash can because our original one disappeared, she said, suggesting the city reimburse her family for the can they bought at Home Depot. Brencick, the city spokesman, said the citys handling of the situation was based on only one reported incident, on Feb. 21. There are no other entries relating to any other container falling in the truck or any noted damage to a container, which residents often report following service should damage occur, he said. Trash cans have long been troublesome. In 2017 a county grand jury issued a report noting that incidents of cans being swept up were on the rise, partly because homeowners began replacing them less often because the city started making households financially responsible for the cans in 2008. The report recommended the city resume replacing damaged cans for free, but the City Council rejected that. San Diego already spends nearly $50 million a year providing trash pick-up to eligible residents. david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick Sheriffs deputies are searching for two men suspected of robbing a man at gunpoint at a Flinn Springs residence on Wednesday night. Dispatchers received a call shortly before 11 p.m. Wednesday from a man reporting he had been robbed at gunpoint by two men at a residence on Olde Highway 80 just east of Flinn Springs County Park, according to San Diego County Sheriffs Sgt. Kelly Moody. When deputies arrived, the victim told them he had been confronted at his home by two armed men who had their faces covered. The three then reportedly got into a physical altercation and the victim was struck in the head before the two thieves jumped in a vehicle, described as a white Honda Civic, and fled in an unknown direction with an undisclosed amount of cash, Moody said. Advertisement The victim was treated at the scene for minor injuries, he said. No suspect descriptions were immediately available. Detectives from the Alpine sheriffs station were investigating the robbery. Twitter: @karenkucher (619) 293-1350 karen.kucher@sduniontribune.com Woohae Cho/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Barely two months before this week's Trump-Kim summit in Vietnam, the family of Otto Warmbier sat in a Washington, D.C., courtroom and relived, with details painful even to those who never knew him, the moment they saw their once healthy, jovial young son as he returned home from almost 18 months imprisoned in North Korea, a shell of his former self. Seeking justice for the pain and suffering, the Warmbiers sued the North Korean government for more than a $1 billion late last year, saying U.S. officials had publicly confirmed that North Korea tortured their 21-year-old son, who died just six days after being brought back to the U.S. The University of Virginia student had been on a tour when he was arrested for tearing down a poster. On Thursday in Hanoi, despite having publicly supported the Warmbier family, President Trump struck a much different tone, saying he believed the dictator who runs North Korea's ruthless regime when he said he didn't know Warmbier was being tortured. "I don't believe that he would have allowed that to happen," Trump said of Kim Jong Un. The president relayed what he said Kim had told him -- that he "didn't know about it" -- and said he would "take [Kim] at his word." "He felt badly about it," the president said at a post-summit news conference. He knew the case very well, but he knew it later," Trump added. The attorney for Warmbier's parents said they were unlikely to respond to Trump. On Thursday, members of Congress began to react, but some Republicans, facing new pressure to condemn North Korea's involvement in Warmbier's death, did so without openly criticizing the president. "Americans know the cruelty that was placed on Otto Warmbier by the North Korean regime. Our hearts are with the Warmbier family for their strength and courage. We will never forget Otto," tweeted Trump's former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, who served during negotiations over Warmbier's imprisonment and release. Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican from Warmbier's home state of Ohio, issued a simple statement. "We must remember Otto, and we should never let North Korea off the hook for what they did to him," Portman said. In sharp contrast to Portman's statement, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, also from Ohio, blasted the president for sending the message that he "believes autocrats when they lie." "You never should go meet with the North Korean dictator without bringing up the name of Otto Warmbier and bring up the whole issue of human rights over and over -- that's who we are as a country. President Bush would do it. President Clinton did it. President Obama did it. President Reagan did it and it's -- it just makes me sad, Brown said. Brown declined to speak on behalf of the family, saying he knows Otto's parents "and they speak for themselves." When the Warmbier's testified in federal court in December, it was about six months after Trump's first summit with North Korea's Kim. The family had, at that point, established a close relationship with the president, who was adamant that Otto "did not die in vain." About a month later, Otto's parents Cindy and Fred attended Trump's 2018 State of the Union address and stood, rife with grief, to a standing ovation as the president denounced North Korea's brutal treatment of their son. We need only look at the depraved character of the North Korean regime to understand the nature of the nuclear threat, Trump said at the time. According to the lawsuit, Otto returned to the U.S. "blind and deaf," with a shaved head and "a feeding tube coming out of his nose." He was "jerking violently and howling, and was completely unresponsive to any of [the Warmbiers] efforts to comfort him. They also noticed that his once straight teeth were now misaligned and had been forced into abnormal positions, particularly in the front of his mouth," the lawsuit said. It's not the first time the president has gone against the consensus of U.S. government officials and sided instead with foreign leaders accused of crimes. After CIA director Gina Haspel briefed Republican lawmakers on the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Republican senators said there was "zero question" the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the brutal murder. South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who has a close relationship with the president, said there wasn't just a "smoking gun," but a "smoking saw," referencing the bone saw believed to have been used to dismember Khashoggi's body. Trump, however, repeated the denials of Saudi officials. King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman vigorously deny any knowledge of the planning or execution of the murder of Mr. Khashoggi, the president said in a statement. And at a summit in Helsinki, Finland, last summer, Trump said he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin's denial of meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. The U.S. intelligence community found that Russia did, in fact, interfere in the election -- even indicting 12 Russian government agents for hacking the Democratic Party during the 2016 election -- but Trump couched those findings with his face-to-face meeting with Putin, who human rights organizations blame for a long list of abusive acts taking place under Russia's oppressive government. "I have President Putin, he just said it's not Russia. I will say this. I don't see any reason why it would be," Trump said, standing next to the Russian president in Helsinki. So I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. A San Diego Unified School District bus with about 40 students onboard was involved in a minor crash Thursday morning in Linda Vista. No one was injured in the collision, authorities said. The crash was reported around 8:12 a.m. on Linda Vista Road at Wheatley Street, according to the California Highway Patrol. The accident was listed as property damage only. A spokeswoman with San Diego Unified School District said the bus was rear-ended and apparently suffered minor damage. Advertisement Twitter: @karenkucher (619) 293-1350 karen.kucher@sduniontribune.com Crews finished repairing a broken water main early Thursday that had left more than 200 apartments without water service on East Bradley Avenue just north of the El Cajon city limits on Wednesday night. Water started coming up through the pavement east of Graves Avenue about 7:30 p.m., a sheriffs official said. The road was expected to be closed to Mollison Avenue for hours, Helix Water District spokesman Mike Uhrhammer said. He said an 8-inch concrete pipe installed in 1955 broke. Among the customers without water service were tenants in 223 apartments in a number of apartment complexes. Several mobile home parks also are located along the road. Advertisement Crews completed repairs and were able to restore water service to all customers around 4:45 a.m. Uhrhammer said. Bradley Avenue was expected to be open to traffic around 9 a.m. pauline.repard@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @pdrepard UPDATES: 8:45 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details about repairs being completed. This article was originally published at 10:45 p.m. In times of turmoil this week, say the Rev. Phil Amerson ponders the words of the Methodist churchs co-founder. May we not be of one heart, John Wesley wrote, though we are not of one opinion? Amerson, First United Methodist Church San Diegos interim pastor, was among local Methodists wrestling with Tuesdays controversial decision of church delegates meeting in St. Louis. By a vote of 438-384, the General Conference adopted rules banning same-sex marriage and LGBTQ clergy. Im deeply disappointed, said Amerson. And Im especially concerned about the damage this does to gay and lesbian folks in the community. Advertisement Some fear the new rules could also cause a schism in the nations second-largest Protestant denomination, which trails only the Southern Baptist Convention. (The Methodist churchs 12.6 million adherents include about 7 million Americans.) Is there going to be a split? asked the Rev. Bob Rhodes, lead pastor at Pacific Beach United Methodist Church. I think were closer to that than we ever have been before. Among the denominations progressive believers, the decision was met with dismay. Amerson, the former president of two Methodist seminaries, this week heard from three men who had been studying to become pastors. They wanted to know, How do I leave this denomination? Amerson said. The adopted Traditional Plan was championed by theologically conservative delegates from Africa, the Philippines and other parts of the globe, as well as U.S. churches affiliated with the Ohio-based Wesleyan Covenant Association. Covenant members were not immediately available for comment Wednesday. The associations web site links falling church attendance in the U.S. to the divisive debate over the churchs sexual ethics... The Covenant compared this controversy to the Traditional Plan, which, it said, reaffirms teachings rooted in Scripture and Christian tradition and creates new means for maintaining the good order of the church should those means be necessary. Under the new rules, ministers who perform same-sex weddings could be punished the maximum penalty would be a year-long unpaid suspension. Bishops would be required to ensure that gays and lesbians do not enter the ministry. Critics fear the Traditional Plan could lead to an exodus from the church. Among those who considered this move, at least briefly: Bishop Grant J. Hagiya, the Los Angeles area resident bishop and most senior cleric on the West Coast. With this conservative turn, I have been deeply conflicted, Hagiya wrote late Tuesday. The question is, can I stay in a repressive and oppressive church with integrity? After a sleepless night, I came to a new resolve. I believe I must stay in the UMC and lead our people within the geographical context we find ourselves in the West. Dana Hook, chair of First United Methodists church council and a lesbian, had a similar dark night of the soul. I told my wife, Can we even stay as part of the United Methodist Church? she said. They decided they could, recalling the Mission Valley congregations referendum last June. By an overwhelming majority, worshipers voted to welcome LGBTQ members and clergy, plus endorsed same-sex marriage. Many Methodist congregations have a big tent approach, welcoming all without dwelling on members sexual identities. Some take a more conservative view, while still others like Waters Edge, a Methodist faith community in Ocean Beach occupy the other end of the spectrum. We fly our rainbow flag proudly every Sunday, said Lysa Edward, who worships there. I hope that we all come to the conclusion that we are all Gods children and he loves us the way we are. This week, Methodist pastors have been inundated with phone calls, text messages and social media queries. Folks are confused, said the Rev. John Shaver, lead pastor at San Dieguito United Methodist Church in Encinitas. They want to know what this all means. Clear answers may not emerge for months. The General Conferences decision will not go into effect until next year, after it has been reviewed by the churchs Judicial Council. That body can nullify measures that violate the Methodist constitution. At a Wednesday afternoon gathering at First United Methodist Church, pastor Amerson counseled patience and faith. Its going to be messy for awhile, he said, but its going to be OK. Others, though, wonder if the time for patience is past. In Pacific Beach, pastor Rhodes noted that the church in 1972 adopted a statement that called homosexuality incompatible with Christian teaching. We have been enduring this for decades and weve been trying to stick it out, said Rhodes, who identified himself as a straight CIS man who supports LGBTQ rights. The follow-up question is: Why should I stick it out any more? On Thursday, Israeli officials recommended indicting the long-serving prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, citing multiple instances of bribery, fraud and corruption. In Iran, a power struggle between hardliners and moderates continues to rage. One U.S. ally in the region, Turkey, is pitted against another regional U.S. ally, the Kurds. How can San Diegans make sense of these rapidly changing developments in the Middle East? The Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center (JCC) suggests one way: attend Prof. Jacob Goldbergs lectures in La Jolla, March 11-13. Advertisement Although Goldberg is a professor at Tel Aviv University and one-time senior adviser to one of Netanyahus predecessors, Prime Minister Ehud Barak, hes a familiar figure in San Diego County. Hes been visiting here since 1984, both as a tourist and a guest speaker. A former lecturer at both UC San Diego and San Diego State University, Goldberg is known for his blunt and insightful commentary. Hes considered a brilliant analyst, said Don Harrison, editor of San Diego Jewish News. He wont be giving you propaganda, but his best take on what is happening at the moment. Prof. Goldbergs presentations are up-to-the-minute, said Brian Garrick, director of cultural arts programs and festivals at the JCC, incorporating todays headlines into his talks. Goldbergs lectures: March 11: Disintegration of the Arab World: Iranian-Turkish Struggle for Leadership. March 12: From Carter to Trump: Four Decades of US Misconceptions on the Middle East. March 13: Israeli Elections at a Critical Juncture: A Collision Course with Iran/Hizballah/Hamas and a Prime Minister on Trial. Each talk will begin at 7 p.m. in the JCCs David and Dorothea Garfield Theatre, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla. General admission tickets are $28 for a single lecture, or $63 for all three; members tickets are $23 for one lecture, or $52 for the entire series. Tickets can be purchased online at sdcjc.org or by calling guest services, (858) 457-3030. Goldberg earned a Ph.D from Harvard University. He is the author of The Foreign Policy of Saudi Arabia: The Formative 1902-1918, which the Middle East Forum praised as a meticulous and thorough account. Attorney Eric Miller was confirmed as a judge on the countrys most liberal appeals court this week, and for the first time in the Senates history, the confirmation took place without the consent of either home-state senator, a break from tradition that Democrats say Republicans will come to regret. The appointment is the latest by President Trump, who came into the presidency with an uncommonly high number of vacancies for judges on federal appeals courts. Millers lifetime appointment followed a brief hearing, which took place during a congressional recess and with just two Republican senators present. Miller was confirmed on Tuesday on a 53-46 vote, allowing Trump to continue to move toward a more conservative federal judiciary, one of his key campaign promises. Advertisement Historically, senators from the state where a federal judiciary nominee lives may submit opinions, known as blue slips, or choose not to return them. Before Tuesday, a nominee had never been confirmed without the support of at least one home-state senator, the Congressional Research Service told the Washington Post. Neither Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) nor Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) returned blue slips on Millers nomination. Murray called the confirmation a dangerous first. Abandoning the blue slip process and instead, bending to the will of a president who has demonstrated time and time again his ignorance and disdain for the Constitution and the rule of law is a mistake, she said on the Senate floor. Cantwell similarly called the decision a damaging precedent and, among other things, opposed Millers opposition to Native American interests and sovereignty. In July, Oregonian Ryan Bounds nomination to the 9th Circuit proved equally controversial. Neither of his home-state senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both Democrats returned a slip in support of the Oregon assistant United States attorney. The White House ultimately withdrew the nomination after Bounds, 45, faced widespread criticism over not telling the judicial review committee about articles he wrote in the Stanford Review, where he ridiculed multiculturalism, the Washington Posts Karoun Demirjian reported. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has pledged to transform the judiciary and praised Trump for successfully pushing a record number of federal judges through the Senate. Confirmation is a political decision based on who controls the Senate, McConnell told hundreds of conservative and libertarian attorneys at a November Federalist Society gathering. My goal is to confirm as many circuit judges as possible. Under President Obama, Republicans used the blue slip prerogative to veto nominees. But a Republican-controlled Senate and changes in congressional rules, which now allow a simple majority for confirmation of judges instead of the 60 votes required previously, have enabled Trump to push through nominees. Miller, a former clerk for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, will be Trumps 31st confirmed federal appeals court nominee. He will fill the seat vacated by Clinton-appointed Judge Richard Tallman on the court Trump has regularly criticized as being too liberal and having Obama judges. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement to the Post on Wednesday: It is regrettable and likely will result in more ideological nominees who dont reflect the values of their home states. Its hard to not see this action coming back to bite Republicans when theyre no longer in power in the Senate. Deanna Paul writes for the Washington Post. Wednesday was a day like few in American history, with a convicted liar on his way to federal prison telling the House Oversight Committee that his old boss, who happens to be the president, was an even bigger liar. But did the testimony of Michael Cohen, President Donald Trumps former attorney, change the national debate as he rehashed stories about Trump spreading falsehoods, paying off mistresses and saying offensive, even racist, things? Its a sign of the times that it wasnt more surprising that a former confidant of the president of the United States called him a racist, a con man and a cheat. Or that few Republicans actually challenged Cohens claims about his longtime client, choosing instead to go after Cohens credibility. The only thing missing from the theatrics was Trump tweets. But if the hearing accomplished anything, it should be to whet Americans appetites for the completion of special prosecutor Robert Muellers investigation into the Trump camps links with Russian operatives and Moscows attempts to interfere in the 2016 election. Unfortunately, newly confirmed Attorney General Bob Barr has already indicated that he may withhold parts of Muellers report that are deemed too sensitive to make public. Except for information that might damage national security, everything else should be released. Who knew what when? Americans should know. Advertisement Twitter: @sdutIdeas Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion Trump used for Kims big photo op Donald Trumps visit with Kim Jong Un looked eerily familiar. Very similar to Trump summoning Mitt Romney across country to embarrass him in a purely manipulated photo op. If Trump was pursuing the Nobel Peace prize, he got handed the Nobel Fleece prize. Advertisement Brad Titus Carlsbad Trump makes excuses for dictators Another big shock and horrible, again Donald Trump made excuses for Kim Jong Un over an American killed in North Korea (Otto Warmbier). Just like before, Trump made excuses for Putin (election meddling), and for Saudi Prince (dismemberment of Jamal of Kashoggi). Trump does seem to take a lot of dictator leaders at their words. Trump wanted to be one of them and would likely say Make Dictators Great Again. Very disgraceful, if you still support Trump you should hang your head in shame. Eduardo C. Dizon, San Diego North Korea trip was no big deal As President Trump walks away from Kim Jong Un with no deal, it is clear his only expertise is breaking deals: Iran nuclear , Pan Pacific, supporting Brexit, Russian Nuclear Proliferation and almost NATO and NAFTA. What genius president flies half way around the world to sign an agreement that was not first worked out by his Secretary of State? This is the Art of the Undeal. Yale Kadesky Escondido With no deal, Trump cuts summit short. Are we tired of winning yet?I am tired of corruption, ignorance, incompetence, immorality, and unethical conduct. Anthony Kopec San Marcos Shame on Democrats for distracting from nuclear summit February 27, 2019 should go down in history as the day the Democratic Party ceased to exist as a bastion of American Democracy. The pathetic charade played out in Washington, D.C. with the Judas, Michael Cohen trying to bring down the president of the United States was completely overshadowed by the efforts of the president to establish a peaceful Korea and an opportunity for our former enemy to become a thriving nation for its people. Add to that the Democrats voting for infanticide earlier in the week should sound the knell of the Democratic Partys death throes. Paul Sims Solana Beach So the GOP wont listen to liars now? GOP Rep. Gosar to Cohen: Youre a pathological liar...no one should ever listen to you. The Washington Post Fact Checker calculated 8158 false/misleading statements made by Donald Trump from the start of his presidency to February 3, 2019. Telling us to disregard Cohen because he is a liar is the epitome of the pot calling the kettle black. Why do just about all GOP members of Congress (and a significant portion of Americans) go along with/sell their souls for Donald Trump? So women cant control their bodies and lives? So The Federalist Society determines members of our judicial branch? So investors can benefit from deregulated-industries (damn the environmental impact on water, air, etc.)? Because association with The Donald makes one feel powerful? Because its better to hate Democrats than Russians, and someone must be hated? Cheryl Martin Ede San Diego It is ironical that the Republican Senators do not believe Michael Cohen because he has lied in the past. According to Fact Checkers data base, President Trump has lied 8,718 times in the past 759 days, but apparently they do not have a problem with that !!! Val Gihooly Point Loma Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below. Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. Students in the Poway Unified School District are generally regarded as living in affluent communities and their families are presumed by many to be financially well-off. Yet as is a surprise to many there are also students at its campuses who come from low-income families or are homeless, according to district officials. Rebecca Hernandez, coordinator of Safe Center and Student Support Services at Poway Unifieds Abraxas High School (a continuation education program), and T.J. Zane, a PUSD board member, spoke about the districts efforts and challenges in helping homeless students on Feb. 15 in Rancho Bernardo. They spoke at the Rancho Bernardo Republican Women Federated meeting. Hernandez said there are few resources available to the district, yet she and the others who work with the homeless students do what they can to assist them with obtaining food, clothing and school supplies while pursuing their education. Zane said it is the school districts responsibility to educate all youths who come into (our) system not to solve homelessness, but we can connect ... them with services and providers if they need help. He also said due to the financial reputation of communities in the district, PUSD receives the least amount of state funding for districts its size. The perception is we are a wealthy district and do not have this kind of problem, he said. The Youth in Transition Program is part of the districts alternative program. Offerings include assistance with school placement, transportation to the school of record, with school meals, school clothes, school supplies, academic studies and counseling services through partnerships with other PUSD departments. The children and youths (teens) who qualify for assistance are those who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence, including children who are: sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason; living in motels, hotels, trailer parks or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations; living in emergency or transitional shelters; (were) abandoned in hospitals; (or) awaiting foster care placement, per a district brochure. This group also includes those who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings; ... living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations or similar settings plus migratory children living in the above circumstances. Also included are unaccompanied youths not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian, such as runaways, those denied housing by their families, and school-aged unwed mothers living in homes for unwed mothers. Hernandez, who has been working with these students for the last four years at Abraxas, said while she cannot say the district is doing great in the assistance provided, there have been improvements in identifying students in these circumstances and providing help. There are kids living in cars, abandoned buildings and stairwells of apartment buildings, she said. It is our job to ID these kids, build relationships and a level trust with them. They are ashamed, scared and hiding for one reason or other. Hernandez said she, like many others in the community, were shocked to discover there are homeless students living among them and the situation has gotten worse in recent years. In 2017, she was among those who formed a task force with the Palomar Health Community Action Council to connect PUSDs homeless youths with resources. She questioned the accuracy of recent homeless counts that identified more than 8,000 homeless individuals in the county, including 1,800 minors. The numbers dont match up, she said, noting at least 12 to 15 percent of Abraxas students are among this population and that is one school in the county. According to Zane, the district that includes Poway, Rancho Bernardo, 4S Ranch, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Sabre Springs, Rancho Penasquitos, Del Sur, Santaluz and Torrey Highlands has at least 151 homeless students among its 36,500 students. I was shocked to hear the number we are serving, he said, calling the situation heart wrenching. Getting an education is what the students need to be concentrating on and not worry if they will have shelter, something to eat, be able to get clothes, a shower or be taken care of, Hernandez said, adding the temporary shelters are in downtown San Diego and Oceanside, far for PUSD students to access if they are to remain at their school of record. She said family shelters only accept families, so they cannot stay there without a parent or adult family member. In addition, those who have turned 18 no longer qualify for a youth shelter. Those who do find shelter by couch hopping with extended family members or friends need supportive caring adults who do not judge, she said. This is why the district has staff members like her to offer assistance. Zane and Hernandez said more community support is needed. Those in the audience suggested the district build shower facilities at Abraxas (the only PUSD high school to not have any) and include a laundry facility too. Hernandez said a washer and dryer were donated to the school, but with no means to install, were later given away. Zane said he was surprised to hear that and would look into ways to not let such a situation happen again. (Homeless students) is not something the district is trying to hide and I agree it needs to be more widely known and talked about, Zane said, adding more promotion of programs and needs are necessary. Knowing more people are aware is a positive stride, Hernandez added. For information on services available, contact the districts Youth in Transition Liaison Katie Wu at 858-521-2800. email: rbnews@pomeradonews.com Ramona needs a roller coaster. I came to this conclusion while attending the Islamic Culture and Practice event in Ramona Library on Feb. 17. The well-orchestrated event unpacked a whole lot of fear about Muslims, internationally and in the U.S. They started with the eyewitness accounts of two women who suffered terrible trauma perpetrated by Muslims in Iraq and the Netherlands. Then a gentleman who was raised as a Muslim spoke about how the religion is based in violence and intolerance and later divulged that any practicing Muslims that say they are tolerant of people of other religions are lying. One of the moderators said he was Jewish which surprised me because I would have thought that Jews would be cautious when tagging people of another religion as dangerous, particularly because of what happened to them in the Holocaust. I pointed out that the 6 million Jews exterminated in Europe during the Holocaust were done in by their Christian neighbors, not Muslims, and one of the panelists whose parents were Holocaust survivors said that the Jews were killed by Nazis, not Christians, an answer that I consider disingenuous. Some of the facts seemed skewed against Muslims. All in all, I found this presentation designed to frighten the audience, and when asked what their ultimate goal was, the narrators and speakers didnt answer but kept repeating that they were supplying the facts, only the facts. Really? This is where I think a roller coaster would help us deal with fear in Ramona. Over many years in Ramona, I have witnessed that a certain group apparently likes to be frightened by something or other, this time by attending a presentation that makes Muslims look like ghouls. I have seen crowds of people here frightened that a gay agenda was in place to convert our children into homosexuals, fear of a mixed race president, fear that immigrants are a threat to our culture and way of life, fear that allowing people of the same sex to marry would somehow diminish the value of our heterosexual marriages, and now fear that Muslims cannot be trusted and present a threat to us all. Liberty for all, I guess, except people of the Muslim faith. This group of people is apparently addicted to a frequent dose of fear and could use a substitute to meet those addictions. Thus, I think a really frightening roller coaster could do the trick, one that would scare the wits out of us just from looking at it. In the end, the fear our people would experience from riding the roller coaster would be of the roller coaster itself, not people of color, different cultures or religions, or even some other people that dont meet their standard of acceptability. All those addicted to fear could ride the roller coaster once or twice a week as therapy and then feel free to get along with people who are different from them. Additionally, being a liberal person, I suggest that we use the socialist method to fund the roller coaster -- county money -- and make the rides free to all Ramona residents, so we can all be respectful, calm, friendly and a happy community once again. Dave Patterson is a Ramona resident. 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. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- Technological progress has been underpinning the global agricultural sprayers market. For example, drones are now used to spray apart from mapping and surveying. Improving agricultural drone technology is making it all possible. Such leveraging of technologies has been necessitated by pressing need for food resulting from a burgeoning world population. Modernization of agricultural equipment has served to increase crop yields. Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/agricultural-sprayers-market.html Agricultural sprayers can be used to spray herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, etc. They can be electric, fuel based, and handheld sprayers. Of them, the fuel-based agricultural sprayer is witnessing swift uptake on account of its increased efficiency. The electric sprayers are also seeing surging popularity on account of the growing number of innovations in sprayers to make them more useful. The different types of agricultural sprayers available in the market are foot/pedal sprayers, knapsack sprayers, traction pneumatic sprayers, aerial sprayers, and tractor-mounted sprayers. Of them, the segment of traction pneumatic sprayers is slated to dominate the market because of the high volumes of agrochemicals it can dispense. From a geographical standpoint, Europe contributes the most to the market for agricultural sprayers. The Netherlands is primarily driving the market in Europe by dint of being one of the major vegetable producers. Overall, the market in Europe is being driven by the need to better crop yield which requires the use of agricultural sprayers. The Middle East and Africa is another promising region on account of harsh climate and dearth of water for irrigation. This has necessitated the use of efficient sprayers to spray agrochemicals for a good crop yield. Agricultural Sprayers Market: Overview Agricultural sprayers are used widely in the spraying of herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and fertilizers to crops for better yield and protection from crop-damaging microorganisms. These are one of the most important and essential equipment required for the growth of the crop, and also provide protection from pests, insects, and other organisms, thereby helping farmers gain good crop yield and capital. Agriculture sprayers is one of the oldest equipment used by the farmers in agricultural production. Agricultural Sprayers Market: Dynamics and Trends Shift from traditional farming techniques to advanced farming techniques is accelerating the need for agricultural sprayers, thereby driving the overall market growth. Increase in adoption of innovative agricultural equipment to save time and human effort is also contributing to the market growth. The agricultural sprayers market can be expanding significantly in Asia Pacific, due to the subsidies allotted by the governing bodies of developing economies in the region. Demand for agricultural sprayers has also been rising due to the development of new agrochemicals, which can be applied by sprayers. Agricultural sprayers lower the risk of chemical exposure and also provide better pesticide application technology. Agricultural Sprayers Market: Segmentation Based on type, the agricultural sprayers market can be segmented into electric, fuel based, and handheld sprayers. The fuel based segment is estimated to account for major share of the market, due to its higher efficiency. Electric is predicted to be an emerging segment, due to the increasing number of innovations in improvement of the yield of sprayers. Many rural areas in developing economies such as China and India are witnessing rapid developments in providing rural electricity. Hence, the outlook for the providers of electric agricultural sprayers appears positive in the near future in the Asia Pacific region. In terms of sprayer type, the agricultural sprayers market can be divided into knapsack sprayers, foot/pedal sprayers, traction pneumatic sprayers, tractor-mounted sprayers, and aerial sprayers. The traction pneumatic sprayers segment is estimated to hold key share of the market during the forecast period. Led by the capability of applying agrochemicals in high volumes, the traction pneumatic agricultural sprayers segment is projected to expand at a rapid pace during the forecast period. Based on the type of application, the agricultural sprayers market can be segregated into fungicide, herbicide, insecticides, and others. Among these, the fungicide segment is expected to account for significant share in the near future. Application of pesticides is mandatory for all kinds of crops, and these pesticides are also applied at regular time cycles. Request to view Sample Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=28115 Agricultural Sprayers Market: Key Players Prominent players operating in the global agricultural sprayers market include AGCO, Case IH, Ag Spray Equipment, Taizhou City Jiaojiang Jiangnan Agriculture Machinery Factory, Hardi International, Buhler Industries, Great Plains, Demco, Deere and Company, and Reddick Equipment Company of NC, LLC. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/27/2019 -- Ammonium hydroxide is also known as aqua ammonia, ammonia water, aqueous ammonia, ammoniacal liquor. Ammonium hydroxide is colourless solution and is characterised by a peculiar odour. Ammonium hydroxide is alkaline in nature and thereby, can be used as acid neutraliser. Ammonium hydroxide is naturally found in form of air, soil and water. It plays a significant role in protein synthesis process in the body. Ammonium hydroxide finds application across different industries such as chemical, food & beverage, personal care, pharmaceutical among others. Ammonia is one of the most widespread used industrial chemical compound. Ammonia is used in combination of various other chemicals resulting into explorative compounds. Ammonium hydroxide is one such compound which is formed by the reaction between ammonia and water molecule. Request For Report Brochure For Latest Industry Insights @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=26063 Global Ammonium Hydroxide Market: Drivers and Restraints Widespread application base and easy availability is driving the growth of ammonium hydroxide market. Being alkaline in nature, ammonium hydroxide is used as acid neutraliser, which finds extensive use in pharmaceutical industries. Ammonium hydroxide is widely used for the sanitation purpose as it is effective in masking microbial agents. Its alkaline property makes it corrosive to certain metals such as aluminium, copper and galvanised surfaces which further is used in the manufacturing process of circuit boards. Thus promoting the growth of ammonium hydroxide across different industries. In food & beverage industry ammonium hydroxide is used as leavening agent whereas in tobacco industry it is used as flavour enhancer. Moreover, ammonium hydroxide is also used in the manufacturing of fertilizer, rubber and plastics. Ammonium hydroxide forms an important constituent in manufacturing of fertilizers, as nitrogen used in fertiliser is derived from ammonium hydroxide. Furthermore, ammonium hydroxide is also used in other industrial applications such as it is used in synthesis of certain chemicals, helps to stain wood containing tannic acid among others. Therefore, versatile nature of ammonium hydroxide is significantly contributing to the growth of ammonium hydroxide market. Apart from extensive industrial application, ammonium hydroxide is also associated with certain health. Ammonium hydroxide has high pH level, hence, if its direct contact may cause severe skin, eye and respiratory tract irritation which can also tissue burns. Inhalation of ammonium hydroxide mists may result in burning sensation in nose and can also lead to pulmonary edema. Hence, precautions must be taken when handling ammonium hydroxide. Therefore, severe attributable side effects may restrain the ammonium hydroxide market. Moreover, according to Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the Clean Water Act Amendments of 1977 and 1978, ammonium hydroxide is considered to be hazardous substance for environmental sustainability with grave effect on aquatic life. Thereby, affecting the growth prospects of ammonium hydroxide market due to increase focus upon environmental sustainability. Obtain Report Details @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ammonium-hydroxide-market.html Global Ammonium Hydroxide Market: Region wise Outlook The global ammonium hydroxide is categorised into seven regions, namely, Western Europe, Eastern Europe Middle East and Africa (MEA), Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan Latin America and, North America. North America accounts for significant share of ammonium hydroxide market. Widespread industrial applications along with major key component in the manufacturer of nitrogen which further is used across different industries attributes to accelerating growth in North America. The market for ammonium hydroxide is uncertain in Europe despite of its extensive applicability. As ammonium hydroxide is responsible for hazardous effects on human health and aquatic life, growth of ammonium hydroxide may get restrained due to stringent regulatory norms in Europe. Asia Pacific region represents opportunistic market for the growth of ammonium hydroxide. Extensive use of ammonium hydroxide in fertiliser manufacturing along with acid neutraliser property provides an explorative platform for various industrial manufacturers to capitalise upon their product offerings involving ammonium hydroxide. Selbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- According to this study, over the next five years the Railway Equipment market will register a 5.0% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach US$ 171700 million by 2024, from US$ 128400 million in 2019. In particular, this report presents the global market share (sales and revenue) of key companies in Railway Equipment business, shared in Chapter 3. Railway equipment are involved in locomotives, passenger rail cars, freight rail cars, subway, signal, infrastructure and other parts used in operating railroads. The railway equipment industry has become the pivot for economic developments across several countries worldwide. The demand for this equipment has intensified owing to the rising volume of transported products and the expansion of the distance covered by logistics vehicles. Request a sample of this premium report on Railway Equipment market at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/1577780/?utm_source=Releasewire.com-AN The report also presents the market competition landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the major vendor/manufacturers in the market. The key manufacturers covered in this report: Breakdown data in in Chapter 3. CRRC,Alstom, Siemens, Bombardier, CRCC, CRECG, General Electric, Hitachi The demand for freight rolling stock is significantly high in the global railroad equipment manufacturing market. This demand is basically due to the hike in the prices of fuel across the globe at it acts as the key source behind the working of the transportation industry. This has shifted the trend of freight transport to rails from trucks. Companies operating in the railroad equipment manufacturing industry are involved in the manufacturing of brakes, locomotives, passenger rail cars and freight, and other parts used in operating railroads. The transport equipment manufacturing industry has become the pivot for economic developments across several countries worldwide. The demand for these Equipment has intensified owing to the rising volume of transported products and the expansion of the distance covered by logistics vehicles. This particular trend is expected to gain traction over the coming years. Region-wise, Europe and Asia Pacific are the leading regions in terms of manufacturing of railroad equipment. This growth is mainly due to effective policies and large scale investment by leading companies and governments. Brazil, China, and India have been identified as emerging markets in the Asia Pacific region. China's Ministry of Railways is the main purchaser of industry products, which are largely supplied by state-owned operator, CRRC Corporation Limited. The dominance of the company makes this industry a virtual duopoly. The key companies are CRRC, Siemens, Alstom, Bombardier, CRECG, CRCC, General Electric, Hitachi, Transmashholding, Voestalpine, Toshiba, Kawasaki, Hyundai Rotem, CRSC, Wabtec and etc. Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/1577780/ Railway Equipment Market Report Quick Rundown: Segmentation by product type: breakdown data from 2014 to 2019, in Section 2.3; and forecast to 2024 in section 11.7. - Rolling Stock - Railway Infrastructure - Others Segmentation by application: breakdown data from 2014 to 2019, in Section 2.4; and forecast to 2024 in section 11.8. - Locomotives - DMUs - EMUs - Freight Vehicles - Others With an objective to help understand the development plans and policies, manufacturing processes, cost structures of Railway Equipment market, this report lists and profiles leading players with top level information on them. Wherever applicable, it also focuses on the details like supply chain, market statistics, product images, development plan outlook, consumption (where available), growth rates, contact details and much more. Sub-segments of the Railway Equipment market are expansively analyzed covering industry dynamics, help on a feasibility study, vendor strategies, growth prospects and market share of the industry. Growth projections for next few years form an important aspect of this 2018 Railway Equipment report. Apart from whatever is already offered in this Railway Equipment market research, the report can be customized to meet your needs be it additional company coverage or country coverage or anything specific that you need. More Details on this Report At: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-railway-equipment-market-growth-2019-2024 Table OF Content: 2019-2024 Global Railway Equipment Consumption Market Report 1 Scope of the Report 1.1 Market Introduction 1.2 Research Objectives 1.3 Years Considered 1.4 Market Research Methodology 1.5 Economic Indicators 1.6 Currency Considered 2 Executive Summary 2.1 World Market Overview 2.1.1 Global Railway Equipment Consumption 2014-2024 2.1.2 Railway Equipment Consumption CAGR by Region 2.2 Railway Equipment Segment by Type 2.2.1 Railway Equipment Concentrate 2.2.2 Railway Equipment Isolate 2.2.3 Textured Railway Equipment 2.2.4 Soy Flour 2.3 Railway Equipment Consumption by Type 2.3.1 Global Railway Equipment Consumption Market Share by Type (2014-2019) 2.3.2 Global Railway Equipment Revenue and Market Share by Type (2014-2019) 2.3.3 Global Railway Equipment Sale Price by Type (2014-2019) 2.4 Railway Equipment Segment by Application 2.4.1 Processed Meat Products 2.4.2 Bakery and Confectionary 2.4.3 Beverage 2.4.4 Animal Feed 2.4.5 Others 2.5 Railway Equipment Consumption by Application 2.5.1 Global Railway Equipment Consumption Market Share by Application (2014-2019) 2.5.2 Global Railway Equipment Value and Market Share by Application (2014-2019) 2.5.3 Global Railway Equipment Sale Price by Application (2014-2019) 3 Global Railway Equipment by Players 3.1 Global Railway Equipment Sales Market Share by Players 3.1.1 Global Railway Equipment Sales by Players (2017-2019) 3.1.2 Global Railway Equipment Sales Market Share by Players (2017-2019) 3.2 Global Railway Equipment Revenue Market Share by Players 3.2.1 Global Railway Equipment Revenue by Players (2017-2019) 3.2.2 Global Railway Equipment Revenue Market Share by Players (2017-2019) 3.3 Global Railway Equipment Sale Price by Players 3.4 Global Railway Equipment Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area, Product Types by Players 3.4.1 Global Railway Equipment Manufacturing Base Distribution and Sales Area by Players 3.4.2 Players Railway Equipment Products Offered 3.5 Market Concentration Rate Analysis 3.5.1 Competition Landscape Analysis 3.5.2 Concentration Ratio (CR3, CR5 and CR10) (2017-2019) 3.6 New Products and Potential Entrants 3.7 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion 4 Railway Equipment by Regions 4.1 Railway Equipment by Regions 4.1.1 Global Railway Equipment Consumption by Regions 4.1.2 Global Railway Equipment Value by Regions 4.2 Americas Railway Equipment Consumption Growth 4.3 APAC Railway Equipment Consumption Growth 4.4 Europe Railway Equipment Consumption Growth 4.5 Middle East & Africa Railway Equipment Consumption Growth Related Report: Global Railway Equipment Market Research Report 2019 Railway equipment are involved in locomotives, passenger rail cars, freight rail cars, subway, signal, infrastructure and other parts used in operating railroads. The railway equipment industry has become the pivot for economic developments across several countries worldwide. The demand for this equipment has intensified owing to the rising volume of transported products and the expansion of the distance covered by logistics vehicles. https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-railway-equipment-market-research-report-2019 About Market Study Report Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management. Contact Us: Market Study Report LLC 4 North Main Street, Selbyville, Delaware 19975 USA Phone: 1-302-273-0910 US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150 Email: sales@marketstudyreport.com Website: https://www.marketstudyreport.com Blog: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/blog Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- Global Autologous Cell Therapy Market: Overview This report provides in-depth region wise and country wise analysis of the autologous cell therapy market. Stakeholders of this report include manufacturers of cell therapy products, raw material suppliers, cancer drug processing companies, and new players planning to enter the market. Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/autologus-cell-therapy-market.html The report provides qualitative and quantitative analysis of this market. Qualitative analysis comprises market dynamics, trends, product overview, and country-level market information. Quantitative analysis includes major players with their reported revenue, market size, and forecast for the global market in major countries globally such as the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Spain, Japan, China, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and Saudi Arabia. Market revenue is provided in terms of US$ Mn from 2014 to 2024 along with the compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) from 2016 to 2024 for all the segments, considering 2015 as the base year. The executive summary of the report provides a snapshot of the autologous cell therapy with information on leading segments, country wise market information with respect to the market size, growth rate (CAGR %), and growth factors. Moreover, the report also includes pipeline analysis (phase I & II) of the autologous cell therapy market on basis of disease conditions. Request A Sample Copy @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=715 Global Autologous Cell Therapy Market: Drivers and Trends The market overview section comprises impact factors such as drivers, restraints, and opportunities for this market. These factors would aid the stakeholders in establishing a strong foothold in the global market. Furthermore, the market overview section comprises key industry events, product overview, market attractiveness analysis and emerging trend in the market. The market attractiveness analysis provides a graphical view comparing the growth and market dynamics in various segments and country wise to identify the most attractive market. Global Autologous Cell Therapy Market: Segmentation The autologous cell therapy market has been segmented as source, application, end-user and geography. Based on source, the market has been segmented into bone marrow, epidermis and others. Likewise, on basis of application the market has been categorized into neurology, orthopedic, cancer, wound healing, CVD, autoimmune, and others. Hospitals, ambulatory centers and research centers are included into the market by end-user. Request Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=715 Global Autologous Cell Therapy Market: Regional Outlook Geographically, this market has been categorized into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Moreover, analysis for the major countries comprising U.S. Canada, Germany, U.K., France, Switzerland, Spain, Japan, China, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and Saudi Arabia have also been provided in the report. A detailed qualitative analysis of the factors responsible for driving and restraining the growth of the market in various regions has been provided in this section. This report also includes various ups and downs about particular country or geography that has impacted the overall market globally. The report provides a detailed outline/blueprint of this market globally that will assist new companies in establishing their presence and market players in expanding their market share in the market. Key Players Mentioned in the Report are: The report concludes with the company profile section which includes company overview, financial overview, SWOT analysis, product portfolio, business strategies and recent developments for market players. The major players that are profiled in the report include BIOTIME, INC., BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, Caladrius Biosciences, Inc., Vericel Corporation, Pharmicell Co., Inc., TiGenix N.V., Fibrocell Science, Inc. and Opexa Therapeutics, Inc. among others. About Transparency Market Research Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge. Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMR's syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement. Contact 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Tel: +1-518-618-1030 USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- Banana flour is a powdered ingredient generally made from green banana or plantains. It is often used as a gluten free ingredient and added in various baked goods. Flour has a moisture content of about 4%-6%. A new research report by Future Market Insights, highlights the current scenario of the banana powder market and its demand and consumption in various applications. The report is titled 'Banana Flour Market: Global Industry Analysis (2012-2016) and Opportunity Assessment (2017-2027)', and presents a brief about every aspect of the global market. According to this comprehensive research report, the global banana flour market is expected to reach a market value of US$ 730 Mn by the end of 2027. The global banana flour market is anticipated to witness a growth at a sluggish CAGR of around 3.8% during the forecast period. The betterment in the market scenario with increasing adoption of banana flour in bakery and other end uses, will encourage the manufacturers and key businesses to be more innovative. Request for sample@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-6155 Global Banana Flour Market: Dynamics The global banana flour market's growth is helped by the increase in production of green bananas or cooking bananas. Banana production has grown rapidly, registering a performance of +15 percent since 2008. Though dessert bananas account for 60% of the total production, the cooking banana sector has witnessed a steady growth in terms of production, indicating a rise in the demand for green bananas. There has also been a rise in the awareness about banana flour being a gluten free product. There will be a rise in the demand for gluten-free products in countries like the U.K., Italy, U.S., Spain, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and India. In most of the countries, banana flour is being used as a gluten-free replacement for wheat flour. This rise in the consumption of gluten-free products helps drive the demand for banana flour. Global Banana Flour Market: Segmental Analysis On the basis of distribution channel, direct channel is expected to reflect higher contribution to the growth of the global market. The indirect channel segment is expected to register a relatively higher CAGR of 4.2% during the forecast period On the basis of application, food industry leads the market with high market value. Moreover, the pet food and feed industry segment is projected to grow at a significant rate throughout the period of assessment In terms of source, conventional segment has a much higher market size and is expected to lead the global market during the forecast period. But organic source is projected to grow at a faster pace in the years to follow Based on region, MEA is expected to dominate the market with an estimated market value of over US$ 300 Mn by the end of 2027. Whereas North America is expected to register the highest growth rate to register a value CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period Ask the Analyst @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-the-analyst/rep-gb-6155 Global Banana Flour Market: Competitive Landscape The research report covers details about major players in the industry. It provides the readers with a brief profile of the key players. Some of the major companies mentioned in the report are Zuvii, NuNatural Inc., Diana Foods, NOW Health Group Inc., Paradisefrucht GmbH, Kanegrade Ltd, ADM Wild Europe GmbH & Co. KG, International Agriculture Group, Stawi Foods and Fruits Limited etc. Pune, Maharashtra -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/27/2019 -- Key Findings Oligopolistic Nature of Bergamot Supply Chain Continues to Pose Supply-Demand Challenges The bergamot oil market place continues to be dominated by a few exporters as the main growing areas are concentrated in three countries Italy (Calabria), Ivory Coast, and Brazil. Due to the nature of the product, bulk of bergamot is exported from these three countries to manufacturers all over the globe. The bottlenecks in access to raw material continue to pose challenges for bergamot oil manufacturers where pricing is dictated by a handful of players. Request Sample Report @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=87 Supplement Industry to Serve as a New Venture for Bergamot Oil Manufacturers Bergamot oil is being actively explored by the supplement industry recently. Multiple phenolic compounds found in bergamot oil deliver anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering properties. The latter property is explored in nutraceuticals for developing cardio-protective supplements. A number of bergamot formulations in the form of supplements are available in the bergamot oil market or are in pipeline of clinical approvals. Bergamot Oil Stakeholders Continues to Seek Lucrative Avenues in the Fragrance Industry Use of bergamot oil as a perfume ingredient in the fragrance industry is highly valued since older times. Along with the fragrance, the bergamot oil has disinfectant properties and the combination of these properties are explored in the fragrance industry to manufacture fragrance oils that are used in the production of perfumes, deodorants, aromatherapy oils, air fresheners, cosmetics, skin care products and scented candles. Approximately 4000 single fragrance ingredients including bergamot oil used in the fragrance industry are monitored through nation-specific regulations. Recent changes in the EU cosmetic legislation and future uncertainty of bergamot oil's categorization under safe natural fragrance ingredients is expected to present challenges to the bergamot oil market in Europe. If excluded from the cosmetics category, the bergamot oil market in Europe like is likely to witness an upward growth during the assessment period. Pharma Sector Focusing on Exploring Bergamot Oil's Applications as an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Bergamot oil have been thoroughly investigated by the scientific community for their health benefits. Some of the active ingredients of the bergamot oil are studied to deliver anti-microbial, sedative and anxiolytic properties that are used for the treatment of upper respiratory tract disorders, depressive disorder and hyperhidrosis among others. The pharmaceutical industry also utilizes bergamot oil to absorb the unpleasant smells of medicinal products in addition to its health benefits. In addition, bergamot oil has been added to various country's official pharmacopoeias, thereby propelling the growth of the bergamot oil market. Browse Full Report @ https://www.factmr.com/report/87/bergamot-oil-market Stringent Regulations - A Challenge/Opportunity for Bergamot Oil Market Players Use of essential oil in therapeutics is strictly monitored by NAHA and New Direction of Aromatics does not recommend ingestion of essential oil as therapeutic. Further, although bergamot oil is enlisted in the EU legislation of cosmetics, strict monitoring and frequent update of the safe natural fragrant ingredient list continue to pose challenges of compliance to manufacturers. On the other hand, compliance with regulatory standards can increase product transparency and help manufacturers to improve their brand image in the bergamot oil market. Competitive Landscape A dashboard view of the key stakeholders in the bergamot oil market is provided in the competitive landscape section. An exhaustive information regarding bergamot oil key producers, SMEs and suppliers is provided in the company profiles section. key companies profiled in the bergamot oil market report include Fischer S/A - Com. Ind. e Agricultura (Citrosuco Paulista SA), Citromax Flavors, Inc. (Citromax S.A.C.I.), Citrus and Allied Essences Ltd., Bontoux S.A.S., Lionel Hitchen Essential Oils Ltd., Citrus Oleo, Symrise AG, Young Living Essential Oils LC, Mountain Rose Herbs, Inc., and do Terra International. Following the increased demand for essential oils, key players in the bergamot oil market are engaged in business strategies such as expansion and novel product introduction. For instance, Symrise, a leading global supplier of bergamot oil has acquired Citratus Fragrancias Industria e Comercio Ltda to strengthen their market position in the lucrative Brazil market. Speak To Research Analyst for Detailed Insights @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=87 Market Definition Bergamot oil is extracted from bergamot (citrus bergamia) fruit after cold-pressing the rind of the ripe fruit. Bergamot oil contains important volatile chemical compounds such as limolene, linalool and others that provide beneficial health properties. About the Report Fact.MR's report on the bergamot oil market delivers the thorough analysis of the global market landscape. Focusing on the key trends prevailing in the market, the bergamot oil market report delivers an in-depth analysis of market drivers, restraints, and future opportunities. An exhaustive market analysis as such provides the most credible go-to forecast of the bergamot oil market during the forecast period 2017 2022. Additional Questions Answered Along with the aforementioned insights, the bergamot oil market report analyzes other vital market avenues as discussed below- What are the key strategies of manufacturers in the bergamot oil market to maintain sustainability? Which will be the rapidly expanding region in the bergamot oil market during forecast, considering the divergent production trends across global regions? Based on the supply-demand scenario, which distribution channel is projected to lead the sales of bergamot oil in the bergamot oil market? Table of Contents Covered in the report are: 1. Global Bergamot Oil Market - Executive Summary 2. Global Bergamot Oil Market Overview 2.1. Introduction 2.1.1. Global Bergamot Oil Market Taxonomy 2.1.2. Global Bergamot Oil Market Definition 2.2. Global Bergamot Oil Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast, 2012-2022 2.2.1. Global Bergamot Oil Market Y-o-Y Growth 2.3. Global Bergamot Oil Market Dynamics 2.3.1. Drivers 2.3.2. Restraints 2.3.3. Trends 2.4. Supply Chain 2.5. Cost Structure 2.6. Pricing Analysis 2.7. Raw Material Sourcing Strategy and Analysis 2.8. List of Distributors 2.9. Key Participants Market Presence (Intensity Map) By Region 3. Global Bergamot Oil Market Analysis and Forecast By Source Type 3.1. Global Bergamot Oil Market Size and Forecast By Source Type, 2012-2022 3.1.1. Natural Bergamot Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2012-2022 3.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region 3.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region 3.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region 3.1.2. Organic Bergamot Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2012-2022 3.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region 3.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region 3.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region 4. Global Bergamot Oil Market Analysis and Forecast By Form Type 4.1. Global Bergamot Oil Market Size and Forecast By Form Type, 2012-2022 4.1.1. Absolute Bergamot Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2012-2022 4.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region 4.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region 4.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region 4.1.2. Concentrates Bergamot Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2012-2022 4.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region 4.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region 4.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region 4.1.3. Blends Bergamot Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2012-2022 4.1.3.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region 4.1.3.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region 4.1.3.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region 5. Global Bergamot Oil Market Analysis and Forecast By Application 5.1. Global Bergamot Oil Market Size and Forecast By Application, 2012-2022 5.1.1. Therapeutics Bergamot Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2012-2022 5.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region 5.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region 5.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region 5.1.2. Aromatherapy Bergamot Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2012-2022 5.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region 5.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region 5.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region 5.1.3. Food & Beverage Bergamot Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2012-2022 5.1.3.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region 5.1.3.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region 5.1.3.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region 5.1.4. Cosmetics Bergamot Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2012-2022 5.1.4.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region 5.1.4.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region 5.1.4.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region 5.1.5. Toiletries Bergamot Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2012-2022 5.1.5.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region 5.1.5.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region 5.1.5.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region 5.1.6. Fragrances Bergamot Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2012-2022 5.1.6.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region 5.1.6.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region 5.1.6.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region 5.1.7. Cleaning & Home Bergamot Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2012-2022 5.1.7.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region 5.1.7.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region 5.1.7.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region 5.1.8. Others Bergamot Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2012-2022 5.1.8.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region 5.1.8.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region 5.1.8.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region And Continue... About Fact.MR Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports. Contact Us Rohit Bhisey Fact.MR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Email: sales@factmr.com Web: https://www.factmr.com/ Read Industry News at - https://theswisstimes.com San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- Bioinformatics Services Market Introduction Bioinformatics is the field mainly involving molecular biology, genetics, mathematics, statistics, and computer science. The bioinformatics services include analysis of the data that can range from processing sequencing reads from instrument to data aggregation and mining data samples. Bioinformatics services can help biologists to understand the biological process with a computational intensive technique for machine learning algorithms, pattern recognition, data mining and visualization. Bioinformatics tools can help to compare genomic and genetic data and understand evolutionary aspects of molecular biology. Bioinformatics services are finding wide application in chemoinformatics, genomics, metabolomics, RNA-seq analysis, and drug design. The database is an important part for bioinformatics research and application to cover various information types including molecular structure, protein and DNA sequences, and phenotypes in bioinformatics services. Request Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=4836 Bioinformatics Services Market: Notable Highlights Thermo Fisher Scientific has decided to stop selling its genetic sequencing equipment in Xinjiang, China as it may be used to create DNA database of Uighur minority in the Country. Meanwhile, Thermo Fisher Scientific recently signed an agreement to sell its Anatomical Pathology business to PHC Holdings. In 2018, CD Genomics launched premier RNA-seq services for accurate and cost-efficient gene profiling. It will also enable the discovery of new gene structures. NRGene along with Macrogen Corp. launched ArrayMAGIC, a sequencing based genotype service. It provides ultra-high density SNP genotyping, while offering cost-effective and convenient genotyping. Macrogen's NGS labs in Korea has officially received Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) accreditation. The company is the first one to receive CLIA accreditation in Korea. QIAGEN has entered into a partnership with Ares Genetics to develop new bioinformatics and assay solutions in order to support research targeting various global health challenges by antibiotic resistant pathogens. MedGenome has taken over the Center for Genetic Health Care (CGHC) in Mumbai, India. It will be called as MedGenome-CGHC and will have team of experienced scientists, medical geneticists and bioinformatics. Some of the leading players operating in the bioinformatics services market are CD Genomics, Illumina, NeoGenomics, Thermo Fisher Scientific, PerkinElmer, BGI, Microsynth, QIAGEN, BaseClear, Fios Genomics, MedGenome, GENEWIZ, and Macrogen. Bioinformatics Services Market Dynamics Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=4836 Bioinformatics Services Finding Wide Application in Personalized Medicine Discovery With the increasing prevalence of various diseases, new treatments and drugs are being discovered and developed. Extensive molecular biological data on patients is being included on a large scale in diagnosis and treatment. Bioinformatics services is fundamental to precision medicine as developing personalized medicine depends on accessing genetic and molecular data. In recent years, the majority of the molecularly targeted drugs have been developed based on the detected gene mutation. Next-gen sequencing in bioinformatics services is emerging as an important tool in genomic analysis and developing personalized medicine. Next-gen sequencing along with microarrays in bioinformatics services have also paved the way for precision medicine in oncology. Meanwhile, increasing availability and decreasing the cost of next-gen sequencing is allowing worldwide cancer centers to offer next-gen sequencing based personalized oncology for clinical practice while suggesting specific medicine and treatment. Increasing Initiatives by Governments and Private Organizations in Bioinformatics Services With increasing application of new technologies in life science, governments and organizations across various countries are investing in the new technologies and in research and development activities in bioinformatics services. According to the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH), around 60 million genomes are likely to be sequenced by 2025. Moreover, with the presence of national clinical genomic initiatives worldwide, the generation of genomic data in healthcare is expected to outpace that in research in the coming years. Governments across countries are increasingly investing in the biotechnology and bioinformatics services to effectively implement new technologies and support genomic and epidemiological research. Countries such as the US, UK, Australia, France, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Denmark are developing new strategies for projects focusing on cancer and rare diseases, along with the use of sequencing services and genomic data. New research activities are also being conducted for application of bioinformatics services in biodefense. The Mid-Atlantic Microbiome Meet-up (M3) is focusing on the use of next-generation sequencing technologies and recent advances in biodefense, especially related to infectious diseases, and also using metagenomic methods for detection. Shortage of Skilled Workforce and High Cost Hampering the Bioinformatics Services Market Growth Although bioinformatics services is emerging as an important part of research in life science, lack of skills and knowledge in bioinformatics is hindering its growth. With the technological and process advancements in biotechnology, it has become imperative that bioinformatics techniques are performed by skilled personnel. However, the need for heavy investment in tool upgradation and installation training is impeding the growth of bioinformatics services. Owing to this there is a lack of skilled manpower in bioinformatics services who can adapt to the high-end bioinformatics techniques and processes. Moreover, the lack of skilled professionals in bioinformatics services is also hampering the growth of clinical laboratories as they are focusing to automate processes. However, in recent years, governments along with healthcare institutions are focusing on strategies to provide new courses in bioinformatics as it holds a big promise in solving many health related and environmental issues. Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/bioinformatics-services-market About TMR Research TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in today's supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients' conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends. Sarasota, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- Pesticides are ubiquitous, toxic and synthetic agents. It mainly kills or prevents pests present on plants and animals. The other functions of pesticides are crop protection, prevention of vector-borne diseases and preservation of food and materials. As of April 2016, there are around 299 registered biopesticides active ingredients and 1401 active biopesticides product registrations. Biopesticides target the organisms affecting the growth as compared to the conventional pesticides which are harmful for birds and other animals. Request Free Sample Report @ http://bit.ly/2EkG2ue Biopesticides can be applied using different formulations. They are mainly used as liquid solution or in dry form. The liquid solution can be directly sprayed on plants or in the soil whereas dry form can be thrown over the field. However, this formulation type solely depends on the crop type. Biopesticides are derived from the natural resources and can be mainly classified into three major groups such as biochemical pesticides, microbial pesticides and Plant-Incorporated-Protectants (PIPs) pesticides. Microbial pesticides are extensively used pesticides owing to their high effectiveness. The report provides a comprehensive view on the biopesticides market. To understand the competitive landscape in the market, an analysis of Porter's Five Forces model for the biopesticides market has also been included. The study encompasses a market attractiveness analysis, wherein product segments are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate and general attractiveness. The report also analyzes several driving and restraining factors and their impact on the market during the forecast period. Download Free PDF Report Brochure @ http://bit.ly/2EgVTtw Biopesticides are considered to be eco friendly and hence rising awareness for use of eco friendly products drives biopesticides market. Ample support and funding from the government for the use of eco friendly biopesticides further stimulates the growth of this market. Furthermore, increasing incidence of crop diseases coupled with growing demand for organic food fuels supports the demand for biopesticides. However, lack of awareness from the developing and underdeveloped regions may hinder the growth of the biopesticides market. Research and development expenditure for biopesticides is low as compared to the conventional pesticides. This factor may persuade the inventors to focus on the development of innovative products. The biopesticides market can be segmented on the basis of type, which includes biofungicides, bioinsecticides, bionematicides and bioherbicides. On basis of end user the biopesticides market can be segmented as fruits & vegetables, grains & oilseeds and others. Fruits, vegetables, grains and oilseeds are the most prominent segments due to high consumption of biopesticides. The biopesticides can be applied by means of soil treatment, post harvest, seed treatment, and foliar spray among others. North America dominated the biopesticides market in 2015 followed by Europe owing to high use of organic products. Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest pace and is likely to continue the traction in the forecast period. This growth is mainly attributed to rapidly developing agricultural sector and growing demand for eco friendly, organic products. Also, continuous demand for high productivity due huge population base and cost effective techniques in production of food further contribute to the market growth. Latin America is anticipated to experience decent growth over the coming years due to high growth in agricultural sector in Brazil. Middle East and Africa may show sustainable growth in the estimated period owing to rising living standards and abundant arable land for agriculture. To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ http://bit.ly/2EgWH1w Bayers CropScience Ag, Parry America, Inc, BASF SE, Monsanto Company, Certis USA L.L.C, Isagro S.p.A, Marrone Bio Innovations Inc. and The Dow Chemical Company are some of the major key players in the biopesticides market. Companies primarily focus on the extensive R&D for the development of innovative products in order to maintain their shares in the market. The report segments of the underfloor heating market into: Biopesticides Market: Type Segment Analysis Biofungicides Bioinsecticides Bionematicides Bioherbicides Biopesticides Market: End User Segment Analysis Fruits & vegetables Grains & oilseeds Others Biopesticides Market: Type of Usage Segment Analysis Soil treatment Post harvest Seed treatment Foliar spray Others Biopesticides Market: Regional Segment Analysis North America U.S. Europe UK France Germany Asia Pacific China Japan India Latin America Brazil Middle East & Africa Inquire more about this report @ http://bit.ly/2EgX2RQ About Zion Market Research Zion Market Research is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations. Zion Market Research is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air. We have market research reports from number of leading industry and update our collection daily to provide our clients with the instant online access to our database. With access to this database, our clients will be able to benefit from expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends. Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- The Blood Gas Analyzers are the equipments used in situations such as blood vessel hemorrhage, diabetes, drug overdose and shock for testing numerous factors including hydrogen ion, oxygen concentration, partial pressure of oxygen and carbon dioxide, and electrolytes. Also, the Blood Gas Analyzers are used to determine factors of combinations of metabolites, pH, blood gas, and electrolytes from whole blood samples. Moreover, increasing number of patients being treated in NICUs, emergency departments, and ICUs is increasing the need of Blood Gas Analyzers. Similarly, growing number of patients suffering from cancer and chronic diseases, efficiently fuelling the growth of the Blood Gas Analyzers market. Furthermore, progresses in Blood Gas Analyzers, and growing number of product approvals are significant factors boosting the growth of the Blood Gas Analyzers Market. Increasing Need for Blood Gas Analyzers in Healthcare Organizations The increasing demand of Blood Gas Analyzers by the healthcare organizations in various countries is significantly boosting the growth of the market all across the globe. The increase in healthcare organizations in various countries, due to the increasing demand for the better treatments of the diseases and ongoing growth of the geriatric population in countries. The parameters that are playing a key role in the development of Blood Gas Analyzers market are growing retail clinics, increasing demand for customized medicines, and growing use of advanced diagnostic equipments. Get Sample Copy of Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-8693 There is rapidly growing demand for the Blood Gas Analyzers owing to certain imbalances in the pH levels, carbon dioxide, and oxygen of the blood and this is also helpful in determination of occurrence of some medical conditions such as heart failure, kidney failure, chemical poisoning, drug overdose, and hemorrhage. Lack of skilled professionals who have gained expertise to use blood gas analyzers is acting as a restraint for the growth of the market. Manufacturers are focusing on upgradation of analyzers to provide these equipments which are easy to use and more user friendly. Blood Gas Analyzers Market: Segmentation The Global Blood Gas Analyzers Market has been segmented on the basis of modularity, end use, and region. Segmentation on the basis of modularity: Portable Bench-top Segmentation on the basis of end use: Hospitals Clinics Diagnostic Centers Ambulatory Surgical Centers Educational Institutes Blood Gas Analyzers Market: Competitive Landscape Some of the prominent key players in the Global Blood Gas Analyzers Market are Siemens, Abbott Laboratories, Medica, Inc., Roche, Erba, Roche Diagnostics, Nova stat, Bayer, Samsung Medison, Radiometer Medical, Edan Instruments, OPTI Medical systems Inc., Convergent Technologies, Dalko Diagnostics Alere Medical, Accurex, and. Request to Browse Full Table of Content, figure and Tables @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-8693 Blood Gas Analyzers Market: Regional Overview On the basis of geography, North America is capturing the substantial market share in the Blood Gas Analyzers market owing to highest population by this region. In North America the healthcare organizations and hospitals are showing a high interest for the integration of wireless connectivity and the point of care devices. Thus, the need of portable / handheld Blood Gas Analyzers is increasing in this region. Also, the countries in the North America such as US and Canada, there is large scale adoption of the electronic and advanced health instruments is ultimately contributing to the growth of the market in the region. Thus, the North America has witness high growth in the field of the Blood Gas Analyzers market. Also, in Asia Pacific Excluding Japan the countries such as India, China, and others are expected to witness high growth in the field of Blood Gas Analyzers market owing to rise in awareness of up graded analyzers rapidly developing healthcare infrastructure, and increasing expenditure on the healthcare industry. In Middle East Africa, moderate growth has witness of the Blood Gas Analyzers due to growing number of hospitals and healthcare departments in the region. These parameters are powerfully driving the growth of Blood Gas Analyzers market across the globe. Harrisburg, NC -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the Brake Pad Set market and contains qualitative and quantitative insights, historical and forecasted data, competitor and regional analysis from 2014 to 2025. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, types and applications. Request a Free Sample Report before Purchase: https://www.marketinsightsreports.com/reports/02051081720/global-brake-pad-set-market-research-report-2019/inquiry?source=releasewire&Mode=11 The report covers the profiles of major players in the global Brake Pad Set market such as: Honeywell International, Nisshinbo Industries, Brembo, Akebono Brake Corporation, ZF TRW, TMD Friction Holdings, Federal-Mogul Corporation, Continental, AC Delco, EBC Brakes, Robert Bosch, Delphi Automotive, Japan Brake. Brake Pad Set Market, by Types: Semi metallic Ceramic Non-asbestos organic Low metallic non-asbestos organic Brake Pad Set Market, by Applications: Passenger cars Commercial cars Geographically, this report studies the top producers and consumers, focuses on product capacity, production, value, consumption, market share and growth opportunity in these key regions, covering North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East & Africa. Several important Key questions answer covered in this Brake Pad Set market research report: - What is status of Brake Pad Set Market? -This Overview Includes Analysis of Scope, Prospect, Growth trend, Sales by regions, manufacturers, types and applications. - What trends, challenges and barriers are influencing its growth? - What is Brake Pad Set Market forecasts (2019-2025)? Considering Sales, Revenue, Growth rate, Price and Trends for Regions, Types and Applications? - Who Are Brake Pad Set Market Key Manufacturers? - What will be the market size and the growth rate in 2025? -What are the key factors driving the global Brake Pad Set market? - What are the key outcomes of the distinct analysis of the world Brake Pad Set Market-Analysis done by considering prime elements? Browse Full Report: https://www.marketinsightsreports.com/reports/02051081720/global-brake-pad-set-market-research-report-2019?source=releasewire&Mode=11 The research includes historic data from 2014 to 2018 and forecasts until 2025 which makes the reports an invaluable resource for industry executives, marketing, sales and product managers, consultants, analysts, and other people looking for key industry data in readily accessible documents with clearly presented tables and graphs. The study comprises a mix of data pertaining to the key restraints, drivers, competitive landscape, regulatory forces, key strategies implemented by the key players, and opportunities, expected to have a profound impact on the scope of growth of the market. A detailed analysis of these factors allows the report to present a reliable forecast regarding the future growth dynamics of the Brake Pad Set market. About MarketInsightsReports MarketInsightsReports provides syndicated Market research reports to industries, organizations or even individuals with an aim of helping them in their decision making process. MarketInsightsReports has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. Contact US: Irfan Tamboli (Head of Sales) Market Insights Reports Phone: + 1704 266 3234 | Mob: +91-750-707-8687 sales@marketinsightsreports.com | irfan@marketinsightsreports.com Connect with us On: https://www.linkedin.com/company/13411016/ https://www.facebook.com/Marketinsightsreports/ https://twitter.com/MIRresearch/ Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- HTF MI released a new market study on Global Business VoIP Services Market with 100+ market data Tables, Pie Chat, Graphs & Figures spread through Pages and easy to understand detailed analysis. At present, the market is developing its presence. The Research report presents a complete assessment of the Market and contains a future trend, current growth factors, attentive opinions, facts, and industry validated market data. The research study provides estimates for Global Business VoIP Services Forecast till 2025*. Some are the key players taken under coverage for this study are AT&T, RingCentral, 8x8, Vonage Business, Intermedia, Mitel, Fonality, Citrix, Dialpad, ShoreTel, Microsoft Skype & Nextiva. Click to get Global Business VoIP Services Market Research Sample PDF Copy Here @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/1314150-global-business-voip-services-market #Summary: VoIP functions on broadband networks using packet switched telephone networks (PSTNs), unlike traditional calls on circuit switched networks. PSTNs are more efficient than legacy systems (circuited switched networks), and information can be routed in packets over optimized paths. VoIP allows IP calls over mobile networks (3G/LTE) or fixed networks, such as wireless hotspots, Wi-Fi, and worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) networks. VoIP bypasses the originating mobile carrier's telephony network and allows inexpensive calls on mobiles through the ISP networks. It also offers low-cost international calls, and roaming calls, without the need for extensive infrastructures such as PCs and DSL modems. In 2017, the global Business VoIP Services market size was xx million US$ and it is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during 2018-2025. Important Features that are under offering & key highlights of the report : 1) What all companies are currently profiled in the report? Following are list of players that are currently profiled in the the report "AT&T, RingCentral, 8x8, Vonage Business, Intermedia, Mitel, Fonality, Citrix, Dialpad, ShoreTel, Microsoft Skype & Nextiva" ** List of companies mentioned may vary in the final report subject to Name Change / Merger etc. 2) Can we add or profiled new company as per our need? Yes, we can add or profile new company as per client need in the report. Final confirmation to be provided by research team depending upon the difficulty of survey. ** Data availability will be confirmed by research in case of privately held company. Upto 3 players can be added at no added cost. 3) What all regional segmentation covered? Can specific country of interest be added? Currently, research report gives special attention and focus on following regions: United States, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India & Central & South America ** One country of specific interest can be included at no added cost. For inclusion of more regional segment quote may vary. 4) Can inclusion of additional Segmentation / Market breakdown is possible? Yes, inclusion of additional segmentation / Market breakdown is possible subject to data availability and difficulty of survey. However a detailed requirement needs to be shared with our research before giving final confirmation to client. ** Depending upon the requirement the deliverable time and quote will vary. Enquire for customization in Report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/1314150-global-business-voip-services-market To comprehend Global Business VoIP Services market dynamics in the world mainly, the worldwide Business VoIP Services market is analyzed across major global regions. HTF MI also provides customized specific regional and country-level reports for the following areas. - North America: United States, Canada, and Mexico. - South & Central America: Argentina, Chile, and Brazil. - Middle East & Africa: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, Egypt and South Africa. - Europe: UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Russia. - Asia-Pacific: India, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, and Australia. 2-Page profiles for 10+ leading manufacturers and 10+ leading retailers is included, along with 3 years financial history to illustrate the recent performance of the market. Revised and updated discussion for 2018 of key macro and micro market influences impacting the sector are provided with a thought-provoking qualitative comment on future opportunities and threats. This report combines the best of both statistically relevant quantitative data from the industry, coupled with relevant and insightful qualitative comment and analysis. Global Business VoIP Services Product Types In-Depth: , One-Piece-Ball, Two-Piece-Ball, Three-Piece-Ball & Others Global Business VoIP Services Major Applications/End users: Commercial & Personal Geographical Analysis: United States, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India & Central & South America In order to get a deeper view of Market Size, competitive landscape is provided i.e. Revenue (Million USD) by Players (2013-2018), Revenue Market Share (%) by Players (2013-2018) and further a qualitative analysis is made towards market concentration rate, product/service differences, new entrants and the technological trends in future. Competitive Analysis: The key players are highly focusing innovation in production technologies to improve efficiency and shelf life. The best long-term growth opportunities for this sector can be captured by ensuring ongoing process improvements and financial flexibility to invest in the optimal strategies. Company profile section of players such as AT&T, RingCentral, 8x8, Vonage Business, Intermedia, Mitel, Fonality, Citrix, Dialpad, ShoreTel, Microsoft Skype & Nextiva includes its basic information like legal name, website, headquarters, its market position, historical background and top 5 closest competitors by Market capitalization / revenue along with contact information. Each player/ manufacturer revenue figures, growth rate and gross profit margin is provided in easy to understand tabular format for past 5 years and a separate section on recent development like mergers, acquisition or any new product/service launch etc. Buy Full Copy Global Business VoIP Services Report 2018 @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=1314150 In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Global Business VoIP Services are as follows: History Year: 2013-2017 Base Year: 2017 Estimated Year: 2018 Forecast Year 2018 to 2025 Key Stakeholders/Global Reports: Business VoIP Services Manufacturers Business VoIP Services Distributors/Traders/Wholesalers Business VoIP Services Subcomponent Manufacturers Industry Association Downstream Vendors Browse for Full Report at @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/1314150-global-business-voip-services-market Actual Numbers & In-Depth Analysis, Business opportunities, Market Size Estimation Available in Full Report. Thanks for reading this article, you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- Global Cancer Biomarkers Market: Overview Biomarkers are the substance or molecules found in blood, other body fluids or tissues which states the normal and abnormal condition of the body, biomarkers helps to detect various diseases such as cancer. Cancer biomarkers tests are carried out to detect genes or mutated genes responsible for cancer. Dramatic improvement in the cancer biomarkers tests will increase demand globally. Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cancer-biomarkers-market.html A detailed overview of market dynamics, including the drivers, restraints, and opportunities of the cancer biomarkers market, has been provided in this report. Market revenue for all the above mentioned segments, and their sub segments has been provided for the forecast period of 2017-2025, considering 2016 as the base year, and 2015 as the historical year, along with compound annual growth rate (CAGR %), for the forecast period of 2017-2025. Market share estimations were based on in-depth analysis and study of products, and their features, prices etc. This report provides in-depth analysis of the cancer biomarkers market. The stakeholders for this report include companies involved in the reagent manufacturer for cancer biomarkers tests. For providing a snapshot of this market to the stakeholders, executive summary section is included in this report, which summarizes the market size, trends and competition in different regions. Market share analysis among the market players is analyzed to signify percentage share of the major players operating in the cancer biomarkers market. Furthermore, the report incorporates market attractiveness analysis by geography that depicts the most attractive and significant region in the global market in 2015. Request A Sample Copy @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=479 The research methodology is a combination of primary and secondary research. Primary research includes information collected via e-mails, and telephonic interviews of Key Opinion Leaders (KOL), and forms the bulk of our research. Secondary research includes information collected from various sources, by study of company websites, annual reports, stock analysis presentations, press releases, and various national and international databases. Global Cancer Biomarkers Market: Segmentation Based on test type, global cancer biomarkers market are segmented into PSA tests, CTC tests, AFP tests, CA tests, HER2 tests, BRCA tests, ALK tests, CEA tests, EGFR Mutation tests, KRAS Mutation tests and others. Based on disease indication, the cancer biomarkers market are segmented into breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, melanoma, blood cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer and others. Request Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=479 Based on geography, the cancer biomarkers market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. The regions are further segmented into major countries which include, U.S., Canada, Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Russia, rest of Europe, India, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, Rest of Asia Pacific, Brazil, Mexico, Rest of Latin America, GCC countries, South Africa and Rest of Middle East and Africa. Companies Mentioned in the Report The report also comprises list major players in the market, their SWOT analysis, market share of these players in the cancer biomarkers, key business strategies, product portfolios, and recent developments. Key market players profiled in this report include, Abbott Laboratories, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Illumina, Inc., Agilent Technologies, QIAGEN, Merck & Co., Inc., Hologic, Inc., Novartis AG, bioMerieux SA, Genomic Health, Inc. and others About Transparency Market Research Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge. Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMR's syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement. Contact 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Tel: +1-518-618-1030 USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Rockville, MD -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/28/2019 -- Heavy haulage trucks are mainly used for transportation of freight cargo ranging from seed and grain to gravel and earthworks supplies. Present-day heavy haulage trucks offer safer, reliable, and efficient transportation of goods and are equipped with satellite tracking technology that can monitor location, speed, driving hours and other important information. Rapid growth in infrastructural development activities across the globe is one of the key factors driving the demand for heavy haulage trucks. With increasing demand for feed and fertilizers on the coattails of growing population and consumption of food, heavy haulage trucks are gaining rising adoption in agricultural sector. Get Free Exclusive Sample Copy of This Report @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=714 Incorporation of innovative engine as well as latest software in heavy haulage trucks to provide affordable, overload protection, better vehicle utilization, and to increase the driver comfort will possibly create lucrative opportunities for manufacturers operating in heavy haulage trucks market. Although the heavy haulage trucks market is expected to witness steady growth in the coming years, challenges associated with negative impact on road surface and environment may hamper its growth. Higher maintenance costs and greater fuel consumption is likely to be restraining factors of heavy haulage trucks market. Further, truck instability and compromised acceleration capabilities may confine the growth of heavy haulage trucks market. The construction industry is expected to witness significant growth, owing to increasing commercial, residential, and industrial construction activities, coupled with growth in the economy and public-private partnerships. Emerging economies in the Asia Pacific region, such as China, Australia, New Zealand, and India have reflected noteworthy growth in the construction sector with increasing infrastructure projects. Governments have supported this growth by pouring investments for the development of infrastructure of the respective nations, which reflects their industrial growth. To name a few, CRL cross rail development (UK), SGP Grand Paris Express Metro Rail Ile-de-France (France), LTF Lyon-Turin High Speed Rail (France), DoIT Brisbane to Melbourne High Speed Railway Link - New South Wales (Australia), Xinjiang-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Turkey Railway Link China, NHAI National Highway Development Program India, SNWTPC South-North Water Diversion Program China, and Chevron/XOM/RDSA Gorgon Gas Field Development Australia are the major projects that have been initiated. Moreover, the expansion of existing airports, construction of commercial complexes, increasing highway constructions, and construction or extension of roads has attracted international players to invest in these markets. This is expected to spur the demand for heavy haulage trucks in the years to follow. Heavy Commercial Vehicle Registrations to Impact the Heavy Haulage Trucks Market The production of commercial vehicles across the globe is expected to witness steady growth, especially across developed countries. However, emerging economies have portrayed an increase in the number of heavy commercial vehicles, owing to the growing demand from various end-use industries. For example, according to OICA, commercial vehicle production in China was 3,698,050 units in 2016, which increased to 4,208,747 units in 2017. Likewise, in India, 2017 witnessed an increase in commercial vehicles by 18,986 units (in 2016 it was 811,360 units). In addition, according to ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association), the demand for heavy trucks, especially for vehicles of 16 tons capacity and above, grew by 2.2% in November 2017. Of the five major European countries, the French market witnessed a high double digit growth in heavy trucks (around 30% increase in demand) with their growing registrations that reflected a 5.3% increase. In Italy, the highest number of heavy truck registrations were observed in 2017 that grew by 8.7%, followed by Spain which reflected a 7.8% increase in registrations. The sinusoidal growth in production and sale of heavy trucks across regions is expected to have potential impact on the demand for heavy haulage trucks, with the scenario being uncertain in most regions. Emerging Economies are a Favorable Market Attracting International Players to Tap the Asian Regions An Impetus for Heavy Haulage Trucks Market? Emerging economies such as India have been tapped by international players with respect to both, passenger and commercial vehicles. The country provides a favorable business environment that has influenced the sales of heavy commercial vehicles, such as heavy haulage trucks. After a tough first quarter 2018 that reflected a 'down' in the heavy truck sector (-32%), OEMs are now decisively planning to progress towards a better future for HCVs in India. Increased spending on infrastructure projects coupled with higher freight load, especially during the festive seasons in the country, has ensured higher sales of heavy haulage trucks. This has attracted international players to invest in the heavy commercial vehicle segment in the country, to expand their current portfolio by establishing a new product line, which is expected to offer a significant push to the growth of the heavy haulage trucks market. Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=T&rep_id=714 For instance, South Korean automotive player, Hyundai, is planning to enter the heavy commercial vehicle space in the country. The Korean automaker has taken initiatives to set up its own manufacturing plant in India to support its planned heavy commercial business. Since 2016, Hyundai has considered India as a top priority business location for commercial vehicles, and has initiated the production of heavy commercial vehicles, such as heavy haulage trucks, for both, the export and domestic markets. The automaker is looking forward to introduce a range of premium heavy commercial trucks and buses, but is likely to face tough competition from existing players such as Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, and Mahindra. Competition Assessment Key manufacturers have been innovating and introducing premium heavy haulage trucks in view of expanding their business by catering to varying customer demands. For instance, Swedish truck manufacturer, Volvo, has introduced its new, second generation VNX heavy haulage truck. Volvo aimed at developing its VNX model in order to serve the increasing demand for extra heavy load carriers, especially for handling construction material, heavy equipment, and timber. Likewise, Mammoet has expanded its heavy haulage truck line in Spain in 2018. By partnering with Transmodal and Arbegui, a Spanish heavy transport specialist, Netherlands-based truck manufacturer Mammoet will introduce an additional 44 multi-axle SPMTs (self- propelled mobile transporters) that can move heavy loads. Moreover, MAN is planning to launch CNG-driven heavy haulage trucks with 16 to 49 tons capacity in India for serving the mining industry, by 2018. Key participants in the global heavy haulage trucks market include MAN, Volvo, Tata Motors, Mammoet, Marmon-Herrington, Trans Lease, and Scania. You can Buy This Report from Here @ https://www.factmr.com/checkout/714/S This analytical research study imparts an all-inclusive assessment on the market, while propounding historical intelligence, actionable insights, and industry-validated & statistically-upheld market forecast. Verified and suitable set of assumptions and methodology has been leveraged for developing this comprehensive study. Information and analysis on key market segments incorporated in the report has been delivered in weighted chapters. A thorough analysis has been offered by the report on Market Dynamics Market Size Market Segments Demand & Supply Trends Current Issues and Challenges Companies and Competitor Landscape Value Chain Technology Regional Segments Analyzed Include North America (U.S., Canada) Latin America (Mexico. Brazil) Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain) Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia) Asia Pacific (China, India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand) Japan Middle East and Africa (GCC, S. Africa, N. Africa) Compilation of authentic and first-hand intelligence, insights offered in the report are based on quantitative and qualitative assessment by leading industry experts, and inputs from opinion leaders & industry participants around the value chain. Growth determinants, macroeconomic indicators, and parent market trends have been scrutinized and delivered, coupled with the market attractiveness for each market segment encompassed. Qualitative impact of growth influencers on the market segments across regions has also been mapped by the report. Highlights from the Report Elaborated scenario of the parent market Transformations in the market dynamics Detailed segmentation of the target market Historical, current and forecast market size based on value and volume Latest industry developments and trends Competition landscape Strategies adopted by the market players and product developments made Potential and niche segments, along with their regional analysis Unbiased analysis on performance of the market Up-to-date and must-have intelligence for the market players to enhance and sustain their competitiveness Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @ https://www.factmr.com/report/714/heavy-haulage-trucks-market About Fact.MR Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports. Contact Us FactMR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Email: sales@factmr.com Web: www.factmr.com/ Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights on the global compostable & biodegradable refuse bags market in its published report, titled "Global Compostable & Biodegradable Refuse Bags Market: Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 20182028". In terms of revenue, the global compostable & biodegradable refuse bags market is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 8.0% over the forecast period, owing to numerous factors, about which FMI offers thorough insights and forecasts in this report. Compostable & biodegradable are terms used to designate organic materials breaking down in specific environment condition. Refuse bags are disposable bags used to contain waste and rubbish. Compostable & biodegradable refuse bags are made up of organic material, which are obtained from plants. Such plant based materials which are used to make compostable & biodegradable refuse bags are starch blends (corn, potato and others), Polylactic acid (PLA), PHA, PBAT and other such materials. These refuse bags can undergo decomposition readily and have minimum negative impact on the environment. Request to Sample of Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-7082 The global market for compostable and refuse bags market is further segmented as per capacity, product type, speed, material type, thickness and end use. On the basis of capacity type, global market for compostable & biodegradable refuse bags is segmented into 7-20 gallons, 20-30 gallons, 30-40 gallons, 40-55 gallons and above 55 gallons. On the basis of product type, global market for compostable & biodegradable refuse bags is segmented into biodegradable and compostable. On the basis of material type, global market for compostable & biodegradable refuse bags is segmented into PLA, PBS, PBAT, PHA, starch blends, cellophane and paper. On the basis of thickness, the global market for compostable & biodegradable refuse bags is segmented into 0-0.7 mil, 0.7-0.9 mil, 0.9-1.5 mil, above 1.5 mil. On the basis of end use, the global market for compostable & biodegradable refuse bags is segmented into retail and consumer, industrial and institutional. This report assesses trends driving the growth of each market segment on the global level and offers potential takeaways that prove substantially useful for other potential market entrants in the compostable & biodegradable refuse bags market. The North America compostable & biodegradable refuse bags market Include country level analysis for the U.S. and Canada. The U.S compostable & biodegradable refuse bags market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.7% over the forecast period wherein compostable segment enjoy dominant share, by product type. The Latin America compostable & biodegradable refuse bags market include country level analysis for Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Rest of Latin America. The Brazil compostable & biodegradable refuse bags market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.5% during the forecast period. The Western Europe compostable & biodegradable refuse bags market include country level analysis for Germany, Italy, U.K., France, Spain, Benelux, Nordic and Rest of Europe. Germany and Italy account for a significant market share in the Western Europe compostable & biodegradable refuse bags market. The Eastern Europe compostable & biodegradable refuse bags market include country level analysis for Russia, Poland and Rest of Eastern Europe. The Russia compostable & biodegradable refuse bags market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.6% during the next decade. The Asia Pacific excluding Japan compostable & biodegradable refuse bags market includes country level analysis for China, India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand and Rest of APEJ. The APEJ compostable & biodegradable refuse bags market represent most lucrative geographic region wherein India and China represent substantial incremental opportunity over the forecast period. The Middle East and Africa (MEA) compostable & biodegradable refuse bags market include country level analysis for GCC, South Africa, North Africa and Rest of MEA. Compostable & biodegradable refuse bags market in the GCC region is particularly driven by high growth in the industrial segment. The Japan compostable & biodegradable refuse bags market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.3% over the forecast period. In this report, we have discussed individual strategies followed by these companies in terms of enhancing their product portfolio, creating new marketing techniques, mergers and acquisitions. The 'Competitive Landscape' is included to provide report audiences with a dashboard view and company share collectively. Need more information about Report Methodology @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-7082 Key players operating in the global market for compostable & biodegradable refuse bags include Mondi Group, Sphere Group, Vegware Global, VICTOR Guthoff & Partner GmbH, Cedo Ltd., BioBag International AS, PLAST-UP, Polybags Ltd, Clondalkin Group Holdings B.V., Plastiroll Oy Ltd, The Biodegradable Bag Company Ltd, QUICKPACK Haushalt + Hygiene GmbH, MIRPACK, TM, The Compost Bag Company, SIMPAC, TERDEX GmbH, Pack-It BV, Cromwell Polythene Ltd, Flexopack SRL, Virosac SRL among others. San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- Controlled Release Fertilizers Market: Introduction Specialty fertilizers continue to gain fast traction as flexible solutions with various essential primary and secondary nutrients, or micronutrients, ensuring optimum crop quality and yield. Distinct from commodity fertilizer products, specialty fertilizers command higher premium to distributors and producers alike, and range from products containing micronutrients with controlled release, to crop-specific, convolute multi-nutrient solubles. Controlled release fertilizers market is currently at its infancy, however demand and production continue to gain a marked uptick, according to a new study. Request Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=4839 Controlled Release Fertilizers Market: Notable Developments Recent developments in the controlled release fertilizers market have been listed below Bio-on has recently developed a revolutionary technology, called U-Coat, for controlled release fertilizers. The technology is based on a 100% biodegradable and natural PHAs bioplastics, and enable more effective dose and efficient fertilizer consumption. Stamicarbon has developed a state-of-the-art technology to offer farmers with a broader range of controlled release fertilizers that are fine-tuned to certain crop requirements. Controlled release fertilizer Design of Stamicarbon, featuring PurActive Technology and developed in cooperation with the Pursell Agri-tech, delivers a one-stop solution to farmers. Key players operating in the controlled release fertilizers market include Greenfeed Agro Sdn Bhd, Israel Chemicals, Yara International, Central Glass Co., Ltd., Agrium, Inc., Scotts Miracle-Gro, ATS Group, AgroBridge, and Kingenta Ecological Engineering Group Co., Ltd. Controlled Release Fertilizers Market Dynamics Potential of Nanotechnology in Controlled Release Fertilizer Developments Nanotechnology permeation continues to increase in the agriculture sector, particularly to ebb the use of pesticides and fertilizers, thereby improving yields of crops via optimal nutrient management. Nanotechnology holds significant potential in the development of controlled release fertilizers, and prevents release of substances that have negative environmental impacts. Nanomaterials comprise unique nutrient release attributes for an extended time period, and suit well for the formulation of controlled release fertilizers that conform to nutrient requirements of plants and crops. Additionally, controlled release fertilizers using nanotechnology offer the ability to be prepared physically by coating the traditional fertilizer granules with materials that curtail their rate of degradation. Greater efficiency of nutrient uptake and retention of freshness are other key attributes of nanomaterials-based controlled release fertilizers that drive their demand. Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=4839 High Traction of Soil Microbial Resources in Improving Efficiency of Controlled Release Fertilizers Agricultural microbial technology via integration of microbiome interactions and beneficial plant microbe present a promising and sustainable solution for improving the crop productivity. The food security issue prevalent worldwide has fostered innovation, development, and deployment of technologies, which lead to increased agricultural production, meanwhile ensuring the sustainable intensification. Controlled release fertilizers have gained a paramount palpability as smart fertilizers that are increasingly efficacious in securing crop productivity. Use of soil microbial resources in the formulation of controlled release fertilizers has been deemed to significantly improve production, while contributing to the sustainable agro-systems. As securing sustainable higher productivity and yield relies on exploiting the existing multidisciplinary progresses for the design & development of novel crop-microorganisms biosystems featuring complementary and synergistic interactions. This will augur well for the development and sales of controlled release fertilizers in the near future. Demand Underpinned by Reduced Nitrogen Losses Associated with Controlled Release Fertilizers Significant losses have been witnessed in the applications of conventional fertilizers, with nitrogen being one of the key components. Apart from economic losses, applied nitrogen gets released into the atmosphere via volatilization or soil, leaching into groundwater. The latter has been associated with significant environmental impacts. The advent of controlled release fertilizers has resulted in the delivery of an efficient solutions to offset the aforementioned losses, as they curtail, control, and stabilize rate of nitrogen converted or released to plants. This aids in improving efficiency of nutrient application while reducing the negative impacts on the environment. Controlled Release Fertilizers Market: Regional Analysis China is expected to remain the most lucrative market for the controlled release fertilizers, driven by rapid economic growth and focus on improving the fertilizer efficiency. Additionally, focus of the government and key players in the country on increasing the crop yield and reducing the environment impact of fertilizers, has made China one of the leading controlled release fertilizers markets. The US also remains a lucrative region for growth of the controlled release fertilizers market, with non-agricultural applications accounting for greater consumption. Growth of controlled release fertilizers market in the US is also driven by the rise in agricultural commodity, coupled with increasing demand for agricultural crops. Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/controlled-release-fertilizers-market About TMR Research TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in today's supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients' conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends. Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- The US$ 3.7 billion decor paper market is likely to witness an uptick by 5.5% in 2019, according to a recent analytical study presented by Future Market Insights (FMI). Print base paper will continue to sell highest, accounting for almost half of the global revenue. Absorbent kraft paper also holds a sizeable share in the market value, however the report foresees a moderate rate of growth in the demand for absorbent kraft paper in coming years. Escalating decor paper consumption by the furniture industry is cited as a preeminent factor determining sales, followed by that in flooring and paneling sectors. Furniture industry prominently boosts sales of low-pressure laminates that are attributed to robust growth of the domestic furniture sector. According to FMI's end use analysis of decor paper market, almost 60% of the total furniture sold is household, which is likely to push demand for low-pressure laminates further. Europe's lead in the decor paper market is strongly backed by the flourishing application scenario for decor, flooring, and paneling. FMI envisages that European consumers will account for more than 30% share in the total market value. However, it also points to the healthy demand growth in developing economies within Asian, African, and Middle Eastern regions. Request sample of Report with table of contents and Figures @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-7761 Despite accounting for a mere 4% share in the paper and paperboard production landscape, decor paper market has been observing healthy demand growth recently. FMI attributes this growth to the overall promising trade scenario and mounting consumer preference for aesthetically appealing furniture and decor items. Progressing production scenario of decorative plywood and veneer sheets is benefiting the growth of woodworking sector, thereby favoring sales of decor paper. With visibly improving scope of laminate flooring sector in both developed and developing economies, it is more likely that a range of decor paper will gain ground in coming years. Leading manufacturers of decor paper are currently strategizing on upgrading aesthetics to cater to evolving specification demands from customers. However, the report opines that primary focal point will be on strategic acquisitions and collaborations. Schoeller Technocell GmbH & Co. KG, one of the market leaders, recently announced the acquisition of Calfornia's Alameda Co. The former is also investing efforts in expansion across Chinese market for decor paper by collaborating with China's leading pulp and paper industry operators. Schoeller Technocell recently joined forces with Welbon Group, China's recognized pulp and specialty paper manufacturer. Ask a question to Analyst @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-the-analyst/rep-gb-7761 Finland-based Ahlstrom-Munksjo Oyj maintains the strategic focus on M&A, the latest of which is acquisition of Brazilian specialty paper manufacturer, MD Papeis' Caieiras specialty paper mill. As a part of the expansion strategy across North America, the former recently acquired another specialty paper manufacturer Expera Specialty Solutions. Neodecortech S.p.A. recently completed the acquisition of CORBETTA FIA s.r.l.'s laminate production arm. More recently, Schattdecor Group announced acquisition of the US-based Coating Company of Lexington, SC. The report has tracked decor paper landscape for an eight-year projection period, 2019-2027. For more exclusive insights on global decor paper market, write in to the analyst at press@futuremarketinsights.com New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- The latest industry intelligence report on the DSL CHIPSETS market performs a cautious examination of the current business environment and competitive landscape of the DSL CHIPSETS market for the forecast period, 2018 - 2026. For stakeholders, field marketing executives and product owners planning to maintain a competitive edge the market assessment report brings to light essential impression about the growth rate, share and size of the industry during the estimated period. Deep dive into an array of elements including but not limited to the value proposition, product positioning, and targeting and industry segmentation have been described through resources such as charts, tables, and info graphics. Request Sample copy of this report@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/23177 Apart from this, the valuable document weighs upon the performance of the DSL Chipsets industry on the basis of a product service, end-use, geography and end customer Based on the DSL Chipsets industrial chain, this report mainly elaborate the definition, types, applications and major players of DSL Chipsets market in details. Deep analysis about market status (2018-2026), enterprise competition pattern, advantages and disadvantages of enterprise Products, industry development trends (2018-2026), regional industrial layout characteristics and macroeconomic policies, industrial policy has also be included. From raw materials to downstream buyers of this industry will be analyzed scientifically, the feature of product circulation and sales channel will be presented as well. In a word, this report will help you to establish a panorama of industrial development and characteristics of the DSL Chipsets market. Make an inquiry and request for customization@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/make-enquiry-form/23177 Leading players of DSL Chipsets including: - Broadcom (Avago) - MediaTek (Ralink) - Intel (Lantiq) - Qualcomm (Ikanos) - NXP (Freescale) - Cavium - Sckipio ... DSL CHIPSETS Market split by Type, can be divided into: - ADSL Type - VDSL Type - G.fast Type DSL CHIPSETS Market split by Application, can be divided into: - Internet Access & File Sharing - Video - Telecommuting - Online Education & Shopping - Telemedicine - Online Gaming Market split by Sales Channel, can be divided into: - Direct Channel - Distribution Channel Market segment by Region/Country including: - North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) - Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Spain etc.) - Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and Southeast Asia etc.) - South America Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Chile etc.) - Middle East & Africa (South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia etc.) Competitive Landscape: The study is a professional probe into the revenue generated and capacity estimates for the DSL CHIPSETS market for the forecast period 2018 - 2026 empower the business owners to maintain a competitive edge over their rivals. The research further examines and provides data on the market by type, application and geography interspersed with illustrations and other graphical representations. The market analysis not only determines the attractiveness of the industry but also the evolving challenges and opportunities and their association with the weaknesses and strengths of prominent market leaders. Other factors taken into consideration when studying the industry include profitability, manufacturing capability, distribution channels and industry cost structure and major success factors. Regional Analysis: A new market assessment report on DSL CHIPSETS market brings to light a detailed statistics on the dramatic shift in the competitive landscape and business environment of the DSL CHIPSETS market for the forecast period 2018 - 2026. The comprehensive study offers an overview of the current state of development of the business as well as predicts the course of progress across different regions. A large number of factors including the major driving forces, threats and opportunities are taken into account to present an analytical picture of the industry portrayed in the report. Buy DSL Chipsets market report and avail 15% free customization on the report at https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/23177 In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of DSL Chipsets are as follows: History Year: 2013-2017 Base Year: 2017 Estimated Year: 2018 Forecast Year 2018 to 2026 The research provides answers to the following key questions: - What is the expected growth rate of the DSL Chipsets market? What will be the market size for the forecast period, 2018 - 2026? - What are the major driving forces responsible for transforming the trajectory of the industry? - Who are major vendors dominating the DSL Chipsets industry across different regions? What are their winning strategies to stay ahead in the competition? - What are the market trends business owners can rely upon in the coming years? - What are the threats and challenges expected to restrict the progress of the industry across different countries? - What are the key opportunities that business owners can bank on for the forecast period, 2018 - 2026? Key elements from TOC Chapter 1 DSL Chipsets Market Overview Chapter 2 DSL Chipsets Market Segment Analysis by Player Chapter 3 DSL Chipsets Market Segment Analysis by Type Chapter 4 DSL Chipsets Market Segment Analysis by Application Chapter 5 DSL Chipsets Market Segment Analysis by Sales Channel Chapter 6 DSL Chipsets Market Segment Analysis by Region Chapter 7 Profile of Leading DSL Chipsets Players Chapter 8 Upstream and Downstream Analysis of DSL Chipsets Chapter 9 Development Trend of DSL Chipsets (2018-2026) Continue... Get Access to Full summary of this report@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/dsl-chipsets-market About MarketExpertz Planning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web? Then marketexpertz has just the thing for you - reports from over 500 prominent publishers and updates on our collection daily to empower companies and individuals catch-up with the vital insights on industries operating across different geography, trends, share, size and growth rate. There's more to what we offer to our customers. With marketexpertz you have the choice to tap into the specialized services without any additional charges. Contact Us: John Watson Head of Business Development Market Expertz | Web: www.marketexpertz.com Direct Line: +1-800-819-3052 E-mail: sales@marketexpertz.com News: www.marketexpertz.com/market-news Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- Europe Heparin Market: Snapshot Europe is among the major regions contributing to the global heparin market owing to its developed economy and high prevalence of coagulation disorders. According to the Ageing Report published by the European Commission in 2015, the percentage of population aged above 65 years is expected to increase from 21.0% in 2013 to 32.0% in 2060. Aging is directly proportional to the rising incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) diseases such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). Hence, the demand for heparin in Europe is expected to increase in the next few years. The heparin market in Europe was valued at US$2.2 bn in 2015 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 5.2% from 2016 to 2024 to reach US$3.5 bn in 2024. View Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/europe-heparin-market.html Heparin Most Widely Used in Hospitals across Europe Based on end user, the heparin market in Europe has been categorized into hospitals, blood and stem cell banks, and others. Hospitals and clinics widely use heparin as a blood thinner in the treatment of various diseases related to cardiovascular, cancer, and orthopedic. Heparin such as Calcilean, Calciparine, Hepalean, Heparin Leo, and Hepalean-lok are prominently used in hospitals for surgical purposes. The hospitals segment accounted for a major share of the heparin market in Europe as most surgical procedures are often performed in hospitals. The blood and stem cell banks segment also held a significant share of the market in 2015. Blood and stem cell banks use heparin to collect cord blood and stem cells as heparin promotes the growth of human embryonic stem cells in a defined serum-free medium. Request a Brochure of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=4815 Rapid Growth of Heparin Market Anticipated in Several European Nations The heparin market in Europe has been segmented on the basis of geography into the following major markets: Germany, France, the U.K., Italy, Spain, Poland, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Belgium, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Greece, Slovakia, and Rest of Europe. Germany accounted for the leading share in the heparin market in Europe in 2015 and is expected to continue its dominance till 2024. Key attributes to the market growth in Germany encompass burgeoning incidence of VTE among patients, resulting in the increased demand for heparin. Moreover, stringent regulations pertaining to Chinese active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) due to adulteration issues have attracted new players to the heparin processing and manufacturing business in Europe. Europe has been known to adhere to strict regulations pertaining to the import of heparin. For instance, in 2013, Germany-based meat company, Tonnies GmbH & Co, acquired Pharma Action, a heparin API manufacturer, and proposed to manufacture 30 metric tons of heparin API. Such developments are expected to augment the heparin market's growth in Germany. France, Belgium, and Portugal are anticipated to register the highest growth in the coming years. France also held the second position in the heparin market in Europe in 2015. Heparin consumption during and after surgical procedures such as knee replacement, hip surgery, appendectomy, and breast surgery is higher in France as compared to Italy, Spain, and the U.K. The increased risk of thrombosis among the geriatric population is also expected to drive the market for heparin in France. Request a Sample of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=4815 Major players in the Europe heparin market include Sanofi SA, Pfizer, Inc., Leo Pharma, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories. About Transparency Market Research Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge. Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMR's syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement. Contact Us Transparency Market Research 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Tel: +1-518-618-1030 USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Sarasota, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/27/2019 -- Global Gas Pipeline Infrastructure Market: Overview Gas pipeline infrastructure helps in transporting a gas via a system of pipes to the destination for consumption. It is the most cost-effective to transport the gas through land at the destination that are far away. It is massively used in onshore as well as offshore sectors. Download Free PDF Research Report Brochure @ https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/requestbrochure/gas-pipeline-infrastructure-market Global Gas Pipeline Infrastructure Market: Growth Factors Paradigm shift toward clean energy sources along with massive penetration of natural gas across myriad sectors such as power generation, chemical, manufacturing and residential & commercial will accelerate the gas pipeline infrastructure market growth. With renewable energy and energy conservation becoming catch phrases of the twenty-first century, governments across the globe are enforcing stringent regulations for curbing GHG emissions and this will proliferate market demand in the coming years. In addition, decommissioning of existing gas transportation routes along with high government funding for replacing it with effective conduits will augment the business space. Burgeoning demand for hydrocarbons as a result of rapidly inflating population will further drive the market trends in the ensuing years. Rapid urbanization witness across the globe is anticipated to favorably impact the business environment in the forthcoming years. Exploration of shale gas reserves along with immense potential of numerous untapped oil & gas reservoirs across the globe will propel gas pipeline infrastructure market trends in the near future. Recovery of oil & gas costs coupled with massive focus on exploration & production activities across countries with abundant shale reserves will improve the industry frame of reference. Global Gas Pipeline Infrastructure Market: Segmentation The global gas pipeline infrastructure market can be classified based on application, operation, equipment, and diameter. On the basis of application, the market is sectored into onshore and offshore applications. Based on the operation, the market is segmented into transmission and distribution. Equipment wise, the market is divided into pipeline, valves, and compressor station. Diameter wise, the gas pipeline infrastructure market is divided into less than 16 inch, ranging between 17 to 24 inches, 25-36 inches, and more than 36 inches. Request Free Sample Report @ https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/gas-pipeline-infrastructure-market Global Gas Pipeline Infrastructure Market: Regional Analysis Based on regions, the global gas pipeline infrastructure market can be divided into five main regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. Massive rise in the gas connected end-users coupled with upgradation of unreliable conduit systems is likely to boost the growth of gas pipeline infrastructure market in the countries such as the U.S. and Mexico of North America. Mexico gas pipeline infrastructure market is anticipated to surge over the coming years, subject to large gas exports via national pipeline. Middle East & African market is predicted to witness a lucrative growth in the coming years with countries such as Iran contributing massively towards the regional market share in the coming years after UN lifted sanction on the country. Massive exploration & production activities in newly discovered oil fields in the Middle East region will steer the market growth in MEA in the near future. Massive gas demand in the countries such as India and China as a result of rising population will contribute notably towards Asia Pacific gas pipeline infrastructure market size in the years to come. In addition, Latin America and Europe are anticipated to be lucrative business destinations in the near future. Global Gas Pipeline Infrastructure Market: Competitive Players Some of key players in as pipeline infrastructure market are Enbridge, Europipe, Gazprom, CRC Evans Pipeline, APA Group, Snam Rete, General Electric, Redexis, Technip, Saipem, MRC Global, DCP Midstream, Chelpipe, Welspun, Engas, National Oilwell Varco, GAIL and Perusahaan Gas Negara. Inquiry more about this report @ https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/inquiry/gas-pipeline-infrastructure-market Global Gas Pipeline Infrastructure Market: Regional Segment Analysis North America The U.S. Europe The UK France Germany The Asia Pacific China Japan India Latin America Brazil The Middle East and Africa Rockville Pike, MD -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/27/2019 -- Hydraulic hose is the replacement of the rigid pipes specially designed to transfer fluid to or among different hydraulic components such as actuators, valves, and tools. The industrial hydraulic system usually operates at high pressure, and therefore, the hydraulic hose is often reinforced with several construction layers and are flexible. The important parameters such as dimension, construction options, performance specifications, and features are required for the hydraulic hose to use in different end-use industry. The dimensional parameters important for hydraulic hose selection are outside and inside diameters and minimum bend radius. The global market for hydraulic hose was valued at US$ 9.8 Bn in 2017. The market is forecast to expand at a CAGR of 5.23% by value during the forecast period, 2018-2027. Request for a Sample of this report: https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=2538 Drivers & Restraints The growth of the evergreen agriculture industry which is replacing traditional to mechanized agriculture processes is likely to create a growth opportunity for the hydraulic hose market. The hydraulic hose is widely used for various agriculture purposes mainly irrigation equipment. The modernization in agriculture equipment and requirement of hydraulic hose in the agriculture industry is expected to grow in the near future. The agriculture industry growth in countries such as the US, China, India, and Australia with a significant pace is likely to drive the growth of the hydraulic hose market in the forecast period. The requirement of hydraulic hose for high-pressure hydraulic oil lines in agriculture, machine tool and construction industry is likely to contribute to the growth of the market. In the mining industry, the hydraulic hose is used in different equipment such as dozers, hydraulic shovel, scrappers, drill rigs, haul trucks, hydraulic shovels, and water trucks. The hydraulic hose provides the required working pressure to different machines. The hydraulic hose is used for both surface mining and under growing mining processes. The growing mining industry is anticipated to contribute to the significant growth of the hydraulic hose market. The main application of the hydraulic hose is to surge pressure as required according to the work conditions. The hydraulic hose is used by hydraulic machines to create low-speed torque and maintain speed and movement of the machines. Hydraulic hoses are used for different purposes including the reduction in the effects of vibration or providing the movement gap between two port locations. Moreover, the hydraulic hose can also be used for ease of installation or availability of hose manufacturing equipment. The growing construction industry equipment also inclines for the use of hydraulic hose in machines such as bulldozers, backhoes, wheel loader, and excavators and others. The demand for the hydraulic hose is estimated to grow at a substantial rate from the construction industry owing to the requirement of high operating pressure and maximum abrasion resistance to the equipment. Moreover, the demand driven from the other end-use industries such as transportation industry is likely to boost the market growth in the forecast period. Get Access To TOC Covering 200+ Topics: https://www.factmr.com/report/2538/hydraulic-hose-market Agriculture Industry to be Most Popular End-Use Application Industry in the Hydraulic Hose Market Among the different end-use application industry of the Hydraulic Hose market agriculture industry end use application have quite more share than the construction and mining end use application which is probably growing with modest growth rate during the forecast period, however transportation industry shows considerable growth rate over the forecast period in hydraulic hose market by the end of 2027. Global Hydraulic Hose Market: Competition Dashboard Fact.MR has profiled some leading companies in the Hydraulic Hose market such as Bridgestone Corporation, Parker Hannifin Corporation, Alfagomma Spa, Eaton Corporation, Gates Corporation, Ryco Hydraulics - Fluid Conveying Technology & Innovation, Manuli Hydraulics, Hansa-Flex Ag and others located across the globe The prominent market players in hydraulic hose market are concentrating on the extension of their production abilities and vertical integration for business development. Moreover, the players are investing to expand the distribution network and empower the business relationship. The marketing strategy by manufacturers is expected to contribute for the growth of hydraulic hose market in the forecast period, 2018-2028. For any query get easily connect with an Analyst: https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=2538 About FactMR FactMR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market insights reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports. Contact Us Fact.MR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Email: sales@factmr.com Web: https://www.factmr.com/ Blog: https://factmrblog.com/ Read Industry News at - https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- Global Healthcare Payer Services Market: Snapshot Outsourcing is emerging as a cost-effective tool for healthcare payers. Therefore, the growing trend of outsourcing is working in favor of the global healthcare payer services market. The increasing dependence of technologically advanced solutions to deliver economical business process services, growing popularity of digital technology, and the enforcement of strict health care regulations in several parts of the world are among the primary factors stoking the growth of the market. The growth of the market is also supplemented by the growing investments in healthcare IT (HCIT) and increasing number of private healthcare insurance companies. Moreover, the introduction of favorable policies by governments is escalating the growth of the global healthcare payer services market. On the flip side, the mounting cases of data breaches are resulting in increased skepticism regarding the loss of confidentiality, which in turn is limiting the widespread adoption of healthcare payer services. While outsourcing makes the overall procedure of healthcare payer services easy, it also induces unforeseen costs. This is, in turn, hampering the growth of the global market. The majority of key players in the global healthcare payer services market are focusing towards implementing mobile technology with health plans to lure in a greater number of customers. A raft of large players are also emphasizing on mergers and acquisitions in order to stay ahead in the market. Request Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=1289 Global Healthcare Payer Services Market: Overview The healthcare industry is at an interesting cusp at present with breakthrough technologies, practices, and services. This also translates as higher costs of treatment and consumer empowerment with digital transformation. Besides, tough regulations and better reimbursement policies are also transforming the contours of the industry. This has spawned the global healthcare payer services market which is primed for robust growth on account of the above factors. Major players operating in the market are focused on mergers and acquisitions to diversify business portfolio and improve delivery outcomes. In healthcare, payer refers to entities other than the patient that finance or reimburse the healthcare services cost. Typically, they include insurance carriers, third-party payers, or health plan sponsors such as employers or unions. Application of payer services include management services, provider management services, billing and accounts management services, integrated front office services and back office operations, member management services, analytics and fraud management services, and HR services. The types of payer services available in the market are BPO services, ITO services, and KPO services. Among them, the BPO services gross maximum revenue. A report by TMR Research offers essential information on the key trends in the global healthcare payer services market. It presents a granular analysis of the various growth drivers and restraints in the market. The report also presents a detailed assessment of the competitive landscape and identifies key players contributing towards its growth. Further, it leverages market-leading analytical tools to gauge the opportunities and threats awaiting players. Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=1289 Global Healthcare Payer Services Market: Trends and Opportunities Some of the factors at the forefront of driving the global healthcare payer services market are increased adoption of technologies particularly digital technology to bring about economical business process services, growing focus on consumerism, and a host of healthcare regulatory policies. No wonder then, tech titans are some of the main players in the market. They are increasingly integrating mobility and health plans to engage enrolled members. Other factors helping the market's growth are the increasing private healthcare insurance exchanges and IT investments. The pressing demand to bring down the overall administrative costs of member management services, rising need for cost effective solutions for the healthcare payer services, and the alarming instances of healthcare fraud cases are few things expected to shape the course of the market in the near future. At present, the private payers are ahead of the public payers in the global market for healthcare payer services. This is because of the massive investment by private players in the healthcare payer vertical and significant government efforts to induce private investment in the healthcare industry. Public payers, however, are slated to clock solid growth in the years ahead. Global Healthcare Payer Services Market: Regional Outlook Geographically, North America holds a dominant position in the global market for healthcare payer services at present, powered mainly by the U.S. This is because of the rising number of health insurance enrollment, helpful reimbursement framework, and dearth of skilled professionals. Besides North America, Asia Pacific is another emerging market that holds out a strong promise of growth. In fact, India, an emerging economy in the region, is a global market leader in the knowledge process outsourcing (KPO). China and Japan in the region are also slated to contribute substantially to the market. In the Rest of the World, Mexico and Brazil are shining stars poised to impact the global market growth. Companies Mentioned in the Report Some of the prominent companies competing in the global market for healthcare payer services, profiled in the report are Cognizant Technology Solutions, Accenture plc, Xerox Corporation, Genpact Limited, Hewlett-Packard, Hexaware Technologies Limited, HCL Technologies Ltd., Teleperformance Group, Hinduja Global Solutions Ltd., and Wipro Limited. Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/healthcare-payer-services-market About TMR Research TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in today's supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients' conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends. New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- The latest report on Infant Incubator industry takes a closer look at the value chain assessment for the forecast period, 2018 to 2026. Along with the detailed analysis of the performance of the prominent market players, the study brings to light their winning strategies. The comprehensive study covers hard to find facts about the market landscape as well as its growth prospects in the years to come. Most importantly, the research report includes vital statistics about the major vendors occupying a strong foothold in this industry. Besides this, in order to calculate the market share, the study takes a closer look at the selling price of the product across different regions. Download Sample Copy of Report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/31280 Scope of the report: The scope of the study extends to multiple areas but it primarily tracks the progress of the market in the period of 2016 to 2026 and accordingly forecast its future growth for the years 2018 to 2026. It reviews the developments recorded by established as well as growing companies of the industry to give analyze the impact of the companies on the rise of the market. It includes various factors that have aided the escalation of the market through the years and their probable impact on the same in the forecasted period. Overall, it provides robust information regarding the market share of the principle companies and regions to give a detailed understanding the market's global standing and promises a clear inference of the trends observed in the market, the contributing factors, major stakeholders, key companies and prime areas that exhibit a potential for growth. Infant Incubator market competitions by top manufacturers covered in this report are: GE Healthcare, Draeger, Atom Medical, Natus Medical, DAVID, Fanem, Shvabe, Dison, Mediprema, JW Medical, Phoenix, Cobams, Weyer, Beijing Julongsanyou, Medicor, Ginevri, Olidef, V-Care Medical, PT. FYROM, Ertunc Ozcan Market segment by Region/Country including: - North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) - Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Spain etc.) - Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and Southeast Asia etc.) - South America Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Chile etc.) - Middle East & Africa (South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia etc.) Market split by Type, can be divided into: - Transport Infant Incubator - Normal Infant Incubator Market split by Application, can be divided into: - Public Sector - Private Sector Buy Full Report@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/31280 Apart from this, the researchers behind the market intelligence report examine the weaknesses, strengths, opportunities, and restraints expected to shape the progress of the Infant Incubator market for the forecast period, 2018 to 2026. The market intelligence report includes detailed statistics on market segmentation based on product value, application, classification, and sale. The global Infant Incubator market research report answers it all: - What performance needs should products meet during the forecast period, 2018 to 2026? - What are the distribution needs must the vendors fulfil to gain a competitive edge over their competitors? - Which geographic locations should the business owners operating in the global Infant Incubator market focus on during the forecast period, 2018 to 2026? - What are the cost drivers? What are the performance tradeoffs to be considered during the estimated period? - What are the industry standards both new entrants and established business owners must adhere to? - Which production and delivery issues have plagued the global Infant Incubator market? There are 13 Chapters to thoroughly display the Infant Incubator market. Chapter 1: Infant Incubator Market Overview, Product Overview, Market Segmentation, Market Overview of Regions, Market Dynamics, Limitations, Opportunities and Industry News and Policies. Chapter 2: Infant Incubator Industry Chain Analysis, Upstream Raw Material Suppliers, Major Players, Production Process Analysis, Cost Analysis, Market Channels and Major Downstream Buyers. Chapter 3: Value Analysis, Production, Growth Rate and Price Analysis by Type of Infant Incubator. Chapter 4: Downstream Characteristics, Consumption and Market Share by Application of Infant Incubator. Chapter 5: Production Volume, Price, Gross Margin, and Revenue ($) of Infant Incubator by Regions (2013-2018). Continue Browse Full Report Summary @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/infant-incubator-market About MarketExpertz Planning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web? Then marketexpertz has just the thing for you - reports from over 500 prominent publishers and updates on our collection daily to empower companies and individuals catch-up with the vital insights on industries operating across different geography, trends, share, size and growth rate. There's more to what we offer to our customers. With marketexpertz you have the choice to tap into the specialized services without any additional charges. Contact Us: John Watson Head of Business Development Market Expertz | Web: www.marketexpertz.com Direct Line: +1-800-819-3052 E-mail: sales@marketexpertz.com News: www.marketexpertz.com/market-news New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- The latest research report on the INGAAS IMAGE SENSORS market for the forecast period, 2018 - 2026 is involved in screening the business environment and the companies operating in the INGAAS IMAGE SENSORS industry. Importantly, the research sheds a lot of light on their winning strategies to help stakeholders, business owners, and field marketing executives stay ahead in the competition. Besides, the industry is thoroughly weighed upon on the basis of the total revenue generated as well as the output/volume produced year after year. Other aspects including but not limited to the market drivers, key opportunities and probable restraints are thoroughly assessed during the study. Scope of the InGaAs Image Sensors market Based on the InGaAs Image Sensors industrial chain, this report mainly elaborate the definition, types, applications and major players of InGaAs Image Sensors market in details. Deep analysis about market status (2018-2026), enterprise competition pattern, advantages and disadvantages of enterprise Products, industry development trends (2018-2026), regional industrial layout characteristics and macroeconomic policies, industrial policy has also be included. From raw materials to downstream buyers of this industry will be analyzed scientifically, the feature of product circulation and sales channel will be presented as well. In a word, this report will help you to establish a panorama of industrial development and characteristics of the InGaAs Image Sensors market. Request Sample copy of this report@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/17018 Leading players of InGaAs Image Sensors including: - Hamamatsu Photonics - Sensor Unlimited - Teledyne DALSA - Xenics - New Imaging Technologies - SYNERGY OPTOSYSTEMS - FLIR Systems ... InGaAs Image Sensors Market split by Type, can be divided into: - InGaAs Linear Image Sensors - InGaAs Area Image Sensors InGaAs Image Sensors Market split by Application, can be divided into: - Physics and Chemistry Measurement - Industrial Measurement - Defense and Surveillance - Optical Communication InGaAs Image Sensors Market split by Sales Channel, can be divided into: - Direct Channel - Distribution Channel InGaAs Image Sensors Market segment by Region/Country including: - North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) - Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Spain etc.) - Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and Southeast Asia etc.) - South America Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Chile etc.) - Middle East & Africa (South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia etc.) Make an inquiry and request for customization@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/make-enquiry-form/17018 Apart from this, the valuable document weighs upon the performance of the industry on the basis of a product service, end-use, geography and end customer The latest industry intelligence report on the InGaAs Image Sensors market performs a cautious examination of the current business environment and competitive landscape of the InGaAs Image Sensors market for the forecast period, 2018 - 2026. For stakeholders, field marketing executives and product owners planning to maintain a competitive edge the market assessment report brings to light essential impression about the growth rate, share and size of the industry during the estimated period. Deep dive into an array of elements including but not limited to the value proposition, product positioning, and targeting and industry segmentation have been described through resources such as charts, tables, and info graphics. Region wise performance of the InGaAs Image Sensors industry The study segments the complete INGAAS IMAGE SENSORS market on the basis of different application, end-use, end-user, and production capability. From a business standpoint, the industry has been thoroughly examined across various countries located in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and others. The size of the industry for the forecast period 2018 - 2026 is evaluated on the basis of current sales figures and past financial report can be used to forecast the future sales. Market Share: The INGAAS IMAGE SENSORS market is further segmented in terms of applications, end-user, end-use, geographic presence, by-products as well as services. In addition, the subject matter experts evaluating the industry provide an all-inclusive category-specific industry outlook. A comprehensive collection of data on major companies occupying a strong foothold in the industry adds immense value to the overall research. The assessment of the wining strategies followed by these companies can help business owners not only strategize but also execute business operations by referring the statistics about competitor analysis. Careful assessment of the industry analysis across different regions along with vital information on the market size, share and growth rate makes this report a wonderful resource for business evangelists. Buy InGaAs Image Sensors market report and avail 15% free customization on the report at https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/17018 In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of INGAAS IMAGE SENSORS are as follows: History Year: 2013-2017 Base Year: 2017 Estimated Year: 2018 Forecast Year 2018 to 2026 The research provides answers to the following key questions: - What is the anticipated growth rate of the InGaAs Image Sensors market? What will be the size and share of the industry for the forecast period, 2018 - 2026? - What are key market drivers expected to transform the competitive landscape of the InGaAs Image Sensors industry? - Who are major vendors dominating the InGaAs Image Sensors industry across different regions? What are their winning strategies to stay ahead in the competition? - What are the major trends expected to transform the complete trajectory of the InGaAs Image Sensors market for the forecast period, 2018 - 2026? - What are the challenges business owners are likely to encounter during the estimated period? - What are the types of opportunities business owners can bank on during the estimated period? Browse complete report description and visit our website@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/ingaas-image-sensors-market About MarketExpertz Planning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web? Then marketexpertz has just the thing for you - reports from over 500 prominent publishers and updates on our collection daily to empower companies and individuals catch-up with the vital insights on industries operating across different geography, trends, share, size and growth rate. There's more to what we offer to our customers. With marketexpertz you have the choice to tap into the specialized services without any additional charges. Contact Us: John Watson Head of Business Development Market Expertz | Web: www.marketexpertz.com Direct Line: +1-800-819-3052 E-mail: sales@marketexpertz.com News: www.marketexpertz.com/market-news Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- HTF MI released a new market study on Global K-12 International Schools Market with 100+ market data Tables, Pie Chat, Graphs & Figures spread through Pages and easy to understand detailed analysis. At present, the market is developing its presence. The Research report presents a complete assessment of the Market and contains a future trend, current growth factors, attentive opinions, facts, and industry validated market data. The research study provides estimates for Global K-12 International Schools Forecast till 2025*. Some are the key players taken under coverage for this study are Cognita Schools, GEMS Education, Maple Leaf Educational Systems, Nord Anglia Education, ACS International Schools, Braeburn Schools, Dulwich College International, Esol Education, Harrow International Schools, Shrewsbury International School, Wellington College & Yew Chung Education Foundation. Click to get Global K-12 International Schools Market Research Sample PDF Copy Here @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/1295202-global-k-12-international-schools-market-1 #Summary: An international school is a school that promotes international education, in an international environment, either by adopting a curriculum such as that of the International Baccalaureate, Edexcel or Cambridge International Examinations, or by following a national curriculum different from that of the school's country of residence. International schools cater mainly to students who are not nationals of the host country, such as the children of the staff of international businesses, international organizations, foreign embassies, missions, or missionary programs. Many local students attend these schools to learn the language of the international school and to obtain qualifications for employment or higher education in a foreign country. In 2017, the global K-12 International Schools market size was xx million US$ and it is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during 2018-2025. Important Features that are under offering & key highlights of the report : 1) What all companies are currently profiled in the report? Following are list of players that are currently profiled in the the report "Cognita Schools, GEMS Education, Maple Leaf Educational Systems, Nord Anglia Education, ACS International Schools, Braeburn Schools, Dulwich College International, Esol Education, Harrow International Schools, Shrewsbury International School, Wellington College & Yew Chung Education Foundation" ** List of companies mentioned may vary in the final report subject to Name Change / Merger etc. 2) Can we add or profiled new company as per our need? Yes, we can add or profile new company as per client need in the report. Final confirmation to be provided by research team depending upon the difficulty of survey. ** Data availability will be confirmed by research in case of privately held company. Upto 3 players can be added at no added cost. 3) What all regional segmentation covered? Can specific country of interest be added? Currently, research report gives special attention and focus on following regions: United States, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India & Central & South America ** One country of specific interest can be included at no added cost. For inclusion of more regional segment quote may vary. 4) Can inclusion of additional Segmentation / Market breakdown is possible? Yes, inclusion of additional segmentation / Market breakdown is possible subject to data availability and difficulty of survey. However a detailed requirement needs to be shared with our research before giving final confirmation to client. ** Depending upon the requirement the deliverable time and quote will vary. Enquire for customization in Report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/1295202-global-k-12-international-schools-market-1 To comprehend Global K-12 International Schools market dynamics in the world mainly, the worldwide K-12 International Schools market is analyzed across major global regions. HTF MI also provides customized specific regional and country-level reports for the following areas. - North America: United States, Canada, and Mexico. - South & Central America: Argentina, Chile, and Brazil. - Middle East & Africa: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, Egypt and South Africa. - Europe: UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Russia. - Asia-Pacific: India, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, and Australia. 2-Page profiles for 10+ leading manufacturers and 10+ leading retailers is included, along with 3 years financial history to illustrate the recent performance of the market. Revised and updated discussion for 2018 of key macro and micro market influences impacting the sector are provided with a thought-provoking qualitative comment on future opportunities and threats. This report combines the best of both statistically relevant quantitative data from the industry, coupled with relevant and insightful qualitative comment and analysis. Global K-12 International Schools Product Types In-Depth: , English Language International School & Other Language International School Global K-12 International Schools Major Applications/End users: Pre-primary School, Primary School, Middle School & High School Geographical Analysis: United States, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India & Central & South America In order to get a deeper view of Market Size, competitive landscape is provided i.e. Revenue (Million USD) by Players (2013-2018), Revenue Market Share (%) by Players (2013-2018) and further a qualitative analysis is made towards market concentration rate, product/service differences, new entrants and the technological trends in future. Competitive Analysis: The key players are highly focusing innovation in production technologies to improve efficiency and shelf life. The best long-term growth opportunities for this sector can be captured by ensuring ongoing process improvements and financial flexibility to invest in the optimal strategies. Company profile section of players such as Cognita Schools, GEMS Education, Maple Leaf Educational Systems, Nord Anglia Education, ACS International Schools, Braeburn Schools, Dulwich College International, Esol Education, Harrow International Schools, Shrewsbury International School, Wellington College & Yew Chung Education Foundation includes its basic information like legal name, website, headquarters, its market position, historical background and top 5 closest competitors by Market capitalization / revenue along with contact information. Each player/ manufacturer revenue figures, growth rate and gross profit margin is provided in easy to understand tabular format for past 5 years and a separate section on recent development like mergers, acquisition or any new product/service launch etc. Buy Full Copy Global K-12 International Schools Report 2018 @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=1295202 In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Global K-12 International Schools are as follows: History Year: 2013-2017 Base Year: 2017 Estimated Year: 2018 Forecast Year 2018 to 2025 Key Stakeholders/Global Reports: K-12 International Schools Manufacturers K-12 International Schools Distributors/Traders/Wholesalers K-12 International Schools Subcomponent Manufacturers Industry Association Downstream Vendors Browse for Full Report at @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/1295202-global-k-12-international-schools-market-1 Actual Numbers & In-Depth Analysis, Business opportunities, Market Size Estimation Available in Full Report. Thanks for reading this article, you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia. New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/27/2019 -- Laser Warning System Market: Introduction Today's battlefields are more than guns and soldiers, numerous support systems are being adopted in the battlefield supporting soldiers to be alert, reduce war casualties and stay one step ahead of the enemies. The use of advanced military technology has increased over the years aiding the soldiers in making crucial tactical decisions, avoid sudden enemy ambushes and minimize damage. One such technology that has been prevalent in the modern warfare is the use of laser warning system. A laser warning system or a laser detection system is a small cautionary device equipped with a laser receiver and a warning system that detects, analyses and alerts its user of laser rays emitted by the rangefinders and guidance system of the enemy. The increased use of electronics in weapon guiding systems is the reason for the improvement in the laser warning system market in order to counter the threat projected by the enemy quickly and effectively. Some of the latest advancements made in the laser warning system include automatic countermeasure systems integrated into the laser warning system that deploys smoke screens, dazzlers, laser jammers and others upon the detection of laser rays. Laser Warning System Market: Dynamics Laser warning system market is driven by the increased need of protection of the soldiers in the battle ground. Military officers who are constantly engaged in the battlefield for defensive and offensive activities always find themselves in need for continuously understanding the tactics employed by the enemy and take the necessary evasive manoeuvres to gain an upper hand. This is achieved through the use of laser warning system, which in turn positively influences the growth of the market over the forecast period. Though not limited to its usage in an active battlefield only, a laser warning system is also being increasingly employed for border protection also. As tensions are prevalent at the border of two countries, laser warning system have been increasingly installed at the borders in order to alert the officers beforehand about the threat and undertake defensive actions quickly. The market players associated with manufacture of laser warning systems are very limited in number against the backdrop of steadily increasing demand and stagnant military budget, which has forced the manufacturers to keep the competition with each other and share expertise and resources for more value added products. One crucial restraint associated with laser warning system market is the usage of beam-riders for guiding missiles, these guidance systems are more difficult to detect and has been increasingly purchased by the Middle Eastern forces. Complications associated with tightening and limiting military funding by various governments of the countries can also dent the market sales of laser warning system. Request For Report Sample@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/13213 Laser Warning System Market: Segmentation On the basis of Range Coverage or Azimuth, Laser Warning System can be segmented as: 0 to 90 90 to 180 180 to 360 On the basis of threat detection type, the market can be segmented as: Laser Rangefinder Laser Guidance Systems Others (Laser Designator etc.) On the basis of End Users, the market can be segmented as: Ground Force Maritime Force Air Force Others (Border Security Forces etc.) Laser Warning System Market: Regional Outlook The Global Laser Warning System market can be segmented into seven geographical regions such as Asia Pacific excluding Japan, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan and Middle East & Africa. The U.S. in the North America region is likely to fare better in the laser warning system market than other countries in other regions owing to slightly higher military funding. Western Europe and Japan are also better prospects for the sales of laser warning systems market in the forecast period owing to improvement in military funding and infrastructure while the market in China in the Asia Pacific region for laser warning system is also likely to witness steady growth over the forecast period. Request For Report Table of Content (TOC)@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/13213 Laser Warning System Market: Participants Examples of some of the participants identified in the manufacture of Laser Warning System market are Thales Group Ferranti Technologies Ltd. Elbit Systems Ltd. PCO S.A. Metrodat s.r.o. Global Industrial & Defence Solutions Aselsan A.?. UTC Aerospace Systems Excelitas Technologies Corp. Saab AB Northrop Grumman Corporation BAE Systems Plc Airbus Defence and Space Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- The persistent zest of all organizations is to increase efficiency while maintaining quality, and machine learning as a service has emerged as a tool that can leverage cloud computing services to aid in data visualization, application program interface (API), natural language processing (NLP), face recognition, deep leaning, and predictive analytics. This zest is turning into a boon for the global machine learning as a service (MLaaS) market, in which the demand will be incrementing at an exuberant CAGR of 38.40% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2025, according to an up to date business publication released by Transparency Market Research (TMR). Revenue-wise, the global MLaaS market is estimated to be worth US$19.86 billion by the end of 2025. Request a Sample - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=16907 The analyst of the TMR publication has notified for a fairly consolidated competitive landscape in the global machine learning as a service market, with leading three companies, viz. Microsoft Corporation, Amazon Web Services, and IBM Corporation collectively held more than 73% of the total shares as of 2016. This being said, a number of regional players have mushroomed in the recent past and the future competitive landscape is expected to be much more fragmented, although the aforementioned three prominent players will continue to dominate in some sense. This prominence of Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM can be attributed to their vast geographical presence and the ability to provide for efficient services if not innovate for new products. These players are also financially equipped to collaborate with or acquire small players in order to maintain their stronghold. As a result, the opening for new players is to carve niche technologies and tools and attract a support from the giants and create a brand name overnight. Some of the other notable players active in the MLaaS market are Google Inc., FICO, Sift Science Inc., Big MI Inc., Yottamine Analytics, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Fuzzy.ai, Datoin, Predictron Labs Ltd., and H20.ai. Download PDF Sample for this Research Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=16907 Based on deployment type, the TMR report segments the MLaaS market into private and public cloud, whereas end users studied for their demand potential are retail, manufacturing, telecom, healthcare and life sciences, and banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI). Region-wise, North America has been highlighted as the one generating the greatest chunk of demand, although Asia Pacific is primed to excel at an above average growth rate. Geographically, the report classifies the global machine learning as a service market into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (MEA), and South America; the regions are analyzed in terms of revenue generation. Furthermore, region wise prominent countries covered in the report include the following - the U.S, Canada, Germany, France, the U.K., China, India, Japan, Australia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil and Argentina. Pune, Maharashtra -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/27/2019 -- About the Report The Fact.MR study is a seamless presentation of unique insights on how the knitted fabrics market will expand across the globe during 2018-2027. The utmost objective of Fact.MR report on knitted fabrics market is to provide compelling insights on the demand generating factors, dynamic aspects, key product developments in the market, and overall market scenario of the knitted fabrics market. The report includes the ultimate predictions about growth of the knitted fabrics market in terms of market size (US$ million) and market volume (tons) during the assessment period. Market Structure The Fact.MR report divides the knitted fabrics market into its four broad sub-segments construction type, fabrics type, applications, and regions. Based on the construction types of knitted fabrics, the knitted fabrics market is segmented into two main categories weft knitted fabrics, and wrap knitted fabrics. Based on the fabric types, the knitted fabrics market is segmented into flat/jersey, purl fabric, rib stitch, and interlock. According to the applications of knitted fabrics, the knitted fabrics market is segmented into Agrotech, Buildtech, Indutech, Sportech, Packtech, Meditech, Clothtech, and Geotech. Based on geographical regions, the knitted fabrics market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific region excluding Japan (APEJ), and the Middle East & Africa (MEA). Request Sample Report @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=2886 Definition Knitted fabrics is a type of elastic textiles that are manufactured by interlocking yarns with the help of a pair of needles. Knitted fabrics can be manufactured by two principal methods weft knitting and warp knitting. Knitted fabrics are generally comfortable, lightweight, and can be made more easily and quickly that woven fabrics, with which they are often used interchangeably. Nearly 50% Market Shares Held by Emerging Players With burgeoning demand for knitted fabrics in the global clothing and textile industry, a mounting number of manufacturers are entering the market to capitalize on lucrative business opportunities. These new market entrants and emerging players collectively account for 45-50% share of the knitted fabrics market. On the other hand, knitted fabrics market leaders are aiming to gain momentum in the clothing and textile industry by enhancing their value chains on two fronts automation and nearshoring. Stagnation in Western markets has consequentially resulted in new players entering the developing markets for knitted fabrics. A mounting number of start-ups in the knitted fabrics market are adopting advanced technologies to introduce innovative fabrics and gain an edge in the knitted fabrics market. In addition, small scale producers in the knitted fabrics market in developing countries are also benefitting from favorable regulations and low labor costs, making their way through the highly-competitive knitted fabrics market. Browse Full Report @ https://www.factmr.com/report/2865/knitted-fabrics-market Notable developments in the knitted fabrics market: A leading Italy-based manufacturer of high-quality knitted fabrics, Luxury Jersey recently announced the launch of two new fabrics for the luxury segment, in partnership with partner Fulgar an Italian producer of man-made fibers. The company used Evo by Fulgar, which is a yarn made from castor oil, in combination with GOTS-certified organic cotton to manufacture these new fabrics. The company also announced that the two new fabrics offer a strong sustainable component in the knitted fabrics market, and can be ideal for women's outwear and sportswear. In February 2018, scientists at Texinov Medical Textiles a French manufacturer of warp-knitted textiles, developed a knitted fabric using laser technology that can be used in treatments for skin diseases such as actinic keratosis, psoriasis, and acne with light. Zaha Hadid Architects and researchers from ETH Zurich a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics University based in Zurich, Switzerland developed double-curved concrete shelled pavilion was made with the help of KnitCrete a 3D-knitted formwork. This framework is claimed to have helped in saving material, waste, and labor for construction by simplifying the construction process for complex shapes. The report provides information about knitted fabrics market structure, key financials, recent competitive developments, and financial share analysis of leading stakeholders in the knitted fabrics market. The companies featured in the report include Guilford Mills, Gehring Tricot Corporation, Rebtex Inc., Macra Lace Company, Clover Knits, SAS Textiles, Damodar Menon International Pvt Ltd., Krishna Overseas, Jason Mills LLC, and William J Dixon Inc. Speak To Research Analyst for Detailed Insights @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=2886 State-of-the-Art Technologies Sought-after among Digitization-driven Knitted Fabrics Manufacturers Increasing growth of the textile industry has resulted in creating more lucrative opportunities, thereby attracting new players to enter the industry. This is leading to intensifying the competition in the knitted fabrics market. Leading manufacturers are launching more innovative and high-quality products using next-generation manufacturing technologies to bring a new dynamic to the knitted fabrics market. Increasing adoption of state-of-the-art technologies to bolster manufacturing of custom seamless knitwear apparels is becoming increasingly palpable in the knitted fabrics market. Market leaders are completely digitizing their entire production processes to further enhance their business productivity and efficiency. Technological assets, such as physical simulation software, 3D printing technology, and 3D design software, are likely to prevail over traditional manufacturing processes soon in the knitted fabrics market. Vulnerability to Damages Prevailing Cost-intensive Concern for Knitted Fabrics Market Players Knitted fabrics have been deemed more prone to damage than their woven alternatives, thereby compromising the utilization efficiency of of the fabric in various applications. Needle malfunction, mismanagement of machinery, or improper care during the fabric dyeing processes, are some of the aspects that increase the risk of damage during knitted fabrics construction In addition, improper manual handling of knitted fabrics and inspection cuts lead to forcing manufacturers to keep an extra buffer for such damages. This is one of the leading causes behind high overall fabric costs, which is ultimately creating challenges for stakeholders to mitigate production costs. Thereby, unavoidable spending on knitted fabric management and machine maintenance prove to be costly challenges for knitted fabrics market players to tackle with. Increasing use of high-tech medical textiles in healthcare applications is creating numerous lucrative opportunities for manufacturers in the knitted fabrics market. Leading market players are likely to adopt next-generation manufacturing technologies to offer knitted medical textiles that can suit various requirements of medical applications in the upcoming years. Knitted Fabric Sales Spur as Manufacturers Emphasize Technical Performance Owing to their soft hand-feel and characteristics to offer a perfect fit to the clothing, knitted fabrics find more demand and maximum applications in nightwear and lingerie collections. Manufacturers in the knitted fabrics market are adopting advanced printing technologies to further enhance the texture and flexibility of knitted fabrics to suit the modern requirements in the nightwear clothing segment. Apart from the offering knitted fabrics with rich feel, leading players in the knitted fabrics market are concentrating on improving performance characteristics of knitted fabrics. Manufacturers are likely to alter their manufacturing processes to offer better performance characteristics of knitted fabrics, such as resistance to washing and rubbing, functional comfort, and significant saving on energy and greenhouse emissions, to expand the scope of knitted fabric applications beyond lingerie and nightwear segment. Additional Questions Answered The Fact.MR report presented the latest information on knitted fabrics market, which can help market players to get the hang of prominent growth prospects of the market. The information compiled in the knitted fabrics market report can serve as a highly credible source for the readers, which can help them to understand historical and forecast data of the knitted fabrics market. The report on knitted fabrics market also addresses some additional market-related questions about the growth trajectory of knitted fabrics market, which can help readers to make value-based decisions and gain a competitive edge in the knitted fabrics market space. The report also helps reading by answering queries about growth prospects of the knitted fabrics market, which can help them to plan appropriate strategies for future while entering the knitted fabrics market. Some of the important questions about the knitted fabrics market that are focused on in the report include What are the most common strategies adopted by leading manufacturers in the knitted fabrics market in developed regions? What is the impact of statistics of the global textile industry on growth of the knitted fabrics market? Which technologies are being used by most manufacturers in the knitted fabrics market? Which factors are driving market players to invest heavily in the knitted fabrics market in the Asia Pacific region? What are the challenges and restraints that are influencing growth prospects of the knitted fabrics market? Research Methodology The Fact.MR report provides readers with exclusive predictions about the historic and recent development in the knitted fabrics market for the period 2018-2027. A unique methodology is followed while conducting a thorough research about the knitted fabrics market to conclude the growth prospects of the market. The information featured in the Fact.MR report is acquired by following a unique and in-depth secondary and primary market research on growth parameters of the knitted fabrics market. Secondary research on the knitted fabrics elucidates the historical industry-validated data, facts and information about the knitted fabrics market. Primary research is carried out to assess growth prospects of the knitted fabrics market, where market players, including manufacturers, industry experts, distributors, suppliers, and investors, in the knitted fabrics market are interviewed. The insights on knitted fabrics market included in the research study have been subjected to authentication and validation of data by seasonal experts and industry giants. The unique research methodology followed in the knitted fabrics market report represents a robust approach to gauge the parameters portraying growth aspects of knitted fabrics market over the forecast time period. About Fact.MR Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports. Contact Us Rohit Bhisey Fact.MR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Email: sales@factmr.com Web: https://www.factmr.com/ Read Industry News at - https://theswisstimes.com New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- A comprehensive study performed on the data, statistics and trends observed in the Medical Electrodes market and the forecast drawn from them concludes that the industry is expected to deliver a substantial growth. The report performs an analysis on the historical data as collected from 2013 to 2017, taking 2018 as base year and uses the trends for forecasting the growth of the company until the year 2026. The analysis of the historical trends of the industry, ultimately provides an analysis of the state of the business while using this knowledge to predict the market forecast. The focus of this analysis lies primarily in those areas of the industry that play a key role in the advancement of the company. Request for Sample Copy of Medical Electrodes Market Report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/16295 This report looks at major companies in the industry and their individual role in its growth. An analysis of major geographical regions that are a part of the Medical Electrodes industry helps to evaluate their size and share in the global setup and include North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Latin America. The analysis and inspection of the data collected and trends observed point towards its prospective growth. A sizable increase is visible in the demand of the market over the years that have been studied and is expected to continue the same. The report also looks at the various types of products available, segmenting the market by type and application in the different regions. An evaluation of the trends in its demand helps to narrow down the sectors that induce the growth in the forecast period. Owing to the worldwide increase in the demand of Medical Electrodes, the industry may soon undergo widespread development. The study points at the upcoming prospects that can be undertaken in order to outspread the product line. The integrated information available in the study aims to provide an all-inclusive outlook of the current scenario of the industry and the possible fluctuations that can be expected in the coming years. SCOPE OF THE REPORT The report analyses the various aspects of the market including the major sectors that are imperative for the growth of the same. It highlights the data collected and the trends seen in its demand in the years 2013 to 2017 along with the year 2018 and predicts the possible trends for the forecasted timespan of 2018 to 2026. Further, it calculates the size of the market in the year 2018 and the share of the industry in the global economy. It gives a view of the companies that are a prominent part of the business's value. The key players of the industry that are covered in this report are 3M, Ambu, Covidien-Medtronic, GE Healthcare, Johnson & Johnson, GSI Technologies, Olympus Corporation, Conmed Corporation, Eschmann Equipment, Graphic Controls, Tianrun Medical, B. Braun, Kirwan Surgical, Utah Medical, ZOLL Medical, Shining Health Care, Bovie Medical, Rhythmlink International, Ardiem Medical, Greatbatch Medical, Ad-Tech Medical, Screentec Medical, Kls Martin Group, Erbe Elektromedizin. The major geographical regions mapped by this study are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. These regions give an accurate description of their individual positions in the global economy. The report is aimed at providing an inclusive look at the happenings in the market to accurately forecast the future of the market. Buy Medical Electrodes Market Report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/16295 Market split by Type, can be divided into: - Disposable - Reusable Market split by Application, can be divided into: - Diagnostic Electrodes - Therapeutic Electrodes - Other Electrodes Understanding the market size: The size of the Medical Electrodes market is viewed in terms of the Share of Market, Total Available Market as well as Served Available Market. Not only does the study present the combined revenue for a particular market but also the market size for a specific geographic region. Analysis of percentage or the size of the Total Available Market based on the type of product, technology, regional constraints and others form an important part of the Medical Electrodes report. Attracting the target audience: First, the comprehensive report finds out why customers need a certain product or service. The study focuses on what problems a certain product and service can solve. Apart from target demographics industry experts weigh up on the factors including audience type, as well as others vital attributes about the target customer segment. The research provides answers to the following key questions: - What is the estimated size of the Medical Electrodes market for the forecast period, 2018 - 2026? What will be the growth rate of the industry during the estimated period? - What are the prominent driving forces likely to impact the progress of the industry across different regions? - Who are the major market players occupying a strong foothold in the Medical Electrodes market? What are the winning strategies adopted by them to stay ahead in the competition? - What are the potential opportunities for the Medical Electrodes market for the forecast period, 2018 - 2026? Read More @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/medical-electrodes-market About MarketExpertz Planning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web? Then marketexpertz has just the thing for you - reports from over 500 prominent publishers and updates on our collection daily to empower companies and individuals catch-up with the vital insights on industries operating across different geography, trends, share, size and growth rate. There's more to what we offer to our customers. With marketexpertz you have the choice to tap into the specialized services without any additional charges. Contact Us: John Watson Head of Business Development Market Expertz | Web: www.marketexpertz.com Direct Line: +1-800-819-3052 E-mail: sales@marketexpertz.com News: https://www.marketexpertz.com/market-news New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- The latest report Melamine Foam Market discusses everything a business owner needs to know about the Melamine Foam market for the forecast period, 2018 to 2026. The document offers an insight into what the target customer's needs and wants. Industry experts have extracted data from various sources on size, share, growth rate, production volume, production capacity, import and export status, distribution channels and more and have analysed it thoroughly. By properly assessing the competitors and their offerings the study aims at empowering business owners to step ahead. Request for Sample Copy of Melamine Foam Market Report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/17090 Scope of the Report: The research methodologies used for evaluating the Melamine Foam market are inventive and also provides enough evidence on the demand and supply status, production capability, import and export, supply chain management and investment feasibility. The investigative approach applied for the extensive analysis of the sale, gross margin and profit generated by the industry are presented through resources including tables, charts, and graphic images. Importantly, these resources can be easily integrated or used for preparing business or corporate presentations. Major Players in Melamine Foam market are: BASF SE, SINOYQX (Yulong), Puyang Green Foam, Recticel, Junhua Group, BEIJING GUOJIAN ANKE, CMS Danskin Acoustics Limited, Linyi Yingke Chemistry, Acoustafoam, Queen City, Reilly Foam, Wilhams, Hodgson Hodgson, Clark Foam Market split by Type, can be divided into: - Rigid Melamine Foam - Semi-Rigid Melamine Foam - Flexible Melamine Foam Market split by Application, can be divided into: - Industrial - Construction - Transportation - Others Market segment by Region/Country including: - North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) - Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Spain etc.) - Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and Southeast Asia etc.) - South America Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Chile etc.) - Middle East & Africa (South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia etc.) Buy Melamine Foam Market Research Report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/17090 Estimating the potential size of the Melamine Foam industry: Industry experts conducting the study further estimate the potential of the Melamine Foam industry. Such information is important for firms looking to launch an innovative service or product on the market. Industry experts have measured the total volume of the given market. Researchers have calculated the industry in terms of sales by the competitors and end-user customers. Data on the entire size of the Melamine Foam market for a particular product or a service for the forecast period, 2018 to 2026 covered in the report makes it valuable. This information reveals the upper limit of the Melamine Foam industry for a specific product or service. Attracting the target audience: First, the comprehensive report finds out why customers need a certain product or service. The study focuses on what problems a certain product and service can solve. Apart from target demographics industry experts weigh up on the factors including audience type, as well as others vital attributes about the target customer segment. The research provides answers to the following key questions: - What is the estimated growth rate of the Melamine Foam market for the forecast period 2018 - 2026? What will be the market share and size of the industry during the estimated period? - What are prime factors expected to drive the Melamine Foam industry for the estimated period? - What are the major market leaders and what has been their winning strategy for success so far? - What are the significant trends shaping the growth prospects of the Melamine Foam market? - What are the key challenges expected to restrict the progress of the industry for the forecast period, 2018 - 2026? - What the opportunities product owners can bank on to generate high profits? There are 10 Chapters to deeply display the global Melamine Foam market. - 1 Melamine Foam Market Overview - 2 Global Melamine Foam Market Competition by Manufacturers - 3 Global Melamine Foam Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018) - 4 Global Melamine Foam Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018) - 5 Global Melamine Foam Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type - 6 Global Melamine Foam Market Analysis by Application - Continue Read More @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/melamine-foam-market About MarketExpertz Planning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web? Then marketexpertz has just the thing for you - reports from over 500 prominent publishers and updates on our collection daily to empower companies and individuals catch-up with the vital insights on industries operating across different geography, trends, share, size and growth rate. There's more to what we offer to our customers. With marketexpertz you have the choice to tap into the specialized services without any additional charges. Contact Us: John Watson Head of Business Development Market Expertz | Web: www.marketexpertz.com Direct Line: +1-800-819-3052 E-mail: sales@marketexpertz.com News: https://www.marketexpertz.com/market-news New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- A comprehensive study performed on the data, statistics and trends observed in the Pomegranate market and the forecast drawn from them concludes that the industry is expected to deliver a substantial growth. The report performs an analysis on the historical data as collected from 2013 to 2017, taking 2018 as base year and uses the trends for forecasting the growth of the company until the year 2026. The analysis of the historical trends of the industry, ultimately provides an analysis of the state of the business while using this knowledge to predict the market forecast. The focus of this analysis lies primarily in those areas of the industry that play a key role in the advancement of the company. The research on the Pomegranate market further validates other prime factors including investment feasibility, production capability, product pricing, production volume, demand and supply, import and export status to help business evangelists make the multi-dimensional marketing strategy more robust. Comprehensive data on the current and future business environment is showcased through self-explanatory infographics, charts, and tables and can be integrated with any business presentation. Stakeholders, marketing executives and business owners planning to refer a market research report can use this study to design their offerings and understand how competitors attract their potential customers and manage their supply and distribution channels. When tracking the trends researchers have made a conscious effort to analyze and interpret the consumer behaviour. Besides, the research helps product owners to understand the changes in culture, target market as well as brands so they can draw the attention of the potential customers more effectively. The major players covered in this Pomegranate report are POMWonderful, Lakewood, Minute Maid, Tropi-cana, GRANTE, RW Knudsen Family, Jale and Zolotoy Sad, Narni, Arvee, TTM Food, Sun Sun Shahd, Orumnarin, Jia Neng Da, Saide Premium Sample Copy of Pomegranate market report Available on demand@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/31252 Pomegranate Market split by Application, can be divided into: - Pomegranate Powder - Pomegranate Juice Concentrate Pomegranate Market split by Types, can be divided into: - Food Industry - Cosmetics Industry - Pharmaceutical Industry How geography and sales fit together The study works as a boon for all business owners trying to identify the exact size of the target audience in a specific geographic location. Pomegranate enables entrepreneurs to determine the regional market for their business expansion. The study answers the questions below: - Where do the requirements come from? - Where do non-potential customers reside? - What is the buying behaviour of the customers dwelling in a particular area? - What is the spending power of the customers in a specific region? Geographically, this Pomegranate report studies the key regions, focuses on product sales, value, market share and growth opportunity in these regions, covering: - United States - Europe - China - Japan - Southeast Asia - India We can also provide the customized separate regional or country-level reports, for the following regions: North America, United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia-Pacific, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Europe, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, Rest of Europe, Central & South America, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, Middle East & Africa, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Rest of Middle East & Africa In this Pomegranate study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Pomegranate are as follows: History Year: 2013-2017 Base Year: 2017 Estimated Year: 2018 Forecast Year 2019 to 2026 Order Now (Customized report as per your specific requirement delivered)@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/31252 The study objectives of this Pomegranate report are: # To analyze and study the global Pomegranate sales, value, status (2019-2026) and forecast (2019-2026); # To analyze the top players in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, # to study the sales, value and market share of top players in these regions. #Focuses on the key Pomegranate players, to study the sales, value, market share and development plans in future. #Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis. #To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region. #To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks. #To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth. #To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments. # To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the market # To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market # To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies. Key elements from table of content: Chapter 1 Pomegranate Market Overview 1.1 Pomegranate Definition 1.2 Global Pomegranate Market Size Status and Outlook (2013-2026) 1.3 Global Pomegranate Market Size Comparison by Region (2013-2026) 1.4 Global Pomegranate Market Size Comparison by Type (2013-2026) 1.5 Global Pomegranate Market Size Comparison by Application (2013-2026) 1.6 Global Pomegranate Market Size Comparison by Sales Channel (2013-2026) 1.7 Pomegranate Market Dynamics 1.7.1 Market Drivers/Opportunities 1.7.2 Market Challenges/Risks 1.7.3 Market News (Mergers/Acquisitions/ Expansion) Continued. Browse Complete report description and Full TOC@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/pomegranate-market About MarketExpertz Planning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web? Then marketexpertz has just the thing for you - reports from over 500 prominent publishers and updates on our collection daily to empower companies and individuals catch-up with the vital insights on industries operating across different geography, trends, share, size and growth rate. There's more to what we offer to our customers. With marketexpertz you have the choice to tap into the specialized services without any additional charges. Contact Us: John Watson Head of Business Development Market Expertz | Web: www.marketexpertz.com Direct Line: +1-800-819-3052 E-mail: sales@marketexpertz.com News: www.marketexpertz.com/market-news Porto Alegre, Brazil -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- According to the customers of Porto Windows - Cortinas & Persianas has always been synonymous to perfection. The company is widely known and highly rated for its premium products, especially the top class quality blinds and curtains. According to reports, Porto Windows - Cortinas & Persianas is going to have a grand celebration on successfully completing 11 years. The celebration is expected in August 2019. Their customers are excited to see the company grow and they are all set for celebrating the completion of 11 years of Porto Windows - Cortinas & Persianas. Customer satisfaction has always been one of the top priorities of Porto Windows - Cortinas & Persianas. The entire team makes sure that Porto Windows - Cortinas & Persianas is not only able to meet their customers' demands but always make sure that they exceed their customers' expectations. The company promises to deliver top class quality products, and they make no compromise on neither the quality of their products, especially blinds and curtains nor their service quality. The spokesperson of Porto Windows - Cortinas & Persianas stated: "Serving hundreds and thousands of customers during these 11 years was an amazing journey that we will never forget. We do our work with complete dedication and passion that reflects on the quality of our work. Throughout these 11 years, we have made sure that every single customer of ours is completely satisfied with both our service and our product quality. We have made consistent efforts and have worked very hard to reach where we are today. We hope to share decades more of top quality products and service with our customers". The "no compromise on quality" policy of them has given them an edge over other blinds and curtain sellers of the area. The customers admit that Porto Windows - Cortinas & Persianas is only of the very few companies in the region that delivers an unmatchable quality of service and product every single time. Their owner, Denise Mesquita makes sure that his company is always offering current designs, smart solutions, and cutting edge technology with an unmatchable product and service quality. About Porto Windows Porto Windows - Cortinas & Persianas is a widely trusted curtains and blinds store. Its owner Denise Mesquita founded Porto Windows - Cortinas & Persianas in 2008. The company offers smart products including, automation, curtains fireplaces, lamps, wallpapers, blinds, and awnings. For more information, please go to https://www.portowindows.com.br/ Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/DWe9JQy1kdB2 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzZIulFgah0 Tokyo, Japan -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- Global Digital Service Platforms market is experiencing a transitional stage since past few years. The continual advancements in technologies and the growing augmentation in infrastructural and technological organizations have influenced the demand for the global market, munificently in a previous couple of years. The obvious rise in urbanization and the significant rise in the disposable income of individuals are expected to increase the demand for global sales in the coming years. The report examines and estimates the market both at the worldwide and regional level. The study covers the effect of various drivers and manacles in the market and underlines the opportunities in it. Digital Service Platforms estimates its current and future size regarding revenue and the current and future competitive dynamics. Get Sample Copy of this report: https://www.reportconsultant.com/request_sample.php?id=1722 Top Key Vendors: Cognizant, SAP, Dell EMC, Microsoft, Adobe Systems, Accenture, Capgemini, IBM, Oracle, Google, HPE, CA Technologies Digital Service Platforms play an important role in the retail and consumer electronics in order to let retailers deal with returns and process them efficiently. Retailers seek ways to offer hassle free multichannel returns to minimize fraud and abuse, as the process of moving goods from customers' location to return centers, face number of challenges. The Digital Service Platforms market is anticipated to expand at a considerable pace due to the introduction of blockchain technology in logistics industry. In the last sections of the report, the companies responsible for increasing the sales in the Digital Service Platforms market has been presented. These companies have been analyzed in terms of their manufacturing base, basic information, and competitors. In addition, the application and product type introduced by each of these companies also form a key part of this section of the report. This study is a source of reliable data on: - Global competitive landscape - Economic global impact - Business profiling of leading key players - Global market forecast - Elaboration of dynamic aspects - Demand and supply chain analysis - Market size and market shares - Technological advancements Ask For Discount: https://www.reportconsultant.com/ask_for_discount.php?id=1722 There are 9 Chapters To display the global Digital Service Platforms market. Chapter 1 Industry Overview of Digital Service Platforms Chapter 2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Digital Service Platforms Chapter 3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Digital Service Platforms Chapter 4 Global Digital Service Platforms Overall Market Overview Chapter 5 Digital Service Platforms Regional Market Analysis Chapter 6 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Digital Service Platforms Chapter 7 Development Trend of Analysis of Digital Service Platforms Market Chapter 8 Digital Service Platforms Marketing Type Analysis Chapter 9 Conclusion of the Global Digital Service Platforms Market Professional Survey Report 2019 For More Information: https://www.reportconsultant.com/enquiry_before_buying.php?id=4741 Selbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- Smart Water Metering Market is set to reach over USD 3 Billion by 2024. Implementation of favorable government policies and rollout programs toward the adoption of intelligent systems will boost the smart water metering market. Initiatives focusing on effective water monitoring and conservation will further propel the industry landscape. For instance, the European Union in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund announced a mandatory rollout of smart water meters in Ireland. Request a Sample of this premium Research Report@ https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/312351/?utm_source=releasewire.com&utm_medium=dc Top Manufacturers in global market are given bellow: Landis+GYR, Badger Meter, Itron, Siemens, Arad Group, Schneider Electric, Sensus Sentec, Neptune, Kamstrup, Elster Group, Diehl Metering and Honeywell International. Increasing measures toward water security and monitoring of Non-Revenue Water (NRW) will enhance the smart water metering market. Increasing urbanization, ageing distribution mains and rising energy cost will further provide a stimulus to the industry outlook. According to the World Bank, 32 billion cubic meters of treated water is lost through leakages in distribution network worldwide. An additional 16 billion cubic meters is supplied annually but not charged due to poor metering, inappropriate billing and thefts. U.S. smart water metering market is projected to expand over 6% by 2024. Ongoing water conservation reforms coupled with government funding toward installation of smart grid technologies will positively drive the product adoption. In 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Smart Grid Investment Grant (SGIG) mutually sponsored the installation of smart grid infrastructure in the nation and provided a federal financial assistance of over USD 8 billion in 99 ventures. AMI smart water metering market is predicted to grow over 28% by 2024. The use of AMI systems is attributed to quick detection of water leakages, reduction in water wastage and improved water supply. These systems offer advanced capabilities in data analysis and operations. Rising demand for effective management, monitoring, and utilization of water will fuel the smart water metering market. Global initiatives toward water conservation and measures to address water scarcity will further propel the business landscape. In 2015, the U.S. average water consumption has witnessed significant drop owing to growing water conservation concerns across various states in the country. Request a Discount on standard prices of this premium Market Research Report@ https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/312351/ The above information is provided on a regional and country basis for the following: - North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico) o Europe (Germany, Italy, UK, France, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Ukraine, Switzerland) o Asia Pacific (Japan, China, India, South Korea, Australia) o Latin America (Brazil, Mexico) o MEA (South Africa, Saudi Arabia) By Technology (AMR, AMI) By Application (Residential, Commercial, Utility) By Product (Smart Hot Water Meter, Smart Cold Water Meter) Growing measures toward effective mapping of water distribution coupled with regulatory regimes to limit non-revenue water loss will complement the Europe smart water metering market. Increasing administrative emphasis toward the development of high performance advanced systems will further embellish the industry growth. Table of Content Chapter 1 Methodology & Scope 1.1 Methodology 1.1.1 Initial data exploration 1.1.2 Statistical model and forecast 1.1.3 Industry insights and validation 1.1.4 Market definition and forecast parameters 1.2 Data sources 1.2.1 Secondary 1.2.2 Primary 1.2.2.1 Smart water metering manufacturers (supply side) 1.2.2.2 Interviews from end-users (demand side) Chapter 2 Executive Summary 2.1 Smart water metering industry 3600 synopsis, 2013-2024 2.1.1 Business trends 2.1.2 Application trends 2.1.3 Technology Trends 2.1.4 Product Trends 2.1.5 Regional trends Chapter 3 Smart Water Metering Industry Insights 3.1 Industry segmentation 3.2 Industry landscape, 2013 2024 (USD Million) 3.3 Industry ecosystem analysis 3.3.1 Vendor Matrix 3.4 Innovation & sustainability 3.5 Regulatory landscape 3.5.1 U.S. 3.5.1.1 DEP/HPD Water Conservation 3.5.1.2 The Reimbursable Metering Program 3.5.2 Europe 3.5.2.1 European Legal framework 3.5.2.2 Key Policy Developments: Non-revenue Water (NRW) 3.5.3 New Zealand 3.5.4 Smart Water Metering Plans 3.5.4.1 U.S. 3.5.4.2 Australia 3.5.4.3 UK 3.6 Industry impact forces 3.6.1 Growth drivers 3.6.1.1 Non-revenue water (NRW) monitoring and control 3.6.1.2 Emerging Intelligent sustainable water management solutions 3.6.1.3 Favorable government regulations 3.6.1.4 Accuracy & savings in billings 3.6.1.5 Effective monitoring of consumption patterns 3.6.2 Industry pitfalls & challenges 3.6.2.1 High initial investments and fragmented nature of the industry 3.6.2.2 Privacy concerns 3.7 Technology Landscape 3.7.1 Automatic Meter Infrastructure (AMI) 3.7.2 Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) 3.8 Customer requirement 3.9 Growth potential analysis 3.10 Price trend analysis 3.10.1 AMI price trend, by region 3.10.2 AMR price trend, by region 3.11 Comparative Analysis, (Main water pipe meters, Apartment meters) 3.12 Communication protocols used in AMI/AMR 3.12.1 Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) 3.12.2 Automated Meter Reading (AMR) 3.13 Porter's analysis 3.14 Competitive landscape, 2016 3.14.1 Strategy dashboard 3.14.1.1 Itron 3.14.1.2 Badger Meter 3.14.1.3 Aclara Technologies 3.14.1.4 Kamstrup 3.14.1.5 Sensus 3.15 PSTEL analysis Chapter 4 Smart Water Metering Market, By Application 4.1 Smart water metering market share by application, 2016 & 2024 4.2 Residential 4.2.1 Global market from residential, 2013 2024 4.2.2 Global market from residential, by region, 2013 2024 4.3 Commercial 4.3.1 Global market from commercial, 2013 2024 4.3.2 Global market from commercial, by region, 2013 2024 4.4 Utility 4.4.1 Global market from utility, 2013 2024 4.4.2 Global market from utility, by region, 2013 2024 To View Full Report@ https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/smart-water-metering-market About Market Study Report Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management. Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2019 -- Telecom Internet of Things market is considered as the fastest growing market and it provide enhanced connectivity solutions to numerous smart devices. Technology plays an important role in the development of Telecom Internet of Things market and especially with the innovation of Internet of Things, Telecom Internet of Things market is witnessing the rapid growth. With the growing adoption of intelligent transportation system and rapid increase in number of smartphones and tablets, Telecom Internet of Things market is experiencing the rapid growth. Internet of Things comes with the concept that everything around should be electronically integrated and interconnected. Telecom operators are now using digital platforms that combine connectivity, analysis, mobile, security and cloud to support business and all these empowers great revenue opportunity for them. Major applications such as logistics tracking, traffic management, smart healthcare and others are contributing to the growth of Telecom Internet of Things market. Telecom Internet of Things (IoT) market: Drivers and Challenges Drivers The major factor driving Telecom Internet of Things market is the growing need for enhanced connectivity solutions to connect smart devices. Moreover, the increased demand of mobile computing devices and network capacity to access connected services are the drivers which are contributing to the growth of global telecom Internet of Things market. Apart from this, the rising demand of telecommunication cloud for smart network bandwidth management and automation in communication operations are driving the Telecom Internet of Things market. Moreover the enhancement of smart technology and distributed application will increase the demand for Telecom Internet of Things market. Challenges The major challenge for the IoT telecom market is that the network operator should be able to offer fast, reliable and uninterrupted connectivity. Also, with the increase of connected devices and management of personal data, the privacy and security of customer information is the significant issue for the companies in Telecom Internet of Things market. Get Sample Copy of Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-4968 Telecom Internet of Things (IoT) Market: Segmentation Segmentation of Telecom Internet of Things market on the basis of Component: Connectivity technology market Network management solution market Services market Others Segmentation of Telecom Internet of Things market on the basis of type of Service: Business consulting services Device and application management services Installation and integration services IoT billing and subscription management market Others Segmentation of Telecom Internet of Things market on the basis of Application: Smart buildings and home automation Capillary network management Industrial manufacturing and automation Vehicle telematics Transportation, logistics tracking, and traffic management Energy and utilities Smart healthcare Others Need more information about Report Methodology ? @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-4968 Telecom Internet of Things (IoT) market: Recent Developments and Competition dashboard In June 2017 AT&T and China Telecom signed an agreement to expand partnership to develop network services around the world. Telcos such as AT&T, Vodafone, Verizon and others have done various development in Telecom market. For instance in October 2016, Vodafone launches first live commercial NB-IoT network. The key market players in Telecom Internet of Things markets include AT&T, Inc., Ericsson, Verizon Communications, Inc., Sprint Corporation, Vodafone Group, Plc., China Mobile Ltd, Swisscom AG, Aeris, Deutsche Telekom AG and others. Telecom Internet of Things (IoT) market: Regional Overview On geographic basis, North America will be the largest market due to stringent IoT regulations and the presence of large number of telecom Internet of Things service providers in this region. The market in APAC is expected to witness exponential growth in Telecom Internet of Things market and it is the fastest growing region for the telecom Internet of Things service market due to growing smart devices market and smart technology and experiencing the large number of early adopters of smart technology. South Africa: SA to send humanitarian assistance to South Sudan Deputy President David Mabuza says government will soon send aid to South Sudan as the country gets set to rebuild as part of the transitional peace talks. Mabuza said this when he fielded questions in the National Assembly on Tuesday. As President Cyril Ramaphosas special envoy to lead peace talks in South Sudan, Mabuza was responding to a question by ANC MP Amos Masango, who had asked him to report on issues emanating from his discussions with the leadership of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in relation to finding lasting peace and stability for the peoples of South Sudan. Addressing the National Assembly, Mabuza said one of the key issues that are being raised during the discussions includes providing support to the South Sudan government and all signatories to the agreement in terms of resourcing of all committees and structures provided for in the Revitalized Agreement. The Revitalized Agreement was signed on 12 September 2018 through with the facilitation of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development. Honourable Members would be aware that in terms of the Revitalised Agreement, the Transitional Government will come into effect in April 2019 and pave the way for the drafting of a new constitution and holding of democratic elections. These processes require both financial and human resource support, as well as humanitarian assistance. South Africa has committed itself to walk this journey with the Government and people of South Sudan. We are pleased that the warring parties in the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) have found each other and recently signed a reunification agreement. This will bring the much required cohesion in the country. Our intervention is beginning to bear fruits. In the coming few weeks, we will be sending a consignment of humanitarian assistance under the auspices of the African Renaissance Fund, he said. After gaining its independence from Sudan in 2011, the country was plunged into a civil war that has led to a protracted bloodshed that has left millions of citizens displaced and left with no choice but to seek refuge in neighbouring countries. On Wednesday, Mabuza said South Africas involvement in the South Sudan peace process has been undertaken as part of our countrys commitment to make a meaningful contribution to finding African solutions to the African problems and ensuring the creation of a peaceful and prosperous continent. Mabuza said he commended the contribution by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development leadership in facilitating the various stages of the peace process. Furthermore, I emphasised South Africas position regarding the need for the South Sudan parties to be allowed to engage in a dialogue in deciding their countrys future and that efforts by external actors should be geared towards providing the necessary resources and support needed to ensure successful implementation of this Revitalised Agreement, he said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-02-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. photohoo/iStock(RICHMOND, Va.) -- Pam Northam, wife of embattled governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, apologized on Wednesday after she allegedly gave out raw cotton during a tour of the governors mansion and asked black children to imagine being slaves who were forced to pick cotton. "I regret that I have upset anyone," Pam Northam said in a statement obtained by ABC News Wednesday. "I believe it does a disservice to Virginians to omit the stories of the enslaved people who lived and worked there--that's why I have been engaged in an effort to thoughtfully and honestly share this important story since I arrived in Richmond." The apology came after Leah Dozier Walker, an employee of the state's Department of Education, wrote a letter to lawmakers on Feb. 25, accusing the first lady of being racially insensitive. She said her eighth-grade daughter attended the tour and was visibly upset by the encounter. "The Governor and Mrs. Northam have asked the residents of the Commonwealth to forgive them for their racially insensitive past actions," Walker said, according to the Washington Post, which obtained a copy of the letter. "But the actions of Mrs. Northam, just last week, do not lead me to believe that this Governor's office has taken seriously the harm and hurt they have caused African Americans in Virginia or that they are deserving of our forgiveness," she added. Northams office and one other parent of a child who was present said the first lady did not single out the African American students and simply handed out the cotton to a group, according to the Post. "As the parent of a 2019 Virginia General Assembly page that had an unfathomable experience on the First Lady's mansion tour, my only interest is in protecting my child and ensuring that the pain she and others have endured does not linger and discourage," Walker told ABC News in a statement Wednesday night. "I am proud of my daughter's courage, strength, and persistence. Unfortunately, I also remain extremely disappointed in official responses that are as tone deaf and insensitive as the initial bad act." Governor's office spokesperson Ofirah Yheskel told ABC News that she received a message from Walker and her daughter, but she did not confirm the details of the letter. Pam Northam did not address the incident directly in her statement, but she highlighted the importance of historical artifacts during the tours. "I have provided the same educational tour to Executive Mansion visitors over the last few months and used a variety of artifacts and agricultural crops with the intention of illustrating a painful period of Virginia history," her statement said. "I am still committed to chronicling the important history of the Historic Kitchen, and will continue to engage historians and experts on the best way to do so in the future." The controversy comes amid widespread calls for Gov. Northam's resignation, sparked by an image in his medical school yearbook that showed two people, one in a Ku Klux Klan robe and another in blackface, under the governor's name. The Democratic governor said he considered resigning in the wake of the blackface scandal, but said he's "not going anywhere." Northam initially apologized for the photo, but later denied being in the picture. "Earlier today, a website published a photograph of me from my 1984 medical school yearbook in a costume that is clearly racist and offensive," Gov. Northam said in a statement earlier this month. "I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now." "I recognize that it will take time and serious effort to heal the damage this conduct has caused. I am ready to do that important work. The first step is to offer my sincerest apology and to state my absolute commitment to living up to the expectations Virginians set for me when they elected me to be their Governor," he added. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. The deal, announced after the PM and leaders of the UGS met 27 February, means the annual contribution is permanent, replacing a previous voluntary arrangement. The sum is equivalent to a 10% levy on dividends, according to a statement by Tsipras office. The statement notes that "on the basis of the declared dividends in recent years, the amount to be paid to the Greek state will be at least EUR75m per annum". The statement said the signing of the agreement was a result of a long-term negotiation with the government seeking the greatest possible benefit in the public interest. Along with tourism, shipping is a pivotal economic sector for Greece. Indeed, Greek shipowners operate about 20% of the world merchant fleet and half of the EUs total fleet capacity. Read more: The central place of shipping in the Greek economy According to the Bank of Greece, in the first 11 months of 2018, shipping added EUR15.2bn to the countrys national coffers, an increase of 15% over the corresponding 2017 period, but still siome way short of the levels prior to the imposition of capital controls in the country. Tsipras said that under Greek law shipowners are not obliged to agree on any contribution and the deal was a significant contribution to the countrys efforts to emerge from a debt crisis that has lasted nearly a decade. We must all realise that emerging from the crisis means bigger business opportunities, said the PM. He said "this fixed rate will allow our budgets to calculate some steady revenues that are important. Since 2014, Greek shipowners have made voluntary payments to the state under an agreement which expired last year. Greece had for long granted tax allowances to its shipowners, a situation which Tsipras had pledged to end when he was first elected in 2015 but had not pursued since then. But pressure from Brussels on the Greek government to look at the tax law has been mounting. Shipowners have repeatedly warned that hiking taxes could push them to relocate abroad. Theodore Veniamis, UGS president said that "95% to 96% of Greek shipowners, based on current figures, are participating in the voluntary agreement" with the high rate of participation shows shipowners are supporting the effort the government is making for a better future for Greece". H.E.Ahmed Alhakbani, Governor - General Customs Authority, said: Saudi Customs play a crucial role in driving national transformation as trade is a vital sector in development. The authority continues to build on its strengths to ensure that policies are moving towards a more efficient and faster customs processes in accordance with existing national laws and international regulations. The shipping sector is an essential partner for Saudi Customs to implement its goal and we are keen to be an essential contributor in providing insights regarding recent developments and upcoming initiatives, which aims to improve the trade process and thereby contribute to national and international economic growth. Eng Abdullah Aldubaikhi, CEO, Bahri, commented: Bahris commitment to steering Saudi Arabias shipping sector towards new levels of growth and development is anchored on the nations transformation plan. Our business strategies are fully aligned with the goals set out in Saudi Vision 2030, while also extending our global reach in the maritime industry. We will continue to build on our existing services and solutions to contribute to the enhancement of the Kingdoms shipping and logistics sector. Bahris participation in this major event will further strengthen our resolve to establish the Kingdom as one of the worlds leading logistics and transportation hubs. The recently launched National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP), one of the 13 Vision Realization Programs under Saudi Vision 2030 that aims to make the country into a leading global player in logistical services, will pave way for the growth of four key sectors: industry, mining, energy and logistics, and contribute up to SAR1.2trn to Saudi Arabias Gross Domestic Product (GDP). A total of 330 logistics initiatives are being developed under the program and stimulate up to SAR 1.7trn of investments. The oil and gas sector is also primed to increase business growth from the local market by up to 75 per cent by 2030 from 40 per cent in 2015. Some of these initiatives are being led by Saudi Aramco, which aims to develop a more competitive local supply chain by requiring suppliers them to secure 70 per cent of the content of their products from local sources. Meanwhile, leading shipping company Bahri has stepped its business strategies, aligning them to the countrys diversification plans through expansion of its multi-purpose fleet, adding five Very Large Crude-oil Carriers (VLCCs) as well as adopting new technologies to boost its operations capabilities. Among the latest measures relevant to the shipping sector are reforms under the Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI) in collaboration with the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, which are soon to allow foreign shipping agencies to hold 100 per cent ownership of their companies and operate independently under a foreign investment license. The license will have to be secured from Saudi Ports Authority and will be valid for five years. Previously, shipping agents could operate only as a fully owned Saudi company or under partnership with local investors. Chris Hayman, Chairman of Seatrade, said: The huge development plans across Saudi Arabia are opening massive opportunities for vital sectors such as the shipping and logistics industry to take part in the implementation of the countrys national agenda. The Second Saudi Maritime Congress will gather local and international economic leaders and major sector players from the shipping, ports, ship construction and offshore marine industry to further discuss how new policies and business agenda can align their efforts towards achieving the nations goals. The Second Saudi Maritime Congress will be held on 11-12 March 2019 at Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Centre, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The event expects the attendance of more than 2,000 maritime professionals, and will provide numerous opportunities to network, do business, strengthen local presence and establish new business relationships in the field. Andrew Kattula shows off the doughnuts at Street Sweets. George Maatouk will soon move his popular family bakery to bigger premises. Let them eat cake hasnt exactly been a catch cry for social harmony in the past, but one Michigan citys sweet tooth is helping to promote cultural awareness.On March 1 an expected 1,000 people will attend the Sterling Heights 2019 Cultural Exchange , to enjoy ethnic music and dance, educational and cultural displays from area groups and cuisine from city restaurateurs. African-American, Bulgarian, Chaldean, Filipino, German, Indian, Italian, Macedonian, Polish, Scottish, Slovakian, and Turkish cultures will all be on display during the evening. But most people are in it for the food.Kozeta Elzhenni, from the Sterling Heights Ethnic Community Committee, says each group offers attendees a taste of their traditional cuisine, giving participants a chance to appreciate other cultures."The event is really a great chance for people of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds to celebrate their similarities more than their differences," says Elzhenni.While one of the main attractions at the annual event is undoubtedly the cuisine, the celebration of flavors in the region is not limited to one night. The sweet shops that dot the city stand testament to the diversity in Sterling Heights, exposing visitors to a host of exotic pastries and cakes. We visited the citys best ethnic bakeries to sample some of the treats available.This tasty shop combines Arabic and American culinary styles to bring us the best of both worlds. Liquid Nitrogen ice-cream, dessert pizzas and doughnuts are among the crowd-pleasers here, as are their build-your-own options.Owner Andrew Kattula says the business has grown a lot since opening in 2017 in the former Sugar Babies bakery, and says his customers love getting to try new flavor combinations.New is always exciting, he says. We are able to introduce a lot of people to something new.The colorful cake display in this small shop is dazzling, and co-owner George Maatouk has good reason to be proud of his creations. The bakery is regularly voted as one of Michigan's best for its "baklava", a rich dessert made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts (usually pistachios or walnuts) and honey.Maatouks parents, Malek and Caroline, established the bakery in 1964 after Malek learned his trade from his own father (and master baker) in Lebanon. Its grown into a bit of a neighborhood stalwart since and is looking to expand to a bigger location on the corner of 16 Mile and Dequindre Road this year.This cake specialist originally started inyep, you guessed itBaghdad. The Sewa Kasha family was forced to flee in 2004 because of the conflict in Iraq but kept the baking tradition going in Sterling Heights.I wanted everyone here to taste fine Middle Eastern sweets using the same natural ingredients that my father used back home, says owner Ghassan Sewa.We are famous for our Iraqi cake named "mkhumer" [a confection made with dates and nuts], done the original way.Owned by Mohamed Farhat, this bakery started out small and has grown to now ship to 50 states across the country. The cafe is an excellent spot for a crepe fix, as well as an "Atayef" treat (a type of Middle-Eastern pancake, traditionally made with ricotta cream and pistachio stuffing).Elzhenni votes this shop as a firm favorite for her. Its one of the best sweet and ice cream bakeries in town, she says.Using all-natural ingredients, this place takes the Middle East sweet cravings to a whole new level with baklava-flavored ice cream. Like many of the Sterling Heights bakeries, you can get some of the unique Arab dessert "Kanafeh" here tooa sweet made with syrup-soaked stringy pastry (or, at a pinch, fine semolina dough).The shop is a relative newcomer to the sweet scene in Sterling Heights, located in the former M Shatila Cafe.With a touch of French flair, this shop specializes in boutique-style wedding cakes. The store began in 1987 and while it is known for its cupcakes and macarons, its themed birthday cakes are sought-after for festive occasions around the city as well. Hassan Mateen, 77, is still the main cook at Lil Fish Dock. While Hassan Mateen has some help in his restaurant, he still does most of the cooking himself. Hassan Mateen has been cooking and serving fish for most of his adult life.As an African American Muslim, he came to serving fish through his religion, which in the 1970s advocated self-reliance in all matters, including the procurement, preparation, and sale of food.In the mid '70s, the Nation of Islam began a fish produce and restaurant movement that was designed to encourage African American Muslims to start their own businesses, stay in their urban communities, and help feed the impoverished by offering affordable food.The Nation of Islam was trying to teach us how to eat to live, says Mateen, who with his wife Laila, live in the house attached to Lil Fish Dock, 1726 E. Main St. and are founding members of the Eastsides Bilal Mosque, 1715 E. Main St.In the '70s, then Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farakhan called these food businesses survival stations, designed to feed people an entire meal for under a dollar, according to a New York Times article published in 1974.Previously, Nation of Islam members had often run sandwich shops establishments with similar purposes, but in the '70s, beef became too expensive. Fish, imported from Peru at affordable prices, became the new beef.What started as a way to distribute Mateens allotted portion of Nation of Islam fish in the '70s evolved over the years into a love of cooking and serving fish to his fellow Muslims and his neighbors.Mateen, now 77, is still the main cook at Lil Fish Dock and has always taken great pride in the food he prepares, though his beginnings were modest.I actually started selling sandwiches on the street years ago as a fundraiser for the mosque, says Mateen, who lived then on Kalamazoos Northside. What I did was I converted an old coffee pot, a pretty large coffee pot, and I would make the sandwiches at home, put the sandwiches in the coffee pot and sell them down the street. Mateens fish sandwich, now known as the Seaboat (often spoken of with reverence by Eastside residents) and the most popular item on Lil Fish Docks menu, includes cheese, lettuce, onion, tomato, and mayonnaise. One Google reviewer calls the Seaboat the BOMB, and added, The coleslaw is FIRE.I had a lot of customers, Mateen says of his first foray into selling fish. People would be walking the street, and they were hungry, and they purchased a fish sandwich. When the coffee pot got cold, I would take (the sandwiches) back in, heat them up, and go back out on the street.As a member of the Nation of Islam, Mateen says he was required to sell a certain amount of fish each week. That was one way to get rid of the portion that I had, says Mateen, and it became a business.After a while, Mateen, says he got tired of walking the streets.So I opened up a small, little place on Paterson. As his business grew, he moved from Paterson to South Westnedge, then to East Main, to Portage Road, and then finally back to the Eastside where Lil Fish Dock has been at its current East Main location for the past 12 years.I do most of the cooking because I cant find anybody to cook it like me, says Mateen, who adds theres not as much cooking as there used to be.When the fish business was booming during the '80s, Mateen says he had two restaurants open at once. His former East Main location has now been converted into the Islamic Center across from the mosque.Pat Taylor, Director of the Kalamazoo Eastside Neighborhood Association, says she appreciates the commitment the Mateens have to their mosque, restaurant, and the neighborhood.They are trying very hard to help make a difference in the neighborhood any way they can, either by being good neighbors or by running a business, says Taylor.And Taylor adds, The chicken and the fish are very, very good, and many people love their Bean Pie, she says, an African American Muslim traditional dessert made with pureed navy beans, custard, cinnamon, and ginger. Bean pies are often sold in African American Muslim fundraisers and were endorsed by the Nation of Islam as a healthier option to typically rich soul food.Laila Mateen says she appreciates the ways in which the Lil Fish Dock has helped her meet her neighbors, especially as they live in the house attached to the restaurant.I was surprised I liked (the restaurant business) more than I thought I would. I enjoy meeting so many different people and being able to interact with people, she says. When they are coming to you, as a Muslim, for a service, you tend to be able to break down barriers.As one of the Bilal Mosques founders, Hassan says that many of the 20 plus remaining members are aging now. In 1985, the mosque moved to the Eastside, but didnt have a permanent location until 1996. In 2008 the mosque opened its doors on East Main Street, where it remains today.Committed to the neighborhood, Bilal hosts a number of programs that support Eastside residents. On the last Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m., around prayer time, they host a free and open community dinner. They also typically host a large community program each summer, he says.This summer, the Bilal Mosque is hosting a program that will feature Warith Deen Mohammed, an Imam from Chicago whose grandfather Elijah Muhammad was a powerful force in guiding the Nation of Islam towards orthodox Islam. Warith Deen Mohammed, unlike his grandfather, promotes a more inclusive religion, one that inspires racial, political and spiritual progress both separately and all together.That should be a very nice program for the community, says Mateen, who says he is excited about the prospect about the well-known Imams visit to Kalamazoo. Dates and times are still being formalized.In addition to hosting dinners and summer events, Bilal has started a model community, Mateen says. The mosque purchased property to rehabilitate into affordable housing. Currently, Bilal owns some apartments and two houses on the Eastside, and it is in the process of purchasing another house.We try to get different people for the rental units, Mateen says, who are in the mosque and outside of the mosque.Bilal purchased the units, Hassan says, to help with what they see as a growing homeless problem in the community. You see so many people living outdoors and having no place to live, lying in those tents and its 40 below our there, he says. We try to help so that some people can have a few places.Still, activities at Bilal have slowed down over the last few years, the Mateens agree.Things have changed, says Mateen. People have gotten a little older. But we havent given up. We still try to create a space for the community.Mateen doesnt purchase his fish anymore from the Nation of Islam, a practice that ended years ago. Nowadays, he purchases supplies from Gordon Foods Services for his delivery and take-out business. But that hasnt changed the popularity of his Seaboat Sandwich. Other items on the Lil Fish Dock menu include chicken, shrimp, macaroni and cheese, smoked catfish, onions rings and fried dill pickles.Over the last several years, Mateen says business at his restaurant has unfortunately slowed. People used to come from miles around, including Benton Harbor and Battle Creek, for a Catfish Seaboat Sandwich or a slice of his Bean Pie, he says, but mostly now its just folks from the neighborhood. Hes shortened his hours to 6 to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. During the day, hes often away as he volunteers to deliver medicine for hospice patients.We used to have a party store that sat in front of the Fish Dock, says Mateen. When that closed, business slowed.As one of the only well-lit buildings on that usually dark stretch of East Main, the restaurant might not be drawing crowds, but the Lil Fish Doc is a friendly site that speaks of neighborhood investment, comfort food, and tenacity.Im just trying to hang in there until things get better, he says. In the summer, he says, he plans to open a concession stand in the back, harkening back to his early fish-serving days.Originally, the Mateens and their African American Muslim community chose the Eastside because it was a neighborhood that seemed underserved, and they hoped to do their part to make things better. Over the years, they have come to call the Eastside home.Mateen and his wife Laila say they appreciate living on the Eastside close to their mosque and the people theyve come to know. I love living on the Eastside. A lot of good people live here, says Mateen.Im accustomed to it now, says Laila of living on the Eastside. I raised my children on the Northside. Thats where my heart was for a long time. But the Eastside has my heart now, too.Mateen says he hopes to continue cooking and serving fish for a long time.Ive always loved the restaurant business, he says. Meeting people, talking to people, and trying to make the best dinner theyve ever eaten. I love helping people by putting it all into whatever I do. I love what I cook. Press Release February 28, 2019 ANGARA: AS BACKBONE OF PH ECONOMY, MSMEs DESERVE MORE GOV'T SUPPORT Reelectionist Senator Sonny Angara said that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) deserve more support from the government as they continue to play a critical role in the country's economic boom. According to Angara, chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, MSMEs comprise over 99 percent of business enterprises operating across the country with close to five million people or 63 percent of jobs created in 2017, making it one of the key drivers of economic growth. "Mahalagang suportahan at tulungan kayo ng gobyerno dahil ang MSMEs tulad ninyo ang mayorya ng ating ekonomiya ngayon," Angara said during the "Mentor Me on Wheels" event organized by entrepreneurship advocacy group Go Negosyo held at Lucky Chinatown in Manila on Thursday. "Ibig sabihin, napakalaki ng inyong naiambag para sa kaunlaran ng bansa. Kaya nararapat lamang na pagtuunan kayo ng pansin at paglaanan ng suporta at tulong ng ating gobyerno," said the senator, who is running under the platform "Alagang Angara." Angara said he is glad the Duterte administration is moving towards helping small businesses with the enactment of several pro-MSME laws, some of which he had vigorously pushed and supported in the Senate. Foremost among these laws is Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business Act of 2018, which aims to improve the overall business environment in the country by making the process of putting up and running a business easier and more efficient. "Naisabatas na ang Ease of Doing Business Act na magsisiguro na mabilis at ligtas sa katiwalian ang mga proseso ng gobyerno. Malinaw na sinusuportahan ng administrasyong Duterte kayong mga MSMEs," Angara said. "Makakaasa na kayong mga negosyante na magiging madali ang kumuha ng permit, magbayad ng buwis at makipagtransaksyon sa gobyerno," he added. Angara was also responsible for the lowering of the income tax rate to 25 percent from the high of 32 percent and the exemption of workers whose annual earning is P250,000 or below from income tax payment. The income tax rate reduction and tax exemption resulted in some P103 billion in savings on the part of the workers, data from the Department of Finance covering the first three quarters of 2018 showed. He also pushed for the adjustment of the value-added tax (VAT) threshold to P3 million from P1.9 million in order to protect not only poor and low-income Filipinos but also MSMEs, as it effectively exempts the sale of goods and services of marginal establishments from VAT. Angara is also one of the authors of the newly enacted law amending the Corporate Code to allow the registration of one-person corporations in a bid to encourage more people to set up businesses and help create more jobs. Press Release February 28, 2019 De Lima hits Estrada, Tolentino for 'mocking her' to boost senatorial bids Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima today chided administration senatorial candidates Jinggoy Estrada and Francis Tolentino for mocking her to boost their senatorial bids for the upcoming May 13 elections. At the sidelines of her court hearing on alleged inducement to disobedience to summons case she attended today (Feb. 27), De Lima added that Tolentino should come to terms with his own defeat and just focus on improving his second senatorial bid. "Huwag nila ako gamitin sa pagpapasikat nila. Mga sinungaling sila. Anong natalo? Aminin niya [Tolentino], tanggapin niya, talo talaga siya," she said. During the hearing at the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) Branch 34, De Lima's former aide Ronnie Dayan took the witness stand but he refused to testify against the Senator without violating his constitutional right against self-incrimination. The charge against De Lima stems from the December 2016 case filed by Reps. Pantaleon Alvarez, Rodolfo Farinas and Reynaldo Umali for the crime of "Disobedience to Summons" against De Lima. She was arraigned on March 13, 2017 after refusing to enter plea. It may be recalled that during their campaign rally in Malabon City last Feb. 26, Estrada and Tolentino poked fun at De Lima and mocked her unjust situation inside her detention quarters at the Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City. Tolentino repeated his oft-announced baseless claim of alleged massive fraud as the cause of his defeat in the 2016 elections. He however lost to De Lima with a margin of more than 1.3 million votes. Last Feb. 4, De Lima has petitioned the Senate Electoral Tribunal to disclose the results of the concluded recount of ballots in the 25 percent pilot precincts included in Tolentino's electoral protest which he has recently withdrawn. Tolentino has been erroneously claiming of alleged fraud and irregularities as the cause of his loss in the 2016 elections despite garnering only 12,811,098 total votes as compared to De Lima's total votes of 14,144,070, or a huge margin of 1,332,972 votes in De Lima's favor. Meanwhile, the former justice secretary maintained that comebacking senator Estrada should also stop blaming the political climate as the reason behind her continued unjust detention and start admitting his wrongdoings. "Yung isa naman, aminin niya malakas ang ebidensya sa kanya. Kumapit lang siya kay Duterte kaya napalaya siya." De Lima said, referring to Estrada, who is reportedly making nasty comments about her in every campaign speech he gives. During the Aquino administration, De Lima lead the investigation of the multi-million pork barrel scam and filed plunder charges against Estrada along with then Senators Ramon "Bong" Revilla and Juan Ponce Enrile. A known Duterte ally, Estrada was released from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City after he was was granted bail in September 2017 following a three-year detention. De Lima, who is detained at the same facility in Camp Crame since February 24, 2017, is spending time in detention over trumped-up drug charges meant to silence her on her vocal criticism of the government and at the same time taint her reputation. Press Release February 28, 2019 Legarda on Zero Discrimination Day: Demand Reforms on Discriminatory Laws In line with this year's celebration of Zero Discrimination Day (March 1, 2019), Senator Loren Legarda supported the global call to take action against discriminatory laws and practices worldwide and also urged Filipinos to call out discriminatory provisions in existing laws in the country. "Our Constitution affords every Filipino their basic human rights and our laws should be able to foster a humane society where Filipinos can lead a life without prejudice, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, sex, gender, and even health status," Legarda said. Legarda welcomed the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) citation of Republic Act (RA) 11166, s. 2018 or the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act, which she co-authored in the Senate, as one exemplary law that changed the AIDS response in 2018. RA11166, which repealed the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998, lowered the age of consent to 15 years for voluntary HIV testing without the need to obtain consent from a parent or guardian. "The enactment of the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act is a major step that will provide accessible treatment, better care and proper education on HIV, especially in vulnerable communities," said Legarda. The Senator also called on fellow lawmakers across the globe to intensify response to end discrimination worldwide. She cited the following statistics, based on a report by UNAIDS[1]: In 29 countries, women require the consent of a spouse or partner to access sexual and reproductive health services; In 45 countries, there is no legislation to address sexual harassment; In 67 countries, sexual relations between same-sex individuals are criminalized; In 17 countries, transgender people are criminalized; At least 20 countries still impose travel restrictions of some form against people living with HIV; and Across 19 countries, approximately one in five people living with HIV reported to having been denied of healthcare, including dental, family planning, and reproductive health services. "As we celebrate this year's Zero Discrimination Day, let us help end discrimination by nurturing a society that is respectful, accepting, and celebratory of every human being's background and diversity," Legarda concluded. New Zealand's aquaculture industry is not getting the support it needs from a government that says it wants to switch to forms of farming that have less impact on the environment, New Zealand King Salmon says. "The government says it wants things to be more green - agriculture, aquaculture - and say they want to address climate change," chief executive Grant Rosewarne told BusinessDesk. "Well, we're desperate around climate change. It's already happening to us and we need that support. So far, we're not getting it." Rosewarne was speaking after the company announced a reduced half-year net profit because high sea temperatures last summer caused a high death rate among its farmed king salmon in the Marlborough Sounds. "We think we represent everything this new government is asking for from an industry, but we are disproportionately affected by climate change." The company has been waiting since before the change of government for a decision on its application to move several Marlborough Sounds farms to sites with higher tidal flows. Within 10 years, it hopes to be farming fish in deep water at offshore sites. It is currently testing sea conditions at 13 sites from Cook Strait to Stewart Island. The first data from a site six kilometres north of Port Gore, in Cook Strait, was "encouraging", Rosewarne said. In the six months to Dec. 31, the company achieved similar revenue to the prior comparable period at $87.7 million, thanks to improved pricing and a favourable exchange rate. But increased costs and lower fish volumes, both caused by the higher-than-usual fish deaths in the 2017/18 summer, saw net profit after tax pinned back to $15.1 million, compared to $15.7 million in the first half of the 2018 financial year. Sea temperatures so far this year have been "slightly above longer-term averages, but below temperatures recorded during the FY18 summer," the company said in presentation slides lodged with the NZX. It noted that February and March are critical months for fish survival rates and there will be an update to the market "at the conclusion of summer". Sales volumes in the New Zealand market - representing 48 percent of the company's total revenues - were down 17 percent on the first half of 2018. Revenue was down only 6 percent, with the increasing availability of imported Atlantic salmon - the most commonly bred fish globally - underpinning growing New Zealand consumption of salmon generally, the company said. Salmon sold in all markets totalled 3,824 tonnes, down 13 percent from the first half of the 2018 financial year. "Increasing demand, improved pricing mix, export markets expansion and a favourable exchange rate," helped maintain revenue near year-earlier levels, the company said. Operating earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation were $17.3 million, compared with $19.5 million in the earlier half. The company announced a fully imputed interim dividend of 2 cents per share. King Salmon's experiment with 'Ora King Tyee' - a very large breed of salmon that the company has been seeking to foster a market for - is a commercially positive concept but "scalability has yet to be proven". Rosewarne said international chefs loved working with Tyee. Consumers had also proven they would pay a premium for such a large fish and the company believed there was a global market of perhaps 1,500 tonnes a year for Tyee. However, the fish took longer to grow, meaning the company could not pursue the opportunity until it had more sea-space, which is proving its largest headache. North America - the firm's second-largest market by revenue at 33 percent - showed a 1 percent increase in sales volume against the previous comparable period, at 1,173 tonnes. "Sales for the six-month period set new value and volume records." Sales to the Japanese market dived from 310 tonnes in the first half of the previous year to 117 tonnes in the year under review. Australian sales fell to 291 tonnes from 349 tonnes, while sales in Europe and Asia, excluding Japan, showed growth. Across all export markets, the firm's New Zealand dollar price per kilogram of salmon rose from $21.70 to $23.49 between the two periods. The company expects the production dip caused by the ongoing impact of the high 2017/18 mortality rates to hold total full-year production to around 8,000 tonnes, unchanged from 2017/18. However, it is forecasting a 9,500-tonne harvest by the year to June 2021 as fish stocks replenish and the company slowly ramps up higher-flow sites where it does have permission to operate. Directors reaffirmed previous operating earnings guidance for the 2019 financial year of between $25 million and $28.5 million. King Salmon shares last traded at $2.17 and have risen about 9 percent in the past year. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: Delegat Group Limited (NZX: DGL) $333 million syndicated bank facilities 7th December 2021 Morning Report Sky Network Television Limited (NZX: SKY) Transformation accelerates - Sky raises FY22 guidance PGG Wrightson Limited (NZX: PGW) FY22 Operating EBITDA forecast to better last year Vulcan Steel Limited (NZX: VSL) Trading Update & Earnings Upgrade 6th December 2021 Morning Report Synlait Milk Limited (NZX: SML) Partnership to enhance soil health; test regen ag practices Property for Industry Limited (NZX: PFI) Strong Valuation Outcome, Penrose Acquisition 3rd December 2021 Morning Report Fonterra Shareholders Fund (NZX: FSF) Fonterra provides Milk Price, earnings and Q1 update The New Zealand dollar held steady despite poor local business confidence figures and data from China showing factory activity is slowing. The kiwi was trading at 68.48 US cents at 5pm in Wellington from 68.40 cents this morning. The trade-weighted index was at 73.91 points from 73.84. We have pretty negative news from the ANZ business confidence survey and then the Chinese data was worse, says Tim Kelleher, head of external foreign exchange sales at ASB Bank. The ANZ Banks headline business confidence index sank 7 points in the latest month with a net 31 percent of respondents expecting general business conditions to deteriorate in the year ahead. Still, its better than the recent low back in August when a net 50 percent expected general business conditions to worsen. A net 11 percent of firms are expecting their own businesses to improve, but thats down 3 points from the last survey in December. The Chinese data showed factory activity shrank for a third consecutive month in February with the official Purchasing Managers Index falling to a three-year low at 49.2 points any reading below 50 indications a contraction. The situation wasnt helped when the top US trade negotiator Robert Lighthizer told Congress that its still too early to tell if China will concede to US demands. Thats despite President Donald Trump already talking about inviting China President Xi Jinping to his Florida resort Mar-a-Lago to sign a trade agreement. Lighthizer said the administration is pressing for significant structural changes to allow for a more level playing field and that the disagreement wont be solved simply by China promising to buy more US goods. Kelleher says that with the month ending in New York overnight, he would expect that month-end repositioning should mean the kiwi and Australian dollars should be well-supported. The New Zealand dollar was trading at 95.82 Australian cents from 95.88, at 75.91 yen from 75.88, at 51.49 British pence from 51.39, at 60.16 euro cents from 60.53 and 4.5757 Chinese yuan from 4.5720. The two-year swap rate is at 1.8025 percent from 1.8200 yesterday; the 10-year swap rate is at 2.4000 percent from 2.3900. (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: Delegat Group Limited (NZX: DGL) $333 million syndicated bank facilities 7th December 2021 Morning Report Sky Network Television Limited (NZX: SKY) Transformation accelerates - Sky raises FY22 guidance PGG Wrightson Limited (NZX: PGW) FY22 Operating EBITDA forecast to better last year Vulcan Steel Limited (NZX: VSL) Trading Update & Earnings Upgrade 6th December 2021 Morning Report Synlait Milk Limited (NZX: SML) Partnership to enhance soil health; test regen ag practices Property for Industry Limited (NZX: PFI) Strong Valuation Outcome, Penrose Acquisition 3rd December 2021 Morning Report Fonterra Shareholders Fund (NZX: FSF) Fonterra provides Milk Price, earnings and Q1 update Litigation funding - hardly a phrase on everyones lips, is set to move into the spotlight during the next few weeks. Two high-profile court battles financed by litigation funders - Mainzeal, and a group of kiwifruit growers fight with MPI - will be in the news in March. And the terms of reference for a long-awaited Law Commission review into class actions and litigation funding are also due soon - potentially the same month. This weeks $36 million judgment against four directors of failed construction company Mainzeal is a good example of a case that would never have got to trial without financing from a third party - in this case New Zealand company LPF. Mainzeal liquidator BDO accused the directors of the construction company, including former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, of reckless trading. This follows years where the mainly loss-making firm was technically insolvent, but continued to trade. When the company finally collapsed it owed $110 million to unsecured creditors, including $45.4 million to subcontractors and tradies working on Mainzeal projects. It enabled the creditors to get access to justice, BDO business recovery and insolvency partner Andrew Bethell says. We didnt have funds to take this claim. Its a good result in terms of New Zealand reckless trading. However, the compensation covers only a third of what the creditors are owed. We would have liked a bigger number, Bethell says. Neither BDO nor the directors have announced whether they will appeal the judgment, but with the limit being 20 working days, key decisions will be taken this month. Meanwhile March 11 is the date set for the start of an appeal in the case between the so-called "Strathboss" kiwifruit growers and the Ministry for Primary Industries over the devastating kiwifruit disease PSA. The case will be heard by Appeal Court judges Patricia Courtney, Brendan Brown and Murray Gilbert. A group of 212 kiwifruit orchardists, plus packhouse operator Seeka, claimed MPI failed to do its job and was negligent in letting PSA into New Zealand. The High Court agreed, but both sides have appealed. The case and the upcoming appeal is also funded by LPF, whose initials stand for level playing field. These are two of the best examples of the value of litigation funding, says LPF founding director Phil Newland. They are two cases which are strong on their merits, but could not have happened without litigation funding. But the fact the timing is proximate is coincidence. Newland says whether litigation funding takes off in New Zealand will depend on the outcome of a Law Commission review into class actions and litigation funding. It was announced last year, but has been on the back burner while the commission dealt with other issues. Class action involves a group of plaintiffs getting together to sue one of more defendants. Its often used overseas when each claimant is likely to get only a relatively small amount of compensation, but where the total sum involved is big. Litigation funding, where a third party funds a case, is often used in class actions. The funders get a slice, sometimes a relatively large slice, of any settlement. Litigation funding has been hampered in New Zealand in part by two archaic and obscurely-named torts - maintenance and champerty. These legal wrongs basically forbid third parties making money out of someone elses lawsuit - the basic premise of litigation funding. Maintenance and champerty have been abolished in the UK, where they originated, but are still part of common law in New Zealand. Until that is cleared up "litigation funding is going to continue to be used only in a relatively small way in New Zealand, Newland says. Announcing the Law Commission review in May last year, Law Commission president Douglas White said New Zealand laws were lagging behind those in other countries such as Australia and the UK. Practitioners, judges and commentators have argued that the absence of a regulatory regime for class actions and litigation funding in New Zealand is creating inefficiencies in the court system and uncertainty for court users. However, White said there are also risks and costs. For example, class action proceedings may take longer and cost more to resolve than individual claims due to the complex procedural issues involved," he said. Litigation funding could also raise questions of fairness, both to the defendant, if the funder has insufficient capital to meet a costs order, and to the funded plaintiffs, if the funders interests conflict with theirs, or if the terms of the funding agreement are unfair, White said. White told BusinessDesk the Law Commission review was in the early stages of being reactivated, and no specific dates were yet in place. However, media reports have suggested the review could begin soon. (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: Delegat Group Limited (NZX: DGL) $333 million syndicated bank facilities 7th December 2021 Morning Report Sky Network Television Limited (NZX: SKY) Transformation accelerates - Sky raises FY22 guidance PGG Wrightson Limited (NZX: PGW) FY22 Operating EBITDA forecast to better last year Vulcan Steel Limited (NZX: VSL) Trading Update & Earnings Upgrade 6th December 2021 Morning Report Synlait Milk Limited (NZX: SML) Partnership to enhance soil health; test regen ag practices Property for Industry Limited (NZX: PFI) Strong Valuation Outcome, Penrose Acquisition 3rd December 2021 Morning Report Fonterra Shareholders Fund (NZX: FSF) Fonterra provides Milk Price, earnings and Q1 update Units in the Fonterra Shareholders' Fund hit a record low after the dairy cooperative cut its forecast earnings and said it won't pay an interim dividend. Fonterra downgraded its earnings forecast to 15-25 cents per share from a previous forecast of 25-35 cents per share, blaming the increased milk price which saw it hike the farmgate price to its supplier-shareholders. The downgrade implies annual earnings of between $242-403 million in the year ending July, compared to the earlier projection of $403-564 million. The units fell as low as $4.28 after the announcement. The units, which give outside investors exposure to the farmer-owned cooperative but no voting rights, sold for $5.50 in the 2012 initial public offering. They closed at $6.85 on the first day of trading. The news "is yet another reminder of the poor position that unitholders face when investing in FSF," said Oyvinn Rimer, a senior research analyst at Harbour Asset Management. "The decision to suspend dividend payments, the only source of economic value for unitholders, as earnings disappointed and a priority to service high debt levels means a declining investment case to own these securities," Fonterra's board will decide on whether to pay a final dividend and is reviewing its dividend policy as part of its wider strategic review, it said today. Interim chief executive Miles Hurrell told journalists on a conference call that he couldn't predict how unitholders would react but, from Fonterra's perspective, "this is not the outcome we would have liked." He said the company is closely focused on a strategic review as "we can't continue to operate like this." The cooperative announced a "full stocktake and portfolio review" in September after announcing its first full-year loss in its 18-year history. That is looking at all its major investments, assets and joint ventures to see how they are performing and where they fit within its strategy. Chair John Monaghan said the review is not aimed at "tinkering around the edges" but is looking at fundamental changes and will provide an update in March. Rimer said the detail had yet to be seen but "the reluctance previously seen for any meaningful change has been highly tangible." He noted that at the time of the IPO of the fund, "there was a strong desire of the market that the company issued more equity capital, but that wasnt offered as an option. At this point in time, it will be a lot harder to raise capital and some difficult decisions need to be made to address the balance sheet." (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: Delegat Group Limited (NZX: DGL) $333 million syndicated bank facilities 7th December 2021 Morning Report Sky Network Television Limited (NZX: SKY) Transformation accelerates - Sky raises FY22 guidance PGG Wrightson Limited (NZX: PGW) FY22 Operating EBITDA forecast to better last year Vulcan Steel Limited (NZX: VSL) Trading Update & Earnings Upgrade 6th December 2021 Morning Report Synlait Milk Limited (NZX: SML) Partnership to enhance soil health; test regen ag practices Property for Industry Limited (NZX: PFI) Strong Valuation Outcome, Penrose Acquisition 3rd December 2021 Morning Report Fonterra Shareholders Fund (NZX: FSF) Fonterra provides Milk Price, earnings and Q1 update Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan called for peace and invited India to engage in dialogue amid escalating tension since the Pulwama attack. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister met with his top intel and military officials to chart out the next course of action. This, after whats being dubbed Surgical Strike 2.0 was carried out signaling significant military escalation between India and Pakistan. India is also looking into claims from Pakistan that two Indian Air Force jets were downed and a pilot was captured. In the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday morning, a dozen Mirage fighter jets backed by Sukhoi aircrafts carried out aerial strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror training facility. Twelve days after the attack at Pulwama which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF troopers, and for the first time since 1971, the Indian Air Force crossed the Line of Control (LoC) to carry out military strikes. The Tribune editorial praised the perfect preemptive strike We as a nation have been for long at the receiving end of jihadi terror attacks planned and launched from the Pakistani soil. A bleeding nation at some point has to sew up its wounds and stop the sabre that stabs. If Pakistan does not respond to actionable intelligence, India would obviously be forced to act on it. In the aftermath, the LoC is understandably tense and various points along the border are on high alert. According to the government, the biggest terror camp run by JeM was hit hard. Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said in part, In this operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who have been trained for fidayeen action were eliminated. #India struck biggest training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammad in Balakot; a very large number of terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and fidayeen jihadis were eliminated: Sh Vijay Gokhale, Foreign Secretary pic.twitter.com/D8kk4gWfWI PIB India (@PIB_India) February 26, 2019 India, meanwhile shot down a Pakistani F-16 jet on Wednesday morning. With airspace over Srinagar and Jammu shut, along with all flights to Pakistan cancelled, the past 24 hours have been full of activity as both countries take precautionary steps domestically. The Prime Minister, in a rally hours after the news broke of the operation, declared that the nation is in safe hands. The nation including the opposition, sportspersons and celebrities paid tribute to those in uniform in the aftermath of the military operation thanking them for their service. Was this the right response? Was Kargil in the minds of some as the news broke of this operation? SA Aiyar, consulting editor, Economic Times, in a column published last week, writes on the risks of another war with Pakistan - He must avoid military action, which could backfire badly. I call the surgical strikes political theatre because they were strategically empty and militarily only fleabites. A good politician satisfies the public blood lust and demand for revenge by finding solutions that soothe angry voters without risking dangerous military escalation. Aiyar speaks to the political calculation which needed to be done in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack. Aiyar points out the gamble that Modi, or any leader for that matter wouldve had to make. If the military response resulted in any casualties, the conversation might have been different. There would be questions on whether the operation was a necessity. As Shekhar Gupta points out in his column for the Hindustan Times, the reactions to the strikes show there is no patience for terror as an instrument of State policy The strategically smart thing would be to stay calm and keep it non partisan, at least for the next several days. India has demonstrated that it no longer accepts that state/non- state distinction. If Pakistan wishes to retaliate, it has to also know that this isnt a game of cricket with one innings for either side. This will go on. Pakistan plots a response As the Pakistani government and military take stock of the events of the past 24 hours, some have cautioned against beating the drums of war. The government, similar to what India did, closed airspace for commercial flights. Pakistani media reports suggest that the Peshawar's Bacha Khan International Airport was closed. Some have called for restraint and cooler heads to prevail in the aftermath of the past two weeks. Former Foreign Secretaries of Pakistan, Riaz Hussain Khokhar, Riaz Mohammad Khan and Inamul Haq, in an op-ed for the Dawn urged restraint prior to the air strikes This fraught situation can spark a conflict with incalculable consequences for both Pakistan and India. New Delhi has resorted to beat the drums of war. Pakistan faces the challenge to avert a catastrophe that Indian actions may precipitate in South Asia it should also be unthinkable for the two nuclear neighbours to initiate a conflict that has the potential of getting out of control. The supposed downing of the two aircraft was to demonstrate our right, will and capability for self defence. We do not wish to escalate but are fully prepared if forced into that paradigm said the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In response to PAF strikes this morning as released by MoFA, IAF crossed LOC. PAF shot down two Indian aircrafts inside Pakistani airspace. One of the aircraft fell inside AJ&K while other fell inside IOK. One Indian pilot arrested by troops on ground while two in the area. Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 27, 2019 Rest of the world responds A number of countries, including the EU, Australia, Russia and the United States cautioned India and Pakistan to not escalate the situation further after Indias air strikes. China, an ally of Pakistan, chided India for acting unilaterally and suggested that India shouldve responded with International consultation and cooperation. Michael Kugelman, in a column for Foreign Policy faults Indias Kashmir policy and Pakistans refusal to crack down on state sponsored terrorism So long as Pakistan continues to provide space and other forms of succor to terrorists on its soil, Kashmir will be vulnerable to terrorism. The Modi government has made matters worse by embracing a tone-deaf Kashmir policy that alternates between promising more development to communities more concerned about repression than poverty. The situation domestically is complex given it's an election year. For the world, the ever-present concern remains of two nuclear-armed nations beginning another war with guns and tanks could end up far more catastrophic. More columns by Varun Sukumar SLU: Best in State for Jobs Saint Louis University ranks as the top university in Missouri for job placement, with 93.48 percent of alumni employed, according to Zippia, a career resources website. Saint Louis University places more graduates in jobs than any other university in Missouri according to a new ranking. SLU photo One of the biggest things that incoming college freshmen consider when theyre thinking of what school to attend is the likelihood that a school will improve their job prospects, Zippia noted in producing its list. Zippia used data gathered by the National Center of Education Statistics and U.S. Department of Education as a starting point for its research. It searched the colleges in each state with the highest listed job placement ratings. It analyzed 46 public and non-profit, four-year institutions of higher education in Missouri, specifically looked at employment levels 10 years after graduation. 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Facebook meanwhile confirmed it had received a letter from New York state's Department of Financial Services seeking information about the data sharing. The regulator, best known for cracking down on large banks, demanded that Facebook provide the names of all the companies that have sent the social media company data about users of their applications over the past three years, according to the source. Other requests were sent to application developers for information on their contracts with Facebook. A Wall Street Journal report on February 22 found that intimate data could be shared with Facebook from at least 11 popular apps using a tool designed to help target ads, even if users were not Facebook members. Information collected by apps included personal details regarding body weight, pregnancy status, ovulation, and home shopping, according to the Journal. Facebook said it was reviewing the request. "It's common for developers to share information with a wide range of platforms for advertising and analytics," a Facebook spokesperson said. "We require the other app developers to be clear with their users about the information they are sharing with us, and we prohibit app developers from sending us sensitive data. We also take steps to detect and remove data that should not be shared with us." The New York probe comes amid a broadening debate over online privacy. Interest and industry groups testified this week at hearings on Capitol Hill on options to strengthen protection following a number of high-profile scandals involving Facebook and other tech giants. Iraq doctors say vendettas threaten their lives as they save others Baghdad, Feb 28 (AFP) Feb 28, 2019 In Iraq, medicine is a matter of life or death -- not just for patients, but for doctors facing threats by vengeful relatives and emigrating en masse. Shaymaa al-Kamali, a family physician in Baghdad, said her problems began when she barred a patient's father from staying in the hospital after visiting hours. Furious and carrying arms, their relatives stormed her clinic in protest, and she had to flee through a service entrance. "I took off my doctor's coat and ran out with a colleague. We got into a taxi as if I was his wife and not a doctor like him," Kamali told AFP. "I didn't go back to work for ten days." Doctors, nurses, and other health workers across Iraq say they regularly risk being physically harassed, verbally threatened, and even kidnapped while on the job. They blame this on the longstanding tradition of personal gun ownership in Iraq, a country ravaged by decades of violence. And because of the retaliatory form of justice relied on by tribes -- which often trumps federal law -- some doctors had to pay as much as $45,000 to settle vendettas with patients' families, said Kamali. As a result of this violent and chaotic situation, many doctors have opted to leave Iraq for safer hospitals abroad -- something 32-year-old Kamali is herself increasingly considering. Of the 348 doctors who graduated with her in 2009 from medical school 285 have already left the country "mainly because of these assaults", she said. - 'Vast shortage of doctors' - "These kinds of attacks are a common occurrence in every Iraqi province," said Sahar Mawlud, pharmacist and deputy health director in Salaheddin province. "Sometimes, patients are already dying by the time they arrive to the hospital. But when they die, their families accuse medics of not doing their jobs," she told AFP. In the northern province of Kirkuk a health worker was physically assaulted while treating a critically ill 70-year-old in February, according to the World Health Organization. "Such attacks constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law," warned Adham Rashad Ismail, the head of WHO in Iraq. And further south in oil-rich Basra, gastroenterologist Hussein Uday said doctors, particularly those specialising in cardiac surgery or neurology, were emigrating in droves pushed by "fear" of reprisals. In total, around 20,000 doctors have fled Iraq in the last 15 years, according to a joint study conducted by the International Committee for the Red Cross, Iraq's health ministry and other medical organisations. It found 70 percent of Iraqi health personnel are considering emigrating out of fear of reprisals, kidnapping or killing. "Iraq is left facing a vast shortage of doctors," said health ministry spokesman Seif al-Badr. In 2017, there were just nine doctors for every 10,000 people in Iraq, or three times less than in neighbouring Kuwait and two times less that conflict-ridden Libya, said the WHO. But the problem facing the health sector goes beyond staffing woes. Iraq's health infrastructure was ravaged by back-to-back conflicts and more than a decade of international sanctions until the US-led invasion against Saddam Hussein in 2003. Sectarian violence followed, culminating in the three-year battle against the Islamic State group that ended in 2017. - 'Law of the jungle' - Those difficult years shattered Iraq's reputation as a medical hub in the region, and there is no more striking example of that fall than Baghdad's Medical City. The health complex was one of the most advanced in the region in the 1970s, but its clinics are now shockingly short on equipment and medicine, and its buildings falling into disrepair. ICRC chief Peter Maurer said pressure on doctors was gutting the basic tenets of the medical profession. "We are concerned not only by direct attacks on the medical installations," he said during a recent trip to Iraq. "We are also concerned about tribalism and sectarianism entering the basic Hippocratic Oath of treating patients equally, depending on the seriousness and the urgency of the illness and not depending on the origin, or the ethnic belonging or the faith of a person or group," he added. Doctors are so afraid for their safety, they are taking to the streets to demand a 2013 law allowing health workers to carry arms inside their workplace be activated. "This is a necessary law. It's for self-defence," said Abdulamir al-Shammary, head of Iraq's doctors syndicate. Some lawmakers have proposed including crimes against doctors under Iraq's anti-terrorism law, which could bring the death penalty. "There is no rule of law. Here, it's the law of the jungle" that prevails, Kamali said. But even so, she and other doctors continue to go to work, hoping hospitals would remain havens for saving lives. Yongbyon: the North Korean nuclear complex on the table in Hanoi Hanoi, Feb 28 (AFP) Feb 28, 2019 The future of North Korea's decades-old Yongbyon nuclear complex was expected to be on the negotiating table in Hanoi Thursday at leader Kim Jong Un's second summit with US President Donald Trump. It has long been at the heart of Pyongyang's atomic development programme, but remains shrouded in secrecy. Here is what we know about it: - What is it? - About 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Pyongyang, Yongbyon is made up of dozens of buildings related to North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. Opened in 1986, it is home to the country's first nuclear reactor, with a five megawatt capacity, and is the only known source of plutonium for the North's weapons programme. It also produces other key fuels for nuclear bombs -- highly enriched uranium and tritium -- and according to a 2019 report by the Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation has been expanding even amid the recent diplomatic thaw. The report by leading nuclear researcher Siegfried Hecker, who has visited Yongbyon four times, said the complex produced enough fissile material for five to seven atomic bombs in 2018. - How important is it? Yongbyon is not believed to be the North's only uranium enrichment facility and closing it down would not in and of itself signal an end to North Korea's atomic programme. US intelligence believes Pyongyang has at least two more uranium plants -- one near Kangson, just outside Pyongyang, and another at an undisclosed location. A Yongbyon closure "may *slow* the growth of North Korea's fissile material stockpile, but it would not *cap* it", tweeted Jeffrey Lewis, a researcher at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Critics also note that North Korea has already produced a stockpile of fissile material with which to build more bombs. "It is important to be precise about what a shut-down accomplishes and what it does not," Lewis added. - What does the North want in exchange? When South Korean President Moon Jae-in went to Pyongyang for a summit with Kim in September, the North offered Yongbyon's "permanent destruction", but only if the US took "corresponding actions". The qualification goes to the heart of one of the disagreements between Washington and Pyongyang -- the North wants the US to make concessions step-by-step along the way, particularly sanctions relief, while Washington has insisted the restrictions must remain in place until denuclearisation is completed. - Have we been here before? - Pyongyang has agreed to mothball Yongbyon in the past. The main reactor was shut down in 1994 under an agreement with Washington, only to be restarted in 2003 after the deal was derailed. Another agreement to shut down the reactor was signed in 2007, and the North blew up a cooling tower as a token of its commitment. But that deal also fell apart when relations soured and Pyongyang reactivated the reactor by cooling it with river water. Experts say previous broken promises show that simple deactivation will not be enough. "This demonstrates the need for (1) verification by trusted inspectors, (2) acceptance that somethings can be reversed, (3) the ability to reverse economic inducements," tweeted Melissa Hanham, a researcher at the One Earth Future foundation. - How could it be checked? - In the past North Korea has allowed in UN nuclear inspectors in exchange for concessions. International Atomic Energy Agency officials carried out checks from 1994 to 2002 and again from 2007 to 2009. But Pyongyang expelled them in 2009 ahead of the second of its six nuclear tests and has since refused to allow international inspections on its territory. And the IAEA has said its representatives were never given full access to the complex, including the uranium enrichment facilities. China urges India, Pakistan against 'expansion' of tensions Beijing, Feb 28 (AFP) Feb 28, 2019 China's foreign minister has called on Pakistan and India to avoid escalating tensions, expressing to his Pakistani counterpart "deep concern" over the Kashmir crisis amid fears aerial battles could snowball into an all-out conflict. Wang Yi's comments came as Shah Mehmood Qureshi called him on Wednesday to provide an update on the latest developments in the standoff, the Chinese foreign ministry said Thursday. Wang told Qureshi he hoped the nuclear-armed neighbours would "exercise restraint and earnestly fulfil their commitment to preventing the expansion of the situation", a ministry statement said. Tensions between the historic rivals have dramatically escalated since announcing they had shot each other's fighter jets down Wednesday. While both sides have sought to play down the threat of war, the rare aerial engagement over the divided and disputed territory of Kashmir significantly raises the stakes in a standoff sparked by a suicide attack on the Indian-controlled side earlier this month. New Delhi had vowed retaliation after a Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) claimed the attack, which killed dozens of troops in Indian Kashmir. On Tuesday, India said its air force conducted strikes on a JeM militant camp inside Pakistan -- the first time since 1971 it hit territory in divided Kashmir. Beijing, one of Pakistan's closest allies, has poured billions of dollars into the country as part of a massive infrastructure project that seeks to connect China's western province of Xinjiang with the Arabian Sea port of Gwadar in Balochistan. On Wednesday, Britain, France, and the United States asked the UN Security Council to place JeM leader Masood Azhar on the UN terror blacklist, which would subject him to a global travel ban and assets freeze -- a motion China is expected to object to. China blocked attempts to impose sanctions on the JeM leader in 2016 and 2017. The group itself was added to the terror list in 2001. Kim says would welcome US liaison office in North Korea Hanoi, Feb 28 (AFP) Feb 28, 2019 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would welcome Washington opening a liaison office in Pyongyang, he said Thursday at a summit with US President Donald Trump. Liaison offices are below the level of embassies but would be a key initial step in normalising relations between the former wartime foes. Asked if he was ready for the US to open an office in Pyongyang, Kim told reporters: "I think it is something that is worth welcoming." Taking questions from a small group of reporters, the leaders sat across from each other, along with close aides and interpreters. Trump said the idea of a liaison office was a "great thing". The leaders are in Hanoi for their second summit following a historic first meeting in Singapore last June that produced little more than a vaguely worded agreement to "work toward complete nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. They face pressure to agree on concrete steps on what exactly that means and how it could be achieved. But the US leader said Thursday he was in "no rush", appearing to back away from any expectations the much-anticipated meeting could produce any major breakthroughs. The pair are expected to sign a declaration after their meetings, and Trump will hold a press conference before leaving Vietnam later Thursday. CORRECTED: Pakistan, India say shot down each other's warplanes Islamabad, Feb 28 (AFP) Feb 28, 2019 Pakistan and India said Wednesday they had shot down each other's warplanes, in a dramatically escalating confrontation that has fuelled concerns of an all-out conflict between the nuclear-armed rivals. Calling for talks with India to defuse the situation, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan warned of the potentially catastrophic consequences should "better sense" not prevail. "Can we afford any miscalculation with the kind of weapons that we have and you have?" he said in a televised statement. While both sides have sought to play down the threat of war, the rare aerial engagement over the divided and disputed territory of Kashmir significantly raises the stakes in a standoff sparked by a suicide attack on the Indian-controlled side earlier this month. Pakistan initially said it downed two Indian jets in its airspace and captured two pilots, but later its military spokesman tweeted that there was "only one pilot" in Pakistani custody. India's foreign ministry demanded the "immediate and safe return" of the pilot, calling on Pakistan to ensure no harm comes to him. The pilot "gives Islamabad a key bargaining chip that may affect just how muscular Delhi's next move could be," tweeted US analyst Michael Kugelman. New Delhi also confirmed the loss of one of its planes and said it had shot down a Pakistani fighter jet. In a sign of the deepening crisis, Pakistan closed its airspace "until further notice". At least six airports were shuttered in India, and a vast area north of New Delhi was closed to civilian flights. "We do not want to go towards war," Pakistan's military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor told a press conference. Ghafoor said the jets had been shot down after Pakistani planes earlier flew across the Line of Control, the de facto border in Kashmir, to the Indian side in a show of strength, hitting open space after locking on to military targets. Afterwards, he said, the two Indian planes crossed the LoC into Pakistani airspace. One fell into Pakistani-held Kashmir, while the second crashed on the other side, he said. He denied initial reports that a Pakistan plane had been shot down, saying accounts an F-16 had been lost were incorrect. - 'Unfortunate loss' - Later, Indian foreign ministry spokesman Rajeesh Kumar said a Pakistani jet was hit as it took part in an operation "to target military installations on the Indian side". He said the Indian plane flown by the captured pilot -- a Mig-21 -- was lost in that operation. Pakistan state media published a video purportedly showing the captured pilot being interrogated. It shows a blindfolded man in an Indian Air Force uniform, his face bloodied, with his hands tied behind him, giving his name, rank and serial number as a soldier interrogates him. The military later released a second video showing the man without a blindfold and drinking a cup of tea. The incidents are the latest in a dangerous sequence of events between the two countries, whose ties have been under intense strain since the February 14 suicide bombing in Indian Kashmir that killed 40 troops. New Delhi had promised to act, and on Tuesday its warplanes flew into Pakistani airspace and struck what it said was a camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), the militant group that claimed the Kashmir bombing. It was India's first air strike on Pakistani soil since the neighbours fought a war in 1971 -- when neither had nuclear weapons. Islamabad, while denying the Indian strike caused any major damage or casualties, quickly vowed to retaliate, fuelling fears of a disastrous confrontation in South Asia. - Appeal against 'escalation' - Earlier Wednesday, India's foreign minister sought to ease the situation by downplaying Tuesday's strike, repeating Indian claims that it had been a pre-emptive attack on JeM. "India does not wish to see further escalation of this situation," Sushma Swaraj said during a visit to China. The US, along with China, Britain, Germany and the European Union, have called for cooler heads to prevail. "We encourage India and Pakistan to ... avoid escalation at any cost," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. China Wednesday again urged the two sides to "exercise restraint". Britain said it was "deeply concerned" and working with partners including the UN Security Council to defuse tensions. - Crisis for Khan - The confrontation represents the first major foreign policy crisis for Pakistan's leader, who is believed to be close to the powerful military and who came to power last year vowing to seek dialogue with New Delhi. Pakistan has denied involvement in the Kashmir bombing on February 14. While India has consistently accused its neighbour of supporting extremist groups, Pakistan has equally vehemently denied any role in attacks in India and its only Muslim-majority state, Kashmir. The Himalayan region has been divided between India and Pakistan since independence in 1947. They have fought two of their three wars over the territory. Previously, the US and other members of the international community have acted to defuse tensions. "If I were Washington, I'd be in overdrive making phone calls and signalling that it wants tensions to be de-escalated now," said Moeed Yusuf, an expert at the US Institute of Peace in Washington. "The risks of letting this play out are too great." burs-st/rox/qan Trump presser rescheduled amid rumours Kim summit cut short Hanoi, Feb 28 (AFP) Feb 28, 2019 A planned press conference by US President Donald Trump to follow his talks with North Korea's Kim Jong Un was suddenly brought forward Thursday, prompting speculation the summit was being cut short. A working lunch scheduled to take place after the leaders' discussions appeared to be cancelled and Trump's press conference was moved ahead by two hours, according to the White House. It was not clear whether the leaders would still hold a signing ceremony, originally set to take place after lunch and before Trump's press briefing. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders confirmed only that "there has been a programme change", without elaborating. "The negotiations are ongoing, we expect that to wrap up in the next half hour," she said as Kim and Trump remained behind closed doors. A table set for the working lunch remained empty and a live feed of the venue was suddenly cut before the White House announced the programme change. The last-minute confusion raised questions about what if any concrete progress was made at the Hanoi summit, the leaders' first face-to-face since their historic meeting in June. Trump may also be eager to return to Washington after his longtime lawyer and former fixer Michael Cohen testified before Congress, saying his ex-boss was a liar who engaged in possibly illegal conduct while in office. "Today, I am here to tell the truth about Mr Trump," Cohen told the nationally-televised hearing. "He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat," who inflated his assets when it suited him "and deflated his assets to reduce his real estate taxes", Cohen said. No deal, no problem at Trump-Kim summit: analysts Hanoi, Feb 28 (AFP) Feb 28, 2019 Donald Trump summoned the world's media to Hanoi for a meeting with Kim Jong Un, travelled the long way around the world to get there, and dangled an "AWESOME" future before the North Korean leader. And they did not agree anything. That may not be such a bad thing, analysts say. Their Singapore summit -- the first-ever encounter between the leaders of two countries on opposite sides of the technically still unfinished Korean War -- made global headlines last year. But the agreement they signed was short on specifics, with Kim committing only to a vague promise to "work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula". Subsequent progress stalled with the two sides disagreeing over what that means, and ahead of the Hanoi meeting analysts expected them to put meat on the bones of the text. In the event, there was more bonhomie in the Vietnamese capital -- a venue chosen partly to symbolise the possibility of a good post-war relationship with the US -- but even less in the way of tangible outcomes, with no communique emerging from the summit. Trump told reporters Kim wanted all sanctions imposed on the North over its weapons programmes lifted before it made any further moves over its Yongbyon nuclear plant and other covert sites, and he had decided to walk away. "I'd much rather do it right than do it fast," he added. Analysts pointed to the meeting as part of a long process, and potentially a necessary one. "These talks were not a failure," said David Kim of the Stimson Center. "Think of the Trump-Kim relationship like a Korean drama," he went on. "We are just beginning to watch the long love story unfold." It would be filled with "excitement, disappointment and utter heartache", but "the bond between Kim and Trump will remain steadfast to the end. "As long as both 'lovers' remain committed to their relationship, we can expect more positive outcomes in the future." - Third date? - Trump has previously said he and Kim "fell in love" over an exchange of letters, and while no third summit with Kim had been agreed, the White House said working-level talks would continue. But in his New Year speech, a key political set-piece in the North, Kim said Pyongyang would seek a "new way" to defend its interests if Washington did not offer concessions in return for the steps it has already taken -- a missile and nuclear test moratorium, and what it says is the destruction of facilities it no longer needs. That raises the prospect of Kim turning to neighbour and ally China for succour. In and before Hanoi, Trump repeatedly said the North could become an "economic powerhouse" if it gave up its weapons. The two discussed liaison offices -- a vital initial step in normalising relations -- and Ankit Panda of the Federation of American Scientists said there were "multiple credible reports an end-of-war declaration was on the table." But those were "never the 'corresponding measures' North Korea sought", he added. Pyongyang will once again have been able to portray itself as Washington's equal, and Kim as Trump's -- the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper carried a front-page picture Thursday that showed the US president appearing to bow slightly as the pair shook hands. Former CIA analyst Soo Kim noted that Trump had insisted several times he was in no rush to complete a deal and that with the North not yet prepared to take the steps the US wanted, Trump "so far looks at ease with this decision". But, she told AFP: "This outcome is likely not what the Kim regime had banked on. So it remains to be seen whether after the rug has been pulled from underneath, North Korea will bite again at another opportunity." - Waning Moon - The no-result from Hanoi leaves South Korean President Moon Jae-in -- who seized on last year's Winter Olympics in his country to broker talks between Pyongyang and Washington -- in a bind. Moon had intended to unveil an inter-Korean economic co-operation plan on Friday, said former CIA staffer Kim, the 100th anniversary of a movement against Japanese colonial rule -- one issue on which North and South Koreans are in total agreement. Now suggestions of a Kim Jong Un trip to Seoul are likely to go on the back burner, and analyst Kim said it "remained to be seen" whether Moon would be able to pursue his inter-Korean rapprochement so aggressively. Daniel Davis, Senior Fellow at Defense Priorities, said that as Kim had asked for "something really big", the price he would be asked to pay next time would be higher, and Trump was holding "all the cards". "I don't think it will be long until the next discussion... because Kim Jong Un can't afford to take a long time." But while Trump has his eye on next year's US presidential election -- and is said to want a Nobel Peace Prize -- Kim is the third generation of his family to rule the North and undoubtedly expects to remain in power for decades. "These talks will take a long time and will far outlive this presidency," said David Kim. "Patience is a virtue." Trouble finds Trump on every side of the world Hanoi, Feb 28 (AFP) Feb 28, 2019 Branded a criminal by a former friend in Washington, then let down by his new friend Kim Jong Un in Vietnam, Donald Trump cut a lonely figure before returning home from North Korea nuclear talks Thursday. The US president's usual fire was missing at a press conference marking the end of two days of negotiations to try and get Kim to give up nuclear weapons. Trump made few of his customary quips and kept largely on topic, a far cry from the rambling, excited performance he put on after his first summit with Kim in Singapore last year. This time he didn't even seem angry, just tired. That, quite possibly, was in part due to having stayed up to watch his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testify in Washington -- during Vietnam's night time hours -- that his old boss was a crook. Trump lamented Congress' scheduling. "They could have made it two days later or next week, and it would have been even better. They would have had more time," he said bitterly. Originally, the Kim summit in Hanoi seemed set to give Trump a chance to escape the Washington swamp. Back home his pet project to build a wall on the Mexico border is embroiled in controversy and allegations of misconduct are mounting. But on the other side of the world, a chance to make history beckoned. Trump heavily hyped the event, apparently believing that by sheer force of personality he can succeed where decades of diplomats have flopped, transforming North Korea from an isolated, nuclear-armed fortress state to Asian tiger and friend of the US. He even let out that his name was being pushed for a Nobel Peace Prize. By lunchtime Thursday, though, it was clear that Trump's bold gambit had failed for now. He and Kim couldn't even agree on enough to issue a joint declaration and the summit ended two hours early. "Sometimes you have to walk," a deflated Trump said. - With friends like these - Hoping to get Kim to agree to fundamental cuts in his arsenal, Trump says he instead found himself facing impossible demands from the totalitarian leader for Washington to drop economic sanctions. But Trump insisted that he and Kim remain buddies. "There was a warmth that we have and I hope it stays," he said. "He's quite a guy." Clearly Trump likes to be liked. For a president who stakes so much on his claim to be a star negotiator, that personal magic may even be the vital ingredient. "Believe it or not I have a great relationship with almost every leader," Trump told the press conference, ending his boast on a defensive note. "A lot of people find that hard to understand." - Losing focus - But there will never be any rescuing his once-great relationship with Cohen, a man who served him as lawyer and general fixer for a decade. Cohen, about to go to prison for three years after being convicted of lying under oath, took the oath again Wednesday in an extraordinarily theatrical congressional hearing. Broadcast across the world on cable and US network channels, Cohen used the big stage to unload on his old boss, describing him as a "mobster", "conman", "cheat" and a "racist". As the Trump-Kim negotiations in Hanoi kicked off on Wednesday, many asked how the president would react. Would he ignore the commotion back home to stay focused on the even-higher-stakes talks scheduled for early Thursday morning? Or would he go back to his hotel and tune in? There was never really much doubt. "I tried to watch as much as I could," Trump said, before delivering a detailed critique in which he estimated that Cohen had lied about him "95 percent instead of 100 percent". With that, his less than happy Vietnam trip was over. A less than happy return home loomed. "I'm about to get on a plane and fly back to a wonderful place called Washington, DC," Trump told the press conference. He sounded wearier than ever. 'I told you so!': No deal summit no surprise to N. Korean defectors Seoul, Feb 28 (AFP) Feb 28, 2019 The abrupt end to the summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un came as no surprise to North Korean defectors in the south, with one saying simply: "I told you so!" The defectors, who now live in Seoul, chatted and laughed at the office of North Korea Free Radio as they awaited news from the US president and the leader of their former homeland. But they quickly fell silent as it became clear the talks were deadlocked. Cha Ri-hyuk, 33, told AFP at the radio station -- which is staffed by defectors and broadcasts into North Korea -- that he was not shocked by the no deal outcome. "I knew that Kim Jong Un would never give up the nukes. If the two countries were to make an agreement, I think they would have done it in Singapore last year," added Cha, who left North Korea in 2013. Jo Young-hwa, aged 39, who defected a year earlier, said his countrymen "don't care" about the summits. "Whenever I talk to them in the North, they are not interested. They don't bother trying to learn anything about it," he said. "If you say something 'wrong' you can be prosecuted. You are being monitored by so many people all the time." The no deal outcome will come as a huge disappointment for South Korea's president, who had touted the summit as a "remarkable breakthrough" for peace negotiations on the Korean peninsula. His presidential office said earlier this week it had hopes Trump and Kim would formally declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War. Big questions now face the dovish leader, who was set to unveil details of a new economic cooperation policy between the two Koreas on Friday. In Seoul's main railway station, dozens of people of all ages were glued to TV screens, sombre faced as Trump explained why he and Kim had failed to reach an agreement. Some expressed sympathy for the North Korean leader. "I feel bad for Kim Jong Un who made a very long train journey to get to Hanoi only to walk away from the meeting with empty hands," said Jang Ho-su, 36, a government employee. Lee Gap-yong, a 71-year-old a taxi driver, said Trump could have been "more flexible". "I think he wanted too much out of Kim, to an extent that Kim could not agree to." South Korea's presidential office expressed regret at the summit's outcome but said "meaningful progress" had been made. Japan's Abe backs Trump after Kim summit ends with no deal Tokyo, Feb 28 (AFP) Feb 28, 2019 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe backed Donald Trump Thursday after the US president's talks with North Korea's leader ended without a deal. Tokyo has regarded the US-led diplomatic push with Pyongyang with suspicion, and has sought to keep its interests on the table in the discussions by coordinating closely with its ally Washington. "Japan fully supports President Trump's decision to make no easy compromise and at the same time continue productive discussions, and urge North Korea to take concrete action," Abe told reporters after a phone call with the US president. Trump and Abe spoke as the US president headed back to Washington after a summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un that ended abruptly, with plans for a joint statement scrapped. Trump told reporters after two days of talks with the North Korean leader: "Sometimes you have to walk and this was just one of those times." A key issue for Japan is the fate of several of its citizens kidnapped by North Korean agents, which Abe said Trump had once again raised during his discussions with Kim in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi. "Japan and the US will firmly maintain close cooperation towards resolving the abduction issue as well as the nuclear and the missile issues," he said. Abe repeated his desire to hold his own face-to-face meeting with Kim, a prospect he has mooted several times without either Tokyo or Pyongyang publicly taking any concrete steps towards a summit. "I'm determined to meet Chairman Kim Jong Un next time," he said. Denmark plans to back anti-jihadist force in Sahel Copenhagen, Feb 28 (AFP) Feb 28, 2019 Denmark announced Thursday that it plans to send materiel and some troops to Africa to help support the French operation combatting jihadist groups in the Sahel. The government's plans, which must be approved by parliament, include sending two transport helicopters and 70 soldiers for a one-year period to the region starting at the end of this year. "It is crucial for the security of Denmark and Europe that we contribute to the stability in the region. The terrorist groups in the Sahel represent a threat to our security," said Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen in a statement. Also the government with its restrictive migration policy "hopes at the same time to stem the influx of refugees" to Europe, added Defence Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen. A NATO member, Denmark contributed to previous anti-jihadist operations in Mali. Mali has been struggling to return to stability after Al-Qaeda-linked extremists took control of the north in early 2012, prompting a military intervention by France which routed them. But large stretches of the landlocked African state remain out of government control. Since 2014 France has maintained the so-called Barkhane force of 4,500 troops to fight the jihadist groups in Mali and the Sahel region. Most of the violence is centred in Mali's central and southern regions but it has also spread across its borders, affecting neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. Pyongyang offered to close nuclear complex: foreign minister Hanoi, Feb 28 (AFP) Feb 28, 2019 North Korea said Friday it had offered to dismantle its Yongbyon nuclear plant in exchange for partial sanctions relief at Kim Jong Un's second summit with Donald Trump, after the meeting ended without agreement. In a highly unusual late-night statement at the North Korean delegation's hotel in Hanoi, foreign minister Ri Yong Ho said Pyongyang had made a "realistic proposal" at the summit. He denied Trump's assertion that Pyongyang had demanded the lifting of all sanctions imposed on it over its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes. If the US lifted clauses that "hamper the civilian economy and the livelihood of our people" from five UN Security Council resolutions, Ri told reporters, "we will permanently and completely dismantle all the nuclear production facilities in the Yongbyon area, in the presence of US experts". Pyongyang holds the US responsible for the UN Security Council sanctions imposed on it over its banned weapons programmes. "This proposal was the biggest denuclearisation measure we could take at the present stage in relation to the current level of confidence between the DPRK and the United States," he added, using the initials of the North's official name. The North's stance was "invariable" and its offer would "never change", even if the US proposed more negotiations in future, he said. The minister was reading a statement after the two-day Trump-Kim talks closed with no final deal and the US president gave a press conference before flying out of Vietnam. The much-anticipated second summit between the two leaders ended with no agreement reached and a scheduled signing ceremony was dropped. Trump believing Kim on tortured American sparks firestorm Washington, Feb 28 (AFP) Feb 28, 2019 Donald Trump's remarks Thursday about taking Kim Jong Un's word that he knew nothing of the torture of an American college student while in North Korean custody has sparked a bipartisan backlash back home. The US president appeared to side with the reclusive leader about the 2017 case of Otto Warmbier, who a US judge concluded was tortured by North Korean authorities. Warmbier was released in a coma and died shortly afterwards. "He knew the case very well, but he knew it later," Trump said of Kim at the conclusion of their Hanoi nuclear summit, adding that "some really bad things" happened to Warmbier while he was detained. Kim "tells me that he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word." Trump took credit for the release of Warmbier and other US hostages in 2017, saying at the time that "Otto was tortured beyond belief by North Korea." But as Trump presses for Korean denuclearization, he has developed a closer relationship with Kim. Trump's comments about Warmbier brought swift condemnation from congressional Democrats, who took it as the latest example of the president accepting denials from autocratic leaders, including Russia's Vladimir Putin and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she thought there was "something wrong" with the US president choosing to believe "thugs" like Putin and Kim over the US intelligence community. "Otto Warmbier's bogus arrest and brutal murder was an international incident. Of course Kim knew about it," Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on Twitter. "Apparently, the President of the United States is the only one who believes this obvious lie." An angry House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff branded Trump's acceptance of Kim's denial "detestable," while Senator Chris Van Hollen said the United States "cannot give Kim Jong Un a free pass for torturing and murdering one of our own." The early public outrage among Republicans was limited to those not in Congress or in office. "This is reprehensible, what he just did. He gave cover... to a leader who knew very well what was going on with Otto Warmbier," former Republican senator Rick Santorum said on CNN. While Trump's former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, a Republican Party luminary, said that "Americans know the cruelty that was placed on Otto Warmbier by the North Korean regime," she stopped short of criticizing the president. "We will never forget Otto," she said. Republican congressman Brad Wenstrup from Ohio, the Warmbiers' home state, offered a similar reaction but refused to admonish Trump for his comments. Trump discussed N. Korea with Abe, Moon: White House Aboard Air Force One, Feb 28 (AFP) Feb 28, 2019 US President Donald Trump spoke by telephone with the leaders of Japan and South Korea as he flew back to Washington after his summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un ended without a deal, the White House said Thursday. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters traveling with Trump on Air Force One that he spoke for around 15 minutes each with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. "He gave them an update on the meeting," Sanders said. "He told them he will continue the conversation." The US-North Korea nuclear summit ended abruptly in Hanoi earlier Thursday, with Trump saying he had decided to "walk" in the face of Kim's demands to drop sanctions. The much-anticipated second meeting between the two leaders was supposed to build on their historic first summit in Singapore, but they failed to sign a joint statement as initially scheduled and the talks ended in deadlock. Abe earlier said he backed Trump after the talks collapsed. Tokyo has regarded the US-led diplomatic push with Pyongyang with suspicion, and has sought to keep its interests on the table in the discussions by coordinating closely with its ally Washington. Coalition confirms death of 'Voice of Paris attacks' Washington, Feb 28 (AFP) Feb 28, 2019 The US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Syria confirmed Thursday the death of a notorious French jihadist who was killed in an air strike last week. Fabien Clain, who is believed to have gone to Syria in March 2015, was killed in a strike in the terrorist group's last Syrian redoubt of Baghouz, the coalition said in a statement. French sources a week ago told AFP that Clain had been killed. Clain gained notoriety after voicing an audio recording claiming responsibility for the November 2015 attacks in Paris, when IS gunmen slaughtered 129 people in coordinated attacks at restaurants and bars around the French capital, at the Bataclan concert hall, and the national stadium in an atrocity that stunned the world. In his video afterwards, Clain can be heard announcing that "eight brothers wearing explosive belts and carrying assault rifles" had conducted a "blessed attack on... Crusader France." The chilling propaganda recording warned that the jihadist rampage was just "the beginning of the storm." In 2009, Clain was found guilty and sentenced to five years' prison for helping send extremists to fight US forces in Iraq, before leaving himself to live in IS's self-proclaimed caliphate six years later. His brother Jean-Michel, also a jihadist, was wounded in the same raid in Baghouz, where the last IS fighters are holding out against US-backed Syrian forces, French security sources earlier told AFP. Kim and Trump to continue 'productive talks to discuss denuclearisation': KCNA Seoul, Feb 28 (AFP) Feb 28, 2019 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump have agreed to continue "productive" discussions on denuclearisation, Pyongyang's state media said Friday, hours after a summit between the two leaders in Hanoi ended abruptly with no agreement. The highly anticipated meeting in Vietnam was supposed to build on the leaders' historic first summit in Singapore last year, but the latest talks ended in deadlock with Washington and Pyongyang giving starkly different accounts of the reasons behind the impasse. On Friday however, the North's official KCNA news agency said that Kim and Trump had "agreed to continue having productive talks to discuss the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and the improvement of US-North Korea relations". "Chairman Kim and President Trump have expressed their confidence that North Korea-US relations can achieve groundbreaking improvements if they collaborate together with patience and wisdom, although there are many unavoidable obstacles ahead", KCNA said, making no mention of the breakdown of the high-stakes summit. The report came hours after North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho held a highly unusual late-night press conference, denying Trump's claims that Pyongyang was seeking a complete lifting of sanctions imposed on it. Ri told reporters the North had offered to dismantle its Yongbyon nuclear plant in exchange for partial sanctions relief, while Trump had earlier said that Pyongyang had demanded the lifting of all sanctions imposed over the country's banned nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes. The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2018 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement Optimization Are you frustrated with a slow pc or a hard disk not performing as it should? Try SLOW-PCfighter to speed up boot time on a slow PC, or try a free scan of FULL-DISKfighter to recover space on a full disk. The latest offering is DRIVERfighter to update your driver updater. Get complete PC optimization and extend the life of your PC with these must-have software tools. Ukrainian Presidential Election Yulia Tymoshenko Attempts a Comeback Yulia Tymoshenko was once Europe's best-known political prisoner. Now, five years after the revolution in Ukraine, she is hoping to win the country's presidential election. Is she too rooted in the old system to win? Awsard (Refugee Camps), February 23, 2019 (SPS) - The work of the 8th congress of the National Union of Saharawi Women (NUSW) began Saturday in the wilaya of Awsard, Saharawi refugee camps, which bears the name of Martyr Sidami Mokhtar Ahmed, under the theme Together we march towards victory and liberation. In a speech during the opening session, President of the Republic, Secretary General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, indicated that the Sahrawi woman had "a large contribution in the process of building institutions of the Saharawi State in vital sectors, like Education, Health, Administration and others", in spite of the difficult conditions induced by the Moroccan military invasion, campaigns of exaction and the situation of exile. The President of the Republic recalled the dark date in the history of the Sahrawi people and humanity that of February 18, 1976, which saw a "flood of bombs of napalm and white phosphorus, banned internationally, in raids of Moroccan Royal Air Forces against hundreds of helpless Sahrawi women, children and elderly people in the region of Oumdrega ". In addition to the participation of more than 500 delegates from different women's organization and a delegation from the occupied territories of Western Sahara, this congress is marked by a strong presence of foreign delegations (some 150 guests) from twenty countries from all over the world, as well as international women's delegations, according to the organizing committee. (SPS) 062/SPS/TRA Pakistan has always maintained that, in accordance with the logic of partition, Kashmir should have been integrated with it. It attempted to take Kashmir by force in 1947-48 and again in 1965, with no success. by Sita Bali Tensions in the Kashmir region were already building after more than 40 Indian troops were recently killed by a suicide bomber. Indias pre-emptive strike over the disputed border on Tuesday the first of its kind by India since it went to war with Pakistan in 1971 has escalated the situation further. India said it had targeted a terrorist training camp and accused Pakistan of violating a 2003 ceasefire, while Pakistan now claims to have shot down two Indian fighter jets. Ladakh: a mountainous region in the disputed north-west of Jammu and Kashmir in northern India. Phuong D. Nguyen/Shutterstock The origins of the Kashmir conflict lie in British imperial disengagement from the subcontinent. At independence in 1947, the unpopular Hindu Maharaja of Kashmir was faced with invasion by Pakistani tribesmen. He turned to India for help, signing the treaty of accession that took Kashmir into the Indian Union. India sent troops to Kashmir and so began the first war between India and Pakistan. The Pakistanis were held off by Indian troops after they occupied one-third of Kashmir in 1948. Today, Pakistan continues to occupy that third and India holds the remaining two-thirds including the Kashmir Valley. The border between these two areas in Kashmir is demarcated by the Line of Control (LoC), established after fighting in 1947-48. This demarcation has changed little in all the conflicts of the subsequent years. Maharaja Hari Singhs move to join India was supported by the popular secular Kashmiri political movement - the National Conference, led by Sheikh Abdullah. Particularly so, as India agreed a special status for Kashmir within the Indian Union spelled out in Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. A further article in the constitution prohibits people from outside Kashmir from buying land and property in the state, allowing Kashmir to preserve the balance of its ethnic and religiously mixed population (60% Muslim, 35% Hindu and 5% Buddhist). Pakistan has always maintained that, in accordance with the logic of partition, Kashmir should have been integrated with it. It attempted to take Kashmir by force in 1947-48 and again in 1965, with no success. The Kargil conflict in 1999 was the last substantial direct confrontation between the two militaries. Since then there have been regular terrorist attacks on mostly military, paramilitary or government targets in Kashmir see the full list here. Successive Indian governments have held the Pakistan military and their Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) responsible for training and aiding the terrorists involved, which Pakistan denies. After this latest suicide attack, claimed by the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JEM) terror group, the debate now rests on whether the wider apparatus of the Pakistani state was aware of, and can be held responsible for, the actions of a terrorist group based in their country and with supposed links to the ISI. Modi operandi The suicide attack that killed Indian paramilitary personnel takes on added significance because it occurred in the context of the looming general election in India in which the BJP, led by Narendra Modi, is trying to retain its grip on power. Modi and his BJP came to power with a thumping majority in May 2014, promising competent, clean government and economic development. However, things have not gone well for the government in recent months. The Indian economy is suffering from the long-term effects of the decision to demonetise in 2016 and the inability to generate new jobs. The BJP was also defeated in five state elections in 2018, including key states of the Hindi belt such as Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. With Modis supposed record of economic competence and good governance under challenge, he has increasingly relied on his partys version of extreme nationalism to keep peoples support. The BJPs Hindutva ideology sees India as a Hindu country and believes all Indian Muslims should have been forced to move to Pakistan in 1947, and now constitute a fifth column in the country. So an attack such as the recent suicide bombing whether or not it was actually instigated by Pakistan plays into Modis narrative. That the attack was carried out by a young man from Indian Kashmir also serves to illustrate the failure of the Modi government in dealing with the Kashmir problem. For more than three years the BJP was itself part of the government of Kashmir in alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party of Mohammed and Mehbooba Mufti. This alliance fell apart in 2018, mostly over disagreements between the two parties about how to handle the increase in violence in Kashmir and the radicalisation of young Kashmiris, who were once again taking up arms against India. The Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group, unusually, took immediate responsibility for the attack. Equally, the Indian response to the attack was a first, in that India has never before responded to terrorism within its borders by attacking Pakistan. Indias airstrike is considered the first major use of air power against Pakistan since 1971. At this stage there are claims and counter claims from both sides about what the Indian bombing raids achieved. Pakistan is threatening an appropriate response, so there is potential for an escalation of this volatile situation between two nuclear armed countries. Amid an intensifying war of words and action between the two, the only beneficiary will be the BJP. As jingoistic fervour rises in India, they hope they will be swept back to office on the crest of that wave. The writer is a head of department, Staffordshire University. Article arranged with The Conversation Following statement issued by the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN, Geneva Addressing the Annual High-level Panel Discussion on Human Rights Mainstreaming on 25 February 2019, Sri Lanka said that having actively engaged in a number of inter-governmental processes and observing the overwhelming desire of the stakeholders to build consensus and collective outcomes over the last several years, it believed that the picture is not entirely bleak, and there is still hope that multilateralism can deliver despite challenges. Sri Lanka's Deputy Permanent Representative in Geneva Mrs. Samantha Jayasuriya stated so, speaking on the theme Human Rights in the light of multilateralism: opportunities, challenges and the way forward, during the ongoing 40th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Making further comments, Mrs. Samantha Jayasuriya said the high-level panel discussion came at a time when there were broader concerns on whether the UN multilateral system was able to respond effectively, to a rapidly changing global peace, security and development architecture. She noted that in the recent years, the multilateral outcomes reached through the Paris Climate Change Summit, the Marrakech Global Migration Compact, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to name a few, had taken a human centric approach, integrating human rights and transforming them into actionable commitments. She stressed, however, that it was time to take a critical look on how and what more could be done to improve UN multilateral processes. "The core principles and purposes enshrined in the UN Charter such as sovereign equality, non-discrimination and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms remained the guiding light in achieving international cooperation and addressing global socio-economic and cultural issues," she said, stressing further that the multilateral endeavors sould be; effective and timely in delivering responses; fair and objective in approach; enabling and equitable in impact or outcome. Mrs. Jayasuriya also referred to the Global Compact on Migration (GCM), noting that an instrument of a voluntary nature, the implementation of its elements largely rested in the hands of each sovereign Government. She further commented that given many of the contemporary issues that the world was grappling with being trans-boundary in nature, solutions to them also needed to be global, based on shared responsibility, exchanging experiences and best practices, technical know-how. She drew the attention of the high level panel to the proposed Global Knowledge Hub, the start-up fund, and the connection hub of the capacity building mechanism of the GCM, indicating they could only be effective if there was international support forthcoming in the interest of ensuring safe, orderly and regular migration. The proposed quadrennial voluntary reporting at the International Migration Review Panel of the UN General Assembly provided, in her view, a platform to gauge the collective progress in respecting the rights of all migrants irrespective of their legal status. Focusing on another key area in which multilatarism had played a pivotal role, she said "the panel focused on- climate change and its close nexus on protecting the human rights of affected people, she said when key stakeholders responsible for much of the carbon emission, stayed outside the climate regime, maintaining the less than 1.5 degrees temperature rise target had become a real challenge, and the full and effective enjoyment of human rights was at stake. Given that the negative impacts of climate change had risen in its magnitude and frequency, often reversing the hard gained socio-economic developments, Sri Lankas senior diplomat asked the Council on further measures that it could take to support countries, for their mitigation and adaptation efforts. She further inquired how the Rulebook for implementation of the Paris climate agreement, as endorsed at the COP 24 could make meaningful change in protecting the rights of the affected? Ms. Jayasuriya also referred to the presentation on new digital technologies and how it could help integrate human rights effectively, while agreeing that digital technologies could yield positive impact for the betterment of the mankind, bringing the world much closer- into one global village- through state-of-art technologies. She noted that interpersonal relations were taking different shape and dimension in the digital age. The Deputy Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka, highlighting the importance of ethical and rule-based use of digital technologies, particularly in an era that Artificial Intelligence (AI) was emerging to dominate every aspect of human life, with implications for human rights and international humanitarian law, posed a question to panelists on what form of control that humanity needed to have over Artificial Intelligence. The High-Level Panel was Chaired by H.E. Mr. Coly Seck, President of the Human Rights Council and comprised with three panellists; namely Ms. Deborah Greenfield, Deputy Director-General for Policy of the International Labour Organization, Ms. Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and Mr. Amandeep Singh Gill, Executive Director of the Secretariat of the Secretary-Generals High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation. H.E. Ms. Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, President of the 72nd session of the General Assembly, and Ms. Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and H.E. Ms. Laya Joneydi, Vice-President for Legal Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran made opening statements at the High-Level Panel. English27/02/2019 KALINIC: SRPSKA ONLY PROTECTOR OF OUR FREEDOM BANJALUKA, February 27 /SRNA/ - Former Speaker of the Republika Srpska National Assembly, Dragan Kalinic, told SRNA that every benevolent Srpska citizen should be proud of the fact that for 27 years, we have celebrated the Constitution Day of Republika Srpska, which was created by the will of its people and grand victims of the best among us. "Although we do not live without troubles today, we should always bear one thing in mind - without Republika Srpska, we, the Serbs in BiH, would have faced the destiny of apatrid, or "rayahs". That is why, every government in the future must behave responsibly towards Republika Srpska, as Srpska is the only protector of our freedom and equality not only in BiH, but in this region," said Kalinic. He added that the last theory by Ceda Jovanovic and similar marginalists and quasi-opponents in Serbia is that Republika Srpska is a project that failed - a shot in the dark. "Rarely anyone cared about him in Serbia, not to mention us, in Srpska. If there is any clown, then Jovanovic is the real one and true Bosnian unitarist who frequently finds political "dealers", Kalinic said. He said that every word he speaks indicates extreme hatred towards Republika Srpska, which is indestructible for 27 years and will remain so, which is much to his and many others regret. "BiH is not impossible if being according to the Dayton, but it is impossible if Republika Srpska is not according to the Dayton Accords. If it lasts, the time to put an end on it will certainly come," said Kalinic. Tomorrow marks 27 years since the first Constitution of Republika Srpska was passed, one of the most important constitutive acts, which were the foundations for its creation. The Assembly of the Serb People in Bosnia and Herzegovina, established on October 24, 1991 after the Serb MPs were outvoted in the Assembly of the then SR BiH on October 14, passed a dozen constitutional acts that created constitutional basis for the creation of Republika Srpska, but the two are the most important - Declaration on the proclamation of Republika Srpska and the Republika Srpska Constitution. The Assembly of the Serb People of Bosnia and Herzegovina passed the Declaration on January 9, 1992, and the Constitution on February 28 of the same year. /end/vos Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images(MOSCOW) -- The Kremlin on Thursday shrugged off newly introduced U.S. legislation aimed at the personal wealth of Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that the bill is only the latest sign of "Russophobic fuss" in the U.S. government. "It can hardly be taken seriously. Most likely its just some more Russophobic fuss. Weve long learned to take that with irony," Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters, according to Russia's TASS news agency. The legislation, introduced Wednesday by Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., and Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is called the Vladimir Putin Transparency Act and would, in part, require the U.S. intelligence community to provide Congress detailed information on Putin's personal assets or assets believed to be under his control -- an enduring mystery to Russia observers and analysts. The lawmakers, both of whom sit on the House intelligence committee, indicated that the bill was in response to what the U.S. intelligence community said was continuing attempts by Russia to undermine American democracy. "The best way to assail the power of Putin and his enablers is to go after the illegal and secret financial streams that fund their operations," Demings said in a statement. "It's time to fight back and protect our democracy." "Putin and his political allies seek to weaken democracies worldwide by consolidating their political control through unethical means," Stefanik said. "I am proud to cosponsor this bill which aims to identify Putin and his allies for who they are: nefarious political actors undermining democracies." A Senate bill re-introduced earlier this month also includes a requirement for a report on Putins finances from the intelligence community. Though the former KGB officer-turned-president reported his income at around $300,000 for 2017, in addition to assets that included two apartments and two Russian sedans, according to Russian state media, analysts suspect that official tally is a fraction of the wealth Putin either owns outright or has access to through intermediaries. On the high end, financier and vocal Putin critic Bill Browder calculated that Putin could be worth up to $200 billion, according to The Atlantic -- which would make him the richest man alive by tens of billions. Another Putin critic and political analyst, Stanislav Belkovsky, reportedly put the figure at around $70 billion, according to The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, a nonprofit organization based in London. A former U.S. Treasury official, who studied Russian illicit finance, told ABC News he was skeptical of any public calculations about Putin's wealth because Russia's financial system is notoriously opaque, and because Putin likely wouldn't hold many assets in his own name anyway. "Let's say he has assets. He's going to have it held through a layer of very trusted people. His name's never going to be on it," the ex-official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said. "Even if that were happening, it would be challenging to penetrate [that scheme]." The ex-official said it's sometimes difficult to calculate the wealth of individuals in the West, but "then you get to a head of state in an authoritarian, closed society. ... If you have a sophisticated actor like Putin, it would be even harder." Another former senior Treasury official, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Putin's direct wealth may be less important than the value of his control over others inside Russia. "In general, people believe that Putin's power comes at least in part in his ability to control his oligarchs and other Russian government officials around him," the former senior official said. The former Russia specialist said it's for that reason he suspects few significant assets could be directly linked to Putin. "I'm not necessarily convinced that Vladimir Putin needs a foreign bank account with billions of dollars in it. Why does he need that?" said the ex-official. "As an insurance policy? Maybe. But it's also plausible to me that if you control everything, you don't need a ton of money hidden abroad." In spite of the technical challenges on reporting on the Russian president's finances, former State Department official Brett Bruen told ABC News that "putting Putin's pocketbook in the public view is a smart idea." "We need to pull back the veil and expose how he makes money," Bruen said. "This is a critical part of understanding what and who motivates Russia's actions. It will also make clear to the Russian people the level of corruption that reigns while they increasingly suffer." Bruen indicated he was unconcerned about any precedent going after a foreign leader's finances sets. "I think the precedent it sets is that when you come after the United States, we will strike back," he said. "We will hit you where it most hurts." Peskov said that U.S. lawmakers should have better things to do. "Either their own duties are too few, or this is the way they see their main job," he said. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. DGAP-News: TNR Gold Corp. / Key word(s): Miscellaneous TNR Gold Invites Expressions of Interest for Shotgun Gold Project, Alaska 28.02.2019 / 15:01 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2019) - TNR Gold Corp. (TSXV: TNR) ("TNR" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it is seeking interested parties to express their interest for a possible partnership on the Shotgun Gold Project in Alaska. Requests for an information package can be sent to info@tnrgoldcorp.com . Detailed information about the Shotgun Gold Project can be found on the TNR website www.tnrgoldcorp.com. "The Company's strategy with the Shotgun Gold Project is to attract a partnership with one of the major gold mining companies. TNR is actively introducing the project to interested parties," commented Kirill Klip, Executive Chairman of TNR. "We may be at the beginning of a great discovery. There is a clear path on how to move this project forward using the geological and geophysical research currently available to target drilling to expand the resource and form the basis of a preliminary economic analysis. The next step is to acquire a partner that shares our vision and recognizes the growth potential and value to be added to the Shotgun project over time." TNR reported in its news release dated April 22, 2013, an inferred mineral resource estimate at Shotgun Ridge containing 20,734,313 tonnes with 1.06 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold ("Au") for a total of 705,960 ounces gold using a 0.5 g/t Au cut-off. The mineralization is clearly open at depth with some potential to extend laterally. The inferred mineral resource disclosed in the Technical Report is consistent with the disclosure of the inferred mineral resource announced in TNR's April 22, 2013 news release. On May 30, 2013, TNR filed on SEDAR a Technical Report titled, "Technical Report on the Shotgun Gold Project, Southwest Alaska" with an effective date of May 27, 2013, that supports the resource estimate on the Shotgun Gold project in Alaska. Nicholas Van Wyck, Ph.D. CPG of Sisyphus Consulting, an independent qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, is the primary author of the report with Allan Armitage, Ph.D., P.Geol of GeoVector Management, also an independent qualified person, responsible for the resource calculation at Shotgun Ridge, an area of gold mineralization located within the Shotgun Gold Project. Figure 1: Cross section through the resource shell at Shotgun Ridge showing mineralization is open at depth. Note the mineralized intervals in drill holes SR98-13 and SR06-41 are not included in the resource estimate and SR98-13 ends in mineralization. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2014/43107_7a2b738234d2d812_003full.jpg The Company has since identified unique geophysical anomalies in magnetics, resistivity and chargeability responses that coincide with the known mineralization and also occurs in areas adjacent to the known mineralization providing several targets for follow-up drill testing. The technical report recommends a budget for 8,000 metres of drilling which would focus on testing the newly identified targets and expanding the current resource both laterally and at depth. Figure 2: Cross section through the 3D IP model showing mineralized intervals coincident with low chargeabilities (blue zones). There is no drilling in the adjacent low chargeability zones which are primary targets for additional gold mineralization. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2014/43107_7a2b738234d2d812_004full.jpg Afzaal Pirzada, P. Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and a consultant to the Company, has reviewed and approved the technical content in this news release. ABOUT THE SHOTGUN GOLD PROJECT TNR holds a 90% interest in the Shotgun property located 190 kilometres south of the Donlin Gold Project deposits within the Kuskokwim Gold Belt in southwestern Alaska. This area is emerging as a world-class, multimillion ounce gold district. The Shotgun property includes a number of prospects, including Shotgun Ridge and nearby Winchester. Donlin Gold is an intrusion-associated system and represents one of the largest undeveloped gold deposits in the world. The Company believes that there are several key similarities between prospects on the Shotgun property and that of the Donlin Gold Project deposits as well as other important intrusion-associated deposits worldwide. TNR acquired 100% of the Shotgun Ridge prospect in 2010 following a 50/50 joint venture with Novagold Resources Inc. ("Novagold"). A total of 66 mining claims, each 160 acres, are located over and surrounding the Shotgun Ridge prospect for a total of 10,560 acres (4273.48 hectares). Ground geophysical surveys conducted by TNR helped to identify structural controls on mineralization at Shotgun Ridge. Drill testing in 2012 confirmed the structural model of mineralization with two drill holes returning mineralized intervals in excess of 200 metres, SR12-56 returned 242 metres averaging 1.25 g/t gold and SR12-57 returned 209 metres averaging 1.02 g/t gold (news release dated October 10, 2012). The Company is targeting a large tonnage porphyry system at Shotgun Ridge. Structural repeats, as interpreted from airborne magnetic data and ground geophysical surveys, provide TNR with encouraging targets for future drill testing. ABOUT TNR GOLD CORP. TNR Gold Corp. is working to become the green energy metals royalty company. Over the past twenty-three years, TNR, through its lead generator business model, has been successful in geneRating high-quality exploration projects around the globe. With the Company's expertise, resources and industry network, it identified the potential of the Los Azules copper project in Argentina and now holds a 0.36% NSR royalty on the entire project, which is being developed by McEwen Mining Inc. In 2009, TNR founded International Lithium Corp. ("ILC"), a green energy metals company that was made public through the spin-out of TNR's energy metals portfolio in 2011. ILC holds interests in lithium projects in Argentina, Ireland and Canada. TNR retains a 1.8% NSR royalty on the Mariana Lithium Project in Argentina. ILC has a right to repurchase 1.0% of the NSR royalty on the Mariana Lithium Project, of which 0.9% relates to the Company's NSR royalty interest. The Company would receive $900,000 on the completion of the repurchase. The project is currently being advanced in a joint venture between ILC and Ganfeng Lithium International Co. Ltd. TNR provides significant exposure to gold through its 90% holding in the Shotgun Gold porphyry project in Alaska. The project is located in Southwestern Alaska near the Donlin Gold project, which is being developed by Barrick Gold and Novagold Resources Inc. The Company's strategy with Shotgun Gold Project is to attract a joint venture partnership with one of the gold major mining companies. The Company is actively introducing the project to interested parties. At its core, TNR provides significant exposure to gold, copper and lithium through its holdings in Alaska (the Shotgun Gold porphyry project) and Argentina (the Los Azules copper and the Mariana Lithium projects) and is committed to the continued generation of in-demand projects, while diversifying its markets and building shareholder value. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Kirill Klip Executive Chairman www.tnrgoldcorp.com For further information concerning this news release please contact +1 604-229-8129 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "will", "could" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "could" occur, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Specifically, forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements made in relation to: TNR's corporate objectives, changes in share capital, market conditions for energy commodities, the results of McEwen Mining's and ILC's PEAs, results of the Shotgun Gold Project resource estimate, and improvements in the financial performance of the Company. Such forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those discussed in the sections entitled "Risks" and "Forward-Looking Statements" in the Company's interim and annual Management's Discussion and Analysis which are available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. While management believes that the assumptions made and reflected in this news release are reasonable, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking information. In particular, there can be no assurance that: TNR will be able to repay its loans or complete any further royalty acquisitions or sales; debt or other financing will be available to TNR; or that TNR will be able to achieve any of its corporate objectives. Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements included herein are not guarantees of future performance, and such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied on. In formulating the forward-looking statements contained herein, management has assumed that business and economic conditions affecting TNR and its royalty partners, McEwen Mining Inc. and International Lithium Corp. will continue substantially in the ordinary course, including without limitation with respect to general industry conditions, general levels of economic activity and regulations. These assumptions, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking information herein and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43107 Click on, or paste the following link into your web browser, to viewthe associated documentshttp://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43107 Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. Believe me when I say I have them all in dead tree format. I have OSRIC in full size, trade paperback and the Player's Guide. I have LL and the AEC (and somewhere OEC, but I can't find it at the moment). Obviously I have Basic Fantasy RPG. Actually, I have the whole available line in print. Way too much Castles & Crusades. We all know my love for the DCC RPG. I even have Dark Dungeons in print, the Delving Deeper boxed set, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. BOTH editions of LotFP's Weird Fantasy and some dead tree copies of the Greyhawk Grognards Adventures Dark & Deep I am so deep in the OSR when I come up for breath it's for the OSR's cousin, Tunnels & Trolls So, out of all that, why ? Why, when I have been running a AD&D 1e / OSRIC campaign in Rappan Athuk am I using Swords & Wizardry and it's variant, Crypts & Things, for the second campaign? (Actually, now running a S&W Complete campaign, soon to be with multiple groups) Because the shit works. It's easy for lapsed gamers to pick up and feel like they haven't lost a step. I can house rule it and it doesn't break. It plays so close to the AD&D of my youth and college years (S&W Complete especially) that it continually surprises me. Just much less rules hopping than I remember. (my God but I can run it nearly without the book) I grab and pick and steal from just about all OSR and Original resources. They seem to fit into S&W with little fuss. It may be the same with LL and the rest, but for me the ease of use fit's my expectations with S&W. Even the single saving throw. That took me longer to adjust to, but even that seems like a natural to me now. Don't ask me why, it just does. Maybe it's the simplicity of it. At 45 52, simplicity and flexibility while remaining true to the feel of the original is an OSR hat trick for me ;) California towns cut off by floods Los Angeles, Feb 28 (AFP) Feb 28, 2019 Two California towns have been turned into islands as a river swollen to its highest level in a quarter century flooded some 2,000 homes and forced evacuations. The record-breaking floodwaters from the Russian River on Wednesday cut off the wine-country towns of Monte Rio and Guerneville, located in northern California. "Guerneville is land locked. You cannot get into or out of town," the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said. "Guerneville is officially an island." Residents of the town, many of whom ignored orders to evacuate, were forced to use kayaks and canoes to ride out the flood waters -- some as high as eight feet. The water was slowly receding on Thursday but the sheriff's office said access to the town would not be possible for up to two days. The National Guard was called in to help as some people got trapped by mudslides or the rising waters. The National Weather Service said another storm was set to hammer the region this weekend with heavy rain and mountain snow expected on Saturday. California has had one of the wettest and coldest winters in years with conditions made worse in areas scorched by fires and prone to dangerous mudslides. Marcella Wright is one of about 140,000 African American women aging with HIV. Their needs are often unmet, and have been over the lifespan. Sophia Harrison, 51, is a single mother of two, with an extended family to support. She has lived with epilepsy her entire life; she suffers from hypertension; and she is a breast cancer survivor. Yet more challenging than any of these was learning she was HIV-positive. "I was crying for at least six months," she said of learning she was HIV positive 10 years ago. "It hurt me real bad." Harrison's story is far from unusual. She is one of about 140,000 African-American women living and aging with HIV. While she is grateful to be alive, she faces multiple health challenges in addition to HIV, like hypertension, diabetes and breast cancer, that disproportionately plague African-American women. And they often struggle to take care of themselves and their families because of limited resources. In working with older African-American women who are HIV-positive, I learned about their individual stories. Sophia Harrison has lived with epilepsy, breast cancer and HIV and is surviving all three. Aamir Khuller via The Conversation; licensed under CC BY-NC-SA Victims of HIV's Early Days In the 1980s and 1990s, an HIV diagnosis often equated to a death sentence, with many given weeks or months to live. Much of the public health focus in the early years was on white gay men in urban centers. Early stories of women living with HIV focused on sex workers and injection drug users, those who were highly stigmatized by society for behaviors it deemed immoral. Conversations about women with HIV were silenced and shamed, causing delays in testing and treatment for women. HIV research specifically excluded women, perpetuating the myth that women were not at risk for HIV. Even today, women represent less than a quarter of clinical trial participants for HIV medications, and prevention strategies for women lag far behind those for men. As a result, African-American women living in places like Washington, D.C. and Maryland were not tested routinely or well informed about HIV until they fell seriously ill, I found as part of my research. Many who were in their 20s and 30s when they were first diagnosed were in a state of shock and denial, certain that they would not live to see their next birthday. My research, which has involved ethnographic and oral history interviews with 45 women over five years, reveals that HIV for African-American women has never been a single issue, separate from histories of addiction, trauma and poverty. For some, an HIV diagnosis signaled death and an end to the future they had imagined for themselves. While for others, diagnosis was a form of redemption and a second chance at life. Regardless of how HIV altered their lives, these women, now in their 50s and 60s, suffer from debilitating health problems, a result of living a lifetime with HIV and the toxic effects of long-term medication use. Many rely on fragmented public safety nets and will need even more health and disability benefits as they age. While public health officials and politicians are focused on ending HIV in the next decade, very few resources are available to those already living and aging with HIV. Amid the uncertainty that life with HIV brings, African-American women, like those featured here, live with hope and strength. "I'm a survivor," Harrison told me. 'I Didn't Care What Happened to Me' Marcella Wright has been living with HIV for decades. She was recruited to be in one of the first HIV treatment programs and was the only woman in the group. Aamir Khuller via The Conversation; licensed under CC BY-NC-SA Marcella Wright was born in Washington, D.C. in 1943. She has suffered from debilitating asthma for as long as she can remember. When she was growing up, her neighbors grew wild cannabis and treated her with the vapor. She eventually learned to smoke cannabis to ease the pain of her asthma. She later added alcohol to the mix. After graduating from high school, she found out that her boyfriend of two years was going to marry an older woman. "After that I didn't give a damn. I didn't care what happened to me." She became pregnant by a man who would eventually end up in jail, and she gave birth in a home for unwed mothers. She recalled: "I had the baby all alone in the cold. It seemed like one of the most horrifying moments of my life. And I have had guns to my head, I have been choked, and all that. But this particular time, having this baby. All alone." Wright was forced to marry her son's father, and the relationship became abusive. She turned to crack cocaine to cope and became hooked. "You wanted to do the right thing because you're a mom and you got this damn job you have to get to," she said. "But you didn't have any control. You wanted it all the damn time." She lost her job and became homeless. She began to get sick. Even though she knew something was seriously wrong, she was either too high or too scared to go the hospital. She decided to get clean in 1989 for her children. A few years later, she found out that she had HIV. She was recruited into one of the earliest treatment programs for people living with HIV. She was the only woman when she enrolled. Most of the other participants who began the program with her, mainly gay men, have since died. Wright's experience was transformative. "If it wasn't for them I may not have accepted this situation," she stated. "They just did everything that I expected everyone to do all my life -- take care of me." She also credits her faith in God for getting her here. "He allowed me to know that this is just a journey," she stated. "That is what keeps me." 'Real Life Stories of Pain' Toya Tolson gave birth to a son who died in her arms moments later. She started selling drugs, saying she was her own best customer. Aamir Khuller via The Conversation; licensed under CC BY-NC-SA "I have a lot of stories," said Toya Tolson. "They are real-life stories of pain." She became pregnant when she was in 10th grade. Her son was born prematurely, and he died right after his birth. She remembers holding him. "I have his birth and his death certificates," she said between tears. She coped by turning to drugs, mainly marijuana and love boat, a street drug made of marijuana dipped in a toxic chemical like formaldehyde, PCP, or both. It can cause severe brain damage and even death. She didn't care. "I was getting high," she said. "I was selling. I was my best customer." Eventually she became homeless. Alone on the streets, she became numb to feelings. "I put myself in a lot of dangerous situations," she said. "It was just about survival." She was involved with a lot of strangers. "They weren't relationships. They were sexual activities when I was out in the streets. I was in a confused state of mind. Where I probably encountered AIDS." What she really wanted was affection and attention, things that she felt like were always missing from her life. "I wanted to be loved. I wanted just to be around and thought they were my friends. But they wasn't. They was using me. I didn't comprehend until it was too late." Things hit bottom when she fell into a coma. No one expected her to survive. She spent months in rehabilitation, until she was sent home in 2005. That's when she found out that she had HIV. Today, she is thankful for being alive. "Every morning I wake up, I'm more than a moment. It's a gratefulness. I'm still here. I have a second, an hour, another day." 'I Thought I'd Rather Die' Deborah Dyson's parents were alcoholics, and she became addicted to crack. She wants others to know that there is life after HIV. Aamir Khuller via The Conversation; licensed under CC BY-NC-SA Gray outlasts Newberry For the first time in program history the Gray Collegiate War Eagles are heading to the State Championship game following a 35-28 win over the Newberry Bulldogs in the Class... Silver Foxes back in familiar territory The Dutch Fork Silver Foxes earned the chance to play for their sixth straight state title with a 21-14 road win over the Fort Dorchester Patriots in the SCHSL Class... Vietnam News Agency/Handout/Getty Images(HANOI, Vietnam) -- President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un concluded their second summit in Vietnam in an apparent stalemate, with Trump announcing U.S. negotiators walked away over North Korea's insistence that it relax some sanctions before full dismantlement of the country's nuclear program. Trump and Kim met at the historic Metropole Hotel in downtown Hanoi, which is 12 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, after a brief one-on-one meeting Wednesday and an hour and a half-long dinner with their top aides, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. Trump touted the two days of meetings as "productive" and downplayed any deterioration in his personal rapport with the young leader, who he said committed to not carry out any further nuclear or missile tests as negotiations continued. "You always have to be prepared to walk," Trump said at a press conference. "I could have 100 percent signed something today. We actually had papers ready to be signed, but it was not appropriate. I would rather do it right. I would rather do it right than fast." As he prepares to return to major political headwinds back in Washington, Trump dismissed the bombshell testimony of his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen as 'fake' and attacked Democrats for holding the hearing while he was seeking a nuclear agreement. Here's how the day unfolded: 3:51 a.m. (EST) - Trump departs Hanoi, Vietnam The president has departed Hanoi, Vietnam. He is headed back to the United States, following his second summit with North Korea's leader. "I am about to get on a plane and fly back to a wonderful place called Washington, D.C., " Trump said, with a hint of sarcasm, at the end of his roughly 40-minute-long press conference. The president was originally scheduled to depart two hours later, but the cancellation of a signing ceremony with Kim moved up the travel schedule. Based on the shift in his schedule, Trump was expected to arrive in Washington late Thursday evening, following a refueling stop at a yet-to-be disclosed location. 2:55 a.m. (EST) - Trump says he has confronted Kim about Otto Warmbier's death, but believes Kim's denials of responsibility Trump told reporters in Vietnam that in his meetings with Kim he confronted the leader about Otto Warmbier. The 21-year-old American student was arrested and imprisoned in North Korea for more than a year. He died after returning to the U.S. in a state of unresponsive wakefulness, according to his family. However, the president signaled that he believed Kim didn't share any personal responsibility in Warmbier's death. "I really believe something very bad happened to him and I don't think that the top leadership knew about it," Trump said. "I did speak about it and I don't believe that [Kim] would have allowed that to happen. Just wasn't to his advantage to allow that to happen." Trump added that Kim "felt badly" about Warmbier's death and described North Korea's prison system -- condemned around the world, by multiple human rights groups -- as "rough places." "You got a lot of people, it's a big country, a lot of people," Trump said. "And in those prisons and those camps you have a lot of people and some really bad things happened to Otto, some really, really bad things. But he tells me he didn't know about it and I will take him at his word." The White House has said in the past that the talks between Kim and Trump were focused almost solely on denuclearization, rather than the issue of North Korea's human rights record. The moment is likely to stir significant controversy, similar to Trump's statement in Helsinki last year accepting Russian President Vladimir Putin's denials of interference in the 2016 U.S. election, as well as his acceptance of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's rejection of responsibility for journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder. 2:49 a.m. (EST) - Trump downplays breakdown in talks, says Kim told him nuclear testing 'will not start' up again During his press conference, the president dismissed the idea that the breakdown of his talks with Kim meant their relationship has soured. He said Kim has committed to him that nuclear and missile tests will not restart, despite no agreement being reached. "He said the testing will not start," Trump said. "He said he is not going to do testing of rockets or missiles or anything having to do with nuclear." Trump again heaped praise on the young leader, continuing the trend of emphasizing his personal relationship with Kim even amid the stalled talks. "We just like each other," Trump said. "We have a good relationship. It's a totally different system to put it mildly but we like each other." Trump said a sticking point in the negotiations came over the U.S. demands that North Korea dismantle its Yongbyon nuclear enrichment facility, which Kim wouldn't agree to unless sanctions were relaxed on the country. "We had to have more than that," Trump said. "We brought many points up that I think they were surprised we knew, but we had to do more than just the one level, because if we did the one level and gave up all that leverage that has taken a long time to build." 2:24 a.m. (EST) Trump slams fake Cohen hearing: He lied about a lot Trump offered his first reaction to the congressional testimony by his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen during a press conference in Hanoi, labeling Cohen as a "liar" and hitting Democrats for holding the hearing during his summit with Kim. "I think having a fake hearing like that and having it in the middle of this very important summit is really a terrible thing," Trump said. When asked by ABC News Chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl about the allegations leveled by Cohen against him, Trump said Cohen was "incorrect" to call him a "liar," "a con-man" and a "racist." "He lied a lot," Trump said. "But it was very interesting because he didn't lie about one thing, he said, 'no collusion with the Russian hoax.' I said, 'I wonder why he didn't lie about that too like everything else?'" "I was a little impressed by that, frankly," Trump said. 2:18 a.m. (EST) Trump explains North Korea summit ending without an agreement: Sometimes you have to walk At a press conference prior to his departure from Hanoi, Trump explained why his second summit with Kim resulted in no signed agreement between the two countries as previously planned. "We thought, and I thought, and Secretary Pompeo felt that it wasn't a good thing to be signing anything," Trump said. "Sometimes you have to walk. This was just one of those times." Pompeo went on to explain that Kim was "unprepared" to go as far in the agreement as the U.S. had wanted, but that negotiating teams would continue to convene in the "days and weeks ahead" to resolve their differences. Trump acknowledged the break down was due to North Koreas demands that sanctions be lifted in exchange for steps towards denuclearization, which would amount to a departure from longstanding U.S. policy that no sanctions be lifted before North Korea completely dismantles its nuclear program. "It was about the sanctions," Trump said. "Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn't do that." 1:40 a.m. (EST) - White House says 'no agreement' reached between Trump and Kim as talks are cut short Trump has returned to his hotel after negotiations with Kim were cut short. The White House announced that "no agreement" was reached between the two leaders despite "very good and constructive meetings." "The two leaders discussed various ways to advance denuclearization and economic driven concepts," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. "No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future." Reporters were informed just an hour earlier that a previously scheduled 'Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony' was cancelled altogether, along with a photo-opportunity of a working lunch between the two delegations. The shortened talks appeared to catch the White House off guard, with the announcement coming after the press office had already sent reporters a menu for the lunch that was inevitably cancelled. Trump in recent days has seemed to lower expectations for in terms of announcing any concrete steps towards North Korea's denuclearization, though he hailed the talks as "productive" during a photo-op earlier in the day with Kim. Prior to his departure from Hanoi, Trump was expected to provide updates on the summit and will likely take questions on his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen's bombshell congressional testimony when he holds a press conference around 2 a.m. E.T. 12:48 a.m. (EST) - White House announces 'change of plans' After a significant delay in what was supposed to be a photo-op of the "working lunch" between the U.S. and North Korean delegations, Sanders informed reporters of a significant change of plans. Sanders told reporters that the day of negotiations would wrap up in roughly 30 minutes, and that Trump would return to his hotel for a press conference two hours earlier than originally planned. It was not immediately clear whether the schedule change meant that the 'Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony' between Trump and Kim originally on the White House schedule had been scrapped altogether. 11:46 p.m. (EST) Kim indicates willingness to denuclearize, open US liaison office in Pyongyang Answering yet another round of questions from reporters, Kim seemed to indicate a willingness to rid his country of nuclear weapons, but also that he is open to the idea of a U.S. liaison office in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. When asked by a reporter if he was "ready to denuclearize," Kim answered, "if I'm not willing to do that I [wouldnt] be here right now," according to an interpretation from his translator. The answer drew laughs in the room and seemed to surprise Trump, who has repeatedly softened expectations for what might come from the summit. "That's a good answer, wow!" Trump replied. "That might be the best answer you've ever heard." A reporter then followed up, asking if he was willing to take "concrete steps" to denuclearize, a sticking point for negotiators looking to gain access for inspections to North Korean facilities and a full accounting of its current arsenal. "That is what we are discussing right now," Kim answered. "And don't raise your voice, please," Trump added. "This isn't like dealing with Trump." The exchange seemed to amuse Kim. "They all seem to be anxious," Kim said of the reporters. "I think they're anxious and they're calm," Trump said. After some remarks from Trump, where he described their negotiations as "productive," reporters again tried to engage the two leaders, with one asking whether Kim would be willing to allow the opening of a U.S. consular office in Pyongyang. A member of the North Korean delegation then seemed to try and wave the press out of the room, but Trump used the moment to press the issue. "It's actually an interesting question though," Trump said. "I would like to actually hear that answer, because it's actually not a bad idea." Kim then answered through his translator, saying, "I think that is something which is welcomeable." Reporters were then ushered out of the room. 11:20 p.m. (EST) - Kim takes more questions from reporters Kim fielded some questions from Western reporters in Hanoi during his latest appearance with Trump. One journalist asked Kim if hes "ready to denuclearize." "If Im not willing do that I wont be here right now," he said through an interpreter. Trump responded, "That's a good answer." 10:10 p.m. (EST) - A history-making question? Analysis from ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl As journalists were being escorted out of the first photo-op of the day between Kim and Trump, a reporter asked the North Korean leader a question: "Chairman Kim, are you confident?" There was a pause. Would Kim take a question? He turned back to look at his translator and listened. "It's too early to tell," Kim said, looking at the reporters after hearing the translation. "I wouldn't jump to conclusions. From what I feel right now, I do have a feeling that good results would come out." Maybe not a ground-breaking answer, but a historic one. This appears to be first time Kim has answered a question from the Western press. His father never did that. Nor did his grandfather. The moment followed controversy Tuesday, after the White House prevented a group of print reporters from attending a photo-op of Trump's dinner with Kim after the reporters attempted to ask questions of the leaders in a previous spray. 9:38 p.m. (EST) - Trump, Kim complete their one-on-one bilateral meeting Following their one-on-one bilateral meeting, Trump and Kim walked together through a courtyard alongside a pool followed by their translators to join Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and DPRK Vice Chairman Kim Yong Chol. 9 p.m. (EST) Trump: "When you have a good relationship a lot of good things happen" Trump and Kim are holding a photo op at the Metropole hotel downtown. Trump briefly spoke about his "good relationship" with Kim ahead of their day of negotiations. "A lot of good ideas being thrown about," Trump said. "When you have a good relationship a lot of good things happen." Trump also appeared to downplay the idea that any major action would result from the sit-down meeting, emphasizing that he's "in no rush" and highlighting what he described as significant economic opportunities for North Korea in the event Kim agrees to denuclearize. "I can't speak necessarily for today, but a little bit longer term and over a period of time I know were going to have a fantastic success with respect to Chairman Kim and North Korea," Trump said. "I think it's going to be an economic powerhouse. It is something I look forward to helping with, because with a little bit of help in the right location and the right place, I think it will be something very special." In what could be his first-ever exchange with a Western journalist, Kim briefly answered a Washington Post reporter's question who asked if he was "confident" about the negotiations. "It's too early to tell," he said through his interpreter. "I wouldn't jump to conclusions. From what I feel right now, I do have a feeling that good results would come out." Trump and Kim are scheduled to meet privately for 45 minutes before sitting down with their top diplomatic aides for a more extensive meeting. 8:55 p.m. (EST) - What to expect Whether Kim has any interest in in an agreement remains the fundamental question at the heart of Trump's summit diplomacy, one that the U.S. intelligence community and North Korea analysts have grave doubts about. The two have another personal meeting, joined only by their translators for 45 minutes, before a nearly two-hour long session with their negotiating teams. In addition to Pompeo and Mulvaney, Trump is expected to be joined by U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun, who has been in Hanoi for the last week trying to reach an agreement for Trump and Kim to sign in a signing ceremony for a joint agreement, but it's unknown what that document will say. The last summit in Singapore was criticized for its joint declaration, which committed both countries to pursuing the "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," a term that was never defined and means very different things to either side. For the U.S., it's the unilateral disarmament of North Korea, including all its nuclear capabilities, ballistic missiles and chemical and biological weapons. But North Korea has shown no interest in doing so, instead seeking sanctions relief and normalized relations with the U.S. while handing over some small concessions, like inspections or verification of testing sites North Korea claims it has dismantled. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Pool/Getty Images The eyes of the world are on the monarchy of Japan this spring, as Emperor Akihito is scheduled to abdicate in favor of his elder son, Crown Prince Naruhito, at the end of April. This weekend, the nation celebrated the 30th anniversary of Akihitos accession to the throne. JAPAN POOL VIA JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Images On Sunday, a gathering to mark the 30th anniversary of the imperial reign was held at the National Theatre in Tokyo. DU XIAOYI/AFP/Getty Images Emperor Akihito ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne in January 1989, following the death of his father, Emperor Hirohito. His enthronement ceremony took place in November 1990. Pool/Getty Images Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was among those in attendance at this weekends anniversary celebration. The Japan Times also noted that the nations House of Representatives took the unusual step of issuing a congratulatory message to the emperor: We, the Japanese people, respectfully acknowledge His Majesty the Emperors achievements over the past 30 years under his era of Heisei, during which he has always stood by the people and prayed for their peace. NICOLAS DATICHE/AFP/Getty Images Empress Michiko was elegantly attired for the event as usual. She wore pearls with a lovely diamond studded bar brooch, worn vertically on her jacket. Pool/Getty Images Heres a good view of her teardrop-shaped pearl earrings. JAPAN POOL VIA JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Images Sundays celebrations also included an audience at the Imperial Palace, where Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako extended official greetings. JAPAN POOL VIA JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Images For the audience, Michiko wore pearl drop earrings with a pearl necklace featuring a diamond-set pendant. JAPAN POOL VIA JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Images Masako, who will become the nations empress this spring, also wore pearls to greet her parents-in-law. Pool/Getty Images Were witnessing history being made this year in Japan. Akihito is the first Japanese emperor to abdicate in more than two centuries, and careful preparations have been made for the upcoming imperial transition. On April 1, we will learn the name of the new imperial era that will be ushered in by Naruhitos succession. (The current eras name is Heisei.) The Golden Week holiday season will begin on April 27, and Akihito will formally abdicate on April 30. The new Emperor Naruhito will officially ascend to the Chrysanthemum throne on May 1. His enthronement ceremony will take place on October 22. Feb 28 2019 6:10 pm Agudath Israel of America applauds U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and congressional sponsors Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Representative Bradley Byrne (R-AL) for leading the effort to increase school choice for families nationwide. The Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act they unveiled today will provide billions of dollars in tax credits to support state-designed scholarship programs. Providing a dollar-for-dollar tax credit will encourage individuals and businesses to invest in education. Currently, 18 states have scholarship tax credit programs which have helped hundreds of thousands of students attend the school of their choice, public or private. Jewish day school families, among many others, have been beneficiaries of such programs. A federal tax credit would enhance existing programs and allow states to provide more educational options to all of their students. Rabbi Abba Cohen, Agudath Israels Vice President of Government Affairs was one of the invited guests at the Department of Education event where the details of the bill were unveiled this morning. Following the event he said, We encourage lawmakers, Republican and Democratic, to put a bipartisan stamp on the common-sense policy that is at the heart of this bill: assisting parents to provide the learning environment that is the best fit for their child. Agudath Israel has played a key role in advancing school choice across the nation, yet half of the states in this country have not yet enacted a state program, said Rabbi A. D. Motzen, Agudath Israels National Director of State Relations. Offering a federal incentive and allowing scholarships to be used for a broad range of educational expenses is exactly what is needed to encourage all states to opt in to this major investment in education. On Tuesday, March 5th at 2:30 p.m. EST Agudath Israel will be hosting a webinar/conference call to discuss the details of the bill, what it can mean for our community, and ways to help this effort succeed. Feb 28 2019 2:30 pm [COMMUNICATED] This past Monday afternoon, history was made when a delegation of 24 Bukharian Rabbonim entered the Beer Hagolah Yeshiva building. In fact, they had been invited by the Chief Rabbi of the Bukharian community of the USA and Canada, Rabbi Yitzhak Yisraeli. The invitation letter sent to each Rav, read in part, As a Rav in the community it is important to us that you have first-hand knowledge of the education offered at Beer HagolahAdditionally, we will have the opportunity to discuss the chinuch needs of the Bukharian community in general Please make every effort to attend this important meeting. The Rabbonim were to be, in the Ravs words, honored to meet together with the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Mir, Rav Elya Brudny Shlita. Ten thousand precious Jewish children are presently enrolled in New York citys public schools. The sense of urgency was evident. Harav Yisraeli, spoke to the assembled Rabbonim. He emphasized how important a Yeshiva Education was for any Jewish child. He said, Children are Kodesh Kodashim and we are responsible for them. Rabbi Avraham Nissanian said, I am totally impressed, I parked my car and saw beauty. Beautiful facilities..My dream for the Bukharian community is that we continue the beautiful Sephardic traditions through the great education given at Beer Hagolah Harav Brudny described the nachas he feels every time he visits Beer Hagolah. The happy faces and the ehrlichkeit and dedication of the rabbeim is a pleasure to see. The great education given at Beer Hagolah is evident in the wide range of professional graduates that have come out from there over the last 39 years. Rav Yirmi Levy said, We see with our own eyes the long term results of investing in these beautiful children. I couldnt leave. To see the beautiful atmosphere and the love for the yeshiva and rabbanim. To see children from my kehillah, how they looked three years ago and how they look today. Today I see pure diamonds. Rav Rafael Zavulunov said, Happy children. Derech eretz. Refreshing to see smiles on their faces. It is our responsibility to afford this beautiful education to every child in our community Rabbi German then began a tour of Beer Hagolah facilities heading to the elementary school division, run by Ms. Zucker who spoke to them about the curriculum and the high standards of education which the school maintains. The next stop was the Girls middle and high school departments, headed by Mrs. Taub, on the second floor. It was clear to any onlooker that the girls were aware of the zechut they were being given. They stood quietly and respectfully, knowing full well how to demonstrate their Kavod HaTorah. A very poignant part of the afternoon was when the talmidim and talmidos of all divisions-elementary girls, elementary boys, high school boys and high school girls- came into the Shul to pay their respect to the Rabbonim. The boys extended their hands in greeting to the Rabbonim, many bending to kiss their hands in a special display of Kavod HaTorah. Beer Hagolah has been educating the sons of daughters of Bukharian families in Brooklyn and Queens for many years. Each day 13 busses pull up in front of their respective entrances for another day of learning Torah followed by an afternoon of secular studies, leading up to a Regents diploma and admission to college. The Beer Hagolah budget stands at close to five million dollars annually. A Jewish Education is kept within reach to all Jewish children by offering excellent academics and affordable tuition. Therefore, tuition covers only a fraction of the budget. It is only through the enthusiastic support of the Jewish community that the Beer Hagolah mission can continue. This very special visit will surely go down in history as a day when observations were made, and decisions were implemented, all for the purpose of strengthening of our mesorah. Pre-donate today to the Beer Hagolah one million dollar Fulfill their Dreams campaign. Donate to Beer Hagolah and fulfill the dreams of thousands of families by giving them the gift of a joyous Jewish future! Click here to donate now. Feb 28 2019 7:48 am The second summit held in Vietnam between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un fell apart overnight and the leaders meeting ended early and abruptly due to irreconcilable differences. Trump said North Korea wanted all sanctions lifted but only offered partial denuclearization. In a press conference following his meeting with Kim, Trump said that his relationship with the despot was very strong but that it wasnt the right time to conduct the discussions. Sometimes you have to walk. And this was just one of those times, said Trump. President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that although an agreement was unable to be reached, real progresshad still been made. They said that North Korea had agreed to continue their moratorium on nuclear weapons tests and both sides are hoping to reach a deal on the nuclear weapons issue in the coming months. The White House has not ruled out a third summit between Trump and Kim in the future. No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future, said White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders in a statement. President Trump was also asked about Otto Warmbier, the American university student who was imprisoned, tortured, and killed by Kims regime. Trump unfortunately took the side of the dictator, saying He felt very badly about it. He felt very badly. He tells me that he didnt know about it and I will take him at his word. Trumps comments on North Koreas human rights abuses echo his past support of other murderous world leaders, including Vladimir Putin following his denial of interference during the 2016 election and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who has denied involvement in the brutal killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. President Trump left Hanoi, Vietnam two hours earlier than expected, and will be returning to Washington, DC where he is facing a political storm with his former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen testifying against him before Congress. Olivia Remes, University of Cambridge The term smiling depression appearing happy to others while internally suffering depressive symptoms has become increasingly popular. Articles on the topic have crept up in the popular literature, and the number of Google searches for the condition has increased dramatically this year. Some may question, however, whether this is actually a real, pathological condition. Putting on a mask doesnt make depression any easier. Alyssa L. Miller/Flickr , CC BY-SA . Burden and treatment rationalise rationalising behavioural behaviour day, volunteering, PhD The Japanese House - Good At Falling Against a background of EPs put out between 2015 and 2017, Bain had already released an albums worth of material, honing the sound and feel of her intricate dreamscapes. Yet, with frequent tours with Dirty Hit label friends, The 1975 and Wolf Alice, her full-length debut feels a long time coming. With thirteen perfectly crafted tracks, Good at Falling is an album full of new, drawn from a transformative period with admirable honesty and vast production. Opening track went to meet her (intro) begins the album with layered androgynous vocals and tribal-like drum percussion. With some of the most elaborate production to date, the distorting warp and rolling beat effortlessly journey through autotuned talk before seamlessly meeting with Maybe Youre the Reason - a track articulating the experience of half-living when in the absence of love. Pieced together by the plucking of a guitar, Bains aesthetic confidence offers a search for meaning as she sings And I think Im dying / Cause this cant be living / Should I be searching for some kind of meaning?. Current single We Talk all the Time continues the thought of relationships whilst reverberating through a myriad of autotuned vocals and instrumentation. As a single track with an abrupt ending, the comedown feels better shaped in Good at Falling as the pulsating tones continue into Wild. The two tracks could almost be one, with exception of the latter undergoing a hypnotic synth treatment with heavy influence from The 1975s Matty Healy and George Daniel (who have frequently co-produced for Bain in previous years).Previous single Follow My Girl reinstates a bouncy dream pop as Bains vocals are coated in tropical electronica as she sings of finding a need of direction. The galloping heartbreak of the track is about taking good advice, pushing down doubts and reaching for hope, however tentative; as Nothing feels good / its not right circles around the air. Its exciting to witness The Japanese House abandoning intricate ambience at the minute she seemed to have her signature soundscape nailed. Rather, Follow My Girl differs from the chillwave pop that Bain has been exploring for years as it oozes scalability and confidence in a new sound. have Lead single Lilo is as engrossing as it is ethereal. Simply as serene as a lilo floating across the surface of a swimming pool, the track seamlessly blends subtle-synth with a soothing melody to document the what was, at that time, the final moments of Bain and girlfriend Marika Hackmans relationship. Its accompanying video is just as cinematically beautiful, with the drum beats perfectly syncing to rupturing intimacy against the natural landscape. The following three tracks are only further proof of the versatility of The Japanese Houses mastery. Everybody Hates Me is a beautiful, piano-driven journey of paranoia, whilst later tracks are ethereal, sonic and celestial. All of this gives Good at Falling at vibrant urgency. The album appropriately closes with I Saw You in A Dream the lead single from the 2017 EP of the same time. Yet, this is not for the sake of fan-pleasing as it is revisited and revised as a slow, near-acoustic closer with hazy tones that deserves a place on this album. Good at Falling may have been years in the making, but The Japanese Housecrafted a unique perfection and prove to be more than worth the wait. Amber Bain's craft comes in building something out of the rubble. Rather than being swallowed up by an Alice In Wonderland-esque rabbit hole, Good at Falling champions emotion whilst building upon the shimmering indie-electronica that mesmerized fans from Bains beginnings. Brand New Friend via Partisan PR Although the crowd is rather reserved on a Monday night in Edinburgh, McGowan manages to coax some emotion out of the audience with a combination of open-handed charm and towering riffs that outsize the venue several times over. Whether from the intensity of the dynamics or the heart-rending lyrics, by the end of the night tissues are without a doubt being applied to cheeks. But before Sean and co. tear it up with their combination of authentic rock n roll matched with the testimony of childhood heartbreak and social consciousness, Amy Hill has the room holding its breath with her solo acoustic performance and Brand New Friend play a rip-roaring set of two-minute punk tunes. No-one dares move a muscle during Hills mesmerising show opener. Her sparse style is reminiscent of other country-influenced alternative acts such as Angel Olsen, particularly her album of two years ago, Phases.Brand New Friend then take to the stage with a confidence that belies their experience. They dont take long with introductions before launching into their first tune. Its clear that they have their act well-honed and thus can afford to have some fun as well. Particularly endearing are the brother/sister harmonies provided by siblings Taylor (guitarist) and Lauren (keys). Frontman Taylor informs us several times that a couple of the songs were inspired by a former girlfriend now based in the city. His passion is evident in the guitar string which pings off and gives him the excuse to play the main acts gorgeous Fender Mustang. An emphasis on personal biography is another thing the three acts hold in common with Amy and Sean going into quite specific detail with tales respectively of a Bumble match who followed her to Cuba and a devastating Waverley Station breakup. Its these humorous but slightly tragic narratives that help to win over the crowd who are less up for the mosh pit that Brand New Friend admirably try to generate. McGowan makes sure that the suspension of disbelief is disrupted often enough by commenting on the bands performance as they go along. Were getting good at that bit, arent we? he comments during the last songs guitar doubling. There are many moments where he is isolated before the rest of the group kick in, and in one of these, he semi-ironically compares himself to Pavarotti, which he then qualifies as the Brian Blessed impersonation.The emotional peak of the set comes with the story of McGowans best friends mums death, a woman who inspired him to pursue music professionally. This is followed up by harrowing tales of alcoholism on Off The Rails and the unwanted pregnancy of a friend by a physically abusive partner. Despite this, McGowan has an infectious sense of humour that licences the indulgence in these dark themes and allows the audience to experience these songs with qualified empathy, rather than mere morbid curiosity. Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. Please check our main navigation pages for other content: Home Page GrowMax states that BullRuns latest press release is consistent with BullRuns pattern of spreading spurious allegations and accusations to mislead GrowMax shareholders. Annual and special meeting of shareholders scheduled for March 8, 2019; shareholders are reminded to vote on managements BLUE proxy well in advance of the voting deadline on March 6, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. (Calgary time). For assistance with voting contact Kingsdale Advisors at 1-866-581-1479 or contactus@kingsdaleadvisors.com. TORONTO, Feb. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GrowMax Resources Corp. (the Company or GrowMax) (TSX-V: GRO) responds to a press release issued by BullRun Capital (BullRun), a self-interested activist investor. On February 27, 2019, following a hostile letter from BullRuns lawyers to the Company, which threatened another frivolous and costly legal action, BullRun issued a press release that included a series of demonstrably false claims and allegations regarding the wasteful legal action they initiated at the Court of Queens Bench of Alberta. Particularly, in its press release, BullRun misleadingly claims that votes cast to date support the activists. In fact, there is no evidence to show that either sidebe it management or BullRunis winning the proxy contest; BullRuns statement directly contradicts Honourable Madam Justice L. Bernette Hos decision in which she states the following: [BullRun and its principal Kalwant Malhi] ask me to infer from the evidence regarding the status of the proxy tabulations as of September 22, 2018, that [BullRun was] winning the proxy fight at time the September 25 Meeting was adjourned and this was the Boards reason for the postponing the meeting. However, the evidentiary record does not support such an inference. Justice Ho also noted that the Board acted appropriately in postponing the September 25 Meeting in order to ensure that shareholders had accurate and fulsome disclosure following BullRuns September 18 press release which contained misstatements, omissions, and misleading statements of material facts. Justice Hos full decision can be read here. VOTE YOUR BLUE PROXY FOR A BOARD YOU CAN TRUST; TO KEEP GROWMAX ON THE RIGHT TRACK. THE DEADLINE TO VOTE IS MARCH 6, 2019. Justice Ho has ruled that the Companys annual and special meeting of shareholders (the Meeting) be held prior to March 29, 2019. GrowMax has set the Meeting date for Friday, March 8, 2019 allowing shareholders the opportunity to finally have a say on the future direction of their company after a lengthy delaya delay caused by BullRun and their court action. If you have already voted on managements BLUE proxy, no action is needed. Shareholders who have voted but wish to change their vote, may vote again; the later dated proxy will count. Shareholders are encouraged to vote only their BLUE Proxy FOR the PrimaSea acquisition and FOR all of managements qualified and experienced director nominees. Shareholders should vote online at www.proxyvote.com to ensure votes are received in a timely manner as the deadline to vote is on March 6, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. (Calgary time), being 12:00 p.m. (Toronto time). Vote BLUE today at www.proxyvote.com or by contacting Kingsdale Advisors toll free at 1-866-581-1479 or by email at contactus@kingsdaleadvisors.com . There is a team standing by to help. For more information, please contact: Stephen Keith, P. Eng. President and CEO Tel.: +1 (647) 299 0046 Email: info@growmaxcorp.com www.growmaxcorp.com Media Contact: Ian Robertson Executive Vice President, Communication Strategy Kingsdale Advisors Direct: +1 (416) 867-2333 Cell: +1 (647) 621-2646 Email: irobertson@kingsdaleadvisors.com Forward Looking Information Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information as such term is used in applicable Canadian and US securities laws. Any information or statements contained herein that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events should be viewed as forward-looking information. Such information relate to analyses and other information that are based upon forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Such forward-looking information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of GrowMax to be materially different than those results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forwardlooking information is based on managements beliefs, expectations, estimates and opinions on the date statements are made and GrowMax undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information and whether the beliefs, expectations, estimates and opinions upon which such forward-looking information is based has changed, except as required by applicable law. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE RELEASE. LOS ANGELES, Feb. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP (GPM) reminds investors of the March 8, 2019 deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in the class action filed on behalf of investors that purchased Danske Bank A/S (Danske or the Company) (OTC: DNKEY ) American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) during the period between January 9, 2014 and October 23, 2018 (the Class Period). Danske investors have until March 8, 2019 to file a lead plaintiff motion. If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate. On October 24, 2018, the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Department of Justice, Treasury Department, and the SEC were investigating Danskes small Estonian branch for allegedly processing nearly $234 billion from 2007 through 2015 from foreign countries, and that the Companys CEO had resigned. The Wall Street Journal also claimed that Danskes management was informed that the Estonian branch could not isolate the issue and therefore acts against [anti-money-laundering] legislator principles. On this news, Danske ADRs and U.S. bonds value fell, thereby injuring investors. The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Danske Banks Estonian branch was facilitating money laundering through at least March 2016; (2) that a whistleblower had reported the Estonian money laundering to the Company in 2013; (3) that Denmarks Financial Supervisory Authority (the DFSA) had been investigating the Estonian money laundering since 2014; (4) that Danske Bank had concealed the results of its own internal investigation from the DFSA, further exposing it to regulatory action and fines; (5) that Danske Bank had been overstating its historical profits by including the profits derived from its illicit Estonian operations; and (6) that Danske Bank lacked effective internal and reporting controls. Follow us for updates on Twitter: twitter.com/GPM_LLP . If you purchased ADRs of Danske, you may move the Court no later than March 8, 2019 to ask the Court to appoint you as lead plaintiff. To be a member of the Class you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the Class. If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Lesley Portnoy , Esquire, of GPM, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles California 90067 at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, by email to shareholders@glancylaw.com , or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com . If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. Montreal, CA (H4T1V6) Today Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. High -4C. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to cloudy skies overnight. Low -11C. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. LOS ANGELES, Feb. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP (GPM) announces an investigation on behalf of Hill International, Inc. (Hill International or the Company) (HIL) investors concerning the Company and its officers possible violations of federal securities laws. If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate. On August 13, 2018, Hill International announced that the Company received a notification from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) informing the Company that the NYSE had determined to commence proceedings to delist the Companys common stock. According to Hill International, the determination to commence delisting proceedings was due to the Companys noncompliance with SEC filing deadlines. If you purchased Hill International securities, have information or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Lesley F. Portnoy, Esquire, of GPM, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, by email to shareholders@glancylaw.com , or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com . If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. MBABANE Pupils will now enjoy an extra meal at school from the School Feeding Programme This is according to the Budget Speech 2019 which was presented by the Minister of Finance, Neal Rijkenberg yesterday. The minister said this would be done as means to improve learners concentration and participation, as well as to boost their nutritional status. He said the School Feeding Programme would also assist in increasing enrolment, reducing absenteeism and enhancing childrens nutritional status. Feeding Currently, the school feeding programme provides one meal for the pupils. Swaziland Principals Association (SWAPA) President Welcome Mhlanga, said government once provided two meals with the support of a partner. Rijkenberg said the programme currently covered every public secondary school and 99 per cent of public primary schools. During 2018, the School Feeding Programme benefitted 241 745 primary school learners and 119 740 secondary school learners, he said. It is worth noting that in previous years, the School Feeding Programme has been marred with controversy as the food has reportedly run out. In some schools, head teachers had to make improvisations to ensure the pupils have food. Mhlanga said if government would have the money to provide an additional meal, they would be happy as head teachers. He said the meals pupils ate at school contributed to performance and learner retainment. Some pupils will come to the school because they will get a meal. This is especially true for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, he said. Mhlanga said provision of breakfast to pupils would also assist in dealing with the issue of latecoming among pupils. He said they would come on time to enjoy their breakfast before going to class. He said they hoped government would be able to supply the food on time. This will also lessen the burden on schools which are using their budget to provide pupils with two meals per day, he said. Meanwhile, the minister said government had set aside an allocation of E3.5 billion to the Education and Training sector to implement priority programmes. This is a 7.5 per cent increase from the 2018/19 allocation. The amount is equal to the 2017/2018 allocation. This means that the education budget is at 16 per cent of the total budget. During the last financial year, the budget stood at E3.3 billion, which shows an increase of E0.2 billion. We have managed to reprioritise expenditure in order to channel additional resources into the five ministries key to economic and social development, that is Education, Health, Agriculture, ICT and The Deputy Prime Ministers Office, the Finance minister said. Rijkenberg said over the next year, government would focus on expanding access to vocational training to out-of- school youth and adults, through the Rural Education Centres and the Sebenta programme. LOBAMBA It was like he was born for the position of Finance minister. Neal Rijkenberg, the Minister of Finance, yesterday sailed through his maiden budget speech as if it was something that he had done for many years. It took just one hour and five minutes for the minister to read his 42-page budget speech. Rijkenberg started making his remarks at exactly 2:55pm and by 4pm he was done as there were no interruptions during his speech. The minister, who was dressed in a navy blue suit, and sky blue tie, finished off his look with a cream white rose. Unlike previous years, the budget speech used to take about two hours to be delivered. The minister would sometimes bring chuckles to the House as he would mispronounce words, but tell his audience that he would go over the sentence again and that this time they should listen carefully. He also caused laughter as he tried his best to pronounce the saying indzaba yetfu sonkhe (it is everyones business) as he addressed the issue of combating corruption in the country. He had said government would continue to take the primary role in the fight against corruption in the country as this was becoming more and more everyones business. Rijkenberg had the house in murmurs, however, as spoke on the issue of taxes, particularly when he announced that the PAYE for people who earned more than E250 000 annually would increase from 33 per cent to 36 per cent. Meanwhile, the minister arrived in Parliament accompanied by his wife Barbara, who was also dressed in a fitting navy blue dress with a touch of a fishtail and a greyish fascinator. They made their way into the ministers office in Parliament where they sat for about five minutes. The minister then indicated that he wanted to enter the House of Assembly, but was stopped by Clerk to Parliament, Ndvuna Dlamini, who stated that it was too early for him to walk inside. On another note, the minister yesterday tabled a total of eight bills which among others were the Finance Bill of 2019 and the Alcohol and Tobacco Bill. MBABANE Economists are of the view that consumers have received the end of the deal in terms of the budget presented by Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg. The minister announced several hikes in various taxes, mainly on consumables. An economist, who gave his opinion under anonymity, said the minister could have thought that the reduction in corporate taxes would lure investors, hence his decision. He noted that this could be possible but in the short-term, consumers would have to shoulder the fiscal crisis, with the hope that in future, government would consider reducing Paye As You Earn (PAYE). In terms of the hike in fuel tax levy as well as the introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) on electricity, the economist said this simply meant that we will have less money. You should understand that not many people are salaried, so the working class is basically carrying governments expenditure from all angles. Remember that we still have to pay tax on other taxable goods and services. The basic point here is that we will have less disposable income such that we will find ourselves spending less on other things. This will, in turn, shrink the economy because businesses will suffer as we will have less money to buy goods from the shops, he said. He mentio ned that in a robust set- up, the business sector carried the economy. The economy can have fewer companies but if they pay taxes, its fine. In Eswatini, its the other way round. Its the working class or consumers who seem to finance government expenditure, he said. With the shifting of the tax bracket to 36 per cent for those who earn above E250 000 annually, the economist had this to say, All those who thought they had decent money (income) will suffer. E250 000 is actually not a lot of money in such an economy. Predictions We dont have a proper middle class. Government should have targeted the ultra rich. My predictions are that government will make more money from taxing this bracket. When coming to the fuel tax levy of E1.20 per litre, he clearly stated that he was opposed to it. This is a huge scam. Fuel is an input for production, basically you need fuel for everything such as travelling to work, school and everywhere. This means transport costs will shoot up, same with production. The agriculture sector will also suffer because they need a lot of fuel for production as well. This will mean that products in shops will shoot up. So, what will grow the economy with the hike in fuel? The cost of doing business will definitely increase, he explained. The economist mentioned that what was needed were bold, new ideas that would give the country momentum. All these things announced by the minister have been done before. So, what other new mechanisms is the government coming with? he asked. Sharing his own ideas, the economist said the hemp industry, which is basically the legalisation of dagga solely for pharmaceutical purposes, could be the answer. There is a need for government to give back to the taxpayers who have been carrying government for a long time. We certainly need some relief this time around, he added. MBABANE Its less cuts and more taxes! This sums up Minister of Finance, Neal Rijkenbergs budget speech which he presented in Parliament yesterday. In his Speech from the Throne, His Majesty King Mswati III directed his government to take hard decisions and make sacrifices. However, the minister seems to have made decisions that will only hit on the consumers while sectors such as defence remain with a high budget. In terms of taxes, no one will be spared; from the poor to the rich. For government to generate more revenue, everyone will contribute even bogogo and bomkhulu. Craftily, government has brought anyone into the tax bracket through the introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) on electricity and this will affect every consumer; from the poorest of the poor to the rich because almost everyone uses electricity. Electricity The countrys VAT rate is 15 per cent and that simply means the price of an electricity unit will increase by 15 per cent. Currently, Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) charges a unit of electricity at E1.4898. With the on the cards VAT charge, a unit cost will increase to E1.7132. Currently, consumers who are spending E200 per month on electricity get 134 units, but with the increase, they will get 116 units. Strikingly, the quantity of the units will decrease by 16 units. Other than the intended VAT on electricity, Rijkenberg announced that Cabinet has already considered and approved E1.20 per litre increase in fuel tax that will be effective in the next fuel pricing session. He said through this adjustment, an additional E383 million will be generated. This effectively means the pump price of fuel will increase by E1.20 cents per litre. Currently, motorists buy a litre of petrol at E12.85 and with the coming increase; a litre will jump to E14.05. Smokers and those who imbibe alcohol are also in for a high jump as government seeks to pass into law the Alcohol and Tobacco Levy Bill, which will subsequently lead to the introduction of Sin Tax for the aforesaid commodities. According to Rijkenberg, alcohol and tobacco levy is projected to bring an additional E280 million into the public purse. In what could be viewed as a pro-poor move, Rijkenberg announced that government intends increasing the minimum taxable income threshold from E41 000 to E55 000 annually. This revision in the primary rebate will take significant tax pressure off the lower income earners and offset some of the increased expenditure pressures on low income earners through the consumption tax revision, he said. This will result in all those who are paid E3 400 E4 400 per month being exempted from remitting Pay As You Earn (PAYE). This means people who will be eligible to remit PAYE are all those who earn from E4 500 upwards. The finance minister further disclosed that government also intends to increase the marginal tax rate payable by income earners above E250 000 annually from 33 per cent to 36 per cent. The net effect of this PAYE revision will reduce governments revenue by E94.2 million, which is meant to address income inequality in Eswatini. Remit Simply put, those who are earning above E20 835 will now be taxed at 36 per cent. Per month, a person in this tax bracket will remit E7 500.60 and E90 000 annually. According to the minister, the proposed new revenue measures will increase the countrys domestic revenue collection by E900 million including an estimate of E400 million linked to the sale of some of its assets. Another sector which will not be spared from broadening the tax base is the financial sector, more especially commercial banks. Rijkenberg said he had tabled the Savings and Development Bank Amendment Bill that seeks to bring the banks within the tax net, in line with all commercial banks. All these taxes will come into effect at a time when the security forces will be swimming in cash as close to E3 billion has been allocated to them. A large chuck will go to the army, with E1.28 billion being allocated to it. The police will get about E1.1 billion while His Majestys Correctional Services will get about E604 million. BENSALEM, Pa., Feb. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Law Offices of Howard G. Smith reminds investors of the March 8, 2019 deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in the class action filed on behalf of investors that purchased Liberty Health Sciences Inc. (Liberty or the Company) (OTC: LHSIF ) securities between June 28, 2018 and December 3, 2018, inclusive (the ''Class Period''). Liberty investors have until March 8, 2019 to file a lead plaintiff motion. Investors suffering losses on their Liberty investments are encouraged to contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss their legal rights in this class action at 888-638-4847 or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com . In September 2018, Liberty sold its stake in Aphria Inc. (Aphria). On December 3, 2018, Quintessential Capital Management and Hindenburg Research issued a report entitled Aphria: A Shell Game with a Cannabis Business on the Side, claiming that Aphria was part of a scheme orchestrated by a network of insiders to divert funds away from shareholders and into their own pockets. On this news, Libertys stock price fell $0.36 per share, or nearly 34%, over the next two trading days to close at $0.70 on December 4, 2018, thereby injuring investors. The complaint filed in this class action alleges that defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Liberty, in conjunction with Aphria, was involved in a scheme whereby numerous fraudulent acquisitions and transactions were made to provide undue benefits to both companies insiders; and (ii) as a result, Libertys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. If you purchased shares of Liberty during the Class Period you may move the Court no later than March 8, 2019 to ask the Court to appoint you as lead plaintiff if you meet certain legal requirements. To be a member of the Class you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the Class. If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020 by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com , or visit our website at http://www.howardsmithlaw.com . This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. India and Pakistan exchanged gunfire through the night into Thursday morning in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, a day after Islamabad said it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot. There were no immediate reports of casualties, though jetfighters roared overhead through the mountainous region as villagers along the so-called Line of Control fled to safety. Meanwhile, members of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi\s Bharitiya Janata Party called for more military action, suggesting the conflict still could worsen. Modi himself held a teleconference rally Thursday ahead of national elections, warning that "India\s enemies are conspiring to create instability in the country through terror attacks." Pakistan\s Prime Minister Imran Khan had called for talks between the two nuclear-armed rivals in a televised address Wednesday, saying: "Considering the nature of the weapons that both of us have, can we afford any miscalculation?" World powers have called on the nations to de-escalate the tensions gripping the contested region since a Feb. 14 suicide car bombing killed over 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. India responded with an airstrike Tuesday inside Pakistan, the first such raid since the two nations\ 1971 war over territory that later became Bangladesh. The situation escalated with Wednesday\s aerial skirmish, which saw Pakistan say it shot down two Indian aircraft, one of which crashed in Pakistan-held part of Kashmir and the other in India-controlled Kashmir. India acknowledged one of its MiG-21s, a Soviet-era fighter jet, was "lost" in skirmishes with Pakistan. India\s Ministry of External Affairs said late Wednesday it "strongly objected to Pakistan\s vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force," and that it expects his immediate and safe return. India also said it shot down a Pakistani warplane, something Islamabad denied. Pakistan\s military later circulated a video of a man with a mustache who identified himself as the Indian pilot, sipping tea and responding to questions, mostly by saying, "You know I can\t answer that." He appeared in good health as he was questioned about his hometown, his aircraft and his mission. Kashmir has been claimed by both India and Pakistan since almost immediately after their creation in 1947. The countries have fought three wars against each other, two directly dealing with the disputed region. Both Indian and Pakistani officials reported small-arms fire and shelling along the Kashmir region into Thursday. Government buildings in Muzafarabad, the capital of the Pakistan-controlled section of Kashmir, were used to provide shelter to those who fled from border towns. Indian army spokesman Lt. Col. Devender Anand described the intensity of the firing as "lesser" than previous nights. Authorities in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir closed all schools and educational institutions in the region and are urged parents to keep their children at home amid mounting tension with neighboring India. Pakistan\s airspace remained closed for a second day Thursday, snarling air traffic. World leaders weighing in on the tension included President Donald Trump, who began remarks at a news conference Thursday in Vietnam after meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by focusing on India and Pakistan. "I think hopefully that\s going to be coming to an end," Trump said, without elaborating. "It\s been going on for a long time decades and decades. There\s a lot of dislike, unfortunately, so we\ve been in the middle trying to help them both out, see if we can get some organization and some peace, and I think probably that\s going to be happening." Modi, in his first remarks since the pilot\s capture, gave a rallying speech ahead of elections in the coming months. "Our defense forces are serving gallantly at the border," he told tens of thousands gathered across the country to listen to him in a videoconference from New Delhi. "The country is facing challenging times and it will fight, live, work and win unitedly." Meanwhile, India\s finance minister, Arun Jaitley, suggested at a news conference Wednesday that Indian special forces carry out secret missions to capture terrorist leaders in Pakistan, invoking the 2011 U.S. Navy Seal operation to kill al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. "I remember when U.S. Navy Seals went to Abbottabad to kill Osama bin Laden, then why can\t India?" he asked. "This used to be only an imagination, a wish, a frustration and disappointment. But it\s possible today." Just weeks before general elections are due in India, the head of Modi\s party in India\s Karnataka state, B.S. Yeddyurappa, said India\s pre-dawn airstrikes in Pakistan on Tuesday would help the party at the polls. The violence Wednesday marked the most serious escalation of the long-simmering conflict since 1999, when Pakistan\s military sent a ground force into Indian-controlled Kashmir at Kargil. That year also saw an Indian fighter jet shoot down a Pakistani naval aircraft, killing all 16 on board. This latest wave of tension between the two rivals first began after the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for a Feb. 14 suicide bombing on Indian paramilitary forces on the Indian side of Kashmir that killed more than 40 troops. India long has accused Pakistan of cultivating such militant groups to attack it. Pakistan has said it was not involved in that attack and was ready to help New Delhi in the investigation. SOURCE: Associated Press The new United Nations envoy for Syria proposed Thursday that major powers create a common international forum to move the war-battered country toward peace. Geir Pedersen, who took up his post in January, made the proposal during his first appearance before the UN Security Council, which remains deeply divided over the way forward in Syria. "There is a shared sense that battlefield developments might be winding down," Pedersen told the council. "Nevertheless, the conflict is far from over." "If we are to see how issues can be unblocked and how to help the parties move in a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned process, a common forum where key states engage seriously on those issues may be needed," he said. Russia, a veto-wielding council power whose backing for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been a decisive factor in the war, has taken a lead role in diplomatic efforts through the Astana group with Iran and Turkey. UN diplomacy on Syria has been largely sidelined by the Astana group, while the United States has shifted its attention away from the Syria conflict. President Donald Trump has announced that he is pulling out the bulk of US forces sent to battle Islamic State jihadists. Pedersen noted that five international armies operate across Syria\s land and air space, creating daily risks for escalation and pledged to focus on improving international dialogue and cooperation. Addressing the council, Russia appeared to welcome the proposal, even if it questioned the West\s motives in Syria. "We are open to cooperation with all interested parties that want sincerely and I underscore that word sincerely to facilitate stabilization and progress on a political settlement in Syria," said Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia. Pedersen, a Norwegian diplomat who took over the Syria file from Swedish-Italian envoy Staffan de Mistura, has traveled to Damascus for talks and worked hard to establish good relations over the past few weeks. The envoy said a much-discussed constitutional committee to pave the way to elections in Syria should be convened as soon as possible, although disputes continue over lists of participants. "I am conscious of the need to end this conflict for the sake of Syria, the region and the world," Pedersen told the council. "I know you all understand the scale and the difficulty of my task." The war in Syria will enter its ninth year in March, with more than 360,000 people dead and half of the country\s pre-war population displaced. SOURCE: AFP VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Affinor Growers Inc. (AFI or the Company) (CSE:AFI, OTC:RSSFF, Frankfurt:1AF) issues a correction to the press release issued earlier today. In the press release issued earlier today, the contact information should have read For More Information, please contact: Randy Minhas, CEO contact@affinorgrowers.com and not Nicholas Brusatore. Randy Minhas President and CEO About Affinor Growers Affinor Growers is a publicly traded company on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol ("AFI"). Affinor is focused on developing vertical farming technologies and using those technologies to grow fruits and vegetables in a sustainable manner. Neither Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain assumptions, estimates, and other forward-looking statements regarding future events. Such forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and are subject to factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control that may cause actual results or performance to differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. AFFINOR GROWERS INC. www.affinorgrowers.com Trend's exclusive interview with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Slovakias Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Lajcak Question: How do you assess the current level of cooperation between Slovakia and Azerbaijan? What are the ways of expanding this cooperation? Answer: I am glad that our bilateral relations between Slovakia and Azerbaijan are traditionally friendly. We do not have any open issues, and this creates a good basis for strengthening political dialogue and practical cooperation in all areas. Slovakia has a strong interest in good cooperation with Azerbaijan, which was reconfirmed during the official visit of Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini to Azerbaijan last November. We see a big potential in areas like energy, modernization of the transport infrastructure, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism. We have to work on relevant treaties in order to make our economic cooperation more dynamic. Slovakia also supports more intensified cooperation between the European Union and Azerbaijan. A new agreement between the EU and Baku is currently negotiated. We should aim for an ambitious agreement from which both sides can gain. This agreement would represent an important step forward in our relations. Q.: Does the current level of trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Slovakia meet the countries existing potential? How could the two countries boost the bilateral trade? A.: The current level of trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Slovakia does not reflect the existing potential adequately. We hope to increase the volume of our bilateral trade. It would be in both our interest to intensify relations between our entrepreneurs in manufacturing, participation of Slovak companies in restructuring Azerbaijani enterprises, modernizing transport infrastructure, as well as contracting for construction and medical equipment. We are keen to maintain intensive political dialogue at all levels and to strengthen the treaty-base in the investment and economic area. We see Azerbaijan as an important partner in the context of European energy architecture and we wish it to play a constructive role in diversifying energy routes and in strengthening energy security in our region. Q.: What are the priority areas of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Slovakia? How can the two countries cooperate in the sphere of alternative energy? A.: We consider energy a promising area to deepen our mutual economic co-operation based on the considerable human and commercial potential both countries have. Slovak companies are very active in the area of energy and benefit from years-long experience. And the Slovak Republic actively supports Slovak business entities, which are well-respected in the industry and use state-of-the-art technologies. Mining and processing of oil and gas play crucial role in the economic development of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is an important producer of these mineral resources. The Southern Gas Corridor, aiming at supplying European markets with Azerbaijani gas, is a key energy diversification project of the EU. I have been informed that Azerbaijans governmental programs in the energy sector are focused on the development of alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power plants. Slovakia, as an export-oriented country with a strong economy is looking at strengthening partnership in trade and investments and we are interested in exploring new ways to improve our co-operation. And our companies are interested in working with local partners in this sphere to achieve further progress. We are also ready to share our experience in the area of alternative energy sources. Once again, I would like to assure you, that Slovakia will make every effort to further strengthen our excellent economic relations. Q.: Is Slovakia still interested in opening its embassy in Baku? If yes, when approximately is it planned to open it? A.: During his official visit to Azerbaijan in November 2018, Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini confirmed our interest in opening an Embassy in Baku. So the question is not about if but when. I suppose our Embassy will be opened in the not very distant future. Q.: What about the prospects for creating a visa-free regime between the two countries? A.: Slovakia, as a member state of the European Union, is bound by the common visa policy of the European Union. As such we cannot reach an individual bilateral agreement that would introduce a visa free regime between our two countries. But as a general principle, Slovakia supports efforts towards a visa-free regime. Q.: This year Slovakia chairs OSCE and during the recent briefing, you said that Slovakia will focus on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict alongside with other conflicts in the OSCE region. Which measures should be taken to accelerate the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts settlement? A.: Settling a longstanding conflict is a complex task requiring stability in the regional context, active dialogue, and the readiness of societies to move forward. And experience has shown that inclusive processes are more likely to lead to real, lasting peace and stability. Lately, we have seen signs of progress unfolding and we are cautiously optimistic about it. The human toll of violence along the line of contact and state borders has decreased. We are seeing a certain regularity of senior level dialogue between Yerevan and Baku. And the result of these developments contributes to increased stability in the OSCE space. Our Chairmanship is committed to supporting a negotiated, peaceful, and sustainable resolution of the conflict. I have reappointed Amb. Andrzej Kasprzyk as my Personal Representative on the Conflict dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference; we have faith in the Minsk Process, and will ensure it has the support needed to succeed. I am in close contact with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and took positive note of the recent meeting of the Foreign Ministers in Paris. Their understanding that concrete measures are needed to prepare the populations for peace deserves our support. And more broadly speaking, the OSCE provides a forum for dialogue, cooperation and mediation, and in that can help us to focus on related humanitarian needs. One of the priorities of the Slovak OSCE Chairmanship is preventing, resolving, and mediating conflict and mitigating its humanitarian consequences wherever possible. As during my visits to Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, I am eager to ensure that the people most affected remain high on the agenda of the international community. Q.: What is the program of your upcoming visit to Azerbaijan? A.: My programme is not final yet, but I plan to meet with the political leadership to see how we can best support Azerbaijan in implementing its OSCE commitments, the peace process and the activities of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs. And of course, beyond the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it is in the interest of us as the OSCE Chairmanship to maintain open and frank dialogue and good relations with all participating States, and to support progress on the ground. On all of my trips, I am eager to meet with and listen to our partners, whether in government, parliament, and other representatives of society, including those affected by conflict and related developments I am glad to be able to visit Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus in the early stages of our Chairmanship and this way to show the importance the OSCE attaches to the region. Saudi government has presented 600 projects worth more than SR500 billion ($133 billion) at a major contractors' conference which concluded in Riyadh yesterday (February 27). The two-day Future Projects Forum (FPF), which brought together hundreds of officials, project owners, investors and contractors from across the globe, was opened by Riyadh Governor Prince Faisal bin Bandar, said the organiser Saudi Contracting Authority (SCA). The main focus of the event was to encourage foreign investment and also help raise the efficiency and competitiveness of contractors to meet the technical requirements of the building projects planned for Saudi Arabia, it added. One of the G20 countries recording a GDP of $745 billion in 2018, Saudi Arabia is also considered to be the largest contracting market in the Middle East with a total yearly value of $100 billion. SCA said the forum was held in line with the vision 2030 to create a platform to bring together investors, project owners and contractors to display and discuss the future projects in the contracting sector. One of the largest forums of its kind in the Middle East, FPF covered the latest construction, development and opportunities, said the organisers. During the two-day event, KiCE Construction Equipment, a concrete batching and mixing plants accessories maker in the Middle East, said it had inked a deal with Schneider Electric, a leading player in the digital transformation of energy management and industrial automation sector. Headquartered in the Hasa region of Saudi Arabia, KiCE is a key manufacturer of bulk conveyor and silos components that enhance material flow performance and storing system.-TradeArabia News Service 5G is expected to reach 30 million subscriptions for enhanced mobile broadband in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) by the end of 2024, representing 2 per cent of total mobile subscriptions, said Ericsson in a new report. This will make 5G the fastest generation of cellular technology to be rolled out on a global scale, according to the new MEA edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report. Key drivers for 5G deployment include increased network capacity, lower cost per gigabyte and new use case requirements. The majority of the 5G subscriptions in the MEA are expected to come from advanced ICT markets like the GCC countries Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar while in Africa, considerable momentum is building up in South Africa. From a mobile data traffic point of view, the region is globally the highest with nine times growth forecast (1.8 to 15.4EB/month from 2018 to 2024) and mobile broadband subscriptions to double (860 million to 1.63 billion from 2018 to 2024). The MEA regions telecom market is characterized by increasing uptake of LTE and there is a high usage of apps. Therefore, significant growth is expected in data consumption together with large mobile broadband subscription addition. Economic recovery to drive investment in ICT Economies in the Mena region have shown signs of recovery in 2018 and are expected to grow by 3.9 per cent in 2019 as oil exporters benefit from the improved outlook for oil prices. In Sub-Saharan Africa, gross domestic product (GDP) growth is expected to show a similar upward trend, supported by rising commodity prices and improvement of the investment environment in large economies such as Nigeria and South Africa. Continued economic growth in the region, coupled with a young population, favourable policies and lower cost devices will drive investment in the telecoms sector, increasing uptake of ICT services. Demand for high-speed networks LTE subscriptions will have the highest growth at 23 per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) between 2018 and 2022, driven by increased mobile communications service provider investment in 4G networks as well as rising usage of data-intensive mobile services in the region. The combination of increasing usage of mobile video applications on higher resolution screens and better network throughputs will lead to a rise in the data traffic per active smartphone from 2.9GB per month in 2018 to 15GB per month in 2024, a CAGR of around 30 per cent. 5G business opportunity: 5G promises numerous opportunities besides enhanced mobile broadband, such as: Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) VR, AR and advanced media services Safety and security Industrial automation The first wave of 5G introduction in the Middle East and Africa targets the FWA segment where operators utilize it as an alternative to fiber, with quick time to market, as well as being an additional revenue stream. However, for the full 5Gpotential, large-scale rollout and to achieve long-term success, two main areas need to be addressed, namely spectrum availability and use case development. Mobile service providers need considerable support from regulators to carve out enough spectrum in existing mid and low bands. On the other hand, high band and mmWave spectrum is needed for addressing ultra-low latency cases like automation, AR and remote monitoring. Rafiah Ibrahim, head of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, said: With connectivity at the heart of industry transformation, cellular technologies have a significant role to play not just in the evolution of communication but in the transformation of businesses and societies. As 5G now hits the market, its coverage build-out and uptake in subscriptions is expected to be faster than for previous generations. At the same time, cellular IoT continues to grow strongly. As networks mature and ecosystems evolve, service providers need to become increasingly agile to achieve the goal of profitable growth. The Mobility report also features articles on migration to new technology, cellular IoT connectivity, the road to 5G and challenges ahead. TradeArabia News Service Viva Bahrain, a leading telecommunications operator in the kingdom, will be celebrating its ninth year anniversary with a spectacular range of promotions, offers and community-driven activities specially designed for this occasion. With celebrations kicking off tomorrow (March 1), the telecom operator planned several surprises throughout the weekend marking Vivas big day on March 3, starting off with offering free 9GB data for all new prepaid and postpaid voice plan customers with 9 days validity, free 9GB data when registering on the VIVA App, and 225GB data with the new wireless fiber plan instead of GB140 for new subscribers registering from the March 1 to 4. Viva will also be waive off the 5 per cent VAT on the monthly bills for 9 months for all new postpaid voice plan customers and adding a free e-Sim worth BD 9 to postpaid plans. Not only that, Viva will also be giving its customers 20 per cent discounts on 9 Careem rides, 3 months free for new Anghami Plus subscribers, and a free JBL GO2 Portable Speakers when buying any smartphone from Viva Online Shop. Additionally, new subscribers to the Viva Caller Tune will receive 9 days of free registration. And in the spirit of bringing joy to everyone, the weekend will also see the return of VIVAs popular Thank You Van that will travel across the kingdom to give away gifts at the press of a button, as well as celebrations taking place at a labour camp to mark anniversary festivities with exciting gifts and surprises. Moreover, the telecom operator will be rewarding customers when visiting its Bahrain City Centre, Seef Mall, Hamad town and Gosi Mall outlets, where customers with tickets that feature the number 9 will be eligible to win up to BD100 VIVA Cash vouchers when they upgrade or renew their existing subscriptions or complete a Postpaid or a Prepaid transaction on either mobile or broadband plans. Customers contacting Viva's Customer Care on 124, or through WhatsApp and Live Chat will also stand a chance to win BD5 Viva Cash. Acting CEO Mohammad Al Khushail said: "Today we celebrate our 9th anniversary, and with it another year of accomplishments and successes. Our journey to reach where we are today took dedication and hard work, and it would not have been possible without the outstanding pool of talent that we have within the Viva family." "Its a privilege to operate in a country like Bahrain that puts innovation at the forefront and is keen to see the ICT industry grow and advance. The special offers we are introducing this weekend is our way of saying thank you to our customers for their unmatched trust and support throughout the years, and we promise them more great things in the future," he noted. Since its launch in 2010, Viva Bahrain has been a major driving force in delivering true digital transformation across Bahrain and has gone to great lengths to continuously innovate and bring digital solutions that offer both best in class service, and ultimate convenience to its customers.-TradeArabia News Service Selbyville, Delaware, Feb. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The aircraft ground handling system market is poised to rise from USD 130 billion in 2018 to USD 190 billion by 2025, according to a 2019 Global Market Insights, Inc. report. Improving airport infrastructure services and technological advancement to reduce the delay in operations will drive the market share from 2019 to 2025. Frequent changing weather conditions and heavy snow fall in some region including North America and Europe are significantly affecting airport operations. Majority of ground handlers are using renewable energy systems including biogas snow equipment to remove snow at airports. These systems enable ground handlers to reduce fuel dependency and reduce carbon emission footprints. These developments will support aircraft ground handling systems market growth. Make an Inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/106 The increasing adoption of internet of things (IoT) in ground support functions such as smart baggage concept enables airline operators as well as passengers to track baggage location. Smart baggage tags integrated with mobile applications help passengers to track their bags and provide information including baggage collection location and time required for its arrival. Additionally, integration of cloud computing technology in systems enable ground operator to utilize insights collected across the airport for enhancing operational accuracy. These factors will support aircraft ground handling system market penetration over forecasted timeframe. Development of software solutions to calculate demand and supply of daily ground handling equipment in easy and cost-effective way will support aircraft ground handling systems market growth. The main requirement of ground handling operators is to calculate exact demand for serving any airline customers. Software-based technology solutions enable operator to integrate all the information of flight schedules and airlines database and plan day to day activities with optimum efficiency. The airlines require innovative technologies including aircraft proximity detector (APD) that warn aircraft for upcoming obstacles owing to threat of collision with ground equipment. Integration of these sensors in aircrafts are adding more costs to airline operators. Additionally, high initial cost, expensive replacement and quality issues of system may hinder the market growth. The ground equipment requires high number of devices to perform various activities and add more costs for airline operators Browse key industry insights spread across 150 pages with 105 market data tables & 8 figures & charts from the report, Aircraft Ground Handling System Market Size, By Application (Passenger Handling, Cargo Handling, Aircraft Handling), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, China, India, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Middle East, South Africa), Application Potential, Price Trend, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2019 2025 in detail along with the table of contents: https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/aircraft-ground-handling-system-market Based on application, cargo handling segment will hold dominance in aircraft ground handling systems market over the forecast timeframe. The dominance is attributed to increasing air cargo operation across the globe. The cargo ground handling requires various equipment including containers, lift trucks, caster bed & pallet trailers. Attractive events conducted by e-commerce such Singles day, Big billion days demands, speedy delivery of products and air transport plays essential role in delivering of products. Additionally, growing pharmaceutical cargo activities is also generating more revenue for cargo handling operators. Passenger handling system will showcase significant growth rate in aircraft ground handling system market place owing to increasing air passenger traffic across the globe. Growing air travel for tourism and business activities will generate revenue for segment. IATA forecasted air passenger traffic across the globe will reach 7.8 billion in 2036. Additionally, passenger want fast and efficient service experience which will enhance the passenger ground systems demand in near future. North America aircraft ground handling systems market share will hold dominance over forecast timeframe. Increasing shift towards enhancing efficiency of operation demands of rising passenger traffic and infrastructural development to support cargo activity will generate more revenue. Major industry participants in the market place includes Sats Ltd., Swissport, Celebi, Bhadra International, John Menzies PLC, Dnata, and Air+Mak. The other notable players the industry includes, Cavotec SA, CargoTec, RampSnake, PrimeFlight and JBT AeroTech. Contracts with airline operators are among the prominent strategy adopted by industry participant to increase their market share. Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/106 Browse Related Reports: Aircraft Evacuation Market Size By Product (Life Vest, Escape Slide, Evacuation Raft, Ejection Seat, Inflatable Floatation), By Platform (Fixed Wing [Narrow Body, Wide Body, Regional Aircraft, Fighter Jet], Rotary Wing [Civil Helicopter, Military Helicopter]), By Distribution Channel (OEM, Aftermarket) Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Russia, Netherlands, Sweden, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, South Africa), Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2019 2025 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/aircraft-evacuation-market Aircraft Door Market Size By Aircrafts (Commercial Aircraft [Narrow Body, Wide Body], Regional Jet, Business Jet, Helicopter, Military Aircraft), By Door (Passenger, Cargo, Emergency, Landing Gear, Ground Service), By Operating Mechanism (Manual, Hydraulic), By Distribution Channel (OEM, Aftermarket), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Russia, Netherlands, Sweden, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, South Africa), Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2019 2025 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/aircraft-door-market About Global Market Insights Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology. Contact Us: American History 1. Native American Society on the Eve of British Colonization a. Diversity of Native American Groups b. The Anasazi c. The Algonkian Tribes d. The Iroquois Tribes 2. Britain in the New World a. Early Ventures Fail b. Joint-Stock Companies c. Jamestown Settlement and the "Starving Time" d. The Growth of the Tobacco Trade e. War and Peace with Powhatan's People f. The House of Burgesses 3. The New England Colonies a. The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony b. William Bradford and the First Thanksgiving c. Massachusetts Bay "The City Upon a Hill" d. Puritan Life e. Dissent in Massachusetts Bay f. Reaching to Connecticut g. Witchcraft in Salem 4. The Middle Colonies a. New Netherland to New York b. Quakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey c. City of Brotherly Love Philadelphia d. The Ideas of Benjamin Franklin 5. The Southern Colonies a. Maryland The Catholic Experiment b. Indentured Servants c. Creating the Carolinas d. Debtors in Georgia e. Life in the Plantation South 6. African Americans in the British New World a. West African Society at the Point of European Contact b. "The Middle Passage" c. The Growth of Slavery d. Slave Life on the Farm and in the Town e. Free African Americans in the Colonial Era f. "Slave Codes" g. A New African-American Culture 7. The Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking a. The Impact of Enlightenment in Europe b. The Great Awakening c. The Trial of John Peter Zenger d. Smuggling e. A Tradition of Rebellion f. "What Is the American?" 8. America's Place in the Global Struggle a. New France b. The French and Indian War c. George Washington's Background and Experience d. The Treaty of Paris (1763) and Its Impact 9. The Events Leading to Independence a. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 b. The Stamp Act Controversy c. The Boston Patriots d. The Townshend Acts e. The Boston Massacre f. The Tea Act and Tea Parties g. The Intolerable Acts 10. E Pluribus Unum a. Stamp Act Congress b. Sons and Daughters of Liberty c. Committees of Correspondence d. First Continental Congress e. Second Continental Congress f. Thomas Paine's Common Sense g. The Declaration of Independence 11. The American Revolution a. American and British Strengths and Weaknesses b. Loyalists, Fence-sitters, and Patriots c. Lexington and Concord d. Bunker Hill e. The Revolution on the Home Front f. Washington at Valley Forge g. The Battle of Saratoga h. The French Alliance i. Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris 12. Societal Impacts of the American Revolution a. The Impact of Slavery b. A Revolution in Social Law c. Political Experience d. "Republican Motherhood" 13. When Does the Revolution End? a. The Declaration of Independence and Its Legacy b. The War Experience: Soldiers, Officers, and Civilians c. The Loyalists d. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Slavery e. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Women f. Revolutionary Limits: Native Americans g. Revolutionary Achievement: Yeomen and Artisans h. The Age of Atlantic Revolutions 14. Making Rules a. State Constitutions b. Articles of Confederation c. Evaluating the Congress d. The Economic Crisis of the 1780s 15. Drafting the Constitution a. Shays' Rebellion b. A Cast of National Superstars c. The Tough Issues d. Constitution Through Compromise 16. Ratifying the Constitution a. Federalists b. Antifederalists c. The Ratification Process: State by State d. After the Fact: Virginia, New York, and "The Federalist Papers" e. The Antifederalists' Victory in Defeat 17. George Washington a. Growing up in Colonial Virginia b. The Force of Personality and Military Command c. The First Administration d. Farewell Address e. Mount Vernon and the Dilemma of a Revolutionary Slave Holder 18. Unsettled Domestic Issues a. The Bill of Rights b. Hamilton's Financial Plan c. Growing Opposition d. U.S. Military Defeat; Indian Victory in the West e. Native American Resilience and Violence in the West 19. Politics in Transition: Public Conflict in the 1790s a. Trans-Atlantic Crisis: The French Revolution b. Negotiating with the Superpowers c. Two Parties Emerge d. The Adams Presidency e. The Alien and Sedition Acts f. The Life and Times of John Adams 20. Jeffersonian America: A Second Revolution? a. The Election of 1800 b. Jeffersonian Ideology c. Westward Expansion: The Louisiana Purchase d. A New National Capital: Washington, D.C. e. A Federalist Stronghold: John Marshall's Supreme Court f. Gabriel's Rebellion: Another View of Virginia in 1800 21. The Expanding Republic and the War of 1812 a. The Importance of the West b. Exploration: Lewis and Clark c. Diplomatic Challenges in an Age of European War d. Native American Resistance in the Trans-Appalachian West e. The Second War for American Independence f. Claiming Victory from Defeat 22. Social Change and National Development a. Economic Growth and the Early Industrial Revolution b. Cotton and African-American Life c. Religious Transformation and the Second Great Awakening d. Institutionalizing Religious Belief: The Benevolent Empire e. New Roles for White Women f. Early National Arts and Cultural Independence 23. Politics and the New Nation a. The Era of Good Feelings and the Two-Party System b. The Expansion of the Vote: A White Man's Democracy c. The Missouri Compromise d. The 1824 Election and the "Corrupt Bargain" e. John Quincy Adams f. Jacksonian Democracy and Modern America 24. The Age of Jackson a. The Rise of the Common Man b. A Strong Presidency c. The South Carolina Nullification Controversy d. The War Against the Bank e. Jackson vs. Clay and Calhoun f. The Trail of Tears The Indian Removals 25. The Rise of American Industry a. The Canal Era b. Early American Railroads c. Inventors and Inventions d. The First American Factories e. The Emergence of "Women's Sphere" f. Irish and German Immigration 26. An Explosion of New Thought a. Religious Revival b. Experiments with Utopia c. Women's Rights d. Prison and Asylum Reform e. Hudson River School Artists f. Transcendentalism, An American Philosophy 27. The Peculiar Institution a. The Crowning of King Cotton b. Slave Life and Slave Codes c. The Plantation & Chivalry d. Free(?) African-Americans e. Rebellions on and off the Plantation f. The Southern Argument for Slavery 28. Abolitionist Sentiment Grows a. William Lloyd Garrison and The Liberator b. African-American Abolitionists c. The Underground Railroad d. Harriet Beecher Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin 29. Manifest Destiny a. The Lone Star Republic b. 54 40' or Fight c. "American Blood on American Soil" d. The Mexican-American War e. Gold in California 30. An Uneasy Peace a. Wilmot's Proviso b. Popular Sovereignty c. Three Senatorial Giants: Clay, Calhoun and Webster d. The Compromise of 1850 31. "Bloody Kansas" a. The Kansas-Nebraska Act b. Border Ruffians c. The Sack of Lawrence d. The Pottawatomie Creek Massacre e. Canefight! Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner 32. From Uneasy Peace to Bitter Conflict a. The Dred Scott Decision b. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates c. John Brown's Raid d. The Election of 1860 e. The South Secedes 33. A House Divided a. Fort Sumter b. Strengths and Weaknesses: North vs. South c. First Blood and Its Aftermath d. Sacred Beliefs e. Bloody Antietam f. Of Generals and Soldiers g. Gettysburg: High Watermark of the Confederacy h. Northern Plans to End the War i. The Road to Appomattox 34. The War Behind the Lines a. The Emancipation Proclamation b. Wartime Diplomacy c. The Northern Homefront d. The Southern Homefront e. The Election of 1864 f. The Assassination of the President 35. Reconstruction a. Presidential Reconstruction b. Radical Reconstruction c. A President Impeached d. Rebuilding the Old Order 36. The Gilded Age a. Binding the Nation by Rail b. The New Tycoons: John D. Rockefeller c. The New Tycoons: Andrew Carnegie d. The New Tycoons: J. Pierpont Morgan e. New Attitudes Toward Wealth f. Politics of the Gilded Age 37. Organized Labor a. The Great Upheaval b. Labor vs. Management c. Early National Organizations d. American Federation of Labor e. Eugene V. Debs and American Socialism 38. From the Countryside to the City a. The Glamour of American Cities b. The Underside of Urban Life c. The Rush of Immigrants d. Corruption Runs Wild e. Religious Revival: The "Social Gospel" f. Artistic and Literary Trends 39. New Dimensions in Everyday Life a. Education b. Sports and Leisure c. Women in the Gilded Age d. Victorian Values in a New Age e. The Print Revolution 40. Closing the Frontier a. The Massacre at Sand Creek b. Custer's Last Stand c. The End of Resistance d. Life on the Reservations e. The Wounded Knee Massacre 41. Western Folkways a. The Mining Boom b. The Ways of the Cowboy c. Life on the Farm d. The Growth of Populism e. The Election of 1896 42. Progressivism Sweeps the Nation a. Roots of the Movement b. Muckrakers c. Women's Suffrage at Last d. Booker T. Washington e. W. E. B. DuBois 43. Progressives in the White House a. Teddy Roosevelt: The Rough Rider in the White House b. The Trust Buster c. A Helping Hand for Labor d. Preserving the Wilderness e. Passing the Torch f. The Election of 1912 g. Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom 44. Seeking Empire a. Early Stirrings b. Hawaiian Annexation c. "Remember the Maine!" d. The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences e. The Roosevelt Corollary and Latin America f. Reaching to Asia g. The Panama Canal 45. America in the First World War a. Farewell to Isolation b. Over There c. Over Here d. The Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations 46. The Decade That Roared a. The Age of the Automobile b. The Fight Against "Demon Rum" c. The Invention of the Teenager d. Flappers e. The Harlem Renaissance f. A Consumer Economy g. Radio Fever h. Fads and Heroes 47. Old Values vs. New Values a. The Red Scare b. The Monkey Trial c. Intolerance d. Books and Movies e. Domestic and International Politics 48. The Great Depression a. The Market Crashes b. Sinking Deeper and Deeper: 1929-33 c. The Bonus March d. Hoover's Last Stand e. Social and Cultural Effects of the Depression 49. The New Deal a. A Bank Holiday b. Putting People Back to Work c. The Farming Problem d. Social Security e. FDR's Alphabet Soup f. Roosevelt's Critics g. An Evaluation of the New Deal 50. The Road to Pearl Harbor a. 1930s Isolationism b. Reactions to a Troubled World c. War Breaks Out d. The Arsenal of Democracy e. Pearl Harbor 51. America in the Second World War a. Wartime Strategy b. The American Homefront c. D-Day and the German Surrender d. War in the Pacific e. Japanese-American Internment f. The Manhattan Project g. The Decision to Drop the Bomb 52. Postwar Challenges a. The Cold War Erupts b. The United Nations c. Containment and the Marshall Plan d. The Berlin Airlift and NATO e. The Korean War f. Domestic Challenges 53. The 1950s: Happy Days a. McCarthyism b. Suburban Growth c. Land of Television d. America Rocks and Rolls e. The Cold War Continues f. Voices against Conformity 54. A New Civil Rights Movement a. Separate No Longer? b. Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott c. Showdown in Little Rock d. The Sit-In Movement e. Gains and Pains f. Martin Luther King Jr. g. The Long, Hot Summers h. Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam i. Black Power 55. The Vietnam War a. Early Involvement b. Years of Escalation: 1965-68 c. The Tet Offensive d. The Antiwar Movement e. Years of Withdrawal 56. Politics from Camelot to Watergate a. The Election of 1960 b. Kennedy's New Frontier c. Kennedy's Global Challenges d. Kennedy Assassination e. Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" f. 1968: Year of Unraveling g. Triangular Diplomacy: U.S., USSR, and China 57. Shaping a New America a. Modern Feminism b. The Fight for Reproductive Rights c. The Equal Rights Amendment d. Roe v. Wade and Its Impact e. Environmental Reform f. Others Demand Equality g. Student Activism h. Flower Power 58. A Time of Malaise a. Undoing a President b. The Sickened Economy c. Foreign Woes d. Finding Oneself e. The New Right 59. The Reagan Years a. "Morning in America" b. Reaganomics c. Foreign and Domestic Entanglements d. Life in the 1980s e. The End of the Cold War 60. Toward a New Millennium a. Operation Desert Storm b. A Baby Boomer in the White House c. Republicans vs. Democrats d. Living in the Information Age e. The End of the American Century 19a. Trans-Atlantic Crisis: The French Revolution The violent uprising that was the French Revolution claimed the lives of many, including the spokesmen and leaders of all interests. Here, the head of King Louis XVI is displayed to an approving crowd. The violent uprising that was the French Revolution claimed the lives of many, including the spokesmen and leaders of all interests. Here, the head of King Louis XVI is displayed to an approving crowd. The French Revolution brought fundamental changes to the feudal order of monarchical and aristocratic privilege. Americans widely celebrated the French Revolution in its glorious opening in 1789, as it struck at the very heart of absolutist power. France seemed to be following the American republican example by creating a constitutional monarchy where traditional elites would be restrained by written law. Where the king had previously held absolute power, now he would have to act within clear legal boundaries. The French Revolution soon moved beyond this already considerable assault on the traditional order. Largely pushed forward by a crisis brought on by a war that began in 1792 against Prussia and Austria, the French Revolution took a dramatic turn that climaxed with the beheading of King Louis XVI and the abandonment of Christianity in favor of a new state religion based on reason. The French Revolution became far more radical than the American Revolution. In addition to a period of extreme public violence, which became known as the Reign of Terror, the French Revolution also attempted to enhance the rights and power of poor people and women. In fact, it even went so far as to outlaw slavery in the French colonies of the Caribbean. The profound changes set in motion by the French Revolution had an enormous impact in France as well as through the large scale European war it sparked from 1792 to 1815. It also helped to transform American politics starting in the mid-1790s. While the French Revolution had initially received broad support in the United States, its radicalization in 1792-1793 led to sharp disagreement in American opinion. This cartoon, "Corsican Crocodile dissolving the Council of Frogs," depicts Napoleon's coup d'etat of the French government in 1799. Five years later he proclaimed himself Emperor of France. This cartoon, "Corsican Crocodile dissolving the Council of Frogs," depicts Napoleon's coup d'etat of the French government in 1799. Five years later he proclaimed himself Emperor of France. Domestic attitudes toward the proper future of the American republic grew even more intense as a result of the example of revolutionary France. Conservatives like Hamilton, Washington, and others who would soon organize as the Federalist political party saw the French Revolution as an example of homicidal anarchy. When Great Britain joined European allies in the war against France in 1793, Federalists supported this action as an attempt to enforce proper order. The opposing American view, held by men like Jefferson and others who came to organize as the Democratic-Republican political party, supported French actions as an extension of a world-wide republican struggle against corrupt monarchy and aristocratic privilege. For example, some groups among the Whiskey Rebels in western Pennsylvania demonstrated their international vision when they rallied beneath a banner that copied the radical French slogan of "liberty, equality, and fraternity." The example of the French Revolution helped convince Americans on both sides that their political opponents were motivated by dangerous and even evil forces that threatened to destroy the young republic. American History 1. Native American Society on the Eve of British Colonization a. Diversity of Native American Groups b. The Anasazi c. The Algonkian Tribes d. The Iroquois Tribes 2. Britain in the New World a. Early Ventures Fail b. Joint-Stock Companies c. Jamestown Settlement and the "Starving Time" d. The Growth of the Tobacco Trade e. War and Peace with Powhatan's People f. The House of Burgesses 3. The New England Colonies a. The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony b. William Bradford and the First Thanksgiving c. Massachusetts Bay "The City Upon a Hill" d. Puritan Life e. Dissent in Massachusetts Bay f. Reaching to Connecticut g. Witchcraft in Salem 4. The Middle Colonies a. New Netherland to New York b. Quakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey c. City of Brotherly Love Philadelphia d. The Ideas of Benjamin Franklin 5. The Southern Colonies a. Maryland The Catholic Experiment b. Indentured Servants c. Creating the Carolinas d. Debtors in Georgia e. Life in the Plantation South 6. African Americans in the British New World a. West African Society at the Point of European Contact b. "The Middle Passage" c. The Growth of Slavery d. Slave Life on the Farm and in the Town e. Free African Americans in the Colonial Era f. "Slave Codes" g. A New African-American Culture 7. The Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking a. The Impact of Enlightenment in Europe b. The Great Awakening c. The Trial of John Peter Zenger d. Smuggling e. A Tradition of Rebellion f. "What Is the American?" 8. America's Place in the Global Struggle a. New France b. The French and Indian War c. George Washington's Background and Experience d. The Treaty of Paris (1763) and Its Impact 9. The Events Leading to Independence a. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 b. The Stamp Act Controversy c. The Boston Patriots d. The Townshend Acts e. The Boston Massacre f. The Tea Act and Tea Parties g. The Intolerable Acts 10. E Pluribus Unum a. Stamp Act Congress b. Sons and Daughters of Liberty c. Committees of Correspondence d. First Continental Congress e. Second Continental Congress f. Thomas Paine's Common Sense g. The Declaration of Independence 11. The American Revolution a. American and British Strengths and Weaknesses b. Loyalists, Fence-sitters, and Patriots c. Lexington and Concord d. Bunker Hill e. The Revolution on the Home Front f. Washington at Valley Forge g. The Battle of Saratoga h. The French Alliance i. Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris 12. Societal Impacts of the American Revolution a. The Impact of Slavery b. A Revolution in Social Law c. Political Experience d. "Republican Motherhood" 13. When Does the Revolution End? a. The Declaration of Independence and Its Legacy b. The War Experience: Soldiers, Officers, and Civilians c. The Loyalists d. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Slavery e. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Women f. Revolutionary Limits: Native Americans g. Revolutionary Achievement: Yeomen and Artisans h. The Age of Atlantic Revolutions 14. Making Rules a. State Constitutions b. Articles of Confederation c. Evaluating the Congress d. The Economic Crisis of the 1780s 15. Drafting the Constitution a. Shays' Rebellion b. A Cast of National Superstars c. The Tough Issues d. Constitution Through Compromise 16. Ratifying the Constitution a. Federalists b. Antifederalists c. The Ratification Process: State by State d. After the Fact: Virginia, New York, and "The Federalist Papers" e. The Antifederalists' Victory in Defeat 17. George Washington a. Growing up in Colonial Virginia b. The Force of Personality and Military Command c. The First Administration d. Farewell Address e. Mount Vernon and the Dilemma of a Revolutionary Slave Holder 18. Unsettled Domestic Issues a. The Bill of Rights b. Hamilton's Financial Plan c. Growing Opposition d. U.S. Military Defeat; Indian Victory in the West e. Native American Resilience and Violence in the West 19. Politics in Transition: Public Conflict in the 1790s a. Trans-Atlantic Crisis: The French Revolution b. Negotiating with the Superpowers c. Two Parties Emerge d. The Adams Presidency e. The Alien and Sedition Acts f. The Life and Times of John Adams 20. Jeffersonian America: A Second Revolution? a. The Election of 1800 b. Jeffersonian Ideology c. Westward Expansion: The Louisiana Purchase d. A New National Capital: Washington, D.C. e. A Federalist Stronghold: John Marshall's Supreme Court f. Gabriel's Rebellion: Another View of Virginia in 1800 21. The Expanding Republic and the War of 1812 a. The Importance of the West b. Exploration: Lewis and Clark c. Diplomatic Challenges in an Age of European War d. Native American Resistance in the Trans-Appalachian West e. The Second War for American Independence f. Claiming Victory from Defeat 22. Social Change and National Development a. Economic Growth and the Early Industrial Revolution b. Cotton and African-American Life c. Religious Transformation and the Second Great Awakening d. Institutionalizing Religious Belief: The Benevolent Empire e. New Roles for White Women f. Early National Arts and Cultural Independence 23. Politics and the New Nation a. The Era of Good Feelings and the Two-Party System b. The Expansion of the Vote: A White Man's Democracy c. The Missouri Compromise d. The 1824 Election and the "Corrupt Bargain" e. John Quincy Adams f. Jacksonian Democracy and Modern America 24. The Age of Jackson a. The Rise of the Common Man b. A Strong Presidency c. The South Carolina Nullification Controversy d. The War Against the Bank e. Jackson vs. Clay and Calhoun f. The Trail of Tears The Indian Removals 25. The Rise of American Industry a. The Canal Era b. Early American Railroads c. Inventors and Inventions d. The First American Factories e. The Emergence of "Women's Sphere" f. Irish and German Immigration 26. An Explosion of New Thought a. Religious Revival b. Experiments with Utopia c. Women's Rights d. Prison and Asylum Reform e. Hudson River School Artists f. Transcendentalism, An American Philosophy 27. The Peculiar Institution a. The Crowning of King Cotton b. Slave Life and Slave Codes c. The Plantation & Chivalry d. Free(?) African-Americans e. Rebellions on and off the Plantation f. The Southern Argument for Slavery 28. Abolitionist Sentiment Grows a. William Lloyd Garrison and The Liberator b. African-American Abolitionists c. The Underground Railroad d. Harriet Beecher Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin 29. Manifest Destiny a. The Lone Star Republic b. 54 40' or Fight c. "American Blood on American Soil" d. The Mexican-American War e. Gold in California 30. An Uneasy Peace a. Wilmot's Proviso b. Popular Sovereignty c. Three Senatorial Giants: Clay, Calhoun and Webster d. The Compromise of 1850 31. "Bloody Kansas" a. The Kansas-Nebraska Act b. Border Ruffians c. The Sack of Lawrence d. The Pottawatomie Creek Massacre e. Canefight! Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner 32. From Uneasy Peace to Bitter Conflict a. The Dred Scott Decision b. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates c. John Brown's Raid d. The Election of 1860 e. The South Secedes 33. A House Divided a. Fort Sumter b. Strengths and Weaknesses: North vs. South c. First Blood and Its Aftermath d. Sacred Beliefs e. Bloody Antietam f. Of Generals and Soldiers g. Gettysburg: High Watermark of the Confederacy h. Northern Plans to End the War i. The Road to Appomattox 34. The War Behind the Lines a. The Emancipation Proclamation b. Wartime Diplomacy c. The Northern Homefront d. The Southern Homefront e. The Election of 1864 f. The Assassination of the President 35. Reconstruction a. Presidential Reconstruction b. Radical Reconstruction c. A President Impeached d. Rebuilding the Old Order 36. The Gilded Age a. Binding the Nation by Rail b. The New Tycoons: John D. Rockefeller c. The New Tycoons: Andrew Carnegie d. The New Tycoons: J. Pierpont Morgan e. New Attitudes Toward Wealth f. Politics of the Gilded Age 37. Organized Labor a. The Great Upheaval b. Labor vs. Management c. Early National Organizations d. American Federation of Labor e. Eugene V. Debs and American Socialism 38. From the Countryside to the City a. The Glamour of American Cities b. The Underside of Urban Life c. The Rush of Immigrants d. Corruption Runs Wild e. Religious Revival: The "Social Gospel" f. Artistic and Literary Trends 39. New Dimensions in Everyday Life a. Education b. Sports and Leisure c. Women in the Gilded Age d. Victorian Values in a New Age e. The Print Revolution 40. Closing the Frontier a. The Massacre at Sand Creek b. Custer's Last Stand c. The End of Resistance d. Life on the Reservations e. The Wounded Knee Massacre 41. Western Folkways a. The Mining Boom b. The Ways of the Cowboy c. Life on the Farm d. The Growth of Populism e. The Election of 1896 42. Progressivism Sweeps the Nation a. Roots of the Movement b. Muckrakers c. Women's Suffrage at Last d. Booker T. Washington e. W. E. B. DuBois 43. Progressives in the White House a. Teddy Roosevelt: The Rough Rider in the White House b. The Trust Buster c. A Helping Hand for Labor d. Preserving the Wilderness e. Passing the Torch f. The Election of 1912 g. Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom 44. Seeking Empire a. Early Stirrings b. Hawaiian Annexation c. "Remember the Maine!" d. The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences e. The Roosevelt Corollary and Latin America f. Reaching to Asia g. The Panama Canal 45. America in the First World War a. Farewell to Isolation b. Over There c. Over Here d. The Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations 46. The Decade That Roared a. The Age of the Automobile b. The Fight Against "Demon Rum" c. The Invention of the Teenager d. Flappers e. The Harlem Renaissance f. A Consumer Economy g. Radio Fever h. Fads and Heroes 47. Old Values vs. New Values a. The Red Scare b. The Monkey Trial c. Intolerance d. Books and Movies e. Domestic and International Politics 48. The Great Depression a. The Market Crashes b. Sinking Deeper and Deeper: 1929-33 c. The Bonus March d. Hoover's Last Stand e. Social and Cultural Effects of the Depression 49. The New Deal a. A Bank Holiday b. Putting People Back to Work c. The Farming Problem d. Social Security e. FDR's Alphabet Soup f. Roosevelt's Critics g. An Evaluation of the New Deal 50. The Road to Pearl Harbor a. 1930s Isolationism b. Reactions to a Troubled World c. War Breaks Out d. The Arsenal of Democracy e. Pearl Harbor 51. America in the Second World War a. Wartime Strategy b. The American Homefront c. D-Day and the German Surrender d. War in the Pacific e. Japanese-American Internment f. The Manhattan Project g. The Decision to Drop the Bomb 52. Postwar Challenges a. The Cold War Erupts b. The United Nations c. Containment and the Marshall Plan d. The Berlin Airlift and NATO e. The Korean War f. Domestic Challenges 53. The 1950s: Happy Days a. McCarthyism b. Suburban Growth c. Land of Television d. America Rocks and Rolls e. The Cold War Continues f. Voices against Conformity 54. A New Civil Rights Movement a. Separate No Longer? b. Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott c. Showdown in Little Rock d. The Sit-In Movement e. Gains and Pains f. Martin Luther King Jr. g. The Long, Hot Summers h. Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam i. Black Power 55. The Vietnam War a. Early Involvement b. Years of Escalation: 1965-68 c. The Tet Offensive d. The Antiwar Movement e. Years of Withdrawal 56. Politics from Camelot to Watergate a. The Election of 1960 b. Kennedy's New Frontier c. Kennedy's Global Challenges d. Kennedy Assassination e. Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" f. 1968: Year of Unraveling g. Triangular Diplomacy: U.S., USSR, and China 57. Shaping a New America a. Modern Feminism b. The Fight for Reproductive Rights c. The Equal Rights Amendment d. Roe v. Wade and Its Impact e. Environmental Reform f. Others Demand Equality g. Student Activism h. Flower Power 58. A Time of Malaise a. Undoing a President b. The Sickened Economy c. Foreign Woes d. Finding Oneself e. The New Right 59. The Reagan Years a. "Morning in America" b. Reaganomics c. Foreign and Domestic Entanglements d. Life in the 1980s e. The End of the Cold War 60. Toward a New Millennium a. Operation Desert Storm b. A Baby Boomer in the White House c. Republicans vs. Democrats d. Living in the Information Age e. The End of the American Century 29c. "American Blood on American Soil" White House President James K. Polk was not favored to win his party's nomination to the presidency, but his expansionist views were favored by the American people. President James K. Polk was not favored to win his party's nomination to the presidency, but his expansionist views were favored by the American people. While Polk awaited the Presidency, the trouble of Texas resurfaced. Congress admitted Texas to the Union in a joint resolution passed the day before Polk's inauguration. Mexico was outraged. Inclusion in the United States would forever rule out the possibility of re-acquiring the lost province. Furthermore, the boundary was in dispute. Mexico claimed that the southern boundary of Texas was the Nueces River, the Texan boundary while under Mexican rule. Americans, as well as the incoming President, claimed that the boundary of Texas was the Rio Grande River. The territory between the two rivers was the subject of angry bickering between the two nations. Soon it would serve as the catalyst for an all-out war. President Polk's true goal was to acquire the rich ports of California. He envisioned a lucrative trade with the Far East that would revolve around San Francisco and Monterey. Great Britain also had designs on the territory, so Polk thought he would have to act fast. He sent John Slidell to Mexico with an offer. The United States would pay Mexico a combined sum of $30 million for the Texan boundary of the Rio Grande, New Mexico territory, and California. The disputed territory along the Texas-Mexico border is shaded above. The boundary along the right is the Nueces River (the border which Mexico recognized) and the one along the right is the Rio Grande (which was recognized by the United States). The disputed territory along the Texas-Mexico border is shaded above. The boundary along the right is the Nueces River (the border which Mexico recognized) and the one along the right is the Rio Grande (which was recognized by the United States). The Mexican government was livid. They were not interested in selling the valuable territory. Instead they issued the highest diplomatic rebuke. They refused even to receive Slidell to hear his offer. The American President was enraged. He resolved to fight Mexico. In July of 1845, Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to cross the Nueces River with his command of 4,000 troops. Upon learning of Slidell's rejection, Polk sent word that Taylor should advance his troops to the Rio Grande River. From the standpoint of Mexico, the United States had invaded their territory. Polk hoped to defend the disputed area with armed force. He also knew that any attack on American troops might provide the impetus Congress was lacking to declare war. Mexican-American War Was Polk justified in ordering Taylor to cross the Nueces River? Yes No Sure enough, in May of 1846, Polk received word that the Mexican army had indeed fired on Taylor's soldiers. Polk appeared before Congress on May 11 and declared that Mexico had invaded the United States and had "shed American blood on American soil!" Anti-expansionist Whigs had been hoping to avoid conflict, but news of the "attack" was too much to overlook. Congress passed a war declaration by an overwhelming majority. President Polk had his war. American History 1. Native American Society on the Eve of British Colonization a. Diversity of Native American Groups b. The Anasazi c. The Algonkian Tribes d. The Iroquois Tribes 2. Britain in the New World a. Early Ventures Fail b. Joint-Stock Companies c. Jamestown Settlement and the "Starving Time" d. The Growth of the Tobacco Trade e. War and Peace with Powhatan's People f. The House of Burgesses 3. The New England Colonies a. The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony b. William Bradford and the First Thanksgiving c. Massachusetts Bay "The City Upon a Hill" d. Puritan Life e. Dissent in Massachusetts Bay f. Reaching to Connecticut g. Witchcraft in Salem 4. The Middle Colonies a. New Netherland to New York b. Quakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey c. City of Brotherly Love Philadelphia d. The Ideas of Benjamin Franklin 5. The Southern Colonies a. Maryland The Catholic Experiment b. Indentured Servants c. Creating the Carolinas d. Debtors in Georgia e. Life in the Plantation South 6. African Americans in the British New World a. West African Society at the Point of European Contact b. "The Middle Passage" c. The Growth of Slavery d. Slave Life on the Farm and in the Town e. Free African Americans in the Colonial Era f. "Slave Codes" g. A New African-American Culture 7. The Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking a. The Impact of Enlightenment in Europe b. The Great Awakening c. The Trial of John Peter Zenger d. Smuggling e. A Tradition of Rebellion f. "What Is the American?" 8. America's Place in the Global Struggle a. New France b. The French and Indian War c. George Washington's Background and Experience d. The Treaty of Paris (1763) and Its Impact 9. The Events Leading to Independence a. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 b. The Stamp Act Controversy c. The Boston Patriots d. The Townshend Acts e. The Boston Massacre f. The Tea Act and Tea Parties g. The Intolerable Acts 10. E Pluribus Unum a. Stamp Act Congress b. Sons and Daughters of Liberty c. Committees of Correspondence d. First Continental Congress e. Second Continental Congress f. Thomas Paine's Common Sense g. The Declaration of Independence 11. The American Revolution a. American and British Strengths and Weaknesses b. Loyalists, Fence-sitters, and Patriots c. Lexington and Concord d. Bunker Hill e. The Revolution on the Home Front f. Washington at Valley Forge g. The Battle of Saratoga h. The French Alliance i. Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris 12. Societal Impacts of the American Revolution a. The Impact of Slavery b. A Revolution in Social Law c. Political Experience d. "Republican Motherhood" 13. When Does the Revolution End? a. The Declaration of Independence and Its Legacy b. The War Experience: Soldiers, Officers, and Civilians c. The Loyalists d. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Slavery e. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Women f. Revolutionary Limits: Native Americans g. Revolutionary Achievement: Yeomen and Artisans h. The Age of Atlantic Revolutions 14. Making Rules a. State Constitutions b. Articles of Confederation c. Evaluating the Congress d. The Economic Crisis of the 1780s 15. Drafting the Constitution a. Shays' Rebellion b. A Cast of National Superstars c. The Tough Issues d. Constitution Through Compromise 16. Ratifying the Constitution a. Federalists b. Antifederalists c. The Ratification Process: State by State d. After the Fact: Virginia, New York, and "The Federalist Papers" e. The Antifederalists' Victory in Defeat 17. George Washington a. Growing up in Colonial Virginia b. The Force of Personality and Military Command c. The First Administration d. Farewell Address e. Mount Vernon and the Dilemma of a Revolutionary Slave Holder 18. Unsettled Domestic Issues a. The Bill of Rights b. Hamilton's Financial Plan c. Growing Opposition d. U.S. Military Defeat; Indian Victory in the West e. Native American Resilience and Violence in the West 19. Politics in Transition: Public Conflict in the 1790s a. Trans-Atlantic Crisis: The French Revolution b. Negotiating with the Superpowers c. Two Parties Emerge d. The Adams Presidency e. The Alien and Sedition Acts f. The Life and Times of John Adams 20. Jeffersonian America: A Second Revolution? a. The Election of 1800 b. Jeffersonian Ideology c. Westward Expansion: The Louisiana Purchase d. A New National Capital: Washington, D.C. e. A Federalist Stronghold: John Marshall's Supreme Court f. Gabriel's Rebellion: Another View of Virginia in 1800 21. The Expanding Republic and the War of 1812 a. The Importance of the West b. Exploration: Lewis and Clark c. Diplomatic Challenges in an Age of European War d. Native American Resistance in the Trans-Appalachian West e. The Second War for American Independence f. Claiming Victory from Defeat 22. Social Change and National Development a. Economic Growth and the Early Industrial Revolution b. Cotton and African-American Life c. Religious Transformation and the Second Great Awakening d. Institutionalizing Religious Belief: The Benevolent Empire e. New Roles for White Women f. Early National Arts and Cultural Independence 23. Politics and the New Nation a. The Era of Good Feelings and the Two-Party System b. The Expansion of the Vote: A White Man's Democracy c. The Missouri Compromise d. The 1824 Election and the "Corrupt Bargain" e. John Quincy Adams f. Jacksonian Democracy and Modern America 24. The Age of Jackson a. The Rise of the Common Man b. A Strong Presidency c. The South Carolina Nullification Controversy d. The War Against the Bank e. Jackson vs. Clay and Calhoun f. The Trail of Tears The Indian Removals 25. The Rise of American Industry a. The Canal Era b. Early American Railroads c. Inventors and Inventions d. The First American Factories e. The Emergence of "Women's Sphere" f. Irish and German Immigration 26. An Explosion of New Thought a. Religious Revival b. Experiments with Utopia c. Women's Rights d. Prison and Asylum Reform e. Hudson River School Artists f. Transcendentalism, An American Philosophy 27. The Peculiar Institution a. The Crowning of King Cotton b. Slave Life and Slave Codes c. The Plantation & Chivalry d. Free(?) African-Americans e. Rebellions on and off the Plantation f. The Southern Argument for Slavery 28. Abolitionist Sentiment Grows a. William Lloyd Garrison and The Liberator b. African-American Abolitionists c. The Underground Railroad d. Harriet Beecher Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin 29. Manifest Destiny a. The Lone Star Republic b. 54 40' or Fight c. "American Blood on American Soil" d. The Mexican-American War e. Gold in California 30. An Uneasy Peace a. Wilmot's Proviso b. Popular Sovereignty c. Three Senatorial Giants: Clay, Calhoun and Webster d. The Compromise of 1850 31. "Bloody Kansas" a. The Kansas-Nebraska Act b. Border Ruffians c. The Sack of Lawrence d. The Pottawatomie Creek Massacre e. Canefight! Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner 32. From Uneasy Peace to Bitter Conflict a. The Dred Scott Decision b. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates c. John Brown's Raid d. The Election of 1860 e. The South Secedes 33. A House Divided a. Fort Sumter b. Strengths and Weaknesses: North vs. South c. First Blood and Its Aftermath d. Sacred Beliefs e. Bloody Antietam f. Of Generals and Soldiers g. Gettysburg: High Watermark of the Confederacy h. Northern Plans to End the War i. The Road to Appomattox 34. The War Behind the Lines a. The Emancipation Proclamation b. Wartime Diplomacy c. The Northern Homefront d. The Southern Homefront e. The Election of 1864 f. The Assassination of the President 35. Reconstruction a. Presidential Reconstruction b. Radical Reconstruction c. A President Impeached d. Rebuilding the Old Order 36. The Gilded Age a. Binding the Nation by Rail b. The New Tycoons: John D. Rockefeller c. The New Tycoons: Andrew Carnegie d. The New Tycoons: J. Pierpont Morgan e. New Attitudes Toward Wealth f. Politics of the Gilded Age 37. Organized Labor a. The Great Upheaval b. Labor vs. Management c. Early National Organizations d. American Federation of Labor e. Eugene V. Debs and American Socialism 38. From the Countryside to the City a. The Glamour of American Cities b. The Underside of Urban Life c. The Rush of Immigrants d. Corruption Runs Wild e. Religious Revival: The "Social Gospel" f. Artistic and Literary Trends 39. New Dimensions in Everyday Life a. Education b. Sports and Leisure c. Women in the Gilded Age d. Victorian Values in a New Age e. The Print Revolution 40. Closing the Frontier a. The Massacre at Sand Creek b. Custer's Last Stand c. The End of Resistance d. Life on the Reservations e. The Wounded Knee Massacre 41. Western Folkways a. The Mining Boom b. The Ways of the Cowboy c. Life on the Farm d. The Growth of Populism e. The Election of 1896 42. Progressivism Sweeps the Nation a. Roots of the Movement b. Muckrakers c. Women's Suffrage at Last d. Booker T. Washington e. W. E. B. DuBois 43. Progressives in the White House a. Teddy Roosevelt: The Rough Rider in the White House b. The Trust Buster c. A Helping Hand for Labor d. Preserving the Wilderness e. Passing the Torch f. The Election of 1912 g. Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom 44. Seeking Empire a. Early Stirrings b. Hawaiian Annexation c. "Remember the Maine!" d. The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences e. The Roosevelt Corollary and Latin America f. Reaching to Asia g. The Panama Canal 45. America in the First World War a. Farewell to Isolation b. Over There c. Over Here d. The Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations 46. The Decade That Roared a. The Age of the Automobile b. The Fight Against "Demon Rum" c. The Invention of the Teenager d. Flappers e. The Harlem Renaissance f. A Consumer Economy g. Radio Fever h. Fads and Heroes 47. Old Values vs. New Values a. The Red Scare b. The Monkey Trial c. Intolerance d. Books and Movies e. Domestic and International Politics 48. The Great Depression a. The Market Crashes b. Sinking Deeper and Deeper: 1929-33 c. The Bonus March d. Hoover's Last Stand e. Social and Cultural Effects of the Depression 49. The New Deal a. A Bank Holiday b. Putting People Back to Work c. The Farming Problem d. Social Security e. FDR's Alphabet Soup f. Roosevelt's Critics g. An Evaluation of the New Deal 50. The Road to Pearl Harbor a. 1930s Isolationism b. Reactions to a Troubled World c. War Breaks Out d. The Arsenal of Democracy e. Pearl Harbor 51. America in the Second World War a. Wartime Strategy b. The American Homefront c. D-Day and the German Surrender d. War in the Pacific e. Japanese-American Internment f. The Manhattan Project g. The Decision to Drop the Bomb 52. Postwar Challenges a. The Cold War Erupts b. The United Nations c. Containment and the Marshall Plan d. The Berlin Airlift and NATO e. The Korean War f. Domestic Challenges 53. The 1950s: Happy Days a. McCarthyism b. Suburban Growth c. Land of Television d. America Rocks and Rolls e. The Cold War Continues f. Voices against Conformity 54. A New Civil Rights Movement a. Separate No Longer? b. Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott c. Showdown in Little Rock d. The Sit-In Movement e. Gains and Pains f. Martin Luther King Jr. g. The Long, Hot Summers h. Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam i. Black Power 55. The Vietnam War a. Early Involvement b. Years of Escalation: 1965-68 c. The Tet Offensive d. The Antiwar Movement e. Years of Withdrawal 56. Politics from Camelot to Watergate a. The Election of 1960 b. Kennedy's New Frontier c. Kennedy's Global Challenges d. Kennedy Assassination e. Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" f. 1968: Year of Unraveling g. Triangular Diplomacy: U.S., USSR, and China 57. Shaping a New America a. Modern Feminism b. The Fight for Reproductive Rights c. The Equal Rights Amendment d. Roe v. Wade and Its Impact e. Environmental Reform f. Others Demand Equality g. Student Activism h. Flower Power 58. A Time of Malaise a. Undoing a President b. The Sickened Economy c. Foreign Woes d. Finding Oneself e. The New Right 59. The Reagan Years a. "Morning in America" b. Reaganomics c. Foreign and Domestic Entanglements d. Life in the 1980s e. The End of the Cold War 60. Toward a New Millennium a. Operation Desert Storm b. A Baby Boomer in the White House c. Republicans vs. Democrats d. Living in the Information Age e. The End of the American Century 2e. War and Peace with Powhatan's People Despite his suspicions, Chief Powhatan helped the British settlers through their first winters. But the good relations did not last, and Powhatan was forced to fight. Despite his suspicions, Chief Powhatan helped the British settlers through their first winters. But the good relations did not last, and Powhatan was forced to fight. Fortunately for the English settlers, Powhatan had a plan. He regarded the English settlers suspiciously, as he had previously regarded Spanish settlers. But the English had guns and powder. These items might just give him the advantage he needed to defeat surrounding tribes. And the English seemed so harmless at first. If it were not for the good nature of Powhatan's people, the English settlers never would have survived their first few seasons in the New World. Good relations with these new inhabitants might help forge a powerful alliance. The Powhatans The Powhatan Confederacy comprised 30 tribes living along Virginia's coastal plain. Chief Wahunsonacock, called Powhatan by Captain John Smith, united the tribes to form the Powhatan Confederacy. At the time of Smith's appearance in Virginia, the Powhatans numbered about 12,000 people. Tribes of the Powhatan Confederacy are called Algonquian because their languages were based on a large Native American language group called Algonquin. Plundering, Peace, and Pocahontas Before long, Powhatan's hopes were dashed. During the "starving time," colonists took to raiding Native American food supplies. In retaliation, Powhatan ordered an attack. Pocahontas was the daughter of Chief Powhatan and wife of Jamestown settler John Rolfe. Pocahontas was the daughter of Chief Powhatan and wife of Jamestown settler John Rolfe. War raged on and off for the next few years with unspeakable brutality committed by both sides. Unsuspecting colonists were riddled with arrows. Children of defeated tribes were drowned in the James River. Finally, in 1614, Powhatan accepted peace with the English. His daughter Pocahontas, after being kidnapped and ransomed, was married to John Rolfe and taken to England. Unfortunately, she died of disease only three years later. Powhatan died in despair in 1618. So it is, that some ten years ago being in Virginia, and taken prisoner by the power of Powhatan their chief King, I received from this great Salvage exceeding great courtesy, especially from his son Nantaquaus, the most manliest, comeliest, boldest spirit, I ever saw in a Salvage, and his sister Pocahontas, the Kings most dear and well-beloved daughter, being but a child of twelve or thirteen years of age, whose compassionate pitiful heart, of my desperate estate, gave me much cause to respect her... John Smith, "Letter to Queen Anne regarding Pocahontas" (1616) Powhatan's brother, Opechancanough, was determined to continue the fight. On Good Friday in 1622, he led an attack that nearly finished the Jamestown colony. Three hundred forty-seven settlers were killed before the situation stabilized. Fighting continued between the Algonquian peoples and the English until 1645. Opechancanough was captured and executed. The English forced the tribes of the warring confederacy to cede land and recognize English authority. No-Man's-Land As illustrated by Victor Nehlig's 1870 painting Pocahontas and John Smith, the story of Pocahontas was glorified not only in literature, but in historical painting as well. As illustrated by Victor Nehlig's 1870 painting, the story of Pocahontas was glorified not only in literature, but in historical painting as well. Many cultural differences separated the Native Americans and the colonists. The most important contrast was each side's differing view of land ownership. According to Powhatan's people, land was owned by no one; rather, it was collectively used by the tribe. Because land could not be owned, it could not be sold or yielded in treaty. Selling land was the equivalent of selling air. The English view of individual land ownership was completely foreign to the Powhatans, who could not understand being pushed off tribal lands so it could be sold to individuals. To the Powhatans, the loss of their land was a matter worth fighting for. American History 1. Native American Society on the Eve of British Colonization a. Diversity of Native American Groups b. The Anasazi c. The Algonkian Tribes d. The Iroquois Tribes 2. Britain in the New World a. Early Ventures Fail b. Joint-Stock Companies c. Jamestown Settlement and the "Starving Time" d. The Growth of the Tobacco Trade e. War and Peace with Powhatan's People f. The House of Burgesses 3. The New England Colonies a. The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony b. William Bradford and the First Thanksgiving c. Massachusetts Bay "The City Upon a Hill" d. Puritan Life e. Dissent in Massachusetts Bay f. Reaching to Connecticut g. Witchcraft in Salem 4. The Middle Colonies a. New Netherland to New York b. Quakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey c. City of Brotherly Love Philadelphia d. The Ideas of Benjamin Franklin 5. The Southern Colonies a. Maryland The Catholic Experiment b. Indentured Servants c. Creating the Carolinas d. Debtors in Georgia e. Life in the Plantation South 6. African Americans in the British New World a. West African Society at the Point of European Contact b. "The Middle Passage" c. The Growth of Slavery d. Slave Life on the Farm and in the Town e. Free African Americans in the Colonial Era f. "Slave Codes" g. A New African-American Culture 7. The Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking a. The Impact of Enlightenment in Europe b. The Great Awakening c. The Trial of John Peter Zenger d. Smuggling e. A Tradition of Rebellion f. "What Is the American?" 8. America's Place in the Global Struggle a. New France b. The French and Indian War c. George Washington's Background and Experience d. The Treaty of Paris (1763) and Its Impact 9. The Events Leading to Independence a. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 b. The Stamp Act Controversy c. The Boston Patriots d. The Townshend Acts e. The Boston Massacre f. The Tea Act and Tea Parties g. The Intolerable Acts 10. E Pluribus Unum a. Stamp Act Congress b. Sons and Daughters of Liberty c. Committees of Correspondence d. First Continental Congress e. Second Continental Congress f. Thomas Paine's Common Sense g. The Declaration of Independence 11. The American Revolution a. American and British Strengths and Weaknesses b. Loyalists, Fence-sitters, and Patriots c. Lexington and Concord d. Bunker Hill e. The Revolution on the Home Front f. Washington at Valley Forge g. The Battle of Saratoga h. The French Alliance i. Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris 12. Societal Impacts of the American Revolution a. The Impact of Slavery b. A Revolution in Social Law c. Political Experience d. "Republican Motherhood" 13. When Does the Revolution End? a. The Declaration of Independence and Its Legacy b. The War Experience: Soldiers, Officers, and Civilians c. The Loyalists d. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Slavery e. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Women f. Revolutionary Limits: Native Americans g. Revolutionary Achievement: Yeomen and Artisans h. The Age of Atlantic Revolutions 14. Making Rules a. State Constitutions b. Articles of Confederation c. Evaluating the Congress d. The Economic Crisis of the 1780s 15. Drafting the Constitution a. Shays' Rebellion b. A Cast of National Superstars c. The Tough Issues d. Constitution Through Compromise 16. Ratifying the Constitution a. Federalists b. Antifederalists c. The Ratification Process: State by State d. After the Fact: Virginia, New York, and "The Federalist Papers" e. The Antifederalists' Victory in Defeat 17. George Washington a. Growing up in Colonial Virginia b. The Force of Personality and Military Command c. The First Administration d. Farewell Address e. Mount Vernon and the Dilemma of a Revolutionary Slave Holder 18. Unsettled Domestic Issues a. The Bill of Rights b. Hamilton's Financial Plan c. Growing Opposition d. U.S. Military Defeat; Indian Victory in the West e. Native American Resilience and Violence in the West 19. Politics in Transition: Public Conflict in the 1790s a. Trans-Atlantic Crisis: The French Revolution b. Negotiating with the Superpowers c. Two Parties Emerge d. The Adams Presidency e. The Alien and Sedition Acts f. The Life and Times of John Adams 20. Jeffersonian America: A Second Revolution? a. The Election of 1800 b. Jeffersonian Ideology c. Westward Expansion: The Louisiana Purchase d. A New National Capital: Washington, D.C. e. A Federalist Stronghold: John Marshall's Supreme Court f. Gabriel's Rebellion: Another View of Virginia in 1800 21. The Expanding Republic and the War of 1812 a. The Importance of the West b. Exploration: Lewis and Clark c. Diplomatic Challenges in an Age of European War d. Native American Resistance in the Trans-Appalachian West e. The Second War for American Independence f. Claiming Victory from Defeat 22. Social Change and National Development a. Economic Growth and the Early Industrial Revolution b. Cotton and African-American Life c. Religious Transformation and the Second Great Awakening d. Institutionalizing Religious Belief: The Benevolent Empire e. New Roles for White Women f. Early National Arts and Cultural Independence 23. Politics and the New Nation a. The Era of Good Feelings and the Two-Party System b. The Expansion of the Vote: A White Man's Democracy c. The Missouri Compromise d. The 1824 Election and the "Corrupt Bargain" e. John Quincy Adams f. Jacksonian Democracy and Modern America 24. The Age of Jackson a. The Rise of the Common Man b. A Strong Presidency c. The South Carolina Nullification Controversy d. The War Against the Bank e. Jackson vs. Clay and Calhoun f. The Trail of Tears The Indian Removals 25. The Rise of American Industry a. The Canal Era b. Early American Railroads c. Inventors and Inventions d. The First American Factories e. The Emergence of "Women's Sphere" f. Irish and German Immigration 26. An Explosion of New Thought a. Religious Revival b. Experiments with Utopia c. Women's Rights d. Prison and Asylum Reform e. Hudson River School Artists f. Transcendentalism, An American Philosophy 27. The Peculiar Institution a. The Crowning of King Cotton b. Slave Life and Slave Codes c. The Plantation & Chivalry d. Free(?) African-Americans e. Rebellions on and off the Plantation f. The Southern Argument for Slavery 28. Abolitionist Sentiment Grows a. William Lloyd Garrison and The Liberator b. African-American Abolitionists c. The Underground Railroad d. Harriet Beecher Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin 29. Manifest Destiny a. The Lone Star Republic b. 54 40' or Fight c. "American Blood on American Soil" d. The Mexican-American War e. Gold in California 30. An Uneasy Peace a. Wilmot's Proviso b. Popular Sovereignty c. Three Senatorial Giants: Clay, Calhoun and Webster d. The Compromise of 1850 31. "Bloody Kansas" a. The Kansas-Nebraska Act b. Border Ruffians c. The Sack of Lawrence d. The Pottawatomie Creek Massacre e. Canefight! Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner 32. From Uneasy Peace to Bitter Conflict a. The Dred Scott Decision b. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates c. John Brown's Raid d. The Election of 1860 e. The South Secedes 33. A House Divided a. Fort Sumter b. Strengths and Weaknesses: North vs. South c. First Blood and Its Aftermath d. Sacred Beliefs e. Bloody Antietam f. Of Generals and Soldiers g. Gettysburg: High Watermark of the Confederacy h. Northern Plans to End the War i. The Road to Appomattox 34. The War Behind the Lines a. The Emancipation Proclamation b. Wartime Diplomacy c. The Northern Homefront d. The Southern Homefront e. The Election of 1864 f. The Assassination of the President 35. Reconstruction a. Presidential Reconstruction b. Radical Reconstruction c. A President Impeached d. Rebuilding the Old Order 36. The Gilded Age a. Binding the Nation by Rail b. The New Tycoons: John D. Rockefeller c. The New Tycoons: Andrew Carnegie d. The New Tycoons: J. Pierpont Morgan e. New Attitudes Toward Wealth f. Politics of the Gilded Age 37. Organized Labor a. The Great Upheaval b. Labor vs. Management c. Early National Organizations d. American Federation of Labor e. Eugene V. Debs and American Socialism 38. From the Countryside to the City a. The Glamour of American Cities b. The Underside of Urban Life c. The Rush of Immigrants d. Corruption Runs Wild e. Religious Revival: The "Social Gospel" f. Artistic and Literary Trends 39. New Dimensions in Everyday Life a. Education b. Sports and Leisure c. Women in the Gilded Age d. Victorian Values in a New Age e. The Print Revolution 40. Closing the Frontier a. The Massacre at Sand Creek b. Custer's Last Stand c. The End of Resistance d. Life on the Reservations e. The Wounded Knee Massacre 41. Western Folkways a. The Mining Boom b. The Ways of the Cowboy c. Life on the Farm d. The Growth of Populism e. The Election of 1896 42. Progressivism Sweeps the Nation a. Roots of the Movement b. Muckrakers c. Women's Suffrage at Last d. Booker T. Washington e. W. E. B. DuBois 43. Progressives in the White House a. Teddy Roosevelt: The Rough Rider in the White House b. The Trust Buster c. A Helping Hand for Labor d. Preserving the Wilderness e. Passing the Torch f. The Election of 1912 g. Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom 44. Seeking Empire a. Early Stirrings b. Hawaiian Annexation c. "Remember the Maine!" d. The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences e. The Roosevelt Corollary and Latin America f. Reaching to Asia g. The Panama Canal 45. America in the First World War a. Farewell to Isolation b. Over There c. Over Here d. The Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations 46. The Decade That Roared a. The Age of the Automobile b. The Fight Against "Demon Rum" c. The Invention of the Teenager d. Flappers e. The Harlem Renaissance f. A Consumer Economy g. Radio Fever h. Fads and Heroes 47. Old Values vs. New Values a. The Red Scare b. The Monkey Trial c. Intolerance d. Books and Movies e. Domestic and International Politics 48. The Great Depression a. The Market Crashes b. Sinking Deeper and Deeper: 1929-33 c. The Bonus March d. Hoover's Last Stand e. Social and Cultural Effects of the Depression 49. The New Deal a. A Bank Holiday b. Putting People Back to Work c. The Farming Problem d. Social Security e. FDR's Alphabet Soup f. Roosevelt's Critics g. An Evaluation of the New Deal 50. The Road to Pearl Harbor a. 1930s Isolationism b. Reactions to a Troubled World c. War Breaks Out d. The Arsenal of Democracy e. Pearl Harbor 51. America in the Second World War a. Wartime Strategy b. The American Homefront c. D-Day and the German Surrender d. War in the Pacific e. Japanese-American Internment f. The Manhattan Project g. The Decision to Drop the Bomb 52. Postwar Challenges a. The Cold War Erupts b. The United Nations c. Containment and the Marshall Plan d. The Berlin Airlift and NATO e. The Korean War f. Domestic Challenges 53. The 1950s: Happy Days a. McCarthyism b. Suburban Growth c. Land of Television d. America Rocks and Rolls e. The Cold War Continues f. Voices against Conformity 54. A New Civil Rights Movement a. Separate No Longer? b. Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott c. Showdown in Little Rock d. The Sit-In Movement e. Gains and Pains f. Martin Luther King Jr. g. The Long, Hot Summers h. Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam i. Black Power 55. The Vietnam War a. Early Involvement b. Years of Escalation: 1965-68 c. The Tet Offensive d. The Antiwar Movement e. Years of Withdrawal 56. Politics from Camelot to Watergate a. The Election of 1960 b. Kennedy's New Frontier c. Kennedy's Global Challenges d. Kennedy Assassination e. Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" f. 1968: Year of Unraveling g. Triangular Diplomacy: U.S., USSR, and China 57. Shaping a New America a. Modern Feminism b. The Fight for Reproductive Rights c. The Equal Rights Amendment d. Roe v. Wade and Its Impact e. Environmental Reform f. Others Demand Equality g. Student Activism h. Flower Power 58. A Time of Malaise a. Undoing a President b. The Sickened Economy c. Foreign Woes d. Finding Oneself e. The New Right 59. The Reagan Years a. "Morning in America" b. Reaganomics c. Foreign and Domestic Entanglements d. Life in the 1980s e. The End of the Cold War 60. Toward a New Millennium a. Operation Desert Storm b. A Baby Boomer in the White House c. Republicans vs. Democrats d. Living in the Information Age e. The End of the American Century 32d. The Election of 1860 Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War, Virginia Center for Digital History, University of Virginia This Democratic ticket from Staunton, VA, showing Douglas as the party nominee is unusual because Douglas wasn't shown as the nominee for the Democratic Party in most of the South. This Democratic ticket from Staunton, VA, showing Douglas as the party nominee is unusual because Douglas wasn't shown as the nominee for the Democratic Party in most of the South. The Democrats met in Charleston, South Carolina, in April 1860 to select their candidate for President in the upcoming election. It was turmoil. Northern democrats felt that Stephen Douglas had the best chance to defeat the "Black Republicans." Although an ardent supporter of slavery, southern Democrats considered Douglas a traitor because of his support of popular sovereignty, permitting territories to choose not to have slavery. Southern democrats stormed out of the convention, without choosing a candidate. Six weeks later, the northern Democrats chose Douglas, while at a separate convention the Southern Democrats nominated then Vice-President John C. Breckenridge. The Republicans met in Chicago that May and recognized that the Democrat's turmoil actually gave them a chance to take the election. They needed to select a candidate who could carry the North and win a majority of the Electoral College. To do that, the Republicans needed someone who could carry New Jersey, Illinois, Indiana and Pennsylvania four important states that remained uncertain. There were plenty of potential candidates, but in the end Abraham Lincoln had emerged as the best choice. Lincoln had become the symbol of the frontier, hard work, the self-made man and the American dream. His debates with Douglas had made him a national figure and the publication of those debates in early 1860 made him even better known. After the third ballot, he had the nomination for President. A number of aging politicians and distinguished citizens, calling themselves the Constitutional Union Party, nominated John Bell of Tennessee, a wealthy slaveholder as their candidate for President. These people were for moderation. They decided that the best way out of the present difficulties that faced the nation was to take no stand at all on the issues that divided the north and the south. The votes of the Electoral College were split among four candidates in the 1860 presidential election. The states that Lincoln won are shown in red, Breckenridge in green, Bell in orange and Douglas in brown. The votes of the Electoral College were split among four candidates in the 1860 presidential election. The states that Lincoln won are shown in red, Breckenridge in green, Bell in orange and Douglas in brown. With four candidates in the field, Lincoln received only 40% of the popular vote and 180 electoral votes enough to narrowly win the crowded election. This meant that 60% of the voters selected someone other than Lincoln. With the results tallied, the question was, would the South accept the outcome? A few weeks after the election, South Carolina seceded from the Union. Yazidi Women and Children Tell Horror Stories of ISIS Captivity As the Kurdish-led Syrian Defense Force continues to close in on the final group of ISIS fighters who are holed up in a small Syrian village, many Yazidi women and children are being rescued from the Islamists' deathly clutches. The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)-affiliated Firat News Agency (ANF) reported that SDF troops had saved several children who were being held as slaves by the ISIS fighters. Upon being freed, many spoke out about the horrendous treatment they experienced at the hands of the violent terrorists. "I was 10 when the gangs kidnapped me," one boy, Sedam, told ANF News. "They first took me to the Tal Afar. Then they separated the women and the men, and left the children alone. We went through Mosul, Raqqa and Hajin and finally came to Baghouz." "I don't remember how they took me, because I was 5," added another boy, Iyad. "They beat me every day." "I hate ISIS because they kidnapped me and took me away from my family," he added. One of the many Yazidi women who escaped also spoke out about her harrowing tale of survival. Faryal, who has a 5-year-old son, said she would often be passed around different ISIS fighters for sex. They were "monsters who treated us like animals," she said, according to the Independent. BENSALEM, Pa., Feb. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Law Offices of Howard G. Smith reminds investors of the March 8, 2019 deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in the class action filed on behalf of investors that purchased Danske Bank A/S (Danske or the Company) (OTC: DNKEY ) American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) during the period between January 9, 2014 and October 23, 2018 (the Class Period). Danske investors have until March 8, 2019 to file a lead plaintiff motion. Investors suffering losses on their Danske investments are encouraged to contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss their legal rights in this class action at 888-638-4847 or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com . On October 24, 2018, the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Department of Justice, Treasury Department, and the SEC were investigating Danskes small Estonian branch for allegedly processing nearly $234 billion from 2007 through 2015 from foreign countries, and that the Companys CEO had resigned. The Wall Street Journal also claimed that Danskes management was informed that the Estonian branch could not isolate the issue and therefore acts against [anti-money-laundering] legislator principles. On this news, Danske ADRs and U.S. bonds value fell, thereby injuring investors. The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Danske Banks Estonian branch was facilitating money laundering through at least March 2016; (2) that a whistleblower had reported the Estonian money laundering to the Company in 2013; (3) that Denmarks Financial Supervisory Authority (the DFSA) had been investigating the Estonian money laundering since 2014; (4) that Danske Bank had concealed the results of its own internal investigation from the DFSA, further exposing it to regulatory action and fines; (5) that Danske Bank had been overstating its historical profits by including the profits derived from its illicit Estonian operations; and (6) that Danske Bank lacked effective internal and reporting controls. If you purchased shares of Danske during the Class Period you may move the Court no later than March 8, 2019 to ask the Court to appoint you as lead plaintiff if you meet certain legal requirements. To be a member of the Class you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the Class. If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020 by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com , or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com . This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. American History 1. Native American Society on the Eve of British Colonization a. Diversity of Native American Groups b. The Anasazi c. The Algonkian Tribes d. The Iroquois Tribes 2. Britain in the New World a. Early Ventures Fail b. Joint-Stock Companies c. Jamestown Settlement and the "Starving Time" d. The Growth of the Tobacco Trade e. War and Peace with Powhatan's People f. The House of Burgesses 3. The New England Colonies a. The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony b. William Bradford and the First Thanksgiving c. Massachusetts Bay "The City Upon a Hill" d. Puritan Life e. Dissent in Massachusetts Bay f. Reaching to Connecticut g. Witchcraft in Salem 4. The Middle Colonies a. New Netherland to New York b. Quakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey c. City of Brotherly Love Philadelphia d. The Ideas of Benjamin Franklin 5. The Southern Colonies a. Maryland The Catholic Experiment b. Indentured Servants c. Creating the Carolinas d. Debtors in Georgia e. Life in the Plantation South 6. African Americans in the British New World a. West African Society at the Point of European Contact b. "The Middle Passage" c. The Growth of Slavery d. Slave Life on the Farm and in the Town e. Free African Americans in the Colonial Era f. "Slave Codes" g. A New African-American Culture 7. The Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking a. The Impact of Enlightenment in Europe b. The Great Awakening c. The Trial of John Peter Zenger d. Smuggling e. A Tradition of Rebellion f. "What Is the American?" 8. America's Place in the Global Struggle a. New France b. The French and Indian War c. George Washington's Background and Experience d. The Treaty of Paris (1763) and Its Impact 9. The Events Leading to Independence a. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 b. The Stamp Act Controversy c. The Boston Patriots d. The Townshend Acts e. The Boston Massacre f. The Tea Act and Tea Parties g. The Intolerable Acts 10. E Pluribus Unum a. Stamp Act Congress b. Sons and Daughters of Liberty c. Committees of Correspondence d. First Continental Congress e. Second Continental Congress f. Thomas Paine's Common Sense g. The Declaration of Independence 11. The American Revolution a. American and British Strengths and Weaknesses b. Loyalists, Fence-sitters, and Patriots c. Lexington and Concord d. Bunker Hill e. The Revolution on the Home Front f. Washington at Valley Forge g. The Battle of Saratoga h. The French Alliance i. Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris 12. Societal Impacts of the American Revolution a. The Impact of Slavery b. A Revolution in Social Law c. Political Experience d. "Republican Motherhood" 13. When Does the Revolution End? a. The Declaration of Independence and Its Legacy b. The War Experience: Soldiers, Officers, and Civilians c. The Loyalists d. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Slavery e. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Women f. Revolutionary Limits: Native Americans g. Revolutionary Achievement: Yeomen and Artisans h. The Age of Atlantic Revolutions 14. Making Rules a. State Constitutions b. Articles of Confederation c. Evaluating the Congress d. The Economic Crisis of the 1780s 15. Drafting the Constitution a. Shays' Rebellion b. A Cast of National Superstars c. The Tough Issues d. Constitution Through Compromise 16. Ratifying the Constitution a. Federalists b. Antifederalists c. The Ratification Process: State by State d. After the Fact: Virginia, New York, and "The Federalist Papers" e. The Antifederalists' Victory in Defeat 17. George Washington a. Growing up in Colonial Virginia b. The Force of Personality and Military Command c. The First Administration d. Farewell Address e. Mount Vernon and the Dilemma of a Revolutionary Slave Holder 18. Unsettled Domestic Issues a. The Bill of Rights b. Hamilton's Financial Plan c. Growing Opposition d. U.S. Military Defeat; Indian Victory in the West e. Native American Resilience and Violence in the West 19. Politics in Transition: Public Conflict in the 1790s a. Trans-Atlantic Crisis: The French Revolution b. Negotiating with the Superpowers c. Two Parties Emerge d. The Adams Presidency e. The Alien and Sedition Acts f. The Life and Times of John Adams 20. Jeffersonian America: A Second Revolution? a. The Election of 1800 b. Jeffersonian Ideology c. Westward Expansion: The Louisiana Purchase d. A New National Capital: Washington, D.C. e. A Federalist Stronghold: John Marshall's Supreme Court f. Gabriel's Rebellion: Another View of Virginia in 1800 21. The Expanding Republic and the War of 1812 a. The Importance of the West b. Exploration: Lewis and Clark c. Diplomatic Challenges in an Age of European War d. Native American Resistance in the Trans-Appalachian West e. The Second War for American Independence f. Claiming Victory from Defeat 22. Social Change and National Development a. Economic Growth and the Early Industrial Revolution b. Cotton and African-American Life c. Religious Transformation and the Second Great Awakening d. Institutionalizing Religious Belief: The Benevolent Empire e. New Roles for White Women f. Early National Arts and Cultural Independence 23. Politics and the New Nation a. The Era of Good Feelings and the Two-Party System b. The Expansion of the Vote: A White Man's Democracy c. The Missouri Compromise d. The 1824 Election and the "Corrupt Bargain" e. John Quincy Adams f. Jacksonian Democracy and Modern America 24. The Age of Jackson a. The Rise of the Common Man b. A Strong Presidency c. The South Carolina Nullification Controversy d. The War Against the Bank e. Jackson vs. Clay and Calhoun f. The Trail of Tears The Indian Removals 25. The Rise of American Industry a. The Canal Era b. Early American Railroads c. Inventors and Inventions d. The First American Factories e. The Emergence of "Women's Sphere" f. Irish and German Immigration 26. An Explosion of New Thought a. Religious Revival b. Experiments with Utopia c. Women's Rights d. Prison and Asylum Reform e. Hudson River School Artists f. Transcendentalism, An American Philosophy 27. The Peculiar Institution a. The Crowning of King Cotton b. Slave Life and Slave Codes c. The Plantation & Chivalry d. Free(?) African-Americans e. Rebellions on and off the Plantation f. The Southern Argument for Slavery 28. Abolitionist Sentiment Grows a. William Lloyd Garrison and The Liberator b. African-American Abolitionists c. The Underground Railroad d. Harriet Beecher Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin 29. Manifest Destiny a. The Lone Star Republic b. 54 40' or Fight c. "American Blood on American Soil" d. The Mexican-American War e. Gold in California 30. An Uneasy Peace a. Wilmot's Proviso b. Popular Sovereignty c. Three Senatorial Giants: Clay, Calhoun and Webster d. The Compromise of 1850 31. "Bloody Kansas" a. The Kansas-Nebraska Act b. Border Ruffians c. The Sack of Lawrence d. The Pottawatomie Creek Massacre e. Canefight! Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner 32. From Uneasy Peace to Bitter Conflict a. The Dred Scott Decision b. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates c. John Brown's Raid d. The Election of 1860 e. The South Secedes 33. A House Divided a. Fort Sumter b. Strengths and Weaknesses: North vs. South c. First Blood and Its Aftermath d. Sacred Beliefs e. Bloody Antietam f. Of Generals and Soldiers g. Gettysburg: High Watermark of the Confederacy h. Northern Plans to End the War i. The Road to Appomattox 34. The War Behind the Lines a. The Emancipation Proclamation b. Wartime Diplomacy c. The Northern Homefront d. The Southern Homefront e. The Election of 1864 f. The Assassination of the President 35. Reconstruction a. Presidential Reconstruction b. Radical Reconstruction c. A President Impeached d. Rebuilding the Old Order 36. The Gilded Age a. Binding the Nation by Rail b. The New Tycoons: John D. Rockefeller c. The New Tycoons: Andrew Carnegie d. The New Tycoons: J. Pierpont Morgan e. New Attitudes Toward Wealth f. Politics of the Gilded Age 37. Organized Labor a. The Great Upheaval b. Labor vs. Management c. Early National Organizations d. American Federation of Labor e. Eugene V. Debs and American Socialism 38. From the Countryside to the City a. The Glamour of American Cities b. The Underside of Urban Life c. The Rush of Immigrants d. Corruption Runs Wild e. Religious Revival: The "Social Gospel" f. Artistic and Literary Trends 39. New Dimensions in Everyday Life a. Education b. Sports and Leisure c. Women in the Gilded Age d. Victorian Values in a New Age e. The Print Revolution 40. Closing the Frontier a. The Massacre at Sand Creek b. Custer's Last Stand c. The End of Resistance d. Life on the Reservations e. The Wounded Knee Massacre 41. Western Folkways a. The Mining Boom b. The Ways of the Cowboy c. Life on the Farm d. The Growth of Populism e. The Election of 1896 42. Progressivism Sweeps the Nation a. Roots of the Movement b. Muckrakers c. Women's Suffrage at Last d. Booker T. Washington e. W. E. B. DuBois 43. Progressives in the White House a. Teddy Roosevelt: The Rough Rider in the White House b. The Trust Buster c. A Helping Hand for Labor d. Preserving the Wilderness e. Passing the Torch f. The Election of 1912 g. Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom 44. Seeking Empire a. Early Stirrings b. Hawaiian Annexation c. "Remember the Maine!" d. The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences e. The Roosevelt Corollary and Latin America f. Reaching to Asia g. The Panama Canal 45. America in the First World War a. Farewell to Isolation b. Over There c. Over Here d. The Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations 46. The Decade That Roared a. The Age of the Automobile b. The Fight Against "Demon Rum" c. The Invention of the Teenager d. Flappers e. The Harlem Renaissance f. A Consumer Economy g. Radio Fever h. Fads and Heroes 47. Old Values vs. New Values a. The Red Scare b. The Monkey Trial c. Intolerance d. Books and Movies e. Domestic and International Politics 48. The Great Depression a. The Market Crashes b. Sinking Deeper and Deeper: 1929-33 c. The Bonus March d. Hoover's Last Stand e. Social and Cultural Effects of the Depression 49. The New Deal a. A Bank Holiday b. Putting People Back to Work c. The Farming Problem d. Social Security e. FDR's Alphabet Soup f. Roosevelt's Critics g. An Evaluation of the New Deal 50. The Road to Pearl Harbor a. 1930s Isolationism b. Reactions to a Troubled World c. War Breaks Out d. The Arsenal of Democracy e. Pearl Harbor 51. America in the Second World War a. Wartime Strategy b. The American Homefront c. D-Day and the German Surrender d. War in the Pacific e. Japanese-American Internment f. The Manhattan Project g. The Decision to Drop the Bomb 52. Postwar Challenges a. The Cold War Erupts b. The United Nations c. Containment and the Marshall Plan d. The Berlin Airlift and NATO e. The Korean War f. Domestic Challenges 53. The 1950s: Happy Days a. McCarthyism b. Suburban Growth c. Land of Television d. America Rocks and Rolls e. The Cold War Continues f. Voices against Conformity 54. A New Civil Rights Movement a. Separate No Longer? b. Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott c. Showdown in Little Rock d. The Sit-In Movement e. Gains and Pains f. Martin Luther King Jr. g. The Long, Hot Summers h. Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam i. Black Power 55. The Vietnam War a. Early Involvement b. Years of Escalation: 1965-68 c. The Tet Offensive d. The Antiwar Movement e. Years of Withdrawal 56. Politics from Camelot to Watergate a. The Election of 1960 b. Kennedy's New Frontier c. Kennedy's Global Challenges d. Kennedy Assassination e. Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" f. 1968: Year of Unraveling g. Triangular Diplomacy: U.S., USSR, and China 57. Shaping a New America a. Modern Feminism b. The Fight for Reproductive Rights c. The Equal Rights Amendment d. Roe v. Wade and Its Impact e. Environmental Reform f. Others Demand Equality g. Student Activism h. Flower Power 58. A Time of Malaise a. Undoing a President b. The Sickened Economy c. Foreign Woes d. Finding Oneself e. The New Right 59. The Reagan Years a. "Morning in America" b. Reaganomics c. Foreign and Domestic Entanglements d. Life in the 1980s e. The End of the Cold War 60. Toward a New Millennium a. Operation Desert Storm b. A Baby Boomer in the White House c. Republicans vs. Democrats d. Living in the Information Age e. The End of the American Century 34e. The Election of 1864 This torchlight parade for George McClellan, the Democratic nominee for President took place in New York City in 1864. This torchlight parade for George McClellan, the Democratic nominee for President took place in New York City in 1864. It is hard for modern Americans to believe that Abraham Lincoln, one of history's most beloved Presidents, was nearly defeated in his reelection attempt in 1864. Yet by that summer, Lincoln himself feared he would lose. How could this happen? First, the country had not elected an incumbent President for a second term since Andrew Jackson in 1832 nine Presidents in a row had served just one term. Also, his embrace of emancipation was still a problem for many Northern voters. Despite Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg a year earlier, the Southern armies came back fighting with a vengeance. During three months in the summer of 1864, over 65,000 Union soldiers were killed, wounded, or missing-in-action. In comparison, there had been 108,000 Union casualties in the first three years. General Ulysses S. Grant was being called The Butcher. At one time during the summer, Confederate soldiers under Jubal Early came within five miles of the White House. The states which Lincoln won in the election of 1864 are shown in red. McClellan won Kentucky, New Jersey, and Delaware. Notice that citizens of the Confederacy did not vote in the election. The states which Lincoln won in the election of 1864 are shown in red. McClellan won Kentucky, New Jersey, and Delaware. Notice that citizens of the Confederacy did not vote in the election. Lincoln had much to contend with. He had staunch opponents in the Congress. Underground Confederate activities brought rebellion to parts of Maryland. Lincoln's suspension of the writ of habeas corpus was ruled unconstitutional by Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Taney an order Lincoln refused to obey. But worst of all, the war was not going well. Former General George B. McClellan and his running mate, George Pendleton (who later began the U.S. Civil Service) were strongly favored to win the election of 1864. Former General George B. McClellan and his running mate, George Pendleton (who later began the U.S. Civil Service) were strongly favored to win the election of 1864. Meanwhile the Democratic Party split, with major opposition from Peace Democrats, who wanted a negotiated peace at any cost. They chose as their nominee George B. McClellan, Lincoln's former commander of the Army of the Potomac. Even Lincoln expected that McClellan would win. The South was well aware of Union discontent. Many felt that if the Southern armies could hold out until the election, negotiations for Northern recognition of Confederate independence might begin. Everything changed on September 6, 1864, when General Sherman seized Atlanta. The war effort had turned decidedly in the North's favor and even McClellan now sought military victory. Two months later, Lincoln won the popular vote that eluded him in his first election. He won the electoral college by 212 to 21 and the Republicans had won three-fourths of Congress. A second term and the power to conclude the war were now in his hands. American History 1. Native American Society on the Eve of British Colonization a. Diversity of Native American Groups b. The Anasazi c. The Algonkian Tribes d. The Iroquois Tribes 2. Britain in the New World a. Early Ventures Fail b. Joint-Stock Companies c. Jamestown Settlement and the "Starving Time" d. The Growth of the Tobacco Trade e. War and Peace with Powhatan's People f. The House of Burgesses 3. The New England Colonies a. The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony b. William Bradford and the First Thanksgiving c. Massachusetts Bay "The City Upon a Hill" d. Puritan Life e. Dissent in Massachusetts Bay f. Reaching to Connecticut g. Witchcraft in Salem 4. The Middle Colonies a. New Netherland to New York b. Quakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey c. City of Brotherly Love Philadelphia d. The Ideas of Benjamin Franklin 5. The Southern Colonies a. Maryland The Catholic Experiment b. Indentured Servants c. Creating the Carolinas d. Debtors in Georgia e. Life in the Plantation South 6. African Americans in the British New World a. West African Society at the Point of European Contact b. "The Middle Passage" c. The Growth of Slavery d. Slave Life on the Farm and in the Town e. Free African Americans in the Colonial Era f. "Slave Codes" g. A New African-American Culture 7. The Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking a. The Impact of Enlightenment in Europe b. The Great Awakening c. The Trial of John Peter Zenger d. Smuggling e. A Tradition of Rebellion f. "What Is the American?" 8. America's Place in the Global Struggle a. New France b. The French and Indian War c. George Washington's Background and Experience d. The Treaty of Paris (1763) and Its Impact 9. The Events Leading to Independence a. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 b. The Stamp Act Controversy c. The Boston Patriots d. The Townshend Acts e. The Boston Massacre f. The Tea Act and Tea Parties g. The Intolerable Acts 10. E Pluribus Unum a. Stamp Act Congress b. Sons and Daughters of Liberty c. Committees of Correspondence d. First Continental Congress e. Second Continental Congress f. Thomas Paine's Common Sense g. The Declaration of Independence 11. The American Revolution a. American and British Strengths and Weaknesses b. Loyalists, Fence-sitters, and Patriots c. Lexington and Concord d. Bunker Hill e. The Revolution on the Home Front f. Washington at Valley Forge g. The Battle of Saratoga h. The French Alliance i. Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris 12. Societal Impacts of the American Revolution a. The Impact of Slavery b. A Revolution in Social Law c. Political Experience d. "Republican Motherhood" 13. When Does the Revolution End? a. The Declaration of Independence and Its Legacy b. The War Experience: Soldiers, Officers, and Civilians c. The Loyalists d. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Slavery e. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Women f. Revolutionary Limits: Native Americans g. Revolutionary Achievement: Yeomen and Artisans h. The Age of Atlantic Revolutions 14. Making Rules a. State Constitutions b. Articles of Confederation c. Evaluating the Congress d. The Economic Crisis of the 1780s 15. Drafting the Constitution a. Shays' Rebellion b. A Cast of National Superstars c. The Tough Issues d. Constitution Through Compromise 16. Ratifying the Constitution a. Federalists b. Antifederalists c. The Ratification Process: State by State d. After the Fact: Virginia, New York, and "The Federalist Papers" e. The Antifederalists' Victory in Defeat 17. George Washington a. Growing up in Colonial Virginia b. The Force of Personality and Military Command c. The First Administration d. Farewell Address e. Mount Vernon and the Dilemma of a Revolutionary Slave Holder 18. Unsettled Domestic Issues a. The Bill of Rights b. Hamilton's Financial Plan c. Growing Opposition d. U.S. Military Defeat; Indian Victory in the West e. Native American Resilience and Violence in the West 19. Politics in Transition: Public Conflict in the 1790s a. Trans-Atlantic Crisis: The French Revolution b. Negotiating with the Superpowers c. Two Parties Emerge d. The Adams Presidency e. The Alien and Sedition Acts f. The Life and Times of John Adams 20. Jeffersonian America: A Second Revolution? a. The Election of 1800 b. Jeffersonian Ideology c. Westward Expansion: The Louisiana Purchase d. A New National Capital: Washington, D.C. e. A Federalist Stronghold: John Marshall's Supreme Court f. Gabriel's Rebellion: Another View of Virginia in 1800 21. The Expanding Republic and the War of 1812 a. The Importance of the West b. Exploration: Lewis and Clark c. Diplomatic Challenges in an Age of European War d. Native American Resistance in the Trans-Appalachian West e. The Second War for American Independence f. Claiming Victory from Defeat 22. Social Change and National Development a. Economic Growth and the Early Industrial Revolution b. Cotton and African-American Life c. Religious Transformation and the Second Great Awakening d. Institutionalizing Religious Belief: The Benevolent Empire e. New Roles for White Women f. Early National Arts and Cultural Independence 23. Politics and the New Nation a. The Era of Good Feelings and the Two-Party System b. The Expansion of the Vote: A White Man's Democracy c. The Missouri Compromise d. The 1824 Election and the "Corrupt Bargain" e. John Quincy Adams f. Jacksonian Democracy and Modern America 24. The Age of Jackson a. The Rise of the Common Man b. A Strong Presidency c. The South Carolina Nullification Controversy d. The War Against the Bank e. Jackson vs. Clay and Calhoun f. The Trail of Tears The Indian Removals 25. The Rise of American Industry a. The Canal Era b. Early American Railroads c. Inventors and Inventions d. The First American Factories e. The Emergence of "Women's Sphere" f. Irish and German Immigration 26. An Explosion of New Thought a. Religious Revival b. Experiments with Utopia c. Women's Rights d. Prison and Asylum Reform e. Hudson River School Artists f. Transcendentalism, An American Philosophy 27. The Peculiar Institution a. The Crowning of King Cotton b. Slave Life and Slave Codes c. The Plantation & Chivalry d. Free(?) African-Americans e. Rebellions on and off the Plantation f. The Southern Argument for Slavery 28. Abolitionist Sentiment Grows a. William Lloyd Garrison and The Liberator b. African-American Abolitionists c. The Underground Railroad d. Harriet Beecher Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin 29. Manifest Destiny a. The Lone Star Republic b. 54 40' or Fight c. "American Blood on American Soil" d. The Mexican-American War e. Gold in California 30. An Uneasy Peace a. Wilmot's Proviso b. Popular Sovereignty c. Three Senatorial Giants: Clay, Calhoun and Webster d. The Compromise of 1850 31. "Bloody Kansas" a. The Kansas-Nebraska Act b. Border Ruffians c. The Sack of Lawrence d. The Pottawatomie Creek Massacre e. Canefight! Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner 32. From Uneasy Peace to Bitter Conflict a. The Dred Scott Decision b. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates c. John Brown's Raid d. The Election of 1860 e. The South Secedes 33. A House Divided a. Fort Sumter b. Strengths and Weaknesses: North vs. South c. First Blood and Its Aftermath d. Sacred Beliefs e. Bloody Antietam f. Of Generals and Soldiers g. Gettysburg: High Watermark of the Confederacy h. Northern Plans to End the War i. The Road to Appomattox 34. The War Behind the Lines a. The Emancipation Proclamation b. Wartime Diplomacy c. The Northern Homefront d. The Southern Homefront e. The Election of 1864 f. The Assassination of the President 35. Reconstruction a. Presidential Reconstruction b. Radical Reconstruction c. A President Impeached d. Rebuilding the Old Order 36. The Gilded Age a. Binding the Nation by Rail b. The New Tycoons: John D. Rockefeller c. The New Tycoons: Andrew Carnegie d. The New Tycoons: J. Pierpont Morgan e. New Attitudes Toward Wealth f. Politics of the Gilded Age 37. Organized Labor a. The Great Upheaval b. Labor vs. Management c. Early National Organizations d. American Federation of Labor e. Eugene V. Debs and American Socialism 38. From the Countryside to the City a. The Glamour of American Cities b. The Underside of Urban Life c. The Rush of Immigrants d. Corruption Runs Wild e. Religious Revival: The "Social Gospel" f. Artistic and Literary Trends 39. New Dimensions in Everyday Life a. Education b. Sports and Leisure c. Women in the Gilded Age d. Victorian Values in a New Age e. The Print Revolution 40. Closing the Frontier a. The Massacre at Sand Creek b. Custer's Last Stand c. The End of Resistance d. Life on the Reservations e. The Wounded Knee Massacre 41. Western Folkways a. The Mining Boom b. The Ways of the Cowboy c. Life on the Farm d. The Growth of Populism e. The Election of 1896 42. Progressivism Sweeps the Nation a. Roots of the Movement b. Muckrakers c. Women's Suffrage at Last d. Booker T. Washington e. W. E. B. DuBois 43. Progressives in the White House a. Teddy Roosevelt: The Rough Rider in the White House b. The Trust Buster c. A Helping Hand for Labor d. Preserving the Wilderness e. Passing the Torch f. The Election of 1912 g. Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom 44. Seeking Empire a. Early Stirrings b. Hawaiian Annexation c. "Remember the Maine!" d. The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences e. The Roosevelt Corollary and Latin America f. Reaching to Asia g. The Panama Canal 45. America in the First World War a. Farewell to Isolation b. Over There c. Over Here d. The Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations 46. The Decade That Roared a. The Age of the Automobile b. The Fight Against "Demon Rum" c. The Invention of the Teenager d. Flappers e. The Harlem Renaissance f. A Consumer Economy g. Radio Fever h. Fads and Heroes 47. Old Values vs. New Values a. The Red Scare b. The Monkey Trial c. Intolerance d. Books and Movies e. Domestic and International Politics 48. The Great Depression a. The Market Crashes b. Sinking Deeper and Deeper: 1929-33 c. The Bonus March d. Hoover's Last Stand e. Social and Cultural Effects of the Depression 49. The New Deal a. A Bank Holiday b. Putting People Back to Work c. The Farming Problem d. Social Security e. FDR's Alphabet Soup f. Roosevelt's Critics g. An Evaluation of the New Deal 50. The Road to Pearl Harbor a. 1930s Isolationism b. Reactions to a Troubled World c. War Breaks Out d. The Arsenal of Democracy e. Pearl Harbor 51. America in the Second World War a. Wartime Strategy b. The American Homefront c. D-Day and the German Surrender d. War in the Pacific e. Japanese-American Internment f. The Manhattan Project g. The Decision to Drop the Bomb 52. Postwar Challenges a. The Cold War Erupts b. The United Nations c. Containment and the Marshall Plan d. The Berlin Airlift and NATO e. The Korean War f. Domestic Challenges 53. The 1950s: Happy Days a. McCarthyism b. Suburban Growth c. Land of Television d. America Rocks and Rolls e. The Cold War Continues f. Voices against Conformity 54. A New Civil Rights Movement a. Separate No Longer? b. Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott c. Showdown in Little Rock d. The Sit-In Movement e. Gains and Pains f. Martin Luther King Jr. g. The Long, Hot Summers h. Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam i. Black Power 55. The Vietnam War a. Early Involvement b. Years of Escalation: 1965-68 c. The Tet Offensive d. The Antiwar Movement e. Years of Withdrawal 56. Politics from Camelot to Watergate a. The Election of 1960 b. Kennedy's New Frontier c. Kennedy's Global Challenges d. Kennedy Assassination e. Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" f. 1968: Year of Unraveling g. Triangular Diplomacy: U.S., USSR, and China 57. Shaping a New America a. Modern Feminism b. The Fight for Reproductive Rights c. The Equal Rights Amendment d. Roe v. Wade and Its Impact e. Environmental Reform f. Others Demand Equality g. Student Activism h. Flower Power 58. A Time of Malaise a. Undoing a President b. The Sickened Economy c. Foreign Woes d. Finding Oneself e. The New Right 59. The Reagan Years a. "Morning in America" b. Reaganomics c. Foreign and Domestic Entanglements d. Life in the 1980s e. The End of the Cold War 60. Toward a New Millennium a. Operation Desert Storm b. A Baby Boomer in the White House c. Republicans vs. Democrats d. Living in the Information Age e. The End of the American Century 40b. Custer's Last Stand An artist's interpretation of the Battle of Little Big Horn An artist's interpretation of the Battle of Little Big Horn Another Broken Treaty Gold broke the delicate peace with the Sioux. In 1874, a scientific exploration group led by General George Armstrong Custer discovered the precious metal in the heart of the Black Hills of South Dakota. When word of the discovery leaked, nothing could stop the masses of prospectors looking to get rich quick, despite the treaty protections that awarded that land to the Sioux. Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, the local Indian leaders, decided to take up arms to defend their dwindling land supply. The Statue is entitled "Sighting the Enemy." It depicts General Custer at Gettysburg on July 3rd, 1863. On that date Custer led the famed Michigan Brigade to victory over J.E.B. Stuart, despite Stuart's numerical superiority The Statue is entitled "Sighting the Enemy." It depicts General Custer at Gettysburg on July 3rd, 1863. On that date Custer led the famed Michigan Brigade to victory over J.E.B. Stuart, despite Stuart's numerical superiority Little Big Horn Custer was perhaps the most flamboyant and brash officer in the United States Army. He was confident that his technologically superior troops could contain the Native American fighters. Armed with new weapons of destruction such as the rapid-firing Gatling gun, Custer and his soldiers felt that it was only a matter of time before the Indians would surrender and submit to life on a smaller reservation. Custer hoped to make that happen sooner rather than later. His orders were to locate the Sioux encampment in the Big Horn Mountains of Montana and trap them until reinforcements arrived. But the prideful Custer sought to engage the Sioux on his own. On June 25, 1876, he discovered a small Indian village on the banks of the Little Big Horn River. Custer confidently ordered his troops to attack, not realizing that he was confronting the main Sioux and Cheyenne encampment. About three thousand Sioux warriors led by Crazy Horse descended upon Custer's regiment, and within hours the entire Seventh Cavalry and General Custer were massacred. The victory was brief for the warring Sioux. The rest of the United States regulars arrived and chased the Sioux for the next several months. By October, much of the resistance had ended. Crazy Horse had surrendered, but Sitting Bull and a small band of warriors escaped to Canada. Eventually they returned to the United States and surrendered because of hunger. by Jake Herman Is this really Crazy Horse? According to most historians, the great Sioux warrior never allowed his picture to be taken. While no images of Crazy Horse have been universally proved as the real deal, this tin-type has been claimed authentic by the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council. Is this really Crazy Horse? According to most historians, the great Sioux warrior never allowed his picture to be taken. While no images of Crazy Horse have been universally proved as the real deal, this tin-type has been claimed authentic by the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council. Reactions Back East Custer's Last Stand caused massive debate in the East. War hawks demanded an immediate increase in federal military spending and swift judgment for the noncompliant Sioux. Critics of United States policy also made their opinions known. The most vocal detractor, Helen Hunt Jackson, published A Century of Dishonor in 1881. This blistering assault on United States Indian policy chronicled injustices toward Native Americans over the past hundred years. The American masses, however, were unsympathetic or indifferent. A systematic plan to end all native resistance was approved, and the Indians of the West would not see another victory like the Little Big Horn. American History 1. Native American Society on the Eve of British Colonization a. Diversity of Native American Groups b. The Anasazi c. The Algonkian Tribes d. The Iroquois Tribes 2. Britain in the New World a. Early Ventures Fail b. Joint-Stock Companies c. Jamestown Settlement and the "Starving Time" d. The Growth of the Tobacco Trade e. War and Peace with Powhatan's People f. The House of Burgesses 3. The New England Colonies a. The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony b. William Bradford and the First Thanksgiving c. Massachusetts Bay "The City Upon a Hill" d. Puritan Life e. Dissent in Massachusetts Bay f. Reaching to Connecticut g. Witchcraft in Salem 4. The Middle Colonies a. New Netherland to New York b. Quakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey c. City of Brotherly Love Philadelphia d. The Ideas of Benjamin Franklin 5. The Southern Colonies a. Maryland The Catholic Experiment b. Indentured Servants c. Creating the Carolinas d. Debtors in Georgia e. Life in the Plantation South 6. African Americans in the British New World a. West African Society at the Point of European Contact b. "The Middle Passage" c. The Growth of Slavery d. Slave Life on the Farm and in the Town e. Free African Americans in the Colonial Era f. "Slave Codes" g. A New African-American Culture 7. The Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking a. The Impact of Enlightenment in Europe b. The Great Awakening c. The Trial of John Peter Zenger d. Smuggling e. A Tradition of Rebellion f. "What Is the American?" 8. America's Place in the Global Struggle a. New France b. The French and Indian War c. George Washington's Background and Experience d. The Treaty of Paris (1763) and Its Impact 9. The Events Leading to Independence a. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 b. The Stamp Act Controversy c. The Boston Patriots d. The Townshend Acts e. The Boston Massacre f. The Tea Act and Tea Parties g. The Intolerable Acts 10. E Pluribus Unum a. Stamp Act Congress b. Sons and Daughters of Liberty c. Committees of Correspondence d. First Continental Congress e. Second Continental Congress f. Thomas Paine's Common Sense g. The Declaration of Independence 11. The American Revolution a. American and British Strengths and Weaknesses b. Loyalists, Fence-sitters, and Patriots c. Lexington and Concord d. Bunker Hill e. The Revolution on the Home Front f. Washington at Valley Forge g. The Battle of Saratoga h. The French Alliance i. Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris 12. Societal Impacts of the American Revolution a. The Impact of Slavery b. A Revolution in Social Law c. Political Experience d. "Republican Motherhood" 13. When Does the Revolution End? a. The Declaration of Independence and Its Legacy b. The War Experience: Soldiers, Officers, and Civilians c. The Loyalists d. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Slavery e. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Women f. Revolutionary Limits: Native Americans g. Revolutionary Achievement: Yeomen and Artisans h. The Age of Atlantic Revolutions 14. Making Rules a. State Constitutions b. Articles of Confederation c. Evaluating the Congress d. The Economic Crisis of the 1780s 15. Drafting the Constitution a. Shays' Rebellion b. A Cast of National Superstars c. The Tough Issues d. Constitution Through Compromise 16. Ratifying the Constitution a. Federalists b. Antifederalists c. The Ratification Process: State by State d. After the Fact: Virginia, New York, and "The Federalist Papers" e. The Antifederalists' Victory in Defeat 17. George Washington a. Growing up in Colonial Virginia b. The Force of Personality and Military Command c. The First Administration d. Farewell Address e. Mount Vernon and the Dilemma of a Revolutionary Slave Holder 18. Unsettled Domestic Issues a. The Bill of Rights b. Hamilton's Financial Plan c. Growing Opposition d. U.S. Military Defeat; Indian Victory in the West e. Native American Resilience and Violence in the West 19. Politics in Transition: Public Conflict in the 1790s a. Trans-Atlantic Crisis: The French Revolution b. Negotiating with the Superpowers c. Two Parties Emerge d. The Adams Presidency e. The Alien and Sedition Acts f. The Life and Times of John Adams 20. Jeffersonian America: A Second Revolution? a. The Election of 1800 b. Jeffersonian Ideology c. Westward Expansion: The Louisiana Purchase d. A New National Capital: Washington, D.C. e. A Federalist Stronghold: John Marshall's Supreme Court f. Gabriel's Rebellion: Another View of Virginia in 1800 21. The Expanding Republic and the War of 1812 a. The Importance of the West b. Exploration: Lewis and Clark c. Diplomatic Challenges in an Age of European War d. Native American Resistance in the Trans-Appalachian West e. The Second War for American Independence f. Claiming Victory from Defeat 22. Social Change and National Development a. Economic Growth and the Early Industrial Revolution b. Cotton and African-American Life c. Religious Transformation and the Second Great Awakening d. Institutionalizing Religious Belief: The Benevolent Empire e. New Roles for White Women f. Early National Arts and Cultural Independence 23. Politics and the New Nation a. The Era of Good Feelings and the Two-Party System b. The Expansion of the Vote: A White Man's Democracy c. The Missouri Compromise d. The 1824 Election and the "Corrupt Bargain" e. John Quincy Adams f. Jacksonian Democracy and Modern America 24. The Age of Jackson a. The Rise of the Common Man b. A Strong Presidency c. The South Carolina Nullification Controversy d. The War Against the Bank e. Jackson vs. Clay and Calhoun f. The Trail of Tears The Indian Removals 25. The Rise of American Industry a. The Canal Era b. Early American Railroads c. Inventors and Inventions d. The First American Factories e. The Emergence of "Women's Sphere" f. Irish and German Immigration 26. An Explosion of New Thought a. Religious Revival b. Experiments with Utopia c. Women's Rights d. Prison and Asylum Reform e. Hudson River School Artists f. Transcendentalism, An American Philosophy 27. The Peculiar Institution a. The Crowning of King Cotton b. Slave Life and Slave Codes c. The Plantation & Chivalry d. Free(?) African-Americans e. Rebellions on and off the Plantation f. The Southern Argument for Slavery 28. Abolitionist Sentiment Grows a. William Lloyd Garrison and The Liberator b. African-American Abolitionists c. The Underground Railroad d. Harriet Beecher Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin 29. Manifest Destiny a. The Lone Star Republic b. 54 40' or Fight c. "American Blood on American Soil" d. The Mexican-American War e. Gold in California 30. An Uneasy Peace a. Wilmot's Proviso b. Popular Sovereignty c. Three Senatorial Giants: Clay, Calhoun and Webster d. The Compromise of 1850 31. "Bloody Kansas" a. The Kansas-Nebraska Act b. Border Ruffians c. The Sack of Lawrence d. The Pottawatomie Creek Massacre e. Canefight! Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner 32. From Uneasy Peace to Bitter Conflict a. The Dred Scott Decision b. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates c. John Brown's Raid d. The Election of 1860 e. The South Secedes 33. A House Divided a. Fort Sumter b. Strengths and Weaknesses: North vs. South c. First Blood and Its Aftermath d. Sacred Beliefs e. Bloody Antietam f. Of Generals and Soldiers g. Gettysburg: High Watermark of the Confederacy h. Northern Plans to End the War i. The Road to Appomattox 34. The War Behind the Lines a. The Emancipation Proclamation b. Wartime Diplomacy c. The Northern Homefront d. The Southern Homefront e. The Election of 1864 f. The Assassination of the President 35. Reconstruction a. Presidential Reconstruction b. Radical Reconstruction c. A President Impeached d. Rebuilding the Old Order 36. The Gilded Age a. Binding the Nation by Rail b. The New Tycoons: John D. Rockefeller c. The New Tycoons: Andrew Carnegie d. The New Tycoons: J. Pierpont Morgan e. New Attitudes Toward Wealth f. Politics of the Gilded Age 37. Organized Labor a. The Great Upheaval b. Labor vs. Management c. Early National Organizations d. American Federation of Labor e. Eugene V. Debs and American Socialism 38. From the Countryside to the City a. The Glamour of American Cities b. The Underside of Urban Life c. The Rush of Immigrants d. Corruption Runs Wild e. Religious Revival: The "Social Gospel" f. Artistic and Literary Trends 39. New Dimensions in Everyday Life a. Education b. Sports and Leisure c. Women in the Gilded Age d. Victorian Values in a New Age e. The Print Revolution 40. Closing the Frontier a. The Massacre at Sand Creek b. Custer's Last Stand c. The End of Resistance d. Life on the Reservations e. The Wounded Knee Massacre 41. Western Folkways a. The Mining Boom b. The Ways of the Cowboy c. Life on the Farm d. The Growth of Populism e. The Election of 1896 42. Progressivism Sweeps the Nation a. Roots of the Movement b. Muckrakers c. Women's Suffrage at Last d. Booker T. Washington e. W. E. B. DuBois 43. Progressives in the White House a. Teddy Roosevelt: The Rough Rider in the White House b. The Trust Buster c. A Helping Hand for Labor d. Preserving the Wilderness e. Passing the Torch f. The Election of 1912 g. Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom 44. Seeking Empire a. Early Stirrings b. Hawaiian Annexation c. "Remember the Maine!" d. The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences e. The Roosevelt Corollary and Latin America f. Reaching to Asia g. The Panama Canal 45. America in the First World War a. Farewell to Isolation b. Over There c. Over Here d. The Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations 46. The Decade That Roared a. The Age of the Automobile b. The Fight Against "Demon Rum" c. The Invention of the Teenager d. Flappers e. The Harlem Renaissance f. A Consumer Economy g. Radio Fever h. Fads and Heroes 47. Old Values vs. New Values a. The Red Scare b. The Monkey Trial c. Intolerance d. Books and Movies e. Domestic and International Politics 48. The Great Depression a. The Market Crashes b. Sinking Deeper and Deeper: 1929-33 c. The Bonus March d. Hoover's Last Stand e. Social and Cultural Effects of the Depression 49. The New Deal a. A Bank Holiday b. Putting People Back to Work c. The Farming Problem d. Social Security e. FDR's Alphabet Soup f. Roosevelt's Critics g. An Evaluation of the New Deal 50. The Road to Pearl Harbor a. 1930s Isolationism b. Reactions to a Troubled World c. War Breaks Out d. The Arsenal of Democracy e. Pearl Harbor 51. America in the Second World War a. Wartime Strategy b. The American Homefront c. D-Day and the German Surrender d. War in the Pacific e. Japanese-American Internment f. The Manhattan Project g. The Decision to Drop the Bomb 52. Postwar Challenges a. The Cold War Erupts b. The United Nations c. Containment and the Marshall Plan d. The Berlin Airlift and NATO e. The Korean War f. Domestic Challenges 53. The 1950s: Happy Days a. McCarthyism b. Suburban Growth c. Land of Television d. America Rocks and Rolls e. The Cold War Continues f. Voices against Conformity 54. A New Civil Rights Movement a. Separate No Longer? b. Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott c. Showdown in Little Rock d. The Sit-In Movement e. Gains and Pains f. Martin Luther King Jr. g. The Long, Hot Summers h. Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam i. Black Power 55. The Vietnam War a. Early Involvement b. Years of Escalation: 1965-68 c. The Tet Offensive d. The Antiwar Movement e. Years of Withdrawal 56. Politics from Camelot to Watergate a. The Election of 1960 b. Kennedy's New Frontier c. Kennedy's Global Challenges d. Kennedy Assassination e. Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" f. 1968: Year of Unraveling g. Triangular Diplomacy: U.S., USSR, and China 57. Shaping a New America a. Modern Feminism b. The Fight for Reproductive Rights c. The Equal Rights Amendment d. Roe v. Wade and Its Impact e. Environmental Reform f. Others Demand Equality g. Student Activism h. Flower Power 58. A Time of Malaise a. Undoing a President b. The Sickened Economy c. Foreign Woes d. Finding Oneself e. The New Right 59. The Reagan Years a. "Morning in America" b. Reaganomics c. Foreign and Domestic Entanglements d. Life in the 1980s e. The End of the Cold War 60. Toward a New Millennium a. Operation Desert Storm b. A Baby Boomer in the White House c. Republicans vs. Democrats d. Living in the Information Age e. The End of the American Century 40c. The End of Resistance "I have heard talk and talk, but nothing is done. Good words do not last long unless they amount to something. Words do not pay for my dead people. They do not pay for my country, now overrun by white men. Good words will not give my people good health and stop them from dying. Good words will not get my people a home where they can live in peace and take care of themselves. I am TIRED of talk that comes to nothing." "I have heard talk and talk, but nothing is done. Good words do not last long unless they amount to something. Words do not pay for my dead people. They do not pay for my country, now overrun by white men. Good words will not give my people good health and stop them from dying. Good words will not get my people a home where they can live in peace and take care of themselves. I am TIRED of talk that comes to nothing." The crackdown on Native Americans did not end with the pursuance of Custer's attackers. Any tribes resisting American advancement were relentlessly hunted by settlers and federal troops. The Lakota Sioux that fought for their lands were decimated by yet another American tactic. Decimation of the Buffalo Travelers west were encouraged to kill any buffalo they encountered. Buffalo robes became fashionable in the East, so profit-seekers slaughtered thousands of bison simply for their hides. Others shot them for sport, leaving their remains for the local vultures. The army was even known to use Gatling guns on the herds to reduce their numbers. The plan was effective. At the end of the Civil War, an estimated 15 million buffalo roamed the Great Plains. By 1900, there were only several hundred, as the species was nearly extinct. The Sioux lost their chief means of subsistence and mourned the loss of the animal, which was revered as sacred according to tribal religion. Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce The year after Custer's infamous defeat, the Nez Perce Indians of Idaho fell victim to western expansion. When gold was discovered on their lands in 1877, demands were made for over 90 percent of their land. After a stand-off between tribal warriors and the United States Army, their leader Chief Joseph directed his followers toward Canada to avoid capture. He hoped to join forces with Sitting Bull and plan the next move from there. Army officials chased the Nez Perce 1700 miles across Idaho and Western Montana. As they neared the border, the army closed in and Chief Joseph was forced to surrender. The entire tribe was relocated to Oklahoma where nearly half of them perished from disease and despair. Geronimo and the Apache Struggle Warfare also raged across the American Southwest. The Apache tribe led one of the longest and fiercest campaigns of all. Under the leadership of Geronimo, Apache attackers assaulted settlers in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. The army responded slowly but surely. Geronimo was relentlessly hunted, even across the Mexican border. Finally, after the army seized female Apaches and deported them to Florida and deprived the warring tribesmen of a food supply, Geronimo was captured. His 1886 defeat marked the end of open resistance by Native Americans in the West. Sooners Grab Oklahoma This 1895 map shows many of the Native American tribes which suffered forced relocation to Oklahoma Territory. Among the tribes were the Cherokee, Miami, and Quapaw. This 1895 map shows many of the Native American tribes which suffered forced relocation to Oklahoma Territory. Among the tribes were the Cherokee, Miami, and Quapaw. The last land to be claimed by homesteaders was in Oklahoma. Previously dubbed "Indian Territory" by the federal government, Oklahoma had been used as a state-sized reservation of many tribes ranging from the Nez Perce in Idaho to the Cherokee of Georgia. In 1889, the United States Government decided to open two million acres of land unassigned to any particular tribe for homesteaders. At noon on April 22, 1889, the land was legally opened to claim under the provisions of the Homestead Act. Thousands rushed across Oklahoma to grab a piece. Highlighted by a few gunshots, former Indian land was gobbled up in a matter of hours. By nightfall, Oklahoma City qualified as a city of 10,000 tent inhabitants. Those who dared to stake a claim before it was legal were called Sooners, and the state acquired its future nickname. Successful homesteaders rested that night in triumph, leaving the Indians of the area to despair over yet another grand theft. American History 1. Native American Society on the Eve of British Colonization a. Diversity of Native American Groups b. The Anasazi c. The Algonkian Tribes d. The Iroquois Tribes 2. Britain in the New World a. Early Ventures Fail b. Joint-Stock Companies c. Jamestown Settlement and the "Starving Time" d. The Growth of the Tobacco Trade e. War and Peace with Powhatan's People f. The House of Burgesses 3. The New England Colonies a. The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony b. William Bradford and the First Thanksgiving c. Massachusetts Bay "The City Upon a Hill" d. Puritan Life e. Dissent in Massachusetts Bay f. Reaching to Connecticut g. Witchcraft in Salem 4. The Middle Colonies a. New Netherland to New York b. Quakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey c. City of Brotherly Love Philadelphia d. The Ideas of Benjamin Franklin 5. The Southern Colonies a. Maryland The Catholic Experiment b. Indentured Servants c. Creating the Carolinas d. Debtors in Georgia e. Life in the Plantation South 6. African Americans in the British New World a. West African Society at the Point of European Contact b. "The Middle Passage" c. The Growth of Slavery d. Slave Life on the Farm and in the Town e. Free African Americans in the Colonial Era f. "Slave Codes" g. A New African-American Culture 7. The Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking a. The Impact of Enlightenment in Europe b. The Great Awakening c. The Trial of John Peter Zenger d. Smuggling e. A Tradition of Rebellion f. "What Is the American?" 8. America's Place in the Global Struggle a. New France b. The French and Indian War c. George Washington's Background and Experience d. The Treaty of Paris (1763) and Its Impact 9. The Events Leading to Independence a. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 b. The Stamp Act Controversy c. The Boston Patriots d. The Townshend Acts e. The Boston Massacre f. The Tea Act and Tea Parties g. The Intolerable Acts 10. E Pluribus Unum a. Stamp Act Congress b. Sons and Daughters of Liberty c. Committees of Correspondence d. First Continental Congress e. Second Continental Congress f. Thomas Paine's Common Sense g. The Declaration of Independence 11. The American Revolution a. American and British Strengths and Weaknesses b. Loyalists, Fence-sitters, and Patriots c. Lexington and Concord d. Bunker Hill e. The Revolution on the Home Front f. Washington at Valley Forge g. The Battle of Saratoga h. The French Alliance i. Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris 12. Societal Impacts of the American Revolution a. The Impact of Slavery b. A Revolution in Social Law c. Political Experience d. "Republican Motherhood" 13. When Does the Revolution End? a. The Declaration of Independence and Its Legacy b. The War Experience: Soldiers, Officers, and Civilians c. The Loyalists d. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Slavery e. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Women f. Revolutionary Limits: Native Americans g. Revolutionary Achievement: Yeomen and Artisans h. The Age of Atlantic Revolutions 14. Making Rules a. State Constitutions b. Articles of Confederation c. Evaluating the Congress d. The Economic Crisis of the 1780s 15. Drafting the Constitution a. Shays' Rebellion b. A Cast of National Superstars c. The Tough Issues d. Constitution Through Compromise 16. Ratifying the Constitution a. Federalists b. Antifederalists c. The Ratification Process: State by State d. After the Fact: Virginia, New York, and "The Federalist Papers" e. The Antifederalists' Victory in Defeat 17. George Washington a. Growing up in Colonial Virginia b. The Force of Personality and Military Command c. The First Administration d. Farewell Address e. Mount Vernon and the Dilemma of a Revolutionary Slave Holder 18. Unsettled Domestic Issues a. The Bill of Rights b. Hamilton's Financial Plan c. Growing Opposition d. U.S. Military Defeat; Indian Victory in the West e. Native American Resilience and Violence in the West 19. Politics in Transition: Public Conflict in the 1790s a. Trans-Atlantic Crisis: The French Revolution b. Negotiating with the Superpowers c. Two Parties Emerge d. The Adams Presidency e. The Alien and Sedition Acts f. The Life and Times of John Adams 20. Jeffersonian America: A Second Revolution? a. The Election of 1800 b. Jeffersonian Ideology c. Westward Expansion: The Louisiana Purchase d. A New National Capital: Washington, D.C. e. A Federalist Stronghold: John Marshall's Supreme Court f. Gabriel's Rebellion: Another View of Virginia in 1800 21. The Expanding Republic and the War of 1812 a. The Importance of the West b. Exploration: Lewis and Clark c. Diplomatic Challenges in an Age of European War d. Native American Resistance in the Trans-Appalachian West e. The Second War for American Independence f. Claiming Victory from Defeat 22. Social Change and National Development a. Economic Growth and the Early Industrial Revolution b. Cotton and African-American Life c. Religious Transformation and the Second Great Awakening d. Institutionalizing Religious Belief: The Benevolent Empire e. New Roles for White Women f. Early National Arts and Cultural Independence 23. Politics and the New Nation a. The Era of Good Feelings and the Two-Party System b. The Expansion of the Vote: A White Man's Democracy c. The Missouri Compromise d. The 1824 Election and the "Corrupt Bargain" e. John Quincy Adams f. Jacksonian Democracy and Modern America 24. The Age of Jackson a. The Rise of the Common Man b. A Strong Presidency c. The South Carolina Nullification Controversy d. The War Against the Bank e. Jackson vs. Clay and Calhoun f. The Trail of Tears The Indian Removals 25. The Rise of American Industry a. The Canal Era b. Early American Railroads c. Inventors and Inventions d. The First American Factories e. The Emergence of "Women's Sphere" f. Irish and German Immigration 26. An Explosion of New Thought a. Religious Revival b. Experiments with Utopia c. Women's Rights d. Prison and Asylum Reform e. Hudson River School Artists f. Transcendentalism, An American Philosophy 27. The Peculiar Institution a. The Crowning of King Cotton b. Slave Life and Slave Codes c. The Plantation & Chivalry d. Free(?) African-Americans e. Rebellions on and off the Plantation f. The Southern Argument for Slavery 28. Abolitionist Sentiment Grows a. William Lloyd Garrison and The Liberator b. African-American Abolitionists c. The Underground Railroad d. Harriet Beecher Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin 29. Manifest Destiny a. The Lone Star Republic b. 54 40' or Fight c. "American Blood on American Soil" d. The Mexican-American War e. Gold in California 30. An Uneasy Peace a. Wilmot's Proviso b. Popular Sovereignty c. Three Senatorial Giants: Clay, Calhoun and Webster d. The Compromise of 1850 31. "Bloody Kansas" a. The Kansas-Nebraska Act b. Border Ruffians c. The Sack of Lawrence d. The Pottawatomie Creek Massacre e. Canefight! Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner 32. From Uneasy Peace to Bitter Conflict a. The Dred Scott Decision b. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates c. John Brown's Raid d. The Election of 1860 e. The South Secedes 33. A House Divided a. Fort Sumter b. Strengths and Weaknesses: North vs. South c. First Blood and Its Aftermath d. Sacred Beliefs e. Bloody Antietam f. Of Generals and Soldiers g. Gettysburg: High Watermark of the Confederacy h. Northern Plans to End the War i. The Road to Appomattox 34. The War Behind the Lines a. The Emancipation Proclamation b. Wartime Diplomacy c. The Northern Homefront d. The Southern Homefront e. The Election of 1864 f. The Assassination of the President 35. Reconstruction a. Presidential Reconstruction b. Radical Reconstruction c. A President Impeached d. Rebuilding the Old Order 36. The Gilded Age a. Binding the Nation by Rail b. The New Tycoons: John D. Rockefeller c. The New Tycoons: Andrew Carnegie d. The New Tycoons: J. Pierpont Morgan e. New Attitudes Toward Wealth f. Politics of the Gilded Age 37. Organized Labor a. The Great Upheaval b. Labor vs. Management c. Early National Organizations d. American Federation of Labor e. Eugene V. Debs and American Socialism 38. From the Countryside to the City a. The Glamour of American Cities b. The Underside of Urban Life c. The Rush of Immigrants d. Corruption Runs Wild e. Religious Revival: The "Social Gospel" f. Artistic and Literary Trends 39. New Dimensions in Everyday Life a. Education b. Sports and Leisure c. Women in the Gilded Age d. Victorian Values in a New Age e. The Print Revolution 40. Closing the Frontier a. The Massacre at Sand Creek b. Custer's Last Stand c. The End of Resistance d. Life on the Reservations e. The Wounded Knee Massacre 41. Western Folkways a. The Mining Boom b. The Ways of the Cowboy c. Life on the Farm d. The Growth of Populism e. The Election of 1896 42. Progressivism Sweeps the Nation a. Roots of the Movement b. Muckrakers c. Women's Suffrage at Last d. Booker T. Washington e. W. E. B. DuBois 43. Progressives in the White House a. Teddy Roosevelt: The Rough Rider in the White House b. The Trust Buster c. A Helping Hand for Labor d. Preserving the Wilderness e. Passing the Torch f. The Election of 1912 g. Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom 44. Seeking Empire a. Early Stirrings b. Hawaiian Annexation c. "Remember the Maine!" d. The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences e. The Roosevelt Corollary and Latin America f. Reaching to Asia g. The Panama Canal 45. America in the First World War a. Farewell to Isolation b. Over There c. Over Here d. The Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations 46. The Decade That Roared a. The Age of the Automobile b. The Fight Against "Demon Rum" c. The Invention of the Teenager d. Flappers e. The Harlem Renaissance f. A Consumer Economy g. Radio Fever h. Fads and Heroes 47. Old Values vs. New Values a. The Red Scare b. The Monkey Trial c. Intolerance d. Books and Movies e. Domestic and International Politics 48. The Great Depression a. The Market Crashes b. Sinking Deeper and Deeper: 1929-33 c. The Bonus March d. Hoover's Last Stand e. Social and Cultural Effects of the Depression 49. The New Deal a. A Bank Holiday b. Putting People Back to Work c. The Farming Problem d. Social Security e. FDR's Alphabet Soup f. Roosevelt's Critics g. An Evaluation of the New Deal 50. The Road to Pearl Harbor a. 1930s Isolationism b. Reactions to a Troubled World c. War Breaks Out d. The Arsenal of Democracy e. Pearl Harbor 51. America in the Second World War a. Wartime Strategy b. The American Homefront c. D-Day and the German Surrender d. War in the Pacific e. Japanese-American Internment f. The Manhattan Project g. The Decision to Drop the Bomb 52. Postwar Challenges a. The Cold War Erupts b. The United Nations c. Containment and the Marshall Plan d. The Berlin Airlift and NATO e. The Korean War f. Domestic Challenges 53. The 1950s: Happy Days a. McCarthyism b. Suburban Growth c. Land of Television d. America Rocks and Rolls e. The Cold War Continues f. Voices against Conformity 54. A New Civil Rights Movement a. Separate No Longer? b. Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott c. Showdown in Little Rock d. The Sit-In Movement e. Gains and Pains f. Martin Luther King Jr. g. The Long, Hot Summers h. Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam i. Black Power 55. The Vietnam War a. Early Involvement b. Years of Escalation: 1965-68 c. The Tet Offensive d. The Antiwar Movement e. Years of Withdrawal 56. Politics from Camelot to Watergate a. The Election of 1960 b. Kennedy's New Frontier c. Kennedy's Global Challenges d. Kennedy Assassination e. Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" f. 1968: Year of Unraveling g. Triangular Diplomacy: U.S., USSR, and China 57. Shaping a New America a. Modern Feminism b. The Fight for Reproductive Rights c. The Equal Rights Amendment d. Roe v. Wade and Its Impact e. Environmental Reform f. Others Demand Equality g. Student Activism h. Flower Power 58. A Time of Malaise a. Undoing a President b. The Sickened Economy c. Foreign Woes d. Finding Oneself e. The New Right 59. The Reagan Years a. "Morning in America" b. Reaganomics c. Foreign and Domestic Entanglements d. Life in the 1980s e. The End of the Cold War 60. Toward a New Millennium a. Operation Desert Storm b. A Baby Boomer in the White House c. Republicans vs. Democrats d. Living in the Information Age e. The End of the American Century 44d. The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences Americans aboard the Olympia prepare to fire on Spanish ships during the Battle of Manila Bay, May 1, 1898. Americans aboard the Olympia prepare to fire on Spanish ships during the Battle of Manila Bay, May 1, 1898. The United States was simply unprepared for war. What Americans had in enthusiastic spirit, they lacked in military strength. The navy, although improved, was simply a shadow of what it would become by World War I. The United States Army was understaffed, underequipped, and undertrained. The most recent action seen by the army was fighting the Native Americans on the frontier. Cuba required summer uniforms; the US troops arrived with heavy woolen coats and pants. The food budget paid for substandard provisions for the soldiers. What made these daunting problems more managable was one simple reality. Spain was even less ready for war than the United States. Battle of Manila Bay Prior to the building of the Panama Canal, each nation required a two-ocean navy. The major portion of Spain's Pacific fleet was located in the Spanish Philippines at Manila Bay. Under orders from Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt, Admiral George Dewey descended upon the Philippines prior to the declaration of war. Dewey was in the perfect position to strike, and when given his orders to attack on May 1, 1898, the American navy was ready. Those who look back with fondness on American military triumphs must count the Battle of Manila Bay as one of the greatest success stories. The larger, wooden Spanish fleet was no match for the newer American steel navy. After Dewey's guns stopped firing, the entire Spanish squadron was a hulking disaster. The only American casualty came from sunstroke. The Philippines remained in Spanish control until the army had been recruited, trained, and transported to the Pacific. Invading Cuba The situation in Cuba was far less pretty for the Americans. At the outbreak of war the United States was outnumbered 7 to 1 in army personnel. The invading force led by General William Shafter landed rather uneventfully near Santiago. The real glory of the Cuban campaign was grabbed by the Rough Riders. Comprising cowboys, adventurous college students, and ex-convicts, the Rough Riders were a volunteer regiment commanded by Leonard Wood, but organized by Theodore Roosevelt. Supported by two African American regiments, the Rough Riders charged up San Juan Hill and helped Shafter bottle the Spanish forces in Santiago harbor. The war was lost when the Spanish Atlantic fleet was destroyed by the pursuing American forces. Treaty of Paris The Treaty of Paris was most generous to the winners. The United States received the Philippines and the islands of Guam and Puerto Rico. Cuba became independent, and Spain was awarded $20 million dollars for its losses. The treaty prompted a heated debate in the United States. Anti-imperialists called the US hypocritical for condemning European empires while pursuing one of its own. The war was supposed to be about freeing Cuba, not seizing the Philippines. Criticism increased when Filipino rebels led by Emilio Aguinaldo waged a 3-year insurrection against their new American colonizers. While the Spanish-American War lasted ten weeks and resulted in 400 battle deaths, the Philippine Insurrection lasted nearly three years and claimed 4000 American lives. Nevertheless, President McKinley's expansionist policies were supported by the American public, who seemed more than willing to accept the blessings and curses of their new expanding empire. American History 1. Native American Society on the Eve of British Colonization a. Diversity of Native American Groups b. The Anasazi c. The Algonkian Tribes d. The Iroquois Tribes 2. Britain in the New World a. Early Ventures Fail b. Joint-Stock Companies c. Jamestown Settlement and the "Starving Time" d. The Growth of the Tobacco Trade e. War and Peace with Powhatan's People f. The House of Burgesses 3. The New England Colonies a. The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony b. William Bradford and the First Thanksgiving c. Massachusetts Bay "The City Upon a Hill" d. Puritan Life e. Dissent in Massachusetts Bay f. Reaching to Connecticut g. Witchcraft in Salem 4. The Middle Colonies a. New Netherland to New York b. Quakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey c. City of Brotherly Love Philadelphia d. The Ideas of Benjamin Franklin 5. The Southern Colonies a. Maryland The Catholic Experiment b. Indentured Servants c. Creating the Carolinas d. Debtors in Georgia e. Life in the Plantation South 6. African Americans in the British New World a. West African Society at the Point of European Contact b. "The Middle Passage" c. The Growth of Slavery d. Slave Life on the Farm and in the Town e. Free African Americans in the Colonial Era f. "Slave Codes" g. A New African-American Culture 7. The Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking a. The Impact of Enlightenment in Europe b. The Great Awakening c. The Trial of John Peter Zenger d. Smuggling e. A Tradition of Rebellion f. "What Is the American?" 8. America's Place in the Global Struggle a. New France b. The French and Indian War c. George Washington's Background and Experience d. The Treaty of Paris (1763) and Its Impact 9. The Events Leading to Independence a. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 b. The Stamp Act Controversy c. The Boston Patriots d. The Townshend Acts e. The Boston Massacre f. The Tea Act and Tea Parties g. The Intolerable Acts 10. E Pluribus Unum a. Stamp Act Congress b. Sons and Daughters of Liberty c. Committees of Correspondence d. First Continental Congress e. Second Continental Congress f. Thomas Paine's Common Sense g. The Declaration of Independence 11. The American Revolution a. American and British Strengths and Weaknesses b. Loyalists, Fence-sitters, and Patriots c. Lexington and Concord d. Bunker Hill e. The Revolution on the Home Front f. Washington at Valley Forge g. The Battle of Saratoga h. The French Alliance i. Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris 12. Societal Impacts of the American Revolution a. The Impact of Slavery b. A Revolution in Social Law c. Political Experience d. "Republican Motherhood" 13. When Does the Revolution End? a. The Declaration of Independence and Its Legacy b. The War Experience: Soldiers, Officers, and Civilians c. The Loyalists d. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Slavery e. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Women f. Revolutionary Limits: Native Americans g. Revolutionary Achievement: Yeomen and Artisans h. The Age of Atlantic Revolutions 14. Making Rules a. State Constitutions b. Articles of Confederation c. Evaluating the Congress d. The Economic Crisis of the 1780s 15. Drafting the Constitution a. Shays' Rebellion b. A Cast of National Superstars c. The Tough Issues d. Constitution Through Compromise 16. Ratifying the Constitution a. Federalists b. Antifederalists c. The Ratification Process: State by State d. After the Fact: Virginia, New York, and "The Federalist Papers" e. The Antifederalists' Victory in Defeat 17. George Washington a. Growing up in Colonial Virginia b. The Force of Personality and Military Command c. The First Administration d. Farewell Address e. Mount Vernon and the Dilemma of a Revolutionary Slave Holder 18. Unsettled Domestic Issues a. The Bill of Rights b. Hamilton's Financial Plan c. Growing Opposition d. U.S. Military Defeat; Indian Victory in the West e. Native American Resilience and Violence in the West 19. Politics in Transition: Public Conflict in the 1790s a. Trans-Atlantic Crisis: The French Revolution b. Negotiating with the Superpowers c. Two Parties Emerge d. The Adams Presidency e. The Alien and Sedition Acts f. The Life and Times of John Adams 20. Jeffersonian America: A Second Revolution? a. The Election of 1800 b. Jeffersonian Ideology c. Westward Expansion: The Louisiana Purchase d. A New National Capital: Washington, D.C. e. A Federalist Stronghold: John Marshall's Supreme Court f. Gabriel's Rebellion: Another View of Virginia in 1800 21. The Expanding Republic and the War of 1812 a. The Importance of the West b. Exploration: Lewis and Clark c. Diplomatic Challenges in an Age of European War d. Native American Resistance in the Trans-Appalachian West e. The Second War for American Independence f. Claiming Victory from Defeat 22. Social Change and National Development a. Economic Growth and the Early Industrial Revolution b. Cotton and African-American Life c. Religious Transformation and the Second Great Awakening d. Institutionalizing Religious Belief: The Benevolent Empire e. New Roles for White Women f. Early National Arts and Cultural Independence 23. Politics and the New Nation a. The Era of Good Feelings and the Two-Party System b. The Expansion of the Vote: A White Man's Democracy c. The Missouri Compromise d. The 1824 Election and the "Corrupt Bargain" e. John Quincy Adams f. Jacksonian Democracy and Modern America 24. The Age of Jackson a. The Rise of the Common Man b. A Strong Presidency c. The South Carolina Nullification Controversy d. The War Against the Bank e. Jackson vs. Clay and Calhoun f. The Trail of Tears The Indian Removals 25. The Rise of American Industry a. The Canal Era b. Early American Railroads c. Inventors and Inventions d. The First American Factories e. The Emergence of "Women's Sphere" f. Irish and German Immigration 26. An Explosion of New Thought a. Religious Revival b. Experiments with Utopia c. Women's Rights d. Prison and Asylum Reform e. Hudson River School Artists f. Transcendentalism, An American Philosophy 27. The Peculiar Institution a. The Crowning of King Cotton b. Slave Life and Slave Codes c. The Plantation & Chivalry d. Free(?) African-Americans e. Rebellions on and off the Plantation f. The Southern Argument for Slavery 28. Abolitionist Sentiment Grows a. William Lloyd Garrison and The Liberator b. African-American Abolitionists c. The Underground Railroad d. Harriet Beecher Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin 29. Manifest Destiny a. The Lone Star Republic b. 54 40' or Fight c. "American Blood on American Soil" d. The Mexican-American War e. Gold in California 30. An Uneasy Peace a. Wilmot's Proviso b. Popular Sovereignty c. Three Senatorial Giants: Clay, Calhoun and Webster d. The Compromise of 1850 31. "Bloody Kansas" a. The Kansas-Nebraska Act b. Border Ruffians c. The Sack of Lawrence d. The Pottawatomie Creek Massacre e. Canefight! Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner 32. From Uneasy Peace to Bitter Conflict a. The Dred Scott Decision b. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates c. John Brown's Raid d. The Election of 1860 e. The South Secedes 33. A House Divided a. Fort Sumter b. Strengths and Weaknesses: North vs. South c. First Blood and Its Aftermath d. Sacred Beliefs e. Bloody Antietam f. Of Generals and Soldiers g. Gettysburg: High Watermark of the Confederacy h. Northern Plans to End the War i. The Road to Appomattox 34. The War Behind the Lines a. The Emancipation Proclamation b. Wartime Diplomacy c. The Northern Homefront d. The Southern Homefront e. The Election of 1864 f. The Assassination of the President 35. Reconstruction a. Presidential Reconstruction b. Radical Reconstruction c. A President Impeached d. Rebuilding the Old Order 36. The Gilded Age a. Binding the Nation by Rail b. The New Tycoons: John D. Rockefeller c. The New Tycoons: Andrew Carnegie d. The New Tycoons: J. Pierpont Morgan e. New Attitudes Toward Wealth f. Politics of the Gilded Age 37. Organized Labor a. The Great Upheaval b. Labor vs. Management c. Early National Organizations d. American Federation of Labor e. Eugene V. Debs and American Socialism 38. From the Countryside to the City a. The Glamour of American Cities b. The Underside of Urban Life c. The Rush of Immigrants d. Corruption Runs Wild e. Religious Revival: The "Social Gospel" f. Artistic and Literary Trends 39. New Dimensions in Everyday Life a. Education b. Sports and Leisure c. Women in the Gilded Age d. Victorian Values in a New Age e. The Print Revolution 40. Closing the Frontier a. The Massacre at Sand Creek b. Custer's Last Stand c. The End of Resistance d. Life on the Reservations e. The Wounded Knee Massacre 41. Western Folkways a. The Mining Boom b. The Ways of the Cowboy c. Life on the Farm d. The Growth of Populism e. The Election of 1896 42. Progressivism Sweeps the Nation a. Roots of the Movement b. Muckrakers c. Women's Suffrage at Last d. Booker T. Washington e. W. E. B. DuBois 43. Progressives in the White House a. Teddy Roosevelt: The Rough Rider in the White House b. The Trust Buster c. A Helping Hand for Labor d. Preserving the Wilderness e. Passing the Torch f. The Election of 1912 g. Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom 44. Seeking Empire a. Early Stirrings b. Hawaiian Annexation c. "Remember the Maine!" d. The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences e. The Roosevelt Corollary and Latin America f. Reaching to Asia g. The Panama Canal 45. America in the First World War a. Farewell to Isolation b. Over There c. Over Here d. The Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations 46. The Decade That Roared a. The Age of the Automobile b. The Fight Against "Demon Rum" c. The Invention of the Teenager d. Flappers e. The Harlem Renaissance f. A Consumer Economy g. Radio Fever h. Fads and Heroes 47. Old Values vs. New Values a. The Red Scare b. The Monkey Trial c. Intolerance d. Books and Movies e. Domestic and International Politics 48. The Great Depression a. The Market Crashes b. Sinking Deeper and Deeper: 1929-33 c. The Bonus March d. Hoover's Last Stand e. Social and Cultural Effects of the Depression 49. The New Deal a. A Bank Holiday b. Putting People Back to Work c. The Farming Problem d. Social Security e. FDR's Alphabet Soup f. Roosevelt's Critics g. An Evaluation of the New Deal 50. The Road to Pearl Harbor a. 1930s Isolationism b. Reactions to a Troubled World c. War Breaks Out d. The Arsenal of Democracy e. Pearl Harbor 51. America in the Second World War a. Wartime Strategy b. The American Homefront c. D-Day and the German Surrender d. War in the Pacific e. Japanese-American Internment f. The Manhattan Project g. The Decision to Drop the Bomb 52. Postwar Challenges a. The Cold War Erupts b. The United Nations c. Containment and the Marshall Plan d. The Berlin Airlift and NATO e. The Korean War f. Domestic Challenges 53. The 1950s: Happy Days a. McCarthyism b. Suburban Growth c. Land of Television d. America Rocks and Rolls e. The Cold War Continues f. Voices against Conformity 54. A New Civil Rights Movement a. Separate No Longer? b. Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott c. Showdown in Little Rock d. The Sit-In Movement e. Gains and Pains f. Martin Luther King Jr. g. The Long, Hot Summers h. Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam i. Black Power 55. The Vietnam War a. Early Involvement b. Years of Escalation: 1965-68 c. The Tet Offensive d. The Antiwar Movement e. Years of Withdrawal 56. Politics from Camelot to Watergate a. The Election of 1960 b. Kennedy's New Frontier c. Kennedy's Global Challenges d. Kennedy Assassination e. Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" f. 1968: Year of Unraveling g. Triangular Diplomacy: U.S., USSR, and China 57. Shaping a New America a. Modern Feminism b. The Fight for Reproductive Rights c. The Equal Rights Amendment d. Roe v. Wade and Its Impact e. Environmental Reform f. Others Demand Equality g. Student Activism h. Flower Power 58. A Time of Malaise a. Undoing a President b. The Sickened Economy c. Foreign Woes d. Finding Oneself e. The New Right 59. The Reagan Years a. "Morning in America" b. Reaganomics c. Foreign and Domestic Entanglements d. Life in the 1980s e. The End of the Cold War 60. Toward a New Millennium a. Operation Desert Storm b. A Baby Boomer in the White House c. Republicans vs. Democrats d. Living in the Information Age e. The End of the American Century 4b. Quakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey Central to the Quaker way of life was the Meeting House. Here, Quakers would come together to worship. The above image depicts one of London's Quaker Meeting Houses. Central to the Quaker way of life was the Meeting House. Here, Quakers would come together to worship. The above image depicts one of London's Quaker Meeting Houses. William Penn was a dreamer. He also had the king over a barrel. Charles II owed his father a huge debt. To repay the Penns, William was awarded an enormous tract of land in the New World. Immediately he saw possibilities. People of his faith, the Quakers, had suffered serious persecution in England. With some good advertising, he might be able to establish a religious refuge. He might even be able to turn a profit. Slowly, the wheels began to spin. In, 1681, his dream became a reality. Quakers, or the Society of Friends, had suffered greatly in England. As religious dissenters of the Church of England, they were targets much like the Separatists and the Puritans. But Friends were also devout pacifists. They would not fight in any of England's wars, nor would they pay their taxes if they believed the proceeds would assist a military venture. They believed in total equality. Therefore, Quakers would not bow down to nobles. Even the king would not receive the courtesy of a tipped hat. They refused to take oaths, so their allegiance to the Crown was always in question. Of all the Quaker families that came to the New World, over three quarters of the male heads of household had spent time in an English jail. , founder of William Penn , founder of Pennsylvania ("Penn's Woods") and planner of Philadelphia , established a very liberal government by 17th century standards. Religious freedom and good relations with Native Americans were two keystones of Penn's style. The Quakers of Penn's colony, like their counterparts across the Delaware River in New Jersey, established an extremely liberal government for the seventeenth century. Religious freedom was granted and there was no tax-supported church. Penn insisted on developing good relations with the Native Americans. Women saw greater freedom in Quaker society than elsewhere, as they were allowed to participate fully in Quaker meetings. Pennsylvania, or "Penn's Woods," benefited from the vision of its founder. Well advertised throughout Europe, skilled artisans and farmers flocked to the new colony. With Philadelphia as its capital, Pennsylvania soon became the keystone of the English colonies. New Jersey was owned by Quakers even before Penn's experiment, and the remnants of New Sweden, now called Delaware, also fell under the Friends' sphere of influence. William Penn's dream had come true. American History 1. Native American Society on the Eve of British Colonization a. Diversity of Native American Groups b. The Anasazi c. The Algonkian Tribes d. The Iroquois Tribes 2. Britain in the New World a. Early Ventures Fail b. Joint-Stock Companies c. Jamestown Settlement and the "Starving Time" d. The Growth of the Tobacco Trade e. War and Peace with Powhatan's People f. The House of Burgesses 3. The New England Colonies a. The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony b. William Bradford and the First Thanksgiving c. Massachusetts Bay "The City Upon a Hill" d. Puritan Life e. Dissent in Massachusetts Bay f. Reaching to Connecticut g. Witchcraft in Salem 4. The Middle Colonies a. New Netherland to New York b. Quakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey c. City of Brotherly Love Philadelphia d. The Ideas of Benjamin Franklin 5. The Southern Colonies a. Maryland The Catholic Experiment b. Indentured Servants c. Creating the Carolinas d. Debtors in Georgia e. Life in the Plantation South 6. African Americans in the British New World a. West African Society at the Point of European Contact b. "The Middle Passage" c. The Growth of Slavery d. Slave Life on the Farm and in the Town e. Free African Americans in the Colonial Era f. "Slave Codes" g. A New African-American Culture 7. The Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking a. The Impact of Enlightenment in Europe b. The Great Awakening c. The Trial of John Peter Zenger d. Smuggling e. A Tradition of Rebellion f. "What Is the American?" 8. America's Place in the Global Struggle a. New France b. The French and Indian War c. George Washington's Background and Experience d. The Treaty of Paris (1763) and Its Impact 9. The Events Leading to Independence a. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 b. The Stamp Act Controversy c. The Boston Patriots d. The Townshend Acts e. The Boston Massacre f. The Tea Act and Tea Parties g. The Intolerable Acts 10. E Pluribus Unum a. Stamp Act Congress b. Sons and Daughters of Liberty c. Committees of Correspondence d. First Continental Congress e. Second Continental Congress f. Thomas Paine's Common Sense g. The Declaration of Independence 11. The American Revolution a. American and British Strengths and Weaknesses b. Loyalists, Fence-sitters, and Patriots c. Lexington and Concord d. Bunker Hill e. The Revolution on the Home Front f. Washington at Valley Forge g. The Battle of Saratoga h. The French Alliance i. Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris 12. Societal Impacts of the American Revolution a. The Impact of Slavery b. A Revolution in Social Law c. Political Experience d. "Republican Motherhood" 13. When Does the Revolution End? a. The Declaration of Independence and Its Legacy b. The War Experience: Soldiers, Officers, and Civilians c. The Loyalists d. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Slavery e. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Women f. Revolutionary Limits: Native Americans g. Revolutionary Achievement: Yeomen and Artisans h. The Age of Atlantic Revolutions 14. Making Rules a. State Constitutions b. Articles of Confederation c. Evaluating the Congress d. The Economic Crisis of the 1780s 15. Drafting the Constitution a. Shays' Rebellion b. A Cast of National Superstars c. The Tough Issues d. Constitution Through Compromise 16. Ratifying the Constitution a. Federalists b. Antifederalists c. The Ratification Process: State by State d. After the Fact: Virginia, New York, and "The Federalist Papers" e. The Antifederalists' Victory in Defeat 17. George Washington a. Growing up in Colonial Virginia b. The Force of Personality and Military Command c. The First Administration d. Farewell Address e. Mount Vernon and the Dilemma of a Revolutionary Slave Holder 18. Unsettled Domestic Issues a. The Bill of Rights b. Hamilton's Financial Plan c. Growing Opposition d. U.S. Military Defeat; Indian Victory in the West e. Native American Resilience and Violence in the West 19. Politics in Transition: Public Conflict in the 1790s a. Trans-Atlantic Crisis: The French Revolution b. Negotiating with the Superpowers c. Two Parties Emerge d. The Adams Presidency e. The Alien and Sedition Acts f. The Life and Times of John Adams 20. Jeffersonian America: A Second Revolution? a. The Election of 1800 b. Jeffersonian Ideology c. Westward Expansion: The Louisiana Purchase d. A New National Capital: Washington, D.C. e. A Federalist Stronghold: John Marshall's Supreme Court f. Gabriel's Rebellion: Another View of Virginia in 1800 21. The Expanding Republic and the War of 1812 a. The Importance of the West b. Exploration: Lewis and Clark c. Diplomatic Challenges in an Age of European War d. Native American Resistance in the Trans-Appalachian West e. The Second War for American Independence f. Claiming Victory from Defeat 22. Social Change and National Development a. Economic Growth and the Early Industrial Revolution b. Cotton and African-American Life c. Religious Transformation and the Second Great Awakening d. Institutionalizing Religious Belief: The Benevolent Empire e. New Roles for White Women f. Early National Arts and Cultural Independence 23. Politics and the New Nation a. The Era of Good Feelings and the Two-Party System b. The Expansion of the Vote: A White Man's Democracy c. The Missouri Compromise d. The 1824 Election and the "Corrupt Bargain" e. John Quincy Adams f. Jacksonian Democracy and Modern America 24. The Age of Jackson a. The Rise of the Common Man b. A Strong Presidency c. The South Carolina Nullification Controversy d. The War Against the Bank e. Jackson vs. Clay and Calhoun f. The Trail of Tears The Indian Removals 25. The Rise of American Industry a. The Canal Era b. Early American Railroads c. Inventors and Inventions d. The First American Factories e. The Emergence of "Women's Sphere" f. Irish and German Immigration 26. An Explosion of New Thought a. Religious Revival b. Experiments with Utopia c. Women's Rights d. Prison and Asylum Reform e. Hudson River School Artists f. Transcendentalism, An American Philosophy 27. The Peculiar Institution a. The Crowning of King Cotton b. Slave Life and Slave Codes c. The Plantation & Chivalry d. Free(?) African-Americans e. Rebellions on and off the Plantation f. The Southern Argument for Slavery 28. Abolitionist Sentiment Grows a. William Lloyd Garrison and The Liberator b. African-American Abolitionists c. The Underground Railroad d. Harriet Beecher Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin 29. Manifest Destiny a. The Lone Star Republic b. 54 40' or Fight c. "American Blood on American Soil" d. The Mexican-American War e. Gold in California 30. An Uneasy Peace a. Wilmot's Proviso b. Popular Sovereignty c. Three Senatorial Giants: Clay, Calhoun and Webster d. The Compromise of 1850 31. "Bloody Kansas" a. The Kansas-Nebraska Act b. Border Ruffians c. The Sack of Lawrence d. The Pottawatomie Creek Massacre e. Canefight! Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner 32. From Uneasy Peace to Bitter Conflict a. The Dred Scott Decision b. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates c. John Brown's Raid d. The Election of 1860 e. The South Secedes 33. A House Divided a. Fort Sumter b. Strengths and Weaknesses: North vs. South c. First Blood and Its Aftermath d. Sacred Beliefs e. Bloody Antietam f. Of Generals and Soldiers g. Gettysburg: High Watermark of the Confederacy h. Northern Plans to End the War i. The Road to Appomattox 34. The War Behind the Lines a. The Emancipation Proclamation b. Wartime Diplomacy c. The Northern Homefront d. The Southern Homefront e. The Election of 1864 f. The Assassination of the President 35. Reconstruction a. Presidential Reconstruction b. Radical Reconstruction c. A President Impeached d. Rebuilding the Old Order 36. The Gilded Age a. Binding the Nation by Rail b. The New Tycoons: John D. Rockefeller c. The New Tycoons: Andrew Carnegie d. The New Tycoons: J. Pierpont Morgan e. New Attitudes Toward Wealth f. Politics of the Gilded Age 37. Organized Labor a. The Great Upheaval b. Labor vs. Management c. Early National Organizations d. American Federation of Labor e. Eugene V. Debs and American Socialism 38. From the Countryside to the City a. The Glamour of American Cities b. The Underside of Urban Life c. The Rush of Immigrants d. Corruption Runs Wild e. Religious Revival: The "Social Gospel" f. Artistic and Literary Trends 39. New Dimensions in Everyday Life a. Education b. Sports and Leisure c. Women in the Gilded Age d. Victorian Values in a New Age e. The Print Revolution 40. Closing the Frontier a. The Massacre at Sand Creek b. Custer's Last Stand c. The End of Resistance d. Life on the Reservations e. The Wounded Knee Massacre 41. Western Folkways a. The Mining Boom b. The Ways of the Cowboy c. Life on the Farm d. The Growth of Populism e. The Election of 1896 42. Progressivism Sweeps the Nation a. Roots of the Movement b. Muckrakers c. Women's Suffrage at Last d. Booker T. Washington e. W. E. B. DuBois 43. Progressives in the White House a. Teddy Roosevelt: The Rough Rider in the White House b. The Trust Buster c. A Helping Hand for Labor d. Preserving the Wilderness e. Passing the Torch f. The Election of 1912 g. Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom 44. Seeking Empire a. Early Stirrings b. Hawaiian Annexation c. "Remember the Maine!" d. The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences e. The Roosevelt Corollary and Latin America f. Reaching to Asia g. The Panama Canal 45. America in the First World War a. Farewell to Isolation b. Over There c. Over Here d. The Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations 46. The Decade That Roared a. The Age of the Automobile b. The Fight Against "Demon Rum" c. The Invention of the Teenager d. Flappers e. The Harlem Renaissance f. A Consumer Economy g. Radio Fever h. Fads and Heroes 47. Old Values vs. New Values a. The Red Scare b. The Monkey Trial c. Intolerance d. Books and Movies e. Domestic and International Politics 48. The Great Depression a. The Market Crashes b. Sinking Deeper and Deeper: 1929-33 c. The Bonus March d. Hoover's Last Stand e. Social and Cultural Effects of the Depression 49. The New Deal a. A Bank Holiday b. Putting People Back to Work c. The Farming Problem d. Social Security e. FDR's Alphabet Soup f. Roosevelt's Critics g. An Evaluation of the New Deal 50. The Road to Pearl Harbor a. 1930s Isolationism b. Reactions to a Troubled World c. War Breaks Out d. The Arsenal of Democracy e. Pearl Harbor 51. America in the Second World War a. Wartime Strategy b. The American Homefront c. D-Day and the German Surrender d. War in the Pacific e. Japanese-American Internment f. The Manhattan Project g. The Decision to Drop the Bomb 52. Postwar Challenges a. The Cold War Erupts b. The United Nations c. Containment and the Marshall Plan d. The Berlin Airlift and NATO e. The Korean War f. Domestic Challenges 53. The 1950s: Happy Days a. McCarthyism b. Suburban Growth c. Land of Television d. America Rocks and Rolls e. The Cold War Continues f. Voices against Conformity 54. A New Civil Rights Movement a. Separate No Longer? b. Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott c. Showdown in Little Rock d. The Sit-In Movement e. Gains and Pains f. Martin Luther King Jr. g. The Long, Hot Summers h. Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam i. Black Power 55. The Vietnam War a. Early Involvement b. Years of Escalation: 1965-68 c. The Tet Offensive d. The Antiwar Movement e. Years of Withdrawal 56. Politics from Camelot to Watergate a. The Election of 1960 b. Kennedy's New Frontier c. Kennedy's Global Challenges d. Kennedy Assassination e. Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" f. 1968: Year of Unraveling g. Triangular Diplomacy: U.S., USSR, and China 57. Shaping a New America a. Modern Feminism b. The Fight for Reproductive Rights c. The Equal Rights Amendment d. Roe v. Wade and Its Impact e. Environmental Reform f. Others Demand Equality g. Student Activism h. Flower Power 58. A Time of Malaise a. Undoing a President b. The Sickened Economy c. Foreign Woes d. Finding Oneself e. The New Right 59. The Reagan Years a. "Morning in America" b. Reaganomics c. Foreign and Domestic Entanglements d. Life in the 1980s e. The End of the Cold War 60. Toward a New Millennium a. Operation Desert Storm b. A Baby Boomer in the White House c. Republicans vs. Democrats d. Living in the Information Age e. The End of the American Century 51f. The Manhattan Project This once classified photograph features the first atomic bomb a weapon that atomic scientists had nicknamed "Gadget." The nuclear age began on July 16, 1945, when it was detonated in the New Mexico desert. This once classified photograph features the first atomic bomb a weapon that atomic scientists had nicknamed "Gadget." The nuclear age began on July 16, 1945, when it was detonated in the New Mexico desert. Early in 1939, the world's scientific community discovered that German physicists had learned the secrets of splitting a uranium atom. Fears soon spread over the possibility of Nazi scientists utilizing that energy to produce a bomb capable of unspeakable destruction. Scientists Albert Einstein, who fled Nazi persecution, and Enrico Fermi, who escaped Fascist Italy, were now living in the United States. They agreed that the President must be informed of the dangers of atomic technology in the hands of the Axis powers. Fermi traveled to Washington in March to express his concerns to government officials. But few shared his uneasiness. Leaving nothing to chance, Los Alamos atomic scientists conducted a pre-test test in May 1945 to check the monitoring instruments. A 100-ton bomb was exploded some 800 yards from the Trinity site where Gadget would be detonated a few weeks later. Leaving nothing to chance, Los Alamos atomic scientists conducted a pre-test test in May 1945 to check the monitoring instruments. A 100-ton bomb was exploded some 800 yards from the Trinity site where Gadget would be detonated a few weeks later. Einstein penned a letter to President Roosevelt urging the development of an atomic research program later that year. Roosevelt saw neither the necessity nor the utility for such a project, but agreed to proceed slowly. In late 1941, the American effort to design and build an atomic bomb received its code name the Manhattan Project. At first the research was based at only a few universities Columbia University, the University of Chicago and the University of California at Berkeley. A breakthrough occurred in December 1942 when Fermi led a group of physicists to produce the first controlled nuclear chain reaction under the grandstands of Stagg Field at the University of Chicago. Enrico Fermi, a physicist who left fascist Italy for America, encouraged the U.S. to begin atomic research. The result was the top-secret "Manhattan Project." Enrico Fermi, a physicist who left fascist Italy for America, encouraged the U.S. to begin atomic research. The result was the top-secret "Manhattan Project." After this milestone, funds were allocated more freely, and the project advanced at breakneck speed. Nuclear facilities were built at Oak Ridge, Tennessee and Hanford, Washington. The main assembly plant was built at Los Alamos, New Mexico. Robert Oppenheimer was put in charge of putting the pieces together at Los Alamos. After the final bill was tallied, nearly $2 billion had been spent on research and development of the atomic bomb. The Manhattan Project employed over 120,000 Americans. Secrecy was paramount. Neither the Germans nor the Japanese could learn of the project. Roosevelt and Churchill also agreed that Stalin would be kept in the dark. Consequently, there was no public awareness or debate. Keeping 120,000 people quiet would be impossible; therefore only a small privileged cadre of inner scientists and officials knew about the atomic bomb's development. In fact, Vice-President Truman had never heard of the Manhattan Project until he became President Truman. Although the Axis powers remained unaware of the efforts at Los Alamos, American leaders later learned that a Soviet spy named Klaus Fuchs had penetrated the inner circle of scientists. This crater in the Nevada desert was created by a 104 kiloton nuclear bomb buried 635 feet beneath the surface. It is the result of a 1962 test investigating whether nuclear weapons could be used to excavate canals and harbors. This crater in the Nevada desert was created by a 104 kiloton nuclear bomb buried 635 feet beneath the surface. It is the result of a 1962 test investigating whether nuclear weapons could be used to excavate canals and harbors. By the summer of 1945, Oppenheimer was ready to test the first bomb. On July 16, 1945, at Trinity Site near Alamogordo, New Mexico, scientists of the Manhattan Project readied themselves to watch the detonation of the world's first atomic bomb. The device was affixed to a 100-foot tower and discharged just before dawn. No one was properly prepared for the result. A blinding flash visible for 200 miles lit up the morning sky. A mushroom cloud reached 40,000 feet, blowing out windows of civilian homes up to 100 miles away. When the cloud returned to earth it created a half-mile wide crater metamorphosing sand into glass. A bogus cover-up story was quickly released, explaining that a huge ammunition dump had just exploded in the desert. Soon word reached President Truman in Potsdam, Germany that the project was successful. The world had entered the nuclear age. American History 1. Native American Society on the Eve of British Colonization a. Diversity of Native American Groups b. The Anasazi c. The Algonkian Tribes d. The Iroquois Tribes 2. Britain in the New World a. Early Ventures Fail b. Joint-Stock Companies c. Jamestown Settlement and the "Starving Time" d. The Growth of the Tobacco Trade e. War and Peace with Powhatan's People f. The House of Burgesses 3. The New England Colonies a. The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony b. William Bradford and the First Thanksgiving c. Massachusetts Bay "The City Upon a Hill" d. Puritan Life e. Dissent in Massachusetts Bay f. Reaching to Connecticut g. Witchcraft in Salem 4. The Middle Colonies a. New Netherland to New York b. Quakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey c. City of Brotherly Love Philadelphia d. The Ideas of Benjamin Franklin 5. The Southern Colonies a. Maryland The Catholic Experiment b. Indentured Servants c. Creating the Carolinas d. Debtors in Georgia e. Life in the Plantation South 6. African Americans in the British New World a. West African Society at the Point of European Contact b. "The Middle Passage" c. The Growth of Slavery d. Slave Life on the Farm and in the Town e. Free African Americans in the Colonial Era f. "Slave Codes" g. A New African-American Culture 7. The Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking a. The Impact of Enlightenment in Europe b. The Great Awakening c. The Trial of John Peter Zenger d. Smuggling e. A Tradition of Rebellion f. "What Is the American?" 8. America's Place in the Global Struggle a. New France b. The French and Indian War c. George Washington's Background and Experience d. The Treaty of Paris (1763) and Its Impact 9. The Events Leading to Independence a. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 b. The Stamp Act Controversy c. The Boston Patriots d. The Townshend Acts e. The Boston Massacre f. The Tea Act and Tea Parties g. The Intolerable Acts 10. E Pluribus Unum a. Stamp Act Congress b. Sons and Daughters of Liberty c. Committees of Correspondence d. First Continental Congress e. Second Continental Congress f. Thomas Paine's Common Sense g. The Declaration of Independence 11. The American Revolution a. American and British Strengths and Weaknesses b. Loyalists, Fence-sitters, and Patriots c. Lexington and Concord d. Bunker Hill e. The Revolution on the Home Front f. Washington at Valley Forge g. The Battle of Saratoga h. The French Alliance i. Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris 12. Societal Impacts of the American Revolution a. The Impact of Slavery b. A Revolution in Social Law c. Political Experience d. "Republican Motherhood" 13. When Does the Revolution End? a. The Declaration of Independence and Its Legacy b. The War Experience: Soldiers, Officers, and Civilians c. The Loyalists d. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Slavery e. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Women f. Revolutionary Limits: Native Americans g. Revolutionary Achievement: Yeomen and Artisans h. The Age of Atlantic Revolutions 14. Making Rules a. State Constitutions b. Articles of Confederation c. Evaluating the Congress d. The Economic Crisis of the 1780s 15. Drafting the Constitution a. Shays' Rebellion b. A Cast of National Superstars c. The Tough Issues d. Constitution Through Compromise 16. Ratifying the Constitution a. Federalists b. Antifederalists c. The Ratification Process: State by State d. After the Fact: Virginia, New York, and "The Federalist Papers" e. The Antifederalists' Victory in Defeat 17. George Washington a. Growing up in Colonial Virginia b. The Force of Personality and Military Command c. The First Administration d. Farewell Address e. Mount Vernon and the Dilemma of a Revolutionary Slave Holder 18. Unsettled Domestic Issues a. The Bill of Rights b. Hamilton's Financial Plan c. Growing Opposition d. U.S. Military Defeat; Indian Victory in the West e. Native American Resilience and Violence in the West 19. Politics in Transition: Public Conflict in the 1790s a. Trans-Atlantic Crisis: The French Revolution b. Negotiating with the Superpowers c. Two Parties Emerge d. The Adams Presidency e. The Alien and Sedition Acts f. The Life and Times of John Adams 20. Jeffersonian America: A Second Revolution? a. The Election of 1800 b. Jeffersonian Ideology c. Westward Expansion: The Louisiana Purchase d. A New National Capital: Washington, D.C. e. A Federalist Stronghold: John Marshall's Supreme Court f. Gabriel's Rebellion: Another View of Virginia in 1800 21. The Expanding Republic and the War of 1812 a. The Importance of the West b. Exploration: Lewis and Clark c. Diplomatic Challenges in an Age of European War d. Native American Resistance in the Trans-Appalachian West e. The Second War for American Independence f. Claiming Victory from Defeat 22. Social Change and National Development a. Economic Growth and the Early Industrial Revolution b. Cotton and African-American Life c. Religious Transformation and the Second Great Awakening d. Institutionalizing Religious Belief: The Benevolent Empire e. New Roles for White Women f. Early National Arts and Cultural Independence 23. Politics and the New Nation a. The Era of Good Feelings and the Two-Party System b. The Expansion of the Vote: A White Man's Democracy c. The Missouri Compromise d. The 1824 Election and the "Corrupt Bargain" e. John Quincy Adams f. Jacksonian Democracy and Modern America 24. The Age of Jackson a. The Rise of the Common Man b. A Strong Presidency c. The South Carolina Nullification Controversy d. The War Against the Bank e. Jackson vs. Clay and Calhoun f. The Trail of Tears The Indian Removals 25. The Rise of American Industry a. The Canal Era b. Early American Railroads c. Inventors and Inventions d. The First American Factories e. The Emergence of "Women's Sphere" f. Irish and German Immigration 26. An Explosion of New Thought a. Religious Revival b. Experiments with Utopia c. Women's Rights d. Prison and Asylum Reform e. Hudson River School Artists f. Transcendentalism, An American Philosophy 27. The Peculiar Institution a. The Crowning of King Cotton b. Slave Life and Slave Codes c. The Plantation & Chivalry d. Free(?) African-Americans e. Rebellions on and off the Plantation f. The Southern Argument for Slavery 28. Abolitionist Sentiment Grows a. William Lloyd Garrison and The Liberator b. African-American Abolitionists c. The Underground Railroad d. Harriet Beecher Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin 29. Manifest Destiny a. The Lone Star Republic b. 54 40' or Fight c. "American Blood on American Soil" d. The Mexican-American War e. Gold in California 30. An Uneasy Peace a. Wilmot's Proviso b. Popular Sovereignty c. Three Senatorial Giants: Clay, Calhoun and Webster d. The Compromise of 1850 31. "Bloody Kansas" a. The Kansas-Nebraska Act b. Border Ruffians c. The Sack of Lawrence d. The Pottawatomie Creek Massacre e. Canefight! Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner 32. From Uneasy Peace to Bitter Conflict a. The Dred Scott Decision b. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates c. John Brown's Raid d. The Election of 1860 e. The South Secedes 33. A House Divided a. Fort Sumter b. Strengths and Weaknesses: North vs. South c. First Blood and Its Aftermath d. Sacred Beliefs e. Bloody Antietam f. Of Generals and Soldiers g. Gettysburg: High Watermark of the Confederacy h. Northern Plans to End the War i. The Road to Appomattox 34. The War Behind the Lines a. The Emancipation Proclamation b. Wartime Diplomacy c. The Northern Homefront d. The Southern Homefront e. The Election of 1864 f. The Assassination of the President 35. Reconstruction a. Presidential Reconstruction b. Radical Reconstruction c. A President Impeached d. Rebuilding the Old Order 36. The Gilded Age a. Binding the Nation by Rail b. The New Tycoons: John D. Rockefeller c. The New Tycoons: Andrew Carnegie d. The New Tycoons: J. Pierpont Morgan e. New Attitudes Toward Wealth f. Politics of the Gilded Age 37. Organized Labor a. The Great Upheaval b. Labor vs. Management c. Early National Organizations d. American Federation of Labor e. Eugene V. Debs and American Socialism 38. From the Countryside to the City a. The Glamour of American Cities b. The Underside of Urban Life c. The Rush of Immigrants d. Corruption Runs Wild e. Religious Revival: The "Social Gospel" f. Artistic and Literary Trends 39. New Dimensions in Everyday Life a. Education b. Sports and Leisure c. Women in the Gilded Age d. Victorian Values in a New Age e. The Print Revolution 40. Closing the Frontier a. The Massacre at Sand Creek b. Custer's Last Stand c. The End of Resistance d. Life on the Reservations e. The Wounded Knee Massacre 41. Western Folkways a. The Mining Boom b. The Ways of the Cowboy c. Life on the Farm d. The Growth of Populism e. The Election of 1896 42. Progressivism Sweeps the Nation a. Roots of the Movement b. Muckrakers c. Women's Suffrage at Last d. Booker T. Washington e. W. E. B. DuBois 43. Progressives in the White House a. Teddy Roosevelt: The Rough Rider in the White House b. The Trust Buster c. A Helping Hand for Labor d. Preserving the Wilderness e. Passing the Torch f. The Election of 1912 g. Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom 44. Seeking Empire a. Early Stirrings b. Hawaiian Annexation c. "Remember the Maine!" d. The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences e. The Roosevelt Corollary and Latin America f. Reaching to Asia g. The Panama Canal 45. America in the First World War a. Farewell to Isolation b. Over There c. Over Here d. The Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations 46. The Decade That Roared a. The Age of the Automobile b. The Fight Against "Demon Rum" c. The Invention of the Teenager d. Flappers e. The Harlem Renaissance f. A Consumer Economy g. Radio Fever h. Fads and Heroes 47. Old Values vs. New Values a. The Red Scare b. The Monkey Trial c. Intolerance d. Books and Movies e. Domestic and International Politics 48. The Great Depression a. The Market Crashes b. Sinking Deeper and Deeper: 1929-33 c. The Bonus March d. Hoover's Last Stand e. Social and Cultural Effects of the Depression 49. The New Deal a. A Bank Holiday b. Putting People Back to Work c. The Farming Problem d. Social Security e. FDR's Alphabet Soup f. Roosevelt's Critics g. An Evaluation of the New Deal 50. The Road to Pearl Harbor a. 1930s Isolationism b. Reactions to a Troubled World c. War Breaks Out d. The Arsenal of Democracy e. Pearl Harbor 51. America in the Second World War a. Wartime Strategy b. The American Homefront c. D-Day and the German Surrender d. War in the Pacific e. Japanese-American Internment f. The Manhattan Project g. The Decision to Drop the Bomb 52. Postwar Challenges a. The Cold War Erupts b. The United Nations c. Containment and the Marshall Plan d. The Berlin Airlift and NATO e. The Korean War f. Domestic Challenges 53. The 1950s: Happy Days a. McCarthyism b. Suburban Growth c. Land of Television d. America Rocks and Rolls e. The Cold War Continues f. Voices against Conformity 54. A New Civil Rights Movement a. Separate No Longer? b. Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott c. Showdown in Little Rock d. The Sit-In Movement e. Gains and Pains f. Martin Luther King Jr. g. The Long, Hot Summers h. Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam i. Black Power 55. The Vietnam War a. Early Involvement b. Years of Escalation: 1965-68 c. The Tet Offensive d. The Antiwar Movement e. Years of Withdrawal 56. Politics from Camelot to Watergate a. The Election of 1960 b. Kennedy's New Frontier c. Kennedy's Global Challenges d. Kennedy Assassination e. Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" f. 1968: Year of Unraveling g. Triangular Diplomacy: U.S., USSR, and China 57. Shaping a New America a. Modern Feminism b. The Fight for Reproductive Rights c. The Equal Rights Amendment d. Roe v. Wade and Its Impact e. Environmental Reform f. Others Demand Equality g. Student Activism h. Flower Power 58. A Time of Malaise a. Undoing a President b. The Sickened Economy c. Foreign Woes d. Finding Oneself e. The New Right 59. The Reagan Years a. "Morning in America" b. Reaganomics c. Foreign and Domestic Entanglements d. Life in the 1980s e. The End of the Cold War 60. Toward a New Millennium a. Operation Desert Storm b. A Baby Boomer in the White House c. Republicans vs. Democrats d. Living in the Information Age e. The End of the American Century 59c. Foreign and Domestic Entanglements U.S. planes attacked Libya in 1986 after evidence surfaced that Libyan terrorists were responsible for a discotheque bombing in West Berlin. Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi (above) survived the attack, although his home was targeted. U.S. planes attacked Libya in 1986 after evidence surfaced that Libyan terrorists were responsible for a discotheque bombing in West Berlin. Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi (above) survived the attack, although his home was targeted. Ronald Reagan, Cold Warrior. Before he became President, he set the tone for relations with the Soviet Union by labeling the USSR an "evil empire." Around the world, communism seemed to be spreading. Soviet troops were in Afghanistan. Nicaragua was led by a Soviet-backed Sandinista government. Communist guerillas threatened to take over in neighboring El Salvador. Cuban-backed troops waged a successful insurgency in Angola. The age of detente was over. Reagan hoped to negotiate with the Soviet Union, but believed he could only achieve concessions if dealing from a position of superiority. His increase in military spending would force a similar increase on the part of the Soviet rivals. In addition to upgrading all three branches of the American strategic defense, he proposed a bold new scheme to defend the United States mainland from any incoming ballistic missiles. This Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) drew criticism from liberal Democrats who deemed it too costly and from scientists who questioned its feasibility. The Iran-Contra Committee convened in 1987 in an attempt to learn more about the secret funding of the Nicaraguan contras. No link could be made to President Reagan, who replied, "I don't remember" to most questions about his involvement. The Iran-Contra Committee convened in 1987 in an attempt to learn more about the secret funding of the Nicaraguan contras. No link could be made to President Reagan, who replied, "I don't remember" to most questions about his involvement. When Mikhail Gorbachev assumed leadership of the USSR in 1985, proclaiming a new policy of openness, Reagan believed it was time to act. The two leaders agreed in principle to an Intermediate Nuclear Forces treaty in 1987, which for the first time eliminated an entire class of existing nuclear weapons. Around the globe, Reagan was determined to vanquish the specter of Vietnam. He believed the United States could ill afford to sit passively while communism expanded aggressively. He announced the Reagan Doctrine, which pledged American support to "freedom fighters" opposing Communism any where on the globe. Funds and CIA training were awarded to the government of El Salvador to help defeat communist guerillas. After left-leaning revolutionaries took over the island of Grenada in 1983, Reagan dispatched the Marines to install a US-friendly regime. The United States gave support to the mujahedeen rebels who fought against Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Another international menace was state-sponsored terrorism. In October 1983, 239 Marines were killed in Lebanon by a suicide bomber. Governments such as Syria, Libya, and Iran were suspected to training terrorist groups on their own soil. Reagan warned the nations of the world that if the United States could ever prove a link between an act of terrorism and a foreign government, there would be serious consequences. When the CIA linked the bombing of a West Berlin discotheque to the government of Libya, Reagan sprung into action. U.S. planes retaliated in April 1986 by bombing Libya, including the home of its leader, Muammar el-Qaddafi. The "glasnost" (openness) and "perestroika" (reform) of Mikhail Gorbachev's term as Soviet Premier led to lessened tensions and a better dialogue between the U.S. and USSR. The "glasnost" (openness) and "perestroika" (reform) of Mikhail Gorbachev's term as Soviet Premier led to lessened tensions and a better dialogue between the U.S. and USSR. Terrorism and anti-Communism combined to confront Reagan with his worst domestic scandal. In November 1986, the press reported that American military supplies had been secretly sold to archenemy Iran in exchange for their support for the release of American hostages held in Lebanon. As the story unraveled, it was revealed that a National Security Council aide named Oliver North diverted proceeds from the Iran deal to support the Nicaraguan contras, who fought against the Sandinista government. The Congress had expressly forbidden such aid, but high-level Reagan Administration officials had proceeded nonetheless. Documents were shredded to mask the paper trail in the White House. No connection to between the scandal and President Reagan was ever proven. When asked about his knowledge of the Iran-Contra affair, Reagan repeatedly replied: "I don't remember." Although no charges were ever raised, the "Teflon President" was somewhat smeared by the ugly mess in the White House. American History 1. Native American Society on the Eve of British Colonization a. Diversity of Native American Groups b. The Anasazi c. The Algonkian Tribes d. The Iroquois Tribes 2. Britain in the New World a. Early Ventures Fail b. Joint-Stock Companies c. Jamestown Settlement and the "Starving Time" d. The Growth of the Tobacco Trade e. War and Peace with Powhatan's People f. The House of Burgesses 3. The New England Colonies a. The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony b. William Bradford and the First Thanksgiving c. Massachusetts Bay "The City Upon a Hill" d. Puritan Life e. Dissent in Massachusetts Bay f. Reaching to Connecticut g. Witchcraft in Salem 4. The Middle Colonies a. New Netherland to New York b. Quakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey c. City of Brotherly Love Philadelphia d. The Ideas of Benjamin Franklin 5. The Southern Colonies a. Maryland The Catholic Experiment b. Indentured Servants c. Creating the Carolinas d. Debtors in Georgia e. Life in the Plantation South 6. African Americans in the British New World a. West African Society at the Point of European Contact b. "The Middle Passage" c. The Growth of Slavery d. Slave Life on the Farm and in the Town e. Free African Americans in the Colonial Era f. "Slave Codes" g. A New African-American Culture 7. The Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking a. The Impact of Enlightenment in Europe b. The Great Awakening c. The Trial of John Peter Zenger d. Smuggling e. A Tradition of Rebellion f. "What Is the American?" 8. America's Place in the Global Struggle a. New France b. The French and Indian War c. George Washington's Background and Experience d. The Treaty of Paris (1763) and Its Impact 9. The Events Leading to Independence a. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 b. The Stamp Act Controversy c. The Boston Patriots d. The Townshend Acts e. The Boston Massacre f. The Tea Act and Tea Parties g. The Intolerable Acts 10. E Pluribus Unum a. Stamp Act Congress b. Sons and Daughters of Liberty c. Committees of Correspondence d. First Continental Congress e. Second Continental Congress f. Thomas Paine's Common Sense g. The Declaration of Independence 11. The American Revolution a. American and British Strengths and Weaknesses b. Loyalists, Fence-sitters, and Patriots c. Lexington and Concord d. Bunker Hill e. The Revolution on the Home Front f. Washington at Valley Forge g. The Battle of Saratoga h. The French Alliance i. Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris 12. Societal Impacts of the American Revolution a. The Impact of Slavery b. A Revolution in Social Law c. Political Experience d. "Republican Motherhood" 13. When Does the Revolution End? a. The Declaration of Independence and Its Legacy b. The War Experience: Soldiers, Officers, and Civilians c. The Loyalists d. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Slavery e. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Women f. Revolutionary Limits: Native Americans g. Revolutionary Achievement: Yeomen and Artisans h. The Age of Atlantic Revolutions 14. Making Rules a. State Constitutions b. Articles of Confederation c. Evaluating the Congress d. The Economic Crisis of the 1780s 15. Drafting the Constitution a. Shays' Rebellion b. A Cast of National Superstars c. The Tough Issues d. Constitution Through Compromise 16. Ratifying the Constitution a. Federalists b. Antifederalists c. The Ratification Process: State by State d. After the Fact: Virginia, New York, and "The Federalist Papers" e. The Antifederalists' Victory in Defeat 17. George Washington a. Growing up in Colonial Virginia b. The Force of Personality and Military Command c. The First Administration d. Farewell Address e. Mount Vernon and the Dilemma of a Revolutionary Slave Holder 18. Unsettled Domestic Issues a. The Bill of Rights b. Hamilton's Financial Plan c. Growing Opposition d. U.S. Military Defeat; Indian Victory in the West e. Native American Resilience and Violence in the West 19. Politics in Transition: Public Conflict in the 1790s a. Trans-Atlantic Crisis: The French Revolution b. Negotiating with the Superpowers c. Two Parties Emerge d. The Adams Presidency e. The Alien and Sedition Acts f. The Life and Times of John Adams 20. Jeffersonian America: A Second Revolution? a. The Election of 1800 b. Jeffersonian Ideology c. Westward Expansion: The Louisiana Purchase d. A New National Capital: Washington, D.C. e. A Federalist Stronghold: John Marshall's Supreme Court f. Gabriel's Rebellion: Another View of Virginia in 1800 21. The Expanding Republic and the War of 1812 a. The Importance of the West b. Exploration: Lewis and Clark c. Diplomatic Challenges in an Age of European War d. Native American Resistance in the Trans-Appalachian West e. The Second War for American Independence f. Claiming Victory from Defeat 22. Social Change and National Development a. Economic Growth and the Early Industrial Revolution b. Cotton and African-American Life c. Religious Transformation and the Second Great Awakening d. Institutionalizing Religious Belief: The Benevolent Empire e. New Roles for White Women f. Early National Arts and Cultural Independence 23. Politics and the New Nation a. The Era of Good Feelings and the Two-Party System b. The Expansion of the Vote: A White Man's Democracy c. The Missouri Compromise d. The 1824 Election and the "Corrupt Bargain" e. John Quincy Adams f. Jacksonian Democracy and Modern America 24. The Age of Jackson a. The Rise of the Common Man b. A Strong Presidency c. The South Carolina Nullification Controversy d. The War Against the Bank e. Jackson vs. Clay and Calhoun f. The Trail of Tears The Indian Removals 25. The Rise of American Industry a. The Canal Era b. Early American Railroads c. Inventors and Inventions d. The First American Factories e. The Emergence of "Women's Sphere" f. Irish and German Immigration 26. An Explosion of New Thought a. Religious Revival b. Experiments with Utopia c. Women's Rights d. Prison and Asylum Reform e. Hudson River School Artists f. Transcendentalism, An American Philosophy 27. The Peculiar Institution a. The Crowning of King Cotton b. Slave Life and Slave Codes c. The Plantation & Chivalry d. Free(?) African-Americans e. Rebellions on and off the Plantation f. The Southern Argument for Slavery 28. Abolitionist Sentiment Grows a. William Lloyd Garrison and The Liberator b. African-American Abolitionists c. The Underground Railroad d. Harriet Beecher Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin 29. Manifest Destiny a. The Lone Star Republic b. 54 40' or Fight c. "American Blood on American Soil" d. The Mexican-American War e. Gold in California 30. An Uneasy Peace a. Wilmot's Proviso b. Popular Sovereignty c. Three Senatorial Giants: Clay, Calhoun and Webster d. The Compromise of 1850 31. "Bloody Kansas" a. The Kansas-Nebraska Act b. Border Ruffians c. The Sack of Lawrence d. The Pottawatomie Creek Massacre e. Canefight! Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner 32. From Uneasy Peace to Bitter Conflict a. The Dred Scott Decision b. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates c. John Brown's Raid d. The Election of 1860 e. The South Secedes 33. A House Divided a. Fort Sumter b. Strengths and Weaknesses: North vs. South c. First Blood and Its Aftermath d. Sacred Beliefs e. Bloody Antietam f. Of Generals and Soldiers g. Gettysburg: High Watermark of the Confederacy h. Northern Plans to End the War i. The Road to Appomattox 34. The War Behind the Lines a. The Emancipation Proclamation b. Wartime Diplomacy c. The Northern Homefront d. The Southern Homefront e. The Election of 1864 f. The Assassination of the President 35. Reconstruction a. Presidential Reconstruction b. Radical Reconstruction c. A President Impeached d. Rebuilding the Old Order 36. The Gilded Age a. Binding the Nation by Rail b. The New Tycoons: John D. Rockefeller c. The New Tycoons: Andrew Carnegie d. The New Tycoons: J. Pierpont Morgan e. New Attitudes Toward Wealth f. Politics of the Gilded Age 37. Organized Labor a. The Great Upheaval b. Labor vs. Management c. Early National Organizations d. American Federation of Labor e. Eugene V. Debs and American Socialism 38. From the Countryside to the City a. The Glamour of American Cities b. The Underside of Urban Life c. The Rush of Immigrants d. Corruption Runs Wild e. Religious Revival: The "Social Gospel" f. Artistic and Literary Trends 39. New Dimensions in Everyday Life a. Education b. Sports and Leisure c. Women in the Gilded Age d. Victorian Values in a New Age e. The Print Revolution 40. Closing the Frontier a. The Massacre at Sand Creek b. Custer's Last Stand c. The End of Resistance d. Life on the Reservations e. The Wounded Knee Massacre 41. Western Folkways a. The Mining Boom b. The Ways of the Cowboy c. Life on the Farm d. The Growth of Populism e. The Election of 1896 42. Progressivism Sweeps the Nation a. Roots of the Movement b. Muckrakers c. Women's Suffrage at Last d. Booker T. Washington e. W. E. B. DuBois 43. Progressives in the White House a. Teddy Roosevelt: The Rough Rider in the White House b. The Trust Buster c. A Helping Hand for Labor d. Preserving the Wilderness e. Passing the Torch f. The Election of 1912 g. Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom 44. Seeking Empire a. Early Stirrings b. Hawaiian Annexation c. "Remember the Maine!" d. The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences e. The Roosevelt Corollary and Latin America f. Reaching to Asia g. The Panama Canal 45. America in the First World War a. Farewell to Isolation b. Over There c. Over Here d. The Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations 46. The Decade That Roared a. The Age of the Automobile b. The Fight Against "Demon Rum" c. The Invention of the Teenager d. Flappers e. The Harlem Renaissance f. A Consumer Economy g. Radio Fever h. Fads and Heroes 47. Old Values vs. New Values a. The Red Scare b. The Monkey Trial c. Intolerance d. Books and Movies e. Domestic and International Politics 48. The Great Depression a. The Market Crashes b. Sinking Deeper and Deeper: 1929-33 c. The Bonus March d. Hoover's Last Stand e. Social and Cultural Effects of the Depression 49. The New Deal a. A Bank Holiday b. Putting People Back to Work c. The Farming Problem d. Social Security e. FDR's Alphabet Soup f. Roosevelt's Critics g. An Evaluation of the New Deal 50. The Road to Pearl Harbor a. 1930s Isolationism b. Reactions to a Troubled World c. War Breaks Out d. The Arsenal of Democracy e. Pearl Harbor 51. America in the Second World War a. Wartime Strategy b. The American Homefront c. D-Day and the German Surrender d. War in the Pacific e. Japanese-American Internment f. The Manhattan Project g. The Decision to Drop the Bomb 52. Postwar Challenges a. The Cold War Erupts b. The United Nations c. Containment and the Marshall Plan d. The Berlin Airlift and NATO e. The Korean War f. Domestic Challenges 53. The 1950s: Happy Days a. McCarthyism b. Suburban Growth c. Land of Television d. America Rocks and Rolls e. The Cold War Continues f. Voices against Conformity 54. A New Civil Rights Movement a. Separate No Longer? b. Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott c. Showdown in Little Rock d. The Sit-In Movement e. Gains and Pains f. Martin Luther King Jr. g. The Long, Hot Summers h. Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam i. Black Power 55. The Vietnam War a. Early Involvement b. Years of Escalation: 1965-68 c. The Tet Offensive d. The Antiwar Movement e. Years of Withdrawal 56. Politics from Camelot to Watergate a. The Election of 1960 b. Kennedy's New Frontier c. Kennedy's Global Challenges d. Kennedy Assassination e. Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" f. 1968: Year of Unraveling g. Triangular Diplomacy: U.S., USSR, and China 57. Shaping a New America a. Modern Feminism b. The Fight for Reproductive Rights c. The Equal Rights Amendment d. Roe v. Wade and Its Impact e. Environmental Reform f. Others Demand Equality g. Student Activism h. Flower Power 58. A Time of Malaise a. Undoing a President b. The Sickened Economy c. Foreign Woes d. Finding Oneself e. The New Right 59. The Reagan Years a. "Morning in America" b. Reaganomics c. Foreign and Domestic Entanglements d. Life in the 1980s e. The End of the Cold War 60. Toward a New Millennium a. Operation Desert Storm b. A Baby Boomer in the White House c. Republicans vs. Democrats d. Living in the Information Age e. The End of the American Century 9e. The Boston Massacre Crispus Attucks was not only the first African American to die for the revolution, he was one of the first patriots to give his life for the cause. Crispus Attucks was not only the first African American to die for the revolution, he was one of the first patriots to give his life for the cause. American blood was shed on American soil. The showdown between the British and the Americans was not simply a war of words. Blood was shed over this clash of ideals. Although large-scale fighting between American minutemen and the British redcoats did not begin until 1775, the 1770 Boston Massacre gave each side a taste of what was to come. No colony was thrilled with the Townshend duties, but nowhere was there greater resentment than in Boston. British officials in Boston feared for their lives. When attempts were made to seize two of John Hancock's trading vessels, Boston was ready to riot. Lord Hillsborough, Parliament's minister on American affairs, finally ordered four regiments to be moved to Boston. The British Make the Americans Skittish U.S. Department of State This print of Paul Revere's depiction of the Boston Massacre is on display in the Diplomatic Receptions Rooms of the Maine State Department building in Washington, D.C. This print of Paul Revere's depiction of the Boston Massacre is on display in the Diplomatic Receptions Rooms of the Maine State Department building in Washington, D.C. Samuel Adams and James Otis did not take this lightly. Less than three weeks prior to the arrival of British troops, Bostonians defiantly, but nervously, assembled in Faneuil Hall. But when the redcoats marched boldly through the town streets on October 1, the only resistance seen was on the facial expressions of the townspeople. The people of Boston had decided to show restraint. The other 12 colonies watched the Boston proceedings with great interest. Perhaps their fears about British tyranny were true. Moderates found it difficult to argue that the Crown was not interested in stripping away American civil liberties by having a standing army stationed in Boston. Throughout the occupation, sentiment shifted further and further away from the London government. The Massacre On March 5, 1770, the inevitable happened. A mob of about 60 angry townspeople descended upon the guard at the Customs House. When reinforcements were called, the crowd became more unruly, hurling rocks and snowballs at the guard and reinforcements. In the heat of the confusing melee, the British fired without Captain Thomas Preston's command. Imperial bullets took the lives of five men, including Crispus Attucks, a former slave. Others were injured. Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre, 1770 This party in proceeding from Exchange lane into King street, must pass the sentry posted at the westerly corner of the Custom House, which butts on that lane and fronts on that street. This is needful to be mentioned, as near that spot and in that street the bloody tragedy was acted, and the street actors in it were stationed: their station being but a few feet from the front side of the said Custom House. The outrageous behavior and the threats of the said party occasioned the ringing of the meeting-house bell near the head of King street, which bell ringing quick, as for fire, it presently brought out a number of inhabitants, who being soon sensible of the occasion of it, were naturally led to King street, where the said party had made a stop but a little while before, and where their stopping had drawn together a number of boys, round the sentry at the Custom House. whether the boys mistook the sentry for one of the said party, and thence took occasion to differ with him, or whether he first affronted them, which is affirmed in several depositions,-however that may be, there was much foul language between them, and some of them, in consequence of his pushing at them with his bayonet, threw snowballs at him, which occasioned him to knock hastily at the door of the Custom House. From hence two persons thereupon proceeded immediately to the main-guard, which was posted opposite to the State House, at a small distance, near the head of the said street. The officer on guard was Capt. Preston, who with seven or eight soldiers, with fire-arms and charged bayonets, issued from the guardhouse, and in great haste posted himself and his soldiers in front of the Custom House, near the corner aforesaid. Anonymous, "An Account of the Boston Massacre," (1770) Trial and Error Henry Pelham Five men were killed in the incident known as the Boston Massacre. Among them was Crispus Attucks, a former slave. Five men were killed in the incident known as the Boston Massacre. Among them was Crispus Attucks, a former slave. Captain Preston and four of his men were cleared of all charges in the trial that followed. Two others were convicted of manslaughter, but were sentenced to a mere branding of the thumb. The lawyer who represented the British soldiers was none other than patriot John Adams. At the same time Preston's men drew blood in Boston, the Parliament in London decided once again to concede on the issue of taxation. All the Townshend duties were repealed save one, the tax on tea. It proved to another error in judgment on the part of the British. The Massachusetts legislature was reconvened. Despite calls by some to continue the tea boycott until all taxes were repealed, most American colonists resumed importation. The events in Boston from 1768 through 1770 were not soon forgotten. Legal squabbles were one thing, but bloodshed was another. Despite the verdict of the soldiers' trial, Americans did not forget the lesson they had learned from this experience. What was the lesson? Americans learned that the British would use force when necessary to keep the Americans obedient. THE FATAL FIFTH OF MARCH, 1770, CAN NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. The horrors of THAT DREADFUL NIGHT are but too deeply impressed on our hearts. Language is too feeble to paint the emotions of our souls, when our streets were stained with the BLOOD OF OUR BRETHERN; when our ears were wounded by the groans of the dying, and our eyes were tormented with the sight of the mangled bodies of the dead. When our alarmed imagination presented to our view our houses wrapt in flames, our children subjected to the barbarous caprice of the raging soldiery; our beauteous virgins exposed to all the insolence of unbridled passion; our virtuous wives, endeared to us by every tender tie, falling a sacrifice to worse than brutal violence, and perhaps, like the famed Lucretia, distracted with anguish and despair, ending their wretched lives by their own fair hands... Dr. Joseph Warren, "Oration commemorating the anniversary of the Boston Massacre," (March 5, 1772) If it could happen in Boston, where would it happen next? BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom, Feb. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On the heels of success announced by Juniper Systems, Inc., headquarters in Logan, Utah, USA, Juniper Systems Limited near Birmingham, UK, today released news of its success throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Juniper Systems success story looks different compared to other tech start-up companies, said Mr DeVon Labrum, the companys CEO. Weve focused on strategic, slow-burning, hard-fought disruption and its paid off. Weve been in business for a quarter century and were not stagnating. Thats unique today among technology companies. Throughout EMEA, Juniper Systems Limited is on pace for another record-breaking year of growth, including an expanded team and product lines. The company recently added dedicated account managers in German-speaking and Nordic countries. This year the company expects to release five new products, two of which have already launched. This growth prompted the company to relocate its EMEA office to larger premises near Birmingham. From the Cedar product line were recent releases of the Cedar CP3 Rugged Smartphone and Cedar CT8 Rugged Tablet , both running on Android OS. Fully-rugged, waterproof and dustproof, they have received tremendous response. Its an exciting time with a lot of growth, thanks to our versatile products and commitment to superb customer service, said Mr Simon Bowe, managing director for Juniper Systems Limited in EMEA. We truly appreciate the support of our business partners and the headquarters team in the States. Other products to be released this year include two, third-generation rugged handheld computers, a high-performance tablet, and an upgraded sub-meter receiver. Our companys vision is community-minded and customer-focused, commented Mr Bowe. We deliver quality technical products and happily serve many wonderful people who do important work in our communities. About Juniper Systems Limited Based in Logan, UT, USA, and Birmingham, UK, Juniper Systems is a world leader in the design and manufacture of ultra-rugged handheld computers, providing field data collection solutions for use in extreme environments. Since 1993, professionals have utilised Juniper Systems innovative mobile technology in the geomatics, industrial, natural resources, utilities, public services, and military markets. Contact: Simon Bowe, Managing Director +44 (0) 1527 870773 simon@junipersys.com Media Contact: Barbara Sanner +1 480 980 0298 barbara.sanner@junipersys.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c7025a09-65bf-4839-80ed-f7fb1bb59f44 Agenda Set for UW Spring Faculty and Staff Town Hall March 7 Members of the University of Wyoming community will receive updates on the 2019 Wyoming legislative session and a number of other topics during the Spring Faculty and Staff Town Hall Thursday, March 7, from 1:20-2:35 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Ballroom. President Laurie Nichols will lead the legislative report. Other presentations will include updates on UW residence hall planning, the process and timeline; the campus master planning process; the Strategic Improvement Working Group, which is an outgrowth of the Great Colleges to Work For survey in 2018; and the universitys data governance committee. At the end of the presentations, there will be a time for questions from the campus community. Faculty, staff, students and others are invited and encouraged to attend the town hall. The president has authorized 90 minutes of release time for employees to attend. The scheduling of release time should be a collaborative discussion between employee and supervisor to ensure the effective and efficient operation of the unit. The town hall also will be broadcast via WyoCast at https://wyocast.uwyo.edu/WyoCast/Play/f50c10a9c9b046fea1ce0c2a532054541d and Zoom at https://uwyo.zoom.us/j/666793742. Amsterdam, 28 February 2019 (Regulated Information) --- The Supervisory Board of AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V. ("AMG", EURONEXT AMSTERDAM: "AMG") resolved during its meeting on 27 February 2019 to propose to the General Meeting of Shareholders to make the following changes to its composition. At the Annual General Meeting ("AGM") in May 2019, Mr. Jack Messman will have served twelve years on the Supervisory Board of AMG when his current term ends. Mr. Messman has indicated that he wishes to retire from the Supervisory Board in May 2019, given other priorities and the term limits for Supervisory Directors under the Dutch Corporate Governance Code. The Supervisory Board is deeply grateful for the long service and dedication to AMG by Mr. Messman. Before becoming Chairman in 2018, Mr. Messman was Vice Chairman since 2007 and a long-serving member and Chair of AMG's Remuneration Committee and before that of the Audit & Risk Management Committee, and has been a major contributor to the excellent quality of AMG's current leadership team by implementing and overseeing AMG's competitive executive compensation system. Professor Steve Hanke will have served six years on the Supervisory Board in May 2019 when his current term ends. AMG is very pleased to announce that Professor Hanke, currently Chair of the Audit & Risk Management Committee, will make himself available for re-appointment for a term of four years. The Supervisory Board will nominate Professor Hanke for re-appointment by the General Meeting Shareholders on May 1 of this year as independent member of the Supervisory Board for a term of four years. Given the retirement of Mr. Messman as member and Chairman of the Supervisory Board after the Annual Meeting in May 2019, AMG is pleased to announce that the Supervisory Board plans to appoint Professor Steve Hanke as Chairman of the Supervisory Board as of May 1, 2019 after the Annual Meeting. Given the vacancy created by the retirement of Mr. Messman, the Supervisory Board is pleased to announce that it will nominate Ms. Dagmar Bottenbruch as an independent Supervisory Board member for appointment by the General Meeting of Shareholders on May 1, 2019. Ms. Bottenbruch has German and US citizenship and brings highly relevant experience in the field of financial services as well as public and private equity and venture capital investments. She was Managing Director of Rabobank International in Germany and has worked at Credit Suisse in London and Frankfurt as Director Investment Banking. She currently serves on the Supervisory Board of CFA Society Germany and of Vaamo Finanz AG, Frankfurt. The full curriculum vitae of the nominee is available for inspection at the offices of the Company and will be published on the Company's website. This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. This press release contains regulated information as defined in the Dutch Financial Markets Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht). About AMG AMG is a global critical materials company at the forefront of CO 2 reduction trends. AMG produces highly engineered specialty metals and mineral products and provides related vacuum furnace systems and services to the transportation, infrastructure, energy, and specialty metals & chemicals end markets. Critical Materials produces aluminum master alloys and powders, ferrovanadium, natural graphite, chromium metal, antimony, lithium, tantalum, niobium and silicon metal. AMG Technologies produces titanium aluminides and titanium alloys for the aerospace market; designs, engineers, and produces advanced vacuum furnace systems; and operates vacuum heat treatment facilities, primarily for the transportation and energy industries. With approximately 3,300 employees, AMG operates globally with production facilities in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the Czech Republic, the United States, China, Mexico, Brazil, India, Sri Lanka and Mozambique, and has sales and customer service offices in Russia and Japan (www.amg-nv.com). For further information, please contact: AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V. +1 610 293 5814 Grace Stubel gstubel@amg-nv.com Disclaimer Certain statements in this press release are not historical facts and are "forward looking." Forward looking statements include statements concerning AMG's plans, expectations, projections, objectives, targets, goals, strategies, future events, future revenues or performance, capital expenditures, financing needs, plans and intentions relating to acquisitions, AMG's competitive strengths and weaknesses, plans or goals relating to forecasted production, reserves, financial position and future operations and development, AMG's business strategy and the trends AMG anticipates in the industries and the political and legal environment in which it operates and other information that is not historical information. When used in this press release, the words "expects," "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "may," "will," "should," and similar expressions, and the negatives thereof, are intended to identify forward looking statements. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. AMG expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in AMG's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any forward-looking statement is based. English French Press release 28 February 2019 Robust FY 2018 performance: strong organic growth, margin expansion, rapid deleveraging Revenues: 2,916m (+27.1% reported and +8.0% organic growth vs. FY 2017) Double-digit organic growth in H2 (+10.9%) Operating margin: 352m (+40.9% vs. FY 2017) 12.1% operating margin, +120bps vs. FY 2017 Aricent operating margin restored; 18.2% in H2, 17.8% for the consolidated period Adjusted net income at 165m, +11.4% vs. FY 2017 Free Cash Flow at +82m (+307m in H2) driven by strong operations and focus on cash Rapid deleveraging with leverage ratio reduced to 3.0x EBITDA Adjusted EPS: 0.72 vs. 0.77 in FY 2017 Proposed dividend: 0.24 per share, subject to shareholders' approval Commenting on the Group's 2018 results, Dominique Cerutti, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Altran declared: "Altran posted a robust performance in 2018, driven by an accelerating organic growth in H2, notably in France, Germany and North America. We have successfully delivered on revenue growth and margin expansion, deleveraging, integration and margin restoration of Aricent as well as on German profit turnaround. I am particularly proud of our team, now acting as one under the banner of Altran, which showed grit in an eventful year for the company. 2019 will see us continuing to focus on operations and the execution of our strategic plan". Results (in m) 2018 2017 % Revenues 2,916.4 2,295.3 +27.1% Operating margin 352.3 250.1 +40.9% As a % of revenues 12.1% 10.9% Other expenses (135.3) (47.1) O/w amortization of intangibles arising from business combinations (48.7) (4.3) O/w restructuring costs (44.1) (17.2) O/w acquisition and integration costs (33.6) (13.2) Operating income 217.0 203.0 +6.9% Net financial expenses (94.8) (20.1) Income tax (41.1) (42.8) Share of net income of associates 0.0 (0.4) Net income from discontinued operations (0.1) (8.9) Non-controlling interests (0.4) 0.0 Net income (Group share) 80.6 130.8 -38.4% Adjusted net income (Group share) 165.1 148.2 +11.4% The performance of the Group reflects the contribution of Aricent starting March 20, 2018. H2 2018 was the first reporting period including the full contribution of Aricent. Altran reported robust 2018 revenues of 2,916.4m vs 2,295.3m in FY 2017 (up 27.1%), representing an organic growth of 8.0% and an economic growth of 7.5%, with a solid momentum across regions. Aricent contributed 445m revenues over the period. The Group's operating margin amounted to 352.3m, up 40.9% compared to FY 2017, reaching a 12.1% margin, a 120bps improvement compared to 2017. As previously committed, Aricent operating margin was restored to 18.2% in H2, leading to a 79m contribution (17.8% of revenues) over the consolidated period. Excluding the contribution of Aricent, the operating margin of Altran has increased by 20bps compared to 2017, notably due to the progress in the margin turnaround in Germany, where profitability was achieved in H2. Group net financial expenses came in at 94.8m, including one-off costs of circa 24m related to early debt repayments linked to the implementation of the new financing structure for Altran. Adjusted net income increased by 11.4%, to 165.1m compared with 148.2m in FY 2017, and adjusted EPS reached 0.72. On a reported basis, net income for the period was 80.6m, reflecting the impact of the Aricent acquisition and integration related expenses. Detailed analysis of revenues France: +6.1% organic growth for the full year, with a strong Q4 showing +9.0% organic growth. This performance was driven by a solid recruitment campaign as well as growth across all industries and in particular Aeronautics, Space, Defense & Naval, Life Sciences and Communications. Europe: +8.8% organic growth. Organic growth in the region has accelerated by more than 500 bps compared to 2017. Germany is delivering strong growth (13.4% organic growth) for the full year on the back of large multi-year contracts in the automotive sector. Iberia and Italy continue to post strong organic growth as business prospects remain encouraging. Belgium & Netherlands returned to positive growth in Q4. The UK continues to record organic growth in excess of 10%. Switzerland achieved strong growth in Q4, leading to organic growth of 11.5% for the full year. Scandinavia was stable on a full year basis, hit by a negative client cycle during the last quarter. Americas: +15.0% organic growth. The integration efforts of the American build-up continue to pay off. The region benefited from strong growth in the Semiconductor and Software & Internet industries, leveraging the India and Ukraine Global Engineering Centers respectively. Asia: Asia's revenues witnessed double-digit growth in Q4, achieving an overall +2.1% organic growth for the full year. Cash and debt For the full year of 2018, the Group's free cash flow came at 82m, derived from a strong operating performance compounded by the success of the Altran Cash Program, the new capital structure of the Group and one-offs related to the acquisition and financing of the Aricent acquisition (negative impact of 116m) as well as the disposal of tax assets (positive impact of 101m). In H2 2018, free cash flow amounted to 307m thanks to these elements, and the significant seasonality in the working capital of the Group between H1 and H2. The Group's net debt came out at 1,312m in FY 2018, versus 351m at end-December 2017, reflecting the new financial structure of the Group including the acquisition-related debt and rights issue. In H2, the strength of operations and impact of the Altran Cash Program helped reduce leverage ratio to 3.0x EBITDA at the end of December 2018. At the end of FY 2018, the Group had available cash of 473m, vs. 373m at end-December 2017. Trends in staff levels As of December 31, 2018, total headcount of the Altran group was 46,693 employees, compared with 33,665 at December 31, 2017. The significant difference results from the acquisition and consolidation of Aricent. Over the 12 months of FY 2018, net hiring for Altran standalone was 2,950 employees. Dividend At the General Shareholders Meeting on May 15th, 2019, the Altran Board of Directors will propose the distribution of a 0.24 per-share dividend, representing a pay-out of circa 37% of the adjusted net income. Outlook Steady client demand and underlying R&D spending growth fuel Altran's good confidence in its business environment. Looking into 2019, improving operating performance combined with the Altran Cash Program should lead to further deleveraging by year end, in line with the Group's 2020 milestone. Altran is on track with its set of mid-term financial objectives. New governance structure Altran today publicly announces its new governance structure, effective since November 2018, which reflects the new dimension of the Group after the completion of Aricent integration. The Group will operate under the unique brand Altran, including in North America, and this organisation will serve the continued execution of "The High Road, Altran 2022" strategic plan announced on June 28, 2018. The operational management of Altran is now structured into three bodies: the Global Executive Team and the Executive Committee, and the Senior Leaders Team. The Global Executive Team gathers 6 Group Executive Vice-Presidents and is chaired by Dominique Cerutti, Chairman and CEO of Altran: Cyril Roger, Senior Executive Vice-President & Delegate Director, in charge of Europe and large deals development, in connection with global go-to-market of some industries (Automotive, Aerospace, Defense, Transportation & Life Sciences, Energy, Financial Services & Public sector). Laila Worrell, Executive Vice-President, Chief Executive Officer Altran North America, as well as global Head of the following industries: Communications, Software & Internet, Semiconductor & Electronics, Industrial & Consumer. William Roze, Executive Vice-President, Chief Operating Officer Europe, leading the deployment of Altran's models across the newly structured geographical clusters. Pascal Brier, Executive Vice-President, Strategy, Technology & Innovation, driving Strategy & Marketing, Innovation, Service lines and Group's High Value activities and setting up the Research & Innovation roadmap. Daniel Chaffraix, Executive Vice-President, Engineering & Transformation, in charge of Industrialized GlobalShore and notably the operations of Altran's Global Engineering Centers in Ukraine, India, Morocco & Tunisia, Portugal and Mexico, as well as strengthening the Group Global Program Office. Albin Jacquemont, Executive Vice-President, Chief Financial Officer. Albin is responsible for the finance function across the organization, including controlling, financial reporting, balance sheet optimization, tax matters, treasury and improvement of cash generation. The Executive Committee has been extended to inclusively welcome top executives and subject matter experts from both Aricent and Altran. This new executive committee is structured around three sub-committees, each focused on a pillar of the execution plan: "Operations & Industries", driving the market penetration of Mainstream, "High-Value" and Industrialized GlobalShore services models, "Technology & Innovation", managing technology roadmaps and the development of offers focusing on disruptive technologies, "Engineering & Transformation", driving the evolution of the Group's engineering and its culture of excellence. The Senior Leaders Team is composed of the leaders and change agents in the Group's transformation; they do so by delivering performance and exemplifying Grit, Trust, Commitment and Integrity in the business. Update on the cyber attack The incident is now resolved, its impact is being thoroughly monitored and appears to be limited for the FY 2019 period We will be in a position to estimate and communicate on the financial impact of this event with Q1 2019 publication Ad hoc insurances have been activated. Preliminary assessment shows that while Q1 2019 revenues should be somewhat impacted, this deviation should be offset by the strength of our business over the next quarters. Furthermore, there should not be any material impact on operating margin at Group level for the full year. Additional information Altran's Board of Directors met on February 27, 2019 to close the FY 2018 financial statements. The audit procedures on the consolidated financial statements have been completed. The audit report will be released after review of the management report and the finalisation of procedures required for the publication of the annual financial report. Investor Calls Details Investor meeting & conference call on February 28, 2019 at 9:30 am Paris time (CET) in Altran HQ, located 96, Avenue Charles de Gaulle, 92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine Telephone numbers: +33172727403 or +442071943759 Confirmation Code: 86783571# A conference call dedicated to US investors will be held at 2:15 pm Paris time (CET) Telephone numbers: +33172727403 or +1 6467224916 Confirmation Code: 67574289# Financial calendar April 25, 2019: Q1 2019 revenues May 15, 2019: Shareholders' Annual General Meeting September 5, 2019: First half 2019 results and Q2 2019 revenues October 31, 2019: Q3 2019 revenues Glossary Organic growth is the reported growth restated for the impact of perimeter and FOREX effects Economic growth is the organic growth restated for the variation in the number of working days Operating margin is made up of the difference between the revenues and the net operating expenses Free Cash Flow: (Operating margin + D&A + non-cash P&L) - non-recurring items +/- change in WCR - Net interest and financial expense paid - Tax paid - Capex Adjusted Net Income: Net Income adjusted for PPA expenses from Aricent acquisition, acquisition fees, insurance premium, one-offs related to the Group refinancing, integration costs, net of tax impacts Adjusted EPS: Adjusted Net Income divided by the average number of shares outstanding over the period EBITDA: Operating margin - share-based compensation + Amortization, depreciation & changes in net provisions Leverage ratio defined as Net Debt divided by proforma EBITDA 12 months excl. acquisitions differed payments/earn-outs About Altran Altran ranks as the undisputed global leader in Engineering and R&D services (ER&D). The company offers clients an unmatched value proposition to address their transformation and innovation needs. Altran works alongside its clients, from initial concept through industrialization, to invent the products and services of tomorrow. For over 35 years, the company has provided expertise in Automotive, Aeronautics, Space, Defense & Naval, Rail, Infra & Transport, Energy, Industrial & Consumer, Life Sciences, Communications, Semiconductor & Electronics, Software & Internet, Finance & Public Sector. The Aricent acquisition extends this leadership to semiconductor, digital experience and design innovation. Altran generated revenues of 2.9 billion in 2018, with some 47,000 employees in more than 30 countries. www.altran.com Contacts Stephanie Bia Group Senior Vice-President Communications and Investor Relations Tel: + 33 (0)1 46 41 72 01 stephanie.bia@altran.com Follow us on Twitter: @Altran DISCLAIMER This press release contains forward-looking statements (as defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, as amended) based upon current management expectations. Numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors (including, risks relating to: government legislation affecting our businesses; competition; our ability to manage rapid technological change in the industries in which we compete; litigation risks, labour issues; unanticipated costs from disposals or restructuring) may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, projected or implied in or by the forward-looking statements. Many of the factors that will determine our future results are beyond our ability to control or predict. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and, therefore, actual results may differ materially from our forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements which reflect our views only as of the date of this presentation. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Appendix: Contribution of companies acquired and/or divested in Q4 2018 (in m) Q4 2018 Q4 2017 Change (in %) Revenues without contribution of acquired/divested companies (a) 670.4 604.9 10.8% Contribution of acquired companies from 1st January 2018 (b) 142.3 NA Contribution of divested companies from 1st January 2018 (c) NA Total consolidated revenue (a+b+c) 812.7 604.9 34.4% Changes of perimeter concern Altran Middle East and Aricent. Contribution of companies acquired and/or divested for the full year of 2018 (post IFRS 5): (in m) 2018 2017 Change (in %) Revenues without contribution of acquired/divested companies (a) 2,441.3 2,295.3 6.4% Contribution of acquired companies from 1st January 2018 (b) 475.1 NA Contribution of divested companies from 1st January 2018 (c) NA Total consolidated revenue (a+b+c) 2,916.4 2,295.3 27.1% Changes of perimeter concern Information Risk Management, Altran Middle East, Global Edge Software, Altran Engineering Solutions and Aricent Alternative Performance Measures: Organic growth and economic growth for the 4th quarter (in m) Revenues Q4 2018 812.7 Change of perimeter (139.1) FOREX impact 0.6 Revenues at constant perimeter and forex 674.2 + 11.5% Organic growth Impact of working days (9.1) Revenues at constant perimeter, forex and working days 665.1 + 10.0% Economic growth Revenues Q4 2017 604.9 Organic growth and economic growth for the year (in m) Revenues 2018 2,916.4 Change of perimeter (459.1) FOREX impact 20.7 Revenues at constant perimeter and forex 2,478.0 + 8.0% Organic growth Impact of working days (11.5) Revenues at constant perimeter, forex and working days 2,466.5 + 7.5% Economic growth Revenues 2017 2,295.3 Adjusted net income (in m) 2018 2017 Net income 80.6 130.8 Acquisitions, integration & misc. costs 39.0 8.7 Restructuring costs 10.5 - Amortization of intangible assets arising from business combinations 48.7 4.3 Net financial expenses 24.3 - Income tax (38.0) (4.5) Net income from discontinued operations - 8.9 Adjusted Net income (in m) 165.1 148.2 Free Cash Flow Free Cash Flow is an alternative indicator used by the Company to measure performance. From 2018, the definition has changed and now refers to the cash flow generated by Group operations after payment of taxes, investments needed by the Company to carry out its business, and payment of net interest. It represents the cash flow available to repay debt, pay out dividends or carry out specific transactions, in particular growth-related operations. Free Cash Flow is calculated as follows: operating margin plus depreciation, amortization and net operating provisions plus current income and expense with no cash impact plus non-recurring income and expense with a cash impact, plus/minus changes in working capital requirement minus net interest and financial expense paid, minus tax paid minus capital expenditure necessary for operations net of disposals and net of variation of tangible assets payables. (in m) 2018 2017 Operating margin 352.3 250.1 Depreciation, amortization and provisions 61.6 7.8 Non-cash P&L 2.3 (3.4) Non recurring items (cash impact) (69.0) (29.4) CASH FLOW 347.2 225.1 Change in WCR (37.2) (4.6) One time Tax asset disposal 101.2 Interest paid (142.8) (11.7) Tax paid (43.3) (44.9) Capital expenditures (143.1) (57.5) o/w payments on large software deals (69.6) FREE CASH FLOW 82.0 106.4 Net debt & leverage ratio (in m) 31 Dec. 2018 31 Dec. 2017 Bonds 0.0 249.4 Factoring 47.7 63.0 Bank Loans 1 734.4 407.5 FINANCIAL DEBT 1 782.1 719.9 Cash 472.7 372.9 NET FINANCIAL DEBT 1 309.4 347.0 Accrued interest 2.4 4.1 Employee profit-sharing 0 NET DEBT 1 311.8 351.1 PROFORMA LEVERAGE RATIO 3.0 1.5 Consolidated financial statements Balance sheet / assets (in m) Dec. 2018 Dec. 2017 Net Value Net value Net Goodwill 2 363 902 Intangible assets 680 90 Tangible assets 144 92 Investments in associates Non-current financial assets 50 39 Deferred tax assets 101 96 Non-current tax assets 75 117 Other non-current assets 22 5 Total non-current assets 3 435 1 341 Inventory and work in progress 2 2 Advances to suppliers 1 Trade receivables and related accounts 385 358 Other receivables 141 136 Trade accounts and other receivables 527 494 Assets relating to contracts with customers 202 128 Current financial assets 23 13 Cash 465 204 Cash equivalents 8 169 Assets held for sale Total current assets 1 227 1 010 TOTAL ASSETS 4 662 2 351 Balance sheet / liabilities (in m) Dec. 2018 Dec. 2017 Shareholders' equity 1 692 891 Bank loans and borrowings (>1 year) 1 602 Other non-current financial liabilities 1 1 Non-current financial liabilities 1 603 1 Non-current provisions for contingencies and liabilities 61 48 Non-current employee benefits 65 39 Non-current liabilities for fixed assets 48 Deferred tax liabilities 169 19 Non-current liabilities for securities 33 Other long-term liabilities 18 6 Other non-current liabilities 361 145 Total non-current liabilities 1 964 146 Trade payables and related accounts 158 136 Taxes payable 137 111 Current employee benefits 272 214 Current liabilities for fixed assets 62 4 Other current payables 19 7 Liabilities relating to contracts with customers 100 96 Suppliers and other current payables 748 568 Provisions for short-term risks and charges 23 17 Current liabilities for securities 53 6 Current financial liabilities 182 723 Other current liabilities 258 746 Total current liabilities 1 006 1 314 TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 4 662 2 351 Income statement (in m) 2018 2017 Revenues 2 916.4 2 295.3 Other operating income 99.1 69.4 TOTAL OPERATING INCOME 3 015.5 2 364.7 Purchases & external expenses (643.3) (500.8) Personnel costs (1 957.1) (1 607.4) Taxes (4.0) (2.9) Amortization and provisions (60.0) (7.3) Customer-relationship amortization / Goodwill depreciation (48.7) (4.3) CURRENT OPERATING INCOME 302.4 242.0 Non recurring income/losses (85.4) (39.0) OPERATING INCOME 217.0 203.0 Cost of net financial debt (60.0) (11.8) Other financial income/losses (34.8) (8.3) Shares of net income of associates (0.4) Income tax (41.1) (42.8) Net income from discontinued operations (0.1) (8.9) Non-controlling interest (0.4) 0.0 NET INCOME (GROUP SHARE) 80.6 130.8 Destygo can build a chatbot for an airport that answers questions about what gate a passengers flight is leaving from, and whether its delayed. 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Edit Close French English PRESS RELEASE Neuilly-sur-Seine, France - February 28, 2019 Strong 2018 results, with 7.0% revenue growth at constant currency of which 4.0% organic growth, and free cash flow up 45.8% year-on-year at constant currency 2018 Key Figures Revenue of EUR 4,796 million in 2018, up 7.0% year-on-year at constant currency (cc), with organic growth of +4.0% of which 4.4% in the last quarter Negative currency impact of -4.7% with -2.0% in Q4 Adjusted operating profit of EUR 758 million in 2018, up 8.4% year-on-year at cc; adjusted operating margin of 15.8%; 16.1% organically (+20 basis points year-on-year) Adjusted net profit of EUR 417 million (EUR 0.96 per share), up 15.3% year-on-year at cc Free cash flow of EUR 478 million, up 45.8% year-on-year at cc Proposed dividend of EUR 0.56 per share, payable in cash or in shares; Wendel intends to opt for a payment in shares 2019 Outlook Solid organic revenue growth Continued adjusted operating margin improvement at constant currency Sustained strong cash flow generation 2020 Ambition Reaffirmed Growth Initiatives generated 6.3% organic growth in 2018 Continuation of external growth with 6 acquisitions in 2018 and 2 in 2019 year-to-date Digital transformation accelerating; global partnership with Microsoft on Artificial Intelligence Didier Michaud-Daniel, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "Bureau Veritas' 190th anniversary marks another year of growth acceleration and a significant step-up in the Group's transformation. Most importantly, our Move For Cash program is now delivering benefits with a material improvement in free cash flow generation. The Group further enhanced its cyclical resilience. Bureau Veritas is developing its profile towards more Opex-related activities rather than Capex, and it now benefits from a more balanced geographical footprint across three platforms: the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Our growth potential has been reinforced yet again with six acquisitions to support our Strategic Plan development. The Group's M&A pipeline will provide many opportunities moving forward whilst maintaining a strict financial discipline. Finally, we will pursue our strong customer-oriented strategy to repeat the success in being awarded contracts such as Qatargas with high-value solutions implemented among targeted global customers. As regards the 2018 dividend, the Group will offer to shareholders the option to receive the dividend in cash or in shares. In the latter case, a 10% discount will be applied. In 2019, we expect the good momentum experienced in 2018 to continue despite an uncertain economic and political environment in various regions. We remain confident in our ability to meet our 2020 ambition." Key 2018 figures The Board of Directors of Bureau Veritas met on February 27, 2019 and approved the financial statements for 2018. The main consolidated financial items are: IN EUR MILLIONS 2018 2017 CHANGE CONSTANT CURRENCY Revenue 4,795.5 4,689.4 +2.3% +7.0% Adjusted operating profit(a) 758.0 745.5 +1.7% +8.4% Adjusted operating margin 15.8% 15.9% (10)bps +20bps Operating profit 637.2 606.3 +5.1% +12.8% Adjusted net profit(a) 417.2 416.1 +0.3% +15.3% Net profit 332.6 308.0 +8.0% +27.3% Adjusted EPS(a) 0.96 0.95 +0.4% +15.3% EPS 0.76 0.71 +7.0% +27.4% Operating cash flow(a) 685.5 581.2 +17.9% +24.3% Free cash flow 478.4 349.6 +36.8% +45.8% Adjusted net financial debt(a) 2,115.1 2,094.4 +1.0% (a) Financial indicators not defined by IFRS presented in Appendix 5 2018 Highlights Organic growth driven by both Growth Initiatives and Base Business Group organic revenue growth amounted to 4.0% in 2018, accelerating in H2 with 4.4% in the last quarter. This is explained by: Steady growth for the 5 Growth Initiatives (36% of Group revenue), up 6.3% organically. High single-digit growth was achieved in Opex services, Buildings & Infrastructure and SmartWorld and mid-single digit for Agri-Food and Automotive. Improvement over the year of the Base Business (64% of Group revenue), up 2.9% organically with an organic growth of 4.1% in the last quarter. Marine & Offshore (7% of Group revenue) turned to positive organic growth in H2 2018 (+4.0% from -5.4% in H1), following 8 negative quarters, a reflection of improving market conditions in China notably. In addition, Oil & Gas Capex related activities (less than 4% of Group revenue) bottomed out (-6.6% for FY with a +3.6% organic growth in H2 2018) benefiting from favorable comparables and the ramp-up of contracts in North America and Africa notably. The other activities performed well, with notably Metals & Minerals in full recovery, and Certification benefiting from the exceptional workload generated by the revision of standards in 2017/2018. M&A: six acquisitions in 2018, focused on Group Strategic Growth Initiatives In 2018, Bureau Veritas completed six acquisitions in different countries to strengthen its footprint, representing around EUR 85 million in annualized revenue (or 1.8% of 2018 Group revenue). These supported 3 of the 5 Growth Initiatives: ANNUALIZED REVENUE COUNTRY DATE FIELD OF EXPERTISE Buildings & Infrastructure EMG c.EUR 70m USA Feb. 2018 Technical assessment and project management assistance services Agri-Food Shandong Cigna Total of EUR 6m China Jan. 2018 Agri-Food testing and analysis FEAC Japan Mar. 2018 Food & Environment testing Labomag Morocco Mar. 2018 Agri-Food laboratory testing and analysis Permulab EUR 4m Malaysia Jul. 2018 Food, Water and Environment laboratory testing services Opex services Lubrication Management EUR 4m Spain Jan. 2018 Oil condition monitoring (OCM) The largest acquisition, EMG, a company specializing in technical assessment and project management assistance services, significantly strengthened the Group's position in Buildings & Infrastructure in the USA. Since the beginning of 2019, the Group has recorded two additional transactions in support of its Agri-Food and Buildings & Infrastructure Growth Initiatives: On January 3, 2019, Bureau Veritas announced the formation of Singapore-based BVAQ , a food testing company providing laboratory analytical services to all food industries in South East Asia, with an unparalleled geographical presence and testing scope as it can serve its customers from a "hub and spoke" model throughout Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. BVAQ is a joint venture created with AsureQuality, the New Zealand state-owned company providing food safety and biosecurity services. Bureau Veritas holds a 51% majority stake in the new business, while AsureQuality holds the remaining stake. BVAQ combines Bureau Veritas' newly established food testing laboratories in Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand as well as its majority share in Permulab, with AsureQuality's state-of-the-art food testing facility operating in Singapore since 2010; On January 16, 2019, Bureau Veritas finalized the acquisition of Capital Energy SAS, a company providing consulting and support services for white certificate projects in France. Its customer base comprises energy suppliers and large retailers. Capital Energy also helps housing associations, local authorities, industry, and building contractors to implement energy efficiency programs. By the end of February 2019, Bureau Veritas was broadly on track with its 2020 plan with 52% of its external growth ambition achieved: since the start of the plan, 30 acquisitions (of which around EUR 375 million support the Group's 5 Growth Initiatives) have added more than EUR 390 million of incremental revenue out of an ambition of around EUR 750 million of revenue over the period 2016-2020. Solid momentum on key account management and global solutions In 2018, Bureau Veritas accelerated the implementation of the key customer account management strategy launched in 2014. The Group strengthened the coordination between global market and regional sales leadership in a more focused sales governance model. The Global Accounts strategy was redesigned to increase Bureau Veritas' value-added solutions offer to targeted global customers through increased coordination at the Global Service Lines level. The Group also made significant steps towards more integrated high-value solutions. This is illustrated by a 5-year contract win (total value of EUR 64 million with an option for 2 additional years) with Qatargas, the world's largest LNG producer, as the primary supplier of Inspection, NDT and Asset Management services for all their assets in Qatar. It has been awarded as a result of the newly developed Integrated Solution Approach (ISA). The aim is to replicate ISA across Bureau Veritas globally. The Group has also strongly enhanced its capability to leverage its global network to replicate solutions that join the BV portfolio through specialized acquisitions. Several contract wins illustrate this progress in 2018. In 2019 new tools (CRM system / Salesforce) will be deployed within the organization to enhance the Marketing & Sales Excellence. Proactive cost management The Group continued to adjust its cost base in businesses faced with challenging market conditions, notably with actions taken in government services, Buildings & Infrastructure, and commodities-related activities. It also made structural efforts to improve its margin including a transformation of the operating model in the In-service activity for Marine & Offshore. All in all, this led the Group to book a restructuring charge of EUR 42.1 million in 2018 (primarily headcount reduction related), following EUR 57.1 million in 2017, marking the end of a period of material restructuring. Group Digital transformation: global deployment of the strategy by market Digital is at the forefront of the Group's transformation and focuses on three dimensions: Improving the Group's efficiency in delivering its portfolio core services; Leveraging digital technologies to implement new operating models; Launching new services to support client compliance needs in the digital world. In the course of 2018, Bureau Veritas continued to implement and ensure the global deployment of multiple digital solutions (3D, Internet of Things, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and e-commerce) by market across the Group. These solutions were successfully tested with clients in various businesses such as: Marine & Offshore: adaptation of the Marine classification directly on the 3D representation of a vessel, with a first pilot with Naval Group and the Group's partner Dassault Systemes. The division signed in 2018 the first new TIC digital services, i.e., the "Cyber Managed" notation, already adopted by some clients; Consumer Products: creation of a new international e-commerce platform for mass market supplier audits (inSpec-bv.com), launched globally in Q4; Buildings & Infrastructure: (i) Global deployment of the in-house Project Management Assistance tool: PriManager, now available in 11 countries managing more than USD 10 billion of client's assets; (ii) Creation of a global BIM (Building Information Modeling) Center in China, leveraging the Group global alliance with Autodesk, leader in 3D software used as a technical support for automated verification; Opex services: Improvement of the Group services through digital partnerships based on Industry 4.0 techniques (e.g., digital twins of Oil & Gas industrial assets in partnership with Edoxx or Bentley System or implementation of artificial intelligence-based inspections for distribution and transmission lines of Power & Utilities clients in partnership with Avitas Systems); Agri-Food & Commodities: (i) Deployment of SurvAgri, a new digital platform enabling the end-to-end quality assurance of agribusiness commodities from production to the final trade; (ii) Launch of Origin, an innovative food traceability tool using blockchain technology in partnership with Worldline. Such deployments have been executed via the numerous key partnerships with global digital players. The Group is pleased to announce its new global partnership with Microsoft on Artificial Intelligence. The purpose of this partnership is to focus on leveraging Artificial Intelligence to improve the efficiency of Bureau Veritas laboratories operations, with first successes notably in the fields of oil condition monitoring and Metals & Minerals chemical analysis. This was enabled thanks to the creation of a dedicated internal data lab, and will be enhanced by the global partnership with Microsoft. Management changes strengthening the Group's organization In 2018, Bureau Veritas appointed new members to the Group Executive Committee: Jacques Pommeraud, as Executive Vice-President, in charge of the Commodities, Industry & Facilities division in France and Africa as well as the Government Services and International Trade operating group (effective May 1, 2018); Laurent Louail, as Executive Vice-President, in charge of the Commodities, Industry & Facilities division in South & West Europe (effective May 1, 2018); Helen Bradley, as Executive Vice-President, in charge of Group Human Resources. Helen's responsibilities further extend to Quality, Health & Safety and Environment, Corporate Social Responsibility and External affairs (effective June 1, 2018); Francois Chabas, as Executive Vice-President and Group Chief Financial Officer (effective September 3, 2018). On January 17, 2019, Bureau Veritas announced the appointment, effective January 1, of Matthieu de Tugny as Executive Vice-President, in charge of the Marine & Offshore Division, succeeding Philippe Donche-Gay who retired from the Bureau Veritas Group on January 31, 2019. Matthieu de Tugny was also appointed member of the Group Executive Committee. Bureau Veritas announced the appointment, effective February 1, 2019, of Eduardo Camargo as Executive Vice-President, Group Transformation & Business Development. Eduardo Camargo retains his responsibility as head of the Commodities, Industry & Facilities (CIF) division in Latin America, which will be managed locally by a dedicated leader for this region. These changes strengthen the governance of Bureau Veritas, with even more international leadership, aligned with the broad global presence of Bureau Veritas. It also strengthens the management of the Group's operations on a day-to-day basis with a leaner decision-making process, thereby enhancing its transformation throughout the 2020 Strategic Plan. Following these appointments, the Group Executive Committee is now composed of ten members. A sustained financing activity in favor of greater diversification and optimization of the average cost of funds Bureau Veritas' funding activity over 2018 demonstrates the strong support and confidence in its business model from the Group's banks and credit investor base: On March 29, 2018, Bureau Veritas SA successfully issued a EUR 200 million, unrated, zero-coupon senior fixed rate note with a 13-month maturity. This new instrument allowed the Group to benefit from incremental liquidity without incurring additional interest costs; On May 17, 2018, Bureau Veritas SA signed a EUR 600 million multicurrency Revolving Credit Facility replacing the previous EUR 450 million facility on more favorable terms. This new facility has a five-year maturity, with two 1-year extension options which can be exercised in 2019 and 2020. This facility, which further enhances the Group's liquidity profile, was substantially oversubscribed by an international syndicate of 14 banks; On September 27, 2018, Bureau Veritas SA successfully issued a EUR 500 million non-rated new bond issue maturing in January 2025 and carrying a coupon of 1.875%. This transaction was 2 times oversubscribed, illustrating the quality of the Group's credit profile. Following these successful operations, Bureau Veritas further diversified its debt profile, with access to various sources of liquidity, including the bank loan market, euro-denominated bonds, US private placements, Schuldschein notes and commercial paper. In addition, these transactions enabled the Group to anticipate the refinancing of its 2019 maturities and to lengthen the average maturity of its debt while optimizing its cost. At the end of December 2018, the average duration of the Group's financial debt is around 5 years, with a blended average cost of funds over the full year of 3.0%. Analysis of the Group's results and financial position Revenue up 2.3% year-on-year (+7.0% at constant currency) Revenue in 2018 amounted to EUR 4,795.5 million, a 2.3% increase compared with 2017. Organic growth was +4.0%, accelerating in H2 compared with H1 (4.6% vs. 3.5% respectively). Q4 2018 saw a 4.4% organic growth rate. 5 out of 6 businesses posted organic growth, with Certification being the best performer (+7.8%) alongside Agri-Food & Commodities (+4.5%), Buildings & Infrastructure and Consumer Products (both at +4.3%). Only Marine & Offshore revenue slightly declined on a full year basis though the trends turned positive in the second half. By geography, activities in Europe showed an improvement (35% of revenue; 5.5% organic growth), driven by France (up 5.0% organically, primarily led by Certification, Buildings & Infrastructure and Industry) and Eastern countries (up double digit organically). The growth in Asia Pacific (31% of revenue; 2.9% organic growth) remained cushioned by the end of large contracts in Oil & Gas in Australia while the other businesses performed well. Activities in the Americas (25% of revenue) increased by 4.3% organically, primarily driven by Latin America (up 6.5% organically), which benefited from the pursuit of the diversification strategy towards Opex (in Power & Utilities and Oil & Gas markets), and Canada primarily led by Food and Oil & Petrochemicals activities. Net acquisition growth was 3.0%, combining the contribution of acquisitions made in 2018, notably in the Buildings & Infrastructure businesses, acquisitions finalized in 2017 and the reduction following divestment of non-strategic NDT activities in Europe. Currency fluctuations had a significant negative impact of 4.7%, mainly due to the appreciation of the euro against the US dollar and pegged currencies, as well as most emerging countries' currencies. Adjusted operating profit up 1.7% to EUR 758 million (+8.4% at constant currency) The Group full year 2018 adjusted operating margin was up 20 basis points organically and at constant exchange rates, to 16.1%. On a reported basis, the adjusted operating margin declined by c.10 basis points to 15.8% compared to 15.9% in 2017. CHANGE IN ADJUSTED OPERATING MARGIN IN PERCENTAGE AND BASIS POINTS Adjusted operating margin at December 31, 2017 15.9% Organic change 20bps Organic adjusted operating margin 16.1% Scope 0bp Constant currency adjusted operating margin 16.1% Currency (30)bps Adjusted operating margin at December 31, 2018 15.8% 4 out of 6 business activities posted improving margins, adding 30 basis points to the Group's organic margin: This was driven by a significant improvement in Certification and strong performances in both Consumer Products and Industry. This improvement is the result of a combination of operating leverage, strict cost management, lean efforts and restructuring pay back. Agri-Food & Commodities and Buildings & Infrastructure experienced lower margins due to price pressure and/or change of mix in these activities. Other operating expenses decreased to EUR 120.8 million vs. EUR 139.2 million in 2017. These include: EUR 75.1 million in amortization of acquisition intangibles (EUR 77.1 million in 2017); EUR 42.1 million in restructuring charges, with actions taken mainly in government services, Buildings & Infrastructure, and commodities related-activities (EUR 57.1 million in 2017); EUR 3.6 million in acquisition related items (EUR 5.0 million in 2017). Operating profit totaled EUR 637.2 million, up 5.0% compared to EUR 606.3 million in 2017. Adjusted EPS of EUR 0.96, up 0.4% year-on-year (+15.3% at constant currency) Net financial expense achieved EUR 93.2 million compared with EUR 103.7 million in 2017, reflecting mostly lower foreign exchange losses (EUR 5.7 million vs. EUR 12.1 million in 2017) due to the appreciation of the euro against the US dollar and pegged currencies, but also against the currencies of emerging countries. Net finance costs decreased to EUR 82.5 million (vs. EUR 86.8 million in 2017), mainly explained by the following items: (i) a decrease in average indebtedness, to some extent the lower average cost of debt (3.0% vs. 3.1%); (ii) a charge related to the hedging of financial foreign exchange risk as opposed to income in 2017; (iii) and finally an increase in income from cash and cash equivalents. Other items (including pensions and other finance charges) stood at EUR 5.0 million, stable from EUR 4.8 million in 2017. Income tax expense totaled EUR 189.3 million in 2018, compared with EUR 164.8 million in 2017. This represents an effective tax rate (ETR) of 34.8% for the period, compared with 32.8% in 2017. The adjusted ETR is 33.3%, up 150 basis points compared with 2017. This increase is explained by the variance of 2018 non-recurring items versus 2017, as the Group benefited from the refund in 2017 of the 3% dividend contribution in France, and from the positive adjustment recognized in 2017 on deferred taxes as a result of US tax reform. Attributable net profit for the period was EUR 332.6 million, vs. EUR 308.0 million in 2017. Earnings Per Share (EPS) stood at EUR 0.76, compared with EUR 0.71 in 2017. Adjusted attributable net profit totaled EUR 417.2 million, vs. EUR 416.1 million in 2017. Adjusted EPS stood at EUR 0.96, a 0.4% increase vs. 2017. Strong improvement in free cash flow Full year 2018 operating cash flow stood at EUR 685.5 million vs. EUR 581.2 million in 2017, up 17.9% year-on-year. This increase is primarily driven by a working capital inflow of EUR 4.1 million from a EUR 59.5 million outflow the prior year. Despite accelerating organic revenue growth in Q4, the improvement in working capital requirement benefited notably from the Move For Cash program. This positive effect was also supported by the improvement in profit before income tax and the favorable change in non-cash items (increase in unrealized foreign exchange income on non-operating items and positive effect of deferred lease payments) in 2018. The working capital requirement stood at EUR 433.1 million at December 31, 2018, compared to EUR 426.7 million at December 31, 2017 (EUR 453.2 million published in 2017, before restatement for the application of IFRS 9). As a percentage of sales, WCR decreased to 9.0%, compared to 9.1% in 2017 (9.7% published in 2017, before restatement for the application of IFRS 9). Purchases of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, net of disposals (Net Capex), amounted to EUR 124.1 million in 2018, a decrease compared to EUR 133.4 million in 2017. This showed disciplined control over the Group's net capex-to-revenue ratio at 2.6%, slightly down compared to the level achieved in 2017 (2.8%). Free cash flow (available cash flow after tax, interest expenses and capex) achieved EUR 478.4 million compared to EUR 349.6 million in 2017, up 36.8% year-on-year and up 45.8% on a constant currency basis. On an organic basis, free cash flow increased by 42.2% in 2018. CHANGE IN FREE CASH FLOW IN EUR MILLIONS Free cash flow at December 31, 2017 349.6 Organic change +147.4 Organic free cash flow 497.0 Scope +12.9 Free cash flow at constant currency 509.9 Currency (31.5) Free cash flow at December 31, 2018 478.4 At December 31, 2018, adjusted net financial debt was EUR 2,115.1 million, i.e., 2.34x trailing twelve-month EBITDA as defined in the calculation of the bank covenant, compared with 2.37x at December 31, 2017. The slight increase in adjusted net financial debt of EUR 20.7 million vs. December 31, 2017 (EUR 2,094.4 million) reflects: Free cash flow of EUR 478.4 million; Dividend payments totaling EUR 277.7 million; Acquisitions, accounting for EUR 144.4 million; Share buybacks net of the capital increase carried out to cover stock option plans and allocation of performance shares, amounting to EUR 28.3 million; Other items that increased the Group's debt by EUR 48.7 million, mainly attributable to currency fluctuations. PROPOSED DIVIDEND Bureau Veritas is proposing a dividend of EUR 0.56 per share for 2018, unchanged compared to 2017. The Group will offer to shareholders the option to receive the dividend in cash or in shares. In the latter case, a 10% discount will be applied. The issue price of new shares will include the 10% discount on the average opening price of Bureau Veritas shares during the 20 trading days preceding the Combined Shareholders' Meeting. In this context, Wendel has informed Bureau Veritas of its intention to opt for the payment of the dividend in shares. The Group welcomes this decision, which illustrates the strong support from Wendel for the Group's strategy. This is subject to the approval of the Combined Shareholders' Meeting to be held on May 14, 2019 at 3:00pm at Pavillon Gabriel, 5 Avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris, France. The dividend will be paid in cash or in new shares on June 11, 2019, (shareholders on the register on May 21, 2019 will be entitled to the dividend and the share will go ex-dividend on May 20, 2019). Between May 22, and June 3, 2019 (included), shareholders can choose between payment of the dividend in cash or in shares. The dividend will be paid in cash, if an option is not made by the shareholder upon the expiry of said period. This proposed dividend corresponds to a payout ratio of 58% of adjusted attributable net profit. 2019 Outlook For full year 2019, the Group expects: A solid organic revenue growth A continued adjusted operating margin improvement at constant currency A sustained strong cash flow generation 2020 Ambition Bureau Veritas reaffirms its 2020 financial Ambition: Adding EUR 1.5 billion of incremental revenue based on the 2015 plan's initial exchange rates, half organic and half through external growth Reaching 5% to 7% of organic growth by 2020 Achieving above 17% adjusted operating margin in 2020 Generating continuous high free cash flow The Group is also committed through 2020 to its non-financial performance and mainly aims to: Health and Safety : Reduce accident rates by 50% (TAR, LTR) ; Inclusion : Achieve 25% female representation on the Group's executive management team; Environment : Reduce CO 2 emissions by 10% per full-time equivalent; Increase the use of renewable energy by 10%; Achieve 75% of Group activities ISO 14001 certified. Full Year 2018 Business Review MARINE & OFFSHORE IN EUR MILLIONS 2018 2017 CHANGE ORGANIC ACQUIS. CURRENCY Revenue 348.6 364.9 (4.5)% (0.9)% +0.2% (3.8)% Adjusted Operating Profit 73.5 80.2 (8.4)% Adjusted Operating Margin 21.1% 22.0% (90)bps +10bps Revenue was marginally down (-0.7%) on a constant currency basis, including 0.9% negative organic growth and 0.2% acquisition-led growth after accelerating recovery in the second half, mainly driven by new construction activity in China. Q4 2018 revenue rose 6.9% on an organic basis. Revenue for the In-service ship segment (61% of divisional revenue) was slightly negative year-on-year (-1.0%), with the following situation by sub-segment: Core In-Service decreased slightly, a reflection of some price pressure and a broadly stable fleet (+0.3% in number of ships). Offshore-related activities recorded a low single-digit growth, driven by the rebound of risk assessment studies and the extension of services provided to customers. Loss adjusting services showed some stabilization in Q4 2018. At December 31, 2018, the fleet classified by Bureau Veritas comprised 11,332 ships and represented 119.8 million of Gross Register Tonnage (GRT), up 1.6% on a yearly basis. Revenue from the New Construction segment (39% of divisional revenue) also slightly decreased over the full year (-0.8%), with an improvement in the second half, which was primarily driven by the equipment certification business in China. New orders amounted to 6.1 million gross tons at the end of December 2018, up from 5.1 million gross tons in the prior year period. The order book progressed by 11% to 14.0 million gross tons at the end of the period (vs. 12.6 million GRT at December 31, 2017). It remains very diversified by type of ships with Bulk, Tankers and LNG vessels expanding their share. Adjusted operating margin for the year came in at 21.1%, down 90 basis points compared to 2017, primarily explained by a negative foreign exchange impact while the organic was up 10 basis points, benefiting from restructuring measures. In the course of 2018 the Group undertook additional restructuring actions to transform the operating model of its In-Service activity. Outlook: In 2019, Bureau Veritas expects organic revenue growth in this business to be positive. This reflects (i) a recovery in New Construction thanks to solid new orders won end-2017 and 2018, notably led by China; (ii) resilient In-Service activity including the Offshore-related activities, and limited benefit from IMO 2020. Profitability wise, the Group expects the adjusted operating margin to improve with the restructuring benefit being mitigated by a negative foreign exchange impact. AGRI-FOOD & COMMODITIES IN EUR MILLIONS 2018 2017 CHANGE ORGANIC ACQUIS. CURRENCY Revenue 1,073.7 1,072.6 +0.1% +4.5% +1.1% (5.5)% Adjusted Operating Profit 132.0 134.6 (1.9)% Adjusted Operating Margin 12.3% 12.5% (25)bps (10)bps Revenue grew by 5.6% on a constant currency basis, including organic growth of 4.5% and acquisition led growth of 1.1%, driven primarily by Agri-Food acquisitions (Shandong Cigna, FEAC, Labomag and Permulab). Q4 revenue rose 4.9% on an organic basis. Oil & Petrochemicals (O&P) segment (37% of divisional revenue) reported 1.9% organic growth, with low growth in O&P trade activities - in the context of a challenging price and competitive environment - and a much stronger performance for O&P upstream activities. Growth was particularly strong in Africa, high in China, robust in Europe and low in North America (primarily fueled by Maxxams Analytics). The Group strategic initiatives (oil condition monitoring, marine fuels testing) delivered a double-digit performance and increasingly contributed to the growth of the business. In Q4 2018, cargo inspection services improved in most geographies. Metals & Minerals segment (28% of divisional revenue) achieved a strong performance with organic growth of 8.7% in 2018, led primarily by Upstream activities. These activities, including coal, recorded double-digit growth driven by the strength in the gold sector and positive trends in base metals (especially copper) and some other non-ferrous metals (new bauxite mine development in West Africa). Significant mine site outsourcing contract wins also contributed to growth. Coal activities benefited from a strong recovery due to the development of Bureau Veritas' Mozambique business following a large contract win. Trade activities experienced low single digit growth led by robust growth for non-coal trade minerals and, with particularly steady growth in Europe and in Africa. Agri-Food (20% of divisional revenue) recorded solid 4.4% organic growth for the full year, benefiting from high single-digit growth in Food activities while agricultural testing and inspection activities grew slightly. The Agri business overall was impacted by poor weather conditions (poor crops in Northern Europe due to dry summer, drought in Argentina) and other exogenous factors (truckers' strike in Brazil disrupting the export supply chain, US-China disputes impacting US export programs) though growth resumed in the last quarter supported by contract wins and new services (including precision agriculture). Conversely, Food activities remained buoyant, led by new labs openings, contract wins and the benefits from past acquisitions. In Canada, Maxxams Analytics performed very well. At the end of 2018, including acquisitions, the Group enjoys a network of 75+ Agri-Food laboratories across the globe. Government Services (15% of divisional revenue) achieved 4.1% organic revenue growth with an improvement in the second half compared to H1 (-1.5% organically). Despite the end of some PSI (Pre-Shipment Inspection) contracts, revenue benefited from the ramp-up of VOC (Verification of Conformity) and single window contracts in Ghana, Ivory Coast and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Also, the Iraq contract stabilized throughout the year. 2018 was characterized by the further gradual disappearance of PSI in the revenue mix (18% of divisional revenue at the end of 2018 with an ambition to tend to zero by end 2019). This participates in the overall reduction of the risk profile from the Government Services activities. Adjusted operating margin for the year was broadly stable on an organic basis, although slightly lower on a reported basis at 12.3% due to currency effects, versus 12.5% in 2017. Outlook: In 2019, the Group expects its Agri-Food & Commodities business to deliver similar organic revenue growth compared to 2018, fueled by solid Metals & Minerals markets, robust Agri-Food businesses, improving Government Services and resilient Oil & Petrochemicals markets. The Group expects a margin improvement driven by restructuring benefits and positive mix effects. INDUSTRY IN EUR MILLIONS 2018 2017 CHANGE ORGANIC ACQUIS. CURRENCY Revenue 1,061.3 1,096.3 (3.2)% +3.5% +0.0% (6.7)% Adjusted Operating Profit 131.1 133.1 (1.5)% Adjusted Operating Margin 12.4% 12.1% +20bps +35bps Revenue increased by 3.5% on a constant currency basis for the full year. Organic growth in Industry confirmed its recovery in 2018, up +3.5% of which +6.2% in the last quarter. This reflects the benefits of the strategy of diversification towards Opex and non-Oil & Gas markets together with improving market conditions in Oil & Gas towards the second half of the year. The Group registered robust growth in Opex-related activities (+7.3%), being part of the Group's strategic plan Growth Initiatives. Power & Utilities Opex-related activities grew by 17.4%, with the ramp up of several contracts in Latin America. The Nuclear segment performed well, notably in Europe (including the UK). In Oil & Gas markets (36% of divisional revenue), the situation improved throughout the year on all fronts: Opex-related activities grew mid-single digit organically, benefiting from strong volume increases, across nearly all geographies (and in Latin America notably), largely offsetting persistent price pressure. The large Qatargas contract won in H1 2018 started to contribute to growth. Capex-related activities declined at a high mid-single digit pace, although a return to growth in the second half (including +5.5% in Q4 2018) saw them on improving trends. This was fueled by positive developments in the United States and in South Korea, thanks to a number of Capex projects, while business stabilized in Latin America, including Brazil. In Asia, the business remained weak. During the year, the Group experienced a build-up of predominantly small-sized capex opportunities in the pipeline. By geography, growth was strong in Latin America (led primarily by Colombia, Peru and Argentina) thanks to sector diversification, while business remained solid in North America (led by the US) and in certain European countries (including the UK and Eastern countries). Adjusted operating margin for the year climbed 20 basis points to 12.4%, from 12.1% in 2017, including a 35 basis point improvement organically thanks to restructuring actions and a less negative mix effect on the back of the decline in Oil & Gas Capex. Outlook: In 2019, Bureau Veritas expects its Industry business to deliver similar organic revenue growth compared to 2018, fueled by the pursuit of its successful Opex services diversification alongside improving Oil & Gas Capex markets skewed to the second half of the year. The Group expects a margin improvement driven by restructuring benefits and positive mix effects. BUILDINGS & INFRASTRUCTURE IN EUR MILLIONS 2018 2017 CHANGE ORGANIC ACQUIS. CURRENCY Revenue 1,267.2 1,119.9 +13.2% +4.3% +10.9% (2.0)% Adjusted Operating Profit 188.2 170.1 +10.6% Adjusted Operating Margin 14.8% 15.2% (35)bps (35)bps The Buildings & Infrastructure business posted strong revenue growth of 15.2% at constant currency in 2018 with a 10.9% impact from external growth due notably to the completion of the acquisition of EMG in the US. Organically, growth amounted to 4.3% for the year (of which 4.5% in the last quarter) spread across most geographies. Slightly stronger organic growth was recorded in Building In-Service activities (58% of divisional revenue) than for Construction-related activities (42% of divisional revenue). Growth in Europe (55% of divisional revenue) was above the divisional average, led notably by a robust performance in France (41% of revenue). The latter was primarily powered by Opex-related activities (regulatory driven) where the Group gained market share in the mass market and launched several growth initiatives. In Asia Pacific (23% of divisional revenue), solid growth was primarily driven by Australia (up double-digit on the back of the McKenzie acquisition). China (15% of Buildings & Infrastructure revenue), also continued to deliver healthy growth in energy and infrastructure project management assistance thanks to past acquisitions. In the Americas (19% of divisional revenue), growth was below the divisional average, with mixed growth in Latin America (dragged down by Chile while Brazil recovered in the last quarter) and solid growth in the United States, in particular for code compliance services. In the US, the Group also recorded a significant scope effect, following the acquisitions of California Code Check (June 2017), Primary Integration Solutions (November 2017) and EMG (February 2018). The integration of EMG continued on track with several synergy opportunities underway. Adjusted operating margin for the year decreased by 35 basis points to 14.8%, due to price pressure and geographical mix effects. Outlook: In 2019, the outlook for the business remains positive overall with similar organic revenue growth led by both Capex and Opex related services. Profitability wise, the Group expects its margin to slightly improve year-on-year. CERTIFICATION IN EUR MILLIONS 2018 2017 CHANGE ORGANIC ACQUIS. CURRENCY Revenue 374.5 368.6 +1.6% +7.8% +0.0% (6.2)% Adjusted Operating Profit 66.4 62.9 +5.6% Adjusted Operating Margin 17.7% 17.1% +65bps +185bps The Certification business recorded strong organic growth of 7.8% for the full year 2018, with growth spread across most regions and categories. Growth was primarily fueled by the revision of standards (ISO 9001, 14001, AS 9100 in the Aerospace and IATF in the Automotive sectors), especially in both Q2 and Q3 2018, ahead of the transition deadline on September 15, 2018. At end December 2018, 99% of Bureau Veritas' clients had transitioned to the new QHSE Standards (ISO 9001: 2015 and ISO 14001: 2015), showing a very high transition and retention rate. In the last quarter, organic revenue growth declined by 3.5% reflecting the end of the 3-years standards revision period. After the transition in Q4 2018 and 2019, QHSE and Transportation Certification markets are expected to decline due to the absence of transition man-days. Double-digit growth was posted in Supply Chain, led by Automotive and Aeronautics. Energy Management, Forestry, Food Management Systems and Organic Certification also recorded double-digit growth, while Social & Customized audits delivered mid-single digit growth. The Group also benefited from strong growth on the back of the development of its Enterprise Risks offering including anti-bribery, business continuity, cybersecurity and GDPR Data privacy certification. Global Certification contracts grew by 6.5% organically, with the ramp-up of new contracts signed with international companies, notably in Automotive, Aerospace, Food, Services, Utilities and Oil & Gas sectors. By geography, double-digit growth was achieved in Northern Europe (Germany) and Southern Europe (Italy and Spain), high single-digit in France and Asia (led by China), while a mid-single digit pace was recorded in Latin America (led by Argentina and to some extent Brazil). Adjusted operating margin for the year rose 65 basis points to a healthy 17.7%. This reflects a strong organic increase led by operating leverage and mix, mostly offset by a negative forex impact (owing to the depreciation of most emerging countries' currencies, and especially in Latin America). Outlook: In 2019, the Certification business is expected to deliver slightly negative organic revenue growth: this reflects: (i) the impact of the QHSE and Transportation transition which ended in September 2018 and creates challenging comparables for the first nine months of the year; (ii) solid growth elsewhere primarily driven by Food schemes, Sustainability, Training and Customized audits. Profitability wise, the Group will focus on margin protection. CONSUMER PRODUCTS IN EUR MILLIONS 2018 2017 CHANGE ORGANIC ACQUIS. CURRENCY Revenue 670.2 667.1 +0.5% +4.3% +0.7% (4.5)% Adjusted Operating Profit 166.8 164.6 +1.3% Adjusted Operating Margin 24.9% 24.7% +25bps +50bps Revenue increased by 5.0% on a constant currency basis, of which 4.3% was organic, with a solid performance across all service categories. Q4 2018 revenue was up 4.5% at constant currency, benefiting from a 4.0% increase on an organic basis. The Electrical & Electronics segment (34% of divisional revenue) posted mid-single digit organic revenue growth led by double-digit growth in Automotive and high single-digit growth in Mobile testing, primarily in South Asia, East Asia and Europe. Hardlines performed slightly above the divisional average, driven by China and strong momentum with key accounts, notably in Europe; Toys remained broadly stable compared to last year. Lastly, Softlines (35% of divisional revenue) grew mid-single digit, with strong growth in Europe fueled by large contract wins as well as very strong momentum in South Asia and South East Asia benefiting from the relocation of Chinese manufacturing activities. South Asia and South East Asia now represent a significant proportion of the Consumer Products business. As regards the escalating tariffs between the US and China, the Group continues to closely monitor the situation. Bureau Veritas is engaged proactively with customers and ideally positioned to follow any manufacturing relocation with its wide geographical network of laboratory capabilities. In this uncertain context, the Group has further accelerated development in the Chinese domestic market and outside of the US (notably in South East Asia and Europe). The tariff increases may also provide an opportunity for the Group, as its services will become even more important to ensure that product quality is maintained during sourcing shifts. Adjusted operating margin for the year improved by 25 basis points to a strong 24.9% including a 50 basis point organic improvement led by margin initiatives (cost management/Lean) as well as negative forex and scope effects. Outlook: In 2019, the Group expects similar organic growth compared to 2018, with strong momentum in South Asia and South East Asia, solid growth in Europe and resilient performance in both US and China. Profitability wise, the Group will focus on margin protection. Presentation Full year results will be presented on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at 3:00 p.m. (Paris time). A video conference will be webcast live. Please connect to: Link to video conference The presentation slides will be available on: https://group.bureauveritas.com All supporting documents will be available on the website. 2019 Financial Calendar April 25, 2019: Q1 2019 revenue May 14, 2019: Shareholders' meeting July 25, 2019: H1 2019 results October 24, 2019: Q3 2019 revenue About Bureau Veritas Bureau Veritas is a world leader in laboratory testing, inspection and certification services. Created in 1828, the Group has more than 75,000 employees located in more than 1,500 offices and laboratories around the globe. Bureau Veritas helps its clients improve their performance by offering services and innovative solutions in order to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility. Bureau Veritas is listed on Euronext Paris and belongs to the Next 20 index. Compartment A, ISIN code FR 0006174348, stock symbol: BVI. For more information, visit https://group.bureauveritas.com ANALYST/INVESTOR CONTACTS MEDIA CONTACTS Laurent Brunelle Veronique Gielec +33 (0)1 55 24 76 09 +33 (0)1 55 24 76 01 laurent.brunelle@bureauveritas.com veronique.gielec@bureauveritas.com Florent Chaix DGM Conseil +33 (0)1 55 24 77 80 +33 (0)1 40 70 11 89 florent.chaix@bureauveritas.com thomasdeclimens@dgm-conseil.fr quentin.hua@dgm-conseil.fr This press release (including the appendices) contains forward-looking statements, which are based on current plans and forecasts of Bureau Veritas' management. Such forward-looking statements are by their nature subject to a number of important risk and uncertainty factors such as those described in the registration document filed by Bureau Veritas with the French Financial Markets Authority that could cause actual results to differ from the plans, objectives and expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and Bureau Veritas undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, according to applicable regulations. Appendix 1: Q4 and Full year 2018 Revenue by business IN EUR MILLIONS 2018 2017 CHANGE ORGANIC ACQUIS. CURRENCY Marine & Offshore 93.4 88.3 +5.8% +6.9% +0.4% (1.5)% Agri-Food & Commodities 277.2 265.9 +4.2% +4.9% +1.6% (2.3)% Industry 276.1 270.8 +2.0% +6.2% +0.0% (4.2)% Buildings & Infrastructure 346.3 305.6 +13.3% +4.5% +9.5% (0.7)% Certification 95.0 100.3 (5.3)% (3.5)% +0.0% (1.8)% Consumer Products 172.6 165.7 +4.2% +4.0% +0.5% (0.3)% Total Q4 revenue 1,260.6 1,196.6 +5.3% +4.4% +2.9% (2.0)% Marine & Offshore 348.6 364.9 (4.5)% (0.9)% +0.2% (3.8)% Agri-Food & Commodities 1,073.7 1,072.6 +0.1% +4.5% +1.1% (5.5)% Industry 1,061.3 1,096.3 (3.2)% +3.5% +0.0% (6.7)% Buildings & Infrastructure 1,267.2 1,119.9 +13.2% +4.3% +10.9% (2.0)% Certification 374.5 368.6 +1.6% +7.8% +0.0% (6.2)% Consumer Products 670.2 667.1 +0.5% +4.3% +0.7% (4.5)% Total Full Year revenue 4,795.5 4,689.4 +2.3% +4.0% +3.0% (4.7)% Appendix 2: Adjusted operating profit and margin by business IN EUR MILLIONS ADJUSTED OPERATING PROFIT ADJUSTED OPERATING MARGIN 2018 2017 CHANGE (%) 2018 2017 CHANGE (BASIS POINTS) Marine & Offshore 73.5 80.2 (8.4)% 21.1% 22.0% (90) Agri-Food & Commodities 132.0 134.6 (1.9)% 12.3% 12.5% (25) Industry 131.1 133.1 (1.5)% 12.4% 12.1% +20 Buildings & Infrastructure 188.2 170.1 +10.6% 14.8% 15.2% (35) Certification 66.4 62.9 +5.6% 17.7% 17.1% +65 Consumer Products 166.8 164.6 +1.3% 24.9% 24.7% +25 Total Group 758.0 745.5 +1.7% +15.8% +15.9% (10) Appendix 3: 2018 Revenue by quarter 2018 REVENUE BY QUARTER IN EUR MILLIONS Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Marine & Offshore 83.6 86.8 84.8 93.4 Agri-Food & Commodities 250.1 273.6 272.8 277.2 Industry 250.2 269.3 265.7 276.1 Buildings & Infrastructure 291.8 317.8 311.4 346.3 Certification 84.9 106.0 88.6 95.0 Consumer Products 139.7 184.5 173.4 172.6 Total revenue 1,100.3 1,238.0 1,196.7 1,260.6 Appendix 4: Extracts from the full year consolidated financial statements Extracts from the full year consolidated financial statements audited and approved on February 27, 2019 by the Board of Directors. The audit procedures for the full year accounts have been undertaken and the Statutory Auditor's report has been published. CONSOLIDATED INCOME SATEMENT IN EUR MILLIONS 2018 2017 Revenue 4,795.5 4,689.4 Purchases and external charges (1,418.0) (1,394.1) Personnel costs (2,507.1) (2,449.0) Taxes other than on income (46.2) (46.4) Net (additions to)/reversals of provisions (11.8) (11.5) Depreciation and amortization (200.3) (203.7) Other operating income and expense, net 25.1 21.6 Operating profit 637.2 606.3 Share of profit of equity-accounted companies 0.4 0.6 Operating profit after share of profit of equity-accounted companies 637.6 606.9 Income from cash and cash equivalents 1.8 1.3 Finance costs, gross (84.3) (88.1) Finance costs, net (82.5) (86.8) Other financial income and expense, net (10.7) (16.9) Net financial expense (93.2) (103.7) Profit before income tax 544.4 503.2 Income tax expense (189.3) (164.8) Net income from continuing operations 355.1 338.4 Net income (loss) from discontinued operations 0.0 (8.6) Net profit 355.1 329.8 Non-controlling interests 22.5 21.8 Attributable net profit 332.6 308.0 Earnings per share (in euros): Basic earnings per share 0.76 0.71 Diluted earnings per share 0.76 0.70 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION IN EUR MILLIONS DEC. 2018 DEC. 2017 RESTATED FIRST TIME APPLICATION OF IFRS 9 DEC. 2017 PUBLISHED Goodwill 2,011.6 1,965.1 1,965.1 Intangible assets 634.6 640.2 640.2 Property, plant and equipment 471.1 486.3 486.3 Other non-current financial assets 114.8 124.3 124.3 Deferred income tax assets 135.3 145.3 6.9 138.4 Total non-current assets 3,367.4 3,361.2 6.9 3,354.3 Trade and other receivables 1,615.9 1,546.6 (26.5) 1,573.1 Current income tax assets 49.8 52.8 52.8 Current financial assets 13.1 20.3 20.3 Derivative financial instruments 3.8 3.8 3.8 Cash and cash equivalents 1,046.3 364.3 364.3 Total current assets 2,728.9 1,987.8 (26.5) 2,014.3 Assets held for sale 0.0 1.2 1.2 TOTAL ASSETS 6,096.3 5,350.2 (19.6) 5,369.8 Share capital 53.0 53.0 53.0 Retained earnings and other reserves 906.3 917.4 (18.7) 936.1 Equity attributable to owners of the Company 959.3 970.4 989.1 Non-controlling interests 48.3 42.7 (0.9) 43.6 Total equity 1,007.6 1,013.1 (19.6) 1,032.7 Non-current borrowings and financial debt 2,655.7 2,240.0 2,240.0 Derivative financial instruments 6.7 6.7 6.7 Other non-current financial liabilities 125.0 120.2 120.2 Deferred income tax liabilities 127.4 143.3 143.3 Pension plans and other long-term employee benefits 185.6 190.1 190.1 Provisions for other liabilities and charges 105.1 109.6 109.6 Total non-current liabilities 3,205.5 2,809.9 2,809.9 Trade and other payables 1,182.8 1,119.8 1,119.8 Current income tax liabilities 71.2 73.6 73.6 Current borrowings and financial debt 499.0 209.0 209.0 Derivative financial instruments 4.4 9.7 9.7 Other current financial liabilities 125.8 114.1 114.1 Total current liabilities 1,883.2 1,526.2 1,526.2 Liabilities held for sale 0.0 1.0 1.0 TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 6,096.3 5,350.2 (19.6) 5,369.8 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASHFLOWS IN EUR MILLIONS 2018 2017 Profit before income tax 544.4 503.2 Elimination of cash flows from financing and investing activities 87.4 103.8 Provisions and other non-cash items 25.8 (0.3) Depreciation, amortization and impairment 200.3 203.7 Movements in working capital requirement attributable to operations 4.1 (59.5) Income tax paid (176.5) (169.7) Net cash generated from operating activities 685.5 581.2 Acquisitions of subsidiaries (141.5) (164.8) Proceeds from sales of subsidiaries - - Purchases of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets (130.9) (142.3) Proceeds from sales of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets 6.8 8.9 Purchases of non-current financial assets (18.6) (32.2) Proceeds from sales of non-current financial assets 9.9 10.3 Change in loans and advances granted (0.8) 7.3 Dividends received from equity-accounted companies 0.2 0.7 Net cash used in investing activities (274.9) (312.1) Capital increase 2.6 3.4 Purchases/sales of treasury shares (30.9) (36.8) Dividends paid (277.7) (295.4) Increase in borrowings and other debt 833.4 172.6 Repayment of borrowings and other debt (166.4) (717.0) Repayment of amounts owed to shareholders - (3.4) Interest paid (83.0) (98.2) Other - (0.3) Net cash generated from (used in) financing activities 278.0 (975.1) Impact of currency translation differences (8.5) (27.7) Impact of changes in accounting method - 0.2 Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 680.1 (733.5) Net cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period 354.5 1,088.0 Net cash and cash equivalents at end of the period 1,034.6 354.5 o/w cash and cash equivalents 1,046.3 364.3 o/w bank overdrafts (11.7) (9.8) Appendix 5: Financial indicators not defined by IFRS accounting rules ADJUSTED OPERATING PROFIT IN EUR MILLIONS 2018 2017 Operating profit 637.2 606.3 Amortization of acquisition intangibles 75.1 77.1 Restructuring costs 42.1 57.1 Acquisition and disposals 3.6 5.0 Impairment of goodwill 0.0 0.0 Total adjustment items 120.8 139.2 Adjusted operating profit 758.0 745.5 NET FINANCIAL EXPENSES IN EUR MILLIONS 2018 2017 Net financial charges (82.5) (86.8) Foreign exchange gain/loss (5.7) (12.1) Interest charge on pension plans (2.3) (3.1) Other (2.7) (1.7) Net financial expenses (93.2) (103.7) ADJUSTED EFFECTIVE TAX RATE(a) IN EUR MILLIONS 2018 2017 Profit before Tax 544.4 503.2 Tax (189.3) (164.8) ETR(b) 34.8% 32.8% Adjusted ETR 33.3% 31.8% (a) Adjusted ETR = Income tax expense adjusted for tax effect on adjustment items / Profit before tax adjusted for adjustment items (b) Effective tax rate (ETR) = Income tax expense / Profit before income tax ATTRIBUTABLE NET PROFIT IN EUR MILLIONS 2018 2017 Attributable net profit 332.6 308.0 EPS(a) ( per share) 0.76 0.71 Adjustment items 115.4 139.2 Net income from operations to be sold 0.0 8.6 Tax effect on adjustment items (30.8) (39.7) Adjusted attributable net profit 417.2 416.1 Adjusted EPS(a) ( per share) 0.96 0.95 (a) Calculated using the weighted average number of shares of 435,786,895 in FY 2018 and 436,422,741 in FY 2017 FREE CASH FLOW IN EUR MILLIONS 2018 2017 Net cash generated from operating activities (operating cash flow) 685.5 581.2 Purchases of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets net of disposals (124.1) (133.4) Interest paid (83.0) (98.2) Free cash flow 478.4 349.6 ADJUSTED NET FINANCIAL DEBT IN EUR MILLIONS 2018 2017 Gross financial debt 3,154.7 2,449.0 Cash and cash equivalents 1,046.3 364.3 Consolidated net financial debt 2,108.4 2,084.7 Currency hedging instruments 6.7 9.7 Adjusted net financial debt 2,115.1 2,094.4 APPENDIX 6: GROWTH INITIATIVES ORGANIC REVENUE GROWTH YEAR-ON-YEAR CHANGE, IN PERCENTAGE Q4 2018 FY 2018 Opex Services +5.6% +6.7% Buildings & Infrastructure +3.5% +6.9% Agri-Food +9.0% +4.3% Automotive (2.3)% +5.4% SmartWorld +9.6% +8.0% Growth Initiatives +5.0% +6.3% Base Business +4.1% +2.9% Total organic growth +4.4% +4.0% The World Customs Organization (WCO) Asia/Pacific Security Project (APSP) conducted its third WCO Sub-Regional Train-the-Trainer Workshop on Programme Global Shield (PGS) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 12 to 22 February 2019. 16 participants from seven countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam) attended the event, which was funded by the Government of Japan and co-hosted by the WCO and the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMCD). The Workshop is designed to support frontline Customs officers with detecting and identifying precursor chemicals and other components commonly used by terrorist groups in manufacturing Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), as well as providing participants with the knowledge and skills required to train to other officers in the detection, handling and identification of those materials. Representatives from the Royal Malaysian Police also participated in the event and made a presentation on their experience about the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNe) threat in the country. The workshop increased the pool of PGS expert trainers available in the region for further training activities. It also raised awareness amongst Customs administrations of the threat posed by IEDs and what can be done to better control diversion and illicit trafficking of chemical precursors and components used to manufacture them. The RMCD Deputy Director General of Customs (Enforcement and Compliance), Honourable Dato Azimah Abd Hamid and Director of Customs (Corporate Planning) Mr. Sharif bin Aziz launched the training on 12 February 2019 and highlighted in their remarks the efforts of WCO and the Government of Japan to support Member administrations to enhance security against the threat posed by IEDs and expand the pool of PGS expert trainers in the region. For any further questions or comments, please contact the APSP Team (SecurityProject@wcoomd.org). VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Monument Mining Limited (TSX-V: MMY and FSE: D7Q1) Monument or the Company today announced its second quarter production and financial results for the three months ended December 31, 2018. All amounts are in United States dollars unless otherwise indicated (refer to www.sedar.com for full financial results). President and CEO Cathy Zhai commented on second quarter fiscal 2019 financial results: During the second quarter, we have successfully completed a Mineral Resource estimate at Mengapur and a feasibility study at the Selinsing Gold Mine subsequently. These accomplishments are significant to shareholders and potential investors as they demonstrate to the market the value being built over the last 10 years in our gold and copper portfolios in Malaysia. This opens our future for potential sustainable production and business development opportunities. I would like also to congratulate our team for their excellent performance and technical strengths that have been developed and accumulated over past 10 years. Second Quarter Highlights: 4,600oz of gold sold for gross revenue of $5.66 million (Q2 2018: 3,900oz of gold sold for gross revenue of $4.97 million); 4,653oz of gold produced (Q2 2018: 4,151oz); Cash cost per ounce (oz) of $686/oz (Q2 2018: $805/oz); Gross margin of $2.51 million (Q2 2018: $1.83 million); A NI43-101 Technical Report completed at Mengapur that included a copper, gold and silver mineral resource estimation; A NI43-101 Technical Report completed at Selinsing, subsequent to the second quarter, establishing economic viability for a six-year life of mine. Second Quarter Production and Financial Highlights Three months ended December 31, Six months ended December 31, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Production Ore mined (tonnes) 56,734 85,214 87,039 115,908 Ore processed (tonnes) 241,925 219,548 478,730 441,084 Average mill feed grade (g/t) 0.88 1.00 0.85 0.81 Processing recovery rate (%) 72% 72% 68% 69% Gold production (1) (oz) 4,653 4,151 7,961 7,535 Gold sold (oz) 4,600 3,900 9,150 7,400 Financial (in thousands of US dollars) $ $ $ $ Revenue 5,663 4,975 11,193 9,477 Gross margin from mining operations 2,509 1,834 5,230 3,018 Net income/(loss) before other items 768 (423) 1,873 (1,483) Net income/(loss) 469 (1,820) 1,531 (3,326) Cash flows generated from operations 1,078 922 1,844 2,896 Working capital 26,299 26,492 26,299 26,492 Earnings/(Loss) per share before other items basic (US$/share) 0.00 (0.00) 0.01 (0.00) Earnings/(Loss) per share basic (US$/share) 0.00 (0.01) 0.00 (0.01) Three months ended December 31, Six months ended December 31, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Other US$/oz US$/oz US$/oz US$/oz Average realized gold price per ounce sold 1,231 1,276 1,223 1,281 Cash cost per ounce (2) Mining 161 153 150 165 Processing 441 551 414 623 Royalties 82 97 86 81 Operations, net of silver recovery 2 4 2 4 Total cash cost per ounce 686 805 652 873 (1) Defined as good delivery gold bullion according to London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), net of gold dore in transit and refinery adjustment. (2) Total cash cost includes production costs such as mining, processing, tailing facility maintenance and camp administration, royalties, and operating costs such as storage, temporary mine production closure, community development cost and property fees, net of by-product credits. Cash cost excludes amortization, depletion, accretion expenses, capital costs, exploration costs and corporate administration costs. Operation and Financial Results Second quarter fiscal 2019 gold production was 4,653oz, a 12% increase compared to 4,151oz in the corresponding period of the previous year. Production included stockpiled super low-grade oxide ore, old tailing materials, and oxide ore from the production at Felda Block 7, Buffalo Reef, and Selinsing during the second quarter. The processing recovery rate was 72.2% compared to 70.0% for the same quarter last year. Ore processed was increased by 10% to 241,925t from 219,548t in the same period last year. The increased mill feed was mainly due an increase in the old tailings reclaim rate, offset by a lower crushing rate from repairs and heavy rainfall. Net income for the second quarter was $0.47 million, or $0.00 per share (basic) compared to net loss of $1.82 million or ($0.01) per share (basic) in the same period last year. The increase in net income was mainly due to higher revenue with lower corporate expenses and foreign currency exchange loss and tax expense. Mining operations generated a gross margin of $2.51 million, an increase of 37% from $1.83 million in the same quarter last year, before non-cash amortization and depreciation. Net income for the six months ended December 31, 2018 was $1.53 million, or $0.00 per share (basic) compared to net loss of $3.33 million or ($0.01) per share (basic) in the same period last year. The increase in earnings was mainly due to higher income from mining operations, lower corporate expenses and decreased in foreign currency exchange loss. Mining operations generated a gross margin of $5.23 million, an increase of 73% from $3.02 million in the same period last year, before non-cash amortization and depreciation. For the second quarter, total cash consumed was $0.91 million from $1.08 million generated from operations offset by $1.99 million invested for development at Selinsing including pre-stripping, tailings storage facilities upgrade and the Sulphide Project feasibility study, for exploration at Buffalo Reef and Peranggih, at Murchison for regional geological study, and at Mengapur for resource evaluation study and care and maintenance. In comparison, the second quarter last year generated total cash of $1.70 million from $0.92 million generated from operations, $2.00 million gold forward from financing activities, offset by $1.22 million used for investing activities. For the six months ended December 31, 2018, total cash consumed was $2.18 million from $1.84 million provided from operations, offset by $2.29 million used for investing activities on the Sulphide Project for Selinsing, tailings storage facility upgrades and pre-stripping, exploration at Buffalo Reef and Peranggih, the regional geology study for Burnakura, and resource study for the Mengapur Project. In comparison, the six-month period last year generated total cash of $4.31 million from $2.90 million from operations and $5.00 million from financing activities from a gold forward sale, offset by $2.29 million used for investing activities. For the second quarter, changes in working capital items reduced cash from operating activities by ($0.92) million. The working capital reduction was primarily due to increased inventories and decrease in accounts payable and accrued liabilities. For the three months ended December 31, 2017, the $1.08 million working capital reduction was primarily due to timing of accounts receivables, reduction of inventories and decrease in accounts payable and accrued liabilities. For the six months ended December 31, 2018, changes in working capital items reduced cash from operating activities by ($2.39) million. The working capital reduction was primarily due to timing of accounts receivables and decrease in accounts payable and accrued liabilities. For the six months ended December 31, 2017, the $0.72 million working capital increase was primarily due to reduction of inventories, offset by timing of accounts receivables and prepaid expenses. Development Selinsing Gold Mine During the second quarter, the Feasibility Study was being finalized for the Selinsing Gold Sulphide Project. The Snowden 2019 NI43-101 Report (titled Selinsing Gold Sulphide Project - NI 43-101 Technical Report), filed subsequent to the second quarter, has concluded economic viability of the Selinsing Gold Sulphide Project, covering mineral exploration, development, and production area of the Selinsing Gold Mine. The Feasibility Study has demonstrated an approximately six-year life of mine (LOM) with an NPV of $27.56 million based on reported oxide and sulphide ore reserves as of March 2018. Over the six-year LOM, a total 5.7 million tonnes of ore would be treated at an average grade of 1.45g/t for 223koz at a cost of $863.67 per ounce. At a gold price of $1,300 per ounce, the Selinsing Gold Mine Project would generate net cash flow after tax of $97.00 million from operations, or $45.00 million net of capital expenditure. Recommendations have been suggested to initiate further exploration programs, aimed on conversion of Inferred Mineral Resources to Indicated Mineral Resources. During the second quarter, flotation and other testwork continued at an independent laboratory in Perth, WA and successfully achieved gold recoveries in excess of 90%, confirming the results achieved from the in-house laboratory at site. A draft detailed design of the tailings storage facility (TSF) expansion was issued by SRK Consulting. Construction of the new spring water management system was completed and preparation for the TSF main embankment construction proceeded with the use of some pre-stripping materials that reduces overburden. The project team also continued to optimize costs for the sulphide plant upgrade including expected maintenance and reagent consumptions to lower operating cost estimates and sourcing local equipment to lower capital cost estimates. Burnakura Project Following the July 2018 updated mineral resource estimation at Burnakura, an initial economic assessment was completed during the second quarter assuming the underground mining potential and larger mill capacity to 500ktpa from 260ktpa by the management. Based on those assessments, the Company has re-strategized development of the Burnakura Gold Project. The planned gold production is postponed until completion of the PEA to include underground opportunities that would potentially allow for a better return on investment and reduction of operation risks. Focus during the second quarter has been on the update of geological data and identification of geological host structures suitable for target drilling with a view to increase gold inventories. Mengapur At the Mengapur Copper-Iron project geological and resource modelling work resumed in fiscal 2018. A NI43-101 Mineral Resource Estimation Technical Report was completed by Snowden and SEDAR filed in October 2018. A total of 39.5 Mt @ 0.43% Cu and 0.18 g/t Au of Indicated Mineral Resources, along with 50.9 Mt @ 0.44% Cu and 0.11 g/t Au of Inferred Mineral Resources, was reported above a 0.3% Cu cut-off grade. As copper prices rise, the Company intends to carry out follow-up work in fiscal 2019 to assess the opportunity for copper production. Exploration Progress Malaysia Exploration activities during the second quarter comprised of regional exploration interpretation, a continuation of the soil sampling program, and refinements on diamond and RC drilling design. Regional exploration has continued targeting larger strategic development areas surrounding the Selinsing Gold Mine, aimed to test resource potential. The current target areas have been prioritized for sampling and assaying including additional sections at Peranggih and Panau. During the second quarter 140 primary samples collected at the Panau South. The access road to Panau East was then surveyed, repaired, and sampling was started at the end of the second quarter with 20 samples collected. The soil sampling results could lead to identifying further regional drilling targets. Australia A geological structural study was completed during the second quarter with updates to reflect new geological information for regional geology. Regional and localized drill targets have been identified and priority ranked at Burnakura and entire Murchison Gold Project for further investigation. Compilation of historical data was also carried out, to check any gaps in existing data including reports, drillhole database and geochemical data. The Company has developed exploration milestones and strategy, preparing to commence exploration programs to test regional targets such as NOA 9, and deep underground potential targets at ANA, NOA 1 and NOA 2, and NOA 7/8 areas. About Monument Monument Mining Limited (TSX-V: MMY, FSE:D7Q1) is an established Canadian gold producer that owns and operates the Selinsing Gold Mine in Malaysia. Its experienced management team is committed to growth and is advancing several exploration and development projects including the Mengapur Copper and Iron Project, in Pahang State of Malaysia, and the Murchison Gold Projects comprising Burnakura, Gabanintha and Tuckanarra in the Murchison area of Western Australia. The Company employs approximately 195 people in both regions and is committed to the highest standards of environmental management, social responsibility, and health and safety for its employees and neighboring communities. Cathy Zhai, President and CEO Monument Mining Limited Suite 1580 -1100 Melville Street Vancouver, BC V6E 4A6 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION visit the company web site at www.monumentmining.com or contact: Richard Cushing, MMY Vancouver T: +1-604-638-1661 x102 rcushing@monumentmining.com Wolfgang Seybold, Axino GmbH T: +49 711-82 09 7211 wolfgang.seybold@axino.com "Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release." Forward-Looking Statement This news release includes statements containing forward-looking information about Monument, its business and future plans (forward-looking statements). Forward-looking statements are statements that involve expectations, plans, objectives or future events that are not historical facts and include the Companys plans with respect to its mineral projects and the timing and results of proposed programs and events referred to in this news release. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". The forward-looking statements in this news release are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and certain other factors include, without limitation: risks related to general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; uncertainties regarding the results of current exploration activities; uncertainties in the progress and timing of development activities; foreign operations risks; other risks inherent in the mining industry and other risks described in the management discussion and analysis of the Company and the technical reports on the Companys projects, all of which are available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Material factors and assumptions used to develop forward-looking statements in this news release include: expectations regarding the estimated cash cost per ounce of gold production and the estimated cash flows which may be generated from the operations, general economic factors and other factors that may be beyond the control of Monument; assumptions and expectations regarding the results of exploration on the Companys projects; assumptions regarding the future price of gold of other minerals; the timing and amount of estimated future production; the expected timing and results of development and exploration activities; costs of future activities; capital and operating expenditures; success of exploration activities; mining or processing issues; exchange rates; and all of the factors and assumptions described in the management discussion and analysis of the Company and the technical reports on the Companys projects, all of which are available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. By WestKyStar & Mercy Health Staff Feb. 27, 2019 | 04:20 PM | PADUCAH For the past 14 years, Mercy Health - Hospice has offered Camp Robin, a day camp that provides support and counseling to children affected by the loss of a loved one or friend. This years camp will be on Saturday, March 23 from 9 am to 2 pm at Heartland Church. Registration begins at 8:45 am. Camp Robin consists of therapeutic activities in a fun, safe environment to help children (ages 4-17) deal with grief. The camp is offered free to children and their parents or guardians living in Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois. Campers will enjoy Animal Tales, a free lunch, arts and crafts, story and letter writing time and a memorial ceremony with a balloon send-off at 1:45 pm to end the day. Sessions available for parents or guardians that will be offered include How to Help Yourself and Helping Children Grieve. We continually work to improve our camp and the techniques that will most benefit those who attend, says Shannah D. Poindexter, Community Relationship Manager. Our teen program, like the other age grouped sessions, focuses on specific needs that teens face. Just being around others your same age who have experienced loss enables an open atmosphere and the understanding that I am not alone. This year we have a group of teen volunteers who will help and further enhance the idea of kids helping kids. Camp Robin was named to honor a Mercy Health - Hospice patient who passed away in the fall of 2005; she died at the tender age of thirteen. For registration information or volunteer opportunities, contact Shannah Poindexter at 270-415-3636 or spoindexter@mercy.com or stop by Mercy Health Hospice, Paducah at 911 Joe Clifton Dr. or register online at www.mercy.com/camprobin. Mercy Health - Hospice, Paducah is committed to providing support for both patients and their families during times of transition, illness, death and grief. By West Kentucky Star Staff Feb. 27, 2019 | 08:38 PM | PADUCAH Commissioner Sandra Wilson told West Kentucky Star that she trusts the application process that everyone must go through in order to be eligible to serve on any boards. Commissioners Gerald Watkins and Richard Abraham, although voting no, both seemed to think that this was not a major issue. Abraham said his no vote was that he believed inexperience was coming into play with this appointment, and there was nothing else involved. Commissioner Brenda McElroy and Mayor Brandi Harless were not available for comment. Sarah Stewart Holland is a former city commissioner, but did not win re-election in 2018. After questions by a local media outlet concerning the appointment of Sarah Stewart Holland to the Board of Ethics, West Kentucky Star reached out to several commissioners for their opinions. English Swedish Net Sales in the period amounted to MSEK 116 (173) and Net Sales for the quarter were MSEK 27 (26). Operating loss in the period was MSEK 130 (37) and Operating loss for the quarter was MSEK 120 (16) In Q4, we wrote off one-time non-recurring costs by MSEK 107 to clean up our balance sheet. This includes a write-down of inventory (MSEK 23), capitalized expenses (MSEK 53), goodwill (MSEK 19), and the other intangible amortization (MSEK 9). The decline in Net Sales is primarily attributable to Forms customers timing their pen orders to coincide with the availability of enterprise quantities of the new Anoto pen (AP-701). In addition, Anotos pricing policy change in the Forms business has also contributed to this deferral of revenue. The new model lowers upfront hardware costs and establishes recurring revenue streams associated with hardware, software, and Anotos proprietary microdot pattern. This pricing model transition required us to turn down numerous renewal requests based on the old pricing scheme with an unavoidable impact on revenue but the Group expects a substantial increase in revenue in coming quarters with lift provided by rapid adoption of the new pen and broad acceptance of the strategically sound new pricing policy. Gross margin in the period, when excluding the inventory write-down (MSEK 23), increased to 52% (41%) as a result of better margins in the Notetaking business and licensing revenue growing to 19% (14%) of the overall mix. Overhead costs in the period were MSEK 85, when excluding the other one-time write-offs (MSEK 84), down from the prior year (MSEK 108), due to the restructuring and cost-reduction efforts across all operations. For further information, please contact: Joonhee Won, CEO Calendar 2019 Annual Report 31 March, 2019 Annual General Meeting 15 May, 2019 Please visit www.anoto.com/investors for the latest investor calendar information. This interim report has not been subject to a review by the companys auditors. For more information Please contact: Joonhee Won, CEO Email: ir@anoto.com Anoto Group AB (publ.), Corp. Id. No. 556532-3929 Flaggan 1165 116 74 Stockholm, Sweden www.anoto.com This information is information that Anoto Group AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 08:45 CET on 28 February 2019. Attachment Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. Tips lead to drug charges for two in Paducah By The Associated Press Feb. 28, 2019 | 07:25 AM | FRANKFORT Public schools in Kentucky would have to display "In God We Trust" in a prominent location next school year under a bill that has cleared the state House of Representatives. The Republican-dominated chamber approved House Bill 46 on Wednesday by a vote of 72-25. It would require public schools to display the national motto in a prominent location beginning with the 2019-'20 school year. There are no penalties if schools don't comply, but someone could sue to force them to do it. Bill sponsor Republican Rep. Brandon Reed said the motto reflects an essential part of what it means to be an American. But Democratic state Rep. Kelly Flood voted against the bill, saying lawmakers should practice tolerance, saying people are called to be citizens, not comparatively better Christians. LONDON, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Globally, the market for online counterfeiting amounted to $323bn in 2017, boosted by the relentless rise of e-commerce and social media. This growing problem is presenting budding businesses with a challenge: spend vast resources keeping on top of IP infringements or allow online fakes to tarnish your brand. By automating brand protection through artificial intelligence technology, hundreds of thousands of illegal products can be removed from the internet every day, Laura Urquizu, the CEO of Red Points, told European CEO for its spring 2019 issue. Speed and accuracy are key when it comes to effectively fighting online counterfeits, and this can only be achieved with smart technology, Urquizu said. Elsewhere in the magazine, Barclay Ballard examines the phenomenon of whistleblowing. The act of blowing the whistle over unethical or illegal practices certainly comes with risks employees can be shunned, demoted or dismissed, in some cases. But Ballard found that companies with a higher number of reported problems actually exhibit better long-term health than those attempting to keep secrets. In a similar vein, Sophie Perryer tackles the issue of Europes dirty money problem. Over the past decade, money laundering has become a global concern, but adequate legislative action is still lacking. With the issue taking its toll on a number of countries across Europe, it is now time for politicians and regulators to act. Other articles in the latest issue of European CEO explore whether consumers should regain control of their personal data from big tech giants, the importance of succession planning and how mentoring can be a powerful tool for mentors and their organisations. To read about all of this and more, pick up the latest copy of European CEO magazine, available in print, on tablet and online now. www.europeanceo.com World News Media is a leading publisher of quality financial and business magazines, which enjoys a global distribution network that includes subscriber lists of prominent decision-makers around the world. CONTACT INFORMATION World News Media Elizabeth Matsangou Editorial Department +44 (0)20 7553 4162 elizabeth.matsangou@wnmedia.com The All-China Women's Federation recently granted 10 women the title of National March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetters, a national award for outstanding women, to welcome the upcoming International Womens Day next week. The winners of National March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetters The winners include: Yan Xiyun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, whose discovery of nanozymes led to the development of a nanozyme-based tumor therapy and other commercialized applications. Wu Yingxia, a senior engineer with the People's Liberation Army, who devotes herself to tackling difficulties in the testing and appraisal of conventional weapons. Han Liping, a skilled technician, who uses digitally-controlled milling machines to produce parts of rocket launchers. Xie Aie, a rural doctor, who for over two decades has been sailing in her small boat to deliver medical services throughout a local fishing village. Jia Xiufang, head of a rehabilitation center, who has offered free medical treatments to more than 160 children with cerebral palsy. Other recipients include Pan Yulian who tutored more than 2,000 children in the past 25 years, Wang Kerong, a nurse who has promoted AIDS prevention and cared for AIDS patients for over 30 years, Gesang Deji, a rural teacher in Tibet, Shen Tengxiang, a farmer who led the villagers to shake off poverty and Xu Ping, an entrepreneur engaging in cross-border e-commerce. Another 300 individuals received the National March 8th Red-Banner Award, while 200 institutions were given the title of National March 8th Red-Banner Collectives. The federation called on Chinese women to follow these exemplary role models. (Women of China) Shaolin monks pay visit to forge closer cultural links with Wales Wrexham could be twinned with Chinese city This article is old - Published: Thursday, Feb 28th, 2019 A group of Shaolin monks has paid a visit to Wrexham in order to forge closer cultural links. It could even see the county become twinned with a Chinese city after the idea was put forward by the reverend Kong Xing, current Abbot of the Southern Shaolin Temple in China The reverend was welcomed to the towns Guildhall today , along with two of his disciples, in what was the first visit to Europe by representatives of the Buddhist monastery in its history. They were met by the Mayor of Wrexham, Cllr Andy Williams, to take the first steps towards developing the exchange of culture and tourism between Wales and South China. During the meeting, Master Xing suggested the area should consider becoming twinned with the temples home of Putian, a city which has a population of around three million people. Wrexham was chosen as the first point of call because of the temples working relationship with the Hafan Shaolin Cymru School of Gong Fu, which is based in Ruabon. The school is run by former Plaid Cymru council candidate Pol Wong, who teaches Shaolin arts to international students both at home and abroad. Mr Wong said: Ive been to the Southern Shaolin Temple many times now and Im always promoting Shaolin culture. The temple has an amazing history as it is 1,500 years old. The visit here is because I share the same passion to promote the Shaolin arts. We understand the value for individuals, especially for children and for mental health as well as physical health. One of the things were doing together is were organising courses for people from Wales and France and Wrexham will be the liaison office for the west to arrange these tours to China. As far as bridge building and cultural exchange goes, both the Abbot of the temple and the local government in Putian have even gone as far saying that they would really like to twin with Wrexham if that is possible. Originally built around AD 557, the temple is well-known throughout China. It was destroyed around three centuries ago and the ruin were overgrown by forestry until they were rediscovered by archaeologists in the 1980s. The Chinese government has since invested in its restoration and the ambition is for it become the largest Buddhist complex in the world and promote the countrys culture internationally. In a message written by Master Xing ahead of his trip to Wales, he said: At the beginning of the Chinese New Year, I am very happy to visit your beautiful country for official visit with my disciples. It is the first trip in the 1500 years long history of South Shaolin Monastery to visit Wales and the United Kingdom. It will be an honour and a great first milestone for cultural exchange between the two sides. During the trip we hope to learn about the presence of Buddhism and martial arts in your region as well as cultural heritages, as we have heard many incredible stories about the history of your country. The temple will be sending its performance team to the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen in July this year and will be joined by government officials in a bid to formalise links between the two locations. This week, visitors have been shown round a number of sights in the area, including Wrexhams Parish Church, and a welcome evening is being held at the Saith Seren pub on Chester Street on Sunday. The event starts at 7pm and will include a performance by the Rhos Orpheus Choir. By Liam Randall BBC Local Democracy Reporter (more here on the LDR scheme). (Click for large) Wrexham student battles anxiety to become colleges first ever DofE gold star This article is old - Published: Thursday, Feb 28th, 2019 A local student who struggled with anxiety before completing the DofE scheme will pick up her gold award at Buckingham Palace after a heartfelt U-turn. Caitlin Hardman, from Wrexham, is the first person to achieve the gold Duke of Edinburgh Award standard at Coleg Cambria. Caitlin achieved both her bronze and silver as a pupil at Darland High School, Rossett, attending regular sessions at the Victoria Centre in Wrexham. Now 18 and studying Public Services at Yale college, she returned to the programme last year following a difficult period in her life in which she struggled with her mental health. She cites the support of Cambrias DofE coordinator Alan Lowry as a major reason for her success and says the achievement will support her ambition to become a police detective. When I was at school I absolutely loved the DofE and was so driven I managed to get both the bronze and silver in just over a year, said Caitlin, who plans to study Criminology at Chester University from September. It was only last year that I got around to taking gold and that was because of the encouragement I received from Alan. I had been through a bit of a bad patch with my mental health and had struggled with anxiety but one day I got quite annoyed with myself and thought about what a waste it would be if I didnt get the gold after all of the effort I had put in. Im so glad I did, and to go from that low point in my life to the high of visiting Buckingham Palace to formally receive the gold award makes me feel very proud. Achieving the gold standard is no easy task; participants must complete sections on volunteering, skills and physical challenges, a four-day expedition and more. It is hard-going, especially the expedition as we seemed to be walking forever! said Caitlin. But it gave me renewed focus, and in the long run having that gold shows potential future employers that I dont give up and am willing to put in the extra hours to better myself. Before joining Cambria and meeting Alan and the team I wasnt in the right frame of mind to do it, but with their support and advice I did, and I will forever thank them for that. Id certainly encourage other teenagers to do the DofE, its a commitment but one that will serve you well in later life. Coleg Cambria is the largest FE provider of the DofE in Wales and has seen a massive rise in participation over the last two years, more than doubling the number of gold entrants. Alan, who is celebrating 30 years as a coordinator for the programme, said Caitlins determination is an example of the will and effort needed to complete all three awards bronze, silver and gold. The DofE has grown and grown here at Cambria as part of our culture of health, wellbeing and mindfulness in tandem with sport and exercise, he said. For Caitlin to be the first person to complete gold with us is fantastic, and it could not have happened to a more deserving student. She has shown just what you can do with the right attitude and support, which everyone will get from us here at the college. Well done, Caitlin! For more on the DofE at Coleg Cambria, visit www.cambria.ac.uk. Visit www.dofe.org for information on how to sign up for the DofE Awards. (Click for large) CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nevada is the most attractive jurisdiction in the world for mining investment, followed by Western Australia (2nd) and the Canadian province of Saskatchewan (3rd), according to the Annual Survey of Mining Companies released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian policy think-tank. The mining surveynow in its 21st yearis the most comprehensive report card on government policy decisions that either attract or scare away investors from around the world, said Kenneth Green, resident scholar and chair of the Fraser Institutes energy and environmental studies and co-author of the report. This years survey of mining executives ranks 83 jurisdictions around the world based on their geologic attractiveness for minerals and metals and the extent that government policies encourage or deter exploration and investment. Overall, investment attractiveness improved in most regions around the world. This year, four Canadian provinces and four U.S. states made the top 10Nevada (1), Saskatchewan (3), Quebec (4), Alaska (5), Utah (7), Arizona (8), Yukon (9) and the Northwest Territories (10). The Australian jurisdictions of Victoria and Western Australia received higher scores on policy attractiveness this year, with respondents expressing decreased concern about political instability and regulatory uncertainty. In South America, Chile continues its climb in the ranking, placing 6th this year in overall investment attractiveness compared to 8th last year. Meanwhile, neighbouring Peru also continued to improve, ranking 14th overall this year, from 19th last year and 28th the year before. As a whole, Canada is once again the most attractive region for mining investment in the world followed by Australia, the United States, Europe, Oceania, Latin America, Africa, and lastly, Argentina. The evidence is clearmineral deposits alone are not enough to attract precious commodity investment dollars, said Ashley Stedman, a senior policy analyst at the Fraser Institute and study co-author. A sound regulatory regime coupled with competitive fiscal policies is key to making a jurisdiction attractive in the eyes of mining investors. Most attractive jurisdictions for mining investment Least attractive jurisdictions for mining investment 1) Nevada 74) Bolivia 2) Western Australia 75) La Rioja 3) Saskatchewan 76) Dominican Republic 4) Quebec 77) Ethiopia 5) Alaska 78) China 6) Chile 79) Panama 7) Utah 80) Guatemala 8) Arizona 81) Nicaragua 9) Yukon 82) Neuquen 10) Northwest Territories 83) Venezuela MEDIA CONTACT: Kenneth Green, Resident Scholar and Chair, Energy and Environmental Studies Fraser Institute Ashley Stedman, Senior Policy Analyst Fraser Institute To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact: Bryn Weese, Senior Media Relations Specialist, Fraser Institute Tel: (604) 688-0221 Ext. 589 E-mail: bryn.weese@fraserinstitute.org Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Become a fan on Facebook The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institutes independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org . TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) The Big Bend Chapter of the Florida Police Benevolent Association, Inc. has voted to retract their request that Chief DeLeo be investigated. According to PBA officials, the Board of Directors voted Wednesday night at their monthly meeting to retract the press release given by President Steven B. Slade that Chief DeLeo be investigated. However, Steven B. Slade, who also serves as the Florida PBA Vice President of Chapters, stands by the request to have the incident reviewed by City officials. President Slade stated, The rank and file of law enforcement agencies are investigated daily on allegations from citizens whether anonymous or in person throughout the State of Florida. Management regardless of rank should be held to the same scrutiny. ------- Another group is calling for the City of Tallahassee to conduct a "full investigation" into Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo. The Big Bend Chapter of the Florida Police Benevolent Association, Inc. confirmed that the president, Steven Slade, reviewed a copy of the anonymous letter from Concerned Employees for Diversity at TPD. Tuesday afternoon, Leon County commissioner Bill Proctor cited that same complaint that alleged discrimination against black employees at TPD and called into question "multiple poor leadership decisions" by Chief DeLeo. According to Big Bend BPA, the president acknowledged that he himself has had a "tumultuous" relationship with Chief DeLeo and was reassigned to the Patrol Division along with many senior lieutenants in the police department. "The Police Benevolent Association conducted a survey of its members and 86 percent of the returned surveys defined Chief DeLeo as an "ineffective leader," the group wrote in a press release. The association says they had previously sent their survey results to the city commission and interim city manager Reese Goad. Now, the president of the Big Bend BPA is calling on the city to conduct a "full investigation of Chief DeLeo's troubled tenure." You can read the full Big Bend BPA press release here. Proctor also called for the suspension of Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo. He says the city commission should put plans for a new TPD headquarters on hold until the complaint is investigated. You can read Proctor's full press release here. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) The president of Florida A&M University is encouraging student success. During a luncheon Wednesday, FAMU's President Larry Robinson addressed the legislative funding priorities the university has this year to help improve student success. At the top of his list, the school plans on using $13,000 for operational enhancements such as upgrading campus technology, increasing the amount of online courses, and hiring more advisers. There is one factor he is looking at to determine the success of the school. "It's the success of our students that we will rest our hats on to determine how well we are doing," said Dr. Robinson. Another top priority on President Robinson's list is to invest more money on Agricultural Research and training. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. From the Orlando Pulse shooting to the Sebring bank shooting, Florida has dealt with significant gun violence in recent years. Now the Florida Chamber of Commerce joins school law enforcement and workplace leaders to announce the formation of the Institute for a Safer Florida. The group will discuss issues surrounding mental health and school and workplace safety and create better communication between organizations. The Florida Chamber of Commerce president says most issues that could be improved relating to security and mental health have broad bi-partisan support. "There is substantial middle ground. We believe that there are smarter solutions. Our role will be to help school leaders and law enforcement leaders and mental health and business leaders to find solutions, to share them, and advocate them," said Wilson. One issue that the Institute for a Safer Florida will not consider is guns. The group feels the issue is too political with some people wanting stricter gun control, while others feel the answer is arming more people. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) A joint-investigation between the FDLE Tallahassee and the DEA is officially closed after a doctor was sentenced to 13 years in prison for operating a pill mill from his home. According to the Jackson County Floridian, David Flick, a Marianna doctor, was sentenced to 13 years for three drug trafficking offenses and five years each on six fraud counts. The sentences will be spent concurrently. Operation Ice Queen, a major joint investigation between FDLE Tallahassee, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Calhoun County Sheriffs Office, has finally concluded after Flick's sentencing. He was the last of 95 defendants to be sentenced in the operation. The investigation revealed a drug trafficking operation taking place in Bay and Calhoun counties with Flick identified as operating a pill mill from his home, writing more than a 1,000 prescriptions for nearly 50,000 controlled substances over a nine-month period. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) An armed carjacking in Gadsden County Thursday morning turned into a massive manhunt that went into Georgia and back into Florida. The Gadsden County Sheriff's Office says 18-year-old Deauhveon Seifuddin and 37-year-old Freddie Strong were captured and are now in custody. Five agencies were working on this for hours Thursday morning and the suspects are facing several charges as they tried to avoid getting caught. Authorities found the suspects' vehicle on Fairbanks Ferry Road, which crashed into a business. The suspects took off from there, so law enforcement closed off Highway 12 for several hours while they looked for them. We were there when paramedics were treating Freddie Strong, after K9s tracked him down. The Gadsden County Sheriff's Office says they've been looking for him for a while. "He had two active warrants, but he was just one of those that was kind of hard to capture or to catch, because we had an active warrant for him for aggravated battery and failure to appear as well as felony stalking," said Sgt. Anglie Hightower, Public Information Officer with the Gadsden County Sheriff's Office. "So, with those warrants, in addition to these new charges, he's going to be in jail a while." The suspects carjacked a vendor truck at a store on Attapulgus Highway. They took that truck into Georgia, ditched it and got back in a getaway car. Deputies spotted them and chased them into Florida. The Gadsden County Sheriff's Office said it's possible there is a third suspect that hasn't been caught yet, but that hasn't been confirmed. ------ Authorities say two men have been arrested and the search continues for a third after an armed carjacking in Gadsden County. According to the Gadsden County Sheriff's Office, two of the suspects, 18-year-old Deauhveon Seifuddin and 37-year-old Freddie Strong have been arrested. The third suspect has not been identified at this time. GCSO stated the armed carjacking occurred at Seminole Convenience Store in Quincy. Officials say the men traveled to Georgia in a Nissan Altima, where they hit Georgia authorities, and then traveled back into Florida. The suspects left the Altima at Club Roosevelt on Fairbanks Ferry Road and ran away from officers. The suspects left the stolen truck in a secluded area as they headed north to Georgia. The truck was later found by authorities. Officials say Highway 12 is now open. SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Odaseva , the all-in-one cloud data management platform for enterprises running critical business applications in the cloud such as Salesforce, today announced a Series A funding round of $11.7 million. The round, led by Partech with participation from new investor Salesforce Ventures and existing investor Serena, will help the company accelerate its go-to-market strategy and build on successes with global customers that include General Electric, Heineken, Orange Bank, Robert Half, Schneider Electric and Toyota. The new round, in addition to the original seed funding, brings the total funding to $14 million. No organization has the luxury of taking months or years to comply with the data privacy and protection requirements of its customers most notably those in highly regulated industries, said Reza Malekzadeh, General Partner with Partech. With GDPR fines alone costing up to two to four percent of annual revenue, and the cloud creating a sense of urgency within organizations, enterprises cant afford to give up the full management and control of their data that are critical to recovery and compliance. Odaseva gives them that control and insight and within weeks, not months or years. Odasevas Data Management Cloud automates personal data lifecycle management, which is critical to helping companies manage and secure their data, and to maintaining their compliance with governing regulations. To reach its market objectives, Odaseva will direct a portion of the new funding to build on existing sales and technology partnerships with Accenture, Capgemini, CGI and Deloitte. The company also plans to double employee headcount in 2019. Odaseva's solution can extend to any enterprise whether in a regulated industry requiring GDPR or California Consumer Privacy Act compliance or in any market where data privacy directives are core to an organizations mission. That expansive mission brings the companys Total Available Market (TAM) to more than $100 billion representing the global market opportunities for cloud backup, cloud archiving, cloud data operations, as well as GDPR. Since our initial investment in Odaseva, we have witnessed the companys rapidly growing successes with enterprise customers with incredible satisfaction rate, said Jamal Labed, Venture Partner at Serena. Their execution has been impressive, and were thrilled to accompany them on their journey. Serving a marketplace thats growing at large double-digit percentages annually, and with a comprehensive, highly differentiated offering for data privacy, compliance and automation, were fortunate to have established a defensible lead position, said Sovan Bin, CEO and Founder of Odaseva. Were extremely gratified that our venture partners and our customers are behind us. About Odaseva Odaseva offers an all-in-one cloud data management platform for enterprises running critical business applications in the cloud such as Salesforce. Over 2.5 million Salesforce users from industry-leading companies such as Schneider Electric, Toyota or General Electric, trust Odaseva as the ultimate solution to securely and rapidly address challenges such as data privacy compliance automation, data protection, data lifecycle management, breach detection and archive retention. For more information, please visit: https://www.odaseva.com/ ; Twitter: https://twitter.com/odaseva ; LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/odaseva Media Contact: Alex Mercurio 10Fold Communications odaseva@10fold.com +1 949-940-5656 About Partech: Partech is a global investment firm with offices in San Francisco, Paris, Berlin and Dakar. We bring together capital, operational experience and strategic support for entrepreneurs at seed, venture and growth stages across multiple continents, with over $1.3B investment capacity. Investments range from $200K to $50M in a wide range of technologies and businesses for enterprises and consumers, from software, digital brands and services, to hardware and deep tech across all major industries. Companies backed by Partech have completed more than 20 initial public offerings and more than 50 strategic exits above $100M. Our current portfolio: https://partechpartners.com/companies/ About Salesforce Ventures Salesforce is the fastest growing top five enterprise software company and the #1 CRM provider globally. Salesforce Venturesthe companys corporate investment groupinvests in the next generation of enterprise technology that extends the power of the Salesforce Customer Success Platform, helping companies connect with their customers in entirely new ways. Portfolio companies receive funding as well as access to the worlds largest cloud ecosystem and the guidance of Salesforces innovators and executives. With Salesforce Ventures, portfolio companies can also leverage Salesforce's expertise in corporate philanthropy by joining Pledge 1% to make giving back part of their business model. Salesforce Ventures has invested in more than 300 enterprise cloud startups in 20 different countries since 2009. For more information, please visit www.salesforce.com/ventures . About Serena Serena invests in bold ventures, providing them on-demand expertise and operational support in Paris, New York and Singapore. Serena portfolio companies can leverage our Operating Partner model -unique in Europe- and benefit from the support of our very active C-Level community through the Serena Squad platform, open exclusively to past and present companies, each contributing to the others success. Serena was founded in 2008 by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, based on the core belief that VCs should work for their portfolio companies, not the other way around. The firm currently has $500 million under management. (BPT) - The online dating trend continues to heat up as research shows that almost 20 percent of brides say they met their spouse on the internet. Unfortunately, not everyone joining these online dating sites has the intention of finding true love. The increase in online romance particularly around the holidays has caught the attention of scammers who aim to play on people's hopes and desires for love. Be cautious when striking up an online romance. One well-intentioned mistake could leave you with a broken heart and an empty bank account. Todays romance scams have a military flair One of the common romance scams operating today involves fraudsters posing as members of the armed forces to lure their victims into a romance with what they believe to be a soldier. Pretending to be a member of the military allows fraudsters to quickly win an individuals trust and admiration, while also providing a cover story as to why they cannot communicate via phone or video. This scam often begins on social media, but it can also start through matching on an online dating website. Once the impostor has built up a relationship with their target, they will ask for money. The scammer will often claim the money will be used to cover transportation costs to go on leave, medical fees, food or supplies needed, even pending marriage plans. In the end, this is all a scam, designed to rob the victim of as much money as possible. Ways to identify if you are being targeted for a military scam Falling for a military romance scam can leave you feeling victimized in more ways than one. These tips from Western Union and the Army's Criminal Investigation Command will help you protect yourself from being deceived by a scammer. * Look for requests for money. A request for money is the most alarming warning sign of a potential scam. One of the most common cases involves the individual asking the victim to send them money for transportation fees to return home or temporary leave. Keep in mind, all transportation of deployed military members will be funded by the government. Scammers will often start small with a request for a more manageable amount of money to see if you are receptive to their plea, then work their way up to asking for much larger sums. You should also avoid situations where you are asked to send money to a third party or business for any reason. * Do your homework. You shouldnt take anyone at face value. Laborious as it may be, conduct extensive research on the person you are communicating with. Find out where theyre from, where they claim to be stationed, and any other personal details mentioned. If you find something seems odd, it could indicate a scam. Dont be afraid to search online for photos they send you especially if a picture of them looks too good to be true. It may be an image they pirated from another website, or stole from someones social media profile. * Watch how they communicate. Have you spoken to this person via phone or has all communication taken place via messaging? This one-sided affair could be a red flag. If you met the person on a dating website, be cautious if they are quick to request moving away from the site to communicate via email, as they may be trying to erase their trail. * Take your time. Any relationship you are in should progress at a pace that is comfortable to you. Be extremely cautious if the person you are communicating with professes their love much too quickly. Their goal could be to move you along as soon as possible so they can take your money and begin targeting their next victim. Protecting yourself from the online romance scam If you have been or feel you are being targeted by a military romance scam, you should contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center and the Federal Trade Commission. If youve sent money to someone via Western Union and suspect youve been scammed, call the companys fraud hotline at 1-800-448-1492. If the funds havent been paid out to the receiver, you may be able to stop the transaction. If the money has already been paid out, file a formal fraud complaint and report the instance with your local law enforcement agency. Scammers take advantage of good, intelligent people all the time. Visit www.wu.com/fraudawareness to learn more about what types of scams to watch for so you can protect yourself and your hard-earned money. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-27 15:47:51|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close People and Indian army gather near the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed at village Garend Kalan of Budgam, about 34 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, Feb. 27, 2019. A pilot and a co-pilot of Indian Air Force (IAF) were killed after a Mi-17 jet crashed Wednesday in Indian-controlled Kashmir, Indian officials said. Meanwhile, Pakistan army said on Wednesday the Pakistan Air Force has shot down two Indian fighter jets inside Pakistani airspace and ground troops arrested one pilot of the destroyed jet, according to a military statement. (Xinhua/Javed Dar) ISLAMABAD, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan army said on Wednesday the Pakistan Air Force has shot down two Indian fighter jets inside Pakistani airspace and ground troops arrested one pilot of the destroyed jet, according to a military statement. Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan army's media wing, Major General Asif Ghafoor said one of the aircraft fell inside Pakistan-administered Kashmir while the other fell inside Indian-controlled Kashmir. "One Indian pilot arrested by troops on the ground," said the ISPR, adding that search for the other two pilots is in progress who are reportedly inside Pakistani side. The military said the Indian fighter jets were intercepted and destroyed by the Pakistani side when they entered into Pakistani airspace on Wednesday morning after "Pakistan Air Force undertook strikes across Line of Control (LoC) from within Pakistani airspace." Earlier Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Pakistan Air Force has hit some targets inside Indian-controlled Kashmir, stressing that it was not a retaliation of Indian strikes inside Pakistani territory on Tuesday morning. "Pakistan has, therefore, taken strikes at non-military target, avoiding human loss and collateral damage. Sole purpose being to demonstrate our right, will and capability for self-defense," it said. The incident came a day after the Pakistani army said Indian fighter jets violated the LoC on Tuesday and released payloads in the Pakistani side. India claimed that its air force had targeted a camp of Jaish-e-Muhammad group in Tuesday's attack. The group was blamed for the Feb. 14 suicide bombing on Indian paramilitary troops in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed some 40 people. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman said "we have no intention of escalation, but are fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm. That is why we undertook the action with a clear warning and in broad daylight." The spokesman said India has been trying to establish what they called "a new normal a thinly veiled term for doing acts of aggression at whatever pretext they wish on a given day." "If India is striking at so-called terrorist backers without a shred of evidence, we also retain reciprocal rights to retaliate against elements that enjoy Indian patronage while carrying out acts of terror in Pakistan," he added. He said Pakistan does not wish to go to that route and wish that India gives peace a chance and to resolve issues like a mature democratic nation. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 00:05:54|Editor: yan Video Player Close TOKYO, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government plans to hold a "Japan Exposition" with a series of cultural exhibitions and performances throughout the nation to attract visitors as the country will host the Olympics and Paralympics in 2020, local media reported Wednesday. The Japanese government has earmarked about 3.5 billion yen (31.7 million U.S. dollars) from the fiscal 2019 budget for preparation of the event, which will be officially launched on Sunday. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will head a council established to promote the project under the supervision of the Cultural Affairs Agency. The expo is aimed at persuading visitors to travel throughout Japan, and giving them a lasting imprint even after the Olympic Games, as part of the government's plan to promote Japanese culture overseas. Major Japanese cities like Tokyo and Kyoto will hold exhibitions featuring national treasures and cultural items, while also showcasing popular cartoons and anime, Japanese cuisine, and folk art performances. The country will designate some traditional Japanese music and art performances as "living national treasures." The government also plans to promote its national parks to attract more tourists to visit the rural areas of the country. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 02:56:38|Editor: WX Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The White House said on Wednesday that Jared Kushner, a senior advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, has met with the Saudi king and the crown prince on Tuesday as part of his visit to Middle East countries. In a statement, the White House said that Kushner, together with U.S. Mideast envoy Jason Greenblatt and U.S. special representative for Iran Brian Hook, has discussed bilateral cooperation and U.S. peace effort regarding the Israelis and Palestinians with the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. "Additionally, they discussed ways to improve the condition of the entire region through economic investment," the White House said. Earlier Wednesday, the White House said that Kushner had visited Bahrain and met with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to discuss the U.S. peace-facilitation efforts concerning the Israelis and the Palestinians. The White House said on Monday that Kushner had met in the United Arab Emirates with Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss the Israelis-Palestinians peace facilitation efforts. Also on Monday, Kushner met in Oman with Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said to discuss the Trump administration's efforts to facilitate peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. There have been reports that the White House is preparing to roll out its long-promised peace deal, which Trump called the "deal of the Century." In December 2017, the United States recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, an unconventional step sparking global outcry and Palestinians' rejection of the U.S. mediation role. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Hamas movement have slammed the Trump administration for suggesting the removal of the issue of Jerusalem from the Middle East peace talks. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has confirmed that the Palestinian side would neither hold talks with the Trump administration nor accept it as the peace mediator before it backs down on its decision on Jerusalem. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 03:16:42|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The French ambassador to the United Nations (UN) said Wednesday that the partnership between the UN and the African Union (AU) is of strategic importance for the purposes of preventing and resolving crises in Africa. At a Security Council meeting themed "Silencing the guns in Africa", Francois Delattre said that thanks to the joint initiatives undertaken by the two organizations, the past year has seen important outcomes, such as the recent signing of the peace agreements in the Central African Republic, South Sudan and the peaceful transition of power in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, these positive advances should not obscure the fact that crises and conflicts remain on the African continent, he added. The African peace operations and the military response to crises on the continent are only part of the solution. Delattre said a broader approach before and after the crises is indispensable. "This is an area for a partnership between the UN, AU, and African sub-regional organizations. And this is of major importance for us," he said. The permanent representative of France to the UN emphasized the role played by women in preventing and resolving conflicts. "Their participation in political processes is a crucial factor in order to arrive at lasting peace," he said. Delattre also stressed the importance of mobilizing and combating the illicit weapons trafficking on the African continent. The trafficking continues to fuel conflicts and exacerbate armed violence, while feeding organized crimes and terrorism. He said efforts toward universalization and full implementation of all applicable instruments should be priorities. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 03:36:49|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close Rosemary DiCarlo (C, front), United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, speaks during a Security Council open debate on silencing the guns in Africa, at the UN headquarters in New York, Feb. 27, 2019. The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution expressing its readiness to contribute to the African Union's pledge to "end all wars in Africa by 2020" and "achieve the goal of a conflict-free Africa". (Xinhua/Li Muzi) UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution expressing its readiness to contribute to the African Union's pledge to "end all wars in Africa by 2020" and "achieve the goal of a conflict-free Africa". Noting that Africa still faces enormous challenges, the resolution 2457 acknowledges that the building of a conflict-free Africa essentially rests on the African Union, its member states, their people and their institutions, including their civil society. The resolution expresses support for initiatives aimed at finding African solutions to African problems, while recognizing the need for international cooperation and partnership to help accelerate progress toward the realization of this continental goal. The resolution also underlines the need for effective implementation of relevant arms control and disarmament instruments and regimes as well as arm embargoes imposed by the UN Security Council. In the resolution, the council reaffirms its determination to take action against illicit exploitation and trafficking of natural resources and high-value commodities in areas where it contributes to the outbreak, escalation or continuation of armed conflict in Africa. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 03:41:49|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close LONDON, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- British businesses feared that a no-deal Brexit will disrupt trade and cause damage despite government mitigation, and warned that it was too late to prepare for a no-deal scenario. IMPLICATIONS The British government has published a paper, "Implications for Business and Trade of a No Deal Exit on 29 March", which warned that "the impact of a no-deal scenario is expected to be significant in a number of areas", despite government mitigation. The paper explained the government's latest assessment of the implications for business and international trade in Britain, if it leaves the European Union (EU) without a deal, and said that a no-deal Brexit "would have a variety of effects on business, trade and the economy". The British government also said in the paper that part of the mitigation for the effects of a possible no-deal Brexit that it would take unilateral action to maintain as much continuity as possible in the short term, for example allowing EU road haulers to drive in Britain using EU licenses, and recognizing EU safety tests for medicines sold in Britain. The government said that the Treasury has made more than 4 billion pounds (5.3 billion U.S. dollars) available for EU Exit planning since 2016, and allocated 2 billion pounds in December to support core EU exit preparations for the 2019-2020 financial year. British Prime Minister Theresa May bought herself more time Tuesday to strike a better Brexit deal with the EU by offering rebellious MPs the chance to vote against leaving the bloc with no deal or extending the departure date. But she insisted that "an extension cannot take no deal off the table". Talking about the paper assessing readiness for a no-deal Brexit, May told MPs, "I believe that if we have to, we will ultimately make a success of a no deal. But this paper provides an honest assessment of the very serious challenges it would bring in the short-term, and further reinforces why the best way for the House of Commons to honor the referendum result is to leave with a deal." "IN DESPAIR" But British businesses are still critical of the lack of a clear path for Brexit. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which represents businesses employing nearly seven million workers, told Xinhua Wednesday afternoon that a no-deal Brexit must be avoided because it would be damaging for businesses. "British firms are in despair. The government's own analysis shows just how damaging a no-deal scenario would be to the economy," a CBI spokesperson said. "Businesses have lived with crippling uncertainty since the 2016 Brexit referendum, and a no-deal exit is still not off the table." The uncertainty of Brexit was forcing firms to plan for contingencies that might not happen, at great cost. "Some firms are spending millions on contingency plans they might not need, and more worrying still, four in five small firms have taken no action at all," the CBI spokesperson said. The spokesperson warned that continued uncertainty would see the situation deteriorate, to the detriment of businesses and trade. "No deal must be averted. Every day without a deal means less investment and fewer jobs created. Until politicians can agree a deal that commands a majority in parliament, is acceptable to the EU and protects our economy, business despair will deepen," the spokesperson said. SMALL BUSINESSES SUFFER Small British businesses are also suffering because of Brexit uncertainty. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), a representative group, said that its membership of small and medium-sized businesses needed an end to the "Brexit stalemate". Mike Cherry, FSB chairman, said, "Our small firms want an end to the Brexit stalemate; small businesses are trying to get on with the job, they now need all politicians to come together and do the same." Cherry welcomed that a no-deal Brexit would not go ahead unless parliament backed it. "A no-deal Brexit on March 29 will only happen if parliament chooses it. If MPs are presented with this choice, I ask them to recognize the damage a no-deal Brexit would cause the UK small business community," Cherry said. However, Cherry warned that it was "already too late to prepare" for a no-deal Brexit, and that half of small firms had said they would be impacted by a no-deal Brexit. They told us they needed at least two months to prepare, a further third won't be in a position to be ready whatever happens." "No deal problems don't just start on 29 March. Container ships travelling from the UK to East Asia, Oceania, or South America take weeks to arrive," said Stephen Phipson, Chief Executive of Make UK, the British Manufacturers' Organization. "Sea-freight is leaving the UK as we speak with no idea of the trade rules and tariffs that will be in place when the goods arrive," Phipson added. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 04:22:02|Editor: yan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday condemned an attack on a medical facility in southern Libya. An armed man assaulted a WHO psychiatrist a few days ago inside a mental health facility in the southern city of Sabha, the organization said in a statement. "The WHO urges all parties in the conflict in Libya to respect the safety and neutrality of the health workers and health facilities. Incidents like this can and should be avoided as obligated by human rights law," the statement said. Libya has been suffering escalating violence and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011. Libyan authorities struggle to provide basic services for the people, mainly health care and education, amid armed conflict and economic instability. According to the WHO, dozens of attacks against medical workers and facilities have been registered in Libya in 2018 and 2019, including six health workers and patients were killed and 35 others injured. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 05:22:12|Editor: Liu Video Player Close British Prime Minister Theresa May attends the Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons in London, Britain, on Feb. 27, 2019. Theresa May promised on Tuesday that the members of parliament (MPs) would be given a choice to vote on no-deal Brexit or delayed departure from the European Union (EU) if her deal is rejected in a meaningful vote in mid-March. (Xinhua/British Parliament/Jessica Taylor) LONDON, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- A move that paves the way for Britain delaying its planned March 29 departure from Brussels won massive backing Wednesday night by 502 votes to just 20 in the House of Commons . May's government faced a number of backbench attempts to seize control of the Brexit process with five amendments tabled on a motion to move forward with Brexit. The government accepted two of the amendments including one by Labor MP Yvette Cooper to lock May to a commitment made to MPs on Tuesday, including one which will allow parliament to delay Brexit if her deal is rejected when a meaningful vote takes place next month. In a speech to the House of Commons Tuesday May promised a vote by MPs on rejecting a no-deal Brexit or voting to extend Article 50, the measure by which Britain is scheduled to leave on March 29. Despite what May told MPs 24 hours earlier Cooper decided not to withdraw her amendment to ensure May kept to her promise to bring forward legislation to legally change the date of the UK's departure from the bloc. Instead Conservative party managers accepted Cooper's amendment rather than resist it in the debate. Speaker John Bercow had expected there would be no vote after the government announced it would accept Cooper's amendment, and it was expected to be unchallenged in the voting. In the event a vote was forced, with Cooper's amendment winning by 502 votes to 20. In an earlier vote of 240 against 323, a majority of 83, Britain's main opposition party lost what was one of its top Brexit demands, keeping Britain in the European Customs Union along with alignment to the EU single market. Labor is now expected to push for a second referendum to decide the fate of Britain's membership of the EU. Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labor Party had indicated that his party will back another EU referendum if their plan was defeated. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 05:32:14|Editor: yan Video Player Close TIRANA, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Albanian Ministry of Tourism and the Environment launched on Wednesday a campaign: Tourism 2019 "Be taken by Albania" in a bid to boost the country's tourism and economic development. On the occasion of launching the campaign, Albanian Minister Tourism and the Environment Blendi Klosi called for more engagement and initiatives to improve Albania's image abroad and to attract as many foreign tourists as possible. Head of the European Union Delegation to Albania Luigi Soreca, who attended the event, said that Albania has great tourist potential, adding that "The campaign targets all those people who have not set foot in Albania and have prejudices." Meanwhile, the Swiss Ambassador to Tirana, Adrian Maitre, said that the country's image would improve more if decision-makers would cooperate. 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Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Saskatchewan is the worlds third most attractive jurisdiction for mining investment, while Ontario fades in the eyes of mining investors amid increased regulatory uncertainty and concerns about disputed land claims, finds the latest Annual Survey of Mining Companies released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. The mining surveynow in its 21st yearis the most comprehensive report card on government policy decisions that either attract or scare away mining investors from around the world, said Kenneth Green, resident scholar and chair of the Fraser Institutes energy and environmental studies and co-author of the report. This years survey of mining executives ranks 83 jurisdictions around the world based on their geologic attractiveness for minerals and metals and the extent that government policies encourage or deter exploration and investment. Saskatchewan (3rd), Quebec (4th), Yukon (9th) and the Northwest Territories (10th) are among the top 10 most attractive jurisdictions worldwide for mining investment. On the issue of policy attractiveness alone, Saskatchewan is the top ranked jurisdiction globally. Crucially, however, Ontario dropped from 7th last year to 20th this year, with investors giving the province low marks for regulatory uncertainty and concerns about disputed land claims. Investors also perceived Ontarios mineral potential as less attractive this year. All three of Canadas territories improved their rank this year, as investors eye the norths mineral potential more favourably. The Northwest Territories improved from 21st last year in overall attractiveness to 10th this year, Yukon rose from 13th to 9th, and Nunavut improved its rank from 26th to 15th. Nationally, Canadabased on the combined rankings of all provinces and territoriesis the worlds most attractive region for investment, beating out Australia for the top spot. The evidence is clearmineral deposits alone are not enough to attract precious commodity investment dollars, said Ashley Stedman, a senior policy analyst at the Fraser Institute and study co-author. A sound regulatory regime coupled with competitive fiscal policies is key to making a jurisdiction attractive in the eyes of mining investors. Overall investment attractiveness for Canadian provinces and territories (out of 83) 3) Saskatchewan 15) Nunavut 4) Quebec 18) British Columbia 9) Yukon 20) Ontario 10) Northwest Territories 30) New Brunswick 11) Newfoundland and Labrador 51) Alberta 12) Manitoba 57) Nova Scotia MEDIA CONTACT: Kenneth Green, Resident Scholar and Chair, Energy and Environmental Studies Fraser Institute Ashley Stedman, Senior Policy Analyst Fraser Institute To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact: Bryn Weese, Senior Media Relations Specialist, Fraser Institute Tel: (604) 688-0221 Ext. 589 E-mail: bryn.weese@fraserinstitute.org Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Like us on Facebook Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 06:17:28|Editor: yan Video Player Close THE HAGUE, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Dutch state has now taken a 14 percent stake in Air France-KLM, with which it now has completed the buying of shares of the Franco-Dutch airline, the Dutch government announced on Wednesday. That follows Tuesday's development, on which the Dutch Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra said the Dutch state took a 12.68 percent stake in Air France-KLM. According to the latest statement by the Dutch government, it will stop purchasing more shares. With the 14 percent stake, the Dutch are now around equal with the French stake in the Franco-Dutch airline. The decision came as a surprise to France. "It is now up to the Dutch government to make their intentions clear," French President Emmanuel Macron said during a press conference on Wednesday in Paris. Hoekstra said that he would go to Paris shortly to explain the Dutch decision. The position of Amsterdam Schiphol airport and its main user KLM, the Dutch division of Air France-KLM, are of great importance for the Dutch economy and employment. Thousands of jobs are involved with the airport and the intercontinental network of KLM destinations. This network is also an important reason for foreign companies to settle in the Netherlands. Hoekstra said on Tuesday that "The company will have to become more competitive. That is in the interest of KLM and Schiphol and therefore in the public interest of the Netherlands. As a shareholder in Air France-KLM and in KLM, the Dutch state is on top of it." Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 06:17:28|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- UN General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces said Wednesday that comprehensive inclusion of migrants is needed for achieving the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. "We will not be able to achieve the sustainable development goals if we do not comprehensively include migrants," said the General Assembly president in her opening remarks to the High-Level Debate on International Migration and Development. Affirming that the agenda is people-centered, she point to a specific target of the agenda that "refers to the need to facilitate safe, regular, and responsible migration and calls for the implementation of planned and well managed migration policies." To do this, she said, "We must include migrants in policies and activities aimed at expanding access to quality education, to health, to housing and basic services." Meanwhile, Espinosa stressed achieving sustainable development helps to mitigate adverse drivers of migration, as it is "the best preventative tool" for "disorderly migration." "Let us bear in mind that no one decides to leave behind their family, their land, their belongings, without a powerful reason for doing so," she told the meeting. As migrants frequently travel arduously to settle in another country, Espinosa stressed the need to guarantee the rights of migrants. She said the meeting should address the trafficking and smuggling of persons and the nexus between migration and labor policies. Particularly, she pointed to the situation of migrant women, as "women and girls represent 71 percent of all of the victims of trafficking in persons." "They face more restrictive labor policies than men, and they are more vulnerable to violence and exploitation," she added. Moreover, the General Assembly president said evidence shows that the benefits of migration outweigh the challenges. Migrants are "seeking more and better opportunities, opening the doors to new worlds, enriching cultural diversity and contributing to development both in their host communities as well as the communities from which they left," she said. She went on to say the majority of migrants' remittances are sent to developing countries and their contribution to economies is three times greater than official development assistance. As an example, she said in 2017, "we saw the sending of 600 billion (U.S. dollars) in remittances, of which 450 billion were sent to developing countries." But more still, 85 percent of the earnings of migrant workers remain in countries of destination, she pointed out, thus contributing to the economic growth of countries of destination. "In a globalized and interdependent world, human mobility must be harnessed as an opportunity, as a driver of development for migrants and their families, as well as for countries of origin, transit, and destination," the General Assembly president said. In December 2018, the General Assembly decided in a resolution to convene the one-day High-Level Debate on International Migration and Development. The debate aims to advance the discussion on the multidimensional aspects of international migration and development and assess progress toward the achievement of the migration-related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 06:17:28|Editor: yan Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Syrian-Russian joint coordination committee demanded in a statement Wednesday the U.S. forces to withdraw from Syria, according to Syrian state news agency SANA. The Joint Coordination Committee for Return of Syrian Refugees said in a statement that the U.S. must withdraw its forces, which are illegally present on Syrian soil. The Syrian government in coordination with the Russian side will organize humanitarian convoys as of the beginning of March to help return the displaced Syrians in the Rukban camp in southeastern Syria to their areas, said the statement. The U.S. forces in the al-Tanf area are preventing aid convoys from reaching the camp, which is controlled by the rebels near the Syrian-Jordanian border, it said. The humanitarian convoys would reach the area in coordination with the UN, the statement added. The Syrian and Russian sides opened two humanitarian corridors near al-Tanf for the evacuation of people from al-Rukban on Feb. 19. The statement charged that the U.S. forces in al-Tanf were preventing the people from leaving the camp. The Rukban camp is home to 50,000 displaced Syrians, who are suffering from the harsh humanitarian situation because of the cold weather and lack of supplies. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 06:27:30|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close ACCRA, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's Fujian Sentuo Steel on Wednesday commissioned an 80-million-U.S. dollar ceramic tiles manufacturing company in Tema, 25 km east of Ghana's capital Accra, which is believed to help reduce the west African country's import burden of ceramic tiles. In his speech at the inauguration the Fujian Sentuo Ceramic Tile Co., Ltd, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo described the facility as a significant investment in the economy of Ghana. The president said he was happy that the new plant would employ about 1,300 Ghanaians from start, with the number expected to rise to about 5,000, while 90 percent of the raw materials needed by the factory would be sourced locally. He urged members of the Kpone community where the factory is located to cooperate with the Chinese investors to ensure the success of the company. "The purpose for setting up this project is to take advantage of the situation. The varied benefits of producing wall and floor tiles locally are substantial, including import substitution and value addition," said Xu Ningquan, managing director of the Fujian Sentuo Steel. He lamented that almost all the floor and wall tiles used in the Ghana were, until about a year ago, imported from China, Europe and the United States even though Ghana is able to provide 80 percent of the raw materials for local tiles production. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 06:32:30|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Kenyan envoy on Wednesday called on United Nations member states to redouble their efforts in demonstrating transparency and solidarity, and more political and financial commitment to ensure success in "silencing the guns in Africa." Speaking at an open debate of the Security Council, Lazarus Amayo, permanent representative of Kenya to the UN, emphasized three points in the implementation of the African Union (AU) roadmap to silence guns in Africa. First, it is needed to allocate more resources in addressing the root causes of conflict, including the strengthening of relevant national governance institutions responsible for conflict prevention and promotion of socio-economic development, he said. Second, national and international cooperation need to be enhanced at all levels in the implementation of available instruments and other measures, said Amayo. "This calls for proper weapons and ammunition management; effective legislative and regulatory frameworks; and more importantly proper data collection, information sharing as well as monitoring and evaluation," he added. Third, capacity building for African states to fully implement their commitments to ratification of international instruments is very important, said the Kenyan envoy. Africa's development partners must ensure that trade in conventional weapons is properly regulated from source countries to curb unregulated arms flows into conflict zones of Africa, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 06:52:33|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations Wu Haitao (C, front) speaks at a Security Council open debate on silencing the guns in Africa, at the UN headquarters in New York, Feb. 27, 2019. Wu Haitao on Wednesday called for international efforts to help silence the guns in Africa by 2020. (Xinhua/Li Muzi) UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday called for international efforts to help silence the guns in Africa by 2020. Over the past few years, the African Union (AU) and African countries have been vigorously implementing Agenda 2063 and the initiative of silencing the guns in Africa by 2020 alongside the steady improvement of the continent's peace and security situation, said Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations. At the same time, he said, some regions in Africa remain fragile, with traditional security threats intertwined with non-traditional ones and the presence of some prominent issues such as ethnic tensions, terrorism, transnational organized crime, poverty, unemployment, and refugees. The regional collective security mechanisms in Africa are challenged with underfunding and other constraints. There are challenges to achieving the goal of silencing the guns in Africa by 2020. In this context, Wu called for closer cooperation between the United Nations and the AU, the strengthening of Africa's capacity building in the areas of peace and security, and continued assistance for Africa's socio-economic development so as to address the root causes of conflicts in Africa. The United Nations should fully leverage its own strength and provide more assistance to Africa, Wu told the UN Security Council in a debate on silencing the guns in Africa. The two organizations should work more closely together in conflict prevention and mediation, in the quest for lasting peace, and in addressing the root causes of conflicts in Africa, he said, noting that the UN Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council should further enhance communication and coordination between themselves. Wu said China welcomes Wednesday's adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2457 on silencing the guns in Africa, which can help the United Nations lend more support to the AU's initiative and bring the United Nations and the AU closer together in their joint endeavor. He called for international support for Africa's capacity building in the areas of peace and security. Home to the largest number of developing countries, Africa is the most dynamic continent with the greatest development potential in today's world. Peace and stability in Africa is key to security and development around the world, said Wu. AU-led peace and security operations are becoming an important means of responding to crises in Africa, and are complementary to the UN peacekeeping operations in important ways, he said. The United Nations should actively assist the AU and other regional and subregional organizations in bolstering their peacebuilding capacities and support African countries in resolving African issues in the African way, he said. China supports the United Nations in providing sustainable and predictable financial support to the AU's peace and security operations, and in working with the AU to overcome funding issues concerning the AU's peace and security operations, he said. Wu asked for international efforts to address the root causes of conflicts in Africa by scaling up assistance for Africa's socio-economic development. International partners should increase their contributions to Africa in such priority areas as agriculture, health care, education, economics and trade, and connectivity and other infrastructure sectors, and actively help African countries achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, said Wu. He also asked for efforts to help regional countries reduce poverty, develop the economy and improve people's livelihoods, and to help enhance the capacity of African countries in achieving sustainable development. At the same time, he said, the international community must pay close attention to such issues as youth, women and children in Africa, refugees and employment. He asked the international community to provide humanitarian assistance in line with the needs of the AU and African countries. The United Nations should provide constructive assistance by fully utilizing the UN Development Programme, the Peacebuilding Commission and other mechanisms, said Wu. China has all along been supporting Africa's pursuit of peace, security, prosperity and development, and has stayed actively engaged in matters pertaining to Africa's peace and security, he said. In 2015, China announced the establishment of the China-UN peace and development fund that covers a 10-year period with a total value of 1 billion U.S. dollars. For more than three years, the fund has focused on Africa's peace and development and provided financial support to a great number of projects related to the initiative of silencing the guns in Africa, said Wu. In September 2018 at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Chinese and African leaders agreed to define China-Africa peace and security cooperation as one of the eight cooperation priorities, he said. In addition, China will establish a China-Africa peace and security cooperation fund to encourage greater cooperation on peace and security, peacekeeping, and the maintenance of stability, he said. China is ready to continue to play a constructive role in promoting peace, stability and development in Africa, said the Chinese envoy. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 06:57:35|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close CHICAGO, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- A study of Chinese middle school students suggests that countering stereotype about teens can change their behavior. The study, posted on the website of the University of Illinois (UI) on Wednesday, is jointly conducted by UI, Northwestern University and Fudan University in Shanghai, China. The researchers talked with students about the stereotypes adults hold about teens, then suggested that the teenage years are in fact a time when youth take on greater responsibility. The researchers asked the students to describe specific examples of teens behaving responsibly at home, at school and elsewhere. They tracked how the students thought about teens and how they conducted themselves after this intervention, comparing them with control groups tasked only with describing teen behavior. In the first of two studies, the researchers found that they can change students' ideas about teens. "They were less likely than those in the control group to say that teens are disengaged in school and engage in risk-taking. They also were more likely to say that teens feel it is important to meet family obligations. The students actually saw teens as being more responsible than younger children," said University of Illinois psychology professor Eva Pomerantz This first study involved 124 students from two middle schools in Shanghai, with one control group and one intervention group per school. In the second study, the researchers looked at 319 students from three middle schools, again with matched control groups. To avoid the possibility that the students were just reporting what the researchers wanted to hear, they separated the intervention part of the study from the follow-up testing, asking students to describe specific teen behaviors at home, at work and elsewhere. After asking students to engage in an optional English-language word-search puzzle during a "break between the two studies," a second research assistant introduced them to the second part of the study: the daily reports, which students completed for the three days following the intervention. "After this very brief intervention, we had students in the intervention group saying, 'I paid more attention in school; I took part in more discussions; I did my homework more; I didn't hang out with kids who get in trouble; I didn't lie and I didn't cheat,'" Pomerantz said. The students in the control groups did not report as much constructive behavior in the daily reports, however. The students in the intervention group also did better on the word-search test during the break, the researchers found. Those in the control groups found, on average, about five words in the five-minute test. Those in the intervention groups found about 6.3 words on average, a 26 percent better performance. "We now know that changing students' stereotypes about teens can influence their behavior, in the short term," Pomerantz said. "The big question is: Could we develop a program for long-term change?" The researchers are looking forward to conducting similar studies in the United States. The study has been published in the journal Child Development. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 07:39:45|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close A farmer dry rice at a rice field in Yilaxi Township of Yongji County, northeast China's Jilin Province, Sept. 17, 2018. The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which was convened in October 2017, for the first time proposed pursuing a rural vitalization strategy and made it clear that the development of agriculture and rural areas must be prioritized. Revitalized rural areas spring up as the implementation of rural vitalization strategy is being accelerated across the country following the principle of building rural areas with thriving business, pleasant living environments, social etiquette and civility, effective governance, and prosperity. (Xinhua/Xu Chang) Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 07:52:45|Editor: WX Video Player Close CHICAGO, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) agricultural futures started higher but closed lower on Wednesday, under the pressure of affluent supplies and fund selling. CBOT traders estimated that funds sold 4,500 contracts of corn, while buying 1,200 contracts of wheat, and being flat in soybeans. Bargain hunting during the morning session, optimism over more exports to China pushed up soybeans significantly higher. However, the support did not last long. "The trade agreement is really getting closer, it's kind of right on the horizon, it's really what's being reported right now," said Virginia McGathey, an analyst with McGathey Commodities. "However even with the resolution, the effects will be long term," she added. "Currently, demand is really down and supplies are up." U.S. corn was lower as South American crops are weighing on, and there has been some rain across Brazil and Argentina, said market watchers. And selling pressure from funds is lingering in corn. CBOT wheat, facing fierce international competition, also ended lower as U.S. export sales are still weak. At the end of the session, the most active soybean contract for May delivery was down 0.25 cent, or 0.03 percent to close at 9.1675 dollars per bushel. May wheat was down 1.5 cents, or 0.32 percent, to settle at 4.6675 dollars per bushel. May corn went down 2.25 cents, or 0.6 percent, to close at 3.7375 dollars per bushel. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 09:53:03|Editor: WX Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Germany contributed 15 million euros (17.05 million U.S. dollars) to the Libyan Stabilization Fund, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) said on Wednesday. German Ambassador to Libya Oliver Owcza and UNDP Resident Representative in Libya Sultan Hajiyev signed an agreement on Germany's aid on Tuesday, the UNDP said in a statement. The donation from Germany will bring the total financial support for the Libyan Stabilization Fund to 28.5 million euros (32.6 million U.S. dollars), according to the statement. Founded in 2016, the Libyan Stabilization Fund is run by the Libyan Ministry of Planning in cooperation with the UN Mission and seeks to provide assistance to vulnerable groups in Libya that suffer from military actions and conflicts in the country. Libya has been suffering escalating violence and chaos ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's government in 2011. English Danish Company announcement no 04-19 28 February 2019 This is to convene the Annual General Meeting of North Media A/S, Business Registration number 66 59 01 19. The Annual General Meeting will be held at: Ingenirforeningens Mdecenter A/S Kalvebod Brygge 31-33 DK-1780 Copenhagen V Friday, 29 March 2019 at 3.00 p.m. Pursuant to Article 8.2 of the Articles of Association, the agenda is as follows: Presentation of the management commentary for the past year. Presentation of the audited Annual Report and resolution to adopt the Annual Report. Resolution to grant discharge to the members of the Board of Directors and the Executive Board. Resolution on appropriation of profit or covering of loss according to the adopted Annual Report. The Board of Directors proposes a dividend of DKK 3.0 per share in denominations of DKK 5.0. Election of members to the Board of Directors: The Board of Directors proposes re-election of the present Board: Mads Dahl Mberg Andersen, Richard Bunck, Peter Rasztar, Steen Gede and Ulrik Holsted-Sandgreen. Documents concerning the Annual General Meeting as well as information about background and competencies of the candidates running for re-election are available on www.northmedia.dk . Appointment of auditors: The audit committee has completed a tender process with emphasis on a number of selection criteria. On this basis four candidates have been selected of which PricewaterhouseCoopers Statsautoriseret Revisionspartnerselskab (PwC) is recommended as new auditor, given that the audit committee has assessed that PwC will deliver the best combined service compared to the fixed selection criteria. In accordance with the audit committees recommendation, the board of directors proposes that PwC be elected as the companys new auditor. The audit committee has not been influenced by third parties and has not been subject to any agreement with a third party restricting the general meetings election of certain auditors or audit firms. Any other business. Majority requirement Adoption of proposals under the agenda items 2-6 requires that proposals be adopted by a simple majority vote, see Section 105 of the Danish Companies Act. Information about registration for and attending the Annual General Meeting From Thursday, 28 February 2019, the following information relating to the Annual General Meeting will be available at www.northmedia.dk: 1) This notice convening the meeting with the agenda for the Annual General Meeting, the complete proposals, and the total number of shares and voting rights as at the date of the notice 2) The documents to be presented at the Annual General Meeting including the Annual Report 2018. 3) Registration form, proxy form and postal vote form. All documents may be downloaded from www.northmedia.dk . If so requested in writing to North Media A/S, Gladsaxe Mllevej 28, 2860 Sborg, Attn: Investor relations or e-mail: investor@northmedia.dk , the above documents will also be sent by ordinary mail. A shareholders entitlement to attend and vote at the Annual General Meeting is determined on the basis of the shares held by the shareholder at the registration date one week prior to the Annual General Meeting. By Friday, 22 March 2019, accordingly, the shareholder must be listed in the register of shareholders as a shareholder, or at this date have given due notice in this respect with a view to being added to the register of shareholders. Shareholders are entitled to ask questions to the Board of Directors as well as the Executive Board during the Annual General Meeting. Please submit any questions to the agenda by email to investor@northmedia.dk. You may request admission cards/give proxy to the Annual General Meeting electronically via e-mail to investor@northmedia.dk or via the Investor Portal at www.northmedia.dk by using your account number and password/Nem-ID. You will receive an instant confirmation of your registration. You may also choose to download the forms from www.northmedia.dk , complete them and send them by mail. Irrespective of the medium used, your request/proxy must reach Computershare A/S by Monday, 25 March 2019, at 11.59 p.m. Admission cards requested will be handed out at the entry point of the Annual General Meeting. Please note that admission cards will no longer be sent by ordinary mail. Shareholders are entitled to vote by proxy and to attend the Annual General Meeting together with an advisor. If you want to vote by mail you may do so electronically via the Investor Portal or by downloading the postal vote form from www.northmedia.dk . The form must be completed, dated and signed. Irrespective of the medium used, your postal vote must reach Computershare A/S by Thursday, 28 March 2019, at 10.00 a.m. Please note that you cannot revoke a postal vote. North Media A/S total share capital is DKK 100,275,000 nominal and is divided into shares of a nominal value of DKK 5 each, each share entitling the holder to one vote. Yours faithfully North Media A/S Mads Dahl Mberg Andersen Chairman of the Board of Directors Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 11:08:23|Editor: WX Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A training center for women opened here Wednesday as part of a support program funded by the European Union (EU) and Germany. The center, with a venue for sports, recreational activities and intercommunity exchanges, provides vocational training and skills development projects for women, the European Delegation to Libya said in a statement. "Women are being supported to set up a self-managed supervisory model at the center," read the statement. The new center is a part of the Support to Municipalities program, which is funded by the EU and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to the statement. During the inauguration of the center, EU Ambassador to Libya Alan Bugeja and German Ambassador Oliver Owcza stressed the important role that Libyan women play in building a stable and prosperous Libya. According to the two officials, this is the first of ten centers which will open this year. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 11:43:28|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BANGKOK, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) announced late Wednesday that its flights to Pakistan, Europe have been cancelled for Wednesday and Thursday. Pratana Patanasiri, THAI vice president of Aviation Safety, Security and Standards Department, was quoted by a press statement as saying that THAI cancelled its flights to Pakistan and operated through Pakistani airspace on Wednesday as Pakistani airspace closed due to tension between India and Pakistan. The company also said three flights, to London, Moscow and Frankfurt respectively, returned to Bangkok and arrived safely at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Wednesday. THAI said it has looked after passengers affected by flight cancellations, in accordance to international standards. Furthermore, THAI also cancelled 11 flights to destinations in Europe that were operated on Wednesday and were expected to operate on Thursday, in order to maintain the highest passenger and operational safety standards. THAI is monitoring the situation closely in order to properly assess the situation and plans to operate flights on an alternative route that does not pass Pakistan and is now awaiting for airspace authorization. THAI advises all passengers traveling on the afore-mentioned flights to check the company's announcements and keep abreast of all related news. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 11:53:31|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- More than 3,000 reporters, including over 1,000 from overseas, have registered to cover China's upcoming annual legislative and political consultative sessions. The second annual sessions of the 13th National People's Congress, and the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, are scheduled to open on March 5 and 3, respectively. A press center for the sessions opened Wednesday in the Media Center Hotel in downtown Beijing, which will host a number of press conferences in various fields. As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the sessions have drawn worldwide attention. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 12:08:33|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close MANAGUA, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Nicaragua's government and the opposition Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy (ACJD) started a new round of dialogue on Wednesday here to resolve the country's political crisis. At the Central American Business Management Institute (INCAE) in Managua, ACJD spokesman Carlos Tunnermann said that before debating the issues, the two negotiating teams had to outline an initial agenda and mechanism for the talks. On arriving at the venue for talks, the government delegation gave no statements to the press. Shortly after the talks began, however, President Daniel Ortega held out an olive branch by allowing at least 100 protesters arrested during the demonstrations to serve out their sentences under house arrest. ACJD representative Valeska Valle said he welcomed the gesture, but it was not enough. He called on the government to release all political prisoners, the number of which is about 700. Ortega's government faced violent protests in April after proposing unpopular social security reforms. While the reforms were scrapped after the protests broke out, public anger still led to weeks of demonstrations. Nearly 200 people were killed in related riot and clashes, according to official figures. The two sides held two rounds of negotiations in May and June, respectively, but failed to reach any agreements. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 12:23:34|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close CAIRO, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 people were killed and dozens injured when a train crashed and caught fire at Cairo's main train station on Wednesday, resulting in the resignation of Transport Minister Hesham Arafat. The train engine slammed into the buffers at the end of the track at high speed at the main railway station in downtown Cairo on Wednesday before a fire broke out. A security source told state-run Ahram news website that the crash caused explosion of the fuel tank which triggered the fire. Passengers carrying luggage ran for their lives as the blaze spread quickly, witnesses said. At least 20 people were killed and more than 40 other injured in the accident. "The explosion was horrible. I saw two men flying out of the train's windows with their bodies on fire," a passenger named Ali Kamal told Xinhua from the site. It was difficult to rescue anyone, he added. Dozens of ambulances and firefighters rushed to the scene and hosed down the charred wreckage of the train as security forces guarded the site. The corpses were completely burned and most of the wounded are of second- or third-degree burn and in critical conditions, eyewitnesses and hospital sources said. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly went to the crash site accompanied by Transport Minister Arafat who resigned hours later as well as Health Minister Hala Zayed and Social Solidarity Minister Ghada Wali. "There will be no leniency or complacency in holding those responsible for the accident accountable," Madbouly said at the station, stressing that "the era of keeping silent on those who fail to do their duties toward the Egyptian citizens is over." The cabinet also ordered financial compensation of 80,000 Egyptian pounds (about 4,570 U.S. dollars) for the family of the deceased or each person with a consequent total disability and 25,000 pounds (1,425 dollars) for each of the wounded. Arafat announced last April a project to renovate the country's old railway system by 2022, with a total cost of 55 billion Egyptian pounds (about 3.1 billion dollars). DRIVER ARRESTED Urgent investigations have been ordered into the incident. "I have instructed the government to immediately rush to the accident scene to follow up the situation and hold those responsible accountable after the results of an accurate investigation," Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi told a joint press conference with visiting Albanian President Ilir Meta. Sisi said he also ordered a follow-up of the health conditions of the wounded and a provision of all necessary care for them and their families, offering sincere condolence to the families of the victims. The prosecutor general's office, meanwhile, said that the driver of the locomotive was arrested and was being investigated because the accident resulted from his recklessness. Prosecutor-general Nabil Sadeq said that the driver left the locomotive with its engine on to check another locomotive in the opposite direction that was stuck with it. "The driver left the compartment without taking the measures of turning off the engine to check the situation with the driver of the other locomotive," said the prosecutor's statement. It explained that the driver of the opposite locomotive managed to disengage the two stuck locomotives while the other driver was out of the cab and the engine of his locomotive was on. "This led the locomotive in question to move without its driver at a high speed until it hit the concrete buffer stop at the end of the track," the statement explained. A number of deadly train accidents have taken place in Egypt over the past few years, in which hundreds were killed and injured. In August 2017, a train crash in the northern coastal province of Alexandria left at least 49 dead. In February 2018, a collision of two trains in Beheira province north of Cairo killed 12 people. The deadliest train accident in Egypt took place in Giza's district of Ayyat in 2002, which killed 350 passengers when a fire broke out in a train coming from Upper Egypt, forcing passengers to jump for their lives. Egypt has one of the oldest and largest rail networks in the region and basic safety standards for the railway have often been ignored. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 12:53:38|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's dairy giant Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd. has registered revenues of 79.6 billion yuan (11.9 billion U.S. dollars) in 2018, up by 16.9 pct year on year, according to a company statement released Thursday. The net profits attributable to its shareholders reached 6.5 billion yuan, the company said in its preliminary financial results for 2018 filed to the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The company's e-commerce revenue increased by 61 percent year on year, and has over 1.75 million offline retailers of its milk products by the end of 2018, up 23.2 percent from a year ago. Yili noted its expansion in southeast Asia and a rapid growth in its organic products thanks to China's consumption upgrade. Shares of Yili rose 1.39 percent by 11:10 a.m. Thursday in Shanghai. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 13:03:40|Editor: WX Video Player Close Reporters watch a TV live broadcast about talks between top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam, Feb. 28, 2019. Kim and Trump on Thursday started talks of their second summit for a second day in Vietnam's capital Hanoi to hammer out a deal for peace on and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu) HANOI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday started their talks for a second day here to hammer out a deal for peace on and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Kim and Trump sat down again at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, where the two leaders had a brief one-on-one chat and a dinner for about two hours Wednesday night. Before launching their second one-on-one closed-door talks, Trump said sitting beside Kim that they had very good discussion at the dinner, forecasting they would make a "fantastic success" during the second day of talks. Kim said he will try his best to bring a "good result" in his meeting with Trump. They made the remarks in front of journalists, with flags of the DPRK and the United States standing behind them. After the short Q&A session with journalists, Kim and Trump sat one-on-one at the negotiating table for about half an hour, with only translators being present. The two leaders were seen on a live broadcast taking a stroll along an aisle in the courtyard of the hotel, with only the two interpreters following them. At the end of the aisle, Kim and Trump met their close aides and shook hands with them, who were U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the DPRK's ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) Central Committee. After the intimate stroll and the one-on-one sit-down, Kim and Trump began an "extended" meeting joined by their aides. The DPRK's state-run Korean Central News Agency said early Thursday that the two leaders exchanged "sincere and deep opinions" at Wednesday's dinner meeting to make "comprehensive and epoch-making results" in the Hanoi summit. The second Kim-Trump summit came about eight months after the first in Singapore in June last year. The two leaders were forecast to discuss concrete ways to achieve the "comprehensive" agreements reached in the Singapore summit, including the peace and complete denuclearization of the peninsula and the establishment of new relations between Pyongyang and Washington. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 13:23:44|Editor: ZX Video Player Close Yu Jianhua, head of the Chinese Mission to the UN Office in Geneva, attends the 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 27, 2019. The 56 ethnic groups in China, living together like brothers and sisters, are all parts of the big family of the Chinese nation, Yu Jianhua told the UNHRC session. "The people of all ethnic groups are tightly held together like pomegranate seeds, and together they are making arduous efforts for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation where they can all live a happy life," Yu said, when elaborating on China's human rights propositions and expounding achievements of the human rights undertakings in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan) GENEVA, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The 56 ethnic groups in China, living together like brothers and sisters, are all part of the big family of the Chinese nation, a Chinese envoy said Wednesday at the ongoing UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session in Geneva. "The people of all ethnic groups are tightly held together like pomegranate seeds, and together they are making arduous efforts for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation where they can all live a happy life," said Yu Jianhua, head of the Chinese Mission to the UN Office at Geneva, when elaborating on China's human rights propositions and expounding achievements of the human rights undertakings in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwestern China, during the UNHRC's 40th session. Yu said that as unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise in today's world, coupled with the still outstanding problem of unbalanced, uncoordinated and unsustainable development, it's particularly important for countries to firmly practise multilateralism and to jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind. To that end, Yu put forward China's propositions on advancing undertakings for human rights internationally. Firstly, mutual respect should by taken as a premise, by which all countries should respect their peoples' choice of development path for human rights. Secondly, all countries should adhere to the principle of fairness and justice, abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each country, and oppose interference into other countries' internal affairs under the pretext of human rights. Thirdly, all countries should aim for win-win results through cooperation; and lastly, all countries should champion a people-centered vision and promote human rights through development. On the topic concerning China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the Chinese ambassador said that the stance adopted by some countries is biased and entirely based on misjudgment, which runs counter to facts. He said that the Chinese government has adopted a series of anti-terrorism and de-extremization measures in Xinjiang, including the establishment of vocational training facilities, which aim to help the few people who have been influenced by extremism to get rid of their terrorist and extremist thoughts and reintegrate them into the society as soon as possible. These measures, carried out in full accordance with the law, have greatly improved the security situation in Xinjiang and effectively safeguarded the human rights of the people of all ethnic groups and thus received sincere support from the people, Yu said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 13:58:48|Editor: WX Video Player Close BANGKOK, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) announced on Thursday that it has got permission to use Chinese airspace to resume flights to Europe on Thursday. In a press statement, Pratana Patanasiri, THAI vice president of Aviation Safety, Security and Standards Department said, the company has resumed flights from Bangkok to Europe from Thursday, including flights to Moscow, London, Frankfurt, Stockholm, Paris, Vienna, etc. Flights TG507, TG508 from Bangkok to Muscat will also be operational on Thursday by detouring around Pakistan while flights to Lahore, Pakistan have been canceled on Thursday. On Wednesday, THAI cancelled flights from Bangkok to Pakistan and to Europe, it said it had looked after passengers affected by flight cancellations, in accordance to international standards. THAI advises all passengers traveling on flights to Europe to check the company's announcements and keep abreast of all related news. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 14:58:57|Editor: WX Video Player Close OTTAWA, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday evening dismissed opposition call for him to step down following explosive testimony against him by former Justice Minister and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould over alleged obstruction of justice. In the testimony before the House of Commons' justice committee on Wednesday, Wilson-Raybould said that she faced political pressure and "veiled threats" to drop a criminal prosecution against Montreal-based construction and engineering giant SNC-Lavalin. Wilson-Raybould, who resigned from Trudeau's Liberal cabinet earlier this month, said that between September and December last year, she "experienced a consistent and sustained effort by many people within the government to seek to politically interfere in the exercise of prosecutorial discretion ... in an inappropriate effort to secure a deferred prosecution agreement with SNC-Lavalin." SNC-Lavalin was charged with fraud and corruption four years ago over allegations that it paid nearly 36 million U.S. dollars in bribes to officials in the government of toppled former Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi and defrauded Libyan organizations of an estimated 98 million U.S. dollars between 2001 and 2011. Wilson-Raybould alleged that 11 senior Canadian government officials, including those from Trudeau's office, through meetings and phone calls, pressed her to offer SNC-Lavalin a deferred prosecution agreement that would allow the company to pay a fine and avoid a criminal trial. She said that last September, Trudeau warned her that there would be dire economic and political consequences in the French-speaking province of Quebec where SNC-Lavalin is headquartered if the criminal prosecution against it proceeded. Following Wilson-Raybould's three-and-a-half hour appearance before the committee, federal Conservative and Official Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer called on the prime minister to resign. The opposition leader said that Wilson-Raybould's testimony revealed that Trudeau "has lost the moral authority to govern." Jagmeet Singh, leader of Canada's left-of-center New Democratic Party, demanded that a public inquiry be held over the accusations. At a Liberal Party event in Montreal on Wednesday evening, Trudeau dismissed Scheer's call for him to step down. The prime minister said that his government "always acted appropriately and professionally" on the SNC-Lavalin file. He also said that he "completely disagreed" with Wilson-Raybould's "characterization of events" and that the decision in relation to the SNC-Lavalin case was "hers alone." Wilson-Raybould was Canada's first indigenous attorney general and justice minister -- the two titles are traditionally held by the same cabinet member. She served as minister of justice and attorney general from 2015 until January 2019, and then as minister of veterans affairs before resigning from Trudeau's cabinet in February. Newport Beach, Calif., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DPW Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American: DPW) a diversified holding company (DPW or the Company) announced it has signed a stock purchase agreement with Ault & Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation. The closing of the proposed $2,500,000 transaction with Ault & Company is subject to approval by the NYSE American. Under the terms of the agreement, Ault & Company will invest up to $2,500,000 in the Company through the purchase of the Companys Series C Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock (Preferred Stock), during the period ending on December 31, 2019. Each share of Preferred Stock par value $0.001, shall be purchased at $1,000 for up to a maximum issuance of 2,500 shares of Preferred Stock. Each share of Preferred Stock shall become convertible after eighteen (18) months from the date of issuance into such number of shares of the Companys common stock (Common Stock) for $0.12 per share. The Preferred Stock pays no dividend and is mandatorily redeemable by the Company after five years from the date of issuance for the total consideration of up to $2,500,000. Mr. Milton C. Ault, III, the Companys Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, said, This investment by Ault & Company demonstrates our belief in the progress being achieved by the Company and its subsidiaries, the strength and value of the assets of DPW today, our long-term commitment to the shareholders of the Company, and the confidence in our ability to increase shareholder value. Further, the purchase price, which represents an approximate 50% increase over the current price of the Common Stock, makes evident our belief that the Common Stock has been significantly undervalued by the markets. Ault & Company, Inc. is a private holding company controlled by Mr. Ault. About DPW Holdings, Inc. DPW Holdings, Inc. is a diversified holding company pursuing growth by acquiring undervalued businesses and disruptive technologies that hold global potential. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries and strategic investments, the Company provides mission-critical products that support a diverse range of industries, including defense/aerospace, industrial, telecommunications, medical, crypto-mining, and textiles. In addition, the Company owns a select portfolio of commercial hospitality properties and extends credit to select entrepreneurial businesses through a licensed lending subsidiary. DPWs headquarters are located at 201 Shipyard Way, Suite E, Newport Beach, CA 92663; www.DPWHoldings.com . Forward-Looking Statements Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 15:08:59|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China encourages exploration and opposes monopoly in developing autonomous driving technologies and products, the country's top transport regulator said Thursday. Failure can be tolerated but safety should be ensured during the development process, Li Xiaopeng, head of the Ministry of Transport (MOT), told a press conference. China attaches much emphasis on related technologies and applications as autonomous driving will help improve transport safety, efficiency, services and industrial development, Li added. Last year, China issued a guideline to regulate road tests of autonomous driving and another on closed testing ground development. Three sites, located in Beijing, Chongqing and Xi'an, have earned an official nod for such testing. Domestic internet and automobile firms have been investing in the frontier field. Tech giant Baidu launched an open platform named Apollo in 2017 to coordinate cross-sector efforts in autonomous driving, which has been granted over 50 licenses for open-road testing of autonomous vehicles in cities like Beijing, Tianjin, Chongqing, Changsha and Baoding. The MOT will work with other departments to strive for national-level policies for guiding the sector's development, Li said. Efforts will also be made to facilitate the development of related rules and laws, promote pilot demonstration sites prudently and boost international cooperation, Li added. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 15:34:06|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close Reporters watch a TV live broadcast about talks between top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam, Feb. 28, 2019. Kim and Trump on Thursday started talks of their second summit for a second day in Vietnam's capital Hanoi to hammer out a deal for peace on and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu) HANOI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump ended their second summit, without a deal, in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Thursday. "No agreement was reached" between Kim and Trump in the second day of their second summit in Hanoi, according to the White House. It added that the two countries' respective teams looked forward to meeting in the future. Though the two leaders ended their meeting without any agreement, Kim and Trump had "very good and constructive meetings" and discussed various ways to "advance denuclearization and economic driven concepts," the statement from the White House said. Kim and Trump were originally scheduled to share events -- a working lunch and a signing ceremony for a possible joint statement -- at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, but the events were cancelled for an unidentified reason. Trump's press conference was brought forward by two hours to 2 p.m. local time (0700 GMT). Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 16:34:24|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping has called for expediting the building of the Communist Party of China (CPC) into a Marxist learning party and the nurturing of a love of learning in the people. Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a preface he wrote for a series of textbooks designed to be learning and training materials for officials across the country, an official statement said Thursday. The study and implementation of the thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era should have a central place on the agenda, according to the preface, which urges Party members and officials to improve themselves and meet the requirements of being loyal to the Party, having moral integrity, and demonstrating a keen sense of responsibility. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 16:39:25|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close SUVA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- An Australian man was found guilty on charges of importing drugs and possession of arms and ammunition in Fiji's High Court on Thursday. John Nikolic was charged after drugs, cash, arms, and ammunition were found on board his yacht "Shenanigans" in Nadi, Fiji's third largest city, last year. He was charged with two counts of importing illicit drugs and one count of possession of arms and ammunition without holding an arms license. Nikolic was arrested after authorities seized 13 bricks of cocaine weighing 15 kg and ecstasy tablets with an estimated value of 30 million Fijian dollars (about 14 million U.S. dollars) from their yacht. In the verdict, Fiji's High Court Judge Justice Daniel Goundar said according to the evidence presented in court, it clearly showed that Nikolic knew the presence of illicit drugs on his yacht. He said the suspect also tried to halt the search. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 16:39:25|Editor: ZX Video Player Close HAIKOU, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A direct air route was launched on Thursday morning between Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, and Osaka, Japan's second-largest city. It is this year's first international air flight from Haikou launched by Hainan Airlines, which has so far opened a number of international routes linking Haikou with cities including Rome, Singapore, Sydney and Melbourne. The route will use a Boeing 737-800 aircraft and operate three flights per week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The maiden flight took off at 8:40 a.m. before arriving in Osaka at 1:40 p.m. It is scheduled to return to Haikou at 7:15 p.m. after departing from Osaka at 2:40 p.m. on the same day. Hainan Province had 74 international air routes in total by December and aims to increase the figure to 100 by 2020. China plans to build Hainan into an international tourism and consumption center by 2025 and a globally influential tourism and consumption destination by 2035. The province aims to attract 2 million overseas tourists by 2020, with an average annual growth rate of 25 percent between 2018 and 2020, according to a three-year action plan released last June. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 16:49:26|Editor: ZX Video Player Close NANJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Double eyelid surgeries are not uncommon these days, but what if they were for pet cats? A cat owner in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, caused a stir online after posing pictures of his pet cat, the British Shorthair, recovering from a double eyelid surgery. The owner claimed to have spent 10,000 yuan (about 1,497 U.S. dollars) on the cosmetic surgery to make the cat "look prettier." In the pictures, the cat appears to have larger eyes but looks listless, its eyes still swollen due to stitches. The story has gone viral on microblog Sina Weibo, and a post about it has drawn more than 7,500 comments. While some supported the owner for having the right to make their pet look more beautiful, many netizens chastised the owner for being selfish and ignoring the feelings of pets. "Being natural is the best," read a comment on Weibo. "The operation is absolutely damaging to the cat physically and emotionally." Pet plastic surgery operations, available in some pet hospitals in China, includes double eyelids, ear cutting and face-lifting, among others, according to an animal doctor with a pet shop in Nanjing. "Some pet dogs that attend beauty pageants come here to have plastic surgery," the doctor said, adding that risks did exist in the operations, such as stressful reactions to anaesthesia. "But some pets go through such operations due to health problems," the doctor added. Many animal doctors say if not for health problems, they boycott all surgeries that go against animal welfare. China's pet industry is booming. According to a report published by Goumin, an online pet forum, there were 73.6 million Chinese pet owners last year, raising a total of 91.5 million dogs and cats, the majority of the pets. The country's dog and cat owners spent over 5,000 yuan per pet in 2018, an increase of 15 percent from the previous year, the report said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 18:39:54|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A total of 202 police cadets joined the National Police in the southern Kandahar province after a two-month training course, director of Police Training Center in the province Alam Gul said Thursday. All the newly graduated police personnel, according to the official, would be deployed in parts of Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban militants to stabilize local security. More than 1,000 youths have received training in the police training center over the past year in Kandahar, the official said, adding that some 3,500 cadets were under training in the center in the restive province. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 18:59:57|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close MANILA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad will visit the Philippines on March 6-7, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday. The DFA said Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will welcome Mahathir at ceremonies in Malacanang, the presidential palace, on March 7 after which the two leaders will hold a bilateral meeting to survey and discuss cooperation in the political, economic, and people-to-people spheres, and exchange views on the topics of mutual importance. During his visit, Mahathir is also scheduled to meet Philippine Senate President Vicente Sotto III and House Speaker Gloria Arroyo, the DFA added. This will be Mahathir's first visit to the Philippines since he assumed office in 2018. During his previous term as prime minister, Mahathir undertook official visits to the Philippines in 1987 and 1994. The official visit reciprocates Duterte's visit to Malaysia in July 2018. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 18:59:57|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close LUSAKA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Wednesday received a report on the political situation in Lesotho from a committee that is overseeing reforms in the tiny southern African nation. Lungu, as chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation, received the report on the current status from Chairperson of the Oversight Committee, retired Chief Justice Mathew Ngulube, during a ceremony at State House, according to state-run news agency, the Zambia News and Information Service. Lungu appointed the retired chief justice as chairperson of the Oversight Committee last September to help him in implementation of a reform road map for Lesotho which has experienced political tension. In remarks after receiving the report, the Zambian leader said he will support the committee with enhanced concerted efforts towards the peace process in Lesotho. He said he will also engage the SADC secretariat on some of the issues raised in the report in an effort to ensure that the peace process was achieved in Lesotho. On his part, the retired chief judge said the committee has recorded tremendous progress in rendering assistance in the reforms and the political stability process in Lesotho. He however said there was need for the committee to extend its stay in order to complete its work. "We have made great progress but appeal to extend our presence in Lesotho because this is not the time for us to pull out yet," he said. The SADC Oversight Committee is in Lesotho to also serve as an early warning mechanism. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 19:10:03|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close U.S. President Donald Trump (L) speaks at a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, Feb. 28, 2019. A gap remained between what the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) wanted and what the U.S. wanted, Donald Trump told the press conference, explaining the earlier-than-scheduled end to his second summit with DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un. (Xinhua/Wang Shen) HANOI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A gap remained between what the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States wanted, U.S. President Donald Trump said at a press conference here on Thursday, explaining the no-deal end to his second summit with DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un. Trump and Kim started the two-day summit Wednesday night with a brief one-on-one chat and a dinner and continued their discussions the following day on concrete ways for peace and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The two leaders were originally scheduled to attend a working lunch and a signing ceremony for a possible joint statement at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, but the events were cancelled with no agreement reached, according to the White House. After coming back to the J. W. Marriot Hotel, Trump told the press conference that Kim had a vision which was not exactly the same as his, though their visions got "much closer" than they were a year ago. "Sometimes you have to walk and this was one of those times," said Trump, indicating talks between Pyongyang and Washington would continue though the two leaders failed to reach an agreement in their second meeting. However, Trump noted that his next summit with Kim "might not be for a long time," hinting at a possible hiatus in the summit diplomacy. Trump said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo felt during the meeting that it was "not a good thing" to sign off on anything, though they had some options on the negotiable table. Following the one-on-one discussion between Kim and Trump with only translators being present earlier in the day, the two leaders had an extended meeting joined by their senior aides, including Pompeo. "It wasn't appropriate to sign the agreement ... Actually, we already had paper today to sign," said Trump. Trump said there was "a gap" in what the DPRK and the United States pursued. Kim demanded relief from sanctions against Pyongyang "in their entirety" in exchange for denuclearizing a "large portion" of the DPRK's nuclear program, something the United States could not agree to, according to Trump. Despite the no-deal meeting, Trump said he would "continue to work on that" with the DPRK leader to narrow the gap between the two countries. Kim and Trump agreed at their Singapore summit in June to a lasting peace on and the complete denuclearization of the Peninsula, as well as the start of new relations between their countries. REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anomali published today the third annual report on the cyber threat intelligence sector in partnership with the Ponemon Institute. The report reveals continued widespread adoption of threat intelligence with 79% of North American respondents indicating they now leverage intelligence in security programs. Despite this rapid adoption, the level of effectiveness still lags, with only 41% of respondents claiming to be effective with their intelligence programs. The report, The Value of Threat Intelligence: Annual Study of North American and United Kingdom Companies surveyed over 1,000 IT and security practitioners to evaluated threat intelligence usage, benefits and challenges. The survey found: 85% rate threat intelligence highly important to security operations While Phishing attacks are most worrisome for 25% of respondents, they are most time consuming for nearly twice as many respondents (45%) Data volumes continue to strain detection capabilities: too much internal traffic, too many threat indicators to track, too many false positives, lack of historical data to perform investigations For the third straight year we have seen threat intelligence consistently grow in use across the US and UK by enterprises, said Dr. Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of the Ponemon Institute. During this period, weve also seen rapid growth in attack frequency, and the need for security teams to improve detection capabilities. Threat intelligence offers the promise to identify attacks earlier and respond more effectively. The report examines in detail the barriers to more successful adoption of threat intelligence and provides recommendations for organizations looking to augment threat detection and response capabilities. The rise of Phishing attacks is taxing security teams, which are often understaffed, who must now analyze, investigate and respond to myriad threats dailyoften at the expense of deeper investigation of more sophisticated and targeted attacks. This points to the need for greater automation and prioritization of serious threats. Threat intelligence offers security teams detectable fingerprints of malicious actors. When properly leveraged, this intelligence can reveal serious attacks at their earliest stages, said Dan Barahona, chief marketing officer at Anomali. Our research with the Ponemon Institute confirms this value, while uncovering the challenges organizations face in fully operationalizing threat intelligence. A full report is available for download including detailed statistics on the effectiveness gap, eight best practices from top performing cyber threat intelligence organizations, and comprehensive statistics from this years report. Download the full report on the Anomali site https://www.anomali.com/resources/whitepapers/2019-ponemon-report-the-value-of-threat-intelligence-from-anomali?utm_source=web&utm_medium=pr About Anomali Anomali detects adversaries and tells you who they are. Organizations rely on the Anomali Threat Platform to detect threats, understand adversaries, and respond effectively. Anomali arms security teams with machine learning optimized threat intelligence and identifies hidden threats targeting their environments. The platform enables organizations to collaborate and share threat information among trusted communities and is the most widely adopted platform for ISACs and leading enterprises worldwide. For more information, visit us at www.anomali.com . Haylee Hewlett Sr. Marketing Manager 408-800-4050 Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 19:25:07|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump made more meaningful progress in their second summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, South Korea's presidential Blue House said Thursday. "It is regrettable that President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un were unable to reach complete agreement," Kim Eui-keum, spokesman for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told a press briefing. The Blue House spokesman, however, noted that it seemed clear that the two leaders have made "more meaningful progress" than ever as they expanded the scope and depth of their understanding of each other's positions through the two-day summit in the Vietnamese capital. The leaders of the DPRK and the United States ended their second summit with no agreement reached, according to the White House. Trump told a press conference after the earlier-than-scheduled end to his meeting with Kim that a gap remained between what the two sides wanted though their visions got "much closer" than a year earlier. The Blue House spokesman said U.S. President Trump expressed his commitment to continuing talks and his optimistic view, brightening the prospects for another summit. The fact that Trump unveiled his intention to lift or alleviate sanctions on Pyongyang in accordance with the DPRK's denuclearization efforts showed the DPRK-U.S. talks reached a new level, the spokesman noted. The South Korean government will do all it can to ensure that the DPRK and the United States maintain dialogue, he added. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 19:35:13|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close TEHRAN, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will visit neighboring Iraq on March 11 at the official invitation of his Iraqi counterpart to discuss bilateral ties, Tasnim news agency reported on Thursday. During his trip to the Arab country, a high-ranking politico-economic delegation will accompany Rouhani. It will be Rouhani's first official visit to Iraq during his tenure and after the slap of the U.S. sanctions against the Islamic republic last year. On Monday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met with Prime Minister of Iraq Adil Abdul-Mahdi in Baghdad to make arrangements for Rouhani's forthcoming trip. During Iraqi President Barham Salih's visit to Tehran in November last year, Iran and Iraq announced readiness to boost cooperation in all sectors despite the U.S. sanctions. Rouhani said, during Salih's visit, that the economic trade between the two countries could reach 20 billion U.S. dollars per year from the current 12 billion U.S. dollars. On Feb. 5, the governor of Iran's central bank, Abdolnaser Hemmati, announced that Iranian traders could open accounts in Iraqi banks to carry out their transactions under a new payment system agreed between the two neighbors. Besides, Iraq has rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial remarks that Washington wants to use its bases in Iraq to watch Iran. On Feb. 10, Major General Mohammad Baqeri, chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, stressed that Iran would keep military advisers in Iraq and Syria as long as those countries demand. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 20:00:24|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths (C) arrives at the Sanaa International Airport as he leaves Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 28, 2019. UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths left the rebel-held capital Sanaa on Thursday after a two-day talks to push Houthis to withdraw from Hodeidah ports in line with Stockholm Agreement. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed) SANAA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths left the rebel-held capital Sanaa on Thursday after a two-day talks to push Houthis to withdraw from Hodeidah ports in line with Stockholm Agreement. Griffiths had met with Houthi leaders and discussed the possibility to implement the withdrawal of forces from the port city to save the Yemeni people from deadly battles. But it wasn't clear what Griffiths has achieved during this visit, as his office did not release any statement yet. Meanwhile, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television cited a Yemeni government official as saying that the Houthi rebels halted the implementation of Stockholm peace deal. It was Griffiths' sixth trip to Sanaa in two months in his attempts to break a stalemate in the implementation of a cease-fire to withdraw warring forces and secure access to grain aid in the country's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. Griffiths has been shuttling between the Houthi rebels in Sanaa and the exiled government in the Saudi capital of Riyadh to avert an all-out deadly fighting in Hodeidah, the lifeline of the country's most commercial imports and humanitarian aid. On Monday, Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea said that their militias will not withdraw until a date is specified for the withdrawal of their foe Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces from around the port city. "The first phase of the UN plan sets a date of our withdrawal only, while it didn't specify any date for the withdrawal of the other side (government troops)," Sarea told Xinhua by phone, stipulating that the other side should also start to withdraw in the same time. The warring parties reached a peace deal in Stockholm in December last year. They have largely held the cease-fire deal in Hodeidah but failed to withdraw their forces. The deal seeks to save more than 20 million Yemenis from sliding into major starvation. The Houthi rebels continue to fortify themselves inside the city while the government troops have been massing on the southern and eastern outskirts. The four-year civil war has killed more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, displaced 3 million others, and pushed the country to the brink of famine. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 20:05:25|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close DOHA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad said on Thursday that negotiations with Taliban were "productive," and would resume on Saturday after internal delibrations. "Three solid days of talks with Taliban in Doha Meetings were productive," Khalilzad said on his Twitter account. "Both sides will take the next two days for internal delibrations, with plans to regroup on Saturday," he added. "We continue to take slow, steady steps toward understanding and eventually peace." Talks were held by Khalilzad and Taliban's co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Doha. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 20:40:34|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close HARARE, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Botswana has agreed to extend a 1 billion Pula (about 95 million U.S. dollars) credit line to Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe's finance minister Mthuli Ncube said Thursday. He told Xinhua on the sidelines of the inaugural session of the Botswana-Zimbabwe Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Harare that the details of the facility were still being worked out. "I cannot say much because the Presidents of the two countries are still working out the details but I can confirm that Botswana has agreed to extend a 1 billion Pula credit line to Zimbabwe," Mthuli Ncube said. Earlier, Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi confirmed the monetary deal, saying his country had raised the facility from the initial 500 million Pula to 1 billion in response to a question during the BNC meeting. Both Masisi and Ncube did not specify what the credit line will be used for. The announcement of the credit line came a day after the Botswana government on Wednesday denied media reports that it had extended a 600 million U.S. dollars credit facility to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is currently facing a crippling foreign currency shortage that has affected importation of essential commodities such as fuel and medical drugs. In a bid to tame the thriving foreign currency black market that has eroded currency value and competitiveness of the country's exports, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe last week introduced a foreign exchange inter-bank market where the local currency can be traded against the U.S. dollar and other currencies at market rates. The local currency debuted at 2.50 against the U.S. dollar last Friday, lower than black market rates of around 3.60. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 20:40:35|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China has made substantial progress in integrating the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area into a vibrant world-class city cluster, officials said Thursday. Guangdong Province has set up a leading group and six specialized groups to push ahead with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development, Lin Shaochun, executive vice governor of Guangdong Province, said at a press conference hosted by the State Council Information Office. Li Xi, secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, is the head of the leading group of Guangdong Province. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has reached an agreement with Guangdong Province to build a campus in Guangzhou, capital of the province, according to Lin. Altogether, six Hong Kong colleges and universities have founded 72 scientific research institutions in Shenzhen, while Guangdong and Hong Kong has jointly subsidized 151 innovative programs. The infrastructure connectivity in the area has been significantly improved, said Lin, mentioning the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge as a model project of the Greater Bay Area. Guangdong Province has opened up 153 service sectors to Hong Kong and Macao, accounting for 95.6 percent of 160 service sectors listed by the World Trade Organization. For the first time, a Guangdong and Macao Cooperation Development Fund has been established, with the first batch of investment of 20 billion yuan (about 3 billion U.S. dollars), Lin said. Guangdong has unveiled many facilitation measures for Hong Kong and Macao residents studying, investing and living in the province. For example, the number of colleges and universities that can enroll students from Hong Kong and Macao has risen to 50. China unveiled the outline development plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area last week, aiming to develop the region into "a role model of high-quality development." The bay area consists of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region, as well as nine cities in Guangdong Province -- Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing. Covering 56,000 square kilometers, the bay area had a combined population of about 70 million at the end of 2017 and its gross domestic product reached around 10 trillion yuan in 2017. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 20:40:36|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's environmental authority on Thursday vowed consistent efforts to protect the environment at Mount Qomolangma National Nature Reserve in Tibet Autonomous Region. Efforts will be taken to strengthen monitoring, enhance mountaineering trash clean-ups, reduce tourism and climbing activity-generated pollution and rectify irregularities, Liu Youbin, a spokesperson with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, told a press conference. The measures came after the reserve banned ordinary tourists from entering its core zone to better conserve the environment of the world's highest mountain. Liu said the environment on Mount Qomolangma has seen significant improvement, but the number of tourists has kept increasing, and allowing tourists to enter the core zone of the reserve will add pressure on environmental protection there. Ordinary tourists are banned from areas above Rongpo Monastery, around 5,000 meters above sea level. A new tent camp will be set up nearly 2 km away from the original one. For travelers who have a climbing permit, the mountaineering activities will not be affected, according to the reserve which was set up in 1988. Though ordinary visitors can't go beyond the monastery, it won't affect them from appreciating the mountain, Liu said. Covering an area of around 33,800 square km including a 10,312-square km core zone, the reserve is home to one of the world's most vulnerable ecosystems. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 20:50:41|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese prosecutors have tried various means to strengthen legal supervision in criminal petition cases and correct miscarriages of justice, said the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) Thursday. In 2018, prosecuting agencies across China received about 16,000 post-conviction petitions in criminal cases, re-investigating about 7,000, said Xu Xiangchun, a senior prosecutor with the SPP. Out of these cases, prosecutors filed appeals against court convictions or proposed retrials in more than 700 cases. They also processed about 1,700 applications for state compensation, and in 1,200 cases applicants were granted compensation. The SPP also launched special inspections to screen post-conviction petitions and state compensation cases across the country. "We selected a number of serious cases that might have problems and supervised local prosecuting agencies to properly process them," Xu said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 20:50:43|Editor: zh Video Player Close Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng (C Back), also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, presides over a meeting on the integrated and coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2019. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng on Thursday urged more efforts to promote the integrated and coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while presiding over a meeting. Han called for new breakthroughs in the planning and construction of Xiongan New Area and Beijing subcenter in Tongzhou, ecological environment protection, and co-construction and sharing of basic public services in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. Efforts should be made to relocate the non-capital functions of Beijing in an active, proper and orderly manner, he said. He stressed high-quality and high-standard planning and development of the Xiongan New Area, and quality in the construction of the sub-center in Beijing. He also urged intensified efforts to accelerate infrastructure construction in the area such as auxiliary projects of the Beijing Daxing International Airport which is set to open in 2019. The country initiated a key strategy in 2014 to coordinate the development of Beijing, its neighboring port city Tianjin, and Hebei Province -- a regional city cluster called "Jing-jin-ji." A prominent task of the "Jing-jin-ji" strategy is to move the non-capital functions out of Beijing to treat "urban ills" in the Chinese capital, such as traffic jams and pollution. In April 2017, China announced the establishment of the Xiongan New Area, which, about 100 km southwest of Beijing, spans three counties in Hebei. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 20:55:44|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close ISTANBUL, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkey and the European Union agreed on Thursday to boost cooperation in a wide range of fields, with the focus on strengthening economic and political ties. The consensus came as Turkish Minister of Treasury and Finance Berat Albayrak and Vice President of the European Commission Jyrki Katainen co-chaired the third High Level Economic Dialogue between the two sides in Istanbul. "We have deep relations with Turkey and we must keep a normal political dialogue," Katainen told reporters at a joint press conference with Albayrak. "In the light of the developments happening in today's global climate, we once again underlined the importance of maintaining dialogue on economic issues," said Albayrak. The Turkish minister also said that the economic cooperation between the two sides should be maintained more precisely and carefully than before as bilateral trade volume has reached 165 billion U.S. dollars. Turkey is the EU's fourth largest export market and fifth largest provider of imports, while the bloc is Turkey's No. 1 market of imports and exports, according to the European Commission data. At the meetings in Istanbul, the two sides mainly discussed the issues of structural reform, investment and trade relations and the customs union. Turkey has been pushing for upgrading the customs union deal inked in 1995, which covers all industrial goods but does not address agriculture services and public procurement. As part of the economic dialogue, Turkish and European business leaders met with officials of the European Commission and the Turkish government over possible areas for cooperation. Later in the day, the EU and Turkey are scheduled to sign an agreement on co-financing the construction of the Halkali-Kapikule railway line linking the Halkali station in Istanbul and the Bulgarian border crossing point at Kapikule. Katainen said the EU would provide 275 million euros in grants for the project, making it the single largest investment in Turkey by the bloc. "The railway will also be a concrete step which will connect Turkey with Europe," he said. The new line, expected to cost one billion euros in total, will provide a safe, high-speed and clean connection for freight and passengers, the EU delegation said in a statement. Despite repeated setbacks, Ankara and Brussels have been trying to keep their dialogue channels open since Turkey's accession talks started in 2005. Bilateral ties had particularly soured after the EU increasingly criticized the Turkish government over what it called Ankara's drift away from democracy and the European values in the wake of a failed coup in Turkey in July 2016. NORTH BAY, Ontario, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "Since taking office the Doug Ford government has blazed a path of destruction. There is far too much at stake for communities right across Ontario to let Doug Ford damage and dismantle the best of what Ontario represents," says the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL). Labour and community allies are at the forefront of the growing resistance and fightback against this government. On Thursday, February 28, the Ontario Federation of Labour and the North Bay District Labour Council are hosting a Regional Activation Meeting in North Bay. We are inviting all labour and community activists and leaders across the North Bay area. When labour and community come together we bring the power of many to the table. We are a force to be reckoned with, whether we are fighting for public services or education for all, or for decent work, said OFL President Chris Buckley. The people have the power. I hope everyone will join with us as we forge our fightback. We have fought and won before, said OFL Secretary-Treasurer Patty Coates. We are organizing to stop Fords irresponsible actions, and to take back Ontario. What: North Bay Regional Activation Meeting When: February 28, 2019 at 5:30pm - 8:30pm Where: OPSEU Region 6 Union Hall,150 First Ave W, North Bay, ON P1B 3B9 Speakers will include: Patty Coates, Secretary Treasurer, Ontario Federation of Labour The North-Bay regional activation meeting will: Lay out what is at stake for Ontario in the coming months and years. Introduce the Power of Many campaign plan, designed to mobilize and activate union members and community allies. Launch province-wide rapid response networks to coordinate local fightback efforts. Build and set plans of resistance, including escalating actions with the support of concerned citizens and community allies. The Ontario Federation of Labour represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.ofl.ca and follow @OFLabour on Facebook and Twitter . Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 20:55:44|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Bank of Tanzania (BoT) on Thursday announced that it has launched a crackdown on foreign exchange shops in the east African nation's commercial capital Dar es Salaam where it found several illegalities. A statement released by the central bank said the crackdown began on Wednesday and found most of the shops were running the foreign exchange business by breaching procedures, rules and regulations. The statement said BoT has started revoking licenses of foreign exchange shops that operated without observing rules and regulations. "This crackdown is continuous," said the statement, adding that foreign exchange services were available in all banks and banking institutions, including foreign exchange shops owned by the Tanzania Postal Corporation. In November last year, BoT launched a similar crackdown in the country's northern region of Arusha following suspicions on money laundering and associated illegal transactions. BoT Governor Florens Luoga said the closure of foreign exchange outlets in Arusha for inspections was part of a countrywide crackdown against masterminds of syndicates behind money laundering and those operating without licences. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 20:55:44|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close by Wang Zichen BARCELONA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese technology giant Huawei has garnered a series of 5G deals with global mobile operators during the MWC Barcelona, a telecommunications industry's prominent get-together which ends on Thursday. Huawei, a leading global provider of digital infrastructure, smart devices, telecommunications equipment and services to mobile operators, has won big during the MWC Barcelona (formerly Mobile World Congress) in terms of both awards and business contracts. The Chinese telecommunications company won five separate awards, including for Best Mobile Technology Breakthrough (awarded to companies with an annual global revenue exceeding 10 million U.S. dollars) for its 5G radio access network innovation. And the multiple contracts Huawei signed with global mobile operators during the MWC Barcelona held between Monday and Thursday also show the active role of Huawei in promoting the 5G development globally through cooperation. VIVA Bahrain, the leading telecommunications provider in the Kingdom of Bahrain, signed a nationwide 5G service launch Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Huawei, the Chinese company said. VIVA Bahrain will upgrade their existing infrastructure based on non-standalone 5G core and 4/5G dual mode radio unit and high capacity backhauling technologies, which will enable VIVA customers to access 5G services across Bahrain by June 2019. Also in the Middle East, Saudi Telecom Company signed an "Aspiration Project" contract with Huawei, which contains E2E wireless network modernization and 5G network construction, the Chinese company said. Etisalat, another Middle East-based mobile operator, announced in a press release that it inks a strategic partnership with Huawei to deploy end-to-end 5G network in UAE in 2019. In Asia, XL Axiata, a leading mobile telecommunications service operator in Indonesia, decides to partner with Huawei to build Southeast Asia's first 5G ready simplified transport network, said Huawei. Maxis, a leading converged communications and digital services company in Malaysia, signed with Huawei an MoU about collaborating to accelerate 5G in Malaysia. In Europe, Huawei and mobile operator Nova signed an agreement on the first project on 5G testing to be executed in Iceland. Monaco Telecom and Huawei signed a new strategic agreement on IoT (Internet of Things) to support "5G Nation" project initiated by Monaco, Huawei said. Rain, South Africa's mobile data-only network operator, announced that it has launched the first 5G commercial network in South Africa in partnership with Huawei. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 21:00:46|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close by Dana Halawi BEIRUT, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Em Ahmad, a Syrian refugee from Aleppo, is happy to be returning back from Lebanon to her house in Syria. "I have been in Lebanon for four years now and I have been waiting impatiently for this moment," Em Ahmad told Xinhua on Thursday. She said that the situation in Syria has become much better and most of her family have returned. "I wish for all Syrians to go back to their country very soon," Em Ahmad added, who came to Bourj Hammoud on Thursday to join a group of Syrian refugees to go back to Syria. Around 1,700 Syrian refugees returned to their homeland on the same day from different areas in Lebanon including Tripoli, Sidon, Nabatieh, Shabaa, Bourj Hammoud and Masnaa, according to Elnashra, an online independent newspaper. The return was coordinated by Lebanon's General Security in the presence of humanitarian organizations who offered the needed support for refugees. "I want to thank Lebanon's General Security for their great coordination and support which is facilitating the process of our return," Em Ahmad said. Mariam Al-Chazli said that she is willing to go back home after spending six years in Nabatieh, south of Lebanon. "It is enough to stay outside our country for a long period. We want to go back," she was quoted as saying by the National News Agency (NNA). As for Hosniya Hajj Ali, she told NNA that she wants to kiss Syria's soil after she returns back. "At least I can work with my family in agriculture," said Qusay, who has lands that he can harvest to generate regular income and feed his family. "I am going voluntary without any pressure at all because I miss my country and I cannot find consistent work in Lebanon," Qusay, who came from Homs province in central Syria, told Xinhua. Qusay believes that it is better to go back and live with his parents and the rest of his family.Qusay added that he is only concerned about the possibility that the government may force the returning citizens to perform the military service. Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel Karim Ali confirmed late last year that the Syrian government is offering lots of facilities for refugees' return to Syria. "The government is offering facilities to encourage refugees to return home. Even those who did not do the military service will not be forced to join," the ambassador said. More than 1 million Syrian refugees are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon. The government estimated that the true number of Syrians in the country at 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 aims at securing the return of 890,000 refugees to Syria. In last December, Lebanese General Security Chief Abbas Ibrahim said that about 110,000 Syrian refugees had returned from Lebanon in 2018, according to Local TV channel MTV. Moreover, the State Ministry for the Displaced in Lebanon has lately initiated a direct dialogue with the Syrian regime to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 21:00:48|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close LONDON, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The number of people who moved to Britain from outside the European Union last year was the highest since 2004, according to statistics published here on Thursday. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released its latest official long-term international migration statistics for the UK for the year ending September 2018. The report showed that 627,000 people moved to Britain (immigration) and 345,000 people left the country (emigration) over the year. Net migration has continued to add to the population of Britain, with an estimated 283,000 more people moving to the UK with the intention to stay for 12 months or more than leaving in the year ending September 2018. Analysis of the data suggests that net migration, immigration and emigration figures have remained broadly stable overall since the end of 2016. But ONS said there are now different patterns for EU and non-EU migration, with non-EU net migration at its highest since 2004. This follows a gradual increase in the number of non-EU immigrants over the past five years for both work and study. The figures show that migration continues to add to the population of the UK. However, EU net migration has fallen to a level last seen in 2009 due mainly to a decrease in EU immigration. ONS said more citizens from central and eastern European countries (known as EU8 countries, which joined the EU in 2004) left Britain than arrived, with the number of arrivals falling and the number of departures increasing. This recent pattern for EU8 citizens differs from that for all other EU countries, where Britain has continued to see more people arriving than leaving, the study showed. ONS said the number of immigrants to Britain who arrive for work has fallen to its lowest level since 2014 and follows a fall in the number of EU citizens arriving to work in Britain. At the same time, the overall number of people arriving in Britain to study has increased, with non-EU student immigration at its highest level since 2011. ONS statistician Jay Lindop, deputy director of the Center for International Migration, said: "Different patterns for EU and non-EU migration have emerged since mid-2016, when the EU referendum vote took place. Due to increasing numbers arriving for work and study, non-EU net migration is now at the highest level since 2004. "In contrast, EU net migration, while still adding to the population as a whole, has fallen to a level last seen in 2009. We are also now seeing more EU8 citizens -- those from central and eastern European countries, for example Poland -- leaving the UK than arriving." Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 21:18:19|Editor: ZX Video Player Close Rare disease patients Ding Yuan (L) and Pan Longfei take a body training during an acting workshop for "Rare Hug", a drama on rare diseases, at Beijing Tianqiao Performance Arts Center in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 21, 2019. "Rare Hug," a Chinese drama on rare diseases, was staged at the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center Wednesday evening to mark the 12th Rare Disease Day, which falls on Feb. 28, 2019 under the theme "Bridging Health and Social Care." The drama was played by rare disease patients in collaboration with their relatives. Assisted by two volunteer directors, the cast took part in a three-day workshop as well as rehearsals that lasted for two days, before presenting their real-life stories to the audience. Chen Meiping, one of the directors, has devoted herself to the public theatre and related arts since 2005. In late 2018, she worked with Yi'ou Wang, secretary-general of Illness Challenge Foundation, to come up with the idea of telling stories of rare disease patients with a collaborative drama. Before meeting the rare disease patients who volunteered to act in her drama, Chen was not so confident in the final result because they had only limited time for proper training. Chen was later surprised by the collaborating patients' readiness to perform and their desire to share their stories with others. "I am reassured by that desire," said Chen. "It is as if they can act themselves out immediately after they are up on the stage." The other director, Liang Wanyun, had been worried that the patients were amateurs who had not ever performed in a real drama and not sure whether they could go through the acting training in just three days. Yin Yuanyue, a 29-year-old volunteer actress in the drama who is diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, called for increased social awareness of the rare disease patient group. "What I am seeking is a sort of presence, as an actress for instance, that can act as encouragement for fellow patients who are still too afraid to reach for the outside world," she said. "It is particularly rare for a rare disease patient to rise to the stage and speak out for ourselves," said Pan Longfei, a 30-year-old volunteer actor who is diagnosed with Kallmann Syndrome. Subject to long-time isolation and misunderstanding by those around him, Pan hopes his performance could call on fellow patients to be conscious of their true selves and accept life as it is. Although rare diseases are found in a very small number of patients, most of them are incurable. Only five percent of rare diseases can be treated with medicine. About 80 percent of the 6,000 to 8,000 rare diseases known to us are gene-related, with more than 50 percent of them appearing in early childhood. According to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, rare diseases affect a population of about 400 million worldwide, which means that for every 15 people there is one rare disease patient. Whereas in China, the number of people suffering from rare diseases is estimated to top 20 million. There are more than 100 rare disease patient support groups set up in accordance with disease categories in the country. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 21:10:52|Editor: zh Video Player Close Wang Yang (C, front), chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, attends the opening meeting of the fifth session of the Standing Committee of the 13th CPPCC National Committee in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2019. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee convened a meeting Thursday to prepare for the second session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee. Wang Yang, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, attended the opening meeting. The meeting reviewed and adopted the decision to hold the second session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee, heard explanation of the drafting of the work report of the CPPCC National Committee Standing Committee and a report on how the Standing Committee has handled proposals put forward by political advisors. It also heard reports on the work of the CPPCC National Committee's special committees and reports on the political advisory body's personnel issues. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 21:20:54|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close HANOI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly cut short their closely-watched summit here on Thursday without reaching any agreement. Prior to the second gathering between the two leaders, the two sides had shown optimism over some possible negotiation outcomes, including signing a peace agreement and further denuclearization measures. The sudden end to the meeting indicates the existence of major differences remaining, including the issue of sanctions on Pyongyang. Following the premature end to the summit, Trump told the press that the DPRK's vision differs from that of the United States. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also said at the occasion that the DPRK is "unprepared" to meet U.S. demands. The U.S. president said lifting sanctions on the DPRK is the main obstacle for the two sides reaching a much anticipated agreement, and he has no plans so far for another meeting with Kim. However, no agreement does not mean no progress in Hanoi between the two countries. In fact, the summit itself demonstrated the willingness of both leaders to continue their dialogue. History shows that dialogue is best for resolving seemingly intractable disputes. The Korean Peninsula nuclear issue has existed for decades. Therefore, patience should be valued as all related parties are struggling to find a final solution to the issue and create a lasting peace in the region. Any expectations that the nuclear conundrum can be figured out overnight is asking too much. It is an arduous process that needs persistent input. Now that the DPRK and the U.S. delegations have came out of the Hanoi summit with no deal, the first thing the two sides, as well as other parties concerned, should do is not to lose faith in solving the nuclear issue through political means. Also, the two countries need to keep all possible communication channels open so that they can maintain smooth exchanges in the face of any new problems or even setbacks in their future interactions. That is fundamental to reducing their trust deficit and deepening their mutual understanding. Ultimately, the United States and the DPRK need to have the political courage to make necessary concessions in a manner that addresses their respective core concerns. That will never be easy. Yet it is the only path to peace. Source Xinhua| 2019-02-28 21:39:47|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close People visit a photo exhibition in Mazar-i-Sharif, capital of Balkh Province, Afghanistan, Feb. 27, 2019. The photo exhibition was held to support the country's national security and defense forces as February 28 marked National Day of Armed Forces across Afghanistan over the past few years. (Xinhua/Kawa Basharat) Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 21:41:00|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday that Pakistan will release a detained Indian pilot on Friday for the sake of peace and de-escalation of tensions between the two neighbors. Addressing a joint session of the two houses of the parliament, Khan said the Pakistani government has decided to hand over the pilot to Indian authorities as a goodwill gesture. "In our desire of peace, I announce that tomorrow (Friday), and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody," Pakistani prime minister's office also announced at twitter quoting Khan. The Indian pilot was arrested by Pakistani ground forces in Pakistan-administered Kashmir after his fighter jet was shot down by Pakistan in Pakistani airspace on Wednesday morning. India on Wednesday confirmed that Pakistan downed one of its fighter jets MiG-21 and the pilot had gone missing. India also summoned Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah in New Delhi and appealed for the safety and safe return of the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot at the earliest date. Tensions between the two neighbors have been running high after the Feb. 14 suicide attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir, which killed over 40 Indian paramilitary troopers. India blamed Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), a militant group which has been banned in Pakistan in 2002, for the attack and some Indian leaders had pointed fingers at Pakistan, which had denied the allegations. On Tuesday Indian air forces aircraft crossed the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed area of Kashmir and claimed to have bombed a compound allegedly in the use of JeM. In response, Pakistan said Wednesday that its air force shot down two Indian fighter jets inside Pakistani airspace and ground troops arrested a pilot of the destroyed aircraft. Khan said he had tried to talk to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday to de-escalate the prevailing situation, but could not get any positive response. "War is not a solution. Escalation is not the answer. If India escalates, then so shall we," said Khan, adding that "our efforts to de-escalate should not be considered our weakness. We are indulging our efforts to maintain peace in the region." Khan said the war cannot bring forth any plausible solution to the issues as Pakistan desires peace to work for poverty alleviation, investment, and job creation. Khan urged the Indian government not to force Pakistan for retaliation because "two nations with weapons of mass destruction should not divulge on the path of war," saying "I seek peace with India." "Pakistan acted with caution and restraint and replied to Indian aggression only to show that we are capable of safeguarding our sovereignty," said Khan. The international community has urged the two countries to exercise restraint. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 21:56:04|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the government of India on Thursday signed a 455-million-U.S.-dollar loan to finance a rural roads project in India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh. The rural roads project will connect some 3,300 habitations in the Indian state with a population of more than 250, and benefit around 2 million people, said a statement released by India's Finance Ministry. The AIIB, a multilateral development bank headquartered in Beijing, began operations in January 2016. India is the second largest shareholder in the AIIB and its largest borrower. The objective of the rural roads project in Andhra Pradesh is to improve road transport connectivity in previously unserved communities by providing all weather rural roads in all 13 districts of the state. The project plans to construct rural roads to provide first connectivity, construct cross drainage works and bridges to complete missing links and structures, provide approaches to educational institutions and health care centers, construct rural roads passing through tribal areas, and upgrade earthen and gravel roads to asphalt-based roads. This was the third major project signed by the AIIB in Andhra Pradesh, the other two being in power sector and water sector. The successful completion of the project will result in increased agricultural productivity and industrial development (agro-industries, in particular) through improved connections to markets with more favorable prices for agricultural inputs and outputs. Also, it will reduce travel time and hence giving better access to schools and hospitals for the rural population, resulting in improved healthcare and increase in literacy levels. Better access roads to habitations also will result in setting up of more schools and healthcare centers around the habitations which are considered unviable by service providers without such roads, resulting in further improvement of healthcare, literacy levels and overall quality of life, said the statement. SAN DIEGO, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- It is with profound sadness that family, colleagues, clients, and friends across California say goodbye to Andrew S. Albert, a star mediator at Judicate West, who passed away on February 12, 2019 at the age of 68. Andy was an accomplished and well-recognized former attorney turned statewide mediator based in San Diego. A Distinguished Fellow in the International Academy of Mediators and a Past President of the San Diego Bar Association, he loved to help people and worked tirelessly with his clients to guide the parties towards resolution. Frequently recognized for excellence in his practice, Andy was selected to the list of Super Lawyers for ten years and was voted Rising Star and Top Neutral several times by the Daily Journal. Said President and Co-Founder of Judicate West, Alan Brutman, Andy was a wonderful person, a brilliant mediator, a great friend, and a mentor to so many. His infectious smile, compassionate demeanor and engagingly witty personality was a gift to us all, and we are so thankful to have had him in our lives. He will be missed beyond measure. There will be a private memorial in San Diego on March 2, 2019. In lieu of flowers the family invites donations to Stand Up To Cancer in memory of Andrew Albert. ABOUT JUDICATE WEST: Judicate West is one of Californias leading providers of private dispute resolution services with a distinguished roster of proven neutrals. Established in 1993, Judicate West has offices in Orange County, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco. https://www.judicatewest.com/ Media Contact: Jess Block Nerren 909-706-8525 jess@feltenmedia.com Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 21:56:04|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un (L) shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump during the signing ceremony of a joint statement in Singapore on June 12, 2018. (Xinhua/Ministry of Communication and Information of Singapore) By Xinhua writers Tai Beiping, Xie Meihua, Tao Jun HANOI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States ended their second summit in the Vietnamese capital Thursday with no deal reached. Differences over details of denuclearization and easing of sanctions hindered Kim Jong Un, top leader of the DPRK, and U.S. President Donald Trump from reaching an agreement. However, their respective teams "look forward to meeting in the future." SUMMIT CUT SHORT ABRUPTLY The two leaders started their second day of the summit Thursday morning at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, where they had a brief one-on-one chat and a dinner for about two hours the previous night. The event, which has been widely expected to produce some sort of agreement on denuclearization and easing sanctions on the DPRK, was cut short abruptly, with the planned working lunch and a signing ceremony for a possible joint document canceled. A scheduled press conference by President Trump was subsequently brought forward by two hours to 2:00 p.m. local time (0700 GMT). Trump told the press conference he cut short his summit with the DPRK leader as the two sides could not agree on details about denuclearization and sanctions. The U.S. president said, "We had some options, and at this time we decided not to do any of the options, and we'll see where that goes." Speaking at the same press conference, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the two leaders had made "real progress" during their talks. "We are certainly closer today than we were 36 hours ago," he told reporters. After the earlier-than-scheduled ending of the summit, the White House said though the two leaders ended their meeting without any agreement, they had "very good and constructive meetings" and discussed various ways to "advance denuclearization and economic driven concepts," adding the two countries' respective teams looked forward to meeting in the future. "GAP" BETWEEN DPRK AND U.S. DEMANDS A gap remained between what the DPRK wanted and what the United States wanted, Trump said at the press conference, explaining the shrunken summit. "They wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn't do that," Trump said. "They were willing to de-nuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted, but we couldn't give up all of the sanctions for that. So we continue to work and we'll see." The Hanoi summit, which started Wednesday, came around eight months since Kim and Trump's landmark Singapore summit last June, the first between incumbent leaders of the two countries since the 1950-53 Korean War. In a joint statement from their first meeting, Trump pledged to provide security guarantees to the DPRK while Kim reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to a complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. However, little progress has been made since the first summit due to differences between the two sides on the concept, ways and steps of denuclearization. Wang Junsheng, a researcher on international studies with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told Xinhua on Thursday facts proved that the U.S. side will not make substantial concession before the DPRK takes concrete actions to denuclearize while the DPRK will not take further denuclearization steps without a reliable security guarantee. "The settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue is not only a test for their sincerity, but also their wisdom," he added. "JUST A TWIST AND TURN" With joint efforts from the relevant parties, the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue has been facing a historic opportunity recently as a strong momentum for peace has been growing in the region. Prior to the Hanoi summit, the DRPK has taken initial and unilateral steps toward denuclearization by destroying the tunnels of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site where it conducted all six of its nuclear tests, and a key missile engine facility. On Thursday, when asked by media if he's ready to denuclearize, the DPRK leader answered that if not he wouldn't be here. Throughout most part of the summit, Trump spoke positively about the prospects of talks with Kim. "I think your country has tremendous economic potential, unbelievable, unlimited," Trump said to Kim. The U.S. leader also expressed willingness to help the DPRK "make it happen." However, the summit ended in a quite unexpected way, which means more efforts and patience are needed in the future to push ahead the process of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The DPRK and United States need to meet each other half way in that process. Yang Xiyu, a researcher from the China Institute of International Studies, commented that result of the second DPRK-U.S. summit doesn't mean the termination of the denuclearization process on the Korean Peninsula, but just a twist and turn. "It would be difficult to see a warm atmosphere between the two countries in near future, but with the two countries continuing negotiations and time passing by, there might be some turnarounds, since the denuclearization is in the interest of all parties concerned, including the DPRK," he said. Regarding the second Kim-Trump summit, Lu Kang, a spokesman of China's Foreign Ministry, said the change of the Korean Peninsula situation over the past few decades has indicated that dialogues and consultations are the only way to solve the issue. China hoped the DPRK and the United States continue to show sincerity, and respect and accommodate each other's legitimate concerns, Lu said, adding that China would also play its constructive role. (Xinhua reporters Hao Yalin and Fei Liena also contributed to this report.) (Video reporters: Lin Hao, Lu Rui, Lin Ning, Wang Honghui; Video editor: Luo Hui) Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 21:56:04|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- India's economic growth rate stood at 6.6 percent during the period from October to December 2018, according to figures released by the federal Central Statistics Office on Thursday. "GDP growth rates for Q1 and Q2 of 2018-19 at Constant Prices are 8.0 percent and 7.0 percent respectively," said a statement issued by ministry of statistics and programme implementation. The growth in GDP during 2018-19 was estimated at 7.0 percent as compared to the growth rate of 7.2 percent in 2017-18, the ministry said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 22:26:14|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Thursday called on Pakistan and India to exercise utmost restraint to avoid further clashes, according to a foreign ministry's statement. "Cambodia follows with great concern the recent escalation of tension between Pakistan and India in the Kashmir region," the statement said. "As friends of both countries, Cambodia hopes that Pakistan and India exercise utmost restraint to avoid further armed clashes which would give rise to hostile sentiment among the peoples of the two countries," it said. The statement said that Cambodia strongly believed that Pakistan and India could work through negotiation to defuse the current tension and find appropriate solution to their disputes through peaceful means. The statement came a day after Pakistan said its air force had shot down two Indian fighter jets inside Pakistani airspace and captured an Indian pilot. India confirmed that Pakistan destroyed one of its MiG-21 aircraft and that the pilot was missing. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced to release the Indian pilot for the sake of peace and de-escalation of tensions between the two neighbors. "In our desire of peace, I announce that tomorrow (Friday), and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody," Pakistani prime minister's office also announced at twitter quoting Khan. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 22:31:16|Editor: yan Video Player Close TOKYO, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government said Thursday it will deploy Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) members to Egypt on a non-United Nations (UN) backed peacekeeping mission. The move, the timing of which has yet to be decided, will mark the first such deployment of SDF members by Japan since its controversial security legislation came into effect in 2016. According to Japan's top government spokesperson, two GSDF members will be deployed to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt to join the Multinational Force and Observers, a multinational peacekeeping force in Egypt that is not under the command of the United Nations. In 2016, Japan's highly controversial security laws came into effect amid a staunch political, public and international backlash. By way of bulldozing the required legislation through both chambers of Japan's bicameral parliament, the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, while ignoring calls from opposition parties for more debate on the controversial issue and against the will of the public, effectively forced the legislation into law. The new law, which legal experts and constitutional scholars have maintained thwarts Japan's pacifist charter, has loosened the restrictions on Japan's Self-Defense Forces and allows for Japan to send troops overseas. Japan's prime minister has, since entering politics, been a staunch proponent of amending Japan's pacifist constitution to further loosen the constraints on Japan's forces and allow them to increase their footprint in overseas theaters. The issue of Abe's plans to amend the charter for the first time since World War II is a hot-button topic here, with opposition parties and the public largely opposed to changing the Supreme Law which has effectively guaranteed Japan peace and security since the end of the war. The public's faith in the defense ministry here has also diminished since a number of cover-up scandals came to light, involving the concealing of controversial mission logs of the GSDF's past activities in South Sudan. According to Japan's pacifist, war-renouncing constitution and in line with rules governing Japan's GSDF's role in UN peacekeeping missions, troops must be withdrawn from conflict zones if exchanges specifically described as "fighting" occur. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 22:36:19|Editor: yan Video Player Close TASHKENT, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Uzbekistan plans to improve its credit risk rating with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) within a year to another point, the country's Deputy Prime Minister Elyor Ganiev said on Thursday. Earlier in February, the OECD improved Uzbekistan's credit risk rating, moving the Central Asian nation's position from point 6 to point 5. Countries which also have a point-5 position include Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Turkey, Serbia and Vietnam. Ganiev was speaking during the meeting of the Uzbek-British Council on trade and industry held Thursday in Tashkent. Ganiev said that while the upgrade of Uzbekistan's position by the OECD was a recognition of the systemic changes that have taken place here over the past two years, the country had every chance for a better credit risk rating. An improvement of Uzbekistan's position in the classification of the country's credit risks significantly reduces the insurance premium for attracted loans under the guarantee of export-credit agencies. Uzbekistan has placed its debut 1 billion U.S. dollars in Eurobonds this month. The OECD score is set on a seven-point scale. Countries that have a point 1 score are countries with minimal risks, while those with a point 7 rating are the countries with the greatest risks. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 22:41:24|Editor: yan Video Player Close KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- One Afghan police officer and a militant were killed and two police personnel wounded following a militant shooting attack in Kandahar, capital of Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province on Thursday, provincial government said. "Two militants fired on a police unit in Baro Darwaza area of Police District 4 in Kandahar city at evening. The police followed the attackers, killing one and arresting another in Darwaza-e-Kabul neighborhood," the government said in a statement. The wounded were shifted to nearby hospital and the arrested man was handed over to a related department for questioning, the statement added. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident yet. Security situation has been improving in the province, the former stronghold of Taliban, within recent months, as Afghan forces have conducted search and cordon operations there. But the militants still attack government interests in the province from time to time. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 22:46:24|Editor: yan Video Player Close KIGALI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda in partnership with a UK based communications company OneWeb on Wednesday successfully launched the country's first satellite into space, Rwandan Ministry of ICT and Innovation said Thursday. The satellite has been successfully sent to space, Gordon Kalema, director general of digital transformation at the ministry said while briefing reporters about the launch in Rwandan capital Kigali. The successful deployment of Rwanda's first ever satellite "Icyerekezo," which means "vision" in English, is an exciting milestone, said Kalema. The satellite will enable the Rwandan government to connect internet to more remote schools across the country, providing better education and creating new opportunities for innovators, he said. Rwanda plans to launch another satellite into the orbit before the end of this year in partnership with them Japanese government, according to the ICT ministry. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 23:21:34|Editor: yan Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's flag carrier Ethiopian Airlines (ET) forecasts further growth in its already robust share in the Chinese air market, an Ethiopian official said on Thursday. Speaking exclusively to Xinhua, Esayas Woldemariam, Managing Director of International Services at ET said the airlines already flies to five destinations in China, but is already aiming for even more Chinese destinations. ET currently operates daily passenger flights from Addis Ababa to Guangzhou and Beijing, and three-times-a-week passenger flights to Chengdu, as well as daily passenger and cargo flights to Hong Kong and Shanghai. ET was the first African airline to start flight services to China, back in 1973. "Ethiopian Airlines is planning to add the Chinese cities of Dalian, Zhengzhou and Hangzhou, helping ET cover destinations in the eastern, central and northern parts of China," Woldemariam told Xinhua. ET plans to start cargo flight services to Zhengzhou city while it plans to start passenger flight services to Dalian and Hangzhou cities. "The Chinese destinations ET currently flies to and the three other ones it's planning to travel to are known for being production and shipping centers, adding more value to Ethiopia's aviation partnership with China," said Woldemariam. "ET has also many other Chinese cities in its network radar, but it all depends on the approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), which has so far been very cooperative to us," he further said. However, Woldemariam said Ethiopian Airlines doesn't see China as only a travel destination, with ET currently discussing with Chinese air carriers on possible commercial partnerships. ET is already in discussions with Chinese air carriers to sign special priority agreements. Special priority agreements are when ET transports passengers to a certain point, with Chinese air carriers taking the ET passengers to their final Chinese destinations. Then after, ET and Chinese air carriers set up a mechanism to share the flight revenues. "ET is currently in discussions with Air China, Shenzhen Airlines and China Southern Airlines. We have invited these Chinese air carriers to operate in Ethiopia, as part of efforts to boost bilateral aviation cooperation," said Woldemariam. "ET's discussion with Chinese air carriers isn't just about flying to Chinese destinations. We also want to help Chinese air carriers have the opportunity to fly to African destinations," Woldemariam told Xinhua. Woldemariam said with ET being the first African airline to start flights to China in the 1970s, it sees its role as bringing closer together China and Africa in every aspect possible. "Ethiopia as a country is enjoying a very good relationship with China for nearly five decades. Ethiopia has also helped China extend its relationship to the rest of Africa, with aviation playing a key role," Woldemariam said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 23:26:36|Editor: yan Video Player Close ROME, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Italy's immigration policy was not expected to go through major changes in 2019, and especially in the perspective of the European elections taking place across the European Union (EU) in May, according to analysts. At the same time, researches in the sector suggested some restrictions on asylum seekers recently implemented by the government might have an impact on the Italian society overall. "During this year and the next, any development on the migration topic will be strictly connected with the balance inside the Italian government," Matteo Villa, research fellow for the Migration Program at the Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), told Xinhua. "As such, in the current political context, a softening of the immigration policy is not likely." MORE IRREGULAR MIGRANTS UNDER NEW RULES The most significant provision introduced by the current rightwing government was the so-called "security decree", advocated by Interior Minister Matteo Salvini and approved by the cabinet in October. It introduced several changes, including the cancellation of the humanitarian protection, one of the three levels of protection (the other two being refugee status and subsidiary protection) the country had so far offered to asylum seekers. It also extended up to 180 days the length of time during which authorities were allowed to detain migrants in detention centers in order to check their identity. Thirdly, the decree partially dismantled the System of Protection for Asylum Seekers and Refugees (SPRAR), a state network of reception centers in which asylum seekers were distributed across the country and assisted while waiting for their claims to be assessed. Under the new rules, the SPRAR network was now open only to asylum seekers whose requests were accepted. Analysts warned a first effect of this legislation could be a rise in the number of irregular migrants. "What happens when a government lowers the levels of protection for asylum seekers, especially if it is unable to increase returns of migrants to their countries of origin?" Villa wrote in a recent publication with ISPI. "The answer is straightforward: an increase in undocumented migrants stuck in the country, and this is precisely what is probably going to happen in Italy over the next two years." Between June 2018 and Dec. 2020, the number of irregular migrants would grow by at least 140,000 units, the ISPI analyst estimated on the base of Interior Ministry data. "Part of this increase (about 25,000 units) has already happened over the past months, but much of it is expected to take place between today and end-2020," Villa explained. "In a baseline scenario -- in which Italy retained its three levels of protections for refugees -- irregular migrants in Italy would rise by about 60,000 units (in the same period)," he added. The security decree (converted in law in December) would add further 70,000 irregular people to this baseline scenario, "more than doubling the number of new irregulars in Italy." Considering that some 530,000 irregular foreigners were estimated in the country on Jan. 1, 2018, Villa warned the total number of irregulars might reach 670,000 units by Dec. 2020. HARDLINE STANCE REMAINS AMID EU VOTE According to Nicola Pasini, political science professor at the University of Milan, the vote to renew the European parliament -- scheduled on May 23-26 in each member state of the EU -- would provide a further reason for Italy's governing forces to not change their stance on immigration. "Immigration is at the core of political agendas, and it represents the topic on which elections can be won or lost today, not just in Italy but across Europe," Pasini told Xinhua. "This is why I do not expect major changes in Italy's policy in the short period." The scholar, who coordinates a research line on Migration and the Future of Europe at the ISMU Foundation on Initiatives and Studies on Multi-ethnicity, stressed the policy on immigration was usually highly symbolic and with a strong impact on the public opinion. "In this perspective -- and even more so with the forthcoming European vote -- keeping a hardline stance is in the interest of the governing forces, and especially of the League party." The rightwing League party led by Salvini was a major ally in Italy's current coalition government, along with anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S). Recent pollsters showed the League was now the largest party in Italy, and its traditional anti-immigrant positions appeared in line with the mood of large sections of the Italian society, Pasini noted. "The majority of Italians seem to share the government's policies in this moment, including migration," the expert said. "Many feel hostile towards migrants because they have learnt to associate immigration with unacceptable changes in their life." Since the global financial crisis in 2008, in fact, a long recession has haunted Italy's economy, hitting hard on the life standards of many people, and especially of the middle class. This factor would strongly restrict any room to manoeuvre to introduce welcoming policies towards migrants and refugees in the country, "which can only be implemented if there is consensus among the public opinion," Pasini stressed. Pasini also agreed with the ISPI analyst on the short-term effects of the restrictions recently introduced on refugee protection. "The number of irregulars is likely to increase in the short period, and this will create further dissatisfaction (in the population)," he said. Analysts noted the figure of 670,000 irregular migrants estimated by end-2020 was very high, but not unprecedented. "Similar figures have been reached or exceeded in 2002, 2006, and 2008," Villa wrote in his publication. "When this happened, however, the Italian governments at the time decided to proceed with mass regularizations." Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 23:46:43|Editor: yan Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian authorities on Thursday pledged to allocate land to 13 Chinese companies that have shown interest to do business in the east African nation's Coast region. Evarist Ndikilo, the Coast regional commissioner, said preparations by the government were in final touches to allocate land to the 13 Chinese firms, adding: "They will be allocated with the land in two weeks' time." "It is the government's drive to ensure that Tanzania attains an industrial economy and creates job opportunities to its people," Ndikile told a news conference in Kibaha shortly after he had held talks with the Chinese investors. The official said the Coast region has enough land for investments, including a 5,890-hectare special zone for investments in Chalinze area. He said the Chinese investors were interested in putting up cement industries, manufacturing of wagons for the standard gauge railway, plastic materials and car batteries for export. Godfrey Mwambe, the Executive Director of the Tanzania Investment Center (TIC), said Tanzania has been receiving investors from China through the facilitation of the country's envoy to China, Mberwa Kairuki. According to TIC, trade between Tanzania and China continues to grow healthily and China is Tanzania's second-largest source of Foreign Direct Investment. About 724 Chinese companies are registered with the TIC, while more and more Tanzanians are entering into partnerships in trade and investment with their Chinese counterparts. Over the years, Chinese companies have built a number of mega projects in Tanzania, including roads and bridges, creating about 150,000 job opportunities. Some 350,000 Tanzanians are engaging in jobs relevant to trade with China, according to the Chinese embassy in Tanzania. LAFAYETTE, Ind., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wabash National Corporation (NYSE: WNC) will hold its 2019 Investor Day in New York City today with presentations given by President and Chief Executive Officer Brent Yeagy, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Taylor, and executive leadership from the Companys strategic business units. Management will present its strategy, 3-year financial targets and provide an in-depth review of its three reporting segments: Final Mile Products, Diversified Products Group and Commercial Trailer Products. We are pleased to host the investment community today and review how our company has transformed to a more diversified transportation solutions provider. With more than $1B in non-dry van revenue during 2018, Wabash National is well positioned to benefit from changes occurring throughout the transportation supply chain, said Yeagy. We are also excited to introduce the Wabash Management System to further scale best-in-class performance and deliver enhanced operational capabilities. By leveraging our sustainable competitive advantages, including continued focus on innovation, operational excellence and an industry-leading product portfolio, we are accelerating profitable growth with a focus on higher margin opportunities. The Company will outline the following financial goals targeted to be achieved by the end of 2021: Revenue of ~$2.2B Operating Margin of ~8% Earnings Per Share of $1.90 - $2.10 A webcast of the event, copies of the presentations and non-GAAP reconciliations are available at ir.wabashnational.com . About Wabash National Corporation Headquartered in Lafayette, Indiana, Wabash National Corporation (NYSE: WNC) is a diversified industrial manufacturer and a leading producer of semi-trailers, truck bodies and liquid transportation systems. Established in 1985, the Company manufactures a diverse range of products including: dry freight and refrigerated trailers, platform trailers, bulk tank trailers, dry and refrigerated truck bodies, intermodal equipment, structural composite panels and products, trailer aerodynamic solutions, and specialty food grade and pharmaceutical equipment. Its innovative products are sold under the following brand names: Wabash National, Beall, Benson, Brenner Tank, Bulk Tank International, DuraPlate, Extract Technology, Supreme, Transcraft, Walker Engineered Products, and Walker Transport. Learn more at www.wabashnational.com . Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains certain forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements convey the Companys current expectations or forecasts of future events. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, all statements regarding the Companys outlook for trailer and truck body shipments, backlog, expectations regarding demand levels for trailers, truck bodies, non-trailer equipment and our other diversified product offerings, pricing, profitability and earnings, cash flow and liquidity, opportunity to capture higher margin sales, new product innovations, our growth and diversification strategies, our expectations for improved financial performance during the course of the year and our expectations with regards to capital allocation. These and the Companys other forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements. Without limitation, these risks and uncertainties include the continued integration of Supreme into the Companys business, adverse reactions to the transaction by customers, suppliers or strategic partners, uncertain economic conditions including the possibility that customer demand may not meet our expectations, increased competition, reliance on certain customers and corporate partnerships, risks of customer pick-up delays, shortages and costs of raw materials including the impact of tariffs or other international trade developments, risks in implementing and sustaining improvements in the Companys manufacturing operations and cost containment, dependence on industry trends and timing, supplier constraints, labor costs and availability, customer acceptance of and reactions to pricing changes and costs of indebtedness. Readers should review and consider the various disclosures made by the Company in this press release and in the Companys reports to its stockholders and periodic reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q. Media Contact: Dana Stelsel Director, Corporate Communications (765) 771-5766 dana.stelsel@wabashnational.com Investor Relations: Ryan Reed Director, Investor Relations (765) 771-5805 ryan.reed@wabashnational.com Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 23:46:44|Editor: yan Video Player Close MOSCOW, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Russia will not support a draft resolution on Venezuela, which the United States intends to propose later on Thursday to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. "There is nothing new in it but the same mixture of demagogy, stereotypical indictments and ultimatums," Zakharova said at a news briefing, commenting on the U.S. draft. The Russian delegation has proposed its own draft resolution, "a far more constructive one, containing an approach based on respect for the UN Charter and the principles of international law," she said. Zakharova said the Russian draft proposes various dialogue and mediation mechanisms with broad international participation and a procedure for coordinating international assistance and other initiatives regarding Venezuela. Russia does not harbor illusions about the readiness of the United States to listen to the voice of reason and to demonstrate a constructive approach to the situation in Venezuela, Zakharova said. Moscow will continue to aim at eradicating in the international public consciousness the very idea of the possibility of solving the Venezuelan problem by force, she said. Russia will also continue to provide effective assistance to the constructive international mechanisms and initiatives aimed at reaching an internal political settlement in Venezuela, Zakharova said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 23:46:44|Editor: zh Video Player Close Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee and a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with the deputies attending a bimonthly session of the NPC Standing Committee in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 27, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator has called on the National People's Congress (NPC) deputies to earnestly perform their functions as stipulated in the Constitution and play their role as a bridge linking the Party with the people. Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee and a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remark when he was meeting with the deputies attending a bimonthly session of the NPC Standing Committee Thursday. The deputies provided their opinions and advice at the meeting. Li said their comments would be filed and summarized. "Strong support and active participation of the NPC deputies are indispensable in the work of the NPC Standing Committee," Li said, adding that they would help enhance legislative quality and efficiency. He said the NPC Standing Committee would further tighten the links with the deputies and enlarge their participation in legislation and supervision. Wang Chen, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee and a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 23:46:44|Editor: yan Video Player Close LONDON, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- George Eustice on Thursday resigned as the British farming and fisheries minister over Prime Minister Theresa May's promise to allow MPs a vote on a possible delayed Brexit if her deal is rejected. Eustice, a member of parliament from the Conservative Party, said in his letter to the prime minister that "it is with tremendous sadness that I have decided to resign from the government following the decision this week to allow the postponement of our exit from the EU (European Union)." The resignation came after the prime minister on Tuesday promised MPs a vote on delaying the UK's departure from the EU or ruling out a no-deal Brexit, if they reject her deal in "a meaningful vote" in mid-March. Eustice, a long Brexit supporter, said that he will take part in the parliamentary debate on Brexit as an independent. "Since Parliament is now in direct control of events, I want to be free to participate in the critical debate that will take place in the weeks ahead," he said. "I will vote for your Withdrawal Agreement when it returns to the House and I very much hope that the Attorney General succeeds in securing final changes so that others might too," he said, referring to the talks in Brussels between British Attorney General Geoffrey Cox and EU officials to revise the Irish backstop. Eustice also said in his letter that he believed the European Commission had not conducted the negotiations "honourably". Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 23:51:44|Editor: zh Video Player Close Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Ri Kil Song, vice foreign minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Ri Kil Song, vice foreign minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), in Beijing on Thursday. Wang welcomed Ri on his visit to work with the Chinese foreign ministry to plan activities to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-DPRK diplomatic relations. Both sides should jointly implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two countries on developing ties in a new era, and raise friendly relations to a new level with new prospects, Wang said. Ri said the DPRK is willing to work with the Chinese side for the development of bilateral ties in the new era. Wang said the international community paid close attention to the just-concluded summit between the leaders of DPRK and the United States in Hanoi, Vietnam. "Difficulties are unavoidable as DPRK-U.S. negotiations have touched deep-seated issues," Wang said, noting that seeking political solution to the Korean Peninsula issue through dialogue has been recognized as a general direction. The consensus reached by the leaders of DPRK and the U.S. in the Singapore summit, which is to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and establish a peace mechanism on the peninsula, is in line with the common aspiration of the international community, he said. "China hopes that the DPRK and U.S. sides can consolidate the faith, remain patient, continue talks, meet each other half way and make unremitting efforts for the goal," Wang said, adding that China is willing to continue to play a constructive role in the process. Photo taken on Jan. 20, 2015 shows a Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 aero engine sitting on a platform at the unveiling ceremony in Singapore's Rolls-Royce Seletar Campus, Jan. 20, 2015. (Xinhua/Then Chih Wey) LONDON, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- British engine company Rolls-Royce announced on Thursday that it has decided to withdraw from the current competition to power Boeing's planned mid-size aircraft. Rolls-Royce said in a statement that "we are unable to commit to the proposed timetable to ensure we have a sufficiently mature product which supports Boeing's ambition for the aircraft and satisfies our own internal requirements for technical maturity at entry into service." Chris Cholerton, president of civil aerospace for Rolls-Royce, said: "This is the right decision for Rolls-Royce and the best approach for Boeing. " "Delivering on our promises to customers is vital to us and we do not want to promise to support Boeing's new platform if we do not have every confidence that we can deliver to their schedule," Cholerton added. Meanwhile, according to the company's 2018 full year report issued on the same day, it made a solid progress despite the challenges of Trent 1000 in-service issues. Data showed the group's underlying revenue was nearly 15.07 billion pounds (20.04 billion U.S. dollars), up 8 percent from the previous year. Its underlying operating profit increased 253 million pounds to 616 million pounds. Warren East, Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce, said "solid progress has been made realizing our ambition to make 2018 a breakthrough year, both strategically and financially." "Underlying financial results are ahead of expectations, with good growth in profit and cash flow," East said. "Following the restructuring we announced in June last year we are starting to see the crucial behavioral changes needed to sustain our momentum," East added. (1 pound = 1.33 U.S. dollars) Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 23:56:47|Editor: yan Video Player Close KIEV, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Valeriy Chaly met with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Jim Bridenstine to discuss cooperation in the space sector, the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States said Thursday on Facebook. During the meeting, the two sides discussed a wide range of cooperation issues on space exploration for peaceful purposes. Chaly and Bridenstine agreed that there are significant prospects for strengthening bilateral cooperation in the light of the positive Ukrainian-American partnership in the space sector, including the "Antares" project. In particular, Bridenstine voiced NASA's interest in attracting Ukrainian enterprises to help implement projects on moon exploration. They agreed to start preparations for signing a cooperation agreement on the peaceful uses of outer space. The "Antares" is an American launch system which was developed by Northrop Grumman in cooperation with Ukraine's Yuzhnoe design bureau and other Ukrainian enterprises. It is able to launch payloads heavier than 5,000 kg into a low-Earth orbit. Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-28 23:56:48|Editor: yan Video Player Close By Xinhua writers Fei Liena, Chang Ailing HANOI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Things took a dramatic turn here on Thursday afternoon as the widely expected second summit between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) top leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump failed to produce an agreement after some two days of discussion. This was due to a "gap" over denuclearization and sanction relief issues between the two sides. Kim and Trump skipped their planned lunch and signing ceremony of a joint statement, and Trump's solo press conference was held two hours ahead of schedule. Explaining the reason for no agreement, Trump said, "Basically they (DPRK) want the sanctions lifted, in their entirety, and we couldn't do that. They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted, but we couldn't give up all sanctions for that. We'll continue to work on that and we'll see." Paik Hak Soon, president of the Sejong Institute of South Korea, said the sticking point is the "sequence" of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. "It appears that the U.S. requirement from North Korea (the DPRK) included a list of nuclear facilities and ballistic missiles, and North Korea wanted a 'lifting of all sanctions. The two sides failed to agree on that matter," Paik said. Yang Xiyu, a researcher from the China Institute of International Studies, said the failure showed that the two sides couldn't fix their differences on the DPRK's dismantling key nuclear facilities and U.S. reciprocal offers. Wang Sheng, a professor of international politics at Jilin University, believed the outcome of the summit is "a bit surprising." The summit shows "the difference between the two sides on the concept, method and steps of denuclearization is still there, and the disparity of actions between the two sides always exists." However, all experts acknowledged that this summit was "necessary" and laid a foundation for future negotiations and progress. Paik agreed with Trump's saying at the press conference that "real progress" had been made at the second summit, and the summit "wouldn't be the last one." "I think, even if the two sides didn't sign an agreement this time, the top leaders from the two countries sitting face to face to talk and reaffirming the existing problems are helpful to push forward the denuclearization and sanction relief in the future," he said. "From that point of view, it is an inevitable process." Wang Junsheng, an international relations expert with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believed the Hanoi summit was bound to be a "transitional deal" to connect the past and the future. "Solving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula tests not only sincerity, but also wisdom from the two sides," he said. Yang said the denuclearization process on the Korean Peninsula has experienced twists and turns in the past, but it never stopped and never will, "as it suits everyone's interests, including the DPRK's." Koh Yu Hwan, a professor who specializes in DPRK studies at South Korea's Dongguk University, suggested that both sides keep negotiating to narrow gaps, and other relevant countries, including South Korea and China, be included to help with the process. Commenting on the outcome of the summit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that the situation on the Korean Peninsula has seen a major turnaround and returned to the right track of political settlement over the last year. This result is hard won and should be cherished, he said. Lu hoped the DPRK and the United States will continue to engage in dialogue, show sincerity to each other, respect and accommodate each other's legitimate concerns, and jointly promote denuclearization and the establishment of a peace mechanism on the Korean Peninsula. "China will continue to play its constructive role," Lu said. Enditem (Lu Rei, Hao Yalin and Lu Jiafei also contributed to this report.) Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 00:01:51|Editor: zh Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese commerce official on Thursday called on the European Union to adopt an open and inclusive attitude towards foreign companies and create an open, transparent and convenient business environment for them. Gao Feng, spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce, made the remarks at a press conference when commenting on the European Parliament's recent approval of a mechanism to control foreign investment in key sectors. The EU has always been a supporter of free trade, Gao said, adding that he hoped the EU could continue to promote trade liberalization and facilitation and create a sound business environment for foreign investors. "An open environment is not only beneficial to the EU's economic growth, but also good for the world's prosperity," Gao said. Chinese companies' direct investment in the EU rose 3.3 percent year-on-year to 7.82 billion U.S. dollars in 2018. Gao said China would continue to encourage competitive and creditable companies to cooperate with and invest in the EU to achieve win-win results. Earlier this month, the European Parliament gave the green light to new measures that would allow for more intense screening of foreign takeovers in Europe's strategic sectors, such as defense, energy, media and transport. Bilateral trade between China and the EU jumped 10.6 percent year-on-year to reach 682.2 billion U.S. dollars last year. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 00:06:53|Editor: yan Video Player Close WUHAN, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- More than 992,000 voluntary organ donors have registered across China, official figures showed Thursday. The number was released at the 2019 Chinese Organ Procurement Organization Congress, held in the city of Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province. More than 300 experts and academics from home and abroad attended the conference. Zhao Hongtao, deputy secretary general of the China Organ Transplant Development Foundation, said the rapid growth of registered organ donors could be attributed to the rise in people's awareness of organ donation. Zhao, also director of a major voluntary organ donor registry system in China, said he believed that the number of registered organ donors would see a significant increase in the near future. By the end of last year, China has recorded 21,000 cases of posthumous organ donation, with over 58,000 vital organs donated, according to the National Health Commission. In 2018 alone, the country had more than 6,300 posthumous organ donation cases and nearly 18,000 vital organs were donated, an increase of 22 percent year on year. China began a voluntary organ donation trial in 2010 and promoted the practice across the country in 2013. About 300,000 patients need organ transplants each year in China. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 00:26:59|Editor: yan Video Player Close TAIPEI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Commemoration was held Thursday in Taiwan for victims of the "February 28 Uprising," with participants calling for efforts to carry on fulfilling the victims' wishes of pursuing social justice and pushing forward peaceful reunification of the motherland. Representatives of Taiwan's New Party and descendants of the victims laid flowers and paid their tribute in front of a monument in Taipei as Thursday marks the 72nd anniversary of the uprising. On Feb. 28, 1947, a Kuomintang (KMT) party enforcement team assaulted a woman near Taipei railway station as she was selling contraband cigarettes. The incident caused a bloody confrontation between Taiwan civilians and the KMT authorities, which developed into an island-wide movement against the despotic rule of the KMT. The uprising was a spontaneous mass movement of the people of Taiwan for democracy and autonomy, but some people in Taiwan interpret the uprising as a "Taiwan independence" movement, completely distorting the true story. The deceased had harbored ideas of ending the civil war and realizing national reunification, but "Taiwan independence" forces later twisted the uprising for their own gain by deviating from the truth, said Lin Min-cheng, a representative of the New Party. "Only through peaceful reunification of the motherland can the martyrs' wishes be fulfilled," said Su Heng, another representative who attended Thursday's commemoration. Shih Hsueh-chin, a representative of the descendants, encouraged young people in Taiwan to study "real history." Chang Ya-chung, president of the Sun Yat-sen School, also said that certain people in Taiwan created hatred and misled the youth by taking advantage of the incident. English French MONTREAL, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bombardier Inc. (Bombardier or the Corporation) today announced that it has launched an offering of US$1,000 million aggregate principal amount of new Senior Notes due 2027 (the Notes). The net proceeds of the offering are expected to be used to finance Bombardiers tender offer for all US$850 million aggregate principal amount outstanding of Bombardiers 7 % Senior Notes due 2020 (2020 Notes) (the Tender Offer), and the remainder for general corporate purposes, including the repayment and/or retirement of other outstanding debt. To the extent that less than US$850 million aggregate principal amount of the 2020 Notes are tendered in the Tender Offer, Bombardier intends to redeem all of its remaining outstanding 2020 Notes, using a portion of the net proceeds of the offering of Notes. Following such redemption, Bombardier intends to use the remaining net proceeds from the offering, if any, for general corporate purposes, including the repayment and/or retirement of other outstanding debt. Consummation of the offering of the Notes and the Tender Offer are subject to market and other conditions, and there can be no assurance that Bombardier will be able to successfully complete these transactions on the terms described above, or at all. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or buy or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any security and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation, sale or purchase of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offering, solicitation, sale or purchase would be unlawful. The Notes mentioned herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, any state securities laws or the laws of any other jurisdiction, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. The Notes mentioned herein may be offered and sold in the United States only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers in accordance with Rule 144A under the U.S. Securities Act and outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act. The Notes mentioned herein have not been and will not be qualified for distribution to the public under applicable Canadian securities laws and, accordingly, any offer and sale of the securities in Canada will be made on a basis which is exempt from the prospectus requirements of such securities laws. The Notes will be offered and sold in Canada on a private placement basis only to accredited investors pursuant to certain prospectus exemptions. The Tender Offer mentioned herein will be conducted in accordance with a separate Offer to Purchase relating thereto. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements based on current expectations. By their nature, forward-looking statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to important known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause our actual results in future periods to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 00:32:03|Editor: zh Video Player Close Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Philippe Etienne, diplomatic adviser to French President, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held separate meetings with diplomatic adviser to French President Philippe Etienne and former U.S. official Susan Shirk in Beijing Thursday. When meeting Etienne, Wang said that this year marked the 55th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations, and both should carefully prepare for the high-level exchanges between the two countries within the year, to lead the steady development of China-France comprehensive strategic partnership through leaders' meeting. As permanent members of the Security Council of the United Nations, China and France should keep close communication when facing a complex international situation, he said. "China and France should cooperate to meet various challenges," said Wang, adding that the two sides should "co-release a positive signal of adhering to multilateralism, opposing unilateralism, maintaining peace and stability, and improving global governance." Etienne said that France was willing to work with China to prepare for high-level exchanges between the two countries, strengthen multilateral coordination as well as maintain multilateralism. When meeting with Susan Shirk, Wang called on the United States to view China's development and the broad common interests between the two countries in an objective and rational way. He suggested China and the United States jointly advance bilateral relations with coordination, cooperation and stability as the defining features in accordance with important consensus reached by leaders of the two countries. Shirk expressed the hope that both countries could carry out cooperation in broad fields and settle differences through negotiations. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 00:32:03|Editor: yan Video Player Close KABUL, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- More than 100 militants have been killed following military operations in 11 of 34 Afghan provinces, the country's Ministry of Defense said Thursday. "Up to 103 terrorists were killed, 34 wounded and eight others arrested during four military operations, 69 special operations and 18 airstrikes conducted by Afghan Air Force since early Wednesday," the ministry said in a statement. In one incident, 34 militants, including a Taliban shadow district chief for Bakhab district named Timor Shah, were killed and 18 militants wounded after airstrike targeted militants' hideouts in northern Sari Pul province, the statement added. The air force also conducted 94 supportive flights during the period, it said. Afghan troops intensified their offensive against Taliban and other insurgent groups as the Taliban militant group has been attempting to take territory and consolidate its positions during the winter. Taliban militants have not made a comment on the report yet. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 00:57:10|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Education has issued a circular banning commercial advertisements and activities from entering campuses, according to the ministry. The circular was released after reports of commercial activities sneaking into kindergartens, primary schools or secondary schools in the provinces of Shandong, Sichuan and Hubei. Local education administrations should inspect all schools and kindergartens in the region, ensuring that all exam papers, certificates of merit, uniforms, textbooks, teaching materials, stationery and apps sent to campuses are strictly inspected, the circular said. School administrators should pay particular attention to outsiders that distribute things with commercial advertisements on campus under the disguise of holding activities. The circular called for establishing a long-term mechanism for school management, ordering that any activities intended for students must be approved by education administrations at county level or above. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 00:57:11|Editor: yan Video Player Close KUWAIT CITY, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait launched on Thursday the 17th Firemen's Day Festival, which will last for three days in Kuwait city. Khalil Al-Amir, director of Public Relations and Media Department, and chairman of the celebrations committee at the General Fire Department of Kuwait, said that the celebration of Firemen's Day coincides with the International Day of Civil Defense, which falls on March 1. Al-Amir affirmed that the festival is an appreciation of Kuwait Fire Service Directorate's efforts as well as their major role in reducing disasters and providing ways of safety and security for society. "We must remember the sacrifices they make to protect lives and property throughout the year and it is an opportunity to introduce citizens and residents to the effort of firefighters in dealing with various accidents," he said. At the festival, several activities were held such as military show, fire boat show and fire trucks display. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 01:12:14|Editor: yan Video Player Close SANAA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi rebels said that they are ready to withdraw unilaterally from the ports of the Red Sea city of Hodeidah if requested by the United Nations, a statement released by Houthi-controlled Saba news agency said late Wednesday. "We are ready to continue to implement the agreement unilaterally if the UN requested that," Saba quoted Mahdi al-Mashat, president of the Houthi-run Supreme Political Council, as saying. The remarks came when al-Mashat spoke to visiting UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths. Griffiths left the rebel-controlled capital Sanaa early on Thursday after a two-day visit to push the Houthis toward the withdrawal from Hodeidah ports in line with the Stockholm Agreement. On Tuesday, the rebels allowed a UN aid team's access to the Red Sea mills, where about 51,000 tons of grain aid stored in the besieged mills that are enough to feed 3 million needy Yemenis. The move appeared as a goodwill and confidence building for the settlement of Hodeidah stalemate. A Houthi source close to the negotiations told Xinhua on anonymity that Griffiths flew to the Saudi capital Riyadh for talks with the exiled government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Another Houthi source told Xinhua on anonymity that the withdrawal of their forces could begin next week. Government officials did not respond to a Xinhua request for comment. Griffiths has been shuttling between the Houthi rebels in Sanaa and the exiled government in Riyadh to avert an all-out deadly fighting in Hodeidah, the lifeline of the country's most commercial imports and humanitarian aid. On Monday, Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea said that their forces will not withdraw until a date is specified for the withdrawal of their foe Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces from the southern edges. The warring parties reached a peace deal in Stockholm last December. They have largely held the cease-fire deal in Hodeidah since it went into force on Dec. 18 last year. However, both warring sides have since delayed the implementation of troops' withdrawal for several times. According to the deal, the troops' mutual withdrawal should go through two timeline phases starting from the ports of Ras Isa, Saleef and Hodeidah's main port and concluding with full withdrawal from inside and around the city. The deal seeks to save more than 20 million Yemenis from sliding into major starvation. Saudi Arabia is leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to support the government of Hadi after Houthi rebels forced him into exile and seized much of the country's north, including the capital Sanaa and Hodeidah port city. The four-year civil war has killed more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, displaced 3 million others, and pushed the country to the brink of famine. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 01:17:15|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close Photo taken on Feb. 28, 2019 shows the United Nations Security Council holding a meeting on the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) at the UN headquarters in New York. The Security Council on Thursday adopted a resolution renewing for one year the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS). (Xinhua/Li Muzi) UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Thursday adopted a resolution renewing for one year the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS). Reaffirming its full commitment to the consolidation of peace and stability in Guinea-Bissau, the Security Council in Resolution 2458 decided to extend the mandate of UNIOGBIS beginning on March 1, 2019 until Feb. 28, 2020. The mandate renewal came as the council has been considering a proposal of the secretary-general to withdraw UNIOGBIS by the end of 2020. According to the resolution, UNIOGBIS will implement the transition plan for the gradual drawing down and transfer of tasks to the UN Country Team (UNCT), the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) and international partners, with a view toward prospective completion by Dec. 31, 2020. However, the resolution showed that UNIOGBIS would remain as currently configured and prioritize support for the holding of the legislative elections scheduled for March 10, 2019 and the presidential election within the legally-mandated timeframe in 2019. Guinea-Bissau has been in a political crisis since August 2015, when President Mario Vaz deposed Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereira, his main political rival. UNIOGBIS was established in 2010. Its predecessor mission was set up in 1999. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 01:32:17|Editor: yan Video Player Close RAMALLAH, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged French President Emmanuel Macron to review the Paris Protocol on economic ties signed between Israel and the Palestinians in 1994, a senior official said on Thursday. Prime Minister of the Palestinian caretaker government Rami Hamdallah said in a press statement after he met with foreign donors in Ramallah that President Abbas asked President Macron in a letter to reconsider the Paris accord. "The Palestinian request to France was made following the increase of the Israeli violations and breaches to the agreement," said Hamdlallah. France was a major sponsor to the Israeli-Palestinian economic agreement, which was signed in Paris in 1994 aiming at organizing the economic ties between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. However, the agreement wasn't fully implemented due to deep differences between Israel and the Palestinians, where peace talks between the two sides had stopped in 2014 after the United States sponsored it for nine months. Abbas addressed the letter to his French counterpart after Israel decided on Feb. 17 to cut 138 million U.S. dollars from the tax revenues that Israel collects from the Palestinian trade on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Abbas had earlier considered the Israeli decision as "the last nail in the coffin of Paris Protocol," referring to the collapse of the signed agreement between the two sides. Israel said it decided to cut only the money from the tax revenues that the PA pays to the families of the Palestinian prisoners and the Palestinians that got killed in the conflict with Israel. Meanwhile, Hamdallah called on the European Union to exert pressure on Israel to stop cutting the PA tax revenues and bring the money back into the Palestinian treasury. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 01:47:19|Editor: yan Video Player Close BERLIN, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The recent proceedings involving the illegal export of weapons by German weapons manufacturer Heckler & Koch will now be brought before Germany's Federal Court of Justice (BGH), the regional court of Stuttgart announced on Thursday. In a first instance decision, the Stuttgart court had given two former employees of Heckler & Koch suspended sentences of 22 months and 17 months, respectively, for the illegal export of weapons to regions of unrest in Mexico between 2006 and 2009. Three other defendants in the proceeding were acquitted. The two convicted former employees of the weapons manufacturer, the public prosecutor's office as well as the weapons manufacturer as a subsidiary party had appealed against the initial verdict. Based on the appeals, the German BGH will review the initial decision passed by the court in Stuttgart. As Germany's highest court of civil and criminal jurisdiction, the BGH's ruling will be final. The German weapons manufacturer employees were found to have exported almost 4,300 assault rifles and almost 1,800 ammunition magazines, worth around 4.1 million euros (4.7 million U.S. dollars) to Mexico. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 01:47:20|Editor: yan Video Player Close LONDON, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming has said that he hoped that the UK will remain open and inclusive, resist disruptions and continue to foster a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Huawei and other Chinese companies. The ambassador made the remarks here Wednesday night when delivering a speech at the Chinese for Labor Gala Chinese New Year Banquet 2019 in London's Phoenix Palace Restaurant. Liu recalled that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, as well as the 65th anniversary of the establishment of China-UK diplomatic relationship at the level of charge d'affaire. He expressed his appreciation and thanks to the Labor Party for its contribution to the development of China-UK relations. Liu said China and the UK should stay committed to exchanges and mutual learning, so as to gain more support for China-UK friendship. "We should follow the principles of mutual respect and equality, and view each other's development as opportunities, rather than challenges, still less threats," said the Chinese diplomat. "Moreover, we should enhance exchanges and cooperation between our parties, legislatures, media, youth and women. This will enhance mutual understanding, deepen friendship and cement public support for our bilateral relations." He said the two countries should also stay committed to peaceful development and work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind. He noted that in China-UK relations, putting the people first and working for the many is not only the goal but also the foundation. "In the new year, we stand ready to work with the Labour Party to make new and greater contribution to the steady development of China-UK relations and to deliver more benefits to the peoples of our two countries," said Liu. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gestures to speak during a United Nations Security Council emergency meeting on the situation in Venezuela, at the UN headquarters in New York, Jan. 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Muzi) MOSCOW, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Russia will not support a draft resolution on Venezuela, which the United States intends to propose later on Thursday to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. "There is nothing new in it but the same mixture of demagogy, stereotypical indictments and ultimatums," Zakharova said at a news briefing, commenting on the U.S. draft. The Russian delegation has proposed its own draft resolution, "a far more constructive one, containing an approach based on respect for the UN Charter and the principles of international law," she said. Zakharova said the Russian draft proposes various dialogue and mediation mechanisms with broad international participation and a procedure for coordinating international assistance and other initiatives regarding Venezuela. Russia does not harbor illusions about the readiness of the United States to listen to the voice of reason and to demonstrate a constructive approach to the situation in Venezuela, Zakharova said. Moscow will continue to aim at eradicating in the international public consciousness the very idea of the possibility of solving the Venezuelan problem by force, she said. Russia will also continue to provide effective assistance to the constructive international mechanisms and initiatives aimed at reaching an internal political settlement in Venezuela, Zakharova said. GOLDEN, Colo., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Golden Minerals Company (Golden Minerals, Golden or the Company) (NYSE American and TSX: AUMN) has today announced financial results and a business summary for the full year ending December 31, 2018. 2018 Financial Highlights Revenue for full year 2018 of (all figures in approximate USD) $7.2 million and operating margin of $4.9 million related to the lease of the Companys oxide plant at the Velardena Properties to Hecla Mining Company (Hecla), compared to $6.7 million and $4.5 million, respectively, in 2017 Loss from operations $2.0 million in 2018 compared to $3.9 million in 2017 Net loss narrowed to $1.9 million or $0.02 per share in 2018, from $3.9 million or $0.04 per share in 2017 Cash and equivalents balance of $3.3 million as of December 31, 2018, unchanged from the $3.3 million on hand as of December 31, 2017 Zero debt, unchanged from year end 2017 Received $4.0 million in exchange for selling our remaining interest in the Celaya exploration property to a subsidiary of The Electrum Group LLC Generated an additional $1.1 million cash from the sale and farm-out of non-strategic properties or subsidiaries Business Summary and Project Updates Oxide Mill Lease 2018 marked the third full year of the Companys lease to Hecla of its oxide mill located at the Velardena Properties in Durango State, Mexico. In October 2018, Hecla exercised its option to extend the lease for an additional period of up to two years, until December 31, 2020. Hecla maintains the right to terminate the lease with 120 days notice. Hecla processed approximately 142,000 tonnes of material through the plant in 2018 (compared to 131,000 tonnes in 2017), resulting in 2018 total revenue to Golden of $7.2 million. The $7.2 million is comprised of $4.9 million for direct plant charges and fixed fees, plus $2.3 million for reimbursable costs related to the services Golden provides under the lease. The $2.3 million of reimbursable costs are also reported as plant lease costs, resulting in a net operating margin of $4.9 million for the full year. El Quevar Golden Minerals advanced its El Quevar high-grade silver project (Salta province, Argentina) during 2018. In February, Golden announced results of an analysis and re-modeling of the data originally used in the Mineral Resource estimate covering the projects Yaxtche deposit. The new analysis was conducted by Amec Foster Wheeler E&C Services, Inc., a Wood Group PLC company (Wood) and used updated geologic controls and a modeling method that optimized silver grade assuming mining would occur solely underground. The resulting new Technical Report estimated the following resources at Yaxtche: Tonnes Silver Ag Grade (M) (M oz) (g/t) El Quevar Indicated Sulfide 2.6 41.1 487 Oxide 0.3 4.2 434 Total 2.9 45.3 482 Inferred Sulfide 0.3 4.1 417 Oxide 0.0 - - Total 0.3 4.1 417 Notes to accompany Mineral Resource table: 1) The independent Qualified Person who prepared the Mineral Resource estimate is Gordon Seibel, a Registered Member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, RM SME, who is a Principal Geologist with Wood. 2) The effective date of the estimate is February 26, 2018. Mineral Resources are estimated using the CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Reserves (2014). Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. 3) There are reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction under assumptions of a silver price of $16.62/oz, employment of underground, mechanized, roomandpillar mining methods, and that silver concentrates will be produced and sold to a smelter. Mining costs are assumed to be $55/t at a nominal production of rate 365,000 t/a. Concentrator and general and administrative (G&A) costs are assumed to be $30/t and $20/t respectively. Metallurgical recovery for silver is assumed to be 88.5%. 4) Reported Mineral Resources contain no allowances for hanging wall or footwall contact boundary loss and dilution. No mining recovery has been applied. 5) Rounding as required by reporting guidelines may result in apparent differences between tonnes, grade and contained metal content. Source: Amec Foster Wheeler E&C Services, Inc NI 43-101, Feb. 26, 2018. Cutoff grade 250 gpt Ag. In September 2018, the Company completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) that used this revised estimate of the Yaxtche deposit as a basis. The PEA contemplates a six-year underground mining operation using pre-existing and new underground development at a mine production rate of 1,200 tonnes per day using a post-pillar cut-and-fill mining method that will deliver 2.45 million tonnes of diluted sulfide material at an average grade of 409 g/t silver. As contemplated in the PEA, the mined material would be processed using a conventional single product flotation mill that would produce a silver-rich bulk concentrate suitable for sale. Please see the section entitled PEA and Resource Estimate Cautionary Language for further information. In late February 2019, the Company began a 3,000-meter, approximately $0.6 million drill program to further define the potential for additional mineralized material in both the Yaxtche deposit and the surrounding area. The Yaxtche deposit is open to both the west and east, and there are numerous drill intercepts with silver grades of potential economic interest in the nearby area that represent targets for further expansion. The Company intends to advance El Quevar as much as possible within the limits of its current exploration budget and remains open to finding a partner to contribute to the funding of further exploration and development. Santa Maria In September 2018, the independent firm of Tetra Tech completed a second PEA for the Santa Maria project that incorporates data accumulated since the previous March 2017 PEA, including an additional 77 hectares of mineral tenure acquired in August 2017 and information from a 22-hole, 4,800-meter drilling program conducted between August 2017 and April 2018. The September 2018 PEA shows improvement in projected cash flow, metal production and profitability compared to the previous study. Please see the section entitled PEA and Resource Estimate Cautionary Language for further information. Celaya Farm-out During 2018, Golden Minerals received $4.0 million from a wholly-owned subsidiary of Electrum Group LLC (Electrum) related to a farm-out agreement for the Companys Celaya property in Mexico. In February 2018, Golden received $1.0 million in exchange for permitting Electrum to earn, at its option, an incremental 20% interest in the project. In September 2018, Golden sold its remaining interest in the Celaya property to Electrum for $3.0 million. Yoquivo In October 2018, the Company announced high-grade silver-gold assays from its Yoquivo project located in Chihuahua state, Mexico. Multiple silver-gold bearing epithermal veins were mapped and sampled, with the two most important veins being the San Francisco and Pertenencia veins. Golden is focusing exploration efforts on the Pertenencia vein, which appears to be more silver-rich compared to the San Francisco vein. Sampling of the Pertenencia vein is still in progress as is surface work in preparation for identifying the best drill targets. The Company expects to begin a drill program in 2019 to test the most promising portions of the veins, and a drilling permit has been obtained. 2019 Exploration In 2019 Golden plans to focus exploration efforts primarily on exploration and evaluation activities at El Quevar, Yoquivo, Navegantes and other properties, primarily in North America. During 2019 the Company expects expenditures for the exploration program to total approximately $2.0 million, with approximately $0.3 million in property holding costs in Mexico and approximately $0.5 million in administrative and general reconnaissance costs in Mexico. 2018 Financial Results The Company reported revenue of $7.2 million and a higher net operating margin of $4.9 million in 2018, compared to $6.7 million and $4.5 million in 2017, respectively. Both are wholly attributable to the lease of the Companys Velardena oxide plant to Hecla. Additionally, the Company recorded $5.1 million in other operating income in 2018 compared to $2.1 million in 2017. The 2018 amount consists primarily of $4.0 million related to the aforementioned Celaya transactions, $0.7 million related to the final sale of Goldens interest in its Zacatecas properties, and $0.4 million related to the sale of two non-strategic Mexican subsidiaries. Total expenses of $9.2 million in 2018 were $1.4 million lower than the $10.6 million of total expenses recorded in 2017. These figures include other operating income of $5.1 million in 2018 and $2.1 million in 2017 as detailed above. 2018 exploration expenses were $3.9 million compared to $3.1 million in 2017, reflecting increased activities at Santa Maria and other Mexico properties. El Quevar project expense increased to $1.3 million from $0.8 million in 2017, reflecting costs of preparing the 2018 technical reports and preparing for exploration drilling. Velardena care and maintenance expenses were $1.9 million compared to $1.5 million in 2017, with the 2018 figure reflecting increased maintenance activities. Administrative expenses were $3.4 million in 2018 compared to $3.5 million in 2017 and include costs associated with being a public company. The Company reported a net loss of $1.9 million or ($.02) per share in 2018 compared to a net loss of $3.9 million or ($.04) per share in 2017. Cash and Financial Outlook The Company reported a cash and equivalents balance of $3.3 million at year end 2018, equal to the $3.3 million held at year end 2017. Cash inflows during 2018 totaled $10.8 million and included: $4.9 million of net operating margin from the oxide plant lease $4.0 million from the sale of Goldens interest in the Celaya property to Electrum $0.8 million net of commitment fees and other offering-related costs, from the LPC Program $0.7 million from the final sale of nonstrategic mineral claims to Santacruz Silver Mining LLC $0.4 million from the sale of two inactive subsidiaries in Mexico Expenditures during 2018 totaled $10.8 million and included the following: $3.9 million in exploration expenditures, including work at Santa Maria and other properties $1.9 million in care and maintenance costs at the Velardena Properties $1.3 million in evaluation activities, care and maintenance and property holding costs at El Quevar $3.4 million in general and administrative expenses $0.3 million related to an increase in working capital In addition to the $3.3 million cash balance at December 31, 2018, during 2019 Golden expects to receive approximately $4.6 million in net operating margin from the oxide plant lease. In addition, since December 31, 2018 the Company received $0.2 million from the sale of its common stock under the LPC equity program. Currently-budgeted expenditures for full year 2019 are approximately: $2.0 million on exploration activities and property holding costs related to our portfolio of exploration properties, including project assessment and evaluation costs related to Yoquivo and other properties $1.5 million at the Velardena Properties for care and maintenance $1.2 million at El Quevar to fund ongoing exploration and evaluation activities, care and maintenance and property holding costs $3.1 million on general and administrative costs The Company does not intend to allow its cash balance to drop below acceptable levels during 2019. Therefore, the Company intends to take appropriate actions, which may include sales of certain of the Companys nonstrategic exploration assets, reductions to the Companys currently budgeted level of spending, and/or raising additional equity capital through sales under the ATM or LPC equity programs or otherwise. Additional information regarding full year 2018 financial results may be found in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K which is available on the Golden Minerals website at www.goldenminerals.com . About Golden Minerals Golden Minerals is a Delaware corporation based in Golden, Colorado. The Company is primarily focused on advancing its El Quevar silver property in Argentina and on acquiring and advancing mining properties in Mexico with emphasis on areas near its Velardena processing plants. Data Verification - El Quevar The drill data supporting the Mineral Resource estimate were collected between 2006 and 2011, and there has been no drilling on the property since 2011. Qualified Persons from independent engineering consulting firm Pincock Allen and Holt (PAH) and now part RPMGlobal visited the site during the 2011 drill program. PAH observed and interviewed Golden Minerals personnel in the procedures of core handling, sampling, logging and sample security that were performed at the Golden Minerals base camp. PAH concluded that the drilling density, core recovery, and drill hole location surveying were industry standard and acceptable for use in resource estimation. PAH also reviewed sample preparation procedures, assaying methods and QA/QC protocols when all drill results were available. PAH noted that overall the sample preparation, analysis and security are industry standard and would not introduce a general bias into resource estimation. Wood independently compiled the assay data directly from the assay laboratories and compared the data to the database supplied by Golden Minerals which included all of the drill data that had previously been verified by PAH. Wood considers the database to be acceptable to support Mineral Resource estimation. Mr. Gordon Seibel visited the El Quevar Project from March 20-23, 2018. PEA and Resource Estimate Cautionary Language The resource estimate is preliminary in nature and includes Inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. The PEA is preliminary in nature. Both PEAs for El Quevar and Santa Maria include Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA based on these Mineral Resources will be realized. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Qualified Person The technical contents of this press release have been reviewed and approved by Warren M. Rehn, M.Sc., a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101. Mr. Rehn has over 33 years of mineral exploration experience and is a QP member of the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America. Mr. Rehn is President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Golden Minerals Company. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forwardlooking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and applicable Canadian securities legislation, including statements relating to plans for exploration at various properties and our openness to finding a partner to help fund exploration and development at El Quevar; plans to begin a drilling program at El Quevar and productivity projections from the El Quevar PEA; cash flow, production and profitability projections from the Santa Maria PEA; exploration efforts at Yoquivo, including exploration of the Pertenencia vein and plans to begin a drill program; and financial projections, including budgeted expenditures and the anticipated net operating margin from the Velardena oxide plant lease. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including changes in interpretations of geological, geostatistical, metallurgical, mining or processing information and interpretations of the information resulting from future exploration, analysis or mining and processing experience, new information from exploration or analysis, unexpected variations in mineral grades, types and metallurgy, fluctuations in silver metal prices, reasonability of the economic assumptions at the basis of the results of the Santa Maria PEA, lower than anticipated revenue from the oxide plant lease as a result of delays or problems at Heclas mine or the oxide plant, earlier than expected termination of the oxide plant lease, increases in costs and declines in general economic conditions, and changes in political conditions, in tax, royalty, environmental and other laws in Mexico, and financial market conditions. Golden Minerals assumes no obligation to update this information. Additional risks relating to Golden Minerals may be found in the periodic and current reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Golden Minerals, including the Companys Annual Report on Form 10K for the year ended December 31, 2018. GOLDEN MINERALS COMPANY CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Expressed in United States dollars) December 31, December 31, 2018 2017 (in thousands, except share data) Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 3,293 $ 3,250 Short-term investments 330 238 Lease receivables 481 314 Inventories, net 229 242 Value added tax receivable, net 14 148 Prepaid expenses and other assets 1,188 745 Total current assets 5,535 4,937 Property, plant and equipment, net 7,109 8,140 Total assets $ 12,644 $ 13,077 Liabilities and Equity Current liabilities Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities $ 1,702 $ 1,556 Deferred revenue, current 293 293 Other current liabilities 12 9 Total current liabilities 2,007 1,858 Asset retirement and reclamation liabilities 2,683 2,495 Deferred revenue, non-current 307 600 Other long term liabilities 10 43 Total liabilities 5,007 4,996 Commitments and contingencies Equity Common stock, $.01 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized; 95,620,796 and 91,929,709 shares issued and outstanding respectively 955 919 Additional paid in capital 517,806 516,284 Accumulated deficit (511,124 ) (509,082 ) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (40 ) Shareholders' equity 7,637 8,081 Total liabilities and equity $ 12,644 $ 13,077 GOLDEN MINERALS COMPANY CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (Expressed in United States dollars) The Year Ended December 31, 2018 2017 (in thousands except per share data) Revenue: Oxide plant lease $ 7,217 $ 6,691 Costs and expenses: Oxide plant lease costs (2,289 ) (2,189 ) Exploration expense (3,909 ) (3,091 ) El Quevar project expense (1,266 ) (822 ) Velardena shutdown and care and maintenance costs (1,889 ) (1,589 ) Administrative expense (3,355 ) (3,512 ) Stock based compensation (226 ) (296 ) Reclamation expense (210 ) (196 ) Other operating income, net 5,138 2,093 Depreciation and amortization (1,171 ) (952 ) Total costs and expenses (9,177 ) (10,554 ) Income (loss) from operations (1,960 ) (3,863 ) Other income and (expense): Interest and other (expense) income, net 112 37 Loss on foreign currency (84 ) (53 ) Total other income (loss) 28 (16 ) Income (loss) from operations before income taxes (1,932 ) (3,879 ) Income tax (13 ) (13 ) Net income (loss) $ (1,945 ) $ (3,892 ) Comprehensive income (loss), net of tax: Unrealized gain (loss) on securities (95 ) Comprehensive income (loss), net of tax: $ (1,945 ) $ (3,987 ) Net income (loss) per common share basic Loss $ (0.02 ) $ (0.04 ) Weighted average Common Stock outstanding - basic (1) 94,003,165 90,468,606 (1) Potentially dilutive shares have not been included because to do so would be anti-dilutive. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 04:27:52|Editor: yan Video Player Close STOCKHOLM, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- All association with terrorist organizations will be illegal in Sweden as of Aug. 1 this year, thanks to a bill presented in a government press conference on Thursday. When the new law comes into effect, a broader "spectrum of activities" will become illegal, explained Minister for Justice and Migration Morgan Johansson. While acts of terror are punishable with up to a life sentence, crimes related to terrorism will now be punishable with up to six years in prison. Johansson listed examples at the press conference: "To promote or support these organisations in various ways, for example to recruit new members for them, to solicit financial contributions for them, to lend premises to them and arrange meetings for them." After a terrorist attack in Stockholm 2017, the Swedish government agreed on stricter laws for terrorist organizations and those who support them. As part of that agreement, the government bill presented on Thursday will criminalize all co-operation with and participation in terrorist organizations. Johansson pointed out that the legislation is not just about Islamic terror groups, but also applies, for example, to political groups on the far right and left. "One should not forget that the largest terrorist attack in the Nordic countries during the post-war period was a Norwegian Nazi," said Johansson, referring to the 2011 attack in Utoya, Norway. The legislation does not include a national list of organisations considered to be terrorists, however. That responsibility will instead lie with the courts. "There are lists on both the UN level and the EU level of what is a terrorist organization. They will, of course, be the basis for a court to assess whether an organization should be covered by this legislation," Johansson said. Johansson confirmed that the legislation will cover not only groups that have committed terrorist acts in Sweden but also internationally. "We also have a responsibility in Sweden to be able to judge persons who support organizations that commit terror in other countries." The proposal received some criticism when it was presented, with critics pointing out that the legislation is too late and thus misses those who joined, for example, the terrorist group IS in Syria and Iraq. Johansson dismissed the criticism. "If you make such reforms then you do it step by step and no government has tightened the punishment and strengthened the legislation more than we have done," said Johansson. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 05:18:03|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close Syrian refugees take a coach bus heading to Syria in Beirut, Lebanon, Feb. 28, 2019. Around 1,700 Syrian refugees returned to their homeland on Thursday from different areas in Lebanon including Tripoli, Sidon, Nabatieh, Shabaa, Bourj Hammoud and Masnaa. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich) DAMASCUS, Feb.28 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of Syrian refugees returned from Lebanon to Syria on Thursday, state news agency SANA reported. A total of 22 buses transported the Syrian refugees into Syria and delivered them to their hometowns in the countryside of Homs Province in central Syria, as well as the countryside of the provinces of Aleppo, Hama, Deir al-Zour and Damascus. According to SANA, dozens of batches of Syrian refugees have returned to Syria from Lebanon over the past few months after their areas were cleared of rebels. More than 1 million Syrian refugees are registered with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon, while the Lebanese government estimated the true number of Syrians in the country at 1.5 million. To facilitate the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland, Russia drafted a strategy and presented it to the Lebanese authorities. The strategy aims at securing the return of 890,000 Syrian refugees to their homeland. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 05:23:04|Editor: yan Video Player Close Photo taken on Feb. 28, 2019 shows the United Nations Security Council voting on a U.S. drafted resolution on Venezuela at the UN headquarters in New York. The UN Security Council on Thursday failed to adopt a U.S.-drafted resolution on Venezuela. (Xinhua/Li Muzi) UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday failed to adopt two competing draft resolutions on Venezuela, sponsored by the United States and Russia respectively. The U.S. draft received nine votes in favor, three against, and three abstentions in the 15-member council. Russia and China vetoed the resolution. Minutes later, the Security Council voted on the Russian draft, which received four votes in favor, seven against and four abstentions. Thursday's Security Council meeting is the third on the situation in Venezuela in just over a month due to the escalation of political tension facing the Latin American country. Venezuela has been plunged into a political crisis since Jan. 23 when National Assembly President Juan Guaido declared himself interim president and was recognized by the United States and some other countries. A U.S.-backed drive to deliver "humanitarian aid" to Venezuela through border crossings on Feb. 23 met strong resistance from the Venezuelan government as President Nicolas Maduro believed the aid, mainly from the United States, is a smokescreen for a military invasion. The Venezuelan government has closed borders with Brazil and Colombia and some air and sea routes. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 05:23:04|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday held phone conversations with leaders of South Korea and Japan over the Hanoi summit during his flight en route to Washington, according to the White House. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told the press that Trump had updated South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on his meeting with Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Trump told the two leaders that his administration would "continue the conversations" with Kim and continue to coordinate closely with the allies, Sanders said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was on his trip to Manila, told reporters that Washington had not set a date for next working-level meeting with Pyongyang, adding that the two sides "need to regroup a little bit." Trump and Kim ended their second summit in Hanoi on Thursday without reaching an agreement. Trump said at a press conference that there was "a gap" in what the DPRK and the United States were pursuing. Kim demanded relief from sanctions against Pyongyang "in their entirety" in exchange for denuclearizing a "large portion" of the DPRK's nuclear program, something the United States could not agree to, according to Trump. However, DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said at a separate news conference in Hanoi early Friday local time that "what we proposed was not the removal of all sanctions, but they are partial removal," adding that the DPRK only asked those sanctions impeding the livelihood of its people to be removed first. "It is regrettable that President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un were unable to reach complete agreement," Kim Eui-keum, spokesman for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told a press briefing. The Blue House spokesman, however, noted that it seemed clear that the two leaders have made "more meaningful progress" than ever as they expanded the scope and depth of their understanding of each other's positions through the two-day summit in the Vietnamese capital. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 05:28:05|Editor: yan Video Player Close RABAT, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan King Mohammed VI and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari vowed on Thursday to strengthen partnership, the Moroccan official MAP news agency reported. The pledge was made during a telephone conversation between the two leaders following Buhari's re-election as Nigeria's president. "The conversation was an opportunity to recall the willingness to strengthen the bilateral partnership on strategic projects conducted under the impetus of the two leaders," the report said. The Moroccan-Nigerian ties have seen a strong moment since the Moroccan king's visit to Nigeria in December 2016. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 05:43:07|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The UN migration agency chief on Thursday called on host countries to ensure young migrants have access to education. International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director-General Antonio Vitorino said while migration can offer young people new opportunities, their ability to exploit them depends hugely on their host communities and host governments. Young migrants are often denied access to training opportunities, vocational as well as academic, or access to all parts of the labor market in the countries of destination, he said when addressing the International Dialogue on Migration at the UN Headquarters. "This is particularly problematic for those, who have had their education and careers disrupted by conflict and instability, and who must then recapture years of learning within limbo and catch up to their generation of peers," he added. What is worse, he said, many young migrants experienced discrimination in their schools or in their communities, which reduces their prospects for growth as well as their self-esteem. "This is a dangerous cycle that we must avoid," he stressed, urging governments to welcome "those who are in their societies regularly" and ensure that they are treated equally and with dignity and full respect for their human rights. According to the International Labor Organization, youth unemployment in North Africa is expected to exceed 30 percent in 2019 and that young people in this region are more than three times more likely to be unemployed than their adult counterparts. For them, "it is easy to reach for migration as a solution," said Vitorino, noting the risk they would take "should not be taken at the cost of lives, our livelihoods." He said that broader access to formal education can reduce vulnerability and increase critical thinking, which helps to reduce susceptibility to smugglers, who seek to persuade young people to take disproportionate and unreasonable risks. According to figure from IOM, there are currently more young people in the world than ever, 1.8 billion, the largest generation in history. Of the 258 million international migrants, around 11 percent of them were below 24 years old in 2017. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 05:58:11|Editor: yan Video Player Close MOSCOW, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a phone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he hopes the current crisis between India and Pakistan will be settled soon, the Kremlin said Thursday. "While discussing the crisis in relations between India and Pakistan, Putin expressed hope for a prompt settlement," a Kremlin statement said. According to the Kremlin, Putin once again expressed condolences to the Indian people over a terrorist attack against Indian military on Feb. 14, which killed more than 300 paramilitary security personnel and injured over 40 others. In this context, Putin and Modi condemned international terrorism and any form of its support, stressing the need to step up the uncompromising fight against the terrorist threat. Meanwhile, the two leaders discussed bilateral issues and expressed their willingness to further enhance cooperation in all areas including military-technical ties. Putin invited Modi to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum to be held in Vladivostok in September 2019 as a main guest, the Kremlin said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-01 06:03:13|Editor: yan Video Player Close ZAGREB, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Fortenova Group is the new name of Croatia's troubled retail giant Agrokor, the company's interim creditors' council announced on Thursday. The management of the company that is currently run by the state-appointed Emergency Administration will be transferred to the new management that will restart operation on April 1, when the implementation of the settlement agreement between Agrokor creditors will officially start. Fabris Perusko who was appointed as "extraordinary" manager in February 2018, will remain the CEO of the new company, Fortenova Group. Agrokor is the biggest private company in Croatia and the largest food producer and retailer in the Balkans. It was hit by a debt crisis in 2017. The Croatian government interfered with a special law that created a condition for the state to take over the management of the company. In June 2018, Agrokor creditors approved a settlement plan that restructured the ownership of the company. Russian Sberbank is now the biggest shareholder with 39 percent of the company, bondholders own 25 percent, Croatian banks 15.3 percent, Russian VTB Bank 7.5 percent, while the rest is owned by the U.S. fund Knighthead, other creditors and suppliers. Perusko said on Thursday that by the implementation of the settlement agreement, the rescue of the company that was on the brink of collapse was completed. "When we took over extraordinary management exactly one year ago, many thought that the settlement would not be reached on time. Despite everything, we made it. More than 50,000 jobs have been saved and the company's business is improved," Perusko said. TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pelangio Exploration Inc. (PX:TSX-V; OTC PINK:PGXPF) (Pelangio or the Company) is pleased to announce the appointment of J.C. St-Amour to the Board of Directors. Mr. St-Amour is a bilingual investment banker and corporate executive with over 20 years of experience in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and managing corporate relationships. J.C. is a Chartered Financial Analyst with strengths and expertise in financial and investment analysis, asset valuation, due diligence, and managing financing and M&A processes, particularly where they apply to the resource sector. During his career, J.C. has held the roles of Director, Investment Banking and member of the Executive Committee with Fraser Mackenzie Limited; Vice President, Investment Banking at Blackmont Capital Inc.; and Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Financial Officer at Rio Narcea Gold Mines Ltd. Ingrid Hibbard, Pelangios President and CEO stated, We are very pleased to welcome J.C. to Pelangios Board of Directors. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in the resource industry and will be a great asset to Pelangio as we move forward. We very much look forward to having J.C. as a member of our growing team. Ms. Hibbard continues, We also wish to thank, with gratitude, the vast contributions made by Mr. Ian Shaw, who has stood as an independent director of the Company since February 2008 and has provided immeasurable financial management advice over the years. While Ian is stepping down from the Board of Directors to pursue personal endeavours, we are extremely pleased that he will continue to provide advice to Pelangio as a member of its advisory committee. The Board of Directors has approved a total of 65,000 incentive stock options exercisable at $0.32 per share to be granted to Mr. St-Amour. In addition, the Board of Directors has approved the grant of a total of 60,000 incentive stock options also exercisable at $0.32 per share to 3 employees and consultants of Pelangio. All of the above options are exercisable for a period of five years in accordance with the terms of Pelangios Stock Option Plan and are subject to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. About Pelangio Pelangio acquires and explores large land packages in world-class gold belts in Canada and Ghana, West Africa. In Canada, the Company is focusing on the Dome West property located 800 metres from the Dome Mine in Timmins, the 25 km2 Birch Lake Property located in the Red Lake Mining District and the Dalton Property located 1.5 km from the Hollinger Mine in Timmins. In Ghana, the Company is focusing on two 100% owned camp-sized properties: the 100 km2 Manfo Property, the site of seven recent near-surface gold discoveries, and the 284 km2 Obuasi Property, located 4 km on strike and adjacent to AngloGold Ashantis prolific high-grade Obuasi Mine. Ghana is an English- speaking, common law jurisdiction that is consistently ranked amongst the most favourable mining jurisdictions in Africa. For additional information, please visit our website at www.pelangio.com, or contact: Ingrid Hibbard, President and CEO Tel: 905-336-3828 / Toll-free: 1-877-746-1632 / Email: info@pelangio.com Forward Looking Statements Certain statements herein may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements or information appear in a number of places and can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate or believes or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information include statements regarding the Companys ability to complete planned work programs, the Companys strategy of acquiring large land packages in areas of sizable gold mineralization, the Companys plans to follow-up on previous work, and the Companys exploration plans. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, we have made numerous assumptions, including assumptions about the state of the equity markets. Such forward-looking statements and information are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement or information. Such risks include the changes in equity markets, share price volatility, volatility of global and local economic climate, gold price volatility, political developments in Ghana, increases in costs, exchange rate fluctuations, speculative nature of gold exploration and other risks involved in the gold exploration industry. See the Companys annual and quarterly financial statements and managements discussion and analysis for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statement and information. There can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information referenced herein will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Also, many of the factors are beyond the control of the Company. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward- looking statements or information. We undertake no obligation to reissue or update any forward-looking statements or information except as required by law. All forward-looking statements and information herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Varianta Omicron se transmite deja comunitar in Anglia Varianta Omicron a coronavirusului se transmite comunitar in regiunile Angliei, a declarat luni ministrul britanic al Sanatatii, da a subliniat ca este prea devreme sa spuna daca acest lucru ne va scoate din drumul catre recuperare, relateaza Reuters. Aparand introducerea unor reguli mai [citeste mai departe] Poroshenko's promises to develop army sound especially galling corruption against scandal with Poroshenkos close entourage and embezzlement scheme involving the smuggling of military spare parts from Russia Ukraines President and current challenger Petro Poroshenko is believed to be among the top three in the upcoming presidential election, scheduled for March 31. Poroshenko promises to adhere to the previously chosen course for joining the EU and NATO, find diplomatic ways to return the occupied territories, and further develop the army, which sounds especially galling against corruption scandal with Poroshenkos close entourage and embezzlement scheme involving the smuggling of military spare parts from Russia (fraudulent arms contracts that eventually cost the military 8,9 million USD). Let us take a closer look at these promises and other points of Poroshenkos election program. Global goals Entry into NATO and the European Union. Petro Poroshenko declares applying to the EU in 2023. At the same time, he plans to receive an Action Plan regarding NATO membership. According to Poroshenkos program, Ukraine would join NATO and the EU as a regional leader. Quote from the program: We will enter the EU and NATO as a regional leader. Over the next 5 years, Ukraine should become: - The leader of the agricultural sector in Europe; - One of five new global leaders in the IT sector; - A regional leader in industrial development; - Transport hub of Eastern Europe; - One of the ten most visited European countries. Donbas, Crimea, and relations with Russia Petro Poroshenko promises "to continue the line on the restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine." He intends to return the occupied territories of Donbas and Crimea "politically and diplomatically," namely, to ensure the unity of the pro-Ukrainian coalition, to use the tool of sanctions and the mechanism of the UN international mission. Poroshenko promises to bring Russia to justice "for the repression and bullying of our citizens in the occupied territories and the damage caused" through international legal mechanisms. And also do everything possible for the release of Ukrainian hostages held in Russia and in the occupied territories. Quote from the program: "Peace is the complete restoration of the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine. Peace is the unquestioning recognition by Moscow of our right to follow our own way." Economy Poroshenko sees the main task as a fight against poverty. Quote from the program: "We need to focus social support on the most disadvantaged segments of the population, like the lonely old people, people with disabilities, large families." Speaking about the agricultural sector, Poroshenko plans to focus on the creation of processing enterprises, the development of infrastructure for agricultural producers, and the protection of the owners rights. The IT sector, according to Poroshenkos program, should be "turned into a creative industry with a constant increase in its contribution to the domestic economy." Poroshenko is going to rely on high-tech areas with high added value. A separate priority is the support of Ukrainian science. At the same time, the strategic plan is to turn the country into a transport and logistics hub of Europe, so it is necessary to modernize the transport infrastructure. Quote from the program: "Improving the infrastructure will be an impetus for the tourism industry, which is a powerful engine for the local development. Without exaggeration, each community has the opportunity to create a unique, attractive tourist route. The world is now discovering Ukraine, therefore, we can enter the European top ten most popular cultural and tourist destinations." Salaries, healthcare, education, culture According to the program, the basic principle is "money goes to people." Poroshenko also promises to replace the income tax of enterprises on the tax on the removal of capital. Quote from the program: "The growth of salaries will allow constantly raising pensions as well, ensuring them a decent level. We will increase the amount of assistance at birth and child care, especially for families raising three or more children." Other promises: - Salary increase for teachers and university professors; - Large-scale repair of medical institutions; - Completion of medical reform; - Expanding support for cultural projects. Read the original text at 112.ua. Russian-backed militants used Minsk-banned weaponry four times, one snipe had been spotted near Hnutove, Donetsk region February, 27, Russian-backed militants violated the ceasefire regime seven times, and four times they used Minsk-banned weaponry in Donbas conflict zone. As a result of the attack, on Ukrainian soldier was wounded. The Joint Forces Operation (JFO) HQ reported this on Facebook. The JFO stated, that the enemy fired 32 shells of 122 mm, 120 mm, and 82 mm calibers over 24 hours. Four missiles were launched at the positions of the Joint Forces operation. One sniper was spotted. In the East operational group action zone, the hostile fire was opened four times near Vodiane, Chermalyk, and Hnutove settlements. In the North group area, the enemy attacked our positions three times near Krymske and Novoluhanske villages. One Ukrainian soldier was wounded as a result of the attack by the Russian militants. The enemys casualties have been checking yet. As we reported earlier, pro-Russian militants from Luhansk region stated about the capture of a soldier of Ukraines Armed Forces. Allegedly, the militants shelled them and Ukrainian saboteurs retreated. As a result of the attack, one Ukrainian soldier became disoriented due to the concussion and was captured by the militants. Ukrainian side refuted this information. The doctors struggled to save the life of the Ukrainian military man until the end Ihor Dzhyhrynyuk from 95th Detached Air Assault Brigade died in Zhytomyr Military Hospital, as the press service of the Command of the Air Assault Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on Facebook. Today, on February 28, the heart of Junior Sergeant Ihor M. Dzhyhrynyuk, the military man of 95th Detached Air Assault Brigade, stopped beating in Zhytomyr Military Hospital. The military doctors struggled to save the life of the paratrooper until his last breath; they held necessary resuscitations; they did everything that they could, the message said. The Command of the Air Assault Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Force expressed the condolences to the family and relatives of the deceased soldier. As we reported, Russian-backed militants violated the ceasefire regime seven times, and four times they used Minsk-banned weaponry in Donbas conflict zone. One soldier was wounded in the result of the attacks. Earlier, pro-Russian militants from Luhansk region stated about the capture of a soldier of Ukraines Armed Forces. Allegedly, the militants shelled them and Ukrainian saboteurs retreated. As a result of the attack, one Ukrainian soldier became disoriented due to the concussion and was captured by the militants. Ukrainian side refutes this information, COLORADO SPRINGS, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- Gold Resource Corporation (NYSE American: GORO) (the Company) announced today that it will hold its annual meeting of shareholders at 8:00 a.m. Mountain Time on Thursday, June 20, 2019 at Embassy Suites located at 10250 East Costilla Avenue, Centennial, CO 80112. Gold Resource Corporation is a gold and silver producer, developer and explorer with operations in Oaxaca, Mexico and Nevada, U.S.A. The Company has returned $111 million to its shareholders in monthly dividends since commercial production commenced July 1, 2010 and offers its shareholders the option to convert their cash dividends into physical gold and silver and take delivery. The Company has fixed the close of business on April 15, 2019 as the record date for determining shareholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the annual meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof. Additional information, including details of the business to be conducted at the meeting, will be included in the Companys Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement, to be sent to shareholders and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. About GRC: Gold Resource Corporation is a gold and silver producer, developer and explorer with operations in Oaxaca, Mexico and Nevada, USA. The Company targets low capital expenditure projects with potential for generating high returns on capital. The Company has returned $111 million back to its shareholders since commercial production commenced July 1, 2010 and offers its shareholders the option to convert their cash dividends into physical gold and silver and take delivery. For more information, please visit GRCs website, located at www.goldresourcecorp.com and read the Companys 10-K for an understanding of the risk factors involved. Cautionary Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. When used in this press release, the words plan, target, "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the statements regarding Gold Resource Corporations strategy, future plans for production, future expenses and costs, future liquidity and capital resources, and estimates of mineralized material. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon information available to Gold Resource Corporation on the date of this press release, and the company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed in this press release. In particular, there can be no assurance that production will continue at any specific rate. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the Companys 10-K filed with the SEC. The Multilateral Instrument convention allows making the necessary changes to the existing international treaties on double taxation between Ukraine and other states Verkhovna Rada session dedicated to the Fifth anniversary of start of Russian aggression in Ukraine, Feb. 19, 2019 Twitter of Svyatoslav Tsegolko The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has ratified a multilateral convention (Multilateral Instrument or MLI) on the implementation of the events, concerning tax treaties to prevent base erosion and profit shifting. 231 MPs supported it, as Interfax-Ukraine reported. The Multilateral Instrument convention allows making the necessary changes to the existing international treaties on double taxation between Ukraine and other states. According to the explanatory note to the draft law on ratification of the convention, Ukraine plans to apply to its bilateral agreements the provisions of the voluntary provisions of the MLI, in particular, the anti-abuse rule for permanent establishments situated in third jurisdictions and artificial avoidance of permanent establishment status. Ukraine joined MLI in July 2018. By signing and ratifying this document, Ukraine simultaneously performs two of the four necessary steps of the base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) action plan: preventing the abuse of benefits provided for in bilateral treaties, and improving the mutual agreement procedure by resolving disputes. The remaining two steps are the improvement of measures to combat tax abuse and recommendations on documentation regarding transfer pricing and disclosure of information by country. At the moment of signing the convention, Ukraine was the 83rd jurisdiction that joined MLI. Ukraine had joined the enhanced cooperation program under the OECD initiative on January 1, 2017. OECD member countries have developed an action plan to combat the erosion of the tax base and profit shifting. The BEPS plan includes 15 steps in various areas of countering aggressive tax planning. Mandatory for implementation by Ukraine (the BEPS minimum plan standard) is the implementation of four of them. The revision of the conventions with each country separately, the signing of protocols and their further ratification in parliament is a complex and lengthy process. For a more rapid revision of international conventions, the 15th step of the action plan was developed MLI. As we reported European Union, European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, World Bank and Energy Community strongly support the necessity of transit from the existing green tariff, acting in Ukrainian legislation, to the competitive system based on the green auctions. His cohabitant was also sentenced to the imprisonment Dmitry Dolgopolov, the suspect in espionage Unian A military man of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation and his wife were convicted for espionage in favor of Ukraine in temporarily occupied Crimea, as UNIAN reported citing FSB Center of Public Relations. On February 28, 2019, North Caucasus Military District Court (Rostov-on-Don) recognized citizens of Russia, military man of the Black Sea Fleet Major Dolgopolov D.A. and his cohabitator Sukhonosova A.S. guilty of the commitment of the state treason in the form of the revealing of the state secret, in the form of the espionage, the message said. It is noted that Dolgopolov is sentenced to the imprisonment for 10 years at the strict regime colony and Sukhonosova is sentenced to the imprisonment for 9 years at the ordinary-regime colony. They were detained in September 2017 by the FSB in Simferopol. They pleaded guilty and sincerely repented during the court session, FSB Center of Public Relations stated. It is reported that the convicted supposedly worked for the military intelligence of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine. It is established that Sukhonosova, being recruited by a worker of the Chief Intelligence Department of Ukraines Defense Ministry Ihor I. Klymenko, involved Dolgopolov D.A. to the confidential cooperation with the Ukrainian special service for remuneration, the message said. According to the information, the mentioned people deliberately gathered and passed state secret data on the activity of the units and formations of the Russian Black Sea Fleet to the Ukrainian intelligence and the leak of the data abroad could damage the defense capacity of Russia. Secretary of State reminded of the fifth anniversary of the annexation of Crimea and underlined that Russia must return it to Ukraine The U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo reiterated the U.S. unbending support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Crimea is Ukraine Press Statement was published on the official website of the U.S. Department of State on February 27, on the day of the beginning of Russias armed aggression against Ukraine in Crimea and its eventual annexation five years ago. The world has not forgotten the cynical lies Russia employed to justify its aggression and mask its attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory. Russias use of force against a peaceful neighbor must not be tolerated by reputable states. The United States reiterates its unwavering position: Crimea is Ukraine and must be returned to Ukraines control, reads the message. At that that the U.S. reiterates their strong support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, within its internationally recognized borders, including its territorial waters. The United States reiterates its unwavering position: Crimea is Ukraine and must be returned to Ukraines control, the statement says. Pompeo expressed his concern over the current situation in the Crimea. The United States remains gravely concerned by the worsening repression by Russias occupation regime in Crimea. During the past five years, Russian occupation authorities have engaged in an array of abuses in a campaign to eliminate all opposition to its control over Crimea. As part of this campaign, Russia has arbitrarily detained and wrongfully convicted individuals for peaceful opposition to the occupation, and in some cases has forcibly transferred these individuals from occupied Crimea to Russia, the press statement reads. The U.S. traditionally urge Russia to release all Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars. The United States calls on Russia to release all of the Ukrainians, including members of the Crimean Tatar community, it has imprisoned in retaliation for their peaceful dissent. This includes Oleh Sentsov, Oleksandr Kolchenko, Volodymyr Balukh, Ruslan Zeytullayev, and approximately 70 others. We call on Russia to cease all its abuses immediately, to end its occupation of Crimea, and, in the meantime, to comply with its obligations under international law, including the law of occupation, the statement says. Electricity supplies in the direction of Hungary, Slovakia and Romania increase, electricity supplies to Poland decrease Open source Ukraine in January 2019 increased exports of electricity by 4% (by 19.7 million kWh) compared to the same period of 2018, to 511.5 million kWh, Interfax-Ukraine reports citing the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry. Electricity supplies from the "Burshtyn TPP energy island" in the direction of Hungary, Slovakia and Romania increased by 7.2% (by 21.5 million kWh), to 319.4 million kWh. Electricity supplies to Poland decreased by 22.7% (by 33.1 million kWh), to 112.9 million kWh. Electricity supplies to Moldova amounted to 79.2 million kWh, which is 65.1% (31.2 million kWh) more than in January 2018. Ukrainian electricity was not exported to Belarus and Russia in January 2017 and 2018. In addition, Ukraine in January of the current year imported 2.1 million kWh of electricity (2.1 million kWh from the Russian Federation, 100,000 kWh from Belarus) against 3.2 million kWh in January 2018. As we reported earlier, European Union, European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, World Bank and Energy Community strongly support the necessity of transit from the existing green tariff, acting in Ukrainian legislation, to the competitive system based on the green auctions. A joint letter of the representatives of these organizations states that. The letter is addressed to Oleksandr Dombrovsky, the chairman of the relevant committee, Andriy Paruby, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, and the Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman. The signatories comment on the preparation of the bill No. 8449-d on amendments to the laws of Ukraine on providing competitive circumstances for generation of electricity from alternative sources. It was noted that the "troll factory" was sent to offline The building that housed the so-called Internet Research Agency in St. Petersburg, 2018 Associated Press According to several American officials, the U.S. military blocked access to the Internet for the so-called Internet-research Agency, known as troll factory, which could have interfered in midterm elections in 2018, as The Washington Post reported. The law on budget allocations for national defence in 2019 says that four countries Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are carrying out campaign against the U.S. Government or citizens in the cyber space, the U.S. Defence Minister might take some measures to protect the country, the message says. According to the news agency, the blockage was so effective that the workers of the factory complained to their administrators about disruptions in work. According to the law, President Trump ordered the Defence Minister (Jim Mattis) to conduct operation against the Russian troll factory. Now the issue of extradition must be decided by the Supreme Court of Austria The Austrian prosecutor general has contested the decision of the Higher Regional Court of Vienna on the extradition of Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash to the United States made in February 2017, Tiroler Tageszeitung reported citing the prosecutor generals statement. According to the General Prosecutors statement on Wednesday, the Higher Regional Court of Vienna (OLG) did not sufficiently investigate whether the U.S. request for extradition was politically motivated: even with purely criminal actions, it is necessary to check whether there is a political motivation. The decision of the Higher Regional Court of February 2017 violated the law and should be reversed, the General Procurator in its statement on Wednesday. Now the OGH has to decide. The prosecutor recommends that the Supreme Court of Austria (OGH) annul the decision of the OLG and the Higher Regional Court of Vienna must re-examine the case on the extradition of Firtash. Now the issue of extradition must be decided by the Supreme Court of Austria, the report states. As reported, the chairman of the board of Group DF Dmytro Firtash was arrested in Austria on March 12, 2014, at the request of U.S. authorities, issued in 2013. During the previous U.S. administration, the Ukrainian businessman was accused of using bribes for a total of $18.5 million to get permission to extract titanium raw materials in India for the subsequent sale of finished products in the United States. After paying a record 125 million euro bail for a Russian businessman, Firtash was released. He's been in Vienna since then. In December 2017, a request from Spain for the extradition of Firtash was rejected. There, the Ukrainian is accused of money laundering and involvement in a criminal organization. A ship blocks passage under the Crimean bridge over the Kerch Strait on Nov. 25 Associated Press 67 international ships were detained for examination by Russian sailors in Kerch Strait since the beginning of 2019. Ukrainian News report that, citing Oleg Slobodyan, spokesman for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. According to Slobodyan, there were no Ukrainian ships among those detained for examination as they do very little navigation in the Kerch Strait. All the detained ships stood for Ukrainian ports. The number of the ships with Ukrainian flags in the Kerch Strait is negligible. Currently, foreign ships go through the strait with fewer disturbances, Oleg Slobodyan said. As we reported earlier, Russian Investigation Committee opened a criminal proceeding against the officer of Ukraines Security Service and Military Prosecutors Office of the Southern region for investigation started by the Ukrainian law enforcers against seven Russia servicemen due to aggression in Kerch Strait. The criminal cases were opened for involvement of knowingly innocent Russias citizens from the military staff of the Defence Ministry and Russias Security Service Border Guard establishment. The representatives of the Investigation Committee stated that the Russians did not perform any illegal actions in Kerch Strait, they were performing duties on the protection of the state border in compliance with the international norms and Russian legislation. The destroyer will leave the waters of the Black Sea on March 1 American guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) dumskaya.net American guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) has left Odesa port after its planned visit was over, as the press office of the U.S. Navy reported. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) departed Odesa, Ukraine, Feb. 27, 2019, after completing a scheduled port visit as part of our continued Black Sea presence and support to our NATO allies and regional partners, the message reads. The destroyer is supposed to leave the Black Sea on March 1 as planned. Then, it will continue its 8th cruise as part of the 6th U.S. Navy. "Donald Cook's port visit to Odesa served as the third opportunity for our ship to engage with our Black Sea allies and partners in 2019," Donald Cook Commanding Officer Cmdr. Matthew Powel said. U.S. Navy's missile destroyer Donald Cook arrived at the port of Odesa and moored at the 16th pier near the Sea Port. The destroyer was a part of the Atlantic determination mission. The missions aim was to strengthen coordination between the NATO partners and to maintain security in the region. Besides, it was monitored by the forces of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation. Related video: The Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office noted that all criminal proceeding should be closed due to the decision of the court Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office (SAP) Nazar Kholodnytsky called the decision of Ukraines Constitutional Court to recognize the article of the Criminal Code on the illicit enrichment unconstitutional the strike against the anti-corruption system as 112 Ukraine reported. It was a very serious surprise for us. I will tell openly, it is the strike against the SAPO and the whole anti-corruption reform in general. Concerning the number of the criminal proceedings, 65 are opened as for today, there are some of them with the initiated investigation. Four criminal proceedings were filed to the court in 2016-2019. Almost all of them should be definitely closed, Kholodnytsky reported. According to the SAP Head, all criminal proceeding should be closed by the detectives or prosecutors due to the decision of the court to cancel the article on the illicit enrichment and those with the served charges can be closed only by the prosecutors. The prosecutor is obliged to refuse from the supporting of the public prosecution during the next session on the proceedings. Constitutional Court of Ukraine ruled unconstitutional an article of a Criminal Code on the illicit enrichment of public officials upon the pretext that the provisions of the article violate the presumption of innocence. The Constitutional Court said that the legislative structure of Article 368-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine "permits accusations based on assumptions." In addition, it includes the provisions regulating the process of evidence, although this is related to the criminal procedure law. In addition, the Constitutional Court said that the legislative definition of "illegal enrichment" as a crime makes it possible to shift this responsibility from the prosecution to the defense. Later President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed the new draft law on the article on the illicit enrichment and later it was registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Ukraines Parliament entrusted the temporary parliamentary commission on investigation of embezzlement in Armed Forces to consider violations Ukraines Parliament entrusted the temporary parliamentary commission on investigation of embezzlement in Armed Forces to consider violations in 2018-2019 as well. Maksym Burbak, leaders of the National Front faction, and Artur Gerasymov, leader of Petro Poroshenko's Bloc faction, presented the draft regulation No. 10104. Rada TV channel broadcasted the session. MPs distributed the authority of the commission to investigate facts of violations in purchases in the defense sector in 2018-2019 in particular. According to the draft regulation, the temporary parliamentary commission has to carry out public session along with the representatives of the Prosecutor General Office, Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP), National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), and Defence Ministry, Ukroboronprom state enterprise and other officials on the investigation of misuse in the defence sector. The Verkhovna Rada in its turn has to listen to the report of the commission on their work. The members of the defence, anti-corruption committees and the committee of law enforcement sector are recommended to join the temporary parliamentary commission in this investigation. Earlier, State Fiscal Service reported $816,000 damages from corruption during supplying smuggled Russian spare parts to Ukroboronprom plants by OPTIMUMSPECPETAIL LLC. Iron, which was then used to repair military equipment from the area of hostilities, has been delivered to the enterprise. As we reported earlier, Kremlin commented on the scandal with smuggling of military equipment to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The press secretary of the president of Russian Federation Dmitry Pesov claimed this to be absurd, as such equipment is under special control. No, the whole turnover of dual-use production is under special control. This special control is conducted in order to prevent uncontrolled transporting of this production, this special equipment, - Peskov emphasized. February 25, journalist investigations Bihus.Info, Nashi Hroshi program alleged that Igor Gladkovsky, the son of close Poroshenko ally Oleh Gladkovsky, deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, organized a corruption scheme to smuggle spare military-equipment parts from Russia in 2015. State defense facilities purchased the smuggled spare parts from private companies linked to Hladkovsky and his friends at highly inflated prices. Ukroboronprom state concern, which supervises defense industry production facilities, knew the origin of the smuggled parts but agreed to purchase them. Igor Gladkovsky, along with Vitaliy Zhukov (former advisor of Ukroboronprom Director, the member of supervisory council of Meridian company till 2013, former assistant of Yuriy Tereshchenko, ex-Head of State Service of export control, Oleg Gladkovskys friend, - ed.) and Andriy Rogoza (CEO of Inter Steel Ltd., - ed.) were supplying smuggled Russian components and components from the Ukrainian military units through straw companies at prices 2-4 times higher than market ones. Ukrainian presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko has initiated impeachment proceedings against Poroshenko, as his company was involved as a straw company. Related video: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GTX Corp (OTCQB: GTXO) (GTX) , a pioneer in the field of wearable GPS people and asset tracking Location-Based Services (LBS) and Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS), today announced it has been issued two new patents by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). GTXs vast Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio underpins its business lines. Since the start of the year, the IP legal team has been busy adding these two new patents to the portfolio, filing additional claims through the ongoing continuation process and negotiating licensing agreements. The GTX patent portfolio addresses three core areas: Footwear, Communication and Backend Server. Of the two newly issued patents, one is in the Communication family and the other is in the Footwear family. These latest patents are important additions to GTXs overall portfolio, commented Larry Henneman, Esquire, GTXs lead patent attorney. The ongoing investment in IP demonstrates GTXs commitment to develop technology in the growing wearable GPS, LBS and RTLS space, as it has been for over a decade, to further protect the integrity of its business across its verticals. These patents not only apply to our flagship GPS SmartSole product line , but also will support our Smart School Safety Network (SSSN) and advance our technologies that report location data to a backend platform, hence strengthening our position within the wearable LBS industry, said Andrew Duncan , GTX Director. As a pioneer in wearable LBS, we are watching how Nike, Apple, Samsung, Garmin, Google, Microsoft, Verizon and others strive to improve technology in this space, added Patrick Bertagna, GTXs CEO. With our IP portfolio a cornerstone of our mandate, we will continue to enhance our competitive position and increase the value through innovative advancement. GTX Corp is a For-Profit with Purpose Company, which owns and licenses close to 90 patents, is a U.S. military contractor, and takes particularly pride in the fact that many of its products are manufactured in the U.S. GTX has multiple wearable LBS products in the market place, all available on its online store , Amazon and authorized resellers and distributors across the globe. About GTX Corp GTX Corp (GTXO) is a pioneer in smart, mobile and wearable GPS tracking and recovery location-based solutions, supported through a proprietary IoT enterprise monitoring platform and intellectual property portfolio. GTX offers a global end-to-end solution of hardware, software and connectivity and develops two-way GPS tracking technologies, which seamlessly integrate with consumer products and enterprise applications. GTX utilizes the latest in miniaturized, low power consumption GPS, Cellular, RF and BLE technology, enabling subscribers to track in real time the whereabouts of people or high value assets. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, GTX is known for its game-changing and award-winning patented GPS SmartSole -- think Dr. Scholls meets LoJack, the worlds first invisible wearable technology tracking device created for those at risk of wandering due to Alzheimers, dementia, autism and traumatic brain injury. GTXs business model is built around technology innovation and holds over 85 patents, with many issued patents in the area of GPS tracking. The company has international distributors servicing customers in over 35 countries and is a U.S. Military Government contractor. Other customers include public health authorities and municipalities, emergency and law enforcement, private schools, assisted living facilities, NGOs, small business enterprises, senior care homes, and consumers. www.GTXCorp.com , Track My Workforce www.GPSSmartSole.com Social media - #withyou #smartsole #connectedandprotected #trackwhatyoulove GTX Blog http://gtxcorp.com/press/ https://www.facebook.com/gtxcorpcom http://www.twitter.com/gtxcorp www.linkedin.com/in/gtxcorp http://www.pinterest.com/GTXCorp/ http://instagram.com/gtxcorp Disclaimer: GTX Corp does not warrant or represent that the unauthorized use of materials drawn from the content of this document will not infringe rights of third parties who are not owned or affiliated by GTX Corp. Further GTX Corp cannot be held responsible or liable for the unauthorized use of this documents content by third parties unknown to the company. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements. The terms and phrases expects, would, will, believes, and similar terms and phrases are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by GTX in light of its experience and its perception of current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that GTX believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Many factors could cause GTXs actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Certain risk factors that may cause actual results to differ are set forth in GTXs Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (which may be obtained on the SEC Website ). These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on GTXs forward-looking statements. GTX has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. General information, investor relations, wholesale licensing, consumer purchase: 213.489.3019 Info@GTXCorp.com IR@GTXCorp.com http://GTXCorp.com/contact-us/ According to lawyer Masi Nayyem, in 24 hours the State Investigation Bureau has to provide an excerpt from the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations Yuriy Lutsenko, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine The Verkhovna Rada Kyiv Pechersky District Court obliged the State Investigation Bureau to include the information about violations committed by Ukraines Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko in the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations, as lawyer Masi Nayyem reported. It is about Lutsenkos offence provided by the Criminal Code article on disclosing of information on the case of Kherson public activist Kateryna Handziuk. In 24 hours the State Investigation Bureau has to provide an excerpt from the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations, the lawyer specified. He also noted that the State Investigation Bureau has refused to register the criminal proceeding against Lutsenko. Then, the case was passed to the court. Kateryna Handziuk was known for her activity in fighting corruption in the local government in Kherson. On November 4, it became known that she deceased at age of 34. She was doused with sulphuric acid in July 2018. According to preliminary information, her death was caused by blood clot's detachment, multiple organ failure, and chemical burns. In February, the investigation into Handziuk's death led to a possible organizer of the murder. The suspect is Vladyslav Manger, the head of Kherson regional council. On February 11, Manger was served with charge papers in Handziuks murder. In his turn, Manger said that he would not escape from the country due to suspicion of organizing the murder of Handziuk. Andriy Ilyenko, the Chairman of the All-Ukrainian Union Svoboda 112 Agency The representatives of far-right Svoboda party demand to immediately create a Temporary investigation commission to investigate the cases of corruption in Ukroboronprom, as Chairman of the party Andriy Ilyenko said on air of 112 Ukraine. Ilyenko insists on an immediate investigation of embezzlement of the defense budget and cooperation with Russia revealed in the investigation of corruption in Ukroboronprom. He is convinced that this case has elements of state treason. We dont understand why the subjects of the investigation have not been arrested yet, why arent they questioned in the law enforcement agencies, he stated. Ilyenko is convinced that looting of the defense budget and cooperation with the Russian Federation could weaken the defense capacity of Ukraine. Earlier, State Fiscal Service reported $816,000 losses from corruption during supplying smuggled Russian spare parts to Ukroboronprom plants by OPTIMUMSPECPETAIL LLC. Iron, which was then used to repair military equipment from the area of hostilities, has been delivered to the enterprise. As we reported earlier, Kremlin commented on the scandal with smuggling of military equipment to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The press secretary of the president of Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov claimed this to be absurd, as such equipment is under special control. No, the whole turnover of dual-use production is under special control. This special control is conducted in order to prevent uncontrolled transporting of this production, this special equipment, Peskov emphasized. February 25, journalist investigations Bihus.Info, Nashi Hroshi program alleged that Igor Gladkovsky, the son of close Poroshenko ally Oleh Gladkovsky, deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, organized a corruption scheme to smuggle spare military-equipment parts from Russia in 2015. State defense facilities purchased the smuggled spare parts from private companies linked to Hladkovsky and his friends at highly inflated prices. Ukroboronprom state concern, which supervises defense industry production facilities, knew the origin of the smuggled parts but agreed to purchase them. Igor Gladkovsky, along with Vitaliy Zhukov (former advisor of Ukroboronprom Director, the member of supervisory council of Meridian company till 2013, former assistant of Yuriy Tereshchenko, ex-Head of State Service of export control, Oleg Gladkovskys friend, - ed.) and Andriy Rogoza (CEO of Inter Steel Ltd., - ed.) were supplying smuggled Russian components and components from the Ukrainian military units through straw companies at prices 2-4 times higher than market ones. Ukrainian presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko has initiated impeachment proceedings against Poroshenko, as his company was involved as a straw company. Related video: The Central Election Commission has to comply its legal acts with this law The law No. 2683-VIII, which bans the citizens of the Russian Federation from participation in the election process in Ukraine, comes into force on February 28. The law established that the citizens of the state-aggressor or initiated/proposed by the state-aggressor cannot participate in the election process in Ukraine. The proper amendment were submitted to the law on the elections of the president, MPs, and local elections. Within a long-term mission of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), two Russian observers would head to Kyiv to observe the Ukrainian presidential campaign on February 11 - Yelizaveta Borisova from the Russian Public Institute of Electoral Law and Khristina Bogdanova from the Institute of Public Electoral Diplomacy. The Verkhovna Rada registered the bill No.9524 which calls for ruling out the participation of the observers from the aggressor state in the presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine. ODIHR offered to include two citizens of Russia to the list of the mission on the observation of the Ukrainian presidential elections on 31 March 2019, despite the conditions declared by Ukraine. As we reported earlier, The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Ukraine has created 199 district election commissions for the upcoming presidential election on March 31. The election campaign has officially started on December 31, 2018. Registration of the candidates was closed on February 4, 2019, and on February 9, the final list of presidential candidates is expected to appear. The candidates would be able to withdraw their candidacy until March 7, 2019. Related video: In particular, this is about "Antares" project Ukraines Ambassador to the U.S. Valeriy Chaly met with NASA Administrator James Bridenstine and discussed deepening of the cooperation between Ukraine and the U.S. in the space sector, as Ukraines Embassy to the U.S. reported on Facebook. We have reached an agreement on preparation to the signing of intergovernmental Agreement on cooperation and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, the message says. James Bridenstine stressed interest in involvement the Ukrainian enterprises to the implementation of projects aimed at the exploration of the Moon. He also thanked for Ukraines support of space initiatives of the agency. As was reported earlier, NASA has selected 12 science and technology demonstration payloads to fly to the Moon as early as the end of this year, dependent upon the availability of commercial landers. These selections represent an early step toward the agencys long-term scientific study and human exploration of the Moon and, later, Mars. Ukraine news on 112.international Sensitization campaign was conducted among the representatives of the OSCE PA The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Giorgi Tsereteli Presidential Administration press office The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly took into account the decision of Ukraine's Verkhovna Radas not to allow Russian observers to presidential elections in Ukraine, as Giorgi Tsereteli, the President of the Assembly, said during the meeting with the Spokesperson of the Ukrainian Parliament Andriy Parubiy, the press office of Verkhovna Rada reported. We will always support Ukraine in terms of integrity and sovereignty. We understand that this is not only Ukraines challenge, but European, as well, he stated. Tsereteli added that the electoral observation mission in Ukraine is rather huge around 100 OSCE PA representatives, up to a thousand with short- and long-term observers from the Parliamentary Assembly and from OSCE. He noted that considering the decision of the Verkhovna Rada not to let Russian observers to elections in Ukraine, sensitization campaign was conducted among the representatives of the OSCE PA. According to him, such people are not included in the observatory mission. February 28, the law No. 2683-VIII, which bans the citizens of the Russian Federation from participation in the election process in Ukraine, came into force. Within a long-term mission of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), two Russian observers would come to Kyiv to observe the Ukrainian presidential campaign on February 11 - Yelizaveta Borisova from the Russian Public Institute of Electoral Law and Khristina Bogdanova from the Institute of Public Electoral Diplomacy. The Verkhovna Rada registered the bill No.9524 which calls for ruling out the participation of the observers from the aggressor state in the presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine. ODIHR offered to include two citizens of Russia to the list of the mission on the observation of the Ukrainian presidential elections on 31 March 2019, despite the conditions declared by Ukraine. As we reported earlier, The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Ukraine has created 199 district election commissions for the upcoming presidential election on March 31. The election campaign has officially started on December 31, 2018. Registration of the candidates was closed on February 4, 2019, and on February 9, the final list of presidential candidates is expected to appear. The candidates would be able to withdraw their candidacy until March 7, 2019. Related video: According to the President of Ukraine, the new document was elaborated considering the requirements of the Constitutional Court The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko at the session of Kirovograd Council of regional development in Kropyvnytsky, February 28, 2019 Twitter Petro Poroshenko The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko 112 intern signed a new bill on criminal responsibility for illicit enrichment and ordered to register the document in the Verkhovna Rada as an urgent one, as reported on his Twitter page. I have signed (the bill, - ed.) and I assign to register the presidential draft law on provided punishment for the officials for illicit enrichment with the courts requirements. I declare this document urgent, Poroshenko stated. Constitutional Court of Ukraine ruled unconstitutional an article of a Criminal Code on the illicit enrichment of public officials upon the pretext that the provisions of the article violate the presumption of innocence. The Constitutional Court said that the legislative structure of Article 368-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine "permits accusations based on assumptions." In addition, it includes the provisions regulating the process of evidence, although this is related to the criminal procedure law. In addition, the Constitutional Court said that the legislative definition of "illegal enrichment" as a crime makes it possible to shift this responsibility from the prosecution to the defense. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has recently sent the note to Israel on the defense of the rights of the citizens of Ukraine, as Ukrinform reported citing spokeswoman of the ministry Kateryna Zelenko. Zelenko reminded that on February 15, at Boryspil Airport, 35 Israeli citizens were banned from the entry to the territory of Ukraine due to the absence of enough amount of funds or non-confirmation of the purpose of the visits. In the response, Israel delayed the whole plane from Ukraine with 140 with passengers for a few hours. Foreign Ministry representative emphasized that in the future, the Ukrainian side will estimate the scale and nature of the violation of the rights of the Ukrainians abroad and preparedness of the governments of the foreign countries to fight against the cases of the violation of the legislation during the employment of the foreign citizens, in this case, Ukrainians. In the case, if the foreign government do not treat the fight against illegal employment of the Ukrainians in the proper way, if the rights of the Ukrainian tourists and travelers are systematically violated, we are going to reconsider the terms of the visits of the citizens, including the feasibility of the preservation of the visa-free regime for the citizens of countries, where the rights of our citizens are systematically violated, Zelenko noted. Earlier, we reported that the number of entry bans for Israeli citizens in Ukraine has grown up lately. Oleg Slobodyan, the assistant head of the State Border Guard of Ukraine, said this in his commentary for 112.ua news agency. Slobodyan added that since the beginning of the year, the number of such cases has already reached 96. 'It's not much because, over the same period of time, more than 500 Ukrainians were banned from entering Israel. One cannot really say there's any sort of bias against the Israeli citizens. There's no way that symmetrical response would take place,' the official stressed. He added that the border control in Ukraine was toughened because of the complicated military and political situation. "As for the citizens of Israel, it is about the growing number of people who cannot confirm the goal of their visit', Slobodyan said. February 19, Ukraine's state border guards did not let the group of tourists from Israel into Ukraine. A group of visitors and a guide consisted of more than 30 people, Ynet wrote. The outlet reported that after four hours of sorting it out, the law enforcers let most of the tourists pass. However, 17 people, including the guide were deported back to Israel. Thank's for the fish. -- Douglas Adams Come back again sometime. Thank you for visiting. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canada Rare Earth Corp. (Canada Rare Earth or the Company) (TSX.V: LL) is developing an international supply chain business based on our commodity-trading platform and existing, developing and planned processing facilities. Tracy A. Moore, Chief Executive Officer of Canada Rare Earth explained, We are achieving great strides in our international supply chain business. Our proprietary sources of supply are forming through joint ventures and partnerships while we are expanding and diversifying sources from independents and agents. With increased security of supply we are placing even greater emphasis on processing facilities and operations particularly in South America and Southeast Asia. The facilities increase our options of selling supply on an as is basis or selling value-added products for greater returns. Our customer base is solid and expanding and is encouraging us to accomplish more, faster. Peter Shearing, Chief Operating Officer of Canada Rare Earth continued, With our expanding supply base and with our ability to deliver appropriate processing systems and know-how we are presented with an increasing number of additional opportunities to purchase supply and to participate in value-add processing. Our team is focusing on an expansion track to take advantage of the momentum we have created. Highlights of our recent focused, high priority activities include: $2.5 million of revenues during the two years ended December 31, 2018; Revenues in the current quarter expected to exceed average levels by a substantial margin; Our customer base requesting much greater volumes from us; Our product supply is increasing from an expanding base of independent and agent sources; We are developing our own proprietary sources through arrangements such as the two announced in February 2019; We are securing value-add processing facilities through acquisitions, joint ventures and development; and Gross profits averaging 12.5% of revenues during the two years ended December 31, 2018 before considering finders fees, royalties and amortization. Other recent activities include: Considering complementary supply sources in Asia, Southeast Asia, North and South America, and Africa; Continuing to work on the final operating permit for the Laos refinery; and Discussing participation in a refinery currently under construction. About Canada Rare Earth Corp. Canada Rare Earth is generating revenues and gross profits as we develop our integrated supply chain business based on the rare earth industry and with increasing attention directed to valuable by-products. Our business involves sourcing, adding value and selling rare earths and other mineral products in all stages and forms utilizing proprietary, affiliated and third party sources and facilities. On behalf of the Board Tracy A. Moore, CEO and Peter Shearing, COO Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbour provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: PLEASE NOTE! Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate! All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited! (One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!) Lithuanian English Highlights: Consolidated revenue totaled EUR 329 million and was 1.3% more. Sales volume in tons reached 1 million and was 16% less as compared to previous year. The gross profit reached EUR 20.5 million and was 24.5% less than a year before. Consolidated EBITDA was 44% lower and amounted to EUR 8 million. The operating profit was EUR 2.7 million or 66% lower. Profit before taxes amounted to EUR 1.5 million and was 5 times lower. The net profit attributable to the company decreased 6 times and stood at EUR 1.1 million. Performance of the different businesses: The 23% lower grain yield in the Baltic States has been challenging for all businesses of the Group, especially those related to grain trading. The drop was observed in traditional products group - wheat, barley and rapeseed as their sales in tons plunged 29% to 572 thousand tons, white sales revenue had only a slight decrease of 1.6 % to EUR 210 million because of the high grain prices. At the same time feedstuffs sales volume in tons went up 52% and sales revenue reached EUR 83 million. Operating profit gained from grain, oilseeds and feedstuffs trading dropped 48% to EUR 3.2 million. The autumn weather in 2018 was favorable for sowing, therefore the increased winter crop area and traders readiness for the growing season have had a positive impact on the sales of fertilizers, plant protection products and micro-nutrients, which has grown 7% up to EUR 45 million. During the reporting period the market for certified seeds has shrunken 28%, the Groups sales of certified seeds in tons were 24% less than in previous year, and sales revenue decreased 6%. Sales of new agricultural machinery decreased by 2% to almost EUR 16 million. The used machinery sales revenue went up 73% up to EUR 1.7 million. Sales revenue from trading spare parts went up 11% to EUR 4.3 million. Revenue from grain complexes installation was almost EUR 5.8 million or 5% less as compared to previous year. The total revenue from products and services for farming business increased by 4% to EUR million 74, while operating profit decreased 65% to EUR 1 million. A 24% fall in crop yields and milk prices decline by 13% had a negative impact on the performance of the farming companies of the Group. Their total revenue dropped 10% to EUR 16.4 million and previous operating profit of EUR 0.5 million has turned into loss amounting to EUR 0.6 million. Overproduction in the EU is the factor that pushes down the prices of poultry meat, and the average EU poultry price fell by 4.6% over the reporting period, while the prime cost of poultry farming has risen due to higher prices for grain and other feed. Poultry farms of the Group raised 2% more chicken and sold 4.5% more poultry products than in previous year. Their revenue grew almost 16% to EUR 39 million and operating profit fell 27% to EUR 1.1 million Eur. Commented by Finance Director of AB Linas Agro Group Tomas Tumenas: The worsened financial results were mainly caused by the difficult harvest situation in the Baltic States - grain yields fell by one fourth in all three markets due to summer drought. This has affected the sales of both conventional crops and the interest of farmers in investing in grain elevators or new agricultural machinery. Nonetheless, we recorded positive results in some of businesses. The first half of the reporting period was the second best in the history of trading plant protection products - their sales grew by 16%. We have also grown our feedstuff sales have sold 52% more tons of them. In addition, despite the low trend of the average price of poultry in the EU, we managed to market poultry at a 12% higher price due to exceptional quality of products. Although farmers have postponed investments in new machinery, they have shifted to used machinery. Sales of the used machinery grew by as much as 73% and revenue from sales of spare parts also went up 11% percent. In addition, we continued our investments into business development over the reporting period, and they amounted to EUR 9.2 million (14% higher than a year before). Of this amount, more than EUR 2 million we have invested in the construction of two new grain elevators in Latvia and the improvement of the existing grain storage facilities. Another EUR 0.1 million was invested to build new liquid fertilizer storage tank in Joniskis, the completion of which is planned to by the end of this financial year. We are carrying out some internal transformations in the organizational structure as we seek optimize trading activities, reduce operating costs, improve customer service and avoid an internal competition between subsidiaries. Currently we are in the final stages of merging Linas Agro and Dotnuva Baltic sales departments and administrations in Lithuania and Latvia. We have invested almost EUR 0.4 million in the construction of a new joint office and farm service center for both companies in Latvia. We plan to open the center by the end of this financial year. We are active in making preparations for the spring trade of seed, fertilizer and plant protection products. The situation in the crop fields makes us optimistic the are in a good condition in our farming companies and partner farms as well. We therefore expect this to have a positive impact on the sales of fertilizer and agricultural machinery. ENCL.: AB Linas Agro Group Consolidated unaudited Financial Statements and Interim Activity Report for the six months period ended 31 December 2018. Finance Director Tomas Tumenas Ph. +370 45 507 393 Investor relations specialist Greta Vaitkeviciene Ph. +370 45 507 346 Attachments Annual and special meeting of shareholders scheduled for March 8, 2019; shareholders are reminded to vote on managements BLUE proxy well in advance of the voting deadline on March 6, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. (Calgary time). For assistance with voting contact Kingsdale Advisors at 1-866-581-1479 or contactus@kingsdaleadvisors.com. TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GrowMax Resources Corp. (the Company or GrowMax Resources) (TSX-V: GRO) today issued a letter to shareholders ahead of its upcoming annual and special meeting of shareholders to be held on March 8, 2019. The letter provides some background about GrowMaxs Board of Directors and their vision for GrowMax. It also addresses many of the false accusations and significant misinformation spread by BullRun, a self-interested activist. Shareholders are encouraged to review the letter below along with a detailed Fact Sheet available on GrowMaxs website and vote only their BLUE Proxy FOR the PrimaSea acquisition and FOR all of managements qualified and experienced director nominees. The deadline to vote is 10:00 a.m. (Calgary time), being 12:00 p.m. (Toronto time), March 6, 2018. If you have already voted using another proxy, you may vote again on the BLUE Proxy. The later dated BLUE Proxy will count as it supersedes any previously given proxy. Vote BLUE today at proxyvote.com or by contacting Kingsdale Advisors toll free at 1-866-581-1479 or by email at contactus@kingsdaleadvisors.com. There is a team standing by to help. The full contents of the letter are included below: February 28, 2019 Dear Fellow Shareholder, On behalf of GrowMax Resources Corp.s Board of Directors (the Board), Id like to provide you with an update about our annual and special meeting of shareholders (the Meeting). The Meeting will be held on March 8, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. (Calgary time) at the offices of McCarthy Tetrault LLP at 4000, 421 7th Avenue S.W Calgary, Alberta, Canada. As you may be aware, a new Meeting date was required as a result of legal action initiated at the Court of Queens Bench of Alberta by BullRun Capital Inc. and Kulwant Malhi (together, BullRun). In the pages that follow, we detail GrowMaxs victory in court and provide some background about our Board and our vision for GrowMax. We also address many of the false accusations and significant misinformation spread by BullRun, a self-interested activist. We understand that this has been a long process but remind you that your vote at this Meeting is very important and will decide the future direction of your company. The Courts Decision Madam Justice Ho ordered that the Meeting be held on or before March 29, 2019. As mentioned above, we have set March 8, 2019 as the date for the Meeting. As agreed between BullRun and GrowMax, the record date for the Meeting will be maintained as August 20, 2018. Justice Ho also agreed with GrowMaxs position that the proxy cut-off date should be a date which reflects a customary period closer to the meeting date, and we have set March 6, 2019 as the cut-off date. Justice Hos other determinations on BullRuns application and GrowMaxs cross-application included the following: 1. The Court upheld our Advance Notice By-Law as implemented by GrowMaxs directors, stating that the Board acted in a manner consistent with usual corporate practice in enacting the Advance Notice By-Law and also found that BullRun had complied with the Advance Notice By-Law. 2. BullRuns September 18 press release contained misstatements, omissions and misleading statements of material facts, being BullRuns statements regarding the proposed dividend and the need to meet the solvency test requirements of section 44 of the Alberta Business Corporations Act. BullRun addressed these shortcomings in its September 27 press release (i.e. after the Board appropriately postponed the meeting due to its concerns about the September 18 press release) and, accordingly, no further corrective disclosure or further proxy circular is required by BullRun. 3. The Court did not find any of the actions of GrowMax or its directors, whether considered alone or cumulatively, were oppressive, unfairly prejudicial or unfairly disregarded the interests of BullRun or any other shareholder. 4. GrowMaxs directors acted properly in requesting further information from BullRun, and in postponing the Meeting, in order to ensure that shareholders had accurate and fulsome disclosure. 5. With respect to GrowMaxs CEO, the Court did not see evidence that he failed to act in compliance with his obligations under the Alberta Business Corporations Act. 6. Although there was no finding of impropriety by GrowMaxs chairman, the Court determined that it would be in the best interests of GrowMax for an independent chair to be appointed for the Meeting in view of the history between the parties and to help ensure that the proxy battle is undertaken in a fair manner. 7. BullRuns application against the individual directors in their personal capacities was dismissed and BullRun is required to pay to the directors the court costs of their application in accordance with the Alberta Rules of Court. As we also learned when we were defending BullRuns lawsuit, Mr. Malhi and his other nominees made a concerted effort to withhold from GrowMaxs shareholders the information about their plans on how to use GrowMaxs available money because they knew that if they disclosed this information it would harm their chances to convince you to vote with them. In light of this, it is clear your vote matters now more than ever. Our Vision for GrowMax Shareholders are being asked to consider and vote upon a number of items of business, including the composition of GrowMaxs Board of Directors and our proposed acquisition of PrimaSea which, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Fertimar Mineracao e Navegacao Ltda. (Fertimar), is an established Latin American producer of lithothamnion based premium organic animal feed and plant fertilizer products. As you consider your vote, Id like to take this opportunity to provide you with some background about our Board and of our vision for GrowMax. We understand your frustration. Thats why, when I was brought on as CEO of GrowMax in late 2017, my mandate was very clear: Get our financial house in order and generate value for shareholders by developing the existing asset base and/or executing on new acquisition opportunities. Thats exactly what we have done. Here are the facts: We have: A refreshed Board with significant operational and governance experience in natural resources, renewable energy, finance, and real estate. Our Board is independent, has a clear vision and is well-positioned to evaluate accretive opportunities and to put GrowMax on a growth trajectory. with significant operational and governance experience in natural resources, renewable energy, finance, and real estate. Our Board is independent, has a clear vision and is well-positioned to evaluate accretive opportunities and to put GrowMax on a growth trajectory. A new management team with a depth of experience building and growing resource companies and an extensive track record in finance, accounting and M&A. with a depth of experience building and growing resource companies and an extensive track record in finance, accounting and M&A. A strong balance sheet with cash reserves of more than $25 million combined with an acquisition that will bring cash flow and growth in a rapidly growing market. with cash reserves of more than $25 million combined with an acquisition that will bring cash flow and growth in a rapidly growing market. Cut spending and executive compensation. Overall annual executive salaries and director fees have been reduced by approximately 66% since 2015. Overall annual executive salaries and director fees have been reduced by approximately 66% since 2015. An opportunity to grow. The opportunity to grow in a downturn and be well-positioned when investor interest in agricultural markets returns. (Buy low contrarian investing). The PrimaSea/Fertimar Acquisition Since 2017, management and the Board have actively sought out growth opportunities, canvassing ideas from investment banks, investors and professional networks. Our strategy and goals were never hidden, and the results are continually made public. It is important that you understand the facts of the PrimaSea transaction rather than believing the baseless rumours and accusations that have been disseminated by BullRun and anonymous parties in online communities. Why do we want to acquire PrimaSea? Simple it is a multi-generational asset; enjoys revenue streams in two growing premium market segments: plant nutrients and animal feed; has a skilled management team; is on the cusp of generating profits and expanding production while protecting a significant amount of GrowMaxs cash reserve. With our investment in PrimaSea, our future is bright; with increased cash flow, a stronger balance sheet, an enhanced Board and the flexibility to look at more opportunities, even in other sectors, if it makes financial sense. Additionally, once steady growth and cash flow have been established, then real value can be delivered to shareholders on multiple levels through share price increases, sustainable dividends and new opportunities. This is a truly transformational transaction to build value for shareholders. I encourage you to visit our website, and review our Fact Sheet on our website, for more information about the PrimaSea acquisition, including detailed Q&A documents dispelling the misinformation circulated by BullRun. Vote Today The PrimaSea deal is not about me or the Board, it is about you and your investment. What I ask of you today is to look closely at facts versus baseless accusations and rumours; evaluate concrete opportunities versus BullRuns lack of plan and hidden agenda; and objectively compare our experienced and independent Board versus BullRuns director nominees, their lack of governance experience and interlocking relationships. This decision is critical for GrowMax and therefore to you and your investment. BullRun has issued a release in which it falsely claims that the purpose of delaying the Meeting was because we were losing the vote. This is demonstrably in conflict with the Courts findings. This, unfortunately, is consistent with BullRuns pattern of throwing out spurious allegations and accusations to mislead shareholders. If you have already voted on your BLUE proxy no action is needed, unless you want to change your vote. Shareholders who have not yet voted or voted on the dissidents yellow proxy are encouraged to do so on managements BLUE proxy. The later dated BLUE Proxy will count as it supersedes any previously submitted proxy. The new deadline to submit proxies is March 6, 2019 at 10 a.m. Calgary time (being 12:00 p.m. Toronto time). If you need help voting contact Kingsdale Advisors at 1-866-581-1479 or contactus@kingsdaleadvisors.com. There is a team standing by to help. If you have any questions about your Board, our management, or the PrimaSea transaction, please contact me directly at 1-647-299-0046. Kind Regards, Stephen Keith President and CEO GrowMax Resources Corp For more information, please contact: Stephen Keith, P. Eng. President and CEO Tel.: +1 (647) 299 0046 Email: info@growmaxcorp.com www.growmaxcorp.com Media Contact: Ian Robertson Executive Vice President, Communication Strategy Kingsdale Advisors Direct: +1 (416) 867-2333 Cell: +1 (647) 621-2646 Email: irobertson@kingsdaleadvisors.com Forward Looking Information Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information as such term is used in applicable Canadian and US securities laws. Any information or statements contained herein that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events should be viewed as forward-looking information. Such information relate to analyses and other information that are based upon forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Such forward-looking information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of GrowMax to be materially different than those results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forwardlooking information is based on managements beliefs, expectations, estimates and opinions on the date statements are made and GrowMax undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information and whether the beliefs, expectations, estimates and opinions upon which such forward-looking information is based has changed, except as required by applicable law. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE RELEASE. Italian English RECORDATI: BOARD APPROVES THE 2018 ACCOUNTS. SALES 1,352.2 MILLION (+5.0%), EBITDA 499.1 MILLION (+9.8%), OPERATING INCOME 442.2 MILLION (+8.8%) AND NET INCOME 312.4 MILLION (+8.2%). 2018 DIVIDEND 0.92 (+8.2%). Consolidated revenues 1,352.2 million, +5.0%. EBITDA (1) 499.1 million, +9.8% 499.1 million, +9.8% Operating income 442.2 million, +8.8%. Net income 312.4 million, +8.2%. Net financial position (2) : net debt of 588.4 million. : net debt of 588.4 million. Dividend for 2018 0.92 per share, of which 0.45 already paid. Annual Meeting of Shareholders convened for 11 April 2019, the sole convocation date. Milan, 28 February 2019 Recordatis Board of Directors approved the consolidated financial statements for the year 2018 as well as Recordati S.p.A.s accounts and the 2018 corporate governance and ownership report as required by art. 123bis of the Consolidated Law on Financial Intermediation. The financial statements at, and for the year ended, 31 December 2018 and the aforesaid report as well as the reports issued by the independent and by the statutory Auditors will be made available, within the terms of the law, at the companys head office and published on the companys website www.recordati.com and can also be viewed on the authorized storage system 1Info (www.1Info.it). The Board of Directors also approved the consolidated non financial information disclosure, pursuant to Legislative Decree n. 254, dated 31 December 2018 which will be made available in the same manner. Financial highlights Consolidated revenues in 2018 are 1,352.2 million, up by 5.0% compared to the preceding year. International sales grow by 4.8%. in 2018 are 1,352.2 million, up by 5.0% compared to the preceding year. International sales grow by 4.8%. EBITDA (1) , at 36.9% of sales, is 499.1 million, an increase of 9.8% over 2017. , at 36.9% of sales, is 499.1 million, an increase of 9.8% over 2017. Operating income , at 32.7% of sales, is 442.2 million, an increase of 8.8% over the preceding year. , at 32.7% of sales, is 442.2 million, an increase of 8.8% over the preceding year. Net income, at 23.1% of sales, is 312.4 million, an increase of 8.2% over 2017. at 23.1% of sales, is 312.4 million, an increase of 8.2% over 2017. Net financial position (2) at 31 December 2018 records a net debt of 588.4 million compared to net debt of 381.8 million at 31 December 2017. During the period own shares were purchased for an overall disbursement of 169.8 million, dividends were distributed for an amount of 178.9 million. Furthermore, the Italian company Natural Point S.r.l. and the French company Tonipharm S.A.S. were acquired for a total value of around 148 million. Shareholders equity is 963.6 million. (1) Operating income before depreciation, amortization and write down of both tangible and intangible assets. (2) Cash and short-term financial investments less bank overdrafts and medium/long-term loans which include the measurement at fair value of hedging derivatives. Business development news During 2018 an important transition in the majority ownership of our Group took place. An agreement was reached with a consortium of investment funds controlled by CVC Capital Partners, a highly respected investor group, for the indirect acquisition of 51,791% of the share capital of Recordati S.p.A.. This change in ownership ensures the continuity for management and employees and a commitment to keep building and developing the company going forward along the strategic lines that have been the drivers of the groups success over many years. In addition, our new majority shareholders will contribute with their expertise and global healthcare network to expand both our rare disease and core business by accelerating our growth strategy. In 2018 a number of initiatives were pursued in line with the groups strategy of continued growth and development. In April an agreement with Mylan for the acquisition of the rights to Cystagon (cysteamine bitartrate), indicated for the treatment of proven nephropathic cystinosis in children and adults, for certain territories, including Europe, was concluded. The product was previously commercialized by Orphan Europe (a Recordati group company) under license from Mylan. The definitive acquisition of the rights allows the Group to continue offering this life-saving treatment to patients. In June Recordati acquired 100% of the share capital of Natural Point S.r.l., an Italian company, based in Milan, active in the food supplements market. Natural Point was established in 1993 with the objective of promoting a culture of healthy use of food supplements. It offers a wide portfolio of very efficacious supplements in highly bioavailable formulations, produced with safe active ingredients, to improve health and well-being. The companys main product is a particular formulation of magnesium carbonate and citric acid that has the characteristic of being easily assimilated into the body, apart from its having an agreeable flavor. Recordati is the exclusive global partner of NovaBiotics Ltd, a biotechnology company based in Aberdeen, Scotland, for the commercialization of Lynovex, a first-in-class oral intervention for acute infectious exacerbations associated with cystic fibrosis (CF). Cystic fibrosis exacerbations are major contributors to the irreversible decline in lung function and overall health of people with CF. Treatments that increase recovery from exacerbations might reduce the damaging effects of exacerbations. Lynovex is designated as an orphan drug in Europe and in the U.S. and is the first multi-active therapy of its kind (anti-infective, mucolytic, anti-biofilm, antibiotic potentiating) to be developed specifically for alleviating the infectious trigger and symptoms of CF exacerbations. In July top line data from a recent clinical study (CARE CF 1) of oral Lynovex in cystic fibrosis exacerbations were announced. In November the European Commission (EC) granted Orphan Drug Designation to Orphan Europes (a Recordati group company) investigational product REC 0545 for the treatment of maple syrup urine disease (MSUD). This is the first time that an Orphan Drug Designation has been granted in this indication. MSUD is a rare genetic metabolic disorder. People affected by this disease are unable to properly process certain amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) and suffer from decompensation episodes that can be life-threatening if untreated. In Europe around 3000 patients are affected by MSUD. Orphan drug designation applies to drugs that seek to treat rare diseases or conditions affecting fewer than 5 in 10,000 inhabitants in the EU, while providing significant therapeutic advantage over existing therapies. This designation provides the opportunity for ten years marketing exclusivity upon approval of the product in the designated indication. This also represents another important milestone for our company and demonstrates our commitment to the area of rare diseases. In early December the FDA granted Orphan Drug Designation to Recordati Rare Diseases investigational product REC 0559 for the treatment of neurotrophic keratitis. REC 0559 is a low molecular weight non-peptidic human nerve growth factor (NGF) mimetic currently under global development by Recordati. REC 0559 was licensed in 2017 from MimeTech, an Italian-based development company founded by researchers from the University of Florence. Neurotrophic keratitis is a rare degenerative corneal disease which results from deficiency of the trigeminal nerve, usually caused by surgery, neoplasia, aneurysm or facial trauma. Impairment or loss of corneal sensory innervation is responsible for corneal epithelial defects, ulcer and perforation, with progression of the disease leading to dramatic impairment to patients sight. Orphan drug designation applies to drugs that seek to treat rare diseases or conditions affecting fewer than 200,000 patients in the U.S. while providing significant therapeutic advantage over existing therapies. The designation can provide development and commercial incentives for designated compounds and medicines, including eligibility for a seven-year period of market exclusivity in the U.S., FDA assistance in clinical trial design and an exemption from FDA user fees. During the month of December, a license agreement was signed between Orphan Europe, a Recordati group company, and Helsinn, a Swiss pharmaceutical group focused on building quality cancer care products, granting Orphan Europe exclusive rights to Ledaga worldwide, excluding the United States, China, Hong Kong and Israel. The product has been granted Orphan Drug Designation in Europe and is approved by the European Commission. Ledaga (chlormethine) is a novel gel formulation, applied once a day, indicated for the topical treatment of mycosis fungoides-type cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (MF-CTCL), a rare disease characterized by the abnormal accumulation of malignant T-cells in the skin. Chlormethine is an alkylating agent that inhibits quickly proliferating cells and Ledaga is recognized to have a good efficacy profile. Ledaga has the potential to become a very important product and to significantly strengthen our rare disease portfolio globally. Launches are expected to start in the short term in countries belonging to the European Union and, following, in the rest of the territories provided for in the agreement. On December 31 an agreement for the acquisition of 100% of the share capital of Tonipharm S.A.S., a French company based in Boulogne-Billancourt near Paris, active mainly in the self-medication market with over-the-counter (OTC) products was concluded. Tonipharm was established in 1991 and promotes a wide portfolio of self-medication products together with some prescription drugs. The companys sales are generated mainly by the line of products sold under the umbrella brand Ginkor, OTC treatments based on ginko biloba which are very well known on the French market. The company also promotes Alodont, a line of products used for oral hygiene. The acquisition of Tonipharm represents a further opportunity to enhance our portfolio in the French self-medication market with well-known brands and good market shares. Business outlook On 21 December 2018 the company announced its financial targets for 2019. The objectives are to achieve sales ranging from 1,430 million to 1,450 million, an EBITDA of between 520 and 530 million, EBIT of between 460 and 470 million and net income of between 330 and 335 million. Group consolidated sales during the first two months of 2019 are in line with our expectations. Dividend Based on the results obtained, the Board of Directors of the parent company will propose to the shareholders a dividend of 0.47 per share, in full balance of the interim 2018 dividend of 0.45, to be paid to all shares outstanding at ex-dividend date, excluding those in treasury stock, as from 25 April 2019 (record date 24 April 2019), with ex-dividend on 23 April 2019 (against presentation of coupon no. 23). The full 2018 dividend is therefore of 0.92 per share ( 0.85 per share in 2017). Further Board resolutions The Board of Directors approved the following further deliberation proposals to be submitted to the Annual Shareholders Meeting: renewal of the authorization to buy back and dispose of Recordati shares until the Annual Shareholders Meeting which will approve the 2019 financial statements; examination of the Remuneration Policy pursuant to article 123ter of Legislative Decree 58/1998; adoption of amendments to the 2018-2022 Stock Option Plan in favour of the Chief Executive Officer of Recordati S.p.A.; relative and consequent resolutions in accordance with Art. 114 bis of Legislative Decree No. 58 of 24th February 1998 The amendments to the 2018-2022 Stock Option Plan submitted to the Shareholders are intended to include within the Beneficiaries category of the Plan the Chief Executive Officer of the Company - already participating in the Plan by virtue of the employee relationship previously in existence with Recordati - who, as a result of the changes in the articulation of top management figures that occurred after Recordatis change of control, is no longer linked to the Company by an employment relationship. The objective of the proposal to renew the authorization to buy back and dispose of Recordati shares until the Annual Shareholders Meeting which will approve the 2019 financial statements is, as in previous years, to grant the Board the possibility of: (i) fulfilling the obligations arising from the stock option plans already adopted by the Company and other stock option plans which might be approved in future; (ii) carrying out industrial initiatives, since the authorization to purchase treasury stock will allow transactions such as the sale, contribution and exchange of treasury stock in order to acquire stakes in companies and/or to reach agreements with strategic partners within the Groups expansion objectives; (iii) supporting the Recordati shares liquidity, in order to promote the regular course of the shares negotiations and avoid price fluctuations inconsistent with the market trend. The company would be allowed to purchase up to 7,500,000 Recordati existing ordinary (common) shares, which includes those shares held in Treasury stock at any given time, for a maximum cash outlay of 280,000,000. The purchase price must be at least equal to the shares nominal value ( 0.125) and must not exceed the average official Stock Exchange price recorded over the 5 trading days prior to the transaction, plus 5%. Possible purchases will be made, if carried out for liquidity purposes, or to comply with stock options plans obligations, in compliance with (i) the market practice approved by Consob according to art. 13 Reg. EU 596/2014, and (ii) art. 5 of such Regulation, as well as second Chapter of Reg. EU 1052/2016B. At 27 February 2019 the company has 5,055,071 shares in Treasury stock which amounts to 2.42% of the current share capital. The Board of Directors also approved the Remuneration Report pursuant to article 123ter of the Legislative Decree 58/98, the first part of which is the Remuneration Policy to be submitted to the Annual Shareholders Meeting. The Remuneration Report will be made available to the public within the terms of the law. Lastly, the Board of Directors established the management and coordination activities carried out by Rossini Luxembourg S.a r.l. (CVC company in Recordatis control chain) in relation to Recordati S.p.A. pursuant to articles 2497 and following of the Italian civil code. Call to an Annual Shareholders Meeting The Board of Directors resolved to convene the Annual Shareholders Meeting to be held at the companys offices on 11 April 2019 at 10.00 am, the sole convocation date, with the following agenda: Annual Meeting Board of Directors Review of Operations; Report of the Board of Statutory Auditors; Financial Statements as at and for the financial year ended 31st December 2018; relative and consequent resolutions. Remuneration policies in accordance with article 123-ter of Legislative Decree No. 58 of 24th February 1998; relative and consequent resolutions. Proposal to amend the 2018-2022 Stock Option Plan in favour of the Chief Executive Officer of Recordati S.p.A.; relative and consequent resolutions in accordance with Art. 114 bis of Legislative Decree No. 58 of 24th February 1998. Proposal to authorise the purchase and utilisation of treasury stock; relative and consequent resolutions. The entire notice of call of an Ordinary Shareholders Meeting will be made publicly according to the terms set out in the applicable provisions on the companys website www.recordati.com and on the authorized storage system 1Info (www.1Info.it). Likewise, within the terms prescribed by current laws and regulations, the Directors reports on the points of the Shareholders Meeting agenda and any other documents relative to the Shareholders Meeting agenda will be made available on the company website, at the companys offices and on the authorized storage system 1Info (www.1Info.it). Recordati, established in 1926, is an international pharmaceutical group, listed on the Italian Stock Exchange (Reuters RECI.MI, Bloomberg REC IM, ISIN IT 0003828271), with a total staff of more than 4,100, dedicated to the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals. Headquartered in Milan, Italy, Recordati has operations throughout the whole of Europe, including Russia, Turkey, North Africa, the United States of America, Canada, Mexico, some South American countries, Japan and Australia. An efficient field force of medical representatives promotes a wide range of innovative pharmaceuticals, both proprietary and under license, in a number of therapeutic areas including a specialized business dedicated to treatments for rare diseases. Recordati is a partner of choice for new product licenses for its territories. Recordati is committed to the research and development of new specialties with a focus on treatments for rare diseases. Consolidated revenue for 2018 was 1,352.2 million, operating income was 442.2 million and net income was 312.4 million. For further information: Recordati website: www.recordati.com Investor Relations Media Relations Marianne Tatschke Studio Noris Morano (39)0248787393 (39)0276004736, (39)0276004745 e-mail: investorelations@recordati.it e-mail: norismorano@studionorismorano.com Statements contained in this release, other than historical facts, are "forward-looking statements" (as such term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements are based on currently available information, on current best estimates, and on assumptions believed to be reasonable. This information, these estimates and assumptions may prove to be incomplete or erroneous, and involve numerous risks and uncertainties, beyond the Companys control. Hence, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All mentions and descriptions of Recordati products are intended solely as information on the general nature of the companys activities and are not intended to indicate the advisability of administering any product in any particular instance. RECORDATI GROUP Summary of consolidated results prepared in accordance with the International Accounting Standards and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) (thousands of ) INCOME STATEMENT 2018 2017 Change % REVENUE 1,352,235 1,288,123 5.0 Cost of sales (395,569 ) (382,754 ) 3.3 GROSS PROFIT 956,666 905,369 5.7 Selling expenses (333,497 ) (330,793 ) 0.8 Research and development expenses (109,693 ) (100,256 ) 9.4 General & administrative expenses (67,722 ) (65,582 ) 3.3 Other income (expenses), net (3,535 ) (2,246 ) 57.4 OPERATING INCOME 442,219 406,492 8.8 Financial income (expenses), net (24,284 ) (17,377 ) 39.7 PRE-TAX INCOME 417,935 389,115 7.4 Provision for income taxes (105,513 ) (100,316 ) 5.2 NET INCOME 312,422 288,799 8.2 Attributable to: Equity holders of the parent 312,376 288,762 8.2 Minority interests 46 37 24.3 EARNINGS PER SHARE 2018 2017 Change % Basic 1.529 1.395 9.6 Diluted 1.494 1.381 8.2 Earnings per share (EPS) are based on average shares outstanding during each year, 204,379,165 in 2018 and 207,030,319 in 2017, net of average treasury stock which amounted to 4,745,991 shares in 2018 and 2,094,837 shares in 2017. Diluted earnings per share is calculated taking into account stock options granted to company personnel. COMPOSITION OF REVENUE 2018 2017 Change % Total revenue 1,352,235 1,288,123 5.0 Italy 273,197 258,551 5.7 International 1,079,038 1,029,572 4.8 Pending completion of independent and statutory audits. RECORDATI GROUP Summary of consolidated results prepared in accordance with the International Accounting Standards and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) (thousands of ) ASSETS 31.12.2018 31.12.2017 Property, plant and equipment 103,582 103,009 Intangible assets 672,462 540,565 Goodwill 579,557 539,871 Equity investments 20,773 24,171 Non-current receivables 5,860 5,944 Deferred tax assets 81,267 69,162 TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS 1,463,501 1,282,722 Inventories 206,084 179,100 Trade receivables 245,742 244,117 Other receivables 38,462 39,730 Other current assets 5,193 4,836 Fair value of hedging derivatives (cash flow hedge) 6,414 3,825 Short-term financial investments, cash and cash equivalents 198,036 302,077 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 699,931 773,685 TOTAL ASSETS 2,163,432 2,056,407 EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 31.12.2018 31.12.2017 Share capital 26,141 26,141 Capital in excess of par value 83,719 83,719 Treasury stock (145,608 ) (17,029 ) Hedging reserve (8,399 ) (5,867 ) Translation reserve (154,146 ) (124,004 ) Other reserves 43,081 40,684 Retained earnings 897,990 822,154 Net income for the period 312,376 288,762 Interim dividend (91,761 ) (87,470 ) GROUP SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY 963,393 1,027,090 Minority interest 193 147 SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY 963,586 1,027,237 Loans due after one year 640,647 612,462 Employees termination pay 19,547 21,093 Deferred tax liabilities 45,653 17,554 Other non-current liabilities 3,257 2,515 TOTAL NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES 709,104 653,624 Trade payables 165,020 141,740 Other payables 85,534 82,779 Tax liabilities 42,149 24,373 Other current liabilities 19,359 486 Provisions 21,446 48,322 Fair value of hedging derivatives (cash flow hedge) 9,746 9,559 Loans due within one year 130,583 51,710 Bank overdrafts 16,905 16,577 TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 490,742 375,546 TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 2,163,432 2,056,407 Pending completion of independent and statutory audits. RECORDATI S.P.A. Summary of consolidated results prepared in accordance with the International Accounting Standards and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) (thousands of ) 2018 2017 Change % Revenue 450,741 373,041 20.8 Operating income 152,175 101,462 50.0 Pre-tax income 263,896 249,700 5.7 Net income 217,330 212,506 2.3 31.12.2018 31.12.2017 Non-current assets 1,253,889 1,098,171 Current assets 310,340 430,776 TOTAL ASSETS 1,564,229 1,528,947 Shareholders equity 336,058 444,499 Non-current liabilities 707,431 616,087 Current liabilities 520,740 468,361 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY 1,564,229 1,528,947 Pending completion of independent and statutory audits. DECLARATION BY THE MANAGER RESPONSIBLE FOR PREPARING THE COMPANYS FINANCIAL REPORTS The manager responsible for preparing the companys financial reports Fritz Squindo declares, pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article 154-bis of the Consolidated Law on Finance, that the accounting information contained in this press release corresponds to the document results, books and accounting records. Attachment THIS NEWS RELEASE IS INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA ONLY AND IS NOT AUTHORIZED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Roscan Gold Corp. ("Roscan" or ROS or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: ROS) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Clarus Securities Inc. (the Agent), whereby Clarus will raise up to C$2,000,000 (the Offering) through an Offering of up to 14,285,714 units of the Company (the Units) to be priced at C$0.14 per Unit. Each Unit is comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company (Common Share) and one Common Share purchase warrant (Warrant), with each Warrant entitling the holder to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.22 for 24 months following the completion of the Offering. The proceeds raised from the Offering will be used by the Company for exploration and development of the Companys mineral properties and for general corporate purposes. The Offering is scheduled to close on or about March 14, 2019, and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals of the TSX Venture Exchange. The securities to be issued under this Offering will be offered by way of private placement exemptions in all the provinces of Canada. The Units to be issued under this Offering will also be offered offshore, including in the United Kingdom pursuant to applicable exemptions and in the United States on a private placement basis pursuant to exemptions from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The securities referred to in this news release have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This release does not constitute an offer for sale of, nor a solicitation for offers to buy, any securities in the United States. Any public offering of securities in the United States must be made by means of a prospectus containing detailed information about the issuer and its management, as well as financial statements. About Roscan Roscan Gold Corporation is a Canadian gold exploration company focused on the acquisition and exploration of gold properties in West Africa. The Company has assembled a significant land position of 100%-owned permits in an area of producing gold mines (including B2 Golds Fekola Mine which lies in a contiguous property to the west of Kandiole), and major gold deposits, located both north and south of its Kandiole Project in west Mali. For further information, please contact: Greg Isenor President & CEO gpisenor@roscan.ca www.roscan.ca Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. COLUMBIA, S.C., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At a press conference held at the State House, local political leaders today launched the Alliance Party of South Carolina, the state affiliate of the Alliance Party, the nations newest political party. South Carolina is the first of 22 states to launch in a fast-growing nationwide movement. The Alliance Party of South Carolina (APSC) is the result of a merger in October 2018 between the former American Party of South Carolina and like-minded political parties across the country to form the new, national Alliance Party . The Alliance Party of South Carolina isnt a conventional political party. Were part social movement charting a trajectory for political change to return America to its foundation of government for the people, by the people and of the people, said Oscar Lovelace, M.D., chair of APSC and key speaker at the press conference. Lovelace is the former vice-chair of the American Party of South Carolina and a former Republican South Carolina gubernatorial candidate. As Americas new national movement, the Alliance will provide the critical mass to allow South Carolina to field local, state and national candidates who can compete for votes against the broken Republican and Democratic monopoly, said Lovelace. The Alliance is the culmination of a decades long movement of independent voters, veterans, former moderate Democrats and Republicans, and centrists, whose views, values and futures are no longer represented by the existing divisive and paralyzed two-party monopoly plagued by partisan gridlock. The Alliance is on a fast track because of the magnitude of the problems facing our nation and the destructive manner in which our current two-party system chooses to lead, said Jim Rex, Ph.D., national vice chair of the Alliance, former chair of the American Party of South Carolina and former state superintendent of education. The Alliance has set a bold vision for America, and we have an agenda to match that vision, one as bold as the challenges facing our nation are great. To review the Alliance Tenets, visit www.theallianceparty.com . More information about the APSC is available at www.sc.theallianceparty.com . Media Contacts: Jennifer McLucas, Co-Chair, National Communications jennifer.mclucas@thealliance-party.com | 828-335-2514 VAL-D'OR, Quebec, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- International Prospect Ventures Ltd. (TSX-V:IZZ) (the Company) is pleased to announce that planning and implementation of its first exploration program on the Companys 100% owned Wits End Gold Project, is underway. Wits End Gold Project, Western Australia The Wits End Gold Project, consisting of eight properties that collectively cover approximately 102,600 hectares, is located in the eastern Pilbara, southeast of Karratha, Western Australia. Granting of the exploration licences for the eight properties was completed as of January 9, 2019. The strategic locations of the claims were determined on the basis of a review of known geology and historical exploration results, and a focus on gold in coarse-grained conglomerate host rocks at, or in proximity to, a prominent and well-documented geological unconformity. Over the next 12 months, the Company plans to implement a $1M exploration program consisting of data review and compilation (ongoing), remote sensing, and interpretation and targeting, followed by the implementation of prospecting, geological mapping, soil and stream sediment sample surveys, surface geophysics, trenching (bulk sampling), and diamond drilling. The Company continues to review additional opportunities in the Pilbara and Western Australia in general. Porcupine Miracle Prospect, Timmins, Ontario, Canada The Porcupine Miracle Gold Prospect is located approximately 30 km southeast of South Porcupine (Timmins, Ontario) and consists of nine mining claim cells (64 ha) within Langmuir Township. The Company has completed a Phase I property-scale ground magnetic, induced polarization (IP), and Horizontal Loop Electromagnetic (HLEM) geophysical surveys. A follow-up Phase II program of prospecting, mapping, bedrock stripping, sampling, and diamond drilling is recommended. The property is available for option and the Company is actively seeking partners. Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans (PhD, PMP, P.Geo.), a director and Vice President Exploration of the Company, is the Qualified Person (as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects) who has reviewed this news release and is responsible for the technical information reported herein. For additional information, please contact: Glenn J. Mullan President 2864 chemin Sullivan Val-dOr, Quebec J9P 0B9 Tel.: 819-824-2808, x 204 Email: glenn.mullan@goldenvalleymines.com Website: www.iprospectventures.ca Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words expects, plans, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates, projects, potential and similar expressions, or that events or conditions will, would, may, could or should occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or realities may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Companys management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that managements beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. THIS PRESS RELEASE, REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE CANADIAN LAWS, IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES, AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN IN THE UNITED STATES. THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN, AND WILL NOT BE, REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS UNLESS REGISTERED OR EXEMPT THEREFROM. TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., the worlds premier fondue restaurant and a leading polished casual dining franchise, announced today that the companys Best in Glass beverage program, has been recognized for three industry awards: the 2019 Cheers BevX Award for Best Overall Beverage Program and the 2019 VIBE VISTA Award for Best Beverage Limited Time Offer (L.T.O.) and Best Adult Alcohol Free Beverage Program. These awards recognize the creation, training, execution, management and on-going positive results of The Melting Pots popular beverage program. Last year, The Melting Pota 44-year-old restaurant companyintroduced their brand evolution with a growing bar and beverage program. As an innovator in the hospitality industry, The Melting Pot is always looking for ways to create memorable moments for their guests. The Melting Pots beverage program creates these experiences through premium, authentic and unique selections that are the best of their kind. As part of The Melting Pot brand evolution, I created enhanced, fresh, clean and simple Best in Glass cocktails, along with unique shareable porthole and barrel cocktails, and spirit-free beverages, said Paul Brown, Beverage Manager for The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. The Best in Glass lineup of cocktails, which originally began as a limited time beverage offer, quickly became the culture of The Melting Pots exceptional beverage program, signifying the quality and care we put into each of the beverages. Created by Brown, each of the Best in Glass cocktails were based on authentic recipes. To help ensure this, Brown traveled to Louisville, Kentucky, the Bourbon Trail and the Pendennis Clubthe birthplace of the Old Fashionedto glean firsthand insights into the history of the cocktail. Brown met with Frank Noe, Master Distiller and great-grandson of Jim Beam at the Beam Innovation Center to sample whiskeys and develop the groundwork for not one, but two Melting Pot Old Fashioned recipesthe Original Old Fashioned and the Modern Old Fashioned. Other Best in Glass cocktails include The Melting Pot Mule, The Freshly Picked Margarita, The Authentic Mai Tai, MPs G & T and The Bees Teaa spirit-free beverage. In addition to the Best in Glass cocktails, the beverage program features other spirit selections including Melting Pot favorites, such as the Love Martini and Yin & Yang Martini, sangrias and after-dinner selections to accompany its popular chocolate fondues. Guests across the country enjoy craft beermany from local brewersand a large selection of wines-by-the-glass, premium pours and a wide variety of bottle options. The Melting Pot also offers kids specialty drinks. These delicious drinks served in a take-home piggy bank cup, benefit The Melting Pots national charitable partner, St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. We are honored to receive these prestigious awards in recognition of our Best in Glass beverage program, said Bob Johnston, CEO of Front Burner, the restaurant management company for The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. Best in Glass isnt just a name, its the heart and soul of our beverage program, shaping the foundation and culture of the beverage program for years to come. This week in San Diego, The Melting Pot was honored at the VIBE Conference, which is the annual event recognizing the award winners who are leading the way in the hotel and adult beverage industry. In addition, The Melting Pots Best in Glass beverage program was featured on the cover of Februarys Cheers Magazine. Visit our Multimedia Library here to view photos of The Melting Pots Best in Glass cocktails. The Melting Pot has more than 110 restaurants in 33 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and The Middle East. Additionally, there are more than 17 international locations in development. The concept is known for offering an assortment of flavorful fondue cooking styles, including the new grill cooking style and unique entrees served with signature dipping sauces. The menu features a variety of a la carte selections, highlighting customizable options that invite guests to enjoy one, two, three, or more courses as they select any combination of individually-priced cheese fondues, salads, entrees and chocolate fondues. About The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. Founded in 1975, The Melting Pot has offered a unique fondue dining experience for more than 40 years. As the premier fondue restaurant franchise, The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. has more than 110 restaurants in 33 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and The Middle East. Additionally, there are more than 17 international locations in development. Known for offering a variety of fondue cooking styles, including the new grill cooking style and unique entrees, The Melting Pots menu also features cheese fondues, salads, fine wines and chocolate fondue desserts. Fondue fans can join The Melting Pots Club Fondue for exclusive promotions, special events and advance holiday reservation privileges. The Melting Pot is an affiliate of Front Burner, a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Florida. For more information, visit www.meltingpot.com. To learn more about franchise opportunities with The Melting Pot, please visit www.meltingpotfranchise.com. About Front Burner Front Burner is a franchise management company headquartered in Tampa, Florida. It is affiliated with the corporate owners of and its management services extended to The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., founded in 1975 with more than 110 restaurants in the U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and The Middle East. For more information, visit http://www.frontburnerbrands.com. # # # Attachments Penticton, BC, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Green Mountain Health Alliance Ltd., an upcoming socially responsible, low-cost, large-scale wholesale cannabis and hemp producer, has received an Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) greenhouse building permit from the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) for the Companys 16-acre parcel of land in Kaleden, BC. Green Mountain has already completed excavation work on the property and greenhouse anchorage installation is underway. With the receipt of the full building permit, the Company can now forge ahead with the full-phase of greenhouse construction. Green Mountain expects the first phase of greenhouse construction to be complete spring, 2019 so the Company can begin growing the first test crop. The full build-out is anticipated to be complete summer, 2019. The facility will provide significant square footage of greenhouse space to grow and flower cannabis, along with an adjacent processing building. We will reduce our energy consumption by optimizing use of natural light, natural cooling and heating in the building design, and the use of automated and efficient climate control solutions. This not only benefits the environment but will also provide us with cost savings, said Dominic Unsworth, Green Mountains Head Facilities Designer. We have also confirmed a plan for electrical service and established a rainwater capture system to provide the majority of irrigation needed, as we are committed to environmentally sustainable cultivation methods which reduce energy and water consumption. The Company was previously ready to move forward with construction plans in 2018 when Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) regulations unexpectedly changed in mid-July. As the Companys business model centers on sun-grown cannabis, modifying the building design to comply with the new ALC farm-use regulations was a relatively simple process. The receipt of our building permit is fantastic news, said Green Mountain President, Wade Attwood. The ALR regulatory landscape has been in evolution and this clears the way for us to proceed with support from the RDOS and in full compliance with ALC regulations and local bylaws. Green Mountains sun grown, environmentally sustainable, high-technology greenhouse operation will have exceptionally low production costs that indoor, electricity-dependent growers across Canada will have difficulty competing with. Were very excited to move forward. Formed in the fall of 2017 to pursue an application to become a licensed cultivator and processor of cannabis under Health Canadas ACMPR program, Green Mountain has secured two properties in the Okanagan Valley in BC. The first phase of production is set to begin on the 16-acre parcel in Kaleden, BC, and the Company also has a Letter of Intent to lease a 98-acre parcel of Indigenous agricultural land. The Company is awaiting approval of its cannabis production license for its Kaleden property following the successful completion of a transfer to Health Canadas newly created Cannabis Tracking and Licensing System (CTLS). Green Mountain has progressed through the initial intake and screening phase and has moved into the review queue, and has also been identified as an Indigenous Associated Applicant. About Green Mountain Health Alliance Ltd. Located in the Okanagan Valley, BCs best cannabis growing area, Green Mountain is progressing towards becoming one of Canadas leading, socially responsible, low-cost, large-scale wholesale cannabis and hemp producers. Our team of employees, proven industry experts, and Indigenous partners are working to ensure we will provide safe, sun-grown, high-quality cannabis and hemp using environmentally sustainable cultivation methods and greenhouse technology. As a wholesale, high-volume, low-cost producer, Green Mountain is ideally positioned to fill a market gap; providing the expanding Canadian medical and recreational cannabis industry with consistently high-quality product utilizing superior genetics. The company has secured over 100 acres with the potential for over 1,000,000 square feet of growing space. For more information, visit https://greenmountainhealthalliance.com/. The information contained herein contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Companys expectations or projections. Attachment SEATTLE, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- CFN Media Group (CFN Media), the leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the North American cannabis industry, announces publication of an article and exclusive CEO video interview covering Chemesis International Inc.'s (CSE: CSI) (OTCQB: CADMF) (FRA: CWAA) development of cannabis operations in Colombia. Chemesis owns a licensed cultivator there, growing on more than a thousand acres as well as in a 10,000 sqft greenhouse. The company is also building a GMP-certified production lab and extraction facility in Bogota with an eye toward both the Colombian domestic and the international export markets. Chemesis International CEO Edgar Montero discusses the companys operations in Colombia and its presence in Puerto Rico, among other things, in Part II of CFN Medias exclusive interview. Please use this link to see the interview: https://www.cannabisfn.com/cfnvideo/?id=A7AAqZqu. Here is a link to Part I, where Mr. Montero focuses on the companys California production, fulfillment and distribution operations as well as its brand partnership with Jay and Silent Bob: https://www.cannabisfn.com/cfnvideo/?id=0Hy9eKzR. Cannabis industry research firm Prohibition Partners anticipates the legal cannabis industry in Latin America will reach $12.7 billion in annual sales by 2028. Uruguay led the way in the legalization movement, making recreational cannabis legal in 2013. No other countries have made that step, but several have legalized medical programs in the years since. Still, Colombia is currently the only country whose government is aggressively promoting cannabis exports, making that country the current hot spot for cannabis development. Please click here to follow Chemesis' corporate developments. Colombias Advantages In early 2018, the Colombian governments Drug Control Fund authorized the harvest of up to 40.5 tons of medical marijuana for export purposes. The agency estimates that at full capacity, the country could supply about 44% of the worlds current demand for medical marijuana products. The program is just getting off the ground, however, and the country is a long way from reaching that production level. The combination of a government-directed focus on exports, an ideal growing climate, and very low cost of production makes Colombia a crucial focus for near-term development. The country also boasts a population of about 6 million medical marijuana patients. One interesting aspect of the countrys laws is the general prohibition on the sale of cannabis flower. Companies operating there are necessarily focused on oils and extracted products, areas of the market that offer higher margins and are generally more attractive to consumers anyway. Please click here to follow Chemesis' corporate developments. Chemesis Colombian Operations Chemesis has been working closely with the Colombian government since acquiring subsidiary La Finca Interacviva-Archna Med SAS to expand its existing licensed operations in the country. La Finca is currently licensed to cultivate, produce extracted products, and distribute those products domestically. La Finca is a founding member of Colombias Association for the Promotion of Hemp Growing, and has established relationships with over 2,000 farming families throughout the country. It is partnered with Colombias largest university for research and development, and is involved in farmer education programs across the country. La Finca currently offers cannabinoid-based cosmetic products and is expanding its product lines as the company grows. La Finca anticipates achieving export capabilities upon completion of its GMP-certified production facility in Bogota, opening up a much wider market for its derivative product lines. Looking Ahead Colombia recently announced a renewed focus on prosecuting the cannabis black market in the country, which has only solidified the countrys legal medical program. That program is just finding its legs, and many companies establishing operations there are kind of building from scratch in a market still in its infancy. By acquiring La Finca, a company that has been operational in Colombia since 2017 and has extensive relationships throughout the country, Chemesis has positioned itself as a strong early mover in what could prove to be an international hub of low cost, high quality, high volume production for the international cannabis market. Investors may want to keep an eye out for Colombian developments as the company also expands its existing operations in the California and Puerto Rico markets. Chemesis focus on cannabis extracts and derived products in key markets looks promising as demand rises across the globe. Please click here to follow Chemesis' corporate developments. Please follow the link to see the interview and read the full article: https://www.cannabisfn.com/chemesis-in-colombia-the-place-to-be-for-south-american-cannabis-plus-exclusive-ceo-interview/ About CFN Media For Visitors and Viewers CFN Medias Cannabis Financial Network (CannabisFN.com) is the destination for savvy investors and business people profiting from the worldwide cannabis industry. Viewers will see breaking news, exclusive content and original programming involving the people, companies and investments shaping the industry. For Cannabis Businesses & Companies CFN Media is a leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the cannabis industry. We help private, pre-public and public cannabis companies in the US and Canada attract capital, investors and media attention. Our powerful digital media and distribution platform conveys a companys message and value proposition directly to accredited and retail investors and national media active in the North American cannabis markets. Since 2013, CFN Media has enabled the worlds preeminent cannabis companies to thrive in the capital and public markets. Learn how to become a CFN Media client company, brand or entrepreneur: http://www.cannabisfn.com/featuredcompany Disclaimer CannabisFN.com is not an independent financial investment advisor or broker-dealer. You should always consult with your own independent legal, tax, and/or investment professionals before making any investment decisions. The information provided on http://www.cannabisfn.com (the Site) is either original financial news or paid advertisements drafted by our in-house team or provided by an affiliate. CannabisFN.com, a financial news media and marketing firm enters into media buys or service agreements with the companies that are the subject of the articles posted on the Site or other editorials for advertising such companies. We are not an independent news media provider. We make no warranty or representation about the information including its completeness, accuracy, truthfulness or reliability and we disclaim, expressly and implicitly, all warranties of any kind, including whether the Information is complete, accurate, truthful, or reliable. As such, your use of the information is at your own risk. Nor do we undertake any obligation to update the items posted. CannabisFN.com received compensation for producing and presenting high quality and sophisticated content on CannabisFN.com along with financial and corporate news. The above article is sponsored content. Emerging Growth LLC, which owns CannabisFN.com and CFN Media, has been hired to create awareness. Please follow the link below to view our full disclosure outlining our compensation: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/ Frank Lane 206-369-7050 flane@cannabisfn.com THIS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoro Metals Corp., (TSXV: SMO | OTCQB: SMOFF | FRA: 23SP), (Sonoro and the Company), is pleased to announce that is has entered into a Fiscal Advisory Services Agreement (the Agreement) with InProved Pte. Ltd. (InProved), a Singapore-based financial advisory services firm specializing in structuring non-recourse debt for the Energy and Resource sectors, led by its Founder and Managing Partner, Huan Johnson Koh. Pursuant to the Agreement, InProved will provide fiscal advisory services to Sonoro, including assisting Sonoro in structuring and seeking debt financing to support Sonoros plans to further the exploration and potential development of its Cerro Caliche gold project in Sonora, Mexico. During the 240-day term of the Agreement, InProved will be the exclusive financial advisor to Sonoro with respect to such debt financing transactions and will be entitled to receive certain success fees and the reimbursement of its reasonable expenses. We are excited to work with InProved to access institutional investors and Asian investor markets, with the intent of completing a non-dilutive financing for the construction of a pilot gold operation at our Cerro Caliche project, said Kenneth MacLeod, President and CEO of Sonoro. Our goal is to mitigate shareholder dilution by using revenues from the proposed operation to fund future exploration and development at our Cerro Caliche and San Marcial properties. In connection with and during the first work phase under the Agreement, Sonoro intends to engage an independent engineering firm to prepare an NI 43-101 compliant pre-feasibility study to assess the viability of the development of a heap leach plant at Cerro Caliche. Depending on the outcome of that technical assessment, Sonoro will have the option to proceed with or terminate the Agreement. InProved and its associates have been following Sonoros exploration campaign at Cerro Caliche for the past year and consider the companys management, technical team and the Cerro Caliche project to be exceptional, stated Huan Koh, Managing Director at InProved Singapore. Consequently, we view Cerro Caliche as an ideal entry point into Gold for Asian investors, institutional investors and mine contractors. About Sonoro Metals Corp. Sonoro Metals Corp. is a publicly listed exploration and development company with a portfolio of exploration-stage precious metal properties in Sonora State, Mexico. The company has highly experienced operational and management teams with proven track records for the discovery and development of natural resource deposits. On behalf of the Board of SONORO METALS CORP. Per: Kenneth MacLeod KENNETH MACLEOD President & CEO For further information, please contact: Sonoro Metals Corp. - Corporate Communications: Bill Campbell Tel: (604) 565-5609 Email: bill@sonorometals.com Forward-Looking Statement Cautions: This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to, among other things, the relationship between Sonoro and InProved and Sonoros plans for future debt financing transactions, and Sonoros plans to engage an independent firm to prepare a pre-feasibility study of the Cerro Caliche project. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable based on current circumstances, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the risk that the anticipated benefits of the Agreement fail to materialize, the possibility of unfavourable exploration results, the lack of sufficient future financing to carry out exploration plans, and unanticipated changes in the legal, regulatory and permitting requirements for the Companys exploration programs. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law or the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. Readers are encouraged to review the Companys complete public disclosure record on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL, OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY, NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF SECURITIES OF THE COMPANY IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL PRIOR TO REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY SUCH JURISDICTION. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Delcath Systems, Inc. (OTCQB: DCTH), an interventional oncology company focused on the treatment of primary and metastatic cancers of the liver, highlights the experiences of patients with ocular melanoma as part of Rare Disease Daya global awareness campaign observed each year on February 28th. Delcath sponsors a global Registration clinical trial for Patients with Hepatic Dominant Ocular Melanoma called The FOCUS Trial. Rare Disease Day is an opportunity for the global healthcare community to recognize the unmet medical needs among patients suffering from orphan diseases, said Jennifer K. Simpson, Ph.D., MSN, CRNP President and CEO of Delcath. Approximately 4,500 patients in the U.S. and Europe are diagnosed with ocular melanoma each year. For patients, its a diagnosis that seems to come out of nowhere which often carries devastating consequences. We are committed to improving the prognosis and changing the treatment paradigm for these patients. To highlight the experiences of ocular melanoma, Delcath profiled two patients treated with PHP Therapy for liver metastases from ocular melanoma. Reverend Gary Desalvo Pastor, Temple Bible Church, Temple, TX Reverend Desalvo was diagnosed with ocular melanoma in 2013 when he had blurry vision evaluated by his family ophthalmologist. The diagnosis was the first he had heard of the disease, and his case was the first seen by physicians in the practice. The implications of the diagnosis were immediately apparent: removal of the eye followed by a high risk of potentially fatal liver metastases. Fortunately Reverend Desalvos congregation immediately rallied around him and his family with fellowship, offering prayer, support and research assistance. Through these efforts, clinical trials at some of the leading cancer hospitals in the country were found, so that when Reverend Desalvo was diagnosed with liver metastases in 2017 he was familiar with his options. I already had PHP Therapy on my radar by the time the liver mets were discovered, so I enrolled in the FOCUS trial under its previous randomized protocol. I was randomized to the control arm, so instead I sought treatment with PHP in England at SPIRE Southampton Hospital. The team there was wonderful, and I tolerated my four cycles of PHP very well. I am happy to say that with the grace of God my liver mets are now controlled and I am able to seek additional therapy for my extra-hepatic disease. I believe that PHP has given me time I would not otherwise have. Sabrina Frey Mother of Four, Madison, WI Sabrina Frey was also diagnosed with ocular melanoma in 2013 when she had a detached retina evaluated. Though familiar with the disease from a previous experience with cutaneous melanoma, the diagnosis and its implications still came as a shock. Genetic testing indicated that she had a high likelihood of developing liver metastases, so when liver mets were detected in 2014 she had already researched her options. Surgical resection was her first treatment, but when the liver tumors progressed again she sought treatment with PHP at Moffitt Cancer Center. After five courses of PHP, her liver metastases were almost completely reduced. My experience with PHP Therapy wasnt easy, but without it I dont think I would be here. Today my liver mets are under control and I am able to obtain other treatment for my extra-hepatic disease that would not otherwise be an option. Both Sabrina and Reverend Desalvo have the same advice for ocular melanoma patients. Keep fighting, do your research and be your own advocate. For thirty years the options for ocular melanoma patients had not changed, but in the last 10 years everything has. About Rare Disease Day Rare Disease Day takes place on the last day of February each year. The main objective of Rare Disease Day is to raise awareness amongst the general public and decision-makers about rare diseases and their impact on patients' lives. The campaign was begun by EURODIS in 2008. The theme for this years campaign is Bridging Health and Social Care #ShowYoureRare About Delcath Systems Delcath Systems, Inc. is an interventional oncology Company focused on the treatment of primary and metastatic liver cancers. Our investigational product Melphalan Hydrochloride for Injection for use with the Delcath Hepatic Delivery System (Melphalan/HDS) is designed to administer high-dose chemotherapy to the liver while controlling systemic exposure and associated side effects. We have been enrolling a global Registration clinical trial for Patients with Hepatic Dominant Ocular Melanoma (OM) called The FOCUS Trial and have initiated a global Phase 3 clinical trial for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) called The ALIGN Trial. Melphalan/HDS has not been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for sale in the U.S. In Europe, our system is marketed under the trade name Delcath Hepatic CHEMOSAT Delivery System for Melphalan (CHEMOSAT) and has been used at major medical centers to treat a wide range of cancers of the liver. Since January 2019 CHEMOSAT is marketed under an exclusive licensing agreement with medac, a privately held multi-national pharmaceutical company headquartered in Germany and specializing in the treatment and diagnosis of oncological, urological and autoimmune diseases. Forward Looking Statements Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for forward-looking statements made by the Company or on its behalf. This news release contains forward-looking statements, which are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to differ materially from those described. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, uncertainties relating to: successful completion of the Companys Rights Offering and related transactions and the amount of gross proceeds, if any; the timing and results of the Companys clinical trials including without limitation the OM and ICC clinical trial programs, timely enrollment and treatment of patients in the global Registration OM clinical trial, IRB or ethics committee clearance of the Registration trial for OM and the Phase 3 ICC trial protocols from participating sites and the timing of site activation and subject enrollment in each trial, the impact of the presentations at major medical conferences and future clinical results consistent with the data presented, approval of Individual Funding Requests for reimbursement of the CHEMOSAT procedure, the impact, if any of ZE reimbursement on potential CHEMOSAT product use and sales in Germany, clinical adoption, use and resulting sales, if any, for the CHEMOSAT system to deliver and filter melphalan in Europe including the key markets of Germany and the UK, the Companys ability to successfully commercialize the Melphalan HDS/CHEMOSAT system and the potential of the Melphalan HDS/CHEMOSAT system as a treatment for patients with primary and metastatic disease in the liver, our ability to obtain reimbursement for the CHEMOSAT system in various markets, approval of the current or future Melphalan HDS/CHEMOSAT system for delivery and filtration of melphalan or other chemotherapeutic agents for various indications in the U.S. and/or in foreign markets, actions by the FDA or other foreign regulatory agencies, the Companys ability to successfully enter into strategic partnership and distribution arrangements in foreign markets and the timing and revenue, if any, of the same, uncertainties relating to the timing and results of research and development projects, and uncertainties regarding the Companys ability to obtain financial and other resources for any research, development, clinical trials and commercialization activities. These factors, and others, are discussed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they are made. Contact: Delcath Investor Relations Email: investorrelations@delcath.com PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lanza techVentures today announced GN Audio (Jabra) signed an agreement to acquire its portfolio company Altia Systems of Cupertino, Calif. The agreement is expected to be finalized shortly. Altia Systems is recognized as an innovative developer of premium video communications solutions utilizing digital multi-camera array technology marketed under the brand PanaCast. In announcing the acquisition, GN Audio noted that Altia Systems will enable GN Audio to expand into integrated audio and video communications solutions, supporting a companys need for collaboration and meeting efficiency. Lanza techVentures believed in our technology from the beginning and supported us all along the way, says Aurangzeb Khan, president and CEO of Altia Systems. Lucio Lanza has been a valuable strategy advisor as the industry well knows. Altia Systems creative and dedicated team immediately attracted me and my investment partners, remarks Lucio Lanza, Lanza techVentures managing partner. Equally important is the PanaCast intelligent vision technology that creates a true impression of being present. In todays global society, distance wont matter with technology such as Altia Systems because its camera is almost as good as being there. The PanaCast intelligent vision with intelligent audio enables industry-leading products. Adding video capabilities from Altia Systems gives GN Audio immediate access to the integrated audio and video solutions market for small collaboration rooms, known as huddle rooms. GN Audio commands a strong position in the Unified Communications market with the Jabra Evolve line of headphones and leadership in speakerphones for small meeting rooms and personal use with the Jabra Speak line of products. About Altia Systems Altia Systems, based in Cupertino, Calif., is the creator of the PanaCast systems and Intelligent Vision software products. Funded by Intel Capital and other leading investors, Altia Systems' PanaCast solutions deliver real-time 180 Panoramic-4K, Panoramic-5K and 4K 3D video streams from integrated, synchronized and optimized multi-camera arrays. PanaCast systems and Intelligent Vision (artificial intelligence) software products are used by more than 1,600 companies worldwide, including 200+ universities, for video collaboration, education, AR/VR, live broadcasting and machine learning for autonomous systems. PanaCast system devices are designed and assembled in the U.S. and have received prestigious awards such as CES Innovation Awards Honoree, Frost & Sullivan New Product Innovation, GOOD DESIGN award, Gartner Cool Vendor in Unified Communications, and more. About Lanza techVentures Lanza techVentures is an early stage investment firm that transforms innovative startups into high-value companies through unique vision, insight and a profound understanding of technology and its trends. Founded in 2001 by technology luminary Lucio Lanza, Lanza techVentures has acted as a strategic partner and advisor for early- to mid-stage companies in the design software and intellectual property (IP), semiconductor and biotechnology market sectors. Every computer and chip design done today directly benefits from the critical role that Lanza techVentures has played in bringing key technologies to market. It has invested in more than 50 companies in Silicon Valley and beyond. Many of these companies continue to be growing concerns, while others have reached successful outcomes through an initial public offering (IPO), or by merger or acquisition with other companies. The Lanza techVentures philosophy is simple: Investment is a by-product of service to great, creative entrepreneurs. Follow Lanza techVentures at: Website: http://lanzatechventures.com/ Twitter: @LTechventures LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/18041745/admin/ For more information, contact: Nanette Collins (617) 437-1822 nanette@nvc.com Nashville, TN, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- LIG Assets, Inc. (OTC PINK: LIGA) (also known as the "Leader in Green Assets" or "LIGA") announces that on February 19, 2019 the Nashville City Council along with the Planning and Zoning Committee approved the change in zoning for LIGAs Bella Serra development in Brentwood, Tennessee. Formerly the property was zoned AR2a but has now been re-zoned as RS10 and RM4 permitting a denser build out. With this change we will now be implementing our announced plans for the building of condos and single-family homes. LIG Assets President Marvin Baker stated, We appreciate the thoughtful and exhaustive review of the City Council. These efforts afford LIGA the opportunity to bring to the community a truly landmark sustainable development whose aesthetic beauty will be a true asset to the community. The approval of re-zoning also adds substantial value to this important LIG Assets. LIG Assets management has been fielding multiple calls from potential financing partners who are presenting far superior terms that will help expedite the development and improve the profit margins for the Company. As previously reported the projected gross sales for Bella Serra are anticipated to reach $52,470,000 upon build out of the property. The current Phase One site plan will include 90 residential units total with 10 luxury single-family homes and 80 multi-family Lifestyle Condos. The condo/luxury home mix in the current plan may be modified to optimize the development goals. LIGA will be finalizing the site plan to maximize the Bella Serra development for the greatest benefit of the company and our shareholders. Chairman Aric Simons added, The re-zoning for Bella Serra is an important step forward to achieving our corporate mission of bringing sustainable, beautiful residences to the community at a market competitive price point. We shall continue to prove that sustainable building is better for families, the environment and is good business. The management of LIGA believes we have the best shareholder base for any public company on the market; we aim to reward the loyalty and enthusiasm of our investors with exponential ROI and a company each can be proud to hold in their portfolio. Bella Serra Brentwood, Tennessee: A Luxury Mediterranean hillside resort development offering the variety of custom single-family homes and the simplistic lifestyle living of condominium villas for the most discerning buyers of luxury living at its finest. The most unique feature of these homes will be the green sustainability factor built with consideration of the environment in mind. A high quality luxury resort lifestyle community with wellness in mind while reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption to improve our quality of life. Derived from the Latin/Italian influence Bella meaning beautiful and Serra meaning views from a high place or high ridge as our community rests at one of the highest peaks in Brentwood with our ridgeline facing south into Brentwood/Franklin and the lower lined development facing toward Nashville. Bella Serra is a concept development using sustainable building products brought to us by well-known Environmentalist Robert Plarr. Bella Serra will be Nashville and Middle Tennessees first fully sustainable community. A new approach to residential build application using light gauge steel framing versus wood framing with our high-quality magnesium oxide panels where the combination creates a sustainable structure resistant to 185 mph winds, water and mold resistant, fire resistant to 3500 degrees with a burn rate of 5 hours before the material begins to breakdown. About LIGA Homes: LIGA Homes unique residential and commercial developments utilize specially designed and manufactured recycled "element resistant" steel framing, in addition to toxic free magnesium oxide building materials and panels that are 100% mold, fungus, termite and rot resistant and fire resistant against temperatures up to 3500 degrees Fahrenheit as well as famed environmentalist Robert Plarr's exclusive "maximum rated" R-60 insulation -- combining to create disaster resistant materials and structures that can withstand up to a 7.5 magnitude earthquake and sustained gale force winds up to 175 MPH while negating damage caused by rain and flood exposure. With the addition of Plarr's green and renewable systems and products, LIGA Homes is now capable of providing affordable, fully sustainable and disaster resistant living environments LIGA Homes is at the forefront of this new and improved direction for the green, sustainable and construction sectors. For more information about LIGA Homes visit - www.LIGAHomes.com or contact the Company directly at 833-LIGAHOMES General inquiries: ContactUs@LIGAHomes.com About LIG Assets, Inc.: LIG Assets, Inc. in association with Robert Plarr is the emerging "Leader in Green Assets" -- focused on exclusive green, renewable energy and sustainable homes, living systems, technologies and components to be utilized in the residential and commercial real estate acquisition and development projects currently under way and now individual product sales, as well as rapid expansion into other sectors via acquisitions, mergers and joint venture partnerships. LIG Assets, Inc. trades on the pink sheets under the ticker symbol "LIGA". LIGA Homes in association with the Companys other wholly-owned subsidiary, LIG Developments, LLC., a steel framing manufacturing and design entity incorporated under the LIG Assets corporate umbrella will fast track LIGA Homes development as an emerging pioneer in the green and renewable energy sectors having successfully created the worlds first earthquake, flood, hurricane and fire resistant homes and structures that are 100% fully sustainable and disaster resistant from individual green systems and homes to fully sustainable communities and commercial centers - completely revolutionizing the sustainable and renewable construction movement forever! For additional information about LIG Assets, Inc., Robert Plarr, and/or how to purchase our exclusive homes, structures, products and technologies or to subscribe online to LIGA's free Shareholder Newsletter for regular updates and alerts regarding important Company developments Please visit the Company's website at www.LeaderInGreenAssets.com -- also follow LIGA at Twitter.com/LIGAssets. TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Monterey Minerals Inc. (the Company or Monterey) (CSE: MREY, FSE: 2DK) is pleased to announce that has completed the purchase of Ridge Street Investments Pty Ltd. (Ridge Street). Monterey previously announced (see press release dated February 11, 2019) that it would issued 8 million common shares for all of the shares of Ridge Street, which owns the E47/3886 and E47/3887 tenements encompassing over 135 square kilometres in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Ridge Street Tenements Exploration Licence E47/3886, the Sherlock River Property, is located within the northwest Pilbara Craton and in the Central Pilbara Tectonic Zone. The lease is predominantly underlain by rocks of the Sisters Supersuite and portions of the lease cover the sediments and intrusives of the Mallina Formation belonging to the De Grey Group. To the north, the geology is bounded by the Wohler Fault, which runs parallel to a package of sediments and greenstones that host numerous gold and base metal occurrences. While relatively under-explored, historic work included some geochemical sampling and mapping. Gold anomalies adjacent to the southern border lie in close proximity to the Mallina Basin sediments and intrusives. The Sherlock River Property lies approximately 15 km to the west of Novo Resources Corp.s (Novo) Station Creek Gold Project and 17 km to the west of Novos Edgina Gold Project. To the east of the project, Pacton Gold, Novo and Pioneer Resource all hold significant tenure packages focusing on the gold bearing conglomerates. Corporate update The Company is also pleased to announce the appointment of Guy T. Le Page as Chairman of the Board. Mr. Le Page is a Director and Corporate Advisor of RM Capital Pty Ltd, which specializes in resources. Mr. Le Page was Head of Research at Morgan Stockbroking Limited (Perth). As Head of Research, Mr. Le Page was responsible for the supervision of all Industrial and Resources research. Prior to that, Mr. Le Page was a resources analyst covering exploration and mining companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. Prior to joining the brokerage industry, he spent 10 years as an exploration and mining geologist in Australia, Canada and the United States. Mr. Le Page holds a B.A., a B.Sc. and a M.B.A. from the University of Adelaide, a Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons) from the Curtin University of Technology and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment from the Financial Securities Institute of Australia. Bruce Reid has resigned from the Board and the Company would like thank Mr. Reid, for his service to the Company and wish him well in his future endeavours. President and CEO, James Macintosh stated We welcome Guy Le Page to the Company and we look forward to working together in exploring the Sherlock River Property in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. We will continue to update our investors on the upcoming exploration program. Qualified Person The technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Martin Dormer a consultant to the Company, who is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Martin is a member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and is a West Australian geologist with over 22 years experience. He also has sufficient experience of relevance to the styles of mineralization and types of deposits under consideration to qualify as a Competent Person as defined by the 2012 Edition of the Joint Ore Reserves Committee (JORC) Australian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources, and Ore Reserves. Monterey also granted 875,000 options to directors, officers and employees of Monterey. The options are exercisable at $0.12 per share for five years from the date of issuance. About Monterey Minerals Inc. The Company owns 100% of the Cobalt Mountain Property (the Property) in the Omincea Mining Division of British Columbia near the town of Smithers. The Companys NI 43-101, on SEDAR, notes historic sampling on the Property that returned mineralized showings of gold, silver, copper, zinc and cobalt. The Companys business objective is to explore for copper, cobalt and gold and to seek new properties that will increase shareholder value. For more information, contact investor relations at info@montereyminerals.com On Behalf of the Board of Directors, James Macintosh President and CEO Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release This press release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business of the Company. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based on are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws. Transaction is another step in Bombardiers Transformation Programme Acquisition extends existing global relationship between Bombardier and Motherson Sumi Systems Ltd. BERLIN, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Motherson Rolling Stock Systems GB Limited (MRSS) (a wholly owned subsidiary* of Motherson Sumi Systems (MSSL) through PKC Group Ltd.) has signed a definitive agreement with Bombardier Transportation (Rolling Stock) UK Ltd. (Bombardier) to acquire Bombardiers assets in connection with the production and installation of electrical components and systems for applications in the rail industry, comprising among others the manufacturing of wiring harnesses, panel and cabinet build and electromechanical assemblies in Derby, UK. MRSS will enter into a lease agreement for the part of Bombardiers Derby site currently occupied by the business and will continue to operate the business with its current employees. Through this transaction, MSSL will expand its supply of electricals and wiring systems to Bombardier Transportation, to cover UK rolling stock projects. The transaction includes transfer of assets, employee and inventories, on a debt-free and cash-free basis and is valued at approximately 10.87 million (subject to customary adjustments). The revenue of said business was 36 million (provisional) during the calendar year ending December 31, 2018. The transaction is subject to customary closing events and expected to be completed between April and June 2019. MSSL, through PKC Group (acquired in March, 2017), is engaged with the manufacturing of wiring harnesses for rolling stock, mainly in Europe and North America. PKC Group entered the rolling stock business by acquiring Kabel Technik Polska Sp. z o.o. (KTP) in 2015 and executed a global partnership agreement with Bombardier Transportation GmbH in 2016. Now, with the execution of this definitive agreement between MRSS and BTROS, the relationship will expand to the United Kingdom. Mr. V. C. Sehgal, Chairman, MSSL said, I would like to congratulate the team for enhancing the partnership between PKC and Bombardier under the global partnership agreement, and for continuing to win the confidence of our partners and customers in the rolling stock business. Mr. Bart Vantorre, President of Bombardier Transportation Rolling Stock Equipment said, This milestone is testament to the progress we continue to make on the Bombardier Transportation transformation agenda. Our long-standing relationship with Motherson and their deep expertise in electrical distribution make them the ideal partner for us as we continue to tirelessly serve our UK customers. Mr. Andre Gerstner, President, Rolling Stock Business, PKC Group said, This is a great opportunity to expand our global partnership with Bombardier Transportation, strengthen our market position and our customer serving footprint. It is in line with our sustainable growth strategy through customer, geographical and product diversification. We are excited to add a new home for MRSS in the UK and look forward to welcoming the new team. About Motherson Sumi Systems Limited Motherson Sumi Systems Limited (MSSL) is one of the worlds leading, specialized automotive and transportation component manufacturing companies for OEMs. MSSL was established in 1986 as a joint venture with Sumitomo Wiring Systems in India and was listed in year 1993 on the BSE (Scrip code: 517334) and NSE (Symbol: MOTHERSUMI) (CIN - L34300MH1986PLC284510). MSSL is a focused, dynamic and progressive company providing customers with innovative and value-added products, services and solutions. With a diverse global customer base of nearly all leading automobile and transportation OEMs globally, the Company has a presence in 41 countries. MSSL is currently the largest auto ancillary in India and among the Fab 50 companies of Asia by Forbes magazine. MSSL is the flagship company of the 11.5 billion USD Samvardhana Motherson Group (SMG). The Group has over 270 facilities across 41 countries and employs over 135,000 professionals worldwide. The Group is ranked 23rd among global automotive suppliers by Automotive News. Groups Vision is To be a Globally Preferred Solutions Provider. About Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation is a global mobility solution provider leading the way with the rail industrys broadest portfolio. It covers the full spectrum of solutions, ranging from trains to sub-systems and signalling to complete turnkey transport systems, e-mobility technology and data-driven maintenance services. Combining technology and performance with empathy, Bombardier Transportation continuously breaks new ground in sustainable mobility by providing integrated solutions that create substantial benefits for operators, passengers and the environment. Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, Bombardier Transportation employs around 40,650 people and its products and services operate in over 60 countries. About Bombardier With over 68,000 employees across four business segments, Bombardier is a global leader in the transportation industry, creating innovative and game-changing planes and trains. Our products and services provide world-class transportation experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety. Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Bombardier has production and engineering sites in 28 countries across the segments of Transportation, Business Aircraft, Commercial Aircraft and Aerostructures and Engineering Services. Bombardier shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, Bombardier posted revenues of $16.2 billion US. The company is recognized on the 2019 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World Index. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier . Notes to editors For news, related material and photos, visit our newsroom at www.rail.bombardier.com/en/newsroom.html . Please subscribe to our RSS Feed to receive press releases or follow Bombardier Transportation on Twitter @BombardierRail . Bombardier is a trademark of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. For information Media relations, UK Will Tanner +44 1332 251238 will.tanner@rail.bombardier.com Global media relations +49 30 98607 1687 press@rail.bombardier.com You can also contact one of our worldwide contacts for specific press inquiries. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ExGen Resources Inc. (TSX.V: EXG; OTC: BXXRF) (ExGen, the Company) is pleased to provide an update in respect of Phoenix Global Mining Ltd.s (Phoenix) exploration and development activities at the Empire Mine Project in Idaho, USA. Further to previous ExGen news releases, ExGen owns a free carried 20% interest through to start of construction and Phoenix owns 80% of Konnex Resources, Inc. (Konnex), which holds the leases and claims to the Empire Mine Project. ExGen further has a 2.5% NSR royalty on the Empire Mine Project and is one of Phoenixs largest shareholders, owning 1,330,000 common shares (3.45% of Phoenix). ExGen is pleased to announce that its Joint Venture partner, Phoenix, at the Empire Copper Project in Idaho, USA (the Empire Mine) has staked 194 new claims resulting in a threefold increase in its Empire Mine land holding, to the north and west of the Horseshoe Claim Block at Windy Devil and at Navarre Creek. The Empire Mine land position has been increased by 3,880 acres, and now has a total land package of 5,717 acres (from 7.43 to 23.14 square kilometres) by staking and filing 194 new unpatented claims in two blocks. ExGen further reports that it has regained 100% ownership of the Gordon Lake project as Phoenix has elected to withdraw from its option which was initiated in February 2018 (see ExGen Press Release dated March 1, 2018). Mr. Jason Riley, CEO of ExGen commented: We are certainly excited about the regional story that continues to develop at Empire and pleased to see Phoenix has been able to secure a significant increase in the land holding in advance of further drilling and the updated resource expected to be released by Q2 of this year. Exgen has always believed in the larger potential of Empire and that was the rational for our 30-mile area of interest, which ensures that both our 2.5% NSR royalty and our 20% interest will benefit from any further growth in the project size. Given the expanding land position and potential at Empire, we understand Phoenix lapsing the option on Gordon Lake to maintain their focus at Empire. NEW CLAIMS: HORSESHOE WINDY DEVIL NAVARRE CREEK The Horseshoe, Windy Devil, and Navarre Creek Blocks are situated to the north and to the west of the Empire Mine property. Horseshoe and Windy Devil are contiguous with Empire, while the Navarre Creek Block sits approximately 2.0-kilometres west of Windy Devil. Historical production from numerous adits and shafts in the Horseshoe Block, including the former Horseshoe Mine, was predominantly from quartz-carbonate veins in marbleized limestone near its contact with granite. Mineralisation is documented as predominantly galena and sphalerite, with minor chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite. Mining in the area dates back to the early 1900s and records indicate production as recently as 1979. The Horseshoe Mine produced 13,916 tons of vein ore grading 15.0% lead, 10.7 oz/t silver, 1.6% zinc and 0.13% copper from 1916 to 1971. In 1979, the mine is reported to have sent 2,900 tons of ore to the Empire Mine mill. This ore is reported to have graded 3.8% copper and 12% zinc (Idaho Geol. Surv. Staff Report 97-2, 1997, and USGS Bulletin 2064-I, 1995). This Horseshoe land package is an important addition to the Empire property because several outcrops of skarn have been reported by previous operators between the northern edge of the Empire claim block and the Horseshoe Mine. 2018 surface sampling results from Horseshoe are included below for reference (see ExGen Press Release dated November 8, 2018 for further details). Horseshoe Rock Chip Samples Sample % g/t Number Cu Zn Pb Au Ag W 458503 0.02 5.83 20.00 0.18 580.00 5 458504 0.01 0.05 0.04 0.02 2.90 50 458505 0.00 0.17 2.01 0.03 15.20 5 458506 0.00 0.04 0.04 0.01 1.30 5 458507 0.01 0.11 2.71 0.02 25.70 10 458508 0.02 0.02 0.01 0.01 0.80 5 458509 9.19 0.43 0.02 0.50 89.80 30 458510 0.19 1.26 5.08 0.08 84.80 40 458511 1.67 0.61 0.03 0.01 7.80 120 458513 1.95 1.77 0.81 0.48 367.00 40 458514 0.20 1.01 0.01 0.01 2.50 5 458515 0.06 0.03 0.00 0.01 1.60 5 458516 0.13 0.38 0.22 0.05 12.60 5 458517 0.02 0.06 0.27 0.05 30.40 5 458518 0.15 1.11 2.33 0.01 31.70 20 458519 0.47 3.21 3.06 0.01 38.30 30 458520 0.03 0.23 0.06 0.01 2.40 5 458521 2.93 1.41 0.04 0.01 39.40 790 458523 3.83 1.55 0.02 2.02 141.00 220 *Readers are cautioned that rock chip samples are selected samples and are not necessarily representative of the mineralization hosted on the property. The Windy Devil claim block hosts more than 30 historical shafts, adits and prospects to be investigated and sampled. The Navarre Creek Block covers an area of secondary alteration thought to be epithermal in nature and includes over 2.5-kilometres of highly brecciated, west-trending jasperoid intersecting of argillically and silicically altered Eocene Challis volcanics. The altered volcanic rocks are similar to the mineralised rocks in northern Nevada such as those found in the Carlin Trend. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL PROTOCOLS Copper, zinc and silver were determined by the ICP method. Copper and zinc >1%ICP are assayed using four-acid digestion and silver >100ppm by four acid digestion, whereas gold was determined by a 30gm fire assay followed by atomic absorption. The QP for this news release notes that Phoenix inserts at least 2 blanks, duplicates, or standards for every 20 samples submitted to the ALS assay laboratory in Nevada. Core samples are saw cut in half and stored in a secure facility. RC chips and channel samples are stored in the same secure facility. All samples are delivered to the laboratory under chain of custody protocol and submitted using sub-form sample numbers. QUALIFIED PERSON Roger Turner A.C.S.M., M.Sc., M.I.M.M.M., C.Eng., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and Chief Technical Officer and Director of Phoenix Global Mining, has reviewed and verified the technical mining information provided in this release. Mr. Turner is a graduate mining engineer from the Camborne School of Mines with an MSc in Economic Geology from Leicester University with more than 40 years experience in mine development, construction and operation. SHAREHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS As previously announced, ExGen also became a member of the 8020 Connect Inc., ("8020 Connect"), investor community. We invite all shareholders and stakeholders to join the ExGen Resources Inc. portal on 8020 Connect. Connect here http://bit.ly/8020exgen. ABOUT EXGEN RESOURCES INC. ExGen, formerly Boxxer Gold Corp, is a project accelerator that seeks to fund exploration and development of our projects through joint ventures and partnership agreements. This approach significantly reduces the technical and financial risks for ExGen, while maintaining the upside exposure to new discoveries and potential cash flow. The company intends to build a diverse portfolio of projects across exploration stages and various commodity groups. ExGen currently has 6 projects in Canada and the US. For more information on ExGen please contact ExGen Resources Inc. Jason Tong Chief Financial Officer Email: jason@catapultgroup.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains certain forward-looking information. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and such information involves various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information in relation to: the Empire Mine Project and the exploration and development of the Empire Mine Project; the earning of the Option by Phoenix and the potential transfer back to ExGen of the Konnex shares; the exploration and development strategy of the Empire Mine Project, including the exploration program, drilling, mine development, completion of a potential feasibility study in compliance with NI 43-101, and the timing for completion of these events; the timing for the completion of exploration drilling and the receipt of exploration information and drill assays; the potential of the underground sulphide mineralization and the potential re-opening of the 700 and 1100 level portals to assist in the analysis of the potential sulphide mineralization. The expanded claim package and strike length of the Empire Mine property and the potential for the new claims to host mineralization. The potential for the RedStar Zone and the Horseshoe Block to host copper mineralisation similar to that in the Empire Block. The potential for the Horseshoe Block, Windy Devil, and Navarre Creek to host further mineralization. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. There can be no assurance that the development of the Empire Mine Project will be completed, and if development is completed, that such development will result in a producing mine. In the forward looking information contained in this news release, ExGen has made numerous assumptions, based upon practices and methodologies which are consistent with the mineral industry. In addition, ExGen has assumed: the continued market acceptance of its joint venture partnership model; the ability of ExGen and its partners to raise future equity financing, if needed, at prices acceptable to ExGen or its partners; ExGen's current and initial understanding and analysis of the Empire Mine Project; the ability of ExGen or third parties to discover viable exploration targets and the results of exploration on the Empire Mine Project; the ability of Phoenix to explore and develop the Empire Mine Project; the cost of exploration, including sampling, drilling and assaying, on the Empire Mine Project, the costs of developing the Empire Mine Project and the costs and the ability of Phoenix to produce a feasibility study in compliance with NI 43-101; the costs and work required to re-open the 700 and 1100 level portals; and ExGen's general and administrative costs remaining sustainable. While, ExGen considers these assumptions to be reasonable, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies. Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause ExGen's observations, actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. Known risk factors include, among others: there is no certainty that the Option will result in significant or successful exploration of the Empire Mine Project or development of the Empire Mine Project into a producing mine; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineralization and uncertainty as to the actual results of exploration and development or operational activities; uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals; ExGen may not be able to comply with its ongoing obligations regarding its properties; the early stage development of ExGen and its projects, and in particular, the Empire Mine Project; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; capital market conditions and market prices for securities, junior market securities and mining exploration company securities; commodity prices, in particular copper, gold, silver, and zinc prices; competition; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; accidents and other risks inherent in the mining industry; lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting ExGen; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. A description of additional assumptions and risk factors used to develop such forward-looking information that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in ExGen's disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Although ExGen has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. ExGen does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws. NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is investigating potential breaches of fiduciary duty by certain officers and directors of Venator Materials PLC (NYSE: VNTR). Click here to participate in the action. In January 2017, a fire ravaged one of Venators most important plants for manufacturing titanium dioxide in Pori, Finland. Unbeknownst to investors, Venators registration statements filed in connection with its August 2017 Initial Public Offering (IPO) and its December 2017 Secondary Public Offering (SPO) failed to disclose the true extent of the fire damage to the companys facility and the cost to repair it. The Pori facility was virtually beyond repair, and any attempt to restore it would cost over $1 billion. Further, Venator had lost 80% of production capacity and 15% of the companys total nameplate capacity as a result of the fire. By December 17, 2018, Venators share price had plummeted to only $3.65 per share 81% below its IPO price and 83% below the SPO price. If you would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Brandon Walker or Melissa Fortunato by email at investigations@bespc.com , or telephone at (212) 355-4648, or by filling out this contact form . There is no cost or obligation to you. Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a New York-based law firm concentrating in commercial and securities litigation. For additional information concerning our investigation into Venator Corporation and Encourages Investors to Contact the Firm please go to https://bespc.com/vntr/ . For additional information about Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. please go to www.bespc.com . Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Contacts Presidente @MartinVizcarraC : Tenemos que convertir este crecimiento en desarrollo. Para lograrlo trabajamos con una vision integral, de enfoque social, cuidando el medio ambiente, combatiendo la violencia contra la mujer y otros temas de vital importancia. pic.twitter.com/KoiJSRlHzj Presidente @MartinVizcarraC: Tenemos un gran reto por delante y para superarlo necesitamos sociedades y gobiernos como aliados estrategicos. Estamos en Espana, pais con el cual tenemos una relacion de amistad, comercial, cultural y artistica que buscamos reforzar y consolidar. pic.twitter.com/GQwMb88N0u "The error was that (in the previous 2010 application) the history of Peruvian cuisine and all regions were included," Mariano Valderrama, former representative of the Peruvian Gastronomy Association (APEGA) and an expert on Ceviche told EFE. "But that isn't the line Unesco follows, if we take a look at how Mexico achieved its status in 2010 with Michoacan food being recognized as a paradigm of Mexican cuisine," Valderrama said in reference to the rustic and hearty food from the central Mexican state also known as the "Soul of Mexico." Soledad Mujica, director for intangible cultural heritage at Peru's Culture Ministry, told EFE that the 2010 application did not meet the criteria that Unesco sets in order to achieve world heritage status. "Unesco requires, as a first step, a clear definition of what is being tendered to be considered intangible cultural heritage, in order to then define how it meets the standards from a cultural point of view taking into consideration traditions, customs, and wisdom," Mujica added. It is a very complex application process and the endeavor to include the entirety of Peruvian cuisine in the tender was impossible given the word limit, she continued. "There are 3,000 dishes in Peruvian cuisine. It is impossible to elaborate on all Peruvian cuisine, the historical side alone wouldn't fit on the form," Mujica said. zarandaja ," (a type of pulse) and yuca (a starchy tuberous root from the tropics). So, the choice to champion Ceviche relied on the fact that it is "a dish which is anchored in the Peruvian psyche, in the mountains, by the sea, and in the jungle," the civil servant said adding that it represented the diversity of the nation with communities using either fresh-water fish or seafood depending on their location, pairing it with various side dishes such as sweet potato, corn on the cob, "," (a type of pulse) and yuca (a starchy tuberous root from the tropics). Ceviche is the most representative dish of Peruvian cuisine according to an Ipsos 2018 report whereby 77% of surveyed Peruvians overwhelmingly identified it as the national dish with other dishes such as " Pachamanca " a traditional but complex recipe that bakes spiced meats inside an underground oven made of hot stones at 25% and 23% voting for " Lomo Saltado " a sirloin beef stir-fry that has been marinated with tomatoes and onions, served with fried potatoes and rice. "It is a product that has its origins in the Pacific basin, given (that) it is also consumed in Polynesia, Ecuador, Chile, and Mexico, but it is only in Peru where it is one of the most consumed and popular dishes," Valderrama added. The fact that Ceviche is also a social pursuit was also taken into consideration for the submission, chef Adolfo Perret told EFE. "It is a dish that is anchored within homes, in our family units. It is an expression of where we come from and who we are," Perret added. A key factor for choosing Ceviche as Peru's contender for Unesco's intangible cultural heritage was the fact it ticked various boxes including its diversity, nutritional value, and sustainability. Sustainability in particular could be decisive for this nomination, which taps into the protection of Peruvian seas that have faced several conservation challenges and for which Peru will have to ponder how it can include details as to how it would safeguard the oceans and fish, a required step in the application process for the prestigious Unesco title. In line with this, the Unesco working group were also developing action plans, commitments and timelines in a bid to curb the threat rivers, lakes, and oceans face with plastic pollution, illegal fishing techniques that rely on dynamite or banned nets and a demand to respect quotas on sizes of fish. "The work will not finish the day we are all celebrating that Ceviche is considered a Cultural Heritage, but rather the work will start then," Perret continued. Those of you who read what I write know what I have written about the political conundrum in Malaysia these last many months. You know I have written not... Seattle, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LMN Architects is pleased to celebrate 40 years of architecture, interior design, and urban design. The firm will be organizing several events to commemorate this significant anniversary and has recently established the LMN Architects Endowed Fellowship at the University of Washington. Since its 1979 founding in Seattle, Washington, LMN Architects has dedicated its practice to the health and vitality of communities of all scales. Internationally recognized for the planning and design of environments that elevate the social experience, the firm works across a diversity of project typologies, encompassing higher education facilities, science and technology, cultural venues, conference and convention centers, urban mixed-use projects, transportation, and other programs that celebrate community. Well known for design of both public and private projects that generously contribute to the broader civic experience, LMNs unique and distinctive projects share a common approach to how they work for people whether in a campus, city, neighborhood, or workplace. Forty years ago, George Loschky, Judsen Marquardt, and John Nesholm envisioned a practice devoted to the public realm. Innovative design inquiry and collaboration have continued to drive the core practice, and the firm is now composed of architects, interior designers, urban planners, computer scientists, and specialists committed to advancing the principles that define LMNs philosophy of practice. Today LMN Architects is led by partners John Chau, Sam Miller, Walt Niehoff, Wendy Pautz, Mark Reddington, George Shaw, Stephen Van Dyck, and Rafael Vinoly-Menendez, and employs 150 professionals. The quality of LMNs work has been recognized with nearly 300 national and international design awards, including the prestigious 2016 National Architecture Firm Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The firms commitment to civic life has been a strong force in helping shape the city of Seattle, exploring the potential of architecture to strengthen the cultural identity and create sustainable places that bring people together around civic life. LMN has designed 240 projects and delivered more than 100 projects in the Seattle metropolitan area, including many of the landmark projects that define its cultural life. Significant Seattle projects include Benaroya Hall; McCaw Hall; MOHAI; Seattle Asian Art Museum; numerous planning and design assignments for Sound Transit including the recently competed station at UW; various projects at the University of Washington such as PACAAR Hall and Dempsey Hall at the Foster School of Business, and the Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering. LMN also designed the Seattle Central Library in a joint venture with the Office of Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). Current and recently completed projects in Seattle include the new Hyatt Regency Hotel Downtown; the Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington; the Washington State Convention Center Expansion, currently under construction; and the Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion on the new waterfront, currently in design. LMN firm members frequently contribute to community dialogue that addresses Seattles most pressing civic and cultural issues, and the firm also contributes time and expertise to civic task force commissions and industry organizations. LMN believes that sharing responsibility for the public engagement with architecture is an important obligation of the profession. Firm members are known for extensive participation in national, regional, and local architecture programs. The firm is nationally recognized as a leader in the design of highly sustainable buildings, with numerous awards for environmentally sensitive design. LMN Tech Studio, the firms in-house research and development lab, builds on this commitment to green architecture through digital applications that streamline design, fabrication and construction processes. The firm embraces the growing complexity and diversity of facility programs, collaborators, and project delivery methods. Throughout its history of designing community-focused projects, LMN has perfected collaborative models that expand the effectiveness of multifaceted, nontraditional teams. The work embodies a multidisciplinary, team-based approach, and the firm has employed this philosophy through more than 100 architecture collaborators on projects throughout North America. LMN Architects has worked in 34 States as well as locations in Canada, and is a leader in developing the tools of architectural practice required to produce projects that support smart, sustainable, cities. The firm has successfully completed more than 700 projects across North America, including the double LEED Platinum Vancouver Convention Centre West in Vancouver, Canada; Cleveland Convention Center & Civic Core in Cleveland, Ohio; Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio, Texas; and the Voxman Music Building at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. To commemorate the 40th anniversary of LMN Architects, the firm is proud to announce the creation of the LMN Architects Endowed Fellowship at the University of Washington in Seattle. The UW Department of Architecture embodies a distinct culture in response to the increasingly global character of modern practice, as reflected in its diverse international programs. Through this new fellowship, LMN will support graduate students and future leaders in architecture focused on women and/or students of color typically underrepresented in the field of architecture. The firms ongoing dedication to communities at all scales is underscored by its important, iconic work across the Puget Sound region and beyond, while its continuing efforts to advance the design and construction industry will have far-reaching effects for decades to come. All images courtesy of LMN Architects: https://we.tl/t-X0SqQlABam For more information on the work of LMN Architects, please visit lmnarchitects.com YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of emergency situations informs that on February 28, as of 09:00, some roads are closed and difficult to pass in Armenia, reports Armenpress. Vardenyats Pass is closed. The roads of Dilijan are closed for trucks. Sotk-Karvachar highway is difficult to pass. Snowfalls are reported on a number of towns of several provinces. Drivers are urged to use winter tires. The Georgian authorities inform that the Stepantsminda-Lars highway is open for all types of vehicles. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. US President Donald Trump and North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un ended their talks in an extended format in Hanoi, Vietnam on February 28, TASS reported. The main negotiation part of the Trump-Kim second summit lasted over two hours. Currently the two leaders are participating in a luncheon at the La Club Bar restaurant. This is the second summit of the US President and the North Korean leader in the history. The first Trump-Kim summit took place on June 12, 2018 in Singapore. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. The traffic department of the German infrastructure ministry told Armenias ministry of transport, communication and information technologies that on February 28, as of 10:00, the Stepantsminda-Lars highway is open for all types of vehicles, the ministry told Armenpress. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government during todays session approved the bill on Approving the timetable of Action Plan for implementing the provisions of the Women, Peace and Security resolution of the UN Security Council, reports Armenpress. The development of Armenias Action Plan in this sphere will enable to solve a number of key issues for the country, such as keeping the spotlight on the socio-economic development issues of women of the bordering communities, ensuring special protection for displaced women and girls, thanks to the localization of the provisions of the aforementioned resolution, deputy foreign minister Grigor Hovhannisyan said at the Cabinet meeting while introducing the bill. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. The position of the Turkish authorities doesnt enable to seriously talk about the Armenian-Turkish relations, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said during the meeting with the Armenian community representatives in Iran, reports Armenpress. Turkey continues linking our bilateral relations with the Karabakh issue, in other words with the Armenia-Karabakh-Azerbaijan relations. Therefore, as long as the situation is such, unfortunately, we cannot have a base for optimism. Although we have stated and continue stating that we are ready to discuss these relations without preconditions, but this means that Turkey should not have preconditions, but today it pushes forward a precondition which is linked with the Karabakh issue, the Armenian PM said. In this context Pashinyan stated that the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is very important for the Armenian authorities. But now a question can arise: you say that you are ready for these relations without preconditions, blame Turkey on having preconditions, refer to the Genocide, whether this is not a precondition? We say very clearly that the international recognition of the Genocide is not an issue of relations between Armenia and Turkey, it is a matter of fight against genocides and global security agenda, and pursuing the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide we consider as our contribution to the global security and the global fight against genocides. We will continue pursuing the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, he said. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. U.S. Rep. Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. issued a statement on the massacres of Sumgait, condemning the horrific attacks against the Armenian people committed by Azerbaijan 31 years ago, reports Armenpress. I rise today to commemorate the Sumgait pogroms, one of the most horrific attacks against the Armenian people committed by the hands of Azerbaijanis 31 years ago today. On February 27, 1988, hundreds of Armenian civilians living in the city of Sumgait in Azerbaijan were indiscriminately killed, raped, maimed, and even burned alive for no reason other than their ethnicity. This senseless violence was instigated by hostile, anti-Armenian rhetoric from Azerbaijani citizens and officials against innocent Armenians, the Congressman said in the statement. He noted that for over three decades, Azerbaijan has taken steps to cover up these crimes against humanity and dismiss the atrocities at Sumgait. He added that even more disturbing is that the perpetrators of this event and similar violent attacks have since been lauded as national heroes by the Azerbaijani government. It is critical for the United States government to recognize and denounce violent assaults against civilians. That is why I continue to stand with the Armenian people in condemning this horrific massacre. Tragically, the Azerbaijani governments approach toward the Armenian people has not changed much since the Sumgait pogroms were initiated. We still hear the same violent rhetoric and witness the intimidation tactics aimed at the people of the Republic of Artsakh. If we do not condemn crimes against humanity and allow them to go unpunished and unrecognized we only strengthen the resolve of those seeking to perpetrate these crimes in the future. It is especially critical to consider this as we prepare to commemorate the 104th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in April. I will continue to work with my colleagues on the Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus to remember the victims of the pogroms at Sumgait and condemn all acts of violence against people who are targeted simply because of their existence. I hope my colleagues will join me in rejecting violent rhetoric and intimidation and renewing our commitment to achieving a collective peace, Frank Pallone Jr. concluded. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), Vice-Chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, issued a statement condemning the Armenian massacres in Sumgait committed by Azerbaijan 31 years ago, reports Armenpress. On February 27 1988, and for three days following, Azerbaijani mobs assaulted and killed Armenians. The violence left hundreds of Armenian civilians dead and injured, women and girls were raped, and some victims were burned alive. Thousands were forced to flee their homes, leaving behind their belonging, the Congressman said in the statement. Strictly criticizing the Azerbaijani authorities racist policy, Adam Schiff stated that the pogroms came as a direct result of years of vicious, racist anti-Armenian propaganda by Azerbaijani authorities, dehumanizing the Armenian residents of Azerbaijan and laying the groundwork for mass violence. Azerbaijani authorities made little effort to punish those responsible, instead attempting to cover up the atrocities in Sumgait to this day and denying the government role in instigating the killings. Indeed, even today, racist propaganda against Armenia and Armenians is prevalent in Azerbaijan, the statement added. The Congressman in his statement also touched upon the murder of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan by an Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov with an axe at a NATO sponsored training in Budabest 15 years ago, describing this as a horrific crime which reflects Azerbaijans hatred and aggression towards Armenia. There is no more dramatic illustration of Azerbaijans continued posture of hatred and aggression towards their Armenian neighbor than their celebration of a cold-blooded murderer, he said, condemning Safarovs extradition to Azerbaijan and declaring him a hero. In two months we will mark the 104th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, an event the Turkish government, Azerbaijans closest ally, goes to great lengths to deny. We must not let such crimes against humanity go unrecognized, whether they occurred yesterday or 30 years ago or 100 years ago. Today, let us pause to remember the victims of the atrocities of the Sumgait pogroms. It is our moral obligation to condemn crimes of hatred and to remember the victims, in hope that history will not be repeated, Adam Schiff said. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Regardless of being a state official, everyone must be equal before the law, State Control Service Director Davit Sanasaryan said in response to two of his agents being arrested by the National Security Service. Samvel Adyan and Gevorg Khachatryan are one of the exemplary and best agents of the State Control Service. Their guilt must still be proven. I have called on our National Security Service colleagues to maintain confidentiality during the investigation phase, he told reporters today when asked to comment on the matter. Such information should not appear in the hands of people infamous for bullshit, he said, without further elaboration. He was apparently referring to the fact that the information about the arrest was leaked before authorities had made an official statement. He said his agency will continue fulfilling their duties. He vowed to continue combating corruption. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Egypt are strengthening the economic ties. On February 28 the Armenian-Egyptian Business Association and the International Business Relations Support Council signed an agreement according to which the sides are going to implement joint programs. The signing ceremony was also attended by Egyptian Ambassador to Armenia Bahaa El Din Bahgat Dessouki. This agreement should serve for improving the Armenian-Egyptian economic relations. We are also happy to see the Ambassador here, Chairman of the Armenian-Egyptian Business Association Eduard Manukyan said. The IBRS Council chair Mariam Manukyan expressed confidence that as a result of the agreement great opportunities will be created this year. I think that by the end of the year when we sum up our joint works, we will have a lot to say. And the report will be a great chance to be proud of based on the results of our activities, she said. The Egyptian Ambassador to Armenia highly appreciated the fact that such an agreement has been signed. We have perfect relations with Armenia in political, cultural and other areas. However, unfortunately, there isnt a similar high-level cooperation in economic and trade sectors. That is the reason we are trying to work on this direction to contribute to the development of both commercial and economic ties, he said. The Ambassador noted that this agreement is a beginning for broad cooperation. The two countries have great opportunities for trade and even investments. He said sometimes certain people in Egypt, who want to invest in Armenia or launch a business, think that the Armenian market is small. But the Ambassador emphasized that many markets are open for Armenia. The sides of the agreement should implement joint programs for the benefit of the business field in Armenia, as well as hold business forums and international exhibitions within the frames of which important meetings will take place. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Egyptian Ambassador to Armenia Bahaa El Din Bahgat Dessouki says his country will try to present Armenian goods to African countries during its tenure as President at the African Union. This year, in 2019 Egypt is chairing the African Union, he told reporters today. And we can open the African market for Armenian products also. He said Egypt is ready to promote Armenian goods at the African Union. Dessouki, who took office as ambassador a month ago, says he has met with the President of the Chamber of Commerce in Armenia to understand what Armenia needs and what it can offer to Egypt. The ambassador says he is yet to receive a list of products that Armenia can export to Egypt. The Egyptian ambassador says he too will then submit their list. Dessouki vowed to provide assistance as soon as he receives the list of potentially exportable goods. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan Founder Ruairi Spillane recognized in Best Immigrant Entrepreneur category for building a free one-stop-shop information hub and support network for newcomers to Canada VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The winners of 16th Annual Small Business BC Awards have been officially announced, and Moving2Canada has come out on top in the Best Immigrant Entrepreneur category. Founder Ruairi Spillane convinced the judges that Moving2Canada was a sustainable business with a strong purpose and immense growth potential, and in doing so, he held off four worthy competitors. With the award he is recognized for his strong leadership in business and service to the local immigrant community, and for both overcoming the challenges of starting a business as a newcomer to Canada as well as building a community to help other newcomers from around the world succeed in their new home. For me the purpose of Moving2Canada was always to pay down the support I received after I moved to Canada. In a year when immigration looks set to be front and centre on the national political agenda,winning the Best Immigrant Entrepreneur Award is a strong signal to our community that their efforts matter, that immigrants supporting immigrants is recognized in Canada, and that paying it down keeps paying off. To my mind, this award is a recognition of the hard work my team has put into building this community and it definitely gives us added drive in promoting Canada as a great place to live and work, said Ruairi Spillane after accepting the award at the Small Business BC Awards Gala in Vancouver on February 21, 2019. In attendance to bring awareness to the critical role entrepreneurship plays in Canadas economy were the Honourable Mary Ng, Federal Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion, as well as the Honourable Bruce Ralston, B.C. Minister of Jobs, Trade, and Technology. Speaking about his business idea, he added: Canada is a fantastic product to share with the world. We have a unique culture defined by immigration. To live in such a diverse, peaceful country with strong economic conditions and where cultural diversity is celebrated, is a dream for many people who want to improve their lives. I was keen to find a business idea that would solve a real problem and provide an innovative solution. So I asked myself, what if we could build a community-focused one-stop-shop with information thats up-to-date, scalable and free? That would be a game changer for newcomers! As Moving2Canada, we make moving easier. Our team have all walked this same path before and take pride in building an independent platform for our growing community. The Moving2Canada business model is based on a community-first approach. Ruairi did not want to become just another gatekeeper of information, and instead wanted to open the gate and ensure that Moving2Canada could be used by immigrants from all over the world. He decided to study the needs of immigrants and focus the commercial model around creating partnerships with products and services that could add value to his audience. Our magic formula is that we understand our community and have become experts in serving the needs of this pre-arrival segment, at a time when scant few Canadian brands are engaging with them, he concludes. Commenting on the challenges of an immigrant entrepreneur, one of the main criteria of this award, Ruairi had this to say: All entrepreneurs face challenges. When you combine the entrepreneurial world with the immigrant world, the challenges become even larger. Sometimes its a lonely journey as we chase our dreams. The lack of a support network was the biggest challenge for me. Working long hours away from home in a new country left me feeling isolated. The Irish immigrant community in Vancouver became my support network. The Moving2Canada.com website, and its sister-site Outpost Recruitment, attract more than 300,000 visitors globally every month. Since 2012, the websites have been helping people plan their move and find work in Canada. Moving2Canada has been endorsed by Ireland's Ambassador to Canada and the Irish Canadian Immigration Centre (I/CAN). Quotes: Congratulations to all the nominees of the Small Business BC Awards. Owning a successful business takes hard work, determination, and talent, said the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion. Thats why the Government of Canada is committed to making it easier for small businesses to start up, scale up, and access new markets. When small businesses thrive, our economy grows and middle-class jobs are created for Canadians. The Small Business BC and Open for Business Awards honour small businesses and the communities that help them succeed, said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Jobs, Trade and Technology. The awards showcased the achievements of some of the provinces most innovative entrepreneurs who continue to drive B.C.s economy forward, creating good jobs for people in every corner of the province. The judges for the Best Immigrant Entrepreneur category had this to say about Moving2Canada: This business has found a niche and is serving it brilliantly. They have a keen entrepreneur's spirit and innovative ideas, and it was easy to see the passion demonstrated by the business owner and how his personal experience as an immigrant enabled him to tackle the challenges of creating and growing a business. Notes to Editor: The Moving2Canada team currently consists of six Irish citizens (two naturalised as Canadian citizens), one German, one Israeli and one Canadian. You can learn more about our individual backgrounds here . Ruairi Spillane (35), from Beaufort, Ireland, emigrated to Canada in 2008 to take up a role in finance. The onset of the global financial crisis soon after his move made him question his career choice. It also opened him up to interactions and queries from would-be Irish immigrants interested in moving to Canada, which helped shape his business idea. He set up Moving2Canada as a free information resource in 2012 and later that year launched a recruitment agency, Moving2Canada Recruitment (now called Outpost Recruitment), focused on assisting immigrants find work in Canada. Ruairi is a founding member of the Ireland-Canada Chamber of Commerce in Vancouver and has been recognized for his contributions to helping newcomers to Canada become successful. If you wish to reach out to him directly, please contact Ruairi at: Email: ruairi@moving2canada.com Phone: +1 778 861 1244 YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Anna Hakobyan, spouse of Armenias Prime Minister, visited the Araks Armenian national school in Tehran during the visit to Iran, reports Armenpress. Mrs. Hakobyan was accompanied by wife of Armenias Ambassador to Iran Mrs. Anahit Tumanyan. During the tour Anna Hakobyan got acquainted with the school conditions, talked to the students and teachers. The Armenian PMs spouse recommended the school children to use the time right, read a lot and study well. He who has a lot of knowledge benefits in life. This knowledge will always help you at all stages of life, Anna Hakobyan said. During the Tehran visit Anna Hakobyan also met with Parvin Dadandish, the wife of the chief of staff of Irans President. Mrs. Hakobyan stated that Tehran is a unique city, and she already managed to feel that uniqueness in this short period of time. Hakobyan said her spouse, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, visited Iran when he was a journalist and an MP, and always warmly talks about Tehran. During the visit Anna Hakobyan also met with women who carry out active works in the Armenian community of Tehran. At the meeting the Armenian PMs spouse thoroughly introduced the activities and programs of My Step and City of Smile foundations led by her. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. The delegation led by Chairman of the State Revenue Committee of Armenia Davit Ananyan is in Italy on a two-day working visit, the SRC told Armenpress. In Rome Davit Ananyan met with Director General of the Revenue Agency of Italy Antonino Maggiore during which they discussed the cooperation issues between the two structures, in particular, within the frames of the Tax Inspectors Without Borders program. Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) is a joint initiative of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supporting countries in building tax audit capacity. TIWB Programmes complement the broader efforts of the international community to strengthen co-operation on tax matters and contribute to the domestic resource mobilisation efforts of developing countries. At the same time, the two officials also discussed the SRCs role in this program. Davit Ananyan and Antonino Maggiore signed a statement on Intentions to launch the program in Armenia. During the visit the SRC Chairman is also expected to meet with the Armenian Ambassador to Italy. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Armenias cooperation with THALES, a French company providing services for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security markets, will allow to connect with one another the global leading high technologies with the skills Armenia and the Armenian specialists have, reports Armenpress. The company delegation arrived in Armenia at the initiative and invitation of President Armen Sarkissian. The delegation is led by THALES Vice President, regional director Paul Remi. The company Vice President met with President Sarkissian at the Presidential Palace. I am very happy that you are satisfied from the visit to Armenia and I expect that the visit will give its results in the future. From our side I can confirm that we will do everything within our capacities to make the cooperation possible. We expect to create a number of joint ventures between THALES and Armenian companies, the Armenian President said, adding that he is looking forward to see them again in Armenia for creating a new industry of the 21st century. In his turn Paul Remi thanked the President for the invitation and stated that this can be a very productive visit for them. He also met with deputy prime minister Tigran Avinyan, secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan, visited the Synopsis Armenia, PicsArt and the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies. Our company is one of the leaders in Europe in the field of high technologies. The cooperation with Armenia is very promising and natural because what I saw here talks about the fact that there is a firm readiness by everyone, Paul Remi said. He stated that during the meeting with the Armenian deputy PM he affirmed the agreements existing with the government and the organizations he met with. I met with businessmen, students, young people and NGO representatives. I was very impressed with the fact of the connection of the industrial world and the education sector that are being developed by the institutes and universities. This is a right communication. This is also a right path for countries like France which can learn something new from the experience of here, he said. At a meeting with reporters Paul Remi stated that the visit to Armenia was an exploratory mission as he hasnt visited Armenia for a long time. The goal was to examine all experiments and ventures. I saw there are many ecosystem companies here which are quite active, there are many companies specialized in pictures and videos. I also saw companies which are making investments, Paul Remi said, adding that all this has positive tendencies. As for the future cooperation the THALES Vice President said he must collect the whole information and discuss it with his colleagues. We need to find business models, reveal the programs and then collect team for it. My duty is to find a team, people who are ready to come and observe the business opportunities with the possible partners of Armenia, he said, adding that its still early to talk about their decisions. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Armenias Minister of Economic Development and Investments Tigran Khachatryan says becoming a transit country for Iranian gas will only have positive impact on Armenia. He says the potential of a gas pipeline is sufficient for enhancing the volumes of imported gas from Iran. The possibility of being a transit country for Iranian gas and importing more gas can only have positive impact on efficiently utilizing the existing infrastructure in Armenia. As far as I know the existing capacities allow to double the volumes, he told reporters today after the Cabinet meeting. Earlier on February 27, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan told Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during an official visit in Tehran that Armenia is ready to become a transit country for Iranian gas. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. The nearly $20,000,000 that former President Serzh Sargsyans brother Alexander Sargsyan donated to the state will be used for acquiring armaments for the military. The National Security Service has disclosed details from the criminal case around Sargsyan in a response to an inquiry from RFE/RLs Armenian service Azatutyun. According to the report, Alexander Sargsyan has paid more than 3 billion drams in taxes as result of tax inspections amid the investigation, and has also voluntarily donated 19,600,000 dollars with the purpose of buying weaponry for the armed forces. Alexander Sargsyan, a former lawmaker, is charged with fraud. He has been confined to the country limits with a signature bond, the National Security Service told Azatutyun. According to the same source, Alexander Sargsyans other assets are frozen. These include nearly 4 million dollars. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan on February 28 received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Armenia Tian Erlong, the deputy PMs Office told Armenpress. At the meeting the Armenian deputy PM said the government attaches great importance to the productive and mutually beneficial cooperation with China and will continue taking practical steps to further develop the bilateral ties. The sides discussed issues on further deepening and expanding the Armenian-Chinese commercial relations and in this regard highlighted the activities of the Armenian-Chinese inter-governmental commission the next session of which will take place in the nearest future. The officials thoroughly discussed the opportunities to increase the export volumes of Armenian food industry and alcoholic products to China, as well as the implementation of new programs in energy and transportation sectors. In the context of promoting the contacts between the tourism and business circles, they attached importance to the facilitation of the visa regime between the two countries. During the meeting the sides also touched upon Armenias possible participation to the 2nd China International Import Expo to take place in Shangai in November. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, 28 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 28 February, USD exchange rate is up by 0.34 drams to 489.72 drams. EUR exchange rate is up by 0.14 drams to 557.84 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate stood at 7.44 drams. GBP exchange rate is up by 1.44 drams to 651.43 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price is down by 20.15 drams to 20828.09 drams. Silver price is up by 0.64 drams to 249.71 drams. Platinum price is up by 245.50 drams to 13666.54 drams. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. 58 out of those released under amnesty last year in Armenia have again committed a crime, ARMENPRESS reports Chief of Police of Armenia Valeri Osipyan said this at a briefing with journalists. "About 58 out of those released under amnesty have committed a crime. 104 cases of crime have been recorded. They were different types of crimes, " Osipyan said. Osipyan mentioned that there has been a certain increase in criminal cases in general, but it is not so much to worry about. They are mostly thefts. In connection with the celebration of the 2800th anniversary of Yerevan and 100th anniversary of proclamation of the independence of the first Republic of Armenia, an amnesty was declared in criminal cases in the Republic of Armenia in 2018a. 581 people were released under amnesty. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. The massacre of the Armenian population of Sumgait on February 27-29, 1988, was a deliberate and planned crimecommitted by political, national and religious motives and conformed to the notion of genocide, ARMENPRESS reports this is stated in the statement of the Artsakh Union of Armenian Refugees from Azerbaijan. Mass pogroms and killings of the Armenian population took place in Sumgait on 27-29 February 1988, a few hundred kilometres away from Artsakh. According to official information published by the Azerbaijani authorities, who tried to conceal the scale of the crime in every possible way, 26 Armenians were killed, several hundred were injured and maimed as a result of the Sumgait massacre. However, according to eyewitness accounts, the real number of those killed and injured significantly exceeded the data presented by the Azerbaijani authorities. As it turned out later, the bodies of murdered Armenians were taken to different morgues in Baku and other towns. The Azerbaijani authorities upon the silent agreement of the Soviet leadership tried to hide not only the scale, but also the real causes and motives of the committed crime. For this purpose, there has been no single overall investigation process, and the case was split into 80 episodes. Such an approach to the investigation of the Sumgait massacre and investigation management in general, deliberately excluded the search andidentification of the true organizers of this crime and bringing them to justice. As a result, most of the perpetrators received minor sentences and were released soon after. There are facts indicating that the massacre of the Armenian population of Sumgait was a deliberate and pre-planned crime committed on political, national and religious grounds and falling under the definition of genocide. In particular: representatives of the Sumgait authorities very actively participated in the anti-Armenian rallies of February 26-27, where calls were made to kill Armenians; weapons for the thugs, including sharpened rebars and iron rods, were prepared in advance at Sumgait factories; pogromists had lists of addresses of Armenian apartments compiled at housing management offices; municipal and republican law enforcement agencies did not respond to riots and public violence. The pogroms of Armenians in Sumgait predetermined the subsequent unfolding of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict. They clearly demonstrated that the Azerbaijani authorities relied on violence, murder and ethnic cleansing as a means of resolving the conflict. The lack of a proper legal assessment of the mass crime committed on 27-29 February 1988 against the Armenian population of Sumgait, gave rise to a false sense of permissiveness among the Azerbaijani authorities. A few months later portraits of Sumgait murderers appeared at rallies in Baku with slogans "Long live the heroes of Sumgait!". Impunity has led to widespread terror against the Armenian population throughout Azerbaijan. As a result of the wave of Armenian pogroms that swept across the Azerbaijani SSR in 1988-1991, hundreds of Armenians were killed, tens of thousands were forcibly deported, and hundreds of thousands became refugees. Today, against the backdrop of calls by international mediators to prepare societies for peace the issue of legal assessment and responsibility for crimes against humanity committed in the Azerbaijani SSR from 1988 to 1991 is becoming relevant. Obviously, the impunity of crimes against humanity, glorification and heroization of murderers ranging from Sumgait pogromists to Ramil Safarov, attempts to justify the grave crimes committed in Artsakh by Dilham Askerov and Shahbaz Guliyev and encouragement by the top leadership of Azerbaijan of servicemen who committed war crimes in April 2016 cannot serve as a basis for building peace, reads the statement. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. The representative of Armenia to the UN gave a speech at the UN Human Rights Councils 40th session on February 28 in Geneva, responding to the announcements of the foreign ministers of Turkey and Azerbaijan, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of MFA Armenia. The statement of the MFA runs as follows, The representative of Armenia mentioned in his speech that the motivation of the foreign minister of Turkey to make such an announcement was the complex of dissatisfaction, combined with the desire to present his country as a regional power. It was mentioned that Turkey is far away from democratic principles and is the last country to have the right to speak about human right violations, since thousands of journalists, human rights defenders and activists, academic representatives and critics of the current leadership of Turkey are either in jail or have been expelled from the country. Referring to the announcement of the foreign minister of Azerbaijan, it was emphasized that if Azerbaijan is sincere in its goals to establish truth and justice in the region, they should refer to the massacres of Armenians in Sumgait instead of presenting their false history, the so-called Khojaly events, which heralded the launch of Armenian massacres and ethnic cleanings in Baku, Ganja (Kirovabad), as well as in Nagorno Karabakh. The extreme exaggeration of false victims is not the best method for preparing peoples to peace. At the end of the speech it was emphasized, that instead of its traditional anti-Armenian propaganda, Azerbaijan should spare no efforts to protect universal human rights, including the right of the peoples to self-determination, against which it has struggled since the creation of its statehood. In conclusion, the representative of Armenia noted that both Turkey and Azerbaijan, before speaking about human rights, should first make al least minimal efforts to improve their concerning reputation in that sphere. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Harbert United States Real Estate Fund VI, L.P. (HUSREF VI), in conjunction with BoundTrain Real Estate (BoundTrain), recently acquired 6400 and 6402 Arlington Boulevard, two prominent office towers totaling over 400,000 square feet in Falls Church, Virginia, near the District of Columbia. BoundTrain and HUSREF VI closed on the property on February 22, 2019 and intend to implement a major rebranding and refreshing of the property. Planned improvements include adding a tenant lounge, modernizing the conference center and fitness center, and activating the plaza and outdoor spaces. The property is located within the Falls Church submarket of the Washington D.C. MSA, and is uniquely positioned to meet tenant demand in the improving Northern Virginia office market. About BoundTrain Real Estate BoundTrain is a private real estate investment firm, founded by Michael A. Klein in 2018 to pursue value-add and opportunistic real estate transactions throughout the Washington D.C. market, along with select other markets in the Eastern U.S. BoundTrain is an entrepreneurial firm with a stated goal to find and execute on sound long-term real estate opportunities by utilizing its market knowledge and resources, strategic top down and bottom up approach to selecting opportunities and markets, data-driven analysis, and rigorous underwriting. The results will be a high-level of service to both tenants and clients and excellent returns to investors. About Harbert Management Corporation HUSREF VI is sponsored by Harbert Management Corporation (HMC). HMC, together with its sponsored funds, has owned, developed and managed multifamily, office, industrial, retail, self-storage, and mixed use properties throughout the United States. HMC has a history of identifying real estate investment opportunities through its network of long-term, strategic relationships. HUSREF VIs approach is hands-on, targeting properties that the HUSREF VI Investment Team believes are undervalued, and where value can be created through focused operational management. HMC has approximately $6.4 billion in regulatory assets under management as of January 31, 2019. Additional information about HMC can be found at www.harbert.net. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a5952934-80ae-4e6c-9184-976e47520794 Staff and students at St Therese Sipatako Primary School ERIC TAPAKAU | Bougainville Copper Ltd BUKA - More than 400 primary school teachers are now equipped to bring the transformative benefits of a standards-based curriculum to Panguna and Kieta District classrooms in central Bougainville. Bougainville Copper was delighted to support the Bougainville governments education department in providing a week of intensive training for 380 teachers at Tupukas, Arawa and St Therese Sipatako primary schools. The company contributed K80,000 as part of its broader community investment program. Chairman Sir Mel Togolo said the move to standards-based training was about putting in place the best possible structures to support the learning and development of our children. The training is essential to building the necessary capacity among our teachers to bring to life standards-based education in their classrooms, Sir Mel said. Lawyers for a Frenchman accused of murdering four people in a terrorist attack at the Jewish museum in Brussels insisted Thursday their client was not the killer, as his trial nears its end. Defence lawyers said Mehdi Nemmouche, 33, was not to blame for the cold-blooded slaughter in May 2014, claiming he was caught up in some kind of plot involving the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. Nemmouche, a serial criminal radicalised in prison who allegedly fought for jihadist groups in Syria, faces life in prison if found guilty of four counts of terrorist murder, with the jury expected to give its verdict on March 7. His lawyer Sebastien Courtoy said the prosecution case was "manipulated and bogus". Courtoy expressed doubts about videos claiming responsiblity for the attack that were found when Nemmouche was arrested, contesting expert evidence identifying the voice on tape as that of the defendant. "The man making the claim is linguistically handicapped. In five minutes he makes eight mistakes," Courtoy told the court in his closing statement, saying his client spoke "faultless" French. Courtoy said -- for the first time during the seven-week trial -- that others could have had access to the Brussels apartment Nemmouche rented before the attack, including to his computer and to his personal belongings. The lawyer also attacked the testimony of two French journalists who told the trial they had no doubt Nemmouche was the man who imprisoned and tortured them when they were captured in Syria in 2013. According to the defence, the museum shooting was not the work of the Islamic State group but a "targeted execution" aimed at Mossad agents. The defence says the Israeli couple who were killed were in fact Mossad agents murdered by a man who had hunted them down. Judges investigating the museum attack last month told the court there was no evidence to support any link to Mossad. Prosecutors say the attack was the first carried out in Europe by a jihadist returning from fighting in Syria. The Brussels killings came 18 months before the November 13, 2015, Paris attacks which left 130 dead. Aside from denying his guilt, Nemmouche has said almost nothing in the dock since the first day. Lawyer Sebastien Courtoy said the prosecution case was "manipulated and bogus". He contested expert evidence that his client's voice is heard on videos claiming responsiblity for the attack Algerian police arrested a dozen journalists participating in a rally Thursday against alleged censorship of coverage of protests against a fifth term for veteran President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, an AFP correspondent reported. Around 100 print and broadcast journalists, working for both state-owned and private outlets, joined the demonstration in central Algiers against reporting restrictions they say have been imposed by media bosses on the protests that broke out last Friday. "Free our colleagues," the remaining demonstrators shouted as those arrested were driven off in the back of police vans. "Fourth estate, not a press that follows orders." Algeria has been hit by a wave of protests over the ailing Bouteflika's announcement he will seek a fifth term in an April 18 election despite using a wheelchair and making few public appearance since suffering a stroke in 2013. Tens of thousands took part in the first protests last Friday, and there have further demonstrations daily since, both in the provinces and in the capital, where demonstrations are illegal. But for several days, both the state broadcaster and private channels owned by media magnates close to the government kept silent about the protests. State radio journalists said they had been ordered by management not to cover them. Press watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) accused Algerian authorities on Tuesday of seeking to "muzzle" the media. Bouteflika, 81, flew to Switzerland on Sunday for what the presidency called "routine medical checks" ahead of the election. There have been large-scale protests for nearly a week over the veteran Algerian president's decision to seek a fifth term despite his failing health, but it took days for state media and pro-government private television channels to report on them Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Indians Thursday to "stand as a wall" with anger boiling over Pakistan's capture of a pilot as a crisis escalates between the nuclear-armed rivals. In his first remarks since India and Pakistan both claimed to have shot down each other's fighter planes near the disputed border of Kashmir, the prime minister urged his countrymen to unite "as the enemy seeks to destabilise India". "In the face of their objective, every Indian should stand as a wall, as a rock," Modi said. "The entire country is one today and standing with our soldiers. The world is looking at our collective will and we have faith in our forces' capacity. "India will live as one. India will work as one. India will grow as one. India will fight as one. India will win as one." Modi did not mention Pakistan by name during the address to party workers. But anger against the neighbour, with whom India has fought three wars since 1947, remains high Protesters set ablaze Pakistan's national flag outside the country's embassy in New Delhi Thursday. Police detained some but others ran away, witnesses said. Claiming to be supporters of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party the dozen men gathered outside the heavily guarded diplomatic mission shouting "Down with Pakistan" before setting fire to the flag dipped in kerosene. "Police tried to restrain them but they got into a car and quickly fled," one witness told AFP. The rival neighbours have been urged by major world powers to exercise restraint after India and Pakistani fighter planes fought a brief skirmish Wednesday morning over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir. New Delhi said it lost one fighter jet and a pilot was missing in action, later confirming he was in Pakistani custody. India also downed a Pakistani jet, the foreign ministry said. Pakistan claimed to have shot down two Indian jets and denied it lost any aircraft in the dogfight. Islamabad said its incursion across the heavily militarised border was in response to Indian warplanes bombing Balakot, well inside its territory, on February 26. That attack was the "jaw breaking" response Modi had promised after militants staged a suicide bombing in Indian Kashmir on February 14, killing at least 40 paramilitaries. New Delhi blamed the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad for the attack, and hit what it called a training camp for the militants in its aerial raid 12 days later. Prime Minister Narendra Modi (pictured at a rally in Jammu) has called on Indians to 'stand as a rock' Protestors burn the Pakistani flag outside the Pakistani high commission in New Delhi The head of Libya's internationally recognised government and a rival military strongman have met and agreed to hold elections aimed at ending years of instability, the United Nations said Thursday. Unity government leader Fayez al-Sarraj met Khalifa Haftar on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, where they agreed "on the need to end the transitional phase through general elections and on ways to preserve the stability of #Libya and unify its institutions," the UN's Libya mission UNSMIL tweeted. The North African country has been torn between rival administrations and a myriad of militias since the NATO-backed overthrow and killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. Chief among them are Sarraj's Government of National Accord, based in Tripoli, and a rival administration based in the east and backed by Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army. The leaders had agreed to a Paris-brokered deal in May 2018 to hold a nationwide election by the end of the year. But instability, territorial disputes and divisions in the oil-rich country delayed those plans. Talks in Italy in November laid bare deep divisions between the key power brokers, with some delegates refusing to sit side by side and Haftar snubbing the main conference to organise separate talks with international leaders. Reacting to Thursday's announcement, Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he was following developments closely. "We worked so hard for this agreement," he said, "but the situation in Libya is such that we must wait until all actors have agreed". United Nations envoy Ghassan Salame told the UN Security Council last month that he was planning to organise a national conference inside Libya within weeks to pave the way for elections. But analysts have warned that the UN's efforts could be threatened after Haftar's forces launched an offensive into the south in mid-January, aimed at rooting out "terrorists" and foreign fighters. - Jihadist attacks - Powerful Tripoli-based militias have condemned Haftar's operation as a power grab, although the GNA itself has not been as explicit in its opposition. People traffickers have taken advantage of the chaos to turn Libya into a major conduit for migrants seeking a better life in Europe. The LNA already controls vital oil installations in Libya's east, but its power struggle with the GNA has left the country's vast desert south a lawless no-man's land. The rugged territory bordering Algeria, Niger, Chad and Sudan has become a haven for jihadists and armed groups, including Chadian rebels. Libya's instability has also made it vulnerable to jihadist groups, which have carried out numerous attacks in recent years, including more than 20 in 2018 against institutions linked to the GNA and Haftar's forces. But UN efforts to reach a political settlement and restore stability have so far failed. The African Union last month called for a global conference in July to try to resolve the conflict in Libya. It asked the AU Commission "to take, jointly with the United Nations and the Libyan government, all the necessary measures for the organisation of presidential and legislative elections in October 2019." The AU's current chief, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has underscored the need for "African solutions to African problems." Military strongman Khalifa Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army controls much of the country's east The Libyan rivals agreed last year in Paris to hold elections but instability and divisions delayed the plan Gaithersburg, MD, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verus International, Inc. (Verus or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement to supply honey products in Europe and parts of the Middle East. The initial phase of the agreement is expected to generate approximately $10 million in annual sales. The contract will focus particularly on the United Kingdom and Germany, but will include a dozen countries in Europe and the Middle East. Depending upon the market, Verus will offer from 20 to 30 different stock keeping units (SKUs) covering a broad range of honey categories and product sizes. This is an important contract for Verus, because it marks our entry into Europe as an importer of a high-quality staple with consistent demand, said Verus CEO Anshu Bhatnagar. Our long-term goal is to be an international food seller with a wide range of product lines, suppliers and customers on multiple continents. Honey is a universal product that can spearhead that strategy. Although Verus has used outbound suppliers from Europe in the past, this marks the Companys first import sales agreement in Europe. The supplier is a highly-respected global honey producer based in India. This honey contract is exciting because it opens up new geographies and product lines simultaneously, explained CEO Bhatnagar. The consumer products business is all about building relationships and gaining access to shelf space, so establishing a footprint is the first step in adding other SKUs in additional product categories. Along with this initial dozen markets, we also have the option to enter the U.S. market in the future, so we have the potential to expand our new honey business significantly over time. Honey is one of the few truly global foods, so this will open many new doors for us. The new honey contract is expected to commence in April 2019. Interested investors should watch for honey and other product photos (as available) on the official Twitter feed @Verus_Foods. About Verus International, Inc. Verus International operates an international food subsidiary (Verus Foods) that sells branded consumer products to customers worldwide. The Company trades on the OTC market (OTC:VRUS). Investors can find Real-Time quotes and market information for the company on www.otcmarkets.com . Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are identified by the use of the words could, believe, anticipate, intend, estimate, expect, may, continue, predict, potential, project and similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that these plans, objectives, expectations or intentions will be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical experience and present expectations or projections. Actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements and the trading price for our common stock may fluctuate significantly. Forward-looking statements also are affected by the risk factors described in the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Contacts A mid-week night out in Brisbane has ended in an emergency, with the delicate rescue of a man stuck between two buildings. A 41-year-old man woke up around 10am on Thursday wedged between a building and a construction site on Brunswick Street in Fortitude Valley. Work on the site stopped for more than an hour while a crane was used to free him. He was making jokes the whole time, he was quite jovial, paramedic Tom Kelsey said. He had no complaints, he was just concerned about his missus because shed be quite angry. A 41-year-old man had to be rescued after waking up wedged between a building and a construction site in Brisbanes Fortitude Valley. Source: 7News A construction worker standing on the scaffold looked down and realised someone was wedged in a gap approximately 10 metres deep. An unconventional rescue operation was launched, making the most of on-site assets. A paramedic abseiled in to assess the man before a crane was used to pull him up. The paramedic that went down the line, thats a once-in-a-career kind of opportunity,Mr Kelsey said. Work on the site stopped for more than an hour while a crane was used to free the man. Source: 7News No one knows how long the man was there for. Were not quite sure how he ended up down there, Fire and Emergency Services Marc OBrien said. Theres some chance he did take some sort of fall to end up in that location, as there was no other access. Workplace Health and Safety officers arrived within the hour to investigate. The mans physical injuries were minor and he told paramedics he had no recollection of how he ended up there. Source: 7News Security cameras could help determine when and exactly how the man accessed the site. His physical injuries were minor and he told paramedics he had no recollection of how he ended up there. Police say they will be following up in the next few days. Do you have a story tip? Email: y7newsroom@yahoo7.com.au. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoo7s daily newsletter. Sign up here. Norwegian police said Thursday they increasingly fear for the life of a multi-millionaire's wife who went missing four months ago, with presumed kidnappers demanding a large ransom. Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen, married to a real estate and energy magnate, has been missing since October 31. "The lack of any proof of life obviously worries the police," chief investigator Tommy Broske told a news conference. "It's natural for the police to wonder, now more than before, whether Anne-Elisabeth Hagen is still alive," he said. Police said in early January that investigators had found a ransom demand making "serious threats" at her home in Lorenskog, 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Oslo. The Verdens Gang daily reported that the presumed abductors had demanded nine million euros ($10.3 million) in the cryptocurrency Monero, which is especially hard to trace. It said a note written in poor Norwegian was left at Hagen's home warning that she would die if police were alerted. Police at the time refused to confirm the sum but said they had advised the family not to pay. Investigators have since succeeded in making contact with the presumed kidnappers online, but have no evidence that they are holding Hagen, or that she is still alive. Her husband Tom Hagen has an estimated fortune of 1.7 billion kroner (174 million euros, $200 million), according to the magazine Kapital. Both are in their late 60s. Police have received more than 1,500 tips from the public, but none has led to a breakthrough. Kidnappings are extremely rare in the wealthy Scandinavian country, which has a generally low crime rate. Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen has been missing since October 31 Two Saudi sisters marooned in Hong Kong after fleeing their family appealed to authorities not to deport them while they seek sanctuary in a third country as the clock ticked down Thursday on their permission to stay. The siblings are the latest example of Saudi women escaping the ultra-conservative kingdom only to find themselves stranded in foreign cities and making public appeals for their safety. The young women, aged 20 and 18, said they made a break from an abusive family during a holiday in Sri Lanka last September, with the intention of heading for Australia. But they only made it as far as Hong Kong. The two women -- who use the aliases Reem and Rawan -- said they were intercepted by Saudi consular officials at Hong Kong's airport and had their air tickets cancelled. Fearful they might be abducted, they entered Hong Kong as visitors where they say they have had to change locations 13 times to stay hidden. Their passports were later revoked. Michael Vidler, a lawyer for the pair, said city immigration authorities had previously indicated the pair would be "tolerated" until February 28. As that deadline loomed they issued a fresh appeal on Thursday asking authorities to allow them to remain as "tolerated overstayers" while they seek "emergency rescue visas to a third country". "We are in fear every day we are in Hong Kong," the two sisters said in a statement posted late Thursday on the Facebook page of their lawyer' firm. "We want to leave to a third country place of safety as soon as possible. We hope that this will happen soon and that the Hong Kong government will continue to allow us to stay here until then," they added. Immigration authorities in Hong Kong have so far refused to comment on the case. The city itself has a poor record on refugees, only granting sanctuary to less than one percent of claimants. The two women told AFP last week that chronic physical abuse by male family members prompted them to flee. They said they had also renounced Islam, a crime technically punishable by death in Saudi Arabia. Their testimony cannot be independently verified and Saudi authorities have yet to comment on their allegations. But many Saudi women who flee overseas have described to media and rights groups of persuasive and coercive tactics used by Saudi officials and family members to pursue those who escape. In the statement on Facebook, Vidler said he was "hopeful" Hong Kong would extend his clients' stay and that their asylum request in a third country would be granted soon. The Hong Kong sister's case emerged a month after 18-year-old Saudi Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun drew global attention with her dramatic escape from an allegedly abusive family, eventually gaining refugee status in Canada. The two sisters have previously been told they will be "tolerated" in Hong Kong until the end of February Donald Trump took Kim Jong Un's word that he knew nothing of the torture of an American college student while in North Korean custody, an about-face that sparked a bipartisan backlash back home on Thursday. The US president appeared to side with the reclusive leader about the 2017 case of Otto Warmbier, drawing outrage from incredulous Democrats who accused Trump of repeatedly aligning with tyrants. The 22-year-old Ohio native was returned to the United States in a coma and died shortly afterwards. A US judge concluded Warmbier was tortured by North Korean authorities. At the conclusion of his Hanoi summit with Kim, Trump told reporters he talked with Kim about the "horrible" Warmbier case. "He knew the case very well, but he knew it later," Trump said, adding that "some really bad things" happened to Warmbier while he was detained. Kim "tells me that he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word." Trump took credit for the release of Warmbier and other US hostages in 2017, saying at the time that "Otto was tortured beyond belief by North Korea." At his January 2018 State of the Union address, the president praised Warmbier and spoke directly from the podium to the young man's parents seated in the audience. "You are powerful witnesses to a menace that threatens our world, and your strength truly inspires us all," Trump said, as lawmakers gave them a standing ovation. But as Trump presses for Korean denuclearization, betting heavily on his relationship with Kim, the hard line he signaled that night in Congress has largely evaporated, prompting angry reactions across the political spectrum. "I do not see the leader of North Korea as somebody who's a friend. We know what happened to Otto, we know what this country has done," said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the most senior Republican to break with Trump on the issue. "I support the president's effort to denuclearize them, but I do not have a misbelief of who this leader is." - 'Detestable' - Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, snapped about Warmbier's brutal treatment. "Of course Kim knew about it," he tweeted. "Apparently, the President of the United States is the only one who believes this obvious lie." An angry House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff branded Trump's acceptance of Kim's denial "detestable," while Senator Chris Van Hollen said the United States "cannot give Kim Jong Un a free pass for torturing and murdering one of our own." Senator Rob Portman, from Warmbier's home city of Cincinnati, delivered a five-minute floor speech highlighting his "unforgiveable" treatment and the "brutal" nature of the regime, though he made no mention of the president's reversal. And Trump's former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, a Republican Party luminary, said that "Americans know the cruelty that was placed on Otto Warmbier by the North Korean regime." But she too stopped short of criticizing Trump. Several Democrats took the president's position as just his latest embrace of autocratic leaders. They pointed to his acceptance of President Vladimir Putin's 2018 insistence that Russia did not meddle in the US election, and Trump refusing to accept CIA conclusions that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she thought there was "something wrong" with Trump choosing to believe "thugs" like Putin and Kim over the US intelligence community. "Why does he keep sticking up for dictators over his own people??" Senator Tim Kaine asked. US President Donald Trump faced a backlash back home after saying he believed Kim Jong Un's assertion that he knew nothing about the torture of American Otto Warmbier while in North Korea in 2017 America student Otto Warmbier (pictured here in Pyongyang in 2016) was subjected to brutal treatment by North Korean authorities, who released him to the United States shortly before his death TULSA, Okla., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jericho Oil Corporation (Jericho) (TSX-V: JCO; OTC PINK: JROOF) announces that preliminary 2018 full-year partnership production totaled approximately 297,000 barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) up 33% from 2017 full-year partnership production of 222,000 BOE. The Companys 2018 partnership production is an all-time yearly high. In addition to record production, the Company continued to drive down production operating expenses with an approximately $17.00 / BOE cost in 2018, a reduction of 30% from the last year. A combination of lower absolute expenses and efficient production growth from our STACK asset produced outstanding per unit results for Jericho shareholders further demonstrating the dedication of our team and the quality of our world-class STACK asset. In 2019, Jericho is committed to maintaining balance sheet and capital spend flexibility (with low leverage and a prudent hedging program), allocating capital based on strategic and rate-of-return metrics, prioritizing the Companys high-return STACK asset and potential acquisition opportunities near our concentrated position. A continued improvement in commodity prices through the remainder of Q1 2019 will see Jericho move back into a development mode and also accelerate its return to production program for shut-in wells in its existing fields. Industry activity has focused on the low-cost, high-return Osage and Meramec formations within the STACK play of Oklahoma. Deep-pocketed public operators including ExxonMobil, Chesapeake Energy, Sandridge Energy and Chaparral Energy continue to put considerable capital resources in and around Jerichos largely held-by-production STACK acreage position. To-date, the Company has participated in multiple successful STACK wells with many of our offset operators, gleaning valuable information that drives our confidence in the underlying value of our investment. These outstanding and record results confirm our 2018 strategy to successfully prove and develop our premier STACK acreage position, stated Brian Williamson, CEO of Jericho Oil, adding, the resulting production growth provides our shareholders confidence in the exceptional quality of our high-impact STACK resource. Looking forward to 2019, we are excited in our unique ability to drive further competitive performance through the quality of our investments and our capital and operating discipline. While we are pleased with our 2018 results, we were just starting to see our patience be rewarded as we began to drill our STACK asset, return existing shut-in wells to production and move to develop some of our other high potential assets when oil prices turned down 40% in the end of 2018. We are hopeful that oil prices will continue their upward trend and provide us the opportunity to expand upon 2018s success. In addition to Jerichos steady base of low-decline production, its STACK JV has an interest in four currently producing Osage and Meramec formation wells. Jericho also announces that effective March 1, 2019, Brian Williamson, CEO, assumes the additional position of President and Ben Holman, CFO, assumes the additional position of Secretary. The roles of President and Secretary were previously held by Allen Wilson, Jerichos founder, who continues with the Company as a director, consultant and shareholder. About Jericho Oil Corporation Jericho Oil ( www.jerichooil.com ) is focused on domestic, liquids-rich unconventional resource plays, located primarily in the Anadarko basin STACK Play of Oklahoma. Jerichos primary business objective is driving long-term shareholder value through the growth of oil and gas production, cash flow and reserves. Jericho has assembled an interest in 55,000 net acres across Oklahoma, including an interest in ~16,000 net acres in the STACK Play. Jericho owns a 26.5% interest in STACK JV. Jerichos current operations are focused on the oil-prone Meramec and Osage formations in the STACK. The Jericho team applies advanced engineering analyses and enhanced geological techniques to under-developed resource areas. Jericho, with operational headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, trades publicly on the TSX Venture Exchange (JCO) and OTC Markets (JROOF). Jericho owns its net acre position in Oklahoma through, and participates in the STACK JV through, one or more wholly owned subsidiaries. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Canadian securities laws. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from Jericho's expectations include risks related to the exploration stage of Jericho's project; market fluctuations in prices for securities of exploration stage companies; and uncertainties about the availability of additional financing. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. A baby boy weighing just 268 grams at birth has been allowed to go home months after being born. The little boy is believed to be the smallest surviving male baby in the world, according to Keio University Hospital in Tokyo. He was born through Caesarean section last August after he failed to gain weight during the pregnancy and doctors feared his life was in danger. A baby boy weighing 268 grams at birth has been allowed to go home from Keio University Hospital in Tokyo months after he was born. Source: Reuters Dr Takeshi Arimistu, of the universitys School of Medicine, said the boy was in intensive care until his weight reached 3.2 kilograms and he was discharged on February 20. I am grateful that he has grown this big because, honestly, I wasnt sure he could survive, the boys mother told Reuters. The boy was in intensive care until his weight reached 3.2 kilograms and he was discharged on February 20. Source: Reuters The previous record was held by a boy born in Germany in 2009 weighing 274 grams, according to the Tiniest Babies registry managed by the University of Iowa. Do you have a story tip? Email: y7newsroom@yahoo7.com.au. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoo7s daily newsletter. Sign up here. The state Legislature is inching closer to establishing a nonpartisan budget office that supporters say would improve the state budget process and provide more accurate fiscal data for lawmakers. A bill sponsored by state Sen. Liz Krueger and Assemblyman Felix Ortiz would create the Legislative Budget Office. The office would provide budget and policy analysis modeled after the Congressional Budget Office, which serves the same purpose for the federal legislative branch. The director of the Legislative Budget Office would be chosen by the Assembly speaker and Senate majority leader, who would consult with the minority leaders in each chamber. To appoint the director, a joint resolution must be approved by a super-majority of the state Assembly and Senate. There would be equal access to the Legislative Budget Office for members of the majority and minority legislative conferences. Proponents believe this is necessary to ensure the office's effectiveness. Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, views the creation of a Legislative Budget Office as a way to improve how lawmakers prepare the state budget. "Right now the process involves a lot of making it up as you go along," she said. "A nonpartisan legislative budget office will be an invaluable resource for everyone legislators, advocates, voters to get the facts on revenue and spending." The bill outlines how legislators could use the Legislative Budget Office if it's established. For committees, the office would respond to information requests from chairs and ranking members. Lawmakers could seek assistance to determine the fiscal impact of legislation. A priority system would determine how these requests are processed. The creation of a budget office would represent a significant change from how legislators compile budget data. Each chamber has a financial committee the finance committee in the state Senate and ways and means in the Assembly and the Democratic and Republican conferences have their own priorities. Outside of the state Legislature, the state Division of Budget within the executive branch provides information on the state budget, particularly the governor's spending plans. Krueger's bill cleared the Senate Ethics and Internal Governance Committee Thursday. It must be approved by the Senate Finance Committee before it's considered by the full Senate. State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, who chairs the Senate Ethics and Internal Governance Committee, explained how the creation of the new office will aid with the budget process. "Budget choices are among the most important decisions government makes because we are allocating our limited resources to meet the people's needs," Biaggi, D-Bronx, said. "More accurate information will lead to better decisions and better use of taxpayers' money." A similar bill has been proposed before in the state Legislature. Republican state Sen. Joe Griffo is the author of a separate measure that would establish an independent budget office. The state Senate passed Griffo's bill last year, but it wasn't considered by the Assembly. Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 After a successful push to pass legislation that extends the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases, Gary Greenberg has a new cause: Erin's Law. Greenberg is partnering with Erin Merryn, a fellow child sexual abuse survivor, who advocates for legislation that would require age-appropriate lessons in schools that can help children identify and report sexual abuse. Merryn visited New York in 2011 and urged the state Legislature to pass Erin's Law. The state Senate passed the bill before, but it hasn't receive a vote in the Assembly. Greenberg, a businessman who launched Protect NY Kids and the Fighting for Children PAC to lobby for passage of the Child Victims Act, plans to use his organizations to call on state lawmakers to pass Erin's Law. When Merryn first visited Albany, few states adopted Erin's Law. Now, 35 states have passed legislation to require sexual abuse education in schools. In 2015, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand helped secure a provision in an education bill to ensure states have access to grants for Erin's Law programs. "Spending just one hour out of a school year to teach these important lessons could be the difference between a child reporting their abuse, or being abused for years and not reporting until late adulthood, if ever reporting at all," Merryn said. Greenberg hopes to have the same impact on Erin's Law as he did raising awareness about the Child Victims Act. Several advocates, including Greenberg, urged lawmakers for years to adopt the Child Victims Act. Those efforts weren't successful until this year. In 2018, Greenberg campaigned with state Senate candidates mainly Democrats who committed to supporting the Child Victims Act if elected. When Democrats won control of the state Senate in November, passage of the Child Victims Act was one of the conference's top priorities. "When the people became educated about the Child Victims Act, it became a top issue in the election, as some district polling reported that the candidates' stance on the Child Victims Act was the top motivating factor for Senate votes," Greenberg said. The state Legislature passed the Child Victims Act in January. Cuomo signed the bill in mid-February. The new law gives survivors until age 28 to pursue felony criminal charges against their abuser, and until age 50 to file a lawsuit against the perpetrator. The measure includes a one-year "look-back" provision allowing past child sexual abuse survivors to sue their attackers. Greenberg and Merryn will meet with legislators March 18 to discuss Erin's Law. State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi and Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz are the bill's sponsors. "We must pass Erin's Law in New York," Merryn said. Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 More than a year after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the proposal to adopt "call-in" scheduling regulations, the state Department of Labor confirmed Thursday that it will let the rulemaking process lapse without new mandates for employers. The initial proposal would've required 14-day advance notice for work schedules and employees would receive two hours of additional pay for last-minute shifts. On-call employees would receive at least four hours of pay if they were called into work. The rules wouldn't cover new employees or workers who volunteer to cover shifts. But there was opposition to the proposal from businesses who felt that the one-size-fits-all approach wasn't appropriate for every industry, a state Department of Labor spokesperson said. The agency released revised rules in December. The revisions led to praise from opponents of the initial proposal and criticism from supporters of on-call scheduling guidelines. The proposed changes would exempt certain workers, such as those whose jobs are weather-dependent, from receiving call-in pay. The Department of Labor's decision to abandon the rule-making process for call-in scheduling was praised by pro-business groups. Former Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy, who leads the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, called it a "great decision for business" in a tweet Wednesday night. Michael Kracker, executive director of Unshackle Upstate, lauded the Department of Labor for listening to concerns from employers. "This one-size-fits-all approach would have hurt businesses especially small businesses that are already struggling to survive in New York's harsh business climate," Kracker said. The pursuit of call-in scheduling regulations may not be over. Jill Aurora, the Department of Labor's communications director, explained that the agency would "re-evaluate in the future" and could work with state lawmakers on proposed rules. The state Legislature, Aurora said, "would have broader authority and better legal standing than Department of Labor regulations alone to balance the various needs of workers, businesses and industries." Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 New York state legislators passed a bill on Thursday to criminalize the distribution of "revenge porn" and provide victims with the option of suing the individuals who post intimate images without their consent. The legislation sponsored by state Sen. Monica Martinez and Assemblyman Ed Braunstein defines revenge porn the "criminal act of unlawful dissemination or publication of an intimate image when done with the intent to cause harm to the emotional, financial or physical welfare of another person when the image was taken with a reasonable expectation that the image would remain private" and makes it a class A misdemeanor offense to circulate the images. An individual convicted of disseminating revenge porn could face up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. The measure differs from revenge porn laws in other states by giving victims the option of seeking civil cases against those who disseminate sexual images against their will. Martinez, a Long Island Democrat, cited a study that estimated 10 million Americans are victims of revenge porn. As a Suffolk County legislator last year, she led an effort to crack down on revenge porn in her home county. "This legislation will empower victims," Martinez said at a press conference in Albany. There have been dueling revenge porn bills in the state Legislature over the last several years. Braunstein sponsored the Assembly version that included the provision allowing victims to pursue civil or criminal cases. A separate bill in the Senate that was introduced by state Sen. Phil Boyle would've made distributing revenge porn a crime, but it wouldn't give victims the option of suing the perpetrators. When Republicans controlled the state Senate, they passed Boyle's bill but didn't consider Braunstein's proposal. In the Democratic-led Assembly, Braunstein's bill advanced and Boyle's measure didn't receive a vote. Due to disagreement over whether to include the civil provision, an agreement on the revenge bill porn remained elusive. The status of the bills changed this year when Democrats took over control of the state Senate. Martinez introduced a revenge porn measure that mirrored Braunstein's bill. The Assembly passed the bill by a 104-0 vote. The state Senate followed and the legislation passed by a 60-0 vote. "These types of images should be kept private and sharing them without consent is malicious and unacceptable," Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said. "We're in a new era where information is shared through social media and we must do everything in our power to protect people from this heinous violation of privacy." For advocates, passage of the legislation is a major achievement. Carrie Goldberg, a victims' rights attorney and advisory board member for the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, highlighted how revenge porn affects New Yorkers. She revealed that the number of times intimate images of New Yorkers had been viewed on an undisclosed website could fill Yankee Stadium 50 times. Goldberg praised the New York bill because it allows victims to pursue civil cases against those who post images without their consent. "My clients describe (revenge porn) as an inescapable nightmare, and it is," Goldberg said. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has indicated that he will sign the bill. Criminalizing the dissemination of revenge porn is part of his Women's Justice Agenda. It's not a new concept for Cuomo. He wanted to outlaw revenge porn in the past, but an agreement couldn't be reached. "This disgusting and insidious behavior, which can follow victims around their entire lives, has no place in New York," he said. Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 U.S. Rep. John Katko wasn't in Washington to vote, but he revealed in a statement Thursday that he opposes a bill advanced by House Democrats to expand background checks for gun purchases. The House passed the bill Wednesday to extend background checks to internet gun sales and purchases at gun shows. A separate measure was approved Thursday to increase the period from three to 10 days that a gun retailer must wait for a background check to be completed before a firearm sale is completed. Katko, R-Camillus, missed the votes due to the death of his father. If he was present for the House session Wednesday, though, he would've voted against the background check expansion bill. "I do believe we need reforms to prevent violent acts and keep our children safe, but the bill that was before the House is overbroad and unlikely to deter gun violence or crime," Katko said. Katko's stance is in line with many Republicans who raised doubts about the bill's potential impact. Some of his colleagues claimed the measure would make it difficult for gun owners to exercise their Second Amendment rights. The legislation, named the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, was cosponsored by one of Katko's New York Republican colleagues, U.S. Rep. Peter King. King, R-Seaford, was the lone New York GOP member who supported the bill. While he opposed the background check bill, Katko said he has reintroduced a measure that would encourage states to adopt "red flag" laws. Katko authored the bill last year in response to an incident that occurred in Auburn. A city resident contacted a veterans' crisis hotline and threatened to harm themselves, the public and law enforcement if they responded. Auburn police officers were able to negotiate with the subject and take them into custody without incident. Under Katko's bill, states that adopt "red flag" laws extreme risk protection orders that provide a legal process for temporarily removing guns from an individual deemed to be a risk to themselves or others would receive priority for federal law enforcement grants. A separate bill reintroduced by Katko would establish a national commission to examine the safety of children and the contributing factors to mass shootings and other violent acts. "I remain committed to bridging the partisan divide on this issue and will continue to work to advance these bills, and other commonsense reforms, through Congress," Katko said. Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 I will never forget, as a young girl, the first time I heard a male ring-necked pheasant call for a mate, and I asked my father who was strangling a cat! He patiently explained to me what a ring-necked pheasant was, and we quietly waited in our backyard for the pheasant to appear. When he did, what a sight to behold. Still today, I enjoy seeing these magnificent birds along the side of a rural road, picking grit or working their way through a harvested corn field. Both male and female pheasants bring a certain beauty to our landscape and remind me of the importance of conserving natural habitats. The male pheasant has an unmistakable dark iridescent green head and deep red color surrounding the eyes, with a striking white circular ring along its long neck and a deep maroon coat of feathers on its chest. The remainder of the males body contains orange and brown feathers, with a very distinctive tail that will open up to reveal a dark barring pattern. The female ring-necked pheasant, like most female birds, is more neutral in color and covered with different shades of brown feathers. This brown coloring is camouflage that will aid in her protection from predators. Young pheasant chicks are also brownish in color for protection. While it seems like pheasants should be native to the U.S., they were introduced to North America from Asia in the late 1800s as a game bird for hunting. Their habitat includes pastures, farmland and hedgerows. Over time, there has been a decline in habitat, resulting in a decreased pheasant population. Until 1999, with the adoption of A Ten Year Management Plan for Ring-necked Pheasants in New York by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, pheasants were raised and released with limited success. The 1999 plan allows for an annual distribution of 60,000 day-old pheasant chicks and for improving the habitat on 75 percent of the release sites. Cayuga County has many sites suitable for releasing pheasants, including northern Montezuma, the Cayuga-Tompkins Cooperative Hunting Area, Bear Swamp State Forest and Sterling Nature Center. Ideally, pheasant raised through the DECs day-old chick program should be released on lands that have public access. Starting in the 1940s, 4-H youth were reimbursed for raising and releasing day-old pheasant chicks. In the late 1960s, the reimbursement stopped, but 4-H and some sportsmens clubs underwrote the cost. Today, applications are made to DEC to raise the chicks for release, and CCE Cayuga County is in the process of accepting orders. The rearing of pheasant chicks has many benefits for youth. The experience helps to promote reasonability and can provide a unique educational opportunity. In addition, participants can gain wildlife management skills by rearing and then releasing the pheasants into the correct habitat. Pheasants are not woodland birds; they prefer to nest and roost in grassy areas located near the edges of farm fields. This habitat provides the birds with cover while nearby farm fields provide a source of food. Currently, the state DEC is partnering with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County to offer youth and landowners the opportunity to raise and release day-old pheasant chicks. Anyone interested this opportunity can call CCE Cayuga County at (315) 255-1183 ext. 238 to place an order. All orders must be placed prior to close of business on March 22. There is no charge for the chicks and they are scheduled to arrive either the second or third week of May. They need to be picked up the day they arrive, as they need to be fed and watered. Interested in learning more about raising day-old chicks? Seneca County Cornell Cooperative Extension is hosting a free informational program from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 5, which is open to anyone wanting to learn more about raising day-old pheasant chicks for release. To register, visit Seneca County CCEs website and click on "Events" or call (315) 539-9251. Day-old pheasant chicks need to be raised for release at a minimum of eight weeks or older, but no later than the end of hunting season. The release at eight weeks provides an opportunity to see the birds through the summer. The rearing and release of the day-old pheasant chicks is not only an educational tool for youth, but also provides fall hunting opportunities and increases the chances for everyone to receive the enjoyment of seeing and hearing them. Judy Wright is the senior agriculture specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Seneca County. For more information, visit senecacountycce.org or call (315) 539-9251 ext. 109. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 AUBURN An Auburn man facing sexual abuse charges in Wayne County was sentenced to prison Thursday for violating his probation from an early conviction. Vince M. Ferris, 22, of James Street, was arrested in November by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office and charged with first-degree sexual abuse. It was alleged Ferris sexually assaulted a 1-year-old at a residence in the town of Wolcott, according to a sheriff's office press release. At the time of that alleged crime, Ferris was on probation in Cayuga County for a 2016 conviction of first-degree sexual abuse in Wayne County. He was given a probationary sentence at the time and granted youthful offender status. His probation was transferred to Cayuga County because he lives in Auburn. When Ferris was in Cayuga County Court Dec. 20 for violating his probation, Judge Thomas Leone remanded him to Cayuga County Jail. "I know about your intellectual limitation," Leone said. "But if you think I'm going to let you back on the streets ... it's not going to happen." Back in court Jan. 10, Chief Assistant District Attorney Chris Valdina said the child's mother discovered Ferris sexually abusing her child when she walked into an apartment to find Ferris sitting next to her child on a bed, Valdina said. Valdina said the mother reported her child was crying at the time. Because Ferris is on probation for a sex offense, Valdina said, he violated his probation by being with a child unsupervised. The pending sexual abuse charge was Ferris' third violation of probation. In January, Ferris' defense attorney, Thomas Turturo, said the felony charge was still pending in Wayne County and "the allegations appear to be simply an unsubstantiated allegation by (an upset) neighbor." In Cayuga County Court Thursday, Leone dismissed Ferris' third violation of probation and instead sentenced him to prison for a previous violation he'd already admitted to. Leone said he doesn't know how Wayne County will handle Ferris' felony charge. "I am looking at a prison sentence here," Leone said. "And I'm not going to kid anybody here, I'm looking at the max." In August, Ferris admitted lying to his probation officer and not going to Confidential Help for Alcohol and Drugs, Leone said. In light of Ferris' past admission to violating probation and the seriousness of his underlying charge, Leone sentenced him to 1 1/3 to four years in prison. Also in court Christopher Vanetten, 44, was sentenced for purchasing a motorcycle in August with a check he knew was bad. At the time of his plea, Vanetten said he purchased a motorcycle in Port Byron using an account with insufficient funds. In court Thursday, Valdina said Vanetten fraudulently bought the motorcycle and then returned it to get the money about $3,050. Valdina said Vanetten has committed similar crimes all throughout central New York. Leone sentenced Vanetten to two to four years in prison, to be served as parole supervision so he can get treatment for his drug dependence. Leone said his sentence will run concurrent to a sentence Vanetten received in Onondaga County, and he will also allow it to run concurrent to a future sentence in Oswego County. Vanetten was also ordered to pay about $3,000 in restitution. "Drugs totally took this gentleman over," said Norman Chirco, Vanetten's defense attorney. "He appreciates the court's willingness to give him (a drug treatment sentence)." "I apologize for my behavior," Vanetten said. "I'm looking to change my ways, and I'm thankful for the opportunity." Staff writer Megan Ehrhart can be reached at (315) 282-2244 or megan.ehrhart@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter @MeganEhrhart. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 6 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Onondaga Small Business Development Center and Small Potatoes, a boutique consulting firm, are partnering to present the workshop "Running a Great Farmers Booth" in central New York next month. This workshop will be held March 12 and 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Syracuse CoWorks, 201 East Jefferson St., Syracuse. It's the third course in the Food Product Bootcamp series that examines the steps of running a food business and answers questions about starting, running and succeeding in the food industry. This specific program will give practical tips on selling at a farmers market while maximizing the return of time invested. The workshop will cover choosing the right market, display building, customer service, capturing wholesale accounts at the market and more. Subsequent programs run until June and will include Selling Direct to Consumers, Selling Wholesale, and Defining Your Market from Local to Regional and will be held at locations around the Syracuse area. This hands-on program is for anyone interested in selling products at a farmers market. For ticket and registration information, contact Martin Butts at marty@iamsmallpotatoes.com or (315) 345-8122. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Erdene Resource Development Corp. (TSX:ERD; MSE:ERDN) (" Erdene " or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement raising gross proceeds of $2,533,345 (the Offering). The Offering, announced on February 12, 2019, was oversubscribed from the initial targeted proceeds of $1.75 million. Erdenes management, directors and employees subscribed for 10% of the Offering. Pursuant to the Offering, Erdene has sold 11,014,544 units of the Company (the Units) at a price of $0.23 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share and one common share purchase warrant (the Warrant). Warrants are exercisable by the holder into one common share of the Company within two years of the closing date, at a price of $0.40 per share if exercised within twelve months of the closing date and at a price of $0.50 per share if exercised more than twelve months after the closing date. Erdene paid finders fees in the aggregate of $62,116 and issued 270,070 finders warrants in connection with the Offering. The finder's warrants are exercisable on the same terms as the unit Warrants. Proceeds of the Offering will be used to fund the independent Pre-Feasibility Study of the Company's Khundii Gold Project (the Project), the mining license applications for the Projects properties, potential acquisitions, including areas of interest recently opened through the Mongolian Governments license tender process, and for general working capital purposes. Securities issued under the Offering are subject to a four month hold period from the closing date of the Private Placement. Background on the Khundii Gold Project Erdenes deposits are located in the Edren Terrane, within the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, host to some of the worlds largest gold and copper-gold deposits. Although epithermal gold and porphyry copper-gold deposits are well documented across the border in China and along the Belts westward trend, exploration in Mongolia was limited until the mid-1990s, when the country opened its lands to foreign exploration. Exploration since that time in southeast Mongolia led to the discovery of the world-class Oyu Tolgoi gold-copper deposit. Erdene has been the leader in exploration in southwestern Mongolia over the past decade and is responsible for the discovery of the Khundii Gold District. The District is comprised of multiple high-grade gold and gold/base metal prospects, two of which are being considered for development: Bayan Khundii and Altan Nar. The Company has to date invested US$17 million in exploration and resource development on the Bayan Khundii and Altan Nar projects which are referred to collectively as the Khundii Gold Project. About Erdene Erdene Resource Development Corp. is a Canada-based resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious and base metals in underexplored and highly prospective Mongolia. The Company has interests in four exploration licenses and a mining license in Southwest Mongolia, where exploration success has led to the discovery and definition of the Khundii Gold District. Erdene Resource Development Corp. is listed on the Toronto and Mongolia stock exchanges. Further information is available at www.erdene.com . Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information. Forward-Looking Statements Certain information regarding Erdene contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Although Erdene believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Erdene cautions that actual performance will be affected by a number of factors, most of which are beyond its control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what Erdene currently foresees. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration results, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. The forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The information contained herein is stated as of the current date and is subject to change after that date. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. NO REGULATORY AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENTS OF THIS RELEASE Multiple former Auburn Community Hospital health care providers already alleging an inadequate response to reports of an ex-doctor's misconduct are also suggesting a high-ranking staff member lied to state investigators. Lawsuits from Dr. Karen Odrzywolski and Dr. Gregory Serfer partly center around the allegation that administrators retaliated against the pair and several others after they attempted to speak out regarding another doctor's dangerous conduct in 2017 and 2018. Both lawsuits also include copies of emails that appear to show a former president of the hospital medical staff, who was also serving as an ACH Board of Trustees member, made false statements to state Department of Health investigators conducting a review of complaints. Ex-doctors file whistleblower lawsuits against Auburn Community Hospital Two separate lawsuits against Auburn Community Hospital from former doctors allege hospital administration retaliated against them for their a A deficiency report from the DOH and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found ACH's administration failed to take appropriate action regarding reports of the behavior of an ICU doctor identified in the lawsuits as Dr. Jeremy Barnett, something the report said may have led to adverse patient outcomes. Barnett no longer works at the hospital. The hospital has denied any wrongdoing and described the lawsuits as "unproven allegations" by former staff members. It has said the deficiency report pointed to some administrative documentation issues regarding personnel maters and that quality of care was not an issue. One section of the investigators' report notes that Staff I, which The Citizen has confirmed to be Odrzywolski, informed Dr. Shakeel Usmani, the president of the medical staff from 2017 through 2018, of her concerns regarding Barnett via email on May 29. That email is included in both Odrzywolski's and Serfer's lawsuits. The investigation report also states that Odrzywolski sent another email to Usmani about Barnett on Aug. 15. Despite those emails, the report said that Usmani, referred to as "Staff D," told investigators during an interview on Aug. 20 that no physicians had come to him/her with concerns regarding another physician. ... He/she stated there have been no concerns raised regarding the quality of care provided by (Barnett)." In an interview last week, Serfer described that claim to The Citizen as a bold-faced lie. ... He's known about literally every single thing that has happened and was absolutely privy to that, Serfer said. He was aware of the entirety of what was going on with Dr. Barnett. I, myself, told him a multitude of times. Odrzywolski declined to comment on the matter to The Citizen besides offering a statement saying it was her responsibility to uphold principles of ethical conduct and defend patients. Another person working at ACH at the time, Dan Dennis, a former nurse practitioner who cosigned Serfer's report to the state Office of Professional Medical Conduct regarding Barnett, told The Citizen he also had multiple conversations with Usmani regarding Barnett's behavior, saying Usmani was definitely aware of the situation. Dennis said that Usmani, as head of the hospitalist program, would also have received electronically filed reports about Barnett. Dennis said he will also be filing his own lawsuit against the hospital shortly. Usmani, who remains on the ACH staff, did not return messages seeking comment for this story. The hospital issued a statement disputing the characterization of what Usmani discussed with state investigators. It is the hospital's understanding that Dr. Usmani did not receive any complaints regarding quality of care issues involving Dr. Barnett, the statement says. Berlucchi: Auburn hospital care quality never compromised The mission at Auburn Community Hospital is to provide the best outcome for every patient, e The statement also said the DOH inspection cited the hospital for deficiencies related to medical staff policies and procedures for oversight, and reiterated the fact that the plan of correction and its implementation was accepted by the DOH. It is important to note that the State inspectors interviewed nurses, doctors and staff, including the former doctors who have sued the hospital, and accepted our Plan of Correction, the statement reads. [ACH] leadership takes these matters very seriously and responded to the State's concerns in a comprehensive and expeditious fashion. According to the statement, Usmani served a two-year term as president of the medical staff in 2017 and 2018, which includes membership on ACH's Board of Trustees. Usmani currently serves as the director of hospitalist program at ACH. Questions to the state DOH regarding Usmani's interview with investigators were referred to the CMS, where a spokesperson said they could not comment on the issue, citing personnel matters. The spokesperson did say that CMS' focus is on a facility's compliance with regulations, and any personnel actions would be handled internally by the facility. Investigators also interviewed hospital CEO Scott Berlucchi and Chief Medical officer Dr. John Riccio. Berlucchi told investigators that, in response to the complaints about Barnett, he established a steering committee headed by Riccio, although a review of meeting minutes lacked documentation of discussion on Barnett, according to the report. The hospital also sent Barnett a cease-and-desist letter in June demanding his disrupting behavior stop immediately, but the investigative report doesn't say who signed that letter. Staff writer Ryan Franklin can be reached at (315) 282-2252 or ryan.franklin@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @RyanNYFranklin Love 4 Funny 6 Wow 9 Sad 2 Angry 23 For more than two decades, television networks have been labeling programs with ratings, designed to signal whether a show contains sexual or violent content, or both, and to signal whether a specific program is appropriate for viewing by children or other age groups. But on Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission announced that it will take a new look at those ratings, to see whether they accurately describe the content of those shows, according to a report by the Broadcasting and Cable site. The announcement came in response to an order included in the omnibus spending bill passed on February 15the same bill that headed off a second government shutdown. The provisions in that bill related to immigration and building new barriers on the United States-Mexico grabbed most of the national headlines. But the bill also ordered the FCC to review the TV ratings system, to find out the extent to which the rating system matches the video content that is being shown and the ability of the TV Parental Guidelines Oversight Monitoring Board to address public concerns, a summary of the bill said. The order delighted the right-wing Parents Television Councila group founded in 1995 by conservative activist and media gadfly L. Brent Bozell III. Were absolutely thrilled, Tim Winter, current PTC president, told the Washington Times. Never, ever once has there been any oversight as to whether this system is doing what is promised to parents. The groups spokesperson, Melissa Henson, said that PTC hoped that the FCC would make major changes to the TV ratings system. That's certainly our hope," Henson said. At least in producing this report it'll sort of blow the cover off of what really amounts to a very fraudulent and self-serving system that Hollywood has had in place now for twenty years." PTC has claimed that 81 percent of TV comedy shows that are rated as appropriate for children include sexually charged language. "We have certainly seen over the last several years an increase in sexualizing content, especially for young girls, Winter told the Christian Post. The FCC will now solicit public comments on the TV rating system, before reporting back to Congress within the next 90 days. When the FCC solicited public comments in the run-up to its vote repealing net neutrality regulations in 2017, however, the system was deluged with fake comments, about 500,000 of them from accounts based in Russia, as AVN.com reported. Many of the fake comments were attributed to the stolen identities of actual Americans, both living and deceased. Photo By 20th Century Fox 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' Screen Capture SAN FRANCISCOThe Erotic Service Providers Legal Education And Research Project (ESPLERP), a sex work activist group, was not impressed today to hear presidential candidate Kamala Harris in an interview with The Root say that she is now open to the decriminalization of sex workfor some. Given her history, we need to know what Kamala Harris really believes, said Maxine Doogan of ESPLERP. At one point in the interview she sounds like an old school anti-prostitutist from the '80s, using epithets like pimps and johns. Then she says she is open to decriminalization of sex work. She needs to clarify her position, starting with an unequivocal statement that she supports the decriminalization of sex work for all consenting adults. Harris has a decidedly mixed history on sex work: * In 2007, when running for reelection as San Francisco District Attorney, Harris sought the endorsement of the Harvey Milk Democratic Club, and described herself in a public meeting as an honorary sex worker. * In 2008, Harris campaigned against Prop K, a citywide ballot measure to stop the criminalization of prostitution. This was despite the fact that the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee's official position was in favor. During that campaign she made ludicrous claims that decriminalizing prostitution would open San Francisco to serious crimes like rape, robbery, extortion, kidnapping and murder. * As San Francisco District Attorney, Harris was found in violation of San Franciscos open government law. The Sunshine Ordinance Task Force found that she had not responded to defense attorney requests for disclosure, for example about police disciplinary records, in cases prosecuted by her office against sex workers. * As California Attorney General, Harris used the power of her office to go after Backpage, an online advertising platform where sex workers could advertise and negotiate without police harassment. When her first lawsuit against Backpage was dismissed, she filed again, making her attack on Backpage part of her U.S. Senate campaign. * Also while California Attorney General, Harris declined to investigate Bay Area police departments, despite their long history of exploiting and extorting sex workers, and despite the ongoing scandal of police interactions with an Oakland underage sex worker. * In the Senate, Harris voted for the FOSTA bill which shut down online platforms used by sex workers for advertising, support and sustenance, in effect stripping sex workers of our online speech rights. Kamala Harris will say anything popular to get an endorsement or get elected, said Claire Alwyne of ESPLERP. She is good with empty words about protecting women, but her actions have consistently harmed sex workersmostly poor women, women of color, and trans women. For example, her attacks on Backpage and her vote to pass FOSTA forced sex workers back onto the streets, where they are vulnerable to violence and extortion. So if Harris is really sincere about decriminalization, she should start with a detailed policy position making it clear that she supports the full decriminalization of sex work for all consenting adultsand rejects the Nordic Model criminalization of our clients which has been discredited by Amnesty International. Kamala Harris should apologizeand then start talking about reparations for sex workers, said Reada Wong of ESPLERP. Is she going to work to repeal FOSTA? How does she propose to compensate the sex workers her actions have harmed, who were pushed into poverty, who lost their housing or child custody? How does she propose to expunge the criminal records of the sex workers prosecuted on her watch? Will she be returning campaign contributions shes received from anti-prostitution groups? And will she find funding for pro-sex work groups like ESPLERP, so we can start dismantling decades of stigma and discrimination in state and federal legislatures that politicians like her have furthered their careers on? Harris should put her money where her mouth is. The Erotic Service Providers Legal, Education and Research Project (ESPLERP) is a diverse community-based coalition advancing sexual privacy rights through litigation, education, and research. Image of Kamala Harris in public domain/Wikimedia Commons REYNOLDSBURG, OhioL Brands Inc., the parent company of the Victorias Secret lingerie chain, announced this week it plans to shutter 53 brick-and-mortar North American stores in the next year. The announcement, made on Wednesday, came on the heels of the release of earnings results in the holiday quarter for the chain. Given the decline in performance at Victorias Secret, we have substantially pulled back on capital investment in that business versus our history, company officials wrote in a statement about holiday-quarter results. The company has not yet announced which stores will close, but noted its square footage in North America will decline by about 3 percent. Victorias Secret has struggled not just with sales in recent months, but also image problems. Last year, ThirdLovea direct-to-consumer lingerie startuptook out a full-page ad in The New York Times to call out Victorias Secret on what it labeled a lack of body inclusivity as well as hypersexual marketing. San Francisco-based ThirdLove announced Tuesday it had raised $55 million from investors, including L Catterton, Allen & Company, 23andMe co-founder Anne Wojcicki, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki and journalist Katie Couric. Also this week, Target announced it plans to launch new lines of sleepwear and lingerie this year in an effort to take on the Victorias Secret brand. Despite sales declines, closed stores and new leadership in the past few years, Victorias Secret still owns roughly one-third of the market. The parent company also owns Pink and Bath & Body Works. For more, visit VictoriasSecret.com. North Wales bakery Siwgr a Sbeis is celebrating its 30th anniversary this week. Starting in 1989 as a small shop making desserts, over the past three decades the business has grown to become a 5,000 sq ft bakery with a customer base stretching across Wales and beyond. The business was set up by Rhian Owen and Rhian Williams, who met at school and went on to study bakery together in Wrexham before getting jobs in catering and hospitality. When they dediced to set up their own business in 1989, they came up with the name Siwgr a Sbeis, which translates to Sugar and Spice. We had lots of fun trying out suitable company names, but chose Siwgr a Sbeis as it conveys what we actively produce. It is a talking point and, when translated, it is very similar, said co-founder Rhian Owen. Siwgr a Sbeis is part of the Fine Foods Cluster, a development programme supported by the Welsh government and facilitated by Cywain, which has a remit to grow business through collaboration. Being part of the cluster group makes a difference; it is important to interact and support other businesses and share everyday experiences, added Owen. Its good to catch up with other food producers, to learn how someone else overcame a particular problem, and to see new trends. Throughout its 30 years, Siwgr a Sbeis has had highlights, including supplying Harrods with almond meringue mince pies, sending luxury Christmas puddings to Australia, and creating a cake for a wedding in France with the decorations hand-painted to replicate the brides dress. As part of its 30-year anniversary celebrations, the business will attend the National Eisteddfod festival and will also be at national and international trade event Taste Wales. This week, it will be in London with a stall at Borough Market (28 February 1 March) as part of Wales Week in London. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Metallic Minerals Corp. (TSX-V: MMG; US OTC: MMNGF) (Metallic Minerals or the Company) announces that company representatives will be attending the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) International Convention to be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Canada from Sunday March 3rd to Wednesday March 6th. Metallic Minerals will be exhibiting in the Investors Exchange throughout the conference at booth #3018 as a member of the Metallic Group of Companies. The PDAC Convention is the most-attended event for the world's mineral exploration and mining sector and promotes a globally responsible and sustainable minerals industry. Metallic Minerals also announces that it has granted 2,500,000 incentive stock options (the Options) to directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company. The Options are exercisable for up to five years, expiring on February 28, 2024, and each Option will allow the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.18 per share based on the closing price of the previous trading day. The Options are subject to certain vesting requirements in accordance with the Companys Long-Term Performance Incentive Plan. About Metallic Minerals Corp. Metallic Minerals Corp. is a growth stage exploration company, focused on the acquisition & development of high-grade silver and gold in under-explored districts of mining-friendly jurisdictions proven to produce top-tier assets. Our objective is to create value through a systematic, entrepreneurial approach to exploration. The Companys core Keno Silver project is located in the historic Keno Hill silver district of Canada's Yukon Territory, with over 300 million ounces of high-grade silver in past production and current resources, and excellent existing infrastructure, including grid power, highway & road access. Metallic Minerals is led by a team with a track record of discovery and exploration success, including large scale development, permitting and project financing. About the Metallic Group of Companies The Metallic Group is a collaboration of leading precious and base metals exploration companies, with a portfolio of large, brownfields assets in established mining districts adjacent to some of the industrys highest-grade producers of platinum & palladium, silver and copper. Member companies include Group Ten Metals (TSX-V: PGE) in the Stillwater PGM-Ni-Cu district of Montana, Metallic Minerals (TSX-V: MMG) in the Yukons Keno Hill silver district, and Granite Creek Copper (TSX-V: GCX) in the Yukons Carmacks copper district. The founders and team members of the Metallic Group include highly successful explorationists formerly with some of the industrys leading explorer/developers and major producers and are undertaking a systematic approach to exploration using new models and technologies to facilitate discoveries in these proven historic mining districts. The Metallic Group is headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Canada and its member companies are listed on the Toronto Venture, US OTC, and Frankfurt stock exchanges. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Website: www.metallic-minerals.com Email: chris.ackerman@metallic-minerals.com Phone: 604-629-7800 Toll Free: 1-888-570-4420 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Oregon's Sharing the Coast Conference Returns, March 8 - 10 Published 02/28/2019 at 1:23 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Newport, Oregon) For the tenth year the Sharing the Coast Conference returns to a beach town somewhere in Oregon to impart a whole new level of knowledge about the Oregon coast. This time around it all happens in Newport on March 8 through 10, at the Hatfield Marine Science Center (2030 S.E. Marine Science Drive) in the South Beach area. Its always a cornucopia of information about coastal science, natural history, shoreline monitoring, and environmental stewardship, put together by CoastWatch and the Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators (NAME). Register at this website; attendance fees vary. The event is open to the public, and the activities on the schedule, including lectures, field trips, workshops, and a Saturday evening party, would be of interest to anyone fascinated by coastal natural history and wishing to learn more about how to protect shoreline resources. This time around, highlights include an appearance by Jim Rice of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and veteran marine educator and ecotour leader Marty Giles will speak on the most basic of shoreline subjects, All About Sand. She will take the audience on a virtual tour of our sandy shores, explaining where sand comes from, what it does while it is on the beach or dune, what lives within it, and where it goes. The annual conference is also designed as a way to learn more about monitoring the shore as a CoastWatch volunteer, participating in citizen science projects, and educating others about the shoreline and marine environment, whether as a teacher or field interpreter. Events kickoff on Friday, March 8 at 7 p.m. with the Community Talk, a Sharing the Coast tradition featuring Giles. On Saturday everything starts at 9 p.m. The schedule: Marine ecologist Cynthia Trowbridge talks on The Ecology of the Driftline, exploring all the natural materials that wash up on shore and what they tell us about marine life Bruce Menge, well-known rocky shore ecologist, will be speaking on rocky shore ecology, climate change, and the fate of sea stars in the midst of all this. Environmental scientist Dorothy Horn discusses plastics in the ocean (and especially microplastics) and how they affect the Oregon coast. Avian researcher Jessica Porquez does a presentation on Oregons seabird populations and the research being conducted on them, helping to explain the lives and origins of the beached birds we find on shore. On the subject of invasive species, behavioral ecologist Catherine de Rivera talks about their effect on coastal the estuaries and how to watch for them on the outer shore. Jim Rice, head of the Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network, will speak on the marine mammals and sea turtles that wash up on our shores, and how to report on them. There will be a panel discussion on citizen science steered by NAME. The group is organizing a parallel set of activities aimed at educators, with presentations on such topics as making art from plastic debris, edible seaweeds, and making marine science relevant to learners. On Saturday evening, the conferences after-party will be combined with a wrap-up party for the recently concluded King Tide Project, through which volunteer photographers document the reach of the winters highest tides. Both conference-goers and other interested members of the public will gather at the Rogue Brewers on the Bay brewery in South Beach beginning at 5:30 p.m. for food and drink, a display of photos providing a virtual tour of the Coquille River Valley during a king tide by photographer Rena Olson, and a talk on how sea level rise is affecting our coast by Meg Reed, Coastal Shores Specialist with the states Department of Land Conservation and Development. This event is free and open to all. Field trips will dominate the roster on Sunday, March 10. Look for an estuary walk guided by marine educator Athena Crichton, leaving from the Hatfield Visitor Center at 10 a.m. Also at 10 a.m., Fawn Custer, CoastWatchs volunteer coordinator, will lead a field trip to the shoreline, during which she will discuss CoastWatch monitoring and citizen science projects, at Otter Rock Marine Reserve (just north of the community of Otter Rock). For more details about the conference or the CoastWatch program, see the website, https://oregonshores.org/coastwatch. Conference fees vary, depending on membership in Oregon Shores, CoastWatch, NAME, or general public, with student and other categories as well. To register online, go to this web link. You can also register on the day of the conference. Lodgings in Newport - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours More Newport below: More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted If the U.S. Supreme Court is ready to drop the topic of partisan gerrymandering, a legal brief filed this month on behalf of N.C. legislative leaders could help bolster their decision.Yet a single footnote in the 75-page document offers a stark reminder: A favorable decision in Washington, D.C., wouldn't settle the gerrymandering issue completely for North Carolina.The nation's highest court will address gerrymandering in North Carolina - again - next month . Supreme Court justices will hear oral arguments March 26 in Rucho v. Common Cause. It's a case challenging North Carolina's current congressional election map. Opponents contend the map is unconstitutional based on overly partisan gerrymandering.It's the second time this particular case has reached the high court. The legal brief filed Feb. 8 urges justices to ensure the case has no more return trips. The document also calls on the Supreme Court to wash its hands completely of any future complaints involving partisan gerrymandering.A split three-judge trial court panel's decision in Ruchoaccording to the brief.A claim is "nonjusticiable" if it's not possible for a court to settle the issue. The N.C. lawmakers' brief turns to both constitutional history and court precedent to explain why partisan gerrymandering fits that bill.Though the brief does not say so directly, the concept of "partisan gerrymandering" itself is redundant. Every instance of gerrymandering involves partisan purposes. American and N.C. history offer plenty of examples.The brief traces the first case of gerrymandering in North Carolina to 1732, when "the governor was engaged in dividing precincts" in a way to benefit his political interests. That episode took place more than four decades before the American Revolution. The incident occurred 55 years before the deliberations that generated the U.S. Constitution.Thus gerrymandering wasThose who designed the Constitution and those who approved the document knew about the practice.The Constitution's framers could have fought the influence of gerrymandering by entrusting federal courts with oversight of electoral mapmaking. They rejected that option.according to N.C. legislators' brief.The U.S. Supreme Court opened the door to partisan gerrymandering complaints in 1986, in the Indiana case of Davis v. Bandemer. Though the court suggested gerrymandering could be too partisan to survive a constitutional challenge, a majority of justices couldn't agree in that case on a standard that would help them decide how much partisanship was "too much."For more than 30 years, justices have struggled with the issue of finding a "judicially manageable standard" in partisan gerrymandering cases. Now, N.C. lawmakers' brief argues, it's time to shut the door.the brief contends.Gerrymandering foes spent years targeting Justice Anthony Kennedy. They believed he would provide a crucial fifth Supreme Court vote in favor of a standard for determining overly partisan gerrymandering.Now that Brett Kavanaugh has succeeded Kennedy, some observers believe the court now has five votes to reject any such test. They believe five justices might be willing to rule that partisan gerrymandering is a political issue that courts should avoid completely.Thus the Supreme Court's ruling in Rucho could end federal partisan gerrymandering cases once and for all.That wouldn't settle the issue for North Carolina.Footnote six at the bottom of page 33 in the N.C. lawmakers' brief explains why. It reminds readers that the U.S. Constitution's Elections Clause gives Congress oversight over state rules for congressional elections. That clause does not address state and local elections.the footnote explains.In other words, federal courts have nothing to say about partisan gerrymandering claims in state courts. A ruling from Washington, D.C., throwing out the Rucho case would not block an ongoing state court case challenging N.C. House and Senate election maps.By the time those Republican-drawn maps reach the end of the state's legal process, Democrats are likely to hold a 6-1 majority on North Carolina's highest court. No one can say for certain how state Supreme Court justices would rule. It's safe to assume they wouldn't have much interest in helping the GOP preserve any partisan advantages.Advocates of redistricting reform are drawing attention to this unsettled state of legal affairs. They are launching a concerted effort again this year to change the way North Carolina draws its election maps Without legislative action, it's likely that partisans will continue to wage legal battles over gerrymandering. As footnote six suggests, the primary battlefield will shift from Washington, D.C., to Raleigh. AHPs are a type of group health plan in which a business or trade association offers health benefits to their member-employers. AHPs allow groups of individuals, small businesses, or self-employed owners to group for the purpose of purchasing health insurance. And they are already allowed to exist under federal law. There are self-insured AHPs and fully-insured AHPs. When an AHP is fully insured, it means that an insurance company handles claims, sets rates, and assumes costs. When an AHP is self-insured, it means the groups' owners bear operational and fiscal responsibilities. When the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, was implemented, it separated the insurance market into the "large group" market and the "small group and individual" market. The large group and small group markets are regulated differently. Small group plans have to abide by all of the insurance regulations placed on plans sold in the Obamacare exchanges. Large group plans are usually self-insured, which means they don't have to comply with community rating, health benefit mandates, and other Obamacare regulations that add expenses to the bottom line. The newly elected members of the North Carolina General Assembly have hit the ground running in the legislative session. As such, a significant piece of health care legislation was introduced earlier this week.Legislators unveiled the Small Business Health Care Act , which would bring North Carolina's insurance regulations more in line with the federal Department of Labor guidelines for employee benefit plans. Specifically, the Small Business Health Care Act would make it easier for those who get their health insurance in the small group and individual market to form an association to buy health insurance as a large group I have described association health plans (AHP) in a previous research update These plans are not new, but their use declined when the Department of Labor guidance issued during the Obama administration made them hard to access. Through a Trump administration executive order , the guidelines which govern these plans were reinterpreted to make it easier for small businesses and individuals to form an association that would be recognized as a large group.Why is it important for these small businesses and self-employed owners to have the power to band together to purchase insurance as a large group? As I have written previously These plans are not meant to sabotage the Affordable Care Act markets. In fact, these plans are private and thus require no subsidies from the federal government. They are not intended to be a complete solution to all of the healthcare cost and access problems that Americans face. Instead, these plans offer relief to many small businesses and working owners. Now small business will have more of an incentive to join an association to provide their employee's insurance - many of which do not have insurance currently. Working owners and sole-proprietors now have more affordable options to purchase insurance compared to the individual market.Some critics of these plans refer to them as "unregulated," but that is not the case. There are many consumer protections and guidelines these plans have to follow to meet the requirements of a legal AHP.Based on the language of the bill proposed by the Senate this week, an association has to comply with many requirements to be compliant under the proposed new insurance code. For example, these plans are not allowed to use health status to determine premiums and they must comply with solvency requirements. These plans would have to follow the ACA requirements that mandate coverage for preventative services, cover children up to age 26, not impose lifetime and annual limits, and not deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. There are also many state requirements including state insurance mandates. Plans must have a board of trustees in control and must carry stop-loss insurance.Under the Affordable Care Act, the people who were hurt the most were individuals, small businesses, self-employed owners, and virtually anyone who was not a part of a business with more than 51 employees. Large employers were exempt from many of the requirements placed on those who would buy insurance in the small group markets. Allowing AHPs in North Carolina would give those who would otherwise be subject to the onerous regulations in small group and individual markets the power to band together and purchase insurance as a large group. Moreover, large groups that purchase health insurance can reduce administrative costs, offer more flexibility when determining group plan premiums, and provide coverage that more closely reflects the needs of its members.The Congressional Budget Office projects that 110,000 people could benefit from allowing AHPs to operate more freely in North Carolina. Members of the North Carolina General Assembly should work with all stakeholders to find the best way to allow small businesses and working owners to maximize access to these affordable plans. Have Sheriff Offices in North Carolina, possibly even Beaufort County's Sheriff Office, become too political in the discharging of their sworn constitutional duties? No, the sheriff is a constitutional officer. Yes, the Sheriff Office, on strong occasion, often reverts back to political patronage in the dispensation of their sworn constitutional duties. I READ YOUR BOOK I am constantly amazed how so many supposedly smart people cannot see past the obvious in trying to understand Donald Trump. It may have something to to with the news medias's obsession with finding a hidden meaning in every action and most politician's wish to be so opaque that no one knows where they really stand. Given all his faults (and there are many), to me Donald Trump has always been transparent and crystal clear in his approach to almost every situation. Perhaps I am guilty of not being able to read the tea leaves like those in Washington and New York. But I will say one thing. I READ HIS BOOK! Excerpt from Google News Feed February 28, 2019 Yesterday all the Anti-Trump media outlets were saying that Trump may give away too much to make a deal with North Korea. This morning I noticed the headlines saying he walked away from the Deal. I suppose they will now be saying he was influenced by all the media attention to his poor negotiating skills. I am reminded of George C. Scott's portrayal of General Patton i 1972. Trump gave us his game plan 32 years ago. Socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on the widespread criticism of her Green New Deal: "Im like, you try. ... Until you do it, Im the boss! How about that?!" pic.twitter.com/vkp15KBttd Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) February 24, 2019 On Sunday, Fresh Face Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) explained to a cheering crowd that she was now the "boss" of the Democratic Party. In her typically brilliant, woman-of-the-people patois, reminiscent of great minds such as the " cash me ousside, how bout dat " girl, Ocasio-Cortez championed her own Green New Deal proposal - a proposal, you'll recall, that called for an end to air travel, the destruction or retrofitting of all buildings in America, the demise of all farting cows, and similarly constructive and realistic suggestions. She stated:The sheer intellectual firepower is nearly overwhelming.But AOC's self-coronation is certainly telling. To Democrats, in fact, it should be reminiscent of the accusations they routinely make about President Trump regarding the southern border: exaggeration of a national threat as an excuse for centralization of power. Now, to be fair to Trump, hundreds of thousands of people do cross our southern border each year illegally, and his arrogation of power for purposes of building a border wall is hardly on the order of the ambitions of the Green New Deal. But the principle is the same: Democrats are very much against manufacturing crises in order to gain power, unless they're claiming that the end of the world is nigh, and that AOC ought to be our policy leader.Here's the truth: nearly every claim AOC makes about climate change is exaggerated beyond the boundaries of the rational. In the past 48 hours, she has argued that people should consider not reproducing so their children won't have to live in a Mad Max hellscape:She's even argued that "we're screwed":This is sheer nonsense. She conflates weather and climate, suggests that our children will be living "very difficult" lives while world poverty is at an all time low and life expectancy is at an all-time high, and she says that there's a "global threat" that will leave us all "screwed." That's nonsense. Human beings adapt, our technology is getting better, and zero climate scientists believe that climate change presents an existential threat to life on earth. Even if you believe climate change is a problem, these claims are doomsday garbage of the highest order.But when you suggest that the end of the world is nigh, it's easier to convince people you ought to be the boss. Which, after all, is AOC's goal. In the end, this isn't about crisis. It's about no good crisis going to waste - and creating crisis where concern would be more appropriate, so as to maximize the case for centralization of power in the most ambitiously ignorant. NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against, Liberty Health Science Inc. (Liberty or the Company) (OTCMKTS: LHSIF) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, Southern District of New York, and indexed under 19-cv-00161, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities, other than Defendants and their affiliates, who purchased or otherwise, acquired Liberty common stock between June 28, 2018, and December 3, 2018, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials. If you are a shareholder who purchased Liberty Class A common stock between June 28, 2018, and December 3, 2018, you have until March 8, 2019, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here to join this class action] Liberty was incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) on November 9, 2011, as SecureCom Mobile Inc. The Companys principal business activity is the production and distribution of medical cannabis through its wholly-owned subsidiary DFMMJ LLC (d/b/a Liberty Health Sciences Florida Ltd.) Aphria Inc. (Aphria), which also produces and distributes cannabis, has had longstanding ties with Liberty, starting from the very beginning of both companies. When Aphria was founded in 2014, Victor Neufeld (Neufeld) joined the firm as CEO and co-founder. One of Aphrias other early institutional backers included The Delavaco Group, Front St. Capital, York Plains, and Broadband Capital of NYC. Neufeld became the Chairman of Liberty while Cole Cacciavillani, Aphrias chief agronomist and co-founder, also became one of the executives at Liberty. Liberty was heavily influenced by Aphria and individuals involved in the management of Aphria. Neufeld and the Serruya are large shareholders in both companies. The complaint alleges throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Liberty, in conjunction with Aphria, was involved in a scheme whereby numerous fraudulent acquisitions and transactions were made to provide undue benefits to both companies insiders; and (ii) as a result, Libertys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. In September 2018, Aphria announced that it had sold off its stake in Liberty. On December 3, 2018, Quintessential Capital Management and Hindenburg Research issued a report entitled Aphria: A Shell Game with a Cannabis Business on the Side, claiming that Aphria was part of a scheme involving the acquisition of shell companies at artificially inflated prices. Specifically, the report alleged: Aphria is part of a scheme orchestrated by a network of insiders to divert funds away from shareholders into their own pockets. The article detailed a thorough and on-the-ground investigation into Aphrias latest investments that revealed the poor quality and worth of the assets of those investments. For example, the article was accompanied by pictures showing that Aphrias latest investment in Jamaica was an abandoned building on dilapidated property. On this news, Libertys stock fell $0.36, or nearly 34%, over the next two trading days to close at $0.70 on December 4, 2018. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP rswilloughby@pomlaw.com 888-476-6529 ext. 9980 No deal Brexit: Ideal or Ordeal? Supporters of a no-deal Brexit like to claim that technology can be a solution for many of the ills that Remainers state will be the inevitable consequence of leaving the European Union not least when it comes to the future of the Irish border (spoilers: tech is not the solution). The tech sector itself is torn on what it wants a vocal group urge a second referendum, while others say Theresa Mays Withdrawal Agreement is the sensible way forward to protect jobs. But the tech impact of Brexit runs even deeper. Data is the oil that greases the wheels of the modern economy, and without free flows of data between the UK and its trading partners, many businesses in the UK will struggle to work with companies overseas. The UKs data protection legislation is based on the EUs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), but that doesnt guarantee data can still flow in the event of a no-deal Brexit. In this e-guide, we bring together the latest advice for businesses on what leaving the EU without a deal would mean for your data protection strategy. HOUSTON, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Our firm is investigating Brett Pittsenbargar and his various financial companies on behalf of a number of his investors. Pittsenbargar is the founder and principal of BP Financial & Tax Design Group, Ironbridge Asset Fund, LLC, and Ironbridge Asset Fund 2, LLC. In January 2017, Pittsenbargar was disciplined by the Texas State Securities Board for selling investments issued by the Woodbridge Mortgage Investment Fund 3, LLC. Pittsenbargar was allegedly selling these investments to Texas residents, despite the fact these investments were securities, and Pittsenbargar was not properly licensed to sell securities. Ultimately, Woodbridge was found to be a massive Ponzi scheme for over $1 billion in investor assets. The Securities and Exchange Commission in January 2019 obtained a $1 billion court judgment against various operators of Woodbridge. Additionally, Ironbridge 1 & 2 are believed to be Pittsenbargars private hedge funds. Pittsenbargar allegedly purchased substantial amounts of Woodbridge investments for these funds as well, putting additional investor funds at risk to this Ponzi scheme. Hedge funds, along with other securities which are not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, include substantial protections intended to protect the retain investing public from unscrupulous advisors, among others. These include specific limitations about who can be solicited to invest in these funds. Despite these legal limitations, upon information and belief, Pittsenbargar solicited numerous Texas investors to invest in his Ironbridge funds who were not properly accredited investors to whom hedge funds can legally be offered and sold. Others may have been convinced to invest in Ironbridge based upon misrepresentations or unsuitable recommendations to invest. These investors may have a claim to recover funds lost to these investments. If you are or were a client of Brett Pittsenbargar or any of his financial entities or have any information about these investments that were offered and sold, please contact the law firm of Shepherd, Smith, Edwards & Kantas LLP. Any information you provide will be kept strictly confidential, and you will not be charged in any way for contacting the firm. Contact Info: 800-259-9010 Samuel Edwards sedwards@sseklaw.com Ryan Cook rcook@sseklaw.com BLACK REPUBLICAN BLOG - The Republican Party is the party of civil rights and the four Fs: faith, family, freedom and fairness. The Democratic Party is the party of the four Ss: slavery, secession, segregation and socialism (Quote By Author Michael Scheuer). Few things are more abundant and durable than human stupidity. In the universe of the feelings that govern the behavior of men and women only fear has a greater rootedness in the collective psyche. Seeing so many engaged in the debate on confiscatory tax rates proposed by leftists to finance the latest liberal programs that they believe will save the world, what strikes me most are those on the right trying to refute this policy according to economic and moral arguments. In other words, the first thing that the right does is understate human stupidity. American society has been sliding toward collectivism since at least the New Deal, but the trend has accelerated dramatically in the last decade. Nowadays, Americans cheerfully support taxing big fortunes, making the rich pay their fair share. Of course, this is a revanchist policy, but it is not out of touch with reality. The hatred of others wealth is the last manifestation of the democratization of society. The more democratic a society becomes, the more egalitarian the mindset of people becomes. The popular clamor, therefore, is to make everyone the same no matter how. The Spanish philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset wrote much about this phenomenon of the massification of life, the atomization of man and the destruction of everything that sounds aristocratic. No one paid much attention. Likely, we will learn in the hard way that everything that begins with taxation and regulation sooner or later ends with guillotines. Severed heads are the only way to ensure equality between men. Many American thinkers understood this issue. Fighting the egalitarian mentality was the Old Rights priority. H. L. Mencken, Albert Jay Nock, Frank Chodorov, Isabel Paterson, John T. Flynn, and Garet Garrett fought tirelessly to prevent egalitarianism from becoming the new Americanism. Seventy years later, I can say without fear of being wrong that they lost this dispute. And they lost not because of the left, but thanks to the right or what is called right in modern America. Before Russell Kirk, as Murray Rothbard observed, the American right identified itself as libertarian or classical liberal. The icon of the right Sen. Robert A. Taft (1889-1953), Republican of Ohio, was a self-declared liberal. After Kirks The Conservative Mind was published in 1953, cultural conservatism became part of American right-wing philosophy. Thus, the post- World War II American conservative movement was a fusion of libertarianism, cultural conservatism, and anti-communism. Everything began to change, paradoxically, with the arrival of Ronald Reagan to the White House. Internationalist liberals, disciples of Woodrow Wilson, disillusioned with Jimmy Carter and attracted by Reagans hardline anti-communism, left the Democratic Party and moved to the GOP. Such disillusioned liberals are the so-called neoconservatives who in a matter of years took over of the conservative movement and reshaped it as a Wilsonian liberal movement, concerned with democracy and equality. As wrote Paul Gottfried, the National Review a former outlet of cultural conservatives elevated some of Kirks intellectual opponents, such as the Jacobin Harry Jaffa, into conservative icons. Jaffa stressed equality as a conservative principle and cruelly mocked Kirk whenever the occasion presented itself. Reagan biographer Steven Hayward went even further and praised Reagan for having saved conservatism from a fate worse than death that is, from having gone in the direction of Kirk, toward a Burkean tradition-oriented conservatism. Since the American political debate has been reduced to a struggle between neoconservatives / neo-liberals on one side and the cultural left on the other trying to prove which one best represents the legacy of the French Revolution nothing could be less surprising than seeing the more radical side gain ground. The hysterical rhetoric of Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are more a logical unfolding of this new political reality than anomalies. Hysteria, as the Austrian philosopher Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn and the Polish psychiatrist Andrej Lobaczewski taught, is the essence of left-wing thinking. Leftists embrace nihilism and anarchy as a philosophy of life because the ideological content matters little. That is why the cultural left can promise things for free without worrying about where the money to fund their policies will come from. Even in countries with a welfare state more generous than the American, politicians are concerned with controlling public debt and balancing the budget. In the United States, these considerations do not seem to be an issue. Lets turn to the high tax rates matter. To try to persuade someone based on economic and moral arguments is a waste of time. Nothing is more proven than the unfeasibility of socialism at least since Ludwig von Mises demonstrated the impossibility of economic calculation in socialist economies. This has never been refuted. Not to mention that every time the government intervenes in any area of the economy, everyone loses just look at the Obamacare. Even so, socialism has never been as popular as it is now in the United States. Moral arguments are also irrelevant. In a democratic and egalitarian society, the measure of morality is the measure of equality. Needless to say, that this very policy is championed by the very rich. They are the ones that have been funding progressive initiatives across the world. Ralph Naders romance Only the Super Rich Can Save Us is a self-fulfilling prophecy about how people like Warren Buffett will turn America in a socialist nation. If this socialist experience did not end up increasing rather than reducing the power of the very rich, I would love to see the moneyed ones putting their wealth where their mouths are. So, what can be done? Arguments based on reason cannot penetrate a hysterical mind. Human political behavior, as the Italian sociologist Vilfredo Pareto wrote, is based on irrational attitudes that can be more or less articulated in a coherent policy by an elite. Since the American elite embraced collectivism, the only way out is to appeal to a powerful feeling: fear. Taxation is not about distribution of wealth, but about power. According to the French philosopher Bertrand de Jouvenel, taxes are not a transfer of income from the ones that have to the ones that have not, but a transfer of power from individuals to government bureaucracy. High rate taxes are one of the most efficient means to consolidate once and for all the overwhelming power of the managerial state over the individual. The German theorist Karl Wittfogel gave the perfect explanation of this strategy: Perfect totalitarianism does not need direct control to ensure that the population will adopt certain behaviors; indirect control like control over money is much more efficient. Once the managerial state has to deal with a rebellion, the flow of money will be cut off, and the rebel group will starve. Wherever the government controls the means of production, wrote Leon Trotsky, to make opposition means to die of starvation. Neither formal law nor high ideals can contain the movement of power concentration; only power can contain power. The only force that counts in this Iron Age we live in is the human ambition for power, on the one hand, and the fear that other humans have of losing power, on the other hand. So far, those who desire power have been winning thanks to the myth of upward mobility and increasing personal freedom propagated by democracy. However, never before in human history has despotism been so efficient and so well accepted by the majority of the population. Moral and economic arguments will never be useful in convincing the public that high taxes are wrong. In a society that holds to firm beliefs in the superiority of equality and democracy, right and wrong are a matter of quantity and not quality. To prove that someone is wrong amounts to showing intellectual superiority and this is not acceptable. Nonetheless, fear remains the best deterrent of reckless action. In this respect, the logic of Thomas Hobbes is unbeatable. Fear is what pushes the man from barbarism to civilization; once civilization is established, man forgets fear and society degenerates into anarchy until a Bonapartism or a Caesarism rises and reestablishes the lost order. It seems that Donald J. Trump sensed this little truth. His first victory was driven by a promise to save America from chaos through a wall, and his re-election campaign is likely to have the threat of socialism and infanticide as its central themes. I believe that ones predominant concern for his own neck is common to humankind. Nobody wants to end his days being beheaded by an Ivy-league student who thinks that Ocasio-Cortez is a new Espinoza. From my modest perspective, things will get much worse before they start to improve. I hope, that in the end, I can give the same answer that the Marquess of Mirabeau gave when asked about what he had done during the French Revolution: I survived. Homepage picture Ink drawing on manuscript offered by Thomas Hobbes to Charles II WikiCommons. Polarizing figures throughout history from doomsday cults to political extremists have advised their followers not to have children. Expert commentators and a groundbreaking new study show that this, when mixed with government pressure, has led countless mothers to lifelong remorse and deprived nations of a better standard of living. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined this chorus over the weekend when she asked, given an impending climate apocalypse, Is it OK to still have children? The carbon footprint of children may overtax the earths resources, and she intimated that it may be a better moral choice to spare them the hellish existence they would endure in a world that shuns her version of the Green New Deal. Experts say her persuasion alone could harm some of her followers. Ocasio-Cortezs views are particularly dangerous, because she has such a large following among Millennials, said Steven Mosher, president of Population Research Institute. Anyone who listens to her may very well abort any children they conceive, or forego having children at all, because she has taught them to fear the future. The end result will be a lot of sad, lonely people perhaps including AOC herself who have never had any children, Mosher continued. They will realize too late that they did not provide for the future in the most fundamental way, by having children and grandchildren. The data in a seminal new paper bear out Moshers conclusion. Lyman Stone of the American Enterprise Institute reviewed surveys from around the globe and found that the average woman has fewer children than she wants. In other words, there is a supply and demand gap for babies, and there has been for a generation. Stone admitted that I can only produce a very small database of fertility preferences compared to databases on actual fertility. With that caveat, he revealed his findings on the website of the Institute for Family Studies: Missing-but-wanted children now substantially outnumber unwanted births. Missing kids are a global phenomenon, not just a rich-world problem. Multiplying out each countrys fertility gap by its population of reproductive age women reveals that, for women entering their reproductive years in 2010 in the countries in my sample, there are likely to be a net 270 million missing birthsif fertility ideals and birth rates hold stable. Put another way, over the 30 to 40 years these women would potentially be having children, thats about 6 to 10 million missing babies per year thanks to the global undershooting of fertility. Some alarmists desire to invert Gods first commandment to His creation, be fruitful and multiply, will contribute to this collective global heartache. Disregarding the divine order for the world always does. However, when misguided ideologues wield power, they trade persuasion for coercion as they attempt to nudge, prod, and compel others into heeding their counsel. Nearly one-half of Stones estimated 270 million missing births, 106 million according to his data, are in China. Beijings one-child policy of forced abortion as late as the ninth month has left millions of women traumatized and millions of men incapable of finding a partner due to the prevalence of sex-selective abortion. Furthermore, the nation as a whole is facing economic contraction the very malady the population control measure intended to avert. We are rapidly approaching China Max, if we havent reached it already, wrote Salvatore Babones at Forbes. Each child brings a unique set of skills and abilities economists use the term human capital that contribute to the productivity, innovation, and well-being of the entire nation. As population contracts, the debt and pension plans accrued by their parents become a heavier burden dumped on fewer shoulders. Chinas impending denouement proves that government officials lack the competence to chart 1.4 billion individual paths to personal happiness. Creating 106 million broken hearts is no small failure. Since happiness is referred to in economic terms as utility, its more proof that government bureaucrats cannot successfully plan an economy, either. And it is proof that no nation can thrive in the long run by violating the express will of God as expressed in Scripture or natural law. If Americans want to avoid a similar sense of loss, public officials should concern themselves less with discouraging citizens to reproduce or micromanaging individuals economic choices and concentrate on creating a stable, prosperous, virtuous nation that will allow future generations to thrive. (These six principles lead a nation from poverty to prosperity.) (Photo credit: Public domain.) Taking inspiration from a recent CNN town hall which featured Bernie Sanders, Alejandro Chafuen, Actons Managing Director, International, offers some pointers in Forbes on how to argue against socialism. Such arguments cant be reduced to slogans or simple black-and-white characterizations, and we should be wary of underestimating our opponents or demonizing their motives. Political campaigns, especially nowadays, are not conducive to intellectual arguments, but it is part of our task to elevate the level of public debate. I recently watched a town hall meeting that CNN orchestrated for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). The questions were scripted, and all were more or less anticipated by the presidential candidate. I was especially interested in how Sen. Sanders would navigate questions on socialism. Today, most civilized Western countries are engaged in a battle to liberate Venezuelans from their socialist nightmare. On the other side of the globe, the United States is using different tactics to reduce the immense threat of communist North Korea, the only country that ranks worse than Venezuela in freedom. For most readers of Forbes, the choice between socialism and capitalism is simple: capitalism works, socialism doesnt. But when we look at the world and see the different ways of dealing with the Venezuelan and North Korean quagmires, we realize that dealing with socialist powers is more complicated, especially when we want to determine how the free world should interact with dictators. Even more complex is determining how each of us, as voters or policy influencers, should behave. Another 'Making a Murderer' Appeal; Will Steven Avery Get a Second Trial? If the Theresa Halbach murder story were a soap opera, you might've stopped watching by now because the story had truly gone off the rails. Steven Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey were charged with her 2005 killing, and their convictions have been scrutinized ever since, leading to two documentaries and a slew of appeals. As it stands now, both remain behind bars. But another twist may be coming. Avery and his attorneys won an appeal this week to introduce new evidence, which could possibly lead to a new trial. Digging up the Past As you can imagine with a 14-year-old case, the appeals process at this point is pretty complicated. The Wisconsin state Court of Appeals granted Avery's motion to stay his other pending appeals and will permit his attorneys to present new evidence in a lower court. That motion was based on a collection of possible human bones, supposedly Halbach's. When Avery's attorneys, including Kathleen Zellner, requested DNA testing on the bones, they found the Wisconsin Department of Justice had returned the bones to Halbach's family and had never tested them for DNA. "Due to this case's extensive history," the court ruled, "there is a benefit to having existing claims developed or litigated while they are relatively fresh, rather than positioning the claims to be procedurally barred in a future proceeding." The Court of Appeals also ordered all of Avery's claims to be considered in a single appeal in circuit court, which will issue order about its findings and conclusions. "The case is being remanded back to the circuit court to conduct proceedings, which can include a hearing," Zellner told Newsweek. "The circuit court can grant a new trial, or if not, back to appellate court who can reverse the conviction and/or grant a new trial." The likelihood of a new trial will depend on the evidence presented, but it's clear that Avery's appeals are far from over. The End of Appeals The appeals for Avery's alleged accomplice, however, may have ended. Brendan Dassey, who was 16 at the time of Halbach's murder, confessed to the crime. The inconsistent and contradictory confession came after police interrogated Dassey, who was enrolled in special education classes, four times within 48 hours (including three separate times in just 24 hours) all without legal counsel present. That confession was tossed in 2016, and he was ordered to be released. But the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated his conviction in 2017, and the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal in 2018. Related Resources: DUNEDIN, Fla., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Over 200 people from dozens of Pinellas County Florida churches walked under a bright, welcoming sun through two and a half miles of the city of Dunedin Florida on Sunday, 24 February. The event was started four years ago by the pastor of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Rev. Becky Robbins-Penniman who was inspired by William Ury, co-founder of Harvards Program on negotiation. Co-sponsors of the walk included: the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd; Dunedin Council of Organizations; St. Francis of Assisi Mission; Bahai Faith; Faith United Church of Christ; Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church; First Presbyterian Church of Dunedin; Unitarian Universalists of Clearwater; Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Faith; Taoist tai chi; Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization; Clearwater Friends (Quakers); Interfaith Tampa Bay; root Healing Zen; Islamic Society of North Pinellas; and Open Door Church. The walk was from 2pm to 5pm starting at the Taoist Tai Chi to Pioneer Park where representatives from five of the sponsoring faiths spoke about peace from their faith traditions. Participants then walked on to the Mosque Majid Al Salaam for refreshments and a tour and completed the walk at First Presbyterian Church of Dunedin. Along the way, people introduced themselves to members of other religious faiths with the purpose of finding out the truth about what others believe and thus creating peace. Contact: Pat Harney Phone Number: 727-467-6860 Photos accompanying this announcement are available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/850ce36d-03c5-4816-90dc-29ab49a3bd47 http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/84c127f1-5b3b-45d5-9074-cc4b80b67547 YPSILANTI, Mich., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eastern Michigan University Professional Programs and Training (EMU PPAT), part of Engage@EMU, announced its plan to launch a new online, non-credit course offering with Amesite Inc., an artificial intelligence software company based in Ann Arbor, MI. The new pilot is Lean Six Sigma for Health Care, a 12-week professional program offering 4.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). EMU PPAT offers an array of industry-recognized training, continuing education and certification prep programs to help students and employees of regional businesses and beyond develop their skills and knowledge. The PPAT team offers practical, process-based instruction in multiple industries for professionals (emich.edu/ppat). Eastern Michigan University Director of Business Engagement and Non-Credit Initiatives, Elizabeth Stoner said, We constantly seek innovative solutions to offer high quality, non-credit instruction. We are pleased to partner with Amesite to launch this pilot offering in health care, one of the fastest growing sectors in the economy. Amesite CEO, Dr. Ann Marie Sastry, said We are excited to partner with Eastern Michigan University and the PPAT team to offer the Lean Six Sigma for Health Care program, given the need in Michigan to strengthen its numbers in the health care workforce. Statistical methods have a role to play in improving care, and we are pleased to help make an impact with EMU. The pilot offering of Lean Six Sigma for Health Care begins April 1, 2019. For more information or to enroll, visit www.amesite.com/lean-six-sigma-for-healthcare or contact ppat@emich.edu. Amesites online learning solutions for colleges, universities, faculty and students utilize artificial intelligence technologies, including machine learning and natural language processing, to deliver cost effective, cloud-based digital versions of courses that greatly enhance and improve the learning experience of students. Amesites online platform includes customized user messaging and tracking as well as seamless integration of current events into traditional course materials, creating a more meaningful experience for both students and instructors alike. About Amesite Inc. Amesite is a high tech artificial intelligence software company offering a cloud-based platform for college and university courses to be cost-effectively and conveniently delivered to learners online and in hybrid online/on campus formats. Amesite uses artificial intelligence technologies to provide customized environments for learners, easier-to-manage interfaces for instructors, and greater accessibility for college degree seekers in the US education market and beyond. The Company leverages existing college infrastructures, adding mass customization and cutting-edge technology to provide cost-effective, accessible, scalable and improved learning experiences to students. Founded in 2017, Amesite is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. For more information, visit amesite.com . Forward Looking Statements This communication contains forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended) concerning the Company, the Companys planned online machine learning platform, the Companys business plans, any future commercialization of the Companys online learning solutions, potential customers, business objectives and other matters. Forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as may, will, should, would, expect, plan, believe, intend, look forward, and other similar expressions among others. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Risks facing the Company and its planned platform are set forth in the Companys filings with the SEC. Except as required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. About Eastern Michigan University Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves more than 19,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit emich.edu. Contact: The GOP-led U.S. Senate today confirmed ex-coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler to run Environmental Protection Agency, in a 52-47 vote mostly along party lines. 52-47 The #Senate CONFIRMED Andrew Wheeler to be Administrator of the EPA. Senator Collins voted no joining all Democrats. Senator Sinema did not vote. Senate Press Gallery (@SenatePress) February 28, 2019 Wheeler has been serving as "acting" administrator of Trump's EPA since Scott Pruitt resigned over alleged ethics violations in July, 2018. On the GOP side, only Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) opposed Wheeler, and voted against him. She described his policies as "not in the best interest of our environment and public health." Arizona Senator Kristen Sinema did not vote. Below, tweets from lawmakers who voted "no," and from journalists and environmental advocates around the time Wheeler's confirmation was completed today. .@SenatorCollins just accidentally voted for EPA nom Andrew Wheeler and quickly corrected to a no. She kind of shook her head and laughed at her mistake. She was the only Republican to oppose the nominee. Jennifer Haberkorn (@jenhab) February 28, 2019 U.S. Senate in 52-47 vote confirmed Andrew Wheeler for EPA Administrator: pic.twitter.com/IDnvtZ8ok1 Greg Giroux (@greggiroux) February 28, 2019 Senate Republicans just overrode bipartisan opposition to confirm ex-coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler to be Trump Administration's next EPA Administrator. As with Wheeler's predecessor Scott Pruitt, it will be vital that Congress exercise oversight. House Democrats will be vigilant. https://t.co/U6ytctesl3 Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) February 28, 2019 Now that Andrew Wheeler has been confirmed, here's a reminder of the coal baron's wishlist he's been working to complete as acting administrator > https://t.co/qAfyDCUDcY https://t.co/uyyYgKjvza Climate Desk (@ClimateDesk) February 28, 2019 Andrew Wheeler, former energy lobbyist, confirmed as nation's top environmental official. w/@eilperin https://t.co/oP2J628U5n Brady Dennis (@brady_dennis) February 28, 2019 We need a strong EPA that will defend the right of every American to drink clean water & breathe clean air. That's why I'm on my way to vote NO on Andrew Wheeler's nomination to lead the EPA. We cannot allow a former coal lobbyist & climate change skeptic to head this agency. Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) February 28, 2019 .@SenatorCarper on floor before Senate @EPAAWheeler vote: U.S. needs clean air/water+can grow the economy.`We need somebody running the EPA who actually believes in that, too. I'm sorry to say here today, I don't believe right now that it's Andrew Wheeler. I say that with no joy' Dean Scott (@deantscott) February 28, 2019 With so much at stake the health of Lake Erie, climate change, safe drinking water and clean air for our families I cannot support the nomination of Andrew Wheeler to serve as EPA Administrator. Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) February 28, 2019 At this moment of growing harm from climate change, appointing someone to lead the EPA who has vigorously opposed our efforts to reduce carbon pollution. would be like putting the Monopoly Man in charge of regulating big banks. I'm voting no on Andrew Wheeler to head the EPA. Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) February 28, 2019 Andrew Wheeler has proven where his loyalties lie: to advancing President Trump's agenda that seeks to chip away at our environmental laws & jeopardize public health for families in WA & nationwide. I'm heading to the floor to vote NO on Mr. Wheeler's confirmation to lead @EPA. Senator Patty Murray (@PattyMurray) February 28, 2019 A former coal lobbyist in charge of protecting our environment? I don't think so. Just voted NO on Andrew Wheeler to head @EPAgov. #StopWheeler pic.twitter.com/gXW07aGkKA Senator Bob Menendez (@SenatorMenendez) February 28, 2019 I just voted against Andrew Wheeler to become EPA administrator. As a former fossil fuel lobbyist, he consistently worked against the public interest to advance an anti-environment agenda and dismantle many hard-won climate change programs. Sen Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) February 28, 2019 Throughout his career, Andrew Wheeler has shown a clear disregard for the EPA's mission to protect the public and environment. As the author of the Ten-in-Ten Fuel Economy Act, I'm troubled by his attacks on clean car standards. We don't need another anti-environment crusader. Sen Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) February 28, 2019 .@Sen_JoeManchin also just voted "no" on @EPAAWheeler's top spot confirmation. The Democrat from West Virginia voted for Wheeler to be deputy administrator last year. Zahra Hirji (@Zhirji28) February 28, 2019 PHOTO: (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler addresses staff at EPA headquarters in Washington, U.S., July 11, 2018. REUTERS/Ting Shen Seattle's immensely popular business tax was designed to do something about the city's epidemic of desperate homelessness, but then Amazon threw its muscle around to get the tax canceled, mostly by threatening not to occupy its new offices in Ranier Square, a 30-story building currently under construction that Amazon was to be sole tenant of, with 3,500-5,000 employees working out of the building. Now, Ranier Square is advertising for new tenants to fill its 722,000 square feet, because Amazon has canceled its plans (though not the lease the new tenants will sublease from Amazon, likely for 10-15 years). Unconfirmed reports have it that Amazon will instead expand its rentals in neighboring Bellevue. Seattle has upcoming municipal elections and some city councillors are signalling that they'll campaign on reinstating the tax and raising money to help fix the city's housing crisis. When Mayor Jenny Durkan and a council majority sought to compromise with business leaders in May by passing a smaller version of the tax, Amazon announced it would move ahead with Block 18, one of several new buildings going up in the Denny Triangle. But the company never recommitted to the Rainier Square space, even after an effort to nix the measure through a referendum, backed by Amazon and other local businesses, pressured the council into repealing the tax less than a month later. The annual tax of $275 per employee on companies grossing at least $20 million per year would have raised about $47 million in 2019 for low-income housing and homeless services. Kshama Sawant, one of two council members who opposed the repeal, described Amazon's Rainier Square announcement Wednesday as a "told you so" moment. "This is a good reminder for us that backing down to the bullying of corporations never stops their bullying," said Sawant, praising activists in New York City who protested tax breaks for Amazon, causing the company to pull out from its campus plans there. (Two Seattle council members, Teresa Mosqueda and Lisa Herbold, spoke at a New York event organized by Amazon opponents in January.) "As the next step, people in Seattle should gather courage and renew our fight to tax big business for social housing," Sawant said. Amazon abandons plan to occupy huge downtown Seattle office building [Benjamin Romano and Mike Rosenberg/Seattle Times] Amazon backs out of massive Seattle office tower as questions swirl about growth plans [Monica Nickelsburg/Geekwire] Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Rolling Stone interview with Alex Morris paints a portrait of a politician and activist whose brilliance as a tactician is matched by an unwavering, uncompromising commitment to principle. Whether talking about media strategy, theories of political change, the institutional structure of the two major US political parties, or the role demographics play in political consciousness, AOC reveals herself to be both entirely premeditated, working according to a well-developed internal playbook; and entirely motivated by a well-articulated principle. Plenty of politicians are good orators and good horse-traders, but AOC is playing a much bigger game here, not merely angling for power-for-its-own-sake, or carrying water for corporate paymasters, or showing off her debate skills: she's trying to change the entire political system, having recognized both the urgency and potential of our current political moment. She is keenly aware of the limitations of a freshman Member of Congress, but she's also aware that those limitations are grossly overestimated by the political establishment, who imagines that the freshman arrival in Congress is constrained by a need to forge alliances with the establishment as the opening act of a lucrative life in the political-industrial complex. AOC doesn't want to make friends, she's come to Congress to kick ass and chew bubble-gum, and she's fresh out of etc etc. If you doubt it for a moment, just compare her performance at yesterday's Michael Cohen hearing with those of her compatriots on both sides of the aisle while others merely politically grandstanded, AOC got new and devastating facts into the record, while still producing material perfectly tailored for sharing and repeating. She's so, so good at this. How much of what you're talking about is trying to move the Overton window [the range of ideas accepted in public discourse] so that Democrats can compete with the way Republicans have moved it? A huge part of my agenda is to move the Overton window, because it's a strategic position. I'm a first-term freshman in an institution that works by seniority. Procedurally, it is kind of like high school. You're the new kid on the block. So, as a freshman, you have to look at the tools available to you, and in my first term, if we have the opportunity to frame the debate, then that is one of the ways to have the most power. If I'm here for four days, then the most powerful thing I can do is to create a national debate on marginal tax rates on the rich. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Wants the Country to Think Big [Alex Morris/Rolling Stone] What happens when a stoppable force hits an immovable object? The stoppable force stops. The Korea Herald reports: The Korea Coast Guard (KCG) said the 5,998-ton Seagrand sailed into the side of the Gwangan Bridge at around 4:20 p.m. before turning back to head in the opposite direction. The KCG nabbed the vessel and questioned the crew aboard. It said the ship's Russian captain, whose identity is being withheld, had a blood alcohol content of 0.086 percent. The legal limit is 0.03 percent. I feel there must be more to the story, as 0.08 isn't very drunkit's the legal limit for driving in most U.S. states and basically the tare weight of a merchant sailor. You may recognize the bridge, in Busan, from Black Panther. In Sweden, officers of the Swedish Security Service have arrested a person who worked "in a high-technology sector" and is believed by investigators to be a Russian agent. "This individual is suspected of having been recruited as an agent by a Russian intelligence officer who was working under diplomatic cover in Sweden," Daniel Stenling, the Swedish Security Service Head of Counter-Intelligence, said in a statement. The Swedish tabloid Dagens Nyheter first reported the spy bust. From NPR: The individual, whose name has not been disclosed, was passing information to Russia since 2017, the Swedish Security Service says. He or she was working in a high-technology sector "on tasks known by our Service to be the type of intelligence sought after by foreign powers," the agency said. Swedish police officers working with security service agents arrested the suspect on Tuesday evening, in the midst of a meeting in central Stockholm. () Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not comment on the arrest and instead redirected an inquiry to Russia's Foreign Ministry. Its embassy in Sweden has not made public remarks. Still no comment from Russia, beyond those remarks by Peskov, at noon on Thursday in the United States. Video footage that appears to show the suspect led out of a restaurant by 'Sapo' (Sakerhetspolisen) officers is circulating on Swedish media, as the BBC reported. Excerpt from the BBC: A witness quoted by Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet said several officers of the Swedish security police, known as Sapo, stormed the restaurant and surrounded a table where two people were sitting having a meal. Swedish media said a second person was also detained in the operation but later released after claiming diplomatic immunity. The Aftonbladet headline? "Another [Russian] Spy has been Arrested." Here is the Swedish government's news release about the arrest of the suspected Russian agent. Living Gospel Equality Now: Loving in the Heart of God: Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests Did you know that you regularly pay Value Added Tax without realizing it? Basically, almost every good or service transacted in South Africa has an indirect tax charged on it by the SARS (South African Revenue Service). As a business, there are several benefits to be enjoyed from acquiring a VAT number, but prior to that, you must be knowledgeable about the VAT registration requirements as specified by the SARS. Photo: canva.com (modified by author) Source: UGC The VAT rate in South Africa has faced several increments over the years since its introduction in 1991. Initially, it was levied at a statutory rate of 10% in 1991. Two years later, it was increased to 14%, and it remained that way until 2018 when new changes were introduced. As of April 1st, 2018, the new rate was set at 15%, and it remains the same in 2021. There are questions arising on regulations surrounding registration and the filing process. What has changed? How will this new rate impact my business? Does that mean products and services will cost more? Below, we will look into all these questions in detail to help ease your confusion. What is VAT in South Africa? Value Added Tax is a tax levied by the government on goods and services at each point of sale. This basically means that every time a product exchanges hands through any form of production or distribution process, VAT is charged. It happens right from the initial manufacturing stage to the final consumer stage. As previously mentioned, up until March 31st, 2018, the VAT rate in South Africa on products was 14% but it has since increased to 15%. This additional amount goes to SARS. However, there are few products that have been exempted from this indirect tax. These are referred to as zero-rated products, and they include basic food items like maize meal and vegetables. How does VAT work in South Africa? To put it simply, every time a good or service is transacted or distributed, VAT is charged on it. It is normally proportional to the price charged against the said product or service at the time of sale. It is really simple to calculate the amount to be charged or paid back by SARS, especially if yours is a small business. Since VAT is set as an additional percentage to the actual price of a product, the burden of this tax always falls upon the consumer. So, as a business or vendor, you do not have to worry that it will be deducted from your operational costs. SARS. Photo: @BISouthAfrica Source: Twitter Who needs to register for VAT? Now that you understand what VAT is and how it is charged, lets get into registration. There are two types of registration: Mandatory VAT registration Once your company exceeds R1 million in annual sales, you are legally required to register for VAT at SARS. Businesses that fall into this category are referred to as vendors. Upon registration, you are permitted to add the extra charge to the total price of your products and services. New vendors are required to complete and submit the VAT 101 form- Application for registration at SARS centers, no later than 21 days after surpassing the R1 million sales mark. Voluntary VAT registration If you have a new company, you can voluntarily register for a VAT number for your business. That is if your annual sales fall below R1 million. As of March 1st, 2010, the minimum threshold for voluntary VAT registration was R50,000 in sales accrued over a period of 12 months. However under the new changes, if you earn more than R4 200 a month (for at least 2 months), you are eligible to apply for a number. These companies are mainly micro-businesses that may include individuals, partnerships or cooperatives. Normally, these micro-businesses are subject to a turnover tax thats why they are not mandated to register separately. It is really up to you and how you decide to scale your business operations. What are the benefits of registering for VAT in South Africa? Your business will be listed as a licensed service provider. This means potential clients and customers view you as a reliable and trustworthy business. Eligibility to apply for tenders and contracts. To be eligible to vie for tenders especially with the government, your business needs to have a VAT number. Business advantage. Large companies prefer to deal with businesses with a verifiable VAT number when sending quotes and invoices. Refund of Input Tax. Once you are registered, and you buy products from another company that adds this tax, you are eligible for a tax refund from SARS. How do I register for a VAT number in South Africa? You can register for this number in one of two ways. It can either be manually or electronically via the SARS eFiling system. If you choose to do it manually, you can download a VAT 101- Application for a Registration Form from the SARS website. After successfully completing it, submit it to a SARS branch near you. The manual submission of the VAT 101 form and other supporting documents has to be in person or by a registered tax practitioner. No hard copies are accepted via faxing or photocopying. This is to ensure safety from fraud for all parties involved. Upon registration, vendors are given a unique VAT vendor number that will need to be included in all future invoices, receipts, quotations, and correspondence with SARS. Once you are registered, you can make payments through the various SARS branches, eFiling site, debit orders or any of the major banks. How can I register via the SARS eFiling system? The new VAT registration on the eFiling website is simple, fast and free. Plus, you get to enjoy a variety of benefits such as submission of tax returns, making relevant payments and other related services. This is a simple three-part process: Visit the SARS eFiling website at sarsefiling.co.za. Click on Register form the top menu. Complete the easy 6 step process: Step 1: Read and Accept the Terms and Conditions. Step II: Create your User ID and secure password. Step III: Add in the personal information for authentication. Step IV: Provide details on your organization as well as employer details. Step V: Select the VAT tax type. Step VI: You are now registered. Once successful, the unique User ID and access code which you were assigned are for your eyes only and not to be shared. You are free to change and personalize your access code. There are several advantages of filing VAT returns via the eFiling service such as receiving an extension of final submissions. As of 2012, vendors can now submit their VAT declarations on the 25th of the month without fear of penalties or fines. What documents are needed to register for VAT? There are several VAT registration requirements to be met before registering for a VAT number for your business in South Africa. The business must be a registered company. This means your business must be registered with the CIPC (Companies and Intellectual Property Commission). A business bank account. A bank account specifically for your business transactions, devoid of personal transactions. Proof of trading. Normally, invoice(s) of previous transactions would suffice. Proof of address. Once you meet these requirements, you must take a completed VAT 101 form along with the following supporting documents to the nearest SARS center. Below are the documents required to complete the registration process: Copy of Certificate of Incorporation Copy of Trust Deed And Authority Letter Copy of Original ID Original banking statements (going back three months) Original letter from your banker / Original stamped statement from the bank Latest month invoices as proof of trading A recent copy of the business municipal account/ Rental agreement as proof of business address How long does VAT registration take in South Africa? If you registered via the SARS eFiling system, your profile will be activated within 48 hours. If it takes any longer, you are advised to contact SARS. Otherwise, via manual registration, it takes anywhere from 10 days After successful registration, you will receive notice through: The eFiling system a) Log onto the eFiling system. b) Key in your credentials/VAT number. c) View your status and update it if necessary. The email address provided upon registration SMS through a registered mobile phone number Before your number is issued, you are free to continue business operations as you wait for it. What is a VAT number? It is a unique 10 digit number that starts with the number 4. This number is typically assigned to businesses that meet the requisite conditions for registration. For example, a typical number is 4330182355 and is usually accompanied by a matching registration name. When your application is successful, you are issued with this unique identifying number that you can search and check for on the SARS eFiling website. Once issued, this unique identifying number is expected to be indicated on all your valid tax invoices. VAT registration requirements. Photo: @MooreSAfrica Source: Twitter How do I search/ check my VAT number status? You can do either a partial or exact VAT vendor search depending on whether you are a registered eFiler. Simply key in the VAT Number and the Vendors Trading Name Click search Depending on the User type, registered or not, the results will yield either a partial or exact business match respectively. Conducting a vendor search is necessary when filing for input tax returns with SARS or just to confirm whether a certain company is indeed registered. With the required documents and well-filled-in forms, it is very easy to complete the registration without any trouble. If you are unable to follow the VAT registration requirements appropriately, it is best to seek the help of a certified tax practitioner. The good news is that the eFiling system has made this registration process such a hustle free affair. You can now handle it right from the comfort of your home or office. DISCLAIMER: This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility! Source: Briefly.co.za - A petition has been launched to sell the Northern Cape to Namibia - Capetonian resident, Aidan van Niekerk, has drawn up a petition to sell the province for R420 billion to erase Eskoms debt - In an interview, van Niekerk provided motivation for his idea, which he hopes to present to Parliament PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed! A controversial petition has been drawn up to sell the Northern Cape to Namibia. Aidan van Niekerk, a Capetonian resident, came up with the proposal to sell the province for R420 billion to eradicate Eskoms debt. Speaking to Jacaranda FM, van Niekerk said hed been crunching the numbers and came up with the valuation of R420 billion, which coincides with the debt accrued by the embattled power utility. READ ALSO: Management gatvol: Spar's no gemsboks allowed sign has SA in stitches Van Niekerk motivated the petition by saying that not many people care about the province and that most of the land is an eye-sore. According to the young man, the Northern Cape only contributes about 2% of the countrys GDP (gross domestic product). READ ALSO: Fake or real? Tell-tale signs the person in the coffin is alive Jacarandas Martin Bester asked van Niekerk if the sale wouldnt be in vain as Eskom might just incur more debt once the current debt has been settled. Briefly.co.za also noted that the petition has riled up many Northern Cape residents. Venicia Xoroxloo Williams said, Why don't u sell yourself...ESKOM debt is a SCAM. Christo Boshoff asked, Do you remember that time when Aiden tried to convince the government to sell the North Cape to pay off Eskom debt and then he got shot by a farmer from Upington? However, van Niekerk boasted his fair share of supporters as well. Rodney Pedro said, Aidan van Niekerk you flippen legend!! PAY ATTENTION: Save mobile data with FreeBasics: Briefly is now available on the app Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLYs news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news! Source: Briefly.co.za Thembi Seete has taken to social media to share a snap of herself after landing at the airport in Botswana. PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed! The media personality looked comfortable dressed for travel in a leather jacket, tracksuit pants and sneakers. She dropped some glam to the look in a pair of over sized shades and an iconic Louis Vuitton handbag. PAY ATTENTION: Save mobile data with FreeBasics: Briefly is now available on the app Thembi is usually very private about her life, so she did not post who she was travelling with or who took the picture. READ ALSO: Mpho Letsholonyane defends Bonnie Mbuli's interracial relationship Thembi Seete recently gave birth to her first child and she had kept her baby daddys identity extremely private. Briefly.co.za learnt who the man was after a picture of her and a man surfaced on social media and it is allegedly her mystery bae. Being the independent woman that she is, Thembi felt no need to disclose the identity of her baby daddy to the public, it took her long enough to admit that she was pregnant. She felt that the information was irrelevant. The multi-talented beaut was recently in Maritius for a wedding and a picture of her and her bae was taken with Cash Flow and his girlfriend. The picture was posted to social media by Cash Flow, maybe he was not aware of the situation, who knows, but the cat is out of the bag now. Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news! Source: Briefly.co.za - Aidan van Niekerk drew up the petition to sell Northern Cape to Namibia, which he hopes to present to Parliament - The controversial proposal is meant to raise R420 billion in capital to settle Eskoms debt - South Africans were shocked to hear of the idea and many have slammed van Niekerk PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed! Briefly.co.za previously reported on the petition to make Northern Cape part of Namibia. Aidan van Niekerk came up with the idea and valuation of R420 billion after crunching the numbers. According to him, the sale of the province was a viable idea as not many people care about it and that it only contributes 2% of South Africas GDP. READ ALSO: MEC instructs officer to arrest man without driver's licence, disk or ID South Africans have now had their say and many have lambasted the Capetonian. Michael van Zyl pulled no punches: Is this thing on drugs this our country and heritage ...not for sale at any price. Ranther Clement Mokwetli cautioned: That won't be solutions. Otherwise we will end up selling the whole country because of the failure of ANC. READ ALSO: Outrage as video shows loads of trucks transporting Eskoms coal Obakeng Blessed Serumula said, That boy must not undermine the people of the NORTHERN CAPE. Zia Faniso sided with van Niekerks view as he said, You'll be proud in Namibia too. Don't be selfish, allow us to sell you and live happily ever after. Naeson Da Carlton Kgaphola said, This is a petition laying around from Zuma to the Guptas selling South Africa estimated at $500 Billion. Im glad Im not South African. PAY ATTENTION: Save mobile data with FreeBasics: Briefly is now available on the app Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLYs news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news! Source: Briefly.co.za ANN ARBOR, Mich., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amesite Inc. (the Company), an artificial intelligence software company providing online educational programs for higher education, announced today its plan to launch two new online wellness offerings. These programs mark Amesites first launches of programs for consumers, aiming to improve their quality of life through expert instruction, engagement and peer interaction. The new programs are as follows: Fitness, Nutrition and Wellness: Building a Healthier Life a 12-week program introducing learners to essential facts about subjects that are complementary and essential to health and well-being. This program is ideal for people seeking qualified information and support in making positive changes to their lifestyles. The program also aims to highlight to the latest scientific findings, making them accessible and practical. Personal Financial Management a 6-week program introducing learners to key concepts and practices in personal finance, and involving them in discussions on recent events and trends in financial management. This program is ideal for people seeking a solid understanding of money management, credits, insurance, investments and estate planning, and will be particularly helpful to new high school and college graduates. Each program comprises instruction and engagement, and certificates are awarded for successful completion of each. These programs are powered by Amesites platform, which uses artificial intelligence to customize learning. Mr. Demond Johnson, CEO of A2 Fitness Professionals, said, "As a fitness professional, I know the value of taking a multipronged approach in total wellness, and Im pleased to be an instructor for this program. It embodies many of the things I teach and lecture on, in my own practice." J. Michael Losh, Director of the Company, and former CFO of General Motors, said, As a finance professional, I know the value of good information and guidance in financial management. As an instructor, I am pleased to be able to share some of the insights Ive gained, and guide people, particularly young people, as they create solid long term financial foundations for themselves and their families. Amesite CEO, Dr. Ann Marie Sastry, said We are utilizing the platform we have built for higher ed, to deliver these programs to consumers, with outstanding instructors who are also practitioners. We believe these programs are needed but they didnt exist. So we created them. Enrollment will remain open for each program until 1 week after the start date of the course. Students should visit https://www.amesite.com/products to learn more about the programs and https://www.amesite.com/register to register. Amesites online learning solutions for colleges, universities, faculty and students utilize artificial intelligence technologies, including machine learning and natural language processing, to deliver cost effective, cloud-based digital versions of courses that greatly enhance and improve the learning experience of students. Amesites online platform includes customized user messaging and tracking as well as seamless integration of current events into traditional course materials, creating a more meaningful experience for both students and instructors alike. About Amesite Inc. Amesite is a high tech artificial intelligence software company offering a cloud-based platform for college and university courses to be cost-effectively and conveniently delivered to learners online and in hybrid online/on campus formats. Amesite uses artificial intelligence technologies to provide customized environments for learners, easier-to-manage interfaces for instructors, and greater accessibility for college degree seekers in the US education market and beyond. The Company leverages existing college infrastructures, adding mass customization and cutting-edge technology to provide cost-effective, accessible, scalable and improved learning experiences to students. Founded in 2017, Amesite is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. For more information, visit https://amesite.com . Forward Looking Statements This communication contains forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended) concerning the Company, the Companys planned online machine learning platform, the Companys business plans, any future commercialization of the Companys online learning solutions, potential customers, business objectives and other matters. Forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as may, will, should, would, expect, plan, believe, intend, look forward, and other similar expressions among others. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Risks facing the Company and its planned platform are set forth in the Companys filings with the SEC. Except as required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contact: EU net immigration is falling. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire/PA Images Net migration from the EU has plummeted to its lowest level in almost a decade, according to official figures. The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show net migration, the number of new arrivals minus the number of people leaving, stood at around 57,000 in the year up to September 2018. More citizens went home than arrived in Britain over the past year from the eight central and eastern European countries which joined the EU in 2004, including Poland and Lithuania. Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, said: Britain is not as attractive to EU migrants as it was a couple of years ago. That may be because of Brexit-related political uncertainty, the falling value of the pound making UK wages less attractive, or simply the fact that job opportunities have improved in other EU countries. But immigration from outside the EU is at its highest level since 2004, with more workers and students arriving over the past five years. An estimated 261,000 people arrived in Britain from outside the EU. READ MORE: UK government sets out plans for post-Brexit migration policy Several commentators said there had been a striking Brexodus effect before Britain has even left the EU, with Brexit scheduled for 29 March. The fall in the number of EU arrivals is likely to prove a significant headache for many employers reliant on migrant labour, but will be welcomed by many Brexit supporters. Stephen Clarke, a senior economic analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said: Migration is changing before we leave the EU and before weve made any changes to the immigration regime. Post-Brexit Britains migration system is still to be decided, and is years away from coming into effect. But many areas of the labour market particularly firms in high-turnover sectors like hospitality who are reliant on the free movement of EU workers are going to have to adjust to lower migration well before the new system is in place. Story continues Around 283,000 more people from across the world moved to the UK than left the country overall. The number of sponsored applications for higher education visas from around the world hit a record high, with 195,000 applicants to study at British universities. The amount granted rose by 8%, with the sharpest increases in Chinese and Indian students. But the latest data also shows a large rise in citizenship applications by EU nationals, which were up 23% to almost 48,000 last year. Air Canada flight to India turns back after Pakistan closes airspace Air Canada trips to and from India will resume tonight after flights to New Delhi and Mumbai were cancelled on Feb. 27. But for some travellers in those cities, the news falls short of atoning for the stress they have experienced as a result of a lack of clear information from Air Canada and conflicting media reports on cancellations. The airline rerouted a plane to Delhi back to Toronto 12 hours into the flight, after Pakistan closed its air space in response to rising tensions with India. According to an email from Air Canada to Yahoo News Canada, flights from Toronto and Vancouver to Delhi will resume late Feb. 28 and early March 1. This has been a very fluid situation, Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick explained. Despite the fact that Air Canadas website listed airspace closures for Mumbai on Feb. 27 and 28, Fitzpatrick said flights to Mumbai were not affected by the cancellations because they only run four days a week. On Wednesday and Thursday those details the closure of airspace above Mumbai and assurances that Mumbai flights wouldnt be affected were presented in conflicting media reports. Some outlets implied Air Canada had suspended all service to India, while others reported that only flights to and from New Delhi were affected. Journalist Shree Paradkar and videographer Kathryn Mallinson, currently in Lucknow, India, say mixed signals exacerbated the stress of facing cancelled flights out of India. One, theres confusion, two theres poor communication, she said to Yahoo News Canada. And the alternative [flights] are getting so much more expensive with the uncertainty, so it would be so nice if they told us one way or another what the plan is. The two are working on a film project in India and Mallinson was scheduled to fly back to Toronto on March 2. However when reports began to emerge that some flights had been cancelled, Mallinson and Paradkar struggled to find accurate information and Paradkar expressed her frustration on Twitter. Story continues Hey #Cdnmedia those of us who are in India still rely on you to give us the latest. Saying Air Canada suspends flights to India is unhelpful when theyre suspended only from Delhi and still operating from Mumbai. (Thanks, @CdnPress) Also info like whom to call would be useful. Shree Paradkar (@ShreeParadkar) February 28, 2019 Paradkar said at the time she felt much of the reporting in Canada seemed to be written for people in Canada without providing enough helpful information for those stranded in India, including details on Air Canadas goodwill policy and options for alternative flights to Canada. I was a little annoyed because it felt like my colleagues there are just repeating statements Air Canada is saying without thinking of Canadians abroad who are actually affected by this, she said. According to Paradkar, even when she and Mallinson called Air Canada customer service for information, they received different answers from one agent to another. The first agent the women spoke to allegedly told them Air Canada flights to and from India would be suspended for two months. She said that all flights have been cancelled, every flight by Air Canada, until April 29th, Paradkar said. She said it covers Delhi, Mumbai, everything. The next agent they spoke to said the airline can only say on a day-to-day basis which flights will be cancelled. Paradkar also took issue with how the airlines goodwill policy was presented in news reports, or, more specifically, how it wasnt presented. Journalists across the board were writing that Air Canada has kicked in a goodwill policy but theyre not bothering to ask what that means, she said. Paradkar was disappointed to learn from Air Canada that while the airline will allow customers affected by the cancellations to rebook flights without paying a penalty or refund their fares, Air Canada would not cover any additional costs incurred by customers booking alternative flights with other airlines. Mallinson said knowing flights will resume overnight on Feb. 28 eases her mind, but she wishes there was more clarity around the cancellations from the time they were first announced. The frustrating part is the lack of clarity and the uncertainty, Mallinson said. Because once you have sort of concrete information then you can make your own decisions instead of just waiting. Travellers can visit the Daily Travel Outlook section of Air Canadas website for information about cancellations and the airlines goodwill policy. Rumble Welcome back to The Ultimate Tech Hub. On today's episode we will install a LCD Screen protector for our camera. We will install the Glass Protector from Expert Shield onto our Sony A7iii. This is a very simple process that many people find intimidating. If you have any questions about this video please leave them in the comments down below. Thank you for being a part of The Ultimate Tech Hub Team and if you haven't Subscribed yet please do its free. And if you like this video give a thumbs up and share it. Thanks again for watching the Ultimate Tech Hub Channel! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualified purchases. 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Thank you! https://www.patreon.com/UltimateTechHub Ultimate Tech Hub on Rumble: Please Subscribe! https://rumble.com/c/UltimateTechHub If you want the Ultimate Tech Hub to promote your product(s) or service(s) or you want to send us something for review or testing please email us below to request a media kit. Ultimatetechhub.lv@gmail.com 0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:29 Expert Shield LCD Screen Protector 0:01:33 Expert Shield LCD Install Guide Music Provided By: www.epidemicsound.com https://ultimatetechhub.com/ By James Mackenzie and Alasdair Pal ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India and Pakistan both said they shot down each other's fighter jets on Wednesday, with Pakistan capturing an Indian pilot a day after Indian warplanes struck inside Pakistan for the first time since a 1971 war, prompting world powers to urge restraint. Both countries have ordered air strikes over the last two days, the first time in history that two nuclear-armed powers have done so, while ground forces have exchanged fire in more than a dozen locations. Tensions have been running high since at least 40 Indian paramilitary police died in a Feb. 14 suicide car bombing by Pakistan-based militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir, but the risk of conflict rose dramatically on Tuesday when India launched an air strike on what it said was a militant training base. A senior Indian government source said 300 militants were killed in Tuesday's strike. Pakistan says no one died. The White House condemned the intensifying conflict and urged "both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation." "The potential risks associated with further military action by either side are unacceptably high for both countries, their neighbors and the international community," a National Security Council official said on condition of anonymity. The Pentagon added to U.S. pressure for restraint by the foes, issuing a statement that said Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan is focused "on de-escalating tensions and urging both of the nations to avoid further military action." Pakistan's envoy to the United States, Asad Majeed Khan, said Islamabad would like to see the Trump administration play a more active role in easing the crisis. "We would certainly like to have more, and would certainly like to see more active involvement of the United States," he told reporters. At the same time, he said the lack of U.S. condemnation of India's strike on Pakistan is "construed and understood as an endorsement of the Indian position, and that is what emboldened them even more. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan called for talks with India and hoped "better sense" would prevail so that both sides could de-escalate. "History tells us that wars are full of miscalculation. My question is that, given the weapons we have, can we afford miscalculation," Khan said during a brief televised broadcast to the nation. "We should sit down and talk." The Pakistan government's official Twitter account released a video of a man it claimed was an Indian pilot who had been shot down. The man, whom Pakistan has named as Wing Commander Abhi Nandan and whose face was bloodied and blindfolded, gives his name and service number before telling a man questioning him: "I'm sorry sir, that's all I'm supposed to tell you." A statement from India's foreign ministry said the pilot's treatment was a "vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention," ordering his immediate release. India has not yet named the pilot. In a second video circulating on social media, a screenshot of which was shared by the same Pakistan government account, the pilot was seen sipping tea while praising his treatment by the Pakistani military. Reuters could not independently verify the second video's authenticity. POLITICAL PRESSURE Pakistan and India have fought three wars since independence from British colonial rule in 1947, two over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, and went to the brink of a fourth in 2002 after a Pakistani militant attack on India's parliament. The latest escalation marks a sudden turnaround in relations between the two countries, both of which claim Kashmir in full, but only rule in part. As recently as November, Pakistan's Khan spoke of "mending ties" with India. The conflict also comes at a critical time for Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi, who faces a general election in a matter of months. Modi's decision to order air strikes could benefit him politically, according to analysts and pollsters, but he was accused on Wednesday by opposition parties of capitalizing on conflict. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the "blatant politicization of the sacrifices made by our armed forces," in a joint statement by 21 opposition parties, the first time they have broken ranks with the government over the issue. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke separately with the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan and urged them to avoid "further military activity" following Tuesday's air strike. "I expressed to both ministers that we encourage India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, and avoid escalation at any cost," Pompeo said in a statement on Wednesday. "I also encouraged both ministers to prioritize direct communication and avoid further military activity," he said. China and the European Union have also called for restraint. AERIAL BATTLE Many of the facts in the latest series of engagements are disputed by the two sides. Major General Asif Ghafoor, spokesman for the Pakistan armed forces, said two Indian jets had been shot down after they entered Pakistani airspace while responding to a Pakistani aerial mission on targets in Indian-controlled Kashmir. One of the jets crashed on the Indian-controlled side of the de facto border in Kashmir, known as the Line of Control, and the other on the Pakistani side. Ghafoor said the Pakistani aircraft had carried out the strikes in response to India's air strike the day before but had taken deliberate action to ensure no casualties were caused. The Pakistani jets had locked on to six targets, in a demonstration of their capacity to hit strategic installations, but deliberately fired into open spaces where there would be no casualties. "This was not a retaliation in true sense, but to tell Pakistan has capability, we can do it, but we want to be responsible, we don't want an escalation, we don't want a war," Ghafoor told a news conference. One of the aircraft fell on India's side of Kashmir, while the second came down in Pakistani-held territory with two pilots captured, he added. Raveesh Kumar, a spokesman for India's foreign ministry, gave a different account, telling a news briefing that the Pakistan air strikes on military targets had been "foiled." India shot down one Pakistani plane that landed in Pakistani territory, Kumar said, adding that it had lost one of its own planes, not two, with the pilot "missing in action." "Pakistan has claimed that he is in their custody. We are ascertaining the facts," Kumar said. Pakistan denies it lost a plane in the encounter. At the Pakistani briefing, Ghafoor produced photographs of weapons and identity documents he said were carried by Indian pilots. Pakistan initially said that two Indian pilots had been captured, before clarifying it only had one in its custody. The Indian air force has ordered Kashmir's main airport in Srinagar along with at least three others in neighboring states to close, an official said. Pakistan shut its airspace, with commercial flights in the country canceled. Flights from the Middle East and India were also affected. Air Canada said on Wednesday it has temporarily suspended service to India, following a decision by the Pakistani government to close its airspace. In a separate incident, police officials in Indian-occupied Kashmir said that four passengers and a civilian had died after an Indian aircraft crashed in Kashmir. The craft was initially reported by officials to be a plane, but a partial tail number from the craft seen by a Reuters witness showed it to be an Mi17 military helicopter. The cause of the crash was unknown. CIVILIAN FRIGHT The aerial engagement followed overnight artillery fire by both sides. Pakistan used heavy-caliber weapons in 12 to 15 places along the Line of Control, a spokesman for the Indian defense forces said on Wednesday. "The Indian Army retaliated for effect and our focused fire resulted in severe destruction to five posts and number of casualties," the spokesman said. Five Indian soldiers suffered minor wounds in the shelling that ended on Wednesday morning, he added. "So far there are no (civilian) casualties but there is panic among people," said Rahul Yadav, the deputy commissioner of the Poonch district on the Indian side where some of the shelling took place. "We have an evacuation plan in place and if need arises we will evacuate people to safer areas, he said. Officials on the Pakistani side said at least four people had been killed and seven wounded, including civilians, with thousands evacuated and schools closed in border areas. "Only those families are still here which have concrete bunkers built within or along their homes," said Muhammad Din, a resident of Chakothi, a village in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir near the de facto border. India has also continued its crackdown on suspected militants operating in Kashmir, and on Wednesday security forces killed two Jaish militants in a gun battle, Indian police said. Syed Maqsood, the superintendent of a government hospital in Indian-occupied Kashmir, said that all hospitals in the region had been asked to paint a red cross on their roofs in case of further Pakistani air strikes. (Reporting by James Mackenzie and Alasdair Pal; additional reporting by Fayaz Bukhari, Devjyot Ghoshal, Aditi Shah, Aditya Kalra, Drazen Jorgic, Rupam Jain, Abu Arqam Naqash, Eric Beech, Jonathan Landay and Praveen Menon; editing by Nick Macfie, G Crosse and James Dalgleish) BOLAANG MONGONDOW, Indonesia (Reuters) - Indonesian authorities on Wednesday ramped up efforts to find 37 people feared buried by the collapse of an illegal gold mine on the island of Sulawesi that killed at least four people. Rescuers used spades and ropes to pull out 19 badly injured miners and found four others dead. Officials said they could hear the voices of some of those trapped in makeshift mining shafts in a muddy hillside in the Bolaang Mongondow area of North Sulawesi province, and believed many were still alive. "We are able to detect that many of them are still alive because we can hear their voices, as there are some places where air is getting in and out and there are gaps in the mud," Abdul Muin Paputungan of Indonesia's disaster agency said by phone. The injured were carried on stretchers and in ambulances to a nearby hospital, where families had gathered to wait for news. Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency said at least 60 officials and volunteers were involved in the rescue effort but were using simple tools because conditions remained dangerous, with the land still prone to shifting and sliding. The Indonesian government has banned such small-scale gold mining projects, although regional authorities often turn a blind eye to the practice in more remote areas. With little regulation, such mines are prone to accidents. PATCHY RECORD Disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said dozens of people had been mining for gold when beams and support boards broke suddenly. "Evacuation efforts continued through the night because of the number of people estimated to be buried." The issue of mining safety was thrust back into global prominence this year after a dam in Brazil holding back mining waste burst, killing more than 300 people. Resource-rich Indonesia has a patchy record on mining safety, particularly small-scale unlicensed mines. At least five people were killed in the same area of Sulawesi last year after an illegal mine collapsed during heavy rain. Agung Pribadi, a spokesman for Indonesia's mining ministry, said by phone three mining inspectors had been sent to assist in the rescue and that illegal mines had recently been shut in the area. "Maybe now they have started again," he said. The area is also home to a gold mine operated by PT J Resources Asia Pasifik, where production began in 2013. The company said in a statement that illegal mining remained rife in the area and had caused deaths before. Gatot Sugiharto, who heads a group called the Citizens Mining Association, estimated there were about 200 similar unlicensed mines around Indonesia, with 10 in that area of Sulawesi alone. He said such mines operated in a grey area, with authorities reluctant to give them permits because it would mean official supervision and attention to safety. Sugiharto estimated that an experienced miner might be able to survive for up to three or four days under the rubble if they could find air pockets and were not crushed by rocks. "They can breath slowly and usually they don't panic. If there is no poisonous gas they can survive for some time," he said. (This story corrects the death toll to 4 throughout) (Additional reporting by Agustinus Beo Da Costa, Kanupriya Kapoor and Gayatri Suroyo in JAKARTA; Writing by Ed Davies; Editing by Paul Tait/Mark Heinrich) Two wildlife researchers are calling the government of the Northwest Territories' incentive for wolf hunters a political "distraction." In November 2018, the N.W.T. Department of Environment and Natural Resources reported that the Bathurst and Bluenose East caribou herds had collapsed. Both herds were reported to have declined more than 50 per cent since 2015. At the time it was suggested that wolf predation could have played a role in the decline. Earlier this month, the government introduced a pilot program that pays hunters to go after wolves that feed on the two herds, in hopes of stabilizing the caribou population. Harvesters who kill a wolf in a designated area in the territory's North Slave region could earn up to $1,650 per animal, depending on the quality of the pelt. "[Wolf culls] are very attractive politically," said Ryan Brook, an associate professor in the College of Agriculture and Bio Resources at the University of Saskatchewan. It just makes people feel better that something's happening. - Mark Hebblewhite, biologist "Politicians love to promote 'we'll go and kill the wolves and we'll save the day.' So, from a short-term political perspective, if you want to get some brownie points and look like you're a very take-charge politician ... this is fantastic. "Then by the time the reality sets in that it isn't actually doing anything, you've been re-elected." Dawn Villella/The Associated Press University of Montana wildlife biologist Mark Hebblewhite agrees and calls the incentive program "a placebo." Both Hebblewhite and Brook say concrete evidence to suggest killing wolves increases caribou populations just doesn't exist. "It isn't going to have any effect on caribou," Hebblewhite said. "It just makes people feel better that something's happening." In a written response, the territory's Department of Environment said the pilot program is just one of the strategies they're considering to help support caribou recovery. It said options are being considered through a co-management process with Indigenous partners. Story continues The department said this pilot program will be evaluated after the wolf harvesting season is over, and a predator management proposal is expected to be submitted to the Wek'eezhii Renewable Resource Board before the end of May. Trapping 'ineffective' In 2017, the territorial government created a working group to look at how it should manage wolves in order to help the Bathurst and Bluenose East herds. It looked at what methods were best for reducing the wolf population by comparing price, effectiveness and how humane they were. It found the best solution was finding wolf dens and shooting every animal inside. Shooting wolves from a plane was also high up on the list. David Mech/Researcher While it was the most inexpensive option, snaring and trapping wolves was one of the least effective or humane. Wolves are extremely intelligent animals and are difficult to trap. Paying harvesters simply won't kill enough wolves to make a difference in the caribou population, the group found. It also said wolves reproduce quickly and that if you kill 30 per cent of a wolf population, it will bounce back within a year. The department said in an email response that they're aware of the working group's report. But they said the report "did not provide specific recommendations on what actions should be undertaken." 'Bad public relations': MLA Frame Lake MLA, Kevin O'Reilly, told CBC he's confused as to why the territorial government introduced the wolf incentive, especially after the working group's findings. He said he believes the government turned away from the idea of ground and aerial shooting because it was "bad public relations." Brook says paying harvesters to kill random wolves through trapping could actually make the problem worse. He said wolves pack together in family groups and there is usually only one breeding pair per group. Kill one member of that breeding pair and Brook said the group would most likely separate to create several smaller groups. "All of a sudden instead of having one litter per year you have three or more litters per year ... this haphazard approach will actually result in more wolves," Brook said. Toronto Zoo The elephant in the room Both researchers said the territorial government is ignoring the bigger issue. Hebblewhite says he only knows of one study looking at the effect of wolf control on caribou populations, but there have been dozens that show resource development is the real problem. "It's kind of just ... ignoring the bulk of the evidence," Brook said. "Why do we do all the studies if we're just going to blame wolves?" The territorial government has submitted its plans to further manage the two herds to the Wek'eezhii and Sahtu Renewable Resources Board. The boards are reviewing the plans and will provide recommendations. In honour of Black History Month, CBC Montreal brought six storytellers together for a live, tell-all event at Le Ministere on St-Laurent Boulevard. Each Montrealer braved the stage to tell a true, personal story some for the very first time. Deborah Forde - Love At Last "To be blind to another person's culture is to never know the person you say you love." Deborah Forde is a 2019 Black History Month Laureate, community leader and theatre artist. While she spent much of her youth picking the wrong type of man (''I was a certifiable Captain Save-A-Bro''), Forde outlines the perks of dating after 50, and the deep satisfaction of finding love at last in the digital age. Darren Schilling - My Christmas Vacation, 1993 "10 minutes from now I'm going to meet my dad for the first time. And I'm not very happy about it." Darren Schilling is the founder of the sketch comedy troupe, Potentially Sketchy. Here he shares his story about the worst Christmas vacation of his life. Roen Higgins - Behind Closed Doors Roen Higgins works with at-risk youth in Montreal. She's well-equipped for the job as a former at-risk teenager who narrowly escaped a very different destiny. Here's her story, Behind Closed Doors, about how she stood up to the system and fought for her education. Candace Amarante - Whiteface "When I found out that my friends were going to have 'Oshiroi,' I wanted it too." Candace Amarante was four years old when her father moved the family to Tokyo, Japan. "We stuck out like sore thumbs," Amarante says of the experience. While she holds a PhD in Political Science from Columbia University, Amarante has left academia to pursue writing children's books. She brings us Whiteface, a story she experienced during her childhood while her family grappled with integrating into a very different culture. Dr. Myrna Lashley - On Ice ''[It's about the] fact of being an immigrant the fact of trying to fit in, of wanting to be seen by the host society as worthy of being a Canadian.'' Story continues Dr. Myrna Lashley is the first black Associate Dean at John Abbott College. She's also a professor in the department of psychiatry at McGill University and a researcher at Montreal's Lady Davis Institute. She chuckles through her multi-layered tale, On Ice, about her first encounter with ice skates as a new immigrant to Canada. Balarama Holness - That Time The CFL Signed a Broken-Footed Philosopher ''I had worked way too hard to go down like this.'' When Balarama Holness sustained a Lisfranc injury after signing on with the Montreal Alouettes, he was crushed. He knew he'd lose his position if the team's management found out about the fracture, so he didn't tell them. Instead, Holness invoked a long-forgotten superpower to pull himself out of a potentially career-ending predicament. Balarama Holness is currently studying law at McGill University in Montreal. Pat Dillon-Moore - Pat In Rome ''So I neva imagine dat one day me woulda want fi go somewhere where me couldn't speak de language or me no have no fambly fi stay wid.'' If you're having trouble reading the quotation above, that's because it's a phonetic transcription of Jamaican Patois. As a 2019 spokesperson for Black History Month in Montreal, Pat Dillon-Moore brings us an adventure story intended for the ear. She has been a longtime contributor to Montreal's black community theatre scene, and is also a radio host, emcee and performer. CLEARWATER, Fla., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Thursday, February 21st at Clearwater's Fort Harrison, Savoy South Dance Hall celebrated a late Valentines Day with their monthly Swing Dance for Charity. Dancers turned out to dance to the music of the Flag Band as well as support Criminon Florida. Ninety people attended, filling the Fort Harrisons oval dance floor. After enjoying refreshments from the buffet, beginning swing dancers were invited to receive a lesson from career dancer Ms. Arleene Bowles of Savoy South Dance Hall. That night, the lesson was all about East Coast Swing, also known as the "jitterbug." Guests were then introduced to Criminon Florida, represented by their President Brian Fowler and their Vice President Cheryl Caputo. Criminon is a criminal rehabilitation program used in 188 prisons and jails in Florida with more than 1,400 inmates learning life skills and basic morals through correspondence courses, said Francisco Leyton the Executive Director for Criminon Florida. The courses are non-religious in nature and based on the work of L. Ron Hubbard. Fowler and Caputo both noted the low recidivism rate in those who go through the Criminon program, which was of interest to the attendees. All of the funds donated at the dance that night were given to Criminon to continue their rehabilitation efforts. After the introduction to Criminon, guests crowded the dance floor to swing to the Flag Band. The Flag Band also provided musical accompaniment for the traditional "Cake Walk". The March Swing Dance will be held on the 21st and will benefit TherHappy Therapy Services, a non-profit that utilizes hippotherapy (horse therapy) to people with physical disabilities. A donation of $15 includes refreshments, a dance lesson and swing dancing to the Flag Band. The dance lesson starts at 7pm, with open dancing at 8pm to the Flag Band. Partners are not required and experienced dancers will be on hand to assist Ms. Bowles. For more information about the event, please call (727) 467-6860. The Fort Harrison is the international religious retreat for the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization, the sponsor of this monthly event. About the Fort Harrison Since completing construction in 1926, the Fort Harrison has been the home to many events for charitable organizations. The latest owner, the Church of Scientology, completed a top to bottom restoration of the Fort Harrison in 2009, and since then has hosted over 320 community events there. Scientology is an applied religious philosophy, founded by L. Ron Hubbard. The Church makes its facilities available to non-profit groups as a service to the community. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/692b2107-1984-43fd-9672-9b2c44ed04b7 Terminally Ill Girl with Rare Brain Tumor Wants Love Letters From Dogs for Comfort Terminally Ill Girls Wants Letters from Dogs A month ago, Emmas life erupted in chaos. According to her GoFundMe page, the 7-year-old was recently diagnosed with a rare and inoperable brain tumor known as a Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). Shortly before receiving the diagnosis, the Hartland, Wisconsin, girl started experiencing headaches and flu-like symptoms. After failing to get better after several days, Emma went to the Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin. We were greeted by an enormous team of experts and a CT scan showed the tumor was blocking flow of her spinal fluid causing it to pool at the top of her brain. She had some swelling as well. She was rushed to the OR to put in a drain, her mother, Tammy Mertens, wrote of the visit on Emmas Caring Bridge page. A biopsy later revealed that it was a DIPG tumor. Since receiving her diagnosis, Emma has undergone several operations, including having a permanent shunt put in that basically a tube that will drain her fluid in her brain into her abdomen. She is currently in the midst a 6-week run of daily radiation therapy to treat the tumor. Emmas fighting spirit, along with the support of her family and friends, has allowed her to move from the hospitals ICU back home. The girls father, Geoff Mertens, wrote on Emmas Caring Bridge page that seeing his daughters progress can make his family forget that no one has survived a DIPG tumor and that Emma is working with a 9-month timeline. Our goal is still to celebrate each day, one day at a time. Today was a good day. We had a break in between appointments and went to Build-A-Bear and the Cheesecake Factory, he wrote on Feb. 7. One of the thing that can always brighten Emmas day is a dog. Emma has found comfort in visits from therapy dogs and dog friends throughout her treatment. This devotion to dogs has caused many pet parents whove heard Emmas story, to send messages of encouragement from their canines to the 7-year-old. Word of Emmas love for dogs has quickly spread across social media, leading to an outpouring of doggie love letters from around the world. Story continues Emmas family wrote on their daughters Caring Bridge page that Emma has received letters from dogs in almost every U.S. state, and several countries including The Netherlands, England, Australia, Venezuela, Italy and Germany. Emmas email inbox was completely full (2500) and so was her P.O. Box. Many pictures of puppies really made her laugh or smile. Thank you to everyone who is trying to put a smile on her face, we appreciate the gesture, Emmas dad wrote on Wednesday. If you have a dog love letter you would like to give Emma, you can send your message to the address or email below. Emma Mertens P.O. Box 230 Hartland, WI 53029 Email: emmalovesdogs7@gmail.com If you would like to donate to Emmas fight, a GoFundMe page has been set up for Emma to help cover her extensive medical costs. Marcelle Fressineau says she's looking forward to hitting the trail with her dogs in Alaska this weekend. This will be the Whitehorse musher's fourth and final time competing in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, an annual 1,600 kilometre race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. Fressineau said she competes for "the experience, the adventure and to share this with my dogs." Fressineau, who runs the adventure outfitting business Alayuk Adventures, has also competed in the Yukon Quest three times. She said both races are difficult, but she prefers the Iditarod as it takes place a month later, allowing more training time, and it has more checkpoints along the trail. Michael Dinneen/The Associated Press "I train the dogs as much as I can." she said, noting they've completed about 5,000 kilometres in preparation for this year's race. "I think they are ready." Fressineau said she hopes the conditions on the trail will be better than in previous years. She said she pulled out of the race around 480 kilometres before the finish line last year because deep snow made the race more difficult and her dogs were tired. Fressineau's goal for 2019, she said, is to finish the race with a happy dog sled team. "I hope it's really beautiful to travel with the dogs to Alaska. I hope everything will go well." New rules around dog deaths Saturday will mark the start of the 47th annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, which hails itself as "the last great race." Fifty-two mushers from the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Norway and France are set to compete. And they will have to follow a number of new rules. The 2019 Iditarod rule book states that any musher who has a dog die during the race must voluntarily scratch or be withdrawn unless the race marshal determines the death was due to an "unpreventable hazard." This includes risks of wilderness travel like a moose encounter, the nature of the trail or a force beyond the control of the musher. Story continues Fressineau said she's in favour of the new rule, as she would be too upset to keep racing if one of her dogs died. Submitted by Marcelle Fressineau "I think for me it would be normal to stop if you have a dog that passed away." Other new rules include that a musher will be disqualified if a dog's deaths is due to "musher neglect, cruel, inhumane and/or abusive treatment." All dog's deaths will also be reviewed within 30 days of the end of the race. A dog care panel will then issue a report to the board on the cause of death "in order to gain insights that may help shape future race rules or protocols to achieve zero deaths." Last year, one dog, a five-year-old male named Blondie, died during the race. A necropsy determined the dog's death was consistent with aspiration pneumonia, or from inhaling food, stomach acid or saliva into its lungs. QUEBEC CITY, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nemaska Lithium Inc. (the Corporation) (TSX: NMX) (OTCQX: NMKEF) (Frankfurt: N0T) is pleased to announce that it has started the qualification of its high purity lithium hydroxide monohydrate products with more than 20 customers globally. The Corporation began shipping samples within 60 days of installing drying and bagging equipment at its Shawinigan Phase 1 demonstration plant. Sample sizes range from 450 g to 350 kg and have been requested by customers ranging from cathode manufacturers, to battery makers to industrial grease users, in addition to our existing offtake customers, which include LG Chemicals, Johnson Matthey and Northvolt. We have just achieved a major milestone in our vertically integrated project from mine to plant. This first delivery, completed in less time than expected, confirms our ability to produce superior quality battery grade lithium hydroxide from our Shawinigan Phase 1 plant facility. I want to take this opportunity to commend the efforts of our employees in delivering such a high-quality product, says Guy Bourassa, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nemaska Lithium. Product specifications of the lithium hydroxide monohydrate shipped and a picture of Nemaska Lithiums team are joined to this press release. About Nemaska Lithium Nemaska Lithium Inc. is a developing chemical company whose activities will be vertically integrated, from spodumene mining to the commercialization of high-purity lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate. These lithium salts are mainly destined for the fast-growing lithium-ion battery market, which is driven by the increasing demand for electric vehicles and energy storage worldwide. With its products and processes, the Corporation intends to facilitate access to green energy, for the benefit of humanity. The Corporation will be operating the Whabouchi mine in Quebec, Canada, one of the richest lithium spodumene deposits in the world, both in volume and grade. The spodumene concentrate produced at the Whabouchi mine will be processed at the Shawinigan plant using a unique membrane electrolysis process for which the Corporation holds several patents. The Corporation is a member of the S&P/TSX SmallCap Index, S&P/TSX Global Mining Index, S&P/TSX Global Base Metals Index, S&P/TSX Equal Weight Global Base Metals Index, and the MSCI Canada Small Cap Index. For more information, visit www.nemaskalithium.com or twitter.com/Nemaska Lithium . Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of certain securities laws and are based on expectations and projections as of the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, those related to (i) the Corporations ability to produce superior quality battery grade lithium hydroxide from Shawinigan, (ii) the commercial operations of the project, and (iii) generally, the above About Nemaska Lithium paragraph which essentially describes the Corporations outlook. Forward-looking statements are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the time of this press release. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Corporation as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that the Whabouchi mine and/or the electrochemical plant in Shawinigan will be commissioned and will begin production, as future events could differ materially what is currently anticipated by the Corporation. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about managements expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important risk factors and future events could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates, assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those made in our other filings with the securities regulators of Canada including, but not limited to, the cautionary statements made in the Risk Factors section of the Corporations Annual Information Form dated October 10, 2018, and the Risk Exposure and Management section of the Corporations quarterly Management Discussion & Analysis. The Corporation cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive, and new, unforeseeable risks may arise from time to time. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law. Further information regarding Nemaska Lithium is available in the SEDAR database (www.sedar.com) and on the Corporations website at: www.nemaskalithium.com . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Victor Cantore Investor Relations 514 831-3809 victor.cantore@nemaskalithium.com Wanda Cutler Investor Relations 416 303-6460 wanda.cutler@nemaskalithium.com Gabrielle Tellier Media Relations 819 533-0080 ext. 2042 gabrielle.tellier@nemaskalithium.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/859db2ae-f32d-4025-949c-a9726353fc93 http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4c3958aa-d50e-492a-b789-f0dd207d24c4 THURSDAY, Feb. 28, 2019 (American Heart Association News) -- For many people born with mild heart defects, successful surgery early in life seemed like the happy end of their story. "Doctors told them, 'You're fixed, go enjoy the rest of your life,'" said Dr. James Priest, a pediatric cardiologist and assistant professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine. "They weren't generally followed up long-term." A new study published Thursday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation suggests the situation is not so simple. Researchers analyzed more than 2,000 people in the United Kingdom with less serious forms of adult congenital heart disease and concluded they were at far higher risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure and atrial fibrillation than the general population. The heightened risk ranged from twofold for heart attack to thirteenfold for heart failure, even after adjusting for traditional risk factors. The people studied came from a database known as the UK Biobank that has tracked the health of more than 500,000 adults in Great Britain since 2005. "People have suspected this is a problem," said Priest, the study's senior author. "But nobody had access before to such a large control population where we had all the information for all the other risk factors. It's not because they're more obese or smoke a lot more or have bad exercise habits. We have to find out why." Thanks to medical advances, Priest said, most children born with heart defects now survive to adulthood. But the lives they live depend on the severity of the condition. Complex forms of congenital heart disease involve malformations in the heart and defective valves that may not be easily fixed. "They get surgery to allow them to grow and develop, but it's well recognized they'll need lifelong care and additional surgeries throughout their lives," Priest said. In less serious cases, known as simple or noncomplex congenital heart disease, treatment can seemingly make the problem go away. "It's a hole that can be closed surgically, or a blood vessel or a valve that can be repaired," Priest said. "Otherwise all the plumbing of the heart is connected as it should be and the heart is working reasonably well." That can lead to complacency in later life. "Most of the time these patients don't know they're at risk, and their physicians don't know they're at risk," Priest said. "People are going to be surprised by this study." Dr. Ari Cedars, an associate professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas who specializes in adult congenital heart disease, said the results should prompt doctors to be more vigilant in treating patients with congenital heart disease. "If all these findings are true, this would be a truly remarkable study," said Cedars, who was not involved in the research. "It suggests that there is some overlay of risk from congenital heart disease on top of traditional cardiovascular risk factors." The cardiologist said existing data has shown that adult congenital heart disease patients "are less likely to have statin cholesterol therapy compared to the general population, and their blood pressure may be less aggressively controlled. This study would suggest that those are mistakes, and if anything, we need to be more aggressive in controlling risk factors for cardiovascular disease." Priest agreed. "Despite not knowing what is causing this, we can do a much better job treating the risk factors we know about, like treating hypertension and high lipid levels," he said. "Then we have to figure out what's so special about these patients so we can figure out what to do about it." Several possible factors could link noncomplex congenital heart disease to cardiovascular problems later in life, Priest said, including the repercussions of childhood surgery, radiation used in diagnosis, long-term effects of medication and genetic anomalies. "I've got lots of theories," he said. "I hope I can get some grant money to explore them." THURSDAY, Feb. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- People who are sleep-deprived during the week often try to make up for it on weekends. But a new study suggests the tactic may backfire. Researchers found that weekday sleep loss had negative effects on people's metabolism -- and "catch-up" sleep on the weekend did not reverse it. In fact, there were signs that the extra weekend shut-eye could make matters worse, said senior study author Kenneth Wright, a professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The bottom line, according to Wright, is that people need to consistently get sufficient sleep. "If you want to lead a healthy lifestyle," he said, "that has to include good sleep habits." The study, published online Feb. 28 in the journal Current Biology, included 36 healthy young adults. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups that all spent nine nights in the sleep lab. One group was allowed to sleep for up to 9 hours each night. A second could sleep only 5 hours. The third group was allowed 5 hours of sleep for five days, then a weekend "recovery" period where they could sleep in as late as they wanted; after that, they returned to 5 hours of sleep for two nights. Wright's team found that in both sleep-deprived groups, people lost some of their sensitivity to insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. They also began to eat more at night and gained some weight, on average. The group that was allowed to sleep in on the weekend saw one benefit: There was less late-night eating on those days. However, they went right back to post-dinner munching once they returned to 5-hour nights. And their insulin sensitivity remained impaired. In addition, Wright said, they showed decreased insulin sensitivity in the liver and muscles, specifically -- which was not seen in the group that got no catch-up sleep over the weekend. Over time, decreased insulin sensitivity can be a precursor to type 2 diabetes. And a number of studies have linked chronic sleep loss to heightened risks of diabetes and obesity, Wright noted. In general, experts recommend that adults get 7 or more hours of sleep each night for the sake of their overall health. Yet, studies show that more than one-third of U.S. adults fall short of that goal. Dr. Phyllis Zee, a sleep specialist and professor at Northwestern University School of Medicine, in Chicago, said, "We tend to buy into the myth that by 'catching up' on sleep on weekends, we'll [reverse] the adverse effects of repeated sleep loss." But, according to Zee, who was not involved in the new research, "the results of this study support that it is indeed a myth. In fact, even the muscle and liver 'remember' the adverse and persistent effects of sleep loss." It's true, Wright said, that real life can get in the way of optimal sleep. But he added that people should take an honest look at their habits and see if they can make time for a good night's sleep. "What are the 'sleep stealers' in your life?" Wright said. "Are you up late watching TV or on your computer?" Late-night "screen" use is a problem not only because it takes time away from sleep, he pointed out: Staring at a blue light before bedtime can actually disrupt your ability to fall asleep. Sleep is vital for a range of body processes, not only metabolism. And Zee said there's evidence that other effects of chronic sleep loss -- including dampened alertness and mental performance -- cannot be erased with a couple of nights of catch-up sleep. "Regularity in both timing and duration of sleep is key to brain and body health" she said. More information The National Sleep Foundation has advice on healthy sleep habits. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram New York, February 28, 2019 The Israeli government must hold to account everyone responsible for killing Palestinian journalists Yaser Murtaja and Ahmed Abu Hussein in April 2018, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On February 25, 2019, a U.N. independent commission of inquiry said it found reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli snipers shot journalists intentionally. According to its report, Israeli snipers shot journalists who were clearly marked as such in violation of international humanitarian law, killing Murtaja and Abu Hussein. The U.N. commissions report will not bring back Yaser Murtaja and Ahmed Abu Hussein, but it makes crystal clear that the responsibility for their deaths, and for achieving any measure of justice, lies with Israeli authorities, CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said from Washington, D.C. As a democracy, Israel maintains civilian control of its armed forces and must ensure that they respect international law, which classifies journalists as civilians. Last year, CPJ wrote a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling the killings of Palestinian journalists part of a pattern and urging an immediate and credible investigation. CPJ has not received any response to the letter. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Black-and-white portraits of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova, set amid unlit red candles, were the first things to greet me when I entered the building housing Aktuality, the news website where Kuciak, an investigative reporter, worked until his murder on February 21, 2018. One flight up is the newsroom where Kuciaks colleagues continue his work. Kuciak and his fiancee Kusnirova, both 27, were found dead in the house they bought together in Velka Maca, some 50 kilometers from capital Bratislava. They were young, happy and full of plans: they had their wedding outfits ready for their big day, set for early May, one of Kuciaks colleagues told me. Before his murder, Kuciak had worked with Aktuality and the Sarajevo-based Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) on an investigation into an Italian mafia group, Ndragheta, and their incursions into Slovakia. Investigative reporter Martin Turcek, who now sits at Kuciaks desk, showed me his colleagues files in the drawers. He told me the desk was unoccupied for a while, but he then took it overalong with Kuciaks work. Turcek is optimistic about the investigation into the murder. We trust the law enforcement and the information they share with us on the investigation, he said. Kuciaks murderthe first killing of a journalist that CPJ documented in Slovakiashook society. Thousands took to the streets in protests that were the largest since the 1989 Velvet revolution that ended the communist era. The demonstrations forced Prime Minister Robert Fico and several high-level officials to resign. In late September, Slovak law enforcement detained three men and a woman and charged them with premeditated murder. The Special Prosecutors Office in charge of serious crimes is now the main force behind the investigation. When I met with the offices representatives, along with my colleague Tom Gibson and Scott Griffen, deputy director of the International Press Institute, in Pezinok, some 20 kilometers from Bratislava, they assured us that they were very close to making charges against an individual or individuals who masterminded the murder. The officials, who allowed no photos and asked us not to mention their names publicly for safety reasons, said they were determined to ensure that no mastermind(s) go unpunished. They pointed out that not only the names but also the number of potential masterminds remain confidential. But one name kept coming up during the conversations with Slovak journaliststhat of Marian Kocner, a businessman whom Turcek and others told me they believe was behind the murder. Zoltan Andrusko, one of the suspects arrested in September, alleged that Kocner ordered the killing. Another suspect, Alena Zsuzsova, is accused of paying 70,000 euros (US$79,600) for the hit. She allegedly had a close relationship with Kocner, according to reports. Media also reported that Kocner made threats against Kuciak. Earlier this month, Kuciaks Czech colleagues Pavla Holcova and Eva Kubaniova, who contribute to OCCRP, published a detailed account based on police reports and official documents, of how the murder was planned and executed. On February 26, Aktuality published a report about Kuciaks investigative work on Kocner in the 12 months prior to the murder, and the threats they said Kocner made against him. Kocner has been in custody since June on unrelated financial fraud charges. Neither he, nor any other individual has been arrested or indicted with masterminding the killing. Kocner has denied any involvement in the murders, according to media reports. CPJs Europe and Central Asia program coordinator Gulnoza Said, and EU representative Tom Gibson, pictured at a memorial for Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova. (CPJ) Press code revisions Slovakia has a vibrant journalistic community that united after Kuciaks murder to demand a fair and swift investigation. The sense of unity has extended to other threats to their community. During my meetings with Slovak journalists, one theme that kept coming up in conversation was a recent revision to the press code. Initiated by the ruling Smer party, which is headed by former Prime Minister Fico, the proposal includes a provision that gives politicians and public officials a right to reply. Fico said at a rally in December that the measure should be introduced to end media terror and lynching. Journalists however, say the revision could be open to abuse by officials trying to prevent critical coverage. The proposed bill, which has passed the first reading in the parliament, would abolish a current exception in the press code that excludes public servants and politicians from seeking a right to reply. Under the revised code, media outlets would have to publish replies from any individual, including those holding public office or political leaders, who claim that a report damaged their dignity, honor or privacy. Failure to comply could result in an order to pay damages up to nearly 5,000 euros (US$5,680). Beata Balogova, editor-in-chief of the countrys largest independent newspaper Sme, said the provision was an attempt to legalize censorship and self-censorship by many outlets that cannot afford to pay fine. The current legislation already contains a right for correction that has been used widely by [Slovak] politicians. That resulted in many investigations against media outlets, including 52 ongoing ones against Sme, she said. Slovak journalists, like Balogova and Slovakias Press Publishers Association as well as international press freedom groups including OSCEs Media freedom representative and the Council of Europes platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists, have criticized authorities and called on them drop the provision. Balogova said over 460 journalists signed a letter to the legislators, demanding that they drop the revision. But it looks like the law is going to pass in the second reading in March, she said. Safety fears for journalists Kuciaks colleagues carry on his work, working under that mantra that by killing the messenger, you cant kill the message. In January, the Investigative Center of Jan Kuciak (ICJK) was established by Aktuality editor-in-chief Peter Bardy, Slovak investigative journalist Arpad Soltesz, and Holcova, who is also a founder of the Czech Center for Investigative Journalism in Prague. When I met with Soltesz and his team in their small office in Bratislavas Old Town on February 18, their first investigative report, The Cocaine Cowboys, was about to go online. The OCCRP, which partners with the new center, published the same report in English. Both Soltesz and Smes Balogova said they were concerned by the lack of protection for investigative journalists. The official inquiry established that Kuciak had been under surveillance. And he was not the only journalist to be surveilled. Several others, including Smes Adam Valcek and Kuciaks colleague Marek Vagovic of Aktuality, were also under surveillance and had their personal information checked, Balogova said. Former intelligence officer Peter Toth, who has protected witness status in the Kuciak investigation, testified that he was spying on five journalists at the request of Kocner, according to media reports. At a meeting with the Ministry of Interior, spokesperson Petar Lazarov assured CPJ that the journalists complaints would be taken seriously. Its in our interests to ensure safety of all citizens, including journalists, who are facing threats. We are ready to look into their concerns, he said. Balogova said Valcek and three other journalists filed complaints to the police about the surveillance. Nobody has done anything, she said. On the first anniversary of Kuciaks and Kusnirovas murder last week, hundreds of people flooded the streets of Bratislava. They demanded justice but also an end to corruption. Jans killing had become a test for all of us in Slovakia. Its a turning point which will define whether we are firmly on the path of a European democracy or backsliding to authoritarianism, Kuciaks colleague, Kubaniova, told me. [Reporting from Bratislava] SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stefanini, a $1B global IT provider, announced today that the company is being recognized as a leader in four quadrants in the ISG Provider Lens Digital Business Transformation Report for Brazil in 2019. The study analyzes the digital transformation in the country, and the way businesses operate and seek out suppliers to help them improve their sales processes, product design, supply chain management and human resources, among other functions. According to the survey conducted by ISG, vendors are helping companies to become more agile and shift more workloads to the cloud. "We aim to support the digital transformation within our customers. For this, it is necessary to innovate exponentially, because we live in a volatile world, which requires leadership that is capable of creating a vision for the future, said Marco Stefanini, global CEO of Stefanini. The study evaluates the capabilities of 29 providers in seven quadrants and as a result, Stefanini is recognized as a leader in four: Enabling Customer Journey, Digital Business Operations, Creating and Customizing Digital Products, and Continuing Digital Delivery. The client's journey is the main focus of the Brazilian market, according to the report. "In the digital age, customers are buying experiences, feelings, well-being, comfort and convenience, and many companies see digital transformation as a way to meet those expectations," said Esteban Herrera, partner and global leader of ISG Research. Other important aspects of the digital transformation journey in Brazil include automation of robotic processes and artificial intelligence to optimize repetitive tasks within companies. Agility is another goal of digital transformation. Many companies want suppliers to help them build more efficient, short-term models. "Corporate agility goes far beyond software development. It encompasses how companies can adjust their operations to survive and thrive in environments where competition and customer demands are constantly changing," said Herrera. About ISG ISG is a leader in subscription research, advisory and strategy consulting services for senior business and IT executives, technology and software vendors and business / IT services providers. Our mission is to help our clients make better business decisions and create new business value through trusted and objective insights into the key market trends and emerging technologies driving real change. More information: www.isg-one.com About Stefanini Stefanini ( www.stefanini.com ) is a Brazilian multinational with 30 years of experience in the market, investing in a complete innovation ecosystem to meet the main verticals and assist customers in the process of digital transformation. With robust offerings aligned with market trends such as automation, cloud, Internet of Things (IoT) and user experience (UX), the company has been recognized with several awards in the area of innovation. Today, the company has a broad portfolio of solutions that combine innovative consulting, marketing, mobility, personalized campaigns and artificial intelligence services for traditional solutions such as service desk, field service and outsourcing (BPO). With a presence in 40 countries, Stefanini was named the fifth most internationalized company, according to the Dom Cabral Foundation ranking of 2017. Editorial Contacts Carla Ferber ( Carla.ferber@stefanini.com ) The Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal has announced a PRANAM Commission to look after the issues related to the Parents Responsibility and Norms for Accountability and Monitoring (PRANAM) Bill. PRANAM Bill The bill makes it mandatory for state government employees to look after their parents and unmarried differently abled siblings who do not have their own sources of income. The bill proposes that if any complaints related to ignorance towards parents or unmarried differently abled siblings, then 10 or 15 per cent of the employees salary will be deducted by the government and paid to the parents or differently abled siblings. The government has said that it aims to cover the Employees of private companies and the central government working in the state at a later stage. The PRANAM Bill is an effort from the state government to protect elderly parents and unmarried differently abled siblings and give them financial security. The bill is first of its kind in the country is an effort to protect elderly parents of government employees and unmarried differently abled siblings in their times of need. International Court of Justice (ICJ) has advised the UK to return the Diego Garcia (Chagos Islands) to Mauritius as rapidly as possible. The ICJ has said that Britain must give Mauritius control of the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The advisory has been issued by the ICJ on the request of the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to look into the issue. Observations made by ICJ In a majority opinion the court noted that the decolonisation of Mauritius was not lawfully complete when it attained independence because Britain carved away the Chagos Archipelago from it and retained control over it. Britain is under an obligation to bring to an end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible. Why the Chagos Islands had become the bone of contention? Mauritius was the colony of erstwhile of British Empire. With the calls of decolonisation grew stronger, the British granted independence to the Island nation Mauritius. But the British cut off the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965 before granting it independence in 1968. Also, the residents of the Chagos Archipelago were forcibly removed and the Chagos Archipelago was handed over to the US. The US established its strategic Indian Ocean military base at the Chagos Archipelago. Both the UK and the US had vehemently opposed the UN resolution which referred the matter to ICJ saying it was a bilateral matter with Mauritius. UK is not represented in the ICJ Bench and the sole dissent judgement was by the American Judge. Hence it is unlikely that the UK would accept the advisory. The possibility of any challenge to the US Diego Garcia base from Mauritius is also unlikely. Hence by and large status quo would be maintained. A hole in the sun's corona caused a magnificent display of light in the sky in Iceland earlier this month.A pair of photographers spotted and took the photo of the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, that has taken the shape of a giant flying dragon.Dragon In The Winter SkyAn aurorais a natural event caused by energetic particles from the sun that travel to the Earth in a steady stream called the solar wind. These particles mingle with the upper atmosphere, exciting the atoms and emitting wonderful dancing lights in the night sky.On Feb. 18, the northern lights just so happened to take the form of a mythical figure, dazzling everyone who saw it.Jingyi Zhang, a student from Curtin University and an amateur photographer, toldABC News that she was on a holiday with her mother and a friend in Gullfoss, southwest of Iceland when the now-viral photo was taken. Her mother, who in her amazement, ran toward the dancing lights in the skyis also visible in the photo.Interestingly, Zhang saidthat the dragon is not the only mythical creature to appear that night. Her companion also captured the image of a phoenix at the same time.NASA shared the captured image of the Dragon Aurora over Iceland as the "Astronomy Picture of the Day." Accordingto the space agency, the sight is even more special because it should have been a quiet month for aurora sightings. No sunspots have recently appeared on the sun.Dazzling Display Of LightThis is not the first time that images were visible as auroras over Iceland to entrance its viewers who often travel from around the world just to view the magnificent natural spectacle. Faces have previously appearedas lights in the sky. In 2017, lights took the form of a griffin that was seen over the city of Reykjavik.The Iceland Monitor notesthat the Icelandic coat of arms has four protectors: a dragon, a griffin, a giant, and a bull. According to Guide To Iceland, the northern lights are visiblefrom early September to the end of April. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chemesis International Inc. (CSE: CSI ) (OTC: CADMF ) (FRA: CWAA ) (the Company or Chemesis), announces its subsidiary Natural Ventures has signed a definitive agreement for an annual purchase order of a minimum total of USD $4,000,000. The Company will cultivate, manufacture, package and distribute for the Puerto Rico based dispensary network from its fully licensed, state compliant facility. The products are white labelled under the dispensaries brand and delivered on a weekly basis. Initial purchase orders over $400,000 USD have been fulfilled in February and with weekly increases in the Puerto Rican medical patient base, both companies anticipate demand to increase heading into the Q2 2019. Chemesis has built a strong relationship with this retail focused team, and we will ensure we supply their dispensaries with high-quality cannabis products, said CEO of Chemesis, Edgar Montero. Natural Ventures has continued to solidify its reputation as a high-quality cultivator, and manufacturer of cannabis products and we see this purchase order as validation. Furthermore, the Company expects to see an increase in monthly purchase orders, as more dispensaries are opened around the island. Natural Ventures began fulfilling purchase orders in February 2019 and is providing the vendor with edibles, vaporizers, lotions, beverages, and flower. Due to the competitive nature of the cannabis market in Puerto Rico, the Company will not disclose who the vendors are at this time. On Behalf of The Board of Directors Edgar Montero CEO and Director About Chemesis International Inc. Chemesis International Inc. is a vertically integrated global leader in the cannabis industry, currently operating within California, Puerto Rico, and Colombia. Chemesis is developing a strong foothold in key markets, from cultivation, to manufacturing, distribution and retail. Chemesis has facilities in both Puerto Rico and California, allowing for cost effective production and distribution of its products. In addition, Chemesis leverages exclusive brands and partnerships and uses the highest quality extraction methods to provide consumers with quality cannabis products. Chemesis will add shareholder value by exploring opportunities in emerging markets while consistently delivering quality product to its consumers from seed to sale. Investor Relations: ir@chemesis.com 1 (604) 398-3378 Social Media: Chemesis.facebook Chemesis.twitter Chemesis.instagram DesertZen.instagram CaliforniaSap.instagram Jay&SB.instagram Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to statements regarding the Company's business, products and future of the Companys business, its product offerings and plans for sales and marketing, including finalizing an acquisition in Colombia. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance and developments to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things, the risks that the Company's products and plan will vary from those stated in this news release and the Company may not be able to carry out its business plans as expected. Except as required by law, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation and does not intend to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information in this news release. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct and makes no reference to profitability based on sales reported. The statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this press release He has been cited by Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed on radio, TV and in social media. For many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates. Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post and other publications. A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission. He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and was inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame. He received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. The Award is the Section's highest honor. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups. Cirucci's passions include politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel. In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association. He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, Matt Rooney's sidekick on Save Jersey's weekly videocast and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV. Sri Lanka: Canned fish industry eyes foreign markets by SANJEEVI JAYASURIYA February 28,2019 | Source: Sunday Observer With an ambitious expansion plan to scale up capacity in terms of production and labour, the local canned fish industry is looking at the export market to become not only a foreign exchange saving industry, but a foreign exchange earning industry as well, President Canned Fish Manufacturers Association, Shiran Fernando said in Colombo last week. The local industry which started four years ago has progress rapidly despite not having a level playing field due to certain policy decisions taken by the government. The reduction of import tax by Rs. 50 in 2015 was a big blow to the industry which is capable of supplying the total requirement of the country at present, he said. The local canned fish industry saves US $ 64 million by engaging in production annually. The industry has four factories, but they are not functioning to its fullest capacity due to issues in the supply chain and unfair competition from the imported canned fish products. We request the government to carefully consider the production capacity and stock of imports to the country prior to allowing unwanted imports. This will encourage the local producers and in turn will enable the country to save valuable foreign exchange, Secretary Canned Fish Manufactures Association Kamal Addara Arachchi said. As one of the development indicators being the GDP growth, import will not support this growth and we need to promote local industries. Sri Lanka which has a sea area of 10 times more than Thailand could not reach the level of that country with regard to canned fish exports. Therefore, the country has the potential, capacity and capability to become a leading player in this market as Sri Lanka is surrounded by sea and there are plenty of fish available right throughout the year, he said. Our canned fish is fresh, safe and of high quality. When there is a bumper harvest, we need to preserve fish and canned fish is the ideal solution. However, the local canned fish industry is not given the required encouragement to fuel the growth and for further expansion. This industry also supports the fishing industry and any improvement in the canned fish industry is positively impact the countrys fishing industry, he said. There are 600,000 fishing community in the country. For the canned fish production they had been paid Rs. 170 million for the purchase of linna fish and a kilo has fetched Rs. 175 during the past few months enabling them to earn a decent living. The canned fish industry lacks proper infrastructure such as cold rooms to store excess harvest and this is a major drawback to progress in the future. The rupee depreciation is impacting both positively and negatively and hence the industry prefers a stable currency to continue their business. It is important to have a proper mechanism to ensure market forces operate creating a level playing field for the sustainability of the industry. We urge the government to purchase locally produced canned fish for the government institutions and agencies to encourage the local industrialists and also to re-introduce the import tax to previous level of Rs. 102. The limitation of imported canned fish will be an added bonus to the local manufactures. It is necessary to formulate a five year plan to develop the industry and create a mindset to promote local products over imports, he said. Myanmar: USD 150 mln of river catfish to be exported annually by Aye Yamone February 28,2019 | Source: Global New Light of Myanmar A river catfish farming project, to be built on over 900 acres of land in Pantanaw Township, Ayeyawady Region, will breed river catfish and expects to export US$ 150 million worth of fish annually, businessmen said Myanmar Fisheries Federation (MFF). The Global Earth Public Co.Ltd will invite all businessmen to invest in the river catfish farming project. The initial investment for the project will be US$ 200 million. We will implement the project on over 900 acres of land in the trial phase. We have planned to invest $ 200 million in the project initially. We will breed about 150,000 tons of river catfish species annually for export. Currently, we have already collected 60 per cent of river catfish species. We will conduct fish hatching throughout the year, said U Htay Myint, chairman of MFF. The Permanent Secretary and the officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, on behalf of Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC), inspected the land on which the project will be built to seek to determine its environmental impact. Upon completion of the inspection, and after the ministrys submission of its report to MIC, permission was granted in the first week of January, 2019. The fish feeding factories and cold storage facilities will also be build as part of the catfish project. Currently, the factories and the facilities are under construction. Businessmen have been invited to invest in the fish farming project. We will invite the shareholders in two phases. We can create thousands of job opportunities for the local people because we need a lot of workers in fish hatching, the feed factory and production. It will take eight months for the factories to be operational at full capacity, said Dr. Toe Nanda Tin, the vice chairperson of MFF. Concerning the purchase of shares in the fish farming project, those who are being engaged in the fish farming sector might not have a problem in making decisions to buy shares, but those businessmen who are outside the fish farming sector will have difficulties making decisions before the factories and facilities are fully operational. World News: In Focus: Small-scale fisheries in Asia by Srey Kumneth February 28,2019 | Source: Khmer Times To strengthen its mission in improving fisheries and aquaculture, WorldFish is currently holding a six-day conference in Penang, Malaysia. The event has gathered representatives from six Asian countries that are experiencing similar issues and concerns in small-scale fisheries, research and policy formulations. WorldFish, Food and Agriculture Organisation/UN, national research institutions, NGOs, research communities and journalists have been in Penang since February 18 to discuss the current challenges in fisheries and aquaculture in all six countries involved and how governments and private sectors adapted feasible and effective solutions to such challenges. For six days, all participants from the countries where WorldFish has engagements with different stakeholders in small-scale fisheries and aquaculture such as Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Malaysia are learning more about ecology, technology, history, economics and politics in the fishing industry. John Kurien, honorary fellow of small-scale fisheries research programme Fish CRP and WorldFish, said that small-scale fisheries should not be advocated exclusively on social and welfare grounds. But rather, small-scale fisheries should be supported for economic, technical, ecological, organisational as well as social reasons. In my opinion, the present dilemmas and the future prospects faced by small-scale capture fishing world are basically the same. However, one important distinction which we can make is between the small-scale fisheries of what I call the tropical-majority countries and the temperate-minority countries, said Mr Kurien. Mr Kurien also emphasised new technology, new conflicts, as conflicts at sea between the trawlers and the small-scale fishers became the norm in Asian coastal waters from the late 1960s and into the 1970s and 1980s. The coasts of Indonesia, India, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines saw major spontaneous and organised struggles of fishers. Moreover, several protest meetings of small-scale fishers at the Asian and international levels were held in 1970s and 1980s. The workshop also aimed to initiate big steps towards creating a multi-stakeholder information and communication alliance for support to small-scale fisheries (SSF) in Asia, which can, in turn, potentially link to global policy processes, including the Small-Scale Fisheries Global Strategic Framework (SSF-GSF) of the FAO/UN. Representatives from WorldFish-Cambodia reported that, States and all those engaged in fisheries management should adopt measures for long-term conservation and sustainable use of fisheries resources, and to secure the ecological foundation for food production. In addition to successes achieved by RFF II CFR committees in securing funding from commune councils, the Cambodian Governments Strategic Planning Framework for Fisheries prioritises sustainable and effective fish refuges. Seventy-one percent of the earth is covered by ocean and 64 percent of the ocean is considered high seas/national waters, and the high seas cover 45 percent of the earths surface. Philippa Cohen, small-scale fisheries research programme leader who has been studying fisheries in Pacific Islands for almost 12 years, also discussed the importance of doing extensive research on issues involving aquaculture to help find solutions to problems and aid in the development of sustainable programmes. Research provides access for small-scale artisanal fisheries to marine resources and markets. It can help countries progress in the degree of the application of a legal, regulatory, policy, institutional framework which recognise and protects rights for small-scale fisheries, Ms Cohen said. Ms Cohen added, Ways in which households are engaged in fisheries, livelihood or food security can inadvertently increase labour burdens of women. The conference, which ends on Sunday, is WorldFishs way to further enable sustainable increase in livelihoods from aquaculture production without negatively affecting the economy or the environment. Small-scale fisheries are seen to contribute to poverty reduction and food security in developing nations. Coble, 70, was sentenced to death nearly 30 years ago in a 1989 triple murder near Waco. He is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to stop his execution. On Thursday, Texas is scheduled to execute a 70-year-old man for killing three of his wife's family members in the Waco area nearly three decades ago. Unless the U.S. Supreme Court or Gov. Greg Abbott stops the execution, Billie Coble will become the oldest person Texas puts to death since the modern era of the death penalty began in the 1970s, according to prison data. He is part of an aging death row population; Coble is one of nearly 30 inmates who have lived on Texas death row for more than 25 years. In a late filing, Coble asked the nations high court to stop his execution, claiming a recent ruling that tossed out a Louisiana mans death sentence last year should apply to his case. In that ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the defendant can insist his lawyers dont admit to guilt at trial even if they think its the best way to sway jurors to vote against the death penalty. Coble was convicted of capital murder in the 1989 slayings of his estranged wifes parents and brother in McLennan County, court records show. He had been married to his wife, Karen, for a little over a year when she told him she wanted a divorce. They lived in the small town of Axtell, just across the street from her parents, Robert and Zelda Vicha, and down the road from her brother, Bobby. According to court records, when Karen came home from work, she found her children tied up, and Coble approached her and told her that he had killed her parents and brother. At gunpoint, he led her to the car and tried to flee with her. She fought back, and eventually a sheriffs deputy began following them before Coble crashed into a parked car. At trial, the prosecution showed evidence of a long history of Coble brutalizing and molesting women, including his former wives and young girls. The jury also heard evidence that Coble had a traumatizing childhood; he lived in a state home for 12 years while his mother was institutionalized and enlisted to fight in the Vietnam War at age 17. He was found guilty of the murders and sentenced to death in June 1990. But in 2007, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out that sentence based on changing precedent on how explicitly jurors have to weigh mitigating evidence, like Coble's troubled childhood, that could make them lean toward the lesser sentence of life in prison. Still, after a jury weighed such evidence, Coble was again sentenced to death in 2008. Even in the short time when his death sentence was lifted, courts always determined Coble to be guilty of capital murder. Now, in a last-shot petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, he is asking the justices to review his conviction, not his sentence, based on another ruling that the court recently handed down. In Robert McCoys case out of Louisiana, a majority of the justices held that under the Sixth Amendment, a defendant has the right to choose the objective of his defense. At McCoys trial, despite his loud objections in court that he was innocent, his lawyers were allowed to concede that McCoy killed his wifes family as part of an effort to sway the jury away from a death sentence. The high court ruled last year that once McCoy communicated to the court and his lawyers that he objected to his lawyers strategy, a concession of guilt should have been off the table. Cobles current attorney, A. Richard Ellis, claims the McCoy ruling should also apply to his client since Coble also objected to his lawyers strategy. His petition to the high court said that before Cobles trial, his lawyers filed a notice that they would raise an insanity defense, but after the state rested its case in the guilt phase of the trial, they abruptly changed course. Ellis said that in a stunning move, Cobles trial lawyers largely just played silent footage of scenes from Vietnam and, in closing, conceded that Coble was guilty. He said Cobles objective was to present a defense. But there are some key differences between Cobles and McCoys cases: Coble seemingly only objected to his lawyers, not the court itself, about the defense being presented, and he didnt want to claim innocence he simply didnt want to concede guilt. Those differences are partially why the state has argued Cobles petition should be denied and his execution carried out. The state claimed Coble didnt complain about his lawyers strategy until he was in the appeals process, which the McCoy ruling doesnt apply to, and that courts already rejected Coble's earlier appeals based on claims of faulty trial lawyers. The publics interest is not advanced by staying Cobles execution to consider a procedurally defaulted and meritless claim based on a decision handed down three decades after Coble terrorized and murdered his ex-wifes entire family, wrote Texas Assistant Attorney General Gwendolyn Vindell in the states brief to the high court Monday. Ellis has countered that the McCoy ruling needed to be clarified to explain if it applies to what happened at Cobles trial, saying that there are a number of things in the ruling left unclear like whether defendants need to voice their objection explicitly to the court. Theyre not schooled in the law, they dont know what to say, and they dont even know if theyre allowed to say it, Ellis told The Texas Tribune on Monday. Its a pretty good assumption that the Supreme Court will want to clarify the contours of McCoy in the near future, and I think this is a good vehicle for them to do that. If the execution proceeds, Coble will become the second man executed in Texas this year, after Robert Jennings' execution last month, and the third in the nation. Five other executions are scheduled in the state through September, according to prison records. | 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 A bill banning capital punishment in the State of Colorado is expected to pass in early 2019, an effort that Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila has supported, and that Colorado Governor Jared Polis said he would sign should the legislature present it to him. In his speech during the March for Life Jan. 12, Archbishop Aquila assured that disagreements with politicians on life issues would not prevent him from collaborating with them on the abolishment of this measure. During this legislative session, we hope to see an effort to repeal the death penalty in Colorado, a measure that the Church has long advocated for, since our prison system can ensure these criminals pose no danger to the public once they are incarcerated. We also know that men who have been condemned to death have converted and have changed. They have opened their hearts to the one who can give them light. All life has dignity and worth, even the lives of those who have killed others. The State should not participate in the cycle of violence by taking life but should instead strive to protect it. In an interview with 9NEWS in November 2018, Governor Polis said he would sign a bill repealing the death penalty and expressed his opposition to the current measures. Colorado has executed a total of 101 people in its history, all of them males found guilty of murder. Yet, the state has only executed 2 person in 1977 since the Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1975. The State of Colorado can still impose the death penalty in class 1 felony cases, which involve certain murders, kidnapping or treason. These may include the death of law enforcement officers, of children under 12, the usage of explosive devices, extreme indifference to human life or extremely cruel conduct. The Church has traditionally held that the dignity of a person is not lost even after having committed a grave crime. Nonetheless, as the Catechism states, it has also traditionally taught that it is legitimate to insist on respect for ones own right to life, which means that someone who defends his life is not guilty of murder even if he is forced to deal his transgressor a lethal blow. In the case of those who hold a position of authority and are responsible for many lives, legitimate defense cannot only be a right but a grave duty The defense of the common good requires that an unjust aggressor be rendered unable to cause harm. The Catechism continues: the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor. If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect peoples safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity to the dignity of the human person (CCC 2263-2267, prior to May 11, 2018). In a recent change to this section of the Catechism, Pope Francis called for the repeal of capital punishment worldwide, a measure that Archbishop Aquila assures can already be implemented in Colorado. | 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 denvercatholic.org, February 26, 2019 English Lithuanian Lietuvos Energija, UAB (hereinafter the Company), identification code 301844044, registered office placed at Zveju St. 14, Vilnius, the Republic of Lithuania. The total nominal value of issued bonds 600 000 000 EUR; ISIN codes XS1646530565; XS1853999313. Increased prices in international markets affected the results of Lietuvos Energija During the four quarters of 2018, the financial results of the state-owned group of energy companies Lietuvos Energija (the Group) were significantly affected by the price situation in the electricity and gas markets. Due to price changes in the aforementioned markets, the Groups revenue amounted to EUR 1.266 million, which is 15.1% more if compared to EUR 1,100 million earned during Q1Q4 of 2017. However, rising prices have also lead to an increase in the costs of purchasing electricity, gas, fuel and related services by 33.2%, up to EUR 986.6 million. Due to the specificity of the regulated activity, the Groups costs increased more than revenue, and the regulatory differences will be compensated in the coming periods. After eliminating regulatory effects, the Groups adjusted EBITDA decreased slightly by 3.8% and totaled EUR 229.7 million, compared to EUR 238.7 million during Q1Q4 of 2017. In addition to the aforementioned changes in electricity and gas prices, the Groups net profit result in 2018 was also significantly affected by the one-off item of fixed assets valuation of managed company Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius. Although, overall the valuation resulted in an increase of assets value, due to the accounting aspects in the income statement revaluation losses were accounted, which significantly decreased net profit result, the increase in value were accounted in the revaluation reserve in equity. After eliminating regulatory and one-off effects, the Groups adjusted net profit decreased by 3.3% compared to 2017 and totaled EUR 125.8 million. Last year has been full of challenges for Lietuvos Energija the spikes in energy price in the international markets impacted Group's results, but we managed risks successfully and ended 2018 with the expected results. We continue to confidently implement the objectives set out in the LE 2030 strategy. Last year the Group's investments were record high, amounting to nearly EUR 410 million. We are expanding the green generation capabilities in 2018, we acquired three operating wind farms, while the Smart Energy Fund, powered by Lietuvos Energija, invested in start-ups that will, without doubt, develop amazing solutions and show great results. This year we will continue to transform the Group by consolidating its activities and will focus on the client even more, says Darius Maikstenas, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Lietuvos Energija. Key interim financial indicators of Lietuvos Energija Group for Q1Q4, 2018: The Groups revenue amounted to EUR 1.266 million, which is 15.1% more if compared to EUR 1.100 million earned during Q1Q4 of 2017; Operating expenses amounted to EUR 127.6 million, which is 3.3% (or EUR 4 million) less, compared to EUR 132 million during Q1Q4 of 2017. Lower operating expenses resulted from the improvement of operational efficiency; The Groups EBITDA decreased by 33.5% and totaled EUR 151.2 million. The Groups adjusted EBITDA decreased by 3.8% and totaled EUR 229.7 million, compared to EUR 238.7 million during Q1Q4 of 2017. The steady growth of the distribution activity results has been offset by the poorer performance of the electricity and gas trading activities, affected by increased market prices; The level of the return on equity ratio was equal to 0.5% compared to 7% in 2017. The level of the adjusted return on equity ratio remained high and was equal to 9.4% compared to 9.8% in 2017; The Groups net profit decreased by 93.1% to EUR 6.5 million. The Groups adjusted net profit amounted to EUR 125.8 million, which is 3.3% less compared to EUR 130.1 million during Q1Q4 of 2017; Investments amounted to EUR 409.2 million, which is 61.5% more compared to EUR 253.4 million during Q1Q4 of 2017. Investments were mainly allocated for the maintenance (30%) and development (21%) of the electricity distribution network, also investments have increased significantly due to investments in cogeneration plants projects in Vilnius and Kaunas (20%). *The Groups EBITDA and net profit is adjusted (1) by eliminating deviation between actual and regulated revenue, by which the Groups future financial results will be adjusted; (2) by eliminating gas price discount expenses that are related to the previous periods. Arturas Ketlerius, Acting Head of Public Relations, arturas.ketlerius@le.lt, +370 620 76076 Attachments In a tense, crowded room inside Nashvilles Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, Claude Garrett sat before a large TV monitor and stared at the screen. Behind him, a crowd of people gathered before a long conference table. Garrett wore prison-issued blue jeans, glasses, and a serious expression. Looking back at him on the screen was Richard Montgomery, chair of the Tennessee Board of Probation and Parole. Soon he would say whether Garrett should be released or remain in prison. It was a Monday in October 2018. The hearing had started at 10:30 a.m. Mr. Garrett, what is your inmate number, sir? Montgomery asked. Garrett recited it: #225779. You were born on November 17, 1956, and youre 61 years old? Yes, Garrett said. Montgomery thanked everyone in attendance. The more testimony we hear, the more facts we hear from each and every one of you, the better decision we can make, he said. Montgomery summarized Garretts record dating back to the 1970s: a handful of misdemeanors, followed by felonies, the most serious of which were some burglaries in Indiana. He then reviewed Garretts disciplinary write-ups in prison. There were only five, total. Four dated back to the mid-90s. Finally, Montgomery asked the question Garrett had been pondering for more than 25 years. Tell me, on February 24, 1992, what happened? Garrett told the story as he had countless times. How he and his girlfriend, Lorie Lee Lance, had been out drinking at a local bar the night before; how they came home late and dozed off in the living room, then moved to their bedroom. Sometime later I was woken up, Garrett said. I dont know what woke me up. I recall looking into the living room and seeing a light flickering on the wall. It was a fire. I yelled at Lorie. She got up behind me and I had ahold of her wrist. We went toward the front door, which was to the right of our bedroom. But then Lance pulled back, Garrett said. She didnt follow me through the door. Lance was later found in a utility room toward the back of the house. She died from smoke inhalation. The next year, Garrett went on trial for her murder. Jurors did not believe his story. They believed what prosecutors said: that Garrett had locked Lance in the back room and poured kerosene throughout the house. The states case was shaky in fact, Garrett won a new trial after he discovered that prosecutors had concealed a police report showing the door in question had actually been found unlocked. Nevertheless, in 2003, a jury convicted him again. For more than 25 years, Garrett has maintained his innocence. He has also gained the support of numerous people on the outside, who wrote letters to the board on his behalf. His most vocal advocate is a veteran fire investigator, Stuart Bayne, the defense expert at his 2003 retrial. A tall man with a formal air, Bayne was one of four supporters who spoke at the hearing. He wore a dark suit and carried prepared remarks. As a representative of the fire investigation community, I owe allegiance to only one thing, and that is the truth, Bayne began. Garretts conviction was fundamentally unjust, he said and there was scientific evidence to prove it. Like all fire investigators of his generation, Bayne explained, he had lived through a sea change that began in the 1980s. Until then, I believed in arson pattern indicators that have since then been proven untrue, he said. In 1992, the same year as the fire in Garretts case, the National Fire Protection Association published NFPA 921, a groundbreaking guide that would transform the field. Rather than rely on instinct, experience, and visual interpretations of fire scenes, it held that fire investigators should follow the scientific method: using all evidence from a scene to test a hypothesis before making a determination about a fires origin and cause. The investigators in Garretts case had done no such thing. Instead, they discarded the furniture and other contents of the house and zeroed in on false indicators. At trial, the states key witness, James Cooper, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, swore by pour patterns on the floor, which supposedly proved an accelerant had been spread throughout the home. He continued to insist upon the evidence at the 2003 retrial, despite the fact that pour patterns were widely understood to be unreliable junk science by then. To Baynes distress, Garretts retrial attorney took him off the stand before he could explain the vast changes in fire investigation over the previous decade. In the weeks before the October parole hearing, Bayne had mailed each parole board member a set of reports. The information I sent you are the result of systemic analysis of the fire, he told Montgomery. One report came from renowned fire scientist John Lentini, who first reviewed Garretts case in 2010 and concluded it was based on junk science. Another came from a group of international fire experts called the Tetrahedron Committee, who also found that the arson determination in Garretts case was fatally flawed. Todays fire investigation standards reject the non-scientific methods used at the Lance-Garrett fire in 1992, Bayne explained. It was not the kind of evidence parole boards usually hear. But Bayne urged Montgomery to consider it. Opposing Garretts release were members of Lances family. In emotional statements, they described Garrett as an abuser who had killed Lance because she planned to leave him. The family shared stories of his volatile behavior that they also told me when I first investigated the case, for an article published in 2015. Hes conned every one of these people in this room, Lances younger sister, Hayley, said. They were not swayed by the explanation of outdated fire investigations. All this about the junk science, that may be true in some cases, Lances aunt said. But not in this one. Just before noon, it came time for Montgomery to announce his decision. The board does not try cases, he said. We do not determine whether a person is innocent or guilty. What mattered now was that Garrett had served the sentence required by the state of Tennessee. I look at your record and I see a person that is trying to improve his life, Montgomery told Garrett. His vote would be for Garrett to be released in March 2019. Garrett was stunned. But the outcome was still far from certain he needed three more votes in his favor for release. Montgomery said the board members would make their decision within 7 to 10 days. About a week later, Garrett got the news. The board had denied his parole application. He wont have another chance until 2022. Im disappointed but not discouraged, Garrett told me a few weeks later. It is rare for anyone to get paroled their 1st time before the board, he said. In fact, compared to many people in his position, Garrett was lucky to face the parole board at all. Not long after he was convicted, legislators doubled the amount of time lifers with parole eligibility in Tennessee had to serve before their first hearing, from 25 to 51 years. For Bayne, however, the denial was an intolerable blow. In a six-page letter last November, he urged the board to reconsider its decision. He reminded members of the seven flash drives he had sent them earlier that fall, which included affidavits and reports from leading fire experts. There are reputable fire investigators/scientists who are trying to tell you that this whole matter is fundamentally unjust, Bayne wrote. He did not hear back. February 24 marks the 27th year since the fire that took Lances life and sent Garrett to prison. As he continues to fight his conviction, Garrett is trapped in a kind of paradox. Even as decades of scientific advancements have debunked old forensic techniques and provided more tools to identify wrongful convictions, the legal architecture that surrounds him has made it harder to win relief. The same tough-on-crime era that gave rise to the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act which has shut defendants out of court even when they have compelling innocence claims brought a wave of state-level reforms shortly after Garrett was first convicted. In 1995, Tennessee Gov. Don Sundquist signed sweeping legislation designed to make convicting criminals easier and keep them in prison longer, as The Tennessean reported at the time. The tough-on-crime overhaul included major revisions to the states Post-Conviction Procedures Act, imposing a one-year deadline for people to challenge their convictions in state court. While in theory it also included a safeguard to address wrongful convictions allowing for the reopening of a state post-conviction petition based on new scientific evidence the limitations were rigid. In 2017, Garrett filed such a motion in state court, based on the reports of Lentini and the Tetrahedron Committee. Prosecutors protested on several grounds: The motion had been filed too late; it revealed no new evidence; and it did not prove Garretts actual innocence as required by the law. The court swiftly ruled for the state. Today, Garrett is nearly out of legal options. Yet there is a key avenue that could provide a way out. In 2016, Davidson County Attorney General Glenn Funk announced the launch of a conviction review unit. Modeled partly on the Brooklyn District Attorneys groundbreaking CRU, it was supposed to provide a chance for people like Garrett to have their cases re-examined and possibly get exonerated at least in theory. But while the Brooklyn unit has led to 24 exonerations in the past five years, similar units across the country have proven ineffective. In Arizona, the Pima County Conviction Integrity Unit has done nothing to intervene in the case of Barry Jones, even after his conviction was overturned last summer. In Ohio, where prosecutors used junk science to convict Angela Garcia for a fire that killed her two daughters, the Cuyahoga County Conviction Integrity Unit rejected Garcias application on its face. Garcia later pleaded guilty to arson in exchange for a reduction in her sentence. Until very recently, the Davidson County CRU had shown similarly meager results. In January, Nashville Public Radio released the results of a two-year investigation into the office. It revealed that while 38 cases had been submitted to the unit for review, not a single one had been ordered to be reinvestigated. Part of the problem was the structure of the unit. Cases were screened by a seven-member panel of prosecutors, which bred inevitable intransigence. As Nashville defense attorney Daniel Horwitz pointed out, it also created conflicts of interest; in the case of his client Joseph Webster, whose application was rejected in July 2018, the panel included the same prosecutor who sent Webster to prison in the first place. The attorney generals office announced an overhaul of the units protocol. On February 8, news broke that the CRU would take on the Webster case after all, the first to move forward since Funk launched the unit. All of this is potentially good news for Garrett. But there is one major obstacle keeping him from applying. The units rules dictate that it will not consider requests for review while any appeal, petition, or writ is pending in court. For Garrett, whose federal appeal has been winding its way through the courts since 2013, it is a wait he can ill afford. Although Davidson County is not unique in this requirement, its not even clear why it exists. As a general rule, we stay out of it while its in the courts, Assistant Attorney General Robert Jones, who leads the unit, explained over the phone earlier this month. But he insisted that such language would not foreclose on a deserving application. He pointed to the next line in the units protocol: The CRU retains the discretion to review the case if it is in the interest of justice. If there is compelling evidence of innocence, he said, were not gonna sit here for years and wait for the case to go through the courts. Even so, the language of the units official protocol suggests the bar for relief will be high. In order for the CRU to recommend that a conviction be vacated, an applicant must show clear and convincing evidence of actual innocence, as defined by the Tennessee Supreme Court. In a case like Garretts, where the physical evidence was discarded almost immediately, there is no new testing that can establish such clear proof of his innocence, let alone something like DNA. If there is one thing that might help Garrett between now and whenever he submits his case for review, it would be a willingness on the part of the states main expert to admit he was wrong, at least in his methodology, which would never pass muster today. But until now, this has proven impossible. When I went to see Cooper last year, he defended his work and refused to consider the reports by Lentini or the Tetrahedron Committee. Although he backed away from certain evidence he once emphasized on the stand, he reiterated his belief in Garretts guilt and reminded me of a crucial piece of evidence: the lock on the utility room door. That was key, he said. In fact, there have always been reasons to doubt that the door was locked. There was the police report that was withheld from Garretts defense at the first trial, in which Fire Captain Otis Jenkins said that the door was unlocked. But even without this, Jenkins the only firefighter who directly testified to this critical piece of evidence never had the most convincing recollections. At Garretts first trial in 1993, he testified that he had to turn and move a knob to get the door open, even though the door had no knob. Was it possible the door was just jammed? Garretts attorney asked. I wouldnt rule that out, Jenkins said, but he insisted he was almost certain the door was locked. At the 2003 retrial, Jenkins testified that he shuffled something or did something to make the door open, but he could not recall what. In court rulings upholding Garretts conviction, reviewing judges have relied on Coopers recounting of what Jenkins supposedly told him: that he had to use 2 hands to slide the bolt on the latch to the other side to open the door. But at the retrial, Jenkins said he did not even remember Cooper. In its 2016 report on the fire, the Tetrahedron Committee found that his testimony should be viewed very skeptically. For one, there was the near-zero visibility, high heat, and confusion of a fire scenario. Then there was the fact that firefighting gloves are designed for protection and not conducive to operating a latch as small as the one on the door. The difficulties of opening a latch in firefighting gloves was never addressed and demonstrated at trial, the report noted. Finally, it flagged the exculpatory statement attributed to Jenkins and withheld by the state at the first trial: that the door was unlocked. Given what we know from memory research, the original recollection is the most credible source [of] information, the experts said. That is not to say that Capt. Jenkins was knowingly lying about the latch position. However, we must be cognizant of the effect of potential suggestion by investigators and prosecutors on a witnesss recollection. Jenkins, who is long since retired, has not responded to numerous messages or a note left at his home. Nor has he acknowledged the expert reports from Lentini and the Tetrahedron Committee, which I mailed to him last fall. While there is no reason his memory would be sharper decades after the fire, there is very good reason to revisit the question of the door. Should the CRU eventually take up the case, it would do well to consider a key finding in Lentinis report, one that only recently reminded me of something Garrett told me years ago: the reason he bought the cheap latch in the first place was because the door had a tendency to swing open. A photo included in Lentinis report shows heavy smoke deposits on the edge of the door the part that would presumably have been shielded by the door frame had it been closed during the fire. Garretts conviction rests on the claim that he locked Lance inside that room and left her to die. But the smoke deposits debunked this, according to Lentini. Not only was the door unlocked, he wrote, it was not even closed. | 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 Iowa lawmakers have again introduced a bill that would bring back the death penalty for certain crimes. Under a bill that won support from an Iowa Senate committee Wednesday, the state would allow the death penalty for someone convicted of first-degree murder if the crime also involved kidnapping and sexual abuse against a minor. The committee passed it on a 3-2 vote. Twenty Republican senators are co-sponsoring the bill. That's less than half of the 50-member Senate, but more than the six senators who sponsored a similar measure last year. Bills that would have reinstated the death penalty have been introduced in previous legislative sessions, but none have passed. Critics say this year's legislation is unlikely to fare better. Iowa's last execution was in 1963 and the state outlawed the practice in 1965. Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, said Iowa law currently creates a "perverse incentive" to kill a victim who has been kidnapped and raped because the penalty for all three crimes is life in prison without parole. The bill would remove that, said Schleswig, who chaired the Senate judiciary subcommittee Wednesday. "I do not find the death penalty to be un-Biblical, un-Christian," he said. "I believe that it doesnt matter if it is a deterrent or not, there are some crimes for which you simply must be removed because they are so heinous and opposite the culture in which we live in." Opponents of the death penalty said people of color, people with low incomes and people with mental illnesses are disproportionately represented on death row. "The death penalty is unfair, its discriminatory, its fraught with error. The decision between life and death often turns on race, geography, the quality of counsel," said Mark Stringer, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa. Karen Person with the League of Women Voters of Iowa said the death penalty is costly and there is no evidence it's a deterrent. She said Iowa's current system ensures someone who commits murder or another class A felony will die in prison. "The death penalty is irreversible and innocent people are known to have been executed. Iowas current penalty of life without the possibility of parole is a sufficiently harsh sentence," she said. Patti McKee of Des Moines said she has been a victim of violent crime and opposes the death penalty. "To me it is just state-sponsored vengeance and murder," she said. Religious leaders also opposed the bill. Tom Chapman, a lobbyist with the Iowa Catholic Conference, noted that the subcommittee was held as the World Congress Against the Death Penalty gathered in Brussels. He read a letter from Pope Francis opposing the death penalty and recognizing "the possibility of repentance." No lobbyists or members of the public spoke in favor of the bill. Sen. Jake Chapman, R-Adel, supports the bill. He said the kidnapping, rape and murder of a minor "is about as bad as it can come." "There are in my opinion some crimes so heinous, so despicable that the only proper justice is to have their life taken, this being one of them," he said. Sen. Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines, opposes the bill and doesn't believe it will pass. It brings up painful memories and creates false hope to bring the issue up every year, he said. "There isnt one caucus member of ours that would vote for this so I hope this is the last time in my lifetime here that we have to sit in a subcommittee and raise the false hope that the death penalty is coming back," he said. Gov. Kim Reynolds told reporters Wednesday that she'll watch the bill and see where it goes. "This is an opportunity again to talk about it but theres a lot of things that go into considering that and I havent seen any shift from where we were last year," Reynolds said. The Des Moines Register last polled on the issue of capital punishment in 2006. At that time, 66 percent of Iowa adults favored reviving the death penalty for certain crimes, and 29 percent opposed it. | 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 There are five reasons and even more causes that lead to wrongful convictions. What causes wrongful convictions? As I posted recently, it comes down to about five reasons (although as the National Registry of Exonerations points out, many cases have multiple causes): Highest in adult sexual assault cases (31%) and homicide (23%), false or misleading forensic evidence can be just as vexing an issue as false confessions, due primarily to the CSI Effect. Documented as far back as 2004, the phenomenon can cause issues for prosecutors and defense attorneys alike, by giving juries unrealistic expectations as to the capabilities of crime labs. What are we talking about when we say the evidence is false or misleading? It could be a number of things. There have been cases where evidence was planted by investigators. Those are presumably rare, and Im not certain how NRE considers planted evidence. Does it fall under this category or Official Misconduct? Examples such as the 1993 New York State Police Troop C scandal are particularly egregious. This category could cover a number of issues, but here are four major areas of concern. Bite Marks Radley Balko has written extensively on the junk science behind bite mark evidence. The idea is that forensic dental specialists can match bite marks on a person or body with a copy of the accused persons teeth and do so with some high degree of success, because in theory, human dentition is unique, and human skin can register and record that uniqueness in a useful way. The reality of the matter is that human skin is a horrible medium for preserving indentations and marks like bites. It stretches during the bite, and may or may not go back to its original shape. But more importantly, it hasnt been proven that human teeth are as specifically identifiable and unique as fingerprints or DNA. Its one thing for a forensic odontologist to take a specific jaw or skull and compare it to a specific set of medical records in an effort to identify the skull or jaw. Youre comparing one objective thing to another. The medical record shows fillings in these three positions; the suspect jaw shows three fillings in the same position. X-rays of the fillings appear to match. The tooth counts match. Thats a fairly straight-forward process and pretty objective. Bite-mark matching is a bigger issue though. Before the mark can be compared to a suspects teeth, it must first be identified as a bite mark, and one made by a human. While that sounds easily done, a survey by the American Board of Forensic Odontology the group that certifies bite-mark examiners found a distinct lack of agreement on whether individual bites were of human origin. The group surveyed 39 examiners, giving them the same 100 bite mark photos and asked three basic questions: Is there sufficient evidence in the presented materials to render an opinion on whether the patterned injury is a human bite mark? Is it a human bite mark, not a human bite mark, or suggestive of a human bite mark? Does the bite mark have distinct, identifiable arches and individual tooth marks? By the time the examiners worked their way through the process, they only agreed on 4 of the 100 photos. 4 %. People are being sent to death row on the basis of bite mark evidence, and 39 certified examiners cant come to an agreement on known examples. That should indicate some sort of problem, but the ABFO seems more interested in processes than results. The situation will not change until the ABFO makes it a priority. Until then, the best anyone can do is to keep trying. Hair Analysis This is the yang to the yin of bite-mark analysis. Both forensic tools revolve around subjective, pattern-based forensic techniques. Were not talking DNA samples from hair here, but rather comparing two separate hairs, and saying they came from the same person. The FBI estimates as of a year ago that FBI hair examiners have given flawed testimony in over 95 % of the cases examined. 32 of those cases were death-penalty cases, and in 14 of those cases, the defendant has either been executed or has died in prison. The Justice Department announced in February 2016 that it would expand its review of pattern-based forensic techniques, which include bite-mark and hair analysis as well as firing-pin impressions, shoe treads, and fiber evidence. I suspect well be hearing about more exonerations as that review continues. Arson Investigation For years, many arson investigators have learned on-the-job from previous investigators, and theyve passed on time-honored knowledge about the telltale signs of an arson fire. These typically included nuggets of wisdom such as, Crazed glass in windows shows it was a very hot fire, and that means it was arson. But thats since been determined to be false. Its not rapid heating that causes glass to craze, its rapid cooling, such as might occur when a hot glass gets hit with cold water from a fire hose. The investigator who determined that Cameron Willingham had set the fire that killed his three girls testified that he had investigated over a thousand fires in his career, and every single one of them was an arson fire. All of his knowledge came from hand-me-down ideas like this before science really understood how fire worked, and what a flashover was, and what kind of damage it causes. But all of his knowledge was based on false assumptions, so what does that mean for Cameron Willingham? The NRE lists 26 exonerations that involved arson and false/misleading forensic evidence. Thats about 1.5% of the exonerations. There are probably more to come. Unqualified Staff We like to assume that the people conducting investigations and lab tests and autopsies are trained and qualified to do what theyre doing. Thats something of a societal linchpin, isnt it? That the people who protect us are knowledgeable about their duties and responsibilities? But what if theyre not? What happens when youve got a forensic pathologist performing 5 times the number of autopsies the National Association of Medical Examiners allows and isnt even board certified in pathology? What happens when half of your lab staff cant pass proficiency testing? Some jurisdictions take drastic measures to fix the problem, as Houston did in 2002. Its a national problem though, with cases popping up in New York, Philadelphia, St. Paul, and West Virginia. One judge remarked that the work of the serologist involved was so poor that everything he had done should be considered invalid, unreliable and inadmissible. Now What? The FBIs move to expand its review would be an excellent idea if there is official support for the follow-through. We cant just look at a few cases, determine theres a problem, then go on with life. The government must, at all levels, be willing to respond reasonably to the issues being raised, actively seek out errors, then promptly remedy those errors and make the victims of those errors whole again. That doesnt stop with letting them out of prison and wishing them well. People wrongfully convicted deserve to be compensated for what theyve lost in life. but thats another post. | 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 goodmenproject.com, Bob Mueller, February 26, 2019 BRUSSELS: Business tycoon Sir Richard Branson has commended Malaysia for its plan to abolish the death penalty. The Virgin Group founder said the government's decision was one of the positive developments seen around the world when it came to the death penalty. "I think I speak for us all in welcoming the Malaysian government's plan to abolish the death penalty and Iran's removal of the death sentence for a number of drug-related crimes," he said in a video message played at the 7th World Death Penalty Congress in Brussels, Belgium on Tuesday (Feb 26). He said the death penalty was often used as a political bargaining chip by politicians, especially during election season when leaders seek to boost their crime-fighting credentials. Branson said he considered the death penalty a barbaric and inhumane practice that had no place in modern society. He said while his opposition to the death penalty was at its heart a moral opposition, he could see other compelling reasons why people should get involved in the abolition of the death penalty. "From the perspective of an entrepreneur and investor, I think capital punishment is a strong indicator of a country's approach to governance, fairness and the rule of law. "It also tells a lot about misguided priorities and a lack of responsibility. "The moral argument against the death penalty should be enough," he said. "In my heart, I know the death penalty is on its way out, I would like to think, (during) the generation of my grandchildren. In October last year, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said the Cabinet would abolish the death penalty, with a moratorium for those on death row. Recently, Liew said a final decision would be made during one of the Cabinet's weekly meetings in March on whether to table a proposal in Parliament. Malaysia's decision to do away with capital punishment has been mentioned several times during the opening of the Congress at the European Parliament, which was attended by more than 1,000 people from all over the world. High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini said that legislation could help change culture, pointing out that European countries once practised the death penalty too. "(This is) Because cultures and attitudes can change, even when they seem too deep and too rooted, even when change seems impossible to achieve," she said during a speech. Ensemble Contre la Peine de Mort (ECPM) Director Raphael Chenuil-Hazan said a moratorium alone was not enough, citing the examples of Pakistan, Chad and Gambia as counties that reversed moratoriums on executions. "For countries who are on a moratorium but maintained the death penalty, they have made a positive step but they should not stop in the middle of the river because otherwise who knows what can happen in a few years," he said. | 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 But I dont want to go among mad people," Alice remarked. "Oh, you cant help that," said the Cat: "were all mad here. Im mad. Youre mad." "How do you know Im mad?" said Alice. "You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldnt have come here. Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland With freedom comes responsibility. Eleanor Roosevelt I am a retired newspaperman. I live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 44 years, Lou Ann. I grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather. Report all errors to DonSurber@GMail.com WESTFORD, Mass., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kadant Inc. (NYSE: KAI) announced an Investor Day will take place on Thursday, March 7, 2019 in New York City. The Investor Day will feature presentations by members of Kadants Executive Leadership Team, who will discuss the Companys business outlook, growth opportunities, and five-year financial goals. A live webcast of the presentations will begin at 2:00 p.m. eastern time on the day of the event. To access the webcast, including the slideshow and accompanying audio, go to www.kadant.com and click on Investors. An archive of the webcast will be available on the Companys website through March 6, 2020. Kadant Inc. is a global supplier of high-value, critical components and engineered systems used in process industries worldwide. The Companys products, technologies, and services play an integral role in enhancing process efficiency, optimizing energy utilization, and maximizing productivity in resource-intensive industries. Kadant is based in Westford, Massachusetts, with approximately 2,800 employees in 20 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.kadant.com. Contacts Investor Contact Information: Michael McKenney, 978-776-2000 mike.mckenney@kadant.com or Media Contact Information: Wes Martz, 269-278-1715 wes.martz@kadant.com Michael Cohn's testimony was worth watching this morning, regardless of the Republican harassment from the sidelines and regardless of the lack of any real new information. Early in Cohen's opening statement he said two things that sum up the unfortunate Trump years. First came: "He is a racist. He is a con man. And he is a cheat." A bit later, he said "Donald Trump is a man who ran for office to make his brand great, not to make our country great. He had no desire or intention to lead this nation-- only to market himself and to build his wealth and power. Mr. Trump would often say, this campaign was going to be the 'greatest infomercial in political history'...The campaign-- for him-- was always a marketing opportunity." During the questioning, it was Jamie Raskin (D-MD) who understood the import of the second statement. When he asked Cohen if that kind of predatory and financial attitude was still motivating Trump after he occupied the Oval Office. Unfortunately, Cohen didn't get what Raskin was asking him so that line of testimony ended. After the opening statement was released, but before, Cohen's testimony began, Adam Davidson wrote at the New Yorker that Cohen is, basically, a real piece of crap. Has be become "penitent and regretful about one aspect of his badness, specifically the bad things that he did for Trump over the past twelve years." Davidson points out that "he has remained defiantly silent on the many, many other bad things he has done. When he leaves prison (he is scheduled to start a three-year sentence in May), he will remain a very rich man, wealthy from a decade of grifting." Wednesdays testimony is a huge moment in Trumps Presidency. It is unlikely, though, to diminish the countrys political chasm. Cohen will be dismissed by the President and his allies as a liar trying to reduce his prison sentence. Trumps supporters will continue to back him. But it will be a kind of accounting, under oath and before the world, from Cohen that we havent had yet. It is only a beginning, a timid beginning, that both gives new information and is also a crucial performance, a visual image of Trumps indecency that will be remembered for generations. It is unlikely to be the last. There is a final fact about Cohen that should also be kept in mind. Cohen was not a singular figure in the Trump Organization. He doesnt bring all the goods. According to his publicly filed records, Trump has more than five hundred separate lines of business, and Cohen, it seems, was involved in only a handful of them. His testimony on Wednesday should not be thought of as the full accounting of the inner workings of Trumps world. Much of what Cohen has to say he learned by overhearing a conversation or taking note of a brief aside. He apparently has financial records from 2011 through 2013, but doesnt, it appears, have documents from any other year. (This is because Cohen played a role in an application for a loan from Deutsche Bank.) He wasnt a central player in the business with access to all the documentation. The true insiders-- Allen Weisselberg, Jason Greenblatt, George Sorial, and the older Trump children-- know far more about every aspect of the Trump business than Cohen does. Yet Cohens testimony is a defining moment, even if we dismiss every unverified claim-- his accounts of overhearing, from Trump, racist comments and a con mans disdain for his country-- and consider only the documentary evidence. Most telling of all, perhaps, is the fact that Cohen-- this scheming, awful man-- is the person the President retained as his private lawyer until just last year. This is the company the President keeps; this is who he is. Republicans are already seeking to impeach Cohens testimony, to reveal him to be a liar and a criminal. That will be easy to do. Cohen went to one of the worst law schools in America, and then spent years working alongside a string of lawyers and others who would go on to be convicted of crimes. His first legal job was with a lawyer who later pleaded guilty to bribing insurance adjusters. Later, Cohen worked with a doctor convicted of insurance fraud. Cohen also worked closely with taxicab moguls, including his father-in-law, who would be convicted of crimes. Cohen himself remained unindicted. (His life story is told beautifully in an episode of the podcast Trump, Inc.) And Cohen, surely, has lied constantly, including before the very committee that hosts him today. Before his flip away from Trump, Cohen was a voluble but duplicitous source for countless reporters, who knew that Cohen would always answer his phone and would always talk (and always lie). But his mendacity was so obvious and easily proved that the falsehoods acted, often, as confirmations. And he is, of course, a convicted felon going to prison. If the Republicans are wise-- though they likely wont be-- they could use some restraint, and let Cohen impeach himself. Cohen will try to be a hero of this age, in the Greek sense of the hero: a flawed man with special powers, brought low by his own hubris, who moves the plot forward. It could be his greatest act of heroism. During his testimony, he will-- he claims-- lay bare many things that he knows about Trump, and he will bring proof. He will bring receipts that show that Trump knowingly reimbursed Cohen for his contribution to an illegal scheme to silence a woman with whom Trump had an affair. He will tell us, in detail, Trumps view of America, the Presidency, African-Americans, and how, Cohen says, Trump said that running for President was the greatest infomercial in political history. Most important, perhaps, Cohen will provide something that followers of the special counsels investigation have desperately wanted: actual financial statements from 2011 to 2013, a period when the Trump Organization was engaged in a range of suspicious business practices around the world. The Wall Street Journal's Nicole Hong noted that in terms of "the hush-money payments, its not just Mr. Cohens word against President Trumps. David Pecker, the chief executive of the National Enquirers publisher, has also told federal prosecutors about Mr. Trumps involvement in the payment scheme... For instance, Mr. Pecker met with then-candidate Donald Trump in August 2015 and offered to use the National Enquirer to buy the silence of any women who tried to publicize allegations of sexual encounters with Mr. Trump. Less than a year later, Mr. Trump called Mr. Pecker and asked him to stop Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model, from telling her story of a nearly yearlong affair with Mr. Trump, The Journal has reported. Mr. Peckers company, American Media LLC, ultimately paid $150,000 for her story and never published it, known in the tabloid industry as a 'catch and kill.'" While of Cohen was testifying, Roger Stone, a self-admitted career liar and proud dirty-trickster, contradicted his assertion that Stone told Trump in a call in July 2016 that Stone had talked to Assange and there would be an email dump damaging to Hillary Clinton's campaign. All the vicious Republicans on the committee are just trying to rip Cohen to shreds-- not that hard to do-- but none of them have actually tried to defend Trump. As Chris Christie said to ABC News today, "There hasn't been one Republican yet who's tried to defend the president on the substance. I think that's something that should be concerning to the White House." These are some of the excerpts from Cohen's opening statement: I recognize that some of you may doubt and attack me on my credibility. It is for this reason that I have incorporated into this opening statement documents that are irrefutable, and demonstrate that the information you will hear is accurate and truthful. Never in a million years did I imagine, when I accepted a job in 2007 to work for Donald Trump, that he would one day run for President, launch a campaign on a platform of hate and intolerance, and actually win. I regret the day I said "yes" to Mr. Trump. I regret all the help and support I gave him along the way. I am ashamed of my own failings, and I publicly accepted responsibility for them by pleading guilty in the Southern District of New York. I am ashamed of my weakness and misplaced loyalty of the things I did for Mr. Trump in an effort to protect and promote him. I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump's illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat. He was a presidential candidate who knew that Roger Stone was talking with Julian Assange about a WikiLeaks drop of Democratic National Committee emails. ...The last time I appeared before Congress, I came to protect Mr. Trump. Today, I'm here to tell the truth about Mr. Trump. I lied to Congress about when Mr. Trump stopped negotiating the Moscow Tower project in Russia. I stated that we stopped negotiating in January 2016. That was false-- our negotiations continued for months later during the campaign. Mr. Trump did not directly tell me to lie to Congress. That's not how he operates. In conversations we had during the campaign, at the same time I was actively negotiating in Russia for him, he would look me in the eye and tell me there's no business in Russia and then go out and lie to the American people by saying the same thing. In his way, he was telling me to lie. There were at least a half-dozen times between the Iowa Caucus in January 2016 and the end of June when he would ask me "How's it going in Russia?"-- referring to the Moscow Tower project. You need to know that Mr. Trump's personal lawyers reviewed and edited my statement to Congress about the timing of the Moscow Tower negotiations before I gave it. To be clear: Mr. Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it. He lied about it because he never expected to win the election. He also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions of dollars on the Moscow real estate project. And so I lied about it, too-- because Mr. Trump had made clear to me, through his personal statements to me that we both knew were false and through his lies to the country, that he wanted me to lie. And he made it clear to me because his personal attorneys reviewed my statement before I gave it to Congress. Over the past two years, I have been smeared as "a rat" by the President of the United States. The truth is much different, and let me take a brief moment to introduce myself. ...Last fall I pled guilty in federal court to felonies for the benefit of, at the direction of, and in coordination with Individual #1. For the record: Individual #1 is President Donald J. Trump. It is painful to admit that I was motivated by ambition at times. It is even more painful to admit that many times I ignored my conscience and acted loyal to a man when I should not have. Sitting here today, it seems unbelievable that I was so mesmerized by Donald Trump that I was willing to do things for him that I knew were absolutely wrong. ...Let me now tell you about Mr. Trump. I got to know him very well, working very closely with him for more than 10 years, as his Executive Vice President and Special Counsel and then personal attorney when he became President. When I first met Mr. Trump, he was a successful entrepreneur, a real estate giant, and an icon. Being around Mr. Trump was intoxicating. When you were in his presence, you felt like you were involved in something greater than yourself-- that you were somehow changing the world. I wound up touting the Trump narrative for over a decade. That was my job. Always stay on message. Always defend. It monopolized my life. At first, I worked mostly on real estate developments and other business transactions. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Trump brought me into his personal life and private dealings. Over time, I saw his true character revealed. Mr. Trump is an enigma. He is complicated, as am I. He has both good and bad, as do we all. But the bad far outweighs the good, and since taking office, he has become the worst version of himself. He is capable of behaving kindly, but he is not kind. He is capable of committing acts of generosity, but he is not generous. He is capable of being loyal, but he is fundamentally disloyal. Donald Trump is a man who ran for office to make his brand great, not to make our country great. He had no desire or intention to lead this nation-- only to market himself and to build his wealth and power. Mr. Trump would often say, this campaign was going to be the "greatest infomercial in political history." He never expected to win the primary. He never expected to win the general election. The campaign-- for him-- was always a marketing opportunity. I knew early on in my work for Mr. Trump that he would direct me to lie to further his business interests. I am ashamed to say, that when it was for a real estate mogul in the private sector, I considered it trivial. As the President, I consider it significant and dangerous. But in the mix, lying for Mr. Trump was normalized, and no one around him questioned it. In fairness, no one around him today questions it, either. A lot of people have asked me about whether Mr. Trump knew about the release of the hacked Democratic National Committee emails ahead of time. The answer is yes. As I earlier stated, Mr. Trump knew from Roger Stone in advance about the WikiLeaks drop of emails. In July 2016, days before the Democratic convention, I was in Mr. Trump's office when his secretary announced that Roger Stone was on the phone. Mr. Trump put Mr. Stone on the speakerphone. Mr. Stone told Mr. Trump that he had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange and that Mr. Assange told Mr. Stone that, within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clinton's campaign. Mr. Trump responded by stating to the effect of "wouldn't that be great." Mr. Trump is a racist. The country has seen Mr. Trump court white supremacists and bigots. You have heard him call poorer countries "shitholes." In private, he is even worse. He once asked me if I could name a country run by a black person that wasn't a "shithole." This was when Barack Obama was President of the United States. While we were once driving through a struggling neighborhood in Chicago, he commented that only black people could live that way. And, he told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid. And yet I continued to work for him. Mr. Trump is a cheat. As previously stated, I'm giving the Committee today three years of President Trump's financial statements, from 2011-2013, which he gave to Deutsche Bank to inquire about a loan to buy the Buffalo Bills and to Forbes. These are Exhibits 1a, 1b, and 1c to my testimony. It was my experience that Mr. Trump inflated his total assets when it served his purposes, such as trying to be listed among the wealthiest people in Forbes, and deflated his assets to reduce his real estate taxes. I am sharing with you two newspaper articles, side by side, that are examples of Mr. Trump inflating and deflating his assets, as I said, to suit his financial interests. These are Exhibit 2 to my testimony. As I noted, I'm giving the Committee today an article he wrote on, and sent me, that reported on an auction of a portrait of Mr. Trump. This is Exhibit 3A to my testimony. Mr. Trump directed me to find a straw bidder to purchase a portrait of him that was being auctioned at an Art Hamptons Event. The objective was to ensure that his portrait, which was going to be auctioned last, would go for the highest price of any portrait that afternoon. The portrait was purchased by the fake bidder for $60,000. Mr. Trump directed the Trump Foundation, which is supposed to be a charitable organization, to repay the fake bidder, despite keeping the art for himself. Please see Exhibit 3B to my testimony. And it should come as no surprise that one of my more common responsibilities was that Mr. Trump directed me to call business owners, many of whom were small businesses, that were owed money for their services and told them no payment or a reduced payment would be coming. When I advised Mr. Trump of my success, he actually reveled in it. And yet, I continued to work for him. Mr. Trump is a conman. He asked me to pay off an adult film star with whom he had an affair, and to lie to his wife about it, which I did. Lying to the First Lady is one of my biggest regrets. She is a kind, good person. I respect her greatly-- and she did not deserve that. I am giving the Committee today a copy of the $130,000 wire transfer from me to Ms. Clifford's attorney during the closing days of the presidential campaign that was demanded by Ms. Clifford to maintain her silence about her affair with Mr. Trump. This is Exhibit 4 to my testimony. Mr. Trump directed me to use my own personal funds from a Home Equity Line of Credit to avoid any money being traced back to him that could negatively impact his campaign. I did that, too-- without bothering to consider whether that was improper, much less whether it was the right thing to do or how it would impact me, my family, or the public. I am going to jail in part because of my decision to help Mr. Trump hide that payment from the American people before they voted a few days later. As Exhibit 5 to my testimony shows, I am providing a copy of a $35,000 check that President Trump personally signed from his personal bank account on August 1, 2017-- when he was President of the United States-- pursuant to the cover-up, which was the basis of my guilty plea, to reimburse me-- the word used by Mr. Trump's TV lawyer-- for the illegal hush money I paid on his behalf. This $35,000 check was one of 11 check installments that was paid throughout the year-- while he was President. The President of the United States thus wrote a personal check for the payment of hush money as part of a criminal scheme to violate campaign finance laws. You can find the details of that scheme, directed by Mr. Trump, in the pleadings in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. So picture this scene-- in February 2017, one month into his presidency, I'm visiting President Trump in the Oval Office for the first time. It's truly awe-inspiring, he's showing me around and pointing to different paintings, and he says to me something to the effect ofDon't worry, Michael, your January and February reimbursement checks are coming. They were FedExed from New York and it takes a while for that to get through the White House system. As he promised, I received the first check for the reimbursement of $70,000 not long thereafter. When I say conman, I'm talking about a man who declares himself brilliant but directed me to threaten his high school, his colleges, and the College Board to never release his grades or SAT scores. As I mentioned, I'm giving the Committee today copies of a letter I sent at Mr. Trump's direction threatening these schools with civil and criminal actions if Mr. Trump's grades or SAT scores were ever disclosed without his permission. These are Exhibit 6. The irony wasn't lost on me at the time that Mr. Trump in 2011 had strongly criticized President Obama for not releasing his grades. As you can see in Exhibit 7, Mr. Trump declared "Let him show his records" after calling President Obama "a terrible student." The sad fact is that I never heard Mr. Trump say anything in private that led me to believe he loved our nation or wanted to make it better. In fact, he did the opposite. When telling me in 2008 that he was cutting employees' salaries in half-- including mine-- he showed me what he claimed was a $10 million IRS tax refund, and he said that he could not believe how stupid the government was for giving "someone like him" that much money back. During the campaign, Mr. Trump said he did not consider Vietnam Veteran, and Prisoner of War, Senator John McCain to be "a hero" because he likes people who weren't captured. At the same time, Mr. Trump tasked me to handle the negative press surrounding his medical deferment from the Vietnam draft. Mr. Trump claimed it was because of a bone spur, but when I asked for medical records, he gave me none and said there was no surgery. He told me not to answer the specific questions by reporters but rather offer simply the fact that he received a medical deferment. He finished the conversation with the following comment. "You think I'm stupid, I wasn't going to Vietnam." I find it ironic, President Trump, that you are in Vietnam right now. And yet, I continued to work for him. Questions have been raised about whether I know of direct evidence that Mr. Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia. I do not. I want to be clear. But, I have my suspicions. Sometime in the summer of 2017, I read all over the media that there had been a meeting in Trump Tower in June 2016 involving Don Jr. and others from the campaign with Russians, including a representative of the Russian government, and an email setting up the meeting with the subject line, "Dirt on Hillary Clinton." Something clicked in my mind. I remember being in the room with Mr. Trump, probably in early June 2016, when something peculiar happened. Don Jr. came into the room and walked behind his father's desk-- which in itself was unusual. People didn't just walk behind Mr. Trump's desk to talk to him. I recalled Don Jr. leaning over to his father and speaking in a low voice, which I could clearly hear, and saying: "The meeting is all set." I remember Mr. Trump saying, "Ok goodlet me know." What struck me as I looked back and thought about that exchange between Don Jr. and his father was, first, that Mr. Trump had frequently told me and others that his son Don Jr. had the worst judgment of anyone in the world. And also, that Don Jr. would never set up any meeting of any significance alone-- and certainly not without checking with his father. I also knew that nothing went on in Trump world, especially the campaign, without Mr. Trump's knowledge and approval. So, I concluded that Don Jr. was referring to that June 2016 Trump Tower meeting about dirt on Hillary with the Russian representative when he walked behind his dad's desk that day-- and that Mr. Trump knew that was the meeting Don Jr. was talking about when he said, "That's goodlet me know." Over the past year or so, I have done some real soul searching. I see now that my ambition and the intoxication of Trump power had much to do with the bad decisions I made. ...And, by coming today, I have caused my family to be the target of personal, scurrilous attacks by the President and his lawyer-- trying to intimidate me from appearing before this panel. Mr. Trump called me a "rat" for choosing to tell the truth-- much like a mobster would do when one of his men decides to cooperate with the government. As Exhibit 8 shows, I have provided the Committee with copies of Tweets that Mr. Trump posted, attacking me and my family-- only someone burying his head in the sand would not recognize them for what they are: encouragement to someone to do harm to me and my family. I never imagined that he would engage in vicious, false attacks on my family-- and unleash his TV-lawyer to do the same. I hope this committee and all members of Congress on both sides of the aisle will make it clear: As a nation, we should not tolerate attempts to intimidate witnesses before congress and attacks on family are out of bounds and not acceptable. Yesterday, the whole country was focused on Michael Cohen's testimony at Elijah Cummings House Oversight Committee. The early afternoon break in the questioning was so that the members of the committee could head off to the floor so they could vote on the first of two gun control bills. That first bill passed, comfortably. H.R. 8 , Mike Thompson's background checks bill will prohibit a gun dealer from transferring a firearm to an unlicensed buyer until a background check has been completed, has had between 80 and 96% approval in national polls. Yesterday it won 240-190 . There were 227 Democratic co-sponsors and 5 Republican co-sponsors-- Peter King (R-NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Brian Mast (R-FL), Fred Upton (R-MI) and Christopher Smith (R-NJ)-- and even Blue Dogs who have sucked up to the NRA in the past signed on, perhaps reluctantly, as co-sponsors. The last 2 members to sign on-- in the last couple of weeks-- weren't Republicans but very right-wing Blue Dogs Joe Cunningham (SC) and Kurt Schrader (OR). In the end just two Democrats voted for the continuation of regular mass murder of American children: Jared Golden (ME) and Collin Peterson (MN). Aside from the 5 Republican co-sponsors, 3 other Republicans-- Mario Diaz-Balart (FL), Vern Buchanan (FL) and Will Hurd (TX)-- voted for the bill. The GOP motion to recommit was meant to ensure that ICE knows when a person in the U.S. without legal status attempts to buy a gun. The only Republican to oppose it was Justin Amash but 26 Democrats voted with the GOP in favor of it: The second bill, H.R. 1112 by Jim Clyburn and Peter King-- the so-called Charleston Loophole-- will extend the initial background check from from 3 to 10 business days. If the initial review isnt completed after 10 business days, the dealer would be required to request an escalated review by the FBI that would run for another 10 business days and if the escalated background check hasnt concluded within 10 business days, the sale could proceed if the dealer certifies they have no reason to believe the buyer is barred from obtaining a firearm." It is also expected to pass, probably later today. This one just had 15 co-sponsors (King being the only Republican on board). Look at that graphic showing a 2017, Gallup poll in which 96% of voters favored requiring background checks for all gun purchases, something the GOP and a shrinking gaggle of right-wing Democrats have been voting down. The NRA seemed to have the power to thwart the will of 96% of the voters!! The Republican-controlled Senate isn't going to pass these two bills-- and even if one gets through the Senate, Trump would veto either for the NRA, which illegally laundered millions of dollars in Russian money to help elect Trump. CNN tried explaining why the timid Democrats are less frightened of the NRA than they have been in the past. Compared with the 1990s or even the early 2000s, House Democrats today are far less dependent on districts with large numbers of culturally conservative blue-collar and rural voters. Instead, the party's new majority is centered on urban and suburban districts that are either racially diverse, well educated, or both. The willingness, even eagerness, of most House Democrats to embrace new gun control measures highlights how the party's evolution into a metropolitan-based coalition is shifting its incentives-- and reconfiguring its central fault line. For years, social and cultural issues-- ranging from abortion, gay rights and guns to questions of racial equity and immigration-- created the most difficult divisions for a Democratic House caucus trying to protect a large number of rural and Southern seats. But those social issues are likely to prove much less divisive for today's metro-centered party. The big vote expected Wednesday for the background check bill will likely be only the forerunner for aggressive House action in the months ahead on an array of other hot-button cultural issues that once divided the party-- from providing legal status to undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children by their parents to expanding protections at work for gays and other measures to restrict access to guns, for instance by raising the minimum age to purchase one. "I think we are going to see a consistent and sustained legislating on gun safety," said Peter Ambler, executive director of Giffords, the gun control group formed by former Rep. Gabby Giffords. "Guns used to be an issue that divides Democrats and unites Republicans. Now the opposite is true." Moving forward, this reconfigured House Democratic caucus is likely to fracture more around issues relating to taxes, spending and the role of government. The new fissure may involve lawmakers from affluent suburban districts resisting the most ambitious spending plans of their liberal colleagues from more safely Democratic areas, such as single-payer health care. "The fault lines are now around 'Medicare-for-all,' and free college and guaranteed federal jobs and the kind of things that were in the talking points that went with the Green New Deal," notes Matt Bennett, executive vice president for public affairs at the centrist Democratic group Third Way. While those disputes may be approaching, Wednesday's gun vote will reveal a degree of consensus among Democrats on social issues unimaginable in earlier decades. When Clinton passed his gun control bills during the early 1990s, he faced widespread opposition from House Democrats representing rural and blue-collar districts. In 1993, 69 House Democrats-- over one-fourth of those who voted-- opposed the Brady bill requiring background checks for all gun sales from licensed dealers. The 77 House Democrats who opposed the assault weapon ban in 1994 represented fully 30% of those voting. (Both measures passed only because of substantial crossover support from Republicans representing suburban districts outside the South.) In the 1994 midterm elections, two months after Congress approved the assault weapons ban, Republicans surged to control of both the House and Senate, and particularly devastated Democrats across the South. Though the Republican wave swept out even many House Democrats who opposed Clinton's gun control agenda, those losses discouraged the party from pressing further gun control initiatives. And when Democrat Al Gore narrowly lost the 2000 presidential election, in part because he failed in heavily blue-collar states where the National Rifle Association campaigned fiercely against him (including New Hampshire and his home state of Tennessee), the conviction hardened among most Democrats that gun control had become a losing issue for the party. After losing the House in 1994, Democrats controlled the chamber for just four years before seizing it again in the 2018 election. As the party's presidential nominee, John Kerry downplayed the issue in 2004 (even being photographed on a goose hunt) and President Barack Obama almost completely avoided it in both his 2008 and 2012 campaigns. In 2009 and 2010, while Democrats held unified control of government, they did not advance any major gun control proposals. "I don't remember anybody even suggesting that we ought to do guns back then," said Ambler, an aide at the powerful House Rules Committee at the time. "It was off the table." Even as late as 2011, 43 House Democrats voted for NRA-backed legislation that would override state limits on carrying weapons by requiring every state to honor a concealed carry permit granted by any other state. But after Obama's re-election in 2012, two factors pushed Democrats to reconsider. One was the trauma of continued mass shootings, starting with Sandy Hook and continuing with a litany of tragedies so searing they are known by just their locations: Charleston, the Pulse nightclub, Las Vegas, Parkland. The other factor was a growing awareness that the voters they feared most to alienate by advancing gun control measures-- particularly blue-collar and rural whites, especially men-- were already abandoning the party over other issues. Meanwhile, stronger measures to control guns consistently drew majority support in polls from the constituencies that the party increasingly relied on, particularly minorities, suburbanites and well-educated whites, especially women. Over time, the evidence grew more irrefutable that by abandoning gun control, Democrats were trying to placate voters they had already lost, while slighting the voters they were attracting. In the latest polling from the nonpartisan Pew Research Center, for instance, two-thirds of nonwhite adults, nearly two-thirds of college-educated white women and a majority of college-educated white men all said it was more important to control gun ownership than to protect gun rights-- while a nearly two-thirds majority of blue-collar white men and a thin plurality of blue-collar white women said the opposite. The current among Democratic officials started to shift when Obama pushed a universal background check bill after Sandy Hook. Fifty Senate Democrats (including two independents who caucused with the party) voted for it in 2013, and only five voted no, one of whom, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, did so only for procedural reasons. (The bill failed to reach the 60 votes required to overcome a Republican filibuster, and the House, under GOP control at the time, refused to consider it.) By 2016, Hillary Clinton advanced a more aggressive gun control agenda than any party presidential nominee since Gore in 2000. In 2017, the number of House Democrats who supported the NRA-backed legislation on nationwide concealed carry permits plummeted to six. And in 2018, dozens of Democratic challengers in House races touted their support for additional gun control measures, particularly the universal background checks. On Election Day, 40 Democratic challengers beat Republican incumbents with strong records of supporting the NRA, according to Giffords' calculations. "Forty Democrats were elected to replace Republicans and almost every one of them made gun safety an issue in their campaign," said Deutch. The key to the shifting politics of guns is that Democrats from such suburban seats in all parts of the country-- even the South-- are generally supporting tougher restrictions. Rep. Lucy McBath, an African-American Democrat, beat a Republican incumbent in suburban Atlanta by stressing her support for gun control. The Giffords organization closed its election campaign last fall with heavy spending that helped Democrat Lizzie Fletcher oust Republican Rep. John Culberson in the suburbs of Houston. "If I told you I couple of years ago that we'd close doing that, you'd tell me I shouldn't have the keys to a political program," Ambler said. "We made guns part of the message that got him fired." While the "blue dogs" centered in rural districts provided the core internal Democratic resistance to gun control in earlier years, advocates are confident the universal background check bill will draw support from almost all of today's largely suburban blue dog caucus, starting with its chair, Rep. Stephanie Murphy, an Asian-American and strong gun control advocate who represents a seat outside Orlando. Although the blue dogs will likely resist the left's most expansive plans for taxing and spending, most of them comfortably embrace the party's liberal mainstream on cultural issues. Today's blue dogs "don't look anything like ... the guys who were voting against those things under Clinton," said Bennett. "The most avowedly conservative of the Democrats, the centrists, even most of them are going to be on board for these (social) things." Ambler anticipates that more Republicans will cross over to support the background check bill than Democrats will defect to oppose it. And both Ambler and Deutch consider it likely that House Democrats will pass other gun-related legislation over the next two years, such as measures to raise the minimum age for gun purchases to 21; "red flag" laws designed to make it easier for law enforcement to confiscate guns from individuals considered an "extreme risk" of violence; and possibly legislation to ban certain types of semiautomatic assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. Deutch has introduced legislation to regulate assault weapons under the National Firearms Act, which bans fully automatic weapons. "We are going to have a debate on weapons of war and whether they belong in our community or not," Deutch says. Khanna has 18 co-sponsors fo a resolution formally ending the 69 year old Korean War. Khanna is asking Trump to provide a clear roadmap to achieve a final peace settlement while highlighting the importance of reciprocal actions and confidence-building measures between the parties. Khanna: "Historic engagement between South and North Korea has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity to formally end this war. President Trump must not squander this rare chance for peace. He should work hand in hand with our ally, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, to bring the war to a close and advance toward the denuclearization of the peninsula." Former Pres. Jimmy Carter, who supports Khanna's resolution predicted that, if adopted it "will help bring this nearly 70 year conflict to a close. I have visited North Korea several times to talk with their leadership and study the best path forward for peace. Ending the threat of war is the only way to ensure true security for both the Korean and American people and will create the conditions to alleviate the suffering of the ordinary North Koreans who are most harmed by ongoing tensions." Co-sponsors include Barbara Lee (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Andy Kim (D-NJ), and Deb Haaland (D-NM), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Judy Chu (D-CA) and Jose Serrano (D-NY). The resolution calls on the Trump Administration to make greater efforts to include women in the peace process, citing the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 which Trump signed into law. The resolution clarifies that ending the war does not necessitate a withdrawal of US troops from Korea or an acceptance of North Korea as a legitimate nuclear power. The resolution calls on the Administration to continue the repatriation of servicemember remains, and expand cooperation to achieve reunions of divided Korean and Korean-American families and facilitate people-to-people exchanges and humanitarian cooperation. Trump is desperate for a deal with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un that he can spin into something that looks like "a win" for himself-- at least to his base, the base that didn't know, in Michael Cohen's sworn testimony that Trump "is a racist. He is a con man. And he is a cheat." The deal Trump looks like he's giving Kim doesn't look like a winner for the U.S., although at least it will include the peace declaration Khanna is calling for-- still not a peace treaty, but a step up from the 1953 armistice. Trump is agreeing to establish quasi-embassies-- called liaison offices-- with North Korea and North Korea will agree to stop producing materials for nuclear bombs at Yongbyon, which will be shut down. For this to be real, Kim would have to agree to international inspections. Trump's quid pro quo is an agreement to advocate lifting some UN sanctions (so it can pursue joint economic projects with South Korea). UPDATE: Trump Phucs Up In Hanoi Maybe Trump was too preoccupied with thoughts of impeachment, imprisonment, Matt Gaetz , and his rotten kids behind bars to focus on Korean nukes, but the headlines this morning were all about how his poorly-planned talks with Li'l Kim had abruptly collapsed . I have terrible bronchitis and cough all night. At one point I woke from a fitful sleep and there was Trump on TV in Hanoi doing a surreal and completely incoherent press conference about Otto Warmbier. Has he slipped over the ledge of senility? Or was it just the cough medicine? Oh, there's a video: Talks between President Donald Trump and North Koreas Kim Jong Un collapsed Thursday after the two sides failed to bridge a standoff over U.S. sanctions, a dispiriting end to high-stakes meetings meant to disarm a global nuclear threat. Trump blamed the breakdown on North Koreas insistence that all the punishing sanctions the U.S. has imposed on Pyongyang be lifted without the North committing to eliminate its nuclear arsenal. Sometimes you have to walk, Trump explained at a closing news conference after the summit was abruptly cut short. He said there had been a proposed agreement that was ready to be signed. ...Mere hours after both nations had seemed hopeful of a deal, the two leaders motorcades roared away from the downtown Hanoi summit site within minutes of each other, their lunch canceled and a signing ceremony scuttled. The presidents closing news conference was hurriedly moved up, and he departed for Washington more than two hours ahead of schedule. The disintegration of talks came after Trump and Kim had appeared to be ready to inch toward normalizing relations between their still technically warring nations and as the American leader dampened expectations that their negotiations would yield an agreement by North Korea to take concrete steps toward ending a nuclear program that Pyongyang likely sees as its strongest security guarantee. Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told reporters Thursday that China will evaluate the Hanoi summit after "hearing authoritative voices" from North Korea and the United States, CNN reported. "Everyone has learned from the experience of the past half century that the resolution of the Korean Peninsula issue cannot be achieved overnight," Lu said. "China hopes that (North Korea) and the United States will continue to carry out dialogues to solve problems, earnestly respect each other's legitimate concerns, and continue to show mutual sincerity." U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea Chairman Kim Jong-un abruptly cut short their second day of meetings at a summit in Hanoi on Thursday after the two leaders failed to reach an agreement to dismantle that countrys nuclear weapons. No nuclear testing, Kim assures Trump as Hanoi summit reaches no agreement Trump-Kim Summit starts high, ends low Although Kim said he was ready in principle to denuclearize, he and Trump ended their meetings without sitting for a planned lunch and without participating in a joint signing ceremony. Trump said at a press conference, held at the JW Marriot Hotel after the summit, that he and Kim could not agree on sanction matter. "Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that," he said. "We want to give up the sanctions because that country has so much economic potentials. But only when they agree to give up their nuclear," Trump said, adding that Kim just wants to denuclearize in areas that are less important. Yet he also said that the parting was friendly and his relationship with Kim remains strong. He said he trusts that Kim is not doing any nuclear tests and he is not going to impose further sanctions on North Korea. Theres no current plans for the third summit, he said, ending the conference before flying back to Washington the same afternoon. North Korea Chairman Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump walk at Hanoi Metropole Hotel during their second summit Thursday. Photo by AFP Staff reporters U.S. President Donald Trump left Hanoi Thursday afternoon, two hours earlier than his planned departure at 6:05 p.m. He and North Korea Chairman Kim Jong-un entered the second day of their summit in Hanoi on Thursday but eventually failed to reach an agreement on denuclearization. Yet Trump told Vietnamese officials at Noi Bai International Airport that the Hanoi summit has made certain progress and he thanked Vietnam for the warm reception, said Minister, Chairman of Government Office Mai Tien Dung, who saw Trump off at the airport. Trump leaves Hanoi as no agreement reached with Kim US President Trump leaves Hanoi Trump said at a press conference held after the summit that disagreement on sanctions had derailed talks. North Korea wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, he said. "We want to give up the sanctions because that country has so much economic potentials. But only when they agree to give up their nuclear," Trump said, adding that Kim wants to do areas that are less important to the United States. Trump arrived in Hanoi Tuesday night, He and Kim had started his second summit with a short conversation and private dinner on Wednesday night. On Wednesday morning, he also met with Vietnam's President Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc as both sides withnessed the signing of several aviation deals. Staff reporters ELSA has raised $7 million in a Series-A round from Googles AI Fund Gradient Ventures and other U.S. investors. The investment round for ELSA, a mobile app that uses artificial intelligence and speech recognition technology to help language learners improve their English pronunciation, was led by Gradient Ventures, Googles AI-focused venture fund. According to tech news provider Engadget, the Google fund will also offer "technical mentorship" to AI startups. ELSA will gain access to Google itself, including prominent figures such as investor and futurist Ray Kurzweil, design mastermind Matias Duarte and X lab leader Astro Teller. U.S. fund SOSV and Singaporean Monks Hill Ventures, strategic investment funds from the previous investment round, also invested in the app. In three years after its establishment, ELSA has successfully attracted $12 million through funding rounds in Silicon Valley, the U.S. and Asia. CEO and co-founder Van Dinh Hong Vu revealed that this round of funding will help the startup continue to recruit computer engineers and computer scientists in AI, and to explore new markets like Japan, Indonesia and India. ELSA currently has 4 million users from 101 countries worldwide, making it one of the top 5 AI applications with the most users. In 2018, the application recorded an increase in student enrolment by 350 percent over the previous year. Vietnam has been the fastest growing market for ELSA. ELSA grew its business fourfold in Vietnam in 2018 and expects to grow at a faster pace in 2019. Ha Long Bay draws tourists with a magnificent scene of more than 1,500 limestone karst islands popping up from turquoise waters. Photo by Meo Gia National carrier Vietnam Airlines will launch new routes from Vietnamese tourist destinations to Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville in Cambodia. The launch follows the recent signing of a three-year (2019-2021) agreement between the carrier and Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism on tourism development cooperation. Present at the signing ceremony in Phnom Penh were Vietnam Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong, and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. The carrier said it will launch new routes from Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province and Da Nang City to Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. The route between Danang and Siem Reap with 4 flights per week is expected to open this April while the schedule for other routes is yet to be specified. Currently Vietnam Airlines operates 56 flights a week on the Hanoi - Siem Reap, Ho Chi Minh City - Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City - Phnom Penh routes. It will organize events, including conferences, to promote Cambodian tourism at fairs and other venues, the airlines said. Ways to improve the quality of human resources in tourism was also discussed by both parties. Vietnam Airlines is currently offering free tickets to Cambodian officials and experts traveling for tourism promotion purposes. Outstanding Cambodian tourism students will also have the opportunity to work for the airline. Other initiatives include marketing and demonstration programs to improve travel and accommodation services in Cambodia. Duong Tri Thanh, general director of Vietnam Airlines, said: "We are delighted to be the 'air ambassador for Cambodia in aviation and tourism." Vietnam Airlines has been flying to Cambodia for more than 40 years. In 2018, it carried more than 700,000 passengers between the two countries. Cambodia Angkor Air, a joint venture between Vietnam Airlines and the Cambodian government, currently operates 56 flights from Siem Reap to Da Nang and from Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville to Ho Chi Minh City. In the blue after Trump wears blue Trump wears blue white striped necktie for the second North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi on Thursday. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy Despite the optimism that preceded his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the two leaders ultimately failed to reach an agreement. The president made a strong impression in his black suit and blue tie on the second day of the summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He had worn a black and pink striped tie at Wednesday's meeting. Classic solid ties have been his preferred choice on most occasions, with stripes used rarely. According to The New York Times, statesmen tend to pick the color of a tie depending on their political message. The Pantone Color Institute says blues are a color range of infinite possibilities. In particular, it is a color preferred by Americans, French, Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders. "Blue is the color of constancy. With most connections to blue derived from a non-turbulent sea and sky, the human mind embraces the concept of blue as tranquil and constant, translating this color range into a symbolic image of dependability and trust." Karen Schloss, an assistant professor of psychology at University of Wisconsin-Madison, explained on Artsy: "It turns out, if you look at all of the things that are associated with blue, they're mostly positive. Its really hard to think of negative blue things." In 2016, former president Barack Obama wore a blue white striped tie during his visit in Vietnam. According to Masculine Style, President Trump has an interesting taste for this fashion staple. It is his custom to wear an eye-catching and colorful tie, highly contrasting with a dark-colored suit. He regularly makes appearances in ties that extend below his belt seeing that they have a "slenderizing" effect on the torso. Sao Mai NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Danske Bank A/S (Danske or the Company) (OTC MKTS: DNKEY). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 9980. The investigation concerns whether Danske and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here to join a class action] On September 5, 2017, Reuters reported that Danske had hired the former head of Denmarks intelligence agency to help it in its effort to counter money-laundering claims. Then, on September 21, 2017, the Company issued a press release revealing that it had expand[ed] its ongoing investigation into the situation at its Estonian branch. Two months later, on December 21, 2017, Reuters reported that Danske had been fined 12.5 million Danish crowns ($2 million) by Denmarks Financial Supervisory Authority (the DFSA) for violating anti-money laundering rules in relation to the monitoring of transactions to and from correspondent banks, and that Danske was examining whether its Lithuanian and Latvian branches had been involved in money laundering, expanding an investigation beyond its Estonian operations. On May 3, 2018, Reuters reported the DFSA issued a report stating it had identified serious weaknesses in Danskes governance and that the Company was exposed to significantly higher compliance and reputational risks than previously assessed. On July 18, 2018, Danske stated that it wished to pay back approximately $230 million earned in connection with its alleged role in an international money laundering scheme involving illicit funds from Russia, Azerbaijan, and Moldova, calculated based on profit from Danskes Estonian office. On this news, Danskes American depositary receipt price fell $1.43, or 9.42%, to close at $13.81 on July 18, 2018. On September 14, 2018, The Wall Street Journal disclosed that a whistleblower had approached the SEC at least two years earlier, and, as a result, U.S. law enforcement agencies had begun investigating the scandal. On October 23, 2018, the full extent of the Companys misconduct was revealed when The Wall Street Journal published an article disclosing that in 2013 the whistleblower had alerted Danskes senior executives and that Danske sought to silence the whistleblower for years. Upon the full revelation of the Companys misconduct and the extent to which it relied upon the illegal profits, the price of the Companys American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) had plummeted approximately 54%, from a high of $20.90 on February 16, 2018, to a low of $9.50 on October 23, 2018. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com. CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP rswilloughby@pomlaw.com 888-476-6529 ext. 9980 North Korea foreign ministry delegation leaves Hanoi for China North Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister Ri Kil Song leaves after a meeting with Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Phnom Penh in this file photo dated February 4, 2015. Photo by Reuters/Samrang Pring The delegation left after the second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, held in Hanoi February 27-28, ended without an agreement. They arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday morning, after taking a train journey of more than 60 hours from Pyongyang. Their leader Kim Jong-un is scheduled to stay in Hanoi for an official visit on Friday and Saturday. Reuters North Korean delegation impressed by Vietnamese packaging firms business model North Korean delegation visits the An Phat Plastic Company in Hai Duong, Vietnam on February 28, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Anh Minh The North Korean delegation comprised more than 20 members, including three deputy chairmen of the Korean Worker's Party, Ri Su-yong, Kim Pyong-hee, and O Su-yong. Workers welcome the North Korean delegation at the An Phat Plastic Company in Hai Duong on February 28, 2019. Photo by VnExpres/Anh Minh At the An Phat Plastic Company, the delegation was welcomed by hundreds of workers waving North Korean and Vietnamese flags. An Phat Holdings chairman Pham Anh Duong introduced the delegation to biodegradable bags and other environmentally friendly products. The North Korean leaders expressed high appreciation of the development model of the private company, including its training of skilled employees. The North Korean delegation marked their visit by planting a tree at the An Phat Plastic Company in Hai Duong, February 28, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Anh Minh An Phat Holdings has 4,000 employees working in 12 factories and 11 subsidiaries nationwide. Earlier, on Wednesday, the North Korean delegation had visited the plant of Vietnams first full-fledged carmaker VinFast in the northern city of Hai Phong and a hi-tech agricultural zone in the same city. Anh Minh Second Trump-Kim summit held in haste: experts North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump meet in Hanoi on February 28, 2019. Photo by Reuters Despite the optimism that preceded the second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the two were unable to reach a joint agreement as initially scheduled and the talks ended in a deadlock. Some summit observers have pointed out the factors behind the leaders being unable to reach an agreement this time. There was "not enough time or staff" to work out a deal, tweeted Joe Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Peace Foundation. Joseph Yun, former senior diplomat, also told CNN that the summit evidenced a "lack of preparation." Yun said he had attended many summits and usually they take a lot of work at different levels and in fact, "an agreement is a foregone conclusion." It was clear that little preparation had been made for the Hanoi summit, he said. Comparing it with the summit in Singapore, where the two leaders met for the first time in June last year, Yun said that event at least laid a foundation and made the world "look at something." President Trump left Hanoi Thursday afternoon after landing in the Vietnamese capital city on Tuesday for the much-awaited summit. He left sooner than planned and looked sadder than when he arrived. Before his departure, Trump said it was disagreement on the lifting of sanctions that had been a stumbling block. "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that," he said. "We want to give up the sanctions because that country has so much economic potential. But only when they agree to give up their nuclear (program)," he said. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: "We asked him [Kim Jong-un] to do more but he was not prepared for that. I wish we could do more." Trump had repeatedly said before and during the summit that he was in "no rush" to make North Korea denuclearize. "Speed is not that important to me," he said, adding that he appreciates that North Korea had stopped carrying out nuclear tests. "What important is that we reach the right deal," he told reporters Thursday morning before meeting with Kim. Akira Kawasaki of the International Committee to Abolish Nuclear Weapons International Steering Group told CNN: "It is little wonder these negotiations broke down after Trump has spent more time in office blowing up nuclear treaties than building them." He said that in order for North Korea to denuclearize, it needs a real plan with the participation of the international community and treaties like the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the first legally binding international agreement to comprehensively prohibit nuclear weapons, with the eventual goal of total elimination. Van Jackson, author of "On the Brink: Trump, Kim, and the Threat of Nuclear War," told CNN that the U.S. should have waited to hold the summit until Steve Biegun, U.S. special representative for North Korea, made progress in negotiations. Trump said his parting with Kim "was very friendly," holding out hope for the future. "This wasn't a walk away like you get up and walk out. The relationship [with Kim] is good." "I want to keep the relationship, we'll see what will happen over the next period of time. Chairman Kim told me last night that he will not be doing any nuclear tests and I trust him. "You always have to prepare to walk away. We actually had papers to sign but it was not appropriate. I don't want to do it quick, I want to do it right," Trump said when asked if it had been premature to hold the summit. Both leaders had traveled a long distance for their summit. Trump flew around the world for the meeting while Kim traveled more than 3,000 kilometer (1,870 miles) on a train to Vietnam. Some experts said they were worried that all this efforts had not amounted to anything. A joint statement signing ceremony had been scheduled for today after leaders had a working lunch. Neither event happened, and both left the summit venue without signing anything. Ankit Panda with the Federation of American Scientists warned on Twitter that the White House's expectation of further talks "does not have to be a perception shared in North Korea." "Kim may have left irate, for all we know. He may have no intention of continuing this." Minh Nga Trump and Kim to sign 'joint agreement' after Hanoi summit U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un clasp hands and pose in front of flags of both countries. Photo by Reuters/Kham They had swapped compliments at a dinner Wednesday night but gave no sign of progress on the key issue of denuclearization. Trump hailed "a very special relationship" when he met Kim in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi on Wednesday and said he was satisfied with the pace of talks, despite some criticism they were not moving quickly enough. "Great meetings" and a "Very good dialogue," Trump said on Twitter after dinner with Kim at the French-colonial-era Metropole hotel while the White House said the two planned to sign a "joint agreement" after further talks on Thursday. The White House has given no indication of what the signing ceremony might involve, although the two sides discussions have included the possibility of a political statement to declare the 1950-53 Korean War over, which some critics see as premature. They have also discussed partial denuclearization measures, such as allowing inspectors to observe the dismantling of North Koreas Yongbyon nuclear reactor, U.S. and South Korean officials say. U.S. concessions could include opening liaison offices or clearing the way for inter-Korean projects, but critics say Trump risks squandering vital leverage if he gives away too much, too quickly. The Hanoi summit was Trumps second with Kim since an inconclusive meeting in Singapore in June that produced much fanfare but little substance and there had been little sign of concrete progress since. The U.S. president nevertheless appeared upbeat with Kim even as his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testified at a congressional hearing in Washington, calling Trump a "conman" who knew in advance about the release of stolen emails aimed at hurting his Democratic rival in the 2016 election campaign. Facing mounting pressure at home over investigations into Russian meddling in the election, Trump has sought a big win by trying to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for promises of peace and development, a foreign policy goal that has confounded multiple predecessors. Trump told Kim on Wednesday he felt the first summit was "very successful". "Some people would like to see it go quicker; Im satisfied; youre satisfied, we want to be happy with what were doing." The leaders exchanged views at dinner with the aim of achieving comprehensive and ground-breaking results from their summit, state news agency KCNA said on Thursday. "Sincere and in-depth views were exchanged to bring about a comprehensive and groundbreaking outcome," it said. Trump says not walking back Asked by a reporter if he was "walking back" on denuclearization demands, Trump said, "No". Trump and Kim held a 20-minute, one-on-one chat before a dinner that also involved U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trumps acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Kims top envoy Kim Yong Chol and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho. On Thursday, they two leaders have a series of meetings scheduled at the Metropole, beginning with another one-on-one session lasting 45 minutes, the White House said. After a "joint agreement signing ceremony" Trump plans a news conference at 3:50 p.m. Hanoi time (0850 GMT). Asked if he would declare a formal end to the Korean War, which concluded with an armistice, rather than a peace treaty that North Korea has long sought, Trump said on Wednesday: "Well see." The June meeting was the first between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader. It produced a joint statement in which Kim pledged to work toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and the two sides committed to establish new ties and build a permanent peace regime. But there has been little progress since. Kim said on Wednesday the leaders had overcome obstacles to meet a second time and praised Trump for his "courageous decision" to begin a dialogue, adding that he was "confident that there will be an excellent outcome that everyone welcomes". Trump said late last year he and Kim "fell in love", but whether bonhomie can move them beyond summit pageantry to substantive progress on eliminating a North Korean nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States is a big question. Trump indicated a more flexible stance in the run-up to Hanoi, saying he was in no rush as long as North Korea, which has not tested a nuclear weapon or intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017, maintained that freeze. U.S. intelligence officials have said there is no sign North Korea will give up its entire arsenal of nuclear weapons, which Kims ruling family sees as vital to its survival, and analysts say Pyongyang is unlikely to commit to significant steps without an easing of punishing U.S.-led sanctions. Trump has appeared to be betting on his personal relationship with Kim, and the economic incentive after 70 years of hostility between their countries. "Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize," Trump said on Twitter ahead of the meeting. Reuters Trump charmed, hopes to visit Trang An Landscape Complex On Wednesday afternoon, after his meeting with Trump at the Government Office in Hanoi, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc showed him pictures of many of Vietnam's natural attractions. Mai Tien Dung, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office, told VnExpress that Trump was so impressed by the Trang An complex in northern Vietnam, a spectacular karst with limestone cliffs and a river running through them, that he expressed a desire to visit it. "Trump asked whether it is safe to visit Trang An. The Prime Minister smiled and said, It is very safe. We Vietnamese often travel there." U.S. President Donald Trump admires a picture of the Trang An Landscape Complex shown to him by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Government Office on Wednesday. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh. The picture shows boats being rowed on a branch of the Sao Khe River, whose emerald waters flow between two cliffs, a spectacular scene that draws millions to visit it every year. The landscape complex in Ninh Binh Province, 95 km south of Hanoi, has been recognized as a UNESCO world heritage. Phuc also showed Trump pictures of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, another UNESCO world heritage site situated in Quang Binh Province, 550 km south of Hanoi. The Prime Minister's office has several artworks featuring Vietnams most iconic places, including an oil painting titled "Bamboo", a 1.8-meter painting of the Thay Pagoda on the outskirts of Hanoi by Chu Anh Phuong and "Red bamboo", a four-panel lacquer painting by Bui Huu Hung. "This is a very effective way to promote the beautiful landscapes of Vietnam," said Dao Thi Lien Huong, head of the Association for Fine Arts and Cultural Diplomacy. The two leaders and their delegations later lunched on some signature Vietnamese dishes like green mango salad with scallops, mint leaves and cashew in sweet vinegar oil, Hanoi spring rolls and a sweet lotus seed dessert. Trump charmed, hopes to visit Trang An Landscape Complex Tong thong Trump ca ngoi tinh ban voi Thu tuong Nguyen Xuan Phuc Hoang Thuy Trump-Kim summit souvenirs sell like hot cakes Glass bottles with Trump and Kim printed on have sold thousands of units. Photo by VnExpress A representative of the 68 Import and Export Company told VnExpress several thousand orders have been received for their Trump-Kim printed glass bottles. The bottles are souvenirs, to be used, displayed, or brought on trips. "We thought of this idea right after the summit was announced," said the representative. "The first batch is already sold out. Were bringing in a second now." The bottle with the picture of either Trump or Kim costs VND56,000 ($2.41), while one featuring both of them costs VND66,000 ($2.84). Coins printed with the faces of the two leaders, cups, keychains, and magnets are also selling very well, said Nguyen Trung Hai, CEO of the 3A Gift Company. He said these products were meant to epitomize the general feeling of pride that Vietnam was hosting the second Trump-Kim Summit. At the same time, the company also wants to convey a message "for peace" to international friends, Hai added. "At first we werent worried about how many we were going to sell. We just wanted to join in with the general atmosphere. However, we were caught by surprise with the sheer number of orders we received. As a result weve decided to produce 1000 units for each product," he said. Coins and keychains featuring Trump and Kim have been very popular over the last few days. Photo by VnExpress A metal coin featuring both leaders produced by 3A is priced at VND200,000 ($8.61) each, copper magnets and key rings cost VND50,000 ($2.15) each. The metal coin has a diameter of 40 mm, with Trump and Kim on one side and a handshake image on the other. Hai said their porcelain cups were glazed with high quality with a Trump-Kim picture on one side and national flags and the words "US North Korean Summit in Hanoi" on the other. Customers, local and foreign, have also responded enthusiastically to T-shirts and pens with images of the two leaders. A few days ago, the Vietnam Stamp Company issued 300 silver coins worth VND 500,000 ($21.50) each. The 3.5m diameter coins commemorating the Trump-Kim summit, called "World Peace", are made with pure silver. Silver coins made by the Vietnam Stamp Company to commemorate the Trump-Kim Summit. Photo courtesy of Vietnam Stamp Company Printed on one side are pigeons, the symbol of world peace, with olive branches and the flags of Vietnam, the U.S. and North Korea. On the other side is a lotus flower with the dates of the historic summit. Thi Ha Vietnams development path a good roadmap for North Korea Nicolas Audier It is no coincidence that Hanoi was chosen to host the second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un. The fact that both sides selected Hanoi for their historic meeting shows the high level of faith that they have placed in Vietnam as a trusted and reliable partner. This is a huge diplomatic achievement for the Vietnamese government, and one which solidifies Vietnams position on the global stage and as a leader in ASEAN. However, unlike Singapore, where the first meeting between the two leaders was held, Vietnam is more than just an impartial host. It holds considerable relevance for North Korea at this point. While there are differences, Vietnam and North Korea have shared some common historical and political challenges. However, over the last few decades, the two countries have taken two quite different directions. While North Korea remains relatively isolated, Vietnam has reunified and established itself as a modern nation, and an influential and integral part of ASEAN. It is now a leader in the region and at home on the global stage. Indeed, it is noteworthy that Vietnam has developed strong and positive relationships with the United States, normalising relations in 1995, China and both nations in the Korean peninsula (South Korea remains one of the largest investors in Vietnam). Meanwhile, it has become an integral actor in international organizations including the World Trade Organization which Vietnam joined in 2007 and the World Economic Forum which was held in Hanoi in 2018. Therefore, Vietnam can be held up as a model example of successful economic development and international integration for North Korea. Three short decades ago, Vietnam began a journey of reform, starting with the Doi moi policy in 1986, which would take it from being one of the poorest countries to one with a middle-income status. Over this period, Vietnam became one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, with annual GDP per capita growth of over 5 per cent, the second highest growth rate, just behind China. This strong and positive growth has transformed the lives and living standards of millions of people. To put it in perspective: In 1993, over 50 percent of people lived on less than $2 a day. Today, that figure is less than 3 percent. Meanwhile, GDP per capita which was just 360 dollars in the late 1990s has now reached over two thousand dollars. This economic growth, alongside significant improvements in infrastructure, has led to an impressive increase in living conditions. Compared to 1993, when less than 50 per cent of households in Vietnam had electricity, access is almost universal today. Meanwhile, three-quarters of people now have clean water and sanitation; up from less than half decades ago. I first came to Vietnam in the 1990s, and have lived and run a business here ever since. I have, therefore, seen these changes unfold first-hand. Vietnam has become an attractive trade and investment destination for European business, and one which is becoming ever more attractive to new enterprises. These positive changes were not an accident. Indeed, the lesson of the last three decades in Vietnam is that countries who open their doors to foreign investment and pursue free, fair and rules-based trade are more productive, more competitive and more successful. Thats because open markets boost trade and investment across borders. Free trade creates a true win-win situation for both sides, with businesses benefitting from lower costs and consumers benefitting from greater access to goods and services. From the Doi moi policy in 1986 to the Law on Foreign Investment in 1987, the Vietnamese government has pursued gradual policies of economic liberalization, legislative modernization, and international integration. Foreign direct Investment (FDI) has seen strong growth over this time, and has become the engine of Vietnams reform and development. Meanwhile, the Government has continued to make positive administrative reforms to create a more business-friendly trade and investment environment. Today, Vietnam is part of a long list of bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements with 56 economies around the world. In order to sign these international agreements, the government has continued to reform its administrative procedures, improve the legal framework, equitize state-owned enterprises and ensure greater transparency. Now, new-generation free trade agreements (FTAs), such as the upcoming EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), will help Vietnam to go further. The EVFTA is one of the most comprehensive and ambitious FTAs ever concluded between the EU and a developing nation. Once it is ratified in the next session of the European Parliament, Vietnam will join a select group of countries with privileged, tariff-free access to Europes 500-million-strong consumer market and world-leading goods and services in all sectors and industries. Once it enters into force, the EVFTA will set in train a gradual reduction of 99 percent of tariffs across a range of products and eliminate technical barriers to trade. This will boost trade and investment between Europe and Vietnam, while facilitating further reform of Vietnams legal framework. In short, the EVFTA, along with other new generation agreements like the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), marks the next step in Vietnams economic development. The EVFTA in particular will increase trade and make Vietnam a more attractive investment destination for European companies in the region. Vietnam will become a trade and investment hub, able to attract more FDI in the future. Therefore, the future certainly looks bright for Vietnam. If the government continues on its path of reform, liberalization and international integration, it will be able to unlock the benefits of the EVFTA and fulfill its potential as a leading trade and investment destination. I believe these are the lessons that the world can learn from Vietnams socioeconomic development. Today, these lessons are more important than ever. Global trade is now at a crossroads, and barriers and tariffs are becoming more widespread. But protectionism is bad for business and bad for citizens. It increases the costs of trade, making international goods and services more expensive for consumers; damaging economic growth and losing jobs in the process. Vietnam provides clear and undisputed evidence that free, fair and rules-based trade policies, alongside economic reforms that open up domestic markets and attract foreign investment, is the best route for countries to join the global economy and the international community. I hope the model of Vietnams growth and development over the last three decades, marked by liberalization, upgraded legislative frameworks and international integration will be high on the agenda this week. At EuroCham, more than one thousand members will continue to share our insights and recommendations to help further improve the business environment in Vietnam, for the benefit of business, consumers and citizens. We hope the government will continue to share these ideas with other international actors around the world. To sum up, the choice of Hanoi as the location for this historic summit is a huge positive for Vietnam as it will cement the countrys position on the global stage and accelerate its integration into the international community. For sure, North Korea can take heart from Vietnams achievements. *Nicolas Audier is co-chairman of EuroCham Vietnam. The opinions expressed are his own. Nicolas Audier CASPER, Wyo., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Albertsons & Safeway joined forces to donate more than more than 37,000 pounds of protein to Wyoming Food Bank of The Rockies . Smithfields contribution was part of the companys 2019 Helping Hungry Homes donation tour. Helping Hungry Homes is Smithfields signature hunger-relief initiative focused on alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure. The donation, equivalent to more than 149,000 servings, will help families fight hunger across Wyoming. Our mission is to help families thrive by distributing food and essentials to the hungry, and we rely on donations from programs like Smithfields Helping Hungry Homes initiative to make that happen, said Shanna Harris, executive director of Wyoming Food Bank of The Rockies. Reliable access to sufficient food is an essential element in building strong and vibrant communities, and we are so thankful for Smithfields support toward our mission. Representatives from Smithfield and Albertsons & Safeway presented the donation to Wyoming Food Bank of The Rockies at an event at the food bank this morning. Members of each organization discussed food insecurity in the local community and the significance of this donation, which will provide protein throughout the food banks service area, reaching food insecure individuals across more than 50 counties. During the event, Albertsons & Safeway also presented the Wyoming Food Bank of The Rockies with a gift of $2,500 in support of the food banks continued efforts to alleviate hunger through upcoming initiatives. A portion of the funds will be used toward the Stamp Out Hunger food drive to take place May 11, 2019 at the food bank. At Albertsons & Safeway, we work to support healthy families and communities, and know that this donation will help us to achieve this ever-important purpose, said Heather Halpape, communications manager for Albertsons & Safeway. We are proud to continue our relationship with Smithfield Foods to help resolve hunger for those in need across the many communities we call home. This is the fourth large-scale protein donation made by Smithfield to food banks across the country during its 2019 Helping Hungry Homes tour. Since the programs inception in 2008, Smithfield has provided more than 120 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster relief efforts, and community outreach programs nationwide. Smithfields Helping Hungry Homes program continues to grow to meet the need for hunger relief across the country, said Jonathan Toms, associate manager of charitable initiatives for Smithfield Foods. Were proud to make our first visit to Wyoming, as we work from coast-to-coast to feed our neighbors in all 50 states. It is our hope that this donation will make a lasting impact against hunger and inspire others to join in the fight against food insecurity. For more information about Smithfield Foods Helping Hungry Homes initiative and a list of upcoming donation events, visit helpinghungryhomes.com . About Smithfield Foods Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathans Famous, Farmland, Armour, Farmer John, Kretschmar, John Morrell, Cooks, Gwaltney, Carando, Margherita, Curlys, Healthy Ones, Morliny, Krakus, and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com , and connect with us on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , and Instagram. About Wyoming Food Bank of The Rockies WFBR is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the public to perform its mission. WFBR is a division of the Food Bank of the Rockies, a 4-star rated charity by Charity Navigator and Feeding America Partner. The Food Bank of the Rockies has worked to end hunger in Wyoming since 1978. To better serve the entire state of Wyoming, FBR established Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies in October, 2004. In the years since WFBR began, it has distributed the more than 64 million meals across our state. WFBR provides food to more than 61,000 clients on a yearly basis and distributed 10.5 million pounds of food in 2018 to children, seniors, working families, veterans and other neighbors in need. To support the vision that no one goes hungry in Wyoming, WFBRs food and products are distributed through a network of more than 250 partner agencies. For more information, visit WyomingFoodBank.org . About Albertsons Companies Albertsons Companies is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, with both a strong local presence and national scale. We operate stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaws, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs, as well as meal kit company Plated based in New York City. Albertsons Companies is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2018 alone, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the company gave nearly $300 million in food and financial support. These efforts helped millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, programs for people with disabilities and veterans outreach. Media Contacts: Dalton Agency for Smithfield Jana Beasley (904) 534-8568 jbeasley@daltonagency.com Wyoming Food Bank of The Rockies Victoria Ziton (307) 265-2172 vziton@foodbankrockies.org Albertsons & Safeway Heather Halpape (303) 888-6319 heather.halpape@safeway.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0b61bee3-abb1-427c-b972-0b6347d35d57 Naftogaz elaborates on backup plan in case of complications with gas transit via Ukraine According to Favorov, the plan provides for uninterrupted operation of the country's GTS. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Ukraine exports 32.2 mln tonnes of grain since July 1 Ukrainian farmers have already shipped 12.5 million tonnes of wheat abroad. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter First "green" auctions to be launched no earlier than April 2020 Ukrenergo CEO The introduction of "green" auctions will reduce the price of electricity generated from renewables due to the launch of the competition mechanism. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Tigipko to build residential area in territory of Kuznya on Rybalsky plant bought from Poroshenko The businessman considers the plant not only as an industrial, but also as a comprehensive development project. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Media reports on companies behind Russian coal supplies from Belarus to Ukraine According to the publication, mainly lean coal was supplied from Belarus to Ukraine from the Kiyzassky open-pit mine, managed by Russian-based VostokCoal. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Naftogaz says contract with CEO Kobolyev extended, while PM says no gov't approval yet Earlier, Kobolyev said that he was going to donate all his income, received as Naftogaz CEO, to charity before the end of the year. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter SK Innovation has proactively expanded its electric vehicle (EV) battery business into the global market since the beginning of this year. SK Innovation announced that it would invest about 859 million U.S. dollar in Hungary only three months after it made an announcement to build a plant in the U.S. late last year. On the 27th, SK Innovation held a board meeting and decided to invest 859 million U.S. dollar for a new EV battery plant in Hungary. The decision came as SK Innovation aims to strengthen its presence in the European market on top of the 7.5GWh EV battery plant which is under construction in Komarom, Hungary since early last year. The new plant will be built on an 117,130 square-meter parcel of land, which is part of the 430,000 square-meter site in Komarom, Hungary. The land was originally acquired by SK Innovation for the construction of its No.1 Hungarian battery plant. With the new plant, SK Innovation will gain momentum to reinforce its foothold in the European EV market which is growing fast thanks to stricter environmental regulations. SK Innovation will break ground on the plant in March this year and finish construction in the first half of 2020. The company will begin mass production and delivery in early 2022 once facility stabilization, commissioning and product certification is completed. By 2021 when the new plant is completed, SK Innovation's global production capacity is expected to include the No.1 Komarom plant (7.5GWh per year) and the new No.2 Komarom plant in Hungary, Changzhou plant in China (7.5GWh per year), Georgia plant in the U.S. (9.8GWh per year), in addition to the Seosan plant in Korea (4.7GWh per year). This achievement will help SK Innovation to take a step closer to its mid- and long-term goals to "increase battery production capacity to 60GWh by 2022 and join the ranks of the best EV battery producers" as Kim Jun, CEO of SK Innovation said during CES 2019. "SK Innovation will be able to strengthen the position of our battery business in the European market by deciding to build a new plant as an expansion of our first plant in Europe," Kim Jun, CEO of SK Innovation, said. "SK Innovation will become one of the best global EV battery producers by 2022 and raise the value of our company by obtaining production capacity to utilize our technological process." You can learn a lot from a bunch of dogs! That's the premise for ExxonMobil Alaska's sponsorship of IditaREAD. Teachers know that when kids are excited about a subject, learning comes easily. That's the great opportunity provided by the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Adventure, competition, and the universal bond between children and dogs combine to create the perfect chemistry to make reading and learning fun. At the official kick-off of IditaREAD 2019, ExxonMobil Alaska's President, Darlene Gates, reads to a group of students at Nunaka Valley Elementary School in Anchorage, AK. "It's a great way to bring the Iditarod into the classroom and get our children excited about reading," expressed Darlene Gates, president of ExxonMobil Alaska. "Students read their way through the Iditarod Trail by earning one mile for each page or minute they read." As a company with deep roots in Alaska, ExxonMobil Alaska views civic involvement as a responsibility and an essential component of building strong and healthy communities. ExxonMobil Alaska supports educational programs through financial support, partnership and outreach in communities through its employees. "We are particularly proud of our support for the Iditarod Education Program which helps teachers use hands-on activities to spark imagination and get students enthusiastic about applying the fundamentals of reading, math and science," noted Gates. ExxonMobil Alaska currently provides support to the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP), the Alaska Native Heritage Center, Anchorage School District, the Harold Kaveolook School in Kaktovik, Junior Achievement, the Literacy Council of Alaska, and through initiatives such as Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. Teachers are encouraged to share photos of their students participating in the IditaREAD with ExxonMobil Alaska's Facebook page. Remember to tag @ExxonMobil Alaska. For more information, go to https://www.ideafamilies.org/iditaread/. ABOUT EXXONMOBIL ExxonMobil has been a proud supporter of the Iditarod since 1978. The largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, ExxonMobil uses technology and innovation to help meet the world's growing energy needs. In 2017, together with its employees and retirees, ExxonMobil, its divisions and affiliates, and the ExxonMobil Foundation provided $204 million in contributions worldwide. Additional information on ExxonMobil's community partnerships and contribution programs is available at www.exxonmobil.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Brittany Brown via Brittany.brown@exxonmobil.com or 907.223.8525 PASCAGOULA, Miss., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) announced today that Denise Jones was in the top 10 of the Mississippi Business Journals Top 50 Businesswomen of 2018. Jones, a talent management director at HIIs Ingalls Shipbuilding division, was honored at an awards luncheon held at the Olde Capital Inn in Jackson. We are delighted to see Denise receive the recognition she deserves for her many accomplishments, said Edmond Hughes, Ingalls vice president of human resources and administration. Since joining the Ingalls family in 1979, she has continuously dedicated her career to creating a positive impact both on the job and in her community. Denise is an invaluable asset to her team, and we are extremely proud of her accomplishments. A photo of Jones is available at: https://newsroom.huntingtoningalls.com/file?fid=5c783b2c2cfac2582d7d1115 . Jones started her career at Ingalls as a word processor in the graphic arts group and later became the supervisor of the team. She then transferred to the learning and development function and served as director of learning, development and diversity for eight years. In 2013, she increased her role to include workforce training and development, which includes new hire technical/craft training, skill assessments, apprenticeship programs and partnerships with community colleges across the Gulf Coast. Currently, she is responsible for more than 700 registered apprentices participating in 15 trade-skills development programs. Each year, the Mississippi Business Journal selects a new class of 50 senior decision-makers who are the most powerful, influential women business leaders in the state. More than an awards program, the Top 50 Businesswomen is a development and networking organization that encompasses training opportunities for the honorees to grow together as business leaders. Huntington Ingalls Industries is Americas largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. For more than a century, HIIs Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions in Virginia and Mississippi have built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. HIIs Technical Solutions division provides a wide range of professional services through its Fleet Support, Mission Driven Innovative Solutions, Nuclear & Environmental, and Oil & Gas groups. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII employs more than 40,000 people operating both domestically and internationally. For more information, visit: What did audience members feel during the Jackson 5s first concert in 1969, or during Madonnas debut in a New York club in 1982? Perhaps it was a similar feeling experienced by the lucky attendees of the first concert Lady Gaga gave in Spain, in a basement club just off Madrids Gran Via. When Lady Gaga performed in the Spanish capital on February 27, 2009, she had not yet reached megastardom. But she had enough of a reputation to pack out the Ocho y Medio nightclub, at a free concert organized by record label Universal and the now-extinct website MySpace. So many fans were left outside the venue that she decided to repeat the concert for them. There were around 800 people waiting in line, many dressed up as her, explains Borja Prieto, former content director of MySpace. As they say now, it was a fantasy. It was when I realized the incredible power of the internet. Lady Gaga didnt exist in the media, only online, explains Prieto, who now runs Esta Pasando, an advertising and marketing agency. One of the maintenance workers called us up because there had been a line outside since 8am, explains Belen Chanes, member of the indie group L-Kan and promoter of Ocho y Medio, which has since moved to a different venue. By 1pm, the line was stretching all the way to nearby Plaza de Callao. The huge crowds took the events organizers by surprise. She had just released first album, and the singles Just Dance and Poker Face, explains Angel Carrion, who is responsible for promoting the American artist in Spain. The nightclub where the artist performed wasnt big enough to accommodate all of her fans, but there was a reason behind the choice for a smaller venue. We wanted to hold a concert in a typical Madrid club like the New York venues in which she had come up, Carrion explains. The small stage, which was barely eight meters square, didnt stop the artist from jumping up and down, dancing and sweating, accompanied by Space Cowboy, her DJ, and two backup dancers. I couldnt believe that she could do all the choreography on such a small stage, Chanes recalls with awe. All of the attendees felt that despite the modest space, they were in the presence of a genuine star with incredible potential. Standing on tables wearing a flesh-colored bodysuit, a black jacket, belt and high heeled boots, the artist belted out songs such as Beautiful Dirty Rich, Money Honey, Love Game and Fame. She also sang an a capella version of Quicksand, a song she composed for Britney Spears. Lady Gaga during the concert. TONY BLANCO I was surprised at how she connected, and the strength of her voice, explains Blanco. She had the crowd in the palm of her hand from the very first moment. She touched and greeted those in the front rows and they went crazy, explains Victor Hermida, who was also at the gig. Gaga asked us, Are all these people here to see me? say Prieto and Carrion. When they told her that more were waiting outside because the venue wasnt big enough to hold them all, Lady Gaga offered to do a second concert. Gaga has always tried to ensure that her fans are treated as well as possible, says Carrion. Nearly two years after that mini-concert, Lady Gaga performed at Madrids Palacio de los Deportes arena at a sold out show where tickets cost more than 60. When someone tells me theyre going to a Lady Gaga concert, I always tell them my story, explains Hermida. Today the artist not only fills stadiums across the world, but has also won an Oscar for her work in the movie A Star is Born. My mother always says that Lady Gaga is where she is now thanks to us, jokes Chanes. English version by Asia London Palomba. The RiFF restaurant in Valencia is closed to the public after the food poisoning outbreak. MONICA TORRES The 46-year-old woman who died after eating a meal with her family in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Valencia, eastern Spain, choked on her own vomit. Thats according to a provisional report on the death from the regions Institute of Legal Medicine, sources familiar with the investigation have told EL PAIS. However, the cause of death is not yet definitive, given that investigators are waiting for toxicology reports. The mother died in her home in the early hours of Sunday morning, despite the attempts of an ambulance crew to revive her A total of 29 people including the victim and her husband and 12-year-old son were left with food poisoning after eating at RiFF between February 13 and 19. However, none became seriously ill and for the most part suffered light symptoms such as diarrhea or vomiting. The victim had eaten at the venue, which has one Michelin star, on Saturday, December 16. Hours later, all three members of the family had symptoms of food poisoning, including diarrhea and vomiting. The mother was particularly ill, and died in her home in the early hours of Sunday morning, despite the attempts of an ambulance crew to revive her. We want to make a declaration in response to reports the morel mushrooms came from China. We buy mushrooms from a legally authorized distributor in Leon, like many other restaurants in Spain do. In no circumstance, have we bought them from China. Early theories as to the cause of the food poisoning pointed to morel mushrooms that were included on the restaurants tasting menu, but this is still yet to be confirmed. On Thursday, the chef at RiFF, German Bernd Knoller, denied rumors that the establishment had purchased the mushrooms from China, as certain media outlets had reported, and explained that they had been sourced instead from a distributor in Leon, as many other restaurants in Spain do, he added. The chef also explained that RiFF was closed not for legal reasons, but on our own accord, and will continue to be shut until the health department concludes its investigation on the origin of the intoxication. English version by Simon Hunter. Former North Korean ambassador to Spain, Kim Hyok Chol, in a file photo from 2015. CARLOS ROSILLO More details have emerged about a mysterious attack last week on the North Korean embassy in Madrid, suggesting that the incident was more serious than first thought. According to sources close to an investigation into what happened on February 22 around 10 people carrying fake firearms entered the residential building, located in the Aravaca district in Madrid, and assaulted the eight people inside, who were a mixture of staff from the embassy and guests. The injured were treated on the scene by ambulance crews, with at least three people having suffered bruises caused by heavy blows According to the same sources, the assailants covered [the victims] heads with bags, tied them up, interrogated them and beat them. The injured were treated on the scene by ambulance crews, with at least three people having suffered bruises caused by heavy blows. A Korean woman who managed to escape the building alerted residents thanks to her screams. Police officers who responded, and were unable to understand what the woman was saying in Korean, tried to enter the building, but a man opened the door to them and told them that there was nothing going on. Minutes later, two luxury vehicles sped out of the embassy, leaving the staff and guests behind in the building and taking computers and documents with them. The two cars that the suspects used in their escape had diplomatic license plates and belonged to the embassy. They were found by the police nearby hours later, and are currently subject to inspection, according to sources. There have so far been no arrests in the case, but one person was found to be carrying fake identification, police sources say, something that has made the investigation more difficult. Investigators are not ruling out that the incident could be related to political espionage. The former North Korean ambassador to Spain, Kim Hyok Chol, was expelled on September 19, 2017 by the then-Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis given that the nuclear testing that the country was carrying out at the time was in serious breach of United Nations Security Council resolutions. Kim Hyok Chol, who was declared persona non grata by Spain and was invited to leave the country before the end of the month, is currently one of Kim Jong-uns highly trusted diplomats, and one of the architects of the nuclear summit between the North Korean president and US President Donald Trump in Vietnam this week. The two cars that the suspects used in their escape had diplomatic license plates and belonged to the embassy. They were found by the police nearby hours later Whatever the reasons behind the assault, Spanish investigators have no doubt that the attack was perfectly coordinated and planned, and was carried out by professionals. However, they are unsure as to whether the attackers knew what kind of meeting was being held that afternoon in the embassy. It appears that they did not know that there were guests there, sources say. They were, however, apparently looking for specific documentation. English version by Simon Hunter. NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Markel Corporation (Markel or the Company) (NYSE: MKL). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 9980. The investigation concerns whether Markel and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here to join a class action] On December 6, 2018, Markel disclosed that it had been contacted by U.S. and Bermuda authorities on November 30, 2018 regarding loss reserves recorded in late 2017 and early 2018 at Markel CATCo Investment Management Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Markel. Following this news, Markels stock price fell $99.70 per share, or 8.69%, to close at $1,048.23 per share on December 7, 2018. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com. CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP rswilloughby@pomlaw.com The premier of Spains Basque Country on Thursday confirmed that he did mediation work between the central and Catalan governments in a bid to stop things from ending up the way they eventually did: with a unilateral independence declaration and the application of emergency measures, including the sacking of the Catalan government by Madrid and a seven-month freeze on regional self-rule. In no way did Puigdemont have a desire to proceed with a unilateral independence declaration Basque premier Inigo Urkullu Speaking as a witness at the trial of Catalan separatist leaders taking place at the Supreme Court in Madrid, Inigo Urkullu said that he did this mediation work between June 19 and October 26, 2017, a day before separatist parties put the independence declaration to a vote inside the Catalan parliament. Urkullu said that there was a preliminary deal to call an early regional election instead of declaring independence, but that the Catalan premier, Carles Puigdemont, called it off citing pressure from his political partners. He told me about it and lamented that people around him were rebelling, that he felt pressure within his own parliamentary group, Junts pel Si [Together for Yes], and that he could not go ahead with the agreement to dissolve parliament and call regional elections, said Urkullu to the panel of seven justices in charge of the high-profile case. According to the Basque premier, who held several conversations with then-Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of the Popular Party (PP) and with Puigdemont, the former had no desire to introduce the emergency measures contemplated by Article 155 of the Constitution, while the latter had no inclination to unilaterally declare independence. In no way did he have the desire to proceed with a unilateral independence declaration, said Urkullu, adding that Puigdemont wanted guarantees that if he called an election, Madrid would not suspend Catalan self-rule anyway. But Urkullu was unable to provide them, as he could not obtain a concise answer from Rajoy on that point. He showed reticence to any step that might be viewed as suggesting that dialogue could lead to a negotiation overstepping the boundaries of the Constitution, he said. In conversations with both parties, there was never any talk of a right to self-determination or of the central government accepting a referendum in Catalonia, he added. Fines for refusing to testify Fernando J. Perez, Jesus Garcia, Madrid Two leaders of the anti-capitalist, pro-independence CUP party who were called in as witnesses and refused to answer questions have been fined 2,500. Antonio Banos and Eulalia Reguant had been summoned to court by several defense lawyers and by Vox, the far-right party that is acting as the private accusation in the case. Both far-left politicians refused to answer questions from Voxs lawyer, and were warned by Justice Manuel Marchena that they were legally compelled to answer truthfully, unlike the defendants who may refuse to give testimony or who can lie to avoid incriminating themselves. Marchena gave Banos and Reguant five days to reconsider their attitude or the case will be sent to a local court for investigation into a potential crime of disobedience. Urkullu also held that Puigdemont seemed more open to dialogue than Rajoy, although it was ultimately the former who cut off the talks. Rajoy did not have a proactive attitude to channel the situation while Puigdemont was absolutely open to any steps that might be taken before October 1, he said, citing the date of the unauthorized referendum. One of Urkullus conversations with Rajoy took place on September 21, a day after a pro-independence crowd congregated in front of the regional economic affairs building in Barcelona to protest a police search going on inside. Patrol cars were vandalized and officers were forced to exit through the roof, and these alleged acts of violence form the basis of the rebellion charge against nine of the 12 defendants who have already taken the stand over the past two weeks. The other three face lesser charges of disobedience and misuse of public funds. Urkullu said that he phoned Rajoy on September 21 to discuss the incidents of the previous day. I told him that things could not keep up this way, that they were getting out of hand. I told him that every step had to be carefully weighed to avoid a social fracture. Rajoy said that he would be as careful as possible about everything that was done. Rajoy provided his own witness testimony on Wednesday, when he told the court that he refused to negotiate with Puigdemont outside of parliament. I do not negotiate sovereignty or national unity, he told the court. English version by Susana Urra. Nearly 1.9 million pensioners in Ukraine will receive an extra payment of UAH 2,410 in March and April, Social Policy Minister Andriy Reva has said. "We are talking about people who have a basic pension below the subsistence level ... Of these, almost 1.9 million pensioners have a full insurance record ... An extra special payment of UAH 2,410 will be made to them, it will be paid twice: in March and April," Reva said, making a report on the upcoming readjustment of pensions at a government meeting. "Where did this figure come from? If we take their basic pension, namely, UAH 1,497, and multiply by the consumer price increase index for two years, when their pensions were actually frozen, the figure will be UAH 2,410," he said. As reported, pension payments in Ukraine from March 1, 2019 will be raised by an average of UAH 255 as a result of readjustment. Pension readjustment will concern 8.1 million pensioners. Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman has stated that the government had not made any decision on signing a new contract with the management of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy. "The government decided that on March 22 the five-year contract with the management of Naftogaz Ukrainy expires and will be terminated on the terms that have been five years. As a shareholder, we have a question about the amount of remuneration for the company's management. We turned to the supervisory board. The government did not make any decisions about signing a new contract," Groysman said at a meeting of the board of the Ministry of Social Policy in Kyiv. According to the Ekonomichna Pravda edition, on February 22, 2019, the supervisory board of Naftogaz sent a letter to Groysman and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade in which confirmed the need to extend the employment contract with Andriy Kobolev for three years. The supervisory council also attracted an external consultant who confirmed the market level of the monthly wage in the amount of UAH 2.08 million offered to Kobolev. Earlier, the head of Naftogaz announced the decision to transfer all his wage and other income received during 2019 for charity. Ukraine signs protocol on fish catch in Azov Sea with Russia KYIV. Feb 28 (Interfax-Ukraine) Ukraine and Russia via diplomatic channels have signed a protocol regarding quotas for industrial fishing in the Sea of Azov, according to the State Fisheries Agency of Ukraine. "After lengthy consultations with relevant executive authorities, it was decided to send the protocol for signature to the Russian side through diplomatic channels so that Ukrainian fishermen could continue catching aquatic biological resources in the Sea of Azov within the legal framework... the protocol was signed through diplomatic channels," Head of the State Fisheries Agency Yaroslav Belov said. According to him, the protocol stipulates the issue of the transfer of the detained fishermen to the country, which citizens they are. The document should help to increase the level of safety of Ukrainian fishermen in the course of their economic activity. In addition, it provides for the distribution of the catch quota in the amount of 9,000 tonnes for Ukraine and 6,000 tonnes for the Russian Federation. As reported, the work of the Ukrainian-Russian commission on fisheries in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait was blocked in October 2018. RPC Radiy (Kropyvnytsky) and Curtiss-Wright Corporation (the United States) have signed a strategic partnership agreement, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said. "A strategic partnership agreement was concluded between Radiy and the Curtiss-Wright Corporation (the United States), which provides for joint projects to upgrade the safety systems of nuclear facilities in the United States, using the innovative RadiCS platform," Poroshenko wrote in his microblog on Twitter on Thursday. RPC Radiy is the leading company in Ukraine that develops and produces I&C systems to provide safe operation at nuclear power plants with VVER -440 and VVER-1000 reactors. Curtiss-Wright Corporation is a U.S. multisector manufacturer. Previously it was the largest aircraft manufacturer in the United States. Over time, from the assembly of aircraft, the company moved to the production of components for technology. The law on amendments to certain laws of Ukraine on observation at elections in Ukraine, which bans citizens of the Russian Federation from being observers during the voting process in Ukraine, has entered into force. The law was published in the parliament's newspaper Holos Ukrainy (The Voice of Ukraine) on February 27 and, according to its clause, shall come into effect on the day following the day of its publication. The law amends the laws on the election of the president of Ukraine, on the elections of members of parliament of Ukraine, on local elections, which state that a person who is a citizen (subject) of a state recognized by the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, as an aggressor state or an occupying state shall not be an official observer from foreign states or international organizations at elections in Ukraine. This ban is also applicable to persons nominated or proposed by a state recognized by the Verkhovna Rada as an aggressor state or an occupying state. Ukraine's parliament passed the amendments on February 7, 2019. The health of Ukrainian sailors who are prisoners of war (POW) held in Russia is satisfactory, Serhiy Pohoreltsev, Directorate General for Consular Service of Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, has said. "The sailors' health is satisfactory. They did not complain about conditions of detention and application of prohibited measures to them, including physical pressure measures," he told journalists in Kyiv on Thursday. Pohoreltsev said the sailors were provided with warm clothes and shoes and given food packages and cash. He said consuls managed to visit the POWs and further visits are planned. On February 1 and February 4, visits were made to three wounded sailors, and on January 14 and January 16-17 and on February 7-8, and February 11 with the rest of the sailors. "I am sure that the sailors will return home. There is no doubt about that, but everything must be done so that it can be happen as soon as possible," Pohoreltsev said. As earlier reported, on November 25, 2018, Russian border guards used weapons to stop three Ukrainian naval vessels, the Yany Kapu tug and the Berdiansk and the Nikopol armored gunboats, which were traveling from Odesa to Mariupol in the Kerch Strait. The vessels were escorted to Kerch. Three sailors were injured. The vessels were convoyed to Kerch, and 24 Ukrainians who were on them were arrested and accused of "illegally crossing the border" and charged with "conspiracy by a group of persons or an organized group to illegally cross the border using violence or the threat to use violence." If found guilty, they could face up to six years in prison. In late November, the Ukrainians were transferred to Moscow. The court extended all the Ukrainians' arrests until April 24. Kyiv calls the detained sailors prisoners of war and has demanded their release. More than 150 Ukrainian sailors under arrest in Italy, 186 in Greece Foreign ministry More than 150 Ukrainian sailors have been detained, arrested or already been sentenced for illegal activities, and there are 186 Ukrainian sailors in remand in Greece, Serhiy Pohoreltsev, Directorate General for Consular Service of Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, has said. "Unfortunately, the number of cases when our sailors are taken prisoner by pirates, when they are used by criminal gangs to transport illegal immigrants, smuggling, etc. has increased recently. The number of our sailors who are detained, arrested or have already been sentenced is high: more than 150 people in Italy, 186 in Greece," he told reporters in Kyiv on Thursday. Pohoreltsev said 64 sailors were released and returned home in 2018. He added offices for helping sailors had been opened at the trade union of Ukrainian maritime transportation workers in Odesa, Izmail, and Kherson. The fact that Ukraine's Constitutional Court recognized a Criminal Code article on illicit enrichment unconstitutional will translate into the closure of all criminal proceedings under this article, and it will be impossible to resume relevant investigations in future, the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has said. "The decision by the Constitutional Court means that all criminal proceedings related to the unlawful enrichment of the suspects will be closed. As well as the cases that are already being heard in court ... Resumption of the investigations... if the relevant article is returned to the Criminal Code will be impossible because the law has no retroactive effect. Therefore, the acquired property by default will be considered legal, regardless of its sources of origin," NABU said in a statement on its website on Wednesday, February 27. At the present time, NABU detectives are investigating 65 criminal cases dealing with illegal enrichment involving more than UAH 500 million, NABU said. The individuals that have fortunes whose origins are legally questionable include quite a few judges, prosecutors, lawmakers, and former and sitting government officials, it said. "The decriminalization of illegal enrichment resulting from the Constitutional Court ruling gives public officials free rein to commit abuses and corruption crimes," it said. The Bureau described the Constitutional Court ruling as politically motivated and going against Ukraine's obligations under the UN Convention Against Corruption that it has ratified and its agreements with the International Monetary Fund and the European Union. NABU also suggested that the Constitutional Court ruling might have something to do with the pending start of the work of the new High Anti-Corruption Court, which "has switched on certain political regulation mechanisms." "We are convinced that such a course of events does not meet the public interests and requirements of clearing the government from corruption. The decision taken by the Constitutional Court is a step backwards in the anti-corruption struggle of Ukraine and a step towards the revenge of the old system," NABU said. Constitutional Court's decision on unconstitutionality of Criminal Code article on illegal enrichment was taken without pressure and threats court head Head of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine Stanyslav Shevchuk assures that the decision on the unconstitutionality of the Criminal Code's article on illegal enrichment was taken without any political pressure, the judges were guided solely by the Constitution of Ukraine. "I personally did not record any pressure, hints or threats. The same situation was with my colleagues. Nobody told me, did not report [about any pressure]," Shevchuk told reporters on Thursday, answering a question whether pressure was put on the court when making a decision. In general, according to Shevchuk, for all the time of his work as head of the Constitutional Court there was no pressure and no requirements to make a definite decision. He stressed that the court was guided solely by the Constitution of Ukraine, "not paying attention to the political situation." As earlier reported, a source in the Constitutional Court reported that on February 26, 2019, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine designated Article 368-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine on illegal enrichment as unconstitutional, as its provisions do not comply with the principles of the rule of law and the presumption of innocence. The decision of the Constitutional Court is binding, final and cannot be appealed. National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) said that the decision by the Constitutional Court means that all criminal proceedings related to the unlawful enrichment of the suspects will be closed. As well as the cases that are already being heard in court ... Resumption of the investigations... if the relevant article is returned to the Criminal Code will be impossible because the law has no retroactive effect. Therefore, the acquired property by default will be considered legal, regardless of its sources of origin. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has stated that on February 28 he signed a draft law on criminal responsibility for illegal enrichment and ordered to register the document in the Verkhovna Rada as urgent. Changes in Article 368-2 of the Criminal Code on illegal enrichment appeared in 2015. Ukrainian parliament adopted corresponding bill No. 1660-d in general in February 2015. It became one of the bills in the package of anti-corruption initiatives and was a condition for the liberalization of the visa regime with the EU, as well as the continuation of cooperation of Ukraine with the International Monetary Fund. In January 2018, a group of people's deputies attempted to decriminalize the article on illegal enrichment, registering corresponding bill No. 7499. However, the initiative caused resonance, as a result of which the people's deputies recalled the draft law. TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amarillo Gold Corporation (Amarillo or the Company) (TSX.V: AGC) (OTCQB: AGCBF). PDAC 2019 Toronto Convention Centre Amarillo Gold cordially invites you to visit our senior management at the 2019 Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference. We look forward to this opportunity to provide shareholders and other interested parties with an update on our current activities and future plans. Corporate Booth #2621A: March 3-4 Show Hours Sunday Mar 3 - 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday Mar 4 - 10:00 am to 5:00 pm One on One Meetings Tuesday Mar 5 - 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Wednesday Mar 6 - 8:00 am to Noon Show Location: Metro Toronto Convention Centre - Investors Exchange 222 Bremner Blvd Toronto, ON To schedule a meeting or request further information, please contact our Director of Communications, Karen Mate by email: karen.mate@amarillogold.com or by dialing 1 (416) 230-6454. ABOUT AMARILLO Amarillo is developing an open pit gold reserve at its Mara Rosa Project in the mining friendly jurisdiction of Goias State in Brazil. The Mara Rosa Project was awarded its main (LP) permit which provides the social and environment permission to mine. Amarillo is progressing toward obtaining an installation permit (LI). Based on the NI 43-101 Pre-Feasibility Study 2018 (PFS 2018) update filed on SEDAR on September 13, 2018, the Posse Deposit at the Mara Rosa Project contains estimated 513,000 ounces of gold in the Proven category from 9.6 Mt at 1.65 g/t Au, and 574,000 ounces gold in the Probable category from 14.2 Mt at 1.26 g/t Au, for total estimated Reserves of 1,087,000 ounces from 23.8 Mt at 1.42 g/t Au. In addition to the Mara Rosa Project, Amarillo has an advanced exploration project with excellent grades at Lavras do Sul, Brazil. A Mineral Resource Estimate Study (NI 43-101 technical report) for Lavras do Sul was filed on SEDAR on October 4, 2010. The Lavras do Sul Project is an advanced exploration stage property (190 sq. km.) comprising of more than 22 prospects centered on historic gold workings. The initial resource estimate at the Butia prospect reported 215,000 ounces of gold in the Indicated category from 6.4 Mt at 1.05 g/t Au, and 308,000 ounces of gold in the Inferred category from 12.9 Mt at 0.74 g/t Au using a 0.3 g/t cut-off grade. Both projects have excellent nearby infrastructure. Mike Mutchler, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 guidelines, and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure relating to the PFS 2018 in this section of the news release. For further information, please contact: Mike Mutchler President & CEO 416-294-0736 mike.mutchler@amarillogold.com or Karen Mate External Communications 416-230-6454 karen.mate@amarillogold.com 32 Richmond St. East Suite 201 Toronto, ON Canada, M5C 1P1 Website: www.amarillogold.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains Forward Looking Statements regarding the Companys current expectations regarding future events, including with respect to the Companys business, operations and condition, and managements objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. Various factors may prevent or delay our plans, including but not limited to, the trading price of the common shares of the Company, contractor availability and performance, weather, access, mineral prices, and success and failure of the exploration and development carried out at various stages of the program. Permission from the Government and community is also required to proceed with future mining production. Readers should review the Companys ongoing quarterly and annual filings, as well as any other additional documentation comprising the Companys public disclosure record, for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. Readers should also review the risk factors applicable to junior mining exploration companies generally to better understand the variety of risks that can affect the Company. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any Forward Looking Statements whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as me be required by law. PDF available: http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/eed3a92c-7602-4999-9929-a2b94e49c75c The fight against corruption has been the main element of EU cooperation with Ukraine since 2014, European Commission spokesman Carlos Martin Ruiz de Gordejuela said on Thursday. And more specifically: European Commissioner [on Neighborhood Policy Johannes] Hahn met with Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine [Hennadiy] Zubko yesterday, who gave assurances that illegal enrichment would remain a criminal offense, he said at a briefing in Brussels, responding to a question about the attitude of the European Commission to the decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine on the incompatibility of the article of the Ukrainian Criminal Code on illegal enrichment to the Basic Law of the country. Now we need to conduct a detailed analysis of the decision of the Constitutional Court, said the representative of the EC. Family ties, position will not protect officials from punishment if illegal purchases of army equipment confirmed Poroshenko President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has said that "neither surnames, nor posts" will save anyone and the guilty will be brought to justice if the facts of guilt are proved. The president commented on the latest developments concerning Ukroboronprom during a regional trip, the presidential press service reported. "The army is the greatest value of Ukraine. The army was created by the efforts of millions of Ukrainians who were giving away the last things they have. The army is the pride of Ukraine. As Supreme Commander-in-Chief, I will defend the army," he said. "If the facts are confirmed, neither surnames, nor posts will save anyone. I have signed the decree on suspension and initiation of proceedings," Poroshenko emphasized. According to him, the investigation into this information is conducted by the Prosecutor General's Office, NABU (National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine) and SAPO (Special Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office). "Now, according to the results of the program, another criminal case has been initiated. I emphasize that upon completion of the investigation, the guilty will be brought to justice, if the facts are confirmed," the president said. As earlier reported, Ihor Hladkovsky, together with two accomplices, through fictitious firms, reportedly delivered contraband Russian spare parts or parts from Ukrainian military units to Ukrainian defense enterprises at prices inflated two to four times higher than the purchase price, journalists from the Kyiv-based Bihus.info said. In a video uploaded to the Internet on February 25, investigative journalists from Nashi Groshi said during 2018 they received an anonymous letter with an electronic archive of correspondence between participants in the deals. The journalists checked the information and concluded the leaked information was genuine. The journalists said the amount of embezzled funds totals at least UAH 250 million, perhaps double that amount. The investigative journalists say that Oleh Hladkovsky, who formerly was a business partner of incumbent President Petro Poroshenko, the ex-head of Ukrspecexport and head of Ukroboronprom Palvo Bukyn, as well as directors and other officials of the state-owned defense concern were involved. The investigation says the suspect deals was organized using three main fictitious firms, and that one of them included the Kuznya on Rybalsky Shipbuilding Plant, which was then owned by Poroshenko. President Poroshenko instructed law enforcement agencies to urgently verify the information made public by the Nashi Groshi program. On February 27, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) informed that the detectives of the Bureau had entered the information in the Unified Register of Pretrial Investigations and started a pretrial investigation on the grounds of misappropriation, waste of property or seizing it by abusing their official position based on the analysis of information set out in the journalistic investigation of corruption in the defense sector. On Monday, March 4, at 11.30, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference entitled "Legalization of social services for rehabilitation centers." Participants include Member of Parliament Anton Gerashchenko; Doctor of Medical Sciences from Research Psychiatry Institute under the Health Ministry of Ukraine Iryna Pinchuk; President of the Association of Psychiatrists of Ukraine Semen Hluzman. A representative from the Ministry of Social Policy is expected to attend (8/5a Reitarska Street). Registration requires press accreditation. On Friday, March 1, at 11.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference by MP Mustafa Nayyem, dedicated to the departure from the Petro Poroshenko Bloc party (BPP) and the creation of the socio-political movement "Act with us" (Diy z namy) (8/5a Reitarska Street). Registration requires press accreditation. KYIV. Feb 28 (Interfax-Ukraine) The arson attack on the car of journalist Vasyl Krutchak is linked to his professional activity, his lawyer Vitaliy Kolomiyets has said. Krutchak said at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Wednesday that a search had been conducted in his house as part of criminal proceedings, in which he does not have any status. During the search, according to the journalist, his equipment was confiscated. "Prosecutor Vitaliy Opanasenko told me that he would return my equipment after I disclosed my sources of information," said Krutchak, adding that after he refused, the equipment was seized for examination. Lawyer Kolomiyets said the arson attack on Krutchak's car was related to his work as a journalist. "We have every reason to say that this was done solely because of the journalist's professional activities... Vasyl is engaged in activity to reveal facts of corruption and crimes committed by prosecutors, ... ferret out facts of illegal enrichment of military prosecutor Vitaliy Opanasenko." "Deliberate pressure is being exerted against the journalist during the election campaign. The arson attack is an obstacle to his journalistic activities." As earlier reported, on February 22, unknown persons set fire to the journalist's car, and another car nearby. Kyiv police said the arson attack on the Ford Fiesta took place at 05.00 am in the village of Khodosivka, Kyiv-Svyatoshinsky district. Krutchak's car, parked on the side of the road, was completely destroyed along with a car parked nearby. No one was injured. Criminal proceedings were opened under Part 2 of Article 194 (intentional destruction or damage to property) of Ukraine's Criminal Code of Ukraine. Police investigators are looking for the perpetrators of the arson. "The journalist asserts the crime is connected with his professional activities. In his opinion, certain people are trying to get revenge on him in this way. Police officers are checking this information. Other versions of the offense are also being considered," the police said. Krutchak posted a video from the scene of the crime on Facebook. He accused Opanasenko of involvement in the crime, claiming the prosecutor had earlier said he would beat him or set fire to his car for new materials about the prosecutor and his relatives on social media platforms. Donbas residents complain most about actions of police, less about Russia-led occupation forces human rights activists KYIV. Feb 28 (Interfax-Ukraine) Ukrainians complained most of all about the police on the "hot line" about illegal actions by Ukrainian security forces in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, according to an analytical survey conducted by human rights activists. Yevhen Vasylyev, acting chairman of the board of the Human Rights Center Postup, told Interfax-Ukraine at a press conference on Wednesday that 449 telephone calls and text messages were received at the hotline. "The calls were of a different nature with information about the violation of human rights by law enforcement agencies, such as beating, extortion ... Most complaints were from Donetsk region ... Most complained about inaction or illegal police actions in Luhansk and Donetsk regions - these are 67% appeals," he said. Some 11% of complaints were about illegal actions from "people in uniform, against the military 11%, border guards and Ukraine's SBU State Security Service 5%. Only 1% of those called the "hot line" complained about the National Guard. Vostok-SOS Executive Director Oleksandra Dvoretska said the information is not sociology, just a breakdown of the calls. She added the purpose of the "hot line" is primarily prevention. "We want to reduce tension in Donetsk and Luhansk regions so that people understand that they have someplace to turn," she said. Among the recommendations to law enforcement agencies, human rights activists point out the need to open criminal proceedings in connection with information on offenses, to give a proper assessment of the actions of police officers. Human Rights Center Postup and the Association of Ukrainian Human Rights Monitors on Law Enforcement with the support of the U.S. embassy in Ukaine's fund for supporting democracy in in April 2018 launched a project on identifying human rights violations by security forces in Ukraine-controlled parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. "Hotline" complaints were received from April 28 to December 28, 2018. The human rights situation in Iran has severely deteriorated, according to a February 26 report from Amnesty International (AI). In the report, titled Human Rights in The Middle East and North Africa: Review of 2018, AI outlined state restrictions imposed on the freedoms of Iranians, including freedom of expression, assembly, association, and religion. The report also catalogues instances of the state using excessive violent force against protestors and detainees, suppressing the media, and carrying out arbitrary arrests and inhumane punishments. The report highlights the case of Nasrin Sotoudeh and her husband Reza Khandan, who were arrested and now face charges in connection with their support of women protesting compulsory hijab. At least ten other prominent lawyers were arrested or prosecuted last year, AI reports, adding that during the same period 112 womens rights defenders were detained or prosecuted. AI lambasted the Note to Article 48 of the Islamic Republic Code of Criminal Procedure, which denies individuals facing some charges, including those related to national security, the right to access a lawyer of their own choosing during the investigation stage, and instead forces them to choose from a short list of lawyers approved by the head of the judiciary. Decrying the practice of airing coerced video confessions on state TV, AI pointed to the case of 17-year-old Maedeh Hojabri, who was briefly detained last May for posting videos of herself dancing on Instagram and then forced to renounce her behavior in a forced video confession that was broadcast. The censorship of all forms of media and the jamming of foreign satellite television channels continues, and journalists associations are prohibited from operating, AI reports. Although millions of Iranians use social media, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube remained blocked, as does the most popular messaging service in Iran, Telegram, forcing millions of Iranians to circumvent the blocks through proxies and filter breakers. The case of eight imprisoned environmentalists, whose leader, 63-year-old Iranian-Canadian professor Kavous Seyyed-Emami died under highly suspicious circumstances in February 2018 in Tehran's infamous Evin Prison, was spotlighted in the report. "In February, Canadian Iranian academic and environmental activist Kavous Seyyed Emami died in Evin prison following his arbitrary arrest two weeks earlier. Authorities claimed he committed suicide and refused to release his body unless his family agreed to an immediate burial without an independent autopsy, the report reads. The leaders of Irans Green Movement, which arose after the controversial 2009 re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and widespread protests demanding his ouster, continue to be kept under house arrest. AI criticized Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneis rejection last August of President Hasan Rounahis proposal to end their confinement. Documenting violations of the rights of religious minorities and newly converted Christians, AI refers to the "vicious crackdown" of Gonabadi dervishes early last year, and the placing their 92-year-old spiritual leader, Noor Ali Tabandeh, under house arrest. "Christians, including converts, continued to face harassment, arbitrary arrest, and detention, as well as harsh prison sentences. Raids on house churches continued. Victor Bet-Tamraz and Shamiram Issavi, ethnic Assyrian Christians, and Amin Afshar-Naderi and Hadi Asgari, Christian converts, were sentenced to between five and 15 years in prison for peacefully practicing their faith, AI reported. Under the heading of Cruel and Inhumane Punishment, AI listed scores of flogging sentences for theft and assault, and other punishments amounting to torture. "In July, a man known as M.R. was tied to a tree in Razavi Khorasan province and flogged 80 times. He had been convicted a decade earlier of consuming alcohol when he was 14 or 15 years old," AI reports. The Supreme Court imposed and upheld amputation sentences, AI asserts, adding, "In January, authorities amputated the hand of a man, referred to as A.Kh., in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan province, reportedly for stealing livestock and other valuables. The unchecked continuation of child marriage, inhumane prison conditions, and reports of border guards shooting Kurdish merchants crossing the frontier were also among the human rights violations AI mentioned in its report. On the same day Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif agreed to take back his resignation, Bashar Assad invited him to visit Syria, reported the official news agency IRNA, without specifying a date for the trip. Assad himself visited Iran two days earlier, on February 25 and met Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani, with Zarif absent at the meetings. Immediately in the same evening the foreign minister announced his resignation, referring to his absence at Assad meetings. He complained on social media that not being asked to be present has hurt his credibility. In recent months other officials have increasingly intruded on Zarif's turf and he he has endured constant attacks by Iran's hardliners, being accused of weakness in his dealings with the West. Zarifs resignation created a shock among Iranians. President Rouhani and a majority of parliament members immediately came to his defense and eventually Rouhani rejected the resignation, leading Zarif to say he will stay on. In his latest report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council February 27, UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran Javaid Rehman raised his concern over human rights violations in Iran, paying particular attention to the way the death penalty is carried out in the Islamic Republic. A British-Pakistani legal scholar and Professor of Islamic Law and International Law at Brunel University, Rehman expressed deep regret that children as young as nine years old can still be executed, noting that at least 33 minors have been executed for their offenses since 2013. Rehman said Iran must "urgently amend legislation to prohibit the execution of persons who committed [a crime] while below the age of 18 years and as such are children, and urgently amend the legislation to commute all existing sentences for child offenders on death row. Directly addressing the high authorities in Iran, Rehman has asked them to provide the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur with a list of all child offenders on death row. While praising the decline of the number of executions related to narcotics and drugs smuggling following a recent amendment of the law, Rehman noted that the death penalty should only be imposed for the most serious crimes, a term widely understood to mean only premeditated killings. Concerns were raised following the establishment of special courts in August 2018 to try 'economic crimes' which carry the death penalty, Rehman said. Furthermore, Rehman pointed to reports indicating that ethnic and religious minority groups constitute a disproportionately large percentage of persons executed or imprisoned in Iran "Concerns have been raised, for example, about the situation of Hedayat Abdollahpour, a Kurdish Iranian, whose death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court upon its second review in October 2018 amidst reports that he had been subjected to torture in detention and had been denied access to a lawyer of his choice" Rehman maintained. Rehman also raised the issues of the detention of Iranians with dual citizenship, the suppression of ethnic minorities, including Sufi dervishes of the Gonabadi denomination, Baha'is, newly converted Christians, and widespread detentions in the provinces of Azarbaijan, Kurdestan, and Sistan & Blauchestan. The recent crackdown on labor rights in Iran was also given special attention in Rehmans report. Workers strikes at the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane mill in the city of Shush, the Iran National Steel Industrial Group (INSIG) in Ahvaz, in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan, as well as widespread protests by teachers and truckers were noted. Rehman offered the Islamic Republic a list of recommendations for improving its human rights record, including ending the death penalty for all but the most serious crimes, ensuring that prisoners are protected from torture and ill-treatment, including coerced confessions, guaranteeing all accused access to a lawyer of their choosing, and addressing all forms of discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities and ending persecutions of these groups. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 Trend: Rector of Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) Elmar Gasimov and General Manager of SOCAR Foster Wheeler Engineering Services LLC (SOCAR-FW) Elmaddin Dadashov signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The signing ceremony held at the Higher School was attended by SOCAR-FW representatives including Deputy General Manager Mario Castellano, HR Manager Lali Alizade and Deputy Engineering Manager Adil Abbasov; teachers and students of the BHOS Chemical Engineering and Process Automation Engineering departments; and HR Advisor of SOCARs Revamp Projects Management Department Elnur Shikhaliyev. The MOU aims at implementing logistical, procedural and organizational measures to train high-qualified specialists at BHOS. The document provides, among other steps, organizing lectures for the BHOS students by SOCAR-FW experts, facilitating BHOS in enriching its library with literature and audio-visual aids, supporting the Higher School in software procurement, and creating career and professional development opportunities for the BHOS students and graduates. At the ceremony, Rector Elmar Gasimov spoke about BHOS alumni currently working at SOCAR Foster Wheeler Engineering Services and expressed his confidence that the bilateral cooperation would successfully develop. General Manager of SOCAR-FW Elmaddin Dadashov told about the company projects and cooperation with local and international partners. He emphasized that SOCAR-FW pays special attention to the work with young specialists and their professional growth. Deputy Engineering Manager Adil Abbasov made a presentation covering operations and marketing research activities carried out by Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery. Deputy HR Manager of the Oil Refinery Modernisation & Reconstruction Project Elmir Mammadov talked about the company procedures on selecting senior students for on-the-job training and the policy for recruiting young engineers to involve them in implementation of new projects. SOCAR-Foster Wheeler Engineering Services LLC is a jointly owned company focusing on Engineering, Procurement and Construction Supervision and Project Management Services associated with Refinery, Petrochemical and Environmental Projects. Lithuanian English AB Utenos trikotazas February 28st, 2019 Utenos trikotazas Groups consolidated comparable revenue in 2018 increased by 19,6 % to reach EUR 30,9 million. Utenos trikotazas as a Company grew comparable sales by 21,5 % to EUR 27,4 million in 2018. Revenue growth was driven by newly developed fabrics, orientation towards sustainable and flexible production practices. Long term investments in sustainable production processes, continuous R&D developments of new fabrics and garments enable us to continuosly acquire new customers in our target markets Scandonavia and DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). Our vertically integrated business model starting with design and yarn purchase up until final ready-to-wear product proves attractive to the market. Last year approximately half of sales were generated with customers that have been acquired over the last five years and the trend is upward, notes Algirdas Sabunas, CEO of Utenos trikotazas. Comparable Group pre-tax profit reached EUR 1,2 million in 2018, three times more than last year when it stood at EUR 0,4 million. Comparable Group EBITDA stood at EUR 2,08 million or 41,2 % more than a year ago. Despite shortage of skilled labor and raising costs of labor putting pressure on our profitability we managed to improve bottom line results in 2018 by significantly growing sales and managing our product and customer portfolio. The dynamics of incoming orders at the beginning of 2019 looks promising to sustain growth momentum. To further strengthen our position in the markets we continue to focus on operating efficiency, acquisition of qualified employess, and nurturing of empowering culture in the Company, comments Algirdas Sabunas, CEO of Utenos trikotazas. Growth recorded across all business Group exports were up 24 % to EUR 25,1 million in 2018. Exports accounted for 81 % of total sales. Sales in the largest region DACH stood at EUR 13,6 million, up 25 % vs. a year ago. Sales in Scandinavia increased just marginally less by 24 %. The growth was recorcded across all business segments. On demand jersey garments manufacturing increased by 24 % to EUR 23,7 million, functional-technical garments manufacturing services provided by the subsidiary Satrija were up by 6,5 % to EUR 3,4 million. The sales of own brands UTENOS and ABOUT posted 8 % increase to reach EUR 3,8 million. E-shop sales more than doubled last year and was the most significant growth driver for the brands segment. Retail presence of UTENOS brand at the end of 2018 expanded to 17 branded stores across Lithuania, majority operated by franchizees. Investments into new technologies and sustainable operations Rapid growth that the company has enjoyed over past few years requires to upgrade and add new technologies to serve markets. Last year the Groups investment into new technologies and equipment, upgrade of machine control systems reached EUR 0,9 million in total. We follow our strategy to invest into sustainable and innovative technologies as well as improve operational efficiency. Extra efforts are directed towards development of competencies, especially in the field of R&D. The demand for modern and sustainable manufacturing is high in Europe and across the globe, therefore we keep building our position in this segment, speaks Algirdas Sabunas, CEO of Utenos trikotazas. Utenos trikotazas is the largest and one of the most modern knitwear manufacturers in Central and Eastern Europe. The Utenos trikotazas group of companies, which also comprises Satrija, Gotija and Mrija (Ukraine), is part of the SBA concern. The company Utenos trikotazas currently owns the Utenos and About retail brands. In 2017, Utenos trikotazas became the first Lithuanian company to join the Detox campaign of Greenpeace. More information Egle Rakauskaite Communication M.: 8 619 66107 E.: komunikacija@ut.lt Attachments Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 Trend: During the working visit to the UN Office in Geneva, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. Mammadyarov said that the Azerbaijani government continues to improve the refugees and internally displaced peoples living conditions in the country. At the same time, he stressed that a sustainable solution to the IDPs problem is the elimination of the occupation factor to ensure the return to their homeland. The Azerbaijani foreign minister updated Grandi about the ongoing negotiations on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He stressed that Azerbaijan stands for substantive and results-oriented negotiations. It was emphasized that the existing status quo is unacceptable and the Armenian troops must be withdrawn from all occupied Azerbaijani territories in accordance with the corresponding UN Security Council resolutions. Mammadyarov also pointed out the need not to remain indifferent to Armenias policy on the illegal settlement of the refugees of Armenian origin from the Middle East to the occupied Azerbaijani territories, which is contrary to the requirements of international humanitarian law. In his turn, Grandi thanked the Azerbaijani side for its financial contribution to the budget of the UN High Commission for Refugees during this year. He expressed satisfaction with the existing cooperation with Azerbaijan and expressed hope for further expansion of these ties in the future. Mammadyarov invited Grandi to take part in the 18th Summit of Non-Aligned Movement Member States' Heads of State and Government on October 25-26, 2019 in Baku. 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, Feb. 28 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 22 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Feb. 28, Trend reports. The Armenian armed forces were using heavy machine guns. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 Trend: Inappropriate and unconstructive appeals of the representatives of the unrecognized regime formed in occupied Azerbaijani territories, which are detrimental to the negotiations held for the peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, are no longer surprising, Tural Ganjaliyev, head of the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, told Trend. He made the remarks in response to statements made in Armenian media by Tigran Abrahamyan, introduced as an "adviser to the president" of the unrecognized regime formed in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan. Commenting on the current situation on the line of contact, Abrahamyan said that many factors should be taken into account when assessing the situation, claiming that Azerbaijan is ostensibly to be blamed for activities causing destabilization on the line of contact. I would like to bring to Abrahamyans and the unrecognized regimes attention that a peaceful resolution of the conflict is possible only with the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the territories of Azerbaijan and the return of the Azerbaijani population driven out of the region back to their homes. As such, forming a non-constructive atmosphere is unacceptable. I would also like to remind Tigran Abrahamyan that invading Armenia is known as a militarized country not just in the region, but internationally as well," he said. Ganjaliyev went on to say that provocative opinions of Tigran Abrahamyan in connection with the involvement of the representatives of the illegal regime in the talks - in opposition to the spirit and format of the negotiations held on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and him not stating the equivalence of the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, are all indicative of Armenia not being interested in a peaceful settlement of the conflict. "The verdict of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Chiragov and Others v. Armenia confirms once again that the illegal regime is under the direct control of Armenia, and exists thanks to its [Armenias] political, financial and military support. Average Karabakh Armenians also suffer from this invasion policy," he said. According to Ganjaliyev, members of the Azerbaijani community believe that they will again be able to peacefully coexist with the Armenian community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region within the internationally defined borders, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan." 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, Feb. 28 By Elchin Mehdiyev Trend: Azerbaijani-Georgian relations have good prospects and a bright future in all fields, Musa Gasimli, Azerbaijani MP, told Trend. Gasimli noted that the Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili making of one of her first foreign visits to Azerbaijan is of great importance. Gasimli said that a large number of Azerbaijanis also live in Georgia. According to him, because of the neighborhood of the two countries, common interests unite them both. "For Georgia, the territory of Azerbaijan is the most favorable gateway to the East, and so is Georgia a door to the West for Azerbaijan. Georgias participation in international projects founded and initiated by Azerbaijan contributed to solving many problems there," Gasimli said. The deputy also said that, just as in previous years, today there are countries and circles that want to spoil Azerbaijani-Georgian relations, but the leaders of the two neighboring countries will not allow this to happen. "There exist a great potential and prospects for relations with Georgia - our strategic partner and neighbor - in all fields , we can say, - whether it be political-diplomatic, economic, energy, security, culture, humanitarian, information, etc. Our relations have a great future," added the MP. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 Trend: Azerbaijan joins its voice to those countries which call India and Pakistan to restraint from the further escalation, spokesperson of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva told Trend. Azerbaijan supports the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which is indispensable for peace and security in South Asia, she said. Azerbaijan supports all efforts aimed at ending the violence, as well as to ensure peace, security and prosperity in the region according to the norms and principles of international law and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. On Feb. 26 morning, Indian Air Force fighter jets attacked a big training camp of the Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistani part of Kashmir. As a result of the air raid, many militants were eliminated, their vehicles, weapons and ammunition were completely destroyed. Indian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vijay Gokhale said that a preemptive strike was "absolutely necessary" because the group was preparing suicide attacks in various parts of India. Moreover, according to New Delhis opinion, Pakistan has not yet taken any practical steps to eliminate the infrastructure of terrorists on its territory. The crisis in relations between India and Pakistan sharply worsened after Feb. 14, when a suicide bomber blew himself up near paramilitary policemen in Jammu and Kashmir in northern India. Forty-five people were killed as a result of the attack. According to New Delhi, responsibility for the attack was claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed. India accused Pakistan of supporting terrorist groups. Islamabad dismissed the allegations as unsubstantiated, suggesting New Delhi to conduct joint investigation into the incident. Details added (first version posted on 11:23) Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 Trend: Azerbaijan joins its voice to those countries which call India and Pakistan to restraint from the further escalation, spokesperson of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva told Trend. Azerbaijan supports the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which is indispensable for peace and security in South Asia, she said. Azerbaijan supports all efforts aimed at ending the violence, as well as to ensure peace, security and prosperity in the region according to the norms and principles of international law and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. On Feb. 26 morning, Indian Air Force fighter jets attacked a big training camp of the Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistani part of Kashmir. As a result of the air raid, many militants were eliminated, their vehicles, weapons and ammunition were completely destroyed. Indian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vijay Gokhale said that a preemptive strike was "absolutely necessary" because the group was preparing suicide attacks in various parts of India. Moreover, according to New Delhis opinion, Pakistan has not yet taken any practical steps to eliminate the infrastructure of terrorists on its territory. The crisis in relations between India and Pakistan sharply worsened after Feb. 14, when a suicide bomber blew himself up near paramilitary policemen in Jammu and Kashmir in northern India. Forty-five people were killed as a result of the attack. According to New Delhi, responsibility for the attack was claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed. India accused Pakistan of supporting terrorist groups. Islamabad dismissed the allegations as unsubstantiated, suggesting New Delhi to conduct joint investigation into the incident. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.28 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: Trend's exclusive interview with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Slovakias Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Lajcak Question: How do you assess the current level of cooperation between Slovakia and Azerbaijan? What are the ways of expanding this cooperation? Answer: I am glad that our bilateral relations between Slovakia and Azerbaijan are traditionally friendly. We do not have any open issues, and this creates a good basis for strengthening political dialogue and practical cooperation in all areas. Slovakia has a strong interest in good cooperation with Azerbaijan, which was reconfirmed during the official visit of Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini to Azerbaijan last November. We see a big potential in areas like energy, modernization of the transport infrastructure, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism. We have to work on relevant treaties in order to make our economic cooperation more dynamic. Slovakia also supports more intensified cooperation between the European Union and Azerbaijan. A new agreement between the EU and Baku is currently negotiated. We should aim for an ambitious agreement from which both sides can gain. This agreement would represent an important step forward in our relations. Q.: Does the current level of trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Slovakia meet the countries existing potential? How could the two countries boost the bilateral trade? A.: The current level of trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Slovakia does not reflect the existing potential adequately. We hope to increase the volume of our bilateral trade. It would be in both our interest to intensify relations between our entrepreneurs in manufacturing, participation of Slovak companies in restructuring Azerbaijani enterprises, modernizing transport infrastructure, as well as contracting for construction and medical equipment. We are keen to maintain intensive political dialogue at all levels and to strengthen the treaty-base in the investment and economic area. We see Azerbaijan as an important partner in the context of European energy architecture and we wish it to play a constructive role in diversifying energy routes and in strengthening energy security in our region. Q.: What are the priority areas of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Slovakia? How can the two countries cooperate in the sphere of alternative energy? A.: We consider energy a promising area to deepen our mutual economic co-operation based on the considerable human and commercial potential both countries have. Slovak companies are very active in the area of energy and benefit from years-long experience. And the Slovak Republic actively supports Slovak business entities, which are well-respected in the industry and use state-of-the-art technologies. Mining and processing of oil and gas play crucial role in the economic development of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is an important producer of these mineral resources. The Southern Gas Corridor, aiming at supplying European markets with Azerbaijani gas, is a key energy diversification project of the EU. I have been informed that Azerbaijans governmental programs in the energy sector are focused on the development of alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power plants. Slovakia, as an export-oriented country with a strong economy is looking at strengthening partnership in trade and investments and we are interested in exploring new ways to improve our co-operation. And our companies are interested in working with local partners in this sphere to achieve further progress. We are also ready to share our experience in the area of alternative energy sources. Once again, I would like to assure you, that Slovakia will make every effort to further strengthen our excellent economic relations. Q.: Is Slovakia still interested in opening its embassy in Baku? If yes, when approximately is it planned to open it? A.: During his official visit to Azerbaijan in November 2018, Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini confirmed our interest in opening an Embassy in Baku. So the question is not about if but when. I suppose our Embassy will be opened in the not very distant future. Q.: What about the prospects for creating a visa-free regime between the two countries? A.: Slovakia, as a member state of the European Union, is bound by the common visa policy of the European Union. As such we cannot reach an individual bilateral agreement that would introduce a visa free regime between our two countries. But as a general principle, Slovakia supports efforts towards a visa-free regime. Q.: This year Slovakia chairs OSCE and during the recent briefing, you said that Slovakia will focus on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict alongside with other conflicts in the OSCE region. Which measures should be taken to accelerate the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts settlement? A.: Settling a longstanding conflict is a complex task requiring stability in the regional context, active dialogue, and the readiness of societies to move forward. And experience has shown that inclusive processes are more likely to lead to real, lasting peace and stability. Lately, we have seen signs of progress unfolding and we are cautiously optimistic about it. The human toll of violence along the line of contact and state borders has decreased. We are seeing a certain regularity of senior level dialogue between Yerevan and Baku. And the result of these developments contributes to increased stability in the OSCE space. Our Chairmanship is committed to supporting a negotiated, peaceful, and sustainable resolution of the conflict. I have reappointed Amb. Andrzej Kasprzyk as my Personal Representative on the Conflict dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference; we have faith in the Minsk Process, and will ensure it has the support needed to succeed. I am in close contact with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and took positive note of the recent meeting of the Foreign Ministers in Paris. Their understanding that concrete measures are needed to prepare the populations for peace deserves our support. And more broadly speaking, the OSCE provides a forum for dialogue, cooperation and mediation, and in that can help us to focus on related humanitarian needs. One of the priorities of the Slovak OSCE Chairmanship is preventing, resolving, and mediating conflict and mitigating its humanitarian consequences wherever possible. As during my visits to Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, I am eager to ensure that the people most affected remain high on the agenda of the international community. Q.: What is the program of your upcoming visit to Azerbaijan? A.: My programme is not final yet, but I plan to meet with the political leadership to see how we can best support Azerbaijan in implementing its OSCE commitments, the peace process and the activities of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs. And of course, beyond the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it is in the interest of us as the OSCE Chairmanship to maintain open and frank dialogue and good relations with all participating States, and to support progress on the ground. On all of my trips, I am eager to meet with and listen to our partners, whether in government, parliament, and other representatives of society, including those affected by conflict and related developments I am glad to be able to visit Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus in the early stages of our Chairmanship and this way to show the importance the OSCE attaches to the region. Details added (first version posted on 13:16) Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 27 Trend: Following the expanded meeting, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili made press statements. First of all, madam president, let me cordially welcome you to Azerbaijan again, President Aliyev said. "Once again, I congratulate you on your victory at the recent presidential election. I am very pleased that you are visiting Azerbaijan shortly after the election. This indicates that you attach great importance to the ties between our countries. We also attach great importance to the development of Azerbaijani-Georgian relations, President Aliyev added. We are very pleased that these relations are developing successfully and rapidly. Todays visit and our discussions and negotiations confirm once again that our relations have a bright future. Our peoples have been together for centuries, he said. We have always lived in friendship and fraternity. And today, the friendly and fraternal ties are a major factor for our interstate relations. We are building our interstate relations on this solid foundation. Today, Georgia and Azerbaijan successfully cooperate in all areas. Our political contacts are at a high level, meetings and high-level consultations are held on a regular basis, the Azerbaijani president said. We always support each other within international organizations. In all international organizations, Georgia and Azerbaijan always demonstrate solidarity and support each other in matters of territorial integrity. Of course, a significant part of our cooperation is related to the energy sector, he said. These issues were also widely discussed today. I must say that this cooperation has a long history. We have managed together to implement very important and major projects together. If we turn to history, we will see that the construction of the Baku-Supsa pipeline back in the late 1990s was a huge event. This allowed us the opportunity to connect the Caspian and Black Seas via an oil pipeline, President Aliyev said. Following this, of course, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum oil and gas pipelines were built. We, the three countries involved Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey have implemented all of this through joint efforts. Today, these projects have significantly accelerated our economic development. At present, the Southern Gas Corridor project is being successfully implemented along this route, he said. This is the largest infrastructure project in the region. Last year was very important from the point of view of project implementation. The Southern Gas Corridor was officially inaugurated last year. The TANAP project, which constitutes its main part, was put into operation, he added. Gas is already being transported through the TANAP pipeline. These projects are of tremendous importance for our countries and the region, as they deepen our cooperation. Whereas three countries were involved in these projects at the initial stage, there are many more countries involved today and new partners are joining the projects. At the same time, we are paying great attention to cooperation in the transport sector, which was also the subject of negotiations, President Aliyev said. These projects are also bringing huge benefits to our countries. As a result of the opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway a year and a half ago, the volume of cargo currently passing through the territories of our countries is growing and will continue to grow. We are still in the first stage of this project, but are already seeing its benefits. The increasing freight traffic suggests that we are on the right track, he said. After the opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, Azerbaijan held negotiations with its neighbours, countries located in the eastern part of the Caspian Sea, and reached an agreement. I am sure that on the basis of this agreement, the freight traffic will significantly increase. This is our common project, President Aliyev said. The new corridor will connect continents. And again, the main role here has been played by the traditional format of the Azerbaijani-Georgian-Turkish trilateral cooperation. The number of cooperating countries is now increasing. Of course, we have had a wide exchange of views on all other issues today, including those related to cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, in the fields of culture, education and tourism, he said. The Georgians living in Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijanis living in Georgia play a very important role in the development of our relations, he said. Georgia and Azerbaijan are multiethnic and multi-confessional countries. This is our great asset. Representatives of all the peoples living in our countries feel very comfortable. This is a very important factor for the current and future development of our countries. I am glad that Madam president will also visit the north-western region of Azerbaijan and meet local people there, including our citizens of Georgian origin, President Aliyev added. Of course, this will be a very important event for them too. I am sure that representatives of other nations living there will also be very happy about this. In addition, I am convinced that familiarization with this picturesque part of our country will make a pleasant impression on you. In a nutshell, I can say that our cooperation in all areas has great prospects and, most importantly, there is a strong political will, he said. Georgia and Azerbaijan will continue to support each other. We will continue to develop the implemented projects and think about new projects. I am sure that our peoples and states have a bright future. The current official visit is of great importance for our relations. Dear madam president! Let me once again welcome you to Azerbaijan, he added. Thank you! Details added (first version posted on 12:28) Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 27 Trend: Following the one-on-one meeting, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili were joined by their delegations for a meeting in an expanded format. The presidents made speeches at the meeting. We attach great importance to your visit, President Aliyev said. I have congratulated Madam President on her victory in the presidential election. I am very pleased that after a short time, madam president is visiting Azerbaijan. This is an excellent indicator. In a one-on-one meeting today, we discussed many issues, he said. We discussed regional problems, our bilateral and multilateral cooperation. We were once again convinced that our positions overlap on all the issues. I am sure that this visit will be an important step for the development of Georgian-Azerbaijani relations. So far we have resolved many issues together, President Aliyev added. Georgia and Azerbaijan are close friends and fraternal countries. We have lived in the atmosphere of good neighbourliness for centuries and are successfully developing today. The projects we are jointly implementing are important for our countries, for the continent and for the whole world. So we have managed to create a very successful format of cooperation. I am convinced that our cooperation will deepen and expand even more in all areas in the coming years, he said. This is necessitated by our political will. I am sure that we will always be next to each other on all matters, will support each other just as we have always done in all matters before. We have discussed foreign policy issues, the situation in the region and the implementation of our transport and energy projects today, President Aliyev said. Of course, we will now discuss these issues in an expanded format, in a wider form. I am convinced that the results of the visit will be very positive and make a new contribution to our cooperation. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: There is an executive power in Russia, and there is the point of view of individual politicians, and this is normal, spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said at a press conference, Trend reports Feb. 28. Zakharova was answering a question from an Armenian journalist about the participation of Russian MPs in the nationwide march in Baku in connection with the 27th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide. Zakharova reminded that in a democratic society, people with different political views on various issues are elected to the legislative assembly. We still have a division of branches of power, she said. We have an executive power, and I voiced the official position of the Russian Federation, and there is the point of view of individual politicians; this is normal. It is strange that you dont understand this. On Feb. 26, a nationwide march took place in connection with the 27th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide, and a delegation from Russia also participated in the march. The delegation included Deputy Chairman of the Committee for International Affairs of the State Duma (lower house of the Russian parliament), world-famous athlete Irina Rodnina, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Safety and Combating Corruption of the State Duma Dmitry Savelyev, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs of the Federal Assembly of the State Duma Oksana Pushkina, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee for State Building and Legislation of the State Duma Mikhail Yemelyanov. Russian MPs Tatyana Sibizova, Denis Parfenov and Aleksey Zhuravlev, Director of the Institute for Political Studies of Russia, Coordinator of the Group of Friends of Azerbaijan, well-known political scientist Sergey Markov and head of the CIS countries department of the institute Aleksey Bychkov, military expert, editor-in-chief of Natsionalnaya Oborona magazine Igor Korotchenko, Russian director, writer Aleksandr Rusnak and Dean of the Faculty of Sociology and Political Science of the Financial University under the Government of Russia Aleksandr Shatilov also attended the nationwide march. 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. During the Karabakh war, on Feb. 25-26, 1992, the Armenian armed forces, together with the 366th infantry regiment of Soviet troops, stationed in Khankendi, committed an act of genocide against the population of the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly. As many as 613 people, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 old people were killed in the massacre. Eight families were totally exterminated, 130 children lost one parent and 25 children lost both. Some 1,275 innocent residents were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 people still remains unknown. 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 Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn French English Paris, 28th February 2019 MBWS has obtained the authorization of the Anti-Trust Authority for the business combination with COFEPP Availability of the prospectus on the project of business combination with COFEPP Update on FY 2018 earnings estimates announced on 25th January 2019 Implementation of the COFEPP reserved capital increase Changes to governance Change to the financial calendar MBWS has obtained the authorization of the Anti-Trust Authority for the business combination with COFEPP Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits (Euronext: MBWS) today announced that it has obtained the authorization of the Anti-Trust Authority of France regarding the project of business combination with Compagnie Financiere de Prises de Participations (COFEPP), which consists of (i) a capital increase reserved to COFEPP for a total amount of 37.712m (issue premium included), at a subscription price of 4 per share (issue premium included) and (ii) an allocation of free stock warrants to all shareholders (the Principal Option). Under the terms of this authorization, COFEPP has agreed to sell the following to an independent third party: The business linked to the Porto Pitters brand in France and internationally; and The business linked to the Tiscaz tequila brand only in France, or in France and internationally depending on how the commitment is executed. It is specified that the impact on the Company will not be significant, it being understood that the Porto Pitters brand is owned by MBWS but accounts for only 0.4% of the Companys 2018 net sales, and that the Tiscaz tequila brand is owned by COFEPP group. All of the conditions to which the Principal Option was subject have now been met. Availability of the prospectus regarding the project of business combination with COFEPP With regard to the implementation of the Principal Option, the Company also announced the availability of the prospectus regarding: - The admission to trading on the regulated market of Euronext Paris of 9,428,000 new shares issued at a unit price of 4 as part of a capital increase without preferential subscription rights for the benefit of COFEPP, for a total amount of 37.712m euros, issue premium included (the Reserved Capital Increase); - The issuance and admission to trading on the regulated market of Euronext Paris of 37,762,312 stock warrants, to be exercised during 1 month (the Short Term Stock Warrants ) and to be allocated for free to shareholders (including the shares held by COFEPP after the abovementioned reserved capital increase), potentially leading to the issue of 16,418,396 new shares at a price of 3 per share (issue premium included) ; - The issuance and admission to trading on the regulated market of Euronext Paris of 37,762,312 stock warrants, to be exercised within a 42-month period (the Long Term Stock Warrants ) and to be allocated free of charge to shareholders (including the shares held by COFEPP after the abovementioned reserved capital increase), potentially leading to the issue of 16,418,396 new shares at a price of 3 per share (issue premium included); and - Admission to trading on the regulated market of Euronext Paris of 32,836,792 new shares from the exercise of the Short Term Stock Warrants and the Long Term Stock Warrants. The French Financial Markets Authority ( AMF ) has affixed visa n19-066 on 28 February 2019 to this prospectus (the Prospectus ). The Prospectus consists of: (i) The Companys Registration Document, filed with the AMF on 10 January 2019 under the number D.19-0010 (the Registration Document ); (ii) The Securities Note (the Securities Note ); and (iii) The Prospectus summary (included in the Securities Note). Copies of the Prospectus are available, free of charge, at the Companys corporate headquarters, as well as on the Companys website (http://fr.mbws.com) and on the AMFs website (www.amf-france.org). Investors are advised to carefully read the risk factors outlined in point 2.3 of the Management Report contained in the Companys Registration Document, and Chapter 2 of the Securities Note. In line with the indicative timeframe mentioned in section 5.1.3 of the Securities Note, (i) the completion of the Reserved Capital Increase is expected to take place on 1st March 2019, and (ii) the allocation of Short Term Stock Warrants and Long Term Stock Warrants is expected to take place on 29th March 2019, for the benefit of the Companys shareholders registered in the Companys record as of 28th March 2019. It is expected that (i) the new shares issued in the context of the Reserved Capital Increase will be admitted to trading on the regulated market of Euronext Paris on 5th March 2019 and (ii) the exercise period for the Short Term Stock Warrants and the Long Term Warrants will begin on 29th March 2019, following the publication of the Companys strategic plan, which is scheduled on 25th March 2019. As previously announced, COFEPP has made a commitment to (i) exercise its Stock Warrants at a level of at least 15m overall (which will be completed via the Short Term Stock Warrants), at the very latest on the first trading day of the Short Term Stock Warrant exercise period, with the understanding that this commitment will be postponed in the event of negative windows or insider information and (ii) not exercise more than 30% of the Stock Warrants issued as part of the Principal Option. An additional securities note will be submitted for approval (visa) to the AMF on 25th March 2019 in order to include in the Prospectus the elements of the abovementioned strategic plan. Update to the FY 2018 estimates, as announced on 25th January 2019 Estimated FY 2018 EBITDA remains at -28m. This estimate has been established following a similar process to the one usually applied for the establishment of the consolidated financial statements of the MBWS Group. The auditors have issued a report on this estimate, available in the appendix of the Securities Note. Additionally, the Company is not in a position to definitively confirm its estimated net loss for FY 2018 (as published on January 25th of this year, in a range of -60m to -65m), due to the fact that the likely effects of the business combination with COFEPP on impairment tests and the new strategic plan currently being developed cannot be estimated at this point. Nevertheless, the Company confirms that the rest of the information communicated in advance of the General meeting held on 31st January 2019, and specifically the elements leading to the summary of the report of the analysis being carried out by the independent expert Ledouble, is maintained. Implementation of the COFEPP Reserved Capital Increase During the meeting held today, the Board of Directors took the decision to implement the delegation of authority granted by the General meeting held on 31st January 2019, in order to carry out the Reserved Capital Increase. The Reserved Capital Increase will be completed on 1st March 2019 by the Chief Executive Officer, subject to the effective payment made by COFEPP, which will carried out (i) in cash, for an amount of 5m and (ii) by a receivable offset for the balance (for an amount of 7.712m as repayment of the current account advance provided by COFEPP in May of 2018, and the amount of 25m as repayment of the bridge loan subscribed by COFEPP on 4th February 2019). The Board of the Directors has also decided on the principle of the allocation of the Short Term Stock Warrants and the Long Term Stock Warrants, under the terms and conditions outlined in the Prospectus. This allocation will take place after the publication of the Companys strategic plan, which is scheduled for 25th March 2019, and subject to the approval (visa) of the AMF of a complementary securities note to the Prospectus. It is further specified that in order to enable the completion of the Reserved Capital Increase and validation of the principle for the issue of the Short Term Stock Warrants and Long Term Stock Warrants, within the abovementioned timeframe and conditions, an Amendment n2 to the agreement of 21st December 2018 between the Company and COFEPP, as amended by Amendment n1 on 30th January 2019, was executed today. Changes to Governance The Board of Directors has also noted that Constance Benque, Christine Mondollot and Benoit Herault have resigned from their positions as members of the Board of Directors, with effect from the completion of the Reserved Capital Increase (1st March 2019). The Board of Directors has expressed its deep appreciation to Constance Benque, Christine Mondollot and Benoit Herault for their commitment and involvement during the past years. The Board of Directors has also noted the involvement of new members of the Board, who were appointed during the General meeting held on 31st January 2019, and whose taking office will be ascertained on the date of completion of the Reserved Capital Increase (1st March 2019): - Pascale Anquetil; - Anna Luc; - Cyril Cahart; - Georges Graux. Georges Graux has also been appointed to the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors, with effect from the completion of the Reserved Capital Increase. This appointment is temporary, until the Companys shareholders, at their Annual General Meeting, are able to amend the Companys by-laws to extend the age limit of the Chairman of the Board of Directors, thus enabling Jean-Pierre Cayard to be appointed to that position. As regards the Board of Directors committees: - The membership of the Audit Committee will be maintained as is, with current members being: Jacques Tierny, independent Board member, and Chairman of the Audit Committee; Guillaume de Belair, independent Board member; Jean-Pierre Cayard, Board member; - The Nominating and Compensation committee will be composed of three members: Edith Cayard, Chairperson of the Nominating and Compensation committee; Rita Zniber, Board member; Jacques Tierny, independent Board member. The Board of Directors has also decided to create a Strategic and Commercial committee, which will be made up of three members: - Cyril Cahart, Board member, Chairman of the Strategic and Commercial committee; - Hachem Belghiti, Board member; - Edith Cayard, Board member. The Strategic and Commercial Committee will be tasked with setting the Groups strategic, policy, marketing and commercial direction, in France and internationally. It is further specified that the role of the Strategic and Commercial Committee does not include decisions regarding operations that could be submitted to an ad hoc committee made up of independent Board members, which would be established in case of the disposal of certain assets, in accordance with Resolution A approved at the Mixed General Meeting held on 31st January 2019. Additionally, the Board of Directors has decided to abide by the Middlenext corporate governance code in light of the Companys market capitalization (instead of the Afep/Medef code) and consequently to modify the Board of Directors internal regulations accordingly. Change to the financial calendar The date for publishing the Companys FY 2018 annual results and Q1 2019 Net Sales, originally set for 25th April 2019, has been rescheduled to 30th April 2019. Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits produces and sells a range of wine and spirits across four geographic clusters: Western Europe, Middle East & Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. MBWS has distinguished itself for its know-how, the range of its brands, and a long tradition and history of innovation. From the inception of Maison Marie Brizard in Bordeaux, France in 1755, to the launch of Fruits and Wine in 2010, MBWS has successfully developed and adapted its brands to make them contemporary while respecting their origins. MBWS is committed to providing value by offering its customers bold, trustworthy, flavorful and experiential brands. The company has a broad portfolio of leading brands in their respective market segments, most notably William Peel scotch whisky, Sobieski vodka, Krupnik vodka, Fruits and Wine flavored wine, Marie Brizard liqueurs and Cognac Gautier. MBWS is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris, Compartment B (ISIN code FR0000060873, ticker MBWS) and is in the EnterNext PEA-PME 150 index, among others. Investor Contact Raquel Lizarraga raquel.lizarraga@mbws.com Tel : +33 1 43 91 50 Press Contact Simon Zaks, Image Sept szaks@image7.fr Tel : +33 1 53 70 74 63 Important information No communication and no information in respect of this transaction may be distributed to the public in any jurisdiction where a registration or approval is required. No steps have been or will be taken in any jurisdiction (other than France) where such steps would be required. The issue, the subscription for or the purchase of MBWS shares and/or warrants may be subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. This announcement is not a prospectus within the meaning of Directive 2003/71/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of November 4th, 2003, as amended, in particular by Directive 2010/73/EU (together, the Prospectus Directive). No securities offering will be opened to the public in France before the delivery of the visa on a prospectus prepared in compliance with the Prospectus Directive, as approved by the French Autorite des marches financiers. With respect to the member States of the European Economic Area which have implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a relevant member State), other than France, no action has been undertaken or will be undertaken to make an offer to the public of the securities requiring publication of a prospectus in any relevant member State. As a result, the new shares and/or warrants of MBWS may only be offered in relevant member States (i) to qualified investors, as defined by the Prospectus Directive; or (ii) in any other circumstances, not requiring MBWS to publish a prospectus as provided under Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive. The distribution of this press release is not made, and has not been approved, by an authorised person within the meaning of Article 21(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. As a consequence, this press release is directed only at persons who (i) are located outside the United Kingdom, (ii) have professional experience in matters relating to investments within the meaning of Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotions) Order 2005 (as amended), (iii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotions) Order 2005 (as amended) or (iv) are persons to whom this press release may otherwise lawfully be communicated (all such persons mentioned in paragraphs (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) collectively being referred to as Relevant Persons). The securities are directed only at Relevant Persons and no invitation, offer or agreements to subscribe, purchase or acquire the securities may be proposed or made other than with Relevant Persons. Any person other than a Relevant Person may not act or rely on this document or any provision thereof. This press release is not a prospectus which has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority or any other United Kingdom regulatory authority within the meaning of Section 85 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. This press release does not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States. Securities may not be offered, subscribed or sold in the United States absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements thereof. The warrants and the shares of MBWS and rights in respect thereof have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act and MBWS does not intend to make a public offer of its securities in the United States. The distribution of this document in certain countries may constitute a breach of applicable law. The information contained in this document does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan. This press release may not be published, forwarded or distributed, directly or indirectly, in the United States (including its territories and dependencies and any state of the United States), Canada, Australia or Japan. Attachment Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 Trend: A delegation consisting of members of the US Jewish and Evangelical Christian communities will be on a visit to Baku March 3-8, Trend reports with reference to State Committee on Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan Feb. 28. An international conference From interfaith and intercivilizational dialogue to cooperation will be held March 5 as part of the visit program, jointly organized by the State Committee on Religious Associations and the Caucasus Muslims Office. During the visit, the delegations meetings are planned in the Foreign Ministry, the State Committee on Religious Associations, the Baku International Multiculturalism Center and the Caucasus Muslims Office, visits to the Jewish school in Baku, the Heydar Mosque, Orthodox, Catholic churches, synagogues of Ashkenazi and Caucasus Jews, the Red Sloboda settlement in Azerbaijans Guba district where the Jews live. The conference will be attended by Chairman of the State Committee on Religious Associations Mubariz Gurbanli, Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Office Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade, Head of Department of Interethnic Relations, Multiculturalism and Religious Issues under the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan Etibar Najafov. The conference will also be attended by Vice-Speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament Bahar Muradova, Head of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Associations and Religious Structures Siyavush Novruzov, Vice-President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Isa Habibbayli, MPs Mikhail Zabelin, Evda Abramov, heads of religious confessions operating in Azerbaijan, as well as participants who arrived from the US. The delegation is headed by Head of the US Foundation for Ethnic Understanding Rabbi Marc Schneier and Bishop Robert Stearns, executive director of the Evangelical organization Eagles Wings. The international event is aimed at getting to know the exemplary experience of Azerbaijan, supporting interfaith dialogue and cooperation thanks to the targeted policy of the head of state, holding discussions to further deepen the platform of communication between countries and religions. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 Trend: Another group of Azerbaijani soldiers and officers who became disabled in the Karabakh war have been supplied with high-tech prostheses in accordance with the instructions of the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva. Nearly 30 servicemen who lost parts of their body in the battles in Karabakh received high-tech prostheses that were designed after careful examination of their individual needs. At a meeting with a group of the disabled soldiers and officers in 2017, First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva gave instructions to appropriate authorities to supply them with artificial replacements for missing body parts to help them regain or maintain their mobility. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.28 Trend: On March 1st and 5th, Georgetown University Professor Dr. Toby Long, an internationally renowned consultant on children with disabilities and special health care needs, will deliver several public lectures on Inclusive Education and Behavior Management for children with disabilities, Trend reports citing U.S. embassy in Azerbaijan. The lectures will be hosted at the Baku American Center of Azerbaijan University of Language on March 1 and at the Landmark Rotunda Hall on March 5. The lectures are open to educators, psychologists, graduate students, pediatricians, and people working with disabled children. More information is available on the U.S. Embassys Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/114366571914596/posts/2696904456994115/ Toby Long is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Georgetown University, and serves as the Training Director of the Center for Child and Human Development at the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. She is also Director of the Graduate Certificate Program in Early Intervention offered by Georgetown University. After completing her current visit, Dr. Toby Long will be back to Baku in May to work with additional partners at the Azerbaijan Medical University and Pedagogical University. Baku, Azerbaijan, February 28 By Fakhri Vakilov - Trend: During the meeting in Tashkent between World Bank (WB) European and Central Asia Vice President Cyril Muller and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the sides discussed current efforts to create a successful market economy, reform state institutions and modernize the country's large agricultural sector, Trend reports with reference to the World Bank. During the meeting, issues of further deepening the multi-dimensional partnership between Uzbekistan and the World Bank group were discussed. The importance of promoting practical cooperation in such areas as the development of banking and financial sector, supporting entrepreneurship and the real economy, reforming state enterprises and the agro-industrial complex, improving business environment and investment climate, widespread introduction of public-private partnership mechanisms in the implementation of infrastructure projects was noted . Uzbekistan is making strong progress implementing challenging economic reforms to support growth and build opportunities for citizens, says Cyril Muller. Visiting Uzbekistan, Muller reaffirmed the World Banks continued support for the countrys transformation agenda. Broad economic reforms are helping promote greater transparency and accountability, leading to better public services for citizens, said MMuller. Continued reforms in the business environment, the banking, financial and energy sectors, land and agriculture and especially health and education will boost private sector investments, create jobs especially for young people and help the country achieve sustainable economic growth. Among citizens of Uzbekistan, support for the countrys reform agenda remains high. According to a 2018 survey conducted by the World Bank, Listening to Citizens of Uzbekistan, about 95 percent of respondents from 4,000 households across Uzbekistan express optimism for the countrys economic future. And nearly 80 percent of the respondents are eager for more opportunities to engage with the government on important policy decisions. During his visit, Muller also visited Westminster International University in Tashkent, where he met with students, business leaders and journalists to discuss the opportunities that the social and economic transformation brings to the citizens of Uzbekistan, especially women and young people, to participate in the economic future of their country. Uzbekistan has a young, rapidly growing working-age population, with about 500,000 new job seekers entering the labor market each year, said Muller. That is why it is so important to maintain the reform momentum, invest in peoples health and education, and ensure everyone has an opportunity to realize their full potential. I am very optimistic for the future of Uzbekistan. Muller noted that the successful issuance of securities on international stock markets, obtaining sovereign ratings and raising Uzbekistans international country rating are the reasons for international recognition of the ongoing new course of large-scale socio-economic transformation in Uzbekistan. The World Bank is supporting Uzbekistan through the implementation of 19 projects, totaling over $3.32 billion. These projects contribute to the implementation of macroeconomic reforms, the improvement of agriculture and water resources management, energy, transport, healthcare, education, urban development, water supply and sanitation services, and support the countrys economic growth. --- Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 Trend: A meeting was held in the Astara District of Azerbaijan between the delegations of the customs authorities of Azerbaijan and Iran, Trend reports referring to the State Customs Committee. As part of the procedures regulated by the Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR Carnets, the two countries discussed e-TIR Pilot project, which provides for full e-government of transit operations between Azerbaijan and Iran. The meeting focused on promoting computerization through electronic platforms of customs control over international road transport, along with the issues of customs regulation of international transport using modern electronic methods. The preparation of a bilateral execution plan for coordinating activities in this area was also mulled. The parties discussed the relevant legislative framework for the e-TIR Pilot project, setting a time frame for commencing the first pilot shipments, the creation of technical capabilities, and conducting training for customs officers on the use of the electronic system. Cooperation between the customs authorities of Azerbaijan and Iran in this area will contribute to expanding the transit potential of both countries key figures of the North-South international transport corridor, and increasing the competitiveness of international transport. Azerbaijan and Iran signed the basic principles for the e-government of international transport procedures in October 2018 and January 2019, respectively. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 28 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Presently, the issue of launching international flights from the airport in Turkmenabat city (the administrative center of Turkmenistans Lebap region) to China, Turkey and other countries is being considered, Trend reports referring to Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper. A new airport with a capacity of 500 passengers per hour and the ability to receive any type of aircraft, including Airbus A380 and cargo aircraft AN-225 (Mriya) opened in this city in 2018. In 2018, it was planned to transfer 213,000 passengers from the airport and in fact, this figure exceeded more than a quarter of a million passengers. The plan for the transportation of mail and cargo was fulfilled by 175 percent. Presently, flights are operated from the Turkmenabat airport to Ashgabat, Turkmenbashi, Dashoguz cities. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 By Matanat Nasibova Trend: In the coming days, the Gilan Textile Park company will begin to export its first batch of yarn to Portugal, the company told Trend. According to the source, the primary shipments there are expected to be in small quantities. "Currently, the company is negotiating with European partners on the export of finished products. progress is also expected in this direction," the company said. The company products are environmentally friendly and meet international quality standards. Based on its production potential, Gilan Textile Park is considered to be one of the largest processing enterprises not only of Azerbaijan, but also of the whole region. Gilan Textile Park uses cotton grown in Azerbaijan as a raw material for the manufacture of various products, and provides great support for the development of industry and agriculture in the country. Weaving, dyeing and sewing factories operate in the base of the Gilan Textile Park, commissioned in 2012 in Sumgayit. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 By Elnur Baghishov Trend: Iran Airs Boeing 747 aircraft has brought 40 tons of meat from Kazakhstan, said Nader Sanagou Motlagh, head of Iran's Payam International Airport, Trend reports referring to ILNA. According to Sanagou Motlagh, the plane flew from Kazakhstan's Shymkent airport to Payam International Airport in Iran. Sanagou Motlagh added that meat imports will continue from other countries as well for the regulation of market prices. He said that meat imports via Payam International Airport resumed after a 50-day delay. The price of meat in Iran has sharply risen recently, with the price of 1 kg of meat reaching $23.8. Imports of meat to Iran increased for purposes of market regulation. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 By Rashid Shirinov Trend: Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO) and Kazakhstan Railways will create a working group to develop cooperation, Trend reports citing the ASCO message. At a meeting in Baku, the sides discussed transport routes through the Caspian Sea and the territory of Azerbaijan, including the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). Chairman of ASCO Rauf Veliyev noted that the company is constantly updating its fleet and intends to continue this strategy to ensure the increasing volume of cargo transportation in the Caspian Sea. Head of Kazakhstan Railways Sauat Mynbayev, in turn, expressed interest in strengthening cooperation with ASCO. The parties agreed to continue cooperation in cargo transportation and logistics in the format of a working group. It should be noted that TITR is an international transport corridor connecting China with European countries. The TITR Coordination Committee includes railway, sea and port administrations, as well as logistics companies of 8 countries: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Georgia, Turkey, Ukraine, Poland and Romania. By 2020, it is planned to reach cargo transportation volume of 7-8 million tons through TITR. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashid Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 By Huseyn Veliyev - Trend: Since the beginning of 2019, the Entrepreneurship Development Fund has issued 8 million manats of preferential loans to entrepreneurs in Azerbaijan, said the Deputy Economy Minister of Azerbaijan Sahib Mammadov, Trend reports Feb. 28. These loans were provided for the implementation of projects by 80 entrepreneurs, Mammadov said. "The issued loans will be mainly aimed at the development of agriculture and the processing industry. As a result, new jobs will be created," the deputy minister said. He added that by the end of 2018, the fund issued preferential loans in the amount of 160.2 million manats. The Entrepreneurship Development Fund was established on the basis of the National Fund for the Support of Entrepreneurship, operating in the country since 1997. This year, the fund plans to issue preferential loans in the amount of 160 million manats. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @h_veliyev Oslo, 28 February 2019 Effective as of today, Maria Rosa Siles Moreno has stepped down as a member of Interoil's Board of Directors as she will assume public office in a regional entity in Andalucia, Spain. Interoil appreciates her commitment though these years and wishes her all the best in this new challenge. Please direct any further questions to: ir@interoil.no. *************************** Interoil Exploration and Production ASA is a Norwegian based exploration and production company - listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange - with focus on Latin America. The Company is operator of several production and exploration assets in Colombia. Interoil currently employs approximately 50 people and is headquartered in Oslo. This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5 -12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Baku, Azerbaijan, February 28 By Fakhri Vakilov - Trend: Uzbekistan and The US declared the need to intensify negotiations on the conclusion of intergovernmental agreements on the promotion and mutual protection of investments and on the avoidance of double taxation, Trend reports with reference to Uzbek Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade. The US delegation led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs David Meale agreed on that during the Uzbek-US annual bilateral consultations. "The parties noted the need to intensify negotiations on the conclusion of intergovernmental agreements on the promotion and mutual protection of investments and on the avoidance of double taxation, which will make a significant practical contribution to strengthening investment cooperation with the US companies and increase the number of new joint projects, the Uzbek Ministry noted. The parties also discussed prospects for cooperation in the areas of trade, investment and financial partnership, environmental protection, science, technology and health. The exchange of views demonstrated the presence of significant potential for the further development of investment cooperation in high-tech industries. The high capacity of the markets of Uzbekistan, Central Asia and the CIS countries creates all conditions for successful implementation of investment projects and for an increase in commodity turnover between the two countries. "The issues of establishing and diversifying cooperation between Tashkent and Washington in the financial sector, including in the framework of a partnership with the Private Foreign Investment Corporation (OPIC) and The US Eximbank, were discussed," the ministry said. In conclusion, the parties exchanged views on high potential for establishing and expanding long-term and mutually beneficial relations, and also expressed confidence that the agreements reached during the negotiations will be fully implemented in the near future, which will significantly strengthen and bring relations to a new level. --- Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 By Rashid Shirinov Trend: China is interested to import of agricultural and food products from Kazakhstan, Trend reports via Kazakh media. The remarks were made by the representatives of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce at a meeting in Beijing with a delegation of the Kazakh Agriculture Ministry headed by Vice Minister Gulmira Isaeva. During the meeting, the parties agreed to cooperate in a number of areas, including the organization of import orders from Kazakhstan to China with the support of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, organization of the second forum of interregional cooperation in Kazakhstan this spring, as well as promotion of Kazakh agricultural products to the Chinese market through electronic trading platforms. In addition, the parties agreed to implement a pilot project to create a veterinary and phytosanitary laboratory and an electronic trading platform at the Khorgos International Center for Cross-Border Cooperation, as well as a project to create a joint veterinary laboratory in the East Kazakhstan region. Earlier this month, the former Industry and Infrastructure Development Minister of Kazakhstan Zhenis Kassymbek said that it is planned to provide Kazakh exporters with a simplified access to the markets of China by inviting inspection commissions from the country to visit the exporters' enterprises. He noted that 500 billion tenge was allocated in Kazakhstan to strengthen measures to support exporters in 2019-2021, including 470 billion tenge for financial measures and 30 billion tenge for non-financial measures. (377.26 KZT = 1 USD on Feb. 28) --- Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashid Baku, Azerbaijan, February 28 By Fakhri Vakilov - Trend: Uzvtortsvetmet (Uzbekistan) intends to expand exports of products to Germany, Turkey, Russia and a number of other countries this year, Trend reports with reference to press service of the company. The main consumers of the company's products are such industries as engineering, automotive, aircraft, agriculture, transport, construction. In addition, non-ferrous metals are widely used in consumer goods manufacturing and handicrafts. Uzvtortsvetmet JSC exported products of more than $15 million in 2018. Compared with 2017, the growth in exports amounted to 79.8 percent. Deliveries were made to Germany, the UK, Russia, China and Slovakia. More specifically, we sent abroad secondary aluminum and other non-ferrous alloys, as well as products made from them, recycled scrap, Director for Commercial Activities of the enterprise, Vladimir Kirsanov said. In particular, exports of aluminum alloys amounted to $3.7 million, copper alloys - $4.1 million, scrap and non-ferrous metal waste - more than $1 million, other products - $6.1 million. Kirsanov states that this year the company intends to export products by $17.54 million, an increase of 16.6 percent compared to 2018. It is planned to make deliveries to countries such as Germany, Russia, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Turkey, India, China and Afghanistan. Uzvtortsvetmet JSC is the only enterprise in Central Asia specializing in the collection and processing of scrap, as well as non-ferrous metal wastes. In September 2018, the state share in Uzvtortsvetmet was transferred in trust to a foreign enterprise, SFI Management Group LLC. --- Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri Baku, Azerbaijan, February 28 By Fakhri Vakilov - Trend: The United States increased aid to Uzbekistan from $10.1 million in 2016 to $28.1 million in 2018 fiscal year, Trend reports with reference to press service of The US Embassy in Uzbekistan. Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells made this statement during the annual US-Uzbek political consultations in Tashkent. Wells noted that the increase in aid shows Washingtons commitment to strengthening partnerships and supporting the reform program in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan became famous again throughout the world after the country implemented reforms in the economy and management, new opportunities for cooperation and investment, both with neighboring countries and with the whole world. All of Central Asia benefits from the fact that Uzbekistan plays its legitimate role on the world stage. The United States supports and encourages the revival of Uzbekistan, Wells said. Speaking at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED), she noted the strengthening of ties between countries in the field of economy and trade. In particular, she recalled that last October in Uzbekistan, with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Central Asian Trade Forum was held, where entrepreneurs made deals in the amount of more than $56 million. In addition, Wells noted that the US supports Uzbekistans desire to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) and provided an expert to advise the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment on this process. Wells added that the United States pays tribute to Uzbekistans friendship with neighbors policy that benefits all Central Asian countries. With the opening of borders and the settlement of old disputes, cooperation in many areas has increased, which has led to the establishment of new ties and the strengthening of stability in the entire region, including in Afghanistan, the diplomat stated. Furthermore, Wells said that the US Peace Corps could return to Uzbekistan. The return of Peace Corps to Uzbekistan would provide important and sustainable connections between people and significant support in terms of expanding the teaching of English language. Peace Corps volunteers are ordinary Americans who want to learn about your history and culture and share the American culture with you ", the US diplomat stressed. In its turn, Uzbekistan is ready to invest in the US economy. In particular, in mid-February of this year, the Minister of Finance of Uzbekistan Jamshid Kuchkarov said that the country plans to reduce the share of gold in its foreign exchange reserves by purchasing US Treasury bonds. The Peace Corps is an independent US Federal Government agency. It was established on March 1, 1961. The corps has been working in Uzbekistan since 1992, when a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The organization curtailed its activities in the country in 2005. The Peace Corps sends volunteers to more than 70 countries around the world, to collaborate with government agencies, schools, non-profit organizations, non-governmental organizations and entrepreneurs in the fields of education, entrepreneurship, information technology, agriculture and ecology. --- Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 By Rashid Shirinov Trend: Kazakhstan will allocate 120 billion tenge for the creation of medical organizations, said Health Minister Yelzhan Birtanov, Trend reports via the Kazakh media. "It is planned to allocate 120 billion tenge to create 10 medical organizations in seven regions of the country. About 100,000 patients will be treated in new hospitals every year," the minister said. In addition, as part of public-private partnership, 15 large multi-specialty hospitals will be built to replace 56 outdated hospitals. "In general, more than 800 billion tenge will be additionally allocated by 2025 within a single long-term plan of public-private partnership", Birtanov added. The minister also noted that the salaries of the most demanded specialists will be increased from July 1. "The salary increase will affect 225,000 medical workers. For this, 37.6 billion tenge will be allocated from the state budget of 2019, and 78.7 billion tenge will be allocated in 2020," he said. (377.26 KZT = 1 USD on Feb. 28) --- Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashid Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 By Rashid Shirinov Trend: Kazakh specialists will participate in drilling as well as provide technical support during the operation of the jackup floating drilling rig transferred in trust to the Azerbaijani side, KazMunayGas told Trend. On February 16, President of State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) Rovnag Abdullayev met in Astana with the Chairman of the Management Board of KazMunayGas (KMG) Alik Aidarbayev. During the meeting, an agreement was signed between subsidiaries of the parties Kazakh KMG Drilling & Services and Azerbaijani Caspian Drilling Company Ltd. on transferring a jackup rig in trust. "Cooperation between KMG and SOCAR will not only improve the experience of offshore drilling, but will also increase the competitiveness of the jackup rig in the Caspian Sea drilling services market," KMG noted. The main purpose of the agreement is the operation of the jackup rig in the projects implemented by the Azerbaijani side. One of such projects is the use of the rig in the Absheron structure being developed by BP. The cooperation also provides for the modernization of the jackup rig, which will ensure the safe and effective drilling of exploration wells at a depth of more than 6,000 meters. Earlier, KMG and SOCAR signed a memorandum of understanding in Baku, which provides broad prospects for cooperation between the companies, including that in exploration in the Caspian Sea with a joint study of geological and geophysical materials for hydrocarbon exploration, as well as in the fields of logistics, trading of oil and oil products. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashid Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 28 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: The EU and Turkmenistan held their eighteenth meeting of the Joint Committee on Feb. 26, 2019 in Brussels, Trend reports with reference to the EU website. The Joint Committee reviewed the progress made last year between the EU and Turkmenistan, in particular in terms of trade, economic development, bilateral cooperation, political developments and human rights, and reaffirmed the commitment of both parties to strengthen cooperation in a number of areas. The EU and Turkmenistan discussed the macroeconomic situation, bilateral trade and the ongoing reforms in Turkmenistan. Current political and key governance issues in Turkmenistan were reviewed, including the recently adopted program for socio-economic development 2019-2025, the activities of the Ombudsman office and the implementation of the National Human Rights Action Plan. The EU informed Turkmen partners about the preparations for the new EU Strategy on Central Asia, to be adopted soon. The EU thanked Turkmenistan for hosting in July 2018 in Ashgabat the annual EU-Central Asia High-Level Political and Security Dialogue. The meeting assessed the progress of ongoing EU development cooperation projects, with both the EU and Turkmenistan providing updates on their implementation. The EU also provided information on the upcoming set of regional programs worth over 88 million euros, adopted in November 2018, that will support the private sector, trade and investment in the region, as well as help protect the environment, tackle climate change and promote the rule of law. In addition to this, the extension of the EU SWITCH-Asia program to Central Asia in order to promote sustainable production and consumption in the region was also mentioned. Turkmenistan provided an update on domestic energy developments including the progress of the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline and energy efficiency issues. The EU informed Turkmenistan about a conference on renewable energy in Central Asia scheduled for April 12, 2019 in Brussels. The sides assessed the potential for Turkmen gas deliveries to the EU. Updates were also provided on connectivity and transport matters. Water, environmental and climate change issues were discussed as well, in particular in relation to the Aral Sea. The meeting was chaired by Luc Devigne, director for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia, Regional Cooperation and OSCE countries of the European External Action Service, as the head of the EU delegation. The delegation of Turkmenistan was led by Batyr Bazarov, minister of finance and economy of Turkmenistan. The EU and Turkmenistan are committed to implementing a project designed to bring Turkmen hydrocarbon energy carriers to European markets. The negotiations have been underway since 2011. The project of laying a 300-kilometer gas pipeline along the bottom of the Caspian Sea to the shores of Azerbaijan is optimal for the delivery of Turkmen gas to the European market. Further, the Turkmen gas can be delivered to Turkey, which borders with European countries. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 Trend: Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of Azerbaijan Ramin Guluzade and Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev, who are on a visit to Beijing to attend the 7th meeting of the Azerbaijan-China Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, met with the management of Huawei, Trend reports Feb. 28 with reference to the ministry. During the meeting, Huaweis new production technologies covering various areas were presented, and an exchange of views took place on the further expansion of the companys activities in Azerbaijan. In addition, the sides discussed possible participation of the company in the laying of a fiber-optic cable line along the bottom of the Caspian Sea through Azerbaijan in the direction of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. In the future, this cable line will ensure access of Afghanistan to internet through Turkmenistan. During the visit, Minister Ramin Guluzade also met with Head of China Telecom Yang Jie. The existing relations and prospects for further cooperation in the international telecommunications sphere with this company were discussed. The importance of taking possible steps to implement the Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway (TASIM) project as soon as possible was noted. During the meeting, issues of technical solutions for laying a fiber-optic cable line as part of the project along the bottom of the Caspian Sea in the direction of Kazakhstan, developing a feasibility study of the project, including the study of the need for further use of this highway by the Chinese side, were discussed. The parties also exchanged views on cooperation with the company in connection with the construction of a fiber-optic cable line along the bottom of the Caspian Sea between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. In order to conduct more detailed technical and economic consultations in this area, the management of Huawei and China Telecom was invited to Azerbaijan. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.28 Trend: Today in Bucharest, the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union together with the European Commission will host the 3rd Eastern Partnership Ministerial Meeting on the Digital Economy, Trend reports citing a message from the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan. The event will bring together EU Ministers responsible for the Digital Economy and their counterparts from the six Eastern Partners - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine to help deepen cooperation in the digital area across the region. During the meeting, the EU and the 6 Partner country Ministers are expected to endorse a declaration, which includes a commitment to reduce the roaming tariffs among the Eastern Partnership countries based on a clear roadmap for cooperation towards the signature of a Regional Roaming Agreement by the end of 2020. Andrus Ansip, European Commission Vice-President for the Digital Single Market, said ahead of the event: The digital economy is an area with still untapped potential, and essential for both the EU and the Eastern Partnership countries for bringing tangible benefit to citizens. Today our Eastern partners have taken an important step towards the reduction of roaming tariffs among their countries. This is one concrete step with real impact, but it's crucial to work on every aspect of digital - including data flows, security and regulatory alignment. The Ministerial meeting will provide the opportunity to address other key challenges in the sector. The recently launched EU4Digital initiative will contribute to strengthening the cooperation between the EU and its six Eastern partner countries in these areas. This will result in improved online services at better prices and with greater choice; stronger personal data protection. It will also attract investments and boost trade and employment. Existing companies will grow faster and start-ups will be created more easily. The Ministerial meeting follows up on the joint commitment by the EU, its Member States and the 6 Partner countries, at the Eastern Partnership Summit in November 2017 to deliver tangible benefits for citizens in the region, based on a clear work plan of 20 Deliverables for 2020 in four priority areas (stronger economy, stronger governance, stronger connectivity, stronger society). Launched in 2009 as a joint policy initiative, the Eastern Partnership (EaP) aims to deepen and strengthen relations between the European Union (EU), its Member States and its six Eastern neighbours: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Within this framework, all partners agreed to deliver tangible benets to the daily lives of their citizens by focusing on achieving 20 Deliverables for 2020. NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of ArcelorMittal (ArcelorMittal or the Company) (NYSE: MT). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 9980. The investigation concerns whether ArcelorMittal and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here to join a class action] On February 8, 2019, ArcelorMittal announced that the Company had evacuated a Brazilian town of about 200 inhabitants near one of its dams in the state of Minas Gerais after conducting more rigorous inspections of the structure. On this news, ArcelorMittals American depositary receipt price fell $0.91, or 3.98%, to close at $21.98 on February 8, 2019. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com. CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP rswilloughby@pomlaw.com Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: As many as 46,800 tourists from Azerbaijan visited Turkey in January 2019, which is 2.45 percent less compared to January 2018, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism told Trend on Feb. 28. The share of Azerbaijani citizens in the total number of foreigners who visited Turkey in January 2019 was 3.05 percent, the ministry said. In January 2019, 1.539 million tourists visited Turkey, which is 5.33 percent more compared to January 2018. Over 918,000 tourists visited Istanbul and 116,000 tourists traveled Antalya in this period. Most of the tourists, who visited Turkey in January, came from Bulgaria (113,800) and Georgia (112,300). --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 By Azer Ahmadbayli Trend: in an ever smaller, increasingly volatile and increasingly complex world, the need for our cooperation becomes increasingly clear, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said at an opening session of the EU-Arab League summit held in Egypt last week. You can always count on the European Union, which has long sought to be a faithful and loyal partner of the Arab world. A partner in the defense of multilateralism because the planet belongs to everyone and not just to a few, and every people has the same dignity. Well said! Dignified attitude of Europeans to the fate of their former citizens the Islamic State (IS) militants who were captured or voluntarily surrendered, rotting in prisons in Iraq and Syria could be a good example for the rest of the worlds laymen. But so far, many governments are hesitant about what they should do with them. The EU high representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini said that each EU country will take an independent decision. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, for instance, expressed his preference for the IS jihadists to be tried in Syria or Iraq, i.e. where the crimes were committed. Denmark is also reluctant to repatriate its citizens. The Minister of Justice of Switzerland Karin Keller-Sutter said she would prefer that the Swiss jihadists were tried on the spot. She said the safety of Swiss citizens is a priority for her. Is it possible to put the Swiss at risk by repatriating people who voluntarily went to war in Syria and Iraq? the Swiss press quoted her as saying. The representative of the Swiss socialists Carlo Sommaruga believes that the controlled repatriation of jihadists with sentencing in Switzerland is the best way to guarantee the security of the country. It is much riskier to leave them in Syria, where they can escape or be released, and then be able to return to Switzerland, the Nashagazeta newspaper reports. President Donald Trump called on European countries to repatriate the IS militants: The US is asking the UK, France, Germany and other European allies to take more than 800 militants we captured in Syria, and bring them to justice. Otherwise, we will have to release them. Washington does not seem to be intent on returning its own jihadists to the country, having just set a precedent. The UK is doing the same and is simply depriving these people of citizenship. Foreign Minister of Germany Heiko Maas said that the request of the US President is tremendously complicated and there is a need to immediately commence legal proceedings to investigate the cases when the citizens of Germany ask for the return home. Sweden, by contrast, seeks to reintegrate jihadists who have returned and those who will return from the Middle East. Stockholm promised to keep in touch with all the families of terrorists, to create an expert group and to offer a psychological assistance for former IS fighters. In turn, the Minister of Justice of France, Nicole Berube said to France 2 TV, France would not take further action after Trumps call on European countries to take back their citizens. Paris will pick up French militants after considering each case. 75 years ago, things were different, and Europe was different. In Declaration on the responsibility of the Hitlerite fascists for the atrocities committed, which was signed by Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill in 1943, it was stated that they would be judged on the spot by the peoples they have committed violence against: The United Kingdom, the United States of America and the Soviet Union have received from various sources evidence of atrocities, murders and cold-blooded mass executions carried out by the Hitlerite armed forces in many of the countries they have seized, from which they are now being persistently expelled. the three Allied Powers, representing 32 united nations, solemnly declare and warn with their following declaration: those German officers and soldiers and members of the Nazi party who were responsible for the above-mentioned atrocities, murders and executions, or voluntarily participated in them, are sent to the countries where their crimes were committed, so that they could be sentenced and punished according to the laws of these liberated countries and of free governments established there. IS jihadists probably did not differ much in their cruelty from Hitlerite fascists, but 75 years later the EU could have acted much more effectively. This is quite understandable that its hard to conduct an impartial investigation and identify the facts of crimes or, vice versa, non-participation in them (for example, women, whose fault is that they joined their husbands). This will require considerable effort and resources. But, repatriation of jihadists is not only a matter of security; it is also a matter of Europes reputation. Whatever crime a person commits, he/she has the right to a transparent trial and defense before the court. Isn't this one of the postulates of the European system of values? Syria and Iraq do not want to bear the moral and financial burden of proof of guilt and years of imprisonment for these people. We may hear nothing more about them it is quite possible that they will be sentenced within a couple of minutes and then executed. If the advanced Europe doesn't object such option, then let it be so. And finally, what if someone afterwards decides to let them live in exchange for committing new violations? Amid increasing tension between India and Pakistan, Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs, is expected to visit Pakistan with a special message from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Pakistans Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Thursday, Trend reports referring to Al Arabiya. Speaking to television station Geo TV, Qureshi also said Pakistan would be prepared to return the Indian pilot shot down and captured this week if it helped ease the crisis with its neighbor. We are willing to return the captured Indian pilot if it leads to de-escalation, Qureshi was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, Indian and Pakistani troops traded fire briefly along the contested border in Kashmir on Thursday morning, a day after the two nuclear powers both downed enemy jets, with Pakistan capturing an Indian pilot. The United States, China and other world powers have urged restraint from the two nations as tensions escalate following tit-for-tat airstrikes in the wake of a suicide car bombing that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Feb. 14. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited both Pakistan and India earlier this month. An AP report quoted Qureshi as saying that he spoke to al-Jubeir on the phone the previous night. He did not give further details. Al-Jubeir will arrive in Islamabad on his special plane even though Pakistan has temporarily closed its air space to all civilian traffic amid tensions with India. More than 100 militants have been killed following military operations in 11 of 34 Afghan provinces, the country's Ministry of Defense said Thursday. "Up to 103 terrorists were killed, 34 wounded and eight others arrested during four military operations, 69 special operations and 18 airstrikes conducted by Afghan Air Force since early Wednesday," the ministry said in a statement. In one incident, 34 militants, including a Taliban shadow district chief for Bakhab district named Timor Shah, were killed and 18 militants wounded after airstrike targeted militants' hideouts in northern Sari Pul province, the statement added. The air force also conducted 94 supportive flights during the period, it said. Afghan troops intensified their offensive against Taliban and other insurgent groups as the Taliban militant group has been attempting to take territory and consolidate its positions during the winter. Taliban militants have not made a comment on the report yet. Prime Minister Theresa May won a two week reprieve on Wednesday from British MPs, who postponed a threatened rebellion aimed at blocking a no-deal Brexit after she agreed to a possible delay to Britains departure from the EU, Trend reports with reference to Reuters. But the opposition Labour Party announced it would now support a new public vote on Brexit, the first time since Britain voted in 2016 to leave the EU that one of its main parties has backed giving voters a chance to change their minds. After months of saying that Britain must leave the EU on time on March 29, May opened up the possibility on Tuesday of a short limited extension to the exit date. That was enough to avert a showdown in parliament on Wednesday with MPs including ministers in her own government who had said they were prepared to join a rebellion this week to avert an exit with no agreement. Mays climbdown took much of the heat out of a series of votes on Wednesday that could have ripped control of the entire process away from the government. In the end, MPs backed her promised timetable. But it now means British citizens and businesses will not learn how, or possibly even whether, they are to leave the European Union until the final weeks or even days before the deadline. After a deal she negotiated with European leaders was rejected on Jan. 15 in the biggest parliamentary defeat in modern British history, May is hoping to bring back a tweaked divorce accord for a vote, which could come as early as next week but may not take place until March 12. May has now promised that if her deal is voted down, MPs will get a chance to vote on whether to leave with no deal, or to ask the European Union to delay the deadline. MPs voted 502-20 in support of an amendment proposed by opposition Labour lawmaker Yvette Cooper that spelled out Mays proposed timetable. The government backed the amendment. Before Mays concessions on Tuesday, Cooper had been assembling support from all parties for an amendment that would have ensured parliament had a chance to block a no-deal exit and seek a delay. Wednesdays votes also saw MPs defeat a Labour proposal for a permanent customs union with the EU. While that was widely expected, Labour had said this week that its failure would be the trigger for the main opposition party to pledge its support for a new referendum. Disappointed the government has rejected Labours alternative Brexit deal, Labours Brexit spokesman, Keir Starmer, said. Thats why Labour will put forward or support an amendment in favour of a public vote to prevent a damaging Tory Brexit. MPs also rejected a proposal on Wednesday by the Scottish National Party calling for no-deal Brexit to be ruled out under any circumstances. Most MPs oppose a no-deal exit, but Mays promise to allow a vote on that after the vote on her deal was enough to persuade many not to intervene yet. Another measure, calling on the government to guarantee the rights of EU citizens in the event of a no-deal exit, was also passed with government support. Israeli archaeologists discovered a 1,600-year-old estate in Tzur Natan in central Israel that they believe belongs to a wealthy Samaritan man, Trend reports referring to The Jerusalem Post. The words Only God helps the beautiful property of Master Adios, amen were inscribed on the property. According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, the description, which dates to the early fifth century, was deciphered by Hebrew University professor Leah Di Segni. The inscription was discovered in an impressive wine press that was apparently part of the agricultural estate of a wealthy individual called Adios, said Hagit Torge, director of the excavations on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority. This is only the second such wine press discovered in Israel with a blessing inscription associated with the Samaritans. The first was discovered a few years ago in Apollonia near Herzliya. Near the wine press, the archaeologists uncovered stone quarries consisting of rock-cut depressions utilized for growing grapevines, apparently part of the Master Adios estate. The Tzur Natan Samaritan synagogue was transformed into a church in the sixth century. A compound was uncovered nearby, consisting of large rooms and spaces for producing flour, oil and wine. There, a Pompeian donkey mill was discovered, utilized to grind flour and marked with a seven-branch candelabrum. Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who has said he will move that country's embassy to Jerusalem, will visit Israel just days before the April 9 elections, the Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday, Trend reports referring to The Jerusalem Post. According to the ministry's list of expected visitors in March, Bolsonaro is due to arrive on March 31 and leave on April 4. Bolsonaro's visit, which would be the first since Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva became the first ever Brazilian leader to visit in March 2010, is widely expected to be used by the Netanyahu campaign to underscore his diplomatic experience and successes in forging relations around the world. Over much of the last two decades, Brazil was unstintingly pro-Palestinian and often among the most critical of Israel in international forums a pattern Bolsonaro said he will change. Netanyahu flew to Brazil at the end of December to take part in the inauguration of the right-wing president. Following his visit, Netanyahu said that Israel has a new ally in Brazil under Bolsonaro. He said that Bolsonaro made clear when they met in Rio de Janeiro that the embassy move was not a question of if, but rather when. Bolsonaro said at that meeting, I want to be more than a friend of Prime Minister Netanyahu, I want to be his brother. I believe that other countries will respect Brazil more when it recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In embracing Bolsonaro, Netanyahu has steered clear of any reservations regarding the Brazilian presidents controversial positions opponents accuse him of an authoritarian streak or disparaging comments he has made in the past about gays, women and minorities. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will hold another day of talks at their second summit in eight months on Thursday, after swapping compliments at a dinner but giving no sign of progress on the key issue of denuclearization, Trend reports citing Reuters. Trump hailed a very special relationship when he met Kim in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi on Wednesday and said he was satisfied with the pace of talks, despite some criticism they were not moving quickly enough. Great meetings and a Very good dialogue, Trump said on Twitter after dinner with Kim at the French-colonial-era Metropole hotel while the White House said the two planned to sign a joint agreement after further talks on Thursday. The White House has given no indication of what the signing ceremony might involve, although the two sides discussions have included the possibility of a political statement to declare the 1950-53 Korean War over, which some critics see as premature. They have also discussed partial denuclearization measures, such as allowing inspectors to observe the dismantling of North Koreas Yongbyon nuclear reactor, US and South Korean officials say. US concessions could include opening liaison offices or clearing the way for inter-Korean projects, but critics say Trump risks squandering vital leverage if he gives away too much, too quickly. The Hanoi summit was Trumps second with Kim since an inconclusive meeting in Singapore in June that produced much fanfare but little substance and there had been little sign of concrete progress since. The US president nevertheless appeared upbeat with Kim even as his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testified at a congressional hearing in Washington, calling Trump a conman who knew in advance about the release of stolen emails aimed at hurting his Democratic rival in the 2016 election campaign. Facing mounting pressure at home over investigations into Russian meddling in the election, Trump has sought a big win by trying to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for promises of peace and development, a foreign policy goal that has confounded multiple predecessors. Trump told Kim on Wednesday he felt the first summit was very successful. Some people would like to see it go quicker; Im satisfied; youre satisfied, we want to be happy with what were doing. The leaders exchanged views at dinner with the aim of achieving comprehensive and ground-breaking results from their summit, state news agency KCNA said on Thursday. Sincere and in-depth views were exchanged to bring about a comprehensive and groundbreaking outcome, it said. At least 10,000 Nigerians returned to a flashpoint town on Wednesday after fleeing into Cameroon to escape repeated attacks over the past few months, a UN humanitarian report said, Trend reports citing Rueters. The returnees were among 40,386 civilians who had fled four attacks on the town of Rann since December, the report bit.ly/2H2aj3T said. All those who fled were ordered to return to northeast Nigeria, the aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres said earlier in the day. Reports from sources on the ground indicate that hundreds more are en route to Rann from Cameroon (8 km) by foot, the UN report said. All these people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, including shelter, food and safe water. Earlier this month the militant group Boko Haram killed at least 60 people in Rann after it was abandoned by the military, Amnesty International and security sources said. That attack came two weeks after Boko Haram overran the town, driving out Nigerian soldiers and signaling the groups re-emergence as a force capable of capturing army bases. Last month Cameroon was criticized by the UN refugee agency for sending 9,000 people back to Rann and refusing them asylum, breaching the international principle of non-refoulement of refugees. The UN humanitarian report referred to Rann residents who had sought sanctuary in Cameroon as internally displaced people rather than refugees, despite the fact that they had crossed an international border. It said humanitarian aid workers had not been able to return to Rann since Jan. 17. On March 1 last year, three aid workers were kidnapped from Rann, and two were subsequently executed. The return to Rann came on the day when Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari was declared to have comfortably won a second term, but his main rival planned a fraud challenge after a vote marred by delays and violence. Buhari had promised to improve security, having made a similar promise in his first presidential election campaign in 2015. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) only proposed that the United States partially remove its sanctions against Pyongyang, said the country's foreign minister here early Friday. "What we proposed was not the removal of all sanctions, but they are partial removal," said Ri Yong Ho at a press conference, adding the DPRK only asked for those sanctions impeding the livelihood of its people to be removed first. If the United States agrees to the proposal, the DPRK "will permanently and completely dismantle all the nuclear production facilities in Yongbyon area, including plutonium and uranium in the presence of U.S. experts and by the joint work of technicians of both countries," Ri said. "This proposal was the biggest denuclearization measures we can take at the present stage in relation to the current level of confidence between the U.S. and DPRK," he added. Ri said that during the bilateral meeting, the DPRK expressed intent to make commitment on permanent halt of the nuclear testing and long-range rocket launch test in written form in order to address the concern of the United States. "However, during the meeting, the United States insisted we should take one more step besides the dismantlement of nuclear facilities in Yongbyon area. Therefore, it's crystal clear that the United States was not ready to accept our proposal," he said. He stressed that the DPRK's principle stand will remain unchanged if the United States proposes negotiations again in the future. DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump held their second summit in Hanoi, Vietnam on Wednesday and Thursday, which ended without a deal. "Basically they (DPRK) want the sanctions lifted, in their entirety, and we couldn't do that," Trump said at a press conference after the summit. MONTREAL, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Knight Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: GUD) ("Knight" or the Company), a leading Canadian specialty pharmaceutical company, confirms it is aware of statements made by Mr. Meir Jakobsohn regarding Knights business strategy. As part of the Companys active and ongoing communications with all shareholders, Knights Board of Directors (the Board) and management appreciate constructive input and take all shareholder views seriously, especially when a shareholder is also a director. What Knight and its shareholders do not appreciate is the unfortunate decision of one director with a self-serving personal agenda to attempt to manipulate the Board with bullying tactics and now choosing to create a distraction for the Company by taking his grievances public. Mr. Jakobsohn has been a director of the Company since 2015 when Knight became a 28% shareholder of Medison, a private Israeli company founded by Mr. Jakobsohn. As part of the agreement, Mr. Jakobsohn was appointed to Knights Board with Medison and its affiliates currently holding approximately 7% of the shares of Knight. The complaints being made by Mr. Jakobsohn are puzzling, especially since he has been on the Board for more than three years and has never complained about the Boards construct or decision-making process until very recently when it became clear his interests were not aligned with those of other shareholders. Notably, Mr. Jakobsohns complaints about Knights strategic direction came only after the Board rejected a proposal that would have benefited Mr. Jakobsohn and Medison at the expense of Knight shareholders. Specifically, Mr. Jakobsohn proposed a transaction pursuant to which Medison would part ways with Knight on terms whereby Mr. Jakobsohn stood to make significant gains while the rest of Knights shareholders would suffer a loss. Knight has continued to negotiate in good faith to come to separation terms with Mr. Jakobsohn. Instead of negotiating, Mr. Jakobsohn resorted to several tactics including withholding a dividend from Knight that Medison was contractually obligated to pay and withholding books and records that were essential to Knights preparation of its financial statements. Mr. Jakobsohn only relented from these bullying tactics under threat of legal action. Unfortunately, and to the detriment of Knights shareholders, rather than coming to reason, Mr. Jakobsohn has chosen as his latest tactic to wage a public campaign aimed at pressuring the Board to agree to terms that are not in the best interest of Knights shareholders. These tactics will not succeed. In the Boards dialogue with Mr. Jakobsohn and upon review of his newfound concerns he has now publicly expressed, shareholders should be aware that it is clear when Mr. Jakobsohn speaks about new, experienced directors he is really talking about his desire for a board he can control as a non-independent Chair. As a director, Mr. Jakobsohn has been invited to present, in person, his proposed strategy to the Board but has repeatedly refused to do so. In fact, in his three years as a director he has only attended two board meetings in person. Knight is Executing on a Plan that is Working The Company has a well-defined strategic plan regularly reviewed and refined to maximize shareholder value being facilitated by a leadership team made up of industry professionals with a track record of success. A significant amount of wealth has been created for shareholders through the sustained execution of this plan. The Companys total shareholder return has outperformed relative to all indices as well as the Companys peer group since its IPO. Since starting operations in 2014 and through to September 30, 2018, Knight has raised $685 million at increasing valuations ($3.50, $5.25, $6.75, $8.00, and $10.00 per share) and generated approximately $220 million of net income. The Company has focused on building a portfolio of innovative pharmaceuticals through licensing or acquiring product rights, strategic fund investments and strategic lending for product rights. Knights approach is to take on commercialization risk, not development risk, and therefore selects later-stage products (Phase II, Phase III, or approved in foreign markets). In contrast, Mr. Jakobsohn is advocating a radical change of strategy where the Company would be dedicated to investing in risky early stage pharma-companies and products. The strategic changes he is pushing for are not in line with the Companys long-term strategy for value creation nor is it the belief of the rest of the Board that this is a warranted shift. While the Board regularly critically assesses the Companys strategy, the fact is Knights strategy is working: Knight has more than 20 products in various stages of development, growing cash flows and strong cash reserves to support future in-license deals and acquisitions; Knight continues to aggressively pursue partnerships and deals with independent biotech companies. In addition to Impavido, Knight is currently commercializing two products in Canada with a national sales force, is preparing to launch one product later this year, has two products under Health Canada review and will be submitting three products to Health Canada in 2019. Mr. Goodmans Independence and Alignment with Knight Shareholders Mr. Jakobsohn has incorrectly alleged that Mr. Goodman is not aligned with Knight shareholders because of his indirect shareholdings in the Goodman family business, Pharmascience. These allegations are patently false and demonstrate exactly how disingenuous Mr. Jakobsohns public statements are. Pharmascience is a competitor just like any other company. Mr. Goodman is an indirect, passive shareholder in Pharmascience and has absolutely no involvement in its operations, management or decision making. In fact, Mr. Goodman does not sit on the board of directors of Pharmascience or its holding company. Mr. Goodmans family business connections are and have been well known to the market place for decades, both when he was at the helm of Paladin and since the inception of Knight. This history has served to engrain Mr. Goodman with an innate understanding of the pharmaceutical business which has manifested in massive success, including the founding and continued proven track record demonstrated by Knights performance in contrast to its peers. Mr. Goodman is the largest shareholder in Knight and is driven to make Knight a successful rest-of-world specialty pharmaceutical company. Knight Board Remains Committed to Best-In-Class Governance Knights Board is comprised of highly qualified directors who are fully-engaged, know Knight well, are leaders in their respective fields and have the right mix of experience in biotech, pharmaceuticals and finance. The Companys Compensation, Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee ensures that Knights Board is comprised of members with the relevant skill-sets and experience to provide effective guidance and oversight on management. This is demonstrated in the Companys commitment to ongoing Board refreshment: Since 2015, following Mr. Jakobsohns addition to the Board, Knight has added several new directors allowing for new voices and viewpoints, all of whom had the support of Mr. Jakobsohn. It is unfortunate that one self-interested director with a personal grievance against Knight has chosen to distract from the Companys progress. Despite the distraction, Knight will remain focused on continuing to deliver on its strategic plan and building long-term value for all shareholders. Advisors The Company has retained Kingsdale Advisors as its strategic shareholder and communications advisor and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP as its legal advisors. About Knight Therapeutics Inc. Knight Therapeutics Inc., headquartered in Montreal, Canada, is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on acquiring or in-licensing and commercializing innovative pharmaceutical products for the Canadian and select international markets. Knight Therapeutics Inc.'s shares trade on TSX under the symbol GUD. For more information about Knight Therapeutics Inc., please visit the company's web site at www.gudknight.com or www.sedar.com. Knight Forward-Looking Statement This document contains forward-looking statements for Knight Therapeutics Inc. and its subsidiaries. These forward-looking statements, by their nature, necessarily involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Knight Therapeutics Inc. considers the assumptions on which these forward-looking statements are based to be reasonable at the time they were prepared but cautions the reader that these assumptions regarding future events, many of which are beyond the control of Knight Therapeutics Inc. and its subsidiaries, may ultimately prove to be incorrect. Factors and risks, which could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations are discussed in Knight Therapeutics Inc.'s Annual Report and in Knight Therapeutics Inc.'s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2017. Knight Therapeutics Inc. disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or future events, except as required by law. Investor Contact: Knight Therapeutics Inc. Samira Sakhia President & Chief Financial Officer T: 514-678-8930 F: 514-481-4116 info@gudknight.com www.gud-knight.com Media Contact: Kingsdale Advisors Ian Robertson Executive Vice President, Communication Strategy Direct: 416-867-2333 Cell: 647-621-2646 irobertson@kingsdaleadvisors.com Moscow is interested in improving relations with Tbilisi to an extent that would be comfortable for Georgia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told TASS on Wednesday after talks with Georgian prime minister's special envoy for Russia Zurab Abashidze, Trend reports. Karasin described the meeting as comprehensive and constructive. "We discussed many problems of bilateral relations and noted improvements in several practical spheres, including trade, tourism, air service and humanitarian contacts," he said. "Russia is interested in improving relations with out Georgian neighbors to an extent that they are ready for," Karasin added noting that Moscow is ready "to facilitate developing bilateral relations even in the absence of diplomatic relations." Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 Trend: Russian and Turkish foreign ministers Sergey Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu in a phone conversation on Feb. 28 confirmed the commitment of Moscow and Ankara to fight the terrorist threat in Syria, Trend reports via TASS. The ministers exchanged views on the current state of the Syrian settlement process and the efforts they are making as part of the Astana format, the report said. The sides reaffirmed common approach in the fight against terrorist threats in Syria for the sake of speedy stabilization of the situation in that country and progress in its political settlement. In addition, the ministers discussed a number of practical issues in connection with the upcoming Russian-Turkish contacts at the high and the highest levels. The conversation took place at the initiative of the Turkish side. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkey will take part in the meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperations member-states, to be held in Abu Dhabi at the level of deputy foreign minister, the Turkish Foreign Ministry told Trend. Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal will take part in the meeting of the foreign ministers of the OIC member-states. The meeting of foreign ministers of the OIC member-states will be held on March 1-2, 2019 in Abu Dhabi and will be the 46th meeting in a row. Armenias aggression against Azerbaijan will be discussed at the meeting of the foreign ministers of the OIC member-states. Moreover, such issues as the Syrian crisis and the situation in Yemen and Afghanistan will also be on the agenda. The issue of strengthening economic and political relations between the OIC member-states will also be discussed. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Qatar has suspended all commercial flights to Pakistan, Trend reports referring to Qatari media. This decision was made after Pakistan closed its airspace after the incident with India. Reportedly, a number of passenger flights from Doha to Pakistan are currently delayed. On Feb. 26 morning, Indian Air Force fighter jets attacked a big training camp of the Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistani part of Kashmir. As a result of the air raid, many militants were eliminated, their vehicles, weapons and ammunition were completely destroyed. Indian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vijay Gokhale said that a preemptive strike was "absolutely necessary" because the group was preparing suicide attacks in various parts of India. Moreover, according to New Delhis opinion, Pakistan has not yet taken any practical steps to eliminate the infrastructure of terrorists on its territory. The crisis in relations between India and Pakistan sharply worsened after Feb. 14, when a suicide bomber blew himself up near paramilitary policemen in Jammu and Kashmir in northern India. Forty-five people were killed as a result of the attack. According to New Delhi, responsibility for the attack was claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed. India accused Pakistan of supporting terrorist groups. Islamabad dismissed the allegations as unsubstantiated, suggesting New Delhi to conduct joint investigation into the incident. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkeys Istanbul police carried out a special operation in four districts of Istanbul city, which resulted in the arrest of 11 militants of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Trend reports referring to the Turkish media on Feb. 28. Reportedly, the detainees planned to commit the terrorist attacks during the upcoming municipal election. According to the Turkish media, special operations were also carried out against PKK terrorists in the Turkish eastern provinces on Feb. 28. The municipal election in Turkey will be held March 31, 2019. They are held every five years. The conflict between Turkey and PKK, which demands the creation of an independent Kurdish state, has lasted more than 35 years, claiming more than 40,000 lives. PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by the UN and the EU. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called on the Turkish President to mediate between Pakistan and India, Trend reports via Turkish media. The prime minister noted that in order to discuss the issue with Ankara, he will hold a telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had earlier said that Turkey is ready to become a mediator between Pakistan and India. Cavusoglu noted that Turkey is concerned about the exacerbation of the situation between the two countries. The minister added that Turkey calls on the parties to decrease tensions. On Feb. 26 morning, Indian Air Force fighter jets attacked a big training camp of the Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistani part of Kashmir. As a result of the air raid, many militants were eliminated, their vehicles, weapons and ammunition were completely destroyed. Indian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vijay Gokhale said that a preemptive strike was "absolutely necessary" because the group was preparing suicide attacks in various parts of India. Moreover, according to New Delhis opinion, Pakistan has not yet taken any practical steps to eliminate the infrastructure of terrorists on its territory. The crisis in relations between India and Pakistan sharply worsened after Feb. 14, when a suicide bomber blew himself up near paramilitary policemen in Jammu and Kashmir in northern India. Forty-five people were killed as a result of the attack. According to New Delhi, responsibility for the attack was claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed. India accused Pakistan of supporting terrorist groups. Islamabad dismissed the allegations as unsubstantiated, suggesting New Delhi to conduct joint investigation into the incident. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan held telephone talks, discussing the current crisis in relations between Islamabad and New Delhi, the Turkish presidential press service said in a statement, Trend reports citing Sputnik. "Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called our President Tayyip Erdogan. During the conversation, the parties discussed the escalation of tensions between Pakistan and India in recent days", the statement reads. This week, tensions between India and Pakistan heightened as the two countries engaged in an air battle and lost jets in it. It followed a strike by the Indian Air Force against what it said was a camp of Jaish-e-Mohammad, considered a terrorist group by India, located on the Pakistani soil across the so-called Line of Control (LoC) separating the Indian-and Pakistani-controlled parts of the Kashmir region. The Indian airstrike came after a deadly attack by Jaish-e-Mohammad on the Indian paramilitary police force in Kashmir on 14 February. While India has accused Pakistan of supporting the militants and having a "direct hand" in the incident, Pakistan has rejected the allegations, accusing India of being responsible for human rights violations taking place in Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir is a region that has been disputed by India and Pakistan since 1947 when both countries gained independence from the British Empire. The two countries have gone through three wars over the region, but the conflict has not been resolved. As talks between the United States and North Korea ended on Thursday with little to show for the effort, US President Donald Trump said his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping could have been more helpful in encouraging Pyongyang to give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons even as he acknowledged Beijings support, Trend reports referring to South China Morning Post. China has been very helpful. President Xi is a great leader. He is a highly respected leader all over the world, Trump said at a press conference after his two-day summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without an expected accord. Could he be more helpful? Probably. But he also added: I think Chinas been a big help; bigger than most people know. The US president also alluded to the US-China trade war, saying there was a very good chance it could be resolved soon but also raising the prospect that those negotiations could go a similar way as the Hanoi summit. Speaking of China, we are very well on our way to doing something special. But well see. I am always prepared to walk. Im never afraid to walk from a deal, and I would do that with China, too, if it didnt work out. Trump said that Russia had also been a big help in dealing with Pyongyang and that he believed China cant love having a nuclear armed neighbour. Trump accused Beijing last year of slowing down the denuclearisation of North Korea. President Xi is a world-class poker player and Id probably, may, be doing the same thing that he would do, Trump had said. Despite the failure of the Hanoi summit to reach an agreement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at least the parties had returned to the correct track of solving the problem through political means. This result is not easy to achieve and should be treasured. The development of the Korean peninsula over the past decades has told us that dialogue and consultation is the only way out. We hope the US and [North Korea] can continue dialogue and express sincerity towards each other, respect and take care of each others core concerns, and push forward denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. White House advisor Jared Kushner held talks with Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a regional tour to rally support for a long-awaited Middle East peace proposal, US officials said Wednesday, Trend reports referring to Al Arabiya. Building on previous conversations, they discussed increasing cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia, and the Trump administrations efforts to facilitate peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, the White House said in a brief statement. Kushner was accompanied by Jason Greenblatt, the US Middle East peace envoy and Brian Hook, the US special representative for Iran. Earlier this month Kushner briefed countries at a conference in Warsaw on Washingtons plans for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinian to be formally presented after Israeli elections in April. But the Palestinians rejected the meeting as an American conspiracy with aims to normalize the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. The Palestinians have refused to talk to the Trump administration since the US president recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital in December 2017. The Trump administration has since dealt a series of blows to the Palestinian Authority, including cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in aid for the Palestinians. During his tour, Kushner also met leaders in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman this week. He met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey on Wednesday. TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crosswinds Holdings Inc. (Crosswinds or the Company) (TSX: CWI) announced today that it has received notification from the Continued Listings Committee (the Committee) of the Toronto Stock Exchange (the TSX) that the Committee intends to delist the Companys securities effective at the close of market on March 28, 2019. This action was taken by the TSX due to the Company not meeting the continued listing requirements of the TSX. The TSX notification does not affect the Companys applicable Canadian reporting requirements. More information J. Roy Pottle Tel: 1-508-344-2640 info@crosswindsinc.com www.crosswindsinc.com Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information This release includes certain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as may, will, expect, intend, estimate, anticipate, believe, should, plans or continue or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Reference should be made to the risk factors in the Companys most recent Annual Information Form, in the Managements Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2017 and in our other filings with Canadian securities regulators. Additional important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include, among other things, settlement of the terms of definitive documentation, successful fulfillment of the conditions outlined in the letter of intent, unforeseen circumstances that could condition or delay progress with the proposed transaction, general economic and market factors, tax related matters, the ability of the Company to execute its strategies from time to time, and the receipt of any regulatory approvals or consents required from time to time. During a meeting with the leaders of Samastha Kerala Jamait-ul-Ulema here on Tuesday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the government was in no hurry to implement the Act. TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tanzanian Royalty Exploration Corporation (hereinafter, The Company) (TSX: TNX) (NYSE MKT:TRX) announced that todays 2019 Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders, was adjourned due to the fact that the percentage of shareholders participating in the proxy vote totaled approximately 14%, thereby not reaching the quorum of 20% required to conduct business. A problem with process mechanics resulted in a large number of US shareholders not receiving voting materials. The meeting has been scheduled to reconvene on Thursday, March 21st, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time at the offices of the DSA Corporate Services Inc, 82 Richmond Street East, Toronto, Ontario M5C 1P1. Company management noted that of the votes received, all measures requiring a for/against vote received a For vote of over 98%. All proxies submitted for todays annual general and special meeting will remain valid for the reconvened meeting. Although the meeting was adjourned and rescheduled, a company presentation was made, followed by a question and answer period. A video recording of the presentation was made and will appear on the companys website shortly. If you have any questions concerning the 2019 Annual General and Special Meeting and you are the stockholder of record of your shares, please contact the company by email at m.martin@tanzanianroyalty.com or by phone at 860-248-0999. If your shares are held by a broker or other nominee (that is, in street name), please contact your broker for questions concerning the 2019 Annual General and Special Meeting. Respectfully Submitted, James E. Sinclair, Executive Chairman Tanzanian Royalty Exploration Corporation For further information, please contact Michael Martin, Investor Relations at 860-248-0999, email m.martin@tanzanianroyalty.com ABOUT TANZANIAN ROYALTY EXPLORATION CORPORATION: Tanzanian Royalty Exploration Corporation is a mineral resource company, which engages in the acquisition, exploration and extraction of gold and other natural resources in the United Republic of Tanzania, Africa. The Company, after successfully exploring for Gold has identified three development projects, Buckreef, Kigosi, and Itetemia. In early 2016 in conjunction with our first gold pour, the Company was deemed a commercial gold producer by the Tanzanian Government. The Company is presently focused on its Buckreef Gold Project located in North central Tanzania. Further information can be found in the Company's 43-101 reports, which can be viewed together with other reports and updates on the Company homepage at: www.TanzanianRoyalty.com The Toronto Stock Exchange and NYSE AmexEquities have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this letter. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements Certain of the statements made herein may contain forward-looking statements or information within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. Often, but not always, forward- looking statements and forward-looking information can be identified using words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negatives thereof or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, ,occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements or information herein include, but are not limited to the Positive Feasibility Study on Buckreef, the timing and the results of the proposed drilling program. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. We have made certain assumptions about the forward-looking statements and information and even though our management believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statement or information will prove to be accurate. Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others, the following: gold price volatility; discrepancies between actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical recoveries; mining operational and development risk; litigation risks; regulatory restrictions, including environmental regulatory restrictions and liability; risks of sovereign investment; currency fluctuations; speculative nature of gold exploration; global economic climate; dilution; share price volatility; competition; loss of key employees; additional funding requirements; and defective title to mineral claims or property, as well as those factors discussed in the sections entitled "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 20-F Annual Report dated November 29, 2018. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements or information contained herein. Except as required by law, we do not expect to update forward- looking statements and information continually as conditions change and you are referred to the full discussion of the Company's business contained in the Company's reports filed with the securitys regulatory authorities in Canada and the U.S. Cautionary Note Regarding Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources The terms "Mineral Reserve", "Proven Mineral Reserve" and "Probable Mineral Reserve" used in this release are Canadian mining terms as defined in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects under the guidelines set out in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the "CIM") Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council on August 20, 2000 as may be amended from time to time by the CIM. These definitions differ from the definitions in the United States Securities Exchange Commission ("SEC") Guide 7. In the United States, a mineral reserve is defined as a part of a mineral deposit which could be economically and legally extracted or produced at the time the mineral reserve determination is made. The terms "Mineral Resource", "Measured Mineral Resource", "Indicated Mineral Resource", "Inferred Mineral Resource" used in this release are Canadian mining terms as defined in accordance with National Instruction 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects under the guidelines set out in the CIM Standards. Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. For a detailed discussion of Buckreef resource and reserve estimates and related matters see the Company's reports, including the Form 20-F Annual Report dated November 29, 2018 and technical reports filed under the Company's name at our website at: www.tanzanianroyalty.com . Cautionary Note to US Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources Note to U.S. Investors. While the terms "mineral resource", "measured mineral resource," "indicated mineral resource", and "inferred mineral resource" are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, they are not defined terms under standards in the United States and normally are not permitted to be used in reports and registration statements filed with the SEC. As such, information contained in this report concerning descriptions of mineralization and resources under Canadian standards may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S companies in SEC filings. With respect to "indicated mineral resource" and "inferred mineral resource" there is a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and a great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an "indicated mineral resource" or "inferred mineral resource" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. ISLAMABAD: After the Increased tension between India and Pakistan, Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Wednesday said that all international and domestic flights operations across the country will remain suspended on Thursday. US, UK, France ask UN to blacklist JeM leader Masood Azhar According to the Pakistani News agnecy CAA, the flight operations in the country would remain shut until further notice. CAA took to Twitter and wrote, "NOTAM is still in place and airspace over Pakistan remains closed. Apology for an earlier tweet that indicated the partial opening of our airspace for commercial aviation. Any further information will be shared accordingly. Rahul Gandhi slammed Pakistan for its misadventures The Airline company Qatar Airways on Wednesday also confirmed that due to the heightened tension on the India-Pakistan border, its flights to Faisalabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar and, Sialkot airports stand temporarily suspended. Priyanka Chopra shares brother Siddharth Chopra engagement pics, check it out here Pakistani media reported that thousands of travellers were left stranded by affected airlines that not only land in Pakistan, but fly over its airspace. Thai Airways announced that all its European routes "departing near midnight of 27 FEB through early 28 FEB" were cancelled "due to closure of Pakistani airspace. In a statement, the airline said that there will be no Thai Airways flights between Bangkok and London, Munich, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Vienna, Stockholm, Zurich, Copenhagen and Oslo on Thursday. The tension between the two countries have been increased after the Air strike conducted by IFA in which more than 300 terroists have been killed. Vietnam reconsiders luxury tax to lower car production costs VietNamNet Bridge - If the luxury tax on domestically made car parts is removed, production costs could be considerably lower and the low-cost car dreams would be within reach. Vietnam wants to develops automobile industry A source told VietNamNet that the Ministry of Finance (MOF) has sent a document to the PM on luxury taxes on domestically-made cars with fewer than nine seats. Under the ministrys proposal, the taxable price would equal the selling price minus the value of domestically-made car parts. The imposition of luxury tax, or special consumption tax (SCT) as it is called in Vietnam, is stipulated in Law No 106/2016/QH12 that amends and supplements several articles of the VAT, SCT and Tax Management Law. Under the law, the SCT taxable price is the selling price set by manufacturers. Therefore, if Vietnam wants to remove SCT on car parts made domestically, it will have to amend Article 6 of the SCT Law. Vietnam wants to develop an automobile industry of its own, and in order to do so, it needs to encourage domestic production. However, the suggestion was rejected by MOF one year ago. MOF has proposed the new tax calculation tax to pave the way for automobile manufacturers to lower their production costs, a move towards protecting local production. Citing provisions on national treatment stipulated in GATT of the World Trade Organization (WTO), MOF showed concern that the new way of defining taxable income may violate the commitments on discriminatory treatment between imports and domestically made products. However, the ministry affirmed that other countries also apply the same tax calculation method, or give preferential luxury tax rates to domestically manufactured products for a short time of three to five years. Two of the countries are Thailand and Indonesia, which have developed automobile industries. The government and relevant ministries will have to consider this thoroughly before amending the tax law. Offering preferences to domestically made products with high localization ratios was the measure suggested by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT). Vietnam wants to develop an automobile industry of its own, and in order to do so, it needs to encourage domestic production. However, the suggestion was rejected by MOF one year ago. Le Ngoc Duc, general director of Hyundai Thanh Cong told VietNamNet that this was bad news. He said his company might have to reconsider investments and would only invest in making low-value car parts which do not require big investments. If other companies do this, Vietnams policy on raising localization ratios will fail completely. Tran Ba Duong, president of Truong Hai Automobile, said current policies are not enough to improve the competitiveness of Vietnam-made cars and that the MOFs proposal is worth consideration. RELATED NEWS Vietnam needs long-term strategy for automobile industry The highlights of the automobile market in 2018 Mai Lan South Africa: Programmes to prepare youth for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Deputy President David Mabuza says government is implementing programmes in a way that ensures that the country is prepared and does not lag behind in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Mabuza said this when he fielded oral questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday. Government is alive to the changing environment and has committed to ensuring that key programmes are implemented to align our training and development with the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We cannot afford to lag behind emerging global developments and that is why we must engage in a process of continuous innovation, research, skilling our people, in particular the youth, in order to meet the demands of todays knowledge-based economy, he said. ANC MP Cornelia September had asked Mabuza to unpack government programmes that are targeted towards youth and women with a view to addressing unemployment and how the programmes would prepare them for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Mabuza said in everything government does, there is an understanding and clarity that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is not a destination, but a reality of the moment. He said the pace of change over the last few years has largely been shaped by technological disruption and innovation. Already, there are sectors that are now supplemented by robotics and other artificial intelligence inventions. Simply put, there are jobs that were previously considered as vocational but are now becoming technology-intense and require specialised knowledge and skills. We therefore have to keep up with these developments. Mabuza said it is precisely for this reason that the process is currently underway to appoint individuals to the Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as announced by the President in the State of the Nation Address in 2018. The commission will coordinate the development of South Africa's national response through a comprehensive action plan to deal with the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As government, we recognise the need to make smart investments in research and development that support our industrialisation plan, including manufacturing, that will lead to the creation of more jobs, Mabuza said. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is investing in a range of outreach interventions that enhance the capacity of young people and women to create employment opportunities for themselves and for others. The department also supports a number of accelerated training programmes in areas where there are dire skills shortages. This includes, for example, programmes providing training in data science and analytics. It also includes the mLab initiative that provides mobile application development support to youth-based enterprises. Through this programme, the DST is providing opportunities for more young people and women to interact with the technologies that will shape our future. Other initiatives include a network of Industrial Development Centres and technology stations where a large number of the beneficiaries are women and young people, Mabuza said. Getting youth and women on board Through the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services, government is forging partnerships with key industry players in the Information Communications and Technology (ICT) space to implement programmes that prepare youth for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. These programmes include the training of young people in various disciplines related to the 4th Industrial Revolution such as coding, data analytics and Blockchain. Our partnership with Google has, since 2017, benefitted 131 980 youth, 58% of whom are female. Through the South Africa Network Academy Programme, CISCO has, to date, trained 10 590 young people and has set a target of 15 000 in 2019. Over the past two years, the Huawei Seeds of the Future Program continues to expose students to advanced ICT knowledge, the Deputy President said. In addition to this, Microsoft is involved in a new partnership programme in South Africa, targeting the training of a million youth by 2023. Young people will be the major beneficiaries of these training programmes. Government is also working on an enabling environment for e-commerce, which will go a long way towards enabling SMMEs to provide services and transact online, Mabuza said. Through its ICT Women Empowerment Programme, government has so far trained 450 women on digital skills to empower them with necessary skills required to participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-02-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) Inc. (WuXi or the Company) (NYSE: WX) and certain of its officers and directors. The class action, filed in United States District Court, Southern District of New York, and indexed under 19-cv-01654, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities, other than Defendants and their affiliates, who sold WuXi securities between September 1, 2015 and December 10, 2015, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), or purchased securities during the Class Period and held such shares through December 10, 2015, seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials. If you are a shareholder who sold WuXi securities during the Class Period or purchased WuXi securities during the Class Period and held such shares through December 10, 2015, you have until April 23, 2019, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here to join this class action] WuXi purports to be an integrated R&D services platform along the entire value chain of drug discovery and development, with one of the broadest integrated service and technology platforms in the life-science industry, from discovery to preclinical development to clinical development. Originally incorporated in China, on March 16, 2007, the Company reincorporated in the Cayman Islands in advance of its initial public offering (IPO) of its American Depositary Shares (ADS), each representing eight ordinary shares, on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), in August 2007. Upon its reincorporation in the Cayman Islands, the Company became a holding company for its numerous pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device research and development services companies operating in the United States and China. Among the Companys subsidiaries were WuXi AppTec, WuXi Biologics, and WuXi Next Code. Through WuXi AppTec, the Company provided comprehensive and FDA, OECD, CFDA, and GLP-compliant bioanalysis services to support preclinical and clinical development for small molecule drugs, biologics, vaccines and pharmacodynamic biomarkers. WuXi Biologics was the Companys biologics services provider that offered comprehensive, integrated and highly customizable services through our teams of scientists, proprietary technology platform and know-how, state-of-the-art laboratories, and cGMP-compliant manufacturing facilities to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. WuXi Next Code is a leading genomic analysis and bioinformatics company with operations in the United States and Iceland, which the Company acquired on January 9, 2015, $65 million. On April 30, 2015, the Company announced that the day prior it had received a preliminary non-binding proposal letter to acquire all outstanding shares of the Company for $46.00 in cash per ADS. The take-private offer was made by a group of investors led by Wuxis founder, chairman, and chief executive officer (CEO), Li and Ally Bridge Group Capital Partners (Ally), a global healthcare-focused investment group, founded and led by Mr. Frank Yu. On August 14, 2015, the Company announced that it had entered into a definitive Agreement and Plan of Merger (the Merger Agreement) with New WuXi Life Science Limited (Parent) and WuXi Merger Limited (Merger Sub), a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent, for approximately $3.62 billion, equal to $46 per ADS (the Merger). The Companys extraordinary general meeting of shareholders where WuXi shareholders were asked to approve the acquisition was scheduled for November 25, 2015. In support of the forthcoming shareholder vote, the Defendants issued numerous false and misleading statements, designed to undervalue the Company by omitting Defendants intentions to spin-off and publicly list shares of its various subsidiaries in the Peoples Republic of China. Not long after WuXi was delisted from the NYSE on December 10, 2015, Defendants put their plan into action and started to spin-off off and/or publicly listed the securities of its subsidiaries, including WuXi Biologics, WuXi NextCODE, and WuXiAppTec, resulting in astronomical gains for Defendants within the short period since consummation of the Merger. On June 6, 2017, it was announced that Defendants had completed an IPO of its former subsidiary, WuXi Biologic, raising over $510 million, at a valuation of over $3 billion. In June 2018 it was reported in Asian financial media that Defendants (defined below) sold a 4.08% equity stake in WuXi Biologics for $505 million, equating to a total equity value of over $12.3 billion for the company. In September 2017, WuXi NextCODE raised $240 million in its series B financing round, valuing the company at $1.2 billion. One year later, on November 27, 2018 WuXi NextCODE announced that it closed its series C financing round, raising an additional $200 million. Lastly, On May 8, 2018, WuXiAppTec completed its A-share initial public offering and listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, after receiving fast-track approval by Chinas securities regulator. The offering raised $354 million, at a $3.5 billion valuation. After seeing its stock price on the Shanghai Stock Exchange more than triple since its IPO, in July 2018, WuXi AppTec filed a prospectus in Hong Kong to become dual listed. On December 12, 2018, WuXi AppTec announced that it had raised $1.01 billion in its Hong Kong debut listing. WuXi AppTecs Honk Kong IPO valued Wuxis former subsidiary at $10.2 billion, approximately three times the value Defendants paid for the entire Company barely two years prior. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP rswilloughby@pomlaw.com 888-476-6529 ext. 9980 An ex-professor at Brooklyn College is locked in a legal battle with his former employer, accusing CUNY of mishandling decades of his black history research while investigating his finances. The New York Daily News reports that Professor Joseph Wilson's years of critical research on black history, which includes key papers, lectures, and other materials, are valued between $12 million and $14 million. In a 2017 court filing to the Eastern district of New York, Wilson alleged that the university had kept his seized property out in the open, and that "documents, files, and his other personal and business property were missing." Wilson, a former professor at Brooklyn College's Political Science department and the director of its Graduate Center for Worker Education, is a renowned authority on labor history. In 2012, CUNY began investigating Wilson, alleging that he had mishandled funds, including grant money, and "unjustly enriched" himself with roughly $100,000. They fired him in 2016. Wilson denied the claims, saying that both administrators and fellow department members made false claims against him so that the university could force him out. Following his dismissal, Wilson filed a suit against CUNY stating that he was wrongfully terminated. In it, he claims that the university "conducted a warrantless search and seizure" of his office in 2012, which included "thousands of books, volumes of his personal and business files, research notes, students' papers, pictures, video and audio tapes, artwork, political campaign and other memorabilia collected over thirty years." Additionally, Wilson says that he was never given the chance to retrieve said items. Now, several city officials are requesting more details about the case and the dozens of research materials Wilson says that CUNY tossed out, including City Councilmember Inez Barron and newly-minted Public Advocate elect Jumaane Williams, who was once a student of his. The Daily News notes that Williams' graduate thesis is one of the lost research materials. "Proper protocols were not followed and I want to know why, Barron told the paper. Wilson is suing for unspecified damages, and wants CUNY to either pay for the materials or give them back. "CUNY strongly denies the allegations made by Dr. Wilson," a university spokesperson tells Gothamist over email. "They are baseless and we look forward to the resolution of this lawsuit." We've reached out to Wilson's attorney and will update when we hear back. Nearly eight months after the city first revealed that more than 800 children in public housing had tested positive for high levels of lead poisoning, the New York Housing Authority has said it will carry out lead-based paint inspections of roughly 135,000 units starting in the spring. In an announcement on Wednesday, NYCHA said it had hired seven contractors as part of an $88 million contract to undertake the work. Contractors will work from April 1st through September 30th, 2020, using a portable x-ray device to inspect 5,000 to 7,000 units each month. In addition to performing lead testing, contractors will also look for mold and leaks. There are currently 175,636 units in the NYCHA system. Despite systemic lapses in oversight that has led to a public health crisis at its housing complexes, the agency asserted in its press release: NYCHA will finally have 100 percent confidence of where lead exists in its developments. We are aggressively tackling lead-based paint inspections at NYCHA so we can chart a definitive course to eradicate lead from our residents homes, said NYCHA Interim Chair and CEO Kathryn Garcia, in the statement. The initiative is part of LeadFreeNYC, part of a citywide effort to end childhood lead exposure. Mayor Bill de Blasio originally announced that the city would undertake lead-based paint inspections back in July 2018, one month after federal prosecutors sued NYCHA for mismanagement that endangered the lives of public housing residents and workers. Just prior to the mayors announcement, the Daily News had reported that the city knew that more than 820 children under the age of six had tested positive for high levels of lead in their blood from 2012 through 2016. Prior to that, the city's health department had claimed the numbers were less than 20. Adding to the confusion and further skepticism about the city's data, in August, city health officials released yet another tally, reporting that 1,160 children under the age of 18 had tested positive for elevated lead levels from 2012 to June 30, 2018, according to the New York Post. NYCHA has been trying to work through a backlog of emergency repairs as part of a January settlement between the city and federal housing officials. On Monday, during an appearance on NY1, de Blasio said NYCHA has finished repairing almost 5,000 apartments found to have peeling, possibly lead-contaminated paint and that are home to families with small children. NYCHA was given until the end of the month to complete work on nearly 5,800 apartments, according to The New York Post. De Blasio told NY1 host Errol Louis that NYCHA had been unable to gain access to several hundred apartments to complete repairs. We are going to take legal action, if need be, to get entry to those apartments, he added. It is literally about the health and safety of the children in those apartments. NYCHA has identified approximately $32 billion in capital repairs over the next five years. Under the deal with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the city will provide at least $2.2 billion in funding over the next decade to address issues including lead-based paint and mold. HUD will continue providing an estimated $1.5 billion a year. NYCHA has said that, including the city and federal government's contribution, it has secured funding for one third of the $32 billion. That leaves a gaping deficit of $22 billion. State education officials have determined that Success Academy, the controversial charter network with 47 schools across the city, is violating the civil rights of kids with disabilitiesand doing so with the tacit approval of the New York City Department of Education. Advocates for Children publicized the findings of a State Education Department investigation today, following a complaint the advocacy group had filed in November. The complaint alleged that Success Academy was not meeting the Individualized Education Programs of students with disabilities, in some cases failing to provide legally required testing accommodations and special education instruction. The charter network was also accused of shuffling students out of special education classes at the last minute, and ignoring administrative hearing directives to return children to those classes The state investigators confirmed each of the group's complaints in their investigation. They also concluded that the city's Department of Education had violated multiple laws in its oversight of Success Academy, including failing to properly alert parents when their children's special education placement was modified. "It is vitally important that students with disabilities get the services and supports they need to be successful in school," Emily DeSantis, a spokesperson for the state's education department, said in a statement. "I look forward to working with NYCDOE and Success Academy to ensure the compliance assurance plan is implemented." This decision makes clear that students do not give up their civil rights when they enter a charter school, and parents do not give up their voice in their childrens education. Advocates for Children of New York (@AFCNewYork) February 27, 2019 Success Academy's treatment of disabled and struggling students has been a recurring issue since the charter operator was established by former City Councilmember Eva Moskowitz thirteen years ago. In 2016, the school operator was sued for systemic discrimination against special-needs students, with 13 parents alleging that Success Academy maintains a company-wide policy of pressuring parents to pull students with disabilities from its schools. The previous year, a principal at a Brooklyn Success Academy branch was caught formulating a "Got to Go" list of 16 students. The majority of those students later left the school. The suit was forwarded to trial last August. On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Success Academy, Ann Powell, said that the investigation's findings were incomplete, and did not differ from what the charter network has publicly disclosed: "Based on our initial discussions, we believe that the primary intent of [the State Department of Education's] findings is the need for [Success Academy] to provide better documentation, not about any failure in providing services to children." The city's education department, meanwhile, said it would work with the state to improve accountability of charter operations. All New York City students deserve the resources they need to succeed in the classroom," said Doug Cohen, a DOE spokesperson. "Were strengthening our work with all charter schoolsincluding Success Academyand the State to ensure students are receiving special education services and families are empowered to advocate for their children." Despite the investigations damning findings, the letter does not mention any discipline that Success Academy or the NYC Department of Education will face for their treatment of disabled students. The letter merely directed the city's education department to take "corrective action(s)" upon finding that any school is failing to provide special needs students with appropriate services. CLEVELAND (For release Thursday, Feb. 28, 9:30 a.m.)--LeVar Burton, a celebrated American actor, director, producer and writer for more than 40 years, is adding another accolade--this one for his tireless, decades-long dedication to children's literacy and AIDS research and treatment. This fall, the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence at Case Western Reserve University will award the 2019 Inamori Ethics Prize to Burton for his outstanding global ethical leadership as an advocate for such important and worthy causes. "I couldn't have been more surprised by the news," Burton said. "This is a very prestigious honor, and as the first recipient from the field of the Arts, I look forward to being able to accept the prize and thank the committee in person." Burton will be awarded the prize and deliver a free public lecture about his work as part of an academic symposium and panel discussion during Inamori Center events Sept. 19-20 on the Case Western Reserve campus in Cleveland. "I'm delighted to have LeVar Burton as our first prize-winner from the Arts," said Shannon E. French, Inamori Professor in Ethics and director of the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence. "His work for children's literacy has had such profound impact. He has truly transformed lives through PBS's Reading Rainbow and his nonprofit work. And he has also been a change agent in support of more funding for AIDS research. "Beyond these enduring contributions," French said, "as an actor he made the world confront the inhumanity of slavery with his searing, unforgettable performance as Kunta Kinte in Roots and helped us all imagine a better, more just future as a star of Star Trek: The Next Generation. He's a wonderful example of what it is to be an ethical leader in the arts, and I know he will inspire our students and our community." Burton is best known for hosting Reading Rainbow, a children's program launched in 1983 on PBS to foster and inspire a love of reading, and for his roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation and the 1977 award-winning ABC television miniseries Roots. Reading Rainbow ran for 23 seasons, making it one of the longest-running children's programs on PBS. The program received a Peabody Award and 26 Emmy Awards--11 of which were for Outstanding Children's Series. Burton, himself, won 12 Emmy awards for the show. And he's long been involved in charitable ventures, using his award-winning talent and influence to benefit children's literacy and development, as well as AIDS research and treatment. Burton serves on the board of directors for the AIDS Research Alliance (ARA), a non- profit, medical research organization dedicated to finding a cure for AIDS. The ARA helps fast-track HIV-treatment medications and conducts clinical trials for many pharmaceutical companies. To foster ethical leadership worldwide, the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence annually presents the Inamori Ethics Prize to a recipient who demonstrates exemplary ethical leadership. First awarded in 2008, the prize honors outstanding international ethical leaders whose actions and influence have greatly improved the human condition. The Inamori Center was endowed by a generous gift from Kazuo Inamori, who established Kyocera Corp. and is a global telecommunications leader and founder of the Inamori Foundation that presents the annual Kyoto Prize in Kyoto, Japan. Previous Inamori Ethics Prize winners were: Farouk El-Baz, noted geologist, NASA space scientist and conservationist, 2018; Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund, 2017; Peter Eigen, founder of Transparency International and pioneer of the global fight against corruption, 2016; Martha C. Nussbaum, celebrated philosopher, groundbreaking scholar and Kyoto Prize laureate, 2015; Denis Mukwege, physician and human rights activist from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 2014 (now a 2018 Nobel Peace Prize recipient); Yvon Chouinard, corporate social responsibility advocate and Patagonia founder, 2013; David Suzuki, environmentalist and broadcaster, 2012; Beatrice Mtetwa, a human rights lawyer in Zimbabwe, 2011; Stan Brock, founder of Remote Area Medical, 2010; Mary Robinson, former United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights and Ireland's first woman president, 2009; and Francis S. Collins, leader of the Human Genome Project and director of the National Institutes of Health, 2008. ### Case Western Reserve University is one of the country's leading private research institutions. Located in Cleveland, we offer a unique combination of forward-thinking educational opportunities in an inspiring cultural setting. Our leading-edge faculty engage in teaching and research in a collaborative, hands-on environment. Our nationally recognized programs include arts and sciences, dental medicine, engineering, law, management, medicine, nursing and social work. About 5,100 undergraduate and 6,700 graduate students comprise our student body. Visit case.edu to see how Case Western Reserve thinks beyond the possible. The oldest distinguishing feature between humans and our ape cousins is our ability to walk on two legs - a trait known as bipedalism. Among mammals, only humans and our ancestors perform this atypical balancing act. New research led by a Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine professor of anatomy provides evidence for greater reliance on terrestrial bipedalism by a human ancestor than previously suggested in the ancient fossil record. Scott W. Simpson, PhD, led an analysis of a 4.5 million-year-old fragmentary female skeleton of the human ancestor Ardipithecus ramidus that was discovered in the Gona Project study area in the Afar Regional State of Ethiopia. The newly analyzed fossils document a greater, but far from perfect, adaptation to bipedalism in the Ar. ramidus ankle and hallux (big toe) than previously recognized. "Our research shows that while Ardipithecus was a lousy biped, she was somewhat better than we thought before," said Simpson. Fossils of this age are rare and represent a poorly known period of human evolution. By documenting more fully the function of the hip, ankle, and foot in Ardipithecus locomotion, Simpson's analysis helps illuminate current understanding of the timing, context, and anatomical details of ancient upright walking. Previous studies of other Ardipithecus fossils showed that it was capable of terrestrial bipedalism as well as being able to clamber in trees, but lacked the anatomical specializations seen in the Gona fossil examined by Simpson. The new analysis, published in the Journal of Human Evolution, thus points to a diversity of adaptations during the transition to how modern humans walk today. "The fact that Ardipithecus could both walk upright, albeit imperfectly, and scurry in trees marks it out as a pivotal transitional figure in our human lineage," said Simpson. Key to the adaptation of bipedality are changes in the lower limbs. For example, unlike monkeys and apes, the human big toe is parallel with the other toes, allowing the foot to function as a propulsive lever when walking. While Ardipithecus had an offset grasping big toe useful for climbing in trees, Simpson's analysis shows that it also used its big toe to help propel it forward, demonstrating a mixed, transitional adaptation to terrestrial bipedalism. Specifically, Simpson looked at the area of the joints between the arch of the foot and the big toe, enabling him to reconstruct the range of motion of the foot. While joint cartilage no longer remains for the Ardipithecus fossil, the surface of the bone has a characteristic texture which shows that it had once been covered by cartilage. "This evidence for cartilage shows that the big toe was used in a more human-like manner to push off," said Simpson. "It is a foot in transition, one that shows primitive, tree-climbing physical characteristics but one that also features a more human-like use of the foot for upright walking." Additionally, when chimpanzees stand, their knees are "outside" the ankle, i.e., they are bow-legged. When humans stand, the knees are directly above the ankle - which Simpson found was also true for the Ardipithecus fossil. The Gona Project has conducted continuous field research since 1999. The study area is located in the Afar Depression portion of the eastern Africa rift and its fossil-rich deposits span the last 6.3 million years. Gona is best known as documenting the earliest evidence of the Oldowan stone tool technology. The first Ardipithecus ramidus fossils at Gona were discovered in 1999 and described in the journal Nature in 2005. Gona has also documented one of the earliest known human fossil ancestors - dated to 6.3 million years ago. The Gona Project is co-directed by Sileshi Semaw, PhD, a research scientist with the CENIEH research center in Burgos, Spain, and Michael Rogers, PhD, of Southern Connecticut State University. The geological and contextual research for the current research was led by Naomi Levin, PhD, of the University of Michigan, and Jay Quade, PhD, of the University of Arizona. ### This research was made possible by use of the human and ape skeletal collections housed at the Laboratory of Physical Anthropology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Major financial support was provided by the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation, Spain's Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad, Marie Curie EU Integration Grant, U.S. National Science Foundation, Case Western Reserve University, the National Geographic Society, and the Wenner-Gren Foundation. Simpson, S., et al. "Ardipithecus ramidus postcrania from the Gona Project area, Afar Regional State, Ethiopia." Journal of Human Evolution. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.12.005 For more information about Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, please visit case.edu/medicine. Every two years, the award, which includes a cash prize of 10,000, is presented to Goethe University professors that are also active members of influential scientific or political organisations. The award money is to be invested in realising and facilitating projects and assignments that the special commitments of the award-winners prevent from finding the time to work on themselves. Professor Gerlach has been committed to improving health care services in Germany for many years. At the award ceremony on 25th February, University President Birgitta Wolf thanked him for providing high-quality science-based political consulting services in an era of "fake news". This also supports one of the university's central objectives: to improve society through the results of its research. Vice President Manfred Schubert-Zsilavecz described Gerlach as Goethe University's "model professor" and the "most important general practitioner in Germany". In his speech at the award ceremony, Professor Christoph Straub, Chairman of the Board of the BARMER health insurer, praised Gerlach's long-time commitment to continuous quality improvement and the employment of evidence-based medicine in medical practice. As early as 1993, Gerlach developed ideas to improve the medical quality assurance process, and implemented quality compasses for family practitioners. In 2004, he devised the internet platform "Every-Mistake-Counts," which enables general practices to anonymously report mistakes that others can learn from. Ferdinand Gerlach was an early advocate of evidence-based medicine. He initiated the development of guidelines for general practice, a concept subsequently adopted in other medical fields. His areas of focus also include epidemiology in public health practice, digitalisation in the health sector, patient safety, healthcare for the chronically ill, and health services research. He has established three additional chairs for these special fields at the Institute of General Practice, as well as an endowed chair for polypharmacy and health services research from 1st March. With his appointment as chair of the German Council of Health Advisors, Gerlach went from "the first family physician in the country to generalist and navigator of the health care sector," said Straub. With his affable, thoughtful and unassuming demeanour, he is the "gentleman of political consulting," yet he can also be tough and assertive, particularly when it concerns the accurate presentation of scientific issues. While this does not always make working with him easy, it is a successful formula. For example, the German government has only recently adopted many of the Council's recommendations on emergency care. Gerlach has also worked in various way to improve teaching and education in his field. His project "Landpartie" (country outing) encourages students to complete the practical part of their medical studies in rural practices, and thus helps to tackle the prevailing shortage of doctors in rural regions. He further organised a high-calibre lecture series to raise student awareness of diagnostic and therapeutic overtreatment, at which Eckhard von Hirschhausen spoke about the healing power of humour. ### Brief Vita: Professor Ferdinand M. Gerlach, MPH, studied human medicine in Gottingen and received his doctorate in 1987. He concluded his specialty training in general practice in 1992, and completed a post-graduate degree in Public Health with a focus on "Management in the Health Sector" at the Medical University in Hanover at the same time. Before his appointment to Goethe University in 2004, he was Professor of General Practice at the University of Kiel. In addition to various positions in national and international committees and organisations, he was president of the DEGAM (German College of General Practitioners and Family Physicians) from 2010 to 2016. Numerous scientific awards attest to his excellent work. These include the Hessen Higher Education Prize for Excellence in Teaching) (2017), Award of the Saxony Society for General Practice (2017), German Research Award for General Practice (2008), Richard Merten Award for Quality Assurance in the Health Sector (2005), Berlin Health Award (2002), German Health Award for 'Innovation in the Health Sector' (1999) and the Health Sciences Award (1994). Further information: Professor Ferdinand Gerlach, Master of Public Health, Institute of General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Niederrad Campus, Tel. +49 69 6301-5687, gerlach@allgemeinmedizin.uni-frankfurt.de. An image may be downloaded here: http://www.uni-frankfurt.de/76519146 Caption: University President Professor Birgitta Wolff, Professor Ferdinand Gerlach und his wife, Professor Heike Schnoor, Award ceremony speaker Professor Christoph Straub. Credit: Benjamin Andre Current news about science, teaching, and society can be found on GOETHE-UNI online (http://www.aktuelles.uni-frankfurt.de) Goethe University is a research-oriented university in the European financial centre Frankfurt am Main, The university was founded in 1914 through private funding, primarily from Jewish sponsors, and has since produced pioneering achievements in the areas of social sciences, sociology and economics, medicine, quantum physics, brain research, and labour law. It gained a unique level of autonomy on 1 January 2008 by returning to its historic roots as a "foundation university". Today, it is one of the three largest universities in Germany. Together with the Technical University of Darmstadt and the University of Mainz, it acts as a partner of the inter-state strategic Rhine-Main University Alliance. Internet: http://www.uni-frankfurt.de Publisher: The President of Goethe University Editor: Dr. Anne Hardy, Science Editor, PR & Communications Department, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Tel: (069) 798-13035, Fax: (069) 798-763 12531. Recent research on spina bifida provides new insights into how to manage the disorder and help patients transition to adulthood, reports the Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Amsterdam, NL, February 28, 2019 - Spina bifida (myelomeningocele) is the most common, permanently disabling birth defect compatible with life. In a collection of articles, published in the Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, experts describe important advances made in the care of spina bifida patients that extend life and improve quality of life. Globally, it is estimated that more than 300,000 babies are born each year with neural tube defects. However, there is substantial global variation in birth prevalence rates. In the United States, for example, birth prevalence is seven cases per 10,000 live births, whereas in certain regions of the developing world, it has been reported to be as high as 125 cases per 10,000. Individuals born with spina bifida historically had high mortality in childhood, but advances in neurosurgery, genitourinary surgery, gastroenterology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation have led to marked increases in survival. Seventy-five percent to 85% of individuals with spina bifida now survive into adulthood. While immigration from Latin America is often a result of social determinants, immigration itself can be understood as a social determinant of health (SDH). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that when attempting to mitigate racial/ethnic health disparities, it should be remembered that SDHs effectively determine longevity and quality of life (QOL). Subsequently, investigators have begun to recognize existing disparities through the use of the CDC National Spina Bifida Patient Registry (NSBPR). In the face of these documented health disparities among minority populations with spina bifida, the need for timely and culturally-competent studies among Hispanics/Latinos, who have the highest spina bifida prevalence, is self-evident. Furthermore, social variables have been linked with worse outcomes in other national patient registries, illustrating the importance of accounting for SDH in multicenter comparative analysis. Therefore, accounting for these individual level differences becomes even more critical when making comparisons within spina bifida care - a condition with a known ethnic/racial gradient in incidence. "For some minority populations, precursors to poor spina bifida-related outcomes may be best conceptualized through a 'three-hit' model. Whereas the first two 'hits' are experienced prenatally (i.e., the neural tube lesion itself and its environmental exposure to amniotic fluid), the 'third hit' may involve combinations of additional genetic and/or non-genetic exposures, such as unfavorable SDH," explained Jonathan Castillo, MD, MPH, Director of the Spina Bifida Program at Texas Children's Hospital, who served as guest editor for the issue. "As we face an increasingly global community, with growing travel and immigration, fresh approaches will be required, such as community-based participatory research and transnational learning collaboratives, in order to address the emerging global challenges." With so many children with spina bifida living longer, it has become increasingly important to manage their transition from childhood to adulthood. In an article that addresses this situation, lead author Betsy Hopson, MSHA, of the Spina Bifida Program, Children's of Alabama (COA), University of Alabama at Birmingham, and colleagues describe the development and implementation of the Children's of Alabama Spina Bifida Lifetime-Care-Model. They critically evaluated the team's initial ten-year experience in the provision of care for spina bifida-affected youths transitioning into an adult care environment. This article describes early failures that led to an evolution in approach and implementation of a Lifetime-Care-Model that result in a smooth transition between all phases of life. "Early in our process of developing a lifetime model, we found that patients with spina bifida were not ready for adult healthcare or adult life in general," explained Ms. Hopson. "The majority of our patients reached adult age but were not engaging in typical adult behaviors such as finding a job, developing relationships, or even leaving their homes very often. This research highlights our efforts to prepare patients for adult life through specific goal setting and interventions at an early age." In 2010, members of the pediatric team at COA began to evaluate limitations in access to care for patients with spina bifida at various stages of life. Through clinic surveys, observations, and caregiver reports, a Lifetime-Care-Model was developed and implemented. Partnerships were made with adult medicine colleagues to create an interdisciplinary model at each stage. The program has now evolved to include standardized care protocols. The experience at COA suggests that patients with spina bifida benefit from continuity of care throughout their lifetime. This research describes the importance of pediatric providers and adult providers working together for patients as they age, patient and family preparation and readiness, a functioning bowel management program, and an approach that emphasizes capability and individual responsibility rather than anything related to specific medical procedures or interventions. "Transition has become a 'hot topic' in medical care for patients with lifelong complex conditions," added Jeffrey P. Blount, MD, Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery and Professor of Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, who led the investigation. "We found that the transition encompasses more than a change in the location of healthcare delivery, but more importantly involves a process for ensuring the patient and their family are ready for that change. We hope that other institutions may adapt and build upon it to create programs unique to their specific patient needs." Patients with spina bifida often have hydrocephalus (excess cerebrospinal fluid), and shunting is frequently used to treat the condition. But how does this affect the development of children with spina bifida? Amy J. Houtrow, MD, MPH, PhD, Associate Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues evaluated the impact of hydrocephalus and shunt placement for differences in developmental outcomes at 30 months of age for children with spina bifida enrolled in the Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS). Children with no hydrocephalus (27), shunted hydrocephalus (108), and unshunted hydrocephalus (36) were compared at 30 months of age on several developmental scales. Generalized linear models were used to adjust for factors significantly different between the groups at baseline. Additional analyses were conducted to evaluate the impact of the severity of hydrocephalus. Investigators initially noted statistically significant differences between the three groups. After controlling for factors such as premature birth or large ventricles (a sign of hydrocephalus) during prenatal screening, no statistically significant differences were identified. However, in sub-analyses, children with more severe hydrocephalus fared worse. The investigators concluded that there were no neurodevelopmental differences with children enrolled in MOMS across the three groups after adjustment for characteristics not attributable to shunting that differed between the groups. Severity of hydrocephalus was associated with poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes. "This is important to neurosurgeons who are treating babies with spina bifida who have hydrocephalus because it helps them recognize that putting in a shunt doesn't mean that the child's developmental outcomes will be poor," noted Dr. Houtrow. "It is the severity of the hydrocephalus, not the shunt itself, that predicts worse developmental outcomes. This study sets the stage for additional research to inform decision-making and can aid neurosurgeons in guiding families regarding shunt placement for hydrocephalus, an important medical and surgical decision." ### Professor Ugur Sahin has been awarded the 2019 German Cancer Award, one of the most prestigious distinctions in cancer medicine in Germany. Professor Sahin receives the award in the category Translational Research for his seminal work on individualized cancer immunotherapies, in particular for the development and clinical testing of mRNA-based vaccines that are tailored to each patient's mutation profile. Every patient's cancer is unique. Ugur Sahin and his team are developing technologies to identify and exploit the distinct characteristics of each cancer in combination with innovative treatment approaches that direct the immune system to recognize the patient's specific tumor and destroy it. Ugur Sahin is Professor at the Mainz University Medical Center, member of the board of directors of the University Cancer Center Mainz, co-founder of the non-profit translational oncology research institute TRON and the private biotechnology companies Ganymed Pharmaceuticals and BioNTech. Sahin's key focus is solving deeply rooted challenges in the complex process of translating innovation from the lab bench to the patient's bedside, a mission that was originally prompted by his experience as a physician. His work has resulted in the development of various novel immunotherapies that are currently being evaluated in the clinic. "Ugur Sahin is an innovator and leader in the cancer immunotherapy field. We are very proud of his accomplishments and the continued acknowledgement of his groundbreaking work in deciphering the genome of each patient's tumor and developing the corresponding personalized treatments," explained the Chief Scientific Officer and Dean of the Mainz University Medical Center, Professor Ulrich Forstermann. Professor Norbert Pfeiffer, Chair of the Executive Board and Chief Medical Officer, added: "The work of Ugur Sahin describes translation par excellence: Results from basic research in immunology are immediately transposed to clinical work. This rapid implementation from 'bench to bedside' is a special strength of our university medical center." The German Cancer Award is awarded annually by the German Cancer Society and the German Cancer Foundation and honors outstanding achievements in the field of clinical, translational and experimental cancer research in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. This year's ceremony was held in conjunction with the 20th International AEK Cancer Congress in Heidelberg, Germany, on February 27th, 2019. ### Walking into the new Derrick Adams exhibition is like walking into a home that may be foreign to your eyes but is familiar to your soul; quickly the viewer becomes immersed in the artist's universe. Adams's new work, titled Interior Life, is curated by Francesco Bonami and is on display at Luxembourg & Dayan through April 20th. This series is comprised of life-size vignettes of domestic settings, and the spaces are lavished with Adams's rich mosaic style aesthetic. On custom wallpaper he uses a dynamic range of colors, textures, patterns, shapes, and culturally historical references to build a whole world that features new framed portraits from his ongoing "Deconstruction Worker" series. "The work is really about the future and the past. Everything that's framed which are the mixed media works are informed by everything around it," Adams told Gothamist on opening night. Inspired by the Catholic ideology, a life which seeks God in everything, the show examines the relationship between the intimate and infinite of two internal spheres, the home and the mind. Luxembourg & Dayans gallery is housed in the second smallest townhouse in Manhattan, and serves as the perfect physical space to complement Adams's imaginary domestic domain. ( Derrick AdamsCourtesy Luxembourg & Dayan, New York and London) Gallerist Amalia Dayan said, "I love good art and this gallery is a good match for the work because Derrick took into account the intimacy of the space. His work also has a lot of historical references which makes sense for this kind of gallery." Adams, a native son of Baltimore, is a NYC-based multidisciplinary artist who works in performance, video, painting, illustration, and sculpture. Though he's been a working artist for more than 20 years, it was his 2014 exhibition "LIVE and IN COLOR" that garnered a lot of recognition. The series consisted of wood sculptures and large-scale mixed media collages depicting black archetypes in media, and unanimously entranced viewers. His work became more ubiquitous being featured on the shows Empire and Insecure, helping catapult him to the mainstream in a way reminiscent of Romare Bearden, after his work was featured on The Cosby Show. Like Bearden, Adams is constantly exploring Blackness through identity, culture, and experiences. His work favors more nuanced and joyful narratives of the black experience, all the while capturing the eye by creating a rich gumbo of colors, textures, and layers that can provoke powerful emotions. And although "Interior Life" is a figment of Adams's imagination, it creates a real space for the celebration of black culture. Similar to Adams's other works, Interior Life is no different in its ability to be visually mesmerizing. The living room with its earth tones is warm and inviting, the bathroom is so chic you wouldnt want to use it, and the kitchen is embellished with soul food recipes by Edna Lewis and Patti LaBelle. It is the bedroom however that seduces the viewer, lacquered in a Valentines Day red paint, featuring two new portraits framed in the center of the room, a nifty lattice design creating the bedspread and pillows, and a bust of a black woman serves as the base of 2 bedside lamps, makes this room totally captivating. "Interior Life" adds another important layer in Adams's body of work; he wrote of the show, "I am always trying to make these references to things I see things, things Im attracted to, why do I like them? Where they come from? I think about all those things when Im making my work but I think this is the first exhibition where I had the ability to really expand on it in a really almost performative way. I think the viewers will have some type of visceral response to it that is more about familiarity than about the histories that have informed me to make this." "Interior Life" is on display at Luxembourg & Dayan (64 East 77 Street) until April 20th. A new Johns Hopkins study offers promise towards someday being able to non-invasively examine changes in cancerous tumors to determine whether they'll respond to radiation treatment, before treatment even begins. The findings, published Feb. 28 in Cancer Research, can potentially help identify subsets of patients that are best suited for radiation treatment, thereby reducing medical overtreatment and helping patients avoid the adverse effects of radiation. "Our eventual hope is to be able to predict a patient's response before radiation therapy even begins, thus sparing patients whose tumors can't be treated with radiation from going through the arduous multi-week process, saving them both time and money," says Ishan Barman, a Johns Hopkins University assistant professor of mechanical engineering and one of the study's corresponding authors. In typical radiation therapy, small doses of radiation are delivered over a period of five to seven weeks and there's currently no definitive way of determining treatment response before or in the early weeks of therapy. The earliest clinicians can examine tumor shrinkage is two to three weeks after therapy with CT and MRI scans. While other studies have investigated molecular changes in tumors as a way to preemptively identify tumors that won't respond to radiation treatment, the researchers say their study is unique because they studied multiple types of cancers and used smaller doses of radiation, which more accurately reflects current radiation therapy practices. "Previous researchers used a single large dose of radiation, resulting in biomolecular changes that don't accurately mimic the subtle changes caused by smaller doses delivered over longer periods of time," says Santosh Paidi, a Johns Hopkins University mechanical engineering graduate research assistant and the study's first author. In this study, the Johns Hopkins, University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences researchers used Raman spectroscopy, a method which uses light from a laser to examine how molecules vibrate, to characterize the changes in the biochemical composition of the tumor and its environment. This method, the researchers say, requires only a low-power laser and doesn't need any additional sample preparation; such technologies enable holistic examination of the complex biological processes of radiation treatment. To test the different responses between tumors that are sensitive to radiation and those that are resistant to radiation, the researchers used cell lines of both resistant and sensitive tumors from human lung as well as head and neck cancers to grow tumors in mice. After the tumors grew to a certain size, the research team removed them and scanned them with a Raman spectroscopy system. All four tumor types showed changes in response to small doses, meant to replicate clinical radiation therapy practice in humans, given over the course of two weeks. The researchers also found consistent changes in lipid and collagen content in both lung, and head and neck tumors. For the second part of the experiment, the research team examined untreated lung tumors. Raman spectroscopy provided data that allowed the research team to distinguish between radiation-resistant and radiation-sensitive tumors, thus providing key insight into the roles different molecules may play in making tumors resistant to radiation. The research team found subtle differences in each tumor type's spectrographic signature; by analyzing these patterns, the researchers created an algorithm that could identify radiation resistance and sensitivity with a 97 percent success rate. "This is only the first step of a larger research endeavor to determine how head and neck cancer tumors respond to radiation," says Barman. "The ultimate goal is to build a miniature probe that can fit into a laryngoscope. Hopefully in the future, then, when a clinician performs an endoscopy and looks at a patient's cancerous tumor, they'll be able to determine whether that tumor will even respond to radiation therapy, and that can improve treatment plans." ### Other authors on this paper include Paola Monterroso Diaz, Sina Dadgar, Samir V. Jenkins, Charles M. Quick, Robert J. Griffin, Ruud P.M. Dings and Narasimhan Rajaram of the University of Arkansas. Funding for this study was provided by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (2-P41-EB015871-31), National Institute of General Medical Sciences (DP2GM128198), JHU Catalyst Award, the Arkansas Biosciences Institute, the Medical Research Endowment Fund, the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and the Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Inflammatory Responses (P20GM103625). EVANSTON, Ill. --- An interdisciplinary Northwestern University team has developed a pair of soft, flexible wireless sensors that replace the tangle of wire-based sensors that currently monitor babies in hospitals' neonatal intensive care units (NICU) and pose a barrier to parent-baby cuddling and physical bonding. The team recently completed a series of first human studies on premature babies at Prentice Women's Hospital and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. The researchers concluded that the wireless sensors provided data as precise and accurate as that from traditional monitoring systems. The wireless patches also are gentler on a newborn's fragile skin and allow for more skin-to-skin contact with the parent. Existing sensors must be attached with adhesives that can scar and blister premature newborns' skin. The study, involving materials scientists, engineers, dermatologists and pediatricians will be published March 1 in the journal Science. The study includes initial data from more than 20 babies who wore the wireless sensors alongside traditional monitoring systems, so Northwestern researchers could do a side-by-side, quantitative comparison. Since then, the team has conducted successful tests with more than 70 babies in the NICU. "We wanted to eliminate the rat's nest of wires and aggressive adhesives associated with existing hardware systems and replace them with something safer, more patient-centric and more compatible with parent-child interaction," said John A. Rogers, a bio-electronics pioneer, who led the technology development. "We were able to reproduce all of the functionality that current wire-based sensors provide with clinical-grade precision. Our wireless, battery-free, skin-like devices give up nothing in terms of range of measurement, accuracy and precision -- and they even provide advanced measurements that are clinically important but not commonly collected." Rogers is the Louis Simpson and Kimberly Querrey Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Biomedical Engineering in the McCormick School of Engineering and a professor of neurological surgery in the Feinberg School of Medicine. He co-led the research with Dr. Amy Paller, dermatology department chair, Walter J. Hamlin Professor of Dermatology and professor of pediatrics at Feinberg, and Dr. Shuai (Steve) Xu, an instructor of dermatology at Feinberg and a Northwestern Medicine dermatologist. Cutting the cords The mass of wires that surround newborns in the NICU are often bigger than the babies themselves. Typically, five or six wires connect electrodes on each baby to monitors for breathing, blood pressure, blood oxygen, heartbeat and more. Although these wires ensure health and safety, they constrain the baby's movements and pose a major barrier to physical bonding during a critical period of development. "We know that skin-to-skin contact is so important for newborns -- especially those who are sick or premature," said Paller, a pediatric dermatologist at Lurie Children's. "It's been shown to decrease the risk of pulmonary complications, liver issues and infections. Yet, when you have wires everywhere and the baby is tethered to a bed, it's really hard to make skin-to-skin contact." New mother frustrated by inability to hold her newborn New mother Taschana Taylor is familiar with that frustration. After an emergency C-section, Taylor's daughter Grace was rushed to the NICU, where she remained for three weeks. Desperate to bond with their new baby, Taylor and her husband felt exhausted when navigating the wires to provide Grace with the most basic care. Grace is among the 70 babies who have participated in the side-by-side comparison study so far. "Trying to feed her, change her, swaddle her, hold her and move around with her with the wires was difficult," Taylor said. "If she didn't have wires on her, we could go for a walk around the room together. It would have made the entire experience more enjoyable." Stressful and difficult to take baby out of crib "The gyrations that parents and nurses have to go through just to take the baby out of the crib are astounding," said co-author Dr. Aaron Hamvas, the Raymond and Hazel Speck Berry Professor of Neonatology at Feinberg and division head of neonatology at Lurie Children's. "Wires are going up to the monitor, down to the baby, maybe going through holes in an incubator," Hamvas said. "Nurses and parents try to get the babies all bundled, so they don't accidentally pull anything off them or out of the wall. It's very, very cumbersome and stressful. If the baby were totally unencumbered, it would be tremendously more efficient and less prone to problems." "Anybody who has had the experience of entering a NICU immediately notices how tiny the babies are, and how many wires and electrodes are attached to them," said co-author Dr. Debra Weese-Mayer, the Beatrice Cummings Mayer Professor of Pediatric Autonomic Medicine at Feinberg and chief of Pediatric Autonomic Medicine at Lurie Children's. "The opportunity to go wireless has enormous potential for decreasing the burden for the nurses, for the babies and for the parents." Going beyond current possibilities The benefits of the Northwestern team's new technology reach beyond its lack of wires -- measuring more than what's possible with today's clinical standards. The dual wireless sensors monitor babies' vital signs -- heart rate, respiration rate and body temperature -- from opposite ends of the body. One sensor lays across the baby's chest or back, while the other sensor wraps around a foot. (The chest sensor measures 5 centimeters by 2.5 centimeters; the foot sensor is 2.5 centimeters by 2 centimeters. Each sensor weighs about the same as a raindrop.) This strategy allows physicians to gather an infant's core temperature as well as body temperature from a peripheral region. "Differences in temperature between the foot and the chest have great clinical importance in determining blood flow and cardiac function," Rogers said. "That's something that's not commonly done today." Physicians also can measure blood pressure by continuously tracking when the pulse leaves the heart and arrives at the foot. Currently, there is not a good way to collect a reliable blood pressure measurement. A blood pressure cuff can bruise or damage an infant's fragile skin. The other option is to insert a catheter into an artery, which is tricky because of the slight diameter of a premature newborn's blood vessels. It also introduces a risk of infection, clotting and even death. "We are missing a great deal of information where there may be variations in blood pressure over the course of the day," Hamvas said. "These variations in blood pressure may have a significant impact on outcomes." The device also could help fill in information gaps that exist during skin-to-skin contact. If physicians can continue to measure infants' vital signs while being held by their parents, they might learn more about just how critical this contact might be. Transparent and compatible with imaging, the sensors also can be worn during X-rays, MRIs and CT scans. "Wires are not just a physical impediment to interacting with the baby but also disrupt imaging if left in place," Paller said. "The technology has been developed so you can do imaging with the sensors in place and continue monitoring the baby." Saving 'incredibly fragile' skin The blood pressure cuff isn't the only potentially damaging part of current technology. Many premature babies suffer skin injuries from the sticky tape that adheres the wires to the body. Tape can cause skin irritation, blisters and, ultimately, infections. In some cases, this damage can lead to lifelong scarring. "Premature babies' skin is not fully developed, so it's incredibly fragile," Paller said. "In fact, the thickness of the skin in premature infants is about 40 percent reduced. The more premature you get, the more fragile the skin becomes. That means we have to be very careful." The Northwestern team has studied 70 babies in the NICU thus far and found no sign of skin damage from the wireless sensors. The sensor's skin-saving secret lies in its lightweight nature, thin geometry and soft mechanics. The paper-thin device is made from bio-compatible, soft elastic silicone that embeds a collection of tiny electronic components connected with spring-like wires that move and flex with the body. Rogers worked with longtime collaborator and stretchable electronics and theoretical mechanics expert Yonggang Huang to come up with an optimal design. Huang is a Walter P. Murphy Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Mechanical Engineering and professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern's McCormick School. "If you look back to the 1960s, the basic approach to monitoring infants is essentially the same as it is today," Rogers said. "It's taped-on sensors, wires to external boxes of electronics. That's all that's ever been done. "The strength of the adhesive required to keep our lightweight device on the skin is much lower than that of the kinds of adhesives needed to maintain an interface between a hardwired sensor and an external box," Rogers continued. "We have seen no adverse side effects in our study, not even a hint of skin injury even in the most frail babies." The wireless sensor communicates through a transmitter placed underneath the crib's mattress. Using radio frequencies the same strength as those in RFID tags, the antenna transmits data to displays at the nurses' station. Although it can be sterilized and reused, the sensor is cheap enough (about $10) that it can simply be discarded after 24 hours and replaced with a new one to eliminate any risk of infection. When will wireless sensors appear in U.S. hospitals? Rogers estimates that his wireless sensors will appear in American hospitals within the next two to three years. With support from two major nonprofit organizations, Rogers' team expects to send sensors to tens of thousands of families in developing countries over the next year as part of an international effort. "We're proud of the fact that this technology isn't just limited to advanced NICUs in developed countries," Xu said. "The technology can be adapted with minimal modification for low-resource settings." ### The study, "Dual wireless epidermal electronic systems with in-sensor analytics for neonatal intensive care," was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (PI Weese-Mayer), the Gerber Foundation (PI Weese-Mayer), the Friends of Prentice Foundation (PI Paller), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (award numbers 11402134 and 11320101001), the National Basic Research program of China (award number 2015CB351900), the National Science Foundation (award numbers 1400159, 1534120 and 1635443) and the Future Growth Engine Program (award number 10079974), funded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy in South Korea. Scientists uncover how one protein keeps conditions 'just right' so that cells can easily divide into two identical daughter cells Cells divide to grow new tissues or patch up damaged ones, but when cell division goes wrong, it can cause more harm than good. To avoid dire consequences, namely disease and unwanted cell death, cells employ a suite of failsafes to ensure they split evenly, every time. Now, scientists have identified a previously unknown mechanism by which cells accomplish this impressive feat. Usually, the genetic material within a cell assembles in loose, lengthy strands--picture an unwound spool of thread. During cell division, those strands coil themselves into tightly bound chromosomes and align at the cell's equator. To make room for this chorus line formation, the squishy cell rounds up into a perfect sphere. Scientists have long known that if a cell cannot round at this stage, it cannot divide. The new research, published February 28, 2019 in Nature Communications, presents a novel idea: if a cell rounds with too much force, division becomes equally impossible. "There are many reported cases of cells not having enough force to round up, but this is the first case reporting excess force," said Prof. Keiko Kono, co-senior author of the study and principal investigator of the OIST Membranology Unit. The researchers discovered an alternate scenario, wherein a critical failsafe is removed, the cell generates too much force and division simply stalls. Though chromosomes still organize along the cell equator, a stage known as the "spindle assembly checkpoint," division cannot proceed past this point. "The chromosomes are just beautifully aligned," said Kono, "but the checkpoint cannot be released." Kono conducted the study with co-senior author Prof. Makoto Nakanishi of the University of Tokyo, as well as additional collaborators from the University of Tokyo, Yamaguchi University, Nagoya City University, Kyoto University, and the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research. At OIST, the Kono Unit pursues related research, investigating how cells change shape in response to different stimuli, including damage to their outer membranes. The research advances our understanding of how cells work and could someday inform how we treat many medical ailments, from hearing loss to cancer. Molecular Brake Helps Maintain Balance In a petri dish, cells tend to lie flat like fresh baked cookies stuck to a baking tray. During division, they puff up on the dish, forming into tiny balls. It's been shown that a protein called cyclin-dependent kinase 1, or Cdk1, helps drive this rounding action. Cdk1 triggers a chain reaction which leads to accumulation of stringy filaments, called F-actin, at the cell surface. F-actin works with a proteinous partner--myosin--to pull the surface taut and cause the cell to round. "But there's a kind of puzzle here," said Kono. At the onset of cell division, tension at the cell surface steadily increases. But once chromosomes align at the equator, the tension plateaus and remains nearly constant until the cell finally splits. "[The established theory] explains this linear increase, but it doesn't explain why the force is stabilized--our work explained this." To solve this mystery, the researchers created mutant cells in which the chain reaction set off by Cdk1 was disrupted. Normally, Cdk1 triggers a series of events that cues the cell to build actin filaments. Acting like a key in the ignition, a protein downstream of Cdk1 activates the F-actin assembly line, stringing together molecular links to create each individual filament. The scientists suspected that, if one protein jumpstarts this process, another must act as a brake to slow it down. They found that, remarkably, Cdk1 steps in to play this role. After cueing the cell to construct actin filaments, Cdk1 modifies the assembly line itself, halting construction before too much actin accumulates. In mutated cells, in which Cdk1 was prevented from putting on the brakes, actin piled up at the cell surface and caused tension to build uncontrollably. Unless the brake was reinstalled, the mutant cells could not divide. 'Goldilocks Zone' for Cell Division The results suggest that excess tension at the cell surface disrupts division, but further research is needed to know exactly why. In the future, Kono plans to investigate how forces acting at the cell membrane affect the timing of division, especially on either side of the spindle assembly checkpoint. Following the checkpoint, the perfect row of chromosomes gets torn in two, granting an equal amount of genetic material to each resulting daughter cell. In preparation for this critical moment, the cell needs everything to go just right. "If the chromosomes cannot be aligned and distributed well, it will immediately induce diseases," said Kono. For chromosomes to be divvied up evenly, the cell must round up just enough, but not too much. "It's intuitive to imagine if you have less force, you can't round up. But if you round up too much, this is also harmful; this is a new idea." ### Climate change has taken a toll on many of the world's fisheries, and overfishing has magnified the problem, according to a Rutgers-led study in the journal Science today. Ocean warming led to an estimated 4.1 percent drop in sustainable catches, on average, for many species of fish and shellfish from 1930 to 2010. In five regions of the world, including the East China Sea and North Sea, the estimated decline was 15 percent to 35 percent, the study says. "We recommend that fisheries managers eliminate overfishing, rebuild fisheries and account for climate change in fisheries management decisions," said Chris Free, who led the research while earning a doctorate at Rutgers and is now a post-doctoral scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara. "Policymakers can prepare for regional disparities in fish catches by establishing trade agreements and partnerships to share seafood between winning and losing regions." Seafood has become an increasingly important source of nourishment as the world population has grown, especially in coastal, developing countries where it provides up to half the animal protein eaten. More than 56 million people worldwide work in the fisheries industry or subsist on fisheries. "We were stunned to find that fisheries around the world have already responded to ocean warming," said Malin Pinsky, study co-author and associate professor in Rutgers' Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources. "These aren't hypothetical changes sometime in the future." The study reports that the effects of ocean warming have been negative for many species, but also finds that other species have benefited from warming waters. "Fish populations can only tolerate so much warming, though," said senior author, Olaf Jensen, an associate professor in Rutgers' Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences. "Many of the species that have benefited from warming so far are likely to start declining as temperatures continue to rise." Scientists at Rutgers-New Brunswick and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration studied the impact of ocean warming on 235 populations of 124 species in 38 ecological regions around the world. Species included fish, crustaceans such as shrimp, and mollusks such as sea scallops. The scientists combined global data on fisheries with ocean temperature maps to estimate temperature-driven changes in the sustainable catch (known as the maximum sustainable yield) from 1930 to 2010. Their analysis covered about one third of the reported global catch, and losing species outweighed the winners as the oceans warmed. The greatest losses were in the Sea of Japan, North Sea, Iberian Coastal, Kuroshio Current and Celtic-Biscay Shelf regions. The greatest gains occurred in the Labrador-Newfoundland, Baltic Sea, Indian Ocean and Northeast U.S. Shelf regions. "Something I think is unique about this study is that we quantified effects that have already occurred to fisheries, rather than forecasting the future, which is much more fraught with uncertainty," said co-author Kiva Oken, a former postdoctoral scholar at Rutgers who is now a scientist at the University of Washington. Overfishing provides a one-two punch to fisheries facing warming waters. Overfishing not only makes fisheries more vulnerable to ocean warming, but continued warming will also hinder efforts to rebuild overfished populations, the study says. An important next step is to understand the impacts of ocean warming on tropical regions, where data are limited, according to Free. These regions rely heavily on coastal fisheries as a source of food and livelihoods. Another important step is to learn more about other potential impacts on ocean fisheries. Aside from ocean temperatures, ocean oxygen content, acidity and productivity are also changing and may influence fisheries. John Wiedenmann, an assistant professor in Rutgers' Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, and Jim Thorson at NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center contributed to the study. ### SAN DIEGO--Searching for better security during data transmission, governments and other organizations around the world have been investing in and developing technologies related to quantum communication and related encryption methods. Researchers are looking at how these new systems--which, in theory, would provide unhackable communication channels--can be integrated into existing and future fiber-optic networks. Research at the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology in Japan, by a team that includes Senior Visiting Researcher Tobias A. Eriksson, holds promise for solving one of the key challenges for this application: how to achieve secure communication using continuously variable quantum key distribution. Often abbreviated as QKD, this method is the ongoing exchange of encryption keys, generated with quantum technology, for encrypting data being transferred between two or more parties. In a paper to be presented at the OFC: The Optical Fiber Communications Conference and Exhibition being held 3-7 March in San Diego, Calif., U.S.A., Eriksson and his colleagues say the primary stumbling block for this application is noise generated by fiber amplifiers on current generation single-mode fiber systems. Their research involved exploring how to exploit multicore fiber-optic technology that is expected to be used in future transmission networks. As the name suggests, multicore fiber-optic systems use multiple fiber cores in a single strand through which data can be transmitted. In today's fiber networks, each strand usually has only one core. "Secure communication is one of the hardest challenges right now and many of the current encryption methods may someday easily be broken by algorithms designed for quantum computers," Eriksson says. "One reason we haven't seen commercial deployment of QKD is that the technology is not compatible with current network architecture." As multicore fiber begins to be deployed in the future, Eriksson said, researchers are looking at how that technology could be harnessed to solve the encryption problem. "The question we asked ourselves is whether the spatial dimensions of multicore fibers can be exploited for co-propagation of classical and quantum signals," Eriksson said. "What we found is that the classical channels can be transmitted completely oblivious of the quantum signals, which in single-mode fiber is not possible since the amplifier noise kills the quantum channels." Eriksson's team measured the excess noise from crosstalk between the classical and the quantum channels, using 19-core fiber. They found that this approach has the potential to support 341 QKD channels, with 5 GHz spacing between wavelengths of 1537 nm and 1563 nm. The team's technical results are outlined in a paper to be presented in San Diego at the OFC meeting. The group reported that when the quantum channels are using a dedicated core of a multicore fiber, network operators can avoid the noise generated by core-to-core crosstalk by making sure that the wavelengths of the quantum signals from QKD lie in the guard-band between the classical channels that carry data. This simple solution solves the problem of multiplexing of quantum and classical channels and avoids introducing new components for the classical communication channels. ### Hear from the research team: "Inter-core Crosstalk Impact of Classical Channels on CV-QKD in Multicore Fiber Transmission" by Tobias A. Eriksson, Benjamin J. Puttnam, Georg Rademacher, Ruben S. Luis, Masahiro Takeoka, Yoshinari Awaji, Masahide Sasaki, Naoya Wada will take place at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, 7 March in Room 9 of the San Diego Convention Center. MEDIA REGISTRATION: Media/analyst registration for OFC 2019 can be accessed online. Further information is available on the event website at OFC, including travel details. About OFC The Optical Fiber Conference and Exhibition (OFC) is the largest global conference and exhibition for optical communications and networking professionals. For more than 40 years, OFC has drawn attendees from all corners of the globe to meet and greet, teach and learn, make connections and move business forward. OFC includes dynamic business programming, an exhibition of more than 700 companies, and high impact peer-reviewed research that, combined, showcase the trends and pulse of the entire optical networking and communications industry. OFC is managed by The Optical Society (OSA) and co-sponsored by OSA, the IEEE Communications Society (IEEE/ComSoc), and the IEEE Photonics Society. OFC 2019 will be held from 3-7 March 2019 at the San Diego Convention Center, California, USA. Follow @OFCConference, learn more at OFC Community LinkedIn, and watch highlights on OFC YouTube. Media Contacts: Leah Wilkinson Leah@wilkinson.associates media@ofcconference.org Oxford, UK and Cleveland, Ohio, USA - 28 February 2019 - The University of Oxford and University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio, today announced a multi-year affiliation to establish a global center for rare diseases. The Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre will bring together the capabilities, resources and expertise of both institutions to deliver new treatments for rare diseases, for which therapeutic options are lacking. More than 350 million people worldwide are living with a rare disease, and approximately 50 percent are children. There are about 7,000 known rare diseases, with new diseases being discovered every day. A rare disease affects one in 10 Americans, or 10 percent of the US population. Similarly, Europe has approximately 30 million people who suffer from a rare disease. The majority of all rare diseases are genetic in origin, which means they are present throughout a person's life. Only five percent of rare diseases have a treatment approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and similar estimates have been made for treatments approved by the European Medicine Agency (EMA). Therefore, someone with a rare disease today faces a lifelong, often life-threatening, condition with little hope for a cure, or even an effective treatment option. In this partnership, the University of Oxford and Harrington Discovery Institute commit to addressing unmet need in rare disease. Through their combined resources, the new Centre will set the science and innovation agenda to support cutting-edge breakthroughs across the UK and US with the greatest chance for clinical impact. The University of Oxford is a world-renowned academic institution with more than 250 Principal Investigator scientists working on over 350 rare diseases. The Oxford Rare Disease Initiative, established in 2012, is a collaboration between the University of Oxford and the Oxford University Hospitals Trust, which provides the opportunity to combine pre-clinical and clinical expertise in areas such as neurology, inflammation and immunology, hematology, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and has created an extensive rare disease network. Since its founding in 2012, Harrington Discovery Institute - part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development - has supported more than 100 drugs-in-the-making across disease areas and academic institutions, with a concentration in diseases where unmet need is greatest. The Harrington Project was established to advance scientific discoveries over the 'Valley of Death' - the stage in the drug development process when a new discovery is seen as promising, but is insufficiently validated to attract the funding necessary for clinical trials. Harrington Discovery Institute advances these promising discoveries towards the clinic by aligning, through mission and structure, scientific and drug discovery expertise into a new model for drug development. "Our partnership with Harrington Discovery Institute recognizes the combined experience needed in world-class science and drug development if we are to change the rare disease landscape in a meaningful way - and Oxford is committed to doing so through this unique, open model supporting the most impactful innovation throughout the UK," said Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford. "Advancing breakthroughs in rare diseases will require bold, new approaches that can overcome scientific challenges and create new medicines. This affiliation represents a commitment to patients first and a tremendous opportunity to improve the health and outcomes of those living with a rare disease," said Jonathan S. Stamler, MD, President, Harrington Discovery Institute and Reitman Family Distinguished Chair of Cardiovascular Innovation at University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre has been several years in planning through efforts of Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford, and with the help of David U'Prichard, ex-Global Head of Pharma R&D and Advisor to The Harrington Project. The Centre will be headquartered both in Oxford, under the leadership of Professor Georg Hollander and Professor Matthew Wood, and in Cleveland within the Harrington Discovery Institute, and managed by its leadership. The Centre will be leveraged by researchers worldwide, and raise awareness for rare diseases. "Our family is thrilled to see the incredible evolution of the Harrington Project in only 7 years. Our US program has generated interest from disease foundations to biotech and pharma, and we are so pleased to see it extend to the UK. We are honored and privileged to be collaborating with perhaps the most illustrious university in the world, and we welcome them as true partners in our efforts to cure disease," said Ronald G. Harrington, whose family co-founded the Harrington Project with Dr. Stamler at University Hospitals. "Our Centre promises to advance the best scientific breakthroughs not only at Oxford but also across the UK. This is a unique feature of our commitment to science and patients and one I am most proud of," said Georg Hollander, Head of the Department of Paediatrics. Matthew Wood, Professor of Neuroscience and Director of the Centre remarked, "The enormous challenge of bringing new medicines into the rare disease space requires not only scientific excellence but also mechanisms to share knowledge and ambitious approaches to translate this successfully into new drugs for patients. We are thrilled that the new Centre will partner with Harrington Discovery Institute and benefit directly from their extraordinary track record in new drug development and commitment to patients." "This is a wonderful example of the synergy in science and innovation that is needed to move discovery forward, and it is gratifying to see our institutions in Cleveland and Oxford combine their strengths to this end," said University Hospitals CEO Thomas F. Zenty III. The Centre is supported in part by a grant from the Cleveland Foundation. "This is a phenomenal opportunity for Cleveland to further distinguish itself as a leader in biomedical innovation," said Cleveland Foundation President and CEO Ronn Richard. "We are excited by the capabilities of Harrington Discovery Institute, which will support medical breakthroughs across the US and UK through its affiliation with one of the world's premier medical institutions." ### University of Oxford Medical Sciences Division Oxford University's Medical Sciences Division is one of the largest biomedical research centres in Europe, with over 2,500 people involved in research and more than 2,800 students. The University is rated the best in the world for medicine and life sciences, and it is home to the UK's top-ranked medical school. It has one of the largest clinical trial portfolios in the UK and great expertise in taking discoveries from the lab into the clinic. Partnerships with the local NHS Trusts enable patients to benefit from close links between medical research and healthcare delivery. Harrington Discovery Institute The Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals in Cleveland, OH -- part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development -- aims to advance medicine and society by enabling our nation's most inventive scientists to turn their discoveries into medicines that improve human health. The institute was created in 2012 with a $50 million founding gift from the Harrington family and instantiates the commitment they share with University Hospitals to a Vision for a 'Better World'. The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development (The Harrington Project), founded in 2012 by the Harrington Family and University Hospitals of Cleveland, is a $300 million national initiative built to bridge the translational valley of death. It includes the Harrington Discovery Institute and BioMotiv, a for-profit, mission-aligned drug development company that accelerates early discovery into pharma pipelines. For more information about The Harrington Project and the Harrington Discovery Institute, visit: HarringtonDiscovery.org. University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of 18 hospitals, more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and 200 physician offices in 16 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system's flagship academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, located in Cleveland's University Circle, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The main campus also includes University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation; University Hospitals MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, a high-volume national referral center for complex cardiovascular procedures; and University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, including cancer, pediatrics, women's health, orthopedics, radiology, neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, digestive health, transplantation and urology. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national ranking surveys, including "America's Best Hospitals" from U.S. News & World Report. UH is also home to Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals - part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development. UH is one of the largest employers in Northeast Ohio with 28,000 physicians and employees. Advancing the Science of Health and the Art of Compassion is UH's vision for benefitting its patients into the future, and the organization's unwavering mission is To Heal. To Teach. To Discover. Follow UH on Facebook @UniversityHospitals and Twitter @UHhospitals. For more information, visit UHhospitals.org. Media contacts: For University of Oxford: Chris McIntyre christopher.mcintyre@admin.ox.ac.uk For University Hospitals: George Stamatis george.stamatis@uhhospitals.org 216-844-3667 Prehistoric worms populated the sea bed 500 million years ago--evidence that life was active in an environment thought uninhabitable until now, research by the University of Saskatchewan (USask) shows. The sea bed in the deep ocean during the Cambrian period was thought to have been inhospitable to animal life because it lacked enough oxygen to sustain it. But research published in the scientific journal Geology reveals the existence of fossilized worm tunnels dating back to the Cambrian period 270 million years before the evolution of dinosaurs. The discovery, by USask professor Brian Pratt, suggests that animal life in the sediment at that time was more widespread than previously thought. The worm tunnels--borrows where worms lived and munched through the sediment--are invisible to the naked eye. But Pratt "had a hunch" and sliced the rocks and scanned them to see whether they revealed signs of ancient life. The rocks came from an area in the remote Mackenzie Mountains of the Northwest Territories in Canada which Pratt found 35 years ago. Pratt then digitally enhanced images of the rock surfaces so he could examine them more closely. Only then did the hidden 'superhighway' of burrows made by several different sizes and types of prehistoric worm emerge in the rock. Some were barely a millimetre in size and others as large as a finger. The smaller ones were probably made by simple polychaetes--or bristle worms--but one of the large forms was a predator that attacked unsuspecting arthropods and surface-dwelling worms. Pratt said he was "surprised" by the unexpected discovery. "For the first time, we saw evidence of large populations of worms living in the sediment - which was thought to be barren," he said. "There were cryptic worm tunnels - burrows - in the mud on the continental shelf 500 million years ago, and more animals reworking, or bioturbating, the sea bed than anyone ever thought." Pratt, a geologist and paleontologist and Fellow of the Geological Society of America, found the tunnels in sedimentary rocks that are similar to the Burgess Shale, a famous fossil-bearing deposit in the Canadian Rockies. The discovery may prompt a rethink of the level of oxygenation in ancient oceans and continental shelves. The Cambrian period saw an explosion of life on Earth in the oceans and the development of multi-cellular organisms including prehistoric worms, clams, snails and ancestors of crabs and lobsters. Previously the seas had been inhabited by simple, single-celled microbes and algae. It has always been assumed that the creatures in the Burgess Shale--known for the richness of its fossils--had been preserved so immaculately because the lack of oxygen at the bottom of the sea stopped decay, and because no animals lived in the mud to eat the carcasses. Pratt's discovery, with co-author Julien Kimmig, now of the University of Kansas, shows there was enough oxygen to sustain various kinds of worms in the sea bed. "Serendipity is a common aspect to my kind of research," Pratt said. "I found these unusual rocks quite by accident all those years ago. On a hunch I prepared a bunch of samples and when I enhanced the images I was genuinely surprised by what I found," he said. "This has a lot of implications which will now need to be investigated, not just in Cambrian shales but in younger rocks as well. People should try the same technique to see if it reveals signs of life in their samples." ### The research was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Professor Pratt is available for interview. For more information, contact: Jennifer Thoma Media Relations Specialist University of Saskatchewan 306-966-1851 jennifer.thoma@usask.ca Jen Thoma Media Relations A research team including University of Tsukuba identifies a gene that controls how legume roots form biological partnerships with two completely different types of microbe -- bacteria and fungi -- that both help supply nutrients Tsukuba, Japan - Legumes such as peas and beans form intimate and mutually beneficial partnerships (symbioses) with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, rhizobia. The plant benefits from an enhanced supply of nitrogen, 'fixed' from the air by the rhizobia, while the bacteria benefit from protective accommodation inside special structures, called root nodules, that supply nutrients from the host plant. A different type of symbiosis is formed between the roots of many plant species and soil fungi, called mycorrhizal fungi. Both types of complex plant-microbe interactions are crucial for supplying plants with nutrients, but many details of how these symbioses develop remain unclear. University of Tsukuba researchers, collaborating with two other Japanese universities, have revealed a key piece in the jigsaw puzzle of mechanisms that control the developmental processes behind the symbioses of roots with microbes. The team identified a gene that is pivotal in controlling how legume roots establish cellular accommodation for rhizobia bacteria, described in a recent publication in PLOS Genetics. When the gene is inactivated in a mutant plant, the roots produce dramatically fewer nitrogen-fixing nodules because the usual (intracellular) route of entry for the bacteria, called an infection thread, does not develop properly in the root cells. However, small numbers of nodules do develop, some weeks later than normal, when the bacteria enter by a different (intercellular) route between the root cells. The team named the gene lack of symbiont accommodation (lan). They showed it is inactivated in the mutant, and found it is closely related to a gene in other plant species. It is thought to encode a protein that acts in a complex of other regulatory proteins (called Mediator) to control the expression of numerous genes and processes. This is the first report of the gene's involvement in controlling plant-microbe interactions. "We used the model legume Lotus japonicus, which grows and reproduces rapidly and has a smaller, simpler genome than most crop plants," says corresponding author Takuya Suzaki. "Our research methods included genetic modification, studying the plant's anatomy by microscopy using fluorescent dyes, genome sequencing, and producing mutant plants using the latest gene editing technologies." The lan gene is important not only for symbiosis with rhizobia: the team showed that the gene is also required for establishing symbioses with mycorrhizal fungi. "This study shows that a single control system operates in establishing two completely different symbioses that are important for plant nutrition," says Suzaki. "Our results have wider implications for understanding how plant developmental processes are coordinated." ### In the past week, Southwest Airlines LUV trimmed its first-quarter projection for operating revenue per available seat mile (RASM: a key measure of unit revenues) due to the 35-day partial U.S. government shutdown. On an encouraging note, the carrier finally gained approval to fly to Hawaii. The government shutdown had delayed the approval process. With the Olympics to be held in Tokyo next year, leading U.S. carriers like United Airlines the wholly owned subsidiary of United Continental Holdings UAL, Delta Air Lines DAL and American Airlines AAL are seeking approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to fly to Tokyos Haneda Airport. An update pertaining to JetBlue Airways JBLU efforts to strengthen its Boston footprint was also available in the past week. (Read the last Airline Stock Roundup for Feb 20, 2019) Recap of the Past Weeks Most Important Stories 1. Southwest Airlines anticipates first-quarter 2019 revenues to be adversely impacted to the tune of $60 million due to the government shutdown. Previously, the airline predicted revenues to decline by $10-$15 million. As a result of weak bookings, the airline now forecasts RASM to increase in the range of 3-4% compared with a rise of 4-5% expected earlier. (Read more: Southwest Shares Decline on Dull Q1 Unit Revenue View). Furthermore, Southwest Airlines took a major step toward fulfilling its 2019 growth plans when it received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly to the Hawaiian Islands. Tickets on the routes will be shortly available. Once the company commences operations to the islands, competition will heat up particularly for Hawaiian Airlines the subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings HA. This is because it is dependent on the Hawaii market for generation of most of its revenues. Southwest Airlines carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Story continues 2. United Airlines filed an application with the DOT to operate daily non-stop flights to Tokyos Haneda Airport from six U.S. international airports. In the summer of 2020, United Airlines plans to commence operations to Haneda after the slots are awarded from its hubs at Newark Liberty, Chicago O'Hare, Washington Dulles, Los Angeles International, Houston George Bush and Guam (read more: United Airlines Looking to Expand Operations to Haneda Airport). 3. In a bid to strengthen its presence in Boston, JetBlue announced that it will add more flights connecting Logan International Airport to its 12 existing routes, extending along the eastern half of the United States. Notably, JetBlue will start adding the flights that will operate on a daily basis from this summer. Additionally, this low-cost carrier aims to start offering hourly service to two key northeast markets Washington, D.C. and the New York Metro Area from Boston in order to meet its target of 200 daily departures. 4. In a customer-friendly move, Alaska Airlines the wholly owned subsidiary of Alaska Air Group ALK has decided to upgrade and expand facilities at the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) lounge. To this end, the carrier aims to build a new 8,500-square-foot top floor lounge at the airport. The new lounge is anticipated to start functioning next year and will be the first in terminal 2. The above decision is part of the carriers multi-year commitment to improve the lounge experience of travelers at SFO. 5. According to International Air Transport Associations (IATA) 2018 safety-related data in the aviation space, rate for all accidents (accidents per 1 million flights) increased on a year-over-year basis. The rate for such accidents was 1.35 (one accident for every 740,000 flights) compared with 2017 figure of 1.11. The comparable figure for 2013-2017 period was 1.79. Moreover, the rate for major jet accidents (jet hull losses per 1 million flights) in 2018 was 0.19 (one major accident for every 5.4 million flights). The figure compared favorably with 0.29 recorded in the 2013-2017 period. The comparable figure was 0.12. Additionally, in 2018 there were 11 fatal accidents with 523 fatalities related to passengers/ crew. In the 2013-2017 period, there was an average of 8.8 fatal accidents, with approximately 234 fatalities per year. In 2017, the industry experienced a record low of 6 fatal accidents, with 19 fatalities. Moreover, one accident in 2017 resulted in the deaths of 35 persons on the ground. Price Performance The following table shows the price movement of the major airline players over the past week and during the last six months. Company Past Week Last 6 months HA -7% -30.2% UAL -2.5% 0.7% GOL 0.6% 189.5% DAL -2.9% -14.9% JBLU -2.4% -11.6% AAL 0.7% -12.3% SAVE -2.6% 24.8% LUV 0.9% -11.8% CPA -2% 7.4% ALK -1.9% -8.6% The table above shows that almost all airline stocks traded in the red over the past week leading to the NYSE ARCA Airline Index decreasing 2%. Over the course of six months, the sector tracker decreased 4.1%. What's Next in the Airline Space? With leading carriers scheduled to present at the 2019 J.P. Morgan Aviation, Transportation & Industrials Conference on Mar 5, investors will await updates from the same. Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019 In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year? Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%. See Latest Stocks Today >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) : Free Stock Analysis Report Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK) : Free Stock Analysis Report JetBlue Airways Corporation (JBLU) : Free Stock Analysis Report United Continental Holdings, Inc. (UAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (HA) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research By Nia Williams CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Alberta Premier Rachel Notley warned Canadian senators on Thursday that a slump in the country's energy sector could deepen if the federal government passes proposed legislation to change how major projects like pipelines are assessed. Notley appeared before a Senate committee considering Bill C-69, aimed at revamping Canada's major project environmental assessment process. Proponents say the bill will streamline the approval process and rebuild public trust the environmental concerns are being addressed. Critics predict it will create new uncertainty, deterring investment in the oil sector. Canada produces some 4.9 million barrels per day of oil, making it the world's No. 4 producer. But rising output has outstripped new pipeline capacity, leading to a build up in storage, which last year sent the price of Canadian crudes tumbling. Alberta, Canada's main oil-producing province, estimates the bottlenecks cost the Canadian economy some C$80 million ($60.8 million) per day. The land-locked province is desperate for new oil export pipelines, but regulatory and legal hurdles have delayed projects like an expansion of the Trans Mountain line to the Pacific Coast. "We agree that the process for approving infrastructure projects needs to change," Notley told the committee on Energy, Environment and Natural Resources. "But we cannot swap one broken system with another broken system." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government unveiled the draft of Bill C-69 last year. Supporters say the changes will improve the consultation process with indigenous people, thereby reducing hurdles that have crippled major projects in recent years. Critics say it will give too much power to government, allowing ministers to veto projects before a review even begins. Notley suggested a number of amendments, such as more clarity on what factors will be considered when assessing a new project and excluding projects already reviewed at the provincial level. "We do not want to have needless duplication of efforts on projects that are squarely within provincial jurisdiction," Notley told reporters after her testimony. She also asked for firm time limits for project assessments and for the federal government to consider the socio-economic impacts of a project. The bill is also unpopular in neighboring oil province Saskatchewan and has prompted complaints that Ottawa politicians are not listening to western Canadians, said Martha Hall Findlay, president of public policy think-tank the Canada West Foundation. "There's a tremendous amount of frustration. People want to be heard," she said. The bill is before the Senate committee, which can offer amendments based on testimony by experts and affected individuals. It still faces a number of additional steps before becoming law. (Additional reporting by Julie Gordon in Ottawa; editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Jeffrey Benkoe and David Gregorio) Like millions of other Americans, I was glued to my screen (in this case, a livestream online) to watch the Brett Kavanaugh hearings last fall. It seemed at the time to be a watershed moment in the country's public discourse about #MeToo and judicial temperament, about what kinds of stories and victims we choose to believe and which we push aside. I watched the proceedings with a growing knot in my stomach, one which bloomed into, as my colleague Claire Lampen put it, a frustrating feeling of near-nihilism over Kavanaugh's entitled rage, and over Christine Blasey Ford's treatment. I couldn't get any work done and I couldn't look away, even as the horrible reality of nothingnessnothing will really change on this day, nothing will stop the Kavanaughs of this world for nowset in. I vowed not to fall into this kind of sinkhole again, and I imagine many others felt similarly deflated. So yesterday must have felt like deja vu for a lot of people besides myself. Donald Trump's longtime lawyer and personal fixer Michael Cohen testified on Wednesday before the House Oversight Committee and for the first time publicly accused the president of criminal conduct while in office. Cynics and skeptics were quick to point out beforehand that this was going to be a big nothingburger: we already had heard most of these accusations because of reporting by the likes of the Washington Post & NY Times, we already knew Cohen has lied and contradicted himself on numerous occasions in Trump's defense, and moreover, Trump has been able to skate away from every big announcement and accusationso why would that change now? As one commenter put it yesterday, "Can't wait for nothing to come of this either." But as with the Kavanaugh hearings, there was an innate compulsion to bear witness to the livestream of history, even if it turned out to be yet another drop in an ocean of Trump scandals that seemed really important at the time, but later turned out to be just another thing in the news that day. This was undoubtedly a very different, though no less riveting, viewing experience than the Kavanaugh hearing. If the Kavanaugh hearing unfurled like a slow-paced horror movie (The murder weapon? Gaslighting), the Cohen hearing was like something out of a Coen Brothers film, one filled with hopelessly inept criminals, overly-sensitive politicians, surreal humor, and the kind of ominous foreshadowing that would seem gratuitously over-the-top if this were fiction. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP/Shutterstock) Less than twenty-four hours after the 6+ hour long session, the details all seem like a blur of unreal moments. Cohen's opening prepared remarks, which were disseminated to the press before they were delivered, were an overture of forceful, unguarded statements about Trump's contradictory, corrupt nature; his own complicity in Trump's criminality; and the durability and relevance of mafia lingo in 2019. If the Democrats were looking for slogans to use against Trump in 2020, they could just borrow a few phrases straight out of Cohen's mouth: Mr. Trump is an enigma. He is complicated, as am I. He has both good and bad, as do we all. But the bad far outweighs the good, and since taking office, he has become the worst version of himself. He is capable of behaving kindly, but he is not kind. He is capable of committing acts of generosity, but he is not generous. He is capable of being loyal, but he is fundamentally disloyal. Donald Trump is a man who ran for office to make his brand great, not to make our country great. He had no desire or intention to lead this nation - only to market himself and to build his wealth and power. Mr. Trump would often say, this campaign was going to be the greatest infomercial in political history. He never expected to win the primary. He never expected to win the general election. The campaign - for him - was always a marketing opportunity. And the whole opening salvo was given an extra meta texture when Cohen literally looked into the camera, as if he were addressing TV junkie Trump directly: OMG when he looks directly at the camera like hes Ray Liotta breaking the fourth wall in GOODFELLAS pic.twitter.com/CA8M7DYRPj Marcus Gilmer (@marcusgilmer) February 27, 2019 Afterwards, the back-and-forth with lawmakers immediately turned into partisan volleyball. Democrats largely took turns grandstanding about ideals and speculating about Russian connections without actually pinning down anything of substance, wasting several opportunities for inquiry along the way. Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings did give a powerful closing statement about the importance of the hearing, and one other major exception to this: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who asked some substantive and specific questions about taxes and insurance that established a "factual basis for further committee investigation." Republicansled by Rep. Jim Jordanwere united in their attempts to discredit Cohen as a liar who was always in it for the book deal. On Twitter, Rep. Matt Gaetz taunted Cohen with threats about his family, the GOP branded him a "star liar", and Don Jr. and Eric Trump threw hissy fits over Cohen's alleged job ambitions. There is no doubt that everyone was on the same page about the line of attack. Often, what wasn't said by those politicians was far more telling than what was: there wasn't a single Republican who tried to defend the president on the substance of the accusations Cohen was making. "Truthfully, it is tough to ignore some of the gross immoral behavior by the president," one senior House Republican, who requested anonymity, confessed to the Washington Post. "The reason there was no defense is because there is no defense." It's especially rich considering that Republicans gleefully brought up again and again the fact Cohen is a convicted liar...but were incapable at engaging with the fact that Cohen's lies were often made in Trump's defense. As Michael Cohen speaks, think about how remarkable it is: a man convicted of LYING to Congress is now appearing before Congress again... just weeks later. Invited by the Democrats as their star 'witness.' And all the while, the left hails his every word as gospel. Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) February 27, 2019 Strange moments followed one another like dominoes falling into a bucket of tar on a day in which we watched the president's former personal attorney savagely deconstruct the president's entire character before a national audience. Cohen patiently explained the job of a "fixer" as if that were a normal, everyday job, and not something out of Ray Donovan. There was the lingering image of the check (a smoking check instead of a smoking gun?), signed by President Trump while in office, for $35,000one of 11 that Cohen says Trump gave him to reimburse him for paying off Stormy Daniels. There was the hilarious detail that Trump directed Cohen to threaten Fordham University officials with "jail time" if they dared leak his grades and SAT scoresdespite the fact that the university was never planning to do so, as they are bound by law not to reveal any students' information without consent (plus...Fordham doesn't actually administer the SATs). There were blown up Tweets and discussions of the WomenForCohen account ("We were having fun"). Did I mention that there's a guy named Matthew Calamari who is involved in all this now too? (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP/Shutterstock) The height of the perversity, the nadir of the day, came when North Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Meadows brought out Lynne Patton, one of the most prominent African-American officials in the Trump administration, and used her as a political prop to try to prove that Trump can't be racist, all the while not allowing her to say anything. Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib later called it "insensitive" and possibly racist: "As a person of color in this committee, that is how I felt at that moment and I wanted to express that," she said. "Im saying that in itself it is a racist act." Rashida Tlaib did nothing wrong. Elijah Cummings needs a better friend. Mark Meadows needs a dictionary. So do many in the press. She did not call him a racist. She called the act racist. Her statement was not racist. Using black folks as props is racist.pic.twitter.com/P4uANuzkSe Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) February 27, 2019 The end of the hearing was then waylaid by Meadows' furious attempts to have Tlaib's comments stricken from the record as he defended himself, with him saying that it was racist for Tlaib to accuse him of being racist (which Tlaib didn't doshe said the act was racist, not him), and also saying his own "nieces and nephews are people of color." That has led to people today bringing up clips of Meadows seriously discussing the undeniably racist birtherism campaign (which Trump started) and making jokes about sending Obama "back" to Kenya. "We'll send him back to Kenya, or wherever it is," GOP Rep Mark Meadows said about President Obama, while laughing hard. This is the second video to surface today where Meadows promotes the racist birther conspiracy theory. Uncovered by @TheDemCoalition. pic.twitter.com/USxMc8U98F Democratic Coalition (@TheDemCoalition) February 28, 2019 Mark Meadows, asked about his 2012 comments about sending Obama back to Kenya, says he certainly didnt indicate any personal malice and says, anyone who knows me knows that there is not a racial bone in my body, per @SunlenSerfaty Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 28, 2019 Few more basic examples of racist taunts than telling a black person you want to send them back to Africa. https://t.co/FC9GMCsl78 Adam Serwer (@AdamSerwer) February 28, 2019 The most surreal thing wasn't the bloviating pols or the sub-Godfather-esque details: it was the fact that I walked away with a higher estimation of Michael Cohen than I ever imagined I could have. As the Republicans repeatedly reminded everyone yesterday, he is an admitted liar who has spent ten years in service of a remorseless liar. Your mileage may vary, but Cohen came across to me as sincerely repentant and brutally honest in his assessment of his own crimes and Trump's. He came across as a man who, like many, was attracted to power, who was intoxicated under its spellsomeone who just sobered up after an extended bender in which he betrayed his every moral impulse. He seemed laid bare for the world to see, warts and all, with nothing to gain anymore but the chance to earn back a small piece of his self-worth (lucrative book deals be damned). My mother compared his appeals to the Yom Kippur confession: "The sins we have committed against You under duress or by choice/ The sins we have committed against You consciously or unconsciously/ and the sin we have committed against You openly or secretly." Along those lines, the lasting image I will take away was Cohen's closing statement directed toward Trump ("We tell the truth even when it doesn't aggrandize you."), and the final warning he gave to those Republicans currently carrying water for Trump. And unlike the kinds of letters he sent out on Trump's behalf, this was less of a threat and more of a desperate plea: "I did the same thing that you're doing now for 10 years. I protected Mr. Trump for 10 years," he said. "I can only warn people. The more people that follow Mr. Trump as I did blindly are going to suffer the same consequences that I'm suffering." Listen to WNYC's Andrea Bernstein and Ilya Maritz discuss what they learned from Michael Cohen's testimony in the new Trump Inc. episode: U.S. President Donald Trump said that accusations by his former lawyer Michael Cohen were "inaccurate," called the congressional hearing "fake" and reiterated that there wasn't any collusion between his campaign and Russia during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Trump was speaking at a press conference on Thursday to wrap up his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam. U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said that accusations by his former lawyer Michael Cohen were "inaccurate," called the congressional hearing "fake" and insisted that there wasn't any collusion between his campaign and Russia during the last presidential election. Trump was speaking at a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam to wrap up his summit with North Korea leader Kim Jong Un . The American president was asked for his response to Cohen, who on Wednesday testified before Congress . Cohen called Trump a "liar," "con man" and accused the president of racism. "It's inaccurate," Trump said. "He lied a lot but it's very interesting because he didn't lie about one thing: He said no collusion with Russia." Trump's meeting with Kim in Hanoi ended significantly earlier than had originally been scheduled. The two leaders were supposed to have a working lunch and a joint signing ceremony but both were called off. The White House said that the "program is changing," but later added that the two leaders had "very good and constructive meetings in Hanoi," although "no agreement was reached at this point." Trump had repeatedly said at the start of Thursday's talks that his relationship with Kim was strong, and that he expected that connection to eventually carry the two nuclear powers to an agreement. Although both sides say they've been making progress in recent months, this round of top-level talks is focusing on many of the same issues at their June summit in Singapore last year. Story continues Trump is pushing North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons as he dangles the prospect of an economic boost to the repressive country. Kim wants to see sanctions eased without losing the strategic benefits of his weapons of mass destruction. Reuters contributed to this report. More From CNBC Apples annual investor day on Friday will include one agenda item the consumer technology giant fought to prevent: a vote on a conservative proposal to require the board of directors to release ideological information on nominees. The Cupertino, California-based company pushed the Securities and Exchange Commission to drop the recommendation backed by conservative activist Justin Danhof of the National Center for Public Policy Research on the grounds that shareholders would not understand it. The range of matters that may or may not be encompassed within the phrase ideological perspectives is not something that is commonly understood or well-defined, Apple wrote in a 2018 letter to the agency. The SEC ruled against the company, stating in a December 2018 correspondence that the proposal as a whole is not so vague or indefinite that it is rendered materially misleading. Apple, which is advising investors to vote against the measure, did not respond to Fox Business request for comment. The skills, qualities, attributes, and experience that the board evaluates when considering a potential nominee do not include ideological perspectives, the company wrote in its proxy statement, adding that it is not relevant to the boards oversight role or the nominees ability to serve as an effective director. The saga is the latest example of outside groups from both sides of the political spectrum employing the often-arcane proxy process to push corporate America to embrace more ideologically aligned policies and the steps that companies are willing to take to try to prevent them. Any investor with at least $2,000 in stock is allowed to submit a recommendation for consideration at yearly shareholder meetings. And while the subsequent votes are non-binding, any submission that garners a majority vote is often implemented by the firms board of directors. Opponents which include powerful interest groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce argue the proposals often veer too far from the purview of the board and into the daily management of a company. Supporters, however, say that it gives investors of all stripes a voice in the direction of a firm. Story continues The SEC is considering action on the issue and, among other things, could move to increase the amount of stock an investor must hold to submit a proposal. As more activists succeed in their endeavors, companies are intensifying their behind-the-scenes outreach in an effort to prevent a potentially embarrassing public vote on the recommendations. Walmart, PepsiCo, CVS Health and Gap all adopted a form of Danhofs board diversity proposal in exchange for the group withdrawing the request. Starbucks will vote on the measure at its annual meeting in March and Danhof is in negotiations with other companies to try to prevent the proposal from advancing, he told Fox Business. Liberal activists have for years pushed top U.S. businesses to analyze the impact of operations on the environment and disclose political spending, among other proposals. A group of nuns, for example, were successful in getting Smith & Wesson parent company American Outdoor Brands to issue a report on the steps it is taking to ensure its firearms are safe. In the resulting research made public in February, the Springfield, Massachusetts-based firm said it is more focused on shoring up its reputation among existing gun owners. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP Among the other proposals, Apple is slated to vote on is a BlackRock-backed measure to increase the number of directors that shareholders are permitted to nominate. Currently, Apple limits investors to one nominee. Any shareholder nominee elected under the current bylaws at Apple could be easily isolated and ineffective. They might not even be able to get a second on a motion in a board meeting to discuss important topics, supporters argued. The proposal which has failed to garner majority support in the last five investor meetings would have unintended effects that could negatively impact shareholder value, including promoting the use of proxy access to lay the groundwork for effecting a change of control," Apple said. Related Articles * Plight of Syrians complicated by Assad's survival * France, Germany, Britain say EU must not rehabilitate Assad * Austria, Italy, Hungary, Poland eager to see Syrians return home By Robin Emmott and Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS, Feb 28 (Reuters) - After eight years of civil war from which Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is emerging victorious, the European Union is divided over how to deal with a man accused of using chemical weapons on his own people. Next month the bloc hosts an international conference in Brussels to raise billions in aid for displaced Syrians, a moment of reckoning for Europe's efforts to isolate Assad as the United States pulls back its troops, diplomats say. The EU, the world's biggest aid donor, has repeatedly made its reconstruction support conditional on a U.N.-led peace process to end a war that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced about half of Syria's pre-war 22 million population. But with the U.N. process stuck, Russia's 2015 intervention proving decisive for Assad, and Arab neighbours considering re-establishing diplomatic ties, the EU's divisions risk eroding what little power it has. "The pressure on us to rebuild Syria is increasing, particularly from the Russians," said one senior EU diplomat. Italy, Austria and Hungary, all fierce critics of European immigration policy and closer to Moscow, favour talking to Syrian authorities to allow millions of refugees to go home. Italy's foreign minister, Enzo Moavero Milanesi, said in November that Assad, whom the West accuses of using banned chemical weapons, "could still be an interlocutor" and has mused about re-opening Italy's embassy in Damascus. Assad is pushing EU states do that by suspending visas used by diplomats in Beirut to enter Syria, EU officials say. "POLITICAL PROBLEM" Poland's nationalist ruling party says it is ready to finance homes and schools to help Syrians return, although it will not break with the EU's official position not to rebuild Syria until a political transition is underway. "We show solidarity (with the EU), however this is a very important political problem," Poland's Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz told Reuters. Story continues France, Germany and Britain say there can be no money for Syria while Assad - who is under EU sanctions - remains in power and no suggestion of renewing diplomatic contact. They have called on governments to consider even tighter rules on aid, echoing humanitarian agencies who say Assad tries to channel aid to loyalists. "Big countries speak of strategic patience," a second senior diplomat said. Others such as Sweden, Spain and Ireland say it makes no sense to talk about sending Syrians back to homes destroyed by war. "The geopolitical situation is not right for us to take out our cheque books. It's a matter of leverage and we can't just give away the only leverage we have," another EU envoy said. A U.N. agency estimates the war has cost Syria $388 billion in economic damage. MORE VOCAL ON ACCESS EU leaders glossed over Syria at their summit with Arab leaders in Egypt in February, relieved the meeting came before any possible decision to re-admit Assad to the Arab League. In an attempt to find a middle way, rights campaigners say EU governments should be more vocal in pushing Assad and his Russian backers to allow aid to reach all Syrians. The European Commission has put aside 1.1 billion euros ($1.25 billion) in assistance to civilians in Syria, but not all of that has been spent because of access problems. The Brussels conference is likely to raise more such funds. It must benefit all civilians, rights groups say. "If countries want to engage in reconstruction ... it should be done in a non-discriminatory manner, based on need, that they reach the most vulnerable, it shouldn't benefit the government that is responsible for war crimes," said Diana Semaan, a Beirut-based Amnesty International researcher who documents Syrian rights violations. Other possible conditions tied to aid include access to political prisoners, and an end to forced conscription, arbitrary arrests and the seizure of property, although Semaan said these were unrealistic given Assad's record. (Additional reporting by Joanna Plucinska in Warsaw, Aidan Lewis in Tripoli and Crispian Balmer in Rome Writing by Robin Emmott Editing by Giles Elgood) Poster presentation at the Keystone Symposia 2019 Conference: Myeloid Cells (B7) SAN DIEGO, Feb. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- aTyr Pharma, Inc. (LIFE), a biotherapeutics company engaged in the discovery and development of innovative medicines based on novel immunological pathways, today announced a poster presentation at the Keystone Symposia 2019 Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico from February 24-28, 2019. We are pleased to present these important preclinical findings at Keystone Symposia 2019, the first evidence of ATYR1923s ability to bind to NRP-2 and down-regulate myeloid cells, specifically neutrophils, said Dr. Sanjay Shukla, President and Chief Executive Officer of aTyr. With ATYR1923 currently being evaluated in a Phase 1b/2a clinical study in patients suffering from pulmonary sarcoidosis, these findings help support our belief in the mechanism of action of ATYR1923 to suppress immune engagement in this and other serious and potentially debilitating interstitial lung diseases. Poster Presentation: Wednesday, February 27, 2019 from 1:30-3:00pm (MST) Title: ATYR1923 Reduces Neutrophil Infiltration in an Acute Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) Lung Injury Model Presenter: Suzanne Paz, Ph.D., aTyr Pharma, Inc. This poster describes a preclinical study to determine if aTyr Pharmas lead clinical candidate, ATYR1923, can influence myeloid cell migration. ATYR1923 was administered intravenously to C57BL/6 mice 24 hours prior to LPS challenge by airway administration to generate acute lung inflammation. Multi-color flow cytometry was used for immunophenotyping analysis and detection of NRP-2 levels on surfaces of various immune cell populations. In vitro, mouse bone-marrow derived macrophages (BMDM), human THP-1 monocytic cells, and primary human dendritic cells (DCs) were used to confirm induction of NRP-2 cell surface expression following activation. Conclusions: This presentation highlights how ATYR1923 binds to both human and mouse NRP-2. NRP-2 is detected on the cell surface of myeloid cells both in vitro and in vivo. NRP-2 was induced following activation of TLR found on the cell surface (mainly TLR1, 2, 4, 5 & 6), but not endosomal TLR ligands (TLR3, 7/8, & 9). ATYR1923 significantly decreased the CD11b+ population following LPS installation in the lung, which was ascribed to an inhibitory effect on neutrophil infiltration. These findings highlight the potential of ATYR1923 to regulate myeloid cell biology during lung inflammation. A copy of the poster can be found here: ATYR1923 Poster Story continues About aTyr aTyr is a biotherapeutics company engaged in the discovery and development of innovative medicines based on novel immunological pathways. aTyrs research and development efforts are concentrated on a newly discovered area of biology, the extracellular functionality of tRNA synthetases. aTyr has built a global intellectual property estate directed to a potential pipeline of protein compositions derived from 20 tRNA synthetase genes. aTyr is focused on the therapeutic translation of the Resokine pathway, comprised of extracellular proteins derived from the histidyl tRNA synthetase gene family. ATYR1923 is a clinical-stage product candidate which binds to the neuropilin-2 receptor and is designed to down-regulate immune engagement in interstitial lung diseases and other immune-mediated diseases. For more information, please visit http://www.atyrpharma.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Litigation Reform Act. Forward-looking statements are usually identified by the use of words such as anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, intends, may, plans, projects, seeks, should, will, and variations of such words or similar expressions. We intend these forward-looking statements to be covered by such safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements and are making this statement for purposes of complying with those safe harbor provisions. These forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the potential therapeutic benefits and applications of our product candidates; our ability to successfully advance our product candidates, undertake certain development activities (such as the initiation of clinical trials, clinical trial enrollment, the conduct of clinical trials and the announcement of top-line results) and accomplish certain development goals, and the timing of such events; and the scope and strength of our intellectual property portfolio. These forward-looking statements also reflect our current views about our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects, which are based on the information currently available to us and on assumptions we have made. Although we believe that our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects, as reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements, are reasonable, we can give no assurance that the plans, intentions, expectations or strategies will be attained or achieved. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements and will be affected by a variety of risks and factors that are beyond our control including, without limitation, risks associated with the discovery, development and regulation of our product candidates, the risk that we may cease or delay preclinical or clinical development activities for any of our existing or future product candidates for a variety of reasons (including difficulties or delays in patient enrollment in planned clinical trials), and the risk that we may not be able to raise the additional funding required for our business and product development plans, as well as those risks set forth in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and in our other SEC filings. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contact: Joyce Allaire Managing Director, LifeSci Advisors, LLC jallaire@lifesciadvisors.com From advanced nuclear reactors to custom cancer vaccines what technologies might change your life in 2019? Each year the Massachusetts Institute of Technology puts out a list of technologies to watch. This year, the school asked billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to populate the rankings based on his futuristic perceptions. The innovations driving change are a mix of things that extend life and things that make it better. My picks reflect both, Gates wrote. He added that while in 20 years he hopes the list consists solely of innovations aimed at improving well-being (quality of life), the coming years lists are likely to include efforts aimed at prolonging life (quantity of life). Heres a look at some of his picks for this year. Robot dexterity While robots are already used to assemble an array of items, they are only programmed to do so in a specific way. For example: A robot can repeatedly pick up a component on an assembly line with amazing precision and without ever getting boredbut move the object half an inch, or replace it with something slightly different, and the machine will fumble ineptly or paw at thin air, the article notes. There are a number of companies that are working on equipping robots with the ability to manipulate objects through trial and error with the potential eventual goal of enabling them to figure out how to pick up any object upon examination. It is estimated that this technology will be available within three to five years. New-wave nuclear power New designs that make nuclear power safer and cheaper like generation IV fission reactors and small modular reactors also rank among Gates technologies to watch. Gates himself is an investor in two related companies, TerraPower and Commonwealth Fusion Systems. Technology to predict premature babies A bioengineer at Stanford has developed a cheap blood test for DNA and RNA in the placenta of a pregnant mother to analyze specific genes that help predict whether a child will be born prematurely. That knowledge can help doctors adapt to the situation and potentially prevent it. Story continues About one in 10 babies are born prematurely, which is a leading cause of death of children under the age of 5, researchers noted. Gut probe A small, swallowable device that contains mini microscopes can help detect signs of gut disease specifically environmental enteric dysfunction, which it is noted is prevalent and costly in poverty-stricken countries. The technology, being developed by an engineer at Massachusetts General Hospital, can be used at a primary care visit, and can be used to detect a number of other illnesses, as well. Gates, through his foundation, is passionate about combating disease and poverty in poor countries. Custom cancer vaccines A new vaccine is being developed that encourages the bodys natural defenses to identify and destroy only tumor cells, as opposed to chemotherapies that take a toll on healthy cells as well. Scientists are close to commercializing this technology, which would be individualized based on each specific persons DNA. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP ECG on your wrist While Apple launched a watch with a sensor that allows it to pick up irregular heart rhythms like atrial fibrillation last year, other companies including Withings are looking into developing wearable technology that may soon be able to detect certain types of heart attacks while they are occurring. The remainder of Gates picks were: Lab-grown meat, carbon dioxide catcher, sanitation without sewers and smooth-talking A.I. assistants. Related Articles Photo credit: Boeing From Popular Mechanics Boeing unveiled a surprise new aircraft yesterday, an uncrewed drone designed to fly alongside traditional aircraft in battle. The aircraft, known as the Loyal Wingman, is being developed in Australia as a rapidly configurable platform capable of a variety of tasks to support manned aircraft on dangerous missions. The aircraft was announced at the International Airshow at Avalon, Australia. Boeing Australia will develop three aircraft, officially known as Loyal Wingman Advanced Development Program. Loyal Wingman looks like a high wing, cockpitless, stealthy aircraft with two low-profile vertical stabilizers. Boeing says it will be 38 feet long, about two-thirds as long as a F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter, with a range of 2,000 nautical miles (2,301 miles.) Other details such as onboard propulsion, avionics, and sensors are unknown. Defense News, quoting Boeing, claims the aircraft will be capable of fighter-like performance. The new aircraft will have the primary mission set of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, and Boeing claims it can be rapidly reconfigured to suit itself to the mission at hand. It is unknown whether or not the aircraft could eventually carry weapons and if Boeing Australia is planning for such an eventuality. Loyal Wingman will be capable of flying semi-autonomously and also being controlled either from a nearby aircraft or a ground control station. The Loyal Wingman concept is designed to integrate uncrewed aircraft into the world of crewed aircraft. Uncrewed planes have the potential to act as force multipliers for crewed aircraft, performing tasks too dangerous for manned aircraft to do. Boeing describes Loyal Wingman as an aircraft to protect and project airpower. Armed or not, the flying warbot will be capable of a variety of missions. For example, an uncrewed plane could fly ahead of a strike package of manned jets, identifying air defense radars and missile systems on the ground for the crewed planes to avoid. Another Loyal Wingman could fly alongside the strike package, blasting out radar jamming signals that could make it a target. Story continues The Loyal Wingman concept has been talked about for several years now but this is the first aircraft (that we know of) designed to actually do the job. The first aircraft is under construction in Australia, with first flight set for 2020. Source: Defense News ('You Might Also Like',) New York City wildlife has grown too bold, too accustomed to free treats; now the critters rove our parks in hangry packs, menacing park-goers and snatching the bodega sandwiches right out of their hands. They must be stopped! The Parks Department has heard your anguished cries, and has proposed that the city make feeding the animals illegal. Officials will hold a public hearing on the matter this Friday, March 1st. Currently, the Rules of New York prohibit the feeding of all animals except squirrels and birds, so while you can legally toss Mandarin Patinkin some oats, you cannot toss your snacks at a sewer gator or a zombie raccoon, not even as a diversion. But according to Parks officials, even things like bird feed attract rats and unsavory beasts. "Wildlife populations have changed so much in just the past 20 years," Richard Simon, director of the Parks Department's Wildlife Unit, told amNY. "Where once upon a time we had pigeons and squirrels and maybe some ducks, and grandma and grandpa would take the grandchild out to the park to throw some bread crumbs, things have changed. We now have large raccoon populations. We have a very large deer population." Also, on top of that, bread is bad for birds, and I am guessing you don't want the Hot Duck's blood on your hands. We know, however, that some of the city's devoted pigeon-feederseven rat-feedersharbor sincere fears that, without human intervention, their feathered friends would not be able to scavenge the food they need to survive. Anecdotal evidence suggests those fears are misplaced: Squirrels forage egg rolls, tacos, Shake Shack, iced coffee, and more from the trash. Rats, meanwhile, famously enjoy eating leftover pizza, other rats, and donuts, while pigeons go for bagels and street meat. None of these foods are good for wildlife, to be clear: Feeding our small fuzzy friends human food not only causes unhealthy weight, it also incites aggressive animal behavior. Speaking to amNY, pigeon photographer Andrew Garn blamed this smorgasbord on open trash cans, which he says are the real culprit behind rat infestations in parks. "The public should be educated to give high quality bird seed and not food scraps for birdsnot forbid feeding in general," he said. But the Parks Department sees a unilateral feeding ban as "a humane method of pest control," one that may also "prevent the transmission of disease that occurs when animals congregate around feeding areas," according to a press release. Recall those outbreaks of canine distemper virus in the city's raccoon communities in the summer and fall of 2018. But also, the Parks Department hopes that setting some feeding boundaries would encourage healthier/safer human-animal interactions, even as they acknowledge that a penalty would be difficult to enforce. (Currently, feeding an unauthorized animal is punishable with a $50 fine.) Still, Simon told amNY that the Parks Department would rely on public education to teach us all about more appropriate ways to show our love. "We are always interested in helping people to better appreciate wildlife in the city," as Simon put it to WNYC. "Appreciate them in a more natural setting [rather] than artificially luring them in and providing food sources that they really don't need." The hearing will be held at noon on March 1stmore detailed information can be found here. Irish finance minister Paschal Donohoe. Photo: Reuters Whatever happens in the coming weeks and months, French economy minister Bruno Le Maire said on Tuesday, Ireland can count on Frances support when it comes to Brexit. Much has been made of European Union solidarity in the face of an intractable UK. Even then, the majority of the UKs political class has been treating this whole thing like a traditional negotiation mainly because they dont grasp that the backstop isnt a malicious gambit, and the EU really does care about peace on the island of Ireland. So, even though were 30 days out from Brexit, it would be fanciful to think that some member state is going to break ranks in any meaningful sense. But while it is correct to say that EU support of Ireland is unconditional, that does not mean that Ireland hasnt had to bend in other ways. READ MORE: Ireland is supportive of OECD review of international tax system Tuesdays visit by Le Maire to Dublin is a case in point. Le Maire, Emmanuel Macrons staunchly pro-EU finance chief, has spent months serenading his EU counterparts in the hopes that they will support his digital tax proposals. He meets US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday. The proposals would see digital giants like Google and Facebook taxed on three broad sources of income: data, advertising revenue, and digital sales. This would involve the introduction of a temporary 3% levy on digital turnover, which would remain in place until the OECD works out a more comprehensive global framework for taxing technology companies. Though Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Finland have also voiced opposition to the plan, Ireland is in a tricky situation for a number of reasons. First, it is home to the European headquarters of many of these digital giants. Irelands low 12.5% corporate tax rate and predictable taxation regime has played a big role in that. READ MORE: Effective corporate tax rate in 15 EU countries lower than Ireland Second, though Ireland has consistently rebuffed demands to raise its corporate tax rate, it cant exactly give the could shoulder to the very countries who have so staunchly supported its Brexit position. Story continues As such, instead of flatly rejecting Frances taxation overture like it has done in the past, Ireland on Tuesday said it was willing to compromise. Irish finance minister Paschal Donohoe told Le Maire that the country was willing to work on a joint position on digital tax at an OECD level. The taxation of digital companies needs to change we have to find models that ensure that companies within the digital economy pay their fair share of taxation, said Donohoe. Though this wont exactly have been music to Frances ears, it still represents a climbdown of sorts. Calling it a new position and good news, Le Maire welcomed Donohoes commitment at an address to the Institute of International and European Affairs on Tuesday evening. The commitment may also just be the kind of move that solidifies EU support for Ireland. Let me be clear, said Le Marie. France and the EU have stood by Ireland over the last couple of years. You can continue to count on our full support and full solidarity. Photo: Roman Seliutin/Shutterstock.com The chief technology officer of New Jersey-based law firm Budd Larner has been accused of stealing nearly $1 million over the course of a number of years, according to documents filed in two interconnected suits in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. An indictment brought by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York that was unsealed in early February charged the Budd Larner CTO Rocco Romeo and a co-defendant, Jacqueline Galler, with four criminal counts, including wire fraud and money laundering-related charges. According to the prosecutors, the unnamed New Jersey-based company had been defrauded by Romeo through a sophisticated system of falsified invoices, fake companies and conspicuous efforts to conceal the alleged scheme that cost the firm $900,000 over three years. The scheme, prosecutors claim, started with Romeo receiving invoices generated by a company that went by several versions of the name Seventech. The invoices were routed through two online payment platforms, FreshBooks and PayPal, and sent directly to Romeo. When asked by Budd Larner about the nature of the company, Romeo allegedly painted the company as a Silicon Valley tech firm with employees operating under a nondisclosure agreement with former employers. This, prosecutors say Romeo claimed, was why all communications need to go through him directly. In fact, federal authorities claim, the company is a fiction used by Romeo and his co-defendant to bilk the firm for hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to the now-unsealed complaint, a law enforcement officer reached out to the company located at the Midtown Manhattan address listed on the invoices sent through FreshBooks. When a representative for the company at that address was reached, the person told federal authorities he had worked in customer service for that company for five years and did not recognize the name Seventech or any of its permutations. After the invoices were paid, the money moved into accounts that listed Galler as the owner. Authorities identified Gallerwho also used the name "Star"as a resident of Sugar Loaf in Orange County. Jacqueline Gallers attorney, sole practitioner Benjamin Ostrer, confirmed a local artist in the community named Star Galler was in fact his client. "Weve communicated with the U.S. attorneys office. Ms. Galler intends to be cooperative. We believe that shes a victim, Ostrer said. Federal authorities claim Galler handled the allegedly illicit funds, either by transferring them into a corporate account created under a version of the Seventech name that were then withdrawn, or by transferring them either directly to a bank account owned by Romeo or, in the PayPal scenario, into Romeos personal online account. Both defendants allegedly used funds to directly pay personal credit card bills. Authorities claim the defendants have had extensive personal dealings. Prosecutors said the pair are both involved in a yarn business Galler owns in Monroe. The two would regularly communicate via cell phone calls, texts and picture messages, sometimes late into the evening. As recently as the morning of January, law enforcement claims to have seen Romeo, whose home is 20 minutes away in Washingtonville, departing Gallers residence in Sugar Loaf. Court records filed by Romeos attorney, Assistant Federal Defender Jason Ser, make reference to Romeos wife. While Budd Larner, based in Short Hills, is never mentioned in the criminal proceedings, a more recent civil filing in the Southern District by the law firm connects the two cases. On Feb. 26, Budd Larner shareholder Philip Chronakis filed a civil RICO complaint against Romeo and Galler on behalf of the firm. While the complaint remains publicly inaccessible through the federal courts online filing system, an order to show cause sets a March 12 hearing date in the White Plains courthouse on the issue of enjoining Romeo and Galler from accessing accounts that may contain funds purloined from the firm. U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel issued a temporary restraining order against the defendants accounts ahead of the hearing, ordering papers be filed from both sides in the coming weeks, including what additional actions the law firm may seek beyond the protective order. Chronakis did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office did not respond to a request for comment. The criminal case is USA v. Romeo 19-mj-01009. The civil suit is Budd Larner v. Romeo 19-cv-01720. Henderson, Nevada recently saw a population surge of 20 percent as people flocked to the Las Vegas suburb in the past decade. The town has grown to a population of over 300,000, claiming the title of second most populous city in Nevada and pushing past Reno. A majority of Henderson's new residents come from the neighboring state of California. When you look at the median price of home for example in Henderson, it's about $336,000 for an 1,800 sq. ft. home, but then in California, in the Los Angeles area, that's more like $786,000 and in San Francisco probably close to $1.7 million, said Henderson Mayor Debra March said on FOXBusiness' Bulls & Bears Wednesday. Between the years of 2013-2017, 56 percent of the new residents made the move from the high tax state of California to the Henderson suburb that touts the affordable cost of living. We are bullish on job creation, March said. "We know from studying markets that we want to make sure that we're creating and supporting jobs of the future that will support and sustain our economy." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP High tax states have yet to make significant changes to try and incentivize residents to remain in those states. In fact, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed more tax hikes as people flee the Empire State. Related Articles The market seems to think the U.S.-China trade war is coming to an end. Since bottoming out at the end of last year, Chinese stocks have roared back on hopes the year-long trade war could be resolved soon. On Monday alone, the $1.6 billion Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF (ASHR), which tracks mainland Chinese stocks, surged 6.3%, bringing its year-to-date gains to a hefty 25.8%. The move followed news that President Trump had delayed a scheduled hike in tariffs on Chinese exports to the U.S. ASHR YTD Performance The U.S. has made substantial progress in trade talks with China, Trump tweeted. Therefore, I will be delaying the U.S. increase in tariffs now scheduled for March 1. Assuming both sides make additional progress, we will be planning a summit for President Xi and myself, at Mar-a-Lago, to conclude an agreement, Trump added. On the surface, the presidents optimistic tone makes it seem like a trade deal with China is likely to be clinched by next month. But is that truly the case? And if so, what form will the trade deal take, and what will the lasting impact be on Chinese stocks? Trade Deal Likely Most analysts tend to agree that some sort of trade deal with China is likely this year, though theres disagreement on the details. A trade deal is very likely given that both the U.S. and Chinese economies are weak, and both leaders are under pressure to get a deal done, opined Jay Pelosky, CIO at TPW Investment Management. He expects a deal to be struck relatively soon, because the impetus for a deal is significant, and a lot of the heavy lifting has been done. Gregory Daco, head of U.S. Macroeconomics at Oxford Economics, agrees that a deal is more likely than not. He pegs the odds of a deal in the next month at 60%, and the odds of a deal in the next three months at 75%. The deal will involve promises by China to import more goods from the U.S., address intellectual property rights and maintain a stable currency, Daco explained. Story continues Will It Have Teeth? While a deal seems likely, whether or not that agreement eliminates current tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese exports remains to be seen. Daco expects existing tariffs to remain in place. On the other hand, Brendan Ahern, chief investment officer at Krane Funds Advisors, believes there is a high probability they could be eliminated if important issues related to intellectual property and joint ventures can be solved. Of course, whether those tough issues are adequately resolved is what will be most closely scrutinized to determine who won in the trade war. Pelosky believes both countries can end up winners, since the U.S. is asking China to do what is in its best interest anyway, such as rebalancing its economy more toward consumption. But not everyone is convinced that the deal will have teeth. Hao Zhou, senior emerging markets economist at Commerzbank, said that China will probably agree to buy more stuff from the U.S. and lower the barrier for farm goods imports, but really meaningful structural change to its economy is unlikely. Additionally, Zhou notes that any pact will be fragile given the unstable U.S.-China relationship. China Stocks To Benefit Regardless of what the final form of any potential U.S.-China trade deal takes, one thing that is fairly certain is that the resolution of this bitter saga will be a net positive for the Chinese economy. Does the same hold true for Chinese stocksespecially since theyve jumped so much already? KraneShares Ahern and TPW Investments Pelosky think the rally may just be getting started. I believe China is on the cusp of a structural bull market as the economy bottoms, companies generate double-digit EPS [earnings per share] growth off a low valuation base and foreign interest grows as both equity and debt become bigger parts of global benchmarks, Pelosky said. Meanwhile, Ahern says that even though Chinese shares have jumped sharply so far this year, valuations for both Hong Kong and mainland stocks are still low, with price-to-earnings ratios of 11 and 14, respectively. If the economy and earnings accelerate as he imagines, those P/E ratios could decline, keeping Chinese stocks cheap even as they rally. Potential Catalysts That said, after such a sizzling start to the year, a pullback or at least some consolidation in China stocks wouldnt be surprising. Pelosky says a classic buy-the-rumor, sell-the-news type of action could occur once a trade deal is struck, but hed use that as an opportunity to accumulate positions in China ETFs, which are still down 10-20% from their highs of last year. Ahern adds that there are two catalysts that could keep any pullback in China shares short-lived: the annual Two Sessions policy meetings in March, where potential further tax cuts and stimulus could be announced; and an increase in Chinas weighting in MSCI indices. MSCI is adding 235 Chinese A-shares, but is adding their market cap incrementally, Ahern explained. I believe the inclusion factor will be raised from 2018s 5% to 15% in 2019. I also believe they will add ChiNext stocks in 2019 and midcaps in 2020. Email Sumit Roy at sroy@etf.com or follow him on Twitter sumitroy2 Permalink | Copyright 2019 ETF.com. All rights reserved SINGAPORE, Feb 28 (Reuters) - * China's environment watchdog is considering modifying coastal ecological red lines to make space for two giant chemical projects planned by Germany's BASF < and U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil, financial publication Caixin reported on Thursday * South China's Guangdong province, where the two companies are each planning a mega chemical complex, has asked the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) to consider re-adjusting the red lines that could come within the planned plant sites, Caixin cited MEE officials as saying * BASF and Exxon Mobil plan to build a $10 billion chemical complex each in Guangdong that requires landfill from the sea. BASF, for instance, will build its plant on a 9.23 square-kilometre space that requires filling 3.25 sq-km sea area, Caixin reported * The two companies are among the first global industry leaders to be allowed to build wholly foreign-owned chemical plants in China after Beijing eases control over foreign ownership in some sectors. * The agreement worth billions of dollars will include a 1.2 million-tonne-per-year (tpy) ethylene plant, two polyethylene production lines and two polypropylene lines in the coastal city of Huizhou, Exxon had stated last year (Reporting by Chen Aizhu, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips) Today the New York State legislature unanimously passed a bill making revenge pornmeaning when someone attempts to defame and humiliate someone by illicitly releasing an intimate photograph or videopunishable by law. The legislation also includes a private right of action, where victims of revenge porn can procure an injunctive relief against the perpetrator, have the images removed offline by a judge, and pursue civil and/or criminal cases further. Additionally, victims can pursue the civil action three years after the image is posted, or within a year that they discover that it's been posted online. If signed into law, disseminating revenge porn will be punishable by up to a year in prison and/or a $1000 fine. "No oneabsolutely no oneshould be subjected to having their most intimate moments blasted across the internet without their consent," Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie said in a press release. "Today's legislation will ensure that people who illegally publish the intimate images of others are held accountable for their reprehensible actions." "Revenge porn is not infrequent, nor is it just a celebrity issue, State Senator Monica Martinez, a Democrat from Long Island and the bills sponsor, told reporters today. It is a form of domestic violence." The bill also acknowledges the horrific fallout that victims of revenge porn often face after the fact, including harassment, assault, and being fired by their employers. The road to criminalizing revenge porn has faced several stops and starts since Assemblyman Edward Braunstein and Senator Joseph A. Griffo proposed legislation back in 2013. But revenge porn has been a misdemeanor in New York City for the past two years. Since then, at least 143 people throughout the five boroughs have come forward in court to combat instances of revenge porn, as The New York Post reports. An alliance of tech companies including Google and Facebook lobbied against a previous version of the bill, objecting to a provision that would have empowered revenge porn victims to attain a court order forcing websites to remove such images permanently. The legislation was altered this month to limit the liability of social-media platforms that host user-published content, the Wall Street Journal reports. Governor Andrew Cuomo appears inclined to sign the bill, making New York the 42nd state to pass legislation related to curbing revenge porn. "For years I have called for outlawing revenge porn as part of our fight to combat sexual violence in all its forms. This disgusting and insidious behavior, which can follow victims around their entire lives, has no place in New York," Cuomo said in a statement. Months before he reports to prison, President Donald Trumps former personal lawyer and fixer told members of Congress Wednesday that the president personally reimbursed him for hush money to cover up an affair and that Trump was tipped ahead of a dump of WikiLeaks documents stolen from Democrats. Michael Cohen also painted an unflattering picture of the man he represented for a decade, calling Trump a "racist, a conman and a cheat," and said that during his time serving Trump after he became president, he was increasingly alarmed at the decline of civility in American political culture which he laid directly at Trump's feet. Cohens dramatic and contentious appearance before the House Oversight Committee, which is scheduled to resume at 4 p.m. Wednesday, angered Republicans on the panel. Cohen is facing prison time for lying to Congress, and Republicans argued it made no sense to invite a man convicted of lying to lawmakers to testify in front of them again. As to why they should believe Cohen now, the witness said the answer was simple: the first time he talked to Congress, he said he was doing his job and trying to protect Trump. I am not protecting Mr. Trump anymore." GOP Reps Push Back Republicans, now in the minority in the House, dismissed the hearing as political theater by Democrats hoping to discredit, investigate and possibly try to unseat the president. Louisiana Republican Rep. Clay Higgins called the testimony a cornerstone for some future attempt at impeachment proceedings. This might be the first time someone convicted of lying to Congress has appeared so quickly again in front of Congress, said the committees ranking GOP member, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio. Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland turned that around and said Republicans do not want Cohen's accusations made public. "Our colleagues are not upset because you lied to Congress," Raskin said. "Theyre upset because youve stopped lying to Congress." Story continues New Revelations Cohen also said during questioning that Trumps new lawyer was involved in the false testimony Cohen previously gave to Congress. That lawyer, Jay Sekulow, reviewed and edited his statement about the timing of Trumps business dealings in Russia, specifically a project to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, Cohen testified. The discussions over the Moscow project are at the center of Cohens problems; he has admitted he lied about the project when he earlier told Congress that discussions ended in January 2016, when they actually continued into 2016. Cohen also testified that Trump heard from longtime political operative Roger Stone that WikiLeaks was about to release documents stolen from Democrats during the 2016 election, though Republicans pointed out that by then it should have been known anyway because WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said a month earlier that he was planning to release documents that would harm Hillary Clintons chances. Other Highlights From Cohen's Appearance From Cohens opening statement: I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat. Republicans alleged Cohen turned on Trump because he wasnt hired for a White House job. Cohen vigorously denied that, saying he actually did get the job he wanted, as personal lawyer to the president, and that he could actually do more for Trump in that position than if hed been hired to work in government. Cohen was contrite and said several times that he made numerous mistakes, acknowledging that he committed crimes and noting that he'll pay the price by going to prison. He said he was intoxicated by working for the charismatic Trump, and ambitious. Among his regrets: Cohen said he kickstarted the whole idea of Trump running for president, suggesting it to him in 2011. He never thought Trump would actually win and, he said, neither did Trump. Cohen, who originally got to know Trump as a tenant in one of his buildings, said hes worried about his familys safety because he has turned on Trump. Cohen said he's not afraid of something the president might directly do, but what misguided followers might do, noting Trumps huge Twitter following. Its not just him, its those people who follow him, Cohen said. I dont walk with my wife, I dont walk with my children, I make them go before me. Cohen was sentenced in December to three years in prison after pleading guilty to several crimes, including tax evasion that Cohen said was not related to his work for Trump. He was also convicted of a campaign finance violation for arranging the hush payments from the Trump campaign. Related Links: 3 Companies Tied Up With Cohen's Shell Company And What They Need From Trump FBI Raids Office Of Michael Cohen, Trump's Personal Lawyer Screenshot courtesy of The Washington Post. See more from Benzinga 2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Michael Cohen testifies Wednesday at House Oversight. Credit: Diego M. Radzinschi / NLJ Michael Cohen testified for hours Wednesday in the U.S. House about his decade-long relationship with Donald Trump, telling lawmakers about his role as a personal lawyer to the New York businessman and how major companies sought his help to decipher the "enigma" of the Republican president and Washington outsider. Cohen, testifying before the House Oversight Committee, was asked about various contracts he inked with companies that wanted his help in advocating on their behalf in the Trump administration. Prosecutors said Cohen earned more than $4 million from those contracts in the early months of the new administration. On Wednesday, appearing as a disgraced and newly disbarred former lawyer before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Cohen detailed how the drugmaker Novartis presented him with a contract proposing that he lobby and provide access to government officials, including Trump. Cohen said he crossed out that portion of the proposed contract, writing that he would not lobby or do government relations work. A multibillion-dollar conglomerate came to me looking for information, not something thats unusual here in D.C., looking for information, and they believed that I had a value, Cohen said. And the value was the insight I was capable of offering them, and they were willing to pay. When U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-North Carolina, suggested that he had effectively operated as an unregistered lobbyist, Cohen replied that the final contract spoke for itself. Cohens corporate engagements created controversy for his clients and were cited by critics as examples of shadow lobbying. Novartis former chief executive, Joseph Jimenez, retired in 2017 amid scrutiny of the companys engagement with Cohen. At AT&T, the top in-house lobbyist retired in 2018 after the companys $600,000 in payments to Cohen drew criticism. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson last year called Cohens hiring a big mistake. In this instance, our Washington, D.C., teams vetting process clearly failed, and I take responsibility for that, Stephenson said last year. Under questioning Wednesday from Meadows about his $1.2 millions in payments from Novartis, Cohen said he was not hired for access but based on his knowledge of the enigma Donald Trump. Pressed by Meadows about the number of times he consulted, Cohen eventually answered that he spoke with Novartis on six occasions. Six times? Wow. $200,000 a call, Meadows said. Cohens testimony came a day after he was formally disbarred in New York. Last year, he pleaded guilty to lying to Congress, along with several other federal charges tied to his facilitation of hush-money payments to an adult film actress who alleged a sexual affair with Trump. Cohen is expected to begin serving a three-year prison sentence in May. You are a lawyer, right? asked U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee. "As of yesterday, I am no longer a lawyer, Cohen replied. Story continues A Question of Credibility From the outset of Wednesdays hearing, Republicans sought to discredit Cohen as a serial liar. U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, the top Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, traced Cohens turn against Trump to the fact that he did not receive a White House job. Cohen said he was extremely proud to serve as the presidents personal attorney and had, in fact, rebuffed an offer to serve under then-White House Counsel Donald McGahn. I did not want to go to the White House. I was offered jobs. I can tell you a story of Mr. Trump reaming out Reince Priebus because I had not taken a job where Mr. Trump wanted me to, which was working with Don McGahn at the White House general counsels office, Cohen said. Cohen admitted lying in the past but insisted his testimony Wednesday was truthful. Lanny Davis. Dec. 12, 2008. (Photo by Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM.) How Cohen Connected With Lanny Davis Cohen told lawmakers that his lawyer, Lanny Davis, was representing him pro bonoat least for now. Davis, a former lawyer and aide to President Bill Clinton, has served as chief counsel for Cohen, succeeding Steve Ryan, a McDermott Will & Emery partner. Cohen testified that Ryan referred him to Davis. Cohen said Davis and Michael Monico, of Chicago's Monico & Spevack, prepared him for Wednesday's congressional hearing. Cohen brought on Monico and Barry Spevack in January in advance of the hearing. This is the Michael Cohen hearing presented by Lanny Davis. Thats right, Lanny Davis choreographed the whole darn thing. The Clintons best friend, loyalist, operative. Lanny Davis put this all together, Jordan said during one exchange. One Republican appeared puzzled that Davis would represent Cohen without compensation. "So he's doing all this work for nothing?" U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, R-Georgia, asked. "Yes sir, and I hope so," Cohen responded. "I kind of doubt it," Hice said. Under questioning from Jordan later in the hearing, Cohen said he expects to pay Davis once he starts to earn a living again. Hes going to wait three years? Wow, Jordan said. He added: Thats a first. Ive never known a lawyer to wait three years to get paid." Cohen replied: I guess he thinks its important. Read more: Michael Cohen, Man of Many Regrets, Testifies With Little More to Lose Cohen Announces New Counsel Ahead of Expected Congressional Testimony Cohen's 'Blind Loyalty' Leads to 3-Year Prison Term In a move to expand its influence to another major state in the cannabis industry, Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (OTC: CURLF) announced -a definitive agreement Wednesday to acquire Eureka Investment Partners, LLC. The move allows Curaleaf, a U.S.-based vertically integrated cannabis business, to acquire Eurekas Monterey County, California-based cultivation facility, a Salinas Valley cultivation facility and three dispensaries in development across the state. The dispensaries are located in Long Beach, Salinas and Monterey County and are expected to open in the second half of this year. This marks Curaleaf's retail launch in the Golden State and signifies what the company considers plans for aggressive expansion across the state. The Cannabis Capital Conference is coming back to Toronto April 17-18! Subject to closing conditions, the acquisition is valued at $30.5 million: $10 million cash and $20.5 million in Curaleaf stock. A potential additional consideration will be paid if specific financial targets are exceeded, according to Curaleaf. The deal is expected to close in March 2019. In a statement, Curaleaf CEO Joseph Lusardi noted the importance of the company's entrance in California. "The Eureka transaction represents a significant milestone for Curaleaf, enabling us to enter the highly attractive California market with a cultivation platform that we intend to use for statewide product distribution." Curaleaf's operations whave been licensed by the state of California and the city of Davis, according to the company. Related Links: 'It Pays to be Vertical,' Curaleaf CEO Tells Cannabis Capital Conference Curaleaf's Revenue Growth Nearly Quadrupled In Q3 Photo courtesy of Curaleaf. See more from Benzinga 2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met for a one-on-one meeting on Wednesday at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi in Vietnam. Trump and Kim will also meet Thursday beginning at 9 a.m. local time. Here is a transcript of the Trump-Kim summit as interpreted: CHAIRMAN KIM: (As interpreted.) So its exactly 261 days since we met last time in Singapore, in June, last year. PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yes. CHAIRMAN KIM: (As interpreted.) And I truly believe that this successful and great meeting that we are having today is thanks to the courageous decision political decision that your team, Mr. President, reached. So, during that 261 days since we last met, there have been some misunderstandings. There have been all these eyes from the world who are misunderstanding the situation. But and there was some hostility that still remains from the very, very past period that from the outside. PRESIDENT TRUMP: Right. CHAIRMAN KIM: (As interpreted.) But, however, we have been able to overcome all the obstacles, and here we are today after 261 days, in Hanoi. I actually believe that those 261 days were the days which were and during which a lot of painstaking efforts were necessary and also a lot of patience were needed. But here we are today, sitting next to each other, and that gives us a hope that we will be successful with time. And I will really try to make that happen. PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. Thats really nice. Well, I want to just say its an honor to be with Chairman Kim. Its an honor to be together in, really, a country, Vietnam, where theyve really rolled out the red carpet and theyve theyre very honored to have us. And its great to be with you. We had a very successful first summit. I felt it was very successful, and some people would like to see it go quicker. Im satisfied; youre satisfied. We want to be happy with what were doing. But I thought the first summit was a great success. And I think this one, hopefully, will be equal or greater than the first. And we made a lot progress, and I think the biggest progress was our relationship is really a good one. Story continues And as Ive said many times and I say it to the press, I say it to anybody that wants to listen: I think that your country has tremendous economic potential. Unbelievable. Unlimited. And I think that you will have a tremendous future with your country a great leader. And I look forward to watching it happen and helping it to happen. And we will help it to happen. Thank you all very much. We appreciate it. And were going to go have dinner, and then we have some big meetings scheduled for tomorrow. And well see you, I guess, at a news conference at some point during the day. Thank you very much. Question: Mr. President, do you have any reaction to Michael Cohen and his testimony? PRESIDENT TRUMP: (Shakes head.) News India and Russia strike trade, arms deals during Putin visit Putin travelled to India with Russia's defence and foreign ministers in a visit that saw the two countries reinforce their ties with a military and technical cooperation pact until 2031 and a pledge to boost annual trade to $30 billion by 2025. Both the leaders also discussed the situation in Afghanistan. Illustration by Taylor Callery The case before U.S. District Judge Gerald McHugh Jr. was not unlike others hed seen before. A woman alleged sexual harassment in the workplace so severe she had been forced to quit her job. Her former employer, a global talent agency called MarketSource, was arguing that the whole dispute ought to be in front of an arbitratornot in a public courtroom. McHugh, sitting in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, left no doubt about his misgivings, writing there is legitimate cause for concern when a parallel system of dispute resolution supplants the courts. But in the face of a growing constellation of U.S. Supreme Court decisions favoring arbitration contracts, the judge concluded in a decision last November that he had little choice but to side with the company. In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Courts split decision in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, which further bolstered the Federal Arbitration Act, that outcome has been increasingly common for workers who try to take their employers to court. Claims of persistent sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace, fast-food workers shorted on pay and gig economy contractors fighting for employee status have all been routed to arbitration in decisions citing Epic. In less than a year, the ruling has proven to be a strong weapon for the pro-arbitration defense bar. In collaboration with San Francisco-based legal research company Casetext, The National Law Journal analyzed 92 decisions from U.S. courts of appeal and federal district courts that cited Epic in the seven months between when it was handed down last May and the end of 2018. Among those cases, 10 circuit court and 49 district court decisions centered on arbitration and dealt with workplace claimsand the majority either compelled arbitration or revived it as a live issue. Epic changes the dynamics in a profound way, said Gerald Maatman, a partner at Seyfarth Shaw in Chicago. Its one of the most important decisions from the Supreme Court that impacts workplace issues. Scale of the Impact In Epic, which reviewed a trilogy of labor cases from the Fifth, Seventh and Ninth circuits, the Supreme Court majority concluded that, in the eyes of Congress, arbitration had more to offer than courts recognizednot least the promise of quicker, more informal and often cheaper resolutions for everyone involved. The high court found the arbitration contracts at issuewhich required employees to arbitrate individually rather than collectivelywere to be enforced as written. Critically, the majority concluded that arbitration contracts that waive an employees right to bring class or collective claims do not violate the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). That finding has rippled through dozens of worker lawsuits, many of which had used the NLRA argument to attempt to nullify agreements to arbitrate disputes. It has impacted headline-grabbing cases, such as a pair of now-unraveled class actions against ride-hail giant Uber, as well as many other suits that would be unlikely to garner much public attention. The NLJs analysis revealed the following statistics about cases citing Epic: Story continues About 63 percent of decisions citing Epicacross all case typesbroke in favor of the defendant, although the fact patterns in many cases differed widely. The bulk of the cases were class actions. About 53 percent of the circuit court cases citing Epic, and roughly 71 percent of the district court cases, were class actions. Of class actions in both district and circuit courts, 53 percent were compelled to arbitration, and in another 6 percent arbitration was revived as a live issue after Epic. The most common case type centered on wage-and-hour claims, but there were a handful of sexual harassment and discrimination cases, too. Around 47 percent of circuit court cases, and just under 51 percent of the district court cases, were wage-and-hour cases. Other cases citing Epic involved securities claims, alleged credit reporting violations and immigration proceedings. In the district courts, most of the cases centering on arbitration that involved workplace claimsallegations of wage-and-hour violations, sexual harassment at work, workplace discrimination or worker misclassification67 percent were compelled to arbitration. That accounted for 33 cases. In one additional case, arbitration was revived as a live issue. About 12 percent of decisions denied arbitration, and roughly 18 percent resulted in some other outcome. A Battleground Shift These findings reflect only a snapshot of the shifting dynamics in courts and companies around the country. State courts have begun taking cues from Epic as well, plaintiff attorneys are plotting their new moves, and employers are adjusting to a new normal while balancing social considerations with newfound legal security. Basically, the playing field has changed. The ruling gave new weapons to the defense bar and employers to combat class action litigation, Seyfarth Shaws Maatman said. This impacts companies every day, practicing in the courtroom, but it also has an impact in a very practical way. Maatman, commenting on the NLJs analysis of cases citing Epic, noted the data would not capture how many plaintiffs dropped claims or decided to avoid the process altogether. It changes the size of a case, the approach to the case, the ability in the class action to find other claimants, said Maatman, who represents employers around the country. What Im seeing practically speaking is companies are seeing demand letters from lawyers seeking payment in wage-and-hour cases. Before Epic, I would see a class action. The pro-arbitration defense bar arguably already had the upper hand in the wake of earlier Supreme Court decisions in American Express v. Italian Colors Restaurant and AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion. Kalpana Kotagal, a partner at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, said Epic raised concerns because it eliminated the open angles that could provide a clear channel for collective legal action. She said the new process will create inefficiency for both sides. At some point, defendants will tire of contending with many findings alleging the same things, Kotagal said. In the meantime, the folks representing employees will not go away. These issues are important. The claims are still there. Employees need to vindicate their rights. Creative lawyers will pursue create strategies. Will Epic make that harder? Theres no question about that. In a few cases, plaintiff firms have sought to beat defense attorneys at the arbitration game by filing thousands of arbitration cases at once, and then demanding that the arbitration fees be paid by the companies up front. Firms representing Uber, ride-hail rival Lyft, and Chipotle face such an avalanche of arbitration proceedings. David Horton, a law professor at University of California, Davis School of Law, co-wrote a study late last year that found plaintiffs have successfully used mandatory arbitration as a toolcalling mass arbitrations the ghosts of class actions. The Supreme Court has made it really hard for class actions to survive. Plaintiffs attorneys are trying to find ways to deal with suing companies for widely dispersed claims, Horton said. Theyre engaged in guerrilla warfare. But the study, which Horton penned with fellow professor Andrea Chandrasekher, suggested this is likely not a lasting strategy for legal battles against corporate defendants. A Push Forward or a Roll Back? Other recent studies also suggest the scales have been tilted in favor of employers, and that arbitration can discourage employees from coming forward with claims. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a statement in 1997, which has not been rescinded, that the private arbitral system is structurally biased against applicants and employees. Meanwhile, more than half of employers in the country are subject to mandatory employment contracts, and a third of those include class action waivers, according to the Economic Policy Institute. This has risen from 2 percent in 1991 to 25 percent in the early 2000s, to 55 percent of workers today. That survey also found that employees in low-wage workplaces, women and African-Americans are more likely to be subject to mandatory arbitration agreements. Nearly 65 percent of workplaces where the average wage is less than $13 an hour also require these agreements, the study found. The number of companies who use these agreements could increase. After Epic, employers who were sitting on the sidelines" are now looking to adopt this type of contract with workers, said Kathleen McKenna, a Proskauer Rose partner in New York who specializes in labor and employment. Public sentiment about arbitration agreements has shifted since #MeToo changed the conversation around harassment and discrimination. State and local lawmakers have pushed bills that would restrict mandatory arbitration, and federal legislation has also been proposed to counteract Epic. These factors create a delicate balancing act for companies. Large companies, including Microsoft Corp., Google Inc. and Facebook, recently announced changes to internal policies that either eliminate or make exceptions for harassment claims in the agreements. But few have fully abandoned arbitration and others have taken steps to further enforce these agreements and lash out against employees who tried to file lawsuits. Yet some employment attorneys still predict the trend is likely to move toward more arbitration, not less. Employers turn to arbitration because it can be a more expedient and private process. Noting that arbitration initially gained traction with union and company meditation processes, historically, McKenna said companies continue to prefer it because it limits risk and prevents the possibility of a runaway jury award. Some folks reacted with internal pressures, McKenna said of the moves by some companies to scale back the scope of their arbitration agreements, but those who practice in the space worry that is the wrong message to send on a philosophical level. Andrew Melzer, partner and co-chair of Sanford Heisler Sharps wage-and-hour practice, has predicted the practical impact of Epic may be limited if employers continue to roll back some of their mandatory arbitration agreements, including law firms. There has been a substantial public outcry against confidentiality agreements and arbitration clauses, particularly in the MeToo era, he said. In light of the backlash, some employers have been reluctant to impose such provisions on their employees. He added, The law in this area has become so skewed that we expect to see a continued backlash against arbitrationpotentially leading to legislative action. You can view and download the full data set that we assembled in reporting this story, and take a look at how we conducted our analysis, over on GitHub. Our goal in presenting this to our audience is to "show our work" and promote greater transparency around a legal issue with wide public interest and significance. By Gary McWilliams HOUSTON (Reuters) - A former U.S.-based oil trader sought in Brazil over a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme involving commodities traders Vitol, Glencore and Trafigura has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit money-laundering in the United States, court records show. The plea is part of a cooperation agreement by a key figure in Brazil's "Car Wash" probe into corruption at state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, according to people familiar with the matter. That scandal has toppled presidents in two countries and sent more than 130 politicians and businessmen to jail across Latin America. Rodrigo Garcia Berkowitz, who worked as a trader for Petrobras in Houston until last year, waived an indictment and offered to plead guilty to the charge, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. The court accepted the request and set sentencing for Sept. 13. Berkowitz is among 12 former Petrobras employees and middlemen charged in Brazil in December in connection with a scheme that Brazilian investigators have said offered Vitol, Glencore, Trafigura lower prices for oil and services and then shared in the savings, authorities have said. The activities took place between 2011 and 2014. Vitol declined to comment on the plea agreement, adding it has a zero tolerance policy for bribery and corruption and cooperates fully with relevant authorities. Petrobras said it fired Berkowitz and is working with prosecutors in Brazil. Glencore, which could not immediately be reached for comment, has said in the past it was cooperating with Brazilian authorities. Trafigura has said it took the allegations seriously. The conspiracy to commit money laundering documents do not name Berkowitz. The case is against John Doe, a pseudonym that prosecutors sometimes use to keep the names of individuals involved in an investigation out of the public eye. But Berkowitz signed his name to an application to plead guilty that was filed with court records. The application was approved by Judge Raymond Dearie, of federal court in Brooklyn. Story continues Kent Schaffer, a top Houston criminal defence attorney who signed court papers to represent John Doe, confirmed that Berkowitz is the individual named in the documents. He declined other comment. Berkowitz, who is living in the United States, has been cooperating with New York prosecutors who opened a probe into the allegations, the people familiar with the matter have said. John Marzulli, a spokesman for U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue, for the Eastern District of New York, declined to comment. Bribes allegedly paid to Petrobras insiders moved through bank accounts in the United States, Britain, Sweden, Switzerland and Uruguay, Brazilian authorities have said, paving the way for U.S. prosecutors to probe for violations of U.S. money laundering laws. The U.S. attorneys office for the Eastern District of New York that struck the plea agreement with Berkowitz has worked hand-in-hand with Brazilian prosecutors in the Car Wash probe in the past. In late 2016, they jointly negotiated with construction firm Odebrecht to reach a deal that resulted in a $2.6 billion fine. (Reporting by Gary McWilliams in Houston; additional reporting by Julia Payne in London and Brad Brooks in Sao Paulo; editing by Leslie Adler) More than 300 Google employees have signed an open letter protesting the Dragonfly project. Monday's report comes after Google's CEO told Congress that currently the company has no plans to bring search to China. Google has set aside its controversial push to launch a censored search service in China, according to a new report by The Intercept , which first broke news of the project this summer. Alphabet's GOOGL latest move comes after hundreds of employees protested the project, known as Dragonfly, and would reflect another response on the part of executives to internal disagreement with company plans. Earlier this year Google said it would not renew a government contract related to artificial intelligence, after employees spoke out against the work. Following years of being absent from China's web search market, Google had wanted to launch the Dragonfly product in early 2019, although now, amid outcry inside and outside of Google, the pressure seems to have caused leaders to "shelve it at least in the short term," said the report, which cited two unnamed sources. Many Google engineers working on the project have reportedly been reassigned to projects related to Brazil, Indonesia, Russia and other countries. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last week Google CEO Sundar Pichai responded vaguely to questions about the Dragonfly project in a Congressional hearing . "Right now, we have no plans to launch search in China," he said. Read the full report here . WATCH: Google employees rip company over China search engine More From CNBC By Paresh Dave SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Six Google employees on Thursday joined U.S. lawmakers to support bills that would ban mandatory arbitration in employment and consumer contracts, as the workers seek to build on recent success in getting the Alphabet Inc company to drop some arbitration provisions. Mandatory arbitration, which prevents people from taking disputes to court, has become a big target for workers' rights activists in recent years. They have expressed concern that requiring private arbitration helps businesses facing harassment and discrimination allegations to avoid public scrutiny. "We cannot have an honest conversation about labor rights or restoring consumer protections until we pull back the curtain of forced arbitration, which denies employees and consumers of their ability to fully and publicly vindicate their rights," Tanuja Gupta, a New York-based Google employee said during a news conference in Washington on Thursday. The Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal (FAIR) Act and several pieces of related legislation would ensure individual and class-action lawsuits are an option in a variety of disputes, members of Congress said at the news conference. Business groups have said arbitration provides timely resolutions and that lawsuits benefit lawyers more than plaintiffs. Democratic lawmakers have attempted to curtail mandatory arbitration before but have struggled to gain support from Republican colleagues. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said he expects the FAIR Act to at least pass the Democrat-controlled House this year. "This bill is about guaranteeing every individual their day in court," Blumenthal said. Andy Phelan, a spokesperson for Representative Hank Johnson, who has long backed arbitration changes, said tech workers harmed by such provisions had never before appeared at a bill introduction. Last week, Google became the latest of a handful of tech companies to announce it would no longer require employees to arbitrate employment disputes. Thousands of Google workers briefly walked off the job in November as part of a demonstration organized by Gupta and a few others to advocate for workplace policy changes, including on arbitration. Google declined to comment on employees' support of legislative changes. (Reporting by Paresh Dave; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) By Andrew MacAskill LONDON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - The leader of a pro-Brexit faction in British Prime Minister Theresa Mays Conservative Party on Wednesday scaled back his opposition to her deal for leaving the European Union ahead of a vote on the agreement next month. Jacob Rees-Mogg said he would no longer insist that the so-called Northern Irish backstop be removed as a condition for his support and other legal ways might ensure it was not permanent. "I can live with the de facto removal of the backstop ... I mean that if there is a clear date that says the backstop ends, and that is in the text of the treaty or equivalent of the text of the treaty," Rees-Mogg told BBC radio. With parliament divided on how to proceed on Brexit, Rees-Mogg's European Research Group (ERG) of anti-EU lawmakers in the Conservative Party is key to the outcome of Brexit. The ERG played a big part in the historic defeat suffered by May when she put her Brexit plan to parliament last month. But the group must now decide whether to back a revised version of the plan or risk a delay to Brexit and the possibility of a second referendum after the main opposition Labour Party this week backed a public vote. May on Tuesday paved the way for a delay to Brexit until June from its planned date of March 29 if she loses the latest vote on her divorce deal next month. Rees-Mogg said the time limit he wants for the backstop should be "a short date, not a long date, then that would remove the backstop in the lifetime of parliament." IRISH BORDER The backstop is an insurance policy which aims to avoid the return of a hard border on the island of Ireland. It has become the main point of contention in exit talks, which have reached an impasse with just 30 days until Britain leaves the bloc. London wants the backstop to be provisional rather than permanent, while the EU resists any suggestion it could expire. Rees-Mogg told Sky News he thought an extension of the formal two-year Brexit negotiation period was likely after May opened the possibility of a delay until June. Story continues That move by May appeared to have averted a clash with Remainers in her party when amendments to her plan are due to be put to parliament later on Wednesday. But EU countries would have to approve an extension to the former Article 50 process for a country leaving the bloc and ministers from France and Germany said they wanted to know what a delay would achieve. "For us it is important that something substantially new would be put on the table to justify a delay. Then we would all have to vote on it," Germany's European Affairs Minister Michael Roth said. "No one wants to punish the Britons, if we can achieve something with a delay, we would be the last ones to stand in the way," he said. France's finance minister said he would not see the need to grant an extension if Britain cannot state clearly what it intends to do with the extra time. "If there is no clarity on the purpose of that extension, I don't see the necessity of that extension, so it is up to the British government to explain to us if they are asking for an extension," Bruno Le Maire said. (Additional reporting by Elisabeth O'Leary in Edinburgh, Madeline Chambers in Berlin and Padraic Halpin in Dublin Editing by William Schomberg and Janet Lawrence) A milestone for Avista's Smarter Together project SPOKANE, Wash., Feb. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today a home listed on the National Register of Historic Places was brought into the 21st century when Avista installed the very first smart electric meter in the Millwood community near Spokane. Its an important milestone for Avistas Smarter Together project. This home and its owners are stepping into the future. This iconic landmark has been part of the Millwood community since it was built in 1923, and today were excited to bring this historic home into the 21st century by installing the first smart electric meter and smart natural gas module. Its a major step toward modernizing our grid to meet the energy demands of today and tomorrow, said Avista Vice President of Energy Delivery Heather Rosentrater. This is the first of many smart installations that will take place as part of Avistas Smarter Together project. After completing a small-scale deployment last fall, Avista is ready to begin major deployments next week. Over the next 20 months, nearly every Avista customer in Washington state will receive a new smart electric meter to replace their existing meter, and natural gas customers will receive a new smart gas module on the existing natural gas meter. After theyre installed, smart meters will measure customers energy usage and securely transmit the information to Avista. Then Avista uses the smart meter data to generate energy bills and share usage information with customers on the web. Customers will receive numerous benefits from smart technology: Information at their fingertips: online access to charts and graphs will provide more insight into the energy they use. More control over their energy dollar: timely usage information means customers will be able to better manage their energy bill. Faster response to power outages: smart meters communicate directly with Avista, which allows the utility to detect and restore power outages more quickly. More personalized service: Avista representatives will have more information available to provide solutions unique to specific customer questions. Contribute to a more sustainable community: Avista can operate the grid more efficiently to help reduce the regions carbon footprint. This technology is a real game-changer. It allows customers to go online any time and track their energy usage to date -- similar to the way cell phone data usage is tracked and lets you know where you are in your plan. Instead of waiting to receive their monthly bill, customers can see their projected bill amount based on their current usage trend, which eliminates surprises when their bill arrives, Rosentrater added. Well also have more visibility into the grid than ever before. Because the smart meters will let us know when power is out, well be able to detect and isolate problems and restore power more quickly for customers. Story continues More than 76 million smart meters are already deployed to more than half of all households in the United States. The number is expected to grow to 90 million by 2020 when Avistas Smarter Together project is completed in Washington. Smart meters are becoming the utility standard. This is the next critical step in Avistas journey to modernize the grid and build the utility of the future to meet our customers current and future needs. Weve come a long way since we installed smart meters in Pullman to create a test bed for learning several years ago. Weve invested in large-scale battery storage. Were a founding partner in a smart city initiative called Urbanova. And were constructing the Catalyst building to create an innovation hub. Smart meter technology is the foundation for even greater possibilities going forward, said Rosentrater. Avista is installing Itrons OpenWay Riva solution because it offers next-generation enhanced meter functionality. The Smarter Together project continues a partnership that began several decades ago -- when Avista was Washington Water Power and created Itron to make meter reading easier. Today, the Liberty Lake, Wash.-based spinoff has grown into a $2 billion, global technology industry leader. Congratulations to Avista for leading the way as one of the first utilities to install Itrons OpenWay Riva solution. Its a testament to Avistas pioneering vision and history of innovation. Itron has seen the difference this technology can make for consumers and utilities around the globe. This technology is moving our entire community forward, enabling smart city capabilities, and preparing for the utility of the future, said Itron Senior Vice President of Networked Solutions Sharelynn Moore. Were proud to be partners in progress helping bring these new possibilities to our own backyard. Together, Avista and Itron are partnering to create a more resourceful world. Avista will work with meter installation partner Wellington Energy, which will install the majority of the total 424,000 smart electric meters and smart gas modules. Because many customers have both electric and natural gas service from Avista, approximately 240,000 customers are expected to be upgraded by the time the project wraps up in the fall 2020. A deployment map and schedule is available at www.myavista.com/smartmeters . Visit www.myavista.com/smartmeters for more information about the Smarter Together project, including videos, customer benefits, frequently asked questions, fact sheets and much more. About Avista Utilities Avista Utilities is involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy. We provide energy services and electricity to 387,000 customers and natural gas to 354,000 customers in a service territory that covers 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon, with a population of 1.6 million. Avista Utilities is an operating division of Avista Corp . (AVA). For more information, please visit www.myavista.com . The Avista logo is a trademark of Avista Corporation. To unsubscribe from Avistas news release distribution, send reply message to lena.funston@avistacorp.com. Contact: Laurine Jue: Media: (509) 495-2510, laurine.jue@avistacorp.com Avista 24/7 Media Access (509) 495-4174 Howard Hughes' (NYSE: HHC) diversified real estate development business delivered solid results in 2018. Not only did the company record the most residential land sales in the history of its master planned community (MPC) division, but its portfolio of operating assets also delivered healthy income growth while condos under construction in Hawaii continued selling at a brisk pace. Meanwhile, the company progressed several strategic developments, which will provide a sizable boost to its bottom line when those assets stabilize in the coming years. Howard Hughes results: The raw numbers Metric Q4 2018 Q4 2017 Year-Over-Year Change Net operating income (NOI) from operating assets $40.9 million $36.2 million 12.7% Adjusted funds from operations (FFO) $95.0 million $68.8 million 38.1% Adjusted FFO per share $2.20 $1.60 37.5% Data source: Howard Hughes. What happened with Howard Hughes this quarter? Strong Hawaiian condo sales helped drive the quarter: Land sales within the MPC division remain lumpy because of the timing of when transactions close As a result, acres sold and the average price per acre fell more than 20% versus the year-ago period while earnings in the segment slumped roughly 40%. However, full-year acreage sales jumped more than 30% to a record level, which helped more than offset a 4.8% decline in the average selling price to boost MPC earnings by 6.6% compared with 2017. NOI from the company's portfolio of operating assets increased by nearly 13%. Howard Hughes saw strong NOI growth in office (up 20%), retail (16% higher), multifamily (a 19% increase), and hospitality (21% year-over-year growth), driven by the continued stabilization of these properties as it leased more of its available space. However, the Seaport District generated negative NOI in the period as the company spends money to open new businesses at that location. For the full year, NOI at Howard Hughes operating assets rose 10% to $173.3 million. Earnings in the strategic developments segment increased by nearly 60% during the quarter to $90.2 million because of closings at Ae'o, the company's newly delivered condo tower in Hawaii. Meanwhile, the company signed contracts to sell another 54 units during the quarter. Full-year adjusted FFO, however, declined about 17% to $233.7 million, or $5.41 per share. That's mainly due to the timing of when the company can book revenue as it finishes its condo towers in Hawaii. Howard Hughes started construction of several properties during 2018, which should increase its NOI in the future. The company currently believes that its growing portfolio of operating assets can generate $317.8 million of annualized income upon stabilization, which is a 25% increase from its estimate at the end of 2017. This forecast doesn't include the Seaport District, which the company is working to stabilize by 2022 as it finishes construction projects and gets all its businesses up and running. Condo towers under construction in Hawaii. Image source: Getty Images. Story continues What management had to say CEO David Weinreb commented on the company's progress: 2018 was an outstanding year for HHC across the business as our results demonstrated the ongoing success of our portfolio. Our MPC segment had a record year and generated the highest residential land sales in the Company's history. In Honolulu, we continued our momentum at Ward Village by delivering Ae'o, which is almost entirely sold out, and closing on over half of the homes in the building. We also began construction on 'A'ali'i, which was approximately 80% pre-sold at year end and whose homes will feature innovative design and a turn key living solution that does not exist anywhere in the market. The activity in our Strategic Developments segment was accompanied by continued NOI growth in our Operating Assets segment due to increased occupancy, and we increased our projected annual stabilized NOI target by 25% over the prior year to approximately $318 million. Howard Hughes made progress on all fronts last year. It continued to generate earnings within its MPCs by selling a record amount of land. Meanwhile, income from its operating assets rose as occupancy increased across the board. Finally, buyers continue to snap up the condos it's building in Hawaii. Last year it pre-sold 80% of the units at 'A'ali'i', which just broke ground in October and has already pre-sold nearly 45% of the units at Ko'ula after launching public sales last month. Looking forward Howard Hughes started construction of several properties last year, which along with the continued stabilization of its existing assets, has the company on track to grow NOI by 77% in the coming years. That assumption doesn't include the NOI it eventually expects to generate from the Seaport District upon stabilization in a few years. Add in the likelihood of continued land sales within its MPCs and condos in Hawaii, and Howard Hughes appears poised to grow earnings at a healthy pace in the coming years. More From The Motley Fool Matthew DiLallo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends The Howard Hughes. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. (Bloomberg) -- Huawei Technologies Co. pleaded not guilty to U.S. charges of trade-secret theft, a day before the company learns if Canada will start extradition proceedings for its chief financial officer in a pivotal week that could see diplomatic tensions flare. Chinas biggest smartphone maker and its U.S. affiliate appeared in federal court in Seattle this morning to answer to charges that they engaged in a scheme to steal trade secrets from T-Mobile US Inc. and also committed wire fraud and obstruction of justice. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez and a trial was scheduled for March 2, 2020. The arraignment comes just a day before Canadas deadline to decide whether to officially order the start of extradition hearings against Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, who is wanted in the U.S. on fraud charges. In a separate indictment filed in Brooklyn, U.S. prosecutors allege she lied to banks to trick them into processing transactions for Huawei that potentially violated Iran trade sanctions. The two cases have intensified the spotlight on Huawei, which has come to symbolize Chinas economic rise and challenge to the U.S.s status as the worlds top superpower. In particular, the decision to prosecute Meng -- daughter of billionaire Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei -- has sparked an unprecedented diplomatic dispute, with Canada trapped in the middle. How Huawei Arrest Extends Troubled History With U.S.: QuickTake If history is any guide, Canada will probably start extradition proceedings, which will set in motion a process that promises to be long and politically explosive. China has demanded that Canada release Meng and, since her December arrest in Vancouver, has detained two Canadians on national security grounds and sentenced a third with a death sentence for drug trafficking in China. Meng is next scheduled to appear in court on March 6. If extradition proceedings begin, the process is likely to drag on for months, possibly years. However long they take, shes likely to be extradited in the end. Story continues Huaweis Worst-Case Survival Guide for U.S. Criminal Crackdown In the trade-secrets case, prosecutors said in a January indictment that from 2012 to 2014 Huawei stole information from T-Mobiles Bellevue, Washington, headquarters contained in Tappy, a robotic phone-testing system. The U.S. says it uncovered Huawei email messages showing it offered bonuses to employees for information stolen from companies worldwide. Huawei faces fines of more than $5 million, or three times the value of T-Mobiles secrets, according to the government. The company has denied any wrongdoing and said it expects to be found innocent in court. Judge Martinez reviewed the 10 counts of the indictment aloud, while prosecutors explained the penalties the company faces. Robert H. Westinghouse, James F. Hibey and Brian M. Heberlig are representing Huawei. Lawyers for both sides declined to comment after the hearing. Prosecutor Todd Greenberg told Martinez that the government proposed the 2020 trial date because this is a complex case, more complex than many cases that come before the court. Greenberg said he expects significant pretrial information sharing. The cases are U.S. v. Huawei Device Co., 19-cr-00010, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington (Seattle) and U.S. v. Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd, 18-cr-457, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn); Attorney General of Canada on behalf of the U.S. v. Wanzhou Meng, Supreme Court of British Columbia, Vancouver Registry Court File: 27761. To contact the reporters on this story: Natalie Obiko Pearson in Vancouver at npearson7@bloomberg.net;Joel Rosenblatt in San Francisco at jrosenblatt@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Elizabeth Wollman at ewollman@bloomberg.net, ;David Scanlan at dscanlan@bloomberg.net, Peter Blumberg For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. D'Ovidio, Who Has Been Nicknamed "Ad Prophet" By His Fans, Offers His Top Five Predictions for Marketing Trends this Year LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / Dante D'Ovidio, an internet entrepreneur who has been dubbed the "Ad Prophet" by his many enthusiastic fans, is playing into the title by releasing a new video on YouTube that includes his top 5 marketing predictions for 2019. As a spokesperson for D'Ovidio noted, he is well known for his public speaking engagements about advertising, marketing and lead generation. Recently, he traveled from Puerto Rico, where he is currently living, back to his native Las Vegas to film a YouTube video that focuses on his marketing predictions for 2019. As D'Ovidio noted at the beginning of the video, although there was no monetary benefit to sharing his thoughts on YouTube, he wanted to disclose what he calls the "real knowledge" about marketing, and what he feels are the five most effective approaches. While he acknowledged that some "secretive underground experts" will not like it that he made the video, D'Ovidio said he really wanted to provide a sneak peek into what he feels is especially important in marketing in 2019. To watch the new video in its entirety, please check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13XJEgF6anM&feature=youtu.be/. Thanking the universe for bringing his audience to YouTube, and suggesting that viewers imprint his words on their brains - should he have to pull the video at any time - D'Ovidio started out with his first prediction: the fact that traditional, hard selling techniques are dead. While he admits that older generations may still go for the traditional "buy this for $10 and get a free one, and another free one" approach, the better option for younger shoppers uses native advertising. Describing it as a million times better than hard selling, D'Ovidio explained that this approach creates ads that are native to each user. For example, if someone is on Instagram, he or she may see posts that look like regular Instagram posts but are actually ads, D'Ovidio noted, adding that companies can use native advertising on blog posts as well as news sites, and that there is a variety of ways to make it not look like an ad. Story continues D'Ovidio presents four other predictions in the interesting video; he strongly urges those who are interested in learning more about the topic of online advertising to check out the video as soon as possible. About Dante D'Ovidio: Dante D'Ovidio is an internet marketing expert who is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada. Currently living in Puerto Rico, he has a secret Facebook group and is known by his fans as the "Ad Prophet." To watch his controversial video before it could possibly be taken down, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13XJEgF6anM&feature=youtu.be/. Contact: Ivan Kennedy Contact@DanteDovidio.com (949) 555-2861 SOURCE: Dante D'Ovidio View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/537396/Internet-Entrepreneur-Dante-DOvidio-Releases-New-2019-Marketing-Predictions-Video-on-YouTube Photo credit: - - Getty Images From Popular Mechanics Footage of a new Iranian missile that can be launched from a submarine appears to be genuine, according to an authority on submarines and submarine-launched weapons. The new ship-killer is designed to leave a submarine encapsulated in a torpedo. The missile then separates from the torpedo, homing in on enemy ships. . pic.twitter.com/U4ClmnoNA0 - (@FarsNews_Agency) February 24, 2019 The new missile, called Jask-2, is just over ten feet long with a range of only 19 miles. It's an Iranian copy of a Chinese missile called C-704 that's designed to be carried by Iranian Ghadir-class midget submarines (above). According to submarine authority H.I. Sutton, author of the Covert Shores undersea warfare blog, the missile is launched in a somewhat unusual manner. For submarine-launched missiles like Harpoon and Exocet, the capsule is expelled from the submarine and rises to the surface where the end comes off and the missile motor is ignited," Sutton explained to Popular Mechanics. "Jask-2 is unique because the capsule has its own motor. Photo credit: H.I. Sutton/Covert Shores He continues: Initial analysis suggested that some of the footage showed a normal torpedo being launched, with the submarine only partly submerged. This is in fact the Jask-2 capsule, which is unique in having its own torpedo motor. The motor is very short-ranged, in the region of a few hundred yards. So it's not to give it greater range. One theory is that the motor allows the weapon capsule to swim out of submarine torpedo tubes because Iranian midget submarines are not equipped with a means to eject an unpowered capsule. Although they're small and often denigrated for their capability, midget submarines are still a serious threat to surface ships. In 2010, the South Korean corvette Cheonan was ambushed and sunk by a North Korean midget sub firing a torpedo. Sutton says, Midget submarines carrying normal torpedoes are probably still a greater threat than the new missile because they can sink even large ships, as the Korean Cheonan incident showed. But the Jask-2 adds a new dimension to the threat. Story continues Photo credit: H.I. Sutton/Covert Shores Iranian naval forces, both the Iranian Navy and the Revolutionary Guards, train to close the Straits of Hormuz, and are therefore close to shipping traffic and U.S. Navy vessels. A submarine-launched missile fits neatly into this plan, expanding the underwater threat. Iranian midget submarines would likely spend a lot of time bobbing around on the surface attempting to blend in to fishing fleets, Sutton explained, then submerge and shoot when a target comes into view. ('You Might Also Like',) * Euro zone periphery govt bond yields http://tmsnrt.rs/2ii2Bqr (Adds quote, Bund/Gilt movements on Brexit headlines, updates prices) By Virginia Furness LONDON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Italian government bond yields rose sharply on Wednesday, pushed higher by disappointing economic data, a debt auction and criticism from the European Commission over the state of Italy's economy. After an initial dip in early trade, Italian government bond yields rose up to 12 basis points across the curve, with analysts citing renewed concerns about the country's economy. Morale among Italian manufacturers fell to its lowest level in almost three years and consumer sentiment also declined in February after the economy dipped into recession at the end of last year. "Today's release points to a continuation of the soft patch for the Italian economy," said ING economist Paolo Pizzoli. "The recession theme will likely become more central in the domestic political debate, which is currently concentrating on the impact of recent local elections," he said in a note. The European Commission said Italy's economy was facing excessive imbalances and policies of its government were making matters worse and also posed a threat to other euro zone countries. The drop in confidence translated into higher borrowing costs for the country in a sale of new debt on Wednesday. The yield on a new 10-year benchmark BTP bond due on Aug. 1, 2029 came in at 2.81 percent, the highest since November and up from the 2.60 percent yield paid last month on the previous 10-year benchmark. "It is a combination of these things that has weakened the BTP market a bit," said Peter Chatwell, rates strategist at Mizuho. "We think it is just a bit of a stumbling block but something the market is likely to get over." Italy's 10-year government bond yields were last up eight basis points to 2.79 percent, having pulled back from 3-1/2 week lows hit on Wednesday. It's two- and five- year bond yields were seven-nine basis points higher at 0.42 and 1.71 percent respectively. Story continues That pushed Italy's 10-year bond yield spread over top-rated Germany to 261 basis points after it touched its tightest in three weeks at 255 basis points earlier in the session. The spread was even wider mid-morning, but then high-grade euro zone bond yields were pushed higher by Gilt yields, which hit near three-month highs on bets of a softer Brexit, boosting chances of Bank of England rate rises. Germany's 10-year bond yields rose to a three-week high of 0.16 percent on the news, up four basis points on the day. Earlier, Spanish government bond yields dipped close to more than two-year lows earlier after a storming 15-year bond sale the day before. Syndications from euro zone sovereigns have been hugely successful this year and with orders in excess of 44 billion euros, Spain's 5 billion euro sale of 15-year bonds on Tuesday was no exception. Further supply is expected from the periphery, with Greece considering a bond sale next month, its second since emerging from international bailout programmes last August. (Reporting by Virginia Furness; Editing by Catherine Evans, Jane Merriman and Kirsten Donovan) JCDecaux announces two appointments within the Financial and Administrative Department at JCDecaux Paris, February 28th, 2019 - JCDecaux S.A. (Euronext Paris: DEC), the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, announces two appointments in line with its internal promotion policy. They will be effective from March 1st, 2019. Jerome d`Here is appointed Director of Mergers & Acquisitions and Development of the Group Jerome d`Here is a graduate of Neoma Business School (Ex-ESC Reims). In 2007, he joined JCDecaux as Project Controller for the Finance Department - France before being appointed Group Internal Auditor in 2009. In January 2012, he was named Deputy Director of Management Control - France in charge of Business Management Control. In 2014, he was promoted to the position of Administrative and Financial Director - Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean and in 2017, Chief Financial Officer - Central America. In September 2018, he joined the Mergers & Acquisitions and Development Department as M&A and Development Manager. Based in Plaisir, Jerome d`Here will report to David Bourg, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of the Group and member of the Executive Board of JCDecaux S.A. Caroline Burtin is appointed Deputy Director of Mergers & Acquisitions and Development of the Group Caroline Burtin holds a post-graduate degree in business law and is a member of the Paris Bar. She began her career as a lawyer at BNP Paribas in New York before she joined Linklaters law firm in Paris in 2003, with a role in its mergers and acquisitions department. In 2005, she joined the mergers and acquisitions department of Debevoise & Plimpton in Paris, where she notably worked as general counsel for JCDecaux in the area of acquisitions. She joined JCDecaux`s Legal Department in 2006 where she worked as a lawyer in the International Affairs division before being appointed Head of Legal Affairs for the Middle East in 2008 and General Counsel for the Middle East and Africa in 2011. In 2013, Caroline Burtin became General Counsel for Italy, Portugal, Belgium and Luxembourg, while continuing to fulfil her role as General Counsel for the Middle East and Africa. Since 2016, She was M&A and Development Manager within the Mergers & Acquisitions and Development Department. Based in Neuilly, Caroline Burtin reports to Jerome d`Here, Director of Mergers & Acquisitions and Development. Story continues Key Figures for JCDecaux 2018 revenue: 3,619m JCDecaux is listed on the Eurolist of Euronext Paris and is part of the Euronext 100 and Euronext Family Business indexes JCDecaux is part of the FTSE4Good index N1 worldwide in street furniture (543,050 advertising panels) N1 worldwide in transport advertising with more than 215 airports and 250 contracts in metros, buses, trains and tramways (356,320 advertising panels) N1 in Europe for billboards (141,630 advertising panels) N1 in outdoor advertising in Europe (672,220 advertising panels) N1 in outdoor advertising in Asia-Pacific (216,290 advertising panels) N1 in outdoor advertising in Latin America (77,190 advertising panels) N1 in outdoor advertising in Africa (26,770 advertising panels) N1 in outdoor advertising in the Middle-East (18,650 advertising panels) Leader in self-service bike rental scheme: pioneer in eco-friendly mobility 1,074,113 advertising panels in more than 80 countries Present in 4,033 cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants 13,040 employees Communications Department: Agathe Albertini +33 (0) 1 30 79 34 99 - agathe.albertini@jcdecaux.com Investor Relations: Arnaud Courtial +33 (0) 1 30 79 79 93 - arnaud.courtial@jcdecaux.com 28-02-2019 # Nominations Jerome D`Here et Caroline Burtin_UK This announcement is distributed by West Corporation on behalf of West Corporation clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: JCDecaux via GlobeNewswire HUG#2236677 * Venezuela minister accuses U.S. of seeking to overthrow Maduro * Suggests Maduro hold talks with Trump - U.S. Vice President Pence rejects idea * Says $30 billion in Venezuelan assets seized since Nov. 2017 (Adds Pence rejection of meeting) By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Venezuela's foreign minister said on Wednesday that the United States was trying to overthrow the government of Nicolas Maduro and suggested talks with U.S. President Donald Trump - an idea the Trump administration immediately rejected. Jorge Arreaza, addressing the U.N. Human Rights Council, suggested that Maduro and Trump meet to "try to find common ground and explain their differences." He also said his country had lost $30 billion in assets "confiscated" since November 2017 under sanctions. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence ruled out prospects of talks. "The only thing to discuss with Maduro at this point is the time and date for his departure," Pence said on Twitter. "For democracy to return and for Venezuela to rebuild - Maduro must go," Pence said. Dozens of diplomats, mainly from Latin American countries, walked out as Arreaza began to speak, while some European ambassadors boycotted the speech. The United States and dozens of other nations have recognised opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate president, but Maduro still controls the military, state institutions and oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA , which provides 90 percent of the country's export revenue. Maduro also "stands ready for dialogue" with the Venezuelan opposition, Arreaza said. "There is an attempt by external powers to overthrow an elected government, this goes against all rules of international law," Arreaza said. 'ILLEGAL PILLAGE' The United States targeted Venezuela's government with new sanctions on Monday and called on allies to freeze the assets of state-owned PDVSA after deadly violence blocked humanitarian aid from reaching the country over the weekend. The "blockade" against Caracas amounts to "theft of the assets and gold" of Venezuela, Arreaza said. Story continues Some $30 billion in state assets had been confiscated since November 2017, he said, adding: "This is the illegal pillage of the resources of our state oil company in the United States." U.S. refiner Citgo Petroleum Corp is cutting ties with its parent PDVSA to comply with U.S. sanctions imposed on the OPEC country, two people close to the decision told Reuters on Tuesday. The Bank of England has blocked $1.5 billion and Belgium $1.4 billion, Arreaza said. The Bank of England has previously declined to comment on questions about Venezuela's gold, citing client privacy considerations. "The humanitarian crisis is being used as a pretext for foreign intervention in my country," Arreaza said. In weekend clashes at the Colombian border, Venezuelan security forces acted with "proportionality and caution," as humanitarian aid was burned, he said. Earlier, an aide to President Ivan Duque of neighboring Colombia called for action to end Venezuela's humanitarian crisis and bring about a political transition leading to free elections. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; additional reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Gareth Jones and Dan Grebler) (Adds comments on Liberia business, price outlook) KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Malaysia's Sime Darby Plantation Bhd posted a 70 percent plunge in second-quarter net profit on Thursday due to lower crude palm oil and palm kernel prices, and said it was reviewing its operations in the West African nation of Liberia. Reuters reported last week, citing sources, that Sime Darby Plantation, the world's biggest oil palm planter by land holdings, is considering exiting its palm and rubber operations in Liberia due to lower-than-expected return on investment. "We are doing a very robust review of our operations there and we hope to come up with a decision in the not too distant future," Managing Director Mohd Bakke Salleh told reporters in a post-earnings press conference, adding that a decision could be made in three months. "It will come back to one critical factor: Are we making money or not? If a business is not making money, then we really have to do something," he said. West Africa has been seen by many plantation companies as a new frontier for global palm oil expansion as land in Indonesia and Malaysia, which together produce over 80 percent of the world's palm, has become scarce. Liberian president George Weah said in a statement earlier this month that the country could not afford to lose a major investor such as Sime Darby Plantation, and that the government was "committed to doing everything possible to ensure that this investment stays here". PROFIT PLUNGE The company's net profit for the quarter ending in December came in at 129 million ringgit ($31.70 million), compared with 429 million ringgit a year earlier. Revenue fell to 3.5 billion ringgit from 4.1 billion ringgit, it said in a statement. Declining inventories and a reduction in India's import duties on palm oil would help the company's performance going forward, Mohd Bakke said. At the press conference, he said the company expects crude palm oil prices to firm up from April to between 2,250 to 2,450 ringgit per tonne. Benchmark palm oil prices were last down 0.5 percent at 2,121 ringgit a tonne. Shares of Sime Darby Plantation closed 0.2 percent higher on Thursday, outperforming the benchmark stock index which fell 0.3 percent. ($1 = 4.0690 ringgit) (Reporting by Fathin Ungku; writing by A. Ananthalakshmi; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu) By Geoffrey Smith Investing.com - Sometimes you have to walk, U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday after the collapse of his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and the stock market couldnt agree more. The Stoxx 600 was down 1.20 points or 0.3%, at 371.38 at 04.00 AM ET (0900 GMT) on a wave of profit-taking after a two-month rally since the start of the year. Germanys Dax was down 0.3%, the U.K. FTSE down 0.7% and Frances CAC 40 down 0.1%. A Reuters survey released earlier Thursday showed that fund managers expect the Stoxx 600 to end the year at 371 points, suggesting little or no further upside from current levels. Its not just about Korea and nukes. Theres a fresh wave of concern this morning about the strength of the Chinese economy (and hence the global one) after U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer played down the chance of a comprehensive agreement with China in the near future. That puts news of a further drop in Chinese manufacturing activity into a particularly bleak context. The Caixin PMI for February showed output contracting at the fastest rate since the end of 2015, when China was exporting deflation to the rest of the world. No coincidence that the worst performing sectoral indexes this morning are the China-sensitive EURO STOXX Basic Resources Futures, down 0.8%, and the Stoxx Autos & Parts index, down 0.7% Optimists can still point to a more positive tone on Brexit, where the risk of a chaotic split between the U.K. and EU has fallen sharply in recent days. Much of the drop in the FTSE is the mirror image of a sharp rise in the British pound, which depresses the value of dollar income streams for its oil and mining heavyweights. And its notable that Italy has outperformed this week too, after a dismal performance by the populist 5 Star movement in regional elections suggests the country may return to a more predictable political path. But all that means today is to borrow a phrase from Kenny Rogers that while its time to walk away, at least you dont have to run. Story continues Related Articles Target jumps on 2019 forecast, strong holiday quarter China suspends customs clearance for Tesla Model 3 imports: Caixin Papa John's reaches settlement agreement with founder Schnatter Kazakhstans BTA Bank JSC paid Donald Trumps former attorney Michael Cohen to help recover stolen money allegedly laundered in the U.S. and has spoken with American prosecutors probing Cohens activities, a lawyer for the bank said, confirming part of Cohens congressional testimony. BTA entered into a contract with Cohen in 2017, after Trump became president, but he did absolutely nothing of value, Matthew L. Schwartz, the banks attorney, said Wednesday in a statement. Cohen was hired as a consultant because he was rumored to have the best legal resources and could assemble a winning team, Schwartz said. BTA quickly tore up its agreement, Schwartz said. A BTA official was introduced to Cohen by a social acquaintance in mid-to-late 2017, resulting in a 12-month contract worth $1.8 million, according to a person familiar with the matter. Cohen instead got $300,000 over two months and continued to demand payment after the contract was canceled, the person said. Details of the agreement havent been reported previously. Schwartz, of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP in New York, confirmed the payments from BTA after Cohen revealed the transactions for the first time during testimony Wednesday before the House Oversight Committee, where hes accused Trump of being a con man and a racist. BTA, once the biggest bank in Kazakhstan, said Wednesday it cooperated fully with the U.S. government after federal agents raided Cohens home and office in April 2018. Prosecutors were investigating financial crimes by the lawyer related at least in part to payments he made to the adult film star Stormy Daniels to cover up her alleged sexual encounter with Trump. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison after confessing to nine felonies. Documents released during the case showed Cohen received millions of dollars in payments from companies including Novartis AG and AT&T Inc., which sought an edge in understanding Trump administration policy after his surprise election victory. Some of the companies apologized after those payments were made public, and some of the top executives involved in Cohens hiring took early retirements. Novartis officials also said they were disappointed with Cohens work. Story continues BTA has been on a global hunt for more than $4 billion allegedly stolen more a decade ago by its former chairman, Mukhtar Ablyazov. Some of that money was allegedly laundered through real estate deals in the U.S. and Europe, including three units at Trumps luxury SoHo tower in Manhattan, BTA claims. The BTA case has another link to Trump: A former associate of the president, Felix Sater, who helped develop the Trump SoHo tower in Manhattan, scouted several of the deals at the center of the banks U.S. case. He arranged deals for associates of Ablyazov. The bank hasnt accused Sater of any wrongdoing. BTA also paid $100,000 a month to a small legal consulting firm set up by Sater to help with the case. The bank says it didnt know Sater owned the company, Litco LLC, which was paid about $2.5 million before that deal also fell apart. (Bloomberg) -- Scientists in Dubai are developing crops like quinoa that can thrive in the salty soils intruding into the worlds croplands. Winning over enough people to eat them is proving a greater challenge. At an experimental farm within sight of the worlds tallest skyscraper, researchers at the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture are trying to help farmers in the Middle East and beyond earn a living from unlikely plants known as halophytes. These plants, from trendy quinoa to obscure salicornia, flourish in salty and arid environments where staple crops like wheat or rice would wither. Concerns about climate change, population growth, and the degradation of fertile farmlands add urgency to the work of ICBA, which runs on a shoestring budget of $15 million a year. The United Nations estimates that food production must increase 60 percent in thirty years to meet demand, while gains in crop yields are slowing. You can see the disaster coming. I cant understand why more people arent acting to prevent it, says Ismahane Elouafi, ICBAs director general. Governments are reluctant to invest in new foods and remain tethered to staple crops that are just too demanding on water. Through selective breeding, the non-profit research institute developed five varieties of quinoa -- a protein-rich, gluten-free grain that tastes like nutty rice -- that grow especially well in salty soil. The center is introducing them in Egypt and Morocco. Agronomists at ICBA cultivate a patchwork of sandy plots on the fringe of Dubais desert interior. A vault where the temperature is kept at 2 degrees Celsius (36 degrees Fahrenheit) safeguards the fruits of their efforts: 14,000 types of seeds from more than 250 plant species. These seeds are enough for trial use, but a breakthrough to large-scale halophyte production requires government or business support. Planting a new crop is only the first step for ICBA, which operates projects in 28 countries from Senegal to Bangladesh and counts the U.S., Sweden and the United Arab Emirates among its top donors. The center has to transform laboratory wins into commercial successes. Story continues The marketing aspect is vital, said Dionyssia Lyra, a halophyte agronomist at ICBA. We need advertising. We need chefs. Quinoa is often more expensive than wheat, and many people are unfamiliar with products made from it. To make headway in rural Egypt, ICBA organized cooking workshops for 120 women to train them to prepare food from salt-tolerant crops. Changing palates has proven difficult in other markets. Wajih Syed, co-founder of Kinwa Foods Pvt Ltd., spent more than two years persuading farmers in Pakistan to plant ICBA-supplied quinoa seeds in salty soils. The grain can earn these farmers up to 20 percent more profit than wheat, and some growers have started to cultivate it on land no longer fertile enough for traditional crops, he said. Yet the grain remains a niche product. Changing the eating habits of a thousand years is not an easy job, Syed said. I dont see quinoa becoming a staple food in Pakistan for at least the next decade. Read: Saudi Thirst for Water Is Seen Creating a Toxic Brine Problem ICBA also breeds salt-tolerant sorghum and pearl millet, as well as salicornia, known as sea asparagus or glasswort. Salicornia can be used in salads, animal fodder and even biofuel. Etihad Airways PJSC, the Abu Dhabi carrier, recently used jet fuel blended with locally produced oil from salicornia in a commercial flight. The research centers modest profile and resources belie its importance in the quest for food security in nations like the U.A.E., which has little arable land and imports as much as 90 percent of its food. Like other oil-rich countries in the region, the U.A.E. is scouring the planet for farmland to help ensure supplies. Many farms in the Middle East rely on underground water reserves for irrigation. Aquifers are rarely replenished in the arid climate, and as groundwater levels decline, the reserves become dense with salts that can kill traditional crops. In coastal areas, seawater often intrudes into diminishing aquifers, making salinity worse. And still, this international organization is struggling to drum up cash to develop crops the world needs. Its so hard to fund-raise for research when you are in the U.A.E. because the donor thinks you are swimming in oil money, Elouafi said. When they see these high skyscrapers and luxury and what have you -- the images of Dubai that are portrayed everywhere -- its super-hard. --With assistance from Jonathan Tirone. To contact the reporter on this story: Bruce Stanley in Dubai at bstanley5@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nayla Razzouk at nrazzouk2@bloomberg.net, Mohammed Aly Sergie For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. RENO, Nev., Feb. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ormat Technologies, Inc. (ORA) is pleased to announce that its 2019 annual meeting of stockholders will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at 9:30 (EDT) at the offices of White & Case LLP, at 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. Stockholders of record at the close of business on March 25, 2019 will be entitled to vote at the meeting. ABOUT ORMAT TECHNOLOGIES With over five decades of experience, Ormat Technologies, Inc. is a leading geothermal company and the only vertically integrated company engaged in geothermal and recovered energy generation (REG), with the objective of becoming a leading global provider of renewable energy. The Company owns, operates, designs, manufactures and sells geothermal and REG power plants primarily based on the Ormat Energy Converter a power generation unit that converts low-, medium- and high-temperature heat into electricity. With 77 U.S. patents, Ormats power solutions have been refined and perfected under the most grueling environmental conditions. Ormat has 530 employees in the United States and 770 overseas. Ormats flexible, modular solutions for geothermal power and REG are ideal for vast range of resource characteristics. The Company has engineered, manufactured and constructed power plants, which it currently owns or has installed to utilities and developers worldwide, totaling over 2,900 MW of gross capacity. Ormats current 910 MW generating portfolio is spread globally in the U.S., Kenya, Guatemala, Indonesia, Honduras, and Guadeloupe. Ormat expanded its operations to provide energy storage and energy management solutions, by leveraging its core capabilities and global presence as well as through its Viridity Energy Solutions Inc. subsidiary, a Philadelphia-based company with nearly a decade of expertise and leadership in energy storage, demand response and energy management. ISLAMABAD, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Pakistan had "no choice" but to respond to India's attack on its territory but did not want to escalate the crisis and avoided hitting military targets or causing casualties in an air strike earlier on Wednesday, the main military spokesman said. Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor, head of the military press wing, said Pakistani jets had locked on to six targets in a demonstration of their capacity to hit key installations but had deliberately avoided causing any damage. "We engaged a nearby open space where there were no humans or military installation," he told a news conference in Islamabad. (Reporting by James Mackenzie; Editing by Nick Macfie) JAKARTA, Feb 28 (Reuters) - * Pertamina said on Thursday it plans to process its share of Malaysian and Iraqi crude oil production at Petronas' refineries in Malaysia in return for gasoline as Indonesia strives to reduce oil imports * "We're approaching (Petronas) on whether we can utilize Petronas refinery to process our crude (produced) from Malaysia's fields," Heru Setiawan, director of investment planning and risk management at Pertamina told reporters * "We can also bring our crude from Iraq field to Petronas' refinery," he said * The two companies agreed earlier this week to a crude swap deal * Separately, Dharmawan Samsu, Pertamina's upstream director, said the company is also looking at increasing its stakes in Malaysia's oil and gas fields * The companies are also exploring further cooperation in the oil and gas exploration sector in the Middle East and Africa as both companies have assets in countries such as Gabon and Iraq, the officials said (Reporting by Wilda Asmarini Writing by Florence Tan; Editing by Kirsten Donovan) (Reuters) - Shares of PG&E Corp fell 3 percent on Wednesday after federal filings showed that the power utility had delayed a safety overhaul of a high-voltage transmission line, a prime suspect behind the deadliest wildfire in California history. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in January in anticipation of liabilities from the wildfires, including the catastrophic 2018 Camp Fire that killed 86 people.. The Wall Street Journal earlier in the day reported that the company had told federal regulators in 2013 it planned to replace many of the towers, wires and hardware pieces on the line. PG&E said the Journal report inaccurately portrayed planned electric transmission regulatory compliance work, and omitted key aspects of the work the company was doing to enhance safety. "Our customers also should know that enhanced electric transmission and distribution inspections to help further enhance public safety are well underway. Specifically, PG&E is inspecting its electrical equipment in areas at elevated and extreme wildfire risk," the company said. The plans to replace components of the Caribou-Palermo line have been in the works since at least 2013, filings with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commision show. The company said in 2017 that it would spend $30.3 million in 2018 to eliminate clearance issues on the line that were identified in 2013. The project was expected to be operative in December of 2018. The Camp Fire broke out on the morning of Nov. 8 near the Northern California mountain community of Paradise. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation, though the utility reported to regulators that it experienced equipment problems on the Caribou-Palermo line around the time the fire began. PG&E provides electricity and natural gas to 16 million customers in northern and central California and employs 24,000 people. The company is seeking court approval for $5.5 billion in debtor-in-possession financing from J.P. Morgan, Bank of America, Barclays, Citi, and other banks, the sum being roughly the same as the utility's annual spending. PG&E has promised to keep working as it grapples with fire-related costs it estimates at more than $30 billion. Shares of the company, which is due to report fourth-quarter results on Thursday, were down 3.1 percent at $17.94 in afternoon trading on Wednesday. (Reporting by Ankur Banerjee in Bengaluru and Nichola Groom in Los Angeles; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Sriraj Kalluvila) Alicia Koepke, Shareholder of Trenam Law. Wage-and-hour claims are among the most commonand expensiveemployment claims. Claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), for example, can lead to employees recovering not only unpaid minimum wages or overtime pay, but also double damages, attorney fees and costs. Because employees often file such lawsuits as class or collective actions, the potential liability can be substantial. Wage claims provide significant risk not only to businesses, but also to their owners and supervisors, who can be sued in their individual capacity for FLSA violations. Thus, it is imperative that employers properly compensate their workforce. To do so, employers must keep track of this ever-changing area of the law. This article addresses recent changes to Florida and federal wage-and-hour laws, and discusses changes expected in the year to come. Recent Changes Tipped Employees Effective Jan. 1, Floridas minimum hourly wage increased to $8.46 from $8.25. Employers must pay at least this rate for all hours worked by Florida nonexempt employees. For Florida employers taking an eligible tip credit, the minimum direct hourly wage to tipped employees is now up to $5.44 from $5.23. In addition to the increase in minimum wages owed to tipped workers, other recent changes to the laws regulating tipped employees include: Employers May Not Retain Employees Tips In March 2018, Congress amended the FLSA to prohibit employers, managers and supervisors from retaining any part of employees tipsregardless of whether a tip credit is taken. Tip Pooling Restriction Eliminated When No Tip Credit Is Taken The March 2018 amendments and subsequent Department of Labor (DOL) guidance permit employers who do not take a tip credit to allow nonsupervisory employees who are not customarily tipped to participate in tip pools. DOL (Largely) Eliminates Its 80/20 Rule In November 2018, the DOL reissued an opinion letter largely scrapping its 80/20 Rule. That rule prohibited employers from taking a tip credit for time spent by tipped employees on nontip-producing work related to their tipped occupation if such employees spent more than 20 percent of their time on such non-tipped work. The rule was a practical nightmare because it required employers to track all of their tipped employees tasks. In the reissued opinion letter, the DOL said it will not limit the amount of duties related to a tip-producing occupation that may be performed, so long as they are performed contemporaneously with direct customer-service duties or for a reasonable time immediately before or after performing such direct-service duties. (Whether duties relate to a tip-producing occupation is significant; if an employee has duties unrelated to his tipped position, the employee may have dual jobs, and DOL regulations prohibit employers from taking a tip credit for time spent in a nontip-producing job.) Story continues Anticipated Changes DOL Proposes New Overtime Rule Last fall, the DOL announced its plan to issue a new proposed rule governing the minimum salary (currently $23,660 per year) required for most employees to be exempt from overtime pay under the FLSAs executive, administrative and professional exemptions. The DOL recently submitted this proposed rule to the Office of Management and Budget for review, but we do not know what it says. We expect it to contain some increase in the minimum salary threshold, but not as significant an increase as the DOLs 2016 proposal, which would have more than doubled the current minimum salary. (As a reminder, to be exempt from overtime pay, employees must meet certain duties requirements in addition to receiving the minimum salary.) DOL Plans to Clarify Its Position on Joint Employment The DOL also said it intends to issue a rule to clarify the contours of the joint employment relationship. Joint employment under the FLSA has significant implications because when two or more employers jointly employ an employee, the employees hours worked for all of the joint employers during the workweek are aggregated and considered as one employment, including for purposes of calculating whether overtime pay is due. Joint employers are jointly and severally liable for FLSA compliance. In June 2017, the DOL withdrew a previous Administrators Interpretation that took an expansive position on joint employment. Naturally, employers hope the DOLs proposed rule will limit joint employer liability to businesses with direct and immediate control over employees. Exactly what standard will be endorsed by the DOL remains to be seen. DOL Plans to Clarify the Regular Rate Regulations Finally, the DOL has said that it will clarify its regulations relating to the regular rate of pay. The regular rate is the rate used to calculate overtime pay owed to nonexempt employees. Some employers are surprised that the regular rate includes more than just an employees standard hourly rate; for example, it includes commissions and nondiscretionary bonuses. It is unclear how the DOL will clarify the regular rate, but any simplification will be a welcome change for employers. Conclusion Given the ever-changing legal landscape, and the fact that federal, state and local law may impose additional or different obligations, employers with questions about their wage-and-hour obligations should consult with counsel to ensure they meet applicable legal requirements. Alicia H. Koepke is a shareholder at Trenam Laws Tampa, Florida office, where she focuses her practice on employment and business law. She serves as co-chair of Trenam Laws hospitality industry group and its commercial litigation practice group. Contact her at akoepke@trenam.com. FILE PHOTO: A Carrefour logo is seen on a shopping trolley at a Carrefour Hypermarket store in Montreuil, near Paris, France, February 5, 2018. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau/File Photo By Dominique Vidalon PARIS (Reuters) - France's Carrefour raised its savings goal and said it would step up plans to downsize its hypermarket stores, as Europe's largest retailer delivered cost cuts of 1.05 billion euros (898 million pounds) in 2018 and a higher free cash flow. It posted a well-flagged 3.4 percent decline in 2018 operating profit, reflecting weakness in its domestic market that offset a better performance in Brazil, which is its second-biggest market behind France. Carrefour shares were up 1.7 percent at 0853 GMT, however, as analysts welcomed its general plans to cut costs. "Cost savings are progressing well but not enough to reinvigorate (the company's business in) France yet," said Bruno Monteyne, an analyst at brokerage Bernstein. Carrefour launched a five-year plan a year ago to cut costs, boost E-commerce investment and seek a partnership in China with tech giant Tencent. It aims to boost profits and sales and tackle growing competition from U.S. online retail giant Amazon "For Carrefour, 2019 will be a year in which we will deepen the initiatives of the 2022 plan, to better serve our customers...Our encouraging results now allow us to revise upwards a number of 2022 targets," CEO Alexandre Bompard said. The plan includes expanding into convenience stores to reduce exposure to large hypermarket stores and having a greater focus on organic products and private labels. Carrefour recently sealed a purchasing alliance with Britain's Tesco which is expected to start bearing fruit this year.. Carrefour kept its annual dividend unchanged at 0.46 euros and said it now eyed cost savings of 2.8 billion euros by 2020 instead of the 2 billion previously targeted. Free cash flow, excluding exceptional items, rose to 1.088 billion euros in 2018 from 950 million euros in 2017 as capital expenditures were limited to 1.611 billion euros. It reported a 2018 recurring operating profit of 1.938 billion euros, in line with its guidance of 1.930 billion provided in January. Story continues In France, where CEO Bompard has made reviving flagging sales at hypermarket stores a priority, operating profits 43.3 percent to 466 million euros, with the margin falling to 1.3 percent against 1.9 percent in 2017. In France, Carrefour faces competition from the likes of Amazon and pressure from cheaper prices offered at rivals such as Leclerc. The group's Chinese operations remained loss-making last year amid competition from local players and a buoyant online market but Carrefour said its general performance in China nevertheless improved. Finance chief Matthieu Malige said talks were continuing about a potential deal in which Tencent and local retailer Yonghui would take a stake in Carrefour China. (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Jason Neely) Rolls-Royce is pulling out of the contest to power Boeing's proposed New Midsized Airplane (NMA). The firm had hoped to supply its next generation UltraFan engine. Shares in Rolls-Royce fell on Thursday after announcing a pre-tax loss of $3.9bn for 2018. U.K. firm Rolls-Royce RR.-GB has pulled out of the race to provide engines for Boeing's new commercial aircraft. Boeing's planned New Midsize Airplane (NMA), also known as the 797 by the aviation industry, is expected by some to be confirmed at the Paris Air Show in June 2019. Rolls-Royce had put forward UltraFan engine to power Boeing's new plane but in statement Thursday, the engine maker withdrew its tender stating it was "unable to commit to the proposed timetable." Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce's president of Civil Aerospace, added that he believed the move was the "right decision" for Rolls-Royce and the "best approach for Boeing." Boeing BA is now expected to choose between offerings from United Technologies UTX unit Pratt & Whitney and CFM International, a General Electric GE joint venture with France's Safran SAF-FR . Rolls-Royce is already under pressure to deliver on the company's current engine programs, among them the Trent XWB, Trent 7000 and Trent 1000-TEN. It said the decision would help to "de-risk" development of its next generation UltraFan engine which is promised to deliver airlines efficiency improvements of up to 25 percent. The news came as Rolls-Royce reported a rise in 2018's core sales to 14.36 billion ($19.1 billion) while booking a pre-tax loss of 2.9bn for the year. Rolls was forced to up the provision for its compensation program for ongoing problems with its Trent 1000 engine which is used on Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. The delays cost it 790 million in 2018 and the U.K. engineer expects a further cost of 450 million in 2019. The firm also had to book a 186 million hit from Airbus' recent decision to stop making its A380 plane. Story continues Shares slumped 3.5 percent following the release. What is Boeing's '797' concept? Boeing is said to be developing two new concepts which would evolve to become the Boeing 797. The first version is said to be the NMA-6X, a 228-passenger medium-range aircraft with a 5,000 nautical mile range. A second version, the NMA-7X would be larger with 267 seats, but a range of 4,200 nautical miles. The single-aisle plane would be pitched as a direct competitor to the likes of Airbus's A320 series and would likely replace Boeing's older 767 and 757 planes. Any confirmed new plane from Boeing is not expected to take to the skies until at least 2025. More From CNBC The FAA has approved Southwest Airlines' proposal to fly to Hawaii. The airline had to show regulators its ability to fly its jets over water for extended periods of time away from diversion airports. The approval comes as Southwest is locked in a bitter dispute with its mechanics over grounded jets. Southwest Airlines LUV is finally on its way to Hawaii. The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday approved the low-cost carrier to fly to the islands from the West Coast, Southwest said. The airline, which will service Hawaii from several cities in California, will announce when it will start selling tickets to the popular vacation destination in the coming days, it said in a statement. The low-cost airline has been eagerly waiting for regulators to clear it to fly to the islands, which are a big part of its growth plan this year. The approval comes as Southwest is locked in a bitter dispute with its mechanics' union after a surge in out-of-service planes due to mechanical issues that have grounded dozens of jets. The airline and its mechanics have been negotiating a contract for more than six years and the some 2,400 in-house mechanics seek bigger pay raises that what the company has proposed. Southwest revealed its plan to start flying to Hawaii in October 2017, with an eye on selling tickets by 2018, but the partial government shutdown delayed those plans. The airline needed the FAA to sign off on its plans to fly Boeing BA 737-800 jets over water for long distances. Safety inspectors had been flying with Southwest to Honolulu from Oakland, Calif. in recent weeks and met with airline executives to review Southwest's navigation, maintenance and other procedures. The airline's decision to offer service to the Aloha State could make Hawaiian vacations cheaper. In markets where the airline has nonstop service, average one-way fares are $45 lower than in cities without those routes in what's been dubbed the "Southwest Effect," a University of Virginia study found. Story continues Southwest plans to fly to the islands from four California cities: Oakland, San Diego, San Jose and Sacramento and fly to Honolulu, Kahului on Maui, Kona, and Lihue on Kauai. The airline also intends to offer service between the islands. Southwest plans to grow its flying 5 percent this year, and half of that will come from Hawaii, the airline said last month. That growth comes at the expense of expanding to some international destinations. "Were it not for Hawaii, we would absolutely be adding some more international routes and augmenting some of our flying," Southwest CEO Gary Kelly told analysts on an earnings call in January. "So it's simply a matter of prioritization, and Hawaii, I think, deserves that kind of prioritization. It's that big of an opportunity." Southwest shares were little changed postmarket trading. Shares of Hawaiian Holdings HA , parent of competitor Hawaiian Airlines, were also flat. More From CNBC By Tracy Rucinski CHICAGO (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines Co said on Wednesday it won approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to begin flying to Hawaii from California, clearing the way for the low-cost carrier to move forward with a key part of its 2019 growth plan. Dallas-based Southwest, one of the largest U.S. domestic airlines, said it would publicly announce the timing for selling tickets and inaugurating flights to the Hawaiian Islands in the coming days. Southwest will fly its Boeing 737 fleet from Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego and San Jose, and plans to service Honolulu on Oahu, Kahului on Maui, Kona on Island of Hawaii, and Lihue on Kauai. The company also plans to fly between the Hawaiian Islands. It will compete with American Airlines , Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines , and Hawaiian Airlines on the new routes, though analysts said it remained to be seen whether Southwest's entrance would drive down other carriers' fares. Southwest, which first unveiled plans for the new service in 2017, had hoped to begin selling tickets in January. But those plans were delayed due to a 35-day partial U.S. government shutdown, which halted a lengthy federal certification process for jets that fly over water for an extended period. The FAA said that, as standard practice, it will increase its surveillance of Southwest's operations for six months as service begins. The Hawaii approval comes as the carrier continues to clash with its mechanics over a doubling of out-of-service aircraft that has forced it to cancel hundreds of flights since Feb. 15. Southwest and its mechanics union have been in contract talks for more than six years. Flights canceled by Southwest continued to account for more than a third of the total across the United States on Wednesday, according to FlightAware.com. (Reporting by Tracy Rucinski, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Dan Grebler) Almost everyone in Americaat least anyone old enough to watch a television crime showhas heard of Miranda warnings. They derive from the U.S. Supreme Courts 1966 decision in Miranda v. Arizona. The warnings are the admonitions that a law enforcement officer must give to a suspect before a custodial interrogation. The Supreme Court summarized the Miranda holding in the following terms: the suspect must be warned prior to any questioning that he has the right to remain silent, that anything he says can be used against him in a court of law, that he has the right to the presence of an attorney, and that if he cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed for him prior to any questioning if he so desires. But what if the suspect being interrogated is a juvenile? Should any additional or different rules apply? After all, our courts have often recognized that delinquency proceedings in juvenile court are fundamentally different from criminal proceedings, State v. Ledbetter, 263 Conn. 1, 13 (2003), and adjudication as a juvenile rather than prosecution as an adult carries significant benefits, chief among which are a determination of delinquency rather than criminality and limitations with respect to sentencing. Id. at 14. Furthermore, it is now widely acknowledged that developments in psychology and brain science continue to show fundamental differences between juvenile and adult minds. Graham v. Florida, 560 U.S. 48, 68 (2010). Given the inherent differences between juveniles and adults and the differences between an adjudication of delinquency and a criminal conviction, basic fairness dictates that there should be an additional warning when juvenile suspects are interrogated. The juvenile (and his or her parent or guardian) should be informed that anything the juvenile says can be used against the juvenile in adult criminal court if the juveniles case is transferred from juvenile court to the regular criminal docket. Under Gen. Stat. 46b-127(a), such transfers may be automatic or discretionary, depending on the seriousness of the offense charged. The U.S. Supreme Court has never ruled on the question of whether such a warning is required under the Fifth Amendment to the federal Constitution. In 1991, in State v. Perez, 218 Conn. 714, the Connecticut Supreme Court refused to adopt a per se rule that a juvenile must be informed of the possibility of adult prosecution before the juvenile can make a voluntary, knowing, and intelligent waiver of the privilege against self-incrimination. The Perez ruling, however, was based only on the federal Constitution. Thus, as noted in a recent dissenting opinion, the question of whether our state constitution requires such a warning is still an unresolved issue. See State v. Castillo, 329 Conn. 311, 363-66 (2018) (DAuria, J., dissenting). In the 28 years since the Perez decision, an untold number of juvenile suspects (and their parents or guardians) have been misled by not being told about the potential adult consequences of giving a statement to the police. Exhibit A for this proposition is Robin Ledbetter, who was arrested at the age of 14, along with a 16-year-old male, in connection with the robbery and murder of a taxi driver. At the Hartford Police Department, Robins father encouraged her to cooperate and give a statement. He also advised her, inaccurately, that because she was a juvenile, she could not be held beyond her 18th birthday. The police never informed her that her case could be transferred to the regular criminal docket and, if so, that she would be tried and sentenced as an adult. Ledbetter v. Commissioner of Correction, 275 Conn. 451, 454 (2005). Robin gave a statement to the police describing her active role in the attempted robbery, but denied committing the murder. Her case was automatically transferred from juvenile court to the regular criminal docket, where she was convicted of felony murder and other charges and was sentenced to 50 years' imprisonment. Only one state, New Hampshire, has relied on its state constitution to adopt a per se rule requiring an adult prosecution warning. Yet a number of state court decisions have indicated that giving such a warning to juveniles is the best practice, and one that should be encouraged. Some jurisdictions already use preprinted Miranda forms that contain such a warning. To promote the goals of transparency and full disclosure in the criminal justice system, the Legislature should enact a provision requiring that juveniles be informed, before to interrogation, of the potential consequences of adult prosecution. Without such a requirement, juveniles and their parents and guardians will continue to be less than fully informed about their rights. Palladium prices skyrocketed to new record levels as strike jitters in South Africa added to a tense market engulfed by a sustained supply deficit. Chinese equities staged an impressive rally of late, as Sino-U.S. trade negotiations marked significant progress at the last round of talks. Malaysia came third in last weeks list as officials decided to lift a three-year-old moratorium on bauxite mining. Telecommunication shares were also in the news thanks to AT&Ts final victory in a legal battle that blocked its merger with Time Warner. The British currency closed the list as the prospect of a lengthy Brexit delay prompted a rally in the pound. Palladium Jumps on Strike Woes The precious metal widely used in the automotive industry soared further over the last week as news of impending strikes in South Africa aggravated supply concerns in a market that has been suffering lately of a supply shortage. Traffic in the sector more than doubled over the last week as investors looked into palladium products to gain exposure to the rising asset. Workers in 15 South African mining firms have sent notices of a strike, threatening to seize operations in a move that adds to wider industry issues. Fellow miners at gold producer Sibanye-Stillwater have already protested over wages and job cuts. As a result, palladium prices hit a fresh record high of $1,553 per ounce earlier this week, up more than 80% compared to August levels. Home to the worlds largest platinum group metals deposits accounting for over 90% of global output, South Africa was particularly important at this point because normal palladium production is experiencing a shortfall. Norilsk Nickel, the worlds largest palladium producer, said this week that it expects the 2019 deficit to widen to 800,000 ounces, up from 600,000 ounces last year on tighter emissions regulations in all major markets and flat supply. Also, the Moscow-based miner said that strong demand in the automotive industry, mainly for autocatalyst converters, will prompt a 21% jump in consumption that will reach 11.2 million ounces for the current year. Story continues The Aberdeen Standard Physical Palladium Shares ETF (PALL A) tracks the spot prices of the metal and has already gained 21% since the start of the year. Palladium has also benefited from the move away from diesel engines, coupled with a rising market in hybrid electric vehicles, which tend to be partly gasoline-powered. Use our Head-to-Head Comparison tool to compare two ETFs such as (PALL A) and (EZA B+) on a variety of criteria such as performance, AUM, trading volume and expenses. Pall%20barchart Trump Tweet Spurs Massive Rally in Chinese Equities The Shanghai Composite Index is already up 18% for the year, having risen about 5% only in the past five trading days as hopes of a trade deal with the U.S. spurred optimism in the countrys financial markets. Traffic in Chinese equities surged 72% after officials on both sides of the Pacific signaled significant progress in the talks regarding the trade surplus China holds with its largest partner, the United States. In a trademark tweet, President Trump said that the scheduled March 1 tariffs could be postponed as talks with the Chinese authorities are advancing towards a far-reaching deal that would end a trade war blamed for slowing global economic growth and disrupting markets. At the end of November, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping called a 90-day truce that delayed the tariff hike from 10% to 25% on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. Negotiations are said to include issues regarding the Asian nations treatment of state-owned enterprises, subsidy policies, forced technology transfers, and cyber theft, among others. The memorandums of understanding, expected to be signed between the largest economies of the world, will address issues ranging from structural reforms to trade and economic policies. One of the most attractive products that gives investors an opportunity to gain exposure to the Chinese equity market, iShares MSCI China ETF (MCHI A), is up 15.78% for the year. For more ETF news and analysis, subscribe to our free newsletter. Mchi%20barchart Malaysia Ends Bauxite Mining Ban Another Asian nation has taken the headlines over the past week as officials in Kuala Lumpur said that the moratorium imposed on bauxite mining will not be extended after the March 31 expiry date. Malaysia saw a viewership rise of 68% over the last few days. The Malaysian government decided to lift the ban from March 31 onwards as the strong demand in bauxite from China overshadowed the environmental concerns that were at the root of the 2016 moratorium. Malaysia imposed a ban on bauxite mining after unregulated mining and run-offs from unsecured stockpiles in the bauxite-rich central state of Pahang was found at the root of massive contamination of its rivers, water supplies and coastal waters, while respiratory problems and skin rashes rose to alarming levels. Officials said that harsher mining rules will be imposed on companies in an effort to drive these operations towards more sustainable mining activity in the nation. Some 432,000 tons of high-grade bauxite in storages at Kuantan port on the South China Sea is set to be exported. Before the ban, Malaysia was the biggest bauxite supplier to top buyer China, shipping 3.5 million tonnes per month at the end of 2015. The iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF (EWM B+) advanced 1.7% on the news and holds a fragile 3.75% performance for the year. The ETF is mostly exposed to large-cap financials. Sign up for ETFdb.com Pro and get access to real-time ratings on over 1,900 U.S.-listed ETFs. Ewm%20barchart AT&T Victory in Legal Battle Offers Support to Telecoms The telecom giant AT&T has finally won the war with the U.S. government over its acquisition of Time Warner as the Justice Department said it would not appeal the latest court ruling, which gave the green light to the $85.4 billion merger. Interest in telecoms rose by a third over the previous week as investors looked into products with large exposure to the media behemoth like the iShares U.S. Telecommunications ETF (IYZ B+). The ETF has AT&T as its No. 2 holding and posted a sturdy 14.36% since the start of 2019. The judges that approved the terms of the deal between AT&T and Time Warner stated that government fears regarding a spike in consumer prices were unfounded, and decided to end the 15-month battle to block the arrangement. The two companies agreed to the transaction in October 2016 and closed it eight months later following another court decision in favor of the deal. Elsewhere in the telecom industry, Europes leading mobile operator, Deutsche Telekom, said this week it expected a slowdown in earnings growth for 2019. The firm expects 2019 adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) to advance by only 3%, down from 5% in the prior year. The company is set to complete the U.S. merger with Sprint, acquire Spectrum and roll out 5G services. For a deeper analysis on individual ETF investments such as (UWT n/a) or (UUP A), use our ETF Analyzer tool. You can select ETFs by Category or Type as well as add individual ticker symbols to compare performance, expenses and dividend yield, among other metrics. Iyz%20barchart The British Pound Reports on positive developments in Brexit talks between European officials and their British counterparts were a boon to the pound, which rose 3.4% since the start of last week and gathered growing interest in relevant products. The Invesco CurrencyShares British Pound Sterling Trust (FXB A-) advanced by a comparable 3.2% over the same period, while traffic in related products upped by nearly a fourth. The latest rise in value for the British pound was attributed to a report that revealed a worrisome U.K. government regarding a prolonged Brexit delay. The two-year delay that is expected to be imposed by the Europeans as an alternative to the British-desired short, limited extension to the March 29 deadline officials effectively puts pressure on Brexiteers to accept Prime Minister Mays deal. The pound is favored by any scheme that delays or cancels the divorce process, according to analysts. Prime Minister May announced this week that should parliament vote down her proposed plan again, her government would be forced to ask for an extension in order to avert a painful no-deal exit. Another positive development was a reportedly softening stance from the influential European Research Group (ERG) of Conservative MPs towards Mays Brexit deal. Fxb%20barchart The Bottom Line The tight market that drove palladium prices to new records on numerous occasions over the last few months was further emboldened by strike fears in South Africa. Chinese equities were energized by meaningful progress in trade talks with U.S. officials, while Malaysia entered the list with its decision to end a three-year ban on bauxite mining as the country seeks to resume exports to the commodity-hungry Chinese market. AT&Ts triumph over the U.S. antitrust bodies that tried to block its merger with Time Warner lifted the sentiment in the telecom sector. Finally, the British pound saw inflows as ongoing negotiations delay the Brexit process. By analyzing how you, our valued readers, search our property each week, we hope to uncover important trends that will help you understand how the market is behaving so you can fine-tune your investment strategy. At the end of the week, well share these trends, giving you better insight into the relevant market events that will allow you to make more valuable decisions for your portfolio. For more ETF news and analysis, subscribe to our free newsletter. Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com. Tonight, my sources tell me that embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's head of military is sending his children to China in an effort to keep them safe. We need to think about the significance of the Maduro regime considering China a safe harbor. Why on earth is China welcoming them? Is China trying to use them as a negotiating threat with us? For example, we clearly love Venezuela and the Maduro regime so much that were willing to keep the family or the guy that has allegedly killed thousands safe? Dumb move, China. Dumb because, guess what, youre in the hole, a lot. Over $60 billion in the past 10 years. Half of all China's capital destined for Latin America. In the hole to an oil company that was, until recently, propped up by socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro. Now, hes done and China wants to protect its investment. Well, China, protecting it doesnt mean harboring the likes of the military leaders kids. The handwriting is on the wall and if China is smart they will exit Venezuela graciously and be higher in the line to get repaid. China will also have to think long and hard about their figure. Their plan to dominate the world, a plan that succeeded under that last administration, but has been halted. Lets hope, halted forever. Related Articles Nuclear, airstrikes, India, Pakistan, Trump Americas presence as a global superpower is on thin ice under President Donald Trump. The president is struggling to reign in three of the biggest nuclear military nations, North Korea, India, and Pakistan. In the past, the US has played a crucial diplomatic role in easing nuclear tensions around the world. Not any more. Yesterday, the president failed to reach a deal with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, with the much-hyped summit ending early. Meanwhile, his inaction in the India-Pakistan crossfire has left two nuclear powerhouses on the brink of war. With Trump way out of his depth at the diplomacy table, theres a huge power vacuum growing on the global stage. Read the full story on CCN.com. President Donald Trumps comment that he takes Kim Jong Un at his word that he had no role in North Koreas torture of U.S. college student Otto Warmbier provoked criticism from lawmakers that traditional concerns about human rights are taking a back seat in his foreign policy. After a meeting in Hanoi Thursday that ended without progress on elimination of North Koreas nuclear arsenal, Trump told reporters that Kim felt bad about the imprisonment and torture of Warmbier, who died after being detained in North Korea for more than 17 months. In those prisons and those camps you have a lot of people, and some really bad things happened to Otto, some really, really bad things, Trump said. But he tells me he didnt know about it, and I will take him at his word. Members of Congress compared Trumps reluctance to criticize Kim with his refusal to condemn Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his alleged role in the murder of U.S.-based columnist Jamal Khashoggi last year, or to dispute Russian President Vladimir Putins denial that his country interfered in the 2016 U.S. election to help Trump win. Our intel community is telling us what Putin knew about the election, what MBS knew about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and what Kim Jong Un knew about the brutalization and murder of Otto Warmbier, said Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia. And I dont know why the president would want to come to the aid of people who have done these horrible things. Hes Responsible Republican Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado, who has backed a hard line on North Koreas nuclear arsenal, agreed with Kaines assessment that Kim was responsible for Warmbiers death. Look, the blood of Otto Warmbier is on Kim Jong Uns hands, he said. Hes responsible for the death. Theres no doubt in my mind about that. While Secretary of State Michael Pompeo frequently tells reporters that he brings up human rights violations in private meetings with world leaders, the Trump administration usually saves public condemnation for countries it considers its top adversaries, especially the regimes running Iran and Venezuela. Story continues On Wednesday, a White House summary of a visit by Jared Kushner, the presidents son-in-law and Middle East adviser, to Prince Mohammed in Saudi Arabia made no mention of Khashoggis death or human rights concerns. While U.S. intelligence agencies believe the crown prince took part in the decision to murder Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Trump has said maybe he did, maybe he didnt. Trump has said if we abandon Saudi Arabia, it would be a horrible mistake because of its role as a key U.S. ally in the Middle East and its promises to buy billions of dollars of U.S.-made weapons. Trump flew halfway around the world for his second summit with Kim, betting that his personal diplomacy could overcome sticking points both sides have known about for years. But the collapse of the talks in Hanoi without agreement raised new doubts about Trumps use of face-to-face diplomacy laced with flattery for adversaries such as Kim, Putin and Chinas President Xi Jinping. Democratic Representative Adam Schiff of California, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that Trumps credulous acceptance of Kims assurances on Warmbier harkens back to Trumps acceptances of other equally implausible denials from other dictators. Kims assurances to Trump that he didnt know of Warmbiers plight are at odds with the international uproar over his treatment and North Koreas very public defense of imprisoning him. Warmbier was a 21-year-old University of Virginia junior on a group tour when he was seized by North Korean authorities in January 2016, and accused of trying to steal a propaganda poster praising Kims father. He was forced to recite a videotaped confession in which he said he took the poster at the behest of the CIA and an Ohio church. He was initially sentenced to 15 years of hard labor, but was returned to the U.S. in June 2017 in a comatose state brain-dead, blind and deaf. North Korea said he fell ill from botulism. He died shortly afterward in Ohio, his home state. At the time, Trump called his treatment a disgrace and said that the North Korean government was a brutal regime. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that China has been "a big help" in America's dealings with North Korea. Trump said he believed China "can't love having a nuclear state" right across its borders and that Beijing would want to see "the problem solved." United States President Donald Trump said China has been "a big help" in America's dealings with North Korea, but added that he believed the hermit kingdom was "calling its own shots." Speaking at a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam , Trump was asked whether China came up in his discussions with North Korea leader Kim Jong Un . "China's been a big help, bigger than most people know," said the American president, before adding that he believed "North Korea is calling its own shots." Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping met several times in the past year. When Trump and Kim met for the first time in Singapore last June, the North Korean leader arrived in an Air China plane. To get to Hanoi this week, Kim traveled by train through China and some reports said he may have made a stop in Beijing. It isn't clear whether he met Xi during his travels, nor if he plans on meeting the Chinese leader soon. North Korean state media KCNA said a delegation led by the reclusive state's Vice Minister Ri Kil-Song has left for China. China's foreign ministry said it hopes dialogue and communication between the U.S. and North Korea can continue. Trump said he believed China "can't love having a nuclear state" right across its borders and that Beijing would want to see "the problem solved." On the U.S.'s trade relations with China, Trump said the American economy is thriving: The stock market has gone up, and domestic unemployment numbers have improved. The president also claimed that additional tariffs implemented on Chinese goods have helped to reduce the U.S. trade deficit. Trump announced over the weekend that due to progress made in the U.S.-China trade talks, he's delaying the implementation of additional tariffs on Chinese products initially planned for early-March. Story continues No deal with Kim The summit between Trump and Kim in Hanoi, which ended on Thursday, was cut short. The American president said that's because both sides could not agree on sanctions . Trump had repeatedly said at the start of Thursday's talks that his relationship with Kim was strong, and that he expected that connection to eventually carry the two nuclear powers to an agreement. Although both sides say they've been making progress in recent months, this round of top-level talks focused on many of the same issues as last June's Singapore summit. Trump is pushing North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons as he dangles the prospect of an economic boost to the repressive country. Kim wants to see sanctions eased or lifted but without losing the strategic benefits of his weapons of mass destruction. Reuters contributed to this report. More From CNBC ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Feb 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump told the leaders of South Korea and Japan that the United States would continue to work with them and talk to North Korea, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Thursday. Trump spoke to South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from Air Force One, Sanders told reporters aboard the flight, as he flew home after a summit in Vietnam with Korean leader Kim Jong Un that did not yield an agreement. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Tim Ahmann) The BBC and ITV are joining forces and setting their sights on Netflix in the United Kingdomwith the launch of their own streaming service. The two broadcasters, responsible for hits such as Doctor Who and Bodyguard, are in the concluding phase of talks to launch Britbox in the U.K. in the second half of the year. Britbox already exists in the United States and Canada. For a monthly $7 fee, the service provides North American viewers access to a range of vintage British TV series such as Absolutely Fabulous. Despite relying on existing series, the service has been fairly successful, currently with more than 500,000 subscribers. The British version is similarly expected to rely predominantly on BBC and ITVs library content, including more recent shows, although reportedly there will be shows commissioned specifically for Britbox. Some reports suggest the service will cost 5, or $6.66 a month. While the broadcasters have not said which shows specifically will be available on Britbox, The Independent reports other British networks, such as Channel 4 and Channel 5, are expected to join the service. This would put the majority of British releases in one place, potentially allowing the networks to better compete against rivals such as Netflix. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether BBC- and ITV-produced shows would in turn leave other streaming services. Matthew T. Mangino Matthew T. Mangino Opponents of civil asset forfeiture laws recently scored a big victory before the U.S. Supreme Court. Those alarmed by the expansion of civil asset forfeiture often cite the risk for abuse because in many states, like Pennsylvania, law enforcement have an incentive to seize property, as they receive some or all of the proceeds from its sale. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), in the last decade Pennsylvania law enforcement has confiscated over $100 million in private property through civil asset forfeiture. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Feb. 20, that the Eighth Amendment's ban on excessive fines applies to the states through the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. The court ruled on behalf of Tyson Timbs, who was fighting the civil forfeiture of his $42,000 Land Rover after he used it to sell heroin to undercover officers. The maximum fine for the drug charge was $10,000. The Indiana trial court found that Timbs used the Land Rover to facilitate a crime, but found that the forfeiture of the vehicle would be grossly disproportionate to the gravity of Timbs' offense, hence unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendments excessive fines clause. On appeal, the Indiana Supreme Court held that the excessive fines clause only constrains federal actions and is not applicable to the states. During the infancy of the United State of Americafollowing the ratification of the ConstitutionJames Madison introduced 20 proposed amendments to the Constitution. Twelve of those amendments were approved by the Congress and 10 were ratified by the states. Those 10 amendments were enacted in 1791 and became known as the Bill of Rights. The Eighth Amendment, is simple and straightforward. The Eighth Amendment provides that Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. Following the Civil War, the 14th Amendment extended the protections of the Bill of Rights to the states. The U.S. Supreme Court has already decided that the Eighth Amendment provisions prohibiting excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment apply to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment. Both provisions have been held to be fundamental to our scheme of ordered liberty with deep roots in our history and tradition. In Timbs v. Indiana, 586 U.S. ___ (2019), the court was asked to decide if the 14th Amendment incorporated the excessive fines clause of the Eighth Amendment to the states. Last fall, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court was asked to determine an issue relating to asset forfeiture. The court held that there is no common-law power to take property through civil forfeiture. Justen Irland was arrested in Adams County when he allegedly brandished a handgun to another driver during a road rage incident. Irland pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a summary offense, and was fined $200. The state also confiscated his gun. Although there was no statute authorizing the government to use civil forfeiture to take property connected to the crime of disorderly conduct, the Adams County District Attorneys Office argued that it had inherent common law authority to use civil forfeiture to take and keep property that law enforcement believed was connected to any crimeeven disorderly conduct. Under Pennsylvanias civil asset forfeiture laws, the government can legally take property it claims is connected to illegal activity without convicting, or even charging, the property owner of a crime. Police and prosecutors who make decisions about when to pursue civil forfeiture can keep all of the forfeited funds for their own budgets. Pennsylvania law enforcement officials have a direct financial incentive in pursuing forfeitures. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court concluded that there is no historical foundation establishing common law civil forfeiture in the commonwealth and that civil forfeiture of derivative contraband requires statutory authorization, see Commonwealth v. Irland, 32 MAP 2017. In Timbs, the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged that by 1787 the constitutions of eight statesabout 70 percent of the populationexpressly prohibited excessive fines. By 1868, 90 percent of the countrys population lived in a state that prohibited excess fines. Today, all 50 states have a constitutional provision prohibiting the imposition of excessive fines. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg announced the decision for the court in Timbs, saying that the Eighth Amendments excessive fines clause protects against government retribution. For good reason, the protection against excessive fines has been a constant shield throughout Anglo-American history: Exorbitant tolls undermine other constitutional liberties, Ginsburg wrote. Ginsburg continued, Excessive fines can be used, for example, to retaliate against or chill the speech of political enemies. All states and the federal government allow law enforcement to seize and forfeit cash, property and other materials they believe are associated with illegal activity, reported the National Conference of State Legislatures. Once property has been seized, prosecutors file civil actions seeking to forfeit property suspected of being involved in illegal activity. The action is typically against the propertynot the personand can be seized regardless of what happens on the criminal side of the case. In Timbs, the state of Indiana attempted to make the argument that in rem actions, against the property itself and not the owner, are beyond the reach of the excessive fines clause. In Austin v. United States, 509 U.S. 602 (1993), the court specifically held that civil in rem forfeitures fall within the clauses protection when they are at least partially punitive. The high court chose not to revisit that decision in Timbs. The concern over abuse of civil forfeitures statutes is being gradually addressed by state legislatures across the country. North Carolina, New Mexico and Nebraska have abolished civil forfeiture, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Eleven states, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon and Vermontrequire a criminal convictionproof beyond a reasonable doubtto engage in some or all forfeiture proceedings. Ginsburg plainly set forth the fundamental concern with civil asset forfeitures when she suggested, Fines may be employed in a measure out of accord with the penal goals of retribution and deterrence, for fines are a source of revenue, while other forms of punishment cost the state money. Matthew T. Mangino is of counsel with Luxenberg, Garbett, Kelly & George. His book "The Executioners Toll, 2010," was released by McFarland Publishing. You can reach him at www.mattmangino.com and follow him on Twitter @MatthewTMangino. FILE PHOTO: An oil pumpjack painted with the colors of the Venezuelan flag is seen in Lagunillas FILE PHOTO: An oil pumpjack painted with the colors of the Venezuelan flag is seen in Lagunillas, Venezuela January 29, 2019. REUTERS/Isaac Urrutia/File Photo By Marianna Parraga (Reuters) - Venezuela's oil exports sank 40 percent in the first full month after the beginning of U.S. sanctions designed to oust Socialist President Nicolas Maduro, according to data from state-run oil firm PDVSA and Refinitiv Eikon. On Jan. 28, President Donald Trump's administration barred U.S. customers from paying for Venezuelan oil until a new government being formed by the nation's congress head Juan Guaido could be established to accept the proceeds. Venezuela's exports since then have dropped to 920,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude and fuel, the data shows. That is down from between 1.47 million and 1.66 million bpd of crude and fuel in the prior three months, the data show. Almost 70 percent of Venezuela's oil shipments since Jan. 28 have gone to PDVSA's clients in Asia, with India rising to first place among top destinations, followed by Singapore and China. Singapore is a hub for storage, trans-shipment and re-exports. Europe, which imported a marginal volume of Venezuelan oil before sanctions, increased its share to 15 percent, followed by the United States with 11 percent and the Caribbean with 2 percent, according to the data. 'UNDER ATTACK' In total, PDVSA exported 675,000 bpd of crude and 245,000 bpd of fuel, versus 1.28 million to 1.46 million bpd of crude and 200,000 bpd of fuel prior to sanctions. The figures exclude cargoes that were loaded but have been stuck at sea pending arrangements to pay accounts being set up by Guaido's team. "PDVSA (and) the whole nation has been under a brutal attack by the U.S. government to impact the company's finances and operations," Venezuelan Oil Minister Manuel Quevedo said on Thursday at a conference in Saudi Arabia. PDVSA has ramped up crude-for-fuel swaps and exchanges with its customers and trading firms to keep oil flowing to foreign markets amid sanctions. The United States also established several wind-down periods, allowing pending deliveries and payments to be completed through April. Story continues In March, at least 1 million bpd of Venezuelan crude and refined products are expected to be shipped, according to a Reuters review of tankers waiting to load or steaming to PDVSA's ports. After ordering some tankers carrying imported fuels to forcefully discharge amid uncertainty created by U.S. sanctions, PDVSA's purchases of gasoline, diesel, diluent naphtha and other fuels have grown, satisfying most of the country's consumption. In the full month following sanctions, PDVSA imported 165,000 bpd of fuel, mainly from the United States and Europe. Sanctions banned U.S. exports of diluents used to convert Venezuela's extra heavy oil into exportable grades, but allowed sales of other fuel for the coming months. DOMESTIC SUPPLIES PDVSA on Thursday said it has enough fuel for domestic consumption and will create a special program to supply gasoline during the Carnival holidays. It did not disclose figures. Venezuela imported over 300,000 bpd of fuel in December, a record high amid problems with domestic refineries producing gasoline and other motor fuel. During 2018, the company imported around 200,000 bpd of fuel. In recent weeks, the country has been paying heavy premiums for fuel purchased, mostly supplied by trading firms, Russia's Rosneft, a traditional backer of Caracas, and Spain's Repsol, which has continued swapping Venezuelan crude for gasoline under a deal signed before sanctions. (Reporting by Marianna Parraga in Mexico City; additional reporting by Vivian Sequera in Caracas and Luc Cohen in Washington; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) A Boeing logo is pictured during EBACE in Geneva A Boeing logo is pictured during the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) at Geneva Airport, Switzerland May 28, 2018. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse By Jeff Mason and Khanh Vu HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnamese carriers VietJet and Bamboo Airways formally announced on Wednesday deals with Boeing Co to buy 110 planes worth more than $15 billion as the fast-growing companies look to expand their operations in Asia and beyond. On the sidelines of a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, VietJet showcased a recent order to purchase 100 737 MAX planes worth $12.7 billion. The deal was provisionally announced in July 2018 and firmed up later that year, without a public announcement until now. Boeing said the VietJet purchase, which was previously on its order books as an unidentified order, took the Vietnamese carrier's MAX orders to 200 jets and included 80 of its latest 737 MAX 10 model. VietJet CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao told Reuters the first four aircraft ordered as part of a previous 100-plane deal, announced in 2016 when President Barack Obama visited Vietnam, would be delivered later this year. Bamboo announced a firm deal with Boeing to purchase 10 wide-bodied 787 planes worth $2.9 billion. Boeing said this deal too was already on its order book as an undisclosed customer. Bamboo, owned by property and leisure company FLC Group, is also in talks to buy 25 narrow-bodied Boeing 737 planes, Chairman Trinh Van Quyet told Reuters. Bamboo, which made its first flights in January, had placed a provisional order last year for 20 Boeing 787 widebody jets worth $5.6 billion at list prices, and Wednesday's deal is not part of that. "The purchases are part of our strategy to expand our operations on the international market, including flying to the United States and Europe," Quyet said. Bamboo plans to launch its first international flights in second quarter this year, with initial destinations in Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Singapore, he added, ahead of non-stop flights to the United States late this year or early next. Story continues Earlier this month, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration declared Vietnam complied with international aviation standards, allowing Vietnamese carriers to fly to the United States for the first time and codeshare with U.S. airlines. VietJet also finalised a $5.3 billion long-term engine support agreement with General Electric for the LEAP-1B engines in its fleet. The White House put the total value of the deals at more than $21 billion. "These deals will support more than 83,000 American jobs and provide increased safety and reliability for Vietnamese International travelers," a senior White House official said. Trump and Kim Jong Un meet in Hanoi on Wednesday for their second summit, with Trump holding out Vietnam as a model of economic success that isolated North Korea could follow. Trump hailed the Boeing deals at a lunch with Vietnamese officials. "We appreciate very much that you're reducing the trade deficit with the United States, which was very substantial before I got here, and now where we're bringing it down with great orders like the orders that you made today," Trump said. Vietnam ran a trade surplus of $34.8 billion with the United States last year, widening from a surplus of $32.2 billion a year earlier, according to Vietnamese customs data. (Reporting by Khanh Vu and Jeff Mason in HANOI. Additional reporting by Mai Nguyen in HANOI; Editing by Lincoln Feast) By Roslan Khasawneh and Khanh Vu SINGAPORE/HANOI, Feb 28 (Reuters) - A Vietnamese tanker was bound for North Korea carrying 2,000 tonnes of gasoline, Refinitiv shipping data showed, just as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump prepared for key talks on security and cooperation in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi. The vessel, the Viet Tin 01, arrived just outside the harbour of Nampo on North Korea's western coast on Feb. 25 carrying 2,000 tonnes of gasoline, according to the data compiled by Refinitiv. The data tracks ships' movements as well as providing details of their cargoes and official destinations as registered by shippers. It wasn't immediately clear whether the tanker unloaded cargo at Nampo. Under sanctions imposed by the United Nations, North Korea is heavily restricted in its imports of crude oil and refined petroleum products. Trump and Kim began a second day of talks on Thursday, with both sides expressing hope for progress on improving relations and the key issue of denuclearisation in the pair's second summit meeting. The 5,000 deadweight tonne tanker - small by industry standards - was scheduled to deliver the fuel to Daesan in South Korea, according to its official destination registered in the shipping data. The vessel still showed Daesan as its destination as of Feb. 28, according to the data. The Viet Tin 01's previous stops were Taiwan, Singapore and Bangladesh. It was not immediately clear where the ship loaded the gasoline. An official for the ship's registered owner, Ho Chi Minh City-based Viet Trust Shipping Corp., said she was not aware of the ship's whereabouts. She said the company owned two ships, the Viet Tin 01, and the Viet Tin Lucky, which is currently off the west coast of Thailand. The Vietnamese foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. News outlet NK Pro, which monitors North Korea developments, said in a report on Thursday "the transfer would likely push against U.N. resolutions" under which its fuel imports are restricted. (Reporting by Roslan Khasawneh in SINGAPORE and Khanh Vu in HANOI Additional reporting by Henning Gloystein in SINGAPORE, James Pearson in HANOI and Jane Chung in SEOUL Editing by Kenneth Maxwell) Acquisition expected to close March 1, 2019 WILMINGTON, Del., Feb. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WSFS Financial Corporation (WSFS) (WSFS), the parent company of WSFS Bank, has received all required approvals to acquire Beneficial Bancorp, Inc. (BNCL) (Beneficial), and to merge its primary subsidiary, Beneficial Bank, into WSFS Bank. Today, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the Federal Reserve) approved WSFS acquisition of Beneficial, which is the final required regulatory approval for the proposed combination. With overwhelming approvals from WSFS and Beneficial shareholders, and regulatory approvals from the Federal Reserve and WSFS Banks primarily regulator, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, WSFS expects to close the transaction on Friday, March 1, 2019. We are pleased to have received all required approvals and were looking forward to officially finalizing our combination in the coming days, said WSFS President and Chief Executive Officer Rodger Levenson. We are excited to bring our mission of We Stand For Service to additional communities in the Greater Delaware Valley, including the City of Philadelphia, throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania and in communities in southern New Jersey. Following the closing of the mergers, both banks will continue to operate as separate brands under one legal entity (WSFS) until August 2019, when the projected systems conversion and rebranding are expected to occur under the WSFS Bank name. About WSFS Financial Corporation WSFS Financial Corporation is a multi-billion dollar financial services company. Its primary subsidiary, WSFS Bank, is the oldest and largest locally-managed bank and trust company headquartered in Delaware and the Delaware Valley. As of December 31, 2018, WSFS Financial Corporation had $7.2 billion in assets on its balance sheet and $19.0 billion in assets under management and administration. WSFS operates from 76 offices located in Delaware (45), Pennsylvania (29), Virginia (1) and Nevada (1) and provides comprehensive financial services including commercial banking, retail banking, cash management and trust and wealth management. Other subsidiaries or divisions include Christiana Trust, WSFS Wealth Investments, Cypress Capital Management, LLC, West Capital Management, Powdermill Financial Solutions, Cash Connect, WSFS Mortgage and Arrow Land Transfer. Serving the Delaware Valley since 1832, WSFS Bank is one of the ten oldest banks in the United States continuously operating under the same name. For more information, please visit wsfsbank.com. Story continues Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains estimates, predictions, opinions, projections and other forward-looking statements as that phrase is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to the impact WSFS expects its proposed acquisition of Beneficial to have on the combined entitys operations, financial condition, and financial results, and WSFSs expectations about its ability to successfully integrate the combined businesses and the amount of cost savings and overall operational efficiencies WSFS expects to realize as a result of the proposed acquisition. The forward-looking statements also include predications or expectations of future business or financial performance as well as goals and objectives for future operations, financial and business trends, business prospects, and managements outlook or expectations for earnings, revenues, expenses, capital levels, liquidity levels, asset quality or other future financial or business performance, strategies or expectations. The words believe, expect, anticipate, plan, estimate, target, project and similar expressions, among others, generally identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on various assumptions (many of which are beyond the control of WSFS and Beneficial) and are subject to risks and uncertainties (which change over time) and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the possibility that the proposed acquisition does not close when expected or at all because conditions to closing are not received or satisfied on a timely basis or at all, the failure to close for any other reason, changes in WSFSs share price before closing, that the businesses of WSFS and Beneficial will not be integrated successfully, that the cost savings and any synergies from the proposed acquisition may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected, disruption from the proposed acquisition making it more difficult to maintain relationships with employees, customers or other parties with whom WSFS or Beneficial have business relationships, diversion of management time on merger-related issues, risks relating to the potential dilutive effect of shares of WSFS common stock to be issued in the transaction, the reaction to the transaction of the companies customers, employees and counterparties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of WSFS and Beneficial. We refer you to the Risk Factors section of the joint proxy statement/prospectus and to the Risk Factors and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations sections of WSFSs Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by Beneficial for the year ended December 31, 2017 and any updates to those risk factors set forth in WSFSs and Beneficials Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other filings, which have been filed by WSFS and Beneficial with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) and are available on the SECs website at www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to herein. The actual results or developments anticipated may not be realized or, even if substantially realized, they may not have the expected consequences to or effects on WSFS, Beneficial or their respective businesses or operations. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. Neither WSFS nor Beneficial undertakes any obligation, and specifically declines any obligation, to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. For Immediate Release Chicago, IL February 28, 2019 Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: NRG Energy Inc. NRG, Northwest Natural Holding Co. NWN, NextEra Energy Inc. NEE, Spark Energy Inc. SPKE and American Water Works Co. Inc. AWK. Here are highlights from Wednesdays Analyst Blog: 5 Utility Service Providers to Keep You Protected in 2019 The Utilities sector was the best performer for the S&P 500 in 2018. Although Wall Street has been recovering impressively so far in 2019, several headwinds still persist. On Feb 25, the Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said in its Congressional testimony that although the U.S. economy is in good shape now, it may face headwinds due to slowdown in China, Japan and European Union. Utilities are a safe bet during times of market turmoil, as they are relatively stable due to the essential nature of the products they offer. Consequently, it will be prudent to invest in utility stocks with a favorable Zacks Rank to stay safe. Eurozones Growth at Risk On Feb 21, Data firm IHS Markit reported that Eurozones Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) declined to a reading of 49.2 in February, its lowest reading in 69-months. Any reading below 50 indicates contraction of manufacturing activities. On Feb 6, the European Commission lowered 2019 growth projection for the 19-member Eurozone from 1.9% in November to 1.3%. The growth rate for 2020 was pegged at 1.6%.On Feb 4, Bank of England reduced growth rate of the U.K. for 2019 to 1.2% from 1.7% forecasted earlier. Economic forecast for 2020 has been reduced to 1.5%. The root cause of an impending slowdown is the Brexit related problem. Japans Manufacturing Declining On Feb 21, Bloomberg reported that the Flash Markit/Nikkei Japan Manufacturing PMI fell to a seasonally adjusted 48.5 in February from 50.3 in January, its lowest reading since June 2016. On Feb 20, Japan stated that its trade deficit for the month of January increased a whopping 49.2% year over year to 1.41 trillion yen. The stiff increase in trade deficit was owing to a decline of 17.4% of exports to China, its largest decline since January 2016. This was the second consecutive month of export decline. Story continues Slowdown in Chinese Growth Chinese economy expanded at 6.6% in 2018, its slowest pace since 1990. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers reported that deliveries of passenger vehicles to dealers dropped 4.1% to 23.7 million units, its first decline in 28 years. Moreover, the China Passenger Car Association reported a slump of 6% in retail vehicle sales in 2018. China is providing several stimuli to accelerate its economic growth. Utilities are Immune to Vagaries of Economic Cycle The Utilities sector is mature and fundamentally strong as demand for such services is generally immune to vagaries of the economic cycle. It's because these companies provide basic services like electricity, gas and water, which can never go out of demand. Consequently, adding stocks from the utility basket usually lends more stability to a portfolio in an uncertain market condition. Moreover, the sector is known for stability and visibility of its earnings and cash flows. Stable earnings enable utilities to pay out consistent dividends that add to their attractiveness to income-oriented investors. Utility companies enjoy a reputation for safety given the regulated nature of their business, which lend their revenues a high level of certainty. These companies also benefit from the domestic orientation of their business, which shields them from foreign currency translation issues that have been plaguing the other industries of late. Our Top Picks Utility service providers will benefit from the new rates in their service territories, customer growth, effective management and control of expenses through the introduction of new technology. Consequently, we have narrowed down our search to five utility stocks with a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can seethe complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. NRG Energy Inc. operates as an integrated power company in the United States. The company has expected earnings growth of 101.1% for current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 8.1% over the last 60 days. Northwest Natural Holding Co.builds and maintains natural gas distribution systems in the United States. The company has expected earnings growth of 11% for current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 0.4% over the last 60 days. NextEra Energy Inc. generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power to retail and wholesale customers in North America. The company has expected earnings growth of 9% for current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 0.4% over the last 60 days. Spark Energy Inc.operates as an independent retail energy services company in the United States. The company has expected earnings growth of 104.6% for current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 10% over the last 60 days. American Water Works Co. Inc.provides water and wastewater services in the United States and Canada. The company has expected earnings growth of 8.5% for current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 1.4% over the last 60 days. Is Your Investment Advisor Fumbling Your Financial Future? See how you can more effectively safeguard your retirement with a new Special Report, 4 Warning Signs Your Investment Advisor Might Be Sabotaging Your Financial Future. Click to get it free >> Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@zacks.com https://www.zacks.com Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Spark Energy, Inc. (SPKE) : Free Stock Analysis Report NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) : Free Stock Analysis Report NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Northwest Natural Gas Company (NWN) : Free Stock Analysis Report American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan says Islamabad will release an Indian pilot captured by Pakistani forces on February 27 after his warplane was shot down in the disputed region of Kashmir. Khan said in a speech to Pakistan's parliament on February 28 that "the captured Indian pilot" will be released on March 1 "a gesture of peace." In New Delhi, however, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was defiant in his first public remarks since both Pakistan and India claimed they shot down each other's fighter planes near Kashmir's Line of Control -- the de facto border that divides the Himalayan region between Indian and Pakistani rule. Modi said citizens of India should "stand as a wall, as a rock" and unite "as the enemy seeks to destabilize India." "The entire country is one today and standing with our soldiers," Modi said. "The world is looking at our collective will and we have faith in our forces' capacity. India will live as one. India will work as one. India will grow as one. India will fight as one. India will win as one." The remarks from the Pakistani and Indian leaders came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump said that Washington was mediating to help defuse the crisis, and that he expected "reasonably decent news." The United Nations and world powers -- including the United States, China, Russia, and the European Union -- have expressed concerns that escalating tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi could spiral out of control. In another sign of easing tensions, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said India had handed over intelligence it has about a deadly February 14 attack on Indian security forces in Kashmir that sparked the crisis. Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal said Pakistan will examine the Indian "dossier" on the bombing that Islamabad received through diplomatic channels on February 28. Faisal did not provide details about the information New Delhi shared. Pakistan's military said its air force shot down two India Air Force jets in its airspace and captured a pilot on the ground in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. India confirmed the loss of one of its MiG-21s and the capture of its pilot. It said it also foiled an attack by Pakistan warplanes over Kashmir and shot down one Pakistani plane. Islamabad denies any of its aircraft were shot down. The aerial confrontation came a after India on February 26 struck what it said was a militant camp in northeastern Pakistan in retaliation for a suicide bombing that killed at least 41 Indian troops in the India-controlled part of Kashmir A Pakistan-based group, the Jaish-e Muhammad (JeM), claimed responsibility for the February 14 attack -- the deadliest to take place during a three-decade insurgency against Indian rule in Kashmir. India has accused Pakistan of having a "direct hand" in the attack and providing sanctuary to the militants. Islamabad denies involvement. India's air strikes in Pakistani territory on February 26 were the first since the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on February 27 that the escalation of violence has the potential to lead to serious and dangerous consequences for the two countries and the wider region." China, a close ally of Pakistan, expressed hope that Islamabad and New Delhi will "earnestly fulfill their commitments to prevent the expansion of the situation." Russia also urged calm and offered to act as a mediator. With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters Pakistans decision to close its airspace amid rising tensions and aerial dogfights with neighboring India has left many tourists stranded in Asian cities when airlines were forced to cancel flights. Thai Airways, Emirates, and Qatar Airways were among the carriers forced to cancel their flights, many to and from Europe, on February 27 because the flights were scheduled to fly to Pakistan or over its airspace. Etihad, flydubai, Gulf Air, SriLankan Airlines, and Air Canada also canceled flights. Singapore Airlines and British Airways were among those forced to reroute flights. Pakistan closed its airspace after Islamabad and New Delhi claimed to have shot down the other's fighter jets earlier in the day. Pakistan said it captured an Indian pilot after its air force shot down an Indian warplane. The activity came after Indian jets on February 26 struck inside Pakistan for the first time since a 1971 war, claiming to hit the training base used by a terror group that had killed at least 41 Indian paramilitary soldiers inside India-administered Kashmir on February 14. The Thai flag carrier said 27 of its flights were canceled on February 27, with three passenger jets being forced to return to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport after having taken off earlier in the day. The airline said some 5,000 passengers had been caught up in the cancellations. "There are 4,000 from European flights and 700 to 800 from flights to Pakistan," a Thai Airways spokesperson said. "We are waiting for permission to fly over other countries," she said, adding that Iran had rejected a request to allow flights over its airspace. Pakistan aviation officials said the country's airspace would likely reopen as of midnight on February 28. Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters, and The Express Yes, I found a better job Yes, but I'm still looking for a new job Yes, I retired Yes, I started my own business No, I like my current job No, but I'm currently looking for a new job Vote View Results Greg Cummings is sipping protein drinks and munching protein bars after another morning of going up and down the Manitou Incline then again, then again, then again, then again and then once more. Six trips on the punishing trail climbing nearly 2,000 feet in less than a mile. Just another day in the 61-year-olds pursuit to climb the steps as many times as he can on the calendar year. Hes exhausted, so forgive him if he stumbles while trying to explain the toll a mission like this takes on his home life. Im so tired, its hard to even concentrate sometimes ... Its just, Im not as loving and kind, shall we say, as I would normally be when youre well rested and hydrated and got the right fuel in you and blood sugar is good and on and on. Youre not as good of company, shall we say. So, yeah. My wife is a very wonderful, enduring individual. She knows this obsession with the Incline all to well, because Greg has held the record for most ascents in a year twice (601 times in 2010, 1,400 in 2014). Now the number to beat is 1,719. Mostly, Alisons concern has to do with that blood sugar. She wont be there if he goes down, there to save his life again. With Type 1 diabetes, Greg constantly has tried to balance his insulin. Too much or too little can leave him unconscious, a state Alison has found him in several times through their 37 years of marriage. Once, he was seizing, his face slamming against a tile floor. - Click here for all things related to the Manitou Incline. He assures her hes got friends on the Incline, the regular posse up there making sure hes OK. Hes got his blood-sugar monitor. Hes pricking his finger constantly on the way up and down. He comes home with a bunch of bloody Kleenex to prove it. He does the best he can, Alison says, and theres nothing I can do. She told Greg straight up she would divorce him if he tried to reclaim his record, beaten by good friend Roger Austin in 2015. And Greg knew that threat to be real. In 2014, it was a very stressful time, he says, because of course he wasnt sleeping much maybe five hours a night while waking up frequently to check his blood sugar before climbing through the morning darkness and because he was juggling a 9-to-5, and because divorce seemed terrifyingly possible. Greg has kept his Inclining in check the past few years. Just a trip or two maybe three times a week. But as a newly retired man, hes had more time available. More time to think about that record. He wanted it so bad that I had to say, OK, Im in. Im going on this journey with you, Alison says. Since Jan. 12, his goal has been simple and, in his own words, absurd: Climb the Incline as many times as he can by Jan. 11, 2020. Hes not exactly committing to a record, but I have no doubt, reads a text message from Austin, mending a knee replacement (he doesnt entirely blame the Incline). He is fully capable, is not working, and has his wifes blessing. He can literally spend all day there, every day if he wants. Cummings does not intend to take a day off for the next 316 days. As of last weekend, he was averaging five ascents a day, despite being slowed by snow that hes had to sweep with a trusty, hard-bristled broom. Hell spend 10 hours on the mountain, tracking himself via GPS and Strava to verify his efforts. Further evidence are the selfies he takes each time at the top, posing with placards on which he writes the summit number and Camp Wapiyapi. Hes raising money for the Woodland Park summer camp, which hosts kids with cancer at no cost to their families. These kids certainly did nothing wrong, Cummings says, seemingly on the verge of tears. They didnt do anything to deserve it, and all of a sudden they come up with a diagnosis of cancer. It just really tugs at my heartstrings. His diagnosis came at 24. He always dreaded diabetes, as his mom had it, but he pushed fears away with an active lifestyle. By then, he had summited Denali and Mount Aconcagua, climbed to the Mount Everest base camp and trekked most of the Continental Divide between Mexico and Canada. The diagnosis changed the man, says Alison, whom he had married months prior. I think for a long time, it was like caging an eagle, because he had such a passion for mountaineering. Hes always needed to climb, she understands. She hasnt supported his other Incline fests, but now she says she does. One more time, she told him. One more time, he promised. It will never be considered again in my mind, he tells himself. Im not going to spend another year of my life doing this. No way. Bill Hybl is stepping down as CEO of El Pomar Foundation, one of the largest charitable donors in Colorado with nearly $600 million in assets, and will be replaced by his son, Kyle Hybl. The leadership change the foundations first in 46 years takes effect Friday. El Pomar is the major donor to many projects in Colorado Springs, from hospitals, colleges and arts organizations to social service groups and economic development projects. The foundation makes grant annually totaling more than $22 million across the state. Bill Hybl, 76, will remain as chairman of El Pomar after leading the foundation since 1973, when he was hired as vice president and executive director. He has overseen more than $500 million in grants, the largest of which $32 million enabled construction of The Broadmoor World Arena, and played a key role in selling a majority interest in The Broadmoor hotel in 1988 to Oklahoma Publishing Co. He also has transformed El Pomar from a foundation that mostly financed capital projects to a nonprofit leader that trains future nonprofit executives through its fellowship program and other training initiatives for nonprofits, and he engineered the purchase of the historic El Pomar Center, the former home of foundation founders Spencer and Julie Penrose, to become a free conference center for nonprofits and government agencies. Under Hybl, El Pomar also has launched an awards program honoring the states top nonprofits, a military affairs program, a civic program that sponsors debates, lectures and seminars and created 11 regional councils to help the foundation target the most needed projects across Colorado. Other key grants under Hybl include $10.2 million to Colorado College in 2007 for its El Pomar Sports Center, $10 million to the U.S. Olympic Museum pledged over five years in 2014, $4 million to help the Focus on the Family Christian ministry move its headquarters to Colorado Springs from California, $3 million to rescue an incentive deal to keep the U.S. Olympic Committee headquarters in Colorado Springs. The foundation also made smaller grants under Hybl to help Junior Achievement move its headquarters to the Springs and to help the Center for Creative Leadership to build a local campus. Mayor John Suthers calls El Pomar tremendously significant to Colorado Springs and Colorado. Their footprint is everywhere, said Suthers, in education, health care services, arts and culture, civic and community initiatives, and human services. I cant imagine a foundation that has done a better job of carrying out its founders vision than El Pomar. And Bill Hybl has been the face of that foundation. Bill Hybl joined El Pomar after he was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1972. He was special counsel to President Ronald Reagan in 1981, and President George W. Bush appointed him in 2001 as U.S. representative to the 56th General Assembly of the United Nations. He also was chairman of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems from 2003-2009. He twice served as president of the U.S. Olympic Committee, was on the International Olympic Committee from 2000-2002 and continues as chairman of the U.S. Olympic Endowment. Kyle Hybl has been El Pomars chief operating officer since 2013 and recently completed his second six-year term on the University of Colorado Board of Regents. He joined the foundation as general counsel in 2000 after serving 5 years as a judge advocate for the Air Force. He holds bachelors and law degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder. We are excited about the next generation of leaders at El Pomar, Foundation Vice Chairman William Ward said in a news release. The Board of Trustees and El Pomar staff wish to extend our deepest gratitude to Bill Hybl, who has led El Pomar with poise and passion since joining the Foundation 45 years ago. El Pomar also announced a series of promotions, including Matt Carpenter adding chief operating officer title to his executive vice president title. Kyle Hybl also is chairman of the Police Foundation of Colorado Springs and corporate secretary for Junior Achievement USA. Additionally, he serves on the boards of the American Council of Young Political Leaders, the Broadmoor World Arena, the Denver-based human resources nonprofit Employers Council, the Exponential Impact technology accelerator and the National Cybersecurity Center. I am very honored by this decision of the Board of Trustees and am grateful for the opportunity to lead El Pomar Foundation as it continues to build upon Spencer and Julie Penroses legacy of philanthropy, Kyle Hybl said in an email statement. I look forward to helping steward the Foundations continued contributions to the people of Colorado. Broadmoor founder Spencer Penrose and his wife, Julie Penrose, started El Pomar in 1937 with a gift of $21 million and took ownership of the iconic hotel after his death two years later. She died in 1956. Besides making grants, the foundation operates the historic Penrose House as a free conference center for nonprofits and government agencies. Carpenter joined El Pomar in 1999 as part of its fellowship program. He has been promoted several times and now supervises the grants program. He is an Air Force Academy graduate with a degree in political science and a masters degree in public administration from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Other promotions and staff additions at El Pomar are: Devanie Helman was promoted to vice president of the fellowship program and is the senior staff member for El Pomars north region. She joined the foundation in 2012 as part of its fellowship program. She has a bachelors degree in sociology and psychology from the University of Denver and a masters degree in education policy from Stanford University. Dave Miller was promoted to associate vice president and supervises information technology operations. He joined El Pomar in 2015 as a contract employee and was hired full time in 2016. Kaitlin Johnson was promoted to associate vice president. She is deputy director of the regional partnerships program and is the senior staff member for the foundations high country and central peaks regions. She joined El Pomar in 2015 as part of its fellowship program. Julia Lawton was named communications director after spending nearly three years on loan to the U.S. Olympic Museum. She started with El Pomar in 2015 as part of its fellowship program. Diane Riggenbach was hired as an investment specialist after working 13 years with UBS Financial Services. Eleanor Martinez joined El Pomar as executive assistant for Carpenter and Kyle Hybl. She previously worked for the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC and the Colorado Thirty Group. Samantha Kroll was hired as assistant curator of the Penrose Heritage Museum after completing a degree in anthropology and museum studies at UCCS. Contact Wayne Heilman 636-0234 Facebook www.facebook.com/wayne.heilman Twitter twitter.com/wayneheilman A bill allowing those with behavioral or mental health disorders to create an advance medical plan for future crises went to Gov. Jared Polis' desk Wednesday. The Colorado Senate approved House Bill 1044, by Sen. Don Coram, R-Montrose, and Sen. Nancy Todd, D-Aurora. The House had approved it in January. The measure allows adults to write advance medical orders on the type of treatment they prefer and to establish a set of procedures in case they can't provide consent or make their own decisions. The Senate passed the bill unanimously after adopting a last-minute amendment to limit the advance orders' life span to two years. During a committee hearing last week, some asked how medical professionals would know about the orders if the patient can't make decisions or communicate clearly. Others, saying they suffer bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, praised the measure in a committee hearing. They said advance medical orders in past crises would have benefited them by providing for a different doctor, hospital or treatments and avoiding long stints in isolation. A 19-year-old man wanted by Colorado Springs police on multiple felony warrants was arrested in southwestern Utah in a car carrying 8 pounds of marijuana, the Utah Highway Patrol said. Luciano Rodriguez Jr., also known as Junior, was wanted in Colorado Springs on suspicion of three counts of first-degree felony assault causing serious bodily injury, three counts of felony menacing and four other felony charges after an incident reported Feb. 2, court documents show. He was taken into custody in Washington County, Utah, early Thursday. Troopers stopped and searched the vehicle about 1:30 a.m. on Interstate 15, about 4 miles north of the Arizona border, said Sgt. Nick Street of the Utah Highway Patrol. They smelled burnt marijuana and found 8 pounds of raw marijuana in a duffel bag in the trunk. The driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and possession of marijuana with intent to sell, said Street, who wasnt authorized to release Rodriguezs name. An arrest affidavit for Rodriguez issued Feb. 4 says he and an unidentified female allegedly chased down a woman Rodriguez lived with around the King Soopers on Cheyenne Meadows Road and slammed into the car she was in. The female then fired at least three shots at the vehicle, the affidavit said. Anyone with more information on the case is asked to call police at 390-5555. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 634-7867 or 1-800-222-8477. Twitter: @lizmforster Phone: 636-0193 A 19-year-old man accused of shooting a Valero convenience store clerk during a Feb. 16 robbery has been linked to two other robberies that day, Colorado Springs police said. Vincent Lupori of El Paso County has been arrested on suspicion of one count of attempted first-degree murder, three counts of aggravated robbery and one count of motor vehicle theft, police said. Lupori allegedly entered the Valero at North Carefree Circle and Powers Boulevard about 8:30 a.m. and demanded money from the clerk, police reported. The clerk was taken to a hospital with injuries that were severe but not life-threatening, and Lupori was seen fleeing the gas station in a white Ford SUV, which police found abandoned nearby. The SUV was later determined to be stolen. For the next hour and a half, police combed the area of Barnes Road, Oro Blanco Drive, North Carefree Circle and North Powers Boulevard. The Police Department sent out a reverse 911 call regarding the suspect, and a person who spotted Lupori called to report his location. Police expanded their search to the Old Farm and High Chaparral Open Area and found Lupori about 10 a.m. Both neighborhoods were briefly put on lockdown. Earlier that morning, Lupori allegedly robbed the Western Convenience located at 1905 W. Uintah St. and the Circle K convenience store located at 5670 Palmer Park Blvd. This is a very short video from the University of Tokyo of scientists briefly creating the world's strongest indoor magnetic field (1,200 Teslas), and blowing the door off their lab in the process. *shrug* It happens. You can't make an omelet without setting your house on fire, that's what I always say. Some more info while my mom insists I make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead: the Japanese researchers dumped a massive amount of energy--3.2 megajoules--into the generator to cause a weak magnetic field produced by a small coil to rapidly compress at a speed of about 20,000 miles per hour. This involves feeding 4 million amps of current through the generator, which is several thousand times more than a lightning bolt. When this coil is compressed as small as it will go, it bounces back. This produces a powerful shockwave that destroyed the coil and much of the generator. To protect themselves from the shockwave, the Japanese researchers built an iron cage for the generator. However they only built it to withstand about 700 Teslas, so the shockwave from the 1,200 Teslas ended up blowing out the door to the enclosure. "I didn't expect it to be so high," Shojiro Takeyama, a physicist at the University of Tokyo, told IEEE Spectrum. "Next time, I'll make [the enclosure] stronger." When reached for comment about the incident, I could only hear Magneto breathing heavily on the other end of the line as I described it to him. "And how did that make you feel?" Like I should have been charging him $3.99/minute for my services. Keep going for the video (although the gif is really it). And remember: there's always a very fine line between dying and gaining superpowers. Thanks to Closet Nerd, who agrees are you really even experimenting if something doesn't catch fire or explode? Dublin, Feb. 18, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Latin America Online Payment Methods 2019" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. More than one-half of online shoppers in Latin America prefer to pay by credit, debit or a prepaid card, according to a recent survey cited in the report. Cash on delivery (COD) is another popular payment method, especially among consumers who do not have a bank account. Furthermore, as an alternative to card and COD payments, a double-digit share of shoppers in Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia paid for their Internet purchases in brick-and-mortar locations, such as convenience stores, supermarkets or pharmacies, as of 2018. An emerging payment trend in Latin America is the use of mobile payment methods to settle transactions online and in-store, this report shows. More than two-thirds of connected consumers surveyed in this region in 2018 said they would likely start to use mobile payments next year, one of the highest rates worldwide. One in ten smartphone users in this region is expected to make mobile payments in brick-and-mortar stores this year. The current leaders of the shift to proximity mobile payments in Latin America by sales volume are Argentina and Mexico, while the share of potential users was the highest in Dominican Republic and Peru. With consumers' interest heating up, a growing number of mobile payment solutions become available on the market, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and BBVA Wallet, among others. In the region's largest E-Commerce market, Brazil, a specific form of credit card payments dominates online payments, namely, payment in two or more credit card installments. A local bank payment method, Boleto Bancario, comes in close second, with a perspective of overtaking card payments in installments. According to a survey cited in the study, a double-digit share of shoppers report having received a discount from an online merchant when they chose to pay with Boleto Bancario. ECommerce card payment statistics also show that the share of installments declined between 2017 and 2018. Online shoppers in Latin America prefer to pay by card Different types of cards were the preferred method of more than 50% of online shoppers in Latin America in 2018, according to this research. Cash on delivery ranked second, followed by other alternative payment methods such as payment at convenience stores and supermarkets. Mobile payments are increasing across Latin America Mobile payment is a growing trend both in online and brick-and-mortar shopping in Latin America. Two in three Internet users in this region said they would be likely to use mobile wallets or similar payment methods during 2018/2019. Recent market estimates cited by the researcher reveal that consumers in Argentina and Mexico had the highest rates of in-store mobile payment usage among their regional peers. The competitors in the expanding mobile payments market in Latin America include Apple Pay, BBVA Wallet, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, among others. Credit card installments still popular in Brazil Digital shoppers in Brazil, Latin America's largest online retail market, paid by credit card installments more than by other methods in 2018, according to a survey in the report. However, the popularity of this method declined slightly from 2017, given that many online merchants offer discounts on one-time payment methods such as via Boleto Bancario. Questions Answered in this Report What are the key trends and developments in online payments worldwide and in Latin America? How do online payment method preferences vary between Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico? How important is payment security to digital consumers across the region? What is the current state and the prospects of mobile payments in Latin America? How many consumers in Latin America use mobile wallets to pay in-store? Companies Mentioned Alphabet Inc Apple Inc Mastercard Inc MercadoLibre Inc Oxxo S.A. PagSeguro Digital Ltd. Paypal Inc Samsung Co. Ltd Visa Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/74fmvn/latin_america?w=12 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. MADISON HEIGHTS, MICHIGAN, Feb. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- InfuSystem Holdings, Inc. (NYSE MKT: INFU) (InfuSystem or the Company), a leading national provider of infusion pumps and related services for the healthcare industry in the United States and Canada, announced that it will hold its 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the 2019 Annual Meeting) on May 15, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. Central Time at the Companys offices at 11130 Strang Line Rd., Lenexa, Kansas 66215. Shareholders of record of InfuSystem common stock at the close of business on March 27, 2019 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the meeting. The Company expects the notice of the Annual Meeting and Definitive Proxy Statement will be mailed to stockholders on or about April 5, 2019. In addition, the Definitive Proxy Statement and 2018 Annual Report (Form 10-K) will also be available online at www.infusystem.com on the Investors page under the IR Calendar on or after April 5, 2019. Because the expected date of the 2019 Annual Meeting represents a change of more than 30 days from the anniversary of the Companys 2018 annual stockholders meeting, the Company has set a new deadline for the receipt of stockholder proposals submitted pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), for inclusion in the Companys proxy materials for the 2019 Annual Meeting. To be considered for inclusion, such proposals must be received in writing by the Company before the close of business on March 11, 2019. About InfuSystem Holdings, Inc. InfuSystem Holdings, Inc. is a leading provider of infusion pumps and related services to hospitals, oncology practices and other alternate site healthcare providers. Headquartered in Madison Heights, Michigan, the Company delivers local, field-based customer support and also operates Centers of Excellence in Michigan, Kansas, California, Massachusetts and Ontario, Canada. The Companys stock is traded on the NYSE American under the symbol INFU. Forward-Looking Statements Statements made in this press release that are not historical facts are considered to be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). The words "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "should," "plan," "expect," "strategy," "future," "likely," variations of such words, and other similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words or similar expressions does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements include statements relating to future actions, business plans, objectives and prospects, future operating or financial performance. In connection with the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the Company is identifying certain factors that could cause actual results to differ, perhaps materially, from those indicated by these forward-looking statements. Those factors, risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, our ability to capitalize on the growth opportunity resulting from a competitor's change to its product offerings as described above, potential changes in overall healthcare reimbursement, including CMS competitive bidding, sequestration, concentration of customers, increased focus on early detection of cancer, competitive treatments, dependency on Medicare Supplier Number, availability of chemotherapy drugs, global financial conditions, changes and enforcement of state and federal laws, natural forces, competition, dependency on suppliers, risks in acquisitions & joint ventures, U.S. Healthcare Reform, relationships with healthcare professionals and organizations, technological changes related to infusion therapy, dependency on websites and intellectual property, the ability of the Company to successfully integrate acquired businesses, dependency on key personnel, dependency on banking relations and covenants, and other risks associated with our common stock, as well as any litigation to which the Company may be involved in from time to time; and other risk factors as discussed in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and in other filings made by the Company from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Our annual report on Form 10-K is available on the SEC's EDGAR website at www.sec.gov , and a copy may also be obtained by contacting the Company. All forward-looking statements made in this press release speak only as of the date hereof. We do not intend, and do not undertake any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances after the date of such statements, except as required by law. RENO, Nev., Feb. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ormat Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ORA) is pleased to announce that its 2019 annual meeting of stockholders will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at 9:30 (EDT) at the offices of White & Case LLP, at 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. Stockholders of record at the close of business on March 25, 2019 will be entitled to vote at the meeting. ABOUT ORMAT TECHNOLOGIES With over five decades of experience, Ormat Technologies, Inc. is a leading geothermal company and the only vertically integrated company engaged in geothermal and recovered energy generation (REG), with the objective of becoming a leading global provider of renewable energy. The Company owns, operates, designs, manufactures and sells geothermal and REG power plants primarily based on the Ormat Energy Converter a power generation unit that converts low-, medium- and high-temperature heat into electricity. With 77 U.S. patents, Ormats power solutions have been refined and perfected under the most grueling environmental conditions. Ormat has 530 employees in the United States and 770 overseas. Ormats flexible, modular solutions for geothermal power and REG are ideal for vast range of resource characteristics. The Company has engineered, manufactured and constructed power plants, which it currently owns or has installed to utilities and developers worldwide, totaling over 2,900 MW of gross capacity. Ormats current 910 MW generating portfolio is spread globally in the U.S., Kenya, Guatemala, Indonesia, Honduras, and Guadeloupe. Ormat expanded its operations to provide energy storage and energy management solutions, by leveraging its core capabilities and global presence as well as through its Viridity Energy Solutions Inc. subsidiary, a Philadelphia-based company with nearly a decade of expertise and leadership in energy storage, demand response and energy management. RENO, Nevada, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nevada Exploration Inc. (NGE or the Company) (TSX-V: NGE; OTCQB: NVDEF) is pleased to welcome Simon Griffiths as a Technical Advisor. Simon is an economic geologist with 28 years of mineral exploration experience with major mining companies around the world. Most recently, Simon spent the past 10 years working with Barrick Gold Corp., providing technical leadership on a global scale as Chief Geochemist, Global, and then Chief Geologist, South America. As Chief Geochemist, Simon provided field-based and strategic geochemical support to Barricks exploration programs across six continents (from regional grass-roots up to and including pre-feasibility studies), promoted the application of new geochemical tools specifically to support exploration through cover, and contributed to developing the exploration models (including 3D geochemistry signatures and footprints) at Barricks Carlin-type gold deposits (CTGDs) in Nevada, as well as their other deposits. As Chief Geologist, South America, Simon implemented Barricks global project generation approach to the South American continent, and led innovation to develop and apply new exploration approaches that resulted in faster and lower-cost discoveries. Discussing Simons addition, NGEs President, James Buskard: We are excited to welcome Simon to the team. From executing successful generative exploration programs internationally to building exploration models at some of Nevadas largest Carlin-type gold deposits, Simon brings a wealth of experience that compliments both our regional-scale exploration program, as well as our drilling and exploration efforts at our projects. Developing innovative exploration tools to explore for new deposits in covered terrains, where the bedrock is hidden beneath sand, gravel, and other types of cover, is unquestionably the future of exploration. Simon has championed innovation at the highest levels throughout the exploration pipeline, and we are fortunate to be able to incorporate his expertise as we advance our industry-leading hydrogeochemistry-supported exploration program, as well as push to leverage new low-cost drilling platforms, such as our Scorpion drill rig, to lower the costs and improve the success rates of exploring in Nevadas highly-prospective covered valley basins. Having now spent time with our team in Nevada to help with the geologic and geochemical review and interpretation of the drilling results at our South Grass Valley Project, Simon is already helping guide our exploration model at the Project, and we look forward to his ongoing input as we work to advance our projects. About Nevada Exploration Inc. NGE is an exploration company advancing a portfolio of new district-scale gold exploration projects along Nevadas Battle Mountain-Eureka (Cortez) Trend. NGE is led by an experienced management team that has been involved in several significant discoveries in Nevada, including the discovery of Lone Tree and Rabbit Creek (part of the Twin Creeks Mine). NGEs team has spent the last decade integrating the use of hydrogeochemistry with conventional exploration tools to develop a Nevada-specific regional-scale geochemistry exploration program. With new proprietary technology, NGE has completed the worlds largest groundwater sampling program for gold exploration, collecting approximately 6,000 samples to evaluate Nevadas covered basins for new gold exploration targets. To advance follow-up targets, NGE has overcome the high drilling costs that have previously prohibited the wide-spread use of drilling as a prospecting tool by developing its Scorpion drill rig, a small-footprint, truck-mounted, small-diameter RC drill rig specifically tailored to the drilling conditions in Nevadas basins (analogous to RAB drilling in other parts of the world). By integrating hydrogeochemistry and early-stage low-cost drilling with conventional exploration methods, NGE is overcoming the challenges and radically reducing the costs of exploring in Nevadas covered basins, and is taking significant steps to open this important new search space up for district-scale exploration. For further information, please contact: Nevada Exploration Inc. Email: info@nevadaexploration.com Telephone: +1 (604) 601 2006 Website: www.nevadaexploration.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking information) within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, expectations, beliefs, plans, and objectives regarding projects, potential transactions, and ventures discussed in this release. In connection with the forward-looking information contained in this news release, the Company has made numerous assumptions, regarding, among other things, the assumption the Company will continue as a going concern and will continue to be able to access the capital required to advance its projects and continue operations. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies. In addition, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are the risks inherent in mineral exploration, the need to obtain additional financing, environmental permits, the availability of needed personnel and equipment for exploration and development, fluctuations in the price of minerals, and general economic conditions. A more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company is disclosed in the Companys continuous disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law. OAKVILLE, Ontario, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Saint Jean Carbon Inc. (Saint Jean or the Company) (TSX-V: SJL) (OTCQB: TORVF) is pleased to announce the appointment of V-Bond Lee to the Company as Chief Commercialization Officer (CCO) and is welcomed to the Board of Directors. V-Bond will manage the flow of future commercial products under development; from the lab right through to a customers finished product. Initially he will look at a few core areas of leading edge innovations such as saltwater batteries, structures, cathode and anode chemistry kits. V-Bond Lee P. Eng. carries over 30 years of work experience with fortune 500 companies in automotive, aerospace, electric mobility and infrastructure. He holds several patents in various industries and brings over 30 years of engineering and management experience having successfully brought on multi-million dollar projects for the companies that he has worked for in the past. V-Bonds philosophy of investing in employees and development of their critical skills is key to developing a dynamic team that is ready to embrace new challenges. V-Bond is President of Advanced Mobility Products Inc. https://www.advancedmobilityproducts.com/ Paul Ogilvie, CEO, commented: V-Bond is a great addition to the team; raw material doesnt become great products without great people. His experience in the electric vehicle space will be a tremendous help as we launch technology solutions into the vast growing markets. V-Bond Lee, CCO, commented: I really feel this is a great opportunity to help get the work out of the lab and into a commercialized product. My main goals will be to find the right partners, where needed and set a strategic plan into action. The possibilities for great new sustainable solutions for energy storage will be exciting to see unfold. The company looks forward to providing updates on product development as projects continue to move forward. About Saint Jean Carbon Saint Jean is a publicly traded carbon science company, with specific interests in energy storage and green energy creation and green re-creation, with holdings in graphite mining and lithium claims in the province of Quebec in Canada. For the latest information on Saint Jeans properties and news please refer to the website: http://www.saintjeancarbon.com/ . On behalf of the Board of Directors Saint Jean Carbon Inc. Paul Ogilvie, CEO and Director Information Contact : Email: info@saintjeancarbon.com Tel: (905) 844-1200 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, concerning Saint Jeans business and affairs. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, intends budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Such forward-looking statements include those with respect to the future payments required to be paid to the Vendor of the Lochaber mining property. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances that may cause actual results to differ materially. The forward-looking statements in this news release assume, inter alia, that the Company will be able to fund the required cash payments. Although Saint Jean believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that these expectations will prove to be correct. There are risks which could affect Saint Jeans future results and could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements including closing failure or delay, the impact of general economic conditions in Canada and globally and the risk that they will deteriorate, industry conditions, including fluctuations in the price of supplies and the risk that they will increase, that required consents and approvals from regulatory authorities will not be obtained and the liabilities and risks inherent in Saint Jeans operations. Statements of past performance should not be construed as an indication of future performance. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors, including those discussed above, could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information is provided as of the date of this press release, and Saint Jean assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. English Estonian Baltic Horizon Fund closed the acquisition with UAB YIT Lietuva, part of the Finnish YIT Corporation, of the newly constructed Duetto II office building in Vilnius on 27 February 2019. The purchase price is approximately EUR 18,3 million, which corresponds to an entry yield of approximately 7.1%. The sales purchase agreement for the property was signed in December 2018 with the intent to close the transaction once construction is fully complete and tenants move in. The largest tenants in the property are Vilnius heating network company, Sweco and Rimi Lietuva. The Duetto II property is located on 6 Spaudos street, Vilnius, next to the Duetto I property already owned by Baltic Horizon Fund. The addition of this 8,500 sqm office building greatly complements Baltic Horizons growing portfolio. Moreover, together with the Duetto I office building bought in 2017, Baltic Horizon now owns and manages an attractive twin office complex of Duetto I and II with excellent tenants, commented fund manager Tarmo Karotam. For additional information, please contact: Tarmo Karotam Baltic Horizon Fund manager E-mail tarmo.karotam@nh-cap.com www.baltichorizon.com Baltic Horizon Fund is a registered contractual public closed-end real estate fund managed by Alternative Investment Fund Manager license holder Northern Horizon Capital AS. English Lithuanian On the initiative and decision of the Board of INVL Baltic Farmland the Ordinary General Shareholders Meeting of INVL Baltic Farmland (identification code 303299781, the registered address Gyneju str. 14 Vilnius, Lithuania) is to be held on 22 March 2019 at 9:00 a.m. in the premises located in Gyneju str. 14, Vilnius). Registration of the shareholders will start at 8:30 a.m. The total amount of the shares of the Company is 3,291,549 and the amount of shares granting voting rights during the Ordinary General Shareholders Meeting amounts to 3,228,510. ISIN code of the shares of the Company is LT0000128753. Persons who are shareholders of the Company at the end of the General Shareholders Meeting accounting day, i.e. 15 March 2019, will have a right to participate and vote at the General Shareholders Meeting personally or by proxy, or to be represented by the person with whom an agreement on the transfer of voting rights is concluded. The day of accounting of rights is 5 April 2019. The agenda of the Ordinary General Shareholders Meeting of INVL Baltic Farmland includes: Presentation of the public joint-stock company INVL Baltic Farmland consolidated annual report for 2018. Presentation of the independent auditor's report on the financial statements and consolidated annual report of the public joint-stock company INVL Baltic Farmland. Approval of the consolidated and stand-alone financial statements for 2018 of the public joint-stock company INVL Baltic Farmland. Regarding profit distribution of the public joint-stock company INVL Baltic Farmland. Regarding purchase of own shares of the public joint stock company INVL Baltic Farmland. Draft resolutions of the Ordinary General Shareholders meeting of INVL Baltic Farmland: Presentation of the public joint-stock company INVL Baltic Farmland consolidated annual report for 2018 Shareholders of the public joint-stock company INVL Baltic Farmland are presented with the consolidated annual report of INVL Baltic Farmland for 2018 (there is no voting on this issue of agenda). Presentation of the independent auditor's report on the financial statements and consolidated annual report of the public joint-stock company INVL Baltic Farmland. Shareholders of the public joint-stock company INVL Baltic Farmland are presented with the independent auditor's report on the financial statements and consolidated annual report of INVL Baltic Farmland (there is no voting on this issue of agenda). Approval of the consolidated and stand-alone financial statements for 2018 of the public joint-stock company INVL Baltic Farmland To approve the consolidated and stand-alone financial statements for 2018 of the public joint-stock company INVL Baltic Farmland. Regarding profit distribution of the public joint-stock company INVL Baltic Farmland. To distribute profit of the public joint-stock company INVL Baltic Farmland as follows: Article (thousand EUR) Retained earnings (loss) at the begining of the financial year of the reporting period 6,167 Net profit (loss) for the financial year 1,113 Profit (loss) not recognized in the income statement of the reporting financial year - Shareholders contributions to cover loss - Distributable profit (loss) at the end of the financial year of the reporting period 7,280 Transfers from reserves - Distributable profit (loss) in total 7,280 Profit distribution: (323) - Profit transfers to the legal reserves - -Profit transfers to the reserves for own shares acquisition - - Profit transfers to other reserves - - Profit to be paid as dividends* (323) - Profit to be paid as annual payments (bonus) and for other purposes - Retained earnings (loss) at the end of the financial year 6,957 *0.10 EUR is paid per share. Regarding purchase of own shares of the public joint stock company INVL Baltic Farmland Until the day of the General Shareholders meeting the reserve for the purchase of own shares which is equal to EUR 3,079,669 is not used. To use the reserve (or the part of it) for the purchase of own shares and to purchase shares in the public joint stock company INVL Baltic Farmland by the rules mentioned below: 1) The goal for the purchase of own shares - to ensure for shareholders a possibility to sell company's shares. 2) The maximum number of shares to be acquired - the nominal value of own shares by the public joint stock company INVL Baltic Farmland, which may not exceed 1/10 of share. 3) The period during which the public joint stock company INVL Baltic Farmland may purchase its own shares 18 months from the day of this resolution. 4) The maximum and minimal one share acquisition price: the maximum one share acquisition price- EUR 5.00, the minimal one share acquisition price - EUR 3.00. 5) The conditions of the selling of the purchased shares and minimal purchase price: the acquired own shares may be annulled by the decision of the General Shareholders Meeting or sold by the decision of the Board on condition the minimum price of sale of own shares shall be equal to the price at which they were acquired and the procedure of selling the shares shall ensure equal opportunities for all shareholders to acquire the said shares. The Board of INVL Baltic Farmland is delegated on the basis of this resolution and the Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania to organise purchase and sale of own shares, to organise purchase and selling procedure of own shares and to determine an order and timing for purchase and sale of own shares as well as the amount of shares and shares price, and to complete all other actions related with purchase and sale procedure of own shares. From the date of this resolution the resolution of the General Shareholders Meeting on 10 April 2018 on the acquisition of own shares expires. The documents related to the agenda, draft resolutions on every item of agenda, documents what have to be submitted to the General Shareholders Meeting and other information related to realization of shareholders rights are available at the registered office of the Company during working hours. The shareholders are entitled: (i) to propose to supplement the agenda of the General Shareholders Meeting submitting draft resolution on every additional item of agenda or, than there is no need to make a decision - explanation of the shareholder (this right is granted to shareholders who hold shares carrying at least 1/20 of all the votes). Proposal to supplement the agenda is submitted in writing sending the proposal by registered mail to the Company at Gyneju str. 14, Vilnius, Lithuania, or delivered in person to the representative of the Company or by sending proposal to the Company by email farmland@invaldainvl.com. The agenda is supplemented if the proposal is received no later than 14 before the General Shareholders Meeting; (ii) to propose draft resolutions on the issues already included or to be included in the agenda of the General Shareholders Meeting at any time prior to the date of the General Shareholders meeting (in writing sending the proposal by registered mail to the Company at Gyneju str. 14, Vilnius, Lithuania, or delivered in person to the representative of the Company or by sending proposal to the Company by email farmland@invaldainvl.com) or in writing during the General Shareholders Meeting (this right is granted to shareholders who hold shares carrying at least 1/20 of all the votes); (iii) to submit questions to the Company related to the issues of agenda of the General Shareholders Meeting in advance but no later than 3 business days prior to the General Shareholders Meeting in writing sending the proposal by registered mail to the Company at Gyneju str. 14, Vilnius, Lithuania, or delivered in person to the representative of the Company or by sending proposal to the Company by email farmland@invaldainvl.com. The company reserves the right to answer to those shareholders of the Company who can be identified and whose questions are not related to the company's confidential information or commercial secrets. Shareholder participating at the General Shareholders Meeting and having the right to vote must submit documents confirming personal identity. Each shareholder may authorize either a natural or a legal person to participate and to vote on the shareholder's behalf at the General Shareholders Meeting. A power of attorney issued by a natural person must be certified by a notary. The representative has the same rights as his represented shareholder at the General Shareholders Meeting. The authorized persons must have documents confirming their personal identity and power of attorney approved in the manner specified by law which must be submitted to the Company no later than before the commencement of registration for the General Shareholders Meeting. A power of attorney issued in a foreign state must be translated into Lithuanian and legalised in the manner established by law. The Company does not establish special form of power of attorney. Shareholder is entitled to issue power of attorney by means of electronic communications for legal or natural persons to participate and to vote on its behalf at the General Shareholders Meeting. No notarisation of such authorization is required. The power of attorney issued through electronic communication means must be confirmed by the shareholder with a safe electronic signature developed by safe signature equipment and approved by a qualified certificate effective in the Republic of Lithuania. The shareholder shall inform the Company on the power of attorney issued through the means of electronic communication by e-mailfarmland@invaldainvl.com not later than on the last business day before the General Shareholders Meeting. The power of attorney and notification must be issued in writing and could be sent to the Company by communication means, if the transmitted information is secured and the shareholder's identity can be identified. The Company is not providing the possibility to attend and vote at the General Shareholders Meeting through electronic means of communication. Shareholder or its representative may vote in writing by filling general voting bulletin, in such a case the requirement to deliver a personal identity document does not apply. The form of general voting bulletin is presented at the Company's webpage www.invlbalticfarmland.lt section For Investors. If shareholder requests, the Company shall send the general voting bulletin to the requesting shareholder by registered mail or shall deliver it in person against signature no later than 10 days prior to the General Shareholders Meeting free of charge. The filled general voting bulletin must be signed by the shareholder or its authorized representative. Document confirming the right to vote must be added to the general voting bulletin if authorized person is voting. The filled general voting bulletin must be sent by the registered mail to the Company at Gyneju str. 14, Vilnius, Lithuania, or delivered in person to the representative of the Company no later than the day before of the General Shareholders Meeting. The person authorized to provide additional information: Egle Surpliene Director E-mail: egle.surpliene@invaldainvl.com Attachments MIRAMAR, Fla., Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just in time for a spring break getaway, Spirit Airlines is kicking off more service from Orlando International Airport (MCO). Beginning today, Spirit Airlines (NYSE: SAVE) will operate nonstop flights between Orlando and Sangster International Airport (MBJ) in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Starting tomorrow, March 1, Spirit will also begin nonstop service between Orlando and Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) in Kingston, Jamaica. These new routes begin as Spirit continues to increase international and domestic service from Orlando International Airport. Floridas Hometown Airline begins new, nonstop service from Orlando and Denver International Airport (DEN) today. Orlando to Indianapolis, IN (IND) on March 14, Raleigh-Durham, NC (RDU) on May 2, and Charlotte, NC on June 20. These new routes join Spirits growing list of destinations from the economically diverse Central Florida region. It comes just after, the airline began major international expansion last October, when the airline added 14 new international and domestic routes. We are pleased to bring the best value in the sky with more flights from Orlando International Airport with nonstop service to the beautiful island of Jamaica, said John Kirby, Spirit Airlines Vice President of Network Planning. With the most nonstop destinations from Orlando to the Caribbean and Latin America, Spirit enables Guests to experience incredible beaches, culture, hospitality and the opportunity to visit family and friends. Spirits decision to serve Kingston, Jamaica from Orlando International Airport presents year-round travel opportunities between these two great destinations for the first time in over a decade, said Phil Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. Spirits continued support of this market with additions like Montego Bay, Denver and Kingston has helped make them our fastest growing airline. Jamaica welcomes Spirit Airlines and the additional flights presented to our travelers, said Francine Carter Henry, Manager of Tour Operators of Jamaica Tourist Board. We are constantly looking to expand gateways serving the destination and Spirit Airlines provide very good options to support a constantly growing appetite for travel from the USA to both Kingston and Montego Bay airports. Recent Orlando expansion: Orlando to/from: Starts: Frequency: Austin, Texas (AUS) February 14, 2019 Daily, year-round Denver, Colorado (DEN) February 28, 2019 Daily Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ) February 28, 2019 4x weekly Kingston, Jamaica (KIN) March 1, 2019 3x weekly Indianapolis, Indiana (IND) March 14, 2019 Daily, year-round Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina (RDU) May 2, 2019 Daily, year-round Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT) June 20, 2019 Daily In addition to Spirits network growth, Orlando recently became the home to a new Spirit Airlines crew base. Since December of 2018, more than 300 Flight Attendants and Pilots joined Spirits Orlando team, with hundreds more crew and airport jobs expected by this summer. In 2019, Spirit Airlines will operate more than 50 departures per day from Orlando International Airport, which is nearly a 100 percent increase from only two years ago. Spirit will now offer the Orlando area nonstop service to 44 destinations with over 50 daily flights across the U.S., Caribbean and Latin America. Orlando will also serve as the site of Spirits fleet-wide Wi-Fi installation. Spirits state-of-the-art, high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity will start to roll out this year, providing Guests the ability to watch, stream, surf and text in flight. About Spirit Airlines: Spirit Airlines (NYSE: SAVE) is committed to delivering the best value in the sky. We are the leader in providing customizable travel options starting with an unbundled fare. This allows every Guest to pay only for the options they choose like bags, seat assignments and refreshments something we call A La Smarte. We make it possible for our Guests to venture further and discover more than ever before. Our Fit Fleet is one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient in the U.S. We offer more than 600 daily flights to 73 destinations in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean, and are dedicated to giving back and improving the communities we serve. Come save with us at spirit.com. At Spirit Airlines, we go. We go for you. English Lithuanian Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba, AB identification code 302648707, registered office placed at Elektrines str. 21, LT-26108 Elektrenai, Republic of Lithuania. The total number of registered ordinary shares issued by company is 648 002 629; ISIN code LT0000128571. LIETUVOS ENERGIJOS GAMYBA FINISHED 2018 WITH GOOD FINANCIAL RESULTS AND A NEW STRATEGY Despite the unfavourable natural conditions and market unpredictability, last year Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba, a part of Lietuvos Energija group, managed to maintain decent financial performance indicators and provide reliable power regulation and reserve services. The sales income of Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba decreased by 14.5% and amounted to EUR 125.9 million due to the lower production volume and income from the regulated activity of Elektrenai Complex. If compared to 2017, the adjusted EBITDA margin remained stable (34.4%) while profitability ratios, such as the margin of the operating profit, gross profit margin, net profit margin, and the return on equity have been significantly better due to higher sales revenue in Kaunas A. Brazauskas HPP, improved commercial results in Kruonis PSHP, and effective management of the repair and maintenance expenses in Elektrenai Complex. Lower amortization and depreciation costs as well as positive revaluation of the emission allowances also added up to the increased profitability. The net profit of the Company reached EUR 29.6 million 44.5% more if compared to 2017. In 2018, a total of 0.88 TWh of electricity has been generated and sold in the power plants owned by Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba 23% less if compared to 2017 (1,15 TWh). Last year, our performance was significantly affected by natural conditions and planned maintenance works. Compared to 2017, electricity production in Kaunas HPP has shrunk by one-fourth due to and arid summer. One of the units in Kruonis PSHP has been unavailable for half a year because of heavy maintenance works. In total, the amount of electricity produced in our plants decreased by one-fifth if compared to the previous year. However, due to favourable wholesale electricity prices in the power exchange (NordPool) market, our financial performance results remained positive, explains Darius Kucinas, deputy CEO and Director of Production at Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba. For Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba, the year 2018 has also been marked by an increasing scope of the ancillary services the demand for power regulation nearly doubled, and requests for the secondary, tertiary and strategic reserve services have intensified. Providing effective and reliable ancillary services remains among our top priorities for the upcoming year as well, comments Mr. Kucinas. At the end of 2018, Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba updated its strategy, adopting a document that reflects the ambitious strategy of Lietuvos Energija group LE 2030, announced last spring. Our mission and vision remain the same, with strategic generation laid down as the main priority of Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba. Maintaining, modernising and developing sufficient and reliable local power generation capabilities, we primarily aim to contribute to successful synchronization of the Baltic countries with the continental European network by 2025. Groups investments in both existing and new power generation facilities should reach EUR 600 million in the next 12 years, says D. Kucinas. The updated Companys strategy foresees that Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba will also significantly contribute to the implementation of the overall Groups vision by developing innovative technologies and green energy generation capabilities. This is to be done by exploiting the Companys owned hydropower capabilities in Kaunas and Kruonis, providing maintenance services for the RES power plants, and developing innovative solutions such as pilot projects of solar energy plants and energy storage systems within the available infrastructure. The Company continues preparation for the Kruonis PSHP modernisation project, considering possibilities to install a fifth hydro-unit. Last year, the project received partial funding from the European Commission for further infrastructure research and feasibility study. Key interim Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba performance indicators for 2018: The sales income of Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba decreased by 14.5% when compared to 2017 and amounted to EUR 125.9 million. It was mainly affected by the lower production volume and income from the regulated activity of Elektrenai Complex. of Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba decreased by 14.5% when compared to 2017 and amounted to EUR 125.9 million. It was mainly affected by the lower production volume and income from the regulated activity of Elektrenai Complex. The adjusted EBITDA decreased by EUR 8.9 million, compared to 2017, while the adjusted EBITDA margin remained comparatively stable 34.4% (36.1% in 2017). The EBITDA has been negatively affected by the lower production volume and income from the regulated activity of Elektrenai Complex, yet partly compensated by the higher sales revenue in Kaunas A. Brazauskas HPP and improved commercial results in Kruonis PSHP. decreased by EUR 8.9 million, compared to 2017, while the adjusted EBITDA margin remained comparatively stable 34.4% (36.1% in 2017). The EBITDA has been negatively affected by the lower production volume and income from the regulated activity of Elektrenai Complex, yet partly compensated by the higher sales revenue in Kaunas A. Brazauskas HPP and improved commercial results in Kruonis PSHP. Profitability ratios, such as the margin of the operating profit, gross profit margin, net profit margin, and the return on equity have been significantly better in 2018 than in 2017. The Companys gross profit amounted to EUR 35.2 million while net profit reached EUR 29.6 million 44.5% more than in the previous year. Net profit growth was mainly determined by lower amortization and depreciation costs as well as positive revaluation of the emission allowances. amounted to EUR 35.2 million while net profit reached EUR 29.6 million 44.5% more than in the previous year. Net profit growth was mainly determined by lower amortization and depreciation costs as well as positive revaluation of the emission allowances. In 2018, the company incurred EUR 21.0 million in operational expenses 5.4% (EUR 1.14 million) more than in 2017. Increased maintenance expenses of the combined cycle unit in Elektrenai Complex acted as the main reason for this. 5.4% (EUR 1.14 million) more than in 2017. Increased maintenance expenses of the combined cycle unit in Elektrenai Complex acted as the main reason for this. During 2018, the Company invested EUR 5.0 million in non-current tangible and intangible assets, the lions share of which has been assigned for the major repair works in Kruonis PSHP. As a comparison, the number amounted to EUR 1.9 million in 2017. For further inquiries: Berta Jasiukenaite, Public relations project manager berta.jasiukenaite@le.lt , +370 694 60771 Attachment Icelandic English Referring to Icelandair Groups stock exchange release on 23 November, the binding offer submitted by Loftleidir Cabo Verde to acquire 51% of the shares of Cabo Verde Airlines has been accepted. The share purchase agreement is expected to be signed tomorrow, Friday 1 March. Icelandair Group believes that there are opportunities to build the company up as a strong hub and spoke airline with Cape Verde as a connecting hub between continents. Cabo Verde Airlines will benefit from the experience and knowledge within Icelandair which has a similar business model. Loftleidir Icelandic, which is a subsidiary of Icelandair Group, holds a 70% stake in Loftleidir Cabo Verde, and other investors 30%. The acquisition of Cabo Verde Airlines does not have a significant effect on Icelandair Group's financial statements since Cabo Verde Airlines will not be reflected in the Groups consolidated financial statements. The share will be classified as an associated company. For further information, please contact: Erlendur Svavarsson, SVP Sales and Marketing at Loftleidir Icelandic, Estimados amigos, Les doy cordialmente la bienvenida a este Blog informativo con articulos, analisis y comentarios de publicaciones especializadas y especialmente seleccionadas, principalmente sobre temas economicos, financieros y politicos de actualidad, que esperamos y deseamos, sean de su maximo interes, utilidad y conveniencia. Pensamos que solo comprendiendo cabalmente el presente, es que podemos proyectarnos acertadamente hacia el futuro. Gonzalo Raffo de Lavalle Las convicciones son mas peligrosos enemigos de la verdad que las mentiras. Quien no lo ha dado todo no ha dado nada. Helenio Herrera History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. Karl Marx If you know the other and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. Sun Tzu We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity. 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About a week ago I was reading some information with regards to... Making ends meet is a difficult task in todays dairy market, but a focus on balancing outputs between high production and good components can go a long way in bolstering bottom lines. When you look at the milk check, consistently we are able to get paid $5 to $10 per hundredweight over the base because of fat, protein, and milk quality bonuses, shared Cinnamon Ridge Dairys John Maxwell of the importance components play in his Iowa farms business plan. In todays environment, thats the difference between making and losing money. For the four dairies interviewed for the Round Table They balance production and components, producing high amounts of high component milk are a huge part of how they achieve healthy financials. Most of the farms have been focusing on balancing the two for more than 10 years. Read more about these elite production herds in the February 10, 2019, issue of Hoards Dairyman on pages 79 to 81. Heres how the other three participants answered the question, How has a focus on pounds of fat and protein impacted your bottom line? Gar-Lin Dairy LLC, Eyota, Minn.: Focusing on producing more pounds of milk, and especially more pounds of fat and protein, has certainly helped our bottom line by increasing our basis. We noticed this the most when we started paying to ship our own milk a few years ago. Because our components are high, we are shipping less water and more components. Thats important for our bottom line. Red Top Jerseys, Chowchilla, Calif.: Especially for Jerseys and shipping to a cheese plant, cheese yield has always had the biggest impact on our bottom line. But, cheese yield is the end result of component management. Sugar Creek Dairy, Elkhorn, Wis.: Pounds of fat and protein are really important to us. We try to continually improve our milk and component production each year. Its not always easy to do that, and losing the use of BST (bovine somatotropin) set us back some. This Hoards Dairyman Intel article is part of a three-part series detailing how farms achieve high production and high components. Click below to view previous articles from this Round Table series: Strong production starts with good transitions Heifer care integral to production success To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. 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To his left are Ward 10 Ald. Ralph Hanauer and Ward 10 candidate John Animasaun. A pharmacist, a lawyer and a retiree are vying to represent residents of Ward 10. All three candidates John Animasaun, Rob Patino and incumbent Ralph Hanauer agree that there needs to be improvements to the roadways in Ward 10, the southwest boundary of the city, but thats where the similarities stop. Animasaun, a first-time candidate who works as a pharmacist, said hes lived in Springfield for 11 years and thinks its a great place to raise a family. He said he wants to be a champion of the people, improve roadways in his ward and thinks his ward would benefit from having a neighborhood school. And most importantly, being someone who will adequately represent residents on the city board as an alderman and also listen to them and be more accessible to them, Animasaun said. Patino, who was born and raised in Springfield and is a professor at SIU School of Medicine, as well as a chemical engineer and an intellectual property lawyer whos active in start-up businesses, sees Springfield as a city with a lot of potential. He had previously tried running for a position on the Sangamon County Board, where he had been endorsed by the local Democratic Party, but was disqualified from the race when he signed the petition of one of his competitors. As the incumbent, Hanauer said the $10 million budget reduction he helped achieve at CWLP is one of his greatest accomplishments, which he feels spared Springfield residents from rising fuel-adjustment costs. He said hes equally proud of helping reduce the fire departments response time toward the southern end of his wards boundary by incorporating green light technology on fire trucks and hopes it can used around the rest of the city. We were able to install software on their trucks and on the traffic lights to where itll change the lights green and make their response time faster, Hanauer explained. Additionally, Hanauer said he and Mayor Jim Langfelder went to Washington, D.C., to speak with U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood to secure funding to help with repairs to Archer Elevator Road. Animasaun and Patino have progressive ideas about building Springfields future but in different ways. Hanauer sees the future of Springfield in development projects. Animasaun said he knows the importance of CWLP in Springfield and thinks its wise to usher in the future by taking small steps to place the city on a trajectory toward renewable energy. We have to wean ourselves off coal, Animasaun said. Animasaun and Patino both said they came to realize many residents felt dissatisfied with Hanauer, with Patino saying people he met while campaigning criticized Hanauer as being inefficient at returning constituents calls. Animasaun said he had a similar experience when campaigning, which made him think residents felt like they didnt have anyone willing to listen to their needs. Hanauer dismissed the claim, saying he always responds to emails and voicemails. Weve gotten stop signs in Deerfield subdivision, weve gotten roads fixed in virtually every neighborhood. If people dont contact me, I cant fix whats broken, Hanauer said. Patino said he supports development that makes sense, but he disagrees with Hanauers pro-development attitude. Hanauer has received funding from a number of unions, including Laborers Local 477, Central IL Building & Construction Trades and Plumbers and Steamfitters Local No. 137 Council. Patino said he doesnt accept private interest money and questions Hanauers motivation when choosing the interests of development versus the needs of Ward 10 residents. Patino feels this growth, which has resulted in an influx of strip malls on the west side of town, is challenging for the city because projects are approved without regard to the larger picture. We have a growing problem, and now we dont have the infrastructure we need to support that expansion, Patino said. Lindsey Salvatelli is an editorial intern with Illinois Times as part of the Public Affairs Reporting masters degree program at University of Illinois Springfield. Contact her at intern@illinoistimes.com. Healing is a term doctors use often to describe a patients progress, but healing goes beyond the flesh. Dr. Audrey Tanksley delivered a keynote speech about the intersection of violence and health at a Feb. 20 forum held at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield. Tanksley is the medical director of Heartland Alliance, an international organization that advocates for improved living conditions for the impoverished. She noted that violence can take on many different forms, including gun violence and domestic violence. Violence almost always leads to trauma and that trauma needs to be healed. Ticara Onyewuenyi, an SIU School of Medicine student who coordinated the event through the Student National Medical Association, said she and other students attended an event where Tanksley had delivered a similar speech and wanted to share her unique experience with Springfield. A large part of our inspiration came from Dr. Tamara ONeal, who was unfortunately murdered by gun violence, Onyewuenyi said. ONeal was an SIU School of Medicine alumni who was shot and killed in November 2018 in the parking lot of Mercy Hospital in Chicago, where she worked as an ER doctor, by Juan Lopez, the man ONeal had broken off her engagement to just a few months before her death. Lopez killed an officer and another worker at Mercy Hospital before dying during a shootout with police. While trauma impacts people regardless of socioeconomic condition, those who are in poverty are 70 times more likely to experience violent crime. Tanksley said there are many different gaps that can occur during the course of a persons life that could lead to an early death. This occurs when a person is developing and is inundated by a constant flow of stress that eventually changes the way a person thinks. Just think about people who are constantly being stressed, even children in utero, Tanksley said. They cant stop it, and it doesnt turn off. Trauma induced by violence has two different effects: those who witness violence are angrier, while those who are the victims of violence tend to be more depressed. To emphasize her point about crime, violence and poverty, Tanksley referred to an FBI study that found a correlation between exposure to above-average levels of lead and crime. This particular theory says the higher the level of lead, the higher the level of the crime, because we know what lead does to cognitive development. And if you think about it, where are typically the higher levels of lead? Tanksley asked the audience. Poor communities, because we have old buildings with old paint. Tanksley compared poverty and health care in Chicago to Sangamon County. Although the population sizes vastly differ, the percentage of people living in poverty and lacking health care access are comparable. Furthermore, mortality rates associated with mental and substance abuse disorders have increased almost threefold over the past 34 years. Once Tanksley finished her presentation, she joined Erica Smith, director of shelter and support services at Helping Hands, Sgt. Gerry Castles of the Springfield Police Department and Greg Damarin, police chief and director of public safety at SIU School of Medicine, where all panelists took questions from the audience. Castles spoke about how his work at SPD as a part of the crisis intervention team has placed him in situations where he has needed to remain calm when dealing with those who may be experiencing a crisis or suffering from mental health conditions or substance abuse. He and Tanksley let those attending the presentation know that when dealing with others trauma, its important to have positive outlets to deal with the stress and take time to heal. You have to change the way you think about things if youre truly going to heal, Tanksley said. Lindsey Salvatelli is an editorial intern with Illinois Times as part of the Public Affairs Reporting masters degree program at University of Illinois Springfield. Contact her at intern@illinoistimes.com. If you think campaign yard signs are litter on a stick, ask Ben Griffin. Eight years ago, Griffin zoomed from political unknown to a player in contests for seats on the Nashville Metro Council in Tennessee after two signs bearing his name were placed in a yard near an elementary school. Five incumbents were running. In an online survey, 25 of percent parents whose children attended the school named Griffin as one of their top three choices for the five at-large positions. But Griffin didnt exist. He was the creation of Vanderbilt University researchers who wanted to test the effectiveness of yard signs and so created a fictional candidate to see whether signs can influence voters. I would say we were not absolutely surprised, but we found it pretty impressive that two yard signs could deliver such an effect on peoples opinions, says Elizabeth Zechmeister, a Vanderbilt political science professor who helped conduct the experiment. Its research like this, plus tradition, that explains why Springfield for weeks has been decorated thats one word for it with yard signs promoting candidates in the upcoming April 2 election. And with 334 candidates running for public office in Sangamon County, there is no shortage of signs and strategies for placing them. From mayor to alderman to Springfield Metropolitan and Exposition Authority board trustee, nearly 140 positions are on the ballot in Sangamon County, and so signs of all colors and one shape, rectangular, have gone up in all sorts of places. Besides yards, there are empty lots and, of course, Signville, aka farmland abutting Stanford Avenue where candidates long have been welcome to place signs. And they do. One school of thought holds that signs posted on vacant land do no good candidates should put their advertising in yards so that passersby can see that they have support from real people who, presumably, care about their community. Others say signs in cornfields cant hurt. Some advise avoiding yards with houses that have peeling paint and other code violations. Others note that we cant all afford nice houses, and so a sign in a yard, no matter what the house might look like, is better than no sign at all. Oh, Jesus, blurted Mayor Jim Langfelder, brow furrowed, when told that one of his campaign signs is posted at an empty-looking strip mall on North Grand Avenue, with the most prominent feature being a former supermarket thats been vacant for years. Surviving businesses include a dollar store, a video gambling parlor and a payday loan shop. Not an ideal image for a politician who touts economic development. One day later, a sign touting Frank Lesko for city clerk popped up alongside the mayors. Langfelders signs went up weeks after Frank Edwards, his opponent, plastered signs throughout a city still in winters grip. People were getting anxious, says the mayor, who maintains that six weeks is plenty of time for a candidates signs to work whatever magic they might work. If you have them, use them, Edwards figures. We just thought, Weve ordered them, weve got them, theyre not doing any good sitting in the garage, Edwards says. The earlier we get them out there, the more people see them. Youve got to get your name out there If Sangamon County has a yard sign king, its county auditor Andy Goleman. Goleman isnt up for election he hasnt been on a ballot since the fall of 2016, when he ran unopposed after being appointed to the auditors post the previous year. A year before the election, Goleman spent more than $10,000 on yard signs. It was the biggest yard-sign buy by a politician in Sangamon County since 1999, as far back as the Illinois State Board of Elections database goes. Ten grand, roughly the amount that Langfelder and Paul Palazzolo combined spent on signs in the 2015 mayoral campaign, buys a lot of cardboard and plastic 2,500 yard signs and 100 larger ones suitable for high-traffic locations, to be precise. Lacking an opponent, Goleman ended up using 200. He says he got a volume discount. Thats really why I did it, he says. If I had to do it again, I wouldnt have bought so many. You never know if youre going to have an opponent. I just wanted to make sure I had enough. As a politician with an easily misspelled name its Goleman, not Goldman or Coleman the auditor says signs are a must, especially considering that his name, unlike names of the county treasurer or circuit clerk, isnt on property tax bills or traffic tickets or other ubiquitous paperwork. My office is not like that my office is internal, Goleman says. Youve got to get your name out there. Lots of politicians agree. State records show that candidates and political committees have spent more than $36 million on signs in the past 20 years, although that total, which includes billboards in addition to yard signs, is a rough approximation. Frank Vala, owner of Valco Awards in Springfield, has collected more than $100,000 for signs during that time period, state records show. Sometimes, Vala says, he hasnt been paid at all and so has learned the hard way: If an established political party orders signs, send a bill; if its Ned Newcomer running as a Bull Moose, collect in advance. His biggest soaking, he says, came in 1998, when Loleta Didrickson didnt pay after losing the Republican primary for U.S. Senate to Peter Fitzgerald. Vala recalls forgiving a $27,000 debt. Image courtesy of Cindy D. Kam and Elizabeth Zechmeister. Ben Griffin, a fake candidate with phony signs, proved popular among voters in an experiment designed to test the effectiveness of campaign yard signs. Yard signs, Vala says, arent complicated. Focus on the name. Use bold colors with plenty of contrast. And always include a union label, even if its so tiny you cant read it from a foot away. Weve had people say, You sure I need it? says Vala, who contracts with a Kansas City firm to manufacture signs ordered in Springfield. I say, No, but one things for sure: If you put it there, you dont have an enemy. While Vala has his opinions, most candidates, he says, already know what they want when they come to his shop. Some are disappointed in the result. They usually come with the artwork and the color combination because their wife or their girlfriend or someone said This is what it ought to be, Vala says. And when they see the four-by-eight, they say That doesnt stand out very good. Signs for Griffin, the fictional candidate, are a classic template. The lettering is both blue and red, which, some pros say, appeals to Democrats and Republicans -- at least one sign company in online advice says that candidates in nonpartisan races should consider red if theyre after GOP voters. Griffins sign contained just two words: Ben Griffin. Candidates should remember, Vala advises, that motorists have just a few seconds to absorb a sign. Make the name biggest and forget the details, he says. People dont remember what youre running for. They see Frank Vala: Hell, that names familiar -- Im going to vote for him. Its tough to prove negatives, but still worth wondering whether yard signs changed the course of Illinois history. In the 2010 Republican gubernatorial primary, state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, spent $34,500 on yard signs before the primary. Former attorney general Jim Ryan spent nearly $21,000 on signs. Far behind was Kirk Dillard, who spent $3,200, according to state records. Dillard finished second to Brady, losing the nomination by 193 votes in a seven-way race it was one of the closest elections in state history. Brady, a conservative, was widely considered unelectable in the fall and, sure enough, Pat Quinn beat him. It was the first time since Abraham Lincoln was alive that Democrats had won three successive gubernatorial elections. If the GOP had nominated a less-conservative candidate, Quinn might have lost and Bruce Rauner might never have run. Dillard, a moderate Republican who once worked for Jim Edgar, doesnt discount the importance of yard signs. Yard signs are a way of life, he says. They help not as much as some people think they do. If hed spent more on yard signs in 2010, Dillard says, he would have had to reduce spending elsewhere, perhaps on television commercials or mailings or Chicago-area billboards. I would have loved to have had more yard signs, Dillard said. Its just a matter of limited resources. All things being equal and considering the margin, Dillard might have won the 2010 primary if hed spent more on yard signs without reducing other spending, according to Zeichmeister, the Vanderbilt political science professor, and Jonathan Krasno, a political science professor at Binghamton University in New York state whos done research showing that signs can help in squeakers but not landslides. Zeichmeister says that yard signs help most in races where voters dont have much information about candidates. She cites a recent trip to a wine shop where, not knowing much about wine, she bought a bottle with LZ on the label. Those are the initials of her name. Im like everybody else, she says. We do tend to be drawn to things were familiar with. Without knowing how many votes Dillard would have lost by reducing spending elsewhere, Krasno says, its impossible to say whether yard signs would have made a difference. When the margin is 193 votes, it could have been changed by a hiccup in the morning, Krasno says. J. William Roberts, a former Sangamon County states attorney and U.S. attorney who keeps track of politics, puts it this way: As longtime State Rep. J. David Jones once said. I know that half of what I do in campaigning is of little value, I just dont know which half. Some candidates have egos Vala, a Republican, sells signs to any candidate with cash. This election season, he says hes got two signs at his house, each for a candidate running for office in Leland Grove, where he lives. People in Leland Grove, they dont like signs in their neighbors yards, Vala says. They just dont like signs, period. Vala questions the value of festooning ones yard with lots of signs. When you just let anybody and everybody put things up, it just becomes a junkyard, he says. Im talking myself out of business. Vala neednt worry. The popularity of yard signs and other overt forms of political expression has mushroomed over time. Researchers say that the display of signs, campaign bumper stickers and political buttons more than doubled between 1984, when less than 10 percent of the population made beliefs known to the world, and 2008, when one in five Americans either displayed a yard sign, wore a candidates button or put a bumper sticker on their car. Rather than candidates, Todd Makse, a political science professor at Florida International University whos co-authored a book on campaign yard signs due for publication this spring, focuses on people who display signs and their motives. Mostly, its about people expressing themselves I think thats one of our big takeaways, Makse says. Signs become this kind of identity marking, both in terms of displaying how people feel and how they see other people. Instead of the guy with the yappy dog, its the guy who likes Trump. Its a label. Some results dont seem surprising. For instance, about 30 percent of people who display campaign yard signs think such signs are eyesores, Makse and his colleagues found; conversely, more than half of people surveyed who post no signs find them ugly. More than 80 percent of sign displayers think campaign yard signs are interesting while slightly more than half of those who dont post signs say the same thing. Folks who display signs also are more likely to say that they pay attention to signs than those who dont put up signs. Both sign displayers and those who keep yards sign-free were consistent on one point: Within a few percentage points, a statistical wash, more than 60 percent of both groups said that campaign yard signs remind them of divisiveness. When it comes to viewing signs as a reminder of divisivenessthere is no difference between displayers and non-displayers indeed, the symbolism of the signs may be the one constant across individuals, Makse and his fellow researchers write. The prevalence of signs makes a difference. Makse and his research team found that people who live in neighborhoods where signs are plentiful are more likely to find them informative and less likely to ignore them than people who live in neighborhoods with few or no signs. Nearly one in four believe campaign signs are a typical part of the neighborhood culture, the researchers found, while nearly one in five say they live where signs are either banned by formal rules or negatively viewed by residents. Fewer than one in four respondents believed signs influence voters, with nearly 60 percent open to the possibility that signs might make up minds. Campaign signs can provoke emotions. One-third of respondents to a survey by Makses team said that signs make them proud, 26 percent said signs make them angry and nearly 20 percent reported that signs make them anxious, with folks who display signs more likely to get emotional than people who do not. Signs also provoke feelings in candidates. Dillard says signs can give a psychological advantage. It gives the candidates the false impression that they have more support than they do to see yard signs, he says. It may surprise you: Some candidates have egos. The effect, Dillard says, isnt limited to signs in yards. He recalls a candidate whom he wont identify who told a campaign manager that he wanted a $6,000 billboard erected alongside a Chicago expressway. The campaign manager is arguing with the candidate: For $6,000, I can do a lot of things, Dillard says. The candidate told the campaign manager, Look, when Im weary and down, it pumps me up to work more hours each day to see that billboard on the Kennedy Expressway. The campaign manager said, If if makes you work harder or go to more doors, Ill buy it. Thats a true story. While some veteran campaign strategists discount them, yard signs wont go away because candidates get attached, Makse and his fellow researchers write. Consider a Democratic political operative who told researchers that candidates, even smart ones with well-financed television campaigns and digital strategies and lots of direct mailings, demand signs. But I just see my opponents signs everywhere! researchers write in the upcoming book, recalling what the operative told them about candidates demands for yard signs. Weve got to get some signs out! Researchers concluded that candidates, in their emotional responses to signs, arent much different than their supporters. The logic of using signs to build name recognition plays second fiddle in the visceral reactions that give signs an outsized presence in the minds of people who are paying attention, researchers wrote. And when the partys over In Peoria, supporters of a $35 million advisory referendum to improve the citys libraries raised $90,000 in 2007 and spent 10 percent of the kitty on yard signs. The referendum passed by 72 percent. It was the largest margin of victory for any library referendum in state history, says library spokeswoman Trisha Noack, who credits yard signs. Signs, she says, are more personal than television or radio ads. We just kept printing them, Noack recalls. Having them in neighborhoods and peoples yards made a difference it encouraged one-on-one conversations. Word of mouth and people talking to other people is so important. In Springfield, Lakeisha Purchase, candidate for alderman in Ward 5, got an early start, striving to get signs up before snows came and the ground froze. Signs, she says, are effective in informing people whos running. The Purchase stands out thats a unique last name that not a lot of people know, she says of her signs. People may forget Lakeisha, but they will not forget Purchase. Photo by Bruce Rushton A year before running for Sangamon County auditor, Andy Goleman spent $10,000 on yard signs. No one ran against him. Andrew Proctor, the incumbent, says signs build momentum. He says he knocks on doors even if a sign for his opponent is in the yard theres always a chance for a split household. He says hes lost count, but hes well into the hundreds when it comes to sign volume. Purchase complains that some of her signs have disappeared, and they arent cheap. Sign theft isnt unprecedented. Four years ago, Ward 8 Ald. Kris Theilen recalls, 150 signs from his campaign and several others disappeared from a neighborhood. Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin cautions against jumping to conclusions. Sometimes, he says, voters shift allegiances, so its best to call the opposing campaign to make sure that a supporter hasnt switched sides and removed a sign thats no longer wanted. Ultimately, campaigns end, politicians seek other offices and once-precious signs have no purpose. What then? Goleman, the county auditor, has plenty of signs from his days as a county board member stashed in his garage, next to the ones he didnt use in his first campaign for county auditor. Theilen, who cant run for re-election due to term limits, has found that campaign signs make a great floor for his doghouse. Lesko, the city clerk who owns rental property, has used campaign signs to board up windows. While doorbelling this year, Proctor says he encountered a supporter who was using one of his old signs to block a window so an indoor cat couldnt escape. Thats great, he says. Contact Bruce Rushton at brushton@illinoistimes.com. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ The letter was preceded by rumors that Rouhani would be rejecting the resignation, and Reuters consequently issued a premature report to that effect, based on another Instagram post, this one belonging to supporters of the current president who run an unofficial page in his name. This final instance of confusion was indicative of a broader pattern of rumors that swirled throughout the less than two days of uncertainty about Zarifs future. Among those rumors were suggestions that other Rouhani administration figures, like Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh, would be following him out. These have, however, been denied. As of late Wednesday, the countrys politics seemed to have returned to the status quo, although questions linger regarding the exact reason for Zarifs announcement and the exact circumstances of the apparent resolution that prompted him to withdraw it. There is little reason to assume that complete answers to these questions will ever be forthcoming, although Zarifs move was reportedly connected in some way to his absence from Mondays meeting between Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. In response to the supposed snub, Zarif was quoted as saying that he felt undermined in his position and hoped that his Instagram post would help to restore the proper role of the Foreign Ministry. In the immediate aftermath of the resignation announcement, various commentators observed that this incident seemed to point to escalating factional feuds, and specifically to the possible loss of legitimacy for the moderate Rouhani administration in the face of challenges from hardliners associated with Khamenei. Chief among those hardliners are the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the commander of that organizations foreign expeditionary division, the Quds Force, was notably present in the Assad meeting that Zarif did not attend. Whatever political dialogue led Zarif to rescind his resignation, it seemingly involved this figure, Qassem Soleimani, who boosted the Foreign Ministry in public statements on Wednesday, affirming that it remained the primary driver of Irans foreign policy, and was supported in that role by the supreme leader. Rouhanis letter similarly name-checked Khamenei, who is the ultimate authority in virtually all affairs under Irans theocratic system. There was no indication that the supreme leader personally weighed in on the subject of Zarif remaining in his post, but Rouhanis letter claimed that the supreme leader had described the foreign minister as a trustworthy, brave and religious person on the front lines of resistance against widespread US pressures. This framing of Zarifs foreign policy leadership is at odds with much of the public discussion that credited him with a moderate track record and suggested that his decision to remain on was a defeat for hardliners in the wake of ongoing escalation of tensions between Iran and the US. In recent weeks, and in line with the 40th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution, the IRGC and the regular Iranian military have been engaged in a public build-up and demonstrations, with some officials even going so far as to declare that they were ready to dispatch warships to the Atlantic Ocean as an explicit counterbalance for American regional power. It is certainly true that Zarif has taken a pragmatic approach to foreign policy that avoids most of this sort of provocation. But there has been much dispute over whether this, or his role in negotiation a nuclear agreement with the US and five other world powers, is sufficient to qualify him as a moderate . The same doubts have been cast upon the entirety of the Rouhani administration, especially in light of its failure to follow through on campaign promises such as the release of political prisoners, the lifting of restrictions on the internet and social media, and guarantees of safety for Iranian expatriates who choose to return home. Doubts about the administrations moderate credentials may only intensify in the wake of whatever process of reconciliation led to Zarif remaining in his position. After all, one Reuters report referred to the possibility that the entire resignation scenario was orchestrated as an act of political theater. And although that report cites the foreign ministers supporters as saying that the incident would leave Zarif with more leverage in competition with hardliners, it is equally possible that the schism was never genuine in the first place. Contrary to Reuters, the Independent envisions two potential outcomes from the foreign ministers gambit. On the one hand, it could signify his acceptance within the overwhelmingly hardline establishment a possibility that may be strengthened by Soleimanis expression of support. On the other hand, it could lead hardliners to view Zarif as weak and thin-skinned, thereby setting the stage for further moves against him or other figures in the Rouhani administration. In either case, the ultimate outcome may be pretty much the same. That is to say, either the moderate faction will enjoy more cooperation with the hardline establishment, compromising its pragmatism in the process, or it will continue to be overridden by the IRGC and other allies of the supreme leader. President Rouhani himself seemed to be pointing to one or both of these prospective outcomes on Wednesday when he welcomed Zarifs return to service by stressing the need for full coordination between the Foreign Ministry and all state institutions. Merkel, who was attending the conference in Egypt on behalf of the EU, said that Europe remains committed to the nuclear deal but deeply concerned about Iranian aggression towards other countries. This, she told a crowd in Sharm El Sheikh, meant that the Arab League and Europe have much to discuss regarding their dealings with Iran She then discussed the dire situation in Yemen, where Iran-backed Houthis have ousted the legitimate government, repressed the Yemeni people, and sent Iran-made missiles at Saudi Arabia, which is leading the Arab Coalition to reinstate the internationally recognised government. Iran has purposefully stopped a ceasefire from taking place. She said: As the second conflict Ive named the terrible humanitarian situation in Yemen. Here we have first rays of hope because of the Stockholm process and we have to support the work of US delegate Griffith so that we can achieve long-term and sustainable ceasefire especially in the city Al Hudaydah and can then start to find a political solution step by step. She also condemned Iran for the suppression of minorities in Yemen, but what she said could easily be applied to the Regimes oppression of its own people. She said: I do not believe that you can get peace by suppressing minorities and this is my basic understanding and I also made this clear. This summit comes at a time when tensions are rising between Iran and other nations, especially the US, which pulled out of the nuclear deal in May 2018 and reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran in order to cut off Irans ability to fund terrorism and weapons proliferation. Donald Trump faced opposition from the EU, Russia and China for leaving what he termed a horrible, one-sided deal. He said he wants to get even tougher with Iran in order to obtain a more comprehensive deal that addresses the full range of the regimes malign activities, including its ballistic missile program and its support for terrorism. The takeaway for all European countries should be that they should abandon their relations with Iran and reimpose sanctions, just as the US has done. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. - Kris Aquino took to Facebook to address Philip Salvador after he participated in a skit in a political campaign - The skit involved Bong Go and Ipe, and the subject was the latter having fooled Kris - Now, Kris Aquino addresses Philip and pointed out the latter's lapses as a father, and as a partner 20 years ago PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed! Kris Aquino took to Facebook to specifically address the controversial political skit that was staged during a campaign sortie in Davao last February 14. KAMI learned that the said skit was orchestrated by both Bong Go and Philip Salvador to get people laughing. While it may have elicited some laughter from the audience, the subject of the skit wasn't all that happy. Yes, Kris Aquino simply didn't like it that her past was made as a part of a skit, a joke to many. She partially exonerated Bong Go for having called her, and was brave enough to ask for an apology, as reported in KAMI. As to Philip, it was an entirely different story. What hurt her most was that Philip is the father of her son Joshua. Thus in a video, she addressed the man that she once put in a pedestal over her family. It really hurt. The hurt there comes from being made a joke of. And I am not blaming Bong Go. This is on you, Phillip Salvador. Tatay ka ni Josh, said Kris. In ABS-CBN's report, it highlighted that the host/actress/endorser mustered the courage to dig up the past and admitted that she was a virgin and got pregnant, and that she left her family to be with Philip. I was 23 years old when the relationship started. How many times did I hear, Naka isa si Ipe, Siya ang naka una kay Kris? Yes, totoo yon, I was a virgin, and I got pregnant, and I left my family. I chose him," said Kris. The Queen of All Media then divulged her struggles with her former partner. She admitted at turning a blind eye to nights that Ipe failed to come home even though she knew that shooting was already over. I deserve that. I made the mistake of falling for you. I made the mistake of loving you. You did not love me. Because had you loved me, 20 years after, hindi ako magiging biro sa isang skit sa bawat entabladong inaakyat mo. Pero sana man lang, yung bata na minahal ka Sana man lang siya, naisip mo, dahil kadugo mo siya, e. Who cares about Kris Aquino? You dont have to care about me, but you should care about Joshua, because that child never hurt you. And to this day, that child says mahal ka niya, said Kris. What mattered most to Kris was Joshua, her son with Ipe. 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! Several times did Kris let go of attacks on her person but she never failed to become the tiger mom whenever any of her sons get affected because of issues. Kris Aquino is the youngest sister of former Pres. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino. She has been with ABS-CBN for so many years and it was in 2016 when her stint with the Kapamilya network ended. The actress has two sons, Josh and Bimby, with Phillip Salvador and James Yap respectively. She is also the Queen of All Media of the Philippines. POPULAR: Read more about Kris Aquino Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Want to know the "Firsts" of LizQuen. Liza and Enrique play the "Firsts" game. Watch it here. Source: Kami.com.ph - There have been reports of the online Momo Challenge game supposedly causing kids to harm themselves and other people - PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde opened up about the online game - He warned parents to monitor their kids activities on the internet and added that this kind of game is a form of crime PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Philippine National Police chief Director General Oscar Albayalde has broken his silence over the viral and disturbing Momo Challenge being played online. KAMI learned that the PNP chief gave a warning to parents about the online game. Albayalde talked to CNN Philippines about the Momo Challenge, urging parents to monitor their kids online activities. He added that encouraging kids to harm themselves and others is a crime. "Sa ating mga magulang kailangan po siguro bantayan natin ang ating mga anak. Siguro ang kailangan dito is yung talagang magabayan ang mga anak lalo na kapag sila ay wala sa atin, nandun sa mga schools. Isa na rin ito na isama nila yung tamang pagturo para maiwasan itong mga suicidal thinking ng ating mga kabataan or etong mga challenges na ginagawa through the internet "Remember, this is a crime lalung-lalo na kung ang bata ang ini-enganyo," Albayalde told CNN Philippines. 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! In a previous report by KAMI, a grieving mother is blaming the Momo Challenge for the death of her son. The Momo Challenge involves giving a variety of challenges to the players. It starts off with seemingly harmless dares like waking up in the middle of the night before progressing into dangerous challenges like harming oneself and others. Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! We had an exclusive interview with LizQuen! What was their first fight about? Who were their first crushes? We asked Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil these and many other interesting questions . Enjoy their replies! Check out our other videos on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel! Source: Kami.com.ph - A viral post in 2016 has been making the rounds again on social media - The post claimed that CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper said that Mar Roxas and Korina Sanchez are a corrupt couple - However, Cooper himself has addressed the fake news PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed A social media post about Senate candidate Mar Roxas and his wife, ABS-CBN broadcaster Korina Sanchez, went viral in 2016. However, KAMI learned that the said post has been making rounds again online. According to the viral post, Anderson Cooper, a well-known news anchor of CNN, has claimed that Roxas and Sanchez are allegedly a corrupt couple in the Philippines. When I heard that this corrupt couple are running for office, May God help the Philippines, it read on the photo. A Facebook user named Nelda Medrano has re-posted the viral photo. He also called the couple as mag-asawang berdugo sa kayamanan at berdugo sa mga mamamayang Pilipino. However, Rappler reported that Cooper has addressed the issue back in 2016. Through a tweet, Cooper said that it was fake and that he never said such statement. 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! Back in 2013, Sanchez and Cooper had a small exchange when the CNN correspondent visited the Philippines when the Typhoon Yolanda lashed the city of Tacloban. Cooper criticized the governments efforts in helping the victims of the typhoon and Roxas was the Interior Secretary that time. Sanchez said that Coopers observations were mali mali. The CNN journalist learned about the comment of Sanchez and said: Ms Sanchez is welcome to go there and I would urge her to go there. I dont know if she has, but her husbands the interior minister, Im sure he can arrange a flight. Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Let us take a look at the cutest expressions of love among the Pinoy celebrities who celebrated Saint Valentine's Day in the most beautiful way by telling the whole world how much they loved their second halves! Check out our other videos on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel! Source: Kami.com.ph - Mocha Uson has shared on social media a video compilation of the Mendiola Massacre - She also said that there were too many gullible people in the Philippines before - Uson also questioned some Filipinos claim that former President Cory Aquino was a saint PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Dancer and former PCOO assistant secretary Mocha Uson slammed the Aquinos, most especially former President Corazon Cory Aquino, over compiled footage during the Mendiola Massacre that happened in 1987. KAMI learned that through her Facebook page, Uson said that there were many gullible people in the Philippines in the past as she shared a video. Santa daw o? Dami talagang uto uto sa Pilipinas dati..., Uson said. The video she shared contained different footage when Mendiola Massacre happened under the administration of President Aquino. Screenshot from Facebook Source: Facebook 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 Mendiola Massacre or Black Thursday as called by Filipino journalists happened on January 22, 1987, along the street of Mendiola in Manila where the Malacanan is located. Group of around 10,000 to 15,000 farmers led by Kilusang Magbubukid sa Pilipinas (KMP) protested to the Palace, hoping to have a dialogue with Aquino and raise their problems in terms of land reforms. The police and Philippine Marine Corps immediately guarded the place along with army trucks, fire trucks, and water cannons. Unfortunately, the protest ended with a bloody scuffle. Around 13 people were reported dead and at least 50 got injured due to the protest. According to a report by Rappler, Aquino created the Citizens Mendiola Commission in order to know how the violence started during the protest and who was supposedly be held responsible for it. However, it has been reported that no one was punished over multiple deaths. The House Committee on Human Rights had recommended giving compensation for the victims, but it was reported that no one received any compensation. In a report by ABS-CBN News in 2017, farmers and the families of the victims were still trying to seek justice over the Mendiola Massacre. They also called on President Rodrigo Duterte to come up with genuine land reform and end the oppression of the farmers in provinces. Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Let us take a look at the cutest expressions of love among the Pinoy celebrities who celebrated Saint Valentine's Day in the most beautiful way by telling the whole world how much they loved their second halves! Check out our other videos on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel! Source: Kami.com.ph Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe The James Beard Awards are the Oscars of the food world -- they're a big deal and they're usually myopic. Not Green Book winning Best Picture level of myopic, but not great, either. Margarita Manzke (right) and her husband, chef Walter Manzke, attend the 8th Annual L.A. Loves Alex's Lemonade on September 9, 2017 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for L.A. Love's Alex's Lemonade) That's because the James Beard Foundation has a nearly three-decade history of focusing on Fancy Rich People Restaurants and doing it in a way that's painfully NY-centric. In the last few years, the organization has been getting better at recognizing the value of women, people of color, restaurants in cities that aren't New York and "ethnic" restaurants. (Sidenote: Here at LAist, we HATE the term "ethnic restaurants" because A. all restaurants are ethnic and B. it's a POV that centers European cuisines.) Anyway. This morning, the semi-finalists for the 2019 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards were announced. It was great to see Genet Agonafer, the chef and founder of Meals By Genet, one of L.A.'s best Ethiopian restaurants, and Carlos Salgado of Taco Maria in Costa Mesa, recognized in the Best Chef category. They were joined by a host of talented locals including Niki Nakayama of n/naka, Kris Yenbamroong of Night + Market and Jessica Koslow of Sqirl. Other notable noms: Bavel is contending for Best New Restaurant and Margarita Manzke is nominated for Outstanding Pastry Chef for her work at Republique. (Have they tried her incredible buko pie at Sari Sari Store???) Below are the Southern California semi-finalists in each category (you can find a full list on the JBF website and read more about how the awards are judged). They'll be whittled down to a smaller group of finalists, which will be announced on Mar. 27. The James Beard Awards will be handed out on May 6 in Chicago. Guacamole made with avocado, grapes, pistachio and flax seeds at Taco Maria, in Costa Mesa, (T.Tseng/Flickr Creative commons Best New Restaurant "A restaurant opened in 2018 that already demonstrates excellence in cuisine and hospitality, and that is likely to make a significant impact in years to come." Bavel, Los Angeles Majordomo, Los Angeles Outstanding Baker "A pastry chef or baker who demonstrates exceptional skill, integrity, and character in the preparation of desserts, pastries, or breads served in a retail bakery. Must have been working as a pastry chef or baker for the past five years." no SoCal noms in this category Jessica Koslow of L.A. restaurant Sqirl attends the Daring 25 on July 27, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images) Outstanding Bar Program "A restaurant or bar that demonstrates exceptional care and skill in the selection, preparation, and serving of cocktails, spirits, and/or beer." Old Lightning, Marina Del Rey, CA Outstanding Chef "A chef who sets high culinary standards and who has served as a positive example for other food professionals. Must have been working as a chef for the past five years." no SoCal noms in this category Outstanding Pastry Chef "A pastry chef or baker who demonstrates exceptional skill, integrity, and character in the preparation of desserts, pastries, or breads served in a restaurant. Must have been working as a pastry chef or baker for the past five years." Margarita Manzke, Republique, Los Angeles Outstanding Restaurant "A restaurant that demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, service, and operations. Must have been in business 10 or more consecutive years." Park's BBQ, Los Angeles Outstanding Restaurateur "A restaurateur who demonstrates creativity in entrepreneurship and integrity in restaurant operations. Must have been in the restaurant business for at least 10 years. Must not have been nominated for a James Beard Foundation chef award in the past five years." no SoCal noms in this category either Outstanding Service "A restaurant in operation for five or more years that demonstrates consistency and exceptional thoughtfulness in hospitality and service." n/naka, Los Angeles Chef Niki Nakayama, left, and assistant chef Carole Lida work on plating their kaiseki menu, the traditional Japanese culinary practice at Nakayama's n/naka restaurant on April 15, 2015. (Damian Dovarganes/AP) Outstanding Wine Program "A restaurant or bar that demonstrates excellence in wine service through a carefully considered wine list and a well-informed approach to helping customers choose and drink wine." Night + Market, Los Angeles Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Producer "A beer, wine, or spirits producer who demonstrates consistency and exceptional skill in his or her craft." no SoCal noms in this category either Rising Star Chef of the Year "A chef age 30 or younger who displays exceptional talent, character, and leadership ability, and who is likely to make a significant impact in years to come." Jonathan Yao, Kato, Los Angeles Chef Kris Yenbamroong at the 34th Annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen on June 18, 2016. (Photo by Nick Tininenko/Getty Images for Food & Wine) Best Chefs "Chefs who set high culinary standards and also demonstrate integrity and admirable leadership skills in their respective regions. A nominee may be from any kind of dining establishment but must have been working as a chef for at least five years, with the three most recent years spent in the region." This category is divided into 10 regions: Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, New York City, Northeast, Northwest, South, Southeast, Southwest and West. Los Angeles falls under West, which covers California, Nevada and Hawaii. Genet Agonafer, Meals by Genet, Los Angeles Michael Cimarusti, Providence, Los Angeles Jeremy Fox, Rustic Canyon, Santa Monica, CA Jessica Koslow, Sqirl, Los Angeles Travis Lett, Gjelina, Venice, CA Niki Nakayama, n/naka, Los Angeles Carlos Salgado, Taco Maria, Costa Mesa, CA Kris Yenbamroong, Night + Market, Los Angeles Chef Joshua Skenes, of Saison in San Francisco, was also nominated for Best Chef, and he's planning to open an outpost of his sustainable seafood restaurant, Angler, in the Beverly Center this spring. Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe For months, a federal judge has been warning cities in south Orange County to open more homeless shelters or get sued. On Wednesday, they did. Lawyers representing homeless plaintiffs and homeless advocacy groups filed a class action suit against Irvine, Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente. The County of Orange is also a defendant, since the sheriff's department provides law enforcement for much of south OC. The lawsuit alleges that homeless people have no way to comply with laws prohibiting sleeping and loitering in public places because they have no option of sleeping indoors. The complaint is essentially an expansion of a lawsuit that the same group of lawyers filed last year against the county and various cities in central and north OC. The initial lawsuit led Anaheim and Santa Ana to open shelters in recent months. Tustin and Costa Mesa are scheduled to open shelters in the near future. And Placentia and Buena Park have identified potential shelter locations and have been holding public meetings due to the lawsuit. In the legal complaint filed late Wednesday against south OC cities, lawyers allege that homeless clients have no choice but to violate anti-camping and anti-loitering laws since there is nowhere for them to sleep indoors. The County of Orange is also named in the suit since county sheriff's deputies enforce local laws in most of the cities named. The complaint is based largely on a 2018 ruling from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which found that homeless residents in Boise, Idaho, could not be criminalized for sleeping outdoors if they had no alternative. The judge overseeing an earlier case, Jones v. City of Los Angeles, came to a similar conclusion. U.S. District Judge David Carter, who presides over the 2018 Orange County case, repeatedly warned south OC cities last year to find shelter space or face litigation. He also warned that homeless people might flock to cities in the southern part of the county as other OC cities build shelters and thereby can enforce anti-camping and anti-trespassing laws. "People aren't stupid who are homeless, they're going to figure out the beach looks like a pretty nice place," Carter said at a court hearing in August. Earlier last year, the Orange County Board of Supervisors sought to locate emergency shelters on county-owned land in Irvine, Laguna Niguel and Huntington Beach. But they scrapped the idea after an outcry from neighbors and threats of lawsuits from elected officials in those cities. Later, a group of south OC mayors suggested turning a library in remote Silverado Canyon -- located in the foothills of Orange County -- into an emergency shelter. But that plan was also scrapped. Currently, the only emergency shelter for homeless men and women in south Orange County is one in Laguna Beach called the Alternative Sleeping Location. The shelter sleeps 45 people nightly, according to its website. The 2019, federally mandated homeless count, which took place in January, found more than 400 homeless people living on the streets in south Orange County, according to Voice of OC. The official results aren't expected to be made public until April. At least 23 homeless individuals died in south Orange County cities last year, according to a recent report from the Orange County Coroner. Eight of them perished in their cars; another seven died on the streets. 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02 (2) Jun 01 (1) May 31 (3) May 30 (1) May 29 (1) May 28 (2) May 26 (1) May 25 (1) May 18 (1) May 17 (1) May 15 (1) May 09 (1) May 07 (2) May 02 (1) May 01 (1) Apr 30 (1) Apr 27 (1) Apr 26 (2) Apr 23 (1) Apr 22 (1) Apr 19 (1) Apr 18 (1) Apr 12 (1) Apr 11 (1) Apr 09 (1) Apr 07 (1) Apr 05 (1) Apr 01 (1) Mar 30 (1) Mar 27 (1) Mar 25 (1) Mar 22 (2) Mar 19 (1) Mar 18 (1) Mar 16 (1) Mar 15 (2) Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (1) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (1) Adam Clayton Powell Jr., A Civil Rights Trailblazer for the African American People Pastor, politician, and activist Adam Clayton Powell Jr. is arguably the greatest African American political leader of his time. This is his story. Background Powell was born on November 29, 1908 in New Haven, Connecticut to parents Adam Clayton Powell Sr. and Mattie Fletcher Schaffer. Eventually, his family moved to New York City where Powells father would become a Baptist preacher at Abyssinian Baptist Church in midtown Manhattan. ADVERTISEMENT Later, Powell attended and graduated from Townsend Harris High School in New York and enrolled in City College of New York. In 1962, Powell transferred to Colgate University in Hamilton, New York and in 1930, he attended Columbia University where he received a M.A. in religious education. Shortly after, Powell became an assistant minister and business manager of the Abyssinian Church, which later led to him becoming pastor, taking over his fathers position. In the pulpit, Powells passion for social activism began to grow. He soon became known as a community activist to the residents of Harlem. Powell was often seen organizing picket lines and mass meetings to demand reform for places like Harlem Hospital, who at the time fired five Black doctors. Additionally, Powell led a relief program through the church, to address the needs of Harlems homeless and unemployed residents. He accomplished this by working with the church to provide food, clothing, and temporary jobs for thousands of locals. Political Career Powell didnt enter the world of politics until 1941 when he made history as the first African American to be elected to the New York City Council. Throughout his time in the City Council, Powell continued to voice his concerns on racial discrimination and racial equality which resulted in him being called a feisty politician. Later, Powell continued to pursue politics and decided to run for Congress. In 1945, Powell made history again as the first African American hailing from New York to be elected to a Democratic seat in the House of Representatives. While in office, Powell served on a numerous amount of committees and continued to voice his concerns regarding the mistreatment of African Americans. Also during this time, Powell called for an end to lynching and Jim Crow Laws. In 1961, Powell became chair of the House Committee on Education and Labor. While he was there, the committee was able to create and implement legislative reforms for minimum wage increases, funding for student loans, job training and more. ADVERTISEMENT Despite the great strides that Powell made during his political career, there was also turmoil. In 1958, Powell was indicted for tax evasion and was accused of traveling at the cost of the publics expense and was sued by Esther Hames in 1960 for slander. Although he was able to overcome these challenges and win re-election into the House, the controversy eventually affected his career. In 1967, the House of Representatives voted Powell out of office after he was accused of being in contempt of court by the state of New York in regards to the previous slander charges over James. In 1968, Powell was re-elected to Congress and in 1970, he lost the Democratic primary to candidate Charles Rangel. Powell passed away on April 4, 1972 from cancer in Miami, Florida. Although his political career is seen by many as controversial, no one can deny the historic achievements he made for the African Americans and the national Black leaders who came after him. Black Woman Replacing Alabama Editor Who Endorsed KKK A White Alabama newspaper editor who advocated for the revival of the Ku Klux Klan is turning over control of the small weekly to a Black woman. The Democrat-Reporter of Linden, Alabama, announced Friday that Elecia R. Dexter will take over as publisher and editor from Goodloe Sutton, who has run the 140-year-old paper since the 1960s. Dexter, 46, told The Associated Press that Sutton will retain ownership of the newspaper, which has a circulation of about 3,000, but I will handle everything else. ADVERTISEMENT Sutton had a history of publishing racially and ethnically insensitive editorials, and Dexter said she hoped her appointment would let the community know this is everybodys paper. I think it can be helpful, she said. The change came the week after Sutton wrote and published an editorial that began: Time for the Ku Klux Klan to night ride again. The editorial said Democrats and Democrats in the Republican Party are plotting to raise taxes, so the Klan should raid their communities. Sutton, in a subsequent interview with the Montgomery Advertiser, suggested lynchings as a way to clean up Washington. Sutton also questioned whether the KKK was violent, claiming Americas most feared White supremacist terrorist organization didnt kill but a few people. Auburn University and the University of Southern Mississippi quickly rescinded previous honors for Sutton, who won praise two decades ago for stories exposing corruption in the sheriffs office. The Alabama Press Association censured Sutton and suspended the Democrat-Reporters membership. Dexter, whose family is from rural Marengo County, where Linden is located near the Mississippi line, said she began working at the paper earlier this year and has a good working relationship with Goodloe. She added: I told him there were some different ways you could have made your point. ADVERTISEMENT The paper has received emails from those who supported what Sutton wrote and others who were disgusted by his statements, she said. The paper dates to 1879 and its editorials are consistently conservative and often critical of Democrats. The use of Democrat in its name reflects back to the period when nearly all White conservatives in the South were Democrats. Confronting Academias Ties to Slavery and Reparations Reparations for the descendants of African slaves has been talked about ad infinitum, yet there has been virtually no legislative action taken to make this happen. (Congressman John Conyers could not even to get a reparations bill out of committee for more than twenty yearsto simply do a study on reparations.) Todays column summarizes a major conference at Harvard University about slavery, universities and reparations. A New York Times article by Jennifer Schussler, Confronting Academias Ties to Slavery, recaps the conference. In my opinion, the most important thing is whether this, and similar conferences, actually commit to advocating for reparations for the descendants of African Slaves in America. In 1976, archivists at Harvards Natural History Museum opened a drawer and discovered a haunting portrait of a shirtless enslaved man named Renty. Taken on a South Carolina plantation in 1850, it had been used by the Harvard biologist Louis Agassiz to formulate his now-discredited ideas about racial difference. ADVERTISEMENT On March 3, 1917, Harvards president, Drew Gilpin Faust, headed a major public conference exploring the long-neglected collaborations between universities, slavery and reparations. Harvard had been directly complicit in slavery, Ms. Faust acknowledged. Only by coming to terms with history can we free ourselves to create a more just world, she said. The gathering, which drew an overflow crowd of about 500, featured a keynote address by writer Ta-Nehisi Coates. The audience included researchers from more than 30 campuses. Between sessions, one scholar was heard saying that something weve been talking about for 200 years has suddenly become urgent. Alfred L. Brophy, a legal historian at the University of North Carolina and the author of University, Court and Slave, a study of pro-slavery thought at antebellum Southern colleges, described what he called a sea change in attitude. Now the people doing this work are lifted up. (Really?) The historical connections between universities and slavery first came to the fore in 2001, when a group of Yale graduate students issued an independent report aimed at puncturing what they saw as the schools selective celebration of its abolitionist past. In 2003, the Brown University president announced a major effort to research that schools extensive historical ties to the slave trade. While the move grabbed headlines, there wasnt a single peep from another university. Since then, scholars at Harvard, Princeton, William and Mary, Georgetown, the University of Virginia, Rutgers and numerous other schools have done slavery research, sometimes seeing it embraced by administrators only in response to campus activism- the students have been the one group to keep the conversation alive. Research on the topic has been shadowed by the specter of reparations. In his address, Mr. Coates, who wrote The Case for Reparations, a widely discussed 2014 article in The Atlantic, recalled when Whites reacted to the mere mention of reparations, it was as if Youd just suggested human sacrifice or something. The dismissal in 2004 of a major reparations lawsuit against corporations seems to have removed the legal threat against universities, which had also been identified as potential targets. But, Mr. Coates said that the moral claim was undeniable. I think every one of these universities needs to give reparations..I dont know how you conduct research showing your very existence is rooted in a great crime and then you say Well, sorry and walk away. No other speakers explicitly endorsed financial reparations, but it was a sentiment shared throughout the audience. ADVERTISEMENT The Harvard conference, organized by the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, was an initiative of Ms. Faust, a distinguished historian of the Civil War and the American South. Last March, (1916) after student protests over racially charged symbols on campus and related issues, she published an op-ed article in the Harvard Crimson calling for fuller acknowledgement of the mostly untold story of Harvard and slavery. Research published, without any Harvard imprimatur, in 2011 and now incorporated into an official university website unveiled for the conference, described the ways Harvard was built at least partly on the violence on the slave trader, the Middle Passage, the auction block and the whip. There were gasps when a panelist recounted how Isaac Royall, Jr., a West Indian planter whose financial gifts led to the founding of Harvard Law School, helped brutally put down a slave rebellion on Antigua, during which dozens were drawn and quartered or burned at the stake. Other speakers brought the story closer to the present, described how Harvard in 1899 created a tropical research station on a sugar plantation in Cuba, owned by a planter made rich from slavery. (Slavery had been abolished in Cuba only 13 years earlier.) The plantation owner also made significant donations to the school in what was just one of many ways that slavery helped build the vast educational resources Harvard still enjoys today. The question of who gets access to those resources hung over the days events. An M.I.T. participant said that research into universities and slavery can promote not just knowledge of the past but justice and inclusion in the present. Universities once worried that studies of slavery and reparations which somehow tarnish our gates In fact, they opened them. The most important thing is that universities and colleges commit to concrete actions supportive of their research findings that confirm the need for reparations for the descendants of African slaves in America. [email protected] Congressmember Donald M. Payne, Jr. Statement on Diabetes Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. WASHINGTON, D.C. Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. recently underwent treatment for complications relating to diabetes. He issued the following statement: ADVERTISEMENT Each year, more than 7.2 million Americans discharged from the hospital are listed as having diabetes. I am one of them. Earlier this year, my diabetes progressed and began to affect my kidneys. Like thousands of my constituents and 32.5 million Americans, I am living with diabetes. At events with my constituents and health care organizations, I have spoken openly about my struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I have advocated in Congress for better and more affordable health care for the American people. The cost of diabetes in this country is $327 billion each year. I recognize that I am one of the lucky Americans who has good health coverage through their employment. Working for New Jerseys Tenth Congressional District is a privilege and honor I do not take lightly. Almost 1 in 5 American adults cannot afford or access necessary health care. I know the importance of good-quality health care coverage, and thats why I have fought for years against rollbacks to the Affordable Care Actparticularly those proposals that would harm people with preexisting conditions. Everyone deserves to have access to health care when they need it. Diabetes is a chronic disease, but it can be managed under the care of medical professionals to ensure people like me continue to lead productive lifestyles. Because of diabetes effects on my kidneys, I will be undergoing dialysis treatment with professionals at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and DaVita. As a patient and an advocate for the health care of my constituents, Ill also be working with Beth Israel and DaVita to ensure that all people have equitable access to renal treatments such as dialysis. Ill also be working with these and other organizations to sponsor health and wellness forums to promote healthy lifestyles, prevention, and access to health care. The well-being of my constituents and all people in the United States remains my priority. As Co-Chair of the Congressional Mens Health Caucus and an active member of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, I lead from the heartand from my experience as a patientto bring together experts from across the country to discuss ways the federal government can improve health care. Last year, I fought against cuts to community health centers, Medicaid, and Medicare because the health of the American people is paramount. This year, I plan to reintroduce bills that will make it easier for people on Medicare to get screened for colorectal cancer and coordinate mens health efforts nationally. And, as always, I will be a voice for the health of my constituents. D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton Set to Introduce Bill to Require Federal Agencies to Advertise with Black Press Legendary and longtime D.C. Congresswoman, Eleanor Holmes Norton is hoping to accomplish what may not have been possible during the last Congress. Norton, who is in her 28th year in Congress, plans to reintroduce H.R. 7215 which would require all government agencies to report on expenditures for contracts for advertisement and other purposes. Her spokesman, Benjamin Fritsch said this week that Norton would roll out the resolution soon. ADVERTISEMENT She first introduced it last fall and it was referred to the House Committee on Budget but the 115th Congress then went into recess. The new Democratic-controlled 116th Congress should afford Norton the opportunity to push through her resolution and perhaps gain a voting-members support to enact legislation. Because shes a D.C. delegate, Norton doesnt enjoy full voting rights and isnt permitted to vote on final legislation. Still, her impact on Congress has resonated for nearly three decades and, at a 2016 Black Press Week event, Norton stood with leaders of the National Newspaper Publishers Association and the National Association of Hispanic Publications to call for a federal report on advertising spending by government agencies with minority-owned media. Because of her relentless pursuit, Norton was able to obtain a new Government Accountability Office report that concluded that, of the $5 billion spent on advertising by federal agencies over the past decade, just $50 million went to Black-owned businesses. The report didnt detail how much of the $50 million went to Black newspaper owners, only that they were included among all Black businesses. ADVERTISEMENT After the reports release in July, the NNPA called on Congressman Cedric Richmond, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to forcefully raise their voices of discontent and reaffirmation of the demands for equity, justice and fairness and end to this kind of systemic refusal to treat African American-owned and Latino-owned businesses along with others in a just, fair and equitable manner. Norton said her bill would specifically require federal agencies to include in their annual budget requests to Congress the amount they spent in the most recent fiscal year on advertising contracts with newspapers and media companies owned by minorities and women, as well as projections of such spending for the upcoming fiscal year. The Congresswoman also sent letters to all 12 appropriations subcommittees, requesting that they require each agency under their jurisdiction to include this advertising data in their budget requests. The federal government is the largest advertiser in the United States, and it has an obligation to ensure fair access to its contracts for minority and women-owned newspapers and media companies, Norton said. My bill would provide the transparency to ensure federal agencies are striving to reach minorities, who often get their daily news from smaller media outlets who serve communities of color. Education Department Helps Loan Servicers Instead of Borrowers In an increasingly competitive global economy, highly skilled workers have a sharp advantage in securing and keeping employment. And as technological advances result in life-long learning in many occupations, many worker-students turn to federal student aid, the largest source of funding for higher education, to expand and/or hone their value in the marketplace. But a newly-released audit report finds fault with how the Department of Education (Department) is managing both its loan funds and its 15 contract student loan servicers. According to an Office of Inspector General (OIG) report released on February 12, borrowers might not have been protected from poor services, and taxpayers might not have been protected from improper payments. That statement covers a range of student loan concerns and include loan payments, loan consolidation, principal and interest payments and repayment options like income-driven repayment plans and forbearance. But its content takes direct aim at the Federal Student Aid (AID) division of the Department, charged with being a thrifty steward of the billions of dollars dedicated to higher education. ADVERTISEMENT Could it be that the current student loan crisis is facing the same threat today that was rampant a decade ago during the mortgage crisis? Are borrowers payments being properly applied? Or are unchecked and unaccountable loan servicers bilking consumers into unwarranted costs and payments? Im betting that the 44 million borrowers who together owe more than $1.4 trillion in student loan debt seriously want to know. FSAs not holding servicers accountable could lead to servicers being paid more than they should be (the contracts with servicers allow FSA to recover amounts paid for loans not serviced in compliance with requirements), states the report. FSA management rarely used available contract accountability provisions to hold servicers accountable for instances of noncompliance, continued the report. By not holding servicers accountable for instances of noncompliance with Federal loan servicing requirements, FSA did not provide servicers with an incentive to take actions to mitigate the risk of continued servicer noncompliance that could harm students. According to OIG, all student loan servicer contracts are supposed to be awarded on the basis of performance measures in five weighted areas. Two factors, borrower satisfaction and the percentage of borrowers who were not more than five days delinquent, together account for up to 60 of the contractors overall score. Servicers are also evaluated on the percentage of borrowers whose loans were more than 90 days late but less than 271, and a percentage who were more than 270 days delinquent but less than 361, and an FSA employee satisfaction survey. Although the Department has 15 student loan servicer contracts, four were the biggest beneficiaries during the OIGs audit period. As of September 30, 2017, federal student loan debt was $1.147 trillion with 93 percent of those loans assigned to PHEAA ($319 billion), Great Lakes ($236 billion), Navient ($215 billion), and Nelnet ($180 billion). In February 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) sued Navient Corporation and two of its subsidiaries for allegedly using shortcuts and deception to illegally cheat 12 million borrowers out of their rights to lower loan repayments. These practices, according to CFPB, led to an additional $4 billion in borrower costs. ADVERTISEMENT Much of the unnecessary costs were the result of Navients widespread use of forbearance that boosted corporate profits by minimizing time spent advising distressed borrowers. For example, three-years of deferment on $30,000 in student loans would cost a borrower an additional $6,742. Navient also had another dubious distinction. In 2017, more consumers filed complaints about Navient than any other student loan servicer. Complainants identified dealing with the servicer or lender as the key issue, compared to only 34 percent whose problems were based on an inability to pay their loans. The Inspector Generals damning revelations that the Department of Education failed to track all instances of non-compliance or to hold servicers accountable for errors demonstrates its lack of commitment to protecting student loan borrowers, said Persis Yu, director of the National Consumer Law Centers Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project. Unfortunately, this revelation is consistent with the Departments prior actions, which have repeatedly put the interests of big business ahead of the interests of student loan borrowers. Many consumer advocates would agree with the Trump Administrations mounting actions that favor businesses before consumers. The recently-announced rule reversal on payday loans is another example. In 2018, guidance that protected people of color from discrimination in auto loan financing is yet another. Policies and practices must assure student success while minimizing costly debt errors that become unnecessary burdens, said Whitney Barkley-Denney, a policy counsel with the Center for Responsible Lending. In this past year, Department of Education has justified its aggressive steps to shield student loan servicers from liability by claiming that it rigorously oversees its servicers, added Yu. This report from the Inspector General demonstrates that claim is false. Charlene Crowell is the Deputy Communications Director with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at [email protected] Epidemic of Missing Black Girls Continues to Stump Authorities, Frustrate Parents Lashaya Stine, 16, was walking down the street alone in Aurora, Colorado. It doesnt appear that the young African American female had any sort of trip planned, as she left her wallet and phone charger, and she didnt take any clothes. According to a television station in Denver, police released surveillance video of Stine taken on the morning of July 15 around 2:30 A.M. She is seen walking by herself in the area of East Montview and Peoria Street. The video was sent out to the public a little over two weeks after her disappearance in hopes of generating more leads. The estimated 75,000 missing Black women and girls continue to stump law enforcement while frustrating and devastating families. It forces the question:Does anyone care? ADVERTISEMENT Since NNPA Newswire reported on the alarming lack of interest in the cases of missing Black females, readers including law enforcement have responded by using social media to bring to light the host of African Americans and others of color whove gone missing. The social media account for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Childrenretweeted the NNPA Newswire story and then accumulated a long thread of missing girls some as young as a few months old. They began each tweet with: Have you seen this child? Among the missing are: TimMonique Davis, missing from Moorhead, Minnesota since Jan. 20. Anya Washington, missing from Houston, Texas since Jan. 29. RMahnee Williams-Turner, missing from Palmdale, Calif., since Jan. 26. Whitney Elliseau, missing from Lakewood, Calif., since Feb. 5. Jada Cyrus, missing from Boston, Mass., since Jan. 29. Myla Abanda, missing from Fairfax, Va., since Nov. 16. Zakiah Abdul-Khaliq, missing from Austin, Texas, since Aug. 27, 2018. Yasmin Acree, missing from Chicago, Ill., since Jan. 15, 2018. Harmony Adams, missing from Columbus, Oh., since July 18, 2018. Kelli Allen, missing from Atlanta, Ga., since Dec. 20, 2018. Kelly Allen, Missing from Berkley, Miss., since March 13, 2007. Kaaliyah Alston, missing from Hillsborough, NC., since Aug. 21, 2018. Hazana Anderson, missing from College Station, Texas, since Oct. 28, 2018. Karyn Anderson, missing from Walkersville, Md., since March 24, 2018. Raevanna Anderson, missing from Duluth, Ga., since Nov. 3, 2018. A comprehensive list can be found on the website for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children(NCMEC). For families with a missing or sexually exploited child, NCMEC provides crisis intervention and local counseling referrals to appropriate professionals. The organizations Team HOPE program connects families with peers who have had similar experiences and can offer coping skills and compassion. When a missing child is recovered, NCMEC helps the family with the reunification process, including mental health services and travel assistance. Psychologist and Navy veteran, Sheri Davis said its vital that the missing are given attention by the media and especially law enforcement. ADVERTISEMENT Davis said she relates well with them on a couple of fronts: She once went missing and shes also the victim of domestic violence, a trigger for some whove been made vulnerable to abductions, run away and become the eventual victim of sex trafficking. One thing I think for sure about the missing teens is that human trafficking is a hotbed in my city [and around the country], said Davis, who lives in Madison, Alabama. I think its very easy for the courts and police to turn their heads the other way and not deal with the problem at hand. Davis continued: I had to escape from my abuser in the middle of the night naked and running down the road and praying that a good bystander helps me while Im covered in blood. The families of these young ladies need to be in the face of [law enforcement officials] and let them see the pain they are in every day that those girls arent home or safe. First-of-its-Kind Study Identifies Institutional Racism as Main Driver of Black Homelessness More than 100 county, city, and community leaders gathered today to highlight racial disparities and address systemic racism in public policy affecting Black people experiencing homelessness across Los Angeles County. Black people make up 9 percent of the population of LA County, but more than one-third of its population experiencing homelessnessan overrepresentation that is consistent demographically across other jurisdictions in the United States. A groundbreaking new report by LAHSAs Ad Hoc Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness sheds light on why, and puts forth a broad set of targeted recommendations to reverse this injustice. The report, a culmination of nine months of work by the 26-member Ad Hoc Committee, includes 67 recommendations to create a broad framework that will advance equity and eliminate disparities that impact Black people experiencing homelessness across LA County. The report is the first step of a dynamic process of collaboration between stakeholders to implement recommendations, which include interweaving a racial equity lens throughout homelessness policy and service delivery systems as well as across public, private, and philanthropic institutions. ADVERTISEMENT A theme that cut across the committees work was that racism, discrimination, and unconscious bias in our public systems and institutions has contributed to, and remains intertwined with, homelessness. Ending homelessness will require a collective commitment to dismantling racism and addressing racial disparities, and sustained support from funders, policymakers, mainstream systems of care, service providers, and community partners. The report highlights persistent cases of systemic bias in policies affecting housing, employment, criminal justice, and child welfareand identifies ways to advance racial equity in our homeless services system. This report is a critical first step to address the collective failings of systems and institutions thatde facto and de jurehave been designed to deliver the painful disparities that affect so many of our brothers and sisters, said Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. Hard work lies ahead to counter this tragic inheritance. If our region is to prosper, it is not only a moral imperative, it is an absolute economic imperative that all who call Los Angeles home are able to attain their full measure of dignity and self-worth. We have long understood the painful reality that a disproportionate number of African-Americans are caught in the grip of homelessnessand we have to be more intentional about how to confront and end this crisis, said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. This report puts the spotlight where it needs to be, and helps us focus efforts on the individuals, families, and communities that need the most help. Homelessness is the greatest issue facing Los Angeles and racism is amplifying the impacts of economic inequality and housing access, said Los Angeles City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson. Now is the time to directly address the root causes of homelessness and racism remains one of the biggest causes. This report is a launching pad for a new level of collaboration, said LAHSA Commissioner Jacqueline Waggoner, chair of the Ad Hoc Committee and VP and Southern California Market Leader of Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. It reflects a diversity of voices, including people who have experienced homelessness, service providers, and community members, and creates a blueprint for change. This is just the beginning of the work, and we will keep applying a racial equity lens to our systems and policies as we move forward. Only by acknowledging and naming the painful truth about how our systems and policies have created these unjust racial disparities can we do the hard work together to reverse them, said Kelli Bernard, chair of the LAHSA Commission and vice chair of the Ad Hoc committee. Im hopeful about the impact we can make by attacking these systemic obstacles in such an intentional way, and the lives that can be changed for the better as a result. Fresh hopes, familiar disappointment follow Gov. Newsoms call for new DNA testing in Kevin Cooper case On Friday, Feb. 22, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered new DNA tests in a 35-year-old quadruple murder case involving African-American death row inmate, Kevin Cooper. Newsoms decision could lead to the overturning of Coopers 1985 conviction in the killing of a rural Chino Hills family and their 11-year-old house guest. The case has the potential, some political watchers say, to divide Californians. Both the California and United States supreme courts and more than a dozen lower courts have rejected Coopers past appeals. ADVERTISEMENT I take no position regarding Mr. Coopers guilt or innocence at this time, Newsom said in his executive order about the high-profile case that has drawn international interest. New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris and reality TV star, Kim Kardashian have all called for re-testing using current, more sensitive forensic technology. The ACLU and other human rights and social justice groups have also urged California state officials to launch a deeper investigation into Coopers conviction. Gov. Newsoms order Friday expands previous direction issued by former Gov. Jerry Brown in December to test four pieces of crime scene evidence. Browns order allowed analysts to perform DNA re-testing on a tan T-shirt; an orange towel; and the handle and sheath of a hatchet prosecutors say Cooper used in the murders. In this new investigation, analysts will look at strands of hair from the victims hands, blood samples and a green button Coopers attorney Norman Hile maintains investigators planted at the scene of the crime. A retired Los Angeles County Superior Court judge will oversee the investigation. Cooper, 61, has maintained his innocence over the years. His lawyers hope the results of the re-testing ordered by Gov. Newsom, which could take several months, will help prove their clients innocence and finally exonerate him. In 1985, a San Diego County jury convicted Cooper on four counts of murder. At the time of his arrest, he was 26 and an escaped prison inmate. His lengthy criminal record including several burglaries and the rape of a minor in Pennsylvania did not help his case. ADVERTISEMENT Cooper, formerly named Richard Goodman, was born in 1958 near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When he was six months old, he was adopted and renamed Kevin Cooper. During his childhood, his parents physically abused him and he spent a good part of adolescence living in several juvenile detention centers. In 1982, Cooper escaped from a mental health facility in Pennsylvania before moving to California. During his murder trial, prosecutors successfully argued that Cooper killed husband and wife Doug and Peggy Ryen, their 10-year-old daughter Jessica and an 11-year-old neighbor Christopher Hughes. Police found the bloodied bodies in the Ryens home with a total of 143 stab wounds. Joshua Ryen, the victims 8-year-old son, suffered a slash wound on his throat. He was the only survivor of the attack. After Cooperss jail break, investigators found, he illegally stayed in a house next door to the victims. They also say they found evidence in the Ryens home and in the familys station wagon that tied Cooper to the murders. For some, Gov. Newsoms order to broaden DNA testing in the case is being met with dismay. The lone survivor of the murders, Ryen and family, friends and supporters of the Ryens and Hughes all across the state say they are disappointed with the governors decision. Unfortunately, over time it seems the victims desire for justice in this case matters less and less, San Bernardino District Attorney Jason Anderson said in a statement. Prior DNA testing that Mr. Cooper sought, agreed to and claimed would exonerate him have all confirmed Mr. Coopers guilt. Yet persuasive arguments based on conflicting testimonies and allegations of evidence tampering, keep raising reasonable questions about the methods and stories investigators used to nail Cooper. Three weapons were used in the attack, and in sworn testimony, Ryen said he saw three attackers who were White. He later testified that they could have been Hispanic. Further complicating the prosecutions claims, a woman named Diana Roper came forward with bloody clothing belonging to her former boyfriend, who was a violent criminal. She turned the evidence over to the police, but they destroyed it. African Americans, Hispanics and other minorities living in San Bernardino County are not surprised about the allegations Coopers attorneys are making about their D.A.s office. Many of them frequently complain about racial biases and discrimination in the way their cases or complaints are handled. Just last month, a San Bernardino gang prosecutor, Michael Selyem, who is White, resigned under pressure for making crude and racist and comments on social media. His insults targeted former First Lady Michelle Obama, U,S. Rep. Maxine Waters and an unnamed Black shooting victim. Thomas R. Parker, a former deputy head of the FBIs Los Angeles office, believes Cooper. This guy is innocent, he told the New York Times. The evidence was planted, he was framed, the cops lied on the stand. What has kept the case going and Cooper alive is a federal appellate courts decision in 2004 to stay his execution and review the case with more scientific evidence. Gov. Newsoms decision to allow another round of DNA testing comes early in the term of the progressive California Governor whose supporters on the political Left have high expectations. DNA testing should immediately take place to resolve the Ryen case and finally ensure justice is served, Chiang said during the campaign. Not only is it proven that DNA evidence can help law enforcement solve crimes, but testing in this case would come at no cost to the state. Even though Newsoms decision in the Cooper case is bold, he is treading carefully on a potentially polarizing issue that California voters across the political spectrum are watching. He is keeping his focus on fairness and justice with the realization that the convictions of thousands of felons particularly African-American men have been overturned after DNA testing proved their innocence. Especially in cases where the government seeks to impose the ultimate punishment of death, he said. I need to be satisfied that all relevant evidence is carefully and fairly examined. Hyundai Hosts Annual February Is Black History Month Hyundai Motor America (North America) held its annual February is Black History Month celebration at their corporate facility in Costa Mesa, CA. The annual event was created in association with the national Black History Month theme, always planned throughout the month of February. Kory Barksdales mural, a series of scenes about Black life in Atlanta, was featured along with a mini-concert from famed rapper Doug E. Fresh, and, of course, eat soul food. During the month of February, we celebrate Black History Month. It is a time to reflect on the contributions African Americans have made to American society, said Morris, who shared Hyundais principles of diversity and the companys enthusiasm in celebrating the Black experience. William Lee, president, CEO Hyundai Motor America shared his thoughts with the attendees. Diversity is one of my key priorities. I believe we are a better company when we have a more diverse environment. Each of our employees and suppliers brings with him or her, skills and talents that contribute to our collective benefit, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Lee expounded, diversity is not only the right thing to do but it is a good thing to do for our business. We are stronger together. Lee spoke of his experiences in African countries and cultures and summed up his speech with this his favorite African proverb. If you want to go fast, go alone, if u wanna go far, go together. Danny Bakewell, chairman, Bakewell Media and founder of Taste of Soul, expressed his appreciation for the high level of involvement that Hyundai plays in the overall world community and also lauded Hyundai for their commitment and involvement with South Los Angeles. Taste of Soul and Hyundai have partnered for the last two years to produce a Hyundai concert series and free car giveaway each year at the festival. What I like what I see is Hyundai doing. I see the investment that they are making in the African American community; it moves me to say to my community, we should support Hyundai because Hyundai supports us. He continued, No matter community, you live in, we [Blacks] should support companies that support us. Africans are proud people. 99.9 percent are God fearing people. Sometimes we get a blemish from irresponsible news coverage but we all have to work to make a better community, we all have to take responsibility, he said. LA Sentinel Managing Editor, Brandon Brooks interviewed rapper Doug E. Fresh. Fresh is known as the Human Beat Box because of his ability to mimic funky beats by only his voice. The 80s icon gave a hip-hop history lesson by naming the five elements of hip-hop: the deejay, emcee, graffiti, breakdancer, and the beatbox. ADVERTISEMENT Brooks asked Doug E. Fresh the importance of hip-hop on Black American History. Its easy for me to be a Black man because I am a Black man. And I like being a Black man. And I enjoy it, and I enjoy embracing any other man that appreciates their culture as long as everything is respectful and honest, he said. He continued, We have to work collectively to make this world a better place. No one group can make this world better alone. The key is to have love for each individual thing. Fresh even used soul food as an example of collective diversity. Later, he shocked the crowd by performing his best raps and human beats. He even made sure to sneak in a Journey song for diversity sake. All yall are hip-hop you know! ALERT: NAACP Makes Public New Documents About 2020 Census Preparations Commerce Department releases previously withheld documents exposing deficiencies in 2020 Census The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is making public previously withheld documents about the 2020 Census, revealing alarming deficiencies in the federal governments preparations and budgeting for the decennial headcount. The NAACP, together with the NAACP Connecticut State Conference and the NAACP Boston Branch, obtained these records as part of a settlement agreement following a suit brought federal court against the U.S. Department of Commerce, which houses the Census Bureau. The Census Bureau had previously failed to disclose the records pursuant to requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). We remain committed to promoting full transparency in census preparations, particularly in light of the ways insufficient outreach can harm communities of color, said NAACP General Counsel Brad Berry. The quality of census data is central to civil rights issues from voting rights to the distribution of federal funding. ADVERTISEMENT The newly-disclosed documents include briefings for senior members of the Department of Commerce and records presented to oversight and decision-making bodies within the Census Bureau. The documents also include information about the Bureaus spending on advertising, its budgeting process, and its partnerships with outside groups to promote census participation. By releasing these records, we hope to make the public aware of how the Bureaus current 2020 plans can possibly hurt our communities severely and hamper the censuss vital role in American democracy, said Scot X. Esdaile, President of the NAACP Connecticut State Conference. The records confirm that the 2020 Census is at grave risk of going off course. For example: The count of currently deployed military servicemembers may be jeopardized as the Department of Defense will not report data on them to the Bureau under new guidance. This could affect roughly 15% of all overseas military personnel. The Bureau is thus in jeopardy of not having the information necessary to count those who are deployed overseas in the communities in which they live, placing the 2020 Census at risk. The Census Bureau intends to reduce its field staff drastically. The planned staff of enumeratorsfield employees who visit homes in person to count the residentswill be reduced to 400,000, down from the 600,000 the Bureau planned to hire for the 2010 Census. For address canvassing, which updates the Bureaus indispensable address list, the Bureau plans to hire 43,500 employees, compared to 160,000 planned in 2010. Chronic underfunding over the course of the decade, including during the recent 35-day shutdown, has negatively affected preparations for the 2020 Census according to internal Census Bureau documents. The understaffing and underfunding of the 2020 Census remain a source of serious concern, said Casey Gilfoil, a law student intern in the Yale Law School Rule of Law Clinic, which represents the plaintiffs. The Bureau cannot continue to ignore the risks of relying on insufficiently-tested procedures for a once-in-a-decade event such as the census. In June 2017, the NAACP and its affiliates filed a FOIA request seeking internal documents about plans for the 2020 Census. When the Bureau failed to disclose these records, the NAACP brought suit, NAACP v. U.S. Department of Commerce, No. 3:17-cv-01682-WWE (D. Conn. filed Oct. 5, 2017). These documents were released as part of an agreement in partial settlement of the litigation, approved earlier this month by Senior U.S. District Judge Warren Eginton. The NAACP, Prince Georges County NAACP, Prince Georges County, and two individual plaintiffs also filed a lawsuit in March 2018 alleging that the federal governments failure to prepare sufficiently for the 2020 Census violates its constitutional obligations. That lawsuit is separate from the FOIA litigation that led to the release of these documents. ADVERTISEMENT Access the Documents Here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NMEkgqzLSzaonAArnU9nCFV18H7TN-X8 Oprah Winfrey to Interview Michael Jackson Accusers in Post-Film Special LOS ANGELES (AP) An Oprah Winfrey interview with two men who say Michael Jackson sexually abused them as boys will air immediately after a documentary on the men. HBO and the Oprah Winfrey Network announced Wednesday that the special, Oprah Winfrey Presents: After Neverland, will air simultaneously on both channels Monday at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. Thats just after the conclusion of the two-night airing of Leaving Neverland. The networks say the pre-taped interview by Winfrey will be with Wade Robson and James Safechuck, and the films director, Dan Reed in front of an audience of people affected by sexual abuse. ADVERTISEMENT The family and estate of Jackson , who died in 2009, have denounced the documentary and HBOs decision to air it, saying it spreads falsehoods about a man not alive to defend himself. Petition Seeks to End Practice of Charge Stacking Charge Stacking is a term in the legal system thats usually understood when its too late. As noted by the organization, Seeking Justice for the Innocent, the sheer power it carries can be catastrophic, and thus should be a prime fear of all defendants who enter to the mercy of the courts. Charge Stacking has ravaged the lives of so many, and as an example, Quartavious Davis was 20 years old in 2012 when he committed his first offense and received a staggering 1,941 month (162 years) prison sentence without the possibility of parole. ADVERTISEMENT Davis was convictedof participating in a string of armed robberies in the Miami, Florida, area in 2010. His accomplices testified against him, saying he carried a gun during their crimes and discharged it at a dog that chased them after one of their burglaries. But Davis was not convicted of hurting anyone physically, including the dog. The practice of charge stacking is a simple and terribly effective method for prosecutors looking to win cases. As broken down by Seeking Justice for the Innocent, the technique entails finding as many possible criminal counts to stack against the defendant in order to strengthen the core case of the prosecution. This strategy is made wide open to prosecutors, because the main deterrent against stacking charges is the law of double jeopardy. In Blockburger v. United States, the Supreme Court said the government may separately try and punish the defendant for two crimes if each crime contains an element that the other does not. ADVERTISEMENT Therefore, double jeopardy is so weak a deterrent that a person can be convicted of ten counts of perjury when they were perjuring about one thing on ten different days. Turning one crime into many is easily done, and with this in mind a prosecutor can easily circumvent laws of double jeopardy in order to lump, for example, drug offenses with conspiracy some laws like this are broad and easily manipulated to fit many cases gun use, money laundering, and a laundry list of other charges together. At first glance this may not seem so bad. After all, the criminal who gets taken down for serious drug crimes is often guilty of these other charges and probably deserves punishment for them. When charge stacking is without limit, however, lesser criminals may suffer under the weight of this exorbitant practice. Because many victims of charge stacking are individuals of color, a petition has emerged on colorofchange.com that calls on the Department of Justice, Supreme Court, FBI, Congress, Mayors, District Attorneys, Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police to make it a felony to stack false and fabricated charges against all races. The petition seeks 200 signatures and those whove signed thus far have voiced their concern with charge stacking. The corruption must stop, said one signer identified only as Betty C. Innocent people are victimized by stacking false and trumped up charges, Betty C. said. Col B. wrote: Its time for action or we will lose all our human and civil rights. We the people have the power. To view the petition, click here. Police: Pomona man charged in 1990 Inglewood killing of boy did not act alone Police said a Pomona man who was charged with murder on Tuesday, Feb. 19, in the Inglewood cold case kidnapping and killing of an 11-year-old boy almost 29 years ago did not act alone. William Tillett was abducted while walking home from school near the intersection of Imperial Highway and Crenshaw Boulevard at about 3 p.m. on May 24, 1990, according to a news release from the Inglewood Police Department. He was found suffocated to death at a parking structure in a residential Hawthorne neighborhood later that day. Detectives took Edward Donell Thomas, 50, of Pomona, into custody on Thursday as a suspect in the decades-old case, according to inmate records. ADVERTISEMENT Thomas was booked into the Inglewood City Jail following his arrest and later held without bail. Prosecutors filed charges including murder against Thomas on Tuesday. Inglewood Police Capt. Mark Fried told reporters Wednesday that investigators had significant and compelling physical evidence which implicates Edward Thomas in the murder of William Tillett. Chief Mark Fronterotta did not discuss details of how Thomas was linked to the slaying but said it involved old evidence and advanced technology. Investigators said they believe Thomas was likely aided by an accomplice, but did not mention if they had identified other possible suspects. Police asked anyone with information that might be relevant to the case to call Inglewood Homicide Detectives at 310-412-5246. Anonymous tips can also be left at 888-41-CRIME (27463). Southern California Edison Celebrates Black History Month On Feb. 21, Southern California Edison observed its 17th annual Black History Month celebration at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino. SCE recognized the important contributions African Americans have made, and continue to make, to our country and to the world. SCE honored three businesses and company partners for their achievements and contributions to economic growth, service to the community, and participation as education and energy-efficiency champions. The event is an opportunity for SCE to show its appreciation to the communities it serves. Edison believes that when the community thrives, everyone benefits. Thats why it invests millions of dollars and lots of volunteer manpower to local nonprofits. In 2018, SCEs parent company, Edison International, gave an estimated $20 million to community programs that help make a difference in education, the environment, public safety & preparedness, and civic engagement. ADVERTISEMENT This Week in Black Faith History Minister Jarena Lee Minister Jarena Lee was the first authorized female preacher in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Lee, whose family or maiden name is unknown, was born to a poor but free black family on February 11, 1783, in Cape May, New Jersey. In 1790 at the age of seven, Lee was sent to work as a live-in servant for a white family named Sharp. Lee moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a teenager and continued to work as a domestic servant. One afternoon, Lee attended a worship service at Bethel Church where Bishop Richard Allen, founder of the AME Church, was scheduled to preach. After hearing the powerful sermon delivered by Allen, Lee became filled with the Holy Spirit and converted to Christianity. In 1807 Lee heard the voice of God commissioning her to preach the Gospel. She was initially reluctant to pursue ministry, given the male-dominated nature of the church. However, she decided to confide in Bishop Allen and revealed to him her call to preach. Allen told Lee that he could not grant her permission to preach because he was required to uphold the AME Churchs ban against female ministers. ADVERTISEMENT In 1811 Lee married Pastor Joseph Lee, and the couple had two children. After seven years of marriage, Lees husband died. During the course of her marriage and after her husbands death, her desire to proclaim the word of God grew even stronger. This caused Lee to renew her advocacy for women in ministry. In 1819 during a worship service at Bethel Church, a guest preacher began struggling with his message and abruptly stopped preaching. As he stared into the congregation at a loss for words, Lee sprang to her feet and began preaching, picking up where the minister had left off. After Lees sermon, she was afraid that Bishop Allen would punish her for preaching without permission. On the contrary, Allen was so impressed by Lee that he officially gave her authorization to preach the Gospel. Allen asserted that God had called Lee to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Shortly thereafter, Lee began to travel to various cities for preaching engagements and was highly praised for her powerful sermons. In addition to her work in ministry, Lee was also heavily involved in the abolitionist movement and joined the American Antislavery Society in 1839. To share her experiences in ministry, Lee decided to pen her autobiography titled, The Life and Religious Experience of Jarena Lee. She completed her autobiography in expanded form in 1849. The exact date and circumstances of Minister Lees death are unknown. However, the records of Mount Pisgah AME Church Cemetery where she is buried indicate that she died in 1855. Other sources list her death in 1857. On April 8, 2016, Bishop John Richard Bryant, then-senior bishop of the AME Church announced that the Council of Bishops met on Wednesday April 6, 2016 and decided to ordain Jarena Lee posthumously during the 50thQuadrennial Session of the General Conference. Upcoming TV One Drama Loved to Death Explores the Deadly Pursuit of Love Recently, TV One showcased the screening of their upcoming crime-drama Loved to Death starring actors Malinda Williams, MC Lyte, Tobias Truvillion, and McKinley Freeman at the 27thAnnual Pan African Film & Arts Festival held at the Cinemark BHC Theater. Directed by Lee Davis, the film trails the story of Malinda Williams character that believes shes found true love with the right man but ignores warnings from her family about her former lover. Haunted by her past while in the pursuit of true love, Williams character Deborah Ross endures potentially fatal tests that leave her fearing for her life. Actor Tobias Truvillion serves as Williams love interest Chuck Everette in the film and meets his paramour at church. The couple almost instantly falls in love, develop a relationship, become engaged and prepare for marriage until the plot takes an unruly turn. My character comes into Malindas characters life while shes going through some turbulence in her love relationship. Before they get married, some unfortunate circumstances happen, Truvillion stated. And because this happens all too often, where both men and women do not get the proper healing they need after dealing with trauma in their relationships, Truvillion says its time mental health and domestic violence be taken seriously. ADVERTISEMENT I think its important for us to understand that mental health issues, domestic violence, these things happen all the time and that there is a support system, you dont have to go through these things alone, he said. Us as men, as Black men, we have to do a lot of healing. Once we can heal within ourselves and heal with each other and be brothers, then we can come together and support our sisters properly the way were supposed to, Truvillion continued. Grammy-nominated rapper, actor and TV-personality MC Lyte, says knowing the signs of an abuser has a lot to do with self-love and self-awareness. First of all youve got to be aware, youve got to be aware and youve got to have a certain amount of self-love to even understand how it is that you should be treated. First you have to treat yourself well to understand how others have to treat you, she declared. As far as my role in this film, Im the young ladys sister and Ive got my doubts. Oftentimes, even when you have someone that youre close to and you can see where the relationship is headed, you can voice your opinion but sometimes they have to go through it for themselves, MC Lyte continued. Throughout the film, viewers can expect to see raw realities of a woman trying to escape her abuser after ignoring signs from those who care about her the most. Visually, Director Lee Davis says his goal was to to shoot an intimate film and create portraits of people that would be memorable to capture a story that is unfortunately all too real for many people. Inspired by actual events, this true crime story is really pertinent because there are so many women who are facing domestic violence in this Country. We wanted to get the message out that you have to assert yourself; somebody needs to intervene, whether its a family member or a friend, Davis said. Actor McKinley Freeman stars as the lethally abusive boyfriend turned ex-boyfriend Nathan Burris in the film and says he took a humanistic approach toward portraying the role. I try to approach it from a human perspective because when we step outside our doors the world judges us anyway. My responsibility is to be human, so I started with that and then understanding how that changes. My role in this movie is to make people uncomfortable because more often than not the conversation that needs to happen is avoided. For me personally, Ive had friends whove lost their lives to domestic violence. Its an uncomfortable topic but its a topic; everything is uncomfortable until you talk about it so hopefully the performance in this movie helps accelerates that conversation, he continued. We also caught up with Noelle Bellinghausen who portrays the officer that arrests Burris in the film. Bellinghausen says that its important to speak up when someone we know is enduring abuse of any kind. I think sometimes in our community we tend to not want to get in peoples business, we dont want to rub people the wrong way or stir the pot but I do think you save lives when you talk about it, she stated. ADVERTISEMENT Overall, Director Lee Davis says that while there is no quick solution, he hopes the film will cause victims and abusers to get help. Getting out sounds easy when youre not on the inside, so this journey helped me understand how difficult it can be for someone to extricate themselves from the situation. Realistically, I hope that we inspire people to make that move, he continued. Viewers can expect to see Loved to Death premiering this summer on TV One. To see exclusive interviews with the cast, visit www.lasentinel.net. Wesson Expands Destination Crenshaw to Obama Blvd Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson announced plans on Tuesday to expand the innovative Destination Crenshaw Project celebrating African-American culture north to Obama Boulevard from its current terminus at West Vernon Avenue. Wessons legislation calls for plans to be developed to engage Destination Crenshaw, the non-profit organization spearheading the project, in the necessary visioning, planning, and design studies that would be required to extend and expand this important cultural project. The Crenshaw corridor is the hub of our Citys rich African-American history and culture, said Wesson. It is only fitting to expand Destination Crenshaw, a project chronicling this rich history and culture, north to Obama Boulevard in honor of our first African-American President. ADVERTISEMENT The motion was seconded by Marqueece Harris-Dawson, the Councilmember from Council District 8, whose district houses the current plan, and will be voted on by the full Council next week. If passed, the Council Presidents motion would nearly double the length of the plan. Currently the project is planned to run for 1.3 miles, flanking the Crenshaw Boulevard corridor of the new Crenshaw/LAX Line through Hyde Park. The Destination Crenshaw project is a community-inspired open air art and cultural experience, designed to be a living celebration of world class contributions of Los Angeles African-American community. Brought to life by Councilmember Harris-Dawson, the project will use Crenshaw Boulevard as a backdrop for this innovative project which honors and celebrates the cultural, social, and political contributions of the Citys African-American community. As Harlem was once the center of the Black art and culture, today South Los Angeles stands proudly as the leader. The communitys distinctive vision for Destination Crenshaw enjoys broad public and private support and plans are under way to unveil the completed art and cultural experience in Spring 2020. Will Reparations Become Democrats Campaign Theme? A new refrain could be taking center stage during the 2020 Presidential Campaign. Senators Kamala Harris of California and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, both 2020 presidential candidates, said they support reparations for African Americans to redress the legacy of the slavery. The senators statements came as many are observing the 500thanniversary of the transatlantic slave trade and the 400th year since the first African was brought to Virginia. ADVERTISEMENT I think that we have got to address that again. Its back to the inequities, Harris said during in an interview with The Breakfast Club radio show. America has a history of slavery. We had Jim Crow. We had legal segregation in America for a very long time, she said. Harris continued: We have got to recognize, back to that earlier point, people arent starting out on the same base in terms of their ability to succeed and so we have got to recognize that and give people a lift up. When she told the radio shows host, Charlamagne Tha God, that Livable Incomes for Families Today, the Middle Class Act tax cut plan is one way to address the rising costs and the inequities of living in the U.S., the host asked if her comments were about reparations. Yes, Harris said. She also noted the systemic racism in the criminal justice system. ADVERTISEMENT We have a problem with mass incarceration in particular of Black and Brown men, Harris said. There is no question that no mother or father in America should have to sit down when their son turns 12 and start having the talk with that child about how he may be stopped, arrested or killed because of the color of his skin, she said, addressing police brutality. Warren also said she supported reparations for both African Americans and Native Americans. America has an ugly history of racism, Warren said after addressing Democrats at an annual state dinner in New Hampshire, according to The Boston Globe. We need to confront it head-on. And we need to talk about the right way to address it and make change. Warren later expanded on her ideas for Native American reparations in a statement, writing that, tribal nations have unique interests, priorities and histories, and should not be treated monolithically. I fully support the federal government doing far more to live up to its existing trust and treaty responsibilities and that includes a robust discussion about historical injustices against Native people. She continued: Tribal nations have a government-to-government relationship with the federal government, and they deserve a seat at the table in all decisions that will affect the well-being of their people and their communities. Another Democratic Presidential hopeful, Julian Castro, also has said he endorses reparations. A 2017 article in Quartz, noted that to repair this breach, its becoming increasingly clear that reparations for black slavery and its legacyincluding Jim Crowmust be part of the equation. The article continued: Facing what activist Randall Robinson calls the debt to people of African descent, those of us who are low on melanin content (aka white) will have to address the often uncomfortable history of how lighter skin color conferred, and continues to confer, economic advantage. To do otherwise is to live a destructive lie, perpetuating a perverted myth of deservedness that holds back our entire society and each of us individually. As Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote in his groundbreaking 2014 Atlantic article, reparations are the price we must pay to see ourselves squarely. Reparations, he continued, beckons us to reject the intoxication of hubris and see America as it isthe work of fallible humans. An America that looks away is ignoring not just the sins of the past but the sins of the present and the certain sins of the future, Coates said. Thursday, February 28, 2019 Da Lin recently posted Beyond Beholden, a paper tackling a new issue in director independence. Although most corporate law focuses on whether there is a stick a controlling shareholder can use to punish directors if they fail to follow orders, Lin looked to see if she could see any carrots a controlling shareholder could use to lead a director around. This bit from the article captures it nicely: Corporate governance scholarship focuses extensively on the incentives generated by the controlling shareholders ability to retaliate against insubordinate directors. What the literature overlooks, however, is that directors may also be influenced by the prospect of reward. What happens when the controlling shareholder is not angered but instead pleased? The result, it turns out, is often new opportunities or future benefits from the controlling shareholder to the favored directors. Controlling shareholders can direct their resources or those owned by the controlled company in ways that reward friends. Lin's article looks at how controlling shareholders may reward ostensibly independent directors by appointing them to other lucrative board positions under their control. A director who approves a sale of the company may soon find herself out of a six-figure job when the company gets absorbed through a merger. In theory this fact cuts against the argument that the independent director simply approved the transaction to please a controlling shareholder. If the punishment a controlling director could apply would simply be the loss of the board seat--approving the sale has the same result. Lin looks further than others and sees that an independent director might also be motivated by the prospect of future board seats at other companies also controlled by the controlling stockholder. To get a sense about how this works, she looked at recent freezeouts with Delaware targets. Her research found that controllers often reappoint cooperative directors to other firms: I find that some controlling shareholders regularly re-appoint cooperative independent directors to executive and board positions at other firms under their control. 36 percent of the controlling shareholders in my sample have re-appointed at least one nominally independent director in this way. Illustrating this point from a different angle, 20 percent of the directors in my data have served on the board or as an executive in at least two different companies controlled by the same controlling shareholder. In many cases, the director was independent in the conventional sense when he negotiated the freezeout, meaning that he had no ongoing or prior connections with the controller at that time. But after the freezeout closed, he obtained a job at another company that the controlling shareholder controlled. From a directors perspective, these findings mean that he can obtain future benefits from the controlling shareholder if he acts in the controlling shareholders interests. She closes by highlighting the implications for doctrine focused strictly on evaluating whether supposedly independent directors are "beholden" to controllers: Judges and scholars miss half the story when they view independence solely through the lens of beholdenness and retribution. I show that controlling shareholders can and do form repeat relationships with the nominally independent directors who serve on their boards, and the prospect of this patronage can compromise those directors ability to prevent controlling shareholder opportunism. I saw Lin present the paper in 2018 at the National Business Law Scholar's Conference. It changed how effective I thought the "beholden" standard may be as well as how to think about special litigation committees. She was also kind enough to let me steal some slides from her presentation for when I taught director independence. Some of the graphics in the paper may help students or executives get a real sense about these ties. For example, this illustration shows webs of interconnected companies and director relationships: She will be joining University of Richmond School of Law in the fall. https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/business_law/2019/02/new-paper-on-director-indepdenence.html Thursday, February 28, 2019 The Nevada Supreme Court denied a writ of prohibition sought by a hearing master accused of inappropriate conduct on the bench Henry is a hearing master for the family courts in the Eighth Judicial District Court (EJDC) of Nevada. On October 10, 2016, Henry presided over a hearing in the juvenile court for EJDC, wherein she allegedly acted inappropriately. Four days later, Judge William Voy informed Henry that he had consulted with Presiding Judge Charles Hoskin and Chief Judge David Barker. Judge Voy had listened to the recording of the hearing, and the three determined that Henry's actions were improper. They administered a one-week suspension without pay. On October 10, 2017, the Commission filed a formal statement of charges for Henry's conduct. Henry is challenging the Commission's jurisdiction. The court held that hearing masters are subject to its disciplinary authority Henry's argument is unpersuasive because the authorities cited are inapposite to her proposition that the Commission was not created with the intent to have jurisdiction over hearing masters. The case is JENNIFER HENRY, Petitioner, vs. NEVADA COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL DISCIPLINE, Respondent. (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2019/02/the-nevada-supreme-court-henry-is-a-hearing-master-for-the-family-courts-in-the-eighth-judicial-district-court-ejdc-of-nev.html Gankhuyag Natsag, also known as Ganna, spends his time spreading Mongolian culture around the world. He does so by creating special masks. The masks are representations of characters that appear in traditional Buddhist dances known as Tsam. The Tsam tradition dates back to Tibet in the 600s. It did not get to Mongolia until 1811. About 120 years later, the government of the former Soviet Union banned religious activities in Mongolia. Ganna says the Soviets destroyed more than 800 temples, including many Buddhist objects. He added that a lot of masks were destroyed during that time. Only about 30 masks survived. "I first made the Old White Man mask in 1997. Then I decided to make all 108 masks. It took me 10 years. In 2007, I completed all 108 Tsam ritual dance masks." Ganna was born in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. He came to the United States in 2002. He has been making Buddhist ritual dance masks for more than twenty years. Each mask represents a different character and the part they play. Ganna said, "For example, the Old White Man gives people long life. He is knowledgeable and has wisdom to offer people. When I wear the mask, when I am dancing, I try to tell that story through my movements and dancing." While Ganna recreated the masks, his family and friends helped him by making the characters clothing. He said, "My mother was a famous seamstress and my father was also a very artistic person. I learned a lot from them. I also studied art in school." It takes Ganna one month to create a mask using clay and a material called papier-mache. He said, It takes time. Sitting and making the mask, I think about the character of that mask peacefully inside." Ganna also created a music and dance group called Khan Bogd. The group has performed in more than 50 countries at celebrations, theaters and museums. "I would like to introduce Mongolian culture all over the world, through my art and through my masks. That's one of my biggest goals. We need to preserve our culture." Ganna has a dream project called the World Peace Pagoda. He hopes to build large peace education centers, one in Mongolia and another near Washington, D.C. He said, "If people are enjoyable and peaceful in themselves...outside our world will be peaceful." Im Jonathan Evans. June Soh reported this story for VOA News. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story decoration n. something that is added to something else to make it more attractive mask n. a covering for your face or for part of your face seamstress n. a woman who sews clothes, curtains, etc., as a job unique adj. used to say that something or someone is unlike anything or anyone else character n. a person who appears in a story, book, play, movie, or television show temple n. a building for worship American President Donald Trump was all smiles as he greeted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday in Hanoi, Vietnam. The two leaders met for the second time to talk about economic measures against North Korea and its nuclear weapons program. The two exchanged handshakes in front of American and North Korean flags before holding their one-on-one talk at the Metropole Hotel. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney later joined Trump for dinner with the North Korean leader. Kim was joined by Kim Yong Chol, the vice chairman, and Ri Yong Ho, the foreign minister. As the dinner began, Trump said, A lot of things are going to be solved I hope. He added, I think it will lead to a wonderful, really a wonderful situation long-term. Kim said, We have met again here and I am confident that we can achieve great results that everyone welcomes. Trumps attention is back in Washington But, the events in Hanoi did not fully take the presidents attention away from Washington, D.C. There, his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, was answering questions from Congress about his time working for Trump. Just before his meeting with Kim, Trump wrote on Twitter, Michael Cohen was one of many lawyers who represented me (unfortunately). He had other clients also. He was just disbarred by the State Supreme Court for lying & fraud. He did bad things unrelated to Trump. He is lying in order to reduce his prison time. Hours later, Cohen spoke under oath before a committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was called to speak by Democratic lawmakers, over Republican objections. Cohen told lawmakers that Trump directed him to lie about plans to build a skyscraper in Moscow, Russia. Cohen said Trump knew about the project, as he represented him in negotiations with Russia during the 2016 presidential election campaign. Cohen has already admitted to lying to Congress about the project. Also on Wednesday, Cohen claimed that Trump knew about his advisers contact with WikiLeaks during the presidential campaign. Cohen said he was in Trumps office in July 2016 when longtime adviser Roger Stone called Trump on the phone. He said Stone told them about WikiLeaks plan to release emails that were meant to damage Hillary Clintons campaign. Cohen did not present any evidence of this, however. Clinton was Trumps Democratic opponent in the 2016 presidential race. Cohen said he does not have direct evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. He said he suspects there was collusion, however. Cohen claimed he witnessed a conversation between Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr. Cohen said he believes the two talked about a 2016 meeting at Trump Tower in New York City. The meeting involved the younger Trump, the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner, his campaign manager Paul Manafort and a Russian lawyer with ties to the Russian government. Cohen said Trump often told him that Donald Trump Jr. had the worst judgment of anyone in the world and he would never set up any meeting of any significance alone and certainly not without checking with his father. Last year, Cohen admitted guilt to violating campaign finance rules by paying off two women who said they had relationships with Trump. Federal lawyers in New York have said Trump directed Cohen to arrange the payments in exchange for promises from the two women to stay quiet. On Wednesday, Cohen told Congress that Trump personally signed checks to repay him. He showed the House committee a copy of a check for $35,000 dated August 1, 2017. At that time, Trump was already president. At one time, Cohen said he would take a bullet for Trump while serving as his personal lawyer. But on Wednesday, he told Congress, I am ashamed of my weakness and misplaced loyalty, of the things I did for Mr. Trump in an effort to protect and promote him. Cohen added, I have lied, but Im not a liar. I have done bad things, but Im not a bad man. I have fixed things, but I am no longer your fixer, Mr. Trump. Hai Do wrote this story for Learning English based on reporting from VOA, the Associated Press and Reuters. Ashley Thompson was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story confident - adj. certain that something will happen disbar - v. to take away the right of a lawyer to work in the profession fraud - n. the crime of using dishonest methods to take something valuable from another person under oath - n. having made a formal promise to tell the truth skyscraper - n. a very tall building in a city collusion - n. secret cooperation for an illegal or dishonest purpose pay off - v. to give something valuable (like money) in return for doing something illegal or dishonest loyalty - n. the quality of showing complete support for someone promote - v. to help someone or something The Mobile World Congress, or MWC, is the worlds largest yearly event for showing new smartphones and related products. This weeks four-day gathering in Barcelona, Spain introduced some interesting new phones and looked to the future of 5G wireless technology. MWC Barcelona One of the most talked about happenings at MWC Barcelona was the launch of a new foldable smartphone. Chinas Huawei launched the device days after South Koreas Samsung officially launched its own foldable phone model. Representatives of both companies showed off their devices. But MWC Barcelona attendees were not permitted to touch or test the new products. The launches marked a first for the mobile industry. They are the first devices designed to combine a smartphone and a tablet. Technology experts see such development as an attempt by manufacturers to present a completely new mobile invention after years of only minor phone innovations. The hope is that people will be excited by the new devices and that, in turn, demand and sales will rise. However, most experts expect the market for a foldable phone to be very limited, especially in the beginning. One major issue for buyers will be cost. Both Samsung and Huawei have priced their foldable models far above any other smartphones. Mate X and Galaxy Fold Huaweis new foldable phone is called the Mate X. It will sell for about $2,600 when it goes on sale later this year. Samsungs Galaxy Fold is priced at nearly $2,000 and is expected to be available in late April. Both devices are designed to work as a smartphone when closed, but as a tablet when opened. The Galaxy Fold has the tablet on the inside of the fold, while the Mate Xs tablet covers the outside of the device. Both models have a traditional smartphone face that operates independently of the tablet. The Mate X display covers the whole outside, so both the front and back faces can be used for phone operations at the same time. Huaweis Mate X has a larger display than the Galaxy Fold for both phone and tablet operations. The Mate X also folds flatter than the Galaxy Fold. Both models will come in 5G versions. Several companies also introduced devices designed to work with 5G, the next generation of wireless technology. Some used MWC Barcelona to describe their plans for launching 5G devices and service. In the United States, some companies plan to launch 5G in major cities by this year. HoloLens 2 Another product introduced in Barcelona was Microsofts new HoloLens 2 augmented reality headset. Augmented reality devices project images as holograms onto a users real-life field of sight. While such devices have traditionally been popular with video gamers, the latest headset seems more designed to help people with their work. Microsofts first HoloLens was launched in 2016. Since then, the company has been working to create improvements that users wanted to see. The result is a product that Microsoft claims provides a more immersive experience and fits better on the head. During a demonstration at MWC Barcelona, Microsoft showed off the HoloLens 2s ability to closely follow eye movements. The presentation also showed how users can feel as though they can actually touch and interact with the holograms. Examples showed a users ability to play a hologram musical instrument or change the settings of a piece of industrial equipment. The technology can be used to guide workers through complex industrial or medical processes. It can also be used in office settings to help employees all over the world digitally cooperate on projects as if they were in the same room. In a statement, Microsoft said it looks forward to many more workers using HoloLens 2 to help perform their jobs better and more safely. From construction sites to factory floors, from operating rooms to classrooms, HoloLens is changing how we work, learn, communicate and get things done, the company's statement said. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from the Associated Press, Reuters and online sources. was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Quiz - Foldable Phones and More: Top Tech at Mobile World Congress Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story foldable adj. able to be folded (bended in two so that one part lies flat on top of the other) tablet n. small computing device that is controlled by touching the screen or by using a special pen innovation n. a new idea or method that is being tried for the first time, or the use of such ideas or methods display n. the area where information and operations are shown on an electronic device project v. show an image or film on a screen or a wall hologram n. a computer-generated image, made of light, in which objects appear to move instead of being flat immersive adj. seeming to surround a person, audience, etc. so that they feel completely involved in something interact v. to talk and do things with other people digitally adv. using or relating to electronic signals and computer technology site n. place where something happens Some young American rabbinical students have added a new activity to the year of study in Israel. In the past, students would visit holy sites, learn Hebrew and read religious books. But these students are also reaching out to Palestinians. Tyler Dratch is a 26-year-old rabbinical student at Hebrew College in Boston. He spoke to The Associated Press as he was planting olive trees with about 24 other students in the Palestinian village of At-Tuwani in the southern West Bank. The only Jews that Palestinians there usually see are Israeli soldiers or nationalist settlers. Before coming here and doing this, I couldnt speak intelligently about Israel, Dratch said. Were saying that we can take the same religion settlers use to commit violence, in order to commit justice, to make peace. Dratch did not want to be mistaken for a settler. He covered his Jewish skullcap with another hat. He followed the group to see messages that villagers say settlers left last month: Death to Arabs and Revenge painted in Hebrew on rocks and several uprooted olive trees. This years study program also includes a visit to the West Bank city of Hebron, where there is a lot of anti-Israeli anger. The students will also visit an Israeli military court that tries Palestinians and a meeting with an activist from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, which is under an Israeli blockade. The program is run by Truah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, an organization of rabbis based in the U.S. Most of Truahs membership, and all students in the program, are connected to the Reform, Reconstructionist and Conservative Jewish movements. These represent the more liberal side of Judaism that makes up the majority of American Jews. In Israel, these movements are mostly ignored. Israeli rabbis of the Orthodox group control religious life in the country. The Truah program is in its seventh year. It adds to the students usual studies of Hebrew, religion and Jewish Israeli society. Though the program is not required, Truah says about 70 percent of the visiting American rabbinical students from the liberal branches of Judaism take part. The year-long program looks at Israels occupation of the West Bank and reported human rights abuses inside Israel. Truah says its visits to the West Bank are not just single acts of community service. Students are expected to share their experiences within the Jewish community when they return home. Rabbi Ian Chesir-Teran is Truahs rabbinic educator in Israel. He says the program is designed is to push the students, in his words, so they invite their future rabbinates to work toward ending the occupation. On this day, the students were going to the Palestinian villages of At-Tuwani and Ar-Rakkes in Area C, which in under total Israeli control. Palestinian villagers guided the group to their olive trees. The trees are an ancient Palestinian symbol and a more recent victim in the struggle for land with Israeli settlers. Israeli security officials reported a sharp rise last year in settler violence against Palestinians. Yishai Fleisher is a spokesman for the settlers. He blamed attacks on the anger of each side in the West Bank. As Israeli soldiers watched from a hill, Palestinians and Jews planted olive trees in holes left by settlers who had destroyed old trees. Tyler Dratch said he grew up in Pennsylvania during the years of the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s. My religious education was fear of Palestinians, he said. But in college, Dratchs ideas about Israel changed. Dratch says he still supports Israel, but is against its policies in the West Bank. I realized I could be Zionist without turning my back on my neighbor, on Palestinians, he said. With hundreds of young American rabbis sharing such ideas, some in Israel are worried. Yossi Klein Halevi is with the Shalom Hartman Institute, a research center in Jerusalem. He said he worries that intense desire for social justice may lead to extreme politics among future American Jewish leaders. Israel is to hold elections in April. Public opinion studies suggest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his religious, nationalist allies will win the voting. Studies in the U.S. show younger American Jews are more peaceful toward Palestinians and supportive of religious pluralism. Two weeks after visiting At-Tuwani, the group learned that 25 of the 50 trees they had planted had been removed. Settlers are suspected. They plan to replant --- again. Im Dorothy Gundy. And I'm Susan Shand. The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted the AP report for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story rabbinical adj. relating to the writings and teaching of rabbis, Jewish holy men revenge n. the act of doing something to hurt someone because that person did something that hurt you prosecute v. to hold a trial against a person who is accused of a crime to see if that person is guilty allege v. to accuse without proof covet v. to desire pluralism n. a situation in which people of different social classes, religions, races, etc., are together in a society but continue to have their different traditions and interests Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was declared the clear winner of the countrys presidential election on Wednesday. Top opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar has rejected the election results. The former vice president said he would try to overturn the decision in court. Buhari is nearing the end of his first term as president. During the election campaign, he appealed to voters to give him another chance to repair the countrys weak economy. Abubakar, a billionaire, offered campaign promises to make Nigeria work again. Two major issues in Nigeria are insecurity and corruption. Many people are tired of politicians becoming rich in office. The former military dictator appeared to profit in the vote from his public image of having strong morals. Buhari spoke after the election results were announced. I would like to make a special appeal to my supporters not to gloat. Victory is enough reward for your efforts, he said. The president also said he regretted the loss of many lives in violence before the voting. Buhari promised that his administration will strengthen efforts in security, economic growth and fighting corruption. In a prepared statement, Abubakar said he would have conceded within seconds if the vote had been free and fair. But he noted reports of cheating and problems in many of the countrys 36 states. Abubakar said that voting was suppressed in parts of the south, where he has many followers. He also said that states threatened by an extremist militancy had much higher voter turnouts than in peaceful ones. He was also angry about the deployment of the military in some areas. Election observers from the Civic Media Lab found that Borno State reported a 13 percent increase in voters. Borno is the state most affected by extremist violence. Legal challenges to election results are not new in Nigeria. Buhari fought earlier election losses for months without success. The Supreme Court of Nigeria has never overturned a presidential election. The presidents followers and aides said they expected a challenge. Theres no opposition that will roll over and play dead, said Hameed Ali, a member of Buharis ruling party. The presidents supporters began dancing in the streets of Abuja on Tuesday night as vote counting showed him leading Abubakar by nearly 4 million votes. Buhari received 15.1 million votes, or 55 percent, election officials said. Abubakar received 11.2 million, or 41 percent. Buharis party rejected Abubakars claim that the results were false. It called on Abubakar to accept his defeat. Let this nation move forward, a campaign spokesman told The Associated Press. Many Nigerians have prayed for peace during the long election campaign. Some people recalled the 2015 election, when President Goodluck Jonathan confirmed his loss to Buhari before official results were announced. It was the first defeat of a president seeking reelection in the countrys history. Now Nigerians are getting prepared for a court fight. Im Susan Shand. The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted the AP report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story challenge v. to say or show that (something) may not be true, correct or legal gloat v. to show in an improper or selfish way that you are happy with your own success or another person's failure reward n. something that is given or received for something that has been done or that is offered for something that might be done concede v. to say that you accept or do not deny the truth or existence of something Air Dynasty crash in Nepal raises a questionagainwhy so many choppers are going down in the country At least 19 fatal crashes of helicopters have taken place across the country since the aviation authorities started keeping records in 1966. scholarship, news and new ideas in legal history These Catalan lamb skewers, seasoned with a marinade made with garlic, paprika, and cumin and served with a spicy pepper and sofregit sauce and a cooling cucumber-yogurt salad, are an authentic tapas or entree. Who doesnt love food on a stick? These Catalan lamb skewers take their gentle heat from a Moroccan-inspired marinade of paprika, garlic, and cumin, which is a nod to the northern African influence on much of southern Spains cuisine. Theyre embellished with a spoon-licking-good Spanish pepper sauce and then counter-punched with a cooling cucumber-yogurt salad that hints of the Middle East. Whether served as tapas (or, as happened with us, intended as tapas but turned into dinner when we just couldnt stop polishing them off), this is our sorta fusion food.Jenny Howard Whats the difference between skewers and pinxos? Technically, these Catalan lamb skewers arent skewers. Theyre instead referred to as pinxo moru, at least in Catalonia, which runs along the northeast edge of Spain bordering the Mediterranean. Here pinxos are, more often than not, skewered foods displayed in Catalan bars for guests to nibble while drinking, explains author Daniel Olivella. Traditionally, the bartender keeps track of how much to charge you by how many skewers you leave on the bar. These pinxo moru are a bit larger than other pinxos, similar to a kebab. As one of our testers said, call these little offerings what you will. Skewers, kebabs, brochettes, or pinxos moru. Were just going to be over here calling them perfectly delicious. Catalan Lamb Skewers These Catalan lamb skewers, seasoned with a marinade made with garlic, paprika, and cumin and served with a spicy pepper and sofregit sauce and a cooling cucumber-yogurt salad, are an authentic tapas or entree. Who doesnt love food on a stick? Daniel Olivella Prep 1 hr Cook 4 hrs Total 5 hrs Entrees Spanish 4 to 8 servings 508 kcal 5 from 1 vote Print Recipe Equipment 8 to 10 skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes if wooden Ingredients US Metric For the lamb skewers 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro leaves 2 teaspoons paprika 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 garlic clove minced or pressed 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound boneless leg of lamb or top round trimmed of silver skin* (see NOTE below) and excess fat and cut into 1-inch (25-mm) chunks For the pepper sauce 2 dried arbol chiles stemmed and seeded 1 red bell pepper roasted , stemmed, and seeded 1 cup homemade sofregit or store-bought sofrito 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon ground cumin Kosher salt For the cucumber-yogurt salad 1/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (not Greek-style) 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves Kosher salt 1/2 medium (5 oz) English cucumber peeled, any seeds removed, and thinly sliced on the diagonal Directions Make the lamb skewers In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the cilantro, paprika, salt, cumin, garlic, lime juice, and olive oil. Add the lamb and shake to coat. Press the air out of the bag, seal, and toss in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight. If using wooden skewers , soak them in water at least 1 hour before grilling. Make the pepper sauce Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the chiles, remove the pan from the heat, and let stand until the chiles are soft, about 20 minutes. Transfer the drained chiles to a blender or food processor. Add the roasted red pepper, sofregit, olive oil, lime juice, and cumin and season generously with salt. Pulse until the mixture is smooth and very thick. Make the cucumber-yogurt salad In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, mint, and a generous pinch salt. Add the cucumber and toss to coat. Use immediately or chill for up to 3 hours. Assemble the Catalan lamb skewers Place a grill pan over medium heat or prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium heat. Remove the lamb from the marinade and thread 4 to 5 pieces on each skewer. Grill the skewers, turning once, until the meat is charred in spots and the desired degree of doneness, about 8 minutes for medium-rare. Divvy the cucumber yogurt salad among plates and top with the skewers. Drizzle the pepper sauce over the skewers and salad and pass any extra pepper sauce on the side. Print Recipe Notes *Note: How To Remove Silver Skin The silver skin is the thick, shiny, opaque membrane that covers some cuts of meat. It can keep a rub or marinade from penetrating the meat and its also unpleasant to chew. To remove it, use a sharp knife to make a small cut through the silver skin at one end of your cut of lamb. Then insert the tip of a sharp knife between the membrane and lamb and angle the blade slightly toward the silver skin. Use a paper towel in the other hand to grasp the slippery silver skin and pull it away from the meat as you carefully slide the blade against the silver skin, slowly working your way along the length of the cut of meat. Trim any other bits of silver skin that remain. Show Nutrition Serving: 1 skewer Calories: 508 kcal (25%) Carbohydrates: 35 g (12%) Protein: 20 g (40%) Fat: 32 g (49%) Saturated Fat: 6 g (38%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g Monounsaturated Fat: 21 g Cholesterol: 48 mg (16%) Sodium: 1504 mg (65%) Potassium: 385 mg (11%) Fiber: 2 g (8%) Sugar: 2 g (2%) Vitamin A: 1167 IU (23%) Vitamin C: 44 mg (53%) Calcium: 47 mg (5%) Iron: 4 mg (22%) Recipe Testers Reviews Originally published February 28, 2019 Recipe 2018 Daniel Olivella. Photo 2018 Johnny Autry . All rights reserved. All materials used with permission. If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. When Google first launched Chrome OS, it was only able to run web apps. A few years ago the company added support for Android apps. And last year Google introduced Crostini, a tool that allows you to install and run Linux applications on a Chromebook. For the most part, it works as promised allowing you to run apps like GIMP, LibreOffice, or even software that you would use to write code on a Chromebook. But because the way Linux apps work on Chrome OS (in a virtual machine thats somewhat isolated from the rest of the operating system), there are some features that dont work and some things that are hard to do. This week Google rolled out Chrome OS 74 Dev Channel though, which makes the experience of running Linux apps on a Chromebook a little better. First up, as reported by About Chromebooks, theres now support for audio playback when using Linux apps. Up until now if you wanted to use Linux software to watch videos, listen to music, or do anything else that requires sound, you were out of luck. Theres still no support for recording audio. That means youre probably not going to want to use a Chromebook to record and mix your bands next album or produce your next podcast. It also means you cant use voice or video chat apps like Skype. Google may add audio recording support in the future, but its not expected to arrive anytime soon. Next, one of the best things about Chromebooks is that most of your information is backed up to the cloud so that its tough to lose data. If something goes horribly wrong with a Chromebook, you powerwash it to return it to factory settings, login with your Google credentials, and itll re-load your preferences in a matter of minutes. But up until now there hasnt been a good way to backup your Linux virtual machine, which means that resetting your Chromebook wipes all of your data forever. Now About Chromebooks notes that the Chrome OS 74 Dev Channel release has initial support for backing up and restoring a Linux container. You need to enable a flag first (found at chrome://flags/#crostini-backup), but once thats done, Youll still need to manually create a backup, and youll want to save it to an external storage device or upload it to Google Drive in order to save it if youre planning to reset your Chromebook or if you plan to do some experimental stuff with your Chromebook and might want to restore your Linux apps and files. Keep in mind that this feature is still only available in the Chrome OS Developer Channel, which means that its an early release that may still be a bit rough around the edges. But its a step toward making Linux apps feel more like first class citizens on Chromebooks. Chand party planned for a month before perpetrating attacks: Police sources The Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal had made some clever moves as they hatched the plot to carry out an explosion in Nakkhu, Lalitpur and a series of arson attacks targeting Ncell telephone towers, security sources said. A 37-year-old non-local worker was injured in an industrial accident while working at a construction site located in Cotai. The victim was run over by an excavator that reversed while the man was passing by the back of the vehicle. He was then sent to the Conde S. Januario Hospital. When other workers managed to get him out from under the vehicle, he was in a conscious state. On Tuesday, a 47-year-old local construction worker was also severely injured when he was hit by a falling wire rope while working at the University of Macau. 3 arrested, 4 on the run for theft The Judiciary Police (PJ) has arrested three mainland men for their involvement in a bus theft group. The three suspects were arrested on Tuesday. They have allegedly been involved in five recent theft cases at bus stops, which reported a total loss of MOP102,000. The cases were reported between November 2018 and January of this year. Besides these three men, another four mainland men, who are involved in these crimes are on the run. The thieves committed the crimes at busy bus stops at the Border Gate and San Ma Lou. New leader appointed to Pension Fund Ermelinda Maria da Conceicao Xavier has been appointed to serve as Chairman of the Administration Council of the Pension Fund. The appointment is for a period of two years starting from March 1, 2019. Since 1990, Xavier has been a technician at the Pension Fund. In 1996, she started serving as a coordinator for different departments. She has a degree in business management from Simon Fraser University in Canada. The current Chairman of the department is Ieong Kim I, whose appointment will come to an end next month. China has unveiled draft regulations on gene editing and other potentially risky biomedical technologies after a Chinese scientists claim of helping to create gene-edited babies roiled the global science community. Under the proposed measures released Tuesday, technology involving gene editing, gene transfer and gene regulation would be categorized as high-risk and managed by the health department of the State Council, Chinas Cabinet. The measures follow assertions in November from scientist He Jiankui that he altered the DNA of twin girls born that month using a powerful new tool. The technology, called CRISPR-cas9, makes it possible to operate on DNA to supply a needed gene or disable one thats causing problems. The revelation that it may have been used to conceive children elicited widespread outcry over the procedures ethical implications. Researchers said Hes actions exposed the twins to unknown health risks, possibly including a higher susceptibility to viral illnesses. Gene editing for reproductive purposes is effectively banned in the U.S. and most of Europe. In China, ministerial guidelines prohibit research on embryos that violates ethical or moral principles. Ethical guidelines published in 2003 say that gene editing is permitted for research, but that the experimental embryo cannot be nurtured for more than 14 days. He Jiankui said he edited the babies genes at conception in hopes of making them resistant to the AIDS virus, as their father is HIV positive. His lab was in Shenzhen, Chinas southern tech hub, and he recruited study participants through an AIDS advocacy group. He said his goal was to rewrite DNA before birth to make some children immune to HIV during their lifetime. China immediately halted Hes experiments after his announcement. He also pursued international experts at Stanford and Rice universities, where he had done graduate studies work, and elsewhere, seeking advice before and during the experiment. In an interview with The Associated Press the month before his project was publicized, the 34-year-old scientist said he believed gene editing of human embryos resulting in live births was legal in China because the country has no law specifically forbidding it. Chinas official Xinhua News Agency reported last month that He had breached national guidelines and would be punished for any legal violations. Xinhua did not say which laws He might have violated, but noted that he had fabricated an ethical review. Along with the birth of the twins, another embryo yet to be born reportedly resulted from Hes experiment. All three will remain under medical observation with regular visits supervised by government health departments, Xinhua said. Late last year, Chinas education ministry sent notices to universities requiring self-checks on research related to gene editing. In an email, the ministry told the AP that it called on educational institutions to strengthen management of scientific research ethics and inspect research involving gene-editing technology. Kehkooi Kee, a Tsinghua University researcher who conducts gene editing on stem cells, said the volume of paperwork he must now fill out has increased as a result of being subject to more checks. He [Jiankui] is an irresponsible scientist, Kee said in late December after the Education Ministry issued its notification. I dont even want to call him a scientist he is an irresponsible man. While Hes work was widely condemned by his fellow scientists in China, it has had repercussions for others studying gene editing. It has also become more difficult to get gene-editing research approved, Kee said. The industry will develop at a slower pace, Kee said. The government will be more cautious with research funds, and private organizations, such as charities and startups, will be less likely to invest. Yanan Wang & Fu Ting, Beijing, AP Huaxin Cement Narayani all set for construction of cement plant Huaxin Cement Narayani, a Nepali-Chinese joint venture formed to establish a cement factory in Dhading district is all set to start the construction of the plant. According to Investment Board Nepal, the government agency facilitating the joint venture company told the Post that the foundation stone of the factory will be laid within a few days. A speeding railcar crashed into a barrier at Cairos main train station, causing its fuel tank to explode and triggering a huge fire that left at least 25 people dead yesterday, officials said. Railway officials said the train was speeding and collided head- on with the barrier. At least 47 people were also injured in the accident. Mohammed Said, the head of the Cairo Railroad hospital, said there are concerns the death toll could rise further following the blaze. Other officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to speak to the media. Photographs from the station showed charred bodies lying on the platforms at the Ramsis station in downtown Cairo. Firefighters struggled to get the flames under control. Heavy black smoke rose into the sky as ambulances rushed to the scene. The Ramsis district is among the busiest and most crowded areas of the Egyptian capital. The state railway agency briefly halted all train traffic and ordered the evacuation of the station. Videos from surveillance cameras inside the station showed flames ravaging the station. A video that surfaced on social media showed men and women carrying bags and personal belonging and walking on the rail platforms as the train car crashed and exploded. Another video showed men and women running, searching for exits after the explosion. A man runs back and forth, his shirt on fire, until another man rushes to pour water on him. Egypts Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli said authorities must determine who caused the accident and hold that person accountable. He promised harsh punishment for the culprits. Egypts railway system has a poor safety record, mostly blamed on decades of badly maintained equipment and poor management. Official figures show that 1,793 train accidents took place in 2017 across the country. In March last year, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said the government lacks about 250 billion Egyptian pounds, or USD14.1 billion, to overhaul the run-down railway system. El-Sissi spoke a day after a passenger train collided with a cargo train, killing at least 12 people, including a child. And in August 2017, two passenger trains collided just outside the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, killing 43 people. In 2016, at least 51 people were killed when two commuter trains collided near Cairo. By Maggie Michael, Cairo, AP Heres an idea. Macau could have a hotel called The New Zealander Macau. No casino. Just hills, cable cars and thermal pools all indoors. Slogan: Forget a good hand. Enjoy the best breath. Why? In the future, there is going to be AQI tourism. Travellers who choose destinations not because of sunshine or heritage but the quality of air. I was home in Scotland recently. The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the capital city, Edinburgh, was 34 on the same day that Macaus AQI reached 112, and Hong Kongs was over 130. Lets remind ourselves what these figures mean. An AQI number below 50 is gulpingly great. Between 51-100 is still fair air. 101-150 is bad news for lungs and tongues. Above 151 it would be unwise to gasp in horror. Over 200, the chart is purple. That colour says it all. So, why wouldnt one want an escape from it all to include pollution? The idea of making a purchase decision based on air isnt ridiculous. Three years ago, Australia started selling air, in cans, to the Chinese. The product was called 100% Pure Australian Air. It started as a novelty tourist souvenir, for Chinese visitors to take home a little of Australia. But when sales figures grew, two Sydney businessmen went into production for real. Given there seems to be an air-aware market segment ready to be developed, where could an AQI tourist be persuaded to go? Scotland, for starters. Filled with glens and bens which are, respectively, valleys and big hills. The clean air might have small insects that we call midges but, hey, extra protein. Switzerland. Ultimate mountain air. Pure Alpine goodness. And New Zealand. Their tourist photographs show lakes, glaciers and sounds, against a background of a pristine sky. Lets here return to the idea of The New Zealander Macau. You might be thinking: say what? Given these nice clean countries already exist, why the devil would a hotel be required? Answer: burping cows. A report this week said burping cows are more damaging to the environment than all the cars on the planet. Emissions from both ends of livestock cause methane, a greenhouse gas. Methane contributes to long-term environmental decline rather than daily air quality. But still. If youre a beautiful country with cows, you have a herd issue. Those cows are ruining your air quality pitch. Consider New Zealand. It has natural wilderness but it also has a big, big dairy industry all going hic. Oh dear. And Scotland. Our Highland cattle pose in their ginger woolly coats all over Instagram. And all the while they are creating Glen Methane. Little wonder the savvy Swiss have long had cow bells to mask the burps. Hence the idea of Macau stepping in to build hotels which would serve the AQI tourist sector. minus the cows. Clean air, no bull. Travel aside, there are other reactions to gassy cattle which alarm me. If cows present such a threat to the environment, will what they produce become stigmatised? Like cheese. Or even milk? Is this burp business going to turn a frothy cappuccino into a guilty pleasure? As well as AQI tourism, I leave you with this prediction. A burp offsetting industry will emerge, just as carbon offsetting did a few years ago. Every time you eat or drink dairy, you will be encouraged to purchase burp offsetting credits, to take responsibility for your methane footprint. And its inevitable: Hong Kong is going to have a cool cafe chain which serves burp-neutral milk. And I, for one, shall be disappointed if its not called Cappuccin-moo. The stereotype of artists as eccentric is a common one, and the work of Vietnamese artist Tran Lam Binh seems to support that view. Since 2015 he has turned out painting after painting of Donald Trump. Many can be seen this week in Vietnams capital, Hanoi, where Trump is holding a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Binh has also fashioned a statue of the American president thats almost 2 meters (6 feet) tall, more or less life size. Dont assume Binh is single-minded, however. In 2017, he began diversifying his portfolio of roughly 50 depictions of Trump by painting portraits of Kim Jong Un as well. So this week is kind of a perfect storm for 36-year- old Binh with his two favorite subjects coming to his homeland to discuss peace on the Korean Peninsula. To mark the event, Binh has created about 10 pop-art portraits of Trump and Kim on canvas and paper in bright pink, blue, orange and yellow colors decorated with hearts and the words Love and Peace. Binh said he wont sell the portraits and instead will keep them as a souvenir of the historic event. He may not be turning a profit, but has been reaping a motherlode of publicity as the summit has brought foreign and local media in droves to see him and his work. Binh started painting Trump portraits in 2015 when the American real estate mogul launched his campaign for the presidency. After Trumps election victory, Binh staged an exhibition of his works on a sidewalk near the White House. Binhs style, with garish colors and casual brush strokes, somewhat recalls the paintings of Canadian comedian Jim Carrey, another Trump obsessive. Carreys barbed caricatures, posted on the internet, make no secret of the fact that he is a fierce critic of Trump and his politics. Binh, on the other hand, is a fan. I liked his expression when he was running for president, Binh said. He seemed like the worlds most contemporary artwork. Hes at a relatively advanced age, but very youthful, dynamic, fashionable and with inner strength that shows the greatness of a man who can change the world and so I began my paintings. Binh said he wants to invite Trump and Kim, if they have time, to visit his studio and view his work. I will invite them for coffee and paint portraits of them and give them the paintings as a token with a message of love and peace, he said. Tran Tuan Anh, the owner of the cafe where Binhs works are being displayed, said he hopes Trump and Kim can strike a deal at their meeting in Hanoi. With a message of peace in the city of peace, Im very hopeful that the two leaders will achieve peace for the two countries as well as for the whole world, he said. Tran Van Minh, Hanoi, AP Hong Kongs Financial Secretary Paul Chan unveiled a modest budget that included cash for tech, a boost for healthcare and a hefty handout to clean up the citys public toilets, as he juggled a much smaller pile of cash than he had last year. The economy is forecast to slow this year as the city grapples with weaker property values and the fallout from U.S.-China trade tensions, leading to a more modest range of budget handouts than last year. The economy will grow by 2 percent to 3 percent, Chan said, after the 3 percent pace in 2018. For the final three months of 2018, GDP expanded 1.3 percent from a year earlier. Output contracted when compared with the third quarter. As a small and totally open economy, Hong Kong has been susceptible to economic headwinds over the past few months, as evidenced by notable slackening growth and diminishing confidence of enterprises in the future outlook, Chan said. In his speech announcing the new budget, Chan emphasized caution on the outlook for the global economy and Hong Kong, while looking ahead to enormous business opportunities in close proximity to Hong Kong as a key cog in the Greater Bay Area development spearheaded by China. The Financial Secretary announced the available fiscal surplus this year was HKD58.7 billion (USD7.48 billion) a figure well down on last years HKD149 billion, thanks to a slowdown in the economy in the wake of the U.S.-China trade war and a cooling property market which dented land sale revenues. Still, the figure was higher than Chans original estimate of HKD46.6 billion made last year. These are some of the groups that will benefit from the number crunching and those who have been left out in the cold: Tech startups Chan earmarked HKD5.5 billion for a further phase of development at Cyberport, a hub for startups and a center for Hong Kongs efforts to rebrand itself as a tech leader, as it plays catchup to Shenzhen across the border. He also announced HKD16 billion for refurbishment of R&D facilities at universities as the government attempts to nurture local talent. Healthcare Hong Kongs public health care system has become so stretched that some patients are forced to wait months to see specialists. Chan offered an additional 10.9 percent of funding to the Hospital Authority, taking the total to HKD80.6 billion in 2019/20. In addition he announced HKD5 billion to update medical equipment and boost training, and a HKD10 billion healthcare stabilization fund to prepare for additional expenditure which may be incurred in case of unexpected circumstances. Students Chan announced a one-off grant of HKD2,500 for each student to support learning. In addition, secondary school students sitting public exams in 2020 will have their exam fees paid. The elderly Vouchers worth HKD1,000 were earmarked for the elderly, as well as an extra allowance for recipients of social security. The government earned criticism last month for changes to elderly welfare policies that they later backtracked on. Public toilet users Perhaps taking a cue from Chinese President Xi Jinpings campaign to improve sanitary conditions on the mainland, Chan said the government would spend HKD600 million in the coming five years on upgrading Hong Kongs 240 public toilets, which are often slammed for being smelly, dirty and clogged. Critics, however, say cash must also be put into maintenance and cleaning, and civil education, to stop them from quickly deteriorating again. Tourists and joggers The Financial Secretary set aside HKD6 billion to develop new harborfront spaces popular with tourists and locals alike extending the length of promenades running along Victoria Harbour from around 20 kilometers to 34 kilometers within the next decade. Nature lovers After tens of thousands of trees in the city fell during last years Typhoon Mangkhut, sparking a major cleanup operation, Chan announced a HKD200 million fund to promote urban forestry and tree protection, with one aim being to encourage more students to pursue studies in arboriculture. Electric car owners Good news for electric car owners looking to juice up their vehicles, Hong Kong will spend HKD120 million on expanding electric car charging stations. But there wont be tax incentives for drivers to shell out for EVs this year. Salaried workers Salaries tax and tax under personal assessment to be reduced by 75 percent up to a maximum HKD20,000 for the fiscal year 2018-2019. Last years cut was the same but the cap was set at HKD30,000. The slightly less generous reduction putting the rebate back to the 2016/17 level affects 1.9 million residents. Homebuyers Chan reiterated that the government has no plans to ease existing property-cooling measures. He also poured cold water on expectations that the loan-to-value ratio on mortgages could be eased to help first-time homebuyers. Home prices in the city have fallen about 9 percent from their August peak. Bank balance The Financial Secretary underlined the governments support for a proposal to build housing for up to 700,000 people on yet- to-be-built artificial islands. That idea has been slammed on environmental grounds, and on the basis that it will be a waste of the governments reserves, which currently stand at HKD1.15 trillion. MDT/Bloomberg Nigerias president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africas largest democracy yesterday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession. While many frustrated Nigerians had said they wanted to give someone new a try, President Muhammadu Buhari, a former military dictator, profited from his upright reputation in an oil-rich nation weary of politicians enriching themselves instead of the people. Speaking shortly after the announcement of the official results and as many Nigerians awakened to the morning prayer, Buhari told colleagues that he was deeply humbled by the win. He also said he regretted the loss of dozens of lives in election-related violence. I will like to make a special appeal to my supporters not to gloat or humiliate the opposition. Victory is enough reward for your efforts, said Buhari. He pledged that in his second term, his new administration will intensify its efforts in security, restructuring the economy and fighting corruption. [] We will strive to strengthen our unity and inclusiveness so that no section or group will feel left behind or left out. Supporters began dancing in the streets of the capital, Abuja, on Tuesday night as vote counting stretched his lead from the weekend election to nearly four million votes over top opposition challenger Atiku Abubakar, a billionaire former vice president who made sweeping campaign promises to make Nigeria work again. Buhari received 15.1 million votes, or 55 percent, the electoral commission said in making its official declaration. Abubakar received 11.2 million, or 41 percent. The average national turnout was 35.6 percent, continuing a downward trend. In a failed last-ditch effort to stop the official declaration, Abubakars party claimed that election data had been manipulated and demanded fresh elections in four of Nigerias 36 states. Buharis party rejected the accusations. It also called on Abubakar, who hasnt made a public appearance since Saturdays election, to accept his loss gracefully and concede. Let this nation move forward, campaign spokesman Babatunde Fashola said. Theres no opposition that will roll over and play dead. Anybody that lost an election will always complain, Hameed Ali, the ruling party agent attending the vote declaration, told reporters. The election, once described as too close to call, suffered from a surprise weeklong postponement and significant delays in the opening of polling stations. While election observers called the process generally peaceful, at least 53 people were killed in an attack claimed by the Islamic State West Africa Province extremist group and other violence, analysis unit SBM Intelligence said. It remained to be seen whether Abubakar will follow through on pledges to accept a loss, or challenge the results. A former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, said the troubled election had given the candidates grounds to go to the courts. That route could take months. Many Nigerians have prayed for peace. They were surprised in 2015 when President Goodluck Jonathan took the unprecedented step of conceding to Buhari before official results were announced. It was the first defeat of an incumbent president by the opposition in the countrys history. Jonathan set the benchmark on how electoral outcomes should be handled, Chris Kwaja, a senior adviser to the United States Institute of Peace, a U.S. government- backed institution promoting conflict resolution worldwide, told The Associated Press. Accept defeat in the spirit of sportsmanship. This is a critical vehicle for democratic consolidation. Nigerians were praised for their patience and resilience in this bumpy vote.Cara Anna & Khaled Kazziha, Abuja, AP The Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) has not received any research or development products resulting from the subsidized projects that were approved for funding in 2017. Yesterday, at a press conference on the work report of the FDCT 2018 subsidies approval, the Chairman of the Administration Council, Ma Chi Ngai, disclosed the information when he was questioned by the Times. According to Ma, the FDCT received a total of 89 applications for the FDCT Corporate Innovation R&D (Research and Development) Funding Program. The FDCT approved 19 of the applications, granting a total of MOP24.44 million to the applicants. According to Mas explanation, the funds of 2017 were processed and approved in 2018. Successful subsidy recipients are given a maximum of two years to create a research and development product. The corporate program was first launched in 2017, providing a maximum of MOP2 million to locally registered companies for them to yield such products. Moreover, in 2018, the total number of applications to FDCT funds was 639, with an overall requested sum of more than MOP610 million. For popular science research projects last year, the institution accepted 308 projects, while some 196 masters and PhD graduates benefited from the institutes financing. Also in 2018, the smart city subsidy program considered 44 applicants, of which 13 were accepted and a total of MOP4.15 million was approved. In July 2018, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China approved the establishment of two state key laboratories. Cheang Kun Wai, a member of the Administrative Committee of the FDCT, said that the institution hopes that in three to five years, Macau can have another two state key laboratories. In 2017, the FDCT visited Portugal and signed agreements with the Foundation for Science and Technology of Portugal (FCT) in order to conduct joint programs to finance scientific studies. According to Cheang, a cooperation agreement has already been signed between the two parties and they plan to launch joint projects soon. Following the press conference, an agreement signing ceremony was held between the FDCT and WeBank, Chinas first digital bank founded in 2014. Together, the two parties will explore products within the realm of blockchain technology. The cooperation is expected to offer more convenient identity verification techniques to local residents when they are in need of identity verification documents. Regarding matters of data protection, Ma pledged that no data will leave Macau. A representative of WeBank also claimed that the banks technology will not involve Macaus data, and that, to the contrary, WeBanks technology for identity verification can indeed advance on the legal management of Macaus data. ITV says it is in the final phase of discussions with the BBC to create a new on-demand video platform to rival the likes of Netflix. Chief Executive Carolyn McCall says the service, to be called BritBox, will provide a home for British-made video, offering an unrivaled collection of television box sets and original series in one place. She says ITV and the BBC have a joint vision for the service and are working on a formal agreement. McCall says she anticipates that other partners will be added to BritBox, and we will both speak to regulators and the wider industry about our proposals. ITV, a free-to-air British network, plans to invest up to 25 million pounds (USD33 million) in BritBox this year and about 40 million pounds in 2020. The Swedish prime minister has died after being shot in a street ambush in central Stockholm. His wife was wounded. Olof and Lisbeth Palme were attacked as they were leaving a cinema at about 2330 local time. Mr Palme was shot twice in the stomach, his wife was shot in the back. Police say a taxi-driver used his mobile radio to raise the alarm. Two young girls sitting in a car close to the scene of the shooting tried to help the Prime Minister. He was rushed to hospital but was dead on arrival. Mrs Palme is being treated for her injury, but it is not thought to be life threatening. Mr Palme, 59, and a social democrat, was serving his second term as leader. He believed in open government and shunned tight security. He had two bodyguards to protect him on official functions but frequently walked unattended through the Swedish capital and went on holidays unescorted to his summer cottage on the island of Gotland. His assassination will come as a shock to the Swedes. They have always taken great pride in the fact their prime minister could walk openly in the streets without the security which accompanies other heads of state. Mr Palme will be remembered as a campaigner for the working classes and Third World causes. He was first elected as prime minister in 1969. He became a leading advocate of peace and non violence and campaigned for an end to the war in Vietnam. He saw himself carrying the banner of Social Democracy through Europe at a time when the Right was only temporarily in triumph. He once said: I know that the Thatchers and the Reagans will be out in a few years. We have to survive till then. Courtesy BBC News In context Olof Palmes deputy Ingvar Carlsson was chosen to succeed him as Social Democratic party leader. At the time of his death, Mr Palme had been accused of being pro-Soviet and not safeguarding Swedens interests. Arrangements had been made for a trip to Moscow to discuss Soviet submarine incursions into Swedish waters. A drug addict and social outcast, Christer Pettersson, 42, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder in July 1989. The verdict immediately became controversial as the courts two judges voted for acquittal but six lay assessors disagreed. In October 1989, Pettersson was cleared. Although several witnesses thought they could place him at the scene of the crime, no motive was ever found for the killing. Pettersson died in September 2004. He was reported to have confessed to the killing before his death. The investigation into Olof Palmes death remains open. In November 2006 police recovered a Smith and Wesson revolver believed to have been used in the murder. It was found in a lake in central Sweden. As North Koreas Kim Jong Un is feted in Hanoi, a Vietnamese woman accused of assassinating his half brother at Kuala Lumpur International Airport just over two years ago, faces a potential death penalty in Malaysia. Doan Thi Huong, 30, is accused of delivering the potent VX nerve agent that killed Kim Jong Nam in February 2017. US officials have said the orders came from Pyongyang. There is zero per cent chance that Kim Jong Un didnt order the assassination of his brother himself, said Dr Sue Mi Terry, a senior fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington and a former CIA analyst. Huong and her co-defendant say they thought they were taking part in a prank television show. Whether that is true, they were not the ones with the motivation to kill Kim Jong Nam, Dr Terry said. They were just used. The charges that Huong faces carry an automatic death penalty, though the new Malaysian government has suggested that it will move to abolish capital punishment. The contrast between the warm welcome given to North Koreas leader in Vietnam and the harsh future that lies ahead of Huong shows how complicated diplomacy with North Korea can be and how repercussions for North Korean abuses and exploitation may fall by the wayside as the world tries to realign its relationship with Kim Jong Un for the better. In Hanoi, Huong is little mentioned, but the North Korean leader is everywhere. Even Huongs parents have said that they welcome the summit, telling Japanese reporters that they had hopes that Kim could save their daughter. Professor Andrew Yeo of Washingtons Catholic University, who tracks North Korean human rights issues, said it was ironic that the Vietnamese government was willing to roll out the red carpet for Kim, even though his regime embroiled a Vietnamese national in an international murder plot. Although Vietnam is often taken as a model for North Korea, Prof Yeo said, the country also has its human rights problems. The Vietnamese model also signals to Kim that economic development and investment are possible without necessarily improving its human rights record, he added. Huong thought to have been recruited by North Korean agents while working at a bar in the Vietnamese capital is awaiting the conclusion of her trial in Malaysia. She flew to Kuala Lumpur a week before Kim Jong Nams slaying on Feb 13, 2017. The eldest son of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, the 45-year-old had once been groomed to take over the country himself. He had been living in Macau since 2003 and his sometimes critical stance, as well as his bloodline, made him a potential threat to his brother. Huong and Siti are the only two people on trial for Kim Jong Nams killing. Both have pleaded not guilty; their trial has been extended due to the large number of witnesses and is likely to drag on until at least mid-2019. Investigators do not believe they acted alone: Malaysian officials identified four men at the airport who were probably North Korean agents, but all fled the country shortly after the attack. However, North Korea has denied involvement. Reports said that North Korean officials have informally offered regret for involving a Vietnamese citizen in the killing of Kim Jong Nam. Josh Kurlantzick, a fellow for South-east Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, said that many in Vietnam probably knew little about Huongs case and that the government was unlikely to draw attention to it, due to its own use of the death penalty and pursuit of critics internationally. The government doesnt want to highlight this case, he said. The U.Ss Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has suggested that Vietnam may be a model for North Koreas economic and diplomatic reforms, arguing that the miracle seen in the country could be replicated in North Korea. Such comments worry many activists. If Vietnam serves as any example for the path North Korea should head in, then we should be very concerned about the future state of human rights in the Korean Peninsula, said Francisco Benscosme, Asia Pacific advocacy manager at Amnesty International. Dr Terry said there is little chance that Trump will bring up broader human rights issues with Kim Jong Un in Vietnam, and even less that he will bring up the assassination of Kim Jong Nam. He doesnt care, she added, of Kim Jong Uns thoughts about Huong. Were talking about a man who assassinated his brother. Courtesy The Straits Times CHINAs economy is showing the first signs of recovery after months of slowdown, as stock and commodity rallies lift confidence. But increasing optimism aside, the clouds havent cleared for the countrys economy. CHINA has unveiled draft regulations on gene editing and other potentially risky biomedical technologies after a Chinese scientists claim of helping to create gene-edited babies roiled the global science community. AUSTRALIA The most senior Catholic cleric ever convicted of child sex abuse was sent to prison yesterday and will wait two weeks to learn his sentence for molesting two choirboys in a Melbourne cathedral two decades ago. Victorian state County Court revoked Cardinal George Pells bail. The judge will deliver his sentence on March 13. INDONESIA A court in Bali has sentenced an Australian man and his Indonesian girlfriend to five years and four months in prison each for possessing cocaine. Brandon Johnson, from Brisbane, and his girlfriend, Remi Purwanti, were arrested with 11.6 grams of cocaine separated into 13 plastic bags. MYANMAR A French tourist was sentenced to one month in prison with hard labor, but he is expected to be released in about a week because of time he served while awaiting trial. Arthur Desclaux was arrested on Feb. 7 for flying a drone close to the capitals parliament complex. KASHMIR Pakistans military said it shot down two Indian warplanes in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured two pilots, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals to a level unseen in the last two decades. USA Donald Trumps former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen (pictured), is planning to tell a House committee that Trump knew ahead of time that WikiLeaks had emails damaging to Hillary Clintons presidential campaign. NIGERIAs president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africas largest democracy. While many frustrated Nigerians had said they wanted to give someone new a try, President Muhammadu Buhari, profited from his upright reputation in an oil-rich nation weary of politicians enriching themselves instead of the people. EGYPT A locomotive crashed into a barrier at Cairos main train station at high speed yesterday, causing its fuel tank to explode and triggering a huge fire, leaving at least 25 people dead, officials said. Multi-year contract projects moving at snails pace Even as federal government has allocated necessary funds, majority of the projects under multi-year contracts are moving slowly. Snow, it's not over yet Various places in Kathmandu Valley, including Bhaktapur, experienced snowfall early on Thursday morning following rain all night. Sprucing up for Shivaratri The Pashupatinath temple is being prepared for the Maha Shivaratri festival, which falls on Monday. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Many antibiotic courses prescribed for common infections treated in English primary care (general practices and community services) exceed the recommended guidelines, reveals a study in The BMJ today. Treatment courses were 1.3 million days beyond the durations recommended by guidelines, with most excess days due to treatment for respiratory conditions. Previous studies have found significant over-prescribing of antibiotics in primary care in the UK and elsewhere, write the authors. And overuse of antibiotics adds to increased antibiotic resistance levels, and puts patients at risk of side effects, they say. But there has been little research on reducing antibiotic overuse by cutting back on prolonged treatment. So to explore this, researchers from Public Health England (PHE), University of Oxford, and Brighton and Sussex Medical School compared the durations of antibiotic courses prescribed for common infections in English primary care with the guidelines recommended by PHE in 2013. They used data from general practices contributing to The Health Improvement Network (THIN) database between 2013-2015, including only prescriptions for oral antibiotics linked to one of 13 conditions, including acute sinusitis, acute sore throat, acute cough and bronchitis, pneumonia and acute cystitis. They excluded chronic and recurrent conditions, as well as repeat prescriptions. During this time, 931,015 consultations for the 13 common conditions led to antibiotic prescriptions, making up 20% of the total antibiotics prescribed for any condition. The most common conditions were acute cough and bronchitis (386,972), acute sore throat (239,231) and acute otitis media, a middle ear infection (83,054). The durations of antibiotic treatment were generally not in line with guidance and most of the excess days were due to respiratory conditions, where 80% or more of antibiotic courses exceeded guidelines. But only 1 in 10 (9.6%) of acute sinusitis prescriptions were longer than the recommended seven days. And for pneumonia 1 in 12 (8.1%) of prescriptions were longer than the recommended 7 days. However, more recent guidance recommends shorter durations for these conditions, the authors say. For conditions where guidelines recommended longer durations, the proportion of prescriptions beyond the recommendation was significantly lower than for conditions where guidelines advised a short duration. And although fewer prescriptions exceeded recommended durations for non-respiratory tract conditions, still more than half (54.6%) of the antibiotic prescriptions for acute cystitis among women were for longer than recommended. There was significant under-treatment for acute prostatitis (inflamed prostate) and acute cystitis among men. For example, over half (52.3%) of courses were shorter than the recommended 28 days for prostatitis and nearly a third (31.8%) of cystitis treatments were under the suggested 7 days. This is an observational study and the researchers point to some limitations, including that some prescriptions may have been incorrectly linked to certain conditions in the study. And they can't rule out the possibility that some of their findings may be due to other factors that might underlie decisions to prolong treatment. But the authors say the results were similar when restricting the analyses to patients without underlying conditions. And for most conditions, three quarters or more of the prescribed antibiotics were mentioned in treatment guidelines. The findings indicate "substantial scope" for reducing antibiotic prescribing through better adherence to recommended durations of treatment, they say, but "highlighting the magnitude of this issue is only the first step," they conclude. In a linked editorial, Alastair Hay at the University of Bristol comments on the "growing evidence base informing policy on antimicrobial stewardship." "Both clinicians and patients may need convincing to abandon longer courses of antibiotics, and future campaigns by Public Health England to "Keep Antibiotics Working" could usefully emphasise that when antibiotics are needed, shorter courses are sufficient to kill bacteria and less harmful than longer courses," he concludes. Explore further Duration of antibiotics often exceeds guidelines for sinusitis In the current issue of Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications (Special Issue on Women's Cardiovascular Health, Volume 3, Number 4, 2019, Guest Editor Gladys P. Velarde) pp. 329-348(20); DOI: https://doi.org/10.15212/CVIA.2017.0068 Sonia Henry, MD, Rachel Bond, MD, Stacey Rosen, MD, Cindy Grines, MD and Jennifer Mieres, MD from the Hofstra School of Medicine, Manhasset, NY, USA, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY, USA and The Katz Institute for Women's Health, Lake Success, NY, USA consider the challenges in cardiovascular risk prediction and stratification in women. The authors review existing flaws and limitations in traditional risk models and scores; examining the role of sex and the relative impact of specific coronary risk factors, traditional and nontraditional, and how these affect risk prediction and stratification. There has been an appropriate focus, since the turn of the 21st century, on sex- and gender-specific cardiovascular disease (CVD) as increasing evidence suggests that there are substantial differences in the risk factor profile, social and environmental factors, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of ischemic heart disease in women compared with men. As a result of increased awareness, detection, and treatment of ischemic heart disease in women, there has been significant reduction (greater than 30%) in cardiovascular mortality, and in 2013, more US men than US women died of CVD. Nevertheless, continued efforts are required as CVD remains the leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and death of women in the Western world, and in women younger than 55 years there has been a rise in cardiovascular mortality. In this article, we review several of the contributing factors that continue to cause challenges in accurate risk prediction and risk stratification in women. This article forms part of a special issue on Women's Cardiovascular Health, guest edited by Gladys P. Velarde. Recent decades have witnessed great progress in the treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Due to improved therapies, preventive strategies and increased public awareness, CVD (stroke, heart failure, ischemic heart disease, peripheral arterial disease and congenital heart disease) mortality has been on the decline over this span of time for both genders. Unfortunately, the decline has been less prominent for women, especially women of color. Once viewed as a man's disease, CVD remains the leading cause of mortality for women in the United States and is responsible for a third of all deaths of women worldwide and half of all deaths of women over 50 years of age in developing countries. In the United States, CVD far outpaces all other causes of death, including all forms of cancer combined. The statistics are sobering with about one female death in the United States every 80 seconds from CVD. That represents close to 400,000 deaths per year according to the more recent statistics. Of these, more than one quarter of a million women will die this year from ischemic heart disease (IHD) which includes obstructive and non-obstructive coronary disease, and about 64% of women who die suddenly of IHD have no prior symptoms. Despite a significant number of females with known CVD and increased awareness among women of heart disease as their major health threat, a substantial proportion of women (46% as per the most recent American Heart Association survey) remain unaware of their cardiovascular risk and continue to fail to recognize its significance. This lack of awareness is more profound (over 60% unaware) among women in higher-risk groups, racial and ethnic minorities, and has changed little in decades. Poorly understood sex/gender differences in pathobiologic mechanisms, clinical presentation, management and application of diagnostic and therapeutic and preventive strategies have contributed to this gap. A critically important factor has been the underrepresentation of women in CVD research to date. In fact, only one-third of CVD clinical trials report sex-specific results despite The Food and Drug Administration regulations requiring sex stratification data, as well as the National Institute of Health recommendations of increased inclusion of women in clinical trials. This makes it difficult for researchers and clinicians to draw accurate conclusions about sex differences in mechanisms of disease, accuracy of specific diagnostic modalities and risks or benefits of a particular drug or device for the treatment of women with CVD. Furthermore, physicians and other healthcare providers continue to underestimate women's cardiovascular risk, in part because of utilization of traditional approaches which can lead to over-testing or inappropriate risk assessment without accurate differentiating who is truly at risk and inadequate use of preventive therapies for women. The goal of this special edition Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications is to shed some light on specific topics that dominate the spectrum of CVD in women. Explore further Obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease in women More information: Sonia Henry et al, Challenges in Cardiovascular Risk Prediction and Stratification in Women, Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications (2019). Sonia Henry et al, Challenges in Cardiovascular Risk Prediction and Stratification in Women,(2019). DOI: 10.15212/CVIA.2017.0068 Provided by Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications Many societies stereotype teens as rebellious risk-takers. A new study challenges these stereotypes with a view of adolescence as a time of increasing responsibility and tracks how middle school students respond. Credit: Fred Zwicky In many societies, teenagers are repeatedly told by adults, peers and popular media that teens are more likely than younger children to take risks, ignore their parents, skip schoolwork and succumb to bad influences. But stereotypes are not destiny, a new study of Chinese middle school students suggests. In the study, reported in the journal Child Development, researchers talked with students about the "stereotypes adults hold about teens," then suggested that the teenage years are in fact a time when youth take on greater responsibility. The researchers asked the students to describe specific examples of teens behaving responsibly at home, at school and elsewhere. They tracked how the students thought about teens and how they conducted themselves after this intervention, comparing them with control groups tasked only with describing teen behavior. "We were interested in whether students' stereotypes of teens shape how they navigate adolescence," said University of Illinois psychology professor Eva Pomerantz, who conducted the research with Yang Qu, a former U. of I. graduate student and a professor at Northwestern University; and Guohong Wu, a professor at Fudan University in Shanghai. "Rather than just telling them that teens are responsible, we wanted the students to generate their own examples that they had observed," Pomerantz said. "We wanted them to envision it and for it to be theirs." In the first of two studies, "we found that we can change students' ideas about teens," Pomerantz said. "They were less likely than those in the control group to say that teens are disengaged in school and engage in risk-taking. They also were more likely to say that teens feel it is important to meet family obligations. The students actually saw teens as being more responsible than younger children." This first study involved 124 students from two middle schools in Shanghai, with one control group and one intervention group per school. In the second study, the team looked at 319 students from three middle schools, again with matched control groups. To avoid the possibility that the students were just reporting what they thought the researchers wanted to hear, the team separated the intervention part of the study asking students to describe specific teen behaviors at home, at work and elsewhere from the follow-up testing, which in this case involved the students reporting on their own behavior at the end of the day for the next three days. After asking students to engage in an optional English-language word-search puzzle during a "break between the two studies," a second research assistant introduced them to the second part of the study: the daily reports, which students completed for the three days following the intervention. "After this very brief intervention, we had students in the intervention group saying, 'I paid more attention in school; I took part in more discussions; I did my homework more; I didn't hang out with kids who get in trouble; I didn't lie and I didn't cheat,'" Pomerantz said. The students in the control groups did not report as much constructive behavior in the daily reports, however. The students in the intervention group also did better on the word-search test during the break, the researchers found. Those in the control groups found, on average, about five words in the five-minute test. Those in the intervention groups found about 6.3 words on average, a 26 percent better performance. "We now know that changing students' stereotypes about teens can influence their behavior in the short term," Pomerantz said. "The big question is: Could we develop a program for long-term change?" Explore further Fewer American teens having sex, most using birth control More information: Yang Qu et al. Countering Youth's Negative Stereotypes of Teens Fosters Constructive Behavior, Child Development (2018). Journal information: Child Development Yang Qu et al. Countering Youth's Negative Stereotypes of Teens Fosters Constructive Behavior,(2018). DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13156 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Only a small proportion of cases of a person with dementia going missing are reported to police, according to a new study. Most family carers the wives, husbands and the children of those with dementia would rather not call the police, even though the risks posed to the person with the disease can be high, including death. Their reasons included not wanting to waste police time and being embarrassed at having 'lost' the person with dementia. An estimated 850,000 people in the UK have dementia, with most expected to go missing at least once. Most are found safe, though the risks to them can be extremely high, due to their vulnerability. The research, led by expert in missing people, Dr. Karen Shalev Greene, at the University of Portsmouth, is published in Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice. Dr. Shalev Greene said: "Although this was a small-scale study, this and previous research leads us to believe the majority of people with dementia who go missing are never reported to the police. "It's shocking that some carers worry they'll be in trouble if they call the police for help when a relative goes missing. Perhaps the police could do more to reassure carers the police are the right people to turn to when a relative with dementia goes missing, and they're not wasting anyone's time." The study calls on a wide range of agencies, including GPs and social services, to help carers prevent a person with dementia from going missing. Tactics suggested include door alarms at one extreme, to helping the person with the disease continue to follow a hobby, preventing them from becoming bored. And, finally, the researchers call for better training of police officers to help them work with carers and communities. Dr. Shalev Greene suggests this could be achieved through the adoption of the Herbert Protocol, a scheme named after a WWII veteran George Herbert, which involves police forces collecting information on those with dementia before they go missing, such as having a mobile telephone number and a photograph. The study examined the actions, thoughts and fears of family members looking after a relative with dementia. The 12 carers interviewed lived in Hertfordshire, London, Merseyside, Norfolk, North Lancashire, Nottinghamshire and Surrey. Between them, they'd had 52 incidents of their family member with dementia going missing. Only 10 of those incidents had been reported to the police. There were four reasons carers wouldn't call the police, including mistrust of the police; fear how the person with dementia would react to being the subject of a police search; being embarrassed; and not wanting to waste police time. One carer, who looks after her mother with dementia, said: "If she (was found) upstairs at a neighbour's, for instance, and suddenly she comes downstairs and there's sort of, you know, half the police force there, she wouldn't be happy." She added that her mother was fearful if the police was involved, she would be 'carted off' to a care home. The study also examined what factors made it most likely a carer would call the police, when a relative with dementia went missing. The three reasons were: Wanting to protect the relative from harm; thinking the police could advise on how to conduct a successful search; and expecting the police to be better at searching. One carer, a husband looking after his wife, said: "I got to the point where I didn't know what to do, and so ringing them for advice, what do I do now?" Another, discussing why she was reluctant to call the police if her husband went missing, said: "I'm just anxious that he can't communicate and he might find it quite scary it would be nice to build a relationship with the police locallyso if I said to somebody, here's a picture of my husband, this is him, so that if they're aware and see somebody acting strangely, they don't automatically jump on them, handcuff them or Taser them or whatever else they might do." The suggestion of carers and police officers working together was also discussed in the study, though recognised as likely to be workable only in smaller communities. Explore further GPS trackers can save the lives of people with dementia Credit: CC0 Public Domain New reports that China is using DNA science developed in San Diego County for widespread ethnic surveillance raise ethical questions about who is responsible for how that technology is used. The New York Times reported recently that Chinese authorities are building a DNA database of the country's Uighur minority, a predominantly Muslim ethnic group blamed for a series of terrorist attacks in northwestern China. Since 2016, there have been regular reports of authorities taking blood samples in the Xinjiang region, where ethnic tensions have been rising. The situation has evolved into a Muslim crackdown in China, with nearly one million Uighurs and other minorities reportedly held in "re-education" camps bent on making Muslims more subservient to the Communist Party. There, Uighurs are being forced to hand over genetic samples, which activists worry could later be used by authorities to chase down any Uighurs who resist the indoctrination. Chinese authorities used machines built by Thermo Fisher Scientificalong with American researchto build the database. Thermo Fisher Scientific's DNA sequencing core is based in Carlsbad, where it put down roots after acquiring San Diego's genomics giant Life Technologies in 2013. San Diego-based Illumina, a global giant in genomic sequencing, also has a well-documented relationship with China. Its CEO said last year that China is an important market for the companythe second largest, by country. Last April, Illumina announced it would be working with the Chinese personal-genomics company WeGene to establish a micro-array laboratory in Asia. WeGene plans to use Illumina's technology to expand the collection of genomic data to all of the 56 ethnic groups in China. The recent news of China's surveillance campaign illustrates how genetic technology can be used inappropriately, adding fodder to the long-held concern that fast-moving DNA science carries serious risk. If designer babies weren't a big enough worry for existentialists and futurists, now add to it the potential for human tracking and discrimination based on DNA profiles. But once a technologyor researchspreads throughout the world, who is responsible for its use? It can be something of a conundrum because in some instances, the range of possible abuses can initially be unknowable when a company contracts with a client, be it a foreign nation or a consumer, says Robert Bohrer, professor of law at California Western School of Law and author of "A Guide to Biotechnology Law and Business." For example, he said, does a business that sells hunting rifles necessarily know ahead of time that its customer will use that weapon for turkey hunting as opposed to terrorizing humans? "Companies that sell a tool that is capable of being used in lots of good ways but could be abused do have some responsibility," Bohrer said. "So how do they exercise that, how easy is it for them to police the uses for which their tools are put?" Bohrer said. "I don't think Illumina, for example, should refuse to sell sequencers to Chinese hospitals and health organizations given the great good they can do. If Illumina becomes aware they are being diverted for unethical uses, then they have to respond, but before the fact, how do you put that burden on U.S. companies of deciding that we won't sell our technology?" Thermo Fisher said it would no longer sell its genetic sequencers equipment in China's Xinjiang region where part of the campaign to track Uighurs is mostly occurring. The company said it was "consistent with Thermo Fisher's values, ethics code and policies." It added, "We recognize the importance of considering how our products and services are usedor may be usedby our customers," the company said in a statement. A spokeswoman for Illumina said the company did not have a comment. The question of corporate self-regulation in the age of big data is not unique to the biotech industry. Social media giant Facebook is a frequent target of critics for how it has misused personal data. Recently, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered a probe of Facebook after the Wall Street Journal reported that the company was collecting sensitive personal health information from smartphone apps. No matter the industry, the question remains: What responsibilities do companies bear after their products are released into the world? Academics often find the intersection of politics and scientific research distracting to their mission. They prefer to pursue science unabashedly, letting the chips fall where they may. Ali Torkamani, director of Genome Informatics at the Scripps Research Translational Institute, said genetic science is no more prone to misuse than any other technology. "I think it's important to focus on how to harness these tools for the greater good of humanity rather than holding them back because other people might use them for nefarious purposes," Torkamani said. "Yes, these technologies are powerful and perhaps can be perceived as a threat to humanity. But they also have the power to do good, and that's just as strong." Look no further than new medicines, he said, to see the good in new DNA science. "Cancer is a genomic disease and a lot of drugs that have very good efficacy are driven by genetic targets," he said. To that point, just a couple of days before the news article about China's use of DNA technology to surveil the Uighurs, Illumina was in the news locally for its collaboration with a San Diego doctor to offer its genome sequencing test to Tijuana patients suffering from rare and undiagnosed genetic conditions. Dr. Eric Topol, director of Scripps Research Translational Institute, believes some degree of self-regulation by the scientific community is necessary. "The U.S. vendors should do their best to query use of their equipment (or laboratory chemicals) to avoid any compromise of basic human rights," said Topol, a cardiologist and genomics expert. "While out of their control, they may be able to get a sense for potential misuse." Topol said the use of DNA technology to target a particular group of people is another "dark example" of how scientific innovations can be abused. He noted that it is not unlike the furor that erupted late last year after it became known that a Chinese scientist had genetically engineered human embryos, resulting in the first-ever births of genetically altered babies. No one should be surprised by such revelations as long as there are no strong protections in place to protect people's people's privacy, says Emory Roane of the San Diego-based Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. While Europe and some U.S. states like California have relatively strong regulations, they are not widespread. "The California Consumer Privacy Act, passed last year, doesn't go into effect until 2020, but it will give all Californians the right to demand that businesses tell them what information is collected about them and then they can opt out of the sale of that information," Roane said. "It wouldn't solve this kind of problemthe Chinese abuses of DNA informationbut if a company is acting badly overseas, I can demand that I not work with this business. "Despite the sort of rhetoric that many companies have around privacy and civil liberties, many have shown they are OK in compromising on that rhetoric when they're not in the U.S." Explore further Report: US company to stop sales of genetic tech in Xinjiang 2019 The San Diego Union-Tribune Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. In this April 7, 2017, file photo, people gather at a smoking area in Tokyo. Tokyo is a smokers' heaven. Despite tougher laws enacted last year, smokers can still light up in small restaurants and bars. Tobacco advertising is allowed on television, cigarette packages don't contain graphic health warnings, and tobacco is cheap compared to prices in other world cities. Tokyo organizers on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, announced a stringent ban on all tobacco products and vaping devices. Smoking will be banned at any indoor or outdoor Olympic or Paralympic venueincluding perimeter areas being run Tokyo 2020. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File) Tokyo Olympic organizers have announced a stringent ban on all tobacco products and vaping devices for next year's games. Smoking will be banned at any indoor or outdoor Olympic or Paralympic venue, including perimeter areas being run by the Tokyo Games. Organizers say the prohibition it tougher than regulations for the last two Summer Olympics in London and Rio de Janeiro. In a statement on Thursday organizers said "Tokyo 2020 aims to leave a legacy of improved health for the country at large." Tokyo is still a smoker's heaven. Despite tougher national and city laws enacted last year, smokers can light up in some restaurants and bars. Tobacco advertising is allowed on television, cigarette packages don't contain graphic health warnings, and tobacco is cheap compared to other major cities. In this Aug. 8, 2017, file photo, people gather at the smoking area in Tokyo's Shiodome business district. Tokyo is a smokers' heaven. Despite tougher laws enacted last year, smokers can still light up in small restaurants and bars. Tobacco advertising is allowed on television, cigarette packages don't contain graphic health warnings, and tobacco is cheap compared to prices in other world cities. Tokyo organizers on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, announced a stringent ban on all tobacco products and vaping devices. Smoking will be banned at any indoor or outdoor Olympic or Paralympic venueincluding perimeter areas being run Tokyo 2020. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File) 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Prescribing antibiotics immediately for elderly patients with urinary tract infections is linked with a reduced risk of sepsis and death, compared with patients who receive antibiotics in the days following diagnosis, or none at all. These are the latest findings from researchers at Imperial College London and Public Health England, published in the BMJ. The research team say the results provide further evidence to help GPs make clinical decisions about when to prescribe antibiotics immediately for a urinary tract infections (UTI) and when to defer treatment to see if symptoms improve on their own, to avoid overuse of antibiotics. In the research, funded by the National Institute for Health Research, the team looked at records from 157,264 patients over the age of 65 across England who had been diagnosed by their GP with a suspected or confirmed UTI. Patients had been prescribed antibiotics immediately (87 per cent of cases studied in the research), had antibiotics delayed by up to 7 days (6 per cent of cases), or received no antibiotics at all (7 per cent of cases). Of the patients who received antibiotics immediately, 0.2 per cent developed sepsis within the following 60 days. After taking into account available information about differences in age, gender, pre-existing illness and other personal characteristics, the results revealed that compared with patients who received antibiotics immediately, patients who had their antibiotic prescription delayed or received no antibiotics at all were up to eight times more likely to develop sepsis. The research also revealed that 1.6 per cent of patients who received antibiotics immediately died in the following 60 days. The risk of death over the same time period among patients who had their antibiotic prescription delayed showed a slight increase (16 per cent), while patients who received no antibiotics had over double the risk. The researchers estimated that, on average, for every 37 patients exposed to no antibiotics and for every 51 patients exposed to deferred antibiotics, one case of sespis would occur that would not have been seen with immediate antibiotics. They also found that the rate of hospital admissions roughly doubled (27%) in patients with either no or deferred antibiotic prescriptions, compared with those receiving immediate prescriptions (15%). Older men, especially those aged over 85 years, and those living in more deprived areas were found to be most at risk. The researchers stress this study only shows delayed antibiotics are associated with an increased risk of sepsis and death, rather than causing it directly. They add that patients may also have had other health conditions that the researchers weren't able to account for, which may have contributed to their increased risk of sepsis or death. Lead author Dr. Myriam Gharbi, from Imperial's School of Public Health, said: "Current national guidelines for GPs recommend they should ask patients about the severity of their symptoms, discuss possible self-care, such as drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration and taking paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain relief, and consider a back-up antibiotic prescription to be used if symptoms worsen or have not improved after 48 hours. This is to avoid antibiotic overuse, as sometimes UTIs can get better without medication. However, our research suggests antibiotics should not be delayed in elderly patients." UTIs are common in the elderly and may trigger symptoms such as pain when urinating, or needing to use the loo more often. UTIs are most commonly caused by E. coli bacteria, and if not treated the bacteria can trigger blood poisoning. However, doctors are increasingly concerned about the rise in antibiotic resistancecaused by antibiotics being overprescribed. UTIs are the second most common diagnosis for which antibiotics are prescribed in the UK. Therefore to help clarify when antibiotics should be prescribed to the elderly with UTIs, the research team studied data from 157, 264 patients aged 65 or above diagnosed with a UTI or suspected UTI, between 2007 and 2015. The data was from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, which uses anonymised patient data from both GP practices linked to hospital data, allowing the same patients to be tracked between the two settings. The average age of the patients in the study was 77 years old. Professor Paul Aylin, senior author of the research from the NIHR Health Protection Unit at Imperial, said: "Although antibiotic prescribing must be controlled to help combat the increasing problem of antibiotic resistance, our study suggests early use of antibiotics in elderly patients with UTIs is the safest approach." Professor Alan Johnson from Public Health England who collaborated on the research said: "Antibiotic resistance is a major threat to public health that is being driven by the overuse of antibiotics. Current recommendations suggest healthcare professionals take a number of different factors into account when deciding whether to prescribe antibiotics immediately or consider deferring antibiotics for patients with a suspected urinary tract infection. This study highlights the importance of taking age into account when making clinical decisions about antibiotic prescribing in order to reduce the risk of complications. This work will help doctors target antibiotic use more effectively and improve patient wellbeing." Explore further Are you overdoing antibiotics? More information: "Antibiotic management of urinary tract infection in the elderly in primary care and its association with bloodstream infections and all-cause mortality: a population-based cohort study" BMJ (2019). Journal information: British Medical Journal (BMJ) "Antibiotic management of urinary tract infection in the elderly in primary care and its association with bloodstream infections and all-cause mortality: a population-based cohort study"(2019). DOI: 10.1136/bmj.l525 'The proportion of the economic burden for dengue fever.' While the indirect costs (IC) component is the biggest burden for patients followed by direct non-medical costs (DNMC) and direct medical costs (DMC) in Cambodia, DMC accounts for the highest proportion of the patient's private (out-of-pocket) burden in Burkina Faso and Kenya. It is clear to see that compared to Cambodia, public contribution to the overall DMC is trivial in Burkina Faso and Kenya, meaning that the most of DMC burden must be directly borne by patients. Credit: Lee, et al (2019) Dengue fever is a major public health concern in many parts of South-East Asia and South America and its prevalence in Africa is thought to be expanding. Researchers have now conducted an analysis of the economic burden of dengue fever in Burkina Faso, Kenya and Cambodia. Their results appear this week in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Dengue fever is a vector-borne disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitos. While there are studies on the economic burden of dengue in some countries with high prevalence of the disease, countries in Africa had not previously been analyzed, and cost comparisons between countries are often not standardized. In the new work, as part of the Dengue Vaccine Initiative (DVI) Jung-Seok Lee, and colleagues developed a patient-specific survey questionnaire on the cost of dengue and administered it to patients in six countries in a standardized manner. The survey included multiple interviews to capture both public and private (out-of-pocket costs). Data was previously published on the economic burden of dengue in Vietnam, Thailand, and Colombia; the new paper deals with the cost of the illness in Burkina Faso, Kenya and Cambodia. 414 patients with dengue were identified at the field sites in Burkina Faso, 149 in Kenya, and 254 in Cambodia. The average cost of inpatient care was $26 in Burkina Faso and $134 in Cambodia, while the average cost of outpatient care was $13 per episode in Burkina Faso and $23 in Kenya. In both African countries, the majority of costs were directly borne by patients and the costs were not insignificant compared to the economic cost of malaria, a major pathogen in the areas. "The economic burden outcomes presented in the current study can be used to estimate more accurate vaccination benefits when conducting cost-effectiveness analysis of dengue fever vaccine interventions in the three countries in the future," the researchers say. Explore further Dengue vaccine estimated to reduce disease burden in dengue-affected areas More information: Lee JS, Mogasale V, Lim JK, Ly S, Lee KS, et al. (2019) A multi-country study of the economic burden of dengue fever based on patient-specific field surveys in Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Cambodia. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 13(2): e0007164. Journal information: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Lee JS, Mogasale V, Lim JK, Ly S, Lee KS, et al. (2019) A multi-country study of the economic burden of dengue fever based on patient-specific field surveys in Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Cambodia.13(2): e0007164. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007164 (HealthDay)You're a 14-year-old transgender boy who has opted to block normal female puberty before it can begin. What happens if you and your parents decide to preserve some of your eggs, in case you want to have children later in life? In this real-life case, doctors were able to retrieve and freeze four viable eggs from the patient, who was born a girl, but identified as male. The findings were published in a report in the Feb. 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The process was anything but simple, as hormone blockers being used to halt female puberty clashed with fertility medications used to stimulate egg production. The teen wound up experiencing menstruation for the first time and some slight breast development, a "distressing" side effect for a person who identifies as male, his doctors said. "He and mom had been warned this would likely happen," said report author Dr. Selma Witchel, director of pediatric endocrinology with UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, who has been overseeing his hormone therapy. "I think when it happened, even though he was prepared for it, it was shocking for him and uncomfortable." The patient went through a brief bout of depression that included some suicidal thoughts, but he is now is healthy and going through male puberty with the help of testosterone therapy, doctors report. Parenting in the future? Preservation of fertility is a choice that transgender teens must struggle with as they undergo hormone therapy to align their bodies with their sexual identities. Doctors are encouraged to bring up the issue as they counsel adolescent transgender patients, Witchel said. "I'm seeing more and more youth with gender dysphoria," Witchel said. "Most of them are not thinking ahead of the future and they themselves aren't interested in fertility preservation. Their parents are, but the teenager generally is not." Dr. Joshua Safer, executive director of the Mount Sinai Health System's Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery, said it is "typical for transgender people to begin treatment without delaying for a fertility preservation maneuver." In this case, the teen and his parents came to Witchel asking for advice. "The initial focus was stopping the progression of the natal [birth] gender, female, so he would not be exposed to female hormones," Witchel said. The teen started taking hormone blockers so that female puberty could not begin. Deciding to preserve eggs Witchel then brought up fertility preservation. After some back-and-forth, the patient and his parents decided they wanted to try to retrieve and freeze eggs. Witchel turned to reproductive experts at UPMC for help. "There are more and more of these patients who are being treated, but there's very little published in the literature. There's little guidance," said report co-author Dr. Stephanie Rothenberg, a reproductive endocrinology and infertility fellow with UPMC Magee-Women's Hospital. She participated in the fertility preservation process. "This patient's case was even more complicated because he hadn't completed his female puberty, so we weren't sure whether or not freezing eggs was even an option for him," Rothenberg said. "Normally, to freeze eggs, these patients need to complete their puberty to get eggs that are mature and able to be fertilized. His puberty had been halted," she noted. The teen and his family were told that the most reliable method would be for him to stop his hormone blocker and progress into female puberty, Rothenberg said. Naturally developed eggs could be then harvested and frozen. Troubling side effects The patient rejected that approach, having no interest in female puberty, so he and his family took a "leap of faith that we might potentially be able to have success in getting eggs that could be frozen," Rothenberg said. Doctors started the teen on medication to stimulate egg production, but also maintained his hormone-blocking therapy. He experienced routine side effects from the process, but for him they were anything but routine, said report co-author Dr. Marie Menke, division director of UPMC Magee-Women's Hospital. "His side effects were uniquely related to his diagnosis and his identification as a transgender male," Menke said. "The reason he was on this hormone blocker was to minimize the exposure to female puberty, but by virtue of going through stimulation for egg freezing, your estrogen levels go pretty high. He actually had some transient breast development and menstruation, which was distressing for him, understandably." Witchel said, "He talked about maybe doing something to hurt himself, but as far as I'm aware he did nothing more than sort of mention how sad he was and how hard this period of time was for him. He didn't do anything actively to hurt himself." The breast development regressed within three months, Witchel said. Transitioning through puberty Once the process of egg retrieval was completed, the teen started on testosterone and is now experiencing male puberty, Rothenberg said. Safer, who wasn't involved with the report, called the case study "important, because it draws attention to a real tension with regard to transgender medical care. "Even when we get to a reality where transgender individuals have timely, respectful care, the current treatment options can put fertility at risk," Safer said. "Although they are imperfect, strategies to protect fertility are important to consider." Unfortunately, only transgender people from well-off families typically have the opportunity to even consider fertility preservation, Menke said. "It's generally not covered by insurance, which is a shame," Menke said. "In an ideal world, I think the adolescents would benefit by having this as a covered procedure." Explore further Few transgender teens and parents willing to delay hormone therapy to preserve fertility Copyright 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Samuel Scarpino, an assistant professor in Northeasterns Network Science Institute, analyzed 25 years of data for 10 different infectious diseases to determine how far in advance epidemics can be predicted. Credit: Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University Whooping cough in Texas. Measles in New York. Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Around the world, public health officials are increasingly relying on disease forecasts to predict and fight outbreaks. But there's a limit to how accurate these forecasts can be, says Samuel Scarpino, an assistant professor in the Network Science Institute at Northeastern. In a recent paper published in Nature Communications, Scarpino and a colleague at the Institute for Scientific Interchange analyzed 25 years of data for 10 different infectious diseases. What they found might seem counterintuitive: as they added more data, the diseases became harder to predict. "What we see for all these different infectious diseases is, as you see more data, you actually become increasingly less certain about what's going on," says Scarpino, who also has appointments in Northeastern's marine and environmental sciences, physics, and health sciences departments. The problem is that outbreaks are inconsistent: People behave differently, a particular disease strain is unexpectedly virulent, vaccines are developed. One year's outbreak won't necessarily follow the same rules as the ones before it or the ones two years down the road. The researchers also found that certain characteristics could make a disease more difficult to forecast than others. The flu, for example, spreads at unpredictable rates. Usually, a sick individual will only infect one or two others, but if the virus is in a school, it can suddenly spread very quickly. "Compare that to, say, a disease like measles or pertussis," Scarpino says. "In a population that is largely unvaccinated and hasn't been exposed before, it's going to spread like wildfire. And that's much easier to forecast over longer ranges." This doesn't mean we can't have accurate predictions, Scarpino says. But it means that researchers can't exclusively rely on old data. "There's going to be some window beyond which you can't make accurate forecasts without gathering more data and retraining your models," Scarpino says. He likens it to weather forecasting. Nobody expects meteorologists to accurately predict a hurricane several months in advance. But during hurricane season, researchers can update their models with current data on sea surface temperatures, pressure systems, and wind speeds to determine the strength of a storm and where it might hit next week. Disease forecasting requires a similar approach. The researchers found that, given good data in the first few weeks, models could reliably be expected to predict the spread of a disease over the course of a single outbreak. Which means stopping future epidemics will require a continuous, worldwide effort to collect and analyze data. "For each outbreak, we're going to have to have computational biologists, physicists, mathematicians, statisticians, data scientists, et cetera, that will train models on data, make forecasts, and continually refine those," Scarpino says. "Essentially, exactly what happens with the National Weather Service." Explore further Asking why pertussis is back, complex systems style More information: Samuel V. Scarpino et al. On the predictability of infectious disease outbreaks, Nature Communications (2019). Journal information: Nature Communications Samuel V. Scarpino et al. On the predictability of infectious disease outbreaks,(2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08616-0 Thousands of patients bear the brunt of government doctors strike When Purna Lama reached Kanti Childrens Hospital on Wednesday morning, his two-year-old daughter was running a high fever. He was at his wits end when he found out there was no service available because the doctors were on a strike. There were scores of people like Lama, confused and angry, at the countrys premium children hospital run by the government. Credit: CC0 Public Domain What do you think of when you think of a rainbow? If you're sighted, you're probably imagining colors arcing through the sky just after the rain. But what about someone who can't see a rainbow? How does a congenitally blind person's knowledge of a rainbowor even something as seemingly simple as the color reddiffer from that of the sighted? The answer, Alfonso Caramazza said, is complicated: There are similarities but also important differences. The Daniel and Amy Starch Professor of Psychology, Caramazza is the co-author, with postdoctoral fellow Ella Striem-Amit and Xiaoying Wang and Yanchao Bi from Beijing Normal University, of a new study that suggests that, although they experience them differently, the sighted and the blind are still able to share a common understanding of abstract visual phenomena like rainbows and color. The study is described in a December paper published in Nature Communications. "The question here is how do we represent things that don't have an external physical realitysomething we can't touch or smell?" Caramazza said. "If you think about it, this is not just a problem for the blind; it's a problem anyone has when they hear a word like 'ion' or 'quark,' for example. Most of us have only a very vague understanding of what those things actually are. If you talk to physicists they can give you theoretical, mathematically precise descriptions, but none of the things they associate with those things have a concrete, physical correspondence." With no way to directly experience what something like quarks actually are, Caramazza said, people lean heavily on language to understand or describe themusing words like "strange" and "charm" to describe quarks' "flavors." And the same, he said, is true for blind people seeking to understand color. "You can use language to describe things that are physical," he explained. "If you were blind and I wanted to describe a cup to you, I could say it's a hard object that's concave and it's nonporous, so you can put liquids in it. Those descriptions are things you have some physical experience of, so you can piggyback on that experience. But there are some concepts for which you cannot do that. Color is a surface property of an object, but there's no way for me to tell a blind person what that sensory experience is, because it's a purely visual experience. So the way they learn about red is the way you and I learn about quarks, or about concepts like justice or virtuethrough a verbal description or use in verbal contexts." Credit: Harvard University Though scientists have known for decades that abstract and concrete concepts are represented in different parts of the brain, Caramazza said that understanding how the blind experience and understand visual concepts like color can help shed new light on how the brain is organized. One hypothesis for how knowledge is organized in the brain proposes that representations of the things we know are optimally connected to other parts of the brain that are necessary for processing that information. "For example," Caramazza said, "knowledge of something I can see will be organized in a part of my brain that is easily connected with the visual system. But what about color in the blind? It cannot be represented in an area that's connected to visual processing. Because they learn about it through language, it will be organized in an area that is especially well-connected with language processing. So if the question is where does a blind person store a representation of a rainbow in their brain, they store it in the same area where a sighted person would store a representation of a concept like justice or virtue." To see that process in action, Caramazza and his colleagues recruited both blind and sighted volunteers and used fMRI scanners to track activity in their brains as they performed various tasks, including answering questions about rainbows and colors. "We found that, in the congenitally blind, the neural responses for red were in the same areas as the neural responses for justice," he said. "The abstractness of something like red in the blind is the same as the abstractness of virtue for the sighted, and in both cases that information is represented in a part of the brain where information is obtained through linguistic processes." While the study's findings suggest there are similarities between how the blind and the sighted interpret concepts like color, Caramazza said the answer is still far from definitive. "What we are showing is that the organization of concepts in the brain is determined by different principles, one of which is how the information is acquired," he said. "But the question of whether the blind and the sighted actually have different concepts of redthat's the hard problem. That's a philosophical question at this stage. It's not something we know how to address scientifically, because we're talking about personal, private experience." What is remarkable, Caramazza said, is that despite those differences in how the blind experience colors and how they are represented differently in their brain, the blind and the sighted are able to understand color in similar ways. "You could be talking to a blind person, and if you didn't know they were blind, you would never suspect that their experience of red is different from yours, because in fact they do know what red means. They know what it means in the same way you come to know what justice means." Explore further Tool manipulation is represented similarly in the brains of the blind and the sighted More information: Ella Striem-Amit et al. Neural representation of visual concepts in people born blind, Nature Communications (2018). Journal information: Nature Communications Ella Striem-Amit et al. Neural representation of visual concepts in people born blind,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07574-3 This story is published courtesy of the Harvard Gazette, Harvard University's official newspaper. For additional university news, visit Harvard.edu. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Following years of work, Medtronic is launching the newest Mazor X spinal surgery system with robotic navigation in the United States, with two systems already sold in Minnesota. Spine surgeon Dr. Eiman Shafa demonstrated at Abbott Northwestern Hospital on Tuesday how the new system uses robotics and in-room navigation to precisely position traditional surgical tools, making routine spine cases more efficient and complex cases more exacting. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester also has such a system. "We're basically performing the same surgeries that we have in the past ... [but] this device helps us to do that with overall less collateral damage," said Shafa, who works for the Twin Cities Spine Center and uses Medtronic's Mazor X system at Abbott Northwestern in south Minneapolis. "In essence, it allows us to be as less-invasive as we can possibly be." Like other kinds of robotic surgical systems, the Mazor X is a piece of durable hospital equipment that also requires single-use items for each procedure. Medtronic acquired the device's original maker, Israel-based Mazor Robotics, in a $1.8 billion deal in December. The Mazor X retails for less than $1 million to hospitals, though Medtronic is hoping the system will drive not just sales of robots, but a long list of Medtronic supplies used in spine surgeryespecially as traction grows for the latest model, the Mazor X Stealth Edition, which incorporates Medtronic engineering and design into Mazor's existing system. "We believe that integrating the Mazor X robot with our StealthStation navigation and O-arm imaging equipment, as well as with our spine implants, creates a long-term competitive advantage for us in the spine market; one that we intend to capitalize on," Medtronic Chief Executive Omar Ishrak told stock analysts in November, according to a transcript from Seeking Alpha. Medtronic announced the U.S. launch of the Stealth Edition in January. The system that Shafa demonstrated on Tuesday was the older Mazor X version, though a spokesman for Abbott Northwestern said the hospital's system is slated to be upgraded to the latest Stealth Edition by early April. With television cameras rolling in a small conference room on the ground floor of Abbott Northwestern, Shafa showed how the Mazor X's robotic arm could execute a previously programmed surgical plan using a mannequin. (Although the mannequin had a large section of its "back" removed for the demo, a real lumbar-fusion surgery with the system would have been done "percutaneously" using thin instruments and small tunnels through muscle.) Once Shafa was ready, the robotic arm emitted green light and a faint alert tone as the robotic arm swung into the surgical field above the mannequin. Using navigation data beamed from a component with dual side-by-side sensors that look a bit like the head of an old Nintendo "Robotic Operating Buddy," the device positioned a tool holder at the correct height and angle above the "patient" so that Shafa could direct a guidewire and manual bone drill into position. "As you can see, the steps are fluid. They are reproduceable. This allows me extra efficiency in the operating room. And a goal of having a shorter operation," Shafa explained as he worked. "That means less blood loss, and hopefully a less painful surgery." Jean Pearson, 58, of Coon Rapids, said she was surprised to learn that her surgery six weeks ago would be done using robotic guidance, but she was ready to try it. On Tuesday, she stood under her own power at the front of the room next to Shafa, who explained that Pearson needed surgery to treat a complex, multiple-level deformity that required putting screws into Shafa's very narrow "pedicles," which are bony structures on the vertebrae. "It's going really well," Pearson said Tuesday. "I'm amazed to be standing here." Explore further Cleveland Clinic first in the US to perform prostate surgery using single port SP robot 2019 Star Tribune (Minneapolis) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Cannabinoid receptors in humans respond to compounds found in cannabis. Credit: @tsarcyanide/MIPT A Chinese research team joined forces with Russian and U.S. biologists to obtain the crystal structure of the human type 2 cannabinoid receptor. Their findings could lead to drugs against inflammatory, neurodegenerative, and other diseases. The authors of the paper, published in Cell, compare the newly discovered structure to that of the type 1 cannabinoid receptor, deeming the two receptors to be the yin and yang of the human endocannabinoid system. Drugs rely on knowing receptor structure The two cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, belong to the so-called endocannabinoid system. This refers to a signaling system in the human body that regulates biological processes such as metabolism, pain sensation, neuronal activity, immune function, and others. It has been shown that the cannabinoid receptors can be targeted to alleviate certain pathological conditions, including chronic pain. While the CB1 receptors are mostly found in the nervous system and are responsible for psychoactive effects, the CB2 receptors are predominantly present in the immune system. Studies indicate that CB2 is a promising target for immunotherapy, as well as treating inflammatory and neuropathic pain, and neurodegenerative diseases. It has also been shown that molecules blocking CB2 can reduce tumor growth. To effectively treat pathological conditions, drugs need to specifically target CB1 or CB2. However, the two receptors are very much alike. The amino acid sequences that encode them are 44 percent identical. So developing a selective medicine requires knowing the structure of both targets in great detail. Unlike CB1, the structure of CB2 has remained unknown up until now. Type 2 cannabinoid receptor crystal. Credit: Xiaoting Li et al./Cell X-raying CB2 crystal reveals its structure To identify the shape of an individual molecule, researchers make a crystal from many such molecules. When arranged in this highly ordered way, the molecules can be exposed to X-rays, revealing their structure. The team made a crystal (figure 1) from CB2 receptors bound to molecules blocking this receptor, which are potential drug candidates. That way, the X-ray analysis allowed the team to see both the structure of CB2 and how it connects to the blocking molecule, or antagonist. However, receptors are unstable proteins by nature. To study them, they need to be modified using gene engineering. This involves introducing mutations that make the protein stable without changing its structure or function. CompoMug is a software suite that predicts mutations potentially useful for stabilizing receptor molecules. The mutations then need to be tested experimentally. This software was developed by two researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and the University of Southern California: visiting MIPT professor Vsevolod Katritch and Petr Popov from the Laboratory of Structural Biology of G Protein-Coupled Receptors. Conditions that can be affected by activating or inhibiting type 1 (CB1) or type 2 (CB2) cannabinoid receptors independently. Credit: Xiaoting Li et al./Cell In the study, the CB2 receptor had five mutations prompted by CompoMug. Receptor structure discovery enables smarter drugs The researchers contrasted the structure of CB2 with that of CB1. They concluded that substances activating one of the receptors can actually weaken or inhibit the other, and vice versa. This opens up a possibility not just for drugs that target exclusively one receptor, but those that affect both receptors, but in different ways. Figure 2 shows the therapeutic implications. "Every G protein-coupled receptor structure that is discovered has prospects for rational design of more efficient drugs," study co-author Petr Popov explains. "Now that the structures of both cannabinoid receptors are known, we can design selective compounds targeting only one of the receptors, as well as agents with a desired polypharmacological profile targeting both receptors at once." Explore further New insight into cell receptors opens the way for tailored cancer drugs More information: Xiaoting Li et al, Crystal Structure of the Human Cannabinoid Receptor CB2, Cell (2019). Journal information: Cell Xiaoting Li et al, Crystal Structure of the Human Cannabinoid Receptor CB2,(2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.12.011 Cancer Histopathologic image of colonic carcinoid. Credit: Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0 (HealthDay)Young adults are increasingly developing colon cancerand it's often diagnosed at a late stage, after they've seen several doctors and been misdiagnosed, a new survey shows. Researchers questioned nearly 1,200 colon cancer patients diagnosed before age 50. Most cases were correctly identified only after the cancer was more advanced. In fact, about two-thirds waited up to a year to see a doctor after developing symptoms, and then went on to see multiple doctors before receiving the right diagnosis. Many said they were initially misdiagnosed with conditions like hemorrhoids or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Experts said the findings are not surprising. Symptoms of colon cancersuch as fatigue, constipation and rectal bleedingcan be caused by many noncancerous conditions that are much more common in younger adults. "For young people, the possibility of colon cancer wouldn't be high on their list," said lead researcher Ronit Yarden. It's also reasonable for doctors to first suspect conditions like hemorrhoids or IBS, said Yarden, who directs medical affairs for the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, a Washington, D.C.-based patient advocacy group. But, she said, it's critical that doctors and patients alike be aware that colon cancer can strike young people. And it's becoming more common, Yarden stressed. Since the 1990s, colon cancer rates have risen by 0.5 to 2 percent a year among Americans younger than 55, according to the American Cancer Society. Also, rectal cancer has shown a slightly faster increase ever since the 1970s. Last year, the cancer society changed its guidelines on colon cancer screening for people at average risk. It now advises screening starting at age 45, instead of 50. Around the same time, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City opened a center for colon cancer patients younger than 50. One goal is to research the reasons for the rising incidence, said Dr. Robin Mendelsohn, who co-directs the program. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are risk factors for colon cancer, said Mendelsohn. So in theory, rising rates of those conditions among young Americans could be one driving force. But that's unlikely to be the whole explanation. According to Mendelsohn, her center sees plenty of young patients who are normal-weight, have no medical conditions and lead healthy lifestyles. "Right now, the reasons are unclear," she said. Mendelsohn was not surprised that many survey respondents waited to see a doctor for their symptoms, or that other diagnoses were often made first. In her experience with young colon cancer patients, she said, rectal bleeding is usually the symptom that first got them to see their doctor. Even when there's bleeding, Mendelsohn noted, noncancerous conditions, like hemorrhoids, are more likely to be the cause. "But if that bleeding persists for a couple weeks after the visit, patients should go back for further evaluation," Mendelsohn said. The survey findings are based on 1,195 colon cancer patients who were diagnosed before their 50th birthday. The majority were in their 40s, but one-third were in their 30s, and 10 percent were even younger. Overall, 63 percent said they waited three to 12 months after their first symptoms to see a doctor. Even more67 percentsaw at least two doctors before getting the right diagnosis, with some seeing four. And, Yarden added, many patients who saw only one doctor also had delays in a correct diagnosis. In all, 71 percent were diagnosed with more-advanced stage 3 or 4 cancer. It's not clear, though, what role the delayed diagnoses had in that, Yarden said. Mendelsohn said the finding probably reflects the fact that younger patients are going to the doctor because of symptoms that often arise when the disease is more advanced. That's in contrast to older patients, whose cancer is often caught early through screeningbefore they have symptoms. Both Mendelsohn and Yarden said younger patients with possible colon cancer symptoms should "advocate for themselves." If the problems persist, ask for further evaluation with a colonoscopy. "And know your family history," Mendelsohn advised. The risk of colon cancer is higher among people with a parent, sibling or child who had the diseaseespecially if it was diagnosed before age 45, the cancer society says. Yarden is scheduled to present the results next month at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, in Atlanta. They were released Feb. 27. Research presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. Explore further New study shows sitting, watching TV linked to colorectal cancer risk before age 50 More information: Ronit Yarden, Ph.D., director, medical affairs, Colorectal Cancer Alliance, Washington, D.C.; Robin Mendelsohn, M.D., co-director, Center for Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City; American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting, March 29-April 3, 2019, Atlanta Ronit Yarden, Ph.D., director, medical affairs, Colorectal Cancer Alliance, Washington, D.C.; Robin Mendelsohn, M.D., co-director, Center for Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City; American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting, March 29-April 3, 2019, Atlanta The American Cancer Society has an overview on colon cancer. Copyright 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Newly identified (red) and known (blue) genes linked to Alzheimer's disease spike in this table plotting results from genome-wide association analysis of 94,437 individuals with late onset Alzheimer's. Credit: Kunkle et al / Nature Genetics. Analysis of genetic data from more than 94,000 individuals has revealed five new risk genes for Alzheimer's disease, and confirmed 20 known others. An international team of researchers also reports for the first time that mutations in genes specific to tau, a hallmark protein of Alzheimer's disease, may play an earlier role in the development of the disease than originally thought. These new findings support developing evidence that groups of genes associated with specific biological processes, such as cell trafficking, lipid transport, inflammation and the immune response, are "genetic hubs" that are an important part of the disease process. The study, which was funded in part by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and other components of the National Institutes of Health, follows results from 2013. It will be published online February 28, 2019 in the journal Nature Genetics. "This continuing collaborative research into the genetic underpinnings of Alzheimer's is allowing us to dig deeper into the complexities of this devastating disease," said Richard J. Hodes, M.D., director of the NIA. "The size of this study provides additional clarity on the genes to prioritize as we continue to better understand and target ways to treat and prevent Alzheimer's." The researchers, members of the International Genomic Alzheimer's Project (IGAP), analyzed both rare and common gene variants in 94,437 individuals with late onset Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia in older adults. IGAP is made up of four consortia in the United States and Europe that have been working together since 2011 on genome-wide association studies (GWAS) involving thousands of DNA samples and shared datasets. GWAS are aimed at detecting variations in the genome that are associated with Alzheimer's. Understanding genetic variants is helping researchers define the molecular mechanisms that influence disease onset and progression. In addition to confirming the known association of 20 genes with risk of Alzheimer's and identifying five additional Alzheimer's-associated genes, these genes were analyzed to see what cellular pathways might be implicated in the disease process. The pathway analysis implicated the immune system, lipid metabolism and amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolism. Mutations in the APP gene have been shown to be directly related to early onset Alzheimer's. The present study, done in late onset Alzheimer's subjects, suggests that variants affecting APP and amyloid beta protein processing are associated with both early-onset autosomal dominant Alzheimer's and with late onset Alzheimer's. In addition, for the first time, the study implicated a genetic link to tau binding proteins. Taken together, data suggest that therapies developed by studying subjects with early-onset disease could also be applied to the late-onset form of Alzheimer's. The research was led by an international team of experts including Brian Kunkle, Ph.D. and Margaret Pericak-Vance, Ph.D., from the Miller School of Medicine's John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics at the University of Miami, and Benjamin Grenier-Boley, Ph.D. and Jean-Charles Lambert, Ph.D., from INSERM, Lille, France. Once the functions of the five genes newly associated with Alzheimer'sIQCK, ACE, ADAM10, ADAMTS1 and WWOXare understood and examined in conjunction with the functions of the 20 known genes, researchers will be in a better position to identify where the genetic hubs of Alzheimer's are clustering. Armed with these findings, researchers can look more deeply into these genetic hubs to reveal disease mechanisms and potential drug targets. A key to these discoveries was the sample size, the largest to date for this kind of Alzheimer's study. A large sample is especially important to find rare genes that might be involved with a disease. "Having more and more samples in GWAS data sets is like adding more and more pixels to a photographit helps researchers see details that they otherwise wouldn't and helps them decide where to focus further study," explained Marilyn Miller, Ph.D., director of the Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease program in the Division of Neuroscience at NIA. "If the genes only appear in one out of ten thousand people, you need to find several samples containing those genes for results to be statistically significant." Miller also emphasized the collaborative resources that made these discoveries possible. In addition to IGAP, the study resulted from open data sharing and coordination among the Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (funded under a variety of awards), the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center, the NIA Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease Data Storage Site, the National Cell Repository for Alzheimer's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium, the CHARGE Consortium, and the Late-onset Alzheimer's Disease Family Study. More information: Kunkle BW et al. Meta-analysis of genetic association with diagnosed Alzheimer's disease identifies novel risk loci and implicates Abeta, Tau, immunity and lipid processing. Nature Genetics. 2019 Feb. 28 Journal information: Nature Genetics Kunkle BW et al. Meta-analysis of genetic association with diagnosed Alzheimer's disease identifies novel risk loci and implicates Abeta, Tau, immunity and lipid processing.. 2019 Feb. 28 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-019-0358-2 @alextdaugherty Democrats are calling for Labor Secretary Alex Acostas resignation. Republicans support an internal investigation into Acostas role in a controversial plea deal for multimillionaire sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein in 2008. But Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, one of President Donald Trumps biggest defenders in Congress, is taking a different approach. In an interview with the Miami Herald on Wednesday, Gaetz said reexamining Acostas handling of Epsteins case, which came under increased scrutiny after the Heralds three-part series Perversion of Justice, sets a dangerous precedent for prosecutors. A federal judge ruled last week that prosecutors run by Acosta, then the U.S. attorney for South Florida, broke the lawwhen they failed to inform Epsteins underge victims of the plea agreement. The judge gave federal prosecutors 15 days to confer with Epsteins victims and their attorneys to come up with a resolution. I dont know what I dont know and certainly if there is ever an indication of misconduct, that has to be thoroughly reviewed, but I think its a dangerous thing to go back and second-guess decisions that prosecutors have to make in real time, Gaetz said. Im deeply troubled by Mr. Epsteins actions, I think that he certainly should have faced a far stiffer consequence than he did, but having tried cases I know that its hard to go back and sort of second-guess the risk analysis that goes into putting witnesses before a jury and subjecting them to cross examination. Read more here. 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Every territory of the US today is different in some ways, but similar in others. All are islands, even if they are in different oceans. All have non-voting delegates. All are US citizenship, except for one and that is American Samoa, where the people there are US nationals. Interacting with people from American Samoa or with ties to American Samoa is always interesting. Those who are elsewhere in the US but have ties to the islands are often very different than those who are still at home. In recent years, alot of this difference has come down to US citizenship. With those who have moved to the US, lamenting that their status as US nationals has limited their opportunities. While those who are still in American Samoa not necessarily wanting US citizenship because they worry it might mean a loss of their cultural and political rights at home. It is easy to see the territories of the remains of empire of the US and think that the only recourse is to find ways to further include them in 1. Yes. The Schlueter Group has extensive experience and contacts. Its a good investment. 2. Yes. The firms namesake has a background as a legislator and knows Killeen well. 3. No. The expenditure is a waste of money. Our lawmakers should be doing that work. 4. No. The contract should be shorter, incentivized and based on performance benchmarks. 5. Unsure. Its not always easy to quantify the outcomes of lobbying efforts. Vote View Results The latest P3 Communications research report confirms MyBroadbands findings that MTN has the best network in South Africa. P3 Communications is a German company which provides technology consulting and testing services for mobile networks. For its latest mobile network quality assessment, the company performed drive tests in South Africa between 24 January and 11 February 2019, using Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphones. It performed 5,200 voice tests and 4,600 data tests per operator in cities (50%), towns (10%), and on roads (40%). The data tests measured HTTP download and upload speeds, web browsing, and YouTube video streaming. In addition to its drive tests, crowdsourced performance data was collected and evaluated between November 2018 and January 2019. The testing route and crowdsourced data maps are shown below. MTN wins The P3 Communications network testing showed that MTN reigned supreme in voice and data network quality. The table below shows the scores achieved by the networks for voice and data services, and the breakdown of points in the cities, towns, and roads categories. P3 mirrors MyBroadbands research P3 Communications findings mirror MyBroadbands network performance rankings, which were released in January. MyBroadbands network quality testing is similar to P3s methodology, and includes controlled drive tests and crowd-sourced testing. MyBroadband, however, makes use of a wide range of high-end smartphones, including Huawei Mate 20 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Galaxy S8, and Motorola Moto Z models. MyBroadbands reporting further differs from P3 Communications in that only the data network is tested. MyBroadbands Mobile Network Quality Report rankings for Q4 2018 are shown below. Mobile Network Quality Operator Latency (ms) Download (Mbps) Upload (Mbps) Network Score MTN 37 26.95 12.15 10.00 Vodacom 39 26.78 11.08 9.68 Rain 44 21.67 9.26 8.04 Telkom 44 19.83 4.79 6.88 Cell C 53 15.56 7.87 6.16 Now read: MTN has the best mobile network in South Africa Liquid Telecom has announced that MTN will use the companys 4G roaming service to provide greater Internet access across South Africa. Liquid Telecom South Africa has secured its first customer MTN to offer 4G roaming to millions of South Africans. This includes LTE services to fuel the growing demand for high-speed mobile broadband. The wholesale roaming service will be made available across Liquid Telecoms network nationwide, said Liquid Telecom. Reshaad Sha, Liquid Telecom SA CEO, said more people than ever will have access to fast and reliable mobile Internet as a result of the deal. This builds on our vision to give everyone the right to be connected by bringing high-speed broadband connectivity to all, said Sha. MTN South Africa CEO Godfrey Motsa said: This sort of infrastructure sharing deal is good for the industry, as it reduces the need for excessively high capital investment and it is also good for customers, that immediately benefit from even greater access to fast and reliable mobile data. Liquid Telecom said it has been investing heavily across Africa, where it has the largest independent fibre network at almost 70,000km in length. This is linked to more than 660 towns and cities in 13 countries. Now read: Vodacom the only network charging customers to transfer data Lt. Col. (Ret.) Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch, founder of Educational Achievement Services, Inc., will discuss Valuing Diversity in a parent education workshop at 6 p.m. Monday, March 18, at the St. Helena High School auditorium. Kickbusch will provide participants with the different dimensions of diversity in todays environment. Learning to accommodate cultural differences is important for students and parents in order to be successful in the school environment and their future careers. Moreover, it is important in parenting and education as well. Kickbusch will provide her personal story of challenges and triumphs as a child of the barrio who succeeded in spite of many cultural, social and educational obstacles. She guides her audience to a better understanding of cultural differences and similarities as she emphasizes the appreciation of diverse cultures and their contributions to society. Hispanic Business Magazine recently included Kickbusch as one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in America. The free event will be presented in Spanish with English translation. Child care is available for kids 3 and older. For more information, call Mary Allen at 967-2708. Feb. 28 -- An estimated 2,000 homes and other buildings along the Russian River in Sonoma County have flooded after days of torrential rain sent water spilling over its banks and inundated nearby communities, authorities said late Wednesday. By Wednesday night, rescuers had saved about 40 people who were stuck in floodwaters and authorities had closed 89 roads as the river swelled to about 45 feet -- 13 feet above flood stage, said Sonoma County spokeswoman Hannah Euser. No injuries were reported. The water was expected to start receding in the early morning hours Thursday. People living in about two dozen areas near the river were ordered to evacuate by Sonoma County officials Tuesday in preparation for possibly the region's worst flood in over 20 years. Officials staffed extra deputies and dispatchers to help with evacuations and field emergency calls, while two boats were deployed to the lower Russian River to get people out. As of early Wednesday, a rain gauge northwest of the town of Guerneville had received nearly 20.5 inches of rain in 48 hours, according to the National Weather Service. The area is known for its steep coastal mountains and creeks lined by redwoods, which can rapidly funnel deluges from Pacific storms into the shallow Russian River. The river first exceeded flood stage -- 32 feet -- Tuesday evening. By early Wednesday, it had swollen to 40.5 feet, essentially turning Guerneville into an island, and continued to rise. Forecasters predicted it woule reach its highest level at 46.1 feet -- more than 14 feet above flood stage -- late Wednesday. People leaving their homes watched as rising water swallowed cars and flooded major roads into and out of the community. Officials said those who chose to stay in their homes could be stuck there for days. At midday Wednesday, residents could be seen using canoes to traverse parts of River Road. Catherine Bartolomei, co-owner of the Farmhouse Inn in Forestville, lamented the natural disasters that had befallen the region over the last couple of years, starting with devastating wildfires in Sonoma County in fall 2017. "Between the fires and everything else, it's flipping killing us," she said. Dane Pitcher, 70, watched from the third-story window of his bed and breakfast, the Raford Inn, in Healdsburg as rising water pooled to create a 100-acre lake in front of his property. The substantial water, which swallowed up five rows of grapevines on his property, didn't faze Pitcher. He's seen the Russian River flood several times over the years. He joked that he had all the necessities -- wine and mostly breakfast foods, given his business -- to sustain him and his wife for a few days. "We have waterfront property now," he said lightheartedly. "We're marooned for all intents and purposes, but that's OK. "For us, we're veterans so it's fascinating to watch, to a degree," he added. "We're not being inconvenienced like many people who are convinced this can't happen or just move here and aren't prepared. Locals like us know what to expect." The pounding rain had stopped in Sonoma County before the sun rose Wednesday after a low-pressure system shifted the atmospheric river-fueled storm out of the region. The storm, which lingered in the area for days, created the heaviest rainfall the region had received all winter, said Roger Gass, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in the Bay Area. "The atmospheric river was a hose of really deep moisture pointed right at Northern California that settled over Sonoma County," he said. "It's created a lot of problems." Some areas north of the river got nearly 10 inches of rain over the course of two days. Venado, a community north of Guerneville, had received nearly 2 feet of rain in 48 hours by Tuesday. "A lot of the rainfall in that basin flows right into the Russian River," Gass said. This will cause the waterway, which cuts through several Sonoma County communities, to rise over the next several hours before reaching its peak and then slowly receding on Thursday. The Russian River has seen numerous serious floods during wet years, but this inundation is poised to be the worst since 1995, when the river crested in Guerneville at about 48 feet, exactly 16 feet above flood stage. That flood caught a number of people in the community off-guard. They fled the region in small boats, floating past debris as they sought higher ground, while others boarded huge National Guard transport trucks that drove through the floodwater to rescue people from homes. When the river flooded more recently in Healdsburg, in 2016, Pitcher placed a sign in front of his property to show how high the water rose. The river crested at 13.22 feet that January. "I looked out there this morning," he said, "and that sign is completely underwater." Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The U.S. House voted 240-190 on Wednesday to pass HR 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019. Eight Republicans voted for the bill. It now will go to the Senate, where it faces a rough road, although Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pennsylvania, and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-Virginia, have carried similar legislation in the Senate in the past. The bill will be assigned to a committee and, if it reaches the Senate floor for a vote, it needs 60 votes to pass. This legislation sponsored by Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chairman Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, expands background checks to cover all sales and represents the first major House vote on gun violence prevention legislation in 25 years. Thompson lauded the House passage of HR 8: Finally. Finally, we have done more than thoughts and prayers. Finally, we have taken a vote to expand background checks and help save lives. As I stood on the floor watching todays vote, I thought of the many survivors, their families, and advocates whove worked tirelessly on this over the years. Finally, we took action in their honor. For the past six years, since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, Thompson has worked to pass a bill mandating background checks for gun purchases. He said that 90 percent of Americans support background checks on all firearm sales. Background checks work, Thompson said, Every day, they stop 170 felons and 50 domestic abusers from getting a gun from a licensed dealer. In some states, they can go into a gun show and buy a gun without a background check. This bill helps stop them from doing so. Thompson said HR 8 is supported by law enforcement, medical professionals, veterans, gun owners, religious leaders and millions of Americans who took to the streets in support of HR 8. Thompson is a hunter, gun owner and supports the Second Amendment. In the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on Dec. 14, 2012, 20 children, six adults and the shooter were killed. Since then, there have been 1,973 mass shootings in the United States, statistics show. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A planned nine-mile Napa Valley Vine Trail segment between St. Helena and Calistoga appears to be back on track after a photo-finish flirtation with disaster. The project needs private property easements, such as along public roads where there isnt enough room in the right-of-way for the trail. The Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition and Napa County had been unable for months to resolve how the county would offer liability protection to the owners. Meanwhile, the clock was ticking. Without a quick resolution, the project faced returning a $6.1 million grant. Now a break-through has emerged. We have got an insurance company thats prepared to insure the property owners, Vine Trail Coalition Executive Director Philip Sales said on Monday. The county would be willing to pay for that insurance up to a fixed amount each year. As a ballpark figure, he said this could cost the county about $75,000 annually. Were pretty confident at this point that the trail can be built, Sales said. The Napa County Board of Supervisors has yet to vote on the proposed deal. That should happen in March, county officials said. Its worked out, Board chairman Ryan Gregory said on Tuesday. The Napa Valley Vine Trail is to be a 47-mile-long biking-and-hiking trail from Vallejo to Calistoga. A popular existing segment extends more than 11 miles from Kennedy Park in the city of Napa into Yountville. St. Helena-to-Calistoga is to be the next major segment. The Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition and Napa Valley Transportation Authority in 2015 announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Commission had chosen the project to receive a $6.1 million state grant. Construction was to begin in 2017. At the time, Sales said the new segment would be a crown jewel running through breathtaking Napa Valley scenery. Then came a series of challenges. Controversy arose among some landowners over a proposed trail alignment to avoid a narrow section of Highway 29 between Big Tree Road and Lodi Lane. Critics saw potential conflicts between people walking and biking on the Vine Trail and farming. The Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition finally found another trail alignment. A grant extension from the original 2017 expiration date provided more time. But the liability problem still needed solving. The trail in sections needs to pass on privately owned land near vineyards and owners dont want to be sued over Vine Trail injuries on their properties. The county and Vine Trail Coalition since 2017 had been working on how to protect 11 property owners who grant easements. The county was concerned its insurance wouldnt cover the liability risk under certain scenarios, putting county funds in jeopardy. Napa County must be the easement holder because recreation trails are not allowed on private land in the agricultural preserve, Sales said. The county is not subject to its zoning ordinance and can make an exception for the easements. By this year, with the grant expiration date looming in June, the need to resolve the liability situation had become critical. Otherwise, even with another 20-month extension, there would be too little time to complete all of the pre-construction work. If we are unable to reach agreement to do so, the easements will not be granted and the Vine Trail will not be built anywhere north of Yountville, Chuck McMinn of the Vine Trail Coalition told the Board of Supervisors in January. We will have failed. Now, with an agreement between the Coalition and county apparently in hand, the Napa Valley Transportation Authority can seek a final, 20-month extension from the California Transportation Commission for the $6.1 million grant. That doesnt necessarily mean smooth sailing ahead. Napa Valley Transportation Authority Executive Director Kate Miller said to actually receive the grant money for construction, the projects environmental, engineering and design work must be completed by the anticipated, new deadline. The larger issue is 20 months from July to complete a lot of the other things, Miller said. Sales said the Coalition has been working diligently for almost two years on the environmental and other issues. A lot of pieces are already in place. At this point, we dont see any fatal flaw in what were doing, Sales said. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Santa Rosa man was arrested Wednesday night after he came to Calistoga and assaulted his dad, police say. His father was not hospitalized, according to the Calistoga Police Department. Calistoga Police received a call around 11:25 a.m. Wednesday. The resident said his son had come to his home and injured him, police say. The man suffered a cut to his ear and the son was not present when police arrived, police say. Calistoga Police sought help from Santa Rosa police in detaining the man's son, 24-year-old Joseph Carter Davis. A St. Helena Police officer went to pick Davis up, Calistoga police say. Davis was booked into Napa County Jail around 9:40 p.m., police say, and arrested on suspicion of three felonies related to seriously injuring someone and abusing an elder, jail records show. Davis was also arrested on suspicion of a misdemeanor charge of violating a restraining order. Davis remained in jail as of Thursday morning. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Gaslight was a 1938 British play, set in the 1880s, about a man who manipulates his wife into believing she is going insane to suppress her suspicions about crimes he is committing. Two years later, it became a British movie and in 1944 an American version, starring Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman, was released. Two decades after that, gaslighting become the popular, and even scientific, term for attempts to manipulate others into believing something that isnt true. Contemporary politics seethe with such manipulative trickery and President Donald Trump may deserve the title of Gaslighter in Chief for constantly attempting clumsily at best to create an alternative reality to justify his positions. When journalists point out Trumps falsehoods, he typically reacts by denouncing them as fake media and even enemies of the people, and comes very close to inciting violence against reporters covering his public appearances. That brings us to the newly minted governor of California, Democrat Gavin Newsom. During his State of the State address to the Legislature this month, Newsom accurately excoriated Trump for creating a manufactured crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border to justify construction of a wall or something to deter undocumented immigrants. He declared that California will not be a part of this political theater. Just a few paragraphs later, however, Newsom seemingly disowned the statewide bullet train system that his two predecessors, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown, had championed. Newsom praised their ambitious vision, but added, Lets be real. The project as currently planned would cost too much and take too long. Theres been too little oversight and not enough transparency. Right now, there simply isnt a path to get from Sacramento to San Diego, let alone from San Francisco to L.A. Newsom went on to say he intended to complete the current section of high-speed track now being constructed in the San Joaquin Valley and even stretch it a little farther to Merced and Bakersfield while continuing environmental studies on other portions. Given those words, the natural conclusion in the media, including this column, was that Newsom was severely downgrading the project that seemed to have serious existential issues. Those reports prompted Trump to crow, via Twitter: California has been forced to cancel the massive bullet train project after having spent and wasted many billions of dollars. They owe the Federal Government three and a half billion dollars. We want that money back now. Whole project is a green disaster! Trumps depiction may be surprisingly accurate. But his jab and, apparently, some backlash from project advocates enticed Newsom to then descend into gaslighting of his own, blaming the media for suggesting that he was virtually abandoning a statewide bullet train system. I just think people in the media should pause before they run headlines and actually consider the facts and maybe even ask the person thats stating things before they run with things, Newsom told the Los Angeles Times. Thats the deep lesson I learned in this. That earned Newsom a new nickname in a Sacramento Bee editorial: Gov. Gaslight, although the newspaper did attach a question mark to its sobriquet. Newsom and his staff sent exactly the message they intended, the Bee declared. Then, for whatever reason, it seems they got cold feet and decided to blame the media for reporting the governors words. Whether the nickname sticks like the Governor Moonbeam moniker attached for decades to Jerry Brown or fades depends on whether a thin-skinned Newsom continues to blame others when things go awry or owns up. CALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias state Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary. If you followed certain Indian media outlets in the early hours of Tuesday, you probably heard that Indian Air Force jets swooped into Pakistani airspace and carried out devastating strikes on militant camps, killing roughly 300 fighters. If you were watching in Pakistan, you saw news of a cowardly incursion in which Indian warplanes dropped their payloads over uninhabited countryside and then scurried home, harming nothing save for an empty stretch of forest. "The strike took place near the town of Balakot, just inside the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and not in the disputed Kashmir region," my Washington Post colleagues reported. "Initial reports from local police officials and residents who spoke on the condition of anonymity confirmed that a strike took place in a mountainous area a few miles outside town, but they said they saw no signs of mass casualties." Despite the dueling accounts, one thing was certain: For the first time in almost half a century, Indian aircraft ventured beyond the Line of Control separating the two countries to hit targets on Pakistani soil. The act marked a potentially grave escalation of tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors. In a statement, the Pakistani government said on Tuesday that it would "respond at the time and place of its choosing." By the evening, there were reports that mortar fire had been exchanged between Indian and Pakistani troops across the disputed boundary line in Kashmir. And on Wednesday, a fuller response came: Pakistan said it had shot down two Indian aircraft over its territory. Though initial accounts were conflicting, India confirmed that one of its planes was shot down by Pakistani planes and said a pilot is missing. The Pakistani military soon circulated video of a captured Indian pilot in their custody. "Our action was only intended to convey that if you can come into our country, we can do the same," said Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, warning of the risks of further escalation. "With the weapons you have and the weapons we have, can we really afford a miscalculation?" The impetus for the Indian airstrikes was a Feb. 14 terrorist attack that killed 40 members of India's paramilitary police force in Kashmir. Jaish-e-Muhammad, an extremist militant group based in Pakistan, asserted responsibility for what was the deadliest single attack in the insurgency-ridden state in more than three decades. Though designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the group is allowed to operate within Pakistan's borders and is believed to receive support from elements within Pakistan's military establishment, which has long cultivated Islamist proxies to advance its interests in the region. For India, which has weathered a succession of Pakistani-linked terrorist attacks on its soil, the attack in Kashmir seemed to cross a red line. And with national elections around the corner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sensed an opportunity to burnish his hawkish image and satisfy widespread demands for vengeance aired on social media and the country's oft-overheated cable news channels. "Today, I sense a fervor in the crowd," he told a rally on Tuesday afternoon. "The country is in safe hands." For a time, there was still hope that tensions would die down. Indian officials claimed their "preemptive" strike on the militants was a success, while Pakistani authorities insisted that no real damage was done. Ikram Sehgal, a defense analyst with ties to Pakistan's military, told the New York Times that the Pakistani response would be "measured." He stressed that the "only question is will India's leadership be able to stomach it and whether we will go into a dangerous territory of further escalation." But it's hard to see how India may back down now, especially as jingoism consumes popular opinion on both sides of the contested border. On Wednesday, Pakistani cable media indulged in a fit of triumphalism. "War songs were played, commentators praised the Pakistan military, and shouts of 'God is greatest' could be heard," my colleagues reported. "Images of an Indian plane with burning debris were broadcast repeatedly." The Indian Air Force's ability to venture deep into Pakistan was a symbolic blow to the Pakistani military, which exercises outsize influence over the country's politics and commands significant support from the Pakistani public. The strike also laid down a new precedent: "This new template for Indian response is going to create a public clamor in India after every terror incident to punish Pakistan," wrote Sushant Singh, deputy editor of the Indian Express. That clamor could be heard once more on Wednesday. But as tensions rise, it's Pakistan that is facing the most scrutiny. As the world woke up to news of an Indian transgression of Pakistani sovereignty, few governments rushed to Islamabad's defense. Though preoccupied with President Trump's summit in Vietnam with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, senior U.S. officials had already signaled their impatience with Pakistan. After the Feb. 14 attack, national security adviser John Bolton said he supported "India's right to self-defense." A statement from the European Union urged de-escalation but did not condemn India's action. Even China, a supposedly firm ally of Pakistan, mustered only an appeal for "restraint." "This must greatly disappoint Pakistan because it would have expected its most trusted all-weather friend to make a straight condemnation of India," wrote veteran Indian journalist Shekhar Gupta. "But it's a new world with no patience for terror as an instrument of policy." "It is striking how few are willing to buy the Pakistani argument, condemn India, or take a 'both sides' approach anymore," wrote Tanvi Madan of the Brookings Institution in an email to Today's WorldView. She noted that the Pakistanis "might have expected that the ongoing Afghanistan peace talks would have limited U.S. criticism or resulted in U.S. calls for Indian restraint over the last week" - the kind of reactions that have occasionally come from Washington in the past during similar periods of tension. This time, though, "neither of those things happened," Madan wrote. Still, Madan said she was "skeptical" that the present state of play "will lead to fundamental change." That requires a far deeper reckoning within Pakistan over the outlook of its military, a reckoning that would probably take place only if Islamabad is subject to a sustained international pressure campaign. Given Pakistan's strategic importance to a host of major powers - from Washington to Riyadh to Beijing - true diplomatic isolation is not in the cards. The attack in Kashmir was "clearly intended" to goad Modi into action with elections looming, wrote Christine Fair, an expert on South Asian geopolitics at Georgetown University. "Make no mistake: the interest of Pakistan's deep state is best served by a Modi victory, which is now uncertain," she added. The animosities of the moment may present a path to victory for Modi's Hindu nationalist government, whose divisive politics, Fair argued, have "provided Pakistan's various Islamist proxies with bountiful recruitment opportunities." Other experts suggested that India, too, needs to reexamine its own policies. Bloomberg View's Nisid Hajari pointed to the Modi government's "heavy-handed" response to growing unrest in Kashmir, where a generation of Muslim men have been brutalized by security forces. "Treating those Indian citizens - and anyone who speaks up for them - as national-security threats only increases the scope for Pakistan-based militants to meddle in the state," Hajari wrote. Ishaan Tharoor writes about foreign affairs for The Washington Post. He previously was a senior editor and correspondent at Time magazine, based first in Hong Kong and later in New York. Frederic Rouzaud, CEO of The Louis Roederer Champagne House, had been searching to buy a premium Northern California winery for 10 years before he met Merry Edwards and tasted her Pinot Noir. For both, it was coup de foudre (love at first sight). The two announced the consummation of their courtship last Friday, when Louis Roederer acquired Merry Edwards Winery for an undisclosed amount. The purchase includes the 28,000-case per year winery, inventory (including an extensive library of older vintage wines), 79 acres of vineyards spread over six sites and the Merry Edwards Winery name. Originally founded in 1776, Champagne Louis Roederer continues as one of the rare Champagne houses to remain firmly in the hands of the same family. For three centuries, seven successive generations have been responsible for building the winery into one of the finest in the world, producing 300,000 cases a year, including the prized Cristal brand. In addition to their presence in France, Roederer has long been in love with Northern California. In a phone call from Paris, Rouzaud said, We were founded in 1776, so we share a birthday with your country, and the U.S. is a very large and important wine market to us. We have other business operations in the USA; in 1982 my father founded Roederer Estate in Anderson Valley to make sparkling wines, we acquired Scharffenberger Cellars from LVMH in 2004 and Domaine Anderson from the Dach family in 2011. In addition we distribute Dominus highly regarded wines in the US. Merry Edwards is a legend in the Pinot Noir industry, having been a pioneering winemaker over her 45-year career at Mount Eden Winery, Matanzas Creek and several smaller wineries. In 1997, family and friends joined together to found Merry Edwards Winery, with a focus on producing Pinot Noirs, Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays with a sense of place from their estate vineyards in the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. Roederer spent several years looking for a Napa brand but were not able to find the right fit, Edwards said at her Sebastopol winery on a rainy Monday morning. They were looking for a family owned and managed winery, with a focus on making terroir-driven wines from sustainably grown estate vineyards. Rouzaud continued, We are frequently looking at wineries to partner with around the world. We look at terroir first. Merry Edwards has several estate vineyards that they have farmed sustainably over many years. They take a long-term approach to vineyard management, as do we in Champagne. Our vines average 40 years old and many of our best wines come from vineyards over 70 years old. We are patient and take a multi-generational view in everything we do, from business to vineyards to winemaking. Over the years, we have had opportunities to look at many renowned wineries in Northern California, but it was not until Robert Nicholson from IWA introduced me to Merry that I felt my heart beating. Her personality, her story, her wines won me over. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are in our House DNA, so it is a natural fit. Edwards said she and her husband and business partner, Ken Coopersmith, werent thinking at all of selling. But in mid-2017 we met with a broker, who offered to do a valuation of the business. She added, Ken and I owned a majority of the business, but also have about 30 outside investors who have been very supportive over the years. When the results of the valuation came back, it inspired us to consider a transition for all of us. So we spent the next several months assembling all the information that a buyer would want and preparing to talk to prospective partners. We met with several other interested parties over the next year, but Roederer were different in that they have been a family business for centuries and are focused on the same grape-growing and winemaking values that we are. We didnt want to be bought by a private equity group or a public company. We wanted it to be owned by another family passionate about wine, Edwards said. Roederer is buying a successful business and is happy to let it continue running independently. Going forward it is our mission to ensure continuity as we have done with our other acquisitions since 1990, said Rouzaud. Edwards continued, I will be staying on as GM/Founder for at least a year to make sure that Roederer and my employees achieve their goals. We have been grooming Heidi von der Mehden for several years and she will continue as the Merry Edwards head winemaker. Edwards said Roederer is intrigued by our successful direct-to-consumer (DTC) and restaurant sales model. We dont charge for tastings like most others do, but our visitors like and buy our wine so it works out well. Wineries that charge $60-plus a person for tastings risk alienating the millennials we all seek and could end up killing their DTC business. According to Edwards, the deal was kept quiet until it was announced Friday, Feb. 22. Several magnums of Roederers Cristal Champagne and Merry Edwards Pinot Noir flowed for all participants at John Ash Restaurant to celebrate their 10-year search for love at first sight. Peter Stoneberg is an investment banker specializing in the wine industry and enjoys watching grapes grow at Circle R Ranch on Atlas Peak. Peter Stoneberg is an investment banker specializing in the wine industry and enjoys watching grapes grow at Circle R Ranch on Atlas Peak. He can be reached at pstoneberg@dresnerco.com. Since 1980, my wife Barbara and I have made an annual ski trip to Vail where a few years ago we were introduced to an incredible vinous find by a good friend and Vail local. We recently returned from Vail where we once again enjoyed a visit to the unique wine bar, Root & Flower, a joint passion of Jeremy Campbell and Samantha Biszantz, thats become the happening place in Vail Village for an international ski crowd and eager-to-learn locals. Jeremy enthusiastically introduces wine lovers to an eclectic range of rare and hard-to-find wines from both well known and relatively obscure growing areas around the world. The list of about 50 wines is divided into categories from Crisp & Clean to Elegance & Grace, Rustic & Complex along with Underappreciated & Misunderstood among other descriptive and engaging titles. In every category, there is a familiar choice or two so guests have a frame of reference of what to expect when trying new and exotic wines that definitely form the backbone of the list. Its rare that I peruse a wine list and am unfamiliar with more than half of the names, producers, varietals and/or growing regions. But thats been the case at Root & Flower on each of our several visits, which is exactly what makes it such an adventure. This year, we had a chance to spend some extra time with Jeremy who has been involved in restaurant wine selections for almost 25 years and is currently completing his Master Sommelier exams. The list is a testament to Jeremys countless hours spent researching his choices, making his selections and only then exploring how he can secure the wines from those few Colorado distributors brave enough to source them. In January, Jeremy took us on an exploration of the lists various categories and pulled several very special personal choices not yet included on the list. We started with a selection of whites with each expressing a distinctive personality, then traversed a range of reds and ended the journey with several unique fortified treasures. 2017 Collestefano Verdicchio di Matelica is a classic example of Italys Marche region with crisp acidity and a clean and refreshing mouthfeel. The 2016 Vassaltis Santorini Assyrtiko was an eye-opening expression of this grape from Greece that surprisingly exhibited intense weight in combination with its traditional more delicate profile of minerality and salinity. To finish the flight, we enjoyed a 2017 Domaine des Aubuisieres Vouvray Cuvee de Silex that is labeled as Sec-Tendre with slightly more sweetness than Sec (dry) but not quite to the level of Demi-Sec (semi-sweet). A great discovery from an area Ive long admired. Moving on to some reds, we began with 2016 Quinta de Sales Dao Tinto from Portugal that was correctly described by Jeremy as savory black fruits in a bowl of granite. We next traveled to Australias Barossa Valley with a 2016 Sucette Grenache from 150-year-old vines growing in sand and embracing a true Old World character. Then, on to Uruguay for the 2016 Bodega Garzon Tannat, a bold rich wine from what has become the countrys signature grape and some say could be the next Malbec (of Argentina fame). Next, we stepped into the fortified world with two Grenache offerings from the south of France. A Ruby-like Vial-Magneres Banyuls and an aged Tawny-like 1976 Riveyrac Riversaltes. Both were true to their styles with a nod toward Port but definitely possessing a Grenache twist. Concluding our adventure with Jeremy and his eloquent descriptions of each wine, its story and its heritage, we enjoyed two Sherries. Bodegas Rey Fernando de Castillo Amontillado was on the younger side with about 10 years in barrel. To contrast we had the Osborne Capuchino Palo Cortado VORS that came from a solera dating to 1790. The component wines of the blend spent a minimum of 30 years in barrel with most closer to 70 years. Quite a treat to end an incredible vinous tour in the glass! Root & Flower has become a must for us when visiting Vail, and my sincere hope is that more Jeremys will appear in different markets so all of us can share these unique adventures more often and closer to home. My Feb. 15 column Terroirs multiple interpretations garnered several comments and interesting observations. The two below one by an experienced vintner/grower and the other by an international chef reflect the general messages I received. PaulYour excellent piece on terroir could serve as a mini primmer on the subject. Yes, some claim that terroirs impact is antidotal or even apocryphal, but I am certain that none of them have spent time in a vineyard to observe the unmistakable interaction of a vine and its terroir. StanI am sure that terroir is a deep and fascinating topic that I liken to the ambiance in a restaurant and defies the notion that if it cant be measured or proven, it doesnt exist. You cannot measure the ambience of a restaurant but if its a dead zone, it doesnt matter how good the meal is, you wont go back. Share your experiences with other readers by commenting on this article with an email to me at allenbalik@savorlifethroughwine.com. Allen Balik, a Napa resident, has been a wine collector, consultant, author, fundraiser and enthusiast for more than 35 years. Not many people talk anymore about the sudden death of our 29th president, Warren G. Harding. The year was 1923 and the place was a hotel in San Francisco named the Palace, the height of which scraped the sky among many in this prominent city by the bay. Warren Gamaliel Harding was one of our less-remembered presidents, who served in office in the roaring 20s, as they were so fondly called and remembered. He was nicknamed The Old Bloviator due to his strong and commanding persona and voice. Harding served as president from 1921 to his untimely and sudden death in 1923. With the Republican Party convention near deadlock upon his nomination, he was chosen as an inoffensive compromise candidate in the 1920 election. He promised post-World War I America a return to normalcy, with an end to violence and radicalism, a strong economy, and independence from European intrigues. He led an intensely scandalous administration as president, however, and was not liked by many in his own party towards the beginning of 1921. In August 1923, Harding suddenly collapsed from a severe respiratory illness believed to be pneumonia while on a campaign trip across country, ending up in San Francisco. His administrations many scandals have earned him a bottom-tier ranking from historians, but in recent years there has been some recognition of his fiscal responsibility and endorsement of African-American civil rights. Harding has been viewed as a more modern politician who embraced technology and was sensitive toward the plights of minorities, women and labor. In August 1923, Harding was weakened by all the scandals. He was so ill when upon arriving in San Francisco that he was totally exhausted. He ordered his planned speech be issued through the national press in order to reach the public. Harding wearily remarked to an aide, It is my friends who keep me up nights now. The president was then given digitalis and caffeine that momentarily helped revive his ongoing heart condition and sleeplessness. Hardings health seemed to improve mid-week so his doctors went to dinner. Hardings pulse was normal and his painful lung infection had subsided. Lying in bed in the presidential suite of the hotel, in the public accounts, Harding was resting comfortably listening to his wife Florence reading to him. She suddenly stopped and looked up at her husband as she thought he had fallen asleep. He opened his eyes and sternly told her, That is good, go on. The first lady resumed her reading, but suddenly Harding jerked stiff, shuddered and fell back dead. The time was 7:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. It was Aug. 2, 1923. She gently placed her article down and calmly called for the doctor. Shortly, he arrived and pronounced Harding dead. Florence very calmly left the room. A sheet was pulled up over the shoulders and face. Dr. Sawyer, a homeopath and friend of the Harding family, opined that he had succumbed to a stroke but the other doctors there disagreed. They concluded to announce that Harding had died from a stroke of apoplexy. Mrs. Harding refused an autopsy and a plaster death face mask. The nation went into mourning and the presidents remains were taken back to Washington, D.C. As he lay in state in the east room of the White House, Mrs. Harding came in and asked the casket be opened to view her husbands remains. The head Army honor guard saluted and proceeded to peel back the American flag and opened the top lid. President Hardings face was calm and powdered with thick rouge and lipstick. Mrs. Harding leaned down to him and whispered loud enough for the head honor guard to hear, No one can hurt you now, Warren. She stood for a few moments and placed a bouquet of fresh flowers in his hand and then stepped down off the black draped catafalque, the same one that had borne Abraham Lincoln and later John F. Kennedy. Many later thought Hardings wife had poisoned him but no concrete evidence has been established to support such an accusation. Many believed she had poisoned Harding to relieve him from all the horrific scandals which were growing by the day during his first term in office. No autopsy was allowed. Unlike Zachary Taylor, our 12th chief executive who also died while in office, his remains have never been exhumed. Taylors remains were exhumed and tested in 1999, laying to rest longstanding rumors that he had been poisoned. Hardings death remains a mystery to this day. Should another presidential exhumation possibly be in play? Only time will perhaps tell. Roger Knapp is an avid reader and chronicler of presidential history. He lives in Napa. The National Conservation Rhino Strategy for India formed for coordinating conservation efforts between India and Nepal to save the one-horned rhinoceros was launched on Tuesday. The strategy plan was launched by Union Minister for Environment, Forests & Climate Change Harsh Vardhan during the two-day 2nd Asian Rhino Range States meeting in New Delhi. The plan said the single population of rhinos in Sukla-Phanta (Nepal), Valmiki tiger reserve (India) and Chitwan National Park (Nepal) and Dudhwa (India) is separated by the political boundary between the two countries. The plan also said that a same protocol should be used for conserving the one-horned rhinos of both India and Nepal, reports The Telegraph. It also stated that the strengths of field ecology expertise of Nepal and protection infrastructure techniques of India need to be shared for landscape-level synergy in conservation endeavors. The plan calls for strengthening protection and conservation of existing and potential rhino habitats. It also calls for expanding distribution range of rhinos. The global population of one-horned rhinos is 3584 out of which India and Nepal have 2938 and 646 respectively. However, the population of rhinos in India and Nepal is slowly increasing despite poaching. The meeting was organized by Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change, and International Union for Conservation of Nature/Species Survival Commission, Asian Rhino Specialist Group along with WWF-India, International Rhino Foundation and Aaranyak, an NGO. During the meeting, Harsh Vardhan hoped that the plan will help in effective conservation of rhinos. While entire India is euphoric with IAF fighter pilot Wing Commander Abhinandans valour, probably very few people outside the flying formation know that a large portion of his bravery genes came from his mother. His mother, Dr. Shobha Varthaman, served humanity amidst cataclysmic violence, healed the wounded in some of the worst conflict zones around the world, including Liberia, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Papua New Guinea, Haiti and Laos. While playing the pro-active role of giving the fighting spirit to her brave warrior son, Abhinandan, Dr. Shobha ensured that mothers survive post-delivery complications in the high-intensity conflict zones, gifted smiles to hundreds of children worldwide, and redefined the paragon of social service. Also Read Wg Cdr Abhinandans father was AOC-in-C of EAC in Shillong A graduate from Madras Medical College, and a post-graduate in Anaesthesiology from the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Dr. Shobha was a volunteer to serve gratis on the world stage as a member of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), literally translated Doctors Without Borders. MSF work exposed her to some of the most troubled places in recent times. Her baptism in conflict zones started with a mission inside a rebel country, in northern territory of Ivory Coast in 2005, where she recalls, only AK-47s and machetes ruled. Her next mission the same year took her to Liberia. Elections were impending and a large number of healthcare personnel were stationed there in case of a conflict. The UN kept peace there after the civil war, but the situation remained very unstable. Also Read IAF was ready for attack on POK in 2008, says ex-commander of Su-30 squadron Then, Dr. Shobha went to Port Harcourt in Nigeria in the southern belt where the marshes are, where they mine the petroleum and the conflicts were in plenty. Amidst perennial conflicts between the villages and the oil companies, oil thefts, intra and inter-tribal fights, she accomplished setting up of a theatre comprising an emergency section for casualties, a blood bank, and an intensive care. During the Second Gulf War, in Sulemaniyah, Iraq, Dr. Shobha encountered life-threatening experience of a suicide-bomb blast. In Iran, she taught Pranayama to her patients for promoting healing, the uniqueness of which found a good following. Her forays as an MSF Medical Director on the Iran-Iraq border also gave her an insight into the Persian civilisation and the Iranian attitude to life. She wonders how the Iranians who were at war with Iraq for 11 years, were willing to accept, that the common Iraqis were only suffering the consequences of a bad decision by a leader. She was also witness to raw courage of Iranian youths who lost their lives to Iraqi-laid landmines. From the war-ravaged Gulf to Papua New Guinea in 2009, next, was a completely new milieu. As the Chief Medical Coordinator, three vastly different projects surgical, sexual violence and an HIV project had to be overseen by her. Women often got raped and did not get medical aid, suffering HIV infections or STD unnecessarily and projects to alleviate their sufferings was one of her onerous tasks. The stay in Papua New Guinea gave her an opportunity to live in tribal areas where people still wore grass skirts, had feathers in their hats and carried a scabbard, chopping people without a second thought, for pigs, land and women. Her next exploration mission was in Laos. She travelled about 1,800 kms in a four-wheel drive in the northern parts where there were no roads and discovered that despite World Bank and Asian Development Bank presence, many areas did not have access to healthcare. But the biggest of them, amongst all her mercy missions, was in Haiti. When nearly 300,000 died and an equal number got injured in 2010 Haiti earthquake, Dr. Shobha was there offering healthcare services and hopes amidst rubbles and despair. Wg Cdr Abhinandans mother also perfectly played the role of a wife. She once turned down an offer to train anaesthetists in Trinidad and Tobago with the UN because she felt her obligation as a wife of a senior IAF officer on a diplomatic mission in Paris was important. (Group Captain Tarun Kumar Singha is a retired IAF fighter pilot from Assam). One of our governments priority tasks is increasing Karabakhs being a subject in the negotiation process [to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict]. The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, on Wednesday stated the aforesaid at his get-together in Tehran, with representatives of the Iranian Armenian community, according to Tert.am. We have to meet with the president of Azerbaijan; it will be a meeting without an agenda, but discussion of the negotiation format will be one of its important benchmarks, the PM said. Unless we have reached agreement on the format, the contacts cant be considered official talks. [But] I speak on behalf of Armenia because Im the prime minister of the Republic of Armenia. I dont speak on behalf of Artsakh because Artsakh has its own authorities. The Artsakh authorities should speak in the negotiation process on behalf of Artsakh. We must do everything so that Karabakh has a new level of being a subject in the negotiation process. Pashinyan added that in case of any threat against Artsakh, the unity of Armenians will be doubled. Karabakh President pays tribute to 1988 Spitak earthquake victims Pentagon discusses situation on Russia-Ukraine border 240 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia US Air Force plans to develop 2 new secret combat drones Wreath laid in Gyumri on behalf of Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Ombudsman provides details from Azerbaijan shooting at Karmir Shuka village of Artsakh Armenia parliament session kicks off with minute of silence Newspaper: As always Armenia citizens chose individuals over ideas in elections Armenia remembers victims of 1988 earthquake Newspaper: Armenia gets more than $11M from international organizations, several countries for Covid prevention Seven die in Zanzibar after eating exotic food Turkey and Qatar discuss possibility of joint operation of airport in Afghanistan Development of warm relations between Abu Dhabi and Tehran is one of UAE priorities Israel tries to convince US to strike Iranian targets Bayramov and US Assistant Secretary of State discuss normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan NEWS.am daily digest: 06.12.21 Armenia legislature majority to block opposition draft statement on border delimitation Vahe Hakobyan underscores effective cooperation with UNDP Modern Parliament for a Modern Armenia project Armenia prosecutor's office files lawsuit demanding confiscation of ex-Police chief, his familys illegal property One dollar passes AMD 491 threshold in Armenia Armenia parliament to set up friendship group with Montenegro India-Eurasian Union free trade zone talks to begin early 2022 Armenia Supreme Judicial Council members receive ECHR judgments execution department delegation Armenia President, UK envoy discuss regional security Armenia premier chairs Security Council meeting Man found dead in downtown Yerevan near garbage cans Opposition Armenia Faction MP: Premier Pashinyan gave best assessment of local elections Armenia opposition lawmaker on local election results: Authorities rigged, pressured but still did not win Kopirkin: Russian-Armenian Center for Humanitarian Response has highly qualified specialists Russia official: 1988 Armenia earthquakes tragic experience gave impetus to creation of effective warning system Opposition MP: Nothing officially announced in Armenia about negotiations over return of 10 POWs Young Russia air force crew kicks off night flights over Armenia mountains 2 people killed in single-engine plane crash in Canada 95 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Yerevan hosting international conference with participation of Armenia, Russia emergency ministries representatives World oil prices on the rise Friend of Armenian people, former US Senator, presidential candidate Bob Dole dies aged 98 PM: Practice of election-rigging undermined state resistance system emerging in early 1990s in Armenia World gold prices going down Armenia local elections: Ruling party loses by more than 13.5% in Vanadzor Artsakh soldier, 19, dies from gunshot wound Armenia local elections: Ruling party suffers crushing defeat in Aparan Armenia local elections: Lack of alternative, record low voter turnout ensure ruling partys win in Armavir Armenia local elections: PAP beats ruling party in Abovyan Armenia local elections: Bloc named after incumbent mayor wins in Sevan The body of a young man found under a bridge in Yerevan UAE National Security Advisor to visit Iran Artsakh registered 31 new coronavirus cases Voter turnout in local elections in Armenia 3 hours before the end of voting was 33.8% Naftali Bennett calls on world powers to take a tough stance on Iran COVID-19 in Armenia: 327 new cases OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs regret that it was not possible to hold a joint meeting of Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs Aravot: Special police forces are in Aparan Head of Ayntap village of Ararat province and his brother apprehended 10 Armenian captives are returned from Azerbaijan Azerbaijan transfers 10 soldiers to Armenia, media report Armenia PM attends meeting of Consultative Assembly on Cooperation with Extra-Parliamentary Political Forces Armenia FM meets with OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Identity of Azerbaijani who killed Artsakh resident is known Turkey intelligence took part in 2020 war against Karabakh, says Turkish vice president Baku explains why it declined from Stockholm meeting of Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs FM: Any status within Azerbaijan is unacceptable for Artsakh people, authorities Opportunities for expanding Armenia-Belarus cooperation in high tech are discussed Quake hits Armenia-Georgia border zone Russia peacekeepers in Karabakh ensure safety during replanting of vineyards Biden says hopes to have long discussion with Putin 54 new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh 419 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Blinken: NATO does not seek aggression against Russia MFA spokesman: Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs did not meet in Stockholm WHO: Omicron variant could worsen situation in Europe Newspaper: Opportunity created for change of power in Armenia Newspaper: Matter of changing Armenias external vector becoming reality? Psaki: US, Russia considering possibility of Biden-Putin meeting Armenian FM meets with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Putin and Erdogan discuss Azerbaijan, Armenia, Syria, Libya, and Ukraine Armenia and Poland FMs discuss regional security issues Erdogan and Putin support coordination of efforts on Karabakh UN launches campaign against Gender-based violence online NEWS.am daily digest: 03.12.21 The matter of appointment of the next Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is not an easy matter, and the work on it continues, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and State Secretary Grigory Karasin told RIA Novosti. He noted the aforesaid when asked whether a new CSTO Secretary General will be appointed before 2020, in connection with Armenias hardnosed stance in this regard, and whether such a situation is convenient to Moscow. The most important thing is that the CSTO has continued to function productively, Karasin said, in particular, Now there is an Acting Secretary General of the organization. As for the matter of how the issue in connection with the [next] CSTO Secretary General will be resolved, thats a vital matter, but they are working on it. The office of the CSTO Secretary General has remained vacant ever since the year past, when Armenias representative Yuri Khachaturov was dismissed from this position due to criminal proceedings against him in Armenia. CSTO Deputy Secretary General Valery Semerikov has been appointed Acting Secretary General of this organization. Armenia argues that another of its representative must assume the CSTO Secretary Generals post until 2020, when the countrys term in this office formally comes to an end. But as Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev had earlier stated, during the CSTO leaders summit that was convened last November in the Kazakh capital city of Astana, it was decided that Belarus representativestate secretary Stanislav Zas of the Security Council of Belarusshall be appointed as the next Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Alexander Yesayan, board member of World Information Technology and Service Alliance (WITSA), President of Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises (UATE) and WCIT 2019 IT international congress, has personally reconfirmed the previously extended participation invite during the meeting with Irans Minister of Communications and Technology, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi. Yesayan is in Iran within the scope of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyans official visit to this country. As announced earlier, the World Congress on Information Technologies will be held in Armenias capital city of Yerevan, from October 6 to 9. The Iranian government representative thanked for the invitation, expressing his interest in participating in the event. Within the scope of the visit, the parties from Armenia, Iran, and Qatar signed a memorandum of understanding on regional cooperation. According to the document, the largest telecommunication companies of the three countries will cooperate to create an internet transit channel for the region. The document was signed by UCOM co-founder Alexander Yesayan, Iranian Telecommunication Company CEO Majid Sadri, and the president of the largest cable network provider of the Gulf States, GULF Bridge International, Abdulla Al-Rwaili. This program will create a transit link for Internet provision to connect the Gulf and Asian countries to Europe, Ucom co-founder Alexander Yesayan stated. By joining such an ambitious project, Armenia once again underlines its position as a regional IT leader. The new channel will become an alternative to the current maritime route, will sidestep Azerbaijan and Turkey and pass through Armenia. By the way, Turkey and Azerbaijan were in intense competition to win the project. This is not simply a matter of business, but it has a strong strategic impact on the telecommunication security. The mandate of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chair-in-Office on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, has been extended for a year, the OSCE Chair-in-Office, Slovaks FM, Miroslav Lajcak said in an interview to the Report. We will continue to provide the support necessary for success, he said. Kasprzyk has been in this position since January 1997. Settling a longstanding conflict is a complex task requiring stability in the regional context, active dialogue, and the readiness of societies to move forward, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Slovakias Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Lajcak said in an interview to Trend. Lately, we have seen signs of progress unfolding and we are cautiously optimistic about it. The human toll of violence along the line of contact and state borders has decreased. We are seeing a certain regularity of senior level dialogue between Yerevan and Baku. And the result of these developments contributes to increased stability in the OSCE space, he said. According to him, their chairmanship is committed to supporting a negotiated, peaceful, and sustainable resolution of the conflict. I have reappointed Amb. Andrzej Kasprzyk as my Personal Representative on the Conflict dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference; we have faith in the Minsk Process, and will ensure it has the support needed to succeed. I am in close contact with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and took positive note of the recent meeting of the Foreign Ministers in Paris. Their understanding that concrete measures are needed to prepare the populations for peace deserves our support, he said. According to him, the OSCE provides a forum for dialogue, cooperation and mediation, and in that can help us to focus on related humanitarian needs. One of the priorities of the Slovak OSCE Chairmanship is preventing, resolving, and mediating conflict and mitigating its humanitarian consequences wherever possible. As during my visits to Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, I am eager to ensure that the people most affected remain high on the agenda of the international community, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office added. Co-chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus Frank Pallone Jr. commemorates Azerbaijan's anti-Armenian massacre in Sumgait, Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) reported quoting the statement. "I rise today to commemorate the Sumgait pogroms, one of the most horrific attacks against the Armenian people committed by the hands of Azerbaijanis 31 years ago today. On February 27, 1988, hundreds of Armenian civilians living in the city of Sumgait in Azerbaijan were indiscriminately killed, raped, maimed, and even burned alive for no reason other than their ethnicity. This senseless violence was instigated by hostile, anti-Armenian rhetoric from Azerbaijani citizens and officials against innocent Armenians. For over three decades, Azerbaijan has taken steps to cover up these crimes against humanity and dismiss the atrocities at Sumgait. Even more disturbing is that the perpetrators of this event and similar violent attacks have since been lauded as national heroes by the Azerbaijani government. It is critical for the US government to recognize and denounce violent assaults against civilians. That is why I continue to stand with the Armenian people in condemning this horrific massacre. Tragically, the Azerbaijani governments approach toward the Armenian people has not changed much since the Sumgait pogroms were initiated. We still hear the same violent rhetoric and witness the intimidation tactics aimed at the people of the Republic of Artsakh. If we do not condemn crimes against humanity and allow them to go unpunished and unrecognized we only strengthen the resolve of those seeking to perpetrate these crimes in the future. It is especially critical to consider this as we prepare to commemorate the 104th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in April. I will continue to work with my colleagues on the Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus to remember the victims of the pogroms at Sumgait and condemn all acts of violence against people who are targeted simply because of their existence. I hope my colleagues will join me in rejecting violent rhetoric and intimidation and renewing our commitment to achieving a collective peace, the statement said. The terrible and bloody Karabakh conflict has brought death and suffering to numerous innocent people, to both Armenians and Azerbaijanis; Russia has always considered this a great tragedy, and it continues to do so. Maria Zakharova, official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), on Thursday noted the aforementioned at a press briefing. She noted this when asked about how several Russian State Duma MPs had partaken in an anti-Armenian event in Azerbaijans capital city of Baku, and who the initiator was. In Zakharovas words, although the Russian position on the Karabakh issue is known, she stands ready to confirm it yet again. Our country is making considerable, very huge and decisive efforts in the [conflicting] parties seeking a pacific resolution to this conflict, she noted, in particular. You said that Russian MPs have participated there. It seems to me that, from the perspective of self-organization, it would be right to direct the question to those who have had a direct participation in that event. The [Russian] MFA hasnt been the co-founder and co-organizer of the given event. Parliament speaker: Armenia remains faithful to peaceful settlement of Karabakh conflict YEREVAN. The victims of the Sumgait massacres were commemorated during a ceremony in Yerevan on Thursday. The witnesses of the Armenian pogroms and their families visited a cross-stone (a khchakar) in the alley leading to the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan. They were soon accompanied by Deputy Speaker of the parliament Alen Simonyan, secretary of Bright Armenia party Gevorg Gorgisyan, political analysts and public figures. Earlier in the day President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian visited the memorial complex to honor memory of the innocent victims of the Sumgait events. The Sumgait crime has no period of limitation, and we have to do our best for this terrible crime to be strictly condemned, to be acknowledged and to have correct assessment by the world community, he said. Deputy Speaker Alen Simonyan believes that the Azerbaijani authorities are well aware that the international community will not allow them to continue their policy of lies and falsification. This is evidenced by the action that took place in Baku the day before. I think they held it [the action] because of despair, Simonyan said. Gevorg Gorgisyan, secretary of the Bright Armenia Party faction, said that deputies from his faction raised the issue of Sumgait pogroms during the meeting of the three standing committees, adding that they plan to meet with the government in connection with the case of Karen Ghazaryan, who was represented by the Azerbaijani authorities as a saboteur and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The United States and North Korea have to meet halfway, representative of China's foreign ministry Lu Kang said after the summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un ended without a deal, AP reported. He said the situation in the Korean Peninsula experienced a significant turnaround over the past year, and this result is worth cherishing, AP reported. Lu Kang added that the U.S. and North Korea returned to the right path of political settlement which is the only way out. By Moses Kyeyune. The Opposition Forum for Democratic Change has rejected all proposals for the amendment of the Administration of Parliament Act. Appearing before the House Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, the Leader of Opposition Betty Aol and the Chief Opposition Whip Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda said that the amendments are illegal and ill-driven. The private members bill was presented by Kabale Municipality MP Andrew Aja Baryayanga and it was seconded by Busiro East MP Medard Sseggona, who doubles as the shadow Justice and constitutional affairs minister. It seeks to provide for the manner of choosing back-bench members of the Commission, the Leader of Opposition, the Chief Opposition Whip and Party Whips and to establish the office of Deputy Leader of Opposition and Deputy Chief Opposition Whip. According to Ssemujju and Aol says the bill clusters independents into a common group subjecting the determination of opposition leadership by members of the ruling party and none aligned members; and, turning a blind eye on commonwealth parliamentary practice. The United States and North Korea could hold more meetings, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said after Donald Trump and Kim Jong UN failed to reach a deal during the summit. Pompeo said there are no plans to hold a regular meeting in the near future, Reuters reported. We havent set a date, Pompeo told reporters on a flight from Vietnam to the Philippines. My sense is it will take a little while. Well each need to regroup a little bit. He said the party made some progress, but it was not enough. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyans official visit to Iran is still in progress. On Thursday morning, Pashinyan headed from Tehran to Isfahan, together with his wife, Anna Hakobyan, and the Armenian government delegation led by him. The Armenian PM, accompanied by governor Abbas Rezaei of Isfahan Province, visited the Naqsh-e Jahan Square. Also, Pashinyan and Hakobyan paid visits to several mosques as well as the Ali Qapu palace and the Qesarieh Grand Bazaar, and got familiarized with the history of Iranian spiritual and cultural structures. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan informed the representatives of the Armenian community of Tehran about Armenias economic projects with Iran. The premier stated that the importance of the construction of the third power transmission line between Armenia and Iran also was noted during the talks. We spoke about the ways to connect the Gulf to the Black Sea, Nikol Pashinyan added. There is [also] a project of Turkmen [natural] gas transit via Iran to Armenia, and then to Georgia. Co-chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus Frank Pallone Jr. and US Representative, Vice-Chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, Adam Schiff, commemorated on Wednesday Azerbaijan's anti-Armenian massacre in Sumgait. According to Frank Pallone Jr., for over three decades, Azerbaijan has taken steps to cover up these crimes against humanity and dismiss the atrocities at Sumgait. If we do not condemn crimes against humanity and allow them to go unpunished and unrecognized we only strengthen the resolve of those seeking to perpetrate these crimes in the future. It is especially critical to consider this as we prepare to commemorate the 104th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in April, he added. According to Adam Schiffs statement submitted to the Congressional Record, Azerbaijani authorities made little effort to punish those responsible, instead attempting to cover up the atrocities in Sumgait to this day and denying the government role in instigating the killings. Indeed, even today, racist propaganda against Armenia and Armenians is prevalent in Azerbaijan. The terrible and bloody Karabakh conflict has brought death and suffering to numerous innocent people, to both Armenians and Azerbaijanis; Russia has always considered this a great tragedy, and it continues to do so, Maria Zakharova, official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), told reporters on Thursday In Zakharovas words, although the Russian position on the Karabakh issue is known, she stands ready to confirm it yet again. Our country is making considerable, very huge and decisive efforts in the [conflicting] parties seeking a pacific resolution to this conflict, she noted, in particular. You said that Russian MPs have participated there. It seems to me that, from the perspective of self-organization, it would be right to direct the question to those who have had a direct participation in that event. The [Russian] MFA hasnt been the co-founder and co-organizer of the given event. Armenias Consulate General in Russias Rostov-on-Don is in contact with the local authorities after six Armenian nationals were injured in a mini bus crash, spokesperson for Armenias Foreign Ministry Anna Naghdalyan wrote on Facebook. A mini bus with six people turned over in Stavropol region of Russia on Wednesday afternoon. Two Armenian nationals have been discharged, while another two are still in hospital. Armenian writer Yeghishe Charents house, which has been preserved for many years in Kars, Turkey, has been unexpectedly torn down. According to the rumors being spread in Kars, the nationalist mayor of the city had hurriedly ordered the flattening of this house in response to the events that had occurred in Khojaly village, in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), in February 1992. But in its official statement on the demolition of this house, the Kars city hall noted that, supposedly, drug addicts assembled in that house, and therefore there was a need to tear it down. By Moses Kyeyune. Ugandas Ambassador to Burundi rtd Maj Gen Matayo Kyaligonza will be subjected to the long arm of the law, government has stated. In a statement presented to Parliament this evening, the minister of internal affairs Gen Jeje Odongo has said that the ambassadors conduct of assaulting a female traffic officer was regrettable. Kyaligonza has said that the two UPDF officers; Peter Bushindiki and Robert Okurut are already under detention in Makindye police barracks. He says that Gen Kyaligonza has been summoned by police to make a statement relating to the matter, and he will not be spared either. Parliament is debating the brawl that occurred at Seeta, in Mukono on Sunday. Related Stories. FDC calls for resignation of Kyaligoza Uganda police boasts of authentic training to maintain law and order Posted by PickupTrucks.com Staff | February 27, 2019 Cars.com photos by Mark Williams By Mark Williams The big news for the heavily refreshed 2019 Ram 2500/3500 lineup is the 1,000 pounds-feet of torque from the all-new 6.7-liter Cummins inline-six-cylinder diesel engine. Although diesel options tend to dominate the heavy-duty class (Ford Super Duty trucks with Power Stroke turbo-diesels make up the majority of Ford's HD purchases; ditto for the Duramax in the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra HDs), the fact that the 2019 Ram HDs now have a new eight-speed transmission (complete with an exclusive rotary dial on the dash) paired with the standard 6.4-liter gas V-8 is interesting for a few reasons. First, more gears will likely mean better fuel economy. Second, lower 1st gear ratios means more pulling power when needed. Third, for the off-roading Ram 2500 Power Wagon, a lower 1st gear means a crawl ratio of approximately 51:1 (taking 1st gear times axle ratio times low range). Finally, the new knob gear selector creates quite a bit of open space around the center console. Related: 2019 Ram 2500/3500 Video: Up Close With the Ram Experts Also for 2019, the manual transmission has been discontinued as an option. The Ram HDs were the only full-size pickups to offer a manual transmission. Some will miss it, but these new HD pickups will be judged on how much improvement they deliver in the real world. Ram gave a small group of journalists an early opportunity to drive the snot out of several different configurations a few of which had sizable trailers attached. Driving the Big Dually The first truck we drove was a Ram 3500 Longhorn 4x4 dually with the high-output Cummins and newly upgraded Aisin six-speed with 3.73:1 gears. The new grille has a strong and taller look with auto-turning headlights for better night visibility. This beast had a Big Tex gooseneck double-axle dump bed attached with eight 1,000-pound bags of gravel loaded in the cargo area, making for a total trailer weight of 16,500 pounds. The combination itself was pretty well balanced, with about 2,500 pounds resting on the bed's integrated ball. Fortunately, Ram engineers also updated the bed-mounted trailer chain cleats to accommodate the largest hooks that trailer manufacturers use on their biggest and heaviest trailers. Because there is no industry standard here, we've had issues with smallish bed loops and large chain hooks. With a quick touch of the Tow/Haul switch at the bottom of the center console and tapping the exhaust brake control twice to activate Auto mode (it still offers three settings: off, on and Auto), we found the first few shifts firm and solid with better holding power on our steeper downhill runs. Of course, heading uphill with heavy throttle had us loving the sound of the new Cummins, which has a toned-down note but still offers a distinct sound factory ratings for this new engine are 400 horsepower at 2,800 rpm and 1,000 pounds-feet of torque at 1,800 rpm. Our drive route took us over some less-well-known Southern California coastal mountains then down into orchard and farmland just north of Los Angeles. The two-lane roads were narrow but also heavily traveled by semitrucks that use the route to haul quarry rock, so road construction (and width), for the most part, was not a problem. However, recent storm activity had brought culvert water and debris to the winding two-lane, so we did have to drop a tire or two into the dirt and rocks on some of the tighter switchbacks. Our most used new feature for these circumstances was the Ram HDs' new split towing mirror that allows individual adjustment of the upper (standard) and lower (wide-angle) mirrors via separate switches inside. Added to the optional 360-degree camera view that allows a split screen and multiple rear-angle views with zooming options, there is almost nothing you can't watch around your trailer (Mopar even offers an extra camera hookup you can put at the back of your trailer or inside to keep an eye on your precious cargo). Powertrain Performance The upgraded six-speed transmission that pairs with the Cummins is a noticeable standout feature of the 2019 Ram HDs; it has much smoother takeoffs and shifts between 1st and 2nd gear, as well as 2nd and 3rd, even under hard throttle starts and pulls. It's an interesting choice to stick with a six-speed transmission when other manufacturers have eight- and 10-speed options, but Ram says its customers really the like the Cummins with the six-speed. During our drive time we experienced one situation when downshifting from 65 mph on the freeway, just coming off throttle into an off-ramp corner, where the transmission seemed to have some trouble with a relatively harsh 3rd-to-2nd shift (Tow/Haul on and exhaust brake set to Auto). We're not sure if the shifting weight of the gravel bags inside the trailer created some odd inputs or if the engine and transmission integration still needs one more fine-tune before signoff, but we'll circle back with Ram engineers on that and report back later. We also drove work-truck-oriented regular-cab Ram Tradesman and Big Horn models. Our Bright White no-frills Tradesman carried 25 8-foot logs stacked in the 8-foot bed for a total of 2,500 pounds of payload. Equipped with the Hemi V-8, which offers 410 hp at 5,600 rpm and 429 pounds-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm, the engine felt strong, even at the 4,000-foot elevation. The most impressive feature in this muscular combination was the new eight-speed transmission. The lower 1st-gear ratio (4.71:1) allows for a big pull off the line, something we weren't expecting with this much load in the bed. We were told there are 41 new algorithms in the transmission computer to allow for many more possible adjustment parameters, empty or loaded. Our only quibble here is it would have been nice if HD owners could select their own drive modes (if they want to), depending on the weather, road surface or load requirements. Another new feature we liked is the transmission's thumb-activated tap-up, tap-down manual control allows the driver to activate and then see on the instrument panel exactly when the transmission is shifting and what gear it is in at any moment. Ford has had that feature for a while, and GM won't have it on its 2020 models we hope GM gets the hint. We also had the chance to drive a mainstream 2019 Ram 3500 Big Horn 4x4 with the gas engine, but hauling only 1,250 pounds of sandbags and bags of fresh horse-stall ground cover. Although the 3500 certainly feels heavier, it still was amazingly nimble and quick to respond to sharp steering and throttle inputs not something you normally associate with a loaded HD pickup. Seating in all the new test vehicles is quite respectable, especially in the Limited, but oddly enough our favorite was the one-ton Big Horn's denimlike cloth seats that provide plenty of lower back and side bolster support; they also seem quite durable. Our only complaint is that Ram did not upgrade HD cabins as it did with the redesigned 2019 Ram 1500, a strategy employed by Ford and GM. Essentially, all Ram HD cabs carry over from the previous generation, meaning they are the same size and shape with the same-sized storage bins and layout so no massive moonroof in the upper trim level. Also, all Ram HD trim levels have only a tilt steering wheel with pedal and seat adjustments for fine-tuning the driver position; a telescoping adjustment isn't offered. Although we didn't get a chance to try one on this drive, 2500s with the optional Cummins turbo-diesel will get the down-rated 370 hp and 850 pounds-feet of torque. One-ton models offer a choice between the two Cummins ratings, with the higher-output engine offering a 3.73:1 axle for single and dual rear wheels or the 4.10:1 axle for duallys only. Power Wagon Upgrades The last vehicle we drove was the revised Ram 2500 Power Wagon, which gets the same powertrain and frame upgrades as the rest of the HD lineup but also receives a few more exterior styling changes. Although many of the upgrades are less visible (like the stronger frame, less vibration in the cab and noise-canceling materials), the big changes come with a new transmission that delivers a much lower 1st gear, which will give this big off-roader even greater crawling abilities on steep, rocky trails. A low-range crawl ratio of 51:1 puts the Power Wagon's crawling abilities on par with the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. That borders on farm tractor capability, but now it's all controlled by a much smarter transmission computer with more gear options. The Power Wagon continues to offer a push-button front sway-bar disconnect and front and rear locking differentials for crazy ninja-like mountain climbing, but now it has a rotary dial gear selector. Add in the optional Uconnect 12-inch touchscreen and the interior is quite impressive. While many things contribute to the new Power Wagon's smoother, more powerful, more responsive and quieter ride, it's difficult not to give the new transmission much of the credit: The shifts are much smoother, almost seamless, even when downshifting. Further, even when running through a desert off-road park at a healthy speed in low range, there were none of the harsh noises or shock shifts we've come to expect from all HD 4x4s when running in 4-Low. There's no question, the Power Wagon was the favorite 2019 Ram HD of the day, given the ridges and hill climbs we conquered. Maybe that means we'll have to put it up against a few of its competitors as soon as we have a chance. And maybe that's what we need to do with a few other Ram HD versions as well. More to come for sure. More From PickupTrucks.com: 2019 Ram 2500 Tradesman 2019 Ram 3500 Big Horn 18:41 India is getting 'abundant' support of Islamic countries in the fight against terror, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said in Hyderabad on Friday. The government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has decided with pertinacity that the time has come to wage a decisive battle against terrorism in the wake of the Pulwama attack, he said. "I am very happy to tell you that we are getting abundant support from the Islamic countries of the world," he said. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has, for the first time, invited India's foreign minister as a guest of honour in its ongoing meeting, Singh noted. It is a pleasing thing that all nations of the world are coming onto one platform on the question of terrorism, he said. All feel that a decisive battle should be fought against terrorism, he said. Terrorism has no caste, creed or religion but sometimes, there would be some who try to associate it with some religion which is not appropriate, he added. The home minister was speaking after inaugurating two new office-cum-housing complexes of the National Investigation Agency in Hyderabad and Guwahati, built by NBCC India at a cost of about Rs 77 crore. Appreciating NIA for its effective functioning, the Union Minister said the conviction rate of NIA is 92 per cent. "It means, the conviction rate (of NIA) is 92 per cent. It's a matter of pride for all us," he said. Noting that the government has given approval to open a research cell on terror-group Islamic State (ISIS), he said, "We have also given approval to the NIA to set up a research cell on the ISIS." The minister also said about 100 new posts have been approved in the NIA for effective investigation and supervision. "Terror funding is a big factor in promoting terrorism. The way NIA performed its role, the result is that there has been a decline in terror funding compared to earlier," Singh said. The circulation of fake Indian currency notes has also declined due to the combined efforts of the NIA and other Central and State agencies, he claimed. The NIA, he said, has achieved good success in establishing coordination with other agencies like State police and anti-terror squads of different States. The Hyderabad NIA complex is an 'all-inclusive' project and spread over 12,572 square metre. It has been constructed at a cost of about Rs 37 crore and consists of both administrative and residential flats for its staff. The Guwahati project entailed a cost of Rs 40 crore and has a built-up area of 9,830 square metre. Besides various office buildings and residential quarters, it also has barracks for Jawans, and a community centre, according to NBCC India. Singh also said: "On this occasion, you have feted ('abhinandan kiya hai') me, the governor, the Home Minister of Telangana. "But the truth is, your, our and the whole country's Abhinandan (IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman) is going to enter India in another few hours and come amongst us". -- PTI The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] WASHINGTON (AP) Senate opponents of President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the Mexican border moved within a hair Thursday of having enough votes to prevail, and one Republican suggested he risks a rebuff by the GOP-led chamber if he doesn't change course. Trump's move would "turn a border crisis into a constitutional crisis," veteran Sen. Lamar Alexander said on the Senate floor. But he stopped just short of saying he'd support a resolution blocking the president's move. Had Alexander pledged his vote, it would probably be enough for the Senate to pass a measure repealing the emergency declaration. Speaking later to reporters, Alexander, R-Tenn., warned what might happen if Trump doesn't settle for using other money he can access without declaring an emergency. "He can build a wall and avoid a dangerous precedent and I hope he'll do that," Alexander said. "So that would change the voting situation if he would agree to do that." The Democratic-led House voted Tuesday to upend Trump's declaration, which he declared to circumvent Congress and funnel billions of extra dollars to erecting his proposed wall. Trump has promised to veto the effort to thwart him, and Congress seems all but certain to lack the two-thirds majorities in each chamber that would be needed to override his veto. But the showdown puts GOP lawmakers in a ticklish spot that party leaders are hoping to ease. Republicans say a Senate vote is likely in two weeks, but exactly what the Senate will vote on remains unclear. Several Republicans said that behind closed doors, they were considering several options for alternative language. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, was among those suggesting provisions making it harder for future presidents to divert federal dollars to projects of their choosing by declaring emergencies. "I wouldn't be surprised if some changes are made," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. Story continues While the wall elicits wide public opposition, Trump remains wildly popular with hard-right voters and GOP lawmakers cross him at their peril. Trump warned Republicans anew against challenging him. "I really think that Republicans that vote against border security and the wall, I think you know, I've been OK at predicting things, I think they put themselves at great jeopardy," Trump said in excerpts of an interview with Fox News Channel's "Hannity" show released Thursday. While congressional Republicans are reluctant to confront Trump, many say his move tramples Congress' constitutional power to control spending. They say it would set a precedent for future Democratic presidents to declare emergencies for their own purposes, and they worry he would siphon money to barrier construction from home-state projects. Alexander, a three-term senator who plans to retire in 2021, has no re-election worries. "I support what the president wants to do on border security, but not the way he has been advised to do it," said Alexander, 78. "It is unnecessary and unwise to turn a border crisis into a constitutional crisis about separation of powers." Presidents have declared 58 national emergencies under a 1976 law. But never has one declared an emergency after Congress had explicitly denied the money in question, Alexander said. GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have said they will vote to derail the emergency declaration. Just four Republicans would be needed to send the measure to Trump for his promised veto, assuming that all 47 Democrats and their independent allies vote as expected to confront the president. By law, the resolution cannot be filibustered and would only need a majority to pass the Senate, usually 51 votes. Congress has voted to limit spending for barriers to just under $1.4 billion. Trump featured the wall as a central plank of his presidential campaign and repeatedly said Mexico would pay for it, which hasn't happened. Trump has said he needs additional barriers to halt drugs, human traffickers and unauthorized immigrants from slipping into the U.S. Opponents say there is no crisis. The emergency declaration would let Trump divert $3.6 billion from military construction to erect more border barriers. He's invoking other authorities to transfer an additional $3.1 billion to construction. Lawsuits have been filed aimed at derailing the declaration, which could at least prevent Trump from getting the extra money for months or more. Meanwhile, Collins and three other moderate senators introduced their own resolution blocking the emergency. The proposal is identical to the one-sentence, House-approved measure. The new legislation lets senators put their stamp on congressional opposition to Trump's move. The other sponsors are Sens. Tom Udall, D-N.M., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. Only Murkowski doesn't face re-election next year. ___ AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro in Washington and AP writer David Sharp in Portland, Maine, contributed. Getty Images Pharmaceuticals are a tricky business. Public policy, science, R&D, global growth and regulation all play a role, sometimes outsize, in the success of pharmaceutical stocks. But some Big Pharma companies and a few other industry firms have managed these and other factors better than others. And along the way, they have built up a considerable "moat" - some sort of considerable competitive advantage - around profitable businesses. Some of these same companies are building bridges to further profitability via deep drug pipelines, innovative new treatments and transformative acquisitions. Here's a deeper look into five pharmaceutical stocks that have compelling moats, bridges or both. These advantages make them more likely to provide stable growth over the long term. Zoetis Thinkstock Market value: $45.0 billion Dividend yield: 0.7% Zoetis (ZTS, $93.80) is among the world's leading pharmaceutical companies. However, investors often overlook Zoetis because while it manufactures medicines and vaccines, it does so for livestock and pets. Don't make the same mistake. The U.S. is home to more than 180 million pet dogs and cats, as well as millions more horses and livestock. But unlike the human health market, the one for animals isn't chock full of well-capitalized and fierce pharmaceutical stocks such as Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) or GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Big Pharma has some 81,000 sales reps and spent nearly $3 billion on air time for commercials through just the first eight months of 2018. In animal health, $45 billion Zoetis is the 800-pound gorilla. It's also a global player, with approximately half of its sales occurring outside of the United States. The case for the company is both the breadth and the depth of its moat, as well as the stability of the markets it serves. Pets or livestock, animal populations are growing steadily, and owners tend to spend generously (whether it's out of love or to protect their profits). Story continues These factors have enabled ZTS to grow earnings from $1.16 per share in 2013 to $2.93 last year, for average annual profit growth of 26.1%. Analysts at CFRA expect Zoetis to raise prices in its "companion" segment, where pet owners prefer to pay extra for medicines rather than withhold treatment. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Thinkstock Market value: $48.1 Dividend yield: N/A Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX, $189.81) is a leader in the treatment of cystic fibrosis. The company's three cystic fibrosis drugs - Kalydeco, Orkambi and Symdeko - treat different genetic variations of the disease. What's compelling about Vertex is that these drugs are throwing off huge amounts of cash, enabling Vertex to invest in R&D and maintain its lead in cystic fibrosis, while diversifying its portfolio into new diseases. These include sickle-cell disease, kidney diseases, antitrypsin deficiency (which can lead to liver and kidney disease) and acute pain. Since 2015, Vertex has grown its cash hoard from $1.0 billion to $3.2 billion, or 47% annually. Vertex also has been able to achieve financial success with a relatively low penetration of its existing market in the U.S., Europe and Australia. Currently, just 18,000 patients are on Vertex cystic fibrosis medicines against 37,000 who are eligible. Further, the company believes it can expand the eligibility pool in two ways. First, by "expanding the label," Vertex can treat younger patients and increase the eligibility pool to about 44,000 patients. Second, by combining its formulas into a triple-combination therapy, VRTX estimates it can increase the pool of eligible patients to approximately 66,000. Vertex said it plans to file its New Drug Application (NDA) for its combo treatment by mid-year. Bristol-Myers Squibb Getty Images Market value: $83.7 billion Dividend yield: 3.2% Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY, $50.96) is raising prices on its franchise drugs, including Opdivo, Yervoy and Sprycel. Cancer drug Opdivo alone delivered more than $6.7 billion in sales in 2018 - a 36% increase over 2017. Price increases alone, however, won't make Bristol-Myers a winner. But BMY has more - namely, a pending acquisition of Celgene (CELG) and a stable of multibillion-dollar drugs. Bristol-Myers Squibb's $74 billion deal for the biotechnology company could close during the third quarter of 2019, and it would position BMY to accomplish two critical feats. First, it would enable BMY to build a larger moat around its cancer franchise with the addition of Celgene's powerhouse Revlimid. Further, the deal would strengthen the company's presence in the arthritis market by combining its Orencia (2018 sales of $2.7 billion) with Celgene's Otezla (2018 sales of $1.6 billion). At a strategic level, the Celgene deal would build wider and deeper moats for BMY around its cancer and arthritis franchises. It would do little for Bristol-Myers' cardiovascular drug Eliquis, but with annual sales of $6.4 billion (up 32% from 2017), it doesn't need much help. The deal is by no means assured. Activist investor Starboard Value has taken an undisclosed stake in BMY, and has recently announced it will try to build opposition against the deal. Investment firm Wellington Management, which is Bristol-Myers' biggest shareholder at more than 8%, also voiced its displeasure with the Celgene transaction. In fact, Starboard could push Bristol in a completely different direction. "There is a better path forward for Bristol-Myers, either as a more profitable standalone company with a more focused, lower-risk strategy, or in a potential sale of the whole Company," Starboard CEO Jeffrey Smith wrote to BMY shareholders. Outside of the M&A sphere: Revenue and earnings are projected to grow at a mid-single-digit pace over the next couple years, and the stock trades at less than 12 times estimates for next year's earnings, versus a 16.5 multiple on the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index. Tack on a 3.2% dividend yield, and BMY shares appear to be an appealing value. Eli Lilly Getty Images Market value: $130.5 billion Dividend yield: 2.3% Eli Lilly (LLY, $125.68) is a pharmaceutical-stock titan with six billion-dollar-plus brands. These include erectile dysfunction treatment Cialis, as well as type-2 diabetes treatment Trulicity, the company's best-selling drug at $3.2 billion in 2018 revenues (up 58% year-over-year). Overall, Lilly's diabetes franchise accounts for about a third of the company's revenues, and it is No. 2 in the market behind Novo Nordisk (NVO). While diabetes represents Lilly's biggest opportunity, the company is building bridges into new markets. LLY recently entered the migraine market with Emgality. Yes, 2018 sales were de minimis - just $5 million - but this is a wide, growing market. Worldwide, GlobalData projects a 10.3% CAGR in the migraine market, which could swell to $8.7 billion by 2026. In a dubious distinction, the bulk of migraine headaches occur in the U.S., where roughly 38 million Americans suffer from the condition. Despite a number of competitors, then - notably Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA) and its injectable Ajovy - there's plenty of room for Emgality to develop into a massive franchise. Lilly also has built a bridge into the cancer market with the acquisition of Loxo Oncology, which was announced in January. Loxo doesn't have product revenues yet, but it brings Eli Lilly a portfolio of approved and investigational precision medicines for the oncology market. Oncology may be the next LLY's next vast frontier. While the company's moats widen and its bridges into oncology and the migraine market develop, investors are paid a modest 2.2% dividend to wait for growth via price increases and organic expansion in Lilly's impressive portfolio. SEE ALSO: The 9 Best Biotech Stocks to Buy for a Blowout 2019 Pfizer Getty Images Market value: $249.9 billion Dividend yield: 3.3% Pfizer (PFE, $42.93) boasts a superb portfolio with several category-leading drugs including Lyrica (for pain), Eliquis (for clotting), Prevnar 13 (a diphtheria vaccine), Enbrel (arthritis and psoriasis) and Ibrance (breast cancer). Those are just some of the billion-dollar franchises that have driven (and/or can continue to deliver) impressive organic growth. Indeed, CFRA analysts are forecasting $2.87 per share in profits versus $1.86 in 2018. Pfizer also wields a roughly $8 billion R&D budget to develop its impressive pipeline. This pipeline includes a likely 2019 approval of Bavencio plus Inlyta (for renal cell carcinoma), potential approvals of as many as four biosimilars (drugs designed to have active properties similar to those of a drug that has previously been licensed) and results from Phase 3 studies of drugs treating sickle-cell disease, dermatitis and osteoarthritis. The osteoarthritis treatment (tanezumab) is being developed in conjunction with Eli Lilly. The pharma business is difficult and rife with competition, not to mention looming patent expirations. For instance, $5 billion Lyrica will face generic competition starting in June, and $2.1 billion Enbrel has been buffeted by the development of biosimilars from competitors. But investors are somewhat insulated from the volatility of events such as these by the sheer breadth of Pfizer's portfolio, which also churns out plenty of cash to sustain a healthy 3.4% yield. The company did slash its dividend in half to 16 cents per share in 2009, but it has since recovered and then some to its current 36 cents quarterly. SEE ALSO: 57 Dividend Stocks You Can Count On in 2019 EDITOR'S PICKS Copyright 2019 The Kiplinger Washington Editors HMRC is warning firms to prepare for Brexit. Photo: Kirsty OConnor/PA Wire/PA Images The government has warned more than four in five British firms will be unable to trade with the EU under a no-deal Brexit unless they register in the next month. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) says only 41,000 firms which trade with Europe have filled in the necessary paperwork so far. A staggering 83% of the estimated 240,000 firms affected have still not registered. With the clock ticking down to the UKs scheduled departure on 29 March, the appeal suggests officials are highly concerned about the level of preparedness in UK business. Adverts are also set to appear on our TV screens soon advising the public on how to prepare for Britain crashing out without a deal, a Downing Street spokesperson told Business Insider today. As HMRC issued its latest warning to British companies this week, it set out its guidance on the three steps they may need to take to carry on trading if Britain leaves without a deal. READ MORE: Pound rises as fears ease of a no-deal Brexit Firstly, firms will need to register for an Economic Operator and Registration (EORI) number, though some may have done so already if they have previously traded with countries outside the EU. Secondly, they would also need to make customs declarations on exports and many imports if the British government fails to reach an agreement with Brussels that would protect existing trade rules and freedoms. HMRC says companies should now consider how they would make such declarations, whether doing it by themselves or appointing a customs agent. Thirdly, firms that import goods using roll-on, roll-off locations can register for Transitional Simplified Procedures (TSP), which lets them avoid full customs declarations and delays paying import duties at the border. READ MORE: Goldman Sachs predicts Mays deal will still get over the line Mel Stride, financial secretary to the UK Treasury, said: We want businesses to be able to continue trading with minimal disruption in any scenario but we also know that people tend to leave things until the last minute and we would urge against that. Story continues We are specifically advising businesses to take some simple steps to be prepared the first thing they need to do is register for an EORI number it is free and takes less than 10 minutes. HMRC has already written twice to VAT-registered firms which trade with the EU, but the warnings appear to have had only a limited effect. Around 3m of the 8m in funding to train firms in making import and export declarations has still not been handed out, with the government appearing to suggest not enough firms have applied. Photo credit: Daniel Zuchnik - Getty Images From Men's Health Update-March 4, 2019, 1:12 p.m.: Actor Luke Perry died Monday morning following a massive stroke on Wednesday. He was 52. A rep confirmed Perry's death to ET, providing the following statement: "Actor Luke Perry, 52, passed away today after suffering a massive stroke. He was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiance Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, step-father Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends. The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning. No further details will be released at this time." Riverdale and 90210 star Luke Perry has been sedated after being hospitalized for a stroke, according to updates in a TMZ report Thursday. People confirmed the initial news of Perry's condition, with a rep for the actor telling the outlet: "Mr. Perry is currently under observation at the hospital." According to TMZ, the 52-year-old actor suffered a massive stroke Wednesday morning. Paramedics reportedly responded to Perry's home in Sherman Oaks, California, at around 9:40 a.m., and brought Perry to a Los Angeles hospital. TMZ later reported Perry was in a medically-induced coma, but his rep did not confirm. Perry's condition is currently unknown following the initial report of his stroke. The actor rose to fame in the 1990s as Dylan McKay on the popular television program Beverly Hills 90210-a show thats getting a reboot on Fox this coming summer. Since 2017, hes starred on Riverdale as Fred Andrews, father of protagonist Archie (played by KJ Apa). Hes also got a part in the upcoming Quentin Tarantino flick, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which is due in theaters in July, and has previously starred in Melrose Place, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Fifth Element. Story continues Photo credit: Peter Carrette Archive - Getty Images What is a stroke? Fundamentally, a stroke is a brain attack, in the words of the National Stroke Association. When blood supply is cut off to an area of the brain, cells deprived of oxygen begin to die. When those cells die, they take brain functions with them; depending on where the damage occurs, patients can lose memories, speech, and motor functions, among other debilitations. Some symptoms can be treated, though extensive brain damage can lead to permanent problems such as paralysis. You may have seen stroke victims with a drooping face, a common side effect of stroke. What are signs of stroke in men? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, early symptoms of stroke may include: Numbness in the face, arm, or leg (especially on one side of the body) Confusion Difficulty seeing Difficulty walking Severe headache What causes a stroke? There are two ways the brain's blood supply can get cut off. The most common, accounting for about 87 percent of all strokes, is an ischemic stroke. Thats when a blood vessel to the brain gets blocked by a blood clot, preventing blood from reaching the brain. Those clots can originate in two different places. An embolic stroke is when a clot forms elsewhere in the body and finds its way to the brain, until it lodges in a blood vessel. But clots can also form in the arteries that supply blood to the brain-that kind of clot is called a thrombus, and it causes a thrombotic stroke. Clots arent the only way the brain can be deprived of oxygen-carrying blood, though. The much rarer hemorrhagic stroke (about 15 percent of all cases) happens when either a brain aneurysm (a weakening in the artery wall) bursts or a blood vessel leaks. In either case, blood seeps into the brain, where it further damages the brain with swelling and pressure. Hemorrhagic strokes are less common, but more deadly, accounting for about 40 percent of stroke deaths. Theres also a stroke-like phenomenon called a transient ischemic attack (TIA). In that case, blood flow to the brain gets cut off temporarily, producing stroke-like symptoms. But when blood flow returns-because the blood clot has passed through, for example-the effects disappear, with no permanent brain damage. While a TIA doesnt itself cause permanent harm, its an indicator of higher risk of stroke. Photo credit: Phil Fisk - Getty Images Who is at risk of stroke? Theres a common misconception that strokes happen only to the elderly. While stroke risk does increase as we get older, a stroke can happen at any age. Women have more strokes than men, but thats because they outlive men; at younger ages, like Perry, men are more likely to have strokes. African Americans have a greater risk of stroke, in part because they are more likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity-other factors that increase stroke risk. How are strokes treated? Since most strokes are caused by blood clots, the earliest treatment often involves attacking the clot, either with medication that can dissolve it, or by surgery to remove it, called thrombectomy . Once the immediate risk has past, patients can be put into specialized rehab, depending on the type and severity of their brain damage. People whove had one stroke are at a greater risk for another, so over the long term they may be given medications that help prevent clots from forming in the circulatory system. Doctors also treat high cholesterol and high blood pressure to lower stroke risk, as well as encouraging patients to exercise, quit smoking, and lose weight. How can you prevent strokes? While some risk factors for stroke are uncontrollable, the National Stroke Association notes that some 80 percent of strokes are preventable. Healthy eating and physical activity help reduce risk, while tobacco use increases it. Studies have also linked alcohol used to higher risk of stroke. And medical factors related to the circulatory system-high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and irregular heartbeat-raise the risk, as does diabetes. Photo credit: Science Photo Library - Getty Images ('You Might Also Like',) Actor Luke Perry attends The CW Networks 2016 Upfront at The London Hotel in New York, NY, on May 19, 2016. (Photo by Anthony Behar) Actor Luke Perry has been hospitalised after suffering a massive stroke at his Los Angeles home earlier today, reports TMZ. A representative for the star said: Mr Perry is currently under observation at the hospital. The US gossip site says paramedics were called to the 52-year-old stars house in Sherman Oaks on Thursday morning. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to an address believed to be Perrys around 9:40 a.m. for a medical assistance call, confirms The Hollywood Reporter. One person has been transported to hospital for further treatment. Read more: 90210 comeback confirmed Perry is best known for his role in the hits 90s show Beverly Hills, 90210, playing Dylan McKay alongside Jason Priestley, Tori Spelling, and Shannen Doherty. He currently stars as Fred Andrews on the CW series Riverdale. On Wednesday, Fox announced a revival of Beverly Hills, 90210 featuring the original cast, although Perry wasnt due to be involved. UNIVERSAL CITY, CA MARCH 17: Beverly Hills 90210 stars Jason Priestley, Tori Spelling, producer Aaron Spelling, Shannen Doherty and Luke Perry pose for a portrait in the Press Room during the 1992 Peoples Choice Awards on March 17, 1992 at Universal Studios in Universal City, California. (Photo by Ron Davis/Getty Images) Beverly Hills, 90210 ran for 10 seasons from 1990 to 2000, and it followed the exploits of a group of teens in Beverly Hills. Perry left the show after 6 seasons, returning for guest appearances in later years. Read more: Shannen Dohertys cancer fears The show was revived as 90210 in 2008 and while other key cast members returned for appearances, Perry declined to come back. The difference between CW bringing something back and Aaron Spelling doing something is significant, he told a reporter. And I cannot do it without Aaron. Perry will next be seen in Quentin Tarantinos Once Upon a Time In Hollywood. Perrys current condition is unknown. By Eric M. Johnson and Tim Hepher SEATTLE/PARIS (Reuters) - A rocket carrying six satellites built by Airbus SE and partner OneWeb blasted off from French Guiana on Wednesday, the first step in a plan to give millions of people in remote and rural areas high-speed internet beamed down from space. A successful launch could mark a new era in the satellite services industry. Companies like Elon Musk's SpaceX, LeoSat Enterprises, and Canada's Telesat are working to enable data networks with hundreds or even thousands of tiny satellites that orbit closer to Earth than traditional communications satellites, a radical shift made possible by leaps in laser technology and computer chips. The growth in satellites will spur demand for rocket launch services, and a handful of venture-backed rocket companies are developing smaller boosters to deploy the smaller satellites at lower cost. "We are looking in the next five years at potentially 10,000 satellites needing to be launched and we don't have the launch capacity at this moment to do that," aerospace consultancy Teal Group analyst Marco Caceres said. The Arianespace Soyuz rocket lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 6.37 p.m. (2137 GMT) carrying satellites made by the Airbus-OneWeb joint venture called OneWeb Satellites in Toulouse, France. The refrigerator-sized satellites were expected to reach an altitude of 1,000 km (620 miles) more than an hour after launch. It could take 24 hours to fully assess the health of the satellites. OneWeb and others aim to expand the availability and speed of satellite-based internet compared to existing providers such as Hughes Network Systems, whose network is in a higher-altitude geostationary orbit. Hughes is also an investor in OneWeb and helping to build out its ground infrastructure. OneWeb has raised more than $2 billion from investors including Airbus, Coca-Cola, Qualcomm Inc, SoftBank and Virgin Group. It aims to have global broadband coverage in 2021 from about 650 satellites. Virgin Group founder and billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson told Reuters that OneWeb's launch gives them a multi-year market advantage over principal competitor Elon Musk's SpaceX, though enough people lack internet globally to support both constellations. "We think our network is going to be a better network and it's going to happen quicker than his," Branson said. OneWeb plans to begin launching more than 30 satellites at a time every month starting as early as September so its constellation is nearly 25 percent complete by year-end, a person with direct knowledge of the project said. Other firms say they are not far behind. Telesat, backed by Loral Space & Communications Inc, is targeting 2022 for broadband services from nearly 300 satellites. Washington, D.C.-based LeoSat Enterprises says it has already signed more than $1 billion in pre-launch provisional agreements for secure data transfers for global banks, telecoms providers and governments beginning in 2022. FAST ASSEMBLY REQUIRED Reuters reported a major shake-up last year at SpaceX's Starlink project, which Chief Executive Musk has said is critical as a funding source for his broader space transportation ambitions but faces challenges on development and testing. A person with direct knowledge of the program said SpaceX was driving toward a first "production launch" with money-making satellites in mid-2019. SpaceX already has two test satellites in space and plans to launch a new design based on those "soon," said one SpaceX official, who asked not to be named. SpaceX has not chosen a location to manufacture the satellites or made a final decision on how it will build, sell and service the terminals that will link the satellite-based internet to users, people with direct knowledge of the project said. Musk told employees in at least one meeting last year that SpaceX could decide to sell broadband to existing internet providers initially and worry about building out its own Earth infrastructure later, according to a person who attended the meeting. SpaceX spokeswoman Eva Behrend declined to comment. A SpaceX official said its initial batch of satellites were currently being manufactured, and its internal launch targets were on track, but the company has not announced a launch date. The OneWeb project has forced Airbus to rethink the way it builds satellites, overhauling a painstaking, bespoke effort to introduce industrial methods and speed using assembly lines and automation. The two companies plan to open what they say is the world's first satellite mass-production factory at Florida's Kennedy Space Center in March for $85 million. Production will ramp up to 15 satellites per week at a cost of $1 million per satellite, executives say. OneWeb Satellites Chief Executive Officer Tony Gingiss told Reuters the goal is to be making two to three satellites a day by early summer. "That's revolutionary in an industry where it costs $50 million to build one satellite and normally takes months and a team of engineers to do," Gingiss said. OneWeb has ground stations in Canada, Italy and Norway that allow the satellites to communicate with Earth, and has signed a partnership with Qualcomm to develop the technology that links the internet from space to different users, such as airlines. (Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Additional reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris and Christine Chan in New York; Editing by Greg Mitchell and Sonya Hepinstall) BY YAHUDU KITUNZI. The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has asked the Inspector General of Government to investigate allegations of corruption against the leadership of Bugisu Cooperative Union led by Nathan Nandala Mafabi. Mr Mafabi, who also doubles as the Member of Parliament for Budadiri West in Sironko district and Secretary general for Forum for Democratic Change is now serving his fourth term as BCU chairperson after he was last year,voted unopposed by the delegates. Mrs Kadagas request follows a complaint by the BCU petitioners to parliament on December 4, last year, in which they accused Nandala and his leadership of, among other things, embezzlement of funds including Shs 1.129 billion, which government allegedly compensated the Union in 2015. The director for communication and public Affairs in parliament, Mr Chris Obore when contacted for comment, said he was not aware of the developments. However, Mr John Wamulugwa, the lead petitioner said BCU leadership and the ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives should be investigated for the mismanagement of Union from 2008 to date. Mr Wamulugwa, further claims that Mr Nandala and his management are not doing any logical business in the Union. But Mr Nandala in his letter dated Feb 16, 2019,responded to the Speakers letter, saying instead that the petitioners were behind the mismanagement of Union from 1995-2008 up to halt. Mr Nandala also said the petitioners are working against the development of Union. It alleged that petitioners have written more than 563 petitions against the BCU leadership. The Union formed in 1954 is one of Ugandas few farmer-owned entities that have survived since the closure of the Uganda Co-operative bank in 1999. In 2010, the government suspended the BCU board led by Mr Nandala on allegations that his board had falsified the books of accounts. The government then appointed a committee to investigate BCU operations between 2003 and 2010 but the committee failed to release the report. This consequently prompted the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives to order another forensic audit in 2013 to look at accounts from 1996 to 2010. The report exonerated Mr Nandala of causing any financial loss to the union and he was in 2014 voted back as chairperson by the delegates. Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have a last chance at heading off a corruption indictment at a hearing beginning on Wednesday. Here is a look at the cases against the veteran premier, who denies all the allegations: Champagne, Cigars Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit intends to indict Netanyahu for fraud and breach of trust in what is known as Case 1,000. It involves allegations Netanyahu and his family received gifts including luxury cigars, champagne and jewellery from wealthy individuals, estimated to be worth more than 700,000 shekels ($200,000, 185,000 euros), in exchange for financial or personal favours. According to police, Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan was responsible for some 478,000 shekels-worth of gifts, while the remainder came from Australian billionaire James Packer. Netanyahu is suspected in return to have sought to help Milchan receive tax benefits that some reports said could have been worth millions of dollars and assisted him with obtaining a US visa. Netanyahu argues there is no problem with receiving gifts from friends and denies having acted inappropriately in exchange. Newspaper 'secret deal' A second investigation, known as Case 2000, concerns allegations Netanyahu sought a deal with the owner of the Yediot Aharonot newspaper that would have seen it give him more favourable coverage. In exchange, Netanyahu allegedly raised the possibility of pushing for legislation to limit the circulation of Israel Hayom, a free newspaper that is the main rival to Yediot. Police based their investigation on recordings of meetings between Netanyahu and Yediot's publisher Arnon Moses. Ari Harow, a former Netanyahu chief of staff, agreed to testify in exchange for leniency. Netanyahu says he acted against the legislation concerning Israel Hayom, and broke up parliament over it despite any behind-the-scenes discussions. Mandelblit intends to indict Netanyahu for fraud and breach of trust in that case. Story continues 'The big one' The third investigation, known as Case 4,000, is considered the most serious and also relates to alleged attempts to seek positive media coverage through favours. Mandelblit intends to indict Netanyahu for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in this case. Netanyahu is alleged to have negotiated with Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of Israeli telecommunications giant Bezeq, to get positive coverage on his Walla! news site in exchange for policies benefiting Bezeq. Shlomo Filber, a Netanyahu ally for more than 20 years and a former communications ministry director general, has become a state witness. He is accused of mediating between Netanyahu and Elovitch and promoting regulatory changes worth millions of dollars to Bezeq. Netanyahu dismisses the allegations, saying he received nothing from Elovitch and that Walla's coverage of him has been negative. He says experts were in support of arrangements for Bezeq. Mandelblit described a long list of Walla coverage decisions allegedly taken on behalf of Netanyahu. They included downplaying stories Netanyahu viewed as harmful to him or his family and publishing negative coverage of opponents. In one case, Netanyahu allegedly pushed for a story about the wife of a political rival having worked in a non-kosher restaurant. Another allegedly saw the Netanyahus order the publication of a story about his wife Sara attending a Mariah Carey concert and her meeting with the singer. In alleged communications regarding such coverage, Netanyahu was referred to as "the big one." Washington (AFP) - As President Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen delivered hours of riveting testimony to a US House committee on Wednesday one name came up again and again: Allen Weisselberg. Weisselberg, 71, is the publicity-shy chief financial officer of the Trump Organization and one of the real estate tycoon's oldest and closest advisors. Weisselberg has spent decades in the Trump family's inner circle and -- should he also turn on the president -- could prove to be far more dangerous to Trump than Cohen, who described his former boss as a racist, conman and cheat. Weisselberg, more than anyone else, has intimate knowledge of Trump's financial dealings, which are under the scrutiny of New York prosecutors and Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is probing whether members of Trump's election campaign colluded with Russia. In a measure of the faith placed in him, when Trump assumed the presidency he named Weisselberg and his two sons -- Don Jr and Eric -- as trustees of the Trump Organization. Eric was reportedly later removed leaving only Weisselberg and Don Jr holding the reins of the sprawling real estate empire. The Brooklyn native has worked for the Trump family for more than 40 years, first as an accountant for Donald Trump's father, Fred, and since 2000 as the CFO of Trump Organization. Unlike Trump, who revels in the spotlight, the balding, bespectacled Weisselberg prefers to remain in the shadows, working out of an office in the Trump Tower on 5th Avenue. But his name came up repeatedly on Wednesday as Cohen testified about Trump's alleged misdeeds during the decade he served as the billionaire's personal attorney and fixer. Weisselberg was there when hush money payments to Stormy Daniels were discussed with Trump ahead of the election, Cohen said. - 'Criminal conspiracy' - Weisselberg and Don Jr signed some of the checks which were used to reimburse Cohen for the payments he made to the porn star to silence her about her sexual liaison with Trump, Cohen said. Story continues Weisselberg would be the man to talk to about Trump's alleged practice of inflating and deflating real estate assets for tax or insurance purposes, Cohen said. Asked about a New York Times report on dubious tax schemes involving the Trump family in the 1990s, Cohen said he wasn't there at the time and was unable to shed any light. "Who would know the answer to those questions?" a Democratic lawmaker asked. "Allen Weisselberg," Cohen said. Weisselberg is not currently known to be under investigation or formally accused of any wrongdoing. The Wall Street Journal reported last year that Weisselberg was granted immunity in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) probe which resulted in Cohen's conviction for bank fraud, tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions and lying to Congress. The 52-year-old Cohen, who has been cooperating with the authorities since his arrest last year, is to report to prison on May 6 to begin serving a three-year sentence. Democratic lawmakers made it clear on Wednesday they believe Weisselberg's alleged involvement in the hush money payments make him a party to a crime. "I just want the American public to understand the explosive nature of your testimony," Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, told Cohen. "Are you telling us, Mr. Cohen, that the president directed transactions in conspiracy with Allen Weisselberg and his son, Donald Trump Jr, as part of a criminal conspiracy of financial fraud?" Khanna asked. "Yes," Cohen replied. - 'Fingerprints' - Khanna pressed Cohen on whether this "criminal financial scam" was being investigated by prosecutors in New York. "I'd rather not discuss that question because it could be part of an investigation that is ongoing," Cohen said. A former federal prosecutor said Weisselberg "very likely will be one of the most important witnesses if the SDNY moves forward with the campaign finance charges against anybody beyond Michael Cohen." "I think that for anything that turns on the movement of money within the Trump Organization, Allen Weisselberg is potentially the most important witness," said the former prosecutor, who asked to remain anonymous. "His fingerprints are going to be all over the movements of money, bank applications, insurance applications," the former prosecutor said. Representative Elijah Cummings, the Democrat who heads the House committee which heard Cohen's testimony on Wednesday, said Weisselberg and Don Jr may also be subpoenaed. A committee aide confirmed to The Daily Beast on Thursday that the panel intended to call on Weisselberg to testify. But Cummings stressed that the congressional panel does not want to interfere with the investigations being conducted by New York prosecutors and Special Counsel Mueller. Amadeus Makes Gains in Branching Out Into Software Services Travel technology giant Amadeus is best-known for helping airlines distribute their airfares to travel agencies. However, its newer software services for travel suppliers are growing overall about three times as fast. It looks like 2019 will be the year the newer software services gain nearly equal weight with the classic distributor business in their contributions to the company. On Thursday, Amadeus reported full-year 2018 revenues of $5.61 billion (4.93 billion), a rise of 6.4 percent year-over-year. That figure includes the transaction costs and revenue gains related to its buying hotel solutions provider TravelClick last year. Excluding TravelClick, Amadeus generated $5.53 billion (4.85 billion) in revenue. Of that, the companys information technology business unit, called IT Solutions, generated $2.1 billion (1.85 billion) in revenue, or 38 percent of total revenue. The software solutions unit is expected to grow so fast in 2019 including with the help of TravelClick being added that it will account for 45 percent of the companys revenue, according to a forecast by analysts for investment bank Berenberg. That would represent a jump of six basis points, year-over-year, in the size of the IT Solutions unit as a contributor to revenue. Whats more, 2019 is likely to be the year that IT Solutions contributes at least half of Amadeuss earnings for the first time. In 2018, IT Solutions contributed 48 percent to the companys earnings before deducting for some company-wide corporate technology and administrative costs. In other words, the companys IT Solutions unit was more lucrative than the classic distribution business. Software solutions to travel suppliers is often more lucrative than airline distribution because hosting an airlines, or a hotels, tech stack is more mission-critical for the travel supplier than the traditional distribution business, analysts at Berenberg point out. Once an airline or hotel company chooses a software provider, it is often hesitant to change afterward. A system overhaul can feel comparable to open-heart surgery. So suppliers are willing to pay a premium. Story continues The complexity of the work also raises barriers to entry from outside competitor tech companies. Amadeus already enjoyed high margins from its distribution business. Its group-wide profit before income taxes last year was $1.5 billion (1.36 billion), a 7 percent year-over-year rise. As a company based in Madrid, it doesnt report net income the way many U.S. companies do. Yellow Flags to Watch The companys IT business does face market rivals. For example, Amadeus competes with various vendors to provide information technology to airlines for end-to-end operations. Common components include a reservation system, an inventory system, and a departure control system. Yet Amadeus is the largest of the few companies that offer services used by the majority of large airlines. Amadeus leads in usage by large carriers, followed by Sabre and Travelsky. Together they account for two-thirds of the passenger service systems used by commercial airlines. Dozens of tech vendors, including HP and SITA, also provide systems. Plus, Emirates and Delta are airlines that offer some of their systems to other carriers, too. Amadeus doesnt have a perfect record. In 2017, Amadeuss Altea passenger service system had a network issue that caused check-in delays for airlines at several airports including Londons Gatwick, Pariss Charles de Gaulle, and Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport. So its growth depends on quality control. Amadeus wants to expand its small sales of airport information technology services. On an earnings call with analysts on Thursday, president and CEO Luis Maroto implied that his team has recently been evaluating whether Amadeus should acquire a tech company to speed up growth. However, Maroto said they didnt have a deal in the pipeline. Today only 115 airport operators and 34 airlines use its airport information technology tools, and many of those only use one of the tools in its portfolio. The companys hotel business continues to grow. In late 2018, Amadeus finished the rollout of a guest reservation system for InterContinental Hotels Group, which is now live at more than 5,600 properties across 15 brands. However, the company has not signed a contract for a similar software migration for another major hotel group recently, which disappointed some investors. Subscribe to Skift newsletters covering the business of travel, restaurants, and wellness. Amanda Knox posted a photo on Instagram on Tuesday with a comment that seems to flippantly reference the fact that she was once on trial for murder. for the death of her roommate, British student Meredith Kercher. Now commenters are divided, with some calling the quip clever and others telling the 31-year-old, you have no shame. The old-fashioned image shows Knox and her fiance, Christopher Robinson, seated on a sofa and looking somber in Victorian garb. Theyre playing roles in a murder mystery party that Knox notes was thrown by her friend, Leila Blue Aram-Panahi. In the caption, she draws a parallel between the party premise and her own life. It reads, Victorian London: A priceless painting goes missing and the owner is found both poisoned and stabbed. And would you believe it, I, the Countess of Lovelace, am accused. Also acquitted, all in 4 hours. Better than 4 years. Those 4 years refer to the time Knox spent in an Italian prison from 2007, when she was charged with murdering Kercher, until 2011, when she was acquitted at age 24. Today, Knox lives in Seattle with Robinson and works as an activist for the wrongfully accused and as a columnist for the West Side Herald. She keeps a relatively low profile, but maintains more than 43,000 Instagram followers. Their reactions to her post ranged from offended to impressed. Im sure Merediths family isnt laughing over this, one person wrote. Have some respect for an innocent victim; she and her family are the real victims in this. Another wrote, I believe you are innocent of the murder of Meredith Kercher, Amanda, but really, this post is ridiculously tone-deaf. Surely, you must have expected some backlash? Story continues Karma will get ya, added a commenter. But those are the only remaining negative comments, as Knox appears to have deleted others, including, You have no shame, Anything for attention and Murder, your favourite subject! according to Fox News. Knox was only 20 years old when she was first charged with murder in Perugia, Italy. (Photo: Getty) Some comments came from people who expressed support for Knox and loved the creative caption and the shade she was throwing. This post is BRILLIANT. She shouldnt have ANY shame about posting this. How about what it caused her and the time she spent in JAIL fighting for her freedom, one person wrote. The girl is allowed to have a dark sense of humor, added another supporter. Knox along with her boyfriend at the time, Raffaele Sollecito was convicted in 2009 before the decision was reversed. Her acquittal was overturned in 2013 and she was convicted again before finally having her case overturned in 2015. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. HANOI, Vietnam President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un opened the second day of their summit here Thursday by tamping down the prospects of a major nuclear weapons deal, even as Trump grapples with criminal accusations against him back in the United States. While predicting success "ultimately," Trump told reporters that "doesn't mean we're doing it in one day, in one meeting." Trump said he and Kim are "having very good discussions" and "we'll see where it all goes." Kim taking the unprecedented step of answering a western reporter's question, said "it's too early to say" whether there will be a deal, but "I would not say Im pessimistic. Kim, through an interpreter, told Trump, "I will do all my best to bring a good result ultimately today." As he did before the summit, Trump said he is no "rush" to demand denuclearization, so long as North Korea continues not to test nuclear weapons and missiles. "Speed is not that important to me," Trump said. "I appreciate no testing." Trump made final preparations for negotiations with the North Korean dictator just hours after his former lawyer Michael Cohen implicated him in criminal wrongdoing during testimony before a House committee. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un The U.S. and North Korean leaders scheduled a "joint agreement signing ceremony" for midafternoon in the Vietnamese capital, but the two governments have yet to publish specific wording and national security analysts said the details are crucial to an effective deal. While Trump seeks specifics from Kim about plans to eliminate his country's nuclear weapons programs, Kim wants the United States to first lift sanctions that are crippling his economy. "North Korea needs to agree to a concrete plan of action (including a declaration of facilities and test sites, as well as a verification regime) that's circumscribed by a short timeline," said Kristine Lee, a research associate with the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Washington-based Center for a New American Security. Story continues More: Trump-Kim summit: Trump hints at economic rewards for North Korea More: Trump touts North Korea's economic potential. Experts say it's an investor's 'nightmare' After starting the two-day summit Wednesday evening with a private chat and a social dinner, Trump and Kim will spend most of the final day in meetings. They are scheduled for a private one-on-one conversation, a conference with aides, and a "working lunch" before the anticipated signing ceremony. Trump also has a news conference scheduled before boarding Air Force One for the flight back to Washington. Reporters are likely to question Trump at length about Cohen's testimony against him. The former attorney and fixer described ex-client Trump as a "con man," a "cheat" and a "racist." Cohen implicated Trump in potential crimes involving tax returns, campaign finance, and Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election by hacking emails related to Hillary Clinton's campaign. Trump tweeted that Cohen is a liar looking to protect himself from legal jeopardy This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amid Michael Cohen claims, Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un work on North Korea nuke deal WASHINGTON Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer, concluded three days of "excruciating" appearances before congressional committees on Thursday with lawmakers saying they needed to meet again as they expand their investigation into the president. Lawmakers said they also planned to take testimony from Felix Sater, a Trump business partner who helped negotiate a potential Trump Tower project in Moscow that was the subject of Cohen's conviction for lying to Congress. We had a long day, but it wasnt a long enough day," said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. I think we all feel it was a very productive interview today, where he was able to shed light on a lot of issues that are important to our investigation. We were able to drill down in great detail." The March 6 session also will be closed, although Schiff said he expected to release a transcript of Cohen's testimony once the Justice Department has an opportunity to review it. The panel scheduled an open hearing on March 14 with Sater. "I should tell you just to set your expectations, not every hearing is going to be like the open hearing of Michael Cohen," Schiff said. We have to look at these on a case by case basis in terms of investigative leads as well as activities of the Department of Justice. But we are going to try to do as much as we can in the open." Cohen pleaded guilty in November to lying to Congress about negotiations that never came to fruition for the Moscow project, which continued during the 2016 campaign year rather than ending that January. Cohen is scheduled to begin serving three years in prison May 6 for that and other charges covering tax evasion and hush payments to women who claimed to have had sex with Trump. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., told CNN that lawmakers want to understand "why a presidential candidate was seeking to put a tower in Moscow at the same time we were learning about Russian attacks on our democracy." Story continues Cohen delivered testimony behind closed doors Tuesday to the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. And he testified in open session Wednesday at the House Oversight and Reform Committee, delivering a searing rebuke of his former boss as a "con man" and "cheat," and tying him directly to the criminal probes that have surrounded the president. "This has obviously been an excruciating time for him," Schiff said. "We are very grateful that he was as forthcoming as he was." No questions went unanswered Thursday and he was "fully cooperative," Schiff said. But the committee, which has dozens of Cohen documents already, will discuss him providing more, Schiff said. I can say that on a number of topics that he testified about yesterday, we were able to go into great detail," Schiff said. "But we also covered a number of items and issues important to us that were not the subject of the hearing yesterday." Cohen said he couldn't say much about his testimony. "I'm committed to telling the truth," Cohen said. "There's more to discuss." Trump disputed Cohen's testimony Wednesday before the Oversight panel as "a lot" of lies and "shameful." Cohen, a pugnacious lawyer and problem-solver for Trump, once declared that he would take a bullet for the president. Less than a year later, he became one of Trump's leading antagonists, providing information to federal prosecutors in two criminal investigations focused on the president. In one of those cases, Cohen pleaded guilty in New York in August to tax evasion, to making false bank statements and to making illegal campaign contributions for paying hush money to two women who claimed to have had sex with Trump. Cohen also pleaded guilty in Mueller's investigation in November to lying to Congress about talks for a Russian real-estate project, in what he described as an attempt to reduce attention on Trump's overseas business. He told the House and Senate intelligence committees that talks ended in January 2016 before the Iowa caucuses even though talks extended through at least June 2016, when Trump had effectively wrapped up the Republican nomination. Timeline of Cohen: From Trump fixer to Mueller informant: Timeline of Michael Cohen's role in Russia probe Coming Up: Michael Cohen, once keeper of Donald Trump's secrets, plans to accuse the president of 'criminal conduct' Sentenced: Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, is sentenced to three years in prison for 'dirty deeds' Takeaways: Cohen takeaways: As Trump's former lawyer heads to prison, political and legal implications grow for White House Michael Cohen, former attorney and fixer for President Donald Trump, arrives at the Hart Senate Office Building before testifying to the Senate Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill on February 26, 2019 in Washington. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michael Cohen, President Trump's former lawyer, ends 3 days of 'excruciating' testimony with another scheduled Can't get or afford tickets to see Lady Gaga's popular new headlining show in Las Vegas? Try the next best thing: a free mini concert at the iconic Fountains of Bellagio at the Bellagio hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Gaga's 2009 hit "Bad Romance'' was added to the musical lineup at the dancing fountains on Monday, a day after she won an Oscar for best original song for "Shallow'' from "A Star is Born." Gaga and co-star Bradley Cooper performed a steamy "Shallow'' duet during the awards show. The new "Bad Romance'' show, which is blasted from 213 speakers and runs nearly five minutes, is one of three dozen choreographed shows featured on a rotating basis at the fountains. Some are holiday classics that play only in November and December. The fountains of Bellagio erupt along the Las Vegas The fountain shows take several months to develop. Cher's "Believe,'' which debuted in January 2018, was the most recent addition before Gaga. Other songs in the mix include: "Luck be a Lady,'' "Hey, Big Spender,'' "Fly Me to the Moon,'' "Uptown Funk,'' "My Heart Will Go On,'' "This Kiss,'' and "God Bless the USA.'' Peter Kopik, director of design and choreography at WET, the California company that developed the Fountains of Bellagio and handles the design and choreography of all new songs, said the goal of the new show is to make Lady Gaga "come alive in the water.'' In a behind-the-scenes video on the making of the "Bad Romance'' water show, Kopik says he watched a "tremendous amount'' of Gaga videos to become familiar with her style. (The video for "Bad Romance'' just passed 1 billion views on YouTube, according to Billboard.) "I wanted to create something in the fountain that, when people look at the fountain, even with no music on, they would somehow feel or see Lady Gaga in the fountain,'' he says in the video. Story continues The fountains are a must-see attraction in Las Vegas, repeatedly ranked as the No. 1 thing to do by TripAdvisor based on traveler reviews and other factors. The fountains go off every 15 or 30 minutes depending on the time of day and day of the week. They start as early as 11 a.m. and end at midnight. One of the best spots to watch the fountains show: the Sunset Lounge at Hyde Bellagio. It opens at 5 p.m. Gaga began a residency at Park MGM hotel and casino in late December to rave reviews. Park MGM and Bellagio are part of Las Vegas casino giant MGM Resorts International. Cooper joined her on stage for a surprise "Shallow'' duet in January. "MGM Resorts wanted to celebrate Lady Gaga's music in one of the most special ways we could envision, creating a fountain show at Bellagio,'' spokeswoman Jenn Michaels said in a statement. "These fountains are arguably Las Vegas most iconic attraction and it is our gift to Lady Gaga to interpret her music in an entirely new way.'' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Gaga oh-la-la': Lady Gaga makes a splash at Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas President Donald Trump defended North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un when confronted Thursday about American college student Otto Warmbier, who died days after he was repatriated from the pariah state with brain damage. Responding to questions in Hanoi before bringing an abrupt end to his second summit with Kim, Trump said he does not believe that the North Korean autocrat knew about Warmbiers condition until after the fact. He tells me he didnt know about it and I will take him at his word, Trump said of how he could continue calling the young dictator my friend. Trump said he has talked to Kim about Warmbier, and that Kim feels very badly. I dont believe that he would have allowed that to happen. It just wasnt to his advantage, Trump added. Those prisons are rough, rough places and bad things happen. Warmbier, a 22-year-old University of Virginia student, was touring North Korea when he was arrested for allegedly stealing a propaganda sign. He was sentenced to fifteen years hard labor. In June 2017, after 17 months imprisonment, Warmbier was released on humanitarian grounds. He arrived back in Ohio in a coma, and died six days later. North Korean officials have said Warmbier suffered a brain injury after contracting botulism, a form of poisoning, but U.S. doctors found no evidence of the condition. After Warmbiers death, Trump vowed to press North Korea on its abysmal human rights record. But as Trump has sought to seal the denuclearization of North Korea in talks with Kim, the issue has been relegated to the back burner. Human rights was not on the agenda at either of the summits, although in Singapore Trump briefly said the meeting wouldnt have happened without Warmbier. Instead, Trump and Kim appeared to have developed a close kinship. We like each other, Trump said when asked Thursday how he established rapport with Kim, who is almost 40 years his junior. Trump has shown admiration for other dictators and political strongmen. Trump has praised Philippine president Rodrigo Dutertes brutal extrajudicial war on drugs and was deferential to Russian president Vladimir Putin during a summit last July. In November, Trump stuck by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amid a mounting body of evidence of that implicated him in the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. With a green light from the mayor, a new law will go into effect requiring most Philadelphia businesses to accept cash as payment, pushing back on a trend in which a rising number take credit and debit cards only. Mayor Jim Kenney signed off on the bill last week after it was passed by the city council. Local lawmakers say will help ease the day-to-day lives of many lower-income residents. "With a 26-percent poverty rate in Philadelphia, the mayor believes in equal opportunity for all,'' city spokesman Mike Dunn said in an emailed statement, adding that there are efforts underway to improve access to banking services by the poor. "Until we can resolve the hurdles facing the unbanked, we need to remove any obstacles that could prevent them from enjoying all amenities of this city, amenities that are readily available to those fortunate enough to have a debit or credit card.'' The law will go into effect on July 1. But Dunn noted that bucking the cashless trend could crimp the local economy if retailers that would rather be cash-free decide to take their business elsewhere. "This decision comes despite our continued concerns about how this legislation might impact innovation in our retail sector,'' he said. "We will continue to monitor this, as we face the ongoing challenge of growing our economy while ensuring that growth is inclusive.'' An increasing number of retailers are cutting out cash to speed up transactions, limit the risk of theft, and accommodate the increased use of credit and debit cards, as well as digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, to buy services and products. Cash purchases were down to 30 percent of all retail transactions as of last year compared to 40 percent in 2012, according to IHL and the Federal Reserve. Millennials, in particular, are saying no to cash, with 21 percent of those 23- to 34 years old saying that most of their transactions were in cash in 2016, according to a Gallup poll, down from 39 percent five years earlier. Story continues Walmart sparks controversy: Many disabled Walmart greeters are being replaced by 'customer hosts,' causing backlash J.C. Penney stores may be harder to find: J.C. Penney to close 24 more stores: Sales fall as department stores struggle Economy sees an uptick: Economy grew 2.6% in Q4 and 2.9% in 2018, matching strongest yearly showing since recession But while the number of Americans who prefer using cash is dropping, the Philadelphia bill's sponsor and other critics have noted that many lower-income consumers are further disadvantaged when retailers go cashless because they don't have bank accounts or lack credit cards or photo identification. In 2017, 6.5 percent of U.S. households had no members with a checking or savings account, and 20 percent had not used a credit card or mainstream credit platform such as a mortgage during the previous 12 months. Several states and cities have taken actions that mirror Philadelphia's. New Jersey's legislature approved a law on Jan. 31 that bars retailers from prohibiting cash, while Washington, D.C., and New York have introduced similar legislation. Massachusetts has banned cashless merchants for 41 years. Shoppers want cash as well as cards: Not all shoppers are sold as more retailers buy into cashless society Restaurants says "cards wanted'': More restaurants go cashless, accept only cards and other forms of payment Follow USA TODAY reporter Charisse Jones on Twitter @charissejones This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: It's official: Philadelphia bans cashless stores, restaurants starting this summer By Damali Mukhaye. Makerere university students are still pushing management to have the semester postponed following the strike which had stretched for four weeks. Speaking to kfm, the acting guild president Isaac Kwagala says that management was instructed by the university council to compensate for the time the students lost when lectures were striking. He says that the university should act on this and postpone the semester at least by two weeks. Meanwhile, the vice chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe has directed the academic registrar to convene a senate meeting over the same. Related Stories MUK dons Students should be compensated for lost time MUK students meet over staff strike BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - An Argentine court on Thursday cleared former President Carlos Menem on charges that he conspired to derail investigations into a deadly bombing at the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires 25 years ago. The 88-year-old Menem, who ruled Argentina from 1989 to 1999, has always denied that he tried to quash the probe into the bombing, which left 85 dead and has never been solved. On Thursday, the federal court that absolved him sentenced former judge Juan Jose Galeano - who was initially in charge of the investigation into the attack - to six years in jail. He was found guilty of embezzlement and covering up evidence, accusations he has denied. It also handed down a suspended two-year prison sentence against ex-prosecutors Eamon Mullen and Jose Barbaccia for failing to execute their duties as they related to the case. The sentences can be appealed. Investigations into the 1994 attack, in which an explosives-laden truck blew up outside the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA) building, have made little progress. Argentine courts have blamed the attack on Iran. But no one has been brought to trial in either that case or a deadly 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires. Iran denies playing a role in either attack. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has blamed Iran and Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah for the AMIA attack, has praised Argentina's current President Mauricio Macri for reviving efforts to solve the crime. Another prosecutor, Alberto Nisman, was found dead in 2015 just hours before he was due to appear in Congress to lay out accusations against another ex-President, Cristina Fernandez, of plotting to whitewash Iran's involvement in the bombing. (Reporting by Eliana Raszewski, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) Minsk (AFP) - Belarusian prosecutors on Monday demanded the editor of the country's biggest independent news site pay a hefty fine in a criminal case, which may allow her to avoid prison time. Marina Zolotova, the editor-in-chief of tut.by, is on trial over alleged "unauthorised access" to information from a state news agency. Rights groups have condemned the case as part of a crackdown on the media under President Alexander Lukashenko. If convicted, she faces up to five years in jail. But on Monday, prosecutor Yulia Kharcheikina demanded the 41-year-old journalist pay a fine of 25,500 Belarusian rubles ($11,900, 10,500 euros). Judges almost always side with the prosecution in the ex-Soviet country. Zolotova was initially detained in August along with nearly 20 other journalists over alleged "unauthorised access" to state-run BelTA news service. They were all released after being ordered to pay fines and damages to the news agency. But Zolotova was subsequently charged with "official inaction," or negligence, for failure to control her subordinates when they accessed BelTA by using account passwords for the agency. Zolotova has been accused of not concluding an official agreement with the news agency but she rubbished the charges. "It's not possible to force or make someone sign an agreement," Zolotova said in court, claiming the accusations were "illogical". "Apart from it, according to my job descriptions, I do not have to sign any agreements," she added. The charges were brought against Zolotova despite the fact that BelTA makes its stories freely accessible soon after subscribers see them. Tut.by said it was the first time in the history of modern Belarus that the chief editor of a media outlet was put on trial for her "professional work". Ex-Soviet Belarus, ruled by the authoritarian Lukashenko since 1994, was ranked 155th out of 180 in last year's Reporters Without Borders world press freedom index. By James Pearson and Ju-min Park HANOI (Reuters) - Kim Jong Un's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump may have ended without progress on removing economic sanctions or ending the Korean War, but at least in his dealings on the world stage, the young North Korean leader took another step forward. In an unexpected first, Kim spoke to foreign journalists on Thursday during a photo opportunity in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi. "I won't make a premature judgment, but my sense is that there will be good results," Kim said of his meeting with Trump, in response to a question from Washington Post reporter David Nakamura. While Kim's optimism was misplaced, it marked the first time the North Korean leader has ever answer a question from a foreign journalist, and there was more to come. "There must be people who watch us having a wonderful time, like a scene from a fantasy movie. We have so far made lots of efforts, and it's time to show them," Kim said. Later, seated across the negotiating table from Trump, Kim was asked by Reuters whether or not he was ready to give up his nuclear weapons. "If I wasn't ready for such a thing, I wouldn't be here," Kim replied. Kim then asked the media for more time with Trump for "sufficient discussion". "Even one minute is precious for us," he said. Kim's confident interaction with the foreign press is a marked departure from the style of his father and previous North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, who never gave interviews and whose voice was only ever heard twice in publicly available audio recordings. It does, however, bear the hallmarks of Kim's grandfather, founding president Kim Il Sung, who gave interviews to foreign journalists in the 1990s, and even hosted some for drinks on his private yacht. The eldest Kim described the impact of media coverage of journalists visiting North Korea as "very positive". "This is very fresh. Even Kim Il Sung preferred written interviews, but Kim Jong Un responded to reporters in impromptu, informal circumstances," said Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea leadership expert at South Korea's Dongguk University. Story continues "It looks like he's confident enough to speak up". It was not the first time a foreign journalist had asked a question to Kim Jong Un. In 2013, a journalist from Britain's Channel 4 News shouted "What message are you trying to send to the West?" at Kim Jong Un as he passed a gaggle of reporters at an official event in Pyongyang. That time, Kim did not answer. (Reporting by James Pearson and Ju-min Park; Additional reporting by Soyoung Kim, Jeff Mason and Jeongmin Kim; Editing by Lincoln Feast) (Reuters) - The following is a timeline of significant developments in the investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller into U.S. intelligence agencies' conclusions that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to help get Donald Trump elected: 2017 May 17 - U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appoints former FBI Director Mueller as a special counsel to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 election and to look into any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and people associated with Republican Trump's campaign. The appointment follows President Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey on May 9 and days later Trump attributed the dismissal to "this Russia thing." June 15 - Mueller is investigating Trump for possible obstruction of justice, the Washington Post reports. Oct. 30 - Veteran Republican political operative Paul Manafort, who was Trump's campaign chairman for five months at crucial junctures in the run-up to the election, is indicted on charges of conspiracy against the United States and money laundering as is his business partner Rick Gates. - Former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos pleads guilty to a charge of lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials. Dec. 1 - Michael Flynn, Trump's national security adviser for less than a month and who had a prominent campaign role, pleads guilty to the charge of lying to the FBI about his discussions in 2016 with the Russian ambassador to Washington. 2018 Feb. 16 - Federal grand jury indicts 13 Russians and three firms, including a Russian government propaganda arm called the Internet Research Agency, accusing them of tampering to support Trump and disparage Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. The accused "had a strategic goal to sow discord in the U.S. political system, including the 2016 U.S. presidential election" according to the court document filed by Mueller. - An American, Richard Pinedo, pleads guilty to identity fraud for selling bank account numbers after being accused by prosecutors of helping Russians launder money, buy Facebook ads and pay for campaign rally supplies. Pinedo was not associated with the Trump campaign. Feb. 22 - Manafort and Gates charged with financial crimes, including bank fraud, in Virginia. Feb. 23 - Gates pleads guilty to conspiracy against the United States and lying to investigators. He agrees to cooperate and testify against Manafort at trial. April 3 - Alex van der Zwaan, the Dutch son-in-law of one of Russia's richest men, is sentenced to 30 days in prison and fined $20,000 for lying to Mueller's investigators, becoming the first person sentenced in the probe. April 9 - FBI agents raid home, hotel room and office of Trump's personal lawyer and self-described "fixer" Michael Cohen. April 12 - Rosenstein tells Trump that he is not a target in Mueller's probe. April 19 - Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Trump supporter in the election campaign, joins Trump's personal legal team. June 8 - Mueller charges a Russian-Ukrainian man, Konstantin Kilimnik, a Manafort business partner whom prosecutors suspect of having ties to Russian intelligence, with witness tampering. July 13 - Federal grand jury indicts 12 Russians whom prosecutors describe as military intelligence officers, on charges of hacking Democratic Party computer networks in 2016 and staged releases of documents. Moscow, which denies interfering in the election, says there is no evidence that the 12 are linked to spying or hacking. July 16 - In Helsinki after the first summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump publicly contradicts U.S. intelligence agencies, says no reason for Russia to meddle in election. He calls the Mueller inquiry a "rigged witch hunt" on Twitter. Aug. 21 - A trial jury in Virginia finds Manafort guilty on eight counts of fraud. - Cohen, in a case brought by U.S. prosecutors in New York, pleads guilty to tax fraud and campaign finance law violations. Cohen is subsequently interviewed by Mueller's team. Aug. 31 - Samuel Patten, an American business partner of Kilimnik, pleads guilty to unregistered lobbying for pro-Kremlin political party in Ukraine. Sept. 14 - Manafort pleads guilty to some charges and signs a cooperation agreement with Mueller's prosecutors. Oct. 22 - Giuliani says Manafort's lawyer has kept Trump informed about Manafort's meetings with prosecutors and Manafort has not said anything damaging against the president. Nov. 8 - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigns at Trump's request. He had recused himself from the Mueller inquiry because of his contacts with the Russian ambassador as a Trump campaign official; Trump appoints Sessions' chief of staff Matthew Whitaker, a critic of the Mueller probe, as acting attorney general. Nov. 20 - Giuliani says Trump submitted written answers to questions from Mueller. Nov. 27-28 - Prosecutors say Manafort breached his plea deal by lying to investigators, which Manafort denies; Trump says he has not ruled out granting Manafort a presidential pardon. Nov. 28 - Giuliani says Trump told investigators he was not aware ahead of time of a meeting in Trump Tower in New York between several campaign officials and Russians in June 2016. Nov. 29 - Cohen pleads guilty in the Mueller investigation to lying to Congress about the length of discussions in 2016 on plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. "I made these misstatements to be consistent with individual 1's political messaging and out of loyalty to individual 1," says Cohen, who previously identified "individual 1" as Trump. - The president criticizes Cohen as a liar and "weak person." Dec. 12 - Two developments highlight growing political and legal risks for Trump: Cohen sentenced to three years in prison for crimes including orchestrating hush payments to women in violation of campaign laws before the election; American Media Inc, publisher of National Enquirer tabloid, strikes deal to avoid charges over its role in one of two hush payments. Publisher admits payment was aimed at influencing the 2016 election, contradicting Trump's statements. 2019 Jan. 25 - Longtime Trump associate and self-proclaimed political "dirty trickster" Roger Stone charged and arrested at his home in Florida. Stone is accused of lying to Congress about statements suggesting he may have had advance knowledge of plans by Wikileaks to release hacked Democratic Party campaign emails. Feb. 21 - U.S. judge tightens gag order on Stone, whose Instagram account posted a photo of the judge and the image of crosshairs next to it. Feb. 22 - Manhattan district attorney's office is pursuing New York state criminal charges against Manafort whether or not he receives a pardon from Trump on federal crimes, a person familiar with the matter says. Trump cannot issue pardons for state convictions. Feb. 23 - Mueller's office recommends no leniency in sentencing for Manafort for charges brought in federal court in Washington, describing him as a "hardened" criminal who repeatedly broke the law. Manafort, 69, is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison when he is sentenced in his Virginia case on March 7 with prosecutors recommending 19 -1/2 years to 24 -1/2 years. Feb. 24 - Senior Democratic U.S. Representative Adam Schiff says Democrats will subpoena Mueller's final report on his investigation if it is not given to Congress by the Department of Justice, and will sue the government and call on Mueller to testify to Congress if necessary. Feb. 27 - Cohen tells U.S. House Oversight Committee Trump is a "racist," a "conman" and a "cheat" who knew in advance about a release of emails by WikiLeaks in 2016 aimed at hurting rival Clinton. Trump directed negotiations for a real estate project in Moscow during the campaign even as he publicly said he had no business interests in Russia, Cohen testifies. (Compiled by Grant McCool in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis) The food industry is continuously encountering issues with the safety of its products and counterfeiting. Blockchain technology is aiming to fully transform the food industry by fixing these issues and increasing efficiency and transparency throughout the entire system. Food safety has always been a major issue for the food industry. The World Health Organisation estimates that nearly 1 in 10 people become ill every year from contaminated food being eaten, leading to food poisoning or similar illnesses. With the global food supply growing so hastily, it is becoming harder and harder to track the origin of certain foods and their suppliers. This stops food producers from being able to guarantee the provenance of certain foods. It is now apparent that traditional food safety and management protocols are not equipped enough to detect or prevent fraud occurring in the food system. However, this is where blockchain in food safety comes in. The technology is able to drastically improve the current system and bring transparency to all operations. Blockchain is a decentralised ledger, meaning it can record all transactions and store information on a global network. This means that if anything gets changed or tampered with, everyone on that blockchain can see. Blockchain was initially created for the financial sector and as the foundation for cryptocurrencies, but we have now learnt the true capabilities it has in many different sectors, including retail, health, and gaming. Blockchain in food safety Blockchain provides many advantages for the food industry. Here, we will go through some of the main ways in which blockchain technology can develop and improve the sector. Tracing food Blockchain has the power to change the way food is traced and recorded. By using a QR code and a smartphone with a camera, customers will be able to scan food packages at the point of sale and see a complete history and record of the foods journey from the farm it was grown at to the shop it was sold in. This gives customers the satisfaction of knowing exactly where the food they are eating has come from. Story continues This type of tracking is also useful when food has come from foreign countries. It is often difficult to trace the original country a certain food product has come from. Certain foods claim on their label that they are British, but in fact they might have been produced in another country and just processed in the UK. Blockchain stops this fraud as it can record all interactions regarding a certain item. These records are then assigned as a digital certificate. Because the information is on the blockchain, it can be seen by all who want the information, and none of the information can be tampered with, thereby reducing the amount of food fraud. Transparency This level of food traceability then leads on to transparency. Blockchain technology has the ability to create a transparent record of all data. This means anything that happens on the blockchain can be seen and tracked by every person relating to the food product. Volatility in the food market is growing rapidly, but blockchain can add an extra layer of security to the food chain system with transparency. Companies who utilise the technology will be able to use this transparency in their supply chains to add insurance and stop any scandals hitting the industry. Blockchain enhances the process of pinpointing all potential sources of contamination in the journey of a product. With nearly 420,000 people dying yearly due to food contamination, blockchain is highly needed in the food industry. The technology brings traceability and transparency by validating the authentication of a foods origin, which helps brand credibility. This also helps to prevent outbreaks of food contamination, which can then minimise food testing expenses. The future There are some inherent issues with the adoption of blockchain in terms of food safety. This is because for blockchain to become mainstream, all parties involved in the process need to use the technology. But for food suppliers, the long-term benefits of proving the authenticity of products, improving the quality of food, and cutting down costs along the supply chain should outweigh the obstacles. For guides on cryptocurrencies, exchanges, and blockchain technology, click here. Make sure you take a look at all the latest crypto and blockchain news. The post How can blockchain improve food safety and traceability? appeared first on Coin Rivet. Just over a year ago, President Trump stood before Congress and told the story of Ji Seong-ho, a North Korean defector who suffered at the hands of that brutal Communist regime. This week, the president stood next to North Koreas ruler and refused to address Kim Jong-uns abysmal record on human rights. His silence in Hanoi was a strategic error at a time when authoritarianism is on the rise in East Asia. It encourages nations that believe they can terrorize their citizens and perhaps their neighbors without fear of American condemnation. Both the future of liberty and American leadership in Asia depend on President Trump once more drawing attention to the true nature of North Korea. Initially, President Trump spoke accurately and eloquently about North Koreas utter disregard for human rights, avoiding the topic only once the summits began. Those early statements focused the worlds attention on Pyongyangs inhumanity, putting renewed pressure on Kim to come to the table. The criticisms still hold true, because North Korea is more concentration camp than country. The facts should be repeated as often as possible. The Kim regime operates a gulag system that would make its old Soviet founders proud. Recent estimates put the number of prisoners at up to 120,000 in the four largest camps alone. Few ever escape, but those who do remember widespread torture, public executions, and mothers forced to drown their newborn infants. Outside the gulags, life is usually less violent, but no more free. Like all Communist regimes, North Koreas bill of rights is a worthless document ignored by the state. In daily life, there is no freedom of speech or assembly, no right to privacy or protest, and no respect for conscience or religion especially Christianity, for which the Kim regime holds special hatred. Only those citizens whose families show absolute loyalty are allowed to live in major cities, although a single misstep can cast them back into the countryside to a life of poverty, malnutrition, and even death. Story continues North Koreas oppression at home is tied to its aggression abroad. Nations that tyrannize their own citizens rarely have qualms about attacking their neighbors, which is precisely why human rights must be part of the denuclearization discussion. You cannot divide foreign and domestic policy in Communist thought. They are two halves of the same tumor; you can cut one half away, but it will grow back given time. And that is why the silence on the nature of the evil is so concerning. By drawing attention to North Koreas oppression, the President would have put Kim Jong-un on his back foot. The focus would have expanded beyond the regimes nuclear program its greatest strength to include its tyranny, which is North Koreas greatest weakness. Indeed, the president would have made Pyongyangs Communist ideology a central question, just as Ronald Reagan did with the Soviet Union in his day. There is no debate that Kim wants less; there is no debate the people of North Korea need more. But the need also extends far beyond the Korean Peninsula. With the rise of China and its aggressive, authoritarian version of Communism, all of Asia needs reassurance that the United States stands for freedom, democracy, and human rights. The Trump administration has a more consistent record of criticizing Chinas Communist Party, but Beijing and our other adversaries as well as our allies are watching for any sign of wavering. Pro-freedom advocates across Asia have already told my organization that U.S. silence on human rights in North Korea is disheartening and even dangerous. The Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky once said that when Ronald Reagan called the Soviet Union an evil empire, it electrified him and his fellow inmates in the Siberian gulag. That was the moment, he remembers, that really marked the end for the Soviet Union and the beginning for us. Building on this sentiment, Sharansky told my organization on the centennial of the Bolshevik Revolution that freedom and human rights are asymmetrical weapons for which Communists, and all authoritarians, have no defense. The Trump administration has fielded those weapons before. It was a show of strength that delivered results. For the sake of our national interests, and the spread of our most cherished ideals, its time to deploy that arsenal again. More from National Review Ottawa (AFP) - Canada will join NASA's space mission to put an orbiter around the Moon in a few years, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday. "Canada is going to the Moon," Trudeau told a press conference that included a live video link from the International Space Station with Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques. NASA plans to build a small space station, dubbed Gateway, in the Moon's orbit by 2026. It will serve as a way-station for trips to and from the lunar surface, but will not be permanently crewed like the International Space Station (ISS), currently in Earth's orbit. According to the Canadian Space Agency, Gateway will provide living space for astronauts, a docking station for visiting spacecraft and research laboratories. Canada will develop and contribute an autonomous robotic system -- Canadarm3 - that will be used to repair and maintain the station. The original 15-meter remote-controlled mechanical Canadarm, also known as the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System, was used on the Space Shuttle for 30 years, deploying, capturing and repairing satellites, positioning astronauts, maintaining equipment and moving cargo. Its successor is used on the ISS. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement that the organization is "thrilled that Canada is the first international partner for the Gateway lunar outpost." "Our new collaboration on Gateway will enable our broader international partnership to get to the Moon and eventually to Mars," he said. Trudeau also announced Can$2.05 billion (US$1.55 billion) over 24 years for Canada's space program, which will help support a push to develop new "artificial intelligence-based technologies" for space. Due to communications lags between Earth and remote outposts, it will be increasingly necessary to automate many robotic functions on space stations and vehicles. The last person to walk on the Moon was Eugene Cernan in December 1972, during the Apollo 17 mission. Story continues Before humans set foot on the lunar surface again, NASA aims to land an unmanned vehicle on the Moon by 2024. So far, only Russia, the United States and China have made the 384,000-kilometer (239,000-mile) journey and landed spacecraft on the Moon. Last week, Israel launched a spacecraft that aims to join them. By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, rejecting an opposition call for his resignation, disputed allegations on Wednesday by his former justice minister that government officials inappropriately pressured her to help a major company avoid a corruption trial. The remarks by Jody Wilson-Raybould, made during almost four hours of sometimes dramatic testimony to the House of Commons justice committee, deepened the worst crisis of Trudeau's tenure months before an October election. Wilson-Raybould said she had confronted Trudeau over what she said were persistent efforts by officials to help construction firm SNC-Lavalin Group Inc evade trial on charges of bribing Libyan officials. "I strongly maintain, as I have from the beginning, that I and my staff always acted appropriately and professionally," Trudeau told a televised news conference in Montreal. "I therefore completely disagree with (Wilson-Raybould's) characterization of events," he added, brushing off a demand from Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer that he step down. The case forced the resignation of Trudeau's principal private secretary, Gerald Butts, earlier this month. Wilson-Raybould said officials imposed "consistent and sustained pressure" on her from September to December last year to ensure SNC-Lavalin pay a large fine rather than go to trial. "This pressure, or political interference to intervene, was not appropriate," she said, adding that some officials had made veiled threats unless she cooperated. The head of the federal civil service, she said, told her that Trudeau would "find a way to get it done one way or another. So, he is in that kind (of) mood and I wanted you to be aware of that." Wilson-Raybould said those exchanges prompted her to think of the so-called Saturday Night Massacre of 1973, when the U.S. attorney general and his top deputy quit rather than obey an order from President Richard Nixon to fire an investigator probing the Watergate scandal. Story continues She added, however, under questioning from Liberal legislators that she did not feel the pressure on her had been illegal. Wilson-Raybould was unexpectedly demoted in January and resigned from the Cabinet this month. She said she was convinced the SNC-Lavalin case had prompted her demotion. 'NEED TO FIND A SOLUTION' SNC-Lavalin was seeking a so-called deferred prosecution agreement to allow the firm to escape with a fine. Wilson-Raybould had the power to scrap the decision to go to trial but decided against it. A trial is pending for the company. SNC-Lavalin has said it had sought to avoid a trial because the executives accused of wrongdoing had left the company and it had overhauled its ethics and compliance systems. SNC-Lavalin is based in the province of Quebec, where the Liberals have said they need to pick up seats to stand a chance of retaining a majority government. Wilson-Raybould said officials cited the danger that the firm might cut jobs or move its headquarters out of Quebec if found guilty. She cited several senior officials in the offices of Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau as among those weighing in. A Morneau spokesman denied the minister or his staff had ever pressured Wilson-Raybould. Wilson-Raybould said that during a Sept. 17 meeting with Trudeau, he asked her "to find a solution" for SNC-Lavalin. "I asked: 'Are you politically interfering with my role? ... I would strongly advise against it.' The prime minister said: 'No, no, no, we just need to find a solution.'" Trudeau told the news conference that "our government will always focus on jobs" and said officials had discussed the implications of SNC-Lavalin cutting its workforce. Wilson-Raybould said that in mid-December, her chief of staff expressed concerns about possible political interference during a chat with Butts. Citing her chief of staff's account of the exchange, Wilson-Raybould quoted Butts as saying: "There is no solution here that does not involve some interference." (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Additional reporting by Julie Gordon in Ottawa; Editing by Peter Cooney) By Ritah Kemigisa. The Uganda National Examinations board has expressed concern over the low numbers of students offering sciences at A level. Releasing the results yesterday, the boards chairperson Mary Okwakol said the trend is worrying and needs to be urgently if the country is to have more science professionals in the country. According to Okwakol only 10% of the students in the 2018 UACE examinations registered for sciences with the number of females being very few. She however adds that the performance in these sciences is also very upsetting given the fact that Biology is failed by many and yet it is an essential in science disciplines. Related Stories 2018 UACE results: Performance improves, over 1000 fail Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (R) and U.S. President Donald Trump participate in the working session at the G7 Summit in the Charlevoix town of La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada, June 8, 2018. (Photo: Christinne Muschi/Reuters) USMCA is close to being a done deal. The trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada just needs to be ratified. But the U.S. still hasnt removed tariffs on steel and aluminum. Canada has some leverage in getting them removed before signing, but that doesnt necessarily mean pressure tactics are the right move. To muddy the waters even more, the U.S. Department of Commerce launched an investigation into steel dumping allegations from Canada, China, and Mexico as recently as February 27. It was initiated based on a request from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), which says Canada sells steel in the U.S. at a discount of as much as 30 per cent and receives unfair government subsidies. Theres more than one way to skin this cat. The Ontario government called on Ottawa to drop retaliatory tariffs Canada imposed in response. Canadian officials have threatened not to ratify USMCA until the tariffs are removed. Jean Simard, president of the Aluminium Association of Canada, says Ottawa should stick to its guns on both issues. The two put together contribute to keeping the right level of tension in addition to the self-imposed impacts of the U.S. tariffs on the U.S. domestic industry, Simard told Yahoo Finance Canada. Canada is aligned with leaders in Trumps own party in Congress (Senator Grassley), the business community that Trump has asked to help lead USMCA advocacy in Congress (U.S. Chamber of Commerce) and labour (Steelworkers). Canada has leverage, but the bigger point is that there is a massive coalition in the U.S. that will demand it. Catherine Cobden, president of the Canadian Steel Producers Association, agrees. As for USMCA, it is difficult to ratify a new free trade agreement with these steel and aluminum tariffs in place between our two countries, Cobden told Yahoo Finance Canada. Nine months into this situation, the tariffs are having a negative impact on both sides of the border and support is growing in the U.S. as well for their removal. Story continues Trade lawyer at MAAW Law Mark Warner says not ratifying USMCA isnt a credible threat. Canada has made similar threats before and had to back down and Americans know Trudeau has a majority government and can make his trained seals dance when he wants, so I doubt the U.S. expects Parliament to pass USMCA before Congress acts even though the Trump Administration would probably find that to be helpful, Warner told Yahoo Finance Canada. Warner says Canadian demands wont do any great harm but have the potential to backfire. Unless it emboldens Democrats in Congress to block USMCA and encourages Trump to up the ante by notifying a withdrawal from the existing NAFTA to gain leverage over Congress, said Warner. Fellow Trade lawyer Dan Ujczo, from Dickinson Wright, says reminding the U.S. that ratification in Canada is not guaranteed is one of its only pieces of leverage, but says an offer of assistance is a more effective message. Canada can advance quickly with passing the USMCA, which the White House can then use to persuade reluctant members of Congress that this is a good deal, even the Canadians are on board! Ujczo told Yahoo Finance Canada. Canada could get on friendlier terms with the Trump administration by lobbying Congress to get on board. The White House has asked both Canada and Mexico for this support to help persuade House Democrats to (1) introduce the USMCA implementing legislation, starting a clock on a vote; and (2) pass the legislation, Christopher Sands, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, told Yahoo Finance Canada. Thus far, Canada and Mexico have said they cannot undertake a lobbying effort with Congress while Section 232 tariffs are applied on steel and aluminum and possibly pending on autos. Like Warner, Sands doesnt think not ratifying USMCA is a credible threat. Whether Canada approves the legislation in Parliament or not makes no difference to the United States. Most here see Canada suffering from uncertainty over Canadian market access, and so doubt Canada would seriously delay approval, said Sands. Two things are more likely: (1) that Canada presses ahead of ratification because the U.S. is making changes to its commitments under the USMCA and so if Canada passes the deal as negotiated they may hope to lock in concessions they can petition for in court later; (2) that Canada passes the legislation so that the USMCA is not pending during the next Canadian federal elections. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. (This February 19 story corrects first and second paragraphs to reflect that Marcela Quitral asserts she was psychologically, not sexually, abused.) SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Three former Chilean nuns who claim to have been abused over two decades ago by priests in their religious order have hailed comments by Pope Francis this month in which he recognized the abuse of nuns in the Catholic Church. Two nuns, Yolanda Tondreaux and Eliana Macias, told Reuters in an interview on Friday they were sexually abused during the 1990s and 2000s by several priests who had since died. The third, Marcela Quitral, said she was psychologically abused. The three, who had been members of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan order in the Chilean city of Molina, 130 miles (209 km) south of Santiago, told Reuters TV they had reported the abuse to their mother superior but were told either that they were lying or had provoked the abuse and were threatened with being forced to leave the convent. Earlier this month Pope Francis, whose papacy has been marked by efforts to quell a global crisis over sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy, said he was committed to stopping the abuse of nuns by priests and bishops, some of which had amounted to "sexual slavery." "There have been priests and even bishops who have done this. I think it is still going on because something does not stop just because you have become aware of it," he said. The Pope summoned bishops from around the world to a Vatican summit to develop a unified response on how to protect children from sexual abuse by clergy. He said he would take similar action to confront abuse of nuns in the Church. Tondreaux told Reuters at her home in the city of Talca that the Pope's remarks provided "relief" that he "has broached this issue, that abuse exists of any kind - sexual, power, psychological, by priests, by bishops and by their superiors." Quitral, speaking alongside her, added: "I told the mother superior many times about the fathers who were abusing nuns. She said that we were to blame, that we had provoked them." In December last year, the Vatican sent a delegation to investigate abuse claims made against the Good Samaritan order. A spokesman for the Talca prosecutor's office confirmed that complaints had been filed against priests and a mother superior of the order for alleged sexual abuse and cover-up. He said the investigation remained open and no charges had yet been brought. The Good Samaritan order declined to comment. (Reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Aislinn Laing; Editing by Dan Grebler) By Ben Blanchard and Michael Martina BEIJING (Reuters) - China is taking an increasingly strident tone as it defends its de-radicalisation programme in western Xinjiang, telling foreign diplomats recently that "absurd preachings" from Islamist extremists there had turned some people into "murderous devils". Beijing has faced growing international opprobrium about camps it has set up in Xinjiang - strategically located on the borders of Central Asia - which China calls education and training centres and many Western countries and rights groups view as internment facilities for ethnic Uighurs and other Muslim peoples. China has stepped up its diplomatic efforts as it seeks to fend off censure of the camps, especially following criticism from Turkey and at the United Nations, inviting waves of foreign envoys to tour the camps. Last Friday, it briefed representatives from some 80 countries in Beijing. Xinjiang Deputy Governor Erkin Tuniyaz, an ethnic Uighur, told the envoys gathered at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing that violence perpetrated by fanatics was "once rampant" in Xinjiang, according to a copy of his speech seen by Reuters. "The terrorists, extremists and separatists have been preaching that 'killing a pagan is better than 10 years of prayers, and those who do so can go directly to heaven', and that 'jihad is to kill, and martyrdom is to sacrifice one's own life'," he said. "These and other absurd preachings have turned some ordinary people into murderous devils, who eventually committed crimes," the deputy governor said in unusually strong language. China has repeatedly rejected all accusations of mistreatment in the camps and accused Western countries in particular of political bias with their criticisms, pointing out that Xinjiang has won stability with its tough policies. Erkin Tuniyaz said China's re-education centres fully respect and protect residents' rights, and offer vocational training and halal food, though religious activities are not permitted. Story continues "They ensure that the trainees' personal dignity is not violated, and strictly prohibits any form of insult or abuse against the trainees," he said. Criticism of the camps is "nothing but ill-intentioned smearing aimed at confounding right from wrong", Erkin Tuniyaz said. PUTTING ON A 'SHOW' Four diplomatic sources told Reuters that the meeting also included a presentation by two former camp residents who told of how they had been saved from extremism. One diplomat said the presentation was obviously choreographed. A second diplomat described it simply as a "show" and wondered if they were actors. The Xinjiang government did not responded to a request for comment. In a faxed response to Reuters questions, China's Foreign Ministry said there was "full interaction and exchanges" with those present at last Friday's meeting, where it said those present were invited to visit Xinjiang to get a rounded understanding of people's aspirations for peace. "You can never wake up those who are pretending to be asleep," it added, without elaborating. The ministry's account of the meeting, released on Sunday on its website, cited Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Hanhui as telling the diplomats that China should be applauded for creating a new method of tackling extremism. One of the diplomats said China appeared to be trying to apply domestic propaganda to the international community, as well as hoping that the issue would go away if they made their point often, loudly and forcefully enough. "China can't see that it lacks credibility. It would be hard to believe that anyone present would have found the case being made compelling," the diplomat said. However, China has won support for its policies in Xinjiang from allies such as Russia, Cambodia and Venezuela. Some envoys asked about the number of camps and detainees but got no direct answers, the four diplomatic sources said. The diplomats spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to reporters. Multiple diplomatic sources have told Reuters about private visits made to Xinjiang by China-based diplomats in recent months, some of whom said they were followed by state security or found residents too scared to talk to foreigners. The government took a small group of foreign reporters, including Reuters, on a tightly controlled trip to the camps in January. Reuters reported last year on conditions inside the camps and took pictures of guard towers and barbed wire surrounding some. (https://tinyurl.com/y9zzouss) Erkin Tuniyaz said the government welcomed everyone to visit to "see for yourself what Xinjiang is really like". "People in Xinjiang are hospitable. A stable and developing Xinjiang in harmony welcomes your visit with openness and confidence," he said. "May our friendship last forever!" (Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Michael Martina; Editing by Paul Tait) By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Democrats on Wednesday criticized a plan to divert money from Defense Department projects to fund President Donald Trump's U.S.-Mexico border wall under emergency powers. At a committee hearing that yielded a few new details on how Trump wants to move money between accounts without the approval of Congress, the Democratic chairwoman of the panel delivered a harsh rebuke to Pentagon witnesses. "I'm not sure what kind of chumps you think my colleagues and I are," said Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who chairs the Appropriations military construction subcommittee. "What you are doing is circumventing Congress to get funding for the wall, which you could not get during the conference process," she said, referring to a bipartisan spending measure approved by Congress and signed into law by Trump on Feb. 14. Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert McMahon told the panel that no military construction projects already approved by Congress would be canceled. He said there could be deferrals of projects for which funds have not yet been dispensed. McMahon said that no money would be taken away from housing for soldiers and that the Pentagon would target project deferrals with "no or minimal operational readiness risks." He said the Pentagon will ask that any funding that is deferred be fully replenished in next year's appropriations bills making their way through Congress in coming months. Republican Representative Kay Granger urged McMahon to inform Congress of the specific projects the Pentagon would defer. He said specific decisions had not yet been made. Democratic Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine expressed concern that a deferral could delay maintenance at a Portsmouth naval shipyard in her state. She also said she feared that the White House could target projects in congressional districts whose House members voted to terminate Trump's emergency declaration. On the day he signed the bipartisan spending measure - which provided $1.37 billion for physical barriers on the border, but not the $5.7 billion he wanted for his wall - Trump declared a national emergency at the border, saying that would empower him to shift money from other accounts to his wall. The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a resolution to terminate the emergency order, although the Senate has not yet acted on the measure. Even if the Senate approved it, Trump would likely veto it. Democrats say the order tramples on Congress' constitutional authority to make major decisions about spending U.S. taxpayer funds. A coalition of 16 U.S. states has already sued Trump to block his emergency declaration. The White House has identified $3.6 billion in Pentagon construction projects that it says can be tapped for building the wall, which Trump first proposed when he was a candidate. At that time, he promised Mexico would pay for it. Since Mexico has refused, he now wants U.S. taxpayers to foot the bill. Trump says a wall is needed to fight illegal immigration and crime; Democrats say it would be too costly and ineffective and that there is no actual emergency at the southern border. (Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Lisa Shumaker) By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Democrats on Wednesday criticized a plan to divert money from Defence Department projects to fund President Donald Trump's U.S.-Mexico border wall under emergency powers. At a committee hearing that yielded a few new details on how Trump wants to move money between accounts without the approval of Congress, the Democratic chairwoman of the panel delivered a harsh rebuke to Pentagon witnesses. "I'm not sure what kind of chumps you think my colleagues and I are," said Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who chairs the Appropriations military construction subcommittee. "What you are doing is circumventing Congress to get funding for the wall, which you could not get during the conference process," she said, referring to a bipartisan spending measure approved by Congress and signed into law by Trump on Feb. 14. Assistant Secretary of Defence Robert McMahon told the panel that no military construction projects already approved by Congress would be cancelled. He said there could be deferrals of projects for which funds have not yet been dispensed. McMahon said that no money would be taken away from housing for soldiers and that the Pentagon would target project deferrals with "no or minimal operational readiness risks." He said the Pentagon will ask that any funding that is deferred be fully replenished in next year's appropriations bills making their way through Congress in coming months. Republican Representative Kay Granger urged McMahon to inform Congress of the specific projects the Pentagon would defer. He said specific decisions had not yet been made. Democratic Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine expressed concern that a deferral could delay maintenance at a Portsmouth naval shipyard in her state. She also said she feared that the White House could target projects in congressional districts whose House members voted to terminate Trump's emergency declaration. Story continues On the day he signed the bipartisan spending measure - which provided $1.37 billion for physical barriers on the border, but not the $5.7 billion he wanted for his wall - Trump declared a national emergency at the border, saying that would empower him to shift money from other accounts to his wall. The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a resolution to terminate the emergency order, although the Senate has not yet acted on the measure. Even if the Senate approved it, Trump would likely veto it. Democrats say the order tramples on Congress' constitutional authority to make major decisions about spending U.S. taxpayer funds. A coalition of 16 U.S. states has already sued Trump to block his emergency declaration. The White House has identified $3.6 billion in Pentagon construction projects that it says can be tapped for building the wall, which Trump first proposed when he was a candidate. At that time, he promised Mexico would pay for it. Since Mexico has refused, he now wants U.S. taxpayers to foot the bill. Trump says a wall is needed to fight illegal immigration and crime; Democrats say it would be too costly and ineffective and that there is no actual emergency at the southern border. (Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Lisa Shumaker) Michael Cohen says he is committed to the truth and will return to Capitol Hill in March with further evidence, after three days in Washington that has captivated the country. The president's former personal lawyer and long-time fixer delivered hours of remarkable claims and accusations against his old boss on Wednesday, including calling him a "racist", "conman" and "cheat" He returned Capitol Hill on Thursday for his third day of testimony this week, and delivered closed-door testimony to the House Intelligence Committee run by frequent Trump antagonist, Representative Adam Schiff. "I am committed to telling the truth and I will be back on March 6th to finish up," Cohen said after that closed door meeting. The fallout from Cohen's Wednesday testimony was evidence in Washington as he returned for the closed door testimony. Democratic Representative Eljiah Cummings, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee that hosted Cohen Wednesday, told reporters that anybody who was named multiple times by Cohen could expect to be called in to speak to the panel. During his testimony, the former Trump fixer repeatedly mentioned the president's oldest son Donald Trump Jr, and implicated him in a scheme to pay hush money to Stormy Daniels alongside the chief financial officer of the Trump Organisation. Meanwhile, Republicans attempted to further cast doubt on Cohen's character, with two Republicans filing a motion with the Department of Justice to consider perjury charges for Cohen over comments he made on Wednesday. Cohen's lawyer rejected the accusations as baseless. Meanwhile, Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar, a Democratic representative, told Rolling Stone magazine she believed Mr Trump's presidency must end in impeachment. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi then attempted to downplay expectations that any effort to impeach the president would make headway in the House. Mr Trump, for his part, lashed out at his former employee, suggesting 95 per cent of what he said during his evidence was a lie. Take a look below for our updates from throughout the day Please allow a moment for the live stream to load DENVER (AP) A former federal prosecutor will review the sexual abuse files of Colorado's Roman Catholic dioceses, and the church has agreed to pay an unlimited amount of reparations to victims under a voluntary joint effort undertaken with the help of the state attorney general. The collaborative process announced Tuesday by Attorney General Phil Weiser and Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila is partly the result of the limits of the Colorado's attorney general's power and the local church's confidence that it has been proactive in dealing with accusations of abuse since the clergy sex abuse crisis exploded in Boston nearly 20 years ago. Aquila said the church and the state had the same mission to seek justice and healing for victims of abuse and provide accountability and transparency, including letting more people know about the steps the church has taken since 2002. "We are confident in the steps we have taken to address this matter and that there are no priests currently in active ministry under investigation," he said at a joint news conference. The Colorado attorney general does not have the power to convene a grand jury to investigate the church as the Pennsylvania attorney general did. But the names of all priests with credible accusations of sexual abuse in the dioceses of Denver, Pueblo and Colorado Springs from 1950 to the present will be published in a report by former Colorado U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer expected by the fall, Weiser said. Weiser, a Democrat who took office last month, said any failures of the church to cooperate in the review would be noted in the report, as would any allegations of sexual abuse that have not been previously reported to law enforcement. Troyer will also have the power to conduct interviews as part of the review. Jeb Barrett, of the local chapter of the victims' advocacy group SNAP, said he was pleased there would be a review. But he said the group would watch to see if the final report includes the priests it has found to have abused children in the past. Story continues In August, a Pennsylvania grand jury alleged that more than 300 priests abused at least 1,000 children over seven decades there. Since then, dioceses in more two dozen states around the country have released the names of priests accused of abuse. The Colorado review will not be paid for with tax dollars. Half the cost will be covered by the church and half by anonymous donors who were solicited by former state Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, who started working with the Colorado church on how to respond to the revelations in Pennsylvania before leaving office last month. Coffman, a Republican, said the church did not want a review paid for with state dollars because that could lead to personal information, like psychological reviews of victims, becoming public records, a concern she shared. The donors were people willing to give money and walk away, leaving the review to run its course, she said. The compensation process will be led by Kenneth Feinberg, who oversaw victims' compensation for the 2012 Aurora theater shooting and the Sept. 11 attacks, and overseen by a board chaired by former U.S. Sen. Hank Brown. Under the plan, there is no set pool of money set aside in advance. The amount paid out will be determined by Feinberg's team, and the church cannot appeal those decisions. However, victims can decide whether or not to accept the award. Victims who accepted an award would give up their right to sue the church. Although the church does not believe there has been any significant cases of abuse since 2002, Coffman said it would be surprising if that is what the review found. "That would be great. But we would be different from any other state if that was the outcome," she said. Here are the companies Yahoo Finance is watching today. Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD) reported a slide in its flagship Budweiser and Bud Light brands. However, its growing craft beer business is doing better in the United States. This comes as the company posted optimistic guidance for 2019. Disappointing guidance is weighing on payment processor Square (SQ). That's despite beating estimates on earnings and revenue last quarter. The company is warning growth will be slower than expected to start this year. The company has been going through a transition with a new CFO who just started in January. Theres a big deal for Boeing (BA) in the works. IAG, the parent of British Airways, says it plans to buy at least 18 new 777-9 jets from Boeing. The price tag is upwards of $18 billion, and they have an option to buy up to two dozen more. The new jets will replace the British Airways' aging fleet of 747s. One exec at IAG calls the new jets an ideal replacement. AT&T (T) is looking to merge its HBO and Turner units at WarnerMedia. The company is in talks with TV executive Robert Greenblatt about overseeing the networks and upcoming streaming service. The Wall Street Journal reported that Greenblatt recently met with WarnerMedia's CEO and a deal could be reached by next week. Twitter (TWTR) is coming under fire this morning. Blackberry is going after Twitter for patent infringement on everything from push notifications to mobile advertising techniques. The company accused Twitter of using features that made Blackberry a success. This comes a year after Blackberry filed a similar lawsuit against Facebook. Quito (AFP) - Conservationists have released 155 giant tortoises on an island in the Galapagos to help replace a similar species that died out 150 years ago, officials aid Thursday. The young tortoises, of the breed Chelonoidis hoodensis, were set free on Santa Fe island, the Galapagos National Park service announced. The tortoises, each aged around 10-12 years old, were raised at the Fausto Llerena breeding center and are part of a program to repopulate the island at the center of the Pacific archipelago. Also known as the Espanola Giant Tortoise, the newly freed reptiles are a similar species to the Chelonoidis spp, which are today extinct. They originally come from Espanola Island, also known as Hood Island, in the far southeast of the Galapagos chain. "The tortoises that have been released carry a microchip under their skin with a permanent number attached to make it easier to track them," said Jorge Carrion, the head of the Galapagos National Park. The newly released tortoises join 394 others which were set free on the 9.5 square mile (24.7 square kilometer) island. The program, run by the national park service and the NGO Galapagos Conservancy, is due to run until 2026. The giant tortoises are "engineers of the ecosystem" because they help spread vegetation in their natural habitat, said Carrion. The first of the creatures was released on to the island in 2015, said Washington Tapia, in charge of Galapagos Conservancy's giant turtle project. The animals are "between 10 and 12 years old and should start to reproduce in the next five to seven years," he said. Located some 600 miles off the coast of South America, the islands belong to Ecuador and are classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The islands are best known for their unique flora and fauna, which inspired naturalist Charles Darwin to write his landmark 1859 study on evolution, "The Origin of Species." Giant tortoises are believed to have arrived on the remote volcanic island chain about three to four million years ago, borne by ocean currents. With no natural predators, they spread across the islands and split into different species. However, in the 19th century their population was devastated by sailors who used them as storable fresh meat on long ocean voyages, and by invasive rats, cats and ants which ate their eggs. Last week, conservationists announced they had discovered a giant tortoise from a species thought to have become extinct more than a century ago. By Sonali Paul MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Cardinal George Pell, the most senior Catholic clergyman worldwide to be convicted for child sex offences, on Wednesday returned to court for a sentence plea hearing. Pell - a former top adviser to Pope Francis - was in December found guilty of five charges of child sexual offences committed more than two decades ago against 13-year-old boys. Pell denies the allegations and lawyers have lodged an appeal, which if successful could lead to a retrial. The verdict was made public on Tuesday after prosecutors dropped a second abuse case against Pell. Each of the five offences carries a maximum 10 years in jail. Escorted by police through a gauntlet of people heckling and hurling abuse, Pell arrived at the Melbourne court shortly before his scheduled appearance where the judge is expected to hear arguments around a suitable prison sentence. Pell, who has been out on bail throughout his trial, could be remanded in custody until his sentence is decided. The Catholic church is under mounting pressure to deal with a growing child sexual abuse crisis, following scandals in the United States, Chile, Germany and Australia. The pope ended a conference on sexual abuse on Sunday, calling for an "all out battle" against a crime that should be "erased from the face of the earth". (Reporting by Sonali Paul in Melbourne; Writing by Colin Packham in Sydney; Editing by Howard Goller and Sam Holmes) By Damali Mukhaye. The Uganda national examination board is withholding the results of 91 students who sat for the 2018 Uganda advanced certificate of education exams over alleged examinations mal-practice. According to the executive secretary of Uneb Daniel Odongo, the above students were either given external assistance, substitution of scripts,smuggled unauthorized material into the examination room or impersonated. He says that principals mathematics, biology and chemistry were the most affected subjects. He says that the above students will be accorded a fair hearing by the board before a final verdict is made. Meanwhile, the board had withdrawn the center U2804 allocated to Seesa High school, Kakungube in Kasanga district for gross violation of examination regulations both at UCE and UACE Related Stories. 2018 UACE results: Performance improves, over 1000 fail George Eustice, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries is the latest MP to resign from the Conservative government over the Brexit process. (PA) A minister has quit the Government over Theresa Mays decision to allow MPs to vote on extending Brexit negotiations beyond the scheduled withdrawal date of March 29. Leave-backing agriculture minister George Eustice said he wanted to return to the backbenches to be free to participate in the critical debate that will take place in the weeks ahead. He said Mrs May had undertaken a series of undignified retreats on Brexit and warned that prolonging the two-year Article 50 negotiation process could result in the final humiliation of our country, with the EU dictating the terms of any extension. The Camborne and Redruth MP, who was previously a farmer, said he would back Mrs Mays Withdrawal Agreement when it returns for another meaningful vote in the Commons, due by March 12. BREAKING: Minister George Eustice has resigned to oppose possible extension of Article 50 pic.twitter.com/2JFjJUwyVe Nick Eardley (@nickeardleybbc) February 28, 2019 But he made clear he was ready to support a no-deal Brexit if the agreement is rejected by MPs. Britain needs to be ready to face down the European Union here and now , he said in his resignation letter to the Prime Minister. We cannot negotiate a successful Brexit unless we are prepared to walk through the door. Mr Eustice was among Conservative ministers who voted in favour of an amendment on Wednesday paving the way for a potential vote to delay Brexit. The Prime Ministers decision to whip her MPs to support the amendment caused discontent among Leave-backing Tories, with 20 rebelling to vote against and scores abstaining. It is understood that Mr Eustice spoke briefly by phone with Mrs May on Thursday afternoon about his decision to quit. Britains Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a Brexit debate on January 29. (Parliament TV). In a letter responding to his resignation, Mrs May said: I agree with you that Parliament must now come together and honour the referendum result by voting for a deal which will give businesses and citizens the certainty they need and deserve. Story continues Our absolute focus should be on getting a deal that can command support in Parliament on March 29. It is within our grasp and I am grateful to have your continued support in that important mission. Before becoming a Conservative MP, Mr Eustice stood as a Ukip candidate in the 1999 European Parliament election and led the No campaign against the UK joining the euro. A press officer for Michael Howard and David Cameron in opposition before his election to Parliament in 2010, Mr Eustice joined the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2013 and had held his latest post since 2015. He campaigned to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum and backed the approach set out by Mrs May at Chequers last year, when a number of Brexit-backing ministers resigned. In his letter of resignation, he voiced concern that Mrs May had handed MPs direct control of events by announcing that if her Agreement is defeated, she will offer them a vote on whether to rule out a no-deal departure from the EU on March 29 and whether to request an extension of talks. I have stuck with the Government through a series of rather undignified retreats, said Mr Eustice. A chart showing government resignations outside of reshuffles from 1979 to 2018. While Leave-supporting Mr Eustice was not a prominent figure he grows a number of government figures to stand back from their roles over as Britain attempts to leave the European Union. Since 2017 there have been 23 resignations 16 of which have been over policy or political disagreements with the government 14 of which have been to do with the Brexit process. Mr Eustice has warned that prolonging the two-year Article 50 negotiation process could result in the final humiliation of our country, as the EU would dictate the terms of any extension. Read more: MPs vote against Labours Brexit amendment Are you eligible for an Irish passport after Brexit? Lib Dem leader accidentally backs Jeremy Corbyn Mr Eustices letter pinpointed Mrs Mays defeats as a catalyst for his resignation but said he feels things could get worse. His letter added: I have stuck with the government through a series of rather undignified retreats. However, I fear that developments this week will lead to a sequence of events culminating in the EU dictating the terms of any extension requested and the final humiliation of our country. Mr Eustice added that he believed the European Commission had not conducted the negotiations honourably. He said: I appreciate that you have been terribly undermined by those in Parliament who refuse to respect the referendum result. You have shown tenacity and resilience over the past year. However, what our country needs from all its political leaders at this critical juncture is courage, and we are about to find out whether Parliament has it. Mr Eustice previously served as a parliamentary aide to David Cameron. (Reuters) As a Defra Minister, I have enjoyed good relations with the European Commission and with Ministers from other member states. However, I do not believe that the Commission has behaved honourably during these negotiations. They have deliberately made progress slow and difficult. They have stated in terms that they will refuse to even hold substantive negotiations on a future partnership until after we leave. If the position of Parliament is now that we will refuse to leave without an agreement then we are somewhat stuck. This is uncomfortable for everyone, but we cannot negotiate a successful Brexit unless we are prepared to walk through the door. We must therefore have the courage, if necessary, to reclaim our freedom first and talk afterwards. We must be ready to face down the European Union here and now. The absence of an agreement poses risks and costs for them too. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK donald trump kim jong un summit It was no coincidence that US President Donald Trump opted to hold his North Korean summit with Kim Jong-Un at the same time that his former fixer Michael Cohen testified in Congress. Trump Playing Games to Suck Oxygen out of the Newsroom It is a classic Trumpian move to avoid a lousy headline by creating a big flashy headline to suck away as much attention as you can. Remember Space Force? The proposed fourth branch of the US military exists because the presidents administration was getting a lot of heat around their handling of migrant detainees at the US border, as the Washington Post reported last year. Read the full story on CCN.com. Motorists suffered a 3.9% increase in delays on Englands motorways and major A roads last year (Picture: PA) How many times have you told yourself that traffic jams are getting worse? It turns out it wasnt all in your imagination. According to figures from the Department for Transport (DfT), motorists suffered a 3.9% increase in delays on Englands motorways and major A roads last year. The delays meant journeys on the strategic road network, which is managed by Highways England, took an average of 9.4 seconds per mile longer than if vehicles were able to drive at the speed limit up from 9.0 seconds the previous year. The data suggests driving along a 10-mile section of road with a 60mph limit typically took 11 minutes and 34 seconds last year, compared with 10 minutes in free flow conditions. Average speed on the network was 59mph, the DfT said, which is down 0.6% on the previous year. READ MORE Tory MP calls for Government debate on Momo challenge which experts say is a hoax Poll shows most Brits use their phone on the toilet Eastern Europeans are deserting the UK statistics show The RAC described the figure as bad news for drivers because congestion causes wasted time and money. Head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: More congestion means more wasted time and money, which is clearly bad news for drivers, but it may be a case of short-term pain for longer term gain. Much work is being carried out on our motorways to improve capacity by upgrading them to smart motorways, but this inevitably causes delays. Nonetheless, extra capacity is badly needed as Britain now has around 38 million vehicles registered for use, and in the 10 years from 2007 more than four million extra vehicles came on to the road. AA president Edmund King said: Drivers are having to factor in another two-thirds of the expected travel time in case they run into average delays on the strategic road network, and its getting worse. The key problem is that, with the billions of pounds raised from fuel duty and other motoring taxes, only a third gets re-invested back into the road network. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK WASHINGTON House Democrats blasted the Pentagon policy on Wednesday that bans most transgender troops from serving, charging that barring them would damage military readiness by cashiering seasoned troops. Rep. Jackie Speier, chairman of the House Armed Service Committee's personnel panel, branded the Pentagon policy as "bogus." The Pentagon has been seeking to overturn a 2016 policy that allowed transgender troops to serve openly and receive treatment. "Despite living in a nation where many discriminate against you, you made a choice that fewer and fewer Americans make: you joined the military and risked your lives and your familys well-being for our safety," Speier told active duty transgender troops who testified Wednesday. "And how has the administration thanked you? By treating you like a liability, not an asset. By maliciously jeopardizing your careers and trivializing your sacrifice." Data first reported by USA TODAY show that the Pentagon has provided about $8 million in medical and psychological treatment to more than 1,500 transgender troops since July 1, 2016. At that time, the previous ban on service from transgender troops was lifted. The Pentagon annually spends about $50 billion on health care. In July 2017, Trump tweeted that he wanted to ban the service of transgender troops. The policy has been modified to prohibit the service of most transgender individuals. The policy is being challenged in federal court and its implementation is delayed, but the Supreme Court last month has allowed it to go into effect. James Stewart, the Pentagon's top official for personnel policy, testified that former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis began developing the policy a month prior to Trump's tweet and stressed that it was not a ban on transgender individuals. The new policy, however, does not allow special accommodation for gender dysphoria, Stewart said. The Pentagon is reviewing health and other records of 228 people with a history of gender dysphoria who have applied for entry in the armed services, Stewart said. If they meet standards for service, the transgender individuals will be allowed to join. Since 2018, the Pentagon has accepted applications from 12 transgender troops, Stewart said. Story continues Gender dysphoria is a condition recognized by medicine resulting from the conflict between physical gender and gender identity. The American Medical Association and other major organizations have stated that gender dysphoria should not disqualify troops from serving. Vice Adm. Raquel Bono, director of the Defense Health Agency, said the military's experience treating troops with gender dysphoria suggests that there are problems not recognized by the major medical organizations. They require more visits to mental health professionals and have suicidal thoughts more often than other troops. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, pressed Stewart to explain how the policy is not discriminatory. Stewart replied that the policy is aimed at the condition of gender dysphoria, not individuals. Pentagon policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity so it does not have a definitive figure on the number of transgender troops serving, Stewart said. The nonpartisan RAND Corp. conducted a Pentagon-funded study in 2016 and found that there likely are fewer than 10,000 transgender troops among the more than 1 million active-duty troops. RAND determined that the cost of treatment for transgender troops and their effect on readiness to fight were negligible. Five active duty transgender troops appeared before the House Armed Services Committee, testifying about their deployments to Afghanistan and climbing the ranks. Army Staff Sgt. Patricia King, an infantry soldier for 19 years, deployed three times to Afghanistan and was awarded the Bronze Star. She transitioned to a woman in 2015. Soldiers do not care about that, having only two real concerns, she said. Can you do your job and accomplish your mission? Navy Lt. Cdr. Blake Dremann, who began transitioning to a man in 2013, said the procedures took three weeks over three years, he said. The transition had "zero impact on any deployments," Dremann said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Democrats blast Trump policy that bans most transgender troops from serving One of the best investments we can make is in our own knowledge and skill set. With that in mind, this article will work through how we can use Return On Equity (ROE) to better understand a business. To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, well use ROE to better understand Jinchuan Group International Resources Co. Ltd (HKG:2362). Over the last twelve months Jinchuan Group International Resources has recorded a ROE of 13%. That means that for every HK$1 worth of shareholders equity, it generated HK$0.13 in profit. View our latest analysis for Jinchuan Group International Resources How Do I Calculate Return On Equity? The formula for return on equity is: Return on Equity = Net Profit Shareholders Equity Or for Jinchuan Group International Resources: 13% = 94.859 US$961m (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2018.) Most readers would understand what net profit is, but its worth explaining the concept of shareholders equity. It is all earnings retained by the company, plus any capital paid in by shareholders. Shareholders equity can be calculated by subtracting the total liabilities of the company from the total assets of the company. What Does ROE Signify? ROE looks at the amount a company earns relative to the money it has kept within the business. The return is the profit over the last twelve months. A higher profit will lead to a higher ROE. So, as a general rule, a high ROE is a good thing. That means ROE can be used to compare two businesses. Does Jinchuan Group International Resources Have A Good Return On Equity? Arguably the easiest way to assess companys ROE is to compare it with the average in its industry. Importantly, this is far from a perfect measure, because companies differ significantly within the same industry classification. The image below shows that Jinchuan Group International Resources has an ROE that is roughly in line with the Metals and Mining industry average (11%). Story continues SEHK:2362 Past Revenue and Net Income, February 28th 2019 Thats neither particularly good, nor bad. ROE doesnt tell us if the share price is low, but it can inform us to the nature of the business. For those looking for a bargain, other factors may be more important. If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Why You Should Consider Debt When Looking At ROE Virtually all companies need money to invest in the business, to grow profits. The cash for investment can come from prior year profits (retained earnings), issuing new shares, or borrowing. In the first two cases, the ROE will capture this use of capital to grow. In the latter case, the debt used for growth will improve returns, but wont affect the total equity. That will make the ROE look better than if no debt was used. Combining Jinchuan Group International Resourcess Debt And Its 13% Return On Equity Although Jinchuan Group International Resources does use debt, its debt to equity ratio of 0.49 is still low. The combination of modest debt and a very respectable ROE suggests this is a business worth watching. Judicious use of debt to improve returns can certainly be a good thing, although it does elevate risk slightly and reduce future optionality. But Its Just One Metric Return on equity is useful for comparing the quality of different businesses. In my book the highest quality companies have high return on equity, despite low debt. All else being equal, a higher ROE is better. Having said that, while ROE is a useful indicator of business quality, youll have to look at a whole range of factors to determine the right price to buy a stock. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. So I think it may be worth checking this free this detailed graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow . Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. A young boy and girl have been identified as semi-identical twins, only the second set ever reported in the world, say Australian doctors. The twins, now four years old, share 100 percent of their mother's DNA, but only a portion of their father's DNA, said a peer-reviewed case report published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday. Identical twins happen when a single egg is fertilized by a single sperm, then splits into two, sharing 100 percent of the DNA from both parents. For fraternal twins, each child develops from a single egg fertilized by its own sperm, with each sharing half their parents DNA. Start your day smarter: Get USA TODAY's Daily Briefing in your inbox "It is likely the mothers egg was fertilized simultaneously by two of the fathers sperm before dividing," said Nicholas Fisk, a fetal medicine specialist and deputy vice-chancellor of research at the University of New South Wales, in a statement. Fisk assisted in the case and led the team who cared for the mother and twins while they were hospitalized in 2014. Semi-identical, or "Sesquizygotic" twins, were first reported in the U.S. in 2007. Australian doctors say this second set is the first to have been discovered during pregnancy. Fisk said the mother's ultrasound at six weeks indicated she was expecting identical twins, but a second ultrasound completed at 14 weeks identified them as male and female, which is not possible with identical twins. Dr. Michael Gabbett, a clinical geneticist with the Queensland University of Technology and lead author of the study, said "Sesquizygotic" embryos usually don't survive because the three sets of chromosomes one set from the mother and two sets from the father created when one egg is fertilized by two sperm are often "incompatible with life." In this case, the egg equally divided the sets of chromosomes, then split. "Some of the cells contain the chromosomes from the first sperm while the remaining cells contain chromosomes from the second sperm, resulting in the twins sharing only a proportion rather (than) 100 percent of the same paternal DNA," Gabbett said in a statement. Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Doctors say they have identified rare set of semi-identical twins in Australia On CNN Tonight, Don Lemon called out republican congressman Mark Meadows (R-NC) for bringing a black Trump administration official, Lynne Patton, to the Michael Cohen hearing before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday as an example of why Donald Trumps not racist. During the hearing, Cohen gave multiple instances of racism on the part of Trump, saying hes much worse in private. But Meadows argued that the presence of Patton proved otherwise, and Lemon took issue with Meadows using Patton as a prop. He brought a special guest, Lynne Patton, who is a Trump administration official, as if she were a live prop, trotting her out in an attempt to prove that this president couldnt possibly be racist. Lemon said, later adding, What hes essentially saying is this president cant be racist because hes hired this black woman? Thats not how racism works. Instead of just giving his point of view, Lemon had hoped to have Meadows on to talk about it, but he chose to go somewhere a little more friendly. And by the way, in fairness, in truth, we asked Mark Meadows to come on. I wanted to hear from him himself to explain, to have a thoughtful conversation, Lemon said, but he went on Fox News with Sean Hannity tonight. And I think I could have had a really good conversation about this with him. Id still like to have that conversation. The hearing got heated when Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) said that Meadows bringing Patton to prove Trump isnt racist was in itself racist. Meadows, who can be seen in a 2012 speech talking about sending President Obama back to Kenya or wherever, took offense thinking that he himself was being called a racist. Tlaib specified that she was not calling him racist, just the act, and Lemon made the distinction. So you did a racist act. Or you made a racist statement. Does that make you entirely a racist? No, Lemon said. But the act of what you did can actually be racist and short-sighted. Cohen says Trump had prior knowledge of WikiLeaks release and conducted criminal scheme to violate campaign finance laws In explosive public testimony before Congress, Donald Trumps former attorney Michael Cohen cast the president as a racist and a conman who engaged in criminal activity after taking office as president to cover up an illegal hush money payment to an adult film actor. Appearing before the House oversight committee on Wednesday, Cohen became the first Trump associate to allege that Trump had prior knowledge that his longtime adviser, Roger Stone, was communicating with WikiLeaks during the 2016 election regarding the release of hacked Democratic Party emails. He also said Trump was aware of the infamous Trump Tower meeting between members of his presidential campaign, including his son Donald Trump Jr, and a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin, which was arranged under the pretense of receiving damaging information about Hillary Clinton. Cohens testimony marked a rare opportunity for millions of Americans to bear witness to the account of a central player in multiple investigations ensnaring the president and his inner circle. Cohen acted for more than a decade as the presidents fixer a role in which he became intimately familiar with both Trumps personal and professional affairs. It highlighted how the US president faces legal and political peril on at least two fronts the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election and possible ties between the Trump campaign and Moscow, as well as a criminal conspiracy to violate campaign finance laws through the payment of hush money. Today, I am here to tell the truth about Mr Trump, Cohen said in his opening statement. I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr Trumps illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience, he added. I am ashamed because I know what Mr Trump is. He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat. Story continues Cohen pleaded guilty in November to crimes that including lying to Congress and is scheduled to go to prison in May to begin a three-year sentence. Speaking in a measured tone, Cohen described his testimony as a step on path of redemption and apologized to the panel for his previous lies. Trump, who arrived in Hanoi this week for a summit with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, accused Cohen of lying in order to reduce his prison time. [Trump] wrote a personal check for the payment of hush money as part of a criminal scheme to violate campaign finance laws Michael Cohen Cohen testified publicly for the first time in detail about a six-figure sum that was paid to adult film actor Stormy Daniels to prevent her from speaking out about an alleged an affair with Trump. Cohen presented checks he said were signed by the president and his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, to reimburse him for the hush money payments totaling $130,000. The president of the United States thus wrote a personal check for the payment of hush money as part of a criminal scheme to violate campaign finance laws, Cohen said. He told the panel Trump knew of and approved each step of the payments, and said the president committed other illegal acts that he was unable to discuss because they were under investigation. Cohen added that he was instructed by Trump to lie about the alleged affair to the presidents wife, Melania Trump, stating: Lying to the first lady is one of my biggest regrets because she is a kind, good person. The finding that Donald Jr was directly involved in the scheme to pay off Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, could mean the presidents son faces legal jeopardy. Federal prosecutors in New York, who have had copies of the checks and other records for months, say the payments violated campaign finance laws. That investigation, which is being overseen by the southern district of New York, is also examining a six-figure payment made to Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who also alleged an affair with Trump, by the National Enquirer. The tabloid, which is owned by the presidents close friend David Pecker, purchased the exclusive rights to McDougals story and then refused to publish it in a practice known as catch-and-kill. Cohen said he presided over several similar arrangements, while telling the committee: These catch-and-kill scenarios existed between David Pecker and Mr. Trump long before I started working for him in 2007. The hearing began in dramatic fashion, with Republicans objecting to the leaking to the media of Cohens testimony late on Tuesday evening, and pushing to postpone the meeting. They were overruled by Democrats, who since assuming a majority in the House in January have vowed to act as a check on Trump. We are in search of the truth, Elijah Cummings, the Democratic chairman of the committee, said. But his exchanges with Republican lawmakers often grew contentious, as allies of the president aggressively sought to undermine Cohens credibility as a witness. Youre a pathological liar. You dont know truth from falsehood, Representative Paul Gosar of Arizona, told Cohen. Sir, Im sorry, are you referring to me or the president? Cohen retorted. Responding to his testimony, Trumps 2020 re-election campaign condemned Cohen as a felon, a disbarred lawyer, and a convicted perjurer. This is the same Michael Cohen who has admitted that he lied to Congress previously, Trump campaign spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement. Cohen was convicted in December of crimes that included lying to Congress over negotiations around a possible Trump Tower project in Moscow during the 2016 campaign. Cohen testified on Wednesday that he briefed both the presidents son and the presidents daughter, Ivanka Trump, about the deal approximately 10 times. Donald Trump Jr hit back at Cohen on Twitter, suggesting this was all an attempt by the presidents former attorney to gain publicity. In his testimony about the Trump Tower meeting, Cohen also said that he recalled Trump Jr telling his father in a low voice in early June 2016: The meeting is all set. I remember Mr Trump saying, OK good let me know, Cohen said. He added that Trump had previously complained that Donald Jr had the worst judgment of anyone in the world and would not have set up a meeting of such significance without clearing it with his father. Robert Mueller, the special counsel, is concluding a two-year investigation into any links or coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign. Cohen said he has spoken with the special counsels office on seven occasions. Trump told Mueller in a series of written answers last year that he did not discuss WikiLeaks with Stone and did not know of the Trump Tower meeting in advance. Stone previously claimed to have been in touch with Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, but now says that he was lying about this. Stonesaid: Mr Cohens statement is untrue. Cohens remarks painted a scathing picture of a mobster-like president, who dispatched his former attorney to shortchange suppliers, threaten his schools that they must not release his student grades, and handle negative press around Trumps avoidance of the Vietnam war draft. In one particularly revealing exchange, Cohen said he had probably threatened an individual on Trumps behalf at least 500 times under his former bosss instructions. Cohen said he planned to produce false financial statements Trump provided to Deutsche Bank in pursuit of loans. Citing a Guardian article to illustrate his argument, Cohen said Trump inflated his wealth to secure a place on rich lists and artificially reduced it to avoid paying tax. Cohen went on to note that Trump said black people were too stupid to vote for him and remarked during a drive through a poor area of Chicago that only black people could live that way. The country has seen Mr Trump court white supremacists and bigots. You have heard him call poorer countries shitholes, Cohen said. In private, he is even worse. HANOI, Vietnam President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un failed to strike a nuclear deal Thursday, abruptly ending their Vietnam summit hours early and leaving the fate of North Korea's nuclear weapons up in the air. "Sometimes you have to walk," Trump told reporters after two days of meeting with Kim, but he said he hoped that U.S. and North Korean negotiators would keep talking. Trump said he was not willing to accept Kim's demand that the United States end all economic sanctions on North Korea before it committed to a specific denuclearization plan. "It was about the sanctions," he said. "We couldn't give up all the sanctions" Despite the impasse, Trump continued to praise Kim, calling him "quite a guy and quite a character," and saying that there still was a lot of "warmth" in his relationship with a man many regard as a brutal dictator. Defends Kim on Warmbier Trump also defended Kim over the death of U.S. college student Otto Warmbier, who died after suffering a massive brain injury while in a North Korean prison. "I don't believe he knew about it," Trump said of Kim. The announcement of the collapse Trump's talks with Kim came after the two tamped down expectations for the two-day summit that played out amid ceremony in Vietnam and political turmoil for Trump back in the United States. Just a few hours before cutting off the talks, Trump predicted that the two leaders would "ultimately have a deal" but said that "doesnt mean were doing it in one day, in one meeting." He again praised Kim for not conducting weapons and missile tests since their first summit in June in Singapore. Trump had spoken guardedly throughout a morning of meetings with Kim that came just after his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, implicated him in criminal wrongdoing back in the United States. Kim, taking the unprecedented step of answering a western reporter's question, said "it's too early to say" whether there will be a deal, but "I would not say Im pessimistic. Story continues Later, again responding to an American reporter, Kim said he is willing to denuclearize his nation's weapons systems. "If I'm not willing to do that," he said, "I won't be here right now." "That might be the best answer youve ever heard," Trump chimed in. Little more than an hour later, the White House announced the summit was ending early. In 2016, the North Koreans detained Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, accusing him of trying to steal a propaganda poster, and sentenced him to 15 years of hard labor without trial. A year and a half later, he was returned home to his parents in Cincinnati with a massive brain injury that left him blind, deaf and unable to move on his own. He died a few days later. At a news conference after the Hanoi summit, Trump was asked by a reporter about whether he pressed Kim on the Warmbier case. "He tells me that he didn't know about it and I will take him at his word," Trump said. 'Program change' It turned out that the leaders could not bridge the U.S. demand that North Korea provide a specific plan for denuclearization and North Korea's demand that the U.S. end economic sanctions first. The first word of the impasse came as reporters gathered for a photo opportunity at a Trump-Kim lunch of snow fish and apple foie gras jelly. As the room sat empty, a White House aide came in and announced there had been a "program change." President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un In addition to a denuclearization deal, the two sides were discussing a declaration to formally end the nearly seven-decade-old Korean War, which is technically still in place because it ended only with an armistice in 1953. Another topic of conversation between the United States and North Korea was establishing "liaison offices" in each other's capital cities of Washington and Pyongyang. These would not be embassies, but offices the governments could use to communicate with each other. Those issues also remain undecided. National security analysts said the sanctions dispute and other outstanding issues should have been worked out well before Trump and Kim arrived in Hanoi. They blamed poor planning for the summit's collapse. "All sides wanted a deal, but rushed and poorly staffed process may have killed it," said Joe Cirincione, president of Ploughshares Fund, a global security foundation. The biggest loser, he added, may be South Korea, which is in the crosshairs of North Korea's nuclear weapons and has encouraged the Trump-Kim negotiations. "They must be fearful that stalled progress could lead to a process collapse," Cirincione said. Olivia Enos, a policy analyst with the Asian Studies Center at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, said Trump could not simply end sanctions without firm commitments from Kim to dismantle his nuclear weapons. She said the Trump team needs to "maintain its maximum pressure strategy" moving forward. Harry J. Kazianis, director of Korean Studies at the Center for the National Interest, a nonpartisan think tank, said previous summits have broken up, yet countries kept talking. He said he hopes Trump and Kim keep their rhetoric low-key in the weeks and months ahead. "As long as we dont go back to the days of 'fire and fury' and especially no missile tests there will be time for Washington and Pyongyang to keep taking," Kazianis said. While in Vietnam, Trump also had to deal with accusations from his former associate, Cohen. The former attorney and fixer described his ex-client Trump as a "con man," a "cheat" and a "racist." Cohen implicated Trump in potential crimes involving tax returns, campaign finance, and Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election by hacking emails related to Hillary Clinton's campaign. Trump tweeted that Cohen is a liar looking to protect himself from legal jeopardy. The Cohen testimony before Congress has to a large extent overshadowed the Trump-Kim summit, the latest act in a relationship that has seen dramatic ups and downs. From insults to 'fantasy movie' Not long ago, each leader threatened to destroy the other's country. Trump once mocked Kim as "Little Rocket Man," but during the summit and even afterward he said they have a great relationship. He has described the North Korean dictator as a "friend." At Thursday's summit, Trump and Kim could be seen strolling the grounds of the meeting site at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel, an art nouveau classic that opened in 1901 when the French ran Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, Metropole guests used the air raid shelter beneath the building when U.S. bombers attacked.Now the future of the Trump-Kim relationship could change. U.S. lawmakers like Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., have criticized Trump for his apparent chumminess with Kim, noting that the North Korean leader kills and imprisons his political opponents. During the summit, Kim told reporters he knows that people have a "skeptical view" of his talks with with Trump and that following them is "like watching a scene from a fantasy movie." Contributing: Kim Hjelmgaard and Deirdre Shesgreen. What we know about North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un Follow the money: Trump-Kim summit: Trump hints at economic rewards for North Korea Business opportunities: Trump touts North Korea's economic potential. Experts say it's an investor's 'nightmare' More: What do we really know about North Korea? Here are 10 fascinating facts This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un fail to strike deal, call off nuclear weapons talks early Algiers (AFP) - Algerian police arrested a dozen journalists participating in a rally Thursday against alleged censorship of coverage of protests against a fifth term for veteran President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, an AFP correspondent reported. Around 100 print and broadcast journalists, working for both state-owned and private outlets, joined the demonstration in central Algiers against reporting restrictions they say have been imposed by media bosses on the protests that broke out last Friday. "Free our colleagues," the remaining demonstrators shouted as those arrested were driven off in the back of police vans. "Fourth estate, not a press that follows orders." Algeria has been hit by a wave of protests over the ailing Bouteflika's announcement he will seek a fifth term in an April 18 election despite using a wheelchair and making few public appearance since suffering a stroke in 2013. Tens of thousands took part in the first protests last Friday, and there have further demonstrations daily since, both in the provinces and in the capital, where demonstrations are illegal. But for several days, both the state broadcaster and private channels owned by media magnates close to the government kept silent about the protests. State radio journalists said they had been ordered by management not to cover them. Press watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) accused Algerian authorities on Tuesday of seeking to "muzzle" the media. Bouteflika, 81, flew to Switzerland on Sunday for what the presidency called "routine medical checks" ahead of the election. Algiers (AFP) - Algerian police arrested Thursday a dozen journalists protesting "censorship" of coverage of demonstrations against a fifth term for President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, as the prime minister compared the rallies to those that sparked Syria's war. A police official later said the journalists had been released. Around 100 print and broadcast journalists, working for both state-owned and private outlets, joined the demonstration in central Algiers against reporting restrictions they say have been imposed by media bosses on the protests that broke out last Friday. They shouted "No to censorship" and "Fourth estate, not a press that follows orders". As the demonstration got underway police arrested a dozen journalists, an AFP reporter said, sparking angry reactions from their colleagues who banged on the police vans that drove them away. "Free our colleagues," the remaining demonstrators shouted. Motorists who witnessed the arrests honked their horns in solidarity and shouted "Free press". Two hours later police, including some in anti-riot gear, broke up the protest which had gathered at the "Place de la liberte de la presse" (Press Freedom Square) in central Algiers. The demonstrators tried to regroup at the Tahar Djaout Press House where several private newspapers have their offices, but they were again dispersed by the police. Hakim Belouar, spokesman for the Directorate General for National Security (DGSN) later told AFP that "no journalists" remained in police custody. Algeria has been hit by a wave of protests over 81-year-old Bouteflika's announcement he will seek a fifth term at an April 18 election. The veteran leader, who took power in 1999, has used a wheelchair since suffering a stroke in 2013 and is rarely seen in public. Tens of thousands took part in the first protests last Friday, and there have further demonstrations daily since, both in the provinces and in the capital, where the rallies are illegal. Story continues On Thursday Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia compared the growing protest movement to the peaceful demonstrations that erupted in Syria and sparked a war which is now nearing its ninth year. - Syria 'began with roses' - Speaking in parliament Ouyahia said some "demonstrators offered roses to the policemen. But we should recall that in Syria it also began with roses", he said. His remarks sparked ire from a number of lawmakers who stormed out of parliament, while others applauded the prime minister. "I am not trying to scare the people," Ouyahia said in his defence. Syria's war broke out in March 2011 after the brutal repression of nationwide anti-regime protests that demanded civil liberties and the release of political prisoners. It has since evolved into a complex conflict involving world powers, regional factions and jihadists that has left more than 360,000 people dead, according to a war monitor, and millions displaced. Ouyahia told parliament peaceful protests are among the rights enshrined in the Algerian constitution but he warned against the possibility that outside forces he did not name could "manipulate" demonstrators. The scale of the protests have taken many by surprise and since last Friday students and lawyers have also demonstrated against Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term. At the same time both the state broadcaster and private channels owned by media magnates close to the government have kept silent about the protests. State radio journalists said they had been ordered by management not to cover them. Press watchdog Reporters Without Borders -- which ranks Algeria 136th out of 180 in its World Press Freedom Index -- earlier accused the authorities of seeking to "muzzle" the media. On Thursday the group called for the immediate release of "all the journalists who were violently arrested". Bouteflika flew to Switzerland on Sunday for what the presidency called "routine medical checks" ahead of the election. Edyta Skubala has been ordered to carry out community service after pleading guilty to being drunk on an aircraft. (SWNS) A drunk mum-of-two who caused chaos on a budget flight trying to light four cigarettes as she swigged from duty-free vodka has avoided jail. Edyta Skubala, 40, lit up an hour into her flight from Poznan in Poland to Bristol in December last year and despite being stopped by staff, just 10 minutes later she attempted to light another cigarette. Skubala of Broxholme Lane, Doncaster, pleaded guilty to being drunk in an aircraft when she appeared at Bristol Magistrates Court on Thursday. Clare Fear, prosecuting, told the court that when staff asked to see her boarding pass Skubala screamed at them in Polish to f**k off. She then stumbled to the toilet, so drunk she needed support, where cabin crew made her use the bathroom with the door open in case she started smoking again. Read more: Pug seized and sold on eBay to pay familys debts Woman tied up and robbed in her own home Man who posed as council worker to commit sex offences jailed Police officers were waiting at Bristol Airport to arrest the heavily intoxicated mum and take her to a police station. She was put into a police van where the officer said she continued to ask for cigarettes on the way to the station. The court heard Skubalat was flying to Bristol so she could look for a job in nearby Avonmouth, with her partner who lives in Doncaster. Rupert Russell, defending, said she had not intended to cause danger or alarm on the flight. He added: She was simply too drunk to listen to instructions or recognise the danger she was causing. Skubala had been living in the UK for four years prior to the offence and had travelled back to Poland for her aunts funeral. She was sentenced to 180 hours of unpaid work as part of a community order and made to pay a statutory surcharge of 85 and 165 prosecution costs a total of 250. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Vienna (AFP) - The European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on Thursday repeated a call for a decision from London on its withdrawal deal, rather than seeking to delay the exit date. "Today, we need above all a decision, it's more important than extra time," Barnier told a news conference in Vienna, adding that the Brexit process stood at a "grave moment". European leaders have already warned that any postponement of the two-year Article 50 process would come with conditions. Britain is due to leave the European Union on 29 March but is currently on course to do so without a deal after British MPs overwhelmingly rejected the withdrawal agreement in January. "The duration of any extension would be linked to the question of what to do with the time," Barnier said. "If it's to sort out a technical question, it could be a few weeks to go up to the eve of the European elections." Barnier also raised the possibility of a longer extension in the case of "new British choices" but pointed out that "if at the time of the European elections the British are members of the Union, legally speaking they like other countries would have the obligation to organise elections". He re-iterated that the withdrawal agreement negotiated between the EU and the UK could not be changed. Gesturing to the voluminous text of the agreement in front of him, Barnier said: "We have finished work! This text is the result of considerable effort that we have made with the British, not against them." Barnier said that talks with the UK government would continue next week. He was speaking after talks with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who also pointed to the problem that the European elections in May pose for any extension. "The participation of a country that wishes to leave the European Union in European elections would be more than absurd," Kurz said. "So our goal has to be that the exit, if it has to happen, happens in an orderly fashion," he added. Story continues However, if the House of Commons once again rejected the agreement with the EU in a vote scheduled to take place by the 12 March, Austria would be in favour of a shorter extension if necessary in order to avoid a hard Brexit, Kurz said. British Prime Minister Theresa May is seeking changes to a withdrawal agreement struck with the EU late last year, which she hopes will be enough to get it through parliament's lower House of Commons. But if she fails, she has promised MPs votes on March 13 and March 14 on whether to leave the bloc without a deal, and if not, to seek a short delay. By Clare Roth BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission sought on Thursday to address suggestions in a Hungarian government information campaign that Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and billionaire investor George Soros seek to flood the country with migrants. Initially dismissing the campaign launched throughout Hungary on Feb. 18 as a "ludicrous conspiracy theory", the Commission published a report debunking the assertions on billboards and full-page newspaper ads. Relations between European Union institutions and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's nationalist Fidesz ruling party have soured since the 2015 migration crisis, when Orban closed Hungary's borders to all incoming refugees and asylum seekers. Many of the ads feature text stating "You have the right to know what Brussels is planning", over pictures of Juncker and Hungarian-born Soros. Orban accuses Soros of encouraging mass immigration into Europe, a charge the philanthropist denies. "Citizens do deserve to know the truth about what the EU is doing," Commission officials said. "But we believe that they deserve fact not fiction." The Commission report rejected Hungarian assertions that the European Union executive arm wanted to introduce refugee resettlement quotas, stating that refugee resettlement "is and will always be on a purely voluntary basis". Orban was reelected for a third consecutive term last April on a strong anti-immigration platform, and his Fidesz party leads the polls ahead of May's European parliamentary election. He has said he hopes anti-immigration parties will gain a majority, which he said could lead to changes in the EU executive. Continuing its take-down of the adverts, the Commission noted that job-training pilot programs for migrants were voluntary and Hungary had opted out of participating. "Member states remain exclusively in charge of the numbers of workers they admit, if at all," the report said. The Commission also said that EU funding had nothing to do with a country's stance on immigration, but that cohesion money would go to countries hit by migration to help them manage. Hungary is also under EU scrutiny for not observing the rule of law. In response to Orban's ad campaign, Juncker also called for Fidesz's exclusion from the European parliament's biggest center-right political family EPP. (Reporting by Clare Roth; Editing by Alison Williams) Brussels (AFP) - A proposal to add seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, to the EU money-laundering blacklist faces "overwhelming" opposition from member states, sources told AFP on Thursday. The European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, said earlier this month it wanted to add the Gulf kingdom and six other states including Panama to a list of 16 nations seen as doing too little to stop the financing of terrorism and organised crime. But EU member states are deeply uneasy about the way the list has been drawn up and one source told AFP that as many as 27 out of the 28 countries are against it. A source at the European Council, which groups member states, said there was an "overwhelming majority" opposed to the proposal. Officials are to meet for talks on Friday, when the commission is expected to explain how it chose which countries should be added. A formal decision by the Council is expected in the coming days, with the measure highly likely to be rejected. According to diplomats, at a test vote only Belgium, which currently has a caretaker government, failed to oppose it. Under EU procedures, the list can only be accepted or rejected as a whole -- individual countries cannot be added or removed. One European source said there was unhappiness among many member states "about how the list was drawn up", rather than objections to the inclusion of specific countries. A group of 29 members of the European Parliament wrote to the commission on Thursday urging them not to be swayed by "attempts by some member states" to influence the list. German Greens MEP Sven Giegold said the list was an "important step in the fight against money laundering" adding "it would be a scandal if the council blocked it now." The announcement that Saudi Arabia would be added to the list came amid heightened tensions between Riyadh and European capitals over the murder last year of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. Inclusion on the EU list does not trigger sanctions, but it does oblige European banks to apply tighter controls on transactions with customers and institutions in those countries. Riyadh voiced "regret" when the announcement was made, saying its fight against money-laundering and terror financing was a "strategic priority". Buenos Aires (AFP) - The former Argentine judge who led the probe into the deadly 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires was jailed for his role in a cover-up Thursday, but the country's former president Carlos Menem was acquitted. Juan Jose Galeano was jailed for six years for concealment and violation of evidence. Former intelligence chief Hugo Anzorreguy was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail for his role in the cover-up surrounding the bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) center, which killed 85 people and injured 300 others. They were among 13 defendants facing a slew of corruption and obstruction of justice charges in a trial that lasted four years. The court sentenced Carlos Telledin, a used car dealer who sold the van that contained the bomb, to three-and-a-half years in jail. The court found Galeano paid Telledin $400,000 to implicate a group of police officers in the bombing. Galeano denied prosecutors' assertions that he had acted on the orders of Menem, who is now 88. No one has ever been convicted of the bombing, though Argentina -- and Israel -- have long pointed the finger at Iran. They suspect a Lebanese Hezbollah operative of carrying out the suicide bombing on Tehran's orders. But decades of investigation in Argentina have been roiled by political interference and allegations of corruption. Prosecutors had called for a four-year jail sentence for Menem, Argentina's president from 1989-1999, on grounds that he ordered a cover-up. The aging statesman gave little away in his testimony, saying state secrets meant he was prevented from presenting bombshell evidence. His lawyer explained to the court in 2016 that Menem declined to reveal any information "that could affect the current government, the interests of the nation, and peaceful coexistence with other nations." Since last year, the U.S. has waged a vigorous diplomatic offensive against the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, claiming that any nation deploying its gear in next-generation wireless networks is giving Beijing a conduit for espionage or worse. But security experts say the U.S. government is likely exaggerating that threat. Not only is the U.S. case short on specifics, they say, it glosses over the fact that the Chinese don't need secret access to Huawei routers to infiltrate global networks that already have notoriously poor security. State-sponsored hackers have shown no preference for one manufacturer's technology over another, these experts say. Kremlin-backed hackers, for instance, adroitly exploit internet routers and other networking equipment made by companies that are not Russian. If the Chinese want to disrupt global networks, "they will do so regardless of the type of equipment you are using," said Jan-Peter Kleinhans, a researcher at the Berlin think tank Neue Verantwortung Stiftung. One of the most common U.S. fears that Huawei might install software "backdoors" in its equipment that Chinese intelligence could use to tap into, eavesdrop on or interrupt data transmissions -- strikes some experts as highly unlikely. Priscilla Moriuchi, who retired from the National Security Agency in 2017 after running its Far East operations, does not believe the Huawei threat is overblown. But she called the odds of the company installing backdoors on behalf of Chinese intelligence "almost zero because of the chance that it would be discovered," thus exposing Huawei's complicity. Moriuchi, now an analyst at the U.S. cybersecurity firm Recorded Future, said she was not aware of the NSA ever finding Huawei backdoors created for Chinese intelligence but also cautioned that it can be extraordinarily difficult, when backdoors are found, to determine who is behind them. European allies have been reluctant to embrace a blanket anti-Huawei ban even as U.S. officials continue to cast the world's No. 1 telecom-equipment maker as little more than an untrustworthy surrogate for Beijing's intelligence services. Story continues The top U.S. diplomat for cybersecurity policy, Robert Strayer, says Huawei is obliged to heed Chinese Communist Party orders by a 2017 intelligence law that "compels their citizens and their companies to participate in intelligence activities." Strayer provided no specifics when pressed by reporters Tuesday as to how Huawei gear might pose more of a security threat than other manufacturers' switches, routers and wireless base stations. The diplomat spoke at Mobile World Congress, the world's largest wireless trade show, in Barcelona, Spain. The American rhetoric has included threats. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested in a TV interview last week any use of Huawei equipment could jeopardize U.S. intelligence sharing and might even be a reason to locate military bases elsewhere. The remarks may have been targeted at NATO allies including Poland and the Czech Republic where Huawei has made significant inroads. A spokeswoman for the U.S. National Security Council declined to comment or to provide any officials to address specifics. A State Department spokesman referred The Associated Press to a press statement on Strayer's remarks in Barcelona. Huawei, founded in 1987 by a former military engineer, overtook Sweden's LM Ericsson in 2017 as the lead company in the market for wireless and internet switching gear. It says it supplies 45 of the world's top 50 phone companies and has contracts with 30 carriers to test so-called fifth-generation, or 5G, wireless technology. U.S. companies are not serious competitors in this market, having pulled back over the years. Huawei's major rivals are European Ericsson and Finland's Nokia. The U.S. has provided no evidence of China planting espionage backdoors in Huawei equipment despite as 2012 congressional report that led the U.S. government and top domestic wireless carriers to ban it and other Chinese manufacturers from their networks. "The backdrop for this is essentially the rise of China as a tech power in a variety of domains" said Paul Triolo, tech lead at the Eurasia Group risk analysis consultancy. Now, he said, "there is a big campaign to paint Huawei as an irresponsible actor." In January, U.S. prosecutors filed criminal charges against Huawei and one of its top executives, alleging the company stole trade secrets and lied to banks about embargo-busting company dealings with Iran. Canada earlier arrested that Huawei executive who is also the daughter of the company's founder at U.S. behest; she is currently awaiting extradition to the U.S. Huawei has denied wrongdoing. On Thursday it pleaded not guilty to charges that it stole trade secrets from T-Mobile. One irony of the situation is that the U.S. has actually done what it accuses Huawei of doing. According to top-secret documents released in 2013 by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, the U.S. planted surveillance beacons in network devices and shipped them around the world. The affected equipment included devices from Cisco Systems, a Silicon Valley company whose routers were blacklisted by Chinese authorities after the Snowden revelations. Washington's closest ally has taken a different approach to any potential threats from Huawei. Britain's National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) long ago placed multiple restrictions on Huawei equipment, including disallowing it in any sensitive networks, agency director Ciaran Martin noted in a speech last week. According to Kleinhans, who has studied the agency's practices, Huawei can't conduct any direct maintenance on mobile base stations in the U.K., and instead must allow local wireless carriers to handle the work. Those carriers can't use Chinese equipment to conduct any law enforcement wiretapping. The British agency also requires redundancy in critical networks and a variety of equipment suppliers to prevent overreliance on any single manufacturer. In its annual review of Huawei's engineering practices published in July, the NCSC found "shortcomings" that "exposed new risks in the U.K. telecommunication networks." But none were deemed of medium or high priority. Martin called the problems manageable and not reflective of Chinese hostility though experts say it's often difficult to tell if vulnerabilities are simply coding defects or intentional. "With 5G, some equipment needs to be more trustworthy than ever. But probably not all," NCSC technical director Ian Levy wrote in a blog. Like the British, German officials have indicated they'll reject a blanket Huawei 5G ban. In December, the head of Germany's cyber-risk agency, Arne Schoenbohm, said "for such serious decisions as a ban, you need evidence." Last week, the nation's Interior Ministry told The Associated Press "the direct exclusion of a particular manufacturer from the 5G expansion is at the time not legally possible." ___ Eds: An earlier version of the story incorrectly stated that Moriuchi was among NSA agents tasked with searching for backdoors in Huawei equipment. ___ Frank Jordans in Berlin, Joe McDonald in Beijing and Kelvin Chan in Barcelona, Spain, contributed to this report. Khartoum (AFP) - A prominent Sudanese editor detained by security agents amid anti-government protests has not been allowed to see relatives and his whereabouts remain unknown, his family said Thursday. Osman Mirghani, editor-in-chief of independent daily Al-Tayar, was taken away by security agents from his office on the night of February 22 after making televised comments on President Omar al-Bashir's decision to impose a state of emergency. "It's been a week now and the authorities have still not informed us where he is being detained," Jihad Mirghani, the editor's son, said in a statement issued to journalists in Khartoum. "The family has also not been allowed to visit him. We are really concerned about his health." Mirghani was arrested soon after an interview with Sky News Arabia in which he said Bashir's measures would "spark a new wave" of protests and send a message that the public "can exert more pressure to achieve its goal of removing this regime". The US-educated engineer turned journalist has often been targeted by security agents, who have detained him several times, confiscated copies of his newspaper or barred its publication without giving any reason. The NISS regularly seizes entire print runs of newspapers over articles it deems inappropriate, especially those criticising the authorities or government policies. Sudan is ranked 174th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2018 World Press Freedom Index. Bashir, 75, declared a state of emergency across the country on Friday in an attempt to quell the demonstrations that have rocked his rule for more than two months. He also dissolved the cabinet and provincial governments of all 18 provinces, and gave sweeping powers to security forces to carry our raids and personal searches. Protests first erupted on December 19 after a government decision to triple the price of bread, and quickly escalated into a widespread campaign calling for Bashir to resign. Officials say 31 people have died in protest-related violence, while Human Rights Watch says at least 51 people have been killed. Bashir, who swept to power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989, has remained defiant in the face of unrest. In a concerted effort to share more profits with shareholders, the board of directors of FBL Financial Group, Inc. FFG has approved a 4.3% hike in its quarterly dividend. The company will now make a quarterly payout of 48 cents per share compared with 46 cents paid on Dec 31, 2018. Notably, the increased dividend denotes an annualized payout of $1.92 per share. Further, based on the abovementioned payout, the companys current dividend yield is 2.8%, which is slightly better than the industry average of 2.4%. Prior to this, last March, the company raised its quarterly dividend by 4.5% to 46 cents per share. The company boasts a track record of raising dividends that witnessed a six-year CAGR of 27.8%. This apart, a special dividend has been announced amounting to $1.50 per share or about $37 million. This will mark the fifth special dividend payout by the company. Both regular and special dividends will be paid on Mar 29, 2019 to Class A and Class B shareholders of record as of Mar 15, 2019. The Multi line insurers solid financial foundation and operational performance will continue to generate excess capital, thereby providing enough support to engage in shareholder-friendly moves like dividend hikes, special dividends and share buyback authorization. In 2018, the company successfully returned $99 million to its shareholders and since the IPO in 1996, the companys shareholder return grew 1380%. Banking on a robust capital position with sufficient liquidity and strong cash flows, FBL Financial has been consistently making efforts to improve its long-term shareholder value and is focused on sustained profitable growth. Such steadfast endeavors instill confidence in investors, making the stock an attractive pick for yield-seeking investors. Recently, Assured Guaranty Ltd. AGO approved a dividend hike of 12.5% and will now make a payout of 18 cents per share. Zacks Rank and Share Price Movement FBL Financial carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Shares of the company have risen 5.4% year to date, underperforming the S&P 500 indexs gain of 11.4%. However, we expect an improving premium collected, better investment results, life sales growth and a robust financial position to drive the stock higher going forward. Stocks to Consider Investors interested in better-ranked stocks from the insurance industry can consider Arch Capital Group Ltd. ACGL and Cincinnati Financial Corporation CINF, both sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Arch Capital Group provides property, casualty and mortgage insurance and reinsurance products worldwide. The company delivered positive surprises in all the last four reported quarters, the average being 14.72%. Cincinnati Financial provides property and casualty insurance products in the United States. The company pulled off positive surprises in three of the trailing four reported quarters, the average earnings surprise being 18.08%. Story continues Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019 In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year? Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%. See Latest Stocks Today >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Assured Guaranty Ltd. (AGO) : Free Stock Analysis Report FBL Financial Group, Inc. (FFG) : Free Stock Analysis Report Arch Capital Group Ltd. (ACGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Cincinnati Financial Corporation (CINF) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT: A female hunter has been condemned online for posting images on social media of a mountain lion she killed, her hands covered in blood. The hunter from the US state of Colorado was called out by a local non-profit organisation that seeks to protect wildlife. Franchesca Esplin took to her Facebook page to post video and photos from a recent hunt where she targeted and killed a mountain lion. According to the post, which featured images of the dead animal and her own bloody hands and clothing, the hunt has been at the top of [Esplins] bucket list and put the hunter on cloud nine. Now Prairie Protection Colorado is calling this behaviour a trophy kill, which they believe should be illegal. Franchesca Esplin was shamed for bragging about her latest trophy kill. Source: Facebook/Prairie Protection Colorado According to Deanna Meyer, executive director of Prairie Protection Colorado, trophy kills are characterised by the complete glee and elation [expressed by hunters] at the kills that theyve performed, and go against the ethical means of hunting, which should be for survival and food. I do not find anything wrong at all with ethical hunting, Ms Meyer said, explaining that shes lived off of wild food for 25 years. To me, that doesnt include selfies of the dead animal with laughing and elation. When the pictures illustrating Ms Esplins excitement over her own kill were reposted onto Prairie Protection Colorados Facebook page, Ms Meyer explained that most of her organisations followers agreed. People said Ms Esplin was a sick witch and she displayed pure psychopathic evil. However, Ms Meyer assured the photos werent posted to target Ms Esplin Ms Meyer hadnt even identified the hunter but instead to make a bigger point. Franchesca Esplin was labelled a sick witch online for posting selfies with a dead mountain lion. Source: Facebook/Prairie Protection Colorado Its not Franchesca that Im after, although I think that her behaviour and mentality is deplorable. But its not her. Its the whole mentality that goes behind hunters, Ms Meyers said. Our goal is to educate people and then hopefully go through the long process of changing legislation, and to try to protect what we have left of our predator species. Story continues Ms Meyers organisation currently has a petition with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to make the hunting of bobcats and mountain lions illegal. Although there hasnt been much progress yet, she hopes that images like Ms Esplins spur a societal change of attitude. Ms Esplin didnt respond to Yahoos request for comment. Rich Hill, with his son, Brice, has a special connection to Rare Disease Day. (Getty Images) GLENDALE, Ariz. When your own little boy couldnt be saved, when the science and prayers and tears couldnt be enough, then what you do is start over with the other little boys and girls who could be saved, who have a chance. Brooks Hill died five years ago this week. He was two months old. And so what you do, if you have the strength, is put candles on a birthday cake and sing to him every Dec. 26, and warm yourself by the days you did have with him, and include him in everything you are. Everything your family is. His father, Rich. His mother, Caitlin. His brother, Brice. Their son and brother and inspiration, Brooks. They, together, are the we Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill talks about, and he smiles over it still, and cries over it plenty. This is what Brooks brings to Rich every single day, that and what a heartless disease took from him, his would be 5-year-old boy who was beautiful and so perfect and hardly had a chance. Thursday, the final day of February, is Rare Disease Day. Brooks was born with a condition that attacked his brain and kidneys, something called Galloway Mowat Syndrome. The genetic cause was discovered two years later. And so the Hills Caitlin and Rich on this day have chosen the next little boy, the next little girl, the next frightened patient, the next parents stricken. Theyll call it Field of Genes, and starting with the Hills donation it will help fund research in the fields of rare genetic and undiagnosed diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, and itll help ease the financial and emotional burden on the next family, and theyll understand it wont solve everything. Theyll also know what it was to have their child leaking away, to not know why, to be lost and terrified, to have it play against a clock that refuses to slow. They will stand, then, with the hospital and the doctors David Sweetser, in particular and the programs that did what they could those five years ago. They will stand with the next generation, the next drop of hope, the next breakthrough. And with the people, real people in too real circumstances, who will know not where to turn. The website is fieldofgenes.org. Story continues It breaks my heart because I know what the parents are going through and how difficult it is to be in that situation, Rich Hill said. Learning on the fly. What is going on? Why did this happen? Did I do something wrong? Did we do something wrong? Is there something we could have done to prevent this? Theres a lot of things that go through your mind. And, who can help me? And then its kind of a maturation process of the shock to the grief to the OK, were going to find answers and find help. A lot of the times families come into situations when something like this happens and theyre faced with having to find answers, they go to multiple doctors and theyre gathering up stacks and stacks of paper. All these files are built up. Everybodys throwing darts at a dart board, trying to figure out what it is that happened, and, again, why did it happen? So, when I hear about it, every time I open up the news or read about something or hear it on TV, its just heartbreaking, because I know that its a difficult situation. Everybodys road is different. Long roads and, sometimes, shorter roads. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill and his son, Brice. (Getty Images) Rare Disease Day is the momentary spotlight. Then the ideal of it broadens to every day. And the focus of it narrows to a room in a building where the news is confusing, or bad, or worse. And the hope of it is in what might come next. Answers. A cure. A way to manage. Then one more day, and then see after that. If one person can be changed or saved or helped, then it makes a difference, Hill said. Thats something hopefully we can provide. Just help with this field of genetics that is underfunded. They start with one. With Brooks. On Dec. 26, its one more candle. On other days, its a laugh or a long talk or a gesture that says they know hes up there. One of the things weve always done from the beginning is do things for Brooks, Rich said. He doesnt get to experience life the way weve been able to, so doing it for him and in his memory is something we continue to do every single day. When that comes around its something for us thats very special, with our son Bryce and with Caitlin and myself, to celebrate his day. And, on this day, they start with a foundation for everyone like him and then for the people like themselves. They start with a donation and a hope that leads to relief, somewhere. They start by showing up and taking on some of the life that awaits, that tugs on them still. Theyre going to try. Theyre just going to try. I think one thing that really helped us was a phrase, Just be kind to yourself, Rich said. That was something the hospice doctor told us. Because I think when you get into a situation where the guilt sets in or something what did we do wrong? Did we do something wrong? In the case of genetics, its just something you cant control. And being kind to yourself and understanding you gave all the love you could and you did everything you could possible to help your loved one is something that may help people, put them a little at ease. I think we beat ourselves up and its only human to do that. The other thing we learned was the concept of time. Just understanding we dont have a lot of it and we want to make the most of it that we can. With the time that we have. More from Yahoo Sports: Sohi: Raptors, Celtics are similar teams heading in different directions What does Nolan Arenados extension mean for Bryce Harper? Shaq to LeBrons trade-target teammates: I never cried about it Cops seize Dak Prescotts dog after it bites neighbor Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump's ex-attorney will return to Congress next week for more testimony, US lawmakers said Thursday, after three days of marathon appearances during which Michael Cohen accused his longtime boss of being a conman engaged in illegal activity. House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff also revealed that Felix Sater, a Russian-born real estate developer who claims strong connections to the Kremlin, and who reportedly pitched the Moscow Trump Tower project to Trump's team, will testify before the committee on March 14. The public hearing is believed to be the first scheduled appearance before Congress for Sater, who once had an office in Trump Tower and is seen as a mysterious figure who could shed light on dealings between the Trump organization, his campaign and Russia. Cohen meanwhile will return on March 6 for additional closed-door testimony to the Intelligence Committee, Schiff said. "It was a very productive interview today, where he was able to shed light on a lot of issues that are very core to our investigation, and we were able to drill down in great detail," Schiff said, adding that he intented to publicly release transcripts of Cohen's testimony "at the appropriate point." News of the upcoming hearings came after Cohen's grueling three days on Capitol Hill, including his explosive nationally televised testimony on Wednesday, during which he called Trump an inveterate liar, "racist," and "cheat." Cohen -- who is to report to prison on May 6 to begin serving a three-year sentence for fraud, tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions and lying to Congress -- expressed regret for his years of devoted service to Trump. The onetime lawyer, who has been disbarred, said Trump directed him to lie about hush payments made to a porn actress to silence her claims of a 2006 affair with the real estate tycoon. He also said Trump knew in advance in mid-2016 that WikiLeaks would publish emails stolen by the Russians from rival Hillary Clinton's campaign. Story continues And Cohen asserted that lawyers for Trump and his family reviewed and edited his written testimony to Congress in 2017 in which he lied about the Moscow real estate deal. Nevertheless, Cohen produced no fresh evidence that Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia during the election, the subject of an investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. - 'Lied a lot' - Speaking in Vietnam after a summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, Trump sought to discredit Cohen, saying his former lawyer and fixer had "lied a lot" -- although not about "one thing." "He said, no collusion with the Russian hoax," Trump said. "And I said, I wonder why he didn't lie about that, too, like everything else." The president did not address any of Cohen's specific, explosive allegations about his decade of working with Trump. On Thursday, two Republicans on the House Oversight Committee said they had petitioned the Justice Department to investigate Cohen for perjury. They alleged that he lied in Wednesday's testimony about his alleged desire to get a job in the Trump White House, and about whether he had committed bank fraud in the past. Cohen's lawyer Lanny Davis rejected their claims. "Mr. Cohen testified truthfully before the House Oversight Committee.... He also backed up much of his testimony with documents," Davis said, calling the complaint "baseless." - 'Our boy can become president' - As for Sater, lawmakers will seek to quiz him on his dealings with the Trump Organization and the campaign. Sater has boasted of his ties to Vladimir Putin, saying he could get the Russian president to say "great things" about Trump, and suggested that the Trump Tower deal would help him get elected. "Our boy can become president of the USA and we can engineer it," Sater wrote in a November 2015 email quoted by The New York Times. "I will get all of Putin's team to buy in on this, I will manage this process." Cohen has testified that Trump was negotiating on the Moscow building deal in 2016, contradicting Trump's repeated declarations during the presidential campaign that he had no business ties to the country. PARIS (Reuters) - A planned revision to international tax rules for the digital era could be drawn up within 2019 after the United States and Ireland indicated that they wanted a deal, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Thursday. Some 127 countries and territories agreed last month to tackle some of the most disputed issues of international taxation, such as where digital firms' cross-border income should be taxed. France has spearheaded efforts at the EU and on the international level to change rules that currently enable companies such as Facebook and Google to reduce their tax bills by booking revenue in low-tax countries like Ireland. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development is working on a draft deal, which it officially aims to have ready in 2020, most likely for a summit of the Group of 20 economic powers toward the end of the year. Le Maire said that for the first time both the United States and Ireland had expressed support for an OECD deal on taxation of digital companies in talks with his counterparts from the two countries in the last two days. "Two years ago nobody wanted to tax the digital firms, it was us the French who put the subject on the table out of concern for fiscal fairness, justice and efficiency," Le Maire told Public Senat television. He said European Union countries were unlikely to agree to create an EU tax on digital companies at the next meeting of the bloc's finance ministers. But he was optimistic that progress on the OECD level could be made within the year. "I think we can reach a new deal and a common European position at the OECD," Le Maire said. "With the European Commission position, (and) the support of the United States, we can get a digital tax proposed at the international level, at the OECD, by the end of 2019," Le Maire added. The French government had been hoping to reach a deal next month for an EU-wide digital tax that could then serve as a model for a broader deal at the OECD. Ireland and several other countries remain opposed to an EU level deal, which kills off any chance of it becoming a reality as EU tax decisions must be taken unanimously. But Ireland is now willing to go ahead with something at the broader OECD level that includes the United States, Japan, Mexico and others. (Reporting by Leigh Thomas and Myriam Rivet) The global demand for blockchain engineers is up by 517% in the last year, according to a report released by recruitment company Hired. In a survey of 98,000 developers, Hired assessed the kinds of software engineering jobs that are most in demand and the top average salaries for careers in several major technology markets including London, New York, Paris, and San Francisco. Second highest-paid specialisation The number one slot this year in terms of highest average salary went to search engineers. Interestingly, blockchain engineering is the second highest-paid software engineering specialisation in New York and London and the first in Paris. The average salary that blockchain engineers receive is $105,400. The blockchain engineer role also consistently stayed among the top three highest-paid software engineering jobs in the various cities covered in the report. The document also notes that the second fastest-growing software engineering role is security engineer, with 132% growth year-on-year. High average salaries in the Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area is the location with the highest salaries, with a $155,000 payout to software engineers on average, while Paris comes in last, with blockchain engineer salaries averaging around $67,000. Even though we have seen the crypto markets tumble in price and public interest over the past 12 months, it seems as though the market for blockchain engineers is higher than it has ever been. Part of this can, of course, be attributed to the rush of ICO money into the space (and a limited pool of adequate engineering talent). As the number of sensible and cash-flow-positive ventures continues to increase in this space, so will the requirement for engineers of a blockchain discipline to be ready to maintain and innovate on top of this new and growing plethora of distributed networks. I am not sure if the growth will be as sharp next year, but you may see blockchain engineers climb to the top of the software engineer salary leaderboard. Story continues By Sheba Karamat February 28, 2019 For more news, guides, and cryptocurrency analysis, click here. The post Global demand for blockchain engineers is up 517% in a year, says Hired appeared first on Coin Rivet. By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Google, Facebook and Twitter have fallen short of their pledges to combat fake news, three months before key European elections, the European Commission said on Thursday. The tech companies and trade bodies representing the advertising industry signed up to a voluntary code of conduct in October to tackle the spread of fake news, aiming to stave off more heavy-handed legislation. Brussels is keen to address the threat of fake news or foreign interference during campaigning for the European Parliament elections in May and also for national elections in Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Poland, Portugal and Ukraine in the coming months. Europe's Security Commissioner Julian King criticized the lack of progress on cracking down on fake news made by the three companies based on their monthly reports. "Sadly they have fallen further behind. They need to live up to the standards we are asking of them, and that they signed up to," King said in a tweet. Facebook has not provided details of its actions against political ads in January nor the number of fake accounts deleted due to malicious activities targeting the European Union, the Commission said. The Commission also found that Google's measures on political ads were not specific enough nor did the company clarify the extent to which its actions were taken to address fake news or other reasons. It did not provide concrete evidence to show that it had carried out its policies in January, the Commission said. The EU executive also criticized Twitter for failing to provide benchmarks to measure its progress on monitoring political ads. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee. Editing by Jane Merriman) Does Facebook make you depressed? (Getty) Most of us have had that moment where our finger hovers over the Facebook app as we think, I should really just get rid of this. Researchers from Stanford University monitored people who gave up Facebook for a month and found that they were happier, less anxious, less depressed and had a better attention span. They also got back an hour a day on average, the researchers say and spent it with friends, or watching TV, instead of online. Talking to Recode this week, lead author Matthew Gentzkow explained why Facebook is so polarising and why highly emotional, divisive content tends to spread on the network. Gentzkow said, What exactly are peoples motives when they click Share? That, I think, is something we need more research on. Its not just that Im choosing for my friends to see this. Im just choosing for my friends to see that I shared it, and so that means content that kind of signals my identity is going to get shared a lot more. Mark Zuckerberg (Getty) If were all on the blue team, kind of rah-rah cheerleading partisan content that favors the blue team might be something Im going to tend to want to share in that sense, because I want everybody to see that Im part of the team. The Stanford and NYU study, The Welfare Effects of Social Media, is one of the most in-depth studies of the effects of quitting Facebook so far. Read More Trump bought painting of himself for $60k using his own charity cash, then kept it Medics performed emergency C-section on dying crash victim who wasnt pregnant Nine men jailed for nearly 133 years after appalling catalogue of abuse of two girls The researchers wrote, Our results also make clear that the downsides are real. Deactivation caused small but significant improvements in wellbeing, and in particular on self-reported happiness, life satisfaction, depression, and anxiety We find that four weeks without Facebook improves subjective wellbeing and substantially reduces post-experiment demand, suggesting that forces such as addiction and projection bias may cause people to use Facebook more than they otherwise would. Story continues Facebook said in a statement that the research is one study of many on this topic; it should be considered that way. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Members of Congress approved measure requiring federal background checks for all firearms sales by vote of 240-190 Nancy Pelosi on Capitol Hill on 26 February. For now the measure is a mostly symbolic gesture, not likely to be taken up in the Republican-controlled Senate. Photograph: Joshua Roberts/Getty Images Gun control campaigners celebrated a precious win on Wednesday when the US House of Representatives passed its first major legislation on the issue in nearly a quarter of a century. Members of Congress approved a measure requiring federal background checks for all firearms sales, including online and at gun shows, by 240 votes to 190. But for now it is a mostly symbolic gesture, not likely to be taken up in the Republican-controlled Senate. Even so, Democrats characterised it as a significant move towards relaxing the gun lobbys grip on Washington and addressing a national epidemic of gun violence, including the deaths of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida, last year that prompted a fresh surge of activism. The bill, HR 8, bans firearms transfers by a person who is not a licensed dealer but its exemptions include gifts to family members and transfers for hunting, target shooting, and self-defense, the House judiciary committee website says. In a debate on the House floor on Wednesday, the speaker, Nancy Pelosi, said: Here are the facts: nearly 40,000 lives are cut short every year from gun violence. An average of 47 children and teenagers are killed by guns every single day. Its all about the children, the children, the children. We read about the tragic mass murders that have happened in our country and they stir us to action, hopefully. Here its been they stir us to a moment of silence, and now finally to action. Democrats made the case that 97% of Americans support background checks, including 94% of gun-owning households. More than a hundred gun violence survivors, student activists and other campaigners, including Connecticut senator Chris Murphy, watched from the House gallery. The bill passed largely along party lines with only eight Republican members voting in favor and two Democrats against. A late, Republican-backed amendment requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) to be notified when illegal immigrants attempt to buy a firearm. Story continues The bill is the first of two that Democrats are bringing to the House floor this week as part of an effort to tighten gun laws following eight years of Republican control, which in June 2016 saw Democrats stage a sit-in protest over 26 hours. The other would extend the review period for a background check. But neither bill stands much chance of success in the face of the Republican-controlled Senate and veto threats from Donald Trump. John Thune, the Republican majority whip in the Senate, told CNN it is unlikely his party will take up the bill for debate any time soon. IHG to Replicate Its Light-Touch Kimpton Approach With Six Senses When InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced on February 13 it would purchase luxury wellness hotel brand Six Senses for $300 million in cash from private equity firm Pegasus Capital Advisors, no one could have been happier about the deal than Six Senses CEO Neil Jacobs Were really excited about it, Jacobs told Skift this week, primarily because of IHGs strength in distribution and information technology, as well as development. And although IHGs Six Senses acquisition is just one of many in a string of high-profile purchases that massive hotel conglomerates IHG included have made in the last five years, Jacobs is convinced its one where the Six Senses brand can remain, more or less, as it is. The commitment from senior leadership at IHG is very much to let us continue doing what we do, he explained. They have been very clear about not wanting to change the DNA of the company or have us go into other areas; they want us to stay focused on what weve been doing for the last six or seven years: to get all those hotels open that are under development, and grow the company the way wed always planned to grow it. I see that as really positive. Likewise, on the day the deal was announced, an IHG spokesperson told Skift: We intend to maintain Six Senses unique and special culture, just as we did with Kimpton. We will preserve the DNA of the brand and retain key talent, adding our scale and systems to drive future growth. As was the case with our acquisition of Regent, our deal for Principal Hotels in the U.K., and our acquisition of Kimpton, we are mindful to combine the best of IHG with the best of the Six Senses brand. Its not only a relief for Jacobs and his team at Six Senses, but for other industry observers, too. IHGs brand mantra for stewardship of Six Senses must be: Dont screw it up, Chekitan S. Dev, professor of marketing at Cornell Universitys School of Hotel Administration in the SC Johnson College of Business. I am not as concerned about this [as other hotel acquisitions] as IHG has a recent track record of acquiring brands and letting them thrive with a light touch. Story continues The Kimpton Model Dev also pointed to IHGs purchase of Kimpton as a prime example. The Kimpton acquisition is a good example of this. When IHG announced it would buy Kimpton in 2014, the Kimpton brand was only present in the U.S. and had a portfolio of a little over 60 hotels. Today, the number of Kimptons worldwide is approximately the same, with 66 hotels by the end of 2018. However, its pipeline is much deeper, with 27 deals in progress. And not only that, but the Kimpton brand is now global, with properties opening in the Caribbean and in Europe. When Skift spoke to IHG CEO Keith Barr in January about his strategy for mergers and acquisitions including a potential purchase of Six Senses Barr said he couldnt discuss any deals in particular, but he summarized IHGs M&A strategy as the following: We want to make sure that were buying great brands that are well positioned in the market that we can then scale up and that are a good fit for our portfolio. He added, The Kimpton model is a good example because we were a little bit slower [in growing the brand] than we wanted, but were realizing the business case we made now. I mean, Kimpton could have never gone to London, Paris, Tokyo, or Bali [without having been bought by IHG in 2015]. Barr said that during a recent phone call with Kimpton CEO Mike DeFrino, DeFrino told him, Im really seeing the benefits of being part of IHG now, in terms of we are being asked to bid on deals that we would have never been asked before because of the power of the enterprise. And Barr said he and IHG are committed to letting Kimpton remain the boutique brand its always been since inception, even if thats something a larger hotel company like IHG isnt used to doing. Thats hard for us to do because we love scale, Barr said. Lets be honest about it. With Avid [IHGs newest select service brand], for instance, it plugs into the enterprise, and it works that way. Kimptons not that way. Theyre still based in San Francisco. In terms of what has been integrated with Kimpton, Barr said its been limited to back office affairs, but nothing customer facing. We put them into our systems and channels, but they control the marketing and tone of voice, Barr explained. So, what we try to do is give them the power of the IHG enterprise, but not try to make Kimpton just another part on the shelf. We recognize the unique way of selling it, the unique way of running it. If I just treat Kimpton like its another one of the brands, well sell it. But theres an esprit de corps to that team, theres a culture in that group. You have to maintain and protect that. As for the hotel owners of Six Senses-branded properties are concerned, Jacobs said that each and every one of them has been pleased with the deal thus far. Without exception, all of our owners of all the different hotels even some of whom I thought would be concerned all see it as positive, Jacobs said. Weve talked to every single one. As long as the people remain intact and the DNA of the company intact which is really what youre talking about, theyre happy about it. Jacobs also said that all senior leadership at Six Senses is being retained and has entered into new agreements with IHG. In total, Six Senses has 16 hotel properties and 18 under development, including its first North American hotel, set to open in New York Citys luxury Hudson Yards development. Six Senses also has a total of 37 spas. A Smart Buy Dev applauded IHGs decision to buy up Six Senses before anyone else did. Six Senses is a smart and timely addition to IHGs brand architecture with tremendous growth potential, Dev noted. Six Senses has a unique point of view, fills a gap in the IHG brand portfolio, and does not cannibalize IHGs other brands. Moreover, he said, its brave, relevant, authentic, novel, and distinct. In other words, it stands for something. It is among a handful of hotel brands that bravely positioned itself as a brand that does good and does well. Its relevance comes from offering new luxury, which includes wellness and sustainability. With the increasing interest in wellness globally, the growth potential for Six Senses under IHGs stewardship is unlimited, Dev added. Wellness tourism, according to the Global Wellness Institute, represents a $639 billion industry, and is poised to continue to grow. And IHG isnt the only major hotel company to see the importance of wellness as a space for expansion: Hyatt has also invested heavily in wellness brands, buying up Miraval and Exhale in 2017 to augment its wellness offerings. What Happens Next Jacobs said that, at the moment, the integration process is just beginning, but already hes seeing the potential synergies between both brands. Theyve already introduced us to a few deals and developers, Jacobs said. They sent over the leads and we talked to some people. Weve also come up with some deals we wouldnt do necessarily but perhaps that could work for one or two of the IHG brands. There are synergies that work both ways relative to growth as well. No process is ever perfect when it comes to the merging of two companies, especially when a smaller independent is bought out by a much larger, more corporate entity, and the hotel industry has seen its recent share of challenging integrations. Still, Jacobs said that so far, he remains optimistic about Six Senses finding a new home within IHG. Theres a humility about them and an understanding about them. They are very respectful in how they interact with us and they are very mindful of not coming across in any way as heavy handed. Its just not in their nature. We are all feeling pretty good. Subscribe to Skift newsletters covering the business of travel, restaurants, and wellness. Investors in Bank of America Corporation BAC need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the Mar 1, 2019 $26.50 Call had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today. What is Implied Volatility? Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. It could also mean there is an event coming up soon that may cause a big rally or a huge sell-off. However, implied volatility is only one piece of the puzzle when putting together an options trading strategy. What do the Analysts Think? Clearly, options traders are pricing in a big move for Bank of America shares, but what is the fundamental picture for the company? Currently, Bank of America is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) in the Banks - Major Regional industry that ranks in the Bottom 36% of our Zacks Industry Rank. Over the last 60 days, no analysts have increased their earnings estimates for the current quarter, while four analysts have revised their estimates downward. The net effect has taken our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter from 67 cents per share to 66 cents in that period. Given the way analysts feel about Bank of America right now, this huge implied volatility could mean theres a trade developing. Oftentimes, options traders look for options with high levels of implied volatility to sell premium. This is a strategy many seasoned traders use because it captures decay. At expiration, the hope for these traders is that the underlying stock does not move as much as originally expected. Looking to Trade Options? Each week, our very own Dave Bartosiak gives his top options trades. Check out his recent live analysis and options trade for the NFLX earnings report completely free. See it here: Trading Netflix's (NFLX) Earnings with Options or check out the embedded video below for more details: Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Bank of America Corporation (BAC) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research By Ju-min Park and James Pearson HANOI (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un were supposed to tuck into a delicate meal of foie gras, snowfish and candied ginseng, prepared by North Korean and Western chefs, on the second day of their nuclear summit. The lunch was never served. As chefs and hotel staff were poised to put the final touches to their creations, the White House announced Trump and Kim would be leaving the Metropole hotel in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, without a deal, and without lunch. "The cancellation was really last minute. Everything was ready," one of two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. It was the dying moment of a deal aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear program and paving the way for the resolution to the technically unfinished 1950-53 Korean War. Just hours earlier, both Trump and Kim had said they were optimistic about progress. The Metropole, a grand, colonial-era hotel in the center of Hanoi's French Quarter, had seemed swept along with the hope the day before the summit unraveled. On Wednesday, a Reuters correspondent saw U.S. and North Korean security personnel standing side-by-side guarding the entrance to rooms reserved for the summit, politely taking it in turns to open the door for each other. In between preparing rooms for the high-stakes talks, North Korean and American officials made small talk about the crimson flowers by the pool, where Trump and Kim would take a stroll the next day following their first working meeting. At lunchtime on Wednesday, a North Korean bodyguard craned his neck to get a look at a group of U.S. security staff returning with bags of burgers from a nearby McDonald's. THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY But just before lunch on Thursday, the expectant mood in the Metropole changed. Despite a promising start, with Kim taking his first-ever question from a foreign journalist and both leaders seemingly upbeat that a deal was to be done, the working lunch at which it was hoped final details would be tidied away, never happened. After motorcades whisked Trump and Kim away from different sides of the hotel, life started to return to normal. Over beers with her husband in the hotel restaurant, Cynthia Pagano, a 65-year-old guest from the U.S. state of Georgia, said she had been excited to see a "moment of history" unfold. "Won't they meet again tomorrow? Oh no," her husband, Ray Pagano, said. The La Veranda Room, where Trump and Kim shook hands and took questions from the White House press corps, the conference table the leaders had negotiated across had been taken away but North Korean and American flags still stood. It is not clear what became of the snowfish lunch so lovingly prepared. "It's a pity," one of the sources with direct knowledge said. "It was a fantastic dish". (Reporting by Ju-min Park and James Pearson; Additional reporting by Soyoung Kim; Editing by Robert Birsel) European regulators have cracked down on data breaches since the introduction of new privacy regulations in 2018. Photo: Tobias Schwarz/Getty Images One of Europes top data protection watchdogs has seen a massive wave of new reporting of security breaches, up 70% in 2018 compared to the previous year. The Irish Data Protection Commission which takes the lead in regulating and investigating breaches by companies such as Facebook (FB) said firms notified it about more than 4,700 data security incidents last year. The huge increase in corporate self-reporting can be attributed to the introduction of Europes new rules called General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which makes the reporting mandatory. Previously, companies only voluntarily reported problems. GDPR, which was introduced across the European Union in late May 2018, was considered a groundbreaking development in protecting Europeans and their online personal data. Companies that break the rules and leak out consumer data are threatened with penalties of up to 4% of their global annual revenue. Facebook, for example, revealed in September that hackers gained login details for about 50 million accounts, with some of those accounts belonging to Europeans. The new GDPR rules forced Facebook to come clean about the hack in a timely fashion, and the agency moved quickly to launch a formal investigation to see if the tech giant failed to abide by EU data privacy rules. The Irish regulator is one of the first EU data agencies to report its annual figures for 2018. It also reported a 56% rise in data complaints, up to 4,100 in 2018 from 2,600 in 2017. The rise in the number of complaints and queries demonstrates a new level of mobilisation to action on the part of individuals to tackle what they see as misuse or failure to adequately explain what is being done with their data, said the agencys leading commissioner, Helen Dixon. Dixon said that her agency, with a growing staff of more than 100, was feeling very optimistic about the improvements we will see in Ireland in personal data handling practices over the next few years. After more than two years of intense investigations, Israel's attorney general announced Thursday he intends to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges pending a final hearing. The much anticipated decision comes less than two months before April 9 general elections. The attorney general has reached his decision after thoroughly examining the evidence, Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit said in a statement. The final decision on indictment will only take place after a hearing, where the prime minister can defend himself. That process could take many months and be completed long after the elections. If the decision is formalized it would be the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister has been charged with a crime. Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert served time in prison for corruption, but had already resigned by the time he was charged. While Israeli prime ministers are not required by law to resign if charged, the prospect of a prime minister standing trial while simultaneously running the country would be unchartered territory. Netanyahu rushed back Wednesday from a diplomatic mission to Moscow, and a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, to prepare for his expected rebuttal to the charges on Thursday. Mendelblit dismissed a request by Netanyahus attorneys to delay announcing the decision until after the election, citing the principle of equality before the law and the publics right to know about such important decisions, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Netanyahu responded by accusing Mendelblit of "surrendering" to the left and the media. The charges swirl around three separate cases: The first involves allegations that Netanyahu provided regulatory concessions to Shaul Elovitch, controlling shareholder of Israels telecom giant Bezeq, in exchange for favorable coverage from the group's news website. The second involves allegations of fraud and breach of trust for allegedly agreeing to trade favorable coverage from Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Amon MJozaes for backing legislation to hurt the rival newspaper Israel Hayhom, which is owned by American gambling mogul Sheldon Adelson. Story continues The third case involves allegations that Netanyahu accepted gifts, including expensive cigars, jewelry and champagne worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, from wealthy business figures, including Hollywood mogul Amon Milchan, in return for political favors. Police had already recommended indicting Netanyahu in the three cases. Police say they believe there is sufficient evidence to charge Netanyahu and his wife Sara with accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust. They also recommended charges be brought against Elovitch, members of his family and members of his Bezeq management team. Among the 140 witnesses, including journalists, who have given evidence in the case are five current or former government ministers. Netanyahu, whose Likud party is deadlocked in the polls with Benny Gantzs Blue and White party, has denied any wrongdoing and calls the allegations an attempt by the media to remove him from office. In proclaiming his innocence, Netanyahu has said it is acceptable to receive gifts from friends and, regarding Milchan, he said he has made some decisions against the Israeli billionaire's interest, Haaretz reports. In addition, he said there was no intention of going through with any deal with the Yedioth Ahmonoth, and argues that favorable coverage by a media outlet is not bribery. The petition by Netanyahus Likud party to the Supreme Court to have the attorney general's decision delayed until after the election had been rejected Thursday afternoon, clearing the way for Mandelblit's announcement. Despite opposition calls for Netanyahu to step down, Likud and other nationalist coalition partners have lined up behind him, all but ruling out sitting in a government led by his primary opponent, retired military chief Benny Gantz. Mandelblits decision could either galvanize Netanyahus hard-line supporters who see him as a victim of an overzealous prosecution or turn more moderate backers against him who have tired of his lengthy rule tainted by long-standing accusations of corruption and hedonism. Either way, the upcoming elections appear to be turning into a referendum on Netanyahu as he seeks to become the longest serving premier in Israeli history. Netanyahu have been prime minister since 2009 and served a previous term between 1996 and 1999. President Donald Trump, with whom Netanyahu has forged a close connection, offered the Israeli leader a boost ahead of the expected announcement. I just think hes been a great prime minister and I dont know about his difficulty but you tell me something people have been hearing about, but I dont know about that, he said in response to a question in Hanoi, where he was holding a summit with the leader of North Korea. I can say this: that hes done a great job as prime minister. Hes tough, hes smart, hes strong, Trump said. Alan Dershowitz, a prominent American lawyer, has come to Netanyahus defense, publishing an open letter to Mandelblit in which he warns that an indictment against the prime minister ahead of elections would undermine the democratic process. Im very worried for freedom of the press and freedom of government in Israel if they start indicting people for trying to get good coverage from the media, he told Israels Army Radio. I dont know of any other country that has criminalized trying to get good coverage and make that a basis of bribery or any other corruption investigation. Contributing: Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel attorney general to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel's attorney general announced Thursday he intended to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in a decision just weeks ahead of April elections. The long-awaited announcement will further shake up the turbulent political campaign and threaten Netanyahu's lengthy tenure at the top of Israeli politics. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit said in a statement that he intended to charge the premier pending a hearing, where Netanyahu would be given a chance to defend himself before charges are filed. The announcement comes ahead of April 9 elections in which Netanyahu is facing a tough challenge from a centrist political alliance headed by a respected former military chief of staff, Benny Gantz. A couple of hours after the announcement, the prime minister dismissed the allegations as a "witch hunt" meant to topple him in a televised speech from his official residence, a campaign banner reading "Netanyahu Strong Right" behind him. With his opponents calling for him to resign, he said he planned on being prime minister for a long time to come despite the allegations. "The left knows it cannot beat us at the polling booth, so for the past three years they have been carrying out an unprecedented witch hunt which has one aim: to topple the right-wing government which I lead," he said. "The main thing was to influence the elections, even if we know that this house of cards will completely collapse after the elections." - 'The nation's shame' - Netanyahu has been prime minister for a total of around 13 years and he would be on track to surpass founding father David Ben-Gurion as Israel's longest-serving premier should he win in April. He is not required to step down if indicted, only if convicted with all appeals exhausted. The Likud had joined a petition filed with the supreme court to stop Mandelblit from announcing his decision before the elections. Story continues The supreme court on Thursday afternoon rejected the petition, paving the way for Mandelblit to proceed with his announcement. Netanyahu earlier in the day received support from US President Donald Trump, who defended his Israeli ally in remarks after his summit in Hanoi with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "I can say this, he's done a great job as prime minister," Trump said. "He's tough, smart, and strong. He's very defensive, his military has been built up a lot." Netanyahu later thanked Trump on Twitter, while also citing his relationships with the US leader and Russian President Vladimir Putin as being good for Israel in his televised statement. But after Mandelblit's announcement, Netanyahu was facing renewed calls to resign. Gantz, who spoke in a televised statement after the prime minister, said "Mr. Netanyahu, this country is dear to us. I am sure it is dear to you too." "I am turning to you this evening to display national responsibility and to resign from your post," he said. Labour party leader Avi Gabbay said "put an end to the nation's shame. Don't wage the battle from the prime minister's residence". - Three separate cases - Police have recommended Netanyahu's indictment in three different cases, and he has been questioned by investigators numerous times. In one case, he is accused of pursuing regulatory benefits allegedly granted to telecommunications firm Bezeq in exchange for positive coverage from a related media company. The attorney general said he intended to indict Netanyahu, 69, for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in that case. The case against his wife Sara Netanyahu in that investigation was however dropped. Another involves Netanyahu allegedly seeking a secret deal with the publisher of Israel's top-selling newspaper Yediot Aharonot to ensure positive coverage in return for pushing forward a law that would have limited the circulation of a rival. Netanyahu faces fraud and breach of trust charges linked to that investigation. The third case involves suspicions the premier and his family received luxury gifts such as cigars and champagne from wealthy individuals, including Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan, in exchange for financial or personal favours. He also faces fraud and breach of trust charges in that case. The announcement Thursday will give further ammunition to his political opponents. The agreement to form Gantz's centrist alliance under the name Blue and White -- the colours of the Israeli flag -- had already posed a major challenge to Likud. Prior to the February 21 unveiling of the alliance, Likud had consistently been comfortably ahead in opinion polls. Polls since then have shown Gantz's alliance with the most seats, though not nearly enough to win outright and it is unclear if he would be able to assemble enough parties for a coalition. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was right to criticize the first daughters ill-informed comments on a job guarantee Much of IvankaTrumps brand has been constructed around the concept of #WomenWhoWork. Photograph: Kerstin Joensson/AP Responding to a question about Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs proposed Green New Deal and its call for a federal job guarantee, Ivanka Trump this week offered sage wisdom: Ive spent a lot of time traveling around this country over the last four years, she said. People want to work for what they get. So, I think that this idea of a guaranteed minimum is not something most people want. The statement sparked outrage, including from Ocasio-Cortez. She tweeted in response: As a person who actually worked for tips & hourly wages in my life, instead of having to learn about it 2nd-hand, I can tell you that most people want to be paid enough to live. In light of this recent controversy, its worth revisiting Ivanka Trumps views on work through the lens of her now defunct, eponymous website dedicated to building her personal lifestyle brand think Goop for the recently lobotomized, with fewer jade eggs and a hint of Sheryl Sandbergs Lean In. Much of Trumps brand has been constructed around the concept of #WomenWhoWork. Her site describes itself as a celebration of women working at all aspects of their lives building careers, raising children, nurturing relationships and pursuing passions, as all human women do. Judging by the kinds of women highlighted on her site, the working women she has in mind mostly are CEOs for jewelry and wellness companies, including her fellow bootstrapping go-getter Lauren Bush Lauren, niece of George W Bush. Unfortunately, she seems to be less concerned about the women doing the hard work of making Ivanka Trump garments. As a 2017 Guardian investigation found, many of those products were assembled by women in Indonesia and China, who the journalist Krithika Varagur found are subjected to verbal abuse, grueling production quotas and poverty wages. Trumps reality couldnt be further from that faced by most working women, whether in the US or in the factories her company outsources production to. As the recipient of an ever-mysterious post as White House senior adviser, Ivanka Trump is one of the few Americans who enjoys a job guarantee of any kind, whether thats for her position in Washington DC , at the Trump Organization, her line of jewelry and fragrances or her rumored promotion to be the head of the World Bank. Story continues Most of her professional endeavors were made possible by her familys fortune, itself at least in part the product of elaborate tax-avoidance schemes. Like most people beyond a certain net worth, though, Ivankas wealth has much less to do with what she does on a day-to-day basis than with how much money her investments are earning in the form of rents and capital gains. As an heir to and purveyor of her father and grandfathers shady real estate empire, this is especially true. Theres ample public policy dedicated to keeping people like Ivanka Trump and kin extravagantly wealthy, and very little helping to level the playing field for everyone else. The ultra-rich are free to hide their money in far-flung tax havens like the Cayman Islands, or to park it in luxury real estate markets like the ones on which the Trumps and Kushners the family Ivanka married into have built their empires. The top marginal tax rate currently sits at just 37% in the US, down from above 90% in the mid-20th century. And the countrys biggest corporations frequently pay no taxes at all. Working women, meanwhile, face decades of wage stagnation amid soaring corporate profits, and a lack of social services considered basic in many parts of the world, including paid family leave and quality childcare. From raising taxes on the wealthy to guaranteeing every American has a well-paid job to strengthening this countrys beleaguered social safety net, the policies Ocasio-Cortez has put forward would drastically improve the lives of men and women around the country in large part because shes actually had to work for a living. Ever her fathers keeper, Ivanka spends her days helping ensure everyone elses lives get worse. In the #wisewords of IvankaTrump.com: Seize the moments as they come (Anonymous). Niamey (AFP) - Jihadist attacks in the Sahel nations of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have disrupted schooling for more than 400,000 young people, the United Nations' children's agency Unicef said Thursday. Nearly 2,000 schools have had to close, a doubling since 2017, it said in a statement. "Direct attacks on schools, teachers and schoolchildren themselves, and the military occupation of places of learning are serious violations of childrens rights," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. "When children miss out on school - especially in times of conflict - not only are they unable to learn the skills they need to build peaceful and prosperous communities, they also become vulnerable to horrific forms of exploitation including sexual abuse and forced recruitment into armed groups." Northern and eastern Burkina Faso, north and central Mali, and the west and southeast of Niger are particularly unstable due to the activities of armed jihadist groups, according to local NGOs. The armed forces in all three countries are struggling to contain the jihadists, including Boko Haram fighters, who attack businesses and livestock, torch schools and evict villagers, according to the NGOs. "At a time where the Sahel is facing growing threats of violence, we must not forget that education is a childs right - and a powerful force for peace," said Fore. WASHINGTON (AP) The Latest on a tweet by Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz taunting President Donald Trump's former fixer, Michael Cohen, ahead of his congressional testimony (all times local): 1:05 a.m. A House Republican who taunted former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen ahead of a congressional hearing is apologizing and says he did not intend to threaten Cohen. Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz tweeted Tuesday without offering any evidence that the world is "about to learn a lot" about President Donald Trump's former lawyer. Gaetz tweeted that Cohen should talk to his wife ahead of his testimony Wednesday. Later Tuesday, after Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted that House members' social media comments could hurt the ability of House committees "to obtain truthful and complete information," Gaetz tweeted that he also wanted to get the truth. He says that it wasn't his intention to threaten Cohen and that he was deleting the tweet and "should have chosen words that better showed my intent." ___ 6:10 p.m. A Republican House member is taunting Michael Cohen ahead of a congressional hearing Wednesday, suggesting the public appearance will expose damaging personal information. Florida Republican Matt Gaetz tweeted Tuesday that the world is "about to learn a lot" about President Donald Trump's former lawyer. He tweeted that Cohen should talk to his wife ahead of his testimony. Gaetz, a Trump ally, is not a member of the committee questioning Cohen. He did not offer any evidence. Still, the tweet was extraordinary because his remarks appear to be threatening or intimidating a witness. Cohen is due to testify Wednesday about payments made to buy the silence of women ahead of the 2016 election. His testimony is expected to be sharply critical of Trump, alleging lying, cheating and criminal behavior. ANAHUAC, Texas (AP) The Latest on the crash of a Boeing 767 jet freighter into Trinity Bay in Texas(all times local): 3:45 p.m. Texas authorities have found part of a human body at the site where a Boeing 767 cargo plane crashed, although it's unclear whether it belongs to the missing crew member. A Texas Sheriff says a search dog found "part of human remains" amid the debris field left when Flight 3591 slammed into Trinity Bay near Houston Saturday. "It's not a body," said Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne, adding that DNA testing was needed to identify the remains. Authorities have recovered the bodies of two of the three people who were aboard the Houston-bound flight. They are preparing to dredge part of the muddy bay in search of the third person and the plane's black box. ___ 10:45 a.m. Authorities have been searching a bay off southeast Texas for clues about what caused a cargo plane carrying Amazon packages to nose-dive into the shallow water. All three men on board were killed Saturday when the Houston-bound Boeing 767 crashed in Trinity Bay, about 35 miles (55 kilometers) east of the city. Two bodies were recovered over the weekend, but crews were still looking for the third on Tuesday. The plane was being operated by Atlas Air for Amazon when it crashed and disintegrated on impact. Crews have been using airboats and helicopters to circle the crash scene, where white chunks of fuselage could be seen above long grass. A north wind has also helped searchers by exposing more of the large debris field. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) The Latest on a new election being held for a North Carolina congressional seat after the state elections board reviewed evidence of ballot fraud (all times local): 3:40 p.m. The former GOP congressman who once held a seat now embroiled in a ballot-fraud scandal says he doesn't plan to run in the special election that was just called. Former U.S. Rep. Robert Pittenger was unseated in May by Republican Mark Harris in the 9th District primary. Harris led a Democrat in the general election before evidence of ballot fraud spurred the state to call for a new election. Harris on Tuesday announced he won't run again. Pittenger told The Associated Press that it was "good for the country and the party" that Harris wasn't running. When asked why, he said simply: "I think it's just obvious." Pittenger said he doesn't intend to run again for his old seat. He said he's "very engaged" in a series of conferences on counter-terrorism and security issues. A date for the new election has not been announced. ___ 2:40 p.m. A special election to fill the country's last undetermined congressional race will take place without the North Carolina Republican who used a political operative accused of ballot fraud. In a statement, Mark Harris said Tuesday he's skipping the upcoming re-do election in North Carolina's 9th congressional district for health reasons. Harris says he needs surgery that's scheduled for late March. He did not mention the alleged ballot fraud scandal. Harris last week stopped a state elections board hearing into ballot fraud by declaring he couldn't continue to testify. He cited health problems caused by a blood infection that required hospitalization and led to two strokes. The elections board ordered a new contest after evidence that a Harris operative may have illegally collected mail-in ballots. Harris narrowly led Democrat Dan McCready after November's election, but the outcome was never certified. Story continues ___ 1:50 p.m. North Carolina criminal investigators are seeking phone and bank records as they dig into ballot fraud allegations that forced an election re-do in the country's last undetermined congressional seat. Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said Tuesday the search warrants and what agents collected remain sealed from the public. Court clerks records show the State Bureau of Investigation collected financial records for an unidentified suspect in December and sought phone records last month. Judges both times agreed the name of the suspect and details of the Bladen County case should be kept secret. The state elections board last week ordered a new election in the state's 9th congressional district after hearing evidence that a political operative working for Republican Mark Harris may have illegally collected mail-in ballots. Harris led Democrat Dan McCready by just 905 votes. But the state refused to certify the outcome. ISLAMABAD (AP) The Latest on escalating India-Pakistan tensions (all times local): 9:10 p.m. Turkish officials say Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan has called President Recep Tayyip Erdogan amid his country's standoff with India. A statement from Erdogan's office said the two discussed the tensions between Pakistan and India and other developments in the region during Thursday's telephone conversation. The statement did not provide further details and officials would not say whether Khan had requested Turkey's assistance to defuse tensions. Islamabad has reached out asking the international community for help to deescalate tensions with India over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. ___ 4:05 p.m. India is welcoming Pakistan's decision to free a captured Indian pilot whose Mig-21 fighter was shot down during an aerial skirmish between the air forces of the two countries in disputed Kashmir. Air Vice Marshal R.J.K. Kapoor, an Indian air force spokesman, says the Indian air force "is extremely happy and looks forward to the return of the Indian pilot." Talking to reporters, the spokesman did not give any details, such as whether the pilot will be flown from Pakistan on Friday. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in Parliament on Thursday that the pilot will be released as "a peace gesture, " a step that is likely to help defuse the confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbors over the disputed region of Kashmir. ___ 5:20 p.m. Fresh fighting has erupted between Indian and Pakistani soldiers along the so-called Line of Control that divides disputed Kashmir between the two nuclear-armed rivals. India's army says Pakistani soldiers are targeting nearly two dozen Indian forward points with mortar and gunfire. Lt. Col. Devender Anand, an Indian army spokesman, says Pakistani troops later Thursday attacked forward posts along the Line of Control calling it an "unprovoked" violation of the 2003 cease-fire accord. He said Indian soldiers were responding to the ongoing Pakistani multiple attacks along the highly militarized de-facto frontier. Story continues Anand said shells were also landing in some civilian areas near the frontier. Police said at least two people, an off-duty soldier and a woman, were injured in the shelling. Pakistani soldiers also attacked Indian positions overnight, the army spokesman said earlier, but described its intensity as "lesser" than previous nights. He said no casualties involving soldiers were reported so far in fighting since Wednesday night. India and Pakistan routinely trade fire and blame the other for starting skirmishes along the frontier. ___ 4:25 p.m. Prime Minister Imran Khan says Pakistan will release the captured Indian pilot as a "peace gesture" toward India. Khan made this announcement Thursday while addressing lawmakers in both chambers of parliament, convened to discuss the latest situation amid rising tensions with India over the disputed territory of Kashmir. Khan says he tried to reach his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Wednesday with a message that he wants to de-escalate tension. Khan did not say how India responded to his initiative. He also reiterated his offer for talks to New Delhi, saying this is the only way to solve all issues. ___ 2:55 p.m. China says it's in close communication with both India and Pakistan in hopes of promoting a de-escalation of their current standoff. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang says China hopes "the two countries can meet each other halfway and resolve this issue via dialogue." Lu said at a daily briefing on Thursday that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed Beijing's concerns both to his Indian counterpart at a trilateral meeting in eastern China and over the phone with Pakistan's foreign minister. Lu says upholding regional peace and stability was a primary concern. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang expressed similar sentiments calling for restraint. Ren said "both India and Pakistan are friends of China and we believe that the top priority is for the two sides to exercise restraint and to resolve the issue through dialogue and coordination." Ren declined to say if China has taken any special measures at its border with Kashmir in response to the India-Pakistan escalation. ___ 2:45 p.m. Pakistan's foreign minister says a top Saudi diplomat is coming to Islamabad later in the day to deliver an important message from the Saudi crown prince amid the Pakistan-India standoff. Islamabad has reached out asking the international community for help to deescalate tensions with India over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi says Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs, will a message from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman later on Thursday. Qureshi says he spoke to al-Jubeir on the phone the previous night. He did not give further details. Al-Jubeir will arrive in Islamabad on his special plane even though Pakistan has temporarily closed its air space to all civilian traffic amid tensions with India. ___ 2:20 p.m. Pakistan's foreign ministry says India has handed over its file on the deadly Kashmir bombing this month, a sign of easing tensions between the two nuclear-armed rivals. The Feb. 14 suicide bombing targeted Indian paramilitary forces in the Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing 40 troops and leading to a dramatic escalation between India and Pakistan. The ministry's spokesman, Mohammad Faisal, says the Pakistani side will be examining the "dossier" that Islamabad received through diplomatic channels on Thursday. He refused to provide details about the information that New Delhi has shared. The Indian move to share information comes after Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan offered talks with India. Pakistan also has said it will act against those linked to the Kashmir bombing if actionable intelligence is shared with it. ___ 1 p.m. India's prime minister says his country's enemies are conspiring to create instability through terror attacks. The remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi come amid tensions with Pakistan following the areal skirmish between the two countries in disputed Kashmir. Pakistan said it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot on Wednesday. Modi spoke to tens of thousands of Hindu nationalist party workers on Thursday in a video conference from New Delhi. He didn't mention archrival Pakistan but said a united India would "fight, live, work and win." The videoconference was meant to galvanize his party workers ahead of elections due by May. Opposition leaders are criticizing Modi for the campaign event during the tense standoff with Pakistan. ___ 11:40 a.m. Members of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party have called for more military action against Pakistan as tensions dramatically escalated this week between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Modi is to address tens of thousands of workers and volunteers from his Bharitiya Janata Party across the country on Thursday afternoon, rallying support ahead elections this spring in an event being billed as the "world's largest videoconference." Opposition leaders demanded on Twitter that he cancel the event amid the tensions with Pakistan. Twenty-one opposition party leaders met in New Delhi on Wednesday, releasing a statement praising the "valor" of India's armed forces and condemning the ruling party's "blatant politicization" of the events. ___ 11:15 a.m. Authorities in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir have closed all schools and educational institutions in the region and are urging parents to keep their children at home amid mounting tension with neighboring India. Pakistan's foreign ministry said on Thursday that a key train service linking the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore with India has been suspended until "the security situation improves." Pakistan's airspace remained closed for a second day Thursday, snarling air traffic. There was a complete power blackout overnight in Muzafarabad, the main city on the Pakistani-held side of the disputed Himalayan region because of concerns India could to retaliate after Pakistan said it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot the day before. ___ 11 a.m. Pakistani police say troops deployed in the disputed region of Kashmir continued trading fire with India overnight, forcing villagers living near the contested frontier to move to safer places even as the two nuclear-armed nations appear to be stepping back from the brink. Police official Mohammad Tahir says cross-border fire continued into Thursday but there were no casualties. Government buildings in Muzafarabad, the capital of the Pakistan-controlled section of Kashmir, are being used to provide shelter to those who fled from border towns. This comes a day after Pakistan's military said it shot down two Indian warplanes in Kashmir and captured a pilot, answering an airstrike the previous day by Indian fighter jets inside Pakistan. Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan offered peace talks and India's external affairs minister promised restraint. Comedian Matt Reed endured a three year long stalker hell. [Photo: Matt Reed] Comedian Matt Reed was 29 when he first started talking to a woman called Chloe. He had recently moved from Manchester to Sunderland to become a carer for his mother, who had just been given four months to live. Isolated and house-bound while he looked after his dying mum, he took solace in speaking to women online. It was on Facebook that Matt came across Chloe, 27, whose profile pictures showed she was a beautiful slim brunette from London. The pair became increasingly close, especially after Matts mothers death. She said her sister had died, too, so we bonded over that. We were chatting for ages, every night, Matt, now 39, tells Yahoo UK. READ MORE: I have never known what it is like to smell Soon, he was head over heels for his internet confidante. He was keen to meet her, but every time he tried, disaster would strike. Id get the train to London for the day, spending a fortune on a train ticket, then when I was halfway there shed call me up and cancel. There was always an excuse. She said she had previously been with an abusive partner, and was worried this was going the same way. Then, Chloe told Matt she had moved to Wynyard in Stockton-on-Tees just a 45-minute drive from his home in Sunderland. But, despite her apparent proximity, she kept making excuses not to meet. At the same time, Chloe began buying lavish gifts for Matt. One day it would be a 200 Paul Smith jacket, another time she would surprise him by ordering him an 800 Hotel Chocolat bundle. A year after Matt first started speaking to Chloe, he decided enough was enough and asked a friend who worked in telecoms to help him track her phone number, to find out Chloes address in Wynyard. However, when the number was tracked, it belonged to an address in Darlington. Whats more, there was no Chloe living at the address. Instead, there was a 20-year-old Sophie, who lived with middle-aged parents Joan and Warren. Everything fell apart, once I realised she wasnt who she said she was, says Matt, who was by this point at a loss for whom he had actually been speaking to. Story continues He had by this point spent 11,000 the entirety of the money hed inherited from his mother on train tickets and hotel rooms in his quest to meet Chloe. READ MORE: A transgender woman comes out to Pakistani family Over the next two years, Matt tried to move on with his life, performing comedy gigs up and down the country. But Chloe remained a shadowy presence through it all. Chloe would contact Matt from several different numbers. [Photo: Matt Reed]She would also use different numbers to contact Matt, making it near impossible to block her out of his life and somehow was able to track him. She would know where I was at all times, it was horrible. Shed say: Oh I thought you said you were here tonight. Armed with this knowledge, Chloe would make covert appearances at his comedy shows. I was performing at a gig in Stockton, and she texted me about a song I was playing as part of my act. It ruined my night I spent the whole time scanning the crowd to see if she was there. On another date, Chloe turned up at Matts comedy show in a disguise. She said: I came to find you the backstage but you werent there. No one had seen her. Matt checked the CCTV, and saw a woman in a hat and a long collared coat which hid her face. The footage showed her getting out of a taxi, walking outside the comedy stand and sending a text, before getting back in the car shortly afterwards. By this point, Matt unsurprisingly wanted nothing more to do with Chloe and would tell her in no uncertain terms to leave him alone. I told her: Youre not who you say you are. Leave me alone. The next morning, I woke up to 170 missed calls and 72 messages from her, all saying that she loved me. Then, one evening, Matt was at home when his phone buzzed. It was Chloe and the message contained a picture of his front door. I rushed out the house. The lights were all off in the street it was pitch black but I could see a woman in the distance, her face lit up by her phone. She had wild hair like Slash from Gun & Roses, which she wore brushed over her face. As Matt walked towards the woman, she started screaming at him to leave her alone, and ran away. I yelled after her: Please just tell me why you are doing this to me.' Back at home, Matt realised he needed to seek help. Through the ordeal, he had lost three stone and his hair had began to fall out. To add to the worry, Chloe had blackmailed Matt threatening to share intimate details he had confided in her with friends and family. READ MORE: Polyamorous couples share their experiences The police werent helpful at all. One of them said: What are you worried about? Shes a lass, he reveals. However, he eventually convinced them to help him track his stalker down. It transpired Chloe, the pretty brunette in her twenties Matt had met on the internet, was actually Joan*, 54, an unemployed mum from Darlington who spent her life perpetuating an online fantasy self. Whats more, Joan had been using Matts phone to track him for the past three years. She had even hacked into the phones microphone function, so she could hear his conversations. When the police arrested her, she was broken: crying one moment, and laughing the next, says Matt. He now has an injunction against Joan, who faces sectioning if she comes within 750 yards of him. While Matt says he is still affected by the ordeal, which claimed three years of his life, he has managed to challenge it into his work, including his 2015 Edinburgh Fringe Comedy show, Stalked. Are you worried about a stalker? Contact the National Stalker Helpline for advice and support. Yahoo UKs series, Yahoo Stories, shares real-life experiences. Have you got one to share? Tweet us via @YahooStyleUK. Only_NewPhoto/Shutterstock Your mouth is a window into your health, according to the American Dental Association. Two examples are links between gum disease and heart troubles, and poor oral health as a potential early indicator of Alzheimer's. Now, experts say that off-colored spots on your teeth may actually be a sign of celiac disease. Celiac, an autoimmune disorder, affects 1 percent of people worldwide, and 2.5 million Americans are undiagnosed, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation. Celiac sufferers suffer an immune reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Over time, that immune response can damage digestive structures in the small intestine, and this interferes with your body's ability to absorb vital nutrientssuch as calcium. Here are 11 celiac symptoms everyone should know. And missing out on calcium can cause dental enamel hypoplasiathe medical term for white, yellow, or brown spots on your teeth. "It can be seen in as many as 40 to 50 percent of new pediatric celiac patients, compared to six percent of the healthy population," says Hilary Jericho, MD, a specialist in pediatric gastroenterology at the University of Chicago. Experts don't agree on the exact reason why, but the spots may occur when the body fails to absorb the calcium needed for strong teeth, she explains. "For some people with celiac disease, a dental visit, rather than a trip to the gastroenterologist, was the first step toward discovering their condition," says the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK). When it comes to white spots, they're most often seen in kids since these nutrient deficiencies affect the way tooth enamel forms, but it may also affect adults who are undiagnosed, adds Dr. Jericho. Of course, the spot may not be a sign of celiac at all; however, your doctor should be concerned if those spots are symmetrical and scattered across most of your teeth, says Dr. Jericho. Recurrent canker sores, a red, smooth, shiny tongue, or dry mouth can also point to celiac, according to the NIDDK. In addition to dental woes, patients will likely experience other body-wide symptoms, such as diarrhea or bloating, heartburn, fatigue, and joint pain. If your child has the spots and is falling behind on growth charts, appears pale, or is suffering from GI symptoms, says Dr. Jericho, talk to your doctor about celiac. Just remember that unless you've been diagnosed with celiac, you shouldn't go gluten-freethere are real health risks. From wheat allergy to Crohn's, these are the conditions that are easily mistaken for celiac disease. It was billed as the beginning of an automotive revolution, a vehicle that motorists could use for their typical daily commute without using a drop of fuel, but which would also avoid the severe range restrictions of a pure battery-electric vehicle, or BEV. The launch of the Chevrolet Volt "extended-range electric vehicle" in late 2010 generated plenty of headlines and an initial surge in sales. But, despite addressing some of the original car's problems and extending its range by nearly 50 percent in 2015, sales tumbled by more than 25 percent over the past two years. And, last week, General Motors (GM) quietly pulled the plug on the Volt, ending its production run at one of the three North American assembly plants it plans to shutter this year. "The vehicle died because it wasn't selling well, obviously," said George Peterson, head of consulting firm AutoPacific. "The number of people willing to spend extra money" for a vehicle like the Volt "just isn't that huge anymore." Car czar When GM's product development team, then led by legendary "car czar" Bob Lutz, first envisioned the Volt early in the new millennium, demand for the more conventional hybrid Toyota (7203.T-JP) Prius was exploding. The Prius was designed to recapture energy normally lost during braking and coasting, storing it in a small battery to be reused during launch and acceleration to assist the car's downsized internal combustion engine. While that helped reduce fuel consumption, Prius still burned gasoline whenever it moved. The Chevy Volt was seen as the next step. It featured a larger battery capable of being plugged in to draw energy from the grid. In use, the battery pack could propel the hatchback up to 38 miles in its first generation 53 miles for the second model while producing zero emissions. But, unlike a BEV, the Volt could keep running whenever its batteries drained by automatically firing up a small, onboard gas engine designed to serve as a generator, feeding electricity to its motors. Story continues For most owners, there was more than enough range to cover the typical daily drive. According to GM data, the average Volt owner traveled about 700 miles before refilling the small, 10-gallon fuel tank with the original model and even more with the longer-range update. Selling point That was a strong selling point for those green-minded buyers offered the alternatives available at the beginning of the decade, all-electric vehicles like the Nissan (7201.T-JP) Leaf which debuted about the same time as the Volt the Ford (F) Focus EV and the Mitsubishi (7211.T-JP) iMiEV, which could barely manage 100 miles per charge. But the competitive environment began to change once the first long-range BEV models, such as the original, 200-mile Tesla (TSLA) Model S, came to market. A flood of similarly long-range models are now charging into showrooms, including not only the Hyundai (538-KR) Kona EV, the Nissan Leaf Plus and Chevrolet's own Bolt EV. The second-generation model "should've been an SUV," said analyst Peterson, staying in step with the dramatic shift reshaping the American marketplace. Sport and crossover utility vehicles now account for more than half of new vehicle sales, a radically different equation from 2010. CrossVolt In fact, Chevrolet developed a crossover version of the Volt, showing off a concept car dubbed the CrossVolt in 2010 that was scheduled to go into production by mid-decade. But the project was scuttled by former GM CEO Dan Akerson in 2010, according to Sam Abuelsamid, a senior analyst at research firm Navigant. "If they had done the CrossVolt they might have had just the right vehicle for the current market," he said. Likely driving the nail into the Volt's coffin was the sharp plunge in fuel prices since the plug-in hybrid first came to market. That is a factor also blamed for the sales struggles of the once wildly popular Toyota Prius. Financial loser Despite its demise, not everyone sees the Chevrolet Volt as a failure, however. "While it was a financial loser, it did what was intended," the now retired former GM Vice Chairman Lutz, told The Associated Press. "We viewed it as a stepping stone to full electrics, which were totally out of reach due to the then-astronomical cost of lithium-ion batteries." In late 2010, GM was paying almost $1,000 per kilowatt-hour for lithium-ion batteries, a hefty penalty for a vehicle that needed a 24 kWh pack or around $24,000 per vehicle. By the time the Chevrolet Bolt EV was launched, just over two years ago, that had fallen to around $150, confirmed Mark Reuss, who now serves as both GM president and its global product development chief. So, Bolt's 60 kWh battery pack costs the carmaker less than $10,000 and can manage 238 miles per charge. Going forward, that downward cost spiral has convinced GM to shift away from plug-in hybrids and focus on all-electric models like the Bolt and the long-range Cadillac SUV the brand previewed last month, said Katie Minter, lead spokesperson for the Detroit automaker's electrification program. All-electric future Indeed, Mary Barra, GM's current CEO, last March outlined what she described as "a path to an all-electric future," with about 25 BEVs due to market by mid-decade. This shift in focus doesn't mean Volt was a failure, agrees Stephanie Brinley, principle auto analyst at IHS Markit. "GM learned a ton from Volt in terms of technology that they have applied to the Bolt EV" and other long-range battery-electric vehicles to follow, she said. The little plug-in also taught the company a lot about what consumers want, added spokesperson Minter, starting with the fact that they don't want to sacrifice interior space, comfort or performance, but "want their electric vehicle to drive just like a regular vehicle." Future GM BEVs will also lift some of the innovative features first used on Volt, such as steering wheel paddles that can adjust how much energy is captured by the car's regeneration system during braking and coasting. When turned up high, motorists can manage slowing, and even stopping the car without taking their foot off the throttle in many situations. Expect more hybrids While GM has decided to get out of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle game, the technology is far from dead. If anything, there is a flood of new models coming to market. Audi plans to unveil four of them at next month's Geneva Motor Show, alongside a new all-electric model, the Q4 e-tron. Mercedes-Benz has almost a dozen different plug-ins available worldwide. And BMW (BMW-DE) is developing a new vehicle platform that will allow it to offer conventional hybrid, plug-in hybrids or all-electric options for all future models. Meanwhile, GM's crosstown rival, Fiat Chrysler (FCA-IT), announced Tuesday that it will add at least four plug-in hybrid Jeep models over the next several years. Cheaper batteries should help those manufacturers enhance the appeal of the technology and they're betting that many buyers will still appreciate the idea that once their batteries run down they'll be able to keep going without the hassle of lengthy charging. The Chevy Volt may be gone, but it helped set the stage for what is expected to be rapid growth in the electrified vehicle market over the coming decade. A team of Polish archaeologists diving in a possibly sacred lake in northern Guatemala has recovered hundreds of Mayan artifacts, including ceremonial bowls and obsidian blades that may have been used in ancient animal sacrifices. Scientists in Guatemala are examining the artifacts to learn more about the material culture of the Mayan people at different times. Researchers also want to learn how the objects may relate to Mayan religious practices. The researchers recovered more than 800 artifacts from Lake Peten Itza, which once surrounded the ancient Mayan city of Nojpeten, according to the team leader, Magdalena Krzemien, an archaeologist at Jagiellonian University in Poland. The island that was once the site of the ancient Mayan city, linked by a causeway to the shore, is now the site of the modern town of Flores in Guatemala's northernmost province of Peten a landlocked region famous for its rugged mountains and jungles. A Mayan ceramic pot on the floor of Guatemala's Lake Peten Itza. Peten Itza Project Sacrificial finds Many of the artifacts found in the lake were small pieces of ceramic, with a few dating to the Mayan proto-classic period between 150 B.C. and A.D. 250 while most dated to the Mayan post-classic period, from A.D. 1000 to A.D. 1697. Krzemien said the largest objects found in the lake included three ceramic bowls, one inside the other, and an obsidian knife blade. This was similar to those used in ancient rituals, suggesting it could have been used for human or animal sacrifices, she said. This obsidian knife blade found in Lake Peten Itza could have been used for sacrifices, the researchers say. Peten Itza Project Small animal bones were found inside some of the bowls, which may indicate that the vessels were used for sacrifices, Krzemien said. However, it's also possible that some small animals entered and died there later, she said. The lake surrounding the ancient city of Nojpeten likely played an important part in ancient Mayan rituals. "Water had very special and symbolic meaning in ancient Mayans beliefs," Krzemien said. "It was thought to be the medium [or] door to the underground world, [the] world of death," where the gods lived, she said. Story continues As a result of these beliefs, the ancient Mayans sacrificed animals and sometimes humans to their gods in lakes and in flooded limestone sinkholes known as cenotes, which are common in the region. Krzemien said that the latest expedition did not establish that the whole of Lake Peten Itza was a holy place, but some of the ritual objects they found in place underwater showed that at least part of the lake was considered "sacred" by the people who lived there. Mayan lake The ancient city of Nojpeten was a center of Mayan civilization in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica a civilization that extended across modern southeast Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and parts of Honduras and El Salvador. Among the most famous Mayan archaeological sites is the ancient city of Chichen Itza, in the Yucatan Peninsula of modern Mexico. The Mayans made advances including an intricate astronomical calendar and the culture's distinctive pictorial writing in a civilization that lasted more than 2,000 years before the arrival of Europeans in the Americas. Mayan culture also influenced other Mesoamerican civilizations, such as the Aztec culture of central Mexico. The six-member Polish diving team of the recent study included archaeologists from Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun and the University of Warsaw. The researchers spent a month at the lake in August and September last year, taking a total of about 90 dives at various depths. The diving team worked with six archaeologists from Guatemala, led by Bernard Hermes, and with two Polish divers who had sponsored the expedition, Sebastian Lambert and Iga Snopek. Krzemien, a doctoral student, is now studying Mayan archaeology during an international exchange with a Mexican university. She said the Polish and Guatemalan archaeologists plan to reunite for one month a year to further explore Lake Peten Itza underwater. They are already planning their next expedition for August. Original article on Live Science. Kris Bloedow (from left), Bill Jessen and Ben Bloedow light a bed of charcoal that will burn overnight and thaw the ground at a grave in Avoca Cemetery. They will dig the grave by hand the following day. Frost at the cemetery, located in Iowa County near the Wisconsin River, was about 20 inches deep. Corrections & Clarifications: An earlier version of this story misspelled the last name of one of the gravediggers. AVOCA, Wis. Eleven degrees above zero, light wind out of the west, bright sunshine a good day to dig a grave. By hand. I got here about 8:30 (a.m.), Bill Jessen, 64, said between flinging shovels of dirt more than 6 feet in the air and onto the bed of a homemade dump truck. And generally a grave like this, in the sand, if everything goes right, I could dig in four hours. It turns out that this one, the newest grave in St. Josephs Catholic Cemetery, will take a little longer. By the time its done 99 inches long, 43 inches wide, 55 inches deep and squared off neat as a gift box about 14,000 pounds of damp Wisconsin River Valley sand will have been shoveled out. Its not work for a weak back. Or for most anyone. In the United States, gravediggers who use shovels and picks rather than backhoes and other excavating machinery are a vanishing breed. Out of work? Losing a job in your 50s is especially tough. Here is what you should do about insurance Store closings: J.C. Penney to close 24 more stores: Sales fall as department stores struggle Id say (its) uncommon and becoming less common, said Glen Porter, president of Highland Memorial Park in New Berlin, Wisconsin, and a director of the Wisconsin Cemetery and Cremation Association. Its becoming a lost technique. (This is the) first time Ive heard about somebody digging graves by hand, said Larry Anspach, a consultant to cemeteries and funeral homes nationwide and a 45-year veteran of the industry. But in southwestern Wisconsin, and probably in other rural areas as well, there are still people who do the work basically as its been done for thousands of years spadeful by spadeful. Theres Mike Beers, who was 10 or 11 when he started helping his grandfather in cemeteries around Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and now, at 31, digs about 60 graves a year with thin-bladed, steel-shank shovels he finds at garage sales. Story continues I guess I was just born into it, Beers said. Theres Robert Kapke, age 70 and still digging mostly in tough clay after more than 50 years in the business. He started at 16, and on his first job helped clear 2 feet of snow from a gravesite, then chop through 35 inches of frozen soil. He still remembers where it was on the lower end of Graceland Cemetery in Blanchardville, Wisconsin. You dont ever forget that, Kapke said. And theres Jessen and the man he helps, Kris Bloedow, who figures he has dug about 1,000 graves, pushing down on the shovel blade with his left leg so many times that a few years ago he had to have that hip replaced. Im not as chipper as I once was, but Im not quitting, Bloedow, 57, said. Three years ago the critics had me, Well, that Kris is never going to dig any more graves, now (that) hes getting that new hip. And I proved em wrong although I dont do as much as I used to, and Ive got good helpers. Truth to tell, Bloedow now does little actual digging, but he has the accounts with 11 cemeteries in the area around his home in southern Richland County, and he directs the work of helpers such as his son, Ben, and Jessen. On this mid-February day, dressed in long underwear and jeans, multiple work shirts, an orange knit cap and well-worn cotton gloves, he was on hand as Jessen dug in St. Josephs, and as all three men began preparing another gravesite in adjacent Avoca Cemetery. They spread out 65 pounds of charcoal half Kingsford, half a cheaper brand that Bloedow had purchased at Walmart, mixed in old issues of the Dodgeville Chronicle for kindling, squirted on a quart of lighter fluid and set the site ablaze. As the coals started to glow, they covered the future grave with a metal hood fashioned by Bloedows late uncle and original grave-digging partner, then laid on a blanket of insulation. The plan: Let the ground cook overnight, melting the 20 inches of frost and allowing the crew to dig the next morning, in plenty of time for a scheduled early-afternoon burial. Bloedow has seen frost as deep as 40 inches (2003) and filled in a grave when it was 20 below (1989). I had ice coming out of my nose freezing, he said. Thats the coldest day I ever had, 1989, and then in the 90s I think I had a couple days where we buried somebody and it was 96 degrees hot out. Almost all his cemeteries have sandy soil, which is easier to scoop than clay but can be heavier. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, dry sand weighs 90 to 110 pounds per cubic foot, and wet sand weighs 110 to 130 pounds. So even at 100 pounds per foot, Bloedow probably has shoveled something like 13 million pounds of soil over his grave-digging career. Which raises a question: Why? Beers said some cemeteries prefer hand-digging. Quarters can be tight, and when you get an excavator in there, its pretty easy to bump into stuff, he said. But Bloedow and Kapke said it comes down to a financial calculation forgoing the expense of excavating machinery and a trailer to move it leaves more profit for those willing to put their back into the work. Bloedow said the 30 graves a year he typically digs arent enough to justify the cost of a backhoe. Both he and Kapke get $550 per grave. Bloedow gets an extra $50 in winter, for charcoal. Beers declined to disclose his fee. None of the men dig full time. Beers farms and Bloedow works at a glass factory. Kapke is retired. None plans to quit soon. Its good exercise, Kapke said. At St. Josephs cemetery, Jessem wasnt quite done digging at 12:30 p.m., his four-hour mark. Hed run into a bit of frozen ground the charcoal probably hadnt been spread evenly and had a little trouble fitting his cribbing framework together. Because the soil near the Wisconsin River is so sandy, Bloedow and whoever is helping him typically build what amounts to an open-ended wooden box as they dig. That prevents cave-ins. After digging down about a foot, Jessen used a sod-cutting tool with a curved handle to shave the sides of the grave evenly so he could fit the first layer of cribbing four pieces of 2-by-8 boards joined at the corners with brackets. You get a nice clean cut and then your boards will drop down uniformly, he said. When he had dug out another foot of dirt, he again shaved the walls, tamped down the first layer of cribbing and added another on top. With four layers of boards in place and the grave 55 inches deep, Jessen finished by smoothing the bottom with a flat shovel, then building two mounds of packed sand, each about the size of a wall clock, on either end of the grave. That would provide clearance on the bottom so the straps used the next day to lower the burial vault could be removed. The cribbing would be removed too, along with pretty much all evidence, Jessen said, of the gravediggers work. We try to make it look like we werent even there, he said. Thats our objective, and we hit it, too. Were pretty good at that. We square off the sod so everythings nice and level so when the guy comes in springtime to mow it or when they come to visit it, theres not a mound of dirt and theres nothing erratic and nothings left. We try to take a little pride in a job. Contact Rick Romell at (414) 224-2130 or rick.romell@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RickRomell This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Meet the Wisconsin men who still dig graves by hand even when the cemetery ground is frozen On Thursdays The View, co-host Meghan McCain praised Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs line of questioning to Michael Cohen during his congressional testimony before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, by saying she had one of the best lines of questioning of anyone. After showing some highlights that included Ocasio-Cortez questioning Cohen about President Donald Trump possibly inflating asset values to insurance companies, and asking for names of others who might know details, McCain gave some props to Ocasio-Cortez. She was asking for names and receipts and she wasnt using this as a platform to, you know, put her agenda one way or the other, to grandstand for the cameras. Thats how its done, McCain said. Im highly critical of her but that was the best line of questioning. Viewers on Twitter were glad that Meghan was giving Ocasio-Cortez the credit they think she deserves. @MeghanMcCain this is why I love listening to you talk! America shouldnt be about sticking with a party at all costs. America is about what is right for America regardless of your party affiliation. Your comments on AOCs questioning of MC is just one example. Anne Karl (@livluvlaugh91) February 28, 2019 I agree with you completely @MeghanMcCain. I only wish the rest of our House Representatives had followed @AOC and stuck to a line of questioning that would have provided more answers to all our questions. The GOP shirked their constitutional responsibility. Disgraceful.#TheView Li (@RiverWinder) February 28, 2019 Thank you @MeghanMcCain for giving credit to AOC for her prescient questions for Cohen. Now if we could just get more of the GOP to follow your lead and give credit where credit is due. Neena (@TortieMom) February 28, 2019 And while McCain praised Ocasio-Cortez, she thought the hearing as a whole didnt really do much for any of the parties involved. Story continues The spectacle of this hearing, I thought, didnt move the needle one way or the other, McCain said. I think if youre a Trumper, it didnt change anything. I think if you hate Trump, it didnt change anything. The View airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on ABC. See what viewers had to say after this reporter was licked during a live TV broadcast: Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, or leave your comments below. WASHINGTON Long before Michael Cohen came to Congress to cast President Donald Trump as a "con man" and possibly a criminal, the president's longtime personal attorney had given doubters plenty to chew on. Cohen arrived at House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's much-anticipated hearing on Wednesday just two months removed from pleading guilty to lying to Congress about his own dealings with Trump. And a little more than two months from now, Cohen must begin a three-year prison sentence that has raised as many questions about his own credibility as that of his former boss, whom Cohen called a racist, a con man and a cheat. Cohen, who once boasted that he would take a bullet for the president, said Trump implicitly encouraged him to lie to Congress in 2017 about the pursuit of a Moscow tower project; ordered hush money payments to women in violation of campaign finance laws; and knew in advance that WikiLeaks would release stolen emails from Hillary Clinton. Over six hours of sworn testimony, Cohen linked Trump more directly than ever to the criminal investigations that have loomed over his presidency. Start the day smarter: Get USA TODAY's Daily Briefing in your inbox And he offered congressional lawmakers a road map to witnesses and documents he said could corroborate his claims for congressional investigators examining the president and his businesses. Still, while committee chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., billed the extraordinary hearing as a search for the truth, the spectacle ended more than six hours later with the same basic question as when it began: Whom to believe? "Some will certainly ask, 'If Mr. Cohen was lying then (when he defended Trump for more than a decade as his trusted attorney), why should we believe him now?" Cummings asked."That is a legitimate question." The question posed by the chairman would later track an oft-repeated refrain by Republican committee members whose attacks on Cohen's veracity shadowed the attorney's stunning accounts of his boss' conduct. Story continues "Anything that Michael Cohen asserts comes combined with credibility issues. That's just par for the course," said Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor in Chicago. "But, it's not a high bar to be more truthful than Trump on these issues." Indeed, Trump has offered a series of conflicting statements about hush money deals to quiet women who said they had affairs with him, first saying he knew nothing of the payments then admitting they "came from me." It all came to a head Wednesday when Cohen offered Congress copies of checks with Trump's distinctive signature that Cohen said were made to repay him for the hush money deals. Lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats alike, agreed Cohen had lied in the past, but they disagreed whether his word should be trusted now. Cummings, after the hearing, said he found Cohen believable and thought the hearing shed new light on whether the president may have committed a crime. Yet throughout the daylong spectacle, Republicans cast Cohen as a liar someone who sought to gain financially from book and TV deals by bashing the president. Republican Rep. Paul Gosar put it plainly: "Look at the old adage that our moms taught us: 'Liar, liar, pants on fire.' No one should ever listen to you and give you credibility. It's sad." Trump's campaign even chimed in, calling Cohen a felon, liar and questioning the evidence Cohen provided to Congress. "Michael Cohen is a felon, a disbarred lawyer, and a convicted perjurer who lied to both Congress and the special counsel in a deliberate and premeditated fashion," campaign spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said. "This is the same Michael Cohen who has admitted that he lied to Congress previously. Why did they even bother to swear him in this time?" Throughout the hours of testimony, Republicans repeatedly asserted that Cohen had admitted to lying to Congress and was testifying in hopes for a lighter prison sentence. Mariotti said Cohen's testimony wouldn't change the three-year sentence handed down by a judge, adding that his comments were just of accounts that he has already provided to prosecutors. But there were very real risks. Among those certain to have monitored Cohen's testimony were federal prosecutors in Manhattan and those assigned to Russia special counsel Robert Mueller. Both teams have obtained testimony from Cohen for their investigations and probably want to be sure Cohen's testimony before Congress tracks the information he has provided them. Any slip could cost him a chance at reduced prison time or new criminal charges for lying to Congress. "Of course, Cohen appearing before Congress wasn't an act of charity. He wants to improve his public reputation, which has been decimated," Mariotti said. "And to a large part, I think this has helped." Federal prosecutors already have backed parts of Cohen's account. Justice Department lawyers said in a court filing in December that Cohen made hush money payments to two women at Trump's direction. And Cohen confirmed on Wednesday that he was continuing to cooperate with federal investigators who seized records from his home and office and customarily seek out evidence far broader than the word of someone trying to earn himself a shorter prison sentence. Elizabeth de la Vega, a federal prosecutor of 20 years, said she found Cohen believable, adding that conservatives on the committee didn't seem to even dispute the nature of Cohen's allegations, attacking only his character. "The one glaring thing they did not do was talk about any of the facts," de la Vega said. "They just hammered on what we know: Michael Cohen has lied and done bad things." Helping his case, Cohen sought to prove some of his claims with documents he kept during his decade working under Trump as his right-hand man. He brought along copies of checks, one signed by Trump while he was president, that Cohen said was repayment for a hush money deal with porn star Stormy Daniels after she said she had an affair with the president. Cohen also included a letter he sent, which he claimed Trump directed him to write, in which he threatened the president's alma mater with a lawsuit if his grades were released. He also provided copies of documents detailing Trump's finances for several years and said Trump inflated his assets to get better insurance rates and loans from banks. The documents offered support for some of Cohen's claims particularly that Trump had personally reimbursed him for the 2016 payoffs but did little to corroborate others. Cohen's attorney, Lanny Davis, had released a secretly recorded audio recording of Trump that showed the president was aware and approved of the scheme to quiet claims by women. "You have to look at the big picture," de la Vega pointed out. She said the test of truth shouldn't just focus on Wednesday and Cohen's testimony. It's about the whole of what is known and the information still being investigated by federal prosecutors in New York and by Mueller. "This test of credibility is about everyone and everything we know thus far," de la Vega said. "You have all these other factors and evidence that's been part of a number of cases." Even if lawmakers do not believe Cohen, he left them with names of other witnesses and a trail to follow in investigating Trump's businesses, his presidential campaign and whether there is any truth to his former lawyer's searing accusations. "The question becomes: Where do we go from here?" Cummings said after Wednesday's hearing. He said that between Cohen's testimony and evidence, lawmakers have a lot to study. "If you asked me exactly where we're going, I can't tell you exactly the areas we'll go in, but we will do things in a very methodical way, a very careful way," he said. "I thought (Cohen) brought a lot to the table; he described the Donald Trump that he knows. And we'll see where we go from there." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: After Michael Cohen's testimony about President Trump, one question remains: Whom to believe? WASHINGTON It was Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings who had the final word in the Michael Cohen hearings on Wednesday. Cummings, who presided over the congressional hearing featuring Donald Trump's former attorney, used the closing moments of the hearing to ask that lawmakers take action to "keep our democracy intact." He did so by pointing out that Trump had previously called Cohen a rat, which Cummings said was one of the worst things somebody could be called. "We're better than that!" he yelled, waving his arm across his body. "We really are. And I'm hoping that all of us can get back to this democracy that we want and that we should be passing on to our children so that they can do better than what we did." Cummings, a 23-year veteran of Congress, proceeded to end the hearing minutes later and discuss the day's events afterward when he was asked specifically if he believed Trump committed a crime while in office. "Looking at the text and listening to Mr. Cohen, it appears that he did," Cummings said. Here are three things to know about him and two other key players in the hearing, Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Mark Meadows, R-N.C. Baltimore roots Cummings, who grew up in Baltimore, served in the Maryland House of Delegates before his election to represent the 7th Congressional District, which includes parts of Baltimore. He was the first African-American in Maryland history to serve as speaker pro tem of the state's Legislature. He is a fierce advocate for the city, pressing for calm during the 2015 riots after the death of Freddie Gray, a black man who died in police custody. Cummings would show up on the city streets during the nightly curfew to try to persuade residents to comply. But he would lock arms and join peaceful protesters facing off against police. Outspoken on civil rights Cummings is a former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus and has long been outspoken on civil rights. Story continues As chairman of the caucus in 2004, Cummings called on then-President George W. Bush to send troops to Haiti as part of an international force to restore order and protect democracy there. He was also among the caucus members last year calling for congressional hearings to examine the fatal shootings of black people by police officers, including in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Minnesota. Last spring, Cummings, then the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, blasted a Justice Department official for failing to appear at a hearing about the agencys request to add a controversial question about citizenship to the 2020 Census. Cummings criticized John Gore, acting assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, for refusing to answer questions, saying the committee is investigating how and why the agency requested the Census Bureau add a citizenship question. We have a job to do," Cummings told Gore. That is our job under the Constitution. Thats why we want you here. Your job is to answer our questions." In the wake of Democratic wins that led to the party regaining control of the House, Cummings pushed for more diversity on Capitol Hill, including in House leadership. Cummings is a close ally of Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., who was considered a contender for speaker. Clyburn, the highest-ranking African-American in the House, ran for majority whip and won. Cummings said it was also important to groom younger lawmakers of color for leadership posts. Does that mean I dont advocate for an African-American speaker? I would love to have an African-American speaker, but at the same time I have to look at the total picture," he told USA TODAY. "How do we groom some folks so they can do the policy, do the strategy and raise the money?" 'All hands on deck' When he was preparing to take the reins of the House Oversight Committee after the midterm elections in November, Cummings said there would be an all hands on deck effort by Democrats to pursue the multiple investigations against Trump. Cummings pledged then to take the administration to task. The days of this committee protecting the president at all costs are over, Cummings said at the start of Wednesdays hearing. Theyre over. Also questioning Cohen were Meadows and Jordan. Jim Jordan Jordan, R-Ohio, led the Republican charge against the presidents former attorney. The ranking minority member of the House Oversight Committee told Cohen he was being used as a patsy by congressional Democrats, whom he slammed for relying on the testimony of a man who is going to prison in two months for lying to Congress. This might be the first time someone convicted of lying to Congress has appeared again so quickly in front of Congress, Jordan said. Jordan, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, has been a fierce Trump defender who has railed against special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian election meddling. Last month, Jordan lost his bid to become House minority leader to Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Mark Meadows Meadows started off Wednesdays hearing by asking that it not happen. Meadows, who leads the conservative House Freedom Caucus and is a staunch defender of Trump, failed in his request that Cohens testimony be postponed because Cohens evidence and opening statement werent received by members until late Tuesday. It was an intentional effort by this witness and his advisers to once again show his disdain for this body, Meadows said. Meadows was considered for Trumps chief of staff, but the White House wanted him to stay in Congress. "I know the president has a long list of tremendous candidates for his next chief of staff, and whomever it is will have my total support moving forward," Meadows said in December. White House budget director Mick Mulvaney was later given the role of acting chief of staff. Meadows was sanctioned last year by the House Ethics Committee as part of a sexual harassment inquiry. The investigation centered on Meadows former chief of staff, Kenny West, and found that Meadows did not take prompt action in handling the allegations made by several women against West. Contributing: Maureen Groppe This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michael Cohen hearing: Who is Rep. Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House Oversight Committee? Its over. Michael Cohens public testimony has ended, and amidst the hours of assertions, speculation, and contention, four allegations stand out from the others. First, Cohen testified that Roger Stone told Donald Trump about the WikiLeaks document dump in advance of the Democratic Convention. Second, Cohen testified that he suspected Trump knew in advance about Donald Trump Jr.s infamous meeting with a Russian lawyer. Third, Cohen asserted that Trump directed Cohen to make porn-star-hush-money payments and later reimbursed him while Trump was president. And fourth, Cohen claimed that Trump gave him implied directions to lie to Congress and that Trumps personal lawyer edited his false testimony. The first two claims grabbed headlines taken together, they mark the first concrete, under-oath assertions that Trump was involved in any way with the various bumbling efforts of Trump-campaign officials and Trump allies to communicate with Russians or Russian assets. No, the claims are nothing like the collusion fever dreams of the hard-core conspiracy Left and they dont add up to anything criminal but they would be improper and embarrassing nonetheless. Yet those first two claims are among Cohens least credible. Lets look at them in turn. The clearest expression of Cohens claims regarding Trump and Stone comes in his opening statement. Heres Cohen: In July 2016, days before the Democratic convention, I was in Mr. Trumps office when his secretary announced that Roger Stone was on the phone. Mr. Trump put Mr. Stone on the speakerphone. Mr. Stone told Mr. Trump that he had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange and that Mr. Assange told Mr. Stone that, within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clintons campaign. Mr. Trump responded by stating to the effect of wouldnt that be great. Again, this is not an accusation of criminal misconduct. Its merely a claim that Trump happily obtained advanced knowledge of a document dump by a known Russian asset against his (American, of course) political opponent. But this claim is contradicted and largely unsupported. Story continues For what its worth, Stone has denied Cohens claims. But Roger Stone is a known fabulist. So, what does other evidence say? Here we should turn to the special counsels indictment. It does not claim that Stone himself was in contact with WikiLeaks. It does allege that Stone once claimed he was in contact with WikiLeaks but then later changed his story. Moreover, it does not claim that Stone communicated with Trump himself. It does say that Stone communicated with other members of the Trump campaign. This paragraph sums up the allegations nicely: By in or around early August 2016, STONE was claiming both publicly and privately to have communicated with Organization 1. By in or around mid-August 2016, Organization 1 made a public statement denying direct communication with STONE. Thereafter, STONE said that his communication with Organization 1 had occurred through a person STONE described as a mutual friend, go-between, and intermediary. STONE also continued to communicate with members of the Trump Campaign about Organization 1 and its intended future releases. The indictment is careful at all times to speak of Stones contacts with campaign officials or the campaign. For example, the indictment does speak of July communications with the campaign, but it does not indicate that Trump himself was on the line, instead claiming that Stone informed senior Trump Campaign officials that he had information indicating [WikiLeaks] had documents whose release would be damaging to the Clinton Campaign. (Emphasis added.) There is an intriguing paragraph indicating that an unnamed individual directed a senior campaign official to reach out to Stone about any additional releases and what other damaging information Organization 1 had regarding the Clinton Campaign, but thats beyond the scope of Cohens testimony. We still dont know who gave the order to reach out to Stone. The rest of the indictment fleshes out Stones rather sad and amateurish attempts to use others (including conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi) to reach Julian Assange even while he bragged to the public about his allegedly direct contacts. Could Stone have called Trump and boasted about contacts he didnt have, sharing information he learned from others? Perhaps. Phone records could help answer the question as could the testimony of the secretary who allegedly put Stone through to Trump. But for now, one should treat Cohens first big claim with a healthy dose of skepticism. Cohens second claim that he concluded that Trump knew in advance about Donald Juniors infamous Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer is laughably unsupported and almost wholly speculative. Heres what Cohen said: Sometime in the summer of 2017, I read all over the media that there had been a meeting in Trump Tower in June 2016 involving Don Jr. and others from the campaign with Russians, including a representative of the Russian government, and an email setting up the meeting with the subject line, Dirt on Hillary Clinton. Something clicked in my mind. I remember being in the room with Mr. Trump, probably in early June 2016, when something peculiar happened. Don Jr. came into the room and walked behind his fathers desk which in itself was unusual. People didnt just walk behind Mr. Trumps desk to talk to him. I recalled Don Jr. leaning over to his father and speaking in a low voice, which I could clearly hear, and saying: The meeting is all set. I remember Mr. Trump saying, Ok good . . . let me know. Im sorry, but what are we supposed to do with that? Well, Cohen goes on to explain that Donald Junior would never set up any meeting of any significance alone and certainly not without checking with his father. Cohen continued: I also knew that nothing went on in Trump world, especially the campaign, without Mr. Trumps knowledge and approval. So, I concluded that Don Jr. was referring to that June 2016 Trump Tower meeting about dirt on Hillary with the Russian representative when he walked behind his dads desk that day and that Mr. Trump knew that was the meeting Don Jr. was talking about when he said, Thats good . . . let me know. This is testimony we should take with a grain of salt from anyone, let alone a known liar trying to rehabilitate his reputation in part by throwing out allegation after allegation against the president. Theres nothing actually there. There is no specific connection. Its a supposition piled on a speculation, and its not worth any additional thought absent even a single piece of corroborating evidence. When we move from speculation about collusion (Cohen, by the way, denied ever going to Prague a key claim in the Steele Dossier), Cohens allegations grow far more concrete and substantiated. Lets take, for example, his third explosive charge: that Trump personally directed the payment of hush money to porn stars during the campaign and personally wrote Cohen a check reimbursing him for the expenses after becoming president. Here Cohen is on his most solid ground. Hes essentially repeating the core claims made in his allocution in federal court and in the criminal information filed against him in federal court: that he made hush-money payments on Trumps orders, for the purpose of influencing the campaign, and was reimbursed while Trump was president by monthly amounts of $35,000 over the course of twelve months. Cohen brought substantiating evidence, in the form of a copy of a $35,000 check that Trump signed from his personal bank account. The case against Trump for criminal campaign-finance violations got just a bit stronger yesterday, but it was already the strongest of the legal claims against Trump. Ultimately, while I am less bullish on Trumps legal prospects than is my friend and colleague Andy McCarthy, I agree with one of McCarthys fundamental conclusions Trumps best defense is based on a lack of criminal intent, not on contesting the underlying facts of the hush-money scheme. Finally, lets deal with Cohens claims about his false testimony to Congress about Trumps continuing efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. If you recall what was arguably the worst journalistic scandal of January, BuzzFeed published a story claiming that Trump directed Cohen to lie to Congress about his negotiations. The special counsel quickly contested BuzzFeeds account, and the entire story was relegated to the fake news dustbin with other debunked reports. But the special counsels statement still left a few questions. After all, its sentencing memo in Cohens case indicated that Cohens lies were in his prepared opening statement, and that the statement was circulated within the Trump camp prior to his testimony. That meant someone allegedly reviewed (and potentially approved) his false testimony. In other words, there was evidence that Cohen didnt just lie all on his own. Yesterday, Cohen fleshed out his side of the story. First, he claimed that Trump implied that he should lie, but didnt give explicit instructions. Heres the relevant portion of Cohens opening statement: Mr. Trump did not directly tell me to lie to Congress. Thats not how he operates. In conversations we had during the campaign, at the same time I was actively negotiating in Russia for him, he would look me in the eye and tell me theres no business in Russia and then go out and lie to the American people by saying the same thing. In his way, he was telling me to lie. Later, he clarified which Trump attorney reviewed and edited his statement my friend and former boss Jay Sekulow: Cohen says his testimony on Trump Tower Moscow was changed by the president's lawyer, Jay Sekulow pic.twitter.com/jGJI6Lulro BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) February 27, 2019 Im going to take a point of personal privilege here and state that in all the years Ive known Jay, Ive never, ever seen him come even close to violating the canons of legal ethics, much less knowingly attempt to provide false testimony to Congress, a court, or any other relevant tribunal. Jay isnt just a good lawyer, hes a shrewd man who knows that no single client is worth a reputation hes spent a lifetime building. What does this mean? If Jay or any other lawyer edited Cohens testimony to include false elements, we shouldnt necessarily presume that the lawyers were in on the con. For example, one of Bill Clintons impeachment counts includes the claim that he allowed his attorney to make false and misleading statements to a Federal judge. Attorneys operate on the information they receive, and if Trumps attorneys edited documents to include lies (or reviewed and approved lies), then the next question presents itself: Where did they get that false information? This piece meant to be reasonably brief is already reaching almost 2,000 words, so Im not going to deal with the multitude of other Cohen claims against Trump. Needless to say, he painted a picture of Trump thats completely consistent with the picture that Trump paints of himself. It is interesting, however, that Cohen went out of his way to refute many of the wilder anti-Trump theories, including not just the Prague meeting but also more lurid claims about elevators, abortions, and a love child. The Republicans who spent hours contesting the notion that we can believe anything Cohen says will no doubt wrap their arms around those statements, at least. The bottom line? If youre invested in the idea that Trump was some kind of co-conspirator with Vladimir Putin, Cohens testimony was a profound disappointment. If you understand that Trump is a man of exceedingly poor character who at the very least lies continually and surrounds himself with crooks and grifters, then Cohens testimony merely reaffirmed a fundamental truth. If you want to know the whole story of the Trump teams conduct in 2016, Cohens testimony was only marginally helpful. No single witness will decide this case, and the real losers in yesterdays testimony were the Americans who thought that Cohens testimony would somehow represent the beginning of the end of one of the most divisive national controversies of modern times. The controversies will rage on, and we now turn our attention to the next big event the long-awaited Mueller report, rumored to be released soon. I expect it to be far more instructive and dispositive (for good and ill) than anything we heard Wednesday in Washington, D.C. More from National Review UPDATED with closing remarks, Trump campaign response: Given my experience working for Mr. Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020 that there will never be a peaceful transition of power, President Donald Trumps former fixer Michael Cohen said in closing remarks before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday evening. Misplaced loyalty to Trump has cost me everything my familys happiness, my law license, my company, my livelihood, my honor, my reputation and, soon, my freedom, said Cohen, who is going to prison for three years in May after pleading guilty to campaign finance violations and lying under oath to Congress, among other charges. Related stories Late-Night TV Mines Michael Cohen Testimony For Monologue Gold Seth Meyers: Donald Trump Finally Went To Vietnam And Got Killed Back Home By Michael Cohen Florida State Bar Investigating Rep. Matt Gaetz's Tweeted Threat To Michael Cohen - Update Cohen began to weep during committee chair Elijah Cummings closing remarks, when he told Cohen, its painful going to prison and its got to be painful being called a rat. Trump called Cohen a rat in a December tweet after the FBI raided Cohens offices, saying Cohen only became a Rat' after the FBI raid. Were better than that, Cummings insisted Wednesday. On cue, Trumps re-election campaign issued a statement about Cohens appearance before the committee: This is the same Michael Cohen who has admitted that he lied to Congress previously. Why did they even bother to swear him in this time? Michael Cohen is a felon, a disbarred lawyer, and a convicted perjurer, who lied to both Congress and the Special Counsel in a deliberate and premeditated fashion according to the Special Counsels Office. Now he offers what he says is evidence, but the only support for that is his own testimony, which has proven before to be worthless. As noted by the Southern District of New York, Cohens wide array of crimes were marked by a pattern of deception that permeated his professional life and his instinct to blame others is strong. Story continues To which, Cummings remarked outside the hearing room that two years ago, when he said the presidential campaign was not about Hillary Clinton versus Donald Trump but a fight for the soul of our democracy. That statement is truer now than it was then, Cummings said, adding, We have strayed so far away from normal in our country and weve got to get back to center, despite zero evidence the Wednesday hearing had taken in any step in that direction. Republicans on the committee, Cummings acknowledged, did not want to hear Cohen talk about Donald Trumps activities. PREVIOUSLY: Republicans on the House Oversight Committee spent much of Wednesdays testimony with their undies in a bunch at the thought President Donald Trumps former fixer getting a movie or TV deal. In one of the wilder moments of Wednesdays wild House Intel Committee hearing, GOP Rep Virginia Foxx demanded Michael Cohen pledge not to accept any movie deal, any TV deal, or any book deal going forward. Cohen declined. Outrage ensued. So you dont commit to changing your ways, basically, because you want to continue to use your background as a liar, a cheater, a convicted liar, to make money. Thats what you want to do, Foxx snarked, congressionally. And thats going to get me a book deal and a movie deal and a spot on television? I dont think so, Cohen replied. Three Republicans so far have used up a good-ish chunk of their previous five minutes of Q&A time to scratch their movie/TV/book deal itch. I ask you, good sir, have you discussed film and book deal with your stated current attorney Lanny Davis? asked Louisianas Rep. Clay Higgins, who himself looked and sounded like something out of central casting. With Mr. Davis, no. But I have been approached by many people who are looking to do book deals, movie deals and so on, Cohen offered, helpfully. That is your right as an American, Higgins conceded reluctantly. But it leads me back to my instinct that compared you to many of the men Ive arrested during the course of my career, he added, as Hollywood writers began mulling ways to work Higgins into their spec scripts. This is an attempt to injure our President, to lay some sort cornerstone for future impeachment proceedings, Higgins blasted. Tennessee Rep. Mark Green had kicked off the movie deal line of grilling, nicknaming Cohen Fake Witness by way of planting his flag in that copyright. During Greens line of questioning he grilled Cohen over a possible book deal. I have no book deal, Cohen said, but acknowledged he had been contacted by people interesting in pursuing a movie or TV project based on Cohens story, adding if you want to tell me who you would like to play you, winning that round. While the Hollywood angle has been thoroughly probed, two and a half hours in, Republicans had asked Cohen not one single question about Trump. Cohen made note of the fact during Rep. Jim Jordans at-bat. Jordan is one of two ardent Trump supporters who had tried to open the hearing by immediately shutting it down earlier in the day, claiming a rule had been violated. I find it interesting, sir, that between yourself and your colleagues that not one question so far since Im here has been asked about President Trump, Cohen scolded. Thats why I thought I was coming today. Not to confess the mistakes that Ive made. Ive already done that, and Ill do it every time you ask me about taxes and mistakes, he added. The American people dont care about my taxes. They want to know what it is I know about Mr. Trump. And not one question so far has been asked about Mr. Trump, he said of the GOP questioning. In other highlights of the House Intel Committee Dems vs GOP Cage Match, during which Cohen came off as the mature one, he got asked why he decided to plead guilty to multiple charges brought against him, assuring he would go to jail, for three years. Trumps behavior in Helsinki with Russian ruler Vladimir Putin, Trumps remarks following the fatal white supremacist march in Charlottesville, and watching the daily destruction of civility in the country, Cohen said. Michael Cohen Testimony . Pointing to a placard Republicans had put up in the room saying Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire with Cohens photo, he added, putting up silly things like this, calling the placards unbecoming of Congress. Im responsible for your silliness, because I did the same things youre doing now. For 10 years, he scolded. I can only warn peoplethat follow Mr. Trump, as I did blindly, who, he said, are going to suffer the same consequences that I am suffering. Look at what happened to me. Im a picture perfect example of what not to do. Asked why he had previously canceled his scheduled appearance before the committee after Trump threatened his family via Twitter, Cohen noted Trump has more than 60 million Twitter followers and had boasted early in his campaign that he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose a single one of those supporters. I want to be very clear; hes not joking, hes telling you the truth, Cohen said. So, when Trump more recently took to twitter with a threat that involved his wife and father in law, hes sending out the same messagehopefully something bad will happen to me or my children or my wife, so I will not be here and testify. Thats his hope, Cohen explained. PREVIOUSLY: President Donald Trumps former fixer Michael Cohen came to Washington on Wednesday to call Trump is a racist, a conman and a cheat who knew Roger Stone was talking with Julian Assange about a Wikileaks drop of DNC emails, and reimbursed him while in the White House for hush money paid to a porn star. Over the past two years I have been smeared as a rat by the President of the United States, Cohen said in testimony before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday morning. While Trump was wooing North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Cohen nailed him. For starters, Individual #1 on all those court documents made public, back when Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress and other charges in the Southern District of New York, is President Donald J. Trump, Cohen said for the record. Trump ran for office only to make his brand great, Cohen asserted, as viewers watched on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC Fox News Channel, and C-Span, among many platforms covering. He had no desire or intention to lead this nation only to market himself and to build his wealth and power, he added. Mr. Trump would often say this campaign was going to be the greatest infomercial in politician historyThe campaign, for him, was always a marketing opportunity. Cohens testimony got delayed when two of Trumps most ardent supporters, Rep. Mark Meadows and Rep. Jim Jordan, immediately jumped in to try to block him from speaking by scrubbing the event altogether. They claimed Cohens camp had not gotten the committee information enough hours in advance, violating hearing rules. They pointed out, like they meant it to sting, that CNN got the information before they did. CNNs Jake Tapper, in studio, noted most news outlets got it at same time as CNN. But Trump likes to single out CNN for his Enemy of the People rhetoric when addressing his base and, while hes in North Korea, Meadows and Jordan acted as his surrogates. You made it clear you did not want American people to hear what Mr. Cohen has to say, Oversight Committee chair Rep. Elijah Cummings scoffed. But American people have a right to hear him so were going to proceed. The days of this committee protecting the President at all costs are over. Cohen brought show-and-tell material for the House Oversight and Reform Committee, and millions of TV viewers. They included documents he said showed Trumps involvement in criminal activity to which Cohen pleaded guilty and is on his way to the slammer for three years. Among them, a copy of a check Trump wrote from his personal bank account after he became POTUS, to reimburse Cohen for the hush money payments he made to cover up his affair with Stormy Daniels and prevent damage to his campaign. The $35,000 check was one of 11 Cohen said he was paid throughout a year while Trump was POTUS. Cohen also came armed with financial statements for 2011-2013 that Trump gave to Deutsche Bank, to inquire about a loan to buy the Buffalo Bills. Less legally significant, though maybe more juicy for TV viewers, Cohen brought material about Trumps Vietnam deferment, and about Trumps actual net worth. Then there is the copy of an article with Trumps handwriting on it, reporting on the auction of a portrait of Trump in which Trump had arranged for the bidder ahead of time and reimbursed the bidder from the account of his non-profit charitable foundation. That portrait now hangs in one of his country clubs. Copies of letters Cohen says he wrote at Trumps direction that threatened the high schools and colleges he attended not to release his grades or SAT scores. Cohen said his appearance before three committees this week, his guilty plea ad his work with law enforcement agencies are steps along a path of redemption that will restore faith in me and help this country understand our president better. He acknowledged he had previously lied to Congress under oath about when Trump stopped negotiating the Moscow Tower project in Russia. Back then he said negotiations ended in January of 2016. That was false our negotiations continues for months later during the campaign. Trumps personal lawyers reviewed and edited his statements to Congress about the timing of the Moscow Tower negotiations before he gave those false statements to Congress, Cohen claimed. Trump knew of, and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it, Cohen said. He lied about it because he never expected to win the election. He also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions of dollars on the Moscow real estate project. At least a half- dozen times between the Iowa Caucus in January 2016 and the end of June.he would ask me Hows it going in Russia? referring to the Moscow Tower project, Cohen testified. Trump did not directly tell him to lie to Congress. Thats not how he operates, Cohen told Congress. In conversations we had during the campaign, at the same time I was actively negotiating in Russia for him, he would look me in the eye and tell me theres no business in Russia and then go out and lie to the American people by saying the same thing. In this way, he was telling me to lie. In one of the more poignant moments in his opening statement, Cohen reiterated what Trump already has said publicly that he did not consider the late Sen. John McCain to be a hero because he likes people who were not captured. Cohen told the committee Trump told him about his own medical deferment from the Vietnam draft, You think Im stupid, I wasnt going to Vietnam. I find it ironic, President Trump, that you are in Vietnam right now, Cohen snarked. Michael Cohen, the former personal attorney of President Donald Trump, testified publicly Wednesday that the President is a racist, a con man and a cheat, in remarks before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trumps illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is, Cohen said Wednesday in his opening statement. He is a racist. He is a con man. And he is a cheat. He was a presidential candidate who knew that Roger Stone was talking with Julian Assange about a WikiLeaks drop of Democratic National Committee emails. In his dramatic testimony, Cohen accused Trump of indirectly encouraging him to lie to Congress about the timeline for work on a Trump Tower project in Moscow that continued through the 2016 presidential campaign. Mr. Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it, Cohen said. He lied about it because he never expected to win. He also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions of dollars on the Moscow real estate project. Cohen presented a personal check for $35,000 signed by Trump in 2017, reimbursing him for the illegal hush money I paid on his behalf. Cohen had previously implicated Trump in the hush money payments to two women, aimed at keeping them quiet about alleged affairs during the final weeks of the 2016 campaign. Ahead of the House hearing, the White House has condemned Cohen and downplayed his longtime connection to the President. In a statement on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders called him a disgraced felon. Trump, who is currently in Vietnam for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accused Cohen of lying in order to reduce his prison time. Meanwhile, House Republicans have already questioned whether the testimony will be credible, given that Cohen pleaded guilty in November to lying to Congress in previous testimony. Story continues Michael Cohen was one of many lawyers who represented me (unfortunately). He had other clients also. He was just disbarred by the State Supreme Court for lying & fraud. He did bad things unrelated to Trump. He is lying in order to reduce his prison time. Using Crookeds lawyer! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 27, 2019 Read Cohens full opening statement here: Chairman Cummings, Ranking Member Jordan, and Members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me here today. I have asked this Committee to ensure that my family be protected from Presidential threats, and that the Committee be sensitive to the questions pertaining to ongoing investigations. I thank you for your help and for your understanding. I am here under oath to correct the record, to answer the Committees questions truthfully, and to offer the American people what I know about President Trump. I recognize that some of you may doubt and attack me on my credibility. It is for this reason that I have incorporated into this opening statement documents that are irrefutable, and demonstrate that the information you will hear is accurate and truthful. Never in a million years did I imagine, when I accepted a job in 2007 to work for Donald Trump, that he would one day run for the presidency, to launch a campaign on a platform of hate and intolerance, and actively win. I regret the day I said yes to Mr. Trump. I regret all the help and support I gave him along the way. I am ashamed of my own failings and publicly accepted responsibility for them by pleading guilty in the Southern District of New York. I am ashamed of my weakness and my misplaced loyalty of the things I did for Mr. Trump in an effort to protect and promote him. I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trumps illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a con man. And he is a cheat. He was a presidential candidate who knew that Roger Stone was talking with Julian Assange about a WikiLeaks drop of Democratic National Committee emails. I will explain each in a few moments. I am providing the Committee today with several documents. These include: A copy of a check Mr. Trump wrote from his personal bank account after he became president to reimburse me for the hush money payments I made to cover up his affair with an adult film star and to prevent damage to his campaign; Copies of financial statements from 2011, 2012 and 2013 that he gave to such institutions as Deutsche Bank; A copy of an article with Mr. Trumps handwriting on it that reported on the auction of a portrait of himself that he arranged for the bidder ahead of time and then reimbursed the bidder from the account of his non-profit charitable foundation, with the picture now hanging in one of his country clubs; and Copies of letters I wrote at Mr. Trumps direction that threatened his high school, colleges, and the College Board not to release his grades or SAT scores. I hope my appearance here today, my guilty plea, and my work with law enforcement agencies are steps along a path of redemption that will restore faith in me and help this country understand our president better. Before going further, I want to apologize to each member and to Congress as a whole. The last time I appeared before Congress, I came to protect Mr. Trump. Today, I am here to tell the truth about Mr. Trump. I lied to Congress [about] when Mr. Trump stopped negotiating the Moscow Tower project in Russia. I stated that we stopped negotiating in January of 2016. That was false. Our negotiations continued for months later during the campaign. Mr. Trump did not directly tell me to lie to Congress. Thats not how he operates. In conversations we had during the campaign, at the same time I was actively negotiating in Russia for him, he would look me in the eye and tell me theres no Russian business and then go on to lie to the American people by saying the same thing. In his way, he was telling me to lie. There were at least a half-dozen times between the Iowa Caucus in January 2016 and the end of June when he would ask me, Hows it going in Russia? referring to the Moscow Tower project. You need to know that Mr. Trumps personal lawyers reviewed and edited my statement to Congress about the timing of the Moscow Tower negotiations before I gave it. So to be clear: Mr. Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it. He lied about it because he never expected to win. He also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions of dollars on the Moscow real estate project. And so I lied about it, too because Mr. Trump had made clear to me, through his personal statements to me that we both knew to be false and through his lies to the country, that he wanted me to lie. And he made it clear to me because his personal attorneys reviewed my statement before I gave it to Congress. Over the past two years, I have been smeared as a rat by the President of the United States. The truth is much different, and let me take a brief moment to introduce myself. My name is Michael Dean Cohen. And I am a blessed husband of 24 years and a father to an incredible daughter and son. When I married my wife, I promised her that I would love her, I would cherish her, and I would protect her. As my father said countless times throughout my childhood, you my wife, and you my children, are the air that I breathe. So to my Laura and to my Sami and to my Jake, there is nothing I wouldnt do to protect you. I have always tried to live a life of loyalty, friendship, generosity, and compassion qualities my parents ingrained in my siblings and me since childhood. My father survived the Holocaust thanks to the compassion and selfless acts of others. He was helped by many who put themselves in harms way to do what they knew was right. And that is why my first instinct has always been to help those in need. Mom and Dad, I am sorry I let you down. As many people that know me best would say, I am the person that they call at 3AM if they needed help. I proudly remember being the emergency contact for many of my childrens friends when they were growing up because their parents knew that I would drop everything and care for them as if they were my own. Yet, last fall I pled guilty in federal court to felonies for the benefit of, at the direction of, and in coordination with Individual #1. For the record: Individual #1 is President Donald J. Trump. It is painful to admit that I was motivated by ambition at times. It is even more painful to admit that many times I ignored my conscience and acted loyal to a man when I should not have. Sitting here today, it seems unbelievable that I was so mesmerized by Donald Trump that I was willing to do things for him that I knew were absolutely wrong. For that reason, I have come here to apologize to my family, to my government, and to the American people. Accordingly, let me now tell you about Mr. Trump. I got to know him very well, working very closely with him for more than 10 years, as his Executive Vice President and Special Counsel and then as personal attorney when he became President. When I first met Mr. Trump, he was a successful entrepreneur, a real estate giant, and an icon. Being around Mr. Trump was intoxicating. When you were in his presence, you felt like you were involved in something greater than yourself, that you were somehow changing the world. I wound up touting the Trump narrative for over a decade. That was my job. Always stay on message. Always defend. It monopolized my life. At first, I worked mostly on real estate developments and other business transactions. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Trump brought me into his personal life and private dealings. Over time, I saw his true character revealed. Mr. Trump is an enigma. He is complicated, as am I. He has both good and bad, as do we all. But the bad far outweighs the good, and since taking office, he has become the worst version of himself. He is capable of behaving kindly, but he is not kind. He is capable of committing acts of generosity, but he is not generous. He is capable of being loyal, but he is fundamentally disloyal. Donald Trump is a man who ran for office to make his brand great, not to make our country great. He had no desire or intention to lead this nation only to market himself and to build his wealth and power. Mr. Trump would often say, this campaign was going to be the greatest infomercial in political history. He never expected to win the primary. He never expected to win the general election. The campaign for him was always a marketing opportunity. I knew early on in my work for Mr. Trump that he would direct me to lie to further his business interests. I am ashamed to say, that when it was for a real estate mogul in the private sector, I considered it trivial. As the President, I consider it significant and dangerous. But in the mix, lying for Mr. Trump was normalized, and no one around him questioned it. In fairness, no one around him today questions it, either. A lot of people have asked me about whether Mr. Trump knew about the release of the hacked Democratic National Committee emails ahead of time. The answer is yes. As I earlier stated, Mr. Trump knew from Roger Stone in advance about the WikiLeaks drop of emails. In July of 2016, days before the Democratic convention, I was in Mr. Trumps office when his secretary announced that Roger Stone was on the phone. Mr. Trump put Mr. Stone on the speakerphone. Mr. Stone told Mr. Trump that he had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange and that Mr. Assange told Mr. Stone that, within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clintons campaign. Mr. Trump responded by stating to the effect, wouldnt that be great. Mr. Trump is a racist. The country has seen Mr. Trump court white supremacists and bigots. You have heard him call poorer countries shitholes. In private, he is even worse. He once asked me if I could name a country run by a black person that wasnt a shithole. This was when Barack Obama was President of the United States. And when we were once driving through a struggling neighborhood in Chicago, he commented that only black people could live that way. And, he told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid. And yet I continued to work for him. Mr. Trump is a cheat. As previously stated, Im giving the Committee today three years of President Trumps financial statements, from 2011, 2012 and 2013, which he gave to Deutsche Bank to inquire about a loan to buy the Buffalo Bills and to Forbes. These are Exhibits 1a, 1b, and 1c to my testimony. It was my experience that Mr. Trump inflated his total assets when it served his purposes, such as trying to be listed amongst the wealthiest people in Forbes, and deflated his assets to reduce his real estate taxes. I am sharing with you two newspaper articles, side by side, that are examples of Mr. Trump inflating and deflating his assets, as I said, to suit his financial interests. These are Exhibit 2 to my testimony. As I noted, Im giving the Committee today an article he wrote on, and sent me, that reported on an auction of a portrait of Mr. Trump. This is Exhibit 3A to my testimony. Mr. Trump directed me to find a straw bidder to purchase a portrait of him that was being auctioned at an Art Hamptons Event. The objective was to ensure that his portrait, which was going to be auctioned last, would go for the highest price of any portrait that afternoon. The portrait was purchased by the fake bidder for $60,000. Mr. Trump directed the Trump Foundation, which is supposed to be a charitable organization, to repay the fake bidder, despite keeping the art for himself. Please see Exhibit 3B to my testimony. And it should come as no surprise that one of my more common responsibilities was that Mr. Trump directed me to call business owners, many of whom are small businesses, that were owed money for their services and told them no payment or a reduced payment would be coming. When I asked Mr. Trump or told Mr. Trump of my success, he actually reveled in it. And yet, I continued to work for him. Mr. Trump is a con man. He asked me to pay off an adult film star with whom he had an affair, and to lie about it to his wife, which I did. Lying to the First Lady is one of my biggest regrets because she is a kind, good person. I respect her greatly and she did not deserve that. I am giving the Committee today a copy of the $130,000 wire transfer from me to Ms. Cliffords attorney during the closing days of the presidential campaign that was demanded by Ms. Clifford to maintain her silence about her affair with Mr. Trump. And this is Exhibit 4 to my testimony. Mr. Trump directed me to use my own personal funds from a Home Equity Line of Credit to avoid any money being traced back to him that could negatively impact his campaign. I did that, too without bothering to consider whether that was improper, much less whether it was the right thing to do or how it would impact me, my family or the public. And I am going to jail in part because of my decision to help Mr. Trump hide that payment from the American people before they voted a few days later. As Exhibit 5A to my testimony shows, I am providing a copy of a $35,000 check that President Trump personally signed from his personal bank account on August 1, 2017 when he was President of the United States pursuant to the cover-up, which was the basis of my guilty plea, to reimburse me the word used by Mr. Trumps TV lawyer for the illegal hush money I paid on his behalf. This $35,000 check was one of 11 check installments that was paid throughout the year while he was President. Other checks to reimburse me for the hush money payments were signed by Don Jr. and Allen Weisselberg. See, for that example, Exhibit 5B. The President of the United States thus wrote a personal check for the payment of hush money as part of a criminal scheme to violate campaign finance laws. You can find the details of that scheme, directed by Mr. Trump, in the pleadings in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. So picture this scene in February 2017, one month into his presidency, Im visiting President Trump in the Oval Office for the first time. And its truly awe-inspiring. Hes showing me all around and pointing to different paintings, and he says to me something to the effect of Dont worry, Michael, your January and February reimbursement checks are coming. They were Fed-Exed from New York and it takes a while for that to get through the White House system. As he promised, I received the first check for the reimbursement of $70,000 not long thereafter. When I say con man, Im talking about a man who declares himself brilliant but directed me to threaten his high school, his colleges, and the College Board to never release his grades or SAT scores. As I mentioned, Im giving the Committee today copies of a letter I sent at Mr. Trumps direction threatening these schools with civil and criminal actions if Mr. Trumps grades or SAT scores were ever disclosed without his permission. These are under Exhibit 6. The irony wasnt lost on me at the time that Mr. Trump in 2011 had strongly criticized President Obama for not releasing his grades. As you can see in Exhibit 7, Mr. Trump declared Let him show his records after calling President Obama a terrible student. The sad fact is that I never heard Mr. Trump say anything in private that led me to believe he loved our nation or wanted to make it better. In fact, he did the opposite. When telling me in 2008 or 2009 that he was cutting employees salaries in half including mine he showed me what he claimed was a $10 million IRS tax refund, and he said that he could not believe how stupid the government was for giving someone like him that much money back. During the campaign, Mr. Trump said that he did not consider Vietnam Veteran, and Prisoner of War, Senator John McCain to be a hero because he likes people who werent captured. At the same time, Mr. Trump tasked me to handle the negative press surrounding his medical deferment from the Vietnam draft. Mr. Trump claimed it was because of a bone spur, but when I asked for medical records, he gave me none and said that there was no surgery. He told me not to answer the specific questions by reporters but rather offer simply the fact that he received a medical deferment. He finished the conversation with the following comment. You think Im stupid, Im not going to Vietnam. I find it ironic, Mr. President, that you are in Vietnam right now. And yet, I continued to work for him. Questions have been raised about whether I know of direct evidence that Mr. Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia. I do not. And I want to be clear. But I have my suspicions. Sometime in the summer of 2017, I read all over the media that there had been a meeting in Trump Tower in June of 2016 involving Don Jr. and others from the campaign with Russians, including a representative of the Russian government, and an email setting up the meeting with the subject line, Dirt on Hillary Clinton. Something clicked in my mind. I remembered being in a room with Mr. Trump, probably in early June 2016, when something peculiar happened. Don Trump Jr. came into the room and walked behind his fathers desk which in and of itself was unusual. People didnt just walk behind Mr. Trumps desk to talk to him. And I recalled Don Jr. leaning over to his father and speaking in a low voice, which I could clearly hear, and saying: The meeting is all set. I remember Mr. Trump saying, Ok goodlet me know. What struck me as I looked back and thought about the exchange between Don Jr. and his father was, first, that Mr. Trump had frequently told me and others that his son Don Jr. had the worst judgment of anyone in the world. And also, that Don Jr. would never set up any meeting of significance alone and certainly not without checking with his father. I also knew that nothing went on in Trump world, especially the campaign, without Mr. Trumps knowledge and approval. So, I concluded that Don Jr. was referring to that June 2016 Trump Tower meeting about dirt on Hillary with the Russian representatives when he walked behind his dads desk that day and that Mr. Trump knew that was the meeting Don Jr. was talking about when he said, Thats goodlet me know. Over the past year or so, I have done some real soul searching. I see now that my ambition and the intoxication of Trump power had much to do with the bad decisions, in part, that I made. To you, Chairman Cummings, Ranking Member Jordan, and the other members of this Committee, and the other members of the House and Senate, I am sorry for my lies and for lying to Congress. To our nation, I am sorry for actively working to hide from you the truth about Mr. Trump when you needed it most. For those who question my motives for being here today, I understand. I have lied, but I am not a liar. I have done bad things, but I am not a bad man. I have fixed things, but I am no longer your fixer, Mr. Trump. I am going to prison and have shattered the safety and security that I tried so hard to provide for my family. My testimony certainly does not diminish the pain that I have caused my family and friends nothing can do that. And I have never asked for, nor would I accept, a pardon from President Trump. And, by coming today, I have caused my family to be the target of personal, scurrilous attacks by the President and his lawyer trying to intimidate me from appearing before this panel. Mr. Trump called me a rat for choosing to tell the truth much like a mobster would do when one of his men decides to cooperate with the government. As Exhibit 8 shows, I have provided the Committee with copies of Tweets that Mr. Trump posted, attacking me and my family only someone burying his head in the sand would not recognize them for what they are: encouragement to someone to do harm to me and my family. I never imagined that he would engage in vicious, false attacks on my family and unleash his TV-lawyer to do the same. I hope this committee and all members of Congress on both sides of the aisle make it clear that as a nation, we should not tolerate attempts to intimidate witnesses before Congress and attacks on family are out of bounds and not acceptable. I wish to especially thank Speaker Pelosi for her statements in Exhibit 9 to protect this institution and me, and the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Adam Schiff and you, Chairman Cummings, for likewise defending this institution and my family against the attacks by Mr. Trump, and also the many Republicans who have admonished the President as well. I am not a perfect man. I have done things I am not proud of, and I will live with the consequences of my actions for the rest of my life. But today, I get to decide the example that I set for my children and how I attempt to change how history will remember me. I may not be able to change the past, but I can do right by the American people here today. And I thank you for your attention, and I am happy to answer the Committees questions. With reporting from Alana Abramson. Michael Cohen, the man who infamously said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump, has raised the spectre of political chaos and even violence if the man he once served failed to win re-election in 2020, telling Congress he feared there would never be a peaceful transition of power. In testimony on Capitol Hill that was part payback, part self-defence, and part attempted atonement, the former lawyer laid bare the danger of becoming intoxicated by the lure of powerful people. I did things and I acted improperly, at times at Mr Trumps behest. I blindly followed his demands. My loyalty to Mr Trump has cost me everything: my familys happiness, friendships, my law licence, my company, my livelihood, my honour, my reputation and soon my freedom, said the 52-year-old. And I will not sit back, say nothing, and allow him to do the same to the country. Cohen, who for a dozen years worked as Mr Trumps legal fixer and enforcer, is the latest in a number of former associates of the president who have publicly rued the day they worked for him. Yet his testimony before the House of Representatives oversight committee carried particular weight because for those 12 years he was up close and personal to whatever action the president was involved in. Over the course of around six hours of testimony, he made several revelations or claims that the president, his eldest son and the CFO of Trump Organisation, Allen Weisselberg, were involved in a criminal conspiracy still under investigation; that Mr Trump spoke to Roger Stone about an imminent dump of hacked documents by WikiLeaks; and that Mr Trump probably knew in advance about a June 2016 meeting Donald Trump Jr was having in Trump Tower with a Kremlin-linked lawyer. I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr Trumps illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience, he said . I am ashamed because I know what Mr Trump is. He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat. Story continues While some of Cohens remarks his comments blunt and his accent a thick Long Island burr made have sounded damning, it remains unclear whether any of what he presented on Wednesday contained either a smoking gun or an accusation so damaging it could at this point harm the president. He said he had no evidence Mr Trump colluded with the Russian government during the 2016 election, only suspicions. I wouldnt use the word colluding. Was there something odd about the back-and-forth praise with President Putin? Yes, but Im not really sure I can answer the question about collusion, he said. Also, somewhat cushioning any sting, was the fact that much of what Cohen said about Mr Trump was not new. Indeed, for some observers, the most worrying aspect of testimony of Cohen was his claim Mr Trumps supporters would not go quietly if he was defeated in his re-election effort. Michael Cohen was one of many lawyers who represented me (unfortunately). He had other clients also. He was just disbarred by the State Supreme Court for lying & fraud. He did bad things unrelated to Trump. He is lying in order to reduce his prison time. Using Crookeds lawyer! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 27, 2019 Given my experience working for Mr Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, there will never be a peaceful transition of power, Cohen said during his closing remarks. He said it was that concern that led him to appear before the members of congress. Democratic congressman Elijah Cummings, chair of the committee, told reporters he believed, based on what he had heard, it appeared Mr Trump had committed a crime. I believe he told the truth, Mr Cummings said of Cohen at the end of the hearing. Asked if he believed the president had committed a crime while in office, he replied: Based on what looking at the text and listening to Mr Cohen, it appears that he did. Cohen is scheduled to go to jail in May to serve a three-year sentence after he last year pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion, bank fraud, and campaign finance violations in relation to hush money payments made to two women, Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, on the eve of the election. He also pleaded guilty to a separate charge brought by Robert Muellers office that he lied to Congress about discussions over the construction of a proposed Trump Organisation skyscraper in Moscow. As such, Mr Trump, the White House and Republicans on the committee sought to project him as desperate man with a record of lying who had done a deal with prosecutors. Republican congressman Paul Gosar put up a sign that read Liar, Liar Pants on Fire and called Cohen a pathological liar, according to the Associated Press. Cohen hit back, accusing the Republicans of protecting the president as he had once done. I am not protecting Mr Trump anymore. Mr Trump, who is in Vietnam for peace talks with North Koreas Kim Jong-un, got in his defence before his former lawyer had even spoken. Michael Cohen was one of many lawyers who represented me (unfortunately). He had other clients also, he tweeted from Hanoi. He was just disbarred by the state supreme court for lying & fraud. He did bad things unrelated to Trump. He is lying in order to reduce his prison time. War veteran Steve Earle says a Specsavers worker accused him of killing innocent people. (Photo: SWNS) The U.K. optical retail chain Specsavers has apologized to a war veteran who claims he was accused of killing innocent people by a worker during an eye exam. Steve Leale, who served in the army for 32 years, said the optician also refused to book a priority hospital appointment for him following his visit to Specsavers earlier this month. Veterans in the U.K. are entitled to priority access to care through the National Health Service (NHS), which includes hospital, primary or community care for conditions associated with their time in the armed forces. But Leale claims that during his visit to the Woodbridge branch in Suffolk, England, on Feb. 15, a staff member questioned his service. Leale described what happened after he had an examination at the store to treat a problem with his left eye. As I was stood in the main area the optician came to find me and said, Mr. Leale I will refer you to the hospital for your left eye,' he shared on Facebook. Specsavers has suspended the employee over the incident. (Photo: SWNS) I then asked her to annotate my documents to show the fact that Im a veteran, he added. She then turned to me and asked why, so I explained the supposedly faster appointment. She then said, Why should you have that after invading countries around the world and killing innocent people? I was so gobsmacked by her comment that I did not retaliate but have since filed a complaint with their company. Having paid for new glasses for both me and [his partner] Mo, I will now be going in to request a full refund and go elsewhere. Leale, 54, finished his service in 2015 as a Warrant Officer Class 2. I am very proud to have served my country for over 32 years, he said. I did my duty on behalf of all British citizens no matter what ethnicity, background or belief, but to my horror there are those that still fail to understand the principles of why we have the freedoms we enjoy today and the sacrifice of those that allowed us to continue our life the way we do. Leale served for 32 years. (Photo: SWNS) Trevor Coult MC, who is a campaigner for veterans, took to Twitter to express his disgust. Story continues Steves complaint should have been dealt with the same day if someone had robbed Specsavers they would have dealt with it immediately, he wrote. Nothing was done with his complaint for days and days and it wasnt until I tweeted about it that Specsavers replied. His complaint was sent to head office and they didnt think it was serious enough. Specsavers has since launched an investigation into what happened and suspended an employee while the inquiry is carried out. An employee has been suspended pending a disciplinary investigation into comments made to a customer at the Woodbridge store, as spokesman for the chain said. The alleged comments do not represent the views of Specsavers, who are active supporters of Blind Veterans UK, a charity which cares for former military personnel with sight problems. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. FORT COLLINS, Colo. The final necropsy report of the mountain lion killed by Colorado trail runner Travis Kauffman estimates the age of the lion at three to four months. The necropsy performed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife veterinarians in Fort Collins identified the lion as a "kitten'' with a weight of 24 pounds. However, the animal was heavily scavenged and officials estimated the animal's live weight was 35 to 40 pounds. The report listed the animal in "fair condition'' with no diseases noted. According to the necropsy, "blood-staining of the scavenged tissues suggests the scavenging took place perimortem (meaning taking place at or around the time of death).'' The necropsy went on to say the "pattern of scavenging is reminiscent of feline predation.'' One identifiable set of teeth marks in the dead animal matched the size of the dead animal's teeth, likely indicating the dead lion was partially eaten by its siblings, which is a lion behavior. Officials later trapped two lions in Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, where the attack occurred, that they believe to be the dead lion's siblings. Officials moved the animals to a wildlife rehabilitation facility with the intent to release them back into the wild. More: Trail runner was attacked by a mountain lion. He suffocated it to death in self-defense, wildlife officials say Local runner Travis Kauffman describes the approximate size of the adolescent mountain lion that attacked him, as seen on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019, in Fort Collins, Colo. Kauffman said at a press conference held in Fort Collins on Feb. 14, 10 days after the attack, that he feared he would be attacked by other mountain lions in the area. He said he especially feared the mother of the lion he killed would confront him. Officials described the animal as a juvenile throughout the investigation. Though kitten is commonly associated with very young members of the feline family, in the report the word could simply mean an immature lion. The necropsy, which was performed the same day of the attack, stated there was abundant dried blood within the fur between the paw pads as well as surrounding the nose and mouth of the animal. Story continues Wildlife officials did not immediately respond to a question regarding if any blood from Kauffman was found on the animal. Determining the animal's sex was difficult because the sex organs were missing, presumed scavenged. However, the intact pelvic region did not indicate a uterus, and officials believe the animal was a male. The animal had abrasions and bruising on the top of its head, with additional abrasions on the bridge of its nose and above the right eye. The larynx and trachea had extensive tiny hemorrhage pinpoints, indicating manual strangulation. More: Meet the Colorado trail runner who killed a mountain lion in self-defense The 31-year-old Kauffman, who stands 5-feet-10 and weighs 150 pounds, told authorities that during the struggle he was able to hit the lion on the head with a rock then use his foot to step on its throat, ultimately killing it. His story garnered international attention due to the rarity of a person being attacked by a mountain lion and, even more rare, the person being attacked killing the predator. Wildlife officials said even though the lion was young, Kauffman did everything right in defending himself and praised him for being able to fend off the mountain lion. The two trapped lions from Horsetooth Mountain Open Space remain at an undisclosed rehabilitation facility, where they will be fed to put on weight and will not be released into the wild until the animals have a strong chance of survival, officials say. When trapped, the animals were generally in "good condition, hungry, but not emaciated'' and had no diseases or abnormalities detected. This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Mountain lion killed by Colorado trail runner was a kitten, necropsy report says London (AFP) - The Mozambique government has launched legal action against banking giant Credit Suisse in London amid a deepening scandal over the country's default of $2 billion in loans, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. The Swiss lender is being sued along with shipbuilder Privinvest and three individuals for potential breaches of commercial contracts, according to papers filed to the High Court on Wednesday. It is alleged the Mozambique government took out loans amounting to $2 billion to buy a tuna-fishing fleet and surveillance ships, but hid the transaction from parliament and international donors. An independent audit found that a quarter of the loan amount was diverted, and unaccounted for. The United States alleges at least $200 million was spent on bribes and kickbacks, including $12 million on ex-finance minister Manuel Chang, who allegedly signed off on debt guarantees. Chang was arrested last year on a US extradition request. The US Department of Justice has accused three former Credit Suisse workers of helping to create $2 billion in maritime projects as a front. They were arrested in London in early January and their extradition to the US is due to be heard shortly. By Jeffrey Heller JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's attorney-general announced on Thursday he intends to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges, a decision coming just six weeks before a closely contested national election. It was the first time a serving Israeli prime minister has been put on official notice of planned prosecution, and deepened uncertainty over how Netanyahu, a veteran right-wing leader, will fare against a coalition of upstart centrist rivals. An actual filing of the charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust would depend on the outcome of a required hearing, the Justice Ministry said. That could take months to complete. At that hearing - which could take place after the April 9 election - Netanyahu can try to persuade the attorney-general, Avichai Mandelblit, not to indict him. His voice brimming with indignation as he addressed the nation during prime-time TV news, Netanyahu dismissed the three criminal cases as a political "witch-hunt" designed to oust him. "I intend to serve you and the country as prime minister for many more years. But it's up to you," he said, referring to his hopes of winning a fourth consecutive term in April. "It's not up to the civil servants. It's not up to the television studios. It's not up to the pundits and journalists." Netanyahu is suspected of wrongfully accepting $264,000-worth of gifts, which prosecutors said included cigars and champagne, from tycoons and dispensing favors in alleged bids for improved coverage by an Israeli newspaper and a website. He could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of bribery and a maximum 3-year term for fraud and breach of trust. Israel's shekel weakened against the dollar on the news. It was trading at 3.63 per dollar at 1620 GMT, from 3.6240 before the announcement and down 0.4 percent versus the U.S. currency from Wednesday. Opinion polls show a tight race for Netanyahu's Likud party, with sharp gains for a center-left alliance led by Benny Gantz, a former armed forces chief who has pledged clean government. 'CLOSE CALL' ELECTIONS At the hearing with Mandelblit, the 69-year-old Netanyahu can cite the public interest in arguing against an indictment. In his statement on Thursday, the prime minister touted what he has achieved for the country: noting the strong economy and ties with world powers that he has cultivated over the last decade. "This is not to be taken for granted," he said. Netanyahu would be under no legal requirement to resign, even if indicted. But if he were re-elected it would likely be to lead a coalition, as he does now, and if he were indicted, public pressure could buckle the necessary alliances. Gantz said on Thursday he would not join Netanyahu in any future coalition government given the possible corruption indictment, and called on the prime minister to step down. Yohanan Plesner, president of the non-partisan Israel Democracy Institute, said he did not expect a dramatic shift in public opinion against Netanyahu. "However, since the elections are such a close call, even a movement of few percentage points in either direction can make the difference between Netanyahu winning as prime minister - or his main challenger, Mr. Benny Gantz," said Plesner. Netanyahu's supporters generally back his hawkish stands on Iran and the Palestinians, credit him for the strong economy and greatly admire his command of English and international standing. Many of his opponents see him as a divisive leader whose alliance with the far-right has harmed democracy and made any prospect of peace with the Palestinians even more remote. Anshel Pfeffer, author of a recent Netanyahu biography, said on Twitter that Israel was entering "uncharted waters" in which "no one has any idea how being a prime minister under notice of indictment will effect Netanyahu and his government". 'SAD DAY' U.S. President Donald Trump, asked at a news conference earlier on Thursday about Netanyahu's legal troubles, voiced support for the Israeli leader. Trump and Netanyahu have been in lockstep over policy toward Iran and the Palestinians. "Well, I just think he has been a great prime minister," said Trump. U.S.-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians collapsed in 2014 and the Trump administration is expected to unveil a new peace plan after the Israeli election. The Palestinian leadership did not immediately comment on the news of Netanyahu's pending indictment. Sitting in a cafe in the city of Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, 28-year-old Palestinian student Abdallah al-Razem said Netanyahu's legal predicament was in the interest of the Palestinian people. But he added: "There is also corruption within our government ... I hope such a decision gets implemented here too." Roy Slor, a 47-year-old Israeli who works with people with disabilities, watched the news on television in a Tel Aviv cafe. "I think it's a very sad day for us in Israel. I was upset hearing the news," he said. "It's not an easy day when the prime minister is accused of these allegations." (Additional reporting by Dan Williams and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem, Rami Ayyub in Tel Aviv and Yosri al-Jamal in Hebron; Editing by Stephen Farrell and Frances Kerry) Supporters of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari march to celebrate his electoral win - AP Nigerias opposition leader is to mount a legal challenge after President Muhammadu Buhari secured a second term in an election marked both by apathy and violence that claimed hundreds of lives. The electoral commission officially declared Mr Buhari the victor of Saturdays poll, saying he had won 56 percent of the vote, against 41 percent secured by his main challenger, Atiku Abubakar. But Mr Abubakar insisted he had been cheated of the chance to lead Africas most populous state after a conspiracy between the commission and the presidents ruling party. It is clear that there were manifest and premeditated malpractices in many states which negate the results announced, Mr Abubakar, a former vice president, said as he announced that he would file a legal petition to overturn the vote. Mr Buhari, a former military dictator who returned to office as a civilian in 2015, insisted that the election was free and fair, claiming the vote was another milestone in Nigerias democratic development. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari walks to the lectern to address the crowd gathered at an electoral commission ceremony in Abuja Credit: AP Observers have so far raised no objection to the conduct of the vote, although analysts say there were troubling aspects to it. Most controversially, the president suspended the countrys chief justice last month after accusing him of improperly declaring his assets. In so doing, he removed an independently minded figure who would have presided over the hearing of Mr Abubakars case. As a result, the petition is thought unlikely to succeed. The suspicion of some Nigerians was also raised after the electoral commission delayed the vote by a week just hours before polling was due to start. Because many voters who had travelled to their rural homes to cast their ballots were forced to return to work, turnout was barely more than a third. Many Nigerians, particularly in the predominantly Christian south, were little enthused by either candidate, both of whom are Muslim northerners. Despite the apathy, at least 327 people have been killed since campaigning began in October, an independent group that monitors violence in Nigeria said. Most died in attacks by Islamist jihadists or in fighting between gangs and the security forces close to polling stations. More than 60 have died since Saturday. Illustrating the challenges facing the president in a country struggling to emerge from recession and plagued by violence, a non-Islamist insurgent group in an oil region in the south has said it would resume its rebellion after a two-year lull should Mr Buhari win. The president will face less opposition in parliament, however, after his most formidable opponent, Bukola Saraki, the head of the senate, lost his seat. Donald Trump summoned the world's media to Hanoi for a meeting with Kim Jong Un, travelled the long way around the world to get there, and dangled an "AWESOME" future before the North Korean leader. And they did not agree anything. That may not be such a bad thing, analysts say -- but reaching a deal will take a long time. Trump and Kim's Singapore summit -- the first-ever encounter between the leaders of two countries on opposite sides of the technically still unfinished Korean War -- made global headlines last year. The agreement they signed, though, was short on specifics, with Kim committing only to a vague promise to "work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula". Subsequent progress stalled with the two sides disagreeing over what that means, and ahead of the Hanoi meeting analysts expected them to put meat on the bones of the text. In the event, there was more bonhomie in the Vietnamese capital -- a venue chosen partly to symbolise the possibility of a good post-war relationship with the US -- but even less in the way of tangible outcomes, with no communique emerging from the summit. Trump told reporters Kim wanted all sanctions imposed on the North over its weapons programmes lifted before it made any further moves over its Yongbyon nuclear plant and other covert sites, and he had decided to walk away. "I'd much rather do it right than do it fast," he added. At a surprise late-night briefing North Korea's foreign minister insisted that Pyongyang had only wanted partial sanctions relief in exchange for Yongbyon's closure, and that its position was "invariable". The optics of the stand-off looked poor. But analysts pointed to the meeting as part of a long process, and potentially a necessary one. "These talks were not a failure," said David Kim of the Stimson Center. "Think of the Trump-Kim relationship like a Korean drama," he went on. "We are just beginning to watch the long love story unfold." Story continues It would be filled with "excitement, disappointment and utter heartache", but "the bond between Kim and Trump will remain steadfast to the end. "As long as both 'lovers' remain committed to their relationship, we can expect more positive outcomes in the future." - Third date? - Trump has previously said he and Kim "fell in love" over an exchange of letters, and while no third summit with Kim had been agreed, the White House said working-level talks would continue. But in his New Year speech, a key political set-piece in the North, Kim said Pyongyang would seek a "new way" to defend its interests if Washington did not offer concessions in return for the steps it has already taken -- a missile and nuclear test moratorium, and what it says is the destruction of facilities it no longer needs. That raises the prospect of Kim turning to neighbour and ally China for succour. In and before Hanoi, Trump repeatedly said the North could become an "economic powerhouse" if it gave up its weapons. The two discussed liaison offices -- a vital initial step in normalising relations -- and Ankit Panda of the Federation of American Scientists said there were "multiple credible reports an end-of-war declaration was on the table." But those were "never the 'corresponding measures' North Korea sought", he added. Pyongyang will once again have been able to portray itself as Washington's equal, and Kim as Trump's -- the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper carried a front-page picture Thursday that showed the US president appearing to bow slightly as the pair shook hands. Former CIA analyst Soo Kim noted that Trump had insisted several times he was in no rush to complete a deal and that with the North not yet prepared to take the steps Washington wanted, the US president "so far looks at ease with this decision". But, she told AFP: "This outcome is likely not what the Kim regime had banked on. So it remains to be seen whether after the rug has been pulled from underneath, North Korea will bite again at another opportunity." - Waning Moon - The no-result from Hanoi leaves South Korean President Moon Jae-in -- who seized on last year's Winter Olympics in his country to broker talks between Pyongyang and Washington -- in a bind. Moon had intended to unveil an inter-Korean economic co-operation plan on Friday, said former CIA staffer Kim, the 100th anniversary of a movement against Japanese colonial rule -- one issue on which North and South Koreans are in total agreement. Now suggestions of a Kim Jong Un trip to Seoul are likely to go on the back burner, and she said it "remained to be seen" whether Moon would be able to pursue his inter-Korean rapprochement so quickly. Christopher Green, senior advisor at International Crisis Group, said the outcome was unexpected, "but I don't think it's a disaster and it doesn't end the dialogue process". "There will have to be some re-booting and I would expect after a period of relative quiet that lower level talks will begin again," he added. But while Trump has his eye on next year's US presidential election -- and is said to want a Nobel Peace Prize -- Kim is the third generation of his family to rule the North and undoubtedly expects to remain in power for decades. And Ri said the North's stance would "never" change in any future negotiations. "These talks will take a long time and will far outlive this presidency," said David Kim. "Patience is a virtue." WASHINGTON At least President Donald Trump did not get rolled. The collapse of Trumps negotiations with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un sparked a mixture of relief that the president didnt agree to a flimsy deal and concern about whats next among lawmakers and national security experts who watched the suspenseful summit unfold in Vietnam. Theres no denying this summit was a failure. We got zero progress, said Victor Cha, who served as a national security adviser in the George W. Bush administration. But, he said, I also think its a good thing the president didnt take a bad deal. Cha and others said they had been deeply concerned that Trump desperate for a foreign policy success as he faces growing domestic turmoil would fall for half-measures or false promises from the North Koreans. There was angst that the president would go off in dangerous directions and make an impulsive decision in the high-stakes negotiations, said Michael Green, an Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. Green said he took some reassurance from Trumps decision, although he credited Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other White House advisers for persuading the president to walk away. Lawmakers in both parties also praised Trump's decision to end the talks, even as they blasted the president's remarks about North Korea's treatment of Otto Warmbier, the University of Virginia college student who suffered a severe brain injury after being detained by the North Korean government. Warmbier, a native of Ohio, died a few days after his release, and his parents believe he was tortured. Trump said Kim "didn't know" about Warmbier's case or treatment while he was imprisoned in the North Korean dictator's country, "I don't believe he knew about it," Trump said. "He tells me that he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word." Story continues Trump abruptly ended the Vietnam summit on Thursday, canceling a signing ceremony with Kim and conceding the two leaders could not reach an agreement that would lead to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. "Sometimes you have to walk," Trump said at a news conference in Hanoi. He said the talks broke down over the North Korean dictators insistence that the U.S. move to lift crippling economic sanctions on the North Korean regime. In exchange, Kim had offered to dismantle North Koreas main nuclear facility, Yongbyon, but would not commit to giving up its stockpile of nuclear bombs, its missiles or its other capabilities. That facility, while very big, it wasnt enough to do what we were doing, Trump told reporters Thursday. North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho contradicted Trump's characterization of the talks. At a rare public statement before the international media, Ri said North Korea had offered to permanently dismantle all its nuclear material production, including plutonium and uranium, around the Yongbyan facility under observation by U.S. experts. And Kim asked only for partial relief from the multilateral sanctions, he said. It became crystal-clear that the United States was not ready to accept our proposal, Ri said through a translator. Our proposal will never be changed, even though the United States proposes negotiation again in the future. President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim No matter what the reason for the impasse, American lawmakers in both parties seemed thankful that the summit didn't result in a slap-dash agreement. The president is to be commended for walking away when it became clear insufficient progress had been made on denuclearization, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on the Senate floor Thursday. Kim Jong Un now has a long train ride home, and he will have time to reflect on the future that is still within North Koreas grasp, McConnell said. But the president has demonstrated that such a future must be accompanied by real denuclearization. Rep. Eliot Engel, a New York Democrat and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said North Korea clearly was not ready to take meaningful steps toward denuclearization, and the White House "rushed prematurely" into another summit. "My chief concern leading up to this meeting was that the Trump administration would ease sanctions in response to some inadequate, superficial commitment from Pyongyang," Engel said. "Im relieved that there were no major announcements on sanctions relief, given there were no major commitments by North Korea about its nuclear program." Sen. Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said the presidents failure to reach an agreement in Hanoi was of his own making and showed the limits of reality TV diplomacy. Its better not to go ahead and enter into a bad deal, but you dont put yourself in this position in the first place, Menendez said in an interview with CNN. He and others noted that North Korea continued to develop its nuclear arsenal even as Kim's regime engaged in high-level diplomacy with the Trump administration on denuclearization. Experts estimate that North Korea has 30 to 60 nuclear bombs, along with a cache of missiles. The North Koreans have stopped nuclear and missile tests, and the U.S. has suspended joint military exercises with South Korea. The halt in military exercises will lead to a degradation of the Pentagons readiness, Green said. We are now stuck with a freeze for freeze, Green said. In some ways, were worse off than we were before. While Trump won praise for cutting short the nuclear talks, there was bipartisan blowback over his acceptance of Kim's denial that he knew about Warmbier. Speaking on CNN, ex-Sen. Rick Santorum called Trump's comments about Warmbier "reprehensible." Menendez said the remarks caused "enormous damage" and were part of a broader failure of the president to confront Kim over North Korea's human-rights record. "North Korea murdered Otto Warmbier, and the president of the United States has a responsibility to make sure they face the consequences. Anything short of that is unacceptable, said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. The president of the United States is sending a message to dictators around the world that he believes autocrats when they lie or when they cover up, or when they justify policies that result in the deaths of human beings. Contributing: John Fritze More: Takeaways from Donald Trump's abruptly ended summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un More: Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un fail to strike deal, call off nuclear weapons talks early This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: North Korea summit: Why Trump's failure to reach a deal is being lauded in Washington WASHINGTON North Koreas foreign minister on Thursday contradicted President Donald Trump's account of the failed negotiations in Hanoi. During a rare statement to the international media in Vietnam, Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said the North Koreans offered more and asked for far less than the way Trump characterized the proposal. He also suggested it would be difficult to restart the negotiations. It became crystal clear that the United States was not ready to accept our proposal, Ri said through a translator. Our proposal will never be changed, even though the United States proposes negotiation again in the future. Start your day smarter: Get USA TODAY's Daily Briefing in your inbox President Donald Trump speaks as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo looks on during a news conference after a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. President Trump abruptly ended a long-planned summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un on Thursday, acknowledging the two leaders did not reach an agreement that accomplished the U.S. goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. Trump had said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un asked for a full lifting of economic sanctions on his government. In exchange, Trump said, Kim offered to dismantle North Korea's main nuclear facility, Yongbyan. But Kim would not commit to giving up North Korea's stockpile of nuclear bombs, its missiles or its other capabilities, the president said. Ri told reporters that North Korea had offered to permanently dismantle all its nuclear material production, including plutonium and uranium, around the Yongbyan facility under observation by U.S. experts. And Kim only asked for partial relief from the multilateral sanctions, he said. In response to Ris comments, a senior State Department official said the North Koreans were parsing words. This official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations, said the North Koreans asked for the lifting of all sanctions except those on weapons. Editorial: At North Korea summit, flattery got Trump nowhere Opinion: Presidents diplomatic approach to North Korea is artful Fact check: Trump says North Korea summit 'productive.' Was it? That would have included a broad range of products including metals, raw materials, transportation, seafood, coal exports, refined petroleum imports, raw petroleum imports It tallies up to the tune of many, many billions of dollars, the official said. Story continues That would have put the U.S. in the position of subsidizing North Koreas ongoing development of weapons of mass destruction. The differences over such details did not spell an end to the talks, the State Department official said. He argued North Koreas account of the summit, as reported in the countrys state owned media, seemed constructive. Theres still ample opportunity to talk, he said. Scott A. Snyder, a Korea expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, a foreign policy think tank, said it's hard to know whether Ri's comments were revisionist or reality. The North Koreans may have realized "it was overreach" to ask for full sanctions relief and Ri's comments were an attempt to scale that request back, Synder said. But it could also be "a more factual description of what the North Koreans were after" than what Trump gave. Otto Warmbier: Trump believes Kim Jong Un didn't know about Otto Warmbier. Experts say that's impossible. 'I don't believe he knew about it.': Trump defends Kim Jong Un on Otto Warmbier's death The North Korean official's comments came after a high-stakes summit in Hanoi ended abruptly with no agreement. The White House cancelled a signing ceremony, planned for Thursday with Trump and Kim. At his own a news conference, Trump conceded the two leaders could not reach an agreement that would lead to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. "Sometimes you have to walk," Trump told reporters. He said Kim's offer to dismantle Yongbyon did not go far enough. That facility, while very big, it wasnt enough to do what we were doing, Trump told reporters Thursday. Ri did not take any questions from reporters, ignoring a shouted query about how North Korean officials could be unaware of Otto Warmbier's detention and condition after he was imprisoned there. Warmbier was arrested in North Korea in 2016 after visiting the country with a tourist group. He suffered a severe brain injury and died days after the North Koreans released him in 2017. Trump said he raised Warmbier's case with Kim but the North Korean dictator denied knowing anything about it. "He tells me that he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word," Trump said. Trump's acceptance of Kim's answer has sparked backlash from lawmakers in both parties. More: North Korea summit: Why Trump's failure to reach a deal is being lauded in Washington More: 'Unacceptable.' Backlash builds against Trump remarks on mistreatment of Otto Warmbier in North Korea This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: North Korea contradicts Trump's account of negotiations. State Dept. official says NK is 'parsing words' North Koreans are pining for their leader and enduring sleepless nights during his week-long trip to Vietnam, if the reclusive countrys state-controlled media is to be believed. Pictures from Hanoi showing Kims red-carpet treatment and excited crowds lining the streets of the Vietnamese capital to wave North Korean flags at his passing convoy are playing out well in a state that already portrays its leader and his ancestors as a living deities. North Koreas flagship state newspaper Rodong Sinmun devoted its front and second pages on Wednesday to pictures of Kim surrounded by welcoming throngs, acting statesman-like with his chief aides, and greeting cheering children of North Korean embassy staff. Meanwhile, in Pyongyang, gushing televised vox-pops with city residents have conveniently revealed a longing for their great leader to return and a renewed desire to serve him. We cant survive even for a moment without our respected Marshal, said Kim Song Suk, a public service worker on a crowded tram. We miss him so much since we heard the news of him travelling to the far-off foreign country. Pak Sol Hyui, a young woman at the Wonsan shoe-making factory, said she dreamed of the bright image of the respected Marshal while laboring at her sewing machine. How can I make the respected Marshal happier when he returns? This is the thought that filled my head all day, she said. Kim Jong-un's diplomatic skills have been praised by state media Credit: Leah Mills/Reuters According to NK News, some citizens have decided to give up alcohol for the duration of Kims trip, in order to demonstrate their loyalty. Reuters reported that Kim Jong Uns long trip to Vietnam for a second summit with Donald Trump, the US president is causing sleepless nights back home. Three days, three nights have passed since the news of the Dear Marshals overseas visit, a commentary in the Rodong said on Wednesday. Story continues Sleepless thinking of the Dear Marshal since Sunday was leading to increased production from workers in the eastern town of Samjiyon and other construction battlefields, it added. Samjiyon is at the foot of Mount Paektu, a sacred mountain where the ruling dynasty claims its roots. Kim is building a massive tourism centre there, one of his largest construction initiatives as he seeks to make his sanctions-hit economy more self-reliant. Kim and Mr Trump are meeting on Wednesday and Thursday to attempt to break a stalemate over the future of North Koreas nuclear arsenal. Since news broke on Sunday of his trip an epic 2,500-mile journey across China in a luxury train state media has dedicated much of its coverage to Kims historic overseas trip and his extraordinary political and excellent diplomatic skills. Sycophantic media reports lauding Kims great exploits is nothing new in a country gripped by his cult of personality. However, this weeks coverage has been unusually extensive and current. During the first summit between Kim and Mr Trump in Singapore last June, North Koreas state media maintained a blackout on the meeting until he arrived in the city-state. State news agency KCNA confirmed on Wednesday that Kim will remain in Vietnam after the summit for a March 1-2 goodwill visit, making his trip at least a week, the longest known trip since he came to power in 2011. ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis's shift into high-tech drugs won praise for providing patients with new options but criticism over prices that may run into the millions of dollars at the Swiss drugmaker's annual general meeting on Thursday. Shareholders at the event in Basel also approved Novartis's planned spin-off of its Alcon eyecare unit, due for coming months, with investors with five Novartis shares due to receive one share of Alcon stock. Swiss shareholder group Actares said insurance systems are being "taken hostage" by high prices for life-saving drugs. It called out Novartis's $475,000 cancer cell therapy Kymriah and its still-unapproved gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy that Novartis contends is cost-effective at $4-$5 million per patient, while independent groups have concluded its value is less than that. Chief Executive Vas Narasimhan, who did not testify this week before the U.S. Senate with other global drug industry executives also facing criticism for drug prices, said he seeks to price medicines based on their value, adding Novartis needs a fair return to further research and development. "With respect to pricing in cell and gene therapies, I think what's often lost in the discussion is the remarkable impact of these medicines," Narasimhan said. "These are true breakthroughs that come from a single infusion of a medicine that don't require lifelong therapy." Actares President Veronika Hendry said high drug prices present society with difficult questions over access. "With this business model you are taking hostage an insurance system that depends on solidarity," Hendry said. "There's currently a broad discussion going on over exorbitant drug prices, and this discussion is creating resentment and disbelief." (Reporting by John Miller; Editing by Michael Shields and Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi) What now? After 2nd Trump-Kim summit collapses, the road ahead for the US and North Korea originally appeared on abcnews.go.com President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un were not able to come to a formal agreement during their second summit in Hanoi this week. So what happens next? Experts say it's likely the U.S. will return to "working-level" talks with North Korean officials, as countries in the region urge a sustained dialogue between the two countries. During a press conference following the summit on Thursday, Trump told reporters that while he decided not to pursue "some options" that were on the table during talks "it was a very productive two days." (MORE: Not so fast, Chairman Kim: Hanoi summit disappoints, but Trump shines: COLUMN) "But sometimes you have to walk," Trump said. "And this was just one of those times." The president said that the North Korean side "basically...wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety," but in a midnight press conference North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho disputed that saying Pyongyang was requesting the removal of about half of the United Nations-imposed sanctions, but not all. PHOTO: North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump speak during the second U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, Feb. 28, 2019. (KCNA via Reuters) In return, Ri said that North Korea was willing to dismantle its Yongbyon nuclear facility only one of the sites where the country is capable of producing fissile material, but "the United States insisted that we should take one more step" in addition to Yongbyon. "Therefore, it became crystal clear that the United States was not ready to accept our proposal," he added. Ambassador Robert Gallucci, who negotiated with North Korea in the 1990s for the Clinton administration, thinks a return to discussions between lower-level officials, referred to as "working-level" talks, could work to "bridge this gap" between the two sides. (MORE: Trump defends Kim Jong Un in death of American student Otto Warmbier) Story continues "Can the gap be closed? Well, we won't know until we try," said Gallucci, who is now with the Stimson Center, a nonpartisan international policy think tank. He said the outcome of the Hanoi summit was "potentially perfect" because the U.S. didn't make concessions, yet the discussions revealed what North Korea was willing to give up at this time for sanctions relief. "Yongbyon is clearly on the table, it's just that the price was too high," Gallucci said. PHOTO: President Donald Trump looks towards North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the one-on-one bilateral meeting at the second North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, Feb. 28, 2019. (Leah Millis/Reuters) "Everyone thought President Trump was going to give away the store, and he didn't," said Joel Wit, the director of the North Korea-focused think tank 38 North. He agreed that working-level talks would be needed to keep making forward progress. But it's unclear how much those talks could really move the needle. Our principled stand will remain invariable, and our proposal will never be changed, even though the United States proposes negotiation again in the future," Ri said during the press conference in Hanoi. PHOTO: President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi, Vietnam. (Evan Vucci/AP) "I feel that [Chairman Kim] may have lost the will for future dealings," top North Korean diplomat, Choe Son Hui, told reporters. One win for Trump? Kim committed to not test missiles and nuclear weapons, the president said. However, this doesn't mean the regime can't produce the material necessary for those weapons in the meantime. "We know exactly what the risks are of them using negotiations to drag out the length of time they have to continue their nuclear, chemical, biological weapons programs and ballistic missiles," Ambassador John Bolton, Trump's national security adviser, told CBS News in July after the first summit in Singapore. Trump has asked South Korean President Moon Jae-in to "perform the role of a mediator" between Washington and Pyongyang, according to a spokesperson for Moon's office. In a statement, Moon's spokesperson called the collapse of this week's summit "regrettable," but that Trump and Kim "have made more meaningful progress than at any time prior." "We hope that the United States and North Korea will continue to have active dialogues on various levels going forward on the basis of the discussion results from this summit," the statement read. Lu Kang, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, similarly noted that "dialogue and consultation is the only way out." "Therefore, we hope that the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and the United States will continue to maintain dialogue, show sincerity, truly respect and take into account each other's legitimate concerns, and work together to promote the denuclearization of the peninsula and the establishment of a peace mechanism," Kang said. ABC News' Ben Gittleson contributed to this report. Washington (AFP) - So what comes next? After President Donald Trump's long-awaited second summit with North Korea ended inconclusively, the adversaries enter a period of deep uncertainty, if not fresh crisis. Trump, who had built up expectations for months over his second outing with leader Kim Jong Un, left Hanoi early with no deal -- and no agreed plan for another summit. North Korea said it offered to close its Yongbyon nuclear plant in return for a partial easing of sanctions, but Trump -- the self-styled master negotiator -- called for complete denuclearization in exchange for full sanctions relief. "The fact that there was no deal -- and not even a partial deal, despite the fact that President Trump indicated that a small deal was possible -- I think that is a significant disappointment," said Frank Aum, a former top adviser on North Korea to US defense secretaries. "All that shows to me that everyone came up empty-handed without a clear picture of where we're going in the future," said Aum, a senior expert at the US Institute of Peace. With Trump already having taken the unorthodox approach of personally negotiating with Kim, observers wondered whether other officials, even Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, could make progress in the face of disagreement between heads of state. "It's hard to see credible negotiations continuing. The whole point of leader-level talks was to meet with the person who can make actual decisions. That cuts both ways," said Abraham Denmark, director of the Asia program at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars. But Aum said that diplomacy still remained viable, seeing as how North Korea made clear it would not resume missile testing and that the United States is keeping its freeze on joint exercises with South Korea -- a goodwill-building dual suspension that had been proposed by China. "That means there is still hope that over the next couple of years" more progress can be made, Aum said. Story continues - Limited downside to walking away - The stalemate in Hanoi could paradoxically be a political plus for Trump as members of his Republican Party base had quietly been voicing concern that he sounded desperate for a crowning achievement with North Korea. "It's better to walk away than sign a bad deal," said Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, who also tweeted that it would be time to "end the nuclear threat from North Korea -- one way or the other" if future negotiations fail. Bruce Klingner, a North Korea expert at the conservative Heritage Foundation, voiced pleasant surprise that Trump "correctly emphasized principles and longtime allies over a premature peace declaration." Klingner hoped that Trump would stand firm in future negotiations against any quick easing of sanctions or formal declaration of peace with the totalitarian state, a US foe for seven decades. - No progress, or reversals - The summit -- which followed Trump and Kim's historic first meeting in June in Singapore -- again appeared to struggle over the meaning of denuclearization, with North Korea seeking a broader end to weapons in the peninsula. Despite his boasts that he is making progress like no US president before, "Trump's approach has yielded nothing new and has not even come close to resolving the North Korea nuclear threat," said Paul Haenle, a former White House official now at the Carnegie Tsinghua Center think tank in Beijing. "Once again, Trump returns to Washington without a specific timeline or roadmap for future talks and China's 'suspension for suspension' proposal as the status quo," he said. But Chris Green, a Korea expert at the International Crisis Group, said that the broad outlines of a deal remained. "Both parties likely concluded that it would be alright to walk away this time, looking tough for their respective domestic audiences by going home empty-handed," he said. "Today is a setback, but dialogue seems set to continue. Let's see where we are in another six months." How big is the U.S. trade deficit, in reality, and what are the implications of U.S. trade negotiations with China and other major countries around the world? On this new episode of the Numbers Geek podcast, we dive into the numbers behind the U.S. trade deficit, the trade war with China, and the implications for the U.S. economy, with our resident Numbers Geek, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the founder of our podcast partner USAFacts, the non-partisan, non-profit civic data initiative. Listen to the episode above, or subscribe to Numbers Geek in your favorite podcast app. Continue reading for a full transcript of the episode, plus graphics from USAFacts showing the key numbers behind this issue. Also see page 46 of the USAFacts 2018 annual report for a deep dive on U.S. trade numbers. USAFacts Graphics Steve Ballmer: Exports minus imports is negative. And if you want to call that a deficit, if you want to call that an imbalance you know, I call it A minus B is less than zero. Thats all that really matters in this case. Todd Bishop V/O: That is Steve Ballmer, the former Microsoft CEO, and the founder of USAFacts. On this podcast, he is our resident numbers geek, and hes explaining the formula behind one of the most closely watched numbers in the country right now, the U.S. trade deficit. If only it were that simple. Just listen to all the numbers flying around on this one. News Clip One: At the stroke of midnight, the U.S. hit China with tariffs on $34 billion worth of goods. President Trump: Our country lost $800 billion last year with trade generally. News Clip Two: Last year, the worlds two largest economies traded an estimated $579 billion in goods. Todd Bishop V/O: Coming up, we will dive into the numbers behind the U.S. trade deficit, the trade war with China, and the implications for the U.S. economy. From GeekWire and USAFacts, this is Numbers Geek. Im GeekWire Editor Todd Bishop. Stay with us. Story continues Steve Ballmer, founder of USAFacts and the former Microsoft CEO, records an episode of the Numbers Geek podcast. (GeekWire Photo / Kevin Lisota) Todd Bishop: Hey Steve, its great to see you. Steve Ballmer: Great to be here, Todd. Todd Bishop V/O: We started our conversation with Steve with a basic explanation of the trade deficit. Steve Ballmer: Every year, we export and import some goods. So maybe we import some electronic devices that were made in China. That is, we send money to China. China sends us the good. Similarly, perhaps we export Boeing planes. Theyre made here. We send them outside the country, and money comes back in to this country. So you get this notion of exports and imports. We are importing, we are sending more money out, if you will, than we are taking back in. Todd Bishop V/O: So here is the big picture. In 2017, the overall U.S. trade deficit remember thats the amount by which imports exceed exports in U.S. trade with countries around the world. That number was $552 billion, up 10 percent from the prior year. Thats when counting both goods and services. So to put this in context, the trade deficit is in the range of 2.5% of U.S. gross domestic product, or GDP. Thats the countrys annual output. That $552 billion trade deficit for 2017 was down from $762 billion in 2006, but up from $384 billion in 2009, during the recession. That combination of goods and services, $552 billion as the trade deficit, is the number you will hear most often in the press. But in its annual report on the U.S. government, USAFacts uses a bigger picture calculation of the trade deficit. Its calculation takes goods and services, but then adds in income from American citizens working in other countries. Steve explained why thats important. Steve Ballmer: The top American export is actually American citizens who are working abroad. They are making money abroad, and they are sending it back to the U.S. In a sense, you could say those people are exports. Weve sent them some place. They are earning and they are bringing back money to the United States. Now theyre not a good, theyre not like a car, but its something you send abroad and for some period of time, it brings back money. Similarly, if you look at it the other way, foreign citizens working in the United States are our biggest import. These are both numbers essentially around $1 trillion. Total imports into the country are about $3.8 trillion. So these are significant numbers in the grand scheme of our total exports and imports. Todd Bishop V/O: That bigger picture view put the U.S. trade deficit in 2017 at $449 billion. Now, obviously that is still a deficit, but its lower than the $552 billion deficit that you get from counting goods and services alone. Thats because the income from Americans working abroad exceeds the income from foreigners working in the United States, which gives the U.S. a net surplus in that specific category of global trade, lowering the overall deficit. Okay, so that is Americans working abroad sending income back to the country, paying taxes here in a lot of cases. What about actual goods and services to some extent? Lets run down the rest of this list. Steve Ballmer: Our biggest non-people export is capital goods. Capital goods were not counting automotive, that comes elsewhere. But capital goods are something that doesnt get used up quickly. When a family buys a capital good or a factory buys a capital good, it will stick around for a while. So excluding cars, $533 billion of exports of capital goods, you can turn it around and look though the other way. We are importing $644 billion worth of capital goods. So we are a net importer, we run a net deficit, if you will, of capital goods. In the case of people working abroad, we run a net surplus. Todd Bishop: Lets actually look at the numbers, at the facts- Steve Ballmer: OK, lets do it. Todd Bishop: to see what happens. First off, imports and exports by country between the U.S. and other countries. We are ranking these by total exports. And at the top of the list, in other words, the country to which the U.S. exports the most, its Canada, and then followed by Mexico. So this looks like a healthy trade relationship with both Canada and Mexico based on these numbers. Steve Ballmer: Well, they both are what they are. I mean, at the end of the day, you will have surplus with some people. You will have deficit with others. In the case of Canada, we run a small surplus as opposed to a deficit. You can see here, we export $409 billion, and we import $395 billion. Roughly in balance. Not per se an important number, but if you look at things in aggregate, things get important. With Mexico, and this should be no surprise, NAFTA made the situation ripe for Mexico and Canada to be our two biggest trading partners. We do export less than we import from Mexico. With the UK, we run a surplus, $242 billion to $194 billion. Then you get the big deficit, which is what we run with China, which is where trade is the least fair, I would say, by my own experience running Microsoft. Todd Bishop V/O: Counting goods, services and income earned by American citizens overseas, the trade gap with China in 2017 was $358 billion, representing more than 79 percent of the overall U.S. trade deficit of $449 billion for the year. We explored the issue of the U.S.-China trade deficit by looking a February 2018 news article specifically about the trade gap in goods, using the official numbers at that time. Todd Bishop: So this is from the New York Times, U.S.-China trade deficit hits record, fueling trade fight. They explain that The gap between Chinese goods imported to the U.S. and American goods exported to China rose to $375.2 billion last year. Now, I hear that number, Steve. Right off the bat, I think thats pretty big. What do you take away from this story in terms of the numbers and the facts? Steve Ballmer: A way to put the $375 billion in context is to take a look at the value of everything that is produced in this country per year, which is our gross domestic product, or GDP. That numbers about $20 trillion, if you will. So you do the math, and that says something like 1.5% of everything we make, we somehow have pledged to people outside the United States. And thats just to the Chinese. In total across the world, we are cutting into our principal, our future earnings, our assets by about 2.5% a year. It is what it is. Some people can call that consequential. Some peoplell think thats small. But if you do 2.5% for a long time, that doesnt sound very good in terms of what you have left. Todd Bishop: But this sentence is what really struck me. Economists said the growing trade deficit stemmed largely from the strength of the U.S. economy, which helped American consumers afford more imported electronics, clothes, and appliances. That sounds like a good thing though. Steve Ballmer: Well, theres some goodness in that. But wheres the money coming from in the United States to buy these things abroad? Part of our great economy and the way were living is because we are borrowing money. Were borrowing from the rest of the world, and the U.S. government borrows from the rest of the world, and the U.S. government borrows on all of our behalf. So the budget deficit and the trade deficit are both part of bringing more money in than we really can afford and pumping up the economy. It is a sign of some good things, but it does not speak to a health in our economy on the sell side. Now some of that is for other reasons. As a guy who used to run a software company, I know our software was being stolen to the tune of tens of billions in China when I left Microsoft five years ago. Well, $10 billion looks pretty big compared to that $375 billion deficit with China. So some of that is because of, let me call them, unfair trade imbalances based around proper recognition of intellectual property. Todd Bishop V/O: We will explore the implications for the U.S. economy after the break. We are discussing the U.S. trade deficit this week. It is a key topic in the news right now, because of the ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and China to reach a new trade agreement, and the impact of tariffs on U.S. businesses in the meantime. Lets jump back into our conversation with Steve Ballmer, the former Microsoft CEO, the founder of our podcast partner USAFacts, and our resident numbers geek, who you might have noticed has a specific viewpoint on this issue. Todd Bishop: So essentially, over time we have been bringing in more goods than weve been selling to other countries. Steve Ballmer: Thats correct. Todd Bishop: Is that a problem? Steve Ballmer: When we run a trade deficit, we are essentially either selling assets in the United States, or we are selling off part of the future earnings of Americans to somebody else or somebody elses in other countries. We are sending more money out, if you will, than we are taking back in. And what do people do with that money, that additional money that we are essentially borrowing from them? They take that in the form of IOUs or purchases of land and factories and businesses here in the United States. It is literally like selling off some of your savings every year in order to support your current lifestyle. Take it in your own personal life. If I said to you, The only way for you to sustain your lifestyle was to essentially sell off all the stocks and bonds you own, and you do it over a course of a 10-year period, and all you have left at the end of that 10-year period basically is a house. Then over the next 10 years, you sell off your house, you eat into all that money. So now 20 years from now, you have nothing except your ability to work. And you might say, Hey, thats kind of not the way Id want to manage our affairs. The country has that same issue. We continue to essentially live off of the sale of things here, or by borrowing money from somebody outside the country. And in that process, we are turning over either our future earnings or some assets that we own to somebody who is outside the United States. And that is a tricky proposition. Todd Bishop: Steve, I know that USAFacts presents the facts and lets people decide. When Ive talked to you about things like the budget deficit and the trade deficit, it sounds like you have an opinion on this one. Steve Ballmer: On the budget deficit, I think theres a real problem. I think the U.S. government cannot run a deficit for the long term. Now, thats a personal opinion. The datas all there in USAFacts for people to come to alternate opinions. There are certainly economists who would agree with me and disagree. Im just a business guy who doesnt understand how you continue to increase your borrowing and borrowing in perpetuity, just as I dont understand how, in the case of trade, we continue to either borrow or sell off parts of our country. Now, the trade deficit, a little different than the budget deficit. On the other hand, they both, in a sense, mean that we are either living beyond our means, or we just dont have the goods the rest of the world wants to buy. So were having to sell parts of the United States as opposed to goods to those countries. Todd Bishop: There are, as you said, economists who actually dont see the trade deficit as a negative on the same level as the budget deficit. And in fact, theres a debate out there over whether the trade deficit should be called a deficit, that perhaps thats a loaded term in this context, and we should call it an imbalance instead. You look skeptical. Steve Ballmer: Well, call it whatever you want. Exports minus imports is negative. And if you want to call that a deficit, if you want to call that an imbalance, I call it A minus B is less than zero. And thats all that really matters in this case. Todd Bishop: Is there any correlation, is there any way for us to draw a correlation between the overall trade imbalance or deficit, pick your term, and GDP over the years? Steve Ballmer: Well, one of the things you have to remember is GDP equals all the things that we produce for consumption plus all the things we produce thats capital investment by businesses plus all of the government spend on things like police and defense, not transfer payments back to consumers. But then on top of that, youve got to add exports, and you have to subtract imports. So GDP is not independent of the trade deficit. The trade deficit shows up as a lowering of GDP. Todd Bishop: So if youre actually importing more than youre exporting, then your GDP will be lower? Steve Ballmer: Correct. Todd Bishop: Steve, I want to ask you what you would do about all this if this were a business and you were the CEO. And I keep coming back to what you were talking about when we were explaining the chief exports of the country. Could one answer be coming up with a real specialty, a new specialty inside the U.S. where we have a strength on the level that we might have had with steel back in the day or that Japan has now with cars and electronics? Steve Ballmer: Well, Im not going to go there with you. I think a lot of what happens in business happens in business. We are not all able to control it. Thats part of the brilliance of Americas entrepreneurial, capitalist society. I think that has served us very well. We do need to make sure that trade in the world is free and open. And if its not going to be free and open for others and for us, then its worth taking a look. But at the end of the day, I count on capitalism with a little bit of proper oversight from government to help these things work. Todd Bishop: Steve Ballmer, thank you very much. Steve Ballmer: Pleasure, Todd. Thanks for having me on Numbers Geek. Todd Bishop V/O: Before we end the show, a quick fact-check. Remember the clip we played at the beginning, with President Trump describing the U.S. trade deficit? President Trump: Our country lost $800 billion last year with trade generally. Todd Bishop V/O: As you know now from this episode, thats a lot higher than the numbers weve been discussing, in the range of $450 to $550 billion per year. Although he didnt make this clear, President Trump was referencing the gap in the trade of goods alone, not including services, where the country runs a surplus that reduces the overall trade deficit. This number also doesnt include the income from Americans abroad, as discussed earlier in the show. So the next time you read or hear numbers on the trade gap, you can ask yourself, what exactly does that include? Youll be able to put this into practice soon: New numbers showing the trade gap for 2018 are due out from the government in the coming weeks. Todd Bishop: Numbers Geek is produced by GeekWire in partnership with Steve Ballmer and USAFacts. Numbers Geek graphic design by Killer Infographics. Theme music by Daniel L. K. Caldwell. Thanks to Clare McGrane and Frank Catalano for editing and production work on this episode. For more Numbers Geek episodes and videos, plus citations to the numbers we discuss, go to geekwire.com/numbersgeek. You can find interactive graphics, charts, and government data at usafacts.org, where you can also download the 2018 USAFacts annual report on the U.S. government and see page 46 for a deep dive on U.S. trade. Thanks for listening to Numbers Geek. Dont forget to rate and review and subscribe to the show in your favorite podcast app. Im Todd Bishop, GeekWire editor. Well be back soon with another episode of Numbers Geek. More from GeekWire: Investors in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. PBR or Petrobras need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the Mar 1, 2019 $15.50 Put had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today. What is Implied Volatility? Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. It could also mean there is an event coming up soon that may cause a big rally or a huge sell-off. However, implied volatility is only one piece of the puzzle when putting together an options trading strategy. What do the Analysts Think? Clearly, options traders are pricing in a big move for Petrobras shares, but what is the fundamental picture for the company? Currently, Petrobras is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) in the Oil and Gas - Integrated - Emerging Markets industry that ranks in the Bottom 3% of our Zacks Industry Rank. Over the last 30 days, no analysts have increased their earnings estimates for the current quarter, while one analyst has revised the estimate downward. The net effect has taken our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter from 47 cents per share to 45 cents in that period. Given the way analysts feel about Petrobras right now, this huge implied volatility could mean theres a trade developing. Oftentimes, options traders look for options with high levels of implied volatility to sell premium. This is a strategy many seasoned traders use because it captures decay. At expiration, the hope for these traders is that the underlying stock does not move as much as originally expected. Looking to Trade Options? Each week, our very own Dave Bartosiak gives his top options trades. Check out his recent live analysis and options trade for the NFLX earnings report completely free. See it here: Trading Netflix's (NFLX) Earnings with Options or check out the embedded video below for more details: Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras (PBR) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. By Drazen Jorgic ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's army launched a helicopter search on Thursday for a British and an Italian climber stuck on a treacherous peak known as "Killer Mountain", Italy's ambassador to Pakistan said. Italian Daniele Nardi and fellow mountaineer Tom Ballard were attempting a winter ascent of the 8,126-metre (26,660-ft) Nanga Parbat in Pakistan's Himalayas, one of the hardest mountaineering feats in the world. Ballard is the son of famed British climber Alison Hargreaves, who became the first woman to climb Mount Everest unaided in 1995 but died that year while descending from a summit of Pakistan's K2, the world's second-tallest mountain. Italian Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo said the climbers had not been heard from since Sunday when Nardi, an experienced climber with a high profile in Italy, called his wife. "Since then there have been three days of heavy snow," Pontecorvo told Reuters. "We are hoping for the best." The weather turned on Thursday and two army helicopters were involved in the search that is expected to continue while there is daylight, Pontecorvo added. Nardi and Ballard were attempting to climb Nanga Parbat by a route that had never been successfully used to reach the top. Two Pakistani climbers who were part of the mission had earlier abandoned the climb, Pontecorvo said. Pakistan rivals Nepal for the number of peaks higher than 7,000 meters. The first successful winter ascent of Nanga Parbat was made in February 2016. But a Polish climber died while trying a winter climb in January 2018, while his female French climbing partner was saved by climbers who had been airlifted from K2 to conduct a daring night-time rescue mission. In June 2017, a Spanish man and an Argentinian were killed in an avalanche while trying to scale its peak. (Reporting by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Nick Macfie) Islamabad (AFP) - Pakistan promised to free a captured Indian pilot on Friday as a "peace gesture" aimed at its nuclear arch-rival, but New Delhi insisted it would remain on "heightened" military alert for attacks. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was shot down in an aerial engagement over the disputed region of Kashmir on Wednesday, had become the centrepiece of the latest conflict between the neighbours. "As a peace gesture we are releasing the Indian pilot tomorrow," Prime Minister Imran Khan told the Pakistan parliament in the first sign of a potential thaw since Tuesday when Indian fighter jets launched a raid inside Pakistani territory. Despite Khan's promise, Indian and Pakistani forces continued shelling each other through the day across the ceasefire line in divided Kashmir, AFP reporters said. In India Khan's announcement was being seen as a diplomatic victory for New Delhi, with Indian leaders and top officials showing little sign of de-escalating the rivalry. "We are fully prepared and in a heightened state of readiness to respond to any provocation from Pakistan," Major General Surendra Singh Mahal of the Indian army told a press conference. "Our fight is against terrorism. While Pakistan continues its support to it, we are ready to target their terrorist camps and training areas," he added. - 'Happy to have him back' - Air Vice Marshall RGK Kapoor added that Pakistan's decision to free the pilot, though welcome, simply followed international regulations. "We are extremely happy to have him back. We want to see him back," he told reporters, adding, "we only see it as a gesture which is in consonance with all Geneva conventions." Media reports have said Varthaman could return to India on Friday through the Wagah crossing gate, famed for hosting daily rival ceremonies by Indian and Pakistani soldiers at sundown when they bring down their national flags. Story continues With the pilot attaining hero status in India and the hashtag #WelcomeBackAbhi swiftly trending on social media, India's Prime Minister Modi called on his citizens to "stand as a wall" in the face of an enemy that "seeks to destabilise India". The tit-for-tat cross border raids have alarmed world powers including China and the United States, who have urged restraint. Pakistan has closed its airspace indefinitely, stranding thousands of passengers worldwide; and the army said Thursday its troops were also on high alert along the de facto Kashmir border, the Line of Control. Pakistan has said it downed two Indian fighters this week, while India confirmed it had lost one plane and on Thursday reaffirmed its claim to have shot down a Pakistani F-16 jet. Pakistan PM Khan warned his Indian counterpart Modi not to see his desire to de-escalate as "weakness". "India must know that we will be forced to strongly retaliate against any Indian action in the future," he said. - Pilot's 'mishap' - US President Donald Trump voiced optimism earlier Thursday that the India-Pakistan tensions could soon be resolved. "We have had some reasonably decent news... Hopefully that's going to be coming to an end," he told reporters in Hanoi after a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Indian government sources said they were unsure what Trump was referring to. The confrontation erupted after a suicide bombing in Indian-held Kashmir killed 40 troops on February 14, in an attack claimed by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group. Twelve days later Indian warplanes launched a strike inside Pakistani territory and claimed to have hit a militant training camp. An infuriated Islamabad denied major casualties or damage, but a day later launched its own incursion across the Line of Control which sparked the dogfight that ended in Varthaman's capture. A viral video apparently taken soon after his plane was shot down purportedly showed Varthaman being dragged and beaten by a group of men as Pakistani soldiers intervened, shouting "Stop! Stop!" Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal told reporters Thursday that the pilot had "some mishap before our officers reached there because he was caught by the public". But he stressed the pilot was now "with us, he is safe and in good condition". A video released by the Pakistani military later showed Varthaman sipping tea, his face swollen and sporting bruises but otherwise collected and calm. He thanked the "thorough gentlemen" who rescued him from the mob and complimented the tea as "fantastic". It was unclear if he had been coerced to speak. Kashmir has been divided and disputed by India and Pakistan since 1947. The two countries have fought two of their three wars over the region. burs-tw/amu Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Four members of Palestinian Islamist group Hamas held in Egypt since August 2015 arrived home in the Gaza Strip Thursday where they were welcomed by Hamas leader Ismail Haniya. The four arrived at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza where they greeted by dozens of well wishers before being driven to Haniyeh's office, AFP journalists said. They had disappeared in August 2015 under mysterious circumstances as they travelled through the Sinai region on a bus from Hamas-ruled Gaza to Cairo en route to Turkey. Other passengers said that the vehicle was stopped by unidentified gunmen who seized the Hamas men. At the time Islamic State group jihadists were active in the lawless North Sinai. IS had threatened Hamas after it arrested jihadist militants suspected of targeting its armed wing with a series of bombings. Haniyeh did not say Thursday who had been holding the four Gazans but expressed his "deep gratitude to the Egyptian authorities for this decision". Relations between Hamas and Egypt deteriorated since the military overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Morsi, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, had been sympathetic to Hamas. His overthrow unleashed a deadly crackdown on Islamist protesters, and an insurgency based in Sinai. In a separate development Hamas security forces have arrested the leader of a political group with links to Iran, a security official told AFP on Thursday. "Hamas security forces in Gaza arrested on Tuesday evening the leader of the Al-Sbarine movement, Hisham Salem, and three other members of the movement," the official said on condition of anonymity. A source in the Hamas security forces told AFP that Salem, a former Islamic Jihad member, was arrested for "security and passing information to hostile parties," adding that the arrest were unconnected to Hamas relations with Iran. The security forces say that Al-Sbarine has "a few dozen members". Debris float past a street sign in the flood waters of the Russian River in Forestville, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Michael Short/AP) Floodwaters that turned two Northern California communities into islands were expected to begin receding Thursday as a rain-engorged river finally peaked after swamping thousands of homes, businesses and other buildings. The Russian River in the wine country north of San Francisco crested at more than 46 feet (14 meters) Wednesday night, Sonoma County officials said. The river frequently floods in rainy weather but it hadn't reached that level for 25 years and wasn't expected to recede again until late Thursday night. The estimated 2,000 buildings inundated by floodwaters were mainly in and around Guerneville, Khan said. "Guerneville has essentially become an island," Khan said. The nearby town of Monte Rio also was isolated when roads leading to it were swamped. No injuries were reported and by Wednesday night the rain had eased but about 3,500 people in two dozen river communities remained under evacuation orders. In addition, two sewage treatment plants weren't working, leading to concerns about potential sewage spills, she added. Scott Heemstra prepares to take David Youngberg and his dog Macallan out of the flood zone as floodwaters rise in Guerneville, Calif., Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) The river was one of several in Northern California that was engorged by days of rain from western U.S. storms that also dumped heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada, throughout the Pacific Northwest and into Montana, where Gov. Steve Bullock signed an emergency order to help keep up the supply of heating fuel amid frigid temperatures. Ryan Lance, left, and Anthony Nash of the Russian River Fire Protection District swift water rescue team rescue residents of Sycamore Court Apartment in lower Guerneville, Calif., Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Kent Porter/The Press Democrat/AP) Two Amtrak trains together carrying nearly 300 passengers stopped and reversed directions because of an avalanche that closed railroad tracks in the Sierra Nevada. In Idaho, the mountain town of Stanley became marooned Wednesday after all three highways leading to the town were closed because of drifting snow, avalanches and the risk of more slides. Story continues Several areas in California set record-high rainfall totals, including nearby Santa Rosa, which had nearly 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain in one day. The often-waterlogged Venado weather station 5 miles (8 kilometers) from Guerneville recorded more than 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain in 48 hours. Dozens of people were rescued from cars that became stranded Tuesday and early Wednesday after drivers tried to cross flooded roads. Nina Sheehan, who is visiting from North Carolina, had to abandon her rental SUV after it got stuck in a flooded hotel parking lot. A California state flag hangs from the front of a home submerged in the flood waters of the Russian River in Forestville, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Michael Short/AP) "We made a decision to take the rental car through the waist-high water and we got two thirds of the way and then the car stalled," she said. Rhondell Rasmus had pulled to the side of a road too flooded to cross in Sebastopol in Sonoma County late Tuesday night and emergency dispatchers told her to wait for help. But just before dawn, she awoke to find the car was nearly submerged and she was out of gas. "The water just came up so fast next to my car, it was crazy," she told the Press-Democrat newspaper of Santa Rosa. She wound up in an emergency shelter, bringing with her a handbag, a backpack and a pair of rain boots. In Guerneville, streets became seas of muddy brown water. Jeff Bridges, a hotel co-owner who is president of the Russian River Chamber of Commerce, spent the day canoeing through town and gave a ride to a couple and their dog who were stranded in a low-lying apartment. Five people whose homes were flooded were bunking down at his two-bedroom home. "We saw quite a few fish swimming by my front porch," he said. A vineyard along River Road is completely flooded, Feb. 27, 2019, near Forestville, Calif. (Photo: Eric Risberg/AP) Bridges said this flood was the fourth he's experienced in 33 years and the locals took the disaster calmly. "It's the price you pay to live in paradise," he said. "Buffalo, New York puts up with blizzards. Miami and Houston put up with hurricanes...we have floods." However, Bridges said it will take weeks to clean up his R3 Hotel, as he has done in past floods. More than 8 feet of water inundated the 23-room business. "Anything that's been flooded you've got to rip it out, sanitize everything...and rebuild," he said, but added nonchalantly: "Everything's fixable." See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr. See more photos below: People gather on a partially submerged RV in the flood waters of the Russian River in Forestville, north of San Francisco, Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Michael Short/AP) A No Parking sign is almost completely submerged in flood waters from the Russian River in Forestville, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Michael Short/AP) Anna Gaffney is pulled to shore by Jason Clopton of the Russian River Fire District swift water rescue team in Guerneville, Calif., Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) Flood waters from the Russian River surround a home in Forestville, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Michael Short/AP) A man uses a paddle board to make his way through the flooded Barlow Market District, Feb. 27, 2019, in Sebastopol, Calif. (Photo: Eric Risberg/AP) A truck is seen submerged in the flood waters of the Russian River in Forestville, north of San Francisco, Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Michael Short/AP) A pickup truck is seen submerged in flood waters from the Russian River in Forestville, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Michael Short/AP) A California state flag hangs from the front of a home submerged in the flood waters of the Russian River in Forestville, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Michael Short/AP) A CHP helicopter uses Main Street in Guerneville, Calif. as a landing pad as water continues to rise, Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) Cheryl Hughes looks out of her window of her home that is surrounded by flood waters of the Russian River in Forestville, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Michael Short/AP) Pacific Gas & Electric workers and a canoe are seen on a street flooded by the Russian River in Forestville, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Michael Short/AP) A home is seen reflected in the flood waters of the Russian River in Forestville, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Michael Short/AP) People paddle and row through the flooded Barlow Market District, Feb. 27, 2019, in Sebastopol, Calif. (Photo: Eric Risberg/AP) Ryan Lance, left, and Anthony Nash of the Russian River Fire Protection District swift water rescue team rescue residents of Sycamore Court Apartment in lower Guerneville, Calif., Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Kent Porter/The Press Democrat/AP) A pickup truck is submerged in flood waters from the Russian River in Forestville, north of San Francisco, Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Michael Short/AP) A man paddles a boat near a home surrounded by flood waters from the Russian River in Forestville, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2019. (Photo: Michael Short/AP) _____ Read more from Yahoo News: PHOENIX Construction crews on Wednesday demolished the eight prototypes of President Donald Trump's proposed border wall to make way for the installation of a replacement secondary fencing project in San Diego. Crews used heavy machinery, including bulldozers, to dismantle the four solid-concrete and four steel-and-concrete structures erected 16 months prior at Trump's request. Customs and Border Protection said Wednesday the prototypes "had served their purpose" and would be removed from their location at the eastern outskirts of San Diego to make way for a $131 million project to replace steel-mesh fencing with 14 miles of 30-foot-tall, steel slats or bollards. In a written statement, Customs and Border Protection explained why they decided to demolish the eight structures, rather than build through or around them. More: 'A WALL is a WALL!' Trump declares. But his definition has shifted a lot over time "Constructing a single design of secondary wall is more practical and effective than attempting to connect the eight prototypes to each other and the new wall due to different wall designs and foundations," the agency said. "Removing the prototypes would be less expensive than integrating the prototypes into the new Secondary Border Wall. The long-term maintenance for multiple unique walls is a greater cost to taxpayers. Trump, who visited the prototypes last March, had instructed CBP to build the prototypes in order to get input and designs from the private sector on the construction of physical barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border. The government had reprogrammed $20 million in unused funds for the prototypes, including the remaining money for the replacement of 7.5 miles of fencing in Naco, Arizona. Only $5 million was actually spent, according to a government watchdog report. About $3 million was for the eight contracts awarded to six companies chosen to build the 30-foot prototypes in San Diego, each worth between $300,000 to $500,000. Story continues The remaining funds were for other costs such as the military-grade testing of the prototypes. The same watchdog report found that many of the structures were riddled with deficiencies that would make it tough to build them along other parts of the border. More: Steel slat wall prototype sawed through in DHS test, report says CBP reiterated on Wednesday that the purpose of the prototypes was not to select a single winning design, bur rather "to explore additional border wall design attributes and features for inclusion in the current border wall design toolkit." The demolition brings to an end questions about the future of the prototypes. Soon after their construction, they had become symbols of Trump's commitment to building a wall along the border. At one point, there was even a proposal to designate them a national monument, although that idea never took off. The prototypes had also become a popular attraction for visitors to the area. Although access from the United States was restricted to border agents, onlookers would visit the working-class neighborhood just across the border in Tijuana to get a peek at the eight structures. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: President Donald Trump's eight border wall prototypes demolished in San Diego President Donald Trumps nuclear negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam have been abruptly cut short, and ended without a deal. The White House announced Thursday that Trumps planned press conference was being moved up by two hours to 2 p.m. local time. Originally, that was when Trump and Kim were joining to sign a joint agreement, but according to the White House Press Secretary, No agreement was reached at this time. At a press conference in Hanoi, Trump said talks broke down because Kim said he would only close the Yongbyon nuclear facility North Koreas most important research and production site if the U.S. lifted all sanctions on North Korea. That offer was ultimately deemed unacceptable, Trump said, because North Korea has other missile facilities elsewhere in the country. You have to be prepared to walk away, he said. We actually had papers ready to be signed, but it just wasnt appropriate. I want to take off the sanctions so badly, because I want that country to grow, Trump added, before handing over to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. We made real progress, Pompeo said, unfortunately we didnt get all the way. Trumps appearance in the middle of the night for most of America comes hours after his former longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen gave explosive testimony on Capitol Hill in which he called the President a racist, a con man and a cheat. Trump is hoping to convince the the 35-year-old dictator that moving away from his nuclear and missile programs could bring North Korea out of the cold. Without nuclear weapons, North Korea could fast become one of the greatest economic powers in the World, Trump tweeted ahead of his departure for the high-profile meeting in Vietnam. The historic first meeting between the leaders of the worlds largest nuclear power and the most reclusive one last June drew public criticism for a lack of tangible denuclearization results. Story continues This time around, Trump has soft-pedaled expectations. I dont want to rush anybody. I just dont want testing. As long as theres no testing, were happy, he reportedly told attendees of the White Houses Governors Ball. In Singapore, Trump offered his counterpart a major concession: the suspension of joint military exercises with South Korean forces. But experts have warned that Trumps eagerness to make a deal is unlikely to lead to a unilateral dismantling of the arsenal. Any substantive agreement must be implemented on an action for action basis, Sung-Yoon Lee, professor of Korean Studies at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, told TIME last month. Warnings about some guy calling pretending to be from the IRS and demanding money are so common, well, they're practically cliche. How can anyone run a tax scam any more? Oh, they can. Complaints about the IRS impostor phone calls may be declining, but the scam remains hot enough to issue new warnings. "The new wrinkle is that the scammer is stating that he is with the Department of Justice and is assisting the IRS in this matter," according to Amy Nofziger, director of fraud victim support for the AARP. Somehow, the scammers claim, the Justice Department is going after people who haven't been paying their taxes. And taxpayers can get trapped in lots of other ways, too. It's not just the phony phone calls that can steal your cash. Crooks continue to attempt to use stolen Social Security numbers and other ID information to cook up fake tax returns in order to steal refund cash. Goodbye greeters? Many disabled Walmart greeters are being replaced by 'customer hosts,' causing backlash Money saving tax tips: Want to lower your taxable income? 4 tax-saving investments you can still make now The Internal Revenue Service fraud detection systems protected about $7.6 billion in revenue between Jan. 1 and Oct. 3, 2018, according to the latest report from the National Taxpayer Advocate. The crackdown itself also delayed the processing of almost $20 billion in legitimate refunds, according to the report. Taxpayers are warned to watch out for scams during tax season, including a tax professional who won't sign your return. Tax fraud schemes also try to steal money by filing fraudulent state tax returns, too. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel reported in mid-February that her office had brought charges against a Detroit racketeering ring where defendants allegedly took advantage of a state Homestead Property Tax Credit. Naturally, the scheme involved using other people's Social Security numbers. The ring allegedly was able to illegally cash in on more than $100,000 in state tax credits, which are designed to help qualified homeowners or renters pay some of their property taxes. Story continues Charges were brought against 12 people allegedly involved in a tax fraud scam that ran from February 2014 to April 2018. The Michigan Department of Treasury found potential illegal activity following a standard audit of the returns. You can protect yourself from someone stealing your tax refund by being able to identify these scams: Hackers use fake IRS emails Hackers would love to trick you into downloading malware onto your computer. One strategy: Scammers may send you a phishing email with an attachment labeled IRS Tax Account Transcript. It might be tempting to open it but it's not really your tax information. It's an email from a scammer. Another form of a new phishing attack involves hijacking ongoing email conversations where the scammer sends a new message containing a malicious link or attachment giving the appearance that the message is from a trusted source. "Victims clicking on the link or opening the attachment are then prompted to provide personal information that could be used to submit fraudulent tax returns," according to a warning from Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody's office. Never share passwords or login credentials. Do not click on unsolicited links without giving the sender a phone call first. Make sure that you're using the latest security patches and antivirus software. 'Ghost preparers' will not sign return Roughly 56 percent of taxpayers in the country rely on someone else to do their taxes. But some bad actors and scam preparers continue to prey on unsuspecting consumers. One Michigan woman complained to the Better Business Bureau in 2018 that a rogue preparer opened "an unauthorized online bank account and had my federal and state tax return deposited in that account instead of using my personal bank account for direct deposit." She claimed to have lost $7,900. "He repeatedly lied about my return status." The IRS warns that bogus tax preparers who stay off the radar by not signing the tax returns that they prepare may engage in refund fraud, steal ID information from some of your family members to file other fake returns, and even direct refunds into their own bank account rather than the taxpayers account. Such phony outfits may ask that you sign the return and mail it yourself. They also might only take cash upfront for payments. They want to leave no sign that someone else prepared your return. The IRS site has a directory of federal tax return preparers including enrolled agents and certified public accountants where you may be able to double-check someone's credentials. See www.irs.gov. The Better Business Bureau said many consumer complaints may involve hidden fees, as well. They'll pretend to be the sheriff, really An on-going phone scam in 2019 involves scammers who pretend to be from the local police department or sheriff's office and want to collect unpaid taxes for the IRS. The phone number that shows up on your caller ID may even have a local area code, which boosts the odds that you'll pick up the phone. The scammers who also can pretend to be from the IRS want you to transfer money onto gift cards, such as Amazon cards or iTunes cards, to "avoid being arrested." They'll ask you to pay with gift cards The IRS isn't going to demand that you pay a bill with a gift card, a prepaid debit card or a wire transfer. The IRS will not ask for your debit or credit card numbers over the phone. Only the scammers make such outlandish requests. Make payments by writing a check to the United States Treasury or see IRS.gov/payments for IRS online options to pay your taxes. Protect yourself with new ID options The Internal Revenue Service has expanded a voluntary program involving issuing new IDs to combat tax refund fraud. Initially, the program was only offered to victims of identity theft. Now under a limited pilot program, even people who weren't victims of tax return identity theft may able to get a new ID to use when filing your tax return. The pilot program started in Washington, D.C., Florida, and Georgia. But this year, it's being expanded to seven more states: Michigan, Illinois, California, Delaware, Maryland, Nevada, and Rhode Island. Those states report the highest number of identity thefts to the Federal Trade Commission. Those taxpayers can obtain what the IRS calls identity protection personal identification numbers known as IP PINs. A six-digit number is assigned to eligible taxpayers to prevent their Social Security number from being used on fraudulent federal income tax returns. The IP PIN enables the IRS to verify taxpayers identities when they file returns. You'd go to Get an IP PIN at the IRS site. Do not reveal your IP PIN to anyone other than your tax preparer. Share it only when you are ready to sign and submit your federal income tax return. In addition, taxpayers who received a CP01A Notice in January can look at the bottom of the first column on that paperwork to spot your IP PIN. If you lost your IP PIN or didn't receive your new one, see Retrieve Your IP PIN for more information. A new IP PIN is generated for each filing season and can be retrieved starting in mid-January of each year by logging into the account you create. The American Institute of CPAs has supported expanding the use of IP PINs to prevent identity theft and tax refund fraud. An IP PIN adds a layer of protection to a taxpayers IRS account," said Susan Allen, CPA, senior manager for tax practice and ethics at the American Institute of CPAs. "One can never be too cautious when it comes to protecting their confidential financial information, she said. If fraudsters use your stolen Social Security number, you might have no idea that anything like this took place. You only discover the mess when you electronically file your tax return and your return is rejected by the IRS system because another tax return already has been filed using your Social Security number. Or maybe the IRS sends you a letter saying it has identified a suspicious return using your Social Security number. Contact Susan Tompor at 313-222-8876 or stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @tompor. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How to protect your tax refund from scammers, identify risks Namgung Jin is anxious as he awaits the start of his military service in South Korea -- almost two years in uniform guarding against the nuclear-armed neighbour to the north, with the two countries technically still at war. But by the time the 19-year-old college student enlists on March 5, just five days after the upcoming US-North Korea summit, some analysts say the Korean War may have been officially declared over. US President Donald Trump is due to meet the North's Kim Jong Un in Hanoi for a high-profile summit to make progress on denuclearisation of the peninsula, and a possible peace treaty. If that happens, the future of the South's controversial conscription system -- which forces recruits to serve for months in often remote locations along the militarised border -- will likely be up for debate. For many young South Koreans like Namgung, it will be long overdue. "I would definitely not want to serve if I were given an option," he said, describing military service as a "waste of his youth" that delays him securing a job in South Korea's hyper-competitive society. Namgung, who was born in 1999 -- almost 50 years after the Korean War ended with an armistice -- said he rarely associated his service with the threat from the North. "I've never considered North Korea as an enemy," said Namgung, who studies computer science in Seoul. "I have no harsh feelings against the North. I just think life must be hard for those who live there." The bulk of South Korea's 600,000-strong military are conscripts, who are required to serve for some 20 months. Almost all able-bodied South Korean men are obliged to fulfil sentry duties, often in remote locations along the heavily militarised border. Like Namgung, Han Sang-kyu -- an 18-year-old who is scheduled to start his military service next year -- said he was not hostile to Pyongyang. "I've always considered North and South Koreans one people -- I hope the two countries can unify one day," he said. Story continues - Last one to suffer? - Lim Tae-hoon, the director of the Center for Military Human Rights Korea in Seoul, said the Korean War and its legacy are still very much present in the South's repressive military culture. "The Korean War started on a Sunday, and a lot of (South) Korean soldiers were off base when the North's tanks crossed the 38th parallel -- the result was traumatic," Lim told AFP. "This is inseparable from why today's soldiers in the South are confined to their bases all the time." Until this year conscripts were banned from using mobile phones for security reasons. A rule that no more than 25 percent of troops can take holiday at the same time means recruits spend long periods of time cooped up together, which has contributed to bullying. Some 60,000 South Korean recruits are thought to have died since 1953 from a range of causes including suicide, firearm accidents and medical malpractice. None of them died on the battlefield. Song Jun-seo, a 18-year-old student who will enlist this year or next, said he wants "some kind of compensation" should the conscription system be abolished after he finishes his service. "I would be very angry. I don't want to be the last one to suffer in the system," he said. But Kim Dong-yup, an analyst at Kyungnam University, said it was too early to talk about abolishing conscription -- and that it will probably take a long time for the country to turn to a volunteer military system, even if the rapprochement with the North progresses. "North Korea is not the only security threat to the Korean peninsula," Kim told AFP, citing other neighbouring countries and environmental disasters as potential problems. - Scared and anxious - Some men have taken extreme measures to avoid conscription, including 12 music students who stuffed themselves with protein powder before their medical exam, hoping to be declared too heavy for service. Others have undergone unnecessary surgery and given themselves broken bones. Song said he was disappointed by the result of his medical exam earlier this month -- he was put in the top category, meaning he will have to serve in the armed forces without question. "I have a chronic skin condition, so I'd been hoping to be placed in less physically taxing jobs, such as in local government," Song told AFP. He said he is scared to join the army because of what has happened to some soldiers while serving. Song was horrified when he read about a soldier badly injured in 2016 after stepping on a landmine, another relic of the Korean war. "At least if I were able do the service in local government, I wouldn't have to worry about the possibility of losing my leg," he said. HANOI The menu at this North Korean-run restaurant in the Vietnamese capital features a wide range of familiar Korean dishes, from kimchi to bibimbap to bulgogi, as well as naengmyeon cold noodles in a savory broth that is a signature dish of the Pyongyang restaurant. The waitstaff are all young women, most of whom wear matching red outfits with hair pulled back in identical ponytails. The only immediate giveaway that it is not a typical Korean restaurant are the telltale North Korean flag pins waitresses wear and signs showing a circle and line through a video camera reading "No Camera." The Pyongyang restaurant is Hanoi is part of a four-story complex that includes a banquet hall and cafe owned and operated by the North Korean government. State-owned restaurants have long operated as a way of funneling hard currency back to the North Korean regime, and many remain open in clear defiance of strict U.N. sanctions that were passed in response to North Korea's September 2017 nuclear test. When USA TODAY visited during the nuclear summit in Vietnam between President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un, a waitress at the restaurant stepped onto a small stage at the rear of the room decorated with a red curtain and holiday lights. Against a karaoke-style musical track, she belted out a traditional Korean folk song that had many diners, most of them South Koreans, singing along. More: Trump's art of no deal ends North Korea summit More: Fact check: Trump says North Korea summit 'productive.' Was it? The musical numbers continued for the next half-hour or so, in a variety of configurations: duets, instrumentals with live drums, bass guitar and keyboard synthesizer; bubbly pop songs with choreographed dance routines. After some of the songs, diners presented bouquets of plastic flowers to the performers, who rotated seamlessly back to taking orders and delivering dishes and drinks in the small second-floor dining room. The experience at this restaurant in the Vietnamese capital is typical of the chain of roughly 125 North Korean-run Pyongyang restaurants around the world all operated by a company controlled by the North Korean government, according to a 2018 report from the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Advanced Defense Studies, a nonprofit that advises the U.S. government on security issues. Story continues A waitress and performer sings at a North Korea state-owned Pyongyang restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnam, part of a chain of 125 similar eating places owned by the nation. More than two-thirds of the restaurants are located in China. Many of the others are concentrated in Southeast Asia, but the chain extends as far as Dubai and Moscow. Menu prices at Pyongyang were significantly higher than at other local restaurants, which is common across the Pyongyang chain. A large bowl of cold noodles was around $10 in a city where a bowl of Vietnamese pho goes for under $2. Some larger shared barbecue dishes were as high as $50, a fairly astronomical amount in Vietnam. More: Americans fought in Vietnam. Now the nation makes their shoes Pyongyang restaurants are living manifestations of sanctions violations by the host nations, said Lee Sung-Yoon, a professor of Korean studies at Tufts University. He added that their purposefully kitschy song-and-dance routines feed into a fascination in the exotic on the part of their patrons. The young, female servers in the restaurants exude a softer, feminine image of the North Korean state the world's most hyper-militant, cultish, weird regime, he said. Most of the clients at the Hanoi location on a recent evening were South Korean, with a handful of Vietnamese patrons as well. However, the restaurants also are known to host North Korean visiting dignitaries and embassy officials in their various locations, and some such as the one in Hanoi also sells North Korean products such as ginseng and liquors. Its difficult to know much about the staff who work in these restaurants. Waitresses in Hanoi apparently were trained musicians and most observers believe they are allowed to live and work overseas only because they come from elite families trusted by the ruling regime. Working in these restaurants is probably seen as quite a prestigious thing to do, said Oliver Hotham, managing editor of NK News, a North Korea-focused news and analysis site. At the same time, Id imagine they're not getting paid very much and it's probably a pretty isolated existence, he said. In one of the most high-profile defection cases in years, a group of 13 North Korean restaurant workers fled from their restaurant in China to South Korea in 2016. The case continues to be a source of contention on the Korean peninsula, as the North alleges the workers were tricked and coerced by South Koreas spy agency and has demanded their return. That claim was later backed up by some of the defectors in South Korea. For decades, North Korea has also sent tens of thousands abroad to work in much harsher conditions in industries such as mining, logging, construction, and clothing sweatshops, forcing them to send back most of their wages to provide much-needed foreign currency to the Kim regime. A 2015 U.N. report said that sending forced labor overseas into countries such as China, Russia, Malaysia and Qatar brought in as much as $2.3 billion a year to Pyongyang. The practice of employing North Korean overseas workers was expressly forbidden in the 2017 U.N. sanctions, but, in 2018, U.S. officials accused Russia of accepting some 10,000 new North Korean workers, citing a Wall Street Journal report. North Korea has also faced numerous other reports of illicit money-making activities ranging from manufacturing and selling drugs to counterfeiting to arms trafficking. Some form of sanctions relief was widely expected to be part of the agreement at the summit between Trump and Kim last week, signifying that the hard line maximum pressure stance that the U.S. has held onto since 2017 might be a thing of the past. The fact that a restaurant is openly being run by North Koreans right under the nose of Donald Trump is very telling, said NK News Hotham. Maximum pressure is dead now. But the event ended without agreement after Washington refused North Korean demands for sanctions relief. Trump told reporters: "It was all about the sanctions. "They wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn't do that." North Korea disagreed with that assessment, saying it had made "realistic proposals." More: Exclusive: Pompeo on the failed North Korea talks, Otto Warmbier and his own trip to Iowa More: At North Korea summit, flattery got Trump nowhere This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: North Korea avoids sanctions by serving cold noodles at 'Pyongyang' restaurants Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib apologized after she called Representative Mark Meadows racist during Michael Cohens heated congressional hearing Wednesday. The freshman Michigan Democrat had choice words for Meadows after the North Carolina conservative introduced Lynne Patton, who is black and a former employee of the Trump Organization, in an effort to dismantle the claim from Cohen, President Trumps former personal lawyer, that Trump is racist. Patton, now an official at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, doesnt agree with Cohens charge that the president holds racist views, Meadows told Cohen. Just because someone has a person of color, a black person, working for them does not mean they arent racist, an emotional Tlaib said later in the hearing. It is insensitive, the fact that someone would actually use a prop, a black woman, in this chamber, in this committee, is alone racist in itself. Afterwards, Tlaib corrected herself, saying she apologized if it sounded like she was calling Meadows racist. To my colleague, Mr. Meadows, that was not my intention. I do apologize if thats what it sounded like, she said. But I said someone in general. As everybody knows in this chamber, Im pretty direct, so if I wanted to say that I would have but thats not what I said. I was not referring to you at all as a racist, the congresswoman said, adding that Meadowss actions are still a racist act. Meadows asked that Tlaibs comments be stricken from the record as a personal attack on him. My nieces and nephews are people of color. Not many people know that. You know that Mr. Chairman, Meadows said to Democratic committee chair Elijah Cummings. To indicate that I asked someone who is a personal friend of the Trump family, who has worked for him, who knows this particular individual, that shes coming in to be a prop, it is racist to suggest that I ask her to come in here for that reason. Story continues She came in because she felt like the president was being falsely accused, Meadows said. I could see and feel your pain, I feel it, Cummings, who is black, responded to the Freedom Caucus head. And so I dont think Ms. Tlaib intended to cause you that, that kind of pain and frustration. Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman ever elected to Congress, made headlines last month when she promised that the House is going to impeach the motherf*****, speaking about Trump. More from National Review Its hard to package history, race and truth in one cinematic box. Hollywood claims to have done this with Green Book, which won three Academy Awards Sunday night, including best picture. The story was based on the friendship between Anthony Lip Vallelonga, an Italian-American bouncer from the Bronx and renowned African-American musician Don Shirley, whom Vallelonga in 1962 chauffeured through the Deep South. As he accepted the best picture Oscar, "Green Book" director Peter Farrelly said the film that featured Mahershala Ali as Shirley and Viggo Mortensen as Vallelonga was about love at a time when race, class and prejudice divided much of the country. But there is no love for Vallelonga from members of the Shirley family, who say they and their potential contributions to the film were shut out. When Ali won the supporting actor Oscar, Shirley's family was on Skype. Everybody was happy for Mahershala Ali and the first words out of his mouth was thank you to Dr. Don Shirley," said Shirleys niece, Jasmin Shirley. But jubilation turned to anger when it was announced that "Green Book" received an Oscar for best original screenplay, and then best picture. I was livid. ... There was no recognition of my Uncle Donald or our family, Jasmin Shirley said. Indeed, director Spike Lee seemed ready to walk out of the Dolby Theatre after the best picture win - "the ref made a bad call" he quipped backstage - and Twitter seemed miffed that Hollywood picked what some described as a white savior film over "Black Panther" and Lees "BlacKkKlansman." Farrelly and co-writer Nick Vallelonga didn't mention the Shirley family in their acceptance speeches, but Vallelonga, son of Anthony Vallelonga, addressed the controversy when he spoke to journalists backstage at the awards show. "If you're discussing the Don Shirley family thing, that falls on me; but Don Shirley himself told me to not speak to anyone. He told me the story that he wanted to tell," Vallelonga said. "He told me, 'If you're going to tell the story, you tell it from your father, me. No one else. Don't speak to anyone else. That's how you have to make it.' And, also, he told me, 'Don't make it until after I pass away.' So I just kept my word to that man. I wish I could have reached out to Don Shirley's family. I didn't even know they really existed until after we were making the film, and we contacted his estate for music; and then the filmmakers, we invited them all to screenings and discussions. But I personally was not allowed to speak to his family, per Don Shirley's wishes. ... I kept my word to the man, and that's the reason for that." Story continues 'Finally the door is wide open': Oscars' big winner is diversity More: Spike Lee slams 'Green Book' as best picture: 'The ref made a bad call!' Members of Shirleys family say the depiction of Shirley is inaccurate. For starters, they say Vallelonga was hired to drive Shirley on a tour of historically black colleges and universities, not a tour of segregated venues across the South. The lens through which the story is framed is another issue. The thing that bothers our family is the focus of the film is all about a white man who was an extreme racist who was still a racist at the end, said Karole Shirley Kimble, daughter of Shirleys brother Maurice. Clearly, our family has a legacy of black excellence and family pride. Our concern is that (this) white director presented one persons perspective. On Sunday, Vallelonga talked about the effect the pianist had on both him and his father. "I met Dr. Shirley when I was a kid. I went to his home. I went to Carnegie Hall. ... I saw his beautiful African robes, and I saw the man that he was. And I saw the change in my father when he came home and over the years how he brought us up. So when he told me the story, because he was so angry when he went on this trip with Dr. Shirley (about) what he saw and witnessed, that's what changed him. ... "It's about their relationship and how they changed each other in a time when it was crazy, obviously. So I think we brought great honor to Dr. Shirley. His name is out in the world. We brought great honor to the 'Green Book.' People know about the 'Green Book.' And Pete (Farrelly) directed a magnificent film, and here we are." USA TODAY reached out to Universal for additional comments from Farrelly and Vallelonga. After his Golden Globes win in January, Ali said he had reached out to the family. "At the end of the day you wish everyone was happy and you dont want to offend anyone in any capacity, he said according to a Deadline report. Oscars 2019: 'Green Book' wins best picture, overcomes backlash with three awards Video: Donald Shirley, in his own words What is not in dispute is that Vallelonga used the guidebook to find places for he and Shirley to eat and sleep. "The Negro Motorist Green Book" was created by Victor Green, a New York city postal worker, and published between 1936 and 1967. It was as cherished as the family bible for many African-American families who often made long trips across the country on dark highways lined with segregated corridors and hate. The book grew in popularity and size thanks to J.D. Rockefeller and his Esso gas stations, but fell out of favor in the 1960s once accommodations were integrated. A Smithsonian Channel documentary, The Green Book Guide to Freedom, featuring home movies of African-American families, debuted Feb. 25. Courtney B. Vance, from left, Angela Bassett, Amatus Sami-Karim and Mahershala Ali, winner of the award for best performance by an actor in a supporting role for "Green Book," attend the Governors Ball after the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Eric Jamison/Invision/AP) ORG XMIT: CADA707 Kimble said had the movie makers asked the family, they could have given filmmakers a more realistic view of Shirleys tour. They didnt (include) my family," Kimble said. "They didnt listen to the other side of the story. They listened to other whites talk about my uncle. Donald Walbridge Shirley was born in Pensacola, Florida, on Jan. 29, 1927. His parents were Jamaican immigrants. His father, Edwin, was an Episcopal priest and his mother, Stella, worked as a schoolteacher. She died two days after delivering Shirley's brother, Maurice, who eventually became a psychologist. Two other brothers, Calvin Hylton Shirley and Edwin Shirley Jr., became physicians. Donald Shirley earned three doctorates. Grandfather Shirley believed that there was a time to work and a time to play. He believed in the scripture that obedience is better than sacrifice, and he molded his children and grandchildren in that way, said Kimble, adding that after their mother died, the brothers worked hard at cooking and cleaning so that their father wouldn't get married again. But Edwin Shirley did marry again after he moved the family to Fort Lauderdale, and he and his new wife had a daughter, Edwina. A prodigy, Shirley began playing piano at age 2. By 9, he was studying music theory at the Leningrad Conservatory of Music. He started playing professionally in 1945 at age 18 with the Boston Pops, performing Tchaikovskys "Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat." Classical pianist Don Shirley, shown in a photo from his Boston Pops debut in 1945, is the subject of the Academy Award-winning film "Green Book." At every stop, his family was there, said Jasmin Shirley, adding that he learned to play from his mother, who was the organist at St. Cyprian Episcopal Church in Pensacola. The Shirleys lived in St. Cyprian's parsonage, in the shadows of the Belmont-DeVilliers neighborhood, a booming African-American business corridor in 1930s Pensacola. The area was filled with churches, business owners, medical professionals, funeral homes and large family homes. I remember the Shirley boys playing in this house, said Maggie Polkinghorne Wilson, 84, whose brother was Lt. James Porkinghorne, a Tuskegee Airman and World War II pilot. Shirley attended the Catholic University of America as well as the University of Chicago, and earned doctorates in music, psychology and liturgical arts. But he became disenchanted with musical performance. In a 2018 video from a planned, never completed documentary with the working title of Let It Shine: Don Shirley," he was filmed in his New York City apartment above Carnegie Hall, where he talked about his goals. I was dead set on being, all my life, what I was trained to be, although I had to go through the back doors of the nightclub, Shirley said. Despite performing with symphonies in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and other cities, Shirley ended up taking the advice of New York theater producer Sol Hurok, who told him that white audiences in the United States were not ready for a colored playing classical piano on the concert stage. He was better received in overseas venues from Africa to Europe. He was a child prodigy but he couldnt be a classical pianist because of the color of his skin. You can hear the pain in his voice. You can see his anger. He was angry because he was disrespected, Jasmin Shirley said of the documentary. The film portrays Shirley as a lonely man who was estranged from his family. But Kimble said Don Shirley kept up with his family until he died on April 6, 2013. His biggest treat was traveling to Milan, Italy, and performing at La Scala, the worlds largest opera house, Kimble said. "Do you realize I am the first black to perform at La Scala?" Shirley said in the video. Shirley recorded hundreds of pieces, and two of his favorites was a remake of Bridge Over Troubled Water, and This Little Light of Mine. Shirley blended classical music with jazz and pop music to create his own style. But to his own frustration, most of his performances were in nightclubs instead of concert halls, and he sought to differentiate himself from regular nightclub performers. They smoke while they're playing, and they'll put the glass of whisky on the piano, and then they'll get mad when they're not respected like (classical pianist) Arthur Rubinstein," Shirley said in a 1982 New York Times interview. "You don't see Arthur Rubinstein smoking and putting a glass on the piano. ... The black experience through music, with a sense of dignity, that's all I have ever tried to do. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Don Shirley's family dismayed by 'Green Book' Oscar wins, calls portrait of pianist false Robots took on a record number of jobs in North American firms last year, the Robotic Industries Association (RIA) said Thursday. According to the RIA's data, 35,880 robots were shipped in 2018 to the U.S., Canada and Mexico, up 7 percent from the previous year. Of those shipments, 16,702 were to non-automotive companies a year-on-year increase of 41 percent. The consumer goods sector purchased almost 50 percent more robots in 2018 than in 2017, while life sciences saw an increase of a third. However, shipments to the automotive industry slowed by 12 percent. The industry accounted for 53 percent of total robot shipments to North American companies its lowest share since 2010. "These sales and shipments aren't just to large, multinational companies anymore. Small and medium-sized companies are using robots to solve real-world challenges, which is helping them be more competitive on a global scale," said Jeff Burnstein, president of the Association for Advancing Automation the RIA's parent company. U.S. record In the U.S. alone, robot shipments across all sectors increased by more than 15 percent, marking a record number of shipments to American companies. Every sector included in the RIA's analysis saw an increase, with the exception of the automotive industry, where robot shipments to American vehicle makers fell by 30 percent. Despite an increasing uptake of automation in the workplace, some have argued that companies should be doing more to preserve human jobs. Last month , South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told a press conference that policymakers needed to "deliver a human-centered agenda." In its 2018 "Future of Work" report, the World Economic Forum noted that businesses "will need to recognize human capital investment as an asset rather than a liability." "New technology adoption drives business growth, new job creation and augmentation of existing jobs, provided it can fully leverage the talents of a motivated and agile workforce who are equipped with futureproof skills," the report said. Meanwhile, a 2018 report from the International Labour Organization concluded that robotization in developed countries negatively affects employment in emerging countries. (Getty) Its no secret that Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas has a tall task at hand trying to get all of the teams young stars under contract for next season and beyond. Andreas Johnsson didnt necessarily enter the 2018-19 campaign as a household name, but his performance as of late when granted more big-moment opportunities and increased ice time has put another potential contract conundrum on Dubas plate. According to TSNs Darren Dreger, the club tried to get Johnssons deal out of the way a few days ago, to no avail. Leafs made a push last week to try and sign Andreas Johnsson. Preference is to wait. With goals 18 and 19 tonight, his patience will likely pay off. Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) February 28, 2019 The 24-year-old seventh-round pick of Toronto in 2013 entered Wednesdays clash against the Oilers ranked second amongst all rookies with 17 goals while averaging less than 13 minutes of ice time per night. After potting a couple more tallies versus Edmonton, Johnsson now has 14 goals and 30 points and is a plus-19 over his last 36 contests. More NHL coverage from Yahoo Sports WASHINGTON Republican U.S. Senator Susan Collins said on Wednesday she will oppose Andrew Wheeler, President Donald Trump's pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency, complicating the nominee's path to approval by the Senate. Collins said Wheeler's efforts to roll back standards on emissions blamed for climate change takes the country in the wrong direction. Trump's pick, a former lobbyist for coal and other energy interests, also faces a backlash from other Republican lawmakers over his support of policies favorable to the ethanol industry. This could make it harder for him to win the majority of votes required for approval in the 100-member, Republican-led chamber. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has scheduled the confirmation vote for Wheeler on Thursday. Five Republican senators from oil states, led by Ted Cruz of Texas, sent a letter to Wheeler dated Feb. 11 asking about his biofuels policies, and saying their confirmation votes could hinge on his responses. The Senate voted 53-45 in a procedural measure on Wednesday to end debate on Wheeler's nomination. Collins supported that measure but will vote against his nomination. A bipartisan group of senators has also pressured Wheeler to take stronger actions to control a group of toxic chemicals found in some U.S. drinking water known as PFAS, used in Teflon and firefighting foam. Wheeler said this month the EPA plans to take actions on the pollutants but stopped short of setting limits until later this year. The EPA declined to comment. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Wheeler has been running the EPA since his predecessor Scott Pruitt resigned in July under a cloud of ethics controversies. Collins said Wheeler is qualified for the job and acts in accordance with ethical standards. "However, the policies he has supported as Acting Administrator are not in the best interest of our environment and public health, particularly given the threat of climate change to our nation," said Collins, who voted for Wheeler last April in his confirmation for EPA deputy. Collins added that her state of Maine is at the receiving end of pollution generated by coal-fired power plants in other states. Story continues Collins had also voted against Pruitt's confirmation. Since becoming acting administrator, Wheeler has overseen proposals to roll back the Obama-era Clean Power Plan on carbon emissions from power plants, limits on mercury emissions from coal plants, and standards on carbon dioxide emissions from cars and trucks. Senator Joe Manchin, a conservative Democrat, who also voted last year to confirm Wheeler as EPA deputy, voted against him in Wednesday's procedural vote. Wheeler "hasn't demonstrated a desire or a will to make any meaningful progress on clean drinking water standards and has rolled back clean air standards," he said. Manchin, of coal-producing West Virginia, said the EPA's proposed changes to the mercury rule "will only serve to further undermine the status of our coal-based utilities." Many U.S. utilities had already planned adjustments to their coal-burning generators to comply with the tighter mercury standards, and the utilities are worried that proposals for looser rules could lead to regulatory uncertainty. In a bid to progresswith effective medication management, MatrixCare, a wholly owned subsidiary of ResMed Inc. RMD, recently entered into a national agreement with long-term care pharmacy solutions provider, PharMerica. Financial terms of the deal, based on Pharmacy Integration and Electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR), have been kept under wraps. Per MatrixCare, with the advent of patient-driven payment model, an integration like this holds immense importance. MatrixCares eMAR functionality with real-time facility-centric or pharmacy-centric order entry when combined with PharMerica, is expected to significantly improve the caregivers efficiency while checking medication-related errors. A Peek Into the Agreement The pact between MatriCare and PharMericacovers NCPDP (National Council for Prescription Drug Programs) Bidirectional ePrescribing with all MatrixCare customer facilities. The deal also integrates pharmacy-centric order entry (PCOE) with MatrixCares CareAssist platform. While the platform further consolidates eMAR and point-of-care functionality. This process aims to streamline workflows and documentation for frontline caregivers in skilled nursing, assisted living and senior living communities. Under this contract, MatrixCare will be able to communicate with PharMericas proprietary AS400 software in multiple configurations, which are NCPDP Bidirectional (facility centric) and PCOE (pharmacy centric) workflows. According to ResMed, these real-time integrations will allow MatrixCare to decrease data-entry time and enhance medication order accuracy. The same will also help boost caregiver efficiency and drive medication safety for communities. Industry Prospect The medication management system market has huge global prospects at present. Per P&S Intelligence, the global medication management market size is projected to reach $4.3 billion by 2020, witnessing a CAGR of 26.1% during the period. Story continues Price Performance Shares of the company have outperformed the S&P 500 index over the past three months. The stock has gained 10.8% compared with the indexs growth of 4.5%. Zacks Rank & Key Picks Currently, ResMed has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Better-ranked stocks in the broader medical space include ABIOMED, Inc., ABMD, Penumbra, Inc., PEN and Masimo, Inc. MASI, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. ABIOMEDs long-term earnings growth rate is expected to be 27.67%. Penumbras long-term earnings growth rate is estimated to be 20%. Masimos long-term earnings are projected to grow 15.6%. Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019 In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year? Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%. See Latest Stocks Today >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Masimo Corporation (MASI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Penumbra, Inc. (PEN) : Free Stock Analysis Report ABIOMED, Inc. (ABMD) : Free Stock Analysis Report ResMed Inc. (RMD) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Demand for the new Rolls-Royce Cullinan, has been so sky-high that the manufacturer had to add 200 new employees to its Goodwood, England production facility. The Cullinan was first touted in 2013, before being officially confirmed in 2015, and was finally debuted to the eager masses last May. While the typical purchasers of the range-topping, off-road-ready Roller are precisely who youd expectexisting Phantom and Ghost ownersmore than half the Cullinan customers are new to the brand, says Fritsches. And within the Cullinan subset, the buyers are skewing younger and more female. I would like to have a little bit more supply, Martin Fritsches, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Americas told Automotive News, noting that the new model has seen interest in the brand pique. We are running on 100 percent of production capacity, increasing the production capacity throughout the weeks and months, but still not being able to catch up to demand. Related stories The Lamborghini Urus is the Robb Report Car of the Year for 2019 Rare Rolls-Royces from Last Century Shine Again at the RM Sotheby's Arizona Auction Rolls-Royce Is Building the Fastest Electric Plane Ever The current order stack has the Cullinan backed up until June, and that doesnt account for new orders streaming in by the day. In a bid to assuage the onslaught of clients, Rolls-Royce has added some 200 new employees to the production facility, bolstering its entire workforce to 2,000 people. Thats doing little to offset the masses clamoring for the SUV, though. Part of the demand are the likes of the existing Dawn owners looking for a second, weekend-only Rolls, capable of taking their adventures to new heights. But another part is the influx of new product line coming to the 44 existing dealers in the Americas has spurred dealerships to revamp their showrooms, which is paying off in spades. To boot, Rolls-Royce is tacking on another nine new showrooms this year, including ones in Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, and Chicago. If you want a Cullinan, better order now before the waitlist moves into 2020. Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. London (AFP) - Rolls-Royce no longer wishes to be a candidate to make the engine for a new midsize passenger jet proposed by US planemaker Boeing, the troubled British group said Thursday. Rolls gave the update alongside news that it had dived into a net loss last year as its Trent engines were hit by costly repairs and a decision by Boeing's European rival Airbus to stop making the A380 jumbo. Rolls posted a loss after tax of A2.4 billion ($3.2 billion, 2.8 billion euros) for 2018 after a net profit of nearly A3.4 billion a year earlier, as the group also decided to axe thousands of jobs as part of vast restructuring at the group. "Rolls-Royce has decided to withdraw from the current competition to power Boeing's proposed middle of the market -- or New Midsize Airplane (NMA) -- platform," the British group said in a statement. "While we believe the platform complements Boeing's existing product range, we are unable to commit to the proposed timetable to ensure we have a sufficiently mature product which supports Boeing's ambition for the aircraft and satisfies our own internal requirements for technical maturity at entry into service," it added. Chicago-based Boeing is looking at building an NMA, or single-aisle commercial jet for long-haul journeys, to fill a gap in the market -- but concrete plans have yet to be announced. Rolls on Thursday said that costs linked to problems with its Trent 1000 engine that powers the Boeing Dreamliner were a higher-than-expected A790 million in 2018. The Trent 1000 has seen some parts wear quicker than expected, forcing Rolls to carry out expensive repairs. The UK engineering giant added that last year's earnings were hit additionally by a charge of A186 million "following Airbus' decision to close the A380 production line". Rolls in 2018 also began axing 4,600 mainly British management roles to slash costs. The company based in the city of Derby, central England, is restructuring through to next year. Also in 2018, Rolls sold its loss-making commercial marine business to Norwegian industrial giant Kongsberg. The divestment enables the UK group to focus on its three core businesses, which comprise civil aerospace, defence and power systems. This article is for investors who would like to improve their understanding of price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). To keep it practical, well show how Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.s (NYSE:RCL) P/E ratio could help you assess the value on offer. Based on the last twelve months, Royal Caribbean Cruisess P/E ratio is 13.77. In other words, at todays prices, investors are paying $13.77 for every $1 in prior year profit. View our latest analysis for Royal Caribbean Cruises How Do You Calculate Royal Caribbean Cruisess P/E Ratio? The formula for P/E is: Price to Earnings Ratio = Price per Share Earnings per Share (EPS) Or for Royal Caribbean Cruises: P/E of 13.77 = $118.46 $8.6 (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.) Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good? A higher P/E ratio means that investors are paying a higher price for each $1 of company earnings. That is not a good or a bad thing per se, but a high P/E does imply buyers are optimistic about the future. How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios P/E ratios primarily reflect market expectations around earnings growth rates. Thats because companies that grow earnings per share quickly will rapidly increase the E in the equation. That means even if the current P/E is high, it will reduce over time if the share price stays flat. A lower P/E should indicate the stock is cheap relative to others and that may attract buyers. Its great to see that Royal Caribbean Cruises grew EPS by 14% in the last year. And it has bolstered its earnings per share by 29% per year over the last five years. With that performance, you might expect an above average P/E ratio. How Does Royal Caribbean Cruisess P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers? The P/E ratio essentially measures market expectations of a company. We can see in the image below that the average P/E (19.8) for companies in the hospitality industry is higher than Royal Caribbean Cruisess P/E. Story continues NYSE:RCL Price Estimation Relative to Market, February 28th 2019 This suggests that market participants think Royal Caribbean Cruises will underperform other companies in its industry. Since the market seems unimpressed with Royal Caribbean Cruises, its quite possible it could surprise on the upside. If you consider the stock interesting, further research is recommended. For example, I often monitor director buying and selling. Remember: P/E Ratios Dont Consider The Balance Sheet Dont forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. Thus, the metric does not reflect cash or debt held by the company. Theoretically, a business can improve its earnings (and produce a lower P/E in the future), by taking on debt (or spending its remaining cash). Such expenditure might be good or bad, in the long term, but the point here is that the balance sheet is not reflected by this ratio. Is Debt Impacting Royal Caribbean Cruisess P/E? Royal Caribbean Cruises has net debt worth 42% of its market capitalization. This is a reasonably significant level of debt all else being equal youd expect a much lower P/E than if it had net cash. The Bottom Line On Royal Caribbean Cruisess P/E Ratio Royal Caribbean Cruisess P/E is 13.8 which is below average (17.7) in the US market. The company hasnt stretched its balance sheet, and earnings growth was good last year. The low P/E ratio suggests current market expectations are muted, implying these levels of growth will not continue. Since analysts are predicting growth will continue, one might expect to see a higher P/E so it may be worth looking closer. Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. As value investor Benjamin Graham famously said, In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine. So this free report on the analyst consensus forecasts could help you make a master move on this stock. Of course you might be able to find a better stock than Royal Caribbean Cruises. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Russia and China on Thursday vetoed a US resolution in the UN Security Council on addressing the crisis in Venezuela, but a counter-proposal from Moscow did not win enough votes. The failure to take action on the two competing drafts laid bare divisions among world powers over the way forward in Venezuela, which is mired in a political standoff and an economic meltdown. The proposed US text -- which called for new presidential elections in Venezuela and unimpeded deliveries of humanitarian aid -- won the required nine votes at the 15-member council, but Moscow and Beijing joined forces to block it. Resolutions at the council, which are legally binding, must garner nine votes to be adopted, with no vetoes from the five permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. Russia's draft resolution -- which urged a settlement "through peaceful means" and insisted that all humanitarian aid be agreed by Maduro's government -- won only four votes: Russia, China, South Africa and Equatorial Guinea. Seven countries including the United States, European countries and Peru opposed the Russian measure and there were four abstentions. Battered by economic collapse, Venezuela descended into a major political crisis when opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president in January and asserted that President Nicolas Maduro was no longer legitimate. The United States is leading a push for recognition of Guaido, who heads the National Assembly. He is now backed by more than 50 countries. After the double vetoes, US envoy for Venezuela Elliott Abrams took an implicit swipe at Russia and China, lamenting that countries "continue to shield Maduro and his cronies and prolong the suffering of the Venezuelan people." Abrams expressed satisfaction that "a clear majority of the council" had supported the US stance. France, Germany and Britain were among those that backed the proposed US measure. South Africa voted no while Indonesia, Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast abstained. Story continues Asked how long it will take for Maduro to fall, Abrams told reporters: "Are we talking days, weeks or months? We hope it's as little as possible." - Regime change - Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia meanwhile accused the United States of putting forward a text that was "written for regime change, disguised as care for people. We have all seen this already in Libya, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan." Venezuela's Ambassador Samuel Moncada renewed his government's assertions that the United States is preparing military action, referring to President Donald Trump's statement that "all options are on the table." Maduro has accused the United States of using aid as a political tool aimed at overthrowing him, and blames US sanctions for the economic turmoil. The crisis turned violent over the weekend when four people died in clashes at Venezuela's borders during an attempt led by Guaido to bring in humanitarian aid from Colombia and Brazil. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is ready to mediate between India and Pakistan to try to calm tensions between the two nuclear powers, Russian government officials said on Thursday, warning of the risk of further clashes between the two countries. Moscow made the offer after Pakistan said it was considering returning a captured Indian pilot and as U.S. President Donald Trump said American mediation was helping to defuse the crisis. Russia has particularly close relations with India which buys large quantities of Russian military equipment and its relationship with Pakistan has warmed in recent years. When asked on Thursday if Russia was ready to help mediate between the two countries, the TASS news agency quoted Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying: "If they want this, then of course." Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova later said Moscow was ready to do anything it could to help. "We are concerned about the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan and the dangerous maneuvering of the two countries armed forces near the line of control, which risks direct military clashes," Zakharova told reporters. Lavrov spoke to Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday on the sidelines of an event in China after which he said he hoped tensions could be de-escalated and that both countries would show restraint. (Reporting by Maxim Rodionov; writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by Andrew Osborn) A woman who killed her husband in a hammer attack has won a landmark appeal against her murder conviction. Mrs Challen, 65, whose real name is Georgina, admitted killing 61-year-old Richard in August 2010 but denied murder. But she says she killed 61-year-old Richard Challen in August 2010 after 40 years of being controlled and humiliated by him. She was found guilty of his murder at Guildford Crown Court in 2011 and jailed for life. But her conviction was overturned by judges at the Court of Appeal on Thursday who said that the evidence of a psychiatrist, that Challen was suffering from two mental disorders at the time of the killing, undermined the safety of her conviction. Challen says she killed her 61-year-old husband Richard in August 2010 after 40 years of being controlled and humiliated by him. Challen, 65, who attended the appeal over a video link from HMP Bronzefield in Ashford, Surrey, was visibly emotional as she was told the outcome and there were cheers and applause from relatives and supporters in the public gallery. However, the panel of three leading judges refused to substitute a manslaughter verdict and ordered that Challen must face a retrial for murder. Lady Justice Hallett, sitting with Mr Justice Sweeney and Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, said: The Court of Appeal heard that, in the opinion of a consultant forensic psychiatrist, the appellant was suffering from two mental disorders at the time of the killing. This evidence was not available at the time of the trial and and the court quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial. The Court of Appeal heard Richard Challen subjected his wife to 40 years of psychological torture. (PA) Read more: Woman who killed husband suffered no abnormality of mind Teenager dies after being shot and stabbed in London Man banned from keeping animals after abuse caught on camera The judges rejected an application by Challens lawyers for her to be released on bail. At her trial, Challen, of Claygate, Surrey, admitted killing the former car dealer but denied murder, claiming diminished responsibility. The prosecution case was that it was the action of a jealous woman who suspected infidelity. She was jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years, later reduced on appeal by four years. Story continues Scores of supporters attended Challens appeal on Wednesday and Thursday. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK WASHINGTON The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed President Donald Trump's candidate, a former coal lobbyist, to lead the nation's top environmental regulatory agency, infuriating Democrats and conservation groups who said his policies were endangering public health. Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, a Washington insider with years of experience working as a congressional staffer, was nominated by Trump in January to permanently replace Scott Pruitt, who resigned in July after widespread criticism for alleged ethical missteps. "As acting administrator of EPA, (Wheeler) has prioritized commonsense policies that protect our air and water, while allowing our economy to grow," said Senate Republican John Barrasso of Wyoming following the 52-47 vote. Only one Republican in the Republican-controlled Senate opposed Wheeler, Maine's Susan Collins, who argued his efforts to roll back standards on emissions blamed for climate change takes the country in the wrong direction. Business interests like oil and coal, eager to see reduced regulation, were quick to hail Wheeler's confirmation while Democrats and conservation groups are worried that environmental rollbacks under the Trump administration are going too far. "Throughout his career, Andrew Wheeler has shown a clear disregard for the EPA's mission to protect the public and environment," said Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein from California, after voting against him. While running the EPA on an interim basis, Wheeler oversaw the weakening of Obama-era rules limiting carbon and mercury emissions from power plants and standards on carbon dioxide emissions from cars and trucks. He has also advanced an initiative to lift a summertime ban on higher ethanol blends of gasoline that was enacted to curb smog. "Andrew Wheeler has been instrumental in advancing the most regressive environmental proposals of the Trump Administration weakening public health protections against dirty cars, heat-trapping methane, toxic mercury, pollution from coal plants, and so much more," Moms Clean Air Force, a civil society group combating air pollution. Story continues During his confirmation hearing in January, Wheeler said he did not believe climate change was a major crisis a stance that resonates with Trump's skepticism but which clashes with the scientific consensus that global warming will have devastating consequences if not addressed urgently. Like Pruitt, Wheeler held nearly 20 times more meetings with industry representatives than with conservationists during his first two months on the job, according to a copy of his schedule reviewed by Reuters. Prior to the vote, Wheeler had also faced a brief pushback from five Republican senators from oil states including Ted Cruz of Texas over what they perceived as his support of policies favorable to the ethanol industry. The corn and oil industries have conflicting interests when it comes to biofuels like ethanol, which compete with petroleum for market share. All five senators had met with Wheeler earlier in February over the issue and voted to approve Wheeler on Thursday. Michelle Bloodworth, president of America's Power (ACCCE), a coal industry lobby group said Wheeler was a "thoughtful leader who understands the need for sensible environmental policies." Upbit Singapore GIC Private Limited, the sovereign wealth fund of Singapore, was one of the investors in Coinbases $300 million fundraising round last year, it has now been revealed. While there were other investors in the Series E round, GICs participation was closely guarded until now, per Bloomberg. Other investors who took part in the fundraising round included renowned Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. The Series E round gave Coinbase a valuation of approximately $8 billion. Newsflash: Crypto Giant Coinbase Worth $8 Billion, Will List Hundreds of Tokens https://t.co/3bIMZBFWjP CCN.com (@CryptoCoinsNews) October 30, 2018 Funds Allocation Reveals Coinbases Global Expansion Plans The fundraising round was led by Tiger Global Management as CCN reported at the time. As the president and COO of Coinbase, Asif Hirji, said then, the funds raised were earmarked for global expansion. Read the full story on CCN.com. War veteran Steve Earle says a Specsavers worker accused him of killing innocent people (SWNS) Specsavers have apologised to a war veteran who claims he was accused of killing innocent people by a worker during an eye exam. Steve Leale, who served in the army for 32 years, said the optician also refused to book a priority hospital appointment for him following his visit to Specsavers earlier this month. Veterans are entitled to priority access to NHS care, which includes hospital, primary or community care for conditions associated with their time in the armed forces. But Steve claims that during his visit to the Woodbridge branch in Suffolk on February 15, a staff member questioned his service. Steve described what happened after he had an examination at the store accompanied by partner Mo as he had a problem with his left eye. He wrote on Facebook, writing: As I was stood in the main area the optician came to find me and said, Mr Leale I will refer you to the hospital for your left eye. Specsavers have suspended the employee over the incident (SWNS) I then asked her to annotate my documents to show the fact that Im a veteran. She then turned to me and asked why so I explained the supposedly faster appointment. She then said why should you have that after invading countries around the world and killing innocent people. I was so gobsmacked by her comment that i did not retaliate but have since filed a complaint with their company. READ MORE Medics performed emergency C-section on dying crash victim who wasnt pregnant Sometimes you walk away: Donald Trump talks with Kim Jong-un end in failure Trump bought painting of himself for $60k using his own charity cash, then kept it Having paid for new glasses for both me and Mo, I will now be going in to request a full refund and go elsewhere. Steve, 54, finished his service in 2015 as a Warrant Officer Class 2. He added: I am very proud to have served my country for over 32 years. I did my duty on behalf of all British citizens no matter what ethnicity, background or belief but to my horror there are those that that still fail to understand the principles of why we have the freedoms we enjoy today and the sacrifice of those that allowed us to continue our life the way we do. Story continues Mr Earle served in the army for 32 years (SWNS) Trevor Coult MC, 43, who is a campaigner for veterans, took to Twitter to express his disgust following the accusations allegedly made to Mr Leale in Specsavers. He wrote: Steves complaint should have been dealt with the same day if someone had robbed Specsavers they would have dealt with it immediately. Nothing was done with his complaint for days and days and it wasnt until I tweeted about it that Specsavers replied. His complaint was sent to head office and they didnt think it was serious enough. Specsavers have since launched an investigation into what happened and suspended an employee while the inquiry is carried out. A spokesman said: An employee has been suspended pending a disciplinary investigation into comments made to a customer at the Woodbridge store. The alleged comments do not represent the views of Specsavers, who are active supporters of Blind Veterans UK, a charity which cares for former military personnel with sight problems. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK BERGEN COUNTY, N.J. Inspectors initially blamed poor hygiene for the spread of a virus that killed 11 children at a Wanaque nursing home last fall, but a federal report says the larger problem was that those in charge of the facility didnt plan for such an outbreak and didnt respond fast enough when it struck. Most disturbingly, the report describes the pediatric medical director of the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation as so disengaged that he didnt know how many children were infected, or what exactly his job entailed. That doctor not named in the report, but identified through records as Dr. Maged Ghaly admitted to inspectors that he was barely aware of the burgeoning crisis until it was well underway. I knew we had a problem after the fourth death, he told inspectors, according to the report. But it took five more weeks and the deaths of seven more children before one of the nations deadliest long-term-care outbreaks was brought under control. The deficiencies in leadership contributed to the delay in identification and containment of (the) adenovirus outbreak, affecting 33 residents (and) one staff, and resulted in 11 pediatric resident deaths, the report said. Adenovirus victim's parents: Shut down pediatric care center where children died Adenovirus: It feels just like the flu, but the vaccine is for military only Adenoviruses typically cause only a cough, cold, conjunctivitis or urinary tract infection, but the strain that struck Wanaque adenovirus 7 was especially severe. And patients such as the children at Wanaque, who relied on ventilators to breathe and, in many cases, tubes into their stomachs for nutrition, are particularly vulnerable. No new cases of adenovirus have been reported at the center since Nov. 12, but the state still bars new admissions to the pediatric ventilator unit, pending approval of the centers recently submitted infection-control plan. The centers administrator, Rowena Bautista, has challenged the findings of the report by staff from the New York regional offices of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, calling them unfounded allegations. Story continues We are infuriated that, after a cursory review, federal surveyors put together a report riddled with factual inaccuracies, disregard of medical judgment, and blatant misstatements about how viruses spread, she said in a statement. The center has appealed the reports findings, she said, and will vigorously dispute the allegations. An infectious disease specialist hired by the center at the direction of the state Health Department said the outbreak itself was unavoidable, and its scope and consequences were attributable to a particularly dangerous strain of virus that afflicted a very vulnerable population. The statement was issued by Dr. Edward J. McManus of Infectious Disease Care, a New Jersey practice with 40 physicians. The 114-page federal report, written Nov. 17, and the facilitys plan of correction, written Jan. 31, were obtained by NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY Network New Jersey. The inspectors visited the Wanaque center Nov. 13 through 17, at the peak of the outbreak. Thirty-three children had already been diagnosed, 11 had died and an unknown number were in area hospitals being treated. Nov. 1: 10th child dies amid adenovirus outbreak at New Jersey pediatric care center The inspectors wrote that everyone living at the Wanaque center not only those in the pediatric ventilator unit, but an additional 150 people was in immediate jeopardy of contracting adenovirus infections, with the likelihood to cause serious harm, impairment or death. The center has 92 beds for children and 135 for elderly residents. The mere arrival of the federal team was unusual, experts said, because surveys of long-term-care facilities are usually delegated to the states. The state already had inspected multiple times and stationed a staff member from its communicable disease service at the center. The federal inspectors found six immediate jeopardy citations, denoting the highest level of concern for government regulators, whose agencies provide most of the revenues for long-term care. Such citations can result in termination from participation in Medicare and Medicaid programs if not corrected, as these have been. Thats an extremely high number of immediate jeopardies, said Richard Mollett, executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, a nonprofit based in New York that analyzes federal data and advocates for nursing home residents. Only 5 percent of the deficiencies cited each year by nursing-home regulators rise to that level. The inspectors cited the Wanaque centers administration for systemic failings that went well beyond hand-washing and housekeeping. Disengaged medical director By law, a nursing home medical director is required to oversee medical policies and procedures at the institution and coordinate residents medical care. He is the clinician responsible for medical care at the center. When nurses notice a change in a patients condition and need a doctors orders to give Tylenol or antibiotics or transfer the patient to a hospital, they must call the patients doctor. For the children at Wanaque, that doctor was the pediatric medical director. The doctor is not required to be physically present at the nursing home, even when the facilitys residents include such medically fragile children as those at Wanaque. Medical records show that Maged Ghaly, a Jersey City pediatrician, filled that role, although the inspection report contains no names. His lack of involvement in the nursing homes operations resulted in one of the six immediate-jeopardy violations. Only six nursing homes in the United States received the same citation last year. It was not Ghalys first encounter with regulators. Last June, Ghaly settled an investigation by the Office of the State Comptrollers Medicaid fraud division into overbilling by his office by paying $42,000. Ghaly declined to comment when reached by phone Friday, citing the advice of his lawyers. In November, he told federal inspectors he had been at the Wanaque center for 11 years and had a background in pediatric intensive care. I was one of several pediatricians, and now Im the only one left. They all bailed on me, he said, according to the report. When they asked me to be the medical director, I agreed. No one gave me a job description and I signed the contract. He said he had never been given and had never read about the responsibilities or requirements of a medical director: I didnt understand what medical director meant. As to the virus, I thought the state was over-reacting, he said. I said, how is it going to spread? That was in October. But after learning on Oct. 8 what the cause of the infection was, and that four children had died, he told inspectors, I agree 100 percent that we need to tighten up our process for infection control. Measles: What to know about the measles outbreak, affecting over 60 in Washington anti-vaccination hot spot The Wanaque centers administrator conceded to federal inspectors that Ghaly had been disengaged. He has not been involved in the facilitys infection control surveillance, she told inspectors. I have been here four years and have never received a monthly report from him. We have not had formal meetings to discuss issues with the children on the unit. Even the centers director of nursing hadnt known until August that Ghaly was the medical director, with all the responsibilities for institutional policy that involved, she told inspectors. No plan for an outbreak In violation of federal regulations, the administration also failed to make plans for how it would handle a potential outbreak, the inspectors wrote. Administrators werent ready when the infection struck: They hadnt figured out in advance what space, equipment and staff they would need in such an emergency. They hadnt identified what was already in place. Such plans are not optional. They are required of all 15,000 nursing homes across the country. Oct. 26: No place to quarantine contagious kids in NJ care center where 8 died of respiratory infection, state officials say Nor are they irrelevant. If administrators had planned, they might have been able to physically isolate the sick patients from those without symptoms before being ordered to do so on Nov. 14, and thus prevent the spread of the virus from one roommate to another. The absence of a plan contributed to the delay in identification and containment of the virus that eventually led to the hospitalization of 34 residents of the center and the deaths of 11, the report said. No tracking of infection rate The uptick in respiratory infections should have triggered an institutional response. But federal inspectors cited a lack of infection surveillance and reporting that kept the staff and administration from seeing the big picture of the outbreak until it was too late. The administrator told inspectors she had not received data about the infection rate within the facility from the infection-control nurse. That nurse hadnt received certification in that specialty and spent only two to four hours a week on that task. And the pediatric medical director told inspectors, I have not participated in the surveillance of infection control and I cant give you any numbers. He said he could tell when an unusually high number of his patients had pneumonia, but I have no formal method of measuring the pneumonia rate or infection rate. I have never been shown the Infection Control report and I am not aware of the facility acquired infection rates. Adenovirus victim's parent: Mother of teen who died at NJ care center wasn't told about killer virus outbreak for weeks This system failure led to delays in identifying, reporting and controlling the outbreak, the inspectors wrote. The federal report also faulted the nursing home for its failure to provide timely interventions and care in accordance with professional standards, and failures of two management committees that were to have been responsible for identifying problems and carrying out plans to correct them. In addition, it detailed filthy conditions in the kitchen and described a complete lack of stimulation for five children who were left in bed for up to eight hours at a stretch during the four consecutive days inspectors observed. State action The weeklong federal inspection overlapped with an inspection by surveyors from the New Jersey Department of Health for two days, Nov. 13 and 14. The state inspection focused on hand-washing and infection-control practices of nurses and certified nursing assistants, the poor condition of bed frames, ventilator carts, heating units and recliners, and delays in cleaning the rooms of virus-stricken patients who had been sent to hospitals and died. The state inspectors findings were so troubling that on Nov. 14, Dr. Shereef Elnahal, the state health commissioner, curtailed all admissions to the center and ordered the facility to hire two consultants: a certified infection-control practitioner and a physician specializing in infectious diseases. Health commissioner Shereef Elnahal testifies during the first public hearing investigating the deaths of 11 children at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation on Monday, Dec. 3, 2018, in Trenton. He also ordered the nursing home to cohort the patients separate those who were ill from those who had no symptoms. Those steps, which could have been included in the sort of emergency plan the facility didnt possess, appear to have finally stemmed the outbreak; no new cases were reported subsequently. At the time, Rowena Bautista, the nursing home administrator, issued a statement: Nothing in the (state) report identifies systemic deficiencies in policies or procedures, and there is no suggestion that the deficiencies identified contributed to the viral outbreak. Accountability Wanaque administrators gave the federal inspectors acceptable plans on the spot in November to fix the immediate problems the inspectors identified, the inspectors wrote. That eliminated the need for drastic regulatory action, such as a financially crippling reduction in government reimbursements. On Jan. 31, the center submitted a more thorough plan of correction. Ghaly, the pediatric medical director, had been re-educated about his job requirements, the center said. But it added that he was involved in clinical oversight of the viral outbreak, and had given medical input and support to the administrator. A penalty of $20,965 for each instance of infection-control deficiencies was imposed on the Wanaque center by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services this month, at the recommendation of New Jersey health officials. The plan of correction has been accepted and was followed by an on-site visit to ensure full implementation, said Danielle Liss, a spokeswoman for the federal oversight agency. After a January inspection, the state found the center to be in compliance with state and federal regulations. Kristine Deleg's daughter, Elizabeth, 16, was among eight children who died after being sickened by a viral outbreak at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation this month. The decision to put her child in long-term care was among the most agonizing of her life, she said. The centers owners Daniel Bruckstein and Eugene Ehrenfeld have retained former U.S. attorney Paul Fishman to represent them. They have never spoken publicly about the outbreak. While the outbreak was a tragic event that has left us all heartbroken, it was not caused by any delayed treatment or any other unfounded allegation contained in the (federal) CMS report, Bautista, the administrator, said Tuesday in her statement. McManus, the infectious disease specialist who was retained as a consultant, also defended the nursing home. Based upon my experience and my evaluation of the facility, I believe that (its) policies and procedures in the area of infection control, medical oversight, and quality assurance were comparable to those of other similar settings and facilities, he wrote. The children's deaths were caused by an insidious and slowly incubating virus that hit a particularly vulnerable population; they were not the result of deficient policies or inadequate care by the facility, he said. The federal reports assertions, he said, are not supported by any evidence and are, in my opinion, incorrect. Neither Wanaques owners nor its administrator attended a hearing held by the state Senate Health Committee on Dec. 3 to examine the outbreak and consider possible legislative actions to prevent future tragedies like it. One lawsuit has been filed by the family of a 15-year-old boy, William DelGrosso, who was hospitalized in critical condition but survived the adenovirus outbreak, and more are expected to follow. When Williams mother entrusted his care to the Wanaque center, said her lawyer, Paul da Costa, she did so with the sincere belief that she was doing the best thing medically for her son, and that he would receive appropriate medical care from qualified medical professionals. Unfortunately, da Costa added, the Wanaque center betrayed my clients trust. Outbreak: Kentucky's 'too low and too slow' response to the nation's worst hepatitis A outbreak What you need to know: Flu outbreak with second strain could last until May This article originally appeared on North Jersey Record: Staff failures led to 11 kids dying of adenovirus at New Jersey care center, report says Star Alliance Explores a Broader Loyalty Proposition Beyond Airlines Star Alliance is thinking beyond air. It is exploring technologies that will allow frequent flyers to redeem miles not just for flights and upgrades but home stays, tours and activities, even underground train tickets. While this may sound like a yawn, it is big deal for airlines, where it is still not even possible for passengers to use miles accrued from one Star Alliance airline to redeem a bottle of whiskey on another when shopping inflight. That, too, is being explored. All this is part of Star Alliances digital transformation which began February last year when it partnered with Accenture to create a digital services platform. Once a digital service is available on the platform, member airlines can decide individually if they want to make it available to customers. One such digital service that has taken off is seat selection across member carriers. A United Airlines customer can now select his seat for the entire journey on United and Singapore Airlines on his United app or website, at the time of reservation rather than only at check-in. Half of 27 Star Alliance airline members have agreed to enable the service to be consumed, Star Alliance CEO, Jeffrey Goh, told Skift in an interview at the Aviation Festival Singapore this week. Getting them to come onboard is the easy part. It is more difficult to put the seat map onto the digital platform and show it to the customers. We are rolling it out progressively over the year or so, he said. Why it is Slow The reality is digital is very new to airlines, Goh said. Creating and adopting new technologies is also new and takes time. Moreover, the worlds biggest airline alliance has 28 members, many of them legacy carriers, all of different sizes, in different stages of technological advancements and are often faced with competing resources. But customers are demanding of airlines smarter and more seamless solutions, especially those in Asia where smartphone penetration has grown rapidly and consumers are bypassing desktop and going straight to mobile for online travel bookings. This makes digital transformation the new buzzword for individual carriers like Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines or Lufthansa and, collectively, airline groupings such as Star. Story continues Goh said the alliance is looking at digitalizing many things covering customer service, airport experience and loyalty. Of the three, he said loyalty is very exciting, it being the heart of global air alliances. We are looking into loyalty 2.0 to 3.0, said Goh. Today, the typical proposition is you accrue miles among members and thats not a problem. Most of the problem is to use miles, getting a flight or upgrade, but what if we give you the opportunity to use your miles to pay for an ancillary thats not within the airline that you use but another? Lets say you have a million miles and you see the bottle of whiskey that you can buy for your father-in-law on SQs inflight shopping. Can you use your United or Lufthansa miles to buy it? When the technology is proven, could we expand the redemption portfolio to let you take your husband on a treetop Airbnb experience or a great dining experience or a tour or activity using your miles? Further down the road, with the technology and a digital wallet, can you use your miles for daily applications like buying a newspaper or underground train tickets by flashing the e-wallet? That is where we think the excitement is, said Goh. Its not just about buying airline tickets, airline insurance, car rental or Airbnb, but how we deal with the travel experience ecosystem, how we integrate the experiences, Goh added. Who Needs a Super App? It is also about how to simplify processes and make travel seamless for customers. There is no need, for example, for a Star Alliance super app for customers to transact. Said Goh: You will continue to use your preferred channel of communication, whether it is the United app if you are in Star Alliance, or Japan Airlines app in the case of Oneworld [alliance], to conduct your transaction. We would never be able to convince our members to throw their apps. But we also dont want a situation where you are on a five multi-carrier itinerary and have to download five different apps and walk to five different check-in counters every time. What if you could check in on just one, your preferred app, which connects you to the four other Star Alliance airlines youre flying with? Another technology that Star Alliance is looking at is biometrics, where a customer could call up the biometrics identity he had registered in the first instance with the preferred app and use it at airport security, hotel check in, car rental, et cetera, without having to re-register each time. It is also looking to use technology to improve the airport experience beyond the bricks and mortar. If your flight comes in late and you risk missing your connection, today we send people to meet you at the gate and take you to the connecting flight, said Goh. We want to see if we can digitalize that assistance, so that you can have in the palm of your hands [information] that you have arrived at this gate, that it takes you 10 minutes to walk to your gate, security is five minutes away and when you reach it, you have a voucher that says I can jump the queue. Given that technology has opened up vast opportunities to improve the loyalty program, customer service and airport experience, how does Star choose initiatives? We work with experts from member airlines and typically identify the opportunity, said Goh. If its something we want to do, we call for proposals from the market. We are open to technology what you can deliver for us to create that seamless experience right to the end. The technology is there, it is a question of applying it to the industry. We need to be more agile with recognizing a products viability or feasibility but at the same time put our hands up to drop it if its not working. Subscribe to Skift newsletters covering the business of travel, restaurants, and wellness. By Ju-min Park and James Pearson HANOI (Reuters) - For sufferers of nuclear anxiety, how about a little dried persimmon punch to settle the stomach? North Korean chefs helped prepare the dinner shared by U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their first meeting in Hanoi on Wednesday, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Trump and Kim met in the Vietnamese capital for the second summit since their first historic meeting in June last year and had dinner at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in the centre of Hanoi. "Great meetings and dinner tonight in Vietnam with Kim Jong Un of North Korea," Trump said in a message on social network Twitter late on Wednesday. Chefs from North Korea worked together with staff at the colonial-era hotel to create a medley of Western and Korean dishes for the two leaders as they chewed over their differences, the two sources said. The result was an evening that blended two American and two Korean dishes, according to a copy of the menu released by the White House late on Wednesday. The two Western dishes, a shrimp cocktail and a "hot and runny-centred" chocolate lava cake, were created by chefs at the hotel, the sources said. The two Korean dishes - grilled steak with a pear kimchi and a non-alcoholic dried persimmon punch digestif - were prepared by North Korean chefs specially brought in for the event, the sources added. It was not the first time Trump had tried the sweet persimmon drink. South Korean President Moon Jae-in served it to him as a dessert during a 2017 meeting. The punch, which is designed to aid digestion at the end of a meal, tasted "really good", one of the sources told Reuters. (Reporting by Ju-min Park and James Pearson; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) An American Airlines ground staff member walks towards planes on the tarmac at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia on Jan. 24, 2019. American Airlines executives warned of significant travel delays if the US government shutdown goes on much longer, but said that customer demand has not been significantly affected thus far. The U.S. Department of Transportation on Thursday fined American Airlines $1 million and Delta Air Lines $750,000 for lengthy tarmac delays over the past few years. Airlines are required to allow passengers at U.S. airports to deplane after a plane has been sitting on the tarmac for three hours for domestic flights and four hours on international flights. The only exceptions to the time limit are for safety, security or air traffic control-related issues. This is American's second major fine for tarmac delays. In 2016 it was fined $1.6 million, tying a record set by Southwest in 2015. There have only been two other fines over $1 million, levied against Frontier ($1.5 million) and United ($1.1 million,) according to DOT records. In the current case, American exceeded tarmac delay limits on 13 flights between December 2015 and January 2017. Delta was cited for 11 flights between January 2017 and February 2018, with most due to a computer outage. The longest tarmac delay on American: 5 hours and 35 minutes in Austin, Texas, in June 2016. According to the DOT's consent order, an American flight from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, to Dallas diverted to Austin due to poor weather in Dallas. The DOT says American made a decision to "gas and go'' by refueling the aircraft and heading back to Dallas. The plane sat on the tarmac for 3 hours and 59 minutes before it began to prepare for takeoff but wasn't allowed to depart because a ground stop halted flights into Dallas. The flight was ultimately canceled but American didn't get the passengers off the plane within the four hour limit. In its response to the DOT, American said each of the 13 flights in violation were diverted flights and that they were diverted for safety reasons, according to the consent order. The airline said it is always mindful of the tarmac delay clock but "is also mindful of the need to get passengers to their destination airport instead of fully deplaning at the interim airport that is not anyones final destination.'' Story continues The bulk of Delta's tarmac delay troubles were tied to a computer outage in late January 2017 in Atlanta, which knocked out its gate management and flight dispatch systems for several hours, according to the DOT. Seven of the 11 flights in violation were flights arriving in Atlanta that night. The DOT acknowledged the challenges of the computer outage but said it's Delta's responsibility to have a contingency plan and also to maintain its computer information systems. In its response to the DOT, Delta noted that this is its first violation of the three-hour tarmac delay rules. It called the computer outage "extraordinary, unanticipated, and unpredictable'' and said it could not "reasonably have been anticipated.'' The airline said it gave passengers on the affected flights "substantial'' travel vouchers and frequent flier miles. American and Delta will not pay their entire fines in cash to the DOT. American was credited $450,000 for compensation it paid to passengers on the affected flights and Delta was credited $450,000 for its passenger compensation and other expenses, including a backup data center. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stuck on a plane: American, Delta fined for lengthy tarmac delays Paris (AFP) - A Paris court on Wednesday fined Swiss banking giant UBS 3.7 billion euros ($4.2 billion) for encouraging customers to commit tax fraud, a record in France where public opinion has grown vocal for crackdowns on tax dodging. Lawyers for the bank, which was convicted of illegally soliciting rich clients abroad and helping them to hide billions from French tax authorities, said they would appeal the landmark ruling. Court president Christine Mee said the bank was guilty of "exceptionally serious" misdeeds "whose origins are to be found in a structured, systemic and age-old organisation". UBS, the world's largest private bank, had tried to negotiate a settlement to avoid the potentially embarrassing court showdown, but failed to agree on a fine with prosecutors. As well as the landmark fine for UBS, the bank's French subsidiary was fined 15 million euros for complicity. And the court also awarded the French state, itself a plaintiff in the case, 800 million euros in damages, half the 1.6 billion sought by prosecutors. The decision came as authorities across Europe have cracked down on tax evasion and dubious banking practices in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis. The trial opened last autumn after seven years of investigations, launched when former employees came forward with claims of unlawful conduct. A series of leaks and investigations -- Luxleaks in 2014, the Panama Papers in 2016, and the Paradise Papers in 2017 -- have helped shed light on tax fraud by international corporations as well as world celebrities. Pressure eventually forced Switzerland to effectively end its tradition of ironclad bank secrecy, joining more than 90 countries which agreed to automatically share more client account information with each other. - UBS 'perfectly aware' of law breaking - In the UBS case, French authorities determined that more than 10 billion euros had been kept from the eyes of their tax officials between 2004 and 2012. Story continues The National Financial Prosecutor's office has said the bank and its directors "were perfectly aware that they were breaking French law" by soliciting clients and helping them evade French taxes. Five of six former UBS top officials received suspended prison sentences and individual fines of up to 300,000 euros. Only one defendant, Raoul Weil, a former number three at UBS, was found not guilty because he did not have any direct dealing with the French market. UBS, which had been ordered to post 1.1 billion euros in bail, has denied the charges and said its operations complied with Swiss law. It also says it was "unaware" that some French clients had failed to declare assets in Switzerland, and that prosecutors have not produced any proof, such as client names or account numbers, to back up their fraud claims. - 'Milk tickets' - UBS was accused of organising or inviting prospective clients to prestigious outings such as the French Open or luxury hunting retreats, where bankers would meet their "prospects" -- something they were not allowed to do under French law. UBS France directors then used notes called "milk tickets" to keep track of how many "milk cans" -- amounts of money -- were transferred to Swiss accounts. Only one "milk ticket" was found during the inquiry, but prosecutors pointed to the roughly 3,700 French UBS clients who took advantage of an amnesty to regularise their tax declarations with the French authorities. Former French Finance Minister Michel Sapin welcomed Wednesday's court ruling, saying the size of the fine "takes into account the evolution of mentalities and international standards". "Until now one spoke of how banks were fined billions in the United States, but only a few million in France", which has harmed France's credibility in fighting fraud, Sapin said. Tax fraud is a hot issue in France, where former budget minister Jerome Cahuzac, whose brief in government was to crack down on tax dodgers, was sentenced in 2018 to three years in jail for tax fraud and money laundering. UBS has been embroiled in a series of similar cases, most notably in the United States, where authorities said the bank used Switzerland's banking secrecy laws to help rich clients avoid taxes. In 2009 it paid $780 million to settle charges it helped thousands of American citizens hide money from the Internal Revenue Service. The bank agreed to turn over information on hundreds of clients, severely denting Switzerland's long tradition of shielding banking clients and their operations. Rep. Na Kyung-won, floor leader of the Liberty Korea Party, attends a general meeting of lawmakers at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap By Jung Min-ho South Korea's main opposition party leader has voiced her objection to the possibility that the leaders of the United States and North Korea will sign a declaration during their Hanoi summit to end the Korean War (1950-53). Rep. Na Kyung-won, floor leader of the Liberty Korea Party, said Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un should not proclaim the end of the war during their summit (Feb. 27-28) without South Korean President Moon Jae-in. "We will never accept it," she said during a general meeting of Assembly members. "Ending the war without the confirmation of the North's complete denuclearization will only weaken the South Korea-U.S. alliance and likely lead to the pull-out of U.S. forces here." Her remarks came after presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom mentioned such a scenario, saying Cheong Wa Dae would "welcome any form" of declaration, even if Moon is left out. The spokesman said Seoul would be fine because Moon and Kim signed a military agreement that was "virtually a declaration to end the war" last September. Na claimed what the Kim regime is trying to achieve through an end-of-war declaration is to undermine South Korea's military defense against the North. "North Korea is hiding its intention in the guise of peace," she said. The spokesman said the war-ending declaration may be on the summit's agenda. During their first summit in Singapore in June, Trump and Kim agreed to build new relations between their countries and work together for the "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," but the agreement was short on details. Peace declaration supporters say it would pave the way for better U.S.-North Korea relations and therefore the faster denuclearization of the regime. The two have remained technically at war since the Korean War was halted in a truce in 1953. North Korea has long claimed that it had no choice but to develop nuclear weapons to fend off invasions from the United States, which still keeps 28,000 troops in South Korea. Meanwhile, a group of 20 U.S. House Democrats has introduced a resolution that would call for an end to the war but also keep U.S. troops in South Korea. The resolution, introduced a day before the summit, urges the U.S. government to provide a "clear roadmap for achieving a permanent peace regime and the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." "Historic engagement between South and North Korea has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity to formally end this war," House Armed Services Committee member Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said. "President Trump must not squander this rare chance for peace. He should work hand in hand with our ally, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, to bring the war to a close and advance toward the denuclearization of the peninsula." By John Miller ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland may let up to 5,000 people smoke marijuana legally in pilot studies to help shape new rules for recreational use of the drug, the government said on Thursday. The cabinet proposed limited pilot projects that may lead to changes in laws banning cannabis that date back to 1951. The plan will be put out for public comment until mid-year, the Federal Health Office said. Switzerland already allows cannabis products of less than 1 percent THC, the chemical that makes people high. It began last July to explore new ways of regulating more-potent marijuana, after the University of Bern was blocked by existing law from undertaking a scientific study. Some 200,000 people in Switzerland use illegal cannabis, the government estimated, despite its criminalisation. "Without undermining the general cannabis prohibition, we need to be able to test new regulation models under the current situation," the government said in a statement. "Cities point to the negative impact of current laws, illegal trade in public places that is increasingly disruptive and makes people feel unsafe, and resource-sapping efforts to curb drug sales in urban areas," it added. "As a result, some cities want to find out how controlled access to cannabis affects its consumption, buying behaviours and the health of participants." Several U.S. states have relaxed restrictions on marijuana, seeing an opportunity to save money on law enforcement and profit from taxing the drug. In Europe, Portugal and the Czech Republic have decriminalised cannabis and Luxembourg is discussing legalisation. The proposed Swiss pilot projects would be limited to cannabis, with only adults who demonstrate that they already use it allowed to participate. The government also plans to make it easier for people to access medical marijuana, but that would be part of a separate process. (Reporting by John Miller, editing by Larry King) The Taliban on Wednesday hailed unprecedented talks with Afghan politicians as "very successful", despite disagreements over women's rights and the group's demand for an Islamic constitution in the war-torn country. The extraordinary two-day gathering in Moscow saw Taliban leaders stand shoulder-to-shoulder with former president Hamid Karzai, who called the insurgents his "brothers" as both sides agreed to seek lasting peace. No government official was invited to the roundtable, which saw heavyweight Afghan politicians and other sworn enemies of the Taliban praying and dining with the militants. It was the second time President Ashraf Ghani was frozen out of such talks in recent weeks, after the US held entirely separate discussions with the insurgents in Doha without Kabul. Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, who headed the Taliban delegation, made a rare appearance in front of international media besides a smiling Karzai. "This meeting was very successful," the black-turbaned Taliban official told reporters, flanked by the former president who was appointed after US-led forces routed the Taliban in 2001. "We agreed on many points and I am hopeful that in future, we can succeed more further, and finally we can reach a solution. We can find a complete peace in Afghanistan." All parties agreed to support the Doha peace talks with American negotiators that President Donald Trump described on Tuesday as "constructive". The nine-point statement issued on behalf of all parties also agreed on the complete withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan. A timetable for that exit was "not fixed so far... but we are negotiating this", Stanikzai said. Earlier Wednesday, a senior Taliban official told reporters the US had agreed to withdraw half its ground troops by the end of April -- a claim refuted by NATO and the US State Department. - Thaw with Kabul - Delegates at the Moscow meet also crucially opened the door for the government to attend future talks -- despite the Taliban's steadfast refusal to engage with Kabul. Story continues "The process should be all inclusive, which means the government can also be invited, and would be part of this," said Mohammad Hanif Atmar, one of Ghani's chief rivals, who was present in Moscow. The Taliban consider the Kabul administration a US puppet but Ghani's allies in Washington insist Afghans should lead the peace process. The months-long push by the US to engage the Taliban has ostensibly been aimed at convincing them to negotiate with Kabul. "Ultimately, we need to get to a Taliban-Afghanistan discussion," General Joseph Votel, the head of US Central Command, told US lawmakers. "Only they will be able to resolve the key issues involved in the dispute." Ghani said he had spoken late on Tuesday with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who had stressed the importance of "ensuring the centrality of the Afghan government in the peace process". The Afghan president -- who has vented frustration as his friends and enemies have negotiated the future of his country -- describing the Moscow talks as "nothing more than fantasy". - Striking scenes - Karzai, who was president from 2001 to 2014, said he was "happy" to sit down with his former foes. "We always wanted to speak to our brothers, the Taliban," he said. He said delegates agreed on "almost" everything -- but consensus was not reached over the Taliban's demand for an Islamic constitution, and the group's views on women. Fawzia Koofi, one of two female delegates among the dozens of men at the table, questioned the militants' insistence that women's rights be upheld "in accordance with Islamic values". "I... (lived) in Afghanistan during (the) Taliban time, and I know their interpretation of Islamic rights of (a) woman is different," Koofi, head of Afghanistan's parliamentary Committee on Women and Human Rights, told reporters. She voted against the joint statement -- but said delegates had promised her concerns would be taken up at future negotiations. Under their rule, the Taliban severely curtailed women's liberties, barring them from work and school, and confined women to their homes -- only allowing them outside with a male escort and hidden beneath a burqa. In the Russian capital, in scenes unthinkable under their regime, the Taliban sat and listened as women defended their hard-earned freedoms in a modern Afghanistan. The Moscow conference was the Taliban's most significant engagement with Afghan leaders in years. But it was also striking because the Taliban -- who banned television, cinemas and photography when they ruled Afghanistan -- are rarely so visible. Their leadership is seldom seen in public and scenes of Taliban officials outlining their manifesto for live television is virtually unheard of. Speaking to the Afghan envoys, they promised not to seek a monopoly on power but an "inclusive Islamic system" of governance for Afghanistan. By Michael Erman and Svea Herbst-Bayliss (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's top shareholder Wellington Management said on Wednesday it does not support the U.S. drugmaker's $74 billion deal to buy biotech Celgene Corp, imperiling what would be the largest pharmaceutical acquisition of all time. The announcement strengthens the hand of activist hedge fund Starboard Value LP, which filed a slate of nominees to challenge Bristol-Myers' board last week, and has been canvassing its shareholders seeking to oppose the deal. Boston-based Wellington Management rarely makes its views public. Its displeasure with the deal could embolden other shareholders to come forward. The development fueled uncertainty among investors over the cash-and-stock deal's prospects. Celgene shares fell 8.5 percent in after-hours trading following Wellington's statement, while Bristol-Myers shares rose 3 percent. The spread between Celgene's share price and the value of Bristol's bid nearly doubled to around 20 percent. Wellington Management, which owns about 8 percent of Bristol-Myers shares, said it found the Celgene deal to be too risky and expensive. It said other options to create value for shareholders "could be more attractive." Dodge & Cox, Bristol-Myers' fifth largest shareholder is also unhappy with the deal, sources have told Reuters. Bristol-Myers said in a statement that its board and management have had "numerous conversations and meetings" with investors, including Wellington, since announcing the Celgene deal. "We believe that we are acquiring Celgene at an attractive price, and that this transaction presents an important and unique opportunity to create sustainable value," Bristol-Myers said. Celgene and Starboard declined to comment. Dodge & Cox sources did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Unlike Wellington, many Bristol-Myers shareholders also have significant stakes in Celgene. This overlap could boost support for the deal, because Bristol-Myers shareholders will be less concerned about the company overpaying if the acquisition target, Celgene, is also owned by them. "We continue to think the deal makes sense for Bristol-Myers, and ultimately will go through, despite this new risk, but have to acknowledge that Wellington has a much more commanding position than anyone else who has taken a stance against the deal so far," Baird Research analysts said in a note. Bristol-Myers would need to issue a significant number of new shares to pay for Celgene, and as a result Bristol-Myers investors are granted a vote on the deal. They will get to cast it at a special meeting scheduled for April 12. Were they to shoot down the deal, Bristol-Myers would have to pay Celgene a $2.2 billion breakup fee. Bristol-Myers said in January that it would buy New Jersey-based Celgene, combining two of the world's largest cancer therapy businesses. Both companies are facing significant challenges in the development and commercialization of their drug portfolios. If the deal were to fall apart it would be a major setback for Bristol-Myers Chief Executive Giovanni Caforio at a time when the company's most important cancer immunotherapy and growth driver, Opdivo, has fallen behind both in sales and development to Keytruda, a rival drug from Merck & Co. Celgene has had its own clinical setbacks, losing more than half its market value between October 2017 and last month when the deal was announced. An expensive experimental Crohn's disease drug touted as a future multibillion-dollar product failed, and Celgene's expected approval of high-profile multiple sclerosis drug ozanimod was delayed. In addition, revenue from Celgene's flagship multiple myeloma drug, Revlimid, which brought in nearly $10 billion last year, is set to start dropping in 2022 when it loses its U.S. exclusivity. (Reporting by Michael Erman and Svea Herbst-Bayliss in New York; Additional reporting by Ankur Banerjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila, Bill Berkrot and Richard Chang) By John Whitesides WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three of the top media strategists for Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders stepped away from his 2020 campaign on Tuesday, citing creative differences over their vision for his fledgling White House run. Prominent consultants Tad Devine, Mark Longabaugh and Julian Mulvey, who played leading roles in Sanders' insurgent 2016 presidential campaign, said they would not work on the Vermont senator's 2020 bid for the Democratic nomination, which was launched last week. "We are leaving because we believe that Senator Sanders deserves to have media consultants who share his creative vision for the campaign," the three said in a joint statement. The three are partners in a media consulting firm that produced 275 television, radio and digital ads for the Sanders campaign in the 2016 race. It also put together the video that Sanders used to launch his 2020 campaign, and advised Sanders on his announcement schedule and rollout, Longabaugh said. In 2016, Devine also served as a top political strategist and frequent spokesman for Sanders, while Longabaugh was a senior adviser and Mulvey was creative director for the ad campaigns. Many of the firm's 2016 ads drew wide notice and critical acclaim during the campaign. "We are grateful for the opportunity to have worked for Senator Sanders in his historic 2016 campaign for president," the strategists said in their statement. According to Federal Election Commission records, the Sanders campaign paid the firm about $5.3 million during the 2016 cycle for its services. "The campaign appreciates all the good work DML has done and wishes them well," Sanders' new campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, said in a statement, using an acronym for the firm run by the three. As he launches his second run, Sanders has been under pressure to bring in a more diverse set of advisers than the largely white inner circle that ran his 2016 bid. Sanders has already proven to be a fundraising juggernaut in the first week of his presidential run. His campaign said on Tuesday he had raised about $10 million from nearly 360,000 donors in the first week. He will make his first campaign trail appearances this weekend with rallies in Brooklyn, where he was born and raised, and Chicago. The split comes after Devine drew attention last year for his connections to former Trump campaign Chairman Paul Manafort. Devine worked with Manafort to help elect pro-Russian Victor Yanukovich president of Ukraine in 2010. Manafort has been convicted of multiple felony counts by Special Counsel Robert Mueller related to his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Devine testified at Manafort's trial, but was not accused of wrongdoing. Russia has denied meddling in the election. Republican President Donald Trump has called Mueller's investigation a witch hunt. (Reporting by John Whitesides; editing by Jonathan Oatis) A Tory MP has called for a Government debate on online safety after being contacted by worried constituents about the so-called Momo challenge which has been branded a hoax. But Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom reminded Douglas Ross that there is no confirmed evidence that the challenge is posing a threat to British children. She pointed to the fact that experts and childrens charities have dismissed the challenge as a hoax. Conservative MP Mr Ross said: Can we have a debate and allow the Government to explain what more we can do to protect and educate young people about the scourge of these online dangers? Mrs Leadsom said the appalling challenge was one the Government is extremely concerned about and new laws were being drawn up to force internet companies to protect vulnerable users, including children. But she added: In the case of Momo, organisations including the Samaritans, the NSPCC and the Safer Internet Centre have said there is no confirmed evidence the Momo phenomenon is posing a threat to British children. She said: Weve been very clear that more needs to be done to protect young people online, including from cyber-bullying and suicide and self-harm content, and internet companies do have a responsibility to their users. The forthcoming online harms white paper will set out a range of legislative and non-legislative measures to keep UK users safe online. READ MORE More than half of Brits use their mobile phone on the loo Bullied British bonobo finally begins to integrate by finding cougar girlfriend eight years his senior Specsavers suspend employee who accused war veteran of killing innocent people during eye exam The Momo challenge allegedly entices children to add a contact into their phones and then instructs them to complete increasingly dangerous tasks in secret with the threat of harming their families if they do not comply. The messages are often accompanied with the image of Momo, a bug-eyed, skeletal woman with a long, thin mouth and scraggly black hair. Story continues It has sparked concerns, with police forces releasing statements giving advice to parents and schools handing out letters warning parents about the Momo challenge and its potential dangers. But Dr Dawn Branley-Bell, a cyberpsychologist from Northumbria University, told Yahoo News UK: I believe that the Momo challenge is largely an urban myth or online hoax. This is the latest hot topic which is spreading like wildfire due to its sensationalist nature and is causing a lot of parents to be unnecessarily worried. She said it would be better to focus on giving younger generations the tools and skills to help them be resilient to online content There will no doubt be another challenge that comes along, however, it is undoubtedly likely to involve an element of fear whether thats through the character fronting the hoax, such as the haunting imagery associated with Momo and Slenderman, and/or a fear of the consequences, i.e., the threat that something bad will happen to you or your family if you do not follow through with the challenges, she said. They will continue to appear and this is why the key to addressing these issues is to raise awareness of online hoaxes without scaremongering. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK (Reuters) - The prototypes for President Donald Trump's contest for a border wall near San Diego, California, were torn down on Wednesday, to make way for a new section of actual border fencing. To the president's supporters, the eight 30-foot-high (9-meter) models were a symbol of his commitment to build a wall along the length of the U.S. Mexico border to enhance national security. To opponents, they were a waste of taxpayer money and an affront to Mexico and immigrants. "Since the test and evaluation of these prototype models is complete, they have served their purpose and are now being removed," U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesman Ralph DeSio said in a statement. Using jackhammers, ladders and blow torches, military special forces and CBP special units spent weeks trying to go under, over and through the walls to test their strengths and weaknesses. The tests of the eight prototypes, which Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Michael Scappechio of the San Diego sector said cost between $300,000 and $500,000 each to build, showed the effectiveness of the kind of steel post, or "bollard," fence that already exists along large sections of the border. Now, a new 30-foot-high bollard fence is being built as a secondary barrier along a 14-mile (22.5 km) section, behind an existing, 18-feet-high bollard fence, Scappechio said. The ability of agents to see through a barrier is crucial to their safety, and a fence made out of steel posts or "bollards" is easier to repair when breached and relatively cost effective, he said, while the 30-foot height is a deterrent to climbers. The fence will also incorporate fiber optic sensor, Scappechio said. (Reporting by Andrew Hay in New Mexico; editing by Bill Tarrant and Leslie Adler) Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have cut short their talks in Hanoi, Vietnam and skipped a scheduled lunch event. The White House confirmed the summit had ended with no agreement reached as the leaders headed back to their respective hotels. The US president talks broke down over North Koreas demands on US-led sanctions. Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, but we couldnt do that, he told reporters. Sometimes you have to walk. Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, said negotiations would continue at a future date. Several Democrats came out acknowledging Mr Trumps decision to walk away without a deal was the right move in this situation. Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff said walking away with no deal was better than agreeing to a bad deal, before adding that it was the result of a poorly planned strategy. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer echoed similar statements, citing his concerns about the likelihood of a bad deal forming out of the summit. A deal that fell short of complete denuclearization would have only made North Korea stronger & the world less safe, Mr Schumer said. After the summit, Mr Trump also defended Mr Kim over the tragic death of American college student Otto Warmbier, who was jailed in North Korea in December 2015 for attempting to steal propaganda material during an organised tour.The president said he does not believe the autocratic leader was aware of Mr Warmbiers condition in the North Korean hard labour prison camp. "He tells me he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word, Mr Trump said. After two years of imprisonment, North Korean authorities returned Mr Warbier to the US in a coma in July 2017. A few days later, the 22-year-old died in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman criticised the American presidents defense of Mr Kim. Im very concerned that the President didnt seem to be all that concerned about the murder of Otto Warmbier from Cincinnati, Mr Brown told reporters on Thursday. I dont know how he says he likes the dictator of NK so much. Senator Sherrod Brown: Im very concerned that the President didnt seem to be all that concerned about the murder of Otto Warmbier from Cincinnati. I dont know how he says he likes the dictator of NK so much. Alan He (@alanhe) February 28, 2019 Mr Portman insists that Mr Trump and the American people must remember Mr Warmbier and that we should never let North Korea off the hook for what they did to him." Follow live updates below Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load The two leaders during their meeting in Singapore - AP President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, are meeting for their second face-to-face talks this week in Vietnam. It follows their historic summit in Singapore last June, during which they agreed to work towards the "complete denuclearisation" of the Korean peninsula. However since that meeting - the first between a US president and a North Korean leader - the two sides have expressed different views on what the phrase actually means and talks have stalled. What happened in Singapore? As Mr Trump told it, "we fell in love". The president and Kim were seen laughing over lunch before unveiling a four-point plan. The agreement, no more than a sentence per bullet point, offered only vague ambitions without a fixed timetable to achieve it. It also did not specify in which order the points would be tackled. North Korea has chosen to focus on the first two, establishing new relations and a lasting peace regime, while the US has honed in on the third - the pledge to work towards complete denuclearisation. The two leaders during their meeting in Singapore Credit: AP In the eight months that have passed since the meeting there have indeed been some signs of progress on the Korean peninsula. Some remains of American soldiers have been repatriated and America has decreased its joint military drills with South Korea. Mr Trump later said the issue of denuclearisation was "largely solved". In his New Year address last month, Kim even pledged not to test any more nuclear missiles - but if the country has already adequately built up its arsenal this is merely a token gesture. But despite the optics of the Singapore meeting, North Korea has made no substantive steps to dismantle its nuclear weapons and appears unwilling to do so until America reduces its military presence in South Korea. What will be discussed in Vietnam? The stakes for this meeting are higher than in 2018, when a handshake between the two leaders was a remarkable achievement in itself. The two leaders are now under pressure to agree on the definitions for denuclearisation and "peace" on the Korean peninsula. Story continues To America, the term means the "complete, verifiable and irreversible" dismantling of the country's weapons programme. To North Korea, it includes the withdrawal of American military threats from the region. The US has insisted that Kim get rid of his weapons before it lifts tough economic sanctions on the rogue state. Kim has said he wants each action he takes to be matched by the US - in other words, dismantling his nuclear programme step-by-step in exchange for concessions. America's special representative for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, has also said the country must provide a complete list of its nuclear assets before a deal can be reached. Stephen Biegun during a meeting at the Presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea Credit: AP Both leaders want to use the meeting to boost their personal images. Mr Trump, the self-proclaimed king of deals, will be hoping to secure some sort of agreement from Kim - a clear win to sell to supporters back home as something that his predecessors all failed to achieve. Kim wants his people to see him meeting with the US president on an even footing. Kim wants a formal end to the Korean War, which would give him grounds to argue UN forces should be removed from the border with the South. The US has been reluctant to declare an end to the war yet, because it would restrict its leverage against North Korea. But Mr Trump has made clear his frustration with what he terms "subsidising" other countries' militaries and he is eager to show his base he is making progress on his talks with North Korea. The decision to host the meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam is significant. Mr Trump and his aides have previously held up the country as an example of a communist country that overcame international isolation to become one of the fastest growing economies in the region. The message is clear: if Kim gives up his nuclear missiles, North Korea's crippled economy can boom. The rhetoric from both sides ahead of the summit gives reasons for optimism. Kim has complimented Mr Trump's "positive way of thinking", while the US president has tweeted "[Kim] may surprise some but he wont surprise me, because I have gotten to know him & fully understand how capable he is". Who are the negotiators aiding Trump and Kim? North Korea's delegation is likely to include the country's most experienced negotiators who have skillfully navigated demands by successive US administrations to give up their nuclear arsenal. They include Pyongyang's chief negotiator, the former spy chief Kim Yong-chol, who finalised agreements for the Vietnam meeting and Ri Yong-ho, the foreign minister and veteran diplomat. The US cohort may lack the same levels of experience. According to reports, many of the State Department's most experienced aides on North Korea have retired in recent months. However Mike Pompeo, the Secretary of State and Mr Trump's intermediary with Pyongyang, will likely attend. John Bolton, Mr Trump's hawkish national security adviser and Mr Biegun, the former Ford Motor executive now acting as the US special representative for North Korea are both also expected to attend. Ultimately, it will be the tete-a-tete between the two leaders which will determine the success of the summit. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said his country is willing to denuclearise or else he would not be here at a second round of talks with Donald Trump in Hanoi. In remarks that will give heart to those hoping genuine progress can emerge from the summit between the US and North Korean leaders, Mr Kim also said he would welcome the idea of opening a US liaison office in his country. Speaking to reporters as he and Mr Trump and their teams of top advisors sat for their second session of detailed talks - for the US, that included secretary of state Mike Pompeo and national security advisor John Bolton Mr Kim appeared reluctant to answer while the media was in the room. But Mr Trump reportedly said he wanted to hear his counterparts answer, and praised it when he heard it, saying it was something he agreed with. I actually think its a good idea, said the US president. When he was asked if North Korea was prepared to give up its nuclear arsenal, Mr Kim said: If Im not willing to do that, I wouldnt be here right now. CNN said the North Korean leaders comment could also be translated as I wouldnt have come here, if I didnt have the will. After hearing Mr Kims reply, the US president responded: Thats a good answer. Wow. That might be the best answer youve ever heard. While Mr Kim has said his country is wiling to denuclearise, it has taken few steps in that direction since the two countries had their historic first meeting last June in Singapore. Most experts believe it will require many years, and many concessions and assurances from the US and the international community, for Pyongyang to agree to such a step. Western reporters also asked Mr Kim if he and Mr Trump were going to discuss the human rights situation in his country. Earlier this week, Human Rights Watch said North Korea was arguably the worst human rights abusing government in the world today. Deputy Asia director Phil Robertson, added: Any dialogue with Kim Jong-un should not leave rights off the table. Pyongyang wants to be brought in from the cold by the international community but there can be no glossing over the DPRKs widespread use of forced and child labour, systemic suppression of free expression and civil society, and gulags holding tens of thousands in the mountains. As it was, it was Mr Trump who answered the question. Were discussing everything, he said. By Jeff Mason and Hyonhee Shin HANOI (Reuters) - A second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un collapsed on Thursday over sanctions, and the two sides gave conflicting accounts of what happened, raising questions about the future of their denuclearisation negotiations. Trump said two days of talks in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi had made good progress in building relations and on the main issue of denuclearisation, but it was important not to rush into a bad deal. He said he had walked away because of unacceptable North Korean demands. "It was all about the sanctions," Trump told a news conference after the talks were cut short. "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that." However, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told a news conference past midnight and hours after Trump left Hanoi that North Korea had sought only a partial lifting of sanctions "related to people's livelihoods and unrelated to military sanctions". He said it had offered a realistic proposal involving the dismantling of all of its main nuclear site at Yongbyon, including plutonium and uranium facilities, by engineers from both countries. "This is the biggest denuclearisation step we can take based on the current level of trust between the two countries," Ri said in a rare exchange between North Korean officials and reporters. "Its hard to say there will be something better than what we offered. We may not have such an opportunity again. We need such a first step on the road to complete denuclearisation. Our fundamental stance will never change and even if U.S. seeks further talks, our position wont change," Ri said. North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui told the same briefing she had the impression that Kim "might lose his willingness to pursue a deal" after the U.S. side rejected a partial lifting of sanctions in return for destruction of Yongbyon, "something we had never offered before". Story continues White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, asked about North Korea's statements, said the president was aware of the comments and the White House had nothing to add to what Trump said at the Hanoi news conference. Trump spoke to the leaders of South Korea and Japan on his way back from Hanoi and told them that the United States would continue to work with them and talk to North Korea, Sanders said. Reporting on the summit, North Korean state media KCNA said Kim and Trump had a constructive and sincere exchange of views and decided to continue productive talks, without mentioning that the talks ended abruptly with no agreement reached. The meeting was an important chance to build trust and lift the relationship between the United States and North Korea to the next level, it said. Kim expressed gratitude to Trump for travelling so far and actively putting in efforts to get results, KCNA added. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the two countries could hold further meetings, but there was no plan to do so immediately. The United Nations and the United States ratcheted up sanctions on North Korea when the reclusive state conducted repeated nuclear and ballistic missile tests in 2017, cutting off its main sources of hard cash. NO LUNCH Trump and Kim were supposed to have had a working lunch at the French-colonial-era Metropole hotel after a morning of meetings. "Sometimes you have to walk, and this was just one of those times," Trump said, adding "it was a friendly walk". At the same briefing, Trump warned he could also walk away from a trade deal with China if it were not good enough, even as his economic advisors touted "fantastic" progress towards an agreement to end trade disputes. Failure to reach an agreement on North Korea marks a setback for Trump, a self-styled dealmaker under pressure at home over his ties to Russia and testimony from Michael Cohen, his former personal lawyer who accused him of breaking the law while in office. The collapse of the talks raised questions about the Trump administration's preparations and about what some critics see as his cavalier style of personal diplomacy. Since their first summit in Singapore in June, Trump has stressed his good chemistry with Kim, but there have been doubts about whether the bonhomie could move them beyond summit pageantry to substantive progress on eliminating a North Korean nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States. Things had appeared promising when the leaders met on Wednesday, predicting successful talks before a social dinner with top aides. The White House had been confident enough to schedule a "joint agreement signing ceremony" at the conclusion of talks. Like the lunch, the ceremony did not take the place. MARKETS HIT "No deal is a surprise, especially as they were both all smiley last evening," said Lim Soo-ho, senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy. "But no-deal today doesn't mean there won't be one in coming months. It means stakes were way too high for the two leaders to give another wishy-washy statement like they did in Singapore." Daniel Russel, the State Departments former top diplomat for East Asia until early in the Trump administration, said the failure showed Trump had rushed into the summit. The Hanoi Summit validates Benjamin Franklins axiom that by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail, he said. "The hard diplomatic work of narrowing differences and exploring options had simply not been done, so it is not surprising that the two leaders encountered insurmountable differences." The Singapore summit, the first between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader, produced a vague statement in which Kim pledged to work toward denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But little progress followed. North Korea's old rival South Korea, which backs efforts to end confrontation on the peninsula, said it regretted that no deal had been reached but the two sides had made progress. News of the summit collapse sent South Korea's currency lower and knocked regional stock markets. South Korea's Kospi index closed 1.8 percent lower, marking the biggest one-day percentage loss since Oct 2018. Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said difficulties in the talks were unavoidable but the two sides should press on and China would play a constructive role. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he backed Trump's decision and wanted a meeting with Kim. TESTING Kicking off their second day of talks in Hanoi, Trump said he would be happy as long as North Korea conducted no more nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests. North Korea has conducted no tests since late 2017, and Trump said Kim had promised him there would be no resumption. Besides Yongbyon, Trump said there were other facilities he wanted included in a deal - and the North Koreans had been surprised the Americans knew about them - but they had baulked. U.S. intelligence officials have said there is no sign North Korea would ever give up its entire arsenal of nuclear weapons, which Kim's ruling family sees as vital to its survival. Russel said Kim might have thought he could drive a hard bargain, given Trump's domestic troubles. "Kim Jong Un is not testing ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs at the moment, but he is testing Donald Trump. Kim may have wanted to see if Trumps domestic legal and political woes made him desperate enough to take any deal he could get." (For a graphic on Vietnam holds Trump-Kim summit, click here https://tmsnrt.rs/2VkEAP4) (For live coverage of the summit, click: https://www.reuters.com/live/north-korea; Eikon SUMMIT LIVE [nL3N20M1H6]; Reporting by Soyoung Kim, Jeff Mason and Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Joyce Lee, Jeongmin Kim, Jack Kim, James Pearson, Mai Nyugen, Ju-min Park, Khanh Vu in HANOI, Ben Blanchard in BEIJING, David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick in WASHINGTON; Editing by Robert Birsel, Grant McCool and Sonya Hepinstall) Donald Trump has claimed talks with Kim Jong-un broke down because the North Korean leader wanted all sanctions lifted something the US could not agree to. Trying desperately to put a positive spin on a humiliating turn of events one that appeared to shock observers and participants alike the US president said he was not prepared to make a deal for the sake of it. Sometimes you have to walk, said the man who had bragged on the presidential campaign trail of his skills as a deal maker. He said the sticking point had been the North Korean leaders demand to have lifted all of the US and international sanctions imposed on it. Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldnt do that. He insisted that the two sides would talk again and that his relationship with the 35-year-old North Korean leader was very warm. He insisted that the meeting did not end contentiously but with a very friendly walk. Id much rather do it right than do it fast. Were in position to do something very special. In recent days, Mr Trump had sounded cautious about the prospect of securing a rapid breakthrough with North Korea, with which the US had been at loggerheads for seven decades. After last Junes meeting in Singapore made history, he travelled to Vietnam insisting to reporters he was in no rush. All of this led experts to ask why he was apparently so keen for a second summit without the ground work to edge the two countries closer being completed by officials. Summits that are scheduled to involve a ceremony to sign an agreement almost invariably follow months of negotiations and discussions. The two leaders discussed various ways to advance denuclearisation and economic driven concepts, said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future. Yet as he prepared to fly back to Washington empty handed and three hours ahead of schedule - his former lawyer Michael Cohen and his allegations of presidential wrongdoing dominating the headlines Mr Trump admitted there was no plan yet for a third summit. Story continues The president said Mr Kim had been prepared to move some way towards denuclearisation. He wants to denuke, he just wants to do areas that are less important than what we want, he said. He has a certain vision and its not exactly our vision, but its a lot closer than it was a year ago and I think eventually well get there. For this particular visit we decided that we had to walk. He added: We havent given up anything. They have tremendous potential, unbelievable. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo, part of Mr Trumps negotiating team, said Mr Kim was unprepared to meet US demands. Earlier, the North Korean leader told reporters his country is willing to denuclearise or else he would not be here. We didnt get to something that made sense for the United States of America. I think Chairman Kim was hopeful that we would. We asked him to do more. He was unprepared to do that. But Im still optimistic, said Mr Pompeo. There was no immediate response from Mr Kim or North Korean leader. He is due to stay in Vietnam for another two days. Analysts had pointed out Mr Kim would want major concessions before he was willing to give up his status as a nuclear weapons nation. It is little wonder these negotiations broke down after Trump has spent more time in office blowing up nuclear treaties than building them, Akira Kawasaki of the International Committee to Abolish Nuclear Weapons International Steering Group, told CNN. We need a real plan rooted in the international community and treaties like the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which the Koreas could join tomorrow and begin the disarmament process with legitimacy. Responding to a question about whether South Korean President Moon Jae-in had hit a glass ceiling when it came to pursuing peace on the Korean Peninsula, Mr Trump said he would speak to the South Korean leader on Thursday. Well be calling President Moon very soon, as soon as I get on the plane, Mr Trump said. Hes been working very hard, hed love to see a deal. Donald Trump personally directed his personal attorney to have a Ukrainian oligarch donate $150,000 to his personal charity in lieu of a speaking fee for a brief internet interview at an economic conference during his presidential campaign, according to the attorney. Testifying under oath before the House Oversight Committee Wednesday, Michael Cohen said that Victor Pinchuk asked Trump to speak at a Ukrainian-American economic forum in 2015 when his presidential campaign was already underway. Trump couldnt attend in person, so Cohen said he negotiated a $150,000 fee for a 15-minute interview conducted with translators on Skype that would be shown at the forum. But, Cohen said, Trump told him to have the fee made as a donation instead of a payment. I was directed by Mr. Trump to have the contract done in the name of the Donald J. Trump Foundation as opposed to Donald J. Trump for services rendered, he testified. Pinchuk, a Ukrainian billionaire and steel magnate, made the donation in September 2015, during Trumps campaign for the presidency, according to a 2018 story in the New York Times. The money represented the largest donation Trumps foundation received that year from anyone other than Trump himself. The Donald J. Trump Foundation has faced increasing scrutiny since Trump began running for president. After New Yorks attorney general sued the foundation last year, it agreed to dissolve in December and give away its assets as part of the ongoing investigation. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is also investigating the donation, according to the Times. During his presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly lambasted Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton for donations made to her private foundation while she was Secretary of State, at one point calling it most corrupt enterprise in political history. Donald Trump has used a press conference at his North Korea summit in Vietnam to accuse Michael Cohen of lying almost 95 per cent in his testimony to congress. The Hanoi summit intended to address North Koreas nuclear ambitions was cut short on Thursday afternoon after the Trump administration and Kim Jong-un failed to reach an agreement. In a hastily convened news conference by the White House, the US president was asked what he thought of Cohens evidence to the House oversight committee on Wednesday, in which he branded his former boss a racist, conman, and cheat. I tried to watch as much as I could, I wasnt able to watch too much because Ive been a little bit busy, Mr Trump said. But I think having a fake hearing like that and having it in the middle of this very important summit is a terrible thing. They could have made it two days later or next week and it would have been even better, they would have had more time. But having during this very important summit is incredible. Mr Trump next wrongly claimed Cohen had told lawmakers there had been no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Mr Cohen in fact said he had no direct evidence bu that, I have my suspicions. Mr Trump said: He lied a lot, but it was very interesting, because he didnt lie about one thing. He said No collusion with the Russian hoax, and I said, I wonder why he didnt lie about that too like he did about everything else. He lied about so many things. I was actually impressed that he didnt say, Well I think there was collusion for this reason or that. He didnt say that. He said, No collusion, and I was a little impressed by that frankly, he could have gone all out. He went about 95 per cent instead of 100 per cent. But the fact is is there is no collusion and I call it the witch hunt. This should never happen to another president, this is so bad for our country, so bad, and you look at this whole hoax, I call it the Russian witch hunt, I now add the word hoax. Story continues He concluded: The most important question up there was the one on collusion and he said he saw no collusion. So well see what happens, but it was pretty shameful I think. Cohens explosive public testimony on Wednesday, in which he presented evidence Mr Trump was aware of illegal hush money payments and that he personally reimbursed his former fixer, will be followed on Thursday by a behind closed doors grilling by a congressional panel investigating Russias interference in the 2016 election. In his third and final Capitol Hill session this week, Cohen will testify to the House Intelligence Committee, which has been probing Russian election meddling and any collusion with the Trump campaign. By Nathan Layne, Ginger Gibson and Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen will tell lawmakers on Wednesday that Trump asked him several times about a proposed skyscraper project in Moscow long after he secured the Republican presidential nomination, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. As Special Counsel Robert Mueller appears to near the end of his probe into whether Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election in collusion with Trump's campaign, Cohen's assertion that Trump was inquiring about the skyscraper project as late as June 2016, if true, would show Trump remained personally engaged in the venture well into his candidacy. Cohen was set to offer lawmakers new information about Trump's private affairs over three consecutive days of in-depth discussion with congressional committees that began on Tuesday. Cohen did not talk to reporters as he arrived on Capitol Hill on Tuesday morning for his first meeting, a closed-door hearing with the Senate Intelligence Committee. The focus of the session, which was drawing to a close late on Tuesday, was mainly on what Cohen knows about Trump's and associates' dealings with Russia, as well as about Cohen's previous lies, two congressional sources said. Cohen apologised to the committee for lying to it in 2017, according to CNN. Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate committee, suggested Cohen's testimony was important to its probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. "Two years ago when this investigation started, I said it may be the most important thing I'm involved in my public life in the Senate and nothing I have heard today dissuades me from that view," Warner told reporters outside the hearing room. As Cohen testified, Republican U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz, a Trump ally, suggested in a tweet that there was compromising information about Cohen's private life. Story continues Gaetz later told the Daily Beast that he was not engaging in witness intimidation. It is challenging the veracity and character of a witness. We do it everyday," he said. The lawmaker does not sit on the House Oversight Committee, which will be conducting Wednesday's hearing with Cohen, and therefore will not be allowed to ask him questions. Lanny Davis, an attorney for Cohen, said: "We will not respond to Mr. Gaetz's despicable lies and personal smears, except to say we trust that his colleagues in the House, both Republicans and Democrats, will repudiate his words and his conduct." Cohen was one of Trump's closest aides and once said he would "take a bullet" for him. But he turned against his former boss last year and is cooperating with prosecutors after pleading guilty to tax evasion, bank fraud and campaign finance violations. Cohen has said Trump directed him to make hush-money payments to two women who said they had sexual relationships with Trump, in violation of campaign finance laws before the 2016 election. Trump called Cohen a "rat" after he turned on him, and the White House again attacked Cohen's credibility on Tuesday. "Its laughable that anyone would take a convicted liar like Cohen at his word, and pathetic to see him given yet another opportunity to spread his lies, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. Trump has denied any collusion between his campaign and Moscow. Russia denies U.S. intelligence agencies' assertions that it interfered in the election. Cohen has been disbarred, according to a decision by a New York state appeals court in Manhattan made public on Tuesday. Disbarment is automatic in New York for lawyers convicted of felonies. Michael Monico, a lawyer for Cohen, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 'GRANULAR DETAILS' On Wednesday, in a public session before the House Oversight Committee, Cohen intends to give lawmakers "granular details" about a hush-money payment to adult-film actress Stephanie Clifford, known as Stormy Daniels, and information about a "money trail" after Trump became president, said the person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified. Cohen will also offer new information on Trump's financial statements that "have never been produced before" relating to how Trump represented the values of his assets in financial transactions and other matters, that person said. Cohen will also offer first-hand anecdotes to illustrate Trump's "lies, racism and cheating" during the decade Cohen worked for the real estate mogul and provide "evidence of criminal conduct" since he became president, the source said. Like Tuesday's hearing, his testimony on Thursday with the House Intelligence Committee will also be behind closed doors. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee plan to question Cohen publicly about Trump's personal finances, including the payments to women, as well as alleged efforts by Trump and his lawyers to intimidate Cohen to try to keep him from testifying. Last November, Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress by telling lawmakers in 2017 that all efforts relating to the Moscow project had ceased by January 2016. In fact, Cohen said, those efforts continued until June 2016. (Reporting by By Nathan Layne, Ginger Gibson and Mark Hosenball; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Eric Beech and Timonthy Ahmann in Washington and Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Tomasz Janowski, Alistair Bell and Peter Cooney) We listen to local police and fire departments scanner traffic, but sometimes miss crimes, wrecks, fires or other incidents, especially if they happen overnight. If you know of something were not covering yet, please let Managing Editor Jeff Pownall know by emailing him at jpownall@lufkindailynews.com, or submit a news tip online by visiting lufkindailynews.com/tips. Yahoo News photo illustration; photos: AP, Getty Images Theres a solid tradition in modern American politics of presidents hoping to shore themselves up with matters of war and diplomacy across the ocean, while back home their presidencies bob and sink beneath the waves. Jimmy Carter held talks in Japan while Americans rioted over gas lines (and disco, which, to be fair, was more of a national emergency). Bill Clinton bombed Iraq while Congress debated his impeachment. Most relevant to this moment, perhaps, Richard Nixon held a summit in Moscow and signed a nuclear arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev in July 1974, a month before resigning the office and narrowly escaping prosecution. So now comes Donald Trump, hollowly reenacting some stale scene from the Cold War, facing down the wannabe tyrant Kim Jong Un and then stalking away like he was Reagan at Reykjavik. In his desperate quest to distract us from sordid revelations about his campaign and his private behavior, Trump, elected leader of the most powerful country on earth, single-handedly elevates to near-equal status a country with fewer square miles than Mississippi and a smaller economy than Rhode Island. Bravo. Its all in vain, though, because the most powerful footage of the week wasnt Trump and Kim posing on the red carpet before talks abruptly collapsed in Hanoi. It was Michael Cohen, the presidents onetime confidant and protector, trashing his old boss in front of a House committee yesterday (including a timely allegation that Trump, referring to his war deferral for supposed bone spurs, once told Cohen: You think Im stupid? I wasnt going to Vietnam). Investigators may care a whole lot about the specific crimes for which the thuggish and slippery witness, after previously lying outright to another congressional committee, now claims to have evidence the presidents paying of hush money to a porn star, his advance knowledge of Democratic emails hacked by Russia. But probably the more enduring takeaway from Cohens testimony, the revelation that will poison Trump politically no matter what the special counsel ultimately concludes about his legal culpability, had to do with the essential smallness of the would-be wizard hiding behind the White House curtain. Story continues What people will remember was Cohens intimate and believable portrait of a syndicate-style boss who routinely lied to make himself seem richer and smarter than he was, who used money from a charity to buy a portrait of himself at inflated value, who ran down America because it like other shithole countries was being run by a black man. For me, the most resonant and thoroughly depressing line of Cohens opening statement was this one: The sad fact is that I never heard Mr. Trump say anything in private that led me to believe he loved our nation or wanted to make it better. The hard, cold nugget of the Trump presidency, laid bare by one of the men he trusted most. The question critics in both parties are asking now, as they have for months, is whether Trumps presidency will soon be brought to an abrupt and premature end, the way Nixons was when he returned from Moscow to face the sound of his own voice on White House tapes, conspiring to cover up crimes like some small-time hood. The answer is very likely not, and Ill tell you why. Well know soon enough what the special counsels office has uncovered in its long and meandering investigation. Its possible that Trump could face an indictment for obstruction of justice after he leaves office. Its also possible hell be impeached, if unlikely that the Republican Senate would vote to convict. Nixon faced both possibilities in 1974, and he was persuaded to resign rather than risk a humiliating defeat in Congress. But Trump isnt Nixon. If Cohens characterizations confirm anything for us, its that Trump cant be shamed into doing the right thing. Hes not going anywhere. We have plenty of political models for a guy like Trump, but theyre not Nixon or even his indicted vice president, Spiro Agnew, who resigned in 1973. Theyre urban folk heroes like Marion Barry, the Washington, D.C., mayor who continued to serve after his arrest for smoking crack, then went to prison, and then promptly returned to serve another term once he was out. Or Buddy Cianci, the onetime mayor of Providence, R.I., who went back and forth between City Hall and prison for 30 years. (The first time Cianci went to jail, it was for beating up and urinating on his estranged wifes ex-lover; the second time, he went down in a federal anti-corruption sting known as Operation Plunder Dome.) Think of Trump as the presidential version of Jim Traficant, the congressman who continued to serve in Washington after he was indicted and, once forcibly expelled from Congress, launched his next campaign from a cellblock. These werent shameable men. They werent looking to edify a majority of anything. They were crowd-pleasers playing to narrow constituencies avatars for the alienated, driven by self-regard and determined to cast themselves as victims of a self-satisfied establishment. If you want to dislodge a guy like that from office, absent an election, youd best bring the handcuffs. Because he doesnt care about your legal niceties, or the fate of your party, or the republic itself. The more indictments you throw at him, the more defiant he gets. Every president is something essential at his core an activist, a wonk, a dealmaker. Trump is an entertainer. He could happily do any of a million things in life, as long as he could do it in front of an audience and walk away feeling like hed played the audience. And if theres one thing Trump the entertainer knows, its that nothing holds the crowd like a little drama. He might even warm to an indictment or an impeachment trial. It makes for a lot better TV than, say, trade negotiations with China. Im not saying Trump will ultimately get himself another term; Im pretty dubious about that. A year from now, when Iowa and New Hampshire are casting ballots, he could well find himself beating back challengers in his own party, let alone an eventual Democratic nominee. As Cohen made clear in his testimony, and as many of us have said all along, Trump never really intended to become president anyway, and it wouldnt shock me if he found a way not to run again, if he could somehow withdraw on his own terms. But unless both houses of Congress are willing to impeach and convict him, I wouldnt bet on Trump serving anything less than a full term, no matter what Mueller has to say, no matter how many lawyers converge on the White House, no matter how many of his former aides go to jail or testify against him. Trump vs. the System: The Final Showdown. Thats where the ratings are, and you dont have to go to Vietnam to get them. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation on Thursday to ensure congressional oversight of any civilian nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Last week Democratic lawmakers alleged in a report that top White House aides ignored warnings they could be breaking the law as they worked with former U.S. officials and a friend of President Donald Trump, in a group called IP3 International, to advance a multibillion-dollar plan to build nuclear reactors in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia. Under the Saudi Nuclear Proliferation Act, Congress would be required to approve any pacts authorizing U.S. companies to sell nuclear power technologies to the kingdom. The bill was introduced by Senators Edward Markey, a Democrat, and Republican Marco Rubio. A similar bill was introduced in the House by Representative Brad Sherman, a Democrat, and Ted Yoho, a Republican. "A government that cannot be trusted with a bone saw, should not be trusted with a nuclear weapon, said Sherman. He was referring to the instrument investigators said was used to cut up the body of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, after he was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Several of Trump's fellow Republicans have joined Democrats in blaming Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for Khashoggi's death. It was not immediately clear whether Thursday's legislation would get enough support to pass either chamber of Congress, but it underscored lawmakers' concern about the nuclear issue. Energy Secretary Rick Perry has had held talks with Saudi officials on a deal, but details have been scant. In the past the kingdom has pushed for relaxing nonproliferation standards known as the "gold standard" that could allow it to enrich uranium or reprocess plutonium made in reactors - two paths to making nuclear weapons. Saudi Arabia has said it wants nuclear power plants to diversify its energy supply. But MBS, as the crown prince is known, told CBS last year that his kingdom would develop nuclear weapons if its arch rival Iran did. Trump met earlier this month with representatives from IP3, a consortium of U.S. technology firms founded by retired Navy Rear Admiral Michael Hewitt, retired Army General John Keane, and Robert McFarlane, a former national security adviser to President Ronald Reagan. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Tom Brown) By Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional efforts to end President Donald Trumps U.S.-Mexico border emergency declaration - an attempt by him to fund a border wall without approval from Congress - intensified on Thursday with the introduction of a bipartisan resolution to block him in the Senate. The measure faces an uphill path to passage, but even a close vote in the chamber, controlled by his fellow Republicans, would be an embarrassment for Trump, who has failed over more than two years in office to persuade Congress to fund his wall. The dispute triggered the nation's longest partial government shutdown in December-January, but that did not secure for Trump the $5.7 billion he has been demanding for his "great, great wall." Trump warned Republicans not to vote for the Senate resolution, saying in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, scheduled to air later on Thursday, that doing so would put them in "great jeopardy" politically with voters. But Republican Senator Susan Collins and Democrat Tom Udall, sponsors of the bipartisan measure, said Congress needs to stand up for its power over making major decisions about spending taxpayer money and prevent Trump from circumventing the U.S. Constitution. "The question before us is not whether to support or oppose the wall. It is not whether to support or oppose President Trump," Collins declared on the Senate floor. "Rather, it is this: Do we want the executive branch, now or in the future, to hold the power that the founders deliberately entrusted to Congress?" The resolution, identical to one already approved in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, is also sponsored by two other senators: Republican Lisa Murkowski and Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. At its present level of support among senators, the measure would need the backing of at least one other Republican to win final Senate approval. Even with that, however, it might ultimately be only a symbolic gesture of defiance because Trump has vowed to veto the resolution if it arrives on his desk, an action that would likely throw the fight over his emergency into the courts. Story continues Trump declared a national emergency on Feb. 15 after Congress declined to give him the $5.7 billion this year for his wall. The president said emergency powers would empower him to divert money from other accounts already approved by Congress, including military construction projects, to his wall. Another Senate Republican, Lamar Alexander, argued Thursday that the president might avoid the clash with Congress if he would take the wall money from Pentagon accounts supporting counter-drug activities, instead of military construction. Democrats argue that there is no actual border emergency and even if there were, Trump would still be overreaching. "The emergency law that President Trump invoked allows the military to redirect funds only if an emergency 'requires use of the armed forces,'" House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said at a hearing on Trump's emergency. "This law is supposed to be used for actions such as building airfields or barracks to help our troops fight wars overseas," he said. The battle in Congress is the latest chapter in a long-running war between Trump and Democrats over border security and immigration policy. A coalition of 16 U.S. states led by California has sued Trump and top members of his administration to block his emergency declaration. Moody's Investors Service said on Thursday that Trump's emergency declaration to build a border wall with Mexico means the U.S. territory of Guam could lose $750 million in military construction funds. This would be a "credit negative" because the U.S. military presence is one of the island's dominant economic forces, the credit rating agency said in a statement. (Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh) Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump meeting in Singapore in June 2018 - AP Pool 1) The definition of denuclearisation Both leaders pledged to work towards complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula during their first meeting in Singapore. But there is no agreement on what that actually means. Stephen Biegun, Mr Trumps North Korean envoy, is clear about the US definition the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery and the means to produce them. But Pyongyangs position is not known. Agreeing to end means of delivery would result in scrapping ballistic missiles. Ending means of production could undercut its civil nuclear programs. Coming up with a common definition is one of Americas stated goal for the talks. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspecting the test ground of the Academy of Defence Science Credit: KCNA VIA KNS 2) Agreeing a roadmap There is no timeframe yet for denuclearisation. That is understandable, perhaps, given the two leaders only met less than a year ago. Experts say full denuclearisation could take a decade or more. Coming up with a roadmap for the negotiations is another item high up the US priority list for Vietnam. This could be procedural rather than substantive a set of regular meetings between the US and the North Korean negotiating teams, for example. But locking Pyongyang into some fort of timeline is seen as a significant way to speed up negotiations and get them on the right path. Donald Trump, right, with his national security adviser John Bolton, left, and secretary of state Mike Pompeo, centre Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik 3) Ending the Korean War While the conflict effectively drew to a close some 65 years ago its end was never formally declared. Dealing with that anomaly in some form has been talked about for months. One option is a full peace treaty. This is something Pyongyang has long sought, but experts fear could have wider implications, such as undermining the legitimacy of US troops in South Korea. Something less total could be announced, such as a formal declaration that fighting is over. It would go some way to showing that all sides are ready to put military options to one side. Furthermore it would tick one of the four stated goals that came out of the Singapore summit joint efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. Story continues North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reacts during a test launch of ground-to-ground medium long-range ballistic rocket Credit: KCNA 4) US diplomats in Pyongyang There has been speculation that America could open a permanent liaison office in North Korea, a major diplomatic step given both countries have until recently seen each other as enemies. A senior US administration official did not push back on the suggestion at a recent briefing, saying instead that they would not comment on issues being discussed in talks before the summit. If it happens it would, again, help show progress on another one of the Singapore summit agreements the promise to establish new relations between both countries. Donald Trump, the US president, answers questions about the Singapore summit with North Korea leader Kim Jong-un Credit: AP Photo/Susan Walsh 5) Economic help for North Korea At the heart of Donald Trumps diplomacy drive is a gamble that Kim is willing to forgo his nuclear weapons to help improve his countrys economy. At various times the US president has touted how well positioned North Korea is to boom and pledged help to turn it into a great economic powerhouse. The US position is that economic sanctions will not be lifted until denuclearisation is complete. That remains the stance. Kim Jong-un inspects the construction site of the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist area Credit: KCNA / REUTERS But, lost in the nuance, is the fact that America is indicating other economic support is possible before that end point. We may get a hint of what that means in Vietnam. Shares of Vitamin Shoppe (NYSE: VSI) recently surged after the health supplements retailer posted its fourth-quarter earnings. Its revenue fell 5% annually to $248.5 million, which missed estimates by about $5 million. Its total comparable sales fell 4.7%, with its in-store comps and digital comps falling 5.4% and 0.1%, respectively. On the bottom line, Vitamin Shoppe posted an adjusted loss of $0.19 per share from its continuing operations, which beat expectations by a dime but marked a steep decline from its earnings of $0.02 per share in the prior year quarter. Four spoonfuls of vitamins. Image source: Getty Images. Vitamin Shoppe's headline numbers look mediocre, so why did the stock rally more than 20% after the report? Could this beaten-down stock, which remains down about 50% over the past six months, actually be reaching an inflection point? What happened to Vitamin Shoppe? Vitamin Shoppe and its main rival GNC (NYSE: GNC) once dominated the health supplements market. However, superstores, warehouse retailers, and e-tailers all started selling the same products and rendering both stand-alone retailers obsolete. To make matters worse, a series of lawsuits against GNC and Vitamin Shoppe, which questioned the efficacy of their products, tarnished their reputations. To counter those headwinds, Vitamin Shoppe closed its weaker stores, expanded its e-commerce ecosystem, launched new delivery services, poured more cash into marketing efforts, tweaked its pricing and promotion initiatives, and sold its Nutri-Force contract manufacturing unit. Those efforts stabilized Vitamin Shoppe's gross margins (which are roughly in line with GNC's), but its comps continued to decline: Metric Q1 2018 Q2 2018 Q3 2018 Q4 2018 Comps growth (3.6%) (1.1%) (1.9%) (4.7%) Adjusted gross margin 32% 33.4% 31.4% 32.4% Source: Vitamin Shoppe quarterly earnings. Vitamin Shoppe's outlook for 2019 looks similar. It expects flat to negative single-digits comps growth for the year, and for its gross margin to come in between 31.7% and 32.2% (or 31.5% to 32% on an adjusted basis). Story continues Vitamin Shoppe expects to cut its brick-and-mortar presence of 774 stores by 60 to 80 locations over the next two to three years, but it also plans to open about ten new locations in 2019. It also recently signed an agreement with the U.S. Navy to distribute its full line of private-label products at 30 of its stores. A handful of health supplements. Image source: Getty Images. Analysts expect Vitamin Shoppe's revenue to dip less than 1% this year, and for its earnings from continuing operations to rise 12% as its margins stabilize. Those numbers are unimpressive, but they compare favorably to Wall Street's outlook for GNC, which is expected to post negative sales and earnings growth in fiscal 2019. Can Vitamin Shoppe keep rallying? At $7, Vitamin Shoppe's stock trades at 37 times this year's earnings estimate, which is much higher than GNC's forward P/E of 8. Vitamin Shoppe might trade at a higher P/E multiple than GNC because investors are more optimistic about its growth prospects, but that premium is arguably too high. However, Vitamin Shoppe still looks dirt cheap relative to its revenue growth. It trades at just 0.1 times this year's sales estimate, which roughly matches GNC's forward P/S ratio. Nearly 20% of Vitamin Shoppe's shares were being shorted as of Feb. 11, and its expanding gross margin, bottom line beat, and new Navy deal seemingly convinced a lot of shorts to cover their positions. Therefore, Vitamin Shoppe's post-earnings rally was likely sparked by a short squeeze instead of long-term confidence in the company's fundamentals. Don't call this a turnaround yet Vitamin Shoppe's business is stabilizing, but I wouldn't call it a turnaround play just yet. Superstores, warehouse retailers, and e-tailers will keep luring shoppers away from Vitamin Shoppe and GNC, and its nearly flat digital comps growth indicates that it isn't gaining new online shoppers. For now, investors should avoid Vitamin Shoppe until it posts a few more quarters of stable growth and its valuations cool off. More From The Motley Fool Leo Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for the Russian government to adopt cryptocurrency regulation by July 2019. A document was uploaded yesterday to Kremlin.ru containing a list of instructions from President Putin regarding the implementation of the Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly. One particular instruction under the name Pr-294, p. 3a-2 relates to federal laws aimed at the development of digital economy, including determining the procedure for conducting civil law transactions in electronic form, as well as regulating digital financial assets and attracting financial resources using digital technologies. It is noted that prominent Russian politicians Volodin Vyacheslav Viktorovich and Medvedev Dmitry Anatolyevich will be responsible for carrying out the instruction. The period for execution is set for July 1st, 2019. Blockchain development on the rise Russian financial outlet Rambler recently reported that the State Duma the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia plans to review and adopt a law relating to cryptocurrency in March this year. With its adoption, the Russian Federation aims to accelerate the development of blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies to aid businesses. Reportedly, Oleg Nikolaev, who is a member of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, has stated the situation is in the final stages of development. Coin Rivet has also reported on a claim made by Russian university professor Vladislav Ginko that he expects Russia to invest at least $10 billion in crypto this year. According to reports, Russias plans to introduce a CryptoRuble to rival Bitcoin are also in full swing. Interested in reading more crypto and blockchain-related news from Russia? Discover how Russia will be implementing blockchain technology in a main university exam this year. The post Vladimir Putin calls for Russian government to adopt crypto regulation by July 2019 appeared first on Coin Rivet. Sir Michael Moritz and his wife Harriet Heyman. Photo: Booker Prize Foundation A Silicon Valley billionaire has stepped in to fund the Booker prize after its previous sponsor pulled out last month. The top literary award will again be called the Booker prize after the Man Group withdrew its reported 1.5m annual funding after 18 years of backing the prestigious award. Welsh-born venture capitalist Sir Michael Moritz and his wife Harriet Heyman, an author, will become the Booker Prize Foundations new sponsors through their charitable foundation Crankstart. Moritz and Heyman have committed to funding the award for at least the next five years, with the details of their deal confidential. The prize money will remain the same. The tech investors wealth was estimated at $3.4bn (2.56bn) by Forbes in 2018, making him the 232nd wealthiest person in the world on their global rich list. Moritz, 64, is a partner at California-based venture capital giant Sequoia Capital and has been investing in startups since the mid-1980s, but started his career as a journalist. READ MORE: Literary prize loses its longstanding sponsor He has said growing up in Wales made you understand what being an outsider is like, and he moved to the USA in 1976. He said he arrived with no plans or contacts, but wound up as a correspondent for TIME magazine and moved to San Francisco. He received a KBE in 2013 for services to the British economy and his philanthropy, which includes supporting scholarships for disadvantaged students at Oxford and other universities, grants for journalism and funding for homeless projects. The Booker foundation used an FAQs page on its website to confront potential concerns about the investors involvement head on. Answering one question about how appropriate it is for the UK prize to be backed by a Silicon Valley billionaire, the foundation says it is confident it has found a sympathetic and reputable funder with no commercial motivation. READ MORE: Michael Moritz says the West is underestimating Chinese tech firms Story continues It said it could be sure the money was clean as it had carried out appropriate due diligence reporting on Moritz, Heyman and Crankstart. It suggested there were no specific plans to make the prize more digitally focused to reflect Moritz tech interests, but said the foundation was keen to consider innovation to widen its audience. It also said Moritz was discovered through a personal connection rather than the sponsorship consultants hired for the search after the Man Group said it would end its funding. The foundation received enquiries about sponsorship from many interested parties, it added. Moritz said in a statement: These days Im a global traveller but, just like The Booker, I was born in Britain and before coming to America was reared on English literature. Harriet and I feel fortunate to be able to support prizes that together celebrate the best fiction in the world. A man who gained internet fame earlier this week for spending more than $500 on Girl Scout cookies was arrested Tuesday on federal drug charges. Detric Lee McGowan posed for a photo with a group of Girl Scouts who were selling cookies outside a Bi-Lo grocery store in Mauldin, South Carolina, on Friday. He bought out their entire supply and said he wanted to help the girls get out of the cold, rainy weather. In a social media post, Kayla Dillard, who manages cookie sales for the troop, described the exchange and included a photo of McGowan posing with two Girl Scouts. Before the post was deleted, it had been shared at least 5,000 times. A DEA spokesman confirmed that McGowan was arrested Tuesday and was the same man who appeared in the photo that went viral. The spokesman said McGowan's arrest was unrelated to the social media post or cookie purchase. An indictment filed on Feb. 19 states McGowan, who is also known as "Fat," is one of several suspects in an ongoing drug investigation that dates back to 2016. According to the indictment, he is charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine and fentanyl; racketeering and conspiracy to defraud the United States. The drugs were transported from Mexico, the indictment states. On Tuesday night, Karen Kelly, vice president of recruitment and marketing for Girl Scouts of South Carolina-Mountains to Midlands, responded to news of the arrest: "Nobody was hurt. Nobody was threatened. We had no reason to believe that this man was anything other than one of our valuable customers that is helping Girl Scouts power awesome experiences through the Girl Scout Cookie Program. "This is now in the hands of law enforcement and of course we will cooperate with authorities." The story of McGowan's generosity gained national attention in recent days, with publications including The Washington Post, CBS News and USA TODAY reporting on the act of kindness. When the viral photo was taken, McGowan revealed little about himself. "The only information we got out of the man was that he owns several businesses and that he was going to take the cookies to the businesses," Dillard told CBS. Story continues His act left a positive impression on Dillard at the time, the network reported: "That man was just a very kind, sincere and humble man who loves children." Contributing: Elizabeth LaFleur, The Greenville News; Joel Shannon, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on The Greenville News: He went viral for buying out a Girl Scout cookie stand. Now he faces federal drug charges The government is trying to crack down on the over-prescribing of antibiotics - Alamy Withholding antibiotics for common infections in over-65s may increases cases of deadly sepsis, researchers have warned. Under new guidelines to fight antibiotic resistance GPs have been discouraged from giving pills for infections, leading to a 7.4 per cent reduction in the amount of antibiotics prescribed between 2014 and 2017. But new research from Imperial College London which looked at 150,000 patients over 65 between 2007 and 2015 found that for every 37 patients not given antibiotics for urinary tract infections one case of sepsis would occur that would have been prevented with immediate antibiotics. They also found that the rate of hospital admissions was around double (27 per cent) in patients with no or deferred prescriptions, compared with immediate prescriptions (15 per cnt). Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common bacterial infection in older patients with 10 per cent of men and 20 per cent of over 65s suffering an infection each year. The odds of developing a bloodstream infection within 60 days was sevenfold and eightfold higher in the deferred antibiotic and no antibiotics groups, respectively, compared with the immediate antibiotics group. Writing in the BMJ, Paul Aylin, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, at Imperial said: This study has shown that patients aged older than 65 years with a diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) in the community are at significantly increased risk of bloodstream infection and death within 60 days when antibiotic treatment was either not prescribed or deferred. Our findings suggest that GPs consider early prescription of antibiotics for this vulnerable group of older adults in view of their increased susceptibility to sepsis after UTI and despite a growing pressure to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use. Public health experts are increasingly concerned about the rise of antibiotic resistance with the Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies warning that without action medicine could revert back to the point where even a common infection could kill and surgery would become impossible. Story continues In a linked editorial, Alastair Hay at the University of Bristol says the implications of the study are likely to be more nuanced than primary care doctors risking the health of older adults to meet targets for antimicrobial stewardship. But he added: Prompt treatment should be offered to older patients, men (who are at higher risk than women), and those living in areas of greater socioeconomic deprivation who are at the highest risk of bloodstream infections. A separate study in the BMJ found that people were being prescribed antibiotics for far too long. Public Health England (PHE), University of Oxford, and Brighton and Sussex Medical School compared the durations of antibiotic courses prescribed for common infections in English primary care with the guidelines recommended by PHE in 2013. They found that the combined extra days that patients were taking pills when they should have finished their prescription totally 1.3 million between 2013 and 2015. In the worst case, more than half (54.6 per cent) of the antibiotic prescriptions for acute cystitis among women were for longer than the recommended seven days. In January the government announced a 20-year strategy to crack down on antibiotic resistance. A report in 2016 estimated that, unless progress is made, it could cost approximately 10 million lives a year worldwide by 2050. Under the new strategy requires the health service to bring this down a further 15 per cent by 2024. For Immediate Release Chicago, IL February 28, 2019 Stocks in this weeks article include Meritor, Inc. MTOR, JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. JKS, HFF, Inc. HF, Atlantic Capital Bancshares, Inc. ACBI and Stifel Financial Corp. SF. Kevin Matras screens for companies showing their 'first' profit and explains why they are ones to watch. Screen of the Week written by Kevin Matras of Zacks Investment Research: 5 Stocks to Make the Most of Solid Relative Pricing Strength Investors generally gauge a stocks potential returns by examining earnings growth and valuation multiples. At the same time, its important to measure the performance of such a stock relative to its industry or peers, or the appropriate benchmark. If you see that a stock is underperforming on fundamental factors, then it would be prudent to move on and find a better alternative. However, those outperforming their respective sectors in terms of price should be selected because they stand a better chance to provide considerable returns. Then again, it is imperative that you determine whether or not an investment has relevant upside potential when considering stocks with significant relative price strength. Stocks delivering better than the S&P 500 over a period of 1 to 3 months at the least and having solid fundamentals indicate room for growth and are the best ways to go about this strategy. Finally, it is important to find out whether analysts are optimistic about the upcoming earnings results of these companies. In order to do this, we have added positive estimate revisions for the current quarters (Q1) earnings to our screen. When a stock undergoes an upward revision, it leads to additional price gains. For the rest of this Screen of the Week article please visit Zacks.com at:https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/357042/5-stocks-to-make-the-most-of-solid-relative-price-strength Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. Story continues About Screen of the Week Zacks.com created the first and best screening system on the web earning the distinction as the "#1 site for screening stocks" by Money Magazine. But powerful screening tools is just the start. That is why Zacks created the Screen of the Week to highlight profitable stock picking strategies that investors can actively use. 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(ACBI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Stifel Financial Corporation (SF) : Free Stock Analysis Report HFF, Inc. (HF) : Free Stock Analysis Report JinkoSolar Holding Company Limited (JKS) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Home | News | General | Ortom, Akume disagree over attack on PDP billboards in Benue - Governor Samuel Ortom has accused Senator George Akume of ordering the destruction of PDP billboards in Benue state - Ortom alleged that the senator engaged youths in the state to embark on the destruction of PDP campaign materials after he lost his senatorial seat - However, the senator has denied all allegations by the governor The governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom and Senator George Akume have continued to disagree over attack on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) billboard in the state. Channels Television reports that the governor had accused the senator of engaging youths in the state to embark on the destruction of PDP campaign materials after he lost his senatorial seat. However, responding to the governor's allegation, Akume said he never authorised the tearing down of posters and billboards belonging to any politician in the state. He said he was only out to celebrate President Muhammadu Buharis victory in a motorcade, when an overwhelming number of his fans queued behind him in the celebration galore. READ ALSO: UK reacts to INECs declaration of Buhari as winner of presidential election Condemning the act, Akume said the alleged destruction of posters and billboards by zealous unidentified persons is primitive, barbaric and unnecessary in modern-day democracy. He further called for peace and orderliness among party supporters. He also urged his supporters not to be deterred by the injustice meted out to the party in the just concluded election. Akume also said the liberation of Benue is an all-important project and all hands must be on deck to achieving it. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Ortom has said he has retired a former governor of the state and incumbent senator representing Benue north west, George Akume, as he promised to do. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update Ortom made the statement when reacting to Akumes defeat by the serving House of Representatives member representing Buruku constituency, Emmanuel Yisa Orker Jev, in six out of seven local government areas of the state. The governor stated that Akume deserved the humiliating defeat for playing God in Benue politics. He described the senators defeat as an act of God. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: Same great journalism, upgraded for better service! INEC announces Buhari as 2019 election winner, Nigerians react | Legit TV [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | UKs PM Theresa May congratulates Buhari on securing second term The British Prime Minister, Theresa May, has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on the outcome of the just concluded 2019 presidential election that made him accomplish his second term bid in office. May sent the congratulatory message to President Buhari in a tweet posted on her Twitter handle, @10DowningStreet, on Wednesday, February 27. According to UK prime minister, she witnessed first-hand the importance of the UK-Nigeria relationship during her trip last year. She said she looked forward to continuing the close partnership and strengthening the shared prosperity and security. READ ALSO: Obasanjo keeps mum over President Buharis re-election The tweet read: Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the UK government congratulated President Buhari on securing a second term as president. A statement from the British High Commission in Abuja on Wednesday, February 27, quoted the minister of state for Africa, Harriett Baldwin, as saying I offer my congratulations to President Buhari on securing a second term as the Nigerian president. The UK is a long-standing friend and partner of Nigeria and the Nigerian people and a stable and prosperous Nigeria benefits Africa and the world." Baldwin commended Nigerians for their resilience and commitment to democracy. She said the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were consistent with the results obtained through the civil society Parallel Vote Tabulation process. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Recall that, INEC officially declared President Buhari of the APC as the winner of the 2019 presidential election, defeating Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with over three million votes. Announcing the winner, the chairman of the INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, said the duty of the commission is to conclude and collate the presidential result for final declaration. On the problem of accredited voters not adding up to number of voters, Yakubu revealed that the problem affected less than 2% of voters and thus did not affect the general conclusion. INEC announces Buhari as 2019 election winner, Nigerians react | Legit TV: [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | JAMB says over 1.8 million candidates registered for 2019 UTMEs, gives crucial update on printing of examination slips - JAMB says it has registered over 1.8 million candidates for the 2019 UTMEs - The board, however, dismissed rumours in some quarters that candidates could start printing their examination notification slip from March 2 - JAMB said it would make announcement and proper sensitisation about the date for the examination and printing of examination notification slip The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it has registered over 1.8 million candidates for the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The head, media and information of the board, Dr Fabian Benjamin, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, February 28 in Lagos. READ ALSO: Unity schools alumni congratulate Buhari over electoral victory Legit.ng notes that registration of candidates for the all Computer Based Test (CBT) commenced on February 10 and terminated on February 21. Benjamin said that the registration was a huge success, adding that there were no hitches at all across the various accredited registration centres nationwide. We have concluded the registration and we recorded over 1.8 million candidates for the UTME this year. Registration closed on February 21, when we stopped the pin vending for the exercise. However, some candidates who had acquired the pin but were unable to register before February 21, due to one reason or the other, were allowed to do so till 12 midnight, February 25. The registration finally closed on February 25, he said. The JAMB spokesman dismissed rumours in some quarters that candidates could start printing their examination notification slip from March 2. He said: This is misleading and absolutely not correct. Let me sound it clearly that the board has not come up with any date for both the examination and the printing of examination notification slip for candidates. The board will announce the date for the 2019 UTME soon. As it is now, no date has been fixed yet for both the examination and the printing of examination notification slip. The examination slips are usually printed, two weeks to the main examination, but that is only after when the examination date has been fixed. There is no way anybody can print examination notification slip when the examination date, itself, has not been fixed. He, therefore, urged candidates and other stakeholders to remain calm, reassuring them that the board would make announcement and proper sensitisation about the date for the examination and printing of examination notification slip. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board said between January 18 and 24, 2019, it generated the sum of N1.3 billion as revenue. The announcement was made in Volume 1, Number 4 of the JAMBulletin- a weekly publication of the office of its registrar, Ishaq Oloyede. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: Same great journalism, upgraded for better service! Nigerians express mixed feelings as JAMB reduces admission cut-off to 120 - on Legit TV: [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | Atiku is not destined to be president of Nigeria - Oshiomhole - The national chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, faults Atiku Abubakar for describing the recent presidential election as the worst in Nigerias history - Oshiomhole says Atikus desperation to be president is so obvious that in 2003, he challenged his own boss president Olusegun Obasanjo not to do a second term The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has said the presidential candidate of the PDP in the February 23 election, Atiku Abubakar, was never destined to be president of Nigeria. The APC chairman made the statement on Thursday, February 28, at the partys secretariat in Abuja when criticising Atiku for describing the presidential election as the worst in Nigerias history, the Cable reports. READ ALSO: Breaking: Buhari to dissolve cabinet - Presidency Was he going to rule Nigeria against our wish? Citizens must hold their leaders accountable to their policy choices. Even when he said even if he if he will die he will sell NNPC many believed that he has collected deposit, Oshiomhole said. It borders on arrogance that our future is tied on his presidency. Atiku is destined never to be president of Nigeria. Leadership is about character. Atikus desperation is so obvious, so desperate that in 2003, he challenged his own boss president Olusegun Obasanjo not to do a second term." PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has rejected the result of the election won by President Muhammadu Buhari. Legit.ng reported Atiku, who had kept mute since Monday, February 25, when the results showed that he was going to be the loser, described the election as a sham. The former vice president said if he had lost in a free and fair election, he would have called the victor within seconds of being aware of his victory to offer not just his congratulation. In a statement shared on Facebook, Atiku said the militarisation of the electoral process is a disservice to Nigeria's democracy and a throwback to the jackboot era of military dictatorship. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better. INEC announces Buhari as 2019 election winner, Nigerians react | Legit TV [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | My marriage proposal was a stunt - Comedian Broda Shaggy apologizes Earlier on, Legit.ng came across a video of popular Instagram comedian, Broda Shaggy in which he was proposing to a lady. The video immediately went viral with the likes of OAP congratulating him on finding love. Well, it turns out there would be no wedding as that was entirely a comedy skit. Shortly after the real boyfriend of the lady took to social media to more or less call out the Broda Shaggy, the comedian has now taken to social media to tender his apologies to the offended man and his fans as well. He wrote: " Alright, good morning to everyone reading this, PLEASE AND PLEASE to all bloggers carrying this video saying i Proposed to the lady, IT IS ALL A JOKE OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, This happened Like 3 months back in Abuja and she wasn't the only girl we played the trick on. READ ALSO: Personal letter from the Editor-in-Chief of Legit.ng (former NAIJ.com) "Please NA JOKE O, i didn't wanna post anything about this but just had to cos the girl posted that HER fiance is having a problem with the video. Please Sir i never met your girl before this video please. I dint have her contact and neither have i seen her since the day this happened. Please guys i am sorry if this has caused any issue in your relationship." PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News on Legit.ng News App "I AM SORRY but clearly i expected everyone to know this is all a joke from the video but i guess everybody sees things differently so on behalf of me and my Good friend @nedu_wazobiafm that posted the video, we Say WE ARE SORRY to the family. I AM SORRY, TAINK YOU" Get the hottest gist on Africa Love Aid Well, it's a good thing he came out to clear the air as being the cause of a failed relationship wasn't what he had in mind when he made the skit. However, Broda Shaggy isn't the first Nigerian celebrity pull out a wedding proposal stunt. Recall a few months ago, Nollywood actress, Nkechi Blessing left fans filled with excitement after a photo of her supposed boyfriend proposing to her, went viral. She later took to social media to apologize, stating it was all a comedy stunt. HELLO! NAIJ.com (naija.ng) upgrades to Legit.ng We keep evolving to serve our readers better Broda Shaggi and Aunty Shaggi - We are not Lovers! Nigeria Star Chat | Legit TV [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | PDP threatens to boycott governorship election in Jigawa state - PDP has said that it may boycott Saturday, March 9, governorship election in Jigawa state - This was made known by Mustapha Lamido, a son of former governor of the state, Sule Lamido - Mustapha who was defeated in the senatorial race on Saturday, February 23, by the candidate of APC, alleged that the commissioner of police in the state had been compromised The Jigawa state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it may not participate in the March 9 governorship election in the state unless the states police commissioner, Bala Senchi, moves away from the state. Premium Times reports that the party alleged rigging, vote buying and police intimidation in the state during the presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday, February 23. Legit.ng gathered that Mustapha Lamido, a defeated senatorial candidate for the PDP, said this Wednesday night, February 27, in an interview with Freedom Radio Dutse. Lamido is a son of a former governor of the state, Sule Lamido. READ ALSO: Breaking: Buhari to dissolve cabinet - Presidency The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) won all the elections in the state on February 23, picking all the states seats in the National Assembly. Lamido was the Jigawa north central senatorial candidate for the PDP, but lost the election to the APC candidate, Muhammad Sabo. Sabo polled 224,543 votes to defeat Lamido who scored 143,611 votes. Lamido said the APCs sweep of the state happened because the police and other security agencies were partisan during the elections. He said police officers escorted APC chieftains to polling units where it said they beat up and intimidated the opposition and engaged in vote buying. We will boycott the election if the police commissioner, Bala Senchi, remains in Jigawa because he has already been compromised. We dont see the reason why the police commissioner is still in Jigawa despite his redeployment from the state, he said. The online medium had reported that the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, redeployed some senior police officers to zones, formations and commands. The commissioner of police in Jigawa state, Senchi, was affected by the exercise. His replacement in the state, Rabiu Ladodo, is yet to report at his new duty post, leading to the speculation of political interference. Lamido alleged the police arrested and intimidated many members of the the PDP in the opposition partys strongholds. I personally stood up and defended many innocent voters arrested by the police until they were released. I called the police commissioner five times on different occasions, telling him that a particular person in a particular place snatched a ballot box but he was reluctant about the issue. The police and other security agencies colluded with the APC to defraud the people of Jigawa of their mandate through unjust arrest and detention of PDP stakeholders at various wards across the state, Lamido said. According to the medium, when contacted, the police spokesperson in the state, Audu Jinjiri, declined to comment. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, rejected the result of the election won by President Muhammadu Buhari. It was reported that Atiku, who had kept mute since Monday, February 25, when the results showed that he was going to be the loser, described the election as a sham. The former vice president said if he had lost in a free and fair election, he would have called the victor within seconds of being aware of his victory to offer not just his congratulations. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng Same great journalism, upgraded for better service! INEC announces Buhari as 2019 election winner, Nigerians react | - on Legit TV [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | Ohanaeze congratulates Buhari over presidential election victory - The Ohaneze Ndigbo says Muhammadu Buharis victory in the presidential election of February 23, is well deserved - The secretary general of the group, Chief Uche Okwukwu, states that majority of votes cast clearly showed that the president has been on the right course in the last four years - Okwukwu urges all Nigerians and the international community to accept the verdict as the election was adjudged free, credible, transparent and peaceful The Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, on Thursday, February 28, congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on his victory in the presidential election of February 23. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the secretary general of the group, Chief Uche Okwukwu, gave the congratulatory message while briefing newsmen in Enugu. The Ohanaeze Ndigbo heartily rejoices and congratulates President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, on his well deserved victory at the Presidential polls on February 23. READ ALSO: APC leads in Senate, secures 64 seats, PDP 40, YPP 1 His victory as exposed by the majority of votes cast has clearly shown that the President has been on the right course in the last four years. Ndigbo are deeply happy that Mr President secured more votes in Igbo land than he got in 2015. We urge all Nigerians and the international community to accept the verdict as the election was adjudged free, credible, transparent and peaceful. Ohanaeze is calling on all not to heat up the polity through unguarded utterances and actions, he said. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news updates Okwukwu added that the leadership of the group would be meeting with President Buhari next week to present to him official congratulatory message on his well deserved victory at the poll. He, however, said that the group would use the occasion to present to Buhari the charter of their demands for infrastructure uplift of the entire Igbo speaking areas of the country. Part of our demands will be the completion of ongoing infrastructure works such as the 2nd Niger Bridge, modern railway, completion of ongoing Enugu-Onitsha and Enugu-Port Harcourt roads, fixing of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport among others, he said. NAN reports that Ohanaeze members are drawn from seven states, which include; Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Rivers States. Meanwhile, a former deputy national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank has commended the presidential candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for out-rightly rejecting the conduct of the presidential elections. The former APC chieftain described the election as the worst in the history of mankind, adding that the exercise is not worthy of any commendation. In a statement sent to journalists on Wednesday, February 27, Comrade Frank said the outright disregard for the rule of law and the brazen impunity unleashed on the electorates by government using the military and top politicians of the ruling party is an aberration. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better. INEC announces Buhari as 2019 election winner, Nigerians react | Legit TV [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Lunaticoutpost.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program , anaffiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Amazon, the Amazon logo, MYHABIT, and the MYHABIT logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.Don't be a pest to the forum.No profanity in thread-titles or usernamesNo excessive profanity in postsNo Racism, Antisemitism + HateNo calls for violence against anyone..This website exists for fun and discussion only. The reader is responsible for discerning the validity, factuality or implications of information posted here, be it fictional or based on real events. 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The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.In accordance with industry accepted best practices we ask that users limit their copy / paste of copyrighted material to the relevant portions of the article you wish to discuss (no more than 50% of the source material) provide a link back to the original articleIf you are a legal copyright holder or a designated agent for such and you believe a post on this website falls outside the boundaries of "Fair Use" and legitimately infringes on yours or your clients copyright please contact [email protected] This website is owned by :Marco ZwaneveldDrijfriemstraat 522516 XR The HagueNetherlands.I will not rent, sell, share or otherwise disclose your personal information to any third party.We might contact you from time to time regarding your purchases or the services (like forums and announcement lists) you have subscribed to.Some of the 3rd party advertisers on lunaticoutpost.com may use cookiesto track peformance and/or to serve relevant ads.If you wish to read more and/or opt out of such cookies, please visit: http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/ Home | News | General | Election 2019: Governor Akeredolu didn't vote for Buhari - Ondo APC faction - A faction of the APC in Ondo has called for the dissolution of the party's state executive committee in the state - The APC faction made the call over the party's poor performance in the state during the presidential and National Assembly elections - The group also claimed that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu didn't vote for President Muhammadu Buhari during the elections A faction of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo state under the aegis of APC Mandate Group has called for the dissolution of the party's state executive alleging that it is working against the interest of the party. The group also said it was vindicated that the party lost to the People Democratic Party (PDP) during the last Saturday's presidential election. Ondo is one of the states President Muhammadu Buhari lost last week during the polls. The APC Mandate Group had two weeks ago raised an alarm and accused Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of working against the APC and the re-election of President Buhari. READ ALSO: Harassment of Igbos: Bode George tells Buhari to call Tinubu to order The allegation was made when the group staged a protest at the APC national secretariat in Abuja. Publicity secretary of the APC Mandate Group, Comrade Olugbenga Bojuwomi, said it was unfortunate that the APC national leadership failed to listen to the group's earlier alarm on the anti party activities of some of the party's stakeholders in the state. His words: We have raised several allegations against Mr. Governor, the pockets of violence that were recorded in his home-town (Owo) on the election day against APC loyalists confirmed our allegations. While voting, Governor Akeredolu was cited voting for PDP presidential candidate and his Action Alliance (AA) National Assembly candidates, that is why AA won in his unit and local government respectively. It is evidently clear that the Ondo state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu and Ondo APC chairman Ade Adetimehin have no regard for the APC leadership and the presidency. The duo have fought President Buhari to a stand still in Ondo state, we hereby call for the immediate dissolution of Ondo APC executive. According to him, the APC Ondo state executive has become Governor Akeredolu's stooge since his inauguration. He opined that appropriate sanctions should be meted on the state governor and the party's state chairman if the APC would still have the grasp of Ondo state which he said was presently a PDP state. He, however, noted that it was clear that a few APC stalwart were loyal to the APC and President Buhari in Ondo state, going by the trend of the election result. He added that it was obvious that Senator Ajayi Boroffice was a strongman of Ondo politics, despite the huddles, rigors and threat from political stakeholders toward his re-election bid. He further added that the video evidence where the Ondo APC chairman was campaigning for all his AA candidates was everywhere on social media. According to him, a copy of the video had also been sent to the APC national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. READ ALSO: APC leads in Senate, secures 64 seats, PDP 40, YPP 1 Meanwhile, the APC in Rivers have exonerated the party from the violence that rocked some parts of the state during the just concluded elections. The APC made the clarification during a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, February 27, addressed by the Rivers APC governorship candidate, Arc. Tonye Cole, Director General of Cole's campaign organisation, Hon. Chidi Lloyd and Hon Victoria Nyeche. The party also rejected statements and comments attributed to the Rivers state government that senior APC chieftains were responsible for the violence. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better. 2019 Election: Nigerians react to Saraki's loss as INEC releases more results| Legit TV [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | World | Africa | PHOTOS:Healthy VP Chiwenga reports for duty Vice President Constantino Guvheya Nyikadzino Chiwenga made his first public appearance on Wednesday for the first time after he returned from his medical trip in India. Chiwenga was suspected to have been poisoned by a rare poison that is only found in Russia and Israel. Controversial South African Pastor Alph Lukau last year issued a prophecy last Chiwenga was a victim of witchcraft and he will step into the battle to help him get cured. Chiwenga's wife Mary is also not feeling well with unexplained sicknesses. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: Africa The ongoing struggle to be MDC's leader is a sign of just how hegemonic the party's left has become. The contest between Nelson Chamisa and Douglas Mwonzora has shown worrying flashes of acrimony, both on Twitter and in certain anonymous briefings that have dispirited figures on both sides. To an outside observer, a struggle between the two both of which have played instrumental roles in the rise of Zimbabwe's radical opposition might seem to have a hint of the Infiltration about it. But it is a mark of the left's sense of political security that different factions can attempt to assert themselves over one another, because it no longer fears a recapture of the party by the right. Whoever wins, the real question is: can MDC become a members-led democratised mass movement? Superficially, the contest seems bewildering. If either CHAMISA OR MWONZORA wins, the party machine will be firmly in the in the hands of the left, and the party's structures will be further divided. So why the split? The leader's office or confusion as insiders describe it backs Mwonzora partly because it is keenly aware that the party is too dominated by the rebels who were dismissed by Tsvangirai and later came back to cause more division. The likes of Biti and Sikhala have formed their parties and those parties are still functional. Chamisa's win will see the party firmly drifting back in the hands of Biti. Biti'd dislike of Mwonzora is very clear. It is therefore clear again that should Mwonzora lose most senior MDC cadres will see the door. Biti is the schemer behind Chamisa and Sikhala the shadow behind the violent thugs created to protect Chamisa. Chamisa's win in the MDC will be the end of all conservative MDC leaders. As scheming and underground campaigns take place Staunch Chamisarites are going to be sorely disappointed at this year's MDC Party conference. This year the conservative MDC showed its power by reversing Chamisa's decision to deny the people a chance to have a congress. The congress dates were moved from October to May This will give Mwonzora a platform to address the congress. The agenda of the MDC Party congress will not be as radical as some expect This MDC congress is going to be the most shocking in terms of expectations. The Mwonzorite tide had already begun its long advancing roar, although it didn't feel like it. It should be remembered that Chamisa himself had lost against Mwonzora before. He the ran straight to a pastor training centre to search his soul. It was Tsvangirai who salvaged Chamisa from the dustbin of the political garbage. Chamisa is a product of illegality and his leadership is tainted with unconstitutionality. "Manicaland has come out to avenge the angry democratic spirits against the offending Chamisa. Douglas Mwonzora and Chimhini have a strong bond. It should be noted that Mai Kore the wife of chimhini and Mutseyami Prosper the point person of Chamisa don't see eye to eye even during primary elections Mai Kore was elbowed by Mutseyami using Chamisa's name .....they're a lot of things happening behind the scenes... Chimhini wants to be National treasure general or deputy ...in his place they've drafted David Tekeshe to take over as the provincial chairman main wing ...then mai Kore wants to retain the national chairlady position... That's why manicaland has endorsed Mwonzora as their preferred presidential candidate ...so tsoro dzirikurongwa pasi kune Congress delegates" said one of the prospective delegate to May's Congress. Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa is receiving his ownearly boost ahead of what could turn out to be a bruising contest when the MDC congress gets underway in three months' time. He is assured that several party structures are moving to endorse his candidature. But Chamisa is taking it cautiously because he knows that his supporters will not buy the bullet train story. He must have learnt his lessons from the last congress where he was assured if a win only to come out as a card carrying member who needed pastorship to resurrect him back into politics. MDC is divided and trying to show a face but it is falling apart inside. This comes as speculation is growing that respected MDC secretary-general, Douglas Mwonzora as well as one of Chamisa's two deputies, Elias Mudzuri could also throw their hats into the ring when the country's main opposition party holds its eagerly-awaited elective congress in May. Chamisa has a lot of support but unfortunately his supported are good for singing as they will not make it to the congress. The charismatic Chamisa took over the party's reins under hotly-disputed and illegal circumstances in February last year, following the death of the MDC's revered founding president Morgan Tsvangirai who lost his valiant battle against colon cancer on Valentine's Day, and soon after he had elevated the youthful politician to the party's presidium. Tsvangirai's family has secretly endorsed Mwonzora. Chamisa can do well in a comedy show and the congress will shake him to the grounds of reality. With behind-the-scenes campaigning gathering steam ahead of the party's congress, many MDC structures are already marking the territory for their favoured leaders with a number of them moving to make it clear at the weekend that Mwonzora would receive their backing when this highly-anticipated gathering gets underway in May. Mashonaland East provincial chairperson Piniel Denga also said while they had not met as a province to nominate their candidate, the executive had earlier agreed at its provincial assembly meeting that Chamisa should remain at the party's helm. This is only one province but the reality coming from the ground spells a different scenario. All sober MDC provincial members would want Mwonzora to lead. On her part, women's assembly chairperson Lynnet Karenyi-Kore said the fact that Chamisa had emerged leader at short notice following the death of Tsvangirai while also going on to perform well in the July 30, 2018 presidential election was "enough proof that he was a solid leader". But this is not a sign of victory to Chamisa the promises never worked for him. He will try his best to win but the guards are alert this time. Chamisa has reverted to the old MDC internal tactic. This is to agitate the thugs called vanguard and label any contender a ZANU PF infiltrator. When Biti saw differently from Tsvangirai the vanguard was used to silence him. It was his physical agility which saved him from the marauding blood sucking youth. Biti dived into Tsvangirai's car and escaped the beatings. But Mangoma was not so lucky he was illegally disciplined. Biti and Mangoma later formed a party which was to split into two. This tactic is now being used again as Chamisa's dark angels have gone full force labelling Mwonzora a ZANU PF implant. Few months ago the MDC MPs ganged against Engineer Mudzuri accusing him of being ZANU PF. The ZANU PF card is used to silence any one opposing Chamisa. The situation is turning ugly as it becomes dog eat dog affair at Harvest house. MDC youth assembly secretary-general Lovemore Chinoputsa also said they were already lobbying other structures to rally behind Chamisa. He has seen that Chamisa is losing the grip and the plot. Chinoputsa said "Our support for Chamisa is premised on the principle that young people should be promoted into positions of leadership hence for purposes of this congress we have taken a decision to work towards convincing all other structures in this regard," However, other party insiders have a different view. It is not cast in stone that Chamisa will roll over" his opponents in May. Chamisa will wake up after the congress. There will be no vanguard to protect him. He will be in the pool of reality. He can dream on but he will wake up. This is particularly so because Mwonzora has decided to contest him. Mwonzora is mature and stable minded. He is not a man in the wind. Chamisa goes by the wind and he had winds around him. "These elections are far from decided because it is early days yet. Anyone, particularly Dougie (Mwonzora) has a chance of winning this post because he is respected and loved by many in the party who see him as mature and level-headed. People are Afraid to say it clearly that chamisa is finished for fear of victimisation. People can only say 2014 is going to come back. This is when Mwonzora scored a shock and unexpected crushing victory over Chamisa which saw him getting 2 464 votes against his rival's 1 756. Last time Chamisa went to train as a Pastor after losing elections. This time he will train to be a pope. The overview from provinces stands as of Wednesday 27 February 2019. Masvingo - Chamisa Harare - Mwonzora Mutare - Mwonzora Midlands- Mwonzora Mat North- Mwonzora Bulawayo- Mwonzora Mat South- Mwonzora Midlands- Chamisa Mashwest - Chamisa Masheast- Mwonzora Mashcentral- Mwonzora USA - Biti Britain- MWONZORA Gloves are out and people will see a lot. Chamisa is already approaching Vatican foe a position as a pope. MDC has slipped his hands VAZET2000@yahoo.co.uk LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 348173 02-28-2019 06:33 AM Post: #1 Dr. Jerry Tennant: Healing the Body's Electrical Circuitry >MRGD< Advertisement Dr. Jerry Tennant is board certified in ophthalmology and ophthalmic plastic surgery (residency, Harvard Medical School and Southwestern Medical School.) He was the director of ophthalmic plastic surgery clinic at Parkland Hospital in Dallas and practiced from 1965 to 1995. He did much of the FDA study for the VISX Excimer laser and performed approximately 1000 surgeries in the United States and Europe. In addition, Dr. Tennant was the founder/director of the Dallas Eye Institute and one of the first surgeons in the US to place intraocular lenses in eyes after cataract surgery and taught these techniques around the world. He holds patents for medical devices including intraocular lenses and several surgical instruments. While licensed in Arizona by the Board of Homeopathic and Alternative Medicine, Dr. Tennant is currently the Director of the Tennant Institute for Integrative Medicine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPDPrXEAe1s Dr. Jerry Tennant: Recharge Your Battery and Heal In part one of this presentation, Dr. Jerry Tennant introduced us to his extraordinary research into the complex electrical circuitry of the human body. Since his own remarkable battle with debilitating ailments, Dr. Tennant has worked to develop a kind of map of this circuitry, to understand its essential connection to physical wellbeing. In the previous episode, Dr. Tennant discussed the particular significance of the circuitry connecting teeth to other regions of the body. The concept of illness arising from electrical imbalances is, of course, unconventional in most modern medicine. However, the application of electromagnetic therapies in healing is not new. In this conclusion, we asked Dr. Tennant to begin by discussing some of the earliest examples of the use of electromagnetism as a physical remedy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfA16ff43Kg Today, various electromagnetic therapies have gained unprecedented acceptance and use, and scientific studies continue to affirm the influence of electromagnetic fields on life. One of the leading pioneers in this rapidly growing field has been Dr. Jerry Tennant, an ophthalmologist whose book series Healing is Voltage describes his groundbreaking research into the electrical circuitry of the human body. Today, in part one of this two-part presentation, Dr. Tennant begins by sharing his own remarkable challenges which catalyzed his scientific journey.Dr. Jerry Tennant is board certified in ophthalmology and ophthalmic plastic surgery (residency, Harvard Medical School and Southwestern Medical School.) He was the director of ophthalmic plastic surgery clinic at Parkland Hospital in Dallas and practiced from 1965 to 1995. He did much of the FDA study for the VISX Excimer laser and performed approximately 1000 surgeries in the United States and Europe. In addition, Dr. Tennant was the founder/director of the Dallas Eye Institute and one of the first surgeons in the US to place intraocular lenses in eyes after cataract surgery and taught these techniques around the world. He holds patents for medical devices including intraocular lenses and several surgical instruments. While licensed in Arizona by the Board of Homeopathic and Alternative Medicine, Dr. Tennant is currently the Director of the Tennant Institute for Integrative Medicine.In part one of this presentation, Dr. Jerry Tennant introduced us to his extraordinary research into the complex electrical circuitry of the human body. Since his own remarkable battle with debilitating ailments, Dr. Tennant has worked to develop a kind of map of this circuitry, to understand its essential connection to physical wellbeing. In the previous episode, Dr. Tennant discussed the particular significance of the circuitry connecting teeth to other regions of the body. The concept of illness arising from electrical imbalances is, of course, unconventional in most modern medicine. However, the application of electromagnetic therapies in healing is not new. In this conclusion, we asked Dr. Tennant to begin by discussing some of the earliest examples of the use of electromagnetism as a physical remedy. 5. Much Loved (2015, Morocco) dir. Nabil Ayouch Much Loved is a social drama about four prostitutes in Marrakech, Morocco. Nabil Ayouch, the French-Moroccan director, interviewed hundreds of prostitutes while writing the script. The film isn't without its flaws, but is extremely important to challenge ideas of sex work and brutally displaying the devastating lives of marginalized women in MENA (Middle Eastern-North African) countries. The film is banned from Morocco for "serious contempt for moral values and Moroccan women" and for "flagrant violation of the Kingdom image"(1). Loubna Abidar, the actress of the main character, was violently attacked and continuously harassed with death threats for appearing nude in the film, and subsequently left her country for France(2). Sensitive content warning: explicit sexual content. 4. Persepolis (2007, Iran) dir. Vincent Paronnaud, Marjane Satrapi Persepolis is a 2007 animated drama about an Iranian woman looking back at her childhood as she experienced the Islamic Revolution in Iran in the 70s. The film is based on a graphic novel of the same name, written and drawn by Iranian woman Margane Satrapi. The animation alone is gorgeous, and the story is deeply moving as you follow the young Margane navigate her culture and move to another to stay safe from the war in Iran. She reflects on her country's history and her own cultural identity. The film was banned in Iran, save for a limited number of (censored) screenings following the films release(3). Sensitive content warning: mild sex and nudity. 3. Mustang (2015, Turkey) dir. Deniz Gamze Erguven Mustang is about five sisters in a conservative Turkish village. They are caught playing with boys, and their family begins to arrange marriages in order to preserve the girls' "indecent" actions. Many people have compared Mustang to Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides. It's difficult not to make this comparison due to the similarities in the narration and aesthetics. However, if you didn't like The Virgin Suicides, don't worry, as most people who made this comparison (myself included!) agree that Mustang's substance makes it a much better experience. As depressing as the film sounds (and it is depressing) make no mistake, there is a youthful, hopeful energy to it that will (hopefully) stop you from balling your eyes out for these girls. Sensitive content warning: mild sex, sexual abuse (implied). 2. Wadjda (2012, Saudi Arabia) dir. Haifaa Al-Mansour Another film that has its flaws, but should not be underestimated in its historical significance. Wadjda marks two huge firsts: (1) It is directed by the first female Saudi film director, Haifaa Al-Mansour, and (2) it is the first full-feature Saudi Arabian film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia. The film follows a young girl, Wadjda, who participates in her school's Quran reciting competition to spend the prize money for a bicycle. Wadjda is so important, because it shows the viewer first hand may of the difficulties and injustices of being a woman in Saudi Arabia. Wadjda is another film on this list with more of a hopeful tone to it. There are sweet and funny moments to balance out the gut-wrenching ones. While the film is internationally acclaimed, many Arabs didn't like it, saying the film depicted Islamic society under an unnecessarily negative light. (Source: I'm an Arab living in the Middle East.) Sensitive content warning: none. 1. The Day I Became a Woman (2000, Iran) dir. Marziyeh Meshkiny I don't know what I could possibly say about The Day I Became a Woman that could due it justice. I simply can't speak highly enough of it. Oh well, here goes... This film is told in three different 'chapters'. First, a girl is about to reach the age of nine and must wear the hijab when the clock strikes twelve. Second, a woman participates in a bicycle race against her husband's will. Finally, an elderly woman indulges herself in buying things she had always wanted. If you care about this topic at all, please watch this film. Sensitive content warning: none. Note: Please keep in mind that all these films are intense. I am an Arab woman and I am so glad these films exist and love them fiercely, but I made sure I was emotionally prepared before watching every one of them. Even re-watching them is difficult. I want to mention this because I didn't say it in the "sensitive content warning" as this applies to all of them. Enjoy and take care. Wind powers global growth rate slowed slightly last year, with a 3.6 percent drop in new installed capacity as compared to 2017s growth rate. Despite this small dip, however, the overall growth of the global wind market has continued to grow relatively steadily since 2014, with over 50 gigawatts of new wind energy capacity installed every year. Whats more, the growth is expecting to continue picking up in the coming years. According to the Global Wind Energy Council 51.3 gigawatts (GW) of new wind energy capacity were installed over the course of the last year, bringing the total installed capacity worldwide--the measure of how much wind energy can be produced at maximum output levels, not how much is actually being generated in real time) to 591 GW by the end of 2018. While the growth rate itself has slowed, this is still nearly a 10 percent increase globally as compared to installed total capacity at the end of 2017. This global growth was largely fuelled by just one country--China. Ben Backwell, CEO of Global Wind Energy Council, observed that China emerged as the clear frontrunner in both both onshore and offshore growth, and that huge growth can be anticipated in Asia as a whole through the coming decade and beyond. Overall, the 51.3 GW total of wind energy capacity added in the past year can be broken down into 46.8 GW of new onshore capacity and just 4.49 GW of new offshore capacity. Although offshore wind power capacity accounts for little of the total growth, it is one side of the wind industry that did see considerable growth in the past year, offsetting the overall global wind capacity slowdown. The growth in the offshore wind sector was dominated by China, which installed the biggest share of new capacity at 1.8 GW, for the first time beating out all other markets. The second biggest contributor was the United Kingdom with 1.3 GW, followed by Germany with .9 GW. This marks a striking decline for both Germany and the UK, with Germanys onshore wind growth decreasing by more than half, and the UK faring even worse, delivering its least successful year for new wind power installation since 2011. Related: Natural Gas Prices To Remain Low For Now Meanwhile, according to WindEurope, the self-proclaimed voice of the wind energy industry, says that 12 countries in the EU did not install a single wind turbine in all of 2018. For their part, Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa contributed 10 percent of new onshore installations last year. The Global Wind Energy Councils Director of Market Intelligence Karin Ohlenforst projects that overall, the global wind power market will continue to grow at a relatively steady pace, with 55 GW or more to be added each year until 2023, with a major pick-up in the offshore sector, which she said can be expected to grow on a global scale and will reach up to 7GW to 8GW of new capacity during 2022 and 2023." China will likely continue to be the frontrunner in this arena, and Ohlenforst says that if policies, projects, and investment continues on their current trajectory in Asia, the region could potentially add 5 GW or more of new capacity each year. Another major contributor to the offshore sector could be the United States, which is currently developing a fledgling offshore wind market presence that could potentially reach 1 GW by 2022 or 2023 by the The Global Wind Energy Councils estimate. The need for continued support for wind power from policies, projects, and investment is a key caveat in the continued growth of installed wind capacity worldwide. If growth is to continue steadily or even speed up, it will have to be bolstered by governments in key regions like Southeast Asia, and the European Union will have to push harder to reignite their nations growth in the wind energy industry as well. However, at this point it seems clear that Asia is on track to take over the industry as Europe has already begun to lag behind. Ben Backwell, CEO of The Global Wind Energy Council, did not mince words when he said that his company expects huge growth in Asia through the coming decade and beyond as part of the continuing shift from Europe to Asia as the driving region for wind development." By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Saudi Arabias crude oil exports to U.S. are falling sharply, with shipments so far this month at just 1.6 million barrels, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, versus 5.75 million barrels a year ago. For the whole of January, Saudi Arabia exported just 2.69 million barrels of crude to the United States. The decline follows Saudi Arabias decision to cut its crude oil productionprimarily heavy crude gradesby more than it agreed to at the December OPEC+ meeting as it seeks higher oil prices. One analyst told Bloomberg oil exports from the Kingdom to U.S. refiners could even fall to zero but that was unlikely to happen. "We could see Saudi oil imports declining to zero into the U.S. Gulf Coast, Andy Lipow from Lipow Oil Associates said. OPEC and non-OPEC members feel prices are too low, and they will do what it takes to put the market back in balance." Yet refiners from the U.S. West Coast have a limited choice of suppliers, so some Saudi oil will continue going there, at least. While shipments to the United States fall, however, the amount of Saudi oil going to China will increase this year, Reuters reported earlier this week, citing an unnamed source in the know. Last year, Saudi shipments of crude to China averaged 1 million bpd but this year this may rise to 1.5 million bpd by the end of the first quarter as the Saudis aggressively seek a larger market share in the worlds second-largest oil consumer, which, unlike the United States, has not got abundant local production and has to rely on imports to satisfy demand. Total Saudi oil exports next month are slated to fall further to 7 million bpd, with production cuts by the Kingdom at half a million barrels daily more than their quota, seen at 9.8 million bpd next month. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: China has become the hub for global electric vehicle sales, taking half the market share last year. CBS News 60 Minutes just broadcasted an in-depth look at the market as the trade war continues between the U.S. and China and as automakers, including Tesla, move forward on playing a competitive role in the worlds largest vehicle market. Chinas appeal has become more significant for global automakers as the original hot EV market, America, becomes a tougher sell. The Trump administration is backing away from EV income tax incentives and talks between the federal government and California have reached a stalemate. The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to loosen fuel-economy and emissions requirements for upcoming new cars by the end of this year. The White House pulled the plug on negotiations with California and other states that follow its zero-emission vehicle rules. Beijing also sees this a ripe opportunity for winning the race for companies manufacturing EVs. Requirements to create joint ventures with Chinese automakers are loosening up. Tesla is starting to build its plant in Shanghais free-trade zone, and BMW was granted permission last year to become the first foreign automaker to control a Chinese JV. Chinese startup Nio was featured in the 60 Minutes report, which helped its stock prices shoot up 8 percent Monday morning. Nio sees itself as a Tesla-competitor, but its sales are at a low level with major automakers taking much more of the share in that market. The startup has benefited from its price being about half of that of a Tesla in the Chinese market, on top of that, it doesnt pay import taxes as it manufactures locally. Related: Saudis Leaning Toward OPEC Cut Extension Its ES8 seven-seater saw a record 3,318 in sales during December, bringing its total to 11,348 of these EVs sold by the end of 2018. That car will be followed by the Nio ES6 five-seater in June 2019, which will boost sales even further. But thats only a sliver of total EV sales in China. China Passenger Car Association released sales data show that December saw a record high in new energy vehicle (battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles) sales with 159,7561 units sold. That was up 62 percent over December 2017. For all of 2018, new energy vehicles reached 1,016,002 in EV sales. That was a huge gain of 83 percent in sales over the previous year. Nio and other Chinese EV makers are striving to become the leading Tesla-competitor in China. Tesla is feeling the squeeze on steep China import tariffs, which wont go away until the U.S. EV-maker can set up its production plant in China. Tesla just started delivering its Model 3 electric cars to China ahead of its original schedule. Tesla speeded up deliveries ahead of the March target originally set to meet. Those initial deliveries will go to customers who placed their orders before the end of 2018. For now, major Chinese automakers and their foreign joint venture partners companies are dominating EV sales. Sales were topped last year by the BAIC and BYD brands. BAIC is a state-owned company with joint venture partnerships held by Hyundai and Mercedes. BYD is another Chinese conglomerate that was funded in part by Warren Buffets Berkshire Hathaway. Related: UAE To Build Worlds Largest Underground Oil Storage Facility Michael Dunne, a former top executive at General Motors and auto industry consultant with expertise on the Asia market, told 60 Minutes that China is expected to manufacture one million EVs this year an impressive gain. Dunne expects China to account for half the EVs sold worldwide this year. He sees it as being totally created by the government. While incentives will be dwindling, he expects the Chinese government to stay heavily involved in the market. Licenses to buy cars can be steep for Chinese consumers. Several cities have offered hefty rebates to EV buyers to increase sales and help cities meet air pollution reduction targets. Dunne said that the city of Shanghai can be very steep $12,000 to $13,000 to buy a license for the ability to buy a car. For those buying EVs in the city, that license fee will be waived. Chinese investor William Li believes in EV technology enough to have invested in about 40 start-ups. That includes an online auto marketplace and a new bike-sharing company. Lis net worth is $1.2 billion, according to the report. So far, hes put down $150 million of his own money into Nio. Americans have been slower to adopt EVs than Chinese vehicle buyers both in retail and fleet sales. Li too sees the Chinese governments push in new energy vehicle sales as the main driver of growth. Part of that plan is installing more EV chargers for public use. China wants to beat the U.S. and other players in charging stations, which also supports stronger EV sales. By Jon LeSage for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The fundamentals of the oil market have changed significantly over the decades since the inception of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Although the cartels oil production has increased over the past couple of years, sharper increases in production by non-OPEC members have weakened the organizations position. Fracking technology in the U.S. and the shale revolution that it drove has diminished the relative strength of OPEC. It is this decline that has created the environment for cooperation between Russia and Saudi Arabia. After two years of low oil prices that overstretched national budgets and spurred unrest in some countries, Riyadh and Moscow came to an understanding in 2016 to reduce production and increase prices. The second OPEC+ agreement of June 2018 could point to the beginning of a more permanent relationship between the energy superpowers a relationship that is a significant threat to Iran. On February 18, President Putin and King Salman spoke by phone and reaffirmed their readiness to continue coordination and cooperation by creating a permanent mechanism to exert greater control over the global oil market. The animosity between Tehran and Riyadh is well documented and its impact has been far reaching. Historically, Iran and Saudi Arabia represented two competing blocs in OPEC. While Riyadh normally aimed to increase its market share through affordable prices and extensive output, Iran often tried to maximize its profits by supporting decreased output. These interests rarely overlap and usually contradict. In general, Saudi Arabia has been much more effective at achieving its goals due to its higher volumes of oil and a larger spare capacity. Although prices have risen since the second production cut agreement - a price movement that traditionally benefits Iran - Tehran fears that cooperation between Moscow and Riyadh will weaken its influence within the cartel. Despite the varied interests of OPECs members, states have tried as much as possible to keep the organization depoliticised and exclusively technical. Iran and several other member states have voiced their concern that the combined output of Russia and Saudi Arabia is so large, that they could potentially ignore the interests of the other players. Related: Wall Street Loses Faith In Shale While there has been talk of an official forum for Moscow and Riyadh formalize their cooperation, it remains unclear whether such an organization would be in Russias long-term interests. The domestic market structure is different for both countries with Saudi Arabia controlling production relatively easy. Russia, on the contrary, has many domestic players which need to be convinced of the advantages of reducing oil production. Also, fuel consumption rates are high in Russia meaning that Moscow needs to balance domestic interests against international expectations. Saudi Arabia has, apparently, been irritated by Moscow turning a blind eye to deviations in production quotas by its energy companies. Riyadh, however, has been able and willing to go beyond the agreed level of reduction. Some experts argue that Moscow is using the psychological effect of the deal on oil prices rather than the technical outcome of decreasing supply. The majority of analysts, however, do believe that Moscow intends to implement the cuts even if it may struggle with enforcing them. Moscow has reaffirmed its commitment to accelerate the pace of cuts due to Saudi criticism. Energy minister Alexander Novak has said he will try to make the cuts faster. We have our limitations of a technological nature, yet we will aim to reach the levels we agreed on. The cold Siberian weather is holding back quick production cuts, a problem Saudi Arabia does not have to deal with. Regardless of the success of the agreement, Iran will view cooperation between Russia and OPEC suspiciously unless Riyadh is able to convince Tehran of the collective interest regarding collaboration. By Vanand Meliksetian for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Oil prices have been trending upward over the last two months, up around 22 percent since the start of the year. Much of this upward support on prices comes from the OPEC+ deal to trim 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) from global production, as well as geopolitical problems hitting Venezuela's and Libyas oil production as well as U.S. sanctions eating into Iranian exports. The elephant in the room has been and will continue to be, stellar U.S. production, which backed by production from the Permian Basin, has reached 12.1 million bpd. The problem with U.S. oil output, at least for OPEC and other producers, is that American producers are prohibited by strict antitrust laws at collectively managing output, or even discussing it among themselves or with outside producers, like OPEC. However, Thursday morning more developments broke that will weigh on oil prices. On Thursday, President Trump said that his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had failed to reach an agreement due to North Korean demands to lift U.S.-led sanctions in their entirety. North Korean has pressed before in the past to have sanctions lifted before the country showed any evidence that it was eliminating its nuclear and ballistic missile development programs. The U.S. has long maintained that real and verifiable progress must be made before crippling sanctions are lifted. UN and U.S. sanctions were increased in 2017 when North Korea undertook a series of nuclear and missile tests, including firing missiles over parts of Japan, with some analysts also claiming at the time that North Korean missiles could possibly reach targets in the U.S. Related: The Top Geopolitical Trends Of 2019 Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, but we couldnt do that we had to walk away from it, Trump told reports in Hanoi, the site of the summit after the meeting was cut short. However, at the end of the day, North Koreas demand that sanctions not only be lifted but be lifted in their entirety is likely a ploy by the North Korean side, that is known for its unrealistic demands in bargaining. How this will play out in the future is unclear. Trump for his part, needed an international win to offset a plethora of problems in Washington, and entered the summit with lower expectations, indicating that he would be happy to just keep the dialogue going. North Korea, for its part, likely used this weakness to make an offer that Trump would be unwilling and unable to grant - potentially pushing the two sides back to the brinkmanship experienced over one year ago. More headwinds Also, on Wednesday, hopes that a new trade deal between Washington and Beijing diminished when U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said it was too early to predict an outcome in talks between Washington and Beijing. U.S. issues with China are too serious to be resolved with promises from Beijing to purchase more U.S. goods and any deal between the two countries must include a way to ensure commitments are met, he told U.S. lawmakers. Related: 5 Giant Game-Changing Energy Trends To Watch Weakening factory output in China and Japan also dragged down oil prices on Thursday. London-traded, international oil benchmark Brent crude futures were at $66.15 per barrel at 02:48 GMT, down 24 cents, or 0.4 percent from their last close. U.S.-oil benchmark, NYMEX-traded West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures were at $56.92 per barrel, down 2 cents from their last settlement. Factory activity in China, the world's biggest oil importer, shrank for the third straight month in February, a Reuters report said. China's official manufacturing gauge fell to a three-year low, highlighting deepening cracks in an economy facing persistently weak demand at home and abroad. In Japan, Asia's second-biggest economy, factory output posted the biggest decline in a year in January as China's slowdown affects the entire Asia-Pacific region. By Tim Daiss for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Now fast-forward into present-day America, which abounds in Qatari investment in oil and gas projects some of them are already known, some will emerge with time. First the Qatari Sheikh promises investments into US oil and gas, both conventional and unconventional, then the contours of Qatar operating an LNG terminal in Texas emerges and Doha pledging to invest to the order of $20 billion in US energy. The drift towards the United States serves a double purpose it changes attitudes towards Qatar, easing the international pressure on the Middle Eastern nation (just as Rex Tillerson would have urged), whilst also diversifying Qatar away from Europe and the Middle East and making sure the impending Roughly a year and half ago, US President Donald Trump has called on Qatar to stop the funding of terrorism and the spread of its extremist ideology, claiming that the nation of Qatar has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level. This came about while Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies initiated a joint campaign to isolate Qatar, which eventually proved completely ineffective. Not even six months later, Qatari Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani was once again sitting next to the US President, who labelled him a friend of his and a helpful force in fighting terrorism. In a densely interwoven development of events, Qatar did in fact manage to find an elegant way out of a situation which once seemed insolvable. Roughly a year and half ago, US President Donald Trump has called on Qatar to stop the funding of terrorism and the spread of its extremist ideology, claiming that the nation of Qatar has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level. This came about while Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies initiated a joint campaign to isolate Qatar, which eventually proved completely ineffective. Not even six months later, Qatari Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani was once again sitting next to the US President, who labelled him a friend of his and a helpful force in fighting terrorism. In a densely interwoven development of events, Qatar did in fact manage to find an elegant way out of a situation which once seemed insolvable. Now fast-forward into present-day America, which abounds in Qatari investment in oil and gas projects some of them are already known, some will emerge with time. First the Qatari Sheikh promises investments into US oil and gas, both conventional and unconventional, then the contours of Qatar operating an LNG terminal in Texas emerges and Doha pledging to invest to the order of $20 billion in US energy. The drift towards the United States serves a double purpose it changes attitudes towards Qatar, easing the international pressure on the Middle Eastern nation (just as Rex Tillerson would have urged), whilst also diversifying Qatar away from Europe and the Middle East and making sure the impending US LNG wave will happen to the financial benefit of Doha. Qatar Petroleum, the national oil company and absolute backbone of the economy, is no stranger to American companies. ExxonMobil is already involved in a plethora of LNG trains on the North Dome supergiant gas field, has set up a joint venture called Ocean Marketing to trade in non-Qatari LNG volumes, sold stakes in two Vaca Muerta blocks in Argentina and filed joint bids with Qatar Petroleum during licensing rounds in Brazil and Cyprus. ExxonMobil will also be teaming up for the 10 billion Golden Pass LNG project in Sabine Pass, Texas, which is expected to produce 16mtpa of LNG per year from 2024 (Qatar Petroleum owns 70 percent of the project, with ExxonMobil taking the rest). Just on a sidenote, one has to underscore that the Qatar-ExxonMobil link is definitely in the interest of the U.S. oil and gas major. Qatar, having lifted the moratorium in 2017 on new development projecs in the North Field, the worlds largest gas field containing an estimated 900Tcf of natural gas shared with Iran (which uses the South Pars denomination), now intends to build four trains with a production capacity of 7.8mtpa each and ExxonMobil, already the leading international major involved in Qatari operations, seems a very probable candidate for this. Qatars good relations with the United States provide another reasons for its decision to quit OPEC, despite being in the ranks of the oil cartel since 1961. First and foremost, quitting OPEC staves off the risk of any NOPEC-related fallout completely. Secondly, Saudi Arabia has been working very hard to stop gas flaring altogether and kick-start its domestic gas production with an eye on establishing its own LNG portfolio. Doha would break under the strain of popular anger if Qatar were to endure year-long Saudi sanctions only to see it build up its LNG sector. Thirdly, it eliminates the prospects of Qatar having to live under imposed production cut levels at a time when its 600kbpd oil sector faces newly created market opportunities (Click to enlarge) Source: BP Statistical Survey 2018. The United States foreign policy (read: sanctioning frenzy) will also boost Qatars standing, both vis-a-vis Washington and East Asian nations. The thing is Iran was a major condensate supplier to refiners in South Korea and Japan whose splitters preferred South Pars condensate due to its low acidic, mercury and metals content and relatively low logistics costs. However, with the (first round) of US waivers running out on May 05, 2019, both Asian countries will turn towards Qatari condensate as early as mid-March (it takes roughly 30 days for a South Pars Condensate-laden vessel to reach South Korea or Japan) as it is both the most plentiful and the most accessible variant. Having said this, we would urge against looking at Qatari condensate prices a credible forecasting instrument. The Qatari Deodorized Field Condensate (DFC) hit 6-year lows last week, dropping to a whopping -2.5 USD per barrel discount against the Platts front-month Dubai. Yet behind it lies a subtle acknowledgement of an impending Qatari rebound as South Korean and Japanese firms, not having bought any Iranian condensate (or any other crude oil for that matter) from the onset of sanctions until mid-January have gone a buying spree in February to render their supplies sanctions-compliant from April onwards. If you think Qatar, by means of skillful maneuvering, intense political lobbying and flooding relevant entities with cash, has done a pretty good job overall, be aware that it gets even better. As it ramps up its North Dome production 77mtpa LNG per year to 110mtpa LNG per year, QPs subsidiary Qatargas intends to double its commercial fleet by a further 60 vessels. Most of the vessels are going to get produced at South Koreas shipyards during the last 2010 tender it was Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, Samsung Heavy Industries and Hyundai Heavy Industries, a potentially massive market outlet for Qatari condensate. Moreover, the 60-vessel order will comprise tankers that will operate on the Golden Pass LNG project so even here Qatar managed to score a point, albeit a relatively minor one. Qatar will also bolster its non-energy involvement in the U.S. economy, making good on its erstwhile promise of investing $45 billion in the US, primarily real estate, IT and other technologies and exchanges. Oil and gas, however, are still far from clear as Sheikh al Thani promised 20 billion in U.S. investment, yet so far only half of it materialized the most reasonable path forward would be to invest in U.S. upstream projects so as to fully back up Golden Pass LNG. Golden Pass is supposed to be bidirectional, i.e. if conditions allow Qatar would most likely bring in its own LNG to American markets. But apparently Qatar also takes great interest in exporting US gas volumes, more than 2 BCfd according to initial plans, which means that either it relies on ExxonMobil providing the goods or takes a much more substantial position on the U.S. gas production market. And by all appearances, the preference is for the latter. One of the seven members on the governing panel of Mexicos National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH) has stepped down citing personal reasons halfway through his term, Reuters reports, adding this could give more power over the countrys oil industry to President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. All commissioners from the National Hydrocarbons Commission are nominated by the president of the country and need to be approved by the Senate. In the last three months another two members of the commission have also resigned: its president, Juan Carlos Zepeda, who was nominated by the Pena Nieto government, left in November. In that same month another member of the regulator, Hector Acosta, left it to accept another government position. At the time, Reuters recalls, these resignations caused worry that once elected, Obrador would hold a major sway over the energy regulatory body as he nominates for commissioners people close to him and his approach to the energy industry. This is actually why commissioners on the CNH serve terms that overlap but do not coincide with the terms of Mexicos presidents, as a way of ensuring relative independence. Now that Obrador would get to nominate not one but three new commissioners, there may be some justification to the worry. Related: Saudis Leaning Toward OPEC Cut Extension Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador or AMLO as some media tend to refer to the Mexican president has made clear from the beginning the energy reform launched by the previous government is unlikely to survive long into his term. He ordered a review of all contracts with international oil companies signed by Pemex after the reform and has more recently suspended new joint ventures with foreign energy companies. The new government wants the state to have more control over the countrys energy industry, which was in direct opposition to what the Pena Nieto government tried to do by opening up Mexicos oil and gas reserves to public tenders in a bid to reverse a steady decline in oil and gas production. With Pemex deeply in debt, Obrador may need to reconsider his approach as he is unlikely top be on board with the idea of the government continually bailing out the state energy company with production still in decline. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Teslas chief executive Elon Musk changed his public Twitter name from Musk to Tusk as he lashed out at the Securities and Exchange Commission, which earlier this week approached a court with a complaint that Musk had violated a Twitter-related deal he struck with the regulator last year. Musk first drew the attention of the Securities and Exchange Commission last summer when the Tesla CEO said on Twitter that he was planning to take the company private and had already secured funding. It was this phrase, funding secured, that alerted the Securities and Exchange Commission, which launched a probe into this claim, prompting Musk to come forward with the revelation that he had for years been in talks with the Saudi sovereign wealth fund to take the company private. Following hectic share price movements for Tesla, the SEC made Musk promise he would run any tweets that could affect the share price of Tesla by the companys board of directorsthe obligation that the watchdog now says Musk violated by tweeting that Tesla will produce half a million cars by the end of this year. The tweet that raised SECs hackles was followed by another one, which was seen as a belated attempt to reverse the damage by clarifying that Meant to say annualized production rate at end of 2019 probably around 500k, ie 10k cars/week. Deliveries for year still estimated to be about 400k. A day after the SEC launched its compliant with a judge, Musk went back to Twitter to tell the world Tesla would be releasing some big news today at 2 pm. The tweet said simply 2 pm and was followed by another one that said California, with Musk possibly opting for the laconic way in a bid to avoid further attention from SEC, which has made it perfectly clear it was not taking potentially price-moving tweets lightly. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Production from the recently launched Egina deepwater field would remain outside Nigerias commitment to stick to OPECs production cuts, according to state-held Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). [I]t is not part of the volumes we look at, NNPC Groups Managing Director Maikanti Baru told Reuters on Thursday, asked if Eginas production would count as crude oil or condensate. Nigeria currently produces around 1.8 million bpd of crude oil and another 400,000 bpd of condensate, NNPCs manager said at an oil and gas conference in London. In terms of the OPEC quota, I think its not a cut in production, its to ensure we keep the quota. Of course the president said it and we will obey, Reuters quoted Baru as saying, noting that the new field would be classified as condensate. Days before OPECs production cuts started on January 1, Frances Total had started up oil production from Nigerias ultra-deepwater oil field Egina, which is expected to pump 200,000 bpd at peak output. Total noted that the plateau production at the field of 200,000 bpd would account for some 10 percent of Nigerias oil production. Nigeria, which wasnt spared from the new OPEC/non-OPEC production cuts this time around, is expected to contribute with up to 40,000 bpd to the 800,000 bpd OPEC had pledged to cut from January, Nigerian Oil Minister Emmanuel Kachikwu told local news outlet THISDAY in December. The 40,000-bpd figure is some 2.5 percent of Nigerias current crude oil production of 1.7 million bpd, the minister said in the first half of December. In the official OPEC document released weeks after the new OPEC+ deal was struck, Nigerias share of the cuts is 53,000 bpd from the October 2018 level of 1.738 million bpd, to 1.685 million bpd for the period January-June 2019. According to OPECs secondary sources, Nigerias crude oil production rose by 52,000 bpd from December 2018 to 1.792 million bpd in January 2019, despite Nigeria not being exempt from the OPEC cuts this time around. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As... Jamas nos callaran Fisica y culturalmente Nec plus ultra, nec variatur Precio del Brent To get the BRENT oil price, please enable Javascript. Precio del WTI To get the oil price, please enable Javascript. Paginas vistas en total Dolar USA Vs Euro Sin ellas, no seremos Deja vu Nada que celebrar Hasta cuando? Colombia Hoy Para nunca olvidar 'Parasite' painted on a statue of Queen, Elizabeth in Kent, England Sin palabras La UE le apunta a la paz Cada vez mas solo Precio del Oro To get the gold price, please enable Javascript. LULA y su Pueblo Bye Bye Homenaje al genial Quino Fueron ellos Una imagen que resume Tan bajo ha caido que se deja tocar el trasero? Porky y el Nene (archiconocido narcotraficante) Ladrones al poder Asi mira el perrito a su amo Crazy Clamor popular La nueva inquisicion Bolivia Chile Hoy Eso es todo amigos! Piensalo! Pinerachet No More Trump Adios Macri, hasta nunca La Marioneta se desinfla Asi o mas cinico Almugre Mexico en 1794 Mas arrastrado imposible Hasta cuando! La pura verdad Solidaridad con Palestina Serie Capitalismo Espejismos de la clase trabajadora Asi es! Comerciantes o delincuentes No pasaran! Asi es la vida USA HOY 01/01/1959 La avaricia no tiene limites AYUDA HUMANITARIA? Chile Hoy Asi son las cosas Mapa Electoral de Venezuela Patagonia argentina? Un aniversario mas del mayor genocidio de la Humanidad Retrato del franquismo en Espana Visca Catalunya! El Chulo de Madrid Cuando la policia se roba la democracia Una imagen dice mas que mil palabras La purita verdad Asi gobierna la maldita burguesia Mi pobre clase media Como Chavez nadie Comparte La Colmena via twitter Twittear Programa de la MUD Asi o mas clarito Por que Trump no ataco Corea del Norte? Hace 15 anos Por que la OEA no se pronuncio? Una verguenza nacional La luz que nos guia La Union Europea Premio Nobel de la Paz? Feudalismo ayer y hoy Obama, el mentiroso Curiosa coincidencia Un mundo de cerdos No es extrano? La Marioneta Los ricos protestan, los pobres celebran MARICORI Y OBAMA Cuantas muertes este ano? 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Por culpa de Chavez Cerveza Polar Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar Translate LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares? Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano... Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos: Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias. Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera. No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje. En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio. Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida. Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella. Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal. Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista. Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen. Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che? Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio. Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora. Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo. Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo. Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania. No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar. Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga. Alguna duda? Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia. OZ1 OZ2 OZ3 OZ4 Homenaje a Jason Galarraga La Victoria de Samotracia Odalisca Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008 La Sierra Nevada de Merida Nuestro precioso Churum Meru Homenaje a Picasso Autoretrato Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola? La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar. Mi profesion? Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos. Sal en la Coca Cola? A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar. De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla: Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido) azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa) Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas Mucha Cafeina Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja. Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos. Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja. En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero). Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma. La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate. Bebidas Light? Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal. Publicado por loretahur En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina: 1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias. 2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina. 3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard. 4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos. 5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla. 6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos. Ahora... sobre la margarina: 1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) . 2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias. 3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno). 4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer. 5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna. 6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo. 7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina. Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas: * No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo). * No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!! No a la guerra, Si a la Paz Misterios de la ciencia... Los costos de la guerra medicos y capitalismo... Capitalismo... medicos (2) Quien educa a nuestros hijos? Los Medios... Sin Palabras... Chistes feministas - Cual es el problema, Eva? - Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas. - Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas... - Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti. - Que es un hombre? - Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente. - Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente. - Cual es el truco?. - Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion. - Cual? - Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer. Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas? Porque todos son unos cerdos Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas? Porque todos son unos cerdos Ellas... Ellas (2)... Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1 Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije: -Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro. Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria. Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre? -Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa! VENGANZA NUMERO 2 Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris. A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita: - Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!! Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta. La mujer paso quince dias en Francia. El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla. Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es: - Y amor me trajiste mi francesita?? - Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina. VENGANZA NUMERO 3 El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion. - No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo. - Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz. Te quiero confesar algo. - Esta bien, esta bien. Habla! - He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga. - Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!! machismo y cibernetica Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston. -Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad. El simio hace la sena de OK. -Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?. El simio hace la sena de OK. -Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide. -Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!. .Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti. Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos. Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco. Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas Gol !!!! Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso! Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy! For the past 25 years, many public pension funds in Canada have followed whats globally referred to as the Canadian model." This approach focused on independent and professional governance, investing in private assets, active management of public equities and internalization of investment activities to avoid high external management fees. By and large, the Canadian model has generated strong results. It put Canadian pensions on the global investing map. However, significant changes in capital markets are driving a need to evolve the Canadian model. As well, fund managers cant ignore the success of other institutional asset management models that have emerged outside of Canada. Heres why : First, successfully investing in private assets has become more difficult . When pensions first began to invest in private assets, they could count on a significant illiquidity premium over the public markets equivalent investment. That is no longer true. Today, because so many investors have identified private equity, infrastructure and real estate as core aspects of their total portfolio, the potential illiquidity premium has been diminished. There are still good reasons to invest in private assets: The returns are less volatile, they represent a growing portion of the investable universe of equity and they offer opportunities to enhance value that would be difficult in a public-market context . But, successfully investing in private assets today requires both internal teams and external partners with real skill in generating value enhancement. Today, successful investors in private assets, together with their external partners, must be active and engaged owners. And they need to have the sophisticated capabilities required to create value through private ownership . Second, outperforming in many public markets is difficult to sustain . This is especially true if these market segments are accessed through more expensive external managers. But the choice between either being always active" or always passive is a false one. While many market segments are efficient, there are still public market segments where sustained outperformance through active management is realistic; and there are lower-cost ways to pursue outperformance in the more efficient markets (for example, factor-based investment strategies). The key is to recognize which strategy to employ and when . Third, the Canadian model hasnt been the only successful approach to large public fund management over the past 25 years. For example, several northern European public funds have been successful by focusing on total portfolio decisions as a means of driving returns and long-term value for their stakeholders . There is strong logic to focusing on total portfolio. After all, asset-allocation decisions drive over-all risk and return . Individual investment decisions within asset classes are dwarfed in comparison. Furthermore, if an investors goal is to build a portfolio that can perform under a range of macro-economic conditions, it requires diversification at the asset class level . The Canadian model still has gas in the tank, but its application needs a tune-up. Bert Clark, the president and CEO of the Investment Management Corporation of Ontario ( IMCO ), wrote a comment for the Globe and Mail, 'Canadian model' for approaching public pensions must evolve This is an excellent comment from Bert Clark and it tells you where he and IMCO's CIO, Jean Michel, are steering that ship.They obviously like aspects of the "Canadian model" but are taking a deeper, more reflective view on it and looking on how they can improve it in private markets by hiring the right internal teams and partnering up with the right external partners with "skill in generating value enhancement" which is just a fancier way of saying "no financial engineering, roll up your sleeves and execute on the value creation plan!"In public markets, Bert Clark notes there are still segments where "sustained outperformance through active management is realistic" and if they can do it internally, they will to avoid paying high fees to external managers, but where they can't, I'm sure they will search for the right external managers and pay the fees.The job of managing IMCO's Public Markets falls under Jean Michel and Tanya Lai, Managing Director, Public Markets.You can now view IMCO's investment team on its website here (click on image below):Mary Chang is overseeing Infrastructure, Brian Whibbs is head of Real Estate, Sean Macaulay is in charge of Private Equity, Glenn Hubert will manage Private Debt and Frank Stadler is in charge of Tactical Asset Allocation (Most of these investment professionals came from IMCO's founding clients, WSIB and OPB and were at IMCO prior to Jean or Nicole joining the organization).You should also have a look at IMCO's Executive Team (click on image):Bert Clark has been busy hiring the right people to help him with running this organization managing $62 billion and growing very fast.It's clear IMCO isn't flying under the radar any longer, the investment, risk, finance and HR teams are all in place and the ramp-up period is over.From what my contacts tell me, Nicole Musicco has finalized her strategy in Private Markets and they are moving along nicely.Last week, I discussed how IMCO's CEO is weathering the storm ahead and I specifically said it can't be "business as usual" in public or private markets. I talked about executing on the value creation plan and having the right partners to co-invest with on larger transactions to scale into privates and lower overall fees.I also agree with Bert Clark that strategic asset allocation holds the key for long-term success and I imagine that he, Jean Michel, Nicole Musicco, Frank Stadler and Saskia Goedhart, the Chief Risk Officer, will sit down and have long discussions over the total portfolio.I'm not sure if they will implement an All-Weather approach like Bridgewater does or make more aggressive strategic bets on certain assets over a five-year window.I was in Toronto last week for a couple of days and was tied up in meetings and didn't really have a chance to set up meetings with key pension people because it was a last minute trip.The only person I reached out to have a quick coffee with was CPPIB's Michel Leduc but he was very busy with meetings since it was Family Day last Monday.I would have loved to pass by IMCO's offices to meet Bert Clark, Jean Michel and Nicole Musicco, and met up with many other people from other organizations, but I just didn't have time and these people are all extremely busy so I need to plan ahead.Anyway, I agree with Bert Clark, the much-touted Canadian model is excellent but it's time to evolve and make it better and that includes recognizing the success of other models.It's going to be exciting watching how IMCO evolves over the next ten years, they're a relatively young and dynamic team of dedicated professionals with exceptional experience from other organizations and their CEO isn't afraid to try a different approach.Below, Milton Berg, the founder and CEO of M.B. Advisors, joins "Squawk Box" to give his market calls and explain why he thinks we're in a new extended bull market and won't retest the December lows. Berg worked for Soros and Druckenmiller and he has an exceptional track record.I hope he's right and my own feeling is as long as the Fed stays put, stocks and other risk assets should grind higher but I remain cautious for a lot of reasons which I'll get into on Friday.Lastly, Paul Morassutti, the vice chairman of valuation and advisory services at CBRE, spoke at the Toronto RealCapital Conference today and said that tech and innovation could help shield Canada from the worst effects of a looming recession . Take the time to read this article , it's excellent and he shares great insights on how tech has permeated every industry and why that's good. QUEZON CITY, Philippines The Department of Agriculture warns of a possible scarcity of rice supply in the world market. With this scenario, UP Professor Teodoro Mendoza, an agronomist, is dubious that the price of rice will remain low. The Department of Finance projects a two to seven-peso price reduction in per kilogram of rice once the rice tariffication law takes effect. Mendoza fears that the rice crisis that happened in 2008, wherein the price of rice in the world market reached one thousand dollars per metric ton, might have a repeat this year. He added that the countrys decision to import rice in millions of tons has caused the price of rice to skyrocket. With the rice tariffication law, there will be no more limit to the importation of rice as long as importers will pay the necessary taxes. Pag tumaas ng $1,000 per metric ton, ang presyo ng bigas magiging 54 o 53 pesos per kilogram na ho doon pa lamang sa importing country. So ipasa mo pa yung transport at saka yung retail cost, aabot na po ng about 65 pesos per kilogram ang ating bigas [Once the price of rice goes up to $1000 per metric ton, the importing country will price it at 54 r 53 pesos per kilogram. With the transportation and retail cost, it will reach P65 per kilogram], Mendoza explained. Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol, on the other hand, said only as much as 3 million metric tons of rice is available for sale in the world market. He said he fears a scenario where a calamity hits any of the rice exporting countries. With this, the agency urges the local farmers to continue planting rice to prepare the country for possible effects in case rice supply scarcity goes severe. Halimbawa tinamaan ng El Nino yung Vietman, halimbawa tinamaan ng El Nino yung Thailand, Cambodia sabay-sabay. Kung wala na tayong sufficient rice supply, maski may pera pa tayong pambili, wala tayong mabibiling bigas sa merkado [Lets say El Nino hits Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. If we have no sufficient rice supply, even if we have the means to buy, there wont be available rice for sale in the market], said Pinol. Story continues Professor Mendoza is also concerned about the possibility of farmers losing interest in planting rice if they will not profit from it. It can be recalled that the price of rice grains or palay has immediately gone as low as 15 to 17 pesos per kilogram after President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Rice Tariffication Law. As a result of the law, the Department of Agriculture is now facing the challenge to make do with the P10-billion subsidy in improving the level of farming in the country. Pinol said they would already need P27-Billion for fertilizers alone for one cropping season. The Agriculture chief said the department is doing its part to address the needs of farmers for free seedlings, solar irrigation and interest-free loans. Maris Federez (with reports from Rey Pelayo) The post DA braces for possible scarcity of rice supply in world market appeared first on UNTV News. THE National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has removed over 650,000 campaign materials all over Metro Manila.NCRPO Director Major General Guillermo Eleazar urged the candidates to also do their PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte welcomed United States (US) Secretary of State Michael Pompeo with a handshake during their meeting at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Thursday night, February 28. Duterte went to Pasay City to meet Pompeo, who arrived for a two-day visit to the country. After the handshake, Duterte and Pompeo proceeded to a room for a meeting. On Tuesday, February 26, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte and Pompeo would likely talk about key issues that are "mutually beneficial" to the Philippines and the US. Panelo said "mutual concerns" like security and terrorism would be brought up during Duterte's meeting with Pompeo. "I'm sure there will be talks between their government and our government with respect to our relations," the Palace official said in a press briefing on Tuesday. "Any subject matter that is mutually beneficial to both countries will be discussed or any matter for the Secretary to raise," he added. Pompeo's visit to the Philippines comes amid the Trump administration's efforts to reach out to China to end the trade war between Beijing and Washington. Duterte considers China a "friend" despite Manila and Beijing's overlapping claims to the resource-rich South China Sea. (Ruth Abbey Gita/SunStar Philippines) Thousands of air travellers worldwide were left stranded on Thursday after Pakistan closed its airspace in response to escalating tensions with India. Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it would keep airspace shut until at least 1.00pm on Friday local time (0800 GMT), disrupting major routes between Europe and South East Asia. Thai Airways has cancelled nearly 30 flights, affecting 5,000 passengers. "All THAI flights from Bangkok to Europe departing near midnight of 27 FEB through early 28 FEB and from Europe to Bangkok departing on 27 FEB have been cancelled due to Pakistan airspace closure," the airline wrote on its Twitter page. The decision affected services to London, Munich, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Vienna, Stockholm, Zurich, Copenhagen and Oslo, but the airline said at around 0530 GMT that it was resuming normal operations to Europe. Singapore Airlines was also forced to divert Europe-bound flights to Mumbai and Dubai to refuel, while a flight to Frankfurt was cancelled. The crisis between nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan and India had raised fears of an all-out war. But Pakistan said it would release a captured Indian pilot on Friday, in an overture towards New Delhi. India earlier said its forces had also shot down a Pakistani fighter jet as Pakistan suddenly closed its airspace early Wednesday. Pakistan's civil aviation authorities said they had allowed some flights to depart on Thursday. They were an Emirates service from Peshawar to Dubai, an Air Arabia flight from Peshawar to Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE and a Qatar Airways flight from Peshawar to Doha. - Atmosphere 'not good' - Emirates was earlier forced to cancel 10 return flights to Pakistan while Qatar Airways pulled flights to Peshawar, Faisalabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Multan. Saudi Airlines also suspended all flights to Pakistan "until further notice". In Russia, two flights from Moscow to Vietnam and Saint Petersburg to Thailand had to turn back while a Bangkok-bound flight was forced to land in Uzbekistan. Air Canada suspended flights to Mumbai and New Delhi, diverting an India-bound flight back to Toronto, while seven services from Istanbul to Pakistan were cancelled. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) also cancelled services to and from Britain, Spain, Italy and Canada as the airspace closure was extended into Friday. Thai Airways flights to Scandinavia and a PIA flight to Copenhagen were also affected, with local television station TV2 television reporting that 25 Danish students were stuck at Bangkok airport. "The atmosphere is not very good right now. We try to keep up the morale, but it's difficult," said student Sara Bjerregaard Larsen, adding that many were in tears. Thai Airways struggled to find new routes to Europe with Iran "rejecting" a request to travel over its airspace, according to a spokesperson for the carrier. But a few hours later China gave "permission to Thai Airways... to bypass Pakistani airspace," according to Pratana Patanasiri, Thai Airways Vice President, allowing Thursday night's flights to Europe to resume. Frustration meanwhile mounted Thursday at Bangkok's main airport. "We have waited here for 11 or 12 hours already," said Gerda Heinzel 55, a German tourist returning to Munich after a holiday in Phuket. "We have not been given anything to eat, anywhere to stay. There are no German-speaking staff to help us." The airline said in a Facebook statement that refreshments were available and that it would "take care of expenses incurred". "Passengers who were booked to travel on the affected routes may change their itineraries without any fees and charges, and conditions apply," it added. by Nirmala Carvalho Fernando Szlajen is attending the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life. This year's theme is "Roboethics. Humans, Machines and Health ". For the rabbi, there is a common denominator among religions, that technology came to serve human beings and not human beings serve technology." Vatican City (AsiaNews) The plenary assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life is currently underway in the Vatican with artificial intelligence as one of its topics. Rabbi Fernando Szlajen, from Argentina, is one of the participants. Speaking to AsiaNews, the Jewish clergyman said that "God gave intelligence only to man, not machines. This is why there is no 'artificial' intelligence" as such. Rabbi Szlajen agrees with Pope Francis, who, in receiving participants, highlighted how artificial machines are useful, but should not be confused with human beings. "In Judaism [. . .] intelligence and conscience are an exclusively human quality, he explained. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Academy's founding. In his address to its members, the pontiff emphasised the risk that man is being technologized, rather than technology humanized. For the rabbi, "when God created humans and breathed life into man, the explanation is that within this life God gave humans intelligence and conscience. So intelligence and conscience are exclusively for humans. Therefore, there does not exist any artificial intelligence. The theme of the assembly at the Vatican is Roboethics. Humans, machines and health. For Szlajen there is a common denominator among religions, at least the major religions, that technology, in Greek techne, came to serve human beings and not human beings serve technology. Thus, the major message to secular civilisation from all religions is Don't be a slave to your own production. You need to conserve your status. In the same way that God created human beings and human beings can never be God . . . for human beings who produce technology, technology can never be a human being. Finally, the rabbi praises Pope Francis' initiatives to support interfaith dialogue. "It is the time to act. The Pope is very helpful in this way. THE National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has removed over 650,000 campaign materials all over Metro Manila.NCRPO Director Major General Guillermo Eleazar urged the candidates to also do their THERE are no conditions set for the forging of a peace deal between President Rodrigo Duterte and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founder Nur Misuari, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said Thursday, February 28. "Walang (There are no) conditions whatsoever," Medialdea told reporters in an interview. On Tuesday, February 26, the President revealed that he had made "some arrangements" with Misuari to pursue long-lasting peace in Mindanao. The development came after Duterte met with Misuari at the Malacanan Palace on Monday night, February 25. The President and the MNLF leader met following tbe oath-taking of the members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, an interim government tasked to run the new Bangsamoro region that replaced the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Duterte said Misuari had promised to craft a "new deal" with his government, which will be discussed in their next meeting. Pressed about the impending "deal," Medialdea clarified that it was more of a gentlemen's agreement between both sides to look for ways to attain "unlimited peace" in southern Philippines. "Hindi nga agreement. Parang more of a gentleman [agreement] na mag-usap na lang tayo dito, magtulungan tayo dito (It's not a formal agreement. It's more of a gentleman agreement to hold a dialogue ajd help each other)," the Executive Secretary said. (SunStar Philippines) THE National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has removed over 650,000 campaign materials all over Metro Manila.NCRPO Director Major General Guillermo Eleazar urged the candidates to also do their MALACANANG chided on Thursday, February 28, President Rodrigo Duterte's critics for blaming the Chief Executive for the death threats received by clergymen, including Caloocan bishop Pablo Virgilio David. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said some individuals from the opposition are once again out to "paint a different picture" on Duterte's "joke" against the leaders of the Catholic Church. The Palace official reiterated that Duterte's previous call to "kill" prelates was a statement "done in jest" using "hyperbole." He added that Filipinos are already used to the President's "unorthodox and out-of-the-box style," thus know "when the President is serious" and understand "when he only means to be comical." "In another attempt to bespatter the President's popularity, the political opposition has once again blamed PRRD on the alleged death threats received by Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David," he said in a statement. "To reiterate what I previously said, a joke is a joke. The Presidents remarks on some members of the clergy were done in jest or were made using figure of speech or hyperbole. The Filipino people know and approve this unorthodox and out-of-the-box style of the Chief Executive in delivering his message to them," he added. Some priests, including David who is a vocal critic of the administration's drug war, have been receiving death threats since Duterte said bishops are "better off dead." On Monday, February 25, Duterte took back his recent pronouncement against the clergy and instead appealed to the public to refrain from harming Catholic Church leaders. However, opposition senators Leila de Lima and Risa Hontiveros blamed Duterte for the death threat against David. Panelo said the public should understand that Duterte was a "natural teaser" to entertain his audience who "responds animatedly to his comedic utterances." Story continues Duterte's spokesman also stressed that critics are ones to be blamed for making it appear that the Chief Executive was "serious" in saying that bishops should be killed. He added that the grave threats could be done by "pranksters, or by anti-Duterte trolls or by the personal enemies of the bishop." "Therefore, if there is one to blame, it is the critics and detractors of the President and this administration who have been constantly painting a different picture by manipulating PRRD's statements and making them appear to look bad and malicious," Panelo said. "A joke perceived to be a joke by Filipinos are converted by these haters into a grave and serious marching order so as to confuse the public and at the same time put themselves in a position where they can criticize the President," he added. Panelo then guaranteed that the government would ensure David's safety. He also said that the Duterte administration would enforce "full force of law" against those who would attempt to kill the Caloocan bishop. "Just the same we will not allow any harm done to him (David). Anyone who attempts at harming him will have the full force of the law to contend with," the Palace official said. "Let the members of the Catholic hierarchy be assured that the President means no harm. They need not be afraid as we are one with them in their mission in thwarting evil. Those who must be afraid are the criminals, the corrupt, the evildoers, the scoundrels, the terrorists and the drug lords and pushers," he added. (SunStar Philippines) THE National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has removed over 650,000 campaign materials all over Metro Manila.NCRPO Director Major General Guillermo Eleazar urged the candidates to also do their RESPONSIBLE parents who want to instill discipline among their children have the right to administer corporal punishment in a "self-restrained manner," President Rodrigo Duterte said. This was the President's remarks in his February 23 letter addressed to Senate President Vicente Sotto III and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, as he explained his decision to veto a bill promoting "positive and non-violent discipline" among children. In his veto message, Duterte said he acknowledged Congress's efforts to push for a "salutary piece of legislation" that seeks to protect children from "humiliating forms of punishment." He, however, expressed "grave" concerns that the proposed measure would forbid "all forms" of corporal punishment. "I am gravely concerned that the bill goes much further than this as it would proscribe all forms of corporal punishment, humiliating or not, including those done within the confines of the family home. I do not share such an overly sweeping condemnation of the practice," the President said. "On the contrary, I am of firm conviction that responsible parents can and have administered corporal punishment in a self-restrained manner, such that the children remember it not as an act of hate or abuse, but a loving act of discipline that desires only to uphold their welfare," he added. The Chief Executive believed that corporal punishment has given rise to "beneficial results" for society, noting that "countless children [have] been raised up to become law-abiding citizens with a healthy respect for authority structures in the wider community." Duterte also stressed that despite Western nations' belief that corporal punishment is an "outdated form of disciplining children," he believed that following such trend would bring "great disservice to the succeeding generations." Story continues "The cultural trends of other countries are not necessarily healthy for our own nation. Indeed, in many instances such trends are of doubtful benefit even for the very countries which originated and popularized them," he said. "To uncritically follow the lead of these countries, especially in matters as significant as the family, would be a great disservice to the succeeding generations," he added. The proposed measure from Congress prohibits any form of punishment of children using physical force and intended to cause pain or discomfort or any non-physical act that causes a child to feel belittled, denigrated, threatened, or ridiculed. Duterte said the bill places such responsible disciplining of children "in the same category as humiliating and degrading forms of punishment, and condemns them all in one broad stroke." "Making no distinctions, the bill would allow the government to extend its reach into the privacy of the family, authorizing measures aimed at suppressing corporal punishment regardless of how carefully it is practiced," he said. "In so doing, the bill transgresses the proper boundaries of State intervention in the life of the family, the sanctity and autonomy of which is recognized by the Constitution," he added. (SunStar Philippines) Would you like to go on a trip to the US worth P1million or any other destination in the world? Or how about spending P300,000 in a shopping spree in any place or shop of your preference?Maybank clients Would you like to go on a trip to the US worth P1million or any other destination in the world? Or how about spending P300,000 in a shopping spree in any place or shop of your preference? Maybank clients can experience these adventures of a lifetime with the iSave. iShop. iFly Promo. By simply turning deposits into a chance to win wonderful adventures, saving becomes delightful, said Donna Michelle Barroga, Head of Marketing of Maybank Philippines. In addition, she said, winners of the iSave.iShop.iFly promo can customize how they want to enjoy their prize, giving them the flexibility to create their own travel or shopping package. All these are made possible simply by opening an iSave account. All Maybank iSave Accounts will earn one raffle entry for every P10,000 month-to-date average daily balance maintained in their accounts from February 1 to July 31, 2019. They will be automatically registered for the draw and will be informed through SMS. All iSave Accounts will continue to earn raffle entries until the end of the promo, Barroga said. There will be three preliminary draws with three winners each of a shopping spree worth P300,000, P200,000, and P100,000, and there will be one grand draw winner who will win a trip to the USA. or any preferred destination worth P1,000,000, TAX FREE. iSave depositors can join in all raffle draws, but can only win once per draw. Vincent Dexter Go, Head of Virtual Banking of Maybank, explained Opening an iSave savings account in the Maybank2U PH app makes it easier for every Filipino to get a bank account. iSave as an online only savings account that can be applied through the Maybank2U PH App. The Maybank account is convenient and hassle-free because one can open it without going to a branch. Moreover, the account is affordable. Go explained that there is no initial deposit and zero maintaining balance. The client earns interest of 0.25% per annum at PHP 20,000 balance. He or she can withdraw from any BancNet ATM in the Philippines for free. The account is accessible via any Maybank ATM in Malaysia, Singapore, and Cambodia with no charge and can enjoy better conversion rates. It comes with an EMV Enabled ATM, thus very secure. The client enjoys banking transactions online via the Maybank2U PH App. So iSave now and get to create delightful memories with Maybank.(Sponsored Content) Phuket, 28 February 2019 The Amari Phuket management team, led by Pierre-Andre Pelletier, Regional Vice-President, Operations Southern Thailand, Vietnam and the Maldives (right), Richard Margo Hotel Manager (middle) and Tipaporn Koonphol Deputy General Manager (left), recently participated in the 34th anniversary ceremony of operations. On this special day, the team members representative from each department took part in the celebration, including a Buddhist blessing ceremony, paying respect to the spirit house and anniversary cake-cutting. Over three decades of delivering outstanding service, Amari Phuket will drive this success to continue being named as one of the best service hotels on Phuket island. Asian elephant. Credit: Priya Davidar Protecting and expanding suitable habitats for wildlife is key to the conservation of endangered species, but owing to climate and land use change the ideal habitats of today may not be fitting in 30 or 50 years. An international team of scientists therefore predicted range shifts of Asian elephants in India and Nepal using species distribution models based on distribution data for the elephants and climate projections. While a few regions in the north and northeast of the subcontinent may provide more suitable habitats in the future, overall a heavy loss is probable in all scenarios. The complex effects of environmental change on the distribution of the elephants is elucidated in a paper published in the journal Diversity and Distributions. It is well known that climate change, land use change, changes in water cycles, and other influencing factors will cause redistribution of species directly or indirectly. The details of these processes are very complex, however, as effects of global change is manifested very differently on a local scale. In a massive effort, scientists from Spain, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Italy, and Germany worked together in order to assess the combined effects of human pressures and climate change on Asian elephants' distribution, embedded in the human-dominated landscapes in India and Nepal. "We compiled a large database of more than four thousand elephant occurrences and a large geodatabase of environmental predictor variables covering India and Nepal for this study," explains Surendra P. Goyal (Wildlife Institute of India). In a first step, this allowed the scientists to predict the current spatial distribution of Asian elephants as a function of environmental variables. "In addition to ongoing human-induced disturbance, especially in the form of land-use change, elephant distribution is influenced by complex local scale interactions among precipitation and temperature, complicated by seasonal monsoon in this region," explains lead author Rajapandian Kanagaraj from the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN) in Madrid (Spain). The scientists estimated that around 256 thousand square kilometres of habitat are suitable for elephants in India and Nepal. In a second step the effects of climate changes were included into the distribution model to predict future elephant distributions and possible range shifts. Relying on climate and land use data projections for 2050 and 2070, different scenarios were calculated. All scenarios strongly indicate that the interaction between climate change and land use will compound existing threats to the elephant. "We anticipate that elephant range would likely shift towards higher elevations in the Himalayas, and along a gradient of water availability, instead of a simple unidirectional range shift towards higher elevations and latitudes typically expected when temperature is the principal factor," explains Miguel B. Araujo, expert on climate change and biodiversity at MNCN, Madrid, in whose lab this collaborative study was undertaken. In a scenario where only climate change is included, the loss of potential habitat is more moderate, but still substantial with a 17.1 percent loss in one scenario in 2070. "The negative effect is especially severe in the human-dominated landscapes in eastern and southern India," say Priya Davidar and Jean-Philippe Puyravaud (Sigur Nature Trust, India). Gain in potential habitat is indicated in northern and northeastern habitats particularly along the valleys in the Himalayan foothills. "Our model projections suggest that the projected future changes in the distribution of elephants in India and Nepal would be driven mainly by changes in the climatic water balance, followed by changes in temperature and other ongoing human-induced disturbance," Kanagaraj and Araujo conclude. For that reason, building comprehensive and robust spatial models is crucial to assess the impact of environmental changes in wildlife populations. "The database consisted of 115 environmental variables: 60 climatic, 16 human disturbance, 29 forest and vegetation and 10 topographic variables, all at a grid resolution of 1 kilometre," says Thorsten Wiegand, modelling expert from the Environmental Research Centre (UFZ), Leipzig. Occurrence data relied on 4,626 elephant sightings between 1990 and 2017, with the vast majority of sightings after 2002. "The art of modelling here was distilling the most biologically plausible environmental predictors and eliminating redundant correlations," Stephanie Kramer-Schadt, head of the department of Ecological Dynamics at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW), explains the methods. The team calculated and tested several models which can forecast the distribution only from the remaining nine environmental variables. "In the end we have to acknowledge that are dealing with models of distribution and environmental change," Kramer-Schadt adds. This approach enabled the team to develop highly probable scenarios for range shifts of the elephants under global change, but the predictions are always connected with a level of uncertainty. The results of this comprehensive study nevertheless have important implications concerning conservation efforts as the suitability maps and future projections can be effectively used to identify critical habitat areas that require immediate conservation attempts. Furthermore the projections can inspire adjustments to current habitat protection strategies. A supplementary analysis highlighted the importance of connected habitats: "The model only predicts the suitability of a 1 km2 grid cell without accounting for the movement capacity of elephants and their home range sizes, so we added the core range analysis to identify high suitability areas larger than the size of two average home ranges and an analysis of the connectivity of core areas that considers the maximal displacement capacity of elephants," says Kanagaraj. "The results underline the pressure that is expected on the habitats on southern and eastern India as it is where large core areas can be found," says Surendra P. Goyal. Further, the analysis suggests that the fragmented core areas that are located along the foothills forests and floodplains of the Himalaya could be connected by a mixture of poor and highquality habitat that should form specific targets for management. These results provide a first assessment of areas that could provide connectivity among core areas. "We are certain that conservation of remaining habitat will always remain the centrepiece of biodiversity conservation," the team states. "Our study provides a first assessment on the effect of climate change on the distribution of the Asian elephant in its major habitats in India and Nepal, which could help other assessments over its entire range across South and SouthEast Asia, and be useful for developing management plans for wildlife conservation under the aegis of climate change." Explore further Conservation areas help birdlife adapt to climate change More information: Rajapandian Kanagaraj et al. Predicting range shifts of Asian elephants under global change, Diversity and Distributions (2019). Journal information: Diversity and Distributions Rajapandian Kanagaraj et al. Predicting range shifts of Asian elephants under global change,(2019). DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12898 Illustration of the multifunctional materials experimentally developed in the study for in vivo applications of cell proliferation and cranioplasty. Defect healing in a rodent model is observed after 12 weeks of scaffold implantation at the site of defect with cell proliferation, radiography, micro-CT and histology analyses. Image credit: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. Credit: Multifunctional Materials, doi: https://doi.org/10.1088/2399-7532/aafc5b Advances in materials science and production technology have enabled bone tissue engineering (BTE) strategies that generate complex scaffolds with controlled architecture for bone repair. The novel biomaterials can be further functionalized with bioactive molecules for biocompatibility by enhancing osteoinductivity (induce osteogenesis to initiate bone healing). In a recent study published in Multifunctional Materials, IOP Science, Arun Kumar Teotia and co-workers at the Departments of bioengineering, orthopedics, chemical engineering and biomedical engineering, in India, Finland and Sweden developed a novel, multifunctional, bilayered composite scaffold (BCS). The novel material contained ceramic nano-cement (NC) and the macroporous composite scaffold (CG) to mimic bone architecture during bone repair. To functionalize the scaffolds, the materials scientists added recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) (BMP) and zoledronic acid (ZA). The scientists proposed that the composite scaffolds would support the proliferation of osteoblast progenitor cells, alongside the controlled release of loaded bioactive molecules to induce bone regeneration. Scientists in the same research team had previously developed a similar multifunctional material to test its initial impact during an in vivo pilot study. In the present study, Teotia et al. observed a higher amount of mineralized tissue (MT) with functionalized scaffolds within 12 weeks of in vivo implantation in a larger group of rats with 8.5 mm critical cranial defects. The combined bilayered composite scaffolds (BCS) functionalized with zoledronic acid (ZA) (to form BCS+ZA) contained the highest MT deposition (13.9 mm3). Followed by the macroporous composite scaffold (CG) functionalized with BMP and ZA (CG+BMP+ZA) at 9.2 mm3 and BCS+ZA+BMP with 7.6 mm3 of MT deposition. The MT values recorded in the study during bone regeneration were significantly higher than osteogenesis rates on the non-functionalized CG or BCS scaffolds alone (without bioactive molecules). The results supported the BTE strategies developed in the study to form an osteo-promotive multifunctional scaffold that could be implanted in vivo to repair critical defects. A unique feature of bone tissue is its capacity to heal without scar formation as a highly dynamic tissue with substantial potential for regeneration. Natural bone formation occurs either via endochondral ossification within tubular bones (e.g. phalanges, femur) or during cartilage deposition, followed by ossification. In a third process, intramembranous direct ossification can occur in flat bones (skull, pelvis) without cartilage formation. Regeneration is a slow process in flat bones (skull, pelvis) due to limited mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), requiring major cell recruitment from the periosteum or dura. As a result, healing critical size defects in flat bones, such as the cranium is a challenge requiring optimized BTE strategies. Autograft bone flaps were preferred at first for cranioplasty to minimize immunological reactions, infections and foreign body recognition. Thereafter, scientists developed vascularized calvarium bone grafts as a preferred choice for cranial reconstruction in additional studies. However, the associated grafting strategies introduced complications during material resorption post-implantation and repair, alongside other clinical complications at the contact site between the implant and original bone. Regeneration and cell infiltration into a calvaria flap largely depends on progenitor cells that can migrate from the underlying dura or the overlying pericranial layers, to differentiate into active osteogenic cells for healing. If cell migration is occluded from the two membranes (dura and pericranium), bone formation would be significantly lower. Scientists had already determined the two membranes to be important in playing a specific role during regeneration, although with age the role of periosteum in cranium regeneration is less significant. In the present study, Teotia et al. developed the hypothesis that an osteoconductive surface could maintain cross-talk between the dura and pericranial layers for early vascularization and clinical success. To accomplish this, they generated a bilayered scaffold architecture that integrated a resorbable biphasic nano-hydroxyapatite-calcium sulphate ceramic nano-cement (NC) in the upper layer and silk-bioglass-hydroxyapatite composite porous cryogel (CG) as an underlying layer. Teotia et al. used the bilayered design to integrate the mechanical strength of NC as a protective upper layer and the porous composite CG layer as a surface for cell attachment, infiltration, proliferation and vascularization. The scientists expected the designed surfaces to maintain communication between the underlying dura and the overlying periosteal membranes. They functionalized the novel materials and implanted them in vivo in Wistar rats with critical cranial defects to evaluate the effect of bilayered porous architecture on osteoconduction and bone formation in preclinical, translational studies. During materials fabrication, the scientists cast the NC into a concave-convex shaped architecture to match the shape of the cranium and allowed it to set, to engineer multifunctional bilayered scaffolds for cranioplasty. They formed circular BCS discs composed of upper NC and lower CG and conducted surgical procedures on the animal models. During surgery, Teotia et al. implanted the scaffold discs at the site of defect and performed ex vivo micro-CT and radiological analysis on the excised and harvested calvarium after sacrificing the animal models, 12 weeks after disc implantation. The scientists completed radiological analyses of bone formation at the defect site to observe ossified tissue formation, using the nanoScan in vivo scanner for radiographical projections of the defect. They used micro-CT analysis to detect highly mineralized tissue (MT) formation and investigate defect filling in the 8.5 mm surgically induced circular defect (region of interest). By 12 weeks, mineralization did not achieve perfect closure in the animal model. The scientists used image quantifying software to show the highest amount of mineralized tissue formation in the BCS+ZA group, followed by the CG+ZA+BMP group, followed by CG+ZA+BMP and BCS+ZA+BMP groups. Post-harvest, the scientists fixed the cranium samples for histology analysis and conducted hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson's trichrome staining of rat calvarias. They showed that both porous composite scaffold (CG) and the bilayered scaffold (NC+GC) (BCS) integrated well with existing bone at the site of the defect. The scaffolds provided porous surfaces for thorough cell infiltration. Teotia et al. also showed that functionalized scaffolds had consistently higher MT formation via histology assays due to the presence of osteoconductive and osteoinductive factors in the bioactive molecules composite compared to the non-functionalized groups. The histology results were consistent with the micro-CT results in the study. In this way, Teotia et al. showed that multifunctional composite scaffolds could replace auto or allografts in large size, bone defects in the cranium. They showed that the multifunctional materials were able to induce early vascularization and enhance mineralization in vivo. As expected, the composite scaffolds allowed porous osteoconductive communication between early cell infiltration from the periosteum and the underlying dura layers during rapid bone formation. The multifunctional materials hold promise to enhance bone mineralization and early defect healing post-implantation. Teotia et al. propose to conduct additional studies in large pre-clinical animal models to optimize and translate the new biomaterial for clinical applications. More information: Arun Kumar Teotia et al. Composite bilayered scaffolds with bio-functionalized ceramics for cranial bone defects: An in vivo evaluation, Multifunctional Materials (2019). Arun Kumar Teotia et al. Composite bilayered scaffolds with bio-functionalized ceramics for cranial bone defects: An in vivo evaluation,(2019). DOI: 10.1088/2399-7532/aafc5b Arun Kumar Teotia et al. Nano-Hydroxyapatite Bone Substitute Functionalized with Bone Active Molecules for Enhanced Cranial Bone Regeneration, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2017). DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b14782 Michael D. Hoffman et al. The effect of mesenchymal stem cells delivered via hydrogel-based tissue engineered periosteum on bone allograft healing, Biomaterials (2013). DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.08.005 Peter Frederik Horstmann et al. Composite Biomaterial as a Carrier for Bone-Active Substances for Metaphyseal Tibial Bone Defect Reconstruction in Rats, Tissue Engineering Part A (2017). DOI: 10.1089/ten.TEA.2017.0040 Journal information: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces , Biomaterials 2019 Science X Network British Airways announced a major order of Boeing 777-9 planes weeks after the US giant's European rival Airbus pulled the plug on the A380 superjumbo British Airways announced a multi-billion dollar order for up to 42 Boeing 777 fuel-efficient passenger jets on Thursday, just two weeks after Airbus said it would no longer make its A380 superjumbo. BA-parent IAG said its British carrier would purchase 18 777-9 planes made by the US giant, while an option for a further 24 of the aircraft could bring the total cost to $18.6 billion (16.3 billion euros) at list prices, before the usual heavy discounts are factored in. It comes as IAG, which owns several airlines including Iberia and Aer Lingus, said that group net profits last year soared 45 percent to 2.9 billion euros on higher passenger numbers and lower costs. Separately, UK engineering group Rolls-Royce said it dived into a net loss last year as its Trent jet engines were hit by costly repairsas well as the decision by Boeing's European rival Airbus to pull the plug on the A380. IAG on Thursday said the 777s would replace BA's Boeing 747s, which were seen as a competitor to the A380. Rolls posted an annual loss after tax of 2.4 billion ($3.2 billion, 2.8 billion euros) in 2018 that followed a net profit of nearly 3.4 billion a year earlier, as the group also decided to axe thousands of jobs as part of vast restructuring. The British company also said it no longer wished to be a candidate to make the engine for a new midsize passenger jet proposed by Boeing. "Rolls-Royce has decided to withdraw from the current competition to power Boeing's proposed middle of the marketor New Midsize Airplane (NMA)platform," Rolls said in a statement. "While we believe the platform complements Boeing's existing product range, we are unable to commit to the proposed timetable to ensure we have a sufficiently mature product which supports Boeing's ambition for the aircraft and satisfies our own internal requirements for technical maturity at entry into service." Rolls-Royce posted a net loss last year as its Trent engines were hit by costly repairs Chicago-based Boeing is looking at building an NMA, or single-aisle commercial jet for long-haul journeys, to fill a gap in the marketbut concrete plans have yet to be announced. Trent troubles On Thursday, Rolls said that costs linked to problems with its Trent 1000 engine that powers the Boeing Dreamliner stood at a higher-than-expected 790 million in 2018. The Trent 1000 has seen some parts wear quicker than expected, forcing Rolls to carry out expensive repairs. It added that last year's earnings were hit by an additional 186 million "following Airbus' decision to close the A380 production line". On British Airways' big Boeing order, IAG chief executive Willie Walsh said in a joint statement: "The new 777-9 is the world's most fuel efficient longhaul aircraft and will bring many benefits to British Airways' fleet. "It's the ideal replacement for the 747 and its size and range will be an excellent fit for the airline's existing network," Walsh added. Earlier this month, Airbus said it would stop building the A380 superjumbo. A British Airways A380 superjumbo, which the chief of BA-parent IAG has said were "excellent" aircraft The European titan axed production of the double-decker jet on February 14 after failing to win over enough airlines to justify its massive costs. Prior to Airbus' announcement, Walsh had said that IAG was "very pleased" with the 12 A380s operated by BA and called it an "excellent" aircraft. However, Walsh had criticised the high cost of the A380, pointing to the "great competition" currently existing between aircraft manufacturers. Speaking Thursday of the BA order, Kevin McAllister, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said: "The 777-9, in particular, simply has no competitor in its class when it comes to efficiency and performance. "It is the right-sized airplane for British Airways to efficiently serve long-range routes with heavy passenger demand." Despite news of IAG's bumper profits, the airline's stock slid 0.2 percent lower to finish at 599 pence on London's FTSE 100 shares index, which closed down 0.46 percent. Boeing's share price advanced 0.54 percent to $437.81 in early trades in New York. The news comes amid troubled times for smaller airlines, who are more exposed to volatile jet fuel prices, Brexit uncertainty and a global economic slowdown than their larger rivals. "The British Airways parent has produced an outstanding performance, which is particularly impressive given the difficulties being faced elsewhere in the airline industry," noted Interactive Investor analyst Richard Hunter. Explore further British Airways announces huge Boeing order 2019 AFP Credit: CC0 Public Domain Brands have to vie with each other to grab our increasingly diminishing attention spans across a much wider range of media, from traditional print and broadcast to the rapidly changing social media that are so readily scrollable. Writing in the International Journal of the Business Environment, one research team explains how it has looked at the impact of social media on brand commitment and tested the mediation role of perceived value and brand image. Homa Kavoosi Kalejahi and Mojtaba Ramezani of the Islamic Azad University, in Tabriz, Iran and Reza Rostamzadeh from the University's Urmia campus explain how firms always found it difficult to make their brands distinct through traditional means because branding is not only about a company's share of the market, but also the consumers' perception of that brand. In many ways, the advent of online social media has increased the customers' engagement with brands, but there are so many choices available that finding a way to stand out from the crowd in any given market remains a conundrum from marketing departments the world over. The researchers undertook a case study of the consumer electronics company LG and looked at how brand commitment is influenced by perceived value and brand image. The team's analysis confirms the hypothesis but also poses new questions about marketing in the era of online social media and creating a unique brand that distinguishes itself from the competition. More information: Homa Kavoosi Kalejahi et al. Impact of social media on brand commitment: testing the mediation role of perceived value and brand image, International Journal of Business Environment (2019). Homa Kavoosi Kalejahi et al. Impact of social media on brand commitment: testing the mediation role of perceived value and brand image,(2019). DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2019.097966 Members of the Galapagos National Park service measure a giant tortoise on Santa Cruz Island, in the remote Ecuadorean archipelago 600 miles off South America's Pacific coast Conservationists have released 155 giant tortoises on an island in the Galapagos to help replace a similar species that died out 150 years ago, officials aid Thursday. The young tortoises, of the breed Chelonoidis hoodensis, were set free on Santa Fe island, the Galapagos National Park service announced. The tortoises, each aged around 10-12 years old, were raised at the Fausto Llerena breeding center and are part of a program to repopulate the island at the center of the Pacific archipelago. Also known as the Espanola Giant Tortoise, the newly freed reptiles are a similar species to the Chelonoidis spp, which are today extinct. They originally come from Espanola Island, also known as Hood Island, in the far southeast of the Galapagos chain. "The tortoises that have been released carry a microchip under their skin with a permanent number attached to make it easier to track them," said Jorge Carrion, the head of the Galapagos National Park. The newly released tortoises join 394 others which were set free on the 9.5 square mile (24.7 square kilometer) island. The program, run by the national park service and the NGO Galapagos Conservancy, is due to run until 2026. The giant tortoises are "engineers of the ecosystem" because they help spread vegetation in their natural habitat, said Carrion. The first of the creatures was released on to the island in 2015, said Washington Tapia, in charge of Galapagos Conservancy's giant turtle project. The animals are "between 10 and 12 years old and should start to reproduce in the next five to seven years," he said. Located some 600 miles off the coast of South America, the islands belong to Ecuador and are classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The islands are best known for their unique flora and fauna, which inspired naturalist Charles Darwin to write his landmark 1859 study on evolution, "The Origin of Species." Giant tortoises are believed to have arrived on the remote volcanic island chain about three to four million years ago, borne by ocean currents. With no natural predators, they spread across the islands and split into different species. However, in the 19th century their population was devastated by sailors who used them as storable fresh meat on long ocean voyages, and by invasive rats, cats and ants which ate their eggs. Last week, conservationists announced they had discovered a giant tortoise from a species thought to have become extinct more than a century ago. Explore further Giant tortoise thought extinct is found on Galapagos 2019 AFP Romanian palaeontologist Matyas Vremir and a team of researchers found that the fossilized eggs discovered in 2011 belonged to two bird species as well as two reptile species, the ancestors of modern crocodiles and geckos Crocodiles and birds may not seem the most obvious bedfellows, but scientists now say a prehistoric fossil find in Romania suggests that at one time the two species may have shared nests. In 2011 Romanian palaeontologist Matyas Vremir found fossilised eggs and eggshell fragments dating back roughly 68 million years on a river bank in the Oarda de Jos area of central Romania. Some two million years later, land-based dinosaurs were wiped out by a cataclysmic event, probably an asteroid strike that may have also triggered massive volcanic activity. Vremir analysed the find with an international team of researchers who found that the eggs belonged to two bird species as well as two reptile species, the ancestors of modern crocodiles and geckos. The team published its conclusions this month in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, saying the fossil find was "unique in the vertebrate fossil record and represents the earliest record of disparate animals sharing the same nesting area". The authors say that the presence of the two reptile species "perhaps suggests that these animals were not only tolerated, but were perhaps not perceived as a threat to enantiornithine eggs or nestlings," referring to one of the prehistoric bird species. The fossilized eggs belonged to two bird species as well as two reptile species, one of them the ancestor of modern crocodiles According to Vremir, the researchers found 13 whole enantiornithine eggs, along with thousands of eggshell fragments, including those of crocodiles. Vremir said many similar fossils could yet be excavated. "The bird eggs measure 2.5 by 4 centimetres, while the crocodile eggs are a little smaller than a ping-pong ball," Vremir told AFP, adding that the reptile itself measured between 1 and 2.5 metres. "This find isn't simply about an interesting pile of stones but actually represents a story which still has many secrets left to be discovered," he said. Not just an "interesting pile of stones" but actually "a story which still has many secrets left to be discovered," Vremir said Explore further Earliest example of animal nest sharing revealed by scientists More information: Mariela Soledad Fernandez et al. A mixed vertebrate eggshell assemblage from the Transylvanian Late Cretaceous, Scientific Reports (2019). Journal information: Scientific Reports Mariela Soledad Fernandez et al. A mixed vertebrate eggshell assemblage from the Transylvanian Late Cretaceous,(2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36305-3 2019 AFP The HD 106906 binary star hosts a mysterious, asymmetric disk of cometary dust and a giant exoplanet HD 106906 b that is located very far from both the binary and the disk. Close flybys by other stars could have gravitationally perturbed the planet and researchers discovered that the two bright stars to the upper right passed near HD 106906 roughly 3 Myr years ago. Credit: Paul Kalas, UC Berkeley Some of the peculiar aspects of our solar systeman enveloping cloud of comets, dwarf planets in weird orbits and, if it truly exists, a possible Planet Nine far from the sunhave been linked to the close approach of another star in our system's infancy flung things helter-skelter. But are stellar flybys really capable of knocking planets, comets and asteroids askew, reshaping entire planetary systems? UC Berkeley and Stanford University astronomers think they have now found a smoking gun. A planet orbiting a young binary star may have been perturbed by another pair of stars that skated too close to the system between 2 and 3 million years ago, soon after the planet formed from a swirling disk of dust and gas. If confirmed, this bolsters arguments that close stellar misses help sculpt planetary systems and may determine whether or not they harbor planets with stable orbits. "One of the mysteries arising from the study of exoplanets is that we see systems where the planets are misaligned, even though they are born in a flat, circular disk," said Paul Kalas, a UC Berkeley adjunct professor of astronomy. "Maybe a cosmic tsunami hit these systems and rearranged everything about them, but we haven't had proof. Our paper gives rare observational evidence for one of these flybys gently influencing one of the planetary systems in the galaxy." Astronomers are already searching for a stellar flyby in our solar system's past, but since that likely happened 4.6 billion years ago, most of the evidence has gone cold. The star system that the astronomers studied, identified only by the number HD 106906 and located about 300 light years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Crux, is very young, only about 15 million years old. Kalas and Robert De Rosa, a former UC Berkeley postdoc who is now a research scientist at Stanford's Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, describe their findings in a paper accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal and now available online. Rogue stars Kalas, who studies young, newly formed planetary systems to try to understand what happened in the early years of our own solar system, first focused on HD 106906 in 2015 after it was found to have a massive planet in a highly unusual orbit. The planet, dubbed HD 106906 b, has a mass of about 11 Jupiters, and it orbits HD 106906recently revealed to be a binary starin an orbit tipped about 21 degrees from the plane of the disk that contains all the other material around the star. Its current location is at least 738 times farther from its star than Earth is from the sun, or about 18 times farther from its star than Pluto is from the sun. Passing stars may have influenced our young solar system, accounting for the distant orbits of comets in the Oort cloud, Kuiper Belt objects such as Sedna, and the hypothetical Planet Nine. A new study published by astronomers Robert De Rosa and Paul Kalas presents the discovery of two stars that flew by the binary star HD 106906, possibly explaining why its distant gas giant planet HD 106906 b remains in a stable orbit instead of becoming an interstellar object such as 'Oumuamua. Credit: Paul Kalas, UC Berkeley Kalas used both the Gemini Planet Imager on the Gemini Telescope in the Chilean Andes and the Hubble Space Telescope to look more closely at HD 106906 and discovered that the star has a lopsided comet belt, as well. The planet's strange orbit and the fact that the dust disk itself is asymmetrical indicated that something had disrupted the young system. Kalas and his colleagues, including De Rosa, proposed that the planet had been kicked out of its solar system by interactions with another as-yet-unseen planet in the system or by a passing star. Kalas and De Rosa now believe that both happened: The planet was kicked into an eccentric orbit when it came dangerously close to the central binary star, a scenario proposed in 2017 by theorist Laetitia Rodet and her collaborators from the Grenoble Observatory in France. Repeated gravitational kicks from the binary would have quickly ejected the planet into interstellar space, but the passing stars rescued the planet by nudging its orbit to a safer distance from the binary. The Gaia space observatory gave them the data they needed to test their hypothesis. Gaia, launched in 2012 by the European Space Agency, collects precise measurements of distance, position and motion for 1.3 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, a catalog 10,000 times larger than Gaia's predecessor, Hipparcos. Kalas and De Rosa gathered Gaia information on 461 stars in the same cluster as HD 106906 and calculated their positions backward in timereversed the cosmic clock, so to speakand discovered that another binary star system may have approached close enough 3 million years ago to alter the planetary system. "What we have done here is actually find the stars that could have given HD 106906 b the extra gravitational kick, a second kick so that it became long-lived, just like a hypothetical Planet Nine would be in our solar system," Kalas said. They also found also that the binary star came in on a trajectory that was within about 5 degrees of the system's disk, making it even more likely that the encounter had a strong and lasting impact on HD 106906. Such double kicks may be important to stabilizing planets, asteroids and comets around stars, Kalas said. "Studying the HD 106906 planetary system is like going back in time to watch the Oort cloud of comets forming around our young sun," he said. "Our own giant planets gravitationally kicked countless comets outward to large distances. Many were ejected completely, becoming interstellar objects like ?Oumuamua, but others were influenced by passing stars. That second kick by a stellar flyby can detach a comet's orbit from any further encounters with the planets, saving it from the prospect of ejection. This chain of events preserved the most primitive solar system material in a deep freeze far from the sun for billions of years." Kalas hopes that future observations, such as an updated catalog of Gaia measurements, will clarify the significance of the flyby on HD 106906. "We started with 461 suspects and discovered two that were at the scene of the crime," he said. "Their exact role will be revealed as we gather more evidence." Explore further Exiled exoplanet likely kicked out of star's neighborhood In this Jan. 24, 2019, file photo Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei Consumer Business Group, unveils the 5G modem Balong 5000 chipset in Beijing. Security experts say the U.S. government is likely exaggerating the threat it says the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei poses to the world's next-generation wireless networks. Critics say the U.S. case is short on specifics and glosses over the fact that China doesn't need secret access to Huawei routers to infiltrate global networks. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File) Since last year, the U.S. has waged a vigorous diplomatic offensive against the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, claiming that any nation deploying its gear in next-generation wireless networks is giving Beijing a conduit for espionage or worse. But security experts say the U.S. government is likely exaggerating that threat. Not only is the U.S. case short on specifics, they say, it glosses over the fact that the Chinese don't need secret access to Huawei routers to infiltrate global networks that already have notoriously poor security. State-sponsored hackers have shown no preference for one manufacturer's technology over another, these experts say. Kremlin-backed hackers, for instance, adroitly exploit internet routers and other networking equipment made by companies that are not Russian. If the Chinese want to disrupt global networks, "they will do so regardless of the type of equipment you are using," said Jan-Peter Kleinhans, a researcher at the Berlin think tank Neue Verantwortung Stiftung. One of the most common U.S. fearsthat Huawei might install software "backdoors" in its equipment that Chinese intelligence could use to tap into, eavesdrop on or interrupt data transmissionsstrikes some experts as highly unlikely. Priscilla Moriuchi, who retired from the National Security Agency in 2017 after running its Far East operations, does not believe the Huawei threat is overblown. But she called the odds of the company installing backdoors on behalf of Chinese intelligence "almost zero because of the chance that it would be discovered," thus exposing Huawei's complicity. Moriuchi, now an analyst at the U.S. cybersecurity firm Recorded Future, said she was not aware of the NSA ever finding Huawei backdoors created for Chinese intelligence but also cautioned that it can be extraordinarily difficult, when backdoors are found, to determine who is behind them. European allies have been reluctant to embrace a blanket anti-Huawei ban even as U.S. officials continue to cast the world's No. 1 telecom-equipment maker as little more than an untrustworthy surrogate for Beijing's intelligence services. The top U.S. diplomat for cybersecurity policy, Robert Strayer, says Huawei is obliged to heed Chinese Communist Party orders by a 2017 intelligence law that "compels their citizens and their companies to participate in intelligence activities." In this Jan. 24, 2019, file photo Richard Yu, CEO of the Huawei consumer business group speaks as he unveils the wireless router running with 5G modem Balong 5000 chipset in Beijing. Security experts say the U.S. government is likely exaggerating the threat it says the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei poses to the world's next-generation wireless networks. Critics say the U.S. case is short on specifics and glosses over the fact that China doesn't need secret access to Huawei routers to infiltrate global networks. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File) Strayer provided no specifics when pressed by reporters Tuesday as to how Huawei gear might pose more of a security threat than other manufacturers' switches, routers and wireless base stations. The diplomat spoke at Mobile World Congress, the world's largest wireless trade show, in Barcelona, Spain. The American rhetoric has included threats. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested in a TV interview last week any use of Huawei equipment could jeopardize U.S. intelligence sharing and might even be a reason to locate military bases elsewhere. The remarks may have been targeted at NATO allies including Poland and the Czech Republic where Huawei has made significant inroads. A spokeswoman for the U.S. National Security Council declined to comment or to provide any officials to address specifics. A State Department spokesman referred The Associated Press to a press statement on Strayer's remarks in Barcelona. Huawei, founded in 1987 by a former military engineer, overtook Sweden's LM Ericsson in 2017 as the lead company in the market for wireless and internet switching gear. It says it supplies 45 of the world's top 50 phone companies and has contracts with 30 carriers to test so-called fifth-generation, or 5G, wireless technology. U.S. companies are not serious competitors in this market, having pulled back over the years. Huawei's major rivals are EuropeanEricsson and Finland's Nokia. The U.S. has provided no evidence of China planting espionage backdoors in Huawei equipment despite as 2012 congressional report that led the U.S. government and top domestic wireless carriers to ban it and other Chinese manufacturers from their networks. "The backdrop for this is essentially the rise of China as a tech power in a variety of domains" said Paul Triolo, tech lead at the Eurasia Group risk analysis consultancy. Now, he said, "there is a big campaign to paint Huawei as an irresponsible actor." In January, U.S. prosecutors filed criminal charges against Huawei and one of its top executives, alleging the company stole trade secrets and lied to banks about embargo-busting company dealings with Iran. Canada earlier arrested that Huawei executivewho is also the daughter of the company's founderat U.S. behest; she is currently awaiting extradition to the U.S. Huawei has denied wrongdoing. In this Jan. 29, 2019, file photo, the logos of Huawei are displayed at its retail shop window reflecting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Beijing. Security experts say the U.S. government is likely exaggerating the threat it says the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei poses to the world's next-generation wireless networks. Critics say the U.S. case is short on specifics and glosses over the fact that China doesn't need secret access to Huawei routers to infiltrate global networks. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File) One irony of the situation is that the U.S. has actually done what it accuses Huawei of doing. According to top-secret documents released in 2013 by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, the U.S. planted surveillance beacons in network devices and shipped them around the world. The affected equipment included devices from Cisco Systems, a Silicon Valley company whose routers were blacklisted by Chinese authorities after the Snowden revelations. Washington's closest ally has taken a different approach to any potential threats from Huawei. Britain's National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) long ago placed multiple restrictions on Huawei equipment, including disallowing it in any sensitive networks, agency director Ciaran Martin noted in a speech last week. According to Kleinhans, who has studied the agency's practices, Huawei can't conduct any direct maintenance on mobile base stations in the U.K., and instead must allow local wireless carriers to handle the work. Those carriers can't use Chinese equipment to conduct any law enforcement wiretapping. The British agency also requires redundancy in critical networks and a variety of equipment suppliers to prevent overreliance on any single manufacturer. In its annual review of Huawei's engineering practices published in July, the NCSC found "shortcomings" that "exposed new risks in the U.K. telecommunication networks." But none were deemed of medium or high priority. Martin called the problems manageable and not reflective of Chinese hostilitythough experts say it's often difficult to tell if vulnerabilities are simply coding defects or intentional. "With 5G, some equipment needs to be more trustworthy than ever. But probably not all," NCSC technical director Ian Levy wrote in a blog. Like the British, German officials have indicated they'll reject a blanket Huawei 5G ban. In December, the head of Germany's cyber-risk agency, Arne Schoenbohm, said "for such serious decisions as a ban, you need evidence." Last week, the nation's Interior Ministry told The Associated Press "the direct exclusion of a particular manufacturer from the 5G expansion is at the time not legally possible." Explore further British intelligence says Huawei risk manageable: FT 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Dried pipefish and seahorses on sale in Hong Kong. Credit: Amanda Vincent, Project Seahorse Many countries are engaged in a vast illegal and unrecorded international trade in seahorses, one that circumvents global regulations, according to new UBC study that has implications for many other animal species. The United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) restricts exports of seahorses to those that have been sourced sustainably and legally. Seahorses were the first marine fishes subject to such regulation, largely because of work by the Project Seahorse team at UBC's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries. The goal of this CITES regulation was sustainable use but most countries that exported large numbers of seahorses have subsequently either chosen to ban exports or had bans imposed on them by CITES. Approximately 98 per cent of seahorses previously found in global trade came from countries that have now imposed bans, so both exports and imports should more or less have ended. However, the new research from UBC indicates that many nations with bans apparently continued to export dried seahorses, thus neither meeting their obligations under CITES nor enforcing the trade bans. "The 183 Parties to CITES are required to limit export of species that have been placed on Appendix II, including seahorses, to levels that are safe for wild populations. Many are struggling to meet this obligation," explains Dr. Amanda Vincent, senior author on the paper, professor in UBC's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, and co-founder and Director of Project Seahorse. "We found that 95 per cent of dried seahorses in Hong Kong's large market were reported as being imported from source countries that had export bans being in place, including Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, and Viet Nam," noted Dr. Ting-Chun Kuo, co-author and, during the study, a Ph.D. candidate in Project Seahorse. "This is a remarkable discovery given the high proportion of global seahorse trade that goes through Hong Kong," commented Dr. Sarah Foster, lead author and Research Associate with Project Seahorse. "Such illegal shipments lacked the required CITES records and permits. This means that many seahorse populations continue to be under heavy pressure without CITES oversight of sources and sustainability of trade." Dr. Vincent, who also Chairs the global expert group on seahorses, points to problematic fishing methods as a driver of the trade. "The great majority of seahorses are obtained as bycatch in bottom trawls and other non-selective fishing methods. Such indiscriminate fishing obtains at least 37 million seahorses each year, a vast number that can easily enter trade. It is vital that such fisheries be constrained, even as trade is regulated." "It is going to take all actors and agencies to curb the substantial illegal trade in seahorses and other marine wildlife," noted Dr. Foster, also Global Trade Officer for the expert group on seahorses. "CITES needs to work more closely with the nations involved to ensure strict enforcement so that traders reject seahorses from source countries with trade bans, and authorities impose penalties such as confiscation and stiff fines." That said, it would be far better for CITES members to manage their trade sustainably than to declare bans that are not implemented. At present, most seahorse trade occurs in a black market, neither tracked nor regulated. "The current high level of illegal activity may have significant consequences for conservation of wild populations. Getting this right is vital for seahorses and for the other marine fishes subject to CITES regulation, such as sharks, rays, Napoleon wrasse and European eels," concluded Dr. Vincent. Explore further Thailand suspends seahorse trade amid conservation concerns More information: Sarah J. Foster et al, Global seahorse trade defies export bans under CITES action and national legislation, Marine Policy (2019). Journal information: Marine Policy Sarah J. Foster et al, Global seahorse trade defies export bans under CITES action and national legislation,(2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2019.01.014 When a bat wing flaps, it forms swirling masses of air known as vortex rings. Credit: University of British Columbia Bats are among nature's best flyersable to fly for long periods of time, maneouvre in mid-air with pinpoint precision and get into some very tight spaces. However, scientists have not fully understood exactly how bats manage to fly so well, until now. Engineers at the University of British Columbia have captured the full complexity of bat flight in a three-dimensional computer model for the first time, potentially inspiring the future design of better drones and other aerial vehicles. Researchers built a simple bat wing out of aluminum and exposed it to the currents in a wind tunnel to mimic the flapping, bending and twisting motion of a bat in flight. By tracking and measuring the impact of these movements on turbulent air flows and aeromechanical forces around the wing, they were able to build a complete model of bat flight. The computer model, described in Computers & Fluids, is the first to comprehensively explain the flapping flight of bats in terms of the wing's geometry in motion, says Rajeev Jaiman, the study's senior author and a professor of mechanical engineering at UBC. "Previous numerical models of bat flapping flight were too simplified or incomplete to be of real practical benefit," he added. Bat wings are highly unique because they contain multiple joints and stretchable membranes that allow them to change shape and return to their original form countless times when they fly, explained Jaiman. "While this wing morphing makes bat flight much more complicated compared to bird flight, it also makes bats the efficient flying machines that they are," he said. The research team, which includes engineers from the National University of Singapore, plans to develop a physical bat model next, in collaboration with researchers at Brown University. "We'll be working to further optimize the flapping motion," said Jaiman. "Once this is in place, we'll have a foundation for designing efficient, agile, automated bats think smart drones that can fly as a flock and serve as tools for business or for emergency response." Explore further Unique study shows how bats manoeuvre More information: G. Li et al. A novel 3D variational aeroelastic framework for flexible multibody dynamics: Application to bat-like flapping dynamics, Computers & Fluids (2018). G. Li et al. A novel 3D variational aeroelastic framework for flexible multibody dynamics: Application to bat-like flapping dynamics,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.compfluid.2018.11.013 Credit: CC0 Public Domain To stabilize the Earth's climate for people and ecosystems, it is imperative to ramp up natural climate solutions and, at the same time, accelerate mitigation efforts across the energy and industrial sectors, according to a new policy perspective published today in Science. Among their findings, the researchers warn that a ten-year delay in emissions reductions from energy and industry could this century result in emissions that negate the net potential emissions reductions benefit of natural climate solutions. Natural climate solutions such as enhancing carbon sinks from forests, agriculture and other landscome with a host of benefits like improved forests, croplands, grazing lands, and wetlands. The paper, co-authored by scientists and climate experts at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Columbia University, Kepos Capital, Princeton University, University of Aberdeen, Stanford University, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), underscores that natural climate solutions alone are not enough to meet the Paris Agreement and must be paired with rapid efforts to decrease emissions from the energy and industrial sectors. "This is not an either-or situation. We need to be actively pursuing all possible solutions in all possible places," said co-author Christopher B. Field, a climate scientist who directs the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. "Even ambitious deployment of natural climate solutions leaves a big gap that needs to be filled through increased work on decreasing emissions from cars, factories, and powerplants." "By maximizing natural climate solutions and energy mitigation, we can improve forests and habitat, reduce the risk of wildfires, and decrease air and water pollution, thus improving human health and well-being as well as the health of our planet," said Christa M. Anderson, lead author and research fellow with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). To reduce cumulative emissions and peak warming, the policy paper underscores that the solution will require policy mechanisms and incentives that support natural climate solutions and a major increase in mitigation efforts across the energy and industrial sectors. The article, Natural Climate Solutions Are Note Enough, appears in the March 1 edition of Science. Explore further State-of-the-art climate model shows how we can solve crisis Provided by World Wildlife Fund It isn't just differences in climate and geology, but also the availability of symbionts such as the mycorrhizal fungus, that influence plant diversity at different locations, for example on the dry east coast of Tenerife. Credit: Holger Kreft The symbiosis of plants and fungi has a great influence on the worldwide spread of plant species. In some cases, it even acts like a filter. This has been discovered by an international team of researchers with participation from the University of Gottingen. The results appeared in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. In the colonisation of islands by plant species, it isn't just factors like island size, isolation and geological development that play an important role, but also the interactions between species. The scientists found that the symbiosis of plant and fungusthe mycorrhizais of particular importance. The two organisms exchange nutrients via the plant's fine root system: the fungus receives carbohydrates from the plant; the plant receives nutrients that the fungus has absorbed from the soil. "For the first time, new data on the worldwide distribution of plant species in 1,100 island and mainland regions allows us to investigate the influence of this interaction on a global scale," says Dr. Patrick Weigelt from the University of Gottingen's Department of Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography, who worked on the study. The results: mycorrhiza-plant interactions, which are naturally less frequent on islands because the two organisms rely on each other, mean that the colonisation of remote islands is hindered. The lack of this symbiotic relationship may act like a brake on the spread of the plants. This is not the case for plant species introduced by humans, as fungi and plants are often introduced together. Head of Department, Professor Holger Kreft, adds, "The proportion of plant species with mycorrhiza interactions also increases from the poles to the equator." One of the most prominent biogeographic patterns, the increase in the number of species from the poles to the tropics, is closely related to this symbiosis. Dr. Camille Delavaux, lead author from the University of Kansas (US), explains, "We show that the plant symbiotic association with mycorrhizal fungi is an overlooked driver of global plant biogeographic patterns. This has important consequences for our understanding of contemporary island biogeography and human-mediated plant invasions." The results show that complex relationships between different organisms are crucial for understanding global diversity patterns and preserving biological diversity. "The absence of an interaction partner can disrupt ecosystems and make them more susceptible to biological invasions," Weigelt stresses. The nearer to the equator, the more frequently the plant-fungus symbiosis occurs - for example in the species-rich tropical rainforest of the Amboro National Park in Bolivia. Credit: Patrick Weigelt Explore further Cryofixation and electron tomography reveals novel compartment in arbuscular mycorrhiza More information: Camille S. Delavaux et al, Mycorrhizal fungi influence global plant biogeography, Nature Ecology & Evolution (2019). Journal information: Nature Ecology & Evolution Camille S. Delavaux et al, Mycorrhizal fungi influence global plant biogeography,(2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-0823-4 Credit: AlexanderAlUS/Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0 Researchers at The University of Manchester in the UK have discovered that the Hall effecta phenomenon well known for more than a centuryis no longer as universal as it was thought to be. In the research paper published in Science this week, the group led by Prof Sir Andre Geim and Dr. Denis Bandurin, found that the Hall effect can even be significantly weaker, if electrons strongly interact with each other giving rise to a viscous flow. The new phenomenon is important at room temperaturesomething that can have important implications for when making electronic or optoelectronic devices. Just like molecules in gases and liquids, electrons in solids frequently collide with each other and can thus behave like viscous fluids too. Such electron fluids are ideal to find new behaviours of materials in which electron-electron interactions are particularly strong. The problem is that most materials are rarely pure enough to allow electrons to enter the viscous regime. This is because they contain many impurities off which electrons can scatter before they have time to interact with each other and organise a viscous flow. Graphene can come in very useful here: the carbon sheet is a highly clean material that contains only a few defects, impurities and phonons (vibrations of the crystal lattice induced by temperature) so that electron-electron interactions become the main source of scattering, which leads to a viscous electron flow. "In previous work, our group found that electron flow in graphene can have a viscosity as high as 0.1 m2s-1, which is 100 times higher than that of honey," said Dr. Bandurin "In this first demonstration of electron hydrodynamics, we discovered very unusual phenomena like negative resistance, electron whirlpools and superballistic flow." Even more unusual effects occur when a magnetic field is applied to graphene's electrons when they are in the viscous regime. Theorists have already extensively studied electro-magnetohydrodynamics because of its relevance for plasmas in nuclear reactors and in neutron stars, as well as for fluid mechanics in general. But, no practical experimental system in which to test those predictions (such as large negative magnetoresistance and anomalous Hall resistivity) was readily available until now. In their latest experiments, the Manchester researchers made graphene devices with many voltage probes placed at different distances from the electrical current path. Some of them were less than one micron from each other. Geim and colleagues showed that while the Hall effect is completely normal if measured at large distances from the current path, its magnitude rapidly diminishes if probed locally, using contacts close to the current injector. "The behaviour is radically different from the standard textbook physics" says Alexey Berdyugin, a Ph.D. student who conducted the experimental work. "We observe that if the voltage contacts are far from the current contacts, we measure the old, boring Hall effect, instead of this new 'viscous Hall effect'. But, if we place the voltage probes near the current injection pointsthe area in which viscosity shows up most dramatically as whirlpools in electron flowthen we find that the Hall effect diminishes. "Qualitative changes in the electron flow caused by viscosity persist even at room temperature if graphene devices are smaller than one micron in size, says Berdyugin. "Since this size has become routine these days as far as electronic devices are concerned, the viscous effects are important when making or studying graphene devices." Explore further Graphite offers up new quantum surprise Ayaj Pradhan and Per-Erik Olsson. Credit: Orebro University In research on zebrafish, Orebro researchers have identified a gene that is essential for producing sperm. Results show that fewer and poorer quality sperm are produced when the gene was turned off with the Crispr/Cas9 technique. The next step is to test whether the same is true in humans. "The same gene is found in humans, and it is possible that it affects people in the same way. If the gene is altered in men, they may lead to them not being able to have children," says Per-Erik Olsson, professor of biology at Orebro University. The research is a collaboration with researchers in Singapore at the Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory. Both research teams investigate what determines whether we become male or female and have worked together for over eight years. "They contacted us for a collaboration to find out more about this particular gene HSF5 and what it does," says Per-Erik Olsson, who has conducted the study together with Ajay Pradhan, a biology researcher at Orebro University. With the help of the new technology, Crispr/Cas9, the researchers were able to solve the riddle. With this new technology, they could turn off the HSF5 gene in zebrafish to see what happens when the gene could not execute its task. "The result is fewer sperms and the ones produced are not viable. Their heads are far too big, and they have short tails. They simply cannot swim," says Ajay Pradhan. On the other hand, the gene does not seem to have any effect on women researchers saw no difference when the gene was blocked in female zebrafish. "Now we know that the protein created from the HSF5 gene is important for sperm development. The next step for us is to find out what determines how much protein is produced," explains Ajay Pradhan. "It may be that certain chemicals affect this gene, thus leading to infertility. Many have difficulties in getting pregnant today, and we do not know why so more research is needed," says Per-Erik Olsson. Explore further Breakthrough in understanding male infertility More information: Jolly M. Saju et al. Heat Shock Factor 5 Is Essential for Spermatogenesis in Zebrafish, Cell Reports (2018). Journal information: Cell Reports Jolly M. Saju et al. Heat Shock Factor 5 Is Essential for Spermatogenesis in Zebrafish,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.11.090 Provided by Orebro University Brian Pratt in the Burgess Shale. Credit: University of Saskatchewan Prehistoric worms populated the sea bed 500 million years agoevidence that life was active in an environment thought uninhabitable until now, research by the University of Saskatchewan (USask) shows. The sea bed in the deep ocean during the Cambrian period was thought to have been inhospitable to animal life because it lacked enough oxygen to sustain it. But research published in the scientific journal Geology reveals the existence of fossilized worm tunnels dating back to the Cambrian period 270 million years before the evolution of dinosaurs. The discovery, by USask professor Brian Pratt, suggests that animal life in the sediment at that time was more widespread than previously thought. The worm tunnelsburrows where worms lived and munched through the sedimentare invisible to the naked eye. But Pratt "had a hunch" and sliced the rocks and scanned them to see whether they revealed signs of ancient life. The rocks came from an area in the remote Mackenzie Mountains of the Northwest Territories in Canada which Pratt found 35 years ago. Pratt then digitally enhanced images of the rock surfaces so he could examine them more closely. Only then did the hidden "superhighway" of burrows made by several different sizes and types of prehistoric worm emerge in the rock. Some were barely a millimetre in size and others as large as a finger. The smaller ones were probably made by simple polychaetesor bristle wormsbut one of the large forms was a predator that attacked unsuspecting arthropods and surface-dwelling worms. Pratt said he was "surprised" by the unexpected discovery. "For the first time, we saw evidence of large populations of worms living in the sediment which was thought to be barren," he said. "There were cryptic worm tunnelsburrowsin the mud on the continental shelf 500 million years ago, and more animals reworking, or bioturbating, the sea bed than anyone ever thought." Pratt, a geologist and paleontologist and Fellow of the Geological Society of America, found the tunnels in sedimentary rocks that are similar to the Burgess Shale, a famous fossil-bearing deposit in the Canadian Rockies. The discovery may prompt a rethink of the level of oxygenation in ancient oceans and continental shelves. The Cambrian period saw an explosion of life on Earth in the oceans and the development of multi-cellular organisms including prehistoric worms, clams, snails and ancestors of crabs and lobsters. Previously the seas had been inhabited by simple, single-celled microbes and algae. It has always been assumed that the creatures in the Burgess Shaleknown for the richness of its fossilshad been preserved so immaculately because the lack of oxygen at the bottom of the sea stopped decay, and because no animals lived in the mud to eat the carcasses. Pratt's discovery, with co-author Julien Kimmig, now of the University of Kansas, shows there was enough oxygen to sustain various kinds of worms in the sea bed. "Serendipity is a common aspect to my kind of research," Pratt said. "I found these unusual rocks quite by accident all those years ago. On a hunch I prepared a bunch of samples and when I enhanced the images I was genuinely surprised by what I found," he said. "This has a lot of implications which will now need to be investigated, not just in Cambrian shales but in younger rocks as well. People should try the same technique to see if it reveals signs of life in their samples." Explore further Ancient sea worm eats, poops and leaves behind evidence of Cambrian biodiversity More information: Brian R. Pratt et al, Extensive bioturbation in a middle Cambrian Burgess Shaletype fossil Lagerstatte in northwestern Canada, Geology (2019). Journal information: Geology Brian R. Pratt et al, Extensive bioturbation in a middle Cambrian Burgess Shaletype fossil Lagerstatte in northwestern Canada,(2019). dx.doi.org/10.1130/G45551.1 The stock market plunged Thursday along with the rest of Asia as a summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un ended abruptly without an agreement. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index slumped 183.63 points, or 2.3 percent, to 7,705.49 on a value turnover of P17.6 billion. Losers routed gainers, 142 to 56, with 43 issues unchanged. Casino operator Bloomberry Resorts Corp. tumbled 7.6 percent to P11.40, while Universal Robina Corp., the biggest snack food maker, dropped 6.2 percent to P136.10. BDO Unibank Inc., the largest lender in terms of assets, fell 4.4 percent to P127.60, while conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. declined 3.5 percent to P4.70. Meanwhile, Asian markets mostly fell Thursday, led by Seoul. Equities had been fluctuating through the day on tempered optimism over China-US trade talks, weak factory data from Beijing and fresh geopolitical tensions in Kashmir. But they took a decisive turn south after an expected lunch and signing ceremony between the US and North Korean leaders was called off at the last minute. The shock news came just hours after Kim raised the prospect of a permanent US diplomatic presence in Pyongyang and Trump said he was in no rush for a speedy deal over North Koreas nuclear program. Both men left the summit venue in Hanoi without a public signing ceremony and Trump moved up his news conference by two hours, sparking doubts about the progress made at the meeting.The two leaders discussed various ways to advance denuclearization and economic driven concepts, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future. Seoul dived 1.8 percent and Tokyo ended 0.8 percent lower, while Shanghai shed 0.4 percent and Hong Kong was off 0.3 percent in the afternoon. Singapore shed 0.7 percent. Jakarta was more than one percent down each while Bangkok slipped 0.4 percent, though there were gains in Sydney and Wellington. The global rally that has characterized most of this year had already taken a knock after US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told lawmakers that real progress had been made in trade talks with China, but a lot of work was still needed before a pact is signed. While his comments did not derail expectations of an agreement at some pointwith both sides reporting good progress and Trump delaying a deadline for a dealit did give traders pause for thought, observers said. Lighthizer said a trade deal hasnt been agreed yet, bringing some reality back to euphoric markets post-Trumps tariff extension, despite the fact Lighthizer also announced both sides had agreed on an enforcement process, said OANDA senior market analyst Jeffrey Halley. Also fueling selling pressure was figures showing Chinese manufacturing activity contracted for a third straight month in February, with factories hit by the long Lunar New Year break, concerns about slowing growth and uncertainty from the trade row. With AFP Credit: CC0 Public Domain Scientists at the University of Sydney have for the first time demonstrated improvement in quantum computers by using codes designed to detect and discard errors in the logic gates of such machines. "This is really the first time that the promised benefit for quantum logic gates from theory has been realised in an actual quantum machine," said Dr. Robin Harper, lead author of a new paper published this week in the prestigious journal, Physical Review Letters. Quantum logic gates are formed by entangled networks of a small number of quantum bits, or qubits. They are the switches that allow quantum computers to run algorithms, or recipes, to process information and perform calculations. Dr. Harper and his colleague Professor Steven Flammia, from the School of Physics and University of Sydney Nano Institute, used IBM's quantum computer to test error detection codes. They demonstrated an order of magnitude improvement in reducing infidelity, or error rates, in quantum logic gates, the switches that will form the basis of fully functioning quantum computers. Dr. Jay Gambetta, IBM Fellow and principal theoretical scientist with IBM Q, said: "This paper is a great example of how scientists can use our publicly available cloud systems to probe fundamental problems. Here Harper and Flammia show that ideas of fault tolerance can be explored on real devices we are building and already deploying, today." Quantum technologies are still in their infancy but promise to revolutionise computing in the 21st century by performing calculations thought to be beyond the ability of the largest and fastest supercomputers. They will do this using the unusual properties of matter at the quantum scale that allow them to process information using qubits. These are computing elements that utilise the fact that quantum objects can exist in an indeterminate state, known as superposition, and can become 'entangled', a phenomenon describing behaviour not seen in conventional computers. However, electronic 'noise' easily disrupts these states, quickly producing errors in quantum computations, which makes development of useful machines very difficult. "Current devices tend to be too small, with limited interconnectivity between qubits and are too 'noisy' to allow meaningful computations," Dr. Harper said. "However, they are sufficient to act as test beds for proof of principle concepts, such as detecting and potentially correcting errors using quantum codes." Whereas the classical switches in your laptop or mobile phone can run for many years without error, at this stage quantum switches begin to fail after just fractions of a second. "One way to look at this is through the concept of entropy," said Professor Flammia. "All systems tend to disorder. In conventional computers, systems are refreshed easily and reset using DRAM and other methods, effectively dumping the entropy out of the system, allowing ordered computation," he said. "In quantum systems, effective reset methods to combat entropy are much harder to engineer. The codes we use are one way to dump this entropy from the system," said Professor Flammia, who today was awarded the prestigious Pawsey Medal by the Australian Academy of Science. Using codes to detect and discard errors on IBM's quantum device, Dr. Harper and Professor Flammia showed error rates dropping from 5.8 percent to 0.60 percent. So rather than one in 20 quantum gates failing, just one in 200 would fail, an order of magnitude improvement. "This is an important step forward to develop fault tolerance in quantum systems to allow them to scale up to meaningful devices," Dr. Harper said. The physicists, who are both researchers with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, emphasised that this was a demonstration of fault tolerant gates on pairs of qubits. "There is still a long way to go before the quantum community can demonstrate fault tolerant computing," Dr. Harper said. He said that other groups have shown improvements in other facets of quantum devices using codes. The next step is to synthesise and test these approaches on larger-scale devices of a few dozen qubits that enable the reuse and reinitialisation of qubits. Companies such as IBM, Google, Rigetti and IonQ have started or are about to start allowing quantum researchers to test their theoretical approaches on these small, noisy machines. "These experiments are the first confirmation that the theoretical ability to detect errors in the operation of logical gates using quantum codes is advantageous in present-day devices, a significant step towards the goal of building large-scale quantum computers," Dr. Harper said. More information: Robin Harper et al, Fault-Tolerant Logical Gates in the IBM Quantum Experience, Physical Review Letters (2019). Journal information: Physical Review Letters Robin Harper et al, Fault-Tolerant Logical Gates in the IBM Quantum Experience,(2019). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.080504 Rolls-Royce posted a net loss last year as its Trent engines were hit by costly repairs Rolls-Royce no longer wishes to be a candidate to make the engine for a new midsize passenger jet proposed by US planemaker Boeing, the troubled British group said Thursday. Rolls gave the update alongside news that it had dived into a net loss last year as its Trent engines were hit by costly repairs and a decision by Boeing's European rival Airbus to stop making the A380 jumbo. Rolls posted a loss after tax of 2.4 billion ($3.2 billion, 2.8 billion euros) for 2018 after a net profit of nearly 3.4 billion a year earlier, as the group also decided to axe thousands of jobs as part of vast restructuring at the group. "Rolls-Royce has decided to withdraw from the current competition to power Boeing's proposed middle of the marketor New Midsize Airplane (NMA)platform," the British group said in a statement. "While we believe the platform complements Boeing's existing product range, we are unable to commit to the proposed timetable to ensure we have a sufficiently mature product which supports Boeing's ambition for the aircraft and satisfies our own internal requirements for technical maturity at entry into service," it added. Chicago-based Boeing is looking at building an NMA, or single-aisle commercial jet for long-haul journeys, to fill a gap in the marketbut concrete plans have yet to be announced. Rolls on Thursday said that costs linked to problems with its Trent 1000 engine that powers the Boeing Dreamliner were a higher-than-expected 790 million in 2018. The Trent 1000 has seen some parts wear quicker than expected, forcing Rolls to carry out expensive repairs. The UK engineering giant added that last year's earnings were hit additionally by a charge of 186 million "following Airbus' decision to close the A380 production line". Rolls in 2018 also began axing 4,600 mainly British management roles to slash costs. The company based in the city of Derby, central England, is restructuring through to next year. Also in 2018, Rolls sold its loss-making commercial marine business to Norwegian industrial giant Kongsberg. The divestment enables the UK group to focus on its three core businesses, which comprise civil aerospace, defence and power systems. Explore further Rolls-Royce flies into loss on Trent engine trouble 2019 AFP The 152 small and medium-sized towns (SMSTs) in Switzerland were grouped into seven types by cluster analysis. Each of the types was given a name derived from the dominant characteristic of the cluster. On the map each type has a distinct colour. The groupings clearly show that the typology is independent of the region. Credit: Swiss National Science Foundation Small and medium-sized towns are increasingly appearing on the radar of policy makers all over Europe. Findings from a project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation on the role and significance of these towns in Switzerland show that national policy and planning overlook their potential. For a long time, policy and research on urban development have primarily focused on large cities. Now, an interdisciplinary team of researchers funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and led by economic geographer Heike Mayer and political scientist Fritz Sager have analysed small and medium-sized towns (SMSTs) in Switzerland. In the first step of their investigation, the researchers grouped 152 towns with up to 50,000 residents into seven types of SMSTs based on existing data sets. In the process, they discovered that SMSTs have very different economic characteristics."That's a surprising finding, even in international comparison," says Mayer. According to Rahel Meili, a member of the research team, interviews with local authorities showed that policy adapted to the local context can have a positive effect on the development of SMSTs. Unfortunately, says Meili, people sometimes lack awareness of how to strategically develop a city:"There's a tendency to repeat established ways of doing things, and to be reactive rather than proactive." Moreover, says Heike Mayer,"National policy still hasn't found a way to address the heterogeneity of SMSTs, so it lumps them all together." Another important factor for the development are innovative companies that are based in SMSTs. The researchers of the University of Bern have studied these types of companies in-depth. What Mayer found particularly surprising about these case study analyses was that"despite the lure of cheaper locations abroad, these companies stay put and develop strategies to take advantage of the special features of SMSTs." Seven types of SMSTs To group the SMSTs into different types based on common features, Mayer's team worked with data obtained from the Federal Office of Statistics. Using ten variables chosen from this data, the team applied cluster analysis to identify new groupings. For example, Ittigen (BE) was grouped with"prospering residential economy towns," which enjoy high growth rates in terms of population size and number of fulltime jobs. The federal government has outsourced many administrative units to Ittigen, creating new jobs and making it more attractive for commuters. The number of fulltime jobs is also rising sharply in so-called"business hub towns," which feature more top company headquarters than other SMSTs. One good example is the town of Kloten, home to Zurich Airport."High tech towns" such as Uzwil SG, which are characterised by specialised high tech industries, have below-average population and employment growth rates unless they are located inside large metropolitan regions. Even when SMSTs are clustered in the same region, they may still show very different economic characteristics. The typology is not determined by the region, yet it is influenced by it: the stronger a region's growth, the more likely individual SMSTs are to grow as well. Local policy strategy The economic success of towns also depends on how local planning strategies make use of existing resources. For example, Wadenswil ZH, which has had a vocational training college since 1970, has for some years been pursuing a strategy of becoming a centre for education and research. Thun, on the other hand, is a former military town that depended heavily on outside investment. Today the town is seeking to diversify its economy. Rahel Meili and colleague David Kaufmann, a political scientist, conducted on-site qualitative interviews with officials and policymakers. Meili and Kaufmann's investigation shows that spatial planning enables small towns in the Zurich metropolitan to significantly influence their economies. Indeed, spatial planning is"the driving factor in population and job market growth." Consequently, even local authorities in traditional commuter towns like Bulach have a sense of what makes them attractive. Says Meili:"Our research did not turn up a single SMST that sees itself as a bedroom community." The research team recommends that national spatial planning initiatives such as Raumkonzept Schweiz take SMSTs more into account. Companies as innovation boosters Heike Mayer was particularly struck by the fact that the companies in SMSTs are more diverse and imaginative than previously assumed. Because these companies need many different kinds of workers, they draw people from other regions and countries. They make the most of the advantages of SMSTs, such as their small size:"It is easier to meet people across hierarchiesin clubs, at the supermarket or in other settings. And the town hall is never far in these places," says Mayer."Small and medium-sized towns can be innovative too." As a result of their visits to companies, the researchers concluded that the social structure of SMSTs and the lively exchange provide a strong sense of local identity and community. New perspectives from research According to Mayer, the results of the field research on SMSTs should be viewed in the light of international developments. Previously, the policy and research view of towns was shaped mainly by the experience of large cities:"Think about it: the most prominent researchers are based in Toronto, Los Angeles and New York." For economic geography, the idea that SMSTs can strategically plan their own diversity and be economically dynamic and successful is new and exciting. Says Mayer:"European policy and research have been discovering small towns since about 2015. This is probably due on the one hand to life in big cities becoming too expensive and on the other hand to the fact that SMSTs are now easily accessible and attractive." More information: Rahel Meili et al. Small and medium-sized towns in Switzerland: economic heterogeneity, socioeconomic performance and linkages, Erdkunde (2017). Rahel Meili et al. Small and medium-sized towns in Switzerland: economic heterogeneity, socioeconomic performance and linkages,(2017). DOI: 10.3112/erdkunde.2017.04.04 David Kaufmann et al. Leaves in the wind? Local policies of small and medium-sized towns in metropolitan regions, European Planning Studies (2018). DOI: 10.1080/09654313.2018.1535576 R. Meili and R. Shearmur: Diverse diversities Open innovation in small towns and rural areas. Growth & Change (accepted). Rhitymna gerdmangel. Credit: Senckenberg Senckenberg scientist Dr. Peter Jager has described four new species in the huntsman spider family. One of the newly discovered animals reveals a surprising specialization: It makes its home inside of bamboo. To enter the plants, the palm-sized, eight-legged creature relies on the help of other animals. This is only the second species of spider known to science whose ecology is closely tied to bamboo. The study was published today in the scientific journal Zootaxa. Bamboo has a special ecological, economic, and cultural importance, particularly in Asia. Among others, the giant woody grass is used in regional furniture manufacture and home construction, textile production, and as fuel source. "In addition, bamboo also plays a significant role for the fauna," explains Dr. Peter Jager of the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum in Frankfurt, and he continues: "For many years, my colleague Dr. Damir Kovac has been studying the faunal communities in Southeast Asia associated with bamboo. During his expeditions, he repeatedly noticed spiders that utilized the plant as a 'one-room apartment.'" In the process of revising the spider genus Rhitymna, Jager took a closer look at these arachnids and was soon able to identify them as a hitherto undescribed species. "The spider's unusual lifestyle inside of bamboo has likely been the reason why this species escaped detection until now. As a rule, we arachnologists are not in the habit of sawing open bamboo canes," says Jager jokingly. To date, the new huntsman spider, described as Rhitymna gerdmangel, has only been found in two locations in northern Thailand, and near Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. "The discovery sites lie approximately 1,800 kilometers apart from each other. Therefore, it can be assumed that this spider also inhabits other areas with bamboo stands but has simply been overlooked thus far," adds the arachnologist from Frankfurt. However, for Jager, the true surprise comes with the spider's specialization on hollow bamboo. To get inside these stable hiding places, the eight-legged creatures depend on the help of other animals in the neighbourhood. They are aided by the activities of the bamboo woodpecker as well as beetles hatching from inside the bamboo. The larvae of the latter feed on hard-to-digest plant material, pupate, and eventually gnaw their way out of the bamboo canes as adult beetles. "Lucky for the spiders, who can subsequently move into these protected cavities, which they only leave for their nocturnal hunting forays," comments Jager. "Our discovery in the bamboo indicates that the 48,000 species of spiders known around the world to date only represent a fraction of the group's actual diversity," adds Jager in closing. Explore further Four new species of huntsman spiders have been discovered in southern Africa Credit: CC0 Public Domain The quality of purchased seeds, such as maize, groundnuts and others, is a major concern in Uganda. Evidence from recent studies indicates that farmers all over the country have been slow to adopt improved seeds, such as those that protect against drought. Farmers prefer to use seeds they've saved from the last season; these are generally of poor quality and don't protect against weather problems. This suggests that, for Uganda's farmers, the cost of improved seeds which are more expensive than home-saved seeds outweighs any of the benefits. Farmers are also concerned about the quality of agricultural inputs like fertiliser, seeds and pesticides. They worry about the potential for these to be adulterated and contaminated. For example, a recent study found that a bag of fertiliser picked at random had only half of the nitrogen content it should. This meant there was little value to using it. The authors also looked at yields from improved maize seeds and discovered a similar situation. One reason that's widely cited for low yields is deliberate adulteration of seeds by sellers along the supply chain. The assumption is that sellers deliberately introduce grains or even stones into bags of seed to increase the weight. When the farmer uses these seeds, most don't germinate. However, no one has ever identified adulteration it's simply assumed this is what is causing the problem. This means that agricultural policy has tended to focus on certification of seeds, including labelling at the source, e-verification and requiring bags that are not easy to open until the farmer has them. But little effort has been made to improve the quality control of the seed supply chain as a whole, including transportation networks and storage at the end seller. Uganda's certification and oversight of seeds has proven inadequate for ensuring that farmers obtain good quality inputs. Neither seed companies nor input shops are well regulated and market failures have emerged, meaning that the access to optimal quality seeds is still very limited. Our project expands on the recent work of researchers looking at the quality of agricultural inputs in Africa. To diagnose where quality issues crop up in Uganda, we explored 21 varieties of maize across the supply chain. What we found is that quality, rather than genetic purity, appears to be the main problem. The results are consistent with mishandling and poor storage of seeds. What our tests found To collect a representative sample of seeds as if an actual farmer would have purchased those seeds we employed a mystery shopper approach. A well-trained team of enumerators self-identified as farmers and purchased seeds from a census of companies at all levels of the supply chain, across three districts in northern Uganda and the capital, Kampala. The seed samples were then sent to testing facilities in Uganda for purity and performance examination. To identify how genetically similar the seeds were to each other (or in other words, to screen if any seed was adulterated or contaminated) the sample of seeds was shipped to a laboratory in Australia to test for genetic purity. Seeds were tested on three main indicators. First were DNA tests for genetic purity. Second was a physical test for the percentage of the seed containing stones, dirt, or sand. Last came germination tests defined as the percentage of seeds that can germinate normally under standard conditions. Vigour tests determined the percentage of seeds able to germinate under suboptimal conditions and after storage while moisture tests determine how much water has gotten into the seeds, which leads to lower quality germination. We did not find evidence of serious seed adulteration by sellers. Instead, we find high levels of seed genetic and physical purity across all levels of the supply chain. Seed samples collected are genetically very similar to each other and on average presented good physical purity (above 99%), or good content of pure seeds (and absence of inert matter or dirt, sand, stones, sticks, and stems. Poor handling Results from tests of vigour and moisture content, combined with high levels of DNA similarity, lead us to believe that the causes of low quality are most likely due to poor management in the downstream levels of the supply chain (wholesalers and retailers) that create poor storage conditions. Monitoring mechanisms, collective action by stakeholders, and further exploration on seeds during storage and transportation are key for better seeds. Although rules are in place, few resources are available for regulators, meaning that currently seed monitoring is almost non-existent. On top of seed certification, implementing complementary mechanisms, such as regular quality control inspections, is key. Future evidence is needed A note of caution is needed for these results. We were only able to trace the supply chain of maize in one year, and across three districts (plus Kampala). The results are potentially limited in their application to other crops, years and districts. We are also limited in our sample size as we were only able to collect 120 samples in total. A replication of this proof of concept is needed in different regions, seasons, and years to confirm the absence of counterfeit seeds more broadly. We also recommend further studies on the practices and conditions during seed storage and transportation. Future evidence is needed to determine conclusively what is driving low quality seeds in Uganda. If the results we obtained can be generalised, it is possible they could significantly change the way policy makers approach the issue of low quality seeds in Uganda. If adulteration is not the problem, but instead storage and transportation are the major constraints to quality, money currently being spent on certification processes could be better spent. Future work will need to confirm this interpretation is in fact true. Explore further Planting small seeds simply: The allure of the slide hammer seeder This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Subaru says a brake light glitch has forced the recall of 2.2 million SUVs Subaru announced Thursday a global recall of 2.2 million SUVs, the biggest ever for the company, over a brake light glitch that could affect how the vehicle engines start. The company said it was recalling 306,728 units of Impreza and Forester in Japan, while the remaining 1.96 million vehicles will be recalled in North American and other regions. "It is the biggest (recall) as far as the number goes," a Subaru spokesman told AFP. No accident has been reported in connection with the problem. The company said silicone gases that can come from cleaning products or cosmetics could coat part of the switch for the brake lights, interfering with the lights turning on properly and also engine ignition, the company said in a document filed with the transport ministry. The company did not disclose the cost of the recall, but the Nikkei newspaper said the company expects it to be around 10 billion yen ($90 million). Subaru's reputation, built partly on it touting the safety of its vehicles, has been dented by various scandals in recent years. It has had to admit to a mileage-data cheating scandal as well as acknowledging it allowed factory staff without proper authorisation to conducted final inspections on some vehicles. Explore further Nissan hit by new inspection scandal after Ghosn arrest: report 2019 AFP Do you know a NOA? Regional smartphone makers like this Croatian brand are looking to get some exposure at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona Vestel, Noa, Lesia... you have probably never heard of these smartphone brands but they are all taking part in the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the mobile industry's biggest annual global event. While the glitzy stands of mobile giants like Samsung and Huawei hog the spotlight of the event's vast centre, dozens of regionally focused or mostly unknown handset makers also take part each year. "This is a concentrated market... but there is a not insignificant slice of it which dozens of manufacturers fight for," said Forrester tech analyst Thomas Husson. The world's three biggest smartphone makers Samsung, Apple, Huaweiaccounted for just over half of all handset sales last year, according to research firm IDC. For some little-known handset makers the goal at the fair is to sell themselves to potential new clients outside of their local catchment area. "We don't compete with Huawei, Apple or Samsung, we want to provide similar smartphone specifications to a lower segment market at the right price," said Mario Pintar, marketing director for Croatian smartphone maker Noa. The seven-year-old company, which is present in about a dozen countries in central Europe, was taking part in the trade fair which wraps up on Thursday for the third year in a row to try to open doors in new markets. "This allows us to make contacts outside of Europe," said Pintar. 'A question of image' A metres away is the stand of Turkish firm Vestel, which uses the fair to make contacts for its electronic goods business. The company, which is listed on the Istanbul stock market, sold around 650,000 smartphones last year, mainly in its domestic market, but its main business is making fridges, washing machines and other household appliances, a company spokesman said. A place to call their own: the smartphone made by Turkish firm Vestel are trying to elbow into a wider global market "Being present in Barcelona is as much a question of image as it is an opportunity to talk to a lot of people, not just from the smartphone sector," he added. Sylvain Chevallier of global business consulting firm Bearing Point said smaller handset makers can't afford the rigorous certification process to be included in the catalogues of telecom operators. "It is better for them to sell one million devices in one country than in 10 countries, there are barriers to entry," he added. The next Xiaomi? In another area of the centre, several firms display smartphone models which they develop, design and manufacture themselves in their own factories which employ 450-500 workers. They all have one thing in common: they are all from China, with their headquarters often in Shenzhen, the skyscraper-studded high-tech hub home to locally grown tech giants like Huawei, ZTE and Tencent. Several of them are also grouped together in a common area, the Chinese pavilion, where small stands sit side by side with dozens of smartphones aligned and carefully presented. "There are so many players at Mobile World Congress, for some you can ask what is the point in coming. But others can hope to get the attention of local operators," said Husson. While some smaller firms are happy to make white brands, others like Z-tech aim to become the next Xiaomi or OPPO, two Chinese firms which were the fourth and fifth largest smartphone sellers in the world last year, with their own brands. "We are taking part in Mobile World Congress to show our own products and win new customers in the entire world," a Z-tech spokesman said. With the global smartphone saturated, this will be no easy task. Worldwide smartphone sales fell 4.1 percent in 2018, the second yearly decline in a row, according to IDC. "To break out you either have to bet on a niche market, or cut costs, or seek to grow, as Huawei, Xiaomi ore OnePlus did," said Chevallier. Explore further Huawei unveils 5G phone with foldable screen 2019 AFP Credit: CC0 Public Domain Electricity can be generated by renewable sources such as sunlight and wind, then used to split water, which makes hydrogen as a fuel for emerging energy devices such as fuel cells. Because hydrogen is a clean fuel, researchers are putting a lot of effort into developing water-splitting catalysts, which are essential for the reaction's energy efficiency. The focus is mostly on the so-called oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which is arguably the most challenging process in water splitting. After many years of intense research, nickel-iron oxide is now established as the go-to catalyst for OER in alkaline conditions due to its high activity and earth-abundant composition, and also because it has the highest activity per reaction site among all metal oxides. About three years ago, scientists with the lab of Xile Hu at EPFL discovered another catalyst that was significantly more active than nickel-iron oxide, even though it had a similar composition. It is robust, easy to synthesize, and open to industrial applications. The discovery was led by Fang Song, a postdoc in Hu's group who has since joined the faculty at Shanghai Jiaotong University in China. Recognizing its technological potential, Hu, Song, and their colleague Elitsa Petkucheva began testing the catalyst in a proof-of-concept project. The catalyst enabled an efficient electrolyzer that could work under industrial conditions while requiring 200 mV less voltage. But the new catalyst was also unconventional in terms of chemistry. "We didn't have a clue why the catalyst would be so active," says Hu. So his team turned to the group of Clemence Corminboeuf at EPFL for help. Working with her postdoc, Michael Busch, Corminboeuf used density functional theory (DFT) computations to search for possible theoretical explanations. DFT is a computational, quantum mechanical method that models and studies the structure of many-body systems, e.g. atoms, and molecules. The result was radical: The high activity of the new catalyst originates from a cooperative action of two phase-separated components of iron and nickel oxides, which overcame a previously identified limitation of conventional metal oxides where the reaction occurred locally on only a single metal site. They called it the bifunctional mechanism. While the DFT-derived mechanism was hypothetical, it guided experimental studies on the activity and properties of the catalyst with Benedikt Lassalle-Kaiser at Synchrotron SOLEIL in France. Using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), the work uncovered evidence of two phase-separated iron and nickel oxides in the catalyst. But because catalysts can undergo compositional and structural changes during catalysis, it became necessary to study the catalyst in operation with XAS. In a comprehensive operando XAS study, Chen and his graduate student, Chia-Shuo Hsu, revealed a unique structure of the catalystit is made of nanoclusters of -FeOOH covalently linked to a -NiOOH support, which makes it an iron-nickel oxide catalyst, as opposed to the conventional nickel-iron oxide. Although not a direct proof, this structure is compatible with the DFT-proposed bifunctional mechanism. "This is a truly interdisciplinary study involving many fruitful collaborations," says Hu. "The fundamental studies not only provide insights into the structure and activity of this unconventional catalyst, but also lead to a thought-provoking mechanistic hypothesis." Explore further Research uncovers mechanism behind water-splitting catalyst More information: Fang Song et al, An Unconventional Iron Nickel Catalyst for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction, ACS Central Science (2019). Journal information: ACS Central Science Fang Song et al, An Unconventional Iron Nickel Catalyst for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction,(2019). DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.9b00053 UMass Lowell researcher Miko Wilford studies who innocent defendants plead guilty. Credit: UMass Lowell If you're accused of a crime, it is unlikely you'll ever get your day in court, according to a UMass Lowell legal researcher. That's because people are far more likely to plead guilty, often in exchange for a reduced sentence, rather than risk a guilty verdict at trial that would come with a more severe punishment, says UMass Lowell Prof. Miko Wilford, who studies how and why people plead guiltyeven when they are innocent. More than 95 percent of all U.S. criminal charges are resolved by guilty pleas, not through trials, according to Wilford, whose work focuses on the human dynamics behind legal proceedings, including the reliability of eyewitnesses and the effectiveness of interview techniques used by law enforcement. A new, five-year $498,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER grant will allow Wilford, a psychology professor from Dracut, to study why defendants opt for plea deals. The prestigious grant program recognizes outstanding faculty researchers who are making significant contributions as scholars and mentors early in their careers. The award will help fund further development of a computer simulation she created with UMass Lowell students and Art and Design Prof. Misha Rabinovich to explore these issues. Using the simulation, Wilford examines how plea-bargain proceedings affect outcomes, which she said vary widely between states and even jurisdictions within the same state. Her goal is to reduce false guilty pleas and to improve how the justice system serves criminal defendants. "In many jurisdictions, there are no clear procedural guidelines, so prosecutors can approach defendants directly with plea offers before they even have been given a chance to ask for an attorney," Wilford said. "When prosecutors offer really dramatic plea discounts, like five years in jail compared to 25 years, then, innocent or guilty, you're likely to seriously consider it. That kind of sentencing should not be allowed because then plea bargains essentially punish innocent people for exercising their constitutional right to a trial." The simulation is built on an open-source platform so that other researchers can adapt it to their work. The program draws on Rabinovich's use of animation, video and other media to create interactive scenarios. In one of these, participants play the role of a driver who is charged with hitting a parked car and then leaving the scene of the accident. Some participants then see a "flashback" scene in which they "remember" hitting the car, while others see a flashback that indicates they are innocent. Next, the simulation's prosecutor offers role players a deal: probation and a fine for a guilty plea, compared to jail time and higher costs if they reject the offer and are found guilty at trial. After making their choice, participants are asked to explain the reasons behind their decision. The simulation is allowing Wilford to test the variables that can change the likelihood of a guilty plea, including the defendant's age and the difference between the plea offer and the penalty for a conviction at trial. She plans to administer the exercise to groups including college students and other adults. Along with Rabinovich, Wilford's research team includes UMass Lowell professors Joseph Gonzales of Psychology and Jill Lohmeier of the College of Education. UMass Lowell students contributing to the project are Matthew LeBlanc, a computer science major from Milford; Cassidy McAuliffe, an art major from Lawrence; and Kelly Sutherland, a Ph.D. candidate in psychology from Lowell. Recent graduates who also worked on the project include Dracut residents Annmarie Khairalla, who earned a degree in psychology; Jordanne Love, who majored in art; and Thomas Nelson, whose degree is in computer science. Provided by University of Massachusetts Lowell The government and the Metro Pacific Group on Thursday inaugurated the NLEx Harbor Link Segment 10 and broke ground for the P23.3-billion NLEx Connector Roadtwo elevated expressways that are expected to alleviate traffic congestion in Metro Manila. NLEx Harbor Link Segment 10 and NLEx Connector are just some of Metro Pacifics expansion projects geared towards providing further convenience to motorists and bringing more opportunities in nearby cities and provinces, Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco said. NLEx Corp. president and general manager Luigi Bautista said the inauguration of the NLEx Harbor Link Segment 10 and the groundbreaking of the NLEx Connector show the political will of the government and the solid partnership between public and private sectors. NLEx Connector is an 8-kilometer elevated toll expressway over the right-of-way of the Philippine National Railways. The project starts at the junction of NLEx Segment 10 at C-3 Road/5th Ave. in Caloocan City and will connect to South Luzon Expressway through Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 Project in Manila. Upon completion, the toll road is expected to benefit around 35,000 vehicles per day. NLEx Harbor Link Segment 10 was also inaugurated to improve the accessibility and connectivity between key areas of Metro Manila and the northern provinces of Luzon via North Luzon Expressway. Traversing the cities of Valenzuela, Malabon and Caloocan, the 5.65-km, 6-lane NLEx Harbor Link Segment 10 is seen to divert 30,000 vehicles daily away from the busy streets of Metro Manila. With this road, travel time between C3 and NLEx will only take 5 minutes. It will also facilitate the efficient delivery of goods as cargo trucks will have alternative access from the Port Area in Manila to the provinces in Central and Northern Luzon.The elevated expressway will enable travelers from Manila to Central and North Luzon to have a shorter travel time as they can head straight to NLEx, bypassing Edsa and the Balintawak Toll Plaza. The next phase of the project is the 2.6-km section from C3 Road, Caloocan City to R10, Navotas City. MPTC chairman Manuel Pangilinan said Metro Pacific was pleased with the governments help in speeding up important infrastructure projects. Apart from our teams commitment to support the administrations Build Build Build program, the governments help in ramping up the acquisition of right-of-way made us deliver this vital infrastructure which aims to bolster development and ease traffic congestion in the country, Pangilinan said. Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said the traffic decongestion project is now open to motorists. The NLEx Harbor Link Segment 10 validates the Duterte administrations promise to bring real change by providing travel convenience and strongly enhancing our service to the Filipino people, Villar said. The Philippine Competition Commission said Thursday it approved the acquisition of Splash Corp. by Wipro Enterprises Private Limited of India. PCC said while the companies were both involved in the manufacturing and distribution of personal care products, the transaction would not be anti-competitive in nature. Wipro Enterprises, a company based in Bangalore, India, earlier expressed interest to acquire Splash from Ang Hortaleza Corp. of the Hortaleza family. After the acquisition, Wipro Enterprises through a wholly-owned subsidiary will own the domestic and international retail personal care business of Splash that include related inventories, plant, property and equipment, intangible assets such as patents and trademarks and its foreign subsidiaries. PCC said in its review that among the many products of Wipro and Splash, the relevant market with overlaps would be the manufacture and distribution of whitening lotions. The agencys Mergers and Acquisitions Office said in a decision dated Feb. 19 that the transaction would not result in substantial lessening of competition in the relevant market.It said no competition concern was found because there was sufficient competitive constraint from other firms involved in the whitening products market even after the transaction. Splash is a Filipino company involved in personal care and food manufacturing, marketing and distribution of products such as Maxi-Peel, SkinWhite lotion and Flawlessly U soap in the Philippines and other countries. Wipro Enterprises has two main businesses, including Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting and Wipro Infrastructure Engineering. Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting provides personal care products such as Enchanteur lotion, Santoor soap and Chandrika soap, and lighting solutions and office furniture while Wipro Infrastructure Engineering provides hydraulic solutions for a wide range of diverse applications, precision engineered components for aerospace and defense, water solutions and wastewater treatment for industrial applications and additive manufacturing solutions. PCC, the countrys anti-trust body, is mandated under the Philippine Competition Act to review mergers and acquisitions to ensure that these deals will not harm the interest of consumers. 7 minutes ago Desperation drives thousands of Afghans a day across borders HERAT, Afghanistan (AP) Over the course of an hour on a recent night, the bus waiting in the Herat station filled with passengers. Mostly young men, they had no luggage, just the clothes on their backs, maybe a bag with some bread and water for the long road ahead of them. That road is leading them to Iran. Read Article Police on February 27 in Kazakhstan's southwestern city of Zhanaozen detained two Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) correspondents who were covering a protest by local residents. RFE/RL Kazakh Service reporters Saniya Toiken and cameraman Sanat Nurbek were detained while on assignment to cover youth protests in the city over jobs and economic issues that began on February 9. Police brought them to the regional center Aktau, where they were held for six hours and questioned, separately. Toiken told RFE/RL that police used force when they bundled her and cameraman Sanat Nurbek into a police car. She said that police told her and Nurbek that they had been detained on the basis of a complaint by a "concerned citizen." They were questioned about their plans to report on the demonstration. The journalists were later released, but police had temporarily seized their equipment and Toiken's phone was returned to her broken. Toiken has registered an official complaint about her phone. Local police declined to comment to RFE/RL on the detention of the two correspondents. Also on February 27, police detained several protesters who demonstrated outside the headquarters of President Nursultan Nazarbaev's ruling party in Almaty and Astana, Kazakhstan's two main cities, the latest in a series of antigovernment rallies in the Central Asian country. Known locally as Radio Azattyq, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports in both Kazakh and Russian languages and provides one of the country's few independent platforms for audience engagement and the free exchange of ideas. 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 Govt slashes 2019 exports growth goal posted February 28, 2019 at 08:15 pm by Othel V. Campos February 28, 2019 at 08:15 pm The Trade Department said Thursday it revised the 2019 exports growth forecasts for both merchandise goods and services from 10 percent to a single-digit level. The Export Marketing Bureau of the Trade Department said merchandise and services exports were expected to grow 5 percent this year, down from the earlier forecast of 10 percent. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that merchandise exports fell 1.8 percent in 2018 to $67.487 billion from $68.712 billion in 2017. There were no estimates yet on services exports which include tourism revenues and business process outsourcing receipts.Last year, we assumed that merchandise will grow single digit but we had high hopes for services to sustain double-digit growth. This year, we downgraded targets to single-digit only, said EMB director Senen Perlada. Perlada said the growth for both merchandise and services exports will be there, but slower. COMMENT DISCLAIMER: Reader comments posted on this Web site are not in any way endorsed by Manila Standard. Comments are views by manilastandard.net readers who exercise their right to free expression and they do not necessarily represent or reflect the position or viewpoint of manilastandard.net. While reserving this publications right to delete comments that are deemed offensive, indecent or inconsistent with Manila Standard editorial standards, Manila Standard may not be held liable for any false information posted by readers in this comments section. The Makati City government is expanding its measles vaccination campaign by including children in Kinder to Grade 6 in the target age group, in line with the governments intensified efforts to prevent the spread of the disease in the community. Mayor Abigail Binay tapped officials of the Makati Health Department to conduct the vaccination to an estimated 46,858 children at their respective schools, home or barangay health centers. The measles vaccine has been around for decades and has been proven safe and effective. I am appealing to everyone to place your childrens health and safety first. Have them vaccinated and tell your friends and family to have their kids vaccinated, too. This is the only way we can rebuild herd immunity and keep infectious diseases like measles down, Binay appealed. To date, Makati City has 38 reported measles cases, mostly from Barangays East Rembo and Pembo. Barangays Rizal and Palanan are closely being monitored for possible clustering of measles cases. Since measles cases peak during the hot summer months, we expect the numbers to rise if we do not act swiftly. Parents and guardians must set their biases aside and have their children vaccinated against measles for their protection, said Binay. The city chief executive said the MHD has mobilized all its personnel, including barangay health workers, to assist in the anti-measles vaccination drive. They are knocking on doors and going house to house to ensure the safety and protection of our children, she said. She noted that even though Makati has one of the lowest number of recorded measles cases in Metro Manila, children are still susceptible to measles infection because of low herd immunity. This can only be remedied by increasing the number of vaccinated children everywhere. Earlier, the MHD extended the intensive campaign until March 31 on the mayors orders. The vaccines can be received from health workers going house to house simultaneously in the barangays; daily at all barangay health centers; and from all public schools in the city. The Palanan 24/7 health center has also been opened as a fixed post for round the clock vaccination. The MHD has also tapped the assistance of the Ospital ng Makati (OsMak) to vaccinate all patients within the vulnerable age group who are admitted or come in for a consultation.Mayor Binay said residents can also have their children vaccinated during scheduled Lingkod Bayan Caravans in their respective barangays. On February 13, the MHD began its house to house immunization campaign targeting infants and children aged 6 months to 59 months old (5 years old). The outbreak response immunization drive aimed to cover 32,889 children from all barangays. This age group was prioritized because they are the most vulnerable to measles infection. Most deaths from measles also happen within this age range. MHD Chief Dr. Bernard Sese said children six to eight months old are being given the measles rubella vaccine, while children nine months old and up are given the Mumps Measles Rubella (MMR) vaccine. Apart from first-time recipients, Sese clarified that the campaign also covers children who have already been vaccinated for measles, provided at least one month has elapsed. Children who currently have cough, colds, or fever cannot receive the vaccine. The MHD chief reminded parents to be observant and to bring their children to the nearest health center or clinic should they show symptoms of measles infection. He explained that measles is a highly contagious illness. He said that for every reported case of measles, 12 to 18 individuals could be infected. This is why children within a 100-meter radius of an infected patient should be vaccinated. Sese also appealed to Makati residents to report all measles cases to the MHD for proper monitoring. He added that measles patients from Makati who may need to be admitted to a hospital will be referred to San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, or the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa. These facilities have isolation rooms for communicable diseases. According to the Department of Health (DOH), more than 70 patients, mostly children, have died from the measles virus. From January 1 to February 18, 2019 there were over 2,594 reported cases of measles in the National Capital Region alone. The highest concentration of measles cases is in Quezon City with 654 cases, followed by Manila with 514, and Caloocan City with 295 reported cases. The Philippines largest Moro rebel group should be given a chance to transform itself into a bureaucracy, its leader Murad Ebrahim said Thursday, after accusations it was imposing a virtual dictatorship over the new Bangsamoro region. Leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front last week took their oaths as members of the transition government of the Bangsamoro region, where Muslims have won new powers. Firdausi Abbas, vice chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front, said the Bangsamoro transition governments three-year term term was tyrannical, as he called for an election within six months, instead of waiting until 2022. Murad, the regions interim chief minister, said Abbas was among those who drafted the law that created the Bangsamoro and provided for the three-year term that will allow MILF to transform from a revolutionary organization to governance and bureaucracy. This is the time for us to transform, this transition, so we should be given a chance, Murad, speaking in Filipino, told radio dzMM beamed nationwide.Abbas has threatened to establish a new faction in protest against the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, where 41 out of the 80 members were nominated by the MILF. I hope that it will not become a threat because, hopefully, he will realize that he is part of this, he is among those who drafted the law, Murad said. Abbas was not appointed by the government to the BTA although he helped draft the Bangsamoro Organic Law, added Murad. An independent body is validating MILFs list of combatants and weapons, a third of which will be decommissioned under its deal with the government, said Murad. How many winter messes will we have to endure this year? Woke up this morning with yet another icy glaze covering sidewalks and streets. The local news is all about the many many accidents on St. Louis interstates. There are even areas where they've closed portions of the highways totally. What bugs me is this was forecast yesterday and especially last night. Here is a link to KMOV's prediction last night. The other stations did the same and yet St. Louis interstates are so bad they've made another morning rush a nightmare. So here comes MoDOT spokesman Bob Becker holding a press conference and lecturing us on what we already know. He did this a couple of Sundays ago when we had a bad ice storm and accidents were everywhere. He's done it for each winter event we've had, after the weather hit. But if news channels as well as us, know it was coming, what was MoDOT doing? FOX2 in St. Louis has reporters out on the interstate overpasses giving traffic reports. In Missouri it's all about accidents and slippery surfaces. In the Metro East, the reporter had no accidents to report for drivers on their way into Missouri. "Be aware of the possibility of slick spots" he said, but traffic was moving fine all across the Metro East. So what is the difference? Again, it just has to be how each of the state DOT's treat the roads and when. Illinois is just so much better at getting ahead of these things than Missouri. It's maddening that MoDOT can't do what IDOT does. Mr. Becker! Go over to IDOT headquarters and find out how they do things to get ahead of things. " " NASA moves the largest piece of structural test hardware for America's new deep space rocket, the Space Launch System, from the factory to the dock to be moved by barge to Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. NASA/Steven Seipel NASA announced on Feb. 21, 2019 that it has selected a dozen payloads of scientific instruments and technology demonstrations that it plans to fly to the moon on private commercial rockets and landers. The missions, planned for 2019, are an early step toward achieving the space agency's overarching goal to send astronauts back to the moon via commercial spacecraft in 2028. NASA's renewed focus on the moon reflects a December 2017 policy shift by the Trump administration, which decided that the space agency should return to the moon, which was last visited by Apollo 17 astronauts back in December 1972. Advertisement From the Moon to Mars Previously, the Obama administration had abandoned a planned lunar mission, partly because of cost, in favor of focusing upon going to Mars in the 2030s. Steve Clarke, the deputy associate administrator for exploration in NASA's Science Mission Directorate, says that the missions flown by commercial lunar payload services (CLPS) will include a mixture of instruments and technology demonstrations. "We want to fly a mixture as much as we can, so they collectively can provide data to the science community and to the folks who are designing the next human lander," he explains. The scientific instruments sent to the moon will be "trying to characterize the lunar surface, looking for hydrogen molecules and actual traces of water or water ice in the soil, and looking for various other elements that are on the lunar surface," Clarke says. But those studies will do more than just add to our knowledge of Earth's natural satellite. "We know there are volatiles at the poles on the Moon, and quite frankly, that water ice could represent rocket fuel," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a press release. "If we have the capability to generate rocket fuel from the surface of the Moon, and get them into orbit around the Moon, we could use that to build a fueling depot." On the technology side, one payload will include solar energy technology. "We're looking to advance the science and engineering of solar cells to make them more efficient," Clarke says. That will benefit space missions that are dependent upon solar energy, but the work will have applications back on Earth as well. Other technology being tested involves entry descent and landing (EDL) systems, which will help improve the design of future lunar landers including the human lander that eventually will take astronauts to the lunar surface again. Advertisement Building a Lunar Orbital Station NASA's long-range plan also calls for building a lunar orbital station in the 2020s, which will serve as a platform both for observing the lunar surface and staging manned exploration missions. With instruments on the lunar surface as well as in orbit around the moon, "we'll have two different vantage points," Clarke explains. Unlike the Apollo program, the commercial space industry will be heavily involved in the effort, transporting astronauts to the orbital station and down to the surface. The agency already has announced plans to work with space companies to develop reusable lunar landers. Those spacecraft could shuttle back and forth between the lunar orbital platform and the surface of the moon. Dale Skran, executive vice-president of the National Space Society, a nonprofit group whose goal is to promote a spacefaring civilization, says in an email that NSS supports the NASA strategy. "The fundamental advantage of a lunar orbital station in the support of lunar exploration and development is that it can be a 'gas station' where reusable lunar landers dock and are re-fueled," he says. "NASA's recently announced human lander reference design, which features two reusable components (the ascent stage and a space tug) along with a 'tanker' to bring fuel to the lunar orbital station are a constructive but partial step in this direction." At this point, Skran says that putting "boots on the moon" in the near future no longer should be viewed as a desirable goal in itself, but rather as a means to further a larger plan of space colonization. "Humans on the Moon should grow organically out of what we are doing on the Moon, not appear as a 'stunt' in imitation of Apollo," he explains. "Two potential goals for lunar return include mining oxygen to fuel future Mars trips and building a radio telescope on the 'dark' side of the Moon to take advantage of the unique radio quiet on the side of the Moon that faces away from the Earth. Both of these goals will almost certainly include humans on the lunar surface, but 'boots' are not the primary goal." Now That's Powerful The SLS liquid hydrogen tank that will comprise two-thirds of the core stage at liftoff and hold 537,000 gallons (2.03 million liters) of liquid hydrogen cooled to minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit (217.2 degrees Celsius). The immediate relatives of convicted plunderer Janet Lim Napoles on Thursday refused to enter pleas at the Sandiganbayans Third Division during their arraignment on the 194 criminal cases filed against them in connection with the alleged P900-million Malampaya fund scam. Their action prompted Associate Justice Bernelito Fernandez to enter not guilty pleas for Napoless children Jo Christine and James Christopher and her brothers Reynald and Ronald Francisco Lim. They are facing 97 counts of graft and 97 counts of malversation of public funds. Also on Thursday, the anti-graft court also arraigned bank manager Winnie Villanueva, who did not enter any plea like the Napoless relatives. They were accused of diverting P900 million from the Malampaya funds allocated by the Department of Budget and Management to the Department of Agrarian Reform in 2009 and in the process using 12 Janet Lim Napoles-led nongovernment organizations as conduits to the alleged scam. Napoles, the main figure in the pork barrel scam, members of her family have been facing prosecution for money laundering in a criminal case filed in the United States.In the charge sheet, the federal grand jury accused Napoles and other defendants of fraudulently converting money from the multibillion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund. The money was paid to dozens of non-governmental organizations controlled by Napoles and diverted to kickbacks for the legislators and other government officials, and for the personal use of the Napoles family. About $20 million of those funds were diverted to money remitters in the Philippines and then wired to Southern California bank accounts where the money was used to purchase real estate, shares in two businesses, two Porsche Boxsters, and finance the living expenses of three family members residing in the United States, Jeane Napoles and the Lim couple. It was reported that about $12.5 million in Southern California real estate has been seized by the US Attorneys Office and is subject to a civil forfeiture case pending before United States District Judge James V. Selna. If the court orders the assets forfeited, the United States will work with Philippine officials in an attempt to return the stolen funds to the Philippine government. Guillermo Ivan's action comedy Welcome to Acapulco will be released on VOD and Digital HD by Momentum Pictures on March 12th. Screen Anarchy has an exclusive clip to share with you. Michael Madsen is Hyde, obviously the movie's bad guy, and he is taking up issue with his men's failure to obtain a mysterious package. And when you have hands and knives at your disposal it would be a shame not to use them together to get your message across to your goons. You will find it below along with an earnest trailer, eager to share with you just how much action and comedy you can expect in Ivan's film. In WELCOME TO ACAPULCO, Video game designer Matt Booth has one shot to save his career by unveiling his biggest project yet at the Video Game Awards in New Mexico. But after running into a friend at the airport and having a little too much to drink before his flight, he ends up in ACTUAL Mexico - specifically, Acapulco. As soon as he lands, he finds himself on the run from high-powered criminals, deadly hitmen and the Feds, all looking for a mysterious package that he has allegedly smuggled through customs yet knows nothing about. Partnering with a badass, beautiful femme fatale and channeling his inner video game action hero, the pair unravels a conspiracy that could shake the foundation of the United States, maybe even the world. Welcome to Acapulco stars Ana Serradilla (Hidden Moon), Michael Kingsbaker (The Dark Knight Rises), Michael Madsen (The Hateful Eight), Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas), William Baldwin (Sliver), Bradley Gregg (Stand by Me), Jeannine Kaspar (Iron Man) and Michael Papajohn (Jurassic World). SINGAPORE (Feb 28): China Sunsine Chemical Holdings has announced earnings of RMB 108.6 million ($21.9 million) for the 4Q18 ended December, 18% lower than RMB 132.0 million a year ago. This brings full-year earnings to RMB 641.3 million for FY18, 88% higher than RMB 341.3 million a year ago. 4Q18 revenue fell 12% to RMB 770.1 million, from RMB 873.3 million a year ago, despite a 3% growth in sales volume during the quarter. The decline was mainly due to lower overall ASP, which dropped by 15% to RMB 19,110 per ton in 4Q18, from RMB 22,384 per ton a year ago. As at end December, cash and cash equivalents stood at RMB 1.03 billion. China Sunsine has proposed a final dividend of 5.5 cents per share for the current period, more than double the dividend of 2.5 cents per share declared in 4Q17. Moving forward, China Sunsine says it expects downward pressure on prices amid uncertain global economic and geopolitical conditions, as well as a slowing China economy. In spite of many challenges ahead, as a leading rubber chemicals producer, the group continues to focus on production technology and innovation through investment in R&D, to gain a competitive edge over other players, says executive chairman Xu Cheng Qiu. Xu adds that the group aims to grab more market share by expanding its production capacity gradually. The group is currently negotiating with the local government to purchase more land for its capacity expansion purposes. We remain cautious about the outlook of the group and are confident of our profitability in the next 12 months, Xu says. Shares in China Sunsine closed 2 cents lower, or down 1.5%, at $1.32 on Thursday. Reuters BENGALURU (Reuters) -Indian shares closed nearly 2% lower on Monday, hurt by a selloff in information technology (IT) stocks, as increasing cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant spooked investors ahead of the central bank's decision on interest rates. Most major sub-indexes ended lower, with IT, auto and pharma stocks falling the most, as India's tally of reported cases of the heavily mutated Omicron coronavirus variant rose to 12 on Sunday. "Ambiguity surrounding Omicron continued to dent the morale of domestic investors ahead of the important Reserve Bank of India (RBI) policy announcement on Wednesday," said Vinod Nair, head of research at Geojit Financial Services. 28 Feb Bosco Wong has recently dismissed the idea that he was doing a "Jerry Yan and Lin Chi-ling" by having a secret rendezvous with Rose Chan in Malaysia. As reported on On CC, the actor, who refuelled rumours of romance between him and his "Guardian Angel" co-star when they were spotted in Malaysia earlier, admitted that the two of them was indeed in the country at the same time, but not together as many believed. "Yes, I'm in Malaysia, but it's for a work meeting. But it seems that a lot of people are here as well. I know Rose is here. She even asked me to recommend good places to eat," he said. Bosco also stressed that he has no qualms going out for a meal with the actress while they are in the country, since he is familiar with the area. Rumours of romance between the two sparked as early as June last year, when it was alleged that Bosco and Rose had been secretly dating for six months. Both parties had since denied it, saying that they are just colleagues. (Photo Source: Bosco Wong Instagram) Toyota Motor Corporation did something highly unusual when it launched the 2019 Toyota Hiace in the Philippines before anywhere else. Its something that has never been done before, which begs the question: Why did Toyotaa global giantprioritize our country over other major car markets for the world-premiere of the sixth-generation Hiace? Two reasons come to mind: The Filipinos love for family, and the fact that the Hiace is one of the bestselling vehicles in the country for so many years. Considering that the outgoing Hiace was a hot seller throughout its life, Toyota didnt really need to introduce its replacement this soon. Then again, the company is not the number one carmaker in the world for nothing. Get to know more about the 2019 Toyota Hiace in this Buyers Guide. Specification The biggest change in the sixth-generation Hiace is the engine location. While past Hiace vans had their engine located underneath the front seats, the latest version has it up front. A 1GD-FTV 2.8-liter engine now sits before the drivers knees, dishing out 161 to 176 hp and 420 to 450 Nm of torque, depending on variant. Speaking of variants, the 2019 Hiace has three: the GLE Grandia Tourer, GL Grandia, and Commuter Deluxe. The top two trims come with a choice of six-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission, while the base Commuter Deluxe only has the manual gearbox option. Exterior The 2019 Toyota Hiace is longer, wider, and taller than ever before. With the engine now moved to the front, naturally, the 2019 Hiace now has a longer snout, making it two feet lengthier than its predecessor. The GL Grand Tourer in particular, is a whopping 152mm (six inches) loftier than the tallest trim of the outgoing model. Its also 290mm higher than its fellow current trims, allowing for a more spacious feel overall. Design-wise, the 2019 Hiace exterior boasts clean character lines sweep through the Hiace horizontally, creating a strong muscular look. The GL Grandia Tourer comes equipped with LED daytime running lights and fog lamps at the front bumper, complemented by chamfered rear combination lamps. Story continues Interior Three different variants offer three different seating capacities. The top-spec GL Grandia Tourer seats 14 people, while the Commuter offers the most seats with 15. The mid-trim GL Grandia only seats 12. The seats GL and Tourer have individual recline save for the rearmost bench seat. Drink holders also come aplenty, with the Commuter having five, the standard GL with 20, and the Tourer with 24 cup and bottle holders in all. Large overhead and console trays also offer storage for other items. The GL variants come with more comfortable headrests for passengers to relax on. Other added creature comforts include wider legroom, strategically-located assist grips, and an illuminated entry system. Safety Moving the engine up front offers better protection for driver and front passenger against crashes. Meanwhile, a center seat airbag is available for front center passengers, making Toyota the first utility van maker to offer such a feature. All in all, there are three Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) airbags for the Commuter Deluxe and two SRS airbags for the GL Grandia and GL Grandia Tourer variants. The upper variants also come with Vehicle Stability Control, Hill Start Assist, Anti-Lock Brake System, and Emergency Brake Signals. The Commuter Deluxe also has Anti-Lock Brake System and Emergency Brake Signals. Our Verdict Its quite the honor for Toyota to host the world premiere of the 2019 Hiace on our local shores. According to the folks at Toyota, the new-gen Hiace is a people-carrier that seeks to increase productivity while providing safe, comfortable, and reliable transport. Priced from PHP1.59 million to PHP2.22 million, the 2019 Toyota Hiace will soon be available at dealerships beginning March 5 for the Commuter Deluxe and by early April for the GL Grandia and the Grandia Tourer. The post BUYERS GUIDE: 2019 Toyota Hiace appeared first on Carmudi Philippines. Concern once again over finances of Hong Kong Airlines, citys third-biggest carrier Hong Kongs airline licensing body has expressed grave concerns over the citys third-largest carrier after two companies sued it for more than HK$150 million (US$19 million) in unpaid fees for rented planes. The Air Transport Licensing Authority a statutory body with the power to shut down carriers and approve new ones also requested that Hong Kong Airlines explain its financial situation. The Air Transport Licensing Authority is gravely concerned, it said in a statement on Wednesday. It added that after getting the facts, it would take necessary follow-up actions on the matter. The latest development came days after the Irish subsidiary of Wilmington Trust, one of the biggest trust providers in the United States, and American plane lender International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) took the carrier to the citys High Court to recover unpaid fees for the rented aircraft. The former sought to recover HK$103 million over the rental of six planes, while ILFC said the airline had failed to pay HK$47.2 million for the lease of two aircraft. It was the second civil suit facing the carrier in a month. Earlier in February, Luso International Banking, a Macau-based lender, sued the beleaguered airline following its alleged failure to repay a US$20 million loan despite repeated demands. And Wednesdays statement from the authority was the second time in months licensing chiefs ordered the company to explain its financial situation. The last request was issued in December, amid an exodus of top managers and concerns that Hong Kong Airlines backed by debt-laden mainland Chinese conglomerate HNA Group could not meet a HK$550 million debt repayment in January. The bulk of the money was then reportedly being lent by China Development Bank. In January an insurer stopped covering people who booked with the airline. The government also considered making a contingency plan in case the company went bust during the peak travel season during Lunar New Year. Story continues A spokesman for Hong Kong Airlines said the carrier was working with the companies it rented from, to address the outstanding issue. This has no impact on our business and we are operating as normal, he said. This article Concern once again over finances of Hong Kong Airlines, citys third-biggest carrier first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. The League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) and Oceana, the worlds largest international marine advocacy organization, entered into a partnership to stop, fight and deter illegal fishing in municipal waters nationwide. A pioneering online reporting, Karagatan Patrol, was likewise launched in encouraging citizens to report illegal fishing activities in the Karagatan Patrol Facebook group. Commercial fishing is banned in municipal waters under the Fisheries Code, as amended in 2015, which has stringent measures to fight illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, such as vessel monitoring technology for all commercial fishing vessels from 3.1 gross tonnage and beyond. The Department on Interior and Local Government issued in April, 2018 its Implementing Guidelines to all coastal cities and municipalities, to regulate and monitor all fisheries activities under its jurisdiction. Based on the analyzed data from satellite sensor called Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), and in full support of governments full implementation of the ban on commercial fishing in municipal waters, Oceana released its list of top ten hotspots nationwide on frequency of illegal fishing activities at night time in municipal waters in 2018, during the launch today: Zamboanga City Tongkil, Sulu Hadji Muhammad Ajul, Basilan Sta. Cruz, Marinduque Cuyo, Palawan Linapacan, PalawanLanguyan, Tawi tawi San Francisco, Quezon Araceli, Palawan Magsaysay, Palawan In the 2014 data from VIIRS, Hadji Muhammad Ajul ranked 31 but swung upward to rank 3 last year. The same goes for San Francisco that was in ranked 16th in 2014 but went up to number 8 in 2018. Working exclusively to protect and restore the worlds oceans, Oceana in the Philippines aids government in analyzing data from VIIRS to detect by satellites, in a supposedly dark environment such as large bodies of water, artificial light sources or superlights. These are likely used by fishing boats such as purse seiners and ring netters and were found inside the prohibited area in municipal waters. The ocean means food, livelihood and beauty. It is life itself in a sense. We are happy and excited to partner with Oceana in addressing issues that seek to protect the ocean and the people, said Socorro (Oriental Mindoro) Mayor Ma. Fe Brondial, LMP National President. LMP Secretary General Mayor (Panglima Tahil, Sulu) Abraham Burahan welcomes Oceana as a strong partner in ensuring safe, healthy and sustainable oceans and the livelihoods of those dependent on abundant seas. We look forward to a very fruitful partnership as we move to heighten our actions that will benefit our people, Burahan added. We welcome this highly significant collaboration with the LMP to bring back fisheries abundance in our waters. It is timely as our oceans are buffetted by simultaneous pressures from humanity, aggravating and aggravated by the destructive impacts of the climate crisis we all face. We need to work together closely, now, more than ever, and manage sustainably our fisheries, to protect our oceans and feed our people, declared Gloria Estenzo Ramos, Vice president of Oceana in the Philippines. Single-use plastic straws QUEZON CITY, Philippines Environmental groups urge the public to join the Earth Hour on March 30 in support of the governments massive cleanup drive. This years theme focuses on plastic pollution, that is why environment advocates urge the government to impose a total ban on single-use plastics. Atty. Gia Ibay of the Climate and Energy Program of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines) said a ban on plastic items or enforcing regulations on plastic use, will definitely help the government in its efforts to combat pollution. As you see, a lot of plastic waste theyve seen, like straws, bottles, some of these can actually be recycled. But we are also saying that, reduce also the production, hopefully by lessening the demand, Ibay argued. The group is appealing to the government to consider the proposal, especially since the Philippines is named as among the major plastic polluters in the world. Ang importante ngayon na mantra is to reduce consumptions, like how we can do away with plastics in protecting our medicines, for medical use, suggested WWF-Philippines President and CEO Joel Palma. Several municipalities and cities in the Philippines like Makati and Quezon City have already enforced ban on sales and use of single-use plastic since last year. The Earth Hour will begin at 8:30 p.m. on March 30. Establishments and households are encouraged to switch all electric lights off in support of the governments environmental advocacy. Marje Pelayo (with reports from Nel Maribojoc) The post Environment group wants ban on single-use plastic in view of Earth Hour 2019 appeared first on UNTV News. By Aram Roston GULF STREAM, Fla. (Reuters) - In November 2017, Harry Sargeant III, a wealthy American businessman, flew to Venezuela to see about buying some oil. Sargeant, the former finance chairman of the Florida Republican Party, was looking to purchase a New Jersey asphalt plant that needed a steady supply of the heavy crude that Venezuela has in abundance. Never mind that the South American country was in the cross-hairs of the Trump administration. The trip got off to a worrying start when Sargeant's plane was directed to a special hangar in Caracas and surrounded by soldiers. But what followed, he says, was privileged treatment, including an unexpected meeting the next day with Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelas socialist president. Within a year, Sargeant had inked an attractive oilfield agreement to help raise plummeting crude production in Venezuela, whose economy is in a free fall. A new Delaware company called Erepla Services LLC, of which Sargeant is a shareholder, would rehabilitate three troubled oilfields in exchange for almost half the revenue. We like high-risk places, said Sargeant, whose dealmaking has taken him to hot spots such as Iraq. The 61-year-old former Marine Corp pilot discussed the Venezuela deal with Reuters in an exclusive interview in the wood-paneled cigar room of his mansion in Gulf Stream, an affluent community on Florida's east coast. Sargeant's timing for the venture turned out to be lousy: On January 28, just weeks after news broke of Sargeant's partnership with Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), the U.S. government unleashed tough new sanctions banning Americans from working with Venezuela's state-run oil firm. It was part of a wider U.S. pressure campaign to topple Maduro's government. Sargeant acknowledges sanctions have derailed his deal. Still his willingness to do business with a ruler the Trump administration seeks to undermine reflects a long tradition of oil companies making deals with disfavored governments around the world. Prior to the January sanctions, the United States had been the biggest cash-paying customer for Venezuelas oil, importing more than 500,000 barrels daily. Story continues The intended partnership also highlights Venezuela's desperation. With Western oil majors steering clear of new investment there, the country has turned to China and Russia as well as upstart firms like Erepla. Maduro has long sought an end to what he calls an economic war being waged against his government by the United States. His embrace of an American company belies his public denunciations of Trump. There is no doubt they wanted to send a message that Venezuela was open to American business, Sargeant said. The Venezuelan government and PDVSA did not respond to emails requesting comment about the state oil company's deal with Erepla or Sargeant's version of events. FACE TO FACE WITH MADURO Sargeant says his business dealings in Venezuela date to the late 1980s. A Sargeant family company claimed in court that it was forced out of Venezuelas asphalt business by PDVSA in 2005. And the firm, records show, once owed a $52 million judgment to PDVSA. He says he decided to give the country another shot on his search for heavy crude because he still had industry contacts there. The day after Sargeant's November 2017 arrival, he said, a small convoy of SUVs took him to a house at the Fuerte Tiuna military base in Caracas. Inside, he said officials showed off a room with various live snakes, some venomous, on display in glass cages. Sargeant thought he would be meeting only with a PDVSA official he knew. Instead he said he found himself face-to-face with Maduro, whom he said was "friendly but serious." Maduro, he said, wanted him to explain why American companies were not investing in the oil sector there. And, with the help of a translator, the Venezuelan president waxed philosophical about the ravaged economy, Sargeant recalls. "He said China reinvented itself and the Venezuelans can reinvent themselves," Sargeant said. Sargeant did not end up purchasing the New Jersey asphalt plant. Instead, a few months later, he and his team began discussing a production venture with PDVSA, according to Ali Rahman, a Washington DC-based executive at Erepla. "We went in saying Hey, were an American oil company, we want to help revitalize the Venezuelan oil sector, and we want to do it waiving the American flag. CONTROVERSIAL PAST Sargeant's tolerance for risk-taking has taken him to hazardous corners of the globe where some of his business dealings have become tangled in investigations and lawsuits. During the height of the Iraq War, one of his firms, International Oil Trading Company (IOTC,) won lucrative contracts from the Defense Logistics Agency to supply the U.S. military with fuel. Disputes ensued at the Armed Forces Board of Contract Appeals. The U.S. government in the civil proceedings claimed IOTC used "bribery and fraud" to win permission from the nation of Jordan to transport oil across its territory. IOTC and Jordan denied those allegations at the time. Early last year the U.S. government settled, and agreed to pay IOTC $40 million, in what Sargeant says is a full vindication. His proposed deal with PDVSA is at odds with Republican Party efforts in his home state of Florida, a key battleground for the 2020 presidential election and where an estimated 200,000 Venezuelans have recently settled. Trump made an appeal to Venezuelan exiles at a recent rally in Florida, where he condemned Maduro's socialist government. Florida Senator Marco Rubio pushed for the U.S. ban on Venezuelan oil imports. Neither the White House or Rubio responded to a request for comment about Sargeant. Sargeant insists it is not his concern who rules Venezuela. Our business is with PDVSA, the institution," he said. We are not into the politics of the situation. (Reporting by Aram Roston; Editing by Kieran Murray and Marla Dickerson) Ridesharing firm Grab Philippines launched yesterday, February 27, a shooting simulator for the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) to support effective enforcement of road safety and security in major thoroughfares across the country. The firm partnered with the PNP in providing its first Troopers Shooting Simulator which is aimed at giving up-to-date training to members of the PNP-HPG on responding to threats from criminals on the streets. The shooting simulator will provide the PNP-HPG personnel with a sense of split-second life or death judgment on the use of force when responding to real and imminent threats that cannot be provided by training from normal shooting ranges, Grab Philippines President Brian Cu said during the launch in Camp Crame, Quezon City. Today, we sustain that commitment with the PNP-HPG as we unveil the Troopers Shooting Simulator to keep our roads safe and free from violent crimes such as carnapping and robbery, he added. PNP Chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde, meanwhile, said the shooting simulator will help enhance the capability of the police on its campaign against criminality amid its preparations for the upcoming mid-term elections in May. This is a significant and timely addition to our capability and competency programs as we further intensify our campaign against criminality especially in our security preparations for the upcoming national and local elections in May. Also, with the ever-changing environment where technological innovations are fast emerging, the PNP must be able to keep in step with the changing times, Albayalde said. It has been noted that drivers and passengers of transport network companies fall victims to robbery, assault, and carnapping. Equipping PNP-HPG troopers with the right training and equipment will help curb these incidents from happening. This will not only benefit the users of the Grab platform but will also be extended to other road users, Cu said. Story continues Grabs partnership with the PNP-HPG is part of its Safer Everyday campaign which aims to ensure a safe riding experience for the users of its app. The post Grab PH Launches Shooting Simulator for PNP appeared first on Carmudi Philippines. Traveloka begins its expansion to Australia with five products Indonesia-based traveltech startup Traveloka has made its debut beyond the Southeast Asian region by launching its services in Australia. Users in Australia can now access Traveloka services via website or app. They can also start booking five products from flight ticket reservation, accommodation, flight and hotel packages, airport transportation as well as attractions and activities. Today we are very enthusiastic to be able to add new countries outside of Southeast Asia. In general, Australia is a country that has better infrastructure in terms of internet connection, payment and adoption, so we hope that our digital presence in Australia can further enrich lives of our users by empowering them to discover the world around them by offering a various travel and lifestyle products in one platform, Traveloka Head of Global Partnership Yady Guitana said in a press statement. Also Read: [Updated] Traveloka reportedly has acquired rival OTAs PegiPegi, Mytour, TravelBook Through its expansion to Australia, the company aims to help the Indonesian government attract 20 million foreign visitors to Indonesia. In 2018, according to Indonesias statistics bureau (BPS), 1.3 million Australian tourists visited the country last year. The figure is expected to increase by 15 per cent to 1.5 million in 2019. In addition to its expansion to Australia, Traveloka recently has also opened a new R&D centre in Bangalore, India. The R&D centre will be the companys second one after the one it operates in Singapore. Image Credit: Srikant Sahoo on Unsplash The post Indonesias Traveloka expands to Australia appeared first on e27. Our Solar System is full of planets and moons that are quite interesting, varying from dusty rock worlds like Mars to frigid collections of methane lakes like on Saturns moon Titan. But of all the objects orbiting the Sun, Jupiter has to be the most interesting to look at. Theres just so much going on in its swirling clouds that you could stare forever and never get bored. NASAs Juno orbiter has been doing some fantastic work as it orbits the gas giant, sending back stunning images of the planet in greater detail than anyone has ever seen. NASA choose to showcase one such image this week, and boy is it pretty. Dramatic atmospheric features in Jupiters northern hemisphere are captured in this view from NASAs Juno spacecraft, NASA explains in a new blog post. The new perspective shows swirling clouds that surround a circular feature within a jet stream region called Jet N6.' NASA says the image was snapped back on February 12th, 2019, and was taken during Junos 18th flyby of Jupiter. The spacecraft was some 8,000 miles from the tops of the swirling vortex you see here, but thats still close enough to capture some remarkable detail. Jupiter is covered in massive storms that stretch for hundreds of miles into the planet. In terms of overall size, some of the storms like the iconic Great Red Spot could swallow Earth many times over. Understanding how the storms are born, live, and die, as well as what powers them, is something NASAs Juno team has been working on for a long time now. Much of Jupiter is still a mystery to scientists, as we have very little idea what the huge storm clouds are hiding deep within the planet. What factors determine the colors of the various clouds is also something researchers are still trying to figure out, and images like this one are eye candy for science fans. Trending Right Now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com A falling hotel window that killed a young woman in Hong Kong last month was not a freak occurrence, it transpired on Wednesday, when a government minister revealed a pane had fallen every five days for the past three years. Secretary for Development Michael Wong Wai-lun reported the figure to the Legislative Council, adding that about 59,000 notices ordering building owners to inspect their windows had been ignored, at least one of them for six years. In January a 24-year-old woman from mainland China was killed by a window that fell from a 16th-floor hotel room at The Mira Hong Kong in the busy shopping district of Tsim Sha Tsui, adding urgency to the issue of window safety. In a written reply to architectural sector lawmaker Tony Tse Wai-chuen, Wong said that between 2016 and 2018 the Buildings Department received 216 reports of falling windows involving private buildings aged 10 years or older. But he said the department did not keep figures on related casualties. Private blocks aged more than 10 years fall under a mandatory window inspection scheme launched in 2012. And Wong said about 59,000 or 12 per cent of 500,000 notices sent out to 9,843 buildings had not been complied with. The statutory notices require the owner to appoint a qualified person to inspect the windows and supervise repairs if required. Among the non-compliant cases, the longest overdue period is about six years, Wong said. In response to the non-compliant cases, the Buildings Department had issued 3,700 fixed penalty notices for a fine of HK$1,500. Wong said the Buildings Department had exercised its statutory authority on behalf of the owners of more than 70 buildings to carry out inspection and repair of windows in the common parts of their buildings. Up to now, the Buildings Department has not instigated any prosecution for non-compliant notices, but is planning to instigate prosecution actions against the more blatant cases, Wong said. Police arrested a hotel worker in connection with last months fatal incident. The female cleaner had been granted bail as officers needed more time to look into maintenance records and gather evidence. Story continues Why is window inspection important and how can falls be prevented? Anyone who drops an object or allows it to fall, causing danger or injury to a person in or near a public place is liable to a fine of HK$10,000 and six months in jail. If the falling object causes injury or death, the victim or their family members may also claim compensation against the owner through civil proceedings. The mandatory window inspection scheme was introduced in 2012 after a spate of window-falling incidents more than a decade ago that heightened concerns over the dangers of ageing buildings to public safety. This article Killer falling window at The Mira Hong Kong was no freak accident, government reveals first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. The Christian doctor arrived this morning at Delhi International Airport with his children. The Indian-born US citizen can return to treat the poor in Bihar. New Delhi (AsiaNews) Dr Christo Thomas Philip, a Christian doctor, is back in India after three years. He will now be able to treat poor patients in the Bihar hospital where he used to work, said AC Michael speaking to AsiaNews. Michael is a member of the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), an association that acts on behalf of persecuted Christians. Thanks to the tireless work of its lawyers, Dr Philip now has a visa allowing him to work again in India after he was forced out in 2016 on false charge of forced conversions. This morning the doctor landed at the Delhi International Airport on a Jet Airways flight. As soon as he left the T3 terminal with his three children (pictured), he was welcomed by his supporters, who placed the traditional garland of carnations around their necks. A wide smile painted on his face, the Christian doctor now can resume his work to serve the poorest of the poor of Indian society. Born in Kerala in 1982, Dr Philip became a US citizen after his family moved to the United States when he was 10. In 2011 he specialised in Emergency Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Three years later, he returned to India to work at the Duncan Hospital in Raxaul, Bihar, with an OCI (Overseas Citizens of India) card. The card is a lifelong visa for overseas doctors, nurses and dentists of Indian origin, which allows them to keep their foreign citizenship whilst working in India. In 2016 Indian authorities stripped Dr Christo of his visa, following complaints that he was engaged in "evangelical and subversive activities" and performed forced conversions leading to unrest and law and order problems. As a result of this, he was deported to Turkey but later moved to Nepal to be closer to India where his case was before the courts. In January of this year, the Delhi High Court ruled in his favour and ordered that his visa be reinstated. More importantly, the court made a historic ruling, recognising the petitioners right to engage in mission in India. "India is a secular country, the judgment says. All persons in this country have a right to practice their faith in the manner they consider fit so long as it does not offend any other person. If the petitioners faith motivates the petitioner to volunteer for medical services at a hospital, there is no law (certainly not of this land) that proscribes him from doing so. For Tehmina Arora, director of ADF India, Nobody should be persecuted because of their faith. It [the court ruling] certainly is a landmark judgement protecting the rights of foreign nationals working in Christian organizations to freely live out their faith in India. It restricts the arbitrary action of the Ministry of Home Affairs targeting foreigners merely because they are Christians. The first visit of State Secretary Michael Pompeo to Manila poses a good opportunity for the United States to better understand the country's independent foreign policy, a political analyst said Thursday. "It's more of understanding each other well, a better understanding of what the Philippine independent foreign policy means for the US," Ramon Casiple told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on the sidelines of a forum on Philippine-US relations in Quezon City. "There are still so many questions that could be clarified here (in the upcoming meeting). I think that's the outcome that we could see after unless the US has other things in its mind," he added. Pompeo is expected to arrive in the Philippines on February 28 to meet with Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and pay a courtesy call on President Rodrigo R. Duterte. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo earlier said the two secretaries would discuss issues of mutual interest with the possibility of tackling the proposed review of the 67-year-old Mutual Defense Treaty between Manila and Washington. With the expanding immigration concerns in the US, Casiple said Manila should also take advantage of the visit to clarify how Filipinos in America are affected by these issues. Moreover, the country should also seek for a categorical answer on where the US stands in the South China Sea issue, as well as on the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, he said. "(On our part) we are really not in the position to offer something big," he noted as he said that the administration's position since 2016 has been clear, as stated in the framework of its independent foreign policy. "Kumbaga nangyari na like our closer ties with China, ano pang sasabihin ng (US) doon? Unless sabihin ng presidente na iatras lahat 'yan at bumalik sa US, huli, meaning 'yong special relations, which I don't think will happen (That is to say we have already implemented our independent foreign policy like our closer ties with China, what can the US say against that? Unless the president pulls out and say we return to US, in terms of special relations, I don't think that will happen)," he said. Casiple also said that the country's mutual defense cooperation with the United States is "not really a mutual defense [treaty]." Casiple said the USA wanted the Armed Forces to stay weak so that the Philippines would always rely on it. "That was the logic under the mutual defense treaty. Let us take a paradigm shift. It is not really a mutual defense," he said."Having said that, we must maintain our independent foreign policy by modernizing our AFP," he added. He said the US had always refused to give the Philippines the modern military weapon and equipment, and even vessels under the treaty, and that South Korea gave the Philippine government a trailer jet, plus a US-licensed arm equipment, but US refused to equip the jet with armaments. "President Rodrigo Duterte asked, what do with that jet? To crash into our rival? What has [ex-President Benigno] Aquino [III] done? Where does the problem lie? It is with the US," he said. "We wanted a submarine and a frigate, but the US did not want to give us," he added. He, however, said the US has been "handling" Japan more favorably under their mutual defense cooperation compared to the Philippines, he cited. "Under their treaty, the US shall give immediate response to Japan," he said, adding the US agreed to help defend Japan against any foreign encroachment of its territories. "As far as our agreement was concerned, there was none. This was the reason why we lost our Panatag Shoal and Mischief Reef. The US said there was no such provision under our mutual defense treaty [to help defend the Philippines]," he said. Casiple added that even former President Benigno Aquino III cursed then US President Barrack Obama before his arrival in the Philippines when he learned about the militarization in the Panatag Shoal, also known as the Scarborough Shoal. "Read the 'Times' and you will see the action of the former President has been recorded there," he said. He said there is a need to review any renegotiated treaty with the US. "With regards to review, not just a written review, but a review of the foreign policies of all treaties. If a treaty has to be changed, let it be changed. If it has to be abrogated, let it be abrogated," he said. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo (Photo: PCOO) CEBU, Philippines Authorities have arrested a man for using a fake social media account under the name of Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) identified the suspect as Jose Villafuerte who, in some occasions, posed as Panelo, answering questions and sending messages to politicians and businessmen to extort money. One of the victims was Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission executive director Jose Antonio Goitia. Goitia said Villafuerte amassed a total of P450,000 from a series of transactions. Sabi niya, I know you wanted a position last year pero hindi mo nakuha. Siguro through a common friend, pero hindi mo nakuha,' Goitia said quoting a conversation with the suspect. You will be surprised how detailed he knows. Halimbawa my friend, I wont mention the name, another Asec., siguro nag-u-usap din sila. Siguro akala din noong ibang mga friends namin na siya (Panelo) rin iyon, he explained further. The suspect allegedly was using a number of identification cards to lobby his scheme. NBI Special Task Force Chief Gerald Geralde said, During the entrapment operation, we seized and recovered in his possession various identification cards bearing different names which he used in his trade. Ginagamit niya para mag-withdraw ng pera sa mga remittances centers. The suspect admitted to the crime but argued that he was forced to do it over money and apologized for using the name of Secretary Panelo. Humihingi ho ako ng tawad kay Sec. Salvador Panelo sa nangyari. Kung saan man po ako makapunta nito, madala po ako sa Muntinlupa ay maluwag sa loob ko pong tatanggapin iyong parusa po sa akin, Villafuerte said. Villafuerte is now facing charges of computer-related identity theft, obstruction of justice, unlawful use of alias among other forms of forgery filed against him. The NBI, however, dropped the estafa case against Villafuerte as those involved preferred not to push the charges anymore. Story continues Iyong ibang biktima natin nahihiya (na). Some are businessmen and others are government officials. So, they refuse to cooperate with the investigation, Geralde said. For his part, Panelo said the public should be vigilant against swindlers like Villafuerte. This should serve a warning to all that the law will always catch up on you, people who misrepresent and commit fraud. And of course, also caution to those subject of deceit to be more careful, Panelo concluded. Marje Pelayo (with reports from Mai Bermudez) The post NBI nabs swindler posing as Spokesperson Salvador Panelo on social media appeared first on UNTV News. MUZAFARABAD, Pakistan (AP) Pakistan's military said Wednesday it shot down two Indian warplanes in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured a pilot, answering an airstrike a day earlier by Indian fighter jets inside Pakistan and raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals to a level unseen in two decades. Within hours Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan went on television urging peace talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying both countries needed to step back from the brink and warning that "miscalculations" could drag their two countries into a war that neither side would benefit from. "Let's sit together to talk to find a solution," Khan said. There was no reply from Modi, but India acknowledged one of its air force planes was "lost" in skirmishes with Pakistan and that its pilot was "missing in action." Pakistan's military later circulated a video of a man with a mustache who identified himself as the Indian pilot, sipping tea and responding to questions, mostly by saying, "You know I can't answer that." He appeared in good health as he was questioned about his hometown, his aircraft and his mission. The downing of the Indian aircraft came on a chaotic day that also saw mortar shells fired by Indian troops from across the frontier dividing the two sectors of Kashmir kill six civilians and wound several others. A helicopter crash in the region also killed six Indian air force officials and a civilian on the ground. Pakistan responded by shutting down its civilian airspace. The Indian warplanes went down Wednesday morning in Kashmir, a mountainous region claimed by both India and Pakistan since almost immediately after their creation in 1947. One of the downed planes crashed in Pakistan's part of Kashmir while the other went down in an Indian-controlled section of the Himalayan region, Pakistan's army spokesman Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor said. Story continues He said Pakistani troops on the ground captured the Indian pilot. He had said earlier that two pilots were captured, but did not explain the discrepancy. "We have no intention of escalation, but are fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm," Ghafoor said. India's External Affairs Ministry spokesman, Raveesh Kumar, said one of India's MiG-21 fighter aircraft was missing and India was still "ascertaining" whether its pilot was in Pakistan's custody. He said one Pakistani aircraft was shot down, something Pakistan denied. Meanwhile, Indian police said officials recovered seven bodies from the wreckage of the Indian air force chopper that crashed in an Indian-controlled sector of Kashmir, including six Indian airmen and a civilian on the ground. They gave no cause for the crash. Senior police officer Munir Ahmed Khan said the chopper crashed close to an airport in the Budgam area, on the outskirts of the region's main city of Srinagar. The Srinagar airport, which was shut along with two other airports for civilian flights in the region, is also an air force station. Witnesses said soldiers fired in the air to keep residents away from the crash site. Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad said the country's air force was carrying out airstrikes Wednesday from within Pakistani airspace across the disputed Kashmir boundary but that this was not in "retaliation to continued Indian belligerence." Ghafoor, the Pakistani military spokesman, said the strikes were aimed at "avoiding human loss and collateral damage." The shelling earlier Wednesday by India hit the village of Kotli in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, killing six civilians, including children, local police official Mohammad Altaf said. Kashmir is split between Pakistan and India and claimed by both in its entirety. Though Pakistani and Indian troops in Kashmir often trade fire, the latest casualties came a day after tensions escalated sharply following a pre-dawn airstrike and incursion by India that New Delhi said targeted a terrorist training camp in northwestern Pakistan. The strike Tuesday was India's first inside Pakistan since the two nations' 1971 war over territory that later became Bangladesh. Pakistan said Indian warplanes dropped bombs near the Pakistani town of Balakot but there were no casualties. The violence Wednesday marked the most serious escalation of the long-simmering conflict since 1999, when Pakistan's military sent a ground force into Indian-controlled Kashmir at Kargil. That year also saw an Indian fighter jet shoot down a Pakistani naval aircraft, killing all 16 on board. Residents on both sides of the de-facto frontier, the so-called Line of Control, said there were exchanges of fire between the two sides through the night into Wednesday morning. Hundreds of villagers fled border towns in both India and Pakistan. In New Delhi, Indian officials said Wednesday at least five of their soldiers were wounded in firing by Pakistani troops along the volatile frontier. Lt. Col. Devender Anand, an Indian army spokesman, said Pakistani soldiers targeted dozens of Indian military positions across the Line of Control throughout the night. An Indian military statement said that "out of anger and frustration," Pakistan initiated an "unprovoked cease-fire violation." The statement said Indian troops "retaliated for effect" and claimed to have destroyed five Pakistani posts. It accused Pakistani soldiers of firing mortars and missiles "from civilian houses, using villagers as human shields." On Wednesday, Pakistan's foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, told state-run Pakistan Television he was in touch with his counterparts across the world about the "Indian aggression," adding that New Delhi had endangered peace in the region by Tuesday's airstrike inside Pakistan. India's external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, said Wednesday her country does not wish to see further escalation of the situation with Pakistan and that it will continue to act with responsibility and restraint. She said the limited objective of India's pre-emptive strike inside Pakistan on a terrorist training camp Tuesday was to prevent another terror attack inside India by the Jaish-e-Mohammad extremist group. The latest wave of tensions between Pakistan and India first erupted after Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for a Feb. 14 suicide bombing on Indian paramilitary forces on the Indian side of Kashmir that killed more than 40 troops. India long has accused Pakistan of cultivating such militant groups to attack it. Pakistan has said it was not involved in that attack and was ready to help New Delhi in the investigations. ___ Hussain reported from Srinagar, India. Associated Press writers Ashok Sharma in New Delhi and Kathy Gannon and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report. 28 Feb Hong Kong actress Rose Chan has laughed off rumours that she was secretly meeting Bosco Wong in Malaysia. As reported on On CC, the actress reignited rumours of romance with her "Guardian Angel" when they were spotted in the country - albeit separately. When contacted for response, Rose shared that she was in Malaysia on a vacation with her group of friends, and even contacted Bosco to recommend her good places to eat. "He suggested a lot of places, even a Bak Kut Teh shop that he said is really good. I haven't checked it out yet," she said. Asked if she would invite Bosco out for a dinner while they are both in Malaysia, Rose said that she already did. "But I am not sure if it's possible just yet," she said, alluding to Bosco's busy schedule. On the other hand, Rose said that she did stumble upon good friend Rainky Wai, who was also in Kuala Lumpur at the same time. "It's funny because we couldn't find time to meet in Hong Kong, and yet we had the opportunity to go out for a meal here," she said. (Photo Source: Rose Chan Instagram) At least seven people have died and dozens more are still trapped beneath the rubble of an illegal gold mine that collapsed in Indonesia, officials said Thursday, as rescuers frantically searched for survivors. Some 19 miners had been plucked to safety since Tuesday night's accident and rescuers are communicating with some still buried, raising hopes for more survivors. But the rescue effort at the remote site on Indonesia's Sulawesi island was hampered by steep terrain and unstable soil conditions after the collapse triggered a landslide. A survivor whose leg was amputated at the site Thursday later died of massive blood loss, bringing the death toll to seven. "His condition was already bad and he had lost a lot of blood," said local disaster agency official Abdul Muin Paputungan. "He died after we managed to evacuate him from the scene." Medical personnel removed the man's limb because it was pinned underneath a large rock, making it impossible to free him without emergency on-site surgery. "We're racing against time," Paputungan said of the search for survivors. "The rescue is ongoing but it's risky... We've heard at least three people asking for help and we're trying to pull them out and supply them with water and food so they can survive." Army and disaster agency personnel used ropes to navigate the steep, muddy area as survivors were carried away in makeshift stretchers to waiting vehicles. Some have been treated for cuts and broken bones at a local hospital. Survivor Rusdi Tulong said he was just two metres below ground when mud and stone smothered the exit of the mine shaft, trapping him and two others for a day and a night. We were praying, reciting the Koran ... (and) screaming for help," the shell-shocked miner told AFP from his hospital bed in Kotamobagu city. "We could still breathe because there were gaps between the rocks." Many of the miners family members gathered at the site desperate to help in the search, while others broke down in tears at the morgue in Kotamobagu. Amrin Simbala, the father of a trapped miner, said he had spoken with his son who was buried beneath a mound of rocks. He asked for water because he was thirsty. But how could I get the water in? an emotional Simbala told AFP. Later in the afternoon, no more voices could be heard." - Many still trapped - With heavy machinery on standby, rescuers so far have been forced to use spades and even their bare hands to clear away debris, fearing that a wrong move could make the situation worse. "We've had to limit the number of rescuers because there's been more cracks at the location... so we're afraid if there are too many people it will make things more dangerous," Paputungan said. The accident happened when support beams at the unlicensed site collapsed, according to the disaster agency. More than three dozen people may still be trapped at the mine in the Bolaang Mongondow region of North Sulawesi, where some five miners were killed in December after an illegal gold mine accident. But it remained unclear how many people were still in the mine. "The figures are not consistent based on survivors' accounts," district head Yasti Soepradjo said. "We're still in the dark about the exact number." Ground conditions at the mine were unstable due to the large number of holes dug by the miners, officials have said. The mineral-rich Southeast Asian nation has scores of unlicensed mining sites and safety regulations are routinely flouted. In 2016, 11 miners died after a mudslide engulfed an illegal gold mine in Sumatra's Jambi province. A year earlier, 12 people were killed when a shaft collapsed after they tunnelled into a disused gold mine on Java island. PHOTO: Getty Images Two months after Rasi was first engaged as her domestic helper, Jenny Chan Yun Hui began physically assaulting her. On one occasion, the 41-year-old Singaporean punched the Indonesians eye till she could not see, pinched her ears and hit her head till it bled. On another occasion, upset that Rasi had overslept, Chan punched her nose till the nasal bone fractured. On Wednesday (27 February), Chan admitted to two counts of voluntarily causing hurt and one count of voluntarily causing grievous hurt to 27-year-old Rasi. No mobile phone, no speaking to neighbours Rasi was employed by Chans husband and began working for the family in February 2016. Chan told the maid to begin her chores at 6am, which included cooking, washing and ironing clothes. The maid was given a strict schedule to follow and Chan would monitor her movements through multiple CCTV cameras in the flat. Lacking rest, Rasi often fell asleep during her chores, angering Chan. Rasi did not own a mobile phone and was forbidden from using a telephone. She was also forbidden from speaking to her neighbours. Sometime between April and 20 June 2016, Chan became upset that Rasi had not finished her morning chores. Despite the maids apology, Chan punched her in the eye. As Rasi cleaned the kitchen floor, Chan hit her back with her hand. She then smacked the back of Rasis head with a plastic bowl, drawing blood. Chan rinsed off the blood with a shower head before applying medicated oil on Rasis head. She did not bring the helper to seek medical treatment. Multiple incidents of abuse During the same period, Rasi decided to flee as she could no longer tolerate the assaults. She decided to clean the toilet before leaving. Before she could finish, Chan returned home and asked why the maid had not cleaned the bedroom first. Rasi replied that she intended to leave the flat for good. Chan became infuriated with Rasi and hit her before ordering her to clean the floor. She then gave Rasi some medication and told the maid not to tell her husband that she had returned home early. Story continues Chan also told Rasi that if she fled, she would call the police and jail the maid for 20 years, causing Rasi to fear that she would not be able to see her son again. Later that same day, when Rasi fell asleep while cleaning the room, Chan pinched her ears with her fingernails, causing Rasis ears to bleed. Chan also punched Rasis eyes until the left eye was so swollen that Rasi became blind in that eye for some 30 minutes. Chan later treated Rasi with cotton wool and medicated oil. She did not bring Rasi to a doctor. In another instance, Chan was angry with Rasi as the latter had woken up late. She punched Rasis nose several times even when Rasi said she was unable to breathe through her nose. Rasi sustained a right nasal bone fracture from the incident. On 19 June 2016, Rasi managed to speak to a neighbouring helper while on the balcony of her employers flat. The other maid advised Rasi to take a taxi to the Indonesian Embassy for help. Rasi did so on 20 June. She was then hospitalised for the next two days. According to her medical report, Rasi suffered bruises on her head and around her eyes, a hair loss patch, abrasions on her ears, arms and chest, a swollen face, and nasal bone fracture and pinch marks on her arms, amongst other injuries. Chans case has been adjourned for a hearing to determine whether her mental condition had any bearing on her actions. Four more charges, involving other acts of violence committed on the helper, will then be taken into consideration when Chan is sentenced. Chans mental health issues were not revealed in court. More Singapore stories Woman hospitalized after heavy glass door gets dislodged and falls on her Record number of contraband cases seen at checkpoints in 2018: ICA British model who molested woman sentenced to 15 months probation WhyQ was derived from the idea of getting your favorite street food without the need of queuing, and more February this year marks the two years anniversary of WhyQ, a hawker food delivery service based in Singapore. e27 got the opportunity to speak with Rishabh Singhvi, Co-founder of WhyQ, when news about Singapore and Hong Kong-based food delivery service Plum decided to pull out of the competitive market and that it will direct its existing customers to WhyQ, so e27 talked to WhyQ to understand how WhyQ keeps its cool in the brutal market of food delivery as a relatively new player. Leveraging niche For Singhvi, WhyQs edge is all about the niche he and co-founder Varun Saraf managed to focus on. Hawker food is something familiar and affordable here in Singapore, which is a big market in itself even with other food delivery service that you can think of basically operates here and offer to deliver your hawker food order, Singhvi explained the thought process behind focussing on hawker food delivery service only. In fact, hawker food remains the most popular choice of meal, not only for tourists but most importantly for locals. In a 2016 report by the Hawker Centre 3.0 Committee, they found that three in four Singaporeans visited a hawker centre at least once a week. Seeing that hawker food is integral in Singaporean everyday life, pinpointing the number one problem that customers have when coming to a hawker food centre to get their meal is rather easy: its the long queue. Its kind of what inspires the name, said Singhvi. Also Read: Indonesias Traveloka expands to Australia But what actually sets WhyQ apart from other food delivery services that also can queue up the line for customers? Its the way we treat the orders and group them up to be more efficient, Singhvi answered. What WhyQ does is put together the received order in batch to send them in one go. Customers are given an order cutoff time, which is usually about 45 to 60 minutes before WhyQs delivery time. Story continues This can only work by combining technology and manpower. So WhyQs approach is to have what the company called Hawker Captains, who wait for, manage the orders inside the hawker centers, and work with different hawker partners (sellers) to go and pick up the food from all the different shops there. Its helpful that WhyQ already has a relationship with the government arm that takes care the hawker centres in the country, National Environmental Agency (NEA). With NEA, WhyQ fix a designated spot inside each hawker centre where their bikers would come in and meet the captains to retrieve the already-packed orders to go on delivery routes. Efficient bulking On average, Singhvi said, WhyQ would have about twelve deliveries per bikers per jobs, delivering to the Central Business District (CBD). It is a lot higher than what wed see Grab Food or other food delivery does, said Singhvi. This method is how WhyQ is able to remove minimum order, even though hawker food is low cost and popular. As for Plums semi-acquisition that was done by the company, Singhvi shared that ever since WhyQ operated, they have been studying Plum as its the companys indirect competitors. Plum also did restaurants orders in the early days. Id say they did 20 per cent hawker and 80 per cent resto food delivery, but towards the end of their operation the numbers are switched because hawker food did sell a lot more and it remains an untapped huge market compared to restaurant food, said Singhvi. Another thing that makes WhyQ outlasts Plum was the delivery handling that was inefficient. Dispatching delivery is so important in this business. What Plum did was delivering to, lets say eight locations from the same restaurants, and they have basically eight Plum delivery guys to do each delivery order. They were sending one delivery courier to each resto for each location that they were delivering to, Singhvi explained. This model sure could work in a high commission model, which is done around 30 to 35 per cent commission from the restaurant, but certainly not with small, family run business like hawker food. They have no capacity to give big commission, he added. Singhvi recalled that he had a meeting with Plums operation in Singapore to explain to them how WhyQ does their operation when Plum first came to the country. Now were tapping into Plums entire customer base. There are few thousands of them that will be onboarded to WhyQ and WhyQ will reach out to them as Plum closed its operation with discount code. Were also onboarding its hawker partners onto WhyQ, said Singhvi. Friendly but tricky So in WhyQ, what they do is giving the hawker options, either commission them for not more than ten to 15 per cent only or let WhyQ do markups on their food price for 10 to 15 per cent as well. Ultimately it really comes down to partnering with these hawkers and get their food out there. For the markup one, we decide the menu and the menu prices together with the hawker partners, said Singhvi. However, being an ally of the hawkers also presents its challenges. If a hawker stall agrees to do the commission model, we can put out the same price with what the walk-in customers get compared to the second option, which is the markup prices, said Singhvi. WhyQ operates by breaking down the hawker centers and doing several smaller segments, depending on the popularity of the hawker centers and on the past data that they have gathered. They will then send a team down (hawker captains) that can be up to ten people, to help with collection, packaging, sorting, and distribution to bikers who meet them at the hawker centers. Dominating the hawker slice of pie Singhvi believes that in terms of hawker partners, WhyQ has become the number one company in terms of the average total delivery per day the company has, which is 1400 deliveries per day. In the past, the company raised US$890,000 (S$1.2 million) from angel investors and other investors like backers of GuavaPass and Caarly, the used car app company which has been acquired by Carousell. Singhvi mentioned about the importance of having an all-in angel investors for WhyQ. For us, angels need to take an active part in WhyQ. One of our angels introduced us to DBS, the big bank here that at that time has been focussing on helping local food scene in Singapore. The relationship turned out great as DBS helped sponsor, promote, market, campaign, and connect us to important party like NEA, Singhvi gave an example. With WhyQs laser focus on hawker scene, the company has its own fleet of delivery couriers who are independent contractors. These delivery people will set aside time to do our deliveries in peak periods like during lunch and dinner, Singhvi added. Making hawkers life easy Getting hawkers to accept the hawkers app, as these people arent used to do all this tech things, Singhvi recalled when being asked what was the hardest part starting the business. WhyQs system is customised in a way that wont distract hawkers while they go about their day. What WhyQ does is it simply buzzes every time an order comes through, much like the system you see in a restaurant order taking. We will just send one order at the order cutoff time that contains all the orders coming in for the hawker. The hawker needs not to know which customers ordering what, just the order. Our hawker team will collect the items once theyre done and label them for delivery. Packaging also needs to be adjusted by their hawker team, said Singhvi. Singhvi highlighted the solid relationship WhyQ has with the hawker partners as the key competitive edge it maintains. These are the people who come to work at 4 am in the morning everyday. They arent concerned with what delivery brand are coming to order from them. What they care about is whether or not you understand when is their peak time so you can adjust the timing of orders and deliveries so it wont disrupt their work in the kitchen, Singhvi said. We put orders a bit before and a bit after the peak times. Essentially, instead of giving them more headache during their peak time, we try to expand their high revenue generating hours. For example if the bulk of orders are sent to them at 11 am, they can prepare them at 11.30 am, and then they can focus on the physical queue that starts coming on at 11.30 am onwards, he added. WhyQs platform is designed to fit all parties involved. The hawker partners can manage operations and update when their stall is closed or out of item, at the same time not overburden the hawker captains. Since the beginning, weve kept things very simple. We just asked for one thing to the hawkers: just dont let our captains queue, which is where the name comes from. We understand that queuing is not pleasant and remains a big thing in the country, but we find a way around it, said Singhvi. Using WhyQs service and app, the hawker captains will place orders over the counters to our hawker partners. They will just place the order on the side and move on to other shops without queuing. Five different hawker captains are divided in five segments in one hawker centres, that WhyQ recognises as the most popular stalls using past data and algorithms, so that the orders will be evenly distributed among the five captains. They go in, place the orders to all different shops, come back, collect the food, take care of the packaging, and bikers will take over the delivery, Singhvi added. As for payments, WhyQ is integrated with DBS Paylah to allow orders being paid using e-wallet. The company managed to convince hawkers to set up barcode stickers on their stalls. With hawkers and e-wallet, the challenge is in making sure that there isnt too long of a gap between WhyQ giving orders and them getting their money back because the hawkers need it to be put back into their ingredients purchase. We have selected partners privilege that get to cash out their e-wallet payment daily, said Singhvi. WhyQ also got an alternative for hawkers that arent comfortable using the e-wallet, which comes in the form of small handheld printers connected to WhyQ app so they can see the receipt. Whats next A lot of exciting scale-up plans are on the pipelines for the company, Singhvi mentioned. According to the newlywed CEO, WhyQ has started working on the pilot phase of the supplier end, which would be a different part of the company. WhyQ will work with the suppliers, and make the products available on WhyQ app as an easy way for hawker partners to order their food ingredients. Right now, we have brought over prawns supplier supplying up to 200 kilos on daily basis and were moving on to other products as well, said Singhvi. On customer end, Singhvi said it plans to increase their customer base and orders by launching subscription model. The customers can pick and choose what they want to eat over the course of two to four weeks, and they can just forget about it. The idea is to plan your meal, and we will just notify you on what you order for the day to give you option to defer in case you change your mind, Singhvi explained. Another thing that is on the plan is ordering food for elderly at home, which the customers can set up in advance and the delivery will take care of it. Singh added that the subscription model will also be available for corporate catering, in which companies can have almost 200 plus bulk orders for hawker food to facilitate company events. We think the corporate catering has a huge potential because the procedure is now still limited to email communication, said Singhvi. Also Read: Warung Pintar acquires a platform that connects farmers with direct sellers WhyQ also will introduce a take away model wherein a customer can order ahead of picking up so when the customer arrives at the centre, the order is ready to be picked up. Singhvi shares that WhyQ has planned to eventually expand to Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Thailand, where the hawker culture is also a strong part of the community. The post This startup connects people with hawkers comfort food to help their business thrive appeared first on e27. We asked Echelon insiders and previous TOP100 finalists, and they answered Counting the weeks to Echelon Asia Summit 2019 this coming May, you may have heard about our TOP100 startup pitching competition (of course), the culmination of our two-day event where new and promising startups take the centre stage. This year, it could be your ideas and your business that experience its own TOP100 journey, as e27s mission of empowering startups in Southeast Asia gives you the chance of a lifetime. As e27 always supports aspiring startups in whatever stage they are in, we hope this article gives you the hopefuls some sense of control. This one would be the cheat sheet of how you can increase your chances to make it into TOP100 Echelon this year. The first one is from Ashleigh, one of our own colleagues, who belongs to the team that makes Echelon happen. You can count on his tips to get the attention of investors, which can open many doors for you. Startups should prepare their pitch decks for a 3-minute pitch and prepare questions that investors would typically ask There will be around five minutes of Q&A after presentations, so you better come locked-and-loaded with any possible questions that can be raised. From inspiration, business model, revenue stream, margins, technical issues, to founders background, anything is possible. Leave no blind spots. Be able to show what makes you THE startup above your competitors and bring your industry knowledge as well as your sales skills There are two skills highlighted here by Ash. Your knowledge of the industry must include how many people will be using your solution and what pain points it solves. Who are the competitors, and how are you different from them? Sell it in a convincing way backed by numbers and tested markets. Ashs wise reminder: Its not only the startup/founder that matters, its how much passion you have and how you are able to convince others that yours is a business worth investing in. If you dont make it, ask why from the investors and learn from it. And if needed, pivot. Pivot fast. Story continues Also Read: We are on the way to the first 8 cities of Echelon Roadshow 2019 Next, we also spoke to the previous TOP100 finalist at last years Echelon, William Suryawan, Co-founder of MyClinicalPro, a healthtech startup based in Indonesia. William gave his side of the experience and what he and his startup did in order to secure a seat at TOP100. Startups need to prepare a clear and visionary purpose of why they built their startup William shared that he was once asked about his purpose in building MyClinicalPro, and he couldnt answer well. Since the encounter, he got to think through his real purpose of building his startups, and it involves the solving elements that bring value and tackling an ongoing problem that will have a significant impact to the nation. Well, long story short, after figuring out what the big purpose in building my startup was, I defined the long-term vision that was not only from one specific problem, but also from what we want to see how digital technology could improve the health, beauty, and wellness of Indonesia people, he added. Now ask yourself the same question and begin with a kickass Why? Bring a clear business model and uniqueness to the stage For me at that time, I needed to be able to breakdown the purpose of my startup with a clear statement of what problems I wanted to solve, how would I solve it, and the impact it has brought so far, William recalled. Also Read: Meet 15 of the top-notch investors who will be judging TOP100! Theres a connection between a clear purpose of why you want to develop your startup and how will you improve your startup in the future that needs to be presented. This should be the basis of your business model. In regards to uniqueness, William emphasised the importance of delivering the unique element of your company, as your startup will be compared with others that offer similar products or services. By the end of your explanation, the investors should be able to think that your startup is bringing something different and valuable enough for them to want to know more, said William. Williams wise reminder: You may have a long answer to each question because you are the founder and you know inside out about your startup. But aim to make your answers concise and clear to avoid distraction and undelivered message. You need to ensure the investors can discern your message precisely within the limited time provided by Echelon. William then shared the questions he prepared to answer for the Q&A stage during his TOP100 moment: What problems are you trying to solve? What is your solution to the problems? What is the impact you have made so far? What is your business growth or traction so far? What is your revenue structure? What is your plan for your startup? How will you execute? Who will execute? What do you expect from the one who listens to you at this moment? Crucial thing to do during Q&A is to bring your partner to stage. You might not understand everything in detail and you never expect what question will be asked and how detailed it can get. Good teamwork also plays a role here, said William. Now that both sides have given their tips, it could really be your year! William further added, The good thing about TOP100 is that it can open your startup to new opportunities because the one who listens to you might be potential investors, strategic partners, or even big customers. This years TOP100 will be played differently as the pitching sessions will be private, meaning that the only audience will be the investors. The startups will also need to stick around (or come back) for the event in the evening called Echelon Roadshow, as thats where the announcement of the startups that qualify for TOP100 at Echelon Asia Summit 2019 will be made. If you havent registered, please do your startup a favor, and submit your TOP100 application here. - The post How can my startup participate in TOP100? appeared first on e27. FILE PHOTO: White House advisers Jared Kushner looks on during the Middle East summit in Warsaw, Poland, February 14, 2019. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo ANKARA (Reuters) - White House adviser Jared Kushner discussed his Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, and the two also discussed increasing U.S.-Turkish cooperation and ways to boost economic conditions in the region. Kushner, who has responsibility for Washington's Israel-Palestinian policy, has said the peace plan will address final-status issues of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, including establishing borders. The White House said the meeting with Erdogan included Kushner, Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt and U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook. "They discussed increasing cooperation between the United States and Turkey, and the Trump administrations efforts to facilitate peace between the Israelis and Palestinians," the White House said. "Additionally, they discussed ways to improve the condition of the entire region through economic investment." Erdogan has been one of the most vocal critics of U.S. President Donald Trump's support for Israel. Last year he said the United States had forfeited its role as mediator in the Middle East by moving its Israel embassy to Jerusalem and recognising the city as Israel's capital. "The United States has chosen to be part of the problem rather than the solution," the Turkish president said last May, days before he hosted a summit of Muslim leaders which threatened economic measures against countries which followed the United States in moving their embassies to Jerusalem. Israel calls all of Jerusalem its "eternal and undivided capital", a status not recognised internationally. Palestinians want East Jerusalem, captured and occupied by Israel in a 1967 war, as capital of a future state. In an interview broadcast on Monday on Sky News Arabia during a visit to U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states, Kushner made no specific mention of a Palestinian state, whose creation had been a key goal of Washington's peace efforts for two decades. Story continues But he said the long-awaited peace proposal would build on "a lot of the efforts in the past", including the 1990s Oslo accords that provided a foundation for Palestinian statehood, and would require concessions from both sides. U.S. officials said that Kushner, who is Trump's son-in-law, is expected to focus on the economic component of the plan during his week-long trip to the region. (Reporting by Mert Ozkan; Writing by Daren Butler; editing by Gareth Jones) By Jeff Mason and Soyoung Kim HANOI (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump hailed "a very special relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as they met in Vietnam for a second summit on Wednesday and said he was satisfied with the pace of denuclearisation talks despite some criticism they were not moving quickly enough. The U.S. president appeared upbeat with Kim even as on the other side of the world in Washington his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen called Trump a "conman" who knew in advance about the release of stolen emails aimed at hurting his Democratic rival in the 2016 election campaign. "Great meetings" and a "Very good dialogue," Trump said on Twitter after dinner with Kim at Hanoi's French-colonial-era Metropole hotel while the White House said the two planned to sign a "joint agreement" after further talks on Thursday. Facing increasing political and legal pressure at home over investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, Trump has devoted significant time and effort to trying to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for promises of peace and development, a foreign policy goal that has confounded multiple predecessors. The Hanoi meeting was Trump's second meeting with Kim in eight months and he appeared to reiterate recent statements that he was in no rush. "We had a very successful first summit," he told Kim. "I felt it was very successful, and some people would like to see it go quicker; Im satisfied; youre satisfied, we want to be happy with what we're doing." Asked by a reporter if he was "walking back" on denuclearisation demands, Trump said "no". Trump and Kim held a 20-minute, one-on-one chat before they sat down to dinner with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trump's acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Kim's top envoy Kim Yong Chol and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho. Story continues On Thursday, the two leaders are scheduled for a series of meetings at the Metropole, beginning with another one-on-one session lasting 45 minutes, the White House said. The two leaders would hold a "joint agreement signing ceremony," at the end of the meetings, which would be followed by a news conference by Trump at 3:50 p.m. Hanoi time (0850 GMT). The White House has given no indication as to what the signing ceremony might involve, although the two sides have held discussions that have included the possibility of a political statement to declare the 1950-53 Korean War over, which some critics say would be premature. Asked if he would declare a formal end to the Korean War, which concluded with an armistice, not a peace treaty that North Korea has long sought, Trump said: Well see. Their summit in Singapore in June was the first meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader and ended with fanfare but little substance. Trump and Kim pledged to work toward denuclearisation and permanent peace on the Korean peninsula, but there has been little progress since. Kim said they had overcome obstacles to meet a second time and praised Trump for his "courageous decision" to begin a dialogue. "Now that we're meeting here again like this, I'm confident that there will be an excellent outcome that everyone welcomes, and I'll do my best to make it happen," Kim said. "Were going to have a very busy day tomorrow, a smiling, relaxed-looking Trump, said seated beside Kim at a round dinner table with the other four officials and two interpreters. "Our relationship is a very special relationship." Observers said the pair were at pains to show their relationship had improved since June, with their body language closely mirroring each other. LEVERAGE Trump said late last year he and Kim "fell in love", but whether the bonhomie can move them beyond summit pageantry to substantive progress on eliminating a North Korean nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States is the big question. Trump indicated a more flexible stance in the run-up to Hanoi, saying he was in no rush on denuclearisation as long as North Korea, which has not tested a nuclear weapon or intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017, maintained that freeze. Trump risks squandering vital leverage if he gives away too much, too quickly, critics said. Evans Revere, a former U.S. negotiator with North Korea, said Trump was under pressure given his domestic problems and "Kim may be tempted to push Trump even harder for concessions, knowing how much the president wants and needs that testing pause." Daniel Russel, who served as the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia until early in Trump's presidency, said telling Kim that he could take his time was anything but strategically wise. "The yardstick for assessing ... results is not whether Trump proclaims himself 'happy,' but whether the outcome takes North Korea measurably closer to revealing and dismantling its nuclear and ballistic missile programs." U.S. intelligence officials have said there is no sign North Korea will give up its entire arsenal of nuclear weapons, which Kim's ruling family sees as vital to its survival, and analysts say Pyongyang is unlikely to commit to significant steps without an easing of punishing U.S.-led sanctions. The two sides have discussed partial denuclearisation measures, such as allowing inspectors to observe the dismantlement of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear reactor, U.S. and South Korean officials say. U.S. concessions could include opening liaison offices or clearing the way for inter-Korean projects. Trump has appeared to be betting on his personal relationship with Kim, and the economic incentive after 70 years of hostility between their countries. "Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize," Trump said on Twitter ahead of the meeting. (For live coverage of the summit, click: https://www.reuters.com/live/north-korea; Eikon SUMMIT LIVE [nL3N20M1H6]; Reporting by Soyoung Kim and Jeff Mason in HANOI; Additional reporting by Hyonhee Shin, James Pearson, Mai Nyugen, Ju-min Park, Khanh Vu, Josh Smith in HANOI, David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick in WASHINGTON; Editing by Robert Birsel, Lincoln Feast and Grant McCool) Tingog Sinirangan party-list first nominee Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt-Romualdez on Thursday sought the continued inspection of residential homes and buildings for possible fire hazards as she cited the heroism of the countrys firefighters and volunteers whose or care for others has been saving lives, homes, and properties from destructive fires. Romualdez made the statement following the Tingog party-lists recent relief operation for the fire victims in Brgy. Narra in Catarman, Northern Samar where a total of 81 families were affected with 61 houses totally damaged and 20 partially damaged during the fire incident. With the annual observance of the Fire Prevention Month this March, Romualdez, congresswoman of the First District of Leyte, also underscored anew the need to modernize the Bureau of Fire Protection. For us to help prevent fire, we should always adhere in the promotion of public safety and follow safety measures, said Romualdez, who chairs the House committee on accounts. Romualdez extolled the spirit of volunteerism of the firefighting community, adding that this should snowball support to their mission in the name of public safety. We commend our firefighters and volunteers whose proudest moments are to save lives, homes and properties. They are always there, night and day, for us and not giving up the battle despite physical limitations and lack of support for their welfare, Romualdez said. Romualdez is the wife of former House Independent Bloc Leader and ex-Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, president of both the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa) and Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), who is running for Leyte congressional district.She stressed the need to provide fire trucks, fire stations and modernized firefighting equipment for the majority of towns in the countryside. We have to seriously invest more in modernizing the BFP for the best interest of the nation. Let us build fire stations and purchase modern equipment for our firefighters, said Romualdez. Romualdez also cited the need for Congress to appropriate funds for the BFP to embark on modernizing the equipment of fire fighters aimed at preventing the loss of lives and properties, adding that unreliable safety equipment of them should also improve. Their act of bravery as firefighters is a greatest accomplishment already because they are involved in a very noble calling and indeed, they very selfless people who put their lives on line. It is important for us not to forget them, instead we should always recognize and celebrate their heroism, Romualdez said. The lives of our firefighters and fire victims are also in great danger if our firefighting equipment is not reliable, she added. The United States on Thursday offered a $1 million reward for information on a son of late Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, seeing him as an emerging face of extremism. The location of Hamza bin Laden, sometimes dubbed the "crown prince of jihad," has been the subject of speculation for years with reports of him living in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria or under house arrest in Iran. "Hamza bin Laden is the son of deceased former AQ leader Osama bin Laden and is emerging as a leader in the AQ franchise," a State Department statement said, referring to Al-Qaeda. The State Department said that it would offer $1 million for information leading to his location in any country. Bin Laden, who according to the United States is around 30, has threatened attacks against the United States to avenge the 2011 killing of his father, who was living in hiding in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad, by US special forces. US intelligence agencies increasingly see the younger bin Laden as a successor to his father for the mantle of global jihad, especially as the even more extreme Islamic State group is down to its last sliver of land in Syria. In 2015, bin Laden released an audio message urging jihadists in Syria to unite, claiming that the fight in the war-torn country paves the way to "liberating Palestine." And in a message a year later, following in the footsteps of his father, he urged the overthrow of the leadership in their native Saudi Arabia. Osama bin Laden's three surviving wives and his children were quietly allowed to return to Saudi Arabia after his killing. But Hamza bin Laden's whereabouts have been a matter of dispute. He is believed to have spent years along with his mother in Iran, despite Al-Qaeda's strident denunciations of the Shiite branch of Islam that dominates the country. Observers say that the clerical regime in Tehran kept him under house arrest as a way to maintain pressure on rival Saudi Arabia as well as on Al-Qaeda, dissuading the Sunni militants from attacking Iran. One of Hamza bin Laden's half-brothers told The Guardian last year that Hamza's whereabouts were unknown but that he may be in Afghanistan. He also said that Hamza bin Laden married the daughter of Mohammed Atta, the lead hijacker in Al-Qaeda's September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States that killed some 3,000 people and sparked the US intervention in Afghanistan. Limakilo, which is translated Five Kilos, is acquired by Warung Pintar for its simplification of food chain Warung Pintar, micro-retail startup based in Indonesia, officially announces that it has acquired Limakilo, a platform that simplifies food chain by cutting short the distribution of food from farmers directly to stalls and small stores. Also Read: Smart city app Qlue secures funding from Telkom Indonesia VC This acquisition means thousands of Warung Pintars partner in Jakarta, Depok, Tangerang, and Banyuwangi area will get direct access to see their staple food commodity in Warung Pintars digitally-supported stalls. The farm produces supplied by Limakilo will help the stall owners to have a variety of products, especially the staple food commodity. Staple food are always on a high demand and will also increase the turnover rate of the stall owners. On the other hand, farmers will also have a better selling price with wider access following the increase in Warung Pintars digital stalls. Its a win-win, said Agung Bezharie Hadinegoro , Co-founder dan CEO Warung Pintar. Furthermore, Hadinegoro emphasised on the shared vision of both companie, which is to enlarge micro retail capability with technology approach in Indonesia. Staple food from Limakilo has been checked for the best price, and Warung Pintar is on the consumer end to provide them with full-range of produces. We hope we can increase the welfare of both farmers and our stall owners, he added. Warung Pintar was founded in 2017 and focusses on digitalising conventional store system in Indonesia using technology that allows owners to manage sales and inventories through applications, increase sales through digital ads, and have cashless payment system. Just in January, Warung Pintar received its Series B funding for US$27.5 million to further its operation. To date, the startup claimed to have over 1200 stalls in Jakarta, Tangerang, Depok, and Banyuwangi, and will add 5000 more stalls in Java island area. Story continues With the acquisition, Limakilo expects to increase rice supplies from village-based companies to 100 tons this year, 48 more tons than last year. We hope we can further champion the habit of shopping from traditional stalls to help better the economy of middle to low income in Indonesia, said Walesa Danto, co-founder of Limakilo. Also Read: For food delivery, machines wont replace humans any time soon Limakilo is one of the five farm-tech startups that was involved in Action Synergy Program for the Peoples Economy and has received seed funding from East Ventures to add more partnerships and train small farmers in the country. The post Warung Pintar acquires a platform that connects farmers with direct sellers appeared first on e27. The Philippine National Police should intensify its intelligence operation following the death threats received by Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, Senator Nancy Binay said Thursday. Binay said the police should start determining where the threats against David were coming from.intel fund Binay said during the KapihanSenado news forum. SoBishop David. added. Binay did not say how much was the PNPs intelligence fund. In other developments: Malacanang on Thursday blamed the political opposition and the critics of the administration for the alleged death threats being received by Catholic bishops and priests. Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the Palace will not take the blame even as two opposition senators already believe that the supposed threats against clergymen stemmed from President Rodrigo Dutertes rhetoric in December 2018. In a statement, Senator Leila de Lima blamed Duterte for the death threats received by David, saying the Catholic clergy had never been threatened by anyone until Duterte said they were better off dead. Senator Risa Hontiveros said the threats were the result of the Presidents encouragement of violence through his speeches, adding that his sudden turnaround will not absolve him of his role. David, vice president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and a critic of the Duterte administrations war against drugs, said he had received death threats from unknown sources in the past two weeks. Duterte earlier said his former Special Assistant Bong Go received a text message from Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle stating that some Catholic officials and priests were receiving threats from someone who claims to be working for the Presidents family. Duterte has already appealed to the public to spare religious leaders from harassment, even as he had previously hurled attacks against the Church. Binay said whoever was threatening David should heed the call of the President. What's in the Green New Deal? Four key issues to understand Posted on 27 February 2019 by dana1981 In the few weeks since it was introduced as a non-binding resolution before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, the Green New Deal (GND) Resolution has generated more discussion and coverage of climate change positive and negative among, by, and aimed at policymakers than weve seen in more than a decade. The nonbinding initiative introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Edward Markey (D-MA) proposes embarking on a 10-year mobilization aimed at achieving zero net greenhouse gas emissions from the United States. The mobilization would entail a massive overhaul of American electricity, transportation, and building infrastructure to replace fossil fuels and improve energy efficiency, leading some to call it unrealistic, idealistic, politically impossible, and socialistic. Analysis Proponents of GND portray it as an early focus for meaningful climate policy discussion if political winds lead to changes in 2020 for the presidency and the Senate majority. They say the GND is the first proposal to grasp the scale and magnitude of the risks posed by the warming climate. And while begrudgingly accepting the insurmountable odds against full enactment before 2021 at the earliest, they see it as a worthwhile and long-overdue discussion piece. Many commentators and policy analysts argue that the changes it calls for would be too expensive, radical, and disruptive. Others have argued that anyone who doesnt support this sort of emergency transition away from fossil fuels is in denial about the magnitude of the climate problem. Many are confused about the Resolutions vague contents, in part because Ocasio-Cortezs office also released an inaccurate fact sheet that subsequently had to be retracted. That document provided early and low-hanging targets for those disposed to wanting to dampen GND enthusiasm. A nonbinding sense of the Senate resolution Critically, GND must be recognized as a non-binding sense of the Senate/House resolution. It is not intended as proposed legislation, and certainly not as a specific climate policy bill. Think of it as being more of a framework on which to build actual climate legislation. In effect, a yes vote in either the Senate or the House would signify acceptance of climate change as a sufficiently urgent threat to merit full consideration of an expansive 10-year mobilization to transition away from polluting fossil fuels. In addition, the resolution isnt intended to be exclusionary: at least five House co-sponsors are also co-sponsoring a revenue-neutral carbon tax bill (the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act). Whether and exactly when the GND resolution will come to a full vote remains unclear, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has said he will bring it to a vote in the Senate. It would likely pose an uncomfortable vote for those potentially vulnerable Democrats up for re-election in 2020 in red or coal-dependent states. For Americans and their elected representatives, the decision whether to support this fundamentally transformative and sweeping resolution provisions of which go well beyond those directly applying to climate change to include economic and social equity issues hinges on four key factors. For politicians, the political considerations may weigh most heavily, but lets deal with those last. Science and physical considerations The first consideration is the easiest from a scientific perspective: How much more global warming can occur before its net physical impacts become unacceptably negative? The science communitys answer is that weve already passed that point; that its time to act now. Regions around the world are already experiencing more and more severe extreme weather events like heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and floods. A paper recently published in Nature Communications found that Atlantic hurricanes are undergoing more rapid intensification as a result of global warming. Sea-level rise poses a threat to coastal communities and island nations. The one-two punch of warming and acidifying oceans is killing coral reefs, which are home to 25 percent of marine life. The recent IPCC Special Report found that Coral reefs would decline by 70-90 percent with global warming of 2.7F (1.5C), and more than 99 percent would be lost with 3.6 F (2C). Species are dying out at a rate similar to past mass extinction events, with a new study finding that 40 percent of insect species are threatened with extinction. (For a breakdown of climate impacts in each region of the country, the Fourth National Climate Assessment is a wonderful resource.) In short, if physical impacts were the only consideration, we would want to halt (and even reverse) climate change as quickly as possible. Of course, thats not the case, which brings us to the second category. Economic considerations In a capitalist society, economic considerations are of course important to Americans. The projects involved in the GND mobilization would cost trillions of dollars, but curbing climate change could also prevent trillions of dollars in damages globally. The GND includes a proposed jobs guarantee, envisioning that huge employment opportunities would arise to bring about the needed infrastructure overhauls. The transition away from fossil fuels would also yield further economic benefits, in terms of costs avoided, by reducing other pollutants, leading to cleaner air and water and healthier Americans. A 2017 study headed by David Coady at the International Monetary Fund estimated that fossil fuel air pollution costs the United States $206 billion per year and that when adding all subsidies and costs, the country is spending $700 billion annually on fossil fuels more than $2,000 per person every year. GND opponents counter that the economic costs of a vast 10-year mobilization would exceed the resulting economic benefits, but Stanford University researcher Jonathan Koomey suggests that we cant predict just how fast of a transition to a clean energy economy would be optimal. Given the difficulties predicting technological breakthroughs and given that pathways with very different energy mixes can end up with similar costs, its impossible to say if the U.S. would be wealthier from a strictly financial perspective in a world thats 2 or 3 or 4 degrees hotter. People, and perhaps in particular politicians, tend to focus most on these economic considerations (and often just on costs while ignoring resulting benefits) to the exclusion of the others. But its very difficult to quantify and involve numerous components capital costs, avoided climate damages, increased employment, improved public health, etc. In addition, some factors simply cannot be quantified in dollars. As Tufts economist Frank Ackerman has noted, There are numerous problems with CBA [cost-benefit analyses], such as the need to (literally) make up monetary prices for priceless values of human life, health and the natural environment. In practice, CBA often trivializes the value of life and nature. Ethical and moral considerations Consider a family that loses its home in a climate-amplified wildfire or hurricane. Quantifying the costs of replacing the home and belongings is do-able, but how to account for the psychological trauma of the event and for psychological damages, let alone for lives lost? Moreover, rebuilding the home will create investments and jobs, which would dampen a disasters impact on the national economy. But as a society, we would consider these traumatizing losses quite harmful and well worth preventing for ethical reasons. For example, one study found that nearly half of low-income parents impacted by Hurricane Katrina experienced post-traumatic stress disorder. Researchers have found that those traditionally underserved and having the fewest resources are the least able to adapt to climate change impacts. A team led by James Samson reported in a 2011 paper that internationally, those populations contributing the least to climate change tend to be the most vulnerable to its impacts. The higher temperatures resulting from global warming do the most harm in regions that are already hot, like developing countries in Africa and Central America that also have the fewest resources to adapt. While the United States is the country responsible for the most historical carbon pollution of any country on Earth, its geographically and economically insulated from the projected worst impacts of climate change that these poorer, less culpable countries will face. This reality makes it more difficult for some to justify an expensive green mobilization based solely on accounting for just this countrys direct national economic interests, particularly when focusing on short time horizons. However, ignoring the harm done by our carbon pollution to the most vulnerable people both within and beyond our borders raises daunting ethical and moral questions. Moreover, as Ralph Waldo Emerson put it, To leave the world a bit better that is to have succeeded. That we are leaving behind a less hospitable world for our children and grandchildren might be considered our generations worst moral failure of all. Political considerations Finally, given that climate policies must be implemented by policymakers, the question of whats politically feasible is critical, and for some perhaps dispositive. As of mid-February, the GND Resolution had been co-sponsored by 68 members of the House and 12 in the Senate, but all were Democrats. Those co-sponsors include many of the hopeful and high-profile 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, though there are some exceptions and some party leaders still wavering. On the other side of the political aisle, such a large government-run mobilization is generally incompatible with traditional Republican Party orthodoxy, let alone with the Presidents views as the titular head of the party. Unless the Democratic Party in 2020 retains its current House majority and gains control of the presidency and of a clear majority in the Senate, passing legislation will require bipartisanship. Thats particularly true in the Senate, where most legislation requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, and a two-thirds vote to override a presidential veto. The current Republican-controlled Senate (in session until January 2021) certainly wont consider actual legislation involving a vast government climate mobilization, although smaller individual infrastructure components might be considered. There may be growing support for a bipartisan carbon tax bill one potential component of a GND but that and any other significant climate legislation also will likely depend on the winners of the White House and of House and Senate majorities in 2021. Click here to read the rest Each new season of One Day at a Time, the Netflix series about three generations of a Cuban American family under one roof, requires a brief adjustment period that feels not unlike getting re-accustomed to the distinct cadences of a friend you havent seen in a while. A multicamera sitcom with occasionally primitive-looking sets but always forward-looking politics, One Day at a Time confidently follows a rhythm all its ownone that pauses after every joke to accommodate studio-audience laughter and decelerates whenever the mood turns serious, which is often. Like its predecessors, the recently released third season tackles a smorgasbord of topics, including sexual harassment, mental health disclosure, addiction, gentrification, and generational clashes about parenting styles. The shows smart current debates, and its ever-increasing skillfulness at welding such discussions to larger character arcs, make it a standard-bearer for one of TVs most welcome trends: the issues-driven sitcom that proves comedy can exist alongside conscientiousness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The current revival of Norman Leartype living-room deliberations probably originated with Black-ishs debut in 2014. Five years later, it seems clear that the ABC show heralded a new era of identity-based sitcoms, in which comedies not only increased the representation of many different kinds of groups but also took on the role of explaining various identities and their attendant concerns. Implied in that self-imposed task is a shift in how we think about identity: not as a mere difference to be tolerated, but a constellation of interests, histories, and intersectional variations that make up a particular subculture. Perhaps no show does this better than Black-ish itself, which centers on a black family man named Andre struggling to figure out what blackness means to him as its former signifiers fade from his largely white, upper-middle-class milieu. Grown-ish, the college-set, coming-of-age Freeform series about Andres daughter Zoey, is in some ways even better at discussing issues through the lens of identity, since its campus setting is a natural showcase for how disparate backgrounds and life experiences lead different individuals to contrasting opinions. Advertisement Advertisement Get Slate Culture in Your Inbox We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. But Black-ishs influence extends far beyond its spinoff. In addition to One Day at a Time, shows as dissimilar as The Bold Type, about a trio of young womens magazine employees; Big Mouth, the unbelievably filthy sex-ed cartoon; Speechless, the sitcom about a family with a teenager with cerebral palsy; Atypical, the perpetually underrated dramedy featuring a protagonist on the spectrum; the equally overlooked campus dramedy Dear White People; Lady Dynamite, comedian Maria Bamfords semi-autobiographical chronicle of dealing with depression; and the now-canceled The Carmichael Show, perhaps the closest heir to the Lear series of old, all owe a debt to the success of Black-ish and a new generation of sitcom writers striving to demonstrate that comedy and progressive politics can coexist, despite protests otherwise that mere transgression is the soul of humor and truth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its no surprise that many of these shows are either about or aimed at younger audiences. They reflect a more politically engaged, rigorously inclusive demand that comedians and writers consider more carefully whom they target as well as the variety of the viewers they entertain. And the shows certainties provide comfort in these times of ideological and epistemological chaos, when we havent figured out how to keep pace with the speed at which facts and rants about ways to be woke flood our feeds every day. The stink of a very special episode sometimes still lingers over many of these shows, but that shouldnt be the case. Theyre earnest, yesthe opposite of the no learning, no hugging nihilism that was a genuine innovation in the 90s, when seriousness in sitcoms was still largely deployed for conservative messaging (step away from those caffeine pills, Jessie!) but whose standoffishness often feels like an expression of privilege in these more complicated times. The new earnestness of Black-ish, One Day at a Time, et al., is one born of the best of situations: the excitement of taking part in and helping create a new paradigm for comedy thats struggling to be recognized as such. That makes these shows a rare accomplishment for these nostalgia-saturated times: the throwback that feels fresh. Set in the age of mix CDs and AOL Instant Messenger, PEN15 follows two 13-year-old best friends, Maya and Anna, played by co-creators Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, as they navigate their first days of seventh grade in the year 2000. Theres a casting gimmick ingeniously employed: Erskine and Konkle are 31 in real life, playing teenage versions of themselves amongst real 13-year-old actors. The juxtaposition between real teenagers and playacting ones serves a comic purpose, but it also creates an uncanny viewing experience, allowing the viewer to revisit their adolescent years with the intensity of a teenager and the perspective of an adult. Advertisement The series sixth episode, Posh, explores a universal experience for people of color: racism and microaggressions at the hands of their peers. Since Mayas motherplayed by Erskines real-life mom, Mutsuko Erskineis Japanese (Home Improvements Richard Karn plays her white father), the series is informed by race throughout. But it comes to the fore in Posh, where Maya and Anna work through a group video project with more popular classmates who, like Anna, are white. The plan is for them to be elderly versions of the Spice Girls, calling on the power of milk to cure their osteoporosis. What could go wrong? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maya, who is hosting the get-together at her house, calls dibs on Posh Spice, but the popular girls push back. But you look the most like Scary, they tell her. Maya looks nothing like Melanie Brown, but the girls have already categorized her as other. Maya seems to feel something is wrong, but doesnt quite know what to do about it, so she forces a smile. To make matters worse, the girls suggest that Maya be their servant in the video and also be in charge of manning the cameranot only making her a fictional servant, but their literal one too. One of the cool girls explains, Because youre, like, different than us because youre, like, tan. Advertisement Advertisement It would be easy for some to shrug off moments like these as kids being kids, not knowing any better. Some would argue they are just parroting stereotypes and power dynamics they see play out every day. But we arent just watching a 13-year-old deal with the fallout of racism; were watching Maya the adult deal with it too. On a TV-MA show seemingly made to resonate with viewers who lived through this time period, the audience now has an adult perspectiveand is forced to take these young girls actions seriously. Maya starts the camcorder, sits on the patio step, and cries. Hurt by the words of these girls and, even if she doesnt understand it yet, hurt by her best friends lack of action. Anna sees the girls are treating Maya differently and tries to divert their attention, but she doesnt call out the discrimination. Advertisement Get Slate Culture in Your Inbox We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Its a situation many viewers of color know too well. In middle school, my dad and I were the only black people in the neighborhood. My older sisters had moved away, leaving me, my mother, and my father landlocked in a midsize town in southwest Missouri. I loved my neighborhood; it was home. But as I watch PEN15, I can feel the lurch in my body coming from miles away. Why is this happening? Why is no one intervening? Discrimination or playful jokes like this dont stop at age 13, and neither does the pain they cause. Maya keeps crying, and I begin to sob. I can pause the episode, but Maya has nowhere to go. She must join the group again and dance to Say Youll Be There, trying to laugh, Anna hugging her within the camcorders frame. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Best friendships in your teenage years are surprisingly intimate. As PEN15 illustrates, two friends can be attached in what emotionally approximates a partnership or marriage. Adult friendships are chosen more consciously; they dont just happen in the way that these adolescent friendships do, but that doesnt mean they are any less serious. This lack of consciousness is how a partnership forged in adolescent glee and circumstance can go so long without directly confronting something like race. Anna and Maya have been friends for years; they loved each other before their worldview expanded beyond the scope of their school. Advertisement Advertisement While Maya is coming to terms with microaggression, Anna deals with what wed now call white guilt. Mayas older brother Shuji insinuates that Maya shouldnt have played along with the white girls racist shenanigans, but Shujis friend Evan, who is black, shifts the attention to Anna: Youre more fucked up for making her do that. To Annas credit, she tries to make things better, but it proves meaningless if she doesnt do whats most important: directly own up to her own complicity in what transpired. Advertisement Although it would be difficult to imagine in the homogeneous worlds of Girls and Will & Graceor on shows, like The Office, where tokens arent fully allowed to pronounce their race beyond a punchlinein some television series worlds, people of color are sometimes friends with and have love for white people, even when white supremacy and its systems make it difficult or less than ideal. It can be especially true when youre young and whom youre surrounded by is more a matter of geography than conscious choice. Watching Anna say the right things, the things my friends could have said and didnt, undoes some of my adolescent pain. Maya, at least, gets the kind of resolution were often denied in real life. After being convinced by Shujis friends that she must beat [Annas] white ass up, Maya yells at her, You dont know what its like to be me! Its the most anger weve seen in their relationship thus far, but Annas response is perfect: Youre right. I dont. Youre right. And I should have told them that you are Posh Spice. Anna offers no excuses, no shifting of blame, just a promise to do betterto be there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watching Anna say the right things, the things my friends could have said and didnt, undoes some of my adolescent pain. Shes acknowledging how fucked up that daily experience was when so many never wanted to legitimize it. In college, I received a series of messages from a childhood best friend. It had been years since we were an inseparable unit, when people accidentally called us by the others name despite my skin tone and hair, his blonde hair and blue eyes. Race was something we rarely talked about as kids, but he wanted to apologize for never intervening or making any space for racial difference to exist positively in our relationship. A few months later, home for the summer, he brought up the topic again, this time in person. We talked about it outside of an IHOP, balancing as we used to on the concrete blocks in the parking lot, lingering into the late hours of the morningsomething we hadnt done in years. Advertisement While the gesture was important in spite of its delay, I cant help but wonder what that kind of embrace could have felt like when we were still adolescentsif we could have had a friend say to us theyd be there at 13, if those friends could have known better how to be there. Posh gives teenagersand former teenagersa road map for a beautiful kind of reconciliation in the face of discrimination, and I think the world is truly better for its existence. Dear Prudence, My mom, whos been mostly happily married to my dad for 30 years, admitted to me that she has a crush on a relatively new friend. Last year she started mentioning him a lot when telling me about the social circle they met in. It felt weird when I noticed her mentioning him so often, and she finally confessed that this is her biggest (only?) crush since she fell for my dad. I love her and absolutely believe that she wouldnt cheat. I also feel that shes as entitled to her feelings as anyone elsebut I dont want to hear about this. Its only a giddy, teenage-type vibe, but it makes me uncomfortable. I told her that, as her daughter, Im not an appropriate person for her to discuss this with. She now sort of tries holding back but generally doesnt have strong resolve. Now that Ive met the crush (honestly quite a nice guy), she seems to think that its OK to talk about him again. Shes had issues understanding appropriate boundaries in the past, so this isnt surprising. Ive been about as firm as I can be without threatening to end our phone calls. But am I overreacting? Shes very sensitive and would take it badly. Its a harmless crush, and she doesnt have close friends outside of that community whom she can discuss this with. I think I also feel guilty because I have and in the future might want to turn to her for relationship advice. I havent had a relationship since I was a teenager, so I dont knowwould a 28-year-old typically talk to her friends instead of her mom? (I dont have many close friends myself.) Is it fair to tell her about a crush if I dont allow her to do the same? Crushed Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Your mothers behavior is not harmless, not typical, and not OK. Whether your mother is the type to cheat or not (after a few years writing this column, Ive concluded theres no single type of person who can be counted on to never cheat) is irrelevant; shes sharing intimate information with you (that shes presumably not sharing with her husband), forcing you into the middle of her marriage, and likely keeping a secret from your own father. The fact that shes introduced you to the guy is even more inappropriate! Trying to gossip with your 28-year-old kid about the guy you have a crush on is selfish and cruel, and even if your mother is acting giddy, that giddiness is coming at your expense, which is why you feel guilty, uncomfortable, and burdened by it. So far from overreacting, I think youre underreacting because you feel guilty that your mother is sensitive and hasnt been able to make friendsprobably because shes not good at taking cues on when to stop and doesnt respect other peoples boundaries. Advertisement Advertisement I may sound like Im being really hard on your mom. I dont think shes a terrible person or that you should stop talking to her. But just because your mother is cheerful or starry-eyed doesnt mean that shes behaving kindly. Moreover, giving your children occasional dating advice isnt a quid pro quo situation, even when the kids are grown up (although I dont think you should turn to her for relationship advice either). Its fair for you to want to talk about someone youre dating while also asking your parents not to share their barely restrained desire to step out on each other with you. Parenting is not a two-way street in that way. Its time to get serious with your mother on this subject and tell her that while youre happy to talk to her about her hobbies, her other friends, her travel plans, or whatever else is on the horizon, she cannot bring up her crush to you again, because it puts you in a very uncomfortable situation. Then, be as good as your word and start ending conversations kindly but firmly when she brings him up. If she cannot find a pre-existing friend to talk to about this, she can buy a journal, try to make a friend she didnt give birth to, join a support group, tell her husband, hire a therapist, or go down to the nearest bar and strike up a conversation with a friendly-looking barflyanyone but you. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dear Prudence, I recently went on three dates with a woman. The first two went fairly well, and after the second she texted me, saying shed wanted to kiss me but didnt have a read on me. I told her Id like to go slow. After the third date, I felt sure I was not attracted to her after she claimed that the moon landing never happened. But I felt disappointed that I didnt feel any attraction at all, even before she dropped that bomb. Is there something wrong with me if Ive never wanted to kiss on a third date? For the record, Im a woman who used to date men. But this is how it always went with them, too. I dont like online dating, and for me attraction tends to emerge after being around a person for a while, but is that creepy? It seems like you just have to either immediately be attracted or you dont get to be. And I have work and monthly social groups, and Im new in this area. So I dont know how Id do it otherwise. Im so confused! Why do all these online dates make me want to run away as soon as the idea of kissing (or more) seems imminent? Should I just accept being alone forever? Its been over 10 years since I was actually involved with anyone, and Im only 31! Waiting for Attraction to Kick In Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres nothing creepy about not being attracted to someone, so please let yourself off the hook there. There are a number of different reasons online dating might not be for you. Lots of people can find it difficult to figure out how they feel about someone theyve never met before, and even two or three dates arent always enough time to develop a stronger feeling than I dont object to you, I guess. It can feel like an arbitrary race against time to try to develop romantic or sexual feelings for someone whos only very recently entered your life. And for a lot of people, it can feel a little bit like trying to fall asleep knowing you have to get up in a few hours: If your brain keeps asking, Are we asleep yet? youre never going to drop off into unconsciousness. It can be the same on a date: She seems fine, but do we have butterflies? Oh no, is this boring? Are we working too hard to make this seem fun? Was that fun, just now? And so on. You get the picture. Its exhausting and doesnt really create an atmosphere conducive to falling for someone, or even developing chemistry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont want to rule out the possibility that there may be something else underneath the surface. The last time I had a really hard time making it through otherwise delightful (but both inert and terrifying for me) first dates, I ended up transitioning, but I dont think theres necessarily some huge, identity-shaking revelation underlying this pattern for you, at least not based on whats in your letter. You can certainly spend some time reflecting on what you dont like about dating, what brings up fear or anxiety for you, what gives you energy and what takes it away, what desires or fantasies you may be afraid to acknowledge to yourself, and so on, but I think all you really need to do is say, Ive given online dating a fair shake, and I just dont think its for me. You know that going on these little spurts of dates isnt resulting in either a long-term relationship or short-term pleasure for you, so why not call it off? You can still be open to meeting someone through friends or your monthly meetups or at the grocery store or wherever, but just take this particular strategy off the table since all its felt like is a slightly stressful waste of time. Not using dating apps is not the same thing as committing to eternal singledom; I cant guarantee that this means youll meet Ms. Right in person next week, but I can promise you that you wont have to keep trying to drum up energy to go on lackluster dates with near strangers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How to Get Advice From Prudie: Send questions for publication to prudence@slate.com. (Questions may be edited.) Join the live chat every Monday at noon. Submit your questions and comments here before or during the live discussion. Advertisement Advertisement Call the voicemail of the Dear Prudence podcast at 401-371-DEAR (3327) to hear your question answered on a future episode of the show. Dear Prudence, Im a transgender man with a part-time job at my university. When I started my job, I was only recently out and had just started testosterone. I emailed my boss and came out to him in simple, straightforward terms; he seemed receptive and said hed inform my co-workers of my gender. However, for the first four months at my job, none of my co-workers gendered me correctly and sometimes awkwardly called me they. I assumed it was because they were conservative and pushed through it. Its been over eight months now, and I now consistently pass. I recently learned from one of my co-workers that my boss gathered everyone together after I was hired and told everyone that I was nonbinary and used they/them pronouns, which isnt trueId been very clear that Im a trans man who uses male pronouns. I was furious. I felt so isolated and uncomfortable at my job for so long, and it took me months to get my co-workers to understand I was a man. Should I complain to my boss? Or to his supervisor? Im one of three LGBT workers, and weve all experienced this kind of treatment. Im Not Nonbinary Advertisement Advertisement If your school has a Title IX office, check in with it before speaking to your boss so the staff is aware of the situation and can offer you and your fellow LGBT co-workers support in case you need to file a report. Then, check in with your boss. Be prepared to loop in his supervisor, regardless of how receptive he seems. Its a good thing you emailed him when you started the job because you can refer to something you have in writing. Tell him: Ive recently learned that you told my co-workers Im nonbinary and use gender-neutral pronouns. If you recall, when I emailed you about this eight months ago, I told you Im a trans man who uses male pronouns. Im not sure how or why this apparently changed. Can you explain this to me? I want to make sure it doesnt happen again. If you have this conversation in person, be sure to send an email afterward summarizing what you said (Just to summarize our conversation today, we clarified X and agreed that youd do Y going forward) so that you have a written record you can show to either your bosss boss or your Title IX office in case this doesnt lead to a simple, straightforward resolution. And anything other than Im sorry, Ill correct this with your co-workers, and it wont happen again is not a simple, straightforward resolution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Get Prudie in Your Inbox Sign up for the Dear Prudence mailing list to receive notifications of new columns and chats We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Dear Prudence, Im in my late 30s, happily married, and a mother of two. My mother divorced my biological father when I was 6 months old and remarried when I was 2. Her new husband adopted me and has raised me as his own. He is my dad and a wonderful man. I have never met or wanted to meet my biological dad. I have not ever heard from him. My mother died three years ago, and it was devastating. A few months ago, I received an out-of-the-blue message on Facebook from a woman who said she was married to my biological father, found me when she was researching their genealogy, and asked if I had kids. I was caught off-balance and said yes, and she said: So excited! Hes a grandpa! We always wondered! She asked for my number, and I gave it to her, still shellshocked, without really thinking it through. He called, and it went very badly. He cried, said he loved me, called me his baby, wanted to come to my house. I was uncomfortable and surprised. He called again a few weeks later and claimed that my mother had cheated on him and that he didnt believe I was his until recently. He couldnt clarify what had changed his mind. Advertisement Advertisement Im devastated by these allegations of my mothers infidelity when shes not here to defend herself. Im angry he thinks he can show up after four decades and say awful things about her. He kept texting me, What did I do? So I told him why I was hurt and asked him to leave me alone. Now he and his wife are guilt-tripping me, leaving countless voicemails and texts, claiming he has cancer, and asking if I can find it in my heart to meet with him just once. What is my obligation here? My gut tells me hes irrational, but my heart hurts at the thought of hurting a dying old man. Dad Wants to Reconnect Advertisement Advertisement Im so, so sorry about what these people are trying to do to you. Their behavior from the beginning has been erratic, unpredictable, emotionally manipulative, and totally self-interested. At no point has your biological father asked you what you want, agreed to respect your boundaries, or offered any narrative of the past 40 years that explains his total absence from your life. Its very sad that he has cancer, but for him to use that as a tool to pressure you to put up with more of their inappropriate behavior is unfair and cruel. The two of them have been nothing but intrusive and selfish in their dealings with you. I hope you are seeing a therapist to process all of the guilt and anger this has brought up. Please remember that he chose not to share custody or reach out to you as a child; he does not have a fatherly relationship with you. For him to act hurt at being denied something he chose to give up years ago is playing the victim. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If they wont stop calling and texting, block their numbers, and tell your friends and family members to be on guard in case they try to contact them next. You do not have to put up with this just because he is old and sick and regrets the consequences of his actions. Hes trying to make you responsible for fixing something he did, and thats not your job. Dear Prudence Uncensored I get the sense that this is like: Here is a fun secret for you to keep from your dad! Daniel Mallory Ortberg and Nicole Cliffe discuss this letter in this weeks Dear Prudence Uncensoredonly for Slate Plus members. Dear Prudence, I am the mother of two beautiful girls, Lily whos 8 and Ramona whos 6. Lily is an introvert and a bookworm, while Ramona has enough energy for five kids and loves to play outside. Lily also enjoys trips to the park and other outdoorsy destinations, but she likes to bring a book wherever we go. Both girls are perfectly healthy and in a totally appropriate weight range, but because of Ramonas more active appearance, my mother-in-law thinks Lily is overweight. And she mentions it every time she visits. She will always make a comment about Lilys weight and compare her to Ramona. I have told her to stop a number of times, but she just waves me off and claims to be concerned. I have told her there is nothing to be concerned about, but she wont stop. My husband wont say anything to her and just told me to ignore her, but now Lily is starting to catch on and worry about her weight. Now I am ready to cut all contact and just be done, but when I said that, my husband got upset. I am at the end of my rope! Itty-Bitty and Fatty Fat Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spend a few minutes with your husband going over the research on eating disorders and negative body image among young girls and the effects they can have on the rest of their adult lives so he gets a clearer sense of just how damaging this kind of talk is to both of your girls. I promise you that Lily is not going to forget if her grandmother continues to bring up her weight throughout her childhood and her parents fail to intervene. Ramona likely wont forget either. What Lily is learning from her family is that its OK for adults to talk openly about her body, its OK for them to appraise and criticize it, and its OK for them to compare her negatively to her sister. Shes also learning that if someone else tells her grandmother to stop making those comments, they dont really mean it, because her grandmother keeps on doing it and nothing happens. The damage these sorts of comments cause is lifelong, and its absolutely imperative that you dont just tell her to stop; you keep your girls away from her unless and until she can permanently cure herself of the habit of telling them she thinks theyre fat. Ideally your husband will get on board with this, but if he doesnt, dont wait around and hope that hell catch up. Shes not concerned; shes cruel. Dont let her get away with disguising her cruelty as concern on top of everything else. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Want to See Dear Prudence Live? Check out dates and locations for our national tour. Tickets here. Dear Prudence, Im a year into cohabiting with my boyfriend, M. He works from home as a freelancer, while I have a full-time but flexible office job that allows me to work from home sometimes. M likes cooking three big meals a day, but I prefer to eat a small breakfast at home, then grab lunch and dinner out. M will always make me a plate, on the condition that I will clean up after him. The thing is that I simply dont have time to clean up after every mealIm working! He uses almost every pot and pan we have in a single day, creating an overwhelming amount of work for me. Ive asked him to use fewer dishes and rein in the splatter. Ive taken us out to dinner and even turned down his meals so I dont have to clean the kitchen every night. He takes it very personally and says I dont appreciate his efforts, but they clearly come with strings attached! How can we make a compromise? Over-the-Top Home Chef Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is one of those classic Im not doing it for me, Im doing it for you scenarios. If your boyfriend could admit that he likes making three elaborate meals a day whether you join him or not, you two might be able to make some headway, but as it stands hes pretending this is some sort of division of labor youve both agreed on where youre reneging on your end of the deal. Tell him: I grab meals out so that I dont have to spend a lot of time worrying about meal prep or cleanup. Unless weve agreed to share a meal together, its not fair of you to craft elaborate dinners and then offer me a plate in order to get me to do the dishes for you. I dont want to get in the habit of scorekeeping and holding every dish in the house against each other, but you need to stop assuming that Im going to share the big meals you make and do all the cleanup for you. I did not ask you to make three big meals a day for you, and thats not what Id ideally eat. I am happy to pick a few times a week when we plan to eat together and figure out a shared chef-and-dishwasher arrangement, but Im not going to volunteer to clean up the whole kitchen every afternoon just because youd rather make an over-the-top lunch than throw together a quick sandwich. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Classic Prudie Over 20 years ago I had an affair with a married woman who became pregnant with my child. She reconciled with her husband and they raised the boy as their own. I have not had any contact with my biological son, at the husbands request. No one in my family knows I have a secret son. Two weeks ago I found out my niece (my sisters daughter) is engaged, and the groom to be is none other than my biological son! Prudie, I am livid that my sons mother and her husband did not stop this relationship in its early stages. No, Bobby, you cant date that girl because shes your biological cousin is all it would have taken. I contacted the woman and she swore she didnt know our son was marrying my niece since my niece has a different last name. I asked her what she planned to do to stop the wedding and she said shes doing nothing! Our son doesnt know anything, and according to her, cousin marriage is harmless! Prudie, how do I bring this up with my niece and her parents? I have never had any contact with my son, and I dont think I should approach him about it. He doesnt know his father is not his biological father. I dont want my niece to live in incest because of my past mistake. Please help. Listen to the Waves by clicking the arrow on the audio player below: Get More of The Waves Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcastsand much more. Sign up today. Join Slate Plus Subscribe to The Waves Copy this link and add it in your podcast app. copy link copied! For detailed instructions, see our Slate Plus podcasts page. Listen to the Waves via Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play. On this weeks episode of The Waves, Christina, June, and Thirst Aid Kits Nichole Perkins discuss One Day at a Time, Netflixs take on the classic 70s sitcom. The show brings a modern sensibility (and values) to an old-fashioned format, but is its handling of issues authentic, or does it veer into very special episode territory? Then, the romance novel industry has been rocked by plagiarism scandals, devaluing work in a genre thats still fighting for legitimacy. The hosts discuss how Amazon has inadvertently incentivized gaming the systemand why so many fans feel personally betrayed by the revelations. Finally, they taxonomize the reply guys who plague womens mentions on Twitter, considering how social media fosters a sense of overfamiliarity, and share some of their own experiences as journalists online. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Slate Plus: Was the response to Dianne Feinsteins viral encounter with the Sunrise Movement sexist? Other items discussed on the show: How Amy Klobuchar Treats Her Staff by Matt Flegenheimer and Sydney Ember in the New York Times One Day at a Time How One Day at a Times Coming-Out Story Line Came Together by Maria Elena Fernandez in Vulture Brooklyn Nine-Nine American Housewife Superstore Romance Novelist Cristiane Serruya Accused of Plagiarism by Alison Flood in the Guardian Bad Romance by Sarah Jeong in the Verge Plagiarism, Then and Now in Fall Into the Story Jasmine Guillorys The Wedding Date J.D. Robbs Naked in Death Radclyffes Above All, Honor The Nine Types of Reply Guy The Curse of the Twitter Reply Guy by Chloe Bryan in Mashable Recommendations Nichole: Waiting to binge a show (and avoiding spoilers until you do) Christina: MK Czerwiecs Taking Turns June: The BBC Radio 4 dramatization of John Boynes Ladder to the Sky This podcast was produced by Danielle Hewitt. Our production assistant is Alex Barasch. Please remember to like our Facebook page. Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com. And come to our live show at the Sydney Opera House on March 10! CAMPAIGN CONTRAVENTION. Oplan Baklas, a joint operation of the Commission on Elections, the Metro Manila Development Authority, the Philippine National Police and the Department of Public Works, has personnel from these government agencies removing campaign posters of senatorial candidates in San Andress, Manila on Thursdayin violation of poster guidelines. Norman Cruz Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Wednesday joined the campaign trail of several senatorial candidates and party-list nominees in her bailiwick of Pampanga. The blazing midday heat did not stop Pampanguenos to turn out for former president and now Speaker, who joined the candidates in several towns in the province Wednesday. The first stop was at Sta. Rita, Pampanga, where Arroyo was joined by One Philippines party-list first nominee Rafael Alunan, son of former Interior and Local Government Secretary Rafael Alunan III. Together with the partys second and third nominees, former Philippine National Police chief Arturo Lomibao and Bulacan entrepreneur Gabo Ignacio, the party courted the Pampanguenos with their platform of education, national and economic security, and sustainability. The elder Alunan is running for senator under the PDP-Laban banner. Kilusang Bagong Lipunan bet Larry Gadon discussed how he hoped to lower electricity costs, provide pensions to retired overseas Filipino workers, and make education more accessible throughout the country. Gadon attained prominence during the campaign to unseat then Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. Lani Mercado, wife of Hugpong ng Pagbabago senatorial candidate Bong Revilla, explained her husbands platform on his behalf. She said that Revilla will continue to prioritize the needs of citizens and resume advocacies that were waylaid during his four-year detention at the behest of the Aquino administration. Arroyo and the candidates then proceeded to the City of San Fernando, the provinces capital, where they were joined by Vice Governor Dennis Pineda, who is vying for the gubernatorial post. Former Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo and other local government officials attended the rally to show their support for the speaker and her candidates. On Thursday, the governments special task force began tearing down political billboards and other election campaign materials posted outside the designated areas in Metro Manila. Five agenciesthe Commission on Elections, Department of Public Works and Highways, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, Metro Manila Development Authority and the National Capital RegionPolice Officeare tasked to remove illegal posters and tarpaulins.MMDA chairman Danilo Lim said the MMDA personnel, deputized by the Comelec, will be firm in tearing down election materials in major thoroughfares.I am hoping that candidates will voluntarily remove their materials from the streets and not wait for the Task Force Baklas to do it, Lim said. At least 300 workers from concerned agencies, equipped with man-lifters and adjustable ladders, were deployed in Malate and San Andres, Bukid, Manila, to rid the streets of campaign materials. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said candidates have been given notice prior their operations. Jimenez said the collected materials would be used as evidence in the filing of charges against violators of election laws. Majority of the collected campaign posters and streamers collected are posted on electrical posts and wires, trees, lamp posts, walls of public buildings, and signboards on public properties. Along the way, illegal campaign posters along EDSA in Pasay area were also taken down. National Police chief Oscar Albayalde, who joined the operations along with NCRPO chief Guillermo Eleazar, said the PNP will be in full force in taking down illegal campaign materials not only in Metro Manila but the entire country. For his part, LTFRB chief Martin Delgra said posting of political ads on public utility vehicles is allowed provided they follow the prescribed measurements. Under the Comelec rules, campaign posters should measure not be more than 2 ft. x 3 ft. and displayed at designated common poster areas or on private property with the consent of the owner. Designated common poster areas in public places include plazas, markets, barangay centers and the like where posters may be readily seen or read. Campaign ads are prohibited in LED and LCD monitors, on walls of public buildings; motor vehicles owned by LGUs and GOCCs; public transport vehicles owned and controlled by the government such as the MRT, LRT and PNR; waiting sheds, sidewalks, street and lamp posts, electric posts and wires, traffic signs and other signboards erected on public property, pedestrian overpasses and underpasses, flyovers, bridges, main thoroughfares, center islands of roads and highways; schools, public shrines, barangay halls, government offices, health centers; and within the premises of public transport terminals owned and controlled by the government. Violators may face election offense charges and possible disqualification if they will not remove their illegal campaign materials. Amid all the grandstanding and angry speech-making at the House Oversight Committee hearing with Michael Cohen, President Donald Trumps former lawyer, one lawmaker went in with a seemingly clear purpose. When it was Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs turn to ask questions, she stuck to brief questions with a laser focus on Trumps finances and taxes. Democrats have long wanted to get a hold of Trumps tax returns but lacked a clear reason to be able to subpoena them. Ocasio-Cortez may have just handed it to them on a silver platter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ocasio-Cortez started by picking up on previous lines of questioning regarding whether he knew if Trump ever provide[d] inflated assets to an insurance company. When Cohen answered yes she continued: Do you think we need to review his financial statements and his tax returns in order to compare them? Cohen answered yes again. Advertisement Advertisement During her questioning, Ocasio-Cortez repeatedly asked Cohen about ways in which Trump may have tried to decrease his tax bill by undervaluing his properties.* At one point she quoted a report from the New York Times that said Trump undervalued the properties he inherited. Cohen said he didnt know anything about that because he wasnt working for Trump then but noted that Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg could shed light on the issue. Would it help for the committee to obtain federal and state tax returns from the president and his company to address that discrepancy? Ocasio-Cortez asked. I believe so, Cohen answered. Nice job by @AOC establishing that its essential for the Committees to take testimony from Trump Orgs Allen Weisselberg & to review the Presidents tax returns to complete its oversight responsibilities. Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) February 27, 2019 Advertisement With the questions, Ocasio-Cortez appeared to be giving at least an attempt at what Democrats could say to justify demanding to see Trumps tax returns. Although some analysts believe it still wouldnt be enough justification, it could at the very least lay the groundwork for a subpoena. Needless to say many were impressed by the freshman lawmakers line of questioning. Advertisement Advertisement .@AOC just got there and she is asking better questions than 90% of members. Short, specific, factual, with no speechmaking. (Maybe it's because she just got there.) Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) February 27, 2019 Advertisement Advertisement .@AOC just got Cohen to admit Trump was involved with some kind of insurance fraud, tax fraud regarding his golf courses and public funding, and got Cohen to agree that Congress should review Trumps tax returns and financial records. This is why the GOPs truly terrified of her. Scott Dworkin (@funder) February 27, 2019 Advertisement Advertisement Notwithstanding the hype, the fact is that @AOC knows how to ask questions at a hearing, which a lot of other members don't. She just successfully laid the predicate for issuing subpoenas to several more witnesses & seeking Trump's taxes. David Lauter (@DavidLauter) February 27, 2019 When more than 56 million Mexicans went to the polls to elect a new president and a new Congress on July 1, 2018, it was clear they were ready for a change. The outgoing president, Enrique Pena Nieto, was deeply unpopular, with an approval rating below 20 percent. His administration and his party, the PRI, were mired in corruption scandals and blamed for the disappearance of 43 students in the southern state of Guerrero. Cartel violence was astronomically high, which many blamed on the failed war on drugs started by the previous president, Felipe Calderon of the PAN party, in 2006. Mexicans were fed up with the cronyism and excesses of the countrys political and business elites and worn out by the shocking number of violent deaths in the countrymore than 250,000 since 2006, according to government statistics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The PAN and the PRI were perceived as part of the same rotten political establishment that ruled the country since the end of the Mexican revolution, and voters were tired of both of them. Fifty-three percent of the electorate voted for the left-wing candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a former mayor of Mexico City and founder of the National Regeneration Movement party, or MORENA, who promised a historic transformation of Mexican institutions and society. Lopez Obrador, often referred to by his initials, AMLO, won the presidency and MORENAs coalition secured a majority in both houses of government. AMLO ran on a populist platform that blamed most of Mexicos problems on the upper class and the neoliberal economic policies that were implemented in Mexico from the 1980s onward. He presented himself as a man of the people and traveled to the most remote districts of the country to make his case. His messianic rhetoric and demagogic policy ideas drew comparisons to Hugo Chavez and the worst of the Latin American left, but for most Mexicans he fostered hope, not fear. Advertisement Advertisement In his first three months in office, AMLO has made a series of decisions that outline a policy agenda and a vision for the future that should worry all Mexicans. Though the president diagnosed many of the countrys problems correctlyinequality, corruption, and violent crime, to name a fewthe way he is tackling these issues suggests he sees the world through a lens of anachronistic nationalism, built on a flawed understanding of history and economics. Advertisement The first major decision AMLO made after winning the election, before even taking office, was to cancel the construction of a much-needed new airport in Mexico City, in an area called Texcoco. After a sham referendum organized by his own party, in which only 1 percent of the population voted, he pulled the plug on the $13 billion project and announced that an air force base called Santa Lucia, 28 miles from the existing airport, will be conditioned to function as a supplementary airport instead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What the government is saying is that this was a very expensive project and that with the other project they will save around 100 billion pesos [roughly $5 billion], said Mario Ruiz, the former chief of staff of the Texcoco airport project. Their argument was that we were building a very ostentatious airport for a poor country. What I would tell you is that that is a false premise; what theyre doing right now is going to have a much higher cost for the country. One-third of the Texcoco airport was already built, so the cancellation of the project resulted in an immediate loss of roughly $5 billion that had already been spent plus another $4 billion in debts to investors. Additionally, there is a consensus among aviation experts that the Santa Lucia project is unfeasible because the landing routes cross paths with the current airports. The Santa Lucia project is a very short-term solution to the problem [of saturation at the current airport], said Ruiz. In 10 years, were going to be talking about where to build a new airport again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In January, Bank of America Merrill Lynch cut its forecast for Mexican economic growth in 2019 from 2 percent to 1 percent, citing a possible downturn in the U.S. economy and uncertainty around Mexicos new economic policies and the cancellation of the airport in Texcoco, which scared investors. There was undoubtedly a political component to the cancellation of the airportit sent a strong message that AMLO is in charge, and it pandered to his base, which saw the Texcoco project as a symbol of corruption and upper-class extravagance. But it was clearly also motivated by AMLOs inward-looking, anti-neoliberal ideology. If you read Lopez Obradors book from before the campaign, La Salida (The Exit), the narrative is that this country was doing well until 1982, when president [Miguel] de La Madrid came to power, the neoliberal era began, and Mexico went downhill, said Leo Zuckerman, the host of Es la Hora de Opinar, a Mexican political debate show. It is, of course, a Manichean and simplistic vision that does not correspond with reality. Advertisement Advertisement AMLO s economic policies are often reminiscent of another era. The Mexican economy prior to the 1980s was characterized by the governments protectionist policies and the nationalization of several major industries, like oil, electricity, and telecommunications. If you look at Mexico in the 70s and at Mexico last year, there is not a single measure by which Mexico was doing better before, said Jorge Suarez-Velez, a prominent columnist for the Mexican daily Reforma. As a result of opening up the economy, Mexico has created a large middle class over the last 30 years. Advertisement Neoliberal policies made Mexico richer, but its true that, like everywhere else in the world, they also increased inequality. AMLO vowed not to raise taxes and to end the year with a fiscal surplus while delivering on his campaign promise to redistribute wealth through social programshe doubled pensions for everyone over 68, is offering yearlong job-training scholarships to everyone between 18 and 29 that does not work or go to school, and started a pension program for people with disabilities. Advertisement To finance all of that, it is necessary for the economy to keep growing and for the state to be able to collect more taxes, said Zuckerman. If the economy isnt doing well, theyre not going to have the resources to distribute to their constituents, and thats going to create a problem, unless they start getting into a lot of debt, but that would make the economic problem even worse. AMLOs economic policies are often reminiscent of another era. They include price controls on basic goods and rescuing Pemex, Mexicos state-owned oil company (whose $106 billion debt was recently downgraded by Fitch), with tax cuts and bailouts. The airport, the price controls, all the measures around Pemex and public expenditurethe criteria for making these economic decisions is clearly of an ideological nature, said Jorge Castaneda, Mexicos foreign minister from 2000 to 2003 and a professor of Latin American studies at New York University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AMLO campaigned on rescuing Pemex, the most indebted oil company in the world, in order to increase gasoline production in Mexico and end Mexicos dependence on gasoline imports from the U.S. In January, AMLO announced the shutdown of key oil pipelines to combat rampant oil theft, a practice known as huachicoleo, which is controlled by organized crime and generates losses for Pemex of more than $3 billion a year. The shutdown of the pipeline led to widespread fuel shortages across central Mexico, one of the most productive regions of the country. To this day, no arrests in the fight against huachicoleo have been announced, and it is not clear how shutting down the pipelines will provide a long-term solution to the problem. Advertisement Pemex is a behemoth whose production has been plummeting for years. Its proven reserves are drying up, and it cant produce enough light oil for its own refineries. Pemex doesnt have the capital nor the technology to explore and drill new reserves, and with alternative energy sources becoming increasingly inexpensive, it is hard to understand how pinning the future of Mexicos energy sector on self-sufficient oil production is a good idea. What were seeing is total incompetence, said Suarez-Velez. Theyre managing the biggest company in the country with ideological criteria. Advertisement According to the Wall Street Journal, AMLO reduced gasoline imports from the U.S. in December and has completely stopped importing U.S. light crude oil, which Mexican refineries use to make gasoline. This likely aggravated the gasoline shortages and has led some to believe that the clumsy battle against huachicoleo was an excuse to cover up shortages caused in part by the decision to reduce U.S. imports. If what you had wanted to do was fight huachicoleo, then you would have made sure your gasoline reserves were full, that you had enough trucks [to transport the gasoline to gas stations], and that you had a strategy, said Suarez-Velez. You dont just shut down the pipeline and then realize you dont have gasoline and you dont have trucks. Advertisement Advertisement Another cause for concern is that AMLO is leaning heavily on the military to advance his agenda. He has deployed the military in the fight against huachicoleosoldiers are guarding pipelines and driving the recently purchased trucks for gasoline transportand the military will be in charge of the construction of the Santa Lucia airport. The military will also develop luxury real estate for private purchase in order to finance a new national police force, called the Guardia Nacional. The Guardia Nacional will be under civilian command, but it will initially be comprised mostly of military and naval police officers. Under the constitutional amendment that allows for the creation of the Guardia Nacional, AMLO will have the authority to use the military for matters of public safety for the next five years. I look at militarization in this country with great concern, said Zuckerman. Historically, when you increase the role of the armed forces in society, it gets harder and harder to take them outthey dont like to lose power. In the specific case of Mexico, especially after the revolution, it took a lot of work to take the military out of political life, and now Lopez Obrador is bringing it back. Despite these concerns, AMLOs popularity remains amazingly high, at around 80 percent. He connects very well with the most basic emotions in people, said Castaneda. Until we start to see the grave consequences [of his actions], he wont experience much rejection. The movement to end mass incarceration has come full circle to Ferguson, Missouri. The home of the 2014 uprisings over the fatal shooting of Michael Brown has joined a number of locales as testing grounds for the proposition that prosecutors who prioritize criminal justice reform can operate in a system where legislative and systemic reform have yet to occur. St. Louis officials, criminal justice reform advocates, and their opponents are learning from each other and from other jurisdictions. Achieving results has been more challenging at times than in other places, but criminal justice advocates have adapted as have skeptics. St. Louis Countys new top prosecutor, meanwhile, has had to battle his own offices efforts to unionize with a police group that has called for another local reform prosecutor to step down. The battles of St. Louis show that as this new breed of prosecutors has become more savvy and brazen, so have groups seeking to exert influence from the outside. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, riding on the back of the Ferguson protest movement, Wesley Bell unseated a 27-year incumbent known for his cozy relationship with cops to become St. Louis Countys first black prosecuting attorney. Just shy of two months in office, Bell has already laid out major policy changes, andin his first week in officelet go of three veteran prosecutors, including the one in charge of presenting evidence to the grand jury that declined to indict Darren Wilson for fatally shooting Brown. In an internal memo released on his second day in office, Bell instructed his attorneys to stop criminally charging people for possessing fewer than 100 grams of marijuana or for getting behind in child support payments. Following in the footsteps of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, Bell told his lawyers not to ask for cash bail to be set for defendants accused of misdemeanors or minor nonviolent felonies. Also reminiscent of Krasner, Bell wrote that his attorneys should not overcharge defendants or pressure the accused to admit guilt. Finally, in the publicly announced Bell Plan, he described how his office would expand alternative-to-incarceration programs for defendants struggling with addiction and mental health disorders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We cant overstate how important his win is in the context of Ferguson, said Kayla Reed, co-founder of Action St. Louis. Bell came to office about two years into a wave of reform-minded prosecutors in jurisdictions across the countryincluding the neighboring city of St. Louis, where Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner has faced an uphill battle to reform that office. The local activists who propelled Bell into office have also taken lessons from the personal experience of their counterparts across the country on how to best influence friendly, reform-minded politicians once they are in office. With Kim, we kind of had a hands-off approach to letting her lead, said Reed. But with Wesley, we are having much more hands-on engagement so that we can ensure campaign promises and agreement around issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Likewise, Bells foes have had greater opportunities to strategize. The most outspoken critics of both Bell and Gardner have been local police unionsspecifically, the St. Louis Police Officers Association. The SLPOAs leadership has been criticized for racism over the years but has seemed to be energized by new and adversarial relationships with the areas top prosecutors. Most recently, SLPOA called for Gardner to step down from office last month after she charged two officers in a shooting case. The organization has also posted Facebook posts saying things like [police] are under siege by [Gardner] and [t]he criminals are in charge now. They own the streets. Advertisement Advertisement Two weeks before Bell took office, St. Louis County prosecutors and investigators voted 3311 to join the SPLOA. We knew there would be some type of blowback, but that was really unexpected, said Montague Simmons, a leading community organizer in St. Louis. For them to be aligned with that union was telling beyond anything. Advertisement Advertisement Wed like to give this guy a chance, but we have some serious concerns about his version of criminal justice reform, SLPOA business manager Jeff Roorda told Slate. The biggest concern is that the biggest part of his job is to [advocate] for crime victims and we dont know that he takes that seriously. Roorda also noted that he disagreed with Bells decision to reduce charges against a man who pleaded guilty to shooting at an officer from first- to second-degree assault. The activists and advocates who campaigned to get Bell into office are relying on tested strategies. Still, tension around the union hasnt soured office dynamics on a day-to-day basis, according to Josi Nielsen, Bells spokeswoman. Veteran prosecutors are realizing that this was not the disaster that it had been made out to be. Advertisement Compare Bells tenure to that of Krasner, and you can see a difference in the degree of pushback and the amount of change enacted. During his first week in office, Krasner let go of 31 staff attorneys. Prosecutors in St. Louis County may have been motivated to unionize after observing what happened in Philadelphia, but ultimately there has not yet been a similar house cleaning. As it stands, the SLPOA cannot take legal recourse against Bell even for the three firings he did initiate, or protect the jobs of the rest of Bells staff, because Bell has not recognized the union. We have demanded to meet to negotiate a union contract, but he refuses to talk to us, said Roorda. Well sue if we have to. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, Bell said that he would not proceed with an agreement until several legal and ethical issues are resolved. Those include the legality of a unionization vote that was overseen by a privately retained mediator rather than a public official, the fact that his employees do not fall under the umbrella of public safety laborers because they do not have the power to arrest, and the fact that there would be a conflict of interest should his office prosecute police officers because of possible overlapping jurisdictions. An ongoing lawsuit could ultimately nullify the election. On the other side of this tug-of-war, the activists and advocates who campaigned to get Bell into office are relying on tested strategies. For example, Reeds group, Action St. Louis, is part of the St. Louis County Reform Coalition, a group of nine local and national organizations. Reed explained that the group is modeled after Philadelphias Coalition for a Just DA. Advertisement There is no need to spend a lot of time re-creating the wheel when there is some knowledge and expertise already out there, she said. Some cues taken from Philly: the appointment of specific coalition members to take the lead on specific issues such as bail or immigration, the establishment of regular meetings with the prosecutors office (Bell committed to meet quarterly), and the composition of a list of demands for the first 100 days. Advertisement Advertisement Also learned from Philly: a prosecutors supporters can be his fiercest watchdogs. The ACLU of Pennsylvania, for example, has monitored the courts to ensure that Krasner is able to keep his cash-bail promise. The civil rights group watched 650 bail hearings and concluded that, despite the policy changes, the Philadelphia criminal court was still jailing people based on wealth. Krasner has attempted to greatly roll back the use of cash bail, not seeking it in roughly 61 percent of cases. But bail decisions are ultimately up to the bail commissioner, even if an assistant district attorneys recommendation can hold significant sway. Still, by and large, the new bail policy has been a success. A recent George Mason Legal Studies paper showed that in 2018 there was a 22 percent decrease in the number of people who spent at least one night in jail, with no increase in recidivism or missed court dates. At the same time, bail commissioners have kept on cash bail 10 percent of the misdemeanor defendants and two-thirds of the felony defendants who should have been protected by Krasners policy shift. Everyone understands that these are the policies at the top and that doesnt always mean that its going to be implemented immediately, said Sara Mullen, ACLU of Pennsylvanias policy director. But that doesnt mean the group is remaining silentthe ACLU of Pennsylvania addressed the courts with its concerns about implementation of Krasners policies in a Sept. 11 letter and could file a federal lawsuit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In St. Louis County, meanwhile, the ACLU of Missouri is setting up its own court monitoring program, with tips from Pennsylvania. Were happy with what [Bell is] rolling out, but implementation is another thing said Sara Baker, ACLU of Missouris legislative and policy director. There is need for outside accountability. Among reform-minded prosecutors, Bell is unique for coming into office with a thorn from the police union already in his side. But his support network also stands out for its preparedness. This political landscape could be a bellwether of what future prosecutors seeking to decarcerate their jurisdiction should expect. Listen to What Next: Get More What Next Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcastsand much more. Sign up today. Join Slate Plus Subscribe to What Next Copy this link and add it in your podcast app. copy link copied! For detailed instructions, see our Slate Plus podcasts page. Listen to What Next via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher, Overcast, Google Play, or iHeart. Last fall, doctors from all over America took to social media with the hashtag #ThisIsMyLane (or #ThisIsOurLane). They sent pictures of themselves in blood-drenched scrubs and shared stories of treating victims of shootings. They were responding to a tweet from the NRA chiding them for speaking out about gun violence. Who are these doctors who have seen the worst results of gun violenceand still own guns? Guest: Dr. Brendan Campbell, pediatric surgeon at Connecticut Childrens Medical Center in Hartford, Connecticut. This episode first aired on Nov. 15, 2018. Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or sending an email to whatnext@slate.com. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Anna Martin. Theres a bright side to the collapse of the second Trump-Kim summit. Maybe the two leaderswho dreadfully miscalculated each others interests and pliability going into this get-togetherwill learn some lessons about whats achievable in U.S.-North Korean relations. The talks in Hanoi broke down when it became clear that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would take no steps toward de-nuclearization until all economic sanctions against his country were liftedand even then, he would shut down just one of his reactors and do nothing else, not even submit a list of how many weapons he had or where they were. That was too much even for Trump, who declared the summit was over with no results, not even a hackneyed joint statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How did this happen? Kim thought Trump was so desperate for a dealfor a place in history and a distraction from his domestic troublesthat he would agree to anything. It is to Trumps credit that he walked out upon realizing that Kims insistence on such an extreme, one-sided deal was immovable. But it is Trumps fault for letting this near-inevitable disaster go forward in the first place. One lesson Trump should draw from this cock-up is that previous presidents had a reason for putting off summits until their diplomats lined up all (or almost all) the pins ahead of time. If Kim wasnt going to budge an inch until all sanctions were lifted, there never should have been a summit. Advertisement Trump was arrogant in believing he could fix everything in face-to-face banter; that only he could make a dealnot just a deal, but the deal of the centuryand that the diplomatic corps was rigid and useless. His diplomatsand even his handpicked North Korea emissary, Stephen Biegunhad been meeting with Kims team for months, to no avail, mainly because Kim believed he could get a better deal if he waited for the one-on-one with Trump. Trump encouraged him to believe just that, saying he was in no hurry for his new best friend to begin disarming. On the eve of the summit, word went out that the U.S. would be fine if Kim declined to submit an itemized list of his nuclear facilities, which U.S. officials had previously deemed a prerequisite for further progress in these talks, and logically soits impossible to verify disarmament without knowing how many arms exist at the outset. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ultimate source of all these misjudgments is Trumps belief that deal-making depends on personal relations and that he is a master of the nexus between the two, not just in the world of New York real estatewhere he made his putative fortunebut in the world of war, peace, and diplomacy. Compounding this naivete was the additional delusion that he and Kim had become such good friendswe fell in love, he proclaimed in Septemberthat a terrific deal would be in the offing almost automatically. Advertisement Advertisement Not even the collapse in Hanoi seems to have shattered his romantic illusion: at the post-mortem press conference, Trump said that Kim denied knowledge of American student Otto Warmbiers fatal ill treatment in a North Korean prisonand that Trump believes him. Advertisement Advertisement Trump didnt realize, as do most people who get into his current line of work, that good relations grow out of common interests, not the other way aroundand, at the moment, regardless of how many chuckles Trump and Kim might share over a four-course dinner in Hanoi, the United States and North Korea do not have very many common interests. So now what happens? At best, the two countries go back to where they were a year ago, before the mutual feasting on pageantry, the starry-eyed dreams of a Nobel Peace Prize and a Trump Tower hotel-casino on the beach at Wonsan-Kalma. Instead, midlevel diplomats will meet in a seemingly endless stream of conferences, making occasional spurts of progress (an exchange of liaison offices in each others capitals wouldnt be a bad idea, whatever else happens), followed by frustrating bouts of stagnation. In the meantime, North Korea (again, at best) will extend its moratorium on testing missiles and nuclear devices, South Korea will expand its programs of economic aid and investment, the United States will look for even the slightest crevice of an opportunity to reduce tensions further while also shoring up its alliances in the region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday morning, those allies and many in the U.S. foreign-policy establishment the swamp, as Trump once derided themwere relieved that the president didnt give away the store in Hanoi, as theyd feared he might. At the same time, some are nervous about what comes next. Trump doesnt seem the sort of person to take stock, acknowledge misperceptions, and change course. He has also lost the opportunity to wave the banner of peacemaker as a counterpoint to the large-font headlines sparked this week by Michael Cohens testimony, much less those awaiting the report from Robert Mueller. Advertisement In fact, the failure in Hanoi threatens to solidify Trumps legacy as a peace-wrecker. His maximum pressure campaign against North Korea may have brought Kim to the tablebut couldnt secure even the slightest concessions. His abrogation of the Iran nuclear deal only further isolated the U.S. from its traditional allies and may have strengthened hardliners in Tehran. His withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership bolstered Chinas economic leverage with other Asian powers. He might now put all his chips on the trade talks with Chinathough his dejection in Hanoi may push Chinese President Xi Jinping to toughen his negotiating position, believing that Trump is now more desperate for a deal with him than ever. Advertisement Advertisement And what of Kim? As the dynastic leader of a totalitarian regime who has murdered several suspected critics, including his uncle and half-brother, Kim is not susceptible to the domestic and bureaucratic pressures that the leader of a democracy routinely faces. But he will still have some explaining to do with the military and economic-planning elites, who were expecting him to deliver the brighter future of relief from sanctions and the promise of a peace treaty that would enshrine their nuclear deterrent. Tense times are ahead. Its time for diplomats to return to the fore. The questionone of many questionsis whether Trump will let them. I know those bones! I thought to myself, looking at a tweet. It was an X-ray of the broken hand of a patient whom I had treated in my emergency department a few weeks prior. The image had no identifying information that would violate anyones privacy, but it was a remarkable and strange feeling to recognize a person by an X-ray. But what shook me was the commentary that accompanied the image: It said the pattern of this particular fracture was highly suspicious for intimate partner violence. I had not remotely considered that possibility when treating the patient. It had been what we physicians call a good storymeaning that it was credible, and that my physical findings matched the description of what the patient said had caused it (an item falling). I didnt suspect a thing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What, I wanted to know, had made this X-ray look suspicious to my colleague, emergency radiologist Dr. Bharti Khurana, who had posted the tweet? Answers to questions like this are just starting to emerge: This month, Khurana and her colleagues here at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston published what may turn out to be a game-changing study describing the radiographic findings in intimate partner violence in the journal Radiology. The study gives front-line physicians like me powerful information about both the demographics and the patterns of injury seen in domestic violence. We already know that unusual patterns of broken bones help doctors detect child abuse. This new study suggests that such an approach may be successful in adults too. Advertisement Some of her teams findings confirm what we might have suspected, but others are surprises. For example, its widely understood that injuries to the head and face are the strongest indicators of domestic violence, particularly because there are few other causes of such injuries. But Khurana and her colleagues also found that injuries to the arms and legs may present good opportunities for detection. These kinds of fractures are actually more common in domestic violence victims than facial or head injury; the problem is that theyre more common in everyone else, too. What Khurana and her colleagues are now trying to assess and quantify are what types of arm and leg fractures are more commonly associated with domestic violence, to give doctors a clearer sense of what type of break to look for. Advertisement Advertisement It doesnt take tremendous medical judgment to be concerned if a woman has a broken nose and a black eye, but who gets suspicious about a fracture to the fifth metacarpal bone? And yet, as Khurana explains, the type of injury in my patient was indicative of a defensive injury to the long bone of the hand. While attackers (and also boxers) tend to break the long bone nearer to the fingers, defensive injuries to that same bone are often closer to the wrist. Advertisement Advertisement It doesnt take tremendous medical judgment to be concerned if a woman has a broken nose and a black eye, but who gets suspicious about a fracture to the fifth metacarpal bone? They could also simply be the result of an unusual break or, in the case of my patient, an object falling and landing weirdly. So how should doctors act on this knowledge, particularly given that we currently lack data that would help us understand how statistically valid such observations are? Here doctors have to tread carefully. Advertisement Advertisement The deeper issue, according to Brigham and Womens Hospital emergency physician Dr. Hanni Stoklosa, who co-authored the paper and studies intimate partner violence and human trafficking, is how hard it is to detect intimate partner violence. Medical screening is easy. You ask a question, you get an answer, she says. But domestic violence survivors tend to underreport to health care providers. This is often multifactorial, but one barrier might be that health care providers in many states are required to notify law enforcement authorities about domestic violence. As my friend Daryl E. Bassin, a former deputy city attorney for Anaheim, California, has often recounted, survivors can have legitimate fears about involving law enforcement, including that incarceration or in some cases deportation of an accused perpetrator would deprive a family of financial or food security. Our job is to create the right conditions for disclosure, and, if and when they are ready, we let them know that this is a safe place to go, Stoklosa says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is why my protocol when I suspect intimate partner violence has changed over time. Interviewing a patient alone is often crucial. Survivors frequently come to the emergency department with their abusers, and it is not until they are alone that they feel safe saying what really happened. I also remind patients that my job is to take care of them and that I do not work for the government or for law enforcement. I am legally obligated to report intimate partner violence in certain specific cases; in Massachusetts, where I practice, the threshold is if a firearm, knife, or similar weapon was used, or if the patient has burns covering more than 5 percent of the body. Each state has different requirements. Advertisement Advertisement Radiologists literally have X-ray vision, and the clarity of that vision appears to be improving. Emergency physicians should know that we already have resources in place for survivors of intimate partner violenceand we can probably use them more often. That might mean calling a social worker directly into the emergency department to help survivors find safe housing, make a police report (if that is what they want), and provide resources and numbers to call if and when they want more help in the future. We can also hope that continued analysis will keep giving us better indicators of when to act. For me, this new research was a useful reminder of how important it always is to consider the whole patient, rather than just the injured body part. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views and opinions of Brigham and Womens Hospital. The Trump administration came in with a fair bit of cyber-sabre rattling. Last spring, the Department of Defense elevated the status of Cyber Command to let them to do more offensive work. Then there was the August 2018 classified presidential order that made it easier for the military to engage in offensive cyber operations, followed by the new National Cyber Strategy and Department of Defense cyber strategy, both issued in September 2018, which emphasized the importance of taking preemptive actions against adversaries in cyberspace and defending forward to persistently contest malicious cyber activity. But, so far, the administrations bark appears to be worse than its byte. Advertisement In the Washington Post this week Ellen Nakashima reports on one of the first offensive operations run by Cyber Command under these new policiesan effort to take the Russian Internet Research Agency offline during the 2018 midterm elections. The IRA, based in St. Petersburg, is a private company that, according to an indictment filed last year by Robert Mueller, did extensive social media work for the Russian government during the 2016 U.S. elections to stir up controversy, generate protests, and criticize Hillary Clinton. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For instance, employees of the IRA and other co-conspirators allegedly created the Twitter account March for Trump and the Facebook accounts Clinton FRAUDation and Trumpsters United. They also allegedly ran an Instagram account called Woke Blacks and posted on it the message: [A] particular hype and hatred for Trump is misleading the people and forcing Blacks to vote Killary. We cannot resort to the lesser of two devils. Then wed surely be better off without voting AT ALL. The indictment also describes their alleged role in purchasing political advertisements on social media sites, using Paypal accounts created with stolen identities, saying things like Hillary is a Satan, and her crimes and lies had proved just how evil she is. The IRA was not named in a separate indictment of GRU Russian intelligence agents who allegedly hacked Democratic National Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee servers as well as email accounts belonging to Hillary Clinton campaign officials and volunteers during the 2016 election. Advertisement Advertisement Yet it was the IRA that apparently bore the brunt of Cyber Commands newfound offensive powers during the 2018 midterms, according to Nakashimas reporting. And the result of the attack was that the organizations internet access was blocked for a brief window, on the day of the election and a day or so afterward, in order to defend against any IRA efforts to cast doubt on the results. But most of the IRA disinformation tactics seem designed to sow confusion and influence voters prior to casting their votes. Advertisement All of which is just to say: This was a fairly timid operation for an administration that has pushed for some pretty aggressive language and policies. Instead of going after the GRU, the unit that seems to be responsible for actual hacking activities, Cyber Command went after its social media counterpart, the IRA. Instead of actually deleting any of their records or stealing or releasing any of their files, Cyber Command merely interrupted their online access for a brief period. U.S. officials told Nakashima, The blockage was so frustrating to the [IRA] trolls that they complained to their system administrators about the disruption. In other words, it was a bit of a nuisanceit prompted a nasty email or two to the company sysadmin. But nothing even close to the kind of national soul-searching and hand-wringing that Russias offensive cyber operations have generated in the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats not a bad thing. A cautious strategy of forbearance in cyberspace makes a lot of sense given that the United States is not clearly dominant in this domain. In fact, its vulnerable because it relies heavily on computer-based infrastructure. We potentially have more to lose than we do to gain by needling adversaries like Russia and North Korea into launching more aggressive attacks directed at those critical infrastructure systems. Still, its striking that the Trump administration has chosen to go this temperate route given all its cyber bombast about offensive operations and forward defense. Advertisement Advertisement In October, we learned that Russian intelligence agents had received pop-up messages alerting them to the fact that the U.S. government knows who they are and what theyre up to. Tactics like that and the brief internet outage may not turn out to be the most effective means of deterring other countries from using online avenues of attack against the United States, but theyre certainly some of the more prudent options in terms of their restraint. In fact, they resemble the kinds of operations that were carried out during the Obama administrations notably cautious use of cyber tactics, including shutting off internet access for North Korea following the 2014 Sony Pictures breach. Advertisement Advertisement Last September, national security adviser John Bolton said at a press conference that thanks to the Trump administrations new cyber policies, Our hands are not tied as they were in the Obama administration. In practice, however, despite all the aggressive posturing and the flurry of new policies, the Trump administrations use of offensive cyber operations seems to still be following the Obama-era playbook of judicious, small-scale interventions. The U.S. cyber strategy has certainly gotten more aggressive on paper, but in cyberspace it appears to be the same as it always waswhich may be for the best. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless. The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well. By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism. The picture of Michael Strank, where he together with other American soldiers lifts up a flag, became iconic. News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The state run postal services operator Slovenska Posta will issue a postal stamp bearing a picture of Michael Strank. Strank, who was born in Jarabina village in north-east Slovakia, is depicted in the iconic photograph of Joe Rosenthal, capturing one of the key moments of the battle for the Pacific island Iwo Jima at the turn of February and March 1945. The stamp showing Michael Strank, to be issued on March 1, will have the nominal value of 1. Together with the postal stamp, we will release an envelope with a First Day Cover postmark bearing the March 1, 2019 date and the domicile of Jarabina village, said Jana Pobisova from Slovenska Posta, as quoted by the TASR newswire. The motif on the First Day Cover envelope is the symbolic erection of the American flag on Iwo Jima, while the main motif on the FDC stamp are the gravestones of Arlington cemetery. The artist responsible for the design is Igor Piacka, and the engraver is Lubomir Zalec, TASR wrote. Fighting for the USA Pobisova recalled that about 1 million Slovaks left for the USA between 1880 and 1938, mostly due to social reasons. They found work in the mining and steel industries. Many of those from the first generation, but also the later ones, have significantly contributed to the USAs history, she said for TASR. One of them, for long time unknown, was Michal Strenk or Michael Strank. He was born in Jarabina near the Slovak-Polish border on November 10, 1919. At the age of six, he moved with his parents to Pennsylvania, where his father worked in the steelworks. Strank served with the American naval infantry. He was in command of a special forces team of the naval infantry when they disembarked on Iwo Jima, said Pobisova, as quoted by TASR. Read also: Read also: Slovak-American hero awarded U.S. citizenship Read more After they conquered the highest elevation on the island, Suribachi mountain, he participated in the second flag raising, symbolising their victory on the battlefield, on February 23, 1945. The picture became the model for the bronze monument at Arlington National Cemetery (near Washington DC) and many reproductions, including postal stamps. He died on March 1, 1945 in the continuous fighting on the island, said Pobisova, as quoted by TASR. Strenk was not an official citizen of the USA when he served in the American army. His relatives finally received his certificate of citizenship on July 29, 2008. The Palace vowed Thursday that it would not tolerate any form of abuse from men in uniform in the wake of an opinion poll showing that most Filipinos believe that some police carry out extrajudicial killings, frame drug suspects and engage in the illegal drug trade. Released on Wednesday, the new Social Weather Stations survey showed that 68 percent of respondents believed that it was definitely or probably true that policemen are involved in the illegal drug trade. Twenty-six percent said they were undecided, while 5 percent said the allegation is definitely or probably not true. Meanwhile, some 66 percent of the respondents believed as definitely or probably true the claim that cops are involved in the extrajudicial killing of drug suspects. Some 28 percent said they were not sure. Fifty-five percent of the respondents also said the allegation that policemen often plant evidence against suspects they arrest is probably and definitely true. Thirty-three percent were undecided, while 9 percent said this was untrue. Respondents were split on police claims that drug suspects they killed fought back, with 28 percent believing this to be untrue, and 28 percent saying it was true. A high 44 percent of those polled said they were undecided. Reacting to the survey, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the administration would not tolerate any kind of abuse from those whose duty was to serve and protect. Panelo said the executive department is aware of the rotten eggs among the ranks of the Philippine National Police, who tend to destroy the institutions integrity. He said the President has already said that there would be hell to pay for police who became worse than criminals. While there is no denying that there are erring policemen within their ranks, the PNP has done internal cleansing efforts, such as the activation of the Counter-Intelligence Task Force tasked to go after policemen involved in unlawful activities, he said. He cited the instance in which the police killers of Kian delos Santos were convicted and the entire Caloocan police force was relieved.In the spirit of fairness, Panelo said, SWS should conduct another survey focusing on the good deeds of the police. Citing a report from the PNP, the Palace official said 165 police officers were killed and 575 were wounded in the campaign against illegal drugs. These figures dispel allegations of critics and detractors on legitimate drug operations and show that drug pushers and addicts actually resort to violence when confronted with a threat of apprehension, he said. Indeed, illegal drugs, particularly methamphetamine or shabu, alter emotions and cause anger and fear on the part of the user so we are not dumbfounded when violent encounters ensue during police operations, he added. The SWS survey, conducted from Dec. 16 to 19, 2018, used face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults nationwide. It had sampling error margins of 2.6 percent for national percentages, and 5 percent each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao. Reacting to the same SWS survey, the PNP said it valued life and human rights in its anti-drug operations, and that it continued to weed out those who violated this policy. Senior Supt. Bernard Banac told GMA News that as much as possible, the police tried to reduce any casualties in their war on illegal drugs. As part of its internal cleansing, he said, all police who have been found to have broken the law will be fired. In a first look four years in the making, today were taking you inside The Crown, the stunning new coffee experience complex from Oakland green coffee importers Royal Coffee. In a world of cookie cutter coffee architecture and same-same interior design, this is the rarest thing: a new coffee project that dares to look and feel singular. Awe inspiring, grandly scaled, and utterly bespoke, The Crown sprawls across thousands of square feet in a reimagined 1920s auto showroom in the heart of Oaklands Broadway Auto Row. The size and scope of the project brings to mind other big new coffee endeavors of the last decade, from La Marzoccos KEXP cafe to the very first Starbucks Reserve store in Seattle. It opens to public on March 4th. A combination public tasting room, interconnected network of multimedia equipped training spaces, a multi-unit roasting HQ, and second floor offices, the spaces stats stagger the mind. Two separate architecture firms served on the project: Norman Sanchez Architecture (Architect of Record) and Studio Terpeluk (Design Architect). There are more than 15 coffee grinders alone at The Crown, plus seven espresso machines and counting, all by La Marzocco and Modbar. There are Perlick fridges, Curtis water towers, Marco Uber Fonts and Uber Boilers, custom glassware from local Oakland all-Japan-everything experts Umamimart, custom ceramics by Created Co., demitasse spoons by Loveramics, custom white oak service boards designed by Tom Connelly (in collaboration with Sandra Loofbourow, The Crowns Tasting Room Director), and custom white American oak drip trays built-ins from Saint Anthony Industries protecting a fleet of Acaia scales. The front tasting room is anchored by an enormous custom Chambers Art & Design multi-unit modular coffee bar that can be positioned in various forms: a wave, a straight line, or a Nike swoosh. Beneath the bar there are a bank of custom floor boxes containing electronics and water lines for the espresso machines. The tasting room will be open to the public, offering a range of flights and unique experiencesstuff thats not regularly offered to the public, according to Richard Sandlin of Royal Coffee, who serves as The Crowns general manager and has helped oversee the project over its four year incubation. Public guests can walk in and experience an ever-changing battery of farmer-focused coffee flights and tasting experiences, or pick up a quick cup for $2, with a $.25 surcharge on to-go orders (proceeds benefitting Phat Beets). Behind the bar, a pixelated green tile wall designed by Studio Terpeluk references the color palette and texture of unroasted coffee beans, as per Sandlin, studded with wall-mounted coffee storage jars. Past the tasting room, a unique Nana Wall System (imported from Germany and armed with tornado proof glass) provides a unique movable wall infrastructure, allowing The Crown to break their space up into a modular series of units: one large space, four contained spaces, or any combination in-between. A bank of six mobile cupping carts provide cupping space for up to 60 slurpers, all of it built custom in West Oakland by Shada Designs. The presentation Room has an 133 projector screen. The adjoining brew lab has a 92 projector screen. The roasting area of the space is fitted out with no fewer than four coffee roasting units, by Proaster, Diedrich, Probat, and Loring, respectively, with custom ventwork spiring up to the top of the spaces 27-foot-high ceiling. Across the bank of spaces, The Crown will offer Q grader certification and SCA courses, as well as tech training, equipment training, and roasting training. There is no toll roasting. No comfy couches. No public WiFi, no food, and no whole bean sales at The Crown. If, like me, you are gobsmacked by all of this, have no fearweve been checking in on this project since it was announced in late 2015, and Im still trying to process what this space means, what its supposed to be, and what an independent project of this scale and scope means right now for coffee. For their part, Royal envisions The Crown as nothing less than world-buildingan attempt to shrink down the global footprint of coffee into something more accessable, collaborative, public, and open source. We want to be a bridge to where coffees come from, says Royal CEO Max Nicholas-Fulmer. The company sees it as a fight against proprietary knowledge; that by creating a space where the coffee industry is invited to collaborate, they can appeal to a new generation of coffee professionals, especially roasters. They also see it as offering a resource for customers who cant travel to origin, or even to a coffee competition. The presentation and events space is a major hub for that. This is for producers to come present here and connect with customers who cant go, Nicholas-Fulmer told me during an advance tour of the space. Sometimes those producer presentations will happen digitally, and other times for in-person sessions and events between California coffee pros and coffee producers around the world. We think this space can increase the knowledge flow between the two. Were building something that doesnt fit into an easy category, says Sandlin. Is it a roaster? An education and events space? A cafe? Yes. We want this to be a community space for all different kinds of communities, Tasting Room Director Sandra Loofbourow adds. Cheese, meat, marijuana, wine. A home for all things delicious. For Nicholas-Fulmer, an Oakland native stepping into a CEO roll at a company founded decades ago by his father and uncle, there is clearly a local point of pride invested deep into the project. Weve been conceptualizing The Crown for years and our priority was to execute the vision properly, which meant a high level of customization and allocating the time and resources to do so, he tells Sprudge. We look at The Crown fundamentally as an investment in our customers and producing partners. Having a venue for producers to showcase their coffees and an educational program which supports the growth and success of our customers is the foundation of Royals next 40 years in business. Members of the general public can get their first glimpse of The Crown on Monday, March 4th, and the Tasting Room will be open Monday thru Friday from 9am-6pm. A series of cupping events are scheduled following opening day, including a Costa Rica event on March 19th and standing weekly events on Tuesday and Thursdays. A complete listing of upcoming events is available via The Crowns official website. Jordan Michelman is a co-founder and editor at Sprudge Media Network. Read more Jordan Michelman on Sprudge. Photos by Evan Gilman for Sprudge Media Network. Disclosure: Royal Coffee is an advertising partner with the Sprudge Media Network. The Virginia Harness Horse Association (VHHA), in conjunction with the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA), is introducing a new Certified Residency Bonus Program that will begin immediately for foals born beginning in 2019. Once horses complete a six-month residency at a Virginia farm or training centre (before they turn two), they are eligible to begin collecting bonuses as two- and three-year-olds in any overnight race where they receive a piece of the purse. A bonus pool of at least $200,000 will be available annually for those certified horses. Instead of receiving a set award from each money earning start, horses would accumulate points over the year based on purse dollars earned --- one point per dollar. At the end of the year, the entire bonus reward fund will be divided by all points earned, and each horse would receive that set dollar value per point. Awards would then be paid out to owners proportionately. "I think this shows that Virginia is back in the race and that the future looks bright," said Dr. Scott Woogen, VHHA president. "Some key parts of this program were adopted from the successful residency program the state Thoroughbreds now enjoy, while others like the point system are aspects we thought could be fair and equitable. Each year, we'll find out how much money is available for this program and advertise it for the next crop of foals." The state's live harness racing operations are now focused in Northwest Virginia, where a ten-day pari-mutuel meet has taken place at Shenandoah Downs in Woodstock since 2016. This year's fall meet will begin September 13 and continue every Friday and Saturday afternoon for five consecutive weekends. "To help incentivize horsemen to race here, certified horses will receive double the number of points on dollars earned from any overnight race in Virginia," added Woogen. "A single race bonus normally would be capped at 5,000 points, but on the in-state events, that cap will increase to 10,000." "The residency program is designed to bring new horses into the state," said VEA Executive Director Jeb Hannum. "The Standardbred program is exciting, as it stands to impact farms that wouldn't normally be associated with racing. A six-month stay in Virginia, or longer, will help a lot of farms and will direct much needed revenue to agricultural businesses. Our main goal is to increase the number of standardbred horses that are being raised in Virginia." With historical horse racing set to start this year at Colonial Downs and its Rosie's Gaming Emporium sites in New Kent, Richmond, Hampton and Vinton, additional purse funds and incentive program opportunities could be on the rise in the near future. Live simulcast races will be available to bet at each Rosie's site, in addition to the four existing OTBs, which will continue under Colonial management. Information, registration forms and a list of 25 participating farms and training centers in the state that have available space can be accessed at vhha.net. For additional details, contact Debbie Warnick at 443-463-0917 or by email at [email protected]. (Virginia Harness Horse Association) On the heels of the recently held Minnesota Harness Racing Annual Awards Banquet (Feb. 23) an emerging pattern became clear: Wind Me Up has proven to be a quite successful sire out of the gate. Wind Me Ups first two crops of two-year-olds have now produced back-to-back Minnesota Horse of the Year winners. From his very small first crop of foals (just 4 foals dropped with a late start in the breeding season) came the Minnesota horse of the year for 2017 in a colt named Giggle Monster (Wind Me Up-Sportstalk-Sportsmaster) who picked up seven wins and two seconds in nine starts as a freshman, easily claiming the two-year-old pacing colt of the year trophy and impressive enough to be voted as the state's overall Horse of the Year as well (Giggle Monster is owned by Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte and trained by Justin Anfinson). His second crop produced 14 registered foals, which included yet another Horse of The Year nod, as Burning Blaze (Wind Me Up-Cowgirls N Indians-Jet Lag) dominated the two-year-old pacing colt division in Minnesota in 2018, also earning seven wins and two seconds from nine freshman starts, and sporting a 1:54.1f track record at Running Aces. Burning Blaze was voted 2018 Horse of The Year in Minnesota by a wide margin (Burning Blaze is owned by Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte and trained by Justin Anfinson). Not only did his prodigy dominate the freshman colt pacing division in 2018, but he was also represented by the top freshman filly Pacer of The Year as well, in Windmeupnwatchmego (Wind Me Up-Dangerous Years-Western Hanover) who easily captured her division with six wins and two seconds from eight starts and her own 1:54.1f track record at Aces (Windmeupnwatchmego is owned by Richard Davelaar and trained by Gordon Graham). Wind Me Up (Bettors Delight-Breathe-Northern Luck) was a foal of 2008 and hit the racing scene in 2009. His on-track career spanned three seasons, with notable wins in the Thompkins-Geers Stakes and New York Sire Stakes as well as high profile appearances in the Metro Pace, Adios Pace and the Hoosier Cup. At four, he was a regular competitor at the Open/Preferred level at both Harrington Raceway and Dover Downs. He closed out his racing career with a summary of 44-11-10-5, earnings of $349,383 and a three-year-old mark of 1:50.2 at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Wind Me Up was campaigned by the George Teague Jr. Stable, with ownership partners including Teague Jr., Ted Gewertz, Fannin Racing and Robert Feldman. Wind Me Up, pictured at home at the Sandbulte farm in Iowa. In the fall of 2013, Minnesota breeder Alan Sandbulte was in search of a new stallion, one to replace Relentless Yankee (Artsplace-Rosey Yankee-Tylers Mark) who had been a top sire in Minnesota for several years and had been a big part of the Sandbulte's breeding and racing program over the years. Sandbulte was interested in a Bettors Delight stud, as he had taken notice of some of the sire's traits. Sandbulte felt that for Running Aces, you need a slightly bigger horse; stronger and able to handle tough trips, including first-over moves around the five-eighths turns. He had seen two different types of foals in Bettors Delight some compact with good shoulders and good hind ends probably well suited for half-mile tracks. But the other group he had seen had exactly what he was looking for size and strength. With the help of son-in-law Brandon Simpson, of the Renee Allard stable, Sandbulte's search was narrowed down, and they had their eyes on a Bettors Delight stud named Wind Me Up. Alan soon came in touch with George Teague Jr. and discussed a purchase of Wind Me Up. After some negotiation, the two were unable to meet on a price that satisfied both parties, but Teague informed Alan that he would be putting Wind Me Up in an upcoming sale. Sandbulte vowed to watch the horse in the sale. He ultimately was the winning bidder (for less than what the asking price had been privately) and eventually brought Wind Me Up back to his home base in Maurice, Iowa. Allan ran into Teague Jr. one night at the Meadowlands a year or two later where he told him "George, I did buy that stud horse in the auction," to which Teague jokingly replied, I know you did, and you still owe me some money." Clearly Teague thought he should have brought more at the sale. Based on his early results as a sire, its safe to say that he was probably right. Producing the state's Horse of the Year in back to back years in your first two racing crops is extremely impressive. For Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte, harness racing is a family affair. It is a part of their daily life. Harness racing runs deep in their blood and it extends out to the far reaches of the family tree. They are no strangers to success in the racing business, either. Breeding and racing champions is what they strive for. Alan is very pleased with the early success of Wind Me Up as a sire and with the types of foals he is seeing. He shared that they have great conformation, a great temperament, they are willing to learn, are great-gaited and they love their work. All of his foals exhibit some form of white markings, with a lot of diamond markings on the forehead and lots of white feet amongst his prodigy. To date, his top 5 performers include: Giggle Monster(g) $77,980 3, 1:53.4f, Miss Sassy Pants(m) $54,180 4, 1:55.1f, Burning Blaze(g) $53,250 2, 1:54.1f, Windmeupnwatchmego(f) $49,950 2, 1:54.1f, Aint No Uppy Girl(m) $33,115 3, 1:55.1f. Wind Me Up covered 33 mares in 2018, which was his largest book to date. Many in Minnesota are eagerly awaiting the next Wind Me Up stars to hit the racetrack, and eager to see what 2018 stars Burning Blaze and Windmeupnwatchmego will accomplish in 2019 when the racing season gets underway at Running Aces in May. Wind Me Up stands at Bluff Country Equine in Winona, Minnesota for $850/Live Foal. (Minnesota Harness Racing) READ: Chinese illegals face ouster, Palace cites The Chinese Embassy on Thursday said Beijing will not retaliate if the. In a statement, the Chinese Embassy also denied the statement of Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo that Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua had told him thatif the country sent back illegal Chinese workers to China. The Chinese embassy in the Philippines did not say that Beijing would adopt a tit-for-tat approach should the Philippine government deport Chinese nationals found working illegally in the country, the embassy said in a statement. China adheres to the principle of non-interference in other countries internal affairs. Chinese law enforcement agencies will continue to properly handle relevant issues concerning foreign nationals working illegally in China in accordance with laws and regulations, it added. The statement said China respects the laws and regulations of the Philippines regarding employment of foreign nationals and acknowledged that Chinese nationals should not stay or work illegally in foreign countries including the Philippines. The Chinese government has always requested Chinese nationals in the Philippines to observe the Philippine laws and regulations, it said, adding that consular notices have been issued on this matter. Nonetheless, the embassy exhorted the Philippine authorities to deal with relevant issues in accordance with the laws and regulations in a professional manner. Before the Chinese denial was issued, Senator Nancy Binay castigated Beijing for threatening to expel Filipino workers. An opposition lawmaker, meanwhile, expressed dismay over reports that dozens of Chinese citizens are working on China-funded bridge projects.It is disappointing that infrastructure projects initially meant to provide jobs for Filipinos are now being exploited by foreigners who bear no allegiance to our flag, Magdalo Party-list Rep. Gary Alejano said. The Department of Public Works and Highways earlier disclosed that dozens of Chinese workers are working on at least two construction projects funded by China under the Build, Build, Build program. Duterte: Let Chinese nationals work in PH What exactly did China promise this government and what exactly is the odious arrangement that our government has agreed with China that it would willfully neglect its own people? he asked. Alejano also said that the Presidents fear for the deportation of 300,000 Filipinos in China over the Philippine governments crackdown of Chinese workers is a lame excuse backed with false statistics. READ: Labor protests envoys threat to deport OFWs He said the Presidents statement about his reluctance to expel illegal Chinese workers was clearly just another act of deference towards China. In an important step for CUAVA, a new partnership with Space BD will provide satellite deployment services from the International Space Station for two CUAVA satellites that are under development. Led by the University of Sydney, CUAVA is working to train the next generation of workers in commercial space, solve vital research problems and help develop a world-class Australian space industry. CUAVA-1 is the first satellite being developed by CUAVA, with the purpose to certify advanced communication, remote sensing, GPS, and space environment instruments and provide their data to users on Earth. For women trapped inside Assad's prisons, life is a hellish existence that includes appalling conditions and sexual violence writes Zaman Al Wasl. In this story of torture, Sarah al-Abdullah, 30, tells of her suffering at the hands of the Syrian regime. After seven months in Adra (Damascus) prison, I used to wish for death all the time so that I could rid myself of the daily humiliation. My name was included in the Eid al-Fitr reconciliation deal for a bribe of 10 million Syrian pounds (about 21,000 dollars). Three million pounds was paid to the court, and another two million more to get out of the al-Khatib (security) branch and one million to reach Adra prison and four million to get away from the Air Force Intelligence, but the notorious branch refused to release me. At the Air Force Intelligence branch, a new journey of torment began for Sarah. She continued, I stayed for two months in solitary confinement. I could hear nothing but water dripping. It was an extremely difficult time for me. Two months later, they put me in a dormitory with 26 other girls where we were all forced to lie on our sides, to ensure that there was enough room for everyone to fit. At the Air Force Intelligence branch, the situation was different. Children were also detained in cells and use of the bathroom and laundries were restricted. Everyone suffered from scabies and crabs. Each week, we were permitted to use the bathroom for just seven minutes. We would have to remove our clothes, clean them and wash ourselves, without soap or shampoo, in just seven minutes. Sarah told us about an old diabetic woman, she said that even though they knew that diabetics need regular baths, the guards would deliberately ignore and yell at her. Sarah also spoke of a family that was detained. It was the family of the first military pilot who defected and landed his fighter jet in Jordan in 2012. In prison were his mother, his wife and his two children, who grew up in the prison. One was 13 years old (now 20), and the other three years old (now 10). Sarah revealed that no one was allowed to communicate with them or see them. She said that they have been imprisoned for seven years. She was able to catch glimpses of information from them by communicating with them through the gap at the bottom of the door, while the jailers slept. There was also an elderly woman who, six years ago, was put in a cell with her twin boys. The old woman, Jawaher al-Tounisi, was diabetic and unable to walk, but the jailers did not allow her to go to the bathroom until she cried. In Adra Prison, Sarah said she had met a beautiful 19-year-old girl from the suburbs of eastern Ghouta. The girl lost her mind because of the sexual assault by regime militants, she said. According to Sarah, the girl was charged with financing terrorism. They tried to exploit the young girl but she refused. So they arrested her under the pretext of financing terrorism. Afterwards, she went Ibn Sina (Avicenna) hospital at the womens prison she said. Sarah concluded her story by saying that she was released by the Air Force intelligence last September, after paying a bribe of four million Syrian pounds. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. In a joint statement, Russia and Syria called on the United States to withdraw its 'illegal' forces and asked for refugees in al-Rukban to be evacuated writes Al-Araby al-Jadeed. Russia and the Syrian regime called on US forces to leave war-torn country and to allow for civilians inside al-Rukban refugee camp to be evacuated by their forces, a joint statement issued on Wednesday said. The allies have prepared buses to relocate refugees from the camp in southeast Syria and will guarantee safe passage so they could start new lives, the statement released by Russias Ministry of Defense read, Reuters reported. We also call on the United States, whose military units are on Syrian territory illegally, to leave the country, the statement said. On Friday, the United States said it will keep 200 troops in Syria, a reversal of President Donald Trumps earlier decision to withdraw all of Americas 2,000 troops from the war torn country by the end of April. Trumps decision to withdraw all US troops was met with fierce criticism from all sides and led to the resignations of Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and other senior military officials. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani said earlier this month that the Syrian government must take over the regions where US troops are currently positioned Rukban Camp Russia threatened on Monday to block aid to the al-Rukban refugee camp in southern Syria and force men into the army unless refugees leave the area. In the week before, Russian forces and the Syrian regime opened two humanitarian corridors in an attempt to vacate Rukban camp, which is known to have some of the worst conditions of any in the country. Most residents either refused or were unable to leave the camp, fearing arrest, torture and even death if they were to enter regime-held territory through the corridors. Syrian refugees in Rukban, fearing the regime overtaking the area following the US withdrawal from Syria, have called to be moved to opposition-held northern Syria before US troops leave Tanf. Russias Ministry of Defence said earlier this month that, while checkpoints at the corridors would offer food, clothing, medical checkups and other vital support IDPs have been lacking, the law enforcement agencies of Syria would operate checkpoints and escort civilians to other destinations. The camp is located inside a deconfliction zone set up by the US-led international coalition in 2016, which Washington saw as a strategic foothold while it launched an offensive against the Islamic State, as well as being close to the Iranian weapons supply route entering Syria from Iraq. Around 50,000 civilians live in the remote camp, most of them internally displaced people (IDPs) from Homs, Deir az-Zour, and Deraa. Some 80 percent of the residents are women and children. Most residents in Rukban were forced to leave their homes due to Syrian regime and Russian aerial bombardment. With the vast majority of the country back under the hold of the regime, many IDPs fear arrest, torture and even death if they return. Syrias civil war has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions since it started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. America's former ambassador to Syria has said that the US administration is divided on how to proceed in Syria and what their goals are writes Al-Watan. The former American ambassador in Damascus, Robert Ford, said that American policy in Syria was in a state of chaos and revealed that the ongoing negotiations among officials in his countrys administration around the American withdrawal did not succeed in reaching a consensus with regards to what Americas national interests in Syria are. Ford, who also worked as his countrys ambassador to Algeria and as a researcher at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said in an article published in the Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper, which is based in London and owned by the Saudi regime, that American policy in Syria is in a state of chaos. Initially, US President Donald Trump announced that they would withdraw troops within 40 days. Those 40 days turned into four months. At the start of last week, the Trump administration changed its decision and announced that it would leave 200 soldiers in eastern Syria, and then after two days, this was raised to 400 soldiers. Ford revealed that intense negotiations were in full swing now inside Washington with regard to the pullout of the occupying American forces from Syria. He said that these negotiations had not succeeded in reaching consensus with regards to what Americas national interests in Syria were. He said, The 400 soldiers should provide protection to the Syrian Kurds. He claimed that, There is a strong emotional connection between the Americans and their Kurdish allies, and the Americans still hope that Turkey will accept local self-rule by Syrias Kurds. But they cannot say this directly to Ankara. Ford said in June 2017 in a statement to the same paper that, the Kurds will probably pay the price for their trust in the Americans. Ford said at the time, American officials are using the Kurds in a tactic and temporary manner. He quoted American officials at that time as saying that, the Syrian Kurds are making a major mistake trusting the Americans. Ford said in his article yesterday that the Europeans could accept the American request and send some forces to northern Syria. He added, Even if they send forces, no one in Washington or London or Paris knows what the long-term solution in Syria is. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Save the Children has warned that children in the al-Hol camp are suffering from mental trauma following their experiences of ISIS and the conflict with the SDF reports Hurriya Press. On Wednesday, the Save the Children organization warned that thousands of children living in the camps for the displaced in northeastern Syria, following their evacuation from the final pocket of land still under the control of the Islamic State (ISIS) are suffering from psychological distress and that many of them are in need of long-term treatment to recover. The non-governmental organization, concerned with aiding children, has staff in the al-Hol camp for displaced people. It said that children are showing signs of psychological distress, including nervousness, withdrawal, aggression, nightmares and bedwetting, especially among children aged 10 to 14 years old. These symptoms are connected to the monstrous acts that they have endured and which were carried out by ISIS in the areas under its control, in addition to the deprivation they have suffered and the bombardment they experienced that targeted the last ISIS pocket. The al-Hol camp is sheltering thousands of displaced people, including children, who fled the ongoing fighting between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and ISIS. The NGO has set up places to entertain children as well as centers to shelter dozens of unaccompanied children. Sonia Khush, the operations director in the organization, warned that there is still much to do to assist these children in recovery, and called for the repatriation of foreign children to their countries of origin. The organization says that more than 2,500 foreign children belonging to 30 countries are currently living in three displaced camps in northeastern Syria, as well as tens of thousands of other displaced people fleeing the fighting. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. The rejection of Zarif's resignation has put an end to the controversy for now, but some are expecting it to unravel in the future writes Al-Akhbar. Barely a few hours had passed since the resignation of the Iranian foreign minister when a sort of consensus emerged inside the Islamic Republic to reject it. It was a consensus suggesting that the crisis was coming to an end, although the possibility of it reemerging remained. The visit of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Iran came without any protocol preparations, based on Syrias request for security reasons. Diplomatic norms were not followed, there was no reception at the airport, and there was no media in attendance. The first meeting was with the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ali Khamenei, attended by the last office manager, Mohamed Mohamedi Kalbekani, and his adviser for international affairs, Ali Akbar Velayati, as well as the head of the Quds Brigade in the Revolutionary Guard, Qassem SoleimaniThe Godfather of the visit and its coordinator on every level. That was followed by another meeting with President Hassan Rouhani, also attended by Soleimani. The visit did not last half a day. The lack of protocol preparations explained the absence of the Syrian flag from the Assad-Rouhani meeting, as the Iranian President himself only learned of the guests arrival half an hour after his arrival in Tehran. The absence of the guest countries flag from the office of the Supreme Leader is a standard matter. However the most prominent absence was that of Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, who resigned that night. After news spread widely and images of the meetings were distributed, Zarif pulled the media uproar towards himself, when he announced on his Instagram account that he was resigning due to his absence from the official meetings and them occurring without him being notified. The absence of Zarif, for him, was the straw that broke the camels back. The differences between him and Rouhani have piled up recently. These disputes began with the administration of the nuclear matter, as well as dealings with the Europeans, as well as the matter of the International Convention to Combat Terror Financing, which was agreed upon by the Consultative Assembly, and rejected by the Guardian Council of the Constitution, before being transferred to the Expediency Discernment Council. Zarif used Assads visit to bring his resignation out into the open, although it is not the first time he has submitted it. This has in fact happened three times in private, and Rouhani has rejected it every time. The latest resignation, was also rejected after more than 150 MPs signed a petition asking the president to reject it. Likewise, a group of Iranian diplomats hinted they would resign if the foreign minister left the scene. Everyone then attempted to contain the situation, and to put forward poor coordination as a reason for Rouhani to keep his strongest man in government. So far, there are no candidates to succeed Zarif, nor any talk at all of who will take the helm of the Foreign Ministry. Talk has only revolved among the high powersthe Supreme Leader, the President, the National Security Council, and the Expediency Discernment Councilaround Zarif staying in his position, especially given that he has major support, as he is loyal to the reformists but is also close to the Supreme Leader. The main reason for him becoming minister was down to Velayatis efforts, and Velayati was the conductor of his return to the platform of international action, after he had been transferred to academic education during he presidency of Ahmadinejad. It is clear that a retraction of the rejected resignation is likely near. However, nevertheless, Zarifs measure will open the doors to bolstering the disputes within the Islamic Republic, despite the strength of the ruling system. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Law enforcement and drug authorities are shifting to high gear in the governments anti-drug operations after President Rodrigo Duterte, citing unlimited sources of information, said drug users in the Philippines now totaled between seven and eight million. Thein Metro Manila. At the same time, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said the recent recovery of cocaine packages in the countrys eastern seaboard was not new as authorities have recovered similar cocaine packages before. PDEA Spokesperson Derrick Carreon made the comment following the recovery by the PNP of over P871 million worth of cocaine in different parts of the countrys eastern seaboard in the past two weeks. If we will recall, recoveries of cocaine were not new in the Philippines. Weve had recoveries dating back to 2001. If you recall there was even a big one in 2009 when we spent months scouring the seas, again in the eastern seaboard, recovering what was reported to be a ton [of cocaine], Carreon told a Camp Crame briefing. The briefing was attended by some members of media. But Carreon stressed the Philippines was just a transshipment point since it was not a known cocaine market, noting that 97 percent of drug users in the country accounted for shabu users. Earlier,in the country. The news that you hear every day about the floating drugs all around the country is that really we have confirmed that Sinaloa and Medellin cartels are in the trade now. It has always been cocaine from Mexico, Duterte said in a speech in Malacanang. PNP Spokesman Sr. Supt. Bernard Banac, who said Dutertes statementmade in a speech in Binan, Laguna last weekendhad basis, said they would focus their attention on going after illegal drug syndicates instead of drug users to contain the supply side. Banac told the Crame briefing: It [the statistics] remains to be verified but well take it as a good decision-making tool. PDEAs Carreon and National Bureau of Investigation Spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin, who were present at the briefing, said they would also abide by the Presidents figure. They said since the number of arrests and anti-drug operations had increased, this had led to more information on the whereabouts and identities of other users. Drug operations are improving. There are more arrests and the arrests will come [with] additional informationarrested addicts that provide information thats why estimates increase, Lavin said. After a year in his post as chief executive, Duterte said there were about four million drug users in the country. But then Dangerous Drugs Board Chairman Benjamin Reyes instead abided by a figure of 1.8 million from research.Duterte later fired Reyes for contradicting the government. Banac maintained that police operations against illegal drugs had been effective despite the rise of the number of users. He cited the recent national survey showing majority of Filipinos believed the number of drug addicts had decreased. PDEA also reported that 170,689 drug personalities had been arrested from July 1, 2016 to Jan. 31, 2019. Officials have also reported that 11,080 barangays have been declared cleared of illegal drugs out of more than 40,000. Police said they had yet to clear 21,974 barangays from illegal drugs. On the other hand, police data showed 5,176 drug personalities have died in anti-drug operations. Only recently, the President vowed a bloodier drug war in the remaining three years of his term, which is until 2022, implying more arrests and deaths. Banac gave assurances the PNP would uphold the rights of the public as they pursued efforts in the anti-drup campaign. We assure the public the PNP subscribes to the rule of law. All anti-drug operations are done with utmost respect for human rights and human life, he said. READ: PNP, PDEA clash over cocaine find But, as prescribed by law, the police have the right to use force to defend themselves should armed conflict arise, Banac clarified. We know that drug syndicates are well-armed, they will not allow themselves to be arrested or caught and put behind bars, and there is always that possibility that they would put a high level of risk against our law enforcersIf there is a risk of life and his [law enforcers] life is in danger then he has all the right to use the force necessary to contain the risk, he explained. READ: Colombian drug cartel active in PH, PDEA says Credit: CC0 Public Domain Google talked about the feats of London-based DeepMind on Tuesdaytelling the world that a DeepMind system could help make the use of wind farms to produce energy more viable. How so? Google's DeepMind team last year began exploring their idea, an algorithm for predicting power output. This could signify another promising application in putting neural networks to work: Predicting windpower's output 36 hours head of time. Their model recommends how to make "optimal hourly delivery commitments" to the power grid a full day in advance. If you operate a wind farm, you are getting a recommendation on allocation. What did they use to train their neural network? Weather forecasts. Past turbine data. The team position is that machine learning can help wind farm operators make smarter, more data-driven assessments. The result can be a better meeting place between output and electricity demand. Sims Witherspoon, program manager, DeepMind, and Will Fadrhonc, carbon free energy program lead, told the world about what happened as Google and DeepMind started testing machine learning on Google's own wind turbines. The blog said that if energy sources can be scheduled to deliver a set amount of electricity at a set time, they are often more valuable to the grid. That unwanted feature of unpredictability has hampered outlooks on wind as an alternative energy source. "Although the adoption of wind power has grown thanks to cheaper turbine costs, it will always suffer from unpredictability. That limits it compared with other energy sources that can reliably deliver power at a set time, said The Download, MIT Technology Review. As the Google blog also stated, "the variable nature of wind itself makes it an unpredictable energy source." The Register's Katyanna Quach offered examples of just how this predictability would feed into viability. She noted that, with DeepMind's contribution, "wind turbine farms can schedule when to deliver a set amount of electricity to the power grid and get a better idea of pricing models. The system might also help in scheduling maintenance and downtime for turbines." All in all, their algorithm efforts were for the benefit of Google's own wind farmsand this ability to allocate wind power one day ahead of time boosted the value of the wind energy by about 20 percent. Boosted the value compared with what? This is what the team had to say. "To date, machine learning has boosted the value of our wind energy by roughly 20 percent, compared to the baseline scenario of no time-based commitments to the grid." Reporting for The Verge, Nick Statt said the farms are used by Google for its green energy initiatives. Why this matters: It's only been used internally but, said The Download, "it's not hard to imagine Google hoping to sell this technology to wind farm operators." The blog authors: "Our hope is that this kind of machine learning approach can strengthen the business case for wind power and drive further adoption of carbon-free energy on electric grids worldwide." What's next: They said that they continue to refine their algorithm. 2019 Science X Network Special Order Can't find what you are looking for? If it is a line that we carry and it is still produced, we would be happy to special order it for you. Just ask! BangkokThousands of travelers were stranded in Bangkok on Thursday when Thai Airways canceled all flights over Pakistan after Islamabad closed its airspace in response to the soaring tensions with India. Nearly thirty flightsthe majority to and from European routeswere initially affected, the airline said, with three aircraft forced to return to Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi airport and others canceled or set to be re-routed. The travel disruption spun out across the region, with Singapore Airlines usually direct flights to Europe forced to re-fuel on Wednesday, while a flight to Frankfurt was canceled. The disruption follows a snowballing crisis between nuclear-armed neighbors Pakistan and India, which has raised fears of an all-out war. Pakistan claimed it shot down two Indian Air Force planes in its airspace, although it later clarified only one Indian pilot had been captured. India said its forces had also shot down a Pakistani fighter jet as Pakistan suddenly closed its airspace.Thai Airways said nearly 5,000 passengers had been caught up in the drama, as it struggled to find new routes to Europe with Iran rejecting a request to travel over its airspace, according to a spokesperson for the carrier. But a few hours later China gave permission to Thai Airways ... to bypass Pakistani airspace, according to Pratana Patanasiri, Thai Airways Vice President, allowing Thursday nights flights to Europe to resume. But frustration mounted Thursday at Bangkoks main airport at the sudden delays. We have waited here for 11 or 12 hours already, Gerda Heinzel 55, a German tourist flying back to Munich after a holiday in Phuket. We have not been given anything to eat, anywhere to stay. There are no German-speaking staff to help us. "What can I do for you? Cory asked. Nothing, just pray,Enrile replied." It was not until late in the evening that Saturday (Feb. 22, 1986) that Fidel Ramos actually joined the rebellion at Camp Aguinaldo. He had contacted his loyal PC-INP commanders, like Rene de Villa in Bicol, and Rodrigo Gutang in Cagayan de Oro and found to his dismay no troops could be readily airlifted to Manila to reinforce Enriles men, who were undermanned and under-armed. Cory learned about the brewing rebellion at 4 p.m. the same Saturday in Cebu. She had led a destabilization and boycott rally there, which I covered. After hearing about rumors of the Enrile defection, I went to the Mactan airport to book a flight to Manila. I landed in Manila shortly after 9 p.m. With Boy del Mundo of then UPI, I took a taxi to Camp Aguinaldo. I was surprised to find the camp commander welcoming us with open arms. Enrile and Gringo had no troops at that time. Enrile had made a deal with MarcosNo shooting on the first night. Also, foreign correspondents were to be allowed inside Camp Aguinaldo. Inside the Defense Ministry headquarters, Enrile and Ramos were giving an extended press conference. I asked if Cory Aquino called them up. Enrile said yes. What can I do for you? she asked. Nothing, just pray, Enrile replied. After Cory got the presidency, Namfrel made recount of the votes cast in the February snap election. The tally still showed Marcos was the real winner, not by two-million votes, as canvassed by the Batasan, but by 800,000 votes as recounted by Namfrel. In the Comelec-sanctioned official count, the legal and official winner was Marcos, by a margin of 1.7-million votes. It was thought Marcos had cheated because his Solid North votes were transmitted very late to the tabulation center at the PICC. Two Namfrel volunteers were hanged in Ilocos. The Ilocano votes were enough to overwhelm Corys lead in Metro Manila and other places. The canvassers claimed Marcos was cheating and so led by the wife of a RAM major, walked out, as if on cue. The day before the celebrated incident, we, foreign correspondents, had been alerted about the planned walkout and to be there to cover it. Cory Aquino didnt have any participation in the four-day People Power revolt of Feb. 22 to 25, 1986 or Edsa I. Cory disregarded the 1973 Constitution and proclaimed a Freedom Constitution to sidetrack critics from questioning her legitimacy. Cory had a tumultuous reign. Her Cabinet was riven by discord between right- and left-wingers. She battled a nasty communist insurgency whose guerillas swelled to their highest number ever. She tried to placate Muslim separatists with an aborted autonomy deal, ala Tripoli Agreement of Imelda Marcos. The centurys worst earthquake, the centurys worst volcano eruption, and among the most massive floods happened during her time. Twelve to 18-hour blackouts scared the daylight out of investors. An unruly military mounted nine coup attempts against her.Only raw courage and the power of prayer saved her and her administration from ignominy. When Aquino left office, the economy was in the throes of a recession. Daily blackouts paralyzed business. She mothballed the Bataan nuclear plant which would have been the principal power source for the main island of Luzon, which produced half of the total economic output. Still, aside from restoring the peoples freedoms and democracy, Mrs. Aquino is credited for the 1987 Constitution. The 1987 charter was flawed for a number of reasons. First, it abolished the old two-party system dominated by the Nacionalista and Liberal parties. The NP and LP had ensured regional balance in the choice of senators and competent and popular officials. For the NP or LP to capture the presidency, it must first capture the Senate, which had 24 senators, eight of whom had to be elected every four years. To control the Senate, both parties had to field the best and brightest and most popular candidates. One proof the old system worked is that seven Philippine presidents were bar topnotchers and first served in the Senate (or Congress) before being ushered into Malacanang. The lack of regional balance under the present system of electing senators led to a ridiculous situation during Aquinos time where a small snooty village in La Vista in the Manila suburb of Quezon City had four senators in residence while the entire Mindanao island didnt have a single senator. Second, in lieu of the Senate Commission on Appointments, it created a Judicial and Bar Council (a small cabal of men and women actually who are very susceptible to suggestion) to screen judges and Supreme Court justices instead. This resulted in a corrupt if not incompetent judiciary or both. Third, the Constitution banned foreigners from owning majority of real estate and other key areas of the economy. This turned off investors and the Philippines missed the flood of foreign investments that swept through Southeast Asia in three waves in two decades. Fourth, the 1987 charter banned nuclear power. This denies the Philippines the option to tap one of the cleanest and best sources of energy. The multi-party system that replaced the old two-party system enabled communists to get seats in the 280-seat Congress. Because poll inspectors of the two largest parties were no longer paid wages by the state on election day, presidential candidates had to raise private money to man electoral precincts in 40,000 barangays or villages, making them vulnerable to vested interest and election financiers and crime syndicates. The setup opened doors to corrupt elected officials and worse, incompetent administrators. Summing up, the love and affection of her people secure Corys place in history as perhaps, one of the best loved of Philippine presidents. [email protected] The government this week finally broke ground on the P350-billion, 36-kilometer Metro Manila Subway Project, the first-ever underground railway system in the Philippines. Nobody will contest the claim of the Department of Transportation that the proposed subway is the project of the century in the Philippines. Its total cost is unparalleled for a single infrastructure project so far. The technology to be used for the project is also unprecedentedtunnel boring machines are being tapped to excavate tunnels using a circular cross-section mechanism. The subway project is one of the railways being put up in Metro Manila to decongest traffic in the national capital region. The DOTr says it will transform the economic and social landscape of Metro Manila. For one, about 370,000 passengers will benefit from the subways first year of full operations by 2025. Real estate consultancy Colliers International, meanwhile, said the ground-breaking for the subways first three stations would benefit the Quezon City property sector over the near to medium term. In our opinion, the subway should play an important role in dictating private developer strategies in Metro Manila, Colliers said.A flagship project under the governments Build, Build, Build program, the subway rail is being constructed with a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Once completed, it will have 15 stations from Quirino Highway in Quezon City to Naia Terminal 3 in Pasay City and FTI in Taguig City, crossing seven local governments and passing through three Metro Manilas business districts. With a speed of up to 80 kilometers per hour, travel time from Quezon City to Naia Terminal 3 is expected to be reduced to 30 minutes, the Transportation department said. The Duterte administration deserves the credit for pushing this type of project as one way of solving the gridlock in Metro Manila. The subway project is a step closer to modernizing the transportation system in Metro Manila and in making the capital region at par with other modern cities in Asia. No threat or intimidation can stop me from carrying on with my spiritual and pastoral duties, says the bishop of Caloocan, a harsh critic of Duterte's controversial war on drugs, and the victim in recent months of the presidents unproven accusations. Manila (AsiaNews) Mgr Pablo Virgilio Siongco David (pictured), bishop of Caloocan and vice president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), has confirmed that he received death threats two weeks ago, "But I dont know who they are coming from, he said. The case came to light on Sunday, a little less than three months before the countrys mid-term general elections on 13 May, when President Rodrigo Duterte known for his verbal attacks against the Catholic Church suddenly changed his tune at an event in Cebu City. Do not touch the priests, they had nothing to do with politics, the president said. Either Muslims or Christians, they had nothing to do with us, he added. Do not do it. Do not try to do it. Ang (The) religious [leaders] had nothing to do with the vagaries of life. Lay off! Stop threatening them or ako ang makakalaban ninyo (you will have to face me). During the rally, Duterte quoted part of a letter he received from Card Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila. In it, the prelate mentions death threats against Bishop David and some priests from someone claiming to be working for the presidents family. ". Duterte did not say who Bishop David was, but most people realised that the reference was about the bishop of Caloocan. Mgr Pablo David has been a harsh critic of the presidents war on drugs, whose death toll has surpassed 20,000 since Duterte took office in 2016. In recent months, the bishop has been the victim of unproven accusations made by Duterte, such as stealing donations and involvement in drug trafficking. On CbcpNews, when asked if the death threats are tied to his campaign against drug killings, David said, your guess is as good as mine. Still, he added, No threat or intimidation can stop me from carrying on with my spiritual and pastoral duties as a bishop. A blog for students in my introductory classes in government, and any interested passersby. You'll find news items and random stories that illustrate any of the topics we cover in class. Special attention will be paid to the constitutional issues associated with contemporary issues and disputes. Feel free to send me stories you find important. Please note that due to spam, I'm limiting the ability of people to comment on these pages. My apologies. Mattie frowned. It had been well over a year since last she had been in Germany. As a consequence, her reputation in Germany as Hitlers favorite foreign journalist was beginning to fade. The last thing she wanted to do was revive that by doing a story on the SA and the German Army, notwithstanding that she had many high-level contacts in Nazi Germany including Goring and the Nazi foreign press chief Ernst Putzi Hanfstaengl as well as Hitler himself. From The Liebold Protocol by Michael & Kathleen McMenamin Michael: There are two main ideas in The Liebold Protocol and I explain the basis for each, as we do in all the books in this series, with a Historical Note at the end. First is Matties Trading with the Enemy in the Great War story that she is investigating for Hearst. Germany and Great Britain really did trade British raw rubber for German optical equipment. I found this in Adam Hochschilds To End All Wars. And British companies did sell enormous quantities of materials to Imperial Germany throughout the war through Scandinavian 3rd parties as covered in Admiral Consetts book The Triumph of Unarmed Forces 1914-1918. Second is about the SA and SS throwing German citizens into concentration camps and then ransoming them to wealthy relatives who had emigrated to the Western Hemisphere. Its a bit more fanciful, but its believable because I think the Nazis would have done it if only they had thought of it. The idea came originally from Edwin Blacks IBM and the Holocaust, The Strategic Alliance Between Nazi Germany and Americas Most Powerful Corporation. Most people are unaware that IBM was in bed with the Nazis throughout the 1930s. The fact is IBM technology was used to organize nearly everything in Germany including the identification of Jews, Social Democrats and Communists in censuses, registrations and ancestral tracing programs. Creating a protocol to cross-reference the identities of German citizens with wealthy relatives abroad would have been fairly easy. Incidentally, Blacks books provided the impetus for two of our other novels. His War Against the Weak, Eugenics and Americas Campaign to Create a Master Race inspired The Gemini Agenda just as The Transfer Agreement, The Dramatic Story of the Pact Between the Third Reich & Jewish Palestine inspired The Silver Mosaic] Michael: As in the other novels in the series, there are three of them. Mattie McGary is an adventure-seeking Hearst photojournalist and Winston Churchills goddaughter who, to her dismay has become Hitlers favorite foreign journalist. Bourke Cockran, Jr. is Matties husband [they were finally married in our last novel, The Silver Mosaic], a lawyer, writer, former counterintelligence agent and the fictional son of the young Churchills real-life mentor, the Irish American statesman and orator Bourke Cockran. Kurt von Sturm is a Zeppelin airship commander and longtime Nazi Party member who is held in high regard both by Hitler and his #2 Hermann Goring whom he serves as an adviser on airships. Sturm started out in the first two novels in the series as something of a bad guy. The two top Nazis are unaware that in our third novel, The Gemini Agenda, Churchill recruited Sturm into his European network of confidential informants. Michael: An Actual historical character? We use a lot of them because its easier than creating a fictional character and lends verisimilitude to our books. So, the answer to that is Winston Churchill. Why? Well, Ive written a dual biography of him and Bourke Cockran [Becoming Winston Churchill, the Untold Story of Young Winston and His American Mentor] and, for the past 20 years, Ive been writing a season-by-season, year-by-year, serial biography of Churchill 125-100-75 years ago for the quarterly journal of The International Churchill Society, Finest Hour. So, I think I know him pretty well, but if I were him for a day, Id like to see if I could find out something new about him that I previously didnt know. For example, Im reading Andrew Roberts new biography of Churchill and learned something new today. In 1912, I knew the 37-year-old Churchill began taking flying lessons over his wifes strong objections as they had two children under five years old and he walked away from more than one crash landing. What I didnt know was that at the same time, he also began taking dancing lessons. Somehow I dont think that placated his wife. If I were him for a day, Id know. A Fictional character? Thats probably what you were really asking. Well the answer isnt Cockran. Too autobiographical as many authors protagonists are [lawyer-check; writer-check; former counterintelligence agent-check]. Been there; done that. So the answer is Kurt von Sturm. Why? I would love to command a giant passenger Zeppelin airship. I was born in Akron, Ohio where the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation built all the Navys giant rigid airships in the 1930s, including the USS Los Angeles and the USS Akron and Ive been fascinated by them all my life. Ten years ago, I even flew in a Zeppelin NT (new technology) which, unlike a blimp, has a rigid frame. Today, all the Goodyear airships you see at sporting events are Zeppelin NTs and built in Germany. Theyre twice the size of a blimp, carry 12 passengers and two pilots with an on-board restroom. Airships appear in all of our novels in the series and will continue to do so until the Hindenburg crashes in 1937. Michael: Seriously? Youre asking for a spoiler? Isnt that against the rules? Ive got to check with my union steward on that. OK, seriously. Heres a secret. Most thriller writers, consciously or not, end up using as a template Joseph Campbells Twelve Stages of A Heros Journey. Hence there will be several pivotal points, typically beginning with Stage 8 where the hero hits rock-bottom and you wonder how is (s)he ever going to get out of that. If you dont grab readers at Stage 8, they may not be there for Stages 9-12. I outline a Heros Journey for all three of our major characters with a view to bringing their story lines together near the end of the book. The Liebold Protocol was designed from the outset to culminate in the Nazis Night of the Long Knives on June 30, 1934 where Adolf Hitlers SS assassinate all Hitlers enemies, both inside and out of the Nazi Party. At least 200, maybe more. So, one pivotal point [and not really a spoiler because you can read it in the Amazon publishers description] is when Mattie learns from a high-ranking SS official that the guy in charge of carrying out Hitlers assassinations has put her name as well as Cockrans and Sturms on his list of those to be killed on June 30. Michael: Its not either/or. Every writer proofreads and edits his own work continuously. Do I pay someone? No. In addition to three good friends and my wife, I sort of grew my own editor whom I dont have to paymy oldest child Katie who has an MFA in Creative Writing from NYU. She edited the final draft of all of the first five novels in the series and is now my co-author on The Liebold Protocol and the novella Appointment in Prague that preceded it as well as our next novel The Prussian Memorandum. Do you believe a book cover plays an important role in the selling process? Michael: I think so in that I believe the cover should reflect whats in the book and both of our publishers have done that. Michael: A Navy fighter pilot, a dream sadly abandoned when I became near-sighted in junior high and had to have glasses. Michael: No and yes. No, in that our purpose is similar to what Churchill said about his only novel which he wrote when a young man in 1897. It was a political thriller where the hero deposes the evil dictator of a mythical European country and, in the process, steals the heart of the dictators beautiful young wife. As Churchill wrote to his mother from India where he wrote the book: A wild and daring book tilting recklessly here and there and written with no purpose but to amuse. We hope our novels entertain and amuse. Yes, in that our three main characters reflect our values. Their reactions are the same as ours to anti-Semitism [every book in the series], anti-Catholic bigotry, [The DeValera Deception and The Silver Mosaic], the 1922 Irish Civil War and the futility of the Great War [The DeValera Deception], Eugenics and forced sterilization [The Parsifal Pursuit, The Gemini Agenda and The Liebold Protocol], the evil of Reinhard Heydrich, the #2 man in the SS [The Berghof Betrayal, The Silver Mosaic and The Liebold Protocol] and the failure of FDR and Jewish Palestine to support the 1933 world-wide anti-Nazi boycott [The Silver Mosaic]. Michael: We really value and appreciate you very much. We wish there were more of you. If you know others who like history in the context of a good adventure story, tell them about Mattie and Winstons adventures in the 1930s. Theyve won lots of literary awards so they cant be that bad Book Description: is the co-author with his son Patrick of the award winning 1930s era historical novels featuring Winston Churchill and his fictional Scottish goddaughter, the adventure-seeking Hearst photojournalist Mattie McGary. The first five novels in the seriesThe DeValera Deception, The Parsifal Pursuit, The Gemini Agenda, The Berghof Betrayal and The Silver Mosaicreceived a total of 15 literary awards. He is currently at work with his daughteron the sixth Winston and Mattie historical adventure, The Liebold Protocol Michael is the author of the critically acclaimed Becoming Winston Churchill, The Untold Story of Young Winston and His American Mentor [Hardcover, Greenwood 2007; Paperback, Enigma 2009] and the co-author of Milking the Public, Political Scandals of the Dairy Lobby from LBJ to Jimmy Carter [Nelson Hall, 1980]. He is an editorial board member of Finest Hour, the quarterly journal of the International Churchill Society and a contributing editor for the libertarian magazine Reason. His work also has appeared in The Churchills in Ireland, 1660-1965, Corrections and Controversies [Irish Academic Press, 2012] as well as two Reason anthologies, Free Minds & Free Markets, Twenty Five Years of Reason [Pacific Research Institute, 1993] and Choice, the Best of Reason [BenBella Books, 2004]. A full-time writer, he was formerly a first amendment and media defense lawyer and a U.S. Army Counterintelligence Agent.the other half of the father-daughter writing team, has been editing her fathers writing for longer than she cares to remember. She is the co-author with her sister Kelly of the critically acclaimed Organize Your Way: Simple Strategies for Every Personality [Sterling, 2017]. The two sisters are professional organizers, personality-type experts and the founders of PixiesDidIt, a home and life organization business. Kathleen is an honors graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and has an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. The novella Appointment in Prague is her second joint writing project with her father. Their first was Bringing Home the First Amendment, a review in the August 1984 Reason magazine of Nat Hentoffs The Day They Came to Arrest the Book. While a teen-ager, she and her father would often take runs together, creating plots for adventure stories as they ran.Winston Churchills Scottish goddaughter, Mattie McGary, the adventure-seeking Hearst photojournalist, reluctantly returns to Nazi Germany in the summer of 1934 and again finds herself in deadly peril in a gangster state where widespread kidnappings and ransoms are sanctioned by the new government.Mattie turns down an early request by her boss Hearst to go to Germany to report on how Hitler will deal with the SA Brown Shirts of Ernst Rohm who want a true socialist second revolution to follow Hitlers stunning first revolution in 1933. Having been away from Germany for over a year, her reputation as Hitlers favorite foreign journalist is and she wants to keep it that way.Instead, at Churchills suggestion, she persuades Hearst to let her investigate one of the best-kept secrets of the Great Warthat in 1915, facilitated by a sinister German-American working for Henry Ford, British and Imperial German officials essentially committed treason by agreeing Britain would sell raw rubber to Germany in exchange for it selling precision optical equipment to Britain. Why? To keep the war going and the profits flowing. After Mattie interviews Fords German-American go-between, however, agents of Scotland Yards Special Branch are sent by Churchills political opponents in the British government to rough her up and warn her she will be prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act unless she backs off the story.Left no choice, Mattie sets out for Germany to investigate the story from the German side and interview the German nobleman who negotiated the optics for rubber deal. There, Mattie lands right in the middle of what Hearst originally wanted her to investigateAdolf Hitler believes one revolution is enoughand she learns that Hitler has ordered the SS to assassinate all the senior leadership of Ernst Rohms SA Brown Shirts as well as other political enemies on Saturday 30 June, an event soon known to History as The Night of the Long Knives.Mattie must flee Germany to save her life. Not only does the German-American working for Henry Ford want her story on the optics for rubber treason killed, he wants her dead along with it. Worse, Matties nemesis, the Blond Beast of the SS, Reinhard Heydrich, is in charge of Hitlers purge and hes secretly put her name on his list A new brand sells watches engraved with the iconic Luxembourgish red lion (albeit they've opted for other colours), but all is not as it seems. We recently came across a new watch brand on social media, which purports to have been established in either 2015 or 2018 (more on that later) with the aim of selling "wristwatches and clothing accessories ... [focused on] artistic design, quality and affordability." Their watches were priced at 405.99-499.99. Their website also claimed the business to be growing: "our products are definitely getting proper traction, as we are growing. We believe in the innovation and creativity of our design team and manufacturers, and their ingenuity is the major reason why we have been able to develop a steady customer base." But all is not as it seems. Intrigued by the prospect of a new Luxembourgish fashion brand we attempted to find out more about the company, and came across some inconsistencies. Multiple brands and websites - no registered business We first came across the brand "Letz-Watch," and noted that it was - according to their website - owned by LUXCON VALLEY S.A.R.L. There was, however, no RCS (business registry) number noted on their website. We called the Luxembourg Business Registers (LBR) to confirm whether a SARL under the name "Luxcon valley" exists in the Grand Duchy, but they could not locate a record of the company. The LBR representative also confirmed that businesses must display their RCS number on their website, accessible to customers. A search for Luxcon Valley showed that they apparently operate multiple websites in Luxembourg, one of which was called "Kabalux." Kabalux had an identical website to that of Letz Watch, and sold nearly identical products (the same watches, but different logo emblazoned on the watch face). That website claims to have been in operation since 2015, while Letz-Watch is from 2018. Luxcon Valley also operate a babysitting website (where parents can find babysitters and vice versa), a logo and web design company, and a service called "spicylunch". Knockoff designs An initial warning signal went off when we did a reverse image search for some of the watches featured on the websites. While the company emphasises the hard word and dedication of their design team, the watches appear to be nearly exact replicas of MVMT watches. The only difference is that Letz Watch include a second hand, which MVMT do not - but this may have been added using photo editing software. The photos used appear to have been taken from MVMT, as can be seen in the side-by-side comparison below. The watch on the left is the "Odyssey" model by watch company MVMT. On the right is the Kabalux/Letz-watch offering. / Screenshot Business address and a call to the company Some of Luxon Valley's websites provided a business address for the company. We visited the address to see whether there was a company there, or if the person supposedly behind the company was registered at that address. We could not confirm that the building had any link to the company nor the person behind it. One of the websites provided a phone number to the company, which we called. We spoke to the man featured on the website as the founder, who stated that Luxcon Valley was in the process of being registered. When asked why one of the websites said it had been operational since 2015, he said that this was not correct and that it had merely served as a testing ground for the new watch brand. He did not want to answer any questions about where the watches are manufactured. We also noted that companies must showcase their RCS number if selling to customers in Luxembourg, and were told that the website was not operational and that it is not possible to place an order. While we did not place an order to confirm this, we were able to get all the way through to the payment page using various payment options available. One website also claims to have stocks of the watches across the world, ready for quick dispatch. Another noted that the watches were available for "pre-order" only, with a 90-day delivery time. Websites taken down All of the Luxcon Valley websites of which we are aware were swiftly taken down after our call. One resurfaced on Wednesday 27 March, with lower prices, but was once again taken down. However, there remains every possibility that the websites will be up and running again in the future. When temporarily put back online, the website no longer included "Luxcon Valley S.A.R.L" as the owner of the brand, nor a business address. Website screenshots While the websites have all been taken down by the person behind them for the time being, we have a few screenshots of one website to share for reference. Screenshot Screenshot Screenshot Screenshot Screenshot Screenshot Screenshot Screenshot Screenshot The photos published on this site are subject to copyright and may not be copied, modified, or sold without the prior permission of the owner of the site in question. Avoiding scams For advice on avoiding scams, see our three-part series below. In addition to the information therein, here are some things to keep in mind: On 24 and 25 February, Luxembourg's prime minister Xavier Bettel was at the EU-Arab League summit in Sharm El Sheikh representing the Grand Duchy. Xavier Bettel, who is the first openly-gay prime minister to ever be re-elected for a second term, did not shy away from discussing homophobia at the summit between the EU and the Arab League. Indeed, Bettel brought a room to silence when he reminded those present that he is married to a man and if he lived in some of the countries represented at the summit, he would face the death penalty for his sexuality. The statesman confronted those countries with their homophobia by being present at the summit and highlighting his sexuality. Nichts sagen war fur mich keine Option.XB https://t.co/g19bc88V1H Xavier Bettel (@Xavier_Bettel) February 27, 2019 ZDF correspondent Stefan Leifert reported on Bettel's confrontation with heads of states representing homophobic countries. He described the reaction as a room half full of icy silence and half full of silent glee on behalf of those who supported Bettel's assertion. Bettel then responded to Leifert's tweet, writing: "To remain silent was not an option for me." Bettel married his partner Gauthier Destenay in 2015 following the same-sex marriage law reform that came into effect in the same year. The Weiswampach-based Jost group, which specialises in transport and logistics, is definitely on the radar of the Belgian justice system. The Belgian investigation is focusing on fiscal fraud, money laundering, and human trafficking. According to accusations made at the Belgian federal court in Liege on Tuesday, the company's fraud is estimated to exceed 65 million. The Belgian court highlights the company's alleged generalised social dumping (the practice of employers to use cheaper labour than is usually available at their site of production or sale) and cited shocking figures: for just the period between 2014 and 2017, the company has 45 million in unpaid salaries and a 20 million deficit for social security. As reported by Belgian newspapers Le Soir and L'Echo, the examining magistrate in Belgium had taken the decision to confiscate 350 of Jost groups trucks last December. This decision was overturned following appeals by the companys lawyers. Undercover police investigation The Belgian authorities have had a file on Jost for four years. To gather evidence, an undercover police officer infiltrated the company, which employs 1,650 people. According to the police officer, he had been required to spend up 18 consecutive hours behind the wheel of his truck and spent nearly two months sleeping in his vehicle. The Belgian justice system cited a benchmark of roughly 950 victims of human trafficking. The work contract of the undercover officer was signed in Slovakia, despite the fact that he was meant to be driving in the Benelux countries, France, and Italy. For his work, the driver earnt a maximum of 650 per month. The majority of vehicles were registered in Romania and Slovakia, though they only returned there once a year for technical inspection. The group denies the accusations In light of the considerable accusations, the group published a press release. In the press release, Jost stressed that the company denies these accusations and would like to defend itself peacefully. It also refers to the presumption of innocence. The group, with headquarters based in the north of Luxembourg, regroups approximately twenty companies established in a dozen countries. In spring 2017, several representatives of the transport company, including its director, Roland Jost, had been placed in pre-trial custody. At the time, the premises in Weiswampach had also been searched. There isn't much time left - Luxembourg has 11 years to reach its climate and sustainability aims by 2030. "The Grand-duchy has a plan on how to do this, but we need to speed up a little", said liberal MEP Charles Goerens. How the targets could be achieved is set out in the national climate plan that Luxembourg presented to the European Commission on 13 February and which it made public on Wednesday. In so doing Luxembourg is acting quickly, as all EU member states are supposed to have submitted their proposals by the end of 2019. Luxembourg's plan for 2030 tries to find harmony between three policy areas: the economy, social issues, and climate. The aim is to identify 10 key areas which are to be prioritised. MP for the Greens (dei Greng) Stephanie Empain explains: "It is important to ensure that measures on the national level do not jeopardise our international engagements." Empain emphasised the need to keep our promises in regards to cooperation and humanitarian affairs. She also raised the question of what should happen to those states who do not respect the stipulations from the Paris Agreement. MEP Charles Goerens and CSV MP Paul Galles raised similar issues. Both of them highlighted the need to avoid conflicts of interest between different policy areas, including issues around international cooperation. Paul Galles noted that it is not sufficient to consider the implications of poverty abroad, but that we must look at it on the local level as well. He added: "Sustainability should not be made an elitist topic, but it should be inclusive of all people in the community." What all politicians agreed on was the need to keep track of progress and how to proceed in order to reach the proposed climate goals. But what are the Grand-Duchy's aims for 2030? Overview Luxembourg's climate goals for 2030 include the introduction of a climate law, the global reduction of CO2 emissions (-55% compared to 2005), and an increased percentage of renewable energy as part of the overall energy consumption (between 23 and 25%). In addition, it wants to promote environmentally friendly renovations and make buildings less energy-consuming. Increasingly expensive fuel The Luxembourgish government aims to keep reducing the sales of fuels by "adapting the taxation of petrol products (fuel and furnace oil)". We should therefore expect a tax increase and, consequently, a price increase of fuel in the coming years. The money raised through this tax increase is supposed to be allocated mostly to the climate and energy fund which finances alternative energies. This policy will be accompanied by "the increased promotion of public transport, active mobility and the development of electromobility". Less polluting buildings The government wants to put in place a standard for "functional" buildings with near-zero level of energy consumption and wishes to phase out of furnace oil and gas in buildings. A plan also needs to be implemented for the "energetic renovation of residential and functional buildings". The aim is to reduce the total energy demand of buildings in Luxembourg. The objective for 2030 is a 40 to 44% reduction compared to the European reference value. 23% of renewable energy By 2030, Luxembourg wants 23 to 25% of its energy needs to be covered by renewable energy. In order to meet this goal, the government has announced additional efforts in the development of wind turbines and the elaboration of a solar energy plan following the recent improvements in funding support for the promotion of photovoltaic power. Global leader Based on the project presented on Wednesday, the climate plan should allow Luxembourg to become a world leader in investment funds in the domains of energy efficiency and renewable energy. A way to protect the environment and to "seize economic opportunities". "We are counting on you!" The government insists on the importance of involving a large part of the public and the country's communes in the context of our future climate plan. A public consultation has been announced. This consultation will be based on the project presented on Wednesday at the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development. In the mean time, students in many European countries are taking to the streets on 15 March for the "Global Strike Against Climate Change". An event is also planned in Luxembourg. The Chamber Commission for internal security will be debating the corresponding draft law on Thursday afternoon. The current law limits the participation of Luxembourg's army in international peace missions, such as those organised by NATO or the UN. The government now wants to change this through draft law 7325, which would allow the involvement of the army in further of military interventions, say dei Lenk (The Left). The photos published on this site are subject to copyright and may not be copied, modified, or sold without the prior permission of the owner of the site in question. The Chamber Commission for internal security will be debating the corresponding draft law on Thursday afternoon. With this reform, the government could send the army on crisis missions in the context of bilateral co-operations. A mandate from the UN or other institutions would no longer be required. MP for dei Lenk, Marc Baum, explains that in this case the Luxembourgish military, in cooperation with another country, would be able to intervene anywhere in the world where signs of risk or instability could be seen. This would open the possibility to deploy the army anywhere with one or two partners. Mechanisms to democratically observe and control these interventions would thus be minimised. Dei Lenk emphasise that, with this draft bill, the government would be introducing a dangerous change in its foreign policy. Dei Lenk perceive this paradigm change as particularly problematic, given the instability of an international context marked by heavy militarisation. European Media Literacy Week is planned for 18 to 22 March 2019. This year's European Media Literacy Week will be the first edition of the initiative, an idea proposed by the European Commission. A number of partners have gotten together to set up a series of projects which will run over the course of an entire month. Rene Pfeiffer / RTL Tele Letzebuerg Rene Pfeiffer / RTL Tele Letzebuerg Rene Pfeiffer / RTL Tele Letzebuerg Rene Pfeiffer / RTL Tele Letzebuerg Rene Pfeiffer / RTL Tele Letzebuerg Rene Pfeiffer / RTL Tele Letzebuerg The photos published on this site are subject to copyright and may not be copied, modified, or sold without the prior permission of the owner of the site in question. For Romain Kohn, the director of the independent authority for audiovisual media (alia), this is a great opportunity to take stock of the current situation. Therefore, it was useful to unite a number of partners with whom future cooperation might also be an option. Beside alia, the partners include the Ministry of Education, the press council, Digital Luxembourg, the Centre for Political Education, Agence Nationale pour l'Information des Jeunes (ANIJ) and the Service national de la Jeunesse (SNJ). Similar initiatives are planned all over Europe. Minister of Housing Sam Tanson presented the findings of several housing studies to the parliamentary commission on housing on Thursday morning. The studies thus reveal and confirm that there is a massive disparity in agricultural land and the politicians in the parliamentary commission confirmed that something must change. If these plots were free to use, this could mean that up 80,000 apartments could be built. The government plans to adjust land tax in order to incentivise people to sell their land. However, details concerning this adjustment remain sparse. The photos published on this site are subject to copyright and may not be copied, modified, or sold without the prior permission of the owner of the site in question. Just about 16,000 private individuals own nearly three-quarters of building plots. 746 companies own 15% of buildable land and and open promoters own the remaining 11%. This information has been confirmed by studies carried out by LISER (Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research). Said another way, a fifth of homeowners own four-fifths of building plots. LSAP MP Yves Cruchten said on Thursday morning that the issue does not concern smaller landowners, but those who own significant amounts of land. Last year, the increase of buildable land prices rose by 6% on average. A report issued by a consortium of Luxembourgs largest news outlets has confirmed that nothing happened in Luxembourg today. We sent reporters all over the Grand Duchy, from the depths of the mines in Rumelange to the heights of the Eislek, and they all returned with the same news, says the report. That there was no news. Twice we were nearly fooled into thinking something had happened, the report continues. Once when a worker on a construction site in Ettelbruck was observed shouting, leading us to believe he was having an argument, but it turned out he was just talking on the phone to his wife and he always speaks loudly. The second time was when a Luxembourg City bus arrived six minutes late, causing perplexed commuters to look at their watches, which we figured might lead one of them to complain to the driver, but in the end they all silently boarded the bus. The report went on to say that all major news outlets, in dire need for stories to publish or broadcast, eventually chose to report the mundane, running with headlines such as Diekirch students go to school in Diekirch, Kirchberg bank employee opts for tuna when told no more ham sandwiches left, and No one at networking lunch any good at networking. Many of us, desperate to have something to report, considered reporting We have no news to report today as news, believing some people might find it shocking or unusual, but in fact thats the way things are here, the report concludes. This scarcity of events to cover might seem amusing, but trust us, theres nothing funny about it. Were farmers and this is a drought. The reports authors implore members of the public to remain vigilant, and to contact them if anything happens, whether thats a fire alarm going off somewhere, a car breaking down, or a cow mooing in a strange manner. Read more at wurst.lu Photo credit: Pixabay De-facto Abkhaz authorities say mourning at the occupation line was provocation De facto leadership of the Georgian western occupied Abkhazia region calls provocation to relatives mourning of a deceased man on the occupation line.Residents of Georgias occupied region of Abkhazia brought the 53-year-old deceased Gocha Tupuria near the Otobaia-Orsantia bridge last week for his relatives who were standing on the other side of the bridge to mourn as they were not allowed into the region, Radio Atinati reported.Movement between the region and the rest of Georgia is available only with the use of temporary residency permits or after paying money.The sister of the deceased man was allowed to Otobaia after paying 200 GEL and she says that the occupants are now demanding an additional 200 GEL to allow her to return back [to the territory controlled by the central Georgian government], one of the relatives told the media.The people gathered at the bridge said that it was not the first time when they have to mourn a deceased person in such a situation.A representative of the de facto region Temur Nadaraia says that the people at the bridge 'staged a provocation' based on the demands of the central Georgian government to discredit the Abkhazian authorities.Nadaraia said that Abkhazia is an independent republic and those who wished to mourn the deceased they could apply for visas about ten 10 days before the burial.Georgian Reconciliation Minister Ketevan Tsikhelashvili has called the statement of the de facto authorities 'inhumane' and stated that 'it is everyday life of the people living in and near the occupied territories'.Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria have recognized the two Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali as independent republics in the wake of the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.The rest of the international community confirms that the regions are occupied by Russia.Venezuela will revoke its recognition if the interim government Juan Guaido remains in power. Wonder Caves: Ideal Spot for Hikers and Cave Explorers Detectives are holding four suspects in connection with the gruesome murder of a 15-year-old girl in Nairobis Eastleigh area. The suspects include the girls aunt, 28-year-old Nadhifa Mohammed, who was living with the deceased. Ms Nadhifa was arrested on Sunday and later arraigned at the Makadara Law Courts on Monday. The Court allow detectives to detain her for 14 days pending conclusion of investigations. The other suspects; Hawa Ibrahim Salad, Bahsan Abdi Salad, and Rahma Abdi Ali, were arrested on Wednesday and are set to be arraigned in court today, Thursday, 27, February 2019. The police acted on a tip-off from members of a mosque in South C estate where the girls body had been taken for cleaning and prayers ahead of burial in accordance with Islamic traditions. Police say attendants at the mosque became suspicious when they noticed injuries on the girls body. Two women who had taken the body to the mosque had claimed that the girl had died from a heart attack. Detectives believe the girl was tortured to death as her body had deep cuts on the thighs, forehead as well as burns suspected to have been caused by acid. Your browser does not support the audio element. Authorities in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang are expected to issue investment certificates to eight foreign-invested projects, including the development of an aircraft device production plant of a U.S. investor. The project by U.S.-based Universal Alloy Corporation (UAC) will cover an area of 17 hectares at the Da Nang Hi-Tech Park with an investment capital of US$170 million, Doan Ngoc Hung Anh, head of the office of the municipal Peoples Committee, confirmed on Wednesday. UAC is expected to manufacture approximately 4,000 electronic devices for airplanes, all of which will be exported to North America, the European Union, and Malaysia. The firm set a goal to rake in $25 million in profits from their Da Nang production activities in 2021, and to raise that figure to $82 million and $180 million, by 2022 and 2026, respectively. UAC anticipates employing 650 to 1,200 laborers at the hi-tech park, as well as developing a network of distributors across Da Nang which will require another 1,000 to 2,000 employees. The U.S. corporation also intends to coordinate with local universities and vocational schools to boost education and training in aerospace. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, UAC is the worlds leading avionic manufacturer, with a list of partners which includes Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, and Bombardier. UAC is also one of the worlds top three suppliers of special aluminum for aircraft manufacturing. The Da Nang administration announced on Wednesday that it will also grant investment certificates to seven other foreign direct investment projects in such fields as information and technology, logistics, tourism, and medicine. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The High Court has nullified a two-year jail term slapped on former Nominated Jubilee Senator Joy Gwendo for Sh1.7 million fraud. Gwendo was sentenced by Anti-Corruption Magistrate Douglas Ogoti last December for fraudulently acquiring Sh1.7 million from a Sacco in Kisumu. She, however, moved to the High Court and was released on Sh400,000 cash bail pending her appeal. In his finding, Justice John Onyiego faulted the trial court for denying Gwendo a fine and ordered that she be sentenced afresh. The trial court erred by failing to state reasons for not giving the appellant the option of a fine. To that extent, I agree with the applicant that the court erred, held the judge. Sentencing is a discretion of the trial court but the sentencing imposed should not be illegal. I find that it was improper for the trial court to impose a jail term without the option of a fine, said Justice Onyiengo. The Judge further added that the High Court has powers to review the sentencing and, therefore, Joy Gwendo will be sentenced afresh on Monday, March 4, 2019. The former legislator had pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud after reaching a plea bargain deal with the DPP Noordin Haji. In the agreement, the former nominated Senator was to pay Kisumu East Cotton Growers Cooperative Sh1.7 million, the amount of money she is alleged to have stolen from the Sacco. She, however, failed to honour the plea deal and was consequently convicted by Magistrate Ogoti. Your browser does not support the audio element. An increasing number of hospitals in Vietnam are adding robotic surgery to their medical arsenal, hoping the extra set of mechanical hands will help give their patients some much needed relief. Robotic surgery, computer-assisted surgery, and robot-assisted surgery are terms for technological developments that use robotic systems to aid in surgical procedures. In 2014, the Vietnam National Childrens Hospital in Hanoi was the first to deploy the U.S.-made DaVinci surgery system for children's endoscopic operations. Between 2016 and 2017, more modern versions of the DaVinci robot began appearing at Binh Dan Hospital and Cho Ray Hospital, both located in Ho Chi Minh City, as well as at Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi. Dr. Pham Gia Hien, head of the pediatric neurosurgery center of Vietnam National Childrens Hospital, stressed that this type of technology, despite its astronomical cost, is the future of surgery. A wonder tool for surgeons In February 2019, the People's Hospital 115 in Ho Chi Minh City amazed medical experts with a successful brain operation using a system known as Modus V Synaptive II from Canada. This state-of-the-art surgery tool cost US$2.3 million, and marked its host hospital as the pioneer in applying robotic assistance in neurosurgery. The equipment will aid the hospitals staff with its 2,350 yearly neurological operations. On February 15, surgeons at the People's Hospital 115 spent a mere 1.5 hours performing a successful brain tumor operation on a female patient from Tay Ninh, a province neighboring Ho Chi Minh City. Such an achievement came with the expertise from Dr. Chu Tan Si - head of the nerve surgery department - who undertook training in the U.S. in 2017 and in Switzerland in 2018, and the assistance of Professor Amin Kassam - vice-president of neurosciences at Aurora Health Care, a U.S.-based non-profit health care network. "Thanks to the robotic system, operations can take place in a much shorter amount of time compared to microsurgery - that is, using a microscope without any robotic navigation," Dr. Si said. "Instead of looking at your hands, you look at a large screen while manipulating the robotic system." A group of doctors perform a surgery using computer-assisted technology. Photo: Tuoi Tre According to its website, Modus V Synaptive II provides a larger field of view, a higher depth of field and more natural color reproduction. This makes for a clear view of critical anatomical structures throughout the operation. Dr. Si noted the benefits that such robotic surgery offers to both surgeons and patients. "It adds confidence to the doctor with its AI [artificial intelligence] technology that can tell the difference between sensory neurotransmitters and can even advise the best approach route to avoid damage." Less pain, quicker recovery, lower cost To the patients, computer-assisted surgery means fast-track recovery and reduced pain. An elderly patient at Binh Dan Hospital could move around and eat normally only two days after her liver removal operation in August 2017. "The surgeons and their robotic arms made this surgery such an easy pill to swallow. Now I can be up and running again," the patient said. As proof of the minimal pain robotically-assisted surgery can offer, doctors at Cho Ray Hospital have performed two successful live kidney transplants using robotic assistance. T.V.T., a 59-year-old patient from the coastal city of Vung Tau, managed to walk about by himself and eat light rice porridge only days after his esophageal surgery here. Dr. Do Ba Hung, deputy director of Binh Dan Hospital, said that robotic surgery allows a 3D field of view with high-definition resolution and a 12x magnification effect. Binh Dan Hospital now offers robotic surgery service for urinary excretion operations and general surgery, with prices ranging around VND117-131 million ($5,000-5,600). This amount is much lower than that for the same service in Singapore (around $26,000) and in the U.S. (around $41,000). Also, the medical insurance policy has recently approved its coverage of certain robotic surgery types such as spinal and joint replacement operations. According to Nguyen Ta Tinh, head of the policy faculty from Vietnam Social Security, children, the elderly and people who have made contributions to the country are entitled to 40 percent of the total cost, and regular patients 30 percent. Surgeons operate the robotic arms while watching an HD screen. Photo: Tuoi Tre A cause for concern The robotic systems are an expensive investment, priced from $2.3 million to $3.5 million, according to data gathered by TuoiTre (Youth) newspaper. Surveys have revealed that there are around 3,000 robotic surgery systems in the U.S., 100 in South Korea and around ten in Vietnam. Besides those available in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, the Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital in the northern province of Quang Ninh performed for the first time a hysterectomy surgery on a 49-year-old patient from Van Don District in November 2018. Its director, Nguyen Quoc Hung, said that he felt a need for a more powerful device after this test run. Robotic surgery systems, according to medical experts, is a cautious investment as the cost can be up to $4.3 million apiece. Hospitals are advised to think twice regarding the functionality of the tool and their target patients. According to Dr. Hien from Vietnam National Childrens Hospital, the cost of robotic surgery, for the patient, is 20 times as high as that of regular endoscopic operations. He cautions against a technology race, quoting what happened in the Philippines, where hospitals paid through the nose for devices that fall into disuse because of understaffing. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! HANOI, Feb 28 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Thursday he was willing to give up his nuclear weapons and he would not be holding a second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Vietnam if he were not. Kim and Trump began a second day of talks earlier on Thursday in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, with both expressing hope for progress on improving relations and the key issue of denuclearisation. If Im not willing to do that, I wont be here right now, Kim told reporters through an interpreter, when asked if he was ready to give up his nuclear weapons. Trump, responding to that, said: "That might be the best answer youve ever heard. The two leaders were sitting across from each other at a conference table, with their aides. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump attend the extended bilateral meeting in the Metropole hotel with their aides, during the second North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi, Vietnam February 28, 2019. Photo: Reuters Kim did not elaborate on what "denuclearisation" would entail, but asked if he was ready to take concrete steps, Kim said they had just been talking about that. "Hope you give us more time to talk. Even a minute is precious," he told reporters. While the United States is demanding North Korea give up all of its nuclear and missile programmes, the North wants to see the removal of a U.S. nuclear umbrella for its Asian allies such as South Korea and Japan. After this first session of the second day of summit talks, lasting about half an hour, Trump and Kim took a brief stroll in the courtyard of the Hanoi hotel where they were meeting. They were joined by Kim's top envoy Kim Yong Chol, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and interpreters. They chatted and gestured in the leafy courtyard of the French-colonial era Metropole hotel, before returning indoors. HANOI, Feb 28 - U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday began talks on the second day of their second summit, with both sides expressing hope for progress on improving relations and the key issue of denuclearisation. Trump and Kim met in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, on Wednesday for a first, brief round of talks and a dinner, and both appeared upbeat, with Trump saying he was satisfied with the pace of negotiations despite some criticism they were not moving quickly enough. "I've been saying very much from the beginning that speed is not that important to me. I very much appreciate no testing of nuclear rockets, missiles, any of it, very much appreciate it," Trump told reporters as he and Kim sat at a round table in the French-colonial-era Metropole hotel before their session. "We just want to do the right deal." North Korea has conducted no nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests since late 2017. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the one-on-one bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the second North Korea-U.S. summit in the Metropole hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam February 28, 2019. Photo: Reuters Kim, asked by a reporter if he was confident about a deal, said, through an interpreter: "It's too early to tell, but I wouldn't say I'm pessimistic. For what I feel right now, I do have a feeling that good results will come out," he said, in what was believed to be his first ever response to a foreign journalist. "There must be people who watch us having a wonderful time, like a scene from a fantasy movie. We have so far made lots of efforts, and it's time to show them," Kim said. Trump reiterated North Korea's potential, if a deal can be done, saying the Asian country could be an "economic powerhouse". Despite the optimism, there's been no sign of progress on the key issue of denuclearisation at their second summit in eight months. The two leaders have a series of meetings scheduled at the Metropole, beginning with a one-on-one session lasting 45 minutes, the White House said. After a "joint agreement signing ceremony" Trump plans a news conference at 3:50 p.m. (0850 GMT). The White House has given no indication of what the signing ceremony might involve, although the two sides' discussions have included the possibility of a political statement to declare the 1950-53 Korean War over. They have also discussed partial denuclearisation measures, such as allowing inspectors to observe the dismantling of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear reactor, U.S. and South Korean officials say. U.S. concessions could include opening liaison offices or clearing the way for inter-Korean projects, but critics say Trump risks squandering vital leverage if he gives away too much, too quickly. U.S. President Donald Trump is pictured during the one-on-one bilateral meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the second North Korea-U.S. summit in the Metropole hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam February 28, 2019. Photo: Reuters Pressure The Hanoi summit was Trump's second with Kim since an inconclusive meeting in Singapore in June that produced much fanfare but little substance and there had been little sign of concrete progress since. The U.S. president nevertheless appeared upbeat with Kim even as his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testified at a congressional hearing in Washington, calling Trump a "conman" who knew in advance about the release of stolen emails aimed at hurting his Democratic rival in the 2016 election campaign. Facing mounting pressure at home over investigations into Russian meddling in the election, Trump has sought a big win by trying to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for promises of peace and development, a foreign policy goal that has confounded multiple predecessors. Their June meeting in Singapore was the first between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader. It produced a joint statement in which Kim pledged to work toward denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and the two sides committed to establish new ties and build a permanent peace regime. But there has been little progress since. HANOI -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he had walked away from a nuclear deal at a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un because of unacceptable North Korean demands to lift punishing U.S.-led sanctions. Earlier, both Trump and Kim had expressed hope for progress on improving relations and on the key issue of denuclearization, in their talks in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, their second summit in eight months. It was all about the sanctions, Trump said at a news conference after the talks were cut short. Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldnt do that. The United Nations and the United States ratcheted up sanctions on North Korea when the state undertook a series of nuclear and ballistic missile tests in 2017, cutting off its main source of hard cash. Both Trump and Kim left the venue of their talks, the French-colonial-era Metropole hotel, without attending a planned lunch together, and returned to their hotels. Sometimes you have to walk, and this was just one of those times, Trump said, adding it was a friendly walk. Failure to reach an agreement marks a setback for Trump, a self-styled dealmaker under pressure at home over his ties to Russia and testimony from Michael Cohen, his former personal lawyer who accused him of breaking the law while in office. Trump said Cohen lied a lot during Congressional testimony in Washington on Wednesday, though he had told the truth when he said there had been no collusion with Russia. Since their first summit in Singapore in June, Trump has stressed the good chemistry he has with Kim, but there have been questions about whether the bonhomie could move them beyond summit pageantry to substantive progress on eliminating a North Korean nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States. 'No rush' While Trump had said he was in no rush to strike a deal with North Korea, and wanted to do the right deal with Kim, the White House had been confident enough to schedule a joint agreement signing ceremony at the conclusion of talks. There was no indication of when Trump and Kim might meet again but the White House said the respective teams look forward to meeting in the future. The Singapore summit, the first between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader, produced a vague statement in which Kim pledged to work toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. But little progress followed. Kicking off their second day in Hanoi, Trump said he would be happy as long as North Korea conducted no more nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests. North Korea has conducted no nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests since late 2017. Trump said Kim had promised him there would be no more. Trump said he and Kim had discussed dismantling North Koreas main nuclear facility at Yongbyon, which Kim was willing to do, but he had wanted sanctions relief. We asked him to some more and he was unprepared to do that, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the news conference, referring to Kim. Trump said the United States would be able to inspect some North Korean facilities but he did not go into specifics. Markets lower News of the summit failure sent South Koreas currency lower and knocked regional stock markets. South Koreas Kospi index closed 1.8 percent lower, marking the biggest one-day percentage loss since Oct 2018. While Trump indicated a more flexible stance in the run-up to the Hanoi summit, critics had warned that he risked squandering vital leverage over North Korea if he gave away too much, too quickly. U.S. intelligence officials have said there is no sign North Korea would ever give up its entire arsenal of nuclear weapons, which Kims ruling family sees as vital to its survival. While the United States has long demanded that North Korea give up all of its nuclear and missile programs, the North wants to see the removal of a U.S. nuclear umbrella for its Asian allies such as South Korea and Japan. Earlier Kim and Trump, seated across from each other at a conference table, appeared confident of progress, and Kim had suggested he was ready to give up his nuclear bombs. If Im not willing to do that, I wont be here right now, Kim told reporters through an interpreter, when asked if he was ready to give up his nuclear weapons. Trump, responding to that, said: That might be the best answer youve ever heard. Your browser does not support the audio element. U.S. President Donald Trump invited Vietnamese Party chief and State President Nguyen Phu Trong to visit the States this year, during their talks in Hanoi on Wednesday. General Secretary Trong held talks with the U.S. leader in the late morning, as part of the latters trip to Vietnam for the second U.S.-North Korea Summit scheduled for February 27 and 28. During the conversation, Trong affirmed Vietnams foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, and active integration into the world, respecting one anothers independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political regimes. The Southeast Asian country always treasures its comprehensive partnership with the U.S., he added. The Vietnamese leader shared his appreciation for the U.S. cooperation in economic matters, trade, education, and the settlement of war consequences, especially the environmental remediation of dioxin contamination in Bien Hoa airport and other dioxin-contaminated areas. The two countries should boost cooperation in other fields, namely clearance of unexploded ordnance and support for Agent Orange victims, he added. Regarding international issues, Trong affirmed that Vietnam strongly supports the dialogue process toward denuclearization and long-term peace on the Korean Peninsula. Replying to his host, President Trump said he was impressed by the hospitality as well as the development of Vietnam in the past years, thanking the country for its thorough preparations for the U.S.-North Korea Summit in such a short period of time. Both leaders agreed to maintain high-level meetings and delegation exchanges, as well as consolidate existing dialogue mechanisms. Focus will also be directed on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment, and economic development. The U.S. will continue playing an active role in the Indo-Pacific region so as to help maintain order and promote its peace, stability, cooperation, and development, Trump asserted. During the meeting he also invited General Secretary Trong to pay an official visit to the U.S. within 2019 to continue discussing measures to intensify the comprehensive partnership. Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of several economic cooperation documents worth more than US$21 billion in total. President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in Hanoi later on Wednesday for a first, brief round of talks and a dinner, and both appeared upbeat, with Trump saying he was satisfied with the pace of negotiations despite some criticism they are not moving quickly enough. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Read what is in the news today, February 28! Politics -- U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday began talks on the second day of their second summit in Hanoi. Society -- Nineteen school children experienced food poisoning after consuming milk tea in the central province of Quang Nam on Wednesday. They all recovered the same day. -- A hospital in the north-central province of Nghe An said Wednesday that a local 13-year-old boy had his left hand destroyed and his eyes damaged while using a mobile phone while it was being charged five days earlier. -- A man in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa was arrested Wednesday on murder and property damage charges as he detonated an explosive device rigged in his elder brothers house. The man said he was motivated by feud with the sibling. -- Police in Ho Chi Minh City took into custody 12 men who colluded with prostitutes to steal more than 1,000 mobile phones and other belongings from people who had sex with them. The arrestees said at nearly 20 customers fell prey to their scheme a day. -- A Vietnamese man found a new dragonfly species in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum in his effort to map Vietnams biodiversity and study its development. -- Late revered Vietnamese song writer Trinh Cong Son was selected as a Google Doodle on his 80th birthday today, February 28. This is the first time a Vietnamese has become a temporary logo on the global technology giants search homepage. Business -- Three hundred pure-silver coins made by a state-run company and intended as memorabilia of the second U.S.-North Korea Summit were sold out shortly they were made available in Hanoi Wednesday. -- Over 3,000 dissatisfied laborers collectively quit their jobs at Haivina Kim Lien Company in the north-central province of Nghe An up until Wednesday, citing the firms offer to increase the base salary yet cut a number of benefits. -- Ho Chi Minh City is expected to need 30,000 workers in March, about 30 percent of whom are college graduates and the remaining come from vocational schools or are those who have not been professionally trained, according to the Center of Forecasting Manpower Needs and Labor Market Information in Ho Chi Minh City. -- The Vietnamese and Chinese national meteorological agencies agreed to share information on storm and natural disaster forecast to provide quicker danger warnings during a Wednesday meeting in China. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Network 10 CEO Paul Anderson has give a speech today in which he advocates for the health of the TV industry, but saying overstated overnight ratings do not indicate the full picture for Free to Air broadcasters. Speaking at the Future of TV Advertising Forum in Sydney, Anderson said, What we sometimes forget is that when all three FTAs have large franchise programming, the total audience watching TV lifts significantly and everyone benefits with more eyeballs in the ecosystem. While fierce competitors, the competition for eye balls is not just with each other. The decline in linear TV viewing also continues to be overstated using outdated overnight audience metrics. Its like measuring the retail industry by counting the footfall in stores. Consumers will shop the way want to, when they want to. His comments come at a time when 10s share is trailing the ABC at the start of the ratings year, with new programming struggling to cut through. But he also indicated 10 was happy with Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here despite what some media may say. Yes, there is some drop in casual viewing people do not watch a second repeat of NCIS like they use to but prime viewing, big noisy event television is going strong. Fragmentation of our audiences viewing habits is sometimes framed as a bad thing. On the contrary, this is making TV stronger by propelling our content across more screens and channels. This fragmentation allows us, if we are clever, to grow and evolve our presence beyond a linear broadcast, turning the viewer experience into a virtual water cooler as the conversation and interaction with formats continues well beyond a timeslot. OzTAM has today announced it is adding Age / Gender demos to its VPM data. OzTAM is owned by Seven, Nine & 10. Speech in full: Good morning. Today I want to talk a little about 10, as well as the broader television sector and what we all have to do to flourish in what are unprecedented times of change. Welcome to new 10 We are all living in a new era for television with change happening in front of us. This is especially true for 10 given recent events, and it is an era that we are very excited about. We are of course now part of CBS Corporation, a marriage made in heaven perhaps, and definitely one that we are very happy with. CBSs new role in Australian media is not only a good thing for 10 but I genuinely believe it is also a very good thing for media in Australia. The past 18 months has seen significant change. Some of it has happened to us, but most of the change been the start of a deliberate long-term plan. A new strategy, a new brand and unprecedented investment in technology, data and content. A refresh, rebrand re-anything must always begin with a clear and open understanding of where you stand, what your customers love about you, what they may not love about you, and, above all, what sets you apart. The good news for 10 is that our viewers know we are very different to our competitors which is a good thing in our industry. We have very different networks delivering very different content and, more importantly, delivering record levels of that Australian content. The opportunity for 10 over the past year has been to ensure this difference was articulated that our younger irreverent and authentic tone was reflected in our programming, championed by our staff and embedded in every aspect of our business from creating promos to how we manage an unexpected change in a channel name. We are definitely BOLD not BOSSY. Our look and feel has changed, unifying and expanding our portfolio of touch-points, making our brands more distinctive, giving them stronger cut-through in a hyper- competitive media sector to ensure greater consistency a family of brands. The last rebrand was 27 years ago. Bob Hawke was PM and Bryan Adams was number one in the charts with Everything I Do, I Do It For You it was clearly time! For 10, the new era has forced a change in strategy, some of it back to the future with the under 50s audience. What we have demonstrated so far is the value of alternative programming, and validated what many believed was our biggest challenge over summer. We also know that changing tack takes time. We appreciate that in this business not all things work, or work immediately. Our plan is long term and with our current ownership now has that benefit. So, while 10 has undergone some radical changes over the past year, television as an industry is going through significant change of its own. And new TV is better than old TV. As Kim has outlined, this is a really exciting time in television. And lets set the record straight, when I say TV, Im talking about new TV. Its not the same as old TV its better. New TV is all about bringing the best content to audiences in the way they want it. Its finding new ways to engage on all screens, and beyond the screen. Its continuing the conversation well beyond the broadcast. Lisa Wilkinsons Keeping Women Safe segment on The Project following the tragic murder of Eurydice Dixon reached 8.1 million people, received 5.6 million views with 628 thousand reactions, comments and shares. This is a fundamental shift in how people engage and view our content and how our industry, broadcast television, has the power to generate these audiences. The Honey Badgers use of Tim Tams to describe The Bachelor selection process, which reached 4.6 million people on Facebook alone, is another great example of what each of our networks can do to light up media and social media in positive ways. Clever ideas between broadcasters and advertisers for brand integration can be so very powerful when we get it right. And its one of the reasons why 10 needed to adapt, to reflect that change and reshape our business accordingly, with a clear focus on how we could improve the experience for viewers and increase the opportunities for our clients and agency partners. Were investing in more entry points into the 10 ecosystem and were investing in making sure audiences have a good time when theyre in it. We launched 10 All Access in December last year, a plan to reach cordless audiences who view our content in a different way. Very soon we launch 10 Speaks, an audio business that includes podcasting another product to engage the cordless audience and bring them into the television eco-system. All of this supports 10 Daily, our news, current affairs and lifestyle site, along with 10 Play, our long form BVOD platform. Both are showing significant growth in traffic, just as you see across the Seven and Nine platforms. BVOD is growing dramatically and our investment in this area is critical to ensure we reflect the change in audience habits and advertising opportunities. Now, all this activity is great but its only as valuable as our ability to measure it, prove its effectiveness for advertisers, and monetise it so that we can continue to reinvest in even more content and platform innovation. Data is at the heart of both our sales and viewer propositions in this brave new world. Member-gating powers a more positive user experience and we now know what people are watching and when. We know what they move on to and the interests they share, providing clients with segments rather than demos, enabling us to deliver targeted solutions for advertisers and personalised experiences for consumers. No matter what data strategy you have, you must invest in content to attract the audience. TV is united in our passion for entertaining Australians Television in this country is making more local content than ever before, in our case 35+ prime time local productions this year alone with more to be announced. We are particularly proud of the success of our own Pilot Week showing we are willing to think differently with a truly innovative way to engage viewers and involve them in deciding which shows go to air. As broadcasters, we need to be brave with our programming for it to pay dividends. Despite what some media may say, we were thrilled with this years season of Im A Celebrity, growing its audience year on year. Our friends at the other networks also continue to prove that FTA can generate huge audiences on linear broadcast, let alone online. What we sometimes forget is that when all three FTAs have large franchise programming, the total audience watching TV lifts significantly and everyone benefits with more eyeballs in the ecosystem. While fierce competitors, the competition for eye balls is not just with each other. The decline in linear TV viewing also continues to be overstated using outdated overnight audience metrics. Its like measuring the retail industry by counting the footfall in stores. Consumers will shop the way want to, when they want to. Were not really seeing the whole picture yet. This year we will see for the first time the real size of the audience with Total TV ratings and VOZ. Yes, there is some drop in casual viewing people do not watch a second repeat of NCIS like they use to but prime viewing, big noisy event television is going strong. Fragmentation of our audiences viewing habits is sometimes framed as a bad thing. On the contrary, this is making TV stronger by propelling our content across more screens and channels. This fragmentation allows us, if we are clever, to grow and evolve our presence beyond a linear broadcast, turning the viewer experience into a virtual water cooler as the conversation and interaction with formats continues well beyond a timeslot. This means much deeper engagement than we could have ever achieved in the past. Major franchises such as MasterChef, Married At First Sight and MKR are brilliant examples. You can see the ripple effect, a blast radius of engagement, a deep dive into the formats, their hosts, characters, back stories, and additional content. TV is healthier and stronger and more culturally significant than ever before. Science, not opinion, must shape media spends but it is also more vital than ever to be the pillar of any media mix. Let me put on my old CFO hat. Let me talk to those in procurement, those who sign off marketing budgets, who allocate funds and have a clinical view of media spend. TV delivers the greatest ROI of any medium. Full stop. This is indisputable. As Byron Sharp, Professor of Marketing Science at the University of South Australia, reminds us, there is a difference between campaign ROI and company return. I really want to stress this point because ROI gets thrown around too much without a clear link to the most important metric: sales. We see this in micro targeting which, as Byron Sharp says, can boast of high ROI, largely because they are small, reaching people who had a high likelihood of buying anyway. Major brands globally and locally have learnt lessons from not getting the media mix right and this shift back to big reach, and accountable mediums, has curbed the wastage. Whats more, it has provided a safe environment and avoided the opportunity of not spending where the sales are. Respected studies are finally revealing what contributes to the success of TV advertising. Careful consideration has to be given to the outstanding work by Professor Karen Nelson-Field, The Benchmark Series, The Ebiquity Payback Study, and the work of Ehrenberg Bass which brings science and hard numbers to marketing. This is not about TV criticising other mediums. The more roads you drive into the consumers mind, the bigger your presence there. TV must always be the lead medium. The reasons why the ROI is significantly stronger are many. But here are three reasons that must be considered before any dollar is spent on media. Reason 1: 100% Screen Size Professor Karen Nelson-Field proves that the size of the ad on screen is critical to the overall effectiveness. When an ad is 100% visible, it equates to over 2x the sales impact of other digital platforms. Reason 2: An Emotionally Primed Audience Emotion is critical when increasing the effectiveness of advertising and brand building. In fact, ads which generate a high emotional response have a 2.4x greater sales impact than ads which elicit a low response. Psychologists have shown that a more emotionally primed audience is more receptive to brands. And brands can be far more emotive through TV, both in the advertising they create and the emotionally charged and brand safe environments open for integration. Reason 3: Cultural Imprinting Ive talked a little about the cultural impact of TV. But there is growing consensus around the idea that advertising works best on the changing landscape of cultural meaning rather than trying to change one individuals mind, which in turn changes how we are perceived by others when we use the product. Put it this way, it matters that you know, with quite some confidence, that others have seen the same ad as you. A brand we choose says something about us. And getting the social validation of our brand choices that we all seek consciously or otherwise, relies on common knowledge. And common knowledge is best created by mass scale media. TV is the master of this and will continue to be that way. This kind of cultural scale is critical for brands and clearly shows that eyeballs are not all the same. How we see messaging and on what scale has a clear effect on the salience of the brand. This is why brands that integrate and invest in sponsorships are winning against their competitors. We know of major brands that did not invest as much in sponsorship, who are now returning. They have seen the loss of sales and market share because of it. We also see the success of brands that build long term partnerships. Take MasterChef and Coles, a 10-year partnership that continues to evolve, finding new ways each season to strengthen the association and create mutual benefit. So, at 10 we are thrilled to now be part of a global TV corporation. And while our industry has challenges, and frankly it always will, what we do know is that premium Australian content including News and Sport, remains at the heart of television and is the lions share of video viewing in this country. To finish, I want to remind you of four things: 1. New TV is better than old TV. TV is adapting to viewing behaviour by distributing premium, brand safe content in new ways that will make buying easier, make advertising work harder and strengthen our dominance as the best medium for return on investment. 2. Science, not opinion, must shape media spend to deliver the best outcomes for clients with no bias or agenda, where the mix of media is based on fact not fashion. 3. TV is united in our passion for entertaining Australians for creating brand safe platforms that are not shackled by one screen but set free to be enjoyed in ways that our viewers want. 4. 10 now has a clear role to play in this new era focused squarely on the Under 50s and supported by a reinvigorated brand, content strategy and ecosystem. Thank you. New US series Project Blue Book will premiere on SBS in a months time. Inspired by the U.S. Air Forces investigation of UFOs, and set against the backdrop of the Cold War and rising Atomic Era, it stars Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones, The Wire) as Dr. J. Allen Hynek, a brilliant yet under-appreciated college professor who is recruited by the U.S. Air Force to spearhead a clandestine operation called Project Blue Book. Partnered with Captain Michael Quinn (Michael Malarkey), he is summoned to investigate UFO sightings around the country and use science to discover what really happened. However, when some encounters cannot be explained away and cases remain open, Hynek begins to suspect that he has been duped by the government into a larger conspiracy to cover up the truth. SBS Director of Television and Online Content, Marshall Heald, said: Project Blue Book is one of the years most eagerly-awaited premiere series. A compelling drama exploring UFOs and unexplained phenomena, this series is inspired by true events and will delight and captivate viewers. Were thrilled to bring the first season of this US hit drama to Australians exclusively in March. This premiered in the US in January to strong reviews and has been renewed for a second season. Produced by Academy Award and Golden Globe winning director Robert Zemeckis (Forest Gump, Back to the Future), Project Blue Book is the origin story of everything we know about UFOs and aliens in pop culture. Over the course of their stranger-than-fiction investigations, Hynek and Quinn will coin the terms UFO and Close Encounters, uncover smoking gun cover-up memos from Blue Book Chief General Nathan Twining, and witness President Truman approve a shoot down order after a mass UFO sighting in Washington D.C in 1952. By 1970, Hynek will transform from ardent sceptic into avid believer, convinced that we are not alone. The 10-episode drama series is based on the real life Project Blue Book, a now-declassified series of studies on UFOs conducted by the United States Air Force. Project Blue Book scientifically analysed UFO-related data, and the team was tasked with determining if UFOs were a threat to national security. From 1952 1969, Project Blue Book investigated thousands of UFO sightings across the United States. Aidan Gillen and Michael Malarkey are supported by a stellar international cast comprising Neal McDonough (Captain America, Minority Report), Michael Harney (Orange is the New Black, Widows), Robert John Burke (Gossip Girl, Law & Order: SVU), Ksenia Solo (Orphan Black, Black Swan) and Laura Mennell (Loudermilk). SBS will air the double-episode premiere at 8.30pm Thursday 28 March, followed by two weeks of double episodes. From Thursday 18 April, the remaining episodes will air weekly at 9.30pm. Media doyenne Ita Buttrose AO OBE has been confirmed as ABCs new Chair, replacing Justin Milne who exited in September. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that the Government will recommend Ms Buttroses appointment to the Governor-General. Ms Buttrose said: The ABC is one of the most important cultural and information organisations in Australia and I am honoured to be given the opportunity to lead it. I join with all ABC employees in welcoming Ita Buttrose to this important role, Acting ABC Managing Director David Anderson said. Ms Buttrose is an eminent Australian with vast experience as an editor and media executive. Her leadership of the ABC, a highly valued and trusted cultural institution, is welcomed. In an era of globalised commercial media, a strong independent ABC is vital. We remain committed to outstanding news and current affairs, hosting conversations that inform the public, and delivering compelling content that is distinctive, high-quality and Australian. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Kirstin Ferguson for her strong commitment to an independent ABC and the ongoing leadership and governance she has provided during her tenure as Acting Chair. Dr Kirstin Ferguson, who will continue as Deputy Chair, said, Ita Buttrose is one of the greats of Australian media and an iconic, widely admired Australian. She will bring valuable experience to the ABC Board at a time when we will need to make significant strategic and leadership decisions, including the appointment of the new Managing Director, in coming months. I am honoured to work with her in my capacity as Deputy Chair and I know the entire Board looks forward to working with Ms Buttrose on critical issues facing the ABC. Businesswoman, journalist and former magazine editor @ItaButtrose named the new chair of the ABC. Prime Minister @ScottMorrisonMP speaking in Sydney. #auspol #7News https://t.co/gLQ1COzaYg 7NEWS Toowoomba (@7NewsToowoomba) February 27, 2019 Her appointment comes amid some questions about the recruitment process, given her name was not recommended by recruitment firm Korn Ferry. Buttrose, 77, carries extensive firsthand media experience including at Cleo, the Australian Womens Weekly, The Daily Telegraph and was the first female director of News Limited. Television experience includes Ovation channel, Beauty & the Beast & Studio 10. She has an Order of Australia, an OBE and received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the NSW Kennedy Awards for Excellence in Journalism in 2017. Buttrose was also the subject of the popular Paper Giants miniseries on ABC in 2011. Two Reality TV participants have made news this week for all the wrong reasons. Brian Lake, who was a finalist in Australian Survivor last year, has reportedly been charged with seven charges including unlawful assault, aggravated burglary, criminal damage and trespassing. The former Hawthorn player appeared in Melbourne Magistrates court on Monday night in connection with an incident that occurred on Sunday 17 February. He was granted bail. He is due to face court again on March 13 where it is reported he will plead guilty to some reduced charges. News.com.au reports Lake checked himself into a mental health facility immediately after being released from custody. Meanwhile Married At First Sight intruder and former rugby player Daniel Webb (pictured) could be facing potential jail time over allegedly scamming millions from innocent families. He has been charged with aggravated fraud after allegedly taking part in a huge 2014 telemarketing scam on the Gold Coast, as part of a syndicate calling over 600 people and reportedly robbing them of $20 million. Police claim Webb took advantage of vulnerable people and asked them to cough up between $500-$1000 for a four-day trial of investment and betting software before getting them to sign on to a 12-month contract. Reports suggest as part of his bail conditions he had to check in at the police station every fortnight and had to fly home from filming MAFS to undertake these check in to ensure he wasnt breaching his conditions. The 35-year-old will face the Brisbane Magistrates Court tomorrow. Source: news.com.au, nowtolove.com.au Discrimination against sexual minorities in Kenya is costing the country up to $1.3 billion(Sh130B) annually, a report by a coalition of global businesses shows. The report by Open For Business an alliance of big companies including tech companies Google and Microsoft and Deutsche Bank attributed the losses to missed tourism earnings, poor health and less employment of LGBT+ people. It is estimated that anti-gay attitudes are shaving off up to 1.7 percent of Kenyas annual gross domestic product (GDP). A lot of the conversations on LGBT inclusion across the world are based on peoples perceptions, rather than facts, Yvonne Muthoni, Kenya program director at Open For Business, told Reuters. This report aims to provide a fact-based argument that LGBT inclusion is not just good for the LGBT community, but for the economy and that means for every single citizen in the country. According to the report, Kenyas tourism industry was missing out on up to $140 million per year in foreign earnings because LGBT+ tourists were opting not to visit due to homophobic views. A lack of access to medical services due to discrimination against LGBT+ people meant the poor health of sexual minorities was leading to lost productive working time, said the study, valuing losses at $1 billion annually or 1.4 percent of GDP. The lack of LGBT+ people in the job market, as well as lower wages faced by members of the community due to discrimination, was costing Kenya over $100 million every year, the report adds. According to Muthoni, the studys findings supported research done in other countries which showed that open, inclusive and diverse societies improve prospects for growth while discrimination can cause long-term economic damage. Campaigners said the reports backing by big corporates, such as Barclays bank, American Express, Thomson Reuters, the global consultancy McKinsey and audit firm KPMG, could influence the Kenyan government to put in place more inclusive policies. The reports sobering statistics highlight the economic consequences as a result of not being open and including LGBT+ people in our society, said George Morara, vice chairman of the state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. Our economy is struggling, youth unemployment is high, foreign investment is low, so we should be tapping every resource possible. We will use the data to advocate the government for more inclusion. Campaigners are hopeful that the findings of the report could help in changing negative perceptions of LGBT+ people in Kenya, and also strengthen the argument for same-sex relations to be decriminalised ahead of a high court ruling on May 24. Source: Reuters Andrew MacFarlane graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1973, with fellow classmate Tina Bursill. Yet as he edges closer to 50 years in the business, he is still in demand. Seen recently in Ms. Fishers Modern Murder Mysteries, Glitch, Pulse, Seven Types of Ambiguity, Newtons Law, The Code, Cleverman and Devils Playground, he is about to premiere in Foxtels Secret City. Once we turned 50 the work started to re-energise with new and interesting characters, he tells TV Tonight. Tinas in a long-running television series with Doctor Doctor, and Ive had a handful of great acting opportunities in the last 5 years. Its been fantastic. So there aint no slowing down for the grey nomads! Anna Torv returns in the 6 part political thriller and alongside Jacki Weaver, Sacha Horler, Marcus Graham and Justin Smith. New cast include Danielle Cormack, Don Hany, Rob Collins, Joel Tobeck and Louisa Mignone. McFarlane joins as Air Chief Marshall Lockwood, ensnared in a political cover-up, surrounding a military operation in Pakistan so secret not even the Prime Minister (Hany) is aware of it. This is so secretive they went in without authority, from either side really, to get this job done but it goes wrong and they capture somebody. Then the blame game starts, he explains. Its geo-politics, Game of Thrones stuff. You never know whos telling the truth at any given moment. Everybody has something they dont want exposed So grey are the lines between the virtuous and compromised characters that not even McFarlane could be sure during filming whether he was inherently a goodie or a baddie. Even as actors we were asking Am I being deliberately obscure here? Do I have something to hide? Everybody has something they dont want exposed to the light of day, but I think there are many shades. There are obviously people who are downright baddies if you want to put it that way, and others who are compromised, he continues. My character has an unblemished military record. Hes been decorated, worked in Afghanistan & Iran, and has links with characters in the story. But there were dealings in that area that he doesnt really want exposed because it will compromise his reputation and position. Whether she comes out battered and bruised is another matter. But the heros journey, as depicted by Anna Torv as ex-journalist Harriet Dunkley, says true. I think we can be assured Harriet will see the light of day. Whether she comes out battered and bruised is another matter. Shes such a strong and interesting character, but she is the one who wants to expose the truth, MacFarlane assures. She has the flaming torch. Filming of the Matchbox Pictures drama was granted privileged access to the corridors of Parliament House, during non-siting weeks. We had access to board rooms and committee rooms that would normally be unavailable to us. We used the Prime Ministers courtyard and his anti-chamber which has about 4 reception rooms, which in itself was eye-opening. Only a matter of weeks later we saw Malcolm come out of those doors to announce that the spill was on. You cant tell whats going on inside a lot of the buildings there. Written by Matt Cameron, Belinda Chayko and Elise McCredie, the production shot from February April in Canberra and Sydney and stark ACT locations serve as a backdrop to its cool intrigue. I wouldnt say its the warmest city because Canberra has this brutalist architecture and the way the city is planned and designed it has a certain emotion to it. But theres a slight mystery to it because it still has a country atmosphere and there are mists around the lake. We were filming in autumn so it lends a slight mystery without being able to define what it is, he continues. You cant tell whats going on inside a lot of the buildings there. They have reflective glass or of them are underground. Its a bit of a Secret City in itself. They all came from the Crawfords stable McFarlane is now busy in theatre circles, but I cant let him go without a nod to the great TV dramas of his early career. With titles such as The Sullivans, Division 4 and The Flying Doctors, he remains indebted to Crawford Productions. Crawfords was a major employer, at one stage doing maybe 8 shows with a cop show weekly, miniseries like All the Rivers Run, Flying Doctors, they had soap operas going so there was a huge opportunity to work in a variety of fields, as a young actor. You learned so much with other actors and technicians, he recalls. A lot who were cameramen, or clapper loaders and boom operators, are now heads of departments, producing and directing. But they all came from the Crawfords stable in Melbourne all those years ago. Hector Crawford kind of established the television industry in Australia. My career was really set up because of that and the opportunities given to young actors. Secret City airs 8:30pm Monday on FOX Showcase. STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - The U.S. embassy in Sweden has asked the country's financial watchdog FI for a meeting to discuss allegations about Swedbank's involvement in a Baltic money-laundering scandal. The move raises questions whether the U.S. authorities will seek to investigate Swedbank. A FI spokesman said on Thursday it had received a letter on Feb. 27 from the embassy asking to discuss Swedbank in relation to the money laundering allegations, and that the watchdog was "taking care of the matter according to our routines". Swedish and Estonian financial watchdogs opened a joint investigation this month following a media report linking Swedbank to the Baltic money laundering scandal involving Danske Bank. Danske is being investigated in five countries, including the United States, over some 200 billion euros (171 billion pounds) of suspicious payments from Russia, ex-Soviet states and elsewhere that were found to have flowed through its Estonian branch. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Department of Justice (DoJ) are running parallel probes into Danske over the suspicious payments. Analysts have said an investigation by the U.S. authorities could put Swedbank shares under more pressure. The bank's shares have lost a fifth of their in value since the report first surfaced. Swedbank, the U.S. embassy in Stockholm and the SEC declined to comment, while the DoJ did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Swedish daily Dagens Industri, which first reported on the U.S. embassy letter on Thursday, quoted it as saying that the meeting was for a briefing on Swedbank and the watchdog's actions. The FI spokesman declined to comment on this. Swedbank is the largest bank in the Baltics with around 3.3 million retail customers and around 300,000 corporate customers. The Baltics accounted for just under a fifth of Swedbank's revenue in 2018. (Reporting by Esha Vaish and Johan Ahlander in Stockholm and Michelle Price in Washington; Editing by Jan Harvey and Jane Merriman) Casualty actress Amanda Mealing has defended Stacey Dooley following the white saviour row over her Comic Relief visit to Uganda. Labour MP David Lammy accused the Strictly Come Dancing winner of perpetuating tired and unhelpful stereotypes after she posted pictures from her trip to film a documentary. Mealing, who plays Connie Beauchamp in Casualty, has just returned from a trip to health centres in Ghana for WaterAids Water Effect Appeal. She told the Press Association that celebrities had to walk a fine line. David, is the issue with me being white? (Genuine question) because if thats the case, you could always go over there and try raise awareness? Comic relief have raised over 1 billion pounds since they started. I saw projects that were saving lives with the money. Kids lives. https://t.co/pPgez9OxN8 Stacey Dooley (@StaceyDooley) February 27, 2019 But she said of the controversy around presenter Dooley: I think thats quite unfair on Stacey Dooley really. You cant have a go at us in the UK and the West because of the postcode lottery of being born here in different circumstances and not there. She said: I think if you have a position where people may take notice of what you say then you kind of have a duty of care to others to bring awareness. The saviour complex of going there and saying Look what Ive done, thats a very different thing. She said: Im not going in there saying Im going to save anyone Mealing added: I dont think Stacey Dooley was doing that and I definitely wasnt doing that. Story continues Olly Murs (PA) Meanwhile, Olly Murs, who has worked with Unicef, told This Morning: I can see the arguments that people have put forward, but for me personally, I have only the best intentions to go over there and use my profile to help raise awareness and help save lives. Thats what Unicef was all about. It was amazing for me to see the benefits of where this money was going and to tell everyone their money was going to a really good cause. He said: I do it to raise awareness and help, and if they dont want me to go then fine, but my door is always open. What happened? Stacey Dooley and Labours David Lammy are involved in a Twitter argument after the MP criticised the TV presenter for taking part in filming in Africa for Comic Relief. Mr Lammy accused Ms Dooley of encouraging tired and unhelpful stereotypes and perpetuating a white saviour narrative after she shared images of her taking part in a documentary in Uganda. Ms Dooley hit back by asking the MP if the issue was with me being white, and inviting him to travel to Africa himself to work with Comic Relief. How did the row escalate? After Ms Dooley invited Mr Lammy to take part in Comic Reliefs efforts himself, the charity claimed it had approached him about making a film in Africa in the past but he had ignored them. They said the offer was still open. But the MP insisted Comic Reliefs statement was not true, tweeting that he met with representatives twice in his office and called on them to improve their representation of African countries. Mr Lammy claimed Comic Relief had fallen short of what he called its public duty to promote racial equality. He said: Comic Relief should be helping to establish an image of African people as equals to be respected rather than helpless victims to be pitied. It would therefore be better for people who actually live there to speak about the continent they know. Many black Brits feel deeply uncomfortable with Comic Reliefs poverty porn. Its my job to represent their views, however uncomfortable. They want their children to have rounded views about Africa and these types of campaign woefully fail to do that. This is not the first time Comic Relief has been accused of perpetuating race stereotypes. The charity cut back on its use of celebrities in appeals after an aid watchdog criticised its portrayal of poverty tourism last year. It came in for particular criticism for a campaign featuring Ed Sheeran in Liberia, which won an award for most offensive campaign. Read more about this story David Lammy is right to call out the white saviour narrative (Independent) Phillip Schofield slams David Lammy over Comic Relief row(HuffPost) Lammy refused offer to make Comic Relief film (Evening Standard) Story continues Talks between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un came to an abrupt end in Vietnam, with the US President later declaring: Sometimes you have to walk. A lunch and signing ceremony were scrapped after negotiations in Hanoi ended without a denuclearisation deal. The breakdown of talks will be seen as a diplomatic defeat for Mr Trump and more than half of Yahoo users dont think hell win a second presidential term. Read the full story (Yahoo News UK) and have your say below:. Woman has conviction for murdering abusive husband quashed A woman who killed her husband in a hammer attack has won a landmark appeal against her murder conviction after it was found he abused her for decades. Sally Challen, 65, whose real name is Georgina, admitted killing 61-year-old Richard in August 2010 but denied murder. She says she killed her husband after 40 years of being controlled and humiliated by him. She was found guilty of his murder at Guildford Crown Court in 2011 and jailed for life but the conviction was overturned by judges on the evidence of a psychiatrist, who said that Challen was suffering from two mental disorders at the time of the killing. Read the full story here (The Telegraph) Minister quits over possible Brexit delay A minister has quit the Government over Theresa Mays decision to allow MPs to vote on extending Brexit negotiations beyond the scheduled withdrawal date of March 29. Brexiteer George Eustice, who once stood for Ukip, said he wanted to return to the backbenches to be free to participate in the critical debate that will take place in the weeks ahead. He said the Prime Minister had undertaken a series of undignified retreats on Brexit and warned that prolonging the two-year Article 50 negotiation process could result in the final humiliation of our country. Read the full story here (Sky News) The surf was definitely up for these dolphins swimming together near Esperance, Western Australia, as seen in this spectacular drone footage recorded by Jaimen Hudson earlier in February. This video shows the dolphins together while two swim underneath the surface of the perfectly clear, gloriously blue water. 1 (and 2) Doctors have discovered what they say is only the worlds second recorded case of semi-identical twins. Semi-identical twins come from one egg, fertilised by two sperms, which then split. This type of fertilisation results in three sets of chromosomes. The boy and girl, who are now four, from Australia, are identical on their mothers side but only share a proportion of their fathers DNA, according to a report in The New England Journal of Medicine. Dr Michael Gabbett, from Queensland University of Technology, said: Three sets of chromosomes are typically incompatible with life and embryos do not usually survive. [In this case] the fertilised egg appears to have equally divided up the three sets of chromosomes into groups of cells which then split into two, creating the twins. Read the full story here (The Guardian) The Labour MP said he had two meetings with the charity. Labour MP David Lammy has denied snubbing Comic Relief after the charity said he refused its offer to make a charity film in Africa. He said it was simply not true that he did not respond to the offer, adding he had held two meetings with the organisation. Mr Lammy claimed Comic Relief had fallen short of what he called its public duty to promote racial equality and serve minority communities. It's simply not true to say I did not respond: we had two meetings in my office. I had hoped and still hope your coverage would improve but Stacey's post was more of the same tried tropes. As I told you before, I'm not prepared to become part of a PR exercise. https://t.co/D5K0gI1dSz David Lammy (@DavidLammy) February 28, 2019 It came after the backbench MP accused Strictly Come Dancing star Stacey Dooley of perpetuating tired and unhelpful stereotypes after she travelled to Uganda for a documentary ahead of Red Nose Day. Comic Relief on Thursday made no apologies, saying the offer of a collaborative film was still open. It thanked Dooley for helping people working with or supported by Comic Relief projects tell their own stories in their own words. In response, Mr Lammy said he was not prepared to become part of a PR exercise. The world does not need any more white saviours. As I've said before, this just perpetuates tired and unhelpful stereotypes. Let's instead promote voices from across the continent of Africa and have serious debate.https://t.co/LySa0BXeyi David Lammy (@DavidLammy) February 27, 2019 On Twitter, he wrote: Its simply not true to say I did not respond: we had two meetings in my office. I had hoped and still hope your coverage would improve but Staceys post was more of the same tried tropes. As I told you before, Im not prepared to become part of a PR exercise. Story continues Its not about me making a nice film, but about you giving some of your very privileged platform on the BBC to the hundreds of African comedians, filmmakers, celebrities and everyday people who live on the continent. My job as a politician is to raise the issue. The people of Africa do not need a British politician to make a film. I want African people to speak for themselves, not UK celebs acting as tour guides. Comic relief has a privileged platform because of its unique access to the BBC. My constituents pay that license fee too. You and the BBC have a public duty to educate and promote racial equality. Previous Comic Relief films have fallen short of this. On Wednesday, Dooley shared pictures on her social media from Uganda, with one snap showing her posing with a young child. Mr Lammy, who has been the MP for Tottenham since 2010, sparked the row when he said on Twitter on Wednesday that the 31-year-old investigative reporter was reinforcing unhelpful stereotypes about Africa. He said his issue was not personal with Dooley and he does not question her good motives. David, is the issue with me being white? (Genuine question) because if thats the case, you could always go over there and try raise awareness? Comic relief have raised over 1 billion pounds since they started. I saw projects that were saving lives with the money. Kids lives. https://t.co/pPgez9OxN8 Stacey Dooley (@StaceyDooley) February 27, 2019 Instead, he said he had a problem with British celebrities being flown out to Africa by Comic Relief to make films that send a distorted image of the continent and perpetuate an old idea from the colonial era. Dooley replied, inviting Mr Lammy to travel to Africa himself. Red Nose Day takes place on March 15. Comic Relief offered to collaborate with Labour MP David Lammy on a charity film in Africa but the politician snubbed it, according to the charity. The organisation told Lammy the offer is still open after he criticised Stacey Dooley on Wednesday over her work on a film ahead of Red Nose Day. Lammy accused the Strictly Come Dancing star of perpetuating tired and unhelpful stereotypes after she travelled to Africa for an upcoming documentary. The world does not need any more white saviours. As I've said before, this just perpetuates tired and unhelpful stereotypes. Let's instead promote voices from across the continent of Africa and have serious debate.https://t.co/LySa0BXeyi David Lammy (@DavidLammy) February 27, 2019 Dooley shared pictures on her social media from Uganda, with one snap showing her posing with a young child. Responding on Thursday, a spokesperson for Comic Relief made no apologies, thanking Dooley for helping people working with or supported by Comic Relief projects tell their own stories in their own words. It said: We are really grateful that Stacey Dooley, an award-winning and internationally acclaimed documentary maker, agreed to go to Uganda to discover more about projects the British people have funded there and make no apologies for this. David, is the issue with me being white? (Genuine question) because if thats the case, you could always go over there and try raise awareness? Comic relief have raised over 1 billion pounds since they started. I saw projects that were saving lives with the money. Kids lives. https://t.co/pPgez9OxN8 Stacey Dooley (@StaceyDooley) February 27, 2019 She has filmed and reported on challenging issues all over the world, helping to put a much-needed spotlight on issues that affect peoples lives daily. Story continues In her film, people working with or supported by Comic Relief projects tell their own stories in their own words. We have previously asked David Lammy if he would like to work with us to make a film in Africa and he has not responded. The offer is still open. Mr Lammy, who has been the MP for Tottenham since 2010, said on Twitter that the 31-year-old investigative reporter was reinforcing unhelpful stereotypes about Africa. He said: The world does not need any more white saviours. As Ive said before, this just perpetuates tired and unhelpful stereotypes. Lets instead promote voices from across the continent of Africa and have serious debate. Comic Relief has a huge platform and privilege and it is the first and major way children learn about Africa. If they only show Africans as helpless victims to be pitied, children miss the broader picture of huge progress in Africa. https://t.co/Ei7JLGyTQ2 David Lammy (@DavidLammy) February 27, 2019 Mr Lammy said his issue was not personal with Dooley and he does not question her good motives. Instead, he said he had a problem with British celebrities being flown out to Africa by Comic Relief to make films that send a distorted image of the continent and perpetuate an old idea from the colonial era. Dooley replied and invited Mr Lammy to travel to Africa himself. She said: David, is the issue with me being white? (Genuine question) because if thats the case, you could always go over there and try raise awareness? Comic relief have raised over 1 billion pounds since they started. I saw projects that were saving lives with the money. Kids lives. Mr Lammy, who is of Guyanese descent, replied saying many black Britons are deeply uncomfortable with Comic Reliefs poverty porn. David Lammy has criticised Stacey Dooley for her work in Africa for Comic Relief (Stefan Rousseau/PA) This is not the first time Comic Relief has been accused of perpetuating the white saviour trope. In March last year, the charity said celebrities would take a backseat on on-location appeals following complaints about poverty tourism. Ed Sheeran was previously criticised for reinforcing white saviour stereotypes during a visit to Liberia. Red Nose Day takes place on March 15. Thousands of people filled Barcelonas streets on February 21 for a general strike against the ongoing trial of Catalonia separatist leaders in Madrid. Reports from El Pais said around 13,000 people participated in the strike, which disrupted traffic and local trains. Outside the city of Berga, north of Barcelona, protesters set fire to a line of tires across a highway, sending smoke billowing above the surrounding area. This footage shows crowds filling up Barcelonas Placa de Catalunya, cheering and waving Catalan flags. Credit: skunk_mr via Storyful Thousands of people took part in a protest in Paris on February 19 following an anti-Semitic attack at a Jewish cemetery in eastern France in which swastikas were spray painted on tomb stones, the latest in a series of such incidents. The protest was one of several held across France on that date. French President Emmanuel Macron visited the Quatzenheim cemetery in Alsace on February 19 and wrote on Twitter that anti-Semitism is the negation of what France is. This footage shows a large crowd of protesters singing near the Place de la Republique in Paris. Credit: Zelda Citroen via Storyful Here are the top stories as we end the month. India says it has launched air strikes across disputed border with Pakistan India said it has conducted air strikes on an alleged terrorist training camp across the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between India and Pakistan in the disputed Kashmir region, in a significant escalation of hostilities between the two nuclear armed powers. Cardinal Pell to spend first night behind bars after bail application withdrawn Disgraced Cardinal George Pell will be held in custody after his defense team unexpectedly withdrew a bail application on multiple counts of child sex abuse. Dutch seize 90,000 vodka bottles thought heading to North Korea A container filled with 90,000 bottles of vodka believed to be for sanctions-hit North Korea has been seized by Dutch customs agents, officials said Tuesday. Stranded Amtrak train heads north to Seattle After more than 36 hours in limbo, dozens of passengers exited an Amtrak train that had been stranded in deep snow in Oregon feeling a mix of relief and frustration. How a dead humpback whale ended up in a mangrove forest When local fishermen were walking through a mangrove forest in Brazil, they came across something that shouldnt be there: the carcass of a humpback whale. Scientists believe tides washed the whale onto the shore and into the forest. The most popular Porsche is going electric Porsche says it will release a fully electric version of the Macan SUV, its most popular model, in the next few years. Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari reelected, but opponent rejects results Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari has secured a second four-year term in office, final results from Saturdays national election show. What it would take for Tesla to be done with Elon Musk Elon Musk is in trouble with the SEC again, which could possibly seek to have him removed as CEO of the upstart automaker. That might not be a bad thing for Tesla. House votes to block Trump border emergency The US House of Representatives has voted to revoke President Donald Trumps emergency declaration over building a US-Mexico border wall. The bid to overturn the declaration now goes to the Republican-majority Senate, where some conservatives have said they will vote with Democrats. Brendan Rodgers: Leicester City appoint former Celtic boss as manager Brendan Rodgers has been appointed Leicester Citys new manager after leaving his job at Celtic. The Northern Irishman has signed a contract until June 2022 and succeeds Claude Puel, who was sacked on Sunday after 16 months in charge. It marks a Premier League return for Rodgers, who previously managed Liverpool and Swansea City. HP computer stranded in space Two HP servers sent up to the International Space Station in August 2017 as an experiment have still not come back to Earth, three months after their intended return. Together, they make up the Spaceborne Computer, which operates on the open-source Linux system and has supercomputer processing power. I really miss our leader While the Trump-Kim summit has been reported as expected around the world, North Korean media has covered the visit in a different way. Fresh Algeria protests against president Tens of thousands of Algerian students have joined the protests against 81-year-old President Abdelaziz Bouteflikas decision to run for a fifth term . In the capital, Algiers, there were brief scuffles with police who fired tear gas. Reports say many more students avoided confronting police by rallying on campus grounds in Algiers and other cities. Eleven films to watch in March A lonely young waitress finds a handbag on a New York subway train. Luckily, the address is inside, so she returns it to the widowed piano teacher who left it there. She then discovers that the piano teacher makes a habit of dropping bags around the city specifically to lure in prospective friends. TikTok puts Facebook on notice with 1 billion downloads Love it or hate it, TikTok is turning into a force to be reckoned with. The video app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has now been downloaded more than one billion times around the world, according to new data from app analytics company Sensor Tower. TikTok puts Facebook on notice with 1 billion downloads Love it or hate it, TikTok is turning into a force to be reckoned with. The video app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has now been downloaded more than one billion times around the world, according to new data from app analytics company Sensor Tower. Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu once faked his way into the Oscars Weve all thought about making flimsy fake VIP passes to get into some fancy party, right? Well, Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu actually did it once, sneaking into his first ever Oscars with a fake pass he made himself. You can now wear avocado toast on your feet for $130 Every product here is independently selected by Mashable journalists. If you buy something featured, we may earn an affiliate commission which helps support our work. You are what you feet. I mean eat. Shoe brand Saucony mightve just dropped the most mouth watering shoe of all time: the Shadow 6000 Avocado Toast. Microsoft says it has democratic responsibility to accept lucrative military contract Microsoft agreed to take hundreds of millions of dollars to help soldiers kill but dont worry, the companys CEO says its for the sake of democracy. On Monday at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Nadella told CNN Business that Microsoft would continue developing HoloLens augmented reality (AR) technology for the U.S. T-Mobile pledges unlimited 5G, aims at first half of 2019 for PCMag Follow @https://twitter.com/PCMag PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. BARCELONA-Neville Ray always gives it to me straight. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Marie warned Thursday that the Dutch government's purchase of a major stake in Air France-KLM "benefits nobody"."It's not reasonable to remain in this situation, which benefits nobody -- not Air France, not KLM, and not the airline as a whole," Le Maire told Public Senat television.He will hold talks with the Dutch Finance Minister in Paris on Friday to discuss the Netherlands' purchase of a 14 percent stake in the Franco-Dutch airline, just under the 14.3 percent already held by France."Together let's try to find a way out of this," Le Maire said, adding thathe expected "explanations" from his Dutch counterpart.But he insisted that the alliance formed in 2004 remained "solid," despite concerns that the Dutch intend to step up their oversight of CEO Ben Smith's plans to improve profitability in Europe's cutthroat aviation market.Air France-KLM's stock sank a further 1.3 percent in opening trade in Paris on Thursday, after the Dutch government announced late Wednesday it had bulked up its holding to 14 percent.The shares plunged 11.7 percent on Wednesday after news broke of the Dutch government's initial stealth purchase of a 12.7 percent stake, catching the French establishment off guard. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Marie warned Thursday that the Dutch government's purchase of a major stake in Air France-KLM "benefits nobody". "It's not reasonable to remain in this situation, which benefits nobody -- not Air France, not KLM, and not the airline as a whole," Le Maire told Public Senat television. He will hold talks with the Dutch Finance Minister in Paris on Friday to discuss the Netherlands' purchase of a 14 percent stake in the Franco-Dutch airline, just under the 14.3 percent already held by France. "Together let's try to find a way out of this," Le Maire said, adding thathe expected "explanations" from his Dutch counterpart. But he insisted that the alliance formed in 2004 remained "solid," despite concerns that the Dutch intend to step up their oversight of CEO Ben Smith's plans to improve profitability in Europe's cutthroat aviation market. Air France-KLM's stock sank a further 1.3 percent in opening trade in Paris on Thursday, after the Dutch government announced late Wednesday it had bulked up its holding to 14 percent. The shares plunged 11.7 percent on Wednesday after news broke of the Dutch government's initial stealth purchase of a 12.7 percent stake, catching the French establishment off guard. A Flybe aircraft has been evacuated after the plane's cabin filled with "smoke" just moments before take-off at Exeter Airport. The flight, which was bound for Alicante in Spain, was accelerating along the runway when its lift-off was swiftly aborted. The 100 passengers and five crew were forced to leave the plane using inflatable slides. Everyone evacuated safely but one passenger suffered a broken ankle, said the airline. Andy Feaver, 51, who was on the flight with his wife, said: "As soon as I got on I smelled burning. As we were going along the runway to get ready to take off it stank of fuel. "As they put the accelerator down to go, it filled up with smoke in the cabin. "The pilot said 'evacuate, evacuate' and we all got out as quickly as we could. "It was pretty scary. I'm not sure what caused it." He added: "Ten seconds later we could have been up in the air and that could have been a completely different story." Mr Feaver also praised the "fantastic" crew for how they dealt with the emergency. Footage of the incident shows a woman being carried away from the Embraer 195 aircraft by two men, while another person falls forward at the bottom of a slide. Flybe said the flight experienced "haze in the cabin" and its crew took the "necessary measures". It also confirmed the passengers had been booked onto another flight to Alicante, which departed more than five hours after the original flight was due to take off. The runway at Exeter Airport was closed for an hour after the incident but has since re-opened. Last year, an IndiGo flight from Jaipur to Kolkata was forced to make an emergency landing and evacuate after the cabin filled with smoke in mid-air. Home Secretary Sajid Javid stripped Isis bride Shamima Begum of UK citizenship last week but he has now indicated that it may be prove difficult to enforce. Speaking at the home affairs committee, Mr Javid admitted that the power can not be used if it leaves an individual stateless. While not commenting specifically on Begum's case, Mr Javid said: "If an individual only has one citizenship, then generally the power cannot be used because by definition if you took away their British citizenship they would be stateless. Shamima Begum was stripped of UK citizenship last week (BBC) "I certainly haven't done that and I am not aware that one of my predecessors has done that in a case where they know an individual only has one citizenship, as that would be breaking international law as we understand it." It had been thought that Begum, who travelled to Syria from London to join Isis when she was 15, travelled to the UK on a Bangladeshi passport when she was a toddler, meaning she would not be made stateless. However, Bangladesh officials have denied she has citizenship there and Begum remains in a refugee camp with her newborn baby. Shamima Begum9 Asked about a 2014 amendment to the Nationality Act that allows UK citizenship to be removed if there are "reasonable grounds for believing" the person would be able to become a citizen of another country, Mr Javid added: "I have not deployed the power on the basis that someone could have citizenship to a second country. "I've always applied it on the strict advice of legal advisers in the Home Office and more broadly in the Government that when the power is deployed, with respect to that individual, they already have more than one citizenship." If Begum does not have Bangladeshi nationality, it would appear that the UK would not be able to strip her of citizenship. Home Secretary Sajid Javid has indicated that it could prove difficult to strip Begum of her citizenship (Getty) Mr Javid hit back at suggestions his decision to revoke Begum's citizenship was politically motivated. He said: "This power has been used by successive home secretaries and governments of different political persuasions. Story continues "These decisions are never political in any way. It's all about the job the Home Secretary has to protect the British public. Begum joined Isis before asking to be allowed to to return to the UK (PA) "This is not some sort of new national security tool that I just invented or just rolled out. It goes back over 100 years." The British Nationality Act 1981 provides the Home Secretary with the power to strip someone of their citizenship if they are satisfied such action is "conducive to the public good". Mr Javid acknowledged that it "might be a blunt tool", adding: "It should only be used in the most exceptional circumstances and cannot be used lightly." - This article originally appear on Yahoo UK By Karin Strohecker LONDON (Reuters) - Investor money flows into emerging markets have slowed in recent days after scaling dizzying heights in mid-February thanks to Chinese equities attracting foreign funds, data from the Institute of International Finance showed. Emerging markets had a torrid 2018 when crisis in Turkey and Argentina as well as rising borrowing costs battered riskier assets around the globe. Yet a dovish turn by the U.S. Federal Reserve in early February saw investors pile back into riskier assets in recent weeks. In mid-February, fund managers surveyed by Bank of America Merrill Lynch named emerging markets the "most crowded trade" around for the first time in the report's history. This accolade could prove to be a bad omen for emerging markets, though, as assets named "most crowded" usually sink soon afterwards. Major asset managers and investment banks such as JPMorgan, Citi and BlueBay Asset Management ramped up their exposure to emerging markets in recent weeks. Analysing high frequency data from local stock exchanges and debt offices, the IIF, which tracks capital market movements, found that flows to emerging market assets in mid-February after a dovish turn by the U.S. Federal Reserve had soared close to levels last seen late January 2018 - days before emerging and global markets suffered hefty falls. IIF Real Money EM Flows including China: https://tmsnrt.rs/2UbDntj But flows have cooled since then, IIF chief economist Robin Brooks told Reuters. "Flows have pulled back, including into China equities where we had seen a pick up in Q4 and around the Fed meeting," said Brooks. "You can see that equity flows in particular have pulled back after a big surge post-FOMC on Jan. 30, indicating more caution as the final trade negotiations take shape." Much of that move has been driven by China, where foreign capital inflows into stock markets have surged in the first few weeks of 2019 as investors bet on stimulus measures from Beijing and awaited an announcement by index provider MSCI that it would increase the weighting of China A-shares in its key benchmarks at the end of February. Story continues Taking China equity flows out of the mix, recent inflows looked a lot less dramatic, with mid-February levels coming in at around half the total enjoyed in January 2018, the IIF found. IIF Real Money EM Flows ex-China: https://tmsnrt.rs/2Uf5MPe Looking at investors' geographic preferences, data analysing average quarterly flows shows that apart from China, Indonesia has been the most popular destination for investors. Mexico also proved enticing, though unlike other emerging markets it had some catching up to do after suffering in 2017 when its standoff with U.S. President Donald Trump over the NAFTA trade deal more than offset dollar weakness that proved a boon for emerging markets more widely. "South Africa remains very weak," said IIF's Brooks. "Perhaps the biggest surprise to me is that flows to Brazil remain quite weak, even with ... light positioning after many tough years and an interesting reform agenda." (Reporting by Karin Strohecker; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne) Rival leaders in Libya have agreed to hold elections in the country, agreeing on the need to end the transitional stages, according to a statement on Thursday from the UN mission in ... Sarraj and Haftar agreed to hold general elections, said the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). They also agreed on ways to maintain stability in the country and unify its institutions, a statement said.Libya was thrown into civil war following the fall of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi in 2011 following a NATO-led intervention.The country has been torn between an administration in the east backed by Haftars Libyan National Army and Sarrajs Government of National Accord, supported by the UN.Sarraj insisted on a civilian Libyan state during the meeting, according to the Libya Herald, an independent news website, citing sources on both sides.Chris Stephen, a Libya correspondent for the Guardian newspaper, questioned whether the development was a breakthrough, pointing out that the two Libyan leaders had previously agreed to hold elections during meetings in both France and Italy.However, other reports suggested that the meeting did not actually take place. The Middle East Monitor cited a source claiming that Haftar left Abu Dhabi having not met Sarraj. The London-based online publication said Sarraj had insisted on having a unified military placed under a civilian authority.The African Union hopes to hold a conference in July with the aim of resolving the Libyan crisis, ahead of holding elections in October. A statement from the African bloc in mid-February said it would like to hold a meeting under the auspices of the AU and UN. Rival leaders in Libya have agreed to hold elections in the country, agreeing on the need to end the transitional stages, according to a statement on Thursday from the UN mission in ... Sarraj and Haftar agreed to hold general elections, said the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). They also agreed on ways to maintain stability in the country and unify its institutions, a statement said. Libya was thrown into civil war following the fall of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi in 2011 following a NATO-led intervention. The country has been torn between an administration in the east backed by Haftars Libyan National Army and Sarrajs Government of National Accord, supported by the UN. Sarraj insisted on a civilian Libyan state during the meeting, according to the Libya Herald, an independent news website, citing sources on both sides. Chris Stephen, a Libya correspondent for the Guardian newspaper, questioned whether the development was a breakthrough, pointing out that the two Libyan leaders had previously agreed to hold elections during meetings in both France and Italy. However, other reports suggested that the meeting did not actually take place. The Middle East Monitor cited a source claiming that Haftar left Abu Dhabi having not met Sarraj. The London-based online publication said Sarraj had insisted on having a unified military placed under a civilian authority. The African Union hopes to hold a conference in July with the aim of resolving the Libyan crisis, ahead of holding elections in October. A statement from the African bloc in mid-February said it would like to hold a meeting under the auspices of the AU and UN. Labour MP David Lammy accused Stacey Dooley of perpetuating tired and unhelpful stereotypes after she travelled to Africa for an upcoming Comic Relief documentary. The Strictly Come Dancing winner shared pictures on her social media from Uganda, with one snap showing her posing with a young child while another showed her during filming ahead of Red Nose Day. The world does not need any more white saviours. As I've said before, this just perpetuates tired and unhelpful stereotypes. Let's instead promote voices from across the continent of Africa and have serious debate.https://t.co/LySa0BXeyi David Lammy (@DavidLammy) February 27, 2019 Mr Lammy, who has been the MP for Tottenham since 2010, said on Twitter the 31-year-old investigative reporter was reinforcing unhelpful stereotypes about Africa. He said: The world does not need any more white saviours. As Ive said before, this just perpetuates tired and unhelpful stereotypes. Lets instead promote voices from across the continent of Africa and have serious debate. Mr Lammy said his issue was not personal with Dooley and that he does not question her good motives. Instead, he said he had a problem with British celebrities being flown out to Africa by Comic Relief to make films which send a distorted image of the continent and perpetuate an old idea from the colonial era. Dooley replied and invited Mr Lammy to travel to Africa himself. David, is the issue with me being white? (Genuine question) because if thats the case, you could always go over there and try raise awareness? Comic relief have raised over 1 billion pounds since they started. I saw projects that were saving lives with the money. Kids lives. https://t.co/pPgez9OxN8 Stacey Dooley (@StaceyDooley) February 27, 2019 She said: David, is the issue with me being white? (Genuine question) because if thats the case, you could always go over there and try raise awareness? Comic relief have raised over 1 billion pounds since they started. I saw projects that were saving lives with the money. Kids lives. Story continues Mr Lammy, who is of Guyanese descent, said many black Britons are deeply uncomfortable with Comic Reliefs poverty porn. Comic Relief has a huge platform and privilege and it is the first and major way children learn about Africa. If they only show Africans as helpless victims to be pitied, children miss the broader picture of huge progress in Africa. https://t.co/Ei7JLGyTQ2 David Lammy (@DavidLammy) February 27, 2019 He said: Comic Relief has a huge platform and privilege and it is the first and major way children learn about Africa. If they only show Africans as helpless victims to be pitied, children miss the broader picture of huge progress in Africa. Comic Relief should be helping to establish an image of African people as equals to be respected rather than helpless victims to be pitied. It would therefore be better for people who actually live there to speak about the continent they know. Many black Brits feel deeply uncomfortable with Comic Reliefs poverty porn. Its my job to represent their views however uncomfortable. They want their children to have rounded views about Africa and these types of campaign woefully fail to do that. David Lammy has criticised Stacey Dooley for her work in Africa for Comic Relief (Stefan Rousseau/PA) This is not the first time Comic Relief has been accused of perpetuating the white saviour trope. In March last year the charity said celebrities would take a backseat on on-location appeals following complaints about poverty tourism. Ed Sheeran had previously been criticised for reinforcing white saviour stereotypes during a visit to Liberia. Comic Relief has been contacted for comment. Red Nose Day takes place on March 15. Since the release of footage showing a starving polar bear in the Arctic in December 2017, the animal has become the symbol of the ongoing struggle to manage climate change. Benhammou is a researcher at Poitiers University. In 2015, he, along with Remy Marion, wrote a book called Geopolitique de lours polaire \- or the Geopolitics Of The Polar Bear. In it, he outlined some of the challenges facing this solitary animal today, as well as the challenges it is likely to face in the future.The interview below has been edited for clarity.Q: What challenges do polar bears face for the future?There are a number of challenges that face polar bears particularly around balancing the need for its preservation against the rights of native peoples to hunt it.The polar bear is protected in the Arctic regions of most of the countries it roams.However, under the Washington Convention \- CITES - which combats the trafficking and manages the trade of protected species, it has been placed in Annex 2. This means that there are countries where licenses have been issued allowing aboriginal peoples hunt some [listed] animals. One such country is Canada, which allows the native Inuit to hunt polar bears.The bear hunt is subject to very strict conditions and hunts are closely monitored and controlled by Canadian and Inuit authorities.The hunt is entirely subsistence-driven. However, this is not the main reason for the [decline] of the polar bear.The principal cause of their decilne is the disappearance of their environment, particularly the melting of the sea ice caused by global warming.Q: Which countries are polar bears most impacted by geopolitics?Around 2010, a number of countries put pressure on Canada to ban hunting, especially Russia and the United States.Canada needs the Inuit if it is to continue claiming territorial sovereignty [as part of their survival plan]. In the Arctic, there are a number of issues around ownership and territorial sovereignty. One of those issues has been the tension between Canada and the United States over the Northwest Passage.The United States wanted the passage to be re-classified as international waters.[Canada considers the Northwest Passage to be Canadian territorial waters, but the US and some European countries say the passage is an international strait.]What is ironic is that while the United States and Russia were calling for a halt to bear hunting and the reclassificaiton of the passage, the biggest threat to the polar bear comes from pollution and global warming. Russia and the United States are two of the main culprits in this regard.Since 2016, however, the situation has calmed down somewhat. On site and in the area around the Passage many local organisations and scientists cooperate. Russia and the United States have decided not to apply for classification of the polar bear in Annex 1, which, if it were in place, would completely prohibit hunting.Q: Are there any other species threatened in the Arctic?There are other species that are less emblematic than the polar bear, which are also threatened like the polar fox or the walrus.The polar bear is a kind of animal 'star' of the biodiversity [challenge] because of its distinctive physique and the distinctive physique of polar bear cubs. They make beautiful trophies all white [and cuddly]. It is quite striking - quite a selling point.The species is, of course, still under threat even though the forecasts are less pessimistic than they were even a few years ago. It is thought that 30 percent ot them could disappear in the coming years instead of the 50 percent previously forecast.To sum up, the polar bear is a species that symbolises the entire environment and ecosystem of the Arctic that is slowly disappearing.You can read more here: * Arctique : Les dessous geopolitiques de la protection de l'ours polaire * Integrated Population Modeling Provides the First Empirical Estimates of Vital Rates and Abundance for Polar Bears in the Chukchi Sea Since the release of footage showing a starving polar bear in the Arctic in December 2017, the animal has become the symbol of the ongoing struggle to manage climate change. Benhammou is a researcher at Poitiers University. In 2015, he, along with Remy Marion, wrote a book called Geopolitique de lours polaire - or the Geopolitics Of The Polar Bear. In it, he outlined some of the challenges facing this solitary animal today, as well as the challenges it is likely to face in the future. The interview below has been edited for clarity. Q: What challenges do polar bears face for the future? There are a number of challenges that face polar bears particularly around balancing the need for its preservation against the rights of native peoples to hunt it. The polar bear is protected in the Arctic regions of most of the countries it roams. However, under the Washington Convention - CITES - which combats the trafficking and manages the trade of protected species, it has been placed in Annex 2. This means that there are countries where licenses have been issued allowing aboriginal peoples hunt some [listed] animals. One such country is Canada, which allows the native Inuit to hunt polar bears. The bear hunt is subject to very strict conditions and hunts are closely monitored and controlled by Canadian and Inuit authorities. The hunt is entirely subsistence-driven. However, this is not the main reason for the [decline] of the polar bear. The principal cause of their decilne is the disappearance of their environment, particularly the melting of the sea ice caused by global warming. Q: Which countries are polar bears most impacted by geopolitics? Around 2010, a number of countries put pressure on Canada to ban hunting, especially Russia and the United States. Canada needs the Inuit if it is to continue claiming territorial sovereignty [as part of their survival plan]. In the Arctic, there are a number of issues around ownership and territorial sovereignty. One of those issues has been the tension between Canada and the United States over the Northwest Passage.The United States wanted the passage to be re-classified as international waters. Story continues [Canada considers the Northwest Passage to be Canadian territorial waters, but the US and some European countries say the passage is an international strait.] What is ironic is that while the United States and Russia were calling for a halt to bear hunting and the reclassificaiton of the passage, the biggest threat to the polar bear comes from pollution and global warming. Russia and the United States are two of the main culprits in this regard. Since 2016, however, the situation has calmed down somewhat. On site and in the area around the Passage many local organisations and scientists cooperate. Russia and the United States have decided not to apply for classification of the polar bear in Annex 1, which, if it were in place, would completely prohibit hunting. Q: Are there any other species threatened in the Arctic? There are other species that are less emblematic than the polar bear, which are also threatened like the polar fox or the walrus. The polar bear is a kind of animal 'star' of the biodiversity [challenge] because of its distinctive physique and the distinctive physique of polar bear cubs. They make beautiful trophies all white [and cuddly]. It is quite striking - quite a selling point. The species is, of course, still under threat even though the forecasts are less pessimistic than they were even a few years ago. It is thought that 30 percent ot them could disappear in the coming years instead of the 50 percent previously forecast. To sum up, the polar bear is a species that symbolises the entire environment and ecosystem of the Arctic that is slowly disappearing. You can read more here: The Duke of Cambridge has urged Britons to come "together in times of trouble and work for the common good" during a visit to Northern Ireland. Prince William praised Olympian Dame Mary Peters' work for the "common good" and he hoped people would follow her example. His comments appear to echo the Queen's Christmas message, in which she urged people to find "common ground" and to respect "different points of view". Her speech was seen as controversial, as members of the Royal Family are expected to exclude themselves from politics. Commentators at the time suggested the Queen's comments were related to the divisive Brexit debate. In a speech at Belfast Empire Music Hall on Wednesday night, the Queen's grandson, who is second in line to the throne after Prince Charles, praised Dame Mary's work in breaking down taboos around mental health and working with those at risk of entering care or custody. He said: "The work you do transcends community divisions and is helping deliver a brighter future for everybody in Northern Ireland." He continued: "Mary Peters is not only one of the United Kingdom's sporting legends, she's also inspired generation after generation to come together in times of trouble and work for the common good - a lesson I hope many of us can learn from." Commenting on the speech, Sky News' senior Ireland correspondent David Blevins said: "It's important to remember he was speaking to an audience of Catholic and Protestant young people in Northern Ireland. "While his comments may be open to interpretation, his praise of Dame Mary Peters's peacemaking among 'generation after generation' is striking." Ms Peters was appointed to be a Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter - one of the UK's highest honours on Wednesday. "I hope you can all join me in thanking and congratulating her personally this evening," William said. His comments came after a day of activities focused on young people and projects aimed at bridging traditional community divides in Northern Ireland. Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill announced the stepping up of the Governments communication campaign. Television adverts explaining the implications of a no-deal Brexit are to be aired, the head of the Civil Service has revealed. Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill announced the stepping up of the Governments communication campaign as he appeared before the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee. Radio adverts to help people prepare for Brexit have been aired since January, and the Government began placing adverts in newspapers and websites a fortnight ago. Sir Mark dismissed suggestions that the Governments messaging is failing, saying: Individuals and citizens and businesses are making their own judgments. The information is available. Weve been putting it out on the website for several months, thats now been complemented by some radio advertising. We have plans to bring through some television advertising as well. So there is a communications campaign, but of course citizens and businesses are aware of that but they also look at the front pages and the news bulletins and they make a judgment, their own judgments, about the likelihood of no deal on 29 March. And that will influence their judgments about the extent to which they need to make personal preparations to do so. Sir Mark also criticised leaks from Cabinet meetings. The breakdown in the confidentiality of Cabinet discussions on #Brexit will need to be addressed according to the Cabinet Secretary. The public debate by Ministers is similar to the run up to the Iraq War in 2003 watch live https://t.co/FL1QXMX7fv pic.twitter.com/TyelgtLZeY PACAC Committee (@CommonsPACAC) February 28, 2019 He said: Ministers are entitled to expect and indeed are required to exercise full candour in debating those issues before a decision is made and expect to be able to do so in confidence. And of course the area, in my view, of collective responsibility that has been under most pressure is the breakdown in the confidentiality of those discussions in advance. I think that is an issue we are going to have to address as we work our way through this. Former Professional Poker Player Granted Bail in 600K Cannabis Case February 28 2019 Matthew Pitt A former professional poker player has been granted bail by a judge after being informed he could spend two years in jail before any trial was heard. Luong-Huu Bui, originally from Vietnam but now a British citizen, is accused of running cannabis factories across Northern Ireland. Bui also faces charges of possessing criminal property, dishonest use of electricity, assisting unlawful immigration and conspiracy to supply and produce Class B drugs. Police raided a warehouse in County Down and officers seized approximately 1,200 cannabis plants with an estimated street value of 600,000. The industrial unit had living quarters for those to stay in while tending to the illegal crop. Officers then discovered several smaller cannabis-growing facilities in Belfast and County Tyrone. A man arrested at the larger operation claims to have entered the United Kingdom from Vietnam on the back of a lorry, leading prosecutors to allege Bui heads an organisation lined to a crime gang inside and outside of Ireland. The judge heard how a substantial sum of cash was found at Buis property, although Buis defence has stated he played high stakes poker in London and Vegas, and won vast sums of money. Bui has already spent 12-months in prison awaiting his trial and with a predicted trial date of sometime in 2020, a fresh bid for bail was lodged. The judge grated Bui bail on the condition he surrendered both his and his childrens travel documents, reports to police daily and adheres to a banning order preventing Bui from any industrial estate or warehouse in Northern Ireland. Bui the Poker Player Although the Belfast Telegraph referred to Bui as a poker-pro, there is not much information about Bui online. His Hendon Mob profile refers to him as Luong-Huu Leon Bui and states he has $352,976 in live poker tournament winnings, enough to place him third in Vietnams all-time money listings. Bui has four cashes listed on his Hendon Mob profile. His largest weighs in at 144,905, his reward for winning the 2010 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour Grand Final eight months after finishing third at GUKPT London for 56,000. Perhaps Bui played cash games more than he played tournament poker? EACC Boss Twalib Mbarak has aimed a sly dig at Anne Waiguru for sending six letters to the anti-graft commission demanding the findings of the infamous Sh791 million NYS scandal. Speaking during an interview with Citizen TV anchor Hussein Mohammed, Mbarak said EACC is working on a handful of other cases and, therefore, Waigurus matter is not special. The case is being handled. She will get feedback through the normal process. There is no need to rush just because she is a governor. Her case is not special, Mbarak told Hussein. This comes after Anne Waiguru put the commission on the spot in a social media post lamenting the EACCs delay in releasing the findings of the Kabura affidavit. Waiguru said that on 14th February 2019, she wrote her sixth letter to EACC and second to the DPP. In the letter, the former Cabinet Secretary said EACC had already ascertained that NYS scandal suspect Josephine Kabura gave a false affidavit. My 6th letter to EACC and 2nd to DPP requesting them to make public the findings of the Kabura affidavit 3 years have lapsed. Since then, there has been no progress on the matter and Kenyans are still in the dark about why Kabura lied and on whose instructions she undertook to perjure herself, said Ms Waiguru. 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. Michael Cohen's testimony taking place in Washington today before the House Oversight and Reform Committee likely has the Trump loyalist camp, if not the president himself, fuming. With an uncharacteristically vulnerable and even empathetic demeanor, President Trump's former "fixer" and right-hand man openly and passionately damned his former employer, describing him as a racist, con man, and cheat, The New York Times reported. He also lamented the president and his associates' mob mentality, explicitly stating that "To hurt me, Trump is trying to hurt my family." It was a striking thing to see Cohen, tears in his eyes, describe not being able to even walk down a street with his wife, for fear of retaliatory violence cheered on by the president and his supporters. At the same time, it's hard not to think of Cohen's similar tactical maneuvers in the past: "What I am going to do to you is going to be f*cking disgusting" comes to mind, courtesy of a reporter threatened for litigation. The table-turning of various Trump allies left in the dust has been almost Shakespearian, with likely more insights and revelations to be revealed as the White House administration's grip on leaks, former associate flips, and scandals come to the ultimate head. Testimony reveals new insights on Russian alliance Among the many hot topics covered in the Cohen testimony, probably the largest and most obvious was Trump's awareness of Russian support for his 2016 campaign. While Cohen admitted that he had no solid evidence to support Trump being aware of Russian collusion on the campaign trail, he stated that it was highly doubtful the then-presidential candidate was not aware of it, particularly with respect to the Trump Tower meeting infamously promising "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. He also stated that Trump's willful lying about the Moscow-based Trump Tower negations occurred in part due to Mr. Trump's belief he would not clinch the presidency. "...he never expected to win," Cohen stated explicitly. "He also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions of dollars on the Moscow real estate project." He reflected about his loyalty to Trump through the years, commenting that as a businessman he considered the mogul's dishonesty a trivial affair. Discuss this news on Eunomia But as a presidential candidate, Cohen began to find it more sobering, and as he put it, more "dangerous." "Sitting here today," he reflected grimly, "it seems unbelievable that I was so mesmerized by Donald Trump that I was willing to do things for him that I knew were absolutely wrong." The Republicans hit back, call testimony 'shameful' Naturally, Republican supporters and Trump loyalists did not take kindly to the Cohen testimony's allegations. Words like "disgraceful" were thrown around at best, damnations such as "appalling" at worst - specifically the words of Republican senator Bob Gibbs of Ohio, lamenting the testimony's very existence in the first place. The president even found time to weigh in on the proceedings via his Twitter account, typing that Cohen was "lying" to reduce prison time and lamenting the testimony being concurrent to his reunion with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un. Democratic senator Steve Lynch of Massachusetts derided the Republicans' performance at the House Committee, particularly their focus on shadowy conspiracy theories and implied allegations of Clinton involvement. "I don't think any of them asked any questions about the possible criminal actions of the president," he said, speaking directly to Esquire. Performance art was made political in D.C. this month when the Flashpoint Gallery presented a work called Ivanka Vacuuming by Jennifer Rubell. A limited performance, it starred an Ivanka double cleaning a plush pink carpet piled high with crumbs tossed by exhibit-goers. Lady of the house The obvious oppositeness of a domestic cleaning tool and a privileged Ivanka made for high drama - the very stuff of theatre. But there was more to this performance art than stagecraft. Ivanka's fashion-plate looks aside, she holds a pedigreed portfolio, first as an executive in the Trump Organization and then as an advisor to the White House. And given that she comes from wealth and was always well-compensated by her father (her severance pay from the Trump Organization alone was $2.5 million, reported by CNN), it's a good bet that she doesn't do housework. Ivanka Vacuuming, then, is a joke. No joke But when you think about it, you don't laugh long. As Rubell said at the opening of her exhibit, This is the icky truth at the center of the work. We enjoy throwing the crumbs for Ivanka to vacuum...we like having the power. Ivanka, reacting to Rubell's work, tweeted, Women can choose to knock each other down or build each other up. I choose the latter. Does she? How to account for last week's Newsweek's report headlined, Ivanka Trump silent on Malia Obama attacks while former first daughters come to her defense? Job search And how to account for Ivanka saying on a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference this week, I think that this idea of a guaranteed minimum (wage) is not something most people want. She was referring to Bernie Sanders' proposal for a $15 minimum wage law. One may wonder whether women who clean houses for a living would agree with Ivanka, who also spoke against the idea of a guaranteed job. She said that the focus should be on upward mobility instead. This from someone who went to work for her father straight out of college and has been in his employ ever since. Clean up Ivanka Vacuuming is not as non-art-like as it seems. Discuss this news on Eunomia In fact, one might say that it's comparable to Vermeer's painting, Girl with the Pearl Earring, in that neither woman fits the picture. Just as a vacuum cleaner is alien to Ivanka's lady-of-the-house air, fine jewelry on a maid is also out of character. Rubell's use of a vacuum in her work also is not a first in art-making. I'm thinking of Jeff Koons' 1981 exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art of a group of actual vacuums housed in a lighted Plexiglass box, not unlike like the one encasing the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. Just as Rubell's work was about more than cleaning a carpet, Koons' vacuums were about more, too. I chose the vacuum cleaner, Koons said at his exhibit, because of its anthropomorphic qualities. Translation: he sees the machine as symbols of both male and female sexuality. In his words, It has orifices and phallic attachments. This set of readymade vacuums sold at Sotheby's in 2017 for $5.5 million. It's useful to remember that Koons once worked as a commodities trader on Wall Street. Jenna Bush Hager has been part of the Today shows morning family for eight years. The spirited 37-year-old daughter of 43rd president George W. and First Lady Laura Bush and sister to Barbara has been warming viewers over their morning toast with her unique brand of Texan honesty from the start. Initially, her focus was to highlight educational initiatives for children in the United States and across the globe. That purpose only grew as she became an author, frequently collaborating with Barbara, whom she calls the real writer. In sharing more of her real-life experiences, including having her parents on the Today set and spilling lots of her childhood secrets, Jenna Bush Hager began to emerge more as a personality in her own right. She especially reached into the hearts of millions of Today fans with her tales of the trials of young motherhood to daughters, Mila (Margaret Laura), who turns six next month, and Poppy, three. As soon as Kathie Lee Gifford made her emotional announcement of her plan to leave Today, after she and Hoda Kotb celebrate their 11 years together in April, the media began to swirl with talk that Jenna Bush Hager would follow in taking her morning chair. Gifford made it clear that the choice of her next morning partner would be completely left to Kotb, and the two made that clear to TMZ. With five weeks to go in Gifford's love fest, playfully teased as Kathie Lee-Ving, the beloved sidekicks felt that the time was right to make their big announcement on February 26. It was made official that Jenna Bush Hager will have the seat next to Hoda Kotb on the week following Giffords farewell. Bush Hager was christened with warm hugs and even got her own wine glass when she took the middle seat between the legendary ladies. It seems like the fourth-hour is setting a course with a different style and personality, but the same feeling of real-life that has kept reeling in viewers for decades. Discuss this news on Eunomia Impossible to repeat Hoda Kotb has been reiterating that every good and wonderful thing that has come in her life has been sparked by the day she was chosen by Kathie Lee Gifford to host the fourth-hour romp. No one can compete with becoming a catalyst for finding a life partner or a beautiful adopted daughter, but the reception was nonetheless completely warm and heartfelt for the not-new kid on the block who has very big shoes in which to walk into morning TV history. The utterly spontaneous, goofy-to-heartfelt chemistry between KLG and Kotb will also be irreplaceable. Gifford did show that she still had the perfect touch when she summoned down the tissue box from above (just a little behind her) to handle the joyfully weepy overload. Are you trying to make me weep? Bush Hager inquired of Kotb, already relating that her fathers words of very proud dad had already provoked tears. She retorted, asking Why are you proud? I'm just drinking wine in the morning. You are beloved, reminded Gifford, and Jenna Bush Hager lovingly exclaimed Nobody can take your Chardonnay, meaning her legendary place. That is too big for anybody, agreed Kotb, but Todays future is still bright. I also want to share that men should plan a trip to a wine bar. If I can use some of your grace... Bush Hager extended to Gifford, also remarking on the veteran stars generosity with your time. Gifford stressed that when you stopped caring what people thought viewers fell in love with Bush Hagers authenticity and humor Kathie Lee Gifford is equally generous with her spirit. Jenna Bush Hager described how Gifford made the effort to teach her the preshow chant of Have a great show! Gifford reminded that Hoda Kotb will always have your back because she's got your heart. A big day here @klgandhoda ! So much love today. @JennaBushHager will be joining me as a cohost of the 4th hour... my heart is bursting !! and to be honest breaking a little too.. as we get set to say goodbye to @KathieLGifford . A legend and my friend. Hoda Kotb (@hodakotb) February 26, 2019 Motherhood together Kotb did hint about announcements of how the show will evolve in the future. The Today co-anchor already has common ground with Jenna Bush Hagerboth are moms of young, beautiful, energetic, and very independent daughters. Both working moms have been very honest about the rewards of motherhood, and also about the days when things don't go pretty. NBC News chief, Noah Oppenheim, praised in a statement that it was Bush Hagers curiosity that came through in her stories, along with compassion. Her daughters keep life interesting. She recently shared how she came home to find both her girls naked, covered in makeup and other kitchen ingredients, and dancing with a disco ball. They had managed to lock their babysitter in a closet for 45 minutes. The Netherlands Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) and Thales are developing the Above Water Warfare System (AWWS) for the Royal Netherlands Navy, the first implementation of which will take place on the next generation of its multi-purpose frigates. The M-frigates will be replaced in cooperation with the Belgian Navy. AWWS will protect the Navy against evolving future threats. Vice-Admiral Arie-Jan de Waard, Director of DMO and Gerben Edelijn, CEO of Thales Nederland B.V., are proud of this important step in their cooperation for the future of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The Netherlands Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) and Thales are developing the Above Water Warfare System (AWWS) for the Royal Netherlands Navy, the first implementation of which will take place on the next generation of its multi-purpose frigates. The M-frigates will be replaced in cooperation with the Belgian Navy. AWWS will protect the Navy against evolving future threats. Vice-Admiral Arie-Jan de Waard, Director of DMO and Gerben Edelijn, CEO of Thales Nederland B.V., are proud of this important step in their cooperation for the future of the Royal Netherlands Navy. An artist impression of the M-frigate (Picture source : Thales Group) The current multi-purpose frigates in service of the Royal Netherlands Navy and the Belgian Navy are reaching the end of their lifecycle. The next generation will replace these two Dutch and two Belgian M-frigates as of 2024. Although their primary role will be anti-submarine warfare, the new frigates must be able to independently defend themselves as well as nearby units against air and surface threats. For this purpose, they will be equipped with a state-of-the-art surface warfare fire control system, called AWWS. The development of AWWS has become necessary because above-water threats are growing exponentially in terms of complexity, coordination and speed. Missiles go up to three times faster than the speed of sound, and possibly even up to five times faster in 2020. Currently used technologies are insufficient to make use of all the new sensor and weapon systems to counter these threats in the future. This new system continuously generates the best solution to counter any incoming threats, whatever the environmental conditions or threat complexity. The system will support the operator in making the right decision at every decisive moment. When faced with scenarios of several different threats arriving simultaneously and employing complex behaviours, such as very high speed, a human operator will no longer be able to schedule and plan the right defensive priorities effectively and efficiently. However, AWWS will offer the operator information to make the right decisions within seconds, so the ship can protect itself successfully and continue on its mission. AWWS will consist of a new generation of sensors, coupled with intelligent software that continuously calculates which actions are best suited to tackle each threat detected by radar and other sensors in the right manner. This maximizes the chance of survival, while the crew stays in control. This system uses the latest sensor technology from Thales to detect and monitor all abovewater threats, including the next-generation, fully digital dual-band X/S radar suite: an integral combination of Active Phased Array Radar (APAR) and Sea Master 400 radar technologies. Prior to the AWWS contract, the Dutch Ministry of Defence initiated advanced research into this technology with DMO, TNO and Thales more than ten years ago. This resulted in an agreement for a technology demonstrator. The technology demonstrator will eventually be installed at a shore-based test site for tests and trials. As a reminder, in December 2016, defence Ministers from Belgium & the Netherlands Signed an MoU for the Common Procurement of Vessels: It was then agreed that for the replacement of the so-called M-class frigates Netherlands would take the lead while Belgium would be leading the MCMV program. The Dutch Defense organization requested a bid (without competition) from local shipyard Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding and Thales Netherlands. In 2018, Belgium and the Netherlands formally launched the joint procurement for the four frigates. President Donald Trump and senior Chinese officials recently found common ground by lamenting the status of 5G technology in the United States. Following a tweet from the American presidents official Twitter account, wherein he lamented the current state of US 5G development as lagging behind, senior Chinese leaders at the state-affiliated Huawei tech company agreed with his assessment. Spurring US tech companies to tackle the development of advanced 5G technology with renewed gusto, President Trump asserted that he wanted 5G, and even 6G, technology in the United States as soon as possible. While the social media postings raised questions over the status of 6G technology, a spurious innovation that doesnt yet technically exist, extra attention was paid to the presidents comments on industry in Beijing. Huawei Chairman Guo Ping, one of the leading tech-magnates in China and the current head of the worlds third-largest smartphone vendor as of last year, publicly espoused his agreement with the American presidents claim. I have noticed the presidents Twitter, he said that the US needs faster and smarter 5G, or even 6G in the future, and he has realized that the U.S. is lagging behind in this respect, and I think his message is clear and correct, Guo told Reuters through a translator. US and Chine rivalry Competition between American and Chinese technology companies has heightened in recent years, particularly thanks to a spate of high-profile espionage cases that have ignited geopolitical tensions. While the presidents tweets on 5G technology didnt mention Huawei by name, the company is widely considered to be the leading tech firm in China and has received extensive support from the government over the past few years as it rose to global prominence. The ongoing tech-race between American and Chinese companies has been complicated by a spate of high-profile espionage cases over the past few months. Discuss this news on Eunomia The Justice Department recently announced sweeping charges against officials at Huawei for stealing trade secrets and obstructing criminal investigations, according to reporting from the New York Times. Spying charges American officials like Senator Marco Rubio and President Trump havent hesitated to vocalize their distress with Chinese business tactics in the past on the campaign trail. While ongoing trade disputes continue to contribute to political tensions, companies on both sides of the Pacific will continue pushing ahead with next-generation 5G technology. Roadblocks continue to stymie progress, however; earlier this year, Verizon reportedly paused a 5G rollout over concerns that the necessary equipment wasnt yet prepared. Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Wednesday evening met Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the three Services chiefs after the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets intruded into the Indian territory across the Line of Control (LoC) and downed one Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jet, capturing its pilot. The Prime Minister learnt to have discussed the evolving situation at the meeting, also attended by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval. The PAF fighter aircraft made a shallow incursion across the LoC (maximum of 6-7 km deep, as per sources) on Wednesday morning and aimed at military installations. The exact number of planes in the Pakistani pack could not be ascertained. But they were detected by the Combat Air Patrol as the Indian Mig 21 Bison aircraft scrambled. The Pakistani aircraft dropped their payload at four places. One of the Mig 21 Bisons got to lock a Pakistani aircraft and fired an R-73 air-to-air missile that hit it. It was not exactly known if it was an F-16 or JF 17 as the debris fell on their (Pakistani) side. But 90 per cent chances were that it was an F-16. Hitting an F-16 with a Mig 21 is quite an achievement as the two planes are generations apart, a source told IANS. Pakistan, too, downed an Indian Mig 21 and captured its pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan, alive. India has sought his immediate release. Sources said the armed forces have apprised the political leadership of available options along with pros and cons. The Indian armed forces are always ready to act for the security and sovereignty of the country. It is up to the political leadership to take a decision, the source said. A source in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said at this stage it was difficult to say how the entire scenario would unfold. There is a huge difference between the situation yesterday and today. It is difficult to say how things would turn out over the next few days or even hours, the source said. In an address after the PAF strikes, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said he does not want an escalation with India. Khan also said he could understand the pain of those who lost their own people in the Pulwama attack. The president lies about everything. So whats the big deal when he lies about Russia? By James DiGeorgia How bad a day was it for President Trump yesterday? He began his day telling a mass murdering authoritarian how honored he was to be with him again and, expressed optimism for this, their second summit. Reports circulating that he inquired with Putin on route to Vietnam as to their suggestions for a successful summit, apparently true. Back here in the states as the majority of Americans were watching, listening to, monitoring on social media and looking in on via internet on much-anticipated House Oversight Committee hearing, former Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen. Within minutes the man that vowed to take a bullet for Donald J. Trump now says He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat. By the time Cohen finished testifying it was clear, President Trump may have broken the law before, during, after the 2016 campaign, and during his Presidency. Cohen confirmed there are crimes under investigations involving Donald Trump beyond what has been reported in the media. Special: Imagine an options trading service that has delivered over 4,872% in winning trade recommendations over 11 years. That's 442% a year in winning trade recommendations. Check it out! Just $49 for the first 60 days! Cohen showed a copy of a check for $35,000 signed by Donald Trump to him, allegedly as an installment payment, compensation Cohen for the hush money he paid to Stormy Daniels, on Trumps behalf. The check was dated after Trump became President. Then Cohen proffered his belief that Special Counsel Robert Mueller likely has evidence showing Trump and longtime adviser Roger Stone spoke about a WikiLeaks email dump in advance during the 2016 election. So while Michael Cohen may be a convict, guilty of a laundry list of crimes, his testimony today was a disaster for Trump. The Republicans had nothing but protests about the proceedings, an African American used as a prop. Our elite Republican Congressman repeated over and over that Cohen is a convicted liar and an admitted criminal. The Republicans were almost comical, ignoring the severe credibility problems of the President they are defending who has according to the Washington Post lied more than 8,600 times since being sworn in. Special: No really, 4,872% in winning options trades, 442% a year and you can start to subscribe with a 100% No Bull Guarantee for 60 days -- $49! The day was so bad for POTUS that even former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum a CNN political analyst literally suffered an intellectual meltdown in he admitted The president lies about everything. So whats the big deal when he lies about Russia? Attempting to clarify himself after Anderson Cooper pressed him why so many people in the Trump orbit continue to lie about Russia I mean, does itis there an explanation for you on this? Cooper asked. Just the number of lies related to Russia, Senator? Santorum a former 2012 and 2016 GOP presidential candidate responded with a shocking emphatic statement The president doesn't tell the truth about a lot of things fairly consistently. Therefore, the fact that he's not telling the truth about Russia fairly consistently, at least in the eyes of people around here, why is that any different? I mean, it's not like he's doing something out of character with the Russia investigation that he's not doing in any other areas, So that'sso you make the point, oh, he lies about Russia all time. Well, according to what I hear on this roundtable and the network, he lies about everything all the time! Santorum and the rest of the Republican will be campaigning for the re-election of a pathological liar, a racist, a cheat, a Russian traitor but as long as hes popular with 85% of their party, hes their man. Emory hosts the New York Times At War section Tuesday, March 19, for A Conversation About the Obstacles Veterans Face in the Civilian Workplace. The event is free and open to the public. Photo courtesy New York Times. A Conversation About the Obstacles Veterans Face in the Civilian Workplace Tuesday, March 19 Reception: 5:30-6:30 PM Panel: 6:30-7:30 PM Emory Universitys Schwartz Center for Performing Arts For more information and to RSVP, please click here. Emory University and President Claire E. Sterk host the New York Times At War section Tuesday, March 19, for A Conversation About the Obstacles Veterans Face in the Civilian Workplace. At War is the Timess channel dedicated to exploring the experience and costs of war. The free evening of community engagement and dialogue takes place at Schwartz Center for Performing Arts and begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by welcoming remarks from Sterk and the panel discussion at 6:30 p.m. The conversation, moderated by Lauren Katzenberg, editor of At War, will examine Georgias role in dealing with the unconscious bias veterans confront in the civilian workplace. Panelists include: John Ismay, At War staffer for the New York Times; Vivian Greentree, Navy veteran and senior vice president of global corporate citizenship at First Data; Jason Dozier, Army veteran and director of program operations and evaluation at Hire Heroes USA; Ginger Miller, a disabled veteran, veterans spouse, business owner, chief executive officer and founder of Women Veterans Interactive. We have programs and opportunities across the university to support veterans holistically from educational opportunities, including our participation in Service to Schools and in the Yellow Ribbon Program, to legal support and health care, says Sterk. We know how much veterans have to offer; we need their leadership. And we need to be doing all that we can to help them continue to succeed. Emorys commitment to veterans issues is substantial and includes the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program, designed to treat conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and Emory Laws Volunteer Clinic for Veterans. The university also has partnered with Service to School, a national organization that helps transitioning military veterans gain admission to the best college or graduate school possible. Emory provides veterans' education benefits through all of the undergraduate and graduate schools that make up the university. Through the Yellow Ribbon Program, degree-granting institutions of higher learning in the U.S. voluntarily enter into an agreement with the Veterans Administration to fund tuition expenses that exceed the annual VA tuition and fees benefit. In 2017, Emory contributed over $1.6 million in education support to veterans across the universitys nine schools and colleges. Also in 2017, Emory was ranked no. 11 in U.S. News and World Reports Best Colleges for Veterans, and in 2018, the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program received a five-year, $29.2 million-dollar grant from Wounded Warrior Project. Hong Kong: Law revision plugs legal loophole Secretary for Security John Lee Should somebody get away with murder? Or rape? I believe everyone would agree that people who commit such serious crime should face justice. That is the question many people in Hong Kong have been asking since a homicide case involving a Hong Kong resident suspected of murdering another Hong Kong resident in Taiwan and then returning to Hong Kong. Not surprisingly, the Taiwan side has already asked Hong Kong to surrender the alleged killer so this person can face justice. But, Hong Kong does not have any agreement with Taiwan that would allow us to provide such legal assistance or to surrender the suspect. This case has highlighted a serious legal loophole that can allow offenders of serious crimes to escape justice. This is why the Security Bureau submitted a proposal to the Legislative Council on 15 February 2019 to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance. The Security Bureau's proposal would allow Hong Kong to handle requests for assistance and surrender of offenders on a case-by-case basis with any place with which Hong Kong has not signed a long-term agreement. The proposal will apply the same standard to any place under the principle of mutual respect. Such case-based surrenders are transitional and special arrangements to plug the present loophole. Long-term agreements remain our principal arrangement for the surrender of fugitive offenders. At present, existing laws do not allow them to be applied to other parts of China outside of Hong Kong. Thus, we should remove this restriction to enable Hong Kong to handle requests on a case-by-case basis with any place in the world. The Government's proposal makes reference to the laws and practices adopted by other jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom and Canada. The proposal would allow the Chief Executive to issue a certificate to trigger the legal procedures for a suspect to be sent to court for a hearing and decision. Such a certificate is issued by the Secretary of State in the UK or the Foreign Minister in Canada. Human rights safeguarded Our proposed case-by-case arrangement will retain and apply all human rights safeguards under the present the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance which has operated smoothly and without incident for over 21 years. These safeguards draw on the model template of the United Nations and international practices and include the following: the act, if committed in Hong Kong, must also constitute a criminal offence in Hong Kong; the offence must be among the 46 serious offences descriptions specified in the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance; no surrender shall be made if death penalty imposed on the person concerned will be carried out; no surrender shall be made for any political offences (irrespective of how the offences are described in the request) no surrender shall be made if the request, though purporting to be made on account of any offences, is in fact made on account of political opinions, race, religion or nationality; no surrender shall be made if the person concerned might be prejudiced at his trial or punished, detained or restricted in his personal liberty by reason of his political opinions, race, religion or nationality. The executive authorities and the court will stringently perform their gate-keeping roles respectively. First, the executive authorities will immediately refuse a request if it is considered the requesting party fails to fulfill the safeguards or requirements prescribed in the ordinance. Second, when the executive authorities consider the request should be accepted, the suspect will then be sent to court for a hearing in open court. If the court finds that any human rights safeguards under the ordinance have been violated or the evidence available is insufficient to justify the issuance of an order of committal, it will release the suspect at once and the executive authorities cannot make the surrender. Practically, when receiving a request Hong Kong will, if all legal provisions and human rights safeguards are complied with, ask the requesting party to sign a surrender arrangement for that case under which various undertakings and requirements will be made. These include: prosecution will be made only on the charges mentioned in the arrangement and no more, and sufficient evidence will be provided to the court for its consideration on whether the issuance of an order of committal is justified; the person concerned will not be transferred to a third place; death penalty will not be imposed or carried out; and any extra requirements made by Hong Kong in addition to those set out in the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, such as the right to legal representation as prescribed by the law, visits by lawyers and family members according to the law, etc. The Chief Executive may then consider issuing a certificate to trigger the procedures and send the case to the court for hearing. During the hearing, the suspect has the right to challenge the surrender on any grounds including political persecution, that the alleged offences are camouflaged by the requesting party, etc.. He may also apply for habeas corpus. He has his right to appeal all the way to the Court of Final Appeal. Our courts have abundant experience handling surrender cases over the past 21. They have always been fair and just. We trust their professionalism. Bringing fugitives to justice The proposed amendments aim at not only handling the Taiwan homicide case but also plugging the legal loophole, so that offenders of serious crimes can no longer escape the long arm of the law, which is now possible because of a lack of long-term agreements. With the amendments, Hong Kong will be able to co-operate with any place in the world, based on the same standard and principle of mutual respect, to ensure that offenders of serious crimes are brought to justice. The whole process will be pragmatic and consider only the merits of that particular case. This will help ensure that Hong Kong will not become a haven for fugitive offenders (murderers, rapists etc.) who can live among us and, by extension, pose a threat to personal and public safety. Some people in Hong Kong have fomenting negative sentiment about our proposals for political reasons which, if successful, will mean we cannot surrender the accused person to face justice in Taiwan. I am saddened and disappointed by these political motives, which only serve to undermine the rule of law and the quest for justice. For the sake of justice, we must act now and quickly so that the Taiwan homicide case can be handled according to the law and we can plug this legal loophole. The Security Bureau is now collecting views to refine the amendment provisions, after which we will submit the bill to LegCo for scrutiny as soon as possible. This op-ed piece from Secretary for Security John Lee was published in local newspapers on February 28. This story has been published on: 2019-02-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. by Fady Noun Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi attended the Caritas regional conference. The cardinal spoke out against attempts at ethnic and religious cleansing in the region. For the president, the priority is to counteract intolerance and conflicts. Beirut (AsiaNews) "Someone is trying to draw up a new Mashriq, far from its unifying identity and its religious diversity," said President Michel Aoun during a Conference at the Caritas Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa in which he also addressed the Syrian refugee problem in Lebanon from a geopolitical perspective. Aoun, like the head of the Maronite Church Patriarch Bechara al-Rahi, noted that Lebanon and the Mashriq are fighting the same fight for pluralism, against segregated and racist states. For him, it is necessary to fight what is causing the demographic redistribution of the regions populations via religious and ethnic cleansing, "turning our Levantine societies into racist, one-sided, divided and conflcited societies". Mr Aoun, in particular, warns against "an intellectual contagion, that is spreading quickly, through social media as well", fuelling intolerance, extremism and terrorism. Speaking on "the common good in pluralistic societies", and the issue of forced migration of populations in recent decades, the head of the Maronite Church argued once again that the problem of the return to Syria of the displaced of the war is separate from the political settlement of the political and military conflict that has ravaged that country since 2011. What follows are significant excerpts from the Presidents address, which he delivered in French, to make himself understood to foreign guests at the conference, in particular Cardinals Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila and President of Caritas Internationalis, and Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. "The architect of the National Pact, Michel Chiha, stated that Anyone seeking to control a confessional community in Lebanon seeks to destroy Lebanon as a whole. It is clear that this also applies to the Levant - the Mashriq. Our Mashriq is a mixture of cultures, a crossroad of civilisations, a cradle of monotheistic religions. It is a unique model with a rich spiritual, cultural and cognitive, and any attack on one of its components is nothing but an attack on this model and its uniqueness. "All the events of the last few years are, without a shadow of a doubt, aimed at transforming our Levantine societies into racist, one-sided, divided and conflicted societies. In fact, the human haemorrhage, forced migration and relentless attempts at demographic change, the various waves of displacement over the last decades, the partition of Palestine and the displacement of its population, in addition to the current pressure for displacement on the rest of its inhabitants, the refusal of the right of return of the Palestinians and their resettlement in the countries of refuge, are all events that outline a new Levant (Mashriq), far from its unifying identity and far from its religious, communitarian and cultural diversity." The threats of extremism and terrorism "Our duty is to reject and resist these attempts with determination and perseverance. The land of the Levant (Mashriq) must not be emptied of its inhabitants; the cradle of Christ, the path of Golgotha and the Holy Sepulcher cannot be envisaged without Christians, just like Jerusalem and the Al Aqsa Mosque without Muslims, like water that cannot flow if the source dries up. The biggest threat to our world and our region today is extremism and terrorism, which feed on each other. The danger lies in the fact that it is an intellectual contagion, spreading quickly, particularly through social media, which relies on ignorance, poverty and marginalisation to sow destructive ideas and beliefs in order to create an environment conducive to terrorism." The President also noted that he launched an initiative at the United Nations to make Lebanon a permanent centre for dialogue between different civilisations, cultures and races by setting up an Academy for encounter and dialogue among people, whose aim would be to spread a culture of encounter faithful to "the essence of Lebanon", which, as Pope John Paul II put it, is more than a homeland, it is a message". The president did not fail to mention the importance of Caritas Lebanon, the Churchs pastoral outreach body, which "lies with its interfaith, interethnic and inter-state action", and which provides "help and services when needed, regardless of religion, identity and ethnicity." Christopher Nunn Caregivers witnessing a loved one suffer from Alzheimer's disease see painful changes every day: a vacant or confused look in their family member's eyes, clothes that don't quite match or that are worn day after day, grooming habits that suddenly take a turn for the worse. It is heartbreaking to watch the person before you change so drastically, both physically and in personality. Seeing this downward spiral occur in her own family inspired Gina Martin to award grants to visual storytellers documenting this devastating disease. Martin, an account executive at National Geographic, launched The Bob & Diane Fund in June 2016 as a grant-making organization dedicated to promoting awareness of the condition and telling patients' stories through visual mediums. The grants are for $5,000, in recognition of the average amount that caregivers spend in a year to take care of a loved one with Alzheimer's. The visual aspect brings a better understanding to people who are not exposed to Alzheimer's, because it grabs the heartstrings and makes people more empathetic, Martin tells AARP. "People think Alzheimer's is just memory loss, but it is so much more; it is about personality changes and about where it takes your family and the caregivers. That is where visual storytelling can help." Martin's mother, Diane, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2006 and died after battling the disease for five years. Dianes husband, Bob, was her primary caregiver. He was her high school sweetheart, and they were married for nearly 50 years. Bob died just three months after Diane passed. "One reason I named it the Bob and Diane Fund was to honor my father as well, as a caregiver. I want people to understand the pressure put on them," Martin says. "As much as we were worried about Mom, we worried about Dad more. My father was very committed to taking care of her, and it was a beautiful ending to their love story." With autonomous vehicles (also known as AVs) expected to become a major mode of transportation over the next few decades, communities across the United States are trying to figure out how to enable these driverless cars and trucks to safely operate on streets alongside pedestrians and human-operated vehicles. Part of that planning also involves fitting AVs into local transportation systems that might include trains, buses and even ferry boats, in addition to private vehicles. Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh has made such future planning a present-day priority. The city has developed a regulatory framework and implemented a public-private partnership with AV firms to road test, adapt and improve the technology. As part of that process, Boston which is a member of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities is ensuring that the AVs on its streets are able to serve the particular needs and mobility differences of older adults and people with disabilities. When the city government approved on-street testing of the vehicles, it required that such passengers make up at least 15 percent of the rides provided during the pilot phase of vehicle testing. The city's AV program is "less focused on the technology and more focused on meeting the needs for people," explains Kris Carter, co-chair of the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics. The Boston playbook is one that other communities might do well to follow "The relationship between the city of Boston and the organizations testing AVs here in the commonwealth is a good case study on how public-private partnerships can, if managed well, provide an environment that is appropriate for the transparent and trustable development of AV technology," says Bryan Reimer, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's AgeLab and an associate director of the New England University Transportation Center. "The city and its partners have a strong relationship based upon communication and trust that does not appear in all localities where testing is occurring." Boston's AV program grew out of Go Boston 2030, a larger transportation strategy conducted from 2015 to 2017. The city sought input from residents, and received thousands of questions, including several hundred about future transportation technologies. The bulk of those, Carter notes, were about self-driving cars. Bostonians' biggest concerns about the driverless future were safety and accessibility. "When we began seriously looking at autonomous vehicles through a policy lens, we framed it this way," Carter says. "Number one, make the streets safer. Two, make the transportation system more reliable. And three, provide better transportation access for people." Boston's AV pursuit and planning isnt being done in a vacuum. The World Economic Forum has been involved, as has Boston Consulting Group, which contributed research on the travel patterns of the city's residents and insights into how AVs might fit into the future transportation model. Two locally based AV startups, nuTonomy and Optimus Ride, were also part of the conversations. "Weve known the co-founders of those companies Emilio Frazzoli of nuTonomy and Ryan Chin of Optimus since they were researchers at MIT," says Carter. "Cities need to invest in research and development like private companies do, so make sure we have good connections with research institutions in our city. We very much look for ways to partner with them, and utilize the assets of the city to further the research." (In late 2017, nuTonomy became part of automotive technology maker Aptiv and has been integrated into its autonomous mobility division.) Five things to know before applying for a medical marijuana license New Mexicos largest jail on Wednesday acknowledged that its personnel has notified federal immigration officers when certain inmates are being released actions one Bernalillo County commissioner denounced as disappointing and a violation of county policy. A spokeswoman for the county-run Metropolitan Detention Center said records department employees told jail leaders Wednesday they have occasionally called U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about particular inmates at ICEs behest. Jail spokeswoman Candace Hopkins characterized it as an extremely rare occurrence, but could not say exactly how many times it had happened or when it happened most recently. She said a nondiscrimination resolution passed Tuesday by the County Commission had prompted discussion at the jail about current practices. As a result, the administration was alerted that on occasion ICE has asked to be alerted when a specific inmate is being released, and MDCs records department has complied, Hopkins said in a written statement in response to Journal questions. This practice, and the practice of allowing ICE inside the facility to access records, will no longer continue as a result of this resolution. Maggie Hart Stebbins, chair of the Bernalillo County Commission, said Wednesday evening she was mortified by the revelation, saying she was unaware jail staff had been contacting ICE. I am shocked and disappointed to find that that practice was taking place after we passed the 2017 (immigrant-friendly) resolution. That was clearly in violation of the directive that no county resources be used to support ICEs federal responsibilities, Hart Stebbins said. I had no idea this was happening. The commission two years ago declared the county immigrant-friendly with a resolution that banned the use of county resources to identify any individuals immigration status or apprehend anyone based solely on their immigration status, unless otherwise required by law. The commission reiterated its position this week with a new resolution outlining additional guidelines and restrictions. It prohibits using county resources to help enforce federal immigration law. It also bans county agencies, employees and contractors from releasing certain personal information about individuals obtained in the course of conducting county business. That includes Social Security numbers, addresses, national origins, and inmates release dates, with some exceptions such as to aid state courts or in response to public records requests for information not exempted by law. The new resolution also says the county will refuse federal immigration agents access to nonpublic areas of county property for the purpose of enforcing federal immigration law unless they have a judicial warrant. That effectively bans the jails yearslong practice of allowing ICE agents without warrants into secure parts of the facility about once a week to check MDCs inmate record database, which includes information such as birthplaces, addresses and Social Security numbers. Hart Stebbins said she also did not know until this week that the jail had been granting ICE agents such access. She said learning about the contacts with ICE only reinforces my belief that (passing the new resolution) was the right thing to do. The resolution, sponsored by Steven Michael Quezada, passed with a 5-0 vote. About 20 members of the public spoke in favor of the new policies prior to the decision. But ICE says the new rules will make it harder for the federal agency to do its job. ICE spokeswoman Leticia Zamarripa said deportation officers from the Criminal Alien Program regularly visit MDC to review records for every newly arrested inmate and identify removable aliens following their criminal arrest or conviction. It places immigration detainers on those it identifies, which ask that authorities notify ICE when they are being released and keep them for up to 48 additional hours until ICE can assume custody. But it is unclear to whom ICE submits the detainers in Bernalillo County; Zamarripa did not answer that question, and Hopkins said the jail does not get them, honor them or hold inmates past their release date for the federal agency. Since MDC currently does not honor ICE detainers, preventing ICEs access to MDCs on-site public files would further hinder ICEs public-safety efforts, Zamarripa said in a written statement. Corey Price, field office director for ICEs Enforcement and Removal Operations in El Paso, said the agency will continue its push. ICE remains committed to taking aggressive action against threats to our local communities despite the misguided efforts of those who ultimately want to shield dangerous criminals from being deported back to their home countries after they are ordered deported following their legal due process, he said in a written statement. But those who support the resolution say the measure could actually improve public safety. It can help build more trust in the county, including among immigrants who want to report crimes or access public safety services, said Marian J. Mendez-Cera, a community organizer from the advocacy group El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos. What we know is that the local uptick of ICE activity under the Trump administration terrorizes our communities, separates parents from their children, and has had a chilling impact on public safety, she said in a written statement. The resolution will not limit or prevent local law enforcement officials from arresting a person who has been charged with a crime and holding that person accountable by the justice system. As more parents vote with their childrens feet and enroll them in public charter schools, the pressure to remove that choice intensifies. Who knew so many legislators and teachers union reps agreed one size fits all in education? New Mexico has 96 charter schools with more than 26,000 students. Many serve very specific segments of the population the hearing impaired, the artistic, the science/math whizzes, the autistic, the bilingual, the adjudicated because when our state established enabling legislation for charters, those leaders understood one size does not fit all students. Yet, once again, the usual suspects in the Legislature Sens. Mimi Stewart, Gay Kernan and Bill Soules, and Rep. Christine Trujillo (all have worked for traditional public schools, some have deep union ties) are sponsoring legislation that takes that tailored, targeted learning away. And the reason why was as clear as the headlines on the front pages of Tuesdays and Wednesdays Journals: Continued enrollment decline hits APS budget and Forty-two percent in survey gave APS a C. It is no coincidence that as Albuquerque Public Schools forecasts a 1,300-student drop in its traditional schools for fiscal 20, successful charters, including Mission Achievement and Success and the Albuquerque Institute of Math and Science, have waiting lists at least that long. Or that 50 percent of those surveyed gave charters an A or B. Parents have seen the impressive gains in student reading and math proficiencies that quality charter schools deliver (which Stewart is trying to obfuscate by replacing A-F school grades with an unintelligible dashboard via her SB 229). And so to protect the status quo, a quartet of anti-choice lawmakers (Reps. Karen Bash, Debra Sarinana, Joy Garratt and Elizabeth Thomson have joined Trujillo on the House side) has proposed a moratorium on new charter schools. And while the cap on enrollment was wisely amended out of SB 1, HB 434s 2.5-year moratorium is headed to the House floor. Trujillo introduces this bill regularly and says it wont close existing schools. That ignores the reality thousands of children are on charter wait lists and a moratorium means they continue as square pegs trying to fit into round holes as each grade level flies by. It also puts $22.5 million in federal funding for opening high-quality public charter schools at risk, according to the bills fiscal impact report. Despite its amendment, SB 1 still has major problems. The first is an age cap on students. Also in HB 5, this cap means students over the age of 22 would no longer be able to earn a high school diploma. That targets students whom the public schools have failed, vulnerable, at-risk students we are fortunate to have a chance to get back in class, whether at the jail or in residential treatment centers, studying to become productive members of society. Why would New Mexico pull the education rug out from under them? Whom does that benefit? The sponsors say these older students are siphoning funding from traditional students, but heres the thing: SB 1s FIR says in 2017 there were just 766 students over age 22 in public schools, accounting for around $6 million in funding. Our state has around 300,000 K-12 students, spent $2.7 billion educating them this fiscal year and will boost that to more than $3 billion next fiscal year. Is New Mexico the kind of state that says too bad, so sad to students who didnt graduate in the name of grabbing a fraction of school funding? And then theres SB 1/HB 5s removal of the small school funding adjustment. The Legislative Finance Committee maintains that should be reserved for small rural districts. But doesnt the student going to class in a strip mall in the South Valley deserve the same supports as one in Dexter? Charters are small by design, and conventional wisdom as well as hard data support the small-school model. Charter leaders showed up in force Feb. 9 to beg the House Education Committee to not strip the funding, saying it would destroy their education model, even close them down. SB1s FIR estimates the savings at $14 million, again a fraction of a $3 billion schools budget, but a fraction vital to 26,200 students. And heres the irony: the bills purportedly get the state in line with state District Judge Sarah Singletons ruling New Mexico needs to do more to adequately educate its students, particularly those at risk. Yet these bills limit, cripple and/or shutter charter schools that serve these students more than half the charters serve an above-average number of free/reduced lunch students. Instead they deny students schools of choice and push more of the 26,200 charter students into schools they fled. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. Tuck a napkin into your collar and get the silverware out. This weeks Extra Credit is a foodie one. Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford was at Wherry Elementary on Kirtland Air Force Base on Wednesday as part of the Dairy MAX Fuel Greatness Breakfast Games, an event to promote the importance of a healthy first meal to the start the day. Crawford had breakfast with the Wherry community and students got to show off their skills in an obstacle course challenge. In other breakfast news, New Mexico was recognized in a national report for the number of students in the state taking advantage of free or reduced-priced breakfasts. The Food Research and Action Center studied school participation in the School Breakfast Program, a federally funded initiative. The annual report measures the ratio of kids getting breakfasts to the number of kids getting free or reduced-priced lunches. New Mexico was ranked No. 2 in the nation. Theres more sustenance news on the menu. Next month, 16 high schools will compete in the 17th Annual New Mexico ProStart Invitational, a culinary and restaurant leadership competition hosted by the Hospitality Industry Education Foundation and New Mexico Restaurant Association. Over 100 cookery-inclined kids from across the state will participate, competing for scholarships and the chance to represent New Mexico at the national competition in Washington, D.C., this summer. The challenge is not for the faint of heart. Teams will have to make a three-course meal in an hour with just two butane burners no electricity or running water. And the restaurant management teams will have to pitch an original eatery concept to judges. Insert cliche here about getting out of the kitchen if they cant take the heat. Shelby Perea: sperea@abqjournal.com United Parcel Service has honored nine elite drivers from New Mexico who have achieved 25 or more years of accident-free driving. So far, the Land of Enchantment has placed 50 drivers in the companys Circle of Honor, with a combined 1,419 years of accident-free driving, officials said in a news release. My thanks go to all of them for their dedication and focus, and for the countless lives theyve saved, said Kenneth Cherry, president, UPS Desert Mountain District, in a statement. Their attention to detail has kept them safe and has helped improve public safety. The nine new drivers added to the list are: Belinda Delgado of Silver City; Brian Gallegos of San Jose; Steven Huizar of Albuquerque; Mark Lucero of Albuquerque; Freddy Maestas of Gallina; James Maloney of Chaparral; Michael Moran of Albuquerque; Robert Pena of Estancia; and Armando Sanchez of Sandia Park. Jose Berrones of Roswell was identified as states senior-most safe driver, with 37 years of accident-free driving under his belt. UPS has 597 total full-time drivers in the state. We welcome suggestions for the daily Bright Spot. Send to newsroom@abqjournal.com. Dozens of speakers attended last weeks Albuquerque City Council meeting to comment on a proposed plastic bags ban, with both supporters and opponents making passionate arguments. But some of the nights most spirited debate came well after the bag ban bunch left. And it involved a far more obscure matter: The Councils deadline for approving which capital improvement projects to put before voters this fall. Were not talking about the projects themselves just the deadline for Councils approval of the list. Councilor Don Harris proposed amending the ordinance and resetting it to April, describing it as a strategic move. The Legislature ends March 16, meaning New Mexicos lawmakers will have made decisions about how to spend state capital outlay money. Harris said the city could garner more state money if it hasnt already indicated it wants to sell bonds for certain big projects. Theyre smart and if they see something is funded (through another channel) they might pull it off and then wed lose possible state money, Harris said. He said it would also allow the city some flexibility to amend its list based on what the state does and does not fund. Lawrence Rael, the citys chief operations officer, said Mayor Tim Keller himself a former legislator supported the change. But Councilor Trudy Jones said she did not think the timeline has negatively affected the city before. She also asked Harris, a fellow Republican, why he hadnt pushed to make a similar change previously, noting that he chaired the last budget capital improvement budget process. If its good policy now, why was it not a good policy then? she said. No one pointed it out to me, Harris responded. Weve all been guilty of just sort of going along with something weve always done and we dont change it because thats the way weve always done things before. He then said hed like to see a full review of city ordinances to cull any that might no longer be necessary. Councilor, can we just stick with this topic? Jones said. She added that she thinks the current system works. I think weve had more experience with this than the mayor has. No offense intended, she said. The change ultimately passed 6-3, with Jones, Diane Gibson and Brad Winter voting no. BAG BUSINESS: The council voted to delay action on the plastic bag ban which would also ban nonrecyclable to-go food containers and severely restrict plastic straws another 60 days. But the bill may continue to evolve. Councilor Pat Davis, one of its four sponsors, is pursuing an amendment that would enable businesses to charge a reasonable fee when they provide customers bags or containers that the ordinance does allow. Some critics have said the compliant versions are more expensive and the change could hurt businesses. The bill originally only allowed retailers to charge up to 10 cents per paper bag they distribute, but this would mean restaurants could charge for to-go containers, too. Jessica Dyer: jdyer@abqjournal.com SANTA FE With just over two weeks remaining until the end of a 60-day legislative session, ethics commission bills are finally on the move at the Roundhouse. One of the two bills setting up a voter-approved ethics commission and outlining the bodys powers and procedures cleared its second House committee Wednesday without opposition and could be voted on by the full House by the end of this week. Rep. Daymon Ely, D-Corrales, the sponsor of House Bill 4, made several changes to the measure before the House Appropriations and Finance Committee voted 14-0 to approve it. One of the changes makes it clear that valid ethics complaints and responses to the complaints would be publicly available once an ethics commission official finds probable cause exists to launch an investigation. That change was lauded by open government groups, with Melanie Majors, executive director of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, calling it a huge step in the right direction and saying the group now supports the legislation. The other measure, Senate Bill 619, has been criticized by some who say it would shroud the ethics commission in secrecy and give little enforcement power to the commission. It will get its first hearing Saturday in the Senate Rules Committee, said the bills sponsor, Sen. Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque, chairwoman of the committee. Striking the balance between transparency and due process for the accused has emerged as a sticking point in discussions over how to go about setting up a New Mexico ethics commission. A spokesman for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat who took office last month, said Wednesday that the governor wants lawmakers to have a robust debate on when the commission should release complaints. She certainly does endorse the need for transparency and wants to see legislators meet the publics expectations for the commission, Lujan Grisham spokesman Tripp Stelnicki said. New Mexico voters last year overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment passed by lawmakers in 2017 to set up an independent commission to investigate claims of wrongdoing against legislators, lobbyists, elected officials and state employees. That vote came after years of debate on the issue and a string of high-profile public corruption cases involving elected officials. The House bill approved Wednesday would give the seven-member commission subpoena power so that it could obtain evidence and compel witnesses to testify and the ability to hand off complaints to other state agencies. The body would have the authority to investigate compliance with state laws covering campaign fundraising, financial disclosures, lobbyist regulations and the conduct of government officials. GENEVA The World Trade Organization panel has ruled in favor of the United States in a dispute with China over agricultural subsidies, saying Beijing went beyond WTO limits in its support for wheat and rice producers. The WTOs Dispute Settlement Body on Thursday found China exceeded domestic support limits on those products between 2012 and 2015. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative welcomed the ruling as a significant victory for U.S. agriculture. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said: We expect China to quickly come into compliance with its WTO obligations. Washington had argued Chinas minimum price support measures for two types of rice, plus wheat and corn went beyond its WTO commitments. The panel said corn prices fell in line with the limits before the U.S. filed its complaint. The two countries can appeal the decision. The U.S. filed its complaint in September 2016 during the Obama administration. Since President Donald Trump took office the following year, U.S.-China trade tensions have intensified. The two countries have slapped tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of each others exports in a dispute over Chinas aggressive push to supplant U.S. technological dominance. SEATTLE The Chinese tech giant Huawei pleaded not guilty Thursday to U.S. trade-theft charges in a case that has heightened a trade dispute between the worlds two largest economies. The pleas were entered in federal court in Seattle, where a 10-count indictment was unsealed in January against two Huawei units, Huawei Device Co. and Huawei Device USA. Charges include conspiracy to steal trade secrets, attempted theft of trade secrets, wire fraud and obstruction of justice. The conspiracy charge carries a potential fine of $5 million or three times the value of the stolen trade secret, whichever is greater, the U.S. Attorneys office said Thursday. U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez set a March 2020 trial date. The U.S. has accused China of using predatory tactics to turn Chinese companies into leaders in tech fields such as robotics and electric vehicles. From 2012 to 2014, prosecutors allege, Huawei engaged in a scheme to steal the technology behind a robotic device that Bellevue, Washington-based T-Mobile used to test smartphones, according to the charges. Prosecutors say one Huawei worker even removed the robots arm from T-Mobiles lab, took detailed measurements and photos of it, and then sent the information about it to China; the company says the worker acted independently and was later fired. A federal jury in Seattle awarded T-Mobile $4.8 million in damages in 2017. Huawei, the No. 2 smartphone maker and an essential player in global communications networks, has also been charged in New York with lying to banks about deals that violated economic sanctions against Iran. The daughter of the companys founder has been arrested in Canada and is awaiting extradition to the U.S. No arraignment has been set in the New York case, but Huawei denies the charges. Trade talks between the United States and China are far from completion, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told lawmakers Wednesday, but President Donald Trump raised hopes earlier in the week when he said he would postpone a scheduled March 2 increase in tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports. JERUSALEM Israels attorney general on Thursday recommended criminal charges against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a series of corruption cases, shaking up an already tumultuous election campaign and threatening to end the Israeli leaders decades-long political career. The potential charges stretch across an array of embarrassing scandals that have painted Netanyahu as a hedonistic, and sometimes petty, leader with a taste for expensive gifts and an obsession over his public image. They include allegations he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars of champagne and cigars from billionaire friends, and allegedly used his influence to help a wealthy telecom magnate in exchange for favorable coverage on a popular news site. While a final decision on charges is still months away, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblits recommendations threatened to hurt Netanyahus standing in the heat of a tight re-election battle. Netanyahu quickly faced calls to immediately step aside while he deals with the distraction of trying to clear his name. Appearing on national TV late Thursday, Netanyahu dismissed the allegations as an unprecedented witch hunt by political opponents intent on seeing him lose the April 9 election. He called the timing of the recommendations outrageous and accused prosecutors of caving in to pressure from the left. Appearing emotional at times, he called the case a blood libel, said he would debunk all charges and vowed to remain prime minister for many years. This house of cards will collapse, he said as he addressed voters. Dont let this witch hunt affect you. Mandelblit announced his recommendations after more than two years of intense investigations and deliberations by police, legal experts and financial regulators. The attorney general has reached his decision after thoroughly examining the evidence collected during the investigations, his statement said. Netanyahu was not formally charged. Under Israeli law, he is entitled to defend himself at a hearing before charges are officially filed. That process is expected to take many months and be completed long after the election. Tomer Naor of the Movement for Quality Government, a watchdog group, said the hearing process could take about a year. While charges are not guaranteed, he said most of the cases, particularly the bribery case, appeared to be solid. The recommendations nonetheless plunged Israel into uncharted legal waters, marking the first time in its history that a sitting prime minister is so close to facing criminal charges. While Israeli prime ministers are not required by law to resign if charged, the prospect of a prime minister standing trial while simultaneously running the country could increase calls, even from his allies, to step down. Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who spent time in prison for corruption, stepped down a decade ago, months before police completed an investigation against him. As opposition leader, Netanyahu called on Olmert to step down before his indictment, saying he could not devote his full attention to governing. Netanyahu has a solid base of hard-line, nationalist and religious voters who are likely to rally behind him. For now, Likud officials and his current coalition partners are also supporting him. But polls have indicated that the upcoming vote, in which Netanyahu is seeking a fourth consecutive term, could be swayed by a small number of voters who abandon him in favor of a new centrist party headed by a popular former military chief, Benny Gantz. Those voters could well be turned off by Netanyahus lengthy rule and never-ending scandals. Gantz, whose campaign has focused heavily on Netanyahus character, late Thursday called on Netanyahu to resign immediately to deal with his legal problems. He said Israel could not afford to have a part-time prime minister. Lets imagine our reality when the prime minister needs to divide his time between court and dealing with the critical issues facing the state of Israel, he said. Even before Thursdays announcement, Netanyahus campaign had shown signs of trouble. The alliance formed by Gantz and Yair Lapid, another centrist leader, has been welcomed by voters. Their Blue and White alliance enjoys a slight lead in opinion polls, making them the first credible threat to Netanyahus decade-long rule. Lapid also called on Netanyahu to step down. This is a sad day for the state of Israel, he said. If Netanyahu loves the state of Israel as he always says he does, then he needs to do whats best for the country. He needs to resign, immediately. Netanyahu has also come under fire, both in Israel and abroad, for forming a partnership with the political heirs of an ultranationalist party that was banned for its racist views toward Arabs. The campaign now appears to be morphing into a referendum on Netanyahu as he seeks to become the longest-serving premier in Israeli history. Netanyahu has been prime minister since 2009 and served a previous term between 1996 and 1999. Netanyahu had previously tried unsuccessfully to persuade Mandelblit to delay publication of his recommendations until after the election. And on Thursday, the Supreme Court rejected an attempt by the Likud Party to block publication. The most serious allegations against Netanyahu involve his relationship with Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of Israels telecom giant Bezeq. Mandelblit recommended a bribery charge in the case based on evidence collected that confidants of Netanyahu promoted regulatory changes worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Bezeq. In exchange, they believe Netanyahu used his connections with Elovitch to receive positive press coverage on Bezeqs popular news site Walla. A related charge against Netanyahus wife, Sara, was dropped. Mandelblits statement said there was a unanimous opinion among investigators that the relationship between Netanyahu and the Elovitches was give or take, constituting bribery. Mandelblit also filed breach of trust charges in two other cases. One involves accepting gifts from billionaire friends, including over $300,000 worth of champagne and cigars from Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan. The second revolves around alleged offers of advantageous legislation for a major newspaper in return for favorable coverage. Mandelblits office said the timing of Netanyahus hearing would be set in the near future in coordination with the prime ministers lawyers. President Donald Trump, with whom Netanyahu has forged a close connection, offered the Israeli leader a boost earlier Thursday. I can say this: that hes done a great job as prime minister. Hes tough, hes smart, hes strong, Trump said in Hanoi, where he was holding a summit with the leader of North Korea. Yohanan Plesner, a former lawmaker who now heads the Israel Democracy Institute, an independent think tank, said he does not expect any dramatic changes in voting patterns, but there could be small enough shifts that can actually make the difference. Plesner said from a practical standpoint, Netanyahu should step down due to the severity of the charges. But this will probably not happen, he said. ___ Follow Heller at www.twitter.com/aronhellerap and Federman at www.twitter.com/joseffederman SANTA FE Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed off Thursday on a bill aimed at ensuring New Mexico can continue to tax national laboratory operators even if they have nonprofit status. The signing of Senate Bill 11 comes nearly one year after Lujan Grishams predecessor, Republican ex-Gov. Susana Martinez, vetoed a similar measure, describing it as poorly crafted tax policy. In contrast, Lujan Grisham, a Democrat who took office Jan. 1, called the legislation an important safeguard. Im glad legislators addressed the issue with speed and that there was bipartisan agreement on its necessity, the governor said in a statement. This years bill was sponsored by Democratic lawmakers who represent districts that encompass or are near Los Alamos National Laboratory. Its passage comes just months after Triad National Security LLC took over management of LANL, after winning the bidding to take over the $2.5 billion annual operating contract. Triad, which is organized as a nonprofit, consists of the University of California, Texas A&M and Ohio-based scientific nonprofit Battelle Memorial Institute. A spokesman said in December that Triad was paying state taxes and had not applied to the federal Internal Revenue Service for tax-exempt status. New Mexico could stand to lose $25 million to $30 million a year if the prime contractor of Los Alamos National Laboratory had tax-exempt status, according to a legislative analysis of the bill. This bill will see to it that those payments we depend on will continue to be made regardless of the tax exempt status of the labs primary contractor, bringing better economic security to northern New Mexico and our entire state, said Sen. Richard Martinez, D-Espanola, one of the measures sponsors. The bill is not likely to affect New Mexicos other national laboratory anytime soon. A subsidiary of Honeywell International took over management of Sandia National Laboratories in 2017. According to the fiscal analysis, Sandia paid $95 million in gross receipts taxes in 2018. The legislation leaves untouched in state law a tax exemption for most nonprofit groups, but carves out national lab contractors and contractors running state-owned research facilities from that exception. Before landing on the governors desk, it passed the House 64-0 and cleared the Senate 29-6. In all, Lujan Grisham has signed 44 bills approved during the ongoing 60-day session that ends March 16. Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE A proposal aimed at boosting the number of bilingual teachers in New Mexico won overwhelming approval in the state House on Thursday. The legislation, House Bill 120, calls for expanding state efforts to prepare teachers to educate students who are English-language learners, especially Hispanic and Native American youngsters. Supporters say the proposal would help address last years landmark court ruling that found New Mexico is failing to provide a sufficient education to all students. The decision focused on at-risk students, such as those who speak another language and are learning English. The legislation would establish a loan program to help college students preparing to become teachers with a focus on teaching English to speakers of other languages. It would also help students who want to teach in bilingual programs. Participants would have to agree to teach in New Mexico public schools. They could apply for loans to cover their college tuition, fees and books. Rep. Tomas Salazar, D-Las Vegas, said there arent enough New Mexico teachers trained to help English-language learners. The bill is aimed at creating a pipeline of new educators to serve the very significant need in New Mexico, he said. The Housed passed the legislation 63-0 on Thursday, and it now heads to the Senate. Establishing the proposed Bilingual Teacher Preparation Act is expected to cost about $5 million a year. Salazar said the state budget proposal under consideration this session has about $25 million available that could be tapped for that purpose. House lawmakers spoke in English and Spanish on Thursday as they spoke in favor of the bill. Everyone knows when you learn in two languages, you are much better as a scholar, said Rep. Christine Trujillo, an Albuquerque Democrat who started her teaching career as a bilingual educator. Your universe broadens. The bill is co-sponsored by four Democratic lawmakers in the House Salazar, Trujillo, Joy Garratt of Albuquerque and Derrick Lente of Sandia Pueblo. The House on Wednesday also passed a proposal that would provide assistance and training about cultural and linguistic teaching strategies to educators in rural parts of the state. That proposal, House Bill 111, also heads to the Senate now for consideration. UPDATE 12:19 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019 - The Bureau of Reclamation will increase the releases from the Keswick Dam on Saturday from 25,000 cubic feet per second to between 33,000 and 35,000 cubic feet per second. The significant increase is because they anticipate the storms over the weekend to be more severe than they originally thought, according to Elizabeth Hadley of the Bureau of Reclamation. Stay with Action News Now for the latest updates as they become available. --- SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. -The Bureau of Reclamation plans to incrementally increase water releases from the Keswick Dam into the Sacramento River Thursday afternoon. Those releases are set to start at 2 p.m. Thursday, an increase from 7,000 cubic feet per second to 25,000 cubic feet per second. The Shasta County Sheriff's Office says Sacramento River levels are expected to increase downstream of Keswick Dam. The Sheriff's Office is asking those who live downstream should take appropriate safety precautions by avoiding the area and using sandbags to prevent flooding. The Bureau of Reclamation says the increased releases are necessary to meet flood space regulatory requirements within Shasta Reservoir. Depending on current conditions and inflow levels, operational adjustments will be made as necessary and may occur on short notice. Midnight reservoir elevations and flows from Keswick Dam may be found at Reclamations Central Valley Operations Office by clicking here. Current Sacramento River conditions may be found at the Department of Water Resources California Data Exchange Center website by clicking here. Officials to increase releases from Keswick Dam Thursday, officials plan to increase releases from the Keswick Dam from 7,000 cubic feet per second to 25,000 cubic feet per second. The releases could mean potential flooding of the Sacramento River including the already flooding Woodson Bridge in Tehama County. The releases will start at 2 p.m. on Thursday. Some evacuation orders in Butte County reduced to warning Several evacuations orders in Butte County due to flooding have been reduced to warnings. Those include Hamilton Nord Cana Highway, Wilson Landing Road and Alberton Avenue in Chico. For a full list, CLICK HERE. Flooding from Eel Creek forces evacuations in Humboldt County Flooding from Eel Creek has forced evacuations in parts of Humboldt County. The Red Cross has opened an evacuation center at the Fortuna Fireman's Pavillion. In Fernbridge, the sheriff's office had to rescue livestock from the flooding as well. Hundreds evacuate Tehama County RV park Hundreds of people have evacuated the Woodson Bridge RV park in Corning due to flooding. This is the second time this has happened in a month. Thousands forced to evacuate in wine country There is historic flooding in the North Bay as thousands have been forced to evacuate across wine country. The town of Guerneville and neighboring Monte Rio are described as islands, cut off by flooded roads. The Russian River is expected to drop back below flood stage Thursday evening. Tahoe woman found buried alive A snowplow driver uncovered a woman buried alive insider her car under the snow of South Lake Tahoe. She had been trapped in there for five hours with no cell phone to call for help. She is expected to be OK. Highway 70 closed through Feather River Canyon Highway 70 will be closed through the Feather River Canyon for work to prevent mudslides. The closure starts on Thursday and goes through Saturday, from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 1 - 4 p.m. daily. Behrouz Biryani, the largest biryani brand in the country, with its rich Persian heritage, has today awarded its media duties to DCMN India, a growth marketing partner to digital-first brands. Behrouz Biryani is an in-house label from the house of Rebel Foods, the largest virtual restaurant chain globally. Rebel Foods has grown from ~20 restaurants in 2011 to 1,500+ restaurants across the nation at present. Among other brands, including INR 100+ crore brands, that come under the Rebel Foods banner are Faasos, Mandarin Oak, Oven Story, Sweet Truth, Lunch Box, The Good Bowl and Kettle & Kegs. Speaking of the association, Sagar Kochhar, Group Chief Marketing Officer, Rebel Foods said, DCMN came across as extremely client and growth-focused. Their understanding of our requirements was deep and that put them ahead of several others. We are in a sunrise sector that will redefine Indias F&B experience. We wanted to partner with someone who understood that and more. The pitch process was held in Mumbai and the account will be handled from DCMN Indias Gurgaon office. The business will be led by Bindu Balakrishnan, Country Head, DCMN India. The mandate includes managing the brands TV media duties across different markets and campaign tracking using DCMNs proprietary TV attribution technology, DC Analytics. Bindu Balakrishnan, Country Head, DCMN India, says, DCMN India is very happy to associate with Rebel Foods Behrouz Biryani in the next phase of their growth. With its amazing taste and the convenience of ordering online, Behrouz has already conquered many hearts and taste buds. With our global expertise and data driven approach, we aim to build on this momentum and drive the brand awareness and performance even higher for Behrouz. Doers Indian Automobile Service, a leading car and bike servicing company that facilitates online servicing of bikes and cars, is expanding its production capacity and sales & service network to create more skilled youth in India. In addition to providing convenient at home and workshop servicing of cars and bikes, Doers will undertake skill-development which is an important pillar of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative. The companys CSR efforts are meant to improve the lives of people imprisoned in Bangalore. The company is working closely with communities and involving them in aspects of project implementation, including needs assessment, project design, monitoring, and mid-course correction. One of the fundamental objectives of these training programmers is ensuring rehabilitation and re-entry into society of inmates. As part of the overarching National Education Program for Young People and Adults, Doers training programs have been developed for inmates of Jails and Juvenile Homes to ensure skill development in prisons promotes self-reliance and autonomy of inmates. Doers is talked with the authorities of rehabilitation center to develop and implement new initiatives for inmates .The Company is already a leader at providing home servicing, repair, restoration, and assistance to owners of cars and bikes and expects to impart skills to inmates that infuse them with the Doers ideology of hard work, honesty, and innovation. Speaking on Skill India Mr. Mahesh Shetkar, Business Developer and strategy planner, at Doers said As a responsible corporate stakeholder, we believe its our duty to not only provide a valuable service to customers but also to make society a better place to live. Our customers benefit because we allow them to save time and money when their car or bike needs servicing or repair. Similarly, society and inmates benefit from the employability skills we impart to inmates because they acquire skills that allow them to earn an honest living. By teaching skills that make people employable, Doers expects to create a more harmonious society in which it can profitably serve its customers and the community. Joy, the beauty and personal care brand from RSH Global, has been fighting stereotypes in its campaigns. An earlier ad featuring comedienne Bharti Singh made a strong case for unconventional beauty, while its current campaign featuring TV actress Mouni Roy seeks to shatter the myth that physical beauty of a woman is inversely proportional to her intelligence and reinforces the belief of Beautiful by Nature. Happy Creative did the first campaign for Joy, which featured Anushka Sharma. Post that, the brand did not have a creative agency and all the creative work was done in-house. While Prachar Advertising is the media agency, the planning and strategy is done in-house. The brand will soon sign on a social media partner. Established in 1988 in Kolkata, RSH Global is eyeing revenues of Rs 1,000 crore over the next 3 years. The companys annual turnover touched Rs 500 crore last year. RSH Global has expanded globally and is currently present in 25 countries across Africa, the Middle East and SAARC regions. The company hopes to expand to 40 countries in the next few years. In conversation with Adgully, Poulomi Roy, Chief Marketing Officer, RSH Global, speaks at length about the growth strategy in the personal care business, countering the competition from big MNC brands, key trends in 2019 and more. Excerpts: You have said that by 2020 you aim to become a Rs 600-crore company. What is your strategy to grow the business? While the skincare segment (within the personal care market) is estimated to be Rs 13,000 crore and growing at 10 per cent annually, Joy has been growing at a CAGR of nearly 25 per cent. Joy has a 3 per cent share of the skincare market; 46 per cent share (market leader in terms of volume) in the moist cream category for women; 15 per cent share in the winter care and body lotion segment; and 20 per cent share (market leader in terms of volume) in the sunscreen category. The face wash category is growing by leaps and bounds and today, it is worth Rs 1,600 crore. Over the last couple of years, a lot of players have entered this category and have created havoc in terms of pricing. RSH Global entered the face wash category in 2011. When we launched, we thought it would be a tough market to crack as it had 20-odd players. But we latched on to it and now we are seeing the pay-off, because today, at the national level we have just 8 players. Of course, Himalaya Neem Face Wash is the biggest buy, followed by Clean n Clear, Ponds, and Lakme. are the key players. For us, face wash is going to be big in 2019 and we expect to have a better market share for our products in this category. In the skin care segment, we are placed 8th among the top 10 players, which include HUL, Nivea and Garnier. In 2019, we are expecting to go up to the 6th position. We have a massive share of 49 per cent in the moisturising cream category. Now there is a migration from creams to lotions, but we have always had lotions and creams in our portfolio. But the competition is shoring up. Nivea has become an aggressive player and they are getting down to their roots now from top to bottom. ITC has acquired Charmis, a very old brand in this segment. More and more players are introducing pimple creams, but we have always been present in this segment. In the midst of this influx, we are safeguarding our market share as much as possible. Though we are based out of West Bengal, we are very strong in the North markets. Why havent you ventured into the South market so far? Venturing is very easy, but for us what is more important is whether we have done justice to our TG, and getting our act right in our existing markets. Personal care is a tricky game, where there is Sales & Distribution, Manufacturing, Supply Chain all that needs to be in the right condition to take it forward. I know how tough the Tamil Nadu and Andhra markets are and you need to understand the pulse of the market when you foray. We are doing a good job where we are present and want to consolidate our position in Maharashtra and West Bengal in a big way. The sensibilities of that part of India is different and it is media isolated in the sense that when I do a national campaign, only 40 per cent spillover happens in West Bengal. Until we are finished with this, we dont want to jump into other markets. As a national player, how are you countering the competition from big MNCs brands? Every MNC has an international mandate when it comes to their communication. If you look at their communication, most of it is very rational. What gives us an edge is the consumers mind, even though Sales & Distribution is a big challenge for us. Being a brand out of India and having a strong accessibility for consumers and not having a godfather in Paris or London dictating everything, we are actually are in the mindspace of the consumers. In a lot of service sectors, you dont have a tangible product to show, so you tell a story and you move on. We have a distinctive voice that resonates with our consumers. Thats where our brand story starts, and while we tell that story, there will have to be cues for our product. We can showcase our product while building a dialogue and relationship with our consumers. Thats where I feel it works in favour of Indian companies and also in our favour. If we do this at a consistent level and imbibe it into the culture that is growing which can happen through ads and digital, then it will really make a difference. We do this activity called Potion Ki Paheli Suljaye Saheli, which is a door-to-door activity, followed by giving people a chance to meet their local celebrities. It is a selective approach, which we believe is the need of the hour. If the MNCs believe that by investing in multiple spots on television will give them an edge, well we also invest a lot in some of our categories. What is your strategy for the Kolkata market where there are many local players? True, there is an influx of local players in Kolkata, Punjab and, to a lesser extent, in Maharashtra. These local players operate in a very simple way. GST implementation has hit them in a major way. They will operate for 5 years and then they will pack their bags and go. There is no method there. If you want to be a long-term player, you have to work out your deals, distribution and schemes. The promises that these products make are dangerous, and people dont realise it just yet, but that maturity will come. Also, what these players do is pump in a huge amount of money in the local media. The nature of products that they give and what we offer is very different. We are a generic usage product that you need to use on a daily basis. We cannot make the claims that they get away with. My products are anyway fighting the retail chunk with the MNCs. When you went into the natural space there were few players because of the regulations. Have you faced any such hurdles? Yes, we did. When you create communication for an FMCG brand, especially in the personal care segment, there are a lot of things that you need to be careful about. You have to prove the efficacy and the claims both at the ASCI level and at the product level. We have to ensure that the elements and compounds are not harsh for your skin. The problem is that in the long term, how many of us are checking out whats there? There are loopholes and thats where sensible and responsible marketing has a role to play. Our products are lab tested and our claims are fact-checked by a dermatologist so that they are not taken out of context. Could you give us a break-up of your ad spends across markets? Sixty-five per cent of our money gets burnt into the GEC space. As for the consumer part of the planning, a bit part is GEC, followed by movies, music and everything else. We do come out with print campaigns, but not to a great extent because as a media it does not give us incremental reach. We try and do print campaigns very tactically when there is a special offer or for a special bit of new to create awareness amongst the trade community. The publications that we advertise with include Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhaskar, and Rajasthan Patrika. How are e-commerce platforms part of your distribution? It has been a year since we are operational on all e-commerce platforms. We are going to be really aggressive in the digital space in 2019 as we feel the timing is right. That is going to uplift our e-commerce business in a big way. What are the key trends that you foresee in the personal care category in 2019? We see a big movement to the nature-based products. I feel it is simple to know what is happening in personal care today. The hopes and aspirations of women are changing, with more and more becoming financially independent due to increasing personal income. Now that women are stepping out of the house and pursuing what she wants, especially in the Tier 2 and 3 markets, it has become a huge opportunity for us. The Internet has also made a lot of difference as the availability of products and information about them has increased and the choices available to consumers have gone up as well. There has been an incremental consciousness of personal care products. Spotify, which commenced its India operations from February 27, 2019, has got on board OnePlus, Brand USA, and Anheuser-Busch InBev as exclusive advertising launch partners in India. Through Spotify, these brands will be able to reach out to highly engaged, passionate and socially active users. Advertising on Spotify Fully localised, the Spotify experience in India brings to brands an incredibly engaged audience. Globally, Spotify Free users spend an average of 2.5 hours each day listening to music on the platform through multiple devices. With consumers today streaming music through various devices throughout the day, these new habits are creating massive shifts in the consumer journey, prompting a renewed focus on the role of audio in peoples lives. Brand benefits Spotify provides a premium content environment that celebrates culture and creativity by bringing artists, fans, and brands together. The content on the Spotify service is licensed from its partners or created by its in-house team. Brands can tell their story to the right audience in the right context and create multimedia ad experiences through compelling audio, video, and display ad formats. Music fans can create and discover playlists, and share instantly with friends on Spotify, Facebook, Twitter, Line, WhatsApp, text and email. This is especially significant for advertisers, who are constantly seeking insights for what is popular and share-worthy by their core target audience. Sunita Kaur, Vice President - Advertising Sales, Spotify, APAC, elucidated, Spotifys connection to culture and understanding of how music is consumed allows us to build personal relationships and trust with our fans. The Indian advertising industry is thriving as brands target active internet users. We are thrilled to launch in India with three incredible, diverse brands and we are exploring more opportunities to bring other advertisers on board in this market, creating a new playground for them to reach audiences through the power of audio and our streaming intelligence. Partner Speak Speaking about their association, Kartikeya Sharma, VP Marketing - South Asia, ABInBev, said, We are extremely excited to be the launch partners for Spotify in India. We are core believers in the power of music and its ability to unite individuals across boundaries; with this collaboration, we further solidify our pursuit of building and shaping communities centered around this space. We are positive that this partnership will result in newer avenues of genre exploration and sharing, with consumers becoming more receptive to and appreciative of the intricate nuances of the soundscape, through the large bank of music available on the portal. Tracy Lanza, VP - Integrated Marketing, Brand USA, added here, We are thrilled that our partnership with Spotify will now extend into India, which is one of our top markets. Music is a universal language that transcends cultural boundaries and we continue to use it as an instrument to engage with international travelers. Through this launch, we look forward to bringing the unique and powerful sounds of US destinations to a new music-loving audience. Available for free to all in India, Spotify lets people discover the right music for every moment, across hundreds of devices, allowing them to soundtrack their lives. Users can also upgrade to Spotify Premium for Rs 119 per month. The fifth edition of the LIC Gateway LitFest, the pioneering literary festival for Indian language writings, will celebrate the power of young writers on March 1-2, 2019 at NCPA, Mumbai. As many as 60 writers, representing 22 Indian languages, will gather to discussand share views on literary trends in language writings at the two-day eventwhich will have 12 sessions. The attraction this year is around 40 winners of Kendra Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar in the recent ears. Gateway LitFest (GLF), the first and the largest platform to celebrate Indian writings and writers at the national level, is being organised jointly by Mumbai-based communication consultancy Passion 4 Communication and Malayalam quarterly Kaakka. The achievements of youth writing need to be honoured and celebrated, says Mohan Kakanadan, the festival director and editor of the Malayalam quarterly Kaakka, tressing on the importance of Gateway LitFest as a powerful representative platform for regional languages. This years theme Youth Power in Indian Literature celebrates the achievements of young writers in diverse literary streams. Many of them have already proved their mettle with their literary works and continue to tread new paths in the world of letters. They are challenging the conventions of a moribund system and emerging triumphant, notes Kakanadan. The hallmark of the fifth edition is the presence of about 40 Kendra Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar winners/nominees at the festival. Other key speakers include Padma Shree awardee and President of the Sahitya Akademi Chandrashekhara Kambar, Paul Zacharia, Perumal Murugan, Ranjith Hoskote, Manu Pillai, S Harish, Hemant Divate, Ramu Ramnathan, AJ Thomas, Sangeetha Sreenivasan, Lopa, Surya Gopi, Anamika Haksar and Shobhaa De among others. Festival advisors Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Pratibha Ray, Satchidanandan, Sitanshu Yashaschandra, Subodh Sarkar, Sachin Ketkar, Laxman Gaikwad, and S Prasannarajan will share their perspectives at the sessions on literature, film, theatre, and poetry. Thinking and expressing in ones own language is crucial for literature to flow naturally and ensure a wider audience outreach. Expressing finer literary nuances in regional languages is key to ensuring wider dissemination of language writings, said S Prasannarajan, Editor, Open Magazine and a member of the festival advisory committee. Over the past four editions, the Gateway LitFest has been emphasizing on the importance of promoting local languages as a tool for broader audience access and focusing on translations as an avenue for bridging the cultural gaps. Of late, many English publishers are opening up to disseminating translations of regional language works to a larger cross-cultural audience. Translations play a key role in bridging gaps between diverse cultures and civilizations. The antiquity of the language also plays a key role in translation. A good translated work should contain the right structure of sound patterns and convey the core ethos of the literary work, says M Sabarinath, an executive director of the festival. Apart from looking at life from diverse angles, literature has also helped in exploring the world from multiple viewpoints, says Joseph Alexander, an executive director of the festival. The Gateway LitFest aids in providing a broader platform for diverse regional literary streams. Writers from about 22 languages are attending the festival this year. Engineers from the German Aerospace Centre DLR have hot fired a 3D printed, full-scale, rocket thrust chamber assembly for the first time. The BERTA (Biergoler Raumttransportaengine) engine will be used for the upper stages of rockets and used in-orbit transportation applications such as kick-stages and space-tugs, microlaunchers, and exploration spacecraft such as a lunar landers. ') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write(' ') } // --> ') } else if (width >= 425) { console.log ('largescreen'); document.write('') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // --> The recent hot firing of its rocket thrust chamber assembly at the Lampoldshausen testing facility in Germany marks a step forward for the project and for the use of 3D printing in engine manufacture, said the European Space Agency (ESA). The combustion chamber demonstrator, with a reference thrust of 2.5kN, was hot-fired for 560 seconds. BERTAs thrust chamber is designed for storable propellants, which can be stored as liquids at room temperature. Rocket engines that are powered this way are easy to ignite reliably and repeatedly on missions lasting many months. Cooling channels The knowledge gained from this test campaign will be applied to future engine designs to achieve a thrust range of about 210kN. Developed by ArianeGroup within ESAs Future Launchers Preparatory Programme, this combustion chamber helps to investigate flow and heat transfer phenomena on surfaces created by 3D printing otherwise known as additive layer manufacturing. A complex arrangement of cooling channels was printed into the structure of the combustion chamber, to cool the chamber walls. Wenzel Schoroth, propulsion engineer at ESA said, 3D printing and qualifying parts for hot-firing and ultimately flight is a challenge, especially when dealing with fine, complicated structures, like the cooling channels of our demonstrator This hot-fire test is a way of demonstrating the effectiveness of our processes, as well as learning more about the flow phenomena within additively manufactured rocket engines. Test arrangement On the test bench, the cooling mechanism was diverted away from the propellant feed via an adaptor between the combustion chamber and the injector head both of which had been additively manufactured. This allowed engineers greater flexibility to investigate the cooling system separately from the combustion process and to study the thermodynamic and fluid dynamic properties of the additively manufactured structures and surfaces. For the next step in the project engineers will focus on the application of environmentally friendly propellants for a larger engine delivering 5kN of thrust. The ESA is developing additive manufacturing technology for larger engine demonstrators with cryogenic propellants such as Prometheus and ETID. 10 Reasons Why Doctors Should Not Hesitate to Sign Medical Exemptions for Vaccinations When That Is the Only Option Available to Patients/Parents The end of the post includes an at-a-glance version you can copy and share. Please do! By Laura Hayes 5. A doctor for whom vaccines violate his or his patients religious beliefs should be willing to sign a Medical Exemption. Whether it is the aborted fetal material in vaccines, wrongly forcing ones will on another resulting in medical assault, violating a parents God-given right to direct the care and upbringing of their child, violating a persons fundamental human right to make medical decisions for himself, or trusting in the efficacy and efficiency of a persons God-given immune system, a doctor should sign a Medical Exemption for religious objections without qualm. By doing so, he is upholding the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects religious freedom. For some doctors, they may be prioritizing following Gods law above mans laws, as the Bible instructs. 6. A doctor should sign a Medical Exemption for any patient/parent who does not want to negatively impact, and forever forfeit, permanent, lifetime immunity for the diseases against which we vaccinate. This doctor should also sign a Medical Exemption for the patient/parent who does not want to forever forfeit additional benefits that come from contracting certain illnesses during childhood, benefits that play out over the course of a lifetime, including protecting against many types of cancer. 7. A doctor should sign a Medical Exemption upon request because he is responsible for knowing that vaccines are not tested for carcinogenic or mutagenic effects, providing yet another reason why no person/parent should have to accept them against their will. 8. A doctor who is a patriot will sign a Medical Exemption for any patient/parent who requests one because he knows that our U.S. Constitution and First Amendment grant his patients the right to make medical decisions for themselves and their children, and numerous international Codes of Ethics, to which the U.S. is a signor, protect and uphold that right. 9. No doctor should be comfortable helping to implement a law authored by a man, a pediatrician no less, who is so ignorant as to publicly state at UC Berkeleys Public School of Health that water is the most dangerous ingredient in vaccines. That fact is yet another reason doctors should sign Medical Exemptions for patients/parents without hesitation. 10. Lastly, doctors should sign Medical Exemptions because good health is not achieved by the barbaric practice of injecting poisonous ingredients which cause toxicity, inflammation, and unnatural viral infection, three of the most damaging things for a fetus, newborn, infant, toddler, or young child, whose brains and bodily systems are immature and in rapid states of development. Good health does not come through a needle, pill, or spray. Doctors, in many cases, need to refocus their efforts on safe, health-inducing, and risk-free ways to protect, maintain, and enhance their patients health, without the use of risk-laden vaccines. This list not only provides many reasons why a doctor should sign a Medical Exemption for any patient/parent who requests one, but this list should also compel every doctor in the U.S. to sign a Medical Exemption for any patient/parent who requests one, as in some states, this is the only way left for an individual/parent to protect themselves and their children from the known dangers of vaccine mandates. We need doctors in our country to step up to the plate and find the moral courage that is needed to speak up and out in the face of this medical tyranny, in the face of this present evil. We need doctors to do whatever is needed to protect their patients. Doctors need to remember that a simple No thank you should always suffice when a patient/parent wants to decline a medical treatment or procedure, including vaccination. If you are a doctor, will you act morally and ethically to protect the rights of your patients by signing Medical Exemptions for those patients/parents who ask, when that is the only means of protection available for them? If not, are you willing and comfortable dismissing all of the aforementioned reasons? Which rights and freedoms are you willing to be responsible for violating? Why should you be allowed to continue practicing medicine when you wont follow the gold standard of ethical medicine, that of prior, voluntary/non-coerced, and informed consent? Finally, Americans should be able to, and need to be able to, count on doctors to oppose any and all medical mandates. History has shown us that doctors and medicine can be wrong, very wrong, and it has also shown us just how horrific and inhumane humans can be to other humans when allowed to engage in forced medicine.| Download Laura Hayes' Vaccine Exemption List A doctor cannot obtain prior, voluntary and non-coerced, informed consent from a patient/parent. A doctor has no way to know if a fetus, newborn, infant, or toddler is allergic to the ingredients in vaccines. This applies to patients of all ages. A doctor is not to violate his oath to First, do no harm. A doctor is responsible for knowing that vaccine trials have not been performed using double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, nor has the CDC-recommended vaccine schedule been tested as it is recommended to be administered. A doctor is not to violate the religious beliefs of his patients, nor should he be required to violate his own religious beliefs. A doctor is to respect and abide by a patients/parents desire not to forfeit the benefits of contracting illnesses naturally. A doctor is responsible for knowing that vaccines have not been tested for carcinogenic or mutagenic effects. A doctor is not comfortable violating a patients/parents Constitutional and First Amendment rights, nor is he comfortable violating international codes of ethics. A doctor is not comfortable implementing a forced medicine law authored by a colleague who holds the false and dangerous belief that water is the most dangerous ingredient in vaccines. A doctor knows that there are risk-free ways to protect, maintain, and enhance his patients health, without the use of risk-laden vaccines. Doctors need to remember that a simple No thank you should always suffice when a patient/parent wants to decline a medical treatment or procedure, including vaccination. A chunk of near-future employment growth at the Savannah River National Laboratory could be attributed to the proposed Savannah River Site plutonium pit production mission, Vahid Majidi, the lab director, said Monday. About 10 to 15 percent of expected growth in the number of lab employees is tied to pit production design and preparations, according to Majidi. "I would say a portion of it is certainly pit-driven," the lab director said, speaking to the Aiken Rotary Club. "Remember, the mission is not officially at the site yet, but were getting ready to work on a lot of the programs that are coming in specifically for that mission." A Savannah River Nuclear Solutions spokesperson affirmed Majidi's comments later that day. The new jobs typically represent the "high-skilled scientific and engineering" fields, the SRNS spokesperson added. SRNS, the SRS management and operations contractor, oversees the national lab. SRNS is the same team the National Nuclear Security Administration has selected to lead the early SRS pit production steps: conceptual design work and the transition of the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility, for example. The NNSA, a semiautonomous U.S. Department of Energy agency, expects to spend $95 million on the conceptual design work, an NNSA senior spokesperson has told the Aiken Standard. A separate $40 million was provided to SRNS for MOX termination and transition, the senior spokesperson said. The $95 million is sourced from the NNSA's fiscal year 2019 plutonium sustainment program. In May 2018, the NNSA and the U.S. Department of Defense together recommended producing plutonium pits nuclear weapon cores at both SRS and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. By 2030, 50 pits per year would be produced at SRS, and 30 pits per year would be produced at Los Alamos, according to the joint recommendation. Producing pits at SRS requires a rework of MOX, per the same information. The NNSA terminated the MOX project on Oct. 10, 2018. Majidi once served as the Los Alamos chemistry division leader. 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. One of the National Nuclear Security Administration's most crucial undertakings is the buildout of plutonium pit production capabilities, according to Gen. John Hyten, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command. In written testimony submitted to the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, Hyten described pit production expansion as the "highest NNSA infrastructure priority." At least 80 plutonium pits nuclear weapon cores per year are needed by 2030, according to the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review. Hyten, in his written testimony, described in part the demand as "our national requirement, supported by numerous studies and analyses." In May 2018, the NNSA and the U.S. Department of Defense together recommended producing 50 pits per year at a reworked Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility, which is located at the Savannah River Site. The remaining 30 per year would be produced at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, according to the same recommendation. Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Hyten said he was "laser focused" on achieving 30 pits "by 2026 and 80 by 2030." Written testimony Gen. John Hyten's submitted testimony to the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee. Hyten is the commander of U.S. Strategic Command. "And I'm going down to Los Alamos, and sending my people down to Los Alamos, to make sure that that focus is always there," the commander continued. Charles Verdon, the NNSA's deputy administrator for defense programs, in mid-February used a similar phrase: "focused like a laser beam." "My final comments this is a busy and exciting time at NNSA," Verdon said at the time, speaking in Washington, D.C. "I think it's really an exciting time." In July 2018, Hyten visited SRS, touring the MOX project and the tritium facilities, according to a schedule obtained by the Aiken Standard. MOX had not been terminated at that point. In a visit-related prepared statement, Hyten said the NNSA and Strategic Command are "close partners." "Together, we're focused on recapitalizing the United States' defense plutonium capabilities, and Savannah River is key to a proposed path forward to make the nuclear security enterprise more responsive and resilient for military requirements," Hyten said. When leaders from the European Union and the Arab League met in Sharm el-Sheikh for their first summit Feb. 24-25, the aim was to "boost cooperation" and "find common ground" on shared challenges in their regions. The issues of terrorism and migration dominated the gathering, convened under the banner Investing in Stability. Despite officials hailing the talks as a "new step in EU-Arab relations," no formal agreements were reached, a perhaps not unexpected result given the divisions within both camps and differences between the two blocs on human rights. The summit was mired in tensions from the onset, with Europe divided over migration and several Arab countries embroiled in an ongoing dispute with Qatar. At a preparatory meeting in Brussels before the summit, Hungary had threatened to block the EU's proposed final declaration, because it opposes cooperating with North African states on migration. Hungary has closed its borders to Middle Eastern and African refugees fleeing conflicts at home, declaring them "economic migrants seeking better lives" and a threat to Hungary and all of Europe. Meanwhile, the rift with Qatar dates back to summer 2017, when Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt severed ties with the Gulf state, alleging that it supports terrorism and is destabilizing the region. Adding to summit tensions was the October murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, allegedly on the order of Saudi officials. Western leaders have since largely snubbed Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's crown prince and de facto ruler. To the European delegates' relief, his father, King Salman, represented the kingdom at the summit. Hossam Zaki, assistant secretary general of the Arab League, brushed off criticisms of the summit as "ceremonial" and "insignificant" in light of the lack of tangible results save the meeting having actually taken place. "The fact that the summit was held was in itself a success," he told Al-Monitor. "To offer all those leaders the opportunity to talk to each other increases the chances of understanding. That in itself is an achievement for a first gathering of its kind." The ''landmark" meeting followed on the heels of Egypt's execution of nine people convicted for the 2015 murder of the prosecutor Hisham Barakat following what Amnesty International denounced as "grossly unfair trials." Six other men were hanged earlier in month for the 2014 killing of a judge's son and the murder of a police officer in 2013, raising concerns among rights groups over Egypt's surge in the use of the death penalty. According to the UN Office for Human Rights, the defendants in all the cases had informed the court that their confessions had been obtained by torture. Human Rights Watch, in its 2019 Global Report, accused Egyptian police of systematically using torture, arbitrary arrests and forced disappearances to silence political dissent. Thousands of civilians were tried by military courts, it said, calling the situation the worst human rights crisis in Egypt in decades. The EU-Arab League gathering also fell in the wake of the Egyptian parliament approving controversial constitutional amendments that would allow President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to extend his tenure beyond 2022, when his current term in office expires. Yet Egypt's poor human rights record was the elephant in the room at the summit even though the EU officials in attendance had clearly chosen to prioritize security over human rights, despite claims to the contrary, by obtaining Sisi's ongoing support in curbing migration. This is perhaps not so surprising considering the widespread anti-immigrant sentiment in Europe. The choice of Egypt as a venue for the historic meeting was clearly in appreciation of Egypt having largely stemmed the tide of illegal migrant flows from its shores en route to southern Europe. There has been no record of such illegal crossings since 2016, due to to heightened security and passage of an anti-human trafficking and migration law targeting smugglers. Critics argue, however, that the root causes of migration including poverty and unemployment have yet to be addressed. They also warn that in forsaking human rights, Europe is in fact undermining its security rather than preserving it. "EU leaders are right to engage with neighbors on common challenges but must not capitulate on important issues like human rights," Shada Islam, director for Europe and geopolitics at the European think tank Friends of Europe, told Al-Monitor. "The EU's silence on Egypt's human rights record is a tragic reflection of how fears of migration are driving European foreign policy." Islam further stated, "This is unfortunate in the long term. Stability and prosperity in Europe's neighborhood depends on respect for key values. That means listening to the voices and priorities of the region's people women, young people, business leaders not pandering to despots and dictators." Rights advocates have also warned that global indifference on the dismal human rights situation in the Arab region is "empowering dictators" and "fueling the repression." Jean-Claude Juncker, head of the European Commission, denied that the EU had purposely ignored human rights at the summit, insisting that the issue had been raised in bilateral meetings. Still, the aspirations of the region's people could not have been farther from the minds of the Europeans, who seemed to prioritize Brexit over other matters, with discussions on the sidelines about possibly postponing the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the union. An exchange between Sisi and European Council President Donald Tusk on the final day brought underlying tensions to the surface and produced what is likely the most memorable moment of the summit. A manifestation of the frustration and deep sensitivities harbored by both parties, Sisi's outburst and Tusk's response to it, were particularly telling. "You are not going to lecture us about humanity. You must respect our values and ethics," Sisi said in response to a reporter's question on Egypt's poor human rights record. "The priority for European nations is to give people prosperity. Our priority here is to safeguard our nations and prevent them from collapsing," he added, followed by a burst of applause from the local journalists in the room. This prompted a tongue-in-cheek response from the summit's co-chair, with Tusk remarking to Sisi, "I really appreciate how enthusiastic your media are. It's impossible in Europe to get such a reaction. Congratulations!" While the summit ended with the two blocs nowhere nearer to seeing eye to eye on the contentious issue of human rights and other topics, the meeting's organizers say the gathering is indeed a first step toward ironing out longstanding differences. "Multilateralism and dialogue are the way forward," said Zaki. He hopes that a second meeting, planned for 2022 in Brussels, will help foster greater understanding and mutual respect. The timing of the Turkish foreign ministers unexpected phone call today with his Russian counterpart in the middle of US-Turkey talks on Syria is the latest sign that Washington and Ankara remain hopelessly at odds over how to move forward in the region. Why it matters: Mevlut Cavusoglus call to Sergey Lavrov was made upon the initiative of the Turkish side, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The Syria dossier topped the agenda. The call comes as Turkey is increasingly expressing its displeasure over the Donald Trump administrations reluctance to allow Ankara to retain a powerful military presence in northeastern Syria, where the Americans Kurdish allies are in control. A Turkey-US joint task force charged with coordinating the withdrawal of US forces from Syria is meeting this week in Ankara for the second time. Recent statements from the Turkish side suggest things arent going well. On Tuesday, an official from the Turkish Foreign Ministry told Hurriyet Daily News that the United States only wants to give Turkey a symbolic place in a proposed coalition force to oversee a safe zone in northeastern Syria. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took the lead on Wednesday, voicing his opposition to a US offer to hand over control of the safe zone to a joint force with Germany and France. Erdogan insisted that the proposed safe zone be under Turkeys control. We cannot trust anyone with a region which may pose a threat to our security, Erdogan said on live TV. We cannot leave this to Germany or France. Turkey is worried about the presence at its border of the US-backed Kurdish Peoples Protection Units, which Ankara considers a threat to its national security. The Trump administration wants to protect its Kurdish allies in the fight against the Islamic State while soothing Ankaras national security concerns. Knocking on Moscows door: The phone conversation between Cavusoglu and Lavrov today is the latest sign of Turkeys effort to strike a deal with Russia, as the two countries, along with Iran, have taken the lead in determining Syrias future. "The ministers reaffirmed the mutual commitment and common approaches to the fight against terrorist elements in Syria in order to stabilize the situation in the country as soon as possible and move forward in its political settlement," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Whats next: The disagreement signals another downturn in the bumpy Ankara-Washington ties that might impact other bilateral issues. Ankara believes that the US buffer zone would work for the Kurds and not for Turkey, which could explain Cavusoglus recent blunt declaration that the S-400 missile agreement between Turkey and Russia was a done deal. All eyes are now on the outcome of the second round of talks of the joint US-Turkey task force, which wraps up Friday. Know more: Our diplomatic correspondents Semih Idiz and Cengiz Candar are closely tracking Turkeys displeasure over US plans for a Syria safe zone. For more on Washingtons perspective, check our Washington correspondent Jack Detschs recent story. Israel arrested Adnan Gheith, governor of the Jerusalem District of the Palestinian Authority, sometime in the night between Feb. 26 and 27. On the backdrop of growing tensions over the Temple Mount compound and Al-Aqsa Mosque, Gheith was one of many senior officials arrested, including Waqf Council chairman Sheikh Abdel Azzam Salhab, in response to a Feb. 22 incident in which thousands of Muslim worshippers broke into the Bab al-Rahma (Gate of Merci, or Golden Gate) structure and held a mass prayer service there. Israel shut down the building in 2003 upon the order of the chief of the Central Command, later backed up by an administrative order from the Jerusalem District Court. The argument was that activities taking place at the site were connected with the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement (which has since been outlawed) and Hamas. The building has been locked since then and worshippers are denied entry. There were no protests when the building was first closed, nor were there any problems at the site during the Temple Mount riots of 2015 and 2017. Israel is convinced that the Palestinians seizure of the Gate of Merci at this point in time had been planned well in advance by the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf (custodian of Muslim holy sites) with Jordanian knowledge. At the order of Jordans King Abdullah, the Waqf was recently expanded from 11 to 18 representatives, with the seven new members representing the PA. The change in the groups composition was unusual, and can be taken as evidence of a change in Jordans policy. Ever since control of Al-Aqsa Mosque was transferred to the kingdom after the 1967 Six-Day War, Jordan has been an ardent protector of its rights and responsibilities over the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. So far, the kingdom has allowed no one much room to maneuver there so as not to risk its control of the compound. One of the new members of the Waqf is Fatah activist Hathem Abdel Qadr. In a Feb. 24 interview with the Palestinian press, he noted that the Waqf Council has a meticulous strategic plan to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem and that the Gate of Mercy is one of its focal points. According to him, close cooperation between the Palestinians and Jordan has put Israel into a situation where it has no choice but to allow worshippers to break into the Gate of Mercy structure. As evidence of this, Israeli security forces did not prevent worshippers from entering the Gate of Mercy compound on Friday, he noted, and he was right. Both the police and the military refused to act. Even before last Friday, worshippers had attempted to break into the Gate of Mercy structure, prayers rugs in hand. The Waqf appointed an imam for the mosque, so the Israeli security forces must have been aware of the activity. They must have assumed that a significant build-up of forces around the Temple Mount to protect a single building would boomerang against Israel, intensify tensions in the area and increase the likelihood of an incident with casualties. It looks like Israel preferred to allow thousands of Muslim worshippers to enter the sealed building and then handle the situation through quiet diplomacy. Israel did send a message to Jordan that it must get involved to avoid an escalation and that Israels political leadership would not allow any changes to the status quo. Nevertheless, it looks like the Jordanians have no plans to act. An Israel security source who spoke with Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity said that the Jordanians really dont care about the Israeli message. The decision by the security forces to act under the radar is based on the regrettable experiences of the past. The second intifada erupted following riots on the Temple Mount in September 2000 after a much-publicized visit by then-opposition leader (and future prime minister) Ariel Sharon to the site. Then again in September 2015, 15 years later (and coinciding with the Jewish holidays), violent riots erupted following a visit by right-wing Knesset members and ministers to the Temple Mount. As a result, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu banned elected officials from visiting the Temple Mount until the Arab outrage had subsided. Two years later, in 2017, three Israeli Arabs from Umm al-Fahm committed a terrorist attack on the Temple Mount, leaving two border police officers dead. Israel responded by installing metal detectors on the site, but was later forced to remove them after a protest led by the Waqf as well as tens of thousands of worshippers who gathered to pray outside the Temple Mount compound. Netanyahu folded, the metal detectors were removed and quiet was restored, if only briefly. Now, the Temple Mount is back in the eye of the storm, and once again it looks like Israels hands are tied. The arrest of the Jerusalem governor and the Waqf Council chairman (both of whom were released immediately after questioning) seem to have been intended to allow Israel to make it clear to the Waqf how dangerous the activities they instigated are. But it would be naive to think that the Waqfs representatives acted independently. One senior security source told Al-Monitor that he believes Fatah is preparing for the release of the US peace plan by establishing facts on the ground, particularly in Jerusalem. That explains why Fatah is willing to gamble, even at the cost of riots spreading across the West Bank. All of this comes against the backdrop of Israels decision to offset tax revenues it collected on behalf of the PA. On Wednesday, Israel deducted 40 million shekels ($11 million) from the 700 million shekels ($193 million) it was supposed to transfer to the Palestinians. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced earlier that he would refuse to accept the money if Israel withholds any of it. It therefore seems clear that the PA is getting ready for a fight, and as far as it's concerned, Al-Aqsa Mosque is the perfect place to launch the campaign. How should Israel prepare for a conflict that seems inevitable? It is possible that Netanyahu will be forced to fold on the issue of the tax money, but the chance of that happening tends toward zero. There are less than six weeks left until the election, but it looks like another round of violent riots on the Temple Mount is even closer. The biggest players in Iranian banking have joined forces in an effort to empower an ailing banking system that has long suffered from a slew of major issues including a hefty credit crunch. There is no shortage of potential pitfalls and challenges, but the blockchain-enabled platform they have established and its native gold-backed cryptocurrency may prove a crucial source of cash and public trust in a not too distant future. During the past year, the technology and payment system arms of four major Iranian banks Parsian, Pasargad, Mellat and Melli - in addition to Tosan, a leading provider of banking software solutions, have been developing Kuknos (Phoenix). Using distributed ledger technology, the blockchain platforms ultimate goal is to make it possible for financial entities to issue digital tokens for a variety of assets and therefore increase financial inclusion. Its most immediate target, however, is to allow banks to tokenize and then liquidize their so-called frozen or non-productive assets. Most Iranian banks are cash-strapped because they dont have access to a significant portion of their assets. Those non-productive assets are largely the result of years of speculative activities, mostly in the lackluster property market. While there is no definitive account of the exact value of these assets, Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Farhad Dejpasand recently estimated that it exceeds 1 quadrillion rials ($23.8 billion). Kuknos, which was unveiled at a major banking conference in Tehran in late January, is an independent fork of the Stellar network, an open-source decentralized protocol for digital currency for fiat currency transfers. Its native currency is called PayMon (PMN), each unit of which is equal to and backed by 30 milligrams of 24-karat gold. Each PMN is now worth 156,581 rials ($3.72). The platform is expected to officially start operating in the near future, likely before the end of the current Iranian year on March 20. Among other things, the project is awaiting finalization of the Central Bank of Irans draft regulatory framework on cryptocurrencies, which also deals with regulations for issuance of tokens. According to the Kuknos white paper, 1 billion PMNs will be issued without backing when the platform is online. From that amount, 20% is reserved to be offered to anchors who will need to meet technical and financial criteria, including but not limited to owning at least 300,000 PMNs. An initial coin offering (ICO) of 15% of total PMNs has been designated for the general public. In addition to a 5% portion dedicated to the founding team, the remaining 60% of the coins are to be offered to the network monthly, based on performance and demand. The ICO for anchors is set to be held as soon as the network is operational. After the anchors are identified and their gold is secured, the public ICO will follow (which at the moment has been scheduled to start May 22 and end three months later). The votes of at least 70% of the founding team members will determine the timing of their ICO, while the monthly distributions will begin from Aug. 23, the projects white paper says. Al-Monitor unsuccessfully sought further comment from top-level Kuknos executives. Kuknos plans to offer a variety of facilities. Just like Stellar, it would have a decentralized exchange that swaps cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies. More importantly, it could significantly ease the know-your-customer process by issuing an identity token for users after they are verified by a founding member of the network; the user wouldnt have to go through any more paperwork. This, coupled with the transparency intrinsic to blockchain technology, also could considerably boost anti-money-laundering processes. As planned, the platform also would reduce transaction times and costs. Finally, banks would have a new fee-based revenue stream, something they painfully lack due to the fact that most banking services in Iran are offered free of charge. But first and foremost, Kuknos would allow validated entities to offer tokens on what is termed an agile and immutable blockchain network, which could then be traded by all members of the platform. If the platform finds a foothold, it could inject much-needed money into the banking system through absorbing micro capital from a general public that would otherwise be encouraged to invest their money elsewhere to hedge against a weak rial, potentially impacting markets adversely. While FAM, a company founded by the government in 2009 to sell banks excess assets, has succeeded in selling a portion of the non-productive assets, the value of the sold assets is dwarfed by the total value of all excess assets. Kuknos has the potential to change that. For example, only a handful of people if any would be willing and able to purchase a major property from a bank. But now, many more would have the ability to digitally buy a percentage of that property and then trade it. Indeed, all tokens are to be offered in the over-the-counter Iran Fara Bourse capital exchange. But Kuknos will have to overcome significant challenges. Chief among them is lackluster trust toward the banking system, both due to broken commitments by the banks in the past and the damage done by troubled financial institutions. This is compounded by the fact that adoption of blockchain and cryptocurrency technology will not come easily for the general public. Finally, the project may be subject to meddling by powerful officials or factions of the political establishment. To account for these concerns, Kuknos is relying on the transparency offered by blockchain technology, and is planning to hold introductory and educational courses, first for potential future anchors and then for the general public although none have been organized yet. It also signed an agreement with the scientific and technology department of the presidential office Feb. 5 to symbolically secure government support and establish a distributed ledger-based acceleration and innovation center for the money and capital markets. But ultimately, Kuknos executives will have to deal with the fact that perception of their project both inside and outside Iran has been mostly negative, and at times completely opposite of what they have said the project is about. On the one hand, the project has received pessimistic feedback on social media from local members of the blockchain and cryptocurrency community. On the other hand, due to US sanctions and the launch of a sovereign crypto-rial, most foreign media outlets are presenting Kuknos as a sanctions-busting endeavor, which undermines its goal of instead assisting the local banking system. However, due to its adoption of the Stellar architecture, it should be noted that Kuknos could theoretically link up with foreign partners and attract foreign investment in the future, absent a maximum pressure on the part of the United States. Amid hopes among many Iranians that the 2015 nuclear deal would revive Irans economy after years of isolation, trade ties began to expand including with the United States. For instance, according to data released by the US Census Bureau, with the removal of sanctions in 2016, Iranian exports to the United States chiefly consisting of carpets, caviar and pistachios increased over 700% from $10.7 million in 2015 to over $87.7 million in 2016. However, Irans exports to the United States in 2017 dropped again to some $63 million and remained relatively in the same range ($68 million) from January to November 2018, when US oil and banking sanctions against Iran were reimposed in the aftermath of President Donald Trumps withdrawal from the nuclear deal. Although tensions between the US and Iran have increased since Trump came to power, a closer look at the US Census data reveals that despite a relatively stable import rate from Iran since 2016, US exports to Iran which had been sliding since the nuclear deal was implemented in 2016 saw a turnaround last year, paradoxically after Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal. Indeed, US exports to Iran have witnessed a sudden spike since July 2018, coinciding with Chinas decision to impose retaliatory import tariffs on US agricultural goods. Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, the founder of Bourse & Bazaar, which tracks developments in Irans economy, told Al-Monitor, The only reason that the 2018 export total is so high is that there is a surplus of soybeans in the American market due to the China-US trade war. Some of this surplus has been diverted for export to Iran, adding hundreds of millions of dollars to the export totals over the year. According to the Census data, US exports to Iran, which had dropped to less than $9.5 million in June 2018, increased to some $35.7 million in July before reaching a year-high of about $150 million in August. In the next three months leading to November 2018, some $190 million worth of more US goods were exported to Iran. Yet, Batmanghelidj added, Ignoring the sale of soybeans, exports of medicine and medical devices are actually slightly lower than during the Obama era. This is while US imports from Iran saw a year-high value of nearly $25 million in July before reaching as low as $300,000 in November 2018. With over $435 million of exports to Iran and imports of near $68 million during the first 11 months of 2018, the total volume of trade between the United States and Iran surpassed $500 million the highest level of trade between the two old foes since 2009. Although data for the last month of 2018 has not yet been released, imports from Iran are likely to be lower if history repeats itself considering the reimposition of US sanctions on Iran on Nov. 5. US sanctions While Iran has been under US sanctions for decades, the two countries have always maintained trade even though the volume might not have always been significant. Indeed, there has only been one instance in 1998 when trade between the two countries was completely halted, according to US Census data. According to Batmanghelidj, who has been engaged in promoting economic diplomacy between Iran and Western countries following the signing of the nuclear deal in 2015, US exports to Iran are basically limited to three categories: agricultural commodities, medicine and medical devices. US companies can export these humanitarian goods to Iran due to sanctions exemptions and licenses. As such, nothing about this trade points to a failure in sanctions. Indeed, according to the US Treasury Department, Under US law, the sale and export of nearly all types of food and medicine to Iran are broadly authorized and require no specific license or special authorization from the Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) or any other agency of the US government. Reza is a 55-year-old Iranian businessman with over 25 years of import/export experience. Speaking to Al-Monitor, he said that Iranian exports of carpets, pistachios and caviar are the most important aspects of trade with the United States since the American market has always been the main destination of such Iranian products. "Through our export to the United States, we were able to introduce the Persian carpet and other goods like our caviar to the world, Reza said, adding that this trade is very important in terms of both income for Iranian producers and in terms of branding." But with Trump's decision to ban the import of Iranian carpets and foodstuff, Reza believes that "trade with the United States has no significance since we've lost our core competency in export and this could result in near-zero Iranian exports to the American market." With the US embargo on Iran again fully in action, the outlook of trade between the two sides dont appear to be positive. The American companies that have been exporting to Iran are those that have had longstanding business relationships and already possess any necessary licenses from OFAC, Batmanghelidj told Al-Monitor. He added, OFAC has been reluctant to issue new licenses, so it is very unlikely that US-Iran trade will expand in the coming year beyond the current categories, particularly given the political climate. Yet even as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to run high, there are experts who believe that there is one factor that could partly uphold the limited trade between Iran and the United States: the trade war between the United States and China. However, conversely, in the words of Batmanghelidj, Once the Chinese market opens again, it is unlikely that US soybeans will continue to be exported to Iran. Iraqs envoy to Washington urged the Donald Trump administration today to reopen the US Consulate in the southern city of Basra, which was shuttered after Iran-backed militias attacked the facility. If you can relay that message to anyone in the State Department: Please send your consul back to Basra, Fareed Yasseen said at an exclusive Al-Monitor breakfast in Washington. The State Department described the closure as temporary when it relocated US diplomatic staff in September, but has shown no indication it plans to reopen it. The United States has blamed Iranian-backed militias controlled by Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani for the attack. Iran should understand that the United States will respond promptly and appropriately to any such attacks, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at the time. The consulates closure has also sparked concerns on Capitol Hill that the United States is losing insight and influence in a vital region as a result. Shiite-majority Basra and the surrounding area have been rocked by protests over electricity shortages. In his remarks today, Yasseen repeatedly called on US policymakers to refrain from actions that could pit Iraq against its neighbor Iran, saying such moves are bound to backfire. He described Iraqs ideal policy as one of proactive neutrality. If I were to summarize Iraqs foreign policy in the region it follows the Swiss model, Yasseen said, comparing Switzerlands mixed demography of Catholics and Protestants during Europes religious wars 400 years ago to Iraqs sectarian map today. If we were to side with any one country against another in the various countries and conflicts of the region, we would face tensions that could, you know, break us apart. The United States has demanded that Iraq curtail its gas imports from Iran, which are crucial for Iraqs electricity needs. The Trump administration is expected to issue a decision next month on whether to extend Iraqs exemption from US sanctions on energy imports from Iran. Yasseen said there was real intent to substitute Iranian gas imports because Iraq currently flares more gas than it imports, a wasteful practice both economically and environmentally. That process, he said, would take a year or two. Im best when Im on my own, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told one of the people closest to him when asked why he insisted on distancing those most loyal to him. The conversation with the person, who requested anonymity, took place about a year ago. During the 2015 election campaign, which Netanyahu practically ran by himself, senior Likud officials fretted that the man and the party were about to crash. The Likud's subsequent victory, winning an impressive 30 seats, convinced Netanyahu that the Likud is him, and he is the Likud. All the other Likud Knesset members are simply there because of him. The 2015 victory left Netanyahu without any restraints or hindrances. Most of all, it left him feeling that he didn't owe anyone anything. In other words, he had no need to consult with senior ministers. Rather quickly, he distanced ministers once considered close to him. He suspects almost all of them of being disloyal to him, except for Yariv Levin, his minister of transportation, and he certainly does not appreciate them. This is why he stands alone today, the most crucial day of the election campaign the day Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced indictments against Netanyahu on corruption charges. Whatever happens in the elections, whether the Likud wins or crashes, the result will bear Netanyahus name only. Netanyahus behavior during the current election campaign is a direct continuation of what happened in the last one. Once again, he is leading the Likud effort all by himself. So far, there hasnt been a single election advertisement featuring a Likud minister who is not Netanyahu. Obviously, the Likuds campaign budget comes out of the party's coffers, but it is being used entirely for Netanyahus personal campaign, or more precisely, his public struggle against the indictments during the campaign. Earlier this month, a big, expensive billboard overlooking the Ayalon Expressway featured Netanyahu, along with President Donald Trump. The slogan read, Netanyahu is a whole different league. Even the traditional campaign launch, in which Netanyahu brings the partys candidates on stage, has been postponed and will not likely be held. One explanation is that Netanyahu is unwilling to shake hands with Gideon Saar, his mortal enemy and former minister. A more likely explanation is that he sees the event as a waste of precious time. As long as Netanyahu runs an effective campaign and retains the Likuds voter base, he doesnt need his ministers, at least as far as he is concerned. While it is possible that he might recruit them for the campaign if he finds himself sliding down a slippery slope and plummeting in the polls, that is not the case as of now. Likud ministers could not be found anywhere in the media over the last few days. Some of them have gone overseas, on holiday or for work, after an exhausting primary battle for a place on the partys list. Most of them refused to be interviewed, perhaps because they had been excluded from the campaign. Meanwhile, Netanyahus team is busy producing provocative videos attacking the media for allegedly trying to topple him and blaming the attorney general for succumbing to pressure from the left. In this instance, the Likud ministers are just like everyone else, only seeing the videos after they are released. None of Netanyahus people will speak to us, said one Likud minister who requested anonymity. We dont interest him. They dont even give us talking points, so we are left biding our time until the election is over, all the while hoping for the best. Unlike during previous election campaigns, the Likud has not even hired an advertising firm or outside consultants. Netanyahu is leading and steering the campaign and its messages, while a small team carries out his instructions for short videos. The many tens of millions of shekels designated for the campaign are being used to disseminate messages on social networks. Netanyahus target audience is Likud voters and supporters on the right in general. He is appealing to them to stand by his side, even after his indictment. The campaign ran into a problem on Feb. 26, when a video crossed a red line and infuriated the families of fallen soldiers. The clip, filmed at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, features a Likud presenter against a backdrop of graves, warning against Benny Gantz, chairman of the Blue and White Party and a former military chief of staff. The narrator states, The Israeli public has understood what a leftist government means and refuses to be guinea pigs in that experiment, which will cost hundreds of lives. Gantz is left wing and left is dangerous. The clip was shown on a dedicated Likud campaign channel on Facebook after being produced in a studio at Likud headquarters on the 12th floor of the Metzudat Zeev building in Tel Aviv. Netanyahu is interviewed there from time to time by the in-house interviewer and media figure Eliraz Sadeh. In fact, it is the only place he gives interviews. The Likud was quick to declare the video an unfortunate mistake, and even Netanyahu acted to minimize the damage. Before boarding a plane to Moscow for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said that he was shocked by the video. He said, As soon as I was told, I ordered the removal of the image. As a bereaved brother [of a fallen soldier], I understand well the pain of the families. The thing is that Netanyahu is the only person responsible for this campaign, for its messages and its style. Even if, as he claimed, he was unaware of this particular video, he still bears responsibility for it. He didnt actually apologize. One person who understands how Netanyahu plays with fire is political strategist Eyal Arad, a close adviser to Netanyahu at the start of his political career. Arad tweeted, Netanyahus cemetery video is a complete abomination, but it is effective. It targets just 5 or 6 seats among Likud voters, who might otherwise leave because of the indictments. It is intended to scare them, so they dont switch to the left. The great exposure it received from everyone who was horrified by it actually serves the campaign. The mystery is where are all the oppositions campaigns? Does anyone besides Netanyahu want to win? Netanyahu boarded the plane to meet Putin, but the cemetery video opened all the newscasts and current affairs programs that evening. The Likud maintained radio silence, as expected. Saar was the only person to mention the video, calling it a serious error in judgment and a slap in the face of the Likuds values. He would not of course directly attack Netanyahu. Even over the coming days after the announcement by Mandelblit that he will indict Netanyahu subject to a court hearing, senior members of the Likud will surely maintain a unified front. They will either keep silent or speak out in his defense. As noted, Likud ministers are not part of the campaign. No one is consulting them. They are little more than statistics in Netanyahus public, political and media war for his seat and perhaps his freedom. The public address system at Ben Gurion International Airport called on the last passengers of Air Sinai flight 4D 55 to present themselves at the exit gate. Flight attendants wearing Egypt Air uniforms greeted boarding passengers. The website of Egypts national airline makes no mention of Tel Aviv. Air Sinai, its subsidiary for the Cairo-Tel Aviv route only, does not have a website at all. This unique arrangement, which is part of the Israel-Egypt peace treaty, distills the essence of the relationship between Israel and Egypt as they mark the 40th anniversary of their March 1979 peace treaty. While they have reciprocal embassies, their leaders do not visit each other. While the Egyptian elites boycott the Israelis, the people welcome them warmly. Slightly over an hour after takeoff from Israel, a guide led a group of 26 Israelis toward the passenger terminal at Cairo International Airport. In the line for passport control, a silver-haired man from the group told Al-Monitor that his children had urged him to forego the dangerous trip to an Arab country. Another woman from the group said that when friends heard she was traveling to Egypt, they told her she was insane. Meanwhile, police officers glanced quickly at the visas stamped in the visitors' passports by the Egyptian Embassy in Tel Aviv, and sent them on their way quicker than the border control procedures at New Yorks airports. Israeli travel agencies can barely keep up with the demand for tours to Egypt. Eight years after the 2011 revolution that drove tourists away from the pyramids and the Pharaonic temples of southern Egypt, Israelis are storming their southern neighbor. Usually this is the first Arab country most of them have visited, veteran tour guide David Negev of the Ayala tour agency told Al-Monitor. They arrive with some trepidation and go back home as envoys of peace, said Negev, who has made the trip 70 times. Cries of Shalom and Welcome in Hebrew greet the group at Cairos bustling Khan el-Khalili bazaar. Twenty pounds [$1.14] is nothing for you, one of the merchants half-jokes with an Israeli tourist haggling over the price of a galabia [a long, loose outer garment]. We know that all of you in Tel Aviv are millionaires. Official data reflect the tremendous gap between the two neighbors. An economy of 100 million exports one-third the amount exported by a country of 8.5 million $20 million and $56 million annually, respectively. Israel has a per capita gross domestic product of $37,000 compared with Egypts $12,700. A falafel serving that costs 17 Israeli shekels ($4.70) in Tel Aviv sells for 3.50 Egyptian pounds ($0.20) in Cairo. The population explosion and climate change do not augur well for Egypts global economic rankings, especially compared to the Israeli economy. Every spring, Israeli children recite the Haggadah, the Jewish text purporting to describe the Israelites' exodus from slavery in Egypt, which places the children of Israel on the same ancient stage as those of Egypt. There is nothing like a visit to the temples of the dead and the 5,000-year-old wall paintings of nobles to put the Jews in their proper place on the historical spectrum of the Middle East. Archaeological findings from the time of Pharaoh Thutmose III (1490-1450 B.C.) indicate to visitors that the Land of Israel was a small Egyptian province in those days. Egyptian history also hints at the dangers of a personality cult nurtured by a shortsighted leader. How short and fleeting might be 40 years of peace standing on one (unsteady) leg. After the hearty encounter with the bazaar traders, members of the Israeli group wondered why the relationship with Egypt is said to be a cold peace. They were surprised to hear that Egyptians feel Israel misled the architect of the peace treaty, their late President Anwar Sadat. Egyptian intellectuals feel cheated when they see Israeli soldiers chasing Palestinian children in the West Bank town of Hebron and when they hear Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledge that a Palestinian state would never be established on his watch. Journalists and intellectuals recall the stark warning issued by their president from the Knesset podium in November 1977 that in the absence of a just solution of the Palestinian problem, never will there be that durable and just peace. On March 31, almost 40 years to the day after Israel signed its first peace agreement with an Arab nation a move that got Egypt kicked out of the Arab League leaders of this organization will convene for their annual summit in Tunis. Barring shocking surprises, most of the Arab leaders will vote to ratify the Arab Peace Initiative they first approved in March 2002. Barring shocking surprises, this time, too, leaders of Israels major political parties running for the Knesset in the April 9 elections will avoid giving a direct answer to the historic Arab proposal for the Jewish state to become a full-fledged member of the Levant. The Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv is hosting an exhibition titled Jacqueline Kahanoff: The Levant as a Parable. Kahanoff (1917-1979) was a Cairo-born literary critic and writer who immigrated to Israel in 1954. Kahanoff, dubbed the high priestess of the Levant, repeatedly challenged the dismissive arrogance displayed by the West toward the East and the adoption of this attitude by Israelis of Oriental origin. These days, she could have added feelings of hatred and fear to the attitude of her fellow Israelis from the Levant toward their Arab neighbors. On Feb. 19, Haaretz ran the introduction to her volume of essays From East the Sun, 1978, edited by Israeli poet and translator Aharon Amir. Kahanoff wrote that rebuilding a pluralistic Levant could provide an important framework for people to enjoy being free, different and equal. Not one in which the superior one enslaves and eliminates, or at most tolerates others in the name of universalism. It would be interesting to know what Kahanoff would have said about the alliance forged with Netanyahus blessing with the racist disciples of Rabbi Meir Kahane (the merger of national-religious HaBayit HaYehudi with radical-right Otzman Yehudit, endorsed by Netanyahu) and about the prevailing incitement against Israels Arab citizens. The public announcement system at Cairo International Airport urged all passengers on Air Sinai flight 4D 54 to present themselves immediately at the exit gate. The lit-up sign behind the Egypt Air check-in counter said Tel Aviv. Someone snapped a photo as a memento just to be on the safe side. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus electoral dalliance with the extremist Jewish Power party has opened up a rift between Republicans and key pro-Israel groups in the United States. With the embattled prime minister casting a wide net for allies amid his escalating legal troubles, both Democrats and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee are warning that having what AIPAC called a racist and reprehensible party in government will make it more difficult to marshal bipartisan support for Israel. Republicans are taking the opposite approach, using the controversy to insist theyre the only ones standing with Israel through thick and thin. Im not going to comment on an internal Israeli political decision and their system of government, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told Al-Monitor. Ultimately our support is for the Jewish state. Theyre a democracy, they have elections, so we respect that. We may not agree on every point with them but theyre our ally and we support them. Fellow Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Mitt Romney, R-Utah, also declined to publicly weigh in on Jewish Power. I look forward to visiting Israel again and spending time with leadership there to get a better sense of the way forward, he told Al-Monitor. Rubios comments echo the position of the Republican Jewish Coalition, which is chaired by former Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn. Ultimately this is a matter for the people of Israel, not for US organizations to weigh in on, said Neil Strauss, the groups digital director. Just as it would be inappropriate for any foreign elected leaders to comment on US domestic politics, it is equally inappropriate for US elected officials to weigh in on Israeli domestic political matters. Other right-wing pro-Israel groups have lambasted AIPAC for the way it has weighed in. The Zionist Organization of America has denounced the misgivings of AIPAC and similar groups such as the American Jewish Committee as strange, troubling and hypocritical. The latest partisan flare-up comes after many Democrats soured on AIPAC when it sided with Netanyahu against the 2015 Iran deal, in what many saw as a partisan attack on then-President Barack Obama. This time, the roles are flipped. Prime Minister Netanyahus eagerness to partner with an extreme right, ultra-racist party severely undermines the core democratic values that have historically formed the heart of the US-Israel relationship, said Logan Bayroff, the communications director for the liberal group J Street, which became a prominent political force after AIPAC alienated many liberals with its opposition to the Iran deal. An Israeli governing coalition that included [Jewish Power] and promoted any piece of its agenda would drastically alienate millions of Americans and American Jews. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., became the first 2020 presidential contender to speak up against Jewish Power in a tweet on Monday. This is wrong and has been rightly condemned, she wrote. To quote the American Jewish Committee, [the views of Otzma Yehudit] do not reflect the core values that are the very foundation of the State of Israel.' Other Democrats closely aligned with AIPAC shared similar views in hallway interviews with Al-Monitor this week. The reality is that the party that Prime Minister Netanyahu has aligned himself with is the antithesis of American values, said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee. Since America plays such a significant role in supporting the state of Israel, you have to wonder at the end of the day how can we be supportive of such an alignment. Since America plays such a significant role in supporting the state of Israel, you have to wonder at the end of the day how can we be supportive of such an alignment. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told CNN on Sunday that commenting on Jewish Power would qualify as interfering in the election of a democracy. But Menendez rejected this characterization. Im not opining on the election, he said. But I am opining on the views of the party that the prime minister has aligned himself with. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., another Foreign Relations Committee Democrat closely aligned with AIPAC, agreed. This is an outrageous coalition, and I think what AIPAC said expressed the views of most people that I know, Cardin said. Were not weighing in on foreign elections. We are weighing in on a strategy that goes beyond elections. Jewish Power is the ideological heir of Meir Kahane, a US-born Israeli who co-founded the Jewish Defense League a US-designated terrorist group and the Kach party. Israel declared Kach a terrorist organization in 1994 after party supporter Baruch Goldstein massacred 29 Muslim worshippers at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Jewish Powers chairman, Michael Ben-Ari, has said Israel should mow [Palestinians] down in Gaza. The United States banned him from entering the country in 2012 because of his support for Kahane and the Kach party. Jewish Home advocates annexing the West Bank and Gaza and encouraging Arab emigration. Both AIPAC and the American Jewish Committee have focused squarely on Jewish Power and refrained from commenting on Netanyahus decision to bring the party into the Israeli political sphere. Neither group would comment on the record. Daniel Shapiro, a former ambassador to Israel under the Barack Obama administration and a current fellow at Israels Institute for National Security Studies, said AIPAC had little choice but to weigh in given the stakes. American Jewish organizations generally dont and shouldnt expect to have influence in Israeli elections, he said. But they care about the long-term health of the bilateral US-Israel relationship, which requires bipartisan support and sustaining our common democratic values. When they see these values so openly violated, these groups have no choice but to speak out against it. Hamas is denouncing a Libyan military court's heavy sentences levied on four Palestinians found guilty of smuggling arms from Libya to Hamas in Gaza, setting up a secret foreign organization inside Libya, possession of arms and conspiracy against state security. This is the first judicial security case involving Hamas in Libya. On Feb. 21 in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, the military court imposed sentences on the men ranging from 17 to 22 years. The four men, arrested in October 2016, are Marwan al-Ashqar, his son Baraa, Muaied Abed and Naseeb Shbeir. The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported Feb. 22, The Libyan judgments were based on the public prosecutors investigations, which included secret documents accusing the detainees of joining a legally banned organization, disclosing secrets related to national defense, ... [and] illegal possession and smuggling of firearms to Gaza. The detainees' family members told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the detainees have lived in Libya since the 1990s. They worked for a technology company in Tripoli and studied at the capitals universities. The detained, held at the prison of Tripolis Special Deterrence Force, have been denied visits for months and suffered daily abuses, relatives said. The families expressed fear that the convicted men would be extradited to Israel, as they are accused of supporting the Palestinian resistance, and also said the Palestinian Embassy in Tripoli made no effort to get them released. One family member said, We approached dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan to mediate and find a solution to their case, given his strong relationship with Libyan Gen. Khalifa Hifter. The detainees were arrested in an area under Hifters control. In April 2018, even Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Khaled al-Mishri, head of Libyas High Council of State, to discuss the potential release of the detained Palestinians. Hamas has long been a thorn in Abbas' side. On Feb. 25, Hamas denounced the unjust Libyan verdicts against the four Palestinians. It demanded that Libyan authorities immediately intervene to get the men released, saying they had not interfered in Libya's affairs or tampered with its security. Hamas said it had contacted several parties, which it did not identify, to solve this case. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told Al-Monitor, Hamas is a national liberation movement fighting occupation inside Palestine. Arabs are required to offer popular and official support. Our resistance against Israel is part of the defense of Arab national security. We are keeping Israel from entering into Arab states. Hamas is keen on the security of the Libyan people, and is making efforts with several parties to solve the issue of the four detained Palestinians. Numerous reports in Libyan and US news outlets, citing government agencies and the United Nations, have shown a Hamas presence in Libya in recent years. In April 2018, the Libya Times newspaper reported that Ansar al-Sharia, an Islamist militia in Libya that dissolved in 2017, had supplied Hamas with arms and ammunition shipments. In January 2017, the Libyan Interior Ministry said it had arrested a Palestinian girl in Benghazi, charging she was spying on the Libyan army for Hamas. That June, Libyan National Army spokesman Ahmad al-Mesmari accused Hamas military wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, of training members in Benghazi how to manufacture explosive devices and use them for booby-trapping and bombing. Hamas denied the accusations, saying its policy is not to interfere in the affairs of any Arab country. A Libyan journalist close to Hifter told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, Hamas carries out activities in Libya through the Muslim Brotherhood. This, unintentionally, draws it into Libyan conflicts. This is why it's imperative for Hamas to stay away from Libya to prevent complications. Libya is using friendly security apparatus to monitor Hamas activities inside Libya. Last week, Mustafa Laddawi, a former Hamas representative to Beirut and Syria, wrote on the Egyptian El-Zaman news website that Israel is pleased by any news of Libya prosecuting anyone accused of supplying the Palestinian resistance with weapons. Emad Abu Awad, a researcher at the Vision Center for Political Development in Istanbul, told Al-Monitor, This issue isn't separate from the unhidden relations between Israel and Hifter. Israel has resorted to Hifter to clamp down on the smuggling of weapons from Libya to Gaza through Sudan and Sinai. The judgments issued against Hamas members will not deter the movement from procuring weapons. Yet, Hamas will take fewer risks and avoid working in some regional countries, such as Iran, Libya, Sudan and Sinai in light of the increased regional tight security measures over it. It's no secret that Israel and Hifter coordinate with each other. In May, the French Intelligence Online website confirmed Israel had established channels of communication with Hifter to exchange security information aimed at curbing Hamas' flow of arms from Libya to Sudan, all the way to Sinai and Gaza. The London-based Al-Arabi al-Jadeed newspaper in July quoted anonymous sources close to Hifter as saying he held a lengthy meeting the month before with an Israeli intelligence officer in the Jordanian capital, Amman, to boost security coordination between him and Israel. The arrest of the four Palestinians in Libya has taken on regional dimensions. Emrullah Isler, head of the Turkish legislature's Security and Intelligence Committee and the special envoy of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Libya, transmitted messages asking Libyan security authorities to release the Palestinian detainees. Islam Shahwan, a former spokesman for the Interior Ministry in Gaza, told Al-Monitor that the prosecution of Palestinians in Libya will definitely put a dent in Hamas attempts to procure weapons. "It's no secret that the Palestinians and others benefited from Libyan arms after the 2011 revolution," he said, and Hamas may have to look elsewhere. Shahwan said the Palestinian Embassy in Libya might have informed Libyan authorities about the four men. I don't expect it to play a positive role, he said. Instead, "Hamas is seeking to employ its close relations with Dahlan and Egypt to get the four detained Palestinians released." No one knows how things might end, despite Hamas efforts behind closed doors to settle this issue. Hamas quest won't be an easy ride amid a security crackdown by Israel and some other countries in the region. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip The Ministry of National Economy in the West Bank city of Ramallah is encouraging women to apply before the end of February for the Food of Our Homes competition. The competition targets women working in food production in the West Bank, either to apply on their own or as part of a women's group, association or cooperative. The competition aims to support products made by women and shed light on the food production industry. The technical criteria for selecting the winners will focus on the quality of the product and the method of manufacturing and packaging; samples will be checked to ensure safety and excellence. The results will be announced at an official ceremony in early May. The competition comes as part of the ministry's strategy to create a competitive Palestinian market, protect and develop national products, and strengthen and empower women financially, particularly in the food sector. This opportunity for female entrepreneurs is significant since unemployment among women in the West Bank and Gaza Strip reached 47.4% in 2018, according to data by the Central Bureau of Statistics. Gehad Jaraysah, head of the gender unit at the Ministry of National Economy, told Al-Monitor, The competition is part of a strategic approach to support and enhance the role of Palestinian women in all sectors, especially the food sector, and to highlight the obstacles they face in marketing and developing production. She said that the competition was launched in partnership with the Grow project funded by the Canadian government for the best food product made by women in all governorates of the West Bank. Jaraysah noted that the competition also aims to shed light on women working from home, since there are no statistics about this unofficial sector. The competition will help leverage these efforts and provide the necessary support in terms of production experiences and access to consumers. Hundreds of women have applied so far and we are interested in developing their efforts. The Palestinian market is able to absorb all national products, especially those made by women. We try to help by giving them market space in all governorates to increase their income so they can support themselves and their families, she added. Jaraysah said that the competition will enhance women's leadership, indicating that the ministry will use the results and records of the competition as a reference to launch development programs for women working in the food industry, in cooperation with partner institutions. She stressed that any Palestinian woman or women's group can apply as long as the applicants have the Palestinian nationality and present a food product that has a positive impact on their family and society. They can only enter the competition with one product, provided that they have not received an award for the same product from another Palestinian institution in the last three years. Ten winners will be selected and ranked according to technical standards. The winners will either receive money or equipment that they would use in their work, Jaraysah said. Thoraya Radwan, owner of Thuraya Food Production in Ramallah, told Al-Monitor, I started my project to produce concentrated natural juices without preservatives in 2015, by making carob juice. She said, The demand for the drink has prompted me to make more food, especially after Oxfam [a confederation of international nongovernmental organizations] intervened to develop my project and provide me with some machinery, as part of its project for the equitable development of agricultural production and market regulations in the Palestinian territories." Radwan explained that her idea stemmed from the deteriorating economic conditions and her desire to help support her family of nine, as well as the lack of such drinks on the market. I wanted to make a difference in this field and I have a passion for food production, since I had already produced and sold tomato juice and pickles, she said. She noted that she gained experience through practice and relentless efforts to make a high quality product, and that she aspires to increase her production and reach all the governorates through networking with local beverage factories. Radwan is now promoting her juices in Ramallah and nearby al-Bireh. The 650-milliliter (22-ounce) bottle sells for $4.50, a high price for those in the poorer governorates. We are currently working to increase production and reduce the price to reach the largest number of consumers, she said. She explained that the financing and marketing of her product and reaching consumers was difficult without professional assistance. She registered the trademark of her project with the Ministry of Economy at the end of 2018. I signed up for the Food of Our Homes competition because I believe in the quality of my product and its competitiveness. Winning would allow me to promote my product and underline its quality, Radwan added. Fida Abdel Razzak, head of the Womens Der as-Sudan Charity located northwest of Ramallah, told Al-Monitor, I launched the Palestinian traditional kitchen project for popular food in mid-2018. Our village Der as-Sudan [in the northern West Bank] is known for some foods you cant find in the cities especially the pickled Persian thyme. She sells her products to relatives and her network both inside and outside the village as well as at exhibitions the charity participates in. Abdel Razzak said that she has five cooks who work based on orders, noting that none of them have any administrative and marketing experience. She added that the project has indeed contributed to improving their economic situation, but it is not nearly enough since production is relatively low. We do not promote our work enough and we have no headquarters. We also do not have the financial means to establish points of sale outside the village. Abdel Razzak said that her charity was encouraged to participate in the competition given the uniqueness of their products. We would receive a lot of support and the best marketing if we are fortunate enough to win," she noted. Azmi Abdul Rahman, spokesman for the Ministry of National Economy, told Al-Monitor that the ministry is working to increase the participation of women in economic life by supporting them and shedding light on those working from their homes to encourage them to continue with their efforts. He pointed out that around 500 women were registered with the ministry's commercial register in 2018, which is a small number compared to the actual number of working women. There are no official statistics on the number of women working from home or in informal sectors, such as food production. Abdul Rahman explained that the ministry is organizing such competitions to encourage women to register their projects with the ministry in order to provide them with technical support and give them access to a more regulated economic sector. Female entrepreneurs are facing many obstacles, namely the Israeli checkpoints between villages and governorates that increase the risk of damage to products with a short shelf life, in addition to a lack of experience in marketing, the knowledge of market requirements and planning. Baker Shtayeh, lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences at An-Najah National University, told Al-Monitor that the high unemployment rate among women is due to the limited employment opportunities available to women in the Palestinian private sector and the gender pay gap. Civil society organizations must provide adequate training in project management, manufacturing and marketing for women in order to promote the status of Palestinian women and their economic empowerment, as they lack proper experience in the field of feasibility studies and access to finance, Shtayeh said. MOSCOW Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday for the first time since Syria accidentally shot down a Russian reconnaissance plane in September 2018 while defending against Israeli strikes. The accident killed 15 Russian airmen and seriously strained Russian-Israeli relations. Moscow would later decline a series of Israeli proposals for high-level meetings to settle the issue and supplied the S-300 missile defense system to Syria. Putin and Netanyahu met briefly in November in Paris on the sidelines of the conference commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. As the issue continued to erode the bilateral relationship, Netanyahu continued to seek a full-fledged encounter with Putin that eventually ended in the agreement to host the Israeli leader in Moscow on Feb. 21. Netanyahu had to delay the visit over the need to deal with the emerging centrist coalition at home but ultimately made it to the Russian capital a week from the originally scheduled date. The visit hence acquired a clear-cut domestic angle with Netanyahu trying to make the most of this trip both in terms of PR appeal with a series of tweets from Moscow and in terms of the message he conveyed to the Russian president. Putin played along. The meeting was expected to signal the relationship survived the worst stress test Russia and Israel have experienced in recent years and Putin's very first sentence welcoming the Israelis showed Moscow was ready to turn the page. We have been planning this meeting for some time. Life moves forward and requires consultations at the top level. Our bilateral trade is increasing. It is not very large in absolute figures but the trends are positive. And, of course, it is very important to discuss the situation in the region and security issues, Putin briefly remarked. Netanyahu replied, Mr. President, I counted and apparently we have met 11 times since December 2015. I think there is a direct link between us. Our contact is a very important element that has ensured a lack of problems or any clashes, as well as stability and security in our region. The issue of Iran its regional ambitions and proxies in Syria and Lebanon has dominated all of the 11 times the two leaders met as well as countless military and intelligence contacts between Russia and Israel. This visit was no different. Netanyahu stressed that angle in the Israeli agenda for the talks, saying, The biggest threat to the regions stability and security comes from Iran and its allies. We are doing everything we can to prevent this threat from being translated into reality. We will not allow Iran to do what it talks about that is, to destroy us and we will act accordingly. The Israelis reportedly brought updated maps of Iranian positions in Syria to show the Russians. This is an important point since a good portion of the discontent between Moscow and Tel Aviv is over Israeli strikes on what it deems Iranian and proxy deployments and infrastructure. On Jan. 23, Russias Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated, The practice of dealing arbitrary strikes on the territory of a sovereign state (Syria in this case) must be ruled out. The strikes put Moscow in an uneasy position vis-a-vis Damascus and raise Syrian complaints over Russias inability to deliver on its allied commitments to defend Syria from foreign aggression. Russia and Israel, in turn, have allegedly had their own agreement under which the Israeli strikes would not threaten Assad, while Russia is believed to have promised to curb Iranian influence near the Israeli border. In this sense, Russia tacitly grants Israel leeway to provide its own security yet has to publicly castigate Tel Aviv for illegitimate strikes, as Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov put it. The understanding, however, was shattered by the incident with the Russian spy aircraft and distrust rose within the Russian military. Some Moscow-based military sources Al-Monitor spoke with at the time even claimed they found coordinating in Syria with Hezbollah and Iranian militias more trustworthy than with an American ally. Yet, Putin himself advocating broader dialogue with Israel left the Russian military no option but to continue on the agreed deconfliction. The inner circle of Netanyahus Russian-speaking aides and ministers have long known the important levers to pull in Putins psyche. In order to reset the political contract on Assad and Tehran and restore trust in coordination with Israel, Netanyahu not only once again emphasized the great role Russia and the Red Army played in defeating Nazism but invited Putin to the opening of a special Jerusalem monument devoted to the victims of the siege of Leningrad. A prolonged military blockade undertaken by Nazi Germany against the Russian city of Leningrad today Putins native St. Petersburg is one of the greatest tragedies in Russias World War II history. The siege lasted 872 days one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history and estimates of the dead, most starved to death, vary from 630,000 to 1.5 million people. The Israeli initiative to build a monument to this historical event was greatly appreciated by Russia and there was no way Putin would decline the invitation. In addition to stressing important elements of joint history emphasizing common ground in the face of some historical events over which Russia and Iran are still at odds Netanyahu praised the contribution of Russian-speaking Jews to what he called wonderful bilateral relations between Russia and Israel and attributed to over a million Russian-speaking Israelis that tourism between our countries has reached record figures: Every year over 400,000 Russian citizens visit Israel and about 200,000 Israelis go to Moscow. I also contribute a bit to this statistic, he joked. The line also played well with Putin. I would like to pay tribute to the Israelis 1.5 million descendants from the former Soviet Union made a substantial contribution not only to the development of Israel but also to the birth of the Israeli statehood and are now playing a very important role as a bridge between Russia and Israel. We not only remember them but we also appreciate the role they play today. Of course, Israel is their home country, obviously, but we also call them our compatriots, said the Russian president. It's unlikely that Putin was swayed by Netanyahus carefully worded appeals to what he deems sacred to Russia and himself personally but the intent was definitely much appreciated. What made a reset possible, however, was his own belief that the relationship with Israel is one of the pillars of Russias success in Syria. Thus his line that life moves forward and requires consultations at the top level is an uneasy recognition of the situation on the ground, though the 15 Russians lost in the September incident are a painful reminder of the turbulent nature of the Middle Eastern turf and a warning that even best deconfliction agreements may fail. Putin never mentioned the Iranian factor in his public deliberations with Netanyahu keeping conflicting partners compartmentalized and remaining mindful of their sensitivities to Moscows contacts with their opponents is a fine thread to walk. Whether the two really reached a new agreement on Iran and whether Israel secured a new concession for its strikes in Syria will likely be revealed from practical actions of the engaged parties. The two parties seem to have put the bilateral crisis behind them, but the fallout still needs time to fully settle. A bipartisan panel tasked with offering the Donald Trump administration a path forward in Syria is already behind schedule as it prepares for its initial meeting Thursday. The Syria Study Group is charged with bringing clarity to the state of play in the war-torn country as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies inch toward final victory in the 8-year-old war while the Pentagon scurries to convince allies to keep boots on the ground. The group was created after Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., tucked a provision authorizing the panel into a must-pass aviation bill in October. But unlike the Iraq Study Group, which took six months to present the White House with 60 recommendations to fix a flailing US strategy in 2006, the new group owes Congress a final report in April. Even as the US administrations confused troop withdrawal has prompted questions about destroying the remnants of the Islamic State and potential risks to US service members, political headwinds have forced delays. The government-backed US Institute of Peace, which is facilitating the Syria Study Group, cut back operations during the 35-day federal shutdown. Its not clear whether Congress will grant the group a grace period to wrap up its work. Were all cognizant that Congress and the administration are looking for us to report back to them as soon as we have something constructive, said Michael Singh, a co-chair of the group and a former National Security Council director during the George W. Bush administration. Were going to try to take as big picture a look of the problem as we can. We have to arrive at an assessment of where we are in Syria. While the groups deliberations will likely be shaped by the Trump administrations shifting Syria policy, members say it wont be bound by current events. The United States has lacked an overarching strategy to respond to the tragic civil war in Syria, Shaheen said in a statement announcing the launch of the group last week. All of this is aiming toward some sort of political settlement in the future. The fact of the matter is all of these entities are still aiming for some sort of political settlement, a Shaheen staffer said. The Turks are in a difficult position, but I dont think the US and Turkey are in a place where they see eye to eye in Syria. This is something we have to work out. Shaheen has called for a top-down review of American policy since visiting areas of Syria held by US allies last summer. As part of the tour, she visited a restaurant in the city of Manbij near the Turkish border frequented by US troops that was later bombed by the Islamic State, killing four Americans. Were a congressionally mandated commission thats not bound by the current policy, said Dana Stroul, a former Democratic Senate aide and the other co-chair of the group. The swings between what happened, the announcement by tweet in December, I assume the group would consider. The group is supposed to make recommendations about a diplomatic and military strategy. It is not bound by what the executive branch has done. The 12-member group is evenly split between Republicans and Democrats and includes a high-profile slice of Washingtons foreign policy establishment. Kimberly Kagan, a close acolyte of Army Gens. David Petraeus and Stanley McChrystal during the counterinsurgency campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, has called for the United States to push back against Iranian proxies in Syria. Meanwhile, Mara Karlin, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense during the Barack Obama administration, has called for a slimmed down US presence in the Middle East in the journal Foreign Affairs. Anne Patterson, a retired senior diplomat, was floated by Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis for the Pentagons No. 3 job in 2017. And former Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., has long been one of the most vocal critics of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. Yet high-level panels have faced difficulty getting their message heard in past White House discussions. The image of high-level officials instructing the executive branch to withdraw troops was seen as a slight to the Bush administration, an Iraq Study Group participant told Al-Monitor. "After the report there was a whole group of political cartoons [of] the adults are handing the little kid, George Bush, the answers to what hes going to do," said the former defense official. "There was a surmise that he needed to be told what to do that led him to go in the opposite direction." Even against the ticking clock and with the United States sorting out how to keep pressure on the Islamic State and Iran as the Pentagon looks toward the exits, experts hope the group will find a way to embrace tough debates without falling into partisan gripes. These kinds of groups are often too plodding and too consensus-oriented, and they often involve too many people whove previously flailed at the same problem themselves, said Michael OHanlon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who served on a working panel of the Iraq Study Group. All that said, the risks are low, so why not give it a try? OHanlon encouraged the group to move quickly and not to hash out policy fights in summarizing their findings. Better to have half the group endorse something really smart and creative, he said, than to have everyone agree on dribble. Nearly all Turkish media outlets cast Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's statements about the S-400 missile deal with Russia as breaking news. It was. Following his talks with his American counterpart Mike Pompeo, Cavusoglu responded to questions from journalists on Turkeys purchase of Russias S-400 missile defense system. "There is no need to explain anything about the S-400s since it is already a done deal, he said, adding that Turkey would not break its agreement, and that "others commentary is not of interest to us. Who might those others be? Likely the Americans. Turkish government mouthpiece Daily Sabah wrote: US officials have threatened their NATO ally that purchasing the S-400 system could jeopardize Turkey's purchase of Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jets and possibly result in US sanctions. In multiple negotiation talks with a US delegation, Turkey has emphasized that it needs both the S-400 and Patriot systems. Ever since the Turkish government signed an agreement with Moscow in December 2017 to purchase the system, the issue has become an ongoing controversy between Ankara and Washington. The Russian missiles are expected to be delivered by the end of 2019. Yet Turkey is also part of the F-35 project, and the first delivery is expected by 2020. Until recently, relations between Ankara and Washington seemed to be warming, which triggered speculations that Turkey may rescind its deal with Russia and go along with its ally, the United States. If that's the case, what prompted Cavusoglu to be so blunt in calling the Russian missile sale a done deal while insinuating that American concerns do not bother Turkey? The prime if not the only policymaker on such issues is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who increasingly expresses displeasure on the US position regarding northeastern Syria. As local elections approach, Erdogan is tirelessly spearheading his party's electoral campaign, delivering daily speeches across the country. In each speech, he emphasizes Turkeys intention to establish a safe zone in northern Syria, adjacent to the shared border, some 30 to 40 kilometers deep. He wants to coordinate with the allies, meaning, the Americans, but if that is not possible (which seems to be the case) Turkey has the capability to enforce it on its own, he says. Despite his well-known oratory skills and his intimidating discourse regarding northeastern Syria, President Erdogan is relaying a version of events that does not correspond to the facts. It is open to debate whether Turkey alone could control a safe zone in Syria without air cover. As long as the US military is present in Syria, it is unlikely that Turkey could undertake a military campaign to destroy the Kurdish presence with its Arab allies in the Syrian Democratic Forces. Therefore, the American decision to leave 400 troops in Syria quickly sunk Turkey's aspirations for east of the Euphrates. President Erdogans daily speeches on Ankaras disappointment with Washington's decision, and Cavusoglu's remarks on the done deal with Russia, should be understood accordingly. The American decision to leave 400 troops in Syria, with only half to be stationed in the vast territory of northern Syria, has nothing to do with peacekeeping. Peacekeeping with 200 troops in the most volatile swath of territory on the entire globe is a sad joke. What is serious is that those 200 troops wear the uniform of the US military. Thus, the decision is a political one, with an explicit message: As long as US boots are on the ground in Syria, the area cannot be exclusively possessed by any party deemed unfit by the United States, whether it's Iran or the regime in Damascus. It is also an implicit message that the Americans do not want to see at least at this stage northeastern Syria within Russias sphere of influence. Among all the parties involved in the Syrian imbroglio, Turkey has been the one with the avowed interest to step in, as it did in Afrin in January 2018. Erdogan committed himself to the eradication of the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) from the area, while readying for a Turkish incursion. To be deprived of his plans as election day approaches is no doubt a big nuisance for Erdogan. In this sense, the Kurds of Syria are relieved by the American decision to stay. On the American side, striking a deal with Turkey on a buffer zone is unrealistic, as long as Turkeys position vis-a-vis the Kurds is a zero-sum game. If Americans declare their presence a buffer zone between Turkey and Syrian Kurds, the beneficiaries will be the Kurds. It's the Kurds who were bewildered by the possibility of a Turkish invasion, which would lead to their uprooting, as happened about a year ago in Afrin. The Americans can try to assuage Turkey as they already are by presenting the buffer zone as a safeguard for Turkey, which sees the Kurdish presence in northern Syria as an existential threat. But it is difficult to believe that the landlocked Kurds, who are struggling for survival, constitute a genuine cross-border threat to Turkey, in the physical sense. That is why the American buffer zone works for the Kurds and not for Turkey. That is why Turkey is unnerved by the American decision to stay, as reflected in Cavusoglus statement. The Kurds, meanwhile, are not concealing their satisfaction. Kurds still believe it is possible the United States will sell them out, but this does not seem as imminent as it did right after Trump's announcement of US withdrawal in December 2018. Did Trump backtrack from his decision? He refuses to say so, but he did. The Washington Post editorial headline from Feb. 22 is accurate: The Trump administration reverses on a major strategic blunder in Syria. The American reversal on withdrawal would be less hurtful for Erdogan if he would see eye to eye on the future of Syria with Vladimir Putin and Hassan Rouhani, his Astana and Sochi partners. Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested Feb. 24 that Russian military police be deployed in a proposed safe zone along Syrias border with Turkey, though it is unlikely that his proposal will be implemented. Reuters interpreted Lavrovs statement as "unlikely to appeal to Ankara, which is keen to set up the zone but has stressed it must be under Turkish control, with only its own forces deployed there. Russia has said that Turkey had no right to set up the zone without seeking and receiving consent from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Lavrov, while acknowledging that Turkeys security concerns are legitimate, did not conceal that Russia and Turkey disagree on policy regarding the Syrian Kurds. For Erdogan, they are terrorists connected to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), but Russia and Iran do not see them that way. The Russians are trying to persuade Turkey to compromise with Assad and recognize his right to re-establish his rule over the Syrian territories covered by Turkey. Turkey is pressed between the American hammer and the Russian anvil in Syria. As long as it does not change its Kurdish obsession almost an impossible choice given the authoritarian nationalist character of the Erdogan regime Turkeys Syrian prospects will remain uncertain, if not gloomy. WASHINGTON Even as President Donald Trump held his second meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in Hanoi to try to advance a North Korea nuclear deal, the Trump administration mocked as basically irrelevant Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarifs surprise resignation and return to the job this week, in a sign of how remote the prospects seem for the United States ever getting to the negotiating table with Iran. Some administration officials have recently privately expressed misgivings about how far the policy has strayed from Trumps stated goal last year to try to negotiate a broader deal with Iran that would address other concerns not solved in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that Trump withdrew from last year to one that increasingly seems regime change in all but name. I do think that Trumps basic realist lets make a broader deal approach has been hijacked by the regime change people, one US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said. I do think way, way too much of our stuff is basically trolling the Iranians, which makes them less likely to negotiate, the official said. And we raise the prestige costs for them of the other side sitting down with us. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, flying to Hanoi this week, assumed a dismissive tone to address reports of Zarifs resignation, saying the Iranian diplomat and his boss, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, were just front men for a corrupt, religious mafia. We note @JZarif's resignation, Pompeo tweeted Feb. 25 as he flew to join Trump in Hanoi. Well see if it sticks. Either way, he and @HassanRouhani are just front men for a corrupt religious mafia. We know @khamenei_ir makes all final decisions. Our policy is unchanged the regime must behave like a normal country and respect its people. The reference about final decisions was to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. A State Department official reiterated the insults of Zarif and Rouhani as front men in a mafia" regime in follow-up talking points shared with Al-Monitor today, but insisted the administrations goal had not changed from trying to negotiate a better deal with Iran. Asked about how insulting the people one says one would want to sit down and negotiate with would work, the official noted that Khamenei incessantly uses hostile rhetoric to discuss the United States. The bottom line, the official said, is Trump has made clear he wants to negotiate a new deal with Iran. As the president has made clear, our ultimate goal is to negotiate a good deal that ensures the safety of the American people and addresses the full scope of the Iranian regimes malign activities, the State Department official, speaking not for attribution, said. The United States is looking for a commitment from the Iranian regime that they are willing to make fundamental changes in their destructive behavior, the official continued. We are seeking a deal that comprehensively addresses the full range of the Iranian regimes destabilizing behavior. Sanctions relief, the re-establishment of full diplomatic and commercial relations with the United States, and US economic cooperation can only begin when we see that the Iranian regime is serious about changing its malign behavior, the official said. Trump might want to strike a new deal with Iran, but he has surrounded himself with advisers who do not support that, said Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group. The president has surrounded himself with people who do not share his vision of getting a better deal with Iran, Vaez told Al-Monitor. It is quite obvious if you look at his entourage they are not in favor of a mutually beneficial agreement with the Iranians. And the problem is that the president has not provided any signal on this particular issue that he is willing to go around his more hawkish advisers to get to the negotiating table, Vaez said. Former National Security Council Middle East czar Philip Gordon, who worked for the Barack Obama administration, agreed that the Trump administrations language and actions do not suggest it is genuinely seeking new negotiations with Iran, but rather regime change. I think the only way to really interpret the administration policy overall is indeed that it is designed not to bring about new negotiations, which are not realistic, but to bring about a new regime, Gordon, now with the Council on Foreign Relations, told Al-Monitor. It is the only way to make sense of what they are doing. It is not helpful to declare a policy of regime change, Gordon said. But if you look at their actions, and the logic of their approach, it is hard to conclude otherwise. He noted national security adviser John Boltons video message, tweeted by the White House on Feb. 11 on the 40th anniversary of Irans revolution, saying in essence their time is up. Vice President Mike Pence, too, speaking at conferences in Warsaw and Munich this month, also evoked Iran regime change, calling on the Europeans to leave the Iran nuclear deal, and to support freedom for the people of Iran seemingly by driving up the economic pressure so the Iranian people overthrow the regime. That anti-Iran deal and Iran regime change messaging from Pence actually drove the Europeans further away from the Trump administrations efforts to try to get them to cooperate on an effort to pressure Iran over its ballistic missile program, which had been advancing before the Feb. 13-14 Warsaw conference, Vaez said. They really tried hard in the run-up to Warsaw to advance US-European understanding on pressuring Iran for its ballistic missile program, Vaez said. Pences speech reversed all the gains achieved. I would argue, in the aftermath of Warsaw, the US is further away than before the conference in trying to build common ground to put pressure on Iran, he said. I understand that negotiations between [US Iran envoy Brian] Hook and others in State with their European counterparts had made significant progress before Warsaw. The Europeans were almost on board a special campaign on ballistic missiles. That was lost as a result of Pences intervention. The Trump administrations internal contradictions and ambivalence about whether its policy is to try to change the Iranian regime or negotiate with it is reflected in the administrations schizophrenic language about Zarifs resignation, Gordon said. For the Trump administration, Zarif, if anything, serves no positive purpose, Gordon said. He puts a smiling face on a distasteful regime and allows the Europeans to justify keeping the deal and doing diplomacy. If your goal is to depict the Iranian regime as an evil empire that needs to be pushed aside, it is not helpful having the guy charming the Europeans and saying the right things, Gordon said. French envoy to Algeria made Wednesday a swift and secret to and fro trip to Paris at the demand of President Emmanuel Macron as Paris scrutinizes the political situation in the North African country. The ambassador came to Paris to brief authorities on the charged political situation in the former French colony, triggered by President Abdelaziz Bouteflikas plans to run for a fifth term in office, French media LObs reports. The media, citing a senior French official who asked not to be named because not authorize to speak on the matter, says Xavier Driencourt met secretly Wednesday with French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to brief him on the situation in Algeria. Driencourts unannounced trip came following a telephone call from Macron himself. The French President has been daily keeping eye on Algeria, the source said. Before meeting the ambassador, Jean-Yves Le Drian had briefed a closed meeting of the Council of Ministers earlier Wednesday about the demonstrations in Algeria. The French weekly media published earlier this month a story where a top official was quoted as saying that Algeria has become the nightmare of the French President. The nightmare of the President of Republic is Algeria. It was that of his predecessors. The state top authorities are terrified by the prospect of a serious destabilization of our former colony after the death of Bouteflika [President since 1999], the official told the weekly. Repeated demonstrations have engulfed the gas-rich African country since President Bouteflika announced his plans to run For a fifth term in office during the April 18 elections. Demonstrators who will descend in streets again this Friday are demanding their aging leader to scrap his electoral plans. Paris is worried that France could bear the brunt if Algeria falls into chaos or a revolution removes ailing Bouteflika. The top official had explained French authorities worries by many reasons, including the fact that Algeria is Frances top gas supplier (10 per cent of import); and that millions of young Algerians (the under 20 making up 40 per cent of the countrys 42 million people) would be tempted to migrate to France across the Mediterranean Sea on makeshift boats. Besides, the country could slide back into its darkest years, the 1980s, that were marked by the rise of jihadism which threatened tranquility in France. Years later, they still tell stories at ProctorU about the wig. In Riverchase, ProctorU offers proctoring monitoring of students during online exams at any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for about 363 days out of the year. The company has offices in Alabama, California and the Philippines and monitors tests for schools and companies around the world. Consequently, the companys network of online proctors has seen many different, creatively ambitious even dastardly - ways to cheat. And yet, the wig has taken on the stuff of legend around the office. Jarrod Morgan, the companys co-founder, says the incident happened about three years ago. We had a female taking an examination and, at one point, she pretended to drop something off of her desk, Morgan said. She rolled a pencil off. So she ducks off camera, and a moment later, a man appeared with a wig on, complete with five oclock shadow, and proceeded to try to take the test. The proctor had to pick himself up off the floor and say, Hey, we have a problem. The wig story is just one example and not the most ambitious of how far some people will go to cheat on an exam. You can read about a few of them here. Last year, ProctorU oversaw 1.45 million exams. The company uses between 350 to 450 part-time and full-time human proctors during the year, along with a proprietary software that employs artificial intelligence to recognize behavior that might indicate cheating. Of those exams in 2018, 7,632 had confirmed and documented breaches. In all, the company states on its website, there were 1.1 million exams in 2018 where unpermitted resources were removed prior to the test. That means everything from calculators to notes to books and other items. That doesnt mean that all of those 1.1 million exams would have had cheating. But at a time when universities and corporations are having to rely on distance learning and Internet-based testing, its easy to see the importance of the service. Because of this, ProctorU not only tells us a lot about the future of education, but illuminates the basic borders, and limits, of human character. The all-seeing, online eyes Matt Leaman has seen it. Hes been with ProctorU for four years, and spent more than two as an online proctor. Now he manages them. Proctors get two weeks of training, and once they are up and running, they can oversee tests on staggered shifts occurring virtually anywhere. The exams range from university students to people in corporate settings to those seeking professional certification. Earlier this month, the company announced a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal with Google for its G Suite Certification, which shows a worker is proficient in using cloud-based tech tools. About 90 percent of the exams are overseen by a human proctor, who signs on with test takers and verifies their identity. Then the proctor, using a computer webcam, gets a look at the environment where the test is being taken. Once the test begins, the proctor is paying attention, as is the program. The job is to make sure the process is secure, but also deal with total strangers at what can be a moment of extreme anxiety and soul searching. The stakes are high, so the security has to be high, and we strive for quality," Leaman said. ProctorUs offices in Hoover are much like their other five. The blue color scheme is the same. The proctors wear uniforms and must oversee the exams from the office. In one room at ProctorU, a screen shows scores of proctors at computer screens watching at the other offices. Steve Morgan, the vice president of operations, can see whats going on around the world at any moment. This helps keep the process uniform and trustworthy. We run a tight ship, he said. These are secure networks were using. We have to have strict controls in place. Its a challenge. You have to have a very robust system. Academic cheating is probably as old as education itself. And in the days before online quizzes, of course, there were live, in-person proctors. There still are. Pam Paustian, the executive director of UABs division of e-learning and professional studies, has been in education for 18 years. UAB is one of Proctor Us customers, and she is very complimentary of the companys services. She remembers proctors walking around the room in the old days, observing test takers, looking for suspicious behavior. But just how sure can we be that someone isnt cheating? This question began to loom larger within the last 20 years, with the advent of distance learning. What to look for Just within the last month, ProctorU patented its online ID verification process. Over the last two years, it developed its artificial intelligence platform. AI is used to monitor the test taker during the testing process. Think about your own behavior if you were taking a test through a computer. Youd probably be sitting down. You might pause to think. Your eyes may look at a non-distinct point or focus on something random in the room for a second while you try desperately to remember that one thing you suddenly cant recall. The computer program is looking at your eyes, your facial expressions, where your eyes may be going. Are they focusing on something off screen, and if so, is this happening too many times to be coincidental? Are you recalling information, or perhaps, reading a cheat sheet youve carefully positioned behind the screen? Are you just tilting your head, or is there something youre looking at? What about that hand you keep bringing up to your mouth? Could something be written in your palm? Certain factors, like location, are important. Theres a reason its easier to take an online test in a library instead of a coffee house. Jerrod said a student had to be told once that he couldnt take an exam while in the backseat of a moving car, sandwiched between two other people. Another was prohibited from taking a test on the floor with his legs folded. The security process works better from a desk, as there is less opportunity for concealed information. Theres also the problem of the web camera angle, which must see the face. On the floor, the camera is aiming down, and it changed the way to see the person, he said. When youre working with artificial intelligence, you have to be very cognizant of camera angles. See also: Catching cheaters: Alabama company keeps tabs on test takers Debra Fowler-Sandford, the companys vice president of product management, said the AI program improves as it accumulates information gleaned from those millions of online exams. She compared it to the way a childs knowledge grows through experience. The more data you have, the smarter you are, she said. After a certain point, it recognizes, this is a cheating behavior, this is not. Sitting in his office, Matthew Jaeh, the companys chief technical officer, can call up a random test and look in. Not far from his desk, a two-foot tall figure of Darth Vader, ominously holding a webcam, looks out at any visitor. In one portion of the screen is a live video link with the person taking the test, along with their location indicated on a map. Jaeh can see if the test taker has opened up a new web browser while taking the test, or attempted to copy and paste anything into the test. The program can track if certain key combinations reoccur, which might mean the person changed the command keys for copy and paste. The program can also track the IP address to make sure this person is actually taking the test at this location, at this computer. The program will occasionally flag certain moments during a test for possible cheating behavior. The proctor can then immediately call that moment up. A test taker may occasionally talk aloud during the test. No problem, and not worth reporting. But if a proctor has a suspicion, they may go back and review that particular stretch of the test to see if anything else is spotted. Lets say cheating did occur. ProctorU stores every video view of every test for at least two years. Thats about 2 million tests. If a cheating incident is involved, they can store those sessions much longer for review. If a proctor sees something that might be cheating, he can say, Pan over there, and let me see what youre doing, Jaeh said. Just the act of questioning somebody can stop someone when theyre about to cheat. We do a lot of cheat prevention. Remember that 1.1 million number of unpermitted resources removed last year? After the test taker signs in, the proctor asks for a look at the room. This usually takes place with the test taker rotating their laptop web cam 360 degrees around the room to give a look. If the proctor sees anything suspicious scratch paper that looks like notes, books or materials within reaching distance, a phone they can ask the person to put them up before the test proceeds. Morgan said this simple act can prevent most people from cheating. The essentials Jarrod Morgan saw the difficulties of keeping test takers honest more than 10 years ago when he was working for Andrew Jackson University, a for-profit, distance learning school that was based in Birmingham. It was acquired in 2010 and is now known as New Charter University. Getting proctors for tests and ensuring a tests integrity was a constant challenge. We had a student population scattered all over the world, and it was pretty resource intensive, Jarrod said. There were a lot of moving parts, we had to coordinate with an on-ground proctor, and it wasnt really a paying gig to watch someone take a test. And we still found out that people were cheating like crazy. So the whole thing was broken, everybody hated it and it wasnt effective. ProctorU grew out of this dissatisfaction. After looking at the testing process and surveying the available technology, Jarrod said three essential concepts emerged. To have a proper examination, a proctor has to be able to verify who the student is, see the student, and see what how theyre taking the examination. Still, the initial feedback from schools was skepticism that web-based online test monitoring could work. The thing we had to get through peoples heads is that cheating has existed since the beginning, he said. There is no way to make any test cheatproof. ProctorU started in 2008, working exclusively within the education field. By July 2010, the company set an internal benchmark by proctoring 1,000 exams in a single month. Webcams were becoming standard in laptops. Cameras were becoming de rigueur for smart phones. The ability to check the boxes of verifying online identities and monitoring test takers was getting easier. All the company would have to do is develop the digital tools to take the concept further, and the technology to handle the volume and provide a good customer experience. About this time, when it was clear the company had found something, Jarrod called Jaeh, an old childhood friend from Pensacola and fellow classmate from the University of Florida. But Jaeh was in Los Angeles. He had just put an offer on a house and was pursuing work in music while overseeing the Best Buy Geek Squad in the L.A. area. He and Jarrod had several side projects, ProctorU being one of them. Jarrod wanted him to run the companys operations and technology. It only took a plane trip, and a look at Alabama real estate prices, to sell him on the idea. By January 2011, Jaeh had moved his family and the company began to take off, picking up engineers at hackathons and growing with the Birmingham tech community. By December 2014, ProctorU was monitoring 75,000 tests in a single month. Nearly two years later, in October 2016, it surpassed 100,000 exams in one month. The company has now proctored more than 5.1 million exams and partnered with about 1,300 educational and testing organizations. Now there are 15 engineers in ProctorUs offices, their quarter decorated with the typical start-up tech nerd office decor Star Wars posters, Funko Pop figures and video game ware. Just two-and-a-half years ago, there were only about three engineers, said Bryan Craig, a product architect. The limits of honesty It should be stated here that ProctorU doesnt punish cheaters. If a test is flagged for possible cheating behavior, a conflict resolution specialist may interrupt the test. They try to do it in a non-accusatory fashion, Jarrod said. If that person continues to exhibit that behavior, we document it, we record it, we give it to the testing organization. We dont make the decision on what happens to the test taker. We dont even know what happens to them. Thats not our job. What Jarrod and others say is that ProctorUs services are really good at preventing cheating with the folks who might not plan on cheating until they are deep into that really important test that they know can make or break their future, and they are flat bombing it. If you have 10 people in a test, and eight of them have to be told to put up their phone, or that incriminating sheet of paper, or that book, that might make some lose faith in the honesty of others. That alarms people. They wonder, were all those people going to cheat? Jarrod said. Probably not. But theres a large percentage of people between the cheaters and the honest. You might call them situational cheaters. Ashley Norris, the companys chief academic officer, talks about this. She came on board with ProctorU about a year ago with a background in education, having earned a PhD from the University of Alabama. Some cheating behaviors Norris attributes to todays culture. Some students dont seem to understand the difference between writing a paper, and cutting and pasting whole paragraphs of information into a paper. Many students dont know how to study. She thinks most people have good intentions, and may not realize theyre cheating. But shes also familiar with the theory of moral disengagement. Thats a term from social psychology for when people convince themselves that even closely held ethical standards, for whatever reason, do not apply to themselves in a particular situation. Jinyan Fan is an associate professor of psychology at Auburn University. For the past three months, he has been studying online testing in China - the kind without proctors. Chinese officials commissioned the study after they began to wonder how much cheating was going on during online exams. They found test takers Googling answers, sharing answers with other students, even projecting their computer screens to share tests or to grab answers from others watching. Fan said his study began interrupting tests and giving students the impression that they were being watched. In some cases, they were, with a program taking photos of the test takers every few minutes. The study found evidence of moral disengagement, among other aspects, once the students were surveyed after. Students might experience anger if they felt thwarted in pursuing a goal. Or they might experience fear if they perceived someone watching them during the test, and guilt at being caught. They might then be motivated to repair any injury to their reputations. Why were the students cheating? They may have perceived that everybody else was, and no one seemed to be getting caught. When youre testing online, theres a perception that nobodys watching me, Norris said. And you may have somebody who thinks, If I dont pass this, I dont know what Im going to do. The future of integrity There are other factors. Universities struggle with student retention and financial aid fraud, making test integrity a paramount concern. Corporations, adopting procedures that require more work with less people filling the slots, rely heavily on online certification, as well as keeping their proprietary information secure and confidential. And professionals need online instruction and testing when they are forced by circumstances to switch careers. Norris said education is moving more toward distance learning and using online capabilities. Universities are partnering with corporations to produce graduates for specific jobs, needing specialized certifications. So that means more online tests, and more opportunities for combat with the crafty, conniving cheaters and the would-be, situational shysters. Yet Jarrod said if he didnt see a large percentage of students attempting to cheat, he would be concerned that the process was not working. The only time Ive seen proctors feel very emotionally upset is when theyre proctoring nursing exams, he said. Theyre thinking, I might be in this persons exam room and need them to know this. As we move from education into certification and licensure, theres a real public good to affirm that someone has this knowledge that theyre being testing on. Regions Financial Corp. on Wednesday presented the companys three-year strategic growth plan at an Investor Day in New York. Among its priorities, the company plans to spend about $625 million this year on technology investments, and over the next three years, Regions looks to expand its use of artificial intelligence systems for both customer-facing and back-office applications. Regions also plans expansion in what it sees as key growth markets in areas including Atlanta, Houston, and Orlando. At the same time, the company looks to reduce expenses, such as real estate square footage. Regions said it is in the process of exiting 2.1 million square feet, aiming for a 15 percent reduction in total branch and non-branch space between 2017 and 2021. This year, the company projects adjusted average loan growth in the low single digits, an adjusted total revenue growth of two to four percent, and relatively stable adjusted non-interest expense. President and CEO John Turner said the company is focused on generating consistent, sustainable, long-term performance. Through our ongoing commitment to efficiency, effectiveness and continuous improvement, we will accelerate our growth by making strategic and disciplined investments in technology, talent and the markets we serve while also maintaining a strong and integrated risk management culture, Turner said. An undocumented immigrant crime victims help to secure an arrest and his initial hesitance to come forward over his status in a Trussville murder prompted the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office to hold a news conference Wednesday ensuring the Hispanic community that authorities will not ask about victims or witness status. What we want the Hispanic community to know is that [immigration status is] a completely separate issue, said Capt. David Agee of the sheriffs office. We dont want anyone or any community to be victimized by crime. We want to help all victims. We are reaching out and we want the message to get out that no one should be afraid to report being the victim of a crime. Agee noted that the only time immigration status is relevant is when an undocumented suspect is arrested and in custody. U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement would then have information on immigration status, but otherwise sheriffs deputies are not ICE agents and we dont act as ICE agents. When we take a report we are not asking about immigration status. Walter Edward Juskiewicz, 32, was arrested on charges of capital murder and attempted murder in the Monday night killing of his 39-year-old co-worker, Arnulfo Ortega, according to the sheriffs office. The second victim in the shooting, an undocumented immigrant, was reluctant to report what had happened due to his immigration status, Capt. David Agee of the sheriffs office told the news conference. The Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama supplied a translator to the sheriffs office to make the victim feel more comfortable in talking to authorities. A Tuskegee woman was sentenced to seven years in federal prison Monday after being convicted of running a wire fraud scheme involving high-end baby strollers, the U.S. attorneys office in Montgomery and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said Wednesday. Tanya Lee English, also known as Tanya Roberts and Tonya Wilson, 44, was convicted of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and federal firearms charges stemming from the four-year scheme. Her sentence also includes an order to pay more than $119,000 in restitution and three years of supervision once released. English posted ads on Craigslist and eBay listing high-end baby strollers like Uppababy Vista and Bugaboo Donkey for sale. The strollers retailed for between $900 and $1,500 apiece but English listed them for sale between $599 or $900. When buyers sent English money for the strollers through PayPal, they would never hear from her again and never received a stroller. The buyers sent English the money to 41 PayPal accounts set up both in Englishs real name and other peoples identities. English conducted more than $277,000 in fraudulent business, although PayPal fraud investigators were able to reverse some of the charges, bringing the companys loss from the scheme to more than $119,000, prosecutors said. Ms. English, like many thieves, prey on her victims using the internet, said Louis Franklin, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. She swindled legitimate buyers out of their hard earned money, and tried to cover her tracks using the stolen identities of innocent people. My office is committed to working with law enforcement to identify these crooks and make them pay for their crimes. Consumers should always be cautious when making online purchases and report any unusual activity immediately. Banks and online payment systems have fraud departments that can limit losses if they are notified in time to take action. When authorities executed an arrest warrant for the wire fraud and identity theft charges, agents found a number of guns and ammunition in the home English shared with her husband, Timothy Andre English. The Englishes, who each had prior felony convictions, were charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Timothy English was sentenced to 18 months in prison in July 2018. During Tanya Englishs sentencing, evidence was presented indicating that while she was on release on the fraud and firearms case, she was again engaging in fraudulent activities, prosecutors said. English allegedly solicited donations for domestic violence victims, such as baby items, womens items and gift cards but then used them for herself, Franklin said. When Ms. English received bank cards delivered by the Postal Service and then used those items to commit fraud, that small detail drew the attention of Postal Inspectors, said Adrian Gonzalez, inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Services Houston Division. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is proud to have worked with our law enforcement partners while protecting the sanctity of the U.S. Mail for public commerce. The musical sounds from the band at Oxmoor Valley Elementary school in Birmingham will have a different ring after today. This morning, StubHub surprised students with $41, 725 worth of instruments during a musical assembly. The donation was a part of StubHubs Next Stage Social Good program. In 2017, the ticket exchanges philanthropy program formed a three-year partnership with the Mr. Hollands Opus Foundation to give money and instruments to schools with robust musical programs. The table of instruments donated by StubHub. (Credit: Shauna Stuart for al.com) We believe that instruments in schools and music education in schools is really important, Stubhubs Head of Music partnerships Jay Harren told Al.com before the program. In fact, Mr. Hollands Opus has done some research which says that schools that have music programs have a 93 percent graduation rate, as opposed to those who dont who have a {lower} graduation rate. So we just want to support that. Today was StubHubs first time donating instruments in Alabama. The Mr. Hollands Opus foundation-- named after the acclaimed motion picture-- has donated money and instruments to more than 10 schools in the state, including the Alabama School for the Blind, Lee High School in Huntsville , and Rain High School in Mobile. StubHub's Jay Harren, Oxmoor Principal Melvin Love, and band director Takisha Frazier pose with Oxmoor Elementary students (Credit: Kyle Carpenter) Over the years, says Harren, StubHub has given 2.5 million dollars worth of instruments. For the partnership, now in its second year, StubHub pledges the money and the Mr. Hollands Opus Foundation vets and recommends potential schools. To qualify for the donations, the recipients must be title-1 schools with a strong musical instruction program and healthy emphasis on performance and curriculum. Students admire new instruments donated by StubHub. (Credit: Shauna Stuart for al.com) Were committed to {donating} three million dollars worth of instruments across the nation, said Harren. Weve got several more schools to work with across this year. Unveiling the surprise Around 8:45 a.m., unsuspecting students began filing into the auditorium for a school assembly and band performance. Students set up music stands and instruments in front of the auditorium stage. Nearby, cheerleaders walked in and lined the front row of the bleachers, chatting quietly and smiling. Students enter the auditorium at Oxmoor Valley Elementary school. (Credit: Shauna Stuart for al.com) After a warm welcome, the band-- comprised of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students led by Oxmoor Valleys music director Takisha Frazier-- performed a few musical selections. Then, Harren took to the podium to address the audience. If I were to ask you how much a trumpet costs, what would you say? asked Harren, turning to the band. One thousand dollars! one of the students piped up enthusiastically. Close! Harren responded. Its closer to 500 dollars. Now, how much do you think a tuba costs? The young musicians smiled as they called out more numbers. One thousand! shouted one. Eight hundred! exclaimed another. I bet youre all wondering why youre here at this assembly, said Harren. I know youre probably scratching your heads. Now, can I get a drum roll please? Oxmoor Valley Elementary School cheerleaders raise their pom poms during the assembly. (Credit: Kyle Carpenter) He learned toward the microphone as one of the students beat the snare. I am excited to let you all know that today that we are giving you $41, 725 worth of instruments to your school! announced Harren, motioning to stage where the curtains opened to reveal a table of shiny instruments: 2 tubas, 2 baritones, 2 French horns, 5 flutes, 5 trumpets, 5 clarinets, 1 keyboard and 1 drum set. All of these instruments are staying here with you! exclaimed Harren, as the room erupted into gasps, cheers, and applause from students and staff. Students look at newly unveiled instruments. StubHub surprised students at Oxmoor Valley Elementary School with $41, 725 worth of instruments during a musical assembly. (Credit: Shauna Stuart for Al.com) You all are doing a good job educating At the assembly, Birmingham School Board District 7 representative Patricia Spigner McAdory and Senator Rodger Smitherman sang the praises of music education programs while sharing personal stories of how music impacted their lives. All three of my children received music education from Birmingham city schools under the direction of Frank Adams, said McAdory as she took the podium. Adams, a longtime musician and teacher, was an influential band leader and charter member of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Two of McAdorys children went on to receive full music scholarships from Alabama State University. I grew up in a musical home, said Sen. Rodger Smitherman. Smithermans mother Mary, who was a principal in the Shelby County school system, was also a music instructor. If she taught music and I lived in the house, I had to be involved in music. So I learned how to play the piano. I grew up loving music like you all have and I still do love music," said Smitherman. And you all sitting out there, youre going to have your chance to be right here where {I am}. Hopefully these instruments will expand that opportunity for you all. The senator led a round of applause for StubHub and the Mr. Hollands Opus Foundation, calling them good corporate citizens. Just remember, they could have gone anywhere in the world to do what they did here. But because of what you all are doing and your dedication, they chose here. So remember that and take that with pride, said Smitherman. And I want you to know that well continue to support music and support the schools. Because you all are doing a good job educating. The band at Oxmoor Elementary is composed of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. (Shauna Stuart for Al.com) If you cant do it, Ms. Frazier can help you Much of that credit can go to Oxmoor Valley Elementarys music director Takisha Frazier. That morning, staff and students celebrated Frazier, recognizing her as an innovative educator. During the assembly, assistant principal Maggie Todd sang her praises. She teaches across the content areas in music and math, said Todd. She has inspired me. Shes been a pioneer. Shes been a trailblazer for Oxmoor Valley. Frazier, who leads the band, started as a substitute teacher at Oxmoor Valley in 2013 with the reading program. Later, she began teaching math, then added music full time in 2015. Shes been teaching the band program for five years. The Oxmoor Valley Elementary School band, under the direction of Takisha Frazier. (Credit: Shauna Stuart for Al.com) The National Association for Music education lists reports from 1996 to 2012 about the effects of music on test scores and reading proficiency. Frazier, who incorporates music into her math and reading curriculum, says shes seen evidence of how music education can impact academic performance. Band director Takisha Frazier and her students. (Shauna Stuart for Al.com) Most of our kids pretty much perform well on their tests, due to the fact that I do teach math concepts with rhythms and counting. So it helps them with fractions when we do time signatures. So they pretty much understand the math and the reading. Fraziers students affectionately describe her as a patient and compassionate teacher who is always available to guide her students one on one. If you cant do it, then Ms. Frazier can help you, said fifth-grader Raechal Middlebrooks, who joined the band program two years ago. Raechal Middlebrooks gives a saxophone solo. (Shauna Stuart for Al.com) Frazier, who plays the French horn, smiled widely as she talked about the future of her band program, especially for one student named Johnathan Coleman. Theres one student this year that wanted to play baritone. I didnt have any baritones here at all. But his sister played the baritone and he wanted to play. So I told him that Id find a baritone for him, said Frazier. She was able to borrow an instrument for Coleman, but told him he would eventually have to return it. Luckily we got the grant! Frazier said, happily. And he was sitting in here {today} just smiling and crying because he was like now I get to play the baritone! So yes! This makes a major difference. Baritone player Johnathan Coleman (center) waits for cues. (Credit: Shauna Stuart for al.com) Nearby, Coleman looked excited. I like the sound and the rhythm and stuff, he said, describing the reasons he enjoys playing the baritone. The young musician, who also plans to add the tuba to his repertoire, says Frazier is a good band teacher. When I first came, I didnt know nothing about notes. But then she taught me and now I know notes. Fifth grader Cammora Mallory plays the clarinet. She happily explained how she learned to play the instrument with the Fraziers help, and was excited to see the new instruments on the table that morning. It was was cool! When I saw that clarinet, I was like ohhh I want it. She paused mid-sentence, suddenly remembering that shes headed to middle school near year, to a new school. Fifth grader Cammora Mallory plays the clarinet. (Credit: Shauna Stuart for Al.com) Im not going to be in the band anymore! she exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands. Then she smiled, thinking about past clarinet lessons she had with Frazier. You had to blow the air out without puffing your cheeks. That was hard, she said, grinning. Im actually used to it now. But I actually thank Ms. Frazier for teaching me step-by-step how to learn to play an instrument. I just thank her for that. Thirteen authors will offer their perspectives and insights on Alabama as featured speakers in the Read Alabama 200 program. These writers -- which include Charles Ghigna, Irene Latham and Lila Quintero Weaver -- are among the folks commemorating the Alabama Bicentennial, a statewide celebration that marks Alabamas 200th birthday as one of the United States. Libraries, museums, civic groups, churches or other organizations in Alabama can request the authors as speakers this year, according to the Alabama Bicentennial website. Heres the list of writers participating in the program: Richard Bailey: The Montgomery native and historian focuses on the Alabama Reconstruction and Alabama African American history. Hes the author of Neither Carpetbaggers nor Scalawags: Black Officeholders during the Reconstruction of Alabama, 1867-1878 and They Too Call Alabama Home: African American Profiles, 1800-1999. (Email: scholarship111@bellsouth.net) Emily Blejwas: A Mobile resident, shes the author The Story of Alabama in Fourteen Foods and Once You Know This. Blejwas is the director of the Gulf States Health Policy Center in Bayou La Batre and a board member of the Alabama Folklife Association. (Email: eblejwas@gmail.com) Edwin C. Bridges: This historian is director emeritus of the Alabama Department of Archives and History and the author of Alabama: The Making of an American State. (Email: edwinbridges@gmail.com) John Dersham: Hes a photographer, president of DeKalb Tourism and the author of My Alabama: John Dersham Photographs a State (set for publication in April) and Fort Payne. (Email: jdersham@mindspring.com) Bill Deutsch: Hes a former aquatic ecologist at Auburn Univeristy, a founding director of Alabama Water Watch (a community-based volunteer water monitoring program) and the author of Alabama Rivers, A Celebration And Challenge. (Email: deutswg@auburn.ed) Charles Ghigna: This Alabama resident, nicknamed Father Goose, specializes in childrens literature. He has written more than 100 books and 5,000 poems for young readers and adults. (Email: PaGoose@aol.com) Irene Latham: This Blount County resident is the author of books such as Meet Miss Fancy, Dont Feed the Boy and Leaving Gees Bend." She writes fiction, nonfiction and poetry. (Email: irene@irenelatham.com) Herbert James Lewis: The historian and former U.S. Attorney is the author of "Alabama Founders: Fourteen Political and Military Leaders who Shaped the State, Lost Capitals of Alabama and Clearing the Thickets: A History of Antebellum Alabama. (Email: hjl749@aol.com) James Pate: The Vestavia Hills resident is emeritus professor of history at the University of West Alabama and the author of The Annotated Picketts History of Alabama. (Email: jppate42@gmail.com) Alvin Rosenbaum: The Shoals native is a regional planner, management consultant and the author of nine books, including The Muscle Shoals: First Frontier of These United States. (Email: alvinrosenbaum@gmail.com) John Sledge: The Fairhope resident is senior architectural historian for the Mobile Historic Development Commission and the author of six books including These Rugged Days: Alabama in the Civil War and The Mobile River. Sledge also wrote about books for many years at the Mobile Press-Register. (Email: sledge@cityofmobile.org) Karyn W. Tunks: Shes a professor of education at the University of South Alabama in Mobile and the author of three picture books for children, Mardi Gras in Alabama!," USS Alabama: Hooray for the Mighty A! and JUBILEE! (Email: ktunks@southalabama.edu) Lila Quintero Weaver: Shes a native of Argentina, a longtime resident of Alabama, a graphic memoirist, an illustrator and a documentarian of the immigrant experience in the American South. Quintero Weaver is the author of Darkroom: A Memoir in Black and White and My Year in the Middle. (Email: lilaweaver@gmail.com) To request speakers, organizations must contact the authors directly, via email addresses listed here and on the Alabama Bicentennial website. The authors determine their own schedules and wont charge speaking fees, the website says. For more information on the Read Alabama 200 program, email blake.denton@bicentennial.alabama.gov. After a vote Tuesday by the United Methodist Church General Conference to keep its stance against gay marriage and openly gay clergy, Methodist-affiliated Birmingham-Southern College issued a statement to affirm a welcoming campus. In light of the recent events, I believe it is important to state as clearly and emphatically as possible that Birmingham-Southern welcomes people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, BSC President Daniel Coleman said in a statement released today. We welcome all people in all capacities. Here is the full statement released by Colemand on behalf of the 1,300-student college: "As many of you know, the United Methodist Church voted Tuesday at its General Conference to uphold and strengthen its prohibition of the ordination of LGBTQ pastors as well as the prohibition of hosting and officiating same-sex marriages. "Birmingham-Southern College was created from the merger of two colleges, Southern University and Birmingham College, both founded by the Methodist Church. The traditions of the church have had a profound impact on our school and have guided us to the institution we are today. As our mission statement says, BSC honors its Methodist heritage of informed inquiry and meaningful service. "At the same time, we believe that an educational community thrives when its membership is diverse and when everyone in our community feels not just safe, but welcome. Birmingham-Southern College welcomes into its community of faculty, staff, and students people of all beliefs, races, and ethnic backgrounds. In light of the recent events, I believe it is important to state as clearly and emphatically as possible that Birmingham-Southern welcomes people of all sexual orientations and gender identities . We welcome all people in all capacities. "Birmingham-Southern is here today to develop young people for lives of significance through teaching, scholarship, and service. We create a community here to prepare young people to have a positive impact on the world around them when they leave. Our focus is to create graduates who follow these words of John Wesley: 'Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.' Nothing will change this focus. Police say a man's body was found in an Alabama creek and now two Georgia men are charged with murder. News outlets report the body of Jeremy Fetner was found Friday in Moore's Creek in Lanett. A statement released Wednesday by West Point police in Georgia says Donald Kee and Aaron Creed were arrested and charged in Fetner's killing. Police say Fetner was attacked, but a motive hasn't been determined. They say a person reported Feb. 20 that they saw a man being assaulted at a West Point home. The person couldn't provide the man's name or location, but did offer the attackers' names. Two days later, Lanett police contacted West Point police about the body in the creek. Its unclear if Kee and Creed have lawyers who could comment. A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling against excessive police seizures has Alabama lawmakers poised to press ahead with civil asset forfeiture reform. Law enforcement agencies who are influential in conservative Alabama want to get ahead of the reform talks that will begin next month after the Legislature returns to Montgomery on Tuesday to begin their spring session. A host of law enforcement groups will gather at 2:30 p.m. Thursday for a news conference at the Old House of Representatives Chamber in the state Capitol. On hand will be state Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Birmingham, who was one of the co-sponsors on legislation last year that considered reforms such as requiring more transparency on the items seized during arrests. Its unclear what will be unveiled. A news release Wednesday only promised an announcement of an important agreement about the issue. The system is strongly backed by law enforcement in Alabama who often benefit from keeping seized cash. Law enforcement advocates claim that its an important crime-fighting tool, as it allows them to remove ill-gotten gains of illegal activity. In Alabama, a civil court determines if the agency involved in the seizure can keep the property. And that determination can be made even if that person is never convicted or even charged with a crime, a fact that has drawn a heavy dose of criticism and analysis. The Institute for Justice, in grading states based on their civil asset forfeiture laws, gave Alabama a D- largely because it maintains a low bar to forfeit an asset even if no criminal conviction is needed. The Institutes report also takes Alabama to task for having no way to measure the extent which law enforcement agencies use civil asset forfeiture. Alabama District Attorneys Association executive director Barry Matson told AL.com Tuesday that his organization remains 100 percent supportive of increased transparency that could include the development of a database to log in the specifics on what is seized, and which agency is responsible. But Matson said that law enforcement does not support an outright repeal of civil asset forfeitures. A host of lawmakers, including state Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur who co-sponsored the reform measures last year with Mooney believe a criminal conviction should be required before law enforcement can seize someones property. "We fully support data collection and the reporting of all seizures and forfeitures, said Matson. We are committed to working to see that come about. Should be banned Reformers have felt emboldened since the unanimous Feb. 13 ruling by the Supreme Court in a case involving a small-time drug offender in Indiana who had his $42,000 Land Rover seized by police despite claiming that his fathers life insurance policy, not drug money, was used to purchase it. The Supreme Court ruled that the Eighth Amendment, which limits the ability of the federal government to seize property, also applies to the states. The courts decision also comes as public opinion is routinely supportive toward reform. A 2016 Cato Institute poll showed a whopping 84 percent opposing civil asset forfeiture. The Supreme Court decision applies for Alabama, and there is room for legislative action to make a fairer process for the people, said Brock Boone, staff attorney with the ACLU of Alabama. We would say that civil asset forfeitures should be banned, but what (state lawmakers) could do at the least is make it clear that law enforcement abide by the Supreme Court decision. There is no guarantee that it will happen at this point without direction from the Legislature. Shay Farley, senior policy counsel with the SPLC Action Fund, a nonprofit policy arm of the Southern Poverty Law Center, said her organization is examining the court ruling to determine how people can be protected under it in Alabama. She said they are also examining what other states may do regarding reform. In South Carolina, for instance, 71 legislators recently unveiled a bipartisan bill to reform civil asset forfeiture. The issue is a relatively new matter going before South Carolina lawmakers following a report produced by Anderson Independent Mails TAKEN investigation and published by The Greenville News showed the states climate was filled with unfairness in the seizure of private property. Immediately following the publication of that, 71 bipartisan legislators signed on as co-sponsors, said Farley. We think that Alabama should pay attention. SPLC and the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice in Montgomery, released a detailed analysis that included powerful testimonies from victims of questionable asset seizures by police. The revelations were included in a report, released in January 2018, titled Forfeiting Your Rights. The report led to a series of negotiations, but it did not produce legislative change. Mooney and Orrs original bill, which required criminal conviction before private property can be seized, did not advance. A new measure was formulated and debated that required a database and more transparency. It died during the waning days of last years legislative session. Potential abolishment Farley said that this time around, a transparency-only reporting bill alone is insufficient. Yes, people have rights they didnt have before (the Supreme Courts decision), said Farley. Some state lawmakers are prepared to return to the negotiating table, which is where they were at about a year ago when discussions were lengthy and involved diverse constituencies that included left-leaning groups like Alabama Appleseed and right-leaning Alabama Policy Institute. State Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, who co-sponsored the reform bills along with Mooney, said earlier this week he plans to file legislation this spring to require criminal convictions before any assets are forfeited to the government. He said requiring more transparency also remains on the table. State Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, said the very basic minimum legislation is to require a public database be set up so the public can see whats going on with civil asset forfeiture. Ward also predicts there will be legislation that will request a potential abolishment of the practice altogether. Ward, who chairs the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee, which is likely to hear some of the proposals, said that the Indiana case really highlights the problem. Matson believes the specifics of the Indiana case do not apply to Alabama. He said that Alabama has laws on the books already that prohibits activity under the excessive fines clause of the Eighth Amendment as well as the Alabama Constitution. The civil asset forfeiture reform debate could continue what appears to be a rare split between law enforcement and Republicans who dominate the Alabama Legislature. Aside from gun laws, no one issue in Montgomery has sparked more push back from law enforcement. You get a lot of Libertarians who are also involved in the Republican Party, said Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran. And those are the ones pushing for a pull away from the forfeitures and that stuff hurts us. The City of Birmingham on Thursday announced an anti-gun violence campaign and declared gun violence a public health crisis for the city and Jefferson County. Mothers and loved ones of those killed from gun violence in Birmingham stood with Mayor Randall Woodfin and the city council, all of them wearing black T-shirts that read Increase Peace. When I was asked to be part of this, it touched my heart. Being a mother who lost a child to gun violence in this city, its devastating, said Carolyn Johnson. Johnsons son, Rodreckus, was fatally shot at a party in November 2003. My son was going to a party and I expected him to come back home. But a bullet has no name on it. Its going to take all of us banding together to tackle this thing thats plaguing our communities. It was my house. It could be your house next. Johnson, along with several other women, will be featured in a series of video public service announcements from the city about the campaign. Shunda Milhouse recalls the earth-shattering phone call that forever changed her life the day she lost her daughter April to gun violence. Please help us #IncreasePeace by texting PEACE to 888-777. pic.twitter.com/kcP5bY37Ca City of Birmingham (@cityofbhamal) February 28, 2019 Gun violence: a public health crisis Dr. Mark Wilson, Health Officer for the Jefferson County Department of Health, declared gun violence a public health crisis in Jefferson County and vowed to help the city in its efforts. Wilson cited statistics showing 90 percent of all Birmingham homicides involve guns; 86 percent of those victims are black. If one group more than others is affected such that makes a health disparity, and if its preventable, we should make a special effort to address it. Violence is one of those things, Wilson said. But the culture of violence is complex. There arent simple solutions to the issue, he said. If we have one part of our community thats suffering from disease, premature death or violence, its affecting all of us, Wilson said. The Jefferson County Department of Health stands ready to work with others to address this problem. We dont have all the answers, but we are committed to supporting the city and others in this effort. Willing to be put resources and people into that effort. Woodfin shared statistics about the prevalence of guns and gun violence in Birmingham from 2018 and the first month of 2019. In January, there were eight homicides and 18 felony assaults and more than 800 gun-related 911 calls in Birmingham. Police have seized 320 guns so far in 2019. In 2018, more than 2,300 guns were seized. Neighborhood block watch programs Woodfin urged residents to get involved with an existing or to start a neighborhood block watch program in their neighborhood. For those who arent already involved, he said one of the leaders of these programs called crime prevention officers will be at each of the four Birmingham police precincts every Thursday from 2 to 5 p.m. to help residents start a block watch program in their neighborhood or get involved with an existing one. Be the eyes and additional ears for your block and your neighborhood, he said. These are small steps to make a big impact. The city is also joining in the national Stop the Bleed campaign to teach people how to stop heavy bleeding to hopefully prevent loss of life. Woodfin said UAB Hospital officials will be holding classes for residents at city recreation centers beginning in mid-March. Those interested will be able to register for these classes in the coming days by going to the city website. King Mohammed VI congratulated President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, upon his re-election to the highest office of his country. After he addressed him a felicitations message on Wednesday, the Monarch reiterated his congratulations to President Buhari in a telephone talk Thursday. The call was an opportunity for both leaders to reiterate their shared desire to strengthen the two countries partnership around strategic projects. In the message he addressed to the Nigerian Head of state Wednesday, King Mohammed VI expressed him his warmest congratulations and best wishes for greater success in his high office and in leading the Nigerian brotherly people to greater progress and prosperity. Your election for a new term translates the level of trust you enjoy with the brotherly Nigerian people, given your lofty human qualities, your wisdom and political acumen. It is also a tribute to your commitment and dedication to serve the Nigerian peoples best interests, and to fulfil their aspirations for further progress and prosperity, in a secure and stable environment, said King Mohammed VI. The Sovereign also voiced his satisfaction with the relations rooted in close brotherly bonds and mutual esteem between us personally and our peoples. He reiterated his firm determination to continue to work together with president Buhari to strengthen the fruitful cooperation between our two nations and give it fresh impetus in all sectors, making it a model on our African Continent. The Nigerian Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday announced incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari winner of Feb. 23 presidential elections. INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu said Buhari from All Progressives Congress (APC) won the Sunday presidential poll with 15,191,847 votes against 11,262,978 for his main challenger Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Mobile, will file a major education policy bill in the U.S. House Thursday expanding school choice nationwide. The Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act would allow a dollar-for-dollar federal income tax credit, up to $5 billion nationwide, for donations made by individuals and businesses that are used as scholarships for students to choose where they attend K-12 school. This bill, Byrne said, "is exactly what the President was referring to in his State of the Union speech." President Donald Trump gave a one-sentence shout out to school choice in his Feb. 5 State of the Union speech, saying, "To help support working parents, the time has come to pass school choice for America's children." Whether the bill has a real chance of passage in a Democrat-controlled House is yet to be seen. Democrats have generally opposed tax-credit programs, calling for all available tax dollars to be used to support public schools. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is sponsoring a similar bill in the Senate but with a $10 billion cap on federal tax credits. Byrne said he is a "proud public school supporter," having served eight years on the Alabama State Board of Education, but parents need options. "We know that there are public schools that are perennially failing our students," Byrne, who serves on the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee, said. "We know we have places around Alabama where parents are desperate for a choice." Were going to give them a choice, he continued. And to me, thats the most American thing you can do. Byrne said he and Cruz worked with U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to develop the bill. At a press conference Thursday morning, Byrne referred to DeVos visit to Mobile in 2017, where they visited ACCEL Academy. Byrne said he was inspired by how students lives had been changed by attending the school. DeVos, surrounded by students on stage, said, A great education shouldnt be determined by luck, by address, or by family income. School choice will now be available to all, she said, not only the rich, the powerful, and the well-connected. DeVos said states will determine whether or not to participate. States will determine student eligibility requirements, according to a spokesperson for Byrne. The U.S. Department of Education unveiled a new web site about the program, called Education Freedom Scholarships, which includes fact sheets about the bill. Scholarships could be used to pay not only for regular school-day services, according to the site, but also apprenticeships and industry certifications, dual enrollment in high school and college, special education services and therapies, tutoring, and transportation to and from home to schools outside of the students zone. Alabama is one of 18 states that has a state-administered tax-credit scholarship program in place. The Alabama Accountability Act, passed by lawmakers in 2013 and amended in 2015, set up a program similar to the one being proposed at the federal level. Critics of Alabama's program charge that money used for scholarships is money that would otherwise be used to support public schools. Byrne said that the federal program "is not taking any money away from the federal funding that goes to states for education." Around 4,000 students are currently using state tax-credit scholarships to attend private and public schools in Alabama. There is a $30 million cap on state tax credits in Alabama, which supporters of the program believe limits the reach. Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund director Lesley Searcy said more than 20,000 students have been on their waiting list over the five years scholarships have been available. "A tax credit at the federal level," Searcy said, "is going to give the tens of thousands of parents that have applied for one of the Accountability Act scholarships the hope that there will be an opportunity for their children." Byrne recently announced his plans to run for U.S. Senate in 2020, becoming the first to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Doug Jones for the seat. Updated at 11:15 a.m. to include additional information about the bill. LIVE NOW > Secretary Betsy DeVos Unveils Plan for Historic Investment in Americas Students through #EducationFreedom Scholarships Posted by U.S. Department of Education on Thursday, February 28, 2019 Joe Cain Day has flaunted Mardi Gras rebellion for over five decades ever since the late folklorist Julian Judy Rayford spearheaded an eclectic everymans Peoples Parade in the late 1960s. But in recent years, the parade always referred to as a procession has been known, too, for controversy. In 2014, a permit-fee dispute erupted: The Joe Cain Parading Society claimed the fee was necessary for insurance purposes. But foot-marchers refused to pay for $20 permits, and broke away. Things got patched up in 2017, and both sides say that the squabbling is over. And now the foot marchers, known as the Joe Cain Marching Society, want to boost their numbers. Their message is clear and direct: If you ever wanted to march in a Mardi Gras parade, this is your chance to do so and at no cost. Its a signal to the people that Youre all welcome to come down, said Michael Lyons, president of the Joe Cain Marching Society, and longtime foot marcher himself. Its the only true Peoples Parade. Free event Lyons said that the group has a permit that allows up to 1,000 marchers, although such a turnout seems unlikely. Last year, the foot marchers totaled around 300, all dressed in elaborate attire and handing out beads and other trinkets. Lyons said hes hoping that 500 people show up. There are no special requirements, other than that participants need to arrive to the Mobile Civic Center at Claiborne Street by 2 p.m., a half-hour before the procession begins. Of course, weather looms as a major concern. The forecasts for Sunday are calling for an almost 100 percent chance of rain, and there are some who are wondering if the procession will take place at all or will be moved to Fat Tuesday. On Friday, a police spokeswoman confirmed that no changes in the scheduling of this years procession were being planned. Last years Joe Cain Day was also affected by rain, though the procession rolled on as scheduled. Said Theresa Saad, a representative with the Joe Cain Parading Society: Weve never had a rain date before, so if in fact we did, this will be a first. According to Lyons, all foot-marchers will be asked to voluntarily provide contact information, so that they can be reached for future events such as an annual fundraiser. The Marching Society, each year, holds a raffle fundraiser in June, devoting proceeds toward paying for the next parade permit. The biggest thing for us this year is that were trying to emphasize that this is a free event for the public to participate, Lyons said. They dont have to be a part of any group. They can just show up. Increasing interest The Joe Cain Procession advances through downtown Mobile, Ala., during Mardi Gras on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017. Wayne Dean Sr. - who portrays Chief Slacabamarinco - once again boards his coal wagon float and leads the procession. (Mike Kittrell/AL.com) Wayne Dean, who has portrayed Chief Slacabamarinico since 1985, said hes noticed more interest in participating this year than in previous years when the procession was caught up in bickering. Although peace prevails, the two sides of the dispute are very distinctive, having separate parading permits and being about 15 minutes apart from each other as the procession snakes along. From 2015 to 2017, the foot marchers, along with Dean dressed as Chief Slac aboard the traditional coal wagon, marched behind the floats. They did so because the Police Department recognized the Parading Society as the original permit-holder. Mayor Sandy Stimpson, in 2017, decided that that the foot-marchers should go first, declaring that Chief Slac was an icon who ought to be leading the show. Behind them, this year, will be the Parade Societys 36 truck floats, bands and the like, along with the Merry Widows and Mistresses of Joe Cain. Dean blames the declining number of foot marchers on a cap imposed by Police Department on overall participation. There was a situation that both the parading and marching societies had to downplay any promotion in getting people to march, said Dean. The worst-case scenario is that youd get 200 people show up and then would have to turn them away. Dean said the Police Department has retooled the cap to allow for 1,000 foot marchers. The police, when the permit is turned in, they are aware of the exact number, said Dean. The foot marchers have never had a problem in this parade. Weve never had an instance in which we had to come in and take care of a problem with a foot marcher. Agreed Lyons, If we did have a problem, theyd come to us and say that it was getting out of hand. If that day comes, well cross the bridge if we need to. Open for everyone One new foot marching group this year is a colorful contingent called the Mystic Squirrels of Bienville, or SOBs for short. Approximately 65 people have already signed up to participate with the group which serves as a fundraiser for the Mobile Arts Council. Weve been shocked and surprised with the support, said Shellie Teague, the executive director of the Arts Council. The fundraiser will help provide money for the grants that the Arts Council provides each year. The Parading Society, meanwhile, will bring out its usual tableaux of attractions. This years Grand Marshal is Glenda Chambers, a longtime police officer who worked for almost 30 years with the special units department and whose job involved Mardi Gras for over two decades. The annual Joe Cain Day procession started in 1967 after Rayford succeeded in an 11-year quest to get Cains body removed from a Bayou La Batre cemetery to the Church Street Graveyard in Mobile. Cain has long been associated with giving birth to Mobiles modern-day Mardi Gras celebration, which has evolved into its present incarnation of three-weeks of parades and balls. In the difficult period after the Civil War, Cain, as the story goes, dressed in a plaid skirt and headdress in 1868 and paraded through the streets on Fat Tuesday, celebrating in front of citizens and the remaining occupying Union troops. A story of rebellion was born because Cain claimed he was a Chickasaw chief named Slacabamarinico. That was a quiet backhanded insult to the Union forces because the Chickasaw tribe had sided with the Confederacy during the war, but never been defeated. Modern-day Joe Cain Day is among the most popular Mardi Gras celebrations in Mobile. The traditional events include a morning gathering at the Church Street Cemetery with the Merry Widows who weep, argue with each other over who Cain loved best and then dance near Cains and Rayfords burial spots. The Widows then travel to Cains home at 906 August St., for more revelry and a toast in honor of the original Slacabamarinico. The procession, featuring both the foot marchers and the Parading Society, brings a home-made flavor to the streets thats far different from the elaborate parades of the venerable mystic societies. Said Dean, This is exactly what Julian fought so hard for, and what I fight hard for. Its not my parade. Its not the Chiefs parade. Its not really Julian Rayfords parade. Its the peoples parade and and its open for everyone. This story was updated at 9:09 a.m. on Friday, March 1, 2019, to include comments from the Mobile Police Department. The U.S. House passed a bill Wednesday that would expand background checks for those wanting to purchase firearms. The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 passed 240-190, with eight Republicans supporting the measure. None of those were from Alabama all GOP members of the states delegation voted against the bill. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, was the only Alabama delegation member to support the measure. Sewell was among the bills co-sponsors. Today we demanded more than thoughts and prayers we demanded action, she said in a Tweet. Im proud to co-sponsor the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and with its passage today, we proved that we will not stand by while gun violence rips apart our communities. The measure would require background checks on firearms sales made at gun shows and over the internet. Current law requires only that federally licensed firearms dealers conduct background checks before selling a gun. The bill is expected to die in the Republican-controlled Senate. President Trump has already vowed to veto it if it did make it to his desk. Republicans did manage to include an amendment to the bill that would require federal immigration officials to be contacted in the event someone in the U.S. illegally tried to buy a gun. More than two dozen Democrats broke rank to support the amendment. The background check bill isnt the only gun control measure to come before the House this week. On Thursday, another bill that would lengthen the review period for background checks will be up for a vote. Current law allows a gun sale to proceed if a background check hasnt been processed within three days. The proposal would extend that deadline to 10 days. A man was sentenced today to 40 years in prison for a deadly triple shooting that happened in Huntsville in 2017. Brian Andre Simpson received the maximum sentence. The 39-year-old was convicted late last year on charges of manslaughter and first-degree assault. Your actions have wreaked havoc, Madison County Circuit Judge Allison Austin told Simpson. The deadly situation happened March 31, 2017 at 3010 Brook Manor Drive in northwest Huntsville. Ladaruis Turner, a 26-year-old father of two, died at the scene. Homeowner Cordell Toney and another man were injured by gunfire. This is not something a mother should have to go through, Turners mother Elizabeth Walton told the judge. Turners family and Madison County Assistant District Attorney Shauna Barnett asked for the maximum sentence. Were still suffering to this day, Turners sister Canesha Walton told the judge. During tearful testimony, Turners mother described her son as a hard worker, role model and provider for his family. In my eyes, my son was murdered, Walton said. At trial, Simpson was charged with murder, attempted murder and first-degree assault. The jury returned guilty verdicts on reduced charges and prosecutors dropped one charge mid-trial. The afternoon of the shootings, Toney and a friend were playing a video game in the garage. Turner was listening to music through headphones on a laptop. Trouble started when Simpson showed up with another man, who has yet to be identified and charged, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said the men were apparently seeking retribution for some kind of money or gambling dispute with Toney. Prosecutors said after a fight broke out between some of the men, Simpson and the unidentified suspect opened fire. Simpson and his accomplice fled the scene, according to testimony. Turner was shot three times in the back, neck and chest at close range, according to testimony. Ladarius was at the wrong place at the wrong time, said his best friend Bianca Wells during the sentencing hearing. Ladarius Turner did not have a mean bone in his body. Turners aunt Shirley Crutcher spoke to Simpson during todays hearing. You shot and killed an innocent man a man that had two kids, Crutcher said. Simpson, clad in an orange Madison County Jail uniform, looked at Crutcher but chose not to testify. Defense attorney Marie Crissone said Simpson plans to appeal. Barnett thanked the judge for issuing the maximum sentence. She did the right thing, Barnett said. This article is part of the Black Magic Project, which is a series of stories focusing on those who do incredible things in the black community. The Jefferson County Memorial Project wants to build a memorial honoring black men and women who were killed by racial violence between 1877 and 1950. If youre a Facebook user, you can join our Black Magic Project group, where we talk about stories and issues concerning black Alabamians. A report detailing the lives of 30 Jefferson County residents whose bodies were lynched or mutilated by white hands lured more than 100 people to UAB on Wednesday to find out how the victims of racial violence were discovered and how to use their stories to promote change. The Jefferson County Memorial Project handed out copies of the report during an event held at the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts (AEIVA) at UAB. JCMP is a citizen-led mission to build a memorial that will be similar to the Equal Justice Initiatives National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery. The 48-page report was the result of multiple months of research conducted by college students accepted into JCMPs fellowship program. Fellows spoke about the research process and why they wanted to help JCMP during a panel discussion. UAB graduate student Undre Phillips told the crowd he thought about the United Daughters of Confederacy's movement to erect monuments to commend Confederate soldiers when he applied for JCMP's fellowship. "I wanted to be part of a movement to honor lynching victims and be on the right side of history," Phillips said. The report provides multiple examples of how lynchings were used to terrorize African Americans. Black men who were falsely accused of assaulting white women were hanged, shot multiple times or killed by white mobs. Other black men who protested the deaths were met with the same fate. Many acts of racial violence were in response to labor and union disputes at Jefferson County mines. The first known Jefferson County victim was Lewis Huston, who was dragged and hanged in Linn Park after being accused of assaulting a white woman in November 1883. The last known death in the county caused racial violence was in September 1940, when O.D. Henderson was killed at a Fairfield police office after a white coworker complained that Henderson bumped into him and knocked him down. Devyn Troy, a fellow from Miles College who did the research on Hendersons story, said Henderson was an only child, and didnt have any children or a wife. Thus, he had no one to carry on his story, Troy said. "Without this (research), he would never live on. His story is as important as everyone's stories in this room," Troy said during the event. JCMPs report builds off of EJIs research into acts of racial terror that happened between 1877 and 1950. EJI documented 362 lynchings in Alabama. As JCMP members and fellows dug into their research, they discovered other victims who were not mentioned in the EJI report, such as Jack McKenzie. On March 22, 1897, McKenzie was part of a group of black men who was trying to stop the arrest of another black man. The city marshal and other police officers shot at the black men, killing McKenzie and wounding several of the males. Jimena Ortiz Perez, a fellow representing Lawson State Community College, learned she lived about 10 minutes away from where a man was lynched. She said they need to come to grips with the state's painful past. "We don't stop to think, 'Oh, this happened.' We don't take the time to talk about these people," Perez said, "The ignorance needs to stop. We need to education in our communities." After the panel discussion, attendants were broken up into different small groups. The fellows went more in-depth about their research and attendants shared their thoughts about fellows' findings. Unlike many of the attendants who said they were learning about Jefferson Countys lynchings for the first time, Nyesha Black researched lynchings while doing her dissertation in Lamar County. She isnt part of JCMP, but she is familiar with some of the lynching victims names. Although she has dug up information about racial killings herself, she learned something new when a person in her small group revealed that their uncle was lynched. For the first time I thought about the disruption of families, Black said. These were majority black men who were lynched. What happened to those families abilities to make a living if they lost their partner or sons or something like that? While Black is excited about having a memorial in Jefferson County, Black wants to see a more comprehensive story about lynchings. There cannot be a victim without a perpetrator of a crime or an injustice, Black said. What I would like to see moving forward is not only for us to reveal the names of lynched, but also talk about the people who lynched them. JCMP members were inspired by EJIs National Memorial for Peace Justice in Montgomery when it opened in April. EJIs memorial features more than 800 steel slabs engraved with lynched victims names. Each slab represents a county where a lynching was documented. EJI made duplicate slabs hoping each county will claim their slabs to create their own memorials, which is what JCMP plans to do. EJI representatives did speak during the event and showed attendants a video revealing a historical marker that was placed in Lowndes County. Kiara Boone, Deputy Director of Community Education for EJI, stressed that even though EJIs research focuses on killings that occurred in the 1800s, issues affecting African Americans today --such as health disparities, mass incarceration and discrimination in schools -- are linked to the legacies of slavery and racial violence. Until we understand the critical connection between the history of enslavement, the narratives about racial superiority of white people and the myth that black people are inferior -- until we reckon with that past that is anchored in so many of our contemporary issues, then we cant have a conversation about change and reform, Boone said. Contending that disinformation campaigns propelled U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., to victory in the 2017 special election, Roy Moore said Wednesday that Jones will be the first to know if he decides to mount another campaign in 2020. Even Doug Jones knows that Project Birmingham and the disinformation campaign out of Washington, D.C. paid for by Microsoft Billionaire Reid Hoffman was all for his benefit," the former Alabama Supreme Court chief justice said in an email to supporters, referencing the two efforts by the internet billionaire and Democratic operatives to sow divisions between Alabama Republicans and boost Jones candidacy. His call for an investigation by the Federal Election Commission was to cover his own fraudulent campaign. When and if I decide to run he will be the first to know. Jones, who maintained that the influence campaigns did not impact the results of the tight election, effectively taunted Moore into running again. He said that if Moore and the Alabama GOP believes the election was stolen that the party should clear the primary field for Moore and make way for a rematch. If he really believes that and if the Republican Party really believes that then they all ought to just step aside, have a press conference with him and lets just do it again, Jones told Politico on Tuesday. So far, only U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Fairhope, is a declared candidate against Jones. U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Hoover, is considering a run. An Etowah County woman is accused of taking drugs into the jail, according to the Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit. Carrie Fay Drake, 38, of Gadsden, was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, second-degree possession of marijuana and second-degree promoting prison contraband, officials said. Deputies found the drugs, which included ecstasy, methamphetamine and marijuana, while Drake was being booked into the Etowah County Jail on unrelated charges. She was booked then released from the jail on a $11,500 bond. The Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit, Etowah County Sheriffs Office, Gadsden Police Department, Alabama National Guard Counterdrug Program, and FBI Safe Streets Task Force participated in the case. Birmingham police have identified a 39-year-old man who was fatally shot Wednesday night. According to Sgt. Johnny Williams, the incident happened around 9:15 p.m. in the 4000 block of 43rd Avenue North. Officers responded to the area on a domestic disturbance call and upon arrival, located a man suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim, now identified as Ronald Grant Jr., died on his way to UAB Hospital. Investigators learned that Grant, of Birmingham, was involved in a physical altercation inside a home before he was shot, Williams said. A suspect was taken into custody at the scene. Birmingham police are searching for a missing man who suffers from mental illness. The police department is asking for the public's assistance in locating 47-year-old Barney ONeal MaHaffey Jr. MaHaffey, of Birmingham, was last seen in on Tuesday around 11 a.m. According to police, MaHaffey suffers from schizophrenic delusions and bipolar disorder. Officers have searched the area where he went missing, but were not successful. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of MaHaffey should contact Birmingham police at 205-297-8485 or 911, or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. Michael Cohens testimony Wednesday before the House Oversight Committee was a master class in how prosecutors can present cooperating witnesses who have lied and engaged in criminal conduct, and use their testimony to obtain convictions from juries. This is stock-in-trade for prosecutors because of one simple truth: Choirboys dont often end up in the middle of criminal conspiracies. Prosecutors dont pick their witnesses; defendants do. Although Cohen, President Donald Trump's former fixer and personal attorney, did not testify in a criminal trial, under questioning from a prosecutor, but rather in a congressional proceeding, under questioning from lawmakers, what we saw was an example of how someone who has stood before a judge at the lowest moment of his life, acknowledging participation in criminal acts, can become a credible witness. It is the very fact of a defendant's criminality that creates the baseline for this transformation. Prosecutors require witnesses with firsthand knowledge. Witnesses with firsthand knowledge are mostly high-level participants in serious crimes. But how does the conversion take place? How does a defendant who has been involved in sustained criminal activity, who has threatened people, who has lied, who has participated in fraud and is generally subject to being excoriated on cross examination by the defense because of that behavior, become a witness whom jurors, or a country, can believe, even if they don't like him or his conduct? It starts with the nonnegotiable commitment by the defendant to cooperate fully and truthfully, to assist as requested in other investigations and cases. We know that the office of special counsel Robert Mueller believes that Cohen did this - it told us so in its sentencing recommendation for him. Cohen himself told us on Wednesday that he was in "constant contact" with prosecutors in the Southern District of New York. To be caught lying again can render the cooperator potentially unredeemable - a Paul Manafort, so to speak. The key question the night before Cohen testified was, would he be believed? Would Republican members of the committee eat him alive? He had, after all, pleaded guilty to felony charges of lying to Congress. On Wednesday, Cohen began the transformation from deceitful criminal to believable witness. That doesn't mean he redeemed all of his past sins, became one of the good guys or even turned into someone you could admire. What he did was simple. He testified to facts in a manner that, even if it required further corroboration to be definitive, was believable as presented. First, Cohen, as they say, brought the receipts. He brought the check, the financial statements, the article with Trump's writing, the letters he wrote threatening Trump's schools if they disclosed his grades or his scores. These pieces of evidence are building blocks, not smoking guns, in the sense that they tell part of a story but don't independently establish crimes. But they each corroborate Cohen's testimony in their own way and suggest additional paths to corroboration that investigators can pursue. Second, Cohen didn't go too far, when he easily could have. Asked whether Trump directed him to lie to Congress, Cohen didn't say he had in so many words. Rather, he explained how Trump instructed him, indirectly, by saying what happened and didn't happen as though it were the truth. Cohen said that after working for Trump for so many years, he understood the code. It would have been more beneficial to Cohen, if he was lying about it, to say Trump gave him a direct order. That he didn't was a credibility builder. When questioned about the existence of a video showing Trump striking his wife, Melania, in an elevator, Cohen didn't just say he didn't believe such a video existed, he vehemently denied the possibility Trump had even struck her. A liar, seeking the good graces of the government or the public, would have gilded the lily. In another instance of restraint, when testifying about a call Trump received from his associate Roger Stone about WikiLeaks and the upcoming release of stolen Democratic National Committee emails, Cohen didn't testify that Trump knew the emails were coming from Russia or that he directed Stone's conduct in any way. Cohen said that when Stone advised Trump of the upcoming release, Trump responded, "Wouldn't that be great." It's not useless, but it's not exactly the testimony of a prosecutor's dreams. Had Cohen been making it up, he would have placed Trump at the center of a conspiracy, directing the action. Similarly, when asked whether the president colluded with Russia, Cohen candidly admitted he had seen no evidence of it. He acknowledged that he had his suspicions - and who among us hasn't - but did not tell stories he could have readily manufactured, had he been of a mind to, based on his close contact with the president. Restraint can help persuade a jury to believe a witness with a history of lying. If witnesses are going to lie, particularly to help themselves out, they're going to tell whoppers. Cohen's testimony was relevant and in some cases inculpatory. But if he were making it up, one would expect him to have gone much further. Third, Cohen's story made sense. And we should never undervalue common sense in legal proceedings. When prosecutors make their closing arguments to juries before they deliberate and discuss the law the judge has instructed them on regarding burdens of proof and evaluating evidence, they often tell them that they need not leave their common sense at the door when they enter the jury room to deliberate. This is true when we evaluate Cohen's testimony, too. And the key piece of that is whether what we know from other sources about the president, his relationships with others and his engaged approach to running his business and his campaign makes it more or less likely that the details Cohen relates are true. Was the comment Cohen said he overheard Donald Trump Jr. whisper to his father - "The meeting is all set" - about the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya and other Russians? We don't know for certain from Cohen's testimony, but common sense says not to rule it out, that it requires further investigation. Cohen engaged in limited speculation based on timing and the unusual circumstances of Trump Jr.'s approach to his father, concluding that it might have been about the Trump Tower meeting. But in this case, as in others, he allowed the common sense of his listeners to draw conclusions about what he had observed or heard, rather than forcing them. Finally, there was Cohen's demeanor. Before he testified, there was no way of knowing if he would be aggressive, combative, arrogant, indignant - the sort of traits that can be hallmarks of an unbelievable witness. Cohen was none of those things. He was serious and respectful. He absorbed the blows that were thrown his way without flinching and acknowledged his criminality. When Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, challenged Cohen's remorse and acceptance of responsibility, Cohen pushed back strongly, looking straight at Jordan and telling him, "That's not what I said" and noting he had pleaded guilty and taken responsibility for his actions in court. When he said, "Shame on you, Mr. Jordan," it seemed likely that it was not only the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee who found themselves in agreement. There is little doubt that on the committee, there is something close to a party-line split over whether Cohen was believable. For a swath of the public, and certainly for prosecutors evaluating whether they would be willing to put Cohen on the witness stand in a trial, the answer was not in doubt. Cohen made a statement in his written testimony that his performance Wednesday bore out: "The last time I appeared before Congress I came to protect Mr. Trump. Today, I'm here to tell the truth about Mr. Trump." Joyce White Vance, a former U.S. attorney in Alabama, is a professor at the University of Alabama School of Law. Chief of Quds force says he is still responsible for Iranian diplomacy. President Rouhani did not accept his decision to leave office. Lack of invitation to meet with Assad and the growing dissatisfaction with Ministers role in government. Teheran (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Mohammad Javad Zarif, who announced his resignation as Iranian foreign minister, is still responsible for the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic and has the full support of the supreme leader, the great ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This was what a leading commander of the Revolutionary Guards said this morning, adding that President Hassan Rouhani did not accept the decision of the Iranian high-ranking diplomat. "Zarif is still responsible for the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic, and has the full support of all top officials, especially the supreme leader," said Qassem Soleimani, head of the Quds force, special unit of the Pasdaran. He did not add any particular information about the reasons for his resignation. Well-informed sources believe that the decisi0on is linked to the lack of an invitation to the meeting between Rouhani and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, on an official visit to Iran. During the last trip of February 25, the Syrian leader saw President Rouhani and the great ayatollah Khamenei. Soleimani, present at both official meetings, said that the absence of Zarif was due to "bureaucratic errors". "There are signs - he added - that there was no intention to exclude Zarif [..] and I would like to underline that, as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, he is chiefly responsible for the country's foreign policy" . He is the great architect of the 2015 nuclear agreement (JCPOA), which was latest cancelled by US President Trump who ordered the introduction of the harshest sanctions in history. Meanwhile, a presidential spokesman clarifies that Rouhani has not accepted the resignation of the head of foreign policy and reiterates his "satisfaction" with the work of Zarif. Yesterday a source close to the minister had leaked his dissatisfaction at having been sidelined in recent times. "I hope that my resignation - said Zarif - will serve as a stimulus for the Foreign Ministry, so that it regains its role as the guide" of international relations. Cooperation prospects and coordination between Morocco and Mali in migration management were at the center of talks, held Tuesday in Bamako, between Malian PM Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga and Moroccan Minister Delegate for expatriates & migration affairs Abdelkrim Benatiq. The two officials voiced willingness to enhance further bilateral relations in various fields in accordance with the guidelines of King Mohammed VI and President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. During his visit to Bamako, Benatiq signed with Malian peer Yaya Sangare an agreement which aims to strengthen partnership between the two countries in migration policies for a better educational, cultural and social integration of the Moroccan and Malian communities. It also provides for the exchange of experiences between the two countries in the management of their communities living abroad and how to associate the expatriates in the socioeconomic development of their countries of origin. Morocco and Mali agree on monitoring international migration trends, protecting migrants rights and supporting program for students from both countries by facilitating the acquisition of experiences through internships in private companies or in the public administration. What the blackface scandals in the US tell us about the state of white supremacy. One more time, as if we needed any more evidence, the depth of the incurable racism at the heart of American society, culture and politics has come on full display. The Democratic Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, recently acknowledged he appeared in an old yearbook photo showing one man wearing a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) costume and another donning blackface. The governor did not elaborate which one would have been more offensive to human decency to pose as a member of the racist KKK or to mock and ridicule the victims of the KKK. He, however, is not the only high-ranking Democratic Party official with such illustrious racist history. Shortly after Northam scandal erupted, Mark R Herring, the attorney general of Virginia and a member of the Democratic Party, also admitted that he had worn blackface at a college party. Although both Northam and Herring apologised, there are quite a few American politicians who see nothing wrong with blackface. For example, when former Democratic New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind faced criticism in 2013 for wearing blackface and an Afro wig at a Jewish holiday Purim party, he called it political correctness to the absurd. But its not just the American political class that has a penchant for racist costumes, Hollywood too enjoys featuring them in its films. There is a long list of Hollywood productions in which blackface has figured prominently: from Birth of a Nation (1915), all the way to Tropic Thunder (2008). Indeed, the United States as a whole has a long history of white men wearing blackface to mock, ridicule, and denigrate black people which goes back to the 19th century and which, as we see, is still perfectly alive and well. But its present-day form and resurgence demonstrate not only the persistent racism within the American society, but also the existential crisis white supremacy is going through at the moment. Black, brown, red skin In Black Skin, White Masks (1952), anti-colonial writer Frantz Fanon offered a classical critique of the dehumanising effect of racism operating at the roots of a colonial conquest and its contingent cultural domains. He analysed how western colonialism and racist power relations have compelled people of colour to see themselves through the lens of white supremacy ie donning a white mask. Identifying this dangerous tendency, he called for liberation from this destructive self-image: The black is a black man; that is, as the result of a series of aberrations of affect, he is rooted at the core of a universe from which he must be extricated. The problem is important. I propose nothing short of the liberation of the man of color from himself. In my Brown Skin, White Mask (2011) I extended Fanons argument to look into the fate of brown immigrant intellectuals who put themselves at the service of a dysfunctional empire and become its native mis/informers. Instead of adding any momentum to the progressive politics of their adopted countries, these comprador intellectuals side with the ruling ideologies of reactionary, racist, and predatory imperialism. Later in his Red Skin, White Masks: Rejecting the Colonial Politics of Recognition (2014), Canadian scholar Glen Sean Coulthard challenged the very idea of recognition of the indigenous peoples in liberal politics. In between the state and indigenous peoples, Coulthard proposed, a mere acknowledgement of the terror settler colonialism had perpetrated on First Nations not only amounts to very little but in fact derails a more substantive reconstruction and redeployment of denied and denigrated cultures towards a progressive politics. These two and other works go back to Fanons originary idea: I am a man and what I have to recapture is the whole past of the world, I am not responsible only for the slavery involved in Santo Domingo, every time man has contributed to the victory of the dignity of the spirit, every time a man has said no to an attempt to subjugate his fellows, I have felt solidarity with his act. That is, the struggle for liberation from the bondage of racism and slavery is geared towards the liberation of the entirety of the human soul, not just its native location. In this sense, Fanon is as much responsible for the liberation of Iran as I am for the liberation of the Caribbean and Coulthard for the liberation of Palestine. This is also what American author and activist James Baldwin meant when he said: When you try to stand up and look the world in the face like you had the right to be here, when you do that, without knowing this is the result of it, you have attacked the entire power structure of the Western World. But this self-universalisation, while being liberating for the person of colour, is seen as threatening by the white man. Reinventing white power It scares the white man for by historical habit he considers himself the epicentre of the universe, and the rest of humanity being there only to corroborate this delusional centrality. For him, this is a struggle for existence. It is either him or the rest of the world. Used in racialised habits, practices, and assumptions, black is a social construct, not a factual colour. By donning blackface and engaging in a variety of other racist acts, the white man seeks to erase that social fact and turn the colour into a marker of imagined inferiority. In this way, he anxiously seeks to secure the power hierarchy of his world and reaffirm his centrality in it. Immanuel Kant, the father of Western Enlightenment, the very author of Answering the question: What is Enlightenment? (1784), captured this racist anxiety succinctly in his short treatise Observations on the Feeling of the Beautiful and Sublime (1764). There he wrote about a black carpenter having said something worth considering and then readily dismissed it: It might be that there was something in this which perhaps deserved to be considered; but in short, this fellow was very black from head to foot, a clear proof that what he said was stupid. Kants racism was not accidental to his philosophy. It was and remains definitive to it. No person of colour could be anything but stupid for Kant, for, if he were to be recognised as a knowing subject, that would dismantle his entire philosophical project. Thus, the white man must stage himself, from his philosophy to his fashion, from his theatre to his cinema to his art and culture, in the denigration and ridicule of the man of colour in order to believe himself. Therefore, that blackface being still a persistent feature of US or European culture demonstrates not only that the white man is still celebrating his presumed racist superiority, staging the power to mimic, the permission to mock, in order to cross-authenticate his delusions, but also that he is dead worried about the loss of his inexplicable and unwarranted privileges. The myth of the white man was coterminous with the rise of European colonialism and the subsequent spread of American imperialism around the globe. After generations of anti-colonial struggle and critical thinking, the ideological foregrounding of that racist assumption has now crumbled. The white man is increasingly aware he has been riding a delusional dragon, that he is the pathological myth of the colonial settler ruling from the Americas to Palestine. And this is scaring him witless. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. If France indeed has high standards of freedom of expression, it should not be criminalising a political opinion. Making Palestinians pay for an Arab-Israeli alliance against Iran spells disaster for the US and its Arab allies. Just a week after attending what was largely seen as anti-Iran conference in Warsaw earlier this month, Jared Kushner, senior adviser to US President Donald Trump, embarked on a special diplomatic trip across the Middle East to promote and fundraise for his peace plan to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Unsurprisingly, on his tour of the region, he brought along US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook. The Warsaw meeting and Kushners Middle East trip reflect what seems to be a key foreign policy pillar of the Trump administration which links the much-awaited deal of the century to the formation of an Arab-Israeli anti-Iran alliance. The expectations of the White House are that the Arabs would sign off on Kushners deal, normalise relations with the Israelis and work with them to deter Iran. That is why, while many observers saw the Warsaw conference as a failure, since it did not convince European allies to fully back US anti-Iranian regime policies, the Trump administration saw it as a success, having brought together Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and representatives of several Arab countries on the same table. However, this rather myopic foreign policy strategy for the Middle East ignores important realities on the ground and is, therefore, doomed to fail. A defiant Iran Since he moved into the White House in January 2017, Trump has made it a point to systematically undo the Iran policies that his predecessor had put in place. President Barack Obama believed the US should not confront Iran on behalf of Arab allies and sought to engage Tehran. His administration increased pressure through international sanctions and at the same time pushed for dialogue. Between 2014 and 2016, the US and Iran tacitly worked together to fight the common threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) by backing the governments of Iraq and Lebanon while avoiding confrontation in Syria. The engagement effort with Iran culminated in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which obviously did not please Israel and Saudi Arabia. After Trump took power, he withdrew from the JCPOA and re-imposed tough sanctions on Iran, seeking to pressure Tehran into concessions on its ballistic missiles programme and its regional activities. But so far, the escalation has only made Iran more defiant. The Iranian regime has repeatedly made it clear that it is not willing to negotiate under the present terms. Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei said recently that his regime talking to the US in the current context is like going on your knees before the enemy. Despite the Trump administrations escalation against Iran, the Obama-era rules of engagement remain in place in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, where the US continues to avoid direct confrontation with Iranian forces and proxies. However, the ongoing psychological war is fuelling paranoia in Tehran, which increases the risk of a miscalculation. If Washington and Tehran continue pushing the envelope, their proxies would be the ones who pay the price. A cornered Iranian regime could easily become a spoiler for US policies in the Middle East. It could motivate its assets in Gaza to act against Israel or force the hands of the Iraqi and Lebanese governments to take action against US interests. Subversive Iranian activity might not only weaken US allies in the region but also sabotage US efforts to advance Palestinian-Israeli talks. A shaky Arab-Israeli normalisation endeavour Trump has also reversed the long-standing US policy on the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. His administration is now pushing to break a basic Arab policy principle, which ties normalisation with Israel to a fair Israeli-Palestinian deal that recognises a viable Palestinian state, provides for Israels withdrawal to 1967 borders and settles the status of Jerusalem. US Arab allies want a deal that meets these basic requirements; anything short of that would be difficult to sell at home. Arab leaders remain uncomfortable with official normalisation with Israel given that the Arab public remains sensitive to the idea of them cosying up to Israel. Popular unrest can easily erupt across the Arab world if Arab leaders endorse a Palestinian-Israeli deal perceived as flawed. Recognising this danger, Saudi King Salman recently took back the Palestine portfolio from his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and restored Riyadhs long-standing position on the Palestinian issue. This stance was conveyed in an interview on February 13 by former Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki bin Faisal al-Saud with Israeli Channel 13, which hinted that Saudi Arabia is waiting with open arms for Israel if and when it makes a fair deal with the Palestinians. The other risk Arab leaders face in undertaking premature normalisation with Israel is that the Trump administration might not be willing in return to go beyond words and sanctions in deterring Iran in the region. A Palestinian quagmire However, the core challenge to Arab-Israeli normalisation and anti-Iran coalition-building remains the Palestinian question. Jared Kushner has put together a peace deal which might be unveiled in April after the Israeli general elections. The so-called deal of the century is arguably the first attempt at resolving the conflict in which the Palestinian side was not informed or consulted. What is interesting about this plan is its approach to Palestinian politics. After Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, the Bush administrations policy was to punish the strip by blocking all aid while simultaneously assisting the Palestinian Authority to showcase a model of how the West Bank can prosper when it abides by international norms and accepts negotiations with Israel. Trump is reversing this approach by punishing the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank for refusing to accept the deal of the century after he moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Simultaneously, the White House is enticing Hamas with funding for major economic projects in Gaza, which like the approach of the Bush administration, encourages Palestinian divisions instead of strengthening Palestinian unity. Trump needs a unified Palestinian front to put a stamp of approval on the peace plan his son-in-law is proposing, but both Fatah and Hamas are invested in the divide between the West Bank and Gaza and see a possible reunification under the deal as detrimental to their interests. Although the full provisions of the deal have not been yet disclosed, the details already known to the public indicate that it will not uphold the best interests of the Palestinians. In an interview for Emirati channel Sky News Arabia broadcast on February 25, Kushner stated: if you can eliminate the border and have peace and less fear of terror, you could have freer flow of goods, freer flow of people and that would create a lot of opportunities. What his cryptic declaration means is that the weaker Palestinian economy will become further integrated into the Israeli one, making Palestinians even more dependent on the Israeli state, which will retain full control over security and hence its ability to repress Palestinian political dissent. Thus, Trump is linking the Arab-Israeli normalisation and deterrence of Iran to a Palestinian-Israeli deal on terms, which would institutionalise Israeli control over the Palestinian territories and have disastrous consequences for Palestinians. Having the Palestinians pay for the Arab-Israeli alliance will likely spell trouble for Arab leaders down the road. It might undermine the deterrence of Tehran by boosting the popularity of the Iranian regime in the region and further delegitimise already weakened Arab regimes. In this sense, the Trump administrations strategy of linking a flawed Israeli-Palestinian deal to an Arab-Israeli alliance to deter Iran might undermine these two US objectives in the Middle East and might even backfire against US allies and interests in the region. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. North Korean leader takes questions from foreign reporters during his summit with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi. Some 3,000 journalists from 40 countries descended this week in Vietnams Hanoi to cover the second summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump. On Thursday, at the start of the second day of high-stakes talks on denuclearisation, one of them shouted at the North Korean leader. Chairman Kim, are you confident? David Nakamura, of the Washington Post, asked as the two men sat down before a one-on-one session. What followed was almost certainly unprecedented. It is too early to tell. I would not make a prediction, Kim said, after leaning back slightly to hear his interpreters whispers. But my instinct is that good results will come out, he added in his typically gravelly voice, in what was believed to be his first ever response to a foreign journalist. Heres the moment @DavidNakamura gets KJUs debut reply to a question from a foreign journo #TrumpKimSummit https://t.co/XJBWQtsRbU Britt Clennett (@BrittClennett) February 28, 2019 South Koreas Unification Ministry, which deals with North Korean affairs, could not confirm whether it was the first time Kim answered a question from a foreign reporter. But journalists did not get opportunities to ask questions of Kim during his three summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Kim ignored questions shouted at him during his first summit with Trump last June in Singapore. In an earlier brush with foreign media at the opening of a war museum in Pyongyang in 2013, questions were shouted at him but not answered. Question on human rights Later on Thursday, as if to prove his earlier response was not a fluke, Kim did it again. As journalists were allowed to see the beginning of the final day of talks, Kim replied to several more questions from reporters in the White House pool but observers cautioned against interpreting it as representing a new openness on the part of Pyongyang. I think it is something that is worth welcoming, Kim said when asked about the possibility of a US liaison office being opened in Pyongyang. He also said through the interpreter that he would not be in Hanoi if he were not willing to discuss denuclearisation prompting a remark by Trump as well. Good answer. Wow. That might be the best answer that youve ever heard, the US president said. And when the reporters asked Kim if the two leaders would be talking about human rights, which he is accused of abusing, Trump jumped in again: Were discussing everything, he said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Wednesday pledged to increase trade volume with Chad by 40 percent from the current $60 million to $100 million, as part of plans to bolster ties between the two countries. President Erdogan made the statement on receiving visiting Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno in Ankara, state-run news agency Anadolu reports. Our trade volume is now around $60 million. This is a very low figure. We have a population of 82 million and Chad has 15 million, which makes 97 million. This shows how low the trade volume is. We are now committed to increase this trade volume to $100 million, Erdogan said. To that end, the two countries signed four agreement and the Turkish flagship carrier Turkish Airlines announced it will increase flights to Ndjamena from two to three per week. Turkish investments in Chad are dominated by the private sector. African country rocked by an unprecedented wave of protests over Bouteflikas candidacy for a fifth term in office. Algerians on Friday will take part in what are expected to be the biggest protests in decades. The demonstrations dubbed the Million Man March follow week-long protests in more than 30 cities against incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflikas reelection bid for a fifth term in office. Elected president in 1999, Bouteflika has rarely been seen in public since suffering a serious stroke in 2013. The 81-year-olds last official trip abroad dates back to January 2012 when he travelled to neighbouring Tunisia to participate in the one-year anniversary of the Arab Spring uprisings that overthrew long-standing ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali among others. Authorities were taken aback by the scale of the protests that erupted on February 22 which called on the ailing president to withdraw his candidacy. Protesters also chanted slogans against the presidents brother, Said, who opponents say is running the country from behind the scenes. Hasni Abidi, a Geneva-based political analyst, said the demonstrations marked a turning point in the history of Africas biggest country. For the first time, we are witnessing protests in all of Algerias main cities concentrated on a single issue: the withdrawal of the presidents candidacy, Abidi said. In my opinion, this fifth term has managed to unify and bring together Algerians from different walks of life. Demonstrators in Algiers marched against Bouteflikas reelection bid for fifth term. [Anis Belghoul/AP] Mouwatana, an opposition group made out of several political parties and civil-society actors, also held a rally last Sunday in the capital Algiers, as well as in Paris. On Wednesday, university students marched in campuses across the country, demanding the presidents resignation and an end to the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) partys hold on power. Obscure centres of power Algerias political system is so opaque that analysts disagree on who really wields power. The military, seen as one of the most powerful and well organised in Africa, has long played an important role in politics. In 1991, the Peoples National Army (ALN) staged a coup detat, depriving the Islamic Salvation Front party (FIS) of a near-certain electoral victory, resulting in a decade-long civil war. Bouteflika was brought in to head a transition period in 1999. Since assuming power, analysts say the octogenarian managed to bring the military under the presidencys fold and restore a semblance of civilian control. 190226133220101 In 2015, for example, the countrys powerful intelligence chief, General Mohamed Mediene, or Toufik as he is better known, who ran the secretive DRS intelligence agency for more than 20 years, was controversially dismissed. But the firing of about a dozen generals in 2018 reignited speculation about whether the army itself was divided in its support of the ailing president, suggesting that the countrys military was not entirely neutral. A leaked audio recording of a conversation between Bouteflikas campaign manager, former Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal, and business tycoon Ali Haddad surfaced on Thursday, during which the two men discussed the latest wave of protests. Both Haddad a Bouteflika loyalist who has seen his business empire expand dramatically under the latters leadership and Sellal seemed surprised at how fast the protests had escalated. Some analysts believe that the leak could have been made by elements within the military establishment that are against Bouteflika assuming the reins for another five years. Algeria: the leaked recording of Bouteflika's campaign manager Sellal & Tycoon Ali Haddad is raising questions about whether part of the military & intel are signaling their displeasure with Bouteflika's candidacy & are trying to undermine it #__ #_1_ pic.twitter.com/CWTUKX9dvM Weddady (@weddady) February 28, 2019 Soufiane Djilali, president of the opposition Jil Jadid party, told Al Jazeera that businessmen such as Haddad are some of the presidents fiercest supporters because they have benefitted from preferential access to lucrative state contracts in recent years. Politicians such as Djilali participated in the protests and have called for the political system to be completely overhauled, and for free and fair elections. If Bouteflika falls, it is his entire regime that must go with him, at which point we would have to go through a short transition period, Djilali said. Also started peacefully in Syria Commenting on images of protesters offering flowers to policemen, Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia on Thursday warned that demonstrations in Syria had started in a similar fashion. The head of government added that his intention wasnt to scare people, after a number of politicians stormed out of the assembly, where he was giving a speech. 180423114018685 On Monday, Ouyahia seemed to dismiss concerns over the presidents fitness for office, insisting Algerians would have the final say on who would run their country. Presidential hopefuls are in effect required to pass a medical aptitude test, the failure of which would automatically render them ineligible for the vote. Opponents fear that the president will be able to secure the medical clearance required as he had in 2014 and compete in polls whose result has already been pre-determined. London, United Kingdom The British parliament has passed an amendment to ensure the rights of 3.5 million European Union citizens in the United Kingdom and 1.3 million British citizens living in EU countries remain protected, even in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Following the fourth parliamentary debate this year on Britains departure from the bloc, the House of Commons on Wednesday voted on a series of amendments to a motion put forward by the government on the next steps for Brexit. Two out of five were passed almost unanimously. The so-called Costa amendment after Alberto Costa, the Conservative MP behind the motion asks Prime Minister Theresa May to seek at the earliest opportunity a joint UK-EU commitment to adopt part two of the withdrawal agreement on citizens rights and ensure its implementation prior to the UKs exiting the European Union, whatever the outcome of negotiations on other aspects of the withdrawal agreement. {articleGUID} The vote followed Mays U-turn on delaying Brexit on Tuesday, when she announced that should she fail to get a revised deal through the House of Commons by March 12, she would give members of parliament the last word on leaving the EU without a deal. Should parliament vote against leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement, MPs will decide on March 14 whether they want an extension to Article 50 the part of the Treaty on the European Union that enables member states to leave the bloc not beyond June. Mays promises mirror an amendment tabled by Yvette Cooper, an MP for the main opposition Labour party, which was passed by 502 votes to 20 after a group of hardline Brexiter Conservatives objected. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyns softer Brexit proposal, calling for a UK-wide customs union and close alignment with the EUs single market, was defeated by 323 to 240. Corbyn will now have to follow up on his promise of supporting a second referendum, as announced earlier this week. The party has confirmed that the options it would support putting to the people include a credible Leave option or remaining in the EU although these would ultimately have to be decided by parliament. An amendment by the Scottish National Partys Ian Blackford to prevent the UK from leaving the EU without a deal under any circumstances was also defeated. Big step forward May had cast doubt on whether the government would support the Costa amendment during Tuesdays speech, claiming that the EU does not have the legal authority to do a separate deal on citizens rights without a new mandate and that it was a matter for individual member states. A controversy also emerged over Costas resignation from his role as parliamentary private secretary. However, Costa clarified during Wednesdays debate that there is a convention that if a parliamentary aide tables an amendment they are expected to resign. 190226101811720 The government has now promised to push the EU to revise its mandate and negotiate a separate agreement on citizens rights. EU citizens living in the UK can make online applications for settled status if they have been in the UK for five years or more and can receive pre-settled status if they arrived in the UK before Brexit day. However, rights groups have warned that some applicants may fall through the cracks. Most European countries have made unilateral offers for UK citizens living in the EU. The UKs adoption of the amendment was seen as a success by campaign groups The3Million and British in Europe, which have been advocating for citizens rights. Its a first step to put no deal for citizens off the table, Maike Bohn, of The3Million campaign for EU citizens in the UK, told Al Jazeera. It [provides for] social security and pension rights, especially for the British in Europe, that the UK would have to negotiate with 27 countries. Its a big step forward, Bohn said, adding that now the ball is in the EUs court. PMs government has been rocked by allegation that undue pressure was put on the countrys former attorney general. Canadas Conservative opposition leader has called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign following allegations that his administration meddled in the prosecution of a major engineering firm, which is accused of committing fraud. Andrew Scheer said late on Wednesday that Trudeau has lost moral authority to govern and must resign at once. Mr Trudeau can no longer, in good standing and with a clear conscience, lead this great nation, he added. For weeks, Trudeaus government has been rocked by allegations first reported by The Globe and Mail newspaper that undue pressure was put on Jody Wilson-Raybould, the countrys former attorney general, for an out-of-court settlement with SNC-Lavalin. Earlier on Wednesday, Wilson-Raybould accused Trudeaus inner circle of pressuring her to defer the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, one of the worlds top construction and engineering firms based in Montreal. I experienced a consistent and sustained effort by many people within the government to seek to politically interfere in the exercise of prosecutorial discretion, in an inappropriate effort to secure a deferred prosecution agreement with SNC-Lavalin, Wilson-Raybould told a committee in the House of Commons. She also told the committee that she faced veiled threats and advice from Canadas top bureaucrat, Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Wernick, that a collision with the prime minister on these matters should be avoided. Wilson-Raybould, who was also minister of justice, said she believes she was shuffled to another portfolio in January over her refusal to take action in the case. Trudeau responded that he completely disagrees with the former attorney generals characterisation of events. When asked about calls for his resignation, Trudeau told reporters on Wednesday that Canadians will have a very clear choice in a few months time about who they want to be prime minister of this country and what party they want to form government. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for October. On Thursday, Trudeau won the public support of a top political ally, indicating there was no immediate pressure inside the Liberal Party to remove him. I have 100 percent faith in the prime minister, said Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, one of the most prominent members of Trudeaus Cabinet. Alleged bribery SNC-Lavalin was charged in 2015 with corruption for allegedly bribing officials in Libya between 2001 and 2011 to secure government contracts during former strongman Muammar Gaddafis reign. The firm, its international arm and another subsidiary are accused of having offered $36m in bribes to officials and of defrauding the Libyan government of $98m. The charges relate to the worlds largest irrigation project the Great Man Made River Project, which aimed to provide fresh water to the cities of Tripoli, Benghazi and Sirte. SNC-Lavalin has argued that those responsible for alleged wrongdoing left it long ago, and that holding it accountable for their criminal actions would severely hurt its business. The company heavily lobbied the government, including senior officials in Trudeaus office, for an out-of-court settlement that would include paying a fine and agreeing to put in place compliance measures. Trial set to proceed But Wilson-Raybould refused to ask prosecutors to settle, and the trial is set to proceed. She quit Trudeaus cabinet earlier this month. Trudeaus longtime friend and principal secretary Gerry Butts also resigned days later. Questions remain over their specific reasons for leaving. 151020173419586 Trudeau has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing, saying again Wednesday that he had made clear to his former attorney general that the decision around SNC-Lavalin was Jody Wilson-Rayboulds and hers alone to make, which she confirmed in her testimony. I strongly maintain, as I have from the beginning that I and my staff always acted appropriately and professionally, he said. Wilson-Raybould testified, The prime minister asked me to help out, to find a solution for SNC, citing that if there is no DPA (deferred prosecution agreement), there would be many jobs lost and that SNC would move from Montreal. She added, I told him that I had done my due diligence and had made up my mind on SNC and that I was not going to interfere with the decision of the director (of public prosecutions). Wilson-Raybould went on to say that 11 government officials, including the finance minister, raised similar concerns that SNC-Lavalin might move its headquarters to London without a deal, or could face massive job losses if it was found guilty at trial in an election year. They urged me to take partisan political considerations into account, which was clearly improper, she said. She added that they continued to hound her from September to December after she made her decision not to offer SNC-Lavalin a deal and had made it known. That pressure was not illegal, she opined, but raised serious red flags in my view. Pakistan calls decision to release the pilot a peace gesture, but India says it simply followed international norms. The captured Indian fighter pilot, who was attacked by a mob and then paraded on video by Pakistans army, will be released on Friday, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said. A senior Indian Air Force official welcomed the move on Thursday evening, but added that Islamabad was simply following international norms around prisoners of war. We have an Indian pilot. As a peace gesture we will release him tomorrow, Pakistans Khan told a joint sitting of parliament in the capital Islamabad. Khan also said he had unsuccessfully tried to make a telephone contact with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Wednesday night. 190227063414443 Yesterday, I tried to call Narendra Modi, Khan said. I wanted to make it clear that we do not want any kind of escalation. India welcomed Pakistans decision to free the captured pilot, whose Mig-21 fighter was shot down during an aerial skirmish between the air forces of the two countries in the disputed region of Kashmir. We are extremely happy to have him back. We want to see him back, Indias Air Vice Marshall RGK Kapoor told reporters in New Delhi. We only see it as a gesture which is in consonance with all Geneva conventions. Human face of the conflict Following Pakistani villagers and soldiers filming his capture and captivity on Wednesday in video clips that have since gone viral on social media, the pilot identified by Islamabad as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman fast emerged as the human face of the dangerous flare-up between the arch enemies. Varthaman and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been at the heart of the crisis between India and Pakistan after the latter claimed to have shot down two Indian fighter jets in response to the bombing of alleged terror targets inside Pakistan on Tuesday morning. Tensions have flared between India and Pakistan since a suicide car bombing by Pakistan-based armed group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in India-administered Kashmir killed at least 42 Indian paramilitary forces on February 14. But the risk of an all-out armed conflict rose dramatically on Tuesday when India launched air raids on what it claimed was a JeM training camp near Jaba town in northern Pakistan. As tensions rose between the nuclear-armed neighbours, the United States and China appealed for restraint. Storm on social media In a video posted on social media, the Indian pilot could be seen in ankle-deep stream of water, his face bloodied as he is assaulted by a group of men in disputed Kashmir. 190227183058957 In another video, the pilot is seen blindfolded and can be heard saying, Ive got hurt and I would request some water. He then reveals his name and rank before politely fending off questions from soldiers by saying: Im not supposed to tell you that. In a third video, posted on Twitter by Pakistans state broadcaster, PTV news, the pilot is shown relaxed while saying, I would like to put this on record and I would not change my statement if I go back to my country. The officers of the Pakistan Army have looked after me very well. They are thorough gentlemen. Pakistan army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor tweeted a photo of the pilot and said he was being treated as per norms of military ethics. Pakistani tweeters said he was shown exemplary hospitality. A vulgar display However, in a statement released by its foreign ministry, India branded Pakistans videos as a vulgar display of an injured airman, saying they violated international humanitarian laws and the Geneva Convention. Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return, read the statement. 190227150855681 The airmans treatment at the hands of Pakistani troops drew both condemnation and praise. Following the release of a picture of the pilot, social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp were inundated with old videos and photos of him. Many Indian users expressed their concern, hoping for Varthamans return, with hashtags #BringHimHome and #AbhinandanMyHero being the top two trends on Indian Twitter on Wednesday evening. Others went on social media to send their prayers to the family demanding his return. True inspiration & model figure Huge respect, wrote a Twitter user. Pakistanis on social media also called on the army and the government to treat Varthaman with respect and ensure his safe return back to his country. India shares dossier on Kashmir attack Meanwhile, India has handed over its files on the deadly February 14 bombing to Pakistan, Prime Minister Khan on Thursday said after a similar confirmation by his foreign minister earlier in the day. Today they [India] have sent a dossier on Pulwama, he said in parliament. They should have given us the dossier first, and if we had not taken action, then they could have taken action. 190227190606136 In his address, Khan reiterated his call for de-escalation, a day after urging India to avoid any miscalculation. I am saying to India: do not take it further than this. Because whatever you do, Pakistan will be forced to retaliate. And then two countries who have the weapons that the two of us, we should never even think of such a thing. In a televised address on Wednesday, the Pakistani prime minister had said his country is ready to cooperate with New Delhi into the investigation of the February 14 suicide bombing, claimed by Pakistan-based armed group, JeM. New Delhi accuses Islamabad of using armed groups as proxies to drive unrest in Kashmir and carry out terror attacks in India. Pakistan has denied all allegations and has warned India against linking it to the latest attack in Pulwama. Earlier on Thursday, Pakistans foreign minister told local television channel Geo News that Khan was ready to speak with Indian Prime Minister Modi on ensuring peace in the subcontinent. Modi has also been criticised by Indian opposition parties for politicising the India-Pakistan standoff ahead of Indias general elections, due in April and May. House Oversight Committee chair says theres a good chance the panel may call on those mentioned in Cohens testimony. Washington, DC US Representative Elijah Cummings, the Democrat chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said theres a good chance, the panel would call on individuals Michael Cohen, US President Donald Trumps former lawyer, mentioned during his testimony on Wednesday. If they were named by Cohen, they have a good chance of hearing from us, Cummings told reporters on Thursday, adding decisions had yet to be made by the Democrat leadership whether individuals would be called, and if that was to be for private interviews or public hearings. This could include Trumps son, Donald Jr, as well as former Trump CFO Allen Weissleberg. This weekend I will be studying the transcripts, but we have now got a number of avenues we will be going down, Cummings said. We learned some new information yesterday, which I am not going to talk about right now. But I want to carefully study the transcripts and we are probably going to be doing some interviews of some folks. Cohen gave an explosive testimony before the House committee on Wednesday, labelling Trump a racist, con man and cheat. He named Weisselberg as a key player in the scheme to payoff adult film star Stormy Daniels and presented the committee with a repayment cheque signed by Donald Jr and Weisselberg. 190227125303072 If there were names that were mentioned or records that were mentioned during the hearing we are going to take a look at all of that. I still need time to go through methodical [methodically], just like I did when I practised law, we will go through and figure out who we want to talk to and we will bring them in, Cummings said. Lawyers, Roger Stone also named During the seven-hour hearing, Cohen also said that Trump lawyers Jay Sekulow and Abbe Lowell falsified his White House-approved statement to Congress about negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 campaign. In a statement, Sekulow called Cohens comments completely false. Last year, Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the Trump Tower negotiations. He also pleaded guilty to fraud and campaign finance violations. He was sentenced to three years in prison. That sentence is set to begin in May. Michael Cohen, the former lawyer, and fixer for President Donald Trump testifies before the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill [Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFP] During Wednesdays hearing, Cohen said he was present in Trumps office when Roger Stone called then-candidate Trump to advise that Wikileaks planned to dump hacked emails of then-presidential contender Hillary Clinton. Without directly mentioning Cohens specific comments about the alleged conversation, Stone said Cohens statement is not true. Cohen also named a number of other Trump Organization employees during his testimony. A little impressed Trump called Wednesdays hearing fake and accused Cohen of lying in order to reduce his prison time. 190228160152530 But the president also said that he was a little impressed that Cohen told the committee that there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. During the hearing, Cohen said he had direct evidence that Trump or members of his 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia to get Trump elected. Thats the main question of Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation, which Trump has repeatedly labelled a witch-hunt. I wouldnt use the world colluding, Cohen testified. Was there something odd about the back-and-forth with President Putin? Yes, but Im not really sure I can answer that question in terms of collusion, he said, adding, however, that he had his suspicions. Police says the explosion took place in a business centre full of hotels, fairs, shops and restaurants. A suicide car bomb exploded in Mogadishu on Thursday, killing at least five people and destroying buildings in the Somali capitals busiest street, police said. The explosion took place in a business centre full of hotels, fairs, shops and restaurants, Major Mohamed Hussein, a police officer, told the Reuters news agency. Many cars are burning now, he said following the blast in Maka Al Mukaram street. We know five people are dead and the death toll is sure to rise. 190204092000574 A witness saw four dead people and dozens of others injured, Reuters said, adding that he saw blood stains, a dozen cars burning and three buildings including hotels destroyed by the blast. Separately, two witnesses told the AP news agency that the sound of gunfire followed the blast they heard late on Thursday. The witnesses, shopkeeper Ahmed Mohamed and area resident Fatima Nur said the noises seemed to come from the residence of the chief judge of Somalias appeals court on Maka Al Mukaram. 190203053129704 While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, the al-Shabab armed group has regularly carried out such attacks in the past. The group, estimated at several thousand fighters, attacks high-profile targets such as hotels and checkpoints in Somalia and abroad. The groups stated aim is to remove the Western-backed central government and establish its own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law. The bills, which are aimed at toughening background checks, face uphill battle in Republican-controlled Senate. The US House of Representatives approved two bills this week to toughen background checks for gun purchases, but both bills are likely to face opposition from the Republican-controlled Senate and the White House. The bills are the first major gun control measures approved in Congress in many years. They are an early move to address gun violence by Democrats after capturing majority control of the House in the November 2018 congressional midterm elections. The Senate remains controlled by Republicans, many of whom are closely allied with the National Rifle Association (NRA) and gun-rights voters, who fiercely defend what they see as their constitutional right to own firearms. Although Republican President Donald Trump has said he supports stronger background checks, he has thus far toed the party line on gun control legislation, leaving Washington deadlocked on how to address frequent mass shootings in the United States. Wednesdays bill would expand background checks to include firearm purchases at gun shows and over the internet. It was approved 240-190. Thursdays background check bill, which passed 228-198, would extend the number of days government authorities have to complete a background check before a gun sale. It stems from the 2015 shooting at Emanuel AME Church in South Carolina, where nine black worshippers died in 2015 at the hands of a white supremacist. A faulty background check allowed the attackers firearm purchase after the required three-day review period expired. Both votes were largely passed along party lines. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the Houses vote on Wednesday historic and hailed the legislation as a long-overdue, common-sense action to end the epidemic of gun violence in America. Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a group calling for stricter gun control, also welcomed the vote, tweeting that the measure is proof we have loosened the gun lobbys grip on Congress. But the NRA called Wednesdays bill extreme, saying it will make criminals out of law-abiding Americans. The Republicans obstacle Both bills face dim prospects in the Republican-controlled Senate and veto threats from President Donald Trump, who said the bills would impose unreasonable requirements on gun owners. The White House said that the legislation could block someone from borrowing a firearm for self-defence or allowing a neighbour to take care of a gun while travelling. Democrats called those arguments misleading and said gun owners have a responsibility to ensure firearms are properly handled. Wednesdays bill includes exceptions allowing temporary transfers to prevent imminent harm or for use at a target range. 190214200523977 Doug Collins, the top Republican on the Judiciary panel, said Wednesdays bill foolishly presumes criminals who flout existing laws will suddenly submit themselves to background checks. Democrats and other bill supporters are delusional if they think a criminal trading cocaine to another criminal for a firearm will reconsider due to the background checks bill, he said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded 39,773 gun deaths in 2017 across the country, an increase of more than 1,000 from the previous year. The number was the largest in the CDCs 50-year-long database. Nearly 24,000 of the gun deaths in 2017 were suicides, while about 14,500 were homicides. Data from 2018 is not available. Three of the deadliest mass shootings in US modern history have taken place since October 2017. Pakistan also prepared to return captured Indian pilot if it eases tensions, foreign minister says, after downing jets. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to speak with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the telephone, its foreign minister has said after both sides claimed they shot down each others warplanes. Speaking to local television channel Geo News on Thursday, Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that if the gesture will ease soaring tensions, Pakistan is prepared to return the Indian air force pilot it captured after downing two fighter jets over Pakistani airspace in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. I am sending a message to India: if the return of this pilot allows for a de-escalation, then Pakistan is ready to consider it, Qureshi said. He spoke a day after the pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, was captured on Wednesday following a rare aerial engagement between the South Asian neighbours over the disputed region of Kashmir. I am sending a message to India: if the return of this pilot allows for a de-escalation, then Pakistan is ready to consider it Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Pakistan foreign minister Pakistans military said it launched air raids at six targets in the Indian-administered Kashmir as a demonstration of its capabilities, a day after Indian aircraft launched air raids on Pakistani territory. India, having called for the immediate and safe return of Varthaman, said there will be no deal on the captured pilot, local media NDTV reported, attributing government sources. We want him back, sources said. If Pakistan thinks that they have a card to negotiate with, they do not. India shares dossier on Kashmir attack Tensions between the archrivals escalated after a suicide attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed at least 42 Indian soldiers. India has handed over its files on the deadly February 14 bombing to Pakistan, Foreign Minister Qureshi confirmed on Thursday. Today, [India] has sent a dossier we have received it, we will examine it, and now come and speak to us on the basis of this dossier, the foreign minister said. Pakistan is ready for any positive step, he added. Pakistan is ready to de-escalate the situation. The Indian move to share information comes after Khan offered talks with India, urging to avoid any miscalculation. In a televised address on Wednesday, the Pakistani prime minister had said his country is ready to cooperate with New Delhi into the investigation of the February 14 suicide bombing, claimed by Pakistan-based armed group, Jaish-e-Muhammad. New Delhi accuses Islamabad of using armed groups as proxies to drive unrest in Kashmir and carry out terror attacks in India. Pakistan has denied all allegations and warned India against linking it to the latest attack. The recent tensions have caused major world powers, including China and the United States, and the United Nations to call for restraint and de-escalation. The religious-political group, banned for five years, is accused of supporting armed rebellion in the disputed region. Srinagar, India-administered Kashmir The Indian government has banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) in Indian-administered Kashmir for five years, accusing it of supporting an armed rebellion in the disputed region that is at the heart of an escalating conflict with rival Pakistan. The ban on the religious-political organisation on Thursday came less than a week after the Indian police arrested more than 300 JeI leaders, including its leader, Abdul Hamid Fayaz. The arrests followed the worst-ever suicide bombing in the disputed region, in which 42 Indian troopers were killed in Pulwama town earlier this month. 190227190606136 In a statement on Thursday, Indias home ministry said the JeI has been banned for unlawful association and for activities prejudicial to internal security and public order. The ministry said the group was in touch with militant outfits and supports extremism and militancy in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere and supported secession of a part of the Indian territory. If JeIs activities were not curbed, it is likely to escalate its subversive activities including an attempt to carve out an Islamic state out of the territory of Union of India, the ministry said. Third ban It is the third ban to be imposed on the organisation since it was created in 1942, five years before Indias independence and the formation of Pakistan. Reacting to the move, a senior JeI leader told Al Jazeera that Indias iron fist policy would not work. It has been banned earlier also, but I think in the current situation it wont help. The government has used military might and a tough policy for the past five years and they didnt work. The ban wont work either, he said on conditions of anonymity. The JeI leader said the ban was likely to put thousands of students who study in schools run by the group in jeopardy. These schools are models of progressive and modern outlook. This will jeopardise the future of these students, he said. In a statement, the JeI said it was being targeted for reasons unknown to them. 190227145750670 The use of muscular policy will further destabilise the situation in South Asia. Instead, sincere efforts should be made to solve the long-pending dispute of Kashmir, the statement said. Mehbooba Mufti, the former chief minister of the region, condemned the ban and termed it as high handedness of government. Ideas cannot be banned or jailed, need better ideas to replace it, she said in a tweet. Steps like this chokes space for dissent and leads us to more violent times. On banning the JeI and arrests made before that, a senior official in Indian-administered Kashmir told Al Jazeera that there will be continuous action against anti-national forces. The leaders have been arrested and they are being categorised now. Police and other agencies are carrying out the process. These leaders are involved in sedition, instigation and inciting violence, said the officer, who did not want to reveal his identity to the media. Strong cadre base JeI has a strong cadre base across the restive Kashmir region. It regards itself as separate from Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, its Indian counterpart, and backs Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan. JeI participated in Indian elections for more than two decades before becoming engaged with separatist politics following the onset of an armed rebellion in Kashmir in 1989. The group maintains that Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory, and seeks its resolution through the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people. In 1989, when an armed rebellion erupted in Kashmir, the regions largest rebel outfit, Hizbul Mujahideen, declared it was JeIs military wing. As violence spread, the JeI was banned while hundreds of its members were killed by a local counterinsurgency force, known as Ikhwan in the 1990s. Earlier this week, Indian authorities launched a major crackdown on JeI leaders in Kashmir region following the Pulwama suicide attack on February 14, which was claimed by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed group. Since the incident, there has been an escalation of tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, while the disputed Kashmir region remains on the edge. Indigenous groups plan protests against Supreme Court verdict to evict over 1 million tribal people from forestlands. New Delhi, India Indias top courts order to evict more than a million forest dwellers has sparked anger among activists, with tribal groups calling for mass protests against the verdict. Spokespeople for indigenous tribal groups, who are likely to be the worst affected by the Supreme Courts order, say that the move plays into the hands of corporate lobbies. The top courts order came in response to a petition against the constitutional validity of Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006, filed by some environmental groups and retired forest officers who said the law impeded conservation efforts. Rights groups have questioned the governments commitment to indigenous peoples as its lawyer failed to appear before the top court. Under the FRA, at least 150 million people could have had their rights recognised to about 40 million hectares of forestlands. Since the landmark law was passed in 2006, the forest department undertook a massive exercise to weed out those who were not traditional forest dwellers. The petitioners had demanded that those who could not prove their claims over the forestlands under the FRA should be evicted. Tribal claims Although the court reserved its judgment on the constitutional validity of the law, it ordered that the people whose claims have been rejected should be evicted by July 27. Its the negligence of forest officials and their anti-Adivasi [anti-tribal] bias that has led to these rejections, said Anusuia Uikey, the vice chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes. Adivasi life is entirely based around Jal, Jungle, Jameen [water, forest, land]. Many of Adivasis claims were rejected, as they could not produce proof. Adivasi Anusuia . Many of Adivasis claims were rejected, as they could not produce proof.] Our commission itself has observed such wrong practices. We have given several notices to the forest department seeking reevaluation. FRA, passed by the previous Congress-led government, which is now the main opposition party, acknowledges the injustice suffered by tribal and other forest-dwelling communities. It allowed individual and community title claims first filed to gram sabha (village council), then approved by a sub-divisional committee and a divisional committee. Citing a 10-year study (2006 to 2016) by Rights Resources, a coalition of developmental organisations to advance the land and resource rights of indigenous peoples, Uikey said that between 2006 and 2016 the forest department recognised the rights of only three percent of population that was expected to benefit from the FRA. Tribal groups from different parts of the country are preparing to launch street protests over the issue of land and forest rights barely two months before the parliamentary elections. Diluting earlier legislation Activists have accused the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of diluting earlier legislation meant to protect the rights of farmers and indigenous people over land and natural resources. Keshav Sori, director of DISHA, an NGO based in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh state, said, Adivasis have been occupying traditional land for generations, but as most of them are unaware of the act and its provisions, it puts all the power at the hands of government officials. He said that none of the people in Bastar region, to his knowledge, had received any written acknowledgement of the FRA claims they filed over 10 years ago. What is shocking is that the status of rejection is still unknown to most cases, Sori added. With the increased mining and industrial projects in forest areas, the courts order will have long-term implications for indigenous communities, lawyers say. As land and forest are intrinsic to the identity and existence of indigenous communities, the recent Supreme Court judgement could be disastrous for the future, said Lalsu Nagoti, lawyer and activist based in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. The outrage has been most visible on social media. Adivasis will have to revolt against this decision, Chotubhai Vasava, a legislator from Modis home state of Gujarat posted on his Facebook page. Three people sitting in a courtroom cannot decide the fate of millions of Adivasis, Vasava, also a prominent tribal leader, said. Facing heat from the tribal groups ahead of the elections, the government has pledged to safeguard tribal rights. Ministry of Tribal Affairs is well aware of its responsibilities of defending the Constitutional validity of the Forest Rights Act and the ministry will do everything at its disposal to safeguard the interests of the tribals as it has been doing so far, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs said in a statement. The adoption of the farm and fisheries agreements between Morocco and the European Union (EU) confirms the strength of relations between the two partners, said Thursday in Rabat Mrs. Ines Ayala Sender, co-chair of EU-Morocco-Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). Partnership between the two sides gained momentum following the recent vote by the European Parliament for the two agreements with an overwhelming majority, she stressed in a statement to media after meeting Moroccan Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Aziz Akhannouch. The adoption of the farm and fisheries deals will enable the Joint Parliamentary Committee to build on this achievement for a better shared future serving the interests of the two partners, added the MEP. The EU-Morocco joint parliamentary committee will hold its 10th annual meeting in Rabat on March 1st to look into the achievements made by this important body set up by Rabat and the European bloc to bolster their political cooperation and protect their geo-strategic interests. During their 10th annual meeting, Moroccan MPs and their European peers will discuss several issues related to EU-Morocco relations, political reforms, cooperation prospects in economy, trade, human rights, womens rights, youth and migration as well as geopolitical and regional issues. Co-chaired by MP Abderrahim Atmoun and Ines Ayala Sender, the Morocco-EU joint parliamentary committee will also hold in Rabat a forum on security and fight against radicalism. Participants will discuss security challenges and assess the progress made in the fight against radicalism in the Mediterranean region and the Sahel-Sahara region. The EU has extensive ties with Morocco in trade, political and security matters. The Union is Moroccos largest trading partner, accounting for 59.4 pc of its trade in 2017. The same year, 64.6 pc of Moroccos exports went to the EU, and 56.5 pc of Moroccos imports came from the EU. Morocco is the EUs 22nd trading partner representing 1.0 pc of the EUs total trade with the world. Total trade in goods between the EU and Morocco in 2017 amounted to 37.4 billion. Two-way trade in services amounted to 8.8 billion in 2016 with EU imports of services representing 5.2 billion and exports 3.6 billion. India Prime Minister and his cabinet colleagues attend public events and election rallies amid tensions with rival. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come under fire from the civil society and opposition for continuing his scheduled public events, including an election rally, while staying mum amid a major military standoff with Pakistan. The governments message to the outside world is that India wants peace. But inside the country, the prime minister, his cabinet colleagues and senior party colleagues are on the campaign trail, addressing election rallies in which they are calling for war, Professor Apoorvanand, an academic and activist, told Al Jazeera on Thursday. Priyanka Chaturvedi, a member of the opposition Congress party, said that sensitive information is coming only through leaks from unnamed government officials. 190227190606136 This is giving rise to fake news and giving irresponsible media outlets a free run, she said. No senior minister of Modis government has briefed the media since Indian fighter jets carried out air raids on Tuesday across the border in response to the February 14 suicide attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. Pakistan responded on Wednesday with an air raid of its own in the Indian-administered Kashmir. It also brought down at least one Indian warplane and captured its pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Even as the dramatic exchange on Wednesday triggered fears of an all-out confrontation between the two nuclear-armed South Asian rivals, Modi launched a mobile app at the National Youth Parliament Festival and travelled to the ISKCON temple in New Delhi, posing for photos with commuters. Modi and his senior cabinet colleagues have kept their distance from the media, while Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan held multiple press conferences in which he repeatedly called for a diplomatic solution to the crisis. Exploiting the conflict On Thursday, as Modi addressed his party workers through video-conferencing, Khan announced the release of the captured Indian pilot in his third major address on the issue. The ruling party leaders have been accused of exploiting the latest confrontation with Indias region rival for electoral gains. Amit Shah, Modis closest confidante and the president of the ruling BJP, on Wednesday addressed an election rally in Uttar Pradesh state where he said that only Modi and the BJP could give a fitting reply to Pakistan and wipe out terrorism. BS Yeddyurappa, another senior BJP leader and former chief minister of the southern state of Karnataka, said at a separate election-related event that the air raids will help the party win 22 seats in the state. Opposition parties have slammed the government in a joint statement accusing the prime minister and his colleagues of politicising the ongoing crisis with Pakistan. National security must transcend narrow political considerations, the statement by a group of 21 parties said that by not convening an all-party meeting, the government had broken an established norm. The ruling party, in turn, said the opposition was helping Pakistan through its statements. At a time when the country should be united, the opposition is creating barriers to unity, Human Resources and Development Minister Prakash Javadekar said. Siddharth Varadarajan, senior journalist and founding editor of The Wire, told Al Jazeera that it is the Indian style to avoid press interactions by senior ministers in times of conflict. Even during the Kargil war, the prime minister and the defence minister did not address the media. Thats how it is done in India, said Varadarajan. The Wire editor, however, said that there has been a clear and consistent attempt by the BJP to link the India-Pakistan conflict with the general elections. A look at the events, reactions and expectations as nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours come to the brink of war. India and Pakistan have carried out air raids inside each others countries for the first time since the 1971 war, raising fears of a major military escalation between the two nuclear-armed nations. Pakistan claimed it carried out air raids inside Indian-administered Kashmir and shot down two Indian jets on Wednesday. It also captured an Indian pilot, who has become the face of the crisis. Here is what we know so far. What triggered the crisis? On February 14, at least 42 paramilitaries were killed in a suicide bomb attack in the Indian-administered Kashmir, causing a public outrage. 190227063414443 It was the deadliest attack in nearly three decades of the Kashmir conflict, and was claimed by Pakistan-based armed group Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM). Kashmir has been a major flashpoint since the end of British rule in the subcontinent in 1947. A ceasefire line divides the disputed region between India and Pakistan, but both claim the Muslim-majority region in its entirety. How did India react? Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi threatened a jaw-breaking response after the bombing. New Delhi demanded action from Islamabad, which it accuses of using armed groups as proxies to drive unrest in Kashmir and carry out attacks in India. Pakistan has denied any involvement and warned India against linking it to the February 14 attack. On February 26, Indian warplanes crossed the Kashmir ceasefire line into Pakistani airspace, dropping bombs on what New Delhi described as a large JeM camp in Balakot. New Delhi said a large number of JeM fighters had been killed, but Pakistani officials said the attack was a failure and inflicted no casualties. What was Pakistans response? On February 27, Pakistani jets flew across the Kashmir ceasefire line in what Islamabad described as a show of strength, hitting open spaces after locking on to six military targets. But there was a dramatic escalation when the Pakistani planes were chased by Indian fighters. In the ensuing fight, both sides claimed to have shot down each others warplanes. Pakistan said it downed two Indian jets, and detained one of their pilots. New Delhi confirmed the loss of one of its planes, and said a Pakistani jet was shot down which Islamabad denied. India has demanded the immediate and safe return of the pilot. As tensions reached a level not seen in years, Pakistan closed its airspace completely. World leaders urge restraint Some leading nations, including the United States, and the United Nations have expressed concern over the sudden deterioration in relations between the two countries. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday there would be some reasonably decent news on the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan, a day after the two nuclear powers downed each others jets. They have been going at it and we have been involved in trying to have them stop. We have been in the middle trying to help them both out. Earlier, the White House had urged both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement he had spoken separately with the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan and urged them to prioritise direct communication and avoid further military activity. 190226122309281 China, a close ally of Pakistan, expressed deep concern over the crisis. As friends of both India and Pakistan we very much hope that dialogue and communication can be used to ascertain the facts and manage the situation and together safeguard peace and stability in this region, Chinas foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for de-escalation and offered to help India and Pakistan open talks on the crisis. The European Union, Iran, Japan and other countries have also weighed in on the crisis and called for restraint. Tensions spillover Pakistan has placed a ban on the screening of all Bollywood films in cinemas across the country after Indian air raids. No Indian movies will be released in Pakistan, Fawad Chaudhry, the countrys information minister, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. 190226092855026 Earlier, the All Indian Cine Workers Association announced a complete ban on Pakistani actors and artists working in the Indian film industry. If any organisation insists on working with Pakistani artists, it will be banned by AICWA and a strong action will be taken against them. Nation comes first, we stand with our nation, the notice by the association read. Calls for peace on social media There are growing calls for peace and military restraint on social media, with the hashtag #SayNoToWar being widely used and trending worldwide. Indications are that both sides do not want to escalate the military dimension, but there is an intense media/social media war at play. Hopefully, diplomatic channels will soon weigh in, Indian defence expert C Uday Bhaskar told Al Jazeera. Both sides should remain committed to a no-escalation policy and a window should be agreed to where both sides present their version or narrative of events from Balakot to now, he added. Whats next? Both sides have sought to play down the threat of war. On Thursday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told Geo News that Prime Minister Imran Khan was ready to speak with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi via telephone and is ready to offer peace. Earlier, Prime Minister Khan and Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj have said they do not want to escalate further. A lot rests on how India reacts to the Pakistani retaliation and the capture of its pilot, analysts said. If India were to retaliate again, that could really take things to another level, US analyst Michael Kugelman of the Wilson Center told Bloomberg TV. But the fact that Pakistan has one of its pilots may limit its options and may make it a bit more cautious. Given domestic political considerations, and coming on the heels of the Pakistani retaliatory move, I doubt India is ready for deescalation just yet. But the captured Indian pilot gives Islamabad a key bargaining chip that may affect just how muscular Delhi's next move could be. Michael Kugelman (@MichaelKugelman) February 27, 2019 And given limited communication between the two, there is increased scope for misunderstanding and miscalculation, wrote Rahul Roy-Chaudhury of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. 190227102523463 While there is international pressure to avoid a full-blown war, there may be pressure within India to not let Pakistan have the last word. India is led by a government thats very conservative, and has been very tough on Pakistan. Theres an election coming up in a few weeks in India I find it hard to believe that India would be ready to de-escalate, Roy-Chaudhury said. I dont know if weve seen the last of these fireworks on the sub-continent, unfortunately. With additional reporting by Zeenat Saberin The Israeli attorney generals office intends to indict Benjamin Netanyahu in three corruption cases. Israels attorney general said he intends to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in one case of bribery and two cases of fraud and breach of trust. Netanyahu responded in a televised address on Thursday saying the corruption charges against him will collapse like a house of cards. He said intends to continue as prime minister for many more years. The long-awaited announcement marks the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister has been put on official notice of planned prosecution and deepens uncertainty over his prospects in a tight election race. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit said in a statement he intends to charge the Israeli leader pending a hearing, where Netanyahu would be given a chance to defend himself before charges are filed. The required hearing will likely be after the April 9 election. The prime minister on Thursday called the allegations a polically motivated witch hunt to hurt his re-election prospects. Netanyahu is facing a tough challenge from a centrist political alliance headed by a respected former military chief of staff, Benny Gantz. Allegations against Netanyahu include seeking a secret deal with the publisher of Israels top-selling newspaper Yediot Aharonot to ensure positive coverage in return for pushing forward a law that would have limited the circulation of a rival publication. Another probe involves suspicions the premier and his family received luxury presents from wealthy individuals in exchange for financial or personal favours. Denies wrongdoing Netanyahu, who is seeking a fourth consecutive term, denies any wrongdoing and in January said he would not resign even if indicted. Al Jazeeras Bernard Smith, reporting from West Jerusalem, said the investigation into the case has been going on for three years. There were 20 senior justice ministry officials going through thousands of pages of evidence. They have taken a 140 witness statements and five of those witnesses are either current or former cabinet ministers, he said. His right-wing Likud party called the reported charges political persecution. Unilateral publication of the attorney generals announcement just a month before the elections, without giving the prime minister an opportunity to refute these false accusations, is a blatant and unprecedented intervention in the elections, Likud said in a statement. Al Jazeeras senior political analyst Marwan Bishara said Netanyahus situation was comparable to that of US President Donald Trump. 190101082745643 Like President Trump, Netanyahu and his allies claim that there is a conspiracy by the left, by the liberals against him to steal away the elections. He says that none of this is justified, he said. However, in Israel, not only those who are on the centre and the centre left want a piece of Netanyahu, but also those on the right, even some from within his party, Bishara said. Thats why a few days ago Netanyahu was warning against one of his former aides Gideon Saar, who came the third in the Likud primaries so there will be some competition from within as well as outside the party. Pyongyang says it seeks partial not total sanctions relief, laments US wasted opportunity that may not come again. North Korea disputed US President Donald Trumps account of why the summit with Kim Jong Un collapsed, insisting Pyongyang demanded only partial sanctions relief in exchange for shutting down its main nuclear complex. The Norths state media said on Friday the second Trump-Kim summit helped deepen mutual respect and trust between the countries as they work towards resolving the nuclear standoff and improving bilateral relations. The Korean Central News Agency said Trump and Kim had a constructive and candid exchange of views and agreed to keep in close touch for the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and the epochal development in bilateral relations. Trump, who arrived back in Washington, DC late on Thursday, said talks broke down because Kim insisted that all the punishing sanctions the United States has imposed be lifted without the North committing to eliminate its nuclear arsenal. It was about the sanctions. They wanted sanctions to be lifted in their entirety and we couldnt do that, Trump told reporters at a press conference in Hanoi after the summit ended early. However, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told a news conference held in Hanoi past midnight and hours after Trump left the Vietnamese capital that North Korea had sought only a partial lifting of sanctions and had offered a realistic proposal, including the dismantling of its main nuclear site at Yongbyon. The US demanded one more measure beyond dismantling Yongbyon, Ri said. He said if Washington partially removed sanctions, North Korea could permanently end all nuclear material production, including plutonium and uranium, under US observation. This is the biggest denuclearisation step we can take based on the current level of trust between the two countries, Ri said in a rare exchange between a North Korean official and reporters. In fact, as we take steps toward denuclearisation, the most important issue is security but we thought it would be more burdensome for the United States to take military related measures, which is why we saw partial lifting of sanctions as corresponding action. Ri said the North was also ready to offer in writing a permanent halt of the countrys nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and that Washington wasted an opportunity that may not come again. The Norths position wouldnt change even if the US offered to resume another round of dialogue, he added. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ministers remarks. Scott Snyder from the Council on Foreign Relations said despite no deal it appears progress was made in Vietnam. I think the two sides have identified very clearly the gap that remains to be addressed and it involves the scope of denuclearisation in return for the scope of sanctions lifting. In that respect, I think we have a clear and relatively straight forward equation in terms of what would be necessary to move forward and whether gaps can be bridged, he told Al Jazeera. Walked away too soon Rebecca Johnson, founder of the London-based Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy, told Al Jazeera Trump walked away too soon. I think it was a substantive step forward that the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was prepared to offer to dismantle the Yongbyong facility, she said. As far as we understand, it isnt the only facility. Now I would have expected Trump, in that situation, would have haggled over how many and what kind of sanctions should be lifted, she added. The United Nations and the US ratcheted up sanctions on North Korea when it conducted repeated nuclear and ballistic missile tests in 2017, cutting off its main sources of hard cash. During Thursdays summit, Trump and Kim cut short their talks, skipping a planned working lunch at the French-colonial-era Metropole hotel after a morning of meetings. Sometimes you have to walk, and this was just one of those times, Trump told reporters in Hanoi, adding it was a friendly walk. Failure to reach an agreement marks a setback for Trump, a self-styled dealmaker under pressure at home over his ties to Russia and testimony from Michael Cohen, his former personal lawyer who accused him of breaking the law while in office. The collapse of the talks raised questions about the Trump administrations preparations and about what some critics see as his cavalier style of personal diplomacy. Meanwhile, there was disappointment and alarm in South Korea, which backs efforts to end confrontation on the Korean Peninsula. Seoul said it regretted that no deal had been reached but the two sides had made progress. Wang Yi, a senior Chinese diplomat, said difficulties in the talks were unavoidable but the two sides should press on and China would play a constructive role. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he backed Trumps decision and wanted a meeting with Kim. There was no indication of when Trump and Kim, or their negotiators, might meet again. Buhari might have won by a wide margin, but main opposition leader says flawed polls will be contested in court. President Muhammadu Buhari has been re-elected in Saturdays polls, but his main opposition rival is calling the results rigged. The runner-up from the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, says he will challenge the outcome in court. Nigerias courts have tended not to favour opposition parties in the past. Al Jazeeras Haru Mutasa has more from Abuja. The head of Libyas internationally recognised government and a rival military strongman have agreed to hold elections aiming at ending years of instability, the United Nations said Thursday. Unity government leader Fayez al-Sarraj met General Khalifa Haftar, who rules the eastern half of the country, in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and agreed on the need to end the transitional phase through general elections and on ways to preserve the stability of #Libya and unify its institutions, the UNs Libya mission UNSMIL tweeted on Thursday. SRSG @GhassanSalame hosted a meeting yesterday between Head of PC Fayez Serraj & LNA Commander Khalifa Haftar in the UAE where both agreed on the necessity of ending the state of transition in #Libya through general elections & on ways to safeguard stability & unify institutions. pic.twitter.com/URBC94Q6IV UNSMIL (@UNSMILibya) February 28, 2019 The North African country has been torn between rival administrations and a myriad of militias since the NATO-backed overthrow and killing of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. 190217062542196 Chief among them are Sarrajs Government of National Accord (GNA), based in Tripoli, and a rival administration based in the east and backed by Haftars self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA). The leaders had agreed to a Paris-brokered deal in May 2018 to hold a nationwide election by the end of the year. However, instability, territorial disputes and divisions in the oil-rich country delayed those plans. Talks in Italy in November laid bare deep divisions between the key power brokers, with some delegates refusing to sit side by side and Haftar snubbing the main conference to organise separate talks with international leaders. UN envoy Ghassan Salame told the UN Security Council last month that he was planning to organise a national conference inside Libya within weeks to pave the way for elections. Traffickers abuse vacuum Human traffickers have taken advantage of the chaos to turn Libya into a major conduit for migrants and refugees seeking a better life in Europe. 190212075514781 The LNA already controls vital oil installations in Libyas east, but its power struggle with the GNA has left the countrys vast desert south a lawless no-mans land. The rugged territory bordering Algeria, Niger, Chad and Sudan has become a haven for fighters and armed groups, including Chadian rebels. Libyas instability has also made it vulnerable to fighter groups, which have carried out numerous attacks in recent years, including more than 20 in 2018 against institutions linked to the GNA and Haftars forces. But UN efforts to reach a political settlement and restore stability have so far failed. The African Union last month called for a global conference in July to try to resolve the conflict in Libya. Both the US and Russia fail in rival bids to get the UN Security Council to take action on Venezuela. The United States and Russia both failed on Thursday in rival bids to get the United Nations Security Council to take action on Venezuela, cementing a global split over how to deal with a political and humanitarian crisis in the South American country. Russia and the US have been at loggerheads over a US-led campaign for international recognition of Juan Guaido, the Venezuelan opposition leader and head of the countrys elected National Assembly, over President Nicholas Maduro. Guaido last month declared himself the interim head of state. Russia and China vetoed a US-drafted UNSC resolution, calling for a free and fair presidential election in Venezuela and unhindered aid access. The US text garnered a minimum nine votes forcing the double veto, while South Africa also voted no. Three countries abstained. {articleGUID} By voting against this resolution some members of this council continue to shield Maduro and his cronies and prolong the suffering of the Venezuelan people. This man-made crisis has extended well beyond Venezuelas borders and threatens to destabilise the region, US special envoy for Venezuela Elliott Abrams told the council. US diplomat Elliott Abrams speaks during a UNSC meeting on Venezuela [Lucas Jackson/Reuters] Counter resolution The council then voted on a rival Russian draft that aimed to express support for a political solution and back the Venezuelan government as the primary coordinator of international assistance efforts in the country. The Russian text failed after only four council members voted in favour of it. Four abstained and the rest were against. A council resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, France, Britain or the US to pass. {articleGUID} We are seriously concerned about the fact that todays meeting may be exploited as a step for preparations of a real, not humanitarian, intervention as a result of the alleged inability of the Security Council to resolve the situation in Venezuela, Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said after the vote on the US draft resolution. US President Donald Trump has said all options are on the table in dealing with Venezuela, although Abrams has denied Russian accusations that Washington is preparing to intervene militarily. Ahead of the UNSC votes on Thursday, French UN Ambassador Francois Delattre, in support of the US-drafted resolution, said it does not represent a legal basis for a use of force, nor an attempt to undermine the sovereignty of Venezuela. Backing Guaido The US and dozens of other nations have recognised Guaido as Venezuelas legitimate president, but Maduro still controls the military, state institutions and oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), which provides 90 percent of the countrys export revenue. The Venezuelan affairs should be decided by the Venezuelan people, Chinas Deputy UN Ambassador Wu Haitao said. 190228213304862 The US targeted Venezuelas government with new sanctions on Monday and called on allies to freeze the assets of state-owned PDVSA after deadly violence blocked humanitarian aid from reaching the country over the weekend. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington is still working on plans to get humanitarian aid delivered to Venezuela. If there are threats against peace, those threats come from abroad, Venezuelas UN Ambassador Samuel Moncada told the council on Thursday. The sisters, who are in hiding since September, fear deportation to Saudi Arabia as February 28 deadline ends. Two Saudi sisters who have been hiding in Hong Kong since September face an uncertain future on the last day of their permitted stay in the autonomous Chinese city. Were terrified that well be forced to return to Saudi Arabia, they said on Twitter under the handle HKSaudiSisters on Wednesday, a day before the end of their permit to stay in Hong Kong. We applied for an emergency rescue visa for a 3rd country over two months ago. We [had] hoped that our emergency visa [would] be granted without delay. Two Saudi sisters have fled #SaudiArabia & are now in Hong Kong. They are at risk of being deported back to the kingdom, which they say they escaped after experiencing beatings by their father & brothers. Don't send them back. https://t.co/yDuRBKp7ro Amnesty International (@amnesty) February 27, 2019 The sisters, who say they have converted to Christianity, claim they fled from a family holiday in Sri Lanka to Hong Kong, from where they had hoped to board a connecting flight to Australia. They claimed on Twitter that they were intercepted at Hong Kong airport by Saudi officials and have since gone into hiding. The pair, who have been identified as Reem and Rawan, claimed to have moved 13 times to avoid detection. They said Saudi Arabia cancelled their passports but they were afraid to go to the Hong Kong consulate to renew them. Hong Kong is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and would-be asylum seekers often languish for years as they wait to be sent to a third country. Hong Kongs immigration department told DPA news agency that it does not comment on individual cases. Michael Vidler, a Hong Kong lawyer representing the sisters, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The two sisters are not the first to flee Saudi Arabia and seek assistance via social media. Such cases appear to be on the rise, with the two sisters story emerging a month after 18-year-old Saudi woman Rahaf al-Qunun drew international attention with her dramatic escape from an allegedly abusive family to eventually gain refugee status in Canada. New data is first comprehensive look at the human impact of Trumps travel ban from several Muslim-majority countries. The State Department refused more than 37,000 visa applications in 2018 due to the Trump administrations travel ban, up from less than 1,000 the previous year when the ban had not fully taken effect, according to agency data released on Tuesday. The United States denies nearly four million visa applications a year for a variety of reasons. The data released on Tuesday was the first comprehensive look at the human effect of Republican President Donald Trumps ban, imposed shortly after he took office and initially blocked by federal courts. The ban has especially affected people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen, countries where the number of visas issued slid 80 percent in 2018 from 2016, the last year without a travel ban. Trumps initial January 2017 executive order banning entry to the US by citizens of several Muslim-majority countries launched a fierce fight in the federal courts over whether the policy amounts to an unlawful Muslim ban or is a legal exercise of presidential power. The administration revised the policy following court challenges, and the Supreme Court allowed it to largely go into effect in December 2017 while legal challenges continued. In June 2018, the high court upheld the new version of the ban. As a result, most people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen have not been able to enter the US for well over a year. Venezuela and North Korea also were affected in the current policy, but those restrictions were not challenged in court. 15,000 immigrant visas denied The figures released on Tuesday show the government denied 15,384 applications for immigrant visas given to those who want to live permanently in the US due to the 2017 Executive Order on Immigration. A State Department spokeswoman confirmed that term referred to the travel ban policy. 180626142504629 In addition, 21,645 applications for non-immigrant visas given to people coming for short-term visits for business, tourism or other reasons were denied due to the ban. Approximately 2,200 visa applications overcame denials based on the travel ban last year, but it was unclear how many of those applications were initially made last year or earlier. The data did not include how many visa applications were made by citizens from countries affected by the travel ban. Every month, the State Department releases the numbers of visas issued to citizens of all countries, including those under the travel ban, but it does not publish equivalent monthly information on the number of visa applications or denials by country. Other previously released data from the State Department shows that the number of US visas issued to citizens of the countries under the travel ban has dropped drastically as a result of its implementation. E xtremely difficult In the fiscal year from October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018, citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen the five countries consistently on the travel ban list throughout its different iterations received approximately 14,600 US visas. That is down 80 percent from approximately 72,000 visas issued for citizens of those countries in the 2016 fiscal year when no such ban was in place. 180923161416653 The denials have affected people like Rasha Jarhum, a Yemeni human rights defender who applied for a US visitor visa in October to attend various events on womens rights. The US consular officer refused to even take my passport to process anything, Jarhum said. The officer handed her a piece of paper citing the executive order as the reason for her visa denial, a picture of which Jarhum posted on Twitter. Ahmad Shariftabrizi, a US citizen and oncologist in New York, is considering leaving the US if his wife, an Iranian citizen, is unable to receive a visa to join him. The couple, who wed in 2017, applied for her visa that year, and she was denied it in December 2018, he said in a phone interview. The US government is now reviewing whether she is eligible for a waiver to the ban, which has rarely been granted. The uncertainty and distance is extracting a huge emotional toll on the couple. The separation from my wife is making both of us break down psychologically, he said. Its extremely difficult. Dont get too excited yet. Photo: Darren McGee/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo The best news in the joint, ten-point plan to fix New Yorks transit agencies from Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo is that de Blasio has finally endorsed congestion pricing. This policy of charging drivers for the privilege of driving in Manhattan below 61st Street will serve three important goals: generating revenue to support transit, reducing traffic congestion, and encouraging more transit ridership. Im enthusiastic about this. Unfortunately, the mayor is not. I still believe a Millionaires Tax is the best, most sustainable revenue source for the transit improvements our city needs, he said in a statement. But the time to act is running out, and among all alternatives, congestion pricing has the greatest prospects for immediate success. This reluctant statement shows the mayor still doesnt really get the issue: A tax on high incomes isnt a substitute for congestion pricing because it serves only the revenue goal of congestion pricing. Plus, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is already reliant on revenue sources that swing heavily with economic cycles, such as taxes on mortgage originations, real-estate transfers, and corporate income. These boom-and-bust revenue sources tend to force subway and bus service cuts when the economy falters, as we learned the hard way in the last recession. A key factor that makes congestion pricing a sustainable revenue source is that traffic volumes do not swing with the economy as much as high earners incomes do. The mayor has insisted on some hardship exemptions to the congestion fee, which hopefully will not be so extensive as to gravely undermine its effectiveness.* But even with this caveat and even with palpable reluctance, de Blasios support for a congestion charge is good news that makes it much more likely to become law. The rest of the ten-point package, I am not sure what to make of. Some of the points dont seem that important: A 2 percent annual cap on fare increases is roughly in line with the fare increases the MTA has already been imposing in recent years without an explicit cap. Others depend on details that arent laid out in the announcement, like what station design modifications would be used to prevent fare evasion. Besides congestion pricing, the most important plank of the plan would centralize many MTA functions. Currently, the MTA operates as a holding company over essentially separate entities like NYC Transit, Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North Railroad. This separated structure leads to excessive costs because the different entities have duplicate functions, and because they fail to play nicely together and share existing infrastructure. The inability of LIRR and MNR to share, in particular, has led to billions of dollars in excess construction at Grand Central Terminal. So, greater centralization among the MTAs constituent agencies might eliminate some duplicate costs and lead to better coordination on matters like scheduling, fares, procurement, and facilities. That would be good. On the other hand, as Stephen Smith points out, the MTAs most centralized aspect MTA Capital Construction, a centralized agency serving the various operating agencies is probably its most dysfunctional, routinely spending multiples of what it should on major construction projects. And greater centralization could make it harder to fix two big problems with the MTAs existing structure. One is a lack of accountability: Most voters dont know whos in charge, and the governor, who is in charge, likes to pretend hes not in charge. The other is that the MTAs status as a state agency takes issues that are fundamentally the business of New York City and makes them subject to the whims of faraway legislators. At a budget hearing earlier this month that addressed the congestion fee issue, a state senator from Oneonta (which is between Binghamton and Albany) asked if there would be an exemption to the Manhattan congestion fee for farmers who need to bring their produce to farmers markets. De Blasio for some reason called that a good example of who should be exempt.** Centralization entrenches these two problems because it makes it more difficult to address them by returning control of New York Citys subways and buses to the city. If we did that, everyone would know who to blame when the subway doesnt work the mayor and the system could be governed with an eye solely to the citys interests. Unlike in the 1970s, we have a sufficient fiscal base to handle the subway ourselves; most of the taxes collected to finance it come from here anyway, even under state management. But if you further integrate subway and bus operations with those of the commuter railroads, a future divorce will only become harder. Ultimately, I think Yonah Freemark is right that more centralization is not necessarily a good idea or a bad one. Instead, the MTA needs clarity about who is in charge, a customer focus, and a willingness to adopt international best practices. Those goals could be achieved or not under either style of org chart. In fact, I want to do something unusual and praise the MTA for having gotten somewhat better on these three matters accountability, customer focus, and best practices over the last 18 months. While the MTAs capital construction program has long been a cost-bloated disaster, its reputation for operational deficiency is only a few years old. And there are signs that Andy Byford, the relatively new head of NYC Transit, is having some success in getting his agency to operate better. His program to speed up subway service by fixing faulty speed traps and reevaluating speed limits seems to be having its desired effect of reducing delays. The MTA is also about to make a long-overdue move to a new contact-less payment system, which will make it possible to significantly speed bus boarding, again making service faster. Byford has put himself out, publicly, as the accountable figure for service quality at NYC Transit. He has pushed the agency to adopt foreign best practices in the interest of improving customer service. Even Andrew Cuomos ham-fisted interventions, like his last-minute cancellation of the yearlong Canarsie Tube closure, have the perhaps unintended consequence of reminding the public that he is ultimately in charge of the MTA. If he meddles enough, hell have no choice but to bear political responsibility for what the agency does, which gives him more reason to focus on making it work well. This is accountability of a sort. The MTA needs more money, which it will get if a congestion fee is imposed, but it also needs continued operational improvements that ensure the money is spent in a way that benefits customers. Byford has presented a model of how those improvements can be implemented at one agency. What will determine if this turnaround plan can work for the whole MTA is whether that accountable attitude can be sustained and extended beyond the issue of reducing subway delays. * The mayor seems especially fixated on people who have to travel to Manhattan for medical appointments. The thing is, it can cost money to go places, even doctors offices. A lot of people take the subway to the doctor, and that doesnt mean they get to ride for free. But, whatever. People driving to medical appointments do not make up a large fraction of Manhattan traffic, and if this is what it takes to get the political support necessary to relieve congestion and fund the subways, fine. ** Not to beat a dead horse, but this further demonstrates how the mayor does not understand what congestion pricing is for. The point is not to punish people for driving into the city for bad reasons. It is to charge people for the costs they impose by increasing traffic congestion. Farmers trucks, like all other vehicles, increase traffic congestion. If those farmers have good reasons to come here and it seems to me they do they can pay the congestion fee and build it into the price of the produce they sell. Thats what the supermarkets trucking food into the city will do, as will the wholesalers making deliveries to restaurants. Ultimately, New York consumers will bear the cost of congestion fees paid by businesses; thats okay, because those consumers also benefit from the transit services financed by the fees. Syrian Kurdish-led forces will announce a complete victory over the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) armed group in Syria in around one week, according to the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Mazloum Kobani, SDFs commander-in-chief, made the remark while meeting the 24 Kurdish fighters who were recently released after they were held by ISIL We will announce after a week a complete victory over Daesh, said Kobani in a video posted online by SDF on Thursday, using the Arabic acronym of ISIL. It was not clear when the footage was made. In the video, Kobani shook hands with the released fighters who said they fell in the hands of ISIL 22 days ago. The group backed by the United States did not give details on when or how the ISIL captives were released and if there were negotiations with the group to secure their freedom. SDF fighters have been trying to seize control of the village of Baghouz, near the Iraqi border, for several weeks. It is the last ISIL-held area in eastern Syria. The SDF spokesman Adnan Afrin said the force was waiting to complete evacuations from Baghouz before launching a final push to defeat ISIL. We want the evacuation operations to finish as soon as possible so we can move to the next phase: an assault or the surrender of the fighters still inside, Afrin told the AFP news agency on Thursday. The SDF estimate the number of people inside the last ISIL redoubt, a patch of half a square kilometre on the banks of the Euphrates River, at anything from a few hundred to several thousand. Thousands of civilians have been evacuated from the village and taken to an already overcrowded camp in the northeastern province of al-Hasakah. The SDF has played a key role in battling ISIL in northern and eastern Syria. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump told US troops on Thursday that US-backed forces in Syria have retaken 100 percent of the territory once held by ISIL. He made the comments at US Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson during a refuelling stop in Alaska on his way back to Washington from a summit in Vietnam. ISIL can re-emerge Also on Thursday, Geir Pedersen, United Nations new envoy to Syria, said in his first briefing to the UN Security Council that a territorial defeat of ISIL was near, but experience suggests they can re-emerge. The Norwegian diplomat set out his goals, which include more concrete action to address the issue of detainees, abductees and missing persons, as well as to convene a committee to redraft the countrys constitution as soon as possible. Pedersens three predecessors were not able to launch genuine peace negotiations. The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has baulked at discussing political change, while the opposition has demanded Assads resignation. Also in the UN Security Council meeting, France, Germany and the United Kingdom reiterated their stance that they will not offer help to reconstruct Syria until a political process and transition are under way. In Geneva, UN rights experts said on Thursday that the ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria are hampering refugee returns even though violence has decreased. The members of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria pointed out that Syrians are not protected by rule of law anywhere, whether they live in areas controlled by the government, the SDF or the Hayet Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) armed group, a former al-Qaeda affiliate. The war is not over More than seven years of hostilities have created a security vacuum that fosters violence and lawlessness leading to conditions that render the possibility for safe and sustainable return completely illusory, Paulo Pinheiro, the Commission chairman, said at a press conference. More than 5.5 million Syrians have fled to neighbouring and nearby countries in the region since the start of the war, according to the UN Refugee Agency. Referring to the planned US troop reductions, Pinheiro said: We are deeply concerned about the possible implications of any large-scale troop withdrawals, which have the potential to deepen pre-existing security vacuums. The commission also warned about the current escalation of violence in the northwestern province of Idlib, which is largely controlled by HTS. The war is not over, despite several voices in the international community who tell this story, Pinheiro said. Pacific storm brings more rain and snow to the already saturated US west coast. Rising flood waters turned the Northern California community of Guerneville in the United States into an island on Wednesday. Water rose to the roofs of homes and submerged cars as the rain-swollen Russian River overflowed its banks. Starting on Tuesday, authorities began the evacuation of over 4,000 Guerneville residents, asking them to leave their homes or risk being stranded for days On Tuesday afternoon, a large mudslide in the town of Monte Rio, California closed both lanes of the Bohemian Highway, cutting off its main southward route. The community there is also at risk of flooding from the rising Russian River. By Wednesday afternoon, the river had risen to over 13 metres, well above flood stage, and by midnight had crested at 13.8 metres. Since Tuesday, the recent Pacific storm has brought over 132 millimetres of rain to the already saturated parts of Northern California. This winter has been particularly wet already with dozens of Pacific storms coming onshore since December. The heavy rainfall was only part of the story. In the higher elevations of Sierra Nevada, heavy snow crippled travel in some areas. Highway 80, which crosses from California to Nevada, was closed for a 120-km stretch because of the dangerous driving conditions. On the rails, Amtrak suspended passenger trains between Sacramento and Reno because of an avalanche at Donner Pass. Service was unlikely to resume anytime soon. Even though much of the rain has now moved east, flood warnings are still in effect through Friday for much of Northern California as runoff continues to flow downstream. Announcement comes after US trade representative testifies that a US-China trade agreement is still far from completion. The US Trade Representatives office said on Wednesday it would move to formally suspend a scheduled tariff increase on Chinese goods until further notice following President Donald Trumps decision to delay his Friday deadline for a US-China trade deal amid progress in their talks. The statement was issued after US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizers testimony to the US House Ways and Means Committee, in which he said USTR was following a legal process to implement the delay. In accordance with the presidents direction, the Office of the United States Trade Representative will publish a notice in the Federal Register this week to suspend the scheduled tariff increase until further notice, USTR said in an emailed statement. During his testimony on Wednesday, Lighthizer said the United States will need to maintain the threat of imposing tariffs on Chinese goods for years even if Washington and Beijing strike a deal to end a costly trade war. The US and China still have hard work ahead to secure a pact not only to end the dispute but to ensure any agreements are met, the top US trade negotiator told the House panel. Lighthizer detailed a long road ahead to overhaul trade dealings between the worlds two biggest economies. The reality is this is a challenge that will go on for a long, long time, Lighthizer said. He earlier said he is not foolish enough to believe that a single negotiation will change the increasingly sour bilateral trade relationship. Lighthizer defended the Trump administrations use of tariffs, saying they are the only tool to push China to make the major structural changes that he, Trump and many of the lawmakers themselves are seeking. If there is disagreement at my level, the US would expect to act proportionately but unilaterally, he said. Lighthizers comments on Wednesday appeared to curb market hopes a deal is imminent, with major US stock indexes dipping into negative territory. 190224233432083 Global equity markets rose after Trump earlier this week delayed the March 1 deadline to raise tariffs to 25 percent from 10 percent and said he may soon meet with Chinas President Xi Jinping to finalise a deal. Lighthizers comments that a deal is not imminent were enough to cause the markets to sell off, said Michael Antonelli, a managing director at Robert W Baird in Milwaukee. Most severe challenge The issues that the US faces with China are too serious to be resolved by promises to purchase more US goods structural change by China is needed, said Lighthizer, describing a long-term effort to secure the key changes the US is seeking from China. China has offered to buy an additional $1.2 trillion of US products over six years, people familiar with the talks have said, which would be a welcome relief to farmers and businesses hit hard by Beijings retaliatory tariffs. But politicians have urged the Trump administration not to allow potential big-ticket purchases to distract them from pursuing an end to what the US alleges are unfair trade practices. China represents the most severe challenge ever faced by US trade policymakers and congressional support has been critical in persuading China to take Washingtons concerns more seriously, Lighthizer said on Wednesday. 190216144833685 The US has accused Beijing of forcing US companies doing business in China to share their technology with local partners and hand over intellectual property secrets. China denies it engages in such practices. Trump administration officials also object to non-tariff barriers in China, including industrial subsidies, regulations, business licensing procedures, product standards reviews and other practices that they say keep US goods out of China or give an unfair advantage to domestic firms. Lighthizer on Wednesday said that while some progress has been made in the talks, the US needs to be able to take unilateral action to enforce any agreement. I dont believe this is going to solve all the problems between the United States and China, Lighthizer said. Were going to be back here and working our way through problems, always with one eye toward the future, he added, saying that the US is seeking monthly meetings for lower-level officials, quarterly meetings for vice ministers and semiannual meetings at the ministerial level for the enforcement process. Lighthizer also said the US is seeking to prevent China from competitive devaluation of its currency as part of the talks. Substantial new purchases While politicians from major agricultural states broadly shared their support for a deal that addresses these core issues, they sounded the alarm about the impact of tariffs. US farmers have been among the hardest hit by retaliation from China, the top market for many of their products. 190214012258537 Lighthizer said Trumps team is pushing China to promise to make substantial new purchases of US products, including soybeans, corn, ethanol and cotton. The purchase plan is designed to secure future demand as well, he said. Our hope is if you increase those agriculture sales, you would create new customers and results that go out years and years and years and years, Lighthizer said. Trump said two sides could not reach an agreement over sanctions, lower-level negotiations to continue. Hanoi, Vietnam US President Donald Trump has said North Koreas demand that the US lift economic sanctions in their entirety forced the US to walk away from reaching an agreement at a summit in Vietnam. The announcement, made in a short statement from the White House on Thursday, confirmed that no agreement was reached at this time. The Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony, as well as a working lunch scheduled for Thursday afternoon in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, were cancelled following the announcement. It was about the sanctions. They wanted sanctions to be lifted in their entirety and we couldnt do that, Trump told reporters at a press conference in Hanoi, which was brought forward by two hours due to the turn of events. Surprise announcement The announcement came as a surprise after Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared confident and optimistic when talking to the press earlier on Thursday as well as on Wednesday. 190225054914749 North Korea is willing to denuclearise but we couldnt give up all the sanctions for that. He has a certain vision and its not exactly our vision, Trump said. We are a lot closer than we were a year ago. Eventually, we will get there but on this particular visit, we decided we had to walk. Trump has said sanctions remain the key sticking point in negotiations [Evan Vucci/AP Photo] Trump added that the two days of talks had advanced ongoing negotiations on denuclearisation and relations between the two countries. We want to keep that relationship. He promised me he isnt going to test rockets and nuclear missiles. I trust him and take his word for it. I hope its true, said Trump. It just wasnt appropriate to sign an agreement today. We had the papers read but I just didnt think it was appropriate. There was no indication from Trump or the White House that the two leaders will meet again. Lack of preparation? The collapse of the talks will raise questions about the Trump administrations lack of preparation in advance of the summit. It follows criticism of the outcome of the last set of talks between the two leaders in Singapore in June 2018 where the lack of a specific and tangible plan to achieve targets was heavily criticised. 180612114159725 Whether this moves the process of reaching [an] agreement [going] forward or not remains to be seen but with the kind of information received today, the US didnt really need to send its president halfway across the world to find out, Daniel Pinkston, a North Korea expert told Al Jazeera. But these processes usually work from the bottom up. The working-level experts have not had the opportunity and time to do all that work and fulfil all the required steps to draft a comprehensive agreement. But I think its better to walk away than sign a bad agreement. This means that it will now go back to the lower levels. High-stakes negotiations The lack of a deal came as a surprise as both leaders seemed confident just hours before [Evan Vucci/AP Photo] US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who accompanied Trump to the meeting, said the US and North Korea were certainly closer today than they were 36 hours ago. During the two days of talks, Trump repeatedly talked about improving the state of North Koreas economy, saying there was much potential and that he wanted to help the country to become something economically very hard to compete for many countries. In the lead up to the summit, Trump sought a continuation of the pause in Pyongyangs weapons testing, adding that he was in no rush to achieve denuclearisation. The US also wanted North Korea to agree to get rid of all weapons capable of mass destruction, as well as produce a concrete plan of action on how it would achieve that goal. In return, Kim wanted the easing of sanctions and a formal declaration to end the Korean War, which drew to a close following an armistice in 1953. 190217084622128 North Korea was also calling for the relaunching of some inter-Korean economic projects and the opening of a US liaison office in Pyongyang, according to US officials. No deal is a surprise, especially as they were both all smiley last evening, said Lim Soo-ho, senior research fellow at the South Korea-based Institute for National Security Strategy. But no deal today doesnt mean there wont be one in coming months. It means the stakes were too high for the two leaders to give another wishy-washy statement like they did in Singapore. As Trump and Kim hold their second summit in Vietnams Hanoi, a round-up of what they said about each other since 2017. From hostile to friendly, and at times awkwardly effusive, the relationship between former sworn foes Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un has blossomed into one of the most unlikely diplomatic bromances on the world stage. Long gone are the days of little rocket man and mentally deranged US dotard; now its all about the leaders of the United States and North Korea exchanging love letters and enjoying fantastic chemistry. Both of their legacies are really rooted in keeping this relationship going further, and we have a very awkward type of love relationship between these two, Jasper Kim, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University, told Al Jazeera. They both need each other and they are using these words as if they are in a sort of romantic interlude with one another because they are depending their legacy that this relationship continues. As Trump and Kim hold their second summit in Vietnams Hanoi, heres a selection of key quotes about their relationship. A madman with nuclear weapons We cant let a madman with nuclear weapons let on the loose like that, Trump told Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte during a phone call in April 2017, shortly after taking office. We have a lot of firepower, more than he has, times 20 but we dont want to use it. Fire and fury vs senile man North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen, Trump said at an event on the topic of opioid use in the US on August 8, 2017. Two days later, a statement carried by North Korean state media said: We cannot have a sound dialogue with a senile man who cant think rationally, only absolute force can work on him. This is the judgement made by our soldiers of the Strategic Force. Kim Jong Un of North Korea, who is obviously a madman who doesn't mind starving or killing his people, will be tested like never before! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 22, 2017 Rocket man vs US dotard In September 2017, in his debut speech at the United Nations, Trump dubbed Kim a rocket man on a suicide mission. 190226020435999 The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea, he said. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime, Trump added. The United States is ready, willing and able. Kim shot back, vowing to surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged US dotard with fire. A frightened dog barks louder. Sick puppy In the wake of an intercontinental ballistic missile test by Pyongyang in November 2017, Trump derided Kim as a sick puppy, drawing cheers from a crowd of supporters at a campaign-style rally. A few weeks later, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons warned while accepting the Nobel Peace Prize that the bellicose rhetoric could trigger nuclear war. Whose button is bigger? Kim welcomed 2018 with a New Year address in which he warned he had a nuclear button on his table. The entire United States is within range of our nuclear weapons, and a nuclear button is always on my desk. This is reality, not a threat, he said. Trump took to Twitter to declare that his was superior. 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! North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times. 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! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 The Norths official party newspaper dismissed Trumps swaggering as nothing but the spasm of a lunatic frightened by North Koreas power, and the bark of a rabid dog. Singapore rendezvous The tone between the two men changed markedly over the next few months. 190226055130920 In May, Kim released three US citizens detained in North Korea, which Trump hailed as a positive gesture of goodwill. Trump later said that everyone thinks he deserved a Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions to warming US-North Korea relations. Just after their historic first meeting in Singapore last year, Trump described Kim as very talented. Great personality and very smart. Good combination. Hes a worthy negotiator. Hes negotiating on behalf of his people, a very worthy, very smart negotiator, absolutely. And we had a terrific day, and we learned a lot about each other and about our countries. In love Even as the two sides sparred over the exact meaning of the vaguely-worded Singapore declaration, with Pyongyang accusing Washington of gangster-like behaviour, Trump boasted of his rapport with Kim, who he said had proclaimed his unwavering faith in the US president. We will get it done together! Trump wrote on Twitter in September. Kim Jong Un of North Korea proclaims unwavering faith in President Trump. Thank you to Chairman Kim. We will get it done together! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2018 Speaking to a rally with supporters in late September, Trump took his enthusiasm for the detente with Kim to new heights, declaring at a rally with supporters that we fell in love after exchanging letters. Ready to meet In his annual New Years Day address on January 1, Kim says he is prepared to meet Trump again at any time. I am always ready to sit down again with the US president at any time and will make efforts to produce an outcome that the international community would welcome, Kim said before issuing a warning. However, if the US miscalculates our peoples patience, forces something upon us and pursues sanctions and pressure without keeping a promise it made in front of the world, we have no option but to explore a new path in order to protect our sovereignty and achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula. Fantastic chemistry In his State of the Union address earlier this month, Trump boasted of his diplomatic prowess, saying if he had not been elected, the US would right now, in my opinion, be in a major war with North Korea. Just a few days earlier, he said that Kim had the chance to turn his impoverished state into a tremendous economic behemoth. I like him. I get along with him great, the president said. We have a fantastic chemistry. Great leader In Hanoi on Wednesday, when they held a brief one-on-one chat and had a social dinner, the two again displayed outward signs of an unlikely bromance, clasping hands and appearing to share jokes as reporters shouted questions. Trump described Kim as a great leader and said his country had tremendous economic potential, unbelievable, unlimited as he vowed to help North Korea achieve those goals. In return, Kim appeared to have been counting the days until he saw Trump again. We came all the way to Hanoi to meet again, 261 days later, he told the US president, vowing to do his best to ensure a great outcome from the talks. Desperate Venezuelans are circumventing the official entry points to flee from their countrys economic and political crises. Colombia has officially closed its borders with Venezuela to prevent more migrants from fleeing the Venezuelan economic and political crises. However, with the legal entry points closed, Venezuelans desperate for medicine and supplies have been using unsanctioned, gang-controlled paths to enter the country. Colombian soldiers patrol the areas, but have had little visible effect and the Colombian government has said that it wants to reopen official border crossings, but have been unable to engage with anyone on the Venezuelan side. Al Jazeeras Alessandro Rampietti reports from Cucuta on the Colombian side of the border. Abuja, Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari has comfortably secured a second term as Nigerias president, according to official results. The 76-year-old, of the All Progressive Congress (APC) party, won 56 percent of the votes, compared with 41 percent for his top rival Atiku Abubakar, the candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Following the electoral commissions announcement on Wednesday, Abubakar rejected the result as the implementation of grand theft of the peoples will and said next steps would be revealed shortly. At the end of a long electoral process that was hit by a last-minute weeklong postponement, delays in the opening of polling stations and instances of violence, Al Jazeera spoke to Kingsley Moghalu an opposition presidential candidate from the Young Progressive Party (YPP) about Nigerias political system, the challenges ahead and the credibility issues arising from the just-concluded elections. Al Jazeera: What was your experience running for the presidency? Kingsley Moghalu: At some point, there was an epiphany when it became clear to me that the rate of poverty in this country, the rate of population growth, the rate of unemployment, were all heading towards a social cataclysm in the years ahead if the trajectory was not broken now. In the past 20 years of our democratic experience, we have only gotten poorer. What can take Nigeria into the 21st century as a modern and prosperous nation? I answered the question a visionary, competent and technocratic leader. I have been a technocrat as a senior policymaker as the deputy governor of the Central Bank. I have been a professor of international business and economic policy. Ive been a United Nations official for 17 years. But the democratic legitimacy that is conferred by being elected at the ballot box is the deciding factor of the progress or lack of progress of any country. Al Jazeera: But Nigeria still has this issue of the electorate voting along party lines and not really about the manifesto of candidates. Moghalu: It is because of the lack of political education, which my campaign really was about. My campaign was a process of political education but we did not have enough time in one year to educate the people away from habits that have been ingrained over the past 20 years. [Secondly], the fact that there are too many people who are poor and hungry and for them, the immediate need is for survival in the moment; they dont have time for the fine luxuries of electing a good and competent leader, they are just looking for somebody who can give them food today. Right now, [the people] can see the vision, they are sympathetic to it but clearly, they were not just ready to act. Many people who wanted to vote for me decided ultimately to vote for the PDP because the overriding priority was for them to defeat Buhari. They asked themselves, who can defeat Buhari? In their view, it was only the PDP because it was an old, established structure, but then they dont realise these are the very same people who have contributed together with the APC to bringing us to where we are today. They do not have the sophistication of making that distinction it was just anybody but Buhari. Al Jazeera: And in 2023, do you think you could win? Moghalu: I believe so. I believe that a number of practical factors will be more in our favour than the situation today 2019 is the last grasp of the old order. By the way, the election is not yet over. We are still not sure who has won. The process itself has so many problems of credibility that we have to see whether it will survive all kinds of possible challenges, judicial or otherwise. I know a lot of my votes were stolen stolen by rigging, stolen by voter suppression, stolen by vote-buying by the two big parties, the APC and the PDP. I believe the two of them were rigging the election and its possible that one might out-rig the other and have victory declared for it. Clearly, a lot of our votes are stolen so that means that this election has serious credibility problems and everybody is complaining about it. Al Jazeera: Critics say that rigging has become more enshrined in the system over the years. Moghalu: Part of our planning for 2023, if we were to come out again, is to learn the lessons from 2019, including the question of rigging, vote buying. We now have four years to begin to educate our people, to strengthen our political structures across the 774 local government areas and who knows, time could meet opportunity. My problem is that Nigeria hasnt gotten to the point of voting for people for positive reasons; instead, they vote against them. They dont care very much who they vote for. That has to change. Al Jazeera: You talked about the credibility of the polls, and the PDP has come out rejecting the results. What are the options for the opposition to ensure that polls get the credible backing they need? Moghalu: Well, I dont know because the opposition is fractured. There is the new breed of political parties and politicians like myself, and there is the old breed like the PDP, which is the main opposition force politically today. I cannot speak for them; I can only say the process has not been finally concluded. I will take a position when the process is concluded and we hear the final resolution. Al Jazeera: This election saw a campaign for bigger youth inclusion in politics. You also talked about the older generations time being up. In 2023, youll be nearly 60 years old will you be considered old? Moghalu: No. In Nigeria, what we refer to as old is not [necessarily] the numerical age because somebody who is 60 is not old by any definition hes mature but not old. Whats more important is not their physical age, its the age of their ideas. Thats [what we mean] when we talk about old and new. People might have a higher numerical age but they can still be in tune with new ideas about leadership and transparency and governance. [When we refer to old people we mean that] they represent a certain tendency, a certain habit that has been formed over the past 20 years. It is those habits and tendencies and pattern of thinking that we reject completely. Its about the way people think and mislead a nation that is the issue. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity The writer circa 2006. Photo: Jun Sato/WireImage The year is 2006. I have just graduated graduated from eighth grade. Goodbye, Catholic school. I will not miss you. I will not miss compulsory daily mass. I will, a little bit, miss the plaid. To mark the occasion and possibly as penance for the years they forced me to spend with a religion teacher who would often begin weeping mid-class, declaring shed been blessed with the gift of tears my parents give me a cell phone. This is a big deal. Some of my friends already had cell phones, but 2006 was somewhere in those weird liminal years where phones were around but not quite ubiquitous yet. Plus, it isnt just any phone. It is a pink Motorola RAZR. The pink Motorola RAZR. The thing, by todays phone standards, is garbage. The camera takes pictures so low-quality theyre like standing with your face two inches away from a Seurat painting. I can send something like 25 text messages a month. Typing involves T9, the predictive text keyboard we were all chained to before we got fully QWERTY keyboards in our pockets. It does not have a headphone jack. It holds something like ten voicemails before I have to delete them. And if I dont delete them, my parents give me the, We didnt give you a phone to not be able to reach you lecture. So, naturally, I never clear out the inbox. All this is to say, I love this phone. I download Shakiras Hips Dont Lie as a ringback tone. I play a lot of Tetris. I make everyone I know call me, Just so I can add your number easily, you know? But the other thing is, looking back, the phone wasnt actually garbage. I didnt know it then but that damn pink phone would be the most utilitarian, cost-effective device Id ever own. It just worked. Texts sent. Calls went through. The flipping motion was incredibly satisfying and made me feel like the high-powered executive I would not grow up to become. God forgive me, the hand-feel was good. The battery stayed charged for a respectable amount of time. It fit in womens pants pockets. And there was only so much time I could spend with my face glued to it before Id get bored and return to the world of the living to, I dont know, read something or have an actual, human conversation. Which is why Motorola finally confirming the worst-kept secret in tech its forthcoming foldable phone has me wondering if Id actually like to use one. The I Gave Up My Smartphone For a Dumbphone and All I Got Was Existential Dread piece has been written, at this point, to death. But something about the feel and flip of my teen years, paired with the not-shitty technology of the present, appeals. (Preliminary design specs and comments from Motorola VP of Global Product Dan Dery indicate the phone will look strikingly like the old-school RAZR.) Honestly, it would have to come in pink. Van Jones is going to CPAC to celebrate Criminal Justice Reform i.e., the idea that there are way too many black people in prison for no reason whatsoever, other than white racism, so let's let them out. Miraculously, President Trump, with a little help from Van Jones and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, agreed. So did lots of Republicans. In December, they signed a bill aimed at doing just that. Trump even bragged about it at the State of the Union address. Conservatives who claim to be enthusiastic about this "reform" usually leave out the fundamental underpinning of CJR that has dominated liberal support for it since it became a thing more than five years ago: white racism is everywhere, all the time, and explains everything. Consider this a cheat sheet for conservatives who are hoodwinked by Van Jones and his fairy tales. The One Huge Fact about CJR is the enormous disparity between white people and black people in prison. It starts with racist laws, then goes to police, prosecutors, juries, judges, and parole boards all being part of a racist system that stops, arrests, tries, convicts, sentences, releases, and returns black people to prison in numbers that are wildly out of proportion. Especially drugs. Just a few days ago in Baltimore, state attorney Marilyn Mosby said she was going to stop prosecuting marijuana arrests because most people arrested are black. And, as everyone knows, white people and black people smoke the same amount of pot. Thus the proof of rampant white racism. Again. Right? Wrong. But the entire enterprise of CJR rests on that one piece of fiction as the biggest example of white racism and black victimization in criminal justice. I've never heard a reporter question that claim of white racism. Not even once. But if you read the front-page stories in the New York Times and Washington Post, and you follow the smallest of threads, you will find the basis of that statement about equal drug use comes from the Census Bureau. In addition to the questionnaires we return via mail, Census workers visit some 3,500 homes for a longer interview I call the Super-Census. One of the questions is about drug use. Black people and white people tell the Census workers they use drugs at about the same rate. That is called self-reporting. Not one drug counselor or law officer in America takes self-reporting seriously when it comes to determining drug use. At Johns Hopkins University, they compared self-reported marijuana use among black people with actual drug tests. According to the Journal of Addictive Behaviors: A study of 290 African American men in Baltimore, Maryland undergoing a treatment for hypertension showed that self-reporting of illicit drug use is unreliable. Only 48 of the participants reported drug use but urine drug tests revealed that 131 used drugs. There's more. Way more. Different study: [U]nderreporting of cocaine was documented with urine testing validation as well where African Americans in comparison to Caucasians who were urine positive were about 6 times less likely to report cocaine use when other factors are controlled for. "Even when other factors were controlled for, the self-report and hair test results for African Americans were more discrepant than for non-African Americans, a finding consistent with past studies." Let me break this down into plain English: self-reporting is unreliable. And black people are far more likely to lie when it comes to talking about their drug use. So for starters, when Van Jones tells CPAC that black people and white people use drugs in the same amount but only black people are arrested, and CJR is going to fix that, just think: that is a lie. Any cop will tell you as well. Let's break down this fantasy of criminal justice reform even more. If there are too many black people in prison, it can be for only one of two reasons: 1) black people are unjustly convicted; 2) cops ignore white criminals. If it is the former, hire some lawyers and get them out just the way I did when I reported a story about a black San Diego man who was unjustly accused of trying to kill his white girlfriend. I showed that the crime never happened and got him out of prison after he was convicted. His name is Kelvin Wiley. And yes, that was a big deal at NPR, the L.A. Times, Court TV, the San Diego Union-Tribune, and lots of other places. So it can be done. If it is the latter, and cops are ignoring white criminals, show me the victims, the videos, the 911 calls, the witnesses, the police reports. Surely, if some white guy breaks into a home, and the victim calls police, police are not going to tell the victim they are not arresting white people this month. All of a sudden, we are left with one possibility. If tons of black people are in prison, it is because black crime and violence are wildly out of proportion. And by just a happy coincidence, that is what I document on these pages, in my scintillating bestsellers including Don't Make the Black Kids Angry, on my video channel, and now on daily podcasts. We show how relentless white racism and black victimization is the greatest lie of our generation. Let's see how many people at CPAC join Van Jones in perpetuating this dangerous hoax. Colin Flaherty is the author of that scintillating bestseller, Don't Make the Black Kids Angry. You can find his podcast at all the popular places, except for iTunes, where they say he is a very, very, very bad person and they are not going to let you hear what he says. He is still on Twitter at @ColinFlaherty, waiting for someone to prove him wrong so he can go back to playing golf with rich people. The National Popular Vote (NPV) is an interstate initiative designed to give the presidency to the candidate who wins the most popular votes nationally. It is a workaround to the Electoral College as commonly understood in the Constitution. In practice, the NPV is an agreement among states for each of them to award its respective electoral votes to the candidate who wins the national popular vote. This week, Colorado will become the 12th state to sign on to this compact. Taken together, these states (plus the District of Columbia) have 181 electoral votes. The NPV agreement would not go into effect, however, until the participating states hold a majority of the electoral votes. That would be 270, so currently the initiative is 90 electoral votes shy of its objective. Once this threshold is reached, it would then guarantee the winner of the national vote the White House. Under such a system, neither George W. Bush (2000) nor Donald Trump (2016) would have become president. Al Gore and Hillary Clinton would. Eleven states in this agreement are solidly Democrat, with the 12th, Colorado, trending that way. Of the remaining states, the NPV is grinding its way through the various legislatures to one degree or another, always under Democrat sponsorship. Although the NPV is not in the headlines, the push for it is relentless. For example: [R]ed states like Arkansas, Arizona, and Oklahoma and purple states like Michigan and North Carolina have passed the measure through at least one legislative chamber controlled by Republicans, giving backers hopes of breaking through with the GOP. Proponents for the NPV say the Electoral College is undemocratic. With Colorado joining the initiative, Eric Holder came out and tweeted, "Time to make the Electoral College a vestige of the past." Soon, if it isn't happening already, leftists like Holder will look at the demographics of the states which are pro and con on the question of the NPV and declare that those opposed to the initiative are racists. The legality of the NPV is nebulous. The Constitution defines the Electoral College but does not spell out how each state chooses to award its votes. Quite frankly, strong arguments can be made on either side as to its constitutionality. The burden of proof rests with those pushing the NPV. In the end, it will be up to the Supreme Court to decide. What is clear is that should the NPV prevail, the structure of the American republic as a form of government will be further weakened. Yes, the country will technically have more democracy, but it won't be better for it. From my perspective, this is the opposite direction of where America should be going. Briefly stated, Wednesday was a sad day for our republic. Former Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen answered questions from Republicans and Democrats for almost seven hours. I endured the entire event but have gleaned little new information or understanding about the events that the anti-Trump aficionados claim demonstrate Trump's unsuitability for office. In addition, it is disappointing that no Republicans could offer specific defenses for Donald Trump and chose only to tear apart Cohen. There is plenty to tear apart in Cohen's testimony, by the way. The summary of the testimony can be boiled down to a few key points. First, Cohen can offer no direct evidence for Russian-campaign collusion. This raises the question of the origin of Mueller's investigation. Cohen is and was always a Democrat, with a short period during which he served the Republican National Committee. No surprise that Lanny Davis is one of his lawyers. Cohen claims to be an excellent lawyer but admitted to rarely giving Trump legal advice concerning many actions he acknowledged were illegal. One can say this proves that he was a corrupt lawyer. In this regard, his pleadings demonstrate a desire for self-enrichment through misleading and false financial reporting and tax filings. He did not serve his client well, preferring to maintain his position in the Trump sphere. He "lovingly" took shots at the Trump children as a way of hurting his former boss. Cohen stated conclusively that Donald Trump never asked him to lie to Congress. He admitted that he had no direct evidence of collusion with Russia to abuse the election of 2016. He had a feeling since Donald would do anything to win. However, he had previously indicated that Donald did not expect or intend to win the election. Michael Cohen indicated that the rumors about a "love child" are false, that he would not harm his wife (in the elevator) and that no video of such existed. He stated that Trump did not abuse drugs, that he has a large ego and bought a portrait for an inflated price. His information about the payoffs to the two women claiming relationships with Trump is a thorny area. Some would argue that his check proves illegalities. As has been stated before, if a personal reason (keeping his wife from finding out) exists to make the payments, then the election campaign rationale may be irrelevant. One will argue that Trump misled the public about his knowledge of Stormy Daniels and others, but this is not illegal. Cohen did indicate that he sent bills for his work. Cohen did not adequately demonstrate that he had no interest in a job in the administration. In this, he contradicts the N.Y. federal filings. He did solicit business based upon his connection with Trump as president. He admitted to several contracts. Again, self-benefit is a clear motivator. Michael Cohen did given testimony to Trump inflating his assets for beneficial banking. He also stated that Trump reduced assets for tax breaks. On this issue, the evidence offered to taxing authorities must be convincing. By the way, this is a tactic that Cohen used illegally. This line of questioning by Ro Khanna, a Democrat, is quite interesting and could be a source for the NYC federal attorney's inquiries. This is the most troubling issue for Trump, but is not an issue from his tenure in office. The Democrats shamefully used the same week as the Vietnam meetings with Kim Jung-un to embarrass Trump, weakening his negotiating position. They would love to stop him from any success that helps him get re-elected. Rep. Tlaib attacked Rep. Meadows which Chairman Cummings had to mediate. The move to impeach Trump was given some boosts yesterday by partisan Democrats, but little in the way of "high crimes and misdemeanors" was demonstrated by the president while in office. The anti-Trump crowd will feel that this hearing was fruitful, but I suspect that most Americans found the hype misleading and hardly worth the effort. Image: USA TODAY via YouTube. Favorite Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris misrepresented her record again as a prosecutor in San Francisco, this time on illegal aliens, and for the first time, CNN has called her out. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris this week mischaracterized a 2008 policy she supported that led to undocumented [sic] minors who were arrested for suspected felonies being turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement before they had been convicted of crimes. Speaking to an audience in Iowa Sunday on Political Party Live a podcast about Iowa politics, Harris was asked by host Misty Rebik about a CNN KFile report detailing Harris' public support for a citywide policy enacted by then-Mayor Gavin Newsom of reporting juvenile undocumented immigrants [sic] arrested by local police to ICE. The decision revoked a previous policy of non-reporting. In her answer, Harris called the reporting of arrested juvenile undocumented immigrants [sic] before they were convicted of a felony an "unintended consequence" of the policy that she did not support. However, this was in fact the intent of the policy. The problem, CNN notes, is that it wasn't an "unintended consequence"; it was the actual policy, and when leftists on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors tried to end it, Harris opposed them. What was this likely about? I'm gonna guess MS-13 gangbangers wreaking havoc in the South of Market and the Mission District and angry hipsters trying to gentrify the area wanting something done about it. Since I used to live there in the 1990s, I can tell you that those thugs were very much a presence and, through their involvement in the drug- and human-trafficking trades, brought a lot of blight to the area. This included hookers and drug-dealers, surrounded by bums buying their "products" but also a lot of robbery and violence. I remember once jerking back behind a cement warehouse wall when I saw muzzle flashes from firing weapons on a street whose buildings were covered with MS-13 graffiti. Harris would have been taking the side of the progressive hipster entrepreneurs over the gangbangers at the time (you can see here that it's always an ongoing struggle) and for that reason, she would have wanted to turn the underage gangbangers over to ICE as a local prosecutor to cool things down a bit. Now she's changed her tune as she runs for president, and, in line with the current progressive mantra, says she's against turning anyone under 18 here illegally over to ICE after he's been picked up by the cops for some foul crime, including murder, until after a jury convicts. Maybe not even that. She's relabeling herself as that, using this stumbling argument from the same CNN report: "Could you kind of give us some insight on how, from that time, when for whatever reason you were supporting this policy that was essentially handing over undocumented people to ICE before they had been convicted to now kind of what's changed on that and how you came to those changes?" the questioner asked Harris. Harris responded, "That ended up being an unintended consequence of the policy and I did not support that consequence of that policy. And that policy I believe has since changed because it was not the intended purpose of that policy. I'll say this, and I feel very strongly about it, and I always have, which is this, my background is as a prosecutor and I want to know that a person, a victim of a rape or a child molestation, or a vicious violent crime, I want to know that that victim will be able to run in the middle of the street and wave down a police officer and receive protection and security without having to worry about if they do that they will be deported." CNN, which supports the national progressive line of no consequences for illegal aliens, apparently found this too much, and came out with its critical piece highlighting Harris's inability to stick to her story. It's not the first time she's done that, either. It's got to be tough work to try to de-market oneself as a tough prosecutor, and have it all ways with the left, but here she is. Reason's Hit & Run blog has the best write-up of the complicated twists and turns of the self-described progressive's stands: This is yet another instance of Harris massaging her record as a prosecutor. As I wrote in a review, Harris' new memoir emphasizes her record as a "progressive prosecutor" while failing to address or in any meaningful way account for the numerous instances when her office defended dirty prosecutors and opposed efforts to correct wrongful convictions. My colleague Elizabeth Nolan Brown has also written extensively about Harris' overzealous prosecutions of sex workers and websites that hosted them. Yesterday, Harris appeared to say she is now in favor of decriminalizing sex work. The reality here is that she was involved in San Francisco's utterly wretched blue-on-blue politics, and she blew with the prevailing winds at the time. What we learn from this Reason list is that she will take the side of whichever progressive line seems most powerful, which at that earlier time seemed to be to get rid of the gangbangers so that the businesses (and San Francisco tax base) could flourish, and that would explain why she would have supported deportations of under-18s picked up by the cops for criminal activity at the time. Now that the trend has shifted, and Democrats have moved to open borders over all other priorities, she misrepresents her record, saying she that was never in favor of deportations of "unaccompanied minors." Which is pretty weird when you think about it. Harris actually could use her record to show she's a moderate of sorts on matters of law and order, and that she has responded to neighborhood requests to throw out illegal alien gangbangers as a prosecutor. Yet she doesn't. In fact, she misrepresents her record in that same pattern and she's done it often enough that she's getting noticed for it. Now CNN, which, along with the New York Times, has been her fiercest booster, has called her out. It's possible that this outlet is trying to recover its own reputation for impartial news by delivering the hit on Kamala, after that adoring tweet from a CNN correspondent showing reporters picking out Harris's clothing in a boutique. But that doesn't make the critical call-out any less valid. And what it shows is that Harris is not really ready for prime time. Up until now, Harris has been a hothouse flower of a candidate, cossetted by reporters and coming up through the political ranks in San Francisco's one-party state, ushered in by her relationship with political kingpin Willie Brown. That's not a background that makes for a tough politician able to withstand a lot of pressure from opponents or take tough questions from real reporters. Up until now, she's had it good. Now with her record exposed as phony, we are seeing Harris herself finally being exposed as phony. Apparently, she's made one mistake too many. Paul LePage just comes right out and say things other conservatives probably think. Photo: Robert F Bukaty/AP If politics often moves at the pace of a hare, the tortoise of political reform efforts is undoubtedly the National Popular Vote initiative, an attempt to neutralize the Electoral College by an interstate compact that would commit states to instruct their electors to vote for the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote. The initiative was in the news this week when it added Colorado to the 11 states (plus the District of Columbia) that had previously signed on: Gov. Jared Polis (D-Colorado) will sign a bill into law that opts Colorado out of the Electoral College, the governors office tells Next with Kyle Clark. The Democrat-controlled legislature formally approved the measure last week. Under the bill, Colorados nine electoral college votes would go to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote, rather than the candidate who wins this state. A law in Colorado would give the nationwide initiative 181 electoral votes. The National Popular Vote compact will not take effect unless 270 electoral votes are guaranteed, meaning more states need to sign on for this to change a presidential election. Colorado was an obvious candidate for the NPV bandwagon because Democrats gained a governing trifecta there last November. If you wonder why Democrats would be more likely to support a popular vote system, consider the recent alternative history of a country with presidents Al Gore and Hillary Clinton. Another state that flipped to total Democratic control last year was Maine. So naturally, theres an effort there as well to join the NPV compact. This aroused the hostile attention of Maines unfortunate gift to right-wing politics, former two-term governor Paul LePage, as Ronn Blitzer reports: LePage discussed this on WVOM radio stations George Hale Ric Tyler Show on Tuesday. It started off normally enough, with LePage defending the electoral college for allowing states like his to remain relevant in presidential politics Then things started to take a turn for the extreme. Why dont we just adopt the constitution of Venezuela and be done with it? LePage said. Lets have a dictator because thats really what youre gonna boil down to. What would happen if they do what they say theyre gonna do, white people will not have anything to say. Its only going to be the minorities who would elect. It would be California, Texas, Florida, he added. Left-of-center folk have often argued that institutions like the Electoral College, the Senate (especially with the filibuster), and legislative gerrymandering make it possible for a relatively small minority of the population to exert disproportionate power over the country, particularly when all it needs to do is to obstruct change. But conservatives dont often admit they oppose democracy, much less that they do so on behalf of the racial group that happens to dominate their electorate base. Certainly LePages anti-democratic leanings are well-established after he refused to implement a voter-approved Medicaid expansion for over a year. Arguably LePage is a has-been; he left office at the end of last year thanks to term limits. But hes threatening to attempt a comeback against his Democratic successor, Janet Mills, in 2022. And his racialized thundering against the popular vote initiative could help mobilize Republicans against it, though presumably theyll downplay the white power angle. The odds of the NPV reaching its goals any time soon are low given the hostility of most Republicans everywhere, who do, after all, still control at least one legislative chamber and/or the governors office in 36 states. But LePage has exposed the least reputable argument for keeping things the way they are and thwarting democracy in future as well as past presidential elections. Two nuclear powers, India and Pakistan, stand on the brink of war, and some in the foreign policy establishment don't think Donald Trump is doing enough to subdue the crisis. Axios: As India and Pakistan descend into direct combat over violent attacks in Kashmir and subsequent cross-border reprisal, the U.S. appears unprepared to help defuse the situation. The big picture: The India-Pakistan salvos mark the biggest international security crisis test of the Trump presidency. But unlike his predecessors, who viewed conflict on the Indian subcontinent as an issue of paramount importance, Trump and his team have seemed content to lie low, or even to tacitly support India over Pakistan. Between the lines: This approach departs from those of past administrations, which perceived military action between these two nuclear-armed neighbors as a potential precursor to nuclear war. In 2001, for example, President Bush sent Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage to Islamabad for in-person negotiations around an India-Pakistan crisis that could have gone nuclear. That trip built on nearly a dozen direct calls between Secretary of State Colin Powell and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to iron out the crisis. Bush felt as Trump appears not to that the U.S. could not afford to sit out such a crisis, later referring to "the year that we had shuttle diplomacy to convince Pakistan and India not to go to war with each other." To be sure, Trump has been busy: Currently, hes meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi for the most promising denuclearization opportunity in years this just after extending the ceasefire in the U.S.China trade war and declaring a national emergency on the southern border. Pakistan shot down two Indian warplanes on Tuesday and was holding one of the pilots. India threatened reprisals if the pilot was not released. Today, Pakistan agreed to send the pilot home. This was shortly after Trump announced that the end of the crisis was near. CNN: "They've been going at it, and we've been involved in trying to have them stop," Trump said. "And we have some reasonably decent news, hopefully that's going to be coming to an end." The idea that Trump isn't doing enough to resolve the crisis is ludicrous. And while the danger has not fully passed with the release of the Indian pilot, tensions have definitely eased. That doesn't satisfy some establishment pundits. Even though secretary of state Mike Pompeo has talked with the foreign ministers of both countries, for some, Trump is too "distracted" by his North Korea summit and the circus on Capitol Hill back home. Rafia Zakaria: On Tuesday, Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke to Pakistan Chief of Defense Gen. Zubair Mahmood Hayat and discussed the current tensions. And Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with his counterparts in India and Pakistan, urging them to "prioritize direct communication and avoid further military activity." And while Dunford and Pompeo appear to have at least entered the fray at least in words, President Donald Trump has remained largely silent. Following the attack on Indian paramilitary personnel earlier this month, he said it was a "horrible situation" but that his administration would have a comment when "it was appropriate." "It would be wonderful," the President added, if "India and Pakistan were to get along." Indeed, it would be wonderful, but it seems unlikely, especially with the United States uninterested or unaware that it needs to play a key mediating role. Trump, likely diverted by his ambitions in North Korea and by the continuing accusations of obstruction of justice and corruption against members of his campaign and administration, seems unlikely to arrange a Clinton-esque meeting in which he insists that the parties involved recognize the scale of devastation at play. Pakistan and India don't "recognize the scale of devastation at play"? That may be the most ignorant statement I've read on the crisis yet. I imagine that the steps Trump has taken pretty much mirror those of Bush. If he needs to send a high-level representative to negotiate, he will. But that Trump is sitting on his hands, or is unconcerned because he has other things going on, simply isn't true. That Trump isn't publicizing what the U.S. is doing to stem the crisis doesn't mean he's washed his hands of it. And if Trump is favoring India in this conflict, what's wrong with that? Pakistan is no ally of the U.S. We cut off aid to Islamabad last year because of the Pakistanis' continued support for terrorists who are killing Americans in Afghanistan. The impetus for the current crisis between India and Pakistan was a car bomb that killed 40 paramilitary soldiers in Kashmir on February 14. A Pakistani-backed terrorist group, Jaish-e-Mohammed, claimed responsibility. Why shouldn't we side with India? Trump's actions are perfectly in keeping with his worldview that the United States cannot solve all the problems of the world. You can bet that the State Department is working overtime to do what it can to resolve the crisis. But what can the U.S. realistically do? About as much as Trump is doing now. If their behavior at the Kavanaugh hearings that they engineered with a hoax accusation did not convince people of the craven unscrupulousness of the Democratic Party, the clown show Democrats put on Wednesday certainly will. While the president is out of the country on a crucial foreign policy mission, the Democrats colluded with Tom Steyer and lowlife Clinton operative Lanny Davis to once more try to convince the public that Trump should be impeached. To that end, they brought the loathsome Michael Cohen, already convicted of lying to Congress and a host of other financial crimes, to testify to "crimes" committed by the president. Cohen admitted that he was prepped for the hearings by Trump-deranged Adam Schiff, Elijah Cummings, and Davis. That Cummings allowed this to happen is a sad commentary on his lack of respect for his own committee and the House. At this point, it is difficult not to enjoy Democrats' on-air self-immolation. Cohen spent the day lying again and again and contradicting himself over and over. The entire spectacle is proof that the Democratic Party, as many have observed, hates this president so much that its members are willing to do great harm to the nation. Every Democrat who participated in this pathetic display should be forever ashamed of himself for all of them have sullied the offices they hold. That Lanny Davis, a man wholly beholden to and joined at the hip with the Clintons, was able to make this happen is bad enough. He likely wrote Cohen's opening and closing speeches. That Michael Cohen is the Democrats' tool is contemptible. He has been clearly shown to be a relentless self-promoter, a greedy status-seeker, and a liar. Nothing he says can be trusted or believed. His oath means nothing. He lacks any hint of ethical sense. He admitted to taping numerous clients without their knowledge and at the hearing quickly agreed to hand those tapes over if asked, even without those clients' waived privilege! What makes all this a sham characterized by Democrat hypocrisy is the fact of forty years of Clinton criminality still being swept under the rug. While the Clintons were using their positions of power to enrich themselves with a level of greed that makes Cohen's look like kid stuff, they were never investigated or charged. Everything the Clintons ever did was for themselves. Hillary's stint as secretary of state was just a four-year get-rich-quick scheme. The $145M she took for authorizing the sale of U.S. uranium to Russia was only one of her illegal ventures to pad her personal wealth. The Clintons robbed Haiti of billions meant for rebuilding that devastated nation; Chelsea got a fancy wedding out of that pile of dough. The D.C. swamp is indeed filled with scoundrels, nearly all of them members of the media, the Democratic Party, and the intelligence institutions that were weaponized by Obama. Comey, McCabe, Brennan, and Clapper and the crowd of miscreants at the FBI, the CIA, and the DOJ all colluded to bring down Trump the candidate, then Trump the president with wholly fabricated accusations, illegal surveillance, and falsified material. Then there are the usual suspects Schiff, Nadler, Schumer, Pelosi, Waters, etc. who intend to see the president impeached no matter what it takes. Each of them has likely committed much more serious crimes financial, ethical, and constitutional than Trump ever did. Not one of them has ever, in all their collective years in office, accomplished a fraction of what Trump has done for the good of America in two short years. The Republicans on the committee were stellar, especially Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows. Jordan's opening speech put the day's event in context. It is a feeble attempt by people who hate Trump so much that they have bled their own characters dry of any shred of class or love of country. It was Meadows who tweeted, "As Michael Cohen speaks, think about how remarkable it is: a man convicted of LYING to Congress is now appearing before Congress again...just weeks later. Invited by the Democrats as their star 'witness.' And all the while, the left hails his every word as gospel." With this stunt, the Democratic Party has further demeaned itself, humiliated itself. Meanwhile, the president is in Hanoi trying to get the Norks to de-nuclearize, India and Pakistan are on the verge of war (both are nuclear-armed nations), and the Democrats and their handmaidens in the media are busy pretending Michael Cohen's "testimony" is valid. It is not. He is just this week's Punchinello of the imploding Democratic Party. Jonah Goldberg is leaving National Review to start his own media company with former editor-in-chief of the Weekly Standard Steve Hayes. This sounds like great news. The more publications out there that talk about and debate conservative ideas, the better. But Goldberg's intent is to publish a journal that will feature "old-fashioned reporting" and eschew "partisan boosterism." He says he is looking for investors. Good luck with that. Axios: Details: Goldberg and Hayes tell me they plan a reporting-driven, Trump-skeptical company that will begin with newsletters as soon as this summer, then add a website in September, and perhaps ultimately a print magazine. Hayes, the likely CEO, and Goldberg, likely the editor-in-chief, are the founders. Hayes tells me about the startup, which doesn't have a name now: "We believe there's a great appetite on the center-right for an independent conservative media company that resists partisan boosterism and combines a focus on old-school reporting with interesting and provocative commentary and analysis." Hayes and Goldberg are seeking investors. Did Goldberg fall asleep for a decade? Those who identify as conservatives today absolutely love partisan boosterism and couldn't give a fig about "old-school reporting." "Independent conservatism" is dead. It's Trump's world now, and the rest of us on the right are just living in it. Is he really going to tell potential investors this? My guess is that Goldberg and Hayes are looking for one investor a deep-pockets angel who will finance their anti-Trump indulgences while losing a couple of million a year. I don't want to say it will be a vanity sheet. Goldberg and Hayes are exceptional writers who are part of a dwindling faction on the right who haven't made peace with the president. If you believe in free and open debate on the right, regardless of their opinion of Trump, then any publication that promotes ideas that are remotely conservative should be embraced. But it won't be a successful money-making operation. Niche publications and this is a niche getting smaller all the time cannot long survive online. We should wish Goldberg and Hayes well but recognize and acknowledge that failure is almost guaranteed. Nuclear-armed arch-rivals India and Pakistan continue to escalate toward war along their disputed Kashmir border as both nations report shooting down enemy aircraft. The BBC reported on February 28 that Pakistan shot down one Indian Mig-21 Bison fighter and India shot down a Pakistan JF-17 fighter. India acknowledged that IAF pilot Asaduddin Owaisi was captured on Pakistan territory and demanded he be treated as a prisoner of war under the Geneva convention. The simmering seven-decade dispute caught fire after a February 14 suicide attack by an explosive-laden car that rammed into two buses in a large 78-vehicle Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy stuck in a snowstorm near Pulwama, India. The Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist group blatantly claimed responsibility for the attack by posting a video message from self-proclaimed martyr Adil Ahmad Dar, a Kashmiri from the Indian village of Gundibagh, near the blast site. Calling himself "Waqas," Adil claimed he is happily now with Allah and "enjoying" heaven. Although JeM was officially banned in Pakistan since 2002, it continues to openly operate facilities in the country and maintains a loose alliance with Afghanistan's Taliban and al-Qaeda forces, which provide it funding, supplies, and training. The Pulwama attack was preceded by 361 violent deaths in Kashmir last year. Indian statistics list 238 militants, 37 civilians, and 86 security forces killed. But human rights groups list numerous street protests and over 500 sectarian deaths in 2018. The Indians had conducted a series of mock fighter incursions along their 2,065-mile border to force Pakistan to scramble and tie down PAF interceptors and confuse radar and anti-aircraft missile operators. But on February 25 at about 2 A.M., an Indian strike force armada consisting of 12 French-built Mirage-2000s, about eight Russian-built Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, Soviet Ilyushin air tankers, and an American-built AWACS took off across North Central India. The Indian Mirage bombers crossed the Pakistan frontier at 3:40 a.m. to launch Israeli SPICE (Smart Precise Impact and Cost-Effective) 2000-pound bombs at a large training camp to destroy six buildings housing about 250 terrorists in the Balakot area. The location of the JeM camp is 30 miles west of Abbottabad, where Osama bin Laden was finally tracked down and assassinated by U.S. SEALs on May 2, 2011. The timing of the escalation plays to the advantage of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which are facing national elections that will stretch from April to May. According to Stratfor Global Insight, Modi was already seeking a second five-year term as the "candidate with unbending resolve, dedicated to redressing the nation's various security woes." A Reuters poll showed a big bounce for the BJP after the JeM terrorist attack last week and Modi's retaliatory bombing of the JeM camp. The BJP is already hitting social media with posts of what are supposed to be spontaneous Indian flag-waving and anti-Pakistan chanting. The top trending Twitter hashtags in India are #SurgicalStrike2, #IndianAirForce, and #IndiaStrikesBack. Media jackals predictably are braying that President Trump failed at the Hanoi summit. Nothing could be farther from the truth. President Trump wisely sent North Korea's dictator, Kim Jong-un, back to Pyongyang from Hanoi, where he can tell the generals and security police commanders, on whose support he depends, that they are not going to get sanctions relief without giving up their nuclear arsenal. There is every sign that this outcome in Hanoi is a predictable stage in the process of obtaining consensus among the North Korean ruling class that they must give up on the strategy of confrontation and isolation, with their survival guaranteed solely by nukes, and instead open up to the outside world and the prosperity market economies can generate. MSNBC screen grab. But, of course, the Trump-hating media have leaped to the conclusion that the summit was a huge failure because President Trump sent Chairman Kim back home to Pyongyang with the message that ending the sanctions will require complete, verifiable denuclearization. The AP rushed to judge the talks a failure, headlining, "Trump, Kim summit collapses amid failure to reach deal" in a dispatch that took six reporters as authors or contributors to publish. It called the premature end to the talks "a dispiriting end to high-stakes meetings meant to disarm a global threat." This is pure propaganda. President Trump abundantly signaled that he is not in a hurry for a deal any deal at the expense of getting a suboptimal result. He set the expectation that, while optimistic about eventually getting to his goal of denuclearization, it might be a longer process than the short attention span media would prefer. The Washington Post explains where agreement could not be reached: Trump said Kim promised he would not conduct missile launches or test nuclear weapons. And he said Kim was willing to close the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Complex, the site of North Korea's main nuclear reactor and its only source of plutonium to make bombs. But Trump said other covert facilities to enrich uranium had not been offered up. Trump zeroed in on sanctions as the key sticking point in his talks with Kim. "It was about the sanctions," he said. "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that. They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted, but we couldn't give up all of the sanctions for that." ... "Chairman Kim and myself, we want to do the right deal. Speed is not important," he said. And Kim said he was ready to denuclearize, at least in principle. "If I'm not willing to do that, I wouldn't be here right now," he said through an interpreter. ... Asked if he were confident that the pair would reach a deal, Kim was equally guarded. "It's too early to tell. I won't prejudge," Kim said in reply to the question from a Washington Post reporter, a rare response from a North Korean leader to an independent journalist. "From what I feel right now, I do have a feeling that good results will come." It is clear from Kim's language that the talks didn't "collapse" into bitterness and a refusal to proceed. Both leaders remained cordial and continue to affirm their mutual goal of getting to a deal. So far as I have been able to discover, this was the first time a North Korean leader has ever faced a press conference with Western media asking questions. That in itself is a significant factor in opening up North Korea to the process of getting toward acting as a normal country does. It is a long process, to be sure, but this is a step in the right direction. Many people wrongly assume that because North Korea is an absolute dictatorship, Kim can do anything he wishes, and his putative subordinates will go along with it. This is not my understanding of the real power structure in that benighted country. The young dictator depends on the loyalty of the commanders of troops and police who have the weapons that could overthrow him and install someone more to their liking. This threat is why he had his half-brother assassinated at Kuala Lumpur Airport, since having the blood of the Kim dynasty seems to be an essential attribute of a leader there. But if the military and security force commanders see an existential threat to their survival in power, they could still overthrow Kim and install another leader, finding grounds to claim legitimacy. Now Kim must make another long three-and-a-half-day rail journey back to Pyongyang, where he must deliver the message that Trump won't fall for anything less than what he demands. I have not been able to discover if Kim's planned extra two days in Hanoi following the summit will be cut short. If so, that will be a lost opportunity, for Kim would have heard from his communist brothers in Vietnam about the many benefits of opening to the West and of how the Americans can be really helpful in dealing with the Chinese, who regard all of the East Asian neighbors as tributary states, properly subordinate to the Middle Kingdom, as they have been for millennia. He would also notice that the population in Vietnam is pretty happy with the economic progress that has improved their standard of living and supports their communist dictatorship because it is materially upgrading their lives. Two comparisons leap to mind one in which the media made the same bogus claims of failure and a second one in which an actual failure was labeled a triumph by many media outlets. President Reagan walked out on the Reykjavik Summit with Mikhail Gorbachev in October 1986: After the negotiations broke down without a final agreement, Reagan wrote that he left the meeting knowing how close they had come to achieving his long goal of eliminating the threat of nuclear destruction, and that this was the angriest moment of his career. Despite failing to achieve either man's ultimate goal, Reykjavik will be recorded as one of the most important summits in history. A year after Reykjavik the U.S. and Soviet Union signed the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), for the first time eliminating an entire class of nuclear weapons. The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) was signed a few years later during President H.W Bush's term. None of this progress would have been possible without the courage of two leaders to look beyond past hostilities and forge a new and lasting relationship, that would soon provide greater security for people around the world. It should be noted that the USSR soon was relegated to the ash heap of history. But at the time, the U.S. media, which loudly proclaimed Reagan an "amiable dunce," was full of condemnation of President Reagan for this breakdown in talks. The second comparison is an utter contrast: the way the Obama administration caved in to Iranian demands and produced the JCPOA agreement, sending billions of dollars to the chief sponsors of terrorism in the world and obtaining an agreement that allowed full nuclearization of Iran in ten years an agreement that now is all but defunct. Cats love climbing, and they certainly need no human help to navigate precarious-looking structures. But in the Swiss city of Bern, cat owners are extra concerned of the wellbeing of their pets. All around the city you will see structures built specially for cats to climb. They look like fire exits, but of a more dangerous kind, attached to the outer walls, creating a path from the upper floor balconies or windows down to the street. Switzerland-based graphic designer and writer Brigitte Schuster chronicles this unique phenomenon in her new book Swiss Cat Ladders. Scott Walker follows Trumps lead at CPAC. Photo: AARON P. BERNSTEIN/Bloomberg via Getty Images Scott Walker may not be a governor anymore, but Wisconsins former chief executive still knows how to make headlines. In an appearance at CPAC on Thursday, Walker reportedly made a bizarre claim about abortion: Scott Walker, at CPAC, says that people are taking already-born babies home from the hospital and aborting them there. I did not know that was a thing. Alexander Nazaryan (@alexnazaryan) February 28, 2019 It should go without saying, but in case anyones confused nobody is taking babies home from the hospital to abort them at home. But as strange as Walkers statement is, its not without precedent. Abortion opponents have made hyperbolic, often inaccurate claims about the procedure for years, sometimes with violent consequences. And Walker is probably following his presidents example. Trump made similar claims on Twitter and in his State of the Union address: Senate Democrats just voted against legislation to prevent the killing of newborn infant children. The Democrat position on abortion is now so extreme that they dont mind executing babies AFTER birth.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 26, 2019 Trump and Walker appear to be responding to the recent demise of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. Introduced by Senator Ben Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska, the bill would enforce criminal penalties for any abortion provider that failed to give medical care to an infant born during an abortion procedure. On Monday, Democrats blocked the bill from making it to the floor for a vote. Since then, Republicans have made the media rounds to accuse Democrats of being would-be infant killers. They reacted similarly to recent abortion bills proposed in the New York and Virginia legislatures. New Yorks Reproductive Health Act, which Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law back in January, allows abortion after the 24th week of pregnancy if the fetus isnt viable or the pregnancy risks a womans health. In Virginia, companion bills introduced in both chambers of the state legislature would have allowed a single physician to sign off on a second- or third-term abortion if a womans physical or mental health is at risk. Under current law, three physicians have to agree that a second- or third-term abortion is necessary before a patient can receive one. It would not, as some Republicans in state and national offices suggested at the time, have allowed physicians to abort a baby just before it crowned. Nor did Virginias governor, Ralph Northam, really suggest the killing of babies after birth when he spoke in defense of the bill. Second- or third-term abortion procedures do not typically result in live birth and even if that does happen, its still illegal to execute infants. When an abortion is performed late in pregnancy, its overwhelmingly because a womans health or life is at risk or because the fetus has severe deformities, like anencephaly, that are incompatible with life. Northam referred to cases where a woman chooses to give birth knowing that the baby will be terminally ill. Its palliative care, not an execution. (Northams real problems, it turns out, have nothing to do with his abortion politics.) Different factions within the anti-abortion movement prefer different rhetorical approaches, but hyperbole isnt a new tactic. Its relatively common for pro-life activists or groups to link abortion to infanticide, or to refer to the procedure itself as infanticide in all cases. Some activists go even further, and speak of an abortion holocaust. Walker and Trump have taken the infanticide claim to new extremes, but their words are rooted, still, in the movements central premise: that abortion murders a human being. And that language has consequences. Abortion providers are frequently targeted by domestic terrorists who have become convinced that America has an infant murder problem. Robert Dear, who murdered three people at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood in 2016, directly cited right-wing, anti-abortion material online and on radio shows as an influence. By the time Kansas abortion provider George Tiller was murdered in 2010, anti-abortion extremists had already bombed his clinic and shot him in both arms. In court, his killer complained of babies torn limb from limb, a common claim in the pro-life movement. Its not yet clear if the Trump administrations hostile posture toward abortion rights has emboldened anti-abortion extremists the way it appears to have emboldened violent white nationalists. But there are recent examples of threats or actual attempts of violence directed at abortion providers. In 2018, a West Virginia man was arrested for threatening to kill Planned Parenthood employees in Pittsburgh, whom he blamed for murdering his child. The same year, an Indiana man pleaded guilty to emailing threats to local abortion clinics. I will do what I feel is necessary to protect the innocent and stop these atrocities you commit, he wrote, according to the Riverfront Times. In February of this year, CNN reported that the FBI had begun investigating a fire set at a Missouri Planned Parenthood as a potential hate crime. And on Wednesday, Texas police arrested a 17-year-old for threatening jihad on abortion clinics. The Republican Party may well energize its base with its false infanticide claims. They may also put abortion providers in real danger. In a recent ZDNet interview at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, AT&T Business CEO Thaddeus Arroyo claimed that its customers love the 5G Evolution branding because they want faster speeds. At the same time, the CEO also reiterated that 5GE and 5G are two separate platforms and that 5GE is the evolution platform upon which its 5G infrastructure will be built. AT&T claims that it wants its customers to know whenever they are in an area capable of providing 5G Evolution connectivity, which is why it introduced the 5GE icon to a number of smartphones that are technically incapable of 5G networking. Customers love it, because they want faster speeds, according to the CEO, but in reality, 5G Evolution does not offer higher speeds compared to LTE Advanced. 5GE is, in essence, AT&Ts LTE Advanced infrastructure rebranded into 5GE. Surely, customers do want faster speeds but changing the name of the product wont offer that. Advertisement Its only natural for the carrier to want and inform users that they are located in a faster, LTE Advanced area, but realistically the same result could have been achieved by using an LTE-A icon or basically any other pictogram. Branding itself has no actual effect on the characteristics of a product, it only servers for marketing. Calling a tomato an orange wont magically change the tomatos atomic structure, but it might draw some attention. And if AT&T claims that customers are happy with the 5GE icon, then it must mean that the carriers marketing strategy worked to a degree. In truth, however, 5GE still has the same capabilities and constraints as the LTE Advanced networks owned by the other carriers. The other three major U.S. carriers are well aware of this, and they have all responded to AT&Ts move in different ways. T-Mobile mocked AT&T in January by uploading a short video on Twitter showing an iPhone being upgraded to 9G by applying a sticker on the screen, while Verizon stated that it wont label its network 5G unless its actually based on 5G technologies. Advertisement Sprint went as far as filing a lawsuit against AT&T, claiming that the 5GE icon is misleading. Its claim was backed by a survey revealing that 54-percent of participants believe 5G Evolution is equal or even better than true 5G. All of this controversy aside, AT&T will continue to expand its true 5G network, which presently is only available in a handful of areas in the United States including Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Louisville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Raleigh, San Antonio, and Waco. The carrier is expected to expand the 5G network in the first half of 2019 to include Chicago, Minneapolis, Nashville, Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose. Meanwhile, the carrier expects to be able and deliver nationwide mobile 5G coverage by early 2020, and its collaborating with Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung to deploy the necessary 5G equipment, as the company is trying to deliver on its promise. 5G is coming, and carriers are doing their best to provide it to consumers as soon as possible, as 5G smartphones are already being announced. HMD Global has announced that the Nokia 9 PureView is going to be available this Sunday, March 3. Itll be priced at a special introductory price of $599 through March 10. Afterwards, itll jump to $699. The Nokia 9 PureView will be on sale at the usual retailers: Amazon, Best Buy and B&H Photo. It will also be unlocked and work on GSM carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile in the US, unfortunately, theres no support for Verizon or Sprint. Advertisement At Mobile World Congress earlier this week, HMD Global announced the long rumored Nokia 9 PureView, which is the worlds first penta-camera smartphone. The Nokia 9 PureView was a project that HMD Global worked with Light on, so that it can produce a pretty impressive smartphone camera experience. Thanks to this partnership, the Nokia 9 PureView is able to produce pictures that look almost as good as those from a DSLR. There are five cameras on the back, but unlike other smartphones on the market, it is not using different focal lengths. These five sensors are identical other than the fact that three are color sensors and two are monochrome. Otherwise, these are all 12-megapixel f/1.8 sensors. The Nokia 9 PureView does use all five sensors on every single picture. So its collecting a lot of data, but this allows the user to do a whole lot more after taking the shot. Like adjusting the focus point, and adding more Bokeh to the background. Outside of the cameras, the Nokia 9 PureView is still a pretty decent powerhouse of a smartphone. It has a 5.99-inch Quad HD+ OLED display, and theres no notch at all. It also has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset inside, which yes is older than the others on the market now. But HMD Global had to do a lot of critiquing with this chipset and the five cameras, so it makes sense that its an older chipset, but still a very capable chipset. That also comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Advertisement The Nokia 9 PureView also runs on Android 9 Pie and is an Android One smartphone. Meaning that you are getting a stock version of Android the only real change from AOSP is the camera. It also means that you are going to be getting some fast updates from HMD Global, which the company has shown it is capable of in the past few years. Since this is an Android One smartphone, the Nokia 9 PureView also enjoys unlimited full-size photo backup to Google Photos. As mentioned, the Nokia 9 PureView is going to be priced at $699 normally, but if you purchase the phone between March 3 and March 10, youre going to be able to take $100 off of the regular price. So that you can get this for $599. HMD Global is offering the Nokia 9 PureView in just one color Blue. And it only comes in one configuration which includes the 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Advertisement You can purchase the Nokia 9 PureView from Best Buy, Amazon and B&H Photo using the links down below. Remember that if you want to get this for just $599, you do need to purchase it before March 10 or next Sunday. The AI technology company Sensory that offers biometric solutions has announced that the recently announced Nokia 9 PureView, Nokia 4.2, and Nokia 3.2 all come with its TrulySecure system. It is an on-device facial recognition system that will enable the owners of the latest Nokia phones to unlock their devices using their face. This would be a welcome change as Nokia phones do not have a proprietary face unlock feature and instead rely on the far less reliable smart lock. Sensorys TrulySecure solution is already used by various OEMs, including LG, to secure their smartphones. The Nokia 9 PureView, Nokia 4.2, and Nokia 3.2 were unveiled at the Mobile World Congress and the integration of TrulySecure would make them the first Nokia handsets to come with powerful facial recognition. According to Sensory, TrulySecure is FIDO Certified and it leverages powerful face biometric recognition technologies to authenticate registered users conveniently and securely. The system is embedded with the companys AI technology and identifies users in a split second. It boasts of an impressive 99.999-percent accuracy rate, which is admirable. Advertisement TrulySecure is also touted as a system that is really difficult to game, thanks to cutting edge anti-spoof algorithm and on-device liveness detection. So, holding up a photograph against the newest Nokia phones wouldnt be enough to unlock them. To step up the security further, TrulySecure avoids sending valuable biometric information over the internet and no data is stored on the cloud. All the capabilities are on-device and the biometric data is saved as highly encrypted irreversible code, making it near impossible for hackers to gain access to it and break into secured devices. Moreover, TrulySecure also employs deep learning convolutional neural nets, which means users do not have to worry about taking off wearables such as glasses in order to be recognized. As Todd Mozer, Sensorys CEO noted, security factors heavily into smartphone purchase decisions. The new authentication system can boost the sales of the latest Nokia smartphones as they offer a convenient means to unlock handsets and apps. A facial recognition system for Nokia phones was long overdue and the company has been talking about bringing the technology via an over-the-air update for the Nokia 8, Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus, and Nokia 6 since months. However, that plan never materialized. Advertisement Ever since Apple has introduced Face ID with the iPhone X, face recognition features have gained traction and become an indispensable part of smartphones. Huawei, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Vivo, OPPO, and many other Android phone manufacturers all provide this functionality on their phones and so far, Nokia had been trying to play catch up. While Sensorys tech surely sounds good theoretically, it remains to be seen if its snappy as its being advertised and whether it will stand its guard against sophisticated 3D face masks that have been used in the past to spoof other facial recognition systems. For now, its good news for Nokia fans that the company is finally moving into this direction and future Nokia phones are also expected to come outfitted with Sensorys TrulySecure technology. Xiaomis Global Spokesperson and a Director of Product Management, Donovan Sung, got interviewed by Venture Beat at MWC, and during the interview, he talked about both 5G and foldable smartphones. Xiaomis 5G Phone Is Here For those of you who do not know, Xiaomi did introduce a 5G-enabled smartphone at MWC 2019, the Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 5G. That is essentially the Mi MIX 3 with the Snapdragon 855 SoC and Qualcomms X50 modem, so its basically the same phone with a more powerful SoC and 5G capability. There are a couple of added differences, in the battery department, for example. Advertisement Mr. Sung said that the company really wanted to make its first 5G smartphone as affordable as possible, as that is the companys philosophy, to be extremely competitive as far as price is concerned, while offering the best possible products that they can. The company definitely managed to do that with the Mi MIX 3 5G, as it is only about $50 more expensive than the regular Mi MIX 3, the device is priced at $680. Sung also confirmed that the Mi MIX 3 5G will include a larger battery (3,800mAh compared to 3,200mAh in the Mi MIX 3), and that the company needed to add a new processor, and the X50 5G modem, which required more space, but that didnt really change the dimensions of the device. This info is particularly interesting as Xiaomi did not announce the MI MIX 3 5G dimensions at launch. During the interview, Sung also said that the company opted to remove dual SIM capability of the device as it needed that extra space on the inside to accommodate a larger battery, processor, and the X50 modem. The source also asked Mr. Sung to comment on the US expansion, as Lin Bin said that the company plans to enter the US market in 2019 or 2020, but considering all the issues that ZTE and Huawei faced and are facing, Xiaomis stance probably changed. Advertisement Sung said that the company will continue to look towards expansion (as far as smartphones are concerned) to the US in 2019 and 2020, but that he doesnt have much info regarding that. The company is already selling its ecosystem products in the US through Amazon and Walmart, and through a number of other partners, so it has a considerable presence in the States. Mr. Sung added that 5G could be a real game-changer for smartphones, especially in terms of how we use applications. Is Xiaomis Foldable Phone Coming Soon? Xiaomis CEO did demo the companys foldable smartphone prototype quite recently, he actually played around with the device in a hands-on video. So, asking Xiaomi whether its foldable smartphone will launch in the near future is a rather expected question. Mr. Sung had an answer, he said that the company wants to wait for it to be more mature before it announces the device. Sung also added that Xiaomi is trying out a number of different foldable concepts, and reassured everyone that the company is working hard on making the phone a reality. Advertisement While commenting on foldable smartphone technology that was shown off at MWC 2019, Mr. Sung that it seems to him that the technology is still half-baked. He said that theres a reason why OEMs dont allow everyone to play around with those phones, and some of them did not allow anyone to touch them. Foldable phones are still not there, and those OEMs are aware of that, which is why release dates for foldable phones are still months away. Mr. Sung also commented Lin Bins video on Weibo, he simply said that the companys CEO tried to demonstrate one of the concepts the company is working on, while adding that Xiaomi is making some real progress in that regard, but it is taking its time to perfect the technology before announcing anything. Posted on: February 28, 2019 10:21 AM An ecumenical appeal for the return of the mummified head of an 800-year-old body known as The Crusader has been made by the Anglican and Roman Catholic Archbishops of Dublin. The head was stolen during a raid on the crypt of St Michans Church in Dublin at the weekend. The crypt, a popular tourist attraction, contained other mummified remains, including the 400-year-old remains of a nun, which were also vandalised in the attack. Since news of the attack first broke earlier this week, it has emerged that the intruders also broke into the family vault of William Rowan Hamilton, the 19th century mathematician whose studies paved the way for quantum theory and stole another skull. Yesterday (Wednesday) the Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic Archbishops of Dublin, Michael Jackson and Diarmuid Martin, made a joint visit to the crypt to see the damage alongside Assistant Garda (police) Commissioner Pat Leahy. Afterwards they issued a joint appeal for the return of the remains. Archbishop Michael described the damage as desecration and significant and spoke of the overwhelming support the parish has received from the local community since the break in. I would like to thank all members of the community for their support and appeal to them to keep their eyes open in case the head of The Crusader has been dumped, he said. On its own the head is useless. But it will mean so much to the people of Dublin to have it restored to its resting place. He expressed his concern that once out of the microclimate of the crypt, the mummified remains would quickly disintegrate. He said that he would return to the Church to re-consecrate the crypt at the appropriate time It is right to re-consecrate an area that has been desecrated, he said. Archbishop Diarmuid also described the act as desecration, saying: as a Dubliner, this is an offence against the city. All Dubliners know about St Michans. This is so sad. We have to find a way to restore harmony. I appeal for the return of The Crusaders head but I am worried about the damage they did I wonder about the mentality behind it. When asked about forgiveness, Archbishop Diarmuid said that to be forgiven a person must ask for forgiveness and say sorry. Archbishop Michael added that restoration of the head would be a start. Part of the heritage of this place that we have to share is the uniqueness of the mummified bodies in the crypt, Archbishop Michael said. I thank the Vicar and the Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, who is the Rector, and the parishioners for their custodianship and their patience. I stand with them in the hope that it will be restored. St Michans Church remains open for regular parish worship; but public tours and access to the crypt have been suspended while Garda (police) investigations into the incident continue. Posted on: February 28, 2019 10:23 AM The Presiding Bishop of the US-based Episcopal Church has launched a one-off $800,000 USD (approximately 601,400 GBP) appeal to fund pensions for clergy in the Diocese of Cuba. The General Convention of The Episcopal Church (TEC) voted last year to readmit Cuba into membership following a separation of 52 years caused by the Cuban revolution. The average stipend for Cubas 23 serving clergy is $55 USD (approximately 41 GBP) per month. Clergy in the diocese are not entitled to state pensions or social security because the Cuban government does not recognise their service as employment. The Episcopal Church is seeking to reach its target by 9 June. The funds will be placed in the provinces Church Pension Fund to make pension benefits for the 23 active clergy, three retired clergy, and one surviving spouse. The appeal, Together Again / Juntos de Nuevo, is being carried out in the spirit of welcome and reconciliation. This is part of the work of reconciliation, bringing us together across historic divides, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said. This is not just fundraising; its following Jesus and finding our way back to each other. The former Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori, also backed the appeal, urging the Church to rejoice at the return of Cuban Episcopalians to this body and offer what we can for the well-being of those who have served so long and faithfully. The Episcopal Church of Cuba (ECC) traces its origins to 1901, when the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church established the Missionary District of Cuba under the jurisdiction of the Presiding Bishop. During the 1960s, the government led by Fidel Castro began cracking down on religion, jailing religious leaders and believers. Because most interaction between Cuba and the US was embargoed, in 1966 the ECC was made an autonomous extra-provincial diocese within the Anglican Communion, under the oversight of a Metropolitan Council comprising the Primates of the Anglican Church of Canada, the Church in the Province of the West Indies, and The Episcopal Church. Today, led by Bishop Griselda Delgado Del Carpio, the Diocese of Cuba is a growing church which is increasingly having an impact on communities throughout Cuba. With 46 congregations and missions led by 23 priests, along with an active lay leadership, it serves 10,000 Cuban Episcopalians and their neighbours. Once the necessary processes have been completed, Cuba will join TECs Province II, which includes two other Caribbean dioceses Haiti and the Virgin Islands. Content moderators working for Task Us, an American outsourcing tech company, in Manila, Philippines. Photo: Moises Saman/Magnum Photos Theres a famous Ursula K. Le Guin short story called The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, about a fantasy city called Omelas, a joyous metropolis without guilt or violence, populated by mature, intelligent, passionate people who celebrate beautiful festivals and shop at (duh) a magnificent Farmers Market. Le Guin is short on political or organizational specifics; Omelas is whatever utopia you can conjure up for yourself, with one extra feature: Somewhere in the city, in a grimy basement underneath a handsome building, a 10-year-old child, feeble-minded, terrified, and starved, has been imprisoned, begging desperately to be set free. The people of Omelas are aware of the prisoner. But they will never free it, because remember, this is a fantasy parable their happiness, the beauty of their city, the tenderness of their friendships, the health of their children depend wholly on this childs abominable misery. If a citizen were to unlock the basement and clean and feed the child, all the prosperity and beauty and delight of Omelas would wither and be destroyed. I doubt I was the only person who thought of Le Guins short story while reading Casey Newtons feature story on Facebook content moderation at the Verge this week. For most users, Facebook is not exactly an Omelas joyous is not the adjective Id think to describe my experiences on it but for advertisers, Facebooks actual clients, its as close to a utopia as theyll ever get. By effortlessly targeting highly specific demographics at exceedingly low cost, it offers up to brands all the promise of internet advertising, but with almost none of the messiness (fraud, pornography, violence, abuse) you might find gambling with other ad networks. It is, in effect, a clean, well-lit version of the internet, and, for advertisers, that is indeed joyous. As in Omelas, however, the joyousness of Facebooks hundreds of thousands of advertisers depends wholly on the misery of a small number of other people: its content moderators. For his article, Newton spoke with several current and former employees of Cognizant, a professional services vendor contracted by Facebook to moderate its platform, removing the content that violates Facebooks terms of service. In practice, this can mean spending your days scrolling through post after post of graphic porn, hate speech, and videos of death and violence. People develop severe anxiety while still in training, Newton writes, and continue to struggle with trauma symptoms long after they leave, but are given minimal support and job stability each employee gets nine wellness time minutes per day, to be used if they feel traumatized and need to stop moderating. Meanwhile, the conspiracy videos and memes that they see each day gradually lead them to embrace fringe views. For their trouble, they are paid $28,800 a year, around 12 percent of the average salaried Facebook employees total compensation of $240,000. The moderators sign nondisclosure agreements that prevent them from talking about what theyd done for Facebook or even, apparently, that theyd worked for Facebook at all. This theoretically protects private Facebook user data from leaking out. But it also has the effect of hiding the 1,500 content moderators from the outside world, preventing them from even describing the difficulty of their jobs, let alone agitating for better working conditions. Even full-time Facebook employees are apparently unaware of the extent to which Facebook contracts out its content moderation, and the conditions under which that moderation is taking place, despite its importance. Why do we contract out work thats obviously vital to the health of this company and the products we build? one employee asked on an internal company message board. The answer to that question can be found in a recent report in the Information. As Reed Albergotti reports, Facebook employees have complained since at least 2008 that the companys chronically understaffed group of content moderators (in 2009, Facebook had only 12 moderators for 120 million users) didnt have the resources to address the harassment, hate speech, or misinformation that would come to characterize Facebook discourse. And yet employees who reported problems were rebuffed because of the belief that the company should operate with as few employees as possible. Rather than address its various mounting content issues with dedicated staff hires, the company farmed out moderation work to contractors, needing to maintain a cost structure that relied on low labor costs, and believing that eventually an engineering solution could be developed to keep the platform clean and safe. This bargain has worked out well for Facebook, which by 2016 was raking in an incredible $600,000 per full-time employee in net profit. It has worked out rather less well for the rest of us particularly the contactor moderators with PTSD-like symptoms. (Facebooks profit margins have been thinning over the last two years, naturally, as it expands its security team, which includes moderators.) The idea that you can keep your labor costs low by relying on software automation, creating the eye-popping profit margins that venture capitalists approvingly call software margins, is a foundational belief of 21st-century Silicon Valley. Albergotti quotes the mantra COO Sheryl Sandberg brought to Facebook from Google: People dont scale. And its true that there are some tasks like selling and placing digital ads that are more efficiently and profitably done by software programs. But there arent that many tasks that programs can do as well as human beings, and not many programs that can be automated without the help and work of humans. Which means that any company bragging about automated solutions is likely hiding a much larger shadow workforce supporting those solutions, like the one Facebook employs through Cognizant. These shadow workforces are tasked with undertaking the most tiring and repetitive work required for a software business. Content moderation on platforms, which is which outsourced not just to services in the U.S. but firms in the Philippines and Bangladesh, is probably the most obvious one: Reuters reported this week on content reviewers in India, who regularly watch live videos of suicide attempts (not to mention beheadings, car bombings and electric shock torture sessions) for wages as low as $6 a day. But theres also data processing: The rise of machine learning requires human beings to create, label, and process data sets identifying photographs, for example, or tracing over objects in drawings that are used by the artificial-intelligence programs. Google hires cheap workers through crowdsourcing sites for this reason; in China, data processing for machine learning has created a whole new line of blue-collar employment. Were eminently familiar with the idea that there might be bots behind the humans we encounter online. Were less aware of the number of humans whose work is necessary to sustain functional bots. The rote daily work that goes into creating magical artificial-intelligence applications like facial recognition is rarely mentioned by the companies profiting off of it but, obviously, that would make the AI seem less magical. Such arrangements are endlessly common in Silicon Valley. Magically convenient services and devices are often subsidized not just by money-burning investors but also by exploitative labor arrangements. Amazon purchases arrive quickly in part because the companys warehouse workers are relentlessly tracked and dont take bathroom breaks; Uber rides are cheap in part because the median hourly wage of an Uber driver is $10. Obviously, being a paid Uber driver is no closer to being a chained-up child than riding in an Uber is to being in paradise, but you can begin to understand the bargain being struck by the citizens of Omelas in Le Guins story. The truth is that software margins (or what investors hope will eventually be software margins) are rarely achieved solely through automation and innovation. Most Silicon Valley titans, especially the software giants that have arisen over the last two decades, have become adept at externalizing their costs. Users contribute content for free. Contractors work for cheap. The burden of moderating content has for the last ten years been borne by someone in some cases under-compensated contractors, in some cases users moderating content themselves for free, in some cases the victims of abuse or harassment, and, in some cases, the public sphere as as whole. Just rarely Facebook. If Facebooks shadow-workforce practices which have been widely reported by journalists and studied by academics well before the Verges story this week, and which are no different than content-moderation practices on many social networks are being singled out now, it may be because the platforms conveniences no longer seem worth the full social cost. The question we face now is whether the company will internalize those costs, and whether its business proposition is still attractive if it does. Facebook may still believe that these moderators jobs will eventually be done by machines, but the idea that an automatic program could match or surpass a well-trained human at the sensitive, evolving interpretive work required by content moderation still seems vanishingly distant. Facebook will need content moderators now and in the foreseeable future, and the contractors they employ understand that. For all the potential trauma of their job, Newton writes, the moderators he spoke with were proud of the work they did, and regarded their jobs as important. More to the point, they recognize their value to Facebook: If we werent there doing that job, Facebook would be so ugly, one moderator told him. Were seeing all that stuff on their behalf. And Facebook employees have expressed concern for the contractor-moderators on internal message boards. (Or, at least, concern for the quality of the moderation.) If Facebooks employees and its contractors can band together, theyd be in a strong position to demand better conditions. And if adequately staffing and compensating content moderators is too expensive for Facebook to sustain, that doesnt seem like a problem with moderation. It seems like a problem with Facebook. Following Tuesday's testimony from Jordi Cuixart, President of Omnium Cultural, and Carme Forcadell, former president of the Catalan Parliament, the second act of the trial against the Catalan political leaders that began two weeks ago came to a close. The first act ended when the court responded to the preliminary questions raised during the interventions of the defenses and plaintiffs. The second began with the testimony by Oriol Junqueras, former vice-president of the Catalan government, and ended with Carme Forcadells. The third part began with the cross-examination of the witnesses. Contrary to what thas been reported by several news outlets, the first two acts are the most important from the perspective of the charge of rebellion. According to the definition of the crime of rebellion given in Spanish legislation, it is in these initial phases when it must be proven that the defendants' conduct can be legally classified as constituting this crime. I do not mean to say that in these phases the commission of the crime must be proven, but instead simply the possibility that the conduct could be so classified legally. If the behavior cannot be characterized in this way, any subsequent evidentiary elements are irrelevant. They will be relevant for other possible criminal actions, but not for rebellion. What has been clearly accredited is that there was no "violent uprising" masterminded by the defendants And this is so because the violence that constitutes the crime of rebellion must be present in the design of the operation, it must exist prior to the initial moment of the operation. The violence that constitutes rebellion cannot be an outgrowth; that is to say, the result of violent episodes not planned as such and that occur during an operation that did not include them in its design. If there are occasional episodes of violence, whether few or many, these may result in criminal charges of some sort or other, but never the crime of rebellion. This is precisely what will be the subject of the evidentiary activity that will unfold in the coming weeks. But the adjective violent, which qualifies the noun uprising in the definition of rebellion, must be a part of the design of the rebel operation by the intellectual authors of said operation. Furthermore, it must be proven that the intellectual authors have carried it out. But if the actions of the defendants does not indicate any intellectual responsibility for the design of a violent uprising, it is not possible even to take rebellion into account as a legal classification of their behavior. It was precisely this that prompted the High Court of Justice of Schleswig-Holstein, in Germany, to dismiss the arrest and delivery warrant issued by the Spanish examining magistrate [against the exiled Catalan leaders]. The facts I repeat, the facts that appeared in the narrative constructed by Judge Pablo Llarena did not match the legal definition of rebellion because the nature of the violence described in the judges account of events was not concocted", but "unplanned", which can occur during the exercise of basic rights and public liberties, such as the right of assembly and demonstration or the right to strike. For this reason, the German court said, if the argument of the examining magistrate were taken as a given, the exercise of indispensable basic rights that are essential under any rule of law worthy of the name would be unfeasible. And that is what the object of the first two acts of the trial was. And what has been clearly accredited is that there was no "violent uprising" masterminded by the defendants. It remains to be seen if there was any type of violence that occurred as part of the exercise of rights during the protests against the ban on the referendum or the search of the Catalan Ministry of Economy HQ. This is what will have to be seen from now on. But everything to come from now on will be completely irrelevant from the perspective of the crime of rebellion. IATA has created three categories of awards: Inspirational Role Model, High Flyer, and Diversity & Inclusion Team. Each category comes with $25,000 in prize money payable to the awardee or their nominated charity working on diversity and inclusion projects. Qatar Airways Group chief executive and chair of the IATA Board of Governors (2018-2019), Akbar Al Baker, said: Qatar Airways recognises the need for wider diversity in the workplace, not just in our airline but across the industry as a whole, which is why we are delighted to have this opportunity to reward individuals and teams who are going against the trend and proving that diversification is the way forward for aviation. We see this as a long-term project and look forward to working hand in hand with IATA for the next decade continuing to encourage greater inclusion and diversification in the airline community. IATAs director general and chief executive officer, Alexandre de Juniac, added: Aviation is the Business of Freedom. The essence of aviation is building a global community by connecting people, businesses and cultures across great distances. Ten million people work in the aviation industry to make this happen. It is important that this workforce reflects the amazing diversity and inclusion that it fosters in our society. By launching these awards, we want to recognise and celebrate the great work that is being done to take the industry into the future. Nominations for the awards are open on the IATA website from 26 February 2019 until 31 March 2019. They will be judged by an international and independent panel of experts. The first of these annual awards will be presented at IATAs 75th Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit to be held in Seoul, South Korea (1-3 June 2019). The Inspirational Role Model Award will be presented a female (30+) who holds a senior position within the industry who has had a significant impact on the aviation agenda through her strong contribution to business delivery, as well as her ongoing support of promoting diversity. This award is open to all female participants in the aviation industry. The High Flyer Award is designed to recognise a female under 30 who has started to grow their career, and is demonstrating thought leadership in the industry through their inspirational work. This award is open to all under-30 female participants in the aviation industry. The Diversity and Inclusion Team Award has been created to give recognition to an airline that has seen a tangible change in their diversity as a result of the work they have been doing in diversification and inclusion. This award is open to all IATA member airlines. Just what the Cohen hearing needed: a fight over whos the real racist. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Michael Cohens long-awaited hearing before the House Oversight Committee became combative on Wednesday afternoon for reasons that had little to do with the content of Cohens testimony. Representative Rashida Tlaib, a freshman Democrat from Michigan, objected to former Trump employee Lynne Pattons unexpected appearance earlier in the hearing; specifically, she said that Patton, a black woman, had been used as a prop by Republicans to dispute Cohens characterization of President Trump as a racist. The act, Tlaib said, was racist. Mark Meadows, a Republican from North Carolina, was outraged. Meadows angrily accuses Tlaib of racism for calling him racist pic.twitter.com/4Wj6FcJO6l Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2019 Patton, who now administrates public housing in New Jersey and New York for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, previously worked for Trump as a party planner. In the morning, she stood silently to the side of the dais while Meadows purportedly spoke on her behalf. Lynne Patton says she would not work for a man who is racist, Meadows said to Cohen as reported by the Daily Beast. She disagrees with you. She says as a daughter of a man born in Birmingham, Alabama, that there is no way that she would work for an individual who was a racist, he added. How do you reconcile the two of those? No wonder Meadows took Tlaibs remark so personally. The red-faced congressman demanded that Oversight Committee chairman Elijah Cummings strike Tlaibs remarks from the record, and claimed that Tlaib herself was the real racist for even making the remark at all. Asked by Cummings to clarify her remarks, Tlaib said that she had not meant to call Meadows a racist, that she applied the term instead to the act of using Patton as a silent witness to Trumps racially progressive views. Meadows then withdrew his request. Pattons appearance at the hearing remains somewhat mysterious, however, as shed reportedly been expected to appear at work as usual this morning. Patton had no real-estate experience before being appointed to HUD by Trump. "Lynne Pattons appearance during the hearing confused HUD employees, who were expecting her to show up to work Wednesday." @TracyJan has been texting during the hearing with Patton, who has no housing experience and is paid $160,000 a year https://t.co/fGTvj41ZKm Drew Harwell (@drewharwell) February 27, 2019 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. It may be a low bar, but this beats trading threats on Twitter. Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images The U.S. woke up this morning to a North Korean Summit surprise, but not the one we expected. Instead of burst-tweeting, friend-of-autocrats Trump the one weve seen though most of his presidency we got the Art of the Deal Trump, who knows when to walk away and can do it without burning bridges. Sometimes you have to walk, Trump explained at a press conference before leaving Hanoi. His announcement that he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had cut short their summit when it became apparent that an agreement was not in reach because Kim wanted all sanctions lifted and wouldnt agree to close all his nuclear weapons program in exchange drew praise from the left and the right. Trumps next step was also shrewd: calling South Korean president Moon Jae-in from Air Force One to ask him to take the lead in further efforts with Kim. The South Koreans said Trump asked President Moon to actively perform the role of a mediator that may entail talking with Chairman Kim and letting him know the outcome of his dialogue. This calms Moon, who has staked his own political survival on the process moving forward, and may provide some incentives for North Korea to keep talking. It also, of course, gives Trump someone else to blame if progress does not ensue. So now were just waiting to see what happens next with two volatile, nuclear-armed actors. Does Kim revert to bad-boy provocations? Or does he decide he is best placed to play the statesman, keeping up talks with Washington, and trying to achieve actual progress with South Korea on issues of concern to them both all while he builds closer economic ties with China, Russia, and others to wear away at the sanctions. Kim doesnt want to be Chinas puppet any more than he wants to be Washingtons but Beijing wants Pyongyang to be economically healthy and independent. And Moscow, which tries to insert itself into North Korean affairs every few years, is eagerly looking for opportunities to embarrass Washington and disrupt its alliances. And what do we know about Trumps next move? Keen observers noted that Trumps North Korea envoy, Stephen Biegun who recently made the case for a steady, slow, and mutual move toward denuclearization was not present at the major summit dinner. Its an odd choice that seems to signal he is not a key Trump adviser and may limit his future effectiveness. Washington still has cards the lifting of sanctions, a declaration ending the Korean War, the removal of some or all troops from the Korean Peninsula that Kim badly wants. But those cards just got harder, not easier, for Trump to play. The praise Trump is getting from both parties Establishments this morning may help him mute the sound of Michael Cohens voice. National security is the area where Republican lawmakers have been most willing to go beyond grumbling and take concrete action to limit Trumps moves in areas like Russia and Yemen. By giving them what they wanted no deal with Pyongyang Trump eases a bit of the pressure on him, and maintains his grip on all factions of the GOP. (Every president does this kind of politics-and-policy trade-off on international affairs, as Elizabeth Saunders of Georgetown University explains most of them just dont do it with nuclear war and allegations of election fraud hanging over their heads.) If I had to guess, the president now understands that Kim is not budging, and this exercise has run its course; the president said upon his departure that a third U.S.-North Korea Summit would be a long time coming. But the thing to worry about is North Koreas long history of refusing to be ignored, and rattling every tool in its arsenal, including the nuclear ones, to ensure that it is not. If Kim decides he needs Washingtons attention, or he needs to up the ante for sanctions relief, he is all too free to go back to building weapons or testing them. A rendering of Aspen and Dean streets under the Lift One corridor plan distributed by the vote-yes campaign. The group has spent over $283,000 on the campaign, which concludes with Tuesdays election. Correlation of Mars analog sediment geochemistry with bacterial diversity. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) triplot with symmetrical scaling indicating differences in sediment geochemistry within sediment pits, and influence of these abiotic variables on bacterial communities and individual taxa. The three most abundant taxa are labeled (A, B, C). The circle size of each sample indicates species richness index (Chao 1) of the respective community. A robotic rover deployed in the most Mars-like environment on Earth, the Atacama Desert in Chile, has successfully recovered subsurface soil samples during a trial mission to find signs of life. The samples contained unusual and highly specialized microbes that were distributed in patches, which researchers linked to the limited water availability, scarce nutrients and chemistry of the soil. These findings, published in Frontiers in Microbiology, will aid the search for evidence of signs of life during future planned missions to Mars. A Rover Rehearsal in the Most Mars-like Environment on Earth "We have shown that a robotic rover can recover subsurface soil in the most Mars-like desert on Earth," says Stephen Pointing, a Professor at Yale-NUS College, Singapore, who led the microbial research. "This is important because most scientists agree that any life on Mars would have to occur below the surface to escape the harsh surface conditions where high radiation, low temperature and lack of water make life unlikely." He continues, "We found microbes adapted to high salt levels, similar to what may be expected in the Martian subsurface. These microbes are very different from those previously known to occur on the surface of deserts." In 2020 both NASA and the European Space Agency will embark on missions to deploy rovers on the surface of Mars. They will search for evidence of past or present life and for the first time, drill below the surface where refuges for simple microbial life may still exist. To help ensure that these space missions succeed, technology is rigorously tested on Earth first. "The core of the Atacama Desert in Chile is extremely dry, experiencing decades without rainfall. It has high surface UV radiation exposure and is comprised of very salty soil. It's the closest match we have on Earth to Mars, which makes it good for testing simulated missions to this planet," argues Pointing. Life Is Patchy in Extreme Environments, So Mars Rovers Will Need to Dig Deep An autonomous rover-mounted robotic drill and sampling device, funded by NASA and designed by Carnegie-Mellon's Robotics Institute, was deployed in the Atacama Desert to test if it could successfully recover sediment samples down to a depth of 80 cm. Pointing and his colleagues compared samples recovered by the rover to soil samples carefully taken by hand. Using DNA sequencing, they found that bacterial life in the sediments recovered by both methods were similar, indicating a successful deployment, but it also revealed that microbial life was very patchy and related to the limited water availability, scarce nutrients and geochemistry of the soil. "These results confirm a basic ecological rule that microbial life is patchy in Earth's most extreme habitats, which hints that past or present life on other planets may also exhibit patchiness," explain study co-authors Nathalie Cabrol and Kim Warren-Rhodes of The SETI Institute. "While this will make detection more challenging, our findings provide possible signposts to guide the exploration for life on Mars, demonstrating that it is possible to detect life with smart robotic search and sampling strategies." Pointing highlights that future research includes drilling deeper to understand just how far down recoverable microbes occur. "Mars missions hope to drill to approximately 2 meters and so having an Earth-based comparison will help identify potential problems and the interpretation of results once rovers are deployed there," explains Pointing. "Ecological studies that help us predict the habitable areas for microbial communities in Earth's most extreme environments will also be critical to finding life on other planets." Reference: "Subsurface Microbial Habitats in an Extreme Desert Mars-Analogue Environment," Kimberley Warren-Rhodes et al., 2019 Feb. 28, Frontiers in Microbiology [https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00069]. The research was supported by a grant from the NASA Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets (ASTEP) program and the Yale-NUS College startup fund. The research is part of a special article collection on the search for hidden extraterrestrial life: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/7031/new-frontiers-in-astrobiology-life-vs-abiotic-detection-from-microscopic-to-infinity Please follow Astrobiology on Twitter. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call,Inc. The first planning meeting for Bernie Sanderss 2016 campaign, at radio host Bill Presss Capitol Hill home in mid-2014, still comes up a lot in conversation among that campaigns original true believers, in part because it predicted so much of what was to come. Its an old story now: Tad Devine, Sanderss longtime political consultant and a Democratic strategist whod worked for presidential candidates since 1980, outlined his vision for how this campaign would look (where it would compete, how much it would need to raise, and so on). Mark Longabaugh, Devines business partner and another veteran party operative, told the senator he could beat Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire. They both said it was a nonstarter if he ran as an independent, not a Democrat. Four years later, gathered in another home in Washington on the one-year anniversary of Donald Trumps inauguration, Longabaugh pulled up a PowerPoint presentation for the 2018 version of the talk what the path through the crowded primary would look like now that Sanders was a front-runner, what pitfalls seemed likely, how another well-funded campaign could again use blockbuster TV ads to break through to kick off Sanderss 2020 planning. Their third business partner, ad-maker Julian Mulvey, who was, with the others, behind the campaigns hugely successful ads like the Simon and Garfunkelbacked America spot, was there, too. At the time, and from the outside, it all felt obvious: Bernie was getting the band back together for Political Revolution, Part Two. Last Tuesday, he announced he was running. On Saturday, Sanderss team said hed be formally kicking off his campaign next weekend with rallies in Brooklyn and Chicago. On Monday, they revealed hed raised $10 million in his first week as an official candidate, a show-stopping number unlike anything seen before in American politics. On Tuesday, Devine, Mulvey, and Longabaugh announced their split from Bernie 2020. The story of what happened behind the scenes was, depending on who you listen to, either a massive loss for Sanders or an overplayed blip on the way to a historic victory, but its undeniably a moment that marks an inflection point. No one familiar with his campaign doubts the trio played a central, and at times campaign-saving, role in 2016. But that campaign was also free-wheeling and disorganized as it scaled up, and its digital program, rallies, and of course message were key to its successes, too. Sanderss orbit has seen considerable turnover in the last two years including his former chief of staff, who quietly departed last year to become a lobbyist for a firm whose client list has included Boeing, Google, Halliburton, JP Morgan, Koch, Northrop Grumman, and the NRA and Tuesdays move was the clearest sign yet that, in 2020, Sanders will steer clear of the traditional television-advertising-based kind of campaign he relied on so heavily in 2016. It is also evidence that over the last two years much of his trust has shifted to a new set of advisers. Though Devine had largely stopped speaking with Sanders in the wake of a disagreement over how to handle the wind-down of the 2016 campaign once it became clear Clinton would win, Longabaugh and Mulvey were involved in the run-up to 2020s launch, both in producing the announcement video and helping plan the kickoff events. But their exact role in 2020 strategy was still unsettled as Sanders announced his candidacy last week. Longabaugh also wasnt the only one to make a presentation at the 2018 meeting, which was held at the home of Ari Rabin-Havt, a senior Sanders adviser who joined his office after leaving Harry Reids following 2016. Pollster Ben Tulchin and digital strategist Tim Tagaris spoke, too. In the ensuing months, as Sanders met with advisers new and old, he began talking about running a more organized campaign. He wanted an effort that was less reliant on consultants and pointedly refused to stop making jabbing jokes, or cutting non-jokes, about them and their fondness for expensive television ads. He believed Devine and Longabaughs expertise was sorely needed in 2016, but would be less valuable this time around, now that hed already run a campaign. Neither traveled with Sanders as he campaigned around the country ahead of the midterms. Sanders and his wife, Jane, spoke less directly with the trio over time, as the 2020 decision neared, and the strategists connected more often with Jeff Weaver, Sanderss closest aide, who grew close with Longabaugh in 2016. Weaver is still very much in the senators inner circle, but early this year, Sanderss team made it known that he would not reprise his role as campaign manager. Soon, Sanders hired a new manager, former ACLU political director and Reid alum Faiz Shakir, who didnt really know the consultants before coming onboard. Devine, Mulvey, and Longabaugh decided to leave late last week, as the rest of the political world reckoned with Sanderss apparent strength. Not only did Sanders raise more money than anyone could have expected, he signed on significant support from people who hadnt voted for him in 2016, and secured over $1 million worth of donations that would recur every month. Morning Consults tracking survey showed him receiving a six-point polling bump, putting Joe Biden within reach. Still fond of Sanders, the consultants didnt want to make his CNN town hall on Monday uncomfortable, so they held off on making their departure official until Tuesday morning, when Longabaugh called the candidate to inform him. (The essence of the announcement: We are leaving because we believe that Sen. Sanders deserves to have media consultants who share his creative vision for the campaign.) Some of Sanderss remaining advisers, however, were frustrated the departure came so soon after the announcement of the campaigns gangbusters fundraising haul. They also rejected the New York Times subsequent description of the strategists as architects of Sanderss 2016 success. In public, the remaining Sanders team offered only a brief statement. The campaign appreciates all the good work DML has done and wishes them well, Shakir said. Late last September, I sat down with Sanders in his Senate office while reporting a profile of him as he considered whether to run in 2020. As I wrote then, he laughed when asked what would be different this time, compared to the last campaign. Its almost personally embarrassing to tell you how little we knew. We knew nothing about how you run a presidential election, and we were able to attract some very good people, he said. Eventually, he identified his new digital-media operation as a significant change that would reorder the way he went about communicating. In 2016, Sanders went viral early and often, frequently with highly produced videos produced by his team of consultants, but often with organic moments on the trail, too. Since that election, hes built up his internal video operation considerably, viewing it as the purest and most potent way to share his message with his massive audience. It wasnt always clear how, exactly, that was going to fit into Sanderss 2020 plans, but in recent months his top advisers, remaining and new, have sketched out a vision of a campaign that relies far more on digital advertising and organizing than the previous one, along with a heavier emphasis on a more tightly planned field program. The vision Longabaugh presented in his 2018 Power Point hasnt always been part of that conversation. Of course, his firms traditional-media advertising, a calling card of the last effort, is now out of the picture entirely. It was always inevitable that 2020 would look different from 2016. For one, Sanders is now a if not the front-runner. For another, the field of candidates could reach two dozen names. (Devine Mulvey Longabaugh didnt immediately sign on with any other campaign after leaving Sanders, though the trio will certainly receive calls.) And whereas Sanders was often dismissed by Establishment Democrats as an ideological fringe-dweller last time, many of his views are now firmly in the partys mainstream, or at least fantastically popular among both primary voters and a healthy cadre of his rivals. Whats undeniable is that much of his teams backbone has been replaced. Even beyond the consultants, the team is more diverse, after the last one was dominated by white men, more attuned to sexual harassment after revelations about misconduct in his ranks in 2016, and more explicitly focused on reaching out to groups of voters who Sanders didnt win last time most prominently African-Americans. A big question for Sanders, however, was always how, or whether, he would think about this go-round differently. This weeks news didnt provide a definitive answer, but it did give us a hint. In Cohen we trust? Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images Michael Cohens testimony to the House Oversight Committee Wednesday was great theater. We saw the presidents longtime fixer decrying his former boss as a racist, cheating con man (and himself as a fool); red Americas finest yahoos hooting and hollering about book deals, boxes, and how a mans mouth is his destruction and his lips are the snare of his soul; and shouting arguments about whether it is possible for a person to be racist if they profit from the labor of dark-skinned people. But did we actually learn anything consequential from this carnival? Or was it all just a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury, but signifying nothing much? Cohens hearing did not radically change our previous understanding of Donald Trumps legal and political liabilities. But it did produce an allegation or two that, if corroborated, just might. And Cohens testimony also provided many less-earth-shattering insights into the Trump-Russia saga. Heres a quick rundown of the bombshells and edifying tidbits the presidents former fixer provided on Wednesday: Cohen says that Trump knew that a WikiLeakss dump of hacked emails was coming in advance and wholeheartedly approved of it. From Cohens prepared remarks: In July 2016, days before the Democratic convention, I was in Mr. Trumps office when his secretary announced that Roger Stone was on the phone. Mr. Trump put Mr. Stone on the speakerphone. Mr. Stone told Mr. Trump that he had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange and that Mr. Assange told Mr. Stone that, within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clintons campaign. Mr. Trump responded by stating to the effect of wouldnt that be great. If this is true, then Trump was aware that one of his associates was in touch with those in possession of stolen Democratic emails when he said, on July 27, 2016, Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. It would also suggest that the presidents myriad denials of Russian interference in the 2016 election were even more patently dishonest than we knew. By itself, Cohens allegation does not appear to establish any illegal act. It is not a crime to receive a tip from Roger Stone about forthcoming email dumps. Trumps liability here is more political than legal. And given that the Trump campaigns eagerness to capitalize on Russian interference in 2016 has been public knowledge for years at this point, its not clear why Cohens disclosure would fundamentally alter our nations long-stable political equilibrium. But it could make it more difficult for the president to make inroads with the roughly 60 percent of the public that does not approve of him. Cohen is still assisting prosecutors with (unspecified) investigations. For understandable reasons, the specter of the American president colluding with a foreign power has been the central focus of discourse on the Mueller probe and its associated investigations. But scrutiny of Trumps business practices seems more likely to uncover prosecutable offenses than an examination of what he knew about Russian interference (and when he knew it) in 2016. Or, at least, this is what Trump himself ostensibly believes. Thus, the most interesting thing Cohen said Wednesday was (arguably) that there were some things he still cant discuss because there are ongoing investigations currently being conducted that have nothing to do with this committee or Congress that I am assisting in. Specifically, Cohen refused to answer questions about his contacts with Trump immediately following the FBIs raid on his properties (conversations that could be relevant to an obstruction of justice prosecution), or about any other wrongdoing or illegal act committed by the president, which the House Oversight Committee had yet to explore (a category that could include various white-collar offenses). Dem rep.: Is there "any other wrongdoing or illegal act" regarding Trump that hasn't come up today? Cohen: "Yes" pic.twitter.com/asUeBVQRmZ TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) February 27, 2019 Cohen said that Trump had committed other illegal acts that the committee had not considered, but insisted he could not speak of them until his cooperation with prosecutors in the Southern District of New York was complete. Trump did not explicitly tell Cohen to lie to Congress about the Moscow project, but, according to Cohen, he conveyed that instruction nonverbally. One of the reasons Michael Cohen is headed for prison is that he falsely told Congress that Trump stopped seeking a deal on Trump Tower Moscow a project that would have required some cooperation from the Russian government in January 2016. In actual fact, negotiations over the development continued through at least June of that year. Which means that, while Trump was striking a blasphemously dovish stance toward Russia in the GOP primaries, he had a multimillion-dollar incentive to stay in Vladimir Putins good graces. There have been conflicting reports about whether Trump directly instructed Cohen to lie to Congress, an illegal act. Cohen said Wednesday that Trump didnt directly ask him to perjure himself but that the president made it quite clear that he expected as much. Mr. Trump did not directly tell me to lie to Congress. Thats not how he operates, Cohen explained. But Trumps former fixer also noted, At the same time I was actively negotiating in Russia for him, he would look me in the eye and tell me theres no business in Russia and then go out and lie to the American people by saying the same thing. Cohen further alleged that he had submitted his 2017 testimony to Trumps personal lawyer, Jay Sekulow, who reviewed and edited his perjurous remarks before he delivered them (Sekulow denies this). Cohen says Trump knew about Don Jr.s decision to accept a meeting with individuals whom he believed to be agents of the Russian government who were actively backing his fathers campaign in June 2016. As Cohen testified: I remember being in the room with Mr. Trump, probably in early June 2016, when something peculiar happened. Don Jr. came into the room and walked behind his fathers desk which in itself was unusual. People didnt just walk behind Mr. Trumps desk to talk to him. I recalled Don Jr. leaning over to his father and speaking in a low voice, which I could clearly hear, and saying: The meeting is all set. I remember Mr. Trump saying, Ok good let me know. What struck me as I looked back and thought about that exchange between Don Jr. and his father was, first, that Mr. Trump had frequently told me and others that his son Don Jr. had the worst judgment of anyone in the world. And also, that Don Jr. would never set up any meeting of any significance alone and certainly not without checking with his father. Cohen kept some (proverbial) receipts. In statements to prosecutors, Cohen has said that Donald Trump directed him to buy the silence of his (alleged) ex-lovers Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal in 2016 for the specific purpose of protecting his presidential campaign and that Trump knew such payments were unlawful. Prosecutors decision to treat these statements as truthful is the closest theyve come to formally accusing the president of a crime. Cohen has already been convicted of a campaign-finance violation for his role in the payments. If prosecutors can prove that Trump did in fact order the payments and that he did so for political reasons, and with full awareness that said payments would constitute illegally large, in-kind contributions to his campaign than the president would also be guilty of violating federal law. On Wednesday, Cohen fortified one piece of that potential case against Trump, by presenting reimbursement checks he received for making the Stormy Daniels payment checks signed by Donald Trump and Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg. Trump (allegedly) told Cohen that he didnt want to release his tax returns because he thinks theres evidence of illegality in them. What he didnt want, Cohen explained, was to have an entire group of think tanks that are tax experts run through his tax return and start ripping it to pieces. To put it shortly, the F8 tributo has learned a lot of lessons from the Pista. So the newcomer matches the latter's output, borrows a part of its aerodynamic tricks and even comes with a part of the special's weight reduction (more on these aspects below).Now, if sharing the assets of the limited edition with the buyers of the fresh "standard" model (the quotes are truly necessary here) seems like a familiar move, it's probably because the scheme isn't new. For instance, Lamborghini has done the same for the mid-cycle refresh of the Huracan, with the Huracan Evo featuring multiple Performante bits.Returning to the Ferrari F8 Tributo, this matches the Pista's 720 hp and 568 lb-ft (770 Nm) of twist, this topping the 488 Grand Turismo Berlinetta by a hefty 50 hp (the torque has only gone up by 7 lb-ft/10 Nm).In terms of the weight reduction, the F8 Tributo is 40 kg lighter than the car it replaces, while the Pista beat the 488 GTB at the scale game by 90 kg. As such, the dry weight of the fresh arrival (not the most useful figure, we know) sits at 1,330 kg (2,932 lbs).The 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint is completed in 2.9s (the 488 GTB needs 3s for the task, while the Pista can do it in 2.85s, while the 0 to 124 mph (200 km/h) acceleration takes 7.8 seconds (that's 0.5s quicker than the replaced car and 0.2 s behind the time of the Pista). As for the maximum velocity, the newcomer can climb all the way to 340 kph/211 mph (the official figures for the Pista state it can deliver in excess of the said number).In the aero department, the F8 Tributo mixes Pista tricks with a few of its own. As such, it sits 10 percent higher than the 488 GTB in terms of aerodynamic efficiency.When it comes to the handling, the control electronics of the new arrival are superior to those of the Pista (think: Side Slip Angle Control 6.1 vs. 6.0, respectively).As far as the eye is concerned, Maranello describes the new toy as "a bridge to a new design language that will continue to emphasise Ferrari's key characteristics of high performance and extreme aerodynamic efficiency,"For instance, the louvered composite window sitting atop of the twin-turbo 3.9-liter V8 is a nod to the F40, while the twin round taillights, with the spoiler wrapped around them make for a tribute to the 1975 308 GTB, which was the original eight-cylinder Berlinetta.The cabin of the Ferrari F8 Tributo brings multiple new elements, such as the steering wheels design, the controls, the round air vents, as well as the 7-inch passenger infotainment display.Expect the Italian automaker to drop the pricing and market entry details for the F8 Tributo on March 5, when the Swiss venue press days kick off. Meanwhile, you can check out the first images of the mid-engined supercar in the gallery below.Here are the first real-world pics of the F8 Tributo. During a recent trip to Australia, I caught up with Matt Canavan, whose position in the Australian government is most similar to that of our Interior Secretary. Why it matters: As Australias minister for resources, Canavan is responsible for this nations rich natural resources, including coal but also wind and solar, which are growing rapidly. When we spoke, he had just finished trips in Queensland and other parts of the country facing extreme weather, some of which scientists say is growing more extreme due to rising global temperatures. Here are edited excerpts of our interview. On whether he agrees with the science that says Australia is already and will continue to face more extreme weather due to warmer global temperatures. Canavan : "I certainly think I accept the science being described by the IPCC [United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change], and yes as part of their latest report, they do talk about potentially [increasing] in bushfire risk. That is something we should prepare for, something we can manage. My main beef is that the government is not managing that risk very well; theyre doing less land clearing. Linking every weather event to climate change is just not good science. In fact, if you read the IPCC report, theres no evidence climate change is contributing to an increase in rainfall or cyclonic [hurricane] events in Australia. : "I certainly think I accept the science being described by the IPCC [United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change], and yes as part of their latest report, they do talk about potentially [increasing] in bushfire risk. That is something we should prepare for, something we can manage. My main beef is that the government is not managing that risk very well; theyre doing less land clearing. Linking every weather event to climate change is just not good science. In fact, if you read the IPCC report, theres no evidence climate change is contributing to an increase in rainfall or cyclonic [hurricane] events in Australia. Reality check: Per Axios science editor Andrew Freedman, hes right about cyclones in Australia, but leaving out important context on rainfall, including that the IPCC also says precipitation extremes are already increasing in frequency and severity around the world. On Australias relationship with America. Australia is the worlds top exporter of liquified natural gas (LNG) and coal. Meanwhile, the U.S. is looking to export more coal as its domestic market wanes and its set to take the top spot with LNG exports in a years. Canavan : "Ive met with U.S. government officials a number of times. We have a shared interest in seeing the adoption and promotion of cleaner fossil fuels in the Asia Pacific region. I also always say were a competitor with the United States in the gas market, and increasingly coal, too." : "Ive met with U.S. government officials a number of times. We have a shared interest in seeing the adoption and promotion of cleaner fossil fuels in the Asia Pacific region. I also always say were a competitor with the United States in the gas market, and increasingly coal, too." Reality check: America is unlikely to overtake Australia on coal, but in a few years, Australia will be in solid third place on LNG exports behind both U.S. and Qatar, per a Credit Suisse analyst quoted in this Reuters article On Australias potential to be a wind and solar superpower, given its vast swaths of sunny, open lands. Canavan : "Lets just keep our own lights on first. Our energy system needs significant reform and investment, particularly non-renewable and non-intermittent. Thats why the government is prioritizing reliable power and coal-fired power. We are struggling with around 20% renewable energy in the market, higher in some regions, which is making it very difficult to keep the lights on in South Australia. " : "Lets just keep our own lights on first. Our energy system needs significant reform and investment, particularly non-renewable and non-intermittent. Thats why the government is prioritizing reliable power and coal-fired power. We are struggling with around 20% renewable energy in the market, higher in some regions, which is making it very difficult to keep the lights on in South Australia. " Reality check: Australia is facing high electricity prices and reliable issues, as Canavan noted, and increased renewable energy is one of several factors for that, experts say. Lack of reliable and redundant transmission networks facing more extreme weather is another, along with a lack of coherent government energy and electricity policy, which is styming investments in the sector. Go deeper: The meeting in Hanoi between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended abruptly on Thursday without any breakthrough on denuclearization, the issue of utmost concern to the U.S. and its regional allies. The big picture: For Trump, the error of relying on the power of his personal charm and negotiating skills over the counsel of intelligence and diplomatic experts was laid bare. Ultimately, effusive praise and promises of a brighter future could not shake Kims strategic conviction that nuclear weapons are key to his regime's survival. The summit publicly exposed the gulf that exists between North Korea's vision of denuclearization and that of practically every other country. Kim was willing to freeze the activity of only some nuclear facilities, but not all critical ones, and in return expected massive sanctions relief a deal that Trump could not accept. Between the lines: The outcome of this summit may be sufficiently sobering to spur Trump to better prepare for some of his future diplomatic moves. However, he may merely choose to make the same personalized diplomatic gambles on other challenges, such as those in the Middle East, with potentially far worse consequences in the event of failure. The summit also marks a severe setback for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who pinned his hopes for reviving the stagnant South Korean economy on a diplomatic breakthrough with the North. What's next: Even as extensive UN sanctions remain in place, North Korea will continue to make qualitative and quantitative upgrades to its nuclear arsenal, but presumably will keep its commitment not to conduct additional nuclear and missile tests. Because both parties remain invested in de-escalation, war on the peninsula is unlikely, and there may yet be opportunities for U.S.North Korea diplomacy conducted on a sounder basis. Ariel E. Levite is a nonresident senior fellow in the nuclear policy program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced Thursday his decision to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in one case of bribery and two cases of fraud and breach of trust. All indictments are pending a hearing. Why it matters: The announcement comes after more than two years of investigations and less than two months before Israel's highly anticipated April 9 elections. It's also the first time in Israel's history that a sitting prime minister will face criminal charges. Details: In case 4000 which involves Netanyahu's relationship with Israel's leading telecommunications tycoon the indictment is for bribery. In case 2000 Netanyahu's alleged deal with a newspaper publisher for favorable coverage the indictment is for fraud and breach of trust. In case 1000 involving Netanyahu allegedly taking $200,000 from businessmen in return for promoting their interests the indictment is for fraud and breach of trust. Backdrop: Israeli police in December recommended Mandelblit indict Netanyahu and his wife for bribery due to their relationship with Israel's leading telecommunications tycoon. This was the third time in the last year police had recommended Netanyahu be indicted for bribery. Go deeper: Israeli police recommend indicting Netanyahu in bribery case Pakistan and India came closer to the precipice of war this week than they have in decades, and may have farther yet to go. What to watch: Following Pakistans announcement that it would release a captured Indian pilot on Friday as a gesture of goodwill, opening the door for de-escalation, the ball is now in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis court. His next step will determine whether these two nuclear-armed neighbors head for war or take a tentative step toward negotiations. Background: The crisis began with a Feb. 14 attack by Jaish-e-Mohammad, a Pakistan-based militant group, in Pulwama, Kashmir, that killed 40 Indian paramilitary soldiers. India blamed Pakistan for giving Jaish the space to operate in its territory, while Pakistan stressed the homegrown nature of the attack. India responded with airstrikes on Balakot in Pakistan, crossing the line of control that divides the two countries for the first time since 1971. Pakistan then launched a retaliatory strike, downing an Indian plane and capturing an air force pilot. But Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan followed up with a conciliatory speech asking Modi to come to the table for talks, including about terrorism. Between the lines: As the world largely leaves it up to these two countries to resolve this crisis, Modi faces pressure to act muscularly in the lead-up to Indias May elections. But its hard to see how another round of escalation would benefit his endgame, given Pakistans willingness to retaliate. Whats next: If Khan and Modi meet, Modi might ask for Pakistan to take concrete, permanent steps against Jaish and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Thats the hard part: Khan may be willing to do so, and he seems to sincerely want peace with India. But Pakistans military has never been willing to root out these groups completely, as they allow the country to maintain the semblance of power parity with India. The big question: Depending on the extent to which hes willing to rein in these two militant groups, Khan could create a fissure in his alliance with the military. How Khan navigates that relationship will determine whether steps can be taken toward an elusive peace with India key for the two nations that are home to 1.5 billion people. Madiha Afzal is a visiting fellow in the foreign policy and global economy and development programs at Brookings and the author of Pakistan Under Siege: Extremism, Society, and the State. According to a Washington Post report Tuesday (and confirmations in Russian media), the U.S. Cyber Command disrupted the internet access of Russia's Internet Research Agency on Election Day in 2018 a clear attempt to send a message to the so-called "troll farm" to back off. Why it matters: The gambit is a public example of the Department of Defense's new "defending forward" emphasis in cyber defense, which aims to increase activities in foreign networks to disrupt potential attacks. The big question: Does sending signals this way work? Experts from intelligence, national security and academia seem to think it's at least worth a chance. The big picture: The IRA hackers are Russia's most prominent purveyors of social media misinformation. But they work year-round, election years and not. Stifling the group on one day even Election Day would not be a crippling blow. That doesn't mean the move was meaningless. Michael Morell, former deputy director of the CIA and current host of the Intelligence Matters podcast, explained it like this via email: "The action was most likely designed to do two things: one, stop any activities that Moscow may have had for Election Day itself, and two, send a message that we can and will reach out and take such actions in the future." "And, yes," he continued, "such a 'statement' can be effective. If an adversary believes that they are not going to be able to do what they want to do, they may well not even try. It is an important part of deterrence." "Demonstrating that we are willing to make it more difficult for cyber adversaries and to throw up hurdles for them is worth doing, said Lisa Monaco, former assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism in the Obama administration. Yes, but: There are multiple unknowns on both sides of the message. As of now, we're aware of two components of Cyber Command's signaling campaign: this Election Day move and an earlier effort to contact IRA operatives directly and ask them to knock it off a not-so-subtle hint that we could identify who they were. But there very well might be more than just those two actions in play. "Will we look back 10 years from now and think November 2018 was when everything changed? Probably not," said Ben Buchanan, an assistant teaching professor at Georgetown whose book, "The Cybersecurity Dilemma," concerns how nations interpret cyber actions. "But it could be part of a larger effort that could have a bigger effect, for better or for worse." Buchanan doesn't think there's much chance that Russia would misinterpret this kind of signaling. But signaling campaigns can be tricky, he said. "There's no shared understanding of what cyber actions mean. They're more ambiguous than troop deployments." What's next: With cyber activities, it's hard to gauge what will provoke a response and what kind of response that would be. President Trump said early Thursday he failed to reach a deal with North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un because of a disagreement over sanctions, as talks abruptly wrapped up on the second day of their summit in Hanoi, Vietnam. Why it matters: Trump said Kim pledged to dismantle the Yongbyon nuclear facility not its entire nuclear program if all sanctions imposed on the country were lifted first. "Sometimes you have to walk, he said. Kim had a vision of denuclearization, that's "not exactly our vision, but it's a lot closer than it was a year ago." Trump and Kim canceled a planned lunch after their morning talks and left in separate cars. Kim did not commit to holding another summit, Trump said, but he insisted the two leaders had a "good relationship." Kim said of the denuclearization goal: If Im not willing to do that, I wont be here right now. Trump said the two leaders could have signed a deal Thursday. But its better to do it right than do it fast, he said. Trump added: "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that." A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted. Other big takeaways: Trump stressed earlier there was no rush to reach an agreement. "We just want to do the right deal, he said. Kim also said the idea of the U.S. having an office in North Korea's capital Pyongyang was welcome-able. Asked if Trump was discussing North Korea's human rights record with Kim, the president replied: "We're discussing everything." Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Article body One of the nations largest food industries will soon find its innovation hub in Alabama, thanks to Auburn Universitys new Charles C. Miller Poultry Research and Education Center. The 30-acre, multi-facility complex will celebrate the opening of its newest facility, an administration and classroom building, April 10 at 3 p.m. Current and planned Miller Center facilities and technologies reflect every detail of the U.S. poultry industryfrom hatching to housing to processing and beyondto offer a comprehensive lab environment for university students and research faculty as well as industry professionals across the nation. Research at the Miller Center will target key issues of efficiency and sustainability in poultry production, avian health and well-being and food safety and quality. The poultry industry is the largest and fastest-growing food industry in the country, said Paul Patterson, dean of Auburns College of Agriculture. As this industry grows, we need solid, reliable research and training to ensure the level of quality, safety and efficiency that consumers and businesses deserve. We are proud to offer the nations leading poultry scientists and professionals the very best in research and teaching facilities at the Miller Center. The Miller Center broke ground in 2016 with the construction of two nutrition and poultry management research facilities as well as an equipment testing and demonstration facility, which houses the National Poultry Technology Center. The site of the Miller Center was already home to a feed mill and animal and poultry nutrition center, built in 2012. Auburn is preparing to break ground on the Miller Centers next facility, a state-of-the-art processing plant, which will serve as a stage for developing new, improved methods of controlling food-borne pathogens and advancing the use of data-driven poultry processing technology. For more information on the Miller Center at Auburn, visit the Charles C. Miller Jr. Poultry Research and Education Center website. As India and Pakistan descend into direct combat over violent attacks in Kashmir and subsequent cross-border reprisal, the U.S. appears unprepared to help defuse the situation. The big picture: The India-Pakistan salvos mark the biggest international security crisis test of the Trump presidency. But unlike his predecessors, who viewed conflict on the Indian subcontinent as an issue of paramount importance, Trump and his team have seemed content to lie low, or even to tacitly support India over Pakistan. Between the lines: This approach departs from those of past administrations, which perceived military action between these two nuclear-armed neighbors as a potential precursor to nuclear war. In 2001, for example, President Bush sent Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage to Islamabad for in-person negotiations around an India-Pakistan crisis that could have gone nuclear. That trip built on nearly a dozen direct calls between Secretary of State Colin Powell and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to iron out the crisis. Bush felt as Trump appears not to that the U.S. could not afford to sit out such a crisis, later referring to "the year that we had shuttle diplomacy to convince Pakistan and India not to go to war with each other." To be sure, Trump has been busy: Currently, hes meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi for the most promising denuclearization opportunity in years this just after extending the ceasefire in the U.S.China trade war and declaring a national emergency on the southern border. The Trump administration also suffers from having a thin Pakistan diplomatic team at the State Department, with neither a Senate-confirmed assistant secretary of state for South Asia nor a special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan (the current special representative is responsible solely for Afghanistan, following staffing changes made by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson). The bottom line: To help stop further escalation between India and Pakistan, Trump may need to become a diplomatic multitasker. Joel Rubin is president of the Washington Strategy Group and the former deputy assistant secretary of state for the House of Representatives. President Trump caught the world by surprise once again yesterday with a decision not to sign a deal with his North Korean counterpart, Chairman Kim Jong-un, in Hanoi, Vietnam. The big picture: While walking away is a common tactic in working-level negotiation, what happened in Hanoi was a rare case and the least expected outcome. Nonetheless, it might have been a much-needed reality check, not a failure, for both sides in the still-early stages of a long process of negotiation. Between the lines: The U.S. negotiators publicly admitted before the Hanoi meetings that the two countries had not yet reached consensus on a number of key concepts, nor on much of the timing and sequencing details for denuclearization and corresponding measures. In Hanoi, the two leaders continued to find more divergence than consensus. Yes, but: A failure to reach an agreement is not necessarily a failure of diplomacy. Trump could have left Hanoi with a deal of any kind just for the sake of it, but he decided that no deal was better than an insubstantial one that could hamper future negotiations. By doing so, he not only appeared as a tough negotiator to his North Korean counterpart, but also shielded himself from the potential criticism of a bad deal, affording him more domestic political slack than the alternative might have. His decision also sends a warning signal to North Korea that he will not let the country continue to set the tone and pace for the negotiations. The bottom line: A return to hostility or to the path of war remains unlikely, as both sides are still committed to a diplomatic solution. The negotiations will resume sooner or later, and the misfortune in Hanoi might impart a different kind of momentum to what is destined to be a fluctuating, arduous diplomatic process. Gi-Wook Shin is the William J. Perry Professor of Contemporary Korea and director of the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center at Stanford University. The supervisory board of Yerevan State University (YSU) on Thursday narrowly failed to sack its long-serving rector, Aram Simonian, who is under mounting pressure by the Armenian government to resign. In December, a government body subordinate to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian implicated the YSU administration in serious financial irregularities. The Armenian police likewise alleged last week that Simonian has embezzled YSU funds and engaged in other corrupt practices over the past decade. They asked another law-enforcement body to launch a formal investigation. Simonian, who has run Armenias oldest and largest university since 2006, angrily denied the allegations, linking them to his continuing membership in the former Republican Party of Armenia (HHK). The 63-year-old said he will not step down before serving out his current term in office in 2020. YSUs Board of Trustees met on Thursday to discuss some of its members proposal to cut short Simonians tenure. Only 12 members of the board voted for including the issue on the meetings agenda. Thirteen others voted against that. We have no agenda and I declare that the meeting is over, said the recently appointed board chairman, Gevorg Muradian. The board has a total of 32 members. Half of them are appointed by the government. The others are chosen by the YSU faculty and students. On Wednesday, Education Minister Arayik Harutiunian categorically denied media allegations that law-enforcement bodies are pressuring board members to vote for Simonians ouster. I will resign as soon as it is proved that the police or the National Security Service exerted pressure on any board member, he told reporters. Harutiunian reiterated his calls for Simonians resignation but denied any political motives behind them. He argued that some senior officials at the Armenian Ministry of Education remain affiliated with the HHK and that he is not trying to force them out. [Simonian] is trying to politicize things, drawing his colleagues into this process, said the minister who has for years taught at YSU. I would urge his colleagues not to succumb to those provocations. A member of HHK since 1997, Simonian had long been accused by his detractors of suppressing student activism and placing YSU under the strong influence of the party headed by former President Serzh Sarkisian. Armenia and Russia have reportedly signed fresh contracts for the supply of Russian weapons to the Armenian army. Citing the Russian Defense Ministry, the Interfax news agency reported on Thursday that the contracts were signed in Moscow by Armenias Deputy Defense Minister Davit Pakhchanian and top Russian defense industry executives. It gave no details. The Armenian Defense Ministry confirmed the information, according to the Armenpress news agency. It too did not divulge financial details of the contracts or specify the types of weapons covered by them. The ministry linked the deal to Defense Minister Davit Tonoyans recent trip to Moscow. Tonoyan met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu and the head of a Russian government agency overseeing arms deals with foreign states. Tonoyans office said on February 8 that he and Shoygu discussed, among other things, supplies of Russian-made state-of-the-art and precision-guided weapons which would give the Armenian military preventive superiority over its adversaries. It did not elaborate. Earlier in February, Yerevan confirmed the signing of a Russian-Armenian contract calling for the delivery of four Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter jets to the Armenian Air Force. Tonoyan said last week that Yerevan will seek to acquire more such aircraft after receiving their first batch by the beginning of next year. The military alliance with Russia entitles Armenia to buying Russian weapons at discounted prices. Moscow lent the Armenian government $200 million for such arms acquisitions in 2015. The weapons provided to the Armenian military under that deal included, among other things, multiple-launch rocket systems, anti-tank rockets, and shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles. Yerevan secured another Russian loan, worth $100 million, for further arms purchases in 2017. It is not clear whether the latest Russian-Armenian defense contracts will be financed from that loan. According to Interfax, the two sides are now discussing the possibility of a third Russian credit. By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 22 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Feb. 28, Trend reports. The Armenian armed forces were using heavy machine guns. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova Development of small and medium-sized businesses leads to the growth of entrepreneurship which is one of the priority directions of Azerbaijans economic policy. The Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) under the Economy Ministry of Azerbaijan held a series of meetings with representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) visiting Azerbaijan. At the meeting dedicated to public-private partnership, an international specialist in this field Rina Alzate told about the models applied on public-private partnerships. Alzate informed about activities on legal, normative and institutional development in this field in Azerbaijan. In addition, considering the advanced international experience, recommendations and proposals for organizing the effective work of the Center for the Development of State-Entrepreneurial Partnership, which is a part of the Agencys structure, were discussed during the meeting. At a meeting with a delegation led by director of the Infrastructure Finance Department at ADBs Private Sector Operations Department in South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia Shantanu Chakraborty, the Bank's representatives were informed about the reforms in the development of small and medium-sized businesses in our country, new support mechanisms, as well as the activities of Agency for the Development of SMEs. At the meeting, the sides discussed possible cooperation opportunities for the establishment of the Center for the Development of State-Entrepreneurial Partnership, small and medium-sized business development funds as well as business clusters, highlighting the importance of expanding cooperation with the bank in the development of the private sector and exchanged views on the prospects of development of relations. Small and medium-sized businesses play an important role in development of the country's economy. The share of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Azerbaijans foreign trade is planned to increase to 40 percent after 2025. The Agency for the Development of Small and Medium Business of Azerbaijan was established in 2017 to ensure the consistency of reforms, as well as the improvement of the business regulation system and the application of effective coordination, enhancement of the role and competitiveness of small and medium-sized businesses in the country's economy, and the compliance of the management system of this sphere with modern requirements. Simplifying access to financial resources for SMEs is an important aspect of the agencys activities, as the main part of the appeals involves financing. The agency is working on the creation of an online platform for access to finances. This platform will provide an opportunity for online communication between financial institutions and entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to present their projects to all interested parties online, and this will also minimize the loss of time. One of the important projects of the Agency is the creation of the Registry of SMEs and raising awareness about various state information resources on the basis of a single database on SMEs. In addition to many other areas, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) also cooperates with Azerbaijan to strengthen the role of small and medium-sized businesses in the country's economy, to increase their specific weight and competitiveness. ADB believes that the private sector is the main driver of economic growth, sustainable and stable economic growth can be achieved through private investments. Earlier, it was stated by ADB that Bank will assist Agency for the Development of SMEs to attract three experts. The main objective of the ADB is to support the economic development of member countries and to help alleviate poverty and improve the living standards of the population. Azerbaijan joined ADB in 1999 and its share in the bank is 0.5 percent. In 2004, the Bank's local representative office was opened in our country. Azerbaijan hosted the 48th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Bank in 2015. ADB has provided a $ 5.1 billion loan, guarantee, grant and technical assistance for the country, so far. ADBs program for Azerbaijan during 20112017 consisted of 47 projects. Energy was the largest sector supported, accounting for 42% ($2.1 billion) of total financing followed by transport, at 27% ($1.4 billion). The Asian Development Bank will allocate $ 815 million from its credit resources to Azerbaijan in 2019-2021. This is stated in the bank's three-year business plan. Thus, in 2019, the bank will allocate $ 250 million to the country, $ 265 million in 2020, and $ 300 million in 2021. These loans, which will be allocated by the bank for three years, will focus on the modernization of the countrys energy system ($335 million) and the improvement of public administration ($250 million). --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova Azerbaijan and Russia discussed transport and logistics issues to further expand trade and cargo volumes. A meeting of the Logistics Commission of the Azerbaijani-Russian Business Council was held, the Ministry of Economy told Report. The event was attended by more than 20 entrepreneurs and businessmen who are members of the council. Chairman of the Commission Natig Heydarov welcomed the participants in the introductory speech and briefed on the recent projects in the field of logistics, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, Astara terminal and other projects. Then representatives of Formag Baku, Gilan Holding, GokNur, STP, ASPI Agro, Koroglu and other companies exchanged views on the issues they are interested in. At the meeting, the sides discussed tariffs for air transportation, transport tax, optimization of transportation and storage costs and other topics. Participants also discussed the successful experience of other countries in the field of logistics. The Azerbaijan-Russia Business Council was established in 2016.The main goal of the Council is further deepening of ties in the fields of economy and mutual investment between Azerbaijan and Russia, cooperation between businessmen. To this end, the Azerbaijan-Russia Business Council closely cooperates with a similar organization in Russia - the Russian-Azerbaijani Business Council, and systematically holds joint meetings of business councils with the participation of businessmen. The improvement of transport, logistics issues with Azerbaijan as well as the transport infrastructures implemented by Azerbaijan is of great importance for Russia as all this serves not only to the bilateral trade, but also to the realization of International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) connecting Northern Europe with South-East Asia. INSTC is designed for the transportation of goods from India and the Gulf countries to Russia, Western Europe, the Baltic and Scandinavian countries. The North-South transport corridor was established in 2000 within the Intergovernmental Agreement between Russia, Iran and India. In total, 13 countries have ratified the Agreement. Azerbaijan joined this Agreement in 2005. The purpose of the corridor is to reduce the delivery time to three weeks from India to Russia, as well as to North and Western Europe as the current route takes more than six weeks (through the Persian Gulf, the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean Sea to Helsinki). Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia signed an agreement in 2005 on the construction of 375 km long Astara-Resht-Qazvin railway project envisages the construction of a new railway line in Iran, which will connect Astara, Azerbaijan to the Iranian cities of Astara, Rasht and Qazvin as well as the reconstruction of an existing railway in Azerbaijan. The railway between Astara regions of Azerbaijan and Iran has been already completed. Qazvin-Rasht part of railway has been launched in November. The construction of the Rasht-Astara railway will be completed in two years. The expected volume of cargo on the corridor passing through the territory of Azerbaijan is 3 million tons at the first, 5-8 million tons at the second and 15 million tons at the third stage. In 2017, Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia lowered the tariffs by 50 percent for the activation of cargo transportation via the North-South international transport corridor. In the same year, the increase in cargo transportation through the territory of Azerbaijan between Russia and Iran was 68 percent. Azerbaijan is one of the main economic partners of Russia among the CIS countries and Russia remains one of Azerbaijans main foreign trade partners. Interregional cooperation plays an important role in the development of Russian-Azerbaijani trade and economic relations and the increase in trade turnover. Russia ranks first in terms of export of non-oil products from Azerbaijan. So far, Azerbaijan invested more than $1 billion in the Russian economy, and Russia invested more than $4.2 billion in Azerbaijans economy. About 760 companies with Russian capital operate in Azerbaijan. Russia is a strategic partner of Azerbaijan. The legal framework between the countries includes over 180 documents, including about 50 in the economic sphere. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend There is great potential to improve the efficiency of transportation via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, Javid Gurbanov, chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, said. Gurbanov made the remarks in Baku during a bilateral meeting with Chairman of Kazakhstan Railways JSC Sauat Mynbayev, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijan Railways CJSC on Feb. 27. Meanwhile, Gurbanov spoke about the projects being implemented by the Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, upcoming prospective tasks. He also stressed that there is great potential for increasing the efficiency of mutual coordination process via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. The issues of increasing the volume of freight shipping between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan by railway, prospects for the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route were discussed at the meeting. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade In the coming days, the Gilan Textile Park company will begin to export its first batch of yarn to Portugal, the company told Trend. According to the source, the primary shipments there are expected to be in small quantities. "Currently, the company is negotiating with European partners on the export of finished products. progress is also expected in this direction," the company said. The company products are environmentally friendly and meet international quality standards. Based on its production potential, Gilan Textile Park is considered to be one of the largest processing enterprises not only of Azerbaijan, but also of the whole region. Gilan Textile Park uses cotton grown in Azerbaijan as a raw material for the manufacture of various products, and provides great support for the development of industry and agriculture in the country. Weaving, dyeing and sewing factories operate in the base of the Gilan Textile Park, commissioned in 2012 in Sumgayit. Gilan Textile Park produces products of high quality cotton meeting European standarts. The base of the enterprise includes Weaving factory, Paint and Sewing factory. Currently, in Textile Stock Gilan bedroom garments and also uniforms for different destination are produced. No chemical products harming health of the human are used in production. There is a rich tradition and great potential for the development of cotton growing in Azerbaijan. Year 2016 was a turning point from the perspective of cotton-growing in the country. In early 2017, the State Program for 2017-2022 was approved with an aim of strengthening measures directed at developing this sphere. The purpose of the State Program is to develop cotton growing, increase export potential in this sphere, ensure employment of the rural population and increase the production of cotton. The new goal of the state is to bring the cotton production up to 500,000 tons by 2022 from the current 260,000 tons. Statistics says that Azerbaijan exported cotton fiber worth $80.5 million (an increase of 49 percent) and cotton wool yarn worth $24 million in 2018. Compared to 2017, exports of cotton yarn increased by 2.4 times. ---- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova Cooperation between Azerbaijan Railways and Kazakhstan Railways was high on agenda during the talks held between Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways Javid Gurbanov and his Kazakh counterpart Sauat Mynbayev on February 27. During a bilateral meeting, Gurbanov said that there is great potential to improve the efficiency of transportation via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). Meanwhile, Gurbanov spoke about the projects being implemented by the Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, upcoming prospective tasks. He also stressed that there is great potential for increasing the efficiency of mutual coordination process via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. Chairman of Kazakhstan Railways Mynbayev spoke about future prospects of bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan Railways. The issues of increasing the volume of freight shipping between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan by railway, prospects for the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route were discussed at the meeting. Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping CJSC (ASCO) also held a meeting with a delegation led by Sauat Mynbayev visiting our country. The prospects of transport routes passing through the Caspian Sea and Azerbaijan, including the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, were discussed at the meeting. Chairman of Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping CJSC Rauf Valiyev gave detailed information about the ASCOs activity to Kazakh guests. Valiyev noted that the company is constantly updating its fleet and intends to continue this strategy to ensure the increasing volume of cargo transportation in the Caspian Sea. Chairman of the National Railway Company of Kazakhstan, in turn, underlined the strategic role of ASCO in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. The sides expressed their willingness to continue transport, logistics and bilateral cooperation in the format of working group. The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) was established in February 2014 with the participation of relevant agencies involved in cargo transportation of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Georgia. Then, Ukraine, Romania and Poland have joined the association. At present, this route extends from the Chinese-Kazakh border to the European countries, passing through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The corridor has defined a single transit route along the entire route, with the principle of "single window" and container trains are successfully transported through the route within this project. One of the most important achievements in improving the competitiveness of TITR is the commissioning of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway. It creates conditions for the growth of freight traffic between Europe and Asia, contributing to the development of cooperation and trade not only between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, but throughout the whole region of Eurasia. Providing the shortest rail link between Europe and Asia, BTK plays an important role in the implementation of China's "One Belt, One Road" strategy and the International North-South Transport Corridor. In fact, the BTK railway route is the shortest way to deliver cargo from the Russian regions located in the Volga, Ural and Siberian Federal Districts to the Mediterranean ports of Turkey, and further to the countries of Africa and the Middle East. At present, the BTK provides transportation from Kazakhstan to Mersin port. Some cargoes are delivered from Russia to Turkey and Europe. The total length of the BTK railway is 846 km, with 504 km running through the territory of Azerbaijan, 263 km - Georgia and 79 km - Turkey. The opening ceremony of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was held on October 30, 2017 at the Baku International Sea Trade Port. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Indian Air Force today exposed Pakistan's lies providing evidence that the Pakistan Air Force had used F-16 fighter jets on Wednesday in an attempt to attack an Indian military installation. Pakistan had yesterday claimed that F-16 fighter jets were not use in yesterday's mission and no Pakistani aircraft had been shot down. In a joint press conference with the Army and the Navy, IAF officials showed the wreckage of the F-16 fighter jet that was shot down by the Indian Air Force's MiG 21 Bison Aircraft, a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft. Earlier in the day, amidst mounting tension between the two nations, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced the release of IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured during the dogfight between Indian and Pakistani air troops on Wednesday. Commenting on the development, Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor said we are happy that our pilot is being released. We see this as a gesture in consonance with Geneva Convention, he said. Also Read: India-Pakistan tension LIVE: IAF shows evidence of crashed F-16, exposes Pakistan's lie Here are the key takeaways from joint press briefing by Army, Navy and Air Force. Indian Air Force Statement Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor said Pakistan used F-16s in this mission through their electronic signatures. A part of AMRAAM, air to air missile which is carried only on the Pakistani F-16s was recovered east of Rajouri within the Indian territory. His comment came in response to Pakistan's repeated claim that no F-16s were used in the operation. "On Feb 27 at 10 am IAF radars detected Pakistan Air Force which breached the Indian air space. The Pakistan aircraft was intercepted by IAF. One F-16 of Pakistan Air Force was shot down by MiG 21 Bison. We lost one MiG 21 Bison but pilot landed in Pakistan territory." IAF fighters were tasked to intercept the intruding Pakistani aircraft and managed to thwart them. Although PAF jets dropped bombs, they were not able to cause any damage, he added. IAF is happy and looks forward to the return of Abhinandan, Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor said. Indian Army Statement Major General Surinder Singh Mahal, Additional Director General Military Operations said Pakistan Army first resorted to unprovoked cross border firing in Sunderbani, Bimber, Nowshera and Krishna Ghati, and this was responded to by Indian Army in fitting manner. The Indian Army is committed to maintain peace and stability in the Kashmir Valley, he said. Commenting on counter terror strike, Major General said our fight is against terrorism, not Pakistan. But, as long as Pakistan continues to harbour terrorists, we will continue to target the terror camps, he added. Exposing Pakistan's claim that they intentionally targeted empty area, he said Pakistan aircraft were targeting military installations, like the Brigade HQ. But due to alertness of IAF, they dropped the bombs on our military formations, which were unable to cause any significant damage. Indian Navy Statement Rear Admiral Dalbir Singh Gujral, Director General Naval Operations said India is ready for any misadventure by Pakistan in the maritime domain. We want to ensure safety and security of our citizens. "Navy is deployed in high state of readiness and remains poised in all three dimensions, surface, under sea, to deter, prevent and defeat, in maritime domain. Assure you of a resolute, swift and strong response by Navy when needed, we stand one with army and air force to assure security," he said. Also Read: What will be the process to repatriate IAF pilot Abhinandan to India from Pakistan? Edited by Chitranjan Kumar By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade Due to mutual efforts, the bilateral trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Belarus has grown almost 3 times and reached about $ 0.5 billion in equivalent, Ambassador of Belarus to Azerbaijan Gennady Akhramovich said in an interview with Azertag. Gennady Akhramovich noted that last year, marked by its 25th anniversary since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Belarus and Azerbaijan, has become very successful for both of the states. Dozens of high-level visits, hundreds of business events and meetings in various fields took place, serious agreements were worked out, an algorithm for further actions was defined in 2018. For 2019, Belarus and Azerbaijan have set themselves new tasks to further expand cooperation, identified several specific projects for implementation. This year, in the framework of the reached agreements, we expect a no less intensive level of interaction (meetings, forums, exhibitions, business contacts), as well as active cooperation in all spheres of bilateral relations, the diplomat added. Overall picture of relations between the two states in the trade and economic sphere shows dynamism. The main priorities of this interaction are industrial cooperation, joint projects in the fields of science and technology, as well as investment cooperation. Azerbaijani-Belarusian relations have passed the stage of formation and reached a qualitatively new level of a sustainable long-term mutually beneficial partnership, characterized by an open, friendly and trusting character in all areas of mutual interest. The positive dynamics of relations is determined by active interaction at the highest and high level, wide contacts of government agencies, business circles, and developed humanitarian ties. Since the embassies were opened in Minsk and Baku, counter-deliveries are made for more than 380 commodity items in mutual trade. Over 45 Azerbaijani companies are dealers and distributors of Belarusian enterprises. The leader in industrial cooperation is Ganja Automobile Plant, located in the city of Ganja. In just a few years, this enterprise has become a modern industrial complex, which can rightly be called one of the flagships of the Azerbaijani engineering industry. In the period from 2007 to the present, more than 10,000 Belarus tractors have been assembled in Azerbaijan. In addition, another example of industrial cooperation is Belkommunmash which will supply four large-capacity E321 electric buses to Azerbaijan to launch a pilot electric bus route in the Ganja city in 2019. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Details of the visit of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov to Iran have been announced, a diplomatic source told Trend. According to the information, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov will visit to Iran on March 9. Mammadyarovs visit to Iran, discussions will be held on the North-South corridor and the Rasht-Astara railway, and the visit will also focus on bilateral relations and their development, as well as broader regional issues. Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Leyla Abdullayeva told earlier during a press conference that Elmar Mammadyarov was planning a visit to Iran in March. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova A meeting was held in the Astara District of Azerbaijan between the officials of the Azerbaijani and Iranian customs authorities. As part of the procedures regulated by the Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR Carnets, the two countries discussed e-TIR Pilot project, which provides for full e-government of transit operations between Azerbaijan and Iran. The meeting focused on promoting computerization through electronic platforms of customs control over international road transport, along with the issues of customs regulation of international transport using modern electronic methods. The preparation of a bilateral execution plan for coordinating activities in this area was also mulled. The parties discussed the relevant legislative framework for the e-TIR Pilot project, setting a time frame for commencing the first pilot shipments, the creation of technical capabilities, and conducting training for customs officers on the use of the electronic system. Cooperation between the customs authorities of Azerbaijan and Iran in this area will contribute to expanding the transit potential of both countries key figures of the North-South international transport corridor, and increasing the competitiveness of international transport. Azerbaijan and Iran signed the basic principles for the e-government of international transport procedures in October 2018 and January 2019, respectively. Iran sees Azerbaijan as a hub to reach larger regional markets. The cooperation on transportation between Iran and Russia through Azerbaijan is crucial in the realization of the International North-South Transport Corridor project. In 2017, the increase in cargo transportation through the territory of Azerbaijan between Russia and Iran was 68 percent. The eTIR international system aims to ensure the secure exchange of data between national Customs systems related to the international transit of goods, vehicles or containers. It should be noted that the first eTIR pilot project implemented between Turkey and Iran. In addition, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Ukraine are working on launching the eTIR system on the East-West route. Simplifying transit cargo transportation, both on the East-West and North-South routes, is a priority for Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan also appealed to the joint EU-EFTA (European Free-Trade Association) committee, which is the governing body of the conventions on a common transit procedure and on the simplification of formalities in trade in goods, to speed up the implementation of the New Computerized Transit System (NCTS), which will allow to exchange information based on bilateral agreements. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova Chinese companies Huawei and China Telecom may be involved in the construction of fiber-optic cable lines from Azerbaijan in various directions along the bottom of the Caspian Sea. Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of Azerbaijan Ramin Guluzade and Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev, who are on a visit to Beijing to attend the 7th meeting of the Azerbaijan-China Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, met with the management of Huawei, Trend reports with reference to the ministry. During the meeting, Huaweis new production technologies covering various areas were presented, and an exchange of views took place on the further expansion of the companys activities in Azerbaijan. In addition, the sides discussed possible participation of the company in the laying of a fiber-optic cable line along the bottom of the Caspian Sea through Azerbaijan in the direction of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. In the future, this cable line will ensure access of Afghanistan to internet through Turkmenistan. During the visit, Minister Ramin Guluzade also met with Head of China Telecom Yang Jie. The existing relations and prospects for further cooperation in the international telecommunications sphere with this company were discussed. The importance of taking possible steps to implement the Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway (TASIM) project as soon as possible was noted. During the meeting, issues of technical solutions for laying a fiber-optic cable line as part of the project along the bottom of the Caspian Sea in the direction of Kazakhstan, developing a feasibility study of the project, including the study of the need for further use of this highway by the Chinese side, were discussed. The parties also exchanged views on cooperation with the company in connection with the construction of a fiber-optic cable line along the bottom of the Caspian Sea between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. In order to conduct more detailed technical and economic consultations in this area, the management of Huawei and China Telecom was invited to Azerbaijan. Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Driven by a commitment to sound operations, ongoing innovation, and open collaboration, we have established a competitive ICT portfolio of end-toend solutions in telecom and enterprise networks, devices, and cloud technology and services. China Telecom is a large-scale and leading integrated information services operator in the world, providing wireline and mobile telecommunications services, Internet access services, information services and other value-added telecommunications services primarily in the PRC. Today Azerbaijan is turning into a regional transit center both in logistics and information exchange. The interconnected terrestrial cable networks running through the region are of high importance for the countries' connectivity. Examples include the TAE line, the Europe-Persian Express Gateway (EPEG) and the Trans-Eurasian Information Superhighway (TASIM), all of which involve Azerbaijan. The project on establishment of fiber-optic highway connecting Europe and Asia, Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway (TASIM) was initiated by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Communications and High Technologies at the meeting within the 14th "Bakutel" exhibition-conference in Baku in November 2008 by adoption of Baku Declaration. The aim of the project is to establish a transnational fiber optic line from Frankfurt to Hong Kong, from Western Europe to East Asia. This project will eliminate "digital distinction" and open new economic opportunities for landlocked Eurasian countries. In 2009, the UN General Assembly adopted a special resolution on TASIM project, accompanied by the resolutions in 2012 and 2013 as well. In 2013, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with 5 telecom operators participating in the project. The transit line will reach Germany, passing through China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. The realization of TASIM will consist of two stages: installation of the main Internet-transit infrastructure connecting the West and East; affordable access provision to Eurasian countries without open access to the transit infrastructure. Russia (Rostelecom), Kazakhstan (KazTransCom), Turkey (TurkTelecom) and China (China Telecom) are also involved in TASIM project. Azerbaijan is represented in the project by AzInTelecom Ltd of the Ministry of Communications and High Technologies. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova "The start of the new educational program "Human: Know Yourself." Unbelievable opportunities to discover new sides of yourself. This year, ten famous lecturers and best-selling authors will conduct 20 free learning events on self-development in Baku. From March to December 2019, the YARAT Contemporary Art Space invites you to join the program "Human: Know Yourself" to give access to additional education in the field of personal effectiveness. This program is designed to help company leaders, students, teachers, self-employed, creative individuals, regardless of age and education to gain practical knowledge about the essential skills of the modern person.. According to the founder of YARAT Aida Makhmudova. "The key skill of the upcoming lectures and training sessions is awareness. It is known that due to the development of this skill, a person can radically change his life and free himself from imaginary limitations and improve the path of his personal growth. I am confident that any progress towards developing awareness can help us become more human and harmonize interaction with others," said Makhmudova. Subjects of the program include four main categories for comprehensive self-improvement: 1. I am here and now: mindfulness skills. 2. My future self-image and aspiration for it: planning skills and achieving the desired. 3. Well-being and happiness: a scientific view. 4. Relations with others: empathy, gratitude and forgiveness skills. Our world is changing and progressing so rapidly that the development of skills that help a person maintain mental and internal balance is becoming increasingly relevant. At the same time, not everyone has the opportunity to get additional education to develop these skills. And this program makes it possible to fill this gap effectively, notes Arstarulsmirus, the program director. The leading experts in the field of personal development and world bestseller authors from different countries are invited to participate in the project. Starting in March, throughout 2019, ten lecturers and scientists from the USA, Germany, Russia, Belarus, Sweden, and Ireland will conduct their lectures and training sessions. Each of them will present multiple exercises to develop the following areas and skills: In the classroom, the features of the persons inner world, his habits and inclinations, brain neuroplasticity, and methods of psycho-emotional state regulation will be considered. Taking into account the availability of lecturers, the program is not sequentially organized, but instead allows the audience to attend specific events selectively. According to the training program, classes will be held in the following format: Introductory lectures - general, introductory information (2 hours) training - in-depth level, the transformation of habits (from 6 hours to 3 days). A famous American professor and teacher, Barbara Oakley will inaugurate the program. Barbara Oakley will conduct her famous course "Learning how to learn." where you will learn how to focus on the task, be able to quickly memorize new and complex material and learn how to improve memory. This training can completely change your attitude to the learning process. The introductory lecture will be held on March 7, and the training will be conducted on March 8 and 9, 2019. More information about the program and for registration: www.insan.yarat.az For more details, please contact: +994 50 289 31 32 E-mail at: [email protected] --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met with Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, on the sidelines of the 40th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, Trend reports referring to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan. At the meeting the sides exchanged their views on the existing cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Minister Elmar Mammadyarov informed High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet that over 1 million Azerbaijanis were subjected to ethnic cleansing and forcefully expelled from their native lands as a result of occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent regions of Azerbaijan by Armenian armed forces. The necessity of restoring the human rights of internally displaced persons, whose fundamental rights had been violated, was underlined. In this regard, the importance of taking a principled stance and efficient actions by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights was emphasized. Furthermore, the sides discussed various issues of international agenda. High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet expressed her gratitude to Minister Elmar Mammadyarov for voluntary contributions from Azerbaijan last year to support the activities of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. ---- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is dependent on a constant dialogue between Azerbaijani and Armenian officials, said Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Trend reports citing Iranian media. Ayatollah Khamenei also reiterated Irans long-held position that the Islamic Republic is ready to help resolve the conflict between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan. 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. During the Karabakh war, on Feb. 25-26, 1992, the Armenian armed forces, together with the 366th infantry regiment of Soviet troops, stationed in Khankendi, committed an act of genocide against the population of the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly. As many as 613 people, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 old people were killed in the massacre. Eight families were totally exterminated, 130 children lost one parent and 25 children lost both. Some 1,275 innocent residents were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 people still remains unknown. 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 Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov Armenia continues to grossly violate the norms of international law, settling Middle Eastern Armenians in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The resettlement of Armenian origin refugees to the occupied Azerbaijani lands grossly violates the obligations imposed by the Geneva Conventions. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi during a working visit to the UN office in Geneva on February 28. Mammadyarov noted that the government of Azerbaijan continues to work to improve the situation of refugees and internally displaced persons in the country. He stressed that eliminating the fact of occupation and ensuring their return to homelands will be a sustainable solution to the problem of internally displaced persons. Mammadyarov told the UN Commissioner on the negotiations progress on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, stressing that Azerbaijan is a supporter of substantive and result-oriented negotiations. It was in particular noted that the existing status quo is unacceptable, and the Armenian armed forces should be withdrawn from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in accordance with the requirements of the UN Security Council resolutions. Mammadyarov also drew attention to the illegal resettlement of refugees of Armenian origin from the Middle East to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, which contradicts the requirements of international humanitarian law. The minister stressed that the UN should not remain indifferent to such actions. In turn, Grandi expressed his gratitude for the donation of Azerbaijan to the budget of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The High Commissioner expressed his satisfaction with the existing relations of cooperation and hopes for its further expansion in the future. Mammadyarov invited the High Commissioner to take part in the 18th Summit of Heads of Government and Member States of the Non-Aligned Movement, which will be held October 25-26 in Baku. The first resolution of the UN Security Council on the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was adopted on April 30, 1993. The document was called "Resolution of the UN Security Council 822". The resolution stated that the stability and security of the region is under threat, a cease-fire was required by stopping occupation actions and military operations, as well as the withdrawal of aggressor forces from the territories of Kalbajar and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan. A regular meeting of the UN Security Council was held at the end of July 2013, and resolution 853 on the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was adopted at it. This resolution reflected the demands for the complete and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces from the territories of Agdam and other occupied regions of Azerbaijan. The UN Security Council once again brought up the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh and adopted Resolution 874 on October 14, 1994. This resolution expressed acute concern over the tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the escalation of hostilities on the front line, the numerous victims and the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, supported the efforts of the CSCE to resolve the conflict, once again reaffirmed respect for the territorial integrity of states. The UN Security Council, on the basis of an appeal from Azerbaijan, once again brought up for discussion the situation in connection with the continuation of the conflict and adopted Resolution 884 on November 11, 1994. This Resolution expressed concern about the occupation of the village of Horadiz and the Zangilan region, voiced the demand for the withdrawal of all the occupied troops from these territories. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Trend's exclusive interview with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Slovakias Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Lajcak Question: How do you assess the current level of cooperation between Slovakia and Azerbaijan? What are the ways of expanding this cooperation? Answer: I am glad that our bilateral relations between Slovakia and Azerbaijan are traditionally friendly. We do not have any open issues, and this creates a good basis for strengthening political dialogue and practical cooperation in all areas. Slovakia has a strong interest in good cooperation with Azerbaijan, which was reconfirmed during the official visit of Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini to Azerbaijan last November. We see a big potential in areas like energy, modernization of the transport infrastructure, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism. We have to work on relevant treaties in order to make our economic cooperation more dynamic. Slovakia also supports more intensified cooperation between the European Union and Azerbaijan. A new agreement between the EU and Baku is currently negotiated. We should aim for an ambitious agreement from which both sides can gain. This agreement would represent an important step forward in our relations. Q.: Does the current level of trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Slovakia meet the countries existing potential? How could the two countries boost the bilateral trade? A.: The current level of trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Slovakia does not reflect the existing potential adequately. We hope to increase the volume of our bilateral trade. It would be in both our interest to intensify relations between our entrepreneurs in manufacturing, participation of Slovak companies in restructuring Azerbaijani enterprises, modernizing transport infrastructure, as well as contracting for construction and medical equipment. We are keen to maintain intensive political dialogue at all levels and to strengthen the treaty-base in the investment and economic area. We see Azerbaijan as an important partner in the context of European energy architecture and we wish it to play a constructive role in diversifying energy routes and in strengthening energy security in our region. Q.: What are the priority areas of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Slovakia? How can the two countries cooperate in the sphere of alternative energy? A.: We consider energy a promising area to deepen our mutual economic co-operation based on the considerable human and commercial potential both countries have. Slovak companies are very active in the area of energy and benefit from years-long experience. And the Slovak Republic actively supports Slovak business entities, which are well-respected in the industry and use state-of-the-art technologies. Mining and processing of oil and gas play crucial role in the economic development of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is an important producer of these mineral resources. The Southern Gas Corridor, aiming at supplying European markets with Azerbaijani gas, is a key energy diversification project of the EU. I have been informed that Azerbaijans governmental programs in the energy sector are focused on the development of alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power plants. Slovakia, as an export-oriented country with a strong economy is looking at strengthening partnership in trade and investments and we are interested in exploring new ways to improve our co-operation. And our companies are interested in working with local partners in this sphere to achieve further progress. We are also ready to share our experience in the area of alternative energy sources. Once again, I would like to assure you, that Slovakia will make every effort to further strengthen our excellent economic relations. Q.: Is Slovakia still interested in opening its embassy in Baku? If yes, when approximately is it planned to open it? A.: During his official visit to Azerbaijan in November 2018, Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini confirmed our interest in opening an Embassy in Baku. So the question is not about if but when. I suppose our Embassy will be opened in the not very distant future. Q.: What about the prospects for creating a visa-free regime between the two countries? A.: Slovakia, as a member state of the European Union, is bound by the common visa policy of the European Union. As such we cannot reach an individual bilateral agreement that would introduce a visa free regime between our two countries. But as a general principle, Slovakia supports efforts towards a visa-free regime. Q.: This year Slovakia chairs OSCE and during the recent briefing, you said that Slovakia will focus on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict alongside with other conflicts in the OSCE region. Which measures should be taken to accelerate the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts settlement? A.: Settling a longstanding conflict is a complex task requiring stability in the regional context, active dialogue, and the readiness of societies to move forward. And experience has shown that inclusive processes are more likely to lead to real, lasting peace and stability. Lately, we have seen signs of progress unfolding and we are cautiously optimistic about it. The human toll of violence along the line of contact and state borders has decreased. We are seeing a certain regularity of senior level dialogue between Yerevan and Baku. And the result of these developments contributes to increased stability in the OSCE space. Our Chairmanship is committed to supporting a negotiated, peaceful, and sustainable resolution of the conflict. I have reappointed Amb. Andrzej Kasprzyk as my Personal Representative on the Conflict dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference; we have faith in the Minsk Process, and will ensure it has the support needed to succeed. I am in close contact with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and took positive note of the recent meeting of the Foreign Ministers in Paris. Their understanding that concrete measures are needed to prepare the populations for peace deserves our support. And more broadly speaking, the OSCE provides a forum for dialogue, cooperation and mediation, and in that can help us to focus on related humanitarian needs. One of the priorities of the Slovak OSCE Chairmanship is preventing, resolving, and mediating conflict and mitigating its humanitarian consequences wherever possible. As during my visits to Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, I am eager to ensure that the people most affected remain high on the agenda of the international community. Q.: What is the program of your upcoming visit to Azerbaijan? A.: My programme is not final yet, but I plan to meet with the political leadership to see how we can best support Azerbaijan in implementing its OSCE commitments, the peace process and the activities of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs. And of course, beyond the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it is in the interest of us as the OSCE Chairmanship to maintain open and frank dialogue and good relations with all participating States, and to support progress on the ground. On all of my trips, I am eager to meet with and listen to our partners, whether in government, parliament, and other representatives of society, including those affected by conflict and related developments I am glad to be able to visit Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus in the early stages of our Chairmanship and this way to show the importance the OSCE attaches to the region. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov Armenian leadership obstructs intercommunal dialogue, trying in every way to prevent the establishment of any personal relations between Armenian and Azerbaijani communities. In turn, Azerbaijan continues to hope to establish a dialogue with representatives of the Armenian community and to restore the once-normal human relations. Tural Gyanjaliyev, head of the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, responded to the statement of the adviser to the so-called head of Karabakh on security issues, Tigran Abramyan. He said inappropriate and unconstructive appeals of the separatist regimes representatives created in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, which are detrimental to the negotiations held on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict peaceful settlement, are no longer surprising. Gyanjaliyev noted that the only way of peaceful settlement of the conflict is possible only in the event of the Armenian troops withdrawal from Azerbaijani territories and the repatriation of the Azerbaijani population expelled from their homelands. Therefore, the creation of a non-constructive atmosphere is unacceptable. Azerbaijani official reminded that conquering Armenia is known as a militarized country not only in the region but also internationally. He noted that provocative statements by Abramyan in connection with the involvement of fictional regimes representatives in the negotiations process contradict the spirit and format of the negotiations held on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Ganjaliyev stressed that Abramyan did not note the equal rights of the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of the Nagorno-Karabakh and this points out that Armenia is not interested in the peaceful settlement of the conflict. He recalled that the regime created in occupied Karabakh is under the direct control of Armenia and exists thanks to its political, financial and military support, adding that Karabakh Armenians also suffer from this occupation policy. Ganjaliyev said members of the Azerbaijani community believe that they will again be able to coexist peacefully with the Armenian community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region within the internationally recognized borders, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Baku strengthens the role of the Azerbaijani community and wants to ensure equal access to negotiations of the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities in the region. In determining the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, it is impossible to take as a basis the position of only the Armenian side. The Azerbaijani community, which as a result of ethnic cleansing was forced to leave their homes, has the legal right to participate in determining the future legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh. Without the recognition of this right, a comprehensive and fair settlement of the conflict cannot be achieved. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) may open the door of commodity derivative market to domestic institutional investors like mutual funds and portfolio managers services (PMS) in its board meeting scheduled on Friday in New Delhi. The market regulator may insert a word 'goods' in the final amendment of Mutual Fund Regulation, 1996. After which, funds could hold the underlying goods in case of physical settlement of such contracts. Also Read: SEBI: Geofin Comtrade, Anand Rathi Commodities not 'fit and proper' to trade "Mutual fund will have dedicated fund managers who have experience in the commodity markets," sources told India Today on condition of anonymity. However, the mutual fund may need a custodian who will have to register with SEBI. SEBI is likely to come out with a circular after the decision at the board meeting on Friday. PMS may also be allowed in commodity derivative market with a few riders. Currently, PMSs are exempt from having a custodian if the asset they manage is less than Rs 500 crore. They will need a custodian if they operate in the commodity derivative market. Earlier, SEBI had constituted a specialised expert committee Commodity Derivative Advisory Committee (CDAC) which suggested that the commodity derivative market be open to institutional inverters. According to the expert group, most of the investors including retail investors are not able to directly hit the commodity derivative market. It believes institutional investors like the mutual fund and PMS will provide such investors a tool to access the market. Read More: Minimum haircut for G- secs revised by SEBI Also Read: Pakistan to release IAF pilot Abhinandan: What are Geneva Conventions? President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has hosted an official reception in honor of President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili, who is on an official visit in Azerbaijan. The heads of state made speeches at the event. Welcoming the President of Georgia, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said: - Dear Madam President. Dear guests, ladies and gentlemen. First of all, Madam President, I would like to once again warmly welcome you and the Georgian delegation you are leading to Azerbaijan. You are welcome! For centuries, Azerbaijani and Georgian peoples have lived in an atmosphere of friendship and good neighborliness. After our countries had gained independence, the relations between us acquired the nature of strategic partnership in line with the will of the two peoples. The political, economic and humanitarian relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia are at the highest level. The fact that Mrs Salome Zourabichvili is paying one of her first official visits after being elected President of Georgia to Azerbaijan demonstrates the high level of relations between our countries. Noting the successful development of bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the two countries, President Ilham Aliyev stressed that good results had also been achieved in the economic sphere. President Ilham Aliyev said: - Azerbaijan is one of the main trading partners of Georgia and one of the key investors in Georgia. Azerbaijani companies are among the largest taxpayers into the state budget of Georgia. The large-scale energy projects we have implemented the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Supsa oil pipelines, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline are very important events in terms of diversifying the transportation of our energy resources and creating a modern infrastructure for this. The large-scale transnational Southern Gas Corridor project being implemented today is of great importance for our countries. Three of the four component of this successfully ongoing project Shah Deniz-2, the South Caucasus gas pipeline and TANAP have already been completed. Of course, energy cooperation projects play a very important part in our relations and in other areas. I want to highlight our cooperation in the transport sector. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway we opened in 2017 is of historic significance. This railway connects continents and significantly expands the transit potential of Azerbaijan and Georgia. Today, there is already an increase in the volume of cargo transported along the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. Noting that the two countries closely cooperate in international organizations, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan and Georgia always support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of each other. President Ilham Aliyev said: - The ongoing aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan, its military occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of our country and seven districts adjacent to it pose a serious threat to regional peace and security. The numerous decisions and resolutions adopted in connection with the conflict by the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the OSCE, NATO, the Council of Europe and other international organizations express resolute support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan and the need for resolving the conflict on the basis of these principles. The Partnership Priorities document which was initialed between Azerbaijan and the European Union last year also expresses support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty of Azerbaijan and the inviolability of its borders. Stressing that close cooperation between the two countries would continue to develop successfully, President Ilham Aliyev said: - Today there are good opportunities and prospects for the development of bilateral cooperation between our countries in other areas as well in the fields of tourism, agriculture, information and communication technologies, science, education, culture. Dear Madam President, let me welcome you to Azerbaijan once again, wish you good health, every success in your activities, and prosperity and well-being to your country and people. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Georgian President Salome Zurabishvilis official visit to Azerbaijan testifies that the strategic partnership between Georgia and Azerbaijan is at a high level, well-known expert Archil Sikharulidze told Trend. Sikharulidze was commenting on the meeting between the Azerbaijani and Georgian presidents in Baku. President Zurabishvili is on an official visit to Azerbaijan. Today both countries have mutual interest in various spheres, he said. "Georgia is interested in ensuring its energy security and in this sphere, Azerbaijan is of particular importance to us. At the same time, our countries continue to cooperate especially in the field of economy and transit of goods through the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. This project opens big opportunities to increase the volume of cargoes which are transported through Azerbaijan and Georgia, he said. The Azerbaijani president also mentioned this fact in Baku." Sikharulidze stressed that Georgia and Azerbaijan are friendly countries that are interested in preserving the stability and security in the region. "I think that the Georgian presidents visit to Baku will further strengthen bilateral ties between Georgia and Azerbaijan, as well as create favorable situation for the implementation of joint, large-scale projects that will bring mutual benefit for our two countries," the expert said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Azerbaijani-Georgian relations have good prospects and a bright future in all fields, Musa Gasimli, Azerbaijani MP, told Trend. Gasimli noted that the Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili making of one of her first foreign visits to Azerbaijan is of great importance. Gasimli said that a large number of Azerbaijanis also live in Georgia. According to him, because of the neighborhood of the two countries, common interests unite them both. "For Georgia, the territory of Azerbaijan is the most favorable gateway to the East, and so is Georgia a door to the West for Azerbaijan. Georgias participation in international projects founded and initiated by Azerbaijan contributed to solving many problems there," Gasimli said. The deputy also said that, just as in previous years, today there are countries and circles that want to spoil Azerbaijani-Georgian relations, but the leaders of the two neighboring countries will not allow this to happen. "There exist a great potential and prospects for relations with Georgia - our strategic partner and neighbor - in all fields , we can say, - whether it be political-diplomatic, economic, energy, security, culture, humanitarian, information, etc. Our relations have a great future," added the MP. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend A meeting was held in the Astara District of Azerbaijan between the delegations of the customs authorities of Azerbaijan and Iran, Trend reports referring to the State Customs Committee. As part of the procedures regulated by the Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR Carnets, the two countries discussed e-TIR Pilot project, which provides for full e-government of transit operations between Azerbaijan and Iran. The meeting focused on promoting computerization through electronic platforms of customs control over international road transport, along with the issues of customs regulation of international transport using modern electronic methods. The preparation of a bilateral execution plan for coordinating activities in this area was also mulled. The parties discussed the relevant legislative framework for the e-TIR Pilot project, setting a time frame for commencing the first pilot shipments, the creation of technical capabilities, and conducting training for customs officers on the use of the electronic system. Cooperation between the customs authorities of Azerbaijan and Iran in this area will contribute to expanding the transit potential of both countries key figures of the North-South international transport corridor, and increasing the competitiveness of international transport. Azerbaijan and Iran signed the basic principles for the e-government of international transport procedures in October 2018 and January 2019, respectively. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Azerbaijan joins its voice to those countries which call India and Pakistan to restraint from the further escalation, spokesperson of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva told Trend. Azerbaijan supports the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which is indispensable for peace and security in South Asia, she said. Azerbaijan supports all efforts aimed at ending the violence, as well as to ensure peace, security and prosperity in the region according to the norms and principles of international law and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova Providing foreigners with best quality and wide tourism opportunuties, Turkey is the most favourite destination for Azerbaijani travelers. As many as 46,800 tourists from Azerbaijan visited Turkey in January 2019, which is 2.45 percent less compared to January 2018, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism told Trend on Feb. 28. The share of Azerbaijani citizens in the total number of foreigners who visited Turkey in January 2019 was 3.05 percent, the ministry said. In January 2019, 1.539 million tourists visited Turkey, which is 5.33 percent more compared to January 2018. Over 918,000 tourists visited Istanbul and 116,000 tourists traveled Antalya in this period. Most of the tourists, who visited Turkey in January, came from Bulgaria (113,800) and Georgia (112,300). Majority of Azerbaijani tourists chose Turkey as a main destination, which attracts them with coastal areas such as Antalya, Bodrum, and Kusadasi. Azerbaijani tourists often travel to Turkey for vacation in July and August. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The newly elected speaker of the Turkish parliament, Mustafa Sentop, will visit Azerbaijan on March 5-6, 2019, Trend reports via the Turkish media. The speakers visit to Azerbaijan will last two days. As part of the visit to Azerbaijan, Sentop is expected to hold a series of meetings with Azerbaijani officials. Sentop, a representative of the Turkish ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), was elected new speaker of the Turkish parliament Feb. 24, 2019. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov Turkey held the Winter-2019 international exercise in Kars, near the borders of Armenia on February 13. As many as 15 countries visited exercise including Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. Large-scale maneuvers caused nervousness in Armenia, where they tried to give it even anti-Russian coloring in the context of Syrian conflict, as well as anti-Armenian - in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Some analysts remind that the 2016 April battles began just at the height of the Russian-Turkish aggravation. Since the clash of interests of the two powers in Syria is inevitable, tensions are also on the Karabakh front. The panic raised by some Armenian politics says that the Armenian side is preparing the ground for the final rejection of peaceful negotiations. Something inspired aggressive neighbors to behave like this, someone gave guarantees that allow breaking the negotiation process that started at its very start. In recent weeks, Yerevan actively took up the militarization of Armenia. Armenian officials even declare that the entire Russian military industry is working today on this countrys army. In early February, it became known that Armenia was buying four modern Su-30SM fighters from Russia. The other day plans were announced to acquire as many as 12 of these aircraft. However, Armenia does not have money to pay off with Russia in cash. It remains to assume that the fighters will be provided to Armenia in exchange not for money, but for something else. Some analysts consider, sending the Armenian military to Syria is one of the articles of the unspoken treaty between Moscow and Yerevan. Yerevan should not rejoice before the time. Azerbaijan has such a powerful air defense system that acquiring four Su-30SM fighters will be only a waste of money. Until the fighters arrive, the modification that Russia has implemented will already be outdated. A lot of time will be taken by the training of pilots, technical support personnel, and as long as all these processes take place, the fighters will become obsolete. Despite these realities, the Armenian militarists continue to make fantastic statements, arguing that the Armenian military-industrial complex is moving forward, they are even thinking of fighting robotics in the country. Recently, the Armenian government adopted a new action plan, in which one of the main and extensive sections was the development of the armed forces. Igor Korotchenko, head of the Center for Analysis of World Trade in Arms, believes that Armenia cannot produce anything on its own, except for automatic small arms and ammunition. The expert said that in general, the Armenian defense industry can represent anything of itself only in cooperation with Russia. It is obvious that in the tales of combat robot-building that are inaccessible in the Armenian reality, the authorities of this country are trying to maintain the fighting spirit in the society. However, in reality, Armenia is not going to fight. Yerevan is afraid of war and is trying with all its might to hide its fear. But why Armenia does everything to disrupt the peace talks? Because Yerevan believes that Azerbaijan will not be allowed to break out a war, and expects to maintain the status quo for as long as possible. Although Armenia certainly understands that the patience of the Azerbaijani side may run out. Then no fighting robots will help the aggressor. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov Uzbekistan and the World Bank (WB) plan to sign a number of loan agreements in 2019. Among these agreements, there is a project on connecting the users of the republic to the high-speed Internet Digital CASA. This became known after the negotiations of Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Sardor Umurzakov with a WB delegation, led by Vice President Cyril Muller, who is on a visit Uzbekistan on February 26-28. "In 2019, approval and signing of loan agreements on a number of significant projects is expected: development of entrepreneurship in the Fergana Valley, digital Uzbekistan (Digital CASA), reconstruction of water supply and sewerage systems in several regions of Uzbekistan," the ministry said. At the talks, it was also announced that the WB plans are growing. In particular, it is planned to radically expand the range of areas to include four new ones: energy (alternative energy sources), the financial sector, transport and logistics, and agriculture. The Digital CASA program, implemented by the WB Group, aims to expand access to high-speed Internet for the landlocked countries of Central Asia and some regions of South Asia. It will enable these countries to be connected to the interregional and intercontinental data transmission infrastructure, which will also provide an opportunity to improve cross-border cooperation. At the national level, the goal of the program is to provide the population with access to reliable and affordable Internet, attract private investment in the ICT sector, and increase the capacity of governments in the provision of electronic public services to citizens and businesses. Digital CASA projects in Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan were approved by the World Bank's Board of Directors in March 2018. Uzbekistan is currently preparing for the launch of the project, and its implementation should begin in 2019. In the future, participation in the program of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and other states is possible. The current portfolio of cooperation of Uzbekistan with the WB includes 39 implemented and ongoing projects with the attraction of concessional financing in the amount of $ 4.4 billion. They contribute to the countrys economic growth and higher living standards for the people of Uzbekistan. In the framework of the Partnership Strategy for the period up to 2020, more than 20 promising new initiatives are being considered. The WB actively provides consulting assistance to our country, in particular, its experts took part in the development of the Concept for reforming the tax system. Founded in 1944, the WB has 189 member countries, staff from more 170 countries, and offices in over 130 locations. WB has more than 10,000 employees in more than 120 offices worldwide. Today the Bank Groups work touches nearly every sector that is important to fighting poverty, supporting economic growth, and ensuring sustainable gains in the quality of peoples lives in developing countries. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Turkey calls on India and Pakistan to solve the problems which arose between the countries through diplomacy, Deputy Chairman of the Turkish Justice and Development Party Numan Kurtulmus said. The international community must also have the necessary impact on New Delhi and Islamabad to solve the problem through diplomacy, Kurtulmus added, Trend reports referring to the Turkish media on Feb. 27. He stressed that the interests of such world powers as China and the US collide in this region. On Feb. 26 morning, Indian Air Force fighter jets attacked a big training camp of the Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistans part of Kashmir. As a result of the air raid, many militants were eliminated, their vehicles, weapons and ammunition were completely destroyed. Indian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vijay Gokhale said that a preemptive strike was "absolutely necessary" because the group was preparing suicide attacks in various parts of India. Moreover, according to New Delhi, Pakistan has not yet taken any practical steps to eliminate the infrastructure of terrorists on its territory. Acting foreign secretary of Pakistans Foreign Ministry summoned Charge d'Affaires of the embassy of India in Islamabad and stressed that Indias aggression poses a threat to peace and stability in the region and Islamabad will give an adequate response to it at its convenience. The crisis in relations between India and Pakistan sharply worsened after February 14, when a suicide bomber blew himself up near paramilitary policemen in Jammu and Kashmir state in northern India. Forty five people were killed as a result of the attack. According to New Delhi, responsibility for the attack claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed and headed by Masood Azhar, is based in Pakistan. India accused Pakistan of supporting terrorist groups. Islamabad dismissed the allegations as unsubstantiated, suggesting New Delhi to conduct joint investigation into the incident. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan army on Wednesday after the fighter jet he was flying was shot down in an ambush over PoK, will be released tomorrow. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced the release of IAF pilot Abhinandan while addressing the nation's parliament on Thursday. IAF pilot Abhinandan will return to India tomorrow through the Wagah border. In his address, Khan said that Wing Commander Abhinandan will be released on Friday as a gesture of peace. This was unanimously supported by the Pakistan parliament. He said this is a first step to open negotiations between India and Pakistan. Imran Khan said that he tried to talk to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi as escalation was not in their interests nor in India's. ALSO READ: India-Pakistan tension LIVE: IAF pilot Abhinandan to be released tomorrow; Imran Khan once again calls for peace In his address, Khan once again urged India to not escalate the tension with Pakistan. "I am requesting the Indian dispensation to not escalate [military action] from this point. Because then we will be forced to respond and retaliate, and that will not be a happy situation for both nations," Imran Khan said. "The Indian media has not seen what we have been through. Otherwise, they would have known warmongering and war-hysteria are of no consequence to anybody. And with the warfare we have and India has, we should not even think of wars," he further added. This development comes just before a press briefing by Indian defence forces scheduled today. Representatives from the Indian Armed Forces, Navy and Air Force will talk to media personnel at 7:00pm today. ALSO READ:Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman: Here's all you need to know about the IAF pilot in Pakistan's custody Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan was captured yesterday after a dogfight with Pakistan Air Force aircraft violating Indian air space. Reports suggest that he was chasing two Pakistani fighter jets in a MiG21 Bison jet when he was lured into an ambush and brought down by air defence systems. His plane crashed in PoK and he was taken in custody by Pakistani army. Pakistani Army had earlier claimed to have two IAF pilots in its custody but later revealed that only Wing Commander Abhinandan has been captured. India's Ministry of External Affairs had called Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan Syed Haider Shah yesterday and demanded Abhinandan's safe and immediate release. ALSO READ:Wing Commander Abhinandan tried to swallow documents, maps after landing on Pakistani soil: report By Trend A cargo plane of Turkish Airlines was forced to return due to strained relations between India and Pakistan, Trend reports via Turkish media. The plane flying from Istanbul to Chennai, due to the closure of Pakistan's airspace, returned to Istanbul. Reports also noted that currently a number of flights from Istanbul to Pakistan have been canceled. The Pakistani authorities completely closed the country's airspace on Feb. 27 against the background of aggravated relations with India. On Feb. 26 morning, Indian Air Force fighter jets attacked a big training camp of the Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistani part of Kashmir. As a result of the air raid, many militants were eliminated, their vehicles, weapons and ammunition were completely destroyed. Indian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vijay Gokhale said that a preemptive strike was "absolutely necessary" because the group was preparing suicide attacks in various parts of India. Moreover, according to New Delhis opinion, Pakistan has not yet taken any practical steps to eliminate the infrastructure of terrorists on its territory. Acting foreign secretary of Pakistan summoned Charge d'Affaires of the embassy of India in Islamabad and stressed that Indias aggression poses a threat to peace and stability in the region and Islamabad will give an adequate response to it at its convenience. The crisis in relations between India and Pakistan sharply worsened after Feb. 14, when a suicide bomber blew himself up near paramilitary policemen in Jammu and Kashmir in northern India. Forty-five people were killed as a result of the attack. According to New Delhi, responsibility for the attack was claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed. India accused Pakistan of supporting terrorist groups. Islamabad dismissed the allegations as unsubstantiated, suggesting New Delhi to conduct joint investigation into the incident. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Turkey is ready to become a mediator between Pakistan and India, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, Trend reports via Turkish media. Cavusoglu noted that Turkey is concerned about the exacerbation of the situation between the two countries. The minister added that Turkey calls on the parties to decrease tensions. On Feb. 26 morning, Indian Air Force fighter jets attacked a big training camp of the Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistani part of Kashmir. As a result of the air raid, many militants were eliminated, their vehicles, weapons and ammunition were completely destroyed. Indian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vijay Gokhale said that a preemptive strike was "absolutely necessary" because the group was preparing suicide attacks in various parts of India. Moreover, according to New Delhis opinion, Pakistan has not yet taken any practical steps to eliminate the infrastructure of terrorists on its territory. The crisis in relations between India and Pakistan sharply worsened after Feb. 14, when a suicide bomber blew himself up near paramilitary policemen in Jammu and Kashmir in northern India. Forty-five people were killed as a result of the attack. According to New Delhi, responsibility for the attack was claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed. India accused Pakistan of supporting terrorist groups. Islamabad dismissed the allegations as unsubstantiated, suggesting New Delhi to conduct joint investigation into the incident. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Iranian and Russian officials on Wednesday signed a cooperation document in field of road transportation, Trend reports citing IRNA. Manouchehr Salmanzadeh, an official affiliated to Iran's Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization and Tatiana Yugeniuna, an official from the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in field of road transportation. According to the agreement, the two countries would facilitate road transportation between the two countries and would improve the infrastructure in this sector. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Upon the initiative of the Belarusian side Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Rumas talked to Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin over the phone, the press service of the Belarusian government told BelTA, Trend reports citing Kazinform. Sergei Rumas congratulated his counterpart on being appointed Kazakhstan's prime minister and wished him every success. Opinions about topical aspects of Belarusian-Kazakh relations were also exchanged, Kazinform has learnt from BelTA. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The EU and Turkmenistan held their eighteenth meeting of the Joint Committee on Feb. 26, 2019 in Brussels, Trend reports with reference to the EU website. The Joint Committee reviewed the progress made last year between the EU and Turkmenistan, in particular in terms of trade, economic development, bilateral cooperation, political developments and human rights, and reaffirmed the commitment of both parties to strengthen cooperation in a number of areas. The EU and Turkmenistan discussed the macroeconomic situation, bilateral trade and the ongoing reforms in Turkmenistan. Current political and key governance issues in Turkmenistan were reviewed, including the recently adopted program for socio-economic development 2019-2025, the activities of the Ombudsman office and the implementation of the National Human Rights Action Plan. The EU informed Turkmen partners about the preparations for the new EU Strategy on Central Asia, to be adopted soon. The EU thanked Turkmenistan for hosting in July 2018 in Ashgabat the annual EU-Central Asia High-Level Political and Security Dialogue. The meeting assessed the progress of ongoing EU development cooperation projects, with both the EU and Turkmenistan providing updates on their implementation. The EU also provided information on the upcoming set of regional programs worth over 88 million euros, adopted in November 2018, that will support the private sector, trade and investment in the region, as well as help protect the environment, tackle climate change and promote the rule of law. In addition to this, the extension of the EU SWITCH-Asia program to Central Asia in order to promote sustainable production and consumption in the region was also mentioned. Turkmenistan provided an update on domestic energy developments including the progress of the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline and energy efficiency issues. The EU informed Turkmenistan about a conference on renewable energy in Central Asia scheduled for April 12, 2019 in Brussels. The sides assessed the potential for Turkmen gas deliveries to the EU. Updates were also provided on connectivity and transport matters. Water, environmental and climate change issues were discussed as well, in particular in relation to the Aral Sea. The meeting was chaired by Luc Devigne, director for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia, Regional Cooperation and OSCE countries of the European External Action Service, as the head of the EU delegation. The delegation of Turkmenistan was led by Batyr Bazarov, minister of finance and economy of Turkmenistan. The EU and Turkmenistan are committed to implementing a project designed to bring Turkmen hydrocarbon energy carriers to European markets. The negotiations have been underway since 2011. The project of laying a 300-kilometer gas pipeline along the bottom of the Caspian Sea to the shores of Azerbaijan is optimal for the delivery of Turkmen gas to the European market. Further, the Turkmen gas can be delivered to Turkey, which borders with European countries. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The earlier resistance to change has been replaced by a growing eagerness to infuse technology into virtually every aspect of our daily lives. While governments traditionally have been overburdened by the widening economic gap and inequitable wealth distribution, technology and rapid transportation development are two pivotal factors which offer some hope in bridging that crucial distance. Digitalisation is proving, unequivocally, its unmatched ability to save time and cut costs, in broad basing India's development agenda, and not just in the transport sector. We are witnessing transformation at all levels - through expectant and informed consumers, performance-driven governments and high growth focused industry leaders, like Hitachi, who are jointly propelling the nation into an era of dramatic change. On one end, Newer technologies, be it the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Robotics - are forcing societies to reimagine how goods and services are delivered, and even how efficiently they are carried from one region to another. On a personal consumer level, the world is also dramatically changing in terms of a desire for increased comfort and convenience in public and private transport preferences, and the global awareness of alarming levels of air pollution. Hitachi , a leading Japanese conglomerate with a widespread global footprint, has been a pioneer in new-age technologies and is a frontrunner in leading technological shifts. Its diverse realms of operation have led it to offer a wide range of products and services, from information and telecommunication systems, digital solutions & services, infrastructure systems, industrial systems like water, and oil & gas supply & management, to transportation and urban development systems. The government has actively championed the move towards greater digitalisation, and has realised its unparalleled contribution to addressing India's unique challenges. The ambitious digitalisation initiative is geared towards radical and rapid transformation. The belief is that only technology can expedite the development process, cut out sluggishness, and reduce the detrimental impacts of inefficient service delivery. The focus on creating channels like an upgraded public transportation system is a part of a cohesive master plan to set the wheels of change in motion. The latter is one more way to infuse more equitable access to better living. Aligned to the government's vision of inclusiveness and true social transformation, there have been multiple initiatives launched to take the digital dream to a billion citizens - 'Digital India', 'Make in India', 'Skill India', to name a few. Hitachi has brought in its rich global industrial heritage and leveraged its strength in Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) to actively collaborate on these initiatives, and ensure timely and successful implementation. Hitachi's Social Innovation Business delivers a multi-disciplinary approach to crucial business and social problems from a holistic perspective. With a century of experience in the manufacturing, power and transportation sectors, and with over five decades of IT leadership, Hitachi is able to offer an unparalleled 'single eye view of macro solutions'. A diversified group with established strengths in infrastructure, railways, energy, construction machinery, healthcare, IT, and automotive systems, its perspective is markedly well rounded. Understandably, its significant contributions span solutions for issues as diverse as urbanisation, water management, more robust security solutions, smarter manufacturing, financial solutions and transportation. Hitachi has been engaged in upgrading transportation systems for around 100 years. Its subsequent and early foray into IT applications, analytics, content, cloud, and infrastructure solutions have helped it transform the way cities have addressed the demands of urban living, over the years. Now, it is playing a prominent role in shaping the way citizens will travel in the future. Digi-speed trains About 30 percent of India's one billion population lives in cities. That's the entire population of the US put together. The India numbers are expected to grow to almost 600 million by 2031 (Source: firstpost.com). A host of new metro cities are being built up foreseeing the inevitable shift to more concentration of economic growth in urban areas. Already, the number of metro cities with a population of one million and above, have risen dramatically. As per the urban renewal mission, 100 smart cities (Source: thehindu.com) and 500 cities in India will be rejuvenated and transformed with an allocation of close to Rs 1 lakh crore, over the next five years. The Union Cabinet has given a thumbs up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposed projects, and there is a considerable push to translate the vision into action within the stipulated time frame. The urgency and scale essential to upgrade urban infrastructure manifold is a challenge which Hitachi is amply equipped to take on. Transport reforms are being rolled out in full earnest, under state and national level initiatives. As population grows, and smaller cities gain momentum as centers of commerce and development, issues like congestion and safety will surface time and again. Technology and smarter planning will go a long way in moving people and goods from one point to another and will elevate living standards in future metropolises. The future promises us a peek into an unseen landscape-shorter travel time owing to high-speed rail systems. Trains with automated driving, vehicles that are able to communicate with one another to avoid accidents, the success of the Smart Cities initiative will certainly involve developing and managing an efficient urban mobility and public transport system that provides city commuters a host of economical and more eco-friendly options. City borders are fast expanding into the suburbs. Intercity travel is becoming a key index of living standards, and an essential driver of real estate, infrastructural and commercial growth. Governments have devised multiple plans to introduce new-age railway systems to cater to expected demands. Hitachi , which upholds the ethos of creating large scale social impact globally, is partnering the government's mission to enhance the commuter experience on much maligned Indian roads. Besides, it is parallelly laying tracks to enable safer, speedier rail commutes across Mass Rail Transit and Monorails. As a point of notable interest, Hitachi's relationship with Indian Railways isn't new. It dates back to 1950s, when it delivered the first steam locomotive to India, shortly after independence. It was also one of the first companies to deliver electric locomotives. Its contributions to developing new standards in the Indian railways, on crucial occasions, has translated to a trusted and enduring association. Indian railway is, today, the world's fourth largest network. Growth in this sector has a positive ripple effect on allied industries. Shuttling millions of passengers across the length of the country, it provides significant employment opportunities year on year, and leads to the development of business and accessibility for the lakhs of stations it touches. There's a lot more riding on a transport system than its immediate benefits to the passengers. Given rising expectations, a robust transportation network has to guarantee efficiency, safety and uninterrupted performance. As pollution concerns loom large, sustainability is also of prime importance. Hitachi's multi-faceted technological edge is uniquely geared to building up large scale infrastructure. Furthermore, its commitment to social transformation has led its specialised business Hitachi to take an active role in co-developing a range of railway initiatives, keeping the softer issues of better citizen experience, all round comfort and larger environmental compulsions in mind. Speed can't be delivered at the cost of safety, and both aspects need to be equally emphasised in any modern public transportation system. Hitachi is implementing the 'Dedicated Freight Corridor' (DFC) with Automatic block signaling and the European Train Control System (ETCS), between Rewari and Vadodara to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), the contract was awarded in 2015-16. Hitachi has introduced state-of-the-art technology in signalling and telecommunications on the DFC from Delhi to Mumbai. Electronic Interlocking that is serially interfaced with Multi-Section Digital Axle Counter (MSDAC) is updating signaling systems technologies as we know them. One centralised control center for Train Management System (TMS) at Ahmedabad will seamlessly gear to ensure peak capacity and streamline time-tables for stations in that corridor. The European Train Control System (ETCS) will, for the first time in India, help freight trains running at the speed of 100kms/hr to halt automatically if train drivers fail to detect a signal at danger (SPAD). Hitachi's involvement is end to end. From rolling stock to signaling and train control systems, onboard components, traffic management, passenger information services and maintenance, it is setting up, and helping manage the complex system and building in flexibility into the system. Hitachi has undertaken the complete digital upgrade of the railway's multiple systems, as it reviews and reinvents functions across the board. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is all set to consolidate all its data gathered from multiple sources on a single platform, which will usher in enhanced efficiency. The ambitious project is yet another example of Hitachi's significant contribution in recent times. Interestingly, while it is an established global player, Hitachi has been an active collaborator in 'Make in India' initiative. In a conscious bid to employ local engineering talent and to boost indigenous manufacturing capabilities, the company has sourced and utilised localised manufacturers, while ensuring the highest standards in the execution. Mangal Dev, Head of Hitachi Railway Systems, India & South Asia Region, points out, "Hitachi has close to 250 railway engineers working on different projects. The company is doing a lot of localisation in terms of signaling equipment. The Interlocking System and MSDAC are now manufactured in India also." Hitachi has worked on developing such future-ready railways in multiple countries across continents, garnering rich multi-level, multi-cultural experience in tackling a gamut of practical and local issues in the execution. The country's first high-speed railway project in India is slated to connect the 508 kilometer stretch from Mumbai to Ahmedabad. The bullet train will be heralding in a new era with an operational speed of 320 km/hr and will also aim to adopt the Shinkansen culture of apologising to each and every passenger for even a slight delay. The project will be a decisive move forward in putting India at par with other modern cities in the world. As cities become home to more people, and the times demand easier mobility, smart transport for smart cities will increasingly not be a matter of luxury but a dire necessity. One is reminded of the dictum, 'necessity is the mother of invention'. Creating brand new benchmarks in transportation systems for India, technical and Social Innovation is definitely high on Hitachi's agenda. To learn more, click here . Ghent, Belgium, February 28, 2019 / B3C newswire / -- Confo Therapeutics, an emerging drug discovery company, today announces the formation of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) with four key appointments: Radu Aricescu, Peter Kolb, Graeme Milligan and Jan Steyaert, Founder of Confo Therapeutics, who will serve as Chairman of the SAB. The SAB will work closely with the management team of Confo Therapeutics as it further develops its proprietary Confo technology for structure-based drug discovery and advances its pipeline of GPCR modulating compounds to produce drug candidates for human clinical trials. We have attracted some of the worlds leading experts in three-dimensional structural analysis of membrane proteins, GPCR pharmacology and computational chemistry, said Jan Steyaert, Founder of Confo Therapeutics and Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board. The expertise and vision they bring to Confo Therapeutics will be invaluable as we continue to grow our pipeline and the Company. Dr Christel Menet, CSO of Confo Therapeutics, added: The formation of our SAB serves as an endorsement for Confo Therapeutics' unique technology platform and the applications of ConfoBodiesTM in GPCR drug discovery and structural biology. We look forward to working with the SAB to boost our drug discovery engine. Dr Radu Aricescu is a programme leader at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK. His research focuses on synaptic connectivity, and uses a combination of structural biology methods, including X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy. These are used to define in high-resolution the architecture of neurotransmitter receptors and their supra-molecular assemblies, in order to provide fundamental mechanistic insights into the basic biology of neurotransmission. For more information on Dr Aricescu, please visit https://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/group-leaders/a-to-g/radu-aricescu/. Dr Peter Kolb is a Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, funded by the Heisenberg programme of the German Research Foundation DFG, at Philipps-University Marburg, Germany. Professor Kolb is an expert in fragment-based and structure-based ligand design for GPCRs and enzymes and focusses predominantly on computational approaches. For more information, please visit http://www.kolblab.org/kolb.html. Dr Graeme Milligan is a Professor of Molecular Pharmacology, Dean of Research at the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, and Gardiner Professor of Biochemistry, University of Glasgow, Scotland. His research group centres on the function, structure and regulation of GPCRs and their interacting proteins, having produced more than 500 peer-reviewed articles totalling more than 22,000 citations. In 2015 he co-founded Caldan Therapeutics, which discovers novel therapeutics for metabolic diseases and inflammatory disease. For more information on Dr Milligan, please visit https://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/biology/staff/graememilligan/#/researchinterests. Dr Jan Steyaert is Scientific Director of the VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Full Professor (Gewoon Hoogleraar) and Director of the Department of Structural Biology at the Faculty of Sciences and Bioengineering Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium. Prof Steyaert has pioneered the use of ConfoBodiesTM in structural biology and has enabled ground-breaking structural research on conformational states of proteins, including GPCRs.In addition to founding Confo Therapeutics, he has been instrumental in the foundation of Ablynx (now part of Sanofi) and Agrosavfe, which deploy camelid single domain antibodies for medical and agricultural use, respectively. For more information, please visit http://steyaertlab.structuralbiology.be/. About Confo Therapeutics Confo Therapeutics is a VUB-VIB spin-off co-founded in 2015 by VIB and Capricorn Venture Partners with the support of MINTS, PMV, QBIC and V-Bio Ventures. The Company is building a portfolio of first-in-class programs based on its proprietary Confo technology which makes use of antibody fragments or ConfoBodiesTM to stabilize G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) in a particular conformation of interest as a superior starting point for drug discovery. GPCRs are attractive drug targets in the treatment of many different conditions, playing an essential part in numerous life processes and influencing diseases. In addition to developing its own pipeline, Confo Therapeutics is entering into revenue-generating drug discovery partnerships with select pharma companies, on GPCR targets which do not compete with its internal projects. The Company has ongoing collaborations with Lundbeck and Roche. Contacts Confo Therapeutics Dr Cedric Ververken, CEO + 32 (0)9 261 0670 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. For English-speaking and International Media Instinctif Partners for Confo Therapeutics Dr Christelle Kerouedan, Sue Charles + 44 (0)20 7457 2020 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. For Belgian Media Turnstone Communications for Confo Therapeutics Dr Ann Van Gysel, Bjorn Debusschere +32 (0)9 218 71 97 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Published by B3C newswire and shared through Newronic Pakistani actress Veena Malik faced criticism on Twitter for posting disrespectful tweets about Wing Commander Abhinandan. The Indian Air Force air warrior was taken in custody by Pakistan army yesterday after his fighter jet was lured into ambush and brought down over PoK. Reports suggest that he was in pursuit of two F-16 fighter jets belonging to Pakistan Air Force when this happened. Since his capture, several videos of Abhinandan have come from Pakistan, and Malik referred to a screen-grab of one such clip. In her tweet today, Malik posted a screenshot of a video which shows Wing Commander Abhinandan drinking tea and responding to questions by a Pakistani army official. This was accompanied by "Leave Everything....!!! I never seen this style of Mostache Before (sic)". Another screenshot of a Google search for different styles of moustaches was also included in the tweet. By the time of writing this report, the post had 516 likes, 67 retweets and more than 2,200 comments. The post saw angry reactions from Indian Twitter users. In a tweet yesterday, Malik posted an image of blood-covered and blindfolded Abhinandan being taken away Pakistan army personnel with the message "Abhi Abhi Tu Ayo Ho...Achi Mehmaan Nawazi Ho GI Aap Ki". In response to Malik's tweet, Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker posted, "Veena ji.. Shame on you & ur sick mindset. Your glee is just gross! Our officer is a hero- brave, gracious & dignified in the face of capture. At least some decency from that major in you army who was questioning #WingCommanderAbhinandan or the many Pakistanis suing 4 peace #sick. (sic)" Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity lands at Mojave Air and Space Port after reaching space for the second time Feb. 22, 2019. An American flag aboard that flight was presented later to the Kern County Sheriff's Office in gratitude for the department's law enforcement presence during test flights at the spaceport. A group of more than 70 legal service providers and advocacy groups are calling for more transparency of the Mesa Verde ICE Detention Facility The Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) managed to clock a strong recovery today as investors looked past border tensions between India and Pakistan. The benchmark KSE 100 rose 456 points or 1.18% to hit an intra day high of 39,149 compared to the previous close of 38,692 level. The KSE 100 index moved in a range of 38,558 and 39,149 in trade today. The volume of stocks traded on the KSE 100 stood at 10.2 crore. India-Pakistan tension LIVE: Pakistan to release IAF Pilot Abhinandan tomorrow, says Imran Khan On Wednesday, the Pakistani stock market tanked amid reports that Pakistan Air Force's F-16 that violated Indian air space was shot down in Indian retaliatory fire 3 km within Pakistan territory in Lam valley, Nowshera sector. The Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) 100 crashed 1,491 points to 37,330 level compared to its previous close of 38,821. The Pakistani index had lost 2,066 points in two sessions after India conducted airstrikes in Pakistan and demolished terrorist camps across the border early morning on Tuesday Later, the Pakistani index recovered 1,362 points to close at 38,692 level yesterday. The KSE 100 has lost nearly 9.84% during the last one year and gained 4.30% since the beginning of this year. Yesterday, Pakistan and Indian Airforce were engaged in aerial conflict across the line of control after Indian fighter jets destroyed terrorist camps in Pakistan on February 26. Meanwhile, the Sensex and Nifty closed lower after clocking a positive start today. While the Sensex closed 38 points lower at 35,867, Nifty lost 14 points to end at 10,792. Edited by Aseem Thapliyal A body found Thursday morning inside a southwest Bakersfield house has been identified as a man who, along with his wife, was arrested last we If youve ever gone to one of those private emergency centers dotting the strip malls of Southeast Texas and feared you were going to have a heart attack when the bill came, state Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, may be just what the doctor ordered. He has introduced a bill that would put an end to those freestanding emergency rooms that mislead their patients and charge unconscionable prices. But as welcome as this might be to some consumers, it also challenges a basic premise of our capitalistic system. That being, a business can charge what it wants for goods or services, and customers can either plop down their money or walk away. It may sound harsh, but there is some logic to it. If a business charges too much for earrings or emergency care, it wont have many customers and will soon be a former business. Ditto if it charges too little. Successful businesses which is what all of them want to be find the sweet spot and keep the doors open. But these freestanding doc in a box centers have infuriated many a customer with excessively high bills and high bills that arrive later in the mail despite promises of lower charges. If you have a child with the flu or a nasty cut, you may not have much choice. You need to get Johnny ready for school or yourself ready for work. You fear a long wait at a hospital emergency room. Like many hard-working folks these days, your job may not provide health insurance. So you go to the private ER and hope for the best. But you still dont like it, so you do things like complain to your state representative, which is how Phelans House Bill 1941 and its companion, Senate Bill 866, came about. They would empower the Texas Attorney Generals Office to issue restraining orders and fine clinics that act in bad faith. As Phelan puts it, Freestanding ERs in the state represent 83 percent of all out-of-network emergency room services and end up costing Texans more than $3 billion a year in avoidable health-care costs, which continues to drive up overall health care costs. Legislators take issue with the fact that these facilities look like urgent-care centers but charge emergency-care prices, and often attract patients with only minor issues. Freestanding ERs charge 20 times what urgent-care centers and primary-care doctors charge for common conditions like fever, sore throat and cough, and often more than hospital ERs. He also notes that the industry has good actors and bad actors. Hes going after the bad guys. If the legislation becomes law, private ERs could not charge more than three times the average hospital charge for the same service, and the state could seek a restraining order against a facility for any such unconscionable prices. Reactions Below are some of the comments about this bill posted on Dade Phelan's Facebook account "Texans for Dade." Dave M. - Dade, so glad. My daughter got charged $13,000 for a visit and treatment for dehydration. Any chance this could be retroactive? Katy K. - I visited one in Nederland for a UTI. My bill was over $12,000. Shelley G. - I paid over $2,000 when I had the flu! I will never go to a freestanding ER again! Brad C. - Thanks, Dade. Our daughter was charged $2,300 for a simple blood test that could have been done at Labcorp and billed under insurance. Matt H. - How about Texas doing away with the "Unaffordable Health Care Act" and providing Texans with insurance we can afford that doesn't break us just paying monthly fees! Dave S. - I went to one in Orange when I cut three fingers. I was there about 15 minutes, had my cuts glued together, drove to Walgreens which was about 10 minutes away, and while standing at the counter the pharmacist told me to hold still because I was bleeding all over the counter. He actually bandaged my fingers and fixed what the ER screwed up. Those ER crooks charged me $3,000 for something that didn't last 15 minutes. I tell everyone I know not to use those gouging, inept crooks. Cindy J. - This is exactly what happened to my son on a weekend and he has good insurance. They told him they took his insurance but they were not on provider list. So he got stuck paying an $1,800 bill for an X-ray of his wrist and a prescription to go fill and no result or diagnosis. He followed up with his doctor. Julie B. - I'm not anti-urgent care. Urgent cares, doctors offices, hospital-based emergency rooms and freestanding emergency rooms are all part of the continuum of care and together form a comprehensive network to provide the best service for the consumer. What I am against is comparing urgent cares to freestanding emergency rooms. That's like comparing a doctor's office to an ER. It's not the same thing. If you want to compare apples to apples, you need to compare hospital-based ERs to freestanding ERs. When you do that, you will see the value of the freestanding emergency room. At the freestanding ER, you wait 5 minutes instead of 5 hours. You get the same level of care as hospital-based ERs and the price is usually cheaper than the hospital-based ER. See More Collapse Another point of this debate that cannot be disputed is the deceptive signs saying these clinics take or accept health insurance like Blue Cross Blue Shield. In reality, almost none are authorized to handle the major plans, even if they have some kind of deal with some organization that vaguely qualifies as insurance. Some even display major-plan logos they cannot accept. There is some precedent for a bill like this in our current slate of business regulations. For example, stores or gas stations can be fined for price-gouging after hurricanes. But this legislation still faces headwinds in a business-friendly Legislature controlled by Republicans, even though Democrats have gained influence in the House and Senate. Even if it passes, Gov. Greg Abbott could kill it with a veto. As you read this, it is almost certain that lobbyists from the corporations that operate these ERs are quietly suggesting to House and Senate members that these bills should go away and if they do, said member might be in line for a nice donation from the corporate PAC. Bills like this highlight a larger problem in Texas, and the nation: Lots of people dont have health insurance, or good insurance, even though they work hard at full-time jobs. Thats just not right, regardless of your party affiliation. Obamacare was designed to fix this, though it has clearly had uneven success. It would be nice if sensible Republicans and Democrats could sit down together and improve the bad parts of Obamacare and keep the good ones. Given our current political mood, thats about as likely as President Trump and Melania inviting Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her boyfriend over for dinner at the White House. But maybe someday. Meanwhile, lawmakers like Dade Phelan tackle pieces of the problem, trying to keep more people healthy at an affordable price. If you work for a living, youll hope they succeed. ttaschinger@beaumontenterprise.com GALVESTON A judge has ordered the forthcoming trial of the teenager charged in the Santa Fe High School shooting moved outside Galveston County, ruling for the defense, which argued that pretrial publicity and inflammatory social media comments precluded a fair trial locally. State District Judge John Ellisor granted a change of venue motion filed by the defense attorney for Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 18, charged with capital murder in the shooting that killed 10 people and wounded 13 last May. The decision means a jury will be selected from a county of Ellisor's choosing. Galveston County District Attorney Jack Roady, who had argued against a change of venue, said the judge would issue a written ruling later in the week. "We believe the case could be tried here in Galveston County, but we absolutely respect the judge's ruling and we are ready to try the case wherever it needs to be tried," said Roady, the lead prosecutor. Read more: Accused Santa Fe High School shooter makes first public appearance since his arrest Nick Poehl, Pagourtzis' attorney, argued during a hearing Monday that a fair trial in Galveston County would be unlikely due to "intrusive publicity" generated by rampant media coverage and comments county residents posted on Facebook that indicated a strong bias against the defendant. Poehl said he was "very pleased" with Ellisor's decision. Poehl said Ellisor would weigh logistical concerns about a new venue for the trial, including whether a different courthouse could handle what is expected to be a large crowd of victims' family members, survivors and others traveling to watch the proceedings. The trial should be held as close to Galveston as possible, but far enough away to "get away from the problems of the personal connections," Poehl said. The trial could be moved to a county contiguous to Galveston, though Poehl has indicated Harris County would be unlikely. Wherever it is held, Roady still has jurisdiction to prosecute the case and Ellisor will remain the presiding judge. Family members of the shooting victims have previously expressed their hope that the trial would stay in Galveston County, reasoning that the national attention the shooting attracted negates any claim that it was a local crime. Scot Rice, whose wife, substitute teacher Flo Rice, was wounded during the shooting, told the Houston Chronicle on Monday that the jury pool would be tainted wherever the case is moved "because we're not gonna let it go." Rice's comment was cited by Poehl in a court filing on Tuesday as a "threat." But distance won't keep families from attending the trial. Sonia Lopez, whose daughter, Sarah Salazar, was shot and injured, said she, Sarah, and her other daughter, Suzannah, will travel wherever the proceedings take place. "We were a little disappointed because of course we wanted it to stay here," Lopez said ."But we support the judge's decision, because he's looked at all the evidence presented and made what he thought was the best decision for us." Others said they understood the decision would guard against any claim that the jurors' proximity to the case would influence their a verdict. "I think if (Ellisor) hadn't granted (the change of venue), it just would've allowed (the defense) to claim foul, and I think it's very important that he pulls whatever rugs out from under their feet to give them that ability," said Steve Perkins, whose wife, Ann Perkins, was a substitute teacher at the high school killed in the shooting. The trial of Pagourtzis, who faces life in prison if convicted, is expected to be delayed through the end of the year, as the state is still sorting through evidence from federal agencies investigating the case. Staff writer Shelby Webb contributed reporting. nick.powell@chron.com Nick Powell covers Galveston County for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and send him tips at nick.powell@chron.com Montgomery County Sheriff's Office deputies on Wednesday arrested a 75-year-old man in the 1983 murder of a 28-year-old Conroe woman. Noel Leon King Jr., now a La Porte resident, is accused of murdering his fiancee, Teresa Brignoni, and as of Wednesday evening was being held on a $300,000 bond in the Montgomery County Jail, according to jail records. Authorities say the mother of three died by asphyxia through suffocation after she was placed in the trunk of her car. The case was reopened in April 2017, according to court documents. NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. In a July 10 interview with investigators, King admitted Brignoni fractured her skull during an argument between the two the night she went missing Feb. 21, 1983. King said he thought she fell and hit her head on the headboard, leading him to panic and put her body in her car where she was later found dead in Conroe, according to charging documents. A longtime friend and one-time business partner of King's, Frank Pinte, provided him with an alibi at the time. On Jan. 15, investigators interviewed Pinte's now 90-year-old aunt who told them that around the time of Brignoni's death and before her nephew moved to Arkansas, he told her he gave a friend an alibi for what he found out was a murder. Pinte died in 2013, according to court records. Brignoni's remains were recovered March 2, 1983. An autopsy at the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office concluded Brignoni suffered a blow to the left rear of her skull and died of suffocation after being placed in the trunk of her car, according to documents. On Feb. 23, 1983 King reported Brignoni missing, saying he had not seen her in 24 hours after she told him she was taking her 4-year-old daughter to visit her mother in La Porte. He said he told her he was going to check into a hospital to receive treatment for his alcoholism, documents show. At the time, King told an investigator Brignoni threatened to leave him because of his drinking. He said the last night he saw her he phoned her from a southeast Houston bar and that she appeared "aggravated" because he was drinking the day before he was going to be hospitalized, according to records filed. In the days following Brignoni's death, investigators learned Pinte accompanied King at the bar where a waitress said she had seen both men. A nurse at a northwest Houston hospital also said she saw the men when they said they went looking for a girlfriend of Pinte's, according to court records. The investigation found Brignoni told her mother she and King had postponed wedding plans five times because of his drinking and "violent behavior" and that she feared him. Brignoni's daughter told detectives she had seen King push her mother and hit her with his hand, court documents show. Additionally, a therapist told investigators Brignoni told her an inebriated King had hit and injured her. A psychologist of Brignoni's said she described King as "controlling" and "domineering" and was pressing her to marry him, documents state. After the case was reopened, investigators in April 2018 spoke to another, older daughter of Brignoni. Now in her 40s, this daughter remembered seeing King slap, punch and kick Brignoni in the stomach and drag her on the floor. Despite this daughter finding King "charming," she remembered he would grow "angry" if he "did not get his way" and that "alchohol would make it worse," court records state. jose.gonzalez@chron.com twitter.com/jrgzztx What started in his parents kitchen on Avenue E has evolved into a thriving culinary career and, as of Wednesday, a second nomination for a prestigious James Beard Foundation award for Beaumont native Ricardo Sanchez. Sanchez, executive pastry chef at Bullion in Dallas, was at his home there Wednesday morning when a line cook from the restaurant texted him, Congratulations. I thought, What is he talking about? Sanchez, 42, said during a phone interview. He said the Bullion managers then sent a group message stating that he and co-owner and executive chef Bruno Davaillon, himself winner of a Michelin Star award, had been nominated as semifinalists for the 2019 James Beard Foundation Awards Sanchez is among 20 pastry chefs nominated from around the country. I was in disbelief, he said. Davaillon was nominated as the best chef in the southwestern United States. Houston set the pace in this years James Beard Foundation chef and restaurant competition with 11 nominations. The list of finalists will be announced there on March 27. If Sanchez makes it to that round, he will be invited to the James Beard Awards Gala on May 6 in Chicago. In 2017, he and the team at Flora Street Cafe in Dallas were semifinalists for the best new restaurant category, but did not win. There was a time when Sanchez, a French-trained pastry artisan who has worked with world-renowned restaurateurs and chefs, may have taken your order or cooked you a meal at his familys Mexican restaurant. Sanchezs uncle owns the two Elenas restaurants in Beaumont. Me and my cousins worked there after school, Sanchez said. For him, spending time with family meant spending time in the kitchen, where aunts, uncles, cousins and people close to his heart were talking, laughing and cooking the recipes that would set the foundation for his career. I used to cook dinner for my little sister after school when my parents were at work, Sanchez said. That freedom to cook what he wanted allowed his creativity to bloom, he said. His signature dish today ties his Mexican heritage and his classical training in a way he said makes him proud. Sanchez created Bullions Mille Feuille, incorporating dulce de leche into the classic French dessert. He said of all the desserts he developed for Bullion, he spent the most time perfecting his twist on the Mille Fueille, getting the arlette puff pastry to a perfect flaky crispness. Its become something the restaurant is known for. Though hes traveled the country for work after graduating from the Art Institute of Houston, taking jobs in Phoenix and working at world-class restaurants in Las Vegas and Dallas, Sanchez still visits the Golden Triangle almost monthly to see family. When he comes into town, he makes a point of ordering chile con queso or pollo rojo at a familiar spot. Ive got to swing by Elenas, Sanchez said. Its like coming home. haley.bruyn@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/HaleyWrites_BE Tata Motors had launched its Hexa SUV in January 2017. After over 2-years, the company has unveiled an updated version of the SUV at Rs 14.38 lakhs for the XM variant. The base XE variant, which was priced at Rs 12.99 lakh, has now been discontinued. The new 2019 Hexa gets minor exterior updates, however, there are no noticeable changes in the cars' interiors. As far as the exteriors of Tata Hexa are concerned, the 2019 model of Hexa will come in five colours options with the dual tone roof in the top end variants in two colours - Infinity Black and Titanium Grey. On the inside, the XM, XMA and XM+ variants of the 2019 Hexa will receive the new 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, in place of the older 5-inch system. The 2019 Hexa is also compatible with Android Auto. It comes with a new 10-speaker JBL system. The interiors of these variants also get a chrome finish around the AC vents and infotainment screen and a black finish on the lower part of the steering wheel. The 2019 Hexa has 7 different variants. The XE and XM variants of 2019 Hexa generates 148bhp/320 Nm while in the XM+ and XT/XTA variants it generates 154bhp /400 Nm. The XMA and XTA variants on the 2019 Hexa comes with a 19-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels while the manual variants - the XM, XM+, XT and XT 4x4 - get the 16-inch Charcoal Grey alloys. Vice President, Sales, Marketing & Customer Support, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors, SN Barman said, "In our continuous endeavour to offer our customers with a superior driving experience, we are pleased to introduce the new Hexa 2019 edition. Our versatile SUV Hexa has caught the imagination of the country with its distinctive on-road and off-road capabilities and has witnessed a strong traction in the market. We are confident that this new edition will help us take forward our brand promise of offering customers aspirational products with the next level of design and technology." With the launch of 2019 Hexa, Tata Motors is looking to take on Mahindra XUV500 and Mahindra Scorpio. However, the company will phase out the Hexa altogether by the middle of the next year and replace it with the new H7X seven-seater SUV. (Edited by Udit Verma) Also Read : India-Pak tension: Air India caps fares to J&K at Rs 5,000; Vistara, GoAir waive off cancellation fees Also Read : India-Pakistan tension LIVE: India will fight as one, win as one, says PM Modi The United Methodist Churchs vote to toughen its prohibitions against same-sex marriage and gay clergy members was met with quiet indignation Wednesday by advocates for the LGBTQ community in Southeast Texas. Its heartbreaking because in a place where people are supposed to feel safe and accepted, they feel excluded and fear they may be rejected, said Jacqueline Hays, president of the Beaumont chapter of PFLAG, an advocacy group started by families and friends of gay people. Hays said the local group did not have any immediate plans for protests or vigils. Calvin Jorden, PFLAG treasurer in Beaumont and parent of a gay son and lesbian daughter, said in a message to The Enterprise that he, too, was saddened on behalf of the millions of people who love and accept their LGBTQ+ family members (and) are hurt by the condemnation directed at them by their church. Hays said their organization has received several similar messages from local residents. She said most Methodist churches allow anyone to participate in services but forbids LGBTQ parishoners from taking on leadership roles. For a lot of members of the faith, they strive to become the next level of worshiper. They want to be deacons and lead, said Hays, herself a Unitarian. But the church almost makes it seem like this: You can come work for me, but you cant be in charge. It makes people feel that they can go worship there, but that they are an abomination. Two local Methodist leaders contacted in response to Tuesdays vote in favor of the so-called Traditional Plan, which preserves existing bans and forbids local church bodies from deviating from them, were eager to put the issue behind them. The Rev. Silverio Sanchez of First United Methodist Church in Beaumont stressed that the church accepts people from all walks of life. But he declined to say whether he supports the bans. He called the UMC vote 438 to 384 in favor of the prohibitions a continuation of a painful process that has been going on for years with many people hurting on both sides. Bishop Scott Jones of Houston, who represents 640 Methodist churches in Jefferson, Orange and more than 50 other Texas counties, also declined to state his position on the issue. I hope that now we can move forward and start looking at other issues like tending to the children in need, Jones said. I think this has given clarity to many and it will help make the Southeast Texas area a better place to live. Jones described the wrenching debates of this week as difficult and painful for some but relieving to others who feared the change could negatively alter the faith. Charlie Jehlen, a member of First United Methodist in Groves, was less ambivalent. The decision follows the 1972 Book of Discipline, he said, referring to church doctrine, and it is what I believe. So at the end of the day, it follows the book and that is that. Yes, we accept anyone to worship. But just like any other religion, when you become a leader of the faith you are called to higher standards, and this just reaffirms what the faith teaches. The Port Arthur City Council spent more than five hours Wednesday grilling four candidates two men and two women in the running to be the citys next manager. The city has been without a permanent manager for more than a year, since Brian McDougal resigned from the position in November 2017. Mayor Derrick Freeman said hes hopeful one of the candidates interviewed will be a good fit. The council likely will decide by March 17. Among the questions repeatedly brought up by the council members were questions of how the candidates would deal with a council that sometimes doesnt get along, information about past large projects the candidates have been part of to enhance economic development, and their management style. The city manger is responsible for 650 employees and an annual budget of $141 million, acting as the chief executive officer who carries out City Council priorities. Heres a brief look at what the candidates discussed when sitting before the council Wednesday: Natasha L. Henderson, management consultant and former city administrator for Flint, Michigan Henderson said Port Arthur is at the point where it needs to establish a transformation plan. This plan would include a check of its housing stock, finances and other existing conditions as well as priorities for where the city should go from here. She said shes the best fit for the position because she is inclusive and brings much-needed vision and leadership. When working with employees, Henderson said she has a macro management style, meaning she allows department heads to control their department but works with them to establish a vision. I had to, at times, go into a department, she said. But when Ive had to do that, its time to re-evaluate what were doing, whether its myself or leadership in the department. There are questions as to why Henderson left work at the city of Flint. She said she was recruited by the state to improve issues in the city but wouldnt expand on why she left during open session, citing pending litigation. Local media reports say Flint Mayor Karen Weaver fired Henderson because she failed to timely inform the mayor of a Legionnaires disease outbreak. However, the reports say, Henderson contends she was fired because she reported the mayor for pointing donations from a fund for water victims managed by the community foundation to one controlled by the mayor. David Strahl, former city administrator for OFallon, Missouri From time spent driving around the city, Strahl said as city manager hed aim to address problems with city streets, abandoned homes and those teetering on the edge of code violations. But his main focus would first be understanding the councils direction and laying out expectations and performance evaluations for directors based on those, he said. Councilman Harold Doucet Sr. said that mirrors his own idea of how a city manager position should work. Strahl said that, although he would want to carry out the councils wishes, hes an ideal candidate because hes also new to the area and would plan to make the city re-examine why tasks are done a certain way, therefore making the city stronger. Im going to ask why a lot, he said. Im going to ask, Why do we have to do it this way? Why are we doing it this way? Henriette Turner, city manager in Floresville Turner, who noted that shes a native Texan and knows the Texas pledge, said her track record with a city budget much smaller than Port Arthurs should speak for itself. If I can do for Port Arthur what Ive done for those smaller cities with even half of your budget, she mused during her interview. Among those accomplishments are work done with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fund a new sewer system and the citywide installation of smart meters. Turner said her top priorities in Port Arthur likely would be revitalizing the citys downtown and helping residents recover from Tropical Storm Harvey, which she said has to be a part of any long-range planning the city does, and helping Port Arthur get more federal disaster dollars. She also wants to rehabilitate or replace the citys housing stock. She noted she doesnt mean gentrification or pushing out low-income people. However, even with an idea of priorities to bring to the city, Turner said she would spend the first few months learning about the city and operations from the existing team and the interim city manager and talking with residents, churches and people involved with economic development. Sometimes somebody new who doesnt have any baggage can say, This is what I see and how we can move forward, she said. Hani Tohme, Port Arthur Director of Public Services, owner of Golden Triangle Consulting Engineers Tohme noted hes lived here for decades and, as a result, he cares deeply about the city and what happens next. Hes the only city resident the council interviewed Wednesday. Hes also worked with the city for about a year and has experience with the staff and residents that has fostered trust, meaning he wouldnt have to start from scratch as city manager. While acknowledging that he doesnt have experience working with human resources or negotiating police or fire union contracts, Tohme said his experience as an engineer mean contractors or other people involved in the citys infrastructure improvements would not be able to slide one past the city. Additionally, in the short time hes been with the city, he said hes already proved his value by correcting a mistake other City Councils and managers allowed to persist for a decade. The water fund borrowed some $50 million from the citys general fund over the past 10 years to be sustainable. Tohme successfully brought to the council a water rate increase, which not only will stop taking money from the general fund but also provide money for capital improvements to the system. Tohmes top three priorities would be providing a plan and funding for ensuring the city is improving roads, water systems and other infrastructure before it breaks; finding additional sources of revenue through economic development such as development of Pleasure Island or additional hotels; and building a city staff that wants to be in Port Arthur. Tohme previously was the city of Beaumonts water utilities director. kaitlin.bain@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/KaitlinBain Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Gasgoo compiled the sales data released by corresponding mainstream premium carmakers and the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). It seems that most automakers tabulated here won a favorable outset for 2019 as their China sales all presented positive growth in January. Mercedes-Benz was not only the sales champion but the only one got a sales volume exceeding 70,000 units. A conspicuous phenomenon is that both Infiniti and Acura gained remarkable growth, while it hardly rescues their presences in China impeded by the absolutely small quantity. Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz started 2019 with a sales volume reaching nearly 72,000 units, hitting a new record in its China's monthly sales. In January, the sales of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, C-Class and GLC-Class amounted to 15,801 units, 15,013 units and 13,104 units respectively. However, the sales of the GLA-Class slumped 31.5% to 4,692 units. In 2019, the automaker intends to fortify its SUV offensive in China. It plans to roll out 15 new models in this country, among which 10 models are SUVs. Audi Last year, Audi was crowned the champion in terms of single premium car brands sales in China. In January, it achieved a year-on-year growth of 5.1% with its sales climbing to 64,000 units, which is also the best record for Jan. sales. The Jan. sales of the Audi A3 grew to 8,748 units and the sales of the Audi A4L jumped 21.3% over a year ago to 16,668 units. Audi plans to launch 18 new models in China this year, including the all-new Audi A6L, the all-new Audi Q3, the Audi Q8 flagship SUV, the all-new Audi A3, and the new Audi A4L, etc., aiming to fulfill a sales target of 682,000 units in China. BMW Including sales of Mini, BMW saw its China sales in January rise 15.5% to 63,135 units thanks to the contribution of the all-new BMW X3 and 5 Series. In addition, the price cuts over the BMW 3 Series prior to the change-over also boosted the overall sales performance. BMW said it plans to roll out 21 new models in China this year to further promote the brand's development in the world's largest auto market, including the BMW X7, the mid-cycle refresh of the BMW 7 Series, the all-new BMW 8 Series coupe, the all-new locally-produced BMW 3 Series and the China-made BMW X2, etc. Cadillac Among so-called second-tier premium models, Cadillac was the only one whose Jan. sales exceeded 20,000 units. The hottest-selling model should be the Cadillac XT5, which had a sales volume of 7,329 units, accounting for nearly 30% of total sales. The respective sales of the XT4, the XTS and the ATS-L were 6,080 units, 7,185 units and 5,561 units. According to the companys roll-out planning, the Cadillac XT6 SUV is going to hit the market in July. Besides, there is an all-new sedan model to go on sales in China in the second half of the year. Lexus Lexus gained a year-on-year increase of 5.3%. The Lexus Hybrids, with 4,707 units delivered in January, made up over 30% of total Lexuss sales. Lexus enjoys a relatively wide coverage in vehicle segments, including the flagship models (the all-new LS and LC), the mid-/full-sized sedans (the all-new ES) and the compact SUV (the all-new UX). Last year, it sold a total of 160,468 vehicles in China with a year-on-year increase of 20.8%. Volvo Volvo enjoyed a stable growth of 3.6% with its China sales in January amounting to 11,957 units. Its sales mainstay XC60 has been boasting increasingly more sales thanks to its outstanding exterior design. The Volvo S90 and XC60 also boosted the sales performance after they were locally produced in China. The automaker is going to launch the domestically-produced Volvo XC40 and send the V60 and the all-new S60 into Chinas market in 2019, expecting them to further improve Volvos China sales. Infiniti Infiniti currently has only two China-made models available for sale, namely, the Q50L sedan and the QX50 SUV. In January, it sported a tremendous leap of 18912.5% compared with 8 units for the same period a year ago. Nevertheless, lack of product competency and talent loss are still two major issues that vex Infiniti nowadays. Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal has reportedly stepped down as the Chairman of the company's board. The decision came as the debt-ridden Jet Airways is closing in on a rescue deal with Etihad Airways, news agency Reuters reported quoting sources. Speculations were rife that founder Naresh Goyal would exit Jet Airways due to differences with the lenders and a resolution plan which prescribed the same in order to save the embattled airline. Jet Airways has not confirmed Goyal's resignation yet. Presently, Jet Airways is looking to restructure its debt as well as raise funds in the face of mounting unpaid dues. Earlier in February, the company had informed the exchange that its board had approved a plan by its consortium of lenders, led by State Bank of India. The draft resolution plan primarily comprises of infusion of funds, restructuring of debts and monetisation of assets. The Bank Led Resolution Plan (BLRP) by lenders estimated a funding gap of Rs 8,500 crore (including proposed repayment of aircraft debt of Rs 1,700 crore) to be met by appropriate mix of equity infusion, debt restructuring, sale and lease back of aircraft, among other things. Shareholders of Jet Airways had approved conversion of loan into shares and other proposals during the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) last week. As on September 30, 2018, Jet Airways had gross debt of Rs 8,411 crore (including terms loans from banks and dues to lessors for aircraft lease), as against Rs 8,403 crore as on March 31, 2018. The company has large repayments of Rs 1,700 crore due over December 2018 to March 2019, Rs 2,444.5 crore in FY2020 and Rs 2,167.9 crore in FY2021. Jet defaulted in servicing its loan obligations on December 31 2018 and the 90-day window before its loans are dubbed non-performing assets (NPA) ends on 31 March 2019. The company is reeling under losses for the last four consecutive quarters with its shares losing over 60% in one year. Meanwhile, the Jet Airways domestic pilots' body, National Aviators Guild (NAG), has decided to defer its proposed agitation in light of the rising tension between India and Pakistan. Over 1,100 pilots of the airline unionised and represented by the NAG had planned to go on a black band protest and flight safety period from March 1. Pilots ready to cooperate for now has given Jet Airways some breathing space for now. ALSO READ:Jet Airways share price falls over 6% after seven more aircraft grounded on non-payment of dues Shital Parikh Mars, CEO of the prescription and compounded medications provider PharmCo RX, cut through the noise on the opioid epidemic and alternative therapies, telling Becker's ASC Review what pain physicians really need to know. Question: When you talk to pain physicians about the opioid epidemic and alternative therapies, what's one thing they're surprised to hear? What insights can you share that they haven't heard before? SM: The first thing doctors are surprised to hear is that compounds do not have to be expensive. There was a time when the word compound meant a prescription costing $10,000 or more, but those prescriptions are not common today. Today, suitable compounds for pain can be made for as little as $50 to the patient and as much as $3,000 to $4,000 for a 30-day supply. Since everything we do is custom, it depends on what [the] ingredients are. Some insurance companies cover compounds, some don't. We do our best to work with the doctor and the patient to get him/her a medication that is cost-effective. Compounds can be more effective at treating pain than an opioid. There are even cases where certain combinations of [over-the-counter] pain treatments are more effective than opioids. The reason for this is because compounds are designed to treat localized pain symptoms and the exact type of pain the patient is experiencing. They also can have less side effects and cause less systemic damage than opioids. Opioids are not a catch-all pain treatment. Not all compounds are created equally. A compound made from PharmCo will look and feel differently from a compound made by another pharmacy. We only used FDA-approved medications. Doctors are often wary of compounds because they are not sure what the pharmacy could put in the medication. At PharmCo, we provide the doctor with a full worksheet, showing what medications were ordered by the doctor and in what concentrations, so they can have confidence that there are no other additives that they did not approve. Q: What are ways physicians at surgery centers and independent practices can successfully reduce opioid use without risking patient safety, satisfaction and outcomes? SM: Physicians have to stay up to date on current pharmacology or work with a good pharmacy to provide necessary consultation. There are dozens of drugs that are effective at treating pain that are non-habit forming. The right combination of medications can mean restoration of functionality and a more fulfilling lifestyle for the patient. They should consider these options before prescribing an opioid. In many cases post-surgery, an opioid can be prescribed in low doses for immediate postsurgical care and then the patient can transition to these other medications for the longer duration of recovery. It's [also] important to recognize that pain has to be adequately managed. We turn to opioids because they conveniently resolve a pain issue in the short-term sense. However, they come with a lot of side effects and hazards. But without adequate pain management, patients will suffer. Suffering patients will turn to borrowed medications from friends and relatives, try untested and unverified therapies, and even look for relief from illicit substances. So, it's important for physicians and pharmacies alike to get it right for the patient so that [they] can have adequate relief without prolonged harmful effects. Q: How does Progressive Care persuade insurers to cover alternative therapies? What strategies do you use? SM: There is very little we can do to persuade an insurer to cover a non-formulary medication. However, detailed notes, diagnosis codes, and examples of failed alternatives helps. We have been successful in getting formulary exceptions when the patient cannot take oral NSAIDs due to ulcers or deteriorated kidney or liver function and where the patient has tried standard treatment methods with limited or no success. We can spend hours on the phone with a carrier going through a patient's history to show that the only medication that has been successful at managing the patient's pain is a compound we have made. We understand there is skepticism about compounds; however, we believe there are simple ways of monitoring effectiveness and conducting administration on the insurance plan side. We think insurance companies need to re-evaluate how they run their formularies to include compounds for the benefit of their patient base and help fight the opioid crisis. To participate in future Becker's Q&As, contact Angie Stewart at astewart@beckershealthcare.com. For a deeper dive into ASC industry trends, attend the Becker's 17th Annual Future of Spine + Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC in Chicago, June 13-15, 2019. Click here to learn more and register. More articles on anesthesia: HCA Healthcare names CEO to lead surgery centers, 6 hospitals bought from Mission Health: 4 details Legislator introduces bill to allow nurse practitioners full practice authority in California 5 insights 3 tips for ASCs in 2019 from a health law attorney Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Metro Health OAM Surgery Center Executive Director Tina Piotrowski, RN, told Becker's ASC Review about her center's market dynamic, competitive strategy and approach to physician recruitment. Note: Responses have been lightly edited for style. Question: The healthcare industry has seen a high volume of mergers and acquisitions in the past couple years. Have you seen any consolidation in your market? Tina Piotrowski: We have not experienced a significant degree of consolidation in our market as it relates to ASCs. There has been some activity amongst surrounding healthcare systems. Q: What is your ASC doing to stay competitive? TP: We will continue to deliver the highest quality outpatient orthopedic care that we are known for. We introduced outpatient total hip and knee replacements as well as minimally invasive spine surgery in 2017, and this has continued to grow. Q: What is your approach to physician and staff recruitment? In other words, what benefits and advantages do you offer to make physicians/staff choose your ASC over other facilities? TP: We have a great team of well-trained staff that take excellent care of our patients and their families. High patient satisfaction impacts physician happiness, as they can focus on the surgical experience and not have other issues to deal with. We are also unique in that our ASC offers an education assistance program for our employees, and the leadership team promotes professional development at all levels. To participate in future Becker's Q&As, contact Angie Stewart at astewart@beckershealthcare.com. For a deeper dive into ASC industry trends, attend the Becker's 17th Annual Future of Spine + Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC in Chicago, June 13-15, 2019. Click here to learn more and register. Last May, Apple launched a feature in its Health app that allows users to store their medical records. To make this feature successful, Apple CEO Tim Cook has vocalized the importance of trust and privacy, according to NPR. University of California-San Francisco and more than 200 other providers teamed up with Apple to use the health records feature. Patients can record blood pressure, medications taken, treatments for diseases and visits to mental healthcare providers, among other health-related measurements. Recently, Facebook and rival Google have been in the spotlight for selling user data for ads. Apple is trying to avoid this. "People will look at this and feel they can trust Apple," Mr. Cook said in an interview with NPR. But maintaining trust between tech users and EHR developers is crucial, Mr. Cook said. "The reality is that I know for me, I want to do business with people that have my health data, people that I deeply trust," he said. Physicians and patients both have expressed comfort and trust when using Health's records feature. Chris Longhurst, MD, CIO at UC San Diego Health, said he has seen the benefits of Apple's privacy values. "Nothing is more important that keeping the privacy of our patients' health information," Dr. Longhurst told NPR. Apple's EHR feature does not store data in the cloud. "It only resides on the user's device, is encrypted and is only accessible with user permission," Dr. Longhurst said. With the rise in virtual healthcare, UC San Diego and other providers are looking to partner with other companies to develop EHRs and mobile health records for patients. More articles on EHRs: Kaleida Health rolls out 1st features of new $125M Cerner EHR VA officials defend pace of progress on $16B Cerner EHR conversion Flatiron, FDA extend cancer data research collaboration Daryl Tol, who has held numerous leadership positions at AdventHealth for nearly two decades, takes the greatest pride in seeing employees he's worked with over the years thriving and growing in new positions. Mr. Tol is currently president and CEO of Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based Advent Health's Central Florida Division. Beginning in 2000, Mr. Tol served in leadership positions at several of the system's hospitals, including Florida Hospital Flagler and Florida Hospital DeLand. He became president of the Florida Hospital Volusia/Flagler Market in 2010 and added the role of President/CEO at Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in early 2012. Mr. Tol holds a master's in health administration from Loma Linda (Calif.) University and a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Walla Walla University in College Place, Wash. Mr. Tol recently spoke with Becker's and answered our seven "Corner Office" questions. Editor's note: Responses have been edited lightly for length and style. Question: What piqued your interest in healthcare? DT: My mom is a nurse, and I knew I wasn't as interested in the clinical side of healthcare from all my mom's dinnertime stories, but I started dating a girl in high school whose dad was a hospital administrator. I got to follow him around and have him in my ear about all the amazing things that came along with the meaning and purpose of being part of hospitals and a community. I actually married that girl, so he's my father-in-law now. That's really where my interest came from. Q: What do you enjoy most about working in Orlando/Central Florida? DT: One of the things I enjoy most about Orlando is that it's a vibrant, growing community. Lots of great leaders come here from all over the country. It's a very accepting community, and I find it to have open arms and listening ears. Orlando is also a popular travel destination, which makes it a lot of fun from a healthcare perspective because destination medicine programs here tend to be strong. Q: If you could eliminate one of the healthcare industry's problems overnight, which would it be? DT: Fragmentation. Healthcare is a very complicated, disconnected system that can be difficult to navigate, and if we could make it simple to use and well connected, I think it would be transformative for patients. In many communities, healthcare is like a thousand small businesses. Consumers must move from one provider to the next with no connectivity since hospitals, laboratories and doctors often don't talk to each other. That leaves the consumer on their own trying to figure out how much their care is going to cost and how to get clinical information shared among all kinds of various providers. Navigating this system is one of the most complicated things they'll ever do, and it's often at a time when they're struggling physically and emotionally. If we can make our health systems more connected, we can make a difference in patients' lives. Q: What is your greatest talent or skill outside of the C-suite? DT: I really enjoy my faith community as well as speaking and teaching. I lead a Bible study at home and I'm involved in one with my church, which involves small group discussions on concepts of faith and purpose in life. Since AdventHealth is a faith-based organization and one of the roles as CEO in our company is a spiritual leader, I find that the discussion, exploration and deeper understanding that comes from the group interactions provides support that can be applied in the workplace too. We focus on providing whole person care mind, body and spirit. It all connects and becomes part of one meaningful life. Q: How do you revitalize yourself? DT: Outside of work, I like to travel, run and do other forms of exercise. I also enjoy reading. I read a broad spectrum of genres and find that very relaxing. Q: What's one piece of advice you remember most clearly? DT: When I was working with AdventHealth in our Volusia County market, my first real boss told me, 'I don't pay you to be quiet, and I don't pay you to be afraid.' And that's really stuck with me. The idea that even if it's disruptive, being open and speaking honestly is a key part of leadership. Fear has no place in that. Q: What do you consider your greatest achievement at AdventHealth so far? DT: There are tangible things that are easiest to point to, including significant facilities and new hospitals that I've helped get built in our communities. But to be honest, the thing I take the greatest pride in is looking around the company and seeing people that have worked for me over the years thriving and growing in new positions. I find that immensely rewarding. A patient shot and wounded a physician at West Palm Beach (Fla.) VA Medical Center on the evening of Feb. 27, according to NBC News. The suspect, a double amputee in a wheelchair, opened fire with a handgun as he was being taken into the emergency room, authorities said. The physician, who has not been identified, was shot in the neck while trying to subdue the patient, according to The New York Times. The physician was transported to another hospital for care and has been released. A hospital spokesperson told NBC News the facility has been secured and the incident would not affect appointments and procedures scheduled for Feb. 28. More articles on patient flow: Vermont hospital plans to expand mental health patient beds Physician viewpoint: Hospitals must stop holding ER beds for elective admissions California city adds NPs to paramedics crews Here are six articles recently published by Becker's Hospital Review on national and state news concerning Medicaid. 1. Alaska governor proposes $249M Medicaid cut Alaska Gov. Michael Dunleavy has proposed cutting Medicaid by $249 million to reduce state spending on government. Details about potential state changes to Medicaid are unknown at this time, but providers and patient advocates have expressed concerns about the proposed cuts and the effects they could have on jobs and residents' health, the report states. 2. Sentara, Optima donate $5.5M for Medicaid expansion Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Healthcare and its insurance plan Optima Health gave $5.5 million to four nonprofit organizations to support needs related to Virginia's recent Medicaid expansion. 3. Wyoming's Medicaid work requirement moves forward Wyoming's House of Representatives narrowly passed a bill aimed at implementing work requirements for Medicaid recipients. 4. Massachusetts physician to pay $680K to resolve false billing claims Massachusetts geriatric medicine physician Hooshang Poor, MD, agreed to pay $680,000 to resolve allegations that he submitted inflated claims to Medicare and the Massachusetts Medicaid program. 5. Nonprofit hospital CEOs back Georgia's controversial Medicaid bill Nonprofit hospitals are throwing their support behind a bill that would partially expand Medicaid in Georgia. 6. Kentucky PBMs took $123.5M in hidden fees, report claims In 2018, pharmacy benefit managers for Kentucky's Medicaid program used a common pricing tactic to reap $123.5 million in hidden fees. A second Ebola treatment center was set on fire in the Democratic Republic of Congo this week, reports The Guardian. Four things to know: 1. Rebels set fire to a treatment center in the city of Butembo Feb. 27. The attack comes just three days after a fire killed one person at a treatment center in Katwa. 2. Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, oversaw both facilities. The organization's emergency desk manager, Hugues Robert, called the fire a "deplorable attack" in a Feb. 27 statement. 3. MSF on Feb. 26 suspended care activities at the 70-bed center in Katwa, which will "severely limit essential health services at a time when the region continues to battle an Ebola outbreak," the group said in a separate statement. 4. As of Feb. 25, Congo health officials reported 872 confirmed and probable Ebola cases linked to the outbreak, along with 548 deaths. After a joint investigation by ProPublica and the Houston Chronicle revealed care deficiencies at Houston-based Baylor St. Luke's heart transplant program, the organization saw several leadership departures and a loss of CMS funding, among other issues. The publications began investigating the hospital in early 2018, publishing the first article in a series of stories documenting lapses in care in Baylor St. Luke's heart transplant program. The publications' first story, published in May 2018, claimed that the hospital, which is historically renowned for its advancements in the field, has one of the worst survival rates for patients in the nation. Here is a timeline of major events involving Baylor St. Luke's heart transplant program during the past year: June 2018 Houston hospital suspends heart transplants after recent deaths: 7 things to know Baylor St. Luke's, part of Englewood, Colo.-based Catholic Health Initiatives, put its heart transplant program on a 14-day inactive status June 1, about two weeks after ProPublica and the Houston Chronicle published the first article in their series. Houston hospital's Medicare funding in jeopardy The hospital learned June 22 that it may lose federal funding for its heart transplant program. July 2018 Houston hospital's heart transplant program to lose Medicare funding Aug. 17 CMS said in a July 16 letter that it would cut off Medicare funding for Baylor St. Luke's heart transplant program Aug. 17. September 2018 Famed Baylor St. Luke's surgeon linked to 2015 heart transplant patient deaths The publications obtained documents connecting famed Baylor St. Luke's heart transplant surgeon O.H. "Bud" Frazier, MD, to a rash of patient deaths at the hospital in 2015. Houston hospital appeals loss of federal funding for heart transplants The hospital filed an administrative appeal with CMS on Sept. 14, about a month after the agency terminated the heart transplant program's Medicare and Medicaid funding. October 2018 Baylor St. Luke's replaces heart transplant program chief The hospital announced Oct. 19 that Jeffrey Morgan, MD, the heart transplant program surgical director, would no longer serve in his role. Instead, hospital officials said two new cardiothoracic surgeons and a prominent transplant program executive would lead the program. CMS cites Baylor St. Luke's for defibrillator issues during patient's heart transplant CMS cited Baylor St. Luke's for not keeping working defibrillator paddles in its operating room during a heart transplant for a patient who died two months after surgery. December 2018 Baylor St. Luke's exaggerated quality of heart transplant program, lawsuit alleges The family of a Texas man who died from a failed heart transplant in 2017 filed a lawsuit against the hospital, alleging officials exaggerated the quality of Baylor St. Luke's heart transplant program to lure patients. January 2019 Baylor St. Luke's continues leadership restructuring 3 executive appointments Roughly three months after announcing the heart transplant program chief's departure, Baylor St. Luke's added three executives to its leadership team. February 2019 CMS to take more aggressive role in enforcing safety at Baylor St. Luke's A CMS inspection found Baylor St. Luke's violated patient care requirements and said state and federal officials would start taking a more aggressive role in enforcing safety standards. Baylor St. Luke's pledges reforms after medical error leads to patient death A CMS inspection revealed staff at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center made more than 100 mistakes in labeling blood during a four-month period. MotoGP. Repsol Honda Team Satisfied As Pre-Season Testing Ends Posted by: newsla on Feb 28, 2019 - 05:38 PM MotoGP. Repsol Honda Team Satisfied As Pre-Season Testing Ends Incredibly high winds were waiting as the Repsol Honda Team arrived at the Losail International Circuit for the final day of pre-season testing. This delayed Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo slightly as the track opened, but both riders were able to make up the lost time during their remaining time on track. Track temperature fell during the night, causing a spate of late crashes. When the wind did drop, riders began to fly. Marc Marquez led the charge and set a succession of quick laps, settling on a 154.613 before the end of his run. A fall at Turn 6 with two hours remaining did little to dent his confidence and he soon returned to running. With 144 laps completed, Marquezs time of 154.613 saw him end the Qatar Test in fourth. Jorge Lorenzo remained focused on steadily improving his feeling and pace with the Honda RC213V, again bettering his lap time from the previous day. A 154.653 late in the test showed clear progress for the pairing. Despite a fall at Turn 2, Lorenzo ended the test in sixth after 115 laps. The Repsol Honda Team now return to their respective homes before travelling back to Qatar, ready for Free Practice 1 of the Qatar GP on Friday, March 8 and the opening race on Sunday, March 10 under the floodlights. PaddockTalk Perspective State health inspectors initially blamed poor hygiene for an adenovirus outbreak that killed 11 kids at a Wanaque, N.J., nursing home and rehab center last fall, but a CMS report found the bigger problem was that the facility's leaders didn't respond fast enough when the outbreak hit, according to northjersey.com. The report said the pediatric medical director of the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation was so disengaged in his role that he did not know how many children were infected or what his job entailed. That physician, who is not named in the report, told inspectors he had been barely aware of the crisis. "I knew we had a problem after the fourth death," he said, according to the report. But it took five more weeks and seven more deaths before the outbreak was controlled. These leadership deficiencies "contributed to the delay in identification and containment of [the] adenovirus outbreak, affecting 33 residents [and] one staff, and resulted in 11 pediatric resident deaths," the report said. Adenoviruses usually only cause a cough, cold, conjunctivitis or urinary tract infection, but adenovirus 7, the strain that hit the facility, was particularly severe. And the children at Wanaque, who relied on breathing ventilators or tubes in their stomachs for nutrition, were especially vulnerable. No new adenovirus cases have been reported at the center since Nov. 12, but the state is still blocking new admissions to the pediatric ventilator unit, pending approval of the center's recently submitted infection control plan. The center's administrator, Rowena Bautista, challenged CMS' findings, calling them "unfounded allegations." "We are infuriated that, after a cursory review, federal surveyors put together a report riddled with factual inaccuracies, disregard of medical judgment and blatant misstatements about how viruses spread," she said in a statement. "The center has appealed the report's findings, she said, "and will vigorously dispute the allegations." At least 17 people in five states have been hospitalized after being injected with products made from umbilical cord blood in the last year, prompting new warnings from health officials about the risks of unproven stem cell treatments, according to The Washington Post. The injections are sold as a miracle cure for a variety of intractable conditions. These products are not approved by federal regulators or supported by clinical research, but companies selling them say they provide pain relief to many patients. All but two of the illnesses have been linked to a California-based company called Liveyon. The CDC issued a report in December tying 12 cases in several states to treatments from the company. Three more patients in Texas and Maine have filed lawsuits against Liveyon, claiming the product infected them with bacteria. The CDC said the 12 patients developed a variety of maladies from the injections, including swollen spinal discs, infected bones and joints and abscesses in their backs. Three of those patients were hospitalized for a month or more, according to the report. The Post obtained internal company records showing Liveyon received reports of patients falling ill as early as June 5, 2018 nearly four months before the product was recalled. Liveyon executives did not dispute that finding but said they failed to act sooner because they believed the infections were caused by physicians who inadvertently contaminated their product while injecting patients. However, CDC officials said the bacterial contamination probably "occurred before distribution" to physicians. UPMC signed an advisory agreement to help a university in Kazakhstan fully integrate patient care, education and research at the university's hospitals and clinics, the Pittsburgh-based health system announced Feb. 27. Three things to know: 1. Under the multimillion-dollar agreement, UPMC will help Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan, integrate its health system into the nation's first fully integrated academic medical center. UPMC officials will help the university develop and pilot six academic departments in women's health, pediatrics, pathology, general surgery, family medicine and internal medicine. 2. UPMC officials will also help health system officials in Astana with strategic planning, education and training and develop a graduate medical education model. 3. UPMC initially signed an agreement to work with officials in Kazakhstan in 2012. While their collaboration has expanded since then, the partners have remained committed to delivering care to area residents. "Our partnership with Nazarbayev University and its University Medical Center hospitals continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of these institutions. We are pleased that NU continues to see value in our wide-ranging expertise and proven ability to deliver high-quality, cost-effective care in a rigorous academic medical center environment," Chuck Bogosta, president of UPMC International, said in a news release. FedEx unveiled an autonomous vehicle that will help retailers make same-day deliveries, according to myarklamiss.com. The delivery vehicle, FedEx SameDay Bot, will be rolled out in several markets in June or July. FedEx plans to partner with retailers, including Walgreens, Walmart and Pizza Hut, focusing on deliveries where the store and home are within 1 mile of each other. "This is an autonomous delivery vehicle that will absolutely change the face of local delivery, particularly into residential areas," said FedEx President and CEO Brian Philips. Amazon also has been testing an autonomous robotic delivery vehicle called Amazon Scout. Device maker Medtronic will close its facility in Portsmouth, N.H., which will affect about 150 jobs, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader. The decision to close the facility is part of the company's plan to restructure its transformative solutions business to strengthen its financial position, the company said. In April, Medtronic will begin transferring staff to its enabling technologies facility in Louisville, Colo. The affected employees can apply for open positions within the company and will receive severance packages. Read the full report here. Illinois registered nurses are lobbying state lawmakers in support of mandated minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in all hospital units 24 hours a day, according to NBC-affiliate station WEEK. California is the only state with mandatory nurse staffing ratios. Now National Nurses United union in Illinois seeks legislation similar to California law, which establishes nurse-to-patient ratios for acute care, acute psychiatric and specialty hospitals. The ratios vary by type of care. In a news release, the union said patient health is compromised because too few nurses must care for too many patients. "Mandatory minimum nurse-to-patient ratios save lives," said Talisa Harden, a registered nurse at the University of Chicago Medicine. "As nurses, we've always known it, and now there is a robust body of peer-reviewed literature that proves it. Illinois patients deserve safe and therapeutic care no matter where they are admitted. This bill will make all Illinois patients safer." State Rep. Theresa Mah is sponsoring the legislation, along with co-sponsor state Rep. Will Guzzardi, while Illinois Sen. Omar Aquino is sponsoring the Senate version, along with co-sponsor Sen. Robert Peters. The union said the Illinois bill is modeled after California law, but it would also mandate minimum staffing standards in long term acute-care hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. More articles on workforce: Yale Health-developed interactive videos combat sexual harassment, bullying 21 medical and health companies offering flexible jobs 6 healthcare organizations that are hiring Kingsley Chin, MD, is a spine surgeon and entrepreneur. He founded Kingsley Investment Company, the parent company of KICVentures, which aims to invest in physician leadership and technology development. Here, Dr. Chin discusses spine innovation and what to expect in the future. Question: What do you see as the most disruptive forces in spine care today? Dr. Kingsley Chin: The most disruptive force in spine care is patients beginning to reject fusion. I've already seen it happening in my practice. More patients are going to the internet to find information about their treatment, and studies have borne this out. Patients are not only able to read all about their treatment, but they're also able to visualize it through YouTube, which shows them a very graphic video of their surgery. They're also able to hear both good and bad testimonials online from people who had the surgery. The written information about fusion is also not that great, and this has been a problem for a long time. The good news is we have gotten a lot better at fusing patients. We've also gotten better at the devices and biologics for fusion. You need the screws, rods, plates and interbodies, but you also need biologics. One of the major disruptive forces on the biologics side is bioactive glass. NanoFUSE Biologics, which is the only FDA-cleared combination of DBM and bioactive glass, is going to be a major player in this area. The second part of this question is: 'If patients are rejecting fusions, whats their alternative?' The trend is already on its way patients want disc replacement. Its intuitive, and thats thanks in part to joint replacements of the knee, ankle, hip, elbow and shoulder. Patients are having these surgeries with great results, and theyre recognizing the value of joint replacements. A lot of patients that need spine surgery also have arthritis of their other joints, so when a patient has their hip or knee replaced, they begin to wonder, 'Why dont I just replace the disc in my spine?' As a spine surgeon, thats going to be a difficult request to talk yourself around, but I think many of us do because we dont have the best disc replacement on the market in the United States. Back in the early 1980s, Dr. Art Steffee came up with the idea of a viscoelastic disc replacement that would act just like a natural disc, but that was a very challenging thing to develop and perfect. Since he introduced his idea, many companies have come up with alternative options, including the typical ball-and-socket joint, where two metals are put together with a plastic in between them to give movement. But in 2001, AxioMed discovered a material that is made up of polyurethane and silicone, and they created a disc with a viscoelastic center that functions like a normal disc. The day that AxioMed releases the lumbar disc in the United States, I think youll see a dramatic change in the patients who will be aware of disc replacement as an option, and in the number of surgeons who know they have a total disc replacement that will work really well. I believe that will be a true disruption. AxioMed is also planning to have an IDE study to look at the performance of the cervical disc. They are looking for protocol that will allow up to three levels and allow insertion next to an adjacent fusion a protocol that was highly supported by Dr. Dan Riew who is a world leader in cervical spine surgery. I think the day that AxioMed receives clearance on the three-level and the indication for placing a disc next to a fusion is going to be even more disruptive than the lumbar version in the short-term. Imagine a day when you have both the cervical and lumbar AxioMed discs that behave perfectly as normal discs, and patients are now able to see that surgery being done and hear actual testimony from patients and surgeons. At that point, its going to be difficult to ask someone to choose having screws and rods in their neck and back, so I think the AxioMed Disc will create a huge amount of disruption. The final part of this question is: 'Can you also replace the facets?' If you have a perfectly functioning disc in the front, can you replace the facets in the back? The answer is yes. We are now able to use the AxioMed technology to create a posterior, dynamic stabilization structure. We also see other options to develop that will allow us to stabilize the spine posteriorly to replace the facets and maintain motion. The ultimate disruption is to combine a disc in the front with a dynamic stabilizer in the back. This is not a new idea, its just were now pursuing it at KICVentures. We now have the material in the disc, and the ability to use that material posteriorly because we have a 15-year exclusive right to that material for the spine. Between combining the disc in the front with a dynamic stabilizer in the back, we reach 360 degrees, and a patient doesnt have to be fused. Q: What are the smartest investments youve made during your career? Where are you looking to invest in the future? KC: In 2000 while I was a resident at Harvard, I saw that fixating the spine using a percutaneous pedicle screw was a great idea, so I sat down and started to draw a solution that I thought would be better than what the market currently had. Over time, I kept drawing it, and then I applied for the patent. In 2005, I made a very important decision to start an investment company called KIC (now KICVentures). I realized that it would be great for me as a physician to be able to make investments, and I wanted a holding company so that each time I made an investment, I would have a company to hold it. Our first investment was in the idea I had as a sketch from 2000, which we developed into a percutaneous pedicle screw called the MANTIS. I invested in the cost of developing it all the way to a prototype and then we had Zimmer Spine and Stryker Spine both make a bid for it. We went with Stryker, and that was a multimillion-dollar deal. It netted a hundred times return, so I have to believe that was a very smart investment. My investment firm, KIC, allowed me to start focusing on being an investor, and since then, KIC has invested in medical companies and medical devices. We have acquired devices from surgeons and engineers, and we have brought those under the umbrella of our medical device company, SpineFrontier. We have also added AxioMed, a company with total disc replacement technology and NanoFUSE, an orthobiologic company. KICVentures is currently investing in Mediconnects, a digital health software that provides an open platform to attract patients and caregivers to facilitate a direct-to-consumer marketing strategy. In the future, we are looking to partner with hospitals and surgery centers under our LESS Institute brand to leverage our technologies in and outside the U.S.A to form alliances with surgeons. Q: What is the biggest change youve seen in your practice over the past year? KC: The biggest change Ive seen in my practice over the past few years is the movement to outpatient. In 2009, I did my first outpatient in spine fusion, and now Im doing 100 percent spine surgery outpatient. We have published every year, probably an average of five papers, about our experience in outpatient. By identifying what patients criteria best fits, selecting the right risk profile, understanding the anesthesia, the fluid management, and even the concierge aspect of managing the patient and their expectations, weve gotten very comfortable doing outpatient surgeries. Since these patients go home and dont stay in the hospital, we have pioneered using video-conferencing to closely follow them. We have a paper that we published on giving patients our cell phone number, and a paper on following patients with video-conferencing, and weve found its worked really well. Now that weve fully vetted the experience of outpatient spine surgery (we also do outpatient orthopedic surgery, arthroscopies, ACL repairs, etc.) and published on it, we feel confident that nearly 80 to 90 percent of elective spine surgery can be done in an outpatient setting. Part of this is having the right patient selection, the right surgeon, the right techniques, a hospital thats there in case of any emergencies, a surgery center that understands how to manage these patients and also a team thats going to appropriately follow these patients by making sure that they have the right support system. I think outpatient spine surgery is a great way for society to start looking at improving the patient experience. We need to look at the technologies and techniques that allow for more frequent outpatient spine and orthopedic surgery and then strategize on how to work with hospitals to make a system thats more of a hybrid. I think over 41 percent of hospitals today have a co-venture with surgery centers. Thats a dramatic change from almost 100 percent of spine [and] orthopedics being done in the hospitals. The internet is also helping facilitate outpatient surgery as patients research different ways to be treated. They also have outpatient experiences in other specialties such as plastic surgery and ophthalmology. Two spine surgeons discuss healthcare consolidation and its effect on the spine arena. Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses. Next week's question: What are some of your best strategies for fostering multidisciplinary teamwork? Please send responses to Anuja Vaidya at avaidya@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, March 6, at 5 p.m. CST. Question: What do you think about consolidation in healthcare and how will it affect spine surgeons over the next two to three years? Christian Zimmerman, MD. Spinal Neurosurgeon at Saint Alphonsus Medical Group and SAHS Neuroscience Institute (Boise, Idaho): Frankly, the consolidation efforts of corporate healthcare may have reached its apex, short of freestanding surgery centers being purchased as a profit center. The prohibitive outlay will be bringing these centers up to quality control metrics that follow Medicare standards. This will include peer-review and cost per unit evaluations, standardized certifications for all members delivering care and elimination of balance billing. Those efforts may be undesired and unobtainable by investors and will require physician participation to incorporate these practices into mainstream hospital formulates. There is a significant push in this local to eliminate contractual physician agreements because of Medicare reductions and DRG deteriorations. This may positively impact those surgical disciplines that currently enjoy better reimbursements to hospitals and centers. Uncertainty remains the only constant, and second guessing our political overbalance are administrative poker at best. Good work and patient representation hopefully outlast the guessing game of healthcare futures. Brian R. Gantwerker, MD. Founder of the Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: The funny thing about consolidation is it does the exact opposite of what the original intent of the ACA was supposed to produce. In driving surgeons into employed positions and larger organizations gobbling up other ones, it does not take an economist to figure out prices are going to rise again. Consolidation will put us right back in the pre-ACA era and with legislators looking to tighten the screws on these larger organizations and these individual surgeons, who thought they had a great deal, will feel the pinch. I sincerely hope the nadir of this slope is coming and we will once again have some sense of direction, self and safety. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is urging business here to prepare now for a no-deal Brexit using a three-step system. It said businesses that have only ever traded in the EU need to register for an economic operator and registration identification (EORI) number. In the event of a no-deal exit, businesses will be unable to continue trading with the EU without an EORI number, but HMRC figures show that so far just 17% of these businesses have registered. After getting an EORI number, businesses must consider how they want to make customs declarations. It advised most businesses with customs obligations choose to use a customs agent. And for businesses that import goods into the UK from the EU using roll on roll off locations, they can take a third step and register for new transitional simplified procedures (TSP). TSP will allow businesses to import without having to make a full customs declaration at the border and postpone paying any import duties. For imports using other locations, and for exports, standard customs declarations will apply. Financial Secretary to the Treasury Mel Stride urged businesses to "act now". He said: "We want businesses in Northern Ireland to be able continue trading with minimal disruption in any scenario, but we also know people tend to leave things until the last minute." Online grocer Ocado has said it's too early to confirm if it will now deliver in Northern Ireland after it linked up with Marks & Spencer in a joint venture. M&S is to acquire 50% of Ocado's UK retail business for up to 750m as part of the deal. It will trade as Ocado.com but will stock M&S-branded products and benefit from access to the retailer's database of 12 million food shoppers. Ocado already stocks a range of locally-produced products aimed at people from here living in Britain. The new deal spells the end of the company's long-running partnership with Waitrose. The firm delivers to most parts of England and some areas of Wales. One of the Republic's best known and most successful entrepreneurs, John Teeling, has said European Union regulations have stymied the ability to establish and grow businesses. "That's why I don't like Europe, I'm not pro-European at all, I'd be a Brexiter big time, absolute ridiculous regulations," he said. "All these people have to do is create more, more and more bureaucrats and their job is to create more regulation, and regulation stifles enterprise. And yet nobody does anything about it." The Dubliner, whose interests range from diamonds and oil to whiskey, added that US President Donald Trump "has done some things that are good". He added: "Leave (entrepreneurs) as free as you possibly can." While Mr Teeling acknowledged that "a lot of regulation is right", he insisted that an overregulated "nanny state" is "terrible" for businesses. In 1987 Mr Teeling set up Cooley Distillery which, with investors, he would go on to sell to American bourbon whiskey giant Beam in 2012 for just over 70m. He then founded Great Northern Distillery in Dundalk in 2012 on the site of the Harp Lager brewery, while his sons Jack and Stephen operate the Teelings Whiskey Distillery in the Liberties area of central Dublin. Mr Teeling said entrepreneurship has become "sexy". "When I first started teaching in University College Dublin, you asked first years how many wanted to start their own business and you might have got 10 out of 300, now you probably get 280, so it has changed, entrepreneurship is sexy in the world now," he said. He explained that all entrepreneurs want is a chance, adding: "I don't think the state can provide real opportunities, you have to see those yourself, it's your vision. "What I would love them to do is to leave us alone, do not regulate us, and certainly leave us with as much of the profits as they can. "Don't over tax us, incentivise that way." But he said the whiskey industry is "a labour of love" and concluded: "The risk premium attaching to something like whiskey was 30% per annum. "No venture capital company ever came in and supported me, even to this day, no, too risky." It's like a cross between a Belfast fleg protest and the Eurovision song contest as the colourful banners of the Brexit demonstrators flutter in the breeze outside the Houses of Parliament in London. But among the sea of Union and EU flags in and around College Green opposite the supposed cradle of democracy in Britain, there's one sight you'd certainly never see in Northern Ireland. One anti-Brexit demonstrator has armed herself with Ulster flags and an Irish tricolour. Londoner Lynne Hall (82) who relishes her memories of living in Castlerock and Portstewart flies the flags for the whole of Ireland because she says the island will be united by disaster if Brexit becomes a reality. "I carry the two flags because I love the Republic just as much as I love Northern Ireland," says Mrs Hall whose airman husband was stationed at RAF Ballykelly and who has two Coleraine-born daughters. The sprightly pensioner is at Westminster every day to demand a halt to Britain leaving the European Union, an exodus that she dreads will hasten the return of violence to Northern Ireland which she still visits regularly to catch up with old friends in Waterfoot, Co Antrim. The Brits-In lady whose home is now in Richmond, Surrey, remembers the dangers posed by the Brits-Out terror campaign in her former adopted homeland all too clearly. "Even though we lived in quiet and beautiful parts of Northern Ireland and even though my husband was on coastal command looking for submarines in the Atlantic, we still had to check under our car for bombs every morning," adds Mrs Hall the descendant of a suffragette who used to protest at Westminster, too. Expand Close Anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray outside the Houses of Parliament / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray outside the Houses of Parliament "Many people don't understand how difficult it was during those years of conflict in Northern Ireland. "I'm absolutely horrified all that might come back again. I think it's imperative that the UK stays in the EU." Mrs Hall's first-hand knowledge of Britain's neighbour runs somewhat deeper than that of the most instantly recognisable of the Remainers at Westminster, Steve Bray, who thinks his surname is the same as an island off the Irish coast. Expand Close Kay Burley / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kay Burley "It's a town actually," I tell him. Bray who dubs himself Mr Stop Brexit and who has become something of a tourist attraction for selfie-seeking visitors to London has put his job as a numismatist - a coin dealer - on hold for "as long as it takes" to keep the UK inside the EU. However the penny doesn't seem to have dropped with Mr Stop Brexit that Brexit might actually be unstoppable. And he's refusing to contemplate giving up his protests outside Westminster which are often more interesting than what goes on inside. Expand Close Anti-Brexit protester Lynne Hall / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Anti-Brexit protester Lynne Hall He says: "I'm pretty confident we will not be leaving the European Union. "I'm convinced that common sense will prevail." He insists that he isn't wasting his time strutting around the streets outside parliament trying to get his anti-Brexit message across by shouting his slogans during live TV broadcasts as he waves his placards at the cameras to underscore his call for a People's Vote on the crisis. Expand Close Belfast Telegraph reporter Ivan Little at Westminster / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Belfast Telegraph reporter Ivan Little at Westminster He's been there day and daily - and nightly - for 18 months and at the start he was able to get up close and probably a tad too personal for the broadcasters and the politicians. After the novelty of his initial omnipresence on the Green wore off, the BBC and other broadcasters went to great lengths - and great heights - to keep him out of their pictures. They built elevated platforms and now four of the mini-studios dominate College Green where most of the 'lives' are conducted. Expand Close Anti-Brexit demonstrators on Millbank, in Westminster, London / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Anti-Brexit demonstrators on Millbank, in Westminster, London But the ever resourceful Bray wasn't ready for the Brexit exit. He went on eBay to buy extendable 7ft and 10 ft poles on which to display his anti-Brexit signs and he holds them aloft any time anyone goes on the air. The next step in trying to thwart the anti-Brexit brigade was closing off College Green to the public and putting up metal barriers. This means that Bray and his battle group must keep their distance from the broadcasters who have also set up a tented village on the Green where a huge Henry Moore sculpture - Knife Edge in Two Pieces - is now almost invisible among the media circus. But Steve Bray isn't so easy to hide away. As we talk, the clock ticks down towards the lunchtime news and he sprints off like a hare with his poles in hand in the hope he'll catch the eye of the viewing public on the telly. Expand Close Jacob Rees-Mogg / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jacob Rees-Mogg But disappointingly, there's no sign of any broadcasts for him to show off his signs on the day of my visit, a day when the Remainers like Bray and Mrs Hall are the only show in town. Bray, who is rumoured to have rented an apartment near his Tory nemesis Jacob Rees-Mogg in London, tells me that the TV reporters don't mind his colourful and noisy presence in the backdrop of their backstop-dominated interviews. Not so says one BBC Northern Ireland journalist, who is on a rota of local journalists who spend a week at a time covering the comings and goings at Westminster. He says: "Steve has been a nuisance. Initially he added to the colour and the chaos. "It's not so bad now that he can't get so close but it was crazy when he was able to stand behind interviewees and scream in their ears. "Someone like Nigel Dodds of the DUP was able to make himself heard but it was difficult for the likes of Gavin Robinson who's more softly spoken. Expand Close Gavin Robinson / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Gavin Robinson "And for reporters doing live two ways with presenters in the studio, having people like Steve Bray in their faces can be very distracting." A number of high-profile journalists including Sky's Kay Burley made allegations of intimidation on the Green to police. The local Beeb reporter says: "By and large the protesters don't recognise us. But some of the more familiar faces have to run the gauntlet." UTV political editor Ken Reid says the protesters have made the already difficult life of the live broadcasts even more stressful. "It's been quite hairy at times," says Ken. "Trying to conduct interviews or do two ways when protesters are breathing down your neck is not easy. "And even though the Green is now closed off, the protesters still shout from behind the barriers and I've even seen them using balloons to carry their slogans." Broadcasters have had talks with the police about the intrusion of the protesters and several companies have hired minders to look after their presenters while others have moved their live interviews into studios in nearby buildings. Politicians have also been harassed and at one point over 100 MPs pressed the Metropolitan Police for more protection. DUP's Gavin Robinson (right) says for the most part the protests have been surrounded by something of a carnival atmosphere. "But there have been sinister elements, too," adds the east Belfast MP who has been interviewed for Facebook by Steve Bray near the Green where he admits he has to "muddle" through live media interviews as well as he can. He says: "More often than not the shouting isn't directed at us. "It's more like background noise but it can be hard to concentrate." One of the worst onslaughts he faced was during an interview about the controversy at the scandal-hit Muckamore Abbey Hospital. "The broadcaster approached the Remainers and told them the interview had nothing to do with Brexit and they left quietly," says Mr Robinson. On the day of my visit the pro-Brexit supporters who back leaving the EU have obviously, er, left the stage. For the moment. One 'Leave Means Leave' supporter who doesn't want to be named tells me on the telephone that the Brexiteers don't see the point in turning up morning noon and night. "We pick our times," he says. "We reckon we've won the Brexit battle. So we don't care if all the middle-Englanders do their thing. "They know they've lost but they won't admit it." One commentator says the absence of the Brexiteers from the daily demos perfectly illustrates the north-south and class divide between the Remainers and the Leavers. "A lot of the pro-Brexit people would be from the north of England," he says. "It's not as easy for them to get to London and so they tend to keep their powder dry for the days when the big votes are happening in the House." No matter the size of the protests, the police who have a huge presence outside the House to tackle the all-too-real threat of terrorist attacks, also deploy significant numbers to keep the peace among the protesters. Media reports have tended to suggest that on the days that the two opposing sides do turn up, there's little animosity between them. Mrs Hall claims, however, that things have become nastier in the wake of the emergence of French-styled 'yellow vest' protesters backing Brexit. Earlier this month six of those protesters were arrested and two police officers were injured during a demonstration in Whitehall. The great-grandmother adds: "We've seen the yellow-vest people on occasions outside Westminster. They tend to yell at us a lot. "One of them, who was slightly better dressed than the rest, screamed in my face that I was responsible for starting the second English civil war." The more aggressive of the protesters in the pro-Brexit lobby have also turned their fury on anti-Brexit MPs like Anna Soubry who recently quit the Tory party. She was seen by millions of viewers being harangued on her way back to the House from College Green. Jacob Rees-Mogg and his family have also been targeted by left-wing activists at their home. Mrs Hall says the Remainers are determined to keep up the fight to halt Brexit, adding: "I think the media have tried to downplay the head of steam that has grown up for our cause and how people were deceived by Brexiteers in the referendum two years ago. "And you can understand why people were so easily fooled if you go to some of those northern towns which are so dreary and desolate. "But that had nothing to do with the EU." Steve Bray says his campaign has been motivated by a desire that his children and grandchildren will have the same quality of life that he had growing up in Britain. He says: "They have a right to a future and I think that will go if we leave the European Union. We are always going to be better off inside the EU. "And I think Brexit would definitely impact on the Good Friday Agreement which has brought peace in Northern Ireland." Another anti-Brexit protester from London, Juliette Mills (above) agrees: "I think Brexit would be an absolute tragedy for the UK. We have got to stop it." Like other Remainers, she believes some Brexiteers are paid to attend protests on the days of major votes in the Commons alongside Far Right elements who were blamed for the intimidation of Anna Soubry. The Health Service says it is in need of radical reform. Almost 100,000 people had been waiting a year to have their first consultant-led out-patient appointment by the end of last year, new government statistics show. And the figures show that 75% were waiting more than the target time of nine weeks for half of all patients to be seen. The Health Service has said it is "simply unable" to keep pace with growing demands for care despite the best efforts of staff and a 30million cash injection last year. "Fundamental transformation remains the only long-term answer to this problem," the department said. In the budget for Northern Ireland, the health department is to received almost 6billion in funding, around 300m more than last year. The figures also showed 88,605 people were waiting for an admission to hospital with 21,000 waiting over a year. Government targets say no one should wait over 52 weeks. for either inpatient or day case admission. And almost 30,000 were waiting more than 26 weeks for diagnostic services. Government targets state all urgent diagnostic tests should completed within two days of being undertaken. Over 425,000 were done in the last quarter of 2018 with the 57,123 urgent diagnostic tests reported on within the two day target. SDLP health spokesman Mark H Durkan described the latest targets as a "sickening indictment" of the ongoing political standoff. The MLA for Foyle said: "The detailed statistics show that the majority of patients here have had to wait much longer than targets suggested they would. What has to happen for the DUP and Sinn Fein to recognise the real life impact on our constituents before they act to make this place work for everyone? Their inability to make it work for the health and well-being of our people here tells a story in itself. The UUP's Roy Beggs said patients were coming to harm and called on the Secretary of State to intervene. Our health service is in the midst of a wholly unprecedented crisis both in terms of scale and severity," he said. "There is no doubt whatsoever that the health of local patients is being adversely affected by the delays. On the day that the Northern Ireland budget has been published I see no signs whatsoever that anything is being done to get to grips with this crisis. "Unless immediate action is taken to restore a local Health Minister, Direct Rule must be introduced now. A coroner has pledged to write to the head of the Army to highlight his concerns after two soldiers were found hanged at a base here within three months of each other. Joe McCrisken outlined his plans following an inquest into the deaths of Lance Corporal James Ross (30), from Leeds, and 20-year-old Rifleman Darren Mitchell, from London. Mr McCrisken said he was not satisfied to the required standard that L/Cpl Ross, who was found dead in his room at Ballykinler, Co Down, on December 8, 2012, intended to take his own life. Read More Delivering his findings at Laganside Courts yesterday, he said: "I consider James Ross's death to be an accident." Seconds after the ruling one of L/Cpl Ross's sisters left the courtroom in tears and there was a brief recess to allow his family to digest the findings. The inquest also examined the death of Rifleman Mitchell, who was discovered hanged in his room at the base on February 10, 2013. Mr McCrisken said he was satisfied on the balance of probability that Rifleman Mitchell did intend to take his own life, referring to what the Army psychiatrist described as "fatalistic" WhatsApp messages between him and his girlfriend in the hours before his death. He read out a number of messages - "I'm done with the hurt, I've found my way out" and "Don't worry, I'll be out of your hair soon" - as well as a final Facebook post that said: "Tonight's it then." The coroner also pointed to the discovery of a hosepipe in his car that smelt of fumes and he said it led him to believe "it is possible that Darren had tried to take his own life before". Both soldiers were serving with Second Battalion the Rifles and had been on active service in Afghanistan previously. The inquest heard of an additional eight incidents of self-harm involving other soldiers from the same unit recorded over the six-month period within which the men died. It was also told of issues around record-keeping by the Army, as well as complaints that Ballykinler had been an "isolated" base, with some soldiers nicknaming it 'Bally-kill-yourself'. Mr McCrisken told the families yesterday, however, that there was no evidence the Army had failed the men, nor did he find proof of bullying or a culture that dissuaded soldiers from coming forward about mental health issues. The coroner, who visited Ballykinler during the inquest, also said: "Soldiers may have nicknamed the base Bally-kill-Yourself but I am not satisfied that the location of this base caused or contributed to either the death of James or Darren". Mr McCrisken pointed out that there was also "work to be done" to encourage soldiers to come forward to seek help with mental health issues, and referred to "poor record keeping" by the Army. He added: "The Army needs to take steps to give soldiers confidence to come forward about mental health problems without fearing an impact on their careers." Mr McCrisken noted that his findings came in the same week as a new report by the House of Commons Defence Committee on mental health care for serving members of the armed forces and veterans. He said he plans to consider the report and will "write to the head of the Army making him aware of the deaths of Lance Corporal Ross and Rifleman Mitchell and the circumstances of those deaths and I'll include a copy of my findings". Following yesterday's hearing Emma Norton, a solicitor for the Ross and Mitchell families, said they were "horrified" by what they had learned during the three-week inquest, which was held at Ballymena courthouse. Speaking on behalf of the two families, Ms Norton added: "In addition to our sons' deaths there were eight other episodes of serious self-harm in this unit, soldiers who had served on active operations overseas and who were not being flagged up as at risk and or needing help. "We heard evidence of soldiers cutting themselves, taking overdoses and burning themselves. "The suicide register which every regiment is supposed to have, and which is supposed to record the details of any vulnerable soldier, was apparently deleted and could not be produced and the families do not accept the bizarre explanation that this register and all of the care plans were accidentally deleted." Ms Norton also referred to "the Army's own internal inquiry which the families were assured would mean that lessons were learned, its recommendations were lost and no explanation has been given for that". She said the families were "very disappointed" that "this verdict does not appear to reflect all of this evidence today", but added they were "very pleased" that the coroner is going to write to the head of the Army to say it "could and should do more to support soldiers who are suffering mental distress". In a further statement, Carol Mitchell, mother of Rifleman Mitchell, claimed he was failed by the Army. "Darren always wanted to join the Army and he was a brilliant soldier," she said. "Everybody loved him. As one of his colleagues said at the inquest: 'If we had an army of Darrens we would be undefeatable'. "But the Army failed him. Instead of Darren receiving the help he needed after returning from a difficult tour in Afghanistan, he was left isolated, exhausted and with nowhere to turn, even after his behaviour had noticeably changed." Two Northern Ireland-registered vessels fishing boats seized by the Irish Navy moored in the port of Clogherhead in Co Louth (Niall Carson/PA) The UK cannot continue to accept the unequal application of a deal with the Republic of Ireland over fishing rights, a Government spokesman has said. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) representative was speaking on Thursday evening after two UK fishing boats were seized by the Irish Navy amid an ongoing impasse over their right to fish in Irelands waters. The Northern Ireland-registered vessels were detained by the Irish Naval Service in Dundalk bay and have been impounded at nearby Clogherhead port. No arrests have been made over the matter, which is set to be heard by Co Louth District Court on Friday morning. The move by Irish authorities comes amid an ongoing fishing dispute caused by the demise of an informal deal between the UK and Irish governments. The Voisinage agreement, which collapsed months after the Brexit referendum, was a reciprocal understanding between the UK and Irish Republic dating back to the mid-1960s that allowed vessels from Northern Ireland to fish in Irish inshore waters (zero to six nautical miles from shore) and vice versa. Expand Close The boats are moored at the port of Clogherhead in Co Louth (Niall Carson/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The boats are moored at the port of Clogherhead in Co Louth (Niall Carson/PA) But the agreement hit the rocks in late 2016 when a number of Irish fishermen brought a case to the states Supreme Court, challenging the right of Northern Ireland vessels to fish in their waters. The court ruled Voisinage was an informal agreement of insufficient legal standing to formally grant access to foreign registered boats. That decision effectively banned Northern Ireland boats from fishing in Irish inshore waters a move that impacted fishermen north of the border who traded in species such as lobsters, crabs, mussels and whelks. The UK has continued to recognise the Voisinage agreement so Irish vessels remain free to fish inshore waters around Northern Ireland. After the Supreme Court decision, the Dublin government pledged to introduce legislation to give legal effect to Voisinage. We cannot accept the current unequal application of this arrangement indefinitely.Defra spokesman But two years on, the law change has not yet materialised, with many politicians south of the border opposed to draft proposals forwarded by the government. Fishermen in Northern Ireland have accused the Irish authorities of stalling, claiming the issue has become caught up in Brexit and is potentially being used as a bargaining chip for future negotiations on how Irish vessels would access UK waters once it leaves the EU. The Defra spokesman said: The UK Government wants to see continued co-operation between Northern Ireland and Ireland over fisheries matters. However, we cannot accept the current unequal application of this arrangement indefinitely and continue to explore solutions to reinstate a level playing field as quickly as possible for the benefit of all our fishermen. Irelands Department of Defence earlier confirmed in a statement that it was tasked to Dundalk bay by the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA), in accordance with a Service Level Agreement. It said: The alleged offences for both vessels were: Vessels illegally fishing within the Exclusive Fishery Limits of the State, contrary to Section 10(1) of the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006, and illegal entry into the Exclusive Fishery Limits of the State at a time when prohibited so to do, contrary to Section 8(1) of the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006. A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in Dublin highlighted the SFPA is an independent body which enforces sea fisheries law in Ireland. He stressed Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed has no role in the execution of SFPAs functions. The spokesman said it is important to note the Supreme Court had ruled the Voisinage arrangements are not invalid, only that there is currently insufficient provision for them in domestic Irish law. The Supreme Court in fact noted that the arrangements were a sensible recognition at official level of practice and tradition, where fishing boats traditionally fished neighbouring waters, he said. The Government approved the publication of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill to address issues raised by the Supreme Court judgment, in so far as it relates to access for Northern Irish vessels. The Irish authorities have taken a very high-handed approach to people trying to earn a living.Jim Wells, DUP If enacted and commenced, the Bill will give the Voisinage arrangements a proper legal footing. The Bill was published in February 2017, commenced debate in the Seanad shortly thereafter and remains before the Oireachtas. The Department of Defence said that in 2018, the Irish Naval Service detained seven fishing vessels, two of which were UK registered. A Garda spokesman said on Thursday: An Irish naval vessel the LE Orla detained two UK-registered boats fishing in Dundalk bay. They were escorted to port in Clogherhead where they were detained by Gardai under the 2006 Fisheries Act on February 27, 2019. An order was issued at Dundalk district court for 48 hours in respect of both vessels. They remain at Clogherhead. Jim Allister, leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice party, said it is time to stand up for Northern Irelands fishermen. He said: The reciprocal basis of the Voisinage agreement has been breached, so why are we still pretending it exists and operating it to the disadvantage of local fishermen? He called on the authorities to ban Irish boats from Northern Ireland waters, adding: Doing nothing is no longer an option. Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, speaking in the House of Commons, said it appeared the crews had been seized without a huge amount of justification. DUP MP Jim Shannon added he had lodged a request for an urgent question on the matter, noting: I am also appalled at the actions of the Republic of Ireland Government seizing boats which belong to this great nation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. DUP Assembly member Jim Wells, whose constituency office is close to Kilkeel harbour in South Down, said many local fishermen once relied on the waters around Dundalk bay for their livelihoods. The Irish authorities have taken a very high-handed approach to people trying to earn a living, he said. I really do hope this issue can be resolved. The DUP's Sir Jeffrey Donaldson dodged a question on if the Finucane family had been "badly served" by the justice system over investigative failures into the loyalist killing, saying he did not see why "one case should get special attention over and above any other". He was speaking a day after the Supreme Court ruled investigations into the 1989 shooting had not been effective in establishing the full facts of the case ruling they had not been compliant with human rights. The court, however, did not recommend a public inquiry be held into the death. Mr Finucane was gunned down as he sat with his family for Sunday lunch in his north Belfast home. An investigation by a former UN war crimes prosecutor Sir Desmond de Silva QC found "shocking" levels of state collusion involving the Army, police and MI5 but ruled out an "overarching state conspiracy". Something the family described as a "whitewash". Read More On the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson was asked if the Finucane family had been "badly served" by the justice system. He said: "Clearly the Finucane family feel very strongly about this." Pressed again on the matter, he added: "I think they have had much more opportunity to access justice than the vast majority of families." Expand Close Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane (Handout/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane (Handout/PA) He was asked for a "simple answer" on the matter to which Sir Jeffrey said the system of justice had offered the family an inquiry under the inquiries act and which they had rejected. We are entitled to say, what of all the other deaths? He said he "did not accept" the family's argument that offer did not go far enough in that it would possibly restrict the disclosure of information and on the calling of witnesses. Sir Jeffrey said the the family were "wrong" to refuse that offer. "In the troubles in Northern Ireland there were over 3,000 deaths and the vast majority of people feel that they haven't had the opportunity under the legacy process to have those deaths properly investigated or reviewed," he said. "Therefore we are entitled to say, what of all the other deaths? What of all the people who still haven't had their cases reviewed? We need to look at this in the context of the legacy process itself. "We believe it would be wrong to give one particular death special privilege or attention over all of the other deaths that have occurred. Why this one and not others? "What we need is agreement on how we move the legacy process forward and of course the death of Pat Finucane will be examined in that context just as will all of the other deaths." The MP was asked it was not important to highlight one case to demonstrate the failures and potentially encourage other probes into deaths. "Why this one and not others?," Sir Jeffrey asked. "I could give you many, many other examples where families have so far been denied to have the opportunity to have the death of their loved ones reviewed under the legacy process. "We are not going to get 3,000 public inquiries, with respect. In that case the legacy process would be unending and that is not what it proposed." You know thats not true. What I said was that we need equal access to justice for ALL the families of murder victims and NOT special treatment for one. As someone who has supported the quest for justice for the Kingsmill families I reject the notion that they are less deserving. Jeffrey Donaldson MP (@J_Donaldson_MP) February 28, 2019 It was put to him it would not be possible to hold investigations or inquiries into terrorist-related deaths as there would not be as much documentation or evidence as security forces related deaths would have. Sir Jeffrey said some of those "arguing loudest" for an inquiry into the death of the solicitor - while making clear he was not talking about the Finucane family - "are people who have information that could help families of the victims of terrorism to get justice and they are denying it by withholding information". He was asked one final time if he he felt the family had been badly served by the justice system. "I think the Finucane family have been offered the opportunity of an inquiry, under the inquiries act, they have declined that opportunity and I don't see and I am not convinced and do not see the argument that says this case should be given the special attention over and above any other case." A former Royal Marine jailed for stockpiling an arsenal of weapons and bomb materials has turned "assisting offender" to accuse an old school acquaintance of involvement in the dissident republican terror plot, the High Court was told. Prosecutors revealed Ciaran Maxwell has made statements alleging Niall Lehd helped to source and construct explosives recovered from up to nine different hides in areas around their hometown of Larne, Co Antrim. Maxwell, 32, is currently serving an 18-year prison term after admitting a series of terror-related offences. His evidence is now being relied on as part of the case against 29-year-old Lehd. Details emerged as Lehd, of Seahill Road in Larne, was granted bail on charges of preparing terrorist acts, possessing explosives with intent to endanger life, and possessing documents useful to terrorism. The alleged offences relate to the discovery of arms dumps in 2016. Hides constructed out of plastic barrels and buried in the ground contained mines, explosive projectiles, pimp bombs, handguns and ammunition, improvised detonators, timer power units, command wires and command wires. Police uniforms were also located in the secret storage, the court heard. A Crown lawyer disclosed Maxwell has provided two statements under the terms of Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (SOCPA) in which he claims Lehd aided in amassing the arsenal of weapons. Maxwell alleges the pair went to the same school, lived in the same estate and met up when he returned on leave from the Royal Marines, the court heard. According to his account they also constructed component parts ordered from eBay and Amazon. A judge was told Lehd is allegedly linked to three separate pipe bombing incidents in Carnlough, Co Antrim, north Belfast and Armagh. "Essentially the prosecution rely on Ciaran Maxwell as an assisting offender in terms of his evidence that Niall Lehd was involved in this offending," the prosecutor said. Seamus Lannon, defending, disputed the assertion that the two men went to school together. With no DNA connecting Lehd to the hides, the barrister suggested Maxell had pointed the finger at just his client in an attempt to get a reduced sentence. "Is he raising the issue of Niall Lehd because Niall Lehd is a convenient patsy who is no danger to anyone?" the barrister asked. "We say the credibility of Ciaran Maxwell is shot, and the Crown case here is fundamentally weak." Granting bail on strict conditions, Mr Justice McAlinden stressed police must be allowed to examine and search computers or internet-enabled devices at Lehd's home. He warned that any evidence of browser histories being cleared will be considered a breach of the release terms. Geraldine Finucane, widow of murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, accompanied by her sons John (right) and Michael yesterday The family of murdered solicitor Pat Finucane repeated their demands for a public inquiry after the UK's highest court ruled that an effective investigation into his death has not been carried out. Mr Finucane was shot dead in front of his family in north Belfast in February 1989 by loyalists in an attack found to have involved collusion. It became one of the most notorious killings of the Troubles. His widow Geraldine claimed the Government had unlawfully "reneged" on a promise to hold a public inquiry into the killing when former Prime Minister David Cameron instead ordered an independent review. Yesterday the Supreme Court in London ruled that there has been no "effective investigation" into Mr Finucane's murder, and that previous inquiries had not complied with the Finucane family's human rights. But the court also found that while Mrs Finucane had been given "an unequivocal undertaking" that there would be a public inquiry into the murder, the Government was justified in later deciding against holding one. Afterwards, Mrs Finucane said: "This is a historic moment. I stand before you today outside the United Kingdom Supreme Court with one simple message: we won." She added: "The British Government now knows that it cannot conceal the truth any longer. They have now been told this by the highest court in the land. "It is time for the murder of Pat Finucane to be properly and publicly investigated in a public inquiry. Nothing less will suffice." Mr Finucane's son John said: "Today is a very significant victory along the road of our campaign for truth and justice." His brother Michael added: "This is no longer just a campaign of moral force. This is now a campaign that has the force of law. "It is not an option for the Government to ignore our call for a public inquiry anymore. It should never have been an option, but it is one that they chose to push to its absolute limit. We have reached the limit." Peter Madden of Madden & Finucane Solicitors said: "We say that the only possible process which can establish the full circumstances of Pat's murder is by the establishment of a full public judicial inquiry which possesses the full range of powers which the flawed processes such as the de Silva review clearly lacked." Pressure for a public inquiry also came from political parties and human rights organisations yesterday. Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International's Northern Ireland programme director, said: "Today's decision should bring to an end 30 years of shameful failure by the UK Government to deliver the public inquiry which they promised long ago. "It is vital for public confidence in the rule of law that the Government now moves swiftly to establish an independent public inquiry following the ruling of the Supreme Court." Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald called the judgment a watershed moment in the campaign for truth and justice. "The withholding of information on the part of the British Government and the disregard shown to victims in the courts is a feature of many other cases, also - this must stop," she said. Ms McDonald's statement came after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the chamber during Leader's Questions in the Dail that he and his deputy Simon Coveney would urge Theresa May to do the "honourable thing" and hold an inquiry. Mr Coveney, the Republic's Foreign Minister, said the Irish Government position remains "that an independent public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane should be established, in line with commitments made by British and Irish Governments at Weston Park, 2001." A child protection expert said reports of a potentially deadly "suicide game" said to be targeting Northern Ireland children are either "fake" or "grossly exaggerated". On Thursday a string of charities, including the NSPCC, the Samaritans and the UK Safer Internet Centre dismissed the reports as a "hoax". YouTube said claims it appeared on its platform were false saying content of that nature would be removed. However, Jim Gamble said the advice on managing online risks to children were "spot on" from the PSNI and parents should be aware of them and how to encourage their children to identify and deal with them. "If this isn't fake news - and I am not entirely sure it is fake - then it is grossly exaggerated," Mr Gamble said. "Some fact-checking at an early point would have shown at the very worst this is grossly exaggerated. So it is a lesson in managing fake or exaggerated news." Over the weekend the PSNI sent out a Northern Ireland-wide alert to warn parents of the potential dangers of the so-called "suicide challenge game". It said a creepy character appeared in apparently harmless looking videos and issued a set of demands warning not to tell parents and of the possibility of a curse if instructions were not followed. One officer posting on the Craigavon Facebook page said he had watched footage saying there was "no disputing" the content was "horrendous". Expand Close Child protection expert Jim Gamble / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Child protection expert Jim Gamble Read More The officer encouraged parents not to focus solely on the character of Momo but instead the potential dangers the online world presented, or that peer pressure can pose to young children. "In 2017 it was 'Blue Whale', now it's 'Momo'. There'll be something else next," the officer added. The PSNI has always stated it had no reports made directly to it of the character appearing. Charities, including the NSPCC, the Samaritans and the UK Safer Internet Centre dismissed the reports as a "hoax". YouTube said claims it appeared on its platform were false saying content of that nature would be removed. Read More Former police officer Jim Gamble worked on researching the 'Blue Whale' phenomena and found that instead of the hundreds of child suicides cases it was said to be responsible for, there were just two linked cases. He said he had seen other credible law enforcement agencies spread warnings of the Momo challenge and not just the PSNI. "The police are damned if they do and damned if they don't," he added, "we are all learning lessons here. It is important for law enforcement to get prevention messages out as soon as possible. "In child protection you want to pause, think and consider the consequences of your actions and then plan what to do. "I'm sure the police will pause and reflect and they are good at that. They are alert to these issues and 99 times out of 100 they do the right thing." He added: "There is a positive in that you can use it as a mechanism in a constructive and positive way. You can address the issue with children and let them unpack what they already know and then educate them on what they need to do. "You don't want to build on the curiosity - curiosity killed the cat. Sometimes it may sound basic.. but it is back to basics we need sometime. "Ask children would they know what to do if they see something that concerns them or if they felt something wasn't right - and say to them 'you can always talk to me'. Parents and carers may not know much about technology, but they know a lot about life. "The Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland, police and schools need to work on a single coherent message and make sure they highlight concerns responsibly and they provide an action plan. What to look for and what to do if there is a problem." The PSNI said they were committed to keeping people safe both online and in the real world. British Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington and Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney have held constructive talks in Dublin as the Brexit deadline looms. The meeting took place at Government Buildings in Dublin on Thursday afternoon. It lasted about 60 minutes. A spokesman for Mr Coveney described the meeting as constructive. He said Mr Coveney and Mr Lidington had held a detailed exchange on the political situation in Westminster. The Tanaiste made clear the EU position that the Withdrawal Agreement would not be reopened and that there is only one EU negotiator, Michel Barnier, in Brussels, the spokesman said. He added that Mr Coveney had discussed the Irish governments desire to reassure Westminster that if the backstop ever were to be used, it would only apply unless and until it was replaced by alternative arrangements. Issues relating to Northern Ireland were also discussed. The spokesman said: They discussed the urgent need for devolved administration in Stormont through a new talks process for all the parties. He added that the ministers had agreed to stay in touch in the days and weeks ahead. Speaking ahead of the meeting Mr Coveney said the talks were not in any way a bilateral negotiation on the UKs withdrawal from the EU. Mr Coveney said the meeting had been arranged at Mr Lidingtons request. The real negotiation will happen in Brussels and thats very clear, Mr Coveney said. He made the comments at an event at University College Dublin to launch the Irish Governments new foreign aid policy. Mr Coveney said there was little he could say about Brexit that Mr Lidington had not already heard, but the EU may provide an addition to the Withdrawal Agreement to give some assurance to the UK Government. The British Prime Minister will try to get ratification from her Parliament for any final deal, he said. Expand Close Simon Coveney (Brian Lawless/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Simon Coveney (Brian Lawless/PA) I think the EU parliament wants to work with the UK to try to give the reassurance and clarification to get that done, particularly around the protocol on Ireland and the Irish backstop, he said. The EU has made it very clear though that theyre not going to reopen the Withdrawal Agreement in terms of text. So what theyll be providing will be an addition to that, but in a way that doesnt undermine the meaning of that text which I think is very important from an Irish perspective. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) Asked whether it would be a legally binding addition, he replied: Lets wait and see what the negotiating teams work on. The Prison Service has issued an alert after a life-sentence prisoner went on the run. William Robert Martin did not return to Maghaberry on Thursday after he was allowed out for unescorted pre-release training. He is serving a life sentence for murder. The 48-year-old is 1.73m tall with brown eyes and grey hair. As well as numerous scars he has a number of tattoos on his arms including a 'do or die' marking on his upper right arm. At this time we are focused on returning him to custody and we would ask anyone with information to contact the PSNI on 101 immediately, said a Prison Service spokesman. There are eight people on the run from prison with the longest dating back to May 2002. Three have been convicted of murder. A Co Armagh woman was yesterday ordered to stand trial accused of attempted murder. Sharon Brenda Buick (53) is accused of trying to kill Philip McParland on August 1 last year. She is also charged with wounding Mr McParland with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm and threatening to kill her alleged victim on the same date. At a Preliminary Enquiry at Craigavon Magistrates Court, Buick, from Victoria Street Place, Lurgan, confirmed she understood the charges. A prosecuting lawyer submitted there was a Prima Facie case against her. Defence counsel Damien Halleron said he had no contrary submissions. Freeing Buick on continuing bail, District Judge Bernie Kelly ordered her to appear at Craigavon Crown Court for her arraignment on April 4. The daughter of a musician who was murdered 14 years ago says the death of one of the men convicted of his killing has brought back painful memories. But Catherine Gilchrist also fears the death of Daryl Quigley, whose body was found in a Ballymena hostel last Sunday, is just the latest example of the failure of mental health services here. Her dad Jim was attacked as he cycled home from a motorcycle club meeting in Londonderry in September 2005. The 62-year-old father-of-five and grandfather was a respected blues musician. He was still alive when he was dumped into the River Foyle, where his body was found a day later. Quigley (32), one of four men sentenced over the killing, was found dead in the Simon Community hostel at Henry Street in Ballymena. Quigley, along with Daniel Young, was found guilty of the manslaughter of the musician in 2008 and sentenced to 10 years in jail. He was freed after serving three years. Anthony Fahy was convicted of the murder of Mr Gilchrist, while a fourth man admitted forging Mr Gilchrist's stolen cheques and was put on probation for one year. Since his release in 2011 Quigley had appeared in court several times charged with a range of offences. Earlier this month a court in Coleraine was told that Quigley had had a "spiritual awakening" in prison after his stepfather's death. Police said on Tuesday night, following a post-mortem examination, his death was not being treated as suspicious. Almost 14 years since the murder of her father, Catherine a mental health worker, said news of Quigley's death had left her family with mixed emotions. "It's very confusing," she explained. "We don't really know what to think, but what we want to do as a family is keep our dignity. "It's sad all-round. Another family is grieving, but this does bring back memories for us all. "A lot of things we had maybe locked away in our minds have been brought back to the surface, but we're lucky that we're a close family who support each other. We've had to be that way. "Mummy and daddy brought us up in a caring, supportive environment. "We're lucky that way, lucky to have such a beautiful mum and have had such a wonderful dad. "You never really have such a thing as closure when someone you love is taken away in the way my daddy was. "My mummy does struggle at times, that's only natural. "You never really get over something like that. "But we have all been there to look after, she knows we will always stick together. "Of course there are thoughts in your mind that at least he can't harm anyone else now." She added: "But his death says more about the support system out there for people who may suffer from mental health issues. "We know he was in and out of trouble in the last few years, in a downward spiral. "It's left me asking what support was there for him? Is there a failure in support on mental health, drugs and alcohol issues? "You ask yourself how can anyone live a normal life after doing what they did to my daddy. It must be hard to live with yourself. "It's a tough enough world, and today another family is grieving like we did, but was the support there?" A 27-year-old man arrested on suspicion of robbery and assault occasioning actual bodily harm at the Simon Community Hostel in Ballymena on Sunday has since been released on bail pending further enquiries, the PSNI said. A boy of mixed race who claimed he suffered racial discrimination after he was asked to leave a Currys PC World store in Northern Ireland has received a 3,000 payout. The boy said he was embarrassed and singled out after the alleged incident at the branch in Co Down. His mother claimed that when she complained to staff, reference was made to other "blacks" causing trouble and damaging items in the store. The boy said he still believes the alleged incident happened because of his race. He then took a case, supported by the Equality Commission, which was settled by DSG Retail Limited, operators of Currys PC World, without admission of liability. Neither the boy or the location of the store have been identified. The boy described how he went into the store to buy a wireless keyboard, while his mother waited outside. He recalled that while walking around the store he was approached by a member of staff and asked to leave. This happened several times. The boy explained why he was in the shop and asked why he should leave, but no explanation was given. He was followed and closely observed as he selected and paid for the keyboard and left the store. Recalling the experience, he said: "I don't think I've ever been as embarrassed, being singled out like this. When I got back to the car I was really upset and told my mum that I was never going into a shop again." The boy's mother challenged the people in the store and later complained on the phone to a man who said he was the local manager, but says she did not get a satisfactory response. She alleged that reference was made to other "blacks" having caused trouble and damaged items in the store. "I thought then, and I still think now, that this happened because of my race," the boy added. "Afterwards I was very anxious and was afraid to go out, particularly into shops or into town." Dr Michael Wardlow, chief commissioner of the Equality Commission, said: "For any 13-year-old child it would be troubling and upsetting to be told to leave a store, followed and observed closely as he made his purchase," he said. "To feel, as this young boy did, that he was singled out and treated unfairly because of his race, while out shopping in his home town, made this particularly traumatic." He added: "Assumptions made about people, based on stereotypes, simply because of the colour of their skin, can result in unfair and hurtful treatment which can make a damaging impact on a person's self-esteem and self-confidence." In addition to paying 3,000 the company has undertaken to liaise with the Equality Commission to review their equal opportunity policies, practices and procedures. It pledged to implement any reasonable recommendations the commission makes, including race awareness training for their staff. Currys PC World's parent company Dixons Carphone said: "Our customers and colleagues should feel respected in our stores and places of work at all times and we do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. "The complaint dates back to 2016 and, since the involvement of the Equality Commission in 2017, we have worked with them to update our equality and diversity policy and taken on board their recommendations." The UK government cannot make changes to Northern Ireland's abortion laws, a parliamentary committee has heard. However, a government minister suggested that action may be taken after a case at the High Court ends. Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Karen Bradley said she did not have the power to enforce legislative changes to the region's strict laws because the Northern Ireland institutions were not suspended, even though they have not functioned in two years. "They exist. They could come into being tomorrow if the parties chose that they wish to go back into power-sharing," she said. "Because of that, I, as Secretary of State, have no executive powers to direct the civil servants, the officials in Northern Ireland." Ms Bradley was giving evidence to the Commons Women and Equalities Committee about abortion law in Northern Ireland alongside Women and Equalities Minister Penny Mordaunt. The UK Cabinet ministers were questioned about breaches of women's human rights as a result of the law, and other evidence heard during the inquiry so far. Ms Bradley said she understood that people were "frustrated" by the situation but she said it was the reality of the legal position. "We have not had a declaration of incompatibility [with human rights] in a court judgment and, therefore, there is no obligation on the UK government or the UK Parliament to take action that makes sure we comply as the body that is responsible for upholding human rights." She added that she was focused on the restoration of the devolved institutions, which she described as the "most appropriate way" to bring about change to the laws. An abortion is only permitted in Northern Ireland if a woman's life is at risk or if there is a risk of permanent and serious damage to her physical and mental health. The 1967 Abortion Act, which governs the rest of the UK, was not extended to Northern Ireland. With High Court proceedings to change the law currently ongoing, Ms Mordaunt said that the UK government was "awaiting a ruling" before taking action. "If there's a declaration of incompatibility [with human rights], that would be helpful to a particular course of action," she said. "When you have had a declaration, the UK government has acted." Maura McCallion of the Office of the Attorney General for Northern Ireland told the committee that it was the Attorney General's view that no action was required at the moment. "Our law is different from what it was in the Republic of Ireland before laws were changed there," Ms McCallion said. "Our law does allow for people to have an abortion when their life is at risk, so it shouldn't be that someone's life is at risk because an abortion has not been offered to them." But the committee heard that if the law was clear then Cabinet minsters would not be before a committee in Westminster discussing the matter. Ms Mordaunt said she believed there was "something wrong" when a 12-year-old rape victim from Northern Ireland has to travel to Liverpool for a termination and has to be accompanied by police officers in order to gain DNA evidence, as in the recent case of a young girl. She added that typically if there were failings in hospital care in a devolved country, systems would "kick in" to rectify the matter, but she said "because this is not regulated as a healthcare issue, it's regulated as a criminal issue, those things do not kick in". Police have arrested ten people following a series of drug related searches over the last month in west Belfast. Officers recovered suspected class A and B drugs, along side money, other drugs and drug related paraphernalia, during 15 searches in the west of the city. Chief Inspector Gary Reid said: On a daily basis, police, our emergency service and partner agency colleagues deal with the impact of people taking illegal drugs or misusing prescription medication or other chemical products. Our view on drugs is very clear. Drug and substance abuse brings misery to individuals, families and communities. We are trying to prevent this from happening, but we need the help and support from the local community if we are to be successful. We understand that at times, whenever people provide information, sometimes it may look like we arent doing anything with it. I want to reassure the community, that we never disregard any information provided. Sometimes it can be the last part of the jigsaw which informs operational activity. Sometimes it can be the starting point of a longer term investigation. Thanks in part to information from the public, over the last month in West Belfast alone, we have made ten arrests in relation to a number of drug related incidents from possession, to possession with intent to supply." CI Reid appealed to the public to continue to supply information to the PSNI in order to tackle the scourge of drug dealers in Northern Ireland. We are asking for your continued support and co-operation in tackling this problem through the criminal justice system," the senior officer said. Our message is clear and simple: if you see or know of anyone who is dealing drugs in your local area, then contact your local police on 101 or alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 and pass on any details that you may have. Northern Ireland's Department of Justice has announced an initiative to speed up legacy inquest arrangements and deal with outstanding cases. It comes after money was allocated to fund a new initiative in the Northern Ireland budget for the forthcoming year. Stormont officials estimate it will costs around 55m over six years to implement proposals developed by the Lord Chief Justice in 2016. At the end of last year the Northern Ireland Courts Service said 44 inquests - some of which involve multiple deaths - had been delayed with more under consideration. It's thought around 80 people could be involved including some of the most controversial killings of the Troubles. A 150 million package to deal with legacy issues was agreed at Stormont House talks in 2015 but not released until a way to deal with the past was agreed. In 2016 the Lord Chief Justice announced a radical plan to deal with the backlog saying all cases could be dealt with within five years providing the funding was made available. A new Legacy Inquest Unit will be set up within the Coroners Service to process legacy inquests, under the remit of the Lord Chief Justice. This will be supported by additional officials from the PSNI, Public Prosecution Service and other justice agencies. It has been given a six-year timescale to reflect the need to build up capacity and the complexity of the outstanding legacy inquest cases. Peter May, permanent secretary of the Department of Justice, said: The delays in progressing legacy inquests have been unacceptable to families involved and to the justice system. In the Hughes Judicial Review judgment, the Court ruled that progress on securing funding for legacy inquests should not be linked with agreement on the overall legacy package but taken forward as a separate issue. This initiative takes account of that judgment and will support a significant expansion of capacity to clear the outstanding legacy inquests over the next six years. Welcoming the support his department had received in progressing the reform programme, Mr May added: I am grateful to both the Lord Chief Justice for developing his proposals to reform legacy inquest process and to the Department of Finance for agreeing to the business case to bring this programme into operation. Alliance leader Naomi Long has said she believes her party will win support in May's council elections from SDLP voters disillusioned with its new partnership with Fianna Fail. Mrs Long also told the Belfast Telegraph she hopes Alliance can break through the 10% vote barrier in the poll. She was speaking ahead of Alliance's annual conference in Belfast this weekend. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is due to address a dinner to open the conference tomorrow night. The Alliance leader said an independent chair must be immediately brought in to drive talks to restore devolution and if it became clear that no progress was possible, then the government must pull the plug on Stormont. She said the pay of MLAs in parties which didn't positively engage in a fresh round of dialogue should be stopped. An independent chair was needed more than ever because the parties were "running rings" around Secretary of State Karen Bradley (below), she added. Alliance secured a 7% vote and had 32 councillors elected in the 2014 local government poll. Mrs Long said she believed it would improve on that performance and also increase its vote west of the Bann. "This election offers an opportunity for us to break through the 10% barrier," she said. "While I'm certainly not taking it for granted, it is entirely possible. "We face the challenges of a quite polarised community, yet I do detect a mood for change out there with people willing to countenance doing something different and voting Alliance." Mrs Long believed her party could benefit from the SDLP's new partnership with Fianna Fail which is opposed by some of its councillors and by high-profile south Belfast MLA Claire Hanna. "I don't fully understand what benefit - apart from resources - that the link up with Fianna Fail brings to the SDLP," she said. "The two parties ethos seems quite different. They don't share the same values and vision. The new arrangement means the SDLP are losing a senior councillor in Tim Attwood, and one of their most effective MLAs opposes it. Alliance could pick up votes from disillusioned SDLP voters, particularly in urban constituencies." Alliance currently has no councillors in Derry and Strabane, Fermanagh and Omagh, and Mid-Ulster district councils. Mrs Long said: "Since becoming leader, I've put a lot of energy into focussing on developing the party west of the Bann. "For the first time in 20 years, we are running candidates in every DEA (District Electoral Area) in Derry and Strabane. They are credible candidates who live and work locally. "I am hopeful that our work will result in an increased vote share outside the Greater Belfast area and that we will take a seat in Omagh." Mrs Long said her party's candidates shared the public's "frustration and anger" at the political stalemate at Stormont. It's understood the Alliance leader had a "robust exchange" with Sinn Fein during roundtable discussions convened by Secretary of State Karen Bradley a fortnight ago to try to kickstart the talks. Mrs Long was reportedly critical of preconditions aired by Mary Lou McDonald's party. She said: "There is no point harking back to what happened or didn't happen with a deal last February. That is past and gone, and finger-pointing gets us nowhere. Both Sinn Fein and the DUP must move forward with an open mind intent on finding solutions." The Alliance leader said an independent chair for the talks was desperately needed. "They could judge whether all the parties were genuinely engaging in the process and if they believe that they're not, then the salaries of MLAs of the parties not constructively engaging could be stopped. "If the parties just end up talking round the houses, the independent chair could present them with what they believe is a fair accommodation. "If the parties don't agree to that accommodation then the chair would be able to make the call that there was no realistic chance of getting Stormont up and running again, and we could end this political drift." Mrs Long added: "We clearly need somebody to drive the process forward. Karen Bradley's hands are tied due to parliamentary arithmetic. The big parties are running rings around her and the people of northern Ireland are suffering because of it." Sinn Fein received over a third of all party political donations in Northern Ireland in the last quarter of 2018. Figures published by the Electoral Commission show nine parties registered in Northern Ireland reported a total of 344,278 in donations and public funds between October 1 and December 21, 2018. This was 45,971 less than the previous quarter, between July 1 and September 30, 2018 (390,249). All political parties are required to record the donations and loans they receive over the value of 500, check they are from a permissible source, and report larger donations and loans to the Electoral Commission. The report shows that Sinn Fein pulled in the most funding during the last quarter of 2018, public funds of 80,185, bolstered by donations of 45,349. Sinn Fein's total came after individual donations from MLAs Fra McCann, Linda Dillon, Declan Kearney, Caoimhe Archibald, Gerry Kelly and Conor Murphy, and another from Martina Anderson MEP. The party's overall funding total of 125,534 was more than 10,000 ahead of the DUP, which relied on 113,413 of public funding. No other donations were declared. Indeed, none of the unionist parties in Northern Ireland received donations, according to the report. The Ulster Unionist Party's total of 23,237 and the TUV's 6,831 came from public funding alone, with neither party receiving any individual donations. The Alliance Party received 25,604 - the third highest figure of the Northern Ireland political parties - including a 7,500 donation. The SDLP pocketed 19,360, all from public funds. People Before Profit registered a total of 10,723, with 4,000 of that from a donation from Gerry Carroll MLA. The Green Party received 11,655 in public funds, while all of the NI Conservative and Unionist Party's total of 7,920 came from a single donation. One party - the Veterans and People's Party - failed to meet the deadline for reporting donations and loans for the quarter. The commission said it will consider this matter in line with its enforcement policy and publish any sanctions applied at a later date. Sinn Fein also reported a new credit facility of 300,000. "The political party donations and loans data that we have published allows voters to clearly see how parties in Northern Ireland are funded," said Ann Watt, Head of the Electoral Commission in Northern Ireland. "This transparency helps to enhance public confidence and trust in our democratic process." Public funds include donations from the House of Commons, the House of Lords, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Electoral Commission. Other permissible sources can include individuals on the UK electoral register, Irish citizens, or UK or Irish companies. Any donation to the central party with a value over 7,500 must be reported to the Electoral Commission on a quarterly basis. The party must also report any donations to accounting units over 1,500. A full breakdown of funding for all UK political parties is available on the Electoral Commission website. A former schoolboy who filmed up the skirts of two of his teachers has said he will regret his "horrible" actions for the rest of his life. Timothy Boomer (18), a former pupil of Enniskillen Royal School, was yesterday found guilty of five charges of committing acts that outraged public decency. The images were taken on dates between February 2015 and September 2016, when the defendant was aged 14 and 15. Three of the five charges related to one woman, and the remainder to the second. While the case was heard last month at Strabane Youth Court, judgment was reserved, with the ruling issued yesterday at Enniskillen Youth Court. The court heard the facts were not disputed, but he denied his conduct amounted to criminal activity. Boomer, who is no longer at the school, will be sentenced next month. Afterwards, he said: "I am deeply sorry for the distress, worry and pain I have brought about by my actions. "I want to express my regret and remorse for the hurt I have caused to my teachers. It was a wrong, horrible thing to do and at that age I stupidly and wrongly thought it was a daredevil prank, which I genuinely meant no harm by. "I recognise how wrong I was and that my actions have had a devastating impact on my teachers and also my parents, and family. My regrets will be with me for the rest of my life." A defending lawyer described the activity as "a childish prank" and "teenage bravado". The prosecution, however, argued "upskirting" has on many occasions been found to amount to an act to outrage public decency. The defence argued there is currently no actual offence of "upskirting" in Northern Ireland and accepted "an identifiable need" for law around this activity is required. But he maintained the prosecution were "trying to shoehorn the facts of this case into the current unsatisfactory state of the law". Legislation states an act of a lewd, obscene and disgusting nature must happen in a public place with the possibility persons might witness the activity. The prosecution dismissed Boomer's motivation behind the "gross and humiliating attack on the two ladies" while in their workplace. The defence argued a school is not a place of general public access and, as such, the prosecution case was not proven. With submissions concluded, the youth panel hearing the case adjourned. On return to Enniskillen Youth Court yesterday, Boomer was again not present, but both victims attended, supported by their union, the NASUWT. Handing down guilty verdicts on all counts, the judge said he and the panel held the images were "lewd, obscene and disgusting". Drawing on the issue on the school being a public place, the judge ruled that, although access would be restricted, it was not to the same element as privacy in a home setting. He said that teachers and pupils did form members of the general public and the school was a public place. The NASUWT welcomed the verdicts and called for legislation to create an offence of upskirting in criminal law. Its general secretary Chris Keates said: "Our members have had to endure not only the violation of knowing that a pupil took intimate images of them while they were teaching, but also several years of anxious delay before this case could be brought to court. "It was only due to the persistence of the NASUWT and the strength and resolve of the members that it did so at all. "We very much welcome today's verdict which will hopefully provide the teachers with a sense of closure and allow them to move on from these distressing events. "It also sends out a clear message to pupils that engaging in such degrading behaviour is completely unacceptable." A spokesperson for Enniskillen Royal School said it would not be appropriate to comment. The IRA planted two bombs in 1974 which ripped through the Tavern in the Town and nearby Mulberry Bush pubs (PA) A survivor of the 1974 IRA Birmingham pub bombings told an inquest how he helped wounded victims and escaped by crawling through a hole blasted in the wall. David Grafton, then 20, was at the bar of the basement Tavern In The Town pub when he was knocked flat by a 30lb (13.5kg) high explosive bomb, planted just yards from where he stood. Mr Grafton, who was meeting a friend at the pub for a pint, also told an inquest jury how he had just raised his glass off the bar when there was a "flash" followed by "total blackness". Hearings are under way into the deaths of the 21 victims killed in the blasts, after a 44-year wait for the bereaved families. Opening the inquests the earlier this week, coroner Sir Peter Thornton QC told jurors they would hear evidence of how the two bombs ripped apart the pubs on what was a "perfectly ordinary evening". The devices, detonating in "massive explosions" just minutes apart inside the Mulberry Bush and the Tavern In The Town, brought "devastation", jurors heard. Mr Grafton, who worked for a steel fabricators in West Bromwich, West Midlands, at the time, had arranged to meet his friend John in the pub, on New Street. On the night of November 21 1974, he walked through the pub's main entrance at street level and down the steps, describing it as "lively" and a "good pub, with a good atmosphere". Mr Grafton said it was "very busy" that night, but as his friend had not yet arrived, he went and spoke to another acquaintance, Maxine Hambleton. Miss Hambleton was out with her friend Jane Davis that night, and had worked at Pontins, in Weston-super-Mare with Mr Grafton. Expand Close The IRA's bomb killed 21 people in the Mulberry Bush and Town in the Tavern pubs in Birmingham in 1974 (PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The IRA's bomb killed 21 people in the Mulberry Bush and Town in the Tavern pubs in Birmingham in 1974 (PA) The pair chatted until Mr Grafton's friend got there, so he left Miss Hambleton and went to the bar. Neither Miss Hambleton nor Miss Davis survived the "violent detonation". Giving evidence on Thursday, Mr Grafton marked on a floorplan where he had last seen Miss Hambleton, just a few feet away from where the bomb would go off. Mr Grafton said: "I ordered drinks for John. "I picked up my drink and the bomb went off." He added: "I had actually picked the pint glass up and the bomb went off. "There was like a bright flash of light and a boom, and the next thing I know I'm lying on the floor, not knowing where I was. "Total blackness, quiet, not a sound. "Then screaming and pandemonium." He said: "People screaming, just literally panic. "People screaming in pain. "The whole room was just chaos. Total chaos." Getting up off his back, he was surrounded by rubble where the bomb had demolished the back wall of the pub, near the jukebox, where his friend had been sitting. The hole led through to the basement of the nearby HMV record shop. With ears ringing and struggling to see through the dust, Mr Grafton made his way towards the debris searching for John. He said: "I assumed he must be under it, because he was right behind me." Clambering through the rubble, he said "as I was trying to climb up, a woman shouted 'help'. "She shouted 'help me, please' and I pushed her up the rubble. "And another said 'help me, help me' because I was right by the sort of hole. "So people were just saying 'please, help me'." He continued helping others escape until a man with a candle came towards him and said they had to get out as there might be another bomb. As he went through the gap in the wall, on the other side, "I saw John. He was the first person I saw", he said. Outside, on street level, the injured were gathering or being carried to the Magnum hotel, opposite. Some of the injuries Mr Grafton saw were "awful", but he only suffered perforated ear drums which healed in time, he told jurors. "I was very lucky," he added. A jury was shown an expert report written just after the incident, on the make-up of the bomb, hearing evidence it had contained "a huge amount of explosive" similar to that used in quarries. So violent was the detonation, it blasted a 3ft by 3ft crater through the pub's 10-inch thick concrete flooring, brought down the ceiling and flung debris up the stairs out onto the street. Two fishing boats from Northern Ireland have been impounded for fishing in the Republic's territorial waters. (Niall Carson/PA) Two fishing boats from Northern Ireland have been impounded for fishing in the Republic's territorial waters. The Garda confirmed the vessels were detained in Dundalk Bay at around 11am yesterday. "An Irish naval vessel the LE Orla detained two UK-registered boats fishing in Dundalk Bay," the Garda said. "They were escorted to Port Oriel, Clogher Head, where they were detained by gardai under the 2006 Fisheries Act. "A detention order was issued at Dundalk district court for 48 hours in respect of both vessels." Unionist councillor Henry Reilly called for the Kilkeel vessels and their crews to be released. "It is scandalous that the Irish authorities can be so blatant in administering double standards and blocking UK fishermen from fishing in their waters while the UK allows Irish-registered vessels to take thousands of tonnes of fish from our waters," he said. He also demanded the return of an agreement for "mutual fishing rights in British Isles waters or the UK must act to stop Irish vessels entering our waters". Two men charged with attempted murder over an alleged kicking and stamping attack in west Belfast have won a High Court battle to avoid wearing electronic tags. Mark McGrann, 35, and Sean Megaw, 30, successfully appealed a decision to include monitoring devices as part of their bail conditions. They are accused of being part of the attack on a man after he was ejected from premises on September 28 last year. Robin Steer, prosecuting, claimed the victim sustained a head injury after being kicked and stamped on while on the ground. Based on CCTV footage, a previous court was told the man received more than 40 blows in a 14-second period. At the time police and the prosecution described it as a paramilitary-style assault. Due to reporting restrictions the exact location is not being disclosed. McGrann, of Old Colin, and Megaw, from Brians Well Grove - both in the Dunmurry area of Belfast - are among four men jointly charged with attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent. The pair were granted bail at Belfast Magistrates' Court earlier this week. But they mounted a High Court appeal against having to wear electronic tags as part of their release terms. Mr Steer argued that it was a proportionate condition to ensure both men comply with bail. But defence counsel Sean Devine, representing Megaw, responded that the device should only be imposed if deemed necessary. He told the court the accused is a carpet fitter and father-of-five. "It isn't suggested my client is some sort of weekend warrior who is prone to unpredictable behaviour, and that (a tag) is needed to counter the risk to the public," Mr Devine said. Mr Justice McAlinden ruled that the additional interference with an accused's rights to family and private life can only be justified if there is evidence that a curfew will not be complied with. Removing the requirement for the monitoring device, he added: "If they are not prepared to agree to the application of tags then they must, as a direct consequence, face the possibility of a police officer coming to the door at a certain time of night to ascertain if they are present or not." A Co Antrim couple have been left terrified for their safety after graffiti was daubed outside their home telling them they have "24 hours to get out". The threatening message appeared outside the couple's home on Tuesday evening. The names of the couple and the area they live have not been revealed, as they fear for their safety. The mother of the woman who lives at the rented property, speaking to the Nolan Show, said the couple may have been targeted because they have "Catholic sounding names". On @StephenNolan today - A county Antrim couple given 24 hours to get out of their home slam the police's response https://t.co/vOdRknKod4 03030805555 81771 nolan@bbc.co.uk pic.twitter.com/2uQNIUCvL7 The Nolan Show, BBC (@BBCNolan) February 28, 2019 The mother said: "My daughter and her partner left their home to go and get some coffee. They were away from home, it was a very short amount of time and came back to find the front of their home had been spray painted with their names telling them that they had 24 hours to get out of the property. "They called the police, 999, because they were so terrified, they did not know what had happened, they did not know where it had come from and the police actually took one hour to respond to a 999." The worried mum said the couple live in a "very Protestant area" but they have names that could be perceived as Catholic. "They are not Catholic," she said. They have been left very vulnerable. The police came out and said there was really nothing they could do. Worried mum "They advised them to go outside and scrub the paint off themselves, saying there was no one else that could do that for them. They didn't offer them any extra protection whatsoever." "This is night time, they have had a threat, they don't know where it has come from and they are telling them to stand outside and scrub out paint, totally unprotected." The mum said the couple arrived home at around 10.15pm on Tuesday and that police officers arrived at the property at around 11.15pm. She said the couple were given a booklet with information on self protection and asked if they had anywhere else to go for the night. "It seems to me that we are in a lawless society, you can do whatever you like," she said. "They are trying to get on with their lives, but it seems they can't do so and that there is no one to protect them. I would see this as a hate crime. I think it deserves more recognition than it is getting." The couple have been too scared to remove the graffiti from outside their home. A PSNI spokesperson said police in Newtownabbey received a report that graffiti indicating two named individuals should leave the area had been sprayed on the pavement outside a group of flats on Tuesday. The report was received at 10.37pm and officers attended the scene at 11.18pm. Superintendent Sue Steen, Antrim and Newtownabbey District Commander, said: The couple were spoken to by officers in their home and provided advice and guidance with regard to their personal safety. A trawl for local CCTV has been carried out, along with a search of the area. "At this time no motive has been established. Local officers were tasked to provide increased passing attention to the area, and the local Neighbourhood Policing Team has been made aware. Police are continuing with their enquiries to determine a motive and would appeal to anyone with any information to contact them on 101. Whilst the removal of graffiti is not a matter for Police, we will continue to work with Partner Agencies to ensure it is removed as quickly as possible. The DUP's Brexit spokesperson Sammy Wilson has said his party could back Prime Minister Theresa May's deal if they were given legal assurances the Irish border backstop would be time-limited. However he rejected claims that the position marked a change in his party's Brexit policy. Read More The East Antrim MP told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme that his party had always said that the backstop, binding Northern Ireland to the EU for as long as the EU decides, would not be acceptable. "We have always made it clear that taking away the legal impediment that Northern Ireland had to stay part of the EU, while the rest of the UK could leave was something that we had to achieve and something the UK Government had to get from the EU," Mr Wilson said. "Whether the government can get that or not, having given away any leverage it could have, is another matter." Speaking in the past Mr Wilson had said that his party would vote against any kind of backstop, but denied a shift in his party's policy. "It's not a shift, because the EU have said that a time-limit on the backstop means that there is no backstop at all, and that is what we have always said," the DUP's Brexit spokesperson said. Expand Close PA Graphics Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp PA Graphics "The backstop has to go, the decision as to the relationship Northern Ireland and the UK has with the EU is in the hands of the British Government." Speaking on Wednesday Jacob Rees-Mogg, chair of a group of hardline Brexiteers known as the ERG, said he would be willing to consider a more flexible approach to deal with the backstop. The prominent MP said that he may be willing to support Mrs May's deal if binding legal guarantees time limiting the backstop were included in the appendix to the Brexit withdrawal agreement, rather than the agreement itself. Mr Wilson said that the ERG's position was "no different" from the DUP's, who they have worked closely with over Brexit. "The effect is the same, it means the UK is in control of the relationship we have with the EU, it ensures that the EU cannot insist on Northern Ireland remaining part of the EU while the rest of the UK comes out and it removes the legal arrangement which is in place at present, that we are legally bound to abide by a treaty that we can't get out of," the East Antrim MP said. "It will require the legal requirements within the withdrawal agreement to no longer apply to the UK, that the UK will have the sole decision on what the relationship with the EU is in the future. "Unless there is legal change to the withdrawal agreement that stops the EU being able to dictate to the UK as and when it can leave the EU, unless that change is available we will not be supporting the agreement, nor as Jacob Rees-Mogg said, will the ERG." The backstop, aimed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland, has been a constant sticking point in Brexit negotiations. The DUP and hardline Brexiteers have argued that it could create a trade border in the Irish Sea and leave Northern Ireland tied to Brussels indefinitely. Last month MPs voted for Mrs May to seek "alternative arrangements" to the backstop in her withdrawal deal, with the EU and Irish Government remaining adamant that it was non-negotiable. As things stand the UK will leave the EU on March 29 with no-deal, however MPs are set to vote again on the PM's Brexit deal on March 12. Speaking in the House of Commons this week Mrs May said that if her deal is not passed by Parliament, she would give MPs two votes on the future of Brexit. One will be on whether MPs support a no-deal Brexit and the other will be requesting an extension to the two-year Article 50 negotiation process beyond March 29. China expressed deep concern over tensions between India and Pakistan State Councillor Wang Yi, the Chinese government's top diplomat, expressed "deep concern" over the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan on Wednesday, a Reuters report said. Wang made the comments in a telephone conversation with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, China's foreign ministry said in a statement on its website on Thursday. The statement said Qureshi telephoned Wang to inform him of the latest developments in the conflict and to express hope that China would continue to play a "constructive role" in easing tensions. Wang "reiterated his hope that both Pakistan and India will exercise restraint and earnestly fulfill their commitments to preventing the expansion of the situation," and said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the statement said. Wang's statement comes as Pakistan and India are faced with an escalation as Pakistan carried out air strikes and shot down two Indian jets, a day after Indian warplanes violated the Line of Control. The family of Clodagh Hawe have met with the Minister for Justice to discuss her murder. Cavan teacher Clodagh, 39, was killed along with her three young sons by her husband and the childrens father Alan Hawe in August 2016. Her sister Jacqueline Connolly and mother Mary Coll met with minister Charlie Flanagan on Thursday to discuss retrieving a Garda file to help them understand why Hawe, 41, killed Clodagh and Liam, 13, Niall, 11, and six year-old Ryan before taking his own life. Expand Close Alan Hawe with his wife Clodagh and their children Liam, 13, Niall, 11 and Ryan, six (family handout/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Alan Hawe with his wife Clodagh and their children Liam, 13, Niall, 11 and Ryan, six (family handout/PA) After the 90-minute meeting, the mother and sister thanked the minister for a satisfactory discussion, and said they plan to meet with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris next week. Ms Connolly said: We discussed over 10 issues that we would like reviewed following the murders, he had his officials with him and was very receptive. Were feeling very positive that changes will come from this. We have a meeting next week with the commissioner and were looking forward to hearing from Mr Harris himself. Were not in a position to comment on an inquiry at the minute but we want to say were happy with todays outcome. The family of Clodagh Hawe have thanked the Minister for Justice for meeting with them and plan to meet Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to discuss access to Clodaghs files next week. pic.twitter.com/c1ruyJADAq aoife moore. (@aoifegracemoore) February 28, 2019 Ms Coll said: Im confident now we will have access to the Garda files, which we havent been able to access before. We just want to thank the minister for such a satisfactory meeting. The minister described the meeting as lengthy but satisfactory and said he was struck by the grace and humanity of the family, who he said had been through a horrific and traumatic ordeal. Mr Flanagan said: I was very pleased to inform them of an early meeting with the Garda Commissioner to express their concerns, and a number of concerns were expressed to me in terms of legislative change, and I was very happy to receive their submission. Ive also asked my officials to report back on proposed changes to the Succession Act and coroners legislation. Expand Close Charlie Flanagan said the meeting with Clodaghs family had been satisfactory (Brian Lawless/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Charlie Flanagan said the meeting with Clodaghs family had been satisfactory (Brian Lawless/PA) Campaigners have been calling for changes to Irelands Succession Act, which currently allows the perpetrator of a spousal homicide to become the beneficiary of the couples joint assets. Mr Flanagan added: One of the issues we discussed was to establish national research on family homicide and this is something Im very keen to pursue. The family, backed by the National Womens Council of Ireland (NWCI) have called for an independent review into Clodaghs death, however the minister did not give any confirmation that he would commission such an inquiry. He said: The independent research that I commissioned will be helpful in that regard, but many of the issues that were put with me can be dealt with through my department or through Garda Commissioner and other agencies, and Id be happy to engage with them. Liverpool fans holding a sign for Sean Cox, a Liverpool fan who was attacked outside Anfield during the Uefa Champions League, Semi Final, Second Leg at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome (PA) A balaclava-clad Italian hooligan who destroyed the life of a Liverpool supporter and his family in a brutal and vicious attack ahead of a Champions League tie has been jailed for three and a half years. AS Roma supporter Simone Mastrelli, 30, picked out father-of-three Sean Cox, 53, from the Liverpool FC scarf he was wearing and knocked him unconscious to the floor with a single heavy blow to the face near to Anfield stadium. Mastrelli, a married man with children, was at the fore of a group of between 50 and 60 ultras in distinctive clothing with many covering their heads and faces, and some carrying belts in their hands as weapons. As Mr Cox, from Dunboyne in Co Meath, Ireland, lay motionless, the defendant quickly disappeared into the crowd and then removed his balaclava and hood before he callously returned to the ground and watched the first leg of the semi-final tie on April 24 last year. Expand Close Simone Mastrelli (Merseyside Police/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Simone Mastrelli (Merseyside Police/PA) He flew back to Italy the next day and remained at large until he was arrested in October and placed under house arrest following painstaking inquiries by Merseyside Police to identify his movements from CCTV footage. Mastrelli fought extradition in several appeals before he was finally brought to the UK last month. On Thursday, he was produced from custody at Preston Crown Court and pleaded guilty to unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Cox. The court heard Mr Cox was undergoing treatment at Irelands National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire for a profound brain injury which had left him unable him to communicate his needs, wants and wishes. This violent and unprovoked attacked left dad in a dire situationShauna Cox, daughter Prosecutor Keith Sutton said sales director Mr Cox was before the incident a busy husband and father of three children with a wide circle of friends and many active interests who would be unlikely to live independently again. His daughter, Shauna, 20, entered the witness box to read out a victim personal statement as Mastrelli watched on from the dock, flanked by an interpreter. She said: Before this brutal and vicious attack my dad was a fit and confident man, a man of integrity with a huge passion for life who represented everything which is good. A mentor, a proud family man with great community spirit. Expand Close Sean Coxs wife Martina (Peter Powell/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sean Coxs wife Martina (Peter Powell/PA) This violent and unprovoked attacked left dad in a dire situation. His future is uncertain. We dont know how he will progress and that really frightens us. Over the past 10 months we have spent all our time at dads bedside and have celebrated birthdays and Christmas when all we want is our dad to be home. We hope and pray every day to see improvement in our dad. The focus is on getting dad the proper care he needs. Expand Close Liverpools Georginio Wijnaldum (left) and Andy Robertson hold a banner for Liverpool fan Sean Cox (Niall Carson/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Liverpools Georginio Wijnaldum (left) and Andy Robertson hold a banner for Liverpool fan Sean Cox (Niall Carson/PA) My dad went to watch his beloved team, Liverpool, and he never came home. Sentencing, the Recorder of Preston, Judge Mark Brown, told Mastrelli: There is no doubt in my mind that you went to the stadium as a group to sort out the Liverpool supporters and in doing so you have destroyed the life of an innocent man and his family. This was on any view a dreadful offence. It has had a profound impact on Mr Cox and his family. Outside court, Mr Coxs wife Martina said: Today brings to a close to the court process. However the effects of the attack on Sean will remain with us for a lifetime. While it is pleasing to know that Mr Mastrelli will serve three-and-a-half years, he has given Sean and our family a life sentence. I would like to thank the police and all those that have been involved in the case and to all who have given us so much support. Earlier the Cox family were praised by the judge for their commitment and dedication to Mr Cox. Judge Brown said: They are facing the future with with huge courage and determination. Alison Gurden, defending, said Mastrelli was a family man himself and was distraught at the suffering he had caused. She said: He is a man who over the past few months has appreciated the impact it has had. He is a Catholic and has taken Communion since the incident. He has attended church whenever possible to try to atone. A separate count of violent disorder against Mastrelli was allowed to lie on file by the Crown Prosecution Service after it accepted his not guilty plea to the charge. Another Roma fan, Filippo Lombardi, 21, was cleared of inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Cox in October, though he was jailed for three years for violent disorder. A third man, Daniele Sciusco, 29, from Rome, admitted violent disorder ahead of the match and was jailed for two-and-a-half years in August 2018. A priest from Co Tyrone who claims he was pushed out of his US parish because he refused to cover up for another priest's sexually inappropriate behaviour with an underage boy is taking his case to the US Supreme Court A priest from Co Tyrone who claims he was pushed out of his US parish because he refused to cover up for another priest's sexually inappropriate behaviour with an underage boy is taking his case to the US Supreme Court. Fr John Gallagher (51) alleges that Bishop Gerald Barbarito and the Diocese of Palm Beach ruined his reputation and career as a priest because he reported the sexual misconduct of another cleric, Joseph Palimattom, who had come to serve in his parish, the Holy Name of Jesus, in December 2014. The Indian priest showed child abuse images to a 14-year-old parishioner, who complained about the cleric's actions in January 2015. Police believe Palimattom was grooming the teenager. The priest was later convicted of showing obscene material to a minor and served a six-month sentence. He was then deported from the US back to India. Fr Gallagher alleges that because of his whistleblowing, he was placed on medical leave by the diocese, the locks on his parochial home were changed and his belongings moved while he was in the hospital. The Diocese of Palm Beach has rejected his claims in the past. It did not respond to a request for a comment. Armed police guard the gates to the Houses of Parliament (David Mirzoeff/PA) All public entrances into Parliament are currently protected by armed guards, police have said, following recommendations by the chief coroner after the Westminster terror attack inquests. Mark Lucraft QC raised a string of concerns after ruling four members of the public and Pc Keith Palmer were unlawfully killed by terrorist Khalid Masood. The 52-year-old mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing four and seriously injuring 29, before stabbing the unarmed officer to death at the Palace of Westminster. Expand Close A plaque honouring Pc Keith Palmer has been installed at Westminsters Carriage Gates (PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A plaque honouring Pc Keith Palmer has been installed at Westminsters Carriage Gates (PA) In December, Mr Lucraft issued a detailed report on action to prevent future deaths, including stationing armed guards at the gates. Responding to the coroner on February 18, Scotland Yard said the Carriage Gates, where Pc Palmer was killed, has a static armed post and is always protected by at least two armed officers during the hours that Parliament sits. These measures were introduced after a tactical assessment made shortly after the attack on March 22, 2017. It added: The present armed policing model ensures that all open public entrances to the Parliamentary Estate are protected by armed guards when Parliament is sitting. This default position will only be able to be challenged by a chief superintendent or officer of a higher rank. The Met also responded to a recommendation that instructions to officers taking up posts inside the Parliamentary Estate be checked to ensure their consistency. Expand Close Khalid Masood mowed down pedestrians, killing four people, on Westminster Bridge before attacking Pc Palmer (Met Police/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Khalid Masood mowed down pedestrians, killing four people, on Westminster Bridge before attacking Pc Palmer (Met Police/PA) It said: To the extent that there was uncertainty and a lack of precision in the wording of a small number of post instructions relating, for example, to phrases such as short patrol, this has been addressed and such wording is no longer used. Among the multiple recommendations were calls for lone actor or multi-actor marauding attacks to be included in officers training. The Met said this was already covered but it is discussing the recommendation with its firearms command and the National Police Chiefs Council. In a separate submission, the Government responded to the coroners calls that intelligence agencies should consider if it is practicable and beneficial to log its reasons when making a decision to close down a subject of interest. Masood was closed as a subject of interest in December 2010. The security service said improvements to the subject of interest process were made in 2018 and current practice ensures that a record is made of the details why the individual should be closed. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) The Government also revealed a voluntary scheme was introduced in December 2018 after the coroner recommended a code of practice on checks to be carried out before vehicles are hired. The Rental Vehicle Security Scheme was designed to develop a security culture in the vehicle hire industry and support deterrence and potential detection of those seeking to use rental vehicles in attacks. The Department for Transport scheme ensures licence verification checks are made before vehicles are handed over and staff are trained to identify suspicious behaviour. The scheme has been backed by the British Vehicle Rental Leasing Association and is said to have received an encouraging level of take-up. Transport for London said it is reviewing the heights of parapets and railings on bridges to identify barriers lower than one metre. Any changes to Westminster Bridge would have to be agreed with local authorities because it is Grade II listed, it added. Officers have appealed to potential witnesses to come forward (David Cheskin/PA) A cash machine has been stolen from a shop in Aberdeenshire. The ATM was taken during a break-in at the Scotmid on Craigour Road, in the village of Torphins. Police Scotland was alerted to the incident at around 1.30am on Thursday. I would urge anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area to get in touchDetective Inspector Fionnuala McPhail The cash machine was recovered nearby. Officers have urged anyone who may have seen any vehicles or persons in the vicinity in the early hours of the morning or any suspicious activity in the previous few days to come forward. Detective Inspector Fionnuala McPhail said: Enquiries are at an early stage and I would urge anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area to get in touch. Local road closures and cordons are in place whilst initial enquiries are carried out and I would like to thank the local community for their patience whilst officers carry out their investigation. Two brothers killed in the Birmingham pub bombings were celebrating news of a pregnancy when they were killed, an inquest heard. It came as hearings continued into the deaths of 21 people in the 1974 IRA bombings. Twin blasts, resulting in "massive explosions" minutes apart inside the Mulberry Bush and the Tavern in the Town, brought "devastation" on the night of November 21. Among those killed were Eugene and Desmond Reilly, who were in the Tavern in the Town. Continuing a second day of pen portraits, their older brother Sean Reilly said he was 26 when the bombings happened, and their younger sister Mary was 17. He recounted a story Mary told of having seen Desmond in Alum Rock Road on the afternoon of November 21, looking for Eugene to celebrate. "Mary said Desmond was in great spirits, he was delighted that his wife Elaine was pregnant. They had much to look forward to. "Desmond just invited her to join them for a drink, but she had just finished work and said that her mother was expecting them home for dinner." Mr Reilly added: "The bombers took away our brothers' futures and part of our future, too. "Eugene never had the opportunity to get married and have children and Desmond never got the opportunity to meet his son. "Part of us died with them on the day they died." Jane Davis (17) had aspirations to become a nuclear physicist, her brother Brian said. He also lost his brother John a few years after the bombings in an industrial accident in Saudi Arabia. Jane's mother had a brain tumour so she "took on the washing, cooking and cleaning" and took the weekly wash to the launderette each Saturday, Mr Davis said. "She was a good friend to everyone," he added. "When she died, it was like a light went out." She and fellow casualty Maxine Hambleton had only just returned from grape-picking in the Champagne regional vineyards of France when they died, and had been due to share photos of their trip that night. Mr Davis said: "We will not be able to hear Jane's voice, but we do still have her words in the postcards." Anne Hayes, from Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, was 19 when she was killed alongside friend Marilyn Nash at the Tavern in the Town. She had left school to become an apprentice hairdresser, before starting work as a shop assistant at Miss Selfridge in Lewis's department store. Thomas Chaytor, known as Tom, had been adopted as a child, and was a divorcee with two young children. He met his girlfriend Susan Hands in 1971 when they were working at what was then Rackham's department store. She said: "Tom had got a part-time job at the Tavern in the Town, only two or three weeks prior to this, to boost his income. "Clearly, after the events in 1974, as a 23-year-old, I had to rebuild my life. I have no idea how things would have turned out had the bombings not occurred." On Tuesday, the jurors heard that another victim, Charles Gray (44), was born in Scotland to a large family. He completed National Service and moved to Birmingham, working at a toffee factory and Longbridge works, where he "never missed a day's work". A single man who lodged with a married couple, he was "well-dressed" and had "an easy charm and a slight air of mystery". He had never been in the Mulberry Bush before the night of the bombing. Pamela Palmer came from an "ordinary family", her older sister Pauline Curzon said, and worked in an office. That night she had gone for a drink with her boyfriend "but my father called us at 11pm, concerned she had not returned". She added: "My father, brother and husband went into town to look for her. They returned at 6am the next morning with the news. "She was a lovely sister, helped me in numerous ways, and her companionship is a memory I treasure." The inquests continue. The European Commission has accused Facebook, Google and Twitter of failing to provide enough details on the steps they have taken to cut disinformation on their services. As part of its Code of Practice against disinformation, which the three internet giants signed up to last year, they must provide monthly updates on their actions ahead of European Parliament elections in May. The commission acknowledged some work was being done by the firms, but there was room for improvement for all signatories. A joint statement was issued by Andrus Ansip, vice-president for the digital single market; Vera Jourova, commissioner for justice, consumers and gender equality; Julian King, commissioner for the security union; and Mariya Gabriel, commissioner for the digital economy and society. We need to see more progress on the commitments made by online platforms to fight disinformation. We encourage them to accelerate their efforts, ahead of the #EUelections2019. Find out more here https://t.co/Nt69Y55lAZ #EUvsDisinfo pic.twitter.com/5DvXmhEeMO European Commission (@EU_Commission) February 28, 2019 They said: The online platforms, which signed the Code of Practice, are rolling out their policies in Europe to support the integrity of elections. This includes better scrutiny of advertisement placements, transparency tools for political advertising, and measures to identify and block inauthentic behaviour on their services. However, we need to see more progress on the commitments made by online platforms to fight disinformation. Platforms have not provided enough details showing that new policies and tools are being deployed in a timely manner and with sufficient resources across all EU member states. The reports provide too little information on the actual results of the measures already taken. Our joint statement today on progress made by internet platforms on tackling disinformation: Sadly they have fallen further behind. They need to live up to the standards we are asking of them, & that they signed up to https://t.co/IwYhZNsCNV @GabrielMariya @VeraJourova @Ansip_EU Julian King (@JulianBKing) February 28, 2019 Warnings have previously been issued over cyber attacks and disinformation campaigns targeting the European elections, with all three platforms publicly announcing programmes to increase transparency around political advertising and tools to prevent cyber attacks. The ECs latest report said Facebook had failed to provide details on its scrutiny of advert placements and had not reported on the number of fake accounts removed for activities that specifically target the European Union. Google and Twitter were also told to provide more specific information around advert placement. The platforms have failed to identify specific benchmarks that would enable the tracking and measurement of progress in the EU, the commission said. The quality of the information provided varies from one signatory of the code to another depending on the commitment areas covered by each report. This clearly shows that there is room for improvement for all signatories. The electoral campaigns ahead of the European elections will start in earnest in March. We encourage the platforms to accelerate their efforts as we are concerned by the situation. We urge Facebook, Google and Twitter to do more across all member states to help ensure the integrity of the European Parliament elections in May 2019. We also encourage platforms to strengthen their co-operation with fact-checkers and academic researchers to detect disinformation campaigns and make fact-checked content more visible and widespread. A Facebook spokeswoman said: We submitted our January report to the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation outlining recent progress weve made in implementing the code. In January, weve been focused on the development of our political ads authorisation process, ad labelling, the ad archive service, and the expansion of our elections integrity programme. We are in the process of developing performance indicators around political advertising, but these will only become available when the ads archive launches outside the US. With regards to the number of fake accounts we remove from Facebook, we provide updates on this in our twice-yearly transparency report. For example, we removed 1.5 billion fake accounts between April and September 2018. We remain committed to submitting reports to the European Commission to highlight the progress were making in each area outlined in the code. A spokesman for Twitter said: Our reports will continue to highlight our efforts to ensure security, integrity and transparency in the lead-up to the EU elections in May. We look forward to detailing in our next monthly report new rules on political campaign ads transparency for the elections, which we announced last week. Nigel Farage looks down from the top deck of an open top bus during a Leave Means Leave event (Steve Parsons/PA) Nigel Farage is to lead a march from Sunderland to London by Leave campaigners who accuse the Government of betraying the British people over Brexit. Organised by the Leave Means Leave campaign, the march will begin on March 16 and arrive in the capital on March 29 the scheduled date of Brexit. Theresa Mays announcement that she will offer MPs a vote on blocking a no-deal Brexit or extending negotiations mean it is no longer certain the Government will take the UK out of the EU that day. Mr Farage said: The Westminster elite are in the process of betraying the British people over Brexit. All of us who want Britain to be a great country once again accept that we must be prepared to stand up for what we believe in and fight for our independence. We're marching from Sunderland to London to tell the Westminster elite we will not be betrayed over Brexit. Get your walking boots on! pic.twitter.com/td1RFpbtwQ Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) February 28, 2019 Departing from the first city to return a Leave vote on the night of June 23 2016, the march will visit towns including Hartlepool, Pontefract, Doncaster and Wellingborough on its way to London. Different marchers are expected to take part in each leg of the route, leading to a mass rally in Parliament Square at its conclusion. Leave Means Leave chairman John Longworth said: The Westminster elite has had over two years to implement Brexit and instead has done everything in its power to prevent it. Despite 52% of voters choosing Brexit, only 24% of current UK MPs voted to leave. An extension of Article 50, thereby kicking the can further down the road, is completely unacceptable. Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, who backs the pro-EU Best for Britain, said: This is another ludicrous idea from Britains best-known charlatan. A 14-day march sounds rough, especially one led by Nigel Farage. Hell march his troops to the top of the hill where hell ask them to dive off the no deal cliff edge. Hardline Tory Brexiteers have signalled taking a more flexible stance on demands for legal guarantees limiting the Northern Ireland backstop. Prominent Leave backer Jacob Rees-Mogg indicated he could swing behind the Government's exit deal if binding legal assurances were added to an appendix to the withdrawal agreement, rather than put in the treaty itself. The EU has consistently rejected demands from arch-Brexiteers to reopen the withdrawal agreement over the border issue. The move came in the wake of the Prime Minister accepting for the first time that the UK may not leave the European Union on March 29. Mrs May bowed to pressure from pro-Europe Cabinet members and offered Parliament a chance to vote to delay Brexit if her deal is rejected again next month. MPs will not get the chance to vote on Mrs May's withdrawal deal until March. Mr Rees-Mogg, who heads the strongly pro-Brexit European Research Group (ERG) of Tory MPs, told Sky News that legal assurances on the backstop would need to be binding to win support. He said: "It has to have equal weight to the withdrawal agreement. "So, if it were to be an appendix that would be satisfactory, but then the backstop is itself an appendix, so you can add to the withdrawal agreement without reopening it, it seems to me. "So, that would work, but it must be of equal legal standing." Mr Rees-Mogg insisted most Eurosecptics could not support the deal as it stands as the backstop would mean the UK obeying EU customs rules indefinitely if no wider trade deal has been agreed after a transition period. The prospect of Parliament being able to delay EU withdrawal next month has been described as an "option on sanity" by the CBI. The business organisation's director general Carolyn Fairbairn told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It is a small step forward to have a mechanism for delay. "It feels like an option on sanity, if you like. "Because, here we are 30 days out from March 29, business is not ready, Government is not ready. "It would be a wrecking ball on our economy. So, that is a small step forward." However, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay told the BBC: "No-deal is still on the table. It will be for Parliament to decide." Ahead of MPs debating the Government's negotiating strategy, the PM issued a plea to back a Brexit deal, telling Parliament to "do its duty". Mrs May said she had found a "real determination" in Brussels to find a way through the deadlock to allow the UK to leave with a deal, and claimed engagement with the European Union had "already begun to bear fruit". Writing in the Daily Mail, Mrs May said Parliament's "absolute focus should be on working to get a deal and leaving on March 29" - and reiterated her opposition to delaying Britain's departure. She said: "By committing Labour to holding a second referendum, despite promising to implement Brexit, Jeremy Corbyn has shown once again that he cannot be trusted to keep his promises. His cynical political games would take us back to square one. "Instead, Parliament should do its duty so that our country can move forward." Sinn Fein MP Chris Hazzard said Parliament is locked in "a delusional bubble" where it can't decide if it even wants a Brexit deal or not. The South Down MP said: "What was proposed by Theresa May today at Westminster is indicative of the chaos in the British Parliament. "After two years and less than a month away from a potential cliff-edge crash-out, the British Parliament still can't make up its mind whether it even wants a deal or not. "The British Parliament and British political system is in total disarray and is locked in a delusional bubble. "None of what is happening in Westminster is in the interests of Ireland. What we need to see is the EU and the Irish Government standing firm and protecting the Irish backstop." SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said that regardless of the possibility of a second referendum or the potential successes of London taking a no-deal scenario off the table, the backstop will continue to be "our only insurance policy". Families near LoC to move away Hundreds of families living in the most vulnerable areas along the restive Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir were reported to have moved to the rear areas, officials and residents said, as three more civilians were wounded on Wednesday amid unrelenting ceasefire violations by Indian troops. Samina Bibi, 25, and her 3-year-old daughter Kanwal were injured in Manda village and Nasreen Bibi was injured and a mosque was damaged in Ghee Kot village of Khilana sector in the early hours of Wednesday, said Ahmed Raza Qadri, AJK minister for civil defence. Khilana is located towards the right of Chakothi-Uri crossing point at the heavily militarised LoC that splits the disputed Himalayan region between Pakistan and India. Residents said the exchange of heavy fire continued in Khilana, Chakothi and adjoining areas throughout the night and also on Wednesday in intervals. Shabbir Ahmed, a resident of Chakothi, said his was among many families from the town which had moved to Hattian Bala or Muzaffarabad. He said only those families had stayed back which had concrete bunkers built within or along their houses. Officials said the federal government had sanctioned a scheme for construction of community protection bunkers in the vulnerable areas along LoC. In 2018, a total of 678 such bunkers were built under the supervision of the Pakistan Army out of the planned 926. Work on the rest is under progress, officials said. Qadri claimed that the morale of the people living along the LoC was very high and a vast majority of them did not want to leave their homes. However, we have requested the people inhabiting the most exposed areas to move back until the situation improves, he said. According to him, as many as 61 families from different villages of Chakothi had quit their homes and 21 of them had been accommodated in the buildings of two educational institutions in Hattian Bala. Elsewhere, he said, 18 families in Bhimber district and 12 families in Kotli district had also been relocated in government buildings. The rest are staying with their relatives, he said. However, some officials and residents claimed that many families had moved to the rear areas on their own without getting themselves registered with the authorities concerned. More than 2,000 people are reported to have already moved to the rear areas in Khuiratta, Charhoi and Tattapani sectors while many in Nakyal sector are also planning relocation, said Dr Umer Azam, deputy commissioner of Kotli, where these sectors are located. Most of these families either owned houses or had close relatives in the urban areas, he said. On Tuesday, four people were killed and 11 others wounded in Kotli district in indiscriminate shelling by Indian troops. Qadri said all educational institutions in the highly vulnerable areas along the dividing line had been closed for an indefinite period to avert any untoward incident. Since Indian troops have targeted school vans and school buildings in many areas in the past, we could not take any chances, he said, recalling at least two incidents in Poonch and Kotli districts in 2016 and 2018 when school vans were directly hit by Indian troops, causing casualties. The minister said the educational institutions in the urban areas had also been closed for two days for the time being. We needed the buildings of educational institutions in some areas to accommodate the displaced persons, he said. If need be, we can extend the holidays. In response to a question, the minister asserted that the official machinery was fully prepared to meet any situation. We dont want to create the impression that we are panicked or overwrought we are vigilant and on hand, he maintained. He said holidays of all emergency staff had been cancelled and control rooms of the disaster management authority had been established in all districts. The senior adviser to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is stepping down from his role (Paul Grover/Daily Telegraph/PA) The special adviser to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is stepping down from his post. Sir David Manning, 69, was received by the Queen at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday afternoon upon relinquishing his appointment, the Court Circular recorded. The key aide joined William and Harrys household a decade ago in 2009, when the brothers royal profile was growing, and he went on to mentor Kate and, more recently, Meghan. Kensington Palace said William, Kate, Harry and Meghan were incredibly grateful for his guidance and paid tribute to his wise counsel. Expand Close Sir David Manning in Australia with William in 2011 (John Stillwell/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sir David Manning in Australia with William in 2011 (John Stillwell/PA) It is understood that Sir David is stepping back now that the couples are well-established in their international work. His post was seen as unique and so will not be replaced. A spokesman for the Cambridges and Sussexes said: Their Royal Highnesses are incredibly grateful for the guidance and support that Sir David has provided over the last 10 years. His wise counsel has been central to the success of their international tours and the early stages of their official work as members of the royal family. While Sir David is ending his formal role, he will continue to act as a trusted informal adviser, and is said to be close to both couples, and particularly to William and Harry. A former British ambassador to the US, Sir David was Tony Blairs foreign policy adviser. He has mentored William and Harry on a range of issues over the years, including foreign affairs and government matters. Ahead of Williams marriage, seasoned diplomat Sir David was instrumental in prepping Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge, for royal life. Expand Close Kate Middleton and Prince William at a photocall to mark their engagement in 2010 (John Stillwell/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kate Middleton and Prince William at a photocall to mark their engagement in 2010 (John Stillwell/PA) He was seen as a safe pair of hands who could work behind the scenes to guide the future queen, and ensure she was better supported than the late Diana, Princess of Wales had been. He has joined the Cambridges on many overseas tours, including William and Kates first joint trip to Canada and the US, and again on their visit to Australia and New Zealand with baby Prince George. He planned, and prepared William for, the dukes sensitive visit to Israel and Palestine in June last year. Sir David also acted as senior adviser to Harry, and former Suits star Meghan, when she married into the royals in May last year. Expand Close Harry and Meghan on their wedding day (Gareth Fuller/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Harry and Meghan on their wedding day (Gareth Fuller/PA) The American former actress is likely to have been offered briefings by Sir David on the British constitution. He was part of Harry and Meghans entourage during their tour to Dublin two months after their wedding, and was with them for the Fiji and Tonga leg on their first official long-haul overseas expedition. Expand Close The duke and duchess during their tour to Tonga (Dominic Lipinski/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The duke and duchess during their tour to Tonga (Dominic Lipinski/PA) The Cambridges and Sussexes have been reported as being set to split their royal household and formally separate their staff within weeks. Harry and Meghan, who are expecting their first child in late April or early May, are due to move to Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Estate. The couple have been living at Kensington Palace in London, near William and Kate and their three children. The division of the household is reported to be a natural move with the royal brothers former double act having developed into two couples and their families. Expand Close Sir David Manning giving evidence to the Iraq inquiry (PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sir David Manning giving evidence to the Iraq inquiry (PA) Sir David was Britains ambassador to the US for four years until 2007. He was Mr Blairs key aide on foreign policy in the run-up to the 2003 Iraq war and gave evidence to the Chilcot inquiry. He joined the Foreign Office in 1972 and served in Warsaw, New Delhi, Paris and Moscow, and went on to become ambassador to Israel and the UK permanent representative at Nato. The court circular, the daily record of royal engagements, for Wednesday read: Sir David Manning was received by The Queen this afternoon upon relinquishing his appointment as Special Adviser to The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. A police officer on Vincent Road, Wood Green, north London, near to where a teenager was shot and stabbed by a gang riding bikes (Dominic Lipinski/PA) A teenager who died after he was stabbed by a gang riding bikes has been named by police as Kamali Gabbidon-Lynck. The 19-year-old was chased into a hairdressers in north London where he was cornered and stabbed on the evening of February 22, the Metropolitan Police said. Another man, aged 20, was stabbed and shot in the street. Scotland Yard said officers were called to reports of a group of people fighting on Vincent Road, Wood Green, just before 8.10pm on Friday night. Police investigating a murder in #WoodGreen #Haringey on 22 Feb have named the victim as 19-year-old Kamali Gabbidon-Lynck - those with information that can assist the investigation should call 101 ref CAD 7309/22feb. https://t.co/dKUlUIwcDu pic.twitter.com/MBLXHv6r8q Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) February 28, 2019 Police and ambulance crews attended the scene and the two men were taken to hospital. Their attackers were armed with at least one firearm, knives and a samurai sword, detectives investigating the murder have established. The teenager was pronounced dead shortly after 3am on Saturday. The 20-year-olds condition is no longer life-threatening. No arrests have been made. Detective Chief Inspector Simon Stancombe, of the Mets homicide and major crime command, appealed for any witnesses to come forward for Kamali, for the second victim, and for the safety of your community. He said: I know that there were a lot of people that witnessed at least part of this incident and I know that many of those people will be afraid to come forward and speak with police I urge those people to make use of the anonymous services available to enable my officers to remove these violent criminals from the area where you live, work or socialise. Who are the males on the bikes? Do you know their names? Did you hear shots fired? Even more important, do you have footage of any stage of this tragic incident? Anyone with information should contact police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111. The report indicates that there could be a drop of 5% in the number of workers in Scotland (John Linton/PA) The UK Governments immigration plans could reduce the number of workers in Scotland by up to 5% over the next two decades, it has been suggested. An advisory group, chaired by Professor Christina Boswell of the University of Edinburgh, was asked to give independent expert advice to the Scottish Government on migration, population growth and demographic change. In its findings, the group indicated that under the proposals put forward in the UK Governments White Paper, net migration to Scotland could be reduced by between one third and one half after 2020. The plan would see a salary threshold introduced, under which people earning less than 30,000 would not be allowed admittance to the UK. However, it is estimated that 63% of workers in Scotland currently earn below that level. The group also suggested that the threshold would exclude a greater proportion of women than men, as well as younger people at the start of their careers. The independent Expert Advisory Group on Migration and Population has warned that @GOVUK immigration plans would have a disproportionate effect on Scotlands hospitality, manufacturing and social care sectors. Read the report https://t.co/OvZwwyU89f pic.twitter.com/knPDLf4PIc Scottish Government (@scotgov) February 28, 2019 Migration Minister Ben Macpherson said: The Scottish Government has been consistently clear that freedom of movement has enriched Scotland and should be allowed to continue. The UK Governments focus on reducing immigration will damage Scotland and does not reflect the needs of our economy, our public services or our communities. This independent report raises additional concerns about the effect UK Government immigration proposals will have on Scotlands rural and suburban areas and demographics. The findings also reinforce the case for creating fair, tailor-made immigration solutions for Scotland that value all skills, work for businesses and support the delivery of public services across the country. Professor Boswell, said: As the UK Government elaborates its proposals for immigration policy after Brexit, it is vital that we understand the effects of changes to migration on Scotlands economy and society. If the UK Governments proposals are enacted, we are likely to see a substantial fall in net migration to Scotland over the coming decades. We also find that the proposed changes would have gender impacts, potentially leading to a lower proportion of female migrants. We suggest that discussion on the UKs future immigration system needs to be underpinned by more comprehensive analysis on the range of effects, across different sectors, local areas, and by gender. Andrew McRae, FSB Scotland, said: This thorough report details the real impact that current immigration proposals could have on local communities, economies and businesses. It chimes with feedback from our membership and reinforces the case for an alternative approach to be developed. Fewer working age people in Scotland will make it more difficult to run a business, especially in rural areas and in a number of key sectors. We need to see UK policymakers reflect on this studys findings, as well as the message theyre getting from business, and take a more measured approach. A UK Government spokesman said: The new immigration system, operating from 2021, is designed to help drive up wages and productivity across the UK economy, including in Scotland, and will support businesses, communities and our public services. One of its strengths is the flexibility of being a skills-based immigration system, which will allows us to attract the talented workers we need but also delivering on the referendum result and ending free movement. We are making every effort to understand the specific needs of the whole of the UK, which is why we are engaging with business, devolved administrations and the public about our plans throughout 2019. At the same time, the Scottish Government must do more to shoulder their share of the responsibility for making Scotland an attractive place for people to live, work and put down roots. Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg has led thousands of Belgian students in a climate change march the second demonstration she has led in as many weeks to draw more attention to the topic. It was the eighth week in a row that schoolchildren have skipped school to protest. Tomorrow I am joining the school strike in Antwerp at Operaplein at 9. On Friday I will participate in the school strike in Hamburg at Gansemarkt at 8.30. Since Im on school holiday I decided to stay with friends and join several school strikes in different countries. See you! pic.twitter.com/p73w0MqlpU Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) February 27, 2019 Numbers have come down from the tens of thousands recorded earlier there was one march of about 3,000 in Antwerp on Thursday, and several thousand in Brussels and provincial centres. Ms Thunberg has become her generations voice on climate change after inspiring students around the world to go on strike to express their anger and angst over global warming. Student leaders are planning another march next week. Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un after their first meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel (Evan Vucci/AP) US President Donald Trump and North Koreas Kim Jong Un have cut short their second summit without reaching an agreement. Mr Trump said North Korea wanted him to lift US sanctions in exchange for denuclearisation but he was not willing to do that, telling reporters: Sometimes you have to walk. But he said Mr Kim assured him he will continue to hold off on nuclear and missile tests. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the leaders had a very good and constructive meeting and discussed ways to advance denuclearisation and economic-driven concepts. She said their teams look forward to meeting in the future. Both leaders motorcades roared away from the central Hanoi summit site within minutes of each other after a lunch and a signing ceremony were scrapped. Expand Close Kim Jong Uns motorcade returns to the Melia Hotel (Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kim Jong Uns motorcade returns to the Melia Hotel (Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP) The breakdown came hours after Mr Trump and Mr Kim appeared to inch towards normalising relations between their still technically warring nations. In something of a role reversal, Mr Trump deliberately ratcheted down some of the pressure on Pyongyang, abandoning his fiery rhetoric and declaring he was in no rush. We just want to do the right deal. Mr Kim, asked whether he was ready to denuclearise, said: If Im not willing to do that I wont be here right now. Furthering the spirit of optimism, the leaders seemed to find a point of agreement moments later when Mr Kim was asked if the US may open a liaison office in North Korea. Mr Trump declared it not a bad idea and Mr Kim called it welcomable. pic.twitter.com/HiZvUAIlzS The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) February 28, 2019 But questions persisted throughout the summit, including whether Mr Kim was willing to make valuable concessions, what Mr Trump would demand in the face of rising domestic turmoil and whether the meeting could yield far more concrete results than the leaders first summit, a meeting in Singapore less than a year ago. There had long been scepticism that Mr Kim would be willing to give away the weapons his nation had spent decades developing and Pyongyang felt ensured its survival. Mr Trump had signalled a willingness to go slow: After painting the threat from Pyongyang as so grave that fire and fury may need to be rained down on North Korea, Mr Trump made clear he was willing to accept a more deliberate timetable for denuclearisation. I cant speak necessarily for today, Mr Trump said, but over a period of time I know were going to have a fantastic success with respect to Chairman Kim and North Korea. Expand Close Donald Trump speaks as Mike Pompeo looks on (Evan Vucci/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Donald Trump speaks as Mike Pompeo looks on (Evan Vucci/AP) In an unexpected development, Mr Kim on Thursday fielded questions from Western journalists for likely the first time, with the reporters receiving some coaching from the US president, who implored: Dont raise your voice, please. This isnt like dealing with Trump. The North Korean leader struck a largely hopeful note, saying: I believe by intuition that good results will be produced. After a reporter asked Mr Kim if they were discussing human rights, Mr Trump interjected to say they were discussing everything, though he did not specifically address the issue. Expand Close Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un take a stroll in Hanoi (Evan Vucci/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un take a stroll in Hanoi (Evan Vucci/AP) Earlier, accompanied only by translators, the unlikely pair a 72-year-old brash billionaire and a 35-year-old reclusive autocrat displayed a familiarity with one another as they began the days negotiations. After a 40-minute private meeting, the leaders went for a stroll on the Hotel Metropoles lush grounds, chatting as they walked by a swimming pool before being joined by aides to continue talks. The relationship is just very strong and when you have a good relationship a lot of good things happen, said Mr Trump. He added that a lot of great ideas were being thrown about at their opulent dinner the night before. I believe that starting from yesterday, the whole world is looking at this spot right now, Mr Kim said through his translator. Im sure that all of them will be watching the moment that we are sitting together side by side as if they are watching a fantasy movie. Possible outcomes that had been considered were a peace declaration for the Korean War that the North could use to eventually push for the reduction of US troops in South Korea, or sanctions relief that could allow Pyongyang to pursue lucrative economic projects with the South. Matt Pasciuto places an icicle at the top of a wall at Ice Castles (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Thousands of people are flocking to a winter wonderland constructed from ice in New Hampshire. Ice Castles in North Woodstock features a collection of ice tunnels, caverns and a 97ft ice slide that cover an acre of farmland. The scene one of six in North America starts small in December when a team sets up icicle farms: metal racks sprayed with water to allow icicles to grow overnight. The team then harvests the icicles and continually sprays them with water. Expand Close In this Monday, Jan. 28, 2019 photo, a sprinkler sprays a fine mist over a metal rack to grow icicles at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. Ice artists will harvest the icicles and use them to grow the castles walls. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In this Monday, Jan. 28, 2019 photo, a sprinkler sprays a fine mist over a metal rack to grow icicles at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. Ice artists will harvest the icicles and use them to grow the castles walls. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Expand Close In this Monday, Jan. 28, 2019 photo, icicles are harvested for use in growing the walls at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. The winter wonderland is one of six in North America. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In this Monday, Jan. 28, 2019 photo, icicles are harvested for use in growing the walls at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. The winter wonderland is one of six in North America. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Expand Close In this Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 photo, a couple heads towards an entrance to a cavern at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. A team starts building massive walls in December to create a spectacular winter experience. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In this Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 photo, a couple heads towards an entrance to a cavern at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. A team starts building massive walls in December to create a spectacular winter experience. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Expand Close In this Friday, Jan. 25, 2019 photo, visitors race down the side-by-side tunnels of a 97-foot ice slide at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. The winter wonderland is one of six in North America. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In this Friday, Jan. 25, 2019 photo, visitors race down the side-by-side tunnels of a 97-foot ice slide at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. The winter wonderland is one of six in North America. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Expand Close In this Friday, Jan. 25, 2019 photo, fire dancers perform at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. The winter wonderland is one of six in North America. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In this Friday, Jan. 25, 2019 photo, fire dancers perform at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. The winter wonderland is one of six in North America. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Expand Close In this Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 photo, a man zooms down a 97-foot ice slide at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In this Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 photo, a man zooms down a 97-foot ice slide at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Expand Close In this Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 photo, visitors pose for a photo in a tunnel at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. With a seemingly endless variety of photo-ops, most visitors have a hard time putting their cameras down. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In this Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 photo, visitors pose for a photo in a tunnel at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. With a seemingly endless variety of photo-ops, most visitors have a hard time putting their cameras down. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Expand Close In this Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 photo, Bruce McCafferty and his son, Dougie, pause while exploring the ice formations growing at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In this Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 photo, Bruce McCafferty and his son, Dougie, pause while exploring the ice formations growing at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) This rendering released by Disney and Lucasfilm shows the planned Black Spire Outpost, a village on the planet of Batuu that will be part of a 14-acre expansion project called Star Wars: Galaxys Edge, set to open this summer at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, then in the fall at Disneys Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida. The lands will include two signature attractions: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. (Disney Parks/Lucasfilm via AP) The world of Star Wars is coming from a galaxy far, far away to become the largest single-themed land in a Disney park. Star Wars: Galaxys Edge is an adventure through the grungy planet Batuu where guests can build their own droids and lightsabres, interact with aliens and climb into the cockpit of the massive Millennium Falcon, to discover their mission and engage in a dogfight with Tie fighters. The sprawling 14-acre land is set on a remote world in the newest Star Wars trilogy so do not expect appearances by Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader but some familiar faces including Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren and fan-favourite Chewbacca will be a part of the adventure. Galaxys Edge is set to open this summer at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, then in the autumn at Disneys Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida. The lands will offer a mix of trading outposts, a cantina and even a wooded area where Resistance fighters have set up camp. Entry is included with a park ticket, but it will cost more for guests who want to create their own lightsabre or purchase their own droid modelled on R2-D2 or BB-8. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman Bob Chapek said guests will have persistent interaction with Star Wars elements, whether its Stormtroopers barking orders or the swinging music of a grimy cantina that serves Star Wars-themed alcohol. Galaxys Edge is still under construction, but its buildings, shops and main attractions are in place. Right now the focus is on cosmetics and making sure the equipment is working properly, said John Larena, executive creative director at Walt Disney Imagineering. Here are some of the lands key features: MILLENNIUM FALCON: SMUGGLERS RUN Selfie opportunities will be abundant inside and out of the the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy. The spaceship is an exact replica of the ship from the films, measuring more than 100ft long. Expand Close Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (Disney Parks/Lucasfilm/AP) AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (Disney Parks/Lucasfilm/AP) Inside the cockpit, a team of six people operate the spacecraft during an interactive experience that, just like the movies, will get a little bumpy. An encounter with First Order fighters put guests in the role of pilots, gunners or flight engineers to ensure their mission is completed. RISE OF THE RESISTANCE On a full-size starship, guests play as new Resistance recruits and go on a journey. A hologram image of Rey will appear with a message before guests board their ship and take off from Batuu and head into the orbit. But the starship runs into trouble, intercepted by a nearby Star Destroyer. This sets up a climactic battle against military members of the First Order. Expand Close The Rise of the Resistance attraction (Disney Parks/Lucasfilm/AP) AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Rise of the Resistance attraction (Disney Parks/Lucasfilm/AP) Resistance guests will be thrown into a detention cell where they could run up against Kylo Ren, and have to figure out an escape. SAVIS WORKSHOP Guests will be able to purchase a lightsabre or hand-build their own. Bring plenty of credits: the price for the hilt is around 109 dollars (82) and the blade costs 49 dollars (37) depending on the type. DROID DEPOT Guests for an undisclosed cost can either purchase a pre-built droid or build one in the colours of their choosing by picking pieces off a conveyor belt. They are not just pretty to look at. Park official says the droids will be controllable by guests. TASTE OF STAR WARS Theres no such thing as chicken in Galaxys Edge. Thats Tip Yip, and the cornbread that you might eat with it is blue, gravy is green and cauliflower is orange. Much of the food is plant-based with dairy-free mash potatoes and vegan meatballs. OGAS CANTINA The cantina will be the first location to serve alcohol to the general public in Disneylands 60-plus year history. It is the place to come and unwind, but is also known to have some of the most disreputable characters in the galaxy. And yes, droids are allowed. PLAY DISNEY PARKS MOBILE APP Galaxys Edge is the first land in a Disney park designed to integrate with the app. It can help translate Star Wars languages and scan crates to discover the contents. The app can also be used to interact with droids, media screens, door panels and drinking fountains. A man who identified himself as the pilot of an Indian military aircraft that was shot down (Pakistan Armed Forces via AP) Pakistan has pledged to release a captured Indian fighter pilot in a bid to ease tensions between the two countries over the disputed region of Kashmir. Prime Minister Imran Khan made eh announcement in an address to both houses of Parliament, saying he tried to reach his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Wednesday with a message that he wants to de-escalate tension. There was no immediate reaction from India, though Mr Modi earlier in the day warned that Indias enemies are conspiring to create instability in the country through terror attacks. Pakistan will release Indian Pilot Abhinandan tomorrow as a gesture of peace: Prime Minister Imran Khan pic.twitter.com/6aUN4S9JVb Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) February 28, 2019 We are releasing the Indian pilot as a goodwill gesture tomorrow, Mr Khan said. He did not say whether the release was conditional. The Pakistan premier also said that he had feared on Wednesday night that India might launch a missile attack, but the situation was later defused. He did not elaborate. World powers have called on the nations to de-escalate the tensions gripping the contested region since a February 14 suicide bombing killed more than 40 Indian paramilitary troops in Kashmir in territory it controls. India responded with a pre-dawn airstrike on Tuesday inside Pakistan, the first such raid since the two nations 1971 war over territory that later became Bangladesh. The situation then escalated further with Wednesdays aerial skirmish, which saw Pakistan say it shot down two Indian aircraft, one of which crashed in Pakistan-held part of Kashmir and the other in India-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan later aired a video of a man it identified as the Indian pilot. India acknowledged one of its MiG-21s, a Soviet-era fighter jet, was lost in skirmishes with Pakistan. Indias Ministry of External Affairs said late on Wednesday that it strongly objected to Pakistans vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force, and that it expects his immediate and safe return. India also said it shot down a Pakistan warplane, something Islamabad denied. Kashmir has been divided but claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan since almost immediately after the two countries creation in 1947. They have fought three wars against each other, two directly dealing with the disputed region. Both Indian and Pakistani officials reported small-arms fire and shelling along the Kashmir region into Thursday morning. There were no reported casualties. India FM confirmed Pakistan shot down its Mig-21 NEW DELHI: Indias foreign ministry spokesman Wednesday confirmed that Pakistan shot down its Mig-21 and Wing Commander Abhinandan did not return. We have unfortunately lost one Mig-21. The pilot is missing in action. Pakistan has claimed that he is in their custody," the spokesperson said. Indian media has also confirmed that Wing Commander Abhinandan has not returned to India after he took off in Mig-21 Bison. IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan took off in a Mig-21 Bison jet today, he is yet to return, ANI reported. On the other hand, Pakistan has released the video of one of the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots arrested from Azad Kashmir. My name is Wing commander Abhinandan. My service number is 27981. I am a flying pilot. My religion is Hindu, the arrested Indian pilot revealed. When asked to speak more, he replied: "Sorry, Sir. Thats all Im supposed to tell you." Earlier, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Asif Ghafoor addressed a press conference and informed that Pakistan Air Force downed two Indian fighter jets and arrested their two pilots. Giving details, the DG ISPR said Pakistan Air Force engaged six targets from across the Line of Control in Occupied Kashmir this morning. Major General Asif Ghafoor said after taking the targets, two aircraft of Indian Air Force violated LoC and entered into Pakistani territory. PAF engaged them and both of these were shot down, with debris of one falling inside our territory and the other in Indian Occupied Kashmir. While the Army can take some solace from inquests into the deaths of two soldiers at Ballykinler base in Co Down within three months of each other in 2012/13, there are obvious concerns it has to address. (Ben Birchall/PA) While the Army can take some solace from inquests into the deaths of two soldiers at Ballykinler base in Co Down within three months of each other in 2012/13, there are obvious concerns it has to address. The coroner found there was no evidence that the Army had failed the two men - one whose death was found to be suicide and the other accidental - or that there was proof of bullying or a culture that dissuaded soldiers from admitting to mental health problems. But he did say the Army has work to do to persuade soldiers to seek help with mental health problems without fearing it would impact on their career. He also noted poor record keeping by the Army and the inquest had heard that there were eight other cases of serious self-harm around the same period. Read More The coroner said he would be writing to the head of the Army to note his concerns, although he did not specify exactly what they were. However, it is safe to assume that the problem of mental health should be taken more seriously. That certainly was the finding of a committee of MPs at Westminster in a report earlier this week. They said some families, veterans and serving soldiers have been completely failed when they need mental health care. Veterans organisations in particular have been vocal on the need for more help for those returning from conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. While the report noted that work was being done, it was clear that they felt it was insufficient and they urged the NHS and Ministry of Defence to create a specialised mental health centre for those in need. The Army, like those around the world, is adept at sending mainly young men to fight wars in foreign parts, but the evidence suggests that when they return, the Army's concern for their welfare is not all that it should be. Soldiers often pay a heavy price in the service of their country, either by giving their life, suffering life-changing injuries or enduring mental health problems. The least they should expect in return is care in their time of need. For the families of the two men who died at Ballykinler, the fact that the coroner is to write to the head of the Army will go some way to meet their dissatisfaction with some of the evidence they heard. The inquest will give them some closure on how their loved ones died. The Fianna Fail ard fheis is just over and the newly-formed "partnership" with the SDLP was warmly welcomed. As indeed was SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and many of his colleagues. It wasn't quite a marriage breakfast, but it was a nod in that direction. The themes of Fianna Fail this year included both the formation of the first Dail and the legacy of the reforming Taoiseach Sean Lemass. John Hume aside (and for different reasons), Lemass is by far one of the most outstanding figures of 20th century Ireland. Along with the modernising northerner and civil servant TK Whitaker, he forged modern Ireland, opened up dialogue with unionism, normalised Anglo-Irish relations and set Ireland on its post-colonial trajectory as a European nation. Even the most visceral haters of Fianna Fail cannot diminish his record. The current Fine Gael Taoiseach is a fan of Lemass, because the latter is widely regarded as the father of modern Ireland. The strength of Lemass was that, while he was of the generation which fought the War of Independence (which gave him more than a footprint in the past), he had his eyes firmly fixed on the future. Few politicians have the ability to bridge such gaps. Nostalgia, misplaced loyalty, self-aggrandisement and sheer bloody mindedness tend to make many blind to political realties. The current Fianna Fail leader, Micheal Martin, is a man very much in the mould of Lemass. In modern Ireland, faced with the existential threat of Brexit, he is very much the adult in the room. When others suffer temper tantrums and bouts of excessive rhetoric, Martin remains calm and dignified. His game is a long one. His critics within Fianna Fail have no alternatives to his strategy. Scion of the De Valeras, Eamonn O'Cuiv, is like watching a black-and-white movie in slow-motion. Martin isn't one for myths and shibboleths. His is grown-up politics. Currently, Fianna Fail has over 20,000 members. It's the largest party of local government in the Republic, and is both supporting the government while holding it to account. Fine Gael politicians are well-aware of the limitations of the offices they hold. Martin's other great strength is his relentless and forensic demolition of Sinn Fein. Martin knows the market he competes in. He won't give an inch to his opponents. While old adversaries in Fine Gael are easy targets, Martin goes for the richer pickings in the smelting down of Sinn Fein's wacky economics. Fine Gael is blessed in the Opposition leader. The Taoiseach's barbs with the Sinn Fein leader in the Dail often sound like fishmongers throwing insults in Henry Street. Martin, on the other hand, fillets the Sinn Fein leader like a master butcher. And, so, it's to the court of Micheal Martin that SDLP leader Eastwood goes to learn the mastercraft of his trade. Eastwood is the leader of a party which, for so long, was hamstrung from outmanoeuvring its Sinn Fein opponents, because the latter had so successfully misappropriated the values of the SDLP and the language of its former leader Hume. Harsh as it sounds, Eastwood and Nichola Mallon had two choices: glow in the warmth of nostalgia, but ever-diminishing returns at the polls, or recognise the need for a new, post-Good Friday Agreement and Brexit narrative for nationalism. In fairness to both, the debate within nationalism was already taking place around them. Eastwood represents a generation within the SDLP that needs to cut loose. For too long and for all the wrong reasons they have been under the shadow of big branches. They need light. They deserve their own day in the sun. Former deputy leader of the SDLP Seamus Mallon once told me that inertia in politics is not acceptable - better to have big ideas and, if you have to be wrong, be "spectacularly wrong". Both Eastwood and Mallon have calculated that the next phrase of an agreed Ireland is an agreed approach with other constitutional nationalists, who share similar values and have no recent history as protagonists; and, from there, kick-start the discussion with voters of a unionist perspective about the framework for a future Ireland. More importantly, they want to create a narrative that carries the economic and social aspirations of young people from the north and the south. If it's to be identity, it has to encompass all aspects, not just cultural. With the exception of the clumsy reference to the special place in Hell for those who want a border poll and a united Ireland without planning for the outcome, Eastwood performed well at the ard fheis. There has to be something satisfying about addressing a packed conference. A fringe meeting in Fianna Fail would be better-attended than an SDLP conference these days. The reaction to Eastwood's speech on social media by the intolerant Sinn Fein trolls said it all. He is hitting home. Fianna Fail will teach the SDLP how to brace the shoulders for a charge. It will put fire back into bellies that have been quenched by constant bullying into the role of wing-man to Sinn Fein. Eastwood is signalling that there will be no more tag-along politics. The SDLP's all-Ireland vision, developed with Fianna Fail, will become much broader than the sectarian quagmire that Sinn Fein seem content to slop about in with the DUP. The ease with which SDLP members mingled with their Fianna Fail counterparts at the ard fheis suggests that basic social democratic principles are now a core feature of modern Irish politics - not some kind of rarified breed under threat outside the SDLP. Eastwood seemed more confident at the Fianna Fail ard fheis. He is working through the natural aspiration of any nationalist politician, which is to play a role at national level. Last weekend I came across a 70-year-old election poster of my late grandfather, War of Independence veteran, former prisoner of war and Jesuit Tom Kelly, who, it said, "has in civic affairs, local and national, rendered valuable services". Who would blame Colum Eastwood from wanting his very talented team of MLAs contributing to and shaping the future of Ireland on a nationwide platform? Tom Kelly is a writer and commentator Pakistanis chant slogans in Peshawar province, as they burn an effigy depicting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Pakistan claimed it had shot down two Indian fighter jets, Feb. 28, 2019. Updated at 11:33 a.m. ET on 2019-03-01 Pakistan said Thursday it would return an Indian Air Force pilot who was captured after an aerial combat with Pakistani warplanes, a move that analysts described as a step forward by Islamabad to defuse heightened tensions between the rival neighbors. The pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, was taken into custody after a Pakistani warplane shot down his MiG-21 fighter jet during a dogfight in the skies above the disputed Kashmir region on Wednesday, Indian authorities said. As a peace gesture, I announce that Pakistan will release the Indian Air Force pilot who is in our custody tomorrow. [But] do not confuse our desire for de-escalation as [our] weakness, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan told his parliament. The aerial fight came after India claimed that its warplanes had pounded a militant training camp in Balakot, a town in Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, on Tuesday. Varthaman safely ejected after striking a Pakistani aircraft, but his parachute drifted into the Pakistan-controlled side of Kashmir, Indian officials said. New Delhi had on Wednesday warned Islamabad against causing any harm to the Indian pilot and demanded his immediate and safe return. Varthaman is set to be released to Indian authorities at the Wagah border in Indias Amritsar city on Friday, government sources told BenarNews. Khan also said in parliament that he made an unsuccessful attempt to call Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi the previous night. I tried to call Narendra Modi yesterday. I wanted to make clear that Pakistan did not want any kind of escalation, he said. Several nations, including the United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia and China, meanwhile have urged the nuclear-armed neighbors to exercise restraint. On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he spent a good deal of time on the phone Wednesday night with leaders of India and Pakistan, encouraging them to avoid taking any action that would escalate and create increased risk. I am hopeful that we can take down the tension there, at least for the time being, so they can begin to have conversations that dont portend risk of escalation to either of the two countries, Pompeo told reporters accompanying him aboard his plane when he flew from Vietnam to the Philippines. Dossier on specific details Indias Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor told reporters during a joint military briefing in New Delhi that the next step [on de-escalation] will be taken only when the pilot is handed over. New Delhi said it had handed over to Pakistan a dossier on specific details of involvement of the militant group Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) in the Pulwama militant attack in Indian Kashmir on Feb. 14, during which a suicide bomber drove a car packed with explosives into a paramilitary convoy, killing at least 40 soldiers. India and Pakistan have fought three full-blown wars in 1965, 1971 and 1998. Two of them were over the ownership of Kashmir, which the two sides claim in its entirety. The region has grappled with a separatist insurgency that has killed at least 70,000 people since the late 1980s. Kapoor said the Pakistani Army had made factually incorrect statements on Wednesday that it had shot down two Indian fighter jets. We lost only one MiG-21 that was hit after it destroyed one of Pakistans F-16 that had entered into Indian airspace, he said. India earlier claimed that a very large number of militants were killed when its fighter jets demolished a JeM training camp on Tuesday. Pakistan said the Indian operation was a failure that did not kill anyone. A great gesture Observers saw the captured pilots expected release as a move that could possibly ease tensions with India. The decision to hand over Wing Commander Abhinandan is a great gesture and shouldnt be seen in isolation. It also comes at a time when Pakistan couldve chosen to further escalate an already tensed situation. I see it as a mark of reconciliation, Indian Kashmirs former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Twitter. Our leadership should reciprocate, she tweeted. However, defense analysts said that India should continue to maintain pressure on Pakistan to uproot terrorism from its soil. India will only show willingness to engage in talks with Pakistan if Islamabad acts against militants who are operating in Pakistan, retired Maj. Gen. Ravi Arora told BenarNews. Kuldeep Khoda, Indian Kashmirs former chief of police, agreed. The announcement of the release [of the Indian pilot] is indeed a good gesture but will not satisfy India, which wants Pakistan to dismantle terror infrastructure, Khoda told BenarNews. But it may temporarily defuse tension between the two sides. Mohammad Amin Pirzada in Srinagar, India contributed to this report. CORRECTION: An earlier version incorrectly reported that India and Pakistan fought a war in 1975 and that at least 46 troops were killed in the Feb. 14 car-bombing. Activists carry signs that say China Get Out! as they demonstrate in front of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines financial district of Makati, Nov. 20, 2018. China denied on Thursday that it had threatened to retaliate against Manila should the government deport Chinese migrants found to be working illegally in the Philippines. The statement came as President Rodrigo Dutertes congressional allies and opponents expressed dismay at his comments earlier this week that were seen as virtually surrendering Manilas right to expel Chinese workers. His spokesman, Salvador Panelo, had claimed that Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua had warned him recently that China would deport Filipinos if the Duterte government expelled its citizens. The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines did not say that Beijing would adopt a tit-for-tat approach, the embassy said in a statement Thursday, emphasizing that it respected Philippine laws and Chinese nationals found to be violating them would be punished. China respects the laws and regulations of the Philippines regarding employment of foreign nationals in the country, and holds that Chinese nationals should not stay or work illegally in foreign countries including the Philippines, the embassy said. The statement said Chinese law-enforcement agencies would also continue to monitor foreign nationals working illegally in China. The controversy arose after the Philippine Department of Public Works and Highways recently disclosed that dozens of Chinese workers were working on at least two construction projects funded by Beijing under the Filipino governments massive infrastructure drive. Duterte added to the debate when he said that Manila risked angering China if the government moved to expel the illegal workers. The Philippine leader is widely seen as pro-Chinese, and has taken steps to ingratiate the country to Beijing in the face of territorial wrangling in the South China Sea. Since becoming president three years ago, Duterte had welcomed an influx of Chinese investments and tourists, and politically veered toward closer military and diplomatic ties to Beijing, away from traditional defense ally the United States. But some of his allies and the countrys defense establishment have cautioned against closer ties with China. Of late, there have been concerns that China was moving to gain control of a former American naval base north of Manila fronting the South China Sea. More than 300,000 Filipinos work legally in China and Hong Kong. In the Philippines, about half of the 169,000 work permits given to foreign nationals during the past three years went to Chinese citizens, officials said. A Philippine officer stands near the body of a suspected drug user in an alley in Manilas Tondo district, Sept. 25, 2016. A spokesman for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte admitted Thursday that there were rotten eggs among police spearheading the war on drugs amid rising concerns about unnecessary killings. Duterte spokesman Salvador Panelo said the government recognized that certain officers were pulling down the overall police image. Just like in any organization, the palace is aware that there are rotten eggs that tend to destroy the integrity of the great institution that is the Philippine National Police, he said. The Commission on Human Rights responded by saying the admission validated concerns including allegations that some rogue cops were planting evidence or have been involved in the drug trade. Such allegations are causes of grave concerns, especially that the death count continues to rise and drug operations are in full throttle, commission spokeswoman Jacqueline Ann de Guia said. These results also come at a time when the Philippine National Police (PNP) claims to have no objective count of the number of drug users in the Philippines. De Guia was referring to Dutertes claim early this week that there were between 7 million and 8 million drug addicts in the country. The president did not explain where he got his figures as the Dangerous Drugs Board previously pegged the number at 1.8 million as of 2016. We urge the government to take appropriate urgent, concrete actions that address perceptions of the police being involved in the violation of laws and rights, de Guia said, adding that the agency was prepared to work with law enforcers to lessen human rights violations. A new poll by the Social Weather Stations found that 28 percent of adult Filipinos believed police were not truthful about their claims that some slain drug suspects had fought back. Panelo argued that to be fair, pollsters should have asked a question regarding the good deeds of police in the war against drugs. He stressed that 165 officers had been killed, while nearly 600 others wounded in clashes with drug syndicates. These figures dispel allegations of critics and detractors on legitimate drug operations and show that drug pushers and addicts actually resort to violence when confronted with a threat of apprehension, Panelo said. He said police were not exempt from corruption, but leadership has been trying to clean ranks by establishing a special task force to go after rogue officers. Duterte warning He stressed this zero tolerance policy against dirty police was made apparent with the November 2018 conviction of three officer for killing a 17-year-old student. The August 2017 shooting death of Kian Loyd delos Santos touched off massive protests against Dutertes drug war. Recently, Duterte warned that the drug war would be harsher as he finishes the last three years of his six-year term. Despite that warning, Panelo said Duterte and government officials are intolerant to any kind of abuse, especially from police enforcing his tough anti-drugs policy. On Thursday, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said 72 suspects were killed in anti-drug operations in January, bringing the total number of deaths since the campaign began three years ago to 5,176. It said more than 119,000 anti-drug operations were carried out, resulting in 170,000 arrests over the three years. It did not include the thousands of others whose deaths were considered as under investigation or blamed on vigilantes. Some estimates, including those from the Human Rights Watch, have placed the deaths at more than 20,000. NA given in-camera briefing about Pak-India tension ISLAMABAD: Leaders of parliamentary parties in the National Assembly (NA) were given in-camera briefing at the Parliament House on Wednesday over the escalating Pakistan-India tension in the wake of violation of Line of Control (LoC) by Indian Air Force. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi briefed the parliamentarians of the foreign policy strategy of government while Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, the director general (DG) of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) apprised them of the input of military. Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari,NA Speaker Asad Qaiser, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani among others also attended meeting. The parliamentary leaders were informed about violation of Line of Control (LoC) by India and timely response by Pakistan Air Force. They were informed about the professional preparations of armed forces and the fact and role being played by Pakistan to eliminate tension in the region. The parliamentary leaders were briefed on the decisions taken by the National Security Committee and the National Command Authority in the wake of violation of Line of Control (LoC) by Indian Air Force. In a response to Indian Line of Control (LoC) violation, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) destroyed two Indian fighter jets on Wednesday morning. According to details, the wreckage of one aircraft fell in Central Kashmirs Budgam while the others in Pakistan territory. Two of the pilots have been killed in the incident. Addressing a press conference later, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said that Pakistan Air Force engaged six targets from across the Line of Control in Occupied Kashmir this morning. He said Pak armed forces have capability, will, resolve, people backing and all resources. But being a responsible state, we decided that we will not aim any military target. We also wanted to ensure that no human loss or collateral damage is done during our engaging the targets. He said we selected six targets but we hit the areas close to them while keeping a safe distance, in order to demonstrate our capability. This action was purely in self-defense and with no aggressive designs. Despite its being a sunny February day, Tamir Pardo (66) prefers to stay in the shadows. He calmly smokes a cigarette in front of the entrance of a five-star Berlin hotel. He doesnt stick out he has learned not to. For 35 years, Tamir Pardo served in the worlds most legendary secret service. From 2011 to 2015, the Mossad (Hebrew for institute) operated under his leadership. Together with other former Israeli spies, he subsequently started a multi-million dollar tech company, called XM Cyber. Only a few operations such as the kidnapping of Nazi henchman Adolf Eichmann in Argentina (1960) and a heist involving half a ton of secret material from Iran (2018) have ever come to light. Now the former head of the Mossad talks exclusively to BILD. Lesen Sie auch 40 Years Islamic Revolution Steinmeier Congratulates the Mullah Regime 40th anniversary of the Iranian revolution. The installation of an Islamist terror state that threatens to annihilate Israel. Interview with Ivanka Trump I am proud of my father Ivanka Trump talks with BILD about her new project, Angela Merkel and also about her father - the most powerful man in the world. BILD: How did you come to join the Mossad in 1980? Pardo: It was a coincidence. I was serving in the Special Forces for around 7 years. We had some cooperation with Mossad, but I knew very little about them. And one day I got a letter, calling me for an interview. I had no idea who was behind it, but it looked exciting. I was 26 or 27 years old and they told me it would be very interesting. So I took the job. Question: Did the job meet your expectations? Pardo: Much more than that. In order to join the Mossad, you should have the soul of an entrepreneur. It was like working in many startup companies for 35 years. Its extremely challenging, interesting and fascinating. When did you tell your family that you worked for the Mossad? Pardo: My wife knew it from the very beginning. My kids learned about it later on. We didnt discuss my job at home, but they understood it in one way or another. For five years, you were the director of the Mossad. What did your average working day look like? Pardo: I always woke up at 5 in the morning and went to the gym for an hour. Around 8, I started the actual working day and worked until 10 or 11 pm. When I was not abroad, I went home and started getting phone calls. Then I went back to sleep until the next call. Thats how it went until 5 in the morning. 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Iran and the nuclear deal When you took office, your mission was to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Did you succeed? Pardo: Yes. Very much so. When we talk about military nuclear capabilities, its a political decision of the Iranian government to go for a nuclear weapon. So you have the option to convince the government that its not worthwhile to continue. You can achieve this through sanctions or other measures that delay the program until they realize that its a waste of time to proceed. I think that we did our best. If it were in their hands, they would already have a nuclear bomb. But until today, they dont have it. During your time as director of the Mossad, several Iranian scientists died under unnatural circumstances Pardo: Really? I didnt know that. I didnt notice. Germany and the EU are actively working on evading the new US sanctions against Iran and on saving the JCPoA, the Iran nuclear deal. Whats your assessment of the deal? Pardo: The first question is, is this a good agreement or not? I dont believe the Iranian regime at all. So even if we had the best agreement, I wouldnt trust them. But the problem with Iran is not just the nuclear program, its also their interventions in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and terrorism all over the world. Thats a major problem and the JCPoA didnt deal with that at all. Unfortunately, even now nobody is doing anything, not the United States and not Europe. Threats from ISIS and cyber attacks President Trump is asking European countries, including Germany, to take back European ISIS fighters. Should Germany do it? Pardo: Dont dare to take them back, leave them there! I dont want them in my country, you dont need them in your country or in your jails. You would be crazy to do it. They shouldnt put their footprints on European soil again. Let them die there. Another current threat are cyber attacks. How dangerous are they really? Pardo: Im calling cyber attacks a soft and silent nuclear weapon. Unlike bombs and rockets, you dont see blood in the streets. But you can make critical damage through cyber attacks, tear societies apart and damage the economy. Unfortunately, almost anyone can achieve it because smart kids exist everywhere. Almost anything that could be achieved through military power in the past can now be achieved through cyber. Im not sure the world has already understood how dangerous it is. Auch Interessant Lesen Sie auch Maduro opponent Juan Guaido BILD meets Venezuelas hope The man who has become the arch enemy of Venezuelan President Maduro and who is at risk of being arrested at any time. BILD met him. Comment by Richard Grenell Hanging of a gay man in Iran should be a wakeup call That the Iranian regime publically hanged a 31-year-old man for being gay should be a wakeup call for anyone. Security of Israel Israel is surrounded by enemies, Islamist dictatorships and civil wars. How do you guarantee the security of a nation, given this situation? Pardo: We take the right measures. We are a small country and have to protect ourselves. But in the long run, we need to create a different atmosphere in our region. We shouldnt miss any opportunity to make peace in our region. If our neighbors are wise enough, we will be able to make it a better world. But it doesnt depend on us alone. 50 percent depend on the other side. What is currently the biggest threat to Israel? Pardo: We have peace with Egypt and Jordan. Syria is crippled. Hezbollah in Lebanon is a headache, but doesnt pose a threat to our existence. Iran is doing their best to weaken us, but today they are not threatening our existence. Our biggest challenge is to solve the Palestinian problem. But we dont have an existential threat. Thats quite an achievement Pardo: Its a miracle. A small country in this region! We are the minority of minorities. But we managed to build a country with proper education, proper health care and a very good economy and a defense system that is top-notch. How did Israel achieve this? Pardo: We had no other choice. On this exclusive, members-only event, Bill breaks down what you need to know about The Real Joe Biden. Who is he and how will he directly affect you and your family? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Interview with Paul Eschmann, Director Asia at BaselArea.swiss, the official economic promotion organization of the Basel Area. He speaks about the strong life sciences cluster in the Basel Area and how Indian companies can benefit from the unique ecosystem and the growth potential for their business in Europe. What is the role of BaselArea.swiss and how do you support Indian companies? Paul Eschmann: BaselArea.swiss is north-western Switzerlands joint initiative for innovation and economic promotion. I am a part of the International Markets & Business Affairs team and our mandate is to support Indian companies that are interested in growing their business by expanding to Europe and advise them on the unique benefits that the Basel Area has to offer them. With our strong network and longstanding expertise, we advise companies during each stage of their expansion process, starting with: Evaluation & Preparation: We provide current data on market conditions, business environment, industry knowledge, taxes and legal issues customized to each project requirements. Location search & Site visit: We facilitate contacts to the right experts like our government authorities, industry and legal experts, and provide professional support during real estate search. Setting-up operations: We arrange meetings with local partners and institutions, thereby helping companies in building relationships to local authorities, experts and organizations. Settled-in: We help companies in growing their network through our events and technology experts as well as in facilitating connections with the cantons. Since we are a government-funded body, we provide our services completely free of charge. Today we are very active in India and considering the fact that Indias FDI outflows have more than doubled in 2017, we see a strong increase in the interest of Indian companies to expand their global footprint to Europe and also to diversify their risk by investing in a politically very stable country like Switzerland. Switzerland and Basel in particular, with its top notch life sciences cluster, is a perfect launchpad for business activities in Europe. You mentioned that the Basel Area has one of the best suited life sciences ecosystems in Europe. What makes it so? Paul Eschmann: Nestled right at the border of France and Germany, and with unique position of the Rhine river passing through, the Basel Area has always been the major economic hub of the region. As long ago as the Middle Ages, the region had already grown to become an important centre for trade, and to this day it remains a major centre for science and research. Today only the pharmaceutical products export out of the Basel Area accounts for more than 52 bn USD. Home to major multinational corporations like Roche, Novartis, Actelion, Syngenta, Abbott, Bachem, Lonza and more than 700 other life sciences companies, Basel boasts of a huge life sciences workforce with top global talent across the value chain - from basic research to commercialization, easy access and flight connections throughout Europe, one of the most liberal labour laws in Europe and a very competitive corporate tax model. Due to the superb business environment, many Indian companies have set up operations in Basel, like Dr. Reddys, Dishman Group, Biocon, Jupiter Bioscience, Bilcare Research, Naari, Divis Laboratories, and many successful biotechnology start-ups. Amongst other factors, having a competitive corporate tax is one of the key aspects for site selection. How does Basel fare with respect to its other European counterparts? Paul Eschmann: Yes, you are right in a way. But apart from very attractive taxes, the size and specialization of the industry ecosystem, financing availability, general business environment, political stability, infrastructure support & quality of life also play a significant role in the decision-making process. If we compare the innovation strength of life sciences clusters by the percentage of therapeutic companies, we find that the Basel Area is much above other European regions. Also, Basel employs the highest number of people in the life sciences industry. This talent is well provided for by world-class biomedical research institutes, like the ETH Zurich Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, University of Basel with its renowned Department of Biomedicine, Pharma and Bio Center, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, the Swiss Nanotech Institute (SNI), the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics or the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute. Infrastructure-wise Basel Area offers a wide choice of real estate options from large development plots, to production and warehousing facilities, right through to office space and units suitable for light industrial and laboratory purposes. Our Infrapark and Technology Park are most active in this purpose. The Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area offers academic, seed stage and spin-out R&D groups access to an independent biomedicine and biotechnology research environment, a dynamic peer community, and a first-class ecosystem. Now, coming to your question about the corporate tax rate, let me mention that Basel offers one of the most attractive tax rates in Switzerland. E.g. based on the adopted cantonal tax reform in the Canton of Basel-Stadt, companies will benefit from an overall effective corporate tax rate (incl. federal tax) of 13% or 11% if the benefits of the IP box and other advantages can be leveraged. Under certain circumstances, new companies can benefit from a tax holiday of up to ten years, with no risk of claw back, which is quite unique in Switzerland. Apart from life sciences, do you see any other strong sectors in Basel? Paul Eschmann: Yes, the Basel Area is also an attractive location for companies in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. Adobe, for example, operates a development centre here for its content management software. A special field of local ICT cluster is digital healthcare, esp. bioinformatics. In recent years, complementary start-ups such as Genedata, a world leader in bioinformatics, and Magnolia, a global leader in content management software, have emerged. Since the life science industry is highly data-intensive, technologies like AI, machine learning, big data & IOT are very much in demand. Apart from ICT, Basel also offers great potential for companies in medtech and precision goods. Many companies in the watch industry have expanded beyond their specific know-how and diversified into the medtech industry as outfitters, manufacturers of assembled products and suppliers. Medtech giants such as Straumann and DePuy Synthes as well as small and medium-sized enterprises such as Medartis, Composites Busch and BienAir are well established in the region. Cosmetics and Nutraceuticals have also gained momentum in the recent years with giants like Colgate Palmolive, Henkel, Nivea and many others operating out of the Basel Area. Also, the Logistics cluster is extremely strong owing to its rail, road and sea accessibility. The 990 logistics companies in the Basel Area handle almost 20 million tonnes of economic goods every year. Basel has one of Europes largest switch yards and 28% of Swiss exports, 32% of Swiss imports are handled in this region per year. What does the future hold for Basel? Paul Eschmann: It looks very promising and we have seen a lot of interest from Asia, particularly China and India. Being 36% of the population non-Swiss, Basel is an international city with English as a standard business language. Foreign companies esteem this international and multicultural environment and there has been a constant increase in the number of companies coming to Basel over the past few years. Also, the innovation ecosystem of Basel has been developing at an increased pace. The number of 33 patent applications per 100000 inhabitants is the highest in Switzerland. The commitment to the region of global players such as Novartis and Roche are further proof of the Basel Areas excellent economic development potential. Novartis, for example, will complete an extension to its campus in 2020, and Roche is investing three billion in real estate during this same period. A total of over CHF 7 billion is being spent by companies and public institutions on new research, development, and production infrastructures in the next few years. I would say the future is very bright. Credit: Basel Tourismus. According to a recent study by Mercer, Basel is ranked the worlds top 10 city to live. Whys BioPharma BREAKING R&D SHACKLES? The Indian industry bore witness to biotech companies collaborating with vaccine manufacturers, vaccine technologies being transferred, licenses to manufacture several drugs granted to pharma companies, among other notable developments. These collaborations and partnerships have furthered R&D, commercialisation and distribution of several critical drugs throughout 2021. However, key barriers to R&D-based innovation still persist in the Indian pharma market that needs to be sorted out soon. We shall take a closer look at the industry quest to realise even more, swift innovations and fewer hindrances. Under the agreement, Lilly gains non-exclusive commercial rights for application of the technology to the development of proprietary products. ProteoNic Biotechnology BV has announced that it licensed its 2G UNic technology for boosting recombinant protein production to Eli Lilly and Company. Under the agreement, Lilly gains non-exclusive commercial rights for application of the technology to the development of proprietary products. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. ProteoNics mammalian protein expression technology is designed to improve recombinant cell line production levels across a range of host cells, selection systems and protein targets. It increases transcription and translation rates via the combined effect of novel genetic elements, which together exert a powerful positive effect on recombinant protein production levels as well as on stability of expression. ProteoNics 2G UNic can be combined with other technologies to improve their performance. Frank Pieper, CEO of ProteoNic, states that 2G UNic technology can be instrumental in achieving the highest possible production levels and contribute to the economically viable production of both innovator and biosimilar products. ProteoNic will continue to work to reach maximum potential of the production of biologicals for current and future clients. ProteoNic is a privately held company with offices in Leiden, the Netherlands and Boston, USA. The company offers technology and services for the generation of cell lines with greatly improved biologics production characteristics, including production levels and stability. The company commercializes its proprietary 2G UNic technology through licensing and partnership arrangements. The Hospital workflow segment of healthcare artificial intelligence market will witness 40.6% CAGR from 2019 to 2025 Europe healthcare artificial intelligence market witnessed 41.8% growth throughout the analysis period. Adoption of artificial intelligence in research areas and advancement in technology with respect to electronic health records (EHR) and eHealth should drive healthcare artificial intelligence market in Europe. Moreover, European Union undertakes several efforts to stimulate use of healthcare artificial systems to make eHealth stronger. European Union also introduced an innovative technology to develop EHR across Europe named as the European Health Records Organization (EHRO). Thus, efforts undertaken by government authorities will significantly impact the regional industry growth Global Healthcare Artificial Intelligence Market is expected to surpass USD 13 billion By 2025; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. Rising adoption of healthcare artificial intelligence solutions and software in research processes and drug development will foster industry growth in near future. Current drug discovery process is witnessing a paradigm shift to meet the growing needs of society and patients. Advancements in clinical research and personal digital assistants have shown incredible potential of artificial intelligence technology over the recent decade. The use of artificial intelligence and its broadening horizons in research areas is likely to drive the AI in healthcare market. In drug research, use of artificial intelligence streamlines selection process of drug development and helps investigators to study only those drugs that are promising and aids in identification of previously undiscovered pathways escalating its adoption amongst the researchers and scientists proving beneficial for the industry growth. Growing applications of healthcare artificial intelligence software and solutions will positively influence the industry growth. Promising application of artificial intelligence in the future includes image recognition to analyze large sets of MRI and CT scans to identify and diagnose malignant tumors with more accuracy than expert radiologists. Moreover, the application of artificial intelligence for assisting and monitoring patients with their needs in the absence of clinical professionals will also augment the industry growth. Wearables segment was valued at USD 99.3 million in 2018 and is expected to have considerable revenue size during the forecast time-frame. Increasing adoption of artificial intelligence, big data and machine learning tools in wearables to provide insights and make effective clinical decisions will foster its adoption amongst adults. Also, development of technologically advanced wearables that utilizes machine learning to identify significant changes in the patient's vital parameters that allows caregivers to deliver quality care will prove beneficial for the segmental growth. Asia Pacific AI in healthcare market was valued at 148.9 million in 2018. Considerable revenue size can be attributed to the rising adoption of healthcare artificial intelligence software and solutions in maintaining large amount of patient database. Emerging countries have huge populations and it becomes difficult to secure the patient data that is vulnerable to several threats. Hence, availability of software and solutions that assures data integrity and security has increased its adoption amongst the healthcare professionals thereby, fostering the regional market growth. Both governments will support and facilitate matchmaking of companies and research institutes from their respective regions. At the recently held BioAsia 2019 event, Asias largest Biotechnology and Life-sciences forum and the annual flagship event of the Government of Telangana, an MoU was signed between the Government of Telangana, India and Taizhou Medical Hi-Tech Development Zone (Taizhou Zone) supported by the Government of Taizhou, China. Under the MoU valid for 2 years, the Chinese Medical Zone and the Telangana Government have discussed and agreed to share the know-how and offered to support and assist the research in the field of life sciences, biotechnology and medical devices along with identifying new technologies and industry requirements with a view to expand the public industrial service platforms in the industrial cities. They will support and facilitate matchmaking of companies and research institutes from their respective regions, in the related fields towards R&D, regulations, manufacturing practices, commercialization and other areas of mutual interest. NCA expressed satisfaction on Pakistans response to India ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the National Command Authority (NCA) on Wednesday expressed satisfaction on Pakistans response to Indian incursion in the countrys airspace The meeting presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan reviewed the situation arising after Indian incursion in the countrys airspace. Sources said that Strategic Plans Division Force (SPD Force) Director General Lieutenant General Sarfraz Sattar apprised the meeting about nuclear capabilities. The participants of the meeting expressed satisfaction over the Command and Control System. The participants of the meeting expressed satisfaction on Pakistans response to Indian incursion, while PM Imran Khan lauds Pakistan Air Forces (PAF) counter strike. The military leadership also briefed the meeting about professional preparations of the armed forces. The meeting was attended by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Zubair Mahmood Hayat and Army Chief General Qamar Javaid Bajwa. Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, heads of sensitive institutions, security officials, Director General Strategic Plans Division were also present in the meeting. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Federal Minister for Defence Production Zubaida Jalal and Finance Minister Asad Umar also participated in the meeting. Speaking on the occasion, PM Imran Khan said that Pakistan reserves the right to defend itself, adding that the nation has full confidence on the capabilities of the countrys armed forces. Government, armed forces and masses are on the same page, he added. National Command Authority (NCA) is Pakistan s principal decision making body on nuclear issues. The NCA consists of an Employment Control Committee and a Development Control Committee, as well as the Strategic Plans Division which acts as its Secretariat. Focal segments on display at MEDICAL FAIR INDIA 2019 include medical products and devices, laboratory technology and diagnostics. From 21 23 February 2019 the Indian health industry elite will meet at the 25th MEDICAL FAIR INDIA at the Pragati Maidon Exhibition Center in New Delhi. In excess of 15,000 trade visitors are expected and more than 600 exhibitors have registered for participation in the leading trade fair and platform for healthcare on the most populous subcontinent. A new feature this year is rehaindia (powered by REHACARE) with ranges for rehabilitation and nursing care. Alongside this new area other focal segments on display at MEDICAL FAIR INDIA 2019 include: medical products and devices, laboratory technology and diagnostics, clinic and health centre furniture, and the health IT segments now so on trend the world over as well as mobile health solutions. Forming an integral part of the programme of attractive side events accompanying this event are CLIN LAB INDIA, a conference with exhibition on lab medicine trends conceived of and organised by Scherago (USA) in cooperation with the Messe Dusseldorf Group, and the FTR4H Conference (Future for Health) held for the third time now. The latter addresses all the issues associated with the digital transformation of healthcare. Another highlight among MEDICAL FAIR INDIAs side events is Voice of Healthcare, a 2-day conference dealing with various cross-sector topics related to the implementation of a modern healthcare system. This meeting is about trends in technology (like improved care thanks to new processes and technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, for example), aspects of international cooperation through joint ventures with manufacturers and institutions or other countries as well as about best practices for start-up companies and company management. Partnership to produce unique artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions and new IPs that will have a global impact. Wipro Limited, a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, has announced setting up of the Chair for Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. Professor Ryszard Kowalczyk, currently the Director of Swinburnes Key Lab for Intelligent Software Systems, and the head of Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Agent Technology research group at Swinburne has been appointed as the Professorial Chair of Artificial Intelligence. Wipro and Swinburne University also plan to establish a joint innovation centre to conduct high-impact, industry-focused research in the areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) with specific applications for digital health and smart cities. This partnership between Wipro and Swinburne University of Technology will focus on creating innovations in Artificial Intelligence (AI) that would benefit enterprises in Australia and the ASEAN region. She also inaugurated the exhibition on Digital Health as part of the Symposium Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare inaugurated International Digital Health Symposium recently in New Delhi. The Digital Health Symposium follows the two-day Global Digital Health Partnership (GDHP) summit and allows wide engagement with innovators, clinical leaders, academia, researchers, healthcare establishments, government representatives, international and national technical experts, entrepreneurs and the research community. She also inaugurated the exhibition on Digital Health as part of the Symposium, where participant countries along with various Government Ministries, states and other stakeholders showcased key innovations, implementation experiences and innovative Digital Health Interventions. She said, India has taken the digital inclusion approach to ensure all levels of health services and to include appropriate digital health interventions. Upendra Yadav, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health, Nepal; Dr Arlindo Nascimento do Rosario, Minister of Health, Cape Verde; Dr Ulana Suprun, Minister of Health, Ukraine; Faizal Cassim, Deputy Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous, Sri Lanka; Dr. Shah Mahir, State Minister of Health, Maldives also graced the inaugural session and reiterated their commitment towards the digital health agenda. Dr VK Paul, Member, NITI Aayog; Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, World Health Organization, South-East Asia Region; Preeti Sudan, Secretary (Health) and Sanjeeva Kumar, AS, were also present at the Symposium Anupriya Patel further stated that the Governments policies have essentially included the affordability, accessibility and availability of healthcare services to all citizens as an action item. We have successfully been able to provide healthcare to each citizen through various interventions. It is here we are leveraging digital health interventions to maximize impact, she added. Dr. V K Paul, Member said that India is ready to take the big leap in digital health. India shall soon be unveiling the Indias National Health stack and is focused on creating digital revolution encompassing national nutrition mission, telemedicine and other interventions with focus on aspirational districts. We envision that by year 2022, all the 1.3 billion Indians will have digital health records, Dr Paul elaborated. Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh stated, adequate planning and designing with focus on people centered care, adhering to standard and guidelines and interoperable solutions, can save time and money. WHO will facilitate the collaboration and to establish specific mechanism to centrally coordinate digital health to assist among key stakeholders in member states for sustainable introduction of digital technologies and maximize the use of digital health. Preeti Sudan, Secretary (Health), stated that Ministers and government officials from over 34 countries attended the 4th Global Digital Health Partnership Summit, and the Delhi Declaration on Digital Health adopted affirms the attainment of sustainable development goals and to improve the health and wellbeing of citizens through the best use of evidence based digital technologies. The international symposium organised today further builds to discuss the impact of digital technologies on health systems and health services delivery, she added. The Symposium provided a forum to learn from key global leaders in the field of digital health and innovation. This was an opportunity for countries to showcase key innovations and share experiences of implementing digital health interventions for health systems strengthening and Universal Health Coverage. The Symposium held discussions on various themes such as Futuristic Health Systems, Challenges in Health IT Sector, Privacy and Security in the Digital Arena, Aadhaar and National Health Stack, Innovation Ecosystem, Start-ups and AI for Health, Digital Health Innovations for transforming primary care, Remote Monitoring/Wearables /IOT/Home based care, National health information systems, Financing Digital Health, Public Health Surveillance Systems, Enabling Environment for Public Private Partnerships in Digital Health, Personalized Precision Medicine leading to possible policy interventions and clear outcomes. Approximately 700 delegates including high level delegates from the government, stakeholders from academia, clinical leaders, government institutions, healthcare institutions, researchers, innovators, start-ups, entrepreneurs, non-governmental organization and industry participants from international, regional and national levels from the networks of individuals and organizations participated in the above symposium. Chest X-Ray revealed the patients heart positioned on right side of the chest. Kumar Yadav (name changed), a 23-years old man from a small village Bahadurpur in Bihar, had a heart disease diagnosed when he was four years old. He used to get tired very easily and had his lips and fingers appeared blue. The doctors told the family that the situation demanded surgery. However, due to financial constraints, the surgery could not be done at that point of time. Seeing Kumars condition slowly deteriorating over 17 years as he got breathless even on walking for a short distances or climbing a few stairs, the family took him to a local government hospital in Bihar for treatment. On consultation he was referred to a cardiologist in Kolkata. Dr. Rana Rathor Roy, Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at Medica Superspecialty Hospital diagnosed that the young person was significantly blue. For diagnosis and necessary treatment, Dr. Rana further referred the case to Dr. Anil Kumar Singhi, Senior Consultant Interventional Paediatric Cardiologist, Medica Superspecialty Hospital. Kumar weighed less than 35 kgs. The oxygen saturation was only 58 per cent in the patient, whereas it is around 98 per cent to 100 per cent among normal people. His height was 4.9 feet, which is less than a normal 23-year-old person, due to his long-standing heart disease, said by Dr. Anil Kumar Singhi. The Chest X-Ray of Kumar revealed that his heart was positioned on the right side of the chest. The Echocardiogram revealed large left-sided heart chambers but without any hole between two big chambers or ventricles, as diagnosed outside. A bubble contrast test highlighted an abnormal connection between left-sided lung arteries, which carries impure blood, to left-sided atrium-the chamber having pure blood. Ultimately, the computed tomographic angiogram (CT Pulmonary angiogram) was done to outline the defect and a very large and dilated abnormal birth related connection between left lung arteries to left-sided atrium was confirmed. The narrowest point of the abnormal connection was huge, around one inch in diameter, larger than the size of the main big artery of the body. The impure blood was being mixed with the pure blood causing bluish discoloration (Cyanosis) of fingers, nails, and lips. The treatment options were truly challenging. Non-surgical closure by placing a device through a vein in the leg was discussed to reduce risk. These types of devices are very soft, durable, and non-corrosive. As the size required was very large, it had to be ordered, explained Dr. Singhi. The non-surgical trans-catheter procedure was done in one hour and fifteen minutes under local anaesthesia. Through leg veins, the defect was crossed with wire and small catheter. A specialized sheath was introduced in the defect area in cardiac catheterization laboratory. A large 24 mm Lifetech muscular VSD device was placed across the defect under monitoring and angiogram. Immediately, the oxygen saturation increased to 99 per cent in Kumar, which is normal. The procedure was a success and the patient was taken to ICU. Kumar was shifted to the general ward within 24 hours after the procedure. He was discharged on the third day. Kumar was prescribed with some blood thinning medication, said Dr. Singhi. Medica gives due importance to effective healthcare irrespective of the affordability of the patients. We are indeed very pleased to say that this important breakthrough in congenital heart disease treatment itself is a significant benchmark. We hope that in near future, Medica will be coming up with new milestones. Congratulations to the whole team and our colleagues for their exemplary dedication and commitment, said Dr. Alok Roy, Chairman, Medica Superspecialty Hospital. Letter of appeal submitted to Prime Ministers Office, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Lysosomal Storage Disorders Support Society (LSDSS), a non-profit organization, representing the cause of patients and families affected by rare diseases, has appealed to the Honble Prime Minister to save the lives of rare diseases patients, a majority of whom are children. LSDSS appealed the Prime Minister to release the pledged Rs. 100 crore for the treatment of rare diseases and immediately implement NPTRD, which had been withheld by the Government. The letter of appeal has been submitted to Prime Ministers Office, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. For rare disease patients in India, the governments promise to release Rs. 100 crores, under NPTRD, for the treatment of rare disease was the much-needed help for fighting these life-threatening diseases. However, the hope was shattered when in December 2018 Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced that the policy is being kept in abeyance. This abrupt and surprising decision of the Government is a big setback for rare disease patients in India and has pushed their life towards uncertainty and death. Only Karnataka and Kerala state governments have come forward to help rare disease patients. According to Manjit Singh, President, Lysosomal Storage Disorders Support Society (LSDSS): We appeal to the Honble Prime Minister for his urgent intervention in honouring the Governments commitment towards rare disease patients in India. We request the Government to immediately revoke the ban on NPTRD and, as outlined in the policy, to immediately release the corpus fund with initial amount of Rs. 100 crore towards funding treatment of rare diseases. NPTRD is a progressive policy and its speedy implementation would ensure that treatment of rare diseases in India gets the much-needed boost that is immediately required. Under NPTRD the government has acknowledged the contribution of other countries in formulating patient-friendly policies and helping them access critical medical care. These countries include Chile, Peru, Argentina, Egypt, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines and Serbia. A good example has also been set by governments of developed nations like Canada and Scotland with their own rare diseases policies that help patients in the treatment of rare diseases. Lysosomal Storage Disorders Support Society (LSDSS) is headed by a group of parents of LSD Patients. The most common rare diseases recorded in India are Lysosomal Storage Disorders Hunter Syndrome, Gaucher Disease and Fabrys Disease. The diagnosis of LSDs unlike any other rare disorder is the first and most critical and frustrating challenge for anyone with a rare disorder. The Society represents and requests the Central and State Governments representatives for the immediate need of financial support and establishment of diagnostic facilities in all major hospitals of India for LSDs patients. According to The World Health Organization, in developed countries, as many as 1 in 10 patients is compromised while receiving hospital care Max Healthcare, recently organized their 3rd Annual Patient Safety Conference at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The two day conference took place from 1st and 2nd Feb, 2019. Present at the conference was Chief Guest Paula Wilson, President and CEO of Joint Commission Resources & Joint Commission International (JCI); USA. During the conference, Max Healthcare launched a white paper on Patient Safety and Clinical Excellence, which focuses on the key clinical and safety outcomes showing year-on-year decline in complications, and higher patient satisfaction levels. Notable amongst these were declining hospital acquired infection rates, which are comparable to the outcomes of best institutions in the world. Some of the key personalities from the healthcare industry who were present at the Conference included Dr. Sandeep Budhiraja, Conference Organizing Chairman, Director Max Institute of Internal Medicine, Clinical Director, Max Healthcare, India; Prof. (Dr.) Ruby Pawankar MD, President, APAAACI Dept. of Pediatrics, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan; Dr. Suhas Nafday, Associate Professor of Paediatrics and Director of New born Services and Chair, Neonatal Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, USA & Dr. Sujeet Jha, Director & HOD-Institute of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Max Healthcare. Patient Safety is the absence of preventable harm and the reduction of unnecessary harm to a patient in the process of healthcare. It is important to understand that patient safety and reduction of preventable medical error is one of the major challenges faced by clinicians and healthcare players around the world. According to The World Health Organization, in developed countries, as many as 1 in 10 patients is compromised while receiving hospital care. Of every hundred 100 hospitalized patients, 7 in developed and 10 in developing countries will acquire health care-associated infections. For tertiary hospitals, patient safety should be a top priority. Strong health care teams, driven by SOPs reduce hospital acquired infection rates, put checks and balances in place to prevent mistakes, and ensure strong lines of communication between hospital staff, patients, and families. However, in India, not every hospital, especially in Tier II and III cities, is equipped to contain infections and ensure better patient safety norms. But, if every healthcare provider, consciously makes it a priority to secure the patient from preventable harm, safety levels can definitely improve over a period of time. The two-day conference focused on how a strong focus on Patient Safety while delivering care, surveillance activities, reporting and improving continuously can reduce these risks. Leadership accountability and active staff and patient and family participation ensures continuous focus. Innovation in processes and technology will reduce the risks and incidents of adverse events. At the event, Rajit Mehta, MD and CEO, Max Healthcare, shared, Max Healthcare is committed to provide its patients with the best-in-class service, clinical expertise and a system managed and enabled by technology, that will address their needs and provide them with the best possible results. Our unflinching focus on Clinical Excellence over the past few years has ensured that the care we provide to our patients is comparable to the best in the world standards. Our robust set of processes and protocols are designed to ensure patient safety at all touch points. On an operational level, this translates into a strong Clinical Governance Framework covering aspects of empathetic patient care, clubbed with high quality medical standards which are uniformly practiced across all our network hospitals. We have also invested in building information technology systems, developing clinical Data and Analytical capabilities; and Research and Quality monitoring tools that layout a superlative quality framework for other hospitals to adopt and follow for better patient safety outcomes. The Clinical Governance Framework system helps in creating accountability to the organization and continuously improving the quality of their services. This also helps in safeguarding high standards of care by creating an environment in which excellence in clinical care will flourish. Under this framework, 11 committees have been formed which focus on infection control, central mortality, emergency services, Neurosciences forum, clinical ethics, performance improvement and safety, and many more. Commenting on the occasion, Dr. Sandeep Budhiraja stated, Healthcare players operate in a High risk environment every day. Inherent to the industry, these risks include infections, adverse effects of medications, accidental injury, delay in emergency care, and other environmental risks such as fire, chemicals, and other disasters. The Conference aims to work towards a coordinated and focused movement to not just improve patient safety but to remove the probability of risks completely and attain 100% Patient Safety. We have an organization wide anti-microbial stewardship program that guides our doctors to prescribe the most optimum antibiotics for the patient. Our commitment is to reduce the burden of antibiotic resistance and ensure cost effective and safe antibiotic usage. We are the first organization in the country to use technology to track high risk patients, provide online and ready access to antibiotics and track positive cultures that trigger an alarm of a hospital acquired infection in vulnerable patients. He added, "Our unique Max Medical Excellence Framework provides us with tools and methods to build one of the best health care systems that protects patients, improves quality, and is generating excellent results. Our patient care teams have worked tirelessly to get us to this level. As part of the conference, several organizations shared over 9 successful patient safety case studies. These will be open for others to access, learn and implement in their organizations. In the IMPROVE SCA study, physician researchers in 17 countries considered four previously documented, additional risk factors of SCA, to determine whether they might predict an increased risk of SCA IMPROVE SCA study which is the largest prospective study of patients at risk of SCA in emerging countries with 4,000 study patients from 17 countries including India, has revealed that primary prevention ICD patients at high-risk of SCA and implanted with ICDs had 49% relative risk reduction in mortality, compared to those without ICD implant. Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is an abrupt loss of heart function that might lead to death within minutes. Community based studies in India have shown that Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) constitutes around 10% of total mortality in India. Ventricular arrhythmia is reported to be the leading cause of SCD. The prevalence of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) has been estimated to be 7-10% in urban areas and 3-5% in rural areas. Patients of acute coronary syndromes in India reported to be predominantly male (>70%), relatively younger (mean age of 57 years) with more presence of additional risk factor like hypertension and diabetes compared to those of western countries. The medical community has established guidelines endorsing the use of ICDs in patients who have survived an SCA episode (known as secondary prevention), as well as in those who have not previously experienced, but are at risk of, a life-threatening heart rhythm (known as primary prevention). Despite the burden of SCD, ICDs are underutilized amongst eligible patients in emerging countries like India. Benefit of ICDs for secondary prevention of SCA is well recognized in the emerging countries; however, because they were not included in landmark studies of ICDs for primary prevention, the benefit in these patients is not well quantified. In the IMPROVE SCA study, physician researchers in 17 countries considered four previously documented, additional risk factors of SCA, to determine whether they might predict an increased risk of SCA. These four risk factors include non-sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias; frequent premature ventricular contractions (extra heart beat originating from one of the lower chambers of heart); Left ventricular ejection fraction (a measure of the hearts pumping capacity) of less than 25 percent; and syncope, also known as fainting. Primary prevention patients with one or more risk factors were termed 1.5 primary prevention i.e. at higher risk. The results of the study were presented at the recent Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS) Congress in Taiwan, the largest gathering of physicians in the Asia Pacific region in the field of cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmia management. The results were also presented at Indian Heart Rhythm Society congress held in Jaipur last month. According to Dr. B. Hygriv Rao, Senior Consultant Cardiologist & Electrophysiologist, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad and one of the principal investigators of the study, In India, every year approximately 7 lakh individuals die suddenly, and this number is progressively increasing. Many of these individuals are around 60 years of age. It is important for physicians and cardiologists to identify patients who can be protected from sudden cardiac death by ICD therapy. The use of ICD therapy to prevent SCA remains underutilized amongst eligible patients and appropriate prescription of this therapy can save many lives. According to Dr. Balbir Singh, Chairman Electrophysiology and Pacing, Heart Institute at Medanta, The Medicity, Gurgaon and member of global steering committee representing India, In relevance to clinical practice in India for SCA patients; not all the patients at high risk of SCA episode receive implant therapy or are well informed about the preventive options. The IMPROVE SCA study for the first time identified a high-risk group prone to sudden cardiac episode and the data confirm the mortality benefits of ICD therapy and aligned with past landmark studies, now with data from regions where prospective evidence on the benefits of ICDs in preventing SCA had previously been limited The study enrolled 3,889 analysable patients of which 818 patients were from India. Data from the study confirms the mortality benefits of ICD therapy in a primary prevention population and align with past randomized trials. She personally met children who are being treated for cancer at the SRCC Childrens Hospital. SRCC Childrens Hospital, managed by Narayana Health celebrated International Childhood Cancer Day at the hospital. The event was part of an awareness drive by SRCC Childrens Hospital to make children suffering from cancer and their parents aware of its curability and motivate them. Priya Dutt Roncon, Ex-Member of Parliament and daughter of renowned Bollywood celebrities Mr Sunil Dutt and Mrs Nargis Dutt, was the chief guest for the event. Priya Dutt Roncon attended the event and encouraged children by cheering them during the dance performances. She personally met children who are being treated for cancer at the SRCC Childrens Hospital. There was special dance performance by cancer survivors & members of Ugam, a Childhood Cancer Survivors Support Group functioning under umbrella of Indian Cancer Society. Chhandam Nritya Bharati Group performed Indian traditional dance form Kathak. Commenting about the event, Dr Purna Kurkure, Chairman, Clinical Oncology Collegium Narayana Health Group and Head, Department of Pediatric Hemato-Oncology & BMT at SRCC Childrens Hospital said, International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD) is celebrated around the world each year on February 15th. ICCD is founded by Childhood Cancer International (CCI), a global network in association with International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) the lead organization with over 2000 healthcare professionals engaged in treatment of childhood cancer. The story of Childhood Cancers is a journey from Nihilism to Optimism. Childhood cancers which were invariably fatal 50 years ago now enjoy a long -term survival of 70-80% when treated promptly, appropriately & adequately and most survivors are cured. First chance is the best chance and giving optimum treatment at outset is the most important factor in deciding the outcome of these cancers. Each year, more than 300,000 children from birth to 19 years age are diagnosed with cancer around the world. Approximately 8 in 10 of these children live in low and middle-income countries where their survival rate is often near 20%. This is in stark contrast to high-income countries, where cure rates exceed 80% for many common childhood cancers. Children with cancer in low- and middle-income countries are four times more likely to die of the disease than children in high-income countries because their illnesses are not diagnosed, they are often forced to abandon treatment due to high costs, and the health professionals entrusted with their care lack specialized training. Approximately 5% of total cancer burden in India is in this age group as estimated by cancer registries. Thus, 40,000-50000 new childhood cancers are estimated to be diagnosed annually. Only 20-25% children with cancer are in the net for treatment in India. Together, on ICCD, we raise our voices and envision the day when there will be No More Pain and No More Loss for all children with cancer regardless of where they live in the world. SRCC Childrens Hospital located at Haji Ali Park in Mumbai central is a 207-bed tertiary care facility offering multi-speciality services exclusively for infants, children and adolescents. It is managed by Narayana Health with strong credentials in paediatric care backed by SRCC an institution renowned for serving the needs of children with physical challenges. Designed on international standards the hospital offers affordable, yet world-class medical care with all super-specialities under one roof apart from a complete set of rehabilitation programs. The event was presided by Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, who then launched the frame. Brains Hospital recently launched the indigenously developed and affordable Stereotactic Frame 3DR Stereotactic System to perform Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery. The event was presided by Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, who then launched the frame. Addressing the gathering Honourable Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman lauded the idea of the visionaries behind the indigenous Stereotactic Frame 3DR Stereotactic System. Appreciating the teamwork of doctors, engineers and technicians from India who have toiled hard to come out with the piece of medical art she said: Bangalore is blessed with people who are ready to make the national dream of Make in India a reality. I am sure the Government can do many such things and make it replicable in other areas as well. Make in India is not a futile call, it is a call for all of us. Speaking on the occasion CS Sunder Raju, MD, Atria Group, Director- BRAINS said: This is a classical example of how clinical doctors engage with technological partners and try to translate the vision of government into reality. We are witnessing tremendous changes in the field of information technology and life sciences and these two are going to be aggressive in few years from now. Creating the right environment to traverse the journey in the eco system is essential to make India a leader in life sciences. Dr. NK Venkataramama Founder Chairman & Chief Neurosurgeon, Brains Hospital, Bengaluru said: Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery is one of the fast advancing sub specialty in Neurosciences. The clinical and research applications are fast advancing. It is a type of minimally invasive surgery performed with the assistance of a specially designed frame. This frame is fixed to the head that guides the surgeon to reach different, select and specific targets in the brain with precision. Stereotactic surgery or stereotaxy is a minimally invasive form of surgical intervention which makes use of a three-dimensional coordinates to locate small targets inside the brain and to perform procedures on them such as ablation, biopsy, lesion, injection, stimulation, implantation, radiosurgery (SRS), etc. Stereotactic surgery is used for brain biopsy of a tumor in the brain either deep seated or in an eloquent area. We can also do functional surgery for conditions like Parkinsons disease, pain, epilepsy, movement disorders, conditions like cysts, abscess or blood clots can be treated in a minimally invasive method. Many implantable devices can be deployed into the brain as well. A stereotaxic apparatus is a device that is used, along with a brain atlas of coordinates, to precisely insert a recording electrode into a specific brain region. The apparatus utilizes a set of three coordinates (x, y, and z) to mark each point of the brain in the three dimensional space. Speaking about the frame Dr Venkataramana said Many such frames are available in the market but the cost is prohibitive. 3D Arc is an indigenous frame, conceptualized and designed at Bangalore (both hard ware and software). In addition it has been simplified adding 25 years of personal learning to make it user friendly and versatile. It is available at the 1/3rd of the cost of the imported frames and every Neurosurgeon can use it with confidence. It was conceptualized by Dr. NK Venkataramana and designed to its completion by Bangalore based Mahalasa Medical Technology spear headed by two innovative Biomedical Engineers Sadashiva Bhat and Sharath V Bhat. This is a significant contribution to the field of Neurosurgery. This affordable device will benefit the concept of Make in India of our honorable Prime Minister and also will change the scenario of Stereotactic and Functional neurosurgery in India in the future years, Dr Venkataramana further added. We earnestly hope that this humble contribution can benefit large number of needy Indian patients. It is important that women understand their ovarian reserve before they take the decision of delaying pregnancy. This only helps them take a better decision and avoid unnecessary stress when they plan to conceive. Over 30 million Indians, both men and women, suffer from infertility. Yet, there is not much open discussion about the growing concern and a general lack of awareness surrounding the condition. Infertility refers to an inability to conceive, despite regular unprotected sexual intercourse. While 40-50 per cent of the recorded cases of infertility are solely as a result of female bodily conditions, around 20 per cent include abnormal sperm conditions and the rest are classified as unidentified factors. There are multiple risk factors that affect fertility of an individual and age is one of the most prominent. While a woman's fertility starts to drop and continues doing so after the age of 32, a mans fertility starts to decline after the age of 50. Smoking is also a prime factor that influences the level of fertility. There is significant research to show that pregnant women who smoke during their term are at a greater risk of miscarriage. Similarly, alcohol too has an adverse effect on the mother and child; it is also linked to lower fertility of men. Obesity, coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, has also been linked to infertility in females and is also cause of an abnormal sperm count in males. Additionally, research has found that being underweight or anorexic can also have an adverse impact on fertility. Besides understanding the broad causes of infertility, there are several differentiating factors between male and female infertility. Among men, some of the most common reasons are: Varicocele: A varicocele is a swelling of the veins that drain the testicle, and is the most common reversible cause of male infertility. Infection: Infections like inflammation or Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) can interfere with sperm production or sperm health or can cause scarring that blocks the passage of sperm. Ejaculation issues: Retrograde ejaculation occurs when semen enters the bladder during the orgasm instead of emerging out of the penis. Antibodies: Anti-sperm antibodies are immune system cells that mistakenly identify sperm as harmful invaders and attempt to eliminate them. Tumours: Cancers and non-malignant tumours can affect the male reproductive organs directly, through glands that release hormones related to reproduction, such as the pituitary gland, or through unknown causes. In some cases, surgery, radiation or chemotherapy to treat tumours, can also affect male fertility. Hormone imbalances: Infertility can also result from an abnormality affecting other hormonal systems including the hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid and adrenal glands. Low testosterone and other hormonal problems have a number of possible underlying causes. Low testosterone and other hormonal problems have a number of possible underlying causes. Sexual problems: Problems like maintaining an erection, premature ejaculation, painful intercourse, anatomical abnormalities, psychologically related, or relationship problems that interfere with sex can lead to infertility. problems that interfere with sex can lead to infertility. Medication: Testosterone replacement therapy, long-term anabolic steroid use, cancer medications, certain antifungal medications, some ulcer drugs among other medications can impair sperm production and decrease male fertility. Among women, some of the most common factors for infertility are: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): PCOS causes a hormone imbalance, which affects ovulation, and is the most common cause of female infertility. Hypothalamic dysfunction: These two hormones produced by the pituitary gland are responsible for stimulating ovulation each month. Disruption in the production of these hormones can affect ovulation and cause infertility. Premature ovarian failure: This disorder is usually caused by an autoimmune response or by premature loss of eggs from the ovary. The ovary does not produce eggs, lowers oestrogen production in women under the age of 40 and is a cause of infertility. Excessive prolactin: The pituitary gland may cause excess production of prolactin, which reduces oestrogen production and may cause infertility. Damage to fallopian tubes (tubal infertility): Damaged or blocked fallopian tubes keep sperm from getting to the egg or block the passage of the fertilised egg into the uterus and may be a cause for infertility. Endometriosis: Endometriosis affects the lining of the uterus and disrupts implantation of the fertilised egg. The condition also affects fertility in less-direct ways, such as damage to the sperm or egg. Uterine or cervical causes: Benign polyps or tumours that are common in the uterus can block fallopian tubes or interfere with implantation, affecting fertility. Uterine abnormalities present from birth can cause also cause problems becoming or remaining pregnant. Cervical stenosis, which is a narrowing of the cervix, can be caused by an inherited malformation or damage to the cervix is also a cause for infertility. Today, more and more Indian women in the Metro Cities are delaying their pregnancy owing to their career and competitive jobs. While not all women may suffer from fertility problems with growing age, recent trend and analysis have a different story to tell. Today women are at a risk of infertility owing to their lifestyle choices. It is important that women understand their ovarian reserve before they take the decision of delaying pregnancy. This only helps them take a better decision and avoid unnecessary stress when they plan to conceive. Ovarian reserve is the pool of eggs present in the ovaries at any given time. Low ovarian reserve is when there is a physiological decrease in the number of eggs, resulting in an insufficient number to ensure a reasonable chance of pregnancy. The Anti Mullerian Hormone Test or more popularly known as the Ovarian Reserve Test gives a fair indication of a womens fertility. Having said that, the AMH test is a multi-purpose test and increased level may also suggest conditions like Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. However the AMH test is an important test related to infertility. Couples who wish to conceive and are unable to should visit a fertility specialist and even a counselor if advised, It is important to understand the present status through proper diagnosis and take further treatment as per the doctors advice. - Dr. Nilesh Shah, President and Chief of Science & Innovation, Metropolis Healthcare Shanghai (Gasgoo)- In 2018, CATL gained RMB29.611 billion in gross revenues with a year-on-year leap of 48.08%, while its net profits attributable to shareholders of the listed company declined 7.71% from the previous year to RMB3.579 billion. Besides, the full-year non-recurring-excluded profits attributable to the listed company jumped 30.95% to RMB3.111 billion, the power battery maker announced on February 27. CATL said the net profit drop was mainly caused by the disposal of the transfer of Beijing Pride Power System Technology Limited's equity in the same period a year ago. The battery provider ascribes the increase in gross revenues and non-recurring-excluded profits to the rising demand on domestic power battery market thanks to the fast development of new energy vehicle market. Besides, the NEV subsidy adjustment, the technical standard upgrade and more normalized industrial climate all propel CATL to strengthen its market development, thus both sales performance and market shares have been enlarged. Moreover, the output increase with the production capacity release and the lower expense-to-income ratio thanks to the optimized expense control and management all benefitted the revenue and non-recurring-excluded profit growth. CATL and the state-owned carmaker FAW Group set up a joint venture dubbed CATL-FAW Power Battery Company (CATL-FAW) at the end of January, according to tianyancha.com, a Chinese data search platform. In addition, it also builds joint ventures with Geely, SAIC Motor, GAC Group and Dongfeng Motor. Pakistan-India cannot afford any miscalculation: Imran Khan Asking its eastern neighbour to exhibit prudence and sanity, Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday said Pakistan and India cannot afford any miscalculation and that dialogue is the only option to address their issues. The prime ministers televised remarks came hours after Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down two Indian aircraft inside Pakistani airspace and arrested an Indian pilot on ground. History tells us that wars are full of miscalculation. My question is that, given the weapons we have, can we afford miscalculation, Imran said in his address to the nation hours after the PAF shot down two MiG-21 aircraft of the Indian Air Force. Taking the nation into confidence, the prime minister said it is important for Pakistan and India to exhibit prudence and sanity as all big wars in the history happened because of miscalculation. He said the major world wars were rooted in miscalculation. All wars have been miscalculated. First World War was supposed to end in weeks, it took six years. The point came in the Second World War when Hitler thought that he would conquer Russia but he had not thought that it would have to be delayed due to cold weather of Russia and he faced defeat. Similarly, the US never expected the war on terrorism to last for 17 years. Moreover, US had not thought about the long Vietnam War. History has taught us that all wars were the result of miscalculations, he said. Imran Khan said despite his assurances, he had doubt that India would not listen to his advice, keeping in view forthcoming general election. He said he had warned India that Pakistan would be forced to retaliate in case of any misadventure. He said Pakistan offered India cooperation as it is not in Pakistans own interest to let its soil used against any other country. He said Pakistan was fully prepared as it had doubts that India would indulge in any misadventure after the Pulwama incident. Yet, I had still feared that India would ignore the offer and still take action, and I had therefore warned India against aggression and said we will be compelled to respond because no sovereign country can allow the violation of its sovereignty and did not allow any other country to decide about the crime and assume the role of judge, jury and execution, he said. Moreover, I had the fear that India would act because of their upcoming elections, therefore, I had told India that Pakistan will respond, he added. We did not respond in haste as we did not have a complete assessment of the damage caused and it would have been irresponsible on our part as it may have resulted in casualties on their side. Once we assessed the damage caused, we were ready to take action, the prime minister said. The sole purpose of our action is to convey that if you can come into our country, we can do the same. That is the only purpose of what we did. Two of their MiGs (aircraft) were shot down by Pakistani forces after they crossed over into our territory. And I want to tell that their pilots are with us, he added. I once again invite you: we are ready. We are ready for any sort of dialogue. I reiterate that better sense should prevail. Lets sit together and settle this with talks, he concluded. I understand the pain of the families who lost family members in Pulwama. I have visited hospitals and seen the pain of people affected by violence in Pakistan. We have lost 70,000 of our own people during the last 10 years and I can realize the pain and suffering of the survivors and the injured who were crippled and who lost their eyes, he said. On day 2 of Design Indaba 2019 communications designer, Ellie Frymire talked about her thesis, #MeToo - An exploration of tweets using cluster analysis. If youve been sexually harassed or assaulted write me too as a reply to this tweet. pic.twitter.com/k2oeCiUf9n Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) October 15, 2017 Ellie Frymire A tweet is not just a number. It is a real and lasting experience for that person. The hashtag #metoo means so much more. Political clusters, the top words of which included trump, vote and president (top words) Workplace clusters, the top words of which included workplace, changing and empowered Angry clusters, the top words of which included the F-word, disgusting and behaviour Conversation clusters, the top words of which included disgust, story and change Uplifting clusters, the top words of which included strong, courage and love One tweet has brought together 1.7 million voices from 85 countries. Standing side by side, together, our movement will only grow. #MeToo Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) October 24, 2017 She mentioned a women's march that took place on 21 January 2017, regarding women's rights, specifically women's reproductive rights. While those that marched on the day were angry, Frymire said that its difficult to share your personal experiences in this type of format. Who are these people, what are their stories? She wondered.On 15 October, American actress and liberal activist Alyssa Milano said something very powerful:Thousands of people liked, replied and responded to this original tweet and a million more used the hashtag #metoo, but I wasnt focused on the magnitude of this problem, I wanted to know who these people are and what are their stories; I wanted to know, what are people really saying when they use the hashtag #metoo?The reason Frymire is so passionate about the #metoo movement stems from personal experience. She showed some photos of her best six friends.As six smart, talented, ambitious young women, weve had our fair share of experiences. One of us almost lost a job for speaking up about sexism in the workplace and more than one of us has been sexually assaulted.We are not the exception to the rule and because I know our stories so intimately, I can understand the impact of these experiences.In her research, Frymire started with 1.4bn tweets from an advanced search page over a six-month period after Milanos tweet. She outlined them on a timeline, where she noticed a few spikes on the dates of major national events or happenings and looked for words within each tweet using a process called unsupervised machine learning.After analysing 1.4bn tweets and 26 million unique words within these tweets, the result was 425 clusters of tweets. 425 natural groupings within the data based on word patterns within, and the beauty of this was that it was an unbiased solution.The top words in each cluster revealed five major themes in this collection:One of most popular tweets in the uplifting cluster was, again, by Milano:She tweeted this a week after her initial tweet and shes not wrong, but I want to make sure those voices arent just counted, I want to make sure those voices are heard, because I am one of those voices... You may be one of those voices.I think its important for each of us to find power and growth in this movement.For more info on Frymire, go to DesignIndaba.com The Blue Nile sets the border between Amhara and Oromia regions in Ethiopia. By Rosemania , CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons Concerns The way forward When completed, the dam will have installed capacity to generate 6000MW electricity to relieve Ethiopias acute energy shortage and also export to Sudan and possibly Egypt. The dam can store 74 billion cubic metres of water, about half the volume of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt.A project of this size also, inevitably, brings challenges. Some of these relate to technical issues and others to the regions politics.Diplomatic concerns include the fact that, for a long time, Egypt and Sudan have believed that they have more right to the waters of the Nile than other countries. The Nile Basin Initiative was set up in 1999 to foster cooperation among the 11 countries that share the river. But its work has been hindered by Sudan and Egypts attitude, among other issues. A new book , which I coauthored, explores why Ethiopia took unilateral decision in 2011 to begin construction on the dam. It also looks at what pushed Ethiopia to break away from discussions and attempts at diplomatic cooperation. One theme we explore is that the dam represents a push back against Egypts view of itself as the regions water powerhouse and guardian of the Nile River.The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will offer great benefits to all 11 countries and their citizens. Any ongoing tension between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt might stifle those benefits. Continued and transparent diplomatic engagement is needed to broker a better relationship between all the countries along the Nile.The biggest mega-structure on the Nile River is the Aswan High Dam. It has stood for the last 60 years as a symbol of Egypts hegemony on the river, and provided Egypt with power, water security and a strategic geopolitical advantage When completed, Ethiopias dam will challenge the status quo set by the Aswan High Dam. Both dams, then, will tower over different portions of the Nile River and starkly represent the dependence of the two nations on the rivers water.Egypt has made no secret of its unhappiness about Ethiopias plan. It has questioned whether the new dam will be suitably safe . It has also expressed concerns about the potential impact the initial filling of the dam will have on areas downstream. It will take between eight and ten years to fill the new dam. Egypt says this will interrupt its own water and power supply.Ethiopia, meanwhile, says the filling will have minimal effect on other countries. It argues that Egypt and Sudan will benefit from a reduction in flooding and silting, and that the dam will be a boon for water conservation.Egypt seems reluctant to recognise any potential benefits, and openly dismissive of Ethiopias right to develop its own water resources. Research has shown that the effects of filling the dam may initially dent Egypts water supply but this trend will reverse once the dam is fully operational. Egypt can improve its irrigation practice and demand management to reduce the impact of reduced flow.Another study has suggested the dam will actually provide considerable long term benefits to both Egypt and Sudan by providing steady flow and reducing evaporation losses.Its crucial that all the Nile nations get together to talk through concerns and fears, and bury the hatchet. Diplomacy should be supported by sound technical data. The international community will need to continue to facilitate dialogue and provide technical and financial support for a positive outcome in the region.The proposed dam is the new reality in the Nile, and agreement among all Nile countries is urgent. Constructive public engagement about it can go a long way to creating a solid economic, social and cultural bond among those countries.Its vital to negotiate towards a common goal thats beneficial to all nations in the Nile Basin. The dam is an opportunity to craft a realistic cooperation framework as a blueprint for similar future endeavours in the basin and elsewhere.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article We are the world's learning company and we are on a mission to help people make progress in their lives through learning. Young and competitive Keval Ramraj to handle Glenlivet's branding The Glenlivet South Africa has named Keval Ramraj as its new brand manager. Ramraj's role as brand manager involves working closely with the brand's marketing and PR agencies to create and execute the campaigns that have become synonymous with 'The' single malt whisky. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reacted to the downward trend of the Cedi. The cedi started the year at about 4.9 against $1 but has since dropped to about 5.4 to the dollar. While commissioning the Fujian Sentuo Ceramic Tile Factory at Kpone, President Akufo-Addo, said he is "extremely upset and anxious" about the free fall of the cedi. However, "I want to assure you that all efforts are being made to arrest the decline and restore the cedi to stability in order to improve the competitiveness of the Ghanaian industry and I think very soon you will be seeing the results of our policy." Meanwhile, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) has introduced some regulations to streamline trading of dollars and other major foreign currencies in the country to help stabilize the Ghana cedi. According to the BoG, the new market directives will help regulate the conduct of interbank foreign exchange business in the Ghanaian financial market. The Minority in Parliament has described the Bank of Ghanas measures to save the cedi from further depreciation as ill-intentioned, desperate and an attempt to victimize forex dealers. "In conclusion, let us sound a word of caution that an even more dangerous development is the so-called Ghana Cedi Reference rate, purportedly to guide exchange rate determination. This is a reckless policy decision because our net international reserves in relation to net short term external liabilities (e.g. net short-term capital inflows) is not looking good at all. In other words, we will not be able to avert a financial crisis if there is a sudden portfolio flow reversal on a massive scale," they said in a statement. Below is the Minoritys full statement: BANK OF GHANA (BOG) MEASURES TO SAVE CEDI DEPRECIATION ILL-INTENTIONED, DESPERATE AND MEANT TO VICTIMISE FX DEALERS In a desperate attempt to stem the free fall of the cedi against major currencies in recent times, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) on February 25 announced some measures to streamline trading of dollars and other major foreign currencies in the country. According to the Central bank, the objectives of the new measures are; 1. To more clearly regulate the conduct of interbank foreign exchange (FX) business in the Ghanaian financial market. 2. To establish standards of practice expected of market participants to help ensure an efficient and effective FX market. 3. To help develop and deepen the foreign exchange market in Ghana. It is instructive to note that these command and control measures come at a time when the cedi is the worst performing currency among a basket of more than 140 currencies worldwide. It is, therefore, understandable that BoG, which virtually is an extension of the Ministry of Finance will attempt to employ such command and control measures, which are shortsighted in form and flawed in totality, seeking to address a problem that is clearly a loss of faith in the economic policies and management credentials of the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia-led administration. Fortunately, we have presented in clear terms simple, pragmatic and results-oriented solutions below, which, when followed, will help reverse the situation and save traders, importers and the business community of the pinch that the policy distortion, steeply receding confidence in the economy and BoGs regulatory tyranny is taking them through. In general, while one can broadly agree with measures to deepen Ghanas interbank market, it is clear that the recent measures are meant to victimise and vilify forex traders and shift the central bank and indeed the governments irresponsibility and ineptitude to players in the FX market. The timing of the announcement of the new rules is also inappropriate and signify a desperate attempt by an institution and a government drowning in its own ineptitude to hold onto straw. Conservatively, the BoGs approach and the measures thereof are counter-productive, will dampen confidence and spike the panic in the system and altogether create friction that will further worsen the plight of the cedi against its foreign counterparts. Of grave concern is the tendency of the hurriedly developed and announced measures to facilitate the activities of the Black Market and distort the FX market further. We also find it strange that the BoG is now impugning unethical practice by forex dealers who are seasoned and senior staff of treasury departments of banks in Ghana and have been in that business under the very own eyes of the same BoG for years. Is the BoG all of a sudden saying that these market participants do not conduct their activities ethically, transparently and professionally and hence causing the sharp depreciation of the cedi? Are we saying they do not act in an honest and fair manner when dealing with clients and other participants? The measures give the unfortunate impression that dealers have been doing something fishy in their trading rooms and that has contributed to the historic fall in the value of the cedi. But these are staff of banks that are well governed, to quote the Governor of the Bank of Ghana on his recent armchair assessment and its findings. We also see the measures as an attempt to micro-manage and control dealers in line with the regulatory tyranny that we have variously raised concerns about. Please note that this tyranny, which started last year ensured that banks were afraid to quote realistic market rates for the cedi, calling into question the BoGs long held rule of operating a liberal FX market. If the idea is to improve regulation and the conduct of interbank FX business in the Ghanaian financial market, then best practices show that implementing such reforms when the market itself is experiencing unprecedented volatility is unwise and could be counter-productive. What is even more disturbing is the fact that these measures announced by BoG are nothing new but virtually a copycat and an unethical revision of previously announced and suggested measures. It is instructive to note those portions of these measures were suggested by the ACI Financial Markets Association (Ghana) since 2015. Also, parts of these measures, particularly those bothering on trading band, have already been implemented and have proved to be ineffective. As stated earlier, one consequence of these measures will be a booming black-market activity in the coming days and months, and the market premium will certainly exceed the 10 percent threshold to signal the policy distortion. Therefore, we want to plead with the Governor to resist the temptation to make the gross mistake of sending soldiers after the black-market operators, operators who will be aiming to profit from a jaundice measure by the central bank itself. Such command and control measures never work and will not work. While the BoG is shoving its measures on the FX market, the government is also heard telling hotels to stop charging room rates in dollars. Interestingly, these were the very measures that the Eminent Economist, Dr Bawumia opposed in 2015 when he was desperately seeking a way into the Flag Staff House. But when the cedi is changing value hourly, do you expect hotels to be changing their room prices every hour? And if a customer presents a dollar bill to them, you say they shouldn't take it? Rather than extending the regulatory tyranny, government should improve supply of forex, cut down on useless imports and coordinate monetary and fiscal policy better. The BoG should be more proactive and spot-on with its interventions in the market to help smoothen out blips but while doing that it should be conscious of the countrys weakening net international reserves position so as not to deepen the vulnerability of the central bank in the long term. The government should also tighten the deliberately loosened screws that allow dirty money to enjoy passage into and within the economy, resulting in the European Commission giving Ghana that disdainful tag of a country with lax anti-money laundering and counter-terrorists financing regimes. These are as simple as counting a,b and c, but if the government is unable to implement these measures, we are available to show them if only they ask. In conclusion, let us sound a word of caution that an even more dangerous development is the so-called Ghana Cedi Reference rate, purportedly to guide exchange rate determination. This is a reckless policy decision because our net international reserves in relation to net short term external liabilities (e.g. net short-term capital inflows) is not looking good at all. In other words, we will not be able to avert a financial crisis if there is a sudden portfolio flow reversal on a massive scale. Remember that we are already seeing signs of this phenomenon as evident in the January 2018 developments as published by Bloomberg News. How then would a government adopt such a fatal policy measure that is closer to an exchange rate soft peg? Dont we remember what caused the East Asian Financial Crisis? A soft peg in the context of declining net international reserves (amid large stock of short-term external liabilities) and capital mobility is a dangerous cocktail indeed. Let me end by asking Is the weakness of the fundamentals of Ghanas economy being exposed by the cedi? .Signed. James Klutse Avedzi-MP Deputy Minority Leader 27th February 2019 Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Receiver for Heritage and Premium Bank has announced that all former branches of the defunct bank will cease operations on Thursday, 28 February 2019, except two. Please be informed that with the exception of the Tema Community 1 and Suame Kumasi branches, CBG will cease to operate the former branches of Heritage Bank after close of business on Thursday, 28 February 2019, Mr Vish Ashiagbor, the Receiver for Heritage and Premium Bank stated in a press release on Monday, 25 February 2019. The statement added: Unless specifically requested, all the Receivers consultant staff will no longer be required to physically report to work at the former branches or Head Office daily. The statement added that the latest development does not affect the terms of the existing consultancy contract between the Receiver and the Consultant Staff. Accordingly, allowances will be paid in line with the consultancy contracts for the term of the contract which ends on 31 March 2019. About 350 staff were employed by the erstwhile Heritage Bank. They were given a three-month contract by the Receiver following the revocation of the licence. With only two branches being maintained, it is likely a majority of the 350 workers will lose their jobs after the expiration of the three-month contract in March. The BoG revoked Heritage Banks licence on Friday, 4 January 2019 on the basis that the majority shareholder, Mr Seidu Agongo, among other things, used proceeds realised from alleged fraudulent contracts he executed for the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), for which he and former COCOBOD CEO, Dr Stephen Opuni are being tried, to set up the bank. Announcing the withdrawal of the licence, the Governor of the Central Bank, Dr Ernest Addison told journalists when asked if he did not deem the action as premature, since the COCOBOD case was still in court that: The issue of Heritage Bank, I wanted to get into the law with you, I dont know if I should, but we dont need the courts decision to take the decisions that we have taken. We have to be sure of the sources of capital to license a bank; if we have any doubt, if we feel that its suspicious, just on the basis of that we find that that is not acceptable as capital. We dont need the court to decide for us whether anybody is fit and proper, just being involved in a case that involves a criminal procedure makes you not fit and proper. However, Mr Agongo responded with a press statement in which he said that the not fit and proper tag stamped on him by the central bank was capricious, arrogant, malicious and in bad faith. According to Mr Agongo, In purportedly making the determination, the central bank obviously had little regard for the time-honoured principle that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction, adding that: The fact that I have a case pending before the High Court is a matter of public knowledge but my guilt or innocence is yet to be determined by the Honourable Court. The determination that I am not a fit and proper person to be a significant shareholder of HBL because the central bank suspects the funds are derived from illicit or suspicious contracts with Cocobod is not only calculated to pre-judge the outcome of the criminal proceedings but also violative of the principle of presumption of innocence to which every individual is entitled. Since when has suspicion become a substitute for credible evidence? Mr Agongo asked. Source: classfmonline 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 Specter of Power why pseudo-democracy is essential for Babis and his business model 28. 2. 2019 / Albin Sybera cas cteni 6 minut Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, an oligarch and the owner of Agrofert, one of the largest industrial concerns in the Czech Republic, who also controls two major Czech newspapers, is due to visit Donald Trump in the White House next week. Babis is currently being investigated by the EU for his allegedly corrupt practices. In this piece, Albin Sybera provides some context about the nature of his power base and about his entrepreneurial practices. Prime Minister Babiss effort to maintain an image of a Western-leaning politician is not so much about upholding the democratic standards in front of the Czech Republics EU and transatlantic allies as about the use of pitfalls and dark sides of democracy to secure ones own power. Last but not least, it is also about the control over the Czech and EU public funds. When the EU Parliament passed a resolution halting the payment of subsidies to the companies linked to Agrofert (owned by Andrej Babis and recently managed by a fund set up by Babis) debates surrounding the Babiss monstrous conflict of interests have acquired a more European dimension. (A Czech version of this article is HERE) In one such interview, aired on the Czech Radio, Martin Pycha, Chairman of the countrys Agricultural Union, pointed out that the whole situation led to the politicizing of the Czech agricultural industry, where Agrofert is the dominant player, and sheds a negative light even on the small agricultural farms with no links to Agrofert (full interview available HERE ). Pycha further noted that from his own experience one man possibly cannot influence all the various controls and decision-making levels which the processing of EU funds entails. This is as far as Pychas argument is indeed quite correct. To use an example from the last completed EU budget cycle (2007-2013) the second largest operational program (OP Environment or OPE through which approx. the allocation of 5 billion EUR was to be channeled into the country) was administered by the Czech Ministry of Environment, State Environmental Fund, Nature Conservation Agency and all these government agencies were using regional offices. We are speaking of hundreds of officials administering the applications, ensuring it contains all the required information, checking the public procurement laws have not been violated, and their superiors setting up criteria and communicating with the European Commission and its agencies. It is indeed quite impossible for a single human being to influence such a multilayered state apparatus. The situation, however, is quite different for a man who can control a fully loyal political movement which may be novel in name, but in reality contains a good deal of members with extensive experience in kleptocratic practices running all the way back to the 1990s (a good example of these is well described in the article Demokracie neprijde This article, published in Czech, argues that the Czech political parties have been taken over by local vested interests and calls for citizens to reclaim them and turn them back into normal democratic political instutitons have gone unheeded). In the case of Babis, we are speaking of a man with vast experience and deep understanding of the government agencies distributing Czech and EU public funds which he acquired together with his top and long-serving managers in nearly two decades of doing business involving state incentives and subsidies. To use another example, the current Minister of Environment Brabec is surely familiar in great detail with one of the largest multi million EUR projects aimed at reducing air pollution (in a country with one of the worst air pollution records in all of the EU) and administered under the OPE scheme. Before becoming the Minister of Environment in January 2014, Brabec served as the CEO of Lovochemie in the years 2005-2011, one of the largest chemical plants in the country and owned by Agrofert. Lovochemie carried out significant investments in modernizing its facilities (Lovochemie is also one of the largest polluters in Bohemia), and these were co-financed from the OPE before Brabec was appointed the Minister. It is worth noting that another significant chemical plant Synthesia, also owned by Agrofert, carried out a similarly extensive modernization thanks to the co-financing from the OPE. A similar would-be collusions occur in the Czech media and cyberspace, as the recent analysis released by the Czech Elf group points out. Support for Andrej Babis is vociferously propagated through chain emails and disinformation websites at times when negative information about Babis, such as his son vacationing on the shores of Russian-annexed Crimea, leaks into media. These also happen to be the periods when news outlets such as MF Dnes or Lidovky, belonging to the fund set up by Babis, are by and large mute to these stories or inform about different issues altogether. After all, these are supposed to be serious media immune to the questionable practices of the disinformation websites. This whole process is something that is played out as democracy, but also something for which democracy itself has become an instrument. According to this logic, those capable of managing a chemical plant have ideal predispositions to understand the field of politics which is of significant concern to chemical plants, i.e. environment. To be a successful applicant, you or the person filing up your application for a subsidy, need to be well acquainted with the functioning of the government agency administering the subsidies. The longer you do business in this field, the more you know these agencies as well as its employees. You become the real elite and in the end you take over the posts at the government agencies with the help of the anti-establishment themes put into discourse by the media branch of the corporate organization you belong to. Nobody needs to breach any rules when in fact these rules can be applied so well. All we have to do on our political agenda is to make the government agencies more efficient in their own tasks. State employees receive their salaries, chemical plants are modernized (whereby making them more efficient as well) and to top it all these will even pollute air quality less then before. Why meddle with this democratic tale when we have learnt to work it so well? To use the words of former Minister of Defense Vondra, neither of the two populist politicians and top state representatives President Zeman, nor PM Babis can destroy the idea of democracy the late President Havel had helped to introduce into the Czech Republic (A Politico article on the anniversary of Havels death available HERE ). It just so happened that democracy in the Czech Republic has become an exemplary hollow democracy. 0 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 The Power Distribution Services Ghana Limited (PDS) has announced plans to invest over US$580 million in Ghanas power sector within the next five years after receiving the Assets and Operations of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), on Wednesday. For the next 20 years, beginning March 1, 2019, PDS Ghana Limited would be the electricity service provider in all of ECGs operational areas in the Southern Distribution Zone of Ghana the Greater Accra, Eastern, Volta, Central and the Western regions. ECGs assets would be leased to the PDS Ghana Limited, the Concessionaire, while the ECG would become an Asset Holding Company, and after the end of the Concession, all assets would be transferred back to it. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) would also be investing US$537 million into the power sector to improve electricity reliability, access, affordability and efficiency under the Ghana Power Compact II. PDS is expected to strengthen the governance, management and operations of the ECG and improve the delivery of power to end users as well as support the countrys socio-economic growth and alleviate poverty. The ECG Private Sector Participation (PSP) Activity is one of the key project activities that constitute the ECG Financial and Operational Turnaround (EFOT) Project, under the 498.2 million-dollar Ghana Power Compact programme. At an official ceremony to transfer the Assets and Operations, in Accra, Dr Ofosu Ahenkorah, the Executive Secretary of the Energy Commission, symbolically presented Distribution and Sales Licences to the PDS Ghana Limited. The Management of the ECG also received Power Brokerage and Export Licences to supply bulk power to PDS and Meralco Consortium, and to also sell electricity to neighbouring West African countries. The two licences would enable the PDS and Meralco Consortium to operate the wires of the ECG and supply power from bulk supply points to homes and electricity consumers as well as collect bills from power consumers. The Power Distribution and Sales Licences are valid for 20 years but after five years of operation, other corporate entities would be licensed to engage in sale of power in the country. On August 5, 2014, Ghana signed a five-year Power Compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a United States of America Government Agency. Under the Agreement, Ghana would utilise a 498.2 million-dollar grant, provided by the MCC, to undertake reforms and infrastructural projects aimed at addressing the inefficiencies in the power sector and meet the increasing demand of power by industries and domestic users. Key stakeholders including the Energy Commission, ECG, Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, and other state actors collaborated to design the ECG PSP Transaction, culminating in the birth of the PDS Ghana Limited as the acceptable private sector participation provider. The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) was tasked to select a competent and viable company to take-over the ECG. On April 10, 2018, MiDA selected Meralco Consortium from the Philippines as the winner of the ECG PSP out of six bidders after a competitive bidding process to partner PDS Ghana Limited. PDS Ghana Limited comprise AEnergia SA, an Angolan company, and three Ghanaian firms - TG Energy Solutions Ghana Limited, Santa Power Limited and GTS Power limited, which have 51 per cent shareholding, while Meralco Consortium owned 49 per cent. Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, the Senior Minister, said electricity was an economic and political tool that signified civilization, especially in rural communities. We cannot talk about an economy without reliable power and Ghana has gone through some difficulties when it comes to power distribution, therefore, the second Compact Agreement covering this sector was very pleasing to me personally in tackling a programme that is extremely important to the country, he said. He expressed confidence that the ECG take-over would bring the needed transformation, enhance power distribution and eliminate the technical and commercial losses hovering around 25 per cent. It would also boost the governments agriculture modernisation towards moving Ghana Beyond Aid. The Senior Minister acknowledged the financial support the Millennium Challenge Corporation had offered to the Government, which amounted to 1.1 billion dollars, comprising the First and Second Power Compacts. 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 Mr. John Peter Amewu, the Energy Minister, on Wednesday said government would keep an eagle eye on key performance indicators of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) take-over by Power Distribution Services Ghana Limited (PDS). Speaking at the official transfer of ECGs Assets and Operations to PDS Ghana Limited, in Accra, Mr. Amewu underscored the need for PDS to keep track of the key deliverables of the transaction and comply with them accordingly. He pledged his Ministrys full support to the partnership and believed it would go a long way to reduce power theft, technical and commercial losses and make power consumption affordable to consumers towards achieving the industrial revolution agenda. Mr Amewu warned that government would no longer entertain fraudulent power transactions, which could compel the country to pay penalties and, thus, cited previous experiences whereby the State had to spend between 25 and 30 million dollars for bad power deals. Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister of Finance, said one of the major constraints to the countrys development was insufficient and unreliable power, hence the welcoming news by the Ghana Power Compact, through the benevolence of the United States Government, acting through the Millennium Challenge Corporation. In spite of the many power deals entered into by the Government such as the Independent Power Producers, there were still challenges with the energy sector, posing high cost to power consumers. He, therefore, said more than 500 million-dollar Compact funds would go a long way to ensure efficiency in the power distribution sector, reduce operational cost and curtail technical and commercial power losses, which had characterized the operations of the ECG over the years. Mr Ofori-Atta said the Governments decision to champion the ECG Financial and Operational Turnaround (EFOT) Project through the Private Sector Participation (PSP) was considered consistent with the strategic direction of the Ghana Power Sector Reform programme, started in 1994. The Minister said the EFOT would further enhance economic growth, reduce poverty and improve the reliability of the quality of power supply, which would benefit about six million Ghanaians. He acknowledged the contribution of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) over the past four years, which had collaborated with the Ministry of Finance, Attorney-Generals Department, Energy Commission, Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, ECG, and other key actors to design an acceptable PSP provider. Hence, governments desire to improve the quality of service, efficiency and financial viability of the ECG, support the achievement of middle-income status, minimize the financial burden on the Government by mobilizing private capital to achieve better power coverage in the near future and enhance the countrys economic competitiveness. He expressed optimism that Meralco Consortium and its Ghanaian majority shareholders would effectively work together to form a south-south cooperation to bring on board professional practices so that ECG recovered its investment in due course. He expressed the belief that the partnership would result in improvement in infrastructural development in the power sector and improve the quality of service delivery. Mr Ofori-Atta assured of governments commitment to championing the countys growth pole to attain industrial revolution and serve as a major catalyst for success. The Minister said Meralco had obtained relevant experiences over the years and made required investments in the power sector as well as equitable treatment of ECG staff. He noted that the availability of power would support the countrys socio-economic transformation agenda towards achieving the Ghana Beyond Aid. Meralco Consortium is taking over ECGs assets worth three billion dollars. 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 Ms. Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration on Wednesday eulogised the Ghana-India bilateral relations which dates back over six decades, saying India has been a great supporter of Ghanas socio-economic development. She cited the Seat of Government, the Jubilee House, which was undoubtedly the most iconic project constructed with the support of the India Government and the Foreign Service Institute of her Ministry, which is being undertaken by a facility from the Indian Government. I must also underscore the fact that the Ghana-Indian Kofi Annan Centre for Excellence in ICTis a product of initial work of the late Kofi Annan, she said. The Minister said this at a ceremony to unveil the relocated statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Accra, an Indian activist and the leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule. Ms Botchway said Kofi Annan in his capacity as the UN Secretary-General approached the India Government for assistance to develop Institutes for the advancement of ICT knowledge on the African continent. She said the India Government responded positively leading to the building and commissioning of the centre in 2003, adding that the Government and the people Ghana were forever grateful and the unveiling signified the strong bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. She noted that Ghana and India maintained long and fruitful relationship since the 1950s when Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana established a cordial friendship with Jawaharlal Nehru, Indias first Prime Minister, which eventually led to the establishment of diplomatic missions in both countries. The Minister said it was through that solid foundation that Ghana and India built a dynamic friendship which was characterised by exchanges of high-level visits. The friendship and cooperation forged between the two countries have since moved to a higher pedestal, cutting across political, economics, trade and investment as well as cultural spheres. I am proud to say that the bond between Ghana and India have been well-nurtured over the years. Mahatma Gandhi is, no doubt, a great son of India, who is admired all over the world as one of historys most transformative and inspirational figures, Mr Birender Singh Yadav, the Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, said the unveiling formed part of series of activities to mark the 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, which falls on October 2. He said Gandhi remained the moral compass on the Republic of India; his teachings are still the touchstone to measure our policies and initiatives, adding that the 150th anniversary is not for India alone; it is a joy to be shared with the world. Mr Yadav said as part of the launch of the two-years-long commemoration of the 150th birthday anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the High Commissioner of India organised several events on October 2, 2018, including; a donation of a water tank and OTC medicines to the maternity Wing, named Gandhi Ward at 37 Military Hospital. He said he was confident that the relocation of the statue to a prestigious location in Ghana would bring an end to what was a misguided campaign about certain writings of Mahatma Gandhi, adding that it is therefore important that during his 150th birthday anniversary, we see his contributions in proper perspective. Mr Kwasi Adu-Gyan, the Director-General of the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT, said the Centre had recently signed an agreement with India to support the development of five state-of-the-art facilities/ laboratories in Ghana. He pledged their resolve to continue to work to make the relationship even stronger and make sure they derived benefits for the IT industry in Ghana. The decision to relocate the statue of Mahatma Gandhi from the University of Ghana premises to its current location was taken in October 2016 by the Government of Ghana. 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 The Vice President of the Republic, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on Thursday, 28th February, 2019, joined the Veterans Association of Ghana(VAG) and other Ghanaians to commemorate the 71st anniversary of the 28th February Christianborg Crossroads shooting incident at the Nationalism Park at Osu in Accra. Five wreaths were laid in memory of the dead veterans. The Vice President, who was the reviewing officer, laid a wreath on behalf of the Government and people of Ghana. On February 28, 1948, Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey, all members of the Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force, that fought alongside the allied forces during the Second World War, were killed while the Regiment was going to present a petition to the then British Colonial Governor, Sir Gerald Creasy. The ex-servicemen were going to present a petition to the Governor on their unpaid war benefits when they were intercepted at the crossroads by a contingent of armed policemen. News about the death of the ex-servicemen rapidly spread, leading to mass protests. It encouraged anti-colonial movements to press the British government to institute a committee to investigate the killings and general disorder. The Committee recommended self-government for the Gold Coast, which subsequently led to the attainment of political independence for the country on 6 March 1957. The nation Ghana has since celebrated these heroes for the ultimate sacrifice they made which led to the attainment of independence. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana 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 National House of Chiefs (NHC) has expressed grave concern about the growing acts of vigilantism in the countrys body politic. Togbe Afede XIV, President of the House, said as custodians of the land, the chiefs were very much concerned about the recent spate of violent acts by political vigilante groups in Ayawaso and Kumasi, resulting in some fatalities. He said these acts of vandalism were unprecedented in the political history of Ghana and if care was not taken, its consequences could affect the conduct of general elections in the country. Addressing the first ordinary meeting of the House for the year in Kumasi, he said politicians should aspire for fairness in the conduct of elections, to help preserve the peace in the country to foster development. Togbe Afede said selfishness in elections does not auger well for the maintenance of peace, stability and development of the country, adding that there is the need for Ghanaians to demonstrate commitment to the country and contribute to ensuring that there is fairness in the conduct of elections. Cheating in elections is not the preserve of those in government, but involves those in opposition as well, if everybody tries to cheat there would be lawlessness in the country, he said. The NHC President, who is also Paramount of Ho Asogli, appealed to politicians to focus on things that provide the right foundation for the development of the people. They must create jobs for the unemployed youth to enhance their living standards so that they dont find violent means to survive and cause violence. Togbe Afede also appealed to Nananom to ensure that violence does not occur in their communities to help attract investors. Touching on the creation of the new regions, he said, that would not affect the paramount stools which would continue to belong to the existing Regional Houses of Chiefs. He commended the Committee of Eminent Chiefs and the President for working hard to bring a finality to the Dagbon chieftaincy disputes by installing a new Ya Na for the people of Dagbon. The NHC President appealed to the people in the area to come together to sustain the peace and ensure the promotion of speedy development. 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 The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) on ,27th February, 2019 held a press conference at the party's headquarters to condemned leaked tape purported to be the voice of the Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ofosu Ampofo. Speaking at the press conference, the communication director of the NPP, HON. Yaw Buabeng Asamoah said: "The NPP will continue to espouse the Rule of Law as the basic pillar of our democracy." "Ladies and gentlemen, in lieu of a better time and occasion, we take the liberty to congratulate the newly elected leader of the NDC. We ask him to reconsider his political philosophy of boot for boot and take clear and public steps to rid his party of the thuggery being embedded into its fabric. Ghana is hungry for progress and he must assume the humility to divorce himself and his party from the appearance of deliberate and orchestrated lies about politically related violence." Read Full statement below: Today is a watershed for democracy in Ghana. The expectation was that the nation would wake up to congratulations. Congratulations from the NPP to former President John Dramani Mahama for winning the NDC Presidential primary and the NDC leadership for managing to hold an electoral congress in the teeth of numerous challenges. Rather, it has turned into a bitter sweet day. Bitter that confirmation has come from the current NDC leadership itself of plans to actively weaponized their political party and put it on a path to becoming a terrorist organisation. A coordinated plan of kidnappings, physical and verbal attacks and infiltration of the security services. Greedy Mahama intends to lead a violent and extremist organization in his quest to lead the country. Sweet because by the Almighty Grace of God, blessed by the first line of the first stanza of our national anthem, the plot has been exposed. God Bless Our Homeland Ghana, and Make Our Nation Great And Strong. Indeed, our nation will remain great and strong. Because there is a responsible leadership in the NPP willing to put every political advantage on the line and do the right thing for the security, growth and prosperity of this country. Many were those baffled by the NDC attitude to the events of Ayawaso West Wuogon immediately before, during and in the aftermath of the by-election. From apparently pointless tussles with the Electoral Commission about dates of election and the authenticity of the Voter Register to escalation of an incident in the La Bawalashie area into a full blown international blight on our nation. Non-existent deaths were alleged and a deliberate picture of violence put out. The infamous boot for boot and superiority in the use of violence statements were made by the former President, now Candidate of the NDC and he proceeded to support and lead boot for Boot demonstrations and walks. The NDC Presidential Candidate also held a briefing for some members of the diplomatic community where he falsely tried to paint a picture of insecurity and violence in the country. It can be deduced from the way boot-for-boot policy was announced from far away Volta Region that, presidential aspirant Mahama must have known and been part of the orchestrated effort to create the false appearance of insecurity in the country. Greedy Mahama ought to have condemned and helped to contain the violence rather than hyping it up. That he chooses to escalate it all the way to the international community with the aid of false videos shows that he was behind the move to destabilize the country and that he is beneficiary. Ladies and gentlemen, why this greedy and violent quest for power at all cost? Why sacrifice the nations honour and dignity for political power? The greedy lust for power can only be to create, loot and share the hard earned resources of this country. In the above circumstances, the NPP were compelled to respond and point out that the NDC were deliberately orchestrating the sense of violence and insecurity. Of course the NDC denied. Yet the very Hawks they denied shot and killed a person right in the midst of an NDC executive meeting. The President of the Republic, Nana Akufo-Addo, chose the path of national stability, security and peace. He set up a commission to put the matter of politically related violence to bed once and for all. But the NDC refused to cooperate. The revelations on the alleged tapes that have become public knowledge explains it all. The National Chairman of the NDC, Mr. Ofosu Ampofo, a serving elder of a much respected Christian Congregation, is heard revealing the trend of lies underpinning the NDC actions of the past few weeks. On the tapes, the National Chairman of the NDC is heard planning to integrate thuggery into the NDC party fabric, subvert police and security service leadership, target people for assassination and kidnapping, and generally threaten to put the lives of senior members of the NPP and indeed civil society in danger. The Chairman is heard endorsing a campaign of lies, insults and threats against the immediate past presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church and now Chairman of the Peace Council, the Head of the Electoral Commission, the President of Ghana and many others. The revelations have broken public trust. Trust is at the heart of electoral politics and leadership. The deliberate insincerity and mendaciousness of the current NDC leadership, including the newly elected Candidate who initiated boot for boot, calls into question whether they are fit for purpose. The purpose of public call to leadership is a duty demanding utmost integrity and trust. The preamble to the 1992 constitution demands that leadership preserve the stability of our nation. Instead, the tapes paint a picture of a bunch of crooks, scheming murderers and liars at the helm of a group who are supposed to offer responsible alternatives towards the progress of this country. Indeed, the current NDC leadership have found themselves out. The have exposed themselves to the nation. Ayawaso West Wuogon was built on nothing. And the deliberated orchestrated lies and crafted events have crumbled into nothing. Indeed, this is the worst case scenario of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. What has happened is bad and ugly. Right thinking members of the NDC ought to move fast and distance themselves from this shameful leadership. Those in the NDC who believe in an ideology must rise and demand resignations of all culpable to restore a sense of moral right to participate in the politics of this country. The NPP will continue to espouse the Rule of Law as the basic pillar of our democracy. We shall follow the example of Prince Abudani 1, our President of the Republic of Ghana who has demonstrated distinguished leadership and supreme political will in meeting the real challenges of our time. Corruption is an issue. The President has faced it by putting enormous independent prosecutorial power in the hands of a public servant of known integrity. Politically related violence is an issue. The President does not duck and hide in platitudes. He sets up a Public Commission of persons of timber to bring the phenomenon to an end once and for all. The President is decisive. He is an intergenerational politician whose policy vision transcends elections. For elections, the President believes that going forward, ideas, rather than blows and bullets, should hold sway. Ladies and gentlemen, in lieu of a better time and occasion, we take the liberty to congratulate the newly elected leader of the NDC. We ask him to reconsider his political philosophy of boot for boot and take clear and public steps to rid his party of the thuggery being embedded into its fabric. Ghana is hungry for progress and he must assume the humility to divorce himself and his party from the appearance of deliberate and orchestrated lies about politically related violence. In conclusion ladies and gentlemen, we ask all civil society organisations and citizens of this country to take advantage of the open and bold leadership offered by the President of the Republic on the matter of politically related violence. Please participate freely and frankly in the work of the Commission and join a healthy lively policy dialogue towards election 2020. Lest we forget, to the extent that the party has exposed itself, the NDC is still not an alternative to decent politics. This nation is going forward and the NDC better listen up and follow. Thank you HON. YAW BUABEN ASAMOA (COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR) Source: Josephine Acheampomaa 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 Back from Abroad: Sabrina Hunte 20 Sabrina Hunte 20 returned to campus this semester from Freiburg, Germanywhere she cooked like the Germans, traveled like the French, and made time for an American Thanksgiving. How did you choose where you would study abroad? I first chose my program, and then I did research on the location options. I was drawn to the IES European Union program because I wanted to explore the EU, and to me, there was no better place to do this than in a powerhouse country like Germany. I knew that I didn't want to go to a big city like Berlin or Munich, but I wanted to experience a city larger than Brunswick. Freiburg was perfect for me because it's a mid-size student-centered city in close proximity to larger cities in Germany, France and Switzerland. Last semester was my first time in Europe, and I wanted to take advantage of everything that each country had to offer. Being in such a central location was very beneficial for my travels and also my education. Was there a time when you felt lost, confused, or misunderstood? I felt the most lost and homesick around Thanksgiving because I was away in a country that didn't celebrate it, even though it was so salient to my family life back home. My program helped by treating us to an American-style Thanksgiving dinner, but it really made me miss home. I felt better after skyping with my family back home. In the beginning I was nervous about the transition, but by the end I was used to my routine, and it was hard to leave. What about a time when you felt at home in this new land? My German roommates were some of the first people that helped me feel at home in Freiburg. Specifically, towards the beginning of my stay we cooked dinner together and they taught me how to make spatzle, which is a German pasta. Cooking was a way that my roommates and I stayed connected to each other. I taught them how to bake chocolate chip cookies and banana bread; and they taught me how to make schnitzel. Quick Phrase My favorite German word is "entschuldigung" which translates to "excuse me". My friends and I used it for everything, whether we were being sarcastic or serious. How do you anticipate the trip affecting your studies at Bowdoin? My trip affected my studies in a different way than what I originally thought: in addition to fostering my interest in international relations and learning about different governing bodies across the world, I came home with a newfound love of languages. I'm now thinking about how I can possibly continue learning French or start a new language next year. Taking a semester of beginner's German made me remember how much I love exploring different cultures through language and encouraged me to get back into languages when I returned home. Audio Attachment: Listen to Sammy Gyamfi The National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) says Chairman Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo has not received any official invitation from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service. According to the National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyemfi, the unprofessionalism and bias nature of the Ghana Police must stop. Speaking on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he maintained that the police has not contacted the National Chairman and that they find it strange such information is circulating in the media. I am putting it on record that our Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo has not received any letter from the CID department," he said. He therefore called on the media to be fair in their news reportage and stop being bias and playing double standards. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has invited the National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo to assist in investigations. According to a statement signed by the Deputy Director-General for the Director-General, ACP George Tweneboah, "The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has intercepted an audio message circulating in both traditional and social media on Wednesda, 27th February, 2019, in which you are alleged to have made some comments that have some security implications." According to the letter, Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo is expected to report at the CID headquarters on Thursday, February 28, 2019 at 10am. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/Peacefmonline/[email protected] 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 Brandon man was arrested earlier this week after he allegedly stood in the middle of a highway near Grand Rapids and threatened to shoot people. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/2/2019 (1013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us A Brandon man was arrested earlier this week after he allegedly stood in the middle of a highway near Grand Rapids and threatened to shoot people. Grand Rapids RCMP received a report on Feb. 23 of an erratic man verbally threatening to shoot people while standing in the middle of Highway 6, approximately 68 kilometres north of Grand Rapids. A number of semi-truck drivers had stopped and used their vehicles to block off the highway while RCMP were en route, and witnesses on scene reported the mans behaviour was becoming increasingly more violent. No firearm was visible, witnesses said, but at one point the man began punching and banging his head against the window of a semi-trailer while uttering threats toward the driver. Officers arrived on scene and observed the man was clearly agitated, refusing to listen to police commands to get out of the middle of the highway. All attempts to de-escalate the situation were ineffective, but eventually police were able to approach the man and he was apprehended without injury. Further investigation turned up a vehicle associated with the man, found approximately one kilometre north along Highway 6. Officers observed footprints from the vehicle headed into the woods, and as they approached the vehicle a woman was seen coming from the wooded area back toward the vehicle. The woman was searched and was found to be in possession of methamphetamine, and a search of the vehicle turned up a knife and some illicit pills. It was determined that the man and woman had been travelling in the vehicle together. The 44-year-old man was arrested and charged with mischief, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and possession of a controlled substance. The 42-year-old woman, also from Brandon, was arrested with charges pending. The Brandon Sun After years of research into psychiatric nursing in the province, John Jackson presented his findings at Brandon University on Tuesday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/2/2019 (1013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us After years of research into psychiatric nursing in the province, John Jackson presented his findings at Brandon University on Tuesday. Jacksons thesis defence focused on what further role advanced practice psychiatric nursing might play in the delivery of mental health services in Manitoba. John Jackson speaks during his thesis defence presentation at Brandon University on Tuesday. (Melissa Verge/The Brandon Sun) "(The research), its helping to form a body of evidence that government or policy makers can use to make decisions, like should RPNs (registered psychiatric nurses) be regulated to have an advanced practice role," Jackson said after his presentation. Its information he has compiled over the course of four years, and its a topic he said has always interested him. Jackson graduated from the bachelor of science in psychiatric nursing program at Brandon University back in 2014, and now works as the executive director of Samaritan House Ministries. "(My interest) stems from knowing that RPNs come with a particular passion and a particular expertise," he said. "It makes sense to me that people with the expertise should do the work." Registered psychiatric nurses could be more heavily involved with assessing people for admission to a psychiatric unit under the Manitoba Health Act, he said. Instead of having to wait to see a clinical psychologist, with extra training and education, patients could instead go and see a registered psychiatric nurse. It would reduce the time that people would have to wait, he said. In his study, which began as a systematic scan of the health system in Manitoba, he found that wait times for mental health were prolonged. His study focused on clinical advanced practice psychiatric nurses lived experiences, and how they might be positively applied toward problem-solving. Its the first of its kind, he said. He also looked at the availability of psychiatrists, which was an issue across the province, particularly in the more rural areas. Theyre unevenly distributed in terms of geography, he said. The further north, the fewer and fewer there are. "The number of physicians choosing to enter psychiatry doesnt seem to be keeping pace with number of psychiatrists that retire," he said. Jackson said that he hopes that people would take away from his thesis defence that with the right education, registered psychiatric nurses could have the ability to take on an advanced practice role. "Psychiatric nursing has a strong legacy in Manitoba from the first university based degree for psychiatric nursing, so its a logical next step for RPNs in Manitoba to be able to get extra powers," he said. mverge@brandonsun.com Twitter: @Melverge5 TORONTO - A former Toronto pastor accused of secretly sedating his pregnant wife before she drowned in the bathtub was found guilty of manslaughter Thursday, his second conviction in a case that has spanned more than seven years. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/2/2019 (1012 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TORONTO - A former Toronto pastor accused of secretly sedating his pregnant wife before she drowned in the bathtub was found guilty of manslaughter Thursday, his second conviction in a case that has spanned more than seven years. Jurors convicted Philip Grandine after deliberating for just over a day. The man, who has been out on bail for more than six years while the case wound its way through the justice system, looked straight ahead as the verdict was read. Prosecutors alleged Grandine drugged his wife with the anti-anxiety medication lorazepam, better known as Ativan, so she wouldn't be as vigilant while he continued an affair with her friend. The Crown alleged he then did not prevent Anna Karissa Grandine from getting in a bath in her incapacitated state one night in October 2011. Anna Grandine, who went by Karissa, was 20 weeks pregnant when she died. Tests later revealed she had lorazepam in her blood despite never being prescribed the drug. Defence lawyers had argued she took the medication herself and either slipped in the tub, hitting her head and drowning, or took her own life. Her family attended court for much of the trial but was not present for the verdict. Toronto police Det. Sgt. Terry Browne, the lead investigator in the case, said he shared the news with her mother and sister. "They're obviously relieved with the outcome of this, it's been a long time for them. Obviously not a day goes by that they don't think about their daughter, their sister, and of course, we know, the unborn child," Browne said outside court. "It's been very, very stressful for everyone involved but they're comforted that the end result has come today." Family members will have a chance to tell the court how Anna Grandine's death has affected them during a sentencing hearing scheduled to begin April 15. Her husband will remain free on bail, with conditions, until he's sentenced. Philip Grandine had previously been tried for first-degree murder in his wife's death and was found guilty of manslaughter. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The conviction was overturned on appeal after Ontario's highest court found the trial judge had made an error in answering a question from the jury. A new trial was ordered on the manslaughter charge, which meant prosecutors could no longer argue Grandine intended to kill his wife. At the latest trial, Superior Court Justice Faye McWatt said that in order to return a guilty verdict, jurors must find Philip Grandine's actions contributed significantly to his wife's death, even if they were not the only or the main cause. McWatt said Grandine could be found guilty of manslaughter if the jury believed he either administered the Ativan a controlled substance under law to his wife or provided it to her. Both could be considered criminal acts: administering a noxious substance or trafficking a controlled substance, respectively, she said. Jurors could also find him guilty if they found he committed criminal negligence by failing to protect Anna Grandine from harm knowing she was under the influence of the medication, the judge said. Prosecutors said Philip Grandine had access to Ativan through his job as a nurse manager at a seniors' home. They also pointed to searches on the couple's computer on how to acquire the drug and what would be considered a fatal dose. The Crown alleged Grandine was behind the searches, noting some occurred roughly at the same time as searches for escorts and other sex-related topics. Prosecutors also said lorazepam was not a drug that should be used by pregnant women and Anna Grandine was conscientious about the health of her baby. The defence argued it was Anna Grandine who looked up lorazepam, suggesting she sought to self-medicate in light of the upheaval in her life. Court heard Philip Grandine stepped down as pastor after it came to light that he was having an affair with a parishioner, who was also his wife's friend. The congregation, to which Anna Grandine belonged, was also told of the affair, court heard. Another pastor agreed to give them marriage counselling if Philip Grandine stopped cheating and gave up pornography, conditions the couple accepted, court heard. But Grandine quickly resumed the affair and over time, his wife became suspicious, even challenging him on the issue in an early October counselling session, court heard. Then, in mid-October, Anna Grandine suddenly experienced dizziness, fatigue and other symptoms, prompting her husband to take her to hospital, court heard. Her sister said Anna Grandine was afraid; her mother testified the 29-year-old asked her husband if he had given her a pill, which he denied. Three days later, Anna Grandine died. Court heard forensic pathologists conducted toxicology tests and detected Ativan in her system, then checked the samples taken during her hospital visit, where they also found the drug. The trial heard Grandine told police he was out for a run and returned to find his wife unresponsive in the bathtub. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/2/2019 (1012 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Jody Wilson-Raybould leaves a Justice committee meeting in Ottawa, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Five stories in the news for Thursday, Feb. 28 WILSON-RAYBOULD'S PLACE IN LIBERAL PARTY AT RISK AFTER SNC-LAVALIN TESTIMONY Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he's reconsidering Jody Wilson-Raybould's future in the Liberal party after her bombshell testimony before the House of Commons justice committee. The former justice minister and attorney general accused Trudeau, his senior staff and Canada's top civil servant of hounding her to interfere in the criminal prosecution of SNC Lavalin. She testified yesterday that she believes Trudeau shuffled her out the justice portfolio last month because she refused to give in to pressure and even "veiled threats" to order a halt to a criminal prosecution of SNC Lavalin. ANDREW SCHEER CALLS FOR JUSTIN TRUDEAU'S RESIGNATION Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is calling on Justin Trudeau to resign immediately over the SNC Lavalin scandal. He says it's clear the prime minister has lost the moral authority to govern and that the RCMP need to open a criminal investigation into the matter. Trudeau quickly rebuffed the demand as he touted his government's record defending jobs and "the independence of our judiciary." Meanwhile, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is repeating his call for a public inquiry and an investigation by the Mounties into the SNC Lavalin affair. CANADIAN MP RAISES MEXICO-U.S. SIDE DEAL Canada and Mexico are dealing with lingering hard feelings over last summer's surprise Mexican trade deal with the United States as their new continental trade pact awaits a final stamp of political approval. Two weeks ago, the head of a visiting delegation of Canadian parliamentarians told the newly installed Mexican foreign minister his country threw Canada "under the bus" last August when it forged a bilateral trade deal with the United States during the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. CASE OF VAN ATTACK SUSPECT DUE IN COURT The case of a man accused killing 10 people by driving a van along a busy sidewalk in Toronto is expected in court today. Alek Minassian, of Richmond Hill, Ont., faces 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder in the attack last April. Police allege Minassian drove the van down a sidewalk on Yonge Street in the city's north end, mowing down pedestrians. APPEAL DECISION FOR CALGARY COUPLE CONVICTED IN SON'S DEATH A decision is expected today in the appeal of a Calgary couple found guilty of killing their diabetic teenage son. Emil and Rodica Radita are challenging a first-degree murder conviction two years ago in the death of 15-year-old Alexandru. Witnesses at their trial testified the boy was so neglected that he weighed just 37 pounds when he died in 2013 of complications from untreated diabetes and starvation. ALSO IN THE NEWS: Alberta Premier Rachel Notley holds Ottawa press conference after testifying before the Senate's energy committee on Bill C-69. Environment Minister Catherine McKenna makes a green infrastructure announcement in Toronto NDP health critic Don Davies to unveil legislation to address escalating violence against health-care workers. Rights groups and the family of Yasser Ahmed Albaz, a 51 year-old Canadian citizen, speak in Ottawa about his detainment in Egypt The T-D Bank and CIBC hold conference calls to discuss first-quarter results. MONTREAL - A day after bombshell claims by Canada's former attorney general that she was pressured to intervene in a criminal case against SNC-Lavalin, the Quebec premier expressed concern about potential job losses and the province's political class hesitated to take sides. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/2/2019 (1012 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Quebec Premier Francois Legault speaks with the media during a news conference in Gatineau, Que., Wednesday, January 30, 2019. Quebec Premier Francois Legault says he's concerned about potential job losses at SNC-Lavalin, a day after claims by Canada's former attorney general that she was pressured to intervene in the file. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld MONTREAL - A day after bombshell claims by Canada's former attorney general that she was pressured to intervene in a criminal case against SNC-Lavalin, the Quebec premier expressed concern about potential job losses and the province's political class hesitated to take sides. While some politicians, including Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, called for Trudeau's resignation and for police to investigate, Quebec provincial politicians offered a more subdued reaction Thursday. Speaking in Quebec City, Francois Legault said he didn't know whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau placed undue pressure on Jody Wilson-Raybould to intervene to help the Quebec-based engineering giant avoid criminal corruption charges. But he added that a lengthy trial for SNC-Lavalin, and the 10-year ban on bidding for federal contracts that would result from a conviction, could lead to the loss of many good jobs in Quebec. "The situation is very worrying, the price of (SNC-Lavalin) shares has gone down, there is no controlling shareholder," Legault told reporters. "If SNC-Lavalin can't have public contracts for 10 years, if the trial lasts two, three years, in effect it creates big problems and big risks for jobs." He added that his government is already in discussion with SNC-Lavalin's president and Quebec's pension fund manager on how to save those positions. On Wednesday, Wilson-Raybould detailed what she described as a relentless campaign from Trudeau, his senior staff, the top public servant and the finance minister's office to have her direct prosecutors to reach a "remediation agreement" with the company so it could avoid trial. Quebec Justice Minister Sonia LeBel said Wilson-Raybould's allegations, are worrying if true. "It's not my intention to play 'Who's saying the truth?' " she said, adding that the testimony raises important questions about prosecutorial independence. Gaetan Barrette, a former cabinet minister with the Opposition Quebec Liberals, said that what he retained from the testimony was Wilson-Raybould's acknowledgment that the pressure she experienced was not against the law. "It's not illegal, and if there were conversations of a political nature, they were about choice," he said. "What I see in front of me is that there was a justice minister who was confronted with a choice." SNC-Lavalin has long been a source of pride in the province, despite having its reputation tarnished more recently by a series of corruption scandals. The company employs about 3,400 people in Quebec out of a total Canadian workforce of about 9,000, and the province's pension fund manager is its biggest shareholder, with a roughly 20 per cent stake. Prior to Wednesday's testimony, Legault and opposition politicians had called on Ottawa to settle with the firm "as soon as possible" in order to protect jobs and the companys corporate headquarters in Montreal. But while Quebec public figures may appear sympathetic to Trudeau's emphasis on protecting jobs, one political analyst said the prime minister shouldn't expect too much support following Wilson-Raybould's testimony. Daniel Beland, the director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, noted that the discussions, as described by Wilson-Raybould, appear to be more about politics than jobs. In her opening statement, Wilson-Raybould described several conversations in which Trudeau, his senior staff, the finance minister's chief of staff or the country's top civil servant mentioned the Quebec provincial election campaign then underway and concerns over potential job losses at SNC if an agreement was not reached. She said Trudeau himself raised the matter during a Sept. 17 meeting at which Michael Wernick, the clerk of the Privy Council, was also present. She said that after Wernick warned that SNC-Lavalin could move its headquarters from Montreal if a settlement wasn't reached, "the prime minister jumped in, stressing that there is an election in Quebec and that, 'I am an MP in Quebec, the member for Papineau,' " Wilson-Raybould recalled. Beland said it's not clear why Trudeau and other officials would have been so worried about the provincial election, considering SNC-Lavalin was never a prominent campaign issue. But Wilson-Raybould "stressed that the prime minister was very concerned about Quebec," he said in a phone interview. "Not just jobs in Quebec, but Quebec both what happened at the time at the provincial level, but also what could happen in the next federal election." Equally clear, Beland said, is that Quebec is central to Trudeau's re-election strategy, as the party is banking on an NDP collapse to expand its seat count in the province and offset losses elsewhere. While much of the focus has been on the pressure Wilson-Raybould felt, he noted that Trudeau himself was likely feeling the heat from both SNC-Lavalin and the Quebec government. Beland said that while Quebecers may have previously been more sympathetic to Trudeau, preferring a deal for SNC-Lavalin, he thinks Wilson-Raybould's testimony could tip the scales in her favour. He noted that other players still need to be heard from, but he said Wilson-Raybould's testimony has the potential to revive memories of another time the federal Liberals tried to interfere in Quebec politics the sponsorship scandal. An investigation into the sponsorship program, which was intended to increase the federal government's presence in Quebec after the No side's narrow victory in the 1995 sovereignty referendum, found that firms were winning contracts based on donations to the federal Liberals, with little work being done. "I'm not saying it's the same thing, but a scandal is a scandal, and if people start to perceive this as a major scandal, that's not good for the Liberals, even in Quebec," he said. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chinese property developer China Evergrande Group and Zhengzhou Municipal Government recently signed an agreement for a NEV and power battery program, according to Zhengzhou Daily and the government's official website. Aside from China Evergrande Group, Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group and Evergrande New Energy Technology Group also involved in this signing ceremony. The latest cooperation means Evergrande is going to build its own car-building and battery base in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan Province. The real estate giant has been frequently making layouts in automobile industry. On January 25, Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Co., Ltd was founded with a registered capital of $2 billion according to the record from tianyancha.com, a data search platform in China. The new companys business scope extends to cover such areas as energy technology research, the wholesale and retail of auto parts, energy technology consultation as well as automobile leasing, etc. A month later, its name was changed to Evergrande National New Energy Vehicle Group Co.,Ltd. At the same time, four wholly-owned subsidiaries of Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Co.,Ltd were established on January 28, including Evergrande National New Energy Vehicle Sales (Guangdong) Co.,Ltd, Evergrande National New Energy Vehicle Technology (Guangdong) Co.,Ltd and Evergrande National New Energy Vehicle (Guangdong) Co.,Ltd. As various political parties in the country prepare in earnest for the 2020 polls, the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) has expressed its unwavering determination to convincingly win the Cape Coast North Parliamentary seat. The Party has, therefore, developed new programmes towards a paradigm shift in its campaign strategies to entice the electorates to vote for its candidate. Mr Peter Caesar Kwegyir Aggrey, the 2016 Parliamentary Candidate of the CPP, disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Cape Coast on Wednesday and that the Party had overcome the 2016 electoral defeat. He said it was, therefore, working at re-awakening the grassroots to buy into the new vision of the Party and overturn it's abysmal performance in the 2012 and 2016 elections. The immediate focus of the Party is to galvanise massive grassroots support for a landslide electoral victory in the 2020 polls," Mr Aggrey said. That involves the revival of the rank and file of the Party as key to sustaining grassroots mobilisation at the branches, communities and workplaces to identify dedicated sympathisers and galvanise their support towards a strong, united and vibrant political party. Mr Aggrey allayed the fears of supporters and sympathisers that a vote for the CPP was a waste and gave the assurance that the Party was ready to work assiduously to win parliamentary seats and possibly clinch the presidential as well. He said the CPP was focused on how to develop the human resource base of the Constituency, especially the youth, to empower them to establish small scale businesses. The Party would encourage and empower women with resources, equip them with skills and create jobs to become the key driving force in the fight against endemic poverty, hunger and malnutrition to facilitate Ghana's achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, he said. What our industrious women in the constituency need is not only micro credit support but increased mechanisation, technological innovation, education and skills development to create wealth to facilitate accelerated national development." On graduates unemployment, Mr Aggrey indicated that the graduates would be encouraged and assisted to do internship in computer hardware and software, acquire leadership and entrepreneurship training free of charge to build their capacity to become independent. They would also be given practical and career-oriented training, assisted to develop personal business plans where they would receive financial literacy education, counselling and access to business development services, he said. Mr Aggrey encouraged beneficiaries of the Youth Empowerment Programme to utilise the knowledge and skills acquired to better their lot and that of their peers. To achieve the renewed vision of the Party, he called for the unflinching support of all, especially the Executive, to work together to to maintain Party cohesion. The Government, he noted, should prioritise prudent socioeconomic management, security, and good governance to emancipate Ghana's economy. 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 Conor McGregor has expanded his highly sought-after Irish whiskey by adding distribution in the UK. This expansion comes on the heels of Proper No. Twelve's record-breaking launch in Ireland and America. The Ireland and USA introduction created great excitement in the flourishing Irish whiskey industry by selling out of six months of supply within the first 10 days of release. A massive shortage called for McGregor to issue a rare apology, promising to remedy the out-of-stock-situation, which he did by air-freighting 25,000 cases into the USA in time for the holidays. This next batch again sold out within days. Proper No. Twelve has become the most followed spirit brand in the world on Instagram with over 575,000 Instagram followers in less than five months. Proper No. Twelve's global launch expression is a blend of the finest golden grain and single malt and is produced at the oldest distillery in Ireland in an area known for its rich soil and pure spring water. "It has been an incredible start for Proper No. Twelve, and I am humbled by the support of all our customers and most importantly the people who enjoy this proper Irish whiskey from a proper Irishman. Proper. No Twelve has arrived on UK shores. "I predicted and foresaw the unprecedented demand that has emerged for Proper No. Twelve. It is made with Ireland's best spring water and finest golden grain and single malt. It is pure liquid gold! It was my desire to have a great package and a fairly priced product for all. Proper No. Twelve is truly a 'ONE FOR ALL' brand," said McGregor. McGregor continued: Many ask where the name Proper No. Twelve comes from, and it has true meaning to me. I was born and bred in the Dublin suburb of Crumlin, Dublin 12 - thus Proper No. Twelve. "My success can be traced from the lessons I learned growing up, the values of loyalty and hard work. Proper No. Twelve is who I am. "I respect other whiskeys, but we are not here to just take part, we are here to take over." "My dream to be an entrepreneur is now realized and I could not be more proud. "When I see Proper No. Twelve showing up all across social media as a part of family, friends and fans celebrations, I know I delivered I am coming in strong with passion and with purpose. "I am the founder and chairman of this company, and I am going to give it my all. Entering the UK market continues my dream for Proper No. Twelve to become an iconic global brand. Building materials group CRH has defended its organic growth capabilities following recent suggestions a new activist investor views its strategy as being too heavily dependent on acquisitions. CRH chief executive Albert Manifold said the group grew organic revenue by 3% last year and has seen organic growth of 18% in the last five years. He was speaking as CRH reported record annual earnings for 2018 and cash generation of 2.4bn; double the amount it was generating five years ago, and enough to prompt likely further share buyback programmes. Last month, Europe's largest activist investor Cevian Capital was revealed to have acquired a 3% stake in CRH. Cevian is expected to keep building its stake and seek a seat on the CRH board. The Swedish company is also understood to view CRH as being undervalued and as having little organic revenue growth and a strategy based on making acquisitions. Cevian was quoted, last month, as saying it was looking forward to engaging with CRH's management after the publication of the Irish group's annual results. Mr Manifold said CRH has "good interaction with all of its shareholders" and that he expected that trend to continue with Cevian. He said management's job is to generate capital and maximise value for shareholders. He said the group will maintain its strong acquisition strategy, but is also likely to undertake more share buyback programmes. Its first share buyback in ten years - returning 1bn to investors - is set to conclude by the end of this month. CRH shares - up only 4% in the past 12 months - inched up by just over 1% yesterday. CRH's 2018 earnings came to just under 3.37bn; 7% up on the previous year and slightly ahead of expectations. Revenue for the year was 6% ahead at 26.8bn. The proposed full-year dividend for shareholders amounts to 72c per share, a 6% increase on 2017 levels. CRH spent more than 3.6bn on acquisitions and investments last year; the vast bulk of which went on buying US cement company Ash Grove - a deal which was initially agreed in 2017. Some 650m was spent on more than 40 bolt-on acquisitions and the group said it will continue to make such purchases, as the pipeline of opportunities remains healthy, but it is unlikely to make bigger deals due to the need to consolidate recent large-scale acquisitions. Mr Manifold said the group has made three big acquisitions in the last five years, with each offering the business "multiple platforms for growth" for a number of years. Building materials group Grafton has said it is looking to continental Europe for acquisition opportunities but is not ruling out bolt-on purchases in the UK and Ireland, where it owns the Woodie's DIY retail chain. Chief executive Gavin Slark was speaking as the company reported adjusted pre-tax profit of 188.4m (220m) for 2018, a 19% rise from the previous year. Revenue was up 9% to 2.95bn, with strong Irish growth across its retail and merchanting business. Woodie's had an "excellent performance", Grafton said. Mr Slark said the group "would not be restricted by geography" when it came to further acquisitions in Europe. "They need to be good businesses, in strong markets and have good markets positions, have management teams we can work with, and potential for future growth. "If you look at the balance sheet, we are in a very strong position to make acquisitions going forward, but we are very careful where," he said. "Probably the next significant acquisitions will be outside of the UK, although I would have said that two years ago before we spent 80m on Leyland SDM, so you can never say never. "The key is about the quality of the business rather than restricting ourselves by geography," Mr Slark added. He said the group was particularly pleased with its Irish performance and that the firm was hopeful of further growth. If you look at Ireland now as the fastest growing economy in Europe and look at our performance out of builders merchanting and Woodies, which is our exposure to the Irish consumer, we are delighted with the Irish performance. It is a real differentiator for Grafton to be able to be a major player in Ireland. "I think Ireland has a long way to go. If you look at the amount of new building in the country, youve got about 18,000 homes built last year and I think everybody recognises to reach normality, Ireland needs 35,000 to 40,000 homes a year. "One of the really good things is the pace of the recovery -- at this steady pace, it feels more sustainable in the medium-to-long term rather than the Celtic Tiger years. That bodes well for years to come." Plans to redevelop the landmark Cable OLearys, a hotel overlooking Ballinskelligs Bay, in the south Kerry Gaeltacht, have been deemed excessive and out of character with the area by An Bord Pleanala after objections by a number of holiday-home owners. The proposal by OS Properties was to demolish the building - a former 12-bed hotel - currently operating as a bar and restaurant, and replace it with a three-storey 48-bed complex with a function room and gym, restaurant and bar, car and bus park. Permission had been granted by Kerry County Council. The proposal attracted more than a dozen submissions, many of them from holiday home owners. And the original application revealed divisions between owners of 'second homes' and locals. Locals largely supported the plans with submissions saying a hotel is much needed in Ballinskelligs. Objections by the holiday-home owners centred on the design and fears of mass tourism and traffic. Noise, the overlooking of a public beach, and an increase in traffic on narrow roads which are a haven for cyclists and walkers were among the original concerns. The appeal was taken to An Bord Pleanala by holiday home owners from Kenmare and Cork. The existing hotel dates from 1894 - the height of the transatlantic cable connection between south Kerry and North America - and was named after a local character involved in the laying of the cable and in fighting evictions. Local development group, Coiste Forbartha na Sceilge, had made two submissions supporting the developers, described as a local family. We desperately need this project, the group said. There are about 300 holiday-homes in the area. Many let on a short-term basis, but there is no accommodation for last-minute visitors who want to stay overnight and avoid driving to Cahersiveen or Waterville, according to the letter signed by eight directors. It said the vast majority of the local population are fully behind the development and wish to see it proceed in its current format. Now An Bord Pleanala has rejected the plan. The inspector said: Having regard to the proposed scale, massing and density of development, it is considered that the proposed development would not preserve or enhance the character of Baile an Sceilg more than the retention of the original structure." The proposed development, by reason of its excessive height relative to surrounding buildings, its bulk and massing, its building line and its design, would be out of character with the pattern of development in the vicinity and would constitute a visually discordant feature that would materially affect the character of the settlement of Ballinskellig, it said. The existing hotel structure has significant character within the Ballinskelligs area and the proposed demolition of the structure has not been justified, the board also said. Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram were all investigated by the Data Protection Commission last year. They were among 15 tech companies looked into by the watchdog over their compliance with GDPR. The Data Protection Commission's annual report shows just over 4,700 valid breaches were reported to it between May and December 2018. That's a 70% rise in the number of data breaches in Ireland since new GDPR laws were brought in. More than 2,800 complaints were made to the office - a 56 % increase on the year before. Graham Doyle, from the Data Protection Commission, said all of those investigations are ongoing. "There into six different companies," he said. "There are nine of those inquiries that were opened that are complaint based inquiries, and then we had another six inquiries that we opened of our own volition. "Some of them are a results of individual breach notifications." The Dail is to consider establishing a special Oireachtas inquiry into claims that Defence Forces personnel suffered serious health consequences over decades as a result of toxic chemical exposure - allegations first revealed by the Irish Examiner. In January 2017, this newspaper revealed how the Department of Defence had received a number of protected disclosures from whistleblowers who alleged serious shortcomings in how Air Corps maintenance staff were protected from their exposure to cancer-causing substances. They believe these exposures could have caused the deaths and serious illnesses of former staff. These whistleblowers also submitted a complaint to the Health and Safety Authority, who inspected conditions at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel and threatened legal action against the Defence Forces unless it made improvements in how Air Corps staff are protected from the effects of the toxic chemicals. Meanwhile, the State is defending seven personal injury claims from former Air Corps members who have been told by a toxico-pathologist that their chronic illnesses were caused by their exposure to chemicals used in the line of duty. The Government first received protected disclosures from whistleblowers in December 2015, and an independent report on the claims found appropriate records to demonstrate the Air Corps compliance with health and safety standards are not readily available. However, despite receiving that report in the summer of 2017, no subsequent action has been taken by the Government, nearly two years later. One whistleblower has since announced his decision to retire early from the Air Corps, alleging he has not received assurances that he will not be targeted within the force for raising concerns - measures that are provided for under protected disclosure legislation. Another whistleblower has said the Department of Defence has not contacted him over allegations that internal health and safety reports were deliberately destroyed by a named individual who denied the claim. The Department has confirmed that these records cannot be found, and the Defence Forces have claimed the documents were misplaced with the passage of time. Now opposition politicians have put their name to a motion calling for a Special Committee to conduct relevant hearings into the matter of the health effects of toxic chemical exposure among Air Corps personnel, based on international evidence and a survey of former and serving Air Corps personnel, and provide a report and recommendations to the Dail. It also calls for measures, including medical cards, to address the health needs of personnel that have been exposed to hazardous chemicals, and extend these measures to any civilians affected and to students who may be affected while on work experience. The Sinn Fein motion has also been backed by Fianna Fail, Labour and independent TDs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly. Sinn Fein Defence Spokesperson Aengus OSnodaigh said there is international precedent for a health study of Defence Forces personnel. The aim of survey would be to try and quantify fully the scale and range of the health issue which they have linked to daily exposure to dangerous, corrosive and carcinogenic chemicals in areas of the Air Corps base, he said. The State was aware of these concerns following a number of reports Health and Safety drafted as early as the 1990s which highlighted dangerous working conditions and chemical exposures in Casement Aerodrome which were not acted on. Aengus OSnodaigh In Australia, a parliamentary inquiry was established in order to investigate the health and compensation concerns of RAF workers exposed to toxic chemicals in the maintenance of particular aircraft. This inquiry made a number of recommendations including a compensation scheme and enhanced healthcare for those affected. In contrast this Government has dragged those affected through the courts, failed to publish relevant documents and has refused to answer all but the most basic questions in the Dail on this issue. I am calling on all TDs to support this motion and help put pressure on the Government to ensure that action is taken to address the issues raised by whistleblowers and ensure that those affected receive the healthcare they need, Mr OSnodaigh said. The Taoiseach has said that the ethos of a publicly funded hospital should reflect the public as a whole and not just one religion. It is after a new report recommends that hospitals run by religious orders should remove Catholic statues and crucifixes if a patient asks. The independent report also found that there was no difference in the quality of care by hospitals with religious ethos and those with none. There are 12 hospitals around the country that are either owned by faith-based organisations or have some degree of religious order involvement. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said times have changed. "Charities and religious bodies that run hospitals and such should have regard for the fact that in modern Ireland there's now diversity of views on religion and so on. "It is the 21st century; a lot of patients, a lot of kids aren't religious, maybe aren't Roman Catholic and the ethos of a publicly funded institution should reflect the public." Church-run hospitals told to remove crucifixes if patients ask Earlier: Church-run hospitals are being told to remove crucifixes if a patient asks. A new Government report has examined the relationship between the State and hospitals run by religious orders. It has told the hospitals that they should be conscious of the impact that decor can have on a patient. The review concluded that the life and well-being of patients must take precedence over religious ethos. Political commentator John McGuirk says he doubts many patients are worried about religious symbols on display. He said: "If you are in a hospital and you're sick I think the last thing you're worried about is what's on the wall. "I think you're much more worried about what the doctors are doing or whether they are capable of treating you. "I also think that in many hospitals, particularly where people are very very sick, the fact that they are religious in nature and they have a chaplaincy and often times they have more than chapels, is a vital part of what they do." Update: Simone Mastrelli, 30, has been jailed at Preston Crown Court for three-and-a-half years for the assault of Sean Cox, 53, outside Anfield ahead of a Champions League tie between Liverpool and Roma last April. Earlier: An Italian national has pleaded guilty to assaulting Liverpool FC supporter Sean Cox outside Anfield stadium. Father-of-three Mr Cox, 53, from Dunboyne in Co Meath suffered catastrophic head injuries in the attack ahead of the Champions League semi-final first leg tie between Liverpool and AS Roma on April 24 last year. He has been recovering at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire after he spent four and a half weeks at the Walton Centre in Liverpool, a specialist neurological unit for brain injuries, following the incident. Simone Mastrelli, 30, from Rome, appeared from custody at Preston Crown Court today and entered a guilty plea to unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Cox. A separate count of violent disorder was allowed to lie on file by the UK Crown Prosecution Service after it accepted his not guilty plea to the charge. Sentencing by the Recorder of Preston, Judge Mark Brown, will follow shortly. Mr Cox's wife, Martina, was in court for the hearing. Mastrelli was extradited to the UK last month after being arrested on a European Arrest Warrant in his home country. Another Roma fan, Filippo Lombardi, 21, was cleared of inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Cox in October, though he was jailed for three years for violent disorder. A third man, Daniele Sciusco, 29, from Rome, admitted violent disorder ahead of the match and was jailed for two-and-a-half years in August 2018. The court heard that Mr Cox was knocked to the ground, unconscious, by a single punch from Mastrelli after he and his brother, Martin, had "sadly by pure coincidence" entered the path of a group of Roma's "Ultra" fans including the defendant. Martina Cox, pictured in October 2018 Footage of the incident in Walton Breck Road, near The Albert pub, was played in court and shows Mastrelli initially confronting Mr Cox with his arms raised. Lombardi then comes to the fore and raises a belt as Mastrelli moves back and then, from Mr Cox's right-hand side, Mastrelli forcibly punches him to the face. A witness described the incident as a "sudden and unprovoked attack" and a "sickening sight". Keith Sutton, prosecuting, said Mastrelli immediately moved away as Mr Cox lay motionless on the ground, and checked that his face covering was in place as he blended in with a group of Roma fans. Mastrelli left the scene but later returned to Walton Breck Road and had taken steps to change his appearance by removing his face covering, his hood and the jacket he had been wearing. He then entered the ground to watch the match. Mastrelli had flown in from Germany with a friend and later met up with other Roma fans, including Lombardi and Sciusco, at Manchester Airport railway station. He was said to be wearing the recognised "Ultra" uniform of a dark jacket, either black or light blue jeans and black or white footwear. Mastrelli was already seen to be wearing his face covering - a balaclava - shortly after the group arrived at Liverpool Lime Street station just before 5.30pm. They were later seen in nearby Hanover Street about 40 minutes later, with a number of them wearing their hoods up with their faces covered, before the group of up to 60 walked towards Anfield - with Mastrelli frequently seen at the front. A witness noticed the group in Venables Street, close to Walton Breck Road, and thought they were "angry" and concluded "there was going to be some trouble" as he began to film them on his mobile phone, said Mr Sutton. The prosecutor added: He noticed some of the group taking out weapons, some had removed their belts and were holding them in their hands, and another witness described seeing what looked like a sock with something heavy in it. Shortly afterwards, Martin Cox heard "a lot of noise" in Walton Breck Road in what he described as "shouting and chanting, but not in a good way". Mr Sutton said: "He recalls turning to his brother to discover he was already on the floor. He had not seen what happened but, as he attempted to assist him, he too was kicked and fell to the floor." Mr Cox was treated at the scene and then taken to the trauma unit at Aintree Hospital, where he fell into a coma. Later the same evening he was transferred to the Walton Centre where doctors operated to alleviate bleeding on the brain. Martin Cox, pictured in October 2018 Mr Cox could not be moved home to Ireland until the end of May, and on August 18 had started to open his eyes spontaneously and make some verbal sounds, the court heard, but there was still no response to any external stimuli. He was transferred to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire on October 3 with a "profound" brain injury with global cognitive and communicative impairment. Mr Sutton said: "He is unable to communicate his needs, wants or wishes ... he is unable to walk and requires assistance with all activities of daily living. "He has a reduced awareness of his own current difficulties. The hope, the plan, is that at some point in the future it will be possible for him to return home and it will require an extensive home support package and ongoing rehabilitation and therapy support. The court heard that, prior to the attack, Mr Cox was a "busy husband and father of three children", employed as a sales director, who enjoyed a wide circle of friends and many active interests. Mr Sutton said: "The reality is that he is unlikely to live independently again." Mr Cox's daughter, Shauna, entered the witness box to read a victim personal statement as Mastrelli watched from the dock, flanked by an interpreter. She said: "Before this brutal and vicious attack my dad was a fit and confident man, a man of integrity with a huge passion for life who represented everything which is good. A mentor, a proud family man with great community spirit. "This violent and unprovoked attacked left Dad in a dire situation. We don't know how he will progress and that really frightens us. Over the past 10 months we have spent all our time at Dad's bedside and have celebrated birthdays and Christmas when all we want is our dad to be home. "We hope and pray every day to see improvement in our dad. The focus is on getting Dad the proper care he needs. "My dad went to watch his beloved team, Liverpool, and he never came home." Asked by Judge Brown how her father was in spirit, she replied: "He definitely has not lost his personality. He is a fighter." The court heard that Mastrelli had been placed under house arrest in Italy since October and had attended several court hearings to contest his eventual extradition. Alison Gurden, defending, said Mastrelli was a family man himself and was "distraught" at the suffering he had caused. She said: "He is a man who over the past few months has appreciated the impact it has had. He is a Catholic and has taken Communion since the incident. He has attended church whenever possible to try to atone. "He was not aware of the extent of the injuries to Mr Cox until he got back to Italy but he was aware as soon as he punched Mr Cox he had done something wrong." Judge Brown will pass sentence this afternoon. PA View this post on Instagram Had the pleasure of being invited to listen to The British Prime minister @theresamay at the House of Commons today. Shes a tough lady! The Dail is debating a motion calling for licence fee money to be used to support independent radio. Industry figures are calling for the government to follow through on its promise to scrap the broadcasting levy. The charge is put on commercial radio stations to fund the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. Fianna Fail's Deputy Leader Dara Calleary said their motion calls for some licence fee money to go towards independent radio stations He said: "What Deputy [Timmy] Dooley's proposals are doing is actually putting flesh on something to defend the integrity of journalism, locally, regionally, and nationally. "To actually defend it with cash, rather than kind words, which will not pay the bills in any independent radio station." Three years ago, former Taoiseach Enda Kenny promised to abolish the charge, which funds the BAI, however that hasn't happened yet. Last night, commercial radio bossed met TD's over their inaction on the subject. Independent Broadcasters of Ireland Chairperson John Purcell said things need to happen quickly as the future of broadcasting is at stake. He said: "Specifically to scrap the levy and to establish a fund for public service broadcasting and we need this to happen quickly. "It's three years ago to the day that the last election was held - we were promised then that the levy was being abolished and three years on it still hasn't happened. "We can't afford to wait until post the next election." The Data Protection Commissioner has said she cant see any reason why the introduction of GDPR should prohibit the Government from publishing pension payments to former senior office holders. Last November opposition politicians accused the Government of hiding behind GDPR to prevent transparency and accountability after it emerged it will no longer release details of pension payments to former ministers. However, speaking upon the launch of her offices annual report, Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon has said she does not see any difference under GDPR that would prohibit the release of the details. The first thing to say is this while the GDPR is a game-changing piece of legislation, its fundamental principles are the same as the legislation we've had in Europe and in Ireland for the last 30 years on data protection, Ms Dixon said. So it's very unclear from the story that we read as to what's new in terms of the application of the principles in that case. So it's impossible for me to say on the face of it, I can't see any reason and any difference in terms of the principles under the GDPR that would have led to that conclusion. In that case, if ministerial pensions were being published up to the GDPR, the question that arises is what has changed, and nothing has changed, she told Today with Sean ORourke on RTE Radio 1. Public sector bodies are not good either often at stating the legal basis they have for collecting information or then stating the basis upon which they've concluded that the GDPR constitutes the reason no longer to do something. So it's about analysis and clarity of analysis, she said. In broader terms, Ms Dixon said she believes the implementation of GDPR has gone well. The annual report has shown that 4,113 complaints were received by her office in the 2018 calendar year, a 56% increase 2,642 received in 2017. However, Ms Dixon said the rising number of complaints is a positive as it shows the public are becoming more aware of data protection issue. We're looking at it positively because what it signifies to us is that data protection really has gone mainstream and really has entered the consciousness of the public, We know from the organisations that we supervise that they're telling us that they're getting far more engagement from members of the public around exercising their rights to access their information, rights to delete their information in certain circumstances, and that in turn, then is translating into more complaints to our office. Also positive in one sense is the increase in breaches notified to the authority. While of course, we want to eliminate and cut down the number of breaches, it's positive that organizations have accepted their new mandatory obligation under the GDPR to report breaches that pose risks to the office within 72 hours of becoming aware. One of the other key statistics coming out of the report as well that's new is the appointment of data protection officers in lots of organisations, public sector organisations in Ireland, and big data processing private sector organisations. "We've had over 900 of these new data protection officers appointed and these are individuals with expertise now embedded in organisations that are really going to be driving these better outcomes on the ground, Ms Dixon said. She said analysis of the breaches reported to her office shows human error still plays a large role. There are a lot of unauthorized disclosures happening from the banking sector and the insurance sector in particular where post is redirected with sensitive medical reports and financial statements, etc. We're also seeing cases related to simple uses of email and auto filling email addresses giving rise to a lot of of the breaches that are notified. And then of course, we're seeing very big systemic types of breaches that are happening with some of the bigger internet companies, she said. Tweets sent by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy which included the Fine Gael logo were retweeted by Mr Murphy's department Twitter account. The matter was raised this morning at a hearing of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) where housing officials were being questioned about spending in their department. Secretary-General at the Department of Housing, John McCarthy, said he was not aware of the posts from last Wednesday from the Rebuilding Ireland account, but insisted there was no direction from Mr Murphy for his officials to do so. Fianna Fail TD Shane Cassells tackled Mr McCarthy on the posts saying they raise major ethical issues and said it is a worrying development in the wake of the controversy engulfing the Strategic Communications Unit last year. 2,993 Social Homes added to the Social Housing Stock in Dublin in 2018. Good progress under @RebuildingIRL and we will continue to drive delivery. #RebuildingIreland pic.twitter.com/AcoKWjUmyv Eoghan Murphy (@MurphyEoghan) February 20, 2019 He told Mr McCarthy that his political masters were cute as foxes and politicians are free to do what they want, but people look to the department for impartiality. Mr McCarthy said there are very strict rules about posting material linked to political parties and committed to dealing with the matter. Earlier, Mr McCarthy rejected accusations that he and his department were spinning the figures in terms of home completions conducted by the State last year. The committee heard that of the 4,251 new homes public homes brought on stream last year, just 2,022 were directly built by local authorities. The total figure for additional homes in 2017 was 2,297. Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy and Independent TD Catherine Connolly said it would be better if the numbers were not spun. Ms Murphy said the numbers as presented give an impression we are getting ahead of the crisis. We could do without presenting it in that kind of way. It is not a fair reflection of how the crisis is being tackled, she said. In response, Mr McCarthy said there was no element of spin in the figures. Catherine Murphy He said the figures are extremely clear in terms of giving the breakdown of new build homes, so-called turnkey properties and other homes brought back on stream. He said his department publishes quarterly updates as to the number of properties built. Mr McCarthy was also questioned about how the 200 million Rebuilding Ireland fund has already been exhausted in several local authority areas. He said he and the department did not expect the level of uptake the scheme has seen. He said the original budget was set with a view of an initial investment but said discussions are ongoing about its expansion. Ms Connolly also severely criticised the fact that more than 600 million a year is given from the Department of Housing to private landlords by way of rental assistance programmes and Housing Assistance Payments (HAP). This is not acceptable and the system is clearly not working, she said. She also hit out at people who are being housed by HAP are taken off the housing list as they are seen to be housed appropriately by the department, even though they have little or no security of tenure. Mr McCarthy said those on HAP are removed from the housing list as a matter of policy. Further ambulance strikes are likely if the HSE continues to refuse to recognise the right of more than 500 personnel to be represented by the union of their choice, the Psychiatric Nurses Association has warned. The staff, who are members of the National Ambulance Service (NAS), will stage their 4th 12-hour strike tomorrow. It is a further escalation in their campaign over union recognition. PNA general secretary, Peter Hughes, said the union will meet again on Tuesday to devise a plan and warned that their next step could involve more strikes. The HSE said ambulance personnel was well represented through agreed industrial processes and the NAS recognises SIPTU, UNITE and FoRSA for staff in the service. Recognition of other associations or unions would undermine the positive engagement that exists and would impair good industrial relations in the NAS, the health authority said. "Recognising breakaway unions has a destabilising effect on good industrial relations." The HSE will not deduct union subscriptions from ambulance personnel who are members of the PNA, as it does for other union members. The principle of engaging only with recognised trade unions has been acknowledged previously by the Labour Court in a dispute involving the PNA and a different public-sector employer, it pointed out. Mr Hughes, who was speaking on the picket line at the Davitt Road ambulance centre in Dublin yesterday, rejected claims that recognising the PNA would destabilise industrial relations in the ambulance service. He said the PNA has a 49-year history of representing members in the health service and no one can say they are a new or breakaway union. The HSE said a number of calls received were responded to by Defence Force ambulances because of the strike by PNA members. Mr Hughes said the striking ambulance personnel were not receiving any strike pay from the union but were being paid when coming off the picket line to provide emergency cover. The HSE said the NAS is managing the situation despite the challenges being experienced. A robust contingency plan has been agreed and is being implemented nationally. It said senior management within NAS are continuing to monitor the situation right across the country. Their focus is the delivery of a safe service for the public and while the volume of calls to date is as anticipated, the ability to respond has been maintained to date, the HSE stated. We are continuing to seek ot ensure that service and care delivery are not compromised. During the 12-hour stoppages from 7am to 5pm managers who are qualified paramedics are carrying out frontline duties. The PNA is providing emergency cover where necessary and the union has not called on members of other unions to participate in the strike. The HSE is advising people in an emergency situation to dial 112/999 as normal and the ambulance will respond. Gardai are renewing their appeal for information in tracing the whereabouts of 54-year-old Mary Ryan, who was last seen at Clonard Park, Waterford on December 15, 2018. Mary is described as being 6 2 in height and of slight build with black hair. The Government is to increase its overseas aid spending by around 115m every year for the next decade. The target for Ireland, set by the United Nations, is included in a new policy for international development called A Better World. A High Court jury will return to court tomorrow to resume considering their verdict in the action by Denis OBrien alleging he was defamed in articles published in the Sunday Business Post in 2015. Mr OBrien is suing Post Publications Ltd, publisher of the SBP, over articles published over six pages in the newspaper of March 15, 2015. The articles named Mr O'Brien as among the 22 biggest borrowers from Irish banks in 2008. Their focus was a confidential PwC report given to the Government in November 2008 which looked at the exposure of Irelands banks in 2008. Journalist Tom Lyons got a copy of the report from a source in early 2015 and shredded it shortly after the articles were published to protect the source. Mr O'Brien claims the articles, including articles headlined 22 men and 26 billion and The Gang of 22 wrongly meant he was among a gang of 22 borrowers who wrecked the country and that they defamed him and injured his reputation. He also alleged malicious publication and, in that context, sought punitive damages. The defendant denies the words meant what he alleged, denied defamation and malicious publication, and has pleaded "fair and reasonable publication on a matter of public interest". The jury has heard evidence from Mr OBrien, Mr Lyons and former SBP editor Ian Kehoe during the hearing. On the 16th day of the case today, the eleven jurors, eight men and three women, began considering their verdict at 12.45pm. At 5pm, the jury foreman asked Mr Justice Bernard Barton could he clarify what was meant by unanimous. The judge said it meant all 11 of them must answer each question the same way. The foreman said the jury are still deliberating but were mentally tired and wanted to go home and resume considering their verdict tomorrow. Mr Justice Barton said they could do that and he sent them away to return to court at 10.30am on Friday. The jury have to consider nine questions. Those ask (1) whether the articles meant Mr OBrien, as one of 22 borrowers, was among those borrowers most to blame for the destruction of the Irish banking system and the subsequent bail out; and (2) was a recipient of cheap and easy money which was in some way related to improper influence with bankers, politicians and civil servants. They also ask (3) did the articles mean, as a result of what was said about Mr OBriens borrowings, the PwC report was one which he wished to keep secret or top secret and had been suppressed and that (4) the story of Mr OBriens borrowings and the amount thereof was telling and disturbing. Question 5 and 6 ask whether the articles meant Mr OBrien was massively overstretched and faced huge financial pressure in November 2008. If the jury answer Yes to either or both of those, they must consider was that defamatory. If they answer No to the first six questions, that is the end of the case. If they answer Yes to any of the six, they go on to question 7, which asks whether the SBP published the articles in good faith and in the course of, or for the purposes of, a discussion which was for the public benefit on a subject of public interest. If they answer Yes, they must decide whether the manner and extent of publication were, in all the circumstances of the case no more than reasonably sufficient and fair and reasonable. If they find fair and reasonable publication, that is the end of the case. If not, they go on to question 8 which asks them to assess damages in which context they will consider question 9, whether the defendant was motivated by malice in publishing the articles. If they find it was, they will assess punitive damages. Murder accused Patrick Quirke told gardai he was afraid of Mary Lowry and described his ex-lover as "vicious" and "verbally abusive", the Central Criminal Court has heard. The farmer added that his only crime was having an affair with Ms Lowry and now his name is "mud" in the town where he grew up. He told investigators he didn't kill Bobby Ryan and that whoever did was laughing at them for looking at him. In lengthy statements he said he was in love with Mary Lowry up to the time their relationship ended and she told him she loved him. When the relationship broke down he was angry with how she treated him but he had nothing against Bobby Ryan, he said. Mr Quirke (50) of Breanshamore, Co Tipperary has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Bobby Ryan, a part-time DJ going by the name Mr Moonlight. Mr Ryan went missing on June 3, 2011 after leaving his girlfriend Mary Lowry's home at about 6.30am. His body was found in an underground run-off tank on the farm owned by Ms Lowry and leased by the accused at Fawnagown, Tipperary 22 months later in April 2013. The prosecution claims that Mr Quirke murdered Mr Ryan so he could rekindle an affair with Ms Lowry (52). Inspector David Buckley today told prosecution counsel David Humphries BL that on May 16, 2013 the accused made a voluntary cautioned statement at Tipperary garda station in which he detailed his movements on the day Mr Ryan disappeared and on the day, 22 months later, when Mr Quirke said he discovered the body. Detailing events leading up to the discovery of the body, the accused told gardai he opened the tank to draw water from it to agitate slurry in another shed when he saw what he initially thought was a carpet or piece of plastic. On closer look he discovered it was a body and called his wife Imelda who then called gardai. Insp Buckley asked why he did not alert Mary Lowry, whose land the tank is on. He said he didn't think she was there and added that he was afraid what he might say. He wasn't "thinking straight or acting straight", he said. He was concerned that the body was naked and when gardai pressed him on that he said: "My first concern was that the man didn't walk out of the house." He added: "I just didn't want to meet her [Mary Lowry], I just wanted to meet one person [Imelda]." He had a theory in his head at the time, he said, about the body being naked but he later had a conversation with someone who told him that a professional would remove the clothes to destroy forensic evidence. He was afraid of Mary Lowry, he said, adding: "The whole thing frightened me." When asked why he was afraid of Ms Lowry he said he is "always afraid of her. She is vicious." He said she had abused him the previous day when he met her on the farm. "She let fly verbal abuse," he said, after she was "caught snooping and didn't like to be caught". Mary Lowry He said he avoids her at all costs but said she was not violent, just verbally abusive. He accepted that he was probably verbal towards her as well. Gardai asked him why he instinctively thought the body was that of Bobby Ryan and he replied: "Who else would it be?" He said he didn't believe Mr Ryan had gone to Spain to start a new life and always thought something sinister had happened. Mr Quirke said he is curious by nature and couldn't "go with the flow" or accept what other people were saying. He didn't believe Mr Ryan died by suicide or hitched a lift to Rosslare and took a ferry to France. "People who commit suicide want to be found," he told gardai. When gardai asked him about his relationship with Bobby Ryan he said he didn't know him well enough to like him. They had nothing in common and so probably weren't going to be friends. While he wasn't happy with how his relationship with Mary Lowry ended, her being with Mr Ryan didn't bother him. He further stated that he had spent his life in Tipperary and now his name was "destroyed". "I had an affair with this woman but this is my only crime," he said, adding: "I hate to say that I need to clear my name but my name is mud." On May 21, Mr Quirke again attended Tipperary garda station to give a voluntary cautioned statement. Insp Buckley said the accused told gardai on that occasion that Martin Lowry, Mary's deceased husband, was his best friend and best man at his wedding. After Martin's death in 2007 Mr Quirke rented the land at Fawnagowan from Mary Lowry for 12,600 per year. The affair started in January 2008, he said, recalling that he told Ms Lowry that they should "pull back" because he was falling in love with her. He said she replied: "Me too." They usually met at Fawnagowan although he stayed overnight only once or twice. They occasionally went for lunch and went away together about three or four times. He thought his wife might have "an inkling" about the affair but she said nothing. He said he occasionally discussed the future with Ms Lowry but not very seriously. He told Imelda about the affair in March 2012. He said he needed to know that their marriage could survive and added: "I needed to be honest." She didn't take it well and has not spoken to Mary Lowry since. Previously they got on well, he said, having known one another for 25 years. Mr Quirke said his conversations with Ms Lowry during the affair would be about her children, her upbringing and day-to-day stuff. He also detailed to gardai his financial dealings with Ms Lowry. They had shared investments totalling tens of thousands of euro and she loaned him 20,000 to pay off a bank loan. He said he also presented her with a bill for cattle that had died due to an infection from the herd he inherited from her husband. He said she agreed that he could keep the 20,000 loan as compensation. Mary Lowry denied this in her evidence to the court. He found out she was seeing Bobby Ryan in December 2010 but didn't think they were physically intimate at that time. He said she told him she wasn't interested in a relationship with Mr Ryan and he, Mr Quirke, told her she could still meet him, "as long as we don't fall out". She asked Mr Quirke what he would do and he told her: "I still have Imelda." Around December 15 he said he became aware that Ms Lowry had lied to him about where she was the night before and the following week he saw text exchanges on her phone with Mr Ryan. He took her phone and texted Mr Ryan, "pointing out she hadn't been honest and was seeing me for the last three years." Mr Ryan then called and Mr Quirke answered, saying, "sorry, but I'm the man." He told gardai: "That's all I said and I hung up." Mr Quirke was angry and Ms Lowry was angry. They had a "heated" argument in which he accused her of lying and she told him they were finished. He described Ms Lowry as "fiery" and said she has a "heated temper" but the argument was not physical. The next time they met she was still angry because Mr Ryan didn't want anything to do with her but she later made up with Mr Ryan and seemed happier then. Mr Quirke added: "I was angry because she was happy and she didn't care if I was happy, sad or indifferent." He said he was "disgusted" with Ms Lowry's "whole attitude" which he found difficult to justify. He said he spent a lot of time and effort sorting her out after her husband's death and "it was all forgotten about". Following the argument over the phone, Mr Ryan arranged to meet Mr Quirke at Hayes's Hotel in Thurles. They talked about the break-up of Mr Ryan's marriage and Mr Quirke apologised for the incident with the phone. He was impressed with Mr Ryan and happy with the meeting because, "he didn't perceive me as a person who had it in for him," Mr Quirke said. He denied trying to warn Mr Ryan off and said he wished them well. He went on to say that he hadn't properly grieved his best friend Martin's death and entered into counselling to help him this and the breakdown of the affair. He was not jealous of Bobby and Mary because he was getting on with his own life with his wife. In August 2011, following Mr Ryan's disappearance, he said he got back with Ms Lowry a few times but it wasn't the same. They went to the Cliff House in Ardmore in September 2011 and to Fitzpatrick's Hotel in Killiney, south Dublin in January 2012. They talked about Mr Ryan's disappearance, he said, telling gardai: "I'm inquisitive, I'm curious." He said he wanted to know what happened and had theories. He said Ms Lowry had no theories and added: "It didn't bother her. She was quite indifferent about it." He put an end to the affair this time, he said, after he found out she was again seeing someone else. When gardai asked him if he was in love with Ms Lowry up to the time when they split he responded: "Yes." He said Ms Lowry had filled a void left when his best friend died. He was angry at how she had treated him, but added that he was never going to leave his wife. He concluded the interview saying he never threatened Bobby Ryan "in any way and I challenge anyone to show that I did. I did not kill Bobby Ryan. There's somebody out there who did do it and he is laughing at the moment because you are looking at me." He said he was doing everything he could do clear his name. Justice Eileen Creedon told the jury of six men and six women to return on Monday as there are matters to be dealt with in their absence. Actress Juliet Yaa Asantewaa Asante is not relenting in her efforts to push for vigilante groups to be scrapped from Ghanas political scene. She has given the government a grace period of one month to ensure that all political militia groups are wiped out. We are giving the government one month to disband vigilante groups. And when I say government, I mean everybody who is part of the leadership and management of Ghana. This includes all the key political parties that are represented at Parliament, she said. Juliet, who embarked on a peace walk against political vigilantism on Tuesday, February 26, from the African Regent Hotel to the Parliament House told Citi TV she would keep walking until her request is granted. If by one month time nothing happens, we will keep on walking. I hope Ghanaians will join me and raise their voices against vigilantism, she noted. Juliet, who is also the Executive Director of the Black Star International Film Festival (BSIFF) presented a petition to Parliament after the walk. The petition was received by Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Principal Assistant Clerk in Parliament and Kate Addo, Acting Director of Public Affairs in Parliament on behalf of the Clerk of Parliament, Emmanuel Anyimadu. According to Juliet Asante, she is scared about what could potentially happen with the emergence of vigilante groups in Ghana. She urged all Ghanaians to wake up and speak against the menace than wait till it festers. Public concern over political vigilantism has been growing over the past few years with some high profile incidents from groups affiliated to the two major political parties in the country; the governing New Patriotic Party and the opposition National Democratic Congress. Recent conversations on vigilantism come on the back of the violence that took place during the by-election at Ayawaso West Wuogon a few weeks ago. In the meantime, the President, Nana Akufo-Addo has called on political parties to disband their vigilante groups or else he would put in place a legislation to force the parties to do so. Source: Citifmnewsroom.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Dublin mother, who kept her highly intelligent 12-year-old son home from school for more than 270 days in the last three years, has been spared jail. The woman, who admitted neglecting her childs education, was handed a one-month suspended sentence on condition her son went back to school. The woman, who is in her fifties, pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court today to breaking the Education (Welfare) Act for not complying with an official warning to ensure her child went to school. He missed 276 days in three years and Judge Anthony Halpin heard teachers and the boys classmates had begged for him to be let come back to school. The prosecution has been brought by the Child and Family Agency (CFA). Education and welfare officer Michelle Reid agreed with prosecution solicitor Orla Crowe that a school attendance notice was sent to the woman in June last year and due to non-improvement the court prosecution followed. The judge heard that when the boy was in third class he missed 47 days. In fourth class he was absent on 118 out of 176 days and he has been absent for every day of fifth class, 111 days so far. Judge Halpin remarked that this came to about two thirds of school days. The offence can result in a fine of up to one month and a 1,000 fine. The minimum school leaving age is 16 years or the completion of three years of post-primary education. Ms Reid said the school had a pupil-teacher ratio of one teacher for every 20 pupils. It also had special needs assistants and was able to offer a lot of support including a school liaison officer. Describing it as a quite unique case, the education and welfare officer said the teen was a highly intelligent young boy and popular among his peers. Judge Halpin was told teachers called out to the home and other pupils stayed in contact with the boy and tried to urge him to come back. Ms Crowe asked the officer if this had helped encourage a return to school to which she replied that all supports and interventions had been exhausted at this point. Other school placements in the same area had been offered but the parent was adamant her son was to stay enrolled at the same school. The officer said the boy needed to complete primary school before looking for a secondary level school. Judge Halpin wanted to know the actual reason for the child missing so much school and the education officer said having met the mother regularly there was sense of hopelessness and apathy in terms of the parent. The education officer agreed with the judges assessment that fault rested with the woman not the child. Defence counsel Niall Storan said that would be disputed and he added that the proceedings have focussed his clients mind. He also said the woman possibly had psychological problems. He said the single mother was at the end of her tether and found it difficult to deal with her sons school issue. The court heard the accused had no prior convictions and her barrister pointed out that school attendance had not been an issue with one of her older children. Judge Halpin said the 12-year-old boy was not an average student and was intelligent enough to be able to catch up and have the skills to face first year of secondary school. The boy was capable of a great career, he said, adding, Im glad we caught this now. Pleading for leniency, Mr Storan said the woman, who did not address the court, accepted responsibility and that she had not done enough. Judge Halpin said the genuine concern of the court was to get the boy back to school. A psychiatric report, to which the defendant objected, was not necessary and would have stretched the jurisdiction of the court, he said. He did not think the woman, who is on social welfare, would be able to pay a 1,000 fine. Finalising the case, he sought an undertaking from her to do her utmost to send her child to school in future. On that condition he suspended the one-month sentence for a period of 18-months saying he believed it was the only way to get the child to school again. A small fine would not have satisfied the court given the significance of the boys absences from school, he said. The mother of an Irishman missing for the past two months in Malaysia, who has been found safe and well has said she is overjoyed to see her son again after a traumatic search. Malaysian police have confirmed that an Irish man missing there for two months has been found "safe and well. Tourist Stephen Warde, 32, from Kinvara, Co Galway, Mr Warde was last seen on CCTV footage outside Mercu Summer Suites on Jalan Sultan Ismail in Kuala Lumpur on December 28 last. He last made phone contact with with mother Mary Morrissey, 57, on New Years Day when he asked for 150 to be wired out to him. Dang Wangi OCPD Assitant Commissioner Shaharuddin Abdullah confirmed the news that was announced on the "Help Find Stephen Warde - in Malaysia" Facebook page. Details surrounding his disappearance and of him being found are still unclear so far. In her post on the Help Find Stephen Warde - Malaysia Facebook page which was set-up in the wake of her son going missing, she said: "As a family we are delighted to report (this morning) that Stephen, my son, has been found safe and well and is reunited with family members in Kuala Lumpar. On a personal note I want to thank Stephens brothers and sisters who proved to be so supportive to me in recent weeks, in travelling to Malaysia, searching for Stephen and thank god our prayers have been answered. Ms Morrissey appealed for privacy to allow the family time with Stephen free from any intrusion. At this time we will not be giving any further statements or media interviews and we ask for privacy so that we can deal emotionally with this wonderful development and enjoy the reunion with our son and brother Stephen. Thank you. The relieved mother went on to add: "I would like personally to thank everyone that was involved in so many ways in the search for Stephen, including the staff of the Irish Embassy in Malaysia, and the local police. Huge thanks to all in Kinvara and surrounding areas, for their incredible support and generosity in recent weeks. "In particular could I thank Councillor Joe Byrne and Minister Ciaran Cannon, Christian Coady, Jackie Veale and the gofundme (social media fundraising) team including my own family members Liam, Mary and Pat Morrissey, Pat and Martin Greene. The recent fundraising efforts of so many in Kinvara and my home parish of Clarinbridge has been a real assistance to help us defray costs and I am indebted to you all for your loving support. She said that any, balance in the fundraising activities will be donated to other worthy causes and we will advise on this presently. News of the Galway man being found resulted in an outpouring of relief on the official Facebook page, with one posting, this is super news. Enjoy time with your son and yer brother nephew and good friend. So glad of a happy ending, and another added: "So happy for ye all! Such a wonderful outcome. His family were offering a 4,400 reward for any information that could lead directly to finding him. Mr Warde, who works in e-commerce is from a large family, was last seen a day before his tenancy was to expire. He had been due to fly to Thailand on the same day. All of his belongings were still in the unit rented by him when searched by police. Stephen Warde Members of his family remained in Malaysia throughout the search. Two weeks ago Ms Morrissey said: "He (Stephen) texted me and asked for some money. That was the last I heard from him as after that, he did not reply to messages from his siblings or me. I have been here for almost eight weeks now and will stay here until I find my son. The gofundme.com fundraising page has also been set-up to help finance the search for him raised up to 20,000 and a private investigator was hired to enable the investigation by the police. District police chief Abdullah, added there were no developments in the ongoing investigation into the case up until today. He added that Mr Warde is to explain to them and his family where he has been. The barrister for a man charged with murdering a 90-year-old retired farmer in his home has suggested that the garda investigation was tunnel visioned in nature, did not go below the surface and only pointed itself one way. Ross Outram told gardai in interviews that he had lumps on his head after Paddy Lyons hit him with a walking stick and shovel, and that he had taken up to 100 Xanax that day. However, the Central Criminal Court jury heard today that gardai at Dungarvan Garda Station took no photographs of his head injury and no urine test was performed. Mr Outram (28), of Ferryland, Waterford Road, Clonmel in Co Tipperary, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Lyons at Loughleagh, Ballysaggart, Lismore, Co Waterford, at a time unknown between February 23 and 26, 2017. A pathologist has given evidence that Mr Lyons suffered multiple blows to his head and neck from a blunt weapon, before his blood-smeared body was found slumped in his armchair at his home. The jury has heard medical evidence that Mr Lyons suffered a stiffness or fusion of his right shoulder during childbirth and could only keep it in one position. A pharmaceutical expert has told the jury that there is "no proof" the accused Mr Outram had taken Xanax. The trial has previously heard that Mr Outram had other injuries that included marks on his hands and bruising to the inside of his thigh. Detective Garda Joe Wyse said he took photographs of these injuries in Dungarvan garda station on February 28. Prosecution counsel John OKelly SC today tendered Superintendent Anthony Pettit at the request of the defence. Under cross examination by Michael OHiggins SC, defending, Supt Pettit said he was aware that Mr Outram had cuts and scrapes to his hands and he remembered being shown photos of the accuseds knuckles while he was in custody. Mr OHiggins asked the witness if these photos were ever examined by a pathologist or a GP. Supt Pettit said he did not ask a pathologist or an expert to examine these injuries but he had investigated if they were received in Mr Lyons house. Supt Pettit outlined that the shovel found at the scene had been swabbed and Mr Lyons DNA was found on it. The absence of Mr Outrams DNA on the shovel did not preclude the fact that he had been struck by it, added the witness. Mr OHiggins said his client had informed gardai in his interviews that he had lumps on his head and asked the witness was this not something that was crying out for a physical examination. The injuries he pointed out were more of an evidential nature than of a serious nature, replied Supt Pettit, adding that he was satisfied that gardai took steps to record the accuseds injuries. Supt Pettit explained that 12 areas of blood were sampled at the scene in Ballysaggart and all contained the deceased's DNA profile. No DNA belonging to Mr Outram was found in Mr Lyons' house, the court heard. The defence barrister asked Supt Pettit if it would have been helpful to have the lumps on Mr Outrams head photographed. It's not the case that those photos were omitted on purpose, he replied. Mr OHiggins asked Supt Pettit if any consideration was given to getting a urine sample from Mr Outram as a result of him taking drugs. The witness said the urine sample was not a possibility as four days had passed at that point. The court has heard that Mr Outram claimed he had taken up to 100 Xanax tablets on the day in question, which he had sourced from the internet. Mr OHiggins asked Supt Petitt how long it takes for Xanax to pass through ones system. The witness said he did not know. How could you have reached a conclusion if you did not know, interjected the barrister. Counsel said he had to suggest that this garda investigation was tunnel visioned in nature, did not go below the surface and only pointed itself one way. I disagree, said Supt Pettit, adding that he was satisfied that all possible avenues had been investigated and Mr Outrams injuries were minor in nature. It would be difficult for anyone to say with any degree of certainty where the cuts and scrapes on his hands had come from, added the witness. Mr OHiggins emphasised to the court that it would have shed light on the matter if the lumps on Mr Outrams head had been investigated and a urine sample had been attained. Supt Pettit said the lumps on the accuseds head had not been photographed and he was not sure if an examination of them by a GP would have brought them any further. Mr OHiggins put it to the witness that he was not a doctor and yet he was content to give evidence to a jury saying what a doctor would not have done. The lumps are of a minor nature, indicated Supt Pettit. Counsel said no one was in a position to know anything about the lumps as they had not been examined. In conclusion, Mr OHiggins said his client should have been photographed because he had lumps on his head. The witness said he accepted this. Supt Pettit told prosecution counsel John OKelly SC that Mr Outram had access to a doctor in Dungarvan Garda Station. Under re-examination by Mr OHiggins, Insp Pettit agreed that Mr Outram saw a doctor because he had complained of being sick. The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Paul Coffey and a jury of eight men and four women. The first ever scheme of new-build houses for the Peter McVerry Trust is to open today in Dublin. The scheme will cater for people with a long history of homelessness or acute support needs. A pregnant mother-of-four has received a 90-day jail term after assisting in the theft of more than 1,000 worth of electrical appliances from a house she was renting, including a washing machine, dryer and dishwasher. Denise Foley, of 6 Old Barrack Road in Bantry, in Co Cork yesterday appeared before the local district court which heard that CCTV footage, on September 14 last, showed her present, as two others removed the items from the property. Sgt Paul Kelly said once it was discovered the items were missing, gardai reviewed footage and it showed a white transit van arriving at the property, at 11.16am. A number of items were placed in the van, including a Zanussi fridge freezer, Beko washing machine, Beko dryer and Indesit dishwasher. The total value of the items was 1,144 and footage showed Ms Foley was present with two males. By 12.08pm the van had left in the direction of Bantry town centre. Ms Foleys solicitor, Ray Hennessy said she denied taking the items but admitted they had been taken on her instructions and she facilitated the theft. She was arrested on November 30 last and admitted to being present when the theft took place. Judge James McNulty heard the items had not been recovered and, with the two other people involved, are understood to now be in the North. Ms Foley had no previous convictions and had received the probation act in 2013 in relation to alleged theft. Mr Hennessy said she was aged 24, a mother-of-four and her husband was in custody. The couple had been renting the property. Judge McNulty heard no restitution had been made and he said it seemed it was a non-runner, with her ability to carry out community service or to pay fines seemingly limited. The judge said it was a serious offence and sentenced Ms Foley to 90 days in prison, and fixed recognisance for appeal at her own bond of 100, no cash, and an independent surety of 300, one-third in cash. The surety was lodged and Ms Foley was released on bail to pursue her appeal. A record 10m libel award - the highest ever in the State - against mining company Kenmare Resources has been cut to 250,000 by the Court of Appeal. The 10m award was made to its former deputy chairman Donal Kinsella by a High Court jury in 2010 against Kenmare and its chairman Charles Carvill. It related to a press release issued by the firm which the jury found was defamatory. Kenmare and Mr Carvill appealed and today (thurs) a three judge appeal court said while Mr Kinsella was defamed, the award must be set aside as disproportionate, unjust and unfair. Rather than remit the matter of damages for rehearing to the High Court, it decided 250,000 was just and fair compensation for the wrong visited on Mr Kinsella as a result of the press release. The 10m award - made up of 9m for general damage and 1m for aggravated damages - was made in 2010 after a jury found Mr Kinsella was defamed in a company press release issued on July 10, 2007. Kenmare had to pay 500,000 to Mr Kinsella as a condition of it being allowed to appeal the award. The press release concerned an incident in Mozambique in May 2007, where a company board meeting was being held, when Mr Kinsella sleep-walked naked to the bedroom door of company secretary Deirdre Corcoran. The press release referred to an incident and said Mr Kinsella was being asked to resign from the companys audit committee. An investigation by an independent solicitor on behalf of the company had found there was no conscious attempt on Mr Kinsellas part to enter Ms Corcorans room and no improper motive in opening her door. Mr Kinsella was prone to sleep-walking. Mr Kinsella sued the company and its chairman Charles Carvill. In the Court of Appeal judgment, written by all three judges, Ms Justice Mary Irvine, Ms Justice MaireWhelan and Ms Justice Marie Baker, it found Kenmare had not established the existence of any circumstances which would justify the court interfering with the finding of the jury as to the meaning of the press release that it was defamatory. The appeal court respects the role of the jury in coming to its determination. It was satisfied there was no serious error in the manner in which the then High Court judge who heard the case, Eamon de Valera, charged the jury regarding the meaning of the press release. It was satisfied however the trial judge erred in law in concluding the publication of the release took place on an occasion of qualified privilege. Mr Kinsella had cross appealed on the issue of qualified privilege. The appeal court was satisfied no reasonable jury could have considered the 9m award of general damages was necessary to compensate Mr Kinsella for the injury he sustained and in order he might re-establish his reputation. It was further satisfied the manner of Mr Kinsella's cross examination did not justify the trial judge leaving open to the jury the possibility of the award of aggravated damages of 1m which must also be set aside. Even if the question of aggravated damages fell to be considered by the jury, the award itself would have to be set aside as disproportionate. "It was an award which no reasonable jury could have considered necessary to compensate Mr Kinsella for any additional hurt or upset caused by the manner in which he was cross-examined concerning the conversation which he maintained he had with Ms Corcoran while they were in a jeep in Moma, Mozambique". It did not follow that because the awards for general and aggravated damages were disproportionate, perverse and unfair that the court should set aside jury findings in relation to any other issue. The options open to the court were a re-hearing on damages by the High Court or the re-assessing of the damages award by the appeal court itself. The court considered in full the evidence of Mr Kinsella in relation to the effect of the publication of the press release on all aspects of his life and recognised that any ward of damages to be made in his favour must also be sufficient to vindicate his reputation. Taking into account legal principles and other factors, and the awards of damages by appellate courts in other proceedings, particularly in defamation, the court concluded an award of 250,000 would be "just and fair" compensation. The court said both defendants, Kenmare and Mr Carvill, will be jointly and severally liable for the award. The issues of costs and other matters will be dealt with next month. Scouting Ireland has issued a response to eight recommendations made by Tusla in relation to the protection and welfare of children in the organisation. The recommendations were made in a letter from Tusla to Scouting Ireland chief executive John Lawlor, which highlighted serious concerns around the scouting body's child protection procedures. A woman did not carry out a severe knife attack on another woman because of delusional impulses but rather because of anger and a sense of entitlement, a consultant psychiatrist has told the Central Criminal Court. Laura Kenna (37), of no fixed abode, is charged with attempting to murder Fionnuala Burke on Lower Drumcondra Road, in Dublin, on January 3, 2017 and assault causing serious harm on the same occasion. Ms Kenna has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to both counts. Called to give evidence by prosecution counsel, Mr Anthony Sammon SC, Dr Harry Kennedy said it is his professional opinion that Ms Kennas attack on Ms Burke would not come under the definition of insanity. Reading from his psychiatric evaluation of Ms Kenna, Dr Kennedy told the Central Criminal Court that Ms Kenna had the ability to fabricate for her own interests by refusing to answer certain questions when being interviewed by gardai in the days following the attack. Dr Kennedy said that Ms Kenna was making flippant and misleading replies for her own benefit, such as saying she had walked to Belfast following the attack. Dr Kennedy also pointed out that after carrying out the attack, Ms Kenna had the ability to argue with a worker at Drumcondra railway station regarding purchasing a train ticket. Dr Kennedy referred to Ms Kenna as an inconsistent historian and that she possesses callous and unemotional personality traits. Dr Kennedy pointed out that in his assessment of Ms Kenna, she said that on the night of her attack on Ms Burke she followed another woman but let her go which he said indicated that Ms Kenna knew what she was doing in selecting her victim. Dr Kennedy told the court that there was no evidence in his evaluation of the accused that she could "not refrain from the attack". He said that rather it was done in "anger" and involved a "sense of entitlement" as Ms Kenna later mentioned to the gardai on numerous occasions that she "needed money". He also told the court that Ms Kenna said at one point she was "disappointed she didn't kill the victim" and that in his opinion she did not seem to be operating under "delusional" impulses. Dr Kennedy agreed that Ms Kenna meets the criteria for schizoaffective disorder but explained that this is a condition that involves lapsing and relapsing. He explained that Ms Kenna is more mentally well when she is on medication for her illness and abstaining from taking toxicants. Dr Kennedy referred to a previous occasion when Ms Kenna attacked at woman at a LUAS stop by stabbing her in the face with a pen. He stated that he believed Ms Kenna was hearing voices at this time as she appeared to believe she had been insulted by the victim. Dr Kennedy pointed out how in regards to the current offence against Ms Burke, Ms Kenna was talking about stealing the victims handbag and did not appear to be suffering from a schizoaffective episode. When being cross-examined by Ms Kennas barrister Mr Barry White SC, Dr Kennedy was asked if he was here to carry a shield for the prosecution. Referring to Dr Kennedys analysis of Ms Kennas mental state during the previous attack at a LUAS stop, Mr White asked if it was likely Ms Kenna would go from being mad to bad to mad [again]. Dr Kennedy responded by saying that the natural history of schizoaffective disorder varies rapidly from day to day. The court heard evidence yesterday from another consultant psychiatrist, Dr Stephen Monks who had opposing views to Dr Kennedy, saying that he believed Ms Kenna was not aware of the nature of her actions during the attack. The trial continues tomorrow before Ms Justice Tara Burns. Will a child have to die before others get a potentially life-changing therapy? That was a question a parent of a boy with a rare genetic condition asked politicians. Anton Mannering from SMA Ireland was with a number of families who pleaded with politicians to make Spinraza available for around 25 children with the muscle-wasting disease, spinal muscular atrophy. The HSE said it was not able to reach an agreement with the manufacturer of Spinraza Biogen, at a price that is viable. It said the medication would cost 20m over five years, or 600,000 per patient for the first year, and 380,000 in subsequent years. However, Mr Mannering claimed the overall cost, based on around 70 adults and children with SMA, would be somewhere in the region of 3m. What are you going to say when we are back here next year after somebody has died, he asked politicians who attended a presentation by families in Leinster House. Because it is an absolute certainty that is going to happen. Somebody is going to die untreated in Ireland - it's unnecessary and it's cruel. Rebecca Bulman, from Youghal, Co Cork is one of the parents who pleaded with politicians to fund Spinraza so her son's life will not be cut short. Harry, who is just five years old, has SMA and Rebecca said he is only expected to live until his late teens or early 20s. Spinraza would greatly benefit, not only Harry's life but the lives of his entire family, said Rebecca. The tearful mother said she did not want to watch her son waste away and die when there was a life-saving treatment available, I beg you not to allow this go on any longer, she said. A number of SMA families marched to the Dail to present a petition with almost 100,000 signatures asking the Government to fund Spinraza for their loved ones. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said it was a very sad that families had to give personal testimony on how Spinraza would change their lives. The courage that you have shown is amazing and I think it is just a very poor reflection on our system that it takes this type of presentation before our system can respond properly and appropriately to your situation, said Mr Martin. If 25 other countries in Europe could provide access to Spinraza, Ireland should be able to do the same, he said. Mr Martin said his party colleague and primary care spokesperson, John Brassil, had been told by Biogen that it could make the drug available for less than 10m over the next two and a half years, together with an offer of 90m in savings on three bio-similar products over the same timeframe. Chairman of the health committee, Dr Michael Harty, said there is a moral and ethical obligation on pharmaceutical companies to make the drugs available at a reasonable price. Dr Michael Harty A statement issued on behalf of Biogen said the Spinraza pricing proposal submitted to the HSE was in line with what other European countries had approved. It pointed out that Spinraza was approved for reimbursement in 25 other European countries, including Scotland. Also, all countries involved in the BeNeLuxA initiative, of which Ireland is a part of, have been granted approval of reimbursement for Spinraza apart from Ireland. Biogen is genuinely surprised by this statement from the HSE. The figures referenced are at least six months out of date, the drug company stated. It had provided the HSE with a significant pricing proposal absolutely in line with the final price negotiated in countries aligned with Ireland in the BeNeLuxA initiative, which had each decided to reimburse Spinraza. Biogen also submitted a pricing for its biosimilars portfolio that would make significant savings to the health budget and substantially offset the cost of Nusinersen, marketed as Spinraza. The State is free not to fund voluntary hospitals and health organisations that refuse to provide certain lawful services. That's according to a Government-commissioned report on the current role and status of voluntary organisations in the operation of health and personal social services in Ireland. The report, by a review group chaired by Dr Catherine Day, said that the State is legally entitled to attach reasonable conditions to any funding it provides and is free not to provide funding to organisations that refuse to provide certain lawful services. It pointed out that the issue of what services are to be provided and funded by the State has come under the spotlight in the aftermath of the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution. However, the report warned that a decision to attach conditions or refuse funding is "essentially a political [decision] rather than a legal one" and that withholding funding would cause "serious and prolonged disruption" to the health service and the public who use them. The report said there is "a strained relationship" and a "breakdown in mutual trust and respect" between the voluntary sector and the State, represented by the HSE as the funding agency. The report also states that voluntary organisations in receipt of state funding should be cognisant of the impact of "religious decor" on patients and service users and "strive to ensure that their personal preferences in this regard are met to the greatest extent possible". However, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar dismissed reports that Church-run hospitals would be told to remove religious symbols as wide of the mark. Its not a campaign from the Government or anyone around removing cribs or crucifixes or statues of Our Lady - thats not whats going to happen, he told Newstalk. Taxpayers are facing a bill of more than 100m to cover the costs of outstanding tribunals and commissions of inquiry established by the Government, the Taoiseach has confirmed. Speaking before the Oireachtas Finance Committee, Leo Varadkar revealed that a number of the outstanding inquiries will face significant further cost escalations. Mr Varadkar said he faces weekly calls to establish inquiries but warned that politicians who do so need to remember they cost a lot of taxpayer money. He said in relation to the Moriarty Tribunals and the Cooke (Nama and Project Eagle) and Cregan (IBRC/Siteserv) commissions of inquiry, that estimates may turn out to be wrong because of third-party legal fees. He said it is never possible to know the final costs because of things like third-party fees and how it does its work: But to give you some rough figures, on Moriarty the spend to date has been 65m, and our best estimate, and it is only an estimate, is that will top out at 75m, depending on costs awards." On Cregan, which is the IBRC commission, the spend to date has been 7m but we anticipate the spend could end up at 30m. "It is difficult to say when that will end. I have sought an interim report but I have not received that yet, he added. On Cooke, that is the one looking into Nama and allegations made around Project Eagle, the spend to date is 2m, and it is expected it will top out at 10m, but these are just estimates, he said. Labour's finance spokeswoman and former Tanaiste Joan Burton pressed Mr Varadkar to confirm the outstanding figure is in excess of 100m. The Taoiseach responded in the affirmative saying: Yes, this is something we should all bear in mind because there isn't a week that goes by that the opposition, TDs or party leaders, call for an inquiry or a tribunal or whatever. And while they may be merited, we must bear in mind the time that they take, they often don't give people the answers they want or need and they cost the taxpayer a lot of money. So we all need to bear that in mind when we call for inquiries into the future. Mr Varadkar confirmed that the final cost of the National Broadband Plan will be multiples of the original figure of 500m. He also appeared to leave open the possibility that the contracts with the sole remaining bidder may not be signed Sinn Fein's Pearse Doherty cited the Taoiseach's comments that the cost escalation in the National Children's Hospital is scandalous, but was baffled when Mr Varadkar refused to use the same adjective to describe the overrun on broadband. It could be as much as 3bn, Mr Doherty said. The stars of the acclaimed show Derry Girls will lead this Friday's Late Late lineup. When Derry Girls burst onto screens just over a year ago, it took the country by storm. Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Louisa Harland, Nicola Coughlan, Jamie-Lee O'Donnell and Dylan Llewellyn will join host Ryan Tubridy to discuss why acomedy set during The Troubles in Northern Ireland works so well, and what fans can expect from season two. Ryan will also be chatting to rising star Jessie Buckley about going country for her new movie Wild Rose, why performing was in the blood as she grew up in Killarney. Editor Dearbhail McDonald made the personal decision to freeze her eggs in her mid thirties. She joins Ryan ahead of her RTE One documentary to discuss her decision and the implications of modern life on families, population and Irish fertility. Ahead of the first anniversary of her death, bestselling author Emma Hannigans final novel The Gift of Friends hits shelves, exploring the bonds and joys of friendship. Emmas father Philip Hannigan joins Ryan to discuss her legacy, and the impact that she has left on the lives of those who knew and loved her. Music will be from Jessie Buckley and Mundy and the Irish Chamber Orchestra, who will be celebrating the launch of the new festival, Tipp Classical. India and Pakistan exchanged gunfire through the night in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, a day after Islamabad said it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot. There were no immediate reports of casualties, although jet fighters roared over the mountainous region as villagers along the so-called Line of Control fled to safety. Members of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi's Bharitiya Janata Party called for more military action, suggesting the conflict could worsen. Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan called for talks between the two nuclear-armed rivals in a televised address on Wednesday, saying: "Considering the nature of the weapons that both of us have, can we afford any miscalculation?" World powers have called on the nations to de-escalate the tensions gripping the contested region since a February 14 suicide car bombing killed more than 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. India responded with an air strike on Tuesday inside Pakistan, the first such raid since the two nations' 1971 war over territory that later became Bangladesh. The situation escalated with Wednesday's aerial skirmish, as Pakistan said it had shot down two Indian aircraft, one of which crashed in the Pakistan-held part of Kashmir and the other in India-controlled Kashmir. India acknowledged one of its MiG-21s, a Soviet-era fighter jet, was "lost" in skirmishes with Pakistan and that its pilot was "missing in action". India also said it shot down a Pakistani plane, something Islamabad denied. Pakistan's military later circulated a video of a man who identified himself as the Indian pilot, sipping tea and responding to questions, mostly by saying: "You know I can't answer that." He appeared in good health as he was questioned about his home town, his aircraft and his mission. Passengers destined for India, are stranded at Lahore Railway Station, after authorities suspended the Samjhota Express train service, that run between India and Pakistan, in Lahore, Pakistan, 28 February 2019. (EPA/RAHAT DAR) Indian and Pakistani officials reported small-arms fire and shelling along the Kashmir region into Thursday. Government buildings in Muzafarabad, the capital of the Pakistan-controlled section of Kashmir, were used to provide shelter to those who fled from border towns. Indian army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand described the intensity of the firing as "lesser" than previous nights. Authorities in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir closed all schools and colleges in the region and urged parents to keep their children at home amid mounting tension. Pakistan's air space remained closed for a second day Thursday, snarling air traffic. India's finance minister Arun Jaitley suggested at a news conference that Indian special forces carry out secret missions to capture terrorist leaders in Pakistan, invoking the 2011 US Navy Seal operation to kill al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. "I remember when US Navy Seals went to Abbottabad to kill Osama bin Laden, then why can't India?" he asked. "This used to be only an imagination, a wish, a frustration and disappointment. But it's possible today." Indian army soldiers stand near the wreckage of the aircraft after it crashed in Garend Kalan village of central Kashmir. (EPA/FAROOQ KHAN) The violence on Wednesday marked the most serious escalation of the long-simmering conflict since 1999, when Pakistan's military sent a ground force into Indian-controlled Kashmir at Kargil. That year also saw an Indian fighter jet shoot down a Pakistani naval aircraft, killing all 16 on board. Kashmir has been claimed by both India and Pakistan since almost immediately after their creation in 1947. The countries have fought three wars against each other, two directly dealing with the disputed region. PA National Australia Bank acting chief executive Phil Chronican's top priority should be to deal with the serious problems exposed at the royal commission, say investors and analysts, as the finance veteran takes the reins at the big four lender. With outgoing chief Andrew Thorburn leaving the bank on Thursday after four years in charge, Mr Chronican is also facing market calls to push ahead with a major cost-cutting program put in place by his predecessor. NAB's acting chief executive Phil Chronican takes the reins from Friday. Credit:Louie Douvis After NAB was rocked by the shock resignations of Mr Thorburn and chairman Ken Henry in February, experts say responding to the royal commission fallout must top the to-do list for Mr Chronican, who will be acting CEO from Friday. The royal commission referred 24 matters to authorities for investigation and potential prosecution, including some involving NAB, and the lender's reputation also took a particular hit when commissioner Kenneth Hayne singled out Mr Thorburn and Dr Henry for special criticism. Investors responded positively to Ramsay Health Care's strong growth from its Australian operations and a 9.6 per cent increase in profit, pushing shares higher in Thursday's trading. Shares jumped 5.9 per cent to close at $64.78 after the company announced a 9.6 per cent increase in first-half profit to $270.4 million, which includes the recently acquired European health provider Capio. The stock has risen more than 14 per cent this month. Excluding the Capio acquisition, Ramsay reported a 5.1 per cent lift in revenue to $5.1 billion and a 7.2 per cent lift in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to $728 million. Airbourne, originally from Warrnambool on the south west coast of Victoria, have toured almost relentlessly in the past decade and released four albums including 2016's Breakin' Outta Hell. Osbourne, who's band were added to the line-up in December, cancelled late last month due to the 70-year-old singer's illness and has also pulled out of Download in Japan later in the month. Sydney hosts Download for the first time at Parramatta Park on March 9 and the event returns to Melbourne on March 11 after making its debut at Flemington Racecourse last year. Stepping up at short notice to help make Download a festival to remember, Melbourne band Airbourne answered the call when Ozzy Osbourne was recently forced to pulled out. "We join everyone missing Ozzy this time around and we send him our best get well wishes," Airbourne said after being added to the festival. "We're pulling out all the stops to make this happen, our equipment is being shipped from the UK and USA, we don't do anything half arsed in Airbourne, if it's gonna rock, it's gonna rock to the max." Osbourne's wife, Sharon Osbourne, said the former Black Sabbath frontman was recuperating at home. "Ozzy recently developed pneumonia and has spent some time in hospital," she said. "Thankfully he is now through the worst part, his doctors have advised that he stay at home to recuperate for a full six weeks with no travel." These latest cancellations come after Osbourne pulled out of the UK and European legs of his No More Tours II shows earlier this year, based on doctors orders. At the time, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer said on his website, "it just seems that since October everything I touch has turned to shit", as his battle with the flu was preceded by a thumb infection that also hospitalised him. "I'm completely devastated for having to postpone," he said in late January. "Again, I apologise to everyone. God bless. Love you all, Ozzy." Emma Thompson is one of my heroines for her abundant talent, wit and manifest desire to maintain a keen moral compass. So I was intrigued by this week's news she had withdrawn from a film on learning she would be working under a creative head who'd been reported for sexual harassment. In her letter of resignation, she questioned Skydance Animation for their appointment: "If a man has been touching women inappropriately for decades, why would a woman want to work for him if the only reason he's not touching them inappropriately now is that it says in his contract he must behave 'professionally'?" Emma Thompson feels strongly enough about not working with someone with a history of harassment, she is willing to go without work on principle. It's easy to understand her frustration. MeToo was a cultural tsunami that swept away some of the landscape, while other elements stood firm or were quietly resurrected. Which in many people's eyes appears to be the case with John Lasseter, the former chief creative officer of Disney's Pixar Animation Studios who departed Pixar in mid-2018 after a six-month sabbatical following allegations of sexual misconduct. What Lasseter termed "missteps". At the start of this year Lasseter was announced as the new head of the animation branch of Skydance, another powerful Hollywood studio, to the disgruntlement of many female animators. BLAZE THIRTEEN, various artists. Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Gorman House Arts Centre, 55 Ainslie Avenue, Braddon. Until April 13. Tuesday to Saturday 11am to 5pm. BLAZE is Canberra Contemporary Art Space's annual exhibition of emerging artists from the ACT and surrounds. In the words of its curator David Broker, it is always eagerly awaited and draws our largest audiences. Its an intro. To the most thrilling work happening and key to the depth of Canberras formidable artistic talents in the early stages of their careers. The five artists in this iteration of BLAZE go a long way to making Brokers bold assertions a reality. Dean Cross - Untitled Dean Cross has four works, three of which continue themes of Indigenous ownership and dispossession of the land seen in his Fringe Dwellings (2016) and They blew up the hospital I was born in (2017), both at PhotoAccess. Crosss formal approach is pictorial and sculptural and is characterised by an aesthetic of suggestion rather than one of imposition. White Dogs occupies Cube Space. In the darkened gallery a wire animal trap is surmounted by the white dog of the title. The dog stands proudly over the cage (perhaps destined originally for him). The cage is attached by a rope to a concrete-filled bucket, standing next to which is a rudely constructed skeletal human figure loosely reminiscent of a Christian cross. To the right of the figure a drawing of a black cow with an outlined human head speaks of the rural location of the artists mise-en-scene. EDITOR'S NOTE: The High Court overturned Cardinal George Pell's conviction for historic child sex offences in a judgment handed down April 7, 2020. In a unanimous decision all seven High Court judges found Victoria's Court of Appeal should not have upheld Pell's conviction. It found the evidence could not support a guilty verdict. Australias Catholic clergy are failing to adequately address the child sexual abuse crisis and need to stop using Rome as an excuse, according to church historian Paul Collins. Mr Collins, himself a former priest, said the church had months to prepare a response to the conviction of Cardinal George Pell for sex crimes, but bishops were still failing to address their congregations about the matter. Church leaders are not adequately addressing the sexual abuse crisis, a church historian says. Credit:AFR It's been an open secret, everybody in the Catholic system has known since the jury handed down its verdict in December, we've all known what the score was, he said. Charnwood grandmother Val Whitford has been selected to push the button that will light up this year's Enlighten festival. The 75-year-old won a competition run by ActewAGL, after she was entered by her 29-year-old granddaughter Sarah Morrissey. Enlighten competition winner Val Whitford is known for her sparkly shoes. Mrs Whitford will push the button to trigger the illuminations across the Parliamentary Triangle on Friday at 8.15pm from the steps of Questacon. "I'm excited and a bit nervous," she said. "It's a privilege, really. It's wonderful." Now that Ita has been crowned Queen of Auntie we can move onto other media matters such as the search for a permanent ABC managing director. Acting MD David Anderson is considered the front runner but who else might get a call? Luckily the beauty parade for the top job at SBS - won by long-time finance chief James Taylor in October - provides us with a useful starting point. Illustration: Matt Golding Credit: Sydney headhunters Blenheim Partners did the work for SBS and approached Tens programming boss Beverley McGarvey, former Ten boss James Warburton as well as Sevens programming guru Angus Ross. From the moment Facebook announced it had decided to join Twitter and Instagram in permanently banning British far-right activist Tommy Robinson for using dehumanising language and promoting violence targeted at Muslims, the right-wing-media ecosystem across the Western hemisphere lit up with accusations against the social media giant for participating in an attack on free speech. Tommy Robinson, former leader of the far-right English Defence League, has been banned by various social media platforms. Credit:AP Robinson doesnt attack Muslims or immigrants, he attacks only bad ideas. So his supporters say, with far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders claiming Robinson had been banned for speaking the truth. Robinson, who has become a hero to the alt-right in Australia, also attacked Facebook by claiming he had breached no rules and that he had merely used his page to show people the truth. The truth, which he doth speak, apparently, is calling on his social media followers to make war on Muslims and terrorise and behead those who follow the Koran, while branding 1.6 billion followers of the Islamic faith filthy scum bags. Ita Buttrose may prove to be an excellent choice as ABC chair. She has the media knowledge, the corporate experience, the popularity and the intelligence to lead one of our most important cultural institutions. Already she has vowed to defend its independence, and anyone who has dealt with Buttrose in her previous roles knows she can be a fighter, not likely to meekly submit to pressure. Ita Buttrose with Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday. Credit:Jessica Hromas But once again, the government, in choosing her, has made a captains call, ignoring the very process of nominations established to ensure at least the appearance of an independent appointment, free of partisan political interference. At the very least, it should have waited until a Senate inquiry currently under way into the sacking of former managing director Michelle Guthrie and resignation of the previous chair Justin Milne amid suggestions of direct political pressure on the ABC reports in a few months time. That inquiry is likely to find that there was political interference in the national broadcaster by the current government, going beyond the massive cutbacks to its budget almost a quarter in recent years. A 35-year-old North Parramatta man remains in hospital under police guard after allegedly stabbing his neighbour to death. NSW Police and Ambulance were called to Gladstone Street in North Parramatta just before 9pm on Thursday night, where they found Dion Stevens, 45, lying on the driveway of an apartment complex suffering stab wounds to his back and neck. He could not be revived, and died at the scene. Witnesses told police that they saw an altercation between Mr Stevens and his 35-year-old neighbour, Ben Oxley. A Queensland Rail investigation into the death of a woman in Brisbane's east has uncovered CCTV footage showing all warning lights at the Lindum pedestrian crossing were operating at the time of the incident. The woman, 70, was believed to have had her walking trolley get stuck as she crossed at the station as an outbound train approached on Tuesday evening. Lindum Train Station near Wynnum where a fatal accident has happened on Tuesday afternoon. Credit:Queensland Rail She died at the scene. A QR spokeswoman said the "full investigation" into the incident would continue. The Queensland government has given Brisbane City Council greater power to force owners of heritage-listed structures to properly maintain their properties. The laws will not apply to places listed on the state's heritage register, meaning they will not apply to the Broadway Hotel in Woolloongabba. The council will have stronger powers to enforce maintenance on local heritage-listed properties. Credit:Glenn Hunt/AAP The derelict, state-listed hotel is the centre of an ongoing debate about its future after being gutted by fire in September last year. Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch said she had used provisions of the Heritage Act 1992 to allow the council to issue repair and maintenance notices on local heritage-listed places that are not on the state register. The grandmother of three Australian children living under the collapsing ISIS regime is "ecstatic" that three of Khaled Sharrouf's children are said to still be alive. Zaynab, 19, Hoda, 16 and Hamzah, 9, the children of former Sydney couple, convicted terrorist Sharrouf and his wife Tara Nettleton, have been unaccounted for for several years. Their parents both died in 2015, as well as two of their siblings. Zaynab Sharrouf (left) with two of her siblings. A video obtained by the ABC shows Australia's first ISIS bride Zehran Duman, who left Melbourne in 2014 to live under the Caliphate where she married Melbourne man Mahmoud Abdullatif, claiming that the three children are "fine". "I am Tara's best friend," the woman says in the video. "They're fine and they're alive I don't know if they're going to leave or not, I haven't kept in contact with them so I don't know". As Victoria swelters through a heatwave, spare a thought for the state school students in hot classrooms with no airconditioning. Scorching classroom temperatures at Brunswick South West Primary School have left some students with headaches and nosebleeds, and one boy was even taken to hospital. Brunswick South West Primary School students are sick of having to work in hot classrooms. Credit:Joe Armao Its really hot and so hard to concentrate when you're burning up, grade 4 student Ruby Ruse said. The nine-year-old has been measuring the temperature of her second-storey classroom, which sometimes reaches more than 30 degrees. One of the state's biggest political donors and tourism operators claimed credit for the state government's failed attempt to increase WA's lobster catch during a meeting in Perth in January. At the meeting, which took place at the height of a public controversy over the lobster plan, Greg Poland, who was the Peel Development Commission's deputy chairman until he resigned this week, said Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly botched its implementation because he wanted the government to own the extra lobster quota. Greg Poland backed away from claims he engineered the WA government's western rock lobster plan following questions raised by WAtoday. Mr Poland, who is chairman of Strzelecki Group which owns Sorrento Quay at Hillary's Boat Harbour, Dolphin Quay apartments, The Moorings and the Oceanic Retreat apartments as well as seafood processing and packaging plants and restaurants, was at a meeting when talk turned to Mr Kelly's controversial lobster plan Mr Poland, who has since backed away from claims made during the meeting, said the government's plan was about providing lobsters to the tourism industry, which was attempting to attract more visitors from China. Imagine having to get someone else to provide proof you arent shagging anyone on a regular basis and that even if you are, you aren't getting financial support. Your own word isn't good enough any more. Thats what happens to single mothers in Australia if they want to be eligible for welfare. Theres a lot that goes wrong for single mums in Australia. They already have difficult lives, managing kids, jobs and life on their own. And on top of all that, there are a whole range of compliance tasks in order to get benefits, from signing endless forms to applying for a ridiculous number of jobs, a huge task all on its own. Juanita McLaren will front the United Nation's women's conference in New York to complain about Australia's treatment of single mothers. It's a miserable life for a single mother on welfare in Australia, so hard that one woman, Juanita McLaren, has decided to take her complaint all the way to the United Nations. She says the way Australia treats single mums breaches human rights and now, the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, will be hearing from her directly at a UN Womens conference in New York next week. The group's hands are also tied until the government's lease expires in November 2020, meaning it has to wear the charge for another year. In effect the government is forcing us to redevelop the site. Theyre telling us we have to build something there," Mr Cassimatis said. "The only way you can save money is by lodging a DA, and theyre fast-tracking us to do a DA, which is not going to have a beneficial outcome for anyone." Evri Group's submission said it was "odd" that the ACT Valuation Office seemed to be advising Evri Group on what they should develop on-site. "ACT Valuation Office have indicated numerous times that we should develop 36,000 square metres of apartments and excavate a three-level basement car park. It has also been suggested that a mixed-use development is built on the site. Given there is not one single successful mixed-use precinct in along Northbourne Avenue, one has to wonder why the ACT Government wants Evri Group to build one on this site? It is a costly gamble to take," the document reads. The group also said the valuation office had suggested it build 400 apartments on-site and provided advice on ceiling heights. "If we want to develop a good quality apartment product that has ducted heating/cooling, then a floor-to-floor building height of three metres is recommended. ACT Valuation Office kept insisting that we could do this with 2.7 metre floor-to-floor heights. ACT Valuation Office should seek professional building advice to confirm this is achievable and actually provide the evidence to the ratepayer and justify their calculations." It's not the only way the charge is putting businesses under pressure. Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman and former Liberal chief minister Kate Carnell said the inflated bills came at a time when the market was relatively flat, and were directly hitting businesses' bottom lines. "In the cases where it has been possible for landlords to pass on the significant increase in commercial rates to their tenants, the issue then becomes for small business a pretty flat environment in terms of hospitality, restaurants, and retail; the capacity to pass onto consumers is really low," Ms Carnell said. "Nobody is running around at the moment saying in the ACT people are making a large amount of money in their retail or their restaurants or their cafes or whatever." Ms Carnell also challenged ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr's testimony last week that ACT businesses were better off because of the territory's high payroll-tax threshold. "The majority of small businesses don't pay payroll tax even in NSW and with the NSW government announcements of reducing payroll tax that will become even more so, so I dont accept that's an argument to suggest that it is reasonable to have commercial rates that can be 10 per cent of what they are in the ACT in Queanbeyan," Ms Carnell said. "We compete directly and we have to take that pretty seriously." The part-owner of the Duxton pub, David Quinn, told the inquiry that the savings he made on payroll tax - $34,000 - were nowhere close to the increase in his rates bill. The pub's rates have risen by $60,000 in five years. "I'm still worse off," Mr Quinn said. The ombudman's principal advisor, Anne Scott, also said the rate rises were having a flow-on effect to the amount of money banks were willing to loan businesses, and came at a time when the big four were already cracking down on lending practices. "Theres a definite drop in the number of new loans that are being approved for small business," Ms Scott said. She said it was largely small businesses coming to the end of their loan facility period that were finding the "door is shutting on them" because their revenue was no longer high enough. "When we ... increase pressure on the business, either through the rates directly or the transfer of the rates to that business's overheads, then theres even more reasons for the banks to not continue finance arrangements with that business," Ms Scott said. Unions have vowed to challenge a controversial bid to create a new "permaflexi" category of employment, slamming the proposal as a "ruse" aimed at further eroding job and wage security. It comes as Opposition Leader Bill Shorten ramps up Labor's jobs campaign ahead of a federal election at which income security and wage stagnation are set to be key voter concerns - particularly among the nation's more than 2 million casual workers. ACTU Secretary Sally McManus says workers want job security, not flexibility. Credit:Erik Anderson The NSW Business Chamber lodged its application to vary the social services industry award with the Fair Work Commission on Wednesday, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Critics of the move - which employers want to extend across the hospitality and retail sectors - have honed in on the fact the application proposes a minimum one to three hours a week for workers hired under "flexible ongoing employment". Jobs Minister Kelly ODwyer will order her department to crack down on providers breaching government guidelines for a job-readiness scheme, in the wake of this weeks Senate inquiry into ParentsNext. One of the governments signature welfare programs, ParentsNext was designed to prepare parents to return to work but has been the subject of intense criticism since revelations participants were being forced to sign privacy waivers and undertake onerous reporting requirements in order to be eligible for benefits. Outgoing Jobs Minister Kelly O'Dwyer. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Participants were forced to show proof of attendance at swimming lessons and library sessions. The minister said her department sent out revised guidelines late last year which made clear which kinds of activities should be mandated. Sydney shock jock Ray Hadley has taken aim at former Liberal prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott over their show of support for George Pell in the wake of his conviction for child sexual abuse, declaring they had made "gross errors of judgment". In an excoriating attack, Hadley accused the two former prime ministers of showing "a complete lack of understanding" of the victims of paedophiles, and implied Mr Abbott's actions could cost him his seat in Federal Parliament at the election. Unimpressed: Sydney shock jock Ray Hadley attacked John Howard's "gushing reference". Credit:Louie Douvis It was revealed in court on Wednesday that Mr Howard provided a character reference for Pell following his conviction in December, in which he praised the cardinal as "a person of both high intelligence and exemplary character". Mr Abbott phoned Pell on Tuesday when the guilty verdict became public, and told 2GB radio the cardinal remained a "friend". He said it was possible to make "very harsh judgments" on Pell at this time but he would await the outcome of the appeal. The NSW Greens have accused two of its members of trying to wreck" the partys NSW election campaign, as the civil war within the Greens escalated to the NSW Supreme Court. With just three weeks until the NSW election, Greens members Lindsay Johnston and Chris Harris launched a legal bid on Thursday to force the party to change the order of its upper house ticket. The NSW Greens are imploding with members taking the party to court. Credit:Natalie Grono The warring parties appeared before Justice Stephen Robb in a brief lunchtime hearing, before the matter was set aside for further directions on Friday. With just three weeks until the election, Greens' silk Jeremy Kirk SC described the dispute as a "matter of great significance" and likened it to a family feud. The Queensland government's expenses have increased by $3 billion in one year, largely driven by employee costs and operating expenses. A Queensland Audit Office review of the state government's books revealed expenses for the general government sector increased by $3 billion to $56.3 billion in 2017-18, and by $3.6 billion to $67.1 billion in the total state sector. Public servants have contributed to a rise in state government spending. Credit:Tammy Law Employee and superannuation expenses for the total state sector increased by $1.7 billion in 2017-18, to $28 billion, an increase of 6.6 per cent. Both the number of staff employed by the state and the average cost of state employees increased. The Australian Defence Force is set to spend more than $5 million to develop battlefield robots which have a sense of morality. It's commissioned the University of New South Wales in Canberra and the University of Queensland to find ways to make machines behave in an ethical way in wartime. Robocop was science fiction in 1987 - but can he learn right and wrong now? The universities will spend an additional $3.5 million in what would be world-leading research. Robots are increasingly being used by the military but there is a fear that, because they have no sense of right and wrong, they might commit atrocities when left to their own devices. A baby boy thought to be the smallest ever to survive has finally been sent home from a Japanese hospital five months after his birth. The baby weighed just 268 grams, slightly more than a pack of butter, when he was born 16 weeks prematurely in August 2018. The baby boy, seen here at five days old, weighed 268 grams when born. Credit:Keio University School of Medicine His life to date has been spent in the neonatal unit at Keio University Hospital, Tokyo, but was finally sent home last week, two months after his due date. Doctors performed an emergency caesarean section at 24 weeks when the child failed to grow during the pregnancy and experts feared that his life was in danger. "Liar, liar, pants on fire!" It was Republican Paul Gosar who burst forth with this playground taunt of Michael Cohen, the longtime fixer and personal lawyer for President Donald Trump who appeared on Wednesday before the House Oversight and Reform Committee to talk about his former boss. A poster on display during Michael Cohen's testimony to Congress. Credit:Bloomberg But Gosar's observation was more than an isolated zinger; it was an encapsulation of his party's overarching approach to Cohen's testimony. It also provides a pretty good sense of how few minds the hearing is likely to change in this era of bitter polarisation - and how tough it can be to bring any clarity to the swirl of controversies engulfing this president. As that spectacle was opening in Washington, 12 time zones away, in Hanoi, the president was wrapping up a friendly dinner with Kim Jong Un, the tyrannical leader of North Korea. Trump hopes that the pageantry of peacemaking in Asia will overshadow the damaging testimony of the former confidant he has written off as a lying "rat". Latest News No Christmas cash rate surprise, but stage set for big 2022 All eyes on first decision of 2022 to help banks price rates into next year How to look beyond the RBA cash rate to understand where interest rates are going Leading economist breaks down where rates are moving in the coming months and years Founder and CEO of Blue Wealth Property Dr Tony Hayek, urges brokers to step away from distractions in the market. LIVING in the information age isnt all its cracked up to be. At a time when information is commoditised, distorted and pushed to audiences through a plethora of connected devices, its hard to keep your head above water, let alone distil fact from fiction. Although there is more information available than ever before, people are increasingly wary of trusting it and when they do, it brings conflicting narratives that compromise the ability to make decisions. This paradox is officially known as information overload. The term was coined in 1964 by Professor Bertram Gross, but its more relevant today than ever before. When information overload occurs, it is likely that a reduction in decision quality will also occur, Gross wrote. The fallout cascades throughout daily life and, according to founder and CEO of Blue Wealth Property Dr Tony Hayek, it has given an unprecedented edge to the property cycles current phase. I think the intensity of the feelings around this property cycle has been driven by the availability of information, Hayek says. Everyone has a social media feed. Your smartphone is notifying you about the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald and a disastrous article about the property industry. Its a much more difficult environment in which to form a clear and concise opinion and stick with it. In terms of economics, the last property cycle which peaked in pre-social-media 2004 is echoed in todays cycle, and Hayek says the usual scenario is to experience three to four years of strong growth, up to 18 months of correction and stabilisation, and a handful of years of stagnation. Theres nothing unusual this time, but the one key factor that is different about this cycle is the availability of information. You used to have to go looking for it. Now it finds you, he says. While that information includes an overwhelming wave of negative sentiment around the property market, over recent weeks brokers, too, have found their interests volleyed across the media, again intensifying an already-complex situation. Add to this the potential for the industry to be used to score political points in the impending election, and the distractions soon add up. We all need to give clients clarity around why they should buy an investment property when the media is telling them not to Dr Tony Hayek, founder and CEO, Blue Wealth Property There needs to be some real focus. Never in the entire history of the broker channel has there ever been as much noise as there is now, Hayek says. Back to school Focus isnt just a skill for brokers to hone; its Blue Wealths theme for the coming year. Now that its training and education program is established, a full agenda of events is scheduled for the coming months, with more to come. These cover the Insurance Masterclass, Boot Camp the highest-level course and a new Masterclass Mechanics focused on the key skills needed to run a business, ranging from time management to client goal-setting (see page 2 for dates). In Hayeks words, the courses teach the things that brokers should know but dont know. He reports a 5060% increase in attendance at Blue Wealths training seminars in 2018, fuelled in part by the firms proactive expansion activities and by brokers desire to tap a new and extensive client base. What we found was a hunger from brokers for new knowledge, Hayek says. I think one of the skills that has become underrated over the last few years is just basic human communication skills, basic sales skills, your ability to communicate your message clearly to your customer and explain whats in it for them. We have lost sight of that. In the new environment, training attendance figures are likely to increase again as brokers look to diversify their portfolios of client solutions. Although aggregator training plays an important role, Hayek says theres a secret to success. If you want to diversify, learn from the organisations that youre diversifying with. I think one of the things about the aggregators is that a lot of them are delivering very similar information and training programs. Quite often brokers get a different perspective on the client, environment and pitch from an organisation that does things a little bit differently, he says. Eyes on the prize In going back to basics in their professional skill set, Blue Wealths network of brokers will have a new tool at their disposal a market-first calculator to help their clients visualise the financial benefits of property investment. Developed by Blue Wealth for exclusive use by its broker network, the calculator incorporates the balance of any existing home loan and investment interests and applies a modest level of growth in order to generate a date for when the investment property will have paid off the home loan. Its absolutely brilliant, Hayek says. The intensity of the feelings around this property cycle has been driven by the availability of information Dr Tony Hayek, founder and CEO, Blue Wealth Property It was created to help brokers find solutions for their clients. The great Australian dream is to pay off the home loan, and we believe investing in property is a great way to build wealth. We all need to give clients clarity around why they should buy an investment property when the media is telling them not to. They want to know, whats the end game? Whats the big picture? For the housing market, the big picture remains a blurry apparition with a lot of dark clouds. Steadfastly objective in his outlook, Hayek is quick to draw on his own advice, applying focus and perspective to his observations of recent trends. I think its very important to find a way to get some perspective, because when the media talks about places like Sydney and Melbourne losing up to 15% on the back of gains of 75% and 80%, its really easy to lose that perspective, he says. Assuming the credit outlook will bring more of the same muted activity that was seen in 2018, Hayek expects there may be more regulatory intervention on the cards. We expect there will be some relaxation of policies similar to the lending cap threshold last year, which was a small sign of change. I think those signs will continue throughout this year, he says. After a strong 2018, during which Blue Wealth saw hundreds of clients settle despite the market conditions, Hayek is confident about keeping the pace. However, for brokers a number of unknowns remain on the horizon, meaning that focus will be paramount over the coming months, along with diversification and book building. Times like these present the greatest opportunity, Hayek says. When it comes to transacting well-negotiated property deals, these are the markets that you find them in. Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC It was an award-winning party! Hundreds of the boroughs top business leaders gathered at Downtowns Brooklyn Bridge Marriott hotel on Feb. 25 to celebrate local entrepreneurs at the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerces annual Winter Gala an evening chock-full of merriment, music, and quality hobnobbing, according to an attendee. It was an amazing event. There were great networking opportunities, and the violinist was incredible, said Ernesto Perez-Mir, vice president and chief nursing officer at Methodist Hospital. Spectrum News NY1 anchor Pat Kiernan emceed the festivities, and presented several awards to notable Chamber supporters, including the President and Chief Operating Officer of Investors Bank, Domenick Cama, who won the Corporate Titan of the Year Award; legal eagle and Senior Partner of Davidoff, Hutcher and Citron LLP, Sid Davidoff, who took home the Power Broker of the Year Award; and the founder and owner of childrens learning center Eladias Kids, Eladia Causil-Rodriguez, who received the Outstanding Small Business Owner of the Year Award. The Chambers recently appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, Hector Batista, and its Chairwoman Ana Oliveira presented each honoree with a trophy, with Batista telling the crowd of roughly 400 movers and shakers that the award winners and all members of the business-boosting group play a vital role in keeping Kings Countys economy strong, and helping small mom-and-pop shops thrive. Brooklyns business community has driven the boroughs emergence as an economic and cultural force, and the Chambers Winter Gala is a celebration of that. As New Yorks economy continues to evolve, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce will advocate for businesses and help them adapt to the changing landscape, Batista said. This years fund-raising gala raised a whopping $280,000, according to Chamber spokesman Michael Johnston, who said the money would support the organizations future programming and initiatives to support borough entrepreneurs. Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC Theyre exploring the shore. The city is considering a 10-block swath of Coney Island Creek as planners determine where in the waterway is the best place to drop a ferry dock, according to leaders of the agency that oversees the NYC Ferry system. Officials with the Economic Development Corporation are surveying the shoreline between W. 23rd and W. 33rd streets to determine the best spot for a berth within that stretch, a senior project manager at the agency told locals at a Feb. 19 meeting of local Community Board 13. Were looking at a range were going to do our due diligence and figure out where is best within that, said Doug Rose. In January, Mayor DeBlasio announced the city would sail commuter ships from Coney in his annual State of the City address. Later that month, Economic Development Corporation spokeswoman Stephanie Baez said officials are considering building the berth in the general area around W. 31st Street and Bayview Avenue, near the Kaiser Park fishing pier. Officials specifically marked that site and another just outside the park at W. 33rd Street and Bayview Avenue which are separated by the sand spit as possible dock locations in the feasibility study released by the economic agency following Hizzoners announcement. And at the recent joint meeting of CB13s Transportation and Environmental committees, Councilman Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island) said the landing will more likely end up somewhere near Kaiser Park, which spans W. 23rdW. 32nd streets between Neptune and Bayview avenues, rather than near the tentative W. 33rd Street location, due to the adjacent sand spit a claim that two economic agency reps confirmed on the spot. According to the most up-to-date analysis, because of the sandbar at that location, that Bayview corridor is not ideal, and itll likely move closer to that Kaiser Park location, Treyger said. Assemblywoman Mathylde Frontus (DConey Island) also hoped agency honchos would decide against installing the dock on the W. 33rd Street side of the sand spit, expressing concerns about how a landing there might affect locals who live on Bayview Avenue. I want the ferry in Coney Island do I think that W. 33rd Street and Bayview is the ideal location? Absolutely not, its not a first choice, Frontus said at the meeting. The ferry-feasibility study notes that building a berth on either side of the sand spit needs careful consideration as shifting sands, fog, and high winds would be an ongoing challenge to maintaining safe and reliable operations here. But NYC Ferry are keeping those challenges in mind as they study possible sites, according to Rose, who added that they are also considering locals concerns about accessibility and potential quality-of-life issues as they work to determine a dock location. Still, Coney Islanders at the meeting alleged the cons of building a dock on either side of the sand spit would outweigh the pros of bringing ferry service to the neighborhood, with the co-chairwoman of CB13s Environmental Committee worrying that landings there would bring even more traffic to Bayview Avenue. Theres an issue with transportation and parking over there on a regular basis, its already backed up, said Selena Grant. Im for the ferry, I question the location. Starting ferry service would likely mitigate some of that traffic, according to Treyger, who said the end of the creek near the sand spit is the peninsulas only option for accommodating big boats, due to the more shallow waters further up Coney Island Creek. If youre opposed to having it in the western end of the peninsula are folks suggesting that we dont have a ferry? he said. But another local argued the dock should be built further up the creek near W. 21st Street a location Borough President Adams endorsed when calling for ferry service in Coney back in 2017 in order to prompt the city to clean out more of the waterway to make way for the service. I want to see it at W. 21st Street lets clean up Coney Island Creek, said Jeff Sanoff, co-chairman of CB13s Environmental Committee. Creating a landing that far up the creek, however, poses additional challenges, Rose told the committee members a reality his economic-agency colleague Baez also noted. The recent meeting was the first of many conversations agency reps will have with Coney Islanders, said Economic Development Corporation project manager Wil Fisher. And Baez added that reps would likely return to the Peoples Playground for more discussions sometime in April or May. And Treyger committed to sharing his constituents concerns about the various berth locations as the process unfolds, but warned that the dock debate should not come at the expense of the ferry service itself. My personal view is that the benefits of the ferry service to this peninsula are significant, and we should not throw away this very special and rare opportunity, he said. But we have to get it right. Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC Take it Big Easy this week! Mardis Gras is happening in New Orleans right now, but if you want to have a Cajun celebration before the start of Lent, we have found plenty of events with beads and king cake right here in Kings County. Bead counters Support our neighbors in the South while you party at Its Common Census: A Mardi Gras Bash To Make Every Person Count. The event will raise cash for Southern Echo, a Mississippi group that works with the Census to count everyone and redraw gerrymandered districts. The party will feature stand-up comedy from Pat Regan, drag bingo, burlesque performances from Darlinda Just Darlinda, and live music from the L train Brass Band, who marched down Bourbon street last weekend! Its Common Census at the Bell House [149 Seventh St. between Second and Third avenues in Gowanus, (718) 6436510, www.thebe llhou seny.com ]. March 3 at 3 pm. $25. Swing set If you want to go upscale for your Fat Tuesday creole carnival, the place to be is Park Slopes swank Montauk Club, which will host three floors of dancing and burlesque performances. Brooklyn Swings will offer dance lessons at the beginning of the night, so you can lindy hop all evening to music from the Second Line Brass Band, zydeco act Gordon Webster and Friends, or DJ Cochon de Lait, among others. Carnival masks will be on sale for cheap, and beads are free! The Salon: Mardi Gras at the Montauk Club (25 Eighth Ave. at Lincoln Place in Park Slope, www.prohi bitio nprod uctio ns.com ). March 5; 611 pm. $39 ($52 with open bar). House of Oui Keep the party going late into the night with a visit to Mardi Gras Brass and Sass at the House of Yes. The Hot Hand Brass Band will start blowing at 10 pm, aerial performers will swing overhead, and you can join the parade winding around the space until 4 am. Costumes encouraged! Mardi Gras at House of Yes [2 Wyckoff Ave. at Jefferson Street in Bushwick, (646) 8384937, www.house ofyes.org ]. March 5 at 10 pm. Free. Goes down Easy If you just want to eat and drink on Fat Tuesday, visit cajun bar Heavy Woods! The saloon will feature a live stream from Bourbon street, tasty po boys, $5 drafts of Louisiana beers, and $8 hurricane cocktails. And if you register in advance with Eventbrite, you will get a free king cake shot. Mardi Gras Party at Heavy Woods [50 Wyckoff Ave. between Starr Street and Willoughby Avenue in Bushwick, (929) 2343500. www.heavy woods bar.com ]. March 5 at 7 pm. Free. German Luxury car maker Audi India on Thursday said it was going to launch three new models in India this year, including the most luxurious Q 8 from its global product stable first time ever. All in the Rs 1 crore-plus price range, the new models would be launched primarily for positioning of the brand as the company was not expecting any big sales owing to high taxes being levied on luxury cars in the country, according to Audi India head Rahil Ansari. "Owning a luxury car is not a sin and in fact the sale of more luxury cars will bring in more tax revenues to the ... The consortium of lenders in Jet Airways has made it clear to the promoter and chairman of the cash-strapped airline, Naresh Goyal, and partner Etihad Airways that there cannot be only a bank-driven bailout of the Indian carrier and the two will have to play an equal role in getting it out of financial woes. Also, Goyal, according to banking sources, is open to the suggestion of him stepping down from Jet Airways board and having no role in managing the airline. He, according to the sources, has also agreed to reduce his equity stake from 51 per cent to around 22 per cent and ... Bharti Airtel on Thursday said its board of directors approved a fundraising plan of up to Rs 32,000 crore through a mix of rights issue and bond. This will help reduce the companys debt of about $14 billion and also fire up the telcos fight to reach to the top. The proceeds are likely to be of much help, especially with the Department of Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan indicating the Centre stands firm on its proposal of conducting the 5G spectrum auctions in 2019. On Wednesday, Sundararajan said: Documents of notice inviting applications are in place; 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 US-based bicycle manufacturer Kent International has found a way around President Donald Trump's tariffs - by shifting production out of China. Like almost all US bike makers, Kent has long relied on low-cost Chinese labour and parts, but Trump's tariffs have so far inflated its costs by about $20 million annually. "We have no choice but to - as rapidly as possible - look to move production away from China," said Arnold Kamler, chief executive and majority owner of the Parsippany, N J-based bike company. But Kent and other bike makers don't have to move ... Spacecraft separation during VS21 mission as seen by onboard camera No. 2 (top) and No. 1 (middle) and camera No. 4 (bottom). Credit: Arianespace An artist rendering illustrating the release of the first pair of OneWeb satellites during the VS21 mission. Credit: Arianespace The payload section of the Soyuz rocket with six OneWeb satellites. Click to enlarge. Credit: Arianespace Executives who have worked with him say he does not mince his words. In fact, unlike his mentor and predecessor, the legendary Vittoria Colao, he can be pretty blunt. Proof of this was at hand this week when Nicholas (Nick) Jonathan Read, who took charge of Vodafone plc last October, strongly criticised the Indian telecom regulator in front of a global audience at the Barcelona World Mobile Congress. He referred to regulatory outcomes that, over the past two years, have adversely impacted all telcos barring Reliance Jio. Given the power of the Reliance group, it is complaint that all ... With more and more companies adopting analytics and data-based decision making has given rise to 45 percent increase in jobs over last year, a study has revealed. Close to 97,000 positions related to analytics and are currently vacant due to a dearth of qualified talent, which is 45 percent over last year, a study done by online ed-tech company Great Learning said here. "A 45 percent increase in the supply gap in just one year indicates the pace at which businesses are adopting analytics and data-based decision making. In the last few years, many large players have been forced to acqui-hire talent to keep the wind in their sails," Great Learning co-founder Hari Krishnan Nair said. The data for the study was gathered from leading job portals and through interactions with over 100 companies and survey with over 1,000 professionals from leading cities on employment trends, salary structure and their outlook towards tools and skills. The study further said, a majority of these are for junior level roles for candidates with less than five years of experience, which has widened the talent gap in the industry. Opportunities for freshers have also increased with openings for them accounting for 21 percent of analytics jobs, compared to 17 percent last year, it said. About 31 percent of the in the sector this year are for professionals with over 5 years of experience, it added. "At the same time, for those looking to enter the sector, a surplus of jobs is a great opportunity. The need of the hour is for professionals to reskill themselves and get job ready. Companies are also looking inwards to identify talent to capitalise on new opportunities. Here, skill development programs will play a critical role in updating analytics capabilities and preparing the workforce for newer roles," Nair added. Meanwhile, the study also noted that Bengaluru continued to be the hub of analytics professionals accounting for 24 percent of total analytics jobs. Financial centres like Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai have increased their share of analytics jobs this year with Delhi and NCR contributing 22 per cent of analytics jobs in India, Mumbai contributing 15 per cent and Chennai 7 percent, it added. About 38 percent of all jobs posted are from the banking sector while retail has more than doubled its share of jobs to 7 percent from 2 percent last year. E-commerce, pharma and automobiles have contributed 12 per cent, 13 percent and 6 percent of the jobs, respectively. Telecom on the other hand, has seen the biggest fall in demand with just 4 percent of job postings as opposed to 8 percent last year. There was a collective sigh of relief around the world as Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced he had decided to send the IAF pilot back in the interest of peace but added that India needed to introspect about its policies in Kashmir that was driving 19-year-olds to become suicide bombers. Despite lobbying hard to get Pakistan to accept its complicity in enabling organisations like the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) to work against India from their soil, India is yet to get ... 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 Reserve Bank of India and Bank of Japan have signed an agreement for Bilateral Swap Arrangement (BSA) between the two countries, an official statement said on Thursday. The BSA was negotiated between India and Japan during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Tokyo on October 29 last year. It provides for India to access 75 billion in US dollars while the earlier BSA provided for 50 billion dollars. The agreement for the BSA has become effective from Thursday. "India can access 75 billion dollars for its domestic currency, for the purpose of maintaining an appropriate level of balance of payments or short-term liquidity." said the statement issued by Finance Ministry. "The government of India welcomes BSA effectiveness and expresses its gratitude to Japan for agreeing to enter into this arrangement. This is in the spirit of strong partnership and carries out its strategic partnership further. This financial cooperation would further enhance the strong economic ties between India and Japan." . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen claimed that he started Trump's presidential campaign in 2016 by opening a website called 'shouldtrumprun.com', which eventually triggered the incumbent President's campaign. Cohen made this claim when he appeared for the public testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Wednesday (local time). US Representative Jim Jordan asked Trump's former attorney, "You started the campaign for President of the United States for Donald Trump?" "I certainly did, sir," CNN quoted Cohen as replying. He added that he started the website after reading a newspaper poll which asked people whom they would vote for in 2012 - "6% said they'd vote" for Trump, he said. "So I brought it into his office and I said to him, 'Mr. Trump, take a look at this, and he said wouldn't that be great?' And with that is where it all started," Cohen remarked. The former attorney made shocking revelations regarding the Trump family during the 2016 Presidential campaign, adding that he had his "suspicions" of Trump colluding with Russia during the 2016 elections. He also claimed that Trump lied about his involvement in the Trump Tower project in Moscow during the 2016 campaign. Cohen also alleged that Trump did not expect to win the presidential campaign, which was just a "marketing opportunity" for the current President of the United States. "So to be clear, Mr Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it. He lied about it because he never expected to win. He also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions of dollars on the Moscow real estate project," he claimed. Speaking on the Wikileaks drop of emails, Cohen stated that Trump had prior information of the hacked Democratic National Committee emails, thanks to his aide Roger Stone. "As I earlier stated, Mr Trump knew from Roger Stone in advance about the Wikileaks drop of emails. In July of 2016, days before the Democratic convention, I was in Mr Trump's office when his secretary announced that Roger Stone was on the phone. Mr Trump put Mr Stone on the speakerphone. Mr Stone told Mr Trump that he had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange and that Mr Assange told Mr Stone that within a couple of days there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clinton's campaign," he noted. According to him, Trump had replied with a "wouldn't that be great," to this. Cohen also accused Trump of being a racist. "Mr Trump is a racist. The country has seen Mr Trump court white supremacists and bigots. You have heard him call foreign countries sh**holes. In private, he is even worse," Trump's former attorney said. He also revealed that Trump had reimbursed him for the "illegal hush money" he paid on the President's behalf. "So let me make sure I understand. Donald Trump wrote you a check out of his personal account while he was serving as president of the United States of America to reimburse you for hush money payments to Ms Clifford. Is that what you are telling the American people today?" House Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings asked Cohen. "Yes, Mr Chairman," Cohen replied. This is in reference to Stephanie Clifford, popularly known as Stormy Daniels, who alleged that she had an affair with Trump in 2006. Cohen paid Daniels USD 1,30,000 to stop her from speaking out about her relationship with the incumbent US President. "Thank you," the porn actress, who is suing both Trump and Cohen, tweeted during Cohen's proceedings. The US President's former lawyer has been found guilty of campaign finance crimes, amongst other charges and is due to start his three-year prison term on May 6. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Germany on Thursday urged Pakistan to take strong and effective action against terrorism by taking steps to eliminate the terror outfits operating in the country. "There is terrorism on the ground. In Pakistan, too, every effort must be made to ensure that terrorist organisations, which are known to have their base in Pakistan, are not only not able to carry out their nefarious deeds there, but are in fact combated," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement. He added that he spoke to his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi over the heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, underlining that Germany is "very concerned about the current state of affairs". Urging India and Pakistan to ensure that there is no confrontation between the two sides, Maas further said, "I spoke on the telephone with the Foreign Minister of Pakistan about this a few days ago. We hope that the situation does not trigger an escalation." "We know that the situation in Kashmir is not how we would wish it to be. But it is now up to both sides - both Pakistan and India - to use the utmost circumspection to ensure that this does not lead to a confrontation between the two countries," he added. The German Foreign Minister noted that the perpetrators behind the ghastly terror attack in Pulwama in south Kashmir should not "walk free" and be brought to justice. "And also, once the evidence is furnished, that those responsible for the terrible attack in Kashmir are held to account and do not walk free," Maas said. Tensions spiralled between India and Pakistan after the Indian Air Force on Tuesday carried out aerial strikes at a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror training camp in Balakot, in which a large number of terrorists were killed. The strikes were in response to the terror attack in Pulwama, in which about 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives. On Wednesday, India said it foiled an attempt by Pakistan Air Force to carry out strikes in Jammu and Kashmir by shooting down an F-16 fighter plane while losing its own MiG-21 jet after which a pilot was "missing in action". Pakistan later acknowledged that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who ejected across the Line of Control, is in its custody. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced on Thursday in the country's Parliament that the IAF pilot will be released tomorrow as a "peace gesture". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Communist Party of India (CPI) have expressed disappointment over the declaration of Visakhapatnam as the headquarters of the new railway zone in Andhra Pradesh, calling it an "election gimmick." "Piyush Goyal has announced the special railways' zone for Andhra Pradesh. We have been waiting for the demand for the last five years, in fact, it was there in the AP Reorganisation Act also...We are happy that they have given us the zone but there are still many issues that the minister has to clarify," TDP leader Rammohan Naidu told ANI. "We have been requesting the whole northern region of Andhra Pradesh to be included under this zone but that has not been clearly specified. It is unclear as to which lines are coming under this. We have said that the line which has been divided between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh should be done on an equal basis so that profit sharing is done equally between both the states. All this is looking like an election gimmick," he added. The TDP leader further said that that the party is going to fight for it and these issues need to be discussed and clarified by the Railways Ministry. "We are going to fight until all these issues are clarified especially what is the boundary of the zone, what all stations are going to come - all these issues need to be discussed and fulfilled. Until then, they (Centre) cannot say that they have granted special railway zone for Andhra Pradesh," Naidu said. Echoing similar sentiments, senior CPI leader JVV Satyanarayana said, "We are not fully satisfied with Railway Minister Piyush Goyal's statements. We demanded along the border division, a new railway zone." However, the BJP expressed happiness and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal for the announcement of the new railway zone. Goyal on Wednesday announced that the Indian Railways will create a new zone named 'South Coast Railway' (SCoR) with headquarter in Vishakapatanam, Andhra Pradesh. The matter has been examined in detail in consultation with stakeholders and it has been decided to go ahead with the creation of a new zone with headquarter in Vishakapatnam, the railway minister said. He also said the new zone is being created as per item 8 of Schedule 13 (Infrastructure) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 under which the Indian Railways was required to examine establishing a new railway zone in the successor state of Andhra Pradesh. The new SCoR will comprise of existing divisions Guntakal, Guntur and Vijayawada and the Waltair division will be split into two and one part will be incorporated in the SCoR while the other will be converted into a new division with its headquarter at Rayagada in Odisha, Goyal said. The South Central Railway will comprise of Hyderabad, Secunderabad and Nanded divisions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fire was spotted inside a Doha-bound flight at Kolkata Airport here while passengers were boarding the aircraft on the early hours of Thursday. No casualties have been reported so far. The incident also prompted the Air Traffic Control ( ATC) to declare "full emergency" at the Airport. The pilot spotted the fire coming out of the Auxiliary Power Unit ( APU) of the aircraft, following which passengers were evacuated immediately. 'Only after the aircraft was thoroughly inspected by the team of engineers, passengers were allowed to board it,' said an Airport official. The flight got delayed by more than five hours and departed at 8:11 am in the morning. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after moving an application to become an approver in the AgustaWestland case, accused Rajiv Saxena on Thursday told a Delhi court that he is not under any pressure and no assurances were given to him, neither any sought from him. In a statement before a Patiala House court, Saxena said he has "thought long and hard" and that his "exposure" to the case was "very minimal". "(I have) no intention to not cooperate. Logical consequence is to give testimony in the case. (I am under) no pressure. It is on my free will completely and the complete understanding of the case. No assurances were given and none sought," Saxena said on his plea seeking to turn an approver. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said that it will respond after Saxena's disclosure statement is recorded in the case. Special Court Judge Arvind Kumar marked the case file to the court of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate for the recording of Saxena's statement under section 306 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Yesterday, the judge had issued notice to the ED on the plea and listed the matter for today. The court granted him bail on February 25 against a personal bail bond of Rs 5 lakh and two sureties of like amount. The Dubai-based businessman was extradited to India in the wee hours of January 31 in connection with alleged scam in the Rs 3,600 crore deal for the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from AgustaWestland company. He was allegedly operating a number of bank accounts in Switzerland in which huge amounts of money were deposited, according to a government dossier. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid the escalating tension between India and Pakistan on the border, Indian Commercial Pilots' Association Central Office (ICPA) on Thursday extended complete support and co-operation in all operations to the Government of India in a fight against terrorism. "ICPA being a patriotic and responsible union would like to extend complete support and co-operation in all operations as the situation demands. We will support the government and the PMO in this fight against terrorism," said a letter sent to PMO. Stating that it considers itself as the second line of defence after the armed forces to serve India, ICPA stated: "We, as Air Indians take pride and feel duty bound towards interest and pledge our support to the nation and as pilots we consider ourselves as the second line of defence after the armed forces to serve our country." "As a responsible trade union body, we will always work with the interest of the Nation close to our heart," it added. A day after India carried out aerial strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) camp in Balakot in Pakistan in which a "large number" of terrorists were killed, Jammu and Kashmir saw heightened military activity on Wednesday, with Pakistani jets violating the Indian air space and dropping some bombs in Rajouri sector after which one of their fighters was shot down. Following Pakistan's action, India said it foiled an attempt by Pakistan Air Force to carry out strikes in Jammu and Kashmir by shooting down an F-16 fighter plane while losing its own MiG-21 jet after which a pilot was "missing in action". Pakistan later claimed that the Indian pilot was in its custody. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India can introduce policies to ensure that greater export orientation boosts gains for workers and spread them more widely to benefit disadvantaged communities, according to a new report by the World Bank and the International Labour Organisation released on Thursday. The report titled 'Exports to Jobs: Boosting the Gains from Trade in South Asia' says that increasing exports will boost average wages and the biggest beneficiaries will be high-skilled, urban, more experienced and mainly male workers. For low-skilled workers, the shift will result in an increase in formal jobs. The report says increasing exports can lead to better jobs and higher wages in India, including more formal jobs for youth and women. Labour market policies can help different groups of workers acquire the right skills and ensure that the gains of increased exports are shared more broadly across society. The report provides options on how to expand and widely share the benefits of higher exports. Improving workers' skills, getting women and youth into more jobs, and addressing distortions that make labour mobility costly are some of the recommended policy actions. "Our research shows that exports can improve the performance of local labour markets and that policies need to be put in place to increase exports in South Asia, while ensuring that the benefits of higher exports are shared more broadly," said Gladys Lopez-Acevedo, World Bank Lead Economist and one of the report's authors. "Addressing constraints that prevent people from moving and taking advantage of new job opportunities is important." The report says India grew at a rate of 7.2 per cent in 2017. At the same time, it reduced the number of people living in poverty. However, most Indians don't have regular jobs in the formal economy. Differences in wages across regions and in the quality of employment opportunities prevail, said the report. The increasing population also puts pressure on labour markets. In addition, trade has been falling, from 55.8 per cent to 41.1 per cent of gross domestic product between 2012 and 2017. India's exports are mainly capital-intensive goods like chemicals and fabricated metals, meaning that the direct benefits for workers have been limited. Daniel Samaan, Senior Economist at ILO Research Department and one of the report's authors, said: "Economists and policy makers need a better understanding of how exactly globalisation affects both workers and national labour markets. Our research shows that more exports can create benefits for workers by raising wages and reducing informality, but we need stronger policies to ensure these benefits reach everyone in the labour market, and don't leave any groups behind." The report breaks new ground in examining the impact of exports on local labour markets in South Asia. It uses an innovative approach, analysing the effect on local employment and wages of changes in exports by combining disaggregated data from household-level or worker-level surveys with trade data from India and Sri Lanka. The approach builds on a new wave of research looking at how globalisation might contribute to local jobs and wages but, unlike previous studies, it focuses on exports. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India has not ended talks on the Kartarpur Corridor and it will continue doing it; it has been ended by the Pakistani side, sources said. India is ready for talks on Kartarpur and has not called it off, said sources adding that Pakistan has now called it off. The Indian government, on the eve of Guru Purab on November 22 last year, approved the construction of Kartarpur Corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district to the India-Pakistan International Border. The Pakistan government had also confirmed the corridor's opening. The Kartarpur route, along the India-Pakistan border, is 3 kms away from Gurdaspur in Punjab. Once functional, the corridor would allow Sikh pilgrims direct access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak passed away in 1539. On February 27, Pakistan violated the Indian airspace. This happened a day after India launched an anti-terror strike against a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. India's airstrike came in the aftermath of the February 14 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in which around 40 CRPF jawan were killed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Abhinandan is in the custody of Pakistan Army after his MiG-21 aircraft went down yesterday in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) while chasing 20 fighter jets of Pakistan Air Force which transgressed 10 kms into Indian air space beyond the Line of Control (LoC), using laser bombs to target military installations in Jammu and Kashmir. Wing Commander Abhinandan should be repatriated unconditionally and there can be no deal on this issue between the two countries, sources asserted here on Thursday. Abhinandan was flying a MiG-21 Bison fighter plane which went down in PoK while chasing F-16 combat aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force after the latter violated the Indian airspace in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday morning. One of the F-16s was shot down in the aerial engagement which took place at around 9.45 am. The sources said that if Pakistan, after capturing the Wing Commander, thinks they have a card to negotiate with, they do not have any. Pakistan is trying to create Kandahar-type pressure, but India will not give in, the sources said. There will be no deal or talks with Pakistan on this, they said, adding India expected a humane treatment meted out to the Wing Commander. Giving details of yesterday's transgression by the Pakistan Air Force, the sources said there is escalation from the Pakistani side and the Indian side was forced to engage. They added that the Indian side caused a casualty in the downing of Pakistani aircraft (F-16) and foiled Pakistan's attempts. The sources said Pakistan has been spreading disinformation and creating a war psychosis by actions like closing its air space and stopping the Indo-Pak Samjhauta Express. Pakistan has also been lying that India had moved Naval ships to launch missile strikes, sources said.India has not targeted any civilian or military facility in Pakistan, the sources said. The sources maintained that Indian Air Force's target was a terror facility of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the sources said. The narrative is back to counter terrorism, they said, adding it is time India diplomatically convinces the world about the justifiable grounds on which the February 26 action was taken. The permanent members of the United Nations Security Council can now see through Pakistan's methods, sources said. The sources wondered whether the Pakistani Prime Minister knew the truth or he was not informed. About terrorism, they said the External Affairs Ministry handed over a dossier on JeM to the acting High Commissioner of Pakistan yesterday, sharing evidence about the terror outfit's activities in India. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan must now walk the talk on dealing with terrorism, sources said, adding that this is India's message to the international community. India needs immediate credible information on terrorism and nothing short of that will be acceptable, sources said. The sources informed that India considered sharing actionable information about the JeM camp, but felt it would of no use as India gave everything during the attack in Pathankot, but Pakistan didn't do anything. Sources said the proposed talks on Kartarpur have not been called off by the Indian side. While India is ready for talks on Kartarpur, Pakistan has called it off. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian High Commission in Islamabad last evening gave a demarche to Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) for the immediate and safe return of IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, sources said. A similar demarche was given to Pakistan's acting High Commissioner in New Delhi by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) earlier on Wednesday. The Indian government said that it expects the immediate and safe return of the pilot who is in Pakistan's custody. "India also strongly objected to Pakistan's vulgar display of injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. It was made clear that Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return," an MEA statement said on Wednesday. Pakistan has said there is only one Indian pilot in its custody, retracting a statement that two pilots were with it. Earlier, India said it foiled an attempt by Pakistan Air Force yesterday morning to carry out strikes in Jammu and Kashmir by shooting down an F-16 fighter plane while losing its own MiG-21 jet after which a pilot was "missing in action". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Japan on Thursday expressed concerns about the deteriorating situation in Kashmir after the death of 40 security personnel in Pulwama and urged Pakistan to take stringent measures to curb the menace of terrorism. "Japan strongly condemns the terrorist attack on February 14, 2019, for which the Islamic extremist group Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility. Japan urges Pakistan to take stronger measures to counter terrorism," Foreign Minister Taro Kono said.Kono also called on India and Pakistan to hold dialogue in an effort to maintain regional peace and prevent tensions from worsening. "In response to the mounting tension due to the operations since 26 February between the Indian Air Force and the Pakistan Air Force, Japan strongly urges India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and stabilize the situation through dialogue," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) North Korea Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho on Friday (local time) said that Pyongyang made a "realistic proposal" at Hanoi Summit including permanently dismantling all nuclear material production complex if the US will lift partial sanctions. Ri told reporters that Pyongyang was seeking partial sanctions relief, not a complete lifting of sanctions, Daily Sabah reported. The two-day meeting ended abruptly earlier today as US President Donald Trump and North Korea Kim Jong-un failed to reach an agreement on North Korea's denuclearisation. In a statement, the White House said that the two leaders had "very good and constructive" meetings in Hanoi and discussed various ways to advance denuclearisation and economic driven concepts. "No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future," it added. The closely-watched Hanoi summit was expected to yield an agreement on North Korea's denuclearisation. Trump, though, had earlier downplayed hopes for a breakthrough in nuclear talks at the start of the meeting. During the talks, Trump called the talks productive, adding that the relationship is "as good as it's ever been". He also referred to North Korea as an "economic powerhouse" and called Kim as a "great leader." Kim further asserted that the "outside world" has "misunderstood" the US-North Korean relationship in the period after the Singapore summit. He also expressed hope that the Hanoi summit delivers "an outcome welcome by everyone." Trump and Kim had met for the first time at Sentosa Island in Singapore last June, wherein the two leaders agreed to work towards achieving "fully verifiable" denuclearisation. North Korea's commitment to dismantle its nuclear weapons programmes was hailed as a major stride by the international community. However, ties between the US and North Korea hit a roadblock over the ease of sanctions, where Pyongyang sought relief in economic sanctions as recognition of the steps taken towards denuclearisation. Washington has, until now, reinforced that relief in sanctions would only be given after the communist country carries out complete denuclearisation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is slated to leave for the UAE later today to participate in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) conclave as the Guest of Honour, Pakistan has shown reservations amid the escalating tensions between the two nation. Geo news quoted Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi as saying, "I will not hesitate to meet but OIC is not the forum for talks with Swaraj." He further added, "India is neither a member of OIC nor an observer. The host country had invited the Indian foreign minister as a guest speaker for one inaugural session. I have spoken to the UAE minister and apprised him of Pakistan's reservations and told him that he should have spoken to us before inviting Swaraj." Swaraj will address the plenary of the 46th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers to be held in Abu Dhabi from March 1 to 2. Qureshi has threatened to boycott the OIC meeting if Swaraj participated. Yesterday, Swaraj attended the 16th Foreign Ministers meeting of Russia-India-China (RIC) at Wuzhen in China where she said that terrorist attacks like Pulwama are a grim reminder for the need of all countries to show 'zero tolerance' towards terrorism. The OIC on Tuesday "condemned" the aerial strike carried out by India deep inside Pakistan, urging New Delhi and Islamabad to exercise restraint to avoid further provocations that would "endanger peace and security in the region." The Indian Air Force strike in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province destroyed a major terrorist training camp run by Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and eliminated a "large number" of terrorists, including top commanders. JeM had claimed responsibility for the attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama on February 14 in which 40 personnel were killed. On Wednesday morning, India foiled an attempt by Pakistan Air Force to carry out strikes in Jammu and Kashmir by shooting down an F-16 fighter plane while losing its own MiG-21 jet after which a pilot was "missing in action". Pakistan later acknowledged that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who ejected across the Line of Control, is in its custody. The OIC called on both sides to resume bilateral dialogue towards de-escalation of the current situation "as a matter of priority". Swaraj has been invited by UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to address the OIC meeting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Opposition walked out of the House "in anger" after accusing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of "hiding" a reply of Delhi's chief electoral officer on the issue of the alleged mass deletion of voters' names from the list. Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta expressed anger about the exposure of Kejriwal's "lie" about deletion of 24 lakh names from the voters' list by his own minister in a reply of a question, concealing from the House the important letter of the Chief Election Office dated December 14, 2018 on the subject and not submitting the report on the resolution adopted by the Delhi Assembly within the stipulated period of three months which expired on Wednesday. Along with Gupta, BJP MLAs OP Sharma, MS Sirsa, and Jagdish Pradhan also walked out of the House. As the Government concealed the letter of the CEO from the House, Opposition members tabled it in the House obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. They sought action for breach of privilege against Election Minister Imran Hussain under Rule 106 (2) and 66 for concealing the facts and failure to submit the report in time. Gupta said that the lie of Kejriwal about the deletion of 24 lakh names from voter's list was exposed by his own Minister for elections Imran Hussain in a reply to the question of him. As per the facts presented by the Minister in the House, 11, 54,332 names were deleted and 18, 44,711 names were added during the four years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Thus, 6, 90,379 names were added during these four years. This figure exposed the lie and propaganda of the Chief Minister. Gupta said that the House yesterday passed a resolution that a Committee will examine the matter and submit the report within three months. But the Government did not submit the report till last day i.e. today. The Government concealed the reply submitted by the Election Officer on 14 December 2018. As per Rule 106(2), the Minister should have taken the House into confidence in the last House itself. But no information or report was given to the House till the last today thereby breaching the privilege of the House. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) All international and domestic flights operations across Pakistan stand suspended on Thursday, said the country's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Quoting Pakistan's aviation agency, ARY News also reported that the flight operations would remain shut until further notice. "NOTAM is still in place & airspace over #Pakistan remains closed. Apology for an earlier tweet that indicated the partial opening of our airspace for commercial aviation. Any further information will be shared accordingly," the CAA tweeted early on Thursday. Airlines like Qatar Airways issued a statement on Wednesday wherein it asserted that due to the ongoing situation on the India-Pakistan border, its flights to the airports in Faisalabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar and, Sialkot stand temporarily suspended. On Wednesday, flight operations across eight airports in India - Amritsar, Pathankot, Srinagar, Jammu, Shimla, Dharamshala, Kullu and Leh - were shut briefly. Operations later resumed in all the airports. Meanwhile, Air Canada has temporarily suspended its flight services to India, after Pakistan's decision to shut its airspace. These measures come in the wake of an Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman being captured by the Pakistani army on Wednesday when the Pakistan Air Force violated the Indian air space. Fighter jets from the Indian Air Force repulsed the morning raid launched by Pakistani F-16 fighter jets which prevented damage on Indian troop positions or infrastructure. India has since sought the immediate and safe return of the personnel, strongly underlining that "no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody." On Tuesday, India launched an anti-terror strike against a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror training camp in Pakistan's Balakot, in which a large number of terrorists have been killed by the Indian Air Force, according to Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale. The air strike was carried out in the aftermath of the February 14 terrorist attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, which claimed the lives of over 40 CRPF personnel. Pakistan-based JeM staked responsibility for the attacks, which have been widely condemned by the international community. There has been mounting global pressure against Pakistan to stop providing support and a safe haven to terrorists ever since. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after 21 opposition parties accused the government of politicizing the air strike, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that as a nation "we should stand united" and nothing should be done which demoralizes the Armed forces or gives leverage to Pakistan over India. The Prime Minister while addressing BJP booth workers said, "We have trust on the capability of our soldiers which is why it is important that we must not do anything that impacts the morale of the security forces and allow our enemies an opportunity to point fingers on us." "India will live as one, grow as one, fight as one, win as one. The enemy tries to destabilize us, carries out terror attacks, they want to stop our growth. We all countrymen are standing like a rock to counter their evil designs," he added. The leaders of 21 political parties on Wednesday expressed their solidarity with the armed forces while expressing deep anguish over the "blatant politicisation" of the sacrifices made by the forces by the "leaders of the ruling party". "The meeting of 21 parties expressed their deep anguish over the blatant politicisation of the sacrifices made by our armed forces by leaders of the ruling party," a statement read. The Prime Minister further said, "At present, the country's emotions are at a different level. The brave soldiers of India are demonstrating their prowess on and across the border. The whole country is united as one and standing with the soldiers. The world is watching is our collective will." "We have to be hardworking in all sectors. India is grateful to all those who are protecting the nation. It is because they are there, the nation can reach new levels of development," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has no right to enter the state and that he should come only after fulfilling all the promises made in the bifurcation Act. "Tomorrow protests should be held with black shirts and black flags before Modi's public meeting at Visakhapatnam. Modi has no right to step into our state. He should come to Andhra Pradesh only after fulfilling all promises made in the bifurcation Act," he said. At a teleconference with TDP leaders, Naidu termed the announcement of a new Visakhapatnam Railway Zone as "another case of cheating" by the Prime Minister for Andhra Pradesh. "Cargo income is shared to Odisha and passenger income to Andhra Pradesh. Thus, Andhra Pradesh has lost an income of Rs 7000 crore. Even recruitments are more for Odisha than Andhra Pradesh," the Chief Minister said, according to a TDP release. He said, "Even all railway stations in Andhra Pradesh are not allotted to our state. This is another betrayal of BJP to the state. All should condemn it. Protest rallies should be held against this decision." Naidu alleged that YSRCP, led by Jagan Mohan Reddy, celebrating the announcement of the railway zone proves the collusion of that party with BJP. He also accused Reddy of wanting to play caste politics in Andhra Pradesh ahead of the general elections while rejecting the charge that TDP is a caste-based party. "With a Bihari poll consultant, Jagan wants to play caste politics in the state. People should teach a lesson to such people. They should save their energy to fight against such conspiracies and protect the rights of five crore people of Andhra Pradesh," he said. Prashant Kishor, a poll strategist, is reportedly advising YSRCP. Focusing on the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said, "YSRCP is trying to brand TDP as a caste-based party. They are conspiring to brand us community wise. We have to counter such cheap tricks to malign TDP." Naidu also announced the names of TDP candidates for MLC elections which are scheduled be held in a few days. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Policybazaar.com, India's largest insurance comparison portal, has launched an exclusive 'Cashless Assurance' feature for its customers to help them with "assured cashless settlements" at the time of claims. The new feature will allow Policybazaar.com customers to opt for cashless approvals on claims across all garages throughout India within a matter of few hours. Public sector insurers New India Assurance, the Oriental Insurance and private sector insurers IFFCO Tokio General Insurance and DHFL General Insurance have partnered with Policybazaar.com to offer customers easy access and cashless settlement options through the launch of this new feature. The cashless service, in the past, has been through select insurer network garages. Now with the launch of this feature on Policybazaar.com, policyholders can avail the service at any garage across the country without having to bear the pain of shelling money from their pocket and then filing for reimbursements of the same "As Market Leaders, it is our constant endeavour to provide fast and hassle-free claim experience to our customers. We as New India are extremely happy to partner with Policybazaar in this endeavour for providing Cashless settlement option to our customers", said J K Garg, General Manager, the New India Assurance Co. Ltd. on the new initiative. "Policyholder friendly Oriental Insurance is always in pursuit of offering its customers choice, convenience and a superior experience leveraging technology. The customers shall be provided cashless settlement in motor claims through this centralized process/video app. This initiative will facilitate hassle-free claim settlement in a very quick time. We appreciate the innovative steps taken by Policybazaar.com which will go a long way in providing a unique experience to the customers and also the insurers", reacted Balwant Singh, Director & GM - the Oriental Insurance said on the launch. "Policybazaar has been an agent of change in the insurance industry with technology being a key driver for us. We strive to make this new initiative Cashless Assurance, a boon for all policyholders and thereby keep our user's life hassle-free. Continuing on our journey to humanize our customer's insurance experience, we have launched this new initiative making it available across all garages pan India", said Yahish Dahiya, Co-founder & CEO, Policybazaar Group of Companies about the newly launched feature. For the uninitiated, the new feature of 'Cashless Assurance' builds on Policybazaar.com's Self Video Cashless Claims Feature, launched in September last year. The two major public sector insurers, New India Assurance and United India Insurance, were the first ones to adopt that feature and offer consumers' settlement of accidental claims via Policybazaar.com app. Policybazaar's Self Video Cashless Claims Feature has been critically acclaimed globally and has won the - Global Live Fest Digital Insurer - Global Innovation Award and IAMAI - India Digital Summit, Best Insurance Tech of the Year Award recently. Expansion of Spot Claims Service In addition to the launch of this new feature, Policybazaar.com's spot-claims service of 3-day repair assurance along with pickup & drop service, has now been expanded to 20 cities in India including Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Jaipur, Noida, Faridabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Meerut, Bhopal, Dehradun, Raigad, Kanpur, Bhopal, Rohtak, Coimbatore, Jhajjar vs 5-6 cities earlier. The service is expected to be available throughout the country within the next 6 months. This story is provided by NewsVoir. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Right to Maim: Debility, Capacity, Disability Jasbir Puar Duke University Press, 2017. 296 pages. Jasbir Puars second book, The Right to Maim, examines the relationship between life, debility, and death. On a spectrum between life and death, according to Puar, there is the production of the living dead, death worlds, necropolitics, slow death, and life itselfthis is the field Puar examines. The key formulation around which the book is organized the right to maim, is an expression of sovereign power that falls just short of the right to kill. Maiming, but not killing, renders people debilitated and available as a source of value extraction from populations that would otherwise be disposable (p. xviii). In her elucidation of debility, Puar draws upon Agambens concept of homo sacer and Berlants concept of slow death (p. xix), aiming specifically at the intersection of identity, neoliberal, and economic politics (p. xiv). For Puar, debility is a state in which death is disallowed and unlivable conditions are perpetualized; making populations available to work and consume. In comparison to debility, Puar asks readers to consider how state-recognized categories, such as disabled- versus able-bodied, are constructed as polarized identities in a field where marginalized groups compete for resources and recognition for inclusion within the dominant norm. One of the central questions Puar raises is: why is it that while care and resources for people with disabilities expands, states increasingly sanction the destruction and debilitation of lives that are considered to be the others within? A parallel and important question running through the text is: how have security states increased their claim to more sovereign entitlements while simultaneously claiming tremendous vulnerability as a premise for which abuse and over-reach is legitimized? Careful observers will recall two events in the summer of 2014: (1) police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and (2) the Israeli military launched its third major military assault on Gaza in less than five years, Operation Protective Edge. A juxtaposition of these events, first made by social movements, is where The Right to Maim begins. In the preface, Puar compares the sovereign entitlements of US police officers with those of the Israeli military. Puar focuses our attention on how unevenly risk is distributed and the extent to which, for populations that are treated as disposable, risk is already factored into the calculus of their debilitation (p. xiv). A Black person in America, for example, is made to risk their own sense of safety when confronting police brutality, (a term scholars have convincingly critiqued as grossly euphemistic), so as to not question the assumptive risk police in America take by doing their job. Puar is calling attention to authoritarian logics where certain populations are treated as definitively unworthy of health and [are] targeted (p. 68-69) in relation to populations that are treated as definitively worthy. Is it even possible to imagine conditions where risk is not disproportionately or entirely shouldered by those who are shot and killed in this configuration? Puar notes that posing the question itself can be seen as threatening. To be clear, Puar is not making a strict comparison between the histories or experiences of Black people in America with Palestinians. Rather, Puar is concerned with comparing structures of abuse and impunity. The chasm between what is considered to be legitimate use of force (e.g., US police officers and the Israeli military) and what is considered illegitimate, or irrelevant, resistance against that force (e.g., social movements such as Black Lives Matter and the Palestinian Liberation Movement). The social movements that attempt to confront the authoritarian logics of force against them and their communities are highlighted as the kind of protagonists in the text. Notwithstanding, the main focus of Puars inquiry is everyone else who is falling through the cracks, those slated for death or slated for debilitationboth are forms of the racialization of individuals and populations that liberal (disability) rights frameworks, advocating for social accommodation, access, acceptance, pride, and empowerment, are unable to account for, much less disrupt (p. x). Puar is among many theorists asking one of the most crucial questions of our time: how does discourse shape the way people are categorized, and how do these categories shape the infrastructure around which peoples lives are organized? For Puar, a person who is registered as having a specific disability is afforded certain entitlements as part of a project working towards acquiring even more entitlements governing inclusion and exclusion. The unrecognized condition of debility, however, confounds institutional legibility, and although the relationship between debt and debility features prominently in Puars analysis, debility is not just about poverty. Debility is also about the cost of sustaining life despite ghettoization, or bodily injury, or living in chronically violent conditions, or living ones entire life under siege. According to Puar, disability is represented as either: a marginalized identity that is recognized by the state; or a body that is subject to constantly aspire for inclusion politically, economically, and emotionallyto its ever-expanding potentiality within neoliberal economies (p. 13). What does Puar mean by neoliberal? Puar doesnt provide simplistic definitions. She does, however, provide in-depth analysis of what could be summarized as progressive crisis industries, an extension of what Naomi Klein calls disaster capitalism (p. 87) aprocess that sees crisis as an opportunity to build industry and thus averts the normalization of crisis that is both endemic and compounded by the ineffectiveness of the industries built to service them.The disability rights framework, for Puar is, embedded within unexceptional and, in fact endemic, debility. Identity categories such as disabled are always-already part of a field that governs inclusion and exclusion where the aim is to exclude for the purposes of extraction, labor, and surplus value. In this sense, claiming a right by arguing that ones subjectivity be recognized is part of what Puar calls an ableist framework of resistance. The end goal of the ableist framework of resistance is inclusion into a neoliberal super structure, rather than an attempt at transformation. In the introduction Puar gives the example of a gay Rutgers University student who commits suicide thereby precipitating a controversy: Asian homophobia became a trending topic, LGBTQ groups started campaigns advocating harsher sentences for the two students who bullied the student who committed suicide, and Rutgers University appointed new administrative jobs to support LGBTQ resources. The issue here is not that there are initiatives and programs that seek to protect or advocate on behalf of young LGBTQ college students of color; these are all good and necessary things according to Puar. Rather, Puar is compelling readers to ask, what are the effects of constantly splintering off into more and more specific identity categories, particularly when these categories are defined by their exclusion? In the second half of the book Puar covers a broad spectrum of important contemporary political points of tension: environmental toxicity, generational trauma, the structural and psychic impacts of racism, imperialism, and capitalism (p. 64). In Chapter Two, Puar thoughtfully focuses on the processual connection between the topics listed above. Puar also notes that these topics are considered loaded, which is a contributing factor to why these topics are chronically mischaracterized, misdiagnosed, misunderstood, and avoided. In Chapter Three Puar focuses in on the concept she has long engaged, homonationalism. The quintessential example of homonationalism Puar foregrounds is how Israel brands itself as the only gay-friendly country in the Middle East while also implementing policies that make the lives of gay people, particularly gay Palestinians, precarious at best and likely dangerous by design. Puar provides in depth examples and caveats in her discussion of pink-washing, and by the end of the chapter the reader realizes why Puars critical concept of debility can be so insightful. The ways in which ones able-ness versus disabled-ness is designated does not compute, because the fault lines are not between able-bodied and disabled bodies, between Black, Brown, or White, or between Palestinian and Israeli but rather by degrees of risk. The idea of risk seems to be the pulse of Puars contribution, in the Postscript Puar writes: As the inhabitants of the West Bank are suffering and resisting together the collective punishment of the occupation, no one is constituted as an idealized able body. Rather than saying Palestinians with disabilities are twice disabled, this frame posits that everyone is debilitated to some degree, or, in other words, no one is able-bodied (p. 158). In this formulation, an Israeli or American political official or professor who is silent about their support for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions, has more in common with the average Palestinian in the occupied West Bank who wishes to but doesnt criticize the Palestinian Authoritys complicity in the occupation. Both are debilitated by cultures of fear and material conditions that often require silence for safety. Chapter Four focuses on the material conditions of Gaza. Since I began engaging with this text in the spring of 2018, Palestinians in Gaza have launched one of the most stunning acts of civil disobedience in recent memory. The numbers of casualties and injuries kept amassing. As of late, 194 Palestinians have been killed and roughly 9,970 have been injured. While the numbers of casualties continues to rise, observers of the violence in Gaza are faced with a typical conundrum: how to refer to the level of violence without reducing each casualty to a number or just a name of a person killed? More crucially, and relating to another major theme in this text, Puar asks us to consider what it means to be mute? Social theorists, social justice organizers, and indeed all anthropologists, would do well to read this book. The Right to Maim should also be read in social science courses that consider identity politics in America. As a kind of social experiment, it would be entertaining for someone as myopically unaware of the social inequality Puar is discussing, and the ways in which identity is formed outside of White Patriarchal Male Perspectiveslike Jordan Petersonto read this book. On the question of style, this book is a difficult read; I say this only because of the sometimes insular academic debates that Puar engages. This kind of delivery would be totally fitting if I viewed the purview of the book to be limited to academic audiences; however, Puar offers rich material not only for scholars but also for people whose boots are on the ground trying to live and thrive and organize within debilitating conditions. The text could have drawn more from the power of ethnographic writing. I was hoping that Puar would take the movements, and the people who constitute them, not only as subjects to analyze, but as subject positions from which we could see the world. Finally, an observation about the emphasis on identity politics and the unbridled conundrums that it has wreaked. Something about it seems amiss, as if the more one seeks to disarticulate rigid identity categories, the more they are relied on for recognition, access, and sometimes survival. It seems like that is exactly Puars point, and an incisive one to grasp in the delirium of todays political landscape. Dina Omar is a doctoral candidate at Yale University in the department of Anthropology. Her research focuses on histories and trajectories of mental health institutions and therapies in and around Israel and Palestine as well as the politics of mental health in areas or extreme surveillance. Share this: Share Email Facebook Twitter Reddit Tumblr LinkedIn [view academic citations] [hide academic citations] India is well positioned to offer exemplary digital health solutions through public private partnerships, especially when it has launched the world's largest healthcare programme Ayushman Bharat, a senior government official said on Thursday. However, this will be possible only with accountable and outcome-oriented models of engagement, said Anup Wadhawan, Secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. He was addressing a roundtable organised by industry body FICCI. Wadhawan said PPPs in digital health have already started addressing many key challenges. Thus a platform must be established to continue engagement between the government and the private sector while keeping patients at the centre of such discussions. The PPP models should aim at harnessing the strengths and equitably distribute risks of the partners, said Wadhawan. The government has acknowledged health information as one of the key dimensions of health systems. Several initiatives have been launched including notification of electronic health records, National eHealth Authority (NeHA), Integrated Health Information Programme (IHIP) and National Health Stack (NHS). Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, urged the private sector to establish a platform where promising innovations in digital health can be showcased for adoption as PPPs. The roundtable brought together about 35 experts representing leading hospital groups, diagnostic labs, medical technology companies, healthcare IT companies and health insurers. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States on Wednesday (local time) reiterated its call for Pakistan to "abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds." "Cross-border terrorism, such as the recent attack on India's Central Reserve Police Force on February 14, poses a grave threat to the security of the region. We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds," the US Department of State told ANI. "The United States calls on India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and for a return to stability," the department further said. It also urged both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation, "including through direct communication". "Further military activity will exacerbate the situation," it added. The United States had earlier told Pakistan to stop funding and providing a safe haven to terrorists in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack, the responsibility for which was claimed by Pakistan-based terror outfit, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Tensions have been mounting between India and Pakistan after the ghastly attack, where over 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives. In the aftermath of the February 14 terrorist attack, India on Tuesday launched an anti-terror strike against a JeM terror training camp in Pakistan's Balakot, in which a large number of terrorists have been killed by the Indian Air Force, according to Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale. Meanwhile, fighter jets from the Indian Air Force repulsed a morning raid launched by Pakistani F-16 fighter jets on Wednesday, which prevented damage on Indian troop positions or infrastructure, after the Pakistani Air Force violated India's airspace. Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, however, was captured by the Pakistani army after the PAF violation. India has since sought the immediate and safe return of the personnel, strongly underlining that "no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Embassy of India in Nepal organised a remembrance ceremony in honour of the CRPF personnel who lost their lives after a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist struck their convoy in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14. "Terrorism is one of the biggest existentialistic threats of our times. It makes no distinction between borders, gender or religion. It is the worst form of human rights violation and cannot be justified on any grounds whatsoever. The scorch of global terrorism can only be dealt only by global action and any attempt to justify terrorism in any manner possible is extremely deplorable and it should be condemned," the Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Manjeev Singh Puri, remarked. Puri recalled the sacrifice made by the deceased CRPF personnel, reinforcing that terrorism never can be justified. The ceremony was organised inside the Pension Wing of the Embassy of India here on the 13th day since the attack took place. It was attended by pensioners, members of the public, embassy staff and representatives from various missions in Nepal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday confirmed that Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al Jubeir will be visiting Pakistan later in the day. He further divulged that al Jubeir is, "carrying an important message from the Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman," reported Express Tribune. "Last night I also spoke to the Saudi foreign minister, and he expressed his desire to visit Pakistan, which I fully supported," Qureshi added. It is pertinent to note that Crown Prince MBS had recently visited Pakistan and India for a state visit. Earlier in the day, Qureshi said that Pakistan is willing to consider returning Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman if it leads to the de-escalation of tension and peace with India. Speaking to Geo News, Qureshi said, "India handed over a dossier to the acting High Commissioner of Pakistan a day earlier and we will examine it. I will evaluate the dossier with an open heart and then see if talks will be held on that." "We are willing to return the captured Indian pilot if it leads to de-escalation and peace. We are ready for all positive engagement," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Equity benchmark indices opened higher on Thursday but investors continued to closely monitor the rising tensions between India and Pakistan. Traders were also cautious over lingering uncertainty about the outcome of on-going US-China trade talks which can impact the sentiment globally. At 11:15 am, the BSE S & P Sensex was up nearly 96 points to 36,002 while the NSE Nifty inched up 24 points at 10,830 level. However, there was selling pressure in media, metal, realty and auto indices. ONGC, Tata Motors, Vedanta, Sun Pharma and Indian Oil traded higher while Hero Motorcorp, Indiabulls Housing Finance, Axis Bank, Mahindra and Mahindra, and Cipla were in the red. The most active stocks were Yes Bank, Axis Bank, Reliance Industries, Tata Consultancy Services and Maruti. Meanwhile, Asian markets were mixed as investors waited to see if the United States and China can strike a trade deal on tariffs. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Wednesday it was too early to predict an outcome. That punctured some optimism that the world's most powerful economies were closing in on the deal. Investors were also keeping an eye on the US-North Korean summit in Hanoi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Security Advisor Ajit Doval and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a telephonic conversation late on Wednesday night, where the former asserted that the US supports India's decision to take action against Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp on Pakistani soil," sources said. "NSA Ajit Doval and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a telephonic conversation late Wednesday night, Pompeo said that the US supported India's decision to take action against JeM terror camp on Pakistani soil," sources told ANI. A day after India carried out aerial strikes on a JeM camp in Balakot in Pakistan in which a "large number" of terrorists were killed, Jammu and Kashmir saw heightened military activity on Wednesday, with Pakistani jets violating the Indian air space and dropping some bombs in Rajouri sector after which one of their fighters was shot down. Following Pakistan's action, India said it foiled an attempt by Pakistan Air Force to carry out strikes in Jammu and Kashmir by shooting down an F-16 fighter plane while losing its own MiG-21 jet after which a pilot was "missing in action". Pakistan later claimed that the Indian pilot was in its custody. Following the development, India strongly objected to Pakistan's vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. MEA in a strongly worded statement yesterday said, "It was made clear that Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return." It is worth mentioning that after Indian Air Force carried out multiple aerial strikes at terror launch pads in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir on Tuesday, the United States had asked Pakistan to avoid military action and take meaningful action against the terrorist group operating on its soil. "I spoke to Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi to underscore the priority of de-escalating current tensions by avoiding military action, and the urgency of Pakistan taking meaningful action against terrorist groups operating on its soil," read the statement from Secretary Pompeo. Acknowledging Indian actions as "counter-terrorism" action, the US Secretary of State said, "Following Indian counter-terrorism actions on February 26, I spoke with Indian Minister of External Affairs Swaraj to emphasize our close security partnership and shared the goal of maintaining peace and security in the region," read the statement. "I expressed to both the Ministers that we encourage India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and avoid escalation at any cost. I also encouraged both Ministers to prioritize direct communication and avoid any further military activity," it read. The air strikes by IAF killed a large number of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders of Jaish, including Jaish chief Masood Azhar's brother-in-law. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will attend the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) New meet beginning tomorrow in United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant first for India. Swaraj, who will be attending as "a Guest of Honour' despite Pakistan's objections, will underscore India's long and historical relationship with the OIC member countries, sources said on Thursday. Swaraj will address the plenary of the two-day 46th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the 57-member body. She has been invited by UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to address the OIC meet. India considers its bilateral ties with the UAE as vital, the sources said. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has threatened to boycott the OIC meet if Swaraj participated. The OIC on Tuesday "condemned" the aerial strikes carried out by India deep inside Pakistan, urging New Delhi and Islamabad to exercise restraint to avoid further provocations that would "endanger peace and security in the region." It called on both sides to resume bilateral dialogue towards de-escalation of the current situation "as a matter of priority". The Indian Air Force strike in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, destroyed a major terrorist training camp run by Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and eliminated a "large number" of terrorists, including top commanders. On Wednesday morning, India foiled an attempt by Pakistan Air Force to carry out strikes in Jammu and Kashmir by shooting down an F-16 fighter plane while losing its own MiG-21 jet after which a pilot was "missing in action". Pakistan later acknowledged that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who ejected across the Line of Control, is in its custody. On Thursday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that the IAF pilot will be released tomorrow as a "peace gesture. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stormy Daniels on Wednesday (local time) thanked US President Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen for "having the courage" to "begin telling the truth". The adult star's remark came after Cohen, in his now-concluded public testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, claimed that Trump directed him to pay Daniels "illegal hush money" - USD 1,30,000 - during the 2016 Presidential elections. Cohen noted that he was reimbursed for the payment and presented a copy of the cheque before the House Committee to prove it during Wednesday's hearing. "Michael, I'm proud of you for finally beginning to tell the truth about what you did, and trying to repair some of the harm you have caused. I can hear the pain and regret you feel for betraying your family and your country. My heart goes out to you and your family," Daniels wrote in the statement posted on Twitter. "You spoke about how the president and his attorney put you and your family in danger by calling you a liar and a rat and disparaging you in public. I understand your fear, Michael. I have a family too," she added. Daniels stated, "Do you believe now that when you and the president called me a liar when you were his attorney and you insulted me, threatened to bankrupt me and worse, that you put me and my family in danger? I remember the fear you feel. I still feel it." "Thank you for having the courage, at long last, to begin to tell the truth. I hope that someday soon your family and mine can both leave this nightmare behind," the actress lastly said. Cohen made startling revelations about Trump during Wednesday's proceedings. He claimed that Trump had lied about his role in Moscow's Trump Tower project during the Presidential campaign 2016 - the elections where he beat his Democrat opponent Hillary Clinton to take charge as the 45th President of the United States. He also stated that Trump never expected to win the elections, which were merely a marketing opportunity for the former businessman. "My loyalty to Mr Trump has cost me everything - my family's happiness, my law license, my company, my livelihood, my honour, my reputation and soon my freedom," Cohen had remarked before the House Committee, showing contriteness. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim-Jong-un failed to reach on an agreement on the denuclearisation of North Korea in their second summit in Hanoi. The Strait Times quoting the white house, said, "the two leaders had very good and constructive meetings in Hanoi" and discussed various ways to advance denuclearisation and economic driven concepts. "No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future," it added. The closely watched Hanoi summit was expected to yield an agreement on the denuclearisation of North Korea. President Trump, though, had earlier downplayed hopes for a breakthrough in nuclear talks at the start of the summit. US President called the talks productive, adding that the relationship is "as good as it's ever been". . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid escalation between India and Pakistan, US President Donald Trump on Thursday said there was a "reasonably attractive" and "reasonably decent news" from the two countries and expressed hope that the tensions are "going to come to an end". "We have, I think, reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India. We have been going at it. We have been involved and trying to help them stop," he said at a press conference here after his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Trump, while responding to a question about tensions between India and Pakistan, said "We have some reasonably decent news. Hopefully that (tension) is going to be coming to an end." He went on to add, "It has been going on for a long time, decades and decades. There is a lot of dislike, unfortunately. So we have been in the middle, trying to help them both out so that we can get some organisation and some peace, probably that is going to be happening." Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval late on Wednesday night and asserted that the US supports India's decision to take action against Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror camp on the Pakistani soil on Tuesday. After the Indian strikes, Pompeo had said, "I spoke to Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi to underscore the priority of de-escalating current tensions by avoiding military action, and the urgency of Pakistan taking meaningful action against terrorist groups operating on its soil." Acknowledging Indian actions as "counter-terrorism" action, the US Secretary of State said, "Following Indian counter-terrorism actions on February 26, I spoke with Indian Minister of External Affairs Swaraj to emphasize our close security partnership and shared the goal of maintaining peace and security in the region." "I expressed to both the Ministers that we encourage India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and avoid escalation at any cost. I also encouraged both Ministers to prioritize direct communication and avoid any further military activity," he had added. A day after India carried out aerial strikes on a JeM camp in Balakot in Pakistan in which a "large number" of terrorists were killed, Jammu and Kashmir saw heightened military activity on Wednesday, with Pakistani jets violating the Indian air space and dropping some bombs in Rajouri sector after which one of their fighters was shot down. Following Pakistan's action, India said it foiled an attempt by Pakistan Air Force to carry out strikes in Jammu and Kashmir by shooting down an F-16 fighter plane while losing its own MiG-21 jet after which a pilot was held by Pakistan. MEA, in a strongly-worded statement yesterday, said, "It was made clear that Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return." The air strikes by IAF killed a large number of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders of Jaish, including Jaish chief Masood Azhar's brother-in-law. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Immediately following the 4th Summit of Global Digital Health Partnership (GDHP), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India along with WHO and George Institute for Global Health, organised the International Digital Health Symposium and Exhibition in New Delhi yesterday. Anup Wadhawan, Secretary- Ministry of Commerce & Industry, GoI, brought together about 35 experts from across the country representing leading hospital groups, diagnostic labs, medical technology companies, healthcare IT companies and health insurers. The participants discussed in detail important aspects of mainstreaming PPPs in Digital Health to address the challenges of our health system. The Industry Roundtable on 'Enabling Environment for PPPs (Public Private Partnerships) in Digital Health' was organised by FICCI. With the underlying note that PPPs should aim to harness the strengths and equitably distribute risks of the partners, Anup Wadhawan stated that India is very well positioned to give the world exemplary digital health solutions through PPPs, especially when India has launched the world?s largest healthcare programme- Ayushman Bharat. But it is possible only with accountable and outcome-oriented models of engagement." He further added that Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in digital health have already started addressing many key challenges, therefore, a platform must be established to continue and strengthen dialogues and engagement between the government and the private sector, keeping patients at the centre of such discussions. The government has acknowledged health information as one of the key dimensions of the health systems and has launched several initiatives in the field of Digital Health, including notification of EHR standards (in 2013; revised in 2016), National eHealth Authority (NeHA), Integrated Health Information Program (IHIP)and more recently National Health Stack (NHS). Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SCoR will comprise of existing Guntakal, Guntur and Vijayawada divisions As per item 8 of Schedule 13 (Infrastructure) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014, Indian Railways was required to examine establishing a new railway zone in the successor State of Andhra Pradesh. The matter has been examined in detail in consultation with stake holders and it has been decided to go ahead with creation of a new zone with headquarter at Visakhapatnam. The new zone named "South Coast Railway (SCoR)", will comprise of existing Guntakal, Guntur and Vijayawada divisions. Waltair division shall be split into two parts. One part of Waltair division will be incorporated in the new zone i.e. in South Coast Railway and will be merged with the neighbouring Vijaywada division. Remaining portion of Waltair division shall be converted into a new division with headquarter at Rayagada under East Coast Railway (ECoR). South Central Railway will comprise of Hyderabad, Secunderabad and Nanded divisions. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was "sound and safe at the time of his landing" in Pakistani territory, details published on Thursday in Pakistan's Dawn newspaper revealed. The report quotes an eyewitness, Mohammad Razzaq Chaudhry, 58, who was in the courtyard of his house in Horra'n village, located barely seven kilometres from the Line of Control (LoC), in Bhimber district. At about 8.45 a.m. on Wednesday, there was "smoke and sound" which made Chaudhry realise that a "dogfight was going on up above in the sky", the report said. He saw two aircraft had caught fire but while one sped across the LoC, the other burst into flames and came down speedily, Dawn quoted Chaudhry as saying. He said he noticed a parachute descending towards the ground, which made the landing around 1 kilometre away from his house on the southern side. "A pilot emerged out of the parachute safe and sound," he told Dawn over telephone. "The pilot, who was equipped with a pistol, asked the youngsters whether it was India or Pakistan," Chaudhry said, adding that one of the men responded that it was India. The pilot, later identified as Wing Commander Abhinandan, is said to have shouted some slogans and asked which place exactly it was in India, according to the Dawn report. Chaudhry added that the youngster there "very intelligently repeated his slogans", allowing the "delusion" to continue. The Wing Commander was made to believe "it was Qilla'n", Chaudhry was quoted as saying. The pilot told them that his "back was broken" and requested for water to drink, the Dawn said. But "some emotional youth, who could not digest the slogans, shouted Pakistan Army Zindabad". On this, Abhinandan took a shot in the air and the boys picked up stones, Chaudhry told Dawn. The Indian pilot then started running. He ran a distance of half a kilometre in backward direction while pointing his pistol towards the boys who were chasing him, Chaudhry added. During this time, the Indian pilot also fired some more gunshots in the air to frighten them but to no avail, the eyewitness said. Then Abhinandan jumped into a small pond where he took out some documents and maps from his pockets, some of which he tried to swallow and soaked others in water. Chaudhry apparently came to know of this from the boys who chased the pilot and described it to the Dawn reporter. The boys kept on asking him to drop his weapon, Chaudhry said, adding that one boy shot at his leg. Finally, after a long chase, the Indian pilot surrendered, Dawn was told. According to the newspaper report: the Indian pilot gave in saying he should not be killed. The boys got hold of him. Some of them roughed him up, in a fit of rage, while others kept on stopping the attackers, Dawn reported. --IANS in/am/mr/soni (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for approving the metro rail projects for Agra and Kanpur, officials said. He said these projects will not only ease congestion but also make commuting easier and friendly. The Union Cabinet in a meeting chaired by Modi approved the Kanpur metro rail project having two corridors which will connect major public nodes and cluster areas of the city. The length of IIT to Naubasta corridor will be 23.785 km. It would be partly elevated and partly underground. The section has 22 stations -- 14 elevated and 8 underground. The length of Agriculture University to Barra-8 corridor is 8.60 km comprising four elevated and four underground stations. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 11,076.48 crore and the project will be completed in 5 years, officials said. IIT Kanpur to Naubasta corridor will pass through heart of the city covering several prominent educational institutions, railway and bus stations, including IIT Kanpur, CSJM University, GSYM Medical College, Jhakarkati bus station and Kanpur Central railway station. The Cabinet also approved Agra metro rail project having two corridors. It would pass through the heart of the city and connect prominent tourist places including Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Sikandra as well as ISBT, Raja Ki Mandi Railway Station, Medical College, Agra Cant Railway Station, Collectorate, Sanjay Place and surrounding densely populated residential areas. --IANS md/pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian Air Force (IAF), Army and Navy said on Thursday that they were on high alert and that Pakistani jets tried to target Indian military installations in Jammu and Kashmir a day earlier but were pushed back. Air Vice Marshal R.G.K. Kapoor told the media at a tri-service press conference that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) breached the Indian airspace west of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. The Pakistani attempt was to target Indian military installations but the Pakistani jets were forced to retreat by Indian MiG, Sukhoi and Mirage aircraft. Air Vice Marshal Kapoor said while Pakistan claimed that its jets fired bombs in open areas, "the fact is that Pakistan targeted military installations but we thwarted their plans. The bombs were unable to cause any significant damage due to swift IAF action". "IAF remains ever vigilant and ready to take on any eventuality," he said. He refuted Pakistan's claims that it had not used F-16s on Wednesday and said that one F-16 was shot down by a MiG-21 Bison. Major General S.S. Mahal said that PAF's targets on Wednesday included a Brigade Headquarters, a Battalion Headquarters and logistics installations in Jammu and Kashmir. But their designs were foiled because of the high level of preparedness by the Indian armed forces, he said. He said Indian weapons systems had been put on high alert and mechanized forces had been placed on standby. "We are fully prepared to respond to any provocation." Rear Admiral D.S. Gujral said: "The Indian Navy is deployed in a high state of readiness and remains poised in three dimensions -- surface, under the sea and in air to deter, prevent and defeat any misadventure by Pakistan in the maritime domain. "I can assure you of a resolute, swift and strong response by the Navy whenever needed." --IANS mr/prs/vd/pg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) National Herald publisher Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) will be moving the Supreme Court challenging a Delhi High Court verdict on Thursday upholding the order to vacate its Herald House premises here, its lawyer said. After a division bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V. Kameswar Rao rejected the AJL plea challenging the Centre's eviction order and directed it to vacate the building on the Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg at ITO here, AJL counsel and Congress MP Vivek Tankha said the verdict was in contravention of several Supreme Court judgments. "The judgment is flawed on several grounds and is also against several Supreme Court judgments in this regard. Most importantly, the building is not a public premises so how can an eviction order be passed under the Public Premises Act. We will move the Supreme Court against it at the earliest," Tankha told IANS. The eviction order under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, was passed by Centre and the Land and Development Office (LDO) on October 30, 2018 stating that no press has been functioning in the premises for at least the past 10 years and it was being used only for commercial purposes in violation of the lease deed. The eviction order was passed following a majority of shares of AJL being transferred to Young India (YI), a company in which Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi are shareholders. The Centre's contention is that YI was formed with an intention to take over the Herald House. The AJL then had moved the high court challenging the order but a single judge bench in December last dismissed its plea. It then subsequently moved the division bench of the HC which too has rejected its plea. "We have no hesitation in holding that the entire transaction of transferring the shares of AJL to Young Indian was nothing but, as held by the learned writ court, a clandestine and surreptitious transfer of the lucrative interest in the premises to Young Indian," the division bench said on Thursday, adding that it "only indicates the dishonest and fraudulent design behind such transaction". The Centre had contended before the court that transfer of 99 per cent stake in AJL to YI, was a "virtual sale". The AJL has been publishing the digital version of National Herald, Hindi's Navjivan and Urdu's Qaumi Awaz, weekly newspaper National Herald on Sunday and Hindi weekly newspaper Sunday Navjivan from the Heral House. The National Herald was founded by India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru back in 1938. --IANS and/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Australia and Brazil have decided to escalate a trade dispute with India over sugar subsidies before the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Canberra said. Trade Minister Simon Birmingham announced this late Wednesday after it was decided that subsidies paid to Indian sugar farmers was leading to an abundant global supply of sugar and significantly lower prices, disadvantaging other country's farmers. The global sugar price has hit a 10-year low, crippling sugar farmers in Australia who have also had to combat drought and floods, he said. "That's hurting canegrowers and sugar millers whether they're in Australia, Brazil, or any other country in the world," Birmingham told reporters. Birmingham said that Australia has voiced its concerns to India to no avail, leaving the government with "no other choice but to initiate formal WTO dispute action, together with Brazil", Xinhua news agency said. "Last year, we saw around 1 billion Australian dollars (AUD) of additional new subsidies to Indian sugar farmers," he said. According to the Australian Sugar Mining Council, the subsidies could amount to 360 million AUD in losses for Australian farmers over the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 financial years. --IANS in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cambodia on Thursday called on Pakistan and India to exercise "utmost restraint" and avoid further clashes. "Cambodia follows with great concern the recent escalation of tensions between Pakistan and India in the Kashmir region," the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "As friends of both countries, Cambodia hopes Pakistan and India exercise utmost restraint to avoid further armed clashes, which would give rise to hostile sentiment among the peoples of the two countries," it said. The statement, cited by Xinhua news agency, said Cambodia believed that Pakistan and India could work through negotiation to defuse the current tension and find appropriate solution to disputes through peaceful means. --IANS soni/pcj (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland has urged India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any further military escalation over rising tensions between the two countries. In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Freeland said that "Canada is gravely concerned about rising tensions between India and Pakistan", Xinhua news agency reported. "Dialogue between India and Pakistan is needed to identify a durable diplomatic solution and maintain peace and security in the region," the minister said. Early Wednesday, Pakistan said it took one Indian pilot into custody, a day after Indian fighter jets conducted an air strike in Pakistan. Hostilities between the two countries have increased since a suicide attack in Kashmir killed over 40 Indian soldiers earlier this month. India's air strikes this week represented the country's first attack inside Pakistan since 1971. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called for peace talks between the two nations on Wednesday. --ians vin/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump on Thursday said his former attorney Michael Cohen had repeatedly lied during his testimony before a senate panel but told the truth that his 2016 election campaign did not collude with the Russian government. Trump was answering a question during a press conference at the end of a summit with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the Vietnamese capital. "Well, it's incorrect," Trump replied when asked if he was "a racist", "a cheat" and a "conman", as Cohen had described him during his testimony before a House committee on Wednesday. "And he lied a lot, but it was very interesting because he didn't lie about one thing, he said no collusion with the Russian hoax during the 2016 presidential elections," Trump said. The President said he tried to watch as much of Cohen's testimony as he could from Hanoi and wondered "why he didn't lie about that too like he did about everything else". "He said no collusion and I was a little impressed by that, frankly. He could have gone all out," Trump said. Trump described his former lawyer's testimony as "shameful" and said holding the hearing "in the middle of this very important summit" was a "a terrible thing", Efe news reported. Cohen will begin a three-year prison sentence in May for violating campaign finance laws in Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. He testified before the House Oversight and Reform committee in the only open session of his three congressional appearances this week. "Questions have been raised about whether I know of direct evidence that Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia. I do not. I want to be clear. But I have my suspicions," Cohen said during his testimony. "I lied to Congress about when Trump stopped negotiating the Moscow Tower project in Russia. I stated that we stopped negotiating in January 2016. That was false -- our negotiations continued for months later during the campaign." Cohen also said Trump knew that one of his longtime advisers, Roger Stone, was in touch with WikiLeaks for the release of emails hacked from the Democratic Party, which affected the campaign of his rival Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. He also detailed alleged racist comments Trump had made to him in private. "While we were once driving through a struggling neighbourhood in Chicago, he commented only Blacks could live that way. He told me Blacks would never vote for him because they were too stupid," Cohen said. --IANS soni/pcj (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress is going all out to make party President Rahul Gandhi's "Parivartan-Ulgulaan" rally here, Jharkhand, on March 2 a success. It will be Gandhi's first visit to Jharkhand as the Congress President. With the Congress attempting to put up a joint opposition against the Narendra Modi government in the next general elections, several opposition leaders have also been invited for the rally. "There is enthusiasm among party workers. They are active at every level and giving their best for the rally. Over two lakh party workers will attend the rally," Congress spokesperson Kishore Sahdeo told IANS. "Different wings of the youth Congress, the OBC Morcha, the Tribal Morcha as well as district presidents have been asked to ensure a huge turnout of party workers at the rally, which will launch our campaign to throw the BJP out from the Birsa Munda's state," Sahdeo said. The opposition parties have almost finalised the seat-sharing in Jharkhand for the Lok Sabha elections. According to the formula, the Congress, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will fight on seven, four, two and one seats, respectively. A formal announcement of this is likely to be made after the rally. --IANS ns/rtp/pcj (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi Court on Thursday said it will begin hearing the sedition case filed against former JNU student leaders Kanhaiya Kumar and nine others on March 11. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Sherawat also said the court will proceed with the matter even if the Delhi government does not sanction prosecution of the accused. The order came after Delhi Police informed the court that the state government is yet to reply to its request to prosecute the accused. The court had earlier pulled up the police for filing the charge-sheet in the case without the sanction of competent authority. In the last hearing, the court told the Delhi government not to sit on the police file seeking sanction to proceed in the case. The court, after hearing the police submission on Thursday, said that it will watch the visuals of the incident. The case involves a February 2016 event organised on the JNU campus against the hanging of Parliament attack mastermind Afzal Guru. The Delhi Police had on January 14 filed a charge-sheet naming former JNU student leaders Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and seven Kashmiri students as accused in the case. The charges were slapped under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) dealing with sedition, voluntarily causing hurt, forgery, using as genuine a forged document, punishment for unlawful assembly, unlawful assembly with common object, rioting and criminal conspiracy. Both Kumar and Khalid have questioned the filing of the charge-sheet, saying it was "politically motivated" and a "diversionary ploy" by the Modi government ahead of the general elections. --IANS akk/rtp/ab (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Veteran lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar says he does not understand the agenda of Pakistan to sponsor terrorist activities in India. "I don't understand what is their (Pakistan) agenda and what will they get out of it by constantly sponsoring terrorism. It's an open truth that they support terrorist organisations but they are constantly denying it," Akhtar said on the sidelines of an event here. "Masood Azhar (the founder and leader of the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed) was released from Indian prison when they (Jaish-e-Mohammed) hijacked an Indian aircraft and then, how he reached Pakistan from Kandahar (Afghanistan)... And why is Pakistan not arresting him if they have an honest establishment over there," he questioned. The comment comes amidst escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. Akhtar and his actress-wife Shabana Azmi decided not to attend an event in Pakistan which was being organised by the Karachi Art Council days after a suicide bomber killed 40 CRPF troopers in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. He further said: "I feel this situation is actually being forced upon us (India). It was not our choice but if things go beyond your control, then till when and how many times, should we be quiet about this? So, we have to react to it some day or the other," Akhtar said. "I think repercussions of the current developments are really dangerous and banning Pakistani actors and artistes are minor things but whatever is happening on our borders should be stopped. We should ban terrorism. It's an unfortunate thing." --IANS iv/dc/rb/ab (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The battle against terrorism should not serve narrow political ends, the CPI-M has said, adding it is doubtful if military action will serve the strategic purpose of curbing terrorism emanating from Pakistan. "The fight against terrorism cannot serve narrow political ends," said an editorial in the CPI-M journal "People's Democracy". The Communist Party of India-Marxist described the India-Pakistan situation as "dangerous" and said that "immediate steps should be taken to de-escalate the confrontation". The editorial said the Indian air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) camp in Balakot in Pakistan was conducted to send an effective message that New Delhi will not tolerate terrorist attacks such as in Pulwama which killed 40 CRPF troopers. "The extent of the success of the operation, in terms of destroying the militant base, is yet to be established," it said. "The reputed international defence monitoring agency, Jane's Information Group, has termed the claims about the operation's success as 'speculative'. However, the fact that the Indian Air Force struck deep inside Pakistan territory itself represented a significant military intervention, since it crossed the boundaries of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir." Then Pakistan retaliated, and an Indian pilot was captured by Pakistanis. "Thus, there has been a quick escalation at the military level between the two countries. This is a dangerous situation and immediate steps should be taken to de-escalate the confrontation... "It is now up to India to continue with the efforts on the diplomatic and political front to put further pressure on Pakistan to act against the JeM, Lashkar-e-Taiba and other extremist groups." The editorial pointed out that apart from the incentive of electoral gains for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), "it is doubtful whether military action will serve the strategic purpose of curbing terrorism from across the border". "The behaviour of the Prime Minister and BJP President Amit Shah, in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack, only served to illustrate the point... "Even after the aerial strike, Amit Shah promptly declared in a public meeting that this was possible because there was a BJP government and not a 'gathbandhan' government." The editorial said the Modi government's basic failure in Jammu and Kashmir was the root cause for the violence and terrorism there. "The past nearly five years have been barren of any political initiative to begin a political process for arriving at a settlement of the Kashmir issue. "On the contrary, the BJP played a disruptive role in feeding communal sentiments and raking up sensitive issues such as Article 35A. The heavy hand and the crackdown undertaken after the Pulwama attack will only further worsen the situation." --IANS mr/pg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Some unidentified persons in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh allegedly pulled out hair from head and ears, and moustaches of a veteran Congress leader after assaulting him and his son, police said on Thursday. The father and son are currently undergoing treatment in a Indore hospital, the police said. "Some goons allegedly kidnapped veteran Congress leader Jaswant Dangi (60) and his son Narendra on gun-point when they were returning from an event of Chief Minister Kamal Nath, organised in Sonkatch area of Dewas district," a police official said. According to the police, the goons held them hostage for around three hours, assaulted the two publicly and tortured Dangi by pulling out the hair from his head and ears and his moustaches. The kidnappers fled the site before the police reached there. A Sonkatch police officer told IANS on Thursday: "The matter is related to old rivalry and the accused are from Gurjar community. Eleven people have been booked in the case." --IANS hindi-rs/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Centre has not received any official confirmation from the Mamata Banerjee government regarding the withdrawal of the Ayushman Bharat scheme from West Bengal, CEO Indu Bhushan said on Thursday. "Out of 36 states, 33 states have signed MoUs and 29 states have implemented it as well. We are not aware of West Bengal, as they have not given an official confirmation on the withdrawal," the health scheme chief said this at The Ayushman Bharat Conclave here. In January, Banerjee announced that her state has withdrawn from the Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY scheme. Three other states - Delhi, Telangana and Odisha - have also stayed away from implementing the central health scheme. The Central government, too, wrote to the state saying that around 60 lakh families would suffer due to the state's decision. Banerjee's decision came after the Prime Minister sent out letters to the beneficiaries with only his pictures on them. Banerjee claimed that her state was contributing 40 per cent to the scheme and hence should be properly represented. --IANS som/in/ab (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Goa Congress on Thursday questioned the BJP-led coalition government's decision to host festive events amid the increasing hostilities between India and Pakistan and the capture of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman. Addressing a press conference here, state Congress President Girish Chodankar urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders to tone down political events and accused them of trying to "encash" political mileage from the increasing tensions between India and Pakistan. "Why is the Goa government and our Chief Minister, who was the former Defence Minister, granting permission for merry events like the carnival, wine festivals and electronic dance music events at a time when the country is facing a crisis and our nation is worried about the safety of our pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan, who is in Pakistan's custody," Chodankar told reporters. Goa is due to host its annual carnival and a wine festival this week. The state hosted a popular EDM event 'Sunburn Klassique' last week. Accusing Karnataka BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa of trying to politically milk the military strikes at Balakot, in which a terror camp was destroyed, Chodankar said: "Yeddyurappa is now saying that the BJP will get more seats because of the Balakot strikes? Is it right to take political advantage of such a situation?" Chodankar asked. --IANS maya/mag/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi over telephone "to extend an invitation of peace", Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Thursday. Qureshi also said that Pakistan was willing to consider returning an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot it is holding since Wednesday if it leads to de-escalation of tensions between the two countries. The Minister told Geo News: "Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to talk to Narendra Modi on the telephone and ready to extend an invitation of peace. Is Modi ready?" He added: "I have just received the (Indian) dossier (on the Pulwama terror attack) and have not gotten the chance to examine it... I will still say that we will see and examine the dossier with an open heart. "I wish they (India) would have sent this dossier earlier. They attacked first and then sent the dossier. If they would have sent the dossier first and sought Pakistan's answer, there would be no need for an attack. "If there is de-escalation with the return of this (Indian) pilot, Pakistan is willing to consider this. We are ready for all positive engagement," he said amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan since a JeM suicide bomber killed 40 CRPF troopers on February 14. Asserting that Pakistan had been calling for peace since day one, Qureshi said: "If India wants to talk about terrorism, then we are ready. "You (India) want to risk regional stability for politics," he said, in an apparent reference to upcoming parliamentary elections in India. "It could be the need of but history will not forgive you." Qureshi asked: "God forbid there is a war, Pakistan will be affected but will India's economy not suffer?" The Minister added that the Saudi Foreign Minister was departing for Pakistan. He also welcomed US President Donald Trump's statement on Pakistan-India tensions. --IANS soni/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S.Ramadoss on Thursday welcomed Pakistan's decision to release Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Varthaman Abhinandan. In a tweet Ramadoss said: "The news about Abhinandan being freed from Pakistan's custody is joyous. India, and more so Chennai, is ready to welcome back the brave son." Meanwhile Abhinandan's father retired Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthaman declining to comment on the news, told IANS: "We are bit tied up now. Thank you." Earlier in the day, leaders of various political parties called on the parents of Abhinandan here and expressed support to them. --IANS vj/rs/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian and Pakistani troops traded heavy mortar and small arms fire on Thursday on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Rajouri districts amid India-Pakistan tensions. After heavy firing in Poonch district that started in the morning, the Pakistan Army violated the bilateral ceasefire at four places in neighbouring Rajouri district. Defence Ministry spokesperson Lt Colonel Devender Anand said: "Continuing its nefarious designs, the Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation in Sunderbani, Mankote, Khari Karmara and Degwar sectors of LoC. "After ceasefire violation first at 6 a.m. and then at 1 p.m. in Poonch, the Pakistanis used mortar shells and small arms to target Indian positions in these four sectors in Rajouri. "The ceasefire violation started at 3 p.m. and is still going on. The Indian Army is retaliating strongly and effectively," the spokesperson said. Indian and Pakistani armies earlier traded mortar shells and small arms fire in Poonch district in two spells on Thursday. Authorities have shut all educational institutions within a 5-kilometre of the LoC and the International Border in Rajouri, Poonch and Samba districts. India-Pakistan tensions have steeply mounted ever since a suicide bomber killed 40 CRPF troopers in Kashmir. India bombed the Jaish-e-Mohammed's training camp at Balakot in Pakistan on Tuesday and Pakistani jets intruded into Indian air space the next day. --IANS sq/arm/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a veiled attack on Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India "stands as one" against the "evil designs" of its "enemy" which was hatching a conspiracy to destabilise the country and stop its progress with terror attacks while he expressed confidence that he will return to power in the elections. Interacting with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers through video conference, he also urged people not to do anything which may hurt the morale of the security forces. "When the enemy hatches a conspiracy to destabilise the country and conducts terror attacks, its target is to stop our progress... We all need to stand united against its design. We have to show them this country is not going to stop its progress," Modi said. "The enemy tries to destabilise us, carries out terror attacks, they want to stop our growth. All countrymen are standing like a rock to counter their evil designs." Modi said Indian soldiers were showing their courage and valour and the country was united behind its forces as "the world is witnessing our collective will". "Our soldiers are at the borders for the country's safety and security... It is because they are there, the nation can reach new levels of development. We are citizens of a valiant country. We all need to work hard for the country's prosperity and pride. "I am confident that nothing should happen that will impact the morale of our forces." Modi said, "India will live as one, work as one, grow as one, fight as one and win as one." The Prime Minister also expressed confidence of winning the Lok Sabha elections, and urged the party workers not to commit any mistake so that there are no regrets later. "I am confident that I will get another opportunity to serve the people of the country for the next five years as we have fulfilled the promises made to the people... If there are weaknesses in our efforts, all work done in the last five years will be ruined," Modi said. Giving the example of the new Congress governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Modi alleged that they had been trying to ruin the schemes initiated by previous governments. He said the election in 2014 was to fulfil the needs of the country and the 2019 battle will be meet the expectations of every citizen. Modi also dismissed the 'mahagatbandhan' (grand alliance) of Opposition parties as 'mahamilavat' (highly adulterated) and said it would send the country to the intensive care unit (ICU), adding that the people of the country are very wise. He said that the opposition parties, who earlier never spoke to each other, were today standing shoulder to shoulder with each other. "But today people know well that they are opportunist, dynast and corrupt," he said. The Prime Minister also said that the Congress, which earlier ruled the entire country has gone so weak that it was joining hands with other small parties to keep itself alive. He also termed the 2019 elections as a fight between two culture. "The culture of BJP is based on democracy, where for every work, opinion of all is taken democratically. Whereas on the other hand which has Congress and other parties, their culture of working is based upon dynasty," he said. Modi claimed that the saffron party will gain more seats in the southern states. Giving examples, he said the coalition government of Karnataka was not able to live up to the expectations of the people. "Even the people of Kerala are sick of UDF and LDF governments while the people of Andhra Pradesh have anger against the Congress and TDP. In Tamil Nadu we have an alliance with AIADMK. Therefore, I can expect a better performance in South India." Modi said. The Prime Minister also urged the social media volunteers of the party not to share fake news or information on the social media platform. He said: "Social media is a democratic media and it has brought awareness in the society. And in 2019 elections, social media volunteers of the party will play an important role." Urging the social media volunteers to share the numerous works of the government on the social media, he asked them to refrain from sharing negative talks and fake information. Modi also said that the middle class of the country was not harmed by the government's decision of demonetisation and the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). He said: "After the demonetisation, we won elections in Uttar Pradesh. And after the implementation of the GST we won elections in Gujarat. So it was not that the middle class which did not vote for us." Targeting the previous governments, Modi said, "Earlier governments never bothered about the middle class. And the middle class would have never imagined that the government will give full tax rebate to the people earning up to Rs 5 lakh." "They are the biggest tax payers and their demands are also very small," he said, adding that the government did a lot of pro-people work which directly benefited the middle class people of the country. --IANS aks/bns/vsc/ab (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a veiled attack on Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India needed to stand united against the "evil designs" of its "enemy" which was hatching a conspiracy to destabilize the country and stop its progress with terror attacks. Interacting with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers through video conference, he also urged people not to do anything which may hurt the morale of the security forces. "When the enemy hatches a conspiracy to destabilize the country and conducts terror attacks, its target is to stop our progress... We all need to stand united against its design. We have to show them this country is not going to stop its progress," Modi said. "The enemy tries to destabilize us, carries out terror attacks, they want to stop our growth. All countrymen are standing like a rock to counter their evil designs." Modi said Indian soldiers were showing their courage and valour and the country was united behind its forces as "the world is witnessing our collective will". "Our soldiers are at borders for the country's safety and security... It is because they are there, the nation can reach new levels of development. We are citizens of a valiant country. We all need to work hard for the country's prosperity and pride. "I am confident that nothing will happen that will impact the morale of our forces." --IANS aks-bns-vv/mr/pg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian and Pakistani armies traded mortar and small arms fire in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district for a second time on Thursday after the Pakistan Army violated the bilateral truce on the Line of Control (LoC). Defence Ministry spokesman Lt Colonel Devender Anand said that at around 1 p.m., the Pakistanis shelled mortars and fired from small arms along the Krishna Ghati sector. "The Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively," the spokesman said. Heavy firing exchanges had taken place earlier in the day between the two armies in the same sector for one hour from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. At around 6 a.m., Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling mortars and firing from small arms along the Krishna Ghati sector, the spokesman said. Authorities have shut down all educational institutions within 5 kilometres of the LoC and the international border in Rajouri, Poonch and Samba districts. --IANS sq/mr/pg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The captured Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot will be freed on Friday "as a peace gesture", Pakistan Prime Minister announced on Thursday, hours after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Imran Khan was ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to de-escalate tensions between the two neighbours. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman of the IAF was captured by Pakistanis on Wednesday after an aerial engagement between the air forces near the Line of Control (LoC). He parachuted and fell into Pakistani territory. Addressing a joint session of the National Assembly, Khan said: "In our desire for peace, I announce that tomorrow, and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody." He told Parliament that the India-Pakistan situation should not "get out of hand" otherwise "Pakistan will have to retaliate", the Dawn reported. The joint session of Parliament was called to discuss the rising tensions with India. "The only purpose of our strike (on India on Wednesday) was to demonstrate our capability and will. We did not want to inflict any casualty on India as we wanted to act in a responsible manner." Tensions spiked between two countries after the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed 40 CRPF troopers in Jammu and Kasmir's Pulwama on February 14. India, in retaliation, carried out pre-dawn raid strikes on a JeM terror camp in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and killed a large number of terrorists and their trainers. Khan on Thursday told Parliament: "I had said that if India does something then we will respond. India violated the UN Charter. India gave us a dossier today, two days after they attacked us. "Could this not have been done earlier? We had already offered to investigate and cooperate." Alleging "war hysteria" in India, he said: "I'm afraid there might be a miscalculation. Countries are ruined because of miscalculation. War is not a solution. If India takes any action, we will have to retaliate. "Indian media created war hysteria. Our media showed solidarity and acted responsibly." He said he tried to call Modi on the telephone on Wednesday because "escalation is not in our interests nor in India's". Earlier in the day, the Pakistan Foreign Minister said the same that Khan was ready to talk to his Indian counterpart over telephone to defuse tensions. Stating that the current situation arose because of Kashmir, Khan told Parliament: "I want to ask the Indian public about all that has happened over the past four years. There is an indigenous movement in Kashmir. At one point, Kashmiri leaders had not wanted separation, but because of Indian brutality, today all they demand is independence. "Shouldn't they (Indians) ask why a 19-year-old agreed to become a human bomb? How long will Pakistan be blamed for everything in Kashmir? And asked to take action without any proof?" he asked. "I have a feeling that the Indian public does not agree with the current government's warmongering. If their media had seen what our media has seen over the past 17 years, they would not have created this war hysteria." Stressing that talks about Kashmir were important, he said: "The situation should not get out of hand or Pakistan will have to retaliate. "I hope the international community will play its part to ensure the situation does not escalate beyond this." --IANS soni/mr (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 Indian Army said on Thursday that its weapons systems were on high alert and its mechanized forces were on standby in the wake of the Pakistan Air Force's (PAF) attempts to hit Indian military installations a day earlier. Major General S.S. Mahal told the media that on Wednesday PAF jets tried to target a Brigade Headquarters, a Battalion Headquarters and logistics installations in Jammu and Kashmir. But their designs were foiled because of the high level of preparedness by the Indian armed forces, he said at a tri-service press conference here. Air Vice Marshal R.G.K. Kapoor refuted Pakistan's claims that it had not used F-16s on Wednesday and said that one F-16 was shot down by a MiG-21 Bison. --IANS mr/pg/prs/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Finally waking up to the growing instances of man-animal conflict in Maharashtra, the state government has set up a Special Committee to enact a law to provide proper compensation to the victims, besides ensuring conservation and safety of animals in the wild, a top official said. The Special Committee will examine the severe impact on farmers and farm workers due to the terror of wild animals in civilian areas adjoining forests and submit its recommendations to frame a regulatory mechanism and a suitable law. The proposal for having a regulatory mechanism and bringing a law for payment of suitable compensation to the farmers and farm labourers has been under discussion after tigress Avni (T1) was shot in Yavatmal on November 2, 2018. "Following the Supreme Court orders, the decision to capture or to eliminate Avni (T1) tigress came after she allegedly killed 13 villagers in and around her prowl area in the Pandharkawada forests of the district. There are many similar instances across Maharashtra and the rest of India," the Special Committee's Coordinating Member, Vinod Tiwari, who pushed the idea, told IANS. He is also the Member-Law of the Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA) and a well-known political-legal activist. On January 25, a leopard created mayhem in Nashik's thickly populated Gangapur locality and injured at least four persons before it was captured and released into the forests. Even a concrete jungle like Mumbai has regularly witnessed conflicts with leopards from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). On February 20, a leopard spent half-a-day in a mall in Thane before it was captured. "Presently, the economic losses accrued due to the direct-indirect 'terror attacks' by wild creatures on humans and their properties has been treated casually with no proper regulatory mechanism to assess and award compensation, medicare or rehabilitation of the victims, besides ensuring there are no repeat incidents," Tiwari explained. The Committee will study laws worldwide. At the Yellowstone National Park in the US, the world's first official national park, compensation to farmers and locals proved to be a successful conservation policy against attacks by wolves. The challenges in India are very different, said Tiwari. "As the conflicts increase, there is growing animosity among humans here when wild creatures enter civilian habitats and the animals, once perceived to be a part of nature, are now perceived as 'property of the forests' and a threat to people," said Tiwari. Citing official records, Tiwari said that between 2009-2015, hardly 0.1-8.0 per cent of the affected farmers received some form of compensation, though it is perceived that at least 90 per cent of the farmers in the buffer zones suffered some or other type of losses. "The aim is to finalise and submit the report recommending attractive compensation-cum-rehabilitation package policy, create a proper mechanism to assess and quantify the actual short-term and long-term damages, besides taking care that conservation efforts are not hampered in any manner," Tiwari said. (Quaid Najmi can be reached at q.najmi@ians.in) --IANS qn/vm/am (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday prayed for safe return of captured Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot from Pakistan. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured by Pakistan on Wednesday after his MiG 21 fell in the Pakistan territory during a aerial dogfight. "Along with his family members and all our countrymen, we are anxiously waiting for the safe return of pilot Abhinandan," she wrote on Twitter. Banerjee's comments came shortly after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that the captured IAF pilot will be freed on Friday "as a peace gesture." --IANS mgr/arm/pcj (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister Suresh Prabhu on Thursday called upon state governments to join the regional air connectivity scheme, Udan, to realise the growth benefits from the multiplier effect of travel and tourism. Inaugurating the third edition of 'Wings 2019' here, the Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation Minister said that in order to make air travel affordable and accessible to the common man, states would have to be integral partners in the scheme and join hands with airlines and other stakeholders. "It is the states where the action is. It is they who will have to drive the process and become beneficiaries of growth," he said at the event which was jointly organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). The states, he said, would have to envisage having facilities to accommodate wide-body aircraft from their airports. On January 25, the Central government awarded contracts to 11 companies to operate fixed-wing and seaplane services under the third round of Udan scheme connecting destinations like Ambala, Amravati, Campbell Bay and Car Nicobar among others. Accordingly, the ministry issued "Letter of Awards" for 73 proposals involving 235 regional connectivity scheme (RCS) and water aerodrome routes which were received under the third round of RCS-Udan. This was the first time that proposals for connecting tourist destinations and seaplane services have been awarded. In the current scheme, the support fund for routes connecting tourist destinations will be provided by the Ministry of Tourism. Subsequently, flight operations are expected to connect destinations like Kushinagar, Jharsuguda, Saharanpur(Sarsawa), Guwahati River Front, Nagarjuna Sagar, Statue of Unity in Gujarat among others. According to the ministry, 16 unserved and 17 underserved airports, along with six water aerodromes and 50 served airports would be connected, based on the proposals identified for the award. Currently, 128 routes have been started under the various phases of the Udan scheme. --IANS rv/rs/ab (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Oral typhoid vaccination, which has weakened strains of a common bacteria, can also protect against other infections potentially saving lives in the developing world, the results of a clinical trial revealed. Typhoid fever is a bacterial bloodstream infection caused by Salmonella Typhi that is estimated to affect between 11-18 million people and cause between 128,000-190,000 deaths annually worldwide. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are two vaccines to prevent typhoid. One is an inactivated (killed) vaccine gotten as a shot. The other is a live, attenuated (weakened) vaccine which is taken orally (Ty21a). The findings, published in the Science Advances journal, suggest that Ty21a can strengthen the immune response against subsequent, unrelated infections. "Live-attenuated Salmonella vaccines are low-cost, well-tolerated and easily administered," said lead author Shaun Pennington from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the UK. "These vaccines could potentially be included in global vaccination programmes, not just for their impact on Salmonella, but also for their off-target, non-specific beneficial effects," Pennington added. Previous evidence has suggested that some live-attenuated vaccines, such as those for measles and polio, can stimulate the human immune system to generate a wider protective response and lower all-cause mortality. In order to investigate whether Salmonella vaccines might offer similar protection, the researchers vaccinated a small group of 16 healthy adults in the UK with the Ty21a vaccine and studied its impact on their immune system over the course of six months. The changes observed to levels of infection fighting white blood cells (monocytes) and immune system messengers (cytokines) suggest that Ty21a can strengthen the immune response against subsequent, unrelated infections. "Salmonella vector vaccines could provide Salmonella-specific protection, vectored-pathogen protection and non-specific protection, making live-attenuated Salmonella a hugely powerful 'triple threat' tool for global vaccine development," said Professor Melita Gordon from the University of Liverpool. --IANS pb/rt/pg/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Presenting evidence that the Pakistan Air Force used F-16s to target Indian military installations, the Indian armed forces on Thursday warned Pakistan that they would respond to any "misadventure" from across the border. The Air Force welcomed Pakistan's decision to return the captured pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, but said the gesture was only in accordance with the Geneva Convention. The service officers said the forces have enough evidence of successfully implementing what they wanted to in bombing a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) terror camp. "Whatever we planned, we have got it. It is for the government and top leadership to present evidence. It will be premature to talk about casualties," said Air Vice Marshal R.G.K. Kapoor in reply to a question as to how many terrorists were killed in the Tuesday action in Balakot and what was the damage caused. At a joint media briefing, top officers of Air Force, Army and Navy said Pakistan was trying to lie and hide facts. "There is enough evidence of PAF having used the American AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile), which is a modern beyond-visual-range missile (used by F-16). The fact is that one F-16 was brought down by the IAF," Air Vice Marshal Kapoor told reporters in the first joint briefing by the three services after India carried out air strikes on a JeM training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The press conference was deferred by two hours to 7 p.m. apparently after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that Varthaman would be released on Friday. To a question whether India considered Pakistan Air Force targeting Indian military installations as a declaration of war on India, Army official Major General Surender Singh Mahal said: "We continue to maintain strict vigilance along the Line of Control and International Border and the anti-aircraft weapons systems are on standby and so are our mechanised forces". The Army officer said as long as Pakistan continues to harbour terrorists "we will continue to target agencies which are inimical to India." "We are fully prepared and are on heightened readiness. We are prepared to respond to any Pakistan provocation and maintain peace and stability," he said. Navy officer Rear Admiral Dalbir Singh Gujral told the media that the Indian Navy has been put on high state of readiness on sea, under water and in the air to defeat any misadventure by Pakistan. "I can assure you a resolute and strong response by the Indian Navy. We --the Army, Navy and Air Force -- stand as one to ensure safety and security of the nation and our citizens," he said. Giving details of the Air Force operations on Thursday when the Pakistani jets targeted India, Kapoor said that on Feb 27 at 10a.m. Indian Air Force radars detected a large package of PAF fighter jets heading towards the Indian territory towards general area Jangar. They breached the Indian air space west of Rajouri in the Sunderbani area. The ingressing aircraft were observed to be at various levels. "The IAF fighters, including MiG 21 Bison, Sukhoi MKI and Mirage 2000 were tasked to intercept the intruding Pakistani aircraft. The PAF jets attempting to target our military installations were intercepted by the IAF which foiled their attack. "In the aerial combat that ensued, one F-16 of PAF was shot down by IAF's MiG 21 Bison aircraft. The F-16 crashed and fell across the Line of Control (LoC) in the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir," said Air Vice Marshal Kapoor. The IAF lost one MiG 21 in the aerial engagement, though the pilot ejected safely. His parachute drifted to the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir where he was taken into custody by the Pakistan Army, he said. "There have been many factually incorrect statements made by Pakistan. The first information was that the two IAF aircraft were shot down by Pakistan and three pilots of the IAF were downed. This figure was later revised in the evening that two IAF aircraft were down," he said. The fact, he said, was that Indian Army units had reported citing two parachutes in Pakistan-occupied J&K which were of two F-16 pilots. Pakistan later in the evening changed its statement to say that one Indian pilot was in their custody. Therefore it was only by late evening that they corrected it, the Vice Marshal said. "Secondly, Pakistan claimed that they intentionally dropped weapons in an open space where there was no human presence or military post. The fact is that PAF targeted military installations, however they were intercepted by the IAF which thwarted their plans. However, PAF bombs fell inside an Indian Army formation compound which could not cause any significant damage due to our swift action," he said. Pakistan also stated that no F-16s were used in the operation and that no Pakistani plane was downed by IAF. "There is enough evidence such as electronic signature that shows PAF used F-16s. Pakistan is trying to hide this fact," said Vice Marshal Kapoor. Also parts of AMRAAM missiles, which are carried by only Pakistan F-16, were recovered east of Rajouri. Therefore, the fact remains that one F-16 of PAF was shot down by IAF MiG 21 Bisons, he said. At the press conference, the IAF officer displayed fragments of the missile. Answering a query, Kapoor said while Pakistan used F16, JF7 and some MiGs to target India, the IAF used Sukhoi, MiG21 and Mirage. --aks-rak-vn-bns-ps/vsc/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The flags were hanging over the street in Miami celebrating the various communities within the LGBT spectrum during this years Gay8 Festival. There was one for the trans community, one for the bears, one for the leather community and of course the traditional Pride flag. But absent was the bisexual flag, which caused a stir on Facebook after a prominent local bisexual activist called the festival out for leaving his community out of the lineup. Inadvertent omission or biphobia? Luigi Ferrer asked on Facebook. Damian Pardo, a co-organizer of the festival, pushed back against any suggestion of biphobia though. You have known me for 30 years. Stop it. There is no bi-phobia here. We contract out the decorations and we requested all flags be represented clearly it was an omission, Pardo said. Its really important to have a kind approach when striving to build bridges within diverse communities. The bi-flag looks beautiful and Im sure we will take extra measures to include it next year. He later added: We are not paid to do this work. We are largely volunteers. Ferrer said to SFGN it was a missed opportunity. Especially at an event like Gay8. We know bisexuality is more prevalent in the Latino community, he said. Gay8 is a Hispanic/Latino LGBTQ art, music, dance, food and cultural street festival in Miami. This years festival took place Feb. 13-18. Heres what the Bisexual Resource Centers website says about bi visibility: Bisexuals experience high rates of being ignored, discriminated against, demonized, or rendered invisible by both the heterosexual world and the lesbian and gay communities. Often, the entire sexual orientation is branded as invalid, immoral, or irrelevant. Despite years of activism and the largest population within the LGBT community, the needs of bisexuals still go unaddressed and their very existence is still called into question. This erasure has serious consequences on bisexuals health, economic well-being, and funding for bi organizations and programs. Ferrer serves on the board of BiNet USA, a national organization that promotes bisexual visibility. Ferrer told SFGN that 52 percent of the LGBT community identify as bisexual so its important to include them in the discussion and bring them to the table. I dont know of any LGBT service providers down here [that] have any specific programs for the bi community. And we should ask ourselves why, he said. Were LGBT [in] name only. Oftentimes the few people that come out as bi get ignored or are barely tolerated. I do HIV testing. I know there are bi people out there. Ferrer admitted the Facebook discussion got too heated. I dont want to blame the organizers of Gay8. I know theyre just trying to do their best, he said. Its just disappointing after all of these years. Ferrer also notes that there is no longer an active bi community in South Florida. Other commenters on Facebook also chided the festival for its oversight. Biphobia and bi erasure are known issues in our community! Telling a bi activist to stop it is further erasure, and saying the bi flag is beautiful just seems patronizing. This isn't about pretty colors on material. Wow, commented Landon J. Woolston. While Judah Fajardo added, Friend or not, I dont think this response was handled as well as it could have been. Two rainbow flags, and two more gay-pride ones were included, thats four. And not one bi flag. I feel as though there was a lot of time to look over the decorations and see if you had all bases covered. Furthermore, it feels like youre throwing it in our faces that it was volunteers, as if that should make it all completely okay. Maybe Im off base here [] but these comments felt aggressive. Another co-organizer of the Gay8 festival Joe Cardona apologized for the mishap. I want to begin by apologizing to you and everyone in the bi community for the omission. I can assure you no one associated with our festival is bi-phobic, Cardona said. We include and love everyone. That is precisely what our festival is aboutinclusion and love. Thank you for bringing this to our attention...it will be rectified. We apologize to anyone this may have hurt or felt excluded in any wayit was not our intention. In what is being seen as a diplomatic victory for India, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced on Thursday that the captured IAF pilot will be freed on Friday after New Delhi sought his unconditional, immediate and unharmed release. Calling it a "peace gesture", Khan told a joint session of the Pakistan National Assembly that the India-Pakistan situation should not "get out of hand" or otherwise Islamabad "will have to retaliate". The announcement about Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman -- taken prisoner a day earlier -- came hours after India demanded his release and ruled out talks on the issue, saying Pakistan cannot use this issue for a deal. Khan said countries were ruined because of miscalculation and alleged that there was a "war hysteria" in India. "I'm afraid there might be a miscalculation. War is not a solution. If India takes any action, we will have to retaliate," he said at the session called to discuss the rising tensions with India. "The only purpose of our strike (on India on Wednesday) was to demonstrate our capability and will," he said. "We did not want to inflict any casualty on India as we wanted to act in a responsible manner." He said he tried to call Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the telephone on Wednesday because "escalation is not in our interests nor in India's". The 35-year-old Wing Commander was captured by Pakistan on Wednesday after his MiG was shot down and it fell in Pakistani territory during a dogfight. Earlier in the day, India said that Pakistan needed to create a conducive atmosphere for talks by taking credible and verifiable action against cross-border terrorism emanating from its soil and terrorist proxies. Government sources said India had told the international community that it was Pakistan which escalated matters by targeting military installations and what India did was counter-terrorism action as Pakistan had not shown any inclination to act against terrorists and their proxies after the February 14 Pulwama attack and the claim by the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) was ignored. They also referred to Khan's statement on Wednesday that two Indian pilots were captured and later corrected it to one, saying that if they cannot get a simple fact right, it speaks about the credibility of the Pakistan government. The sources said that at 9.45 a.m. on Wednesday, a sizeable force of Pakistan Air Force jets - over 20 in number - flew from a number of bases in Pakistan and approached the Indian air space. Some crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and launched some laser-guided bombs. Their target was military installations but they missed narrowly because they could not come closer. This, the sources said, happened against the backdrop of Khan's claim that Pakistan wanted to show its strength but it was false because their actual target was military installations. Khan said on Thursday that Islamabad's action was intended to convey that if India can come into Pakistan, then Pakistan can do the same. The sources said that there was deliberate effort by Pakistan to create a war psychosis by shutting its airspace and informing foreign embassies that India would launch missiles and also that there could be attack by the sea. He said India conducted a targeted operation at a venue where fidayeen jehadis were being trained and there were no civilian casualties. On Khan's demand for actionable intelligence, the sources said India had considered giving it but felt there will be no use given that Pakistan had not acted on the detailed information given after the terror attacks on Mumbai and the Pathankot IAF base -- even after a Pakistani team was given access. They said India consistently briefed the international community and Pakistan's reluctance in the past to act against terror perpetrators, and this was appreciated. --IANS ps/vsc/soni/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Security has been beefed up for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Sankalp rally here on March 3 when he is likely to launch NDA's campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, police said on Thursday. Top officers of Bihar Police along with officials of advance security liaison (ASL) of Special Protection Group (SPG) - an elite commando force - Intelligence Bureau and other security agencies have been working for a full-proof security in and around rally venue Gandhi Maidan. Security has been tightened across Patna, including at airports and railway stations. Gandhi Maidan has been completely sealed for the public. Security personnel have been deployed on high rise buildings around the venue, Patna senior Superintendent of Police Garima Malik said. According to a police officer, every move near the venue is under high tech surveillance. Bihar will be on full alert during Modi's rally. During the rally, 4,000 policemen along with hundreds of officials from various intelligence agencies will be deployed. "NDA leaders, workers and supporters will come in 30 trains for the rally," Janata Dal-United (JD-U) General Secretary and party's Rajya Sabha member R.C.P. Singh said. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Bihar Cabinet Minister Nand Kishore Yadav said more than 5,000 buses will come to Patna for the rally, besides hundreds of four vehicles. Leaders of the BJP and its allies JD-U and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) have been busy touring different parts of the state to mobilise support for the rally. The Sankalp rally will be the first joint rally of Narendra Modi and JD-U chief Nitish Kumar and their first big show after Nitish Kumar joined hands with the BJP in July 2017. --IANS ik/mag/ab (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bollywood actor Sikandar Kher, who will soon be seen in Tigmanshu Dhulia's directorial venture "Milan Talkies", says he keeps seeking work from people as he finds it the best way to create an opportunity for himself. "I am never hesitant to audition and ask people for the opportunity. I keep messaging people and ask for work because I know that opportunity will not come to me... I have to find that. I have been messaging people for work and I will be doing that," Sikandar told IANS here in an interview. He says he has bagged all roles in all his upcoming films in the same manner. "I messaged Tigmanshu sir because I wanted to work with him, and of course I was seeking work. After three days, sir told me to meet him. After the meeting he called me in the evening and said that I was on board for the role in 'Milan Talkies'," said the actor, who began his career in Bollywood with the film "Woodstock Villa" in 2008. Having grown up in an environment where films was a common topic of discussion as his mother Kirron Kher and step-father Anupam Kher are both actors, why did he not seek help from his parents? "Well, that is never the equation I have shared with them because I have seen how they are constantly working hard to follow their passion. Between my father and I, we have a different kind of friendship, but there is no room for me to walk up to him saying, 'Please recommend my name'. "I will be really embarrassed to do that, no. I am a struggling actor and I have my journey to follow," said Sikandar, who will also be seen playing the brother of Sonam Kapoor in the upcoming film "The Zoya Factor". He also has a pivotal role in John Abraham-starrer "Romeo Akbar Walter". "I have no siblings, so playing an on-screen brother in 'The Zoya Factor' will be very special," the actor said with a smile. "Milan Talkies", also featuring Ali Fazal, will release on March 15. --IANS aru/rb/ab (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Flaying Prime Minister Narendra Modi for seeking to strengthen electoral booths rather than the country, the Congress on Thursday said for the BJP, party was above the nation. On a day when Modi, while holding a mega video conference with Bharatiya Janata Party workers, exuded the confidence of winning the Lok Sabha elections, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the BJP should rise above "crass politicking". "At a time when the nation is looking towards its leadership and wants it to speak to it, the Prime Minister chose to address the booth workers of the BJP rather than addressing the nation. "When the priority should be further strengthening the nation, the Prime Minister thinks this is the time to strengthen the electoral booths," Tewari told the media here. "Modi in his addresses always claims that for him and his party, nation comes first. But when the time came to actually display that, he made it apparent that for him his party is above the nation," said the former Union Minister. The Congress leader's comments came a day after 21 Opposition parties unanimously expressed their anguish over the BJP and the Modi government's "blatant politicisation" of the armed forces' sacrifices. Pointing at several BJP leaders seeking to politically encash the air strike by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) training camp at Balakot in Pakistan on Tuesday, Tewari said that by doing so, the BJP leaders were actually playing into the hands of the Pakistan propaganda. "The day the non-military preemptive strikes took place, BJP President Amit Shah was appealing for the re-election of the Prime Minister. The Home Minister was in Chhattisgarh, attending political programmes of the BJP while former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said that the strikes will help the BJP win 22 of the 28 seats in the state. "All these statements are playing into the hands of the Pakistan propaganda. We would like to tell the BJP-led NDA government that they need to reign in the motormouths. This is not the time for crass politicking," Tewari said. Expressing concerns over the escalating tension between India and Pakistan, Tewari said it was time for the BJP and the Modi government to act like one and stand together with the nation. "The sensitivity of the entire situation is completely lost on the BJP. The nation and the entire Opposition is standing as one and there is a need for the Modi government and the BJP to come together," added Tewari. --IANS and/arm/ab (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have begun talks on the second day of their summit here to clinch a deal for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula on Thursday. The second summit between the two leaders comes eight months after their first meeting in Singapore last year. On Thursday, the two leaders had a dinner date in Hanoi. Both the leaders sat side by side at a round-table along with their respective aides. From the US side, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney were present. Kim was accompanied by Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho and regime's senior official Kim Yong Chol. Trump said he looked forward to a "very successful" summit with Kim and that "our relationship is a very special". "It's an honour to be with Chairman Kim. It's an honour to be together in Vietnam. It's great to be with you, we had a very successful first summit and I hope the second summit will be equal or greater than the first," Trump said. Denying that he was "walking back" on denuclearisation, Trump said he looked forward to helping Kim achieve a tremendous economic future for his country. On a declaration on formal end to the Korean War, Trump said: "We'll see." The North Korean leader said they would "have a very interesting dialogue" and hoped the Hanoi summit delivers "an outcome welcome by everyone". He also alluded to the slow progress of negotiations, saying "it's been a period that required a lot of patience and effort". We "have been able to overcome obstacles," Kim added. Kim said the "outside world" had "misunderstood" the US-North Korean relationship in the period after the Singapore summit and added we shared a "very interesting conversation" for 30 minutes upon meeting on Wednesday. --IANS vin/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended on Thursday with no agreement after Washington refused Pyongyang's demands for economic sanctions relief. Addressing reporters in the Vietnamese capital after the two-day summit with Kim was abruptly cut short earlier than planned, Trump said that he walked away from signing a denuclearization deal with the North Korean leader after they failed to reach an agreement for economic sanctions on Pyongyang to be lifted. "It was about the sanctions. Basically they wanted sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn't do that... We had to walk away. "We had to walk away from that particular suggestion of completely lifting the economic sanctions on North Korea", Trump said, adding that neither he nor Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "felt it was appropriate to sign an agreement". "We had papers ready to be signed, but it wasn't appropriate. I wanted to do it right, rather than fast," Trump said. According to the US leader, Kim said he was willing to dismantle the Yongbyon complex -- the development and testing facility at the heart of North Korea's nuclear programme -- but wanted all sanctions on North Korea lifted in exchange, something the US was not prepared to do. He added that no plans had been made for a third summit with the regime leader. Although no deal was signed, Trump insisted that his relationship with Kim was "very warm" and that he was optimistic that further progress could be made while highlighting the improvements in their bilateral relationship since the US leader took office two years ago. Trump said his meeting with Kim didn't end contentiously but with "a very friendly walk". "This wasn't a walk away like you get up and walk out," Trump told reporters of the end of the summit. "He has a certain vision, it's not exactly our vision, but it's a lot closer than it was a year ago. Eventually I think we'll get there. With time (the gap) will be bridged at a certain point. But there is a gap", Trump told the media. He added that Kim had promised him that his regime would not resume nuclear weapons tests. "I trust him and take him at his word. I hope that's true." "He (Kim) said the testing will not start, he said he's not gonna do testing of rockets or missiles, or anything to do with nuclear, and all I can tell you is that's what he said." The original White House programme for the day had planned for a "Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony" as well as a working lunch for the two leaders, but expectations were abruptly dashed with the cancellation of both. The summit, the second between the two leaders in less than a year, was held to start the stalled denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, as agreed at their first meeting in Singapore last year. Kim and Trump had met earlier on Thursday at the five-star Metropole hotel in central Hanoi during which the North Korean leader had said that he would not have attended the summit if he did not want to denuclearize. --IANS soni/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vietnam's capital was cut short on Thursday without any agreement, the White House announced. Trump and Kim had been scheduled to hold a working lunch before holding a joint press conference later, but those plans were abruptly abandoned around midday. "The two leaders discussed various ways to advance denuclearisation and economic driven concepts. No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders was cited as saying by CNN. She added that the two leaders had "had very good and constructive meetings". The original White House programme for the day had planned for a "Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony" as well as a working lunch for the two leaders, but expectations were abruptly dashed with the cancellation of both. Kim was seen leaving the Metropole hotel in central Hanoi, while Trump's motorcade also departed from the venue of the summit for the Marriott hotel, where a press conference was scheduled for later. Reporters at the Metropole hotel were first told that the lunch was delayed, before a White House spokesperson announced there had been "a programme change". The summit, the second between the two leaders in less than a year, was held to kickstart the stalled denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, as agreed at their first meeting in Singapore last year. Kim and Trump had met earlier on Thursday at the Metropole hotel, during which the North Korean leader had said that he would not have attended the summit if he did not want to denuclearise. "If I wasn't willing to do that, I wouldn't be here right now," Kim said. He also told reporters that he was feeling good about what could be achieved. "It's too early to tell but I wouldn't say that I'm pessimistic. What I feel right now, I do have a feeling that good results will come out," Kim told reporters through a translator. Trump said he was in "no rush" during the negotiation process, saying: "Speed is not important. What's important is that we do the right deal." --IANS soni/ab (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday said he would not be at a summit with US President Donald Trump if he was not ready to denuclearise. The second summit between the two leaders in Hanoi, Vietnam, comes eight months after their first meeting in Singapore. They are believed to be discussing a roadmap for removing nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula and could also announce a formal treaty ending the Korean War. Trump tried to limit expectations, saying there was "no rush" for a deal, the BBC reported. But after Kim told a reporter that if he was not ready to denuclearise he "wouldn't be here", the US leader responded: "That might be the best answer you've ever heard." Washington had previously said North Korea had to unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons before there could be any sanctions relief, but that condition is known to be a sticking point for the North Koreans. Speaking ahead of their talks, Trump appeared to again address scepticism about the success and progress of their last summit, saying he wanted to get the "right deal". "I've been saying very much from the beginning that speed is not that important to me. I very much appreciate no testing of nuclear rockets, missiles, any of it," Trump said, adding that he had "great respect" for Kim. Meanwhile, answering his first question from a foreign reporter, Kim said: "It's early to tell, but from my instincts, I do have a feeling that good results will emerge." The leaders were joined by their advisors. From the US side, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney were present. Kim was accompanied by Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho and the regime's senior official Kim Yong Chol. The North Korean leader said they would "have a very interesting dialogue" and hoped the Hanoi summit delivers "an outcome welcome by everyone". He also alluded to the slow progress of negotiations, saying "it's been a period that required a lot of patience and effort". Kim said the "outside world" had "misunderstood" the US-North Korean relationship in the period after the Singapore summit and added they shared a "very interesting conversation" upon meeting on Wednesday. --IANS mag/ab (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UN Security Council on Thursday failed to adopt two competing draft resolutions on Venezuela, sponsored by the US and Russia respectively. The US draft received nine votes in favour, three against, and three abstentions in the 15-member council. Russia and China vetoed the resolution, Xinhua news agency reported. Minutes later, the Security Council voted on the Russian draft, which received four votes in favour, seven against and four abstentions. Thursday's Security Council meeting is the third on the situation in Venezuela in just over a month due to the escalation of political tension facing the Latin American country. Venezuela has been plunged into a political crisis since January 23 when National Assembly President Juan Guaido declared himself interim president and was recognized by the US and some other countries. A US-backed drive to deliver "humanitarian aid" to Venezuela through border crossings on February 23 met strong resistance from the Venezuelan government as President Nicolas Maduro believed the aid, mainly from the US, is a smokescreen for a military invasion. The Venezuelan government has closed borders with Brazil and Colombia and some air and sea routes. --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gay men in Fort Lauderdale have a lot of activities at arms length to fill any given Saturday. But on at least one recent Saturday in January, 131 of them showed up to learn about health issues affecting their community. The 2019 Mens Health and Wellness Conference took place Jan. 26 at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott North after being dormant since 2015. Despite the hiatus, the interest was still high four years later. Overall, the planning committee was delighted with the outcome of the conference, said Mark A. Reyes, the senior director of community relations and administration at the Urban League of Broward County. Changes the planners made included moving from a two-day format to one-day. But even with one fewer day the workshop sessions were made longer. There were three plenary sessions and nine workshops for attendees to participate in. We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees, Reyes said. Some of the comments provided on the written evaluations said it was well-planned, at a good location and had a nice combination [and] overview of topics and some tangible nuggets [to] act on." Reyes is also the community co-chair of the MSM (men who have sex with men) advisory group of the Broward County HIV Prevention Planning Council the main organization that orchestrated the conference. The advisory group brings together leaders and decision-makers to mobilize organizations and allies who serve the MSM community in Broward County. The group addresses the various factors that bring about HIV infection in the MSM community widely agreed upon as an epidemic in South Florida. High-powered line-up Dr. Howard Grossman of the Midway Special Care Center opened the conference. He was joined by Dr. Sheetal Sharma of CAN Community Health. The two talked about the top 10 things the MSM community should discuss with their doctor, and how to find a culturally competent gay/bi-friendly health care provider. The first workshop included discussions of sexual health and screenings, youth and HIV, and access to health care through the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and other insurance. The second workshop included a discussion of HIV and millennials, mental health, and intimate partner violence in the MSM community. At lunch, Joshua Rodriguez from the Florida Department of Health in Broward County presented on strategies to eliminate HIV transmission, while Alejandro Acosta of Equality Florida discussed HIV criminalization and other legal issues for the MSM community. The final workshop focused on fitness and body image, substance use and sobriety, and sexual health and social interactions. Earl Benjamin-Robinson, a health equity strategist from New Orleans, closed out the conference with an inspirational message reminding attendees about how important it is to walk fearlessly forward to freedom as best as we can. Reyes said organizers are considering hosting the free educational conference as a biannual event, but with a possible half-day summit or something similar in 2020. We definitely want to see more attendees in their 20s and 30s in attendance, Reyes said. We'll be working next time to partner with social, support and other groups that work closer with millennials, he added. I left the conference excited and energized for what the next iteration of the conference can and will be. Those interested in being involved with the Broward County HIV Prevention Planning Council can contact Reyes via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling 954-625-2598. The UN Security Council is set to consider conflicting resolutions on the situation in Venezuela from the United States and Russia, diplomatic sources said here. The US recognizes Juan Guaido, the leader of Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly, as the oil-rich nation's acting president, while Russia supports incumbent head of state Nicolas Maduro, Efe news reported on Wednesday. Both texts have been circulated among the 15 members and the council is likely to take up the competing resolutions in a single session on Thursday, the sources said. The US draft, seen by EFE, calls for the start of a peaceful political process in Venezuela that leads to "free, fair and credible presidential elections" and urges UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to employ his "good offices" toward that end. Washington regards the May 2018 ballot that brought Maduro second term to be illegitimate. The document likewise insists on the need to avoid a worsening of the humanitarian situation in Venezuela and demands that the Maduro government allow the entry of US aid stockpiled in neighboring Brazil and Colombia. Russia's draft warns against the use of force against the Maduro administration and emphasizes the principles of national sovereignty and non-interference in countries' domestic affairs. The US is in the vanguard of the roughly 50 countries, including the major European powers except Italy, that have recognized Guaido since he proclaimed himself interim president on Jan. 23. Russia, a major ally of Venezuela, has stood by Maduro and denounced what Moscow describes as an attempt to impose regime change on the South American nation. To pass the Security Council, a resolution must secure nine votes, and the US draft appears capable of meeting that threshold. But each of the five Permanent Members - the US, Russia, China, France and Britain - has the power to veto a resolution and Moscow is sure to block Washington's text. Tuesday's emergency Security Council session on Venezuela, requested by Washington, featured a sharp exchange between a US senior official and the Venezuelan foreign minister. "We call on the members of the Security Council to join us in meeting the growing needs in Venezuela and the region. We call on member states to consider what resources and tools they have to contribute to Venezuelan democracy and to pressure the illegitimate Maduro regime to peacefully step down," the US special representative for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, said. He said that the world should back Guaido and "address the destabilizing results of Maduro's corrupt, fraudulent and incompetent reign, which just this weekend brought instability and violence" to the borders of Brazil and Colombia. Abrams was referring to clashes that occurred Saturday as Guaido supporters tried to force their way into Venezuela with US-donated aid rejected by Maduro as a stalking horse for military invention. Four people died on the Brazilian border and more than 200 others were injured in disturbances on the boundary with Colombia. In his remarks, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza asked the Security Council to pass a resolution rejecting "the threat and the use of force" against his country. Citing what he described as US preparations for war in Venezuela, he urged the council to "exclude that option completely," after Abrams reiterated Washington's "all options are on the table" position. The foreign minister said that the violence last weekend on the Colombian border was initiated by Guaido supporters who accompanied the trucks loaded with aid, emphasizing that most of the wounded were members of the Venezuelan security forces. "That was the last chapter in the coup on Saturday," he said, before directly addressing Abrams in English: "Read my lips - it failed. Now is the time for us to return to sanity." --IANS vin/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Vidyut Jammwal says animal flow workout helped him be at ease while shooting with animals for his film "Junglee". Animal flow is a form of workout which copies the movements of different animals. The actor spent time observing various animals, their habit and studied the form to come up with a plan of animal flow which could be imbibed in the film. The actor has collaborated with three different teams across the globe and planned the action sequences in the film. "Kalaripayattu is a discipline that has encouraged people to pick up on strength, sensibility and personality traits of various fantastic animals. It was amazing for me to extend my knowledge of Kalaripayattu by practicing animal flow," Vidyut said in a statement. "Most of the conventional exercises in the gym isolate only two muscles at a time. However training like an animal functionally overcomes this one way to optimise strength, flexibility, mind body control," he added. The actor feels "humans are emotional beasts and hence face trouble in being in the moment". He added: "That is why we are not natural fighters like the leopard or the tiger who do not get paralyzed by fear. These animals do not get paralyzed by guilt situation. "This awareness, apart from additional strength from animal flow helped me be at ease with the animals I shot with for 'Junglee'. I was awed by the depth of this stream of martial arts and wanted to bring on big screen with 'Junglee'." The makers have released a video showcasing Vidyut doing animal flow in the movie. A Junglee Pictures production, "Junglee" is a family action directed by Chuck Russell, produced by Vineet Jain and co-produced by Priti Shahani. The film is set to release in cinemas on April 5. --IANS sug/rb/ab (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan wants its airspace, shut for commercial aviation amid India-Pakistan tensions, to open fully at the earliest, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Thursday. "The airspace has been closed for national and passenger security... We want the airspace to open at the earliest," the Minister was quoted as saying by Geo News. His comments came as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced that Pakistan had temporarily restored its airspace for commercial aviation. The country's airspace was closed on Wednesday amid escalating tensions with India. The CAA said that all flight operations across the country had been suspended till 5 a.m. on Friday. The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said flight operations will resume temporarily on a priority basis for flights to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Several airlines, including Emirates, Air Canada and Qatar Airways, had earlier suspended flights to Pakistan. Etihad, Flydubai, Gulf Air, SriLankan Airlines and Air Canada also suspended services to the country. Singapore Airlines, British Airways and others were forced to reroute flights. --IANS soni/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) History visits Supreme Court After the visit of a 'Mughal prince two days ago, it was the turn of another historical figure to visit the Supreme Court premises on Thursday. A man dressed as Mahatma Gandhi visited the court premises and was seen entering one of the court rooms. While it was unclear which case that gentleman was planning to attend, his presence did turn quite a few heads, thanks to his attire and gait. On Tuesday, a man who claimed to be the sixth generation descendant of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, had visited the court during the hearing ... Insurance covers are taken for a relatively long period of time. But sudden events of conflict between two nations are unlikely to influence any change in rates charged by insurers for any cover taken by companies in the conflict region, said industry experts. However, they say, if the cover is up for renewal during the time of conflict, insurers can tweak the underwriting norms and factor in the conflict situation accordingly in the premiums they charge. Generally, conflicts like wars are not covered. But companies can take cover for war separately or with some existing ... A 25-year-old man was arrested from Delhi's Najafgarh area for allegedly looting ATMs after stealing the whole machine, police said Thursday. The accused has been identified as Ajay alias Monu, the police said. According to the police, incidents of ATM burglary were reported in Delhi and the National Capital Region in September and October last year, where the accused persons removed the whole ATM machine. Acting on a tip-off that Ajay, suspected to be involved in the robberies, would come in Najafgarh on Wednesday evening to meet his friends, a trap was laid and the accused was arrested, said Ram Gopal Naik, deputy commissioner of police (crime). During interrogation, Ajay disclosed that he and his friends were in need of money to live a lavish lifestyle, police said. The accused said they removed the whole machine with the help of gas cutters and abandoned it after taking out cash, the DCP said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police has arrested two persons from the city and recovered fake Indian currency notes with a face value of Rs seven lakh from their possession. The anti-FICN team of the STF arrested the persons from the Hare Street Police Station limits on Wednesday night. All the fake notes were in the denomination of Rs 2,000, a senior police officer told PTI. The arrested duo has been identified as Razzak Sk, a resident of Kumbhira in West Bengal's Malda, and Vikash Kumar Gautam alias Vikash Kumar Lodi of Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, he said. Both were booked under different sections of the IPC, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The father of Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, captured by Pakistan after an air combat, on Thursday said he was proud of his son's bravery and thanked the people for their support and good wishes. In a statement, Abhinandan's father S Varthaman, who was an Air Marshall, referred to a purported video of his son after his capture, and said he spoke like a "true soldier" despite being in captivity and that he was praying he would not get tortured in the neighbouring country and return home "safe and sound". In the evening India erupted in joy when Pakistan Prime Minster Imran Khan announced that Abhinandan will be released on Friday as a "gesture of peace". The family of Abhinandan has an excellent track record of serving the Indian Air Force for generations since the second World War and his father besides being an ace pilot was a consultant for Mani Ratnam's film "Kaatru Veliyidai". Pakistan held Abhinandan Wednesday after fighter jets of both nations engaged in an air battle following an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes. "Thank you my friends for your concern and wishes. I thank God for his blessings, Abhi is alive, not injured, sound in mind, just look at the way he talked so bravely...a true soldier...we are so proud of him," his father said. "I am sure all your hands and blessings are on his head...prayers for his safe return. I pray that he does not get tortured and comes home safe and sound in body and mind," the veteran IAF personnel, whose father was also an air warrior, further said. He thanked the people for being with the family in this hour of need. "We draw our strengths from your support and energy," he added. Meanwhile, well wishers and political leaders continued express solidarity with the family of the IAF pilot. Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar was among those who met the family at their suburban residence in Chennai. Jayakumar lauded the captive IAF officer's parents for their courage adding it was unforgettable. "Abhinandan's father Varthaman Air Marshall (retired) served the nation during the Kargil war," he said adding the captive officer's grandfather Simhakutty too had served the nation during the second world war in the Air Force. Local MLA S R Raaja, Lok Sabha MP K N Ramachandran, VIPs, and officials including those from the police visited Varthaman's residence. For the veteran Air Marshall, who is a recipient of honours including a Param Vishisht Seva Medal, an uncanny similarity between reel and real life now appears to be playing out in his own life. Just like the 2017 Tamil film "Kaatru Veliyidai," for which Varthaman was a consultant, his son has unfortunately landed in Pakistan's custody. In the movie, hero Karthi -who essayed the role of an IAF officer- lands in Pakistan after his jet was shot down. A silver lining is that the hero was reunited later with his family in the movie. Hashtags like #BringBackAbhinandan, #AbhinandanMyHero, #MeraJawanSabseMajboot trended on microblogging site Twitter seeking Abhinandan's early return. Actor Karthi tweeted saying, "I'm very fortunate to have met a few of our fighter pilots in #IAF. It's a true honour to know them and they are men of a different league. I sincerely pray for the safe return of our warriors." According to a defence release issued in 2011, when Varthaman took charge as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Air Command, he was among a few select pilots to hold the distinction of having flown 40 types of aircraft with over 4000 flying hours. During the Kargil conflict, he was the Chief Operations Officer of Gwalior and he was in command of an operational airbase in the western sector at the time of Operation Parakram following the December 13, 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan Thursday telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan as part of his efforts to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions and underline the importance of dialogue and communication in resolving differences. The Crown Prince, also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, in a tweet said he talked to Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Khan. Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. Pakistan retaliated on Wednesday. Prime Minister Khan announced Thursday that Pakistan will free captured IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman on Friday as a peace gesture, hours after a strong message from India demanding his unconditional release, largely de-escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. "His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, held two phone calls on Thursday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan," his Twitter handle said. Interestingly, his tweet came a day before the UAE hosts the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Abu Dhabi on Friday. India has been invited for the first time to attend the Foreign Ministers' conclave in Abu Dhabi where External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be the "guest of honour". Pakistan, a member of the OIC, has conveyed its reservations over Swaraj's presence at the meeting. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al Jubeir is also scheduled to visit Islamabad on Thursday "carrying an important message" from the Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, reports from Pakistan said. Meanwhile, the official WAM Emirates Agency, reporting on the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's talks with Prime Minister Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Khan said, "His Highness and the two Prime Ministers exchanged talks on recent developments in the India-Pakistan arena." Sheikh Mohamed emphasised the importance behind dealing with these worrying developments, and working towards easing tensions between the two countries, prioritising dialogue and communication between the parties, it said. The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince stressed the UAE's will to support positive relations between the two neighbouring countries, noting the common historical and cultural ties that brings them together, the report said. "Sheikh Mohammed underscored the UAE's keenness on ensuring peace and stability in India-Pakistan ties, expressing his great confidence in the two countries' leadership prioritising peaceful dialogue in dealing with the developments that have occurred in the past few days," it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will provide a loan of USD 455 million to finance the Andhra Pradesh Rural Roads Project, which will connect about 3,300 habitations with a population of more than 250, and benefit around two million people. An agreement in this regard was signed between the AIIB and the government, said a release of the finance ministry. "The project is likely to improve the life of a common man living in the remote and isolated areas in the state of Andhra Pradesh," it said. The objective of the project, it added, is to improve road transport connectivity in previously unserved communities by providing all-weather rural roads in all 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh. Under the project, there are plans to construct rural roads to provide first connectivity, construct cross drainage works and bridges to complete missing links and structures. It is the third project being signed by the AIIB in the state, the other two are in power and water sectors. "The AIIB is keen to support more such projects in India in various sectors," said Supee, director general (investment operations department), AIIB. AIIB is a multilateral development bank headquartered in Beijing, China, which began operations in January 2016. India is the second-largest shareholder in the AIIB and its largest borrower. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Candelario Saldana is a leader who is making strides and causing a few waves at the University of Miami for LGBT lawyers. Saldanas mother brought him to America from Mexico when he was one year and nine months old. I didnt realize I was any different from anybody until I was in middle school- there was school report about what type of career you would like to pursue and we started to have a discussion - I wanted to become a lawyer. I would be able to get my mom out of poverty. Saldana didnt realize he was undocumented until middle school. He went home to tell his mother that he decided that he would pursue a career in law and then the harsh reality of his undocumented status was revealed to him. Son, sit down, never let anyone tell you that you cant achieve your dream however Then Saldanas mother informed him that he wouldnt be able to attend a university, nor travel outside of the United States, and that he wouldnt be able to do all the things that his friends are going to do because of his undocumented status. Upon discovering his status, he decided to reach out to his counselor at school, however they had no idea how to proceed. He then kept his status hidden until he was a senior in high school where he once again asked a school counselor for help. Under threat of being reported and the very real possibility of being deported to Mexico by immigration authorities, Candelario did not register for selective services when applying for colleges. Law schools are not allowed to offer federal financial aid. He was forced to put his dream on hold for six years. I really wanted to continue my education, I really wanted to pursue the dream. I attended a conference at the University of Utah and fortunately was able to connect with someone who was able to help me continue on with my education and here I am today. He is currently attending the University of Miami School of Law and is graduating in 2019. When asked about how the current administration is demonizing the immigrant population of the United States, Saldana looked slightly wistful and furrowed his brows before he spoke. I was watching Fahrenheit 11/9 the other day and there were [excerpts] where Trump was saying that Mexico doesnt send its best people, they send people with problems, theyre rapists, that does continue to affect me. I am trying to do the best that I possibly can and to continue to better myself and to help others who are LGBTQ or undocumented individuals. He continued: I guess its about being a role model. You can put your dream on pause but dont ever give up on it. I put my dream on pause for six years, I wanted to go to law school. And when the opportunity came, I took it! And now I am joining one of the biggest law firms in the country, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. And [my story] can give people hope. Just dont give up. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh visited some border villages in the state in the wake of prevailing tension as he welcomed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's announcement that captured IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released terming it a "goodwill gesture", according to an official statement. Amarinder was interacting with BSF personnel at the Khalra observation post during his visit to instill confidence among the residents in the wake of tension between India and Pakistan. "The Pulwama attack by the Pakistan-backed terror forces was an act of cowardice, necessitating retaliation by India," he said. He, however, expressed hope that normalcy would return at the border soon. On Imran Khan announcing release of the captured Wing Commander, Amarinder said the "goodwill gesture" would help ease the prevailing tensions, the release quoted him as saying. Earlier, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in Parliament on Thursday that Varthaman would be released on Friday as a "peace gesture". The Chief Minister extended all support from his government to the BSF to deal with the current situation. "We are there for you," he told the BSF personnel. A nostalgic Amarinder, himself an ex-serviceman, recalled his own days in the sector in 1965, when he was with the Indian Army, and said he still remembers the 22 days spent in the region. During his tour of the Tarn Taran region to assess the ground situation, the Chief Minister interacted with residents of at least 15 border area villages, including Shaheed Baba Tara Singh Wala, Rajoke, Kalia Shatara, Dholan, Lakhna and Kals. During his interaction with the residents, he urged them to remain calm and not to be swayed by rumours. Assuring the people at Mastgarh village, two km from the International Border, Amarinder reaffirmed his commitment to ensure the safety and security of every citizen. The Chief Minister, who had lunch with them, urged them to guard against "manufactured hysteria" and not get waylaid by rumours. "The Punjab government stands shoulder-to-shoulder with you in this critical hour," Amarinder told the residents at Kals village, urging them not to panic. Earlier, he also visited the 14th BSF Batallion Headquarters at Khemkaran, whose personnel are stationed along the international border, and was briefed about the overall defence preparedness by IG (BSF) Mahipal Yadav. He was assured that the forces were fully prepared to thwart any untoward activity from across the border. In Taran Taran, interacting with the bereaved family members of the Sukhjinder Singh, who was killed in the Pulwama attack, the Chief Minister extended his condolences and assured all possible support and assistance. The Chief Minister, on his arrival at Ghariala village in Taran Taran district earlier, took stock of situation and was briefed by top police and administrative brass. He asked officials to work in coordination to convince border residents not to leave their homes in panic and hold meetings of village panchayats and prominent local residents to instill a sense of confidence. Singh also impressed upon the residents not to be swayed by the false propaganda and desist from rumour-mongering. The Chief Minister said he was in constant touch with the Centre and keeping a tab on the situation. Meanwhile, in an informal chat with the media, the Chief Minister said that during his visit to the border villages, he found the morale of the people and forces very high. He said he had met officials and personnel from the Army and the BSF. They are well-prepared to deal with any situation that may arise in the wake of heightened tension between the two nations, he said. "I've already instructed officers to visit the areas tomorrow and resolve complaints relating to absence of teachers and doctors in schools and hospitals," he said. The Chief Minister was accompanied by DGP Dinkar Gupta, besides some of his party MLAs from the border constituencies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telecom operator Bharti Airtel Thursday said its Board has approved fund raising plans of up to Rs 32,000 crore through a mix of rights issue and bond, a move arms the company with firepower to take on market competition intensified by Reliance Jio. The mega fund-raising plans outlined by Bharti Airtel comes just days after Vodafone and Aditya Birla Group said they will infuse over Rs 18,000 crore into India's largest telecom operator Vodafone Idea Ltd through a rights issue. In a statement here, Bharti Airtel said the Board of Directors have "approved the fund raising of upto Rs 32,000 crore through rights issuance of upto Rs 25,000 crore and Perpetual Bond with equity credit upto Rs 7,000 crore". Perpetual bond of up to USD 1 billion (about Rs 7,000 crores) denominated in foreign currency is "subject to price, market conditions and other terms and conditions as acceptable, and with conditions allowing for full accounting equity credit and subject to all applicable laws..." The terms of the rights issue cleared by the Board include price of Rs 220 per fully paid equity share (a premium of Rs 215 per fully paid equity share over face value of Rs 5 per share); and a rights entitlement ratio of 19 shares for every 67 shares held by eligible shareholders, the statement added. The Board has authorised the 'Special Committee of Directors for Fund Raising' to proceed with rights issue, and determine its terms and conditions including setting the record date, finalisation of the Letter of Offer and other details, and also authorised the 'Committee of Directors' to decide, assess and conclude on the issuance of the Perpetual Bond. The Indian telecom sector - the world's second largest in terms of subscriber base - has been bruised by falling tariffs, eroding profitability, and mounting debt, amid stiff competition triggered by disruptive offerings of Reliance Jio, owned by India's richest man Mukesh Ambani. The industry has been seeking urgent relief measures entailing debt restructuring, cut in levies, and release of GST input tax credit locked up with the government. Bharti Airtel recently posted a 72 per cent drop in consolidated net income for the three months ended December 2018 at about Rs 86 crore, amid market turbulence triggered by cut-throat competition in India business. The Q3 earning score card of telecom operators recently presented a picture of contrasts. While rival Reliance Jio posted an overall 65 per cent rise in net profit to Rs 831 crore on year-on-year basis in the home turf, Airtel's losses from India operations (before exceptional items) stood at Rs 971.9 crore, compared to a net income of Rs 373.5 crore in the year-ago period. Airtel's consolidated net debt stood at Rs 1.06 lakh crore as compared to Rs 1.13 lakh crore in the previous quarter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The RJD and other opposition parties in Bihar on Thursday charged the BJP with trying to derive political mileage out of escalated tension with Pakistan and expressed dismay over Prime Narendra Modis interaction with booth-level workers in the midst of a national crisis. They also deplored senior BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa for having said that the pre-emptive strikes at Balakot will help the party sweep the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka. The leaders of the proposed Mahagathbandhan in the state questioned the decision of the NDA to hold a rally in the Bihar capital on March 03 at a time when we should be more concerned about the release of IAF officer Abhinandan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union minister Ramvilas Paswan would address the rally in Patna on Sunday to kickstart the ruling coalition's campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in the politically crucial Bihar having 40 Parliamentary constituencies. The Honourable Prime Minister must learn from the opposition parties which have put on hold their political programmes. While the entire nation is collectively praying for the safe return of our brave pilot, the Prime Minister is engaged in 'mera booth sabse mazboot'. This is unfortunate and tragic, RJD national spokesman and Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha said in a statement. Jhas statement was in reference to cancellation of a public meeting at Jehanabad by Tejashwi Yadav and, its ally, the Congress cancelling the meeting of its apex body the CWC scheduled in Gujarat. The BJP leaderships decision to continue with their political rallies and other programmes in spite of the prevailing security situation unambiguously conveys that their ultimate aim is to pile up their political stock at the cost of our brave armed forces, which Yeddyurappa has gleefully expressed, Jha added. The Prime Minister should realize that when it comes to national security concerns, narrow political concerns should be jettisoned.I appeal to him and his party to cancel all programmes including the rally scheduled at Patna on March 03, the RJD leader said. Echoing similar sentiments, Bihar Congress working president Kaukab Qadri said at a time when opposition parties are cancelling programmes in solidarity with the armed forces, the ruling party must act with a sense of responsibility. The Prime Minister should concentrate on securing the release of Wing Commander Abhinandan instead of BJP programmes aimed at electoral success. Statements to this effect were also issued by RLSP national general secretary Madhaw Anand and Hindustani Awam Morcha leader Santosh Kumar Manjhi. The CPI(ML) Liberation also issued a strongly-worded statement condemning the BJP leadership for reaping political dividends out of tension with Pakistan. Yeddyurappa has blatantly said the BJP would get electoral benefit from the IAF operations. Amit Shah is urging people to vote for Modi because responses were possible only under his leadership. And the Prime Minister is himself whiling away time on Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot, the ultra-Left outfits state secretary Kunal said in a statement. We urge the people, the political leadership and the media of both the countries to exercise restraint and act thoughtfully. The competitive war-mongering does not augur well for either India or Pakistan, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A horrified Australian traveller discovered a suspected human tooth in a meal on a Singapore Airlines flight, prompting the carrier Thursday to apologise and launch an investigation. Bradley Button was eating rice on the flight on Tuesday when he heard a crunch and spat out what appeared to be a molar. "For the rest of the flight I was not well, just the idea of having someone else's body part in my food is not nice," he told the Australian Associated Press. He said a flight attendant was "adamant" that she needed to take the object away for testing and that it was a small rock. "It was without a shadow of a doubt a tooth," he added. After the discovery, Button said he was given a voucher to use on the airline's duty-free products. Singapore Airlines confirmed that a customer travelling on a service from Wellington to Melbourne found "what appeared to be a foreign object in their meal". "We sincerely apologise to the customer for this negative experience and for the inconvenience this has caused. We are currently investigating this incident and have sent the object for analysis to determine what it is," the carrier said in a statement. It is just the latest controversy to hit Singapore's flag carrier -- last week there was an outcry online after worried passengers discovered cameras on seatback monitors on some of the airline's newer planes. The airline however insisted the cameras were disabled. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Living on the edge amid consistent shelling and frequently rising Indo-Pak tension, the border village residents near here have been left ruing the snail's pace of bunker building along the LoC and IB. The government has been able to build less than 1,000 bunkers last year despite sanctioning nearly 15,000 of them. As per official figures, the Centre approved the construction of 14,460 bunkers in December 2017 at a cost of Rs 415.73 crore for border residents facing consistent Pakistani shelling along the LoC and IB in Jammu division. While 7,298 bunkers were sanctioned for Rajouri and Poonch districts along the LoC,7,162 were meant for the residents living along the IB in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts. Yet, only around 900 individual bunkers and 60 community ones have been built in the districts, officials said. The border village residents Thursday appeared acutely wary and apprehensive of their safety and security amid the intense mortar shelling in the wake of rising Indo-Pak tension following India's air strike at a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror facility at Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. The IAF fighter jets, in a pre-dawn, preemptive, non-military operation, Tuesday pounded a JeM camp at Balakot in reply to the terror outfit's February 14 strike in Pulwama in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. In reply to the IAF's strikes, Pakistani fighter jets Wednesday intruded into Indian airspace to target military installations, but their bid was foiled by IAF jets, which shot down a PAF plane. In the aerial skirmishes, India, however, lost one of its jets and its pilot, who bailed out of the damaged plane and landed in Pakistan, was held in captivity by Pakistan. And the rising tension between the two neighbours have resulted into intense shelling at the borders. Bharat Kumar (45), a resident of Gharana village located near the International Border in R S Pura sector of Jammu region, said not a single bunker was built in his village in last one year. "We are living in constant fear. We have no option but to run for our lives if Pakistan targets our village," he said, adding the sole community bunker, built years ago, lies in a dilapidated condition and is not worth taking shelter in. Ratipaul, a resident of nearby Arnia village, said some of the families in the village have already moved to safer places due to the intensified shelling. "We are having sleepless nights. The villagers have been asked to stay home after dusk and remain alert but what can we do without underground bunkers?" he asked. He said his villages have a few bunkers but all of them have become dirty and defunct due to lack of maintenance. "These bunkers have been filled with rain water and mud as nobody is taking care of these vital structures." While the construction of bunkers began along the IB in Jammu, Kathua and Samba last year, it got delayed along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch over cost escalation. The authorities in two districts have set up dozens of community bunkers at worst-hit shelling prone areas, but the promised individual bunkers will take some time, the officials said. The two districts have faced rampant ceasefire breaches by Pakistan on daily basis since beginning of the year. Over the past three days of increased hostilities, the people have been left braving the intense shelling with only a few of them having been able to move to safer places. Governor Satya Pal Malik had told LoC residents last December that the construction of bunkers in Rajouri and Poonch would be started soon. The construction of bunkers will start soon as the Union Home Ministry has given its nod to our proposal. Compared to the cost on the construction of bunkers along the IB in Jammu, Kathua and Samba district, it was costing more due to topography of the region as the material has to be taken by foot, the governor had said. But border village residents continue to bear the brunt in absence of bunkers. "In absence of bunkers, we are on the line of direct fire from Pakistan. We pray that better sense should prevail and the hostilities end immediately without further escalation," said Ramesh Choudhary, sarpanch of Deing-Kalal area of Nowshera sector of Rajouri. He said the construction of bunkers was started recently. As per officials, 145 community and individual bunkers in Nowshera and 20 more in Sunderbani area are at different phases of execution. Pakistani jets had intruded into the Indian air space in this sector on Wednesday. While 160-square feet individual bunkers are designed to house eight persons, the 800-square feet community bunkers would accommodate 40 people. The officials said there are plans to build highest number of individual bunkers, totalling 4,918, in Rajouri, which will have 372 community bunkers while Kathua district will have 3,076 individual and 243 community bunkers. The highest number of community bunkers, totalling 688, would be built along the LoC in Poonch district where the border residents would also be provided with 1,320 individual bunkers, the officials said. They said Jammu would get 1,200 individual and 120 community bunkers, while 2,515 individual and eight community bunkers would be built in nearby Samba district. India shares a 3,323-km-long border with Pakistan of which 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Border guards of India and Bangladesh Thursday concluded a three-day joint exercise organised as part of the confidence building measures between the BSF and the BGB in Tripura. During the exercise, personnel of the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) and the Border Security Force (BSF) took part in joint patrolling, anti-smuggling drills, simulated raids on suspected places in both the countries, and checking of goods and identity at international check posts. In a statement, BSF Deputy Inspector General CL Belwa said, the two border guards have achieved a "milestone in ever increasing friendly relationship" through the joint exercise held in areas near Srimantapur in Sipahijala district, bordering Comilla district of Bangladesh. "The main objective of this exercise was to plan and conduct anti-smuggling and anti-criminal activity related operations with an aim to achieve better joint operational efficiency and border management in the area," the DIG said. The exercise was named 'Mainamati Maitree Exercise 2019' after the Mainamati hill range, dotted with ancient Buddhist settlements, near Comilla town in Bangladesh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Cabinet Thursday cleared an FDI proposal of telecom operator Ltd ahead of its proposed up to Rs 25,000 crore rights issue. "The Cabinet has approved the proposal of Ltd, which had proposed foreign direct investment of more than Rs 5,000 crore which may extend up to Rs 25,000 crore," Finance Minister said. Last month, the board of directors of Ltd had approved Rs 25,000 crore fundraising plan by way of rights issue to the existing eligible equity shareholders. The promoter shareholders Vodafone Group and Aditya Birla Group have told the board that they intend to contribute up to Rs 11,000 crore and up to Rs 7,250 crore, respectively, as part of such rights issue. The promoter shareholders have also said that in case the rights issue is under-subscribed, each of the promoter shareholders reserves the right to take up part or whole of the unsubscribed portion, subject to stipulated law. Vodafone Idea's board has authorised the Capital Raising Committee to decide the nuances of the rights issue, issue price, rights entitlement ratio, record date, timing of the issue and other matters. The proposed rights issue will arm Vodafone Idea Ltd with ammo to take on market competition intensified by Also, Vodafone Idea has recently approached the the telecom department seeking two-year moratorium on its annual spectrum payment of about Rs 10,000 crore, citing high debt levels and stress on the balance sheet. British telecom major Vodafone holds 45.1 stake in the combined entity, while Kumar Mangalam Birla-led Aditya Birla Group controls 26 per cent and Idea shareholders own 28.9 per cent. The mega merger was announced a few months after the entry of the deep-pocketed Reliance Jio, whose aggressive pricing and freebies impacted the financials of the entire industry, which has even seen bankruptcies and asset sell-offs. The Cabinet nod comes on a day when another telecom operator Bharti Airtel's Board has approved fundraising plans of up to Rs 32,000 crore through a mix of rights issue and bond. About 10 months after complaints from the Prime Minister's Office, the CBI has registered two cases to probe alleged fraudulent use of the letterhead of a joint secretary in the top office in letters seeking favours, including one addressed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, officials said. It is alleged that one of the fraudulent letters was addressed to the Chief Minister on a purported PMO letterhead signed by Debashree Mukherjee, Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office, on November 27, 2017, the agency has said in the FIR. "It is alleged in above said purported letter (was) to favour Vilayati Ram Mittal, Navi Mumbai in connection with the development of plot in Bandra," the FIR said. The agency alleged that the purported letter said that local authorities are biased and helping some developers. Another fraudulent letter also on a purported PMO letterhead under the signature of Mukherjee was directed to the DRDO, Pune and was sent through fax. The said letter was about testing bio-fuel developed by a company, A N Biofuel, and provide its report to the company, it alleged. Assistant Director P K Issar in the PMO had approached the CBI in April last year with a complaint alleging that none of the letters has been sent to the persons concerned, calling it a case of "forgery", officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid reports that West Bengal has pulled out of the Modi Government's flagship healthcare insurance scheme PMJAY, the apex body responsible for the implementation of the project on Thursday said the Centre is yet to get an official word from the state in this regard. "Thirty three states and Union Territories are on board for rolling out the programme and Punjab and Kerala are going to implement it soon. We are yet to have an official word from West Bengal on withdrawing from the programme," CEO of the National Health Authority Indu Bhushan said at the Ayushman Bharat Conclave, a major gathering of healthcare experts and policy makers. Speaking at the 1st edition of the Conclave, Bhushan noted the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) has already covered 13.5 lakh hospitalizations worth Rs 18,000 crore, effectively allowing one hospitalization every five seconds. "As PMJAY completes its 157th day today, more than two crore health cards have been issued under the scheme, with the private sector playing a major role in its successful roll out," he said. Stressing on the importance of the initiative, Bhushan said every year, six crore people fall below the poverty line due to catastrophic health expenditure. Besides, 40 per cent of the poor people do not have access to private healthcare that provides 70 per cent of the services. The states also have the option to expand the beneficiary base they want to cover and in this way Ayushman Bharat has the possibility of covering as many as 14 crore families, more than the targeted number, he said. The ambitious Ayushman Bharat or the National Health Protection Scheme, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September last year, aims to cover over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) by providing health cover up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year. Presenting a summary of the achievements of the scheme so far, Bhushan said that more than two crore health cards have been issued under the scheme and 92 per cent of the e-cards have been verified through Aadhar while over 6,000 cards issued are portable. He said that out of the 14,708 empanelled hospitals, 55 per cent are from the private sector taking care of 65 per cent of the treatment needs of the beneficiaries. "Ayushman Bharat is a great leap towards universal healthcare. It is a gamechanger on the scale of providing services, a more meaningful engagement of private sector hospitals as well as has unique aspects of providing affordable healthcare through collective bargaining of services, consumables, and devices, and providing cash on the delivery of services. "The programme increases access of the poor to quality, affordable and accountable healthcare and reduces the fragmentation of the services providers public sector providers can refer patients to private hospitals for tertiary services," Bhushan said. Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu, in a video address, said the "most ambitious programme by the Prime Minister which is going to help considerably not only the people of India but also the rest of the world. "This is the most comprehensive and aggressive programme in which healthcare is made available - hospitalization and medication needs are taken care of." The Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Digital Health Agency, Tim Kelsey, who was also awarded the Torchbearer of the Ayushman Bharat' award, emphasized on paperless healthcare services and increasing the use of technology in providing healthcare services, especially in the rural and remote areas. "Paper-based healthcare has failed it is not efficient, cannot keep up to the large amount of data and track trends. IT is unable to support precision medicine. We need to work much harder on creating a clinical culture to adopt technology to ensure safety, quality and equity in healthcare. We also need to empower people who now do not question the recommendations of the doctor. Digitizing healthcare will also help it make more accountable and transparent," Kelsey said. Leading experts in healthcare and policymakers from India and abroad converged at the Conclave to discuss major challenges, opportunities and the way forward towards successful implementation of the Ayushman Bharat, a programme that aims to cover people equal to the total population of America, Canada, and Mexico together. The conclave held sessions on Resolutions, Possibilities, Actions for an Ayushman India, The Journey towards health protection and Ayushman Bharat: The Local and Global Impact, Operational Perspectives on Securing Health, Capacity Building Challenges at Various Healthcare Levels, Directly from the Experts: The Doctor's Word for Ayushman Bharat, Forecasting demand and ensuring consistent and adequate supply of healthcare services. The PMJAY has already issued an impressive 1.71 crore e-cards and benefitted over 12.27 lakh patients since it was launched by the Narendra Modi-led government last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland Thursday told the Delhi High Court it will withdraw arbitration proceedings which were initiated by it following the scrapping of contracts to supply 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force. The firm also said it will pursue the remedy available under the law by filing a civil suit in India. Justice Prathiba M Singh was hearing a petition by the central government seeking to restrain AgustaWestland from continuing with the arbitration process initiated by it in the wake of scrapping of the contracts. The Centre has said the arbitration proceedings cannot continue as several criminal cases were pending against the firm and last December British national Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman in the deal, was extradited from Dubai and is lodged in Tihar jail. After recording the statement of the counsel for the firm and noting that the Centre has no objection to it, provided its objections are kept open, the high court disposed of the government's petition. Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand said the government does not have any objection if it wants to withdraw the arbitration proceedings but the objections should be kept open. The court disposed of the petition with the direction that the firm shall withdraw the claim petition before the arbitral tribunal within two weeks and granted it liberty to file go for civil proceedings. The high court had earlier agreed to examine the plea and had issued notice to AgustaWestland on the plea filed by the Ministry of Defence. It had said however that at this stage, no injunction order can be passed as it has not seen the arbitral record and none of the orders passed by the arbitral tribunal has been placed before it. AgustaWestland had invoked the arbitration clause in the contract for supplying 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force after the deal was scrapped in 2014. The arbitration is pending before a tribunal comprising William W Park, Justice (retd) B N Srikrishna and Justice (retd) B P Jeevan Reddy. The Centre had earlier said there were several criminal proceedings going on against AgustaWestland and sought an injunction on the arbitration. It had said the dispute in the present case is non-arbitrable as per the laws of India because serious and substantiated allegations of corrupt practices, bribery and fraud are involved in the instant case. The Centre had argued that the arbitral proceedings deserve to be stayed as the mandate of the arbitral tribunal stands terminated in terms of Section 29A of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. Section 29A of the Act makes it mandatory to complete the proceedings within 12 months (additional 6 months, in some circumstances) from the date arbitral tribunal enters upon the reference. However, the firm had opposed it saying this case was not governed by the provisions of Section 29A of the Act, as the arbitral proceedings had commenced much prior to the Amendment Act of 2015 coming into force. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The West Palm Beach City Commission unanimously supported a resolution urging the Florida Legislature to support a bill that will protect LGBT people from workplace discrimination. After more than a decade, there finally appears to be bipartisan support for protecting LGBTQ Floridians from discrimination in the workplace, said Jeri Muoio, Mayor of West Palm Beach. Passing SB 438 would be a great first step towards full equality for LGBTQ Floridians. The Chair of the Republican Party of Florida, State Senator Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota), introduced the Florida Inclusive Workforce Act. It gave local LGBT activists hope it would have a chance at passing in the Republican-dominated Florida legislature. Palm Beach County Human Rights Council is proud to have the support of the West Palm Beach Commission on this bill, said Meredith Ockman, a board member of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council. We are hopeful that our statewide bill, FIWA (SB 438), will garner the same support in Tallahassee. West Palm Beach joins a growing list of cities passing similar resolutions including Lake Worth, Miami Beach, and North Bay Village. Some LGBT activists have come out in opposition to the bill because it only covers discrimination in the workplace, leaving the fight for housing and public accommodations for another day. There also appears to be confusion over whether FIWA protects the transgender community. But FIWA is clear in that it adds both sexual orientation and gender identity to Floridas Civil Rights Act. Additionally, a coalition of local trans groups came together releasing a statement of support. Visit SFGN.com/FIWA for more coverage from SFGN. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami Thursday honoured city-based Arunachalam Muruganantham on whose work the Oscar winning best documentary short 'Period. End of Sentence' is based. Muruganantham, who started making low cost pads in his village despite being ostracised some years ago, recently said the award would help create more awareness on menstruation. Palaniswami, who arrived at the airport here on his way to Tirupur and Erode, met Muruganantham, who was present there, and adorned him with a shawl. He also handed over a greeting card to Muruganantham as part of honouring the city-based Padman. The film on menstruation, set in rural India, won the Oscar in the Documentary Short Subject category at the 91st Academy Awards. The film came into being as a part of The Pad Project, started by students at the Oakwood School in Los Angeles and their teacher, Melissa Berton. There has been an increased focus on period hygiene in India, which was also the subject of a Bollywood movie Padman, starring Akshay Kumar in the lead role in a biopic on Muruganantham. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Beverage major Coca-Cola India Thursday announced appointment of Nishi Kulshreshtha Chaturvedi as Vice President, Human Resources, India and South West Asia. Chaturvedi will lead talent recruitment and advancement, performance enablement, and leadership development functions for the company in India and South West Asia, the company said in a statement. Coca-Cola said Chaturvedi, who joined the company in 2012 as National Head - Human Resources as part of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd (HCCB), has risen through the ranks within the Coca-Cola system. "We at Coca-Cola are committed to developing and nurturing internal talent. Nishi has extensive experience and a natural flair for working with people in bringing out the best in them. We are looking forward to her leadership in developing resilient leaders for the company who can withstand the rapidly-evolving external environment and serve as role models for the next generation," Coca-Cola India and South West Asia President T Krishnakumar said. Nishi has over 20 years' experience in human resources across FMCG, healthcare, oil and gas and energy sectors working with Schneider Electric, Cairn Energy and Baxter Healthcare prior to Coca-Cola. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Donald Trump's former lawyer wrapped up hours of explosive congressional testimony Wednesday by warning that the US president may not accept a "peaceful transition of power" if he loses re-election in 2020. Michael Cohen, who implicated the president in federal crimes and said Trump would do anything to win, said he offered his bombshell alarm as someone who knows the president well. "Given my experience working for Mr Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, that there will never be a peaceful transition of power," he said in a final statement to the House Oversight and Reform Committee after hours of public testimony. Cohen acknowledged that his blind loyalty to Trump "has cost me everything," and that the former fixer will be headed to prison in May for three years, for hush money payments and lying to Congress. "But I will not sit back and say nothing," he said as he launched his warning. Cohen had repeatedly expressed remorse during his five-hour grilling, and painted a picture of a sprawling Trump organisation where "everybody's job (was) to protect Mr Trump." "My loyalty to Mr Trump has cost me everything: my family's happiness, friendships, my law license, my company, my livelihood, my honour, my reputation, and soon my freedom," he said. Cohen also had a message for Trump himself: "You take responsibility for your own dirty deeds," he said. "You don't use your power of your bully pulpit to destroy the credibility of those who speak out against you." On his way out, Cohen briefly addressed reporters, saying he hoped his testimony "helped in order to heal America."Trump's re-election campaign did not specifically address Cohen's claim that the president might not peacefully give up power. But it quickly hit out at his "deceitful" testimony. "Michael Cohen is a felon, a disbarred lawyer, and a convicted perjurer who lied to... Congress," the campaign's national press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of doing "crass politicking" on the pre-emptive strikes on JeM terror camp in Pakistan and said he should have worked on strengthening the nation at such a time, instead of focusing on electoral booths for his party. Prime Minister Modi has "misplaced priorities" and he is "desperate only for re-election", the principal opposition party alleged, attacking Modi on a day he addressed BJP workers as part of his party's 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot' programme ahead of Lok Sabha polls. Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the statements made by leaders of the BJP including party chief Amit Shah are playing into the hands of Pakistani propaganda and asked the NDA-BJP government to rein in their "motor mouths". He referred to the statements made by Shah in Gazipur where he sought votes to re-elect Modi in the immediate aftermath of the Indian Air Force strike on terror camps in Balakot in Pakistan and that of former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and Union Minister Giriraj Singh. "This is not the appropriate time to be going ahead with political programmes., However, what really shocked us was as at this point in time when the nation is looking towards its leadership, when the nation wants its leadership to speak to it, the Prime Minister chooses to address the booth workers of the BJP rather than address the nation. "It is unfortunate that at this point in time, when the priority should be further strengthening the nation, the Prime Minister thinks that this is the time to strengthen their electoral booths...Today, there is need to strengthen the nation," he said. Referring to the IAF pilot being in Pakistan captivity, he said Home Minister Rajnath Singh was in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, attending BJP's political programmes and claimed the sensitivity of the entire situation seems to be completely lost on the BJP. He said Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman displayed exemplary courage, and exemplary dignity and exemplary poise in the face of adversity. Tewrai alleged that a Union minister had said that "all those who do not participate in the NDA rally and the Prime Minister's rally on March 3 would actually be considered as Pakistanis". "With great respect all the statements play into the hands of Pakistan. They play into the hands of Pakistani propaganda. We would like to tell the NDA-BJP Government and we would like to tell the BJP that they need to rein in their motor mouths. This is not the time for crash politicking. "The nation today stands as one, but, it is time that the NDA-BJP Government and the Bhartiya Janata Party come together as one with the nation," he said. The Congress leader alleged that while the prime minister has always been claiming that the nation is bigger than the party, but the statements made by him in such a sensitive situation indicate that the "party is bigger than the nation" for him. Tewari said the NDA Government decided on a course of action and the entire nation and the opposition have unanimously stood behind the decision of the government. Pakistan carried out certain incursions into Indian territory, he said these incursions are nothing but "chicanery to subterfuge" for decades of using semi state actors against India. "Four decades of using proxies to target India and its instrumentality. However, what is the matter of grave anguish is the conduct of the BJP. Ever since the pre-emptive non-military strikes were carried by the Government, the Indian National Congress postponed its meeting of the Congress Working Committee and various other political programmes associated with it," he said. The party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, in a tweet, alleged that the prime minister was "hell-bent on creating a video-conference record" when the entire country was praying for the return of its braveheart pilot. "Glaring case of misplaced priorities! 132 Crore Indians pray for safe & immediate return of India's brave-heart Wing Comm, Abhinandan but Modiji desperate only for re-election. Congress cancelled its imp CWC and Rally today. Pradhan Sevak hell-bent on creating a Video Conf. record (sic)!" Surjewala wrote on Twitter. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal also targeted Yeddyurappa saying, "On 27th February B S Yeddyurappa at Chitradurga in a public function said: 'The Indian Armed Forces proved their mettle by destroying the terrorists' hideouts. The impact of this strike will help BJP win more than 22 seats in the state'." "Is this patriotism or crass " he asked. Surjewala, in a tweet, hit out at Prime Minister Modi saying, "The armed forces are taking care of the borders and the Pradhan Sewak the booth. These are the soldiers of power." He also used the hashtag "Booth first or country". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The ruling alliance in Karnataka is likely to discuss seat sharing for the Lok Sabha polls at the coalition coordination committee meeting on March 4, Congress sources said Thursday. The coalition partners had held first round of talks on seat sharing on February 25, during which the Congress insisted that winnability would be the criteria, while JD(S) maintained its stand to contest for 12 seats. The coordination committee meeting is expected to discuss the seat sharing, following the initial round of discussions between both the parties recently, Congress sources said. Congress state president Dinesh Gundu Rao, deputy chief minister Dr G Parameshwara from Congress' side and public works minister H D Revanna, JD(S) state president Adagur H Vishwanath from the regional party's side had met and discussed seat sharing on February 25. The two parties did not reveal the outcome of the meeting. However, Rao had termed the meeting as fruitful and said discussions took place for all the 28 seats and added that the candidates would be selected on the merit basis. The Coordination committee would discussseat sharing further, both parties had said. According to them, the soletarget is to keep the "communal forces"away and prepare an action plan to defeat the BJP. TheCongress and JD(S) as per their coalition arrangement have decided to fight Lok Sabha polls together. However, seat sharing is likely to be a major test for both parties as JD(S) banking on 'two-third, one-third formula' adopted in ministry formation and allocation of boards andcorporations, have sought ten to 12 seats out of the total 28 seats. According to party sources, JD(S) is said to be keen on contesting from Mandya, Hassan, Bangalore North, Mysuru, Chikkaballapur, Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Raichur, Bidar, Bijapur, Uttara Kannada and Shivamogga. The Congress is opposed to this and has maintained thatsharing of seats would be based on "merit". Party sources said the Congress is looking at limiting the JD(S) share to six seats. Also, there is pressure from within the Congress not to cede too many seats to JD(S), specially ten seats, where the party has sitting MPs. According to sources close to the parties, the top leadership, including JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda and Congress President Rahul Gandhi, will intervene to take a final call, if need arises. The coordination committee comprises Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, deputy chief minister and KPCC chief GParameshwara, CLP leader Siddaramaiah, congress general secretary Venugopal and JD(S) secretary general Danish Ali. While Siddaramaiah is the chairman, Ali is the convener of the coalition coordination and monitoring committee. KPCC working president Eshwar Khandre Thursday said, they plan to finalise seat sharing by March 10 and start the process of announcement of candidates. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil Thursday alleged that the Maharashtra government has failed to implement drought relief measures and carry out recruitment drive. Addressing a press conference at the end of the budget session, Vikhe Patil said the opposition had planned that it would highlight the failures of the government during a debate on the vote-on-account presented in the legislature on Wednesday. "However, due to tension between India and Pakistan, the session had to be curtailed. So, we tabled what we had to say on the floor of the House. Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has assured to respond to our views in writing within a week's time," the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly said. Vikhe Patil added that despite announcing a mega recruitment drive last year, the government was yet to initiate the process. The BJP-led dispensation has also failed to implement drought relief measures, he said. Leader of Opposition in the Council Dhananjay Munde accused the BJP of politicising the issue of national security. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing BJP booth workers campaigning for elections despite tension at the border," he alleged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Thursday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for interacting with BJP workers through a video-conference, saying when the entire country was worried over the safety of IAF pilot who is in Pakistan's custody, he was busy strengthening polling booths. The prime minister on Thursday interacted with about one crore BJP workers in 15,000 locations through what the party said was the "world's largest video conference". Kejriwal had earlier urged Modi to postpone his mega video-conference, saying the nation's energy must be spent on getting the IAF pilot back from Pakistan's custody. An IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat Wednesday during which the two sides said they shot down each other's warplanes that followed an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes that sparked fears of war. IAF sources identified the pilot as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Speaking in the Delhi Assembly, Kejriwal said the entire country was pained by the killing of 41 CRPF personnel in the Pulwama terror attack but the Indian Air Force took revenge by dropping bombs inside Pakistan. "The capture of our pilot Abhinandan has again pained the country. The entire country is with the government, but the prime minister is busy strengthening his polling booths," the chief minister said. Pakistan Prime Minster Imran Khan Thursday announced that IAF's captured pilot Abhinandan will be released on Friday as a gesture of peace and the "first step" to open negotiations with India. BJP MLAs OP Sharma and Manjinder Singh Sirsa were marshalled out by Speaker Ram Niwas Goel for interrupting the chief minister's speech. "I have got many phone calls. People are saying the prime minister should think about the release of the air force pilot instead of strengthening his booths," he said. Referring to BJP Karnataka chief B S Yeddyurappa's remark that India's pre-emptive strikes on terror camps in Pakistan has created a wave in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will help the party win over 22 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state, Kejriwal said,"BJP is counting corpses, shame on such a party." The chief minister said the country is enraged by what BJP and the prime minister were doing. Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta objected to the chief minister's charges and later, he along with his party colleague Jagdish Pradhan walked out of the House. Kejriwal said the AAP government in Delhi was realising the dreams of martyrs. "I hope the solution to the Indo-Pak problem will be found soon," he said. Earlier, Kejriwal asked the prime minister to postpone his mega video-conference with BJP workers. "I wud urge the PM to postpone this. At this moment, we as a nation, need to spend all our energies and time to get the IAF pilot back safely andto sternly deal wid Pak (sic)," he wrote on the microblogging site while the sharing BJP's announcement of the programme on Twitter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Imran Khan to create an atmosphere of trust and transparency, and work together to uproot terrorism. Satyarthi, who was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with Pakistan's Malala Yousafzai in 2014, appealed to the two nations to exercise restraint, amid escalating tension in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack and subsequent developments. "For the safety, security and wellbeing of all our children, I appeal to the governments of India and Pakistan to exercise restraint. I urge PM Modi and PM Khan to create an atmosphere of trust and transparency, and work together to uproot terrorism in all earnestness," Satyarthi was quoted as saying in an official statement. The child rights activist also appealed to spiritual leaders, media, the youth of both the countries to work with their governments in restoring peace. "I reiterate that terrorism in any part of the world is a threat for all of humanity. Our children have the right to grow up in peace," he said. On February 14, a suicide bomber attacked a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, killing 40 soldiers. India struck a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Pakistan on February 26. The next day, tensions escalated with an Indian pilot being captured by Pakistan as both the countries claimed to have down each other's aircraft. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The widow of slain CRPF personnel Bablu Santra Thursday urged both India and Pakistan to hold talks instead of escalating tensions. She also urged the Narendra Modi government to ensure the safe release of Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, captured by Pakistan on Wednesday. Mita Santra, widowed on February 14 in a suicide bomb attack on a CRPF convoy that claimed 40 lives including that of her husband, said she was not worried about criticism on social media over her anti-war stand. "We should give dialogue a chance instead of war that will lead to loss of so many more lives," Santra told PTI while urging the government of India to make all efforts to ensure Varthaman's return. "I urge our government to engage with that of Pakistan to get back Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman safely," she added. Varthaman was captured following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control in which a Pakistani F-16 jet was downed. The IAF also lost a MiG 21 Bison jet being flown by Varthaman. Apart from the loss of human lives, war leaves an indelible mark on economic and social front affecting the people of countries involved, Santra said. It is natural that the armed forces will have to go to war and make the ultimate sacrifice, but the Indian government must ensure their security, she said. "I want security of the forces to be ensured. All the forces, be it the Army or the paramilitary like CRPF or ITBP, are of the government of India and it is the duty of the government to take necessary measures to ensure their security," she said. Santra said she was not bothered about social media trolls criticising her stand on war, adding that if one person has criticised her, ten others appreciated her approach. Following the death of her husband in the car bomb attack on the CRPF convoy by Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pulwama, Santra had said that war should be avoided as it will snuff out the lives of many more on both sides of the border, leaving women widowed, mothers without sons and children without fathers. "After February 14, nothing touches me. Anybody can say anything, I am not worried," said the mother of a six-year-old girl, who has a masters degree in modern history and teaches in a private school. However, she wondered if those criticising her had a family member serving in the armed forces. "Sitting in their homes, some people are saying so many things, but do they have any of their family members in the Army, Air Force, Navy or paramilitary forces?" she asked. Stating that she has been offered a compensatory job in the CRPF, Santra said she has not yet decided on taking it as the transferrable job will come in the way of taking care of her aged mother-in-law. "I want a job in the West Bengal government as was promised by ministers who visited our house following my husband's death," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron, whose "Roma" missed out on Best Picture Oscar to "Green Book", says people may have been sceptical initially about Netflix's involvement but the conversation has changed because it connected with people the way "usually only mainstream films do". "Roma" was the clear front-runner in the race and bagged three Oscars -- Cinematography, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Director nods -- but stopped short of claiming the top prize, which went to Peter Farrelly's racial drama "Green Book". The choice by the Academy members drew sharp reactions both from the film fraternity and in the media, with critics pointing out at Hollywood's hostility towards Netflix, which is being seen as a market disrupter. When asked to comment about the perception that Netflix's involvement may have cost the film its Best Picture Oscar by Variety, Cuaron had a carefully-worded answer. "In the beginning, when I started this process, I felt that. I had friends and other filmmakers say, 'What are you doing?' It was almost as if I was betraying something. "But I think the conversation has changed. I think most people are recognising that this film is reaching audiences worldwide in a way that usually only mainstream films do," the 57-year-old director replied. Cuaron said the debate around watching films on streaming services and in theatres is "super important" to him but he also believes that theatrical experience is largely focused on tentpole cinema. "For me the conversation about theatrical is super important. I'm a filmmaker. I believe in the theatrical experience. But there has to be diversity. The multiplex theatrical experience is a very gentrified experience. "You have one kind of product with few variations. It's hard to see art-house films. It's hard to see foreign films. Most theatres play big Hollywood movies," he added. The Oscar winner also said that the distribution model also needs to be tweaked keeping in mind the type of film that is being presented to the audiences. "You cannot impose the release strategy of a tentpole film on a smaller film. You may need fewer theatres and longer runs or models in which the so-called window is shorter. We're thinking in one single paradigm. "It's a moment to start opening up paradigms. Right now it's a confrontation between economic models. It's not like one model benefits cinema, and the other does not," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Blade) LGBT groups in the United States working to advance LGBT rights overseas and major LGBT groups in Europe werent invited to the international summit in Berlin on the Trump administrations new global initiative to decriminalize homosexuality, the Washington Blade has learned. Three LGBT rights groups within the United States OutRight Action International, the Human Rights Campaign and the Council for Global Equality confirmed to the Blade they werent invited to attend the event reportedly taking place Tuesday evening at the U.S. embassy in Germany. As far as LGBT groups outside the United States, one LGBT advocate said LSVD, the largest non-governmental LGBT rights organization in Germany, and International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association-Europe werent included, although an LGBT rights group from Ukraine had have a presence. According to NBC News, the Trump administration is planning a global initiative calling on nations to decriminalize homosexuality. The effort seems focused on Iran, which has the death penalty for homosexual acts and has been a geopolitical foe of the United States and the Trump administration. Leading the initiative is U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, the highest ranking openly gay person in the Trump administration. Grenell has chided German businesses for doing business in Iran in the aftermath of Trump pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal. To kick off the initiative, NBC News reported the U.S. embassy in Germany is flying in LGBT activists from across Europe for a strategy dinner on Tuesday evening. Jeremy Kadden, the Human Rights Campaigns senior international policy advocate, said in a statement the new global initiative stands in contrast to the Trump administrations previous record on international LGBT rights. Donald Trump and Mike Pence have turned a blind eye to a campaign of violence and murder targeting LGBTQ people in Chechnya that has stretched on for two years, Kadden said. They have turned away LGBTQ people fleeing violence and persecution and sent them back to countries that criminalize them, and have consistently worked to undermine the fundamental equality of LGBTQ people and our families here at home from day one. If this commitment is real, we have a lot of questions about their intentions and commitments, and are eager to see what proof and action will follow. A State Department spokesperson said Grenell hosted 11 activists from different countries in Europe for a meeting that was an opportunity to listen to and discuss ideas on how the U.S. can advance decriminalization of LGBTI status and conduct around the world. The United States continues to work to protect and defend human rights for all, the spokesperson said. Governments have an obligation to ensure that all people can freely enjoy the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms to which they are entitled. The Washington Blade has sent a follow-up email to the State Department seeking identification of the 11 activists in attendance. A Dalit bridegroom visited a Ram temple at a village in Indore district under police protection Thursday in the face of an unwritten 'ban'. Members of upper castes allegedly did not allow the Balais, a Dalit community, to enter the Ram temple at Aurangpura village. The marriage procession of Ajay Malviya (22) was taken out in police protection Thursday, and security was also provided when he visited the temple, a police official said. Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Ram Kumar Rai said, "We had made adequate security arrangements for the marriage procession and his temple visit." There was no untoward incident, he told PTI. The Akhil Bhartiya Balai Mahasabha had submitted an application to the Betma police station Wednesday, alleging that Dalits were not allowed to enter the Ram temple at Aurangpura. It also alleged that caste-based discrimination was prevalent in the village. Alleging that there had been trouble during the marriage procession of another Dalit man in the past, the organisation demanded security for Malviya's wedding procession. Dharmendra Malviya (32), the groom's elder brother, said, "I have not seen in my entire life any person belonging to my community entering the Ram temple. So this time we decided that my younger brother must visit the temple." Dharmendra also said that when he rode a horse during his marriage procession in 2009, stones were pelted at them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Top US lawmakers have said that the escalating tension between Pakistan and India is "deeply alarming" and asked the two nuclear-armed countries to settle their differences through negotiations and not war. Some prominent American think-tanks have also warned that Pakistan should dismantle terrorist groups in the country to de-escalate tensions or else it can spark an "unforeseen war". Democratic presidential aspirant said, To our friends in India and Pakistan: As nuclear powers, please remember it's your responsibility to the global community to settle differences through negotiations not war. In times like this, cool heads must prevail." The world is praying you will have the courage to work for peace, said Gabbard, the first Hindu elected to US Congress and a four-time Democratic lawmaker. Gabbard till this January was Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus for India and Indian Americans. Congressman Brad Sherman, Chairman of House Foreign Affairs Sub-committee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation hoped that the two countries will exercise maximum restraint. We all hope that India and Pakistan will exercise maximum restraint during the current crisis. Diplomacy is the only path to resolve this conflict, he said. Senator Ed Markey said the heightening tensions between Pakistan and India are "deeply alarming". These two nuclear-armed states must commit to resolving this crisis peacefully, and the US should stand ready to assist. We must not allow conventional tensions to go nuclear, Markey said. Senator Chris Murphy, Ranking Member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, urged the India and Pakistan to convene emergency high-level talks to de-escalate tensions between them. Neither India nor Pakistan can allow this situation to escalate, and I strongly urge both countries to engage in talks and avoid any further military provocation, Murphy said. "The US should not abdicate our diplomatic role here, either. Trump should quickly nominate a qualified to Pakistan who can help diffuse tensions, said Murphy. ALSO READ: Playing with fire in Kashmir Following the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. On Wednesday, Pakistan claimed shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot. Prime Minister tried to defuse the tension by saying war is futile and can lead to unknown consequences while making an oblique reference to the nuclear weapons that both countries possess. Some prominent American observers on South-Asian affairs said Wednesday that Pakistan needs to dismantle terrorist groups and end its support to such organisations to de-escalate tensions with India. They warned that the absence of Pakistan taking such an action can spark an "unforeseen war". "Pakistan Prime Minister Khan is absolutely correct when he says All wars are miscalculated, and no one knows where they lead to. And this is why Pakistan should dismantle every terrorist group in the country. They can spark an unforeseen war, Bill Roggio, editor of Long War Journal said. ALSO READ: Avoid escalation India and even the US had evidence of Lashkar-e-Taiba's involvement in the 2008 attacks. Pakistan has of course done nothing to dismantle its pet terrorist group. LeT thrives in Pakistan to this day, he said. Jeff M Smith from the Heritage Foundation disagreed with the view that the Pakistani retaliation made India look weak. Don't agree with view that recent events make India look "weak." Airstrike was a more robust response to the Pulwama attack than anyone anticipated, he tweeted. What the US and international community has and hasn't said speaks volumes about India's support. And Pakistan's clearly trying to de-escalate, Smith said. Lecturing India on how to defend it's security is counterproductive. Do I hope Delhi shows restraint? Yes. Even more so, I hope the world recognises if it wants restraint from India it needs a more credible plan for dismantling terror factories. Or we'll be back here soon, Smith said as he supported India's stand that Pakistan needs to act against terrorists. Ronak D Desai, India Practice vice chair at a prominent international law firm and expert at the Lakshmi Mittal South Institute at Harvard University, said the US can create strategic space for India to de-escalate the ongoing crisis. Only the US can create this space by recognising India's legitimate concerns and applying pressure on Pakistan to not just release Wing Commander Abhinandan, but to also dismantle terror networks operating with impunity in the country, he said. Private DefCon Warning System, that monitors nuclear threat level for the US, said that while there are currently no imminent nuclear threats against the US at this time, however, the escalation of requires closer monitoring. Reports from all sources we monitor indicate deterioration of the situation between India and Pakistan. Reports of civilian evacuations, constant military activity and movement, maximum alert levels on both sides, closing of airspace - all point to a growing intense crisis, DefCON Warning System said. The Thane Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Maharashtra has awarded a compensation of Rs 12.29 lakh to a 37-year-old doctor who received grievous injuries in a road accident in 2009. MACT member and principal district judge Virendra G Bisht last week ordered the offending vehicle's owner and the New India Assurance Company Limited to jointly and severally make the payment to Dr Gulrez Rahimoddin Mansuri. The claimant, who worked as regional medical officer at a well-known hospital, told the tribunal that he was returning from Lonavla (hill station in neighbouring Pune district) to Mumbai on his motorcycle on November 12, 2009 when a trailer hit his bike on Panvel-Sion road. He received severe injuries in the accident and was advised complete bed rest for six months. He told the tribunal that he spent over Rs 4 lakh on medicines, hospitalisation and other expenses, and lodged a claim of Rs 50 lakh against both the opponents. The trailer's insurer opposed the claim, saying he was riding the motorcycle in a rash and negligent manner due to which he lost control over the wheels and his vehicle dashed against the trailer which was moving at moderate speed. The insurance firm further said no permanent disability was established on record by the claimant. After hearing both the sides, judge Bisht said Mansuri claimed permanent partial disability to the extent of 62 per cent. "But there is no scientific evidence to satisfy the conscience of the tribunal in the absence of evidence of a medical officer for it," he said. But, it is clear from the claimant's evidence that he took treatment at different hospitals for his grievous injuries, the judge said while awarding him Rs 12.29 lakh compensation towards medical expenses, loss of income, pain and sufferings and other costs incurred by him. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "For me, the war is now over." If words alone carry weight, there are hopes that a brutal conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo may draw to an end. The words were spoken by Mado, a hard-eyed child fighter all of 12-years-old from the deeply-feared Kamuina Nsapu militia in central Kasai region. Along with several dozen adults, the young girl marched out of the brush and into the town of Kananga, some 700 kilometres (450 miles) east of Kinshasa, where they surrendered their weapons. There they laid down old rifles, machetes and good-luck charms at the governor's feet following the surprising victory of Felix Tshisekedi who was elected president after December's elections. Like most of the Kamwina Nsapu fighters, Tshisekedi comes from the Luba tribe. With them were two other children -- one aged about 10 who had a red bandana around his head and a large hunting knife in his hand. Red is the colour of the militia, which mixes politics with mysticism and took up arms against Kinshasa in August 2016 after its tribal chief, known as the Kamwina Nsapu, was killed by troops. Since then, the uprising has claimed at least 3,000 lives and displaced another 1.4 million people. The conflict eased off in 2017 and the situation has further improved since Tshisekedi took office in January, ending the 18-year iron-fisted rule of Joseph Kabila. Dressed in a filthy skirt and tattered vest, her feed bare, Mado lays down her amulet alongside a small knife and a red bandana. She was a "Yamama", she explains, a girl fighter who had been encouraged to join the militia by her father. "There were 10 young people. One of us is dead," she said. "Our job was to save our country. Before heading off to war, we went to a tshiota (initiation site) to call on our ancestors for help." Regional governor Denis Kambayi, whose presence seemed to intimidate her, accused the militia of co-opting "young prepubescent girls by giving them amulets". "They tell them that they are invincible," he said. When such children turn themselves in, they are sent to UNICEF, the UN children's fund, which takes them to a centre to help re-educate them. There Mado gets her own brand-new set of clothes and the shot at a very different future. "I want to study," she says. Her dream, she explains, is to become a primary school teacher. Jules Losango, who works at the centre, says children need to educated but often families cannot afford to pay, making them easy targets for recruitment by militia groups. "When we talk to the children, we find they want to go to school. But families aren't really able to afford the fees," he explained. "It's a vicious circle: when a child doesn't go to school and a movement emerges, they join it without a second thought." The government, he said, could reverse that trend by creating well-paid jobs which would allow families to send all their children to school. While the child soldiers want to go to school, the adults also have their demands from the authorities they once fought. "When we lay down our arms, we are not doing it for nothing," said former fighter Guelord Tshimanga, known as "general". "We have to find work for people. The kids should go back to school. What we want is help," he said. And these needs must all be brought to "the head of state for whom we fight," he said alluding to Tshisekedi and his tribal ties to Kasai, home to a large number of Luba. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) / -- - Conference organized in association with WageIndicator Foundation, Netherlands and Indian Econometric Society Growth, Development and Sustainability during times of increasing uncertainty will take the center stage on March 1-2, 2019 at the 2nd International Conference being organized by the FLAME University in association with the WageIndicator Foundation, Netherlands and the Indian Econometric Society. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/522127/FLAME_University_logo_Logo.jpg ) Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Former Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission of India, will deliver the Inaugural Address on 'India's Growth Prospects: Old and New Challenges', on March 01, 2019. The first day of the conference will also feature a Special Talk by Dr. Isher J. Ahluwalia, Chairperson, Board of Governors of Indian Council, for Research on International Economic Relations on 'The Challenge of Sustainable Development with Growing Urbanization'. The conference has attracted research papers from more than 100 institutions of high academic standing and over 200 delegates from academia and industry across India are likely to participate in this unique event. Speaking about the importance of the Conference, Professor Dishan Kamdar, Vice-Chancellor, FLAME University said, "The Indian economy is the fourth largest and one of the fastest growing economies in the world. But even today we continue to face challenges that are all pervasive and are affecting our people in many ways. There is, therefore, an urgent need to improve various development indicators to make the growth process more inclusive and sustainable. I believe that educational institutions like us have the mandate to engage the academia in exploring ways and means to mitigate these challenges." "I would like to thank the WageIndicator Foundation, Amsterdam, and the Indian Econometric Society for collaborating with the FLAME University in envisioning this aspiration of Growth, Development and Sustainability in an era of uncertainty," he added. While the first day will bring to forefront discussions around issues of national interest, the second day of the conference will feature a panel discussion on 'An Uncertain World: Growth, Development and Sustainability' with panelists such as Dr. Ashok Lahiri, Former Chief Economic Adviser, Government of India, currently a member in the Fifteenth Finance Commission; Sri S S Mundra, Former Deputy Governor, RBI; Ms. Pauline Osse, Director, WageIndicator Foundation, Netherlands; Dr. Vikas Chitre, Honorary Fellow and currently President, Indian School of Political Economy and Dr. Amir Ullah Khan, Professor at M Chenna Reddy HRD Institute, Government of Telangana. Over 135 research papers have been scheduled for presentations across 24 technical tracks in 3 parallel sessions ranging from Health, Education, Macro Perspective, Labour and Livelihood, Growth, Poverty and inequality, Energy and Environmental issues, Finance and Banking, Marketing & Branding, International Trade & Relations, Artificial Intelligence & IT, and General Management during the two-day conference. A Doctorial colloquium for research scholars from different institutions is also being conducted as a pre-conference event on February 28, 2019, to help them to become better researchers and work on research projects of national interest. The conference will witness an interesting congregation of academicians and research scholars from reputed institutions across India, industry veterans, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and investors. About FLAME University FLAME University is the pioneer of liberal in the country. It aspires to be the most reputed and respected university in India and among the top ranked universities across the world. FLAME envisions itself to be the University of Choice for students, faculty, industry, academia, government and the larger community by creating an impact through its teaching and research. Since its inception, FLAME has been successful in setting benchmarks - unparalleled experience with its best faculty- student ratio, faculty with great global credentials, association with some of the top international universities, close industry connect, support of an illustrious Board, and creating a strong alumni network. All these are ably supported through the world - class infrastructure and facilities nestled in a picturesque 60 acre green and sustainable campus situated in a valley in Pune. FLAME University has been established as a state private university vide the FLAME University Act 2014 (Maharashtra Act No. II of 2015) of the Government of Maharashtra. The University is recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under Section 2(f), and degrees awarded by the University are recognized under Section 22 of the UGC Act, 1956. Through its four schools-FLAME School of Liberal Education, FLAME School of Business, FLAME School of Communication and FLAME School of Fine & Performing Arts-the institution is committed to develop individuals who value creativity, innovation, determination and enterprise. For more information log on to: www.flame.edu. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Edible oil industry body SEA Thursday expressed concern over a sharp rise in imports of refined palm oil to 2.75 lakh tonne this month from 1.3 lakh tonne in December, saying domestic processing units will be forced to shut if the Centre does not expand duty difference between refined and crude cooking oils. In a letter to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) sought creation of duty difference of 10 per cent between CPO (crude palm oil) and RBD palmolien (refined palm oil) as was prevailing before January 1, 2019. "The import of RBD Palmolein (finished product) is doubled in just two months, thanks to reduction of duty difference from 10 per cent to 5 per cent for Malaysia. As anticipated, our worst fears have come true and nation is flooded with RBD palmolein from Malaysia," SEA said in a statement. The reduction of duty difference between CPO and RBD palmolein to 5 per cent sourced from Malaysia has resulted in RBD palmolein imports more than doubled to almost 2,75,000 tonne in February 2019 from 1,30,000 tonne in December 2018. "Yesterday, we have sent SOS representation to the Union government for their immediate attention to correct aberration. If not done immediately, our domestic palm oil refiners would be ruining in no time," SEA said. In the letter, the association argued that without a duty difference of minimum 10 per cent domestic refineries would be elbowed out of business, resulting in huge loss of employment and increase in non-performing assets. "We, therefore, once again request you to provide 10 per cent duty difference, reduce the basic custom duty on CPO to 35 per cent to maintain the differential with refined palmolein at 10 per cent. "This will ensure survival of the Indian edible oil refining industry, thus avoiding future serious dependence on imports of refined oils from origin countries," it said. From January 1 this year, the government has reduced customs duty on crude palm oil imported from Malaysia to 40 per cent from 44 per cent, while that on refined palmolein to 45 per cent from 54 per cent. As a result, the duty difference between crude palm oil and refined palmolein has come down to 5 per cent from 10 per cent. India imports around 14-15 million tonne of edible oil annually, worth about Rs 70,000 crore, to meet domestic demand. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Ellen Page, who came out in support of "Empire" star Jussie Smollett after his alleged hate attack, says she had no reason to doubt his story as LGBTQ people are always prone to such violence. The 32-year-old actor penned a guest column for The Hollywood Reporter, where she said she supported Smollett as she has encountered many such stories from the people she interacted with. "The conversation around Jussie Smollett has led us all to examine hate violence and its implications and aftermath. I had no reason to doubt Jussie..." she said. The Chicago Police has charged Smollett for filing a false police report after it was revealed that the investigators believe that he may have paid two Nigerian brothers to stage the January 29 hate incident. In the attack, the actor had claimed that he was beaten up by the two men, who also shouted racial and homophobic slurs at him. In her column, Page said it will be a blow to the LGBTQ community if the allegations against Smollett are true. "If this situation was staged, it could make victims even more reluctant to report these crimes. Very real crimes," she added. The actor pleaded that one story should not distract the focus of the people from the plight of LGBTQ community. "While the media and public debate the case and await more information, we must not lose sight of the very real, endemic violence that LGBTQ+ people, people of color and other underrepresented communities face every day. "I ask you not to question our pain, not to draw into question our trauma, but to maintain, wholeheartedly, that hate violence exists. The merits of one case should not and cannot call that into question. The media coverage does not convey the reality and totality of the cruelty and danger we face. This is the story that must be told," Page said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Five members of a family were injured after an LPG cylinder exploded at their house in the early hours of Thursday in outer Delhi's Jwalapuri, police said. A Delhi Fire Service official said a call about a fire was received at 5.26 am after which two fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The injured, identified as Raju (25), Ramu (35), Kamla (30), Payal (7) and Moni (5), were rushed to the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, the fire official said. Raju suffered head injury and Ramu suffered 50 per cent burn injuries while the rest suffered 30 per cent burn injuries, the official said. Police said the incident took place when one of them entered the kitchen for cooking. A sudden spark in the LPG cylinder led to an explosion, they said, adding that a probe is underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Five activists of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) were sentenced to life imprisonment by a special NIA court here Thursday for possession of explosives. Special judge Girish Dixit acquitted five others. Of the 12 accused in the case, Khalid Ahmed and Abdul Mazid were killed in a police encounter in October 2016, prosecutor Yogesh Tiwari said. The special court for National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases awarded life imprisonment Thursday to Abdul Aziz, Javed, Abdul Wahid, Jubar and Mohammad Adil. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 8,000 on each of them. Five others -- Umar, Sajid, Sadiq, Abu Faizal and Irfan Nagori -- were acquitted for want of evidence. Madhya Pradesh Police's Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) had arrested three SIMI activists with a cache of explosives during a raid in Mahidpur area in Ujjain district on January 1, 2013. Nine others were arrested subsequently. Eight hundred gelatin sticks, 540 detonators, a 'gelatin bomb', a pipe bomb and 11 other types of bombs were recovered from the accused. These explosives were lethal and could have caused massive damage, district public prosecutor Rajendra Upadhyay contended, seeking maximum punishment for the accused. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's foodgrains production is estimated to decline by one per cent to 281.37 million tonne in 2018-19 despite record rice output, as the country is likely to harvest lower coarse cereals and pulses crops, the government said on Thursday. The country had produced 284.83 million tonne (MT) in the 2017-18 crop year (July-June). "Total foodgrains production in the country is estimated at 281.37 MT," the union agriculture ministry said in a statement while releasing the second advance estimates for 2018-19. The production figures are subject to revision on account of more precise information flowing over time, it added. The cumulative rainfall in the country during the monsoon season (June to September 2018) was 9 per cent lower than long period average (LPA). As per the data, rice production is estimated to touch record 115.60 MT in 2018-19 from 112.91 MT in the previous year. Wheat output is pegged slightly lower at 99.12 MT from 99.70 MT in the previous year. The production of coarse cereals is estimated to fall at 42.64 MT from 46.99 MT in the previous year. Pulses output, too, is seen lower at 24.02 MT from record 25.23 MT during the period under review. Among non-foodgrain crops, total oilseeds production during 2018-19 is estimated at 31.50 MT as against 31.3 MT in the previous year. Sugarcane output is estimated at 380.83 MT from 376.9 MT. Production of cotton has been pegged lower at 30.09 million bales (of 170 kg each) from 34.88 million bales, while jute & mesta output is seen at 10.07 million bales (of 180 kg each) against 10.13 million bales. India has been witnessing bumper foodgrains, oilseeds, cotton, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables over the last few years, which has resulted in lower prices for farmers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fraud-hit Punjab National Bank has been ranked first among public sector banks in the implementation of 'reforms agenda', followed by Bank of Baroda and State Bank of India, said a report Thursday. The BCG-IBA report EASE Reforms for Public Sector Banks - measures performance of each PSB on 140 objective metrics across 6 themes, including customer responsiveness, credit off-take and digitalisation. PNB with a score of 78.4 out of 100 has been ranked first in the EASE (Enhanced Access & Service Excellence)-index, followed by BoB (77.8), SBI (74.6), Oriental Bank of Commerce (69), Canara Bank (67.5) and Syndicate Bank (67.1). PNB has shown "strong performance" in the parameters like customer responsiveness, responsible banking, credit off-take and financial inclusion. Releasing the report, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said such rankings brings about competitiveness and encourages banks to perform better than peers. Complimenting PNB, Jaitley said: "The bank, which suffered both in terms of finance and transiently, in terms of reputation because of a fraud practice and in 9 months had to set aside Rs 14,000 crore for bad assets, rapidly transformed itself into an evolving institution and after a period of 9 months in last quarter declared a profit. It then emerged as the best performing bank (in EASE reform ranking)". PNB, which was involved in a Rs 14,356-crore scam by Nirav Modi, swung into black in the October-December quarter after posting losses in the three previous quarters. The bank's net profit rose 7.12 per cent to Rs 247 crore in the three months to December 2018 on speedier recoveries and a slide in bad loans. The six PSU banks, which continue to be under the RBI's prompt corrective action (PCA) framework, too have been ranked in the report. These are Indian Overseas Bank (66.7), UCO Bank (64.1), United Bank of India (60.8), IDBI Bank (60.2), Central Bank of India (55.7) and Dena Bank (53.8). Department of Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar said the stress in the public sector banks have gone down following the reforms undertaken by these lenders and all the bad loans are not only recognised but also fully provisioned. "Every year it (EASE Reforms ranking) has to be presented and therefore the reforms agenda is getting institutionalised... It is huge system reboot in which the credit-debtor relationship has changed because of transformative reforms... We are confident we will create globally competitive banks through this process," Kumar said. While unveiling steps to tackle the bad loan problem plaguing the banking sector, Kumar had in January last year said the government would come out with EASE -Index for ranking of banks. This would increase public accountability of PSBs as independent agencies evaluate and rank PSBs annually on reforms. The report said reforms in the insolvency and bankruptcy framework and recovery process are leading to large scale NPA resolution and recovery. The PSBs have recovered Rs 2.87 lakh crore from April 2015 till December 2018, including a record recovery of Rs 98,498 crore in current fiscal till December. Since 2014-15, the government has infused nearly Rs 2.5 lakh crore in PSBs till February 2019. During the period these banks have mobilised Rs 66,000 crore by raising fresh equity capital and through monetisation of non-core assets. "EASE Index makes first ever independent and objective measurement of each PSBs on 140 metrics across 6 themes. Responsive, Responsible, Clean and customer friendly banking to be the new normal," Kumar tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Warner Bros is in talks with director Gavin O'Connor for its new action thriller, "Fast". O'Connor, who has films such as "Warrior", "The Accountant" and "Jane Got a Gun" to his credit, began negotiations for helming the project with the studio after writer-director Taylor Sheridan, who penned the script, failed to strike a deal with it. The story is about a former special forces commando who's recruited by the DEA to lead a black ops strike team targeting drug dealers who are protected by the CIA. Chris Pratt was earlier being in talks for the lead role but it is not yet known whether the actor will star in the film. David Heyman and Jeff Clifford will produce the project through their Heyday Films. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Game of Thrones" creator George RR Martin has revealed that showrunners of the hit HBO show had offered him a cameo in the much anticipated season finale, which he was "tempted" to take up. The writer said he rejected the role as he did not have time to fly to Belfast from his home in New Mexico as he was focused on writing his next book, the long-awaited "The Winds of Winter". "David Benioff and Dan B Weiss invited me to a cameo in one of the final episodes, which I was tempted to do. But I didn't think just for the sake of a cameo I could take the time to return to Belfast," Martin told EW. He also dished that he was set to appear in a cameo at Danerys Targaryen's wedding with Khal Drogo right in first episode of the show. "There was a cameo in the original pilot that was cut. "I was a guest at Dany's wedding. But that was when she was played by Tamzin Merchant so all that footage got thrown out when we recast with Emilia Clarke," Martin said. The author is also on board for "GOT" prequel series with HBO, which will reportedly be called "The Long Night". He has also written a lengthy history of the Targaryen dynasty called "Fire and Blood". "GOT" returns for one last time on April 14. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hamas called for Israel to be held accountable on Thursday after a UN probe said its soldiers may have committed crimes against humanity in their response to Gaza unrest. "The report indicates beyond any doubt that the Israeli occupation has committed clear war crimes against the Palestinians who came out to protest peacefully to demand the right of return and lift the siege," Bassem Naim, a senior official for the Islamist movement that rules the Gaza Strip, told AFP. He called on "the international community to hold the Israeli occupation accountable for the war crimes that it continues to commit against the Palestinians." Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, based in the occupied West Bank, also welcomed the probe's findings. Rights groups including Amnesty International also called for further action to hold Israel accountable after the report. Israeli rights group B'Tselem renewed a call for soldiers to refuse to comply with the army's open-fire rules along the Gaza border. Israel flatly rejected the report, calling it "hostile, deceitful and biased" while saying its actions have been necessary to defend the border. Protests and clashes broke out along the Gaza border on March 30 last year. Demonstrators have been calling for Palestinian refugees to be allowed to return to their former homes now inside Israel, which Israeli officials say is akin to calling for their country's destruction. They accuse Hamas of using the protests as cover for infiltrations and attacks, while rights groups and Palestinians say protesters posing little threat have been shot by Israeli snipers. At least 251 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since March 2018, the majority shot during weekly border protests and others hit by tank fire or air strikes in response to violence from Gaza. Two Israeli soldiers have been killed over the same period. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court Thursday dismissed the plea of AJL, publisher of Congress mouthpiece National Herald, challenging the Centre's order to vacate its premises and said there has been "misuse" of lease conditions. The high court held that the entire transaction of transferring shares of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) to Young Indian (YI) company, in which Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi are majority shareholders, was a "clandestine and surreptitious transfer of the lucrative interest in the premises" to YI. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao upheld the single judge's December order which had dismissed AJL's plea against the Centre's eviction order and had directed it to vacate in two weeks the Herald House in the ITO area in the heart of the capital. "If all these factors are taken note of and a decision is taken by the respondents (Centre) to say that the dominant purpose for which the lease was granted has been violated and there has been misuse of the conditions of the lease, in the absence of mala fides or ulterior motive having been established, the writ court has rightly refused to interfere into the matter. "We also see no reason to make any indulgence into a reasonable order passed by the writ court in the facts and circumstances of the present case," the bench said. It said no ground is made out for making any indulgence into the matter and "we dismiss the appeal". AJL had appealed against the single judge's December 21, 2018 order, after which eviction proceedings under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, were be initiated. It had challenged the Centre's October 30, 2018 order ending its 56-year-old lease and asking it to vacate the premises on the ground that no printing or publishing activity was going on and the building was being used only for commercial purposes. The Centre and Land and Development Office (L&DO) had said in their order that no press has been functioning in the premises for at least past 10 years and it was being used only for commercial purposes in violation of the lease deed. AJL had denied the allegations in the petition filed in the high court. The division bench of the high court Thursday agreed with the Centre's submission, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, that the breach had been continuing from 2008 till commencement of the digital publication of the newspaper on November 14, 2016. It said if there has been violation of the terms and conditions of the lease deed for more than eight years, "we have no hesitation in holding that the breach of there being no printing activity or paper publication for a long period is established". Taking note of the manner in which shares were transferred between AJL and YI the court noted that YI was constituted within a period of about three years, that is, between November 23, 2010 and February 16, 2011. "It (YI) took over the right to recover a loan of more than 90 crores from All India Congress Committee for a consideration of Rs 50 lakhs, thereafter replaced the original shareholders of YI by four new entities including Moti Lal Vohra, Chairman of AJL, and Young India after acquiring 99 per cent of shares in AJL, became the main shareholder with four of its shareholders acquiring the administrative right to administer property of more than 400 crores," it noted. The bench said even though senior advocate Abhishek Mani Singhvi, representing AJL, had argued that there was nothing wrong in the transaction and was legally permissible, "if we take note of the principles and the doctrine for which the theory of lifting of the corporate veil has received legal recognition, we have no hesitation in holding that the entire transaction of transferring the shares of AJL to Young India was nothing but, as held by the writ court, a clandestine and surreptitious transfer of the lucrative interest in the premises to Young India". It said the "so-called innocent or legal and permissible transaction" as canvassed before it was not so simple or straight forward and it only indicated the "dishonest and fraudulent design" behind it. The court said there was no merits in the AJL's objection that no formal notice was issued to the Centre by the single judge or the division bench. The single judge had said that by transfer of AJL's 99 per cent shares to YI, the beneficial interest of AJL's property worth Rs 413.40 crore stands "clandestinely" transferred to YI. It had said AJL has been "hijacked" by YI, in which the Gandhis are shareholders. The L&DO had ended the lease - entered into with AJL on August 2, 1962 and made perpetual on January 10, 1967 - asking the company to hand over the possession by November 15, 2018. In its plea, AJL had also said the digital versions of English newspaper National Herald, Hindi's Navjivan and Urdu's Qaumi Awaz have commenced from 2016-17. The weekly newspaper 'National Herald on Sunday' resumed on September 24, 2017, and the place of publication was the ITO premises, AJL said, adding the Hindi weekly newspaper Sunday Navjivan was being published since October last year from the same premises. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court Thursday dismissed a plea by Congress MP Jairam Ramesh challenging the amendments made to the anti-money laundering law since 2015. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao rejected the plea in which Ramesh said that the amendments were done in violation of the Constitution as they were enacted as money bills. The court had on Wednesday reserved its order after hearing arguments on behalf of the Congress leader and the Centre. It had said the it would consider the petition. In the petition, the Rajya Sabha MP has said that prior to the present regime at the Centre such amendments were part of an ordinary bill. A money bill is a piece of legislation which can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha cannot amend or reject it. The Upper House can only make recommendations which may or may not be accepted by the Lower House. Senior advocate P Chidambaram and advocate Abhishek Jebraj, appearing for the Congress leader, had told the court that the amendments made to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) were "unconstitutional" and "illegal" as they have no relation to the money bill provisions enumerated in Article 110 of the Constitution. "Passing the impugned amendments by way of a Money Bill is grossly illegal and is expressly ultra vires the Constitution of India. Such action bypasses the authority of the Upper House and is a desecration of bicameralism which forms an invaluable part of the basic structure of the Constitution," the petition has said. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Maninder Acharya and central government's standing counsel Amit Mahajan had questioned the locus of Ramesh to challenge the amendments and asked whether he has moved the petition on account of persons who have been accused of money laundering. They had said Ramesh was in no way affected by the amendments to the PMLA and a person affected ought to have moved the court. The government lawyers had also said that there was no public interest in the matter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sakhee Mohmmmad, who lives barely 200 metres from the LoC in Pokhrni hamlet in Laam sector, left his house for the first time in four days on Thursday. Intense shelling and air intrusions by Pakistan jets have left hundreds of people living in villages along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir in the grip of fear. Locals said the nights are the worst as the shelling is the most severe then. "Every night mortar shells fall here. No shell has fallen on our house yet. We don't know when the shells will kill us. We are living in absolute fear," said Sakhee, who has a family of nine here. He said the area is pounded by Pakistan forces year after year, at least for a few days every month "making living here hell-like". In the past week, Pakistan troops have heavily shelled and fired small, automatic and heavy weapons, including 120 mm mortars, in over 60 locations in Krishna Gati (KG), Balakote, Khari Karmara, Mankote, Tarkundi (Poonch district), Kalal, Baba Khori, Kalsian, Laam and Jhangar areas (Rajouri district) and Pallanwala and Laleali (Jammu district) sub-sectors along the LoC. Sakhee said he is sending his children and some other members of the family to safer locations. Like him, Naseeb Singh, a resident of Laam, said women and children in his family have been sent to safer places but he and many others have stayed back to take care of their cattle. However, the intense shelling has left them in a desperate situation. "We are worried war may break out. There is threat from Pakistan jets. There is high degree of anxiety among the people," Naseeb said. Fear is palpable in the villages close to the border in Poonch district as well. Choudhary Hussian Din of Mankote, where two houses were destroyed by Pakistan shelling on Tuesday, said there should be "aar paar ki ladai" (war till the end) as they want a permanent, peaceful situation. "We are dying of the fear and terror each day. Shelling has kept us awake for the last fortnight. Our children and people cannot move freely. We never know when shell will kill us," Din said. Another dweller of Mendhar said former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's 2003 ceasefire agreement with Pakistan had brought peace in the region till 2009, but the situation turned bad in the last few years. "Thousands of ceasefire violations are taking place. It is meaningless. Our lives have been made hell due to ceasefire violations," he said. Arnia (R S Pura) dweller Sudesh Kumari, 42, whose house was hit last year in shelling by Pakistan, said people in his village live under the shadow of death as there is shelling for five to six months in a year. "Every night is filled with horror. We will never forget what happened to us last year," she said. Bira Devi, 70, who has seen India-Pakistan conflicts from close quarters in 1971 and 1965, said attacking innocent civilians was a norm for the Pakistan side. "We have always been sitting ducks. The Pakistan side always attacks the civilians in the area and we become the worst sufferers," she said. Authorities in Poonch, Rajouri, Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts said there has been no evacuation so far and people living along the border have been asked not to move outside during shelling and firing. In various border areas, people have sent their children and women to safer places and the men are guarding their villages and taking care of the cattle. Authorities had ordered a temporary closure of educational institutions in a five-km radius along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts on Wednesday. The year 2018 had witnessed the highest number of ceasefire violations 2,936 by Pakistani troops, in the last 15 years along the Indo-Pak border. Pakistan continues to violate the 2003 ceasefire agreement with India, despite repeated calls for restraint and adherence to the pact during flag meetings between the two sides. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The families of two CRPF jawans of Tamil Nadu killed in the Pulwama terror attack will be provided free of cost life long health care, a private hospital said here Thursday. The families of G Subramanian and C Sivachandran from Tuticorin and Ariyalur districts respectively have been provided "health cards," entitling them for life long health care, the Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre said. The Madurai based hospital in south Tamil Nadu said the free health care includes consultation, treatment, medicines, diagnostic tests and surgeries, if needed, for any medical condition for any family member for the rest of their lives. A hospital release said the health cards were provided to the family members of the two CRPF jawans by the hospital trustees, Dr Kannan and Sakthi Saravanman. "We salute the two CRPF men from Tamil Nadu who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation," hospital chairman Dr S Gurushankar said, adding the free health care was a small gesture to honour the cherished memory of the jawans. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hughes Communications India (HCIL) Thursday said it has received Flight and Maritime Connectivity licence from the government, that authorises it to offer high-quality broadband services in ships and aircraft, within Indian territory. With this, HCIL becomes the first company to be granted the Flight and Maritime Connectivity (FMC) licence in India by the telecom department, after the government notified rules for in-flight, maritime mobile phone services in December last year. HCIL is a majority-owned subsidiary of broadband network and services provider Hughes Network Systems. "The first company to be granted the FMC licence in India, HCIL is now authorised to provide in-flight connectivity and high-quality broadband services to Indian and foreign airlines and shipping companies operating within Indian territory," HCIL said in a statement. The company has already set up a base mobility platform and is in talks to enhance the services in India, it added. The statement did not divulge details about potential tie-ups with specific airlines, likely tariffs, or timeframe in which the services could be available. A source however said the connectivity could be in place in about three months for in-flight services, and before that for ships. Once the alliances with airlines are in place, travellers will be able to stay connected during a flight with internet access and possibly also have voice services through apps during air travel within Indian territory, the source said. The FMC licence has been granted for a period of 10 years, and HCIL will pay spectrum charges based on revenue earned from providing these services, which can be delivered using both satellites and telecom networks on the ground. HCIL will provide FMC services in India operating over domestic and foreign satellites permitted by the Department of Space, the statement said. Since the policy was first published by regulatory authorities in mid-December 2018, it has generated a lot of interest from India's maritime and airline industries and HCIL looks forward to supporting them in the rapidly growing opportunity for in-flight and maritime connectivity services, the statement said. Commenting on the development, Partho Banerjee, President & Managing Director at Hughes Communications India said: "We stand ready operationally to initiate high quality broadband services for both airlines and maritime operators, including having the availability of ubiquitous satellite coverage across Indian airspace and territorial waters". According to Euroconsult, over 23,000 commercial aircraft will offer connectivity to their passengers by 2027, up from 7,400 aircraft in 2017. Northern Sky Research's Aeronautical SatCom Market's 2017 report predicts that by the end of 2019, broadband VSAT connectivity will be installed on one out of every three commercial passenger aircraft and will rise to two out of every three by the end of 2026. Fuelled by rising demand for broadband connectivity, this installed base is estimated to generate over USD 32 billion in revenue over the next decade, as air travel continues its rise around the world. The connectivity needs in maritime industry are also growing leaps and bounds. An increasing number of vessels are looking to stay connected to provide their crew and passengers high-speed internet access, monitoring weather patterns to cut fuel costs, filing regulatory documents, ordering supplies from sea to save time in port, and generating business intelligence. Over 44,242 ships are equipped with Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) in 2018, double the last recorded number in 2013, the Hughes statement said citing data by Comsys. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian Air Force on Thursday displayed parts of an AMRAAM beyond visual range air-to-air missile as evidence to "conclusively" prove that deployed US-manufactured fighter jets during an aerial raid targeting Indian military installations in Kashmir. had on Wednesday categorically said that no fighter jets were used and denied that one of its planes had been downed by the IAF. "There is enough evidence to show that F-16s were used in this mission and is trying to hide this fact. Also, parts of AMRAAM air-to-air missile which is carried only on the F-16s in were recovered East of Rajouri within the Indian territory," Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor, assistant chief of Air Staff, told a news conference. The IAF also showed pieces of the the AMRAAM missile, fired by Pakistani F-16, at the first joint news by the three services after Pakistani fighter jets targeted Indian military installations in an air raid on Wednesday. "The fact remains that one of PAF was shot down by an IAF Bison aircraft," said the Air Vice Marshal. The US had barred Pakistan from using the F-16s against any third country and it was only allowed to operate the fighter in self defence and for anti-terror missions, according to officials. They said Pakistan does not have any other aircraft to deploy AMRAAM missiles. "We can conclusively say that Pakistan used F-16s in the strike on Wednesday," Kapoor said. He said Pakistani aircraft package which was part of the Wednesday's operation comprised F-16s and JF 17s and perhaps some Mirages and that India countered them with Mig 21 Bisons, Mirage 2000s and Sukhoi 30s. Sources said Pakistan deployed around 24 aircraft out of which three came inside Indian airspace. On Wednesday's operation by Pakistani Air Force, Kapoor said the Pakistani jets attempted to target military installations but IAF aircraft thwarted their plans. "The PAF bombs have fallen in formation compounds, they were unable to cause any damage to our military installations," he said. He said there have been many factually incorrect statements made by Pakistan after the retaliatory strike Wednesday including its initial claim that two IAF aircraft were shot down by Pakistan and three pilots were downed. "This figure was later revised to two IAF aircraft and two pilots. The fact however, is that units had reported sighting two parachutes falling in the PoK which were of two F-16 pilots shot down by the IAF Bison. "Pakistan later in the evening changed its statement to say that one Indian pilot was in their custody," he said. He also rejected Pakistan's claims that they intentionally dropped weapons in open space where there was no human presence or military posts. Pakistan will set free captured IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman Friday as a peace gesture, its Premier Imran Khan announced Thursday, a move that came just hours after his foreign minister said the Pakistani leader is ready for telephonic talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions. The surprise announcement also came on the heels of India sending a strong message to Pakistan rejecting the possibility of any deal for securing the release of the pilot and demanding his unconditional and immediate repatriation. Indian government sources also emphatically said the pilot cannot be a bargaining chip. "In our desire for peace, I announce that tomorrow (Friday), and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody," Khan said. The announcement during a joint session of Parliament was greeted by thumping of desks by lawmakers. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who had earlier in the day said Pakistan is willing to consider returning the pilot if it leads to "de-escalation" of tensions with India, said Premier Khan is ready to talk to Prime Minister Modi to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions. "Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to talk to Narendra Modi on the telephone and ready to extend an invitation of peace. Is Modi ready?" he told Geo The pilot bailed out and landed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir(PoK) after his MiG 21 was brought down during a fierce aerial engagement on Wednesday with Pakistan Air Force(PAF) fighters on the Line of Control(LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. As international pressure mounted on India and Pakistan to show restraint and deescalate tensions, American President Donald Trump said the US has some "reasonably attractive news" from the two countries "We have been involved in trying to help them (India and Pakistan) stop and we have some reasonably decent news," he said in his opening statement at a press conference at the end of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi. "I think hopefully that (tensions) could be coming to an end, it has been going on for a long time," said Trump amid efforts by backchannel interlocutors considered close to the two countries to defuse Indo-Pak tensions that spiked after the Pulwama suicide attack by a JeM bomber on February 14 in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. Qureshi said Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al Jubeir will visit Islamabad on Thursday "carrying an important message" from the Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman. In New Delhi, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to India called on Prime Minister Modi. Pakistani Air Force on Wednesday carried out a retaliatory strike across the Line of Control(LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and attempted to target military installations, a day after Indian struck inside Pakistan, destroying the biggest terrorist training camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) said Wing Commander Varthaman was safe and sound. In Delhi, top government sources said the IAF pilot cannot be a bargaining chip and that India will not strike any deal with Pakistan for his release. The sources said India has not sought any consular access to Wing Commander Varthaman as his immediate release is "non-negotiable" and that the onus on deescalating tension between the two countries lies entirely on Islamabad. "We want him back unharmed, unconditionally and immediately. He is not a bargaining chip. There is no question of any deal with Pakistan on his return," the sources added. The father of Wing Commander Varthaman said he was proud of his son's bravery and thanked the people for their support and good wishes. In a statement, S Varthaman, a retired Air Marshal, referred to a purported video of his son after his capture, and said he spoke like a "true soldier" despite being in captivity and that he was praying he would not get tortured in the neighbouring country and return home "safe and sound". The government sources when asked on talks with Khan said Pakistan must first take "concrete and specific anti-terror steps". They also said Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale briefed envoys of several countries including from China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States on PAF targeting Indian military installations, in an aggressive behaviour resulting in escalation in tensions. The sources indicated that Pakistan's efforts to link the release of the pilot with "de-escalation" of tensions with India has not gone down well in New Delhi. They said the Pakistan prime minister has to walk the talk on investigating the Pulwama attack and that India wants immediate, credible and verifiable action against terrorists and their proxies. Pakistan has to take concrete steps against JeM, the sources said when asked about Khan's offer of talks with India, the sources said, adding Pakistan was deliberately whipping up war psychosis and trying to mislead the international community on the situation. Denouncing Pakistan's breach of the Line of Control, they said their air force "specifically targeted Indian military facilities, while we targeted only JeM terror camp". About Wednesday's aerial raid by Pakistan, the sources said over 20 aircraft flew towards Indian air space out of which a few crossed the Line of Control and targeted Indian military facilities. They fired laser guided bombs and narrowly missed our military installations, the sources said, rejecting Khan's remarks that the Pakistani jets did not target Indian defence bases. Defence Ministry officials said Pakistan's claims that its air force did not target the Indian military installations during Wednesday's air intrusion were false. They said the Pakistani jets clearly targeted multiple military installations in Naushera and Rajaouri sector, but their attempts were foiled by the combat patrol team of the Indian Air Force. Pakistani army also shelled civilian areas and forward posts in six sectors along the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts Thursday in which one woman was killed and a jawan injured, drawing heavy retaliation from the Indian forces, an official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan is ready for talks with India on all issues including terrorism, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday, maintaining that dialogue is the "only way" for peace and stability in the region. Chairing a Cabinet meeting, Khan briefed the members about the latest developments in the Indo-Pak relations following the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 and subsequent aerial engagement by the two countries' fighter jets. "Dialogue is the only way for peace and stability in the region," Khan said. "I had made an offer to India to investigate the Pulwama attack and hold dialogue on bilateral issues. "Pakistan is ready for talks with India on all issues including terrorism," Geo quoted Khan as telling Cabinet members. India on Thursday told Pakistan that it has to take concrete steps against the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group before they could engage in talks. A 12-point agenda, including the current security situation, was discussed during the meeting and the ministers of foreign affairs and defence briefed the Cabinet on the Indian "aggression", sources said. The report quoted Khan as saying that he "tried to call Modi last night" (Wednesday). Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Prime Minister Khan is ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Modi over the telephone to offer him peace. Qureshi told Geo that if India gives priority to peace, Pakistan is ready for peace. "Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to talk to Narendra Modi on the telephone and ready to extend an invitation of peace. Is Modi ready?" he asked. "We are ready for every eventuality. If they give priority to peace, we are ready for peace. If they prioritise dialogue, we are ready for dialogue," the Foreign Minister said. Qureshi also confirmed the receipt of India's dossier on the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed in an attack claimed by Pakistan-based terror group JeM. "Let's talk together on the basis of the dossier. I am ready to talk. You want to talk about terrorism, I am ready. You want to talk about peace, I am ready. You want to make it a common challenge, I am ready," he said. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. Pakistan on Wednesday claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot. Later, Prime Minister Khan said that Pakistan will release the pilot as a goodwill gesture. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Increasing exports can lead to better jobs and higher wages in India, including more formal sector employment for youth and women, the World Bank said in a report released Thursday. Labour market policies can help different groups of workers acquire the right skills and ensure that the gains of increased exports are shared more broadly across society, said the report jointly released by the World Bank and the International Labour Organization (ILO). Increasing exports would boost the average wages, according to the report titled 'Exports to Jobs: Boosting the Gains from Trade in South Asia'. The biggest beneficiaries of the wage gains would be the high-skilled, urban, more experienced, and mainly male workers. For low-skilled workers, the shift would result in an increase in formal jobs, it said. "Our research shows that exports can improve the performance of local labour markets and that policies need to be put in place to increase exports in South Asia, while ensuring that the benefits of higher exports are shared more broadly," said Gladys Lopez-Acevedo, World Bank Lead Economist and one of the report's authors. Addressing constraints that prevent people from moving and taking advantage of new job opportunities is important, Lopez-Acevedo said. India grew at a rate of 7.2 per cent in 2017, at the same time reducing the number of people living in poverty. However, most Indians do not have regular jobs in the formal economy and differences in wages across regions and in the quality of employment opportunities prevail. The increasing population also puts pressure on labour markets, said the joint study. In addition, trade has been falling, from 55.8 per cent to 41.1 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product between 2012 and 2017. India's exports are mainly capital-intensive goods such as chemicals and fabricated metals, meaning that the direct benefits for workers have been limited, it said. With the right policies, India can ensure that greater export orientation can boost workers' gains from trade and spread them more widely, so benefiting disadvantaged groups, the report said. "Economists and policy makers need a better understanding of how exactly globalisation affects both workers and national labour markets," said Daniel Samaan, Senior Economist, ILO Research Department and one of the report's authors. "Our research shows that more exports can create benefits for workers by raising wages and reducing informality, but we need stronger policies to ensure these benefits reach everyone in the labour market, and don't leave any groups behind," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and Brunei Thursday signed an agreement for exchange of banking information and assistance in tax collection. The agreement was signed by Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman Pramod Chandra Mody, and High Commissioner of Brunei Darussalam to India Dato Paduka Haji Sidek Ali. In a statement, the CBDT said the Tax Information and Exchange Agreement (TIEA) enables exchange of information, including banking and ownership information, between the two countries for tax purposes. "It is based on international standards of tax transparency and exchange of information and enables sharing of information on request as well as on automatic basis. It also provides for mutual assistance in collection of tax revenue claims between both countries," the CBDT said. The agreement will enhance mutual co-operation between India and Brunei by providing an effective framework for exchange of information in tax matters which will help curb tax evasion and tax avoidance. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fearing an escalation of the current tensions between India and Pakistan, the Pentagon on Wednesday urged the two South Asian neighbours to avoid further military action. Tensions between India and Pakistan rose following the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack. The Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan has been in contact with the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Advisor John Bolton, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford, and Commander of US Central Command General Joseph Votel regarding India-Pakistan tensions. Acting Secretary Shanahan's focus is on de-escalating tensions and urging both of the nations to avoid further military action, the Pentagon said in a statement. Canada also called for de-escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan. Canada is gravely concerned about rising tensions between India and Pakistan. We urge both sides to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any further military escalation, Chrystia Freeland, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, said. He called for a durable diplomatic solution to the existing problem between the India and Pakistan. Dialogue between India and Pakistan is needed to identify a durable diplomatic solution and maintain peace and security in the region, Freeland said. Canada remains steadfast in its support of the global fight against terrorism, the Canadian Foreign Minister said. We are committed to working with India, Pakistan and our international partners in this effort, she said. Following the Pulwama terror attack, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. On Wednesday, Pakistan claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It is necessary to ensure that nothing is done to dent the morale of the security forces, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, asserting that India will live, work, grow, fight and win as one. Modi's remarks came a day after the Opposition accused the BJP of politicising the sacrifices of the armed forces, prompting the ruling party to claim that Pakistan is using its statement to project that India's political leadership is not united in the fight against terror. "We have trust in the capability of our armed forces. So, it is very necessary that anything that dents their morale or allows our enemy to point a finger at us is not done," the prime minister said during a video interaction with BJP workers from across the country. One of the goals of the "enemy trying to destabilise us and carrying out terror strikes is to stall our growth", Modi said, asking people to do their work at a faster pace as India marches ahead on the path to progress. "India will live as one. India will work as one. India will grow as one. India will fight as one. India will win as one," he said, adding that the country is brimming with self-confidence. Amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan with the former launching air strikes on a terrorist camp in the neighbouring country, Modi said the nation's sentiments are at a different level. An Indian Air Force pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat Wednesday. Both sides said they shot down each other's warplanes. "Our country's soldiers are displaying their bravery at border and outside it as well. The country is standing with its soldiers," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's Ambassador to the US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, has said that India will not keep quiet to any act of terrorism and giving "appropriate response" to all terrorism incidents is the new normal for the country. In a first-of-its-kind interaction with Indian students from the various universities from the Greater Washington area, Shringla said that Pakistan needs to meet its international obligations to crackdown on terrorist networks and safe havens within its territory. Forty CRPF personnel were killed in a suicide attack by Pakistan-based JeM in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14, sparking outrage in the country. Following the attack, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. Shringla updated the Indian students about the latest development back home and why India choose to act this way, after the Pulwama terrorist attack. He said that Pakistan did not act against terrorist organisations or its leaders despite India giving actionable intelligence against the 26/11, Pathankot and Uri attacks. "This time, India opted for pre-emptive attack, mainly because terrorists were planning to launch another terrorist attack inside India, he said referring to the daring air strike by Indian Air Force deep inside Pakistan. "By doing so, India ensured that it was a non-military, and in remote area with no civilian casualties," he said. Shringla said that India has been successful in articulating its case with the international community including the US. "The international community is with India," he said. Appreciating the strong support coming from United States, in particular from the White House, the State Department and the Congress, Shringla said this incident has brought the two countries together for counter-terrorism cooperation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israel's attorney general is expected to deliver a much-anticipated decision Thursday on whether to indict Benjamin Netanyahu on a series of corruption allegations, a momentous move that looks to shake up Israel's election campaign and potentially spell the end of the prime minister's illustrious political career. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit's aides say he is prepared to announce his decision after more than two years of intense investigations and deliberations. The aides spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement. Police have recommended indicting Netanyahu for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three different cases. Mandelblit is expected to inform Netanyahu's lawyers he intends to indict pending a final hearing for the suspect, though the exact charges are not yet clear. The hearing is expected to take place after the April 9 elections. An indictment would mark the first time in Israeli history that a sitting prime minister has been charged with a crime. Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert served time in prison for corruption, but had already resigned by the time he was charged. Netanyahu doesn't look to go that quietly. He denies any wrongdoing and calls the various allegations a media-orchestrated witch hunt aimed at removing him from office. He has vowed to carry on and is deadlocked in the polls, 40 days before Israelis go to vote. In a last-ditch effort to prevent the publication, Netanyahu's Likud party has petitioned a court to have it delayed until after the elections. Despite opposition calls for Netanyahu to step down, Likud and his other nationalist coalition partners have lined up behind him thus far, all but ruling out sitting in a government led by his primary opponent, retired military chief Benny Gantz. While Israeli prime ministers are not required by law to resign if charged, the prospect of a prime minister standing trial while simultaneously running the country would be unchartered territory. Mandelblit's decision could either galvanize Netanyahu's hard-line supporters who see him as a victim of an overzealous prosecution or turn more moderate backers against him who have tired of his lengthy rule tainted by long-standing accusations of corruption and hedonism. Either way, the upcoming elections appear to be morphing into a referendum on Netanyahu as he seeks to become the longest serving premier in Israeli history. Netanyahu have been prime minister since 2009 and served a previous term between 1996 and 1999. President Donald Trump, with whom Netanyahu has forged a close connection, offered the Israeli leader a boost ahead of the expected announcement. "I just think he's been a great prime minister and I don't know about his difficulty but you tell me something people have been hearing about, but I don't know about that," he said in response to a question in Hanoi, where he was holding a summit with the leader of North Korea. "I can saw this: that he's done a great job as prime minister. He's tough, he's smart, he's strong," Trump said. Netanyahu rushed back Wednesday from a diplomatic mission to Moscow, and a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, to prepare for his expected rebuttal to the charges on Thursday. The most serious allegations against Netanyahu involve his relationship with Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of Israel's telecom giant Bezeq. Police recommended an indictment in the case based on evidence collected that confidants of Netanyahu promoted regulatory changes worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Bezeq. In exchange, they believe Netanyahu used his connections with Elovitch to receive positive press coverage on Bezeq's popular subsidiary site Walla. Police have said their investigation concluded that Netanyahu and Elovitch engaged in a "bribe-based relationship." Police say they believe there is sufficient evidence to charge Netanyahu and his wife Sara with accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust. They also recommended charges be brought against Elovitch, members of his family and members of his Bezeq management team. Police have previously recommended indicting Netanyahu on corruption charges in two other cases. One involves accepting gifts from billionaire friends, and the second revolves around alleged offers of advantageous legislation for a major newspaper in return for favorable coverage. Alan Dershowitz, a prominent American lawyer, has come to Netanyahu's defense, publishing an open letter to Mandelblit in which he warns that an indictment against the prime minister ahead of elections would undermine the democratic process. "I'm very worried for freedom of the press and freedom of government in Israel if they start indicting people for trying to get good coverage from the media," he told Israel's Army Radio. "I don't know of any other country that has criminalized trying to get good coverage and make that a basis of bribery or any other corruption investigation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israel rejected the findings of a UN probe released Thursday into its soldiers' response to Gaza unrest that began in March last year, calling it "hostile, deceitful and biased." "Israel rejects the report outright," Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement after the probe alleged soldiers may have committed crimes against humanity. "No institution can negate Israel's right to self-defence and its duty to defend its residents and borders from violent attacks," he added, labelling it "the theatre of the absurd." Katz said that those "pushing the residents of Gaza to the fences, including women and children, is Hamas, an organisation whose declared goal is destroying the state of Israel, and is the one to bear the responsibility."The probe was carried out by a UN commission of inquiry set up by the world body's Human Rights Council. It investigated possible violations from the start of the protests on March 30, 2018 through to December 31. "The Commission found reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli snipers shot at journalists, health workers, children and persons with disabilities, knowing they were clearly recognisable as such," it said. Protests and clashes broke out along the Gaza border on March 30 last year. Demonstrators have been calling for Palestinian refugees to be allowed to return to their former homes now inside Israel, which Israeli officials say is akin to calling for their country's destruction. They accuse Hamas of using the protests as cover for infiltrations and attacks, while rights groups and Palestinians say protesters posing little threat have been shot by Israeli snipers. At least 251 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since March 2018, the majority shot during weekly border protests and others hit by tank fire or air strikes in response to violence from Gaza. Two Israeli soldiers have been killed over the same period. Israel and Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the blockaded Gaza Strip, have fought three wars since 2008. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A prominent Chinese human rights lawyer went missing after he was scheduled to be released from jail Thursday following a two-year prison sentence for state subversion charges, said rights activists. Jiang Tianyong -- who had taken on many high-profile cases including those of Falun Gong practitioners and Tibetan protesters -- was one of more than 200 lawyers and activists detained since 2015 in a sweep aimed at courtroom critics of Communist authorities. Supporters of Jiang, who travelled to the No.2 Henan prison where Jiang was held, told AFP that police outside the jail said the 47-year-old lawyer was "taken away" but did not specify by who. "Police officers drove away people who went near the entrance of the prison," said Yuan Shanshan, the wife of human rights lawyer Xie Yanyi, who was also targeted in what is now known as the "709" crackdown because arrests started on July 9, 2015. Jiang's sister and father had planned to meet him outside the jail, explained his wife, but both have gone missing as well and have been unreachable since Wednesday night. "I am angry at the authorities -- China's law is just trash," Jin Bianling, who is based in the US, told AFP. Authorities said that he would be free after his release from jail, which was a lie, she added. "I was hoping and waiting for Jiang's release from prison," she said. "I didn't expect him to go missing after serving his sentence." Authorities could not be immediately reached for comment. The disappearance of Jiang, who was charged with "inciting subversion" in 2017, comes as China continues to clamp down on human rights activists and lawyers in the country. Last month, Wang Quanzhang, another well-known Chinese lawyer swept up in the 709 crackdown, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for "subverting state power". Meanwhile, other rights lawyers who have been released after serving their prison sentences -- like Jiang -- have continued to face restrictions, said Doriane Lau, China researcher at Amnesty International. "The Chinese authorities had no intention to really protect Jiang Tianyong's freedom," Lau told AFP. The disappearance of Jiang's father and sister is not unusual either, she said. Chinese authorities will often threaten an activist's "family and friends before they were sentenced, during the person's sentencing, and after they are released." Nevertheless, many of the wives of the "709" lawyers have actively campaigned on the behalf of their husbands, despite facing pressure from authorities. Last April, Li Wenzu, the wife of Wang, attempted to march 100 kilometres to the detention facility in Tianjin where her husband had been held. In December, Li was placed under de facto house arrest the day before Wang's trial to prevent her from attending. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Towards the end of their lives some 95% of stars evolve into red giants which lose their mass via a "stellar wind". Eventually they end up as planetary nebulae, ionized gas with a central hot star, a white dwarf. Researchers form 14 European scientific institutions, among them the IAC, have detected the existence of a binary interaction which had not been noticed by the scientific community. This new research offers an alternative explanation to the high rates of mass loss which it was thought were present towards the end of the lives of the most massive giant stars. The study, which is published today in the journal Nature Astronomy, show that these stars lose mass at a much slower rate than previously thought. The stellar wind is not stronger than usual, but it is affected by a companion star which had not been noticed until now, a second star orbiting around the red giant. The fact that this process is slower than expected has a major impact on our understanding of how stars end their lives. As a consequence of this discovery we find that the most massive giant star need a longer time to expel their chemically rich interiors into their environment, which affects the enrichment of the interstellar medium, and therefore the chemical evolution of galaxies. The only observatory which could provide detailed information about the disconcerting superwind in the last phase of the lives of the most massive stars is ALMA (Atacama Large Millimetre/Submillimetre Array), in the Atacama desert (Chile)."The data show a spiral structure which show that these stars are not individual have a binary companion" explains Anibal Garcia Hernandez, a researcher at the IAC and at the ULL, a co-author of the article. He adds "The interaction with its companion gives rise to a rather complex morphology, in the form of an incomplete spiral. Previous data lacked the spatial resolution and the sensitivity given by ALMA and did not allow astronomers to find the characteristics associated with a binary star" The interpretation of the ALMA observations has shown in a convincing way that the last evolutionary phase of these old stars is not characterized by a short-lived "extreme superwind" but rather by a "normal wind" which lasts much longer. In other words "old stars take longer to die" or as a slogan "old stars live longer". Now the scientific community will see if the existence of a binary companion could explain the behaviour of other particular red giants. "We thought that many stars lived alone, but we will probably have to change our ideas" explains Leen Decin, the first author on the article, who is a Professor at the Catholic University of Louvain. She concludes "It is probable that a star with a binary companion is more common than we had thought". Scientific article: L. Decin, W. Homan, T. Danilovich, A. de Koter, D. Engels, L. B. F. M. Waters, S. Muller, C. Gielen, D. A. Garcia-Hernandez, R. J. Stancliffe, M. Van de Sande, G. Molenberghs, F. Kerschbaum, A. A. Zijlstra and I. El Mellah. 'Reduction of the maximum mass-loss rate of OH/IR stars due to unnoticed binary interaction', Nature Astronomy. DOI: 10.1038/s41550-019-0703-5 Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. : As part of its expansion plans in Tamil Nadu, Classic Legends Pvt Ltd Thursday opened its new dealership for Jawa motorcycles here. The new showroom adds to the existing Jawa dealerships in Chennai and will be followed by more dealerships in Tirupur, Salem and Trichy by March 2. The brand is aggressively moving ahead with its target of opening 100-plus dealerships and the launch of the new outlet in Coimbatore takes the total count to 65 new dealerships across the country, CEO of the company Ashish Joshi said in a press release. "Ever since we launched, Jawa has garnered an overwhelming response with unprecedented online bookings and we are quite upbeat to offer our modern classics to the motorcycle enthusiasts in the city," he said in the release. Jawa and Jawa forty-two are priced at Rs 1,67,000 and Rs 1,58,000 respectively (ex-showroom, Coimbatore) while the dual channel ABS variants would be priced at Rs 1,75,942 and Rs 1,66,942 respectively, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Financial creditors and home buyers of Jaypee Infratech will meet Friday to discuss the bids submitted by state-owned NBCC and Mumbai-based Suraksha group to take over the bankruptcy-bound realty firm and complete stalled projects comprising over 20,000 housing units. A meeting of the Committee of Creditors (CoC) will be held on March 1, said Anuj Jain, the Insolvency Resolution Professional (IRP) of Jaypee Infratech, in a regulatory filing. In a separate filing, Jain said the lenders have rejected a resolution to "conduct the addition forensic audit of corporate debtor (Jaypee Infratech) from Date of Incorporation till March 2014" after voting process. The filing did not disclose the agenda of Friday's meeting, but sources said it has been called to further discuss the resolution plans submitted by NBCC and Suraksha group. Sources said the settlement proposal of promoter Jaypee group will not be discussed in the CoC meet, but lenders could deliberate on it separately. In the last meeting on February 18, NBCC and Suraksha made presentations before the CoC. Jaypee group promoters were also present at the meeting. Jaypee group's flagship firm Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL) has once again submitted a proposal to the lenders of its subsidiary firm Jaypee Infratech for settling dues worth Rs 10,000 crore. This is the second time in less than a year that JAL has sought to retain control of its cash-strapped subsidiary. The latest offer is almost similar to what JAL offered last year to lenders and home buyers. In April last year, JAL had made an unsolicited offer of about Rs 10,000 crore to settle the dues of Jaypee Infratech. It had also offered 2,000 equity shares each to buyers. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in 2017 had admitted the application by an IDBI Bank-led consortium seeking resolution of Jaypee Infratech and appointed Jain as IRP to manage the company's business and invite bids from investors. In the first attempt to complete the insolvency process, lenders had rejected the Rs 7,350 crore bid of Lakshdeep, part of Suraksha group, as it found it to be substantially lower than the company's net worth and assets. Therefore, the IRP in October 2018 started a fresh initiative to revive Jaypee Infratech on the NCLT's direction. In this round, NBCC has promised to deliver flats to home buyers in four years. It has also offered 1,400 acre land worth Rs 6,000 crore as well as Yamuna Expressway highway to lenders. NBCC has suggested that banks should raise about Rs 2,000 crore against the expressway and provide half of the amount (Rs 1,000 crore) to the PSU, which will utilise this fund as an upfront payment. NBCC will also fund the gap of about Rs 1,500 crore between estimated construction cost and receivables from customers. In contrast, Suraksha group has made an offer of about Rs 20 crore as upfront payment and land worth Rs 5,000 crore, sources said. The Mumbai-based group has promised to complete pending projects in three years. The realty firm has an outstanding debt of nearly Rs 9,800 crore, of which Rs 4,334 crore pertains to IDBI Bank. Other lenders are IIFCL, LIC, SBI, Corporation Bank, Syndicate Bank, Bank Of Maharashtra, ICICI Bank, Union Bank, IFCI, J&K Bank, Axis Bank and Srei Equipment Finance. Jaypee Infratech is developing about 32,000 flats, of which it has delivered 9,500 units. JAL had submitted Rs 750 crore in the registry of the Supreme Court for refund to buyers. However, this amount was transferred to NCLT as per an order of the apex court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court Thursday rapped the AAP government for not granting the requisite sanction to prosecute former JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and others in a 2016 sedition case, warning that it would proceed with the case even without the go-ahead. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Sherawat was informed by the investigating officer (IO) that the state government has not yet granted the required sanction to the Delhi Police to prosecute the accused. To this, the judge said: "You (Delhi police) took three years (for filing charge sheet). Now they (Delhi government) will also take three years (for granting sanctions)... Whether sanction has been granted or not I will proceed with the case." The court had earlier also directed the police to ask the authorities concerned to expedite the process while granting it three weeks to procure the sanction needed to prosecute Kumar and other accused, including former JNU students, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, in the case. On January 14, the police filed the charge sheet in the court against Kumar and others, saying he was leading a procession and supported seditious slogans raised on the campus during an event on February 9, 2016. During the day's hearing, the police told the court that Kumar had organised the 2016 event though permission was denied. It further told the court that co-accused Bhattacharya and Khalid had raised anti-India slogans during the event marking the hanging of Parliament-attack mastermind Afzal Guru and Kanhaiya had supported them. The court, which listed the matter for further hearing on March 11, asked the police to provide it the video footage of the incident for its perusal. The court had earlier questioned the police for filing a charge sheet against Kumar and others without procuring the sanctions. "Why did you file (the charge sheet) without approval? You don't have a legal department," the court had said. Police has also charged Khalid and Bhattacharya for allegedly shouting anti-India slogans during the event to mark the hanging of Parliament-attack mastermind Afzal Guru. Earlier, the police had claimed before the court that Kumar had raised anti-India slogans in 2016 "to incite hatred and disaffection towards the government". It had cited statements of various witnesses in its charge sheet to state that Kumar was walking along with the protesters where a number of unidentified persons were raising slogans during the event. The evidence listed by the agency include report of JNU's high-level committee, statement of varsity's registrar Bhupinder Zutshi and the mobile phone recordings in which Kumar was seen arguing with him over cancellation of the programme. Police had said a video shot by a channel and clips shot by students present at the spot show that Khalid, Bhattacharya and Ashutosh were raising slogans. It added however that the slogans raised by Ashutosh were not anti-national, unlike those by Khalid and Bhattacharya. Khalid raised slogans as shown in the videos and mobile clips, police said, citing a video which shows him saying, "The programme is against occupation of Kashmir by the Indian State. I am making it very apparent that I am not from Kashmir but I believe that what is happening in Kashmir is Indian occupation of Kashmir..." Regarding Rama Naga, whose name appears in column 12, the charge sheet said that he delivered speech with contents against the RSS. On 36 others listed in column 2 of the charge sheet, including Ashutosh, Rama Naga, Banojyotsana, Shehla Rashid and Aparajitha Raja, police said that they were not seen raising anti-India slogans. A case was registered on February 11, 2016 under sections 124A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC against unidentified persons at Vasant Kunj (North) police station, following complaints from BJP lawmaker Maheish Girri and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. The event had taken place despite the university administration cancelling the permission, following a complaint from ABVP, which had termed it "anti-national". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A junior member of Prime Minister Theresa May's government quit Thursday over her decision this week to give MPs the option to delay Brexit, a day after 20 Brexit hardliners voted against her move. Agriculture minister George Eustice said he feared the move "will lead to a sequence of events culminating in the EU dictating the terms of any extension requested and the final humiliation of our country". The Conservative MP voted to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum vote, and backs the withdrawal deal May has struck with the bloc. But the House of Commons on January 15 overwhelmingly rejected the deal, sending the prime minister back to Brussels to change its arrangements for the Irish border. May has promised to put the text to MPs again by March 12 and if they reject it, to allow a vote on whether Britain should leave the EU with no deal, or seek to delay Brexit beyond March 29. "We cannot negotiate a successful Brexit unless we are prepared to walk through the door," Eustice wrote in his resignation letter. May does not want to delay Brexit but altered her strategy after several cabinet ministers warned they would not accept a "no deal" exit. The new approach was condemned by some Brexit supporters in her Conservative party, 20 of whom voted against the plan on Wednesday night. Dozens more abstained in what was seen as a show of defiance, although the strategy was endorsed by a large majority of MPs, by 502 votes to 20. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi BJP hit out at Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday, accusing him of speaking the language of Pakistan over the prevailing tension between India and the neighbouring country. The sharp attack on Kejriwal came after he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being busy with strengthening the saffron party's booth-level organisation at a time when the country was worried about an air force pilot being in the custody of Pakistan. "Kejriwal is speaking the language of Pakistan. He will be given a befitting reply by people for degrading the sacrifice of soldiers," Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said. Speaking in the Assembly, Kejriwal had said, "I received many phone calls. People are saying the prime minister should think about the release of the air force pilot, instead of strengthening his booths." He also slammed the saffron party, saying, "The BJP is counting corpses, shame on such a party," referring to the killing of the 40 CRPF personnel in the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama. The prime minister interacted with thousands of BJP workers through video-conferencing as part of the ruling party's "Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot" campaign on Thursday. Tiwari accused Kejriwal of playing at a time when the entire country stood with the armed forces. "Kejriwal is speaking the language of Pakistan and trying to humiliate the country. He is showing his mindset and behaving like an ISI agent. The people of Delhi will give a befitting reply to him for politicising the sacrifice of our soldiers," the BJP leader said in a statement. Modi had said this was a new India which would neither stop nor bow down and it was the BJP's pledge to bring him back as the prime minister after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Water purifier maker Kent RO Systems is venturing into the car security solution market and has announced to rope in Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan as brand ambassador for the segment. The Noida-based company has plans to introduce its range of automotive security devices for vehicles by the end of the next month, said Kent RO Systems in a statement. It plans to roll out a 360-degree campaign with Khan to promote this product range. "The product, which the company is launching shortly, is an automotive security product. It will target male consumers and hence the decision to rope in Shahrukh Khan," said Kent RO Systems Chairman and Managing Director Mahesh Gupta. He further added that the company would launch the product in the last week of March. According to him, its security system is meant for luxury cars which are mainly chauffeur-driven and owners need to keep a tab on their location. The company is sensing a good opportunity in the automotive security segment, which, it believes, is untapped till now. The product has been priced at Rs 18,000 and will be exclusively sold through online platform Amazon. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Here are some key developments on the Indo-Pak front Thursday: * Pakistan announces it will release Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman Friday. * Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready for telephonic talk with Narendra Modi to offer him peace, says Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. * Qureshi says Pakistan willing to consider returning Abhinandan if it leads to "de-escalation" of tensions with India. * Abhinandan's father says he is praying that his son does not get tortured and comes home safe and sound. * Government sources say India has not asked for consular access to IAF pilot Abhinandan and is insisting on his unconditional and immediate return. * The sources say Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has to walk the talk on investigating the February 14 Pulwama attack and that India wants immediate, credible and verifiable action against terrorists and their proxies. * Defence ministry says Pakistan's claims that its air force did not target the Indian military installations during Wednesday's air intrusion are false. * Pakistani jets clearly targeted multiple military installations in Naushera and Rajaouri sector, but their attempts were foiled by the combat patrol team of the Indian Air Force, according to the ministry. * Prime Minister Narendra Modi says it is necessary to ensure that nothing is done to dent the morale of the security forces. * Pakistani Army heavily shells forward posts along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, drawing retaliation from the Indian Army. * Saudi Arabia's ambassador to India Saud Mohammed Al-Sati meets Prime Minister Modi. * US President Donald Trump voices confidence that the hostilities between India and Pakistan would end soon. * Pakistani authorities suspend Samjhauta Express train service between Pakistan and India until further notice. Indian Railways yet to decide whether to run the train on its side on Thursday and beyond. * US, UK and France move fresh proposal in UN Security Council to designate Pakistan-based terror group JeM's chief Masood Azhar as global terrorist. * Pakistan says it will evaluate with "open heart" the dossier handed over by India on "specific details" of the involvement of the JeM in the Pulwama terror attack and the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror group in the country. * US National Security Adviser John Bolton talks to his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval for a second time amid tense ties between India and Pakistan. * Budget session of Maharashtra assembly cut short by two days in the backdrop of high alert in Mumbai amid rising Indo-Pak tensions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Human rights activist Sudha Bharadwaj's lawyer on Thursday questioned the veracity of the letters and other documents the Pune Police has claimed to have seized during the probe of the Elgar Parishad-Maoist connection case. Bharadwaj, arrested in the case in August last year, has filed a bail application in the Bombay High Court. Her lawyer, senior advocate Yug Chaudhry, argued before the bench of Justice N W Sambre that these documents were not legally valid evidence. They were typed and not handwritten, did not bear signatures, and "there is no way to verify their authenticity and source," he said. "On the basis of such documents that were found on someone else's computer and that cannot pass the test of the Evidence Act, how can the police keep me (Bharadwaj) behind bars and label me a Maoist?," Chaudhry asked. Aruna Pai, representing the police, contended that they had ample evidence to prove Bharadwaj's links with Maoist organisations. She was "part of a conspiracy" and therefore, it did not matter that the documentary evidence was found not at her house but at a co-accused's house, Pai said. Bharadwaj was an office-bearer of organisations such as the Indian Association for People's Lawyers and the Persecuted Prisoners' Solidarity Society, which should be considered as incriminating evidence against her, the government lawyer said. The police had earlier contended that these were front organisations of Maoists. Chaudhry, however, pointed out that none of these organisations were declared as illegal or banned. Justice Sambre is likely to pass the order on Bharadwaj's bail plea on March 11. According to the police, speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017 led to violence near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial in Pune district the next day. The police have claimed that the conclave was funded by Maoists. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Australia's Nick Kyrgios survived three match points to beat top-seeded Rafael Nadal 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (8/6) on Wednesday and reach the quarter-finals of the Mexico Open. It was a bravura finish to a drama-filled match in which Nadal, playing his first tournament since falling to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final, had three chances to close it out after taking a 6-3 lead in the third-set tiebreaker. Kyrgios saved the first with a leaping drop shot, and the second with a net-skimming volley. Nadal was just wide with a passing shot to make it 6-6, double-faulted to give Kyrgios a chance and sailed a backhand long to end the match after three hours and three minutes. Kyrgios screamed and dropped to the court in celebration -- a conclusion that seemed unlikely when he complained to a trainer after the opening set that he was feeling ill but feared the fallout should he retire. Kyrgios steeled himself to continue, and distractions seemed forgotten as he became absorbed in the battle against the 17-time Grand Slam champion. Down 0-40 in the ninth game of the second set, Kyrgios saved four break points to keep the set on serve and raced to a 5-0 lead in the tiebreaker. Kyrgios, who received treatment on his lower back before the start of the third, was in trouble again in the sixth game, but fought off five break points to stay on terms and push it to the decisive tiebreaker. Kyrgios leveled his head-to-head record with Nadal at 3-3 and will play three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka for a place in the semi-finals. Switzerland's Wawrinka, seeded third, belted 32 winners in a 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 victory over American Steve Johnson. Women's top seed Sloane Stephens also bowed out Wednesday, stunned by Brazilian qualifier Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3, 6-3. Haddad Maia's victory over the fourth-ranked American was her first over a top-10 player in seven opportunities. "It was just a tough match, obviously she played well," said Stephens, who is playing in Acapulco for the first time since winning the 2016 title. "A tough day. But I'm not too sad about it. "I'm just going to go back and work some more, practice some more and get ready for Indian Wells." Haddad Maia, 22, next faces China's Want Yafan, who was leading Monica Puig 4-1 when the Puerto Rican retired with an injury. Former world number one Victoria Azarenka of Belarus sailed into the quarter-finals, downing Tatjana Maria 6-2, 6-1. Azarenka fired 20 winners to Maria's 10, and took full advantage of the German's 28 unforced errors. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The budget session of Maharashtra Legislature was Thursday cut short by two days in the backdrop of high alert in Mumbai amid rising Indo-Pak tensions. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed the Assembly said the decision was taken to ease the pressure on the around 6,000 police personnel on session security duty. The decision to curtail the session was not a panic reaction, Fadnavis said. The next legislature session will be held in Mumbai on June 17. "I would like to tell people of the state that 6,000 police personnel are on 'bandobast' (security) duty during the legislature session. There are many important installations in this area. These policemen need to be released for maintaining security and law and order in Mumbai and elsewhere," he said. As per the feedback from police, they need more force to be vigilant as Mumbai is the country's financial capital, the chief minister said. "The Indian Air Force (IAF) is capable of guarding our borders amid escalation of tensions after the Pulwama terror attack and air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan. Internal security is also important and we need to be vigilant," he said. Fadnavis said senior police personnel, including state director general of police and Mumbai police commissioner, along with intelligence and other law and order officials discussed the need to be vigilant during a meeting with him here Wednesday. "We also discussed the issue at an all-party meeting Thursday morning," he said. Fadnavis said it was unanimously decided to curtail the session so that police force engaged in session duty was released for maintainingthe internal security. "There is no need to panic and the police are taking appropriate steps," he said. Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil supported the chief minister. In the next two days, the House was to debate the drought situation in the state, but national and internal security are more important, he said. Members from the NCP, Shiv Sena and PWP also spoke in favour of the chief minister's statement. Jayant Patil of NCP said the House should pass a resolution demandingimmediate release of IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, captured by Pakistan after an air combat on Wednesday. "The IAF pilot should be treated with dignity and returned to India," he said. Fadnavis moved a one-line motion demanding release of the IAF officer and that he be treated with dignity as per the UN convention. The motion was passed by the members with thumping of desks. State Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Wednesday presented an interim budget for 2019-20 having an estimated revenue deficit of Rs 19,784 crore and provision of special fund for farm loan waiver. The vote-on-account, which has budgetary provisions for four months of the next financial year (from April to July this year), was passed by the Assembly on Thursday without any debate. In 1992, the winter session of the state legislature was curtailed when riots broke out in Mumbai following the Babri mosque demolition. In 2008, the winter session scheduled to be held in Nagpur was postponed after the terror attacks in Mumbai in November that year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid reports of differences with its ally BJP, Apna Dal (Sonelal) chief Ashish Singh Patel Thursday said he had a "positive" meeting with Amit Shah, but all options were open if a certain section of saffron party leaders "do not change their attitude". Ashish Singh Patel, the husband of Union Minister Anupriya Patel, had met BJP national president Amit Shah at New Delhi on Wednesday. "We have put up various issues before Shah. Overall, the meeting was positive," he told PTI, adding the talks were regarding the "problems" his party was facing with the BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit. Anupriya Patel had last week accused the BJP of "apparently not taking care of its allies" and said that her party was "free to take its own decisions" regarding the upcoming general elections. "Some differences cropped up between the Apna Dal and the BJP. We had given them time till February 20 to resolve the issues, but there is no answer from the BJP. It appears they are not interested in taking care of their allies," Apna Dal leader and Union Minister Anupriya Patel had told reporters in Bareilly last week. "Now, the Apna Dal is free to make its own decision. A party meeting has been called to chalk out our future course of action," she had said. On Thursday, Ashish Singh Patel alleged that a section of BJP leaders did not want Apna Dal (Sonelal) stay in alliance with the saffron party. "This section used to create many problems for us. If they do not change attitude our options are open," he said. Ashish Singh Patel said a meeting of all the office-bearers of his party, which was supposed to be held in the state capital on Thursday, has been rescheduled due to India-Pakistan tensions. "Our party demands appointment of Dalits and (people belonging to backward communities on 50 per cent police stations of the state besides giving either DM or SP post in districts to these category officers. Our party workers should be considered in appointment in various state corporations," he said. He refuted reports of Anupriya Patel meeting Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as "baseless". Apna Dal, a crucial ally of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, had won two seats -- Mirzapur and Pratapgarh -- in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Post India's air strike on terror camps in Pakistan, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's detractors would now admit that "chowkidar sher hai" (watchman is a lion). Addressing a BJP programme at Derabis in Kendrapara district, Pradhan said those who questioned the ability of the 'Chowkidar' hailed the Indian Air Force (IAF) which, in turn, praised the prime minister. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has time and again jibed at Modi as "chowkidar chor hai" in the context of the Rafale fighter jet deal. The origin of the line dates back to the run-up of the 2014 general elections when Modi had promised to work as a 'chowkidar' to guard the people's money and their trust once elected to the top office. The Union Petroleum minister also said that some people were asking where was Modi's 56-inch chest, immediately after the Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel. In less than 15 days of the incident, Indian forces entered into Pakistan air space and eliminated more than 300 terrorists, he said. "The people who were raising the question on the 56-inch chest hailed Indian Air Force (IAF) which in turn praised Modi. The IAF has downed a flight of Pakistan," Pradhan said. "The Indian pilot, who is in captivity of Pakistan, will soon return home safely," he added. It is for the first time after the war in the 1970s that the Indian force crossed the Line of Control and the PM has already said that Pakistan will be taught a lesson and has to "bite the dust", he added. Pradhan also said that Odisha was second to none when it came to making sacrifices for the nation. "Two of our Odia jawans have laid down their lives in the Pulwama incident," Pradhan pointed out. Referring to the alleged manhandling of one of the relatives of the slain CRPF jawan Manoj Kumar Behera at the funeral by a ruling BJD MLA, Pradhan said the people who were shedding "crocodile tears" over the martyrdom of the jawan, were exposed. "The incident (manhandling of the slain jawan's kin) has brought shame for Odisha," Pradhan said criticising the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. "The video footage of the incident has been shown in the Pakistan television channel," he added. The minister also called upon the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and leaders to work tirelessly for the upcoming elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid the rising tensions between India and Pakistan, newly-appointed Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Barve on Thursday assured the city was safe but asked citizens to remain alert. Barve, a 1987-batch IPS officer, took over the top post in the metropolis from Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, who has been appointed Maharashtra's Director General of Police. Speaking to media persons after taking charge, Barve said the city's security was his top priority. "I want to assure Mumbaikars that they are safe, the city is safe and will remain safe," he said. He said Mumbai Police force is for the safety and security of city residents, and maintaining law and order and protecting children, women and senior citizens are also its priority. "I want to appeal to the police and city residents to remain alert and vigilant. If there is anything suspicious, people should alert the police," Barve said. He also said that the city police will make all efforts to curb the rising cyber crimes and economic offences. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ANaxalwas gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Thursday, police said. The skirmish took place around 9 am at a forest in Singhanmadgu village, located around 500 km from the capital Raipur, Superintendent of Police Jitendra Shukla told PTI. Acting on inputs about thepresence of ultras in Kistaram and Chintagufa areas, various joint teams of the Special Task Force (STF), the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and CRPF's specialised CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) unit were dispatched from different locations. When one of the patrolling teams was cordoning off the forest of Singhanmadgu, a group of armed ultras fired at the security personnel, leading to the gun-battle, he said. After guns fell silent, the body of a male rebel and Naxal-related material were recovered from the spot, he said. Further details are awaited as the operation was still underway in the area, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nearly 50 per cent of the country is currently facing with at least 16 per cent falling in the "exceptional" or "extreme" category, according to IIT Gandhinagar scientists managing India's real-time prediction system. This ongoing will pose a lot of challenges in water availability this summer, Vimal Mishra, associate professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) here, told PTI. The real-time monitoring system run by his team, which includes PhD student Amardeep Tiwari, collects weather and precipitation data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which is then used to simulate soil moisture and other factors that contribute to drought. The results of the simulations, prepared by the Water and Climate Lab at IIT Gandhinagar, are available on the website of the India Meteorological Department (IMD). "About 47 per cent of the country is facing drought -- with 16 per cent facing extreme, or exceptional category of drought -- which we show from our real-time monitoring system that we have developed for the country," said Mishra, who heads the lab. "Arunachal Pradesh did not get good rain this year, and parts of Jharkhand, southern Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and northern part of Tamil Nadu are under drought," Mishra said. If these areas experience very hot summer before the onset of monsoon, it could lead to a crisis, he warned. According to him, the continuing drought will further burden the already depleting groundwater resources of the country. "We are not enhancing groundwater recharge. On the other hand, drought conditions are making us extract more and more water," he said. While famine-like conditions are not expected, the drought will have a massive impact on the economy. "It can create long-term stress, if not mortality for poor, marginalised farmers," Mishra said. The scientist said global warming and climate change are likely to exacerbate drought in the coming years. "If our groundwater is not recharged and managed sustainably, we could face a very difficult situation in the coming years," Mishra said, adding that groundwater is being used irresponsibly at present. "You can reduce groundwater by selecting appropriate crops. If we already have depleted groundwater we should not grow water-intensive crops. For example, Punjab should not be growing rice," Mishra said. "The government needs to take some tough decisions as far as ground water, and water conservation is concerned," Mishra said. Conserving water in urban homes is just a drop in the bucket compared to steps that can be taken in the sector, he said. "Of course, conservation should be encouraged at every level, but the elephant in the room is Eighty per cent of our total fresh water is used in sites, rather than residential sites," he said. He also stressed the need to equip ourselves better to tackle a drought situation, "The government thinks drought is a reactive situation, that they will provide a relief only once there is a crisis But with the data available they can take proactive measures to prevent a water crisis," Mishra said. US President Donald Trump has not agreed to another summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, he said Thursday after their second meeting ended in Hanoi with no concrete progress and no deal on denuclearisation. When asked if a third summit had been agreed with Kim, Trump told reporters: "No we haven't... we'll see if it happens. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the backdrop of recent cases of building collapse in central Delhi's Karol Bagh, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation mayor Thursday appealed to people to report the civic authorities if they feel their property is in a "dangerous condition", officials said. "On people's request, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation's engineers will inspect the property and take appropriate action," a senior official said. A four-storey building had collapsed in Karol Bagh's Dev Nagar area on Wednesday morning. although no one was injured in the incident. North Delhi Mayor Adesh Gupta has taken cognisance of the building collapse incident in Karol Bagh, and appealed to citizens to report to NDMC engineers if they feel that their property is in a dangerous condition, the official said. Engineers of the building department can come and examine such properties for safety, he said. The NDMC conducts survey to examine dangerous buildings before onset of monsoon in its jurisdiction and takes appropriate action as required, Gupta said. He said this decision has been taken keeping in view the recent incidents of building collapse, so that the safety of buildings and its habitants can be ensured. Wednesday's incident happened two weeks after the deadly fire incident at Hotel Arpit Palace in the same area that claimed the lives of 17 people. On Saturday, a portion of a dilapidated building had collapsed in Karol Bagh. Four people trapped inside the building were safely rescued, officials had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) North Korea is disputing President Donald Trump's account of why the summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un collapsed, insisting the North demanded only partial sanctions relief in exchange for shutting down its main nuclear complex. Trump, who was on his way back to Washington on Thursday, said before leaving Hanoi that the talks broke down because North Korea's leader insisted that all the punishing sanctions the US has imposed on Pyongyang be lifted without the North committing to eliminate its nuclear arsenal. The president made no mention of the disagreement as he addressed US troops during a stopover at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska. Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho commented on the talks during an abruptly scheduled middle-of-the-night conference. Earlier on Thursday in Hanoi, Trump had told reporters the North had demanded a full removal of sanctions in exchange for shutting the Yongbyon nuclear facility. Ri said the North was also ready to offer in writing a permanent halt of the country's nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and that Washington wasted an opportunity that "may not come again." He said the North's position wouldn't change even if the United States offers to resume another round of dialogue Trump had said in Hanoi that there had been a proposed agreement "ready to be signed." However, he said after the summit was cut short, "Sometimes you have to walk."Asked about the North Koreans' claim that they only demanded partial sanctions in exchange for shutting down its main nuclear facility, White House press Secretary Sarah Sanders said: "I'll refer you back to the president and Secretary Pompeo's remarks at the press conference" in Hanoi. Mere hours after both nations had seemed hopeful of a deal, the two leaders' motorcades roared away from the downtown Hanoi summit site within minutes of each other, their lunch cancelled and a signing ceremony scuttled. The president's closing conference was hurriedly moved up, and he departed for Washington more than two hours ahead of schedule. The disintegration of talks came after Trump and Kim had appeared to be ready to inch toward normalising relations between their still technically warring nations and as the American leader dampened expectations that their negotiations would yield an agreement by North Korea to take concrete steps toward ending a nuclear program that Pyongyang likely sees as its strongest security guarantee. In something of a role reversal, Trump had deliberately ratcheted down some of the pressure on North Korea, abandoning his fiery rhetoric and declaring that he wanted the "right deal" over a rushed agreement. For his part, Kim, when asked whether he was ready to denuclearise, had said, "If I'm not willing to do that I won't be here right now." The breakdown denied Trump a much-needed triumph amid growing domestic turmoil back home, including congressional testimony this week by his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, who called Trump a "racist" and "con man" and claimed prior knowledge that WikiLeaks would release emails that would damage Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016. Trump insisted his relations with Kim remained warm, but he did not commit to having a third summit with the North Korean leader, saying a possible next meeting "may not be for a long time." Though both he and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said significant progress had been made in Hanoi, the two sides appeared to be galaxies apart on an agreement that would live up to US stated goals. "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that," Trump told reporters. Kim, he explained, appeared willing to close his country's main nuclear facility, the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center, if the sanctions were lifted. But that would leave him with missiles, warheads and weapon systems, Pompeo said. There are also suspected hidden nuclear fuel production sites around the country. "We couldn't quite get there today," Pompeo said, minimizing what seemed to be a chasm between the two sides. Longstanding US policy has insisted that US sanctions on North Korea would not be lifted until that country committed to, if not concluded, complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation. Trump declined to restate that goal Thursday, insisting he wanted flexibility in talks with Kim. "I don't want to put myself in that position from the standpoint of negotiation," he said. White House aides stressed that Trump stood strong. The failure in Hanoi laid bare a risk in Trump's unpredictable negotiating style: Preferring one-on-one meetings with his foreign counterparts, his administration often eschews the staff-level work done in advance to assure a deal and envisions summits more as messaging opportunities than venues for hardline negotiation. There was disappointment and alarm in South Korea, whose liberal leader has been a leading orchestrator of the nuclear diplomacy and who needs a breakthrough to restart lucrative engagement projects with the impoverished North. Yonhap agency said that the clock on the Korean Peninsula's security situation has "turned back to zero" and diplomacy is now "at a crossroads." The two leaders had seemed to find a point of agreement when Kim, who fielded questions from American journalists for the first time, was asked if the US may open a liaison office in North Korea. Trump declared it "not a bad idea," and Kim called it "welcomable." Such an office would mark the first US presence in North Korea and a significant grant to a country that has long been deliberately starved of international recognition. There had long been skepticism that Kim would be willing to give away the weapons his nation had spent decades developing and Pyongyang felt ensured its survival. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An oil trader has been shot dead outside his house here for allegedly resisting snatching by two bike-borne men, police said Thursday. The incident took place Wednesday night after the trader, Bijendra Garg (52), reached the front gate of his home in Nasratpura colony in GT Road Kotwali area after closing his shop, they said. S P (City) Shlok Kumar said the two men accosted the trader, fired shots in the air and tried to snatch his bag containing cash when he was parking his scooty. When Garg opposed, they shot at him thrice and fled away after snatching his bag, he said. Garg's family members immediately rushed him to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead. Enraged over the incident, scores of disgruntled oil traders downed the shutters of their shops in protest, demanding early arrest of the accused. An FIR has been lodged and police teams have been constituted to nab the accused, the SP (City) said. Footage has been procured from the CCTV cameras installed in the area. Preliminary investigation indicates that someone know to Garg might be involved in the case, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday pitched the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as an election to fulfil people's aspirations after his government "fulfilled" their necessities, as he cautioned the BJP rank and file against any "smallest lapse" that may result in a setback like in 2004. The Opposition's proposed grand alliance, which he called 'mahamilavat' (highly adulterated), will send the country to ICU (intensive care unit), Modi said, referring to "corruption and scams" under the previous UPA rule and describing the combine as a mixture of "oil and water" that will leave them useless. In a video-interaction with BJP workers and sympathisers from across the country, he referred to the "experience of Atal ji" to say a smallest lapse may stop the fast-paced development under his government and "ease of corruption" and scams will rule again. The first BJP-led NDA government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee had suffered an unexpected loss in the 2004 polls. Modi said the Vajpayee government's works "went in vain" as the country was pushed backwards under the subsequent Congress-led UPA rule of "corruption and scams". Expressing confidence that the BJP will get to "serve" the country again, the prime minister said one more term for him will make the strong building raised by his government to become "grand and prosperous". Citing the ongoing development works, he said, "If there is any lapse in 2019 (polls), this will all go down the drain." Under his government, he said India has jumped to become the world's sixth largest economy from 11th and he wants it to go up to the third position. "But a smallest of lapse can stop this fast pace of development. We have the experience of Atal ji. We have brought India's rank in the ease of doing business to 77 from 142. A slightest of lapse and ease of corruption will rule again," he said. "Direct benefit transfer has stopped the loot of government money. A slightest of lapse and the loot by fixers will begin and corruption and huge scams may return again," Modi added, asserting that people have not forgotten scams relating to coal block allocations, 2G spectrum and the Commonwealth Games. These alleged scams under the UPA government had become a major poll plank of the BJP in 2014 as Modi led it to its first ever majority government at the Centre. Modi asked BJP workers to contact various sections of society, including first-time voters, and suggested that every booth worker should be in touch with 10 families. The difference between 2014 and 2019 polls is similar to the one between a black and white TV and colour TV, the prime minister said, adding the former was about fulfilling people's necessities while the next five year will be about fulfilling their aspirations. His government has taken fundamental requirements to every doorstep while India also came out of "fragile five" to become a strong economy in the past five years, he said. The journey from 2014 to 2019 was from hopelessness to hope and necessities to aspirations, he said. "2019-24 will be about taking a flight of progress," he added. Under his government, he said everybody can feel a change and all sections of society are full of self-confidence and ambition. People believe that what was impossible earlier is possible now, he added. Targeting the Congress, Modi said its recently elected governments in three states -- Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh -- have begun cutting down on the central dispensation's welfare schemes and denying benefits of health insurance and pro-farmers programmes to people there. When it was in power at the Centre, he said, the Congress put Aadhaar on the back-burner, hampered defence modernisation for "pocketing commission" and did not complete the Rafale fighter aircraft deal. The upcoming elections will be between two political cultures, with one being represented by the BJP which "stands for democracy and honesty" and another by the Congress and other parties where decisions are taken by families, he said. "The BJP gave India two prime ministers and both of them were neither born in big families or had much assets...Democracy is in our DNA," he said. Taking a dig at the Congress, he said the party which once ruled from panchayat to Parliament is now depending on small parties for "survival". Modi recalled that the Congress in its Pachmarhi conclave in 1998 had shown its "arrogance" by speaking against keeping any alliance and asserted that it has now been forced to ally with other parties not to form government but to remain alive. Referring to conflict among the opposition parties, he said everybody knows how the Left had treated Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee and how she as chief minister has been treating its leaders. Expressing confidence that BJP will do well in south India, a region where the party has generally fared poorly except in Karnataka, Modi said it will put up its best ever show in Tamil Nadu, citing its alliance with the ruling AIADMK. Asking party workers to shun negativity and fake on social media, he said they should spread positivity, be honest and precise. The social media has emerged as a democratic platform where everybody can have a say, he added. Top party leaders, including its president Amit Shah and chief ministers of different states, attended the video-interaction which, the BJP had said, would involve over one crore people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Earlier this month, a brewery in New Brunswick paid a special tribute to fallen police officer and harness racing industry participant Sara Burns and her beloved pacer Grimsby, and that project was extremely well-received. This past August, Cst. Sara Burns was shot and killed in the line of duty during a shooting rampage in Fredericton, N.B. that also claimed the lives of fellow officer Robb Costello and civilians Donald Adam Robichaud and Bobbie Lee Wright. Fredericton, N.B.'s Grimross Brewing created a limited-edition pale ale earlier this month named Grimsby Pale Ale. Packaged in blue and yellow cans as a nod to Burns' favourite colours, the proceeds from the beer went to the Sara Burns Police Memorial Fund through the Fredericton Community Foundation. The fund will support mental health & wellness, women facing violence, adult continued education and community safety. The beer, named after Burns' now-retired pacer that appeared in her regimental funeral, was an immediate hit with all 4,500 cans selling out the first day it was available. Steve Burns, Sara's husband said she would have loved the beer, described by the brewery as a pale ale "dry-hopped with Delta [hops], offering hints of citrus with subtle grassy notes" with a measurement of 20 IBU's and an ABV of 5.3 percent. Grimross President and CEO Stephen Dixon said the one-day sellout has never happened for any of the company's other offerings. More than 30 organisations and industry bodies, including Ficci, CII and the Cellular Operators Association of India, have written to the Electronics and IT Ministry (MeitY), urging it not to ban online content related to the Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS). Other major organisations supporting this include Asia Internet Coalition, Broadband India Forum, Internet Freedom Foundation, Data Security Council of India, Heart Care Foundation of India, and The Centre for Internet and Society. The draft amendment to the intermediary guidelines rules proposes new regulations for intermediaries (digital platforms), including a clause on banning online content that promotes ENDS. These entities, in a statement on Thursday, said citizens have the right to access information on safer alternatives to smoking. The submissions form part of the 609-page document. "...(These) organisations have opposed the ban on content related to ENDS citing overstepping of IT ministry's jurisdiction, violation of consumer rights, no legal backing for the action and use of vague terminology that can lead to misinterpretation and overregulation," it added. Vape refers to electronic cigarettes or similar devices that simulate the experience of smoking a cigarette. The statement quoted Association of Vapers India Director Samrat Chowdhery as saying that it is encouraging that many organisations concerned with public health have sought removal of the proposed ban on ENDS content. "India is reeling under a tobacco epidemic which causes nearly a million deaths a year. We stated in our submission that denying people access to information on safer alternatives will, therefore, be highly detrimental and in violation of Article 21 of our constitution," he added. The Data Security Council of India (DSCI), a Nasscom initiative, said the terms and expressions used are ambiguous and may be deemed unconstitutional. Amnesty India said it "is concerned that the rules use vague and overly broad terms to identify expression that can be restricted, going well beyond both Indian and international human rights standards on freedom of expression". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Pakistani Army Thursday heavily shelled forward posts along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Rajauri districts, committing repeated ceasefire violations but drawing "strong" retaliation from the Indian Army, an official said. This is the seventh consecutive day that Pakistan breached the ceasefire, targeting forward posts along the LoC. There have been fresh ceasefire violations in Nowshera and Krishna Ghati sectors, officials said. They committed three ceasefire violations during the day, officials added. "At about 2.14 pm, the Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked mortar shelling and small arms firing along the LoC in Nowshera sector in Rajouri, violating the ceasefire," the Defence PRO said. They violated the ceasefire earlier at about 1 pm, resorting to unprovoked shelling and firing along the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector, he said. "The Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively," he added. The Pakistani army began breaching ceasefire since early morning, resorting to unprovoked shelling and firing in the Krishna Ghati sector, he said, adding the pre-dawn shelling bout ended at 6 am. In view of the prevailing situation, authorities have ordered temporary closure of educational institutions, located up to five kms from the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts. They have asked border village residents to stay inside their homes and not to move outside amid the shelling. The year 2018 witnessed the highest number of ceasefire violations, numbering 2,936 by Pakistani troops, in the last 15 years along the Indo-Pak border. Pakistan continues to violate the 2003 ceasefire agreement with India despite repeated calls for restraint and adherence to the pact during flag meetings between the two sides. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thousands of air travellers stranded worldwide heaved a sigh of relief as Pakistan announced that its airspace will be fully re-opened by Friday, as the aviation authorities allowed some flights to operate Thursday a day after closing the air traffic over the country in view of escalating tensions with India. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Thursday temporarily restored Pakistani airspace for commercial aviation, allowing some flights to depart. At least three commercial flights departed from Pakistan on Thursday. The three flights included Emirates flight number EK637 from Peshawar to Dubai, Air Arabia G9825 from Peshawar to Ras Al Khaimah, and Qatar Airways QR601 from Peshawar to Doha. The CAA in its latest Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) said the airspace would remain closed until 1 PM Pakistan Standard Time on Friday. Following the announcement, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announce that its flights to Jeddah, Dubai, Madina and Dammam will be departing this evening. After the decision to temporarily open Pakistan's airspace, PIA has taken the decision to fly their UAE and Saudi Arabia bound flights, PIA tweeted. The closure of Pakistan's airspace in response to escalating tensions with India disrupted major routes between Europe and South East Asia and left thousands of air travellers worldwide stranded. Various airlines such as Air India, Jet Airways, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines Wednesday announced they were rerouting their flights as Pakistan closed its airspace. Thai Airways has cancelled nearly 30 flights, affecting 5,000 passengers. "All THAI flights from Bangkok to Europe departing near midnight of 27 FEB through early 28 FEB and from Europe to Bangkok departing on 27 FEB have been cancelled due to Pakistan airspace closure," the airline wrote on its Twitter page. The decision affected its services to London, Munich, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Vienna, Stockholm, Zurich, Copenhagen and Oslo. Singapore Airlines' was forced to direct flights to Europe to re-fuel, while a flight to Frankfurt was cancelled. Emirates also cancelled 10 return flights to Pakistan while Qatar Airways pulled flights to Peshawar, Faisalabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Multan. e Airports Authority of India (AAI) has said that due to the closure of Pakistani airspace, air traffic was significantly heavy over the Mumbai region on Wednesday night. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's claims that its did not target the Indian military installations during Wednesday's air intrusion was false, officials said Thursday. They said that the Pakistani jets clearly targeted multiple military installations in Naushera and Rajaouri sector, but their attempts were foiled by the combat patrol team of the Indian Sources said that the alertness of the armed forces remained at the highest level. They said that the leaves of security forces have not been cancelled, though leaves of personnel holding important positions are being curtailed. The sources also said that there has been no mobilisation of ground forces yet and that some forces are ready to move at short notice. ALSO READ: Playing with fire in Kashmir An IAF pilot was captured by after an air combat Wednesday during which the two sides said they shot down each other's warplanes that followed an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes that sparked fears of war. The aerial engagement between and for the first time since the 1971 war marked a dramatic escalation of confrontation prompting world leaders to urge the two neighbouring countries to exercise "utmost restraint". ALSO READ: Avoid escalation said it shot down an warplane of while it lost a MiG 21 during the fierce engagement between the air forces of the two countries along the Line of Control. A senior judge of Pakistan's Peshawar High Court has been battling for his life after being ambushed on his way to court by some bike-borne gunmen here on Thursday, police said. The assailants opened indiscriminate fire at the vehicle of Justice Muhammad Ayub Marwat in the upscale Hayatabad area when he was going to the court, senior police officer Wasim Riaz said. The judge and his driver, who was also injured in the incident, were rushed to hospital in a critical condition, he said. Lawyers in Peshawar staged a demonstration against the attack and called for a strike. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, police added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Prime Minster Imran Khan Thursday announced that IAF's captured pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released on Friday as a "gesture of peace". The surprise announcement during a joint session of Parliament came barely an hour after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Prime Minister Khan is ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions. As the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif took the floor of the House, Prime Minister Khan apologised for interrupting and said he wishes to announce that the Indian pilot captured by Pakistan Air Force on Wednesday will be released Friday as a "peace gesture". The announcement was greeted by thumping of desks by Pakistani lawmakers. Earlier, Qureshi said that Pakistan is willing to consider returning the captured IAF pilot if it leads to "de-escalation" of tensions with India. Pakistan detained Wing Commander Varthaman following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control when his MiG 21 fighter jet was downed. Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) said that the Indian Air Force pilot was safe and sound. "The armed forces rescued him from the mob that went after him after his plane crashed in Kashmir," the FO said. India Wednesday summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan and demanded immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot who was detained by Pakistan following an aerial engagement by air forces of the two countries. It has also been made clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, the External Affairs Ministry said in New Delhi, adding that it has conveyed strong objection to the neighbouring country at the "vulgar display" of an injured personnel in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan announced Thursday that it will free captured IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as a peace gesture, hours after a strong message from India demanding his unconditional release, largely de-escalating tensions between the two neighbours. Prime Minister Imran Khan's surprise announcement to a joint session of Parliament, that Varthaman will be released Friday, was greeted by loud thumping of desks by the lawmakers. Earlier, his foreign minister said Khan was also willing to talk to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the phone to talk peace. However, India appears in no mood to have talks with Pakistan, saying it first wants action from Islamabad on combatting terrorism. New Delhi had also made it clear that Varthaman cannot be a bargaining chip while demanding his unconditional and immediate repatriation. Though India has secured what it wanted, there was no immediate reaction from the Indian government on the development. "In our desire for peace, I announce that tomorrow (Friday), and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody," Khan said. The pilot bailed out and landed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir(PoK) after his MiG 21 was brought down during a fierce aerial engagement on Wednesday with Pakistan Air Force(PAF) fighters on the Line of Control(LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, a day after India bombed terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp in Pakistan. Reports said that the wing commander shot down a Pakistan F-16 before being hit. As international pressure mounted on India and Pakistan to show restraint and deescalate tensions, U.S President Donald Trump said he has some "reasonably attractive news" from the two South Asian countries. "We have been involved in trying to help them (India and Pakistan) stop and we have some reasonably decent news," he said in his opening statement at a press conference at the end of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi. "I think hopefully that (tensions) could be coming to an end, it has been going on for a long time," said Trump amid efforts by backchannel interlocutors considered close to the two countries to defuse Indo-Pak tensions that spiked after the Pulwama suicide attack by a JeM bomber on February 14 in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al Jubeir will visit Islamabad on Thursday "carrying an important message" from the Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman. In New Delhi, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to India called on Prime Minister Modi, indicating that the country had some role in security the pilot's release. Pakistani Air Force on Wednesday carried out a retaliatory strike across the Line of Control(LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and attempted to target military installations, a day after India's strike on the JeM facility in Balakot. In Delhi, top government sources said India has not sought any consular access to Varthaman as his immediate release is "non-negotiable" and that the onus on deescalating tension between the two countries lies entirely on Islamabad. "We want him back unharmed, unconditionally and immediately. He is not a bargaining chip. There is no question of any deal with Pakistan on his return," a source added. Varthaman's father said he was proud of his son's bravery and thanked the people for their support and good wishes. In a statement, Air Marshal (retd.) S Varthaman referred to a purported video of his son after his capture, and said he spoke like a "true soldier" despite being in captivity and that he was praying he would not get tortured in the neighbouring country and return home "safe and sound". The government sources when asked whether talks with Khan will take place, said Pakistan must first take "concrete and specific anti-terror steps". They also said Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale briefed envoys of several countries including from China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States on PAF targeting Indian military installations, in an aggressive behaviour resulting in escalation in tensions. The sources indicated that Pakistan's effort to link the release of the pilot with "de-escalation" of tensions with India has not gone down well in New Delhi. They said the Imran Khan has to walk the talk on investigating the Pulwama attack and that India wants immediate, credible and verifiable action against terrorists and their proxies. Pakistan has to take concrete steps against JeM, the sources said when asked about Khan's offer of talks with India, the sources said, adding Pakistan was deliberately whipping up war psychosis and trying to mislead the international community on the situation. Denouncing Pakistan's breach of the Line of Control, they said their air force "specifically targeted Indian military facilities, while we targeted only JeM terror camp". About Wednesday's aerial raid by Pakistan, the sources said over 20 aircraft flew towards Indian air space out of which a few crossed the Line of Control and targeted Indian military facilities. They fired laser guided bombs and narrowly missed our military installations, the sources said, rejecting Khan's remarks that the Pakistani jets did not target Indian defence bases. Defence Ministry officials said Pakistan's claims that its air force did not target the Indian military installations during Wednesday's air intrusion were false. They said the Pakistani jets clearly targeted multiple military installations in Naushera and Rajaouri sector, but their attempts were foiled by the combat patrol team of the Indian Air Force. Pakistani army also shelled civilian areas and forward posts in six sectors along the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts Thursday in which one woman was killed and a jawan injured, drawing heavy retaliation from the Indian forces, an official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Pakistan Army said on Thursday that its troops are on high alert along the LoC with all required safeguards to thwart any "Indian aggression" amidst tense ties with New Delhi. The Pakistan Army's statement came amid tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack claimed by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group. "Due to the prevailing environment, the Pakistan Army troops are on high alert along the Line of Control (LoC) with all required safeguards along the Eastern Border in place to thwart any Indian aggression," army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said in a statement. He said that the Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Navy continued to stay fully alert. "During the last 48 hours, Indian troops resorted to increased ceasefire violations in Kotli, Khuiratta and Tatta Pani sectors along the LoC," Ghafoor said. Pakistan Armed Forces are in a state of readiness for all eventualities, the spokesperson added. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot on Tuesday. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. Forty CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on February 14 in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a JeM suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US has asked Pakistan to abide by its UN Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. This US statement came after India on Wednesday handed over to Pakistan a dossier on specific details of involvement of the Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) in the on Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) as also the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror outfit in that country. Forty CRPF personnel were killed in a suicide attack by Pakistan-based JeM in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14, sparking outrage in the country. Cross-border terrorism, such as the recent attack on India's CRPF on February 14, poses a grave threat to the security of the region. We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds, a State Department spokesperson said. ALSO READ: Pak military officials apprise lawmakers about growing tensions with India The Ministry of External Affairs handed over the dossier Pakistan's Acting High Commissioner on Wednesday. It was conveyed that India expects Pakistan to take immediate and verifiable action against terrorism emanating from territories under its control. Responding to reporters questions over the current situation between India and Pakistan, the spokesperson joined the White House and the Pentagon in urging the two countries to de-escalate their tension and avoid military to resolve their differences. The United States calls on India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and for a return to stability, the spokesperson said. We urge both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation, including through direct communication. Further military activity will exacerbate the situation, the spokesperson said. A member of People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI) has been killed in an encounter with the police in Ramgarh district, a senior officer said Thursday. Acting on a tip-off, a team of police officers raided a forest area near Chamaribera village in the district Wednesday night and confronted the PLFI activist and his accomplices, asking them to surrender, he said. The rebels, however, opened fire at the officers, leading to a gun battle between the two sides, Superintendent of Police Nidhi Dwivedi told reporters here. One member of the outlawed outfit, identified as Bajiram Mahto, was killed in the encounter, the SP said, adding that the rest escaped into the dense forest. Mahato, a resident of Laiyo village in the district, served as the regional commander of the PLFI, a splinter group of the CPI(Maoist), he said. He was involved in the murder of trade union leader Baleshwar Mahto, and abduction of Gola block pramukh (head) Jaleshwar Mahto, the SP added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Oncam, the leading provider of 360-degree video capture and business intelligence technology, announced the release of its new and improved Evolution 05 and 12 Stainless Steel Camera line with design enhancements that further position the device as the ideal solution for surveillance needs in the most demanding environments. Oncams Evolution Stainless Steel cameras provide resilient protection in areas where resistance to the elements and compliance to stringent regulations are paramount. The updated Stainless Steel camera design includes: Enhanced aesthetics. The camera enclosure is more compact and aesthetically pleasing, making it an elegant solution for applications that feature high-end architecture. High-level certifications. In addition to the cameras NSF Certification and IP69K rating, the new design adds more certifications that demonstrate its effectiveness in harsh atmospheres: NEMA 4X and 6P: for enhanced compliance in the North American market. 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Our customers require surveillance technology that is set apart from standard video security solutions, and the upgrades weve made create a robust feature set that is designed specifically for a number of critical applications. The Congress on Thursday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "misplaced priorities" and that he was "desperate only for re-election". It also accused the saffron party leaders of politicising the bravery of the armed forces, while referring to Karnataka BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa's comment that India's "pre-emptive strikes" on terror camps in Pakistan have created a wave in favour of PM Modi and will help his party win over 22 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, in a tweet, alleged that the prime minister was "hell-bent on creating a video-conference record" when the entire country was praying for the return of its braveheart pilot. An IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat on Wednesday during which the two sides said they shot down each other's warplanes that followed an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes that sparked fears of war. IAF sources identified the pilot as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. "Glaring case of misplaced priorities! 132 Cr Indians pray for safe & immediate return of India's brave-heart Wing Comm, Abhinandan but Modiji desperate only for re-election. Congress cancelled its imp CWC & Rally today. Pradhan Sevak hell-bent on creating a Video Conf. record (sic)!" Surjewala wrote on Twitter. The prime minister on Thursday had direct dialogue with BJP workers and volunteers as part of the party's 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot' programme through, what the party claims, the "world's largest video conference". Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal also targeted Yeddyurappa saying, "On 27th February B S Yeddyurappa at Chitradurga in a public function said: 'The Indian Armed Forces proved their mettle by destroying the terrorists' hideouts. The impact of this strike will help BJP win more than 22 seats in the state'." "Is this patriotism or crass " he asked. Surjewala, in a tweet, hit out at Prime Minister Modi saying, "The armed forces are taking care of the borders and the Pradhan Sewak the booth. These are the soldiers of power." He also used the hashtag "Booth first or country". "Dear Modiji/ Jaitleyji, Any more questions on politicisation. Regards, 132 Crore Indians," he wrote on Twitter and tagged a report quoting Yeddyurappa that 'pre-emptive' strikes will help BJP win 22 of 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka". Yeddyurappa has since gone back on his remarks saying that was not what he meant. Twenty-one opposition parties Wednesday expressed "deep anguish" over what they alleged was "blatant politicisation" of the sacrifices of armed forces and urged the government to take the nation into confidence on all measures to protect India's sovereignty, unity and integrity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday he will discuss U.S. concerns about Chinese actions that threaten freedom of navigation in the disputed South China Sea with Philippine officials during an overnight visit to Manila. Pompeo arrived late Thursday and immediately met with President Rodrigo Duterte at an air base. He was expected to brief Duterte about unsuccessful talks between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, which he also attended. "We're worried that the Chinese are using their power in ways that will deny freedom of navigation in the region and that's important to every country in Asia, and Philippines included," Pompeo told reporters as he flew to Manila from Hanoi. When asked if the US was concerned about China's actions, Pompeo replied "absolutely," adding that Washington has a national security strategy to address the problem. The long-seething territorial disputes are a key irritant between Washington and Beijing, which has turned several disputed barren reefs into islands with runways and other military facilities. In addition to China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also contest ownership of the strategic waters, where U.S. Navy ships have sailed close to Chinese-occupied islands to assert freedom of navigation. Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Romualdez said by telephone that a proposed move to re-examine the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty between Washington and Manila was also expected to be discussed during Pompeo's meetings with Philippine officials. Romualdez said the Philippines has sought a review of the 1951 treaty, which calls on the allies to come to each other's defense against an external attack, to update it. An initial meeting between Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and a Pentagon official will be held next month in Manila before formal talks begin, he said. In the past, Filipino officials have tried to clarify whether the Philippines could invoke the treaty to seek US help in case of an attack in the South China Sea. Duterte, who took office in 2016, has been a challenge to the U.S. because of his frequent attacks on U.S. security policies and his crackdown on illegal drugs that has claimed the lives of thousands of mostly poor drug suspects. He lashed out at former President Barack Obama over criticisms of the crackdown but has had better relations with Trump, who has invited him to visit the White House. Duterte has revived once-frigid ties with China and sought Chinese infrastructure funding and trade and investment. He has reached out to Russia and once threatened to end the presence of U.S. counterterrorism forces in the country, although that has not happened. "This is a long-standing, deep relationship between our countries and I hope to go build on that with my counterpart Teodoro Locsin and President Duterte," Pompeo told reporters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : President Ram Nath Kovind would be the chief guest at the 25th Maha Shivratri celebrations at Isha Yoga Centre here on March 4. Kovind, along with Isha Foundation founder Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, would also pay tribute to the martyrs of Pulwama by planting saplings at the Isha Yoga Centre, a release from the centre said Thursday. The President would visit the 'Dhyana Linga', the 'Linga Bhairavi Devi' as well as the 'Suryakund', a energised water body that can enhance one's receptivity, before proceeding to Adiyogi where the Maha Shivratri event would unfold, it said. The silver jubilee celebration is expected to be bigger and grander than ever with several well-known artistes performing through the night on Shivaratri. Musical performances by Amit Trivedi, Hariharan, Karthik and other popular artistes, including drummers from Azerbaijan, classical dance performances, folk art and culture and meditation sessions would be part of the nightlong festivities planned, the release said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had unveiled a 112-foot tall bust of Adhi Yogi (Lord Shiva) as part of the Shivaratri celebrations at the Isha centre in 2017. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump Thursday voiced confidence that the hostilities between India and Pakistan would end soon, saying he has some "reasonably decent" with the US involved in trying to help reduce tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. In his opening statement at a press conference at the end of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the Vietnamese capital, Trump said the US has some "reasonably attractive news" from Pakistan and India. "We have been involved in trying to help them (India and Pakistan) stop and we have some reasonably decent news," he told the reporters. "I think hopefully that (tensions) could be coming to an end, it has been going on for a long time," Trump said in his first comments since India and Pakistan both claimed to have shot down each other's fighter planes on Wednesday, with Pakistan capturing one Indian pilot. Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama attack by claimed by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group. The US president also said that there is a lot of "dislike" (between India and Pakistan). Earlier, US National Security Adviser John Bolton talked to his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval for a second time amidst tense ties between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack and New Delhi's air strike against JeM terror training camp in Balakot. Doval and Bolton are understood to have discussed the current situation in the region during the telephonic conversation on Wednesday, official sources in Washington said. US Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan has been working on efforts to de-escalating tensions and urging both Pakistan and India to avoid further military action, the Pentagon said in a statement. Shanahan has been in contact with the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Advisor Bolton, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford and Commander of US Central Command General Joseph Votel on the India-Pakistan tensions, it said. The US State Department also asked Pakistan to abide by its UN Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. "Cross-border terrorism, such as the recent attack on India's CRPF on February 14, poses a grave threat to the security of the region. We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds," a State Department spokesperson said in Washington. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot on Tuesday. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. Forty CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on February 14 in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a JeM suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi made an "urgent" phone call to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to update him about the tensions between Pakistan and India, Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. During the phone call, Wang briefed Qureshi on China's efforts to promote peace talks and reiterated his hope that Pakistan and India would exercise restraint and "earnestly fulfil" their commitment to prevent the escalation of the situation, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Qureshi's phone call came as tensions between India and Pakistan rose Wednesday after Pakistan claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot in response to Indian counter-terrorism in Balakot. "Late at night on February 27, 2019, Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi made an urgent call to State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi to update him on the situation between Pakistan and India," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Qureshi made the phone call after Wang held extensive talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Russia, India, (RIC) Foreign Ministers meeting in the Chinese city of Wuzhen. Swaraj forcefully raised the terror strike issue with her Chinese counterpart and said the Pulwama attack is the direct result of the "impunity and cover" provided to the Jaish-e-Muhammed terror group by Pakistan. Swaraj's meeting with Wang came a day after India destroyed a major Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) terror training camp in Pakistan. China, a close ally of Pakistan has repeatedly foiled India's attempts to brand JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN. The JeM, founded by Azhar, has already been in the UN's list of banned terror outfits. Wang told Qureshi that will continue to play a "constructive role" in easing the current tension. He expressed deep concern over the escalation of tension between Pakistan and India and briefed Qureshi on China's efforts to promote peace talks and reiterated his hope that Pakistan and India would exercise restraint and earnestly fulfil their commitment to prevent the escalation of the situation, the statement said. Wang also stressed that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be truly respected. does not want to see any behaviour that goes against the norms governing international relations," it said. At the RIC Ministers meeting, India won the support of China and Russia in the fight against terrorism as China and Russia agreed to step up policy coordination. Briefing the media after the RIC Ministers talks, Wang said, We agreed to jointly combat all forms terrorism through closer policy coordination and practical cooperation. Especially important is to eradicate the breeding grounds of terrorism and extremism." But at the same Wang tried to cautiously tread a fine line, highlighting that Pakistan, which is its close ally, is also opposed to terrorism. China, Russia and India have reaffirmed our strong opposition to terrorism in various forms and manifestations. At the same time, we believe that Pakistan has always been opposed to terrorism," he said at the joint press conference with Swaraj and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Elaborating on China's stand, Wang said, "on the recent developments between India and Pakistan, China appreciates the statements from Indian and Pakistani friends saying that they will exercise and avoid escalation of the situation." He said China for its part is playing a "constructive role as a mutual friend."As a mutual friend to both India and Pakistan, we do hope that they can conduct dialogue to establish facts through investigation to keep things under control, maintain peace and stability in the region. In this process, China is playing a constructive role not the opposite," he said. Rami Malek, who recently won an Oscar for Best Actor, is in final negotiations to play the antagonist in the latest installment of James Bond franchise. The film will be directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, who came onboard as a director after Danny Boyle exited the project over "creative differences". It was being reported earlier that Malek was being eyed for the villain role, but his schedule on the last season of his breakout show "Mr. Robot" which shoots from March through July, was a hindrance. According to Collider, the actor's team has successfully managed his shooting schedule to accommodate the Bond film. The yet-untitled film will mark Daniel Craig's fifth and possibly the last outing as the famed British spy. Actor Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw will also reprise their roles in the new film. French star Lea Seydoux, who played psychologist Madeleine Swann in Sam Mendes' "Spectre", is also returning. MGM will distribute the film in partnership with Annapurna Pictures. The film will release on April 8, 2020. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) FMCG major Reckitt Benckiser in collaboration with the All India Imam Organisation has launched Handwash Digital Curriculum, which would be executed in 5.5 lakh madrasas covering about six crore children. The initiative will be executed in a phased manner in the madrasas across India over five years, which will focus on helping children build healthy habits, focusing on cleanliness, from early childhood, said a statement. The Dettol BSI campaign would focus on highlighting importance of good handwashing practices in improving the overall health of growing children, it added. All India Imam Organisation Chief Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi said: "As part of this first-of-its-kind partnership, we would include the Dettol BSI Handwash Digital Curriculum in the entire educational syllabus across all the madrasas in India." He further said this initiative would be taken to other countries in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. "Children are the change agents of the society, and this step is going to ensure that we inspire these young minds to inculcate the learning into a habit, through engaging multi-media tools and activities such as animated videos, which would turn them into influencers for others, and nation builders of tomorrow," said Ilyasi. "We will execute this campaign in a phased manner to sensitise about 6 crore children in over 5,50,000 madrasas in India, over a period of five years," said Gaurav Jain, senior vice-president (Africa, the Middle East and South Asia), RB Health India. Besides, efforts will also be made towards increased training and capacity building among teachers at madrasas to ensure effectiveness of the curriculum, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The release of an Indian pilot by Pakistan would be a "very much welcomed step", spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres said Thursday, stressing that the message to India and Pakistan from the world body and the international community is to de-escalate tensions. In a surprise announcement during a joint session of Parliament, Prime Minister Imran Khan said Thursday that captured Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released on Friday as a gesture of peace. Pakistan detained Wing Commander Varthaman Wednesday following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control when his MiG 21 fighter jet was downed. "The reports of the promise of the release of the Indian pilot by the Pakistani authorities would be a very much welcomed step," spokesperson for the UN Secretary General Stephane Dujarric told reporters here. "We would encourage both parties to do whatever they can to de-escalate the situation and this is the message that has been passed on by the UN and by the international community as a whole," he said. Asked whether the Secretary General spoke with the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan amid the escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors, Dujarric said "contacts have been had with both sides at various levels". He did not give further details. Guterres has been following with "deep concern" the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, calling on both sides to urgently take steps to lower tensions through "meaningful mutual engagement". The Secretary General is "obviously, following the situation as we see it even today with deep concern, and the United Nations' message, both publicly and privately, to both sides is to urgently take steps to lower tensions through meaningful, mutual engagement and meet their responsibilities to maintain peace and security in the region," Dujarric had said on Wednesday. Guterres had received a call Tuesday from Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. When asked if the Secretary General is planning to get involved to try and mediate a de-escalation, Dujarric had said "as always", the Secretary-General's offices are "available should both parties or all parties, depending on the situation, agree to do that". The spokesperson said the UN chief, through his contacts and others, is in touch with the relevant parties to pass along the message of the need to take steps to lower tensions and exercise maximum restraint. Dujarric said contacts have been made at various levels between the UN, India and Pakistan, but did not give further details as to which officials in India were contacted. Asked about the UN's role at this point in the situation, he said that the Secretary-General is "kept apprised" of the situation and he is following it. Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama attack claimed by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Forty CRPF soldiers were killed in the suicide attack in Jammu and Kashmir. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. Pakistan on Wednesday claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russia and China on Thursday vetoed a US resolution in the UN Security Council on addressing the crisis in Venezuela, while a rival draft put forward by Moscow failed to win enough votes. The failure to take action on the two competing drafts laid bare divisions among world powers over the way forward in Venezuela, which is mired in a political standoff and an economic meltdown. The proposed US text -- which called for new presidential elections in Venezuela and unimpeded deliveries of humanitarian aid -- won the required nine votes at the 15-member council, but Moscow and Beijing joined forces to block it. Resolutions at the council, which are legally binding, must garner nine votes to be adopted, with no vetoes from the five permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. France, Germany and Britain were among those that backed the proposed measure. South Africa voted no while Indonesia, Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast abstained. Russia's draft resolution -- which urged a settlement "through peaceful means" and insisting that all humanitarian aid be agreed by President Nicolas Maduro's government -- won only four votes: Russia, China, South Africa and Equatorial Guinea. Seven countries including the United States, European countries and Peru opposed the Russian measure and there were four abstentions. After the double vetoes, US envoy Elliott Abrams took an implicit swipe at Russia and China, lamenting that countries "continue to shield Maduro and his cronies and prolong the suffering of the Venezuelan people." Abrams expressed satisfaction that "a clear majority of the council" had supported the US stance. Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia shot back that Washington was staging an "illegal theater of the absurd" by seeking to install opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's president. Battered by economic collapse, Venezuela descended into a major political crisis when Guaido declared himself interim president in January and asserted that Maduro was no longer legitimate. The United States is leading a push for recognition of Guaido, who heads the National Assembly. He is now backed by more than 50 countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Saudi Arabia's ambassador to New Delhi on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting comes a day after tensions between India and its western neighbour escalated after Pakistani fighter jets violated Indian air space in response to IAF targeting a JeM terror camp in its territory. An IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat Wednesday. Both sides said they shot down each other's warplanes. "Dr Saud Mohammed Al-Sati, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to India met PM," the PMO said while tweeting a picture of the two. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman was in India last week. Terrorism and extremism are "common concerns" and Saudi Arabia will extend all cooperation to India and other neighbouring countries to deal with them, Mohammed Bin Salman had said after holding "extensive and successful" talks with Prime Minister Modi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al Jubeir will visit Islamabad on Thursday "carrying an important message" from the Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman. Qureshi said he spoke to the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, a close ally of Pakistan, on Wednesday night and he expressed his desire to visit Pakistan, the Express Tribune reported. In New Delhi, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to India on Thursday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia visited Islamabad on February 17, where he said dialogue was the only way to resolve "outstanding issues" between India and Pakistan. After concluding his high-profile tour of Pakistan, Prince Muhammad also visited India and held talks with Prime Minister Modi and extended all cooperation to India and other neighbouring countries to deal with terrorism and extremism. Pakistan Foreign Minister Qureshi also welcomed US President Donald Trump's statement on Indo-Pak tensions, saying the US' intervention will prove beneficial for promotion of peace in the region. We support President Trump's statement, Qureshi said while addressing the media after the federal cabinet meeting on Thursday. Qureshi said, "I am glad the US president has noticed the gravity of the situation and decided to intervene." "Pakistan has long-lasting relations with the US, and Washington's intervention will prove beneficial for promotion of peace in the region," he said, adding that, from the first day we have maintained that we support peace. In his opening statement at a press conference at the end of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, Trump voiced confidence that the hostilities between India and Pakistan would end soon, saying he has some "reasonably decent" with the US involved in trying to help reduce tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. "We have been involved in trying to help them (India and Pakistan) stop and we have some reasonably decent news," he told the reporters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court Thursday allowed Delhi Police to arrest Amrapali group CMD Anil Sharma and two directors forthwith in a criminal complaint filed against them. The apex court also directed attachment of personal properties of Sharma and other directors. It said the Economic Offence Wing (EoW) of Delhi Police can also arrest Amrapali directors -- Shiv Priya and Ajay Kumar in the case. A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and U U Lalit said: "We had never stopped any agency from arresting the directors, who are presently housed at a hotel under the detention of UP police." The court is seized of a batch of petitions filed by home buyers who are seeking possession of around 42,000 flats booked in projects of the Amrapali Group. The three directors including the CMD were in the custody of UP police till now as per the direction of the apex court in the case filed by home buyers. Now Delhi Police has been allowed to arrest and interrogate them in a separate case of cheating lodged with its EoW wing. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court Thursday directed the Centre to disburse funds allocated for various state governments to develop infrastructure in subordinate judiciary within two weeks. The apex court, which is monitoring filling up of vacancies and steps taken for upgrading facilities including building sufficient courtrooms, said the funds will be disbursed after the state governments provide the Centre utilisation certificates of funds disbursed earlier. A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices L N Rao and Sanjiv Khanna directed the state governments to submit to the Centre the required documents within four weeks. The apex court passed the directions after accepting the note of senior advocate Vijay Hansaria, who sought directions on the basis of short term measures suggested by him while assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the matter. "We are of the view that short-term measures suggested by the amicus curiae should be forthwith implemented," the top court said, adding that the long-term measures suggested by the amicus curiae would require further consideration of this Court after the central government's response. It directed that all copies of compliance reports submitted by the Centre, state governments and Union Territories be sent to Hansaria. The court has put up the matter for further hearing on April 23. Hansaria assisted by advocate Sneha Kalita, sought directions to the Centre for release of funds within two months of furnishing pending utilisation certificates by the state government and submit compliance report. They said data received from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Tripura and Sikkim showed that distribution of funds was not uniform and ad hoc amounts were given to different states from time to time. In the note, they said there was a need for the Centre to sanction Rs 6.09 crore as central share and Rs 4.06 crore of state share for new proposals to Tamil Nadu. Further, it was brought to the notice of the apex court that there was a need for directions for disbursal of central funds of Kerala for 2013-14 to 2016-17 and Tripura's share for 2015-16 to 2018-19. The court was informed that Sikkim has been provided with entire amount spent on centrally sponsored scheme. It was also told that disbursement of funds by the Centre has reduced since 2015-16 from Rs 900 crore approximately to about Rs 600 crore annually. "Share of central funding has also been reduced from 75 percent to 60 percent (except for eight North-Eastern and three hill states). It is submitted that the Central Government may be directed to increase the amount of funding and share of central funding on infrastructure of district judiciary as they are primarily engaged in administering disputes arising out of central legislation," the note said. The apex court on its own had taken note of over 5,000 vacancies for judicial officers across the country and had directed all the 24 high courts and 36 states and UTs to apprise it of remedial measures. It is also monitoring the steps taken for developing the infrastructure in subordinate judiciary. The top court had appointed senior advocates Shyam Divan, K V Vishwanathan, Vijay Hansaria and lawyer Gaurav Agrawal as amicus curiae and asked them to assist it in dealing with the case. Divan would deal with the vacancies and the processes needed to fill them up in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and the Northeast states. While Vishwanathan would assist the top court in dealing with the vacancies in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka and Kerala, Hansaria would deal with Madhya Pradesh, Madras, Odisha, Patna and Punjab and Haryana. Agrawal would render assistance to the top court in dealing with the issue of vacancies in states of Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tripura and Uttarakhand. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Regulator Sebi has barred brokerage firm Allied Financial Services, its five directors and four other entities from securities markets for misappropriating client securities and other violations. In an interim order, Sebi has also barred these ten individuals and entities from disposing of or alienating any assets, or create or invoke any charge on their assets, without prior permission. Besides, they have been asked to provide a full inventory of all their assets, including their bank and demat accounts and mutual fund investments within five days. Sebi said these entities can utilise their assets only for payment of money and for delivery of securities to clients or investors under the NSE's supervision. The regulator has also asked banks and depositories to ensure that no debits are made in the accounts of the barred entities. The ten entities have also been asked to submit their objections, if any, and details of payments made to their clients within 21 days to Sebi. The order follows Sebi's probe into alleged irregularities at Allied Financial Services Pvt Ltd, pursuant to a preliminary inspection by the National Stock Exchange. The NSE has also appointed a forensic auditor in the matter. Besides Allied Financial, the order has been passed against its five directors -- Rajeev Kumar, Lalit Agarwal, Rajendra Prasad Basia, Awanish Kumar Mishra and Jitendra Kumar Tiwari, as also four others -- namely Money Mishra Financial Services, Money Mishra Overseas Pvt Ltd and two partners at Digi locker, Pankaj Garg and Jitender Malhotra. In its report to Sebi, NSE observed non-availability of client funds worth Rs 94 crore, non-availability of client securities, non-settlement of inactive clients and non-segregation of transaction between own and client bank accounts. It also found misuse of client funds by way of transferring their money to own bank account and making a donation, while payments were made to some clients without sufficient balance in the ledger. Allied was also found to have indulged in dealings with unregistered entities, including Money Mishra entities, and of failing to maintain the requirement of continuous networth and giving disproportionate exposure to some clients. The brokerage firm was also found to be offering assured returns to certain clients and it failed to comply with various reporting norms, among other irregularities. It also failed to do necessary due diligence while opening accounts of clients by not obtaining income details in client registration documents of three clients. Sebi said it has also received other complaints from Finsec Law Advisor, on behalf of its clients Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd and OCL India Ltd, against the brokerage firm for alleged fraudulent transfer of mutual funds and those complaints are being examined. Besides, Dalmia and OCL have also filed complaints with the Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police. NSE, which has already issued show-cause notice to the brokerage firm for violation of its own bylaws, also told Sebi that Allied Financial has made investments in certain properties in Mumbai and Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rescuers have retrieved the second heavily decomposed body of an unidentified digger from a 370-feet illegal rat-hole mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, 77 days after 15 men got trapped inside the flooded coal quarry, an official said Thursday. The body, located 200 feet away from the bottom of the mine, was brought out using the Indian Navy's underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and an NDRF boat on Wednesday, operations spokesman R Susngi told PTI. This is the second heavily decomposed body to be lifted from the mine after it flooded accidentally on December 13, 2018. The first body, identified as that of Amir Hussain from Assam's Chirang district, was pulled out of the mine on January 24. Assistant Commandant of Guwahati-based National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) battalion, Santosh Singh, who has been leading a team of rescuers from the starting day of the tragedy, told PTI Thursday three more bodies of the miners were sighted in last few days but they slipped and vanished in course of being pulled out of the narrow shaft of the mine. "Efforts are on to relocate these bodies and bring them out of the mine," he said from the mine site located on the western side of a small hillock in Khloo-Ryngksan area by the side of Lytein river. The body pulled out of the mine Wednesday was dispatched to the civil hospital at the district headquarters at Khliehriat for postmortem examination, Susngi said. Fifteen miners were trapped deep inside the coal pit after water from the nearby Lytein river had gushed into the mine at Lumthari village in the Ksan area of East Jaintia Hills district on December 13 last year. Apart from the Indian Navy, the Army and the NDRF, the state's agencies are engaged in the operations that began hours after the accident took place. Giving details of the Wednesday operation, the NDRF officer said five persons, four NDRF rescuers and one from Navy, went down into the main shaft number 26. "After all the hardship and our dedicated efforts finally this body was recovered from 200 ft inside rat-hole with the help of ROV," Singh said. The NDRF official said their efforts would continue till the last body was retrieved from the mine. Three companies, the Coal India Ltd, Kirloskar Brothers Ltd and the KSB, continued with de-watering the mines and their total water discharge in 24 hours is over 1 crore litre, Susngi said. The mine disaster had shocked the nation. Media reports have highlighted about the cash-rich illegal coal mining in East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya in violation of a ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal in 2014. The Supreme Court had on January 3 expressed strong dissatisfaction over the rescue efforts to trace the trapped miners and told the state government to bring them out dead or alive. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The heavily decomposed body of an unidentified mined has been retrieved from a 370 ft illegal rat-hole mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, 77 days after 15 men got trapped inside the flooded coal quarry, an official said. According to the official, the body, located 200 ft from the bottom of the mine, was brought out on Wednesday using Indian Navy's underwater remotely operated vehicle (UROV) and a NDRF boat. This is the second "heavily" decomposed body to be lifted from the mine after it flooded accidentally on December 13, 2018. The body was dispatched to Civil Hospital at the district headquarter in Khliehriat for post-mortem, operations spokesperson R Susngi told PTI. The miners were trapped inside the illegal mine in Lumthari village of East Jaintia Hills district on December 13 after water from the nearby Lytein river gushed in. The first body, identified as that of Amir Hussain from Assam's Chirang district, was pulled out of the mine on January 23. Apart from the Indian Navy, the Army, the NDRF and the state's agencies are engaged in the operations that begun hours after the accident took place. Three companies, the Coal India Ltd, Kirloskar Brothers Ltd and the KSB, continued with de-watering the mines and their total water discharge in 24 hours is over one crore litres, Susngi said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Chief MinisterSiddaramaiah Thursday asked Karnataka Home Minister M B Patil to take legal action against people impersonating him on the social media with an intent to malign his identity. The request comes a day after he tweeted about morphed tweets that has characteristics of his official twitter handle being circulated in the social media. "Morphed tweets with my official handle are being circulated in social media by few unethical users. This image has a logo of a group 'Troll Sisyandru'. I urge @BlrCityPolice to take immediate action against those involved &I also request Shri.@MBPatil to look into the issue," Siddaramaiah had tweeted. The tweet was tagged with a picture of the morphed tweet that read "Today Indian Air Force has attacked on BAGALAKOT. Deep codomienses to the terrorists families. May their souls rest in piece (sic)." Interestingly, Bagalkote is the district where Siddaramaiah's constituency Badami is located. Siddaramaiah, in a letter to Patil, said he was constrained to report to him, "the criminal act of impersonating my identity on social media with intent of maligning my identity." He said a social media group 'Troll Sisyandru' on Instagram had posted a morphed image of a tweet with the characteristics of his official twitter handle, which had content that amounted to sedition andalso contradicting his own views. In the letter, a copy of which was also sent to the Commissioner of Police, Bangalore City, T Suneel Kumar, he said he had neither tweeted the content in the image nor anything that implied the same. Stating that the group had circulated the offensive and false material on the internet,Siddaramaiah said the offensive material was not only false, "but frivolous, defamatory, abusive and insinuative" and had been done with the intention to insult and libel him and cause a scandal by slandering and slurring his character. "This amounts to making impersonation and defamatory comment on social media and several persons have already asked me about the same, believing the same to be true." The group responsible was liable for prosecution for offensive comment on the social media and other offences, he further said, adding that "I request you to take legal action against the said person at the earliest. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A bust of CRPF personnel Vijay Soreng, one of the 40 jawans killed in the February 14 Pulwama attack, was on Thursday unveiled at the school he had attended. A library, set up by the paramilitary force at the school, was also inaugurated on the occasion. Jharkhand Assembly Speaker Dinesh Oraon, after unveiling the bust at S S High School here, said Soreng is an "inspiration for the people of Jharkhand". "Over the years, several people from Gumla and Simdega districts have joined the police, paramilitary forces and the Army. They inspire us with their dedication and sacrifices," he said on the occasion, which was attended by Soreng's family members and CRPF Inspector General Sanjay Lathkar. A blood donation drive was also organized at the school as a mark of respect to the slain jawan. "Soreng died at the age of 45. In his memory, 45 CRPF jawans donated blood today," Lathkar said. Talking about the newly inaugurated library, he said the initiative would motivate children to read books outside their school syllabus. L Sahu, a teacher at the Gumla school, said he was proud of Soreng. "I had inspired Vijay to join the National Cadet Corps. After school, he shifted to Ranchi to complete his intermediate. He has made us all proud... The bust will remind the students of his achievements and sacrifices. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Korean President Moon Jae-in plans to offer new proposals for inter-Korean engagement following the high-stakes nuclear summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Moon's announcement is planned for a ceremony on Friday marking the 100th anniversary of a 1919 uprising by Koreans against Japan's colonial rule and will likely include plans for economic cooperation between the rival Koreas. Moon, who has prioritised improving relations with the North, is desperate for a breakthrough in nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang so he can continue his ambitious drive for inter-Korean engagement. He has driven the three-way diplomacy but is held back by tough US-led sanctions against the North. In a meeting with senior aides on Monday, Moon expressed hope on the material progress of the North's nuclear disarmament and the easing of the sanctions, which would allow further space for inter-Korean cooperation, including joint economic projects. Moon earlier told Trump in a phone conversation that the South was ready to proceed with inter-Korean economic projects to induce further nuclear disarmament steps from the North. Moon and Kim at their third summit in North Korea's capital last September agreed to normalize operations at a jointly run factory park in the North Korean border town of Kaesong and restart South Korean tours to the North's Diamond Mountain resort when possible, voicing optimism that international sanctions could end and allow such projects. The Koreas in past months have also discussed ambitious plans to reconnect their railways and roads. "If the North Korean economy opens up, neighboring countries, international organizations and global capital will join in its development," Moon said in the meeting with aides, describing Seoul as the "main stakeholder" in issues on the Korean Peninsula. "In this process, we should not lose our initiative. We are the masters of the destiny of the Korean Peninsula." Moon wants the Trump-Kim meeting to be followed by his fourth summit with Kim, preferably in the bustling South Korean capital of Seoul. It would be a hard sell for many South Koreans without tangible progress on ridding the North of its nukes, and Kim may be reluctant to travel to South Korea without something big to bring home. Moon's enthusiasm for inter-Korean engagement has caused disagreements with ally Washington, which sees economic pressure as its main leverage with Pyongyang. Seoul last year walked back a proposal to lift some of its unilateral sanctions against North Korea after Trump's bluntly retorted Seoul could "do nothing" without Washington's approval. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In an indirect snub to the Opposition's criticisms of alleged politicization of the tensions with Pakistan by the BJP, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Thursday asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not need advice from those who have been in favor of going soft on terror. In an apparent rebuff to demands by parties like RJD, Congress and the CPI(ML) that the NDA cancel the rally scheduled here on March 03, the senior BJP leader said the public meeting would serve as an occasion for the people to demonstrate their support to the Prime Minister and the armed forces. The nations spirits are soaring in the wake of a befitting reply to Pakistan by the destruction of the nursery of terrorism which was a consequence of Prime Minister Narendra Modis strong leadership, our diplomatic acumen and the valour of the armed forces. In such a backdrop, the people of the country are eager to hear every word uttered by the Prime Minister, the Bihar Deputy CM tweeted. The NDA rally at Patna on March 03 will serve as an occasion for millions of people of Bihar for demonstrating their support to the Prime Minister and the armed forces, Modi tweeted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union minister Ramvilas Paswan would address the rally in Patna on Sunday to launch the ruling coalition's campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in the politically important Bihar having 40 Parliamentary constituencies. Bowing before Indias military might and successful foreign policy, Pakistan is on its knees and has announced the release of our brave pilot Abhinandan from its captivity. A Prime Minister who had stayed awake till 3 A.M. alongside Indian Air Force commanders during the air strikes, knows how to face tough situations and needs no advice from those who have been in favor of going soft on terror, he said in another tweet. Notably, a joint statement issued by 21 opposition parties on Wednesday night had accused the BJP of trying to reap political dividends from the escalation of tensions. Several opposition parties have cancelled their political programmes in the aftermath of escalation of tensions and criticized the BJP for continuing with the same, the latest instance being Prime Ministers interaction with booth-level workers from across the country earlier in the day. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sweden, one of the world's most liberal countries, on Thursday moved to make it illegal to join a terror organisation as the government seeks to punish jihadist fighters returning home. The new law, set to enter into force in August, "will allow us to prosecute and try many more of them than we've been able to until now," Justice Minister Morgan Johansson said. However, the legislation will not be retroactive and therefore cannot be applied to the dozens of fighters who have already come back to Sweden. The centre-left government tightened its anti-terror laws following a deadly 2017 truck attack carried out by an Uzbek asylum-seeker. Under the current laws, Sweden can only prosecute foreign fighters if it can prove that they have been involved in crimes violating the Geneva Convention. Some 300 Swedish nationals have joined jihadist groups like the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq since 2012, according to the security services. Around half have since returned while another 100 are still in the conflict zone and 50 were killed, the authorities say. Under the proposed changes, it will become illegal to be part of, assist or recruit for proscribed terror organisations. The offences will be punishable by up to six years in prison, the government said Thursday. In addition, sentences will be tightened for those leaving Sweden to fight abroad and for the financing of terror organisations. The far-right Sweden Democrats (SD), who came third in September elections, said the proposed toughening of anti-terror laws came too late and were too lenient. "All those who left to fight alongside the Islamic State group were welcomed with open arms in Sweden to live here as citizens exonerated from all criminal responsibility," SD lawmaker Adam Marttinen told the Dagens Nyheter newspaper. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thousands of travellers were stranded in Bangkok on Thursday when cancelled all flights over Pakistan after Islamabad closed its airspace in response to soaring tensions with India. Nearly thirty flights -- the majority to and from European routes -- were initially affected, the airline said, with three aircraft forced to return to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport and others cancelled or set to be re-routed. The travel disruption spun out across the region, with Singapore Airlines' usually direct flights to Europe forced to re-fuel on Wednesday, while a flight to Frankfurt was cancelled. The disruption follows a snowballing crisis between nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan and India, which has raised fears of an all-out war. Pakistan claimed it shot down two Indian Air Force planes in its airspace, although it later clarified only one Indian pilot had been captured. India said its forces had also shot down a Pakistani fighter jet as Pakistan suddenly closed its airspace. said nearly 5,000 passengers had been caught up in the drama, as it struggled to find new routes to Europe with Iran "rejecting" a request to travel over its airspace, according to a spokesperson for the carrier. But a few hours later China gave "permission to ... to bypass Pakistani airspace," according to Pratana Patanasiri, Thai Airways Vice President, allowing Thursday night's flights to Europe to resume. But frustration mounted Thursday at Bangkok's main airport at the sudden delays. "We have waited here for 11 or 12 hours already," Gerda Heinzel 55, a German tourist flying back to Munich after a holiday in Phuket. "We have not been given anything to eat, anywhere to stay. There are no German-speaking staff to help us. Chief Minister K Palaniswami Thursday hailed the Delhi High Court verdict dismissing pleas of TTV Dhinakaran and VK Sasikala challenging the Election Commission's order granting the AIADMK name and two leaves symbol to the faction led by him, saying that it showed they are the "true AIADMK". Describing the order as a "good" one, Palaniswami said, "It has been confirmed that we are the true AIADMK." There was little possibility for an appeal against the verdict by Dhinakaran, the chief minister, who is also the AIADMK joint coordinator, told reporters here. Dhinakaran's Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) said the verdict was expected but vowed to put up a good show in the Lok Sabha polls. A Delhi High Court bench of justices G S Sistani and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal upheld the EC's decision of November 23, 2017, saying none of the grounds of the challenge taken by Dhinakaran and Sasikala was sufficient to set aside the poll panel order. In an apparent reference to Dhinakaran, the chief minister said, "Some created a lot of hurdles with the intention of taking over the party." "With this good verdict, a solution has been found to that. Now, the AIADMK will march ahead," he added. Palaniswami alleged that Dhinakaran had moved the court on this matter as part of the rival "DMK's conspiracy" against the AIADMK, but did not elaborate. Asked about the possibility of the rival side appealing against the verdict, Palaniswami said, "I believe there is no possibility for that" since similar material will be placed before the apex court too. "Today, it has been established that true AIADMK is on our side," Palaniswami added. To a question, he said his party expected bypolls to 21 Assembly seats in the state to be held alongside the upcoming parliamentary elections. Tamil Nadu has 39 Lok Sabha seats. While 18 seats are lying vacant following the court upholding the disqualification of AIADMK MLAs for revolting against the chief minister in 2017, Tiruvarur and Tirupparankundram segments await bypolls due to the death of sitting legislators, former DMK chief M Karunanidhi and AK Bose (AIADMK) respectively. Hosur, represented by former AIADMK minister Balakrishna Reddy, was declared vacant recently after he resigned following a special court sentencing him to three years' rigorous imprisonment in a two-decade-old riot case. Meanwhile, key Dhinakaran-aide Thanga Tamilselvan said the court verdict was 'expected'. The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) will fare well in the Lok Sabha polls, he said, and recalled that the AIADMK had lost the RK Nagar bypoll in 2017 to Dhinakaran, where it contested on its two leaves symbol. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A tribunal headed by a Delhi High Court judge commenced proceedings on Thursday to ascertain whether there was sufficient cause to extend the ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) as an unlawful association. The tribunal presided by Justice Mukta Gupta issued a general notice informing the public at large and the organisation in question to approach it with any material in support of or against the Centre's decision to extend the ban on SIMI. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand and advocate Balendu Shekhar appeared for the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which had on February 21 issued a notification setting up the tribunal under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Shekhar said the tribunal commenced proceedings on Thursday by issuing notice to the public at large and the organisation in question and the next date of hearing was April 15. He added that hearings would also be held in other states where cases against SIMI have been registered. The February 21 notification constituting the tribunal was issued after the five-year ban on SIMI ended on January 31. "In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 5, read with sub-section (1) of section 4 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the central government hereby constitutes the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal consisting of Justice Mukta Gupta, Judge, High Court of Delhi, for the purpose of adjudicating whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) as an unlawful association," it had stated. In a separate January 31 notification, the MHA had said it was necessary to declare SIMI as an unlawful association with immediate effect, since if it was not curbed or controlled immediately, it would continue with its subversive activities, disrupt the secular fabric of the country, propagate anti-national sentiments, "escalate secessionism by supporting militancy and undertake activities which are prejudicial to the integrity and security of the country". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump spoke by telephone with the leaders of Japan and South Korea as he flew back to Washington after his summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un ended without a deal, the White House said Thursday. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters traveling with Trump on Air Force One that he spoke for around 15 minutes each with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. "He gave them an update on the meeting," Sanders said. "He told them he will continue the conversation." The US-North Korea nuclear summit ended abruptly in Hanoi earlier Thursday, with Trump saying he had decided to "walk" in the face of Kim's demands to drop sanctions. The much-anticipated second meeting between the two leaders was supposed to build on their historic first summit in Singapore, but they failed to sign a joint statement as initially scheduled and the talks ended in deadlock. Abe earlier said he backed Trump after the talks collapsed. Tokyo has regarded the US-led diplomatic push with Pyongyang with suspicion, and has sought to keep its interests on the table in the discussions by coordinating closely with its ally Washington. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump sought to discredit his former lawyer Michael Cohen Thursday after the ex-aide's bombshell congressional testimony in which he essentially called Trump a criminal. "He lied a lot," Trump told a press conference in Vietnam after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump insisted that Cohen's testimony Wednesday had provided no evidence of collusion by the Trump campaign with Russia in the 2016 US election. Cohen told the lawmakers he had no direct knowledge of collusion but that he had suspicions. The president complained that the testimony took place during the summit with Kim. "I think having a fake hearing like that and having it in the middle of this very important summit is really a terrible thing," Trump said. Trump again insisted the probe into Russian collusion is a "hoax" and a "witchhunt. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump defended Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday as the Israeli premier reportedly awaits a decision on whether he will be indicted on corruption charges. "I can say this, he's done a great job as prime minister," Trump said in Hanoi after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jing Un. "He's tough, smart, and strong. He's very defensive, his military has been built up a lot," Trump said. Israel's attorney general was expected to announce Thursday a decision on whether he intends to indict Netanyahu on corruption charges, Israeli media reported. The reports come with Netanyahu in the midst of a tough re-election campaign ahead of April 9 polls. Trump said he was not in a position to comment on the corruption allegations. Trump again depicted himself as a consummate dealmaker as he discussed prospects for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. He said, "we have a good shot at peace." "All my life, I've heard that the toughest of all deals, when they talk about tough deals, the toughest all of deals would be peace between Israel and the Palestinians," he said. "They say it's the impossible deal. I'd love to produce it. We'll see what happens," said Trump, whose son-in-law Jared Kushner is working on a Mideast peace plan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two minor boys were injured allegedly in a celebratory firing during a wedding function here, police said Thursday. Nitin (12), Bhola (16) were injured at Bahupura village under Bhopa police station area in the district Wednesday night, SHO S M Gill said. The injured have been admitted to hospital and a search in on for the accused, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UN Secretary-General is following with "deep concern" the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, calling on both sides to urgently take steps for a "meaningful mutual engagement". In the wake of the terror attack by the Pakistan-based terror group (JeM), tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. Following the air strikes by India, Guterres again stressed on his urgent appeal to the governments of India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint to ensure that the situation does not further deteriorate. The UN chief is "obviously, following the situation as we see it even today with deep concern, and his the United Nations' message, both publicly and privately, to both sides is to urgently take steps to lower tensions through meaningful, mutual engagement and meet their responsibilities to maintain peace and security in the region," his spokesperson Stphane Dujarric told reporters Wednesday. Asked if Guterres spoke to the leaders of India and Pakistan following another day of escalating tension and plans to get involved to try and mediate a de-escalation, Dujarric said Guterres had received a call Tuesday from Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, adding that there have been contacts at various levels with all sides. He said that "as always", the Secretary-General's good offices are always "available should both parties or all parties, depending on the situation, agree to do that". The spokesperson said the UN chief, through his contacts and others, are in touch with the relevant parties to pass along the message of the need to take steps to lower tensions and exercise maximum restraint. Dujarric said contacts have been made at various levels between the UN and India and Pakistan but did not give further details as to which officials in India the contacts have been made with. Asked about the UN's role at this point in the situation, he said that the Secretary-General is "kept apprised" of the situation and he is following it. "Discussions are being held at different levels with different parties to make sure that we have we get a full picture of what is going on and the message coming out of those discussions is on the need for both countries to do whatever they can to de-escalate the situation," he said. In the days following the attack, Guterres repeatedly stressed on the importance for both sides to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps to de-escalation. Guterres reiterated his strong condemnation of the terrorist attack against Indian security forces and said it is "essential that there be accountability under international law and the perpetrators of terrorist acts be brought swiftly to justice". At the same time, the Secretary-General "urgently" appealed to the governments of both India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint to ensure the situation does not further deteriorate, the UN chief's spokesperson said. The in a press statement issued last week also "condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly" suicide bombing in The 15-nation Council "underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice, and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the and all other relevant authorities in this regard". Forty CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on February 14 in one of the deadliest terror attacks in when a JeM suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. (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.) There is evidence that Israel committed crimes against humanity in responding to 2018 protests in Gaza, as snipers targeted people clearly identifiable as children, health workers and journalists, a UN probe said Thursday. "Israeli soldiers committed violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Some of those violations may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity," the chair of the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Santiago Canton, said in a statement. The inquiry, set up by the UN Human Rights Council, investigated possible violations from the start of the protests on March 30, 2018 through to December 31. "More than 6,000 unarmed demonstrators were shot by military snipers, week after week at the protest sites," it said. "The Commission found reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli snipers shot at journalists, health workers, children and persons with disabilities, knowing they were clearly recognisable as such," it said. The investigators specified that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli troops killed and injured Palestinians "who were neither directly participating in hostilities, nor posing an imminent threat." The UN team also dismissed claims by Israel that the protests were aimed to conceal acts of terrorism. "The demonstrations were civilian in nature, with clearly stated political aims," the statement said. "Despite some acts of significant violence, the Commission found that the demonstrations did not constitute combat or military campaigns." The commission said it conducted 325 interviews with victims, witnesses and other sources, while reviewing more than 8,000 documents. Investigators looked at drone footage and other audiovisual material, the commission said. "The Israeli authorities did not respond to repeated requests by the Commission for information and access to Israel and to the Occupied Palestinian Territory," the report said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Wealth Tax. Fed Chair Jerome Powell has also made it clear that it is NOT the Feds job to fix this. We need to stabilize debt to GDP. The timing the doing that , the ways of doing it through revenue, through spending all of those things are not for the Fed to decide. Source: Yahoo! Finance So either the US Political Elite needs to spend less (not going to happen) or it needs to find access to new sources of capital ours. With that in mind, the current political agenda to push for Wealth Taxes, cash grabs and other means of raising capital all makes sense. Consider the following: The IMF has already called for a wealth tax of 10% on NET WEALTH. More than one Presidential candidate for the 2020 US Presidential Race has already openly called for a wealth tax in the US. Polls suggest that the majority of Americans support a wealth tax. And if you think this will stop with the super wealthy, youre mistaken. You could tax 100% of the wealth of the top 1% and it would finance the US deficit for less than six months. Which means Cash grabs, wealth taxes, and more will soon be coming to Main Street America. Facing flak for linking India's air strike on terror camps in Pakistan with BJP's prospects in Lok Sabha polls, party Karnataka chief B S Yeddyurappa Thursday said there was no question of seeking electoral gains and the nation came first to him. Yeddyurappa's remarks amid escalating tension between India and Pakistan drew criticism from political leaders in Karnataka and disapproval from his own party colleague and Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh. He had on Wednesday said India's pre-emptive strikes on terror camps in Pakistan has created a wave in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will help the party win over 22 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka. The Pakistan media and the ruling party there Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf too latched on to Yeddyurappa's statement to question India whether war was an election option. "I would like to clarify that my yesterdays statement has been completely misinterpreted. I have highest regard for our armed forces. I salute the bravery of our men in fighting for the country's safety," Yeddyurappa said in a series of tweets. "I stand along with my fellow countrymen and pray for the safe return of (Wing) Commander Abhinandan Varthaman (IAF pilot in Pakistan's custody). To me, the Nation comes first and then the party," he said. In another tweet, he said, "My statement is being reported out of context. I said that 'situation is favourable for BJP' which I have been saying for the last couple of months. This is not first time I said BJP in Karnataka will win a minimum of 22 seats under the able leadership of Modiji." Speaking to reporters, he said there was no question of using the situation arising out of the IAF strike for electoral gains. Noting that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had informed about the developments at an all-party meeting, he said all political parties, including Congress President Rahul Gandhi, have welcomed India's action. "Where is the question of using it for Whole country has welcomed it. There is no question of using it for political gains," he added. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah slammed Yeddyurappa for looking at political gains on an issue involving national security and interest. Singh, a former Army chief, expressed his difference with Yeddyurappa on the issue. "@BSYBJPji, I beg to differ. We stand as one nation, action taken by our government is to safeguard our nation & ensure safety of our citizens, not to win a few extra seats," Singh tweeted. He tagged a video link of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's speech in the parliament stressing on unity among parties at times of national distress. In a tweet tagging a report about Yeddyurappa's statement, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's party said "Air Force excursions, war mongering, soldiers in captivity and the lives of so many people in danger all equate to 22 seats in the eyes of representatives on India's ruling party. Is war an election option? #SayNoToWar." Hitting out at Yeddyurappa, Kumaraswamy termed his comments as "shameful.""The entire nation is united in supporting the central govt&our armed forces to fight terrorism, while #Bjp leader @BSYBJP is busy calculating how many extra LS seats the terrorattack&Pak war can bring to his party. "It's shameful to exploit our jawans' sacrifice for electoral gains," Kumaraswamy tweeted. Questioning BJP's intention, former Chief Minister and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah demanded clarification from the prime minister. "Shocking & disgusting to understand #BJPsPlot4Vote. It is unfortunate that @BJP4India is calculating electoral gains even before the dust has settled," he said in a tweet. He also said: "No patriot shall derive such sadistic gains over soldiers' death, only a anti-nationalist can. What will RSS say about this?" Siddaramaiah asked. State Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao also slammed Yeddyurappa, asking whether going to war an electoral strategy for the BJP. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Board of Revenue, Uttar Pradesh has bagged the top honour at the National e-Governance Awards, 2019, at a function in the national capital, a state government official said Thursday. The digital land project of the UP government also formed the foundation for successful implementation of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, under which Rs 2,000 was directly transferred to more than one crore farmers in UP, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 24. The award was given by Union minister Jitendra Singh Wednesday. It was presented to the chief minister on Thursday by the revenue department team. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chinese telecom gear maker Thursday alleged that the US is lobbying against its business in India while the company complies with global security requirements. "Yes. For sure the US is lobbying (against Huawei) and everybody knows. I am talking about India," India CEO Jay Chen told PTI when asked if the US administration was lobbying against the company in India. He said that discussion around security concern from telecom gears are more based on psychological factors rather than based on scientific methodology. Chen alleged that Australian and the US laws have provisions of snooping but Chinese law does not asks for it. "In Australia, it is. Under the Australian laweven equipment are required to put backdoor. For the US, even documents and personal details of other countries can be monitored. This is the answer. You can check their law," Chen said when asked about governments influence on to give access to network in emergency or war like situation. He denied any such legal provisions in China. "China government has given clarification. Chinese government never asks (for data or network access). Actually Chinese law is same with that of many countries," Chen said. The Australian government has barred Huawei from participating in 5G network roll out while the US government representatives have been vocal around security threat from Huawei networks. The Indian government has not taken any stand yet to blocking Huawei, however, it has said that it is closely tracking actions of various government around security. Chen said that the company is of the view that universal standards around security should be used. "Let's use universal standard. Then we will have data, truth and make judgement," Chen said. He said that there are 12 global network security parameters and Huawei has been rated top in nine of those and above average in three parameters while rival players have been average in most of the parameters. US National Security Adviser John Bolton has talked to his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval for a second time amidst tense ties between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack and New Delhi's air strike against JeM terror training camp in Balaklot. Doval and Bolton are understood to have discussed the current situation in the region during the telephonic conversation on Wednesday, official sources here said. The two national security advisers previously talked on February 15 during which they resolved to hold Pakistan to account for its obligations under the UN resolutions and remove all obstacles to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) leader Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. Bolton supported India's right to self-defence against cross-border terrorism and offered all assistance to India to bring the perpetrators and backers of the attack promptly to justice. Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama attack by Pakistan-based JeM. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. Pakistan on Wednesday claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot. Forty CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on February 14 in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a JeM suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US, the UK and France have moved a fresh proposal in the UN Security Council to designate Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, a listing that will subject him to global travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo. The fresh proposal was moved Wednesday by the three permanent veto-wielding members of the 15-nation Security Council. The Security Council Sanctions Committee will have 10 working days to consider the fresh proposal submitted by the three members. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US, the UK and have moved a fresh proposal in the to designate Pakistan-based terror group as a global terrorist, a listing that will subject him to global travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo. The fresh proposal was moved Wednesday by the three permanent veto-wielding members of the 15-nation Security Council. The Security Council Sanctions Committee will have 10 working days to consider the fresh proposal submitted by the three members. The proposal is the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist. In 2009, moved a proposal to designate Azhar, whose UN-proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility for the suicide attack against Indian security forces in on February 14 in which over 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed. In 2016 again, moved the proposal with the P3 - the United States, the United Kingdom and in the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar, also the mastermind of the attack on the air base in Pathankot in January, 2016. In 2017, the P3 nations moved a similar proposal again. However, on all occasions, China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, blocked India's proposal from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee. It remains to be seen how will vote on the proposal this time. China, a close ally of Pakistan, has consistently blocked moves first by and later by the US, the UK and to designate Azhar as a global terrorist by the 1267 Committee by putting technical holds. France assumes the crucial rotating presidency of the in March. At least 40 CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on February 14 in one of the deadliest terror attacks in when a JeM suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in district. India has strongly reiterated its appeal to all members of the international community to support the proposal to list terrorists, including Azhar, as designated terrorists under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, and to ban terrorist organisations operating from territories controlled by What happens after the UNSC ban? Azhar will be subject to global travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo The entails preventing the entry into or transit by all states through their territories by designated individuals Under the arms embargo, all states are required to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale and transfer from their territories or by their nationals outside their territories, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, of arms and related materiel of all types (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 US, the UK and France have moved a fresh proposal in the UN Security Council to designate Pakistan-based terror group JeM's chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, a listing that will subject him to global travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo. The proposal was moved Wednesday by the three permanent veto-wielding members of the 15-nation Security Council. The Security Council Sanctions Committee will have 10 working days to consider the fresh proposal submitted by the three members. It is the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist. An assets freeze under the Sanctions Committee requires that all states freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of designated individuals and entities. The travel ban entails preventing the entry into or transit by all states through their territories by designated individuals. Under the arms embargo, all states are required to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale and transfer from their territories or by their nationals outside their territories, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, of arms and related materiel of all types, spare parts, and technical advice, assistance, or training related to military activities, to designated individuals and entities. In 2009, India moved a proposal to designate Azhar, whose UN-proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility for the suicide attack against Indian security forces in Pulwama on February 14 in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed. In 2016 again, India moved the proposal with the P3 - the United States, the United Kingdom and France in the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar, also the mastermind of the attack on the air base in Pathankot in January, 2016. In 2017, the P3 nations moved a similar proposal again. However, on all occasions, China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, blocked India's proposal from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee. It remains to be seen how China will vote on the proposal this time. China, a close ally of Pakistan, has consistently blocked moves first by India and later by the US, the UK and France to designate Azhar as a global terrorist by the 1267 Committee by putting technical holds. France assumes the crucial rotating presidency of the UN Security Council in March. The proposal was moved just two days before France assumes the crucial rotating presidency of the UN Security Council. Informed sources earlier told PTI that "France is focussed on bringing individual listing requests of JeM terrorists to the 1267 Committee soon". The French Presidency of the UNSC comes after the 15-nation UN organ under the presidency of Equatorial Guinea had issued a highly significant press statement strongly condemning the Pulwama terror attack. China had to sign off on the February 21 UNSC press statement that "condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly suicide bombing in Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in over 40 Indian paramilitary forces dead and dozens wounded on February 14, 2019, for which Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility". The UNSC press statement was seen not only as a strong condemnation of terror against India but also of international solidarity with New Delhi on its fight against terrorism. At least 40 CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on February 14 in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a JeM suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. India has strongly reiterated its appeal to all members of the international community to support the proposal to list terrorists, including Azhar, as designated terrorists under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, and to ban terrorist organisations operating from territories controlled by Pakistan. In the wake of the Pulwama terror attack by the JeM, tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. Hours after the Indian Air Force carried out the air strikes, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres reiterated his "urgent appeal to both the Government of India and the Government of Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint to ensure that the situation does not further deteriorate". His spokesperson Stphane Dujarric told reporters at the daily press briefing that the UN Chief is "obviously following this situation very closely". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido arrived early Thursday in Brazil for talks aimed at securing more support from President Jair Bolsonaro, press reports said. Guaido, recognized as interim president by some 50 countries, traveled to the capital Brasilia from Colombia, where he has stayed since Friday despite a travel ban imposed by the regime of Venezuela's socialist leader Nicolas Maduro. There are fears he might be arrested upon his return to Venezuela. Guaido arrived in Brasilia around 0440 GMT, the website G1 reported. Bolsonaro "will host Guaido in a personal visit, although Guaido will be officially welcomed by the minister for foreign affairs," Ernesto Araujo, said the Brazilian presidency's spokesman Otavio Rego Barros. He said the meeting with Bolsonaro would take place at 2:00 pm (1700 GMT) at the president's official workplace, Planalto Palace. A statement from Guaido's envoy to Brazil, Maria Teresa Belandria, said he would also meet "a number of representatives of the diplomatic delegations in Brasilia (that) have recognized him as Venezuela's legitimate interim president." Brazil and Colombia are Guaido allies that have been stockpiling humanitarian aid the National Assembly speaker wants to bring into Venezuela. He failed to do so over the weekend, as a military blockade ordered by Maduro held firm. Guaido had not yet decided if he will visit the border area with Venezuela where four people were killed in weekend clashes with Maduro's security services, a source in his camp said. He met US Vice President Mike Pence at a Lima Group meeting with regional allies in Bogota on Monday, after which he said he would return home this week, despite having received threats. "A prisoner is no use to anyone. Neither is a president in exile," Guaido told NTN24 television channel on Tuesday. "My role and my duty is to be in Caracas, despite the risks and regardless of what that implies." Maduro told US channel ABC that Guaido would have to face justice when he returns as he flouted a ban on foreign travel. Guaido has dismissed Maduro's authority as illegitimate over his controversial re-election in May polls that were boycotted by the opposition because many of its leaders were prevented from standing. Venezuela has been struck by a humanitarian crisis that has left millions in poverty amid chronic shortages of basic necessities such as food and medication. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Disagreeing to the view that BJP had not done well the December 7 Assembly elections in Telangana where the party had won only one seat, a leader of the party Thursday said it has better chances to do well in the state in Lok Sabha elections. The BJP had contested the Assembly elections on its own and the percentage of votes it got had gone up, the party-in charge for Lok Sabha elections in Telangana Arvind Limbavali told PTI here. "I will not agree to the argument (that the BJP did not do well in the Assembly polls. Our party had put up a good performance. First time, we came out of the coalition era and we contested all the constituencies of the state," he said. "Also, the first time our workers went to the voters seeking votes for the BJP symbol," he said. "The forthcoming general elections, the second time we are going to seek votes from the people of Telangana (without alliance). We are confident to contest in all the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies. Definitely, we will win a good number of seats," Limbavali said. BJP had contested the 2009 elections without alliance and obtained about four per cent votes. The party had contested the 2014 elections in alliance with the TDP. In the recent Assembly polls, BJP contested all the seats without alliance and got about eight per cent votes, according to party sources. Limbavali, who is an MLA and a former minister in Karnataka, said the party is reaching out to people right from the booth-level. "In line with the party's directions, our workers are meeting people from the booth-level. Booth in-charges are there, booth committees are there...," he said. The party is also reaching out to the beneficiaries of the schemes of Modi government, he said. BJP has held meetings of Lok Sabha constituencies which have been divided into clusters, he said. The meetings were addressed by Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Smriti Irani. BJP chief Amit Shah would attend conferences to be held at Nizamabad on March 6, Limbavali added. The party has already announced it would contest alone in all the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana. BJP leaders in the state asserted that the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi would help the party in the Lok Sabha polls as national issues are likely to dominate the poll scene, though people preferred the TRS during the recent Assembly polls. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Tirupur Exporters' Association Thursday thanked Union textiles minister Smriti Irani for launching a comprehensive scheme for development of the knitting and knitwear sector under 'Powertex India'. Welcoming the salient features of the eight components of the scheme, TEA President Raja M Shanmugham said the association was confident of achieving the vision target of Rs one lakh crore by 2022 with its help. The scheme would be highly supportive through financial assistance and beneficial to the knitting and knitwear MSMEs in Tirupur, which would also encourage new entrepreneurs to set up units in Tirupur, he said in a statement. Highlighting the yarn bank scheme for knitting and knitwear units under Powertex India, he said the Centre would provide an interest free corpus fund of a maximum of up to Rs 200 lakh per yarn bank to a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). Under the solar energy scheme, the government would provide financial assistance/capital subsidy of 50, 75 and 90 per cent of the basic cost of solar energy plant to applicants of General Category, SC, and ST, Shanmugham said. For the solar capacity on grid upto 45 MW, the subsidy amount would be Rs 35,000 KW to the general category, while it would be Rs 52,500/ KW and Rs 63,000/KW for the SC and ST category, he said. Smriti Irani on Thursday launched the scheme in New Delhi, simultaneously in major three clusters, Tirupur, Ludhiana and Kolkata through video conference. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bombay High Court asked the Maharashtra government Thursday what prompted the Maratha community to agitate for reservation only in the recent past. A division bench of Justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre was hearing a bunch of petitions challenging the state government's decision to grant 16 per cent reservation to the community in government jobs and educational institutions. The demand for Maratha reservation was not raised after the Mandal commission submitted its report in 1980 or when the state backward classes commissions submitted their reports, the court said. "What was the sudden change in scenario in the recent past that prompted the state government to seek data on the condition of the Maratha community?" Justice Dangre asked. "After the Mandal commission report, there was no violence or agitation by the community demanding reservation. What happened suddenly that prompted such protests?" she asked. The state government's lawyer V A Thorat said the community was realising only now that it was being neglected. "The previous governments, whom the Maratha community was voting for, made the community think and live under the perception that they were forward. But now as time passed by, the community has started feeling that they are backward and need protection," he said. "We are only correcting the mistakes committed in the past," Thorat added. The Mandal commission's findings on socially and educationally backward classes, submitted in 1980, were valid only for two decades, he said. "Hence in 2014, the state government felt the need to get quantifiable data on the condition of the Maratha community. This is why the state backward classes commission was set up," Thorat said. If required, the government may also include other communities in the socially and educationally backward class in the future, the government lawyer added. The state backward classes commission was set up as the National Commission for Backward Classes had not carried out any survey in Maharashtra before concluding that the Maratha community was "forward", Thorat said. He also argued that under the Constitution, no court can inquire into the proceedings of a legislature. "Article 212 prohibits the judiciary from going into the procedure followed by the government while formulating an act. The judiciary can inquire and ensure that the act does not violate any law," Thorat said. On November 30, 2018, the Maharashtra legislature passed a bill granting reservation to the Marathas following an intense agitation by the community. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 39-year-old woman has died of swine flu, taking the number of deaths due to the disease at Indore hospitals since January 1 to 18, a health official said. The woman died Wednesday. Her swab samples confirmed Thursday that she was suffering from H1N1 virus infection, the official said. Since the beginning of the year, 62 swine flu patients have been admitted to hospitals in the city. Of the 18 deceased, four had come from neighbouring districts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A woman was killed and a jawan injured as the Pakistani army shelled civilian areas and forward posts in six sectors along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Rajouri districts Thursday, drawing heavy retaliation from the Indian forces, an official said. This is the seventh consecutive day that Pakistan has targeted forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC). "The Pakistan army continuously resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violations along the LoC at about 1500 hours with heavy mortar shelling and small arms fire in Sunderbani, Mankote, Khari Karmara, Degwar Sectors in J&K," a defence spokesperson said. The firing had started around 6 am, he added. "At about 1415 hours, Pakistani troops initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling with mortars and firing of small arms along the LoC at Nowshera sector in Rajouri," the official said. There was another round of firing from across the border around 1 pm along the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector, he said, adding, "The Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively." In the Chajjala area of Mendhar, one woman died after sustaining critical injuries from a mortar shell, officials said. An army jawan was injured in the shelling and was undergoing treatment, they added. Earlier at about 6 am, the Pakistan army had resorted to shelling and small arms fire in the Krishna Ghati sector, the spokesperson said. In view of the prevailing situation, authorities have ordered a temporary closure of educational institutions located within five kilometres of the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch. People living close to the border have been asked to stay indoors. The year 2018 had witnessed the highest number of ceasefire violations -- 2,936 -- by Pakistani troops in the last 15 years along the Indo-Pak border. Pakistan continues to violate the ceasefire understanding of 2003 despite repeated calls for restraint and adherence to the agreement during flag meetings between the border guarding forces of the two nations, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The body of a 25-year-old woman with strangulation marks was found dumped in a sack near a railway line in southeast Delhi, police said Thursday. The deceased has been identified as Nisha Kumari, a resident of Dakshinpuri. Her body was found on the Sarita Vihar-Noida road on Wednesday, they said. A passerby who spotted the body had informed the Sarita Vihar police station. Investigations revealed that the woman had left home on February 25 at around 3 pm and later went missing, a senior police officer said. Nisha had told her mother that she was going for a job interview with a friend. However, when she did not return, her parents filed a missing report at the Ambedkar Nagar police station the next day, he said. In the police complaint, her father said Nisha had received a call from a friend regarding an interview with a company. She left for the same in the afternoon. At around 4.30 pm, when her parents tried contacting her, the phone was found switched off, the officer said. The body has been sent to AIIMS for postmortem. The injury marks were found below the neck indicating that the woman may have been strangulated to death. However, the exact cause of death will be ascertained after the postmortem, police said. A case has been registered and the matter is being probed, they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Market is likely to remain volatile on Thursday amid India-Pakistan tensions, Trump-Kim Jong-un meeting and expiry of February futures & options contracts. Besides, investors will also be awaiting third quarter GDP (gross domestic product) numbers, due later in the day. On Wednesday, the S&P BSE Sensex ended at 35,905, down 68 points or 0.19 per cent, while the broader Nifty50 index settled at 10,807, down 29 points or 0.26 per cent. The 30-share index had hit an intra-day of 36,371, while the 50-share Nifty surged to 10,939 during the day. GLOBAL MARKETS Asian stocks slipped on Thursday after cautious comments from US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer dented some of the recent optimism towards China-US trade relations. MSCIs broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.1 per cent. In the overnight trade, US stocks closed marginally lower. In the commodity market, oil prices were firm amid a fall in US inventories and OPEC supply cuts. STOCKS TO WATCH Wipro: Wipro on Wednesday said it will divest two of its cloud-based HR solutionsWorkday and Cornerstone OnDemandto US-based Alight Solutions for about $110 million. Vedanta: Vedanta group firm Sterlite Wednesday moved the Madras High Court seeking a direction to allow the reopening of its copper smelter unit at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu which was closed last year over pollution concerns. Aurobindo Pharma: The US Food and Drug Administration said procedures designed to prevent microbiological contamination of drug products purporting to be sterile have not been established and followed in the company's Medak facility in Andhra Pradesh. Jet Airways: Crisis-hit Jet Airways Wednesday said seven more aircraft have been grounded due to non-payment of lease rentals. ADAG Group stocks: The lenders to the company, including the State Bank of India (SBI), have opposed Reliance Communications' (RCom) bid to withdraw tax refu The state government owned Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), which participated in the bid to operate the international airport in Thiruvananthapuram, has moved the State High Court against the Airports Authority of India's decision to award the airport to the Adani group. The court, which considered the petition demanding a stay, on Thursday, said progress of the bidding process, will be temporary and subject to final decision of the court. Further, the ruling party CPI-M is also planning an agitation against 'privatising' the airport. Reportedly, KSIDC told the court that the entire tender process, which allowed for companies which had no prior experience in airport management, was 'arbitrary, unreasonable and in violation of all principles of fairness and natural justice'. The bid was won by the Adani Group on Tuesday, quoting a Rs 168 per passenger fee, much higher than KSIDC's Rs 135 and GMR's Rs 63 per passenger. The State Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has already expressed doubts over the bid given to the Adani Group, a new entrant into the airport maintenance segment without any previous experience, winning five out of six airports selected for privatisation. Government sources say they will not sign the 'state support agreement', like the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government's decision not to sign the state support agreement when the Kolkata airport was planned for privatisation a year ago. The bid norms, which earlier had said about 'first right of refusal' to the home state, was in the final hour changed to 10 per cent above the bidding price. The bid norms were changed in the last hour to favour Adani, they allege. Kerala Government's plan was to float a public-private special purpose vehicle to run the airport, similar to the successful model of the Kochi International airport, run by CIAL Ltd (Cochin International Airport Ltd.). Unlike most other airports which are in the suburbs of cities, the Thiruvananthapuram airport is right in the middle of the city near the seashore at Shanghumukham. The airport was developed by the Travancore Kings and after independence was handed over to the Government. About 20 kilometres from the airport, the Adani Group is also constructing a mega sea port at Vizhinjam, scheduled to be commissioned by 2020. The Army and BSF have been put on the highest degree of alertness along the border here after air space violations by the neighbouring country and the night-long heavy firing and shelling by Pakistani troops on forward and civilians areas across the LoC which stopped on Wednesday. Authorities have ordered temporary closure of educational institutions in a 5-km radius along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch districts on Wednesday amid mounting tensions between the two countries, following the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 and an Indian air strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed camp inside Pakistan on Tuesday. All residents of the border areas have been asked to remain inside their homes and not venture outside. "There was night long-heavy firing and mortar shelling along the LoC in most of areas in Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts. However there was no firing and shelling from across the border on Wednesday," officials said. "Army and BSF troops have been put on highest alert along the LoC and International Border (IB) in view of the high degree of tension in wake of air space violations," they said. According to some reports, panic gripped the residents of border areas and some locals have left their homes and moved to safer areas. Pakistan on Wednesday said that its jets crossed the Line of Control to undertake strikes in India for "self defence". Indian officials said Pakistani fighter jets on Wednesday violated Indian air space in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Nowshera sectors but were pushed back by Indian aircraft. Follow the LIVE blog here: India-Pakistan conflict Live: Pak claims to have arrested Indian pilot, releases video; India yet to confirm On Tuesday night, the Indian Army destroyed five Pakistani posts along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir in a befitting retaliation to firing from across the border, resulting in a "number of casualties" to Pak troops, a defence official had said. "The Indian Army retaliated for effect and our focused fire resulted in severe destruction to five posts and number of casualties to Pak army (along LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts)," a defence PRO said. From 6:30 pm Tuesday, the Pakistani Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling with heavy calibre weaponry along the LoC out of frustration, he said. The Pakistani troops were also seen firing mortars and missiles from civilian houses, using villagers as human shields. However, the Indian Army targeted the Pakistani posts away from civilian areas, the PRO said, adding that this resulted in a "number of casualties" to Pak troopers. In exchange of fire, five soldiers of the Indian Army suffered minor injuries, out of which two of them were shifted to a military hospital for medical treatment. They are stable. Also read: Indian Air Force shoots down Pakistan F-16 fighter jet: report Also read: India, China, Russia reaffirms strong opposition to terrorism The downed IAF pilot captured by Pakistan and identified by the country as Wing Commander Abhinandan tried to swallow documents and maps he had with him, also soaking some of them in water before being caught and roughed up by an angry mob. Myriad videos and pictures have gone viral on social media where the IAF pilot is seen being captured and held captive by Pakistani villagers before handing him over to the Pakistani army. According to a news report in Dawn, in the early morning on Wednesday a local in Horra'n village (barely 7 kms from the LoC) in Bhimber district of PoK heard a commotion in the air and realised two aircrafts had caught fire. While one of them sped across the LoC, the other burst into flames and came down swiftly. The local saw a parachute descending on the ground and a pilot emerging out of it. Also Read: India-Pakistan tension LIVE: India will fight as one, win as one, says PM Modi Upon seeing the pilot, the local called other people out from his village, asking them to get hold of the pilot until the army personnel arrived. The IAF commander who was equipped with a pistol asked the villagers whether it was India or Pakistan, to which one of them replied that it was India. The pilot then shouted some slogans and asked them which place was it exactly in India, when a local responded that it was Qilla'n. The pilot asked the villagers for some water to drink as his "back was broken" the report stated. A youth among the people surrounding the pilot could not hold his emotions to the pilot's slogans and started shouting "Pakistan army zindabad". On this the IAF pilot shot a fire in the air while the locals picked up stones in their hands. The officer then ran half a kilometer in backward direction keeping his pistol pointed towards the locals who started trailing him. Also Read: Rahul Gandhi expresses anguish over missing IAF pilot in Pakistan's custody; says he hopes the Wing Commander returns safely While running he tried to scare the villagers away by firing some more gunshots in the air but to no avail, the local said. The pilot then jumped into a small pond where he hurriedly took out some documents and maps from his pockets and tried to swallow some of them and soaking others in water. The locals asked him to drop his weapon, but one boy shot at his leg, the villager said. The pilot finally came out and asked the villagers not to kill him. The locals then caught him from both his arms while some of them manhandled him, beat him up, others tried to stop them. Also Read: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman: Here's all you need to know about the IAF pilot in Pakistan's custody Meanwhile, the army personnel reached at the spot and took the IAF officer in their custody while shielding him from the angry mob, the local told the newspaper. The pilot was then taken in a convoy of military vehicles to a Pakistani army installation in Bhimber. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has confirmed that the missing officer is in Pakistan's custody and demanded his immediate and safe return to India. MEA issued the statement yesterday after it summoned the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan to lodge "a strong protest at the unprovoked act of aggression by Pakistan against India." Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced that Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released on Friday. Addressing Pakistani parliament, Pakistan PM said that the Indian pilot captured by Pakistan Air Force a day earlier will be released tomorrow as a 'peace gesture'. "In our desire for peace, I announce that tomorrow, and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody," PM Khan said. Following that, the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy jointly addressed a press conference and spoke about the dogfight between the two air forces on Wednesday. All the three chiefs in their address said that the Pakistani forces were targeting military installations of the Indian forces. Air Vice Marshal also showed proof that Pakistan had, indeed used F-16s fighter jets, unlike what they claimed. Catch all the latest updates on the India-Pakistan conflict on BusinessToday.In LIVE blog. 9.51pm: Union Cabinet has approved the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in the briefing after the its meeting on Thursday. The ordinance, once issued, will allow to bring persons residing in the areas close to the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir within the ambit of reservation, and at par with persons living in areas adjoining Actual Line of Control, Jaitley said. 8:14pm: India has suspended Samjhauta Express till March 3, 2019 till further notification, the Northern Railways CPRO told ANI. CPRO Northern railways: Samjhauta Express has been cancelled from India with effect from 3rd March, 2019 till further notification. pic.twitter.com/vpGVNthuqr - ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 7:41pm: Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor said, "We are happy that our pilot who had fallen across the Line of Control and was in custody of Pakistan is being released, we're extremely happy to have him back. We only see it as a gesture which is in consonance with all Geneva conventions." 7:41pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs a high level meeting on security. Delhi: Visuals from the high level meeting on security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg pic.twitter.com/y9DDv8UA04 - ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 7:39pm: For anyone wondering what the process to repatriate IAF pilot Abhinandan to India from Pakistan will be, read more here . 7:36pm: Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor said, "We have evidence to show that whatever we wanted to do and targets we wanted to destroy, we have done that. Decision to show the evidence is on senior leadership." 7:29pm: Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor said that Pakistan only has F-16s that can fit an AIM-120C AMRAAM missile. Pakistan had earlier denied deploying any F-16. Visuals of cover of AARAM missile fired from Pakistani F-16 aircraft found near the LoC in India pic.twitter.com/qHdOm5cDqN - ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 7:25pm: Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor replying to a question on bombing on JeM terror camps in Balakot said that it is premature to say number of casualties on the camp. "Whatever we intended to destroy we got that result," he said. 7:22pm: All the three chiefs said that Pakistan tried to destroy installations of the Indian forces. 7:20pm: Major General Surinder Singh Mahal said, "Despite the turn of events Indian Army is committed to maintain peace and stability in the region." 7:18pm: "We are ready for any misadventure by Pakistan and we are ready for resolute action. We want to ensure safety and security of our citizens," said Admiral Gujral of the Indian Navy. 7:16pm: Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor said one Pakistani F-16 was shot down by an IAF MiG 21 Bison Aircraft. East of Rajouri, parts of F-16 have been recovered, inside Indian territory. Also, IAF is happy that Wing Commander Abhinandan is returning tomorrow. 7:15pm: Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor said: IAF fighters were tasked to intercept the intruding Pakistani aircraft and managed to thwart them. Although PAF jets dropped bombs, they were not able to cause any damage. 7:01pm: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "After air strike, PM did not hold any all party meet. We want to know details of the operation. Where the bomb was dropped? How many people died? I was reading foreign media and they said that none died and some media houses said one died. We want to know the details." 6:58pm: Joint press briefing by Army, Navy and Air Force to begin shortly at South Block. 6:45pm: PM Narendra Modi during the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi said, "Pilot project hone ke baad scalable kiya jata hai, to abhi abhi ek pilot project ho gaya, abhi real karna hai, pehle to practice thi." (Once the pilot project is done, only then it is scaled. We just had one pilot project now, the real deal is still left. This was just practice.) 6:40pm: Former Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti said, "Good news,whole nation will be relieved. I hope our leadership will also reciprocate this peace gesture. I hope Imran Khan will stand by his word and take steps on Indian dossier on Pulwama attack. Imran Khan has acted like a statesman." 6:35pm: Batsman Shikhar Dhawan says he is eagerly waiting for the pilot's return. Eagerly waiting for our braveheart to return home. ?? #WelcomeBackAbhinandan - Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) February 28, 2019 6:25pm: Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik makes a sand sculpture of the IAF pilot. #WelcomeBackAbhinandan My sand art with message Salute to our brave Hero at Puri beach #Odisha pic.twitter.com/8JzVEfU8k4 - Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) February 28, 2019 6:15pm: What are the Geneva Conventions that may have, perhaps, helped in the release of IAF pilot Abhinandan? They contain the most important rules regulating the conduct of armed conflicts and seeks to specifically protect civilians, health and aid workers, as well as soldiers no longer participating in the hostilities, such as prisoners of war (PoW) and wounded personnel. Read more about it here. 6:03pm: Visuals of the AIM120C missile used by PAF on IAF MiG-21. 5:46pm: Chinese military said it was "closely watching" the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan and called for restraint by both the neighbours. It called India and China "friends of China" and said that they should resolve the issue through dialogue. 5:44pm: Top sources in the security establishment said the Prime Minister PM was adamant that the Pakistani intention to use Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as a bargaining chip would not be accepted at all and he has to be released unconditionally. Sources said that the announcement by Pakistan to return the Indian Air Force officer was major victory for the Indian side. Prime Minister went on a global offensive through his security team including NSA Ajit Doval and Foriegn Minister Sushma Swaraj where they contacted major global powers to put pressure on the International community to intervene. NSA held talks with the American Secretary of State and their National Security Advisor. Sushma Swaraj also dialed the Arab world to pressurize the Pakistanis to release the officer and not play any politics over it. 5:41pm: No compromises made on Pak talk proposal in getting Wg Cdr Abhinandan back, mentioned a government's release. The IAF wing commander would be released through the Wagah border. 5:34pm: Ajay Maken welcomes back the Indian pilot. 5:25pm: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said, "I'm very happy, I had demanded his release earlier too. This is going to be a step towards goodwill and I hope this will be lasting." 5:20pm: Pakistani author Fatima Bhutto, niece of former Pakistani PM Benazir Bhutto said that this move of returning the IAF pilot can only be commended. I am so uplifted by the compassionate and mature Pakistani response today and over the past few days. I have long been a critic but today the government's move can only be commended by anyone, Indian or Pakistani, who is a true believer in peace. - fatima bhutto (@fbhutto) February 28, 2019 5:15pm: Joint press briefing by the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force that was scheduled for 5:00 pm has been postponed till 7:00 pm. 5:00pm: At their Parliament session Pakistani Imran Khan had said that talks over Kashmir are important, further adding, ""I have a feeling that the Indian public does not agree with the current government's warmongering. If their media had seen what our media has seen over the past 17 years, they would not have created this war hysteria." 4:55pm: In today's briefing, the Indian side will expose the Pakistani lies in the entire episode. Air Vice Marshal Ravi Kapoor from Airforce and Maj Gen Surinder Mahal and Rear Admiral DS Gujral to represent Air Force and army at the briefing at 5pm. 4:50pm: Addressing Pakistan's National Assembly, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that Pakistan to release IAF pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, tomorrow as a peace gesture. Read More: Pakistan to release Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan tomorrow 3.55pm: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan may call Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the wake of rising tension between India and Pakistan, reported News18. He had earlier said the only way was to have a dialogue. "If matters became worse, it will be out of Imran Khan or Narendra Modi's control," he added. Watch here. 3.40pm: Indian yet to take call on Samjhauta Express: The Indian Railways is yet to decide whether to run the Samjhauta Express train on its side on Thursday and beyond, even as Pakistan suspended its services on its end, officials told PTI, amidst strain in ties in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack and subsequent developments. The train is scheduled to run from Attari to Delhi at 8pm Thursday. The decision on whether the Indian side will run the train from Attari to Delhi -- with both Pakistani and Indian passengers on board -- is yet to be taken, they said. Pakistan on Wednesday cancelled the train's trip on the Wagah-Lahore stretch on their side, even as 27 passengers -- 23 Indians and three from the neighbouring country -- arrived at Attari from Delhi on an Indian rake which left the Old Delhi Railway station at 11:20pm last night. 3.24pm: War is in no nation's interest, says PTI: Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, in a tweet, said: "We hope you (India) understand that you were manipulated into war mongering...isolate the people who are desperate to win an election. War is in no nation's interest, and its soldiers and civilians who are the collateral damage. Don't let one man use it for political mileage." 3.15pm: Capt Amarinder Singh meets BSF personnel: Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh interacts with BSF personnel in Tarn Taran district of the state. Glad to see that our forces are in high spirits. Interacted with some personnel at the first line of defence close to the IB in Tarn Taran district. pic.twitter.com/bqELK5mOyQ - Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) February 28, 2019 2:53pm: Pakistan has lied to international community on Jaish-e-Mohammed, about two pilots in custody. They lied on Indian ships approaching, they have lied on missile strikes, sources told ANI. 2:50pm: India did not consider giving actionable intel earlier as Pak has not acted in past on actionable inputs on Mumbai nd Pathankot, ANI has reported. 2:47pm: Pakistan is trying to create a Kandahar type pressure but India will not give in, there will be no deal or talks on Wing Commander AbhinandanVartaman's release, ANI quotes sources as saying this. 2:45pm: Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire in Rajouri area of LoC. Firing started at 2:15 and is still going. India responding using equal caliber force. 2:40pm: Willing to release Indian pilot, says Pak: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said Pakistan is willing to consider returning Indian pilot if it leads to de-escalation of tension between the two countries, Geo News reported. "Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to hold a telephonic conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Qureshi was quoted as saying this to Pakistani news organisation. 2:35pm: Samjhauta Express train service to resume from March 4: Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed said that Samjhauta Express train service will be resumed from Monday. The train service from Pakistan to India was suspended till next order in a wake of escalating tensions between the both countries. 2:30pm: No live telecast of joint press conference by Indian Forces: There will be no live telecast of the joint press conference by Army, Air Force and Navy to be held at 5pm today. Mobile phones are also not allowed in the briefing. 2:27pm: Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al-Assaf is coming to Pakistan today with an important message from Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Dawn reported. 2:25pm: India has not asked for consular access but immediate release of Wing Commander Abhinandan, ANI reported. 2:20pm: Will take decision on status of Indian pilot in a couple of days, says Pak: Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal said that India has raised the matter of the pilot with us. "We'll decide in a couple of days what convention will apply to him and whether to give him Prisoner of War status or not," said Faisal. 2.15pm: Your pilot is safe here, says Qureshi: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi says that the Indian Wing Commander Abhinandan is safe in Pakistan's custody. He said he wanted to assure the Indian public that Pakistan is "taking care of him pretty well, including medicine and food". 2.08pm: We are fully prepared, says Pak: Mohammad Faisal, spokesperson of the Pakistan foreign ministry, says the country does not wish to escalate tensions with India "but are fully prepared if forced into that paradigm". #Pakistanstrikesback #PAF undertook strikes across LoC from Pakistani airspace. Sole purpose of this action was to demonstrate our right, will and capability for self defence. We do not wish to escalate but are fully prepared if forced into that paradigm#PakistanZindabad - Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) February 27, 2019 1.55pm: Hold talk, not war, says widow of slain CRPF jawan: The widow of slain CRPF personnel Bablu Santra has urged both India and Pakistan to hold talks instead of escalating tensions. She also urged the Narendra Modi government to ensure the safe release of Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, reported PTI. Mita Santra, widowed on February 14 in a suicide bomb attack on a CRPF convoy that claimed 40 lives including that of her husband, said she was not worried about criticism on social media over her anti-war stand. 1.45pm: The Army, Air Force and Navy officials will address the media around 5pm today. Sources: The Navy will also be a part of the joint press conference. https://t.co/tK6P6saWbL - ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 1.27pm: Hope the tension will end soon, says Trump: US President Donald Trump, addressing media after meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said he hoped the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan would come to an end soon. "I think there is reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India. They have been going at it and we have been involved; we have some reasonably decent news, hopefully it's going to be coming to an end. It has been going on for a long time, decades and decades," Trump said. 1.15pm: Army, Air Force to brief media soon: Pakistan violated ceasefire at 1pm today along the Line of Control in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district. Indian Army retaliated effectively, reports ANI. There will be a joint press briefing by Army and Air Force at 5pm today. 1.10pm: Imran Khan chairs cabinet meet: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is holding a Cabinet meeting which will discuss the issue of escalating tension with India. The country's ministers of foreign affairs and defence will brief the Pakistan PM on the security situation, reported Geo TV. 1.00pm: Sitharaman to brief CCS: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will soon brief the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on all inputs given by the chiefs of Army, Air Force, and Navy. 12.50pm: 'Will receive a briefing on current situation': The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs will receive a briefing from the Ministry of External Affairs on the current situation with Pakistan at its meeting tomorrow afternoon, says Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. The parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs will receive a briefing from the MEA on the current situation with Pakistan at its meeting tomorrow afternoon. - Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 28, 2019 12.42pm: 'We will fight together': Prime Minister Narendra Modi says it is necessary to ensure nothing is done to dent morale of security forces. "India will fight, live, work and win as one," says PM Modi. 12.34pm: Nirmala Sitharaman to visit J&K: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will visit the border in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. She will also inaugurate a bridge in Kathua near the International border, reports India Today. 12.21pm: Let's work together, says Pak minister to India: World must realise Pak-India conflict will destabilise the entire region and later the world at large, said Fawad Hussain, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Pakistan. "Let's work together to avert this situation," he added. World must realize Pak-India conflict ll destabilise region and later the World at large, world ll be more divided and extremism at new peaks.... extremism ll be ultimate winner ... Pak,India and the World ll loose.... lets work together to avert this situation - Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) February 28, 2019 12.08pm: Shake hands and settle conflict, says Malala. Nobel Laureate Malala Yusufai has urged both India and Pakistan to "show true leadership in this difficult time". She asked both the leaders to "sit down, shake hands and settle" the current conflict. "I ask the international community to support talks between India and Pakistan and to help prevent loss of lives and homes". 12.05pm: VK Singh slams BS Yeddyurappa: Former Army chief General VK Singh has slammed his party colleague BS Yeddyurappa's claim that airstrikes on Pakistan will help the BJP win 22 seats in Karnataka alone. "We stand as one nation, action taken by our government is to safeguard our nation & ensure safety of our citizens, not to win a few extra seats," says VK Singh. 11.50am: Be our eyes and ears, say police to locals: IG Coastal Police has called for meetings with the fishermen community, asking them to be "their eyes and ears and keep a close eye on movements in the sea and all the landing points across the state". 11.45am: Pulwama suicide bomber's video also submitted to Pak: Suicide bomber Adil Dar's video where he talks about the attack is also part of the dossier. The video showing Dar as a JeM recruit and talking about the attack is clear evidence of JeM's direct involvement. Phone conversation transcripts and intercepts of Kamran, a JeM terrorist killed in Pulwama days after the CRPF attack that killed 40 troops, is also part of the dossier, reported India Today. 11.40am: India dossier to Pak contains Masood Azhar's video: Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar's video and audio recordings praising the Pulwama attack is part of the dossier handed over to Pakistan giving evidence of the terror outfit planning the Pulwama attack on CRPF convoy. The dossier details how the attack suicide attack was planned by JeM on its soil. 11.35am: Japan concerned about escalating situation: Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono says he is concerned about deterioratingsituation in Kashmir. "Strongly condemn terrorist attack on February 14 forwhich Islamic extremist group 'Jaish-e-Mohammad' claimed responsibility; urgePakistan to take stronger measures to counter terrorism," he said. 11.28am: 6 Pak nationals visiting Muzaffarnagar under vigilance: Amid the escalating tension between India and Pakistan, six nationals of the neighbouring country, who came here on valid visa, are under vigilance of the local intelligence unit in the district, an official said on Thursday, reported PTI. They arrived here on February 12 and they have valid visa. They are to return to their country before March 27, the in-charge of local intelligence unit here said. 11.15am: The service chiefs of Army, Air Froce, and Navy will meet Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman shortly. 11.05am: India building bunkers along border: India is building more than 14,000 bunkers suitable for families living along its border with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir, hoping to keep them safe near their homes instead of evacuating them as artillery shells scream over, reports Reuters. 10.55am: Pictures of downed F-16 aircraft: Here are the pictures of a portion of downed Pakistani Air Force jet F-16 from yesterday's failed PAF (Pakistan Air Force) raid, the wreckage fell in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoC). Pakistan has denied reports of India shooting down its F-16 aircraft. Sources: Picture of portion of downed Pakistani Air Force jet F16 from yesterday's failed PAF raid, wreckage was in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Also seen in pic, Commanding Officer of Pakistan's 7 Northern Light Infantry. pic.twitter.com/weYcB0G5eD - ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 10.50am: Shameful that PM can't stop campaigning: It is shameful that while India awaits the return of Wing Commander Abhinandan, our Prime Time PM cannot stop campaigning even for a few minutes. We stand with our soldiers & will continue to question the Modi Govt on their apathy. It is shameful that while India awaits the return of Wing Commander Abhinandan, our Prime Time PM cannot stop campaigning even for a few minutes. We stand with our soldiers & will continue to question the Modi Govt on their apathy. #MeraJawanSabseMajboot - Congress (@INCIndia) February 28, 2019 10.40am: Pakistan suspends Samjhauta Express: The Railways has said the Samjhauta Express departed on time with 27 passengers onboard, amidst reports that Pakistan has suspended its operations between Wagah to Lahore on its side. "The train running from Delhi to Attari in India left at 11:20 pm Wednesday. There are three Pakistanis and 24 Indian nationals aboard the train," Northern Railway said. The biweekly train, which runs on Wednesdays and Sundays, was as per schedule from the Old Delhi Railway station with 27 passengers aboard -- four in AC coach, 23 in non-AC coaches -- it said, reported PTI. 10.35am: Proud of my son, says Abhinandan's father: A day after India confirmed that "missing Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot" Abhinandan was under Pakistan custody, his father Air Marshal (Retd) Varthaman said his son was alive, not injured and that he was "proud of him." IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman's father, Air Marshal (Retd) S Varthaman, says he is proud of his son, reported the Quint. "Thank you my friends for your concern and wishes. I thank god for his blessings, Abhi is alive, not injured, sound in mind, just look at the way he talked so bravely...a true soldier...we are so proud of him. I am sure all your hands n blessings are on his head, prayers for his safe return, I pray that he does not get tortured...." 10.30am: India steps up diplomatic pressure: India is launching a diplomatic offensive along with military steps to take decisive action against Pakistan supported terrorist infrastructure in the region. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has left for Saudi Arabia to garner support against support to terrorists by Pakistan. Ambassadors and defence attaches posted in Indian embassies abroad have been asked to push forward and push Indian viewpoint across strongly. 10.25am: 'Modi is desperate to make record of rallies'. Congress Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala says while the Congress party has cancelled CWC meeting and a political rally in the wake of the rising tensions with Pakistan, PM Modi wants to make a record of "video conferencing". , CWC Video Conferencing pic.twitter.com/wTp2GqXTFk - Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) February 28, 2019 10.20am: Postpone events, Kejriwal to PM: The Delhi CM says: "At this moment, we as a nation, need to spend all our energies and time to get the IAF pilot back safely and to sternly deal with Pak." I wud urge the PM to postpone this. At this moment, we as a nation, need to spend all our energies and time to get the IAF pilot back safely andto sternly deal wid Pak. https://t.co/HKgBeqSe8a - Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 28, 2019 10.15am: 'Abhinandan raised slogans': IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was "equipped with a pistol", reported Dawn, adding that he immediately asked locals whether he was in India and Pakistan. "The pilot, later identified as Wing Commander Abhi Nandan, shouted some slogans and asked which place exactly it was in India." 10.05am: Wing Commander Abhinandan tried to swallow documents before his capture: IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who is in Pakistan's custody since yesterday, jumped into a small pond after his MiG 21 fighter plane was shot down by the Pakistan air troops and his parachute descended towards the ground, reported Dawn. The news daily also reported that the Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander tried to "swallow some documents and maps" before he was captured. 9.58am: 'India will not keep quit': India's Ambassador to the US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, has said that India will not keep quiet to any act of terrorism and giving "appropriate response" to all terrorism incidents is the new normal for the country. "This time, India opted for pre-emptive attack, mainly because terrorists were planning to launch another terrorist attack inside Indiaby doing so, India ensured that it was a non-military, and in remote area with no civilian casualties," he said, reported PTI. 9.40am: 'Abhinandan is a courageous soldier': Wing Commander Abhinandan is an embodiment of a mentally tough, selfless and courageous soldier, says former Army General and Union Minister VK Singh. "During these testing times the country stands, as one, behind him and his family," says Singh. #WingCommanderAbhinandan is an embodiment of a mentally tough, selfless & courageous soldier. During these testing times the country stands, as one, behind him & his family. Our efforts are on & under the #GenevaConvention we hope that the brave pilot would return home soon. - Vijay Kumar Singh (@Gen_VKSingh) February 28, 2019 9.35am: Ceasefire violation by Pak along LoC: Pakistan initiated unprovoked shelling with mortars and firing of small arms along LoC in Krishna Ghati Sector (J&K) around 6am on Thursday. Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively, said security officials. However, firing stopped at about 7am. 9.25am: Cabinet to meet today: Union Cabinet will hold a meeting today at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence. 9.18am: US supports India's fight against terror: National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a telephonic conversation on Wednesday late night. Pompeo said the US supported India's decision to take action against JeM terror camp on Pakistani soil, reported ANI. 9.10am: We support Modi govt, says ICPA: Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) has extended a complete support and co-operation in all operations as the situation demands. "We will support the government and the PMO in this fight against terrorism," says the association, reported ANI. "We, as Air Indians take pride and feel duty bound towards national interest and pledge our support to the Nation and as pilots we consider ourselves as the second line of defense after the armed forces to serve our country." Indian Commercial Pilots Association: ICPA being a patriotic and responsible union would like to extend complete support and co-operation in all operations as the situation demands. We will support the government and the PMO in this fight against terrorism. pic.twitter.com/91SrDXuyi8 - ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 9.00am: AI caps fares to J&K at Rs 5,000: Air India has decided to fix cap of Rs 5,000 from Delhi to Srinagar, Leh and Jammu airport for any passengers. Many airlines have waived off cancellations and re-booking charges for the armed forces and for other passengers following the escalation in tension along the borders with Pakistan. 8.44am: Return to stability, US to India and Pak: US calls on India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation,including direct communication. 8.42am: Destroy terrorists haven, US tells Pak: We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council (UNSC) commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. 8.40am: Letter sent to Pak foreign ministry: After demarche issued this afternoon in New Delhi to Pakistan's acting high commissioner demanding immediate release of Wing Commander Varthaman, India's mission in Islamabad has now formally asked for his release. 8.38am: Time to introspect, says Yechury: CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury has said it was time for the Centre government to introspect. "It is time for the Modi govt to introspect on the statement by 21 Opposition parties. Do not undermine India's fight against terrorism for partisan benefits," Yechury tweeted. BJP leaders have been doing election rallies, Modi has been attending party events, when CRPF jawans were martyred or when Pakistani jets were being taken on by our brave pilots. https://t.co/EJeB0SOb4L - Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) February 27, 2019 8.25am: Pak airspace to remain closed today: The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced complete closure of flight operations for all domestic and international airlines across Pakistan till further orders. ARY News: Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced complete closure of flight operations for all domestic and international airlines across Pakistan till further orders. - ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2019 8.10am: US, UK, France ask UNSC to ban Masood Azhar: The US, the UK and France has finally asked the United Nations Security Council to ban Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar in a fresh proposal. While the United States, Britain and France has proposed the United Nations Security Council to blacklist the JeM chief, the move is likely to be opposed by China, which previously prevented the Security Council's Islamic State and al Qaeda sanctions committee from sanctioning him in 2016 and 2017. U.S., UK, France ask U.N. to blacklist militant leader behind Kashmir attack https://t.co/MVG9zhu6LK pic.twitter.com/mxgqJma9mv - Reuters India (@ReutersIndia) February 28, 2019 8.00am: Canada calls for de-escalation of tensions: Canada has urged both sides to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any further military escalation, Chrystia Freeland, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, said, reported PTI. Dialogue between India and Pakistan is needed to identify a durable diplomatic solution and maintain peace and security in the region, Freeland said. We are committed to working with India, Pakistan and our international partners in this effort, she said. 7.30am: Avoid military action, US to India, Pak: Fearing an escalation of the current tensions between India and Pakistan, the Pentagon has urged the two South Asian neighbours to avoid further military action, reported PTI. The US Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan has been in contact with the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Advisor John Bolton, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford, and Commander of US Central Command General Joseph Votel regarding India-Pakistan tensions. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday announced the repatriation of IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan after he was captured by Pakistani on Wednesday. Speaking in the Parliament, PM Khan said that Pakistan government will release the IAF pilot Friday as a gesture of peace and "and as a first step to open negotiations". But, what will be the procedure of his release? The brave IAF pilot is expected to enter India via Attari-Wagah border at around noon Friday. Here are the details of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on Wing Commander Abhinandan's handover and timing of his arrival. Also Read: India-Pakistan tension LIVE: IAF pilot Abhinandan to be released tomorrow; Imran Khan once again calls for peace As per SOP, the IAF officer will be brought to the Wagah border by the Pakistani army and handed over to the civilian authorities and representative of the Indian High Commission present at the border. The civilian authorities will then hand him over to the Indian Border Security forces. Meanwhile, the time for the IAF pilot's arrival has been changed from 10 am to between 3-4 pm (Pakistani time). Group captain JP Kurien who is an Air Attache to Pakistan is likely to be present at the Wagah border along with a delegation of IAF to receive the brave IAF pilot. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is also expected to receive Wing Commander Abhinandan at the border as he had tweeted his request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Also Read: Pakistan PM Imran Khan says will release IAF pilot tomorrow The father and mother of the IAF officer also reached Delhi Thursday night and will then go to Amritsar to welcome their son. The brave pilot is the son of decorated Air Marshal (Retd) S Varthaman. Addressing a joint session of parliament PM Khan said that Pakistan government will release the IAF pilot Friday as a gesture of peace and "and as a first step to open negotiations" with India. "In our desire for peace, I announce that tomorrow, as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody," Khan said on the floor of the House. Expressing happiness over the announcement of the IAF officer's release, Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor in press conference held yesterday said, ""We are happy that our pilot who had fallen across the Line of Control and was in the custody of Pakistan is being released. Also Read: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman: Here's all you need to know about the IAF pilot in Pakistan's custody We are extremely happy to have him back. We only see it as a gesture which is in consonance with the Geneva Conventions," The IAF pilot's release is being viewed as a big diplomatic win for India which mounted aggressive political and international pressure on Pakistan to release Wing Commander Abhinandan back home. Commissioned into the IAF in the year 2004, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman showed exceptional valour by taking down much sophisticated J16 fighter jets of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in an aerial dogfight that ensued over the skies of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). While engaging PAF's aircraft, Abhinandan's burst into flames and came down swiftly, due to which he had to eject and descend on Pakistani territory. Myriad videos and pictures have gone viral on social media where the IAF pilot was seen being captured and held captive by Pakistani villagers before handing him over to the Pakistani army. The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols are international treaties that are at the core of international humanitarian law. They contain the most important rules regulating the conduct of armed conflicts and seeks to specifically protect civilians, health and aid workers, as well as soldiers no longer participating in the hostilities, such as prisoners of war (PoW) and wounded personnel. Pakistan PM Imran Khan announced at their Parliament that the Indian Air Force pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, will be released tomorrow. While Pakistan called it a peace gesture, it is likely that the Geneva Conventions are likely to have been applied. However, the Wing Commander who is currently in Pakistan's custody after his MiG-21 Bison was brought down in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir yesterday, has not been called a PoW by the Ministry of External Affairs and Pakistan. Because as per the Third Geneva Convention, "In addition to the provisions which shall be implemented in peace time, the present Convention shall apply to all cases of declared war or of any other armed conflict which may arise between two or more of the High Contracting Parties, even if the state of war is not recognized by one of them". What are the Geneva Conventions? Although they were adopted in 1949, to take account of the experiences of the Second World War, the four Geneva Conventions - with three protocols added on since 1977 - continue to apply to armed conflicts today. In total, 196 countries have signed and ratified them over the years. Convention I requires that all wounded and infirm soldiers as well as medical personnel and chaplains in the field are treated humanely without discrimination on the basis of race, colour, gender, religion or faith, and the like. It prohibits acts such as torture, mutilation, outrages upon personal dignity, and execution without judgment. It also grants them the right to proper medical treatment and care. The Second Convention extends the protections described above to shipwrecked soldiers and other naval forces, including special protections afforded to hospital ships. Geneva Convention III, as already mentioned, is relative to the treatment of Prisoners of War (PoWs) while the last Convention focuses on the protection of civilians in times of war. Follow the LIVE blog here: IAF pilot Abhinandan to be released tomorrow; Imran Khan once again calls for peace These treaties have come into play for all recent international armed conflicts, including the war in Afghanistan, the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the 2008 War in Georgia and the Russian invasion of Chechnya (1994-present). What are the rights of a PoW? According to Article 13 in the Third Geneva Convention, PoWs must be "humanely treated" at all times. "Any unlawful act or omission by the Detaining Power causing death or seriously endangering the health of a prisoner of war in its custody is prohibited, and will be regarded as a serious breach of the present Convention," it states, adding that PoW have to be protected against insults and public curiosity as well as acts of violence or intimidation. In this context, Pakistan may have violated the treaties when the military spokesperson tweeted an image of the captured IAF pilot. The Geneva Conventions also strictly bar airing pictures of captured prisoners on television. In one of the videos of Varthaman being interrogated post his capture, he alludes to the Geneva Convention when he only discloses his service number and identifies himself as a Hindu. "I'm sorry sir...that's all I'm supposed to tell you," he calmly tells his interrogators when pressed for more details. "Every prisoner of war, when questioned on the subject, is bound to give only his surname, first names and rank, date of birth, and army, regimental, personal or serial number, or failing this, equivalent information," states Article 17 of Convention III. "No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind whatever." Apart from mandating adequate medical attention for PoWs and allowing them correspondence with their families, the Conventions also list out conditions for their internment - like hygienic surroundings where they are not exposed to the fire of the combat zone. "Prisoners' representatives shall be permitted to visit premises where prisoners of war are detained, and every prisoner of war shall have the right to consult freely his prisoners' representative," adds Article 81. Also read: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman: Here's all you need to know about the IAF pilot in Pakistan's custody How did the Geneva Conventions help in ensuring that the pilot returns home? As per Article 118 of Convention III, PoWs "shall be released and repatriated without delay after the cessation of active hostilities". Furthermore, even if the countries at conflict are not able to reach an agreement toward cessation of hostilities, "each of the Detaining Powers shall itself establish and execute without delay a plan of repatriation in conformity with the principle laid down (above)". In June 1999, Flight Lieutenant Kambampati Nachiketa, the only PoW during the Kargil War was repatriated home after the Indian authorities rejected Pakistan's idea if a public handover at their foreign office by citing the Geneva Conventions. What did Pakistan say? Before the Opposition took the floor at the Pakistani Parliament, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that he wants to announce that the Indian pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released tomorrow as a gesture of peace. "In our desire for peace, I announce that tomorrow, and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody," PM Khan said. Earlier in the session he said, "I have a feeling that the Indian public does not agree with the current government's warmongering. If their media had seen what our media has seen over the past 17 years, they would not have created this war hysteria." He also said, "Countries are ruined because of miscalculation. War is not a solution. If India takes any action, we will have to retaliate." Also read: Wing Commander Abhinandan tried to swallow documents, maps after landing on Pakistani soil: report Ten days after Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir visited Pakistan along with the Kingdom's Crown Prince, a trip where deals worth $20 billion were signed, he will return to make a second visit. "The Saudi foreign minister will be coming to Pakistan today with a message from Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman," Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said earlier today. Also Read: Saudi prince sees investment opportunities of more than $100 billion in India According to Dawn, a leading Pakistani daily, Qureshi added that he had spoken to his Saudi counterpart over the telephone last night and the latter had "expressed a wish to come to Pakistan, which I welcomed". Saudi Arabia had vowed to "de-escalate" rising tensions between Pakistan and India during the high-profile summit in Islamabad last week, and Salman stressed that "dialogue" is the only way forward in a joint statement issued at the end of his visit. While in India, for the second leg of his South Asia tour, the Crown Prince had said "On the issue of extremism and terrorism, which is a common concern, we want to tell India that we will cooperate in every way, including intelligence sharing". Qureshi reportedly also welcomed US President Donald Trump's announcement today regarding the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions. "We have been involved in trying to help them (India and Pakistan) stop and we have some reasonably decent news," Trump said at a press conference at the end of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un . "I think hopefully that (tensions) could be coming to an end, it has been going on for a long time," he added. The Pakistani foreign minister added that America's intervention "can prove to be helpful for regional peace". Meanwhile, Sushma Swaraj, India's Minister of External Affairs left for Abu Dhabi today to take part in the inaugural session of the foreign ministers' conclave of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). She was invited by the UAE as the guest of honour at the Islamic meet to be held on March 1 and 2 but Pakistan has threatened to boycott the meet over the India's participation amid tensions along the LoC. The OIC had condemned the Indian Air Force's cross-border strike on February 26. With Agency inputs Edited by Sushmita Agarwal Read More: India, Saudi Arabia ink MoUs for cooperation in tourism, broadcasting Indian cos, including TCS, Wipro, sign 15 pacts to invest in Saudi Arabia The US has urged nuclear armed countries India and Pakistan to stop further military action against each other and de-escalate their border tension immediately as international pressure builds on the neighbouring countries after the most serious aerial engagements seen in decades triggered by the Pulwama attack on 44 CRPF troopers in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) on February 14. The Donald Trump administration has issued a number of statements following heightened tensions between the two countries. Washington asked Islamabad to take "meaningful action" against the terror elements using its safe havens to target India. The Donald Trump administration has also asked Pakistan to obey its UN security coundil commitments to deny terrorists safe havens and take actions against them operating them from its soil after India submitted a dossier to Pakistan's acting High Commissioner detailing the complicity of Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) in the recent terror attack Pulwama on 44 troopers of CRPF. Also Read: India-Pak situation LIVE: Ensure safe return of IAF pilot, India tells Pak as PM Modi weighs in all options India conveyed to the Pak official that New Delhi expects Islamabad to "take immediate and verifiable action" against terrorists operating from its soil. Cross-border terrorism, such as the recent attack on India's CRPF on February 14, poses a grave threat to the security of the region. We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds," a State Department spokesperson said. The US has also asked India and Pakistan to hold direct talks to downscale the current situation. . "The United States calls on India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and for a return to stability. Further military activity will exacerbate the situation," the spokesperson said. Also Read: Britain, US and France ask UN to blacklist Jaish-e-Mohammad leader Masood Azhar US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also exhorted Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi to hold "direct communication and avoid further military activity." India and Pakistan yesterday had an aerial engagement in which both sides claimed to have downed each other fighter jets and Pakistan captured an IAF pilot further escalating tensions between the two countries. Also Read: India-Pak tension: Air India caps fares to J&K at Rs 5,000; Vistara, GoAir waive off cancellation fees Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan army on Wednesday after the fighter jet he was flying was shot down in an ambush over PoK, will be released tomorrow. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced the release of IAF pilot Abhinandan while addressing the nation's parliament on Thursday. IAF pilot Abhinandan will return to India tomorrow through the Wagah border. In his address, Khan said that Wing Commander Abhinandan will be released on Friday as a gesture of peace. This was unanimously supported by the Pakistan parliament. He said this is a first step to open negotiations between India and Pakistan. Imran Khan said that he tried to talk to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi as escalation was not in their interests nor in India's. ALSO READ: India-Pakistan tension LIVE: IAF pilot Abhinandan to be released tomorrow; Imran Khan once again calls for peace In his address, Khan once again urged India to not escalate the tension with Pakistan. "I am requesting the Indian dispensation to not escalate [military action] from this point. Because then we will be forced to respond and retaliate, and that will not be a happy situation for both nations," Imran Khan said. "The Indian media has not seen what we have been through. Otherwise, they would have known warmongering and war-hysteria are of no consequence to anybody. And with the warfare we have and India has, we should not even think of wars," he further added. This development comes just before a press briefing by Indian defence forces scheduled today. Representatives from the Indian Armed Forces, Navy and Air Force will talk to media personnel at 7:00pm today. ALSO READ: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman: Here's all you need to know about the IAF pilot in Pakistan's custody Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan was captured yesterday after a dogfight with Pakistan Air Force aircraft violating Indian air space. Reports suggest that he was chasing two Pakistani fighter jets in a MiG21 Bison jet when he was lured into an ambush and brought down by air defence systems. His plane crashed in PoK and he was taken in custody by Pakistani army. Pakistani Army had earlier claimed to have two IAF pilots in its custody but later revealed that only Wing Commander Abhinandan has been captured. India's Ministry of External Affairs had called Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan Syed Haider Shah yesterday and demanded Abhinandan's safe and immediate release. ALSO READ: Wing Commander Abhinandan tried to swallow documents, maps after landing on Pakistani soil: report Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the chorus of 'Bring back Abhinandan' continues to build in the country. "Abhinandan... Sheesh jhuka ke abhinandan [salutations with head bowed]," Bollywood stalwart Amitabh Bachchan tweeted late last night. IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman is in Pakistan's custody after his MiG-21 Bison was brought down in Pakistan occupied Kashmir post an engagement with Pakistani Air Force jets violating Indian airspace yesterday morning. Since then a video of him being roughed up while blindfolded has gone viral, as have two others showing him being interrogated and subsequently claiming that he has been treated well by the Pakistani forces and "will not change" his statement "if" he returns to India. His poise and confidence under pressure has won hearts across the country. For instance, in one of the videos, Varthaman alludes to the Geneva Convention when he only disclosed his service number and identifies himself as a Hindu and, when pressed for more details, calmly says, "I'm sorry sir...that's all I'm supposed to tell you." Also read: Wing Commander Abhinandan tried to swallow documents, maps after landing on Pakistani soil: report Here's what we know about this braveheart: The 34-year-old Wing Commander is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla and has been a fighter pilot for 16 years. He was an accomplished Sukhoi-30 fighter pilot before being assigned to the MiG-21 Bison squadron. He is the son of Air Marshal S Varthaman, a decorated officer who reportedly retired after serving as the Eastern Air Command chief. Ironically, Varthaman senior had been a consultant for Mani Ratnam's film Kaatru Veliyidai that depicted an Indian Air Force Squadron Leader taken prisoner by Pakistan during the Kargil War. Wing Commander Varthaman is reportedly married with two children. His brother, too, serves in the Indian Air Force. He had appeared for on a TV show where he claimed that bad attitude is what made a good fighter pilot. Follow the LIVE blog here: India will fight as one, win as one, says PM Modi What is India doing about his release? The Ministry of External Affairs yesterday summoned Pakistan's Acting High Commissioner, Syed Haider Shah to the South Block and registered a strong-worded objection to Pakistan's unwarranted advances into Indian airspace as well as Varthaman's arrest. India also told off Shah for the vulgar display of the injured officer, calling it a violation of all norms of the International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. According to reports, the MEA has made it clear to Pakistan that it expects safe and immediate return of its aviator, and Pakistan will be well-advised to ensure that no harm comes to him. The reason for the hard language is obvious. India has not forgotten Flight Lieutenant Kambampati Nachiketa, who was captured by Pakistan at the peak of the Kargil War. On his return to India, Nachiketa had described the eight days as a prisoner of war as a period of immense mental and physical torture. Neither can Captain Saurabh Kalia and five of his platoon members be forgotten, who were captured by Pakistani troops and tortured, mutilated and killed just before the Kargil War broke out. Also read: Pakistan suspends Samjhauta Express from Delhi amid escalating tensions with India The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) has delayed the notification and application process for railway Non-Technical Popular Category (NTPC) posts. The detailed notification for 30,000 NTPC vacancies was expected to release on February 28, but there's been a day's delay. According to the RRB officials, the application window for the NTPC paramedical staff, ministerial and isolated categories will now start from March 1. For the recruitment year 2019, RRB has announced 1.30 lakh vacancies, out of which 1,00,000 are for level 1, and the rest are for NTPC, paramedical staff and ministerial and isolated category. According to information on the official website of Railway Recruitment Board, the date of RRB NTPC Application 2019 has been revised for Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) only. Candidates who wish to apply for RRB ministerial and isolated categories posts may begin application process from March 8, while RRB Level-1 post applications will start on March 12. Interested candidates can check the official RRB websites of RRB Mumbai, Allahabad, Patna, Chennai, Bangalore, etc for detailed information. The details related to age limit, eligibility and examination date will be announced in the official notification tomorrow. For most of RRB NTPC jobs, age limit is usually between 18-32 years and candidate need to complete their graduation. Candidates can apply for Junior Clerk cum Typist, Accounts Clerk cum Typist, Trains Clerk, Commercial cum Ticket Clerk, Traffic Assistant, Goods Guard, Senior Commercial cum Ticket Clerk, Senior Clerk cum Typist, Junior Account Assistant cum Typist, Commercial Apprentice, Station Master and other roles under NTPC. As for the paramedical staff, roles of Staff Nurse, Health and Malaria Inspector, Pharmacist, ECG Technician, Lab Assistant, Lab Superintendent etc, are available under RRB Ministerial and Isolated Categories. This recruitment is similar in scale with last year's when more than 62,000 vacancies were advertised each for RRB Group C and D posts. Also Read: India-Pakistan tension LIVE: India will fight as one, win as one, says PM Modi Edited by Chitranjan Kumar The Sensex and Nifty opened higher on Thursday with tensions between India and Pakistan shifting from across the border to the international stage with a fresh proposal been submitted at the United Nations Security Council or UNSC to designate Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist. While the Sensex rallied 131 points to 36,037 in early trade, the Nifty climbed 32 points to 10,839. Coal India (1.38%), Bharti Airtel (1.28%) and ONGC (1.26%) were the top Sensex gainers. Of 30 Sensex stocks, 24 were trading in the green . Top Sensex losers were Tata Steel (0.56%), Bajaj Auto (0.52%) and L&T (0.47%). On Wednesday, the Sensex fell 68 points to 35,905 level and Nifty closed 28 points lower at 10,806. Indian rupee opened at 71.26 per dollar from its last close of 71.21 as investors eyed India-Pakistan border tension for cues. Meanwhile, the mid cap and small cap indices were trading 36.78 points and 53.97 points higher in early trade. Banking and healthcare stocks led the gains with their BSE indices rising 85 points and 66 points, respectively. Of 19 BSE indices, 16 were trading in the green. Capital goods stocks were the top sectoral losers on the BSE . Market breadth was positive with 857 stocks trading higher compared to 412 falling on the BSE. On a net basis, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net of Rs 423 crore on Wednesday, and domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net sellers to the tune of Rs 66 crore, provisional data available with BSE showed. Edited by Aseem Thapliyal 28 Feb 2019, 1:05 PM US asks Pakistan to take 'meaningful action' against terrorist groups The US on Wednesday firmly asked Pakistan to take "meaningful action" against terrorist groups operating on its soil and underscored the importance of avoiding escalation at any cost after India targeted terrorist camp in Pakistan.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a phone call with the Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also called for avoiding military action. In a separate call with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Pompeo emphasised the close security partnership between the US and India and shared goal of maintaining peace and security in the region. Nepal calls for peace in region, dialogue between India and Pakistan Nepal has asked India and Pakistan to come together for dialogue and resolve the ongoing tussle between them. Two nuclear powers engaged in aerial engagements today as Pakistan violated Indian airspace in response to a precise, non-military aerial attack on terror launch pads in its territory. Nepal, as the current SAARC Chair, said that it is concerned about the prevalent tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of Pulwama terror attack. Pakistan says no F-16 aircraft used, dismisses report of their fighter jet crashing A day after Indian Air Force blew up the terror camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot, Pakistan's Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor on Wednesday claimed that it undertook strikes across the border from Pakistani airspace. Refuting India's claim of shooting down Pakistan's F-16 aircraft, the DG ISPR said that Pakistan had not used F-16 in entire operation and no Pakistani fighter jet has been hit 'Very strong plan' to ensure fuel supplies to defence in place; 500 trucks move to refill depots As tensions with Pakistan escalated, Indian oil companies have put in motion a "very strong plan" including moving a convoy of 500 trucks to ensure uninterrupted fuel supplies to all defence and strategic assets, top officials said Wednesday. Tanks feeding defence establishment in forward areas along the border with Pakistan are all "topped up" and have enough fuel to meet any eventuality, they said. Hyundai Creta crosses 5 lakh cumulative sales milestone Hyundai Motor India Wednesday said its SUV Creta has crossed 5 lakh cumulatives sales milestone since its launch in July, 2015. The company has sold 3.7 lakh units of the SUV in India and over 1.4 lakh units across international markets. "With the record sales of over five lakh units in less than four years by any made-in-India SUV, Hyundai Creta has yet again set a new benchmark in the industry," Hyundai Motor India National Sales Head Vikas Jain said. Spotify debuts in India to take on Amazon Music, JioSaavn Music streaming service Spotify Wednesday announced its foray into the Indian market, where it will compete head-on with players like JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Gaana. The Swedish firm said it will offer local and international music for Indian listeners with the app available to download for free. Users can also upgrade to Spotify Premium for Rs 59 onwards per month. A selection of newly designed three and four-bedroom A-Rated homes are due to be launched this weekend at Adamstown, Co. Dublin from a state-of-the-art multi-level marketing suite. Newpark is the latest venture by D|Res Properties and the newest scheme to launch in Adamstown this year. Savills New Homes, the agents managing the launch, say they expect demand to be considerable given the choice of house types, the price point, location and local amenities. Adamstown is in close proximity to several educational facilities - preschool, primary and secondary schools and a community centre, while Adamstown train station is just minutes away, providing quick and easy access to the city centre. The area is also very well serviced by Dublin Bus and within easy access to the M50, N4 and N7. As the name implies, Newpark will be very close to the new parks planned for development in the area Airlie Park and Tandys Lane Park, which are both part of the Adamstown SDZ. Each home is A-rated with high performance uPVC windows and doors, designer kitchens are being provided by Kube and will come fully fitted with appliances (once contracts are signed within 28 days), bathrooms are stylish and contemporary, while wardrobe allocations are generous. All properties come with en suite bathrooms, good sized utilities and ample storage. The scheme will officially launch on March 2nd & 3rd between 11am 1pm at the state of the art marketing suite with a walk-through including a full kitchen and bathroom, to show the quality of the scheme to come. Commenting on the development, Director of New Homes at Savills Ireland, David Browne said, "Registrations from interested home-seekers have already been very strong and we expect a large portion of buyers to be FTBs, who are looking to avail of the Help-to-Buy scheme before it potentially ends later this year." He added, "Affordably priced new homes are in deficit throughout the country but particularly in Dublin. These quality built, new 3-bedroom houses start from 300,000, which is a rarity in Dublins property market today." Source: www.businessworld.ie Aer Lingus owner IAG weathered rising fuel costs and air traffic control disruption to just beat expectations for its 2018 results on Thursday, and said it would order 18 Boeing 777-9 planes. The company said earnings for 2019 would be flat on the year, but a special dividend announced after the market closed on Wednesday helped its shares rise 2.4% in early deals. IAG reported a 9.5% rise in operating profit before exceptional items for the year to Dec. 31 to 3.23 billion euros, ahead of analysts' consensus forecast for 3.16 billion, but said there would be no growth in 2019. "It's fuel," Chief Executive Willie Walsh explained, adding a rising fuel bill had been a headwind in 2018. "We're going to see an even larger increase in 2019," he said. IAG did not disclose details of its fuel hedging strategy. In a separate statement, IAG said it would order 18 Boeing 777-9s and options for 24 more for British Airways to replace 14 747-400s and four 777-200s between 2022 and 2025. Industry sources said Airbus had been offering a combination of its A350 twin-engined long-range jet and the four-engined A380, the worlds largest airliner which it has decided to stop building from 2022 due to weak demand. But IAG has voiced its dissatisfaction with the performance of Rolls Royce, which makes engines for the A350 and which on Thursday also withdrew from the race to power Boeing's mid-market plane. The 777-9 uses GE engines. "I have been frustrated, largely with the performance of Rolls Royce, not so much with Airbus," Walsh said, adding IAG had significant orders with Airbus. "This aircraft order is specific to the requirements of British Airways, where we needed a larger aircraft ... There's still a lot for both Boeing and Airbus to play for, and we're pleased with the competition that we've seen." IAG, which also owns Iberia, British Airways and Vueling, said passenger revenue rose 6.2% across the group in 2018, with passenger unit revenue up 2.4%. It announced a special dividend of 35 euro cents a share. Walsh said he had not seen evidence of a lull in demand to travel due to uncertainty around Britain's scheduled departure from the European Union on March 29. "We're not seeing anything specific around the end of March ... demand continues to be good," he said. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie Thursday, February 28, 2019 at 6:00PM by Murtada Elfadl Transit, opening this weekend in limited release, is the latest from the gifted German director Christian Petzold (Barbara, Phoenix). It is a haunting modern day adaptation of Anna Seghers 1942 novel "Transit Visa". The film stars Franz Rogowski (Happy End) and Paula Beer (Never Look Away, Frantz) as would-be lovers desperate to escape an occupied France. We got a chance to interview Petzold in January when he visited New York for a retrospective of his work by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. When we meet he informs us that hes been up for more than 24 hours because of a flight delay, so he might struggle to find the words in English. But that's not what happens. Theres a translator but she only chimes in a couple of times in our half hour conversation. Perhaps delirious from no sleep, hes in the mood to talk. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity... Murtada Elfadl: How did you come to the decision to clash the contemporary setting with the period story. Can you talk about the choice for that dissonance? CHRISTIAN PETZOLD: I started to write the script as a typical period picture, everything was set in 1942. I was with my son on a father / son journey through California and the writing was coming easy to me -- everything going well is not a good sign. My Mac notebook was destroyed by the sun when I left in the car. I didn't have any back ups. Actually I was relieved that everything was destroyed. Period pictures are mostly museum pictures as if you are going on a journey to old times, you get to see Sherlock Holmes or Keira Knightley in costume. I thought Id have to cast Ben Kingsley in my movie... Then I saw this Chantal Akerman movie Girl in Brussels. Set in 1967 with music, hedonism and sexuality. Its about one day in this girls life, she buys a Rolling Stones record and fucks her boyfriend. Ackerman made this movie in 2005 yet the story is from 1967. I had no problem with it because there was a transit of ideas between '67 and nowadays. She was asking the questions about what is happening to hedonism, to revolutionary ideas, to black power to Angela Davis, to Che Guevara. Everything is becoming commercial. So it was not a joke to set in the present. Thats how I got the idea to make this story from Marseilles in 1942 set in the present day. It's not a museum piece but rather looks back right at us. It gives the movie immediacy and relevance. Was that something you were thinking about? Yes. In 1942 in Marseilles there's the whole intelligence of Europe. Jewish, Communist, Homesexual. They are all there as refugees waiting for the ship. The survivors were able to come back to Germany after 1946 and build up the constitution of the modern West Germany. That experience of being a refugee, waiting in a port for a ship shaped them, so they wanted to make sure it would never happen again. Now in Germany the conservatives are getting more powerful, they want to destroy this constitution. There is a paragraph in the constitution that says all people who are refugees because of their religion, politics or sexuality can find asylum in Germany. They want to change that. Its happening here, too. Yes its happening with Trump and the Republicans. So Im making a movie about the circumstances Im living in. But everybody can relate to it in other countries. This relationship between 1942s Marseilles and Germany nowadays. What is happening to the ideas. Critics talk about Transit, Phoenix and Barbara as a trilogy? Do you think of them like that and do you see the interlocking themes? The protagonists are refugees, survivors, banished trying to survive autocratic fascist regimes? Yes it was a planned. When you think of the work as a trilogy, they might look or feel the same but they are different. This is what I like in trilogies. Like when John Ford makes westerns they are the same but different. So you have the same themes but also something has changed. It is not the same in Phoenix, Barbara and Transit. The next trilogy is about German myths. We start shooting the first one in six months. Its about Undine, a woman who comes in from the water, living in Berlin wanting to kill all the men. Will it be modern too? Yes very modern. This film could be thought of as a melodrama. Do you like melodramas and what are some that you liked or have inspired you? Yes I like melodramas. They were re-invented in German cinema through queer artists like Fassbinder in 1970s. But they were not looked at favorably.We don't like disco because its queer and black, we dont like melodrama because its queer. We want contemplative white man with problem movies (laughs). I saw my first Fassbinder movie when I was 20 - The Merchant of Four Seasons - total masterpiece. There was tenderness, brutality, dancing, music. It was so interesting but I was irritated because I liked movies like Taxi Driver at that time. Then I read that he found his way through watching the movies of Douglas Sirk. So I started watching all the Sirk movies. I fell in love with melodramas. I love the choreography of the scenes, the music. I cried at Imitation of Life, one of my most favorite movies. Theres a scene where the black mother cant go into the club to see her white daughter singing. She is told she can go by the side door. The whole movie is shot from the side to emphasize that. Lana Turner is a star but Sirk shoots her from the side because the main story is the black mother/daughter drama. This is emotionally intelligent. Cineastic. Thats why I love melodrama. Do you see a link between those movies and yours? Yes theres inspiration from those movies in this one and the two I made with Nina Hoss. Shes so amazing. We watched Written on the Wind. We are both Fassbinder and Sirk fans. I always thought of Transit as a Douglas Sirk film made by Fritz Lang. But it was my idea. Im not Sirk, Im not Fassbinder. I love melodramas but I have to go in another way. Hoss in Barbara Which way? For example the voiceover. Its the bar keeper rather than a character in the story. Im not a refugee, but Im on the other side of the counter. I see everything but Im not a part of it. Thats my position and thats how I shot the movie. Your collaboration with Nina Hoss is something that your audiences love but she's not in Transit. When we arrived in Marseilles the press there asked me if Paula Beer was the new Nina in my movies. I was mad about the question. They thought I needed a new muse because shes younger. So I said no Franz Rogowski is the new Nina Hoss. Nina and I needed a break, we made 6 movies together. You dont want to be an institution. Shes working in the theater, shes writing scripts. Well work together again. Franz Rogowski is fantastic in the lead role. To be able to play this hollow shell of a man yet make him throughly captivating. Can you talk about your collaboration with him? I only saw him in one movie before I cast him. I also saw him as a dancer in a dance company. I loved that he can work with his body. So many German actors dont use their bodies. You know Franz is deaf in one ear but he can read lips. So hes very interested in peoples faces. The way he looks at you when you are speaking is very intense. Yeah he has one of the great cinema faces. Youre one of a few German directors whose films travel worldwide and almost always get U.S. distribution. How do you explain that? I dont know but Im very proud about that. I feel at home here. Same feeling I had when Nina and I went to Toronto with Phoenix. In Germany they hate that movie. Anything that has to do with fascism or Nazis must teach a lesson or its not good. So Nina and I were so confused about the love we saw from the audience in Toronto. That film was hard work for both of us. It couldve veered into ridiculous at any moment because of the story. To answer your question maybe it has something to do with me learning from American movies. Americans need cinema like the Greeks needed theater. Its where you learn about community and society. In Germany cinema had to be re-invented because Nazis infected it. So I learned from American cinema. Transit opens this weekend in New York at the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the IFC Center followed by a national roll out. news, business, Canberra's peak property and business groups have warned the ACT is heading for an economic "tipping point" due to continual increases in commercial rates, amid calls for a major review of the system. The presidents of both the ACT branch of the Property Council and the Canberra Business Chamber told a Legislative Assembly committee inquiry into commercial rates on Wednesday that a taskforce needed to be set up to review the system. The committee is looking into numerous claims of valuations sending rates bills for commercial property owners soaring across the city, with witnesses also raising concerns commercial rates are charged at nine times residential rates. Outgoing ACT Property Council president George Katheklakis and business chamber president Archie Tsirimokos separately told the inquiry a taskforce needed to be set up to review the commercial rating system, made up of representatives from industry, the government and the wider community. Mr Katheklakis and Mr Tsirimokos were among several witnesses before the inquiry who also raised concerns the government's tax revenue was more than making up for the 20 year abolition of stamp duty, and owners were facing increases in rates in the order of paying stamp duty every year. While the reforms were originally touted as being revenue-neutral, Chief Minister Andrew Barr has since suggested they would be broadly revenue-neutral in aggregate over the entire 20-year period of change. Representatives appearing with the Property Council also backed calls for the ACT to establish an independent, arms-length Valuer-General to conduct valuations - rather than the government - a proposal both the government and opposition have rejected. Both Mr Katheklakis and Mr Tsirimokos also raised concerns that due to the nature of the territory's commercial property industry, often owners were unable to raise leases to cover increased rates bills and tenants could be attracted to Queanbeyan. The lack of transparency about rate rises was also a key concern raised during Wednesday's hearings, with owners and the peak industry groups telling the committee owners were facing annual bill shock, as there was no forecast of future years' bills. Mr Katheklakis said the industry knew it had to pay rates, and expected them to rise each year - but without any forecast, owners could not know what their bill would be from year to year. He said they were not expecting forecasts to be set in stone, but without any future trajectory of likely bills over the 20-year program, investors would reconsider investing in long-term commercial property in the territory. "Investors need to have an understanding of where it's projected to go over the longer term; 10, 15, 20 years from now," he said. "If you don't know rates increases then in three years, they will say we need to make adjustments over the next 20 years of the lease." Mr Tsirimokos said he didn't believe stamp duty was an impost for commercial buyers, as the tax was deductible, but the rising rates were starting to reach a point at which investors would be reconsidering buying in Canberra. Similarly, the Property Council's Belinda Ngo said commercial investors needed to know what the final resting place was for rates at the end of the 20-year process. She said the ACT would soon be reaching a tipping point, where investors would tell the council if rates kept increasing at current rates (about 7.5 per cent per year), they would no longer be able to invest in Canberra. ACT Property Council chief executive Adina Cirson also said that, should a taskforce be created to review the system, the current increases on commercial rates should be frozen while industry and community could have an open, honest discussion about them. Richard Snow, the head of property at the Snow family's Capital Property Group, also appeared, making a comparison of the taxes and rates in Sydney compared to Canberra. He said in Sydney land tax and council rates were about 2.6 per cent of the unimproved value of a block. But he said in the city in Canberra, once rates, land tax, the city-improvement levy and other taxes were taken into account, it came to about 6 per cent of unimproved land value, almost triple the Sydney costs. The inquiry continues. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/3c07ef61-d7de-4aaa-b46a-2c9f3569dbae/r0_103_2000_1233_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, business, Business owners at Belconnen Markets are fearful for their futures after being kept in the dark about plans to demolish and redevelop the existing market hall, they say. A proposal by the owner of the site, Elanor Investors Group, would see store holders within the main market hall on Lathlian Street temporarily relocated before the building is demolished in early 2020. It is unclear where they will be relocated to. The new market hall would be opened in 2020 under the proposal. But businesses in an adjacent building on Market Street would effectively be expected to operate in the middle of a construction site during that time, owners say. "Over the last few years, the markets have been allowed to be run down. Patronage has dropped off for most store holders considerably. They're already sort of suffering, and then there's this on top of it," Foodish owner Alaine Chanter said. "The existing store holders are quite distressed that we've been told we will be temporarily relocated without any detail yet. And [for the store holders left behind], it's a building site." The remaining store holders on Market Street who would not be relocated - including Ms Chanter - had asked for compensation in the form of lower rents during the construction period, but their request was denied. "Some are saying, 'Why can't we close down the building while [construction is] happening if it's only going to take a year, rather than survive a year with high rent?" she said. "The rents are high and the patronage is going to be negatively impacted." Stage two of Elanor's development, which will see the demolition of the main market hall, is yet to be formally considered by the ACT government, and a development application will be made public in the next few days. But stage one, which will see the construction of a 3750-square-metre retail strip on vacant land off Ibbott Lane, was approved earlier this month. Many store holders see its construction, which is expected to begin in the second quarter of this year and be completed late this year, as the starting point for the markets' rapid decline. "In a few shops, their leases have already expired, or some [owners'] leases are soon to expire. Those people will leave before construction starts [instead of renewing their leases]", the owner of Janey Fashion, Juan Li, said. "That means more and more shops leave and that's no good ... and when they do the construction I don't think customers will come here to do shopping." Other business owners said the markets had seen store closures since Elanor acquired the site in June 2018. "The vast majority of us are very disappointed [in the way the process has been handled]. We've had store closures here through no fault of the business owners," one said. Some store holders had suggested that businesses might be temporarily relocated into the stage-one development once it is completed. But the strip would only be suitable for retailers who need between 200 and 1000 square metres of space, Elanor's co-head of real estate, Michael Baliva, said. "The stage-one development is not a market offering. It's more for larger retailers so it wouldn't be appropriate for the retailers in the markets to be put there unless there is a need [for the extra space]," Mr Baliva said. Elanor had held sessions to inform store holders about the development proposals in August, October, and December last year, Mr Baliva said. He would not confirm when store holders would be notified about where they would be relocated to. A press release with more details about the stage-two development would be sent out within the next few days, he said. "We can assure that the [store holders] will continue to trade and that they will be housed in temporary accommodation," Mr Baliva said. "We want to continue to ensure that the precinct is viable while it is under construction." The proposed new market hall would have a high roof structure and be spread across 5500 square metres. It would represent a 30 per cent increase in the market's footprint. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/7f41cf77-e1d2-4faf-9a9d-e922d5a09b2c/r0_289_5472_3381_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news The ACT government was an enthusiastic supporter of household delivery drones months before they flew into Canberra, even joking of bringing "Skywhale-shaped" aircraft to the national capital. The Barr government had been reticent to publicly express their views on delivery drones throughout Wing's Bonython trial, only opening up about the technology's potential benefits as the US-based tech company wound down its divisive Tuggeranong operation earlier this month. But documents released under freedom of information show the government had been keenly awaiting Wing's arrival in Canberra, following its trials in Royalla and Googong, in NSW. In a letter to Wing co-lead James Ryan Burgess in December 2017, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said his government "strongly welcomed" the company's expansion into Canberra, and was available to assist its operation where appropriate. The government leased land in Greenway to Wing for its Bonython trial, but was not involved in helping it secure its permanent base in Mitchell late last year. "Canberra is well-placed for the rollout of new and disruptive technologies and I welcome your efforts to engage with local businesses to form part of the expanding product offering," Mr Barr said in the letter. Three months earlier, Mr Barr's advisor, Martin Greenwood, wrote to senior government officials to enthuse about a positive meeting with Wing representatives. Mr Greenwood, now the chief of staff to City Services Minister Chris Steel, said the Google-backed company had been "very complimentary" about its dealings with the ACT government. "Citystate agility and being open to business has been a key focus of the Chief Minister andgovernment, and is generally our unique point of difference where we lack the scale of other jurisdictions," Mr Greenwood's email read. "It is great that this has been more than a narrative." Mr Greenwood signed off the email by saying: "NB lets get some Skywhale shaped drones." On Wednesday, Mr Greenwood referred The Canberra Times enquiries about his references to Skywhale-shaped drones to the government's media unit. In an emailed statement, an ACT government spokesman said: "The government does not own or operate any of the drones used by Wing and we have no plans to procure any delivery drones". Commissioned as part of Canberra centenary celebrations in 2013, Patricia Piccinini's Skywhale quickly rose to become the city's most talked-about hot air balloon. It's peculiar design divided public opinion and sparked renewed debate and the value of tax-payer funded public art. Soon after its unveiling, former chief minister Jon Stanhope said Skywhale had embarrassed the ACT government and tarnished Canberra's image. The centenary celebrations, intended to showcase Canberra's virtues to the nation, would instead be symbolised by a "giant tortoise shape with pendulous breasts'', he said. His successor, Katy Gallagher, said her "eyes nearly fell out of her head" when she first saw diagrams of Skywhale's design, but later grew fond of the balloon. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/1f0beafa-b165-43bb-90e1-11a9cccf3172/r2_0_998_563_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg comment When a child is sexually abused, they are traumatised. When an adult knows and chooses not to report it, they are complicit. This week we have seen again how organisations' institutionalised culture has betrayed children who trusted them, with devastating consequences. Our responsibility is to learn from the royal commission and implement its recommendations. During the hearings, there was clear evidence that the seal of the confessional contributed to the trauma of children. The government commissioned Justice Dodds-Streeton to provide advice on the implementation of those recommendations. Last week, I introduced legislation in the Legislative Assembly to make it an offence for any adult not to report child sexual abuse. Justice Dodds-Streeton noted that abusers are very unlikely to tell anyone of their actions. She also found that the introduction of a broad "failure to report" offence may result in the detection and prevention of some cases of child sexual abuse. It is our obligation to act on this. Her honour found that non-compliance (even if founded on conscientious adherence to conflicting religious duties) is not a valid reason to refrain from enacting laws, based on sound research, policy and principle, to achieve necessary goals. I agree. Archbishop Prowse, in his contribution in The Canberra Times this week (February 26, p18) has claimed that "priests face an impossible choice between respecting the seal of confession or the law". I understand sensitivities around the expression of faith. But let me be unequivocally clear: Australians have an obligation to adhere to the law of the land. We have an obligation to keep children safe. There is no sound reason that any expression of faith including matters heard within a Catholic confession should be exempted. We can certainly imagine scenarios where any crime is difficult to prosecute. But that will not, and should not, deter us from investigating and prosecuting the reports made by people taking action on our collective obligation to protect children. Because no matter what your expression of faith may be, nothing can be more important than the safety of kids. Gordon Ramsay, ACT Attorney-General The City Renewal Authority's latest "thought bubble" on City to the Lake may have some merit after all. Raising the south end of London Circuit would improve the grade for the light rail if it ever goes south of the lake. But, The Canberra Times article ("ACT government's radical plan for the heart of the city", canberratimes.com.au, February 28) reveals that it is again all about how much developable land can be created. Instead of tendering for an engineering solution, or inviting the property industry to plan more zero-street-frontage apartment buildings on City Hill, wouldn't it be great if the authority actually invited the community to genuinely participate in the design of this area, so that current and future residents could have a real say in the future look and feel of this neighbourhood. That would really be a radical development for Canberra. Mike Lawson, New Acton In the past six weeks the ACT government and National Capital Authority have rejected plans for four Canberra major residential developments. How did these proposals get to such advanced stages without intervention to ensure that they would conform with the Territory Plan and the National Capital Plan provisions? The prime residential 2.25-hectare former Stuart Flats site at Manuka is due for auction on March 20 will the six-storey height limit and other zoning requirements be enforced by the ACT on the new owner? Julie Doyle, Campbell I am appalled by the report that Kay Turnbull's 'Black Magic' balloon has been banned from the "Enlighten" balloon event by Events ACT director Jo Verden on the grounds that it "may be considered racist or offensive by many in our community". What nonsense. Next she will be banning white balloons on the grounds that obese Caucasians might be offended. No, Ms Verden, just treat balloons as for fun and enjoy them all, even grotesque whales. Adrian Gibbs, Yarralumla Cost effective and politically correct do not cut it when applied to school violence (Editorial, February 28). We are talking about teachers and students alike who are suffering repeated and more or less serious assaults. There are other systems in place besides the education system which are better equipped to handle such situations. Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor The latest Canberra Times article about a dog attack in Melba ("'Still have nightmares': fight for justice after brutal attacks on dog", February 26, p6), is a microcosm of a problem that illustrates a clear abrogation of the ACT government's responsibility, when it comes to upholding public safety laws, across this jurisdiction. The ACT government has failed miserably to act decisively on an ongoing problem of preventing small dogs and some innocent ACT citizens, from being attacked by some dogs, particularly those that are viciously bred. This government, its responsible minister Chris Steele, and the minor party (Greens) seem to all want to take a "softly softly" approach and not try to adopt a "double-barrel" approach that combines education and training with punitive measures like increased fees/fines. Surely, this type of a twofold approach will send a clear message to those dog owners who own vicious dogs that, if you fail to register, contain and educate them, then you as an owner will be subjected to the provisions of the law. It seems that there are some, but not all, owners of dogs who blatantly disregard laws that are in place. That is, they don't permanently secure their dogs with a leash when out walking them and don't clean up after them when they relieve themselves. I would think that this is a simple requirement of the law, given that there is nothing complex about interpreting the need to comply. The government seems to want to disregard reports and data that demonstrate a clear increase in the spate of dog attacks or dog harassments, in shared public spaces. I hope the government takes heed of the mitigation measures for dog owners proposed by the Deputy Opposition Leader, Nicole Lawder. Thomas Natera, Ngunnawal I am puzzled by the logic of Jim Bonner's statement (Letters, February 27) that denying non-taxpaying retirees tax refunds on franking credits is double taxation. If a company has paid tax on its earnings, the franking credits ensure that a taxpaying shareholder does not pay tax on those earnings when they are distributed as dividends. A non-taxpaying retiree who receives dividends does not pay tax on those earnings either. The earnings are taxed once, in the hands of the company. They are not taxed again, whether the shareholder is a taxpayer or a retiree who does not pay tax. That looks like single taxation to me, not double taxation. Refunding the tax paid by the company to a non-taxpaying shareholder surely results in no tax being paid on those earnings. Can the country afford this? Marlene Hall, Kingston Jim Bonner (Letters, February 27) has been revealed as the Jim who has appeared in videos opposing the proposed changes to franking credits refunds. It has been revealed that Jim is not just another retiree, but a longstanding Liberal Party employee. Mr Bonner is correct to say that he has as much right as anyone to express his views, but if he appears in campaign material for a Liberal candidate it is deceptive to pretend to be a person off the street. He should reveal his party connections. But he cannot be allowed to get away with the claim that denying refunds is double taxation. As he says in his letter, it is companies that have paid tax on these shares. The retiree is not being asked to pay any extra. Only one lot of tax is paid, and it is paid by the company. John Hutchison, Coombs On Wednesday I listened to Mr Albanese being interviewed on radio about imputation credits. Among other disputable things, he said that "If you don't pay tax, you can't get a tax refund". This is current mantra by the Labor Party on imputation credits and is patently in error and completely dishonest. Does he not know that companies pay tax on dividends in advance (30per cent) on behalf of shareholders? Does he not know that shareholders have to declare pre-taxed dividends as income and pay tax accordingly and, if tax due is less than what has been withheld by the government (ATO), it must be given back, not confiscated as Labor intends to do? A case in point. My wife (not on a pension of any kind) earns $1500 in share dividends. The company pre-pays $500 in tax on her behalf to the government and pays her the balance of $1000. I do her tax return, declare the full $1500 as income, as required by tax law, but her total taxable income is below the current threshold so no income tax is due. If a Labor government does not return her pre-paid $500 (because she has a zero tax liability), it is simply stealing her money. Messrs Albanese, Cowan, Shorten and Leigh are in dishonest denial about what they plan to do with my wife's money. Anyone who owns shares in companies that employ people and are the backbone of the Australian economy would know the real situation about imputation credits. M. Flint, Erindale This is a tough time to be Catholic, and even tougher if you are one of its decent hardworking clergy. I spent 10 years in a Brother's school in Melbourne, and the next 60 years as a lay person in a range of ACT parishes. The spectre of any untoward activity has totally avoided me, and I remain absolutely grateful for the education that I received, and for the pastoral care afforded me. If you are similarly minded, I suggest that we provide a concrete signal to our valued clergy by substantially increasing our plate contribution for this weekend. Peter Hanlon, Crace Anyone familiar with Ken Inglis' superb two volume History of the ABC would be aware of the history of political interference in the public broadcaster since its inception. The appointment of the new chair outside of the independent selection process is merely the latest episode in that history. Inglis' History of the ABC should be compulsory reading for those who would argue that there was another version of history. Rohan Goyne, Evatt With regard to aircraft designed and developed in Australia, the Jindivik seems to have been forgotten in recent announcements on such developments. The Jindivick was a drone aircraft designed and developed by the Government Aircraft Factory (GAF) in Melbourne for the UK Ministry of Supply, with the first flight occurring in 1952. A total of 517 aircraft were built between 1952 and 1986 and in 1997. Many were operated by Target Aircraft Flight operating out of Evetts Field on 'E' Range, Woomera. This unit later became Target Aircraft Squadron and additionally flew drone Meteor and Canberra aircraft for a number of years. The technology was relatively primitive compared to that available today. However, the Jindivick was capable of outstanding performance and with its 15ft wing extensions exceeded 70,000ft during high-altitude trials. Mal Phelan, Fadden For the last sitting day of Parliament I urge our representatives to consider wearing white shirts with a lump of (unvarnished) coal dangling on a necklace. Let the media spectacle of white shirts contaminated with just one day's grime from "clean" coal inform their constituents. And please, remain in Parliament at sitting's end to assist the cleaning staff in removing your mess of dust and carbon particles from the seats and carpet. Ronald Elliott, Sandringham, Vic The remarkable overnight appropriation now of MPs' public office funds for re-election advertising means they are now taking much money for the purpose both from private sources and tax revenue. The first priority of the Shorten government must be to end the widening scandal in this space, rein in lobbying and finally make election funding transparent, fixed and purely publicly sourced. Alex Mattea, Sydney PUBLICISE PETROL PRICES Given that the ACT government has instructed petrol stations to remove any reference to discount petrol in their advertising outside their station, this leaves a vacant spot in the signage for them to actually publicise their price for super 98 or 95 petrol; something transparently avoided to date. Perhaps a nudge from the government would help! Peter Baskett, Murrumbateman TAPPING INTO FUSION Robert S Buick, Mountain Creek, Qld (Letters, February 27) is quite right that the future of energy is in nuclear fusion. I currently have a nuclear fusion-powered hot-water system. The problem of nuclear fusion is that it is hard to control. Therefore I am forced to keep the source of my fusion reaction at a distance of around eight light minutes for safety. Brian Burbage, Inverleigh, Vic CLARITY ON WAR DATES John F Janke refers to the fall of Singapore to the Japanese in December 1941 (Letters, February28). It was Hong Kong that surrendered to the Japanese on Christmas Day, 1941, Singapore held out until February 15, 1942. Bill Deane, Chapman VAPING FRUSTRATIONS Roger Dace (Letters, February 28), Iagree wholeheartedly with your letter regarding vaping. I started vaping almost two years ago, with a gradual reduction of nicotine and have successfully quit smoking. Yet, frustratingly, those in a position to make a positive decision would, seemingly, rather stick their heads more firmly in the sand. Jason Herrmann, Braddon EXPENSIVE POWER PLAN Snowy 2 may look a good idea on paper, Bill, but putting $1.38 billion into an expensive, uneconomic and unsustainable project is insanity. Putting that money into a number of smaller pumped-hydro schemes would produce twice as much power, much sooner. Murray Upton, Belconnen TRUMP KEEP OUT Yes, Dopey Donald. We know what the US wants on Korea. Please listen to Kim: he says (politely) "Yanks go home." That's what Kim (and China) wants of you! Out of that part of the world: it isn't yours. Or another five failed summits? It's in your hands, Mr Trump. Barrie Smillie, Duffy NOT MUCH TO ENVY If the photo of the launch of Geocon's new Envie apartments (canberratimes.com.au, February 28) reflects the company's standards of quality and taste, I don't envy those who are rich enough and choose to buy one. S. Lindsay, Garran Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message eld, not as an attached le. Fax: 6280 2282. Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Canberra Times, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre, ACT 2610. Keep your letter to 250 or fewer words. References to Canberra Times reports should include date and page number. Letters may be edited. Provide phone number and full home address (suburb only published). /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/f6795d91-38c1-4d04-a01e-3e6194509e3d/r0_268_5076_3136_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news A nine-year-old French boy has been bitten on the face, arms and legs and his mother bitten on the leg as the panicking tourists tried to flee a pack of dingoes on Fraser Island. Emergency services including a rescue helicopter were sent to Eurong Beach, on the east side of the south-east Queensland island, just before 6pm on Thursday. Queensland Ambulance Service director Michael Augustus said while the mother had suffered "multiple superficial bites" on her legs, the child's injuries were significant. "The mother and child had just exited a vehicle and begun a walk down the beach when they came across this pack of dingoes," he said. Mr Augustus said it was when the pair panicked and ran back to the car that the pack chased them and attacked. By 7.20pm, the helicopter had arrived and crews assessed the pair. The boy and his mother were flown from the island and on Friday were recovering at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital. The Queensland government culled 31 dingoes after nine-year-old Clinton Gage was killed by a dingo in 2001. The Department of Environmental Science was questioned by Brisbane Times about the potential of another dingo cull. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service rangers are investigating the circumstances of the incident and have increased patrols in search of the dingoes involved, a spokesman said. Future actions will be considered after assessing the information gathered. Rangers will also increase patrols at campgrounds and other island arrival points to warn visitors of the dangers associated with dingoes. The attacks came after a six-year-old boy was bitten on the leg by a dingo on the island in January after he was confronted by a pack when he raced up a sand dune. The Department of Environmental Science website says Fraser Island dingoes are protected by law and roam all over the island, with dingo-deterrent fencing placed in most areas. Last year, a dingo was euthanised on Fraser Island after it bit a woman and a child in two separate incidents. The animal also acted aggressively towards another woman. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/ff8fc4eb-4b72-4991-9c9e-0164877a20a7/r0_401_526_698_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news The verdict is in, but it is still being debated. With Cardinal George Pell in custody for the sexual abuse of choirboys, his high-profile supporters continue to voice their doubts about his conviction for abuse. On Wednesday, former prime minister John Howard and Australian Catholic University chief Greg Craven gave positive character references on behalf of Pell. Fellow former prime minister Tony Abbott revealed he had spoken to Pell after the verdict was revealed on Tuesday, and Melbourne Archbishop Peter Comensoli said he remained Pell's friend and "I don't shy away from that". Several criminal lawyers who spoke to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald on the condition of anonymity said they were "astonished" at Pell's conviction given the apparent lack of grooming, the short window available for Pell to abuse the boys, and the robes he was wearing, which had no splits or openings. Pells victims were two 13-year-old St Kevin's College students who were choirboys at St Patrick's Cathedral when they were assaulted in December 1996 and February 1997 after Sunday Mass. While one of the victims gave evidence about his abuse, the other man died several years ago from an accidental heroin overdose. He never reported the abuse and, the court heard, denied anything had happened to him as a young choirboy when he was asked by his mother. Through a lawyer, the man's family said they finally understood the torment that led their son to self medicate with drug abuse. Victorian Bar president Matt Collins said it was highly unusual for a conviction to be made on behalf of a victim who had never reported abuse. "No one can recall a case where an accused person was convicted of an offence against a deceased person of this kind," he said. However, he said, it was crucial to note the court had found Pell's crimes were committed against two victims at the same time. Therefore, Dr Collins said, Pell's legal team had been able to cross examine the evidence provided by one victim, on behalf of the other. The surviving victim was both a victim and a witness. "It would be an extraordinary situation for someone to be convicted of a crime against a deceased person if there were no witnesses," Dr Collins said. Pell's supporters believe he has become a lightning rod for anger at the Catholic church's failure to protect victims of sexual assault. Pell is such a polarising figure, says Jesuit priest Frank Brennan, there are those who would convict him in the court of public opinion "no matter what the evidence". During the trial, Judge Kidd stressed to the jury that Pell could not be personally held responsible for the failings of the church. However Pell's defence lawyer Robert Richter QC told the court his client was seen as the "Darth Vader" of the church. He did not put Pell on the stand to give evidence in his defence, a decision leapt on by Pell's critics. But legal sources said this is standard practice in trials for serious criminal conduct like sexual abuse and murder. Juries are also routinely directed not to speculate when people standing trial are not put on the stand to defend themselves. A recording of Pell being interviewed by Victoria Police and strenuously denying the allegations was played to the jury. The living victim gave evidence via videolink to the court during Pell's first trial in a session that was closed to the media to protect the victim's privacy. That hearing was declared a mistrial after the jury could not reach a verdict, but the man's evidence was played to the jury in Pell's retrial - also in a closed court. Only those present in court know what the victim said that convinced the jury of Pell's guilt. The federal royal commission into sex abuse in institutions withheld its findings on Pells role in ignoring abuse and moving paedophile priests to other parishes while the case was being heard. It is expected to release its findings once Pell has exhausted all avenues of appeal. Father Brennan wrote a lengthy piece in Catholic publication Eureka Street, in which he described himself as "very surprised" by the guilty verdict. He pointed to evidence presented at the trial that described the "impossibility" of Pell being able to produce an erect penis through his religious robes. "An alb is a long robe, worn under a heavier chasuble," Father Brennan wrote. "It is secured and set in place by a cincture which is like a tightly drawn belt. An alb cannot be unbuttoned or unzipped, the only openings being small slits on the side to allow access to trouser pockets underneath ... an alb cannot be parted; it is like a seamless dress. Later the complainant said that Pell moved the vestments to the side. An alb secured with a cincture cannot be moved to the side." The jury was told there were no splits or openings in chasubles. Asked what would happen if someone needed to use the toilet wearing these robes, one expert witness told the court this simply wouldn't happen. Much was made in court by Pell's defence team of the evidence given by the living victim, that the boys broke away from the procession after Mass and snuck into the sacristy a room where priests dress for mass when they were confronted by Pell and abused. "The proposition that the offences charged were committed immediately after Mass by a fully robed archbishop in the sacristy with an open door and in full view from the corridor seemed incredible to my mind," Father Brennan wrote. Mr Richter echoed this argument in court. "Only a madman would attempt to rape boys in the priests sacristy immediately after Sunday solemn mass," Mr Richter said. The court was told Pell had been able to manoeuvre his robes in order to abuse the two boys, an argument the jury ultimately accepted. with Adam Cooper /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/8f23cdde-82ff-4dbe-8226-f4176fd12221/r0_225_3064_1956_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg Photo: The Canadian Press A woman digs her car out of a snowbank during a winter storm in Montreal on Wednesday, February 13, 2019. It's a decision that sparks joy for some, and chaos for others: The snow day. Parents across the country have been forced to scramble in recent weeks as wintry conditions prompted schools to shut, with some regions recording an unusually high number of closures. "The school closures have been a nightmare this winter," says Magdalena Castelli, who has three children in southern Ontario's Hamilton Wentworth District School Board, and another in daycare. The disruption to daily routine unleashes a pre-dawn scramble in many households, a juggling act that sees some parents work from home, drop kids at a babysitter's or trudge into the office with charges in tow. "When they close a school they don't see the big impact that has on people's lives," says Castelli. While student safety is consistently cited as the driving force behind snow days, the wide variety of policies in different parts of the country demonstrate how subjective those decisions can be. An examination of storm day procedures reveals a haphazard patchwork of varying approaches to inclement weather across Canada that appear to be based on a region's common practice and culture as much as the forecast. While schools in the Prairie provinces virtually never close for bad weather, schools on Canada's East Coast regularly shut down during snow storms. In B.C., Ontario and Quebec, schools tend to call snow days sparingly. The snow day disparity cannot entirely be explained by weather, suggests Linda Libby, a meteorologist with Environment Canada. "It's different across the country," she said. "I don't use the term worse." While Atlantic Canada is on multiple storm tracks, and temperatures can often hover around the freezing mark, Libby said "it doesn't mean our weather is any worse." Still, the number of snow days remains higher in the Maritimes, with some school boards consistently reporting double-digit school closures over a winter. Halifax tends to have fewer snow days than more rural areas, averaging about 4.4 snow days a year over the last decade. But that's still more than double the number of school closures in similar-sized cities in Quebec and Ontario. For example, Quebec City averages 1.75 snow days a year, while the Hamilton area averages 1.6 days though this year it's had substantially more. Meanwhile, the contrast between Atlantic Canada and the Prairies is even more dramatic. When asked the number of snow days for the last 10 years, a spokeswoman for Edmonton Public Schools said: "Zero." A response from the Winnipeg School Division was similar. "We have not had a 'snow day' in over 30 years," spokesman Radean Carter said. "Our policy and this applies for all school divisions in Winnipeg is that schools remain open unless city buses are shut down." Schools in Saskatchewan also rarely close if ever. Regina Public Schools, for example, do not have snow days, explains spokesman Terry Lazarou. "Our schools will remain open through most weather-related occurrences, including snow or -40 C temperatures," he said. Lazarou added that there have been multiple times in the past several years that school buses didn't run because of extreme snowfall or ice accumulation. "But schools did not close because of it," he said. "We do not keep records of schools closing due to weather because it does not happen." A report on school storm days in Nova Scotia in 2009 acknowledged the role of culture in snow day decisions. "Two closely connected practices have become a long-held tradition in the public school culture in Nova Scotia," the report said. "Schools are closed to students when the buses are cancelled because of the weather and ... teachers do not have to report to work on storm days when schools are closed to students." In Ontario, the Durham District School Board, which includes Whitby, Oshawa and surrounding communities, remains open even when buses are cancelled due to inclement weather. "We still have a lot of students who are within walking distance all the students in the immediate surrounding neighbourhood would walk to school," said Christine Nancekivell, chief facilities officer for the Durham board. "Even bus students, some parents would still drive them to school and drop them off. So there are still students that attend, and school is still open." Even within the same city, however, different schools boards can take different approaches. The Hamilton Wentworth District School Board says if bus transportation is cancelled, schools are closed. Yet the Catholic school board in the same region does not have the same policy it cancelled bus service this week but schools remained open. The arbitrary nature of snow days across the country has lead some parents to speak out about the frustration of dealing with school cancellations, and the potential impact on instructional time. New Brunswick's education minister has spoken out about the loss of classroom time in the province. Dominic Cardy has floated the idea of so-called blizzard bags homework for students to do on a snow day. Nova Scotia Teachers Union president Paul Wozney said teachers already provide students with learning activities with a take-home component. He said preparing multiple baggies for kids to use on storm days is a "staggering amount of effort" given snow days don't hurt learning. Wozney pointed to a 2014 study by Harvard University researcher Joshua Goodman that found a strong relationship between student absences and achievement but no impact from lost instructional time due to school closures. Besides, Wozney said any stereotype that teachers are "at home drinking scotch in their jammies" couldn't be further from the truth. He said teachers use snow days to catch up on marking, communicate with parents, work on lesson preparation, develop individual program plans and for personal wellness. "Teachers are burning out at epic rates, so some are going to self care," he said. Yet many parents are also under pressure, and snow days can add to the stress. "Whatever the weather, we need to get to work," says Castelli, the mother of four in the Hamilton region, noting that some parents must go to work to get paid and be able to feed their children. Cardy says he's heard concerns from parents about the scramble for last minute child care. "This isn't 1945. You don't have a parent at home baking cookies for the kids while dad goes off to work," Cardy said. "It's a totally different society and we haven't done a lot to recognize the changes." He said snow days could unfairly disadvantage low-income earners, who may have to take an unpaid day off work or pay for additional child care on an already stretched budget. HOUSTON (AP) A 20-year-old man is jailed on a capital murder charge in the fatal shooting last week of two brothers in an ambush attack from a Houston rooftop. Houston police say Rene Moreno was arrested Wednesday without incident in the shooting deaths last Thursday of Josue (hoh-SWAY') and Maximo Aguilar. Two others were wounded. Police already had arrested 18-year-old Marlon Brandon Valdez on Saturday and charged him with capital murder in the shootings. Both are held without bond in the Harris County Jail. Police say the pair was atop an abandoned home armed with a semi-automatic rifle when they fired on a group of people as they arrived to settle a lingering feud with another group. Online jail records didn't indicate whether Moreno has an attorney to speak for him. In 2015, 7.0% of women with a recent live birth in Oklahoma and Texas reported using EVPs shortly before, during, or after pregnancy, with 1.4% reporting use during pregnancy. Among prenatal EVP users, 38.4% reported using EVPs containing nicotine, and 26.4% did not know if the EVPs they used contained nicotine. Electronic vapor products (EVPs) comprise a diverse group of devices, including electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). EVP users inhale an aerosol that typically contains nicotine, flavorings, and other additives (1). Nicotine is a developmental toxicant that adversely affects pregnancy and infant outcomes (2). Data from the 2015 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) for Oklahoma and Texas were analyzed to estimate population-based EVP use among women with a recent live birth. EVP use before pregnancy (defined as >3 months before pregnancy) and around the time of pregnancy (defined as any time during the 3 months before pregnancy, the last 3 months of pregnancy, or 26 months after delivery), reasons for EVP use, and dual use of EVPs and cigarettes were assessed. Prevalence of EVP use was 10.4% before pregnancy and 7.0% around the time of pregnancy, including 1.4% during the last 3 months of pregnancy. Among women using EVPs during the last 3 months of pregnancy, 38.4% reported use of EVPs containing nicotine, and 26.4% were unsure of nicotine content. Among women who had used EVPs and cigarettes, dual use prevalence was 38.0% in the 3 months before pregnancy, 7.7% during the last 3 months of pregnancy, and 11.8% in the 26 months after delivery. The most frequently reported reasons for EVP use around the time of pregnancy were curiosity (54.0%), the perception that EVPs might help with quitting or reducing cigarette smoking (45.2%), and the perception of reduced harm to the mother, when compared with cigarette smoking (45.2%). Clear messages that EVP use is not safe during pregnancy are needed, and broad, barrier-free access to evidence-based tobacco cessation strategies need to be made available. PRAMS is a state- and population-based surveillance system designed to monitor selected self-reported behaviors and experiences before, during, and after pregnancy among women who have had a recent live birth. Participating states select a stratified random sample of women from birth certificate records and survey them by mail 26 months after delivery. Women who do not respond to the mailed survey are followed up by telephone.* Oklahoma and Texas included supplementary questions on EVPs on their PRAMS questionnaire in 2015, and data from responses were analyzed for this report. Data were weighted to adjust for noncoverage and nonresponse and represent the total population of women with a live birth in each state in 2015. Weighted response rates were 68% for Oklahoma and 56% for Texas. The sample included 3,277 women, including 1,955 (60%) from Oklahoma and 1,322 (40%) from Texas. EVP use >3 months before pregnancy was ascertained by counting the number of women who responded affirmatively to the question Have you ever used electronic vapor products, even one time? (excluding those who reported use 3 months before, during, and shortly after pregnancy). EVP use around the time of pregnancy was ascertained by responses to questions about three specific time frames: 1) 3 months before pregnancy (During the 3 months before you got pregnant, on average, how often did you use electronic vapor products?); 2) during the last 3 months of pregnancy (During the last 3 months of your pregnancy, on average, how often did you use electronic vapor products?); and 3) 26 months after delivery (at the time the survey was administered) (Since your new baby was born, on average, how often do you use electronic vapor products that contain nicotine?). Reasons for EVP use were ascertained from a list of nine options. Cigarette smoking around the time of pregnancy was assessed among women who reported any cigarette smoking in the past 2 years. Among women who reported having ever used EVPs and having smoked cigarettes in the past 2 years, dual use of EVPs and cigarettes was estimated for each of the three periods. Weighted prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated overall and by state, using SUDAAN (version 11.0, RTI International) to account for the complex sampling design of PRAMS. Chi-squared tests were used to compare differences in the prevalence of EVP use between cigarette smokers and nonsmokers. P-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Overall, among 3,277 women with a recent live birth, 2,533 (82.6%) had never used EVPs; 459 (10.4%), including 15.8% in Oklahoma and 9.7% in Texas, had used EVPs >3 months before pregnancy, but had not used them around the time of pregnancy (Table). The prevalence of EVP use around the time of pregnancy was 7.0% overall (10.3% in Oklahoma and 6.5% in Texas). EVP use during the last 3 months of pregnancy was 1.4% (3.2% in Oklahoma and 1.1% in Texas). Among women who used EVPs during the last three months of pregnancy, 38.4% reported using EVPs containing nicotine, 35.2% reported using EVPs that did not contain nicotine, and 26.4% did not know about the nicotine content of the EVPs they used. Prevalence of any cigarette smoking in the past 2 years was 18.5% (813), 16.4% (722) in the 3 months before pregnancy, 6.1% (31) in the last 3 months of pregnancy, and 10.3% (507) during the 26 months after delivery. Compared with nonsmokers, a higher proportion of women who smoked cigarettes in the past 2 years used EVPs >3 months before pregnancy (29.8% versus 6.0%; p<0.001) and around the time of pregnancy (25.1% versus 2.9%, p<0.001). Overall, among women who smoked cigarettes in the past 2 years and had ever used EVPs, use of both cigarettes and EVPs was reported by 38.0% of women during the 3 months before pregnancy, 7.7% during the last 3 months of pregnancy, and 11.8% during the 26 months after delivery (Figure 1). The prevalence of EVP use alone was highest during the 26 months after delivery (3.8%), and the prevalence of neither cigarette smoking nor EVP use was highest (61.9%) during the last 3 months of pregnancy. Among women who used EVPs >3 months before pregnancy, the most frequently reported reasons for use were curiosity about the products (78.6%), the perception that EVPs might help with quitting or reducing cigarette smoking (27.4%), the perception that EVPs are less harmful than cigarettes (24.6%), the availability of flavored EVPs (24.5%), and the ability to get EVPs without nicotine (16.9%) (Figure 2). Among women who used EVPs around the time of pregnancy, the most frequently reported reasons for use were curiosity (54.0%), the perception that EVPs might help with quitting or reducing cigarette smoking (45.2%), the perception that EVPs are less harmful to the mother than cigarettes (45.2%), the availability of flavored EVPs (42.3%), and the ability to get EVPs without nicotine (41.4%). California Department of Education News Release California Department of Education News Release State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Congratulates High-Performing Middle Schools Selected as 'Schools to Watch' SACRAMENTOState Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today announced that 16 high-performing California middle schools have been newly recognized in the 201819 Schools to Watch-Taking Center Stage program. They join 33 previously chosen schools whose sustained progress will allow them to retain their Schools to Watch designation. "These middle schools make a great impact on students, and I want to thank the staff, administrators, teachers, and parents at these schools for ensuring all students get the education they need to realize their potential," Thurmond said. "These schools study and support students needs, which helps close achievement gaps and creates a better future for these young students." These high-performing model schools demonstrate academic excellence, social equity, and responsiveness to the needs of young adolescents. For example, Creekview Ranch School in Roseville created Raptor Time, embedded four days per week in the school day to offer student support and enrichment opportunities. Southridge Middle School teachers participate in instructional rounds to observe best practices, cognitive tasks, and learning targets, and then provide consistent feedback to staff and administration. In Ray Wiltsey Middle School, which has a schoolwide International Baccalaureate model, all students participate in student-led conferences where they analyze academic progress and set individual academic goals for improvement with their families. The 16 newly designated Schools to Watch schools are: John Burroughs Middle School, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County Creekview Ranch School K8, Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District, Placer County Enrique Camarena Jr. High School, Calexico Unified School District, Imperial County Norman N. Glick Middle School, Empire Union Elementary School District, Stanislaus County Hall Middle School, Larkspur-Corte Madera School District, Marin County Las Palmas Middle School, Covina-Valley Unified School District, Los Angeles County Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, San Bernardino City Unified School District, San Bernardino County Nicolas Junior High School, Fullerton School District, Orange County Wayne Ruble Middle School, Fontana Unified School District, San Bernardino County Weaver Middle School, Weaver Union School District, Merced County Wendy Lopour Doty Middle School, Downey Unified School District, Los Angeles County Ray Wiltsey Middle School, Ontario-Montclair School District, San Bernardino County Badger Springs Middle School, Moreno Valley Unified School District, Riverside County Palm Middle School, Moreno Valley Unified School District, Riverside County Santiago Charter Middle School, Orange Unified School District, Orange County Southridge Middle School, Fontana Unified School District, San Bernardino County The 33 re-designated Schools to Watch schools are: Alder Creek Middle School, Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District, Nevada County Canyon Middle School, Castro Valley Unified School District, Alameda County Colton Middle School, Colton Joint Unified School District, San Bernardino County Curtis Middle School, San Bernardino City Unified School District, San Bernardino County Edna Hill Middle School, Brentwood Union School District, Contra Costa County Fairmont Elementary School, Sanger Unified School District, Fresno County Firebaugh Middle School, Firebaugh-Las Deltas Unified School District, Fresno County Frank J. Zamboni Middle School, Paramount Unified School District, Los Angeles County Frank M. Wright Middle School, Imperial Unified School District, Imperial County Granger Junior High School, Sweetwater Union High School District, San Diego County John Glenn Middle School of International Studies, Desert Sands Unified School District, Riverside County Lake Center Middle School, Little Lake City School District, Los Angeles County Lindero Canyon Middle School, Las Virgenes Unified School District, Los Angeles County Mistletoe STEM Institute, Enterprise Elementary School District, Shasta County Oliver Wendell Holmes Middle School, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County Pioneer Middle School, Tustin Unified School District, Orange County Quail Lake Environmental Charter School, Sanger Unified School District, Fresno County Reyburn Intermediate School, Clovis Unified School District, Fresno County Ross Academy of Creative and Media Arts Middle School, ABC Unified School District, Los Angeles County San Gorgonio Middle School, Beaumont Unified School District, Riverside County San Lorenzo Valley Middle School, San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District, Santa Cruz County Sanger Academy Charter School, Sanger Unified School District, Fresno County Scotts Valley Middle School, Scotts Valley Unified School District, Santa Cruz County Serrano Middle School, San Bernardino City Unified School District, San Bernardino County Sinaloa Middle School, Simi Valley Unified School District, Ventura County South Pointe Middle School, Walnut Valley Unified School District, Los Angeles County Sunnymead Middle School, Moreno Valley Unified School District, Riverside County Thurston Middle School, Laguna Beach Unified School District, Orange County Union Middle School, Union School District, Santa Clara County Vanguard Preparatory School, Apple Valley Unified School District, San Bernardino County Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley Unified School District, Riverside County Willis Jepson Middle School, Vacaville Unified School District, Solano County Yorba Linda Middle School, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, Orange County # # # # Tony Thurmond State Superintendent of Public Instruction Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100 Last Reviewed: Thursday, August 27, 2020 Pakistan cement industry facing challenges 28 February 2019 A number of Pakistan cement companies have shown poor financial performance in 1HFY19, due to a combination of factors, including dwindling local demands and the rising cost of production. According to local media, the government has not only slashed Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) spending, but private sector commercial and housing construction spending has also cooled, leading to lower cement sales, particularly in the northern zone. For northern players that export to Afghanistan and India, volumes have fallen as both markets have become less receptive. For example, Afghanistan increased its take-off of Iranian product and cement imported from other countries. Moreover, it is implementing a programme to increased domestic production capacity. Political tensions between the two countries have not helped. Relationships with India are also not progressing smoothly and are impacting Pakistani exports to its eastern neighbour. Following India's withdrawal of the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status from Pakistan, reportedly, Pakistani trucks are stranded at the border to India unable to pass. Meanwhile, input costs have risen. South African imported coal prices rose by 10 per cent on average between July and December 2018. Imports have also become more expensive due to Pakistani rupee depreciation of 14 per cent, while prices of other fuels as well as grid electricity has also risen. Positive development On the costs side, analysts have forecasted a downward trend for coal prices, due to a supply glut and depleting coal demand in China. This is positive news for cement manufacturers in Pakistan. Exports have fetched better prices due to rupee depreciation, but for northern producers, the shutdown of access to the Indian market may hurt the topline, especially if the domestic market does not recover. Any major development expenditure aside from PSDP allocations is unlikely. Published under Sabanci Holding to invest TRY6bn in 2019 28 February 2019 Sabanci Holding, one of Turkey's largest conglomerates, has said it is planning a total of TRY6bn (US$1.13bn) of investments this year. "This figure excludes any acquisitions or mergers that may emerge within the year based on strategic developments," Sabanci said in a filing with Borsa Istanbul. "Rebalancing in the Turkish economy has begun. We are expecting long-term reforms after the [March 31 local] elections. We have taken our precautions. We will continue to produce and invest," said Mehmet Gocmen, Sabanci's CEO. In 4Q18 the company had net cement sales of 0.794Mt down from 0.864Mt in 4Q17, a fall of eight per cent. However, during 2018 the company had net sales of 3.419Mt, up 14 per cent on 4Q17 when it achieved sales of 3.01Mt. In 4Q18 domestic cement volumes fell by 45 per cent YoY, but exports rose by 41 per cent YoY, bringing the total sales volume contraction to 31 per cent in the quarter. Sabanci Cement's EBITDA rose to TRY724m in 2018 from TRY680m in 2017. Sabanci operates in industry, banking, insurance, retail, insurance, energy and cement sectors. Published under OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- Some 50 units, including 43 floats, are scheduled to roll through downtown Ocean Springs Friday night as the Ocean Springs Carnival Association (OSCA) holds its 11th annual Mardi Gras night parade. Greg Gipson of Ocean Springs will serve as the Grand Marshal. Gipson works with Merit Health in Biloxi and is a member of Macedonia Baptist Church. He has been heavily involved in the Ocean Springs community and he and his wife, Shari, are the parents of a daughter, 21-year-old Whitney, and a nephew, Troy Thornton, 10. The OSCA King and Queen for 2019 are Eddie Allen and Starr Cartrett, respectively. Allen is a native of Ocean Springs and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He is employed as an operator with Chevron Pascagoula. Allen and his wife Melanie are the parents of two sons, Garrett and Emmet. Allen and his family enjoy outdoor activities and he serves as a Cub Scout Leader for Pack 271. Cartlett is a native of Biloxi and graduated as valedictorian from D'Iberville High School. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of South Alabama, a Master's degree from the University of Alabama-Birmingham, and a doctorate from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pa. She works as an anesthesiologist at the Biloxi VA Medical Center. Cartlett joined the OSCA four years ago "to become involved in our commitment to enhancing the lives of local citizens through networking, fundraising and good will." For Heather Eason, now in her sixth year as the OSCA Parade Captain, this year's parade is somewhat bittersweet in that she has announced this will be her final year as captain. "It is a little bittersweet," said Eason, a charter member of the OSCA. "I'm staying on with OSCA and I'm going to help with the parade, but I'm not going to be the head-honcho. We're going to divide the responsibilities out between four or five people to put on the night parade." Instead, Eason wants to focus her energies on the fledgling Christmas parade, which was an immediate success in its first year this past December. The holiday parade is sponsored jointly by the OSCA, Ocean Springs Elks Lodge and Krewe Unique. "We started the Christmas parade this year and I was so overcome by it," Eason said. "I felt there was so much magic in it, it's got so much potential and a family atmosphere. Seeing the kids' faces light up -- that's where I want to put my energies because I think it can be a really special thing." The parade is set to roll at 7 p.m., rain or shine. It will follow the traditional Ocean Springs parade route -- starting on Front Beach Drive, making its way up Porter Avenue, turning north on Washington Avenue, then east on Government Street until it disbands at Ocean Springs Upper Elementary. Streets in the downtown area will close at 6 p.m., with barricades beginning to be placed along the route at 8 a.m. Friday. The street closures are: Porter Avenue from Ocean Springs Yacht Club to Washington Avenue Washington Avenue from Porter to Government Street Government Street from Washington to Holcomb Boulevard Southbound traffic on Washington from U.S. 90 will be diverted via DeSoto Street. Streets will be opened at the discretion of the Ocean Springs Police Department, once officers on the scene have determined it is safe to do so. The Signal Mountain Police Department today announced that it is joining the Neighbors app by Ring to provide the Signal Mountain community with real-time, local crime and safety information. "The Neighbors network already has millions of users and has been instrumental in catching package thieves, stopping burglaries and keeping neighborhoods safe," officials said. Residents can download the free Neighbors app, join their neighborhood and use the app to monitor neighborhood activity, share crime and safety-related videos, photos and text-based posts and receive real-time safety alerts from their neighbors, local law enforcement and the Ring team. We are excited about partnering with Ring and their Neighbors app Law Enforcement portal. It will allow us to better partner with our citizens to keep them and their property safe and to spread the word about potential problem areas, said Chief Mike Williams. Jamie Siminoff, chief inventor and founder of Ring, said: Were excited to have the Signal Mountain Police Department join Neighbors to keep their community up-to-date on local crime and safety information. Over the past few years we have learned that when neighbors, the Ring team and law enforcement all work together, we can create safer communities. Neighbors is meant to facilitate real-time communication between these groups, while maintaining neighbor privacy first and foremost. By bringing security to every neighbor with the free Neighbors app, the Signal Mountain community can stay on top of crime and safety alerts as they happen. How It Works: - Download the Neighbors app on iOS and Android here: download.ring.com/signalmountain or by texting signalmtn to 555888 from your smartphone. - Opt-in to join your neighborhood. - Customize the geographic area you want to receive notifications for (users must verify where they are located and cannot participate in other neighborhoods). - Receive real-time alerts from your neighbors, local law enforcement and the Ring team that inform of crime and safety alerts as they happen. - View local crime and safety posts via a live feed or interactive map. - Share text updates, photos and videos taken on any device, including Rings home security devices. - Work with your community to make neighborhoods safer. House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) and Assistant Majority Leader Ron Gant (R-Rossville) announced that State Rep. Dan Howell (R-Cleveland) has been chosen as a co-prime sponsor to shepherd House Bill 951 through the legislative process on behalf of Republican leadership. House Bill 951 is part of Governor Lees legislative package for the year, which is traditionally sponsored by the House Majority Leader and Assistant Majority Leader. Rep. Howell is passionate about and has fought for Tennesseans with developmental or intellectual disabilities and their caretakers, said Leader Lamberth. I know he will do a great job guiding this initiative through the legislative process, and I look forward to working with him to ensure it passes. Howell is passionate about and has fought for Tennesseans with developmental or intellectual disabilities and their caretakers, said Leader Lamberth. I know he will do a great job guiding this initiative through the legislative process, and I look forward to working with him to ensure it passes. I appreciate Rep. Howells willingness to guide this legislation through the House, said Assistant Leader Gant. House Bill 951 will have an incredible impact on our disabled citizens and their families, and I appreciate Rep. Howells advocacy on their behalf. House Bill 951 removes licensure requirements for citizens who provide direct care to a group of no more than three people with intellectual or developmental disabilities in a Medicaid home or community-based services program. The overall goal is to increase the quality of care available, so these important groups are empowered to live successfully in their communities. I am grateful to our Governor, and our House leadership team for asking me to carry this important initiative that will have a tremendous benefit and improve the quality of care for our intellectually, and developmentally disabled citizens and their families, said Rep. Howell. I have prioritized the needs of these groups throughout my time serving in our General Assembly, and I will continue to fight for additional resources that support them. House Bill 951 advanced out of the House Mental Health & Substance Abuse Subcommittee on Wednesday morning. It will now head to the full Health Committee. For more information, please click here< /Bills/111/Bill/HB0951.pdf >. Dan Howell is the Chairman of the House Transportation Committee. He is also a member of member of the House Government Operations, and House Judiciary Committees, as well as the Civil Justice, Infrastructure, and Safety & Funding Subcommittees. He lives in Cleveland and represents Tennessee House District 22, which includes Meigs, Polk, and part of Bradley Counties. March 4, New-trepreneur Bookkeeping: 10 Mistakes to Avoid Noon to 1 p.m. INCubator: 100 Cherokee Blvd. (Park across the street in the Republic lot) In this seminar, Lynn Talbott of HR Business Solutions teaches 10 of the most common bookkeeping mistakes and practical solutions. Topics include: how to classify workers, receipt requirements, meal expenses and more. Register at tsbdc.org/chscc/. No cost. March 4, Be a Smart App About Your Bookkeeping 2 to 3:30 p.m. INCubator: 100 Cherokee Blvd. (Park across the street in the Republic lot) Get familiar with integrated applications for bookkeeping on-the-go so you can have real-time financial reports at your fingertips. In this seminar, Lynn Talbott of HR Business Solutions will discuss options for receipt-capturing and expense tracking, bill storage, auto-fetch for documents, time-tracking and job costing, payment processing and more. Spend your time managing data, not entering it. Register at tsbdc.org/chscc/. No cost. March 5, Chamber Member Orientation 8:30 to 10 a.m. Chattanooga Chamber Board Room: 811 Broad St. Join us to learn more about your member benefits and what's going on at the Chamber. Please RSVP to ARiley@ChattanoogaChamber.com. No cost. March 5, North Chattanooga Chamber Council Meeting 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The INCubator: 100 Cherokee Blvd. Speaker: Claire Stockman, Content Lead for the Arts for HCDE $10 March 5, Reality Check at Ivy Academy Noon to 2:45 p.m. Ivy Academy: 8512 Dayton Pike Reality Check teaches ninth graders budgeting and emphasizes the connection between education and income by allowing students to roleplay as heads of household on a budget. Community volunteers are needed to assist with this event. To volunteer for this Chattanooga Chamber career readiness program, please contact Cathy Humble at 423.763.4321 or chumble@chattanoogachamber.com. March 6, AM Networking | Sponsored by CBI Workplace Solutions 8 to 9 a.m. CBI Workplace Solutions: 701 Cherry St. Held the first Wednesday of every month, AM Networking brings an average of 100 business people together for networking and hot coffee. This month's AM Networking will be sponsored by CBI Workplace Solutions. March 6, Pick the Brain of an Attorney 11 a.m. to noon INCubator: 100 Cherokee Blvd. (Park across the street in the Republic lot) In this one-hour Q&A session, you can ask any and all of your business-related legal questions. There is no agenda; come prepared with questions and something to take notes with. Register at tsbdc.org/chscc/. No cost. March 6, International Business Chamber Council Meeting 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Volkswagen Chattanooga Conference Room: 8001 Volkswagen Dr. Speakers: Gabriele Weber, Schnellecke Logistics, Mary Beth Hudson, Wacker Chemical Corp. & Nicole Koesling, Volkswagen of America Discussion: Opportunities and challenges faced by international companies conducting business in the greater Chattanooga area Call 423.756.2121 to register. No cost. March 7, Downtown Chamber Council Meeting 7:30 to 9 a.m. Bessie Smith: 200 E MLK Blvd. Speaker: Brad Segal, VP of Progressive Urban Management Associates Discussion: Chattanooga Business Improvement District $15 March 7, Small Business Orientation Morning Seminar 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. INCubator: 100 Cherokee Blvd. (Park across the street in the Republic lot) Have you been thinking about starting your own business, but don't know where to begin? In this seminar, we will cover business entity options, tax registration, the importance of business planning, financing options and more. Register at tsbdc.org/chscc/. No cost. March 7, East Ridge Chamber Council Meeting 11: 45 a.m. to 1 p.m. East Ridge Community Center: 1517 Tombras Ave. Speaker: Adam Wilson, Parks & Recreation Director, City of East Ridge Discussion: Recreational Plans for Camp Jordan & East Ridge $12 March 7, Small Business Orientation Evening Seminar 5:30 to 7 p.m. INCubator: 100 Cherokee Blvd. (Park across the street in the Republic lot) Have you been thinking about starting your own business, but don't know where to begin? In this seminar, we will cover business entity options, tax registration, the importance of business planning, financing options and more. Register at tsbdc.org/chscc/. No cost. An employee of the Starbucks on Brainerd Road said a four-door silver vehicle drove through the drivethru window A female driver took the coffee and then pulled slightly forward. Next, an African American male got out of the vehicle's passenger side. The male walked up to the service window and asked for a top. After the employee turned her back, the suspect grabbed around $50 out of the tip jar. The man then got back into the vehicle and the pair fled the scene. * * * Police responded to a crash on Jenkins Road. The driver of the vehicle stated that she slid off the roadway and was waiting to be pulled out of the ditch. Police informed the driver "that she could just back out of the ditch which she did with any problems." The driver looked at the vehicle with police who did not notice any damage besides a flat tire. The driver drove away from the area and declined an accident report. * * * The manager of a gas station at 3640 Hixson Pike said the vehicle at pump #7 had been there for a few hours and he requested that it be checked to see if it was stolen. Upon running the VIN through NCIC it was determined to be stolen and verified with the owner. The officer contacted the owner who was at work and requested his aunt, who he lives with, be able to pick it up. The aunt arrived on the scene and took possession of the vehicle. The 2015 Hyundai Genesis was removed from NCIC as stolen. * * * A business owner on E. Brainerd Road said he n told police he arrived at his shop around 5:30 a.m. When he approached his white 2008 F150 he notice the cable that secured his Predator generators had been cut. All three generators were taken off the back of the truck. While looking at the video feed police saw a gray S10 pickup pull up to the truck and noticed the generators on the rear of the truck. All generators were stolen off the truck. At this time all police have for a suspect is an older white male in a gray S10. * * * A man told police he went to a business dinner at 1459 Riverside Dr. He said he went out to his car and found his front passenger side window broken out ($250). He said a black Swiss backpack ($150) was stolen out of his vehicle and it contained these items: - Silver Apple Macbook Pro ($1,000) - Black Dell Laptop ($1,000) - Various cables (Totaling $250) - Charcoal gray Apple iPad ($500) - Black and white Apple iPad case ($10) - Passport - Apple pencil ($100). * * * A woman said she received a strange phone call from a person who said she owed $6,000 in back taxes. He further stated that she was going to be arrested for tax fraud unless she could make any payments of at least $500 on a payment plan. She then told him that she could only send $200, but he told her that was not enough and she would be in trouble if more money was found to be in her account. While she was talking on the phone with the suspect on a speaker, she went to her CPA's office who overheard the conversation and told her to hang up, that this was a scam. However, she said that the CPA spoke to the suspect who then hurriedly ended the conversation and hung up. No money was sent and she said that her CPA confirmed that this was indeed a scam attempt. * * * Jeff McKamey told police that he inherited a Patek Philippe 18ctr gold watch from his father, Bob McKamey. He said on Jan. 6 his father was transported from home to Erlanger East by ambulance. He said that the watch, which was on his deceased father's wrist, was taken off by an unknown person. Mr. McKamey said he has searched his father's home, questioned the ambulance personnel and the hospital and no one will admit to anything. Mr. McKamey said he is certain that the $85,000.00 watch has been stolen. He said the watch is 18ct solid gold, with a gold band, white face analog. He says the ref # on the watch is 5036/iJ001 and the caliber # is 315SIRMQALU and movement # 3555586/4337328. About 50 years ago I established a lifelong adoration of a Christian College professor, Tony Campolo. He is, without question, the best speaker I have ever enjoyed this in any genre -- and I was thrilled to learn earlier this week that God hasnt finished with his wonderful disciple just yet. A couple of weeks ago Tony signed on to be the co-pastor of a Baptist church in Philadelphia, this as he celebrated his 84th birthday (!) on Monday. Tony is the guy who told me the story of The Last Day of School, which I immediately retold in a column that is far-and-away the No. 1 tale on my lifetimes humbling list of Roys Greatest Hits. Mind you, all I did back then was to write down what the world-famed evangelist said over breakfast one morning but, so help me, I still get phone calls and emails about the story, which garnered me far more than just my 15 seconds of fame. It spawned a lot of plaudits I didnt deserve and opened countless doors to a kid whose biggest problem at the time was acne, as I vaguely recall. There are all kinds of reprints of the story that emerge with each new Christmas season and, when I am reminded God used me, a simple Tennessee hayseed, to spread the story all over the world it brings me to tears every time I realize it. John Wilson and Chattanoogan.com has allowed it to be part of my yearly tradition as we share it every Christmas Season. As the Internet has exploded, so has the story, and Dr. Campolo gets a big kick out of that. When the note proclaiming Tonys 84th birthday came, I immediately remembered another story he has shared to the delight of many millions. This is what I believe is The Greatest Birthday Party Ever. During some one-on-one interview, the when and the where long since forgotten, Tony and I were huddled at some corner table when he told me about the time he flew from Philly to Hawaii for some huge event. The first night I was there, all I wanted was sleep. But after flying through time zones all day, I woke up in the smallest of the wee hours and I was famished. Not now, stomach, not now. Hang on just a little longer and well have a fine breakfast, he remembered, but look at me! the bald-and-pudgy spiritual advisor to several presidents quipped, Does it look to you like that ever worked! Tony went to the lobby in this swank Honolulu resort to find everything was shuttered at 3 oclock on a Hawaiian morning so he set off on foot without an inkling the surprise his Jesus had set in motion many, many months before. What happened was a God thing thats what we call it today and yesterday I scanned through his website for a while before I found a sermon in his archives that included the story about Agnes * THE 3:30 AM BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR A HOOKER (As told by Tony Campolo, a Professor at Eastern University in Philadelphia) If you live on the East Coast and travel to Hawaii, you know that there is a time difference that makes three oclock in the morning feel like nine. With that in mind, you will understand that whenever I go out to our 50th state I find myself wide awake long before dawn. Not only do I find myself up and ready to go while almost everybody else is still asleep, but I find that I want breakfast when almost everything on the island is still closedwhich is why I was wandering up and down the streets of Honolulu at three-thirty in the morning, looking for a place to get something to eat. Up a side street I found a little place that was still open. I went in, took a seat on one of the stools at the counter, and waited to be served. This was one of those sleazy places that deserves the name greasy spoon. I mean, I did not even touch the menu. I was afraid that if I opened the thing something gruesome would crawl out. But it was the only place I could find. The fat guy behind the counter came over and asked me, What dya want? I told him, A cup of coffee and a donut. He poured a cup of coffee, wiped his grimy hand on his smudged apron, then grabbed a donut off the shelf behind him. Im a realist. I know that in the back room of that restaurant, donuts are probably dropped on the floor and kicked around. But when everything is out front where I could see it, I really would have appreciated it if he had used a pair of tongs and placed the donut on some wax paper. As I sat there munching on my donut and sipping my coffee at three-thirty in the morning the door of the diner suddenly swung open, and to my discomfort, in marched eight or nine provocative and boisterous prostitutes. It was a small place and they sat on either side of me. Their talk was loud and crude. I felt completely out of place and was just about to make my getaway when I overheard the woman sitting beside me say, Tomorrows my birthday. Im going to be thirty-nine. Her friend responded in a nasty tone, So what do you want from me? A birthday party? What do you want? Ya want me to get you a cake and sing Happy Birthday? Come on! said the woman next to me. Why do you have to be so mean? I was just telling you, thats all. Why do you have to put me down? I was just telling you it was my birthday. I dont want anything from you. I mean, why should you give me a birthday party? Ive never had a birthday party my whole life. Why should I have one now? When I heard that, I made a decision. I sat and waited until the women had left. Then I called over the fat guy behind the counter and I asked him, Do they come in here every night? Yeah! he answered. The one right next to me, does she come here every night? Yeah! he said. Thats Agnes. Yeah, she comes in here every night. Why dya wanna know? Because I heard her say that tomorrow is her birthday, I told him. What do you think about us throwing a birthday party for herright heretomorrow night? A smile slowly crossed his chubby face and he answered with measured delight. Thats great! I like it! Thats a great idea! Calling to his wife who did the cooking in the back room, he shouted, Hey! Come out here! This guys got a great idea. Tomorrows Agness birthday. This guy wants us to go in with him and throw a birthday party for herright heretomorrow night! His wife came out of the back room all bright and smiley. She said, Thats wonderful! You know Agnes is one of those people who is really nice and kind, and nobody ever does anything nice and kind for her. Look, I told them, if its okay with you, Ill get back here tomorrow morning about two-thirty and decorate the place. Ill even get a birthday cake. No way, said Harry (that was his real name). The birthday cakes my thing. Ill make the cake. At two-thirty the next morning I was back at the diner. I had picked up some crepe paper decorations at the store and had made a sign out of big pieces of cardboard that read, Happy Birthday, Agnes! I decorated the diner from one end to the other. I had that diner looking good. The woman who did the cooking must have gotten the word out on the street, because by 3:15 every prostitute in Honolulu was in the place. It was wall-to-wall prostitutes and me! At 3:30 on the dot, the door of the diner swung open and in came Agnes and her friend. I had everybody ready (after all, I was kind of the MC of the affair) and when they came in, we all screamed, Happy Birthday! Never have I seen a person so flabbergasted. . .so stunned. . .so shaken. Her mouth fell open. Her legs seemed to buckle a bit. Her friend grabbed her arm to steady her. As she was led to one of the stools along the counter we all sang Happy Birthday to her. As we came to the end of our singing, Happy birthday, dear Agnes, Happy birthday to you! her eyes moistened. Then, when the birthday cake with all the candles lit on it was carried out, she lost it and just openly cried. Harry gruffly mumbled, Blow out the candles, Agnes! Come on! Blow out the candles! If you dont blow out the candles, Im gonna hafta blow out the candles. And, after an endless few seconds, he did. Then he handed her a knife and told her, Cut the cake, Agnes. Yo, Agnes, we all want some cake. Agnes looked down at the cake. Then without taking her eyes off it, she slowly and softly said, Look, Harry, is it all right with you if I I mean is it okay if I kind of what I want to ask you is is it okay if I keep the cake a little while? I mean is it all right if we dont eat it right away? Harry shrugged and answered, Sure! Its okay. If you want to keep the cake, keep the cake. Take it home if you want to. Can I? she asked. Then looking at me she said, I live just down the street a couple of doors. I want to take the cake home and show it to my mother, okay? Ill be right back. Honest! She got off the stool, picked up the cake, and carrying it like it was the Holy Grail, walked slowly toward the door. As we all stood there motionless, she left. When the door closed there was a stunned silence in the place. Not knowing what else to do, I broke the silence by saying, What do you say we pray? Looking back on it now it seems more than strange for a sociologist to be leading a prayer meeting with a bunch of prostitutes in a diner at Honolulu at three-thirty in the morning. But it just felt like the right thing to do. I prayed for Agnes. I prayed for her salvation. I prayed that her life would be changed and that God would be good to her. When I finished, Harry leaned over the counter, and said, Hey! You never told me you were a preacher. What kind of church do you belong to? In one of those moments when just the right words came, I answered, I belong to a church that throws birthday parties for whores at three-thirty in the morning. Harry waited a moment, then he answered, No you dont. Theres no church like that. If there was, Id join it. Id join a church like that * * * THE POSTSRIPT, THESE IN TONYS OWN WORDS A lot of people want to know what happened to Agnes? I became friends with Harry and Jan from that night forward, and keep in touch with them and whenever I get to Hawaii. Agnes gave up the streetwalking life shortly after that time. She ended up going to work at that diner. And she, Harry and Jan have turned that diner into a place where people come for help day and night. The word is around town: if youre in trouble, go to that little restaurantthe people there will listen to you, talk with you, and help you if they can. After that event, I was at Linfield College, a conservative Baptist college thats related to Jesus somehow in Oregon to speak at their spiritual emphasis weekyou know Be Kind to God Week. It was Feb. 25theasy to remember the date because its my birthday. The place was decorated with balloons, streamers, banners, and there was a sign that said: Happy Birthday, Tony! -- Agnes (your friend from Honolulu) She had somehow found out when my birthday was, where I would be on that date, and contacted some officials and students at the college and set this up for me. This account says a lot of good things. First of all, it says something about prostitutes. It says you cant judge people superficially. Agnes is one of the good peoplekind, caring, and thoughtful. When all the other prostitutes show up its because shes been so good and kind. And when I prayed I asked that God would deliver her from what dirty, filthy men had done to hermaking another point that all sociologists knows: that generally every prostitute is somebody who got messed over at the age of ten, eleven, or twelve. When I share this story, I always make it clear that Agnes was not an evil person, but she was a victim. When I tell the story and I say, I belong to a church that throws birthday parties for whores at 3:30 in the morning and people laugh, it sets me up for the line: thats exactly the kind of church that Jesus came to create. And I always add, I dont know where we got this other one that is half country club. Down deep inside everybody knows thats true. The reason why this story clicks is very simpleit does what Jesus does. It takes Christianity outside of a religious institutionwere outside of the churchoutside of the stranglehold of the religious environment. Once you get the truth of God out of the church, and come up with its bare realities, its impact of loving care rings true to people. * * * To learn more about Tony Campolo, please go to his website, www.tonycampolo.org Selah. royexum@aol.com The Chattanooga Chapter of Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light will hold a Sustainable Houses of Worship Workshop on Saturday, March 9 from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at St. Pauls Episcopal Church in downtown Chattanooga. Breakfast is included. During the workshop participants representing various faiths will hear presentations addressing actions that save operations money while addressing climate change justice. Hear from TQE (Total Quality Environmental), Green|Spaces, Cornerstone Automation, Greens Design Supply and EPB. The workshop is most suitable for ministers, stewardship leaders and facilitation managers from any faith. The charge is $15/person. Register through eventbrite.com Sustainable Houses of Worship or via e-mail to creationcare@gmail.com. Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will conduct a two-hour car caravan tour of Chickamauga Battlefield focusing on stories associated with African American resistance and rebellion connected to Chickamauga on Saturday, March 16 at 2 p.m. This tour begins inside the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center. "Come participate in a tour exploring a part of the story of Chickamauga that is not often told - the desire for and the promise of freedom for enslaved African Americans," organizers said. "With Chattanooga falling into Union hands, the city became a beacon of freedom for thousands of enslaved men and women who saw an opportunity to escape the harsh reality of slavery. Suddenly, they were given a choice in their lives. Many African Americans enlisted as soldiers in the United States Colored Troops in order to destroy slavery, while others took the opportunity to support the Union army in other ways, all of which gave them hope, dignity, confidence and pride. "On the Chickamauga Battlefield there are thousands of stories, join this tour to learn about some of these tales of Resistance and Rebellion." For more information about programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241 or the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423-821-7786. Debbie Ralston, director of CHI Memorial Ooltewah Imaging Center, received the Patriotic Employer award from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. "The ESGRs Patriot Award is presented to an individual for his/her 'support provided directly to the nominating service member and his/her family.' This award reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors through a wide-range of measures including flexible schedules, time off prior to, and after, deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence if needed,officials said. Im absolutely speechless, said Ms. Ralston. I felt so honored. At that moment, I felt my daddy, who served in the Marines. Its a wonderful award and I hope more companies, and managers and directors are supportive and will work with people in unique situations. Felicia Lane, MRI technologist at CHI Memorial Ooltewah Imaging Center, nominated Ms. Ralston. Ms. Lanes husband, Staff Sgt. Brandon Lane, serves in the Army Reserves, and is currently attached to the 465th Engineer Company in Birmingham. The unit left just before Christmas for pre-deployment in Texas, and recently deployed to Africa. Ms. Lane said she nominated Ms. Ralston because of the compassion and empathy shes shown. Shes been very understanding. When I first went to her and told her that this was all happening, she was like Just whatever you need. Just let me know what you need and well make it happen. Shes really supportive. Today Governor Bill Lee announced comprehensive plans to address criminal justice and public safety ahead of his State of the State address on Monday. We must significantly improve public safety in our state and I believe that starts with our criminal justice system, said Governor Lee. We will focus on helping individuals to ensure there is a pathway to a productive life beyond crime and ultimately make our state a safer place. Governor Lee is proposing initiatives including: - Supplementing mental health efforts by expanding the recovery court system and recovery court programming; - Eliminating the $180 state expungement fee; and - Expanding higher education programming for incarcerated individuals. Following his announcement regarding mental health investments, Governor Lee is proposing the expansion of the Recovery Court System, a specialized diversion program focused on comprehensive supervision, treatment services and immediate sanctions and incentives for substance abuse offenders. With $1.7 million in additional funding, Recovery Courts will expand capacity by 20 percent and serve an additional 500 Tennesseans each year. Individuals who are successfully diverted through this programming are estimated to save the state an average of more than $20,000 per individual in recovered correction costs each year. Governor Lee is also proposing to eliminate the burdensome $180 expungement fee associated with clearing records of certain criminal charges. Individuals with clear records are much more likely to secure employment and stable housing instead of re-entering prison. Additionally, Governor Lees proposal seeks to improve education opportunities within correctional facilities and enable incarcerated individuals to gain the skills needed for re-entry into society. New funding will improve technology infrastructure across correctional facilities to increase the number of incarcerated individuals receiving equivalent high school education. This will also support the launch of a bachelors degree program at Turney Center Industrial Complex. More than 30 percent of inmates in Tennessee do not have high school education equivalency, said Lee. By offering quality education programming, inmates have a 43 percent lower chance of re-entering prison than those who do not receive this education. Over the next three years, a $10.5 million investment and partnership with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission will also provide eight state facilities with the capacity to provide career and technical credentials for disciplines like computer information technology and building construction. Public safety extends beyond party lines and has the best interest of every Tennessean in mind, said Lee. I look forward to working with the legislature and community leaders across Tennessee to make our system a model for the rest of the country. The Chief John Ross Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution donated six patriotic lap quilts made by friend Lynn Atkinson, and 17 hand crocheted lap afghans made by friend Kathy Smith to the local Veterans Administration. These ladies donated them to the chapter in support of local veterans and were donated to the VA where they are distributed to local veterans and at the Fisher House in Murfreesboro. To quilt or crochet for veterans, make hats for active duty military, or become a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, please contact Teresa Rimer at 499-0892 or visit www.dar.org. As one of the worlds great traditional old-time and bluegrass fiddlers, the late Fletcher Bright dedicated his life to sharing his gifts with others. So when his daughter Lizzer Bright Graham 77 wanted to honor his legacy through a gift to Girls Preparatory School, she knew it had to celebrate the arts. The result is the GPS Fletcher Bright Fellowship for Artistic and Community Engagement, an endowed program that offers an annual award to a rising senior. As a lifelong philanthropist, my dad designated money in his will for each of his five children to give away as we saw fit, explains Ms. Graham, a GPS alumna and former trustee. He would be thrilled to know this is how the money is being used. The first recipient, junior Jadyn Matthews, was selected before a panel of five judges. She was a standout candidate not only for her accomplishments in dance but also her desire to share her passion with the greater Chattanooga community. The fellowship will allow her to attend master classes with Kelly Seph White, a New Orleans and New York dance instructor, and then use her knowledge to teach young children in the Chattanooga area. Her passion for dance is clearly evident and infectious, said Andrew Parker, Company Artistic Director of Chattanooga Ballet and one of the fellowship judges. She has a very clear vision for her project and is a very passionate and determined young leader. Ms. Matthews has pursued dance at GPS since her sixth grade year and was selected for the schools prestigious modern dance company, Terpsichord, her sophomore year. But her passion for dance began in elementary school, taking classes at her local rec center. When she returns from working with Ms. White, Ms. Matthews will teach at Chattanooga community centers such as the Glenwood Recreation Center, where she has previously tutored. She will be guided in her teaching by her fellowship sponsor Cathie Ault Kasch 72, GPS performing arts coordinator and director of Terpsichord. Ms. Matthews says her purpose for seeking the fellowship was to interconnect her three greatest passions: cultural studies, the art and techniques of dance, and sharing her gifts and talents with children. As a performer, choreographer, researcher, and dance educator, White specializes in Afro-Caribbean dancea dance form that speaks deeply to Ms. Matthews. Dance has helped me connect with others as well as myself, Ms. Matthews said. Studying under Ms. White will allow me to discover more about a culture that impacts me through dance, but also my ethnic background as well. Ms. Matthews plans to pursue dance throughout college and possibly as a career. She hopes that a better understanding of the culture and techniques behind Afro-Caribbean dance will help develop and inform her creative voice and style. The exceptional thing about Jadyn is her spirit; she brings a joie de vivre to every class, said Ms. Kasch. She has selected an outstanding mentor for this next stage of learning, and I know she wil enjoy sharing her new knowledge with local children over the next year. Teaching others was something Mr. Bright also deeply valued. His vast repertoire of fiddle tunes is legendary, and throughout his 70-year musical career he helped keep a sometimes obscure art form alive by teaching fiddle across the country as well as in England and Canada. With this fellowship, I hope to give back to the Chattanooga community and those centers and children who have inspired me to live a life full of dance, community involvement, and volunteerism, Ms. Matthews said. To immerse in study with and learn under a multicultural dance professional is invaluable. Im honored to then be able to share what I have learned to benefit others, lifting as I climb! We know Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are no strangers to going against what royals have done in the past and doing things their way. Well, that may be the case again when it comes to where they choose to have their baby. A new report claims that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are not going to have their child at the Lindo Wing St. Marys where royals like Kate Middleton and even Harrys mother, Princess Diana, gave birth. Instead, the couple is eyeing an American hospital for Baby Sussex to be delivered at. Heres what we know about where their child may be born and if their choice has anything to do with some recent not-so-good news about Lindo Wing. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, The Duke And Duchess Of Sussex Facundo Arrizabalaga Pool/Getty Images Markle will have their baby at an American Hospital? The claim that Markle and Harry may not want to have their baby at the Lindo Wing comes from royal commentator and former royal butler, Paul Burrell. Meghan is likely to buck all traditions when it comes to having the baby, just watch where it is born, Burrell said. I dont think she will use the Lindo Wing, I think she will use an American hospital like The Portland, which is owned by the Hospital Corporation Of America. I get the feeling shes out to do things differently, its her way, Meghans way. I think shes going to be very strong and defiant. If the retired actress does have the baby at The Portland she wont be the first royal to do so. Prince Andrews ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, had both Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie at the American-owned hospital. Lindo Wing got a bad rating Victoria Beckham | Adrian Edwards/GC Images The Portland hospital is also favoritete among some oth er high-profile people including Markles pal Victoria Beckham who gave birth there. Its very possible that the duchess got a recommendation about that hospital from her friend and wants to deliver her child there. Or Markle may decide to steer clear of the Lindo Wing altogether because of the poor rating it received recently. In December 2018, it scored a food hygiene rating of just two out of five. Markle is of course a foodie so seeing that news could have certainly turned her off. Markle and Harrys child will also go to an American school? Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex | Tim P. Whitby Pool/Getty Images There have also been multiple reports that the royal couple is considering sending their child to an American school just outside of London. According to E! News, The pregnant Duchess of Sussex and the Duke of Sussex are said to be considering sending their first-born to the private, co-ed ACS Egham International School in Egham, Surrey. Formerly known as the American Community School, ACS offers an American curriculum to students aged 4 to 18. While well have to wait for some time to see what school Markle and Harry choose to send their little one to, well know very soon where they decide to have the baby as the duchess is due in April. Read more: Is Meghan Markle Having Twins? Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! When John D. Rockefeller died in 1937, his assets totaled 1.5% of U.S. economic production. As Johns legacy grew, his family became one of the most powerful in the world. There are certainly many relics to the Rockefeller familys long history including the infamous Rockefeller Center in New York City, which is home to the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, among many other things. We may never know the Rockefellers exact worth, but we can explain the familys other secrets and tragedies. These are the dark secrets of one of Americas wealthiest families. Nelson Rockefellers affair was discovered at his death President Richard Nixon with Nelson Rockefeller | Corbis via Getty Images The New York Governor and U.S. Vice President endured an unusual death. In 1979, Nelson A. Rockefeller had a heart attack. Early reports stated that Rockefeller Center security found the liberal Republican dead at his desk. But later reports issued a correction; the 70-year-old actually died of a heart attack at a townhouse, where he was having sex with a 25-year-old aide. Nelsons wife contested this, but his longtime aide confirmed the affair. William A. Rockefeller was a bigamist and con artist William Avery Rockefeller, John D.s father, posed as a deaf-mute peddler to sell miracle potions and herbal remedies, according to History. Nicknamed Devil Bill, he also posed as an eye-and-ear doctor named Dr. William Levingston. He had children with both his wife and mistress, the latter woman living with the family as their housekeeper. Dr. Richard Rockefeller died in a foggy plane crash Susan Cohn Rockefeller and Dr. Richard Rockefeller | Amber De Vos/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images The son of David Rockefeller and nephew of Gov. Nelson Rockefeller devoted his life to philanthropy, rather than banking or politics. Tragically, Dr. Richard Rockefeller died at 65, when his plane met fog and crashed outside Harrison, New York, according to The Journal News. The 2014 flight had taken off from the nearby Rockefeller estate, and he wasnt expected to be gone long. Winston Churchill almost wrote the Rockefeller biography The future British prime minister gave rousing speeches and wrote more than 40 books, earning the 1953 Nobel Prize for Literature. In the 30s, the Rockefellers asked Churchill to write John D.s authorized biography, according to History. But the orator wanted a $250,000 advance. Even the wealthiest family in the world wasnt willing to pay it, so they hired Allan Nevins, Columbia Universitys historian. Michael C. Rockefeller was likely eaten by cannibals Michael Rockefeller (R) with his old brother Rodman | Robert W. Kelley/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images In 1961, Nelson Rockefellers fifth son traveled to New Guinea. The 23-year-old photographer and Museum of Primitive Art trustee hoped to bring an indigenous art collection back to New York. When Michaels boat overturned, however, he tried to swim to shore and get help, reports the Smithsonian. Despite a two-week search, he was never found. Although Michaels official cause of death is drowning, many think he was eaten by a crocodile or shark. Some believe he made it to shore and encountered cannibals. A month later, a Dutch priest spoke with men from the Otsjanep tribe, who admitted they killed a man who matched Michaels description. They even showed the priest some bones. Their early family wealth was connected to a secret Vanderbilt deal Railroad and shipping tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt struck a deal with John D. Rockefeller to help them both profit. Vanderbilt got exclusive rights to ship Rockefellers oil on his trains for a lower price. Standard Oil, however, grew so fast that Vanderbilt tried to end the discounts. In a shrewd move, Rockefeller earned enough to build his own pipeline, driving Vanderbilts profit down. Vanderbilt passed away a few years later in 1877. John D. Rockefeller paid his way out of the Civil War On Fifth Avenue, John D. Rockefeller Sr. and John D. Rockefeller Jr. | Bettmann/Getty Images RELATED: Its Not Just Donald Trump, These Famous Americans Also Received Draft Deferments Wealthy Americans avoided serving in the military by paying $300 to a substitute, who served in the Civil War on their behalf. Known as the Enrollment Act of 1863, this process didnt exist for long, reports the National Archives. But it kept a healthy John D. out of the army. Winifred Rockefeller committed a double-murder/suicide John D. Rockefeller Sr.s great-niece was 46 years old when she killed herself and her two daughters. In 1951, Winifred Rockefeller Emeny started two cars in her Greenwich, Connecticut garage. The socialite put her 12-year-old and 6-year-old in one car and then laid on the ground nearby. The maid discovered them dead from asphyxiation, reports The Journal News. It was one of many tragedies the Rockefellers experienced over the years. A con-man posed as a Rockefeller for years before getting caught Clark Rockefeller in jail | John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images The Rockefellers are busy people, so they didnt notice when a Clark Rockefeller began using the family name to enter high-profile events, accept job offers, and even marry a rich woman, according to The Boston Globe. Actually named Christian Gerhartsreiter, the German man was arrested in 2008 and sentenced to 27 years in prison in connection with an unrelated murder. Crockefeller got the No. 1 spot on Time Magazines list of the Top 10 Imposters. John D. Rockefeller outlived his life insurance On top of his other feats, John D. lived so long that his insurance company was required to pay him the $5 million value of his policy. Born on July 8, 1839, John D. died of atherosclerosis, two months before his 98th birthday. John D. Rockefeller quietly supported Prohibition John D. and Laura Rockefeller in Cleveland | Bettmann/Getty Images Yes, John D. Rockefeller helped establish Prohibition. But not for the reasons drifting around the internet. Many think he funded Prohibition in order to exclude ethanol as an automotive fuel, reports Hemmings. However, this had nothing to do with his stance on temperance. John D. never drank alcohol, and his wife, Laura, was a founding member of the Womens Christian Temperance Union. The WCTU used his huge donation to pass the 18th Amendment and the consequent Volstead Act. A Black college is named after Laura Spelman Rockefeller In 1882, John D. and Laura Rockefeller began donating money to the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, a Black womens school. After two years of ample donations, the college changed its name to Spelman Seminary and later Spelman College in honor of Laura and her parents, who were lifelong abolitionists. John D. Rockefeller had alopecia A close-up of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. on his 94th birthday | Bettmann/Getty Images This disease causes the immune system to attack hair follicles, causing extreme hair loss. As one of the 200,000 Americans diagnosed yearly, John D. Rockefeller lost all hair from his head and body, including his eyebrows, by the time he was in his 40s. Soon he began to wear wigs of different lengths to make it look like he was getting haircuts. John D. Rockefeller gave a dime to every single person he met Per advice from a PR consultant, John D. carried around a bag of fresh dimes, giving one to every person he met, from children to the owner of Firestone tires (and fellow millionaire), Samuel Firestone. A dime in the 1920s equals about $1.30-$1.50 these days. Its estimated that John D. gave away about $35,000 in dimes over his lifetime. The Rockefellers began in Cleveland, not New York City John D. Rockefellers childhood home | Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images Most recall the Rockefellers of New York City. After all, the family commissioned the 19-building Rockefeller Center, which occupies 22 acres of Manhattan. John D.s grandson, Nelson A. Rockefeller, even served as governor of New York from 1959-1973. But the family fortune originates in Cleveland, where John D. founded Standard Oil in 1870. He didnt move to NYC until over 10 years later. The Rockefellers helped eradicate hookworm In the early 20th century, hookworms infected over 40% of Southerners, who experienced anemia, exhaustion, and stunted growth. However, in 1910, John D. Rockefeller gave $1 million to the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission, which mapped high-risk areas and treated infected people. The group also improved sanitation in affected areas. Now, hookworm is under control; its only found in small areas of the Deep South. Bravos Mexican Dynasties exploded onto the small screen this week and already viewers cant get enough. 4 minutes and 54 seconds in and Im in love #MexicanDynasties, one person wrote on Twitter. Bravos newest show, Mexican Dynasties follows three wealthy Mexican families and their misadventures, a la Real Housewives. Connected to each other through a string of personal and professional relationships going back decades, the Allendes , the Bessudos and the Madrazos have Mexico City and all of its offerings in the palms of their hands, according to the show description. With both humor and heart, they challenge stereotypes, raise a few eyebrows and proudly showcase their over-the-top lifestyles. Fernando Allende and Mauricio Umansky |G etty Images) The shows description sounds juicy enough, but Bravo always finds a way to link shows for even more drama. How are some cast members linked to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? There is usually a connection Bravo has an uncanny way of linking reality programming. When the network launched Vanderpump Rules, producers used Lisa Vanderpump from RHOBH as the springboard. Vanderpump brings friends from the RHOBH to her restaurant SUR, which becomes the backdrop for Vanderpump Rules. Viewers get to know future Vanderpump Rules cast members during the episode, which allows for a nice transition into the millennial drama series. Bravo also leveraged Vanderpump Rules to introduce another series, Summer House. The SUR women took a vacation to the Hamptons where they met up with the new cast of Summer House. Trailer for season 3 of Summer House shows a reunion with cast members from the two shows. Plus, cast members are typically connected. Even if only indirectly. New Real Housewives are usually introduced through one cast member. For instance, Lisa Rinna and Kyle Richards both knew the newest Beverly Hills cast member, Denise Richards for years. What is the connection to Mexican Dynasties? Although the connection is not on the show, Kyle Richards husband Mauricio Umansky is cousins with a cast member, Bravos The Daily Dish reports. Mexican Dynasties cast member Doris Bessudo is cousins with Umansky. According to her bio on Bravo, Doris Bessudo owns a successful, female-led public relations and media company that allows her to manage her famous fashionista mother Raquel Bessudos career. A proud and protective mother to two children and wife to her husband Jorge, Doris resides in Beverly Hills and pays regular visits to her beloved Mexico City. Bessudos mother Raquel is a glamorous television show host. Shes considered to be the Grand Dame of Beauty in Mexico, according to her bio. Mother and daughter spend time together on the show, mourning the passing of the family patriarch, Leon who passed away earlier in the year. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Who is Steven Avery? If youre a fan of crime shows you probably already know. If not, Avery is an outsider of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. Why an outsider? He and his family stuck to the fringes of society by choice, and as the world knowspeople take an issue with those who are different. In Averys case, it completely ruined his early life and may very well be the reason hes in prison to this day. Steven Avery is a convicted killer KRT US NEWS STORY SLUGGED: LINEUP KRT PHOTO BY David Trotman-Wilkins/CHICAGO TRIBUNE (February 13) In 1985 Steven Avery was convicted in a rape case based on identification in a police line up. He was cleared by DNA evidence 18 years later. He is shown at his familys business in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. (gsb) 2005 Avery was convicted of sexual assault and attempted murder back in 1985 when he was 23 years old. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his crimes. After completing 18 years of his sentence, he was exonerated thanks to DNA testing proving his innocence. The year he was released he filed a $36 million lawsuit against all those involved in his imprisonment. Just two years later, while his suit was still pending, he was picked up for murdering Teresa Halbach, a photographer. In 2007 he was convicted for the murder and given a life sentence without parole. Given the muddy details of his former arrest and his current sentence, theres a lot of talk about whether or not Avery is actually guilty this time around. This confusion helped breed one of Netflixs hottest crime docuseries, Making a Murderer. What impact did Making a Murderer have? First and foremost, Making a Murderer has shined an extremely bright light on Averys case. At some point, his name was only whispered among legal counsel and those from Manitowoc County. Now his name is everywhere. Eyes are on Avery, and they are on everything that happens involving his case. If theres any wrongdoing on the justice systems part, its going to be a huge deal. With people weighing in, the judicial system is now pressured to do their jobs to the utmost of their ability. Outside of the obvious publicity, the show has come with some interesting side effects. It brought attention to innocent projects, interrogation of juveniles and the potential for false confessions, highlighted the ongoing exonerations in the U.S., sparked a national debate on legal representation for the poor, and pushed some states to set laws that prevent underage suspects from talking without a legal guardian or attorney present. Those are some significant shifts all thanks to the publicity of the case. How did Making a Murderer impact Averys case? "Viewers watched as Zellner and her team of experts were unable to replicate the State's conclusions most notably, relating to the blood and DNA evidence undermining the case against Avery. If you havent caught up with Part 2, now is the time. https://t.co/NiHn5tLzw5 Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) November 20, 2018 One issue is there was evidence left out of the first part of the series. Evidence that made Avery look guiltier than not. In light of the omission, the convicted killer gained a lot of support. People who would root for his retrial. The docuseries also introduced viewers to Averys girlfriend, Jodi Stachowski, a devoted woman who maintained her lovers innocence. Anyone familiar with killers knows that they can maintain a romantic relationship while doing the deed, but it didnt hurt to have someone speak good of his character. Unfortunately, Stachowski later took back much if not all of the positive things she said about him. What are the most recent developments in Steven Averys case? Kathleen Zellner's latest theory could make you re-evaluate Making a Murderer https://t.co/6etPmUVm1r Kathleen Zellner (@ZellnerLaw) February 25, 2019 There have been a few developments post the release of the second part of Making a Murderer which show Avery is just beginning his fight for freedom. Theres been discussion about him taking a plea deal, which is representative says is a no-go. Kathleen Zellner has also revealed some very pertinent information. Apparently, someone has told Zellner that Avery is definitely innocent. What else has surfaced? Halbachs RAV4 was checked for fingerprints. Averys arent present. Bobby Dassey wasnt where he claimed to be during the murder. An expert of DNA analysis even offered his assistance to review the bones found at the Manitowoc County Gravel Pit. Whats Steven Averys current status? There are constant shifts happening in Averys case and theres no telling where things will end up. For now, Avery is still serving his life sentence. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Avery is up for another day in court where new evidence will be presented. Will he be found innocent? Only time will tell. Its been 15 years since Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams dazzled us in the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks The Notebook, and we still cant get enough. The film is set in the 1940s and follows Noah Calhoun (Gosling) a mill worker who lives in the country with his father. Over the course of one summer, Noah falls for Allie (McAdams), a girl from a wealthy family who is visiting his town. Though the pair initially butt heads they fall helplessly in love despite Allies familys disapproval. Unfortunately, World War II and Allies family rip them apart and they dont cross paths again until Allie is engaged to another man (James Marsden). The Notebook is set to begin streaming on Netflix on March 1. However, Netflix users in the U.K. were horrified to discover that their version of the movie has a different ending. The real reason The Notebook has a different ending on Netflix U.K. Instead of watching the older Noah and Allie clutch hands as they passed away (sorry if we just spoiled it for you), fans of The Notebook in the U.K . have an ending that is shorted by a full minute. Instead of grabbing their tissue boxes, viewers were greeted with a picture of a flock of birds flying over a lake and then the film credits. The ending was so shocking for those who adore The Notebook that many fans thought it was some sort of glitch in Netflixs system. Things got so bad that the Netflix UK and Ireland Twitter account had to address the situation while letting fans know that they didnt botch The Notebook as some personal vendetta against the beloved movie. Netflix U.K. tweeted, Things you should knowWe did not edit The Notebook. An alternate version exists and was supplied to us. We are getting to the bottom of it asap. Apparently, some films have more than one ending?! Things you should know we did not edit the notebook an alternate version exists and was supplied to us we are getting to the bottom of it asap apparently some films have more than one ending?! Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) February 27, 2019 This is what Nicholas Sparks said about The Notebooks alternate ending While Netflix is known to crop movies so that they can offer the best aspect-ratio for their viewers, they dont typically chop endings or switch things around. Apparently, the U.K. ending for The Notebook was out of their control. Nicholas Sparks didnt even know about the alternate ending. He told the Today Show, I didnt know it was coming, right? So I find out the same way everyone else does. When asked about which ending he prefers, Sparks was loyal to the OG material. He said, I like the original film! But rest assured that the version of The Notebook coming to the US on March 1 will be the version that has always made you sob. https://t.co/2G5BWzYurj See What's Next (@seewhatsnext) February 27, 2019 What version of The Notebook will stream on Netflix in the U.S.? Since Netflix doesnt want us to literally riot, Netflix U.S. has assured everyone that The Notebook ending that we know and love will be the one thats streaming when the film hits the platform on March 1. They responded to the Netflix U.K. & Ireland statement by tweeting, But rest assured that the version of The Notebook coming to the US on March 1 will be the version that has always made you sob. Fans in the U.K. and Ireland will also be pleased to know that their version has been fixed also. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Josh Duggar is the reason that The Duggar family experienced a fall from grace. When Joshs molestation of his sisters came to light in 2015, the family was unceremoniously axed from TLC, but their hiatus was not long-lived. While 19 Kids and Counting is off the air, the Duggar television reign isnt over just yet. Following the lives of the Duggar women as they marry and begin families of their own has offered the TV network a fresh new spin on the supersized family, but there was one serious non-negotiable when TLC started to film again; Joshua would not be filmed or seen in any television segments. Josh Duggar (Photo by Kris Connor/Getty Images) The family has adhered strictly to caveat. Josh Duggar hasnt been spotted in an episode since the molestation allegations came to light, but he must still be involved with the family., or has he been completely cut off? Does Josh Duggar still attend family events? While Josh Duggar has been entirely cut out of the familys television empire, he does still appear at family events, according to insiders. Josh and Anna moved back to Arkansas following the molestation scandal. Anna also stayed with the Duggar family while Josh jetted off to a treatment center after his serial cheating came to light. Anna is regularly involved with the Duggar siblings, and the familys children are often seen hanging out with the younger Duggar kids, so apparently, they are actively engaged with the family. The Duggars, however, are incredibly careful not to acknowledge Joshua. His arrival and departure from events, his involvement with the family and his life events are dealt with delicately. The Duggars have good reason to limit Joshs exposure. After all, his molestation scandal cost the family sponsorships and their television show. Now that the women of the Duggar family have been reintroduced to TLC, the family is taking no chances when it comes to their television careers or their sponsorship opportunities. How does TLC avoid having him in camera shots? TLC uses the magic of placement and editing to ensure Josh is not visible at family events that are filmed for the show. When TLC filmed Jingers wedding to Jeremy Vuolo in 2017, they used sun glares added in post-production to hide shots that Josh Duggar slipped in to, according to The Daily Mail. Josh was also part of Joseph Duggars wedding party when he married Kendra Caldwell in 2017. TLC utilized editing tricks and bridal party placement to obscure the familys black sheep from shots and scenes. While Josh served in the wedding party, TLC focused more intently on the other brothers who were ushers, including John-David to avoid giving Josh airtime. More recently, Josiah Duggars wedding lacked any signs of Josh Duggar at the event. While insiders claim he was there with family and friends, he was not part of the wedding party and far easier to hide. Anna and Josh were also suspiciously missing from congratulatory messages posted on social media. The same was true for joy-Annas 2017 nuptials to Austin Forsyth. Duggar family courtships dont look much like modern dating. And Duggar weddings are almost always big affairs with hundreds, if not thousands, of guests. Rather than a full meal and an open bar, the reception usually involves some light snacks and desserts, and no dancing. The couple even shares their first kiss at the altar. But the Duggars do embrace some familiar wedding traditions. For one, theyre all about the honeymoon. John-David and Abbie, the most recently married Duggar couple, recently shared an update from their European honeymoon. John-David and Abbie traveled to Finland Helsinki, Finland | naumoid/ iStock / Getty Images Plus John-David and Abbie were married in November 2018. After the wedding in Abbies hometown of Ada, Oklahoma, they had a minimoon to a warm destination. On our first little getaway right after our wedding we went somewhere hot and beachy, Abbie said in a video for TLC, though she didnt specify where they went. But Abbie and John-David didnt just get one honeymoon. They followed up their short, private post-wedding trip with a vacation to Finland, and they invited the cameras from Counting On to come along. We are having the most amazing time on our honeymoon, the couple exclusively told Us Weekly. The culture, the people, and the scenery are all amazing, but none of that compares to being together and making lifelong memories. We are still in awe of the love and kindness God has extended us by giving us the gift of one another, the couple added. Married life is fantastic! What they hope to see on their trip Where in the world are John David and Abbie Duggar? The couple shares a message from their unique honeymoon destination! #CountingOn. https://t.co/T6YBpvVKP6 TLC Network (@TLC) February 27, 2019 Abbie said she wanted something drastically opposite for their second honeymoon, and explained that the couple chose Finland because she loves winter. In the TLC video, John-David shared some of the newlyweds plans for their vacation. Were really looking forward to going to the Lapland area, John-David said. I think the opportunity were really looking forward to is the possibility of getting to see the northern lights. Maybe theyll come out while were up there. What a Duggar honeymoon is like Based on what weve seen on Counting On and 19 Kids and Counting, Duggar honeymoons arent all that different from regular honeymoons. The newly married couple often chooses a relaxing beach vacation Jill and Derick Dillard and Josh and Anna Duggar both rented beach houses in the Carolinas. Europe is also a popular Duggar destination, with Jessa and Ben Seewald visiting Paris, Rome, and Venice, and Joy Anna and Austin Forsyth heading to Switzerland. (Europe is one of the most popular honeymoon destinations for couples, according to TripSavvy.) On their trips, the couples usually make time to see the sights. Jessa and Ben visited the Eiffel Tower in Paris while Joe and Kendra snapped photo in front of the Acropolis in Athens. In Australia, Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo stopped by the iconic Sydney Opera House. The also take part in romantic activities like taking cooking classes, learning how to make chocolate, sharing fondue, or enjoying a gondola ride. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Inmate freed thanks to Trump's prison reform dedicates life to helping others Christian Post Contributor | 28 February, 2019 by Leah MarieAnn Klett One of the first prison inmates to be released under a criminal justice reform law signed by President Donald Trump has dedicated the rest of his free life to helping those in need a calling he said God has placed on his heart. In 1995, Matthew Charles was sentenced to 35 years in prison for selling crack cocaine and for several gun violations in Clarksville, Tennessee. After hearing the Gospel in prison, Charles became a Christian, devoting his time to reading the Bible and helping other inmates. Over the next 21 years, he became a law clerk, led prison Bible studies, and managed to keep himself from a single disciplinary infraction. During this time, he became "genuinely repentant of his life before encountering the Grace of Christ, not offering empty excuses about his past, but taking ownership," as a pastor would later describe him. In 2016, Charles was unexpectedly released from prison: "God moves miraculously. It was in 2016 when US Judge Kevin Sharp granted my reduction of sentence," he told CBN. Finally free, Charles created a full life for himself. He ate at his favorite restaurants, became actively involved in a local church, and started volunteering at a food pantry. But two years later, he found himself once again in prison after a court reversed the previous judge's ruling that his sentence was "unfair." Still, Charles was determined to keep the bitterness at bay: "I count that as a blessing of God, even being released for that two-year period," he said. His case soon gained national attention, with celebrities and advocacy groups backing his cause. But in the end, it was the First Step Act that granted Charles his freedom. Signed into law by President Trump December 21, 2018, the bill includes a provision to apply the Fair Sentencing Act retroactively, allowing for courts to shorten unduly harsh prison terms. On January 3, 2019, Charles left prison and immediately traveled to Washington D.C. to thank some of those responsible for his release, including the First Step Act's sponsor Rep. Doug Collins, R-GA. "When I saw the story, as I am right now, I cry. Because this is what makes this job, after everything else, this makes it good," Collins told Charles. He was also invited to the State of the Union Address, where the president said the former inmate "represents the very best of America." "Thank you, Matthew. Welcome home," President Trump said. Now home in Nashville, Charles continues to volunteer at the food pantry. He told Fox News that God placed it in his heart "to help the poor, the homeless, and single-parent families" when he first accepted Jesus, and that's what he plans to do for the rest of his life. "I'm just taking it day by day, waiting to see what doors of opportunities avail themselves for me. God placed it in my heart to help people and I want to continue to do that," he later told CBN. The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, with more than 2.1 million people locked up in prisons and jails across the country The First Step Act, which received bipartisan support, enables evidence-based rehabilitation programs like Prison Fellowship to be utilized in federal prisons nationwide; increases judicial discretion in certain federal drug offense cases; and allows incarcerated individuals to qualify for early release, among a number of other things. Read more from "Inmate freed thanks to Trump's prison reform dedicates life to helping others" on The Christian Post. LGBT Christianity goes against 'the DNA of Jesus,' says ex-gay leader to 'God's Voice' conference 28 February, 2019 by Michael Gryboski , | The idea that there can be an LGBT Christianity contradicts "the DNA of Jesus Christ," according to a former homosexual who ministers to sexually broken people. Stephen Black, head of First Stone Ministries explained this to a conference of a few hundred people aimed at combating the "queering of the church." Known as "God's Voice: A Biblical Response to the Queering of the Church," the conference was held Feb. 22-23 at Fairview Baptist Church of Edmond, Oklahoma. The event came in response to a gathering known as Revoice, which was held July 26-28, 2018 at Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri. Revoice sought to encourage and support "gay, lesbian, same-sex-attracted, and other LGBT Christians so they can flourish while observing the historic, Christian doctrine of marriage and sexuality." While Revoice's participants affirmed a traditional position on human sexuality, critics argued that they were trying to advance a pro-LGBT agenda into evangelical churches. Black preached on Matthew 13 and specifically the parable of the sower, the story in which Jesus speaks of the seeds being sown in different environments and how many of the seeds fail to produce a harvest. Read more from "LGBT Christianity goes against 'the DNA of Jesus,' says ex-gay leader to 'God's Voice' conference" on The Christian Post. Supreme Court struggling to determine fate of 40-foot tall Bladensburg Cross 28 February, 2019 by Michael Gryboski , | U.S. Supreme Court justices appear to be struggling with whether a 40-foot tall cross honoring the veterans of World War I should be removed from a memorial, according to supporters and opponents who attended oral arguments today. Last November, the Supreme Court agreed to hear oral arguments in the consolidated cases of America Legion, et al. v. American Humanist Association and Maryland-National Capital Park v. American Humanist Association, et al. Those arguments were held on Wednesday morning. Alexandra McPhee, director of Religious Freedom Advocacy at the Family Research Council, helped draft their amicus brief and attended the oral arguments. In an interview with The Christian Post following oral arguments, McPhee explained that the Supreme Court justices appeared to be searching for a "limiting principle," which involves finding clear limits on government powers. "What I found interesting was the idea of where to draw the line is so unclear in current Establishment Clause law," explained McPhee. McPhee said the American Legion, which is arguing in defense of the Bladensburg Cross, was supporting a more "objective standard" which has "greater historical grounding." McPhee cited Town of Greece v. Galloway, the 2014 Supreme Court decision which concluded that town meetings could open with sectarian prayers, noting that in that case the high court "looked at the nation's traditions, especially at the time of the founding." "And what the American Legion argued was that at the time of the founding something like a religious display would not be a violation of the Establishment Clause unless it was somehow coercive," continued McPhee. Richard B. Katskee, legal director at Americans United for Separation of Church and State who also attended oral arguments Wednesday morning, told CP that he believed the high court was unpersuaded by the American Legion. "The justices clearly were not buying the argument from the American Legion for a simple clear test. 'You can just look for coercion and that settles everything.' They were frustrated by that," said Katskee. "I think in general the justices were struggling to figure out whether there is or can be one clear simple test, and I think that they came out with the same questions they went in with." Read more from "Supreme Court struggling to determine fate of 40-foot tall Bladensburg Cross" on The Christian Post. Tim Keller: Don't confuse 'blue state or red state individualism' with Christianity Christian Post Contributor | 28 February, 2019 by Leah MarieAnn Klett Pastor Tim Keller has warned against mistaking "blue state or red state individualism" for true Christianity in a post-Christian culture that it has "co-opted" biblical ideas and taken them to an extreme. In a recent video posted on the Gospel Coalition website, Keller, senior pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, said that in today's post-Christian Western society, it's very difficult for Christians to engage culture without becoming colonized by it. "The reason for that is, a post-Christian culture is quite different than a non-Christian or pre-Christian culture," he explained, adding that the "post-Christian culture has co-opted a lot of Christian ideas" and "taken them to the extreme." Keller argued that biblical principles like the importance of doing right and justice, for example have been turned into "extreme individualism" by Western culture. Unfortunately, he said, it's easy for Christians to get co-opted by that individualism. "Liberal individualism," Keller asserted, says, "I need to do justice for the poor and I need to do racial justice, but nobody should tell me what to do sexually." On the other hand, "conservative individualism" says, "I believe in traditional values, but I can do anything I want with my money and please don't talk to me about race because I didn't own any slaves and I don't think that's a problem." "It's extraordinarily easy for Christians to think that they are being Christian, but they are actually getting co-opted by either what I would call 'blue state or red state individualism,'" Keller continued. "That's just not as likely to happen if you're a Christian who grew up in India. You're not likely to just sort of fall into Hinduism. You're not as likely, if you're a Christian growing up in Japan, to just fall into Buddhism, but you are very likely to fall into one of these forms of liberal or conservative individualism thinking it's Christianity." Because of this, it's important to understand how the Biblical worldview differs from all different worldviews, Keller contended, adding: "Worldview education or apologetics is actually necessary even to disciple people nowadays." The pastor acknowledged that it's not easy to engage culture and seek to convert people, but Christians "have to do it" because the Bible commands Christians to do so. "Even in Western culture, where there are those dangers, we have to do that," he concluded. Continue reading about Tim Keller on The Christian Post. JOS, Nigeria (Morning Star News) At least 32 people were killed in a Muslim Fulani herder attack on a Christian area of north-central Nigeria on Tuesday (Feb. 26), sources said. The early morning assault on villages in and around Maro, in Kajuru County of Kaduna state, came after a Feb. 10 herdsmen attack on Angwan Barde, in the same county, that killed 10 Catholic Christians along with an unborn child. In this weeks attack in Maro, the Fulani herdsmen also damaged church buildings and property, and the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) reported that many of its missionaries working among the area Adara (known as Kadara by the Hausa) and Katari ethnic groups have been displaced. A boarding school for the missionaries children in Kufana town has been closed, said the Rev. Bakari Ibrahim, director of the ECWAs Evangelical Missionary Society (EMS). Please pray for peace in Kaduna state hundreds have been displaced and hundreds killed by the Fulani jihadists, he told Morning Star News in a text message. We evacuated about hundred EMS kids from Kufana for safety. Many of our missionaries working among the Kadara tribe and some in Katari areas have been displaced. Please keep praying for our nation. A womens fellowship leader of the ECWA congregation in Maro who requested anonymity told Morning Star News that women were meeting at the church building when the herdsmen invaded. We ran out of the church building as the shooting was going on, she said on Tuesday (Feb. 26). Many have been killed, and I have not seen my family members since morning. I have escaped out of the area. Other messages to Morning Star News reflected similar alarm. The armed herdsmen are shooting anyone they see and are setting fire on houses and church buildings, one Christian who requested anonymity said by phone. Another survivor wrote in a text message, There is an outbreak of violent attacks ongoing at Maro in Kajuru LG [Local Government Area] of Kaduna state. The people are in serious distress right now. Area resident Mordecai Funom Ibrahim wrote in a text message that about 400 armed Fulanis attacked villages around Maro at about 6 a.m. Another resident pleaded, Can the governor of Kaduna state send security personnel to Karamai in Maro of Kajuru Local Government Area, theres an ongoing attack by Fulani gunmen on Christians. Blogger Mercy Musa Swanta of Kaduna state wrote on Facebook that local residents offered some defense. The villagers stood against the Fulani who came fully clothed in military uniform, she wrote. But they had to withdraw due to high number and superior firepower of the Fulani. Mobile policemen came but also retreated, one operation Yaki [police] vehicle burnt. Military now engaging the Fulani. Battle still going on. Casualties unknown but could be high. At least 32 bodies had reportedly been buried at this writing, including that of a policeman, with many Christian residents still unaccounted for. A spokesman for the governor said the government was saddened by the attack, and that security agencies were working to contain the aggression in Kajuru and neighboring Kachia County. Attack in Angwan Barde The Feb. 10 Muslim Fulani herdsmen attack on Angwan Barde that killed 11 people wounded five others, residents said. Survivors told Morning Star News that armed herdsmen in large numbers surrounded the village at about 11 p.m. that Sunday night. Area resident Jaafaru Samaila, 21, said by phone that the herdsmen killed five members of his family. We heard gun shots, and this forced me and my family to remain in our bedrooms as it was difficult for us to run out of the house, he told Morning Star News. The Fulani gunmen surrounded our house and were shooting and shouting, Allahu akbar [God is greater]. They killed my father, mother, two brothers, and one of my sisters-in-law. The village head of Angwan Barde, Daniel Audu, 48, told Morning Star News by phone that the attack came as a surprise as theyve never had any problems with the herdsmen. We have never had any misunderstanding with the Fulani herdsmen, so I dont know why they attacked our village, Audu said. Ten members of my community, including a pregnant woman, were killed during the attack, thus making the unborn child to be the eleventh victim. He identified those killed as John Abbah, Moses Kabiru, Philemon Gomna, Samaila Jonathan, Maria Abbah, Ladi Samaila, Mairo Daniel, Marvelous Daniel, John Samaila and Joseph Samaila, along with the unborn baby. Christians make up 51.3 percent of Nigerias population, while Muslims living primarily in the north and middle belt account for 45 percent. Nigeria ranked 12th on Open Doors 2019 World Watch List of countries where Christians suffer the most persecution. If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved. If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/donate/? Article originally published by Morning Star News. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: Pixabay Yes, its beginning to look a lot like Christmaswhich, for many of us, feels like a rush into chaos. Celebrating Advent during this season slows us down and helps our hearts and minds be reoriented around the coming of Christ.Yes, its beginning to look a lot like Christmaswhich, for many of us, feels like a rush into chaos. Celebrating Advent during this season slows us down and helps our hearts and minds be reoriented around the coming of Christ. Update (June 20): On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of allowing a memorial cross to remain on a state-owned median in Bladensburg, Maryland, and declared that government efforts to maintain the landmark do not violate the religion clause of the Constitution. The fact that the cross is undoubtedly a Christian symbol should not blind one to everything else that the Bladensburg Cross has come to represent: a symbolic resting place for ancestors who never returned home, a place for the community to gather and honor all veterans and their sacrifices for this Nation, and a historical landmark, wrote Justice Samuel Alito, in the majority opinion. For many, destroying or defacing the Cross would not be neutral and would not further the ideals of respect and tolerance embodied in the First Amendment. Luke Goodrich, vice president and senior counsel with the religious liberty firm Becket Law, said while this decision represents a victory for the Bladensberg ... 1 When I married a priest, I cut a deal with him. No childrens ministry, I made him swear. Not now, not ever. At the time we got married, my husband was serving at a large, wealthy, urban parish where the staff was stacked with priests and lay employees. While Im sure my presence as a childrens ministry volunteer would have been welcomed, there was no need or expectation of my presence. No childrens ministry, I repeated. And he, confident of our future vocational paths, agreed. But then God moved, and we movedto a small parish in rural Indiana. We knew the situation was bleak, but we didnt realize how bleak it was until we walked in the first Sunday. There were no children, not a single one. In fact, we were some of the youngest people in the congregation. Theres no way, we thought. How can you get children to come back to a church that has nothing for them? Over the next year, the absence of children became a metaphor for the parishs spiritual health. So we prayed, and our faithful friends, parents, and families prayed along with us. We prayed for children at the same time that we prayed for renewal. And we sought a lot of counsel. We also prepared for the day the children might show up, and for some reason I began to feel that it was my job to do most of the preparation. Then one Sunday, the amazing happened: A mother showed up with three young kids. She had heard from a parishioner that my husband was an excellent preacher. They came back the next Sunday and brought cousins. Then some other kids came with their grandparents at Easter. And a man who had been attending by himself brought his stepdaughter because he thought she would ... 1 Activists will target churches who counsel LGBT people, therapist warns Gods Voice conference Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A psychotherapist has warned a Christian conference opposed to queer ideology that if LGBT activists successfully ban secular counseling for people with unwanted same-sex attraction, they will next go after religious counselors. A conference known as Gods Voice: A Biblical Response to the Queering of the Church was held Feb. 22-23 at Fairview Baptist Church of Edmond, Oklahoma. David Pickup, a licensed therapist who is a board member at the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) and a practitioner of sexual orientation change efforts therapy, spoke at the Gods Voice conference last weekend. During his remarks, Pickup warned his audience that for the state legislators trying to ban SOCE therapy, the next step is to come after you. Its going to happen in your universities, its going to happen in your schools, in your elementary schools if you dont conform to the new sex education curriculum, said Pickup. They try to get at psychotherapists first, and then theyre coming after church counselors and the church. Theyre smart, folks. They know whats coming and they know what theyre doing. Pickup has actively testified and lobbied against many proposed state-level bans on SOCE therapy, and is credited with helping to defeat most of them. Pickup called on the conference attendees to be as smart as foxes but gentle as doves when it comes to state-level efforts to ban SOCE therapy. Pickup then spoke about how SOCE therapy actually works contrary to popular perceptions, declaring that the Mark Yarhouses and the Russell Moores and the Al Mohlers do not know what goes on in my office. What goes on in my office is love, compassion, explained Pickup. There is no such thing as compassion without truth. Pickup noted that the vast majority of his patients are male, though he had some females as well. He grouped his patients into two categories: either overtly abused or bullied in a dysfunctional family background, or covertly neglected in a stable family background. I get to sit there, literally sit there, and because of these emotional healing experiences, watch my clients change their erotic feelings in the moment while theyre having therapy. I see it, continued Pickup. Janet Mefferd, a widely-syndicated Christian radio host, introduced Pickup to the conference, referring to him as a remarkable man who has done some phenomenal overturning of the tables when the situation has called for it. He is really fighting, stated Mefferd, who stressed that the conference needs to be concerned about therapy bans because she believed that once states ban secular therapy options, theyre coming for your biblical counselors. We need to be concerned about this issue if for no other reason that we have to stand together on the issue of freedom and self-autonomy, because thats the right thing to do. In addition to Pickup, other speakers at Gods Voice included Peter LaBarbera, founder and president of Americans For Truth About Homosexuality; Stephen Black, executive director with First Stone Ministries; the Rev. Al Baker of the Presbyterian Church in America; and Southern Baptist evangelist the Rev. Thomas Littleton. Littleton echoed Pickups comments, warning those gathered that very soon, your testimony of conversion could be literally hate speech. If youve left this lifestyle, your testimony of conversion, to read Romans 1 or an assortment of scriptures that speak to the subject of homosexuality could be hate speech in our churches from our pulpits, Littleton said. And we have friends in Europe where this is already the case. You could be inciting, potentially inciting a hate crime by reading Romans 1. Littleton commended Fairview Baptist for hosting the conference and declared thank God for pastors that have a backbone. If your pastor is not able to find his backbone on this, you need to get in there and help him. You need to pray for him. You need to stand firm and help him understand what is at stake, he added. Also known as reparative therapy or conversion therapy, SOCE therapy seeks to help a person deal with, or even remove, unwanted same-sex attraction. In recent years, several states and the District of Columbia have passed laws banning the therapy for minors. Many other states have considered similar legislation only to ultimately vote it down. California, which was the first state to ban therapy for minors, last year seriously considered expanding the ban through Assembly Bill 2943. However, Evan Low, the Democrat assemblyman who introduced the bill, withdrew the bill last August for reasons including the expressed concern of many that the bill threatened religious freedom. The best policy is not made in a vacuum and in order to advance the strongest piece of legislation, the bill requires additional time to allow for an inclusive process not hampered by legislative deadlines, stated Low at the time. Tim Keller: Don't confuse blue state or red state individualism with Christianity Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pastor Tim Keller has warned against mistaking blue state or red state individualism for true Christianity in a post-Christian culture that it has co-opted biblical ideas and taken them to an extreme. In a recent video posted on the Gospel Coalition website, Keller, senior pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, said that in today's post-Christian Western society, it's very difficult for Christians to engage culture without becoming colonized by it. The reason for that is, a post-Christian culture is quite different than a non-Christian or pre-Christian culture, he explained, adding that the "post-Christian culture has co-opted a lot of Christian ideas" and "taken them to the extreme. Keller argued that biblical principles like the importance of doing right and justice, for example have been turned into extreme individualism by Western culture. Unfortunately, he said, its easy for Christians to get co-opted by that individualism. Liberal individualism, Keller asserted, says, I need to do justice for the poor and I need to do racial justice, but nobody should tell me what to do sexually. On the other hand, conservative individualism says, I believe in traditional values, but I can do anything I want with my money and please dont talk to me about race because I didnt own any slaves and I dont think thats a problem. Its extraordinarily easy for Christians to think that they are being Christian, but they are actually getting co-opted by either what I would call blue state or red state individualism, Keller continued. Thats just not as likely to happen if youre a Christian who grew up in India. Youre not likely to just sort of fall into Hinduism. Youre not as likely, if youre a Christian growing up in Japan, to just fall into Buddhism, but you are very likely to fall into one of these forms of liberal or conservative individualism thinking its Christianity. Because of this, its important to understand how the Biblical worldview differs from all different worldviews, Keller contended, adding: Worldview education or apologetics is actually necessary even to disciple people nowadays. The pastor acknowledged that its not easy to engage culture and seek to convert people, but Christians have to do it because the Bible commands Christians to do so. Even in Western culture, where there are those dangers, we have to do that, he concluded. Keller, who recently released his latest book Prodigal Prophet: Jonah and the Mystery of Gods Mercy, frequently argues that while believers can be active in politics, they should not identify the Church with a political party as the only Christian one. Previously, he shared how the book of Jonah highlights the importance of finding ones identity in Christ not in any one political party. Im a Christian first, Im an American second, he said. Im a Christian first, and Im white second. If thats not true, then you need to read the book of Jonah because thats part of what its trying to say. Every time Jonah is near the pagans, the pagans look better than Jonah does. Jonah is sneering at these people, but actually, theres a lot of admirable things about these people. Jonah was putting his national interest over the spiritual good of the people of Ninevah. God cares about all races and all people, and in the end, His church will consist of people from every tribe, people and nation. We cant lift up one nation over other nations. While certain nations behave better than other nations, Keller conceded, commitment to Christ relativizes that fact and Christians should feel somewhat uncomfortable in either political party. Christians need to recognize the danger of what they call xenophobia, he said. Im afraid of Christians getting too radicalized on either side. United Methodist Church upholds position against homosexuality, same-sex marriage Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The United Methodist Church will maintain its official position that homosexuality is contrary to Christian teaching, in a decision following days of contentious debate over the issue. For the past several years, the UMC has been embroiled in an emotional debate over whether to change its stance, as outlined in its Book of Discipline, labeling homosexuality incompatible with Christian teaching. Delegates at the UMC special session of General Conference, representing all of the global denomination, voted Tuesday to reject a measure called the One Church Plan, which would have allowed regional bodies of the denomination to determine their position on homosexuality. Instead, delegates approved the Traditional Plan in a vote of 438-384. The Plan maintains the denomination's stance against homosexuality, gay marriage, and the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals while promising to better enforce those rules. Mark Tooley, president of the theologically conservative Institute on Religion & Democracy in Washington, D.C., celebrated the vote result against the One Church Plan on Twitter. African, Filipino, Euro delegates crucial. They saved growing global church from plight of imploding USA Mainline Protestants. Thank you! tweeted Tooley. At the 2016 General Conference, delegates passed a recommendation creating a "Commission on a Way Forward," which was meant to analyze the denomination's position on LGBT issues. Made up of a theologically diverse group of UMC leaders, the commission sought to create suggested proposals aimed at ending the divisive debate and possibly avoid a schism. In April 2017, the UMC Council of Bishops announced that there was going to be a special session of General Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, on Feb. 2326. "The purpose of this special session of the General Conference shall be limited to receiving and acting upon a report from the Council of Bishops based on the recommendations of the Commission on a Way Forward," explained the Bishops in an official letter. The two major plans that the commission recommended that were among those considered by the UMC delegates were the One Church Plan and the Traditional Plan. The One Church Plan would allow regional bodies and congregations to determine their own stance on homosexuality. This plan was supported by a majority of the Council of Bishops. The Traditional Plan would maintain the UMCs position against homosexuality, while offering stricter enforcement and possibly a gracious exit for pro-LGBT congregations. During the special session, while the delegates voted Monday to advance the Traditional Plan to a plenary vote, the One Church Plan and a pro-LGBT Simple Plan were both voted down. The One Church Plan was still submitted in a minority report. On Tuesday, delegates voted to reject substituting the minority report in a vote of 374 in favor to 449 against, effectively killing the One Church Plan. Many delegates offered their opinions on the floor as to which plan they preferred. Ble Leon Nathan Ake of Cote DIvoire argued in favor of the Traditional Plan. The Bible tells us that we need to stay faithful to the Word, he said through an interpreter. Its Gods plan, its the will of God, it is the biblical way. J.J. Warren of the Upper New York Conference, an openly homosexual delegate, passionately spoke against the Traditional Plan. Jesus told the little children to come when the disciples tried to shoo them away, said Warren on the floor Tuesday. Dont shoo us away. Let us come. Adam Hamilton, lead pastor of the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, which is the largest United Methodist congregation in the United States, spoke against the Traditional Plan, calling it regressive and alienating to centrists and progressives. Youve inspired an awful lot of people who are not really engaged in the struggle before, said Hamilton to Traditional Plan supporters, garnering applause and cheers. Youve inspired them to action. Theyre mad, theyre upset, theyre hurt. Even after the One Church Plan was voted down, hours were spent debating various amendments to the Traditional Plan proposal. From there, several "points of order" were entertained, many brought by individuals who expressed opposition to the Traditional Plan. 5 Things to know about the Trump, North Korea summit Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in Hanoi, Vietnam as part of a summit meant to pursue denuclearization and a lifting of sanctions. While President Trump expressed optimism going into the summit that a deal would be reached of denuclearization in return for a removal of sanctions, eventually the meeting ended without such a deal being reached. Here are five important things to know about the Hanoi meeting between Trump and Kim. They include reasons for why the summit ended without a deal, comments over the death of an American student, and what some are saying about the meetings results. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next 5 Years After Quake: Christian Group Delivers on Promise to Rebuild Haiti; Set to Open 30 New Schools for Over 25,000 Children Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Five years after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, Christian ministry Compassion International reveals it is on track to erect 30 new school buildings by this spring despite setbacks. The schools, built with the $31.2 million sponsors and donors from around the world gave the organization following the tragedy, will restore education and a pathway out of poverty for the more than 25,000 Compassion-assisted children who were affected by the disaster. 3 photos (Photo: Compassion International) Compassion employed engineers from El Salvador and even created its own construction company in order to build 30 schools that can withstand future catastrophes by January. Compassion's U.S. communications director, Tim Glenn, said some structural problems have extended its completion date to April. Still, the organization is proud of what it has been able to do. On January 12, 2010, Haiti was rocked by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that reduced several structures in its densely populated capital, Port-au-Prince, to rubble including many church-run schools. There is virtually no public school system in Haiti and many of the country's children receive their education from private schools run by churches. For the last 48 years, Compassion International has partnered with 270 local Haitian churches and their schools to implement holistic child development programs that provide students a pathway out of poverty through the love of Jesus Christ. 2 photos (Photo: Compassion International) In the wake of the earthquake's destruction, Compassion International's management support director for Haiti, Matthew Moore, explained, "Many of our church partners had lost buildings. They had nowhere to go to church, they had nowhere to provide for the children." The ministry immediately jumped into action, reaching out to affected churches the day of the disaster. Within the first nine months, Compassion delivered more than 600 tons of relief supplies such as food, clothing and temporary shelters to those displaced from their homes. Its mobile health clinics vaccinated nearly 15,000 children in the months following the disaster and distributed 4,000 hygiene kits. Compassion also provided post-traumatic counseling to children affected by the disaster. In addition to providing for the immediate needs of the nearly 1.5 million displaced by the earthquake, Compassion also helped the families of its students rebuild their lives and their businesses with micro finance loans. It biggest goal, however, was to rebuild destroyed schools. Without them, Moore stated, "We would have had to remove more than 25,000 children from our program." So Compassion invested in school construction, bringing in Salvadorian reconstruction engineer Hilda Bojorquez to teach workers how to build disaster-proof structures in accordance with international seismic building codes. "The problem is that the Haitian engineers were not taught at school how to have an earthquake resistant plan so we dealt with challenge by hiring a group of technicians in El Salvador that made all of the blue prints," Bojorquez said with help from a translator. Glenn believes Compassion has made the most of its donations. "We provided immediate needs where it made the most sense," Glenn told The Christian Post. In 2011, nonprofit charity evaluator GiveWell estimated that over $5 billion in donations were pledged in 2010 to charities big and small to help the impoverished peninsula in 2010. Yet news reports of Haitians' continued struggles have led to scrutiny on how many charitable organizations are actually distributing Haitian relief funds. Days after the disaster, The New York Times reported pockets of displaced residents were still waiting for food and water. GiveWell noted in 2011 that despite the billions of dollars donated, "the situation remained dire." In January 2014, Jake Johnson of the Center for Economic and Policy Research dinged USAID for under-delivering on the thousands of new homes and industries it promised to build. Johnson also told NBC News this month that "if the expectation was to build back better and transform Haiti's public sector, then yes, by any measure it's been a failure." Problems such as fuel shortages, the country's bad roads and one airport runway to receive supplies hampered many charitable groups from meeting their original goals. Glenn told CP that Compassion used its existing infrastructure in Haiti and the neighboring Dominican Republic to overcome some of these difficulties. The Christian ministry stockpiled supplies with some of its Dominican Republic partner churches and then trucked the supplies to its affected Haitian partners from there. Once the supplies reached Haiti, Compassion International allowed Haitian church leaders and volunteers to take the lead in dispensing food kits and additional relief. Glenn explained, "We lift up the church to be the church in these communities." Compassion used its network again when it created its micro loan program for local small business creation. It only opened the program to the family members of Compassion-assisted children. The program distributed over 800 loans which spawned 452 local businesses. Despite setbacks in the schools' construction, Moore said, "We've accomplished virtually all the goals we set five years ago. The money that so many generous donors and sponsors gave the Haiti disaster response will be spent how we said it would be spent and we've impacted many of thousands of lives." He concluded, "I think all of our staff here, all the sponsors and those who love Compassion can be very proud of what we've accomplished." Billy Graham Response Team to Head Home After 2-Year Effort in Haiti Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment After nearly two years of serving in earthquake-ravaged Haiti, the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team is completing the mission and chaplains are set to come home, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association reported Wednesday. More than 120 chaplains spent 22 months in the devastated country, after arriving in Haiti immediately following the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake. Chaplains typically stayed for two-week periods and were rotated in and out regularly, said Keith Stiles, deployment manager of the Rapid Response Team. We were in clinics, orphanages and school. We worked with Samaritans Purse at the shelters we ministered to Samaritans Purse volunteers in the camps at night, said Stiles. The disaster in Haiti cost more than 300,000 lives and wiped out the country. Aftershocks were reported for days. Yet the Christian Haitians didnt despair, Stiles said. One of the things that weve learned is the Christian Haitians strong faith in Jesus, he said. They dont let the trials and tribulations of this world diminish their faith. During deployment, chaplains prayed, comforted and handed out Bibles to 35,420 Haitians. While we were there, we had the opportunity to work with the Haitians to adopt a new way of life, Stiles said. We have witnessed the best and the worst that this world has to offer as weve ministered in Haiti, said Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, in a statement. Weve seen pain and grief on an unimaginably massive scale, and weve seen beauty, hope and joy in the spirits of the Haitian people that defies all explanation in the midst of such a hard place. Because the physical damages caused an ongoing emotional and spiritual toll, Stiles said the relief effort was more than just the cleanup. It was a many-pronged approach, he said, mentioning ongoing BGEA ministries in Haiti. This includes the Franklin Graham festival, in January, a My Hope World Evangelism Through Television program and the educational program The Greatest Journey. It was an approach that continued and continues to minister to the Haitian people. The deployment to Haiti was the second-longest outreach in the history of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team. Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, chaplains immediately deployed to the Gulf Coast and remained there until March 14, 2008. In that effort, more than 260 chaplains were deployed and there were more than 480 professions of faith. The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team is a nationwide network of chaplains across 44 states that are specifically trained to deal with crisis situations. Since the ministry was launched in 2002, it has responded to more than 120 natural and man-made disasters, including hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires and shootings. The most recent response effort was to a tornado in North Carolina. Were always on the move. Were always looking for another opportunity to deploy, said Stiles. How evangelical-supported group has helped 750,000 Jews migrate to Israel Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A philanthropic organization founded by a Chicago-area rabbi but funded mostly by western evangelicals has helped over 750,000 Jews fleeing persecution or poverty in their homelands to migrate to Israel as part of a process central to Zionism called aliyah. With a total population of over 8.7 million, the 750,000 migrants brought to Israel in the last three decades with the help of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship) equates to more than one-twelfth of the national population. The Fellowship was launched by the late Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein during the 1980s to serve as a bridge between the Christian and Jewish communities. He was inspired to launch the Fellowship after Christian leaders came to him following the neo-Nazi rally in Skokie, Illinois, in 1977 telling him that they were looking for a way to stand with Israel. Under Ecksteins leadership, The Fellowship has grown to extraordinary heights and is now the largest philanthropic organization in Israel. And today, it brings in about $130 million in donations each year, much of which comes from American evangelicals. [M]y father said he felt like he was Christopher Columbus discovering America suddenly he realized there are millions of Christians who love the Jewish people who stand with Israel, the late rabbis daughter, Yael Eckstein, who now heads The Fellowship, told The Christian Post in a phone interview Thursday. But the Jewish community had no clue about this. In the early 1990s, The Fellowship launched its On Wings of Eagles ministry. The ministry is responsible for relocating hundreds of thousands of Jewish people from non-Western countries where their lives were in danger. The first group of Jewish believers brought to Israel through the program were Jews fleeing the collapsing Soviet Union. It was in the early '90s that the Soviet Union [was collapsing] and it was the Christian community who came and said we want to help the Jewish people get out of the former Soviet Union and to bring them to Israel, Eckstein explained. Many of them were Holocaust survivors. This is part of biblical prophecy coming to fruition. Jeremiah speaks about it. Isaiah spoke about it. Over the years, The Fellowship has aided Jews by helping them escape persecution, poverty, and anti-Semitism in Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Yemen and other places throughout the Arab world. Working with the Israeli government, The Fellowship has aided these migrants by paying for their airfare and by securing apartments for immigrant families to live within communities where people speak their native languages. We work with the government to make sure all of our new immigrants are aware of what they're entitled to from the government. They are so appreciative for The Fellowship, Eckstein said. We did a research study on why there are Jewish people in these dangerous situations who aren't coming home to Israel. What we found was that there are two things are holding them back. One is that they're very scared about getting an apartment and planning their kids through school. They don't know the language. They don't know anything. Eckstein explained that the government provides free Hebrew language classes that immigrants can take to help them get acclimated to their new communities. On average, Eckstein said, it costs The Fellowship an average of over $1,500 to help one person migrate to Israel. Although The Fellowship has helped boost the population of the country, Rabbi Eckstein was initially ostracized by the Jewish community because of his partnering with Christians. Over the past decade-plus, Jewish attitudes toward Christians has loosened. He wasn't allowed to pray with other people in the synagogue. He was kicked out of the Bible studies, Eckstein recalled. Today, the Jewish community is appreciative and loving and just grateful for the strongest friends we've ever had in the history of the Jewish people who are Christians. In 2000, Rabbi Eckstein himself migrated from his home in Chicago to Israel. Since her father's death earlier this month due to a heart attack, Yael Eckstein has assumed her fathers position as the head of the organization. But even without him, Ecksteins mission continues. Just last week, a chartered plane filled with about 240 Jewish immigrants fleeing Ukraine arrived at Ben-Gurion International Airport as part of The Fellowships Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein Memorial Flight. At least 116 families and 57 children were on the flight. Yael Eckstein, who lives in Israel, was there to greet them. While The Fellowship normally charters a plane about once a month to fly in large groups of immigrants, it welcomes an average of 17 new immigrants to Israel each day who arrive on commercial flights. In addition to helping Jews migrate to Israel, the Fellowship also provides humanitarian aid to Jews left behind in the former Soviet Union. That ministry is called Isaiah 58. There's no support network in the former Soviet Union. There's the same government stipend as during communism, $46 a month. And the prices reflect that, Eckstein explained. And so for $46 a month you are not able to buy anything. The Fellowships third ministry Guardians of Israel provides food, clothing, shelter, housing, and other humanitarian needs for impoverished Israelis. In a couple of years, The Fellowship will open its International Center for Christian Outreach in Jerusalem. It will serve as a visitors center of sorts for the more than 1 million Christians who come to Israel every year. Prime Minister Netanyahu even said a few weeks ago that in the future, the only people that we can actually rely on to help Israel are Orthodox Jews and Christians, Eckstein recalled. That is a pretty radical statement because of the shift in how Israel and the Jewish people look at Christians in Israel. Obviously, in the U.S., Christians are some of the biggest allies for [pro-Israel] policy. New kit aims to help men 'chestfeed' babies with help of banned drug Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A design student in the U.K. claims to have developed a prototype kit that could be available to the public in as soon as five years that would enable men to breastfeed with the help of a drug that's not approved for sale in the United States. Earlier this month, Marie-Claire Springham, inventor of the chestfeeding kit, told "Good Morning Britain" about her prototype that earned her the Meaning-Centered Design Award. She won the award last October despite the fact that her kit has not yet been tested on a man. Springham explained that the kit is for couples who are expecting. She was inspired to create the kit, she said, after finding out that some men experience what's called post-natal depression and feel left out of the mother-child bond. The kit includes supplies of drugs that men are supposed to take in order to help them build breast tissue and lactate. The kit also includes a pump and compression vest. Each kit comes with a nine-month supply of the drug progestin, an alternative to the female sex hormone progesterone. Springham explained that the drug changes the breast tissue so that milk can be stored. Six weeks before the birth, they start taking a drug called domperidone, which sounds very scary, she said. It was originally used to treat [gastrointestinal] conditions and realized it has a side effect which is lactation and now it is used by a lot of women who are struggling to lactate. Springham was asked by host Richard Madeley how the product works if men do not have breasts. The tissue is actually there. It is just dormant, she replied. There are several cases where lactation does occur naturally in men. It affects 60 percent of men and most people dont realize they even have it. The estrogen gets a little higher than testosterone and in extreme cases, men can grow up to the size of a B-cup and produce milk, she claimed. Springham said that she first designed the kit as an empathy tool. When asked, she said the process could be used as an alternative to breastfeeding. Quentin Wilson, a father of three, doesnt think men should breastfeed. He was on the GMB panel to debate such a technology. This is not an urge I have ever had, he explained. I dont think there is a demand for this. It goes against the natural order. The more we blur these distinctions between gender, the more messed up we become. Is this going to make us better, healthier, wiser? Madeley weighed in, stating that many women on Twitter were pushing back against the idea of men breastfeeding. A lot of women have tweeted us to say, basically, excuse me. That is my job, he said. They feel gender threatened [by] this increasing tendency to make our gender neutral. We are not gender neutral. We are very different. Madeley and Springham then debated the idea of gender norms, which Springham argued are artificial. This has nothing to do with any kind of natural development in human species, Madeley contended. Springham responded by saying that the process develops naturally in women And the changes that occur in a man when they take these are very similar to ones that occur in a woman when they take these, she argued. It is a tiny change compared to the change that goes through a woman's body when she becomes pregnant. Co-host Kate Garroway contended, however, that the concern is about the damage that these drugs can have on men. [W]omens bodies have adapted to that and actually some of those hormone changes can be very damaging, what would it do to a man? she asked. While the Springhams product might seem like a unique idea, last year it was reported that a biologically male trans-identified woman "induced lactation. This was made possible by the drugs that will be included in Springhams chestfeeding kit. Although some have cheered male breastfeeding as a medical advancement, others have warned against the harmful side effects associated with taking the drugs needed to accomplish the feat. In fact, domperidone, the drug needed to help men lactate, is not approved for sale in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration. It can only be made available to patients with severe gastrointestinal disorders. The FDA stresses that there are serious health risks associated with the use of domperidone by lactating women to enhance breast milk production. Those risks include cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, and sudden death. "Domperidone, the drug used to aid in production of breast milk in [a] genetic male, is not approved for any use in the United States because of significant toxicity and potential death," Quentin L. Van Meter, a specialist in pediatric endocrinology based in Georgia and vice president of the national conservative advocacy group American College of Pediatricians, told The Christian Post last year. "There are absolutely no studies in infants," he continued. "Any drug ingested by a lactating mother should be also proven to be safe for ingestion by the suckling infant. This is clearly not the case. " Mob attacks 200 Christian families in Pakistan after 4 women falsely accused of blasphemy Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment An angry Muslim mob in Pakistan displaced about 200 Christian families from their homes after four Christian women were falsely accused of blasphemy last week. The Christian persecution watchdog group International Christian Concern reported the events that took place last week in the Farooq-e-Azam neighborhood of Pakistans fifth-most populated city of Karachi. The organization reports that a Muslim woman named Samina Riaz accused four Christian women who ranged in age from 14 to 30 of desecrating the Quran last Tuesday, according to an eyewitness. The accusation was made after Riaz and her husband were asked by their Christian landlord, Amjad Dildar, in January to vacate a home they were renting because the Muslim couple was causing trouble among the Christian families in the community. Last Tuesday, Riaz accused three of Dildars daughters and another Christian woman of damaging a copy of the Quran, Islams holy book. Those accused of blasphemy are 22-year-old Sunaina Amjad, 18-year-old Sophia Amjad, 14-year-old Soneha Amjad, and 30-year-old Sophia Qamar. She claimed they stole a copy of the Quran and ruined it by submerging it into a basin of dirty water, local witness Aslam Masih told ICC. News of the accusation spread quickly, which reportedly inspired a mob of enraged Muslim locals to gather in the neighborhood. According to the witness, the mob attacked several Christian properties in the area and a local church. Dildars home was among those that were damaged by stones. The armed group also killed pets and livestock. In all, about 200 Christian families fled the neighborhood in search of safety in other areas of the city. Masih told ICC that after a police investigation, it was learned that Riaz had borrowed the copy of the Quran from a nearby shopkeeper and herself submerged the book underwater in the restroom of her home. Riaz and her husband were later arrested. Riaz allegedly admitted that she orchestrated the whole thing. ICCs thoughts and prayers go out to the four Christian women who were falsely accused and the Christian community of Farooq-e-Azam, ICC regional manager William Stark said in a statement. The accusation made by Riaz highlights how Pakistans widely criticized blasphemy laws are often abused by majority Muslims as a way to settle personal scores with religious minorities. Human rights activists have long called for the blasphemy laws to be abolished. In fact, the U.S. State Department released a statement last summer condemning blasphemy laws in countries like Pakistan. Those convicted under Pakistans blasphemy laws can be subject to the death penalty or life in prison. Although no person accused of blasphemy has yet been executed by Pakistans judicial system, Christians in the past have been brutally killed as a result of societal violence stirred by blasphemy accusations against them. Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of five, was accused of blasphemy in 2009 after an argument with Muslims farm laborers she work with. She was convicted and spent years on death row before she was finally acquitted last year by the nations Supreme Court. Her acquittal was upheld earlier this month. The Catholic human rights group Aid to the Church in Need warned earlier this month that despite Bibi's acquittal, there are many other Christians who've been falsely accused of blasphemy. One is a young Christian man named Sawan Masih who was sentenced to death for blasphemy in 2014. After five years, Masih is still awaiting appeal proceedings. The abuse of Pakistans notorious blasphemy laws must be curbed, Stark said in his statement. Too often these laws have been a tool in the hands of extremists seeking to stir up religiously motivated violence against minority communities. Without real reform, religious minorities, including Christians, will face more false blasphemy accusations and the extreme violence that often accompanies these accusations. ICC reports that over the past 30 years, 1,500 individuals have been accused of committing blasphemy in Pakistan. ICC notes that religious minorities comprise the majority of those accused of violating the blasphemy laws even thought about 97 percent of Pakistan is Muslim. Pakistan ranks as the fifth worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USAs 2019 World Watch List. Paige Patterson to Teach Ethics Course at Southern Evangelical Seminary After SWBTS Firing Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Influential yet now controversial evangelical theologian Paige Patterson will co-teach an ethics course this month at Southern Evangelical Seminary in North Carolina just months after he was fired from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The 75-year-old Patterson, a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention who is credited with helping lead a conservative shift within the SBC, will co-teach a week-long course titled "Christian Ethics: The Bible and Moral Issues" with SES President Richard Land. The course will cover a wide range of hot button social issues, including abortion, sexuality, gender identity, artificial intelligence, religious liberty and church-state issues, among others. While some might be critical of SES' decision to bring in Patterson to teach a course, it should be noted that Land and Patterson are extremely close friends who have known each other for over 49 years. "I have known Paige Patterson for half a century. I know of no one who is a more sterling example of Christian character," Land, a former head of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, told The Christian Post on Monday. "I know that there are lots of Southern Baptists and other evangelical Christians who are delighted to have the opportunity to hear one of the leading evangelical figures of the latter third of the 20th and first third of the 21st century teach and preach Christian Scripture and apply it to the moral crises of our day." Land looks forward to SES students having exposure to Patterson, whom he describes as the older brother he never had. "There is no one from whom I have learned more about the Christian faith than Dr. Paige Patterson," he said. "[As for] anyone who objects, it is a free country and no one is being forced to listen or go online and engage in the course. If they don't like it, they don't have to listen. There are lots of folks who do want to listen." The announcement of the course comes after Patterson was the center of much media attention in the spring after a recording of a comment he made in 2000 about how he once instructed a woman who was being abused by her husband to pray and not file for divorce, was publicized by a popular blog. Patterson said he often tells women who are abused, "You must not forget the power of prayer," noting that God will intervene. That same woman came back to him later with two black eyes but that very day, her husband had given his life to Christ and asked for forgiveness after witnessing his wife pray for him, Patterson recalled. His remarks sparked furor and thousands of Baptist women signed onto a statement calling for Patterson's resignation as president of SWBTS. The influential Southern Baptist leader initially doubled down on his remarks, clarifying that he never condones abuse and does counsel separation when the level of abuse is serious. He later apologized for what he said was "inappropriate" and "hurtful" language. In late May, Patterson stepped down from his role as president by SWBTS' board of trustees but was initially allowed to stay on as president emeritus. He and his wife were allowed to receive compensation and remain living on campus. But about a week later, the seminary officially cut all of its ties with Patterson after information emerged suggesting that Patterson lied to the board of trustees about how he handled sexual assault allegation brought to him by a student when he was the head of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2003. Patterson reportedly failed to report a rape allegation though he said he does not recall ever meeting with the victim or hearing about her case. He was also scrutinized by the board of trustees for how he handled a 2015 rape allegation from an SWBTS student. Following the uproar, he also resigned from the board of trustees at Cedarville University and withdrew from giving a speech at the 2018 SBC Convention in Dallas. In September, Patterson returned to the pulpit during a revival in Pisgah, Alabama. He criticized women who falsely accuse men of misconduct as part of the #MeToo movement. "I'm all in favor of the #MeToo movement when there is a guilty party," he said. "By the same token, I have nothing good to say about a woman who falsely accuses a man. She runs the risk of ruining a life. She runs the risk of causing sorrow unknown when the person is, in fact, innocent." Although Patterson has agreed to co-teach the SES class, he will be in Germany for the first three days of the course, according to Land. "I normally teach this class by myself," Land, who also serves as CP's executive editor, explained. "I was thinking, 'Dr. Patterson is available and he is no longer associated with another seminary. So he is fair game.'" Land detailed that the course will address "first and foremost" the question of "who and what is a human being?" "Every major issue we are dealing with in the Western world today revolves around the question of who and what is a human being," he explained. "It impacts the divorce issue. It impacts the transgender, homosexual, bisexual issue. It impacts the abortion issue. It impacts the euthanasia issue. It impacts genetic engineering. It impacts artificial intelligence and human enhancement. All of those get back to the basic question of who is a human being and what is a human being." "At SES, ethics is applied theology. We are going to apply Christian theology and Christian doctrine to what we feel are the most important ethical and moral issues of our time." The course will run Oct. 15-20 and will be available as a graduate, masters and doctorate level course. The event will be taught on campus but will also be available via livestream for those who wish to audit the course. Supreme Court struggling to determine fate of 40-foot tall Bladensburg Cross Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment U.S. Supreme Court justices appear to be struggling with whether a 40-foot tall cross honoring the veterans of World War I should be removed from a memorial, according to supporters and opponents who attended oral arguments today. Last November, the Supreme Court agreed to hear oral arguments in the consolidated cases of America Legion, et al. v. American Humanist Association and Maryland-National Capital Park v. American Humanist Association, et al. Those arguments were held on Wednesday morning. Alexandra McPhee, director of Religious Freedom Advocacy at the Family Research Council, helped draft their amicus brief and attended the oral arguments. In an interview with The Christian Post following oral arguments, McPhee explained that the Supreme Court justices appeared to be searching for a limiting principle, which involves finding clear limits on government powers. What I found interesting was the idea of where to draw the line is so unclear in current Establishment Clause law, explained McPhee. McPhee said the American Legion, which is arguing in defense of the Bladensburg Cross, was supporting a more objective standard which has greater historical grounding. McPhee cited Town of Greece v. Galloway, the 2014 Supreme Court decision which concluded that town meetings could open with sectarian prayers, noting that in that case the high court looked at the nations traditions, especially at the time of the founding. And what the American Legion argued was that at the time of the founding something like a religious display would not be a violation of the Establishment Clause unless it was somehow coercive, continued McPhee. Richard B. Katskee, legal director at Americans United for Separation of Church and State who also attended oral arguments Wednesday morning, told CP that he believed the high court was unpersuaded by the American Legion. The justices clearly were not buying the argument from the American Legion for a simple clear test. You can just look for coercion and that settles everything. They were frustrated by that, said Katskee. I think in general the justices were struggling to figure out whether there is or can be one clear simple test, and I think that they came out with the same questions they went in with. In 2012, the American Humanist Association told the Maryland National Park and Planning Commission to remove the cross from the memorial. In February 2014, the AHA sued the Planning Commission on behalf of two members who lived in the area and another person who lived in Beltsville. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow ruled in November 2015 that the cross fulfilled a secular purpose of honoring fallen soldiers and was therefore constitutional. AHA appealed Chasanow's decision and in October 2017, a three-judge panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 in favor of removing the cross. In March of last year, the Fourth Circuit voted 8-6 to reject an appeal in the case, in a decision that Hiram Sasser of the First Liberty Institute labeled dangerous. "The decision of the three-judge panel sets dangerous precedent for veterans' memorials and cemeteries across America, and we cannot allow it to be the final word," Sasser said last year. "If this decision stands, other memorials including those in nearby Arlington Cemetery will be targeted for destruction as well. The American Legion will appeal this case to the U.S. Supreme Court." SWBTS elects Adam Greenway as new president to replace Paige Patterson Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary have elected a new president to replace prominent Southern Baptist leader Paige Patterson, who was fired last year following accusations that he poorly handled students' sexual misconduct claims. Adam W. Greenway, dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Ministry at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, was elected as the seminary's new president Wednesday. Randy Stinson, provost and senior vice president for academic administration at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, was also confirmed by the trustees as the new provost for SWBTS. SWBTS search committee chair, Danny Roberts, said in a statement that he considered Greenway to be a man of impeccable character who demonstrates kindness and humility in his dealings with others. [Greenway is] a leader who surrounds himself with talented people and allows them to work within their giftedness, a bridge builder in the Southern Baptist Convention, and a true scholar with a heart for missions and evangelism, said Roberts, as reported by the Biblical Recorder. Russell Moore, president of the SBCs Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, took to Twitter to congratulate Greenway and Stinson, saying they will do a stellar job. Bright days ahead for a great school. @RandyStinson has been my friend for over twenty years, through everything. I trust him with my life. @SWBTS students, you are going to love him and President @AdamGreenway. They will lead well and you will enjoy your years of study, continued Moore. Last May, the SWBTS Executive Committee voted unanimously to fire Patterson, a longtime SBC president, over allegations that he had improperly handled students' sexual misconduct claims, and for saying he had never advised couples to get a divorce, even in an abusive relationship. Of particular concern, according to a statement by Kevin Ueckert, chair of SWBTS Board of Trustees, were two incidents involving the reporting of alleged sexual assaults. One incident, which happened at SWBTS in 2015, involved a female student reporting that she had been raped, with Patterson telling the Chief of Campus Security in an email that he wanted to meet alone with the student without authorities in order to break her down because her story had changed many times. The attitude expressed by Dr. Patterson in that email is antithetical to the core values of our faith and to SWBTS, Ueckert said last year. He added that another student record "made available to me with permission, [showed] that an allegation of rape was [also] made by a female student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2003." "[T]he correlation between what has been reported and also revealed in the student record regarding the 2003 allegation at Southeastern and the contents of this email are undeniable," Ueckert added. Norman L. Geisler, chancellor and distinguished professor of Apologetics and Theology at Veritas International University in Santa Ana, California, argued that the firing was wrong. Many who opposed Dr. Patterson were apparently caught up in winds of the #MeToo movement of the day. But no doctrinal or moral charges were even offered, let alone proven by two or more credible witnesses against him. Rather, personal opinions about isolated cases were offered, wrote Geisler in a column published by The Christian Post in 2018. He did nothing worthy of being fired. No biblical grounds were given, let alone, seriously considered. For his part, Patterson has denied any wrongdoing. Following his firing, Patterson was given a position at Southern Evangelical Seminary in North Carolina to co-teach a course on ethics. SWBTS Trustees Affirm Paige Patterson Firing Despite Opposition, Approve Search Committee Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's board of trustees voted this week to uphold the executive committee's decision to fire former president Paige Patterson and are moving forward with the plan to find his replacement. The Texas-based Southern Baptist seminary announced that the board of trustees voted during its fall meeting held Monday through Wednesday in Fort Worth to affirm the institution's presidential search committee, which was appointed in August by board chair Kevin Ueckert in August. In light of opposition to Patterson's firing, the board ratified the actions taken by the executive committee since the board's last full meeting, according to a news release. Those actions include the termination of Patterson in May after the former SWBTS president and former Southern Baptist Convention president was accused of mishandling rape allegations brought to him by students. The termination and stripping of retirement benefits came about a week after Patterson had stepped down from his role as president and was appointed president emeritus in the wake of backlash over two decades' old comments he made about divorce and spousal abuse. This week's vote to affirm the firing came after motions related to Patterson's termination were discussed at the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in June. One motion sought to fire the 12-member SWBTS executive committee responsible for Patterson's termination. As Patterson has been a key Baptist leader for decades and was twice elected president of the SBC in the 1990s, some Baptist leaders were upset with how the executive committee handled the situation. Other motions regarding the SWBTS trustees included ones asking the SWBTS board of trustees to reconsider their decision on Patterson. According to Baptist Press, a motion asking the board of trustees to "consider revisiting their original decision concerning Paige Patterson" was referred to SWBTS. At the meeting this week, trustee Jonathan Richard introduced a motion to the board of trustees to ratify "the executive committee actions since the last full board meeting." Baptist Press reports that Richard's motion overwhelmingly passed with no more than four "no" votes out of 34 trustees present. Wayne Dickard, a retired pastor and trustee from South Carolina, was one of those who voted against Richard's motion to affirm the executive committee's decision. In an interview with Baptist Press, he argued that the executive committee's handling of the Patterson situation was flawed. He opposed the fact that the executive committee waived a requirement for 10 days' notice to be given before executive committee meetings in April and May. However, Texas pastor and trustee Bart Barber told BP that he voted for Richard's motion and stated that the relationship between Patterson and the executive committee had become strained. SWBTS' presidential search committee chairman Danny Roberts addressed the trustees at the meeting and offered an update on the search. Roberts explained that the committee has already met twice and received "dozens of recommendations." Additionally, Roberts announced that the search committee appointed a faculty/student advisory committee that has organized town hall meetings, at least three prayer sessions and even conducted a survey of students and staff. According to Roberts, the resources provided by the advisory committee will help the seminary "discern God's man for this position." "We have made great progress, we feel very encouraged, and we are firmly convinced that the Lord is going to lead us directly to the man whom He has already called," Roberts was quoted as saying. This week, Patterson is helping co-teach a weeklong ethics course at Southern Evangelical Seminary in North Carolina with SES President Richard Land. "There is no one from whom I have learned more about the Christian faith than Dr. Paige Patterson," Land told The Christian Post. "[As for] anyone who objects, it is a free country and no one is being forced to listen or go online and engage in the course. If they don't like it, they don't have to listen. There are lots of folks who do want to listen." UMC conservatives praise 'Traditional Plan' passage; 'white nationalist,' liberals claim Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment United Methodist conservatives praised their denomination for upholding a biblical understanding of homosexuality while a liberal group accused those 'Traditional Plan' supporters, which included many African delegates, of advancing a "white nationalist strain of Christianity." A United Methodist Church pastor at a North Carolina-based megachurch stated that he is delighted by the results of the denominations special session of General Conference, which upheld the Churchs stance against homosexuality and same-sex marriage. On Tuesday, delegates at the special session voted 438-384 in favor of adopting the Traditional Plan for resolving the UMCs years-long debate over sexual ethics. This plan involved maintaining the denominations official position against homosexuality, gay marriage, and the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals while promising stricter enforcement. Pastor Talbot Davis of Good Shepherd UMC of Charlotte, which averages about 2,000 worshippers every Sunday, told The Christian Post that he supported the result. I am delighted that the Special General Conference of the United Methodist Church adopted the Traditional Plan as we believe in the beautiful picture of celibacy in singleness and faithfulness in heterosexual marriage that is woven throughout the pages of Scripture as well as church teaching for since its inception, said Davis. We gladly join with our global brothers and sisters in teaching this truth with as much love and winsomeness as we can. Davis also told CP that he believed the General Conference decision will not change anything about what we do at Good Shepherd, adding that the UMC has been living under the basic framework of the Traditional Plan all along. The Rev. Keith Mcilwain, pastor at Slippery Rock United Methodist Church in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, likewise expressed support for the decision. While I am sensitive to the pain and disappointment which many of my colleagues and friends are experiencing, I am optimistic about what was accomplished at General Conference, said Mcilwain to CP in an email interview. The Church once again reaffirmed her commitment to the ecumenical consensus of the last two thousand years, and firmly took her place in the global orthodox resurgence which is doing great things all over the world for the gospel. Mcilwain explained that his congregation was based in a college town and that his congregation of about 140 held diverse views on the human sexuality debate. Im hopeful that we can continue to work together for Jesus. We have a strong history in this congregation of loving one another deeply even when we disagree, continued Mcilwain. Delegates representing the global UMC met in St. Louis, Missouri on Feb. 23-26 to discern proposals for attempting to resolve the longstanding divisive debate over whether the Church should change its position on LGBT issues. Many progressive United Methodists voiced their support for The One Church Plan, which would have allowed regional bodies and local congregations to determine their own stance on homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Despite the strong support for the One Church Plan among the Council of Bishops and other UMC bodies and clergy, delegates proceeded to vote the Plan down. Reconciling Ministries Network, an LGBT advocacy group that has long attempted to change the UMCs position on sexual ethics, released a statement on Wednesday denouncing the Traditional Plan as deeply unjust and painful. The Traditionalist Plan was passed by the efforts of organized opponents to gospel inclusion who have funded and promoted the demise of Christian witness across denominations who have dared to call out a white nationalist strain of Christianity, stated RMN. Delegates representing African UMC congregations were crucial to the success of the Traditional Plan and also the voting down of pro-LGBT alternatives. RMN also noted that they plan to "gather soon to determine the next steps in our continued advocacy for LGBTQIA+ people in The UMC." "There may be a traditional (divisive) plan, but by no means is our work abandoned. This is our Church. This is our Christ. This is our God," they stated. In wake of church sex abuse, California bill seeks to force clergy to break seal of confession Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In the wake of multiple clergy sexual abuse scandals, a California lawmaker is seeking to pass legislation in that state that could force Catholic priests and other clergy to violate the seal of confession to report child sex abuse. Democrat state Sen. Jerry Hill, introduced Senate Bill 360 last Wednesday that would remove an exemption in Californias mandated reporter law that allows all members of the clergy to withhold knowledge of suspected child abuse from law enforcement if that information is obtained during a penitential communication, such as Catholic confession. This bill would delete that exception for a pentitential communication, thereby requiring clergy to make a mandated report even if they acquired the knowledge or reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect during a penitential communication, the bill said. In a statement cited by The Sacramento Bee, Hill said: Individuals who harm children or are suspected of harming children must be reported so a timely investigation by law enforcement can occur. The bill comes in the wake of a recent reckoning on child sexual abuse among both Catholic and evangelical clergy. Just over a week ago, in response to media reports about hundreds of alleged sexual abuse cases involving Southern Baptist Convention leaders and volunteers, SBC President J.D. Greear, suggested the possibility of expelling churches and creating a registry of offenders. Reacting to the proposed legislation targeting penitential communication, clergy like former Catholic, Rev. Jaime Romo of the Child-Friendly Faith Project believes it is a step in the right direction. For too long, religious authorities have been protected from reporting these cases, leaving children vulnerable and unsafe, Romo told the Bee. Father John Landry of Massachusetts argued in the National Catholic Register however that a priest must protect the seal of confession like the virginity of young Christians even if hes threatened with imprisonment, torture or death. I often ask Catholics with whom I speak about the Sacrament of Penance: Do you realize that every priest is ready to die for you, to protect what you say through him to God? Most, young and old, have never really thought about it. Many priests have in fact died in protecting the seal of Confession, Landry wrote. The most famous example is Saint John Nepomuk, confessor to Queen Johanna, wife of Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia, in the late 14th Century. The paranoid king thought his wife was unfaithful to him and demanded that Father John tell him what his wife confessed. He refused. The King escalated the threats of torture. None worked. Finally he ordered that Father John be bound, thrown off the Charles Bridge in Prague, and drowned, he wrote. According to the Bee, doctors, police, therapists and social workers are among the 47 kinds of professionals who are required by state law to notify law enforcement about suspected abuse with no exceptions. Landry argued however that violating the seal of confession is a serious attack on religious freedom and it is happening in countries across the world, like Australia and India. The Churchs absolute opposition and resistance to this egregious violation of religious freedom is being used by those who oppose the Church as proof that the Church is really more concerned about its rituals than about abused children, that she cares more about protecting abusers than victims, Landry wrote. The logic is akin to castigating defense attorneys for not betraying their clients and working with prosecutors or to doctors of not being opposed to crime if they operate on rather than execute criminals. Its against the calling of attorneys and physicians to do that, in the same way that it is totally against the vocation of priests to betray penitents which is one of the reasons why the penalty under Church law for a priests doing so is automatic excommunication, he argued. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment When our kids were much younger, the task of getting to church on time was our biggest challenge. In fact, there was a period when our middle daughter, six at the time, would only go to church wearing her favorite shoesclogs. The service predictably started at the top of the hour, and we predictably showed up late. Our strategy was always to head stealthily to the back balcony. Blend in behind the choir. Our biggest obstacle? Walking up the wooden stairs with a clog-wearing daughter. The Lord be with you. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. And also with you. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Be still and know that I am God. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Let us pray. Dear Lord Jesus, please ensure that our clog-wearing kid does not need to go to the bathroom so that we dont have to walk those stairs again. The choir got to know us really well. Some of them smiled (cute kids). Others shook their heads (rotten parents). We were the late-arriving clog family. But we made it to church. And if youve been a parent of young children you count that a win. High five. We fondly chuckle over those early church-going memories. As hard as those events felt back then, they feel easy compared to ways we have to navigate church with our teenage and young adult kids now. We still believe church matters. We believe that connecting with faith communities enhances personal faith. But Our kids are becoming their own persons now. Making more of their own choices. Including church choices. And honestly, we dont want them to go to church to please us or anyone else. We want them to go because they want to go for themselves. Through the hundreds of conversations my wife Jen and I have had with our friends and the research our FYI team has collected through our Growing With project, were learning THREE things that have shaped the ways we talk about church with our growing teenage and young adult kids. 1. Our teenagers question church not out of protest but because of ownership Remember that, if your family has connected with a church community over time, these spiritual habits and relationships stick with your kids. Even in periods when your growing kids seem less interested in connecting with church, its still part of their story.[1] Practicing faith has a tempo to it. Nothing fancy or profound. Just consistent. Yet consistency alone cant fend off your teenagers inevitable resistance to church. In fact, their familiarity with church might encourage more open critique. They may start asking you questions that feel rebellious or disrespectful like: Why do we even go to church? I dont get anything out of it. I just want to sleep in. Im too busy to go to youth group. The parenting reflex, often fueled by tinges of fear, is to get angry or combative with our teenagers. We may blame them, shame them, or discredit their questions and assessments. In these moments the courageous, Growing With parenting move is to listen more and control less. Listen to their questions and critiques while recognizing that their commentary is less about protest and more about ownership. They are starting to consider how your familys churchgoing practice (your choice) now becomes their own (their choice). They need their own reasons, not just ours. Listening first helps parents ask better questions for fruitful dialogue. Instead of, As long as you are under our roof you are going to church! try, One of the ways we grow in our faith is by worshiping with others, including you. Sometimes we dont feel like going to church either, but thats when we remember that we need each other. Will you reconsider? Instead of, You need to go to youth group because you need to put God first. try, Its natural to feel stressed about all you have to do. Sometimes, though, we cut out the things that can reenergize us or help us keep our lives in perspective. What can I do to help you? Our teenagers need our empathy, honesty, and support while they navigate their increasingly complex and stressful lives. Do not make going to church or youth group the hill you die on with older teenagers. In fact, too much focus on their church attendance drives short-sighted behaviors that only last as long as you shame or bribe them. Keep listening and remain consistent with your own church-connecting practices while they find their own paths toward church. Grow with them by helping them choose church for themselves rather than choosing it for them. 2. Our 18-23-year-olds are inexperienced, not necessarily unfaithful Popular news stories do not help calm parents anxieties about their kids faith once they leave home for college, work, military, or a gap year. Often, stories of young people leaving church, walking away from faith, or ditching God are overplayed and create unfair and unhelpful perspectives. While it is true that post-high school young people typically attend church less, many adults misinterpret is why this is happening. As my wife, Jen, and I took a closer look at research and listened to our kids and their friends, we recognized that young peoples absence from church often has less to do with theological reasons and is more likely tied to practical ones. Weve discovered that: Young people often feel overwhelmed with this new chapter in their lives dont feel like they have time to commit to a church right now.[2] So we encourage them to do less rather than more their first year out. Young people often are faced for the first time with choosing their own church rather than the church their parents chose for them.[3] So we encourage them to take their time to experience different church expressions rather than rush into a church commitment. Some suburban churches are seeing fewer young people show up because many young people are moving to urban centers and are choosing not to own cars.[4] So we encourage them to think more about how a church fits with the rhythm of their lives and values rather than church style or popularity. Many churches still hold Sunday morning services, which can be out of sync with most young peoples lives.[5] So we encourage them to think about their own daily and weekly rhythms of work, play, and rest. Grow with them by broadening your church-oriented conversations in ways that that acknowledge their emerging life rhythms and values. 3. Our growing kids participation with church requires a relational journey, not a quick fix Ill still feel embarrassed or worried if my kids dont do church the way Ive done it. Back when she was young, my daughter loved her clogs and loved her church. Today, I believe each of our daughters love their lives and are satisfied with the ways they are finding faith and faith communities. Im not only going to paint a pretty picture, though. Each of them has fallen in and out of church. Their reasons have been varied, multiple, and complex. As a parent, Ill be honestit feels better when they do go to church. But people attend and leave churches for all kinds of reasons. If we rest on whether they go or dont go to church, we will miss their reasons, motivations, or spiritual quests. My wife and I realized we had to stop treating church like a quick-fix antidote that will solve all their spiritual challenges. Thats not what church is. Church fosters relationships as it pursues community with diverse lives. Like any relationship, a persons relationship with church ebbs and flows through good and bad times, easy and stressful moments, or transformative and terrifying experiences. We have to remember that when we encourage our kids to attend church, were asking them to invest in an imperfect community that's filled with both possibility and limitations. Like any relationship, connection with a local church has the potential to hurt as much as it does to heal. Our Growing With parenting challenge is to let them experience it all firsthand with less and less parental interference. So our conversations about church must shift: Instead of, Do you attend church? try, What kind of church have you tried or what kind of church do you think is worth connecting with? Instead of, Do you like church? try, What elements of our church or your church do you find most compelling, and which parts do you find troubling? Instead of, Why did you pick that church? try, How does the church you are attending seem similar or different than ours? Instead of, You should go to church. try, How might you try using your gifts and working out your world concerns through your faith community? What we know to be true and what we have experienced with our own daughters is that, while their church attendance varies, they are young adults who are seeking to make sense of their world, relationships, spirituality, and selves. Our goal is to engage in more nuanced conversations with them and let go of our optimism or pessimism over their church attendance. Grow with them by taking your conversations beyond church attendance toward the opportunities and challenges of living out their faith within community. Church is not about clogs. Its not even about attendance. Instead, allow your teenage and young adult kids winding roads of participation be less contentious and more an opportunity for you to grow with your kids through dialogue and discovery. Let it be a springboard for the significant conversations about life and faith everyoneyoung and oldlongs for. Steven Argue, PhD [Michigan State University] is the Applied Research Strategist for the Fuller Youth Institute and Associate Professor of Youth, Family, and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary. Steve researches, speaks, and writes on adolescent and emerging adult spirituality. He has served as a pastor on the Lead Team at Mars Hill Bible Church [Grand Rapids, MI]; coaches and trains church leaders and volunteers; and has been invested in youth ministry conversation for over 20 years. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Earlier this week, the United Methodists rejected an effort by more progressive members of the global church to lift the denomination's ban on same-sex marriage and LGBT clergy. Had the vote been left to American United Methodists, the new measure would have passed. But since it was a global vote, the conservative voices of United Methodists in Russia and, more importantly, throughout Africa, rejected this measure. Should we commend these conservative voices for holding to plain biblical truth, as historically affirmed by the Methodists? Or should we condemn them for perpetuating an unchristian bigotry based on a misreading of Scripture? In a paper titled, How Do United Methodists Know a Sin When We See It?, Catherine L. Kelsey wrote, The cultures from which American Methodists formed their common sense were and are quite varied, north to south, east to west, rural to urban. For example, using their civic common sense, Methodists in Denver, in 1864, celebrated the slaughter of Cheyenne and Arapahoe women and children at Sand Creek. But Methodists on the east coast, using their civic common sense, deplored the same event as a massacre. The theological texts that Methodist preachers had studied did not define transgression against Gods law sufficiently to provide one interpretation that made sense to Methodists in both cultures. How do we evaluate todays divide in the Methodist church? Is the divide simply one of culture, without clear scriptural support either way? Or can one side claim scriptural authority and historic affirmation? Before the vote, which affirmed the Traditional Plan and rejected the One Church Plan, Rev. Tom Berlin, a progressive Methodist, warned that, you will be putting a virus into the American church and it will make it very sick and it will be sick quickly. He said, Whether you like it or not [gays and lesbians] feel that their church is exhibiting itself as being against gay people along with others. In contrast, after the vote, delegate Nancy DeNardo said, The One Church Plan does not agree with the words of our savior and in so doing deceives young persons into believing that same gender marriage is OK with God when clearly it is not. There is danger to that not only to those being deceived but the deceivers as well. Who is right? Who is representing the heart of the Lord? Who is standing with Jesus and who is standing against him? Nowhere was the contrast in opposing views clearer than in the contrast between Africa and America. As reported in the Washington Post, Jerry Kulah, head of the UMC Africa Initiative, said he was sorry the church had spent so much time and money debating questions about homosexuality. The progressive groups are loud, but they dont have the numbers, he said. If the church had voted to affirm LGBT inclusion, he said, it would have become a laughingstock in Africa. Im happy to go back to old ladies and old men in villages who received the Bible from missionaries and let them know that the Bible hasnt changed, he said. But Will Willimon, a retired Methodist bishop and a prominent theologian at Duke Divinity School, said that preaching to the old is a failure of the church. Were sending a signal we are here to minister to the spiritual needs of the elderly, he said, adding that he has trouble explaining this debate to his adult children. He added, The traditional plan is a misnomer. We really have nothing in our tradition to justify this sort of punitive, exclusionary mentality. Again I ask, who is right? Does Kullah stand for historic, biblical truth and does Willimon stand against it, or is the opposite true? Without a doubt, Kullah and those who voted against the One Church Plan voted for historic, biblical truth. First, despite claims to the contrary, the Bible is quite clear on the subject of homosexual practice, regardless of the nature of the same-sex relationship. In all cases, homosexual relations are forbidden by God. In no cases are they justified or approved or blessed by Him. (For forthright and respectful dialogues on this subject, see here and here.) Second, contrary to Willimons statement that We really have nothing in our tradition to justify this sort of punitive, exclusionary mentality, the Methodist church has always held to a strong moral code, one that expressly forbade adultery, fornication, and homosexual practice. It is completely absurd to argue that now, without a shred of scriptural evidence to support the position, practicing homosexuals could be ordained and same-sex marriages recognized. Based on what biblical criteria? Based on what statements from John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, or the Methodist Book of Discipline? Writing for Christianity Today in 1996, Don Thorsen noted that, Wesley, the founder of Methodism, affirmed the primacy of scriptural authority. But he also acknowledged the genuine, albeit secondary, religious authority of tradition, reason, and experience. By doing so, Wesley simply made explicit what is implicit in all theological reflection, even when it ostensibly is based on Scripture alone. He asked, Given this so-called quadrilateral of religious authority, how should Methodistsor any Christian interested in considering a breadth of relevant dataview homosexuality? Although Wesley did not specifically deal with the issue of homosexuality, his theological legacy provides a comprehensive and integrative way of evaluating it. The article was titled Revelation and the Gay Experience: What Would John Wesley Have Said About This Debate?, and it is quite relevant for the Methodist debate today. After evaluating these four pillars of Methodism scripture, tradition, reason, and experience Thorsen gave his verdict on the major vote that had just taken place in the Methodist church, with outcomes similar to the vote this week. He wrote, I applaud the decision of the United Methodist Church to reaffirm its stance that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. This affirmation not only conforms to Scripture, which remains the primary source of religious authority, it also conforms to church tradition, logical reasoning, and experience as understood from a Wesleyan perspective. But, he added, I also applaud the ongoing concern of United Methodists for the holistic well-being of homosexuals and for their civil rights. A Wesleyan approach not only lends itself to a comprehensive and integrative approach to homosexuality; it understands and treats people realistically and compassionately, because, as Mildred Wynkoop says, Wesley's theology is a theology of love. Yes, if we are to be scriptural, we must be loving. Genuinely loving. Sacrificially loving. Loving as Christ loved. Absolutely. Without that, we are no better than religious hypocrites. Thats why Thorsen closed his article with these wise words: Above all, Scripture tells us we are to love our neighbors and have compassion on those who struggle with temptations. Jesus called people to repentance, but he also astounded others by the compassion he demonstrated toward those caught in temptation and sin. Can it be said of us that we surprise others by the sympathy and compassion we extend toward homosexuals? This is the heart of the Lord, and ideally, this counsel would be followed by the whole Methodist church today. But since the denomination is so divided, it will likely go the way of a major split, with the progressives breaking away and forming a new denomination. (The opposite would have likely happened had the vote gone in the other direction.) If that split does take place, this is what you can expect: Those churches which affirm Scripture, with love, will grow and thrive. Those churches which seek to rewrite Scripture in the name of love, will decline and die. Watch and see. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment When he left home at the age of 13, a boy Ill call Jonah found shelter with a couple willing to help him or so it seemed. The couple gave Jonah housing and food, but there was one condition: he was required to have sex with them and their friends. Edie Rhea was in fourth grade when she was first molested by her mothers boyfriend. One thing led to another, and Edie was ultimately trafficked by him as a way to support his business. By the time she was 17, Edie had been sold to approximately 150 men and women. It wasnt until she left home that Edie first experienced freedom. Nicolas (name changed) was just 13 when he was first sold for sex. Unfortunately, it didnt end there. The trafficker his mother continued to sell Nicolas and eventually his friends for profit. These stories are horrible and hard to hear, but people of faith must listen. Why? Because we hold the keys that can offer freedom to the men, women and children hurt and trapped in sexual slavery in America. In the coming months, the faith community must renew its commitment to ending human trafficking. Around this time last winter, a wave of protests and confessions swept the faith community, as #ChurchToo and #SilenceIsNotSpiritual started bubbling up on Twitter. Across different communities, networks and denominations, Christians began sharing stories of sexual abuse from pastors, ministers and youth leaders. While not all the results of the movement were fruitful, it nevertheless began a long overdue conversation about what faith leaders could do to protect their congregations. These conversations are of vital importance. Every community of faith, without exception, should continue to develop systems of accountability and transparency to prevent abuse. But we must continue to build on this good work in the coming year, looking beyond our doors and outside our walls to the individuals in our community where sexual abuse and trafficking occurs. There are more human beings enslaved now than there were when slavery was legal in Western nations. It impacts individuals of all races, genders, classes and nationalities, and it happens in every region and area cities, suburbs and rural communities alike. However, while its certainly true that no demographic is immune to trafficking, its also true that one group is especially vulnerable to being sold into sex slavery: low-income individuals, and low-income children in particular. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, homeless youth among the most impoverished populations in America are particularly vulnerable to trafficking. As Jonahs story makes clear, financial desperation often drives the trafficked to suffer what no human being should have to bear: the sale of their bodies, and the resulting psychological, spiritual and emotional trauma. While the sheer magnitude of the problem is a recent phenomenon, the interlocking realities of poverty and slavery are nothing new. All we need to do is look to the words of the prophet Isaiah, who describes the Lords anointed thus: The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,to proclaim the year of the Lords favor and the day of vengeance of our God,to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zionto bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,the oil of joy instead of mourning,and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. (Isaiah 61:1-3a, NIV) Its a powerful image and one that we as people of faith must claim as our own mission. By combating human trafficking, we live out our calling as Christs co-heirs and coworkers in redeeming the world, proclaiming good news to the poor, binding up the brokenhearted and proclaiming freedom for captives and prisoners. There are dozens of ways faith communities can get involved in the fight against human trafficking. Even just publicly acknowledging that it happens and that it likely happens close by goes a long way toward reducing the shame, fear and discomfort that surrounds it as a topic. But as you and your community look for ways to stop trafficking, here are some ideas to keep in mind: Conduct an awareness campaign. The grisly, sexually graphic realities of trafficking mean that its a topic few faith communities particularly those with young families want to acknowledge. But it is precisely this refusal to confront trafficking that allows it to continue to flourish in the midst of our neighborhoods and cities. By strategically implementing an awareness campaign that harnesses social media and raises awareness among local businesses and organizations, you can empower others not only to confront this ugly trade, but enlist them in working to end it. Support a safe home. Non-profits across the nation have created safe homes for men, women and children transitioning out of trafficking. These homes not only provide shelter to formerly trafficked individuals, but they also often provide psychological support as well as educational and job-seeking assistance. Committing to support one of these organizations whether financially or through volunteering helps formerly trafficked individuals reclaim their identities and redefine their lives as survivors. Create a TraffickingFree Zone. While rescuing victims is important, equally important is ending the demand for commercial sex and holding the buyers accountable. A TraffickingFree Zone is a county-wide initiative in which faith leaders, schools, businesses and media collaborate to reduce demand by conducting local research, raising awareness and working to arrest sex buyers. Although a church or faith institution cannot create a TraffickingFree Zone on its own, it can lead outreach and harness its influence to get other local institutions involved. Counties that adopt the program can expect to see a significant decline in trafficking. Leading the fight against trafficking is a high and a weighty calling. It involves looking the ugliest and most sinful parts of human nature full in the face and nevertheless proclaiming the Gospel truth that God forgives and redeems anyone who calls on his name. Its a truth that Edie learned from personal experience. After she escaped trafficking, she and her live-in boyfriend eventually married, and both came to faith. Ultimately, it was her faith that saved her. But He still had greater plans for her. Years after she had left home, Edie received a phone call informing her that her mothers boyfriend was dying in the hospital. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, she visited him and he begged for her forgiveness, finally admitting that he had committed heinous acts against her. Through Gods grace, she not only forgave him, but was able to share the Gospel with him a formerly trafficked woman sharing Christs saving power with her former trafficker. Shortly thereafter on the day of her first speaking engagement in which she shared her story the man died. Eventually, the Lord called Edie to open a safe therapeutic home for women who have also been victims of human trafficking called Healing Root Ministry. Today, she has changed the lives not only of the women who have passed through this home, but the untold number of women who have heard her speak and may have experienced similar abuse. Edies story testifies to the extraordinary power of God to redeem all things and cleanse the world of unrighteousness. Let us recommit ourselves to being agents of this redemption, working to proclaim the year of the Lords favor in the months and weeks to come. South Africa: Controversial pastor under fire after 'raising man back from the dead' at funeral Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A controversial pastor in South Africa who claimed to have performed an astounding miracle, resurrecting a dead man in Jesus name, has retracted his story after undertakers threatened to sue him for malicious damage to our image. Congolese televangelist Alph Lukau, pastor of Alleluia Ministries International church, made headlines over the weekend after footage of a funeral he officiated went viral. In the video, a man dressed in a white suite can be seen lying still in a coffin, surrounded by dozens of people, as the pastor prays over him. After the pastor calls out Jesus name and waves his hands, the man, identified as Elliot, bolts upright, looking astounded by what had happened. According to the family, Elliot had died two days prior to the incident. At the time, the pastor insisted the resurrection was real, declaring: An astounding miracle took place in the House of God this morning. A dead man came back to life as the church of God prayed. But the stunt sparked backlash, with Kings and Queens Funerals, the funeral parlor which transported the mans presumed dead body at the time, vowing to take legal action. We would like to distance ourselves from the supposed resurrection of a deceased man by Alleluia Ministries who allegedly was at our mortuary, the company said in a statement, Daily Mail reports. We did not supply the coffin neither did we store the deceased at our mortuary and no paperwork was processed by Kings and Queens Funerals, the parlor said. As a funeral services provider we do not offer services without documentation neither do we repatriate bodies without any paperwork. We are in the process of taking legal action for this malicious damage to our image. At the same time, the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities also said it would be investigating the incident. "As a commission, we need to get to the root of this. Unless we do that, South Africans are taken for a ride and their intelligence is insulted, the commission's deputy chair David Mosoma said, according to EWN Eyewitness News. Amid criticism, the church's spokesperson Busi Gaca claimed that Elliots family had noticed movement in the coffin after stopping at the church while on their way to Zimbabwe for the burial. "Before Pastor Alph (Lukau) was informed, the family already confirmed that there was movement in the coffin, which the family said was noticed immediately when they drove onto the premises of the church, he said, according to JacarandaFM. "By the time Pastor Alph got to the hearse, and the coffin was opened, he saw and mentioned on camera that the man in the coffin was breathing. We could all see that his chest was moving up and down. His mouth wide open and tongue moving as he was gasping for some air. Whether his mouth and eyes were wide open while he was in the coffin or not, we don't know. We only saw him once the coffin was opened," Gaca said. This was a spiritual instruction from the prophet of God, not an indication of raising up someone from the dead, he concluded. "Pastor Alph (Lukau), never claimed to have raised him from the dead. He said God has answered the faith of the family and raised their loved one from the dead. We all celebrated the testimony of the family. Established in 2002, Alleluia Ministries International houses thousands of people across the country, the continent, and the world, according to the church website, with branches in various parts of South Africa, Zambia, Namibia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Europe and in South America. The Sunday Times notes that Lukau, who claims to possess the power to heal HIV/Aids, TB and other illnesses, has previously come under scrutiny for his lavish lifestyle. In addition to wearing Armani suits, the pastor owns a 12-seater jet, Range Rover, a Bentley, a Lamborghini, a Rolls Royce, a Ferrari, and a three-wheeler custom bike. A prosperity gospel preacher, Lukau regularly flaunts his wealth on his Instagram page. Two other South African pastors who also promote the prosperity gospel, Prophet Shepherd Bushiri and Timothy Omotoso, have faced criminal charges for profiting from so-called miracle healings. Last year, Pastor Lethebo Rabalago was found guilty of assault for spraying his followers with a household insecticide which he falsely claimed could heal cancer and HIV. In 2013, South African pastor Thuso Kewana told The Christian Post that the prosperity gospel is not only unbiblical, but it is also used by wolves in sheep's clothing to prey on vulnerable Christians desperate for a better life. Such pastors, he added, take advantage of those in their congregations who cannot read and "really depend on the person behind the pulpit." According to statistics, about half of the country's residents are illiterate. "The greed for worldly wealth, huge church membership numbers, and fame form the cornerstone of such dissatisfaction engulfing the congregants and encouraging them to leave the church of God. Pastors are involved in all sorts of ungodly behaviors, he said. UK schoolkids to be taught LGBT ideology, question religious beliefs; parents may be overruled Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Students as young as five will receive lessons about LGBT relationships and gender reassignment and head teachers can overrule parents who want to opt their children out of sex education classes, according to a new guidance issued by the U.K. Department of Education. The guidance also tells teachers to encourage students to question their religious beliefs about homosexuality. The new guidelines, published Monday, say that primary and secondary students should understand that some people are LGBT, that this should be respected in British society and that the law affords them and their relationships recognition and protections, the Sunday Times reports. Pupils growing up in families with LGBT members, or who are beginning to understand that they are or may be LGBT themselves, should feel that relationships education and RSE [relationships and sex education] is relevant to them, it said. Head teachers will be ordered to implement the new sex education classes when they are rolled out nationally next year, but have been given discretion over timing based on the age and development of their pupils. Parents may opt out of any sex education element of relationships education in primary school; in secondary school, they may only withdraw their children from lessons until the age of 15. However, at that stage, a student can request to have lessons alongside their classmates regardless of their parents views and in exceptional circumstances, head teachers can overrule parents. Teachers are also expected to talk to parents who wish to exclude their child from these lessons, "discussing with the parents the benefits of receiving this important education and any detrimental effects that withdrawal might have on the child, reports the BBC. According to the new guidelines, children aged nine to 10 want to talk about topics including masturbation, and about how people can get diseases including HIV, from sex and how they can be prevented. Questions to ask this age group include: Can people of the same sex love one another? Is this ok? What are the different kinds of families and partnerships? What do the words lesbian and gay mean? Questions to ask children aged 11 to 13 include, What is the difference between transvestite and trans-sexual? and, My religion says that being gay or having sex before marriage is wrong, what should I think? At 16, pupils should be taught how to disclose positive HIV status to a sexual partner, family and friends," the guidelines state. Education Secretary Damian Hinds said the new curriculum is sensitive and inclusive and appropriate to pupils age, but children needed to be helped to come to terms with the world around them. Although sex education is only mandatory to teach at secondary, it must be grounded in a firm understanding and valuing of positive relationships and respect for others from primary age, he said in a Commons statement. The new lessons will also cover pregnancy, sexual consent, honor-based abuse, female genital mutilation, grooming, forced marriage, and domestic abuse. The move has seen opposition from conservative Christian, Jewish, and Muslim parents, who say the new guidelines undermine their religious beliefs. In a statement, Colin Hart, chairman of the Coalition for Marriage, called the lessons completely unacceptable. No one objects to the Government trying to make children safer online by teaching them about internet trolls and about the dangers of social media, however, the plan to downgrade marriage and sideline parents whilst doing it is completely unacceptable, he said. The Department for Education is sidelining traditional marriage, the most stable form of relationship for raising children and forcing them to learn about every other form of relationship under the sun, even when it is not age-appropriate. The law should encourage traditional marriage, not undermine it. Hart said the new guidelines evidence that the Department for Education believes that traditional marriage no longer matters and marginalizes those who do not support political correctness for religious reasons. But even those keen to promote other forms of family life have been unable to deny that evidence shows that children do best when they are raised by their mother and father, he said. It also ignores that marriage, the life long union between one man and one woman, despite all the rhetoric and spin is the most stable form of relationship. This is why rather than downgrading marriage we should be doing more to celebrate its many societal and personal benefits. Meanwhile, a petition requesting parents be allowed to opt their children out of the lessons has received over 107,000 signatures. We have grave concerns about the physical, psychological and spiritual implications of teaching children about certain sexual and relational concepts proposed in RSE and believe that they have no place within a mandatory school curriculum, Dr. Katherine Sarah Godfrey-Faussett, the petitioner, stated. We believe the above factors have not been given enough consideration and that many of the RSE resources being produced by lobby groups and external organizations will actually cause more harm than good, particularly when child development and psychological factors are considered. Being trolled for an article on this site taught me how unwelcome Christian talk can be On Sunday morning I woke up to a delightful discovery. Overnight my column had climbed up the Christian Today 'Most Read' charts and was occupying third place. Wonderful, kind, Christian Today readers said lovely things. Thank you. But by midday, my delight was replaced with dismay. By the time I got home from church the internet haters, fakers and ego shakers had piled in to post incendiary comments onto a personal, but public, Facebook page dedicated to sharing snippets of news about my work. A steady spew of hateful anti-faith dribble poured relentlessly onto my page with all the charm of a burst sewer pipe. Soon the uninvited 'trolls' began taking inappropriate verbal pot shots at each other. Chaos broke out as arguments escalated into a sort of virtual pub brawl. Eventually I banned 18 Facebook users, all total strangers, from posting comments on my page. They're still out there, they're still on Facebook, and as far as I'm concerned they can 'shout' their ridiculous rantings all they like. Just not on my little piece of the internet, thank you very much. And yet I'm kind of grateful to those naughty trolls for telling me, in no uncertain terms, to shut up and go away. They've reminded me just how angry and broken some folks are, just how harsh and nasty the world can be, and just how hostile public spaces, both real and virtual, can sometimes be. They've reminded me that Christian talk can be truly unwelcome, and that some folks are outraged that we dare to voice it at all. A video clip showing the arrest of a Street Preacher in a public space in London has gone viral and sparked a tirade of responses on social media. The majority of comments I've read appear to be largely sympathetic towards the preacher and supportive of his right to preach in public. Other comments were antagonistic towards the police for their heavy handed actions. Some posts were concerned about the legality of the arrest, others about the man having his bible taken away. Others expressed grave concern and were very worried about freedom of speech in the UK. The story reached the USA and was covered by Fox News and CBN. The London Metropolitan Police have issued a public statement about the arrest and subsequent de-arrest. As a woman who has survived abuse, I have to admit that I'm really not a big fan of being aggressively shouted at. And that's a polite understatement. Very loud, shouty, in-your-face, manic, pointy preachers, politicians, teachers and speakers switch me off entirely and I refuse to hear what they're saying. In a public or private space I will give them a wide berth. If they can calm down and speak to me in a civilised manner, well ok, I'll listen. Natural enthusiasm, excitement and energy are also acceptable. But no matter how important the message, how crucial the information, how serious the intent, or how desperate the plea, I flatly refuse to be aggressively shouted at. Not in my home. Not in my church. Not in the pub. Not on the internet. Not on the street. Unless of course there's a runaway truck barrelling towards me, then shout at me, please. Val Fraser is an author and journalist. Follow her on Twitter @ValFraserAuthor. Brunson trial drove Turkish hostility to Protestants, church report says Turkey's trial of Pastor Andrew Brunson on espionage charges has triggered a significant increase in public hate against the country's small Protestant community, according to the Turkish Association of Protestant Churches (TAPC). TAPC's annual human rights report for 2018 says the number of attacks designed to incite hatred of Protestants 'purely due to their beliefs' in Turkey's local, national and social media outlets had seriously increased during Brunson's arrest, jailing and two-year trial. According to World Watch Monitor, the report said the Protestants' 150 congregations watched the US pastor's case 'with great sadness and concern' and were disturbed by Turkish media's repeated practice of linking churches and individual Christians with terror organisations, without providing any substantiating evidence. Accusations by secret false witnesses against Brunson were 'reported as if they were true', and local and national publications refused to allow the slandered churches and individuals their constitutional right of reply or correction. Media also published names, personal details, photographs and specific church activities openly in breach of data protection laws, the report said, targeting both Protestant churches and their members in direct news reports. One Protestant church member, accused by a national newspaper of supporting a terrorist organisation after he visited a church in the eastern city of Van, lost a number of business contracts. Other Protestants attempted legal action against the 'insidious propaganda' linked to the Brunson case without success. The TAPC report said Protestants were particularly concerned because the tone of media coverage was similar to that of 12 years ago before the 2007 torture and murder of three Christians in Malatya, southeast Turkey. It also reiterates other problems faced by Turkish Protestants, including the difficulty of registering places of world and prohibitions on seminaries. The government has yet to acknowledge TAPC, formed in 2009 as the representative Protestant institutional body. Vatican is to investigate Cardinal George Pell over sex abuse conviction The case of jailed Australian Cardinal George Pell is to be investigated by the Vatican, a spokesman said yesterday. Pell was jailed yesterday following the announcement of a verdict in his trial for sexually abusing children. He is due to be sentenced on March 13 on five charges relating to offences against two 13-year-old boys in the 1990s when he was archbishop of Melbourne. Pell has continued to maintain his innocence and plans to appeal against the verdict. He is a former head of the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy, though his term ended on February 24. The interim director of the Vatican press office, Alessandro Gisotti, said: 'After the guilty verdict in the first instance concerning Cardinal Pell, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith will now handle the case following the procedure and within the time established by canonical norm.' While a final verdict in Pell's case will not be given until the result of his appeal is known, possible penalties include dismissal from the clerical state and a life of prayer and penance. Pell's conviction is the latest in a string of abuse scandals to hit the Church, coming closely after the dismissal of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. 5 minutes with... The Collector 4 by Adrian Ghenie Cristian Albu, Christies Co-Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, discusses this depiction of Hermann Goring on his deathbed by the Romanian artist Adrian Ghenie the fourth and final work in a dark and devastating series Adrian Ghenie (b. 1977) has never shied away from confronting the big figures in history both good and bad. The subjects of his paintings include Josef Stalin, Vincent van Gogh, the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, and the Nazi physician Josef Mengele. At 2015s Venice Biennale, he dedicated a whole pavilion to Charles Darwin. Ghenie is inspired by big personalities, by people whove changed the course of civilisation, says Cristian Albu, Co-Head of Post-War & Contemporary Art at Christies London. His works always have a story to tell, and the historical figures are an entry point for viewers into those stories. In The Collector 4, which is offered in the Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Auction on 6 March, the subject is Hermann Goring. In this large-format oil painting the Nazi Reichsmarschall can be seen on his deathbed in a dimly lit chamber, the pose based on a photograph taken shortly after his suicide in 1946. The title refers to the fact that, beyond politics, Goring had been an avid art collector, who owned more than 4,000 works by the end of the Second World War many of them looted. The Collector 4 duly features a large, Picasso-like canvas (featuring a bull), up against which Gorings head seems to rest. It is the fourth and final work in a series called The Collector, the other three all showing the German alive, well and admiring his art. Its a dark and devastating image, says Albu, the culmination of a dark and devastating series. How are we to reconcile Gorings appreciation and affinity for painting when he felt no empathy or sympathy whatsoever for other human beings human beings whose deaths he sanctioned in such huge numbers? How could such an evil spirit have it in his soul to be moved by art? Its part of Ghenies genius to present us with a conundrum such as this. The sense of conundrum is also reflected in the way the artist employs his paint. Several passages of the composition are abstract, most notably the wall on the left, down which pigment drips like molten lava. Ghenie is fond of using a tool called the squeegee: a rectangular sheet of Perspex, which he scrapes across the surface of a picture while the recently applied paint is still wet. Its main effect is to blur, which often renders a scene or its elements spectral, such as is the case with Gorings face. Theres an awareness that Adrian Ghenie is the torch-bearer for painting in the 21st century Cristian Albu This is anything but a clear, straightforward picture, Albu maintains. The switches from figurative to abstract leave you asking, as a viewer, what actually is it you are looking at, as well as wondering how it is we process images of famous figures from history. The leading exponent of the squeegee in contemporary art is Gerhard Richter, although its another painter with whom Ghenies images are most readily associated: Francis Bacon. The Irish-born British painter specialised in isolated, human figures with violently distorted features and skin that appears to be melting before our eyes, much as Gorings does in The Collector 4. Ghenie was born in Romania during the [24-year] Ceausescu regime, says Albu. He saw the bad side of totalitarian rule, and in Bacon he found examples of demonised humanity that resonated with him. Ghenie was one of a number of Romanian artists who emerged in the wake of Ceausescus fall in 1989, and the failed governments that followed. According to Albu, upheaval served as a catalyst for young painters to express their sorrows and frustrations in art. Sign up today Christie's Online Magazine delivers our best features, videos, and auction news to your inbox every week Subscribe At 82, is Arpita Singh the next really big thing in Indian art? Her prices are definitely appreciating, says specialist Nishad Avari of the octogenarian artist, whose dream-like watercolours and oil paintings have drawn comparisons with Marc Chagall. Illustrated with works previously sold at Christies The standard-bearer for narrative art in India Born in West Bengal in 1937, 10 years before the Partition of India, Arpita Singh is now widely considered one of her countrys premier contemporary artists. Her oil paintings and watercolours are renowned for the tantalising stories they tell, often from a female perspective. Shes the standard-bearer for narrative art in India today a narrative tradition that dates back centuries to miniature painting, explains Nishad Avari, Indian art specialist at Christies in New York. Shes undoubtedly the standard-bearer for women artists in India, too. Now in her eighties, Singh has been the subject of a major retrospective at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in Delhi. Her work can also be found in the collections of institutions worldwide, including the V&A in London and Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. In 2011, Singh was awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of the highest honours bestowed on civilians by the Indian state. Comparisons with Chagall, allusions to Indian mythology Her art is never overtly feminist or autobiographical. Instead, it tends to be allusive and dreamlike, featuring free-floating, gravity-defying figures in the manner of Marc Chagall. Often it alludes to Indian mythology, as with Ashvamedha (2008), below, a triptych that appeared in the South Asian Modern & Contemporary Art sale at Christies New York in March 2019. The title references an old Vedic ritual of horse sacrifice, in which a stallion was allowed to roam free for a year, leading kings to new territories to conquer, before being killed. Arpita Singh (b. 1937), Ashvamedha, painted in 2008. 60 x 108 in (152.4 x 275.6 cm). Sold for $287,500 on 20 March 2019 at Christies in New York The action isnt too easily deciphered but to the right one can make out male figures on motorcycles and horseback advancing to attack a territory of skeletal, female figures to the left. Theres so much going on in Ashvamedha, as there is in all Singhs paintings, says Avari. Shes incredibly meticulous and detailed, which is partly the product of her early-career training in the kantha weaving method. After graduating in fine arts from Delhi Polytechnic, Singh worked for four years designing textiles at the government-sponsored Weavers Service Centre. It was there that she learned traditional methods of embroidery, including the highly treasured Bengali type known as kantha. Essentially, this involved building up rich patterns from tiny, individual stitches, like the brushstrokes in an Impressionist painting, says the specialist. It would have a clear impact on the sense of patterning we see in her paintings of the decades to come. Singh is in the vanguard of Indias second generation of modernists Singh was a leading figure in Indias second generation of modernists, alongside the likes of Rameshwar Broota and Jogen Chowdury. They were all born just before, or during, the Second World War and came of age in the late 1960s. They werent a movement as such, Avari says, but were united by their dedication to narrative painting. The artists arrived on the scene in the wake of the Progressive Artists Group, which had been founded by M.F. Husain, F.N. Souza, S.H. Raza and K.H. Ara in 1947. These figures are considered the first generation of Indian artists to have embraced modernism. [M.F. Husains Battle of Ganga and Jamuna: Mahabharata 12 realised $1.6 million at Christies New York in 2008, and S.H. Razas Saurashtra realised 2.4 million in 2010.] From surrealist landscapes to abstraction: three clear periods in Singhs career Singh is known for her exuberant colours, especially bright pinks and blues, as well as for applying her paint in thick impasto. Theres often more than a hint of unease in her scenes, too. Sometimes this is achieved through menacing symbols such as guns and tanks. At other times, its through the creation of a strange atmosphere, such as that in her 1986 painting Women with Boats and Ducks (Painting 1), above, where a female figure can be seen floating on her back in uncertain waters. Frail or exposed female bodies usually naked are commonplace in Singhs art: in the 1994 watercolour Girl in White, for example, which also came to auction in March 2019. Arpita Singh (b. 1937), Girl in White, executed in 1994. 19 x 14 in (50.5 x 35.3 cm). Sold for $15,000 on 20 March 2019 at Christies in New York Broadly speaking, Singhs career can be broken down into three phases: a formative period, in the early 1970s, featuring surrealist landscapes such as Beginning of the Festival; a detour into abstraction from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, with works such as Untitled; and, finally and most durably, one of narrative scenes focusing heavily on female subjects, such as the aforementioned Women with Boats and Ducks (Painting 1) from the mid-1980s to the present day. It is works from the final period for which shes most famous and that generally achieve the highest prices. The market for Singhs work is growing According to Avari, it was around a decade ago that the Progressive Artists Group reached an unprecedented peak in terms of market and non-market recognition. It seems were now approaching a similar peak with Arpita Singh and her peers, Avari maintains. Her prices are definitely appreciating: Singhs auction record stands at $2.24 million. The Delhi retrospective and a recently published monograph suggest shes now being taken very seriously after 50-plus years of a dedicated career. Sign up today The Online Magazine delivers the best features, videos, and auction news to your inbox every week Subscribe 5 minutes with... An important drawing by Gustav Klimt A sister work to this study for a gorgon in the Beethoven Frieze in Vienna has recently been promoting a Klimt exhibition in London. Its appearance at Christies on 28 February could not have been better timed, says specialist Ottavia Marchitelli When you work as a specialist at Christies, you dont really get to choose what comes in through the door, observes Ottavia Marchitelli, Head of Works on Paper in the Impressionist and Modern Art department. But if you had asked me six months ago what I would love to fall on my desk, it would have been this. The picture in question is a black chalk drawing on cream paper of a female nude by Gustav Klimt (1862-1918), and is a preliminary study for his biggest ever work and career crescendo the 7 ft high, 112 ft wide Beethoven Frieze created in 1902 for the Viennese Secession building, where the 14th Secession exhibition celebrated the 75th anniversary of the death of the German composer. The Royal Academy in London recently held an exhibition of drawings from the Albertina Collection in Vienna by Klimt and his contemporary, Egon Schiele. The show had everybody buzzing, says the specialist, but the one thing that really took people by surprise was the quality of Klimts draughtsmanship. Since then Ive been talking to clients about Klimts drawings non-stop. The Royal Academy chose another of Klimts nude drawings for the cover of the exhibition catalogue and the poster image for the advertising campaign. That image and this one, which are the exact same size, are studies for two of the three gorgons in the Beethoven Frieze, Marchitelli explains. The frieze was based on Beethovens 9th Symphony and celebrated humankinds quest for happiness in a suffering world. Its why both these women are rendered with such incredible sensuality, continues Marchitelli. Theyre femmes fatales who represent the sinister side of life and are convulsed with lust, madness and death. Its no wonder that this sketch appeals to keen Klimt collectors it captures the essence of his darker side Ottavia Marchitelli This drawing was originally acquired directly from Klimt by his patron, the Austrian entrepreneur and collector Carl Reininghaus, who in 1903 also purchased the entirety of the Beethoven Frieze, which had originally been slated for destruction after the show. Reininghaus then sold both the drawing and the Beethoven Frieze to the Czech industrialist August Lederer in 1915. Klimt painted several works for Lederer, including portraits of his wife and his daughter. In 1938 much of Lederers collection, including the frieze, was seized by the Nazis, but was returned to his son Erich after the war. In 1972 Erich sold the frieze to the Austrian state, which eventually put it back on public display, and in 1985 this drawing passed from Erich Lederers estate into another private collection. I imagine the owner of this picture realised that now was the perfect time to sell, says specialist Ottavia Marchitelli The drawing has changed hands between at least three more esteemed collectors since then, including the Polish art dealer Jan Krugier and philanthropist Antal de Bekessy, a director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Sign up today The Online Magazine delivers the best features, videos, and auction news to your inbox every week Subscribe WASHINGTON - The Environmental Protection Agency is moving quickly to raise the maximum allowable ethanol concentration in gasoline in time for summer, says acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. Speaking at an event hosted by the Department of Agriculture on Wednesday, Wheeler said, "we are working hard to get it done before summer driving season; please ignore reports we're going to miss the summer driving season," according to the website AgriPulse. FUEL FIGHT: With flood of EPA waivers, refineries find way around ethanol mandate The Trump administration has proposed raising the maximum allowable concentration of ethanol from 10 percent to 15 percent - thereby allowing year round sale of the fuel known as E-15, which currently can not be sold in summer. It is part of a larger plan by President Donald Trump to reduce onus on refineries to meet the more than decade-old mandate ethanol be blended into the nation's fuel supply while not hurting the midwestern corn farmers whose crops feed ethanol production. Wheeler's statement followed a comment earlier in the day by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue that EPA would not be able to complete the rule-making procedures in time for the summer driving season. That drew condemnation from the Renewable Fuels Association, whose president, Geoff Cooper, called a possible delay a "gut punch." "The American ethanol industry and farmers across the country have suffered greatly as a result of former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's efforts to destroy demand for renewable fuels and undermine the effectiveness of the Renewable Fuel Standard," he said in a statement. "That is why President Trump's promise last October to allow year-round sales of E15 by this summer was met with such enthusiasm and appreciation." But in opening up the sale of E-15, EPA faces legal barriers, said Frank Maisano, a consultant with the law firm Bracewell, which represents refineries. "What likely seems to be slowing things down might be the hoops the agency may have to jump through to attempt to have its E15 policy be legal," he said in an email. Houston engineering, procurement and construction company KBR has landed a design contract for liquefied natural gas export terminal planned along the Pacific Coast of Mexico. KBR announced on Thursday that Mexico Pacific Limited awarded the Houston service company a contract or Pre-Front End Engineering Design, or Pre-FEED, services for an medium-sized LNG liquefaction plant planned in Puerto Libertad, Sonora. "We are excited to be a part of this Mexico Pacific Limited LNG project and to deliver innovative LNG technology solutions for our customers," KBR President of Hydrocarbons Delivery Solutions Farhan Mujib said in a statement. "We believe midscale LNG projects have an important part to play in the global LNG market." Service Sector: KBR lands contract to support expansion of Exxon Mobil refinery Located along the Pacific Coast about 250 miles southwest of the border town of Nogales, the Puerto Libertad facility is permitted to produced up to 12 million metric tons of LNG per year. Described as a midscale plant, the export terminal plans to take natural gas from the Permian Basin of West Texas and ship it to Puerto Libertad via an existing natural gas pipeline. Under its contract, KBR will provide Pre-FEED services and a cost estimate for the project. The plant will be using equipment made by ConocoPhillips to supercool natural gas and convert into a liquid form that is easier to transport via tankers to customers around the world. "We look forward to working with an LNG industry leader in KBR, and continuing our efforts to provide a world class project with best in class delivered pricing for our Asian buyers," Mexico Pacific Limited President Josh Loftus said in a statement. "The contract continues a broader competitive process with FEED expected to start mid-2019." Fuel Fix: Get daily energy news headlines in your inbox With roots going as far back as 1901, KBR was created by the 1998 merger of M.W. Kellogg with Brown & Root Engineering and Construction. Oilfield service giant Halliburton bought Brown & Root in December 1962 with KBR remaining a subsidiary of Halliburton until April 2007. More than 10 years later, KBR remains an independent service company that employs more than 36,000 people in 40 nations. Texas patients would be removed from the middle of fights between insurers and health care providers, and the longstanding practice of balance billing would be curbed under legislation filed Thursday. "Enough is enough," said state Sen. Kelly Hancock at a press conference to announce the bi-partisan measure. Hancock filed the measure along with state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio. Hancock, a Republican from Fort Worth, has battled a medical business practice called balancing billing for a decade and was the architect behind the state's mediation process for disputed bills. RELATED: Decade of promises fails to halt surprise medical bills crushing thousands of Texans While the mediation has been successful, when implemented, only a tiny percentage of Texas patients hit with surprise medical bills are eligible or know how to use it. In part that is because patients have to initiate the process, consumer advocates say. The proposed legislation would remove patients from the center of mediation, forcing insurers and providers to resolve battles over billing disputes on their own. "It takes the burden off patients, it takes it off their plate completely," Hancock said. Patients will still be responsible for out-of-pocket costs such as co-pays and deductibles. But the proposed legislation, could signal an end to balance billing in situations, especially in emergency rooms, where the patients have no control over who treats them and health care providers' insurance status. Texas has one of the worst records in the nation for surprise balance billing, especially in cases where a patient goes to an in-network emergency room, but is treated a contracted doctor who is not part of the network. Under the current system, the out-of-network doctor is allowed to bill separately and shift onto patients any or all of the charge that insurance does not pay. RELATED: Blindsided: Patients squeezed in feud between doctors, insurance companies Hancock said the legislation will also allow plans not currently eligible for mediation to opt-in. Exxon Mobil said Thursday it made a potentially major natural gas discovery offshore of the island nation of Cyprus in the geopolitical tinderbox that is the Eastern Mediterranean. Exxon Mobil said it found gas at its Glaucus-1 exploration well that could represent a natural gas resource discovery of about 5 trillion to 8 trillion cubic feet of gas. The exploration success came after Exxon failed to find any commercial gas volumes at its first test well in the region. "These are encouraging results in a frontier exploration area," said Steve Greenlee, president of Exxon Mobil exploration. "The potential for this newly discovered resource to serve as an energy source for regional and global markets will be evaluated further." The idea is for the Eastern Mediterranean to serve as a major gas source for Europe to help nations reduce their reliance on supplies from Russia. RELATED: As oil companies expand into Mediterranean, tensions build However, the Cyprus find comes near the borders of oft-debated water boundaries surrounding Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Egypt. Turkey, especially, disputes international boundaries with Cyprus and has previously issued a warning to Exxon Mobil. Turkey and Cyprus have a long history of conflict. Elsewhere in the region, Houston's Noble Energy is leading gas developments offshore of Israel, while Italy's Eni is building out production from Egypt. Exxon Mobil's exploration block offshore of Cyprus is composed of more than 635,000 acres. Qatar's state energy company holds a 40 percent stake in the block along with Exxon's majority control. Struggling oilfield service company Weatherford International has closed on the third of four deals to sell its drilling rigs in the Middle East and North Africa. Weatherford closed a $60 million deal on Wednesday afternoon to sell four of the company's drilling rigs in the North African nation of Algeria. Headquartered in Switzerland but with a large presence in Houston, Weatherford has been selling its Middle Eastern drilling rig subsidiary Precision Drilling Services Saudi Arabia, or PDSSA, to Dubai-based ADES International Holding Ltd. in phases. ADES agreed to buy PDSSA in a $287.5 million deal that was announced July. Structured into a series of four closings, the first deal closed in November and the second one closed in December. In this round, PDSSA sold the rigs, 350 employees and customer contracts to ADES. Financial Woes: As Weatherford slides deeper in red, CEO rules out bankruptcy The asset sale is the latest divestiture for the struggling oilfield service company, which posted a $2.8 billion loss on roughly $5.6 billion of revenue in 2018. Enduring some 17 consecutive quarters of losses, Weatherford has not made a profit since the third quarter of 2014 when a crude oil price downturn dragged down the entire U.S. oil and natural gas industry. Fuel Fix: Get daily energy news headlines in your inbox As of New Year's Day, the company employs 26,500 people in 80 nations. The figure marks a nine percent drop from the 29,200 employees in 2017. If you have been thinking about visiting the Rothko Chapel soon, youll need to make it real soon. Starting Monday, the landmark Houston art and spiritual site, which holds 14 monumental paintings by Mark Rothko, will close for a renovation project that will take all year to complete. There will be a new face on the Humble ISD board of trustees. After 12 years of serving on the school board, position 2 member Keith Lapeze has decided not to seek re-election for the upcoming election on May 4. Four candidates have set their eyes on becoming a new trustee on the Humble ISD school board. The candidates, who are listed below, each participated in a Q&A with the Observer. The candidates responses have been listed in alphabetical order. Janie Branham, a former Houston ISD teacher and principal Ryan Engolio, an engineering supervisor at Superior Energy Services Nikki Roux, vice president and chief nursing officer at Memorial Hermann Northeast Robert Scarfo, director of credit services at Insperity Why did you decide to run for position 2? Branham: I am a former teacher and principal with 14 year-old twins in Humble ISD middle school. I have always been dedicated to education. I am a full time mom and have the time to serve on the school board. I can devote my time and expertise to Humble ISD without conflict. I am not doing this to benefit anyone but the children in the district. My only priority is the children in the schools and preparing them to be successful in their future. Engolio: As a parent with children currently enrolled in the district, I want to get more involved in their education, the processes that guide their education and the opportunities that are available for all of the children in the district. Roux: The reason I am motivated to run for Position 2 on the Humble ISD school board is related to a desire to serve at a greater level in the community in which I live. I have contemplated running for a position over the last few years when there have been open positions. And now seems to be a great time to do so. Scarfo: There are several reasons why I have chosen to run for the Humble ISD School Board. Chief among them our three grandsons, Jake, Beckham and Bruce. Two are attending school in the district, with the third soon to follow. We are losing the services of a very experienced and very competent board member. My financial skills and overall business acumen will again benefit the district as we continue to face a growing and diverse student population, limited state funding, and the need to add new campuses and rebuild others over the next few years. Elections: Carney challenged by Twomey for Humble ISD board What kind of experience would you bring that could benefit Humble ISD? Branham: I am a former teacher, principal, television talk show host, and business manager in the Houston Independent School District. While I was principal of Crespo Elementary the teachers and students attained an exemplary rating from the Texas Education Agency. As a TV talk show host, I was able to raise millions of dollars for underprivileged students and created over 100 business-school partnerships. I retired as an educator to set aside more time on raising my twins. Engolio: My professional career has afforded me opportunities to develop skills that include contract review and negotiations, production scheduling, project management and research and development skill sets as well teaching these skills to others. I believe these skills would be an asset to the district. Roux: My past experiences align with the goals of the school district. I have worked in healthcare for 25 years with the last 14 years dedicated to hospital administration. Caring for a vulnerable population by creating patient and family centered experiences while ensuring that we are delivering high quality, cost effective care has been a focus in my everyday role for many years. I was blessed to be able to participate in the Principal for a Day program with an Humble ISD Middle School Principle a few years back, and it helped me to realize that my role as a healthcare leader wasnt that different than an education leader. Education leaders care for a vulnerable population that needs to have student/family centric attention while maintaining high quality and good financial stewardship. Scarfo: My proven track record during my prior school board service makes me uniquely qualified to fill this void. I will not be faced with the typical learning curve. Are there any issues within the school board you feel should be addressed? Branham: As a Hispanic that is fluent in Spanish and other languages and a person who is experienced in educating minority children, I can be an effective arbitrator for many parents who have concerns about their children. Parents cannot feel disconnected in a successful school district. Often, when concerns arise the only issue that needs to be resolved is effective communication. I can help parents, teachers and other board members by providing this vital need. Engolio: Communication is an issue that I would like to be actively involved with in the ISD. From my own experiences, I feel the communication abilities of the ISD with parents could be improved. Roux: There are several schools within Humble ISD that are currently recognized with the US News and World Reports as some of the best schools in the state. That speaks volumes to the work that the Humble ISD leaders and school board have done in prioritizing outcomes for our students. My goal would be to continue to contribute to and build upon these successes. Scarfo: No, I believe the current board operates effectively and efficiently. What are your top priorities for Humble ISD? Branham: Our biggest issue is providing first class schools in a district that is experiencing tremendous growth. Research shows that large overcrowded schools have much higher drop out and absence rates. Unsuccessful schools are not only bad for children, they are bad for property values, and they are bad for area crime rates. That means that new schools are very important, and hiring great teachers to teach in them is very important. We have to respond to what will happen in the coming years, not just react to our current situation. Engolio: Communication, accessibility, student safety and college readiness. Roux: Top priorities for Humble ISD from my perspective include planning for safety in our schools as well as planning for and embracing an ever growing population in the existing and newly established areas of the Lake Houston area. Scarfo: In my opinion, the biggest challenges facing the district will continue to be a growing and diverse student population and adequate state funding for operations and facilities. These challenges primarily drive all others: Attracting and retaining the best personnel in all areas of the organization. Providing quality professional development. This must continue to be of the game-changer caliber it has become, which in turn drives impactful curriculum and ultimately student learning. Continuing to be proactive in our approach to campus safety. Providing a safe and secure learning environment is and will continue to be of utmost importance. The district has made great strides by employing physical protections, staff/student training, and coordination with law enforcement at all levels. Best practices will continually be reviewed against current policy. Continuing to promote a clear after high school career path, partnering with our business community and higher education institutions to assist students in identifying career opportunities. Advocating for our SPED students, ensuring adequate resources for one of our most vulnerable student populations. Planning for additions, expansions and refurbishments/replacements of physical plant. Staying ahead of the building curve, managing it with great precision due to limited capital and operating funds. Ensuring the best of class technology infrastructure, not just for the sake of technology but choosing proven platforms for both infrastructure backbones and classroom utilization. Sustaining sound fiscal management will always be a great challenge due to the Districts heavily weighted residential property tax component. Must strive for the biggest bang for the buck. The District should never continue a program that doesnt drive the desired return on investment, be it a qualitative or quantitative return. kaila.contreras@chron.com 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. With education finance at the forefront of the 2019 legislative session, school districts across the Houston area could soon be tasked with increasing teacher salaries as much as $5,000 by the 2019-20 school year. Senate Bill 3 calls for the pay raise and was approved by the Senate Finance Committee on Monday. The bill has yet to pass the full Senate still, according to a previous Chronicle article. The minimum salary for a full-time public school teacher with no experience is $28,080 for a 10-month contract, while a teacher with 20 years or more experience is currently paid a minimum of $45,510, according to the Texas Education Agency and the previous Chronicle article. Teacher salaries were included as a major factor that ranked top school districts across the Houston area from a 2019 report by data education website Niche. Of the top 15 districts included in the report, teacher salaries ranged from about $48,000 to $55,000. 2019 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: Teachers may be getting $5,000 pay hike Niche compiled its ranking based off of U.S. Department of Education data and the National Center for Education Statistics. Aside from teacher salaries, districts were ranked based off of a set of factors that include the percentage of teachers in their first or second year, teacher tenure, teacher absenteeism, student-teacher ratios and student and parent-submitted reviews of the districts. The 2019 report dubbed Deer Park ISD as the No. 1 district in the Houston area for teachers. On average, teachers there earn $54,343 while the district boasts a 17:1 student-to-teacher ratio. According to Niche, as the No. 1 rated district, Deer Park offers the highest average teacher salary except for Accelerated Intermediate Academy, which was ranked No. 6. See the best places to teach in Houston according to Niche, in the photos above... NOTE: The "overall Niche grade" provided does not constitute the definitive ranking for each district. This grade is an overall score of the different factors schools were ranked by. Different factors had different weights, thus a No. 1 district could still receive a lower overall Niche grade than a district with a lower ranking. Rebecca Hennes covers community news. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | rebecca.hennes@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message It may seem like time has stopped a loved one is in cardiac arrest and help is on the way. But, for thousands of Montgomery County residents trained in CPR by the Montgomery County Health District, the time can be put to better use than panicking. Youre always going to have a time between a phone call and the knock on the door saying help is here, Outreach Coordinator Ashton Herring said. MCHD offers more than 50 trainings open to the public every year, varying from basic life support CPR and AED training for health professionals to hands-only CPR a quick, basic class equally as effective as CPR within the first few minute a patient is in cardiac arrest. CPR is an emergency medical procedure performed on a person suffering from cardiac arrest the hearts failure to effectively pump blood in an effort to maintain oxygen flow to the brain and organs until more advanced measures are taken by first responders. Hands-only CPR and CPR classes differ in the depths of what is taught in hands-only, the student learns compression techniques that can help teens and adults, but arent effective for children or infants and they dont earn a certification. CPR training takes longer, around two or three hours, Herring said, and combines breaths and compressions to allow more oxygen to circulate the body. CPR certification is also necessary for jobs that require an in-depth knowledge and can be used on younger patients suffering from cardiac arrest. Either way, MCHD Clinical Manager Jordan Anderson said, early detection and action is key. Every minute delay in getting CPR decreases survival by 10 percent, Anderson said. The national average survival rate for a patient in cardiac arrest who receives CPR is 10 percent. In Montgomery County, the average is 5 percent higher, likely due to the fact that MCHDs 911 operators are trained in emergency medical dispatch and, on average, are able to walk a caller with no CPR experience through hands-only CPR in 75 seconds, Anderson said. Still, more than just the basic knowledge is key in saving a life, should the occasion arise. Seventy percent of cardiac arrests happen in the home and, nationally, a person suffering from one outside of a hospital has a 40 percent chance of receiving CPR from a bystander or a loved one, increasing their chances of survival. These are people you love and care about, Herring said. Its unlikely someone will know CPR if you dont. In 2018, the Montgomery County Hospital District offered 50 Heartsaver CPR/AED, Heartsaver First Aid, Basic Life Support CPR/AED and Pediatric CPR and First Aid classes sanctioned by the American Heart Association, training more than 700 citizens in what it takes to keep a person alive in the key minutes until paramedics arrive. In the realm of what we do, we work really hard to make the ambulances faster, Herring said. But, at some point, you have to weigh speed versus safety. To get the word out about trainings, the hospital district uses social and traditional media, visits to community groups and word of mouth to spread the importance of being knowledgeable in CPR in Febraury 2018, MCHD partnered with The Woodlands Township to challenge individual villages in how many residents they could get trained in hands-only CPR. By the end of the event in April, 45 20-minute training events held in all nine villages educated more than 1,000 residents. It really served to teach the masses in a short period of time, Herring said. The American Heart Association updates the course curriculum for CPR training is updated every five years the next one is due in 2020, but Anderson and Herring said they dont expect any major developments. Still, consistency plays a big role, Herring said. CPR certifications only last two years and most people dont have to use it in the real world within that time frame. CPR doesnt guarantee the survival of a patient, but it certainly increases their chances. We just want to encourage people to get out and learn and make their communities safer, Herring said. mrincon@chron.com The Montgomery County Hospital District Board of Directors on Tuesday approved the purchase of a property on West Semands Street that will become Station 15 serving central Conroe by 2020. The 10,000-square foot lot at 811 W Semands St. includes a one-story, 3,375-square foot home, which will be remodeled to suit paramedics needs. The project, budgeted for $1 million by CEO Randy Johnson as part of his $7.5 million plan to build, renovate or replace eight stations by 2024, will include the addition of an ambulance bay to the property. As of press time, its unclear how much the purchase will actually be, but the property was valued at almost $86,000 in 2018, according to the Montgomery Central Appraisal District. The hospital district is set to close on the property Thursday. Related: Montgomery County Hospital District plans new stations, renovations by 2024 CEO Randy Johnson reported to the board that the stroke care training partnership between the hospital district and Houston Methodist The Woodlands is underway. "Stroke care is improving dramatically around the county," Johnson said. MCHD Medical Director Robert Dickson and neurosurgeon Sabih Effendis program includes educating MCHDs paramedics on immediate care on patients suffering from a large vessel occlusion stroke one of the most destructive and producing a video series for further distribution to other paramedic agencies across southeast Texas. Johnson reported that filming of the videos is about halfway through production filming is due to end on March 15 and the videos should be ready for distribution by the summer. Related: Montgomery County Hospital District launches new stroke care program Outgoing EMS Chief Jared Cosper reported that two Horton ambulances have been in service in Willis and The Woodlands. The ambulances are the first in the 54 hybrid vehicles set to eventually replace the hospital districts fleet. Two more are expected to be delivered this month from the Horton plant in Ohio. The board also approved the $25,000 purchase of 24 new Zoll AED Plus devices to add to its arsenal of more than 200 defibrillators. The devices, set to roll out over the next year, are in addition to the Phillips AEDs the hospital district uses in its squad cars, stations and ambulances. mrincon@chron.com A Texas inmate filed suit this week against four prison officials and a warden who allegedly conspired to plant screwdrivers in his cell, then write him up for a disciplinary infraction. The four former Ramsey Unit officials named in the federal claim by prisoner Neil Giese have already been indicted on felony tampering charges, and one pleaded guilty last year in exchange for probation. To have law you have to have order, said Gieses attorney, John LaGrappe, but if youre going to have order you have to have the people with authority and power do their job in an honest way and respect that authority and power. The evidence-planting allegations first emerged publicly last June, even as some of the officials were already under scrutiny for their involvement in a short-lived disciplinary quota system uncovered by the Houston Chronicle. For a matter of weeks, officers were ordered to turn in a certain number of inmate disciplinary cases or face consequences themselves, a directive from top brass laid out in emails obtained through a public records request. RELATED: 70-year-old Waco man convicted of killing in-laws scheduled for execution At first, it appeared that the motive for the evidence-planting may have been connected to the quotas though authorities later clarified that the two were unconnected, even though some of the same ranking officers were wrapped up in both. Gieses problems at the unit began in 2014, when he started filing repeated grievances over inadequate medical care. As his complaints stacked up and his medical problems went unresolved, prison guards allegedly began retaliating by refusing medical care and taking away privileges. At one point, according to his attorney, officers wrote up a bogus disciplinary case accusing him of getting drugs in the prison. BREAKING NEWS UPDATES: Get your Houston breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox. In late 2017, Sherry Templin Gieses mother started contacting prison officials to tell them about the alleged retaliation against her son. In the months that followed, prison officials rebuffed the womans complaints and denied any retaliation, according to the lawsuit. Then in May, Officer George Wolfe allegedly planted two screwdrivers under Gieses mattress. His cellmate, Jason Hamilton, watched the whole thing, according to the lawsuit. Afterward, officials tried to get Giese to sign paperwork admitting the contraband tools were his. Whats the big deal? I dropped the case, Warden Virgil McMullen allegedly said later, indicating that hed tossed the disciplinary charge connected to the screwdrivers. According to the lawsuit, he told Giese to let it go. But Giese and his mother did not let it go, and went to the Office of the Inspector General with their complaints. Then, a little over a week after the alleged set-up, news broke of the disciplinary quotas. The prison system launched an audit the results of which theyve since refused to release and found quotas at three other units. Afterward, officials tossed out more than 600 disciplinary cases, demoted several officers and promised to revise prison policies to explicitly ban the use of disciplinary quotas. Now, more than eight months later, however, they have changed the employee manual but have yet to amend policies. In June, Giese was transferred to another prison, the nearby Stringfellow Unit in Rosharon. Though he has a murder charge, Giese was housed with sex offenders, a move he viewed as further retaliation. Also, he wasnt able to continue the college programs he had started at Ramsey Unit. The following month, the four officers were indicted for felony tampering with governmental records and misdemeanor oppression. Sgt. Marcos Gallegos pleaded guilty to a felony in December, and the other three cases are still winding through the court system. McMullen was demoted and transferred for unrelated reasons, according to state records. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice declined to comment, and attorneys for the four indicted officers did not return phone calls from the Chronicle. keri.blakinger@chron.com NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. In an effort to curb human trafficking in the county, the Fort Bend County Sheriffs Office has established a dedicated phone line for people to call if they suspect the crime is happening. According to a news release from the Sheriffs Office, The FBI states human trafficking is believed to be the third largest criminal activity in the world. The Fort Bend County Sheriffs Office will aggressively pursue investigations of actions that are known to have relationships with human trafficking. The Sheriffs Office reports that in recent years it has conducted investigations into and made arrests at businesses where illegal sex acts have taken place and always follow up on any reported human trafficking complaints. We encourage anyone who has information to report it and we will use every resource at our disposal to ensure that anyone involved in the despicable action of trafficking humans is brought to justice, said Sheriff Troy Nehls. Nehls reported that residents have expressed concerns about human trafficking and even though there are national hotlines available to report activity area residents said they would feel more comfortable reporting information and concerns to a local resource. With that information, Nehls established a local number for anyone to call to provide information concerning any potential human trafficking. The number is (281) 341-3800. This number will be answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week and allows residents the opportunity to speak to someone to provide any information they may have so an investigation may be initiated. Also helping to combat the issue in Fort Bend County is Elijah Rising, which formed in 2012. It is one of many in the region dedicated to raising awareness of the issue and fighting human trafficking. Using escort service-type websites, volunteers can target Fort Bend County-area illicit massage parlors where women offer sexual favors for cash. Through intervention, prayer and bus tours, their goal is to show support to the women working in the parlors with small gifts and kindness in hopes that the woman will eventually leave. The women oftentimes do not see themselves as victims, Director Vanessa Forbes said. Also in Fort Bend County, Freedom Church Alliance trains churches to be actively engaged in fighting human trafficking, said Development and Operations Manager Allison Hankins. Weve hosted events in Sugar Land and are planning more to keep educating that community, Hankins said. In a previously published report, Rosenberg Police Department Assistant Chief Jarret Nethery said that with the city on U.S. 59 South, human trafficking definitely occurs in the area. The 59 corridor is a pipeline for the trafficking of illegal narcotics, guns, money and persons, Nethery said. Nethery, who was once a detective on the Internet Crimes Against Children task force in the Fort Bend County Sheriffs Office, said human trafficking is often underreported. If you dont have people going and flipping over those rocks, youre not going to find it, he said. If we were to encounter issues with human trafficking or suspected incidents of it, that would be our answer: to bring in regional resources such as Houstons Vice Division. Reporter Michelle Iracheta contributed to this report. rkent@hcnonline.com South Africa: Vote and have a say in the country's future This story has been published on: 2019-02-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Statement on the Cabinet meeting held on 27 February 2019 at Tuynhuys in Cape Town A. ISSUES IN THE ENVIRONMENT 1. 2019 Budget Speech 1.1. Cabinet welcomes the 2019 Budget Speech delivered by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni in Parliament, Cape Town on Wednesday, 20 February 2019, as a framework that has set South Africa... See more WASHINGTON President Donald Trumps longtime lawyer and fixer accused him on Wednesday of an expansive pattern of lies and criminality, offering a damning portrayal of life inside the presidents orbit where he said advisers sacrificed integrity for proximity to power. Michael D. Cohen, who represented Trump for a decade, laid out for Congress for the first time a series of deceptions by the president. He charged that Trump lied to the public about business interests in Russia, lied to reporters about stolen Democratic emails and told Cohen to lie about hush payments to cover up sexual misconduct. The accusations, aired at a daylong hearing before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, exposed a dark underside of Trumps business and political worlds in the voice of one of the ultimate insiders. Perhaps no close associate has turned on a president in front of Congress in such dramatic fashion and with such high stakes since John Dean testified against President Richard M. Nixon during the Watergate scandal. He is a racist. He is a con man. And he is a cheat, Cohen said of the president. Cohen, who has pleaded guilty to lying under oath to Congress, among other crimes, said he did so to protect Trump. I am not protecting Mr. Trump anymore, he said. While the details have been different, his portrait of the president broadly resembles those provided by others who have split with Trump, including former aides, business associates and even his onetime ghostwriter, who likewise have described a president who bullies, dissembles and cheats to serve his own interests. But it remained unclear whether Cohens testimony would change the political dynamics of a series of scandals that have already polarized Washington and the country and that could lead to an impeachment battle later this year. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, D-Md. and the committee chairman, said afterward that Trump may have committed a crime while in office, but Republicans were unmoved. Assailing Cohen as a proven liar, they denounced the hearing as a charade and an embarrassment for our country orchestrated by partisan Democrats seeking a pretext to try to remove Trump from office. Democrats said Republicans ran away from the truth as they sought to defend a corrupt president who has employed textbook mob tactics. The hearing took place while the president was halfway around the world in Vietnam for a meeting with North Koreas leader. His family and advisers expressed anger at the timing, arguing that Democrats were undercutting Trump during sensitive nuclear diplomacy for political gain. As with so many other moments of the Trump era, the hearing seemed to be as much about partisan theater as fact-finding. Democrats and Republicans set forth their conflicting narratives about the man who once served Trump, either as a duplicitous disgruntled former employee or a fallen sinner trying to redeem himself by coming clean. Through it all sat Cohen, 52, with dark circles under his puffy eyes, already tired from eight hours of testimony behind closed doors the day before and awaiting a three-year prison term that begins this spring. Apologizing repeatedly to his family, Cohen portrayed himself as a broken man brought down by hubris, at one point choking up and wiping tears from his eyes at the mention of the effect on his daughter. Through some five hours of nationally televised testimony, Cohen described his years working for Trump as a trip into a world of deceit in which the now-disbarred lawyer ignored his own conscience to get close to a magnetic person of power. Sitting here today, it seems unbelievable that I was so mesmerized by Donald Trump that I was willing to do things for him that I knew were absolutely wrong, Cohen said. When he met Trump, he knew him as a real estate giant and an icon at the center of the action. Being around Mr. Trump was intoxicating, he said. In private business, Cohen said he rationalized Trumps dishonesty as trivial but as president, he said, I consider it significant and dangerous. The presidents re-election campaign organization on Wednesday dismissed Cohen as a convicted perjurer who should not be trusted. This is the same Michael Cohen who has admitted that he lied to Congress previously, Kayleigh McEnany, the campaigns national press secretary, said in a statement. Why did they even bother to swear him in this time? Republicans on the committee aggressively challenged Cohen along the same lines. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the ranking Republican, called Cohen a fraudster, cheat, convicted felon and, in two months, a federal inmate. Jordan questioned Cohens motives in assailing Trumps character and actions, suggesting that the former lawyer was embittered because the new president did not bring him to Washington. You wanted to work in the White House " Jordan said. No, sir, Cohen replied. and you didnt get brought to the dance. I did not want to go to the White House, Cohen asserted. Eric Trump, one of the presidents sons, took issue with that on Twitter. Michael was lobbying EVERYONE to be Chief of Staff,' he wrote. It was the biggest joke in the campaign and around the office. Did he just perjure himself again? The hearing drew enormous interest on Capitol Hill, where Democrats last month took control of the House and are under pressure from their liberal base to take on Trump. The crowds were huge and the sense of drama palpable. Lawmakers of both parties listened raptly to Cohens 30-minute opening statement. Cohen laid out a series of actions by Trump that bolster previous accusations and news stories, presenting documents to corroborate his account, including copies of checks issued by the president or his trust that he said were reimbursements for $130,000 in hush payments Cohen made to Stormy Daniels, a pornographic film actress who alleged an affair with Trump. Cohen said that Trump, as a candidate, initiated the hush payment plan and, while president, arranged for 11 checks reimbursing the lawyer as part of a criminal scheme to violate campaign finance laws, a crime to which Cohen has pleaded guilty. After news reports about the payments in February 2018, Cohen told lawmakers, the president called and told him to say that Trump was not knowledgeable of these reimbursements and he wasnt knowledgeable of Cohens actions. Trump himself later told reporters he did not know about it. Trumps signature on a $35,000 check to Cohen, however, appeared to contradict that. Asked later by reporters if that meant Trump committed a crime while in office, Cummings said, Based on looking at the checks and listening to Mr. Cohen, it appears that he did. Trump likewise did not report the debt to Cohen on his annual financial disclosure statement in 2017, but did report paying it off on his 2018 form. Cohen told lawmakers Trump personally monitored negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, asking about it at least a half-dozen times between January and June 2016 even while running for president. Mr. Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it, Cohen said. He lied about it because he never expected to win. He also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions of dollars on the Moscow real estate project. In previous testimony before his prosecution, Cohen lied to Congress by saying negotiations ended in January 2016. Trump did not explicitly instruct him to lie to Congress, Cohen said, but through his actions he made clear to me that he wanted me to lie and the presidents lawyers reviewed and even edited Cohens false statement to Congress. Cohen said he had no direct evidence that Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia. But, he added, I have my suspicions. He pointed to the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower in which Donald Trump Jr., the candidates eldest son; Jared Kushner, his son-in-law; and Paul Manafort, the campaign chairman; met with visiting Russians after being told that they had dirt on Hillary Clinton from the Russian government. The president has denied knowing about the meeting, but Cohen cast doubt on that, saying he was in Trumps office one day in June 2016 when Donald Jr. came in, went behind his fathers desk and, speaking in a low voice, said, The meeting is all set. The candidate, he said, replied, OK, good. Let me know. Cohen said that might have referred to the Russia meeting because Mr. Trump had frequently told me and others that his son Don Jr. had the worst judgment of anyone in the world and that his son would never set up any meeting of significance alone and certainly not without checking with his father. Cohen also recalled being in Trumps office shortly before the Democratic National Convention in 2016 when Roger J. Stone Jr., a longtime adviser, called. Trump put him on speakerphone and Stone reported that he had just spoken with Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, who said that within a couple of days there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clintons campaign. In an interview with The New York Times last month, Trump denied speaking with Stone about WikiLeaks and the emails. Assanges lawyer issued a statement on Wednesday disputing Cohens account. The hearing left some questions unanswered and Democrats pledged to press for more details about the Russia investigation when he appears for a private interview on Thursday with the House Intelligence Committee. Cohen offered some tantalizing hints of more to come. Asked about his last conversation with Trump, he said he could not answer because it is being investigated right now by federal prosecutors in New York. Asked if he knew of other wrongdoing or crimes by Trump, he said, Yes. And again, those are part of the investigation. More generally, Cohen compared Trump to a mobster who inflated his net worth to the public while understating it to tax authorities, rigged an art auction using his charitable foundation and threatened those who got in his way. Cohen estimated Trump had asked him to threaten someone perhaps 500 times over 10 years, from berating a nasty reporter to warning of lawsuits. He provided letters he wrote during the campaign at Trumps direction to the presidents high school, colleges and the College Board threatening civil and criminal action if they released his grades or SAT scores. Cohen said Trump did not run for president to make the country great, instead calling his campaign the greatest infomercial in political history for his business. He never expected to win the primary, he said. He never expected to win the general election. The campaign, for him, was always a marketing opportunity. But now, he said, he fears that if Trump loses re-election next year, there will never be a peaceful transition of power. The former lawyer also described racist comments. Trump asked if he could name a country run by a black person that wasnt a shithole and, while driving through a struggling neighborhood, remarked that only African-Americans could live that way. He told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid, Cohen said. Except for one Trump skeptic, Republicans did not ask about the presidents conduct or, for that matter, offer any sustained defense of Trump. Instead, they pressed their argument that Cohen was not to be believed. They argued that he lied even in signing a committee form that did not disclose work for a bank in Kazakhstan. Youre a pathological liar, charged Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona. Are you referring to me or the president? Cohen retorted. Cohen suggested that Republicans were falling into the trap that he did, trading their honor for a president who did not deserve it. I did the same thing that youre doing now for 10 years, he said. I protected Mr. Trump for 10 years. This article originally appeared in The New York Times By Trend Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO) and Kazakhstan Railways will create a working group to develop cooperation, Trend reports citing the ASCO message. At a meeting in Baku, the sides discussed transport routes through the Caspian Sea and the territory of Azerbaijan, including the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). Chairman of ASCO Rauf Veliyev noted that the company is constantly updating its fleet and intends to continue this strategy to ensure the increasing volume of cargo transportation in the Caspian Sea. Head of Kazakhstan Railways Sauat Mynbayev, in turn, expressed interest in strengthening cooperation with ASCO. The parties agreed to continue cooperation in cargo transportation and logistics in the format of a working group. It should be noted that TITR is an international transport corridor connecting China with European countries. The TITR Coordination Committee includes railway, sea and port administrations, as well as logistics companies of 8 countries: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Georgia, Turkey, Ukraine, Poland and Romania. By 2020, it is planned to reach cargo transportation volume of 7-8 million tons through TITR. By Azernews By Leman Mammadova Cooperation between Azerbaijan Railways and Kazakhstan Railways was high on agenda during the talks held between Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways Javid Gurbanov and his Kazakh counterpart Sauat Mynbayev on February 27. During a bilateral meeting, Gurbanov said that there is great potential to improve the efficiency of transportation via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). Meanwhile, Gurbanov spoke about the projects being implemented by the Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, upcoming prospective tasks. He also stressed that there is great potential for increasing the efficiency of mutual coordination process via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. Chairman of Kazakhstan Railways Mynbayev spoke about future prospects of bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan Railways. The issues of increasing the volume of freight shipping between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan by railway, prospects for the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route were discussed at the meeting. Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping CJSC (ASCO) also held a meeting with a delegation led by Sauat Mynbayev visiting our country. The prospects of transport routes passing through the Caspian Sea and Azerbaijan, including the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, were discussed at the meeting. Chairman of Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping CJSC Rauf Valiyev gave detailed information about the ASCOs activity to Kazakh guests. Valiyev noted that the company is constantly updating its fleet and intends to continue this strategy to ensure the increasing volume of cargo transportation in the Caspian Sea. Chairman of the National Railway Company of Kazakhstan, in turn, underlined the strategic role of ASCO in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. The sides expressed their willingness to continue transport, logistics and bilateral cooperation in the format of working group. The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) was established in February 2014 with the participation of relevant agencies involved in cargo transportation of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Georgia. Then, Ukraine, Romania and Poland have joined the association. At present, this route extends from the Chinese-Kazakh border to the European countries, passing through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The corridor has defined a single transit route along the entire route, with the principle of "single window" and container trains are successfully transported through the route within this project. One of the most important achievements in improving the competitiveness of TITR is the commissioning of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway. It creates conditions for the growth of freight traffic between Europe and Asia, contributing to the development of cooperation and trade not only between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, but throughout the whole region of Eurasia. Providing the shortest rail link between Europe and Asia, BTK plays an important role in the implementation of China's "One Belt, One Road" strategy and the International North-South Transport Corridor. In fact, the BTK railway route is the shortest way to deliver cargo from the Russian regions located in the Volga, Ural and Siberian Federal Districts to the Mediterranean ports of Turkey, and further to the countries of Africa and the Middle East. At present, the BTK provides transportation from Kazakhstan to Mersin port. Some cargoes are delivered from Russia to Turkey and Europe. The total length of the BTK railway is 846 km, with 504 km running through the territory of Azerbaijan, 263 km - Georgia and 79 km - Turkey. The opening ceremony of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was held on October 30, 2017 at the Baku International Sea Trade Port. By Trend As many as 46,800 tourists from Azerbaijan visited Turkey in January 2019, which is 2.45 percent less compared to January 2018, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism told Trend on Feb. 28. The share of Azerbaijani citizens in the total number of foreigners who visited Turkey in January 2019 was 3.05 percent, the ministry said. In January 2019, 1.539 million tourists visited Turkey, which is 5.33 percent more compared to January 2018. Over 918,000 tourists visited Istanbul and 116,000 tourists traveled Antalya in this period. Most of the tourists, who visited Turkey in January, came from Bulgaria (113,800) and Georgia (112,300). Billie Wayne Coble's son pounded on the execution chamber windows, cursing and shouting "no" as he watched his father die. It was just after 6:20 p.m., and the 70-year-old triple killer was about to become the oldest Texan executed in the modern era of capital punishment. The aging Vietnam veteran who murdered his in-laws in an apparent rash of vengeance offered a only a short final statement before he was pronounced dead, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. "That will be five dollars," he said. "I love you, I love you, and I love you." It's not clear what he meant, though it could be a reference to his nickname: $5 Bill. But as soon as he finished speaking, the witness room erupted into chaos. Gordon Coble started banging on the glass, and his son Dalton joined in the furor. Both men - along with another relative - were removed from the room before the execution ended, and the two ended the night in the Walker County Jail, facing resisting arrest charges. It was a dramatic and unexpected end to a decades-long saga. Back in the summer of 1989, Coble was distraught over the disintegration of his third marriage when he kidnapped his estranged wife and killed her parents and brother before attempting to kill himself. But the Waco man, now 70, had no priors and, as he racked up years of good behavior in prison, his attorneys argued that a pair of experts for the state got it wrong at trial when they offered testimony claiming he'd be a future danger even behind bars. "That Coble will be executed on such discredited testimony is unconscionable," Brian Stull, an ACLU attorney who previously handled the case, wrote two days before the execution. "The example of his case already shows all who are willing to look why the death penalty is never justice, and why it should be abolished once and for all." Raised in an orphanage, Coble went on to serve in Vietnam as a machine gunner involved in combat. Afterward, his sister said he came back "different," according to court records, and he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress and bipolar disorder. READ MORE: 'I can't forgive till you're dead': Execution set for brain-damaged Texas man behind 4 killings He married Karen Vicha the summer before the murders. But after a bizarre and violent outburst when Coble hid in the woman's trunk and then kidnapped her, Vicha pressed charges and their marriage began to fall apart. A few days after he made bail, Coble showed up at Vicha's house. She wasn't home, so Coble handcuffed her kids and tied them up, then left to ambush the rest of the family, according to court records. He shot to death Robert and Zelda Vicha, as well as their son Bobby, a local police officer. "Karen, I've killed your momma and your daddy and your brother," he boasted to his wife when she returned. "They are all dead, and nobody is going to come help you now." After letting the woman kiss her children goodbye, Coble kidnapped her, pistol-whipped her till she bled, and drove to a deserted field where he threatened to rape her, according to court records. As he left the field, a sheriff's patrol car started following them. Coble began stabbing Vicha's chin and face as he was driving, then rammed into a parked car in an apparent effort to kill himself, saying he didn't want to die in prison. He was arrested at the scene of the wreck and sentenced to death by a McLennan County jury the following year. Over the course of three decades of appeals, Coble and his lawyers raised claims of everything from unreliable expert testimony and the use of hearsay to bad lawyering and prosecutorial misconduct. In 2007, he won a retrial over questions about jury instructions rscegarding mitigating circumstances. He went back to court for a new punishment phrase of trial in 2008, but was re-sentenced - again to death - when a jury still found him a future danger despite nearly two decades of good behavior behind bars. But during his 2008 resentencing, a state expert testified about Coble's future dangerousness - and his defense team later challenged that finding by arguing that the testimony was "junk science." The expert - Austin psychiatrist Dr. Richard E. Coons - had testified in 1990 that Coble would commit future acts of violence in prison. But instead he behaved on death row, seemingly refuting the professional prediction. Yet in 2008, prosecutors called him to testify again. "Dr. Coons admitted that his methodology could not be traced to a particular textbook or professional journal, nor could he cite even one authority or article that supported it," his legal team wrote. "Coons had never gone back to check prison records of those he had testified against to see if his predictions were accurate, and consequently had no idea of his own accuracy rate." The state also at one point relied on testimony from A.P. Merillat, who told jurors about the violence in prisons and how it would be impossible to make sure he wasn't a future danger there. An appeals court later determined that parts of Merillat's testimony were fabricated. READ MORE: Houston cop killer gets execution date for 1988 slaying But still, courts agreed with prosecutors who argued that even without the questionable testimony, there was enough evidence of future danger to net a death sentence. This year, Coble's lawyer filed a plea for clemency. "He is now 70 years old, in poor health, and has an almost blemish-free prison record for the past 30 years," attorney Richard Ellis wrote. "His execution would serve no valid purpose." The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles turned his request down on Tuesday, leaving him with a final appeal in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. In that claim, Coble's attorney argued that the Waco man's trial attorneys shouldn't have admitted his guilt because Coble asked them not to. Last year, the same concern came up in a Louisiana case - and the high court sided with the condemned prisoner. In Coble's case they did not. "It's disappointing," Ellis said. "He was executed on the basis of junk science and perjury." Coble was the second man executed in Texas in 2019. There are five more executions on the calendar, including a May death date for Harris County killer Dexter Johnson. NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. It is not unusual for Aaron Rouse, an IT consultant who lives in Meyerland, to cover flood-related costs by dipping into his emergency savings. Since the 2015 Memorial Day flood destroyed more than 80 percent of his familys belongings, Rouse has been in and out of his oft-flooded home on the 4400 block of Breakwood Drive. His residence was approved for a FEMA elevation grant that year, but the 2016 Tax Day Floods wiped out most of his familys surviving possessions soon after. Rouse is far from the only Meyerland resident with flooding horror stories, though he is one of roughly 20 homeowners further plagued by a city-vetted home elevation firm, Titan Foundations and Elevation, that collected tens of thousands of dollars but failed to start or finish work on flooded houses. The fiasco has cost Rouse thousands of dollars and is likely to keep him out of his home until more than a year after he expected to move back in. "You kind of get to the point where you just accept it as life," Rouse said. On Wednesday, Houston City Council approved a contract with another firm, Arkitektura Development, to elevate Rouses home, along with another on his block. The grant covers the bid and various other costs of raising Rouses residence, totaling about $368,000. The city is on the hook for $438 in administrative costs. The contract approval allows Arkitektura to begin elevating Rouses home, though he was told the work likely will take 4 to 6 months. "It's just been a really confusing mess, Rouse said, describing how the process has been delayed by the citys desire to work out a contract with provisions that would avoid another Titan-like situation. After he picked Titan to elevate his home, Rouse paid owner Bobby Fischer about $45,000 up front for elevation-related work that was not covered by the grant, and that Titan never performed. Some homeowners alleged Fischer, who died last year, was cheating them. Though the city cannot repay Rouse and other homeowners who experienced similar issues, Rouse said city officials have told him they are putting together a yet-undeveloped loan forgiveness program. For now, though, Rouse said he likely will be roughly $150,000 in the hole by the time he moves back in. Those costs stem partly from the $32,000 he is paying Arkitektura for work the grant does not cover, which would not be necessary had Titan followed through. Also, while the FEMA grant reimburses homeowners for rent as their houses are under construction, Rouse and his wife have been paying rent out of pocket in the meantime. They moved back in for a brief period between the Tax Day Floods and Hurricane Harvey, but otherwise have been living in rental unit. To get by, Rouse and his wife, an engineering project manager in oil and gas, have borrowed money from family members. They maintain steady jobs, though do not make enough to avoid covering some of the unexpected costs with their childrens college savings. I try not to dwell on it, because it's just going to stress me out, Rouse said. City Council approved both contracts Wednesday even though a few members expressed alarm at the cost of the elevations. At-Large Councilman Jack Christie, who voted against the contract, said he opposed the measures because they are an inefficient use of taxpayer funds I can build a really nice house with $368,000 from scratch, District E Councilman Dave Martin said. At-Large Councilman Michael Kubosh sought to delay the vote for a week by tagging the contracts. When Mayor Sylvester Turner urged Kubosh not to do so, noting that homeowners had been awaiting the work for years, Kubosh responded, Well you know, patience in a virtue, mayor. Ultimately, Council members Brenda Stardig and Ellen Cohen, whose District C includes the homes to be elevated, persuaded Kubosh to support the contracts. I agree, patience is a virtue, Cohen said to Kubosh. But in this case, really, these people have been patient for at least three years. They also got, excuse the vernacular, screwed by a home builder who was not honest. In the end, Martin, Christie and and District G Councilman Greg Travis voted against the contracts. City council also approved two other FEMA-funded home elevation contracts in the Meyerland area. One is among the 40 homes approved for flood mitigation assistance grants in 2016; the other is partially funded by FEMAs Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, the aid process triggered by federally declared disasters. jasper.scherer@chron.com twitter.com/jaspscherer A Houston woman who was forced to turn a firefighters T-shirt inside out at the polls and a Dallas-area man who tried to vote in his Trump MAGA cap are suing a long list of public officials in federal court here for violating their free speech rights. The lawsuit comes in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June invalidating a Minnesota law that banned voters from displaying issue oriented apparel at the polls. The case filed in Houston federal court Thursday on behalf of two Texas voters was brought by the Pacific Legal Foundation, a California-based nonprofit advocacy group that won the free speech victory in the Minnesota case. The conservative foundation wants a Houston judge to overturn the Texas law that restricts what people can wear when they vote. Texas is one of several states that still have clothing restrictions on the books. The concern is not just that voters wont feel free to express themselves, but also that enforcement by poll workers will be arbitrary and erratic. Douglas Ray, an special assistant overseeing election issues at the Harris County Attorneys Office. said the county will defend itself but Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton who was also sued will likely take the lead. County officials last dealt with this issue in 2010, when voters showed up at the polls with Obama-related gear, Ray said. President Barack Obama was not on the ballot, but several measures that reflected his policies were, he said. What we tell the election judge is they have the power to adjudicate when they think electioneering is going on and when its not, said Ray. We tell them to make that determination based on a totality of the circumstances and if its consistent with advocacy for somebody or some party thats on the ballot. In the case of the firefighters shirts, Ray acknowledged the county was aware the shirts caused friction at the polls. We had a lot of trouble with that during the last election because there were people wearing these yellow shirts with red lettering that said Vote for Prop B but they were almost identical to a shirt that just said Houston Fire Fighters. He said the shirts had the same colors, logo and lettering but one had Vote for Prop B and one didnt. The county attorneys office advised election judges that the yellow shirts were problematic if they said something specific about voting. But that is just advice, Ray said. The election judge in that situation makes the adjudication. The Harris County District Attorneys Office, also named as a defendant, is reviewing the lawsuit, and spokesman Dane Schiller said, We are focusing on the constitutionality question raised by the lawsuit and will respond in court at the appropriate time. Paxton, the Dallas District Attorney and elections officials could not be immediately reached for comment. Jillian Ostrewich is married to a Houston firefighter and wore a yellow T-shirt with the Houston Fire Fighters image at her polling place last October, during early voting when a proposition on fire fighter pay parity was on the ballot. According to court documents, election officials at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center on West Gray Street told her she could not cast her vote with the logo showing. She turned her t-shirt inside out and was able to proceed. Its unconscionable that election judges have the power to infringe on the right to wear something as benign as a Houston Fire Fighters t-shirt, Ostrewich said in a press statement. When people let little things like an election dress code go by, all of a sudden youre losing your freedom. Her co-plaintiff, Anthony Ortiz, of Carrollton, was told by poll workers he could not vote unless he removed his Make America Great Again cap. In his case, President Donald Trump, who made the cap his trademark on the campaign trail was not on the ballot. I just wanted to wear my hat, Ortiz said in the release. There's no name on it, and even if you associate it with the President, he wasnt on the ballot so its silly to ban it. This law is too broad, incredibly unfair and should be challenged. The civil rights lawsuit asserts the Texas law violates their First Amendment and due process rights and those of other voters. Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at University of Houston, said the Supreme Court ruling found that broad restrictions on what voters wear to the polls violated free speech. A more narrow law could pass muster, but Texas has not amended its apparel restrictions since the June ruling, he said. States kept these laws on the books to maintain some degree of order and transparency or minimal advocacy inside the polling places, said Rottinghaus. The courts in Texas would likely find the enforcement of these laws unconstitutional. That may spur Texas to make a move to change the law to comply with the court ruling. I doubt we will see Texas challenge this holding from the Supreme Court, the political science professor added. There isnt a clear political upside to challenging the law on this. The Texas law is more specific than the Minnesota one that the Supreme Court addressed last year, which could help or hurt the case, according to David Coale, a constitutional law expert at Lynn Pinker Cox & Hurst in Dallas. The Minnesota law prohibited voters from wearing political badges, buttons or other political insignia to the polls, while Texas law prohibits inside or within 100 feet of the voting site the wearing of badges, insignia, emblems representing any a candidate, measure or political party appearing on the ballot or to the conduct of the election. The Supreme Court said it was a legitimate state interest to have a polling place free of distracting political activity. But by doing so, it still requires the election official to make judgment calls about what relates to the electionand also means that the official can get it wrong, Coale said. The argument that a MAGA hat relates to the subject of this election is not a strong one. I think that is why the Pacific Foundation focused on this case as its test case, to get some law made on how far away from the specific subject of an election you can be and still relate to it. gabrielle.banks@chron.com twitter.com/gabmobanks The San Antonio Zoos newest experience invites guests into the heart of a rhino habitat, set in verdant landscaping similar to the grassy plains of Africa. At a recent visit, Nyota and Ophelia, the southern white rhinos who arrived in the Alamo City several weeks ago, appeared to be settling in well at their new home. They will be joined by a male in the coming years in hopes of restarting a breeding program for the endangered mammals. The habitat is part of The Savanna exhibit, which includes zebras and giraffes. A waterfall spills into a creek for the pair of rhinos to splash in and roll around. The landscape includes Palo Verde trees and colorful flower beds, flush with snapdragon and dianthus blooms. A viewing deck extends over the rhino exhibit, allowing visitors to get a closer look at the zoos newest mammals. The deck was built with posts of local timber and planks made of recycled plastic called Trex. Invisimesh lining at the top gives the viewer an open view that appears invisible from side angles. Zoo officials have set the formal opening for the exhibit at 9 a.m. Saturday for members. The first 500 annual pass holders will receive a rhino mold-a-rama figure. General admission opens at 10 a.m. Animals in the different habitats that make up The Savanna will be able to roam freely across the grasslands. Zebras already have peered at the rhino habitat through gates underneath the deck. Other animals who also live on the African savannah will be introduced in the months to come. At the time the plans for the new habitat were announced last summer, rhino advocates were pleased. It will be a very rich environment for those animals with lots of stimulation, said Susie Ellis, executive director of the International Rhino Foundation. Its much like the wild. At the entrance to the exhibit is the striking 17-foot-tall bronze sculpture of endangered northern white rhinos brought in late last year from New York. Created by artists Gillie and Marc Schattner, its named The Last Three in honor of the last three living northern white rhinos. Sudan, the last male and one of the models for sculpture, died last March at the age of 45. His daughter and granddaughter are the last living northern white rhinos; they are the other two in the artwork. Unless theres a miracle development with in vitro fertilization, their species will go extinct when they die. Rhino populations are dwindling worldwide due to habitat destruction and poaching, said Tim Morrow, the San Antonio Zoos president and CEO. Future rhino births will carry on a decades-long tradition of successes in San Antonio that will greatly contribute to the association of zoos and aquarium special survival plan for this species. In 1972, the San Antonio Zoo was the first facility in the nation to have a successful birth of a white rhino. Morrow said the $1 million rhino habitat project was a year in the making. He said the habitat is part of the zoo's mission to have a new or upgraded exhibit each year. People will see something different every time they come, Morrow said. Zoo officials said the availability of the two young females last month accelerated the renovation plan. We had a window and we had to take it, said Jonathan Reding, director of mammals. If we waited too long they would go some where else. In August, when the renovations began, the zoos lone southern white rhino, 21-year old Kuto, was relocated to Natural Bridge Wildlife Park, where zoo keepers said he has found a girlfriend. Kuto will stay there, officials said. Morrow said he and Reding penned the design for the exhibit on a napkin while waiting for a flight from the Dallas Fort Worth Airport. Sol Studio Architects developed a blueprint from the sketch. The huge rhino sculpture is linked to an augmented reality app that allows viewers to protect and adopt the Northern white rhinos. After downloading the app, visitors will see the likeness of rhinos wandering within the area of the sculpture. More than 75 percent of the apps proceeds will benefit the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. Vincent T. Davis is a reporter in the Greater San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | vtdavis@express-news.net | Twitter: @vincentdavis WASHINGTON Beto O'Rourke has made a decision. The former El Paso congressman set off a feeding frenzy of speculation about his future Wednesday with a statement saying he's decided how he can "best serve our country." But he didn't say how. Close associates have been saying for months that he is considering a 2020 White House run, though a number of Texas Democrats would like to see him take on GOP Sen. John Cornyn. FOR SUBSCRIBERS: Texas lawmakers in spotlight as House rebukes Trump on border emergency O'Rourke, in a cryptic statement first published by the Dallas Morning News, did nothing to settle the question. The same statement, sent later to the Hearst Newspapers, CNN and others, said only that O'Rourke and his wife Amy now know what they want to do, but aren't saying yet. "Amy and I have made a decision about how we can best serve our country," he said. "We are excited to share it with everyone soon." O'Rourke, who came within an armadillo hair of upsetting conservative icon Ted Cruz in the 2018 Senate race, has been riding on a wave of national publicity ever since. Several Texas Democrats close to O'Rourke have said in recent weeks that he is no longer considering a challenge to Cornyn, who is seeking a fourth term in 2020. That would leave the state Democratic field wide open. Another top Lone Star State Democrat, former San Antonio mayor and HUD Secretary Julian Castro, has already opted for a presidential run, a decision that will likely occupy his twin brother, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, as well. O'Rourke, a 46-year-old father of three, has said he would make a decision about a presidential run by the end of February. But he hasn't said when he will announce, and a press aide did not respond to an inquiry Wednesday about the timing. Thursday is the last day of February. STATE POLITICS: Get the most out of what's going on politically through our Texas Take newsletter. Sign up here. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has hosted an official reception in honor of President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili, who is on an official visit in Azerbaijan. The heads of state made speeches at the event. Welcoming the President of Georgia, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said: - Dear Madam President. Dear guests, ladies and gentlemen. First of all, Madam President, I would like to once again warmly welcome you and the Georgian delegation you are leading to Azerbaijan. You are welcome! For centuries, Azerbaijani and Georgian peoples have lived in an atmosphere of friendship and good neighborliness. After our countries had gained independence, the relations between us acquired the nature of strategic partnership in line with the will of the two peoples. The political, economic and humanitarian relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia are at the highest level. The fact that Mrs Salome Zourabichvili is paying one of her first official visits after being elected President of Georgia to Azerbaijan demonstrates the high level of relations between our countries. Noting the successful development of bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the two countries, President Ilham Aliyev stressed that good results had also been achieved in the economic sphere. President Ilham Aliyev said: - Azerbaijan is one of the main trading partners of Georgia and one of the key investors in Georgia. Azerbaijani companies are among the largest taxpayers into the state budget of Georgia. The large-scale energy projects we have implemented the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Supsa oil pipelines, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline are very important events in terms of diversifying the transportation of our energy resources and creating a modern infrastructure for this. The large-scale transnational Southern Gas Corridor project being implemented today is of great importance for our countries. Three of the four component of this successfully ongoing project Shah Deniz-2, the South Caucasus gas pipeline and TANAP have already been completed. Of course, energy cooperation projects play a very important part in our relations and in other areas. I want to highlight our cooperation in the transport sector. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway we opened in 2017 is of historic significance. This railway connects continents and significantly expands the transit potential of Azerbaijan and Georgia. Today, there is already an increase in the volume of cargo transported along the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. Noting that the two countries closely cooperate in international organizations, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan and Georgia always support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of each other. President Ilham Aliyev said: - The ongoing aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan, its military occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of our country and seven districts adjacent to it pose a serious threat to regional peace and security. The numerous decisions and resolutions adopted in connection with the conflict by the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the OSCE, NATO, the Council of Europe and other international organizations express resolute support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan and the need for resolving the conflict on the basis of these principles. The Partnership Priorities document which was initialed between Azerbaijan and the European Union last year also expresses support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty of Azerbaijan and the inviolability of its borders. Stressing that close cooperation between the two countries would continue to develop successfully, President Ilham Aliyev said: - Today there are good opportunities and prospects for the development of bilateral cooperation between our countries in other areas as well in the fields of tourism, agriculture, information and communication technologies, science, education, culture. Dear Madam President, let me welcome you to Azerbaijan once again, wish you good health, every success in your activities, and prosperity and well-being to your country and people. Among the hours-long questioning of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, there was some colorful roasting of the president's son. "Mr Trump had frequently told me and others that his son Don Jr. had the worst judgement of anyone in the world," said Cohen. This assessment of questionable judgement appeared to be borne out a little later in the morning, when Donald Trump Jr., in the midst of a stream of retweets calling Michael Cohen a liar, also retweeted a longer tweet that said Cohen had nothing to lose and was telling the truth. MORE: Cohen's testimony contained three remarkable allegations against Trump "Incredible to see all the hubris drained from Cohen," said the tweet from journalist Garrett M. Graff, which Trump Jr. appeared to retweet around 9 a.m. "I've been personally screamed at by Cohen on the phone before and know how much bravado he once had. This is a man with nothing left, with no reason to lie or obfuscate at all. Humbling, in its way." Hours passed and replies mocking Trump Jr. for the retweet mounted, but as of 12:40 p.m., he still had not undone the retweet. Click through the gallery above for reactions Some called it a cautionary tale about the importance of reading things through the end. "He didn't have the attention span to read to the end of the tweet," wrote Twitter user Autotune Scalia. ALSO: Twitter reacts as Michael Cohen clashes with Jim Jordan during congressional hearing Others suggested that Trump Jr. should consult with his girlfriend, former San Francisco first lady Kimberly Guilfoyle, for help understanding the tweet. Several people made comparisons between Trump Jr. and Fredo, the somewhat dimwitted and marginalized son in the Corleone crime family in "The Godfather." Throughout the hearings, Trump's eldest sons disparaged Cohen on Twitter and said he was lashing out after being denied a job at the White House. Eric Trump tweeted that Cohen's desire for a White House job "was the biggest joke in the campaign," and Donald Trump Jr. described the testimony as "like a breakup letter." Cohen has cooperated with special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation and is set to begin a three-year prison sentence in May. Interim pathway for caregivers who came to Canada after November 30, 2014, opens March 4 for three months A look at Canadas new pathways to permanent residence for caregivers A look at Canadas new pathways to permanent residence for caregivers Interim pathway for caregivers who came to Canada after November 30, 2014, opens March 4 for three months A look at Canadas new pathways to permanent residence for caregivers Interim pathway for caregivers who came to Canada after November 30, 2014, opens March 4 for three months A look at Canadas new pathways to permanent residence for caregivers Interim pathway for caregivers who came to Canada after November 30, 2014, opens March 4 for three months CIC News Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Pour lire cet article en francais, cliquez ici. Foreign caregivers who came to Canada after November 30, 2014, and did not qualify for Canadian permanent residence may now have another opportunity to do so through a new interim pathway that comes into effect March 4, 2019, and will remain open until June 4, 2019. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the temporary pathway February 23 along with the upcoming launch of two improved five-year pilot programs that will allow spouses and dependent children to join caregivers living and working in Canada and give them a direct pathway to permanent residence after two years. Interim Pathway for Caregivers The three-month Interim Pathway for Caregivers is for individuals who have acquired work experience in Canada since November 30, 2014, as a home childcare provider, home support worker or a combination of both through Canadas Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Work experience must match the initial description and list of main duties for Canadas National Occupational Classification (NOC) Group 4411 or 4412. The Interim Pathway for Caregivers will be open to those who intend to reside outside of Quebec and who have: authorization to work in Canada on a work permit other than a Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) work permit (at the time of applying); or applied for a renewal of a work permit other than a Live-in Caregiver Program work permit; or applied and is eligible for restoration of status, and held a work permit other than a Live-in Caregiver Program work permit as their most recent work permit; and language skills of at least a CLB/NCLC 5 in English or French; and 12 months of full-time work experience in Canada since November 30, 2014, in a relevant occupation; and a minimum of a Canadian high school diploma or non-Canadian educational diploma, certificate or credential thats equal to a Canadian high school diploma. Foreign credentials will require an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) issued within five years before the date of application by an approved organization that indicates that the foreign diploma, certificate or credential is equivalent to a completed Canadian secondary school diploma. Note that candidates whose educational credential was obtained outside Canada and who cannot obtain an ECA before the Interim Pathway for Caregivers closes on June 4, 2019, are still eligible if they provide proof that they have applied to get an ECA. Proof includes written confirmation from agency that they have submitted a request for an ECA and/or receipt of payment. There is no limit on the number of applications that IRCC will accept through the Interim Pathway for Caregivers. Caregivers whose current or most recent work permit is through the Live-in Caregiver Program will not be eligible for consideration through the interim pathway. Find out if you are eligible for any of Canadas current caregiver immigration programs IRCC said the interim measure responds to concerns raised by some caregivers who came to Canada as in-home temporary foreign worker caregivers under the Caring for Children or Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilot programs, which replaced Canadas Live-in Caregiver Program in November 2014. The interim program will have modified criteria compared to the current pilot programs and offer a pathway to permanent residence for caregivers who, in good faith, have come to Canada and are providing care for Canadians, without a clear pathway to permanent residence, IRCC said. Unlike the Live-in Caregiver Program, participants in the new pilots were no longer assessed for their ability to meet permanent residence requirements for education and proficiency in English or French when applying for a work permit. IRCC said the changes were not well understood and resulted in foreign caregivers arriving in Canada believing that they would be eligible for permanent residence after obtaining a temporary work permit and acquiring two years of Canadian work experience. Many caregivers said they found out after they arrived in Canada that they did not meet the requirements for permanent residence, including education, and were not en route to permanent residence, IRCC said. This one-time, short-term pathway will help mitigate the unique vulnerabilities that in-Canada temporary foreign worker caregivers face because they are not eligible under a current pathway to permanent residence. New Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots The Government of Canada also announced that it will be replacing the Caring for Children or Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilot programs with two new five-year immigration pilots that will provide caregivers and their family members with a new pathway to Canadian permanent residence. The Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots will come into effect later this year. The new pilots respond to key concerns raised in a report issued by a national coalition of caregivers advocacy groups late last year that condemned the 2014 pilots as fundamentally flawed and accused them of extending the legal basis for exploiting care workers. To avoid the confusion that the Interim Pathway for Caregivers addresses, applicants to the new pilots will be assessed against the criteria for Canadian permanent residence before they begin working in Canada. Caregivers approved through the pilots would then have to gain two years of work experience in Canada before accessing what IRCC is calling a direct pathway to permanent residence. This work experience would be acquired with an occupation-specific work permit for caregivers rather than an employer-specific work permit, meaning caregivers can switch employers if need be. The new pilots will also allow family members to accompany caregivers to Canada. A caregivers spouse or common-law partner would be entitled to an open work permit and dependent children would be granted a study permit in Canada. Caregivers provide care for families in Canada that need it and its time for Canada to care for them in return, Canadas Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, said in a news release. We are providing them with both the opportunity to bring their family members here and access permanent residency to demonstrate our commitment. IRCC will accept a maximum of 2,750 principal applicants each year under the Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots. Spouses and dependent children will not count against the 2,750 principal applicant limit for each pilot. The eligibility criteria and application process for the new pilots will be announced well before the expiration of the two current caregiver pilots on November 29, 2019, IRCC says. The new pilots follow a commitment by IRCC in 2017 to eliminate 80 per cent of the backlog of permanent residence applications submitted under the 2014 pilots and the now-defunct Live-in Caregiver Program and reduce the processing time from its peak of more than 60 months. IRCC said it has now eliminated 94 per cent of the backlog and reduced the processing time to 12 months. Ending the isolation from loved ones that too many caregivers have to endure is a huge step forward, said David Cohen, senior partner at the Campbell Cohen Canadian immigration law firm in Montreal, Quebec. As Canadas population ages, foreign caregivers are becoming more and more essential in this country and its great to see IRCC acknowledging the fact Canada also has to take care of them and facilitating family reunification. Find out if you are eligible for any of Canadas current caregiver immigration programs 2019 CICNews All Rights Reserved By Trend Georgian President Salome Zurabishvilis official visit to Azerbaijan testifies that the strategic partnership between Georgia and Azerbaijan is at a high level, well-known expert Archil Sikharulidze told Trend. Sikharulidze was commenting on the meeting between the Azerbaijani and Georgian presidents in Baku. President Zurabishvili is on an official visit to Azerbaijan. Today both countries have mutual interest in various spheres, he said. "Georgia is interested in ensuring its energy security and in this sphere, Azerbaijan is of particular importance to us. At the same time, our countries continue to cooperate especially in the field of economy and transit of goods through the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. This project opens big opportunities to increase the volume of cargoes which are transported through Azerbaijan and Georgia, he said. The Azerbaijani president also mentioned this fact in Baku." Sikharulidze stressed that Georgia and Azerbaijan are friendly countries that are interested in preserving the stability and security in the region. "I think that the Georgian presidents visit to Baku will further strengthen bilateral ties between Georgia and Azerbaijan, as well as create favorable situation for the implementation of joint, large-scale projects that will bring mutual benefit for our two countries," the expert said. February 27 draw through Saskatchewan's Express Entry immigration sub-category issued 83 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination Saskatchewan invites Express Entry candidates in latest EOI draw February 27 draw through Saskatchewan's Express Entry immigration sub-category issued 83 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination Saskatchewan invites Express Entry candidates in latest EOI draw February 27 draw through Saskatchewan's Express Entry immigration sub-category issued 83 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination Saskatchewan invites Express Entry candidates in latest EOI draw February 27 draw through Saskatchewan's Express Entry immigration sub-category issued 83 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination CIC News Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Saskatchewan has invited 83 Express Entry candidates to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence in a draw held February 27. Those invited had an Expression of Interest, or EOI, registered under Saskatchewans International Skilled Worker Express Entry sub-category, which allows the province to nominate candidates in the federal Express Entry system for Canadian permanent residence. The Express Entry system manages the profiles of candidates for three of Canadas main economic immigration categories the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class. Express Entry candidates who apply for and receive a provincial nomination are awarded an additional 600 points toward their Express Entry ranking score and are effectively fast-tracked for an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence. In order to be considered for a provincial nomination from Saskatchewan, Express Entry candidates must register a separate EOI with the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP). An EOI profile requires information on education, work experience, proficiency in English or French and connections to the province, such as a close family member or past work or study experience in Saskatchewan, among other factors. Express Entry candidates must have work experience in a high-skilled occupation found on Saskatchewans In-Demand Occupations List, among other eligibility criteria. Profiles are awarded a score and those with 60 points or more are entered into the pool of candidates. A set number of the highest-ranked are then issued invitations through regular draws. The lowest-ranked candidate invited to apply for a provincial nomination in the February 27 draw had a score of 68. Find out if you are eligible for Canadian immigration 2019 CICNews All Rights Reserved IT certifications can boost your career, but its not always easy to tell which certifications hold the most value for your resume. Moreover, pay associated with any given cert fluctuates based on business interest and the supply of IT pros who hold it. To help gauge certification values, Foote Partners tracks premiums paid for popular IT certifications in its 2021 IT Skills and Certifications Pay Index report. The cash value of IT certifications is less volatile than that of non-certified IT skills, according to David Foote, co-founder, chief analyst, and chief research officer at Foote Partners. But certifications tend to spike in value after theyre launched and level out as more people get certified. Foote Partners has identified the following 20 certifications as gaining the most in market value, based on compensation data provided by more than 3,800 private- and public-sector employers in the US and Canada. Certification value is based on the percentage of base salary accounted for by a single certification, on average. Whether you already have one of these certifications or are planning to earn one, theres no better time to have one of these 20 IT certifications on your resume. SAS Certified Data Scientist The SAS Certified Data Scientist certification validates your ability to gain insights from big data with SAS and other open-source tools, make business recommendations with complex machine learning models, and deploy models at scale in an SAS environment. The exam covers topics such as programming skills, managing and improving data, accessing and manipulating data, and working with visualization tools. To earn the SAS Certified Data Scientist certification, youll first need to earn your SAS Certified Big Data Professional and SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional certifications. Exam fee: $180 Information System Security Engineering Professional (ISSEP/CISSP) The Information System Security Engineering Professional certification is offered by the International Information Security Certification Consortium (ISC) as a concentration certification under the CISSP certification scheme. It was developed by the ISC alongside the US National Security Agency to acknowledge those who specialize in the practical application of systems engineering principles and processes to build secure systems. Its designed as a companion certification for CISSP holders to validate their knowledge as it applies to engineering. The certification is designed for senior systems engineers, information assurance systems engineers, information assurance offices, information assurance analysts, and senior security analysts. Exam fee: $599 I attended a dinner in Paris full of tech experts, scientists, and investors, all of whom were gloomy about the West. Progress isnt progressing, they complained. There are too many impediments to innovation. What on earth has gone wrong with our universities? We once put a man on the moon, and now we cant even figure out a humane way to fly from Silicon Valley to Paris. Everythings overregulated. The Scientific Revolution is over; the Industrial Revolution has reached the end of the line. No one understands what made America great anymore. We havent conquered death, but taxes have conquered us. Were doomed. Enter Nick Booker-Soni, about 30, affable and rumpled, standing at the open window to smoke. I said that I lived in Istanbul. Really? We visited last year. The other half of the we was his wife, Meetu. Truth is, we were a bit disappointed. I expected him to mention the usual disappointments: traffic, perhaps, or tear gas. Just not that much history there, he said. Not what I expected. Its too bad the others werent listening, because if hes right, he had the answer to their questions. Nick is English but has lived in Delhi for a long time. Delhis the city whose history spoiled him for Istanbul. We spoke for a while at that open window overlooking the Seine, and he told me about Heisenbergs relationship with the Indian poet and polymath Rabindranath Tagore. Heisenberg felt that his conversations with Tagore had greatly helped him, reassuring him that these new ideas in quantum physics werent so new at all. And the double helix? asks Nick. Everyone knows thats two snakes in a mating posture, just like outside the temples. Right? If the kundalini structure is a mystical insight, what else would you call a dream that became a scientific insight? Obviously, Indias the key to solving all these problems. I was willing to go along. Why not? I should really write a book, said Nick. About the intellectual and economic influence that India has had on the world. It will again soon. And so much needs to be written about it. No one gets it right. He said it in the way that people too busy to get around to writing a book usually say it. The colonialists and the hippiesthey just totally distorted everyones view. Anyway, the next century will all be about India reemerging. The disappointed dinner guests were by then well into their cups and pronouncing it curtains for the West. Nick nodded in their direction. The key will be the intersection. Of all these ideas. I was half-listening to those ideas, too, catching snippets of conversation. Strangeness is now a normative criterion for a physical theory, someone said, I think. How far can strangeness be pushed before were left with magic? Nick and Meetu run a firm called IndoGenius. Their business is advising universities, governments, and private investors who want to enter the Indian market. The Big Idea, as expressed on their website: The next chapter of the human story will in part be defined by the economic and intellectual reemergence of India. Help us write the rest of the book. Frankly, I was skeptical. Id spent some time in India in the mid-1990s. My memories didnt match Nicks account of what it had been, was becoming, and would be. You shouldnt take my word for it, he said, giving me his card. Come see for yourself. I mentally filed the conversation under epic small talk. But several months later, I took him up on his offer and returned to India. Ive also come around, at least part of the way, to his view of Indias future. It didnt take long to establish that, yes, Indias transformation since last Id been there had been noteworthy. The taxi I took from the airport came equipped with an oddly Singaporean monitoring system. A disembodied female voice warned my driver, Please slow down. You are exceeding the speed limit. Nothing of that sort had happened in any mode of transport Id previously used in India. Well, thats new, I thought. Nick met me at the door of his and Meetus apartment and headquartersIndoGenius Centralin the Kailash Colony neighborhood of south Delhi, where I would be staying. Hed gone native in a white kurta, smiling and booming, God bless you! at everything in his path. To describe IndoGenius as hectic doesnt fully capture the energy and confusion of the place. In a typical hour, Nick will pop in to explain that the sound Im hearing is the priest in the living room chanting from the Ramayana to bring auspiciousnesstheyre launching an important project that dayand that theres Dominos pizza in the kitchen. I eat the priests lunch by accident, and he winds up with the Dominos. Ive barely finished apologizing for my faux pas when Nick pops in again to say that theyre off to the temple to thank the priestas soon as the massage therapist leaveswould I like a gin and tonic?and, by the way, theres not a single foreign correspondent in Bangalore. Sikhism founder Guru Nanaks followers are passing by with a massive, monstrously cheerful, uncoordinated brass band outside, so Im thoroughly distracted. Im wondering whether the claim about Bangalore could possibly be true, but hes off again with a fleeting, It was India, not Persia, that invented chess, leaving me unsure as to whether I must urgently reassess all my foreign policy cliches. And thats just an hour. All rushed and bewildering, but definitely optimistic. Indeed, IndoGenius markets itself as the Indo-optimists. The IndoGenius mission is to help increase interaction between India and the world, proclaims the firms website, and the goal is to increase the greater sum of knowledge for the benefit of all mankind. Nick believes every word with a conviction bordering on the religious. But he defends those words with evidence plausible enough to convince the skeptic. His basic argument runs something like this: however huge, screwed-up, and complex India may be, its economy will keep growing for the next 30 years, as it has for the last 30 (barring total nuclear war or a truly unparalleled outbreak of disease). The rate of growth could be almost stagnant or as high as 12 percent, but as long as the number isnt negative, massive wealth will be generated. The demographics guarantee it. Given Indias rapidly urbanizing population of 1.3 billion, even if a nuclear war wiped out Delhi and Bombay, that would still leave Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Surat, Calcutta, Jaipur, Lucknow, and a long list of cities smaller than Chicago but still pretty big, and all of them potential engines of economic expansion. India is usually described as an emerging economy, but reemerging is the more accurate term. The rise of India hardly began with the liberalization of its economy in the 1990s. For hundreds of years prior to British colonization, India was the worlds leading economy, producing a quarter to a third of the worlds output. The British colonial and postcolonial periods were an economic disaster, but things have been looking up. The IMF and the World Bank expect India to overtake China as the worlds fastest-growing major economy next year. PricewaterhouseCoopers World 2050 projections declare: India will surge . . . [and] overtake the European Union and the United States in share of world GDP (in PPP terms) by 2044 and 2049, respectively. Economists predict that India will be the third-largest economy in the world by 2050. The Indian stock market now has more than 5,500 listed companies. Some 150 of them are valued at more than $1 billion. Thats not overly impressive for an emerging economy, true, but unlike most emerging-nation stock markets, the portfolio is highly diverse, ranging from pharmaceuticals to cars to IT, with everything in between. Ten years ago, barely a dozen multinationals carried out research and development in India; now there are more than 700. Economist Kazuyuki Motohashi recently published a paper in the Seoul Journal of Economics noting that India ranked just behind China and the U.S. as a top R&D center for multinationals. When comparing China and India, he observed, many companies are attracted to Chinas market and cheap labor, while Indias draw is an abundance of quality research personnel. This is an industrial revolution well under way. India is the worlds largest democracy, the cliche goes, but its a cliche because its true, and its another reason for Nicks optimistic vision of Indias future. India has elections, a free-ish press, and a historical and linguistic connection to the Anglophone world and its ideals. Some observers say that democracy and freedom will impede Indias rise and that Chinas authoritarian capitalism is the wave of the future. But as Americans, we should reject that contention. If China is right about how to run things, then America is not a revolutionary and successful experiment; its a historical curiosity. If were right, democracy and something like our idea of freedom work better than authoritarianism, and India will succeed and may well emerge from its industrial revolution as an educated, creative, open, tolerant, and prosperous superpower. India was hurt as well as helped by British colonization. The helpful part is that it left many Indians with an aspiration, at least, to be ruled by law. The bookstores in Delhi are packed to the rafters with books about contract law, the principles of accounting, and seismic engineering. The ubiquity of English among the elite gives India an advantage over China. Census figures (albeit outdated) indicate that India has twice as many English-speakers as England, and four times as many as Canada. A command of English certainly would be helpful to anyone trying to master the existing scientific literature. India, Nick points out, is also open culturally to Western ideasto all ideas. Who knows why? Everyone has a pet theory. Maybe its because sooner or later, everyone invaded and colonized India, and sooner or later, they left. So India just got used to it. The place just went on and on. Its been invaded so many times that theyve developed the habit of accepting any idea that comes their way and somehow making it part of India. Or you could bring on the theories about pantheistic syncretism. (Delhi rickshaw driver: Are you Christian or Muslim? Im neither, I respond. What about you? Both!) But one things for certain: its not like China. You can bring a new idea to India, and while it may be judged with suspicion, if its a good idea, someone there will think carefully about it. While theres just no such thing as an adjective that applies to 1.2 billion people, can-do is closer to a useful description of Indians than most others Ive heard. None of this is to say that India is a paradise. Its a mess. The list of woes is long: corruption beyond imagination, bureaucracy that nearly defeated me from the start (try to get a visa from a consulate that closes on every pantheistic holiday), slums, illiteracy, the legacy of the caste system, everything suggested by the phrase open defecation, and even the ritual suicide of widowed women known as suttee, which still goes on. A third of the country, mostly in the rural areas, lives below the poverty line. In the semiarid tropical regions, droughts have stalled the Green Revolution, which allowed India to feed itself by increasing crop yields. Almost half the population lacks access to basic sanitation. Its very difficult for girls to go outside in the darkness, and theyre worried about snake bites and other problems, an Indian woman told the Guardian. Other problems is a euphemism for rape, one assumes. Statistics on this are hard to disambiguate, given that India is experiencing a wave of reporting on rape, but theres a difference between a crime wave and a crime-reporting wave. Its possible that only now has it occurred to many Indian women that rape is a crime. Narendra Modi, elected last May as Indias 15th prime minister, has promised to address some of these problems and is showing signs of moving in the right direction economically, where he wants to ease off regulations. Looking at the signage while walking through Delhi suggests just how much regulation there is to ease. Consider the bracing spirit of the warning that it is VIGILANCE AWARENESS WEEK, affixed to the exterior of something called the National Productivity Council, which is apparently a No Tolerance Zone, though it is not clear what is intolerablepresumably, everything. Delhi police barriers announce: WE KNOW WE SLOW YOU DOWN. BUT WE TRY OUR BEST NOT TO LET CRIMINALS SLIP BY. I like that one, I confess, for its beleaguered modesty. Also admired: RULES!!! THIS IS NO SMOKING AREA. FIREARMS AND EXPLOSIVES NOT ALLOWED IN THE CINEMA PREMISES. Fair enough. Though Modi is saying the right things on the economy, I do view him with concern. What some have called the Saffron Swastika of his Hindu nationalism is real and about as appealing as it sounds. But Ill take Indian religious zealots over Saudi ones. India has elections and may get better use out of Modi than vice versa. India isnt Turkey. It would be more challenging to Putinize India than to Putinize Turkey or others on the long list of countries that have challenged our belief that the natural trend of history runs toward liberal democracy. Remember another cliche: India is ungovernable. Thats a good thing, if youre hoping not to be Putinized. For India to keep moving forward, Modi only has to do as little harm as possible. Its unlikely that any politician is going to change India all that much. Its too big to drag anywhere at anything but its own speedbut also too big to slow down, once it reaches escape velocity. Indias politicians have generally been a miserable bunch, and they probably always will be. Its not Indian politicians who impress me but Indians themselves. And nowhere are Indians more impressive than in their commitment to education, which they have long viewed as the pathway out of impoverished misery. In 1970, the U.S. had three times as many university graduates in its workforce as India did, but the gap has closed. If the projections are even remotely accurate, India will have more than 200 million graduates by 2050twice as many as the U.S., and nearly as many as the U.S. and China combined. The number of highly educated Indians already likely exceeds the population of France. From an economic standpoint, what Indians are studying is also key: science, medicine, and engineering. Theres not a Swiss-lesbian-Chicano studies major in sight. I sat in on a number of university classes in Delhi and met the students and their instructors. I scribbled down a few notes about what they were studying. From the curriculum of the first week of the first semester: History of polymeric materials, classification of polymers, configuration and conformation of polymers, nature of molecular interaction in polymers, cumulative interaction, entanglement, random chain model, linear-branched, cross-linked, crystal morphologies, extended chain crystals, chain foldingmy notes stop there, but the curriculum goes on and on. The students notesassuredlyare more extensive and accurate. Some, but not all, will learn every bit of this and get it exactly right, because soon there will be a test. Others will fail to learn every bit of it, fail the test, and fail life. Ive never seen kids as happy and grateful to have the chance to pass. Indias reverence for those educated in the hard sciences was captured by this terrible headline in the Times of India. FIVE TECHIES AMONG 45 KILLED AS BUS CATCHES FIRE IN ANDHRA. May they rest in peace, I thought, along with the two infants and 38 other souls on the bus who werent in the tech industry. The omission was all the more awful for suggesting the truth. The techies, as they call them, are indeed the people wholl find ways to reduce the appallingly high number of these kinds of accidents in India, and bring myriad other improvements, too. They are thusin a sense that is hard to understand for wealthy Westernersmore valuable to India. Indians spend more than $3 billion a year on test preparation and $7 billion more on tutorial classes. Those not lucky enough to get a scholarship at a top Indian university spend $12 billion on private higher education and $13 billion to study at universities overseas. Some 100,000 Indians are studying in America alone. The $35 billion Indian education sector is growing at 10 percent per annum. Demographics suggest that this trend will continue for decades to come. The Indian Institutes of Technology, or IITs, are Indias most famous educational brand. Five were established shortly after independence and modeled on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The best of them are incredibly competitivefar more exclusive than any Ivy League university. The only way in is to pass a rigorous all-day math, physics, and chemistry exam. Last year, 1.4 million Indians took the exam; only 0.4 percent made the cut. IIT graduates thus tend to be among the most intelligent and competitive people in the world. Last year, PitchBook, a venture capital research firm, found, to its surprise, that graduates of the IIT in Delhi produce more start-ups backed by venture capital than any school in the Ivy League. Only three American universities did better: Stanford, Berkeley, and MIT. And IIT graduates are increasingly staying in India after they graduate. Before 1997, 80 percent of graduates of the IIT in Madras moved to the United States. These days, less than 20 percent do so. Clearly, the brain drain has reversed. Look no further for proof of Indias R&D prowess, as identified by the Seoul Journal of Economics. Projections from the GSMA (Groupe Speciale Mobile Association) suggest that India will have 1.16 billion mobile connections by 2017. These figures may be unreliable, but the country is coming online fast. Im with the techno-dystopians who assume that when people have access to the Internet, theyll use it to do whatever theyve done before. But in Indias case, that means that many will use their new access to the Internet to study. India will soon surpass the U.S. as the largest consumer of online education. We could be looking at hundreds of millions of highly motivated Indian students en route to producing lots of new things that will benefit India and the world. A growing number of these highly educated Indians have experience in creating valuable intellectual property. Nick thinks that Indians could produce a dozen new Silicon Valleys in the coming decades. Maybe. But even producing one would be impressive, given that many Americans are basing their belief that they will continue to be the worlds leading superpower on one Silicon Valley and lots of shale gas. (Guess what other country might have massive untapped shale reserves? In 2011, Indias biggest energy explorer, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, claimed to have discovered the countrys first major shale gas reserve, in the Burdwan district of West Bengal. The company said that it was the worlds third-most massive shale gas find, after those in the U.S. and Canada. P. K. Mahato, a scientist at Deva Malviya Institute of Petroleum Exploration, claimed that the block had reserves that could last 50 years.) Compared with frustrated America and sclerotic Europe, India feels avid, bustling, and entrepreneurial. The Indian press is full of sentences such as: We are on the cusp of an unstoppable explosion of innovation powered by advances in science, technology, venture capital, and entrepreneurship. That entrepreneurial spirit is having a hugely beneficial impact on health careone that might have lessons for us. If you need cardiac surgery and can manage the flight to Bangalore, your odds of surviving that procedure are better than they are in the United States. And according to the Wall Street Journal, it will cost one-tenth of the price. Dr. Devi Shetty, in the Journals words, is the Henry Ford of heart surgery. Shetty believes that the cost of global health care could be reduced by 50 percent in the next five to ten years if hospitals would adopt his ideas about economies of scale. His family business, the Narayana Hrudayalaya Group, offers discount hematology, pediatric surgery, neurosurgery, and organ transplants. His heart hospital in Bangalore is the worlds largest, with 1,000 beds, and performs 30 major surgeries a day. His Bangalore Health Citywhich also houses the worlds largest cancer hospitalis funded by private equity and runs at a significantly higher profit margin than the average American hospital. His surgeons performance evaluations are not based solely on their ability to keep their patients alive but also on the time they take to finish an operation, the number of stitches they use, and the units of blood they waste. The balance sheet gets sent daily to Shetty. Anyone who has received a $30 bill for an aspirin tablet already suspects that the American medical system offers few incentives for physicians to consider the cost of every stitch. Of course, the cost is paideither directly, by the patient, or in the form of higher insurance premiums, or in the form of higher taxes. Only people who live in a country where it is understood that nothing is freenot even the things everyone needswould dream of building hospitals like this. Or so I was learning, from the Wall Street Journal, and thinking about oh-so-abstractlyuntil I was mauled by Sippy the Dog. Sippy was named after the Study India Program. A student visiting on a lightning study tour had found the lost puppy in the street and left it with Nick and Meetu. But the dog was now full-grown and exhibiting behavioral peculiarities. I figured I was a natural-born dog whisperer and would set things straight. Long story short, Sippy-cum-Cujo attacked me, and I wound up without a nose. Meetu rushed me to Moolchand Medcity, a facility chosen for its proximity to IndoGenius. When you walk into a hospital with your nose in a paper cup, youre not hoping to perform a randomized trial on Indian health care. Youre hoping for the best health care in the world. I got both. I was trying to make my horrified hosts laugh when they rolled me off to the operating room and I said to Dr. Manohar Lal Sharma, I expect a better nose. I didnt, really. I figured Id be lucky not to be drastically disfigured, and that wasnt even my first concern. My first was rabies; my second was massive infection. Sharma was born in 1950 in Rajasthan. Hes an alumnus of Vidya Bhawan Higher Secondary School; he attended Rabindranath Tagore Medical College in Udaipur and apparently has many other excellent qualifications. I found that out afterward, though. The first thing I noticed about Sharma was that he had mercifully steady hands and a bedside manner so reassuring that I was, in fact, reassured. He sewed my nose back on as if he did such things every day (he does). Meetu filmed the whole thing, in case there was any dispute with the insurance company. A week later, Sharma removed my stitches. Nothing about his office said, Advanced medical technology to be found here. It was a modest little hovel in a warren of rat-ridden alleys. While he worked, I asked him whether hed been born with steady hands, or whether it was a matter of training. Natural aptitude, I think, he said. I had the thought that most Americans would have: He could make a killing in Beverly Hills. Sharma continued gently repairing my ability to inhale. You must be careful for a short while not to jostle it, he said, lest it fall right off. Do please avoid the metro. AIJAZ RAHI/AP PHOTO The no-nose situation hardly lacked in drama, but it got really dramatic when I received the bill: the injections cost about $14 (rabies, local anesthetic), and the costs for the operating theater, the X-ray, and the surgical team were on the same order. Im not a specialist. I dont know for sure whether another hospital could have done better. But the protocols in place for skin-testing incoming trauma patients to check for potential drug allergies looked first-rate. I saw rigorous precautions to prevent nosocomial infections. The first thing people are faced with when they arrive at a hospital in India is a payment counter, said the head of Healthcare Research and Development for Phillips in Bangalore, in an interview with Kirsten Bound and Ian Thornton of the British-funded Nesta Foundation. The nature of the system means patients have an awareness at a granular level of what treatments costit really makes a difference whether a treatment costs even 500 rupees or 700 rupees. At todays rate of exchange, 500 rupees is a bit less than $8. How much awareness at a granular level of what treatments cost is there in the U.S.? Not much, I fear. Nor does the American system operate on the assumption that consumers might be intelligent enough to decide for themselves whats worth it to them. Some 80 percent of health care in India (give or take a few hundred million people) is provided by private enterprise. Providers dont have the luxury of performing the economic legerdemain that characterizes the U.S. health-care system and its opaque byzantine dance among employers, insurers, and taxpayers. Indian providers are forced to be competitive. They have to think long and hard about how much to pay for equipment and other supplies. Theyre a lot less likely to order tests just because they can. And partly as a result, theyre tremendously innovative. Wait. An Indo-pessimist just started screaming, You cannot be serious. Walk down the street. Does that look healthy to you? No, it does not. Even in the healthiest parts of Indiain the Punjab, for exampleyou see diseases that you would never see in the West, in an abundance that shocks the conscience. I walked around one of the wealthier enclaves of the capital city for several weeks with my post-operation, bandaged-up nose, and I didnt feel out of place. To the extent that anyone noticed me, it was more because I was white than because something was wrong. I was obviously the lucky onethe one who had enjoyed proper nutrition and first-rate, First World health care in childhood. People see things like half-eaten noses all the time. Entirely fixable birth defects go unfixed. Nearly 30 percent of newborns that die on their first day of life are born in India. Of course, its hard to disambiguate these statistics, too. To begin with, 17 percent of the world lives in India. Whats more, the high levels of infant mortality may owe in some part to infanticide, as opposed to a lack of health care. Not that such facts are any cure for Indo-pessimism. Yet I cant dismiss Nicks longer view, especially when I remember that, the last time I was in India, in the mid-1990sby Indian standards, yesterdayit was unfathomably worse. Streets full of lepers is an outdated cliche about India now. It wasnt outdated then. We could view the Indian health, pharma, and biotech sectors as competition we fear, or we could view them another way. What if India can beat us in the race to find new drugs to kill antibiotic-resistant superbugs and then sell them to us at a tenth the price? Thats what old-fashioned free-market enthusiasts consider the kind of competition we like. India produces 60 percent of the worlds vaccines and 80 percent of those purchased by the United Nations every year. The countrys ability to do this more efficiently and less expensively than anywhere else is why the Serum Institute of India was able to produce MenAfriVaca safe, effective meningitis vaccine for the African market that cost less than 50 cents a dose. If you want to consider radical ways of reducing the cost of drug discovery, consider Indias crowd-sourcing project to develop a new treatment for tuberculosis. Launched in 2008, it connected scientists from across India and beyond through an Internet platform that drew on considerable distributed brainpower. The initiative has already achieved interesting results. The M. tuberculosis genome was sequenced in 2008, but only a quarter of its 4,000 genes made any sense to researchers. Starting in December 2009, the crowd-sourcing projects 500 volunteers managed to re-annotate all the genes in four months. Since then, two promising molecules have been contracted for testing. Zakir Thomas, director of the project, hopes that there will be a new drug in the pipeline within the next five years. Im not convinced by the argument that India cant do quality control as well as the U.S. can. Obviously not: I trusted my life to Indian vaccines, and Id quite like to pay prices like that for my health care. What this suggests to me is that the more scientific cooperation and exchange we have with India, the better. But our government wont do this for us, and neither will Indias. Our citizens might think it through, however, and if were lucky, our governments wont stand overmuch in our way. So wethe Peopleshould build the platforms for efficient collaborative research with Indianshere, there, or, cheapest of all, online. Its the fastest way to find the drugs we really need. And its in everyones interest for us to do it. So begin with the assumption that Indians want safe, high-quality drugs as much as Americans do. Assume that Americans want low-cost health care and better medications. Then consider that, according to the FDA, theres a quality-control problem at the Indian generic drug manufacturer Ranbaxy. The U.S. solution has been to ban shipments from its main factory, which perhaps makes senseshort term. But apparently, the FDAs long-term solution, when fully staffed, is to have 12 Staff in India; seven in New Delhi and five in Mumbai. This is nothing like a logical, long-term solution. With a staff of 12, the FDA cant possibly conduct quality-control inspections in a country of 1.2 billion people and the worlds third-largest pharmaceutical industry. A solution in the realm of the possible would be for U.S. pharma to build partnerships with Indian pharma. Were great at private enterprise and quality control; were lousy at federal government. Bring the good parts of America to India. Collaboration to improve Ranbaxys quality controlnot punishment and fear of Indian drugsis the better strategy. Indias specialty, evident in its approach to health care, is what the management-school jargon generators call frugal innovation. Bound and Thornton of the Nesta Foundation describe this as an ability to turn limitationsfinancial, material, or institutionalinto advantages. The contention is that it is precisely because India is poor, wretched, and often illiterate that it repeatedly discovers ways to develop and deliver things without adequate budgets, often in strikingly novel ways. This results in products and services so cheap that the rest of the world will change, and radically, as soon as they have access to thembecause, as the authors note, these products frequently outperform the alternative, and can be made available at large scale. Such innovations are found throughout the Indian society and economyfrom cardiac surgery and crowd-sourced drug discoveries to Bharti Airtels model for slashing the cost of mobile phone calls. The Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay developed a prototype 10.1-inch netbook that costs less than a hundred bucks. The students who have been testing it report that its not half-bad. People to whom the term frugal innovation appeals tend to be drawn to the other buzzword fashionable among management-school Indophiles: jugaad, which means, depending on your perspective, a culture of creative improvisation or a culture of doing everything in a cheap, sloppy, dangerous, and half-assed way. The important point is that it doesnt necessarily mean the latter. Bound and Thornton note that the growing Indian consumer base is highly price-sensitive and that its open to trying new things. Extreme conditions and major gaps in service provisionthe no-toilets-no-stable-electricity situation, for shortstimulate demand for low-cost solutions in health, education and energy. They correctly note that the implications of this go far beyond India. The lackluster growth and deleveraging in developed economies will, they say, increase demands for frugal products and services and frugal innovation processes. As they tactfully put it, Caring for rapidly ageing societies will require completely new approaches to health and social care, including the radical rethinking of business models and value chains that is apparent in some examples of successful frugal innovation. What they mean to say is that the West is getting old and its currently out of ideas, so perhaps we should have a good look at what theyre doing over there. They also note that low cost does not mean low-tech: frugal innovation can require or be combined with frontier science and technology. Consider the problem of clean water. Roughly a billion people in the world (and about two-thirds of rural India) lack access to it. Yet Im told that a solution might be found on a dusty road an hour outside Pune, where the Swatch water filter was born. It costs $20, half the price of its nearest competitor. It works with rice husks (low-tech) and silver nano-particle filters that remove Hg2+ from water (not low-tech). It requires no electricity or running water to operate. Its frugal, yes, but hardly unsophisticated. An example of very frugal innovation: Have you ever wondered what happens to in-flight meals that dont get served? I hadnt, either, until a gentleman appeared on the IndoGenius doorstep with a lovely basket of nicely wrapped things that foreign people eat. Frugal doesnt necessarily mean small, either. Last September, India sent a rocket to Mars. Some foreign observers laughed. Why would a still-poor country waste money by sending a rocket to Mars? Talk about missing the point. Not only did India blast a rocket to Mars; it did it for $74 millionabout a tenth of what it cost NASA. I wont get on board the Indophile express with the unreserved optimism with which, I suspect, Nick was born. Nor can I throw in with the pessimists about the West. Theyre hardly the first of their kind. Even the West-is-worst advocates of the Pankaj Mishra stripe cant fully convince themselves that the West is in retreat. If Mishra really believed it, he wouldnt bother to write so often for the Western press. Hes clearly hedging his bets. Were not doomed, though were certainly pessimistic. Were asking ourselves many deep questionsand rightly so. India has been asking itself some deep questions, too. Perhaps we might try being baffled together. If nothing else, it would be less lonely. After all, India and the West have some deep cultural affinities. Remember these lines? In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. Thats the opening of Genesis, King James version. Now consider this: Nor Aught nor Nought existed; yon bright sky Was not, nor heavens broad roof outstretched above. What covered all? What sheltered? What concealed? Was it the waters fathomless abyss? There was not deathyet there was nought immortal, There was no confine betwixt day and night; Who knows the secret? Who proclaimed it here, Whence, whence this manifold creation sprang? The 29th hymn of the tenth mandalaknown as the creation hymnfrom the Rigveda is a masterpiece of the English language. Ive been told that this is because it is a masterpiece in the original Sanskrit. I wish I knew enough Sanskrit to be sure. Perhaps we just share an Anglophone heritage. But who knows? The United States and India have been alienated since Nixon went to China. Its time to end that alienation. If President Obama wants to go back for another look at Indiapreferably, without patronizing the placethat would be great. Thats not enough, though. We have to do it. We are the People. Dont wait for your government to do anything for you. It wont. Indians learned that lesson long ago. Photo: Students prepping for admissions exams to the Indian Institutes of Technology, the countrys most prestigious educational institution (SAURABH DAS/AP PHOTO) Kim Jong Un took a question. Amid a last burst of camera noise as press were ushered out of a photo op with Kim and President Trump in Vietnam, David Nakamura, a reporter with The Washington Post, shouted, Chairman Kim, are you confident, feeling good about a deal? The room fell silent as Kim, his arm propped on a wooden table, slowly turned to an interpreter behind him and started to answer. Its too early to tell. But I wouldnt say that Im pessimistic, he said. From what I feel right now, I do have a feeling that good results would come out. Overnight, nuclear talks between Trump and Kim collapsed. According to Trump, the US wasnt prepared to accept full sanctions relief in exchange for partial denuclearization; Sometimes you have to walk, he said. Nakamuras question, nonetheless, was a breakthrough: it marked the first time Kim has ever engaged with a foreign journalist. Prior to the summits premature ending, Kim took a second shouted question from a reporter, suggesting he would welcome the opening of a US liaison office in Pyongyang. This is a good phenomenon, the global media should continue to ask him questions as much as possible, Korea expert Duyeon Kim told the Posts John Hudson. Its best to hear what North Korea thinks directly from Kim himself. ICYMI: Reporter behind controversial BuzzFeed scoop speaks For the press gathered in Hanoi, that was as good as things got. On Tuesday, traveling journalists were kicked out of the hotel they were using as a base because Kim was staying there; the White House had approved the medias use of the hotel, and TV crews had spent weeks rigging their equipment there. Once the summit started, reporters complained that their access to pool sprays was limited. On Wednesday, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, barred four reporters from covering a dinner with Trump and Kim: an apparent retaliation for earlier shouted questions about Michael Cohens concurrent Congressional testimony in Washington. After photojournalists threatened not to photograph Trump in protest, Sanders let in one print reporter, from The Wall Street Journal. The AP, Bloomberg, the LA Times, and Reuters were left in the cold. At a press conference after the summit collapsed, Trump did field one question about Cohen: I wasnt able to watch too much as Ive been a little bit busy, he said, then got into the details of Cohens testimony regardless. Cohens testimony may have distracted the president; either way, it overshadowed his summit, getting wall-to-wall coverage in the US. While Trumps abrupt abandonment of nuclear talks leads many news websites this morning, its not clear that the story has staying power. The break-up lacked dramait was amicable, Trump saidand means the press has nothing new to chew on in the days to come. The Cohen story, by contrast, looks set to run. While the biggest bombshells dropped in advance of his testimony, Cohens tantalizing suggestion that Trump may be in greater legal jeopardy than we realized leads stories by the Post, NBC, and others this morning. Beyond those hintsand despite obvious doubts as to Cohens credibilitythe seven-hour hearing was absorbing: winding together key threads of the Trump investigations story, adding color to the presidents character, and emphasizing the depth of partisan division among our politicians. Comparisons to John Dean, the White House counsel during Watergate who became a key witness, followed. On NBC, Chuck Todd called Cohens testimony the first unofficial hearing of the impeachment process; CNN patched actual John Dean in to talk about it. Sign up for CJR 's daily email It is, lest we forget, extraordinary that a sitting US president has met twice, in less than a year, with a North Korean dictator. Extraordinary, too, that that dictator took questions from US news outlets. But extraordinary questions tend to get less media attention than extraordinary answers. Over the past 48 hours, those came neither from Kim nor from Trump, but from a spurned former fixer back in Washington, DC. ICYMI: Why the left cant stand The New York Times Below, more on yesterdays two huge stories: Other notable stories: The Washington Posts Margaret Sullivan explores why a Lifetime series accelerated accountability for R. Kelly, and why traditional investigative journalism failed. (Kelly was arrested last week on 10 counts of sexual abuse, including of minors.) Some of what has happened was simply the power of how the story was told in the TV series, and whom it reacheda younger, more diverse audience than that of traditional journalism, told in text, whether on newsprint or online, Sullivan writes. In Hong Kong, newspapers controlled by the Chinese government are using the tools of journalism to surveil, harass, and discredit independence activists, The Globe and Mails Nathan VanderKlippe reports. Its a kind of innovation with potential global ramifications, since Hong Kong is often used as a piloting area for strategies subsequently used elsewhere, he writes. For CJRs new print issue, Sadia Latifi, a former journalist, recounts what it was like to become the subject of a documentary about boy band fangirls. The filmmaker was able to see things I couldnt see about myself, Latifi writes. She went in with an open mind, asked thoughtful questions, built trust, edited and re-edited. In the end, Im glad to have had a part of my life captured. Nieman Labs Laura Hazard Owen explores the Timess opinion desks pivot to YouTube video. You might be surprised by the swearing. And the Facebook snark. And the variety of video styles. And that these are things your non-news-junkie friends might actually want to watch, she writes. The videos are attracting new audiences at a moment when the Times is extremely focused on subscriber growth. And also in our print issue, Amber ALee Frost explains why the left cant stand the Times. The paper is the flagship publication for liberal triumphalism, she writes. It holds the line of Francis Fukuyamas End of Historythe notion that all serious ideological conflict crashed to a halt with the suspension of the Cold War, with very little at stake in future political disputes. ICYMI: How Esquire lost the Bryan Singer story Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. A Colorado appeals court has ruled that victims of the 2015 shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs can sue the nonprofit organization over what they argue was lax security. The Gazette reports that the ruling reverses a lower court decision that said only the accused shooter, Robert Dear, was liable for the deaths of three people and wounding of nine. The surviving victims and families of the deceased argued in their lawsuit that the long history of violence at abortion clinics should have alerted Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains to take security precautions that might have prevented the shooting rampage. Dear faces 179 charges, including several counts of murder. However, a court has determined that he is incompetent due to a psychotic delusional disorder. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. By Azernews By Abdul Kerimkhanov Armenia continues to grossly violate the norms of international law, settling Middle Eastern Armenians in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The resettlement of Armenian origin refugees to the occupied Azerbaijani lands grossly violates the obligations imposed by the Geneva Conventions. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi during a working visit to the UN office in Geneva on February 28. Mammadyarov noted that the government of Azerbaijan continues to work to improve the situation of refugees and internally displaced persons in the country. He stressed that eliminating the fact of occupation and ensuring their return to homelands will be a sustainable solution to the problem of internally displaced persons. Mammadyarov told the UN Commissioner on the negotiations progress on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, stressing that Azerbaijan is a supporter of substantive and result-oriented negotiations. It was in particular noted that the existing status quo is unacceptable, and the Armenian armed forces should be withdrawn from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in accordance with the requirements of the UN Security Council resolutions. Mammadyarov also drew attention to the illegal resettlement of refugees of Armenian origin from the Middle East to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, which contradicts the requirements of international humanitarian law. The minister stressed that the UN should not remain indifferent to such actions. In turn, Grandi expressed his gratitude for the donation of Azerbaijan to the budget of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The High Commissioner expressed his satisfaction with the existing relations of cooperation and hopes for its further expansion in the future. Mammadyarov invited the High Commissioner to take part in the 18th Summit of Heads of Government and Member States of the Non-Aligned Movement, which will be held October 25-26 in Baku. The first resolution of the UN Security Council on the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was adopted on April 30, 1993. The document was called "Resolution of the UN Security Council ?822". The resolution stated that the stability and security of the region is under threat, a cease-fire was required by stopping occupation actions and military operations, as well as the withdrawal of aggressor forces from the territories of Kalbajar and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan. A regular meeting of the UN Security Council was held at the end of July 2013, and resolution ?853 on the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was adopted at it. This resolution reflected the demands for the complete and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces from the territories of Agdam and other occupied regions of Azerbaijan. The UN Security Council once again brought up the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh and adopted Resolution ?874 on October 14, 1994. This resolution expressed acute concern over the tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the escalation of hostilities on the front line, the numerous victims and the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, supported the efforts of the CSCE to resolve the conflict, once again reaffirmed respect for the territorial integrity of states. The UN Security Council, on the basis of an appeal from Azerbaijan, once again brought up for discussion the situation in connection with the continuation of the conflict and adopted Resolution ?884 on November 11, 1994. This Resolution expressed concern about the occupation of the village of Horadiz and the Zangilan region, voiced the demand for the withdrawal of all the occupied troops from these territories. AKRON, Ohio -- During his 11th State of the Schools address, Akron Public Schools Superintendent David James focused on the districts connections to the community. James began his speech at The Tangier by addressing his decision in late 2017 to apply for the superintendent position at Columbus City Schools. Though tempted to go elsewhere, something inside me did not sit right, he said. I decided to stay, and it became clear that this has been the right decision. James went on to emphasize the school districts tag line, Connecting Community to the Classroom. Your volunteerism, mentorship, experiential learning opportunities, financial contributions and partnerships provide our students with meaningful relationships and support, he said, adding that the number of community connections is in the hundreds. One of the most visible community partnerships on display Thursday was the Essential Experiences program funded by a $1.2 million investment by the GAR Foundation. Here are some other takeaways: Career paths: The school district has met all of the timelines outlined in its 200-page master plan, James said. That means each high school is prepared to launch its academy programs in August. Every 10th through 12th-grader in our district will be selecting one of 57 career pathways, James said. Students will be able to earn industry credentials and college credit in these academies before graduation. These pathways are aligned with our regional talent needs including nursing, advanced manufacturing, pre-med, teaching, engineering, technology, construction and many more, he said. The academy partnerships include the Akron Childrens Hospital, Kent State University, the University of Akron, Stark State College, Bridgestone Americas, Summa Health, Key Bank and Goodyear. The college and career academy program is a partnership with Ford Next Generation Learning, James said. The academy program will soon align with the elementary and middle schools to cover all grades, not just high school, James said. An eye toward economic development: James cited The Two Tomorrows report from the Fund for our Economic Future, which summarized that not everyone in the region has reaped the full benefits of the economy, especially minority populations. This is important to our community as we work to keep and attract jobs here, help entrepreneurs start new businesses and grow our economy, he said. We must ensure that our economy grows in ways that benefit everyone. Emphasizing economic development, James said, goes hand-in-hand with focusing on education and the success of the community. Education forms the foundation for the talent that is required to support our local businesses and our local economy, James said. He noted the Elevate Akron program announced last week at Mayor Dan Horrigans State of the City address. Elevate Akron was developed by the city of Akron, Summit County, the Greater Akron Chamber and the GAR Foundation to address many of the issues outlined in the Two Tomorrows report, James said. I Promise School: After more than a year of planning with the LeBron James Family Foundation, on July 30, we opened the I Promise School; perhaps you have heard? James quipped, drawing laughter from the audience. The I Promise School is serving as a catalyst for communities across the country to re-think how they can support our children and their education with the We Are Family philosophy, James said. I am personally honored that LeBron has kept his promise to our local kids, he added. Student discipline: James addressed recent reports and viral videos of physical fights in the public schools, saying 84-percent of the districts students do not get in trouble and have no suspension days per year. Ten percent of students are involved in one incident per year, four percent average three incidents per year and three percent are involved in more than three incidents. Recent reports indicating a handful of schools experienced more than 100 incidents in the past year were misleading, James said. The numbers reflected how many students were involved in these altercations, not the number of altercations. The school district has re-established a joint discipline committee with the Akron Education Association to work on innovative solutions to student discipline, James said. Buildings: In April 2018, the school district bought the former Summa Care office building at 10 N. Main Street. The district will consolidate its Sylvester Small Administration Building and the Conrad Ott Staff Development Center by moving into the new administration building the week of April 22. The school system transferred its former parking lot at 70 N. Boardway to Summit County so it can become part of the Sojourner Truth Building, now owned and operated by the United Way. The district also traded its vacant Perkins Middle School with the city of Akron for the parking lot near 10 N. Main Street, the new administration building. The city, along with East Akron Community Development Corporation, is planning a new housing development on the site. The school district expects to save millions of dollars in potential upgrades to its downtown properties at 70 N. Broadway and 65 Steiner Avenue by selling the buildings to possibly be converted into apartments or condos. Student achievement: Akron students have achieved numerous successes this year, prompting James to feel like a proud dad of 21,000 students. Null Dev Rai, a biomedical science student at North High School, was selected as one of five Presidential Scholar semifinalists for the state of Ohio. North High senior Alejandra Trevino was selected by TEDxAkron as one of 14 speakers for the 2018 TEDxAkron live show at the Goodyear Theater in April. She was one of 200 people to audition for the event. Gillian Allen in Kenmore-Garfields Culinary Arts program was accepted to the most prestigious culinary school in the country, the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, New York. Firestone CLC and Akron School for the Arts senior Reyna Moran won Playhouse Squares Dazzle Awards for the second year in a row. National Inventors Hall of Fame Akron STEM High School senior Jackson Tankersley went to his eighth Ohio Academy of Science State Science Day in May at The Ohio State University. He presented his project, Bioelectricity Changes in Urine Microbial Fuel Cells Inoculated with Livestock Solid Waste Slurry. All I can say is, wow, James said. CLEVELAND, Ohio Two teens who want to build buddy relationships among refugee and non-refugee students captured the top $5,000 prize Wednesday night at Accelerate: Citizens Make Change, an annual civic pitch competition. Karson Baldwin, 16, of Strongsville, and Israel Kambomba, 15, who moved to Cleveland from the Congo, want to expand a pilot program Baldwin created that helps address challenges of integration. The money and support by various groups is expected to bring their civic vision to reality. About 500 people attended the annual competition in the Global Center for Health Innovation in downtown Cleveland. The event, presented by Cleveland Leadership Center with support from Citizens Bank, involved judges listening to 27 civic pitches in six categories. The six finalists pitched in a final round, and the audience selected the winner by cellphone voting. Two teens who want to build buddy relationships among refugee and non-refugee students captured the top $5000 prize last night at Accelerate: Citizens Make Change, an annual civic pitch competition. Baldwin, 16, is a 10th-grader at University School and Kambomba, 15, is a 10th-grader at Thomas Jefferson International Newcomers Academy in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. The title of their pitch, One Respe, comes from a Haitian Creole expression of welcome that means honor and respect. Kambomba said refugees find it difficult to make new friends. They hope to help others create the kind of friendship they have formed. The teens pitch was in the Educating for Tomorrow category, presented in partnership with Nordson. The five runners-up each will receive $2,000 in addition to making connections. Each finalist received a voucher for airline travel donated by Southwest Airlines, and a free one-year membership to ECDI Cleveland, which provides programs, services and loans to entrepreneurs. This year, a new category was introduced in partnership with Destination Cleveland. Event hosts also announced a new partner for Accelerate. Hilary Sparks-Roberts, executive director of Social Venture Partners, told the audience that the organizations bigBANG! pitch competition will become part of Accelerate next year. bigBANG! trains and mentors innovative nonprofits that are effecting social change in Cleveland. Other past presenters and winners were at the event to showcase progress in implementing their projects, including 2018 winner Tory Coats. His vision was to create Teen Enterprise Pop-Up shops to prepare tomorrows business leaders by offering them mentoring and a place to sell products they create. Last August, teens hosted a pop-up shop in a vacant Slavic Village storefront, among other events. Coats returned to Accelerate this year with teen entrepreneurs who sold clothing and soap products they have created. He also brought products to sell made by children in Honduras, which Coats visited last year when launching a global entrepreneurship institute. The Burton D. Morgan Foundation sponsored the pop-up shop at Accelerate. Here are the other five winners in Accelerate 2019: CLEVELAND, Ohio -- University Hospitals has entered a multi-year partnership with the University of Oxford to establish a global center dedicated to finding therapies for rare diseases. The two institutions will combine resources on both sides of the Atlantic to create the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre, it was announced today. The Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre will operate out of two sites, one in Oxford and one at Harrington. In Cleveland, the centre will be based in UHs Harrington Discovery Institute, which advances promising therapies for rare diseases by focusing on drug development. The institutions will share space in both sites. The partnership allows both institutions to reach beyond their borders to find answers for some of medicines toughest questions. It will deliver economic boosts here and in Oxford through spin-off companies that will take newly developed drugs through FDA trials, said Dr. Jonathan Stamler, president of the Harrington Discovery Institute. We have an opportunity to make a tremendous amount of good, Stamler said. No one does pomp like the British, and they are bringing a bit of ceremonial flair to the official proceedings making the partnership official. Stamler, University Hospitals CEO Tom Zenty and other UH officials traveled to Oxford this week for a day of ceremonies and meetings with university chancellors, capped by a formal dinner and museum tours. The formality is a great pleasure, Stamler said about the hoopla. This is a big deal in Oxford. Harringtons portion of the joint venture will use space in the old Corner Alley space on Euclid Avenue in University Circle. The Corner Alley was an upscale bowling alley that closed in 2018. Harrington expects to occupy the space in the spring. Harrington looks to hire more employees for its rare disease center site, but Stamler did not have firm numbers. The Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre offers hope to those with rare diseases, which are usually genetic and affect patients for their entire lives. Rare disorders such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis -- affect fewer than 200,000 Americans. More than 350 million people worldwide are living with a rare disease. Pharmaceutical companies typically dont focus on rare diseases because drug development is expensive. The rare disease center hopes to find cutting-edge therapies that will attract attention from the pharmaceutical industry, Stamler said. When things are dramatic, the industry does get behind it, he said. Stamler said he couldnt predict how long it might be before therapies developed by the joint venture reach patients. The idea for a merger between the Harrington Discovery Institute and the University of Oxford was first floated about seven years ago when Harrington researchers saw Oxfords focus on rare diseases and thought that the two institutions shared common goals. We could do something transformative, Stamler said. Oxford has more than 250 scientists working on more than 350 rare diseases, with expertise in neurology, inflammation and immunology, hematology, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The university is a major center for stem cell research and organ regeneration. It brings to the partnership an enormous depth in discovery and the power of science, Stamler said. The Harrington Discovery Institute will contribute its drug development capability and management abilities to the partnership. Oxford and Harrington will evenly split the cost of setting up the joint rare disease center. Oxford has already raised $50 million, and Stamler would like to see the two institutions jointly raise another $100 million over the next few years. It is exciting and unusual, and I hope we can all enjoy this happening in our community," Stamler said. MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Construction on multiple main thoroughfares in Middleburg Heights will require motorists to be patient this year. During the Feb. 11 Middleburg Heights Streets Committee meeting, Service Director Jim Herron discussed road projects that will begin in 2019, with some of them carrying over to 2020. Sprague Road will undergo major reconstruction from Webster Road to York Road, creating two lanes and a center turning lane. A new water line also will be installed. The Ohio Department of Transportation will oversee a two-year, multi-city project on Pearl Road, while Sheldon Road, in partnership with the City of Brook Park, will be improved from Engle Road to Eastland Road. In addition, four communities will be involved in a two-year resurfacing project on West 130th Street, from Snow Road to Bagley Road. City Engineer Mike Mackay explained that the extensive Pearl Road work will proceed with ODOT selecting the contractors. Those firms will base their plans on available personnel, equipment, other jobs they have and the state's schedule. "We will be invited to the pre-construction meeting to kick off this project, but ODOT is going to be running it and will pretty much control what the contractors do," Mackey said. Grant money will pay for a majority of the road projects, which total $26 million. That money, however, is subject to specific timelines within which the work must be started and/or completed. Mayor Matt Castelli acknowledged the difficulties residents will experience and said traffic patterns in construction zones will be designed to create the least amount of disruption. "We don't want to miss the opportunity to get these roads done, so there may be some discomfort as these projects are being worked on," Castelli told the committee. "It's going to be important that we stay on top of the communication." Information will be available on the city's website, he said, as well as through the CodeRED telecom messaging system. In other committee action, the topic of creating a left-turn lane onto Bagley Road from Engle Road was tabled. City officials cited project costs and other current priorities. Its not going to be a cheap solution, Mackay said. Youd have significant costs involved to make any kind of change there that would have any significant impact. LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- Mayor Mike Summers announced at the beginning of last nights State of the City address that he will not be seeking a third term in office. I loved the responsibility of serving our community, but I do believe that turnover in these jobs is important and that fresh leadership and fresh perspective on challenging problems is always helpful, said Summers, 65, who in late 2010 was appointed to follow Ed Fitzgerald, then newly elected as the first Cuyahoga County executive. I never expected to be here even for two terms, so it was not a hard decision not to run for re-election in that respect. Being mayor was not a career move for me. It was a call to duty. Im grateful to have this opportunity, but I have no political aspirations before or after this job, Summers said. The fourth longest-serving mayor in Lakewood history, Summers was elected the city leader in 2011 and re-elected in 2015. Prior to that, the former Summers Rubber Company president spent eight years as a member of the Lakewood City Schools Board of Education before being elected to City Council in 2007. Summers said the decision to not run for a third term as mayor was made long ago. I just dont think you do these jobs forever, Summers said. Its not appropriate. In fact, Summers suggested that his 2015 re-election, which at the time was dominated by the controversial debate regarding the future of Lakewood Hospital (subsequently closed and now being redeveloped as One Lakewood Place), was far from certain. I certainly was prepared to abide by the judgment of the citizens at any time, Summers said. The nature of this kind of job is, theres basically a referendum every four years. Thats as it should be. Whatever the citizens would have decided in 2015, I would have been fine with that. Im grateful I had a chance to continue the path we were on and implement more fully many of these ideas. Also, I think no doubt not being worried about the outcome (of the 2015 election) gave me a lot more courage to do what I think was best for the city. Summers said the reason he ran for a second term was a strong sense of unfinished business related to the future of the Lakewood Hospital site, as well as other economic development projects. I believe the next decade will be a very exciting, productive, but challenging decade for Lakewood, Summers said. It will be best served by new leadership with fresh perspectives on all the issues and opportunities. Summers ended the State of the City address by saying that he has 10 months left in the term and that he expects to finish with a sprint. As for his future, the mayor said, Ill take some time off and figure out my next steps. We love antiques and their ability to transcend time. They carry stories behind their existence; some diverse, some simple. It takes time to collect, giving purpose to shopping trips or internet cruising. However, Nippon porcelain enthusiasts look to a limited timespan within the porcelain world, dating from 1891-1921. The word Nippon itself means the source of the sun and refers to Japan. Many Japanese potters made this porcelain, creating a variety of styles. Common designs included beading, clay dots enameled over gold to strike a jeweled appearance, or a slip (raised design) creating a moriage. Wedgwood was copied in some Nippon pieces, with the Jasperware influence in green and blue, while the raised design was completed in white. Novelty pieces included popular cartoon characters found on dishes, cups and figurines. Japan prospered with these highly decorated porcelains, which appealed to Westerners. But after 1921, the Nippon name ceased and the country of origin was then designated on porcelain made in Japan. Speaking of Asian techniques, an added feature to the 50th Anniversary Bay Village Womens Club Antique Show this weekend will include displays from club members and their chosen antiques. One such attraction will be the Asian origami paper exhibit. This collection includes an 1800s assortment of animals and people, highly formed into familiar shapes and artistically decorated, as well. A local collector is sharing these antique art forms at this Jubilee celebration. Held at Bay High School, it should be a fun show! Hello Brenda, I bought this item about 10 years ago at a moving sale. I loved the look, and decided to buy it. The owner said her father had traveled overseas for work, but she was not sure where he bought it. Is it a vase or bowl? Do the marks on the bottom have meaning? S.P., Cleveland Hi Sue, Your porcelain vase decorated in a brown glaze has elephant heads for the double handles! It is Asian. The marks on the bottom seem to be Japanese letters that are contained in a painted square. The vase has a matching tray, and the set could be used as a foyer accessory. It was probably purchased abroad and brought to the States. It dates to the mid-20th century. The hand-painted details have the style of Imari china. Value would be $150 for the set. If you have an item for evaluation, send a clear picture with history to Yenke Peddler, Brenda Yenke, P.O. Box 361633, Strongsville, Ohio, 44136. You may also email photos and information requests for Brenda to evaluate at kenyenke@aol.com. MENTOR, Ohio -- A Kirtland man charged in a June 2018 hit-and-run that killed Mentor police officer Mathew Mazany is expected to change his plea, court records say. Brian Anthony, 24, is scheduled for a change of plea hearing at 9:30 a.m. Friday, according to court records. Hes charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and other charges, records show. Anthony tested positive for drugs including fentanyl, heroin, morphine and codeine, prosecutors say. The crash that killed Mazany, 41, happened about 1 a.m. in the eastbound lanes on Ohio 2 near Ohio 306. Mazany stopped to help a fellow officer who carried out a traffic stop of an unrelated motorist. Anthony struck Mazany as he walked to the stopped car, according to police. He was taken to TriPoint Medical Center in Painesville where he died. Authorities said Anthony told them that he was not aware that he hit someone on the side of the highway. He is being held in Lake County Jail on a $750,000 bond, a jail official said. If youd like to comment on this story, visit Thursdays crime and courts comments section. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Actor LeVar Burton will speak at Case Western Reserve University this fall and receive the 2019 Inamori Ethics Prize. "I couldnt have been more surprised by the news, Burton said in a press release. This is a very prestigious honor, and as the first recipient from the field of the Arts, I look forward to being able to accept the prize and thank the committee in person. Burtons acting career spans more than four decades. He rose to stardom in 1977, playing the young Kunte Kinte/Toby in the landmark television series Roots. He played Geordi La Forge from 1987-94 in the Star Trek: The Next Generation TV series and in several subsequent Star Trek movies. He also hosted Reading Rainbow, a series which promoted childrens literacy. Over its 23 seasons, Burton received 12 Emmy Awards. The Inamori Ethics Prize, awarded by the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence, recognizes Burtons advocacy through his acting as well as his works with AIDS research. Burton sits on the Aids Research Alliance Board of Directors. The award was first given in 2008, and this is the first year it will go to someone who works in the arts. Previous winners include Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Childrens Defense Fund. WESTLAKE, Ohio Hot Chicken Takeover is coming to Crocker Park, its first location in Northeast Ohio. The Columbus-based company's fourth restaurant has a summer target opening date at 244 Main St. in the shopping district. It will be across from 3 Palms Pizzeria and below residential space. "I think for us, what we started to understand, we do have some brand awareness in Cleveland," founder Joe DeLoss said. "We were getting a lot of people asking if we were coming to Cleveland in social media. That was really reaffirming to hear all that, of course." It's also a bit of a homecoming for the 34-year-old DeLoss, who attended middle school and high school in Medina. The other critical draw for Cleveland is the region's community-partnership options, he said. The five-year-old company bills itself as "a community-focused restaurant." "Hot Chicken Takeover has a unique HR (human-resources) strategy deeply invested in our team," said DeLoss, whose company hires "those affected by a criminal record." DeLoss, an investment-banking analyst turned aspiring entrepreneur, "has a very similar mission with whats happened with Edwins and that whole group. " HCT employees working in a second-chance environment help create a "competitive advantage," and that in turn affects diners positively, he said, making "for a rich hospitality experience for our guests." Edwins is the fine-dining French restaurant in Shake Square founded and run by Brandon Chrostowski, who trains and hires recently incarcerated individuals. The name 'Hot Chicken Takeover' actually dates to DeLoss' original business plan. The idea had been to 'take over' "underutilized bars and restaurants on off nights." They would build their brand via pop-ups at a bar on a Sunday night or in a restaurant on a Monday, he said. "The name was the verb of what we intended to do," he said. "That business model didnt really work out. It was hard to fry chicken in other people's oils." "Most people know us as HCT," DeLoss said. "But its a very different intention. How do we 'take over' with our mission and hospitality experience?" That hospitality experience is seen in long communal tables. The restaurant's menu is limited but focused: It offers pick-your-meat options - wings, drumsticks, dark, white and boneless - and four types of sauces. Meals are akin to a combo deal and come with "Ma's Mac" or "Ma's Slaw." And free iced tea is always available. HCT will hold a pop-up event with a free banana pudding at the Westlake location 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28. Banana pudding is Hot Chicken Takeover's sole dessert. The company also is hiring for restaurant leadership positions (crew hiring will begin this spring.) Go to HCTjobs.com. The companys goal is to be a regional player in the Midwest for fast-casual fried chicken, DeLoss said. Were really committed to regional expansion outside Ohio. CLEVELAND, Ohio Jill Vedaa of Salt in Lakewood and Larder: A Delicatessen & Bakery and have been named James Beard Award semi-finalists. Vedaa has been nominated Best Chef: Great Lakes region for the second consecutive year. Larder is nominated in the Best New Restaurant category. "I dont even know what to do with myself," Vedaa said. "I'm at work, and all I want to do is drink a bottle of Champagne." Vedaa said she kept trying to refresh her computer when the site crashed. Then she learned she won. "My mouth kind of dropped, and honestly I had a little tear in my eye," she said. "The first year (of being nominated) was kind of like 'Wow.' Youve done all this work to get to a certain place in your career, and I really dont ever think about awards. To be recognized on a national level is pretty awesome. Two years in a row is really validating for the years and hours I put in in Cleveland. Those hours arent spent in a solitary kitchen. They are spent in a competitive culinary landscape shared by many creative chefs. "I dont feel like I personally am doing anything different than I have ever done, just focusing on small plates and changing the menu and putting out a good product. We spend a lot of time giving ourselves the right exposure and remain relevant with our customers in Cleveland. "Regardless of how good you are, it's pretty competitive out there." Kenny Scott, one of the owners of Larder along with Jeremy Umansky, also was elated at the news. "We're pretty excited," Scott said. "It's just another day, but we're pretty excited." Scott said they "had no idea" the Hingetown restaurant had made the cut until it was announced Wednesday. "Hopefully we'll make it on to the next round," he said. Larder is among 30 restaurants vying for the coveted award and the only Ohio restaurant on the list. Vedaa is among 20 chefs in her category and also is the only one from the state. Its a busy time for Umansky, who was featured in Food & Wine's recent Makers issue under the headline "The Deli Prophet." Finalists will be announced Wednesday, March 27. The 2019 James Beard Awards Gala is Monday, May 6, in Chicago. By Trend A cargo plane of Turkish Airlines was forced to return due to strained relations between India and Pakistan, Trend reports via Turkish media. The plane flying from Istanbul to Chennai, due to the closure of Pakistan's airspace, returned to Istanbul. Reports also noted that currently a number of flights from Istanbul to Pakistan have been canceled. The Pakistani authorities completely closed the country's airspace on Feb. 27 against the background of aggravated relations with India. On Feb. 26 morning, Indian Air Force fighter jets attacked a big training camp of the Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistani part of Kashmir. As a result of the air raid, many militants were eliminated, their vehicles, weapons and ammunition were completely destroyed. Indian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vijay Gokhale said that a preemptive strike was "absolutely necessary" because the group was preparing suicide attacks in various parts of India. Moreover, according to New Delhis opinion, Pakistan has not yet taken any practical steps to eliminate the infrastructure of terrorists on its territory. Acting foreign secretary of Pakistan summoned Charge d'Affaires of the embassy of India in Islamabad and stressed that Indias aggression poses a threat to peace and stability in the region and Islamabad will give an adequate response to it at its convenience. The crisis in relations between India and Pakistan sharply worsened after Feb. 14, when a suicide bomber blew himself up near paramilitary policemen in Jammu and Kashmir in northern India. Forty-five people were killed as a result of the attack. According to New Delhi, responsibility for the attack was claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed. India accused Pakistan of supporting terrorist groups. Islamabad dismissed the allegations as unsubstantiated, suggesting New Delhi to conduct joint investigation into the incident. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- While movie fans await the arrival of Captain Marvel on March 8, there are a trio of new releases that should satiate you in the meantime. French actress Isabelle Huppert terrorizes Chloe Grace Moretz in the suspenseful thriller Greta. Tyler Perry makes his final appearance as Madea in A Madea Family Funeral. And from Germany, the war romance Never Look Away was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, which it lost to Roma." Get a peek at all three in the video, above. GRETA Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Chloe Grace Moretz, Stephen Rea, Zawe Ashton, Maika Monroe, Colm Feore Director: Neil Jordan Rated: R Rotten Tomatoes: 65 percent Google synopsis: Frances finds a handbag on the New York subway and promptly returns it to Greta, an eccentric French piano teacher who loves tea and classical music. Having recently lost her mother, young Frances strikes up a seemingly harmless friendship with the lonely and kindly widow who enjoys her company. But when Gretas behavior becomes increasingly erratic and obsessive, Frances does whatever it takes to end the toxic relationship before things spirals out of control. A MADEA FAMILY FUNERAL Starring: Tyler Perry, Patrice Lovely, Cassi Davis, Derek Morgan Director: Tyler Perry Rated: PG-13 Google synopsis: A joyous family reunion turns into an unexpected nightmare when Madea and the gang find themselves planning a funeral in the backwoods of Georgia. NEVER LOOK AWAY Starring: Tom Schilling, Sebastian Koch, Paula Beer Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck Rated: R Rotten Tomatoes: 77 percent Google synopsis: When two German art students fall in love, the girls father, who has a devastating secret, vows to end their relationship. CLEVELAND, Ohio A library patron didnt just spend a day in the Life magazine with the Beatles on the cover. An edition of the Sept. 13, 1968, magazine has been returned to Cuyahoga County Public Library this week ... and it didnt just disappear yesterday. It was more than 50 years overdue. Along with the magazine was a letter in which the borrower admits to stealing it as a child from the Parma Ridge Road branch in 1968. The letter apologizes for the theft and includes a check for $100 for the late fee. The library didnt twist and shout about the theft, instead deciding to let it be with a tongue-in-cheek post up on its Facebook page and a photo of the magazine and the check. To the #Beatles fan who borrowed this copy of Life magazine in 1968: Thank you for returning it this week and clearing your conscience, the post says. The magazine is a collectible ... listings on ebay for a copy in good condition are priced at about $50. CLEVELAND, Ohio Documents sought in the search warrant served earlier this month on the office of Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish serve as a roadmap to cleveland.coms reporting on problems at the countys jails. Below youll find a brief description of the subjects public corruption investigators pursued in the Feb. 14 raid on Budishs offices, and what cleveland.com has previously reported on those subjects. The search warrant sought: Any files related to Birmingham, Alabama-related Naphcare, a private health-care provider, or the companys lobbyists. Investigators seized four folders related to the countys 2018-2019 budget. Cleveland.com reported: During county budget hearings in the fall of 2017, Sheriff Cliff Pinkney told County Council that $1.5 million could be saved by dropping MetroHealth as the health-care provider at the jails and privatizing operations with NaphCare. Two lobbyists Rachel Winder and Robert Zimmerman were working with state legislators on behalf of both Cuyahoga County and NaphCare at the time, according state records. A document obtained by cleveland.com states that Ken Mills, who was serving as the jail director at the time, had allowed NaphCare to submit an estimated price range for the companys services. The letter, written and signed by NaphCare President B. Lee Harrison, thanks Mills for allowing the company to submit a proposal. Council members ultimately rejected the idea, and bids were never solicited. The search warrant sought: Any paper or electronic files referring to a County Council committee hear about the jails on May 22, 2018, as well as any papers or electronic files related to Gary Brack, who at the time was director of ambulatory care at the jails. Cleveland.com reported: Testimony at the May 22, 2018 meeting made public for the first time serious problems with the delivery of health care to jail inmates. Committee members were told of an ongoing shortage of nurses, and how Mills interfered in the medical operations that were administered by MetroHealth. During the hourlong hearing, Brack, spoke bluntly about the problems with Mills and said a nursing crisis existed at the jails. Mills, who resigned in November, was indicted last month. He is accused of lying about his role in blocking the hiring of nurses during that May 22 meeting. He has pleaded not guilty. The search warrant sought: Any files in possessed by Budish, in his control, or accessible to Budish that refer to a May 23, 2018 meeting at MetroHealth. Investigators seized a folder entitled Akram Boutros and other folders related to MetroHealth. Cleveland.com reported: The day after the committee hearing, Budish met with MetroHealth CEO Dr. Akram Boutros to personally demand Brack be removed from his position at the jails. A MetroHealth document provided by the county to cleveland.com says that MetroHealth was required to comply with the countys demand. Brack was removed from his position at the jail and is no longer employed by MetroHealth. He appeared in December before the grand jury investigating possible corruption in county government. The search warrant sought: Files from Budishs office that relate to regionalization of the jails. Investigators seized a folder entitled Jail Cleveland mayor. Cleveland.com reported: The conditions at the jails at the downtown Justice Center began to deteriorate before Budish launched his plans to regionalize the jails. But once the county and Cleveland came to an agreement for the county to take on all of Clevelands inmates, the conditions quickly worsened. County officials made the push for more inmates before the jails were ready because they hoped to make money by charging Cleveland and other police departments $99 per day for each inmate. County officials said in various public meetings in late 2017 and early 2018 that they expected net revenue from jail regionalization to be between $1.7 million and $5.5 million per year. The search warrant sought: Any files referring to plans to consolidate medical screenings of inmates. Cleveland.com reported: The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction in a special inspection in June found that some inmates were not getting medical screenings at the jail. That finding was echoed in a report by the U.S. Marshals Service in November and again by the state in a 2018 inspection report made public earlier this month. Its unclear when the jail began consolidating medical screenings, administered to incoming inmates to survey their health needs. But a report by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care issued in January said consolidation was a problem. The commission told MetroHealth it should change the practice after taking over all health-care operations at the jails. The search warrant sought: Any files in Budishs possession relating to criminal investigations conducted by the Cuyahoga County Sheriff involving deaths or assaults in the Cuyahoga County Jail. Cleveland.com reported: Details of each of the eight inmate deaths, along with a handful of assaults on inmates by corrections officers. The first inmate died on June 10, the most recent on Dec. 31. Four inmates killed themselves, three died of drug overdoses and one had cancer. No more than two county inmates have died in the same year in the previous decade. Many years, no inmate died. In the most recent case, Brandon Kiekisz died after notifying jail staff that he had tried to commit suicide two days prior to his booking. The Aug. 31 death of Jose Arquillo is the subject of a separate criminal investigation into the actions of former corrections officer Martin Devring. Devring has since been fired after being accused of walking up to Arquillos mat, kicking it and walking away as Arquillo died. Several corrections officers are under investigation for excessive use of force against inmates. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- CLEVELAND, Ohio Celebrate the Cuyahoga Rivers revival with the Xtinguish Torch Fest: four days of events along 100 miles of water marking the 50th anniversary of the June 22, 1969, fire that sparked a national environmental movement. Its a new narrative about our region, said Arrye Rosser, interpretive and education specialist for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The idea is extinguishing the past, igniting the future. Spearheaded by the West Creek Conservancy, Xtinguish is the pinnacle of dozens of community events, exhibits, performances and conferences in Northeast Ohio this year. All mark the Cuyahogas transformation from an open sewer through the center of the city to an active fishery and watersports playground. Dozens of organizations are pitching in on Xtinguish, where the torch will be passed from the headwaters of the Crooked River near Burton, through Akron and to Lake Erie. The event includes a walk along the entire river, led by Sharon Day, Ojibwe water walker from Minnesota. Heres what to mark your calendars for: Native American Water Blessing Headwaters Park, Geauga Park District 1 p.m. June 19 Ceremonial blessings and Native American drums by the Lake Erie Native American Council shall honor the region for which the Cuyahoga (translated as Crooked River) was named. The event will also include a celebration of Juneteenth, marking black emancipation and honoring African Culture through ceremonies and drum circles. Main Street Kent 4 p.m. June 20 Enjoy art installations, food trucks, and live music with musical acts such as Alex Bevan, the Chardon Polka Band, and more! A Passing of the Torch ceremony begins at 6 p.m. in Riveredge Park and include an unveiling of a commemorative relief. Cuyahoga Falls 11 a.m. June 21 Enjoy a free hot dog lunch, live music, games and educational stations at Water Works Park, 2025 Munroe Falls Avenue, Cuyahoga Fall, OH 44221. Then join the community for a downtown concert, with food and drinks, at 6 p.m. on the banks of the Cuyahoga. Akron 10 a.m.-3 p.m. June 21 Formerly dubbed the Blue Heron Homecoming, Cascade Valley Metro Park in the Summit Metro Parks includes free rain barrels, free trees, fishing and kayaking demonstrations, live music, free lunch and walking tours of the Gorge dam. Hands-on activities will help guests understand the importance of water quality. Cuyahoga Valley National Park 4 p.m. June 21 This stop of the passing of the torch will be rich in history, present efforts regionally, and will be host to numerous dignitaries. Blazing Paddles Race Cleveland 1 p.m. June 22 Share the River presents the second annual Blazing Paddles, a 5.7-mile standup paddleboard race, canoe & kayak celebration on the river. The event will also serve as the official dedication of the river as a Ohio Department of Natural Resources Water Trail. Want more Lake Erie news? Follow RocktheLake on Facebook. COLUMBUS, Ohio Republican Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder took the unusual step this week of meeting privately with the entire Ohio House Democratic caucus. In doing so, he was able to get enough Democrats to vote on Wednesday in favor of a legislative fix, requested by gun-rights activists, so that it will pass immediately once its signed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. The episode shows that Householder, whom Democrats in January helped propel to the top job in the Ohio House, is willing to continue to reach across the aisle to advance his legislative agenda. It also shows that Democrats, wary of whether their alliance with Householder will last, at least for now are willing to help him. The speakers meeting with the minority caucus is a good example of his bipartisan approach to leadership within the house, said Gail Crawley, a Householder spokeswoman. Householder requested to attend a Tuesday night meeting by Democrats in the 15th floor of the Riffe state office tower. He explained he needed at least seven Democratic votes for House Bill 228, which fixed a law Republican state legislators passed during a hectic lame duck session last December, to pass as an emergency, meaning it would take effect immediately once DeWine signs it. Some gun-rights activists in mid-February noticed language HB 228 that they argued may inadvertently outlaw legal firearms like certain rifles and shotguns. Republican state lawmakers have said the confusion was the result of a typo by a legislative staffer. One group, Ohio Gun Owners, published a blog post calling the bill a massive gun ban once it took effect in March. The law otherwise made it harder to convict people who assert they shot someone in self-defense. State Rep. Kent Smith, a Euclid Democrat who serves in Democratic House leadership, said some Democrats from more conservative areas may have supported the bill to fix HB 228 anyway, but said he thinks Householders effort made a difference. (Smith voted against HB 228 and the new measure passed this week to fix it.) He was able to get some votes because this was not a controversial bill per se as much as it was a correction of legislative sloppiness, Smith said. And that speaks to the former [pre-Householder] House leadership, but also the absolutely furious nature of lame duck and how it can really lend itself to some bad public policy outcomes. Democrats had considered introducing gun-control amendments, like suggesting a ban on bump stocks, on the House floor on Thursday to make a statement about Republicans failing to act on gun-control changes requested by former Republican Gov. John Kasich last year. But they decided not to, instead opting for an approach that allowed the bill to pass more smoothly. And 17 Democrats ended up joining 59 Republicans in voting to allow the gun-bill fix to pass as an emergency, giving it well more than the 66 votes it needed to do so. The Democratic support didnt stop the Ohio Democratic Party from referencing the effort to fix HB 228 in a Wednesday fundraising email as an example of Republicans dropping everything to do the bidding of the gun lobby. During his Tuesday night meeting with Democrats, Householder also discussed DeWines request to raise Ohios gas tax by 18 cents a gallon to pay for highway maintenance and improvement. That measure also may require Democratic support if some more conservative Republicans blanch at raising taxes. Householder, considered a savvy and sometimes ruthless political operator who served as Ohio House speaker in the 2000s, ousted former Republican Speaker Ryan Smith in January following a bruising and protracted inter-party fight. Smith got 34 Republican votes to Householders 26. But Householder got 26 of 38 Democratic votes, installing him as speaker. The Ohio House speaker decides what bills get voted on and passed, and is one of the most powerful jobs in state government. WASHINGTON, D.C. - A day after leading House Republicans in a contentious cross-examination of President Donald Trumps former attorney, Michael Cohen, Rep. Jim Jordan is asking the U.S. Justice Department to bring new perjury charges against Cohen. Jordan - who led off the hearing by noting that Cohen was about to go to prison for lying to Congress and spent the rest of it portraying Cohen as a habitual liar - sent a letter to the Justice Department on Thursday that claimed Cohen knowingly made false statements during his testimony." Congress cannot perform its oversight function if witnesses who appear before its committees do not provide truthful testimony, said the letter from Jordan, a Champaign County Republican, and House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows of South Carolina, who is also on the Oversight Committee. Perjury and false statements before Congress are crimes that undermine the integrity of the Constitutional duty to conduct oversight and inquiries. It says that several times during his testimony before Congress, Cohen denied committing various fraudulent acts that he has pleaded guilty to in federal court," such as claiming he did not defraud banks, or seek employment in the White House after Trump became president. It says Cohen pleaded guilty to charges that included making false statements to banks, and that legal documents filed by federal prosecutors in New York said that Cohen privately told friends and colleagues that he expected to be given a prominent role and title in the new administration" after Trumps election. Jordans letter noted that several of Cohens acquaintances, including Cleveland pastor Darrell Scott, posted Twitter comments during the hearing that indicated Cohen had told them he wanted a White House job. Michael Cohen asked...no, BEGGED me REPEATEDLY, to ask the POTUS to give him a job in the Administration! Hes STILL lying under oath! Dr.Darrell Scott (@PastorDScott) February 27, 2019 The letter also disputed Cohens contentions that he didnt direct the set-up of a Women for Cohen account on Twitter, and that a form he submitted along with his testimony said he hadnt had any reportable contracts with foreign government entities," when he told the committee he entered into contracts with BTA Bank of Kazakhstan and Korea Aerospace Industries, which are partly owned by foreign governments. It also took issue with Cohens claim that his criminal actions, like making payments on Trumps behalf to porn star Stormy Daniels, stemmed from his blind loyalty to Trump, when prosecutors attributed them to ambition and personal greed. His testimony included intentionally false statements designed to make himself look better on a national stage, it said. Mr. Cohens prior conviction for lying to Congress merits a heightened suspicion that he has yet again testified falsely before Congress. During the hearing, Jordan attacked Cohen as a liar, patsy and shill for his attorney longtime Clinton family associate Lanny Davis. Jordan claimed the hearing was an effort by Democrats to remove Trump from office. Because several Republicans on the committee ceded questioning time to Jordan, he had numerous confrontations with Cohen. Not everyone appreciated Jordans approach. A Democratic committee member who represents the Virgin Islands, Stacey Plaskett, could be seen rolling her eyes and mouthing the words be quiet at one of his interjections. Others criticized the committees Republicans for spending all their time attacking Cohen while ignoring the misdeeds that Cohen said Trump committed. At one point in the hearing, when Jordan accused Cohen of debating a member of Congress stating I really didnt do anything wrong with the false bank things that he was going to prison for, Cohen accused Jordan of misrepresenting his statements. Cohen said he was disputing some of the congress members facts, and said hes remorseful, taking responsibility for his mistakes, and going to prison. I said I pled guilty and I take responsibility for my actions, said Cohen. Shame on you Mr. Jordan. Rotunda Rumblings Starring role: U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan was the Republicans top attack dog during Wednesdays high-profile testimony of President Donald Trumps ex-lawyer Michael Cohen before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. As cleveland.coms Sabrina Eaton writes, Republican after Republican on the committee ceded time to Jordan, who painted Cohen as a liar, patsy and shill for Hillary Clinton loyalists and said his testimony was an effort by Democrats to remove Trump from office. U.S. Rep. Bob Gibbs of Holmes County also joined in the criticism. Not everyone was a fan: U.S. Rep. Stacey Plaskett, a Democrat from the U.S. Virgin Islands, made the eye roll seen around social media in response to a complaint made by Jordan during the hearing, according to USA Todays William Cummings. Great Scott! GOP Rep. Mark Meadows asked that a tweet from Cleveland-area Pastor Darrell Scott be read into the record during congressional testimony from Republican President Donald Trumps former lawyer Michael Cohen. Michael Cohen asked...no, BEGGED me REPEATEDLY, to ask the POTUS to give him a job in the Administration! Hes STILL lying under oath! reads Scotts tweet. Cohen told the House Oversight Committee he never asked for a job in the administration. Householders two cents: While Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof has been cool at best to Gov. Mike DeWines proposed gas-tax hike, House Speaker Larry Householder appears more receptive to the idea. As the Columbus Dispatchs Jim Siegel writes, Householder did not commit to what changes the House plans to make to DeWines proposal, but he has indicated a willingness to raise more revenue. Householder also showed no interest in moving the gas tax out of the transportation budget and said the House hasnt talked about passing offsetting tax cuts. Tax talk: Ohio House Democrats will again push the state to expand the earned-income tax credit this year, they announced Wednesday morning. Minority Leader Emilia Sykes said her caucus position isnt separate from the gas tax proposal: Obviously, we cant talk about one tax without talking about another. This is the second income tax cut talk this week. Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof said on Tuesday the state needs to look at an income tax reduction to offset any gas tax increases, although Democrats have said they fear it will mostly benefit the wealthy. Waiting for a refund: In 2013, the Ohio General Assembly introduced an earned-income tax credit, but Sykes and House Democrats said the policy just reduced low income Ohioans tax liability and didnt provide actual cash back on their tax returns, as does the federal governments earned-income credit. Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers, so the House Democrats plan will be a challenge to get through. That didnt take long: Within hours of Toledo voters approving a Lake Erie Bill of Rights, the first legal challenge to it was filed in federal court. As the Toledo Blades Tom Henry reports, the Drewes Farms Partnership asks in a 28-page complaint for the court to throw out the unconstitutional and unlawful ballot initiative, which allows people to sue producers of agricultural runoff on behalf of the lake. Check it out: The Democratic-controlled U.S. House on Wednesday passed legislation that would require universal background checks for gun purchases and close loopholes that allow internet and gun-show sales without such checks. As Eaton writes, Republicans said the proposal mistakenly presumes that criminals who want to buy guns will subject themselves to background checks. Education issue: U.S. Sen. Rob Portman said Wednesday that Chinese government-funded educational programs in the United States should be stopped until they become more transparent and U.S. outreach efforts are allowed in Chinese schools, according to Eaton. A report from a Senate subcommittee chaired by Portman found that China has spent more than $158 million on Confucius Institutes in more than 100 U.S. colleges and universities, including four in Ohio. Tick tock: U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown told reporters on Wednesday that hell announce by the end of March whether or not hell run for president next year, Eaton reports. Brown said people shouldnt mistake his deliberativeness and reflectiveness on the issue with a lack of passion for my country. 12-to-1: Those are the chances oddsmaker BetOnline gives Brown of successfully getting the Democratic nomination. Those arent terrible and put him ahead of marquee names like U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker, but behind U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, former U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke, ex-Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. Corey Lewandowski likes Browns chances: Trumps 2016 campaign manager tells the Youngstown Vindicators David Skolnick that he sees Brown as a formidable Democratic opponent in 2020 should he decide to run. Lewandowski: If Joe Biden or Sherrod Brown were to get into the race, they would have an opportunity to compete in the blue-collar states that Donald Trump won the last cycle, that Elizabeth Warren or Kamala Harris cannot compete in -- specifically in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan. Dario out: Green Party presidential candidate Dario Hunter, a Youngstown School Board member, tells cleveland.coms Jeremy Pelzer that he has been fired from his job as a rabbi as a result of comments he previously made to cleveland.com criticizing Israel. Discrimination, he wrote: Dr. Paul Sohi, chief of staff for Hamilton County Commissioner Stephanie Dumas, has filed a discrimination complaint claiming that he was verbally abused by Commissioners Todd Portune and Denise Driehaus, as well as Driehaus chief of staff, Alex Linser, according to the Cincinnati Enquirers Scott Wartman. Sohi, a 2018 Democratic legislative candidate, alleged hes being unfairly treated because hes from India. Five Questions Annette Chambers-Smith is the director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. 1. What would you say are some things that are problematic with the DRC? We have some places where we need to get hiring done more rapidly we always want to have our correction officer ranks filled. We want to make sure that we have inclusion of our line staff when were making policies. We want to make sure that our policy changes dont happen so frequently that people cannot keep up with them. 2. Another issue that the DRC is dealing with is coming up with a new death-penalty protocol. Where does that stand right now? We are researching and preparing a new protocol. And it is not finished yet. And given the litigation that surrounds the death penalty Im not going to get into a lot of commenting on that. We will take the time thats necessary to do a thorough job with it. 3. Do you expect that other executions will be delayed until a new protocol can be implemented? I dont feel a need to try to come up with a protocol in an expeditious manner. This is a dignified process this is human life were talking about. So, the department will take the time that we need to do a good job. 4. Another issue is ex-Parole Board member Shirley Smith had some concerns about how the board is being run kind of as a secret club. What do you think about the comments she made? "Well, I didnt just read her comments I called her on the phone. Ive heard some comments from her that Ive taken action on already, such as she thought that the Parole Board did not have a diverse enough background. Ive been looking for new Parole Board members to fill four slots that are not from the Department of Corrections. Were looking for a prosecutor, a public defender, someone with a mental-health background. Im trying to submit the four that were looking at this week. 5. One of the big things your predecessor was focused on was trying to find alternatives to prison and anti-recidivism efforts. Do you plan to continue that focus to expand things like community programs? Im very similar to [ex-prisons director] Gary Mohr in terms of what I find important around those topics. I just am different about how I get there. One of the things that I want to focus some time on is prevention. I think of trying to reduce recidivism as pruning the top branches of the tree. And I think of working on prevention as not planting the seeds of the tree to begin with. On The Move State Rep. Jessica Miranda, a Cincinnati-area Democrat, has been appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine to the Ohio Latino Affairs Board of Commissioners as a legislative non-voting member. Birthdays John Cranley, mayor of Cincinnati Straight From The Source Where was the new news? There wasnt any new news here. And if there was any new evidence, no prosecutor would have allowed it to be heard today in an open hearing like this in Congress. - U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, a Champaign County Republican and the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, to Fox News Bret Baier following the Michael Cohen hearing. Baier asked Jordan why he and other Republicans didnt defend President Donald Trump on the substance of the hearing, to which Jordan deflected and did not answer the question. The National Reviews Jonah Goldberg was not impressed. Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. If you do not already subscribe, you can sign up here to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free. CLEVELAND, Ohio The home run treated the Indians well on Wednesday in the Arizona desert. The Indians hit five home runs in a 6-1 win over Milwaukee at Phoenixs American Family Fields as Shane Bieber retired six straight in his first start of the spring. Meanwhile Max Moroff, back in Goodyear, hit a three-run homer to help rally the Indians past Seattle, 6-5, in a split-squad day for the Tribe. Third baseman Mark Mathias and catcher Li-Jen Chu, spring-training invitees, hit two homers each against Milwaukee. Mathias gave the Indians a 1-0 lead with a homer off former Tribe right-hander Josh Tomlin in the third. Jake Bauers made it 3-1 with a two-run homer in the seventh following a leadoff double by Tyler Naquin. Chu, who replaced starting catcher Roberto Perez, followed Bauers with a homer for a 4-1 lead in the seventh. Mathias started the eighth with his second homer and Chu homered again in the ninth. Bieber and five relievers held the Brewers to two hits. Corey Ray hit a leadoff homer off Alex Wilson in the third for Milwaukees only run. The Brewers didnt get another hit until the ninth. Right-hander Asher Wojciechowski and Jake Paulson added two scoreless innings each. Wojciechowski, a spring-training invitee, struck out three and walked two to earn the win. The 6-7 Paulson, a minor leaguer who made the trip in case the Indians needed an extra arm, allowed one hit with two strikeouts and a walk over the final two innings. Paulson, 27, spent last year in the Tribes minor league system going 10-7 with a 3.30 ERA at Class A Lynchburg and Class AA Akron. Mark Mathias is making an impact in Phoenix today as the prospect goes boom-boom! We're tied up at 1 in the bottom of the 4th, currently.#TribeSpring | #RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/SgNtO1zXU2 Cleveland Indians (@Indians) February 27, 2019 Adam Plutko, in the win over Seattle, allowed five runs on five hits in the second inning of his second start. It put the Indians in a 5-0 hole, but they climbed out thanks to Moroffs three-run homer in the seventh. Trayce Thompson singled and Eric Haase walked to bring Moroff to the plate. Indians pitchers, outside of the five runs Seattle scored in the second, did not allow a run. Neil Ramirez, Tyler Olson, Jefry Rodriguez, Tanner Tully and Argenis Angulo combined to throw seven scoreless innings. Rodriguez and Tully pitched two innings each and Angulo pitched the ninth for the save. Rocket by Bauers! Jake hits his 1st HR as a member of our squad ... We think you're going to like him, Cleveland. #TribeSpring | #RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/FES76WrUW1 Cleveland Indians (@Indians) February 27, 2019 Seattle held the Indians scoreless through five innings. Oscar Mercado and Jordan Luplow hit consecutive triples with one out in the sixth to make it 5-2. Henry Pujols followed Luplows triple to score pinch-runner Quentin Holmes to make it 5-3. Turkey is ready to become a mediator between Pakistan and India, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, Trend reports via Turkish media. Cavusoglu noted that Turkey is concerned about the exacerbation of the situation between the two countries. The minister added that Turkey calls on the parties to decrease tensions. On Feb. 26 morning, Indian Air Force fighter jets attacked a big training camp of the Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistani part of Kashmir. As a result of the air raid, many militants were eliminated, their vehicles, weapons and ammunition were completely destroyed. Indian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vijay Gokhale said that a preemptive strike was "absolutely necessary" because the group was preparing suicide attacks in various parts of India. Moreover, according to New Delhis opinion, Pakistan has not yet taken any practical steps to eliminate the infrastructure of terrorists on its territory. The crisis in relations between India and Pakistan sharply worsened after Feb. 14, when a suicide bomber blew himself up near paramilitary policemen in Jammu and Kashmir in northern India. Forty-five people were killed as a result of the attack. According to New Delhi, responsibility for the attack was claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed. India accused Pakistan of supporting terrorist groups. Islamabad dismissed the allegations as unsubstantiated, suggesting New Delhi to conduct joint investigation into the incident. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pakistan-warjets-indian-airspace-iaf-mig-shot-down-pak-f-16-hit-5603912/ Pakistan warjets enter Indian airspace, IAF MiG shot down, Pak F-16 hit Nowshera residents said a PAF aircraft showed up at 10.20 am, released a bomb near an ammunition depot at Narian near the Jammu-Rajouri National Highway and retreated. Related News The intrusion over Nowshera and Krishna Ghati sectors of Rajouri and Poonch districts was thwarted by the IAF which lost a MiG-21 Bison. (File) A day after the Indian Air Force (IAF) struck a terror camp deep inside Pakistan, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) aircraft violated Indian airspace in J&K Wednesday morning and attempted air strikes but caused little damage on the ground as the bombs fell in uninhabited areas near military installations. The intrusion over Nowshera and Krishna Ghati sectors of Rajouri and Poonch districts was thwarted by the IAF which lost a MiG-21 Bison its pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, ejected across the Line of Control and is in Pakistan Army custody. Video: MiG 21 Pilot Missing, One Pak Aircraft Shot Down Official sources said a Pakistani F-16 was brought down by IAF jets during the engagement, although the wreckage of the aircraft fell on the Pakistani side of the LoC. Army soldiers in the area saw two pilots paradrop in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, suggesting that two aircraft had been hit in the engagement. Denying that it lost any warjet, Pakistan claimed that no F-16 was part of the operation any such admission would violate US sale conditions of not letting Pakistan use F-16s in an offensive role. Sources said four F-16s, four JF-17s and four Mirage-5 aircraft of the PAF attempted an air strike shortly after 10 am. When the F-16s entered Indian airspace, the IAF scrambled a combat air patrol (CAP) from Srinagar and Awantipora airbases. The CAP comprising five aircraft moved in within minutes to engage the intruding F-16sr. The Mirage-5 targeted four military targets a brigade headquarters, a battalion headquarters, an ammunition point and a logistics depot but the bombs missed the targets. Sources said two MiG-21 Bison, including the one piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan, engaged the intruding F-16s. One of the F-16s was locked on by an air-to-air missile fired from a MiG-21 aircraft. Wing Commander Abhinandans aircraft, sources said, had crossed to the Pakistani side of LoC as he engaged the F-16s. His aircraft, sources said, was hit by Pakistan Armys ground air defence weapons and he had to eject. He was captured by local residents who later handed him over to the Pakistan Army which started circulating videos of his capture. Nowshera residents said a PAF aircraft showed up at 10.20 am, released a bomb near an ammunition depot at Narian near the Jammu-Rajouri National Highway and retreated. Best Of Express According to the residents, there was a huge explosion but there was no casualty or damage to property since the bomb had fallen in a wooded area. The PAF action came the morning after the Indian Army destroyed five Pakistani posts while retaliating to heavy shelling and firing from across the LoC. Defence Ministry spokesperson Lt Colonel Devender Anand said Pakistan resorted to shelling with heavy calibre weapons at 12 to 15 places along the Line of Control from 6.30 pm onward Tuesday. Pakistani troops were also seen firing mortars and missiles from civilian houses using villagers as human shields, he said. The Indian Army, he said, retaliated and our focussed fire resulted in severe destruction of five Pakistani posts and a number of casualties to Pak Army. Five Indian soldiers sustained minor injuries. By Trend During the meeting in Tashkent between World Bank (WB) European and Central Asia Vice President Cyril Muller and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the sides discussed current efforts to create a successful market economy, reform state institutions and modernize the country's large agricultural sector, Trend reports with reference to the World Bank. During the meeting, issues of further deepening the multi-dimensional partnership between Uzbekistan and the World Bank group were discussed. The importance of promoting practical cooperation in such areas as the development of banking and financial sector, supporting entrepreneurship and the real economy, reforming state enterprises and the agro-industrial complex, improving business environment and investment climate, widespread introduction of public-private partnership mechanisms in the implementation of infrastructure projects was noted . Uzbekistan is making strong progress implementing challenging economic reforms to support growth and build opportunities for citizens, says Cyril Muller. Visiting Uzbekistan, Muller reaffirmed the World Banks continued support for the countrys transformation agenda. Broad economic reforms are helping promote greater transparency and accountability, leading to better public services for citizens, said MMuller. Continued reforms in the business environment, the banking, financial and energy sectors, land and agriculture and especially health and education will boost private sector investments, create jobs especially for young people and help the country achieve sustainable economic growth. Among citizens of Uzbekistan, support for the countrys reform agenda remains high. According to a 2018 survey conducted by the World Bank, Listening to Citizens of Uzbekistan, about 95 percent of respondents from 4,000 households across Uzbekistan express optimism for the countrys economic future. And nearly 80 percent of the respondents are eager for more opportunities to engage with the government on important policy decisions. During his visit, Muller also visited Westminster International University in Tashkent, where he met with students, business leaders and journalists to discuss the opportunities that the social and economic transformation brings to the citizens of Uzbekistan, especially women and young people, to participate in the economic future of their country. Uzbekistan has a young, rapidly growing working-age population, with about 500,000 new job seekers entering the labor market each year, said Muller. That is why it is so important to maintain the reform momentum, invest in peoples health and education, and ensure everyone has an opportunity to realize their full potential. I am very optimistic for the future of Uzbekistan. Muller noted that the successful issuance of securities on international stock markets, obtaining sovereign ratings and raising Uzbekistans international country rating are the reasons for international recognition of the ongoing new course of large-scale socio-economic transformation in Uzbekistan. The World Bank is supporting Uzbekistan through the implementation of 19 projects, totaling over $3.32 billion. These projects contribute to the implementation of macroeconomic reforms, the improvement of agriculture and water resources management, energy, transport, healthcare, education, urban development, water supply and sanitation services, and support the countrys economic growth. Turkey will take part in the meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperations member-states, to be held in Abu Dhabi at the level of deputy foreign minister, the Turkish Foreign Ministry told Trend. Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal will take part in the meeting of the foreign ministers of the OIC member-states. The meeting of foreign ministers of the OIC member-states will be held on March 1-2, 2019 in Abu Dhabi and will be the 46th meeting in a row. Armenias aggression against Azerbaijan will be discussed at the meeting of the foreign ministers of the OIC member-states. Moreover, such issues as the Syrian crisis and the situation in Yemen and Afghanistan will also be on the agenda. The issue of strengthening economic and political relations between the OIC member-states will also be discussed. Anti-Trump Billionaire Tom Steyer hosts a town hall meeting on December 4, 2018 in Charleston, South Carolina. Steyer, founder of NextGen America and Need to Impeach, is testing the waters for a 2020 presidential run. Billionaire and Democratic donor Tom Steyer will not be supporting Democrats who don't agree with him that President Donald Trump should be impeached, CNBC has learned. In an interview Wednesday after Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen testified to the House Oversight Committee, the outspoken investor said he would not support any Democrats who do not align with his priorities of impeaching the commander in chief. "If I believe he is the crisis and you want to be president of the United States and you want to push it off, I don't think you should be running for president in that case," he explained. "What I am saying is we aren't going to support someone for president who isn't for impeachment. That's not conditional," he later added. When asked if any of the declared 2020 candidates match his determination to have the president impeached, Steyer said, "Not really." He noted, however, that former Texas congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke has been the rare lawmaker who appears to be on the verge of entering the presidential election and also supports the removal of the president. "I think one of the people who is thinking about getting into the race is Beto O'Rourke, and he was for impeachment back when he ran for Senate," Steyer said. He made it clear, however, he was not ready to officially commit to supporting O'Rourke or anyone else in the next election. Cohen himself brought up the 2020 elections during his closing remarks and painted a potentially grim picture if Trump ends up not winning a second term. "I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, that there will never be a peaceful transition of power. And this is why I agreed to appear before you today," Cohen said of Trump at the time. In a CNN town hall during O'Rourke's run for conservative incumbent Ted Cruz's Senate seat, the congressman was asked if he's changed his mind on impeaching the president, and he said, "I haven't." "When, by broad daylight on Twitter, he asked his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, to end the Russia investigation, I would say that's obstruction in action," O'Rourke added. The three-term representative fell to Cruz in the 2018 midterms by just under 2 percentage points but galvanized a quiet Democratic voter base in the deep-red state of Texas. He broke records in fundraising and youth voter turnout. Since his loss, he's been openly contemplating a 2020 run for president. In a statement given to the Dallas Morning News, O'Rourke said he's made a final decision on his next steps, and the newspaper reported he has ruled out running against Texas Sen. John Cornyn. Steyer has been one of the most vocal advocates of removing the president since Trump entered the White House. He too was considering a run for president after spending millions backing Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections, but he decided against the idea and chose to focus his efforts on his Need to Impeach campaign. He's committing $40 million to his latest phase of impeachment efforts and celebrated the Cohen hearing as a first major step toward that goal. His petition to impeach the president has over 7.4 million signatures. "We got the first step of the truth out for everybody to see. I think we owe a huge debt of gratitude to Chairman Elijah Cummings. It's a first step and a great first step," Steyer said. Former Vice President Joe Biden has been receiving regular briefings from executives at digital and social media companies, including viral video distributor NowThis, in order to learn ways to appeal to young voters if he were to run for president. Biden has gotten advice from an executive at Twitter, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter who would not disclose the executive's name. People familiar with the matter also said that Biden's team is prepared to hire at least 20 social media experts who would advise him if he were to jump into the 2020 race. Brian Schwartz | @schwartzbCNBC Former Vice President Joe Biden has been receiving regular briefings from executives at digital and social media companies in order to learn strategies for appealing to young voters if he were to run for president again. Biden has gotten advice from an executive at Twitter, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter who would not disclose the executive's name. "We work with elected officials, candidates and former politicians regularly when it comes to them getting the most out of Twitter," a spokesman for the company told CNBC. This person would not directly comment on Biden. Critics of a potential Biden run have suggested that Democratic voters and the electorate in general may prefer a fresh face to take on President Donald Trump, 72, in 2020. Biden is 76 years old and has been a staple of the national political scene since the early 1970s. If he were to run, Biden would have to cultivate a digital operation to keep pace with rivals who have had a head start in developing a vast reach on social media. People familiar with the matter also said that Biden's team is prepared to hire at least 20 social media experts who would advise him if he were to jump into the 2020 race. The former vice president has also talked with Athan Stephanopoulos, president of NowThis News, an online outlet that specializes in creating and distributing viral short-form videos and helped raise the national profile of potential 2020 Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke. In an interview Wednesday, Stephanopoulos confirmed that he had been in touch with Biden, his team and a variety of 2020 candidates about how his company can help promote their policies while connecting with young voters. "We are trying to reinforce that outlets like NowThis are an important place to spend time and reach these audiences," he told CNBC, describing key issues for young voters such as immigration and criminal justice reform, as well as climate change. "Candidates will have to take a stand on these issues as it relates to talking to this whole new generation of voters." Stephanopoulos said NowThis reaches 70 percent of Americans in their 20s on a monthly basis, a data point that has caught the attention of Democratic 2020 campaigns. Sen. Bernie Sanders' campaign, for instance, hired a NowThis employee to become a senior media producer. People close to Biden said the former vice president has appeared to absorb extensive knowledge about online messaging through these meetings. Biden himself touched on the subject Tuesday at a University of Delaware event. The veteran politician reflected on how the social media landscape had changed since President Barack Obama's re-election campaign in 2012. Biden also acknowledged he's getting counsel from some of the industry's top executives as he tries to comprehend the evolution of social media and its impact on campaigns. "From the last time Barack and I ran the whole issue of social media and the use of social media has fundamentally changed," he said. "And so we've been getting briefings from the most advanced people in the country who run these major platforms." Biden also noted he was in the "final stages" of deciding whether he will run in 2020 and his family will support him if he chooses to enter the arena. Biden, a former longtime U.S. senator from Delaware, has also heard from a variety of top Democratic donors about a third potential run for president, CNBC first reported. A spokesman for Biden declined to comment. What was once a gift shop and restaurant now lays in ruins in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, on Sept. 12, 2017. Hurricane Irma's 185mph winds ripped through the island six days before. Four people face federal charges they schemed to steal emergency disaster relief funds in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment on Tuesday that charged the four individuals with major disaster fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The scheme was carried out from August to October of last year and involved $840,000, prosecutors said. It allegedly targeted federal disaster assistance offered in the Virgin Islands after the destruction of hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017. Specifically, the government said, the scheme was aimed at a Federal Emergency Management Agency program that provided federal funds for essential repairs to damaged homes. Under this program, FEMA worked with state, local, and territorial governments to execute the repairs. Two of the individuals, Leovigildo Gomez-Geo and Wilfredo Valentin-Perez, were arrested last Friday and later released on $20,000 bail by U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce McGiverin after making an appearing in court in the U.S. District of Puerto Rico. The indictment says Gomez-Geo, 32, works for a construction company called Campbell Development. The resident of Puerto Rico has previously worked as an adviser to the administration of former Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla and, most recently, was employed as a financial analyst for Paulson & Co., the hedge fund run by billionaire John Paulson. The indictment says Valentin-Perez is an employee of Puerto Rico-based Lopez Investments. He also formerly worked for Paulson & Co. in Puerto Rico, overseeing rental properties owned by the hedge fund. Paulson & Co. is not mentioned in the indictment or in a Justice Department's statement about the charges. The hedge fund declined to comment on the story. The attorney for Gomez-Geo, Carlos Sagardia says that his client is innocent. "Mr. Leovigildo Gomez-Geo has not committed any crimes. He will fully defend himself from all charges brought against him by the United States Government and expects to clear his name and professional reputation during the course of these proceedings," said Carlos Sagardia. The attorney for Valentin-Perez could not be reached for comment. The other two defendants named in the indictment are Juli Campbell, the owner of Campbell Development, and Luz Soraya Rodriguez, who is an employee of Lopez Investments. U.S. attorney's office for the District of the Virgin Islands did confirm that both Campbell and Rodriguez had been arrested, but didn't give details on the location of their arrests. Lawyers for the two could not immediately be located. According to the indictment, Campbell's company was hired as a subcontractor to perform work funded under the FEMA program in St. Croix, V.I. Prosecutors say Campbell and her co-defendants allegedly submitted fraudulent invoices in the scheme. Campbell allegedly had workers submit signed time sheets that were left blank and then directed employees to fill in false information attesting to work that was not done. The scheme even included invoices for workers who were not actually on the island, prosecutors said. The false invoices span from August 1, 2018, to October 29, 2018, according to the indictment. "The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that federal dollars are used for their intended purposes," said U.S. Attorney Gretchen Shappert. "The United States Attorney's Office for the Virgin Islands is especially committed to making certain that federal funds intended for the victims of natural disasters are accounted for and used consistent with FEMA's directives." The case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General as well as Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Brooks. By Trend Another group of Azerbaijani soldiers and officers who became disabled in the Karabakh war have been supplied with high-tech prostheses in accordance with the instructions of the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva. Nearly 30 servicemen who lost parts of their body in the battles in Karabakh received high-tech prostheses that were designed after careful examination of their individual needs. At a meeting with a group of the disabled soldiers and officers in 2017, First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva gave instructions to appropriate authorities to supply them with artificial replacements for missing body parts to help them regain or maintain their mobility. The boss of luxury car maker Aston Martin Lagonda has told CNBC that his company is already operating in a "no deal" Brexit scenario. "From our point of view, a no-deal Brexit isn't something that is in the planning or might happen. No-deal Brexit has already happened for us," chief executive Andy Palmer told "Squawk Box Europe" on Thursday. Palmer said the firm has a 12-week build time for its cars and therefore vehicles being manufactured now would be sold after the Brexit cut-off date at the end of March. At present, Britain and Northern Ireland will leave the European Union on March 29th with no deal as U.K. lawmakers have failed to agree on the terms that can be signed off between London and Brussels. Aston Martin has used a surplus of cash from a weakening pound to market more heavily in the United States in a bid to mitigate the effects of Brexit. Describing that move as "very successful," Palmer said the U.K. car firm had also increased the level of stock in the supply chain from 3 days to 5 days and raised the level of cars ready for sale. "I think we are in good shape, but I don't know what shape we have to be in because nobody knows what 'no-deal' Brexit looks like," he added. If Britain leaves the EU without a deal, it is assumed it will rely on World Trade Organization rules that mean U.K. car manufacturers must produce at least 55 percent of a car with parts sourced in Britain a specification known as "local content." Palmer said Aston Martin had worked hard to reach the 55 percent level but warned that rival car companies could struggle. Shares in Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings fell more than 15 percent Thursday as it swung to a loss in its first annual report card since joining the London Stock Exchange. The stock was 1,168 pence by mid-morning Thursday after posting a pre-tax loss of 73.1 million ($97.2 million) in 2018. The share price is down 38 percent from its October initial public offering price of 1,900 pence. Activist investor Starboard Value said Thursday it intends to use its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb to oppose the drugmaker's $74 billion acquisition of Celgene. "Bristol-Myers is deeply undervalued and the recent announcement of the Company's proposed acquisition of Celgene Corporation is poorly conceived and ill-advised," Starboard CEO Jeffrey Smith wrote in a letter to Bristol-Myers shareholders. "There is a better path forward for Bristol-Myers, either as a more profitable standalone company with a more focused, lower-risk strategy, or in a potential sale of the whole Company." The activist fund has also nominated a slate of director candidates that it hopes to elect at Bristol's 2019 annual shareholder meeting. Smith argued that Starboard was "surprised" to hear of the proposed acquisition on the heels of what he characterized as poor financial and stock price performances over the last few years. Bristol-Myers announced in January the deal to buy Celgene valued for a record $74 billion. "The actions we are taking specifically, our intent to solicit shareholders to block the proposed acquisition of Celgene are not taken lightly," Smith added. "This view has been solidified by the numerous other large, long-term shareholders who appear to likewise believe this deal is not in the best interest of shareholders." Bristol-Myers said in response to Starboard's letter that it "welcomes the opinions of all of its stockholders and will review Starboard's letter and respond in due course. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Board and management team are confident that our combination with Celgene will create a premier biopharma company and deliver substantial benefits to our stockholders." Investment firm Wellington Management on Wednesday also announced its opposition. Wellington said it "does not believe that the Celgene transaction is an attractive path towards" business that "secures differentiated science and broadens the future revenue base." It's been a wild week for Tesla as CEO Elon Musk finds himself at the center of a confluence of headlines. First, the Securities and Exchange Commission asked a judge to hold Musk in contempt for violating a settlement deal. Then, Musk fired back in a tweet of course calling the agency "broken." Separately, on Wednesday Musk tweeted that there will be a big announcement from the company on Thursday afternoon. All this comes as Tesla faces a debt payment of close to $1 billion in convertible bonds due Friday. Shares of the electric automaker are up more than 6 percent since Monday, but as the storm continues to brew around Tesla, one trader is betting the stock won't be able to weather it. "It's probably not surprising, given all of the news surrounding the company, that we did see double the daily options volume today," said "Options Action" trader Mike Khouw on CNBC's "Fast Money" Wednesday. "One of the trades that I would point out was a purchase of the 290-puts in March. We saw somebody paying about $5 for those. That would obviously be a bet that [the stock] is going to fall below that strike by at least the $5 that they paid," Khouw added. Tesla was around $314 per share at the time the trader bought those contracts, meaning their expectation that the stock would be below $285 equates to a plunge of more than 9 percent in just more than two weeks. As Khouw explained, much of the options trading surrounding Tesla recently has come in the form of big bets on high volatility. "I would also point out that a lot of this volume is basically betting that [the stock] is going to be sharply higher or lower within the next 30 days. We saw a lot of buyers of the 320-calls expiring on March 29 and also the 280-puts of the same expiration," Khouw said. "This is basically looking for moves of 10 percent or so in either direction." Tesla was slightly lower Thursday. Daimler and the BMW Group are to work together on automated driving technologies. In an announcement on Thursday, the auto giants said their initial focus would be on the development of "next-generation technologies" for automated driving on highways, driver assistance systems and parking features. BMW and Daimler said that their collaboration would focus on Levels 3 and 4 of SAE International's levels of driving automation. Five "levels" of driving automation have been defined by SAE International, a global association of over 128,000 engineers. At Level 5, automated driving features can drive a vehicle under all conditions. At Levels 3 and 4, automated driving features allow technology to drive a vehicle under certain, limited conditions. The two companies said they viewed their partnership as being a "long-term, strategic cooperation", adding that they were aiming to make "next-level technologies widely available" by the middle of the 2020s. Thursday's announcement comes a week after BMW and Daimler announced a new one billion euro mobility partnership. Earlier this week, the CEO of Arm Holdings told CNBC that it would be "a while" before self-driving cars become mainstream. "It is a phenomenally hard problem to anticipate what a car could do under absolutely any set of circumstances," Simon Segars, who was speaking with CNBC's Karen Tso at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, said earlier this week. "I think you're going to start to see early services, in quite a constrained way, quite soon over the next couple of years," he added, explaining that there was "some way to come" before the technology was "completely mainstream." Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook. China's economic slowdown is creating some difficulties for national employment, an economic researcher in the country's top executive body said Thursday. "When we look at the downward pressure on the Chinese economy, what we care most about is employment," said Zhang Liqun, research fellow at the Macroeconomic Department of the Development Research Center of the State Council. Zhang was speaking in Mandarin through a translator at a press event in Beijing on Thursday morning. For Beijing, keeping a handle on employment is critical to maintaining control over a massive country of more than a billion people. Widespread job losses could lead to undesirable social unrest. Unemployment in the world's second-largest economy remains low compared with other countries, near five percent or below. But amid persistent skepticism about the accuracy of such data, official reports are beginning to show some challenges in Chinese people's ability to hold jobs. Zhang's on-the-record comments on Thursday provided greater insight into how severe unemployment issues might be, at least in labor-intensive industries. "Many of the companies in Guangdong province have permitted leave for their employees since November many of the export companies," he said. "That has something to do with the U.S.-China trade frictions." "Many of these companies think they have done what they can do before November and they are not planning to organize further production after that," he said. Congressional leaders including Democrats broadly praised President Donald Trump for walking away from his second summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un on Thursday. Talks in Vietnam between Trump and Kim abruptly ended Thursday before a planned lunch and signing ceremony for some kind of agreement. Trump said he cut the summit short because the sides could not come to terms on whether to remove sanctions on North Korea as they seek a path to Pyongyang's denuclearization. "Sometimes you have to walk, and this was just one of those times," the U.S. president said during a news conference following the summit. Congressional leaders largely cheered Trump for backing out of talks instead of agreeing to unfavorable terms. Democrats in particular said they had worried about the president striking an inadequate deal in part to alleviate pressure created by his former lawyer Michael Cohen's explosive Capitol Hill testimony on Wednesday. "I was pleased to see the president recognize North Korea's unwillingness to strike a comprehensive deal," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor Thursday. "President Trump did the right thing by walking away and not cutting a poor deal for the sake of a photo op. ... I've always been concerned about the possibility of a bad deal, especially with the other pressures currently on the president." While House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared Kim "the big winner" for getting two face-to-face meetings with the U.S. president, she praised Trump for walking away on Thursday. The California Democrat told reporters "it's good that the president did not give him anything for the little that he was proposing." Trump has pushed North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, touting the economic benefits the repressive country could see if the U.S. and international community ease sanctions. Kim is reluctant to give up nuclear weapons and the leverage they give him. Trump hopes to notch a signature foreign policy achievement by pushing North Korea to denuclearize. He also wants to show he could accomplish what his predecessor President Barack Obama could not. Trump has repeatedly claimed the U.S. was on the brink of war with Pyongyang before he took office, although Obama administration veterans dispute this characterization. But Trump's clamoring for a deal did not drive him to accept one Thursday. The president said he "would not have been happy about" any agreement that would have come out of the leaders' second summit. "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn't do that," Trump said. "They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted, but we couldn't give up all of the sanctions for that. So we continue to work and we'll see, but we had to walk away from that particular suggestion. We had to walk away from that." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called it "smart" to meet Kim in Singapore and in Vietnam to show him the "economic prosperity" possible if North Korea abandons its nuclear and missile programs. He added that the "president should be commended for walking away when it became clear insufficient progress has been made on denuclearization." In a tweeted statement, Trump confidant Sen. Lindsey Graham said "it's better to walk away than sign a bad deal." Lindsey Graham tweet Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) speaks at the Netroots Nation annual conference for political progressives in New Orleans, Louisiana, August 3, 2018. The bill comes as increasing numbers of states are legalizing marijuana on the local level and public opinion has shifted in favor of legalization. Co-sponsors of the bill, known as the Marijuana Justice Act, include fellow 2020 Democratic contenders Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Kamala Harris of California and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. Booker first introduced the bill in 2017, but it was not taken up for a vote. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., introduced a bill on Thursday to legalize marijuana nationwide as he mounts his presidential campaign. Ten states and Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational marijuana, and leaders in New York and New Jersey have signaled their intentions to legalize. Local governments cite the racial disparities in criminal sentences for drug offenders, which tend to disproportionately affect blacks and Hispanics, as well as increased tax revenues as reasons for legalization. Earlier in the week, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, both Democrats, announced a plan to revitalize the city's aging subway system partially funded by tax revenue from legal marijuana. However, cannabis is still illegal on the federal level. Booker's bill would remove cannabis from the federal list of controlled substances, while also providing financial incentives to states to loosen their marijuana laws. The bill also aims to reverse the damage done to those who were prosecuted for marijuana use by expunging federal crimes and allowing offenders to petition courts for shorter sentences. The sentencing reforms mirror those included in the landmark criminal justice bill that passed last December, known as the First Step Act, which Booker also sponsored. The federal bill eliminated mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders and gained unprecedented bipartisan support including from President Donald Trump. "Black people are 3.7 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than their white peers even though they use marijuana at similar rates," Booker tweeted. "If we truly want to be a fair and just nation we need to correct for this disparate treatment of enforcement practices." The bill would also invest funds into job training and other social services in "areas hardest hit by the failed drug war," Booker tweeted. tweet Despite growing support for marijuana legalization in Washington, the bill is likely to face an uphill battle in the Republican-controlled Senate, overseen by majority leader Mitch McConnell. Last May, the Kentucky senator said, "I do not have any plans to endorse legalization of marijuana," when asked about a bill introduced by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York to decriminalize the drug. McConnell declined to comment on Booker's bill. Booker did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Tesla boss Elon Musk (L) walks with Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong during the ground-breaking ceremony for a Tesla factory in Shanghai on January 7, 2019. - Musk presided over the ground-breaking for a Shanghai factory that will allow the electric-car manufacturer to dodge the China-US tariff crossfire and sell directly to the world's biggest market for 'green' vehicles. Tesla CEO Elon Musk does not expect the electric car maker to turn a profit in the first quarter, he said on Thursday. He based his expectations on one-time charges and other financial commitments, and added that he does expect the company to be profitable in the second quarter. "Given that there is a lot happening in Q1, and we are taking a lot of one time charges, there are a lot of challenges getting cars to China and Europe, we do not expect to be profitable. We do think that profitability in Q2 is likely," Musk said. Shares fell more than 3 percent Thursday night. The revelation came on a media call where Tesla announced it will sell is long-promised $35,000 version of the Model 3 mid-size sedan. One analyst called the lower price a mistake, and suggested it would hurt margins. "We think it's a mistake from a strategic perspective and are skeptical of the gross margins on that $35,000 vehicle. In our view, they would be better served sticking to premium electric vehicles instead of this mass market, Henry Ford-type mentality of affordable vehicles for all," said Garrett Nelson from CFRA. "It might be different if Tesla had the production capacity to drive volume and margin for this lower priced version, but they don't currently and to add the incremental capacity would require significant additional capital investment." The company also said it would be taking all sales online, and acknowledged that some jobs in its retail group would be eliminated as a result. WATCH: Tesla launches $35K Model 3 with shorter range, new interior A senior lawmaker in Britain's main opposition Labour party has ruled out that its leadership will definitively pursue a second Brexit referendum vote as its next course of action. The comments follow Parliament's outright rejection in a vote Wednesday night of Labour's alternative Brexit proposal, which included a permanent membership of the EU's customs union. Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary and therefore the Labour party's chief foreign affairs spokesperson, acknowledged the party's latest legislative defeat, but insisted that Labour's preference for a Brexit that involves close alignment with Europe on trade remained a viable parliamentary option for the future. "There may be other opportunities for us to put it again," she told CNBC of the proposal, "because we don't know what's going to happen in the next few days." Thornberry criticized the current version of a deal with the European Union, negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May and her Conservative or as it is often known, "Tory" government. And she described the uncertainty surrounding the approval process for the "lousy Tory deal" as being "quite scary," and she insisted that as a consequence the British public should have a say over its eventual passage into law. ATHENS- Exxon Mobil announced on Thursday that it has made the world's third-biggest natural gas discovery in two years off the coast of Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean at the Glaucus-1 well. The region is already know for some of the world's largest such discoveries. It wants to become an alternative energy source for Europe. Based on preliminary interpretation of the well data, the discovery could represent a natural gas resource of approximately 5 trillion to 8 trillion cubic feet (142 billion to 227 billion cubic meters). Further analysis in the coming months will be required to better determine the resource potential. "These are encouraging results in a frontier exploration area," said Steve Greenlee, president of Exxon Mobil Exploration Co. "The potential for this newly discovered resource to serve as an energy source for regional and global markets will be evaluated further." Glaucus-1 was the second of a two-well drilling program in Block 10. The well was safely drilled to 13,780 feet (4,200 meters) depth in 6,769 feet (2,063 meters) of water. The first well, Delphyne-1, did not encounter commercial quantities of hydrocarbons. Block 10 is 635,554 acres (2,572 square kilometers). In 2017, Exxon Mobil and state-owned Qatar Petroleum won the rights to explore for oil and gas in offshore areas south of Cyprus. The east Mediterranean island is located in the Levant basin, where both Israel and Egypt have found some of the largest reserves of natural gas in the past decade. In 2017, Exxon Mobil and state-owned Qatar Petroleum won the rights to explore for oil and gas in offshore areas south of Cyprus. Exxon Mobil owns a 60 percent stake in the block, while Qatar Petroleum holds the rest. At a press conference in Nicosia, Cyprus Energy Minister George Lakkotropis said he is excited about the findings. "It is an amazing development for all of Cyprus. This is the greatest discovery within our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In the coming months, the amount of natural gas will be more accurately estimated," he said. Tristan Aspray, vice president of exploration for Europe, Russia, and the Caspian, at Exxon Mobil told reporters Thursday that the next few months will be devoted to data analysis. "We need to see multiple factors such as the quality," he stated. He also noted that Exxon Mobil will carry out additional drilling most likely next year. Alkhabeer Capital, a prominent Saudi-based asset management company specialising in alternative investments, today (February 17) announced that Alkhabeer REIT has signed a major facility agreement with country's leading bank Al Rajhi. The shariah-compliant deal will have a tenor of five years, providing financing of SR420 million ($99 million), out of which SR340 million will be used by Alkhabeer REIT to finance part of the targeted assets, and SR80 million will be used for future acquisitions of income-generating assets, said the Jeddah-based company. The SR1-billion Alkhabeer REIT, which successfully closed its IPO in November of last year, was oversubscribed at 104 per cent and raised SR247 million from 25,124 retail and institutional investors. It is currently targeting net annual returns of 9 per cent which are among the highest rates in the market. On the deal, Alkhabeer Capital CEO Ahmed Saud Ghouth said: "Having a strong credit record would support Alkhabeer REITs future growth potential. Thus, since its inception, we have been keen on building the funds credit record with the kingdoms banks and financial institutions." "This agreement is the result of Alkhabeer Capitals unique relationship with Al Rajhi Bank, and we look forward to further strengthening this partnership," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Facebook is keeping its cryptocurrency plans under wraps, even when it comes to other company employees. The social media giant silos off its secretive cryptocurrency team in an office that requires entirely different key-card access so that other Facebook employees can't enter, according to a New York Times report, citing two Facebook employees. Facebook's blockchain and cryptocurrency efforts are being run by former PayPal president David Marcus. It has been steadily building out its team, recently hiring a group of employees from blockchain start-up Chainspace. The tech giant hasn't publicly said what the team is working on. But Bloomberg reported in December that Facebook is looking to introduce mainstream users to digital currencies by allowing them to send money through WhatsApp, which Facebook owns. The option would allow Facebook users to send money to friends and family instantly, the Times said, citing five people briefed on the effort. Facebook's cryptocurrency project is at the point that it has discussed selling "Facebook coin," to consumers with major cryptocurrency exchanges, according to the Times report. Cryptocurrencies became a household name at the end of 2017. The investing mania was led by bitcoin, which rallied to nearly $20,000 by the end of 2017 after starting that year at less than $1,000. It has come crashing down 80 percent since, and was trading near $3,800 on Friday. Bitcoin has largely failed as the type of currency people might use to buy a cup of coffee or instantly pay a friend. Its more popular use case is as a store of value, or "digital gold." Projects by Facebook, Telegram, Signal, and other messaging apps would look to solve that speed-bump by making cryptocurrencies an accessible peer-to-peer payment, according to the report. Read the entire New York Times report here. The No. 2 GOP lawmaker in the House predicted on Thursday that the Supreme Court will come down in favor of those defending a giant World War I memorial cross at the center of a blockbuster legal and cultural dispute over the role of religion in public life. House Republican Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who led a slate of 64 representatives defending the cross in a legal brief, said he is "very confident" that the justices will side in his favor. He made his comments in a short interview by phone a day after the court heard oral arguments in the matter. In a fiery debate over which religious symbols should be permitted on public land, a majority of the justices ultimately seemed sympathetic to keeping the Bladensburg Peace Cross on government property, though it was not clear how sweeping the court's ruling, expected by late June, might be. The cross, located in a busy Maryland intersection, was erected in 1925, and that long history seemed to sway Justice Stephen Breyer, a possible swing vote. "I feel very confident that we are going to get the right ruling," Scalise said, noting that he and his fellow members are "very interested in seeing this case coming out our way." The case against the cross was brought by the American Humanist Association, which argued that the government's role in maintaining the 40-foot-tall display was unconstitutional under the First Amendment's Establishment Clause. In a speech delivered outside the courtroom following her argument, the humanists' attorney Monica Miller said she was "really happy with the conversations in the court today." But Scalise said that after his staff reviewed the arguments, he was convinced the justices would side with the cross's defenders. The Trump administration joined the American Legion and a Maryland government agency in arguing on Wednesday that the cross was constitutional. "I still feel very confident that, when you look at the argument, that we are going to be successful in this case," he said. He added "it should be a 9-0 decision," though he acknowledged the vote will likely be more narrow. The bench is currently divided 5-4 among Republican and Democratic appointees. U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said that accusations by his former lawyer Michael Cohen were "inaccurate," called the congressional hearing "fake" and insisted that there wasn't any collusion between his campaign and Russia during the last presidential election. Trump was speaking at a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam to wrap up his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The American president was asked for his response to Cohen, who on Wednesday testified before Congress. Cohen called Trump a "liar," "con man" and accused the president of racism. "It's inaccurate," Trump said. "He lied a lot but it's very interesting because he didn't lie about one thing: He said no collusion with Russia." Ren Zhengfei, founder and chief executive officer of Huawei Technologies Co., speaks during an interview at the company's headquarters in Shenzhen, China, on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. Embattled technoloogy giant Huawei took out a full-page print advertisement in Thursday's edition of The Wall Street Journal, telling readers "Don't believe everything you hear. Come and see us." Tweet. The advertisement, presented as an "open letter" by Catherine Chen, a senior vice president and director of Huawei's board, asks U.S. journalists to visit the company's campuses, and says the U.S. government -- which has accused the company of espionage, fraud and theft in the past year -- "has developed some misunderstandings about us." Huawei has been facing increasing scrutiny over what U.S. officials have characterized as a long-term effort to use its technology products for espionage. The U.S. has openly contemplated bans of the company's 5G and energy products, and other countries aligned with the U.S. have already banned its equipment or are considering boycotts. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's may have room to ease tensions with arch rival Pakistan, if his counterpart offered certain concessions such as the return of a captured pilot, a political analyst said Thursday. Tensions between the two nuclear powers spiraled this week, after military planes from both sides carried out tit-for-tat air strikes in each other's territories, and as their troops traded fire along their de facto border in Kashmir. New Delhi and Islamabad also claimed to have brought down each other's military jets. Pakistan also said an Indian pilot was taken into custody on Wednesday. Later, a video surfaced that appeared to show the captured pilot who was attacked by a mob and then paraded around by the Pakistani army. India's external affairs ministry said in a statement it "strongly objected to Pakistan's vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force" and accused Islamabad of violating the Geneva Convention, which calls for humane treatment of prisoners-of-war. On Thursday morning, reports said the countries briefly exchanged fire in a district in Indian-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan has closed its airspace, which forced commercial airlines to reroute. Indian government and military forces attend to the scene of a crashed Indian Air Force aircraft on February 27, 2019 in Budgam west of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian administered Kashmir, India. Yawar Nazir | Getty Images This week's escalation was triggered after Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), listed by the U.S. as a terrorist organization, claimed responsibility for an attack in India-controlled Kashmir on Feb. 14 that killed more than 40 Indian security officers. For its part, India said it carried out incursions inside Pakistani territory against a JeM militant camp that it claimed was planning terrorism attacks against the country. Pakistan, on the other hand, said its actions a day later were to demonstrate its ability to respond to potential acts of aggression from India. I think what we have to watch here, carefully, is what they do with the pilot who has been captured. Tanvi Madan director of the India Project at Brookings Institution India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence from British colonial rule in 1947 and two of them were over the disputed region of Kashmir. Modi, who is heading into a parliamentary election this year in order to stay on as prime minister, is now under pressure to respond in a way that would appeal to his base but also prevent the outbreak of war. He addressed his Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday through a video conference and said India will stand united with its soldiers to ensure the country remains strong. "When the enemy supports terror and carries out activity against India, it is with the intent that India's progress gets stalled," he said, according to a translation by NDTV. Pilot's fate The fate of the Indian pilot underpinned the future of the contentious relationship between South Asian rivals, Tanvi Madan, director of the India Project at Brookings Institution, told CNBC's "Squawk Box." "I think what we have to watch here, carefully, is what they do with the pilot who has been captured," she said. "What could really diffuse the situation is, for example, Pakistan offering to ... return the pilot to India without pre-conditions and say 'This is a sign of good faith, a confidence building measure.'" Alternatively, Pakistan could take some type of action against the JeM terrorist group, "which operates from its soil, and it has a fair amount of infrastructure there that both the U.S. and India have pointed to," she said. Policy experts have pointed out that the ball is in India's court to decide how it would respond. Neither wants war Political scientists anticipate that further military escalation from India in the coming days would be met with retaliation from Pakistan. While neither country wants to go into a full-blown war, both do not want to be the first to back down from the confrontation, they said. "So now the question is: Does India want to give a further military response, possibly through further air strikes, or does India then return to a more traditional format?" Faisel Pervaiz, South Asia analyst at consultancy Stratfor, told CNBC's "Street Signs." The traditional format, according to Pervaiz, is for India to keep up the pressure on Pakistan along the so-called Line of Control the de facto military border between Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of Jammu and Kashmir and embark on a diplomatic campaign to isolate Islamabad globally. Consensus among many policy experts is that neither India nor Pakistan wants to further escalate their confrontation. Their predicament, however, is that on one hand, each country wants to demonstrate strength and firmness against any form of aggression by its neighbor yet both also clearly want to calm things down, Pervaiz said. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday called for talks with India and said he hoped "better sense" would prevail to reduce the tension between the nuclear-armed neighbors. On Thursday, Khan said the pilot would be released on Friday as a peace gesture. Political implications Modi is "operating in a very narrow and restricted domestic political space" ahead of a tough re-election campaign, Pervaiz said. Already, opposition parties in India have accused Modi of "blatant politicization" of the armed forces. In a statement on Wednesday on behalf of 21 political parties, the leader of the Indian National Congress, Rahul Gandhi, condemned Pakistan's response but also said, "National security must transcend narrow political considerations." Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi waves his hand after casting his vote during the presidential election, at the Parliament House on July 17, 2017 in New Delhi, India. Sonu Mehta | Hindustan Times | Getty Images Still, a diplomatic, non-military response from New Delhi could potentially alienate Modi from his base after he positioned himself as a politician willing to do whatever it takes to protect India. After Tuesday's air strike by the Indian air force, the prime minister said at a rally in Rajasthan that the country is in "safe hands" as his supporters cheered. His party has lauded him for his "strong and decisive leadership," which puts him in a difficult position to open negotiations with Pakistan until the captured Indian pilot is returned safely, according to Akhil Bery, South Asia analyst at Eurasia Group. Economic impact Indian government and military forces attend to the scene of a crashed Indian Air Force aircraft on February 27, 2019 in Budgam west of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian administered Kashmir, India. Migrant workers are fleeing India's northern state of Jammu and Kashmir and tourist arrivals have fallen to a trickle amid an escalating conflict with Pakistan, badly hurting businesses in the Himalayan region known for its scenic beauty and fruit harvests. Hundreds of taxis stood idle at the main railway station of Jammu, the winter capital of the state, after Pakistan said it carried out air strikes in India and shot down two Indian jets on Wednesday, a day after Indian warplanes struck inside Pakistan for the first time since a war in 1971. "My wife is really scared and has been calling me back," Brajesh Prasad, who works at a white limestone factory near Jammu, told Reuters outside the emergency ticket counter at the railway station, as he sought to catch a train back to his village in Uttar Pradesh state. "I first came here two years ago, but decided last night it's no longer safe to remain here. I know there would be no work back home for me, it's not even the planting or harvest season to get some farm work." Prasad was leaving with a group of seven other men who worked together in Jammu and Kashmir. At the adjoining taxi stand, taxi drivers' union leader Ravinder Singh said March to September was usually the busiest season but this year prospects were looking grim. He said taxi business was down by more than 80 percent compared with two years ago, as very few people were in town to visit the famous Hindu shrine of Vaishno Devi, 62 km (38 miles) north of Jammu, which usually attracts millions of people every year. "The situation is very bad for us taxi operators," Singh said. "I think the time has come to settle this India-Pakistan conflict for good." Outside Singh's office, a group of three Hindu pilgrims from the western city of Pune waited for their husbands to return from the railway station with tickets, after their flight was cancelled when India temporarily shut half a dozen airports in the region following the aerial clashes with Pakistan. They did visit Vaishno Devi but cut short their stay in the state by a few days. Such truncated trips and a fall in the numbers of visitors are particularly bad for hotel chains, both local and international. Ratandeep Singh, owner of a 40-room four-star hotel in Jammu, said he had only eight customers left last night at a time of year when the property would normally be booked out. Tourism accounts for more than 7 percent of the state's economy. But the President of Jammu's Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Rakesh Gupta, said its members were willing to "lose business for the sake of the country". He said India rightly avenged the killing of 40 paramilitary police in the state on Feb. 14 in a suicide attack claimed by a Pakistan-based Islamist militant group. "Such tensions can never be good for any business but nation comes first," he said. Jordan is turning a new page after years of setbacks, its prime minister said Thursday during an international conference dedicated to investment in the Middle Eastern country. "We've had one shock after the other, whether in terms of oil, refugees, closure of borders," Jordanian Prime Minister Omar Razzaz told CNBC's Hadley Gamble in London. "But we're now moving toward a very different trajectory which is all about growth, about opportunities." The event, attended by international business leaders and entitled "Jordan: Growth and Opportunity, the London Initiative 2019," stems from a partnership launched by Prime Minister Theresa May in 2017 aimed at supporting economic and social reform and growth in Jordan. May on Thursday called on investors to support the Kingdom of Jordan during the London conference meant to boost economic and social progress in the Middle Eastern country and longtime British ally. Once boasting economic growth averaging 6.5 percent annually, Jordan's fortunes took a sharp downward turn from 2008 onward as the global financial crisis, then the Arab Spring fallout, and border closures with vital trade partners Syria and Iraq crippled economic activity. Unemployment is at a 25-year high of 18 percent, and growth sits at a mere 2 percent. As part of its commitment to Jordan, which May stressed as vital to ensuring stability in an unstable region, the prime minister announced that the U.K. will underwrite a $250 million World Bank loan to Jordan to help it manage its mounting national debt. The confidence demonstrated by the U.K. move is hoped to encourage further international investment. The event's attendees also included U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, EU Foreign Affairs Representative Federica Mogherini, and a number of foreign ministers and CEOs. 'Partners through good and bad' May on Thursday introduced a number of U.K.-led initiatives aimed at helping the country deliver reforms to create jobs, boost productivity and help it access low interest loans. "Unlocking that potential, to enable Jordan to prosper and remain a beacon of stability, matters to all of us," she said. "There is a historic relationship between the U.K. and Jordan that goes back 100 years, and we've been partners through good times and bad times," Razzaz told CNBC, pointing out the political and economic challenges posed by Brexit uncertainty. "So this is the U.K. being there for us, and we are very confident that this is something we can build on." The prime minister stressed the fiscal measures Amman has taken to stabilize the country's macroeconomics, including austerity and private sector reforms that have weighed on the Jordanian public. He also touted promising sectors that have already seen substantial foreign investment including back-office services, IT, renewable energy and tourism, exemplified by double-digit tourism growth and expansion by companies like Microsoft and Expedia. "We very much appreciate what the U.K. is going through in terms of Brexit negotiations," he said. "We appreciate that this is happening in spite of all that." The U.K. has also planned a 14 million ($18.6 million) contribution to a new World Bank-led trust fund for Jordan, which follows 110 million in aid funding committed by the country's Department for International Development (DFID) last spring for the 2018/19 fiscal year. Struggling growth and and painful IMF reforms The country has had to embark on a series of painful International Monetary Fund (IMF) mandated reforms in order to approach stabilizing its finances reforms that saw subsidies drop and living costs skyrocket for ordinary Jordanians. Anger stemming from those changes led to mass protests in June of last year that forced the firing of Razzaz's predecessor. Razzaz is now Jordan's eighth prime minister in 10 years. Following the June protests, Gulf neighbors Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait pledged a $2.5 billion injection into Jordan's central bank in an effort to help stabilize the country. The kingdom has a 94 percent debt-to-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio and poverty stands at 20 percent. The IMF's $723 million three-year line of credit to the country aims to cut debt-to-GDP to 77 percent by 2021 through reforms that will "bolster economic growth" and achieve "gradual fiscal consolidation," according to the international lender. Living in volatile neighborhood Demonstrators in a Long Island City park in Queens, New York, protest the planned Amazon HQ2 office on Nov. 26, 2018. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images It was a chilly Valentine's Day when Amazon broke up with New York City. In a flash, the Jeff Bezos-led, Seattle-based giant packed up its offer of 25,000 potential jobs once it became clear that opposition to its second headquarters plan in the Queens neighborhood of Long island City wasn't buckling. There was plenty of finger-pointing from Albany's state house to New York's city hall after Amazon bailed on Queens. Yet everyone involved might have taken a lesson in economic development from neighboring Brooklyn and some inspiration from a hamlet in New Jersey that struck its own deal with Amazon. Sixty miles west of the Hudson River drama, the mayor of Robbinsville Township, David Fried, is still seeing green. Fried recently said that the Amazon warehouse that opened in 2014 continues to rake in profits and has created positive impacts in the lives of its 14,000 or so residents. "We built a new municipal building in the same year we cut taxes," he said. "Our economy has grown." The online retailer's arrival in Robbinsville helped his constituents benefit from three consecutive years of tax reductions something that rarely happens in a high-tax burden state like New Jersey. The mayor praised what Amazon calls its Career Choices program, which uses partnerships with educational institutions to provide college, technical and vocational classes, and prepays up to 95 percent of the tuition for the students. In Fried's township, Amazon says about 500 people have used the program, with 200 taking advantage in the last year. "They bring the school to them," Fried said. "I've never seen anything like it." "There's an entire segment of the population who cannot go to school," he added. "It's a game-changer for them." The Brooklyn Case Job seekers register before interviews during an Amazon jobs fair at the Amazon Fulfillment Center on August 2, 2017 in Robbinsville, New Jersey. Getty Images To be sure, Long Island City is far more populous, with nearly 50,000 residents amid a borough of 2.3 million, but seeing Robbinsville's economic rise leaves one wondering what could have been had Amazon followed through with its plans for Queens. Small business owners were left bemoaning the Queens economic boom that got away. Perhaps the biggest losers were average New Yorkers, who polled 56 percent in favor of the deal. No doubt, many stakeholders share the burden in the deal's death which stirred memories of another epic development battle in Brooklyn years earlier. Beginning in 2003, developer Forest City Ratner ran into interference from countless interests when attempting to break ground on a huge plot known as Atlantic Yards, now named Pacific Park Brooklyn. It had to draw big stars in the arts and the NBA to fill the seats at Barclay's Arena and promise to build affordable housing along with the luxury residential towers that would surround the arena. Side by side, the Amazon deal and Pacific Park Brooklyn bear striking differences. There are also some similarities, though. Each saw the city sweetening the pot with multibillion-dollar tax breaks and subsidies. In the case of the Pacific Park Brooklyn, Forest City was embroiled in a local turf war and eventually conceded 2,250 affordable housing units. Construction on the arena began in 2010. Former Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, a Democrat who presided over the nine-years-long Pacific Park Brooklyn negotiations, lamented over Amazon's "Fuhgeddaboudit" posture toward the deal in Queens. "I do think it would've been a positive development for Long Island City and the city as a whole," he said. There are some indicators that Markowitz is right. The NYPD's 78th Precinct, which patrols the Barclays Center area, has seen a drop of over 25 percent in the seven major felony crime categories from 2003 to 2018. However, a number of those affordable housing units haven't been built yet. It is also still unclear whether all of the jobs and other benefits promised to the city for its tax breaks and subsidies came to fruition. The gentrification argument But what they say about most relationships can be said about economic development: It's complicated. What is seen by some as economic development in the city's fastest growing borough is seen by others as whitewashing and gentrification. Firebrand freshman Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of Queens and the Bronx in Congress, came out against Amazon's HQ2 plan and rejoiced in its exiting. As did Brooklyn state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, whose district sits just on the outskirts of the Atlantic Yards development. He wants to see fewer "promises unfulfilled," noting that New Era, a company that received tax incentives to move into upstate New York, has since pulled up stakes. He'd also like to see more transparency in the bidding process. As the son of a small business owner who was priced out of her storefront due to rising rents, Myrie thinks the discussion should turn to how government can help support small shops but he is not opposed to big businesses coming to town. "If a large corporation wants to come to New York, please do come," he said. "We want you here but if you do, you have to go through this process." An Amazon oasis in New Jersey A truck drives past the Amazon.com fulfillment center in Robbinsville, New Jersey. Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Mohammed Barkindo, secretary general of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), speaks during a news conference following the 174th Organization Of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting in Vienna, Austria, on Friday, June 22, 2018. Oil producing group OPEC is responsible for salvaging the entire oil industry with its deal to curb output, OPEC's secretary general told CNBC, but the U.S. shale revolution has helped to prevent "major, major energy chaos" in the world. "OPEC has been doing a great service," to producers and global oil markets, Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo told CNBC's Dan Murphy in Riyadh on Wednesday. "The decisions that OPEC took, together with our non-OPEC partners, literally rescued this industry from total collapse," he said. Asked for his perspective on the U.S. Congress' consideration of antitrust legislation that could hurt OPEC specifically, the "No-Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act" (NOPEC) bill that could allow OPEC to be sued for coordinating production and influencing oil prices Barkindo said actions taken by OPEC had in fact helped U.S. producers. "You can ask the producers in the shale basins in the U.S. whether they have benefitted from the actions we have taken over the years," Barkindo said. "In particular, during this longest cycle where we saw prices crash by over 80 percent at one point, where we saw the supply and demand balance in (a period of) disequilibrium that had never been witnessed, where we saw more than 100 U.S. companies file for bankruptcy with all the negative consequences on the industry, the regions where they operate no party was insulated," he said. EU lawmakers have raised security concerns after it was revealed the daughter of President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson is working at the institution. Elizaveta Peskova is the daughter of Dmitry Peskov, a long-serving Kremlin spokesperson. She has been working as an intern for a French right-wing lawmaker, Aymeric Chauprade, in the European Parliament which is the EU's legislative body. Elizaveta Peskova, who has more than 85,000 followers on Instagram, reportedly started the job late last year but it's raised security concerns among some lawmakers in Brussels. French socialist politician, Christine Revault d'Allonnes-Bonnefoy, told news agency AFP this week that she was "dismayed" with the revelation. "The daughter of the Kremlin spokesman is not just any person," she said. Tweet 1 Latvian lawmaker Sandra Kalniete told her country's public broadcaster that this "is contrary to any security standards" and compared it to more stringent checks at NATO. "Every NATO employee or intern, as they start work at the NATO headquarters, is required to receive a number of security clearances from the relevant agencies. Unfortunately, the European Parliament has no such security net," she said. In emailed remarks, Chauprade defended the appointment, telling CNBC there is no conflict of interest or security risk. "Before being the daughter of his father, Miss Peskova is herself. She is a young law student in France and is perfectly qualified for an internship in a European institution," he said via email. The French politician belonged to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Front party and advised her on international affairs. However, he left the party due after some disagreements and created a new right-wing party Les Francais Libres in 2016. He said that Peskova, who is reportedly studying law in France, does not work on issues related to Russia. "She works on the geopolitical situation in other countries," he said. "I will be severe with the few deputies who do not respect this girl I am going to study the measures of sanction against the obsessionally Russophobic deputies who led this policy," Chauprade said in an email to CNBC, suggesting he will seek action against lawmakers that have raised concerns against the appointment. A spokesperson for the European Parliament told CNBC that Elizaveta Peskova does not work for the institution directly and that she was hired, like other interns, by a specific member of parliament. "It is the member (of the European Parliament) that is responsible for the trainee," the spokesperson told CNBC over the phone. The spokesperson also confirmed that trainees only have access to public events and public documents. Chauprade has publicly backed Russia in recent years and reportedly supported the country's annexation of Crimea. In 2014, he said that "Russia has become the hope of the world against new totalitarianism," the New York Times reported. Omniyat, a Dubai-based property development group, has named Kuwaiti architect Aiysha Alsane as the winner of its Zaha Hadid/Omniyat Harvard University Graduate School of Design Fellowship award. The Zaha Hadid/Omniyat Fellowship was set up as an homage to the internationally renowned Iraqi-British architect and her extraordinary contributions in architecture and design. It provides financial aid to qualified candidates of the UAE and the rest of the Arab world who are enrolled in the GSD Master in Architecture programme. The fellowship winner, Architect Alsane is currently pursuing a masters in landscape architecture at Harvard University GSD, said a statement from Omniyat. The young architect, who works for international design firm AGi architects, was involved in notable academic projects at the GSD under the tutelage of prestigious professors. The fellowship has funded part of her masters education, it added. Omniyat CEO and Executive Chairman Mahdi Amjad led the unveiling of the Fellowship back in 2016 at Harvard GSD, where Hadid taught as a Design Critic in Architecture in 1986. A recipient of numerous awards, Hadid was bestowed the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004, making her the first woman to do so. She was also the first woman to receive the Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize. Lauding the young architect, Amjad said: "We are pleased with Alsanes accomplishments at the GSD. Studying her past projects, we were intrigued by her curiosity and unique execution, complementing Omniyats commitment to develop signature buildings with striking design and architecture." "We believe she embodies what Zaha stood for as she advocated for designs that went beyond the norm. We hope to continue inspiring a new generation of designers in a bid to discover talent that will sustain Zahas legacy and works on the international stage," stated the top official. On the fellowship win, an excited Alsane said: "The Zaha Hadid/Omniyat Fellowship has allowed me to pursue a professional degree at one of the most prestigious programmes in a field I feel passionately for. It has made one part of graduate school easier, and for that, I am very grateful." Alsane was engaged in noted projects at the GSD that were products of a highly collaborative environment. During her first semester, she and her two team members designed a project titled Symbiotic Infrastructure, a working landscape where people engage with the water process consolidating otherwise distant processes in the treatment and consumption of water in urban living. Alsane was also part of a team of 12 students who worked on a comprehensive project titled Regenerating Sovereignty. The site of the project was the Juana Diaz Watershed, home to the defunct Fort Allen US Military Base. Both projects along with another personal project for a separate course were nominated for Platform 11, the GSDs annual compendium of select student work, events, lectures, and exhibitions. The Kuwaiti architect is now participating in a project in which the site is located in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia, a rural area with rich archaeological history. Alsane is also an active member of Women in Design and participated in the organization of Convergence. Women in Design is a student group engaging students, staff and faculty to think about the role of women in the field.-TradeArabia News Service Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) speaks to members of the media outside the hearing of Michael Cohen February 27, 2019 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Rep. Matt Gaetz says he "personally apologized" Wednesday for Twitter smearing Michael Cohen but that didn't stop the Florida Republican from having a congressional ethics probe requested for his social media salvo against President Donald Trump's former lawyer and fixer. Gaetz, a Trump ally and a lawyer himself, was already facing an investigation revealed Wednesday by The Florida Bar, the state's attorney discipline regulator, for his inflammatory tweet attack Tuesday on Cohen. On Thursday, a Democratic political action committee filed a complaint with Congress' ethics watchdog in connection with the same Twitter post by Gaetz. The tweet had suggested without any evidence that the married Cohen had "girlfriends," and suggested Cohen confess that to his wife. Gaetz wrote it the day before Cohen gave damning testimony at the House Oversight and Government Reform committee that painted Trump as a racist con man who had repeatedly broke the law. Because of the timing of the tweet, Gaetz was accused by many people of engaging in witness tampering. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., then issued a statement encouraging all members of Congress "to be mindful" of comments on social media that could harm committees' ability to get truthful information from witnesses. Gaetz removed the tweet hours after posting it and apologized on Twitter for having written it, saying that while he wanted to "create context around the testimony of liars like Michael Cohen," it "was NOT my intent to threaten as some believe I did." "I should have chose words that better showed my intent. I'm sorry." Cohen's lawyer, Lanny Davis, said Gaetz's claims were "despicable lies and personal smears." The tweet had mentioned Cohen's imminent, three-year prison term, which he is due to begin serving May 6. Cohen's admitted crimes include campaign finance violations connected to facilitating hush money payments to two women, porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal, at Trump's personal direction to keep them quiet about alleged affairs they had with Trump. Those affairs, which Trump denies happened, allegedly began shortly after the birth of his son Baron with first lady Melania Trump in 2006. On Wednesday night, after Cohen had finished his testimony at the committee, Gaetz posted another tweet: Tweet On Thursday, the Democratic Coalition, a political action committee, said it had filed a complaint against Gaetz with the Office of Congressional Ethics that alleges the congressman's tweet violated federal criminal law, the House Code of Official Conduct and House rules. The Democratic Coalition's complaint says, "In threatening to expose embarrassing facts about Cohen on the eve of Cohen's public testimony about criminal activity involving Donald Trump, Gaetz engaged in an attempt to intimidate a witness, an attempt to obstruct justice, and an attempt to interfere with the proceedings of the House of Representatives." "Gaetz's threatening and intimidating tweet at Cohen was a criminal and unethical act that did not reflect creditably on the House in violation of Clause 1 and otherwise violated the spirit and letter of the Rules of the House." A spokesman for the Congressional Ethics Office declined to comment to CNBC about the complaint. The office does not necessarily act on complaints filed by outside parties. But it will conduct a probe of a member of Congress if credible allegations are raised against them. However, the office's board has not yet been appointed by Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., so no probe into Gaetz can begin at the moment. Gaetz's spokeswoman had no immediate comment on the complaint by the Democratic Coalition. On Wednesday, during Cohen's testimony, Rep. Stacey Plaskett, a Democrat from the Virgin Islands, told Cohen, " I want to apologize for the inappropriate comments and tweets that have been made by other members of this body." "And as a former prosecutor, and as former counsel on House ethics," Plaskett said, "I think that at the very least there should be a referral to the Ethics Committee of witness intimidation and tampering under [U.S. Criminal Code section] 1512 of my colleague Matt Gaetz, and it may be, possibly, him being referred for criminal prosecution." WASHINGTON At several key junctures Wednesday during former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's testimony before a House committee, congressional Republicans appeared to miss opportunities to defend the president from some of the most potentially damning claims Cohen made about him. In other instances, when new information about the president was revealed during exchanges Cohen had with sympathetic Democrats on the committee, it went unchallenged by Republicans, who quickly moved on to other topics, or else revisited well-trodden subject matter. The cumulative effect over the seven-plus hours of Cohen's testimony was that Trump, who was in Vietnam meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was left looking both legally and personally exposed without a vigorous defense from members of his party who have traditionally gone to bat for him in public. Read more: The 10 most stunning moments from Michael Cohen's testimony in Congress Instead of using their time to defend Trump or challenge Cohen's more shocking claims, the lion's share of time allotted to Republicans during the Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing was used to attack Cohen's credibility as a witness. "There's no truth with you whatsoever," said Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona. "Liar, liar, pants on fire," he continued. "No one should ever listen to you and give you credibility." While Cohen had indeed pleaded guilty to lying to Congress, it was relatively low-hanging fruit. The third paragraph of his opening statement acknowledged that his credibility was in tatters, which is why he brought documents with him to the hearing. Other attacks that Republicans leveled at Cohen also missed their marks. Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina had several exchanges with Cohen accusing him of failing to properly disclose his work for a bank based in Kazakhstan. Rep. Mark Meadows( R-NC) holds up a paper as Michael Cohen testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on February 27, 2019. MANDEL NGAN | AFP | Getty Images But it wasn't clear whether Meadows was accusing Cohen of failing to register as a foreign agent with the Justice Department, or of failing to report the work on an official form that Cohen filled out before his appearance. Such a failure would amount to lying to Congress, a different crime altogether. "With regards to your false statement you submitted to Congress," Meadows said at one point. "In here it was very clear that it asked for contracts with foreign entities over the last two years. Have you had any foreign contract with foreign entities?" "I believe it talks about lobbying. I did no lobbying," said Cohen. "They are not governments." Indeed, the form requires only the disclosure of "contracts or payments originating with a foreign government and related to the hearing's subject matter," neither of which would apply to the bank. To further confuse matters, Meadows later tweeted that he had "just entered a referral for criminal investigation of Michael Cohen, who violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act by illegally lobbying on behalf of foreign entities without registering." But FARA registration is not required for individuals representing foreign companies in the United States, only foreign governments. And it's certainly not required if, as Cohen said, he wasn't lobbying in the first place. 'Just trying to cooperate, sir' Other attacks on Cohen focused on his performance as Trump's attorney, including a line of questioning from Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., who attacked the recently disbarred Cohen for hypothetically violating attorney-client privilege after Cohen said he would be willing to turn over tapes he made of conversations with clients to the committee. "You just immediately responded that you would hand over tapes to this committee without any of your previous clients' waiving [attorney-client] privilege," Armstrong said to Cohen. "I'm not the only one in possession of those documents," Cohen replied, referring to the fact that the FBI seized the tapes when they raided Cohen's office in 2018. "I know lawyers that would go to jail before they would violate attorney-client privilege. And you just said, 'Absolutely, I will turn those over,'" Armstrong continued. "Just trying to cooperate, sir," said Cohen. "At the expense of clients who have never waived privilege?" The exchange continued like this for several more minutes, Armstrong railing at Cohen for his hypothetical willingness to do something he hadn't even done. Shortly before the Armstrong exchange, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., accused Cohen of failing to adequately protect Trump by not stopping him from potentially committing a campaign finance violation related to porn star Stormy Daniels, aka Stephanie Clifford, during the 2016 race. "Were you a good lawyer to Mr. Trump?" Massie asked Cohen. "I believe so," he replied. "When you arranged a payment to Miss Clifford, you say in your testimony that you did so, quote, 'without bothering to consider whether that was improper, much less whether it was the right thing to do.' You said that, end quote. That's your testimony today. You said you didn't even consider whether it was legal. How could you give your client legal advice when you are not even considering whether it's legal?" "I did what I knew Mr. Trump wanted," Cohen replied. "So you feel that by ignoring any conscience, if you have one, that you were protecting Mr. Trump?" Massie pressed. "I was trying to protect Mr. Trump," Cohen responded a moment later. Not sticking up for Trump U.K. firm Rolls-Royce has pulled out of the race to provide engines for Boeing's new commercial aircraft. Boeing's planned New Midsize Airplane (NMA), also known as the 797 by the aviation industry, is expected by some to be confirmed at the Paris Air Show in June 2019. Rolls-Royce had put forward UltraFan engine to power Boeing's new plane but in statement Thursday, the engine maker withdrew its tender stating it was "unable to commit to the proposed timetable." Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce's president of Civil Aerospace, added that he believed the move was the "right decision" for Rolls-Royce and the "best approach for Boeing." Boeing is now expected to choose between offerings from United Technologies unit Pratt & Whitney and CFM International, a General Electric joint venture with France's Safran. Rolls-Royce is already under pressure to deliver on the company's current engine programs, among them the Trent XWB, Trent 7000 and Trent 1000-TEN. It said the decision would help to "de-risk" development of its next generation UltraFan engine which is promised to deliver airlines efficiency improvements of up to 25 percent. The news came as Rolls-Royce reported a rise in 2018's core sales to 14.36 billion ($19.1 billion) while booking a pre-tax loss of 2.9bn for the year. Rolls was forced to up the provision for its compensation program for ongoing problems with its Trent 1000 engine which is used on Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. The delays cost it 790 million in 2018 and the U.K. engineer expects a further cost of 450 million in 2019. The firm also had to book a 186 million hit from Airbus' recent decision to stop making its A380 plane. Shares slumped 3.5 percent following the release. What is Boeing's '797' concept? Boeing is said to be developing two new concepts which would evolve to become the Boeing 797. The first version is said to be the NMA-6X, a 228-passenger medium-range aircraft with a 5,000 nautical mile range. A second version, the NMA-7X would be larger with 267 seats, but a range of 4,200 nautical miles. The single-aisle plane would be pitched as a direct competitor to the likes of Airbus's A320 series and would likely replace Boeing's older 767 and 757 planes. Any confirmed new plane from Boeing is not expected to take to the skies until at least 2025. The Oman Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is inviting private investors to support the establishment of a 100,000 coconut tree plantation in Salalah, said a report. The plantation is integrated with a value-adding manufacturing facility that will kickstart the growth of a coconut-based processing industry in the sultanate, added the Oman Daily Observer report. The so-called Model Farm for Coconut Trees and Product Manufacturing is proposed to come up on 1,150 acres of land allocated to the Ministry in Ayn Razat in Salalah. Plans drawn up by the Ministry envisage the cultivation of 50,000 trees in the first phase, followed by a similar number in the second phase. Besides being the single largest coconut farm in the sultanate, the plantation will also add to Salalahs verdant appeal and tourist potential, it said. In conjunction with the development of the coconut farm, the Ministry is also proposing the establishment of a manufacturing complex that will process the fruit to manufacture a wide array of products for domestic consumption as well as overseas export. It includes fresh coconuts, packaged coconut water, coconut milk, coconut oil, juices, grated and desiccated coconut products, and a wide range of coconut-based sweets. The Ministry also sees the potential for investments in a slew of products processed from the tree branches, fronds and trunk, notably organic fertiliser, added the report. Southwest Airlines shares surged more than 4 percent on Thursday after a rumor circulated on Twitter that billionaire investor Warren Buffett wants to acquire the remaining shares of the low-cost airline. Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is already Southwest's second-largest shareholder and had an 8.7 percent stake worth more than $2.2 billion, according to Berkshire's annual letter released last week. Berkshire Hathaway is also one of the largest shareholders in Southwest's competitors Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines. "$LUV talk Berkshire Hathaway seeking to acquire remaining shares of Southwest" at $75 a share, said a tweet from Twitter user StockTraders.net, a trading portal. It called the talk "unconfirmed." Southwest shares closed at $56.04 on Thursday. Southwest acknowledged the rumor but declined to comment. Widely followed analyst Adam Jonas took some guesses at what the big announcement from Tesla will be on Thursday afternoon. Jonas believes it could just be a convertible bond repayment, but also said it could be an announcement of the rumored "Model Y" or the unveiling of a pickup truck. The Morgan Stanley analyst also said it could be a strategic partnership. "The all-new midsized crossover/SUV is Tesla's chance to take the learnings from the Model S, X, and 3 in design and manufacturing to offer a product in a far larger and faster growing global segment," Jonas said Wednesday in a note, referring to the Model Y. "The key downside to providing too much information about the Model Y and its enhanced capabilities in software and hardware is that it could steal the thunder of the still-ramping Model 3 just as it's getting introduced into key international markets." Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday changed his Twitter display name to "Elon Tusk" and promised his electric car maker would have "news" at 5 p.m. ET Thursday. The company is due to repay a $920 million convertible bond on Friday as Tesla keeps piling up debt while ramping up production of its popular Model 3 sedan. An analyst report on Thursday said Tesla is lining up about $2 billion in loans to build its factory in Shanghai. Jonas said Tesla "may be fundamentally overvalued," but he kept his equal-weight rating and noted that the stock is trading above his $283 target. Shares of Tesla were up more than 1 percent on Thursday after Tesla suspended orders ahead of the announcement. If the announcement is about a strategic partnership, Jonas said, it could "help share the burden of future expenses, improve access to capital, and potentially 'attach' Tesla's network of data capturing machines to a mega-platform/software layer." With reporting by Michael Bloom. As U.S. and North Korean delegations geared up for a second summit between their two leaders, many analyst predictions were identical. Both sides, the experts said in published notes and interviews, would pocket some easy wins during the two days of meetings in Hanoi, Vietnam but nothing major would happen. As he often does, U.S. President Donald Trump defied expectations, walking away from the negotiating table and canceling a pre-planned agreement signing. There was no new deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. What happened Going into the Hanoi summit, the starting positions of both sides were unambiguous. Trump wanted North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons as he dangled the prospect of an economic boost to the repressive country. Kim sought to see sanctions eased without losing the strategic benefits of his weapons of mass destruction. After a brief one-on-one and a "social" dinner appeared to go well on Wednesday, Trump and Kim were set for a big day of meetings on Thursday. The White House schedule was clear: First there would be arrival statements, then a one-on-one discussion, then an expanded meeting, then a working lunch and then a "Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony." Instead, neither leader ever made it to the lunch. With little warning, the White House announced the talks would be wrapping up ahead of schedule, and there would be nothing to sign. "The two leaders discussed various ways to advance denuclearization and economic driven concepts," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. "No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future." U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speak to the press before having dinner together in Hanoi, Vietnam on Feb. 27, 2019. Joyce N. Boghosian, Official White House Photo | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images Trump clarified his actions in a post-summit press conference, saying the disagreement had centered on North Korea's demands for the removal of sanctions. "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn't do that," the president said. "They were willing to de-nuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted, but we couldn't give up all of the sanctions for that." North Korea currently faces United Nations sanctions and separate sanctions from the United States. The UN blocks some imports and exports and has frozen the assets of individuals connected with Pyongyang's nuclear program. The United States restricts the North Korean economy further and targets more individuals. Trump said he could have chosen to sign a small agreement "we actually had papers ready to be signed" but he ultimately decided that Kim's regime was not sufficiently playing ball. "Sometimes you have to walk, and this was just one of those times," Trump said, adding that he believed the summit had concluded on "very friendly" terms. What experts had expected That turn of events defied expectations. Experts had been predicting for days that both leaders were politically incentivized to agree to a few small items. Such widely predicted measures included opening representative offices in each other's countries and potentially some move to officially declare an end to the Korean War (the fighting stopped in 1953 following an armistice). For one, Steve Okun, senior advisor at U.S.-based consulting firm McLarty Associates, projected on Thursday morning that the summit would end with some sort of peace declaration not a peace treaty because that requires input from China and South Korea, too promises of liaison offices and potentially a road map for future discussions. "Maybe we will get some type of further commitment on no testing or no more production, but it's not going to be detailed," Okun said Thursday. U.S. news website Vox published a story on the Tuesday before the summit saying that a tentative outline deal included a peace declaration, an agreement to return remains of American troops to U.S. soil, the establishment of liaison offices, and an agreement for North Korea to stop producing some nuclear weapons materials in exchange for the reduction of some sanctions. Art work on display in Hanoi, Vietnam, ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Lilian JY | CNBC Analysts also pointed to Trump's shifting language on North Korean denuclearization as a sign he was aiming for small wins at the Hanoi summit. Last week, the president made headlines when he said he had "no pressing time schedule" for Kim's regime to relinquish its nuclear capabilities. The U.S. leader further spurred projections of a watered-down deal when he repeatedly said at the start of Thursday's talks that he didn't want to hurry the North Korean autocrat. "No rush. No rush. No rush. There's no rush, we just want to do the right deal. Chairman Kim and myself we want to do the right deal. Speed is not important, what's important is that we do the right deal," Trump said Thursday morning. Following those comments, Okun told CNBC he expected "some sort of incremental deal." That would be enough for Trump and Kim to boast of success back in their respective countries, analysts said. "For both leaders, a limited amount of progress is going to be success enough," Richard Fenning, CEO of risk consultancy Control Risks, said Wednesday. "This, I think, is a kind of continuity summit." Fenning predicted Trump would label the talks "a tremendous success" and Okun said he expected the president to trumpet a "historic" deal. What's next Instead, Trump acknowledged on Thursday that American efforts had fallen short for the time being. He told reporters that he did not have any current plans for future talks with Kim, but that he ultimately expected the two sides would bridge their gaps "with time." For now, all of the sanctions on Pyongyang will continue, Trump said. He would only remove those economic penalties, he added, if Kim's regime agrees to remove many more of its offensive capabilities than it brought to the table in Hanoi. "(Kim) wants to de-nuke, but he wants to just do areas that are less important than the areas that we want. We know the country very well, believe it or not, we know every inch of that country," Trump said during the post-summit press conference. U.S. President Donald Trump during a bilateral meeting with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi on Feb. 28, 2019. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images All told, Lisa Collins, a fellow with the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said she did not think the Hanoi summit had undone the benefits of last year's historic first meeting between Trump and Kim in Singapore. "I do think there's something to be gained by the second meeting. Obviously President Trump still feels like he has a decent relationship with Kim Jong Un," she said. "I think it's good that they got further in their talks on what sites the North Koreans would need to dismantle in order for the United States to lift certain sanctions, so I think that is actual progress." That was the message from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said after the summit that the two leaders had made "real progress" during their talks: "We are certainly closer today than we were 36 hours ago." Asked during the post-summit news conference if he was still pushing for North Korea's "complete, verifiable denuclearization," Trump declined to lay out his position. "I don't want to say that to you because I don't want to put myself in that position from the standpoint of negotiations but, you know, we want a lot to be given up," he said. Analysts from political risk consultancy Eurasia Group said in a post-summit note that they were "not concerned" that the lack of an agreement in Hanoi would lead to a renewed rise in tensions. Rather, they said Trump's "dodging" of questions about his commitment to a fully denuclearized North Korea "will fuel speculation that the U.S. has already given up on this goal which would in itself be a major concession without North Korea having apparently provided much, if anything, in return." As for whether Kim will again launch ballistic missiles beyond his borders a practice he's stopped since 2017 Trump said he did not expect any new provocations. The president claimed that Kim promised him over dinner on Wednesday that North Korea "is not going to do testing of rockets and nuclear." Trump added: "I trust him and I take him at his word." WATCH: Trump-Kim summit no victory, but relations won't worsen, analyst says With strains showing up in the relationship between the U.S. President Donald Trump and his Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, one expert has expressed concerns that Trump would settle for an "inadequate" and "weak" deal with China. The comment by Niall Ferguson, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, came after several public disputes between the president and Lighthizer on matters related to the U.S.-China trade war. Last week, Trump and Lighthizer sparred in front of journalists and Chinese representatives led by Vice Premier Liu He over whether "memorandum of understanding" is the right phrase to term the agreement that the U.S. and China are negotiating. The two sides were reportedly drawing up six MOUs which would form the building blocks of a final deal. But Trump objected to the use of the term, arguing that "they don't mean anything." Lighthizer gave in after some back-and-forth with his boss and opted to use "trade agreement" instead. "I think the big question ... is whether or not President Trump is going to overrule Robert Lighthizer and take a deal that Lighthizer would regard as inadequate, as weak. I very much hope he doesn't do that because Robert Lighthizer has been doing an excellent job driving a very hard bargain and when Lighthizer says we're not there yet, I take that very seriously," Ferguson told CNBC's "Closing Bell" on Wednesday. "We saw just the other day the president has the power to overrule [Lighthizer], even in the terminology of the deal ... Robert Lighthizer had to very quickly drop that phrase and get on with the Trumpian language like a 'trade deal,'" he added. U.S. President Donald Trump said China has been "a big help" in America's dealings with North Korea, but added that he believed the hermit kingdom was "calling its own shots." Speaking at a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, Trump was asked whether China came up in his discussions with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "China's been a big help, bigger than most people know," said the American president, before adding that he believed "North Korea is calling its own shots." Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping met several times in the past year. When Trump and Kim met for the first time in Singapore last June, the North Korean leader arrived in an Air China plane. To get to Hanoi this week, Kim traveled by train through China and some reports said he may have made a stop in Beijing. It isn't clear whether he met Xi during his travels, nor if he plans on meeting the Chinese leader soon. North Korean state media KCNA said a delegation led by the reclusive state's Vice Minister Ri Kil-Song has left for China. China's foreign ministry said it hopes dialogue and communication between the U.S. and North Korea can continue. President Donald Trump's central claim about his economic policies officially crashed into reality on Thursday. Throughout the 2016 campaign and since, the president and his party have vowed to kick-start tepid Obama-era economic growth. Specifically, they insisted tax cuts and deregulation would return growth to its post-World War II average of 3 percent a level, candidate Trump said derisively, that President Barack Obama became "the first president in modern history" never to reach in a single year. New government data on Thursday morning show that Trump, too, has failed to reach the 3 percent promised land, according to one major metric. The Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis measured 2018 growth at 2.9 percent, matching the peak Obama enjoyed in 2015. Instead of annual 2018 growth, the White House emphasized a different growth measure comparing growth from the fourth quarter of 2017 to the fourth quarter of 2018. By that measure, the economy grew 3.1 percent. But Obama, too, reached 3 percent growth on a four-quarter basis four different times. Where Obama failed to enjoy 3 percent annual growth was on the BEA's official annual number. His 2015 peak was 2.9 percent, like Trump's for 2018. Thursday's preliminary 2.9 percent figure could later be revised, although economist Mark Zandi of Moody's Analytics said the most likely direction would be down. For the rest of the president's term, economic forecasters agree, that number will decline. "2018 will be the high-water mark for growth in the Trump administration," Zandi predicted. He expects the decade-old economic expansion will shrink to 1.1 percent growth in 2020, with a better-than-even chance of recession. WATCH: The Next Recession: Mark Zandi says corporate debt could cause 'reckoning' in 2020 For the 21st century economy, 2.9 percent represents strong performance in any event. Not since 2005, during George W. Bush's presidency, has America seen a full-year expansion of 3 percent or more. Moreover, 2018 marked the second consecutive year that growth accelerated by six-tenths of a percentage point from 1.6 percent in Obama's final year in office. GOP's hollow campaign pledge Economically, that falls short of the upgrade Team Trump pledged. Politically, it demonstrates the hollowness of a core GOP campaign theme. The theme hardly originated with Trump. Announcing his presidential candidacy in 2015, then-frontrunner Jeb Bush blamed Democratic policies for "the slowest economic recovery ever" and identified the solution as tax cuts and deregulation. "There is not a reason in the world why we cannot grow at a rate of 4 percent of year," Bush declared. Obama's economic advisers cited two big reasons: sluggish worker productivity and shrinking labor supply as baby boomers retire. Those factors, they argued, limited potential growth to a long-term average of 2 percent. Trump, with characteristic grandiosity, dismissed that argument and outbid Bush. "We think it could be 5 or even 6" percent, he said. His economic advisers remained more cautious. But they cast sustained growth of 3 percent or more, driven by new, productivity-boosting business investment, as the floor beneath their strategy for making Americans better off and protecting the federal budget. "The foundation for the plan is 3 percent growth," budget director Mick Mulvaney told Congress. "In fact, that IS Trumponomics." WATCH: Women have returned to the labor force and it's helping drive wages higher 'Abracadabra,' Obama Growth ticked up in 2017 to 2.2 percent, though that rate fell below what the Congressional Budget Office had forecast before Trump's election. As the president took steps toward deregulation, Republican allies in Congress called tax cuts critical to achieving their 3 percent goal. The tax cuts passed in December 2017. And when growth surged to 4.2 percent in the second quarter of 2018, the White House declared victory. "We're on track to reach the highest annualized growth in 13 years," the president assured reporters. "Remember when Obama said you need a magic wand to make that happen?" Donald Trump Jr. told Breitbart. "Well 'abracadabra,' Obama. We're doing it." In fact, growth in a single quarter had topped 4.2 percent four different times during the Obama administration. A broad range of analysts had forecast that a deficit-financed tax-cut would stimulate short-term boost beginning in 2018. Yet even as 3rd quarter growth slowed to 3.4 percent, White House advisers reiterated their confidence. In July, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin called the U.S. "well on the path" for four to five years of sustained 3 percent growth. In December, top White House economist Kevin Hassett sounded the same note while acknowledging a slowdown in business investment. "We're definitely going to be at 3 or above 3" for both 2018 and 2019, he told CNBC. Thursday's BEA data show otherwise. Growth kept falling in the fourth quarter, to 2.6 percent. The increase in business investment has continued to taper. Having predicted growth of "substantially over 3 percent," former National Economic Council director Gary Cohn, has blamed Trump's trade tariffs for offsetting the boost from the tax cut. But the White House and its allies lacked credible evidence for their growth claim to begin with. "The 3 percent long-term projection was always a stretch in light of the demographic headwinds," Harvard's Greg Mankiw, who chaired the Council of Economic Advisers for President Bush, told CNBC. WATCH: Justin Wolfers: Biggest risk to strong U.S. economy is Trump You might physically leave the office at 5 p.m., but that doesn't mean you're done working. Thanks to smartphones and computers we can be connected to our boss, clients and coworkers every second and many companies expect you'll answer those late-night emails or texts too. The majority of people who use smartphones at work end up connected for more than 13 hours a day and spend an additional five hours checking email on weekends. Extra working time doesn't always result in better results either. Employee burnout is common and some studies have shown longer hours actually make you less productive. All this might be why several countries, primarily in Europe, have made "the right to disconnect" a human right and granted it either legal protections or made it a provision in company policies. But could American tech workers abide by such a policy? Robert Half Technology surveyed 2,800 IT leaders and 2,800 office workers to see if they could ignore their inboxes after hours and many of them seemed unable or unwilling to disconnect, possibly because without legal protection workers doubted the move wouldn't result in blow-back from their boss. While two-thirds of tech leaders said they could adhere to a ban on after-hours communications, 41 percent of workers doubted their managers would follow the rule. Less than half of workers said they could abstain from checking work emails in their own off-time. The larger the company, the greater the pressure to check in all the time, the survey also found. Managers working for businesses that had 1,000 or more employees reported being the least likely to stick to an after-hours email ban compared to those at smaller companies. As workers well know, always being "on" may lessen your workload tomorrow or appease a demanding boss, but it comes with steep costs, too. A study from Virigina Tech found that checking email after hours hurt workers' mental health and caused anxiety. And you don't have to be spending actual time doing work in off-hours to experience this, just the expectation of availability increases the strain on employees. Another study found that even a small amount of after-hours work increased people's risk of developing health problems. Support for stronger boundaries between work and home has also spread to the U.S., known for its workhorse culture. In New York City last year, a bill was proposed that would make it illegal for companies to require that employees check any work-related communications outside normal working hours. It was modeled after a French law that took effect in 2017. It may take such a law to alter American behavior. Tech leaders in Charlotte, N.C., Los Angeles, Calif., and Miami, Fla., were most confident in their ability to refrain from checking in. But that didn't line up with their employees. Workers who were most comfortable disconnecting are based in Detroit, Mich., Cincinnati, Ohio, and Cleveland, Ohio, according to the survey. Workers living in San Diego, Calif., Chicago, and Washington D.C. are in the most trouble. IT leaders in these cities were the least likely to obey a ban on after-hours emails. So it's perhaps not surprising then that employees in San Diego and Chicago also said they'd have the hardest time giving up after-work messaging. Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube! Don't miss: 7 in-demand jobs paying more than $55,000 a year that you can get without a college degree People pass by the International Media Center for the second summit between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Feb. 24, 2019. A Vietnamese tanker was bound for North Korea carrying 2,000 tonnes of gasoline, Refinitiv shipping data showed, just as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump prepared for key talks on security and cooperation in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi. The vessel, the Viet Tin 01, arrived just outside the harbor of Nampo on North Korea's western coast on Feb. 25 carrying 2,000 tonnes of gasoline, according to the data compiled by Refinitiv. The data tracks ships' movements as well as providing details of their cargoes and official destinations as registered by shippers. It wasn't immediately clear whether the tanker unloaded cargo at Nampo. Under sanctions imposed by the United Nations, North Korea is heavily restricted in its imports of crude oil and refined petroleum products. Trump and Kim began a second day of talks on Thursday, with both sides expressing hope for progress on improving relations and the key issue of denuclearization in the pair's second summit meeting. The 5,000 deadweight tonne tanker - small by industry standards - was scheduled to deliver the fuel to Daesan in South Korea, according to its official destination registered in the shipping data. The vessel still showed Daesan as its destination as of Feb. 28, according to the data. The Viet Tin 01's previous stops were Taiwan, Singapore and Bangladesh. It was not immediately clear where the ship loaded the gasoline. An official for the ship's registered owner, Ho Chi Minh City-based Viet Trust Shipping Corp., said she was not aware of the ship's whereabouts. She said the company owned two ships, the Viet Tin 01, and the Viet Tin Lucky, which is currently off the west coast of Thailand. The Vietnamese foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. News outlet NK Pro, which monitors North Korea developments, said in a report on Thursday "the transfer would likely push against U.N. resolutions" under which its fuel imports are restricted. President Donald Trump said Thursday he cut short his nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un because the two sides could not agree on the removal of sanctions. The meetings between the two leaders in Hanoi, Vietnam started Wednesday night and were scheduled to conclude with a signing ceremony for some sort of agreement between the two nuclear powers. Instead, the talks were cut short on Thursday even before Trump and Kim could share a planned lunch and the White House announced there would be nothing to sign. "It wasn't a good thing to be signing anything," Trump said during a post-summit news conference. "We had some options, and at this time we decided not to do any of the options, and we'll see where that goes." "Sometimes you have to walk, and this was just one of those times," he added. Trump is pushing North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons as he dangles the prospect of an economic boost to the repressive country. Kim, experts say, wants to see sanctions eased without losing the strategic benefits of his weapons of mass destruction. Trump said he had not committed to a third summit with the North Korean dictator. Still, Trump described the talks as "productive," and highlighted his relationship with Kim "I think we'll end up being very good friends." At the end of the day, though, Trump said he "would not have been happy about" any deal he saw on the table for Thursday's talks. U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the media at a press conference after his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam. Jorge Silva | Reuters "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn't do that," Trump said. "They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted, but we couldn't give up all of the sanctions for that. So we continue to work and we'll see, but we had to walk away from that particular suggestion. We had to walk away from that." North Korea currently faces United Nations sanctions and separate sanctions from the United States. The U.N. blocks some imports and exports and has frozen the assets of individuals connected with Pyongyang's nuclear program. The United States restricts the North Korean economy further and targets more individuals. Trump claimed Kim was willing to close down one weapons facility the Yongbyon nuclear complex in exchange for the complete removal of sanctions, but the U.S. team "brought many points up that they were surprised that we knew" and so demanded more actions from Kim's regime. "(Kim) wants to denuke, but he wants to just do areas that are less important than the areas that we want. We know the country very well, believe it or not, we know every inch of that country," Trump said, adding that he thought the gap between the U.S. and North Korea would be bridged "with time." The president confirmed that all the current sanctions on Pyongyang will remain in place. "You always have to be prepared to walk," Trump said. "I could have 100 percent signed something today we actually had papers ready to be signed but it just wasn't appropriate. I want to do it right: I'd much rather do it right than do it fast." Walking away Reflecting on the moment the American delegation decided to walk away from the negotiating table, Trump claimed the environment was "very good, very friendly." "This wasn't a walk away like you get up and walk out. No, this was very friendly we shook hands," he said. "When we walked away, it was a very friendly walk." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during the news conference that the U.S. team had tried to lay the groundwork before the summit for an agreement, but Thursday's talks did not seal the deal. "Unfortunately, we didn't get all the way. We didn't get to something that ultimately made sense for the United States of America," Pompeo said. "I think Chairman Kim was hopeful that we would. We asked him to do more and he was unprepared to do that." The secretary of State specified that "even the Yongbyon facility in all of its scope which is important for sure still leaves missiles, still leaves warheads and weapons systems, so there's a lot of other elements we just couldn't get to." Still, Pompeo said the two leaders had made "real progress" during their talks: "We are certainly closer today than we were 36 hours ago." Trump said Kim promised him over dinner on Wednesday night that North Korea "is not going to do testing of rockets and nuclear." "I trust him and I take him at his word," the president said. Trump said "one of the first calls" he planned to make after the press conference would be to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, to discuss the events of the summit. Summit ends early The meeting in Hanoi ended significantly earlier than scheduled as the White House declared there had been no new agreements reached during the summit. "The two leaders discussed various ways to advance denuclearization and economic driven concepts," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. "No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future." South Korean stocks fell on the news that the summit's schedule had been cut short. The car carrying President Donald Trump is seen leaving the U.S.-North Korea nuclear summit earlier than originally scheduled on Feb. 28, 2019 in Hanoi, Vietnam. Linh Pham | Getty Images Bazaar Corporate Radar | Feb 22, 2021, 12:00 AM IST Bazaar Corporate Radar Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar. Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. At the end of January, Kazakhstans President Nursultan Nazarbayev called the whole government a group of cowards and, for the first time, suggested that the ministers resign. The president singled out the poor economic performance and the dreadful health of the banks in the country. Just weeks later, Nazarbayev suggested again, this time in a more formal setting, that the cabinet quit. The Diplomat reports in its article Kazakhstan Appoints a New-Old Government that immediately after the presidential request, the whole government presented its resignation and Nazarbayev appointed Vice Prime Minister Askar Mamin as interim prime minister on February 22. Bakhytzhan Sagintayev, the outgoing prime minister, went on the record praising Nazarbayevs vision for Kazakhstan and effectively accepting the political scolding. The weekend of speculation on who was going to be the next prime minister, why the president cleared out the cabinet, and whether it was a move related to power transition, ended with very few surprises on February 25, when the parliament a rubber-stamp institution occupied almost entirely by members of the presidents party approved the new government with Mamin at its head. Crucially, the reshuffle also included a change at the head of the Central Bank. Outgoing governor Daniyar Akishev had been under fire for months regarding his somewhat maverick policies that did not align with the governments. Mamin, a one-time mayor of Astana and a long-serving head of the national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, had served as vice-prime minister for a little over two years, but is considered a loyal member of the elite close to the president. Curiously, he reportedly shared the same classroom with Karim Massimov, former prime minister and current head of the security service, in elementary school. According to a WikiLeaks cable, they were seen dancing together in a nightclub in 2008. Significant cabinet changes included the Ministries of National Economy, Labor, Education, and Infrastructure. Other ministers, notably Energy Minister Kanat Bozumbayev, who was severely criticized for a fuel shortage in 2017, and Justice Minister Marat Beketayev, who faced public humiliation when 40 percent of the assets held in the National Fund were temporarily frozen last year, surprisingly saved face and position. For National Economy, new minister Ruslan Dalenov substituted outgoing Timur Suleimenov, a figure who came under rampant fire after a few years of sluggish growth. Dalenov has served in cabinet positions, especially in the finance ministry, for two decades. The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection saw the surprising return of Berdybek Saparbayev, who served in this position between 2007 and 2009 under Massimovs government. Saparbayev, 66 and thus past pension age, was head of a handful of regions in his long career in government and was recently praised by the president for his work as governor of the Aktobe region. Importantly, Saparbayev substituted Madina Abylkasymova, who infamously argued against giving a subsidy to larger families. A few days later, a home burned down, killing the five daughters of two parents who had to work night shifts in order to sustain the family. Kulyash Shamshidinova, 61, became the minister of education and science, substituting Yerlan Sagadiyev. Shamshidinova served twice as vice minister of education in the past and most recently headed the Nazarbayev Intellectual School system, which prepares pupils to enroll in high-tiered universities. Roman Sklyar, 47, was promoted to minister of infrastructure and industrial development, substituting Zhenis Kassymbek, who retained his position as vice prime minister. Sklyar was close to Mamin at Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and has served in various ministries. Another surprise came from the agriculture ministry, which will no longer be occupied by the powerful figure of Umirzak Shukeyev, formerly also head of the state holding Samruk-Kazyna. Saparkhan Omarov, 49 and a former vice minister to Shukeyev, was promoted to head the ministry. The following day, Shukeyev was named governor of the newly formed Turkestan region. Change was awaited and everyone in Kazakhstan thought that Sagintayevs days as prime minister were numbered since early 2018. But the expiration date never seemed to arrive. While some analysts have pointed the finger to the allegedly increasing social unrest in the country, the weak economic situation and the need to refresh the roster seemed to be the causes of the reshuffle. While it is true that rallies for the improvement of the welfare for large families in Astana and protests of jobless youth in the Mangistau region have alerted the leadership, these processes are not usually triggers of government changes. Commentaries on social media linked Nazarbayevs odd questioning of the Constitutional Court with regards to an early termination of the presidents position to the reshuffle, arguing that this could be the interim government that transits Kazakhstan into the post-Nazarbayev era. So far, however, this line of reasoning seems to be worth as much as all other attempts to predict Nazarbayevs exit in the past. More clouds of doubt should be dissipated at the upcoming assembly of the Nur Otan party, where Nazarbayev is expected to give a speech. Perhaps the most significant change in the government is the appointment of Yerbolat Dossayev, 48, a former businessman, to the post of Central Bank chief. Dossayev, who received a severe scolding three years ago before being sacked as economy minister, will take Akishevs uncomfortable chair. Nazarbayev has stated clearly that he wants the Central Bank to work closely with the government in order to solve the economic and financial situation in the country, where banks need continuous bailouts and the people have scant means of subsistence compared to the countrys oil wealth. I'm a graduate from the Missouri School of Journalism and former reporter with the Missourian. Currently, I'm a working for a law firm in Dallas, Tx before beginning law school later this year. Reach me at @ByHunterGilbert on Twitter Follow this search 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. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today A new era of opportunities lies ahead for Central Asian countries, chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute of the American Foreign Policy Council Frederick Starr believes. Speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza following the results of the international conference themed 'Interconnectivity in Central Asia: Challenges and New Opportunities,' which was held in Tashkent, he assessed the prospects for Central Asian integration, the first steps of which have already been taken: the neighboring countries opened their markets to each other. For the first time since the formation of the new independent states in the region, close coordination has been established in the field of industrial cooperation, investment and security. The enhanced interaction in Central Asia is an objective, stable and irreversible trend, based on a firm political choice of all countries in the region, which has deep historical background. - Will the Central Asian countries be able to develop mechanisms for regional cooperation? Will they be ready for such cooperation, because they may have to give up something - if not the sovereignty, then ambition? - Yes, the states in the region are very different. But the thing is that they have fewer differences compared to ASEAN countries - the difference is huge there in comparison with Central Asia. For example, the difference between the participants of the integration association Nordic Council is colossal. - But these countries are open to cooperation. And what about Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, for example? - This is true. There has been and will be disagreements, most likely. This is inevitable - all the countries are different. Central Asia is a polycentric region. Just look at the region's nature - the world's tallest mountains are here. Its steppes are the largest in the world, it also has the driest deserts and flowering oases. Think of how huge is the difference. Different societies. Different cultures: Turkic, Persian. Nomads and sedentary peoples are completely different. But they were all inextricably linked for centuries. They printed money here and, in essence, ruled the world currency. There were noticeable for their time manufactures in the region. The Great Silk Road passed through here, there was a neutral transport zone here. It was more than neighboring relations. I agree with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev's words - the countries of the region have common interests, common understanding, common tasks, common history and good knowledge of each other. Everything is possible on such a basis. Therefore, I'm fairly certain that the countries will cooperate. It should also be noted that sensitive people live here. We can say hat the regions economy is not quite up to the present level, but in psychological terms, the local population knows better how to say, what to say and when to act in order to maintain relationships. - What is the place of Central Asia on the map of American politics? - A special one. All global powers should go easy on what's happening, the region should be supported. How? Like a son or daughter. Providing help, but it is important to know when to step aside and calmly observe. 28 years ago, the first steps were taken. Since then, the West, Russia and China have believed that they are obliged to help solving problems in the region, which affects all of us. - What interests does the United States have in this region? - Of course, there is an economic interest and there is a geopolitical one. This can be said about Russia, about China, about India and about the United States. But for 28 years, these countries have not solved the issues of drug business, corruption and terrorism in the region. The Central Asian countries must resolve these issues themselves. It is important that Russia, America, China and India are engage in a dialogue with each other. The United States will not interfere in the affairs of Central Asia, but Russia and other countries should not interfere either. In my opinion, it seems possible to agree on such basis. - Do you believe it? - Yes, it is a system of checks and balances. Such mutual understanding is possible. I have the utmost faith that China, the U.S. and Europe are ready for this. In my opinion, such approach is in the interests of Russia either. In any case, in Russia they write and talk about it. If the Central Asian actors want to ask our, the great powers, help, they are welcome. But we should not escalate the situation. Tashkent is working on regional cooperation, and this is not directed against anyone. These are not just pretty words. Every country insists on preserving sovereignty. A new union will be created, but not a new state or an alliance with supranational bodies. What is happening in the context of integration is a new system of relations - the second floor in the sovereignty house. They do not need external forces to be strong and prosperous, they need to communicate with each other. This is important for the Central Asia countries to hold a conversation with the United States, China, Russia, and Japan. The most important thing is that they talk to each other, a new regional consciousness is being formed. Disunited Central Asia is easy to break, acting on the divide and conquer strategy. And if they are united - they have their own voice. - Chinese economic expansion in the region, the inclusion of Central Asia in the Belt and Road Initiative can be considered as a challenge or threat to the interests of the United States and their partners, for example India? - That's a very difficult question. Therefore, to some extent the fate of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and vice versa depends on the project. There is a difficult and, I must say, a sad situation in Xinjiang. [It's about a complex social and religious situation, as well as the so-called national minority vocational training centers - for Uyghur, Kyrgyz and Kazakh people, the presence of which caused public discontent - VK]. This affects the whole of Central Asia. In terms of history and culture, it has been part of Central Asia since ancient times. They need to somehow solve this Rubik's Cube. For some reason, China is convinced that the issue can be solved only with money. But this is a more subtle matter. Beijing, as is known, provides multimillion-dollar loans to Central Asian countries. I hope that all regional players have enough caution in accessing Chinese loans. They are already overburdened with debt and unlikely to ever pay off unless China writes them off. This is a very serious addiction. Always in history, key player sought to crush and dominate. This is an ancient strategy and a very harmful one. I hope that one day global powers will stop the Great Game, because it is not particularly useful. And if the Central Asian countries can get together, their future will be promising. They will have the opportunity to solve all problems, including Chinese loans, together. The emergence of regional unification will benefit the Central Asian countries. Android OS upgrades may be a steaming, hot mess thanks mostly to the way the platform relies on unmotivated device-makers to do the legwork but over on the Chrome OS side of things, by golly, it's a whole other story. Chrome OS upgrades come out like clockwork, quietly and automatically, every two to three weeks. Because of the way that operating system is structured, y'see, it's easy for Google to manage the process internally and create a level of consistency that just isn't possible on Android. (On the flip side, of course, a Chromebook's software can't be customized by manufacturers in the way an Android device's can something that may be a blessing or a curse, depending on your perspective.) Here in the real world, that means interface enhancements and other intriguing additions arrive fast and furiously so often, in fact, that it sometimes gets difficult to keep track of all the shiny stuff showing up on your system. Heck, if you aren't paying close attention, it's almost comically easy to overlook some useful new element that snuck its way onto your Chromebook with little to no fanfare. Well, consider this your personal guide to some of the most significant new features currently in the works for Chrome OS and coming soon to a Chromebook near you. The specifics of scheduling can always change along the way, but these are all elements that Google's actively working on getting out the door and onto your device and all of them have the potential to change the way you work for the better. 1. Virtual desktops If you use a Chromebook for both work and personal purposes, this first feature could be quite the welcome addition. It's support for something called virtual desktops, which effectively allow you to maintain multiple desktop environments within a single Chrome OS sign-in. [Get fresh tips and insight in your inbox every Friday with JR's Android Intelligence newsletter. Exclusive extras await!] It's a slightly confusing concept to wrap your head around, especially if you haven't messed around with anything like it on other operating systems before, but here's the easiest way to understand it: Right now, when you sign into a Chromebook, you have a single desktop the series of apps, windows, and shortcuts that serves as the foundation for everything you do. With virtual desktops in play, you could add in a second completely separate environment and then switch between the two so you might have all your work apps and windows open in one, for instance, and then keep your personal stuff completely isolated in its own standalone desktop. And all it'd take is a couple quick clicks to switch between the two environments. This video shows an early and rather rough demo of the concept in action: As you can see, Chrome OS's virtual desktops feature is currently set to support up to four separate desktop environments. Its development is still in the early phases, but the earliest it's likely to arrive on most systems is with Chrome OS 74, which is slated to show up in late April. 2. An easier way to find and manage apps Chrome OS now supports a huge range of app types: web apps, Chrome apps, progressive web apps, Android apps, and even Linux apps. That's turned Chromebooks into uniquely versatile, platform-defying productivity machines which is obviously fantastic but it's also created a confusing situation where you have a zillion different places to look for apps and no centralized interface to manage 'em all. Well, prepare to stop flailing, for Google's working on an answer: First, a new under-development Apps page would serve as a unified interface for dealing with every app installed on your system, regardless of where it came from. It'd be akin to the Apps section of Android's settings and would go a long way toward bringing all the different Chrome-OS-supported app types together and making them feel like part of a Chromebook experience instead of the disjointed mishmash they are today. Second and equally significant, work is underway to let you search for and install Linux apps directly from the Chrome OS launcher. As it stands now, finding and installing a Linux app on a Chromebook is an insanely complicated process, so bringing that function right into the regular Chrome OS launcher would be a massive improvement in user-friendliness. My hope is that the move would be accompanied by the introduction of similarly native-feeling systems for finding and installing web apps and Android apps right from the launcher, too both of which had been possible at one point but were disabled for various vague reasons a while back. That'd turn the Chrome OS launcher into a unified place for finding and installing practically any app that's compatible with a Chromebook and would push the Chrome OS experience back toward its original simple and easy-to-understand nature. Timing on this one is still up in the air. 3. More native-like treatment of Linux apps Speaking of apps, Linux apps on Chromebooks still feel like a bit of a tacked-on addition a useful way to expand what your Chromebook can do, to be sure, but also more of an awkward appendage than a true native part of the operating system. Google's got several fixes in the works that should help with this and make Linux apps seem more at home in the Chrome OS environment. First, it'll soon be easier to access files while using a Linux app on your Chromebook. Right now, Linux apps are able to access only a specific area of your device's storage that's designated explicitly for Linux app use. That's part of how Google maintains Chrome OS's unusual security setup and keeps the main operating system isolated from these potentially compromising local programs, but it also makes it pretty tricky to open files or find what you need while using a Linux app since you basically have to copy or move things around manually ahead of time in order to do that. Soon, you'll be able to easily share entire folders with the Linux part of your system possibly as early as the Chrome OS 73 release, which is slated to arrive in mid-March. Beyond that, engineers are working on a way to let Linux apps access your Google Drive storage, your Android-app-related files, and also files from a USB storage device, should you be so inspired. All of that could also show up broadly as soon as the Chrome OS 73 release, in a matter of weeks. And finally, in Chrome OS 74, in late April, we could see the long-awaited addition of audio playback support for Linux apps which would open the door to a level of advanced audio editing work not currently possible on Chromebooks. 4. Support for third-party Android keyboard apps Google's on-screen Chrome OS keyboard has gotten a lot better over the years with a much more Android-like appearance and the ability to be shrunken down into a small, floating window as of a recent update but it's still not as fully featured or pleasant to use as Google's Gboard Android keyboard or other third-party Android keyboard options. We've heard vaguely about support for Android keyboard apps coming to Chrome OS at some point, and now, it seems like that day might actually be growing near. With Android Pie slowly making its way to Chromebooks (as the back-end software that allows Android apps to operate), a new system is showing up that lets you set a third-party Android keyboard app as your default on-screen input method. It's plainly a work in progress and not yet polished enough to be ready for prime time, but its existence is a promising sign that yessirree, Billybob things are a-cookin'. 5. A customizable "super key" on a Chromebook's keyboard Some Chromebooks namely Google's own Pixel-branded devices, as of the moment have a dedicated key on their physical keyboards for pulling up the Google Assistant. Some Chromebook owners, myself included, find that key to be of little practical use (other than providing the opportunity to occasionally open Google Assistant by accident and then quietly mumble obscenities while waiting for it to close). Soon, it seems Google will allow that Assistant key to become a customizable "super key" that can be mapped to any number of more useful commands. It's something that's been under discussion since the fall of 2017 but seems to be picking up fresh steam lately, with lots of active discussion among Chrome OS developers and an official "under review" status change just days ago. 6. A native system for grouping browser tabs This one's technically a Chrome browser feature not limited only to Chrome OS but it'd certainly have a huge impact for those of us in the Chromebook world: the ability to organize open browser tabs into groups that'd remain in place and stay synced even across multiple devices. There are third-party Chrome extensions that can do similar things already, but bringing a native system for that kind of organization directly into Chrome would be a pretty significant step. The feature is visibly under development as we speak, though it's still extremely unfinished and rough around the edges so it may be a while yet before we see anything final slithering its way to the surface. 7. The ability to make entire Google Drive folders available offline Despite some long-standing myths to the contrary, Chromebooks these days are quite capable offline. (You already know that, I realize but not everyone is so bright and charming.) If you rely mostly on Google Drive for storage, though, there's no great way to keep your Drive-associated files synced with your local system and thus always available with or without an active internet connection. Notably, Google does have an option for making recently used Docs, Sheets, and Slides files available offline but that works only with recently accessed files and doesn't extend to general files beyond those specific types. From the looks of it, that's about to change: On at least some devices, folks have been noticing a new feature being tested that allows you to set entire Drive folders to be accessible offline in Chrome OS. It's currently available only in the beta version of the latest release (and doesn't even seem to be available on all devices yet, based on my own experimentation) but clearly, the wheels are a-turnin'. Bonus: Some recently rolled out new features Chrome OS is constantly getting updates, and in addition to all the new goodies being actively developed, there's plenty of worthwhile stuff that's come along in recent months and may or may not have caught your eye. I put together a list of noteworthy new features from last fall here, including some super-useful hidden gestures and shortcuts that showed up silently, without any real announcement or indication that they were there. Earlier this month, meanwhile, Google expanded the availability of its Instant Tethering feature which makes it possible for your Android phone to automatically share its network connection with your Chromebook whenever Wi-Fi isn't available. You'll need a compatible phone and Chromebook in order to be able to use it, but the list of supported devices is much longer than it used to be. And finally, if you ever find yourself sharing your Chromebook with a kiddo, rodent, or other small mammal, take note: Google's Family Link program now allows you to monitor and control all sorts of aspects of your offspring's experience. It doesn't take long at all to set up and is well worth looking into. Beyond that, stay tuned: Here in the land o' Chrome OS, things always move quickly and there are bound to be even more interesting enhancements and additions on the horizon before long. Sign up for my weekly newsletter to get more practical tips, personal recommendations, and plain-English perspective on the news that matters. [Android Intelligence videos at Computerworld] There's been a 517% increase in demand for software engineers with blockchain development skills in the past year, according to a new report from job search site Hired. In its first-ever analysis of only software engineering jobs, Hired found blockchain development skills ranked in the top three job openings in almost every global region. Blockchain engineers were followed by security engineers and embedded engineers, which saw 132% and 76% year-over-year growth, respectively. Hired Mehul Patel, CEO of Hired, said the growth in demand for blockchain skills has gone "through the roof" and tops anything he's ever seen. "It's staggering growth," Patel said. San Francisco-based Hired culled its data from the resumes of more than 100,000 job seekers and job postings from more than 10,000 companies that use the website. Salaries for software developers with blockchain skills are as high as $157,000 in the U.S., according to the report. Outside the U.S., salaries drop significantly, but that is to be expected, as pay for software engineers in general is lower in other regions, Patel said. Hired In London, for example, software engineers with blockchain development skills earn as much as $90,000; in Toronto they earn up to $75,000; and in Paris, $67,000, according to Hired's report. Hired's data is not far off that of other recent job reports. For example, job market research firm Burning Glass Technologies in December reported that blockchain developer job openings had grown 316% in the past year creating 12,006 job openings in the U.S. alone. The median advertised salary for software developers requiring blockchain skills in the U.S. was $125,000, according to Burning Glass Technologies. Hired "As demand increases, so do salaries," according to the Hired report. Also, in December, LinkedIn revealed its top five emerging careers and found blockchain developer was number one. Job listings for those who can create blockchain ledgers had grown 33-fold in a year, according to LinkedIn's 2018 U.S. Emerging Jobs Report. In distant second place were machine learning engineers, positions that saw a 12-fold increase during the same period. While blockchain engineering is the most in-demand skill on the Hired marketplace, only 12% of survey respondents identified blockchain as the top technology they want to learn. Fifty-one percent of survey respondents named Python as one of their most-liked languages, while 49% cited Javascript. PHP was ranked the least favorite at 19%. Another problem affecting the mismatch between the need for blockchain developers and a lack of available workers is the difficulty in finding places that offer training, Patel said. In general, one in five software engineers is self-taught, according to Hired's data. "I think generally we are seeing less than half of engineers we looked at had a B.S. degree and one fifth of them had gone through a year and a half of school. So one-third of our engineering base are self-taught or taught through non-traditional means," Patel said. Almost two-thirds of the software engineering roles on Hired's platform didn't have blockchain in the title, but did list it as a skill. "So, I think the title itself is not out there yet, but folks are definitely looking for the skills," Patel said. While still relatively rare, blockchain training programs have begun to pop up and are now being offered by some of the nation's leading universities, including Princeton, Stanford, UC Berkeley, and MIT. Currently, the easiest and fastest way to become proficient is to learn on your own or attend programs organized by blockchain vendors and industry groups, such as Consensys, Blockapps, the Ethereum Foundation and Hyperledger. While blockchain may be a relatively new technology in terms of enterprise deployments, Patel said he's confident demand will continue to be strong for years to come as businesses begin implementing "their countless use cases" Those uses involve everything from digital identity and smart contracts to workforce management and distributed data storage. "I think there's a deep feeling here that blockchain is the next wave of technology innovation that will underpin almost every industry one way or another sort of like the first wave of the internet in the 1990s," Patel said. "So no, I don't think this is a temporary thing." Brexit 1) Brexiteers stage fresh rebellion against Mays Brexit plans M May survives showdown as hardliners start to yield Daily Mail Ministers tell the Prime Minister to use delay to forge consensus The Guardian ore than 100 Tory MPs have rebelled against the Government as Eurosceptics refused to back Theresa Mays plans to give the Commons a vote on extending Article 50. The Government imposed a three-line whip on an amendment tabled by Yvette Cooper, a Labour MP, which enshrined the Prime Ministers commitment to give MPs a vote delaying Brexit if a deal cannot be reached. However 20 hardline Eurosceptic Tory MPs voted against the amendment including Esther McVey, former work and pensions secretary. A further 88 predominantly Eurosceptic Tory MPs abstained including Boris Johnson, the former foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, the former Brexit secretary and Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leading Eurosceptic Tory MP. Others who did not vote included Priti Patel, the former international development secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader and Sir Graham Brady, the head of the 1922 committee of backbench Tory MPs. More: EU could insist on extension of two years if Mays deal falls Daily Mail Germany and France battle over British budget rebate FT EU leaders threaten to block Brexit delay The Sun Worlds largest wealth funds places big bet on post-Brexit Britain The Times >Today: >Yesterday: Video: WATCH: Hannan says the one response to Brexit you wont see in Brussels is self-reflection Brexit 2) and confirm that the DUP are key to winning support for the deal Downing Street insiders say that, despite last months record 230 vote defeat for Mrs Mays agreement, they can win a vote on a revised deal, which will be held by March 12. The DUPs ten MPs are believed to hold the key to victory Eurosceptics loathe the backstop, which they say could trap the UK in a customs union with Brussels. But one member of the pro-Brexit Conservative European Research Group said: If the DUP back the deal, so will we. We would be in a ludicrous position if we were seen as more unionist than the unionists. Despite Mr Macron and Ms Merkels repeated opposition to any reopening of the 585-page withdrawal treaty, both the DUP and senior ERG members say they are open to other legal mechanisms to guarantee that the backstop is temporary. FT Rees-Mogg softens position on the backstop The Sun ERG leader gives up on March 29th departure Daily Express Comment: Id be delighted to back May, with a tweak to the backstop Jacob Rees-Mogg, Daily Mail >Yesterday: Brexit 3) Costa forced to quit over citizens rights amendment for South Leicestershire, called himself a very loyal Conservative member who had never rebelled and scarcely spoken out of turn. The Times May accused of double standards over sacking Daily Telegraph EU nationals could stay even if they dont register, Javid suggests The Sun British expatriates haunted by uncertainty The Times A ministerial aide was forced to resign over an amendment he tabled on EU citizens rights, despite having government support for the measure. Downing Street announced that Alberto Costa had quit his unpaid role as parliamentary private secretary to David Mundell, the Scottish secretary, after tabling the amendment the previous evening. David Lidington, the cabinet office minister, said the government would accept the amendment in the Commons, which is aimed at protecting the rights of EU citizens living in Britain in case of a no-deal Brexit. His announcement was greeted by Labour MPs asking: Why has he been sacked then? A Tory source said that it was the convention that members of the administration should not table amendments to government motions. Mr Costa, the MP Comment: That I had to seek this guarantees is a sad state of affairs Alberto Costa MP, Times Red Box Brexit 4) Clark woos left with promise of easier strikes Greg Clark is poised to make it easier for unions to strike as he steps up efforts to woo Labour MPs to back Theresa Mays Brexit deal. Ministers have long resisted a union demand to allow ballots on industrial action by email or text, claiming that they risk being hacked. Unions complain that requirements on postal ballots together with higher turnout thresholds introduced two years ago unfairly limit their capacity to win enough backing to call workers out on strike. Labour MPs in talks with the government over their possible support for the Brexit deal say that Mr Clark, the business secretary, has promised he will introduce electronic balloting. Last night, the department for business, energy and industrial strategy (BEIS) confirmed that it was preparing to hold a long-delayed consultation on the issue. However, the concession does not appear to have been sanctioned by Downing Street. The Times Prime Minister vows poorer areas will be transformed by fund The Sun MPs criticise decision not to reveal Nissan deal FT Truss warns ministers against pandering to big business The Sun Comment: May should use the deal to give Britain a new start Henry Newman, The Sun >Today: Interviews: Sharma Every foreign investor I met thought leaving the EU would present significantly more opportunities for bilateral trade. >Yesterday: Video: WATCH: May claims Corbyn would cause a run on the pound and capital flight as he attacks her economic record Brexit 5) Labour push for Commons vote on second referendum L McDonnell sets out plan for new vote The Times Corbyns Brexit vision emphatically rejected by MPs News Letter abour will push for a vote on calling a second referendum as soon as Theresa May brings her Brexit deal back to the Commons. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said Labour would take the first opportunity to test whether MPs will back a public vote. But he stressed that Jeremy Corbyns party would also continue to press for its own Brexit vision and was still calling for a general election. Labours Brexit blueprint was defeated by 240 votes to 323 in the Commons on Wednesday night and Mr Corbyn confirmed Labour would now back a referendum if faced with a damaging Tory Brexit or a no-deal departure from the European Union. But he insisted that Labour would also continue to support other available options to prevent either the Prime Ministers deal or the UK crashing out without an agreement. Daily Telegraph More: Could the Independent Group block Brexit with Lib Dem alliance? Daily Express Jailed MP skips string of Brexit votes The Sun Comment: Tories have an historic chance to destroy Labour Allister Heath, Daily Telegraph Robert Halfon MP: Why, despite its imperfections, Im voting for the deal People are now facing genuine anxiety about how Brexit will affect them, their families and their country. Small and medium-sized businesses from my constituency have been getting in touch as well. All of them have expressed concern about the impact that uncertainty and the possibility of a no-deal Brexit is having on the future of their investment, workforce and trade. Bigger businesses may be able to weather the storm but smaller ones do not have the same margins and buffers. For these reasons, I have come to the conclusion that, whatever the imperfections of the Prime Ministers deal, I have to vote for it. I did vote against it the first time because of reservations about Britain drowning in EU bureaucracy without a vote, a voice or a veto. I was also wary about Northern Ireland being in a different regulatory regime, which, to me, seemed to weaken our Union. Daily Telegraph The EU has shown it can smooth the path to ratification Henry Newman, Times Red Box The fate of the deal is in Coxs hands Asa Bennett, Daily Telegraph Britain still has a chance to think again Philip Stephens, FT Time is on the side of Remainers Martin Kettle, The Guardian Javid says son of jihadi bride could return to Britain The Home Secretary is finally talking tough Henry Deedes, Daily Mail Why its OK for young Muslims to be radical Ali Nobil Ahmad, The Guardian May announces new fund to support bereaved parents The son of Jihadi bride Shamima Begum could be returned to Britain, Sajid Javid has indicated as he defended his decision to strip his mother of her citizenship. The Home Secretary told MPs the boy, Jerah, would be entitled to British consular help to come to the UK if he could be taken out of Northern Syria with the consent of his mother, who fled the UK four years ago to join the terror group ISIL. Mr Javid admitted it was evident the boy was a British citizen because he was born before his 19-year-old mothers citizenship was revoked but could not be helped if he remained with her in Northern Syria where there is no British consular presence. If it is possible for a British child to be brought to a place where there is British consular presence the closest place might be Turkey then in those circumstances its potentially possible to arrange some sort of help with the consent of the parent, he said. Daily Telegraph Grieving parents who cannot afford burial fees will no longer have to give their kids a paupers funeral, the PM yesterday announced. After almost a years delay, Theresa May said a Government fund to waive the costs of burying or cremating a child will finally come into force in the summer. She had come under mounting pressure to set a date for the scheme to come into force after originally announcing it last April. It came after a campaign by Labour MP Carolyn Harris, who had to take out a bank loan to pay for the funeral of her eight year-old son, who died in a car accident. The PM told the Commons it is not right that grieving parents has to worry about how they would find the cash to give their child a proper send-off. The Sun Prime Minister vows to protect aid budget The Sun Burns under scrutiny over Thatcher Centre fundraising Money spent before a brick is laid The Times An appeal raising funds to create a visitor centre dedicated to Baroness Thatcher has instead spent much of its fortune encouraging young people to support right-wing beliefs. The Tory MP Conor Burns is under scrutiny by the Charity Commission over his involvement in the British wing of a transatlantic campaign that was supposed to build a museum and library devoted to the former prime minister. An investigation byhas found that most donations to the Margaret Thatcher Centres US fundraising vehicle came from the billionaire Robert Mercer, President Trumps top donor. He set up Cambridge Analytica, the consulting company that controversially became involved in data mining, and bankrolled Steve Bannon, the alt-right activist The Margaret Thatcher Centre, due to open this year to mark the 40th anniversary of her becoming prime minister and 60 years since she was elected to parliament, has made little progress. The Times Editorial: No way to recall public service to the nation The Times Justice ministers announce change to compensation laws Up to 4,000 crime victims who have been denied compensation for decades because they lived under the same roof as their attacker will be able to claim the awards after the Government scrapped a 55-year old ban. Justice ministers will today (Thursday) announce they are abolishing the 55-year-old same roof rule, which has prevented victims of violent crimes that took place before 1979 from receiving compensation if the perpetrator was someone they lived with at the time of the incident. The bar was introduced in 1964 to ensure offenders did not benefit from financial awards made to victims they shared a home with. The arrangements were changed in October 1979, so victims could claim compensation if they no longer lived with their attacker and were unlikely to do so again. The change will be retrospective which means an estimated 4,000 victims could benefit, with a maximum claim of up to 500,000, according to the Ministry of Justice. Daily Telegraph Williamson suspended in antisemitism row his complaints. Mr Williamson responded to the controversy by saying that he regretted his choice of words. The Times Scottish Jewish leader blasts Labour as racist party The Scotsman Party should have acted sooner, says MP Daily Express Income falls as private donors desert Labour Daily Telegraph Party splits exposed by suspension The Guardian Jeremy Corbyn bowed to pressure from his deputy, Labour MPs and a union leader to suspend one of his most prominent supporters in an antisemitism row last night. Chris Williamson, 62, the Labour MP for Derby North, had the whip withdrawn and his membership suspended for saying that the party had been too apologetic over antisemitism. Mr Corbyns team spent 24 hours fending off calls from Tom Watson, the partys deputy leader, and other MPs to eject Mr Williamson. He had told a meeting of the activist group Momentum in Sheffield: We have backed off too much, we have given too much ground, we have been too apologetic. A video obtained byon Monday night showed activists responding with loud applause to Comment: An MP made for the worst aspects of the digital age Oliver Kamm, The Times If you think theres an antisemitism problem now, just wait Tom Harris, Daily Telegraph Editorial: Watson is transformed into a voice of reason Daily Telegraph If Williamsons behaviour is a sacking offence, what about Corbyns? The Sun India demands release of pilot as war with Pakistan looms India has demanded the release of a fighter pilot shot down by Pakistan warplanes in a major escalation between the two nuclear powers over Kashmir. Video showing the pilot blindfolded and with blood on his face was shared by Pakistans information ministry. India described the images as a vulgar display of an injured personnel. Social media users in India have hailed the pilot as a hero. Others are urging both countries to show restraint, with the hashtag #SayNoToWar. The recent aerial attacks across the Line of Control (LoC) dividing Indian and Pakistani territory in Kashmir are the first since a war in 1971. The incident, in which Pakistan said it had shot down two military jets, has escalated tensions between the two nations, both of whom claim all of Kashmir, but control only parts of it. BBC >Today: ToryDiary: Nuclear powers, spiralling tension and Kashmirs fallout in urban Britain News in Brief: Garvan Walshe is a former National and International Security Policy Adviser to the Conservative Party. He runs TRD Policy. As Israelis go to the polls, police investigations are closing in on Balfour Street, and its most famous inhabitant, Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel has a system of pure proportional representation in which potential Prime Ministers have two hurdles to clear. First, be the first to be asked to form a coalition (its usually enough to be the single biggest party), and then to assemble the 61 votes needed for a majority in the Knesset. Netanyahu has dominated this process for a decade. A skilled communicator, perhaps the last of the Clinton-Blair golden generation, he first corrals enough of the right-wing vote into his Likud party, and then deploys charm and extreme pragmatism to bring once and future enemies into his administration. To assemble his core vote, he deploys hawkish security rhetoric to paint opponents as weak, naive left-wing peaceniks. He then seasons this charge with a generous portion of what in British terms would be anti-Islington populism. Its a tried and tested formula. But anti-elite rhetoric wears thin when youve been Prime Minister for ten years, and the press has long been filled with stories about your expensive private lifestyle, your wifes princess-like behaviour and gifts of extremely pricey cigars from businessmen of dubious reputation. And tough language on security doesnt work at all when your opponent is a slate led by not one, not even two, but three(!) former chiefs of staff of the Israel Defence Forces. Benny Gantz, the slates leader, rammed the message home with all the subtlety of a tank rolling over a car unlucky to find itself in a Hezbollah-controlled area of Lebanon. His first campaign videos, over the top even by Israeli standards, attacked Netanyahu from the right, boasting of how under his (Gantzs) operation in Gaza 1,364 terrorists had been killed and parts of the strip had been bombed back to the Stone Age. Gantz calculated that his potential left-wing supporters are so blinded by their hatred of Netanyahu theyd ignore what Oudeh Basharat, a Haaretz columnist, described as an application to be put on trial at The Hague. Ganz then concluded alliances with Moshe Yaalon and Gabi Ashkenazi, the two other chiefs of staff, and Yair Lapid, who leads a centrist party. There are even family connections. Gantzs and Lapids grandmothers lived in the same apartment block in the Budapest Ghetto during the war. (How long before Netanyahu suggests George Soros is behind the whole thing?) The product of this work, called Blue and White after the colours of the Israeli flag, now leads Netanyahus Likud in the polls by five seats. If the polls hold up, Gantz would have the first go at forming a coalition. More important, the party appears to be able to reach into the right wing bloc that Netanyahu had made it his business to consolidate. This matters because, until this alliance was formed, Israeli politics could be divided into three blocs: the right, led by Netanyahus Likud. The left, traditionally led by Labor, but more recently reconfigured in various ways, and including the Arab parties (just under a fifth of Israels population is Arab); and the two religious parties, representing ultra-orthodox voters. Since the Oslo peace process of the 1990s, Left and Right have been divided on how to deal with the Palestinians. The religious parties, part of the current coalition, mainly focus their attention on public support for their economically marginal communities, where men are supposed to devote their time to studying the Torah and women are disbarred by traditional mores from working outside the home. They have supported governments of either side, though the Left, which in Israel draws much of its support from the upper middle class, would prefer to see transfers to people they consider welfare scroungers cut, something the Right finds it easier to tolerate. The latest polling average collated by Knesset Jeremy gives Netanyahu and his ideological allies 47 seats and 48 for Ganz and his Jewish ideological allies. Neither is enough for a majority. The religious and Arab parties are thus crucial. (The Jewish religious parties are polling at 13 seats, the Arab parties at 12.) The Arab parties will not, ever, support a Netanyahu government; but it is crucial for Ganz that he can appear to have a path to a majority without them. In theory, a coalition between Ganz, his Jewish allies and the Jewish religious parties would give him the slimmest of majorities of 61. In practice, it could count on the further support of the Arab parties and be impregnable. Netanyahu, in contrast, would have to obtain the support of both Jewish religious parties to assemble a bare majority. Such is his desperation that he even pressured another right-wing party to merge its slate with that of a party so extreme that the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth alleged that is is financed by a body listed as a terrorist organisation in the United States. While having people officially listed as terrorists linked to a governing coalition does not entirely prevent other countries cooperating with it (it is possible to deal with Lebanon while also proscribing Hezbollah in its entirety, as Sajid Javid was right to do this week), it does complicate matters somewhat. Netanyahu thus finds himself weakened even before the decision to indict him over three corruption cases has been made. A decision on this matter is expected in the coming weeks, and the traditional practice in Israel is that prime ministers accused of corruption have to resign when indicted. Up against a triumvirate of generals, behind in the polls, forced to make an alliance with alleged terrorist money-laundering vehicles instead of fighting them, and pursued by the police, does Netanyahu have one last escape left in him? Israelis will decide on April 9th. New report says Scottish independence will be tougher than Brexit Last week, we reported that the SNP were divided over a call by Andrew Wilson, the man charged with producing their so-called Growth Commission report, for the party to pursue a sofy indy strategy Now a new report has suggested that any divorce negotiations following a Scottish vote for independence could be much more difficult than Brexit, according to the Scotsman. Dr Kirsty Hughes, of the Scottish Centre on European Relations, says that whilst some parts of any separation negotiations would be similar to Brexit, others most obviously the division of assets and liabilities would be different and considerably more complicated due to the added difficulty of unpicking a centuries-old, sovereign state. However, she did say that the shambolic Brexit negotiations could provide both sides of any future independence negotiation a clear example of what to avoid. In other news, David Mundell this week alleged that the Scottish Nationalists were trying to engineer a no-deal Brexit in order to further their campaign to break up the United Kingdom. He accused the SNP of effectively backing no deal by voting against the Prime Ministers Withdrawal Agreement and also apparently hinted that he might support efforts by Europhile MPs to usurp the Governments control of the negotiations. Meanwhile the Nationalists, fresh from bouncing the Scottish Tories into endorsing deeply damaging u-turns on post-Brexit devolved powers, are now trying to push Mundell into abandoning the Conservatives plan for UK Government funds intended to replace EU investment to be distributed directly by Westminster. The Nationalists want as much patronage as possible controlled by Holyrood, and are likely to be especially wary of anything which undermines their efforts to bring Scottish local government under central control. The Scottish Government has been pushing to curb councils autonomy by holding down council tax and making up the shortfall with central funding which they control. Poll shows significant decline in Labour support in Wales Labour are on course to lose five Welsh seats at the next general election, according to a new poll commissioned by ITV, after a slump which would see them lose as many Assembly Members too. Roger Awan-Scully, the Welsh psephological expert, explains that despite the Conservatives also seeing their lowest Westminster voting intention since January 2017, the sheer scale of Labours fall would see them pick up four seats: Cardiff North, Gower, Vale of Clwyd, and Wrexham. Plaid Cymru would also win Ynys Mon on the back of a relatively strong showing. If translated into a devolved election, meanwhile, the Tories would pick up the same four seats whilst Plaid would take Blaenau Gwent, Cardiff West and Llanelli. This would leave Labour with just 20 constituency seats, its worst showing since the advent of devolution. Compared to Decembers poll for Sky, ITV find a lower level of support for Abolish the Assembly, instead suggesting that both UKIP and the Liberal Democrats might have recovered slightly the latter are projected to retain two seats, whereas in December it looked as if even their one projected hold was likely a statistical fluke. However, ATA have announced that they will contest the upcoming Newport West by-election, which has been precipitated by the death of Labours Paul Flynn. Richard Suchorzewski announced his candidacy after a Facebook poll of the partys supporters strongly backed the idea of suspending ATAs usual policy of not contesting Westminster seats. The presence of a hard-line unionist candidate might unsettle the Conservatives, who have run a fairly close second in the constituency during the last few elections and might have been hoping to capitalise on Labours poor polling and the unwinding of Flynns personal vote. Others are worried about the impact that ATA candidates might have in close-run Assembly races in the next devolved elections in 2021. Democratic Unionists resist reintroduction of 50/50 police recruitment The DUP have spoken out strongly against calls from Sinn Fein and the SDLP to reintroduce the controversial 50/50 recruitment requirement for the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the News Letter reports. Introduced for a ten-year period, this mandated the PSNI to ensure that it took in as many recruits from the Catholic community as the Protestant one. Both nationalist parties are calling for its reintroduction to address a lack of confidence in the police on the part of their voters, but the DUP have branded the policy institutionalised sectarianism. In other news Jim Allister, leader of the hard-line Traditional Unionist Voice party, has stepped up pressure on the DUP over the backstop. This was ahead of reports in this mornings papers that the party might be softening their stance on the Withdrawal Agreement, provided that Geoffrey Cox can bring a sufficiently tough codicil or other mechanism. Leonard under pressure on Brexit and antisemitism Both the major issues dividing Labour have cast a shadow over their Scottish leader this week. First, Richard Leonard has come under mounting pressure from the SNP to set out his position on a second referendum, specifically over whether Remain should be on the ballot paper. Then the leader of Scotlands Jewish community branded Labour institutionally racist, and revealed that Leonard had not been in touch with him despite several high-profile incidents of antisemitism within the party. Ephraim Borowski said the partys failure to tackle the issue fit the definition of institutional racism set out in the Macpherson Report. The flow of submissions to ConservativeHome critical of the Governments Brexit policy is greater than that of those supportive. This was perhaps especially so in the aftermath of the Chequers plan which this site did not support. So by way of balance we asked Downing Street for an article by a Government Minister backing the proposals. There was a pause. And then, towards the end of the month, a piece turned up by George Eustice. Some articles by Government Ministers turn out to be boilerplate. This was different. The then Agriculture Minister had obviously written the piece himself rather than simply approved it. It set out his background as a former UKIP candidate, his later support for fundamental negotiation as a Conservative, his parting of the ways with David Cameron, for whom he was once press spokesman, over the EU referendum vote. At the heart of his argument for Chequers was the following: Parliament has already passed into law the EU Withdrawal Act which will repeal the 1972 European Communities Act and end the supremacy of EU law in March next year. In the final analysis, we do not need permission from the EU to leave. The referendum result was a decision to leave, not a negotiation to leave. All that we are really negotiating at the moment are the terms of a future partnership, so the baseline for these negotiations is completely different. Now you may or may not agree with his view but, in the light of his resignation today, Eustices words take on a new significance. His take hasnt changed. In his letter to Theresa May, he explains that the reason for his quitting is not her proposed deal, but a possible extension and the Governments connivance in it. I fear that developments this week will lead to a sequence of events culminating in the EU dictating the terms of any extension requested and the final humiliation of our country, he writes. Eustice thus joins David Davis, Boris Johnson, Esther McVey, Dominic Raab, Guto Bebb, Suella Braverman, Sam Gyimah, Jo Johnson, Shailesh Vara, Conor Burns, Robert Courts, Chris Green, Ranil Jaywardena, Scott Mann, Will Quince and Ann-Marie Trevelyan in having resigned from the Government. He thus becomes on our count the 17th person to do so, and is very much at the senior end, being a fully-fledged Minister of State. All bar three of those who have quit tilt towards a harder rather than a softer Brexit: indeed, the exceptions, Bebb, Gyimah and Johnson all favour a second referendum. Given the propensity of some pro-Remain and Soft Brexit Ministers to act otherwise, and publicly defy the policy of the Government to which they are formally committed, Eustices resignation is likely to tilt it in a pro-Soft Brexit and Remain direction. He may not be the last pro-Brexit Minister to walk over the next few days. For what its worth, he was also due to feature in one of this sites planned but unpublished articles, provisionally titled The Cabinet of people who know what theyre talking about. This is a way saying that he knows his Agriculture brief backwards and, were he not a white middle-aged married man, it is not at all impossible to have imagined him stepping up into the Environment Secretary job when Andrea Leadsom was reshuffled out of it. There is sometimes more or less to a resignation than meets the eye but, when one looks back to Eustices article of last August, one can see a deep consistency in his decision to go. His view hasnt changed. The Governments approach has. So he has decided to quit even though, as irony would have it, it is possible to imagine a revised Brexit deal clearing the Commons before mid-March. In which case there will be no extension and he will need not have gone. Of the 16 previous resignations we cant think of one more honourable. For obvious reasons, discussion of the Prime Ministers statement earlier this week focused on her decision to give Parliament votes on No Deal and potentially delaying Brexit. But there were other elements of her speech that merit attention particularly the part about ensuring that leaving the EU will not lead to any lowering of standards in relation to workers rights, environmental protections or health and safety. This is a sticky area, with political pressure in three directions. The Government is sensitive to charges by the Opposition that it intends to erode just such legislative standards Labour mutter darkly about a Tory Brexit meaning exactly that. Vote Leave countered that very allegation during the referendum itself. This article in The Times, by Gisela Stuart and Andrea Leadsom, is a good example of the campaigns clear answer: Again and again Britain has gone further and faster than the rest of the EU in pushing for workplace rights, racial and gender equality and crackdowns on hate speech. All of the EU legislation we have accepted since Tony Blair took us into the social chapter has been incorporated into UK law and will remain in place if we vote to leave. Any decision to simplify or change any of those laws would need voters consent. Our public holidays will also be protected and maternity and paternity leave will stay. At the same time, the EU is concerned revealingly that a newly-regained right to control our own laws might see the UK become more competitive than the bloc, either by abandoning existing rules or, more gradually, by refusing to adopt new ones. Brussels therefore seeks a way to somehow forbid regulatory variation in perpetuity a hope which Eurosceptics suspect underlies the open-ended nature of the backstop. And of course among Leavers, including many on the Governments own backbenches, there is strong opposition to the idea of taking back control only to promise never to actually use it. The prospect of copying and pasting EU law into British law for all eternity is obviously unappealing indeed it is a form of relationship with the EU that even the Remain campaign attacked back in 2016. Those seeking a more competitive UK through Brexit warn against promising to give up control of some of the levers by which it might be achieved. By virtue of her nature as well as the Parliamentary arithmetic, the Prime Minister has sought to navigate a path between those three competing pressures. The 2017 manifesto, Nick Timothy-driven as it was, promised further legal protection over and above keeping existing EU-derived rights: We will not only guarantee but enhance workers rights and protections Workers rights conferred on British citizens from our membership of the EU will remain. The first element of that pledge was embodied by the Great Repeal Bill which became the European Union (Withdrawal) Act. The legislation copied and pasted EU law into the UK statute book a step near-universally accepted as necessary for basic legal continuity when Brexit occurs, thereby ensuring an independent UK would begin with the same workers rights and protections as it had during its EU membership. That ought to have assuaged some of the more extreme conspiracy theories about a mass deletion of legal rights on Brexit Day itself. But the issue which Theresa May now seeks to address is the question of that ongoing guarantee. How can she ensure she is believed about preserving existing rights particularly by Labour MPs whose votes she might yet need to pass a deal while not alienating a mass of Leavers and free marketeers on her own benches by surrendering to the Brussels demands for permanent obedience to EU law (an ongoing common rulebook, to raise the ghosts of Chequers)? Tuesday saw her attempt: Taking back control cannot mean giving up our control of these standards, especially when UK governments of all parties have proudly pursued policies that exceed the minimums set by the EU from Labour giving British workers more annual leave to the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats giving all employees the right to request flexible working. Not only would giving up control go against the spirit of the referendum result, it would also mean accepting new EU laws automatically, even if they were to reduce workers rights or change them in a way that was not right for us. Instead, and in the interests of building support across the House, we are prepared to commit to giving Parliament a vote on whether it wishes to follow suit whenever the EU standards in areas such as workers rights and health and safety are judged to have been strengthened. The Government will consult with businesses and trade Unions as it looks at new EU legislation and decides how the UK should respond. We will legislate to give our commitments on both non-regression and future developments force in UK law. And following further cross-party talks, we will shortly be bringing forward detailed proposals to ensure that as we leave the EU, we not only protect workers rights, but continue to enhance them. In short, the Prime Minister is walking a tightrope made of red tape. \ She is right to reject giving up our control of these standards by accepting new EU laws automatically. That she framed the prospect as a risk that the EU might reduce workers rights shows that she knows her target audience is red, not blue. So there would be no fax democracy, or permanent obedience to new EU law. However, in a classically Mayish way, she went on to tout a new way to square the circle giving Parliament a vote on whether it wishes to follow suit whenever the EU standards in areas such as workers rights and health and safety are judged to have been strengthened. That could be a much bigger change to how our country works than it at first appears. For a start, have ministers considered how often the EU legislates, and therefore potentially how often such votes might need to take place? It seems the decision on what counts as a strengthening of EU law would fall to a joint committee of unions and business groups. At least one such body currently exists in BEIS to advise on red tape, but this would be a major increase in the importance of what is currently a backroom talking shop. It could also in effect give the EU a pseudo-executive role in British legislation. The power to introduce EU law would simultaneously become a power to propose that law in the UK Parliament, at least for a vote on the principle. That might be time-consuming, or dull, but equally it isnt impossible to imagine it might be used to help or hinder one side of British politics or another if the powers that be in Brussels and Strasbourg so desired. A Governments agenda could be repeatedly disrupted, by accident or design, by the need for debates and votes on endless or awkwardly-timed proposals that dont even originate in the Commons, still less from the executive. The idea of guaranteeing all existing EU workplace regulations in perpetuity by legislation, no less is controversial in itself. It sacrifices flexibility in the economy, and therefore limits opportunities to grow, to respond to crises or adapt to new circumstances. Introducing what is in effect a whole new constitutional innovation with little thought is even more short-sighted than that. The Prime Minister might need to sway some votes in the next few weeks, but afterwards we will all have to live with the rules she proposes, and their consequences. The Fixed-term Parliaments Act, an under-scrutinised but major change to our constitution, waved through for temporary political expedience, ought to serve as a cautionary tale. Georgian Prime Minister's Special Envoy for the relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze said the implementation of the 2011 Georgian-Russian agreement regarding the customs monitoring of cargo shipments across the common border was the main topic of his talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin in Prague. "The primary goal and task consists in doing everything in line with the 2011 agreement and so there would be no any violations and abuses from this point of view," Interfax cited the Georgian prime minister's special envoy as saying. Russia holds almost the same stance, he said. "So, the work should be continued, and, as I know, experts will hold another meeting soon," he noted. The diplomat admitted that he had no illusions that any great breakthroughs, any tangible progress or advancement will take place at meetings. "This was one of regular meetings in the Prague format, at which we were trying to meet the interests and settle the problems of our companies, individuals or the business community," the Georgian prime minister's special envoy said. The community cohesion post at HCLG is viewed as the most junior in the department. Which is why it was originally siphoned off to Andrew Stunell, the only Liberal Democrat placed in it when the Coalition was formed, while the Conservatives bagged housing, planning and local government finance. The present holder of the post isnt even in the Commons: he is Nick Bourne, the former leader of the Welsh Party, now Lord Bourne and re-badged as Minister for Faith. Given this set-up, it would be well worth James Brokenshire keeping half an eye on the military escalation between India and Pakistan. The two countries have fought three wars since they were founded over a territory about which both make claims: the former princely state of Kashmir. In a nutshell, India occupies a part of it, the valley, against the wishes of its inhabitants, and has a long record of committing human rights abuses there; Pakistan, meanwhile, equips, trains and manipulates jihadi terrorists, who cross the line of control to commit atrocities in Indian-occupied Kashmir and in India itself. The present flare-up was sparked by an attack on Indian police in the valley which left 40 of them dead. The Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist group was responsible for the assault. A line of control separates the Indian and Pakistani-occupied parts of Kashmir. The terrorists will almost certainly have crossed it to carry out the attack. They would not be able to operate in Pakistani-controlled territory without the protection of the Pakistan Government. Consequently, India launched retaliatory air strikes. Unsurprisingly, there are conflicting accounts of who they hit and to what effect, but what is certain is that at least one Indian plane was shot down and at least one pilot captured. He has duly been paraded on Pakistani television. That Narendra Modi, Indias Prime Minister, faces an election shortly is inflaming the situation: he must prove to the countrys voters that he wont go soft on terror. Imran Khan, his Pakistani counterpart (yes: that Imran Khan), has sought to pour oil on these troubled waters. There will be more to his motives than meets the eye, but his words are worth pondering none the less. With the weapons you have and the weapons we have, can we afford a miscalculation? Shouldnt we think about what will happen if the situation escalates? he said, calling for talks. As we write, Modi, doubtless with that election in view and outraged Indian voters in mind, isnt willing to take up the offer. Most likely, the confrontation will simmer down, and the near-70 year old Kashmir dispute duly vanish from the headlines, before duly simmering up again. But there is always a chance that it will not. There will now be over 1.5 million people of Indian origin in Britain and at least that many people of Pakistani origin. Roughly 60 per of these are, strictly speaking, not Pakistanis at all: they originate from the Mirpur area of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. The two populations dont exactly live side by side, but they do share parts of some cities, such as Birmingham and Leicester. Local councils will be in the lead when it comes to defusing potential tensions, but national government also has a role just as it does in relation to the Israel-Palestine dispute, which is more visible, at least to Britains white majority. The Attlee Government may not have handled Britains departure from the old imperial India well, but given the countrys communalism there would doubtless have been mass bloodshed in any event. In a different world, there would be some Northern Ireland-type solution to the Kashmir problem. But neither India nor Pakistan are remotely, to borrow a phrase that Brokenshire sometimes uses in other contexts, in that space. For the moment, he can only watch, get briefed and plan, but they also serve who only stand and wait. Saudi Telecom Company (STC) signed a deal to deploy a 5G network with Nokia's end-to-end 5G solutions. Financial terms were not disclosed. Nokia's equipment, software and services will be used to set up a 5G network first in the western and southern part of Saudi Arabia, including the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. The rollout phase is already ongoing and is expected to be completed by end of 2020. Nokia's full 5G portfolio will provide STC subscribers with ultra-high bandwidth and low latency services, as well as new applications in areas such as virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence. The deal involves multiple firsts in STC's network, including the introduction of cloud RAN and AirScale, as well as the deployment of the Wavence platform in the microwave and the AirScale indoor radio.Nasser Al-Nasser, STC Group CEO, said: "We are excited to work with Nokia on the Aspiration project which will help us realize our dream to be the first one to launch 5G services in the region. Once completed our subscribers will be able to enjoy innovative high bandwidth consuming use cases. The project underscores our support and commitment to the National Transformation Plan 2020 and the Government's Vision 2030 to drive Saudi Arabia's digital transformation into a knowledge economy. The leadership of our longstanding partner, Nokia, in the development of 5G is crucial for our launch of 5G services." https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/pafs-f-16-had-fired-beyond-visual-range-missile/articleshow/68203805.cms PAF's F-16 had fired 'beyond visual range missile' A PAF F-16 was shot down by IAF combat air patrol, but Pakistan is yet to acknowledge the loss even though visuals of wreckage of the aircraft appeared on Thursday. India has conclusive evidence that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16s were involved in the aerial engagement on the LoC on Wednesday as parts of AIM-120 AM-RAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) were found on the Indian side. The projectile is a beyond visual range missile carried by F-16s. A PAF F-16 was shot down by IAF combat air patrol, but Pakistan is yet to acknowledge the loss even though visuals of wreckage of the aircraft appeared on Thursday. A large number of PAF fighters had approached the LoC and were challenged by IAF. The F-16, PAF's most advanced jet, was challenged and shot down by IAF's vintage Mig-21 Bison. Wing commander Abhinandan Varthaman had engaged the aircraft and fired the R-73 missile in the dog fight. https://www.thestatesman.com/india/india-presents-evidence-of-pak-f-16-attack-says-expected-abhinandan-release-under-geneva-convention-1502735625.html India presents evidence of Pak F-16 attack, says expected Abhinandan release under Geneva Convention India has conclusive evidence that Pakistan Air Force's (PAF) F-16s were involved in the aerial engagement on the Line of Control (LoC) on Wednesday as parts of AIM 120 AM-RAAM missile were found on the Indian side. (Photo: IANS) India on Thursday presented evidence which proved that Pakistani Air Force (PAF) F-16 fighter jets violated Indian airspace and attempted to target Indian military installations on 27 February. At a joint press conference held at the lawns of the Defence Ministry by the Army, Navy and Air Force in New Delhi, pieces of an F-16 AMRAAM air-to-air missile was displayed before the media as the evidence that nailed Pakistans lie that they did not use an F-16 to target India. Pakistan claimed they did not use F16. There are enough evidences through electronic signature that F-16 was used. Parts of AMRAAM air-to-air missile, which is carried only by PAF F-16, was recovered east of Rajouri within the Indian territory, said Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor. The senior IAF officer also said that Pakistans decision to release IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan is under Geneva Conventions. As far as IAF is concerned, we are happy that our pilot is being released. We are extremely happy to have him back. Once he is handed over to us we then make any further comment, he said, pointing that the forces see it as a gesture in consonance with Geneva conventions and not as a goodwill gesture as Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said. Read More: Pakistan to release IAF pilot Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman tomorrow On 27 February at 1000 hours, IAF radars detected a large package of PAF aircraft heading towards the Indian territory. They breached the Indian airspace west of Rajouri in the Sundarbani area, he said narrating the details of the Pakistani violation of the Indian airspace. IAF fighters were tasked to intercept the intruding Pakistani aircraft and foiled their attack. Although PAF jets dropped bombs, they were unable to cause any damage to our military installations, he said. The AVM said that in the aerial combat one PAF F-16 was shot down by an IAF MiG-21 Bison aircraft and it fell across the LoC in PoK. He accused Pakistan of spreading misinformation that it had shot down two IAF aircraft and three pilots were down. Fact is that Indian Army units reported sighting two parachutes falling in PoK which were of two F-16 pilots shot down by the IAF MiG, he said, adding that Pakistan accepted that they had only one IAF pilot in captivity only in the evening. Pak claimed they intentionally dropped weapons in open space where no military or humans were present. Fact is that they targeted military installations. PAF bombs fell inside Indian Army compounds but could not damage anything, the senior IAF official pointed out. He said that the IAF deployed Sukhoi Su-30 MKI, Mirages and MiG-21 Bison to intercept the PAF fighters. The AVM said that PAF fighters comprised F16 and JF17s and perhaps Mirages. Major General Surendra Singh Mahal of Indian Army said that the PAF targeted a Brigade headquarter, a battalion headquarter, the defences and a logistical headquarter. However the punitive response by our own forces, Pakistani designs were foiled, he said adding that all ground-based defence systems are on high alert along the LoC and parts of IB and mechanised forces are on stand-by. When asked about the number of casualties in the 26 February IAF operation against a major terror camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Pakistans Balakot, AVM Kapoor said that it is premature to say number of casualties on the camp but added that whatever we intended to destroy we got that result. We have evidence to show that whatever we wanted to do and targets we wanted to destroy, we have done that. Decision to show the evidence is on senior leadership, the AVM added. Maj Gen Mahal said that as long as Pakistan continues to harbour terrorists, India will continue to target the terror camps. On a question on whether there will be escalation now, the senior officers said that the escalation has been done by Pakistan and the forces are ready for any escalation. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order on conscription of citizens of Azerbaijan into the active military service and transfer of the servicemen from active military service to reserve units on April 1-30, 2019. Under the order, the citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan born in 2001, who are 18 years of age on the day of conscription, as well as those born in 1984-2000 and are under the age of 35 and citizens of Azerbaijan Republic who have no rights of deferral of services in the republics armed forces and other military formations are to be conscripted into active military service on April 1-30, 2019. Consequently, the soldiers, seamen and sergeants who served a term of service envisaged by the Law of the Azerbaijan Republic On military service are to be discharged on April 1-30, 2019. 62% Website houseofpain.tk uses latest and advanced technologies like: JQuery. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 16869 bytes (16.47 kb uncompressed) and 3890 bytes (3.80 kb compressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-08-24, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. 60% Website radom-24.pl uses latest and advanced technologies like: JQuery. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 47770 bytes (46.65 kb uncompressed) and 9214 bytes (9.00 kb compressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-08-27, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. 63% Website tafalsouf.com uses latest and advanced technologies. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 71474 bytes (69.80 kb uncompressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-09-09, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. Climatizacion is one of the largest international professional exhibitions in HVACR industry. It is as famous as the MCE Italy and has a strong radiation throughout Europe. Especially the rapid development of Spain has attracted the attention of more and more Chinese companies. A total of 377 companies participated in the HVACR exhibition, with 295 local companies, 82 companies from 19 countries, and 16 Chinese companies, accounting for one-fifth. Exhibition site Chinese pavilion is concerned by buyers: CHINAFORE CO. LTD. CIXI CITY NORFAN INTERNATIONAL TRADING Company DONGYANG CHAUNYUAN PLASTIC CO. LTD. GUANGDONG EUROPE MANGO NEW ENERGY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. Hangzhou Xin-Nihong Refrigeration Equipments Co.,Ltd. JIANGSU FRIENDSHIP HEAT EXCHANGER TECHN JIANGSU YUANZHUO EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING NINGBO PANEL ELECTRIC APPLIANCE CO., LTD REFWORLD MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL INDUSTR SHENYANG JINCHEN WEIYE COOLING & HEATING SHENZHEN TELIN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY CO, LTD ZHEJIANG SELENO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. Zhejiang Lepu Machinery Electronics & Technology Co.,Ltd Coowor is widely welcomed by buyers in Climatizacion 2019 Although there are more than 300 refrigeration enterprises participating in the exhibition, many buyers still can not find the goods to be purchased at the exhibition site. When they learned that the coowor is a professional B2B platform in these industries with more than 3,000 suppliers and more than 600,000 items, they are very happy. Some customers searched for the goods to be purchased directly on coowor. It provides a very convenient way for buyers. Buyers are interested in "HVACR SUPPLIERS" magazine Climatizacion attracts the attention of many buyers and is the best channel for Chinese companies to explore the European market. a historic 7-1 decision, the US Supreme Court has in Jam v International Finance Corporation (IFC) that international organizations like the World Bank Group can be sued in US courts.The Courts decision marks a defining moment for the IFC the arm of the World Bank Group that lends to the private sector. For years, the IFC has operated as if it were above the law, at times pursuing reckless lending projects that inflicted serious human rights abuses on local communities, and then leaving the communities to fend for themselves. Statements We are extremely happy with the decision of the Supreme Court of US. This is a huge victory for the people of Mundra in particular and other places in general, where World Banks faulty investments are wrecking communities and the environment. This is a major step towards holding World Bank accountable for the negative impacts their investments are causing. Dr Bharat Patel, General Secretary, Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan, one of the plaintiffs in the case We are delighted with this judgment. This is a victory of all who have fought for a more accountable World Bank since the past many decades world over and has fought valiant struggles against Bank-funded projects on the ground, exposing the monumental human and environmental costs of their lending. This judgment will strengthen communities efforts to hold the Bank accountable and is a step in the direction of bringing accountability in financial institutions. Joe Athialy, Executive Director, Centre for Financial Accountability, New Delhi Immunity from all legal accountability does not further the development goals of international organizations. It simply leads them to be careless, which is what happened here. Just like every other institution, from governments to corporations, the possibility of accountability will encourage these organizations to protect people and the environment. Marco Simons, General Counsel, EarthRights International The commercial activities of international organizations such as the IFC can have a significant impact on the lives of Americans and others around the world. We welcome todays decision. Prof. Jeffrey Fisher, Co-Director, Stanford Law School Supreme Court Litigation Clinic Background International organizations like the IFC have long claimed they are entitled to absolute immunity, even as they engage in commercial activities, like the coal-fired power plant at the heart of this case. Because the relevant statute only gives the IFC the same immunity as foreign governments, and foreign governments do not have absolute immunity in US courts when they engage in commercial activities, the Supreme Court rejected this position: The International Finance Corporation is therefore not absolutely immune from suit.The case involves an IFC-financed power plant in Mundra, Gujarat. The plaintiffs are members of local fishing and farming communities whose livelihoods, air quality, and drinking water have been devastated by the project. They alleged that the IFC and the project developers knew about these risks in advance but nevertheless chose to recklessly push forward with the project without proper protections in place.The complainants originally tried to raise their concerns through the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), the IFCs internal grievance mechanism, but when the IFCs leadership ignored the grievance bodys conclusions, they reluctantly filed suit in the United States as a last resort. The EarthRights International represented the villagers, along with the Stanford Law School Supreme Court Litigation Clinic.The IFC is headquartered in Washington, DC, along with the rest of the World Bank Group, because the US government is by far the largest shareholder in these organizations. The US government has long supported the villagers interpretation of the law: that international organizations can be sued for their commercial activities or for causing injuries in the United States. The US Departments of Justice and State submitted an amicus curiae brief in support of the plaintiffs position, as did members of Congress from both parties.The IFC argued that allowing it to be sued would be disastrous, but the Supreme Court, in an opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts, found these concerns to be inflated. The Court noted that, unlike many international organizations, the IFCs founding members did not grant the organization absolute immunity in its charter.The case is Docket No 17-1011. Justice Brett Kavanaugh recused himself, because he was on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit when the case was heard there. Justice Stephen Breyer was the sole dissenter, arguing that a broad exposure to liability for international organizations runs counter to Congress original purpose in providing immunity.Now that the Supreme Court has established that the World Bank Group can be sued, the case will return to the lower courts for further litigation.Another case against the IFC is also expected to proceed in the U.S. District Court for the State of Delaware. The case, Juana Doe et al vs IFC, involves IFC projects that have been linked to murders, torture, and other violence by paramilitary groups and death squads in Honduras. EarthRights International represents the plaintiffs, whose identities are kept anonymous to protect them from retaliation.From the start, the IFC recognized that the Tata Mundra coal-fired power plant was a high-risk project that could have significant adverse impacts on local communities and their environment. Despite knowing the risks, the IFC provided a critical $450 million loan in 2008, enabling the projects construction and giving the IFC immense influence over project design and operation. Yet the IFC failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the harms it predicted and failed to ensure that the project abided by the environmental and social conditions of IFC involvement.As predicted, the plant has caused significant harm to the communities living in its shadow. Construction of the plant destroyed vital sources of water used for drinking and irrigation. Coal ash has contaminated crops and fish laid out to dry, air pollutants are at levels dangerous to human health, and there has already been a rise in respiratory problems.The enormous quantity of thermal pollution hot water released from the plant has destroyed the local marine environment and the fish populations that fisherfolk like Mr Budha Ismail Jam rely on to support their families. Although a 2015 law required all plants to install cooling towers to minimize thermal pollution by the end of 2017, the Tata plant has failed to do so.A nine-mile-long coal conveyor belt, which transports coal from the port to the Plant, runs next to local villages and near fishing grounds. Coal dust from the conveyor and fly ash from the plant frequently contaminate drying fish, reducing their value, damage agricultural production, and cover homes and property.Some air pollutants, including particulate matter, are already present at levels dangerous to human health, in violation of Indian air quality standards and the conditions of IFC funding, and respiratory problems, especially among children and the elderly, are on the rise.The IFCs own internal compliance mechanism, the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), issued a scathing report in 2013 confirming that the IFC had failed to ensure the Tata Mundra project complied with the environmental and social conditions of the IFCs loan at virtually every stage of the project and calling for the IFC to take remedial action.IFCs management responded to the CAO by rejecting most of its findings and ignoring others. In a follow-up report in early 2017, the CAO observed that the IFC remained out of compliance and had failed to take any meaningful steps to remedy the situation.The harms suffered by the plaintiffs are all the more regrettable because the project made no economic sense from the beginning. In 2017, in fact, Tata Power began trying to unload a majority of its shares in the project for one rupee (a few cents) because of the losses it has suffered and will suffer going forward. At the moment, the plant is operating at only one-fifth capacity in part because India has an oversupply of electricity. I've come across a phenomenon numerous times over the years, again recently, that reveals the purpose of and resistance to discharge as the ultimate solution/relief for bankruptcy. In a discussion of the Chinese Supreme People's Court's struggles with "the enforcement difficulty" (), the writers observe that, if a judgment debtor is found by the court enforcement division to have no available assets against which to collect a judgment, the enforcement action is terminated ... but "the court will automatically check every six months whether the involved judgment debtors have new property." On the one hand, the termination of fruitless enforcement actions sounds something like bankruptcy relief. Assuming the process actually works like this, and assuming the court enforcement division is not overly aggressive in pursuing "new property," this seems to me to take some of the pressure off of the Chinese system to adopt a proper bankruptcy discharge to alleviate the suffering of insolvent judgment debtors. On the other hand, without a discharge, the "checking for new property" part ensures that debtors' incentives to be productive will remain perpetually depressed, and official resources will be perpetually wasted in interminable pursuit of phantom new assets. These debtors' productivity and entrepreneurialism is forever lost to Chinese society in an era in which global competition continues to heat up. This temporary-respite-in-anticipation-of-new-wealth approach to insolvency is also the "plan B" approach in another country that lacks a bankruptcy discharge: Switzerland. Here again we see the half-solution of giving creditors a "Konkursverlustschein"--a certificate of debt remaining unpaid after bankruptcy proceedings--that becomes enforceable only if the debtor is shown to have obtained non-exempt "new wealth" in a (widely varying) amount deemed sufficient by various courts. A great article (in German) explains the many, many shortcomings of this system and advocates for the adoption of a Swiss discharge provision. But again, it occurs to me that the existence of this bankruptcy-lite of a temporary--and often quasi permanent--prohibition on further enforcement until creditors demonstrate the debtor's acquisition of "new wealth" neatly explains why Switzerland remains a no-discharge island in a sea of European countries, all but one of which have adopted discharge laws in the past few decades (and that last one, Bulgaria, is seriously considering this now, perhaps in light of the imminent adoption of an EC Directive on Second Chance forcing the issue). It also reflects a very long history of this plan-B approach to individual financial distress, long predating the discharge eventually introduced in English and American law. The Roman and medieval European cessio bonorum also is generally thought not to have offered debtors a discharge in exchange for relinquishing their property to creditors. Likewise, the classical Islamic law of bankruptcy (iflaas) recognized a respite for overextended debtors only "until ease," not a discharge (without creditor consent), as creditors were allowed to continue their pursuit of repayment once the debtor acquired assets beyond the bare essentials. The persistence and gradual extinction of the plan-B temporary respite reveals both the long history of compassionate attitudes toward overextended debtors and a backstop that seems to support modern reluctance to go the whole nine yards to a full discharge. It also allows us to contrast the types of societies who have and have not accepted the utility/necessity of a discharge, as the former recognize that every debtor's productivity is vital for local societies' global economic competitiveness. When the focus shifts from micro to macro, only then is plan B revealed to be an insufficient substitute for discharge. The 11th parliamentary elections in Iran will be held on February 21, 2020, spokesman for the Iranian Interior Ministry Salman Samani said. "The Iranian Interior Ministry has sent a letter to the Guardian Council suggesting a date for the elections and a specific date was chosen during the last meeting of the council," the spokesman said. He noted that, besides the parliamentary elections, there will also be elections held for Irans Assembly of Experts. Samani added that preparation for the elections has begun. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday met with U.S. President Donald Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Daily Sabah reports. The closed-door meeting, which lasted about two hours, included Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak. They discussed regional issues and the U.S. plan for peace in the Middle East. Albayrak and Kushner held a separate meeting afterward to discuss economic relations. "In a head-to-head meeting with Mr. Kushner, we discussed steps to increase economic cooperation between our countries," Albayrak wrote on Twitter following the meeting. Norwegian Cruise Line has again been recognized for its award-winning beverage program with two wins at the 2019 Vista Awards held yesterday in San Diego, Calif. during the VIBE Conference, the premiere beverage conference, the company announced. Norwegian was the only cruise line honored at the award ceremony, winning both Best Spirits Program and Best Overall Program across the portfolio of hotels, cruise lines and casinos considered for the recognition. These awards are a testament to our commitment to providing guests with interesting and innovative food and beverage options, said Norwegian Cruise Line President and CEO Andy Stuart. We have worked hard to amplify our programs to feature unique offerings including Cocktails on Tap, which features a spectacular cocktail menu carefully curated for us by Seattle-based celebrity mixologist and chef, Kathy Casey. Among Norwegians food and beverage offerings are the District Brewhouse, where guests can enjoy a variety of craft beers, and The Cellars, a partnership with the Michael Mondavi Family, which offers guests wine pairings and classes. The company hosts an exclusive Meet the Winemaker series which allows guests to engage with winemakers and industry experts through a variety of enriching seminars and activities. Additionally, Norwegian partnered with celebrity mixologist, Gabe Orta of Bar Lab, to create specialty cocktails on board and assist with the training of staff. This is the second time Norwegians beverage program has been recognized by the VIBE conference. In 2017, the company was awarded Best Beer Program and Best Wine Program. CKI Solutions has licensed an adjustable pillow that provides three densities with just a zip, or an unzip, of the ComforZip. CKIs President, Steven Gordon said: Instead of purchasing a variety of pillows, (hotels and cruise lines) can now purchase one pillow that covers three options, firm, medium or soft. Hotels will love the impact this has on their bottom line. The company said this is a revolutionary solution for the cruise and hotel industries, who both strive to meet and exceed each guests needs. They can now offer their guests a full pillow menu in one pillow. Available in standard, queen or king sizes. When making the bed, just zip or unzip either side of the pillow to give the guest different density options. The adjustable pillow is just another way to make the guests visit more personal. The ComforZip pillow has a cover made of 100% cotton and is filled with 32oz of a unique blend of fill. For quantity purchases, hotels and cruise can present their own pillow specs for desired fill, according to a press release. Domestic and import pricing is available. For domestic orders, the shells are imported from China and filled in the USA. This pillow will be ready to ship in Q2 this year, the company said. The new built-for-China Costa Venezia has been officially delivered by Fincantieri in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister of Italy, Matteo Salvini and of the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of Italy, Edoardo Rixi. At 135,500 tons and 323 meters in length, the Costa Venezia will be the biggest ship introduced by Costa to the Chinese market, where the Italian company was the first to start operating in 2006. As Michael Thamm, Group CEO Costa Group and Carnival Asia, explained: The Costa Venezia will help us to further develop the cruise market in China, which has a great unexplored potential. Suffice to say that, currently, 2.5 million Chinese people a year choose to go on a cruise vacation, which is less than 2 percent of the total number of Chinese people who travel abroad. Moreover, Costa Venezia further strengthens Costa's bond with Italy: it is a ship built in Italy, by an Italian shipyard, which flies the Italian flag and which will make Chinese guests experience unforgettable Italian experiences." Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, said: For us the Costa Venezia is the emblem of what we are able to do and where we intend to arrive, but she is also the product of the historical partnership with Carnival Corporation and Costa Crociere, which enhances the tradition of Italian manufacturing and know-how, projecting them towards other borders. "As a consolidated industry leader, our contribution to the cruise industry, considering the units we delivered and those we have on order, will count on 143 ships in the coming years, with 1 cruise passenger in three sailing on our jewels. As soon as the Costa Venezia will enter into service in China, putting on show what we are able to realize in a still unexplored market, I am sure that a new chapter will be opened in the successful history of Fincantieri." Arnold Donald, President & CEO of Carnival Corporation, said: The delivery of Costa Venezia is a further step in the growth of a strong and sustainable cruise industry in China, which someday, we believe will be the largest cruise market in the world. The growth of the Chinese cruise industry will continue to open the world to millions of Chinese travelers and bring ever increasing prosperity to its people." "As the first ship built specifically for the Chinese market, Costa Venezia marks the start of a new era, not only for Costa and Fincantieri but also for the Chinese cruise industry as a whole", says Mario Zanetti, President of Costa Group Asia. "From conception to delivery, everything about Costa Venezia has been designed having the Chinese customer in mind. Costa Venezia will continue to offer the authentic Italian experience that is a hallmark of Costa, but with further innovations that have never been seen before and which are designed to meet the needs of the local market even better," The Costa Venezia naming ceremony is planned for March 1 in Trieste, with a spectacular air show by Frecce Tricolori acrobatic team and a firework display involving the whole city. On March 8, the ship will be back in Trieste for the start of its inaugural cruise: a 53-day trip following the tracks of Marco Polo through the Mediterranean to the Middle East, South East Asia and the Far East before docking in Tokyo. The ship starts her China-based program from Shanghai on May 18. New digital threats that could topple business, government, military and political institutions is moving cybersecurity to the top of the congressional agenda. The newly seated 116th Congress has so far seen 30 bills introduced in the House of Representatives and seven bills introduced in the Senate that directly deal with cybersecurity issues. That does not include other pieces of legislation that have at least some provisions that deal with information and digital security. A key problem in grappling with such a complex issue as cybersecurity in Congress and in Washington in general is the diffused responsibility spawned by the wide-ranging, interconnected nature of the topic. Representative Jim Langevin (D-RI), a member of the Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees, and one of the founders of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, flagged this stumbling block at the 2019 State of the Net conference in January by calling for consolidation in Congress over cybersecurity. Noting that around 80 groups within the legislative branch claim some jurisdiction over cybersecurity matters, Langevin said, We as a Congress are going to have to move with greater agility to respond to the cybersecurity threats we face going forward, and we cant do it under the current construct. Langevin wants the House Homeland Security issue to take the lead on all matters related to cybersecurity. For the time being, the multiplicity of congressional committees and subcommittees with jurisdiction over cybersecurity combined with the complexity of the topic, which bleeds into other issues such as privacy and national security, makes it difficult to gain the momentum needed to actually pass meaningful cybersecurity legislation. To clarify the current legislative state-of-play, the following are the broad-brush arenas in which congressional action of some kind will likely occur over the next two years. Critical infrastructure legislation With looming threats to the nations water, electric, transportation and other critical infrastructure sectors, a number of bills have been introduced. They tackle protecting the essential services that many believe are outdated and ripe for exploitation by malevolent actors. Several pieces of legislation dealing with critical infrastructure that failed to pass in the last Congress have already been teed up again for possible enactment during this session. H.R.359 -- Enhancing Grid Security through Public-Private Partnerships Act: Representative Jerry McNerney (D-CA) introduced this bill, which directs the Department of Energy to facilitate and encourage public-private partnerships in order to address and mitigate the physical security and cybersecurity risks of electric utilities. H.R.360 Cyber Sense Act of 2019: Introduced by Representative Robert Latta (R-OH), this bill creates a voluntary Department of Energy Cyber Sense program to identify and promote secure products in the bulk power system and establishes a testing and reporting process for cybersecurity vulnerabilities. H.R.362 -- Energy Emergency Leadership Act: Introduced by Representative Bobby Rush (D-IL), this legislation requires the Secretary of the Department of Energy to assign energy emergency and energy security functions to an Assistant Secretary, including responsibilities with respect to infrastructure and cybersecurity. H.R.370 Pipeline and LNG Facility Cybersecurity Preparedness Act: Sponsored by Fred Upton (R-MI), this bill requires the Department of Energy to implement a program to ensure the security, resiliency, and survivability of natural gas pipelines, hazardous liquid pipelines, and liquefied natural gas facilities. In the Senate, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has introduced S.300 - a bill to require the Secretary of Energy to carry out a program relating to physical security and cybersecurity for pipelines and liquefied natural gas facilities. H.R.680 -- Securing Energy Infrastructure Act: Representative Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) introduced this bill, which allocates $10 million for a two-year program within the Department of Energy National Laboratories to identify cyber vulnerabilities in energy sector non-digital systems and to test technologies that could defend the grid against cyberattacks. On the Senate side, Senator Angus King, Jr., (I-ME) introduced the 2019 companion edition of this bill in that chamber. Workforce cybersecurity legislation Given that (ISC)2, the nonprofit association of certified cybersecurity professionals, estimates that there is now a shortage of almost three million cybersecurity professionals globally, its no surprise that the lack of cybersecurity expertise, particularly in the federal government, is a top topic for lawmakers. S.3437 -- The Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Act: This bill was recently reintroduced by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and John Hoeven (R-ND). It would complement the 2015 Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Act by establishing a program where cybersecurity specialists within the federal government would be able to lend their expertise to whichever agency has a need. The bill would empower the Office of Personnel Management to develop an operational plan for the program and put together a list of open rotational cyber workforce positions where agencies have identified a need. H.R.334 -- The New Collar Jobs Act of 2019: Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA) revived his bill from the last Congress to establish an employee cybersecurity education tax credit, up to $5,000 a year per employee, for an employer who incurs costs for an employee who earns a certificate or degree at the undergraduate or graduate level or an industry-recognized certification listed in the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education's Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. The bill also increases the bid score for companies bidding on federal government contracts if they use the tax credit. It cancels up to $25,000 in student loans for workers who paid off 36 consecutive months of those loans and hold a cybersecurity job in an economically distressed area during at least 12 months of payments. Supply chain cybersecurity legislation In the midst of high-profile and controversial bans on the use of foreign technology by U.S. government and military offices, its no surprise that legislation tackling supply chain cybersecurity threats. S.29 -- A bill to establish the Office of Critical Technologies and Security: Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced this bill early in the new Congress. A companion bill in the House, sponsored by Representative Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) H.R. 681, quickly followed. The legislation proposes a new Office of Critical Technology and Security to coordinate technology supply chain security efforts. The office, which would report to the President, would be assigned the task of stopping the transfer of critical emerging, foundational, and dual-use technologies to countries that pose a national security risk and developing a strategy to inform the private sector about critical supply chain risks. Election cybersecurity legislation H.R. 1 -- For the People Act of 2019: This was the first bill introduced in the new Congress. It was sponsored by John Sarbanes (D-MD), features a number of election security and modernization provisions, including cybersecurity standards for voting machines, an election bug bounties program, guidelines issued by the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) for states, and best practices to prevent and deter attackers. The bill also provides grants to state and local government for election security and standards for election technology vendors to receive grant money. H.R.52 -- the SAFETi Act: Introduced by Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), this bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to submit to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Congress a report on actions taken by DHS relating to terrorist threats to the integrity of the 2016 federal election. The Global Electoral Exchange Act: Senator and presidential hopeful Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) recently reintroduced legislation from the last Congress. It would establish an international information sharing program on election administration and security at the State Department, enabling the U.S. to work with its international allies to strengthen election security by sharing best practices on audits, disinformation campaigns, and voter database protectionsamong other issues. H.R.598 -- the Georgia Support Act: Introduced by Representative Gerald Connolly (D-VA), this bill offers, among other things, a series of actions to assist the State of Georgia with election-related cybersecurity matters. Georgia experienced a host of cybersecurity-related problems during the 2016 presidential election and the 2018 mid-term election, including an alarming and still murky last-minute allegation of partisan hacking by the successful gubernatorial candidate. The bill offers Georgia whatever assistance may be necessary to secure government computer networks from malicious cyber intrusions, particularly such networks that defend the critical infrastructure of Georgia Bug bounty legislation As mentioned earlier, H.R.1 has provisions for bug bounties, but another cybersecurity bill, one that the full Congress has already passed: H.R.328, Hack Your State Department Act, sponsored by Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA), offers bug bounties to hackers who undergo background checks in exchange for reports about vulnerabilities in the State Departments websites and other Internet assets. The Hack Your State Department Act follows a similar bill passed in the last Congress that established a bug bounty program for the Department of Homeland Security. Even with this ambitious agenda, expect even more cybersecurity-related bills in the coming weeks and months. In particular, Senator Ron Wydens planned introduction of the Consumer Data Protection Act, is worth watching. That bill would empower the FTC to establish minimum privacy and cybersecurity standards, impose steep fines (up to 4 percent of revenues) on companies that violate privacy and security standards and even permit prison sentences for senior executives for their companies privacy and security violations. Finally, Representative Langevin said he plans to reintroduce a bill he sponsored in the wake of Equifaxs massive data breach in 2017, the Personal Data Notification and Protection Act, which provides for a single national breach notification standard, giving companies 30 days to disclose any breach of consumer data. BRIDGEPORT Local developer John Guedes plan to build 92 market-rate downtown apartments and ground-level retail space on currently city-owned property is just the beginning. My ultimate goal is to put together a minimum of 350 units, residential, Guedes told a pair of City Council committees Wednesday before members voted to approve the sale of the three parcels on Congress and Main streets. This is the first step of that vision. Councilwoman Jeanette Herron, a co chairman of the contracts committee, wondered whether the city was too focused on increasing the housing stock and not providing enough amenities, like a grocery store. Ripkas, the market and cafe that, when it opened in mid-2013, was heralded as a sign the downtown was thriving, closed at the end of that year. We need residential, Herron said. But how are we developing downtown with business? The market failed because there werent enough mouths, William Coleman, the citys deputy director of economic development, told the contracts and economic development committees. Downtown needs more residents, he said. We want the young professionals, the empty-nesters, Guedes added later. Youre not going to create commercial or retail areas without having people that will stay downtown. Tax-break trade-off Guedes family-operated, Noble Avenue-based company, Primrose, was selected last September by Mayor Joe Ganims administration to develop the lots at 192 and 199 Congress St. and 1269 Main St. Guedes had actually approached City Hall a few months earlier, prompting the decision to issue a request for proposals. Primrose and other firms responded, with Guedes $17 million plan winning out. It has been dubbed Congress Plaza Commons by the city. Coleman on Wednesday said some of the land in question has been owned by Bridgeport since 1975 and since 1975 they have produced zero in taxes, he told the council. Guedes is to pay $575,000, the appraised value of the three lots, and receive what Coleman called a very modest tax incentive. Under that deal, each of the 92 units is to be initially be taxed $1,500, rather than the full rate of $4,200. Primroses tax bill will be $23,583 for the first three years. It will then increase to $138,000 for four years, rise to $140,760 and $143,575, and by year 10, the developer must pay the full taxes $146,447. That decade worth of revenue, combined with $180,000 in building and permit fees, adds up to over $1.2 million. Compared to nothing, thats going on there, its an improvement, Coleman said. This is a pretty big (tax) break, said Councilman Kyle Langan. Who will build it? Guedes, who has recently been building in downtown Shelton, said Bridgeport needs to offer tax incentives because of the citys high tax rate, which is over 54 mills, combined with modest rents. The difference between developing in Shelton and Bridgeport is Shelton has a 21-mill rate (and) downtown Shelton is still 20 percent higher in rents than Bridgeport, Guedes said. I commend you guys because youre investing, Herron said. Thank you for that. Guedes tax breaks mark the second time the Ganim administration has brokered a deal since a divided council in late 2017 relinquished its authority to vote on those incentives. Councilman Ernie Newton was a critic of that decision, but on Wednesday said he was satisfied with having developers and city staff thoroughly explain the tax incentives. Asked if Congress Plaza Commons will be union built, Guedes said We need to bring these projects in at the best price we can. ... Union or nonunion, youre welcome to bid (on the subcontracting). That satisfied some council members like Newton who have been pressuring developers to hire local, minority-owned help. But Langan worried that non-union workers would receive less on-the-job protection and benefits. Councilman Michael DeFilippo told Langan builders have federal oversight. Its called OSHA, DeFilippo said, referring to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Downtown developer Phil Kuchma, who has revitalized much of Fairfield Avenue, was present Wednesday and urged the council to support Congress Plaza Commons. He said most recent downtown developments have been renovations of old structures, and that can actually hurt the perception of the area. There hasnt been a new building built in downtown in four years, Kuchma said. We need another new building built. MONROE The towns police department is the most recent to file charges against a Shelton resident they say is a suspect in several burglaries throughout Fairfield County. Joshua Moore, 40, of Shelton, was charged by Monroe police on Thursday with first-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, first-degree criminal mischief and criminal attempt at first-degree larceny. Police said they had a warrant from Moore that stemmed from an overnight burglary at the CVS store at 511 Monroe Turnpike on Jan. 14. The perpetrator forced entry into the store through the front sliding doors, police said. The ATM inside of the store was severely damaged, but the suspect was unsuccessful gaining entry to the money compartment. The Monroe cops worked with Greenwich police to investigate the crime and established Moore as a suspect. Moore was held on a $30,000 bond for these recent charges. But Monroe police are the most recent in a string of police departments to charge Moore in connection with burglaries. In Greenwich, the Shelton resident was charged with burglary, larceny and criminal mischief on Jan. 29. Police in Greenwich said he broke into ATMs around town and managed to get tens of thousands of dollars out of the machines. He was also connected to a commercial break-in in Greenwich in Oct. 2012. Greenwich police said in Moore arrest affidavit that they tied Moore to the crimes in Greenwich, which netted over $100,000 in cash. A pattern emerged in which burglaries and ATM larcenies occurred in a short period of time after Joshua Moores checking account balance fell to near zero or negative values, according to the court papers. Moore was also known to have been involved in a burglary in Brewster, N.Y., in May 2011 while he was living in Stamford. New York State Police arrested Moore then and found he was involved with breaking into an ATM machine after breaking into a McDonalds restaurant. India and Pakistan exchanged gunfire through the night into Thursday morning in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, a day after Islamabad said it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot. There were no immediate reports of casualties, though jetfighters roared overhead through the mountainous region as villagers along the so-called Line of Control fled to safety. The situation escalated with Wednesday's aerial skirmish, which saw Pakistan say it shot down two Indian aircraft, one of which crashed in Pakistan-held part of Kashmir and the other in India-controlled Kashmir. India acknowledged one of its MiG-21s was "lost" in skirmishes with Pakistan and that its pilot was "missing in action." India also said it shot down a Pakistani warplane, something Islamabad denied, ABCnews reported. Pakistan's military later circulated a video of a man with a mustache who identified himself as the Indian pilot, sipping tea and responding to questions, mostly by saying, "You know I can't answer that." He appeared in good health as he was questioned about his hometown, his aircraft and his mission. Both Indian and Pakistani officials reported small-arms fire and shelling along the Kashmir region into Thursday. Government buildings in Muzafarabad, the capital of the Pakistan-controlled section of Kashmir, were used to provide shelter to those who fled from border towns. A South Carolina man and his wife are accused of locking the mans 92-year-old father in their home without care, deputies said. An anonymous tip Jan. 16 led the Spartanburg County Sheriffs Office to begin an investigation into the care of the elderly man at a home on Hannon Road in Inman. Lawmakers from the Five Star Movement are demanding immediate changes to the way their party is run and questioning its role in Italy's coalition government after seeing its candidates routed in two regional elections this month. A group of disaffected deputies and senior officials is calling on embattled leader Luigi Di Maio to return the party to its roots and give more power back to the rank-and-file members, according to people involved in the push, who asked not to be named because of party policies on sanctioning dissenters. Those changes would make it harder for Di Maio to keep his party in line as he tries to govern in partnership with Matteo Salvini's anti-immigration League. "We're at a crossroads," said Senator Elena Fattori, who joined the movement months after it was founded by comedian and rabble-rouser Beppe Grillo a decade ago. "By teaming up with Salvini we've lost support from the Left and not gained anything from the Right." Five Star won almost twice as many votes as the League in last March's general election but has been comprehensively outmaneuvered since then. The movement trails its coalition partner by more than 10 percentage points in the most recent polls as the two leaders gear up for May's European parliamentary elections. Finance Minister Giovanni Tria on Tuesday told Di Maio and other leaders that business leaders are disappointed in the economy, claiming the government is at a "standstill" and the country is "blocked" by government inaction and coalition disputes on issues including a high-speed rail link to France, la Repubblica reported. Di Maio, the 32-year-old deputy prime minister and a relative novice in Italian politics, has become a focus for party discontent after losing a series of policy battles to Salvini and breaking election pledges as he wrestles with the dilemmas of governing. While Fattori has long been outspoken on party policy, she's generally held back from taking personal shots at Di Maio. But after the movement lost almost 75 percent of its support in Sunday's election in Sardinia, she's had enough. "The power is in the hands of a small group of people, and this is leading to a loss of consensus," she said in an interview. "There is no dialogue, no debate, only rules imposed from above by Luigi Di Maio." Di Maio on Tuesday appeared to recognize the threat and signaled he's ready to make concessions to his critics. "We need to have better structure, but my political leadership will only be up for discussion four years from now" when the coalition's term ends, he said. "The Five Star Movement isn't dead yet." Still, he also reminded would-be rebels that members who attack the movement's policy positions in public can be expelled by a special committee. In the wake of the Sardinia defeat, Di Maio is a damaged politician and "his leadership is up for discussion," said Paola Nugnes, a Five Star lawmaker who's clashed with the party on policies and procedures. Di Maio is weighing changes to Five Star's structure and rules, including possibly allowing the movement to take part in electoral alliances with other parties and altering its position on term limits, La Stampa reported Wednesday. That latter change could see Di Maio's own mandate as party chief extended to as long as 10 years, the newspaper said. One of the lawmakers who asked not to be named said the party has been convulsed by a tribal war, with various factions seeking to sway the leadership. The net result is to weaken Five Star and strengthen the League, the lawmaker said. The footsoldiers who helped drive the movement to its best-ever result last March have also been left demoralized by Di Maio's failure to deliver on his campaign promises. Massimo Battista was a member of Five Star's administration in the southern city of Taranto when the party won 48 percent of the local vote in the general election with a pledge to close or clean up an outdated and dirty steel plant in the city. Battista rushed to Rome for talks with potential investors after a midnight call from Di Maio's office in June. But in September Di Maio closed a deal with ArcelorMittal that had been lined up by the previous administration and failed to deliver on his promise. A week later, Battista resigned from his local leadership position in the party. "People feel betrayed," he said in an interview. "For Five Star, European elections will be a repeat of what happened in Sardinia." ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Maryland House of Delegates gave initial approval Wednesday to legislation requiring a $15 minimum wage, a priority for progressive Democrats that failed to advance to the House floor in previous years. A final vote on the bill is scheduled for Friday. After that it would be considered in the Senate, where proponents expect it to pass as well, after more amendments to soften the impact on business owners. "Phew, I'm just glad we've got something," said bill sponsor Del. Diana Fennell, D-Prince George's, after the voice vote. A handful of other deep-blue states, including California, New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey, have already adopted a $15 minimum wage, and Connecticut, Illinois and New Mexico are weighing bills to raise their wage floors as well. The $15 minimum has been embraced by most 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls, and is being pushed in states and cities by progressive groups such as the Working Families Party. "Our mission is a national standard," said Maurice Mitchell, national director of Working Families. "If you get a toehold, that creates a critical mass that won't stop at the edges of a state line." Maryland's Democratic legislative leaders included the $15 minimum on their legislative agenda for the first time this year, under pressure from new, more liberal lawmakers - and constituents. A Washington Post-University of Maryland poll last summer found 64 percent of registered Maryland voters support a $15 minimum wage. A Goucher College poll released this month showed 86 percent of registered Democrats support it, compared to 37 percent of registered Republicans. The business community is also split on the issue. Groups such as the state Chamber of Commerce and restaurant association have lobbied heavily against the wage increase, arguing that it would result in job losses and lost hours for workers, compress wages and hamper the state's economic competitiveness. "You don't create jobs by increasing costs," said Jay Steinmetz, CEO of Baltimore-based Barcoding Inc., who spoke at a Republican caucus briefing early Wednesday. Maryland is sending the message, he said, that he needs to move his business out of state. Bob Garner, the owner of Glory Days Grill, said the added cost of a wage increase would upend the business model for his seven full-service restaurants. Many of his employees already make more than a $15 hourly wage, he said, but if the wage floor rises, his labor costs will exceed profits. "A lot of businesses never made a plan for this level of an increase," he said. Other business leaders say they favor a higher wage, believing that it can reduce turnover and boost worker productivity. "A low-wage model makes it harder to hire and retain employees when they can go elsewhere and make more," Alissa Barron-Menza, vice president of the group Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, said in an interview. "It locks in poverty in already depressed communities." The legislation was amended Monday to delay the wage-increase schedule, exclude agricultural and some youth workers, and preserve a tipped-wage credit for restaurant workers. Another amendment removed a requirement to link future wage increases to the Consumer Price Index. The bill would require employers to increase the current $10.10 minimum to $11.00 in January 2020. The wage would then increase by 75 cents each January through 2025. "Any forward motion is good," said Del. Shelly Hettleman, D-Baltimore County, who sponsored a similar bill last year. She and others said advocates in the Senate may try to restore some of the bill's original provisions, which would create a need for a conference committee to reconcile the two versions. Five amendments were offered by House Republicans Wednesday to address the bill's impact on less-populated counties, where the cost of living is lower. All were defeated on mostly party line votes. "Fifteen dollars would decimate the economy of the rural areas," said Del. Wayne Hartman, R-Wicomico, who proposed a tiered system with different wage rates for different parts of the state. "The very same people we are trying to help will be hurt by this." Del. Jason Buckel, R-Allegany, cited a Frostburg State University survey of business owners and some workers in his Western Maryland district, which found that a majority believed a wage hike would have negative consequences locally. "When you talk about economic issues in the state of Maryland, one size doesn't fit all," he said. The House also gave preliminary approval to a bill that would make it a hate crime to inscribe or place a symbol of hate - such as a noose or swastika - on property without the owner's permission, to threaten or intimidate others. Bill sponsor Del. Mark Chang, D-Anne Arundel, said two men who hung a noose at Crofton Middle School in 2017 were acquitted of criminal charges because there was no hate crime statute in Maryland. "The Circuit Court judge . . . asked the legislature to specifically address this issue," Chang said in an interview. The legislation would make publicly displaying symbols of hate a misdemeanor punishable up to 3 years in prison and $5,000 in fines. But if the crime involves another felony, the hate crime statue would stiffen those penalties up to a possible 20 years in prison. While the future legality of recreational cannabis use is hotly debated at both state and federal levels, there is a broad consensus that medical cannabis is a promising, non-toxic treatment for a variety of illnesses. Despite the fact that 33 states and the District of Columbia now permit the use of medical cannabis, and numerous bipartisan bills that would allocate federal funds to research its effect on treating PTSD in veterans, there remains significant obstacles in promoting via TV and digital ads. As government policy increasingly treats medical cannabis as a promising new treatment worth exploring, media companies continue to operate and make decisions based on misinformation that is becoming harder to justify. There is no clearer example of this than CBSs rejection of a Super Bowl ad from Acreage Holdings that shared real life stories from people who have been treated with medical cannabis. Acreage's in order to elevate its understanding. Rather than working with Acreage Holdings to address what was deemed problematic, CBS simply dismissed the ad as inconsistent with policy. For those of us in the industry, the decision was not a surprise, but I am continually baffled by the double-standard (dare I say hypocrisy?) which is on display. Related: Here's the Medical Cannabis Super Bowl Ad CBS Refused to Run To be fair, this is not a CBS problem, but a media problem writ large. Cannabis ads, we now know, are forbidden on television and in traditional print outlets. Even Facebook and Google, the two largest online ad platforms, have banned cannabis companies from making ad-buys. In each instance, cannabis ads are deemed inappropriate, all while advertisements for condoms, Viagra, beer, liquor and dozens (if not hundreds) of problematic, highly-addictive prescription drugs flood our screens and televisions. Big Pharma spent $3.7 billion on TV ads in 2018, featuring nearly 200 different commercials for 70 different drugs. These ads ran hundreds of thousands of times. At the same time, Budweiser, Coors and Heineken are staples of broadcast advertising, and since 2012, even hard liquor has been allowed to advertise, albeit during evening hours. The impact is clear: a 2016 study by Rand Corp found that on average, children are exposed to three alcohol advertisements each day; we now know that Big Pharma marketing was a key driver of the opioid crisis; and, Juul relied on digital ads to purposefully target children. The notion that this is about responsibility is simply untrue. Related: Spike Jonze Directed a MedMen Commercial About Cannabis. And It's Pretty Epic. This all begs the question: what makes medical cannabis inconsistent with policies that have, for years, fueled addiction and substance abuse? These marijuana misanthropes typically argue that we dont need to normalize another substance that could attract new users. This is misleading for two reasons: first, in states that have legalized recreational cannabis, there are no increases in its use or abuse and among pre-teens and teenagers, marijuana use has remained steady and even fallen in some places; and second, the ads in question are focused on medicinal cannabis, something 85 percent of Americans support. Medicinal marijuana is non-lethal and proven effective and it should be allowed to advertise to consumers to ensure they have all options available to them. So long as you are accepting ad dollars from pharmaceutical and alcohol companies, there simply is no valid, rational argument for rejecting an ad explaining the benefits of medicinal cannabis. Not only do these ad bans deprive Americans of important innovations in health care, they further cement the existing stigma and make serious, fact-based discussions increasingly rare. Our young industry already has proven to be far more ethical than the leading sponsors of addiction mentioned above, and proactive in our efforts to market responsibly. We all have taken steps to ensure we do not market to non-users, and work tirelessly to ensure children do not see the ads. That is why some cannabis advertising companies have found alternative routes, such as advertising through geo-targeting tools like AdLink, to ensure that we promote this increasingly legal product in a safe and responsible way. If CBS and others would be willing to work with us, I am certain we will be able to develop self-regulating standards that inform consumers based on fact, not fear. Related: Baby Boomers Smoking Reefer in Record Amounts Medical cannabis has proven effective in reducing symptoms associated with cancer; it can serve as a substitute to opioids for people who suffer from chronic pain as a result of HIV/AIDS; it can improve the appetite of people undergoing chemotherapy; it is even showing promise as an alternative treatment for our veterans suffering from PTSD. The American consumer, long held hostage to the whims of Big Pharma who pump us full of drugs, deserve to know about natural alternative treatments. They deserve to know that synthetic, often times lethal, prescriptions full of side effects are not the only way to treat illnesses. They deserve to know the truth and it is time for the marijuana misanthropes to work with the cannabis community and not against us. Related: The Marijuana Advertising Double Standard Is Stifling Our Industry Here's the Ad for Pre-Rolled Joints ABC Wouldn't Air During the Oscars A Business Perspective on the Impact of Production Quality on Video Advertising Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Estonian construction workers got the shock of their lives when they found out the animal they saved from an icy river was not a dog but a wolf. Rando Kartsepp, Robin Sillamae and Erki Vali told the Postimees newspaper they were working at the Sindi dam on the frozen Parnu River in southwestern Estonia when they saw an animal frantically swimming in a maze of ice. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan says Pakistan will release the captured Indian pilot as a peace gesture toward India. Khan made this announcement today while addressing lawmakers in both chambers of parliament, convened to discuss the latest situation amid rising tensions with India over the disputed territory of Kashmir. The PM said he tried to reach his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi with a message that he wants to de-escalate tension. He did not say how India responded to his initiative, the AP reported. Khan also reiterated his offer for talks to New Delhi, saying this is the only way to solve all issues. Tensions are running high along the contact line separating Kashmirs Indian and Pakistani zones following a terrorist attack on an Indian military convoy in the Jammu and Kashmir state on February 14. Forty-five people were killed in the attack. Jaish-e-Mohammed (The Army of Muhammad) claimed responsibility for the attack. On February 26, Indias aviation bombed this groups camp in the part of Kashmir controlled by Pakistan. On February 27, the Pakistan Air Force responded with air strikes on military installations in Jammu and Kashmir. New Delhi and Islamabad also stated that they downed each others plans in the air fight. Politicians are once again putting politics above sound public policy. Every day we are closer to the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund becoming insolvent. This public act requires bipartisan leadership for reauthorization. Flanked by Democrats, comedian Jon Stewart commended President Trumps Justice Department for properly administrating the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. How often do we hear of a bureaucracy working as intended? Yet the applause line fell flat at the press conference leaving an uncomfortable silence in its place. Stewart made an important step forward by not falling into the political trap of letting politics trump proper policy. He called attention to the silence by rapping on the microphone and restated his praise for the Trump administration. After the applause, he pivoted to the need for funding by Congress. When politicians step back from common ground because of party, we fail as Americans. As first responders, we cant allow politicians to shake our hand with one hand and then cut our earned benefits with the other. Firefighters and Stewart will be working the halls of Congress in search of votes, not empty words. Three hundred forty-three New York City firefighters made the ultimate sacrifice on 9/11, and since than another 190 have passed away in the line of duty. While these deaths are not as dramatic, they are even more tragic. At first the government said they were there to help and that the air quality was fine. If only first responders heeded the warnings from Reagan about that sentiment. And now we have more than 2,000 firefighters that have cancer and the number continues to grow. The greatest act of bravery for a first responder is the oath of office. We will rush in while others rush out. We know that throughout our careers we will get hurt and death is always a card held in every hand. We know that the success and failure of our careers will be dictated by the circumstances we can face on every call we answer for help. What first responders we did not know or expect about their response to 9/11 was getting sick, coughing, not being able to catch your breath or dying a slow and undignified death from cancer. As a nation, we have a proud tradition of taking care of our dead. We revere their sacrifice and conspicuous gallantry. We hold the dead in high esteem; however, we cannot forget those who have the courage to live. We cannot forget our sick and dying. Jon Stewart, a New Yorker and comedian, knows that there is nothing funny about cancer. He has been an unlikely advocate for first responders. His advocacy and his ability of pointing out the hypocrisy of the ruling class has earned him the respect of first responders. He has used his voice to help those silenced by cancer, sickness and death. We commend him for his dedication. The funds special master has announced that those who applied after Feb 1 will have their benefits cut by as much as 70 percent. We cannot allow the terrorist to win in America we need to take care of those who take care of us. Regardless of party, first responders and the military should be supported. Presidents Trumps Justice Department has mastered the bureaucracy of administrating the fund. This feat is remarkable in American politics. The policy set forth is working for those who worked for all of us. It is imperative that Congress vote to reauthorization the act and support our first responders. Frank Ricci was the lead plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court case Ricci v. DeStefano. He is an advisory board member for Fire Engineering, a battalion chief and union president in New Haven. His opinions are not related to and do not reflect those of his employer or the professional organizations in which is involved. Grace Garza, a former credit union teller and vault supervisor will be sentenced in May after pleading guilty to embezzling more than $1.1 million from the $83.3 million Space City Credit Union in Houston. According to a plea agreement filed by prosecutors earlier this month in Houstons Federal district court, Garza, 48, of Pasadena, Texas, used her position to deposit worthless checks from other banks into her account and family member accounts of her co-defendant, Susanna Guajardo, 42, of Pearland, Texas. Guajardo pleaded not guilty to embezzlement and false entry charges in December. When the checks were returned to SCCU for insufficient funds, Guajardo allegedly handled these checks and failed to deduct the amounts of these checks from her accounts and Garzas account. Israel will continue to operate in Syria against the 'Iranian aggression', while avoiding further conflicts with Russia, a high-ranking source in the Israeli government said following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Moscow. "Israel will continue to operate in Syria against the Iranian aggression, while maintaining communication channels to avoid further conflicts with Russia," Sputnik cited the source as saying. "It was decided to create a group with the participation of Russia, Israel and several other countries, which will work on the issue of the withdrawal of foreign forces from Syria", the official added after the talks. CSA borrowing $200K less in 2022 The annual loans allow the authority to pay down its debt from the purchase of the reservoirs owned by the former Manufacturers Water Co. Georgias aspirations to join the NATO and the alliances military exercises held on the Georgian territory curb the development of Moscow-Tbilisi relations, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said after talks with Georgian prime minister's special envoy for Russia Zurab Abashidze. "Of course, there are remaining difficulties in the process of development of our relations with Georgia. The main of them is the pro-NATO agenda of Tbilisi, the Georgian authorities aspirations to be as close as possible to the Euro-Atlantic structures and large-scale military exercises held on the territory of this country," Sputnik cited Karasin as saying. The diplomat noted that Moscow is convinced that these Georgia's aspirations represent the main threat for the improvement of its bilateral relations with Russia and has been communicating these concerns to the Georgian representatives at the bilateral talks. Ethos is a nationally recognized, award-winning independent student publication. Our mission is to elevate the voices of marginalized people who are underrepresented in the media landscape, and to write in-depth, human-focused stories about the issues affecting them. We also strive to support our diverse student staff and to help them find future success. Ethos produces a quarterly free print magazine full of well-reported and powerful feature stories, innovative photography, creative illustrations and eye-catching design. On our website, we also produce compelling written and multimedia stories. Ethos is part of Emerald Media Group, a non-profit organization thats fully independent of the University of Oregon. Students maintain complete editorial control over Ethos, and work tirelessly to produce the magazine. Since our inception as Korean Ducks Magazine in 2005, weve worked hard to share a multicultural spirit with our readership. We embrace diversity in our stories, in our student staff and in our readers. We want every part of the magazine to reflect the diversity of our world. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on U.S. President Donald Trumps meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Moscow is receiving first preliminary information about the outcome of Trumps talks with Kim. "Certainly, it needs to be further analyzed," TASS cited the spokesman as saying. At the same time, Peskov noted that now there is such an "impression that the practice of small mutual steps towards each other and showing flexibility towards each other based on these steps is still not working." "As far as we understand, the lack of this practice and unreasonably high demands certainly may lead to creating troublesome moments in the negotiating process," the presidential spokesman concluded. Democrats applying to be their partys next presidential nominee constitute the second largest growth industry in America, surpassed only by those providing legal advice to Trump administration staffers. Its a number climbing to where it might be easier to list those currently not planning a run. And no, we cant rule out Jimmy Carter, Anthony Weiner or Lyndon Johnson. Holy moley catfish, theres a ton of them. Scads. Gobs. Reams. Oodles. A raft. A mob. A plethora. A profusion. An abundance. Veritable boatloads. Some might say a rash of candidates. A plague, or even an epidemic. Were still a year out from the Iowa caucuses, with the first debate not scheduled to start serious internecine squabbling until June. According to Ballotpedia, 192 Democrats have officially entered the 2020 contest for the White House, including a guy named Cohen Eden Solutionator. Eleven are considered authentic, but many more big names are poised to leap into this liberal scrum like lemmings off a cliff with a 60-mph wind at their backs. The presidency of Donald Trump has resuscitated a term popular back in the early 20th century: Yellow Dog Democrats. Those are voters who would rather elect a saffron colored canine than a Republican. You know, like California. Many Dems would vote for the Solutionator, his pet ferret or a childs beach pail full of wet sand if they thought any would have a chance to deny the New York City real estate developer a second term. A banana-faced monkey dribbler. A reeking heap of steaming feces. Because it would be their reeking heap of steaming feces. As opposed to the reeking heap of steaming feces currently soiling Oval Office furniture. With no front-runner, the field is more wide open than a condo complex at Chernobyl. Hillary Clinton is such old news, her Ss look like Fs. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker is running as a feistier sequel to Barack Obama. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren may be the candidate the president fears the most since shes the only one with a nickname. So far. Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar just want people to pronounce their names correctly. Julian Castro needs separation from his twin brother. Sherrod Brown, Michael Bloomberg, Beto ORourke and some guy named Joe are biding their time, and former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper gets points for having a name thats fun to say. Kamala Harris is a woman, half Jamaican and half Indian. If only she were lesbian suffering from bipolar issues who owned an anxiety peacock, shed be perfect. The California senator survived the curse of being referred to as the frontrunner for about a minute until Bernie Sanders threw his hat into the ring. Well, near the ring. His aim isnt what it used to be. In this race, the Vermont senator will have to share his far left lane. He might not even be the most socialist candidate, which is the seam Mr. Trump looks ready to attack. And attack he will. After all, Bernie blazed the trail and energized that part of the party that thinks Karl Marx was too middle of the road. But we can say with the upmost certainty that the Bernmeister will retain the mantle of crankiest candidate. Im pretty sure his campaign website is heyyoupunksgetoffmylawn.com. Will Durst is syndicated by Cagle Cartoons. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu discussed by phone the situation regarding the Syrian settlement and upcoming top- and high-level Russian-Turkish contacts, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday, UrduPoint reported. "The ministers exchanged views on the current state of the Syrian settlement process, the efforts they are making within the framework of the Astana format... A number of practical issues were also discussed in connection with upcoming top- and high-level Russian-Turkish contacts," the statement said. A majority of U.S. citizens consider Russia's military power as a threat to the United States, according to the new Gallup poll. The poll found that 52% of respondents see Russia's military as a "critical threat," up from 39% who answered that way when the poll was last taken in 2016. When the poll was first taken in 2004, only 18% held that view. Russia was also the country most frequently named by those polled as the one they consider the greatest enemy of the U.S. In the poll, 32% named Russia as the top enemy, while 21% named China and 14% named North Korea. The poll also found that Democrats are more likely than Republicans to name Russia the top enemy of the U.S., with 46% of polled Democrats holding that view. Only 14% of Republican respondents named Russia the top enemy. The results for the Gallup poll were based on interviews with 1,016 adults, conducted from Feb. 1-10. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. PHILADELPHIA Hate has no place here. Four students from the Coatesville Area Intermediate High School and two from the Coatesville Area Senior High School recently attended the No Place for Hate conference in Philadelphia. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has sponsored this event for 12 years with the intent to challenge students to stand up against hate in their schools and act as the positive light. Developed and implemented by ADL, No Place for Hate is an initiative that empowers people to challenge anti-Semitism, racism, homophobia and all forms of bigotry, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The conference in Philadelphia is one step in a greater plan to expose students of the Coatesville Area School District to methods for countering and addressing social justice issues in school and society. The students that attended the conference are part of a bigger group known as the Student Problem Identification and Resolving Issues Together (S.P.R.I.R.T.) program. These members of S.P.I.R.I.T. attended the conference as an opportunity to bring back valuable information on diversity and strategies on ways to counter hate to the student body. The Coatesville Area Intermediate and Senior High School students united and interacted with other students across Pennsylvania from both the public and parochial school sectors. During the one-day conference, students were exposed to workshops with varying themes. These workshops ranged from bullying, discussions of prejudice and genocide, resources in schools to be safe, and diversity. Students from the Coatesville Area Intermediate High School enjoyed the conference and found the conversations beneficial. This conference opened my eyes to new ideas and solutions to problems that need be solved, Sophomore Jack Hadfield said. The entire conference was valuable. Jeremy Ramos echoed those sentiments. Being at the ADL conference gave me an understanding of what feeling safe and unjudged really felt like and how creating a safe space could benefit the school, Ramos said. Once the workshops were concluded, all high school students had the opportunity to listen to Keynote speaker Charles Middleberg, a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust. Middleberg spoke about his experience of hate, survival, loss, hope, and liberation. The purpose of Middlebergs presentation was to explain just how powerful and destructive hate, racism, and prejudice can be on humanity. Many students were moved to tears as they asked questions regarding Middlebergs experience during the Holocaust. The keynote speaker was very powerful, Sophomore Ryan Sheets said. The story he shared moved many, including myself. The ADL conference in Philadelphia was the second conference that the Coatesville Area Senior High School campus has attended. Each year, the students are building a repertoire of strategies to counter the hate that students and adults face in the country. I enjoyed listening to the speakers and other schools with regards to solving the problems our students face, Sophomore Tamia Vaughn said. The information presented at the ADL conference was disseminated though the student homeroom representatives in December. The strategies learned in the conference will also be presented at the 2019 S.P.I.R.I.T. Summit which will be held at the Coatesville Area Senior High School on March 29. Who owns your body? You probably think you do. But actually the State thinks it has a valid claim on your organs. It has been casting an avaricious eye on them for some time. As a result, a new law will be introduced in England in the next few days, having cleared its final hurdle in the Lords, which will presume that you consent to having your organs removed after your death. Such arrangements already exist in Wales. Unless you have specifically opted out, doctors will be able to remove your heart, kidneys or whatever it may be. This seems a pretty revolutionary, even sinister, step, and it amazes me that this law has wound its way through Parliament, and is awaiting the Queens automatic approval, with so little public debate. In the case of presumed consent, the authorities are motivated by a desire to save more lives Needless to say, I am strongly in favour of more people voluntarily donating their organs since theres no doubt that hundreds of people die every year while waiting for a new heart or kidney that never appears. I admit I dont carry an organ donor card, but that is largely because the idea that anyone would want my heart, or indeed any other of my organs, is risible. At best they might be displayed in a bottle for medical students to marvel at. But if I were a fit and healthy 25-year-old, I hope I would do the right thing and carry a card so that, if anything untoward happened, bits of me might be of use to someone else. Only about a third of people carry a card, while research suggests that some 80 per cent are happy in theory to bequeath their organs. It seems the take-up of voluntary organ donation could be much higher than it is. But that, of course, would involve the Government going to the trouble and expense of evangelising more than it has been prepared to do. How much easier for the powers-that-be to turn the problem around, and declare that, unless you make a hue and cry, your organs belong to the State. My objections rest on two grounds. One is philosophical: your organs are your own. The other is practical: what has happened in Wales suggests that presumed consent may actually reduce the number of available organs. Lets examine the philosophical considerations first. Over the past few decades the idea has grown up that the State in some way owns your life, or at the very least has responsibility for it. The most obvious example of this tendency is officialdoms insistence that adults should wear seat belts in cars. Although no one elses life is put in peril if you dont, all of us are now required by law to do so. Before the wearing of seat belts was made compulsory in front seats in 1983, there was a ferocious debate about whether the State had the right to force us to buckle up. I admit I dont carry an organ donor card, but that is largely because the idea that anyone would want my heart, or indeed any other of my organs, is risible Now almost everyone accepts the legal obligation, I suppose because most of us can see that in this matter the State is right, and wearing seat belts appreciably lessens the chance of death or serious injury in the event of an accident. Nevertheless, an important line had been crossed, and the relationship between the individual and the State had been subtly, though fundamentally, changed. So we should hardly be surprised that the State should come back and inform us that, contrary to what we had previously believed, it has some sort of stake in our organs. It is perfectly true that in so doing the State displays benevolent motives as it did when it made us wear seat belts for what it deemed was our own good. In the case of presumed consent, the authorities are motivated by a desire to save more lives. The trouble is that in this worthy enterprise they are forced to rely on doctors. I naturally revere these usually wonderful people. We are all of us grateful for the great good they do. But recent history reminds us they are not gods. For example, as the Mail revealed several years ago, doctors surreptitiously developed the Liverpool Care Pathway. Without relatives being informed, terminally ill patients were drugged up and steered ineluctably towards death in their final days. Or consider what happened at Alder Hey Childrens Hospital in Liverpool. Between 1988 and 1995 which is not very long ago the organs and body parts of hundreds of deceased children were removed without parental consent, and stored for medical purposes. Is it altogether fanciful to imagine that in the new era of presumed consent, a well-meaning doctor might feel under pressure not to prolong the life of a dying patient so that his or her organs could be whipped out as soon as possible? The risk of the new law is that patient trust will be eroded. How much more morally sound, it seems to me, is the present practice of inviting people to identify as donors. Wouldnt it be far preferable to encourage and develop this way of doing things rather than embracing presumed (one might more accurately say presumptuous) consent? And then there are practical objections. Ministers have claimed that the new arrangements will save up to 700 lives a year, but there are good reasons for doubting that this will be the case. In 2015, Wales introduced a new opt-out system very similar to that which England is now adopting. And yet there has been small dip in the number of deceased donors from 64 in 2015-16 to 61 in 2016-17. As a result there was a drop in organ transplants in the principality from 214 to 187. In fact, under the old law in Wales, as in England until now, organs were taken from a dead person who had not signed up as a donor provided that he or she had not opposed such a procedure, and that relatives agreed. (Under the new law in England, families will still have the right to block the removal of organs from a deceased relative if they knew that he or she was fervently opposed to organ donation.) Its significant that in Wales some 180,000 people have now specifically opted out of the new system on the grounds that it is coercive, and the pool of potential donors has not increased in the way that was envisaged. This figure equates to some three million people in England. Moreover, according to unpublished analysis by an organisation called NHS Blood and Transplant, hospitals are so short of key specialists, and equipment needed to keep organs viable, that the health service may not be able to harvest extra organs if, indeed, more are produced. Wouldnt it be ironic if, despite the State heavy-handedly laying claim to our bodies, we ended up with a state of affairs no better than what we have at present, with hundreds of people dying for lack of replacement organs? Respectable organsiations such as the Nuffield Council on Bioethics (an independent body which examines issues thrown up by medical advances) have suggested that the Government should put more effort into encouraging people to be donors. And yet this Tory Government has preferred to assert part-ownership of our organs. Is it possible that, at any rate subliminally, ministers relish the idea of extending State power? Ive little doubt that one day theyll be back for more. Amazon supremo Jeff Bezos, reputedly the worlds richest man, has plans to build giant space colonies, populated by up to a trillion people. These space communities will, he told a conference in New York, be zoned residential and light industry. Well have universities here and so on, but we wont do heavy industry. Artists sketches make them look a bit like Milton Keynes, but without the handy train connections. Amazon's Jeff Bezos, reputedly the worlds richest man, has plans to build giant space colonies, populated by up to a trillion people Think how incredible and dynamic that civilisation will be, enthuses Bezos. Killjoys who think it could be a bit on the dull side are probably best advised to keep their suspicions to themselves. One of the characteristics of these new-age billionaires is quite how fidgety they are. Wherever they are, whatever they are doing, they would prefer to be somewhere else, doing something else preferably masterminding communities in the solar system. Elon Musk imagines a manned mission to Mars; Richard Branson imagines passengers paying to fly off in a Virgin rocket; and now Jeff Bezos imagines a gated community in space. Because they are all so absurdly wealthy, the rest of us think that they must know something we dont. But I wonder. All the evidence suggests that even the cleverest men are utterly useless at predicting the future. At times like these, I return to my much-thumbed copy of The Book Of Predictions, which was published in 1981. Experts from a wide variety of fields had been asked to predict what would happen over the next few decades. Nearly 40 years on, we are able to judge for ourselves whether or not their space predictions came true. The science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke, who was always considered extremely prescient in matters of space, predicted that a lunar base would be established by 1995, and that by 2005 there would be manned flights to Mars. By 2010, there would be space cities, and a year from now, in 2020, there would be a base on Mars. Bezos might well argue that Clarke was just an imaginative writer, therefore ill-equipped to make accurate predictions. But specialists in space travel made predictions that were just as wide of the mark, perhaps more so. George S. Robinson, Assistant General Counsel of the Smithsonian Institution and an international relations specialist for NASA, got off to a notably bad start when he predicted that, by 1992, there would be no borders between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Because they are all so absurdly wealthy, the rest of us think that they must know something we dont. But I wonder. All the evidence suggests that even the cleverest men are utterly useless at predicting the future He went on to say that space communities would become so self-sufficient that, in 2030, the first Declaration of Independence by Spacekind from Earthkind will be announced. John P. Thomas, director of tourism studies at the Hudson Institute, confidently predicted that by 1992, travelling will be very simple, much less troublesome, and that international travel would be much more pleasant due to streamlining or elimination of customs procedures. I wonder if he ever passed the good news on to Mrs May? By 2000, Mr Thomas predicted a remarkably prompt public transport system, with passengers being propelled electro-magnetically from place to place at speeds of 14,000 miles per hour. Sadly, current statistics suggest his optimism was misplaced: to take just two examples, trains from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads currently travel at 30mph, and those from Edinburgh to Perth travel at a modest 25mph, which is 13,975mph short of projections. Thomas didnt stop there. Honeymoons on the moon or at space spas may be the in-thing in the early years of the next century, say, 2020, he said. Wonkiest predictor of all was F. M. Esfandiary, a futurist from the University of California, who predicted that, by 2000, there would be indefinite life expectancy and that death would be mainly accidental but not permanent. He was later to change his name to FM-2030, in the belief that he would live until 2030, which, sad to say, he didnt: he died, all too definitely, in 2000. Meanwhile, Dr James Trefil, Professor of Physics at the University of Virginia, maintained that by 2020, work will begin on the first space colony a doughnut-shaped ring capable of housing 10,000 people. This leaves Jeff Bezos barely ten months to book a decent firm of builders and decorators for his own rather more ambitious space community. But one thing worries me. Where will he find the scaffolders? Lonely Australians are now attending 'cuddle parties' with complete strangers in a desperate bid to cure their loneliness and boost their oxytocin levels. For an upcoming documentary, SBS journalist Laura Murphy-Oates, 27, recently attended one of the unique gatherings in Canberra where she found herself snuggling up to strangers while a qualified touch therapist facilitated the session. The documentary, which is set to air on Thursday at 9.30pm on VICELAND, shows the participants cuddling up together in the therapist's home studio and told to never act on any feelings of 'arousal' they may experience. Lonely Australians are now attending 'cuddle parties' with complete strangers in a desperate bid to cure their loneliness How do cuddle parties work? Strangers arrive at the host's home before the host sits them down and tells them how they are going to 'touch each other'. They lay on bean bags and cushions and are encouraged to touch those near them in a 'simple, non-threatening way' with consent. For the next hour or two they hold hands, cuddle, chat or lie peacefully together until the party ends. The parties are hosted by a touch therapist who believes they are a 'powerful tool for wellbeing' and for those struggling with loneliness. Source: Canberra Times Advertisement In a preview for the show, the group of strangers are seen dressed casually and addressing their feelings of loneliness. 'You just sort of sit back and reflect on your life and I used to be happier at another time,' one party participant, Tom, said in a piece to camera. 'As someone who is a father and then all of a sudden they grow up, suddenly you're not getting cuddles,' he added. Joe, a female participant said: 'I've been kind of torturing myself by isolating myself. Not giving myself what I need and I need what these guys are having.' Other footage shows Laura giving head massages while lying on a mat on the floor while others embrace nearby. The group facilitator, Jasmina Bacic, says it's crucial that those who attend 'cuddle parties' never act on any feelings of arousal or excitement and to embrace them as 'normal'. 'It's normal that those things are happening, if they are not, I would be worried actually,' the touch therapist said. 'So if it happens, the story is just to not act on it and it will go,' she said. 'Most of them come here very unsure as to what's going to happen, and they all walk out very happy. They start thinking differently, have happier and more positive thoughts.' Road test: In a preview for SBS' VICELAND, Laura, 27, visits a 'cuddle party' in Canberra, New South Wales, to see if it could cure loneliness Towards the end of the cuddle party, Laura said she felt herself 'getting into it', and while she might not make it a regular part of her weekend, she 'made a few friends'. According to CEO of Relationships Australia New South Wales, Elisabeth Shaw, loneliness is becoming an epidemic across the country. 'We've got to get out of that stereotype that it's only elderly people that are lonely,' she told ABC Life in November. Professor Adrian Franklin of the University of Tasmania also told FEMAIL that loneliness is not just a lack of having people around. 'A lot of people think loneliness is not having lots of people in your life, but actually loneliness is when people lack high quality, meaningful or strong relationships,' he said. Aroused? The group facilitator says it's completely normal to get turned on, but you must not act on it Part of the process: 'It's normal that those things are happening, if they are not, I would be worried actually,' Jasmina Bacic says. 'The story is just to not act on it and it will go' Affectionate: The documentary, which airs on Thursday night, sees Laura patting heads while lying on mats on the floor 'It could be losing a sense of belonging to something - their workplace, a sense of belonging to a neighbourhood or a community.' The 2018 Australian Loneliness Report released figures on just how widespread loneliness is in Australia. One in four Australians admit to feeling lonely each week, while one in two feel lonely at least one day in the week. Around 55 per cent of the population feel they don't have social support, and one in four say they experience high levels of social interaction anxiety. The Feed airs at 9.30pm on SBS VICELAND Thursday 28 February. A university lecturer has shared her hilarious but humiliating job rejection story, inspiring thousands of others to do the same. In an amusing Twitter thread, Dr Charlotte Lydia Riley, a history lecturer at the University of Southampton, penned: 'Ah, the five year anniversary of the time a university rejected me from a job with an email addressed to another applicant. 'And when I pointed this out, they replied with "I'm sorry, I clearly typed the wrong name. However, the substance of the message, I'm afraid, does apply to you."' Her post has since been liked over 8,000 times, and others quickly reached out in a bid to made her feel better by sharing their own setback stories. History lecturer Dr Charlotte Lydia Riley posted her hilarious job application story on social media. She highlighted that it still makes her laugh five years later Despite facing a kick in the teeth, Charlotte has retained a sense of humour over the unfortunate mishap. Sharing her thought on the gut-wrenching response she received over five years ago, she wrote: '"However, the substance of the message, I'm afraid, does apply to you" still makes me laugh out loud every time I read it. I want to add it to every email I write.' The amusing memory was met with an uproar of support as several sympathetic social media users took to Twitter to share their own cringeworthy stories. 'After requesting feedback from an unsuccessful interview around a month after the interview itself, the response from the head of the panel said: "I am writing to provide you with feedback, not because you asked, but because I was going to do it anyway,' recalled one. When the history lecturer shared her toe curling story of rejection she was met with an uproar of support, as others shared their own hilarious stories too Another shared the moment he found out he hadn't been shortlisted for a job - and as if that wasn't bad enough, the position was in the same department he already worked in. 'I found out I wasn't shortlisted for a job in a department I already worked in,' he said. 'The director emailed the whole department to explain they were going to re-advertise because they hadn't received any applications from "suitably qualified applicant".' But a third took perhaps the biggest knock of all as she explained: 'I once got rejected from a job maintaining a Knowledgebase, which could be fair enough if I hadnt written the whole thing! The rejection stories ranged from the ridiculous to the wacky, misspelling 'professor' and being turned down twice in one email Another, who can't be faulted for trying, commented: 'I applied for two jobs at an organisation 1) entry level and 2) right above: got rejected from both in the same email for being 1) overqualified and 2) not having enough experience.' Meanwhile, several others received rejection emails from potential employers which contained 'technical difficulties.' 'Best one I remember is a rejection sent to all the non-shortlisted applicants, all listed in cc, with the subject line "Congratulations to "' wrote one, while another said: 'I once got a rejection email where the subject line said "Rejection email template"'. Fashion Nova is making waves again with a very daring pair of shorts that leaves very little to the imagination, prompting a divided reaction from fans. The US brand, which is also available to buy in the UK, debuted its $39,99 (30) high-rise denim shorts featuring a rhinestone encrusted suspender-style detail on Instagram this week. Rips on the upper thigh and the back pocket make the already very revealing item a real show-stopper. While some shoppers were eager to get their hands on the shorts, others were not impressed with one commenter branding them 'hideous'. Others were more concerned about the garment being too revealing, with one commenting: 'These shorts don't leave anything to mystery, I'm just saying.' The 'Woman of Mystery high rise shorts' as seen on Fashion Nova's website. The shorts caused a stir on Instagram this week with some shoppers claiming they're too revealing The denim shorts are embellished with gem-encrusted suspenders, provoking mixed reactions The 'Woman of Mystery High Rise Shorts' from behind. Some fans asked Fashion Nova to sell shorts that cover their modesty, as the ripped style is certainly revealing Fashion Nova published a picture of its 'Woman Of Mystery High Rise Shorts' on Instagram on 26th February, but fans of the brand were quick to point out there was nothing mysterious about the ostentatious shorts. Some did not seem to mind that the shorts flash a lot of flesh and said they would wear them this summer or even before. Others were a little bit more concerned and asked the brand to produce 'shorts that cover my a**.' The suspender-style detail also prompted mixed reactions, from people who loved it to others making a comparison to 'medical tape.' 'What's going on with the straps?' one asked, while another wrote: 'I need these shorts but without the jewels.' Comments on the Fashion Nova Instagram page. While some viewers said they loved the shorts, others said they were just too revealing to wear Some users found the shorts 'too sexy,' pointing out it would barely cover their modesty. 'Do y'all have some shorts that aren't showing my *** cheeks?' Many fans asked Fashion Nova for less revealing clothing. 'Please make shorts that cover the butt more this season,' one begged. 'It's such a struggle for me to find shorts and yours fit my waist but I can't have my a** out for day to day life,' complained another. The brand made a name for itself with impractical fashion and revealing outfit that throw modesty out the window. Fashion Nova is a favourite of TV personality and business magnate Kylie Jenner. The young sister of Kim Kardashian was spotted more than once wearing items from the budget retailer. The celeb even collaborated with the brand for a limited collection. The brand gained a strong following on social media thanks to partnership with celebrities like Jenner and Cardi B. It currently has with 14.8m followers on Instagram. Comments on the Fashion Nova post. Some users were not big fans of the gem-encrusted suspenders while others asked or more coverage and pointed out that the shorts were way too revealing While these shorts are deemed too revealing by some, it's very on-brand for Fashion Nova, who never shies away from trying new and weird styles. Back in January, Fashion Nova debuted a bizarre pair of pleather cage trousers that literally looked like you're wearing a cage over each leg. The item sold at $49,99 and came into a cropped version called Cage In The Beast, or full length called Can't Contain This Caged Pants. Guests at Meghan Markle's lavish baby shower in New York City left the intimate gathering with high-end gift bags filled with luxe leather tote bags filled with the royal's favorite products. The 37-year-old Duchess of Sussex celebrated her impending arrival last week in The Mark Hotel's incredible Grand Penthouse Suite, which costs a staggering $75,000 per night. High-profile guests were seen leaving the fete, and they didn't go empty-handed. According to People, Serena Williams, Amal Clooney, and Canadian stylist Jessica Mulroney were among the attendees who were gifted Cuyana leather totes that were filled to the brim with products, much like Oscars swag bags. Treated like royalty: Guests at Meghan Markle's lavish baby shower in New York City reportedly took home $700 worth of thank you gifts The totes, which retail for $175-$195 depending on style, included $67 Jo Malone Green Tomato Leaf scented candles, $65 Tatcha Rice Enzyme Powder, and $81 Susanne Kaufmann Body Butter. They also reportedly featured products from Rodin and Jessica Alba's company Honest Beauty. Brands often send celebrities free gifts in the hopes of getting press, and with Meghan's shower making headlines around the world, it's likely that companies were more than willing to offer up products for the guests' gift bags. Guests, which included designer Misha Nonoo and celebrity trainer Taryn Toomey, also scored some new luggage at the fete. On the day of Meghan's shower, about 17 Away suitcases were delivered to The Mark Hotel, each of which cost $225. Luxe: Attendees were gifted Cuyana leather totes that were filled to the brim with some of the royal's favorite products. The totes cost $175-$195 depending on style Added touches: The totes featured $67 Jo Malone Green Tomato Leaf scented candles Daniel Martin, Meghan's longtime friend and makeup artist, dished about the February 20 festivities in a new interview with People. 'It was exactly what she needed, and it was a reunion for all of us, too, who hadnt seen each other since the wedding,' he said. Though photographers were stationed outside The Mark Hotel and also caught Meghan and company at The Polo Bar the night before what went on inside has been mostly kept hush-hush. 'Snow was falling outside, and it was so cozy we all sat on couches or on the floor and told stories and caught up,' Daniel revealed. 'It was like going to a family reunion.' Another guest who spoke to People anonymously added: 'It was all baby talk. She was getting tons of advice.' More gifts: Guests were also given $225 Away suitcases, which were delivered to The Mark Hotel ahead of Meghan's shower Getaway: Meghan, pictured in New York last week, was treated to the lavish baby shower at The Mark Hotel's sprawling $75,000-a-night penthouse Gang's back together! Daniel Martin, who did Meghan's makeup for her wedding, described the shower as a 'family reunion' Daniel also shared a photo from Meghan's shower, showing the cute rattle, bib, and stork-shaped cookies put out for attendees. Fellow guest Gayle King opened up about the intimate shower on CBS This Morning, revealing she and other attendees were taught how to arrange flowers at the party. Meghan then donated those arrangements to various charities. The anchor also said that she could not reveal the gift that she purchased for the royal because the guest of honor did not open any of her presents, choosing instead to wait until she got back to London and was with Prince Harry. With the royal just a few months away from her due date, there has been mounting speculation as to whether Meghan and Harry are expecting a girl or a boy. The Duchess reportedly told her friends at the shower that she is pregnant with a baby boy, according to Us Weekly. Nearest and dearest: Many of Meghan's closest friends who attended her wedding were there, including Amal Clooney (left) and Serena Williams (right) Goodies! Daniel recently shared a picture of the cookies from Meghan's star-studded baby shower in New York, saying he had 'such an incredible day celebrating' Lavish: The baby shower took place in the Penthouse Suite at The Mark Hotel, which is widely reported to be the most expensive per-night hotel room in the U.S. However, many have speculated that she is having a girl based on the decor at her extravagant baby shower. Decorations for the shower started arriving the day before the bash, and there was plenty of pink from the blush-colored roses to the cotton candy machine that was brought into the hotel. Earlier this week, a video that emerged on social that appears to give a glimpse at the decorations inside the penthouse party. Royal fan account harry_meghan_updates shared a video on Instagram Stories, claiming that the short clip was actually captured inside the star-studded baby shower. The video shows a dessert table that features plenty of sweet treats, including four macaron towers from Laduree, which cost a total of $460. Behind-the-scenes: Earlier this week, a video that emerged on social that appears to give a glimpse at the decorations inside the penthouse party It's a girl? The buffet featured stork cake pops, macaron towers, and miniature slices of carrot cake. The Instagram poster noted that a majority of the confections were pink Meghan's close pals were treated to stork-shaped cake pops and miniature slices of carrot cake, as well as multiple cupcakes iced in pink and green frosting. Also seen in the video are the iced baby-themed cookies that Meghan's longtime friend and makeup artist Daniel Martin shared photos of earlier this week. The crowning glory was a two-tiered cake, which featured a miniature paper cut out of Harry and Meghan, standing next to a stroller. The confection is believed to be the work of event designer Darcy Miller, who has been credited with putting together the lavish dessert buffet at the event. It is unknown who filmed the clip, which the account reposted from another Instagram Story, but the location is tagged as The Mark Hotel, where the royal's shower was held. Added touch; The crowning glory was a two-tiered cake that featured a miniature paper cut out of Harry and Meghan standing next to a stroller Special delivery! A huge bucket of pink roses was seen being delivered to The Mark Hotel ahead of Meghan's shower, sparking rumors she is expecting a baby girl The plot thickens: Megan reportedly told guests at her shower that she and Harry are expecting a baby boy, but earlier this month she said it was a 'surprise' The video also includes several hashtags including #EarlierThisWeek, #Royal #BabyShower and, perhaps most noticeably, #Girl, with the account speculating that the mostly-pink color scheme of the event suggests Meghan and Harry are expecting a little princess. It's also possible that she and Prince Harry are waiting until the day their royal baby is born to find out the gender. Earlier this month, the Duchess of Sussex was captured talking to a guest about her unborn child at the Endeavor Awards. The cost of Meghan's New York baby shower Private jet from the UK to New York, round trip - $250,000 The Mark Hotel Grand Penthouse Suite for two nights - $150,000 Five nights in a one-bedroom suite at The Mark Hotel - $9,982.05 Dinner for five at The Polo Bar - approx. $420 Lunch at Cafe Bolud - approx. $78 Afternoon tea for two at Laduree - approx. $45 Two Royal Protection officers - $14,213 Harp player Erin Hill - $625 17 Away carry-on suitcases - $3,825 Babyletto Hudson 3-in-1 Convertible Crib - $379 Two 10ft mandarin trees - approx. $280 Lady Fleur roses - approx. $399.95 Trek bicycle - approx. $609.99 Carnival King cotton candy machine - $199.99 Jennifer Meyer 'Mommy' necklace - $850 Repeat Roses - $1,750 JZ Events - $50,000 Lewis Miller - $20,000 TOTAL: $503,656.98 Advertisement 'We don't know,' she says in the clip shared by the royal fan Instagram account @harry_meghan_updates. 'Yes, we decided to keep it a secret, and then that way... it's one of those things, like, no matter what it is, it's still going to be a surprise.' Royal commentator Victoria Arbiter recently stated that it is 'royal philosophy' to keep the baby's gender a secret until the day of the birth. 'Theres a belief that there are so few surprises left in life why not save the biggest one for the moment a child is born,' she told Honey.nine.com. 'This is not just a royal philosophy, many parents across the UK choose not to find out.' Kate Middleton and Prince William kept the sexes of all three of their children a secret until after they were born, and they were public about their decision not to even learn the gender of their babies before they were born. While this is typically a standard rule for members of the royal family, Queen Elizabeth II has not made it an official ban. From shunning nude tights to sporting dark nail polish, Meghan is known to be a royal rule breaker, and it's possible that she knows the sex of her baby but is keeping mum. Victoria also stated that baby showers are typically not held, but the Duchess has already broken this protocol with her luxurious and highly-publicized shower that dominated headlines last week. According to the royal commentator, the royals are 'very wealthy' and a 'lavish baby shower would be seen as highly inappropriate' because 'there's nothing they can't go out and buy themselves.' Last month, bookmakers were forced to suspend the market on the gender of Meghan and Harry's baby after an overwhelming number of bets were placed on the royal couple welcoming a girl. The pregnant Duchess is due to give birth to her first child with Prince Harry in April, but the gender of the baby is not yet known. An Australian mother has been criticised by parents after sharing a photo of the lunchbox she prepares for her three-year-old son each day. The woman, from Queensland, shared a photo of the lunch to a Facebook group to praise the cheap $2.80 hardware box she found that looks similar to the popular bento-style boxes. She explained that her son doesn't go to daycare but loves having a lunchbox every day just like his older siblings so she puts one together for him to snack on during the day. The one she shared contained Milo balls, cheese, a Vegemite sandwich, chips, a zucchini slice, marshmallows and Fruit Loops. An Australian mother has been criticised by parents after sharing a photo of the lunchbox she prepares for her three-year-old son each day (pictured is the lunch) 'He'll pick at it all day and I don't have to feed him until dinner,' she wrote, adding that she keeps the food in the fridge for him to eat when he feels like it. But parents soon criticised the food, commenting on the high sugar content, the lack of fruit and vegetables and the 'unusual' lunchbox container. 'I would ditch the bottom row for fresh fruit and vegetables,' one lady wrote. 'That container may not be food safe,' said another. The comments got so heated that admins of the group had to delete many of them while others called the parents out for their 'judgemental' opinions. She explained that her son doesn't go to daycare but loves having a lunchbox every day just like his older siblings 'My kid lives on chicken nuggets and lollies (if I let her). I think this is a good mix for lunch of treats and healthy. Do you and stop worrying what other people are doing with their kids,' one mum wrote. 'Wow if only people put as much effort into voicing their opinions when it comes to children not being fed at all,' another added. The lunchbox itself was a small plastic hardware box that cost her just $2.80, but because it wasn't marketed as a food holder parents were worried that it may contain chemicals. Despite this, many parents have since jumped to the mother's defence and praised her for creating a lunch that suited her child. What should a 'healthy' lunchbox look like? The six key parts to a healthy lunchbox include: * fresh fruit * fresh crunchy vegetables * milk, yoghurt or cheese (you can use reduced-fat options for children over the age of two years). For children who cannot tolerate milk products, offer appropriate alternatives like calcium fortified soy or rice drink or soy yoghurt * a meat or meat alternative food like some lean meat (e.g. chicken strips), hard-boiled egg or peanut butter. If your school has a nut-free policy, peanut butter and other nuts should not be included in your childs lunchbox * a grain or cereal food like bread, a roll, flat bread, fruit bread or crackers (wholegrain or wholemeal choices are best) * tap water Source: Better Health Victoria Advertisement 'I'd be happy if my son ate zucchini slice! Or sandwiches. Or Milo balls. Or cheese. Or most things really. I love this and wish it would work for my son. He's incredibly picky and getting worse,' one person said. 'Great idea! I might do this with my kids on weekends and holidays! Sick of them constantly saying they're hungry,' another added. The Victorian government outlines that a 'healthy' lunchbox should contain fresh fruit, crunchy vegetables, some form of reduce-fat dairy, a meat-like food and wholegrains. UPDATED Washington U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who has had trouble selling her school choice agenda in Washington, has thrown her weight behind new legislation to establish a federal tax credit to expand choice. The measure, which faces long odds in Congress, would offer a new federal tax credit for individuals and companies that donate to organizations offering scholarships to students. Under the plan, states would get to decide how big those scholarships are, which students and organizations would be eligible for them, and what could they could be used for. Traditionally, tax-credit scholarship programs, which are on the books in 18 states, help low-income students or students in special education attend a private school. But under the proposal, states could also decide to direct them to apprenticeships, industry certifications, online learning, early-childhood education, summer school, dual-enrollment courses, home schooling, transportation costs for intradistrict choice, and more. The proposal will give hundreds of thousands of students across the country the power to find the right fit for their education, DeVos said in introducing the proposal at a department event Thursday. And the biggest winners will be Americas forgotten children who will finally have choices previously available only for the rich, the powerful, and the well-connected. State tax credit scholarship recipientsincluding Denisha Merriweather, a DeVos staffer, and Sam Myers, a young man with Down Syndrome from Ohiospoke at the event about how attending private schools changed their lives. The legislation, versions of which are sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Ala., is likely to run into major opposition from public educators and faces a tough road in Congress, where Democrats control the U.S House of Representatives. Even Republican lawmakers have been skeptical of broadening the federal role in K-12 education to advance choice. In fact, opposition from conservatives helped doom a previous, behind-the-scenes attempt to create a similar program back in 2017. Leading Democrats on Capitol Hill were quick to deride the newest proposal as an attack on public education. Secretary DeVos keeps pushing her anti-public school agenda despite a clear lack of support from parents, students, teachers, and even within her own party, said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state, the top Democrat on the Senate education committee in a statement. Congress has repeatedly rejected her privatization efforts, and she should expect nothing less here. This proposal is dead on arrival. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., the chairman of the House education committee, said in a statement, House Democrats will not waste time on proposals that undermine public education."Were focused on reversing our chronic underfunding of public schools so that all studentsregardless of their backgroundcan learn in schools that are healthy, safe, and provide a quality education. But Cruz said he hopes the legislation can generate cross-aisle support. Weve got to build a coalition broad enough to move Democrats, he said. Were going to have to see some courage on the part of Democratic members of Congress to put kids ahead of partisan political interests. Neither Secretary DeVos or I are remotely Pollyannaish about this. Were not suggesting this is an easy fight. But we are suggesting this is the right fight to have. DeVos noted that there is bipartisan support for the scholarships in states that have already adopted them. Under the measure, individuals would be able to contribute up to 10 percent of their adjusted gross income to state scholarship-granting organizations. Businesses could give up to 5 percent of their net taxable income. Individuals in a state that opts not to create a scholarship-granting organization could donate to one in another state that has such a program (say, Florida). Under Byrnes legislation, which has the suppport of the administration, there would be a $5 billion annual cap on the tax credits. The money would be allocated to states, at least initially, based on the formula for distributing state funds for teacher quality, which focuses mostly on poverty, but also on total population. Cruzs bill includes identical language, but also would allow for an additional $5 billion for scholarships for workforce training. Thats designed in part to appeal to Democrats, he said. Voucher Scheme Public education advocates, who have long criticized tax credit scholarship programs as a voucher scheme, vehemently oppose the proposal. Its ludicrous that the [Trump] Administration is willing to redirect $5 billion in federal funding to champion private school voucher schemes that have been proven ineffective in improving academic achievement and fail to serve all students, said Sasha Pudelski, the co-chair of the National Coalition for Public Education and the director of advocacy for AASA, the School Superintendents Association. Rather than attempt to meet the current unfunded mandates in federal education, like [special education], the Administration would rather throw money at a scheme designed to defund public schools further. This proposal is shockingly poor in both conception and design. Pudelski worries the proposal could siphon off money from public education. For instance, when Alabama enacted its tax-credit scholarship program, the state had to set aside $40 million to absorb the anticipated loss in revenue from the credit, she said. Perhaps more significantly for DeVos and company, the conservative Heritage Foundation, an influential think tank, isnt a fan of the proposal. Although the administrations support for school choice is praiseworthy, a broad-based federal tax-credit scholarship program fundamentally goes in the wrong direction, said Lindsey Burke, the director of Heritages Center for Education Policy. It would expand, not shrink, federal intervention in K-12 education. DeVos and Cruz rebuffed that criticism at the department event. The Heritage Foundation is absolutely wrong, said DeVos. Theres nothing in this legislation that would intrude on states rights. In fact, it really was crafted to respect states rights. For his part, Cruz said hes happy to put my conservative chops up against just about anyone. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who championed a similar school choice program in his home state, applauded the plan. I applaud @POTUS and @BetsyDeVosED for their steadfast commitment to increasing educational opportunity for Americas families. @tedcruz , @RepByrne and #edreform allies in Congress can be proud of this bold proposal. https://t.co/hVwdO2gphd Jeb Bush (@JebBush) February 28, 2019 DeVos and her team began working backstage on a tax-credit scholarship program proposal shortly after taking office, and it would likely have had a better chance of passing when Republicans controlled Congress. The secretary had reportedly hoped to get the plan included in the broader tax overhaul bill, which passed in late 2017. But President Donald Trump told her it wasnt politically feasible, sources say. That was likely due in part to opposition from conservatives, including the Heritage Foundation. The consolation prize: language in the law, championed by Cruz, allowing families to use 529 college saving plans to pay for private school tuition. DeVos has acknowledged that this wouldnt do much to directly help low-income families. DeVos has also had a tough time advocating for other pieces of her school choice agenda on Capitol Hill. A GOP-controlled Congress rejected a pitch for a $1 billion competitive grant for choice, including school vouchers, released as part of Trumps budget last year. Photo: Andrew Harnik for the Associated Press Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 . Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov held a meeting with President of the World Economic Forum Brge Brende, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry said in a message. During the meeting, Brende invited Minister Elmar Mammadyarov to the World Economic Forum on Middle East and North Africa to be held in Jordan on April 6-7, 2019. The Azerbaijani FM, in turn, highlighted the objectives of his Geneva visit, and pointed to the 18th Summit of heads of state and government of the Non-Aligned Movement to be held in Baku on October 21-26, 2019. Elmar Mammadyarov briefed Brende about the current negotiation process on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The sides also discussed the issues on regional and international agenda. A busy mother-of-two has lost an incredible 94lbs (six-and-a-half-stone) in two years after giving up indulging in the homemade cakes she used to cook for her kids. Tegan Funk, 30, from Sacramento, California, had her first child at 18 and put pressure on herself to be a perfect mother to her two children and wife to her husband Dan - but in the process forgot to look after herself. She loved to bake cakes for her kids and gorged on leftovers, but would feel selfish investing her time to health and fitness, instead of her children. This lead Tegan to tip the scales at 250lbs (17st 12lbs), hiding her body in size 24 to 28 (UK size 20 to 24) clothes, and even concealing herself behind her children whenever someone wanted to take a full length photo of her. Transformed! Tegan Funk, 30, from Sacramento, California, lost an incredible 94lbs (six-and-a-half-stone) in two years after she stopped eating homemade cakes meant for her children Tegan, pictured at a wedding before her weight loss, admits she would once try and hide herself from the cameras whenever someone tried to take a full-length picture of her The mother-of-two, who is now a super fit 159lbs (11st 5lbs) and a size 14 to 16 (UK size 10 to 12), began researching macronutrients and intermittent fasting at the start of her weight loss Prior to her weight loss, Tegan, pictured before (left) and after (right) losing the weight, used to be embarrassed about her body, but she's now happy to show off the results of her hard work Tegan had her children when she was still a teenager, and she admits that she was so focused on being a good mother to her kids that she 'forgot to take care of herself'. Instead of ensuring she was eating properly, and following a healthy diet, she concentrated all of her energy on making sure her kids were happy. But two years ago, desperate to lose the weight, she started to read about macronutrients and intermittent fasting. Tegan combined her newfound knowledge with calorie counting and regular gym sessions, and quickly the weight dropped off. Now a super fit 159lbs (11st 5lbs) and a size 14 to 16 (UK 10 to 12), Tegan says she has flipped her previous lifestyle on its head. Ditching large, cheap packaged meals for dishes packed with vegetables and protein, such as courgette lasagna or spaghetti squash chow mein, she now has plenty of energy and drive to do things with her kids. 'I was a teen mother and I put a lot of pressure on myself to be a good mother and good wife, and forgot to take care of myself,' she said. Tegan, pictured after her weight loss, said she used to hide a lot of insecurities with a fake confidence Tegan, pictured before her weight loss, loved to bake cakes for her kids and gorged on leftovers, but would feel selfish investing her time to health and fitness instead of her children Tegan is pictured wearing the same T-shirt before (left) and after (right) losing 94lbs (six-and-a-half-stone) in two years Tegan shows off her new figure in the gym. She's lost weight and toned up her legs, arms and stomach 'I over indulged in baking projects and leftover mac and cheese. 'I hid a lot of my insecurities with a fake confidence. I always thought I was a pretty girl, but I hid my body in pictures behind my kids, or other people. 'The more I read about macros and fasting the more I wanted to see what my body was capable of. 'I started with intermittent fasting and my body craved healthy foods, I started reading about macros and implementing that with calorie counting and the weight started falling off. 'I was eating too much while I just sat on the couch. I'm now fueling my body properly and working out six times a week - I love how exercise makes me feel.' Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where a person cycles between periods of eating and fasting. Tegan pictured before her weight loss (left) says losing weight has made her a stronger and braver person but says the hardest thing about her transformation has been fighting off negative thoughts inside her heads What a change! The clothes that once hugged Tegan's body now hang off her toned frame Struggle: Tegan, pictured before (left) and after (right) her weight loss, admits that she still struggles with negative feelings about her body Tegan says losing weight has made her a stronger and braver person but says the hardest thing about her transformation has been fighting off negative thoughts inside her heads. However, Tegan loves the gym and admits to going six times a week, saying that she loves the way it makes her feel The slimmed down mother, who is currently training to take part in a bikini competition next year, said: 'When people see how much weight I've lost I get everything from, "What drugs did you do?" to, "Can you help me?" 'Obviously I prefer the latter. 'If you want to lose weight but don't know where to begin, just start. 'Educate yourself and know that the payoff is worth the work.' But Tegan admits that despite her amazing weight loss success, it hasn't always been easy. 'The hardest thing is my mind. It tries to tell me that it isn't worth it, that I can't do it, that I would rather eat a pint of ice cream, that I still look big. 'I constantly have to fight off negative feelings,' she explained. However, nothing can prevent her from feeling proud of what she's achieved. 'I'm so damn proud of my body now that it's hard not to radiate and stand proud,' she said. Princess Eugenie was left 'very touched' by letters she received applauding her decision to put her back operation scar on display on her wedding day. Her bridal gown, designed by Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos, was created with a low back at Eugenie's request to show a long scar from a procedure to correct scoliosis - curvature of the spine - when she was 12. The Queen's granddaughter describes in audio commentary, for a new Windsor Castle exhibition about her wedding day outfits, how girls going through the same procedure wrote to her after her gesture, aimed at breaking down the 'taboo' around scars. Eugenie says in the commentary: 'I had always wanted a low back, part of it was showing my scar and I believe scars tell a story about your past and your future and it's a way of getting rid of a taboo. Princess Eugenie's Peter Pilotto wedding dress and the morning suit of Jack Brooksbank, made by Huntsman, will be displayed in Windsor Castle. Above, Eugenie arriving for her wedding to Jack Brooksbank at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle Eugenie's bridal gown, designed by Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos, was created with a low back at Eugenie's request to show a long scar from a procedure to correct scoliosis - curvature of the spine - when she was 12 The intricate dress, designed by Peter Pilotto, will be displayed in a new exhibition at Windsor Castle - along with various other royal outfits The Princess's wedding dress on display at Windsor Castle. Eugenie, daughter of the Duke of York, married Jack Brooksbank at St George's Chapel on October 12 The ninth-in-line to the throne looked delighted as she looked at her dress, which she wore during her wedding as she proudly showed off her scars 'For me it's a way of communicating with people who are going through either similar situations with scoliosis, or having a scar of their own, that they are trying to deal with. 'We started getting a lot of letters from people who were happy that I had stood up and showed my scar, and people with scoliosis, letters from girls that are going through the same thing, and I definitely was very touched by everyone's support.' Eugenie, daughter of the Duke of York, married Jack Brooksbank at St George's Chapel on October 12. The fabric of her gown included symbols which were significant to the princess, such as the White Rose of York, interwoven with ivy, representing the couple's marriage and their future together. American designer Zac Posen created the princess's blush-coloured silk chiffon gown with a cape, for the black-tie evening event at the York family home, Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. Eugenie's scar was prominent on her wedding day. She said girls going through the same procedure wrote to her after her gesture, aimed at breaking down the 'taboo' around scars The princess says: 'I wanted something reminiscent of Grace Kelly in To Catch A Thief so I showed that for reference and Zac came up with this silk that he had found from Manchester. 'Every single draping effect, every single detail, every button is all painstakingly done by him and his team.' Despite being a princess, Eugenie admits her wedding day was the first time she had worn a tiara - the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara lent by the Queen - complemented by diamond and emerald drop earrings. She says: 'It was the most incredible thing to wear such a piece of history that my grandmother had lent me, very proud moment and the beautiful earrings were a gift from my husband.' Princess Eugenie channelled old Hollywood glamour with the stunning blush pink gown she wore for her evening reception at the Royal Lodge Windsor after marrying Jack Brooksbank The gown is designed in a similar fashion to Eugenie's bridal dress - with a V neckline at the back with a row of buttons running down the centre towards a billowing train, revealing the scars of her childhood Eugenie looks at her evening reception gown. American designer Zac Posen created the princess's blush-coloured silk chiffon gown with a cape, for the black-tie evening event at the York family home, Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park The royal wedding exhibition includes Eugenie's wedding gown - which has a neckline that folds around the shoulders to a low back, which drapes into a flowing full-length train - as well as the tiara, evening gown, Jack Brooksbank's morning suit, and Princess Beatrice's maid-of-honour outfit. Also on show are the outfits of bridesmaid Theodora, daughter of Robbie Williams, and Louis de Givenchy - one of the pageboys. On the wedding day Prince George and Princess Charlotte were also among the young helpers. A Royal Wedding: HRH Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank is part of a visit to Windsor Castle from March 1 to April 22. Princess Beatrice of York pictured arriving to attend the wedding of her sister at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018. She looked chic in a Ralph & Russo ink blue silk-wool crepe two-piece, which featured an off-the-shoulder neckline, peplum waist, three-quarter sleeves and a pleated skirt The dress worn by Princess Beatrice to her sister Eugenie's wedding to Jack Brooksbank on display at Windsor Castle A page boy and bridesmaid outfit that was worn at Princess Eugenie's wedding to Mr Jack Brooksbank (pictured) The bridesmaid outfit worn by Theodora Williams at the royal wedding. It was designed by Amaia Kids Princess Eugenie teamed the regal dress, which was complete with voluminous skirt and dramatic train, with the Queen Mother's Greville emerald tiara and Charlotte Olympia shoes. The tiara was made by Boucheron in 1921 and the centre emerald was an impressive 93.70 carats. Princess Eugenie wore the Greville Emerald tiara for her wedding day (above) The Zac Posen blush pink dress Princess Eugenie's wore to her evening reception at Royal Lodge Windsor will also be displayed during the new exhibition. It was designed in a similar fashion with a V neckline at the back with a row of buttons running down the centre towards a billowing train - again revealing the scars of her childhood. In stark contrast, her sister Princess Beatrice opted for bold blue in a silk-wool crepe two-piece, which featured an off-the-shoulder neckline, peplum waist, three-quarter sleeves and a pleated skirt. She teamed her striking ensemble with a pair of Ralph & Russo's 'Empire' heels and their 'Alina' dove grey clutch - not forgetting an elegant Sarah Cant hat. The couples' wedding outfits are going on display as part of an exhibition at the castle running from March 1 until April 22. Above, HRH Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank on their big day But the attention wasn't all on the royal couple as they tied the knot as Eugenie enlisted several youngsters to act as her flower girls including Princess Charlotte, three, sisters Savannah, seven, and Isla Philips, six, Mia Tindall, four, Maud Windsor, five, and Theodora Williams, six.' Meanwhile, Prince George, five and Louis de Givenchy, six, gave a helping hand as pageboys. Their sweet outfits, which were designed by Amaia Kids, will also be placed side by side for public viewing. Princess Eugenie talks with Senior Curator Caroline de Guitaut (left) and Head of Exhibitions Theresa-Mary Morton (right) as she views her evening wedding gown Princess Eugenie teamed the regal dress, which was complete with voluminous skirt and dramatic train, with the Queen Mother's Greville emerald tiara and Charlotte Olympia shoes on the big day. She looked delighted as it went on display The dress looked stunning on display in Windsor Castle amid huge chandeliers and the Royal family's artwork A graduate of an infamous 'groom academy' has boasted there's less bickering in his household since he learned to iron and clean on the controversial course. Self-confessed 'mummy's boy' Thomas Callaghan was sent to the academy by his wife who was at her wits' end over his lack of household skills. He told presenter Jennifer Reoch that there was less arguments in his house now, and a lot of men out there that need a bit of help when it comes to basic chores. But Thomas isn't quite finished the package, and while he has taken to hoovering, he admits his long-suffering wife still does '60 per cent' of the work. The Rosslea Hall Hotel, in Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, relaunched their package earlier this month, due to popular demand, three years after it first debuted. Thomas Callaghan (left, with reporter Jennifer Reoch on This Morning today) was sent to the academy by his wife after she was at her wits' end over his lack of household skills The hotels owners, who are newlyweds, told reporter Jennifer Reoch (right) that they didn't think it was sexist and it was 'just a bit of fun' during an appearance on This Morning They promise to transform hopeless men into perfect homemakers ahead of their wedding, learning how to use a washing machine and dryer, and how to treat their other halves to breakfast in bed. Despite provoking a furious debate online, the owners refuted claims that their academy is sexist and insisted that the men are sent there have fun. However, viewers disagreed with the owners, calling out the academy's students for not being adults, calling it patronising and sexist. Taking to Twitter, one viewer called it 'the most sexist segment ever'. Thomas was presented with the certificate from the academy upon his graduation during an appearance on This Morning today When Phil and Holly (left) were asked their thoughts on the academy, Holly said she wouldn't send her husband while Phil said it looked 'quite fun' One said: 'It's not groom academy? It's adulting academy! How does a grown person not know how to do basic chores! Parents' fault!' Another added: 'It's pathetic that we need things like 'The Groom Academy'. Why aren't parents teaching their kids to be functioning adults?' A third tweeted: 'My hubby would never have to go somewhere like this stupid groom academy. He knew how to cook/clean/change a bed because he's not lazy or useless. He's better than me at most of it anyway. Plus a relationship is a partnership, it should all be shared.' Viewers disagreed with the owners, calling out the academy's students for not being adults, calling it patronising and sexist Meanwhile one Twitter user joked 'Is today 1st April?' while other used it to spread anti feminist messages and call out a double standard. One said: 'The groom academy on this morning and people are laughing at the men, imagine they did a wife academy, there would be an uproar with all these daft ' feminist ' women. One rule for one eh.' Another wrote: 'The thing is if that 'groom academy' was the other way round there would be outage tbh'. When Phil and Holly were asked their thoughts on the academy, Holly said she wouldn't send her husband while Phil said it looked 'quite fun'. Twitter users did not enjoy the segment and branded it 'sexist' and 'patronising' It comes after the tongue-in-cheek programme was accused of sexism online. After sharing details of the package on Facebook, Christopher McAuley said: 'Breakfast in bed? Cocktails? Are these women looking for a husband or a servant? Really sexist people.' Laura Kennedy wrote: '[My partner]'s better than me in the house sometimes, especially at making tea and ironing.' Another individual commented: 'It is unquestionably sexist. Personally I'd be happy to see it as 'just a bit of fun' if that opinion was a two-way street. The Rosslea Hall Hotel, pictured, first launched the programme three years ago after it was rolled out by Redefine BDL Hotels across the UK 'The reality is that if they offered 'assembling flatpack furniture for women' it wouldn't be considered a bit of fun, so I am forced to be unhappy.' The concept was first launched at the Worcester Whitehouse back in 2015, before being expanded to other hotels in the Redefine BDL Hotels portfolio across the country including Rosslea Hall. It has proven incredibly popular, according to the hotel chain, who claims that wives have told them their husbands didn't know how to work basic household appliances, including irons and washing machines, before the course. Queen Letizia of Spain made a bold sartorial statement today as she stepped out in a daring black leather dress. The mother-of-two, 46, wore the below-the-knee belted ensemble to the opening of the International Contemporary Art Fair ARCO at the IFEMA Exhibition Centre in Madrid. She and her husband, King Felipe VI, were joined by the president of Peru and his wife, who are on a three-day visit to Madrid. Queen Letizia of Spain made a bold sartorial statement today after stepping out in a daring black leather dress. She posed with her husband, Spanish King Felipe VI before the opening Letizia and her husband, King Felipe VI, were joined by the president of Peru and his wife President Martin Vizcarra and his wife Maribel Diaz opened the contemporary art fair, where Peru is the guest country, before the couples explored the exhibition. Letizia stunned onlookers with her daring fashion choice, teaming the bold dress with a demure pair of nude heels and wearing her hair loosely tied back. She also sported an on-trend black bow in her hair, as recently seen on the Duchess of Cambridge. The Queen's makeup featured all of her trademark touches - a light smokey eye, glowing skin and a subtle pink lipstick. The mother-of-two, 46, wore the below-the-knee belted ensemble to the opening of the International Contemporary Art Fair ARCO at the IFEMA Exhibition Centre in Madrid The Spanish royal and her husband, who married in 2004, were all smiles as they posed for pictures before the opening. Yesterday the Peruvian president and his wife were welcomed by the royal couple upon their arrival in Madrid before they watched a parade by the royal guard. The royal couple then hosted a reception at the royal palace in honour of their guests. Letizia also sported an on-trend black bow in her hair, as seen on the Duchess of Cambridge Spanish King Felipe VI (pictured centre, in the fuchsia tie) and Queen Letizia (right), with Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra (centre left) and his wife attend the opening of the International Contemporary Art Fair ARCO at the IFEMA Exhibition Centre in Madrid A woman with a 'booty-shaped' lipoma on the middle of her back, protruding over the band of her bra, gets it removed in tonight's gruesome episode of Dr Pimple Popper's TLC show. Barbara, 57, from California, initially thought the lump was related to being overweight, and consulted her local doctor who confirmed it was a 17cm-wide lipoma. Despite losing a whopping 131 pounds (9st 3lbs) in just over a year following gastric bypass surgery, the growth never decreased in size. She's seen visiting Dr Sandra Lee in tonight's episode in the hope the expert can help her complete her transformation journey by getting rid of the 'cantaloupe-sized' lump for good. But it proves tough as the expert compares the arduous process of removing it to 'giving birth.' In tonight's episode of Dr Pimple Popper, Barbara, 57, from California says she has had the lump in the middle of her back for over a decade The teacher says that while the growth started out the size of a 'small peach' or a 'plum,' it eventually reached the size of a cantaloupe (above) Following her gastric bypass surgery, Barbara assumed her lipoma would shrink down but instead reveals 'it started to grow and get bigger' Dr Sandra Lee has her work cut out for her in tonight's episode of the gruesome show as she compares the removal of the lipoma to 'giving birth' 'I thought it would shrink down, but that's not the case,' explains the teacher. 'It was starting to grow and get bigger. I was really hoping that I could just look good in my clothes and I don't.' 'It was probably the size of a small peach or a plum, and now it's across my whole back and it's probably more like the size of a cantaloupe.' While the lump makes everyday living a chore, Barbara reveals it also causes her a great deal of pain and discomfort. 'It's very uncomfortable,' she explains. 'My bra strap hits it just at the perfect angle where it's painful. It feels like jelly or something in there.' 'The location of it is right on my spine and down the middle of my back, and that concerns me. I wake up three or four times a night. It feels like someone is pulling a string and there's a tension and pressure there.' Barbara admits her growth is 'very uncomfortable' as it sits underneath her bra strap. Describing the texture, she says: 'It feels like jelly or something in there' The lipoma (above) wakes Barbara up around three or four times a night. She says it feels like someone is 'pulling a string as there's so much tension and pressure' in there The 57-year-old is shocked to see the fleshy contents of the lipoma which has haunted her for well over a decade (pictured above during the procedure) Barbara hoped that her drastic weight loss would make her feel good' in her clothes but she reveals it didn't. Above, she even struggles to zip up the back of her dress After consulting her local doctor about the growth and undergoing gastric bypass surgery, Barbara was still left disappointed. 'I just want to feel like I thought I would feel, and that is beautiful and comfortable, and there wouldn't be something different about me still,' she says. 'And that's upsetting.' Ready to say goodbye to her booty-shaped bump once and for all, the hopeful teacher pays Dr Sandra Lee a visit - who instantly numbs the 'large heart shaped lump.' 'Phew, you're wrestling it,' says Barbara, as the pimple popper tries to tug it free from her body. Despite losing a whopping 131 pounds (9st 3lbs) following surgery, Barbara's growth never decreased in size. Above, pictured at her heaviest Following the arduous procedure, the school teacher notes that the upside down heart is more of a butterfly than a butt cheek (above) Following the removal of the lipoma, Barbara feels instant relief. She says: 'Dr Sandra Lee has made me feel like I can do anything' After pulling and prodding it and comparing the ordeal to 'giving birth', Dr Sandra Lee finally releases the bump to reveal a grim butterfly-shaped lipoma. 'I already feel like its flatter,' says Barbara. 'There's less pressure. It's turned from a butt cheek to a butterfly.' She adds: 'I worked super hard to get the weight off and now Im going to work super hard to keep it off. Dr Sandra Lee has made me feel like I can do anything.' Dr Pimple Popper airs tonight at 9pm exclusively on TLC A Western-educated trainee helicopter pilot with a huge Instagram following, Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah has emerged as the fresh-faced future of the desert kingdom's monarchy. Born on June 28, 1994, to King Abdullah and his glamorous wife Rania, Crown Prince Hussein has long been groomed to one day take over the Hashemite kingdom, where the monarch has broad executive and legislative powers. He was officially appointed next-in-line at the age of just 15, before going on to study history at Washington's Georgetown University and following in his father's footsteps by attending Sandhurst. The prince -or His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II, to give him his full title -should still have plenty of time to prepare to be king. His father is young compared to other monarchs in the Arab world, and appears in good health. Jordan's royal family claims to be descended from the Prophet Mohammed and took the throne with British backing in 1921 when the Emirate of Transjordan, modern Jordan's forerunner, was created from scratch. In his downtime, the busy prince love to play football and has sent hearts fluttering with Instagram snaps showing him riding his motorbike through the Jordanian desert Hussein is the '42nd-generation direct descendant' of the prophet, according to the prince's official website. Abdullah has taken his son with him on official trips around the globe, giving him an upclose schooling in the intricacies of world affairs that should prove useful. Jordan's rulers have traditionally trodden a careful path, maintaining a strong alliance with the West, while negotiating the minefield of Middle Eastern geopolitics. The country borders war-torn Syria, houses vast numbers of Palestinians, has a peace treaty with Israel and manages the Muslim holy sites of Jerusalem. Bolstering his credentials with the youth, Hussein has launched a series of initiatives aimed at young people, including an intern programme at US space agency NASA. Holding talks with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. Heading Jordans delegation at the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly 'He is close to the youth, their activities, their problems and their hobbies,' said Jordanian social activist Shaden Amarin, a 42-year-old bank employee. 'You see him playing football with his friends sometimes, and playing guitar at other times, or flying a military aircraft and formally presiding over a security council session.' In 2015 he became the youngest person ever to chair a meeting of the United Nations Security Council. The royal presided over a debate on the role of youth in countering extremism and was praised by the secretary general Ban Ki Moon who said: 'He is not yet 21 years old but he is already a leader in the 21st century.' He's involved in various charities and projects, including Haqiq, a youth volunteering programme. Enjoying downtime at the Mujib Nature Reserve in Jordan. With his father King Abdullah on military manoeuvres He's also a supporter of Qusai, which trains sports therapists in First Aid and the Allgau- Orient Rally which incorporates projects by German donors and participants in the kingdom of Jordan. His Crown Prince Foundation supports Generations Protected, which aims to steer young people away from drug and tobacco use. Another organisation close to his heart is the Cochlear Implant Initiative which provides surgery and special education to deaf children so that they can attend regular schools. He's visited hospitals during Ramadan to meet children who have undergone the life-changing surgery to help them hear. As well as his love of motorbikes, the Prince enjoys reading and sports - especially football - according to his official website. All-American lifestyle guru Martha Stewart, 77, has been roped in as an adviser by Marijuana producer Canopy Growth in order to help develop and launch a line of pot-based products for humans and animals. Martha, a 90s icon who became a household name through her cooking and lifestyle shows, co-hosts a show with rapper Snoop Dogg, who made headlines last year for smoking pot in front of the White House. The deal between Canopy and Sequential Brands Group Inc, which owns the Martha Stewart brand, will seek to leverage Stewart's knowledge of consumer products in the launch of products based on CBD, the non-psychoactive chemical found in marijuana. Something new! Martha Stewart, pictured holding a money tree on her show in 2009, has been announced as the newest adviser for a Canadian marijuana company Thrilled: The 77-year-old said she is 'looking forward' to the collaboration, which is set to feature a variety of pot-based products for humans and animals Following his lead: Snoop Dogg, with whom Martha hosts a cooking show, has had a licensing deal with the same company - Canopy Growth - since 2016 Speaking about the new venture, Martha said she's excited about it. She said: 'I'm especially looking forward to our first collaboration together, which will offer sensible products for people's beloved pets.' Last year, Martha said that although she doesn't smoke weed, she confessed to trying an edible - a gummy candy containing marijuana. Speaking on the Wendy Williams Show in December 2018, she said: 'I've tried an edible. It's like a little gummy bear or something. Viral: Snoop Dogg, who has also collaborated with Canopy Growth, posted a video of himself smoking a blunt outside the White House in November 2018 'They're fine,' she added. The upcoming range will focus on CBD-based products, and will be, at least in part, aimed at helping treat anxiety in animals. According to Medical News Today, CBD can have various benefits on a person's health. Some opt to use it as a natural alternative to over-the-counter drugs aimed at relieving body stiffness and pain. Others use CBD to treat a number of different disorders including anxiety. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has prohibited companies from adding CBD to food, but many drinks companies have announced plans to use it. Corona beer maker Constellation Brands has signed a deal with Canopy to make various pot-infused drinks. Cannabis companies in Canada have been pouring cash into their businesses to both fend off competition and develop new products, especially after the country approved the use of recreational marijuana in October 2018. Canopy has also announced plans to invest between $100 million and $150 million in a hemp industrial park in New York State. Martha isn't the first celebrity to partner up with Canopy. Best pals: Martha opened up about her unlikely friendship with the rapper, who she says is a 'great guy' in December, revealing that their relationship is stronger than ever Partners in crime: The pair joined forces to host a cooking talk-show in 2016, which ran for two seasons and saw the duo doing different cooking challenges with celebrity guests New ventures: Back in December the 77-year-old lifestyle guru revealed a third series of the show is in the pipeline 47-year-old rapper Snoop Dogg has had a licensing deal with the same company for approximately three years. Back in 2016, the company teamed up with the rapper to launch his medicinal marijuana line, Leafs by Snoop. According to CNN, the collection of cannabis products available in Snoop's line includes edibles - different foods infused with cannabis extracts - as well as hand-weighed marijuana flowers and concentrates. Excited: Martha said she and Snoop Dogg are excited for the third season of their show Speaking about the collaboration when it was launched, the rapper said: 'It's a true blessing that I can share the products I love so much with y'all today. 'From the flower, to the concentrates, and edibles - it's all hand-picked by yours truly so you know it's the hottest product out there. 'It's the real deal and you gotta get out to Colorado to try it first!' he added. Being partnered with the same brand isn't the only thing Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg have in common. The pair joined forces to host a cooking talk-show in 2016, which ran for two seasons and saw the pair getting up to all sorts of cooking challenges with different celebrity guests. And the show - Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party - was a hit with viewers when it aired on VH1 three years ago. Speaking about their unlikely friendship at the DailyMail.com and DailyMailTV Holiday Party in December 2018, Martha said: 'He's a great guy.' The 77-year-old lifestyle guru also revealed a third series of the show is in the pipeline. She said: 'We're doing our third season of the Potluck Dinner Party starting in February, so we're excited about that.' Samantha Markle has accused her half-sister Meghan of having 'no heart' in her latest scathing interview. In a documentary Meghan and the Markles: A Family at War, set to air on Channel 5 tomorrow, Samantha discusses the letter the Duchess of Sussex sent to their father, shortly after she wed Prince Harry. In the letter, published by the Mail on Sunday, Meghan accused Thomas Markle of breaking her heart 'into a million pieces' by 'giving interviews to the press, fabricating stories and attacking her new husband'. Speaking for the first time since the letter was published, Samantha says: 'She doesn't have a heart or she would been doing everything she could to make him comfortable, and reciprocate, and be loving and gracious, and make sure he's comfortable in his old age. 'So broken heart? No, his heart is broken. She can't turn herself into the victim here.' Samantha Markle (pictured) said her sister, the Duchess of Sussex, has 'no heart' in a new interview set to air tomorrow, she added that their father, Thomas Markle is 'heartbroken' In the letter published earlier this year, the Duchess admonished her father, in anguished tones, for siding with her Samantha who has attacked her in the press while she 'silently suffered at the hand of her vicious lies'. Speaking about the bombshell, Samantha says: 'That letter was strategic, it was so elegantly written and contrived. 'She was basically saying that my dad had been and liar and that I was a liar'. In an attempt to tell her side of the story, the mother-of-three adds: 'He has text messages on his phone. 'This is a no brainer, the evidence all says that she was not contacting him. So it doesn't matter what the letter says'. Meghan previously accused Thomas Markle of breaking her heart 'into a million pieces' by 'giving interviews to the press, fabricating stories and attacking her new husband' Speaking about the bombshell letter Meghan sent their father Samantha says: 'That letter was strategic, it was so elegantly written and contrived' (pictured at Samantha's graduation in 2008) 'There are a lifespan of pictures and experiences together, so maybe its convenient for her' she continues, 'because maybe in her mind she doesn't want to see us, because she wants to take centre stage'. Speaking of Meghan's accusations that Samantha had lied about her, she added: 'I wasn't maliciously lying, I was pointing out what the world was already saying. 'I was pointing out that humanitarians don't treat their fathers cruelly, was that a lie? 'And because the world watched it happen to my dad, they watched her do it'. Speaking of her sister's accusations, Samantha, who has repeatedly attacked the Duchess, added: 'I wasn't maliciously lying I was pointing out what the world was already saying I was pointing out that humanitarians don't treat their fathers cruelly' Meghan and the Markles: A Family at War also looks at the reasons why none of Meghan's relatives apart from her mother were present at her fairy-tale wedding ceremony to Prince Harry last year. The show traces the feuds that split the Markle family in the months leading up to the wedding, and examines the war of words that's raged ever since. One of her harshest critics, Meghan's half-sister, reveals how the two gradually lost contact as the former Suits actress pursued her dream of Hollywood stardom. In Meghan and the Markles: A Family at War, Samantha reads the letter Meghan sent their father shortly after she wed Prince Harry. It was published in February by the Mail on Sunday Other interviewees include Meghan's unofficial biographer Andrew Morton, who explains how other relatives have heaped embarrassment upon her: from her half-brother, Tom Junior, who has been arrested for drink driving, to her marijuana-farming nephew, Tyler, who has produced a new strain of the drug called 'Markle Sparkle'. Speaking from her home in the US, Samantha explains why she has launched a series of attacks on Meghan's behaviour both in press interviews and on social media - and answers critics who have accused her of being motivated by resentment and jealousy. Friends and former co-stars Selma Blair and Sarah Michelle Gellar had a bit of a love-in on social media this week, and it's enough to give any fan warm, fuzzy feelings. On Wednesday, Sarah, 41, visited the LA home of 46-year-old Selma , who's been battling an 'aggressive form' of multiple sclerosis since October. A day later, the two women who starred together in the 1999 teen hit Cruel Intentions each posted selfies on social media, accompanying them with sweet words about their decades-long friendship. Picture perfect: Selma Blair (left) and Sarah Michelle Gellar (right) both shared selfies on Instagram on Thursday Great intentions: Selma, 46, wrote a lovely caption about her 'angel of a friend' Selma kicked off the sweet tribute posts with a brightly-lit photo of the pair, presumably taken during Sarah's visit on Wednesday. 'This girl,' she began. '(Always my girl) is everything. She tucked me in and brought me dinner and loved me up. I woke with so much love for #sarahmichellegellar. 'Since the day I met her over 20 years ago, she fought for me along with @rogerkumble to be Cecile,' she went on, referencing how Sarah and Cruel Intentions director Roger Kumble lobbied for Selma to get her role. 'She took me under her wing and today is no different. I am so in love with my angel of a friend. The best.' Selma went on to thank Janey Lopaty, Karen Zambos, and Jaime King for also being there for her during her illness. 'May we all have a friend like this. I love you @sarahmgellar and my whole team of lovelies . I count my blessings. #friendsforever,' she wrote. Cuddles: Sarah visited Selma during one of the actress' multiple sclerosis flare-ups That's what friends are for: The former Buffy star was there to support her and take care of her in her time of need Sweet! Sarah also shared a sweet message about her dear friend Not long after, Sarah shared Selma's post, adding a few more selfies and her own doting caption. 'Our relationship began with me fighting for you, and I will spend the rest of my life continuing to fight for you,' the Buffy star wrote. 'This is one of those bumps in the road, that I truly believe within the year, we will barely remember. (And thanks for leaving the part out where I proceeded to fall asleep in your bed- lots of help I am lol).' This is the second time this week that Sarah has had kind words to say about her friend on social media. On Monday, she shared a picture of Selma at the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty. 'This is my dear friend @selmablair,' she wrote. 'Last night she stood on the world stage for the first time, since being diagnosed with MS. And later this week, she is taking an even bigger step, and speaking publicly on @goodmorningamerica (with, my girl crush @robinrobertsgma). Ages: The two have known each other for decades and have remained good friends over the years Supportive: They starred together in Cruel Intentions, with Sarah lobbying for Selma to get the part Acting: Their iconic on-screen kiss won them an MTV Movie Award 'To say Im proud, would be a gross understatement. When I have a cold, I want to hide from the world under my covers. 'But not Selma. She is facing this diagnosis, the way she faces everything, with dignity, grace and head on. I know the support and encouragement that she has received on this platform has truly been a source of strength for her. 'This is not an easy journey, but Selma will not let this define her. I love you James,' she wrote. The same night that Selma posed for the photo, she also had quite an emotional moment before the cameras, breaking down in tears as she posed for pictures. It was her first public appearance since announcing she has MS. The actress was dressed in a beautiful multicolor gown, but had to carry a cane for balance but she has added some fashionable flair to it, picking a patent leather cane customized with a pink diamond. After her emotional moment, she wrote on Instagram: 'There are moments that define us. This is one of those indelibly watermarked in my heart...' Empowering: Sarah's also paid tribute to her friend with this picture of Selma at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party Big step: It was Selma's first public appearance since revealing she has MS, and she brought a cane to the event, and broke down on the red carpet Then, on Tuesday, Selma was on GMA discussing her battle with MS. The actress recalled the moment that she was told she had MS, after spending years living 'in pain' with an undiagnosed condition that doctors simply passed off as the result of her being an 'exhausted single mother. 'I cried, I had tears,' she said of her reaction to the diagnosis. 'They weren't tears of panic. They were tears of knowing I now had to give in to a body that had loss of control. 'And there was some relief in that. Cause ever since my son was born, I was in an MS flare-up and didn't know, and I was giving it everything to seem normal.' Selma admitted that the struggle to seem normal involved self-medicating whenever she was not around her son now-seven-year-old son Arthur. She would drink heavily in order to cope with the pain and exhaustion. 'I wasn't always drinking, but there were times when I couldn't take it. And I was really struggling with how am I going to get by in life.' She said she tried to seek help from multiple doctors, who refused to 'take her seriously.' Advocate: She sat down with GMA host Robin Roberts to talk about her diagnosis Pain: She talked about the painful symptoms that doctors initially dismissed The actress, who first revealed in October that she had been diagnosed with MS, explained that some of the medical experts she saw simply passed off her symptoms as being the result of her being 'exhausted' and a 'single mother,' with others even blaming her 'hormones' for her physical struggles. WHAT IS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS? Multiple sclerosis (known as MS) is a condition in which the immune system attacks the body and causes nerve damage to the brain and spinal cord. It is an incurable, lifelong condition. Symptoms can be mild in some, and in others more extreme causing severe disability. MS affects 2.3 million people worldwide - including around one million in the US, and 100,000 in the UK. It is more than twice as common in women as it is in men. A person is usually diagnosed in their 20s and 30s. The condition is more commonly diagnosed in people of European ancestry. The cause isn't clear. There may be genes associated with it, but it is not directly hereditary. Smoking and low vitamin D levels are also linked to MS. Symptoms include fatigue, difficulty walking, vision problems, bladder problems, numbness or tingling, muscle stiffness and spasms, problems with balance and co-ordination, and problems with thinking, learning and planning. The majority of sufferers will have episodes of symptoms which go away and come back, while some have ones which get gradually worse over time. Symptoms can be managed with medication and therapy. The condition shortens the average life expectancy by around five to 10 years. Advertisement It reached a point when Selma was so tired, she was unable to stay awake in between dropping her son, whose father is her ex Jason Bleick, off at school and going to work. 'I got to the point where I said, "I need to go to work and I have to stay awake." I would drop my son off at school a mile away, and before I got home I would have to pull over and take a nap,' she revealed. 'And I was ashamed, and I was doing the best I could. And I was a great mother, but it was killing me.' When it came to telling her son about her diagnosis, which she did shortly after the MRI that confirmed it, Selma said it wasn't a difficult conversation - and revealed that the pair had actually already been joking about her symptoms. '[It wasn't difficult] at all,' she recalled. 'I always want him to feel safe and never responsible for me. 'But he had already seen that I was falling and doing things, and I was always laughing, and he would imitate me and I'd be like, "That's fine but don't do that out of the house, people will think you're a jerk!"' Her son's only fear, Selma recalled, was that his mother's disease might be killing her. 'I did have to tell him after the MRI,' she told Roberts. 'I said, "I have something called multiple sclerosis", and he nearly cried and said, "Will it kill you?" And I said, "No, I mean we never know what kills us Arthur. But this is not the doctor telling me I'm dying." 'And he was like, "Oh, OK!' When the interview took place, Selma was suffering a 'flare-up' of her 'aggressive' multiple sclerosis, an attack that is also often referred to as an 'exacerbation' or a 'relapse', and which can cause new symptoms to appear, as well as the worsening of old symptoms. 'He gets it': The mother-of-one recalled talking to her son Arthur about her diagnosis, explaining that his biggest fear was that Selma was telling him she was dying For Selma, that impacted her speech in particular, with the actress explaining that she was suffering spasmodic dysphonia as a result of the attack, a condition that causes the muscles which generate the voice to into spasm, resulting in shaking, stilted speech. But while Selma admitted that the worsening of her symptoms made her 'scared' to speak on camera, she did so with the knowledge that her appearance on the show might help others to better understand the disease and what life is like for sufferers. 'It is interesting to put it out there, to be here to say, "This is what my particular case looks like right now,"' she said, before adding: 'I was a little scared of talking [but] even my neurologist said, "No, this will bring a lot of awareness." 'Because nobody has the energy to talk when they're in flare-up. But I do. Because I love a camera!' Looking ahead to the future - both near and far - Selma says her outlook is incredibly positive, adding that she has learned to accept the limitations that her condition creates, without feeling as though she is giving up or giving in to the disease. 'I get in bed and I don't move,' Selma said of her reaction when she is having a 'difficult day'. 'You just have to, you can't do it all! It's fine to feel really cr***y and say, I gotta. 'And my son gets it, and now I've learned not to feel guilty.' Denmark's Crown Princess Mary dazzled in Dolce & Gababana today as she attended an annual awards event to celebrate leading researchers from around the country. The mother-of-four, 47, teamed a round-neck crimson 'Cady' dress, worth around 1,000, with a sweeping grey coat as she stepped out in nude heels in Copenhagen. Oozing effortless glamour, the mother-of-four was accompanied by her son Prince Vincent, eight, as she arrived at Copenhagen's Opera by boat. The royal was there to present the EliteForsk prizes at The Ministry of Education and Research's annual awards. Denmark's Crown Princess Mary, 47, appeared regal as she stepped out for an awards ceremony at The Opera in Copenhagen on Thursday The Danish Royal was given the task of distributing prizes at the EliteForsk awards to recognise leading researching with Denmark Wearing minimal make-up, Mary wore her hair in loose curls with a side-parting, the Danish Royal beamed as she arrived at the event on a Royal boat from Amalienborg Palace. The EliteForsk awards shows recognition to those who are leading in their research fields and aims to create awareness of the research taking place in Denmark. The EliteForsk Prize was first awarded in 2007, this year five of Denmark's best younger researchers under age 45 were given tributes. The mother-of-four who is married to the heir apparent to the throne was joined by her son Vincent, eight, as they stepped of a Royal boat from Amalienborg Palace Crown Princess Mary teamed a sleek crimson dress with a sweeping grey coat and nude heels, the effortlessly glamorous look was completed with minimal make-up The Royal who moved to the northern hemisphere to be with Prince Frederik after meeting in Sydney accessorized with simple jeweled earrings and a neutral clutch bag Crown Princess Mary who is married to Prince Frederik has four children; Prince Christian, 13, Princess Isabella, 11, and twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, eight. Mary who was born is Tasmania, first met Prince Frederik who is the heir apparent to the Danish throne at a bar in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics. The Royal couple married in 2004 . Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova prevented a provocation by an Armenian media representative directed against the Khojaly tragedy and Russia's position on this crime against humanity. The correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza reported that one of the Armenian journalists, accredited to the Russian Foreign Ministry, demanded that Maria Zakharova expresses her solidarity with Yerevan's negative assessment of the Russian parliamentary delegation's participation in commemoration ceremonies, dedicated to the Khojaly tragedy, which took place in Baku recently. Maria Zakharova stressed that Russia cannot deny the tragic losses suffered by both the Azerbaijani and Armenian peoples in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and does everything possible to avoid such tragedies in the future and resolve the conflict. "First of all, I would like to stress that the terrible, bloody Nagorno-Karabakh conflict brought death and suffering to many innocent people, both Azerbaijanis and Armenians. Although this is a well-known position, I an ready to reaffirm it once again," the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson said. "Our country is making significant, decisive efforts to assist the parties in finding a peaceful solution to this conflict. We will continue to give priority attention to this in the context of our policy in this region and approaches to shaping the Russian course in this direction," she stressed. Maria Zakharova also urged the Armenian journalist not to provoke the Russian Foreign Ministry. "You said that the event was attended by Russian PMs - I think it would be fair to ask them about it," the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson concluded. Meghan Markle was just feted by her closest pals during her lavish baby shower in New York City last week, but there is now another celebration being planned across the pond. The 37-year-old Duchess of Sussex's sister-in-law Kate Middleton will be hosting a second baby shower for the mother-to-be in the United Kingdom, Us Weekly has reported. 'There is still going to be some sort of private baby-centric event for Meghans UK people, and Kate will host,' a source told the outlet. Sisterly love: Kate Middleteon, 37, is reportedly throwing a second baby shower for her sister-in-law Meghan Markle, 37, in the UK Getaway: Meghan, pictured in New York last week, was treated to the lavish baby shower at The Mark Hotel's sprawling $75,000-a-night penthouse on February 20 'Her glam people and other relatives will be there,' the royal insider added. 'Not sure if its a total baby "shower," but you could probably call it that.' Meghan's mother Doria Ragland was in Los Angeles on the day of her daughter's shower in the Big Apple, but she is expected to attend her second party in the UK ahead of her first grandchild's arrival. The Duchess's UK baby shower was initially rumored to be taking place after she and Prince Harry finished their three-day royal of Morocco on Monday. However, a few days later, Kate and Prince William jetted off to Northern Ireland on Wednesday for a surprise two-day trip. The shower may be scheduled for immediately after their return, or it's possible that the party will take place closer to Meghan's due date, which is thought to be late April or early May. Reports that Kate and Meghan have been feuding may also be temporarily put to rest now that the Duchess of Cambridge is graciously throwing her sister-in-law a baby shower in the U.K. Rumors of a royal rift between the women began swirling after news emerged that Meghan and Harry will move away from Kensington Palace to make their home 25 miles away from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Windsor. Baby shower adjacent: Kate is hosting 'some sort of private baby-centric event for Meghan's UK people,' a source said Speculation: The Duchess's UK baby shower was initially rumored to be taking place after she and Prince Harry finished their three-day royal of Morocco on Monday (pictured) There were claims that Kate broke down in tears following Princess Charlotte's bridesmaid's dress fitting, ahead of Meghan and Harry's wedding in May, as well as suggestions the pair had clashed over staff. However, royal insiders have insisted that there has been no falling out between the Cambridges and the Sussexes, but admitted the pair are 'very different people.' A source previously told the Daily Mail's Rebecca English: 'While there are some tensions behind the scenes, Kate is pretty unflappable and nothing has become bad enough to make Harry and Meghan want to move out. 'People are genuinely pleased to see them so happy. The truth is that there simply isn't enough room at Kensington Palace for them and I know they have been looking at Windsor as a possibility since before the wedding.' Last week, Meghan celebrated her impending arrival with her closest friends in The Mark Hotel's incredible Grand Penthouse Suite, which costs a staggering $75,000 per night. The star-studded party that took place on February 20 was attended by Amal Clooney, Serena Williams, Canadian stylist Jessica Mulroney, and designer Misha Nonoo, among others. Timing: A few days after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's return home, Kate and Prince William jetted off to Northern Ireland on Wednesday for a surprise two-day trip Number one guest? Meghan's mother Doria Ragland was in Los Angeles on the day of her New York shower, but she is expected to attend the second party Meghan's entire trip to New York cost an estimated $500,000, and she flew back to the UK on a private jet paid for by Amal before embarking on a tour of Morocco. Kate likely skipped out on Meghan's first shower because it took place when her two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were off of school for the half term holiday. The royal family enjoyed the week at Anmer Hall, the Cambridges mansion on the Queens Sandringham estate, while Meghan was in New York. Guests at the lavish baby shower left the intimate gathering with high-end gift bags filled with luxe leather tote bags filled with the royal's favorite products. According to People, attendees were gifted Cuyana leather tote bags that were filled to the brim with products, much like Oscars swag bags. The totes, which retail for $175-$195 depending on style, included $67 Jo Malone Green Tomato Leaf scented candles, $65 Tatcha Rice Enzyme Powder, and $81 Susanne Kaufmann Body Butter. Treated like royalty: Guests at Meghan's lavish baby shower in New York City reportedly took home $700 worth of thank you gifts Luxe: Attendees were gifted Cuyana leather totes that were filled to the brim with some of the royal's favorite products. The totes cost $175-$195 depending on style Added touches: The totes featured $67 Jo Malone Green Tomato Leaf scented candles More gifts: Guests were also given $225 Away suitcases, which were delivered to The Mark Hotel ahead of Meghan's shower They also reportedly featured products from Rodin and Jessica Alba's company Honest Beauty. Brands often send celebrities free gifts in the hopes of getting press, and with Meghan's shower making headlines around the world, it's likely that companies were more than willing to offer up products for the guests' gift bags. Guests also scored some new luggage at the fete. On the day of Meghan's shower, about 17 Away suitcases were delivered to The Mark Hotel, each of which cost $225. Daniel Martin, Meghan's longtime friend and makeup artist, dished about the February 20 festivities in a new interview with People. 'It was exactly what she needed, and it was a reunion for all of us, too, who hadnt seen each other since the wedding,' he said. 'Snow was falling outside, and it was so cozy we all sat on couches or on the floor and told stories and caught up,' Daniel revealed. 'It was like going to a family reunion.' Gang's back together! Daniel Martin, who did Meghan's makeup for her wedding, described the shower as a 'family reunion' Nearest and dearest: Many of Meghan's closest friends who attended her wedding were there, including Amal Clooney (left) and Serena Williams (right) Goodies! Daniel recently shared a picture of the cookies from Meghan's star-studded baby shower in New York, saying he had 'such an incredible day celebrating' Lavish: The baby shower took place in the Penthouse Suite at The Mark Hotel, which is widely reported to be the most expensive per-night hotel room in the U.S. Another guest who spoke to People anonymously added: 'It was all baby talk. She was getting tons of advice.' Daniel also shared a photo from Meghan's shower, showing the cute rattle, bib, and stork-shaped cookies put out for attendees. Fellow guest Gayle King opened up about the intimate shower on CBS This Morning, revealing she and other attendees were taught how to arrange flowers at the party. Meghan then donated those arrangements to various charities. The anchor also said that she could not reveal the gift that she purchased for the royal because the guest of honor did not open any of her presents, choosing instead to wait until she got back to London and was with Prince Harry. With the royal just a few months away from her due date, there has been mounting speculation as to whether Meghan and Harry are expecting a girl or a boy. The Duchess reportedly told her friends at the shower that she is pregnant with a baby boy, according to Us Weekly. However, many have speculated that she is having a girl based on the decor at her extravagant baby shower. Behind-the-scenes: Earlier this week, a video that emerged on social that appears to give a glimpse at the decorations inside the penthouse party It's a girl? The buffet featured stork cake pops, macaron towers, and miniature slices of carrot cake. The Instagram poster noted that a majority of the confections were pink Added touch; The crowning glory was a two-tiered cake that featured a miniature paper cut out of Harry and Meghan standing next to a stroller The plot thickens: Megan reportedly told guests at her shower that she and Harry are expecting a baby boy, but earlier this month she said it was a 'surprise' Decorations for the shower started arriving the day before the bash, and there was plenty of pink from the blush-colored roses to the cotton candy machine that was brought into the hotel. Earlier this week, a video that emerged on social that appears to give a glimpse at the decorations inside the penthouse party. Royal fan account harry_meghan_updates shared a video on Instagram Stories, claiming that the short clip was actually captured inside the star-studded baby shower. The video shows a dessert table that features plenty of sweet treats, including four macaron towers from Laduree, which cost a total of $460. The footage also includes several hashtags including #EarlierThisWeek, #Royal #BabyShower and, perhaps most noticeably, #Girl, with the account speculating that the mostly-pink color scheme of the event suggests Meghan and Harry are expecting a little princess. It's also possible that she and Prince Harry are waiting until the day their royal baby is born to find out the gender. Earlier this month, the Duchess of Sussex was captured talking to a guest about her unborn child at the Endeavor Awards. 'We don't know,' she says in the clip shared by the royal fan Instagram account @harry_meghan_updates. 'Yes, we decided to keep it a secret, and then that way... it's one of those things, like, no matter what it is, it's still going to be a surprise.' Royal watchers have spotted an uncanny resemblance between the Duchess Of Cambridge's look today and that of a Harry Potter character. Kate, 37, donned a 1,735 Mulberry coat to accompany her husband William to the Braid Arts Centre in Ballymena, County Antrim on Thursday. And Twitter users couldn't help comparing her periwinkle coat to a style worn by Fleur Delacour in Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire. Sharing side-by-side photos of Kate and Fleur, who attended fictional French wizarding school Beauxbatons, social media users fawned over Kate's ensemble. The Mulberry coat worn by the Duchess of Cambridge (pictured left) caught the attention of eagle-eyed social media users today for its resemblance to a costume worn by Fleur Delacour (pictured right) in Harry Potter Fleur, played by Clemence Poesy, wears a blue caped coat with pointed collars as a uniform in the hit book and accompanying film, the fourth in JK Rowling's franchise. Taking to Twitter, one person said: 'Someone pointed out that Kate Middleton's blue coat resembles the ones worn by the French girls' school in Harry Potter and I cannot unsee it.' Another wrote: 'Would you look at Kate Middleton today! Channeling her inner Fleur Delacour and being a gorgeous queen.' A third added: 'I kept thinking to myself where I saw the coat that Kate wore today. I found it. Similar in my opinion. From Harry Potter movie. The Beauxbaton ladies.' A stream of Twitter users praised Kate for embracing a look similar to the Beauxbatons in the hit fantasy film The royal mother-of-three, teamed the cornflower 'Ashleigh' coat from Mulberry's AW18 collection with a dress from Jenny Packham, suede heels and a matching clutch bag. Kate appeared to have accessorized the look with her beloved sapphire earrings, which were originally gifted to her late mother-in-law as a wedding gift. The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William have spent two days attending engagements in Northern Ireland. Princess popular! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were greeted by hundreds of well-wishers eager to take their picture as they arrived at the Braid Arts Centre The mother-of-three could be seen wearing her beloved sapphire earrings, which were originally gifted to her late mother-in-law as a wedding gift One adorable younger girl presented Kate with a single pink flower, adding to the Duchess's growing collection A new study says that the majority of older mums secretly believe they were more attractive than their daughters at their age. Here, the Mail presents three such mothers - with one claiming her child wears too much make-up, while another says Botox makes her girl look older... I radiated youth, but bronzer and Botox make my girl seem older Disability support worker Julie Anne Naughton, 54, is married and lives in Sheffield. Her daughter, writer Laurie Woodruff, 30, is single and lives in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Aged 30: Julie Anne Naughton (left), from Sheffield, and her daughter, writer Laurie MUM JULIE: She refuses to grow old gracefully I never had a make-up routine when I was Lauries age bar a brief punk-rocker experiment in my teens, I just didnt wear it. By the time I was 30, I was a mother and had more pressing things to think about than looks. Laurie is a natural beauty, she doesnt need to wear so much make-up. Other people have commented that it actually makes her look older. When I compare our photos at the same age, I think I look much younger. Theres a freshness about me that just cant shine through those endless layers of primer, foundation, powder and bronzer on Lauries face. Julie, now 54: When I compare our photos at the same age, I think I look much younger As for her having Botox, Im of the generation that just doesnt see the point of it. Its fake and epitomises everything thats wrong today. What long-term damage is she doing? And what happens when she stops? Im concerned about the pressure she feels to look a certain way. This drip-drip-drip corroding influence on girls self-esteem is so damaging. I want to grow old gracefully. I wish my daughter would, too. DAUGHTER LAURIE: Im just more glamorous! Mum has never been interested in make-up. When she goes out, I always end up doing it for her. By the time Mum was 30, she had a family. Although she kept her figure, she didnt focus on making herself up every day. Im the opposite: I wear a lot of make-up and, even though I think Mum was naturally pretty back then, I think I look better for it. I first had Botox when I was 21. Now, I have it done every three to four months around my eyes and along my forehead and frown lines. Mum thinks Im insane, but it makes me look better. I wish shed give it a go to see how she could look, too. I know this sounds over-the-top, but theres so much pressure on my generation to look just right. If I went bare-faced, I wouldnt feel myself. Mum looked fabulous at 25 - and still does at 63 Vicky Smith, 63, is retired and lives in Duston, Northampton, with her husband Allen. They have two daughters. Civil servant Philippa, 25, is engaged and lives in Northampton. Aged 25: Vicky Smith (left), from Northampton, and her daughter, civil servant Philippa MUM VICKY: I took care of myself but had no confidence At Philippas age, I was very critical about how I looked. I was convinced that a good photo of me simply didnt exist. I certainly wouldnt have voted for me back then. Its only now that I can look at my 25-year-old self and modestly admit that, actually, I didnt look so bad after all! When you compare how we each lived our lives at the age of 25, theyre remarkably different. Vicky, now 63: Its only now that I can look at my 25-year-old self and modestly admit that, actually, I didnt look so bad after all! Philippa works 12-hour shifts, which often include nights. It means that she regularly opts for convenience food or will eat out with her partner. When I was her age, ready meals didnt exist. A night out at a restaurant was for special occasions only. In fairness, I had a nine-to-five job, which allowed me to cook from scratch every evening. The consumption of alcohol is something else that has changed. When I was 25, a bottle of wine might last me the whole weekend! I find some of the beauty trends that women Philippas age are following alarming. The promotion of injectable fillers scares me to death. Its unnatural and how will it age? Looking back, I recognise that, in your 20s, your self-confidence is just forming. Thats why its much better to focus on who you are on the inside and work with what youve got. DAUGHTER PHILIPPA: Shes taught me to love the skin Im in Mums always told me that you have to make the best of what youve got. Shes my inspiration because she has taught my sister and me to look after our skin. From a young age, I watched her take the time to cleanse and moisturise her skin every night. Mums approach has rubbed off on me. Her meticulous habits meant that she always, always ensured her skin was make-up-free before she went to bed. She also encouraged us to start using anti-ageing products as soon as possible to protect our youthful skin. At 25, she looked fabulous and she still does at 63. However, I definitely go out a lot more than Mum did in her early 20s. Most weekends, I enjoy late nights and that means waking up with a hangover! As a result, I am sometimes guilty of falling asleep with my make-up still on, which, to this day, is something Mum would never do! Her quick flick approach to grooming just looks so timeless and classic. The pressure nowadays to look done all the time is constant. The general thinking is that you always need to have a perfect selfie face. You have to be camera-ready. I would like to grow old gracefully like my mum. Im hoping if I put in enough effort now, I will futureproof my face just like Mum did. Dani's such a classic beauty, but wears too much make-up Shop assistant Jean Thompson Crowe, 62, is single and lives in Norwich. Her daughter, actress Dani Thompson, 35, is also single and lives in London. Aged 35: Jean Thompson Crowe (left), from Norwich, and her daughter, actress Dani MUM JEAN: She tries too hard... I was fresh-faced at her age Ive always had great self-esteem and Im not interested in what other people think of me. Growing up in Pakistan, I was taught to stay out of the sun. It was the best advice Ive ever had. I think I looked pretty good at 35 and definitely younger and more fresh-faced than my daughter does at the same age. I used to worry about Dani going on sunbeds all the time, but she wouldnt listen. You never think about the future at that age. Now, she overcompensates with make- up and Botox. Shes too young for such procedures. Shes got such classic looks, she doesnt need to bother with all the make-up. Jean, now 62: I used to worry about Dani going on sunbeds all the time, but she wouldnt listen. You never think about the future at that age I see so many women her age wearing too much of it. Its such a shame; its who we are on the inside that counts. DAUGHTER DANI: Yes, I overdid sunbeds so Ive turned to Botox When I was younger, I was always desperate to have a tan, so, at 18, I started using sunbeds four to five times a week. I was modelling at the time and only stopped when I changed career at 28. Consequently, my skin has aged more quickly than Id like and I have some lines on my forehead, so, two years ago, I started having Botox a couple of times a year. By comparison, my mum was very natural at my age and didnt have a single wrinkle. I dont feel Im as good-looking as she was back then. Thats probably why I wear so much make-up! Im relieved I have this help available Id hate to go out bare-faced. Make-up is a protective mask. ... but this mum says: I wish I'd had her looks! Author and mother-of-five Emma Heatherington, 42, is from Donaghmore, County Tyrone. Her daughter Jade, 17, is at college studying for her A-levels. Aged 17: Emma Heatherington (left), from County Tyrone, and her daughter, student Jade MUM EMMA: My girl has timeless beauty and so many products Jade is much prettier than I was at her age, but thats down to her being a classic beauty. She has a timeless grace. Ever since she was a baby, she has received compliments on her looks. Emma, now 42: Jade is much prettier than I was at her age, but thats down to her being a classic beauty I was the eldest of six children, so we bought things everyone could use and vast selections of make-up werent on the agenda! We didnt have the products or the know-how to enhance our looks the way Jades generation does. But beauty comes from within. I teach my children its a privilege to get older. My mum died at 36, so I never saw her grow old. DAUGHTER JADE: Sorry Mum, but you could definitely have used my help! I love my mum, but theres just no contest I look much better than she did at my age! Its not her fault the Nineties were all about the grunge look: permed hair, baggy jeans and little or no make-up. She could definitely have used my help. I have three different make-up bags and my morning routine takes up to 40 minutes. It might sound like a lot, but its normal for my generation. I love how I look and Im so happy Im a 17-year-old in 2019, not 1994. She welcomed the Peruvian president to Spain last night with an opulent state banquet. And the festivities continued on Thursday when King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia hosted another reception in their guest's honour. Spain's royal couple donned their finery for an evening with President Martin Vizcarra and his wife Maribel Diaz at the Royal Palace. Accompanying her husband, Letizia dazzled in a pale purple bodycon dress festooned with silver sequins in the shape of stars and snowflakes. Scroll down for video The Spanish royals welcomed Peru's President last night - and the festivities continued on Thursday when King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia (pictured) hosted another reception in their guest's honour at Madrid's royal palace Glittering affair: Spain's royal couple (left) donned their finery for an evening with President Martin Vizcarra (third left) and his wife Maribel Diaz at the Royal Palace The unusual lilac gown is a custom version of a look from French label Nina Riccis AW 2017 collection and is an old favourite of Letizia, who first wore it in March 2017. She teamed it with a pair of 335 silver platforms from Artemisa, a thin metallic belt and diamond stud earrings. The President of Peru and his wife are on a three-day tour of the country, and today made a visit to the contemporary art fair ARCO at the IFEMA Exhibition Centre in Madrid with their royal hosts. They were welcomed by the royal couple upon arrival in Madrid on Wednesday before they watched a parade by the royal guard. Last night, the Spanish royals threw a state dinner in honour of Peru's first couple at the Royal Palace. Letizia in Nina Ricci. The unusual lilac gown is a custom version of a look from French label Nina Riccis AW 2017 collection and is an old favourite of Letizia, who first wore it in March 2017 The king and queen don their finery. Accompanying her husband, Letizia dazzled in a pale purple bodycon dress festooned with silver sequins in the shape of stars and snowflakes Letizia, left, wore a dress by Nina Ricci. She teamed it with a pair of 335 silver platforms from Artemisa, a thin metallic belt and diamond stud earrings The Spanish royals at last night's banquet. The President of Peru (second left) and his wife (far right) are on a three-day tour of the country, and are set to inaugurate the contemporary art fair ARCOmadrid tomorrow, of which Peru is a guest country Letizia looked sensational in a sweeping lilac Felipe Varela ballgown and ceremonial sash, which she teamed with the Mellerio Floral tiara and her wedding earrings. The diamond-studded heirloom piece, made in 1879, previously belonged to her mother-in-law Queen Sofia, until King Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014. Letizia married into the Spanish monarchy in 2004, following a successful career as a journalist and newsreader. Felipe and Letizia are parents to 13-year-old Leonor, Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofia of Spain, 11. King Juan Carlos I abdicated from the Spanish throne five years ago, making way for his son, now King Felipe VI. Sarah Jessica Parker is known and idolized around the world for her sense of style, acting, perfume line and eponymous shoe collection. The 'Sex And The City' star can now add wine maker to her resume, having just announced her partnership with New Zealand-based Invivo Wines. Sarah Jessica Parker x Invivo will launch in summer 2019 with a focus on Sauvignon Blanc and Rose wine. Fashion Icon: Sarah Jessica Parker is known and idolized around the world for her sense of style, acting, perfume line and eponymous shoe collection. The 'Sex And The City' star can now add wine maker to her resume, having just announced her partnership with New Zealand-based Invivo Wines 'I am a true wine lover and I love including wine in family dinners and occasions with friends, so this is a very exciting and fun project for me, said SJP. 'I'm so looking forward to every single stage of the creation, and I intend to be very hands-on throughout the process, as I am with all my endeavors.' The star admits to Invivo co-founders and school buddies, Tim Lightbourne and Rob Cameron, that she drinks a glass of wine at the end of every work day. This new collaboration with SJP is not a celebrity endorsement for Invivo; the actress will be involved in every aspect of the new wine, from the naming and label design to the wine making itself and choosing the final blend. SJP is also a shareholder in the company, making this a long-term venture for both parties. 'We want this wine to be 100% Sarah Jessica Parker. So other than selecting the base wines for a Sauvignon Blanc and Rose, Ill be taking a back seat and letting her create the blends,' explains Rob. 'It comes down to SJPs palate and preferences. We want to create wines that she truly loves and wants to drink and share with friends.' 'Im so looking forward to traveling to New Zealand to see where the grapes grow and the wine is made, said the actress. 'The boys even brought me a pair of gumboots (a New Zealand term for galoshes) which they assure me are the height of Kiwi vineyard fashion. Regardless, happy to have and perhaps even wear them.' They're not galoshes, but SJP's resort shoe collection recently hit shelves. If the show-stopping designs are any indication of what her wine is going to be like, we can't wait for summer! Here's a sampling. Left: SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker Celia Embellished Sparkle Slide Sandals, $450; neimanmarcus.com. Right: SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker Women's Halo Strappy High-Heel Sandals, $395; bloomingdales.com A shake-up of maternity services means pregnant women in the UK will now be provided with maternity budgets of 3,000 to pay for personal midwives and home births. Experts predict the move will lead to thousands of women shunning hospitals in favour of their own beds. But obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Lucy Lord fears new mothers are taking unnecessary risks if they opt to have their babies at home. Here, writing for The Hippocratic Post, Dr Lord, who completed her medical training at King's College, London, explains why she believes it is 'wrong' to encourage it. Home births are almost three times more likely to result in stillbirth and death in the first week of life So I am out of the loop. Out of touch with maternity care in the UK, you could say. After all, I do not practise medicine in the UK. I trained in England, my country of birth, before being relocated, courtesy of my husbands job, to a lecturers post in obstetrics in Hong Kong. That was 27 years ago. I will continue in private obstetric practice in Hong Kong until I retire, or someone forces a scalpel from my cold dead hand or I am struck off. So theoretically I am a relatively disinterested observer of the maternity care of another country where I shall never practise again. In reality, I am saddened, confused and disappointed by the current proposed direction of maternity care in the UK, I presume precipitated by the conclusions and recommendations of The National Maternity Review, commissioned by NHS England and published on February 23,2016. The review suggests that expectant mothers should be given an NHS personal budget and should be left to decide where to have their baby and what to spend the money on. The implication of the narrative around this review is that, even for first time mothers, all options are reasonable and its all about personal preferences. THE DANGERS OF HOME BIRTHS A clear message that should be given to all first-time mums is that choosing to deliver at home significantly increases the risk to your baby. This has been downplayed and instead the message is that its simply a matter of preference for the mother like choosing where to go on holiday and that a choice for a home birth will always be endorsed and actively supported by all health professionals. Dr Lord says a clear message that should be given to all first-time mothers is that choosing to deliver at home significantly increases the risk to the baby Lets look at the facts. Birth is the most dangerous journey we make. From 24 weeks gestation to the first week after birth, one in 100 babies die. A clear message that should be given to all first-time mums is that choosing to deliver at home significantly increases the risk to your baby Women are rightly concerned about this risk and the risk of their babies being born with a disability. For thousands of years the purpose of natural childbirth was to ensure that most women and most babies survived and the human race continues via natural selection. Natural childbirth was never a means to ensure that all the hopes and aspirations of individual mothers could be met. The big change happened in 1940, when penicillin, for the first time, made Caesareans safe enough to ensure that saving the baby did not also kill the mother. That was the dawn of everybodys real choice in childbirth. That is not to say that everyone should opt for Caesareans far from it. But it did change the rules of engagement when choosing between a home and an obstetric unit birth. WHY HOME BIRTHS SEEM APPEALING So from a first-time mums perspective, why would I choose a home birth? Lots of reasons, Im the first to admit. The inner dialogue would go something like this: 'First of all, I get a community midwife they are all lovely familiar and on the TV. Even better I get a named midwife who does all my care and becomes almost like a friend. 'I get to call her Julie or Sue. She has been trained to be compassionate and empathetic and has good communication skills and calls me by my first name and very rarely does she tell me bad news or ask me to make difficult decisions about numbers and risk. 'I love talking to her about all my choices because none of them are scary. 'We talk about how to manage the pain by breathing or whether I want a water birth, a Tens machine or to get in the bath. Watching programmes like Call the Midwife may have romantacised the perception of home births, she says 'We discuss how relaxation is very important and I should choose my music and maybe some essential oils and when to call her and should I have my husband and my sister with me? 'Theres also the debate about what position I want to push in. I have told her I dont want an episiotomy but I do want delayed cord clamping which she says is all fine. 'She knows lots about childbirth and more than anyone else about natural birth which is what I have chosen to have. Women never forget losing a baby, but the impact of taking home a baby with disability is catastrophic 'I cant really think about risks of bad outcomes. I am already very scared about whats going to happen and worried if my baby is going to be ok. 'Midwives are a lot nicer than obstetricians we dont see obstetricians very often and we never see the same one twice. 'They do not become our friends and we are not sure what to call them. When we do see them its often about bad news or they ask us to decide between two things that we dont want. 'I get the feeling the midwife doesnt really agree with them. I dont understand exactly what obstetricians do. 'There are lots of stories about mistakes they have made doing forceps deliveries and Caesareans and failing to save babies or being sued for causing brain damage. 'You dont hear much about midwives being sued or babies dying at home so home birth feels a lot safer, familiar and its natural. From 24 weeks gestation to the first week after birth, one in a hundred babies die. But having them in a hospital setting minimises the risk, Dr Lords says 'Natural things must be safer after all childbirth has been happening for thousands of years so why do we need to fix something thats not broken? 'I want to avoid all interventions and monitoring the babies heart rate trace because thats when things start to go wrong.' Thats all the kind of things in the mind of the woman who is expecting her first baby. THE BRUTAL REALITY In reality the facts are stark. According to the Birthplace cohort study, published in 2011, first-time mothers in England who planned to give birth at home were almost three times more likely to have a dead or damaged baby, labelled in the study as a 'primary outcome' (still birth, death in the first week of life, brain damage, nerve damage, fractured limbs or lung damage) than women who chose to give birth in a hospital setting. First-time mothers in England who planned to give birth at home were almost three times more likely to have a dead or damaged baby The absolute risk is significant 9.5 per 1000 babies with adverse outcomes in the planned home delivery group. This is despite the fact that 45 per cent of first-time mums were transferred from home to an obstetric unit. This compares with 5.3 per 1000 babies with 'primary outcomes' in the planned obstetric unit setting. So at least one per cent of women (as not all harm to the baby was measured) will probably never know whether their baby would have lived or have been less damaged if they had chosen to give birth in hospital. They will however have to live with the fact that they chose a birth setting in which their baby was three times more likely to suffer a significant adverse outcome. Denying, minimising or falsely reassuring mothers about this risk is misguided. Women never forget losing a baby, but the impact of taking home a baby with disability is catastrophic. The NHS commissioners should worry about women blaming the NHS for these tragedies. This isnt the problem. The problem is that women always blame themselves. Litigation is a way of lessening the guilt and sense of responsibility cognitively, but in their hearts the guilt lies with them. No mother would agree to an increased risk to their baby, even if it meant an idealised better birth outcome at home for themselves, she argues Offering women a choice and actively supporting a strategy that results in a significant increase in the risk of harm to their baby is plainly wrong when there is no long-term benefit to mothers or their families. Involving mothers in critical choices about childbirth, when maternity services are in crisis and there is huge dissent about strategies for good care, (no matter how these choices are sugar-coated), will not protect mothers, their babies or the NHS. 45 per cent of first-time mums were transferred from home to an obstetric unit I have listened to the fears and hopes of mothers for over 30 years. These have included women from mud huts in island villages surrounding the Northern District hospital in Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu; Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong in the late 1980s; indigent Chinese immigrants and Chinese boat people, the full range of multicultural London and finally a culturally diverse private practice in Hong Kong. Having discussed birth-plans and childbirth with these women, it became clear that they were united by a common theme they were all prepared to make significant sacrifices to ensure that no harm came to their babies during the process of childbirth. I find it difficult to believe that women in England now have significantly different priorities. In my view, if the Birthplace cohort study findings are presented to women in a clear and unbiased fashion, the only first-time mums who will chose a home birth are those who do not believe the validity of the study or do not believe it applies to them. None of them with their eyes wide open would agree to an increased risk to their baby, even if it meant an idealised better birth outcome at home for themselves. Nancy Botbyl was in a dire situation. Due to a genetic condition, her kidneys were failing. Doctors told her that she would either need a transplant or she would have to begin kidney dialysis. Several relatives and friends were tested to see if they were a match to donate a kidney to the 56-year-old grandmother from Sandusky, Ohio, including her husband Gregg, but none were eligible. She was out of options, until doctors at the Cleveland Clinic discovered that she might fit into a highly unusual alternative that they were working on. David Labocki, of Akron, Ohio, was also in need of a kidney transplant but his wife, Danae, was ineligible to donate. They also had an anonymous donor who wanted to donate her kidney to her friend who was also in need of a transplant. The anonymous donor turned out to also be eligible to donate to David but they still needed a kidney for her friend. So Nancy and Gregg were asked if they would be willing to fit into this three-way kidney transplant or 'kidney swap' where Nancy would get a kidney from Danae and Gregg would donate his kidney to the anonymous donor's friend - meaning that all three people in need would get a second chance at life. The Cleveland Clinic has performed its first ever three-way kidney transplant, which works with three couples, one who is healthy and one who needs a transplant. The healthy member of the couple donates his or her kidney to someone else in exchange for their partner or friend who needs the kidney Nancy Botbyl, 56, was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease, a genetic condition that could lead to kidney failure. By 2017, doctors told her she was in need of a kidney transplant. Pictured: Nancy with her husband, Gregg, on their wedding day in April 2018 David Labocki, 43, from Akron, Ohio, had a transplant seven years ago but his body began rejecting the kidney and he was in need of a new transplant. Pictured: David with his wife, Danae Nancy first overheard her parents talking about polycystic kidney disease (PKD) when she was just 14 years old. PKD is a genetic disorder that causes fluid-filled cysts to grow in the kidneys. These cysts can change the shape of the kidneys, reducing kidney function and potentially leading to kidney failure. Her mother had been diagnosed with the disease and her parents were worried that Nancy might have it too. Nancy had no symptoms until she was about 30 years old. She'd been experiencing recurrent UTIs, back pain, and a belly pooch that wouldn't shrink - which she later learned was because her kidneys were growing. Finally, when she had a kidney stone that wouldn't pass, she learned that she had PKD. Her condition gradually worsened but, one joy in the midst of constant tests and doctors' visits was meeting her husband Gregg in December 2015 on OurTime, a dating website for people above age 50. After chatting back and forth for a few weeks, they agreed to meet up. 'It's one thing to talk online but it's another thing to meet in person,' Nancy told Daily Mail Online. 'But after we did, I saw him every day.' Nancy said one reason she resisted getting married was because of her kidney disease. 'I kept hesitating getting married because I told Gregg: "I don't want to be a burden. If something happens to me I don't want to burden you with it",' she said. 'And he would keep saying to me: "I love you, you're not a burden".' As Nancy's kidney function continued to decline, she thought about going on the Kidney Transplant Waitlist but she remembered the long wait her mom endured. 'My mom was on that list for 12 years and, when she finally got the transplant, she only lived two more years after that,' she said. Several of Nancy's family and friends were tested to see if they were a match, including Gregg, but they were either not a match, not eligible to donate because of their age or had too many medical conditions to be considered as a donor. After no matches were found and doctors told David that there was a four percent chance of finding a donor, the Labockis (pictured) signed up for the National Kidney Registry Nancy (pictured, with Gregg) decided to sign up for the Registry after rememvering the 12-year wait her mom endured while on the Kidney Transplant Waitlist Finally, after searching online, Nancy and Gregg discovered the National Kidney Registry, a non-profit organization that lists recipients in need of a transplant and living donors who are eligible. The group works to increase the speed of transplants by pairing up donors and recipients resulting in two- or three-way swaps. The three-way transplant works with three couples, one who is healthy and one who needs a transplant. The healthy member of the couple donates his or her kidney to someone else in exchange for their partner or friend who needs the kidney. This particular three-way chain began with a woman who originally went to Cleveland Clinic to be tested for her friend who needed a kidney transplant. The woman, who has asked to remain anonymous, qualified as a match for her friend, but she was also a match for David Labocki. Seven years ago, David, from Akron, Ohio, needed a kidney transplant. His wife, Danae, was not a match but his brother, Matt, was and donated his kidney to David. David's body slowly began generating so many antibodies that it eventually started rejecting the kidney, meaning he was in need of a new transplant. However, doctors told him there was only a four percent chance of him finding a donor. So, when the anonymous woman proved to be a match for David, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic asked if she would be willing to participate in a kidney swap. In return for the woman donating her kidney to David, Danae would be donating her kidney to Nancy - and Gregg would be donating his kidney to the friend of the unnamed woman's friend. David (pictured) received a match from an anonymous donor who originally tested for her friend in need. In return, Danae would donate her kidney to Nancy and Gregg would donate his kidney to the anonymous donor's friend All the surgeries took place at the Cleveland Clinic with David's scheduled for April 30, Nancy's and Danae's scheduled for May 1 and Gregg's for May 2. Pictured: Danae, left and right, recovering after her surgery Dr Alvin Wee, surgical director of the Renal Transplantation Program at Cleveland Clinic, was one of three surgeons involved in all three procedures. It is the first of its kind performed at the Cleveland Clinic and incredibly rare. While two-way kidney transplant swaps are becoming more of a regular occurrence, three-way procedures are less likely to occur. 'The first issue is logistics. All six members have to agree to have surgery on the same day or over the course of a couple of days,' he told Daily Mail Online. It is commonplace with three-way kidney transplant for the surgeries to all occur simultaneously and in the same place so a recipient does not withdraw from donating after their loved one receives a kidney. The surgeries were scheduled to take place between April 30 and May 2 at the Cleveland Clinic. Less than 24 hours after her surgery and against doctor's wishes, Nancy sneaked to another floor to visit Gregg while he was in recovery (pictured) 'The second issue is finding the match. It seems easy once you have all six people, but organizing it is hard,' Dr Wee said. Nancy credits Gregg with saving her life because if he hadn't agreed to donate his kidney, she says she would have been lingering for months on the transplant waitlist. 'If he hadn't stepped up and done this, I would be hooked up to a kidney dialysis machine three days a week,' she said. When the couple was first enrolled in the National Kidney Registry, in December 2017, they was told that the wait list was anywhere from 12 to 18 months Gregg convinced Nancy that now they had no reason to not get married while they waited, and so they set a wedding date for April 22. The same month they were to get married, Nancy got a call that a three-way swap had been arranged between her and Gregg and two other couples. The pair decided to still have their wedding, before their children and grandchildren, and on May 1 and 2, the clinic scheduled Nancy and Gregg for their respective surgeries. 'We always say that we spent our honeymoon at the Cleveland Clinic,' Nancy said. According to Nancy, both of their surgeries went very well. Because her procedure was first, she was in recovery when it was time for Gregg's. Her doctors advised against her traveling to another floor, especially less than 24 hours after a major surgery. 'After surgery, they get you up to try walking around. And they had me doing that in the hallway, and I was like: "If I can make it to the end of the hall, I can make it to him",' she said. 'So I was in the hallway and heading towards the elevator and my daughter Amanda was coming off of the elevator and was like: "What are you doing?" and I said: "I'm going to see Dad".' Amanda ended up taking Nancy to Gregg's floor so she could see him and hold his hand before convincing her to head back to her own floor. Dr Wee explained that by the time Gregg donated his kidney, the kidney function of the friend of the anonymous donor had improved. Therefore, Greggs kidney was donated to someone outside the Cleveland Clinic and his intended recipient was enrolled in the advanced donation program so she can receive a kidney when she is eligible. Dr Alvin Wee, one of three surgeons involved in all three procedures, says he hopes that people in need of kidney transplants feel that there are options for them than just waiting on the transplant list. Pictured: David and Danae Labocki Nancy said that Gregg was able to go back to work four weeks after the procedure and that she feels better than she has in five years. Pictured: Nancy and Gregg Gregg's recovery at the Cleveland Clinic lasted two days and Nancy's lasted three before they were both sent home. 'Gregg has been a CVS store manager for 19 years and he has to unload trucks he does a lot of running around the stores,' Nancy said. 'But he was going crazy sitting at home. After four weeks, he said: "I feel well enough to go back to work." And he did.' Nancy said her recovery took a little longer because she had been 'so sick' before the transplant. 'Despite taking longer, I felt more clearheaded than I'd felt in five years,' she said. 'I use to start a sentence and forget where I was halfway through. I finally felt well again.' Dr Wee said he hopes that people in need of kidney transplants feel that there are options for them than just waiting on the transplant list. 'Just because one donor is not compatible with you does not mean it's the end of the line for you,' he said. 'There are heroes out there that who are willing to go above and beyond for you. And it really shows the goodness of their hearts to help three people - their friend or spouse and people they've never even met before.' Fears have been raised that an isolated Amazonian tribe could be 'wiped out' after a measles outbreak has swept through their community. Nearly two dozen Yanomami have sought treatment for measles-like symptoms amid a rampant outbreak in Brazil that has struck hundreds. One case has already been confirmed among the 35,000-strong spiritual tribe, who live deep in the world's biggest rainforest, between Brazil and Venezuela. Nearly two dozen Yanomami have sought treatment for measles-like symptoms amid a rampant outbreak in Brazil that has struck hundreds One case has already been confirmed among the 35,000-strong spiritual tribe, who live deep in the the world's rainforest, between Brazil and Venezuela 'These tribes are the most vulnerable peoples on the planet,' said Stephen Corry, director of Survival International, a campaign group for tribal people's rights. 'Urgent medical care is the only thing standing between these communities and utter devastation. 'When tribal people experience common diseases like measles or flu which theyve never known before many of them die, and whole populations can be wiped out.' Many more could be sick in Venezuela, where Survival International said it is harder to get information amid the country's economic crisis. Survival International said a measles outbreak among the Yanomami in the 1960s killed nearly 10 per cent of those infected. The tribe are also under threat from thousands of gold-miners working illegally on their land, transmitting diseases and polluting the rivers and forest with mercury. 'These tribes are the most vulnerable peoples on the planet,' said Stephen Corry, director of Survival International, a campaign group for tribal people's rights Many more could be sick in Venezuela, where Survival International said it is harder to get information amid the country's economic crisis More than 460 cases of measles have been confirmed in two Brazilian states that border Venezuela, Roraima and Amazonas. The outbreak in Brazil, home to 207 million people, comes two years after the World Health Organization declared the Americas free of measles. Officials fear the cases have been imported from Venezuela, where health services have collapsed and cases of measles have soared. Hundreds of thousands have fled the crisis-ridden South American nation as its economy has been left ruined. More than 2,000 cases have been recorded in Venezuela since the infection began spreading last year, official figures show. Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads easily through the air, by coughing, sneezing or even just breathing. Symptoms of measles include fever, runny nose, cough, sore throat and a rash that spreads over the body. It can be life-threatening in one in 15 cases. Brazilian health officials battling to contain the outbreak have offered vaccinations to both unprotected locals and refugees who register with the police. Some 200 cases of measles have been confirmed in Roraima, and a further 263 in Amazonas. But hundreds more are being investigated. Three other states Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia and Mato Grosso have also had confirmed cases of measles, which can lead to pneumonia. Survival International said a measles outbreak among the Yanomami in the 1960s killed nearly 10 per cent of those infected WHAT IS MEASLES, WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND HOW CAN YOU CATCH IT? Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads easily from an infected person by coughing, sneezing or even just breathing. Symptoms develop between six and 19 days after infection, and include a runny nose, cough, sore eyes, a fever and a rash. The rash appears as red and blotchy marks on the hairline that travel down over several days, turning brown and eventually fading. Some children complain of disliking bright lights or develop white spots with red backgrounds on their tongue. In one in 15 cases, measles can cause life-threatening complications including pneumonia, convulsions and encephalitis. Dr Ava Easton, chief executive of the Encephalitis Society told MailOnline: 'Measles can be very serious. '[It] can cause encephalitis which is inflammation of the brain. 'Encephalitis can result in death or disability.' Treatment focuses on staying hydrated, resting and taking painkillers, if necessary. Measles can be prevented by receiving two vaccinations, the first at 13 months old and the second at three years and four months to five years old. Source: Great Ormond Street Hospital Advertisement It comes after Public Health England issued another warning for people to check they have had both doses of the MMR jab as the infection continues to spread. Some 643 people have been diagnosed with the contagious infection in England this year, and there are large outbreaks across Europe. The number of cases in England is rising quickly the figure has increased by more than half since the beginning of May, when 440 cases had been confirmed. There were over 13,000 reported cases of measles on the continent in the year leading up to April, with the most in Italy, France, Greece and Romania. PHE said it is important for travellers to make sure they are vaccinated because adults who catch measles are more likely to end up in hospital than children. Loud snoring could be an early warning sign for dementia and memory problems, scientists say. People with obstructive sleep apnoea, which often causes heavy snoring, did worse in memory tests and have changes in the brain linked to dementia, a study found. At least half a million Britons suffer from the condition, which is common in middle-aged overweight men and causes the walls of the throat to narrow during sleep, stopping breathing. Scientists from Sydney University now suggest this could shrink parts of the brain by reducing oxygen levels in the blood. The study found those with sleep apnoea had reduced thickness in their left and right temporal lobes, which are memory centres of the brain and linked to dementia. Scientists say that loud snoring could be an early warning sign for dementia and memory problems These brain changes were linked with poor performance in a memory test where people were given a 15-item list and asked to recall it after 20 minutes. Professor Sharon Naismith, who led the study from the Brain and Mind Centre at Sydney University, said: Our results suggest that we should be screening for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in older people. She added: We should also be asking older patients attending sleep clinics about their memory and thinking skills and carrying out tests where necessary. There is no cure for dementia so early intervention is key. On the other hand, we do have an effective treatment for OSA. 'This research shows that diagnosing and treating OSA could be an opportunity to prevent cognitive decline before its too late. The study found those with sleep apnoea had reduced thickness in their left and right temporal lobes, which are memory centres of the brain and linked to dementia The Australian researchers recruited 83 people over 50 who were concerned about memory problems to a sleep clinic. Participants slept normally while airflow through their nose and blood oxygen levels were recorded. Graded on an index for sleep apnoea, 63 of the 83 had a mild to severe form of the condition. The results, published in the European Respiratory Journal, show those with low levels of oxygen in their blood had reduced grey matter in their temporal lobes. This loss of brain volume has been linked to the devastating memory loss in dementia patients. And, while the study did not look at dementia, it found that people whose brain changes showed up in MRI scans performed worse over five memory trials using lists of 15 items. Professor Naismith said: Between 30 and 50 per cent of the risk for dementia is due to modifiable factors, such as depression, high blood pressure, obesity and smoking. In recent years, researchers have recognised that various sleep disturbances are also risk factors for dementia. Sleep apnoea can be treated using a continuous positive airway pressure device, which prevents the airway closing during sleep. A psoriasis sufferer who used to hide her skin now sees her blemishes as an 'accessory' and even dresses to show them off. Katrina Desjardins, 21, from London, Ontario, was devastated when the psoriasis plaques that used to just affect her scalp spread over her entire body last year. The painful patches, which go up to the size of a 'beachball', left her miserable when they would crust and bleed, forcing Ms Desjardins to endure cruel stares from strangers. After covering herself from head-to-toe and wishing her appearance was different, the support of her boyfriend Jesse, 22, and best friend Victoria, 21, encouraged her to see her disorder differently and wear a bikini in public. Ms Desjardins, a former telemarketer, said: 'I have accepted it as part of who I am. I take a peaceful attitude towards it, rather than struggling and wanting it to be different, I want to love and accept myself the way I am.' She is speaking out to encourage other psoriasis sufferers to be confident in their own skin. The condition affects around two percent of people in the US and UK. Scroll down for video Katrina Desjardins, who used to be ashamed of her psoriasis, now sees her blemishes as an 'accessory' and even dresses in colours that bring out their pink pigments After covering her skin from head-to-toe, she decided to wear a bikini on holiday last April Ms Desjardins' boyfriend Jesse (pictured), 22, encourages her to wear crop tops WHAT IS PSORIASIS? Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that affects the skin and sometimes the joints. Around two per cent of people in the US and UK suffer from the condition. Psoriasis occurs when a person's skin replacement process takes place within days rather than the usual 21-to-28 days. The accumulation of skin cells builds up to form raised plaques, which can be flaky, scaly and itchy. Psoriasis arthritis can occur in the joints near affected skin, causing them to become tender, swollen and stiff. Anyone can suffer, but psoriasis is more common in people in their late teens-to-early 30s or those between the ages of 50 and 60. Psoriasis' cause is unclear. Flare-ups can be triggered by stress, skin injury, hormonal changes and certain medications. It is not contagious and there is no cure. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms via topical creams, gels and medication. Source: Psoriasis Association Advertisement 'It's just part of me' Speaking of her newfound confidence, Ms Desjardins said: 'To me now, when I look in the mirror it's just familiar and part of me that I'm used to seeing. Sometimes it feels like an accessory if I'm wearing clothes that match the colour. 'I have always loved pink, so I have lots of nice pink pastels that go well with my psoriasis. 'If I try to look at myself and think how I would appear without psoriasis, it feels so weird and I think I would feel naked. 'Sometimes when I see my friends' bare stomachs it's weird because I'm so used to seeing colour on my own body now. She added: 'It's pretty fantastic now, I can leave the house and not even really think about other people looking at me. 'Recently, I walked through a big crowd wearing a crop top and shorts and didn't think about anyone looking at me. It wasn't something that was on my mind at all. 'Now I'm trying to display and show to other people that it's ok and not the worst thing in the world, hopefully they will feel more comfortable about their psoriasis too.' Ms Desjardins has accepted her blemishes and say she would feel 'naked' without them After feeling ashamed for so long, she says she no longer cares what others may think 'I was covering my skin because I was ashamed' Speaking of how her condition took a turn for the worst, Ms Desjardins said: 'It spread to my entire body, my scalp, forehead, the back of my ears, torso, arms and legs, the only place it isn't is my hands and feet. 'When I was working in telemarketing I would cry in the bathroom, but I've taken steps to take care of myself and have grown to accept it. 'On my stomach they all expanded together so it's almost my entire torso that is covered, a similar size to a beach ball. 'It felt like something foreign on my body that I didn't want there, it was a constant sight every day and I wished it wasn't on me. She added: 'I struggled to come to terms with it for a long time and tried to hide it for as long as I could. 'I was always trying to cover my skin, I wore long sleeves and pants, no matter how hot it was, so I was always uncomfortable. 'I was covering my skin all the time because I was pretty ashamed, it happened so quickly that I didn't have time to adjust and it was a shock.' Ms Desjardins insists it is better to face your fears and be true to yourself than hide away Ms Desjardins' newfound confidence means she enjoys fashion and borrows friends' clothes 'It's better to face your fears then hide away' During a cruise holiday in April, Ms Desjardins confronted her fears and wore a bikini. Ms Desjardins said: 'When the weather started to get nicer my boyfriend encouraged me to wear crop-tops, despite knowing I didn't like showing my skin. 'Then I went for a cruise with my best friend for eight days and that was instrumental in helping me. 'Because I was always with her, she was constantly telling me that I looked great and not to worry about my psoriasis. 'On the cruise, people were very open and curious, one person told me about their husband having it and kids came up to me interested in what it was. 'I figured out it's better to face your fears head on then hide them away longer, it wasn't doing me any good to hide it.' She always covered up, even in hot weather, which made her uncomfortable (before) While on holiday, Ms Desjardins' best friend Victoria, 21, told her how great she looked 'I have decided this is what I am' Ms Desjardins documents her progress online in the hope of empowering others. She said: 'I didn't expect everyone to be so overwhelmingly supportive, people have told me they love seeing my posts. 'Now I borrow all my friends' clothes, I wear cute summer dresses and feel great wearing crop tops and shorts. 'Before I used to be anxious and sad, I used to break down crying to my boyfriend all the time, psoriasis was one more stress to deal with. He can attest to me being happier now. 'I have decided this is what I am. People can judge me but I know I have friends and people who love me, so I can't be doing too badly.' The North Caucasus District Military Court has sentenced five citizens of Russias Ingushetia Republic to between 12 and 20 years in a maximum security colony for plotting terror attacks on the territory of the French Embassy in Moscow overnight to January 1, 2017 and illegally storing weapons. The court ordered to "recognize the defendants guilty on all charges." Magomed Amatkhanov was sentenced to 20 years, Salamkhan Sampiyev and Ruslan Esmurziyev to 17 years, Elberd Kharsiyev to 13 years and Khusen Kitiyev to 12 years in behind the bars, TASS reported. Other charges include involvement in the activity of the ISIS (terror group, outlawed in Russia) in Ingushetia, preparations for terror attacks in Moscow on the territory of the French Embassy and in the subway on New Years Eve in 2017 and also storing weapons and explosives. The court found convincing the evidence that in January 2016 Esmurziyev and Sampiyev, the followers of the ISIS group, joined a banned cell via the Internet. Later, Amatkhanov, who fought in Syria on the side of the IS in July-August 2014, also joined them. Medicinal cannabis is not effective in relieving chronic pain, a four-year long study suggests. Patients who used cannabis to combat their agony actually experienced more pain than those who didn't. They also coped less well with their discomfort and reported it was interfering more in their life, Australian researchers uncovered. The trial comes as the UK Government looks set to overturn its stance on medicinal cannabis, following years of fierce campaigning. Officials have already publicly announced there is 'conclusive' proof that medicines that contain the drug can help treat conditions, including chronic pain. Medicinal cannabis is currently legal in the majority of states in the US, Canada, Uruguay, the Netherlands and Australia among others. An array of evidence has emerged in recent years to suggest the drug has the power to tackle various conditions, from multiple sclerosis to epilepsy. Patients who used cannabis to combat their agony actually experienced more pain than those who didn't, a study found But the study, published in a prestigious journal, suggests there is a need for caution as there was no clear role for cannabis in treating pain. Researchers at University of New South Wales conducted the trial on nearly 1,400 patients in chronic pain that wasn't caused by cancer. Subjects had reported being in pain for a median of 10 years, and they had all taken opioids to help, such as morphine and fentanyl. A quarter of the volunteers had reported using cannabis to treat their pain, revealed the study published in The Lancet Public Health. Participants who relied on cannabis were up to 17 per cent more likely to have higher pain scores than those who had never used it. And they also had a fifth higher chance of the debilitating pain interfering with their life. The trial, led by Dr Gabrielle Campbell, provided 'no evidence' that cannabis cut down the use of opioids - despite previous beliefs. How prescriptions for medicinal cannabis could be available soon Charlotte Caldwell and her son Billy, 12 Prescriptions for medicinal cannabis in exceptional cases could be available within a fortnight. An expert panel announced by the Government amid outcry over the case of severely epileptic boy Billy Caldwell began accepting applications for licences for the drug from senior clinicians on Wednesday. The Home Office announced the panel will make 'swift' recommendations to ministers, who will then sign off on applications within two to four weeks. If given approval, doctors can then start writing prescriptions for their patient, while ministers decide whether to remove cannabis's banned status as a medicine. Doctors will have to show there is an 'exceptional clinical need' and no other medicine would be suitable for their patient in order to convince the panel. The panel was announced during the controversy over the department's confiscation of cannabis oil from Charlotte Caldwell as she attempted to bring it into the UK for her son. A 20-day emergency licence was granted for 12-year-old Billy, from Co Tyrone, after he was admitted to hospital in a critical condition having suffered multiple seizures. Advertisement Dr Campbell said: 'Chronic non-cancer pain is a complex problem. For most people, there is unlikely to be a single effective treatment. But she added 'we found no strong evidence that cannabis use reduced participants' pain or opioid use over time'. The use of medicinal cannabis has been increasing worldwide. In recent years, Spain, South Africa, Uruguay and several states in the US have even made cannabis legal for recreational use. Pressure has been increasing on the UK to follow suit and update its drug policy, with many citing weed's medicinal properties. Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced a review of the medicinal use of cannabis in the middle of June. He made the move in a statement to the House of Commons in the wake of a series of appeals from parents who want their children to be able to access medications which can alleviate epilepsy and other illnesses. Mr Javid revealed he had authorised a licence to be issued for six-year-old Alfie Dingley, after his mother said she had been waiting three months for Prime Minister Theresa May to fulfil a personal assurance that he would be allowed to receive cannabis oil. Speaking to the House of Commons, Mr Javid stressed at the time that the class B drug would remain banned for recreational use. England's chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies recommended medicinal cannabis should be able to be prescribed following the first part of the review. She said: 'There is now conclusive evidence of the therapeutic benefit of cannabis-based medicinal products for certain medical conditions.' The Government is expected to reach a decision on whether doctors will be able to prescribe medicinal cannabis in the next fortnight. Chronic non-cancer pain is the most common reason cited for medicinal use, but patients also use it to combat MS, epilepsy and chemotherapy pain. The new study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council - a branch of the Australian Department of Health. An emergency stock of powerful flu vaccines may cause narcolepsy, and scientists are still trying to work out why. In 2009, the H1N1 or swine flu pandemic swept the globe, killing an estimated 284,000 people. In many countries in Europe, people were given an adjuvant vaccine against the illness, meaning it contained ingredients intended to ramp up the body's immune responses to the flu exposure. Many people still got the flu, and scientists noticed a spike in cases of the rare sleep disorder, narcolepsy, following the pandemic. Now, researchers believe the shot may have triggered an autoimmune disease that in turn caused narcolepsy and are attempting to prove it before another swine flu pandemic heads for the US and we need to dip into the adjuvant stockpile. Though the link couldn't be established int he US, where the adjuvant shot wasn't used in 2009, experts told Stat that we should still be wary of its neurological effects. After the 2009 swine flu epidemic there was as surge in cases of narcolepsy in countries that used an immune response-boosting ingredient in their flu vaccines For healthy adults, the flu does not typically pose a serious threat (although this most recent season served as a reminder that no one is truly safe from a powerful strain). Young children, on the other hand, are particularly susceptible to the illness. The younger they are, the less their immune systems have been exposed to and the weaker they are. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) caution that children under five can easily develop serious and even life-threatening complications of the flu and are more likely to wind up hospitalized. For that reason, the agency urges parents to make sure that all children over six months old get a flu vaccine each year. These families are far more likely to be concerned that their child stays safe from the flu than they are about their son or daughter suddenly developing narcolepsy. But after the 2009 pandemic, European families now have to think twice about the flu shot their kids get. Following the swine flu outbreak, an increase in cases of narcolepsy was reported first in Finland, then in the UK and several other nations. The spike was traced back to one particular vaccine, called Pandemrix, which is made by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline in Europe. Formulas for flu shots vary and Pandemrix belongs to the adjuvant category of vaccines. Adjuvants are ingredients added to vaccinations to give them a power boost. Flu shots introduce the body to the virus and adjuvants encourage a stronger immune response to this initial exposure, which should help the body fight off the flu itself. But what is good for the immune system's response to flu may actually make the same immune system attack itself, leading to narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is an autoimmune disorder, meaning it results from the body's attacks on its own brain cells. It causes the immune system to target cells that produce a chemical called hypocretin. This chemical keeps us alert and holds us back from slipping into REM sleep at the wrong times. Without it, narcolepsy sufferers don't follow normal patterns of waking and sleeping, and may instead find themselves unbearably tired at odd times and seem to fall asleep suddenly, even in the middle of a task. The rare disorder, which only affects one in every 2,000 people in the US, starts early in life for most, but can come on at any point in adolescence or adulthood. Scientists remain unsure exactly how the adjuvant vaccines might trigger the narcoleptic autoimmune response, but the link established strongly enough in Finland and the UK for the CDC to post a notice about it. Most people who got the vaccine in 2009 didn't get narcolepsy, so scientists think the shot might be just one of several hits to the immune system that can cause it to break down and lead to narcolepsy. 'So now our hypothesis is that the flu in some circumstances can produce an immune reaction that turns wrong, and instead of clearing the flu, is also attacking the hypocretin neurons. And then you have narcolepsy,' Stanford University sleep disorder expert Dr Emmanuel Mignot told Stat. In 2014, the CDC published their own investigation into whether or not there was a similar link in the US, but concluded there was not. Two years later, another study was unable to find strong enough evidence to to link the two in the US, but many remain wary of the adjuvant shot. For one, the US did not use the adjuvant shot. In fact, H1N1 was new to the country, and the distributed seasonal vaccine did not even protect against the powerful strain of the virus. But now, the US does stockpile the adjuvant in question, AS103, so when pandemic levels of H1N1 viruses return - and experts say it is a matter of 'when' not 'if' - it is entirely possible that a spike in narcolepsy cases could follow. Common drugs taken by patients with high blood pressure and heart problems have been recalled amid fears they could cause cancer. British pharmacists were today warned a change in how valsartan is manufactured has caused a dangerous impurity in several medications. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) revealed the fault stems from a Chinese facility making the active substance. The Government-run body, which polices the safety of medical products, warned the impurity is a proven carcinogenic in animals. European health officials are working together to investigate the extent of the issue and any possible impact for patients. A recall is also underway across the continent, following in-depth investigations into medicines containing valsartan. There is no evidence it has caused harm. British pharmacists were today warned a change in how valsartan is manufactured has caused a dangerous impurity in several medications Reports from media in Denmark suggest the impurities found in the medicine may stretch back five years. UK officials have yet to confirm that. 'There is no acute health threat to patients, but we know from trials with animals that it can cause cancer,' Doris Stenved, chief physician of the Danish Medicines Agency, told DR Nyheder. 'We dont know if it has the same effect on humans, we just know its a substance that should not be in the medicine.' Valsartan is an important prescription medicine used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. It is also sometimes prescribed after a heart attack. All batches of valsartan affected in the UK contain medicines made by Dexcel Pharma Ltd and Accord Healthcare, once known as Actavis Group. The active substance - manufactured by Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals - is used in a number of medicines marketed in Europe. The MHRA said the recall is simply a precaution - and warned patients should not simply stop taking the pills, if they are affected. Dr Sam Atkinson, of the MHRA, said: 'People taking valsartan medication affected by this recall are advised to not stop taking their medication.' Instead, he said they should 'speak to their doctor or healthcare professional who can advise on alternative treatment'. Dr Atkinson added: 'We continue to undertake an urgent review of all these products that may pose a low risk to public health. 'We will communicate the outcome of our investigations and ensure that any other affected products are recalled. 'We strongly encourage anyone taking valsartan medicines to report any suspected side effects, to us via our Yellow Card Scheme.' It comes after the MHRA today also issued a recall of scores of faulty tourniquets that may not stop patients from bleeding to death. First responders and hikers were urged to check if they have a SAM XT Extremity Tourniquet, which can cost in the region of 40. A problem in the sewing of the gadget may cause the seam holding the buckle to the belt to fail when used to stop blood flow, officials warned. A scathing new report reveals scientists have been accepting huge kick-backs after approving drugs for the US market - some receiving more than $1 million in rewards. For a drug to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, it needs to pass a panel of medical researchers. The FDA is mandated to flag any conflicts of interest that scientists may have, which could affect its approval. But a new investigation by Science magazine has found scientists routinely receive lucrative pay-backs after the fact. According to the Science investigation of 107 doctors who advised panels in the last four years, 40 took home more than $10,000 in rewards such as hotels, or to fund their next research project According to the investigation of 107 doctors who have advised panels in the last four years, 40 took home more than $10,000 in rewards such as hotels, or even to fund their next research project. More than half of those (26) received more than $100,000, and seven received more than $1 million. Investigative journalist Charles Piller found none of the payments he uncovered had been reported by the FDA, despite being mentioned in journals. One financial conflicts expert told Piller that the findings show 'it's in [scientists'] best interests to play nice with these companies' because they 'often stand to gain tremendously in their further professional careers from a positive relationship with the company.' The financial rewards came in many forms, including payment for consultation, to give lectures, to travel to and stay at conferences, and so on. The article singles out one particular case as an example: Dr Jonathan Halperin, a cardiologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Halperin received $1.9 million of indirect research funds from AstraZeneca after approving Brilinta, a drug to treat stroke survivors which became a best-seller in the US. He also received $7,500 of direct funds from the the company, Piller found. Defending his position, Halperin told Piller that receiving payment for a lecture or a consultation is 'the same thing' as 'having an insurance company giving you a check for seeing a patient'. He added that he is far more experienced and qualified to be assessing drugs on an approvals panel 'than a bunch of unconflicted high school students.' He did, however, concede that 'this [practice] could lead to people acting in ways that you would not want them to do.' The article also looks at the conflicts behind the approval of an antipsychotic medication, also manufactured by AztraZeneca, which triggered a cardiac arrest in a US Army soldier who was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Piller also exposes the FDA's failure to uphold its own imperfect rules around conflict of interest. The FDA declined to comment. Four in ten family doctors plan on leaving the profession or retiring within the next five years. GPs are blaming increasing workloads and declining morale with half admitting they have brought forward plans to walk away from the vocation. Some 42 per cent of GPs polled said they intended to leave or retire within five years, up from less than a third (32 per cent) in 2014. Meanwhile, almost a fifth (18 per cent) said they would leave or retire within the next two years. The findings suggest the current GP crisis is set to worsen, making it even harder for patients to get appointments. More than 40% of GPs intend to leave the profession in the next five years, an increase of almost a third since 2014, research from the University of Warwick shows Researchers from University of Warwick questioned 929 GPs from the Wessex region about their experience of working in primary care. Of the respondents, nearly 700 were aged between 35 and 64. Nearly six in ten (59 per cent) said morale had worsened over the past two years, with workload a major issue. Half of GPs said they were working longer hours than two years ago, while more than a quarter (27 per cent) said they had deliberately cut their hours. Of those, 72 per cent said this was due to the intensity of their workload and 30 per cent put it down to stress and the effect on their mental health. Health leaders have warned the GP crisis means one in six posts are currently unfilled, making it increasingly difficult for patients to see their family doctor. Official figures show one in ten patients now face waits of at least three weeks to see someone at their local practice. Despite the government vowing to create 5000 additional GP posts by 2020, recent figures suggest that a further shortfall of 1300 full-time GPs has developed. Many are choosing go abroad for better lifestyles, while high numbers are a retiring early to avoid hefty taxes which kick in when their pension pot exceeds 1million. JUST HOW BAD IS THE GP CRISIS? A single GP is having to cover night-time home visits for a population of half a million, The Daily Mail revealed last week. In a stark illustration of the crisis in out-of-hours care, the doctor was found to be solely responsible for an area of 1,346 square miles. Ten years ago, eight GPs shared the workload in Shropshire. The situation was blamed on lack of cash and a shortage of GPs prepared to carry out unsocial hours. Cover is so poor that patients trying to see a doctor at evenings or weekends have been told to drive an hour over the border to get help in Wales. A mother of a sick child was offered consultations an 80-mile round trip from her Ludlow home. Dying cancer patients have been left in agony because there was no GP available to administer morphine. And sources said on some nights there is no GP cover at all a claim vehemently disputed by Shropdoc, the firm charged with providing the service. Advertisement Officials admitted last year that four in ten GPs were quitting the NHS within five years of finishing their training. Meanwhile, recruitment drives for foreign doctors are struggling to keep pace with the rising demand. In the latest survey, GPs suggested increased funding, more doctors, better education of the public and expanding non-clinical and support staff would all improve GP retention. The researchers said that while some of these initiatives had been brought in, the effects were yet to be seen. The poll further found that 41 per cent of GPs felt the increasing demands, expectations and complexity of patients was one of the greatest problems facing general practice. This included people with more complex health problems, who were often older. Lead author Professor Jeremy Dale, from Warwick Medical School, said findings all point to falling levels of job satisfaction among GPs. He said: 'Many GPs clearly feel that this is too little, too late and have failed to experience any benefit from these initiatives and are unable to sustain working in NHS general practice. 'Intensity of workload and volume of workload were the two issues that were most closely linked to intentions to leave general practice, followed by too much time being spent on unimportant bureaucratic and administrative tasks. 'There's a worsening crisis in general practice. The situation is bad, it is getting worse and GPs are feeling increasingly overworked and increasingly negative about the future.' Earlier this week, the Mail revealed how just one GP is having to cover night-time home visits covering a population of half a million in Shropshire. Proposals in the NHS long-term plan including more funding and increasing the workforce are desperately needed, the authors say. He added: 'The point that came through repeatedly in the survey was that GPs felt that we've gone a long way down the road of insufficient investment and insufficient reward. Turning this around will be a mammoth task.' Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, said: 'GPs are under intense strain - our workload has escalated in recent years, both in terms of volume and complexity, but we have fewer GPs than we did two years ago. 'There is some great work ongoing to increase recruitment into general practice, and we now have more GPs in training than ever before, but when more family doctors are leaving the profession than entering it, we are fighting a losing battle. 'The NHS long-term plan has aspirations that will be good for patients - but we will need the workforce to deliver it.' Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour's Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary, said it highlighted the ongoing crisis within primary care. He said: 'Properly resourced General Practice is absolutely key to keeping people well and relieving wider pressures on the NHS, yet having spent time on the front line with GPs, it's obvious morale is low - our GPs are overworked and under resourced with many experiencing burn out. 'It's time for a sustainable, fully resourced, funding solution for GPs and community care, along with credible measures to retain existing staff and recruit for the future. Ministers must act, otherwise patients will lose out once again.' The war on superbugs is putting elderly people at risk of dying with sepsis, experts have warned. GPs are under intense pressure to reduce the number of antibiotics they give out, in a bid to stop infections becoming resistant to treatment. The NHS offers local health boards additional payments if they bring down their prescription rates, and doctors are in turn pressured to give drugs to fewer patients. GPs have been repeatedly told they risk creating a 'public health catastrophe' by doling out too many drugs - and at one point in 2015 they were even warned they could be struck off for overprescribing. A study published in the British Medical Journal suggests this pressure may be putting vulnerable people at risk. The findings suggest that older adults (especially men aged over 85) should start taking antibiotics as soon as possible after diagnosis to prevent serious complications It reveals elderly people are regularly being denied antibiotics for infections, raising their chance of sepsis eight-fold and doubling their risk of death. The study contains the biggest acknowledgment to date that the campaign against overuse of antibiotics may be having disastrous unintended consequences. The Royal College of GPs welcomed the study, warning that family doctors are being put in an impossible position. It said GPs are 'publicly vilified' for too-readily giving out drugs, but know that witholding the drugs can be a 'matter of life and death'. The new study, led by experts at Imperial College London, assessed the medical records of 157,000 English pensioners diagnosed between 2007 and 2015 with urinary tract infections (UTIs) - one of the most common reasons for antibiotics to be prescribed. The academics found 22,500 people - about 7 per cent of the total - were not given antibiotics at all. And another 19,300 - some 6 per cent - had to go back to their GP a second time before they received a prescription, with a delay of seven days. PATIENTS ARE TAKING ANTIBIOTICS FOR TOO LONG Patients who manage to get a prescription for antibiotics are given them for too long, researchers say. GPs often issue antibiotics for longer than the duration set down by Public Health England. Experts from the University of Oxford and Brighton and Sussex Medical School examined antibiotic duration for 13 infections from 2013 to 2015. The conditions included ear infections, sinusitis, sore throats, coughs, bronchitis, pneumonia and cystitis. Antibiotic treatments for upper respiratory tract infections, ear infections, coughs and bronchitis accounted for more than two thirds of the total prescriptions. Of these, 80 per cent or more of the treatment courses exceeded guideline recommendations, which are set at five days for most respiratory and ear infections, researchers found. More than half of the antibiotic prescriptions for cystitis in women were also for longer than the recommended three days. Advertisement Those who were not given antibiotics were at an eight-fold increased risk of developing sepsis compared to those given antibiotics straight away, the researchers found. And they were twice as likely to die as a result. Of those who had a delayed prescription - a common tactic used to reduce antibiotic use - the risk of sepsis increased seven-fold and the risk of death rose 16 per cent. The researchers estimated that for every 37 patients not given antibiotics one case of sepsis would occur that would not have been seen with immediate antibiotics. The academics stressed that even this increased risk remains small - those who were not given antibiotics had just a 2.9 per cent risk of developing sepsis. But they said pressure on GPs is driving the problem. 'The question remains as to why a significant proportion - about 7 per cent - of vulnerable older patients had a diagnosis of UTI but were not prescribed antibiotics,' the academics wrote. 'It could be patient or doctor choice, but it is also possible that antimicrobial stewardship programmes and quality premium payments are encouraging a culture of more judicious antibiotic use. 'Public Health England recently reported a 13.2 per cent reduction in antibiotic prescribing in primary care between 2013 and 2017.' They added: 'A decline in antibiotic use may... harm vulnerable older populations who are already more likely to develop UTI related complications and bloodstream infection. 'Our findings suggest that GPs consider early prescription of antibiotics for this vulnerable group of older adults in view of their increased susceptibility to sepsis after UTI and despite a growing pressure to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use.' Study author Professor Paul Aylin, whose team's work was funded by the research arm of the NHS, said: 'Although antibiotic prescribing must be controlled to help combat the increasing problem of antibiotic resistance, our study suggests early use of antibiotics in elderly patients with UTIs is the safest approach.' Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said family doctors are being put in 'an incredibly difficult position'. 'We are under huge pressure not to prescribe - and publicly vilified when we are deemed to do so too readily - yet, we know that in some cases antibiotics are a matter of life or death,' she said. 'Getting the balance right every time is extremely challenging.' She acknowledged the 'huge threat' of antibiotic resistance and said the drugs are not a 'cure-all for every illness'. But she added: 'Antibiotics are also important, life-saving drugs and it's vital that doctors are not deterred from using them when they think it's appropriate to do so.' Experts have long warned 'antibiotic prohibitionists' may deprive patients from getting vital treatments. Professor Alan Johnson from Public Health England, who collaborated on the research, defended the drive to reduce use of the drugs. 'Antibiotic resistance is a major threat to public health that is being driven by the overuse of antibiotics,' he said. 'Current recommendations suggest healthcare professionals take a number of different factors into account when deciding whether to prescribe antibiotics immediately or consider deferring antibiotics for patients with a suspected urinary tract infection. 'This study highlights the importance of taking age into account when making clinical decisions about antibiotic prescribing in order to reduce the risk of complications. 'This work will help doctors target antibiotic use more effectively and improve patient wellbeing.' The US has counted more measles cases in the first two months of this year than in all of 2017 - and part of the rising threat is misinformation that makes some parents balk at a crucial vaccine, federal health officials told Congress Wednesday. Yet the vaccine is hugely effective and very safe - so the rise of measles cases 'is really unacceptable,' said Dr Anthony Fauci, infectious disease chief at the National Institutes of Health. The disease was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, which means it was not being spread domestically. But cases have been rising in recent years, and 2019 is shaping up to be a bad one. Republican and Democratic lawmakers at the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing bemoaned what's called 'vaccine hesitancy,' meaning when people refuse or delay vaccinations. 'These outbreaks are tragic since they're completely avoidable,' said Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky. 'This is a public health problem for which science has already provided a solution,' agreed Rep. Frank Pallone, D-NJ. Republican and Democratic lawmakers at the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing bemoaned what's called 'vaccine hesitancy,' meaning when people refuse or delay vaccinations How dangerous is measles? Measles typically begins with a high fever, and several days later a characteristic rash appears on the face and then spreads over the body. Among serious complications, 1 in 20 patients get pneumonia, and 1 in 1,000 get brain swelling that can lead to seizures, deafness or intellectual disability. While it's rare in the U.S., 1 or 2 of every 1,000 children who get measles dies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How does it spread? By coughing or sneezing, and someone can spread the virus for four days before the telltale rash appears, Fauci warned. The virus can live for up to two hours in the air or on nearby surfaces. Nine of 10 unvaccinated people who come into contact with someone with measles will catch it. Fauci called it 'one of the most contagious viruses known to man.' How widespread is measles? In the U.S., the CDC has confirmed 159 cases so far this year in 10 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. That compares to 372 cases last year, and 120 in 2017. But measles is far more common around the world - the World Health Organization said it claimed 110,000 lives in 2017. The WHO says there's been a 30 percent increase in measles cases in recent years. Unvaccinated Americans traveling abroad, or foreign visitors here, can easily bring in the virus. For example, a huge outbreak in Madagascar has caused more than 68,000 illnesses and 900 deaths since September. But you don't need to go as far as Madagascar - common tourist destinations like England, France, Italy and Greece had measles outbreaks last year, noted CDC's Dr. Nancy Messonnier. Nearly 83,000 people contracted measles in Europe in 2018, the highest number in a decade. How many U.S. children are vulnerable? Overall about 92 percent of U.S. children have gotten the combination vaccine that protects against measles, mumps and rubella, known as the MMR vaccine. Two shots are required, one around the first birthday and a second between age 4 and 6. Full vaccination is 97 percent effective at preventing measles. But the CDC says 1 in 12 children doesn't receive the first dose on time, and in some places vaccination rates are far lower than the national average. For example, an outbreak in Washington state is linked to a community where only about 80 percent of children were properly vaccinated. Is the vaccine safe? Yes, said Fauci and Messonnier, who point to decades of use by millions of children each year - and who made sure their own children were vaccinated. In the late 1990s, one study linked MMR vaccine to autism but that study was found to be a fraud, and Fauci said later research found no risk of autism from the vaccine. Still, misinformation about MMR safety is widespread. Fauci said the solution isn't to criticize people who have no way to know what's false. Instead, 'we need to education them to show them what the evidence is.' Why isn't everyone vaccinated? Some people can't be immunized for medical reasons - including infants and people with weak immune systems - and most states allow religious exemptions. But while vaccination against a list of contagious diseases is required to attend school, 17 states allow some type of non-medical exemption for 'personal, moral or other beliefs,' according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In Washington state, lawmakers are debating ending that personal or philosophical exemption, as are several other states. California ended a similar exemption in 2015 after a measles outbreak at Disneyland sickened 147 people and spread across the U.S. and into Canada. An 'extraordinarily rare' type of twins created from one egg and two sperm have been identified by medical experts. The unnamed brother and sister, who are deemed 'semi-identical' by scientists, are now 'beautiful and healthy' four year olds. Their 28-year-old mother's egg was fertilised naturally by two sperm from the same father one carrying an X chromosome and one with a Y, researchers revealed. At first doctors in Australia assumed the pair were identical, but then realised they were different sexes, which is impossible for identical twins. The phenomenon is extremely rare because these babies often do not survive in the womb this is believed to be only the second time it has been recorded. Researchers said the 'extremely rare' phenomenon was caused by the mother's egg being fertilised by two of the father's sperm at the same time and each twin being formed from a different part of their father's DNA (illustrated image) At first, doctors wrongly assumed the foetuses were identical twins because an ultrasound taken early in the pregnancy showed them sharing the same placenta. But a later ultrasound showed they were different sexes and medics realised something extraordinary had happened. Experts at the Queensland University of Technology said, after fertilisation, the egg split into three embryos with DNA from two sperm. One of the embryos did not develop but the remaining two went on to grow as twins, each with different genetic material from the father. The twin boy and girl, who live in Brisbane, were found to share exact copies of their mother's DNA, but only 78 per cent of their paternal DNA matches. The girl has already had her ovaries removed because doctors were concerned she might be particularly vulnerable to cancer. 'It turned out that the girl just had some changes in her ovary that people weren't comfortable with, so unfortunately she had to have her ovaries out,' said Dr Michael Gabbett. 'The boy is continuing to have his testes monitored,' he added, saying doctors are using ultrasound scans to track the boy's development. 'Otherwise,' Dr Gabbett said, 'the two twins are beautiful kids, well and healthy.' The only other reported instance of semi-identical sesquizygotic twins was in 2007, and that wasn't identified until after birth. They were brought to the attention of doctors because one had 'ambiguous' genitalia. In the case of the two children, who live in Brisbane and are now 4-and-a-half years old, the mother's egg was fertilised with one sperm carrying an X chromosome and one with a Y (stock photo) The case was revealed in a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine, which confirmed the phenomenon is rare but could not estimate how often it happens. Almost all twins are either fraternal in which two eggs and two sperm create two separate embryos, or identical in which one embryo is fertilised by one sperm and splits into two embryos. 'This is confirming there is this third type of twinning where it's not fraternal and it's not identical. It's this strange place in between,' Dr Gabbett said. All sperm carry DNA from the father, but different sperm contain different sections, which is how siblings look different and can be different sexes. A man's genome his entire set of DNA is spread throughout millions of sperm but only a fragment can be passed on to one child. For example, men have XY chromosomes some of his sperm contain X chromosomes and some Y, and which sperm fertilises the egg will dictate the sex of the baby (X produces a girl, Y a boy). To test whether the phenomenon might be more common than doctors believed, Dr Gabbett's team examined an international database of 968 fraternal twins and their parents, but none showed the same pattern. Paralympic snowboarder Amy Purdy is recovering and well after a risky surgery to remove a blood clot from one of her thighs. Prior to the operation, Purdy revealed she would likely lose either her entire leg or her one kidney because surgery to save one would compromise the other. But today, the 39-year-old medalist told fans everything went well - and doctors believe they may have achieved the near-impossible: saving both. Purdy, 39, had her legs amputated below the knee and both kidneys removed during a battle with sepsis and meningitis at 19. This week she faced losing her entire leg or her kidney but she is hopeful she won't Thanks to prosthetics, Las Vegas-born Purdy was able to get back on the slopes and triumph on the global stage, winning a Paralympic bronze in 2014 and silver in 2018 'Surgery took place yesterday and grateful that it went well,' Purdy wrote on Instagram. 'We are also checking my kidney this morning to make sure it handled everything well.' The Catch-22 situation boiled down to contrast dye. The dye is key for doctors to use in MRI scans and surgery as they locate the clot to treat, monitor and remove it. But that dye can prove toxic to transplanted or diseased kidneys, raising the risk of two rare, serious disorders: CIN and NSF. CIN (contrast-induced nephropathy) only affect two percent of the population, but it can trigger a sharp decline in kidney function within as little as three days. In some cases, it can cause irreparable damage to the blood vessels and heart. NSF (nephrogenic systemic fibrosis) can be fatal. It triggers a burning reaction in the skin, joint stiffness, and muscle weakness. Worryingly, it can take up to three months to appear. Writing on Instagram, Purdy said: 'They had to use contrast [dye] but promised me it was a small amount so fingers crossed that my kidney powered through like the powerhouse it is. My dad reassured me that before he gave it to me he put it through much worse.' Purdy was 19 when she had both legs amputated below the knee, her spleen removed, both kidneys removed and one kidney transplanted - donated from her father - to save her life from meningitis and sepsis. Thanks to prosthetics, Las Vegas-born Purdy was able to get back on the slopes and triumph on the global stage, winning a Paralympic bronze in 2014 and silver in 2018. But her reliance on her prosthetics led to a blood clot in one of her thighs, which doctors feared would require removing the entire leg - a move that would take years to accustom to. The operation to save the leg, though, puts strain on the transplanted kidney, which she needs to prevent another transplant or a life on dialysis. Purdy rides during a training session on December 16, 2013 in Copper Mountain, Colorado Purdy is hopeful that she won't have to face either prospect. Living through this alone has been a lot to handle. 'As you can imagine, all of this has once again shifted my perspective,' she wrote. 'Our bodies are so strong yet so delicate at the same time. Being an athlete and having prosthetic legs, I have conditioned myself to power through so much. 'That is what has led me to where I'm at in my life but that's the paradox because it also led me here. 'Although I had zero symptoms until a few days before, I realize the pressure I've been putting on this leg for quite some time. Just a reminder to listen to those little whispers and put our health and self-care first!' A toddler spent four days in hospital after catching herpes from a so-called 'deadly kiss'. Kalo Hoy's parents noticed small red spots forming across his face, chest and arm last month. His mother, Lorna Hoy, 27, from Salford, claims their fears were dismissed twice by doctors. It wasn't until their third attempt to seek medical advice that their concerns were actually taken seriously, she said. Kalo tested positive for the herpes simplex virus - something doctors suggest he caught through kissing an infected adult. Kalo Hoy, now two, spent four days in hospital last month after his parents, Lorna Hoy, 27, and Andy Briggs, 34, noticed small red spots forming across his face, chest and arm Kalo tested positive for the herpes simplex virus - something doctors suggest he caught through kissing an infected adult The mother-of-four is now sharing her story to raise awareness for the virus, which, if not treated quickly, can be fatal in children. Kalo has since made a full recovery after his time in hospital. It is unclear who may have passed the virus onto him. Ms Hoy said: 'Kissing children on their mouths and sharing cutlery is a common way to catch herpes, as it's spread through saliva.' The full-time mother added: 'I never thought this would happen to our family. 'Kalo had red spots all over this face, chest and arm before he was diagnosed with herpes. 'He had ulcers in his mouth and needed injections in his eyes to ensure the infection hadn't spread to them as this could've blinded him. His mother, Lorna Hoy, 27, from Salford, claims their fears were dismissed twice by doctors (pictured together recently) Kalo has since made a full recovery after his time in hospital. It is unclear who may have passed the virus onto him (pictured after his ordeal) Kalo - who was admitted to Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester on January 12 - needed an intense course of IV antibiotics in a bid to rid him of the infection (pictured after his ordeal) Andy Griggs, 34, a bus driver, added: 'Kalo had struggled to eat days before his diagnosis which was a real worry for us as parents' (the pair are pictured together in hospital) Herpes can be very serious in newborns due to their immune systems not being strong enough to fight off the infection (pictured with his father, Mr Briggs) The couple who have three other children, Jayden, eight, Kaci, six and Jenson, four, are now sharing Kalo's shocking hospital photos, which show how quickly the herpes virus spread across his face, in a bid to raise awareness Ms Hoy said: 'As a family never thought this would happen to us but we're so lucky that Kalo pulled through after his treatment' WHAT IS HERPES? Herpes viruses cause cold sores, which most commonly appear on the lips or genitals. Around seven in 10 people in the UK are infected with the viruses. However, only around one in three experience symptoms. In the US, around half of young adults are infected with the virus that causes cold sores around the mouth. One in eight have the virus behind genital herpes. Cold sores on the lips most commonly get passed on by being kissed by someone with an active cold sore. They begin as a small red patch that blisters before bursting, leaving a raw area that scabs. Cold sores that appear on the face are most commonly caused by the herpes simplex type 1 virus. Type 2 mainly affects the genitals. It is rare for cold sores to spread away from the site they first appeared in. And they are only transmitted by direct skin contact, not by sharing items such as towels or cutlery. Oral sex is a common way for cold sores to pass from a person's mouth to another's genitals or vice versa. Once infected, sufferers may initially experience a fever and flu-like symptoms. Cold sores can reappear if triggered by stress, illness, alcohol or too much sunlight. This is because the virus stays in a nerve junction near the spinal cord. Many feel an itch, tingle or shooting pain before a cold sore reappears. Antiviral medication may be prescribed if someone frequently suffers from outbreaks. Keeping sores moisturised can stop them cracking and becoming painful. Source: Herpes Viruses Association Advertisement 'I have heard of babies dying from catching this virus which is awful and I think the only reason Kalo survived is because he was just under two at time. 'I hope our story serves as a warning to other parents as it could happen to anyone.' Kalo - who was admitted to Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester on January 12 - needed an intense course of IV antibiotics in a bid to rid him of the infection. His father, Andy Griggs, 34, a bus driver, added: 'Kalo had struggled to eat days before his diagnosis which was a real worry for us as parents. 'But thanks to the amazing care of the doctors and nurses he began eating yogurts as he began to recover. 'Lorna shared the pictures of Kalo via Facebook to raise awareness for the infection and it went viral. 'We want to encourage people to research the virus and look into its causes to prevent their children from going through what Kalo did.' The couple who have three other children, Jayden, eight, Kaci, six and Jenson, four, are now sharing Kalo's shocking hospital photos, which show how quickly the herpes virus spread across his face, in a bid to raise awareness. Ms Hoy said: 'Since getting home has been getting along great and is finally back to his good self. 'However, the scars have remained on his face from the sores he had while in hospital. 'We would all like to say thanks to the staff who cared for Kalo in one way or another at Wythenshawe Hospital. 'As a family never thought this would happen to us but we're so lucky that Kalo pulled through after his treatment. 'I hope through sharing our experiences of it that we prevent others from going through the same.' Herpes can be very serious in newborns due to their immune systems not being strong enough to fight off the infection. Toddlers are less likely to face deadly complications. Ms Hoy said: 'If Kalo has caught herpes when he was a lot younger things could have been a lot different as it can be fatal in babies. 'As he was a bit older and we caught it when we did, his body started to fight off the herpes once he had the antibiotics and anti-viral medication.' Russia and Azerbaijan can exchange experiences in the field of women's financial security, Oksana Pushkina, State Duma deputy, deputy chairman of the Duma Committee on Family, Women and Children, said in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza. "Problems of the female world are the same everywhere, one of the main of them is single mothers. People divorce, and if it happens it's important to ensure that woman is financially and economically protected. Russia has a number of programs that promote involvement of women in business," she said. "As part of these programs, we support a lot of interesting startups. In particular, I'm talking about the Mother-Entrepreneur program. It's five-day contest held across regions, and three winners are selected in its final stage. In addition to cash prizes, they are provided with curator, accountant and legal support for a year. Many single mothers have incredible success in business sphere," she noted. "In this sense, we propose to unite two worlds - Azerbaijani and Russian - to help single mothers who try to establish their own business and create something impressive together. We want to share our successes and business ideas, find out how business women live. As you know, mainly women are responsible for small and medium businesses all over the world," Oksana Pushkina concluded. Twins with a rare condition that meant only one was developing in the womb are now thriving. Renee Baker, 36, of Adelaide, was devastated to discover her babies were not growing as they should during her seven-week scan. Ms Baker and her partner Gareth Norman, 31, were referred to Brisbane to meet with a specialist, who diagnosed twin-twin transfusion syndrome. This stopped one of the babies receiving enough nutrients in the womb. Doctors recommended Ms Baker terminate the baby who was falling behind on his growth for the sake of his healthier twin, which the couple immediately ruled out. Defying expectations, Ms Baker carried the twins until 32 weeks, with Sonny and Kash arriving via emergency C-section on June 2, 2017, weighing 2lb 3oz and 4lb 4oz, respectively. Deprived of nutrients, Sonny had a hole in his heart and was fitted with a pacemaker on June 27. Twin boys Sonny (left) and Kash (right) are thriving, despite doctors telling their parents to abort one to save the other. The youngsters had twin-twin transfusion syndrome in the womb, which caused Sonny to be deprived of nutrients. @daily_sonny_and_kash Renee Baker (pictured with her sons after they were born) refused to give up on her babies and continued with the pregnancy until she had an emergency C-section at 34 weeks on June 2 2017. The ordeal was far from over, with Sonny having a hole in his heart and needing surgery Doctors warned Sonny, who was born weighing just 2lbs 3oz, could not have open-heart surgery until he was 6lbs. But the medics decided to give him a pacemaker anyway (pictured). The device fitted was the smallest one available, measuring the same as a '50p coin' Speaking of his partner's scan, Mr Norman - who is originally from Cardiff - said: 'At seven weeks there was already a large size difference between embryos. 'We were referred to a hospital in Brisbane because Sonny was falling behind on growth. 'The placenta fed more to Kash than to Sonny so at 20 weeks our obstetrician said we may have to sacrifice the small one to save Kash. 'We instantly told the doctor no way. We were going for the both and would do anything we needed to have the best chance of Sonny and Kash surviving.' With the couple refusing to give up on their babies, doctors warned they would not reach full-term. The pair therefore aimed to make it to 24 weeks. 'We were told healthy babies have a limited chance of surviving if they're born before 24 weeks, let alone Sonny,' Mr Norman said. 'After making it to 24 weeks, we were then looking to make it over 1lb, then we hoped for one and a half pounds, and so on. 'The chances of survival grew immensely with every ounce.' Sonny (left) spent longer in intensive care, with Kash (right) being almost double his weight Both boys are now doing well, with Sonny lagging around six weeks behind his brother Parents Gareth Norman and Ms Baker (pictured) told doctors 'no way' when they suggested Sonny be terminated. They aimed to get to 24 weeks and then the boys' to weigh more than 1lb Once born, the ordeal was far from over, with Sonny not breathing. Doctor managed to stabilise him, before both boys were moved to intensive care. 'On the ward, Sonny was doing better than Kash,' Mr Norman said. 'Kash was happy on the inside [of the pregnancy] so he struggled slightly, whereas Sonny suddenly started receiving all the nutrition he lacked inside, so thrived. 'It wasn't until day 21 when they found Sonny's heart had a hole in it and we were transferred down to Melbourne the following day. 'Sonny was in the Royal Children's Hospital but the only space for Kash was in Monash Hospital, on the other side of the city.' The couple were forced to take 45-minute Ubers between hospitals so Ms Baker could breastfeed both her newborns. Despite their best efforts, Sonny was struggling to gain weight, with doctors warning he needed to be 6lbs before he could have open-heart surgery. But the medics decided to go ahead with the operation regardless. 'He was one of the smallest babies to have heart surgery,' Mr Norman said. 'His pacemaker is the smallest on the market, around the size of a 50p piece.' Sonny (pictured) stopped breathing after he was born and was rushed to intensive care Once home, Sonny was fed via a tube (pictured left), which caused him to vomit and struggle to gain weight. Now (seen right), Sonny no longer requires his pacemaker and will have it removed. He is also 'gaining weight nicely', while Kash is more developed than most his age Unlike Kash, who was released from hospital on June 29, Sonny was transferred back to Royal Darwin Hospital on July 25 and eventually allowed home on August 20, with a feeding tube through his nose. 'There were almost daily hospital visits when we returned home, with all the focus being on Sonny and him gaining weight,' Mr Norman said. 'The first year at home was very tough, there was a lot of pressure on trying to get Sonny to tolerate as much milk as possible through his feeding tube. 'He vomited most feeds and struggled to gain the weight the doctors wanted.' The couple - who lived in Darwin - moved to Adelaide that November to give Sonny more access to specialists. 'The boys are doing great now; Kash is ahead for his age in terms of size and development,' Mr Norman said. 'Sonny is lagging about six weeks behind Kash, so every time Kash does something new, Sonny does it roughly six weeks later. 'Sonny can have his pacemaker removed because he hasn't ever needed to use it. 'He is gaining weight nicely too.' Throughout the ordeal, the couple were amazed at the quality of care their family received. 'First world country healthcare is incredible,' Mr Norman said. 'There is a reason we have to pay taxes because the help is there when you need it. 'The healthcare we received was excellent, but at times we had to follow our instincts and make decisions we knew were best for our situation.' The couple are speaking out to encourage other parents to follow their intuition. 'Follow your gut instinct with things,' Mr Norman said. 'There were so many instances when we had mixed information, so Renee and I went home and discussed things and then did what we felt was right. 'Don't be afraid to get a second opinion and don't be afraid to tell a doctor you think they're wrong or if something doesn't feel right.' Follow the family's journey on their Instagram @daily_sonny_and_kash. Ms Baker (pictured left holding Sonny) would go back and forth between the different hospitals the boys were staying in so she could breastfeed both, taking 45-minute Ubers. Mr Norman (pictured right holding one of his sons) called the healthcare 'incredible' Sonny (pictured) spent months in hospital recovering from surgery and gaining weight A woman has been left with skin like a 'lizard' and unable to be intimate with her boyfriend after ditching steroid creams for eczema. Louise King, 28, from Hampshire, has slathered herself with the strong creams since she was five years old. She ditched the treatment in 2018 after discovering it could be 'addictive' and she feared it was making her skin worse. But Miss King revealed she has suffered withdrawal symptoms of fatigue, sickness, sudden weight loss, depression, forgetfulness and confusion. She has had to leave her job as an NHS data analyst due to sickness and the pain of her oozing skin, being cared for by her parents. Louise King, 28, pictured with her boyfriend Brandon, 28, said her sex life with her boyfriend is almost non-existent after ditching steroid creams for her eczema . She is pictured before giving up the steroid creams Miss King (pictured after giving up the creams) said her whole facing is peeling off and she looks like a 'lizard', as well as suffering fatigue, sickness, sudden weight loss, depression, forgetfulness and confusion Miss King has spoken out about the hell of going cold turkey and having oozing skin all over Miss King said: 'I loved steroids, they were my lifeline whenever I'd have a bad flare up. 'But now I hate them and what they've turned me into. My whole face is peeling off- I feel like a lizard woman. 'My sex life with my boyfriend is almost non-existent now. It has put a huge strain on us.' Miss King, who had been planning to move in with her boyfriend, Brandon, said: 'He's been so patient. 'But it's caused problems for us, not surprisingly, as we can't really have any physical contact, even kissing.' Explaining her use of the hydrocortisone cream, Miss King said: 'It's so addictive because it works so well but in reality it's not solving the underlying problems and you end up needing stronger and stronger doses. 'Coming off them has been the hardest thing I've ever done. It has badly affected my whole life. 'If my parents had known then what we know now, they said they never would have covered me in the stuff. They feel dreadfully guilty.' After being diagnosed with eczema aged five, Miss King's parents were given a low dosage of topical steroids which would 'immediately stop the itching' when applied. As she got older the flare-ups became more frequent - meaning that her prescription was also increased. Ashamed of her red rashes, Miss King struggled with social anxiety in her teens. Miss King, pictured before she gave up her lifelong dependency to steroid cream, has suffered with eczema since she was five years old Miss King ditched the treatment after discovering it could be 'addictive' and she feared it was making her skin worse causing more frequent flare ups Over time Miss King's skin got worse and it spread to new areas which had never previously been affected - her top lip and all over her back for example 'I would slather myself in the steroid cream when I had a break out and I thought it was a miracle drug,' she said. 'At school I would try and hide my skin underneath thick make up and was always trying to find other ways to ease my symptoms, like E45 or coconut oil. 'But nothing ever worked quite like the steroid cream.' Over time, her skin got worse and it spread to new areas which had never previously been affected - her top lip and all over her back. But every time Miss King returned to her GP she left with a stronger prescription of steroids. She began to suspect the steroid cream was making her condition worse, and in December 2018 she gave it up. She said: 'Something was clearly not right, I wasn't getting better and I was getting much worse. 'I was always in pain with it and the flare ups were becoming so common there was almost no time in between them like there had been when I was growing up. Miss King found a group of people on Instagram who were dealing with the same problem, commonly called topical steroid addiction (or withdrawal). Topical steroid addiction has been recognised by the National Eczema Association since 2013, but it's prevalence is unknown. Many have called the 'condition' a fad, while other experts recognise the condition medically. She said: 'Until I got chatting to those people I had never heard of topical steroid addiction, it opened up a whole new world for me. 'I began to do lots of research online and found out that I was basically addicted to it and that withdrawing would be incredibly tough.' After a few days of ditching steroid creams, Miss King's skin had become much worse with the rash spreading over her entire face. She also said she experienced hot and cold flu-like symptoms, leading to her GP giving her more steroids warning that she might need to be 'hospitalised'. Miss King, pictured with eczema on her body, was offered more steroid creams by her GP and dermatologist to help the situation - but she stood her ground At the beginning on 2019, Miss King's symptoms hit an all-time low. Her skin is swollen, cracked and shedding and she is barely able to close her eyes Miss King was due to move in with her boyfriend, but has had to quit her job as an NHS data analyst and have full time care from her parents Miss King is determined to heal without steroid creams, even though she has been told by others that it could take up to five years Miss King said: 'It was horrible. I was terrified. 'I knew I wanted to stop using steroids but my skin was in such a state and my doctor was telling me I just needed to use them. 'I got home and covered myself in the cream but moments later I remembered everything I'd learnt online and rushed to shower it all off. 'It was insane, addict behaviour that was echoed by fellow suffers that I talked to on Instagram. 'I decided once and for all that I wouldn't ever use steroids again.' Just days into 2019, Miss King began to experience the full effects of the withdrawal and was forced to put her new job on hold due to the severity of her symptoms. These included swollen, cracked and shedding skin, fatigue, fever, and even being unable to close her eyes. In mid-January, Miss King finally saw a dermatologist who was 'horrified' with her face and tried prescribing her more steroids. She said: 'I begged her to treat me with something more natural. 'She finally agreed that I could give a course of light therapy which I'm now waiting for.' Miss King is determined to heal without steroid creams, even though she has been told by supportive people online that it could take up to five years. 'There have been times when I've asked myself why I'm even bothering but thanks to the online support, and that of my family. I'm determined to get better.' A toddler who suffers from a rare condition that left her with giant hands was forced to have liposuction to reduce the build-up of fluid in her fists. Cora Ruben has lymphedema, which occurs when the lymphatic system does not work properly, leading to abnormal swelling. The two-year-old, of Rose Creek, Minnesota, had an accumulation of fluid in her abdomen, legs, feet and - most obviously - hands. Cora endured numerous treatments, including massages and compression bandages, however, her fists continued to get bigger. Desperate, her parents Kasey and Brett Ruben, met with an expert in Germany, who discovered 80 per cent of the youngster's swelling was down to fat and just 20 per cent lymph fluid. After having the fat sucked out of her hands, Cora can pick things up and wear normal clothes like any other little girl, with experts being optimistic she will lead a 'normal life'. Cora Ruben, two, suffers from lymphedema, which occurs when the lymphatic system does not work properly, leading to abnormal swelling in her hands (pictured) The youngster's family tried massage and compression bandages to reduce her abnormally large hands (pictured), however, nothing worked, until an expert suggested liposuction Speaking of his daughter's condition, Mr Ruben - a transportation worker - said: 'Her hands are obviously the biggest thing people see. 'But what people don't know is she's actually got it in most of her body. 'It's through her abdomen, both legs, both feet. Her genitals, through her arms. And as she gets older it's only going to get worse.' Mrs Ruben - a childminder - had a normal pregnancy, however, doctors noticed abnormalities in Cora's hands as soon as she was born, which they put down to swelling from the birth. 'The first few weeks we thought the swelling would go down,' Mr Ruben said. 'That's what we were told. '[But] we saw the paediatrician and that's when she suggested it may be lymphedema.' Cora's hands were so large it made it difficult for her to pick up food and feed herself Although the swelling was most obvious on her hands, it also affected her abdomen and feet Despite doctors' best efforts, nothing helped to reduce Cora's swelling. 'In her case it has been growing, and that's what alarmed doctors and her physical therapist,' Mrs Ruben said. 'And it still is worsening and we haven't been able to control it like you usually can with massages and wrapping and compression.' Just when her parents thought they had run out of options, a lymphedema expert suggested they meet Professor Etelka Foldi, of the Foldi Clinic in Hinterzarten, Germany. 'Lymphedema is in essence a chronic disease caused by the inefficiency of the lymph drainage system,' Professor Foldi said. 'When the lymph drainage system is inefficient then inflammation develops.' Lymphedema expert Professor Etelka Foldi (pictured with Cora and her mother) discovered the swelling in the youngster's hands was made up of 80 per cent fat and 20 per cent lymph fluid, which stopped her responding to treatment like compression bandages Pictured with her mother after having liposuction, Cora's hands were then soft enough to be fitted with compression bandages to reduce the rest of the swelling Despite everything, Cora smiled through the ordeal. Pictured before liposuction, the youngster can now pick up objects easily and wear normal clothes like any other toddler Professor Foldi initially prescribed a lymph-drainage therapist who use specialised massage techniques to prevent the build-up of fluid in Cora's hands. However, she then discovered the swelling in the toddler's hands was made up of just 20 per cent of lymph fluid, with the remainder being an overgrowth of fatty tissue. 'She said it was 80 per cent fat, 20 per cent lymphedema, and the reason why her swelling wasn't responding was because the fat was basically keeping us from appropriately compressing her hands,' Mrs Ruben said. The cause of Cora's fatty tissue build-up is a mystery and not usually linked to lymphedema. To remove the fat, Professor Foldi suggested liposuction, which then enabled massage and compression bandages to reduce the rest of Cora's swelling. 'I don't think anybody likes the thoughts of having their child go through surgery but I think anybody with a child would do this,' Mrs Ruben said. 'It's not her fault she was born with this, so I'll do anything I can to help her live a quality and happy life.' Despite some swelling still being evident, Cora's condition has significantly improved. 'Her ability to pick up things is just tremendously better,' Mrs Ruben said. 'Her hands are soft now and they fit in her garments which compress her hands. 'When those are on, she can fit her hands in regular sleeves and she can do anything else anybody else can do.' Professor Foldi added: 'I am almost certain Cora can lead a normal life. Someday she will be a happy woman.' Cora features on Body Bizarre, which is on Saturdays at 10pm on TLC UK. The Government has accused two English pharmaceutical firms of trying to illegally make millions of pounds from the NHS. Medicine suppliers Auden Mckenzie and Waymade allegedly set up an agreement to inflate the price of a life-saving steroid. The Competition and Markets Authority today claimed Auden Mckenzie paid Waymade to not sell certain tablets so it could demand a higher price from the NHS. As a result, the cost to the health service for 20mg hydrocortisone tablets reportedly almost doubled from 46 to 90 for a single pack of 30. The CMA revealed the results of its investigation today and the companies could be fined more than 1million each if found guilty. Waymade has denied the claims and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, the parent company of Auden Mckenzie, said it intends to 'defend the allegations vigorously'. Auden Mckenzie, headquartered in Ruislip, London (pictured), allegedly paid another company to not sell its own product so Auden Mckenzie could charge more. The company has not yet responded to the claims The UK Government's Competition and Markets Authority has accused the firms Auden Mckenzie and Waymade of making an illegal agreement to profit from the NHS (stock image) Auden Mckenzie is believed to have paid Waymade not put its own 20mg hydrocortisone tablets on the market. This meant the former, which is registered in Barnstaple, Devon, became the sole supplier and could charge the NHS higher prices because the health service couldn't get the drug elsewhere. The arrangement constitutes 'anti-competitive' behaviour, and meant NHS spending on hydrocortisone rose from 1.7m to 3.7 per year between 2011 and 2015, the CMA said. Hydrocortisone is a steroid used to treat a wide range of health problems. The pills in question are prescribed to people with Addison's disease, a rare disorder in which the body doesn't produce the right amount of hormones. This causes fatigue, weakness, dizziness and fainting, and is usually medicated with lifelong hydrocortisone therapy without the drug patients can enter an adrenal crisis which can interfere with breathing, cause vomiting and even kill people. 'Hydrocortisone is a lifesaving drug for those suffering with Addisons Disease in the UK,' said Michael Grenfell, the CMA's executive director for enforcement. 'The NHS should not be denied the opportunity of benefitting from an increased choice of suppliers and potential savings on what it spends on this essential drug. 'The CMA has today provisionally found that Auden Mckenzie and Waymade broke competition law through Auden Mckenzie paying its rival to stay out of the market.' The CMA found Waymade, registered in London, prepared to start selling the tablets in 2011 but did not follow through for a further four years in exchange for monthly payments from Auden Mckenzie. Waymade plc, which is headquartered in Basildon, Essex (pictured), denies the Competition and Markets Authority's claims and said its conduct 'did not impact the NHS' And it said the company allowed Waymade to sell Auden Mckenzie-made smaller 10mg pills and only charged the company 1 per pack instead of 32. The companies will be allowed to put their side of the story forward before the CMA makes its final ruling. But if they are found to have broken the law they could both be fined up to 10 per cent of their annual turnover which could be seven-figure sums for both. According to Companies House, in 2017 Auden Mckenzie (Pharma Division) Limited had a turnover of 11.8million, while Waymade plc's turnover for the same year was 12.2m. Waymade has denied the claims and said it intends to fight back. A spokesperson for the firm said: 'Waymade will explain to the CMA that the CMA is wrong to find that it was ready to enter the market with its own 20mg product in May 2011. 'This product was developed as quickly as possible and Waymade had no incentive to delay and has expert evidence to demonstrate this. 'During the period Waymade bought 20mg hydrocortisone from Auden McKenzie and sold it to third party wholesalers and retail pharmacists but the prices quoted by the CMA are prices charged by wholesalers to the NHS and bear no relation to Waymades prices. 'Waymades conduct did not impact the cost to the NHS either before or after Waymade entered the market with its own product. 'Waymade sold its authorisation for the 10mg product two weeks after it obtained it. It is unclear what the CMA alleges took place in that two weeks.' A spokesperson for Teva, the parent company of Auden Mckenzie said: 'Teva confirms that one of its UK subsidiaries has been notified of allegations of anti-competitive conduct set out in a Statement of Objections (SO) issued by the UK Competition & Markets Authority (CMA). 'The allegations relate to historic conduct by a company named Auden McKenzie, which was bought by Actavis prior to Tevas acquisition of that company. 'Neither the product concerned nor Actavis UK were at any time controlled by Teva. 'The purpose of the SO is to set out the CMA's preliminary views, which allows addressees to exercise their rights of defence and respond to the CMAs allegations. 'The SO does not prejudge the final outcome of the case. Teva is reviewing the SO and intends to defend the allegations vigorously.' The family of a toddler with a one-in-a-million condition that gives her episodes of paralysis are trying to raise money for groundbreaking research. Anya Behl, who is 18 months old, was diagnosed with alternative hemiplegia of childhood (AHC), a neurological condition which can cause numbness or full loss of feeling and movement. It took four months for doctors to figure out what was wrong with Anya's after her first stroke-like episode at ten weeks old. Her parents, Abhishek and Katherine Behl, from Edinburgh, were terrified as her eyes flickered and she let out a 'terrible scream'. Now, they live in fear an attack will strike at any moment, and won't leave Anya' side. There are around 45 families in the UK and 500 worldwide coping with the rare condition, which has no effective treatment. Mr and Mrs Behl are trying to raise funds of 25,000 to help US researchers find a cure. The family of 18-month-old Anya Behl, who has a one-in-a-million condition that gives her episodes of paralysis, are trying to raise money for groundbreaking research It took four months for doctors to figure out what was wrong with Anya after her first stroke-like episode at ten weeks old which was 'terrifying' for her parents Anya has a gene called ATP1A3 which is identified as a leading cause of AHC and represents approximately 76 per cent of those affected Mrs Behl said: 'Despite starting 2019 with Anya in and out of paralysis, distress and a host of neurological symptoms, we now have real hope for advancements in AHC research.' The couple's lives were changed forever in October 2017 when they rushed Anya - who looked like she was having a stroke - to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children. Mrs Behl, a hospital doctor, said they thought their daughter 'was going to die'. She said she knew what was going on medically - but as a mother, she felt 'helpless'. After four months of tests and thinking that Anya was suffering from epilepsy, the couple were told her daughter had the ATP1A3 gene, which is responsible for around 76 per cent of AHC cases. Anya is one of only two children in Scotland with the condition, and according to the Alternative Hemiplegia of Childhood Foundation, the incidence of AHC is estimated at roughly one in 1,000,000 births. But they say the true incidence may be higher since the disorder is commonly misdiagnosed due to the 'lack of awareness' about AHC. Mrs Behl said: 'When she's paralysed down one side, but not in her worst case, it's heartbreaking to see her try to crawl when she can't balance unable to move one side or support herself. 'Almost all children with AHC have physical, cognitive and developmental disabilities across a spectrum. 'By the age of two 50 per cent have epilepsy and there is much being discovered and investigated about the cardiac and other life-threatening aspects of this condition.' The AHC Foundation say there is no proof that the disorder limits life expectancy, but that children do appear more susceptible to complications such as aspiration, which can sometimes be life-threatening. Abhishek and Katherine Behl, from Edinburgh, said there is a real hope for advancing treatment if the money can be raised for research in the US Anya is watched by her parents 24/7, meaning Mr Behl had to quit his job In rare cases, children have died suddenly and unexpectedly, in circumstances similar to the sudden death reported in patients with epilepsy. The couple is hoping to raise funds for a groundbreaking gene therapy project in the US for people with the ATP1A3 gene. The funds would progress research towards a pre-clinical, non-human trial to be conducted with the support of several AHC foundations in the US. The trial is essential before ethical approval can be sought with a view to testing the gene therapy in humans. Mrs Behl said: 'Indeed, the prospect for AHC gene therapy is exciting scientists and families since it may bring real hope for a devastating condition.' Mrs Behl said her Anya's condition has taken an emotional toll on the family, with her husband quitting his job as a travel consultant to look after Anya, who has breathing difficulties, full time. She said: 'We just have to live truly in the moment and enjoy a good hour or good day or even enjoy her being able to eat breakfast without paralysis or distress rather than think of the whole picture. When an attack strikes, Anya can be paralysed down one side. She also has breathing difficulties 'At first we used to get anxious waiting for the next episode to hit not knowing what might come. But we realised it wasn't sustainable to live like that. 'We are grateful for the moments she is well and her happy self and try not to focus on it changing in a second. We know how fragile life can be.' Even days out with their young daughter involve stringent preparation in case a seizure takes place. Mrs Behl, who said the condition effects everything they do, said: 'We don't leave home without her emergency medications. 'Our nappy bag includes her emergency medication and a paediatric face mask should we need to help support her airway if it affects her breathing. 'In 18 months at least one of us - my husband or I - have been with her 24/7 except for one hour when my mum looked after her and constantly watching her as her condition can change in a second.' The AHC community have until April 2019 to raise the money. Anya's JustGiving page can be found here. People over-50 who watch more than three-and-a-half hours of television a day are more at risk of memory loss, research suggests. A study of more than 3,600 older adults revealed watching too many soaps, documentaries or reality shows reduces their ability to recall words by up to ten per cent. Overindulging in your favourite shows could trigger a 'cognitive stress' that leads to memory loss, the researchers claim. It may also take away from activities that keep older people sharp, such as reading or playing educational games online. Over-fifties who watch more than 3.5 hours of TV a day are more at risk of memory loss (stock) Why weekend lie-ins don't work Weekend lie-ins fail to compensate for weekday sleep loss, a study has found. People who got just five hours of shuteye a night in the week failed to make up the deficit at the weekend despite sleeping as much as ten hours at a time. Tests showed they missed out on more than 12 hours of weekday sleep, but managed only an extra 66 minutes of slumber at the weekend, compared to typical average sleeping times of around eight hours a night. This may be partly because long lie-ins shifted their body clocks backwards and left them struggling to sleep on a Sunday night. The weekend sleep tactic also left people more resistant to insulin, raising the risk of type 2 diabetes. The University of Colorado Boulder study, published in Current Biology, found consistent sleep loss was damaging regardless of weekend lie-ins. Advertisement The research was carried by University College London and led by Dr Daisy Fancourt, senior research associate in the department of behavioural science and health. 'There has been interest for over a decade in the effect of television viewing behaviours on cognition, but much of this literature has concentrated on children,' Dr Fancourt said. 'Much less attention has been paid to the effects of television viewing at the other end of the lifespan, despite it being hypothesised for over 25 years that watching excessive television could contribute to the development of dementia.' To uncover how TV affects older people, the researchers analysed 3,662 adults aged 50 or over from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. The adults were asked in 2008-to-2009 and again in 2014-to-2015 how much television they watch every day. They also took part in a series of word-related memory tests. Results - published in the journal Scientific Reports - revealed those who watched more than 3.5 hours of television a day experienced an average 'verbal memory' decline of between eight and ten per cent over the six years. This is compared to a 4-to-5 per cent decline among those who watched less TV. The findings remained true ever after adjusting for factors such as exercise, and the time spent sitting or online. Dr Bob Patton, a lecturer in clinical psychology at the University of Surrey, claims TV has been linked to changes in the viewer's brain's structure, particularly in the regions responsible for learning and memory. BRAIN-IMAGING TECHNOLOGY DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN NATURAL MEMORY LOSS AND ALZHEIMER'S State-of-the-art brain-imaging technology can distinguish between natural age-related memory loss and Alzheimer's, research suggested last March. A study took brain scans while its participants performed object-based memory tests. Results suggested Alzheimer's patients have a loss of signalling in the region of the brain known as the anterolateral entorhinal cortex. Signalling losses do not occur in people suffering normal memory decline, such as forgetting where they left their keys or someone's name. The anterolateral entorhinal cortex is thought to regulate communication between the region of the brain where information is first encoded and where it is stored long term. This cortex is also one of the first regions in the brain to develop protein plaque tangles, which are associated with dementia's onset, past studies suggest. Advertisement And Dr Patton - who was not involved in the study - added different parts of the brain are stimulated when we watch a comedy versus a drama or documentary. But it is unclear whether the type of programme a person watches influences their risk of cognitive decline. 'Watching television may have educational benefits from watching documentaries and relaxation benefits as a way of reducing stress,' Dr Fancourt said. '[But] overall this suggests adults over the age of 50 should try and ensure television viewing is balanced with other contrasting activities.' She added: 'Although television viewing remains high in care homes where residents have less control over their own viewing, the desire to watch television declines amongst people with dementia as symptoms of the disease become evident.' Professor Andrew Przybylski, director of research at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, said: 'What this scientifically-sound study tells us is being a couch potato is bad for the over-50s because it is associated with poorer verbal memory. 'There is still a lot we don't know, such as whether memory reductions are affected by what we watch, whether we watch alone or whether you interact with the TV like those on Gogglebox. 'We also don't know whether changing behaviour would improve memory. 'Although this result will cause us to think carefully about screen time, a lot more research is needed before we panic and closely measure TV time like a step counter.' Chris Allen, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation - which part-funded the study - also stressed cognitive decline 'is not the same as dementia'. But vocabulary is one of the first things to go in Alzheimer's patients, with the disease often being diagnosed via word tests. 'If you're concerned the amount of television you're watching could be having a negative impact, we would advise limiting the amount of TV you watch each day and working in some heart healthy hobbies to your routine,' Mr Allen said. Three siblings had their stomachs removed after they all tested positive for a cancer gene that killed their sister and mother. Tahir Khan, 44, Sophia Ahmed, 39, and Omar Khan, 27, underwent the drastic surgery when a series of tests at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge revealed they had up to a 90 per cent risk of developing the disease. All three - who live in Walsall, West Midlands - carry the genetic mutation CDH1, which can cause aggressive stomach cancer. Their mother Pearl Khan died aged 49, six months after she was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2002. And their sister Yasmin Khan passed away from the same disease aged 32 in February 2012. After removing the siblings' stomachs - in a procedure known as a total gastrectomy - surgeons created a small pouch that collects food by connecting the oesophagus to the small intestine. Although they struggle to gain weight, all three are happy they had the procedure, with Ms Ahmed even going on to have a child. Sophia Ahmed (left) and her brother Tahir Khan (right) are two of three siblings who had their stomachs removed after testing positive for a cancer gene that killed their sister and mother. They all carry the genetic mutation CDH1, which can cause aggressive tumours Speaking of her mother's condition, Ms Ahmed - who has five children - said: 'In 2002 mum got very sick with stomach cancer and passed away in August. 'She was originally tested for IBS but was then diagnosed [with] stomach cancer and passed away shortly afterwards.' Ms Ahmed's sister Yasmin went to her doctor in October 2009, who also dismissed her symptoms as IBS. She underwent chemo after finally being diagnosed in December the following year, however, it was not enough to save her. 'I read in Yasmin's notes in hospital that they thought it may be genetic so I did some research and found out the hospital in Cambridge was doing a study with Cancer Research so I contacted them and went from there,' Ms Ahmed said. Ms Ahmed - who has three surviving siblings - added: 'Everyone thought I was mad [for having the surgery] until we had the results come back and when we saw it was three of us out of the four, I knew it was worth it.' Although a drastic measure, Ms Ahmed - who runs a soft play centre with husband Fayyaz, 38 - is adamant it was the right decision. 'I have nothing but positive things to say about it,' she said. 'I can still eat and do everything, the only issue is maintaining my weight and my vitamin deficiencies but in comparison to having stomach cancer and a few years to live, I can't complain. 'I even had a baby after the operation, they thought I might be malnourished or the baby would be tiny, but everything was absolutely fine.' Omar Khan (left) also had the drastic surgery after learning he carried the mutation. The siblings' sister Yasmin Khan (right) died from the cancer aged 32 in February 2012 WHAT IS A TOTAL GASTRECTOMY? A total gastrectomy is the complete removal of the stomach. It is usually carried out in a patient who has advanced cancer of the organ. Those with early-stage cancer often only need to have their stomach lining removed. And when the disease is in the lower end of the organ, up to two thirds of the stomach can be taken out, depending on the tumour's position. The entire stomach is removed when the cancer is in the centre of the organ. Surgeons then rejoin the oesophagus to the entrance of the small intestine. Patients are not left with a stoma bag. A total gastrectomy may be carried out via open or keyhole surgery. The patient is asleep throughout. Source: Cancer Research UK Advertisement Ms Ahmed's older brother Tahir was given the same devastating prognosis and had the surgery five-and-a-half years ago. Tahir - whose 21-year-old daughter Farah also tested positive for the gene - said: 'At the age where I was diagnosed there was a 90 per cent likelihood the cancer would develop. 'I watched my mum and sister wither away, and I really did not want to put the family through that.' The delivery driver was even told he had already developed a cluster of cancerous cells in his stomach lining, which the surgery 'eliminated'. 'I could have had only days, weeks, maybe a year maximum left before I would have been diagnosed with terminal cancer,' he said. 'There's no doubt in my mind having the tests and the procedure done saved my life.' Like his sister, Tahir also struggles to maintain his weight, and weighs just over 10st (140lbs) compared to 15st (210lbs) before the procedure. 'I have to graze constantly because my body just can't get the nutrients it needs otherwise,' he said. 'I am worried about my daughter's future, but I say to her we have all gone through it and are fine now, so whatever happens she'll be okay.' The siblings' mother Pearl Khan (pictured) died from stomach cancer aged 49, six months after she was diagnosed in 2002. Doctors initially dismissed her symptoms as IBS The youngest sibling Omar was initially reluctant to go under the knife after seeing how his mother and sister suffered in hospitals. 'But seeing Sophia go through the procedure and have a baby afterwards, I thought 'I've got no excuse', the office worker said. 'It was a really hard decision for me but it was the best one I've ever made. 'I still can eat whatever I like - burgers, steaks - the only thing I get is exhaustion and cold sweats, but I'm still breathing and I'm so thankful for that.' The siblings' oldest sister, Tracy Ismail, 49, also had the genetic test, with her result coming back negative. 'It was very bittersweet,' Ms Ismail told the BBC. 'At one point we were told if we hadn't had the testing done, I'd be the only sibling left.' Dr Marc Tischkowitz, consultant physician in medical genetics at the University of Cambridge, added: 'This is a very rare, specific type of stomach cancer. 'It's a gene that carriers can have for their lifetime and means that they are at risk of developing cancer any time. 'We do offer total removal of the stomach as a preventative measure. 'It is a dramatic life-changing procedure and of course there is no way of knowing in all cases that the person who carries the gene will 100 per cent have developed cancer in their lifetime.' Health officials did not mince their words over anti-vaxxers on Wednesday as they addressed the current outbreak of measles in the US. During a congressional hearing, heads of federal health agencies confirmed that the US has counted more measles cases in the first two months of this year than in all of 2017. So far, 159 cases of measles have been confirmed in 10 states, with severe outbreaks affecting the Pacific Northwest and New York. Dr Anthony Fauci, infectious diseases chief at the National Institutes of Health, says the measles vaccine is highly effective and the fact that cases are on the rise 'is really unacceptable'. Dr Anthony Fauci, infectious disease chief at the National Institutes of Health, says the measles vaccine is highly effective and the fact that cases are on the rise 'is really unacceptable' (file image) The vaccine is about 97 percent effective. But those who are unvaccinated have a 90 percent chance of catching measles if they breathe the virus in, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr Fauci says his primary goal is to stop the spreading of misinformation about the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. He believes this has led to many parents becoming vaccine hesitant and, therefore, raising their child's risk of catching life-threatening diseases. 'Misinformation is an important problem,' Dr Fauci said, according to NBC News. 'The spread of misinformation that leads people to make poor choices, despite their well-meaning, is a major contributor to the problem we're discussing.' NBC News reported that the hearing - held by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce - became a bit rowdy. In fact, state Rep Diana DeGette (D-CO) stopped proceedings twice after people in the audience began to shout over the speakers. Last month, officials in Washington declared a public health emergency as 65 people in Clark County and one person in King County have fallen ill with measles. Fifty-seven cases are in those who have not been vaccinated. Forty-seven cases are in children aged 10 and younger. New York has seen some of the highest numbers with 121 people in Brooklyn and Queens and 139 people in Rockland County falling ill since October 2018 - almost all in Orthodox Jewish communities. 'When you get below a certain level of vaccination in the community, that's how you get outbreaks,' Dr Fauci told CBS News. 'That's been scientifically proven year after year.' This is a concept known as 'herd immunity', when the vast majority of a community - between 80 and 95 percent - becomes immune so that, if a disease is introduced, it is unable to spread. Therefore, those who are unable to be vaccinated, including the ill, very young and very old, are protected. The first measles vaccine was introduced in 1963 and, by 2000, it was considered to be eradicated in the US. But Washington is one of 18 states that allows non-medical exemptions for vaccines and has some of the highest rates of unimmunized children in the nation. Some anti-vaxxers protest Big Pharma, and some say vaccines are made from unnatural and unsafe chemicals and that they would rather take their chances on their kids getting treated if or when they get sick. Others argue that vaccines overload a child's immune system or that natural immunity is better. Then, of course, there is the argument that vaccines are linked to autism, a claim that has been debunked by scientists. Dr Fauci told CBS News that the purported health risks of immunizations are 'purely on fabrication'. 'That's been proven. There is no association whatsoever between the measles vaccine and autism,' he said. 'The overwhelming scientific evidence over many years and decades indicate that the vaccine, particularly the measles vaccine is very safe.' Measles is a highly contagious infection caused by the measles virus. When someone with measles coughs, sneezes or talks, infected droplets are sprayed into the air, where other people can inhale them and are then infected. Symptoms present themselves between 10 to 14 days after infection and include fever, cough, runny nose and a total-body skin rash. Once common, the disease is now rare due to the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. The CDC recommends children receive the first dose at 12 to 15 months old and the second dose at four to six years old. Before the measles vaccine was available, more than 500,000 cases were diagnosed in the US every year, with about 500 annual deaths. In 2018, 349 cases of measles were confirmed in 26 states and the District of Columbia, the CDC reported. It is the second-greatest number since measles was considered eradicated in the US in 2000. TAKE NOTHING WITH YOU by Patrick Gale (Tinder Press 18.99) TAKE NOTHING WITH YOU by Patrick Gale (Tinder Press 18.99) Patrick Gales experience as a child who found salvation and a sense of belonging in music deeply informs this, his 16th novel. Growing up in Weston-super-Mare, sensitive Eustace has always felt out of place, until his mother signs him up for lessons with an inspirational cello teacher. Soon, Eustace can think of little else except his hopeful, fumbling relationship with his best friend, Vernon and becomes good enough at the cello for his parents to send him on a summer residency at a highly exclusive music camp (but not good enough to gain a permanent place). Told in flashbacks as Eustace, in late middle-age and facing a cancer diagnosis, looks back on a life that ended up not involving music at all, it proceeds with the partial, unresolved structure of memory itself. Some aspects of Eustaces life, specifically the actions of his possibly bisexual mother, are never made fully clear. Gale is excellent on the hot, messy nature of self-discovery and sexual awakening, but curiously not so good at writing about music. The extensive detailing of Eustaces relationship with the cello is precisely where the novel refuses to sing. ALL AMONG THE BARLEY by Melissa Harrison (Bloomsbury 16.99) ALL AMONG THE BARLEY by Melissa Harrison (Bloomsbury 16.99) Fast emerging as one of our finest nature writers, Melissa Harrison combines a deep knowledge of our rural landscape with an unsentimental understanding of how our environment informs the way we live. Her third novel takes place in a Suffolk village in the Thirties, where the teenage narrator, Edie, a farmers daughter, has become transfixed by a glamorous Londoner, Constance. The woman is visiting the village to record the old ways of rural life before they disappear for ever. Readers become aware of Constances more sinister political allegiances long before Edie does, but although Harrison is interesting on the history of rural fascism in England before the war, she is absolutely excellent at evoking the byways, misunderstandings and sexual crisis of adolescence. She also has fun skewering the modern fetishising of rural life. At times the plot feels a bit overcrowded, but its a still a beautiful and wholly tragic novel. BELLEVUE SQUARE BELLEVUE SQUARE by Michael Redhill (No Exit Press 8.99) by Michael Redhill (No Exit Press 8.99) If Paul Auster were to turn his hand to grip-lit, the result might look something like this slow-burning mind-boggler from Canadian writer Michael Redhill. When Jean, who works in a bookshop in Toronto, is told by a new acquaintance she has a doppelganger called Ingrid, Jean is determined to track her down but then the acquaintance is murdered. Another customer who claims to have seen Ingrid is then found hanged in his apartment. Soon, Jean becomes obsessed with her phantom self, staking out Bellevue Square, a former hangout for misfits, drug addicts and the mentally ill, where Ingrid has been seen many times. She grows detached from her husband and two sons, who are convinced Jean is having a mental breakdown. By radically scrambling the construct of selfhood and, with it, the stability of narrative, the novel ends up resembling an M. C. Escher painting, with plot strands that double-back on themselves. Theres plenty of fun to be had in this, the first in a projected trilogy, but you might find the frustrations outweigh the pleasures. ALL THE HIDDEN TRUTHS by Claire Askew (Hodder 12.99) ALL THE HIDDEN TRUTHS by Claire Askew (Hodder 12.99) This stunning debut from a poet won prizes as a work in progress and richly deserves them. It is a searing story of a college shooting in Edinburgh. One May morning, 20-year-old Ryan Summers walks on to a college campus and kills 13 young women, then himself. These horrifying events are seen through the eyes of three women: Moira, Ryans mother; Ishbel Hodgekiss, the mother of the first victim; and the newly promoted DI Helen Birch, one of the first officers at the scene. All three women are transformed by the tragedy as they try to piece together a motive. Slowly, dark truths emerge from the undergrowth of Ryans life. Compellingly written, in DI Birch it also has a heroine you cant help but root for. RESIN by Ane Riel (Doubleday 12.99) RESIN by Ane Riel (Doubleday 12.99) This haunting, claustrophobic novel about love and obsession was a sensation when it first appeared in Denmark. It tells the story of an isolated family living on a tiny Danish island called the Head. The principal narrator, Liv, was six years old when she died or at least when her father, Jens, told the authorities she had died in an accident. In fact, shes helping her father in his workshop on the edge of the forest while her overweight mother languishes at home in bed. Indeed, Liv was there when Jens smothered her grandmother and set fire to her corpse. This chilling story is told from a variety of viewpoints, including Livs and her grandmothers, and through Livs mothers letters. It slyly reveals the history of a fractured family that no one is allowed to leave because of Jenss fixation that he alone can keep them safe. This is a moving tale of a love that morphs into madness. INVISIBLE CITY by Julia Dahl (Faber 7.99) INVISIBLE CITY by Julia Dahl (Faber 7.99) When this novel was first published in the U.S., it became an instant success, and was followed rapidly by two more books featuring trainee New York Tribune reporter Rebekah Roberts. This is magnificent story-telling set against the backdrop of a closed, secretive community of Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn exactly the same neighbourhood in which Rebekahs own mother, who abandoned her when she was a baby, was brought up. Those two strands of the story coalesce, but it opens with the discovery of a womans naked body in a scrap yard. The corpse is then spirited away by the communitys undertakers and is set to be buried without a post-mortem examination. Roberts is determined to get to the bottom of who killed the woman, who turns out to have been married to one of the most significant figures in the Hasidic community. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has chaired a federal cabinet meeting today to discuss current tensions with India. According to GEO TV, the Pakistani PM will take members into confidence regarding the plan of action as tensions with India escalate. While the ministers of foreign affairs and defence will brief the cabinet members on Indian aggression. Yesterday, Khan called for talks with India and hoped both sides could de-escalate. Tensions are running high along the contact line separating Kashmirs Indian and Pakistani zones following a terrorist attack on an Indian military convoy in the Jammu and Kashmir state on February 14. Forty-five people were killed in the attack. Jaish-e-Mohammed (The Army of Muhammad) claimed responsibility for the attack. On February 26, Indias aviation bombed this groups camp in the part of Kashmir controlled by Pakistan. On February 27, the Pakistan Air Force responded with air strikes on military installations in Jammu and Kashmir. New Delhi and Islamabad also stated that they downed each others plans in the air fight. NATURE DESERT LOCUST PLAGUES by Colin Everard (I.B. Tauris 30, 288 pp) How do you deal with a swarm of locusts as big as Greater London? In Nairobi, where Colin Everard worked for Desert Locust Control (DLC) in the 1950s, residents spoke of swarms of similar size passing over the city. Sometimes they would blot out the sun for two days. The railway system was brought to a halt: wheels simply spun on the rails, unable to make proper contact because of the dead locusts squelching beneath them. Each square mile of a swarm could contain 15 million locusts. A swarm travelled at up to 20 mph and might need to eat between 30 and 40 thousand tons of food a day. The devastation visited upon crops was immense. People starved as a consequence. Colin Everard who was once responsible for the surveillance of locust swarms over more than 10,000 square miles speaks about controlling locust plagues in a new book (file image) Today those responsible for locust control make use of satellite tracking to monitor the swarms. Things were very different in Everards day, as he describes in this intriguing memoir of his life with the DLC. Everard, now in his late eighties, first visited Africa as a 19-year-old on national service, seconded to work in Somaliland with the DLC. Early attempts to kill off the locusts had not been successful. Arsenic had been mixed with bran to poison the insects, which unfortunately had also destroyed livestock. Unsurprisingly, despite reassurances that arsenic would no longer be used, tribesmen were unwilling to let the DLC try again. One of Everards colleagues told him: On the one hand, we are here to control locusts; on the other, we are working amongst people who will kill us if we go about our work. As he went on, with British understatement, it was not exactly a pleasant scenario. Despite this, after his national service ended, Everard returned to Somaliland and signed up for a permanent job with the DLC. It was still dangerous work. On one excursion into the desert he and his workfellows were confronted by a group of chanting tribesmen carrying spears. What are they chanting? Everard asked. We must kill the Outsider! We must kill the Outsider! he was told. The DLC men only escaped when one of them pointed a rifle at the spear-carriers. DESERT LOCUST PLAGUES by Colin Everard (I.B. Tauris 30, 288 pp) Other encounters were friendlier. One reconnaissance journey took Everard to the Somali coast where he stayed with an Italian lighthouse keeper living in lonely isolation. In the morning, under the mistaken impression that all Englishmen began their day with such a breakfast, the Italian fed him with a giant omelette of 12 eggs. Everard visited the man again four years later, and asked how many visitors he had had since their last meeting. The Italian thought for a while. One, he said eventually. This book summons up a lost world at the end of the colonial era. Everard, a young man in his twenties, was responsible for locust surveillance over an area of more than 10,000 square miles. Controlling locust plagues resulted, as he writes, in sparing millions of people the horrors of hunger and starvation. Its one of the great unsung achievements of the 20th century and Everard pays it a fitting tribute. Banks saw a 25 per cent rise in data breaches in 2018 according to the Financial Conduct Authority, with some of the high street's biggest names hit by hackers. In total, 145 financial services companies were affected by data breaches last year, compared to 25 the year before. Investment banks were the worst-hit, with 34 recording breaches up from three in 2017 and retail banks saw the largest rise in percentage terms. The figures from the FCA came from a Freedom of Information request by a law firm. Just 25 financial firms were affected by data breaches in 2017, which has spiralled to 145 last year - investment banks and high street banks were both hit hard Seven UK retail banks were forced to shut down or limit their systems last April after hacks that cost them hundreds of thousands of pounds to fix. Some of the biggest high street banks, including Barclays, Santander and Royal Bank of Scotland were affected. Tesco Bank was also affected, and was fined 16.4million by the FCA in October last year following a cyber-attack in 2016 that saw 2.26million stolen from current accounts. Richard Breavington, a partner at RPC and head of its cyber insurance and breach response team, said: 'We know that the number of cybercriminals prosecuted under the Computer Misuse Act is below 100 annually. 'When you compare that to the number of cyber-crimes being reported across all industries, you can see that it's a very lucrative criminal enterprise'. The number of cyber-attacks reported to the city regulator has steadily increased since 2015, but spiked last year. Four years ago the FCA was told of 24 cyber incidents. The increase in the number of reported breaches may be partially explained by the introduction of new EU privacy laws that came into force in May. GDPR requires businesses to identify and report cyber-attacks within 72 hours or face fines of up to 20million or four per cent of global turnover. Breavington added that companies 'have done intensive training and made response plans that weren't there before. GDPR has certainly influenced the reporting of breaches.' In the first month after the introduction of GDPR, June 2018, the FCA saw 20 incidents reported by financial services companies, its highest monthly total. One figure at a UK high street bank told the Financial Times a serious cyber incident was the biggest fear for boards because of the difficulty in preparing for it. They said: 'If you think an economic downturn is coming you can load up on capital, if you think a bank run is coming you can load up on liquidity, you can't do that here.' A data breach can range from an accident such as sending an email containing customer data to the wrong address all the way through to a targeted cyber-attack. Paolo Sartori, managing director of TransWorldCom, said: 'While banks normally have excellent and secure cyber security, it is only as strong as the security measures of individual employees, as malicious emails can penetrate even the most robust protection measures. 'In terms of ensuring that data is safe and secure for the future, there needs to be a concerted effort to educate individuals against the full scope of data threat. 'Personal and professional cyber security go hand-in-hand, a chain is only is strong as its weakest link, and financial workers succumbing to fake emails for example leave us all exposed. 'It is easy to separate consumer data from corporate or public cyber security but in reality we are all human and education against these kind of attacks is of the utmost importance.' FCA rules require a bank to report any 'material' cyber incident, with problems considered 'material' if they lead to a significant loss of data, affect a large number of customers, or give any unauthorised access to their systems. Buying a second-hand car can be a daunting prospect, especially when you're in the market for one with relatively high mileage. While some will consider a car with 60,000 miles on the clock to be over the hill, others will look at it as barely broken in. Whatever view you have, you'll still want to know which models are most likely to keep running faultlessly even with many miles under its belt - and we can help. Keep on running: This list reveals which 10 second-hand motors (including the Toytoa Avensis pictured) are the most reliable, even after previous keepers have put 60,000 miles on the clock For those on a tight budget, a new car will be out of the question. However, the models listed below should offer good reliability even when they've been heavily used by a previous owner. According to What Car?'s reliability survey, these are the cars that are proving to be most dependable, even with more than 60,000 miles covered. It's based on the feedback of 18,000 owners of vehicles that have clocked up more than 60k. Most have an expired new-car warranty, though some are examples where the manufacturer is still covering the cost of repairs. We've listed the top 10 most reliable models, based on the number of reported faults, how long they were off the road and the cost to fix them. While the data is based on real-world ownership, we still recommend that you do your homework and buy second-hand cars with a full service history and plenty of documentation supporting their background. And just to ensure you dodge a used-car lemon, we've also listed three models that owners said are riddled with problems by the time they've hit 60,000 miles. RELIABLE CARS WITH 60K MILES ON THE CLOCK 10. Toyota RAV4 (2006-2013) What Car? reliability rating: 81.9% Price*: from 4,800 The Toyota RAV4 is the only SUV to appear in the list. Big 4X4s are synonymous with expensive repair costs, but this one bucks that trend and is still going strong when the mileage ticks past 60,000 It's not much of a shock to see a Toyota already make an appearance in this list, given the Japanese car maker's long history of making robust motors. The RAV4 is a compact family SUV that, in the most part, is still dependable when the mileage racks up. More than seven in ten (71 per cent) of owners with this 2006 to 2013 model said their 60k-mile example hadn't suffered a fault in the last 12 months. Those who did said the most common issue was the brakes and suspension, while engine electrics along with exhaust and fuel system issues were also reported. Most faulty versions were repaired in a day or less and the repair bills ranged from free to 750. 9. Toyota Avensis (2009-2015) What Car? reliability rating: 82.3% Price*: from 4.995 There's a reason why so many taxi and cab services use the Toyota Avensis. It might be a little bland, but it makes up for it with near bullet-proof reliability, even for those with plenty of use There's a good reason why you see so many taxi drivers using the Toyota Avensis - the family-size saloon car has always been considered bullet-proof motoring. While it might not offer the luxury and style of German rivals like the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and VW Passat, far less seems to go wrong with them. Just 19 per cent of owners of this generation of Avensis reported a fault with their car in the last year. These were either bodywork or gearbox issues. Three quarters of these were still driveable, though repair costs ranged quite substantially. For instance, the lowest charge - we imagine to fix some bodywork - was 51 while the priciest item was 1,000, which was likely a new gearbox. 8. Kia Cee'd (2007-2012) What Car? reliability rating: 83.6% Price*: from 3,799 Even the newest of this generation of Kia Cee'd is outside the Korean brand's market-leading 7-year warranty, but they're still proving very dependable with lots of mileage recorded You might not initially think of reliability when you consider Korean car makers, but fairly recent examples are proving why Hyundai and Kia are willing to offer five and seven-year warranties respectively with their new vehicles. The Kia Cee'd, according to owners, is proving to be a dependable purchase. Fewer than a quarter (22 per cent) of examples with 60,000 miles and more on the clock had a reported fault in the last 12 months, with gearbox and clutch issues being most frequent. Half of these cars were rendered undriveable, though a third were fixed under warranty. Those outside of warranty costs owners up to 500. 7. Honda Civic - petrol (2006-2012) What Car? reliability rating: 83.7% Price*: from 3,100 Battery issues were the cause of most problems with petrol-powered Honda Civics, though some more expensive defects have been cropping up with those that have covered over 60k When this generation of the Honda Civic arrived in 2006 it really stood out for the unique design. The sleek shape and spaceship-like interior garnered plenty of attention. Enough owners reported back in the What? Car reliability survey for the sample to be split between petrol and diesel cars, and it's the unleaded models that have taken seventh spot in the most reliable list. Almost one in four (24 per cent) examples with more than 60,000 on the clock have suffered a problem in the last year of ownership, with most of these being battery related - and therefore quick and cheap to fix. However, some have suffered suspension issues, which might explain why the highest repair cost was 1,500 and almost half of cars with faults were undriveable because of the issue. 6. Skoda Octavia - diesel (2004-2013) What Car? reliability rating: 85.3% Price*: from 4,195 A high-mileage Skoda Octavia is the ideal large family car for a buyer on a budget - as long as you buy a diesel one If you want a large, practical family car that's affordable to purchase second-hand and run, then look no further than the Skoda Octavia. Like the Toyota Avensis, it's a mini-cab driver's favourite, thanks to the acres of space and dependability. Just a quarter of diesel models with over 60,000 on the odometer suffered a fault in the previous 12 months, with bodywork complaints being most frequent. However, less common issues also included engine and suspension faults, which might explain why repair bills rose as high as 750. That said, the vast majority of high-mileage versions could still be driven with the defects they had. 5. BMW 3 Series (2012-2018) What Car? reliability rating: 88.7% Price*: from 8,500 Finding a second-hand BMW 3 Series with more than 60,000 on the clock isn't difficult - this is one of the most popular rep mobiles of recent years Finding a high-mileage 3 Series shouldn't be difficult - the smallest of BMW family saloons is a popular motor for travelling sales reps and trusted companion of those undertaking long-distance motorway journeys on a weekly basis. While the model hasn't always been bathed in glory when it comes to dependability, the previous-generation version is enduring the test of time with flying colours. According to owners of cars with 60,000 miles or more, just 17 per cent had a fault last year. The most commonly reported problems are linked to non-engine electrics, including the air conditioning system. Most cars could still be driven and most were fixed for free under warranty, with only a few repair bills of up to 750 for older variants. 4. Toyota Avensis (2003-2009) What Car? reliability rating: 89.5% Price*: from 1,500 This Avensis is even older than the one we featured earlier, but testament to Toyota's robust build quality it is proving to be a super-reliable motor, despite the oldest versions being well over a decade old and clocking up thousands of miles Wait, you've already been told the Toyota Avensis is reliable. However, this isn't the same model. In fact, it's older than the generation we featured in the list at number nine. Incredibly, this 16 year old family saloon is still going strong today, with plenty of owners vouching for it's unwavering dependability. Just 14 per cent of all Avensis models of this era were recorded as having a problem last year. However, most of these concerns were fairly serious, including the engine, engine electrics, fuel system and suspension woes. Two thirds of cars could still be driven, though, and only a small percentage of repair bills cost between 300 and 500. 3. Ford Focus - diesel (2011-2018) What Car? reliability rating: 89.6% Price*: from 5,800 Diesel-powered versions of the recently-replaced Ford Focus are getting rave reliability reviews from owners, with a near 90% What Car? reliability rating for 60k-plus cars Ford treated us to a new Focus hatchback last year that packs more technology than we've ever seen before from its flagship hatchback. That said, the previous model is still an accomplished family transporter. And it's this recent generation car fitted with diesel engines that are proving super reliable, even when examples have gone beyond 60,000 miles. Some 18 per cent of diesel Focus models owned by What Car? readers had a problem, with the most frequently reported area of concern being the battery, followed by the engine, fuel system and gearbox. Half of these vehicles were so new that they were fixed under warranty, though a small percentage racked up repair bills of up to 750. Still, two thirds were driveable, even with this mechanical gremlins. 2. Honda Civic - diesel (2006-2012) What Car? reliability rating: 89.8% Price*: from 3,500 We featured petrol-powered Honda Civics earlier in our list, but it's the diesel variants with 60,000 on the clock that are even more dependable, according to their owners The petrol-engined Civics have already been covered in this list, but it's the diesel variants of this particular generation car that have the strongest reliability track record. Just 15 per cent of all diesel-engined Civics with 60,000 on the clock suffered a problem in the previous year, according to owners. Battery issues topped the list of problems followed by faults with the air conditioning system, suggesting most frequent gremlins aren't all that serious. There were, however, a small number of problems with the brakes, fuel system and interior trim, which might be pricier to repair. That said, almost all cars remained driveable and no repair bill exceeded 300. 1. Ford Fiesta - petrol (2008-2017) What Car? reliability rating: 89.9% Price*: from 3,400 The Ford Fiesta has been the nation's favourite new and used car every year for well over a decade. It's easy to understand why they're so popular among second-hand motor buyers with reliability records for well-used versions It's a fairly fortunate coincidence that the most reliable high-mileage car is also the most-bought model in the country - and has been every year for more than a decade. There were plenty of owners who took the What Car? reliability survey who had petrol variants of the previous-generation Fiesta at home, and just one in five said they had a problem with theirs last year. Most of the common faults were small niggles, such as bodywork and non-engine electrics. The proof of this was that more than three quarters of these cars could still be driven and most were fixed for free under warranty. Those that were repaired at cost were cheap, with just a handful of bills costing up to 200. LEAST RELIABLE CARS WITH 60K MILES ON THE CLOCK 3. Volvo XC60 (2008-2017) What Car? reliability rating: 39.3% Price*: 9,300 The new Volvo XC60 is arguably one of the best medium-size family SUVs on the market today. But drivers should heed this warning from What Car? when it comes to the previous model with high mileage While just over a quarter (26 per cent) of XC60s with 60,000 miles clocked up suffered a fault in the previous 12 months, most issues were pricey problems with engine and non-engine electrics, the exhaust system and the suspension. While virtually all examples could still be driven and some were fixed under warranty, others racked up bills exceeding 1,500. 2. Nissan Qashqai - diesel (2007-2013) What Car? reliability rating: 30.9% Price*: from 4,300 The Nissan Qashqai is - and has been for over a decade - the UK's favourite SUV. Diesel versions of the original model with 60k and more on the clock tend to rack up problems, according to owners Fewer than a quarter of Qashqai diesel owners said their 60K-mile-plus cars had a fault, but the problems that were experienced happened to be multiples. Defects included dodgy brakes, engines, exhausts, fuel systems, gearboxes, suspension parts, wheels and air conditioning systems. This faults rendered a third of cars unusable and repair bills often exceeded 1500. 1. Volkswagen Passat (2011-2015) What Car? reliability rating: 16.6% Price*: from 6,000 The VW Passat is a premium saloon, and the repair bills reflect that. Its 16.6% reliability rating for models with 60,000 miles on the clock is the worst by far More than two in five (42 per cent) of Passats with 60,000 miles or more covered in their lifetime suffered a fault, according to owners - way more than any other model. Non-engine electrics were the most frequent gripe, followed by the brakes and engine woes - all of which are pricey to fix. Around a third of cars were rendered undriveable and some owners were faced with bills of up to 1000. *prices based on lowest value examples listed on AutoTrader with close to 60,000 miles on the clock British new car production has again nosedived in the latest blow for the UK automotive industry. Outputs in January fell 18.2 percent - the eighth successive month of declines, official figures show. The Society of Motor Manufacturers blamed the slump on model changes and weaker new-vehicle demand both in Britain and major export markets - the latter of which accounts for 80 per cent of all cars made in the UK. 'Myriad challenges': The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders offered a grim outlook on January's production stats, saying the sector was battled a number of hurdles which included Brexit and a global slump in new-vehicle demand Output dropped to 120,649 vehicles last month, anchored by a 21.4 percent fall in exports, the SMMT confirmed. Four in five cars to roll off UK production lines are destined for overseas markets, meaning British vehicle plants are heavily reliant on export demand. Demand at home was also down, by almost five per cent. Speaking about the results, SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said that another month of decline is a 'serious concern' and the industry is currently facing 'myriad challenges'. The clear and present danger remains the threat of a no deal Brexit, which is monopolising time and resources, undermining competitiveness Mike Hawes, SMMT chief exec This includes 'falling demand in key markets, to escalating global trade tensions and the need to stay at the forefront of future technology,' according to the SMMT frontman. But he warned that, even despite these factors, the 'clear and present danger remains the threat of a no-deal Brexit, which is monopolising time and resources, undermining competitiveness'. Not everyone agreed with Mr Hawes' conclusion, though. The stats showed that almost 27,000 fewer new cars rolled off UK production line in January, compared year-on-year The manufacturing slump in January concluded a difficult start to 2019 for the nation's auto industry, which is still reeling from the news that Honda is to close the Swindon factory in 2021 The fall in production in January was the eighth consecutive month of declines. The dip is outputs since the beginning of 2017 is clear to see in this graph Analysts downgraded the impact of Brexit on the condition of Britain's motor industry, claiming there were bigger issues facing the slowing sector. Stuart Apperley, director and head of UK automotive at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: 'Although uncertainty around the UKs future trading relationships is proving challenging for some car makers, of arguably more significance in the long run are slowing sales in China and regulatory changes which have made diesel less viable. 'Manufacturers are assessing the economic viability of their plants with some choosing to cut back on capacity.' Honda said it was closing down its Swindon operations in two year's time, which will result in 3,500 British job losses at the plant and thousands more in the supply chain Jaguar Land Rover had already confirmed in January it was to reduce the UK workforce by around 4,500 employees - this after announcing it was cutting 1,500 jobs last year January's production results conclude a difficult first two months of 2019 for the once-booming British motor sector. Not only is the industry recording falling sales, investment and infrastructure is also being pulled from the UK, with Honda the latest manufacturer to announce job losses in the sector. The Japanese brand confirmed last week that it will be closing its Swindon plant in 2021 - a facility that employs around 3,500 staff and also builds over 10 per cent of the country's 1.5 million annual new-model output. This adds to job losses announced at Jaguar Land Rover, Vauxhall and Ford in recent months. Nissan has already cancelled plans to build the next-generation X-Trail at the UK plant in Sunderland (pictured) due to Brexit concerns Rio Tinto reported net profit of 10.2bn for 2018 Mining giant Rio Tinto announced a record cash return to shareholders, including a 3billion special dividend, after posting a 56 per cent jump in its annual profits. The Anglo-Australian firm reported net profit of 10.2billion for 2018, up from 6.6billion the year earlier, thanks to 6billion worth of disposals. Last year, it sold its stake in a copper mine in Indonesia and an aluminium smelter in France. The money helped the company declare a record cash return of 10.1billion to shareholders, including a 2.3billion final dividend, the special dividend and a 2.4billion share buyback programme. The special dividend equated to 1.82 a share. British Airways and Iberia owner International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) has seemingly overcome a triad of challenges in the airline sector to report rising profits and sales. Despite significantly higher fuel costs, currency headwinds and air traffic control strikes last year, the firm chalked up a near 10 per cent rise in profits to 2.6billion. Meanwhile, sales advanced 6.7 per cent to 20.88billion. British Airways owner IAG has had an eventful 12 months but profits rose by nearly 10 per cent The company said it was knocked by unfavourable exchange rates to the tune of 110.35million last year, and added that its fuel costs climbed 30 per cent. With the currency impact stripped out, the profitability of each passenger seat - a key industry metric - jumped 2.4 per cent. IAG boss Willie Walsh said: 'It demonstrates the fantastic work that's gone in in the past number of years where we've been strengthening the cost base of the business, the efficiency of the business, extending our network.' The firm said it expects 2019 profits to be broadly flat. Speaking about Brexit on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Walsh said: 'There are issues from Brexit that we need to address, but these are issues that the industry at large - and certainly IAG - can address without too much concern.' He added: 'We remain confident that there will be a comprehensive air transport agreement between the EU and the UK. If you go back a year, people were saying 'will we be able to fly at all?' I dismissed all of that and I think I've been proven correct.' The profitability of each passenger seat - a key industry metric - jumped 2.4 per cent in 2018 Separately, and underlining a confident outlook, IAG has placed an order for 18 Boeing 777-9 aircraft as it refreshes its British Airways fleet. Each plane costs around 333million, but the group said it had secured a good discount for the planes, which are 30 per cent more fuel efficient than the 747 model. Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at Markets.com dubbed it a 'strong performance against a tough backdrop', but said 'questions remain'. 'It's been a tough time in the last few days after being dropped by MSCI from its global indices after changing foreign ownership rules to meet EU rules ahead of Brexit. Passive funds have been forced to sell IAG shares and the stock has suffered,' he said. 'It's also in a spat with the Civil Aviation Authority over a deal with Heathrow. And the entire European short haul sector still has big question marks over demand and supply in 2019, not least because of Brexit. Wilson added: 'But having walked away from Norwegian, highlighting management's capital discipline, investors should remain on side.' Shares jumped 3.6 per cent in early trading, with investors shrugging off the slightly uncertain outlook and embracing the special dividend of 700million. Swedish Paulina Aberg (above) contacted the prosecutor by email and sent a letter to the court after Broughton's trial started Ceon Broughton's morbid obsession with filming women has been revealed after an ex girlfriend said he once recorded her while she was badly bleeding and said he wanted to throw her off a roof and cover up her murder. Swedish Paulina Aberg contacted prosecutors after the trial started revealing she fell and cracked her head against a sink after Broughton gave her 'a whole load of drugs', but instead of helping he took out his phone and took a photograph of her wound. She also told police that she was aware that the defendant had images of people suffering, including suffering death, on his phone, in which he appeared to have some interest. Broughton was today found guilty of manslaughter after supplying his girlfriend Louella Fletcher-Michie, the daughter of Holby City star John Michie, with the so-called party drug 2-CP before her death at the Bestival music festival in 2017. Miss Aberg, who was flown from Sweden to Britain to give evidence, said she found recordings on Broughton's phone from April 27, 2017 and taken in Toronto, Canada. In the clips, he is filmed giving a woman drugs and encouraging her to take more. The court was shown the two clips, in which a young woman wearing a blue strappy top and underwear is offered a spoon by Broughton and snorts drugs. In the second clip, he can be heard saying 'more' as he offers a second spoon to her, before telling the girl she needs to finish the powder on the spoon. Miss Aberg claimed one month before Bestival, Broughton gave her a 'whole load of drugs' causing her to suffer a bad reaction, fall over and hurt herself. John Michie (left) posted this picture on Instagram last September on the one-year anniversary of the death of his daughter Louella (right). Also pictured is his wife Carol Fletcher (centre She claims Broughton took a photo of her and had similar images of 'people suffering or suffering death on his phone, which he appeared to have some interest in.' Footage (which can be viewed above) was also shared to Broughton's personal YouTube channel of a woman passed out on public transport. Prosecutors said Broughton 'supplied drugs to females, girlfriends or not, in large amounts and made recordings of the process and the reaction.' Broughton himself showed little emotion, flippantly telling his lawyer to 'text my mum'. Speaking outside court, an emotional Mr Michie said: 'Regardless of the outcome of this harrowing trial, there are never going to be any winners. 'Our life sentence began on what would have been Louella's 25th birthday. Ceon's life sentence is knowing he did not help Louella to live.' Broughton showed no emotion when the verdict was delivered but called out to his lawyers: 'Text my mum'. He will be sentenced tomorrow. Mr Michie has been in the public gallery with his wife, Carol, and two children, Sam and Penny, throughout the trial, along with the defendant's father Dave. As he left the public gallery he approached the defendant's father to offer his condolences. His wife left the courtroom in tears. At the conclusion of an emotionally charged trial, it was revealed: Broughton narrowly avoided a jail sentence a month earlier after he appeared in court for possession of a bladed article in public. Miss Fletcher-Michie's devastated parents said in they were already serving a 'life sentence' of grief, following their daughter's overdose from the party drug 2-CP. MailOnline revealed exclusively that a former girlfriend of Broughton said the rapper once filmed her bleeding from a head wound after she fell over from taking a large amount of drugs. MailOnline also exclusively revealed that Holby City star John Michie clashed with the killer rapper outside of court calling him 'evil' as the grime star shouted at police to 'get off me bruv' and began hitting himself wildly. Broughton's father Dave turned to the family and offered his sympathy following the verdict announcement. Broughton was born in Croydon in 1989 and lived in in a small terraced house in Wembley Park before his parents split up when he was a young boy. The 29-year-old attended a local college in Enfield, and one of his subjects was photography before he entered the world of music and fashion. The rap artist, who goes by the stage name CEONRPG, was pictured among a number of artists alongside London mayor Sadiq Khan at the Mobo awards in 2017. He also worked with the late American rapper Lil Peep, who was found dead on his tour bus aged 21 in November 2017, after taking a lethal mix of cannabis, cocaine, Tramadol, Xanax and fentanyl. In 2017, Broughton released the song 'Duracell', which was produced by Skepta. The song was about a girl 'disrespecting him' and 'crushing his heart' and in the music video - directed by Miss Fletcher-Michie's brother Sam - Broughton is seen waving a large knife around a picturesque river and mountain setting wearing a chainmail headpiece. Ceon Broughton films himself as part of a 50-minute video he recorded of Miss Fletcher-Michie hours before she died Miss Fletcher-Michie fell head over heels for Broughton and 'loved him more than anyone else' Her mother and father, Holby City actor John Michie and his wife Carol, are pictured today Miss Fletcher-Michie (left, with her mother Carol) became the first person to have ever been killed by the party drugs The song features lyrics including 'you crushed my heart and soul', 'how could you disrespect me?' and, 'you mean nothing now, see now I'm p****d'. It was released on YouTube on September 5, days before Miss Michie was found dead on her 25th birthday in a woodland part of the festival site known as the Ambient Forrest. Miss Fletcher-Michie attended Tiffany Theatre School in London and comes from a showbiz dynasty - her uncle and father are actors, and her mother a trained dancer. She was the youngest daughter of actor John Michie and wife Carol Fletcher, a former dancer for TV troupe Hot Gossip. Timeline of the police probe into Louella Fletcher-Michie's death September 11, 2017: Louella Fletcher-Michie was found dead in a wooded area at Bestival at about 1am September 13, 2017: Ceon Broughton is arrested on suspicion of her murder and supplying a class A drug before being released under investigation February 23, 2018: Broughton is rearrested on suspicion of her manslaughter March 23, 2018: Broughton appears for the first time over the charge at Poole Magistrates' Court July 26, 2018: Broughton pleads not guilty to manslaughter at Winchester Crown Court February 4, 2019: Broughton's trial begins at Winchester Crown Court February 28, 2019: Trial jury begin their deliberations Advertisement A 'health fanatic', Miss Fletcher-Michie travelled to Mexico, Paris, Austria and Ibiza to teach yoga and worked as a model and dancer for the House of Voga. The Michie family welcomed Broughton into their home and he appeared in family photographs including at the 60th birthday celebrations of Miss Fletcher-Michie's famous actor father, from Holby City. Broughton spent Christmas in 2016 in their north London mansion then suddenly ended his relationship with Louella, leaving her 'heartbroken'. Her mother, former Hot Gossip dancer Carol Fletcher, said her daughter fled to Los Angeles in the wake of the split, telling her, 'I have to get away, mum. I can't keep bumping into him in the street.' But Miss Fletcher-Michie and Broughton had rekindled their relationship just weeks before Bestival and her mother said Miss Fletcher-Michie followed him to Bestival. In a tragic twist, she said her daughter would never had gone to Bestival had it not been for Broughton. Meanwhile it also emerged today that Miss Fletcher-Michie's killer was obsessed with death images and had filmed other women struggling after he had fed them drugs at least twice before the tragedy. Miss Fletcher-Michie's godfather was One Foot In The Grave Star Richard Wilson The full extent of Broughton's sinister fascination with watching women dice with death was not told to the jury at Winchester Crown Court at his trial. Miss Fletcher-Michie, who grew up in a 1.2million Islington home, was found dead after taking 2-CP at the Bestival site in 2017 But MailOnline can reveal that police learned of two separate incidents where Broughton had used his mobile phone to photograph or film women stricken by drugs, in the same manner he captured the dying moments of his girlfriend. In other sickening images, Broughton, 29, had downloaded footage of people dying and stored them on his phone. One of his own victims was his former Swedish girlfriend Paulina Aberg who he met in London while she was working at a fashion store. Miss Aberg, 25, told police that in addition to an image of her bleeding from her head, she had seen images of others 'suffering' on the grime star's mobile phone. Miss Aberg flew to Britain and told detectives that she and Broughton had been in a relationship. On one occasion, she said, he had given her a 'whole load of drugs' and she fallen and cracked her head open. Broughton is pictured (bottom right) with London Mayor Sadiq Khan at the 2017 Mobo awards She was bleeding from the wound as Broughton filmed the incident. The incident happened early in August 2017, a month before Louella died in woodland on the edge of the Bestival festival site at Lulworth Castle, Dorset on September 11. Miss Aberg, a voice over artist who worked as a member of sales staff at a Levis Store in London and is studying a media and communications degree in Stockholm, said she had a 'bad reaction' after Broughton fed her drugs. She fell and was injured and later found that Broughton had taken an image of her while she was suffering. She managed to delete the image but said there were other images of people suffering death or being taken ill which Broughton had an interest in. Miss Aberg contacted prosecutor William Mousley, QC,by email and sent a letter to Winchester Crown Court after she learned that Broughton had been put on trial. Broughton is pictured (far right) with rap star Drake in an undated photograph Mr Mousley told the judge while the jury were absent that the prosecution wanted to 'adduce evidence of other reprehensible conduct by the defendant.' She flew to Britain to talk to police and prosecutors, but was not allowed to tell her story to the court. Her mother, speaking at her Stockholm home, said: 'Paulina has gone on a break to America. I needed to protect her after this. 'She has decided that she does not want to talk to the media about it.' The second known victim of Broughton's hideous interest in death images was a woman who was fed drugs by Broughton using a spoon earlier in 2017. Police uncovered recordings on Broughton's phone of an incident on April 2017 that year. The two clips showed a young woman in a blue strappy top and knickers being offered a spoon by Broughton and then snorting drugs. In 2017, Broughton (left) released the song 'Duracell', which was produced by Skepta Detectives were satisfied Broughton gave the drugs and then filmed the woman taking them. The videos were seven and eight seconds long and in the second Broughton is seen to urge her to finish the powder on the spoon. He is heard saying 'more' while offering a second spoon of drugs while the incident is recorded on his phone. The videos were shot in Toronto, Canada, and shown to the court while the jury were not present. During legal arguments, it was heard that Miss Aberg and Broughton had been in a relationship and on one occcasion he had given her a 'whole load of drugs' and she fell and cracked her head open. Mr Mousley told High Court Judge Mr Justice Goose that Miss Aberg, who was flown from Sweden to Britain to give evidence, had seen images of 'people suffering' on Broughton's phone. Broughton (right) was born in 1989 and lived in in a small terraced house in Wembley Park However, Stephen Kamlish QC, representing Broughton, said this was an 'ambush' by Miss Aberg, who had kept a journal in which she discussed her knowledge and feelings of Louella Fletcher-Michie's death and her resentment about the end of her own relationship with Broughton, 29. Submitting a bad character application while the jury were not present, Mr Mousley said: 'The prosecution seeks to adduce evidence of other reprehensible conduct by the defendant. 'We seek the permission of the court to do so through two sources of evidence. 'The first source formed the submission of a bad character application on May 30, 2018. It relates to recordings found on Ceon Broughton's phone of an incident on April 27, 2017. 'This shows the defendant filming the giving of drugs to a female and exhorting her to take more. One of the videos is seven seconds and one is eight seconds. These were taken in Toronto, Canada.' The court was shown the two clips, in which a young woman in a blue strappy top and knickers is offered a spoon by Broughton and snorts drugs. A bag containing white powder found in Broughton's phone case which was shown in court In the second clip, he can be heard saying 'more' as he offers a second spoon to her, before telling the girl she needs to finish the powder on the spoon. Mr Mousley continued: 'The other source on which the Crown seek permission is that which comes from a statement provided by a female last week. 'It deals with a specific incident which appears to have occurred some time in the first half of August 2017, so a month before events at Bestival. 'The defendant gives the witness what she describes as a 'whole load of drugs' and she says, as a result, she suffered a bad reaction, falling and hurting herself. 'She says that an image of her was taken by the defendant on his phone and subsequent to that she found it and she deleted the image. 'She also says over and above that specific incident, she was aware the defendant had images of people suffering or suffering death on his phone, which he appeared to have some interest in. CCTV footage showing Miss Fletcher-Michie in a grey hooded top and Broughton in fluorescent trousers (circled) walking together at Bestival in Dorset in September 2017 'Having regard to the issues in this case, what happened at Bestival and what happened in the video clip and in the description of Paulina Aberg, was supplying drugs to females, girlfriends or not, in large amounts and the recordings of the process and the reaction.' Representing Broughton, Mr Kamlish called for the judge to refuse the application on the grounds the 'sleazy' evidence significantly changed the case and would be 'extremely prejudicial'. He said: '[Miss Aberg] has waited until after the case has begun before deciding she had something to contribute. That's an important factor. 'She has taken a view, she has waited until the last moment to put this evidence before the jury. It is an ambush. 'There's a notebook full of resentment from beginning to end. She wants to hurt him in these proceedings. There is a good deal of resentment and she deals with her knowledge and feelings about Louella's death [in the notebook]. 'On the banging of the head incident, she is not telling the truth, that's proved by a text we have quoted and the Crown have not. Miss Fletcher-Michie in a grey hooded top and Broughton in fluorescent trousers at Bestival 'Whether or not the defendant was with her as it happened, he did not know she was hurt because she does not tell him. He puts her in a taxi and when she says she is hurt, he says 'can I help you?' and 'go to the doctor'. 'Also, why is it relevant that someone might take morbid interest in grotesque images? 'As my Lord has pointed out, this is not a case of salacious pleasure in death, it is whether the defendant was grossly negligent. 'This is just prejudicial. The effect will be to make the jury take a view against him. It is a step too far. There is some sleaziness involved and they may find the defendant took an unhealthy pleasure in suffering and that has never been the case.' After hearing both barristers, Mr Justice Goose, who called the images Broughton was alleged to have, 'death images' during the application, told the court he was rejecting the application for the bad character evidence to be put before the jury. He said he would give his full reasons later in the case, but said: 'I do not want [Miss Aberg] to believe for a moment this court is forming a view. I do not want her feeling she is being disbelieved.' John Clark Gable, the son of Hollywood legend Clark Gable, is refusing to pay for his own son's funeral The son of Hollywood legend Clark Gable has refused to pay for his own son's funeral or let him be buried in the Gable family plot, according to shocking text messages posted online. Clark Gable III, the movie star's 30-year-old grandson, was found dead in his bed by his fiancee last Friday. His sister, Kayley Gable, 32, said she called her estranged father, John Clark Gable, 57, to tell him about the tragic news. But she claimed he 'hung up' on her and sent a vitriolic text message, which she posted on Facebook. 'I'm sorry for your loss. This is what I want. Cremate him he's not going in my family's plot and I'm not paying for anything,' John wrote in a text. The family's plot is located at Forrest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, where Clark Gable is buried. 'All of you use my Fathers name in disgrace and you don't want me to go to the media believe me. Leave me and my Father out of this drug mess. There are no services on my end. Kayley is to never call me. Sorry for your loss I'm done it's just that simple. Respect my wishes.' In her Facebook post, Kayley shot back at her father claiming that he 'tortured us', 'got us high' and 'did drugs in front of us as kids'. Clark Gable III, 30, was discovered dead in his bed by his fiancee Friday. He's pictured with his sister Kayley, 32, in an undated photo John's estranged daughter Kayley posted this message to Facebook that her father sent her where he refused to pay his son's funeral expenses and said Clark III would not be buried in his family's plot Gable III was the only grandson to Hollywood legend Clark Gable, pictured above in the American classic Gone With The Wind 'I'm sorry, as my brother is in a coffin I'm standing up for him, as I always have, and the world needs to know the truth. I'm putting this out before you start telling lies,' she wrote. 'John F*** YOU!! Your (sic) the one who got us high on drugs and did drugs in front of us as kids and tortured us and especially Clark so I'm going to write a book and let the world know the truth!! Im Disgusted I'm related to you! bring it ON!!!!! your (sic) the druggie!!!!' Kayley also posted a page from a back copy of a celebrity magazine from around 2006 showing photos of her father leaving a courthouse to head to rehab with what appear to be several needle marks on his arm. DailyMail.com attempted to reach John for comment about his daughter's claims. Drug problems have dogged the family, Clark's mother, Tracy Scheff, told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview on Friday. John's brother died age 27 of an overdose, and his girlfriend's death in 2012 was linked to prescription medication. Scheff said although her son's cause of death is not yet known, he had previously struggled with drug addiction, as had all four of her children, including her 17-year-old son who is now one year sober. Kayley also posted a page from a copy of a celebrity magazine from around 2006 showing photos of her father leaving a courthouse to head to rehab, which branded him 'Clark Gable's Druggie Son' This childhood photo shows Kayley and Clark III, who struggled with drug addiction throughout his life. Many members of their family also battled drug addition, including father John A family photo shows John with his ex-wife Tracy and daughter Kayley before their marriage ended due to his addiction problems Scheff revealed that Gable had sought therapy for addiction in the past, and several members of his family had struggled with drug abuse. She said her marriage with Clark's father John ended over his addiction problems. The bereaved mother also revealed Clark's three siblings have had issues with drugs. 'My current husband, weve been together 27 years, and hes 32 years sober. Its a struggle that is real,' she said. 'I have four children, all of them have struggled,' Scheff added. 'I have two younger boys with my current husband, Jason. I think one of thems fine, he just likes to party, but the baby has struggled. Hes got a year sober, hes 17 and doing great. 'I have a daughter thats seven months pregnant. Shes doing great now, but shes struggled too.' 'John F*** YOU!! Your (sic) the one who got us high on drugs and did drugs in front of us as kids and tortured us and especially Clark,' Kayley (pictured as a child with brother Clark) said of her father Spitting image: He was the only grandson of the famed American actor Clark Gable who was known as 'The King of Hollywood' and starred in classics like Gone with the Wind, Mogambo and Call of the Wild. Clark Gable pictured left and Clark III pictured right Kayley shared this picture following his passing on Friday, writing: 'I'm so sorry we couldn't save you my heart is broken and shattered RIP' A colleague of the late 30-year-old also told DailyMail.com that Gable had used drugs. Bobby Goldstein, Cheaters creator and show Executive Producer, said that he was aware Gable took drugs but said it never affected his work. While its true I have heard from others that Clark indulged in drugs, of the many years, almost a decade Ive known him I never saw him on drugs,' he said. Clark was a beautiful boy, he was a beautiful soul. He was the spitting image of his grandfather on screen and Ive never thought of him other than the most earnest, kind, loving friend and its been a great pleasure to work with him. He was a great colleague and a great host on Cheaters. A killer who kidnapped, strangled and repeatedly ran over a six-year-old boy three days before Christmas is set to walk free after serving 26 years in prison. Phillip Wayne Lett, 32, snatched Damien Noyes from a park across the road from his home in western Sydney in 1992 while he played with his two younger brothers. The next morning Damien's naked and broken body was found dumped in a carpark near Penrith train station. He had been strangled with his underpants and board shorts, which were tied around his neck, and was still wearing his sneakers. The Crown prosecutor at Lett's murder trial described Damien's killing as a 'horrific, cruel, callous, cold-blooded, senseless and tragic' crime. Lett, now 58, has already been on day release and will walk out of the Metropolitan Special Programs Centre at Long Bay on June 23. Damien's mother Bridget Coen said she did not know Lett was to be released until she was told by Daily Mail Australia. 'It's a pity he didn't die in there,' Ms Coen said, speaking publicly for the first time in 25 years. 'I just wanted him to suffer for the rest of his life.' Damien Luke Noyes, 6, was abducted and murdered near his western Sydney home three days before Christmas in 1992. His killer, Phillip Wayne Lett, strangled the boy and ran him over in his car then dumped his naked body near a train station. He was five in this photograph Phillip Wayne Lett was jailed for a minimum 19 and a half years for murdering Damien Noyes but will serve his maximum sentence of 26 and a half years and be released in June. 'It's a pity he didn't die in there,' Damien's mother says. 'I just wanted him to suffer for the rest of his life' Ms Coen said her curly-haired son was a happy, intelligent, outgoing child who was tall for his age and considered himself the man of the house. He could eat 15 fish fingers in one sitting, loved Cold Chisel and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and collected Matchbox cars. 'He wanted to be a politician or a garbage truck driver,' she said. 'He was a character. I still miss him terribly - always will. I don't think I'll ever get over it.' A post-mortem examination found Damien had drowned in his own blood due to strangulation and injuries to his face. He had a broken leg, jaw and ribs, and a tyre mark across his belly. Lett, a labourer from Hebersham who did not know the Noyes family, was arrested a day after Damien's body was found and charged with abducting and murdering him. He appeared in Parramatta Local Court on Christmas Day while Damien's unopened presents including a water pistol sat under a tree at his family's home in Tabali Street, Whalan. Damien's murder was so appalling and cruelly-timed that NSW premier John Fahey wrote to Ms Coen and gave $3,000 on behalf of the state for her son's funeral. Lett had lured Damien into his blue Sigma station wagon about 7.30pm on December 22, 1992 after seeing him playing with his brothers Nicholas, four, and Cody, three, in a park across the road from the Noyes home. Ms Coen said her son had only recently been given a 'stranger danger' talk at his school. Damien Noyes (far left) with his mother Bridget, sister Michelle (poking out her tongue) and brothers Nick (with his hands over his eyes) and Cody (on bike) on Father's Day 1991. Fifteen months after this picture was taken Damien was kidnapped and murdered by a stranger 'I still don't know how he got him in the car,' she said. When Damien was taken his eight-year-old sister Michelle was being driven to Queensland for a holiday with her maternal grandparents. Ms Coen was a 28-year-old single mother who had to explain to her three remaining children what had happened to their brother. Lett later admitted to strangling Damien and said he might also have accidentally run over him in his car. Damien Noyes was a happy, intelligent, outgoing child who was tall for his age and could eat 15 fish fingers in one sitting He claimed he had abducted the boy for sexual reasons but 'I could not go through with it.' Ms Coen said it was a small comfort to her that Damien had not been raped. 'It sounds silly but it was such a relief that he wasn't,' she said. A Supreme Court jury took just an hour to reject Lett's claim of diminished responsibility and find him guilty of murder in February 1994. Crown prosecutor Ian Lloyd, QC, said the defenceless lad had been strangled with his own clothing then run over 'at least once and probably more than once.' Ms Coen said she was told her son was run over five times. Mr Lloyd had called for Lett to be jailed for life, saying he could not imagine a more 'horrific, cruel, callous, cold-blooded, senseless and tragic' killing. After the verdict Damien's mother read out a message to her son's killer: 'I pray that your sins will torment you for the rest of your pitiful life.' She told reporters she still had nightmares about Damien's little brothers standing at the side of his coffin, 'shaking him, telling him to wake up to play with them.' Since her son's murder Ms Coen has married and divorced and the 54-year-old grandmother is in poor physical and mental health. 'I'm a bit of a basket case,' she said. 'I still have panic attacks. I've got depression. I've had a stroke, I've had a heart attack, and they're all saying that's from what happened to Damien.' Damien Noyes's funeral was held a week after his murder at Minchinbury's Pinegrove Memorial Park. A day earlier his brothers had stood by his coffin at the funeral home and begged him to wake up. One of Damien's school friends is pictured here looking up at his little white casket Heartless strangers sent Ms Coen hate mail and blamed her for Damien's death at the time and she did too for a while. 'I got abused because I didn't have money for a funeral,' she said. 'I felt guilty enough as it was.' Ms Coen's sister-in-law Christina Noyes described her as an inspiring woman who was always there for her extended family. 'She's the one who has been there for everyone else no matter what,' Ms Noyes said. 'We will miss our Damien forever. It's still very much a part of our lives and influences us in our everyday lives. 'It's something that's always in your mind, especially the kids who grew up with overly strict parents, because we were shown rather early in life that there are monsters that could do things like this.' Ms Coen became a particularly strict mother after Damien's murder, obsessed with her children's safety at all times. The family had picnics on the lounge room floor. A jury of six men and six women took just an hour to find Phillip Wayne Lett guilty of Damien Noyes's murder. Outside court Damien's mother Bridget (pictured) read a statement addressed to the cold-blooded killer: 'I pray that your sins will torment you for the rest of your pitiful life' 'I'm not a very trustful person now,' Ms Coen said. 'Twenty six years is a long time not to trust people.' Christmas had been almost unbearable for all those years. 'I tried my best for the kids but I get no enjoyment out of it,' Ms Coen said. 'I prefer to spend Christmas by myself.' For the first two years after Damien's murder his mother baked him a birthday cake and on the day he would have turned 30 she went out with her other sons to mark the occasion. Christina Noyes (pictured) says her sister-in-law Bridget Coen has been through hell and is an inspiration to her extended family In March 1994 Justice Morris Ireland jailed Lett for a minimum 19 and a half years with a maximum term of 26 years and six months, finding there was some hope of rehabilitation. 'He didn't think it was bad enough for him him to never be released,' Ms Coen said. Lett, who sat in the dock battered, bruised and with broken teeth after other inmates had bashed in prison, wept when he heard the sentence. 'They beat him up something shocking,' Ms Coen said: 'He had the s*** belted out of him.' The child killer has been in protective custody ever since. Lett has been eligible for parole since 2014 when it was first refused. It was again refused in 2017 and he did not seek parole in 2018. The New South Wales Attorney-General, Mark Speakman, has lodged a Supreme Court application for an extended supervision order over Lett for five years after his release. If successful he would face stringent conditions which controlled where he lived, where he went and with whom they could associate. 'This is an appalling case and it is impossible to imagine the decades of suffering of the young victim's family,' Mr Speakman said. Damien would have turned 33 this year. Michelle is 34, Nicholas is 30 and Cody is 29. 'Wherever he is I hope he's happy,' Ms Coen said of her son. 'I think about him every day. ' Russian President Vladimir Putin told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a phone call that he hopes for a quick settlement of a crisis between India and Pakistan, the Kremlin said in a statement, Reuters reports. Both leaders also expressed their interests in further strengthening of military-technical ties, the Kremlin added. Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has already offered to facilitate talks between the two sides. Holby City actor John Michie confronted his tragic daughter's rapper boyfriend and told him 'you're evil' after hearing his catalogue of failures and lies laid out to jurors for the final time. Broughton was today found guilty of manslaughter after supplying his girlfriend Louella Fletcher-Michie with the so-called party drug 2-CP before her death at the Bestival music festival in 2017. Following his conviction, it can now be revealed that during a break in court proceedings earlier this week, distraught father Mr Michie, 62, confronted the killer and said 'you're evil, evil', in a clash that quickly turned violent. The rapper flew into a rage, slammed his bag onto the ground, screaming 'f**k', before picking up a coffee table and launching it across the corridor, with two legs breaking off as it hit the wall. Broughton then went on to attack a water cooler nearby and began hitting himself wildly before two policemen restrained him, as he shouted: 'Get off me, bruv'. Louella Fletcher-Michie, the 24-year-old daughter of actor John Michie, died after being given a fatal amount of 2-CP at Bestival. Her boyfriend, Ceon Broughton, was today convicted of manslaughter for supplying the drug and failing to help her when she collapsed Ceon Broughton (left), 30, had been on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of being responsible for the death of his girlfriend Miss Fletcher-Michie (right) Miss Fletcher-Michie's father John Michie said outside Winchester Crown Court today: 'Regardless of the outcome of this harrowing trial, there are never going to be any winners' The 30-year-old drug dealer failed to get help after Miss Fletcher-Michie collapsed and even filmed her as she laid dying in an area of woodland near the Dorset festival. Broughton - who was obsessed with images of death - had narrowly avoided a jail sentence just one month before Miss Fletcher-Michie's tragic death. He was hauled before a court for possession of a bladed article in public, but walked free, allowing him to head off to the event where he killed his girlfriend with drugs. At the conclusion of an emotionally charged trial, it was revealed: Broughton narrowly avoided a jail sentence a month earlier after he appeared in court for possession of a bladed article in public. Miss Fletcher-Michie's devastated parents said in they were already serving a 'life sentence' of grief, following their daughter's overdose from the party drug 2-CP. MailOnline revealed exclusively that a former girlfriend of Broughton said the rapper once filmed her bleeding from a head wound after she fell over from taking a large amount of drugs. MailOnline also exclusively revealed that Holby City star John Michie clashed with the killer rapper outside of court calling him 'evil' as the grime star shouted at police to 'get off me bruv'. Broughton's father Dave turned to the family and offered his sympathy following the verdict announcement. Broughton himself showed little emotion, flippantly telling his lawyer to 'text my mum'. Broughton defended A friend of Ms Fletcher-Michie said that he had sympathy for Broughton. 'The reason I feel so bad for him is that that could have been me or any of my friends,' he told The Times. 'People say he watched her lying on the floor, looking as if she was dying but every time I go to a festival I see at least one of my friends lying on the floor, looking like they're dying. You don't really acknowledge it as a life-or-death situation. Everyone is doing that. It's just festival antics. Ceon is being portrayed as some kind of drug-dealing gangsta rapper but he's a very nice, honest guy. 'He wasn't a drug-dealer. It was literally unlucky.' Advertisement Speaking outside court, an emotional Mr Michie said: 'Regardless of the outcome of this harrowing trial, there are never going to be any winners. 'Our life sentence began on what would have been Louella's 25th birthday. Ceon's life sentence is knowing he did not help Louella to live.' Broughton showed no emotion when the verdict was delivered but called out to his lawyers: 'Text my mum'. He will be sentenced tomorrow. Mr Michie has been in the public gallery with his wife, Carol, and two children, Sam and Penny, throughout the trial, along with the defendant's father Dave. As he left the public gallery he approached the defendant's father to offer his condolences. His wife left the courtroom in tears. Miss Fletcher-Michie (second right) and Broughton (far right) at a family dinner with her actor father John, mother Carol, brother Sam, sister Daisy and her boyfriend Jamie Jamieson The jury at the court had begun deliberating at 12pm yesterday and reached a verdict at about 3pm today. Miss Fletcher-Michie, who grew up in a 1.2million home in Islington, North London, is thought to be the first person to have died after taking the drug. Miss Fletcher-Michie only had 'limited' experience of drugs but had a 'fatal attraction' to grime artist Broughton, the trial previously heard. Broken TV star's tragic statement after hearing jury's verdicts Actor John Michie said this afternoon his family's 'life sentence' began when his daughter was heartlessly left to die in woodland by Ceon Broughton. Reading from his phone outside court today, the 62-year-old said: 'Regardless of the outcome of this trial, there was never going to be any winners. 'We began our life sentence on what would have have Louella's 25th birthday.. Ceon's life sentence is knowing he did not help Louella to live.' Advertisement After giving her the 2-CP, the defendant filmed her when she was hallucinating before recording images of her corpse on his phone, jurors were told. She initially had a 90 per cent chance of recovery. But jurors were told that instead of phoning 999, Broughton stayed in a secluded wooded area at Bestival. Her family listened in shock as prosecutors told how he documented her decline and mental distress in a disturbing series of videos and photos. Broughton avoided going for help because 'didn't want to be arrested' because while on a suspended sentence. His girlfriend was dead by the time he eventually emerged from the trees and alerted festival staff to her condition. Mobile phone footage showed the couple playing around with some fairy lights inside a tent at the festival before she became ill. A voice is heard to say 'Festival fairy Louella' followed by Miss Fletcher-Michie, smiling, saying 'Pixie love' while a third person held the camera-phone. Separate images show Miss Fletcher-Michie walking with Broughton, captured by CCTV, at the festival two years ago. Her mother and father, Holby City actor John Michie and his wife Carol, are pictured yesterday Broughton smashed up a table in the atrium of the court after being confronted by the family during a break in proceedings Miss Fletcher-Michie died the day before her 25th birthday. Her father posted this photo online after her death Miss Fletcher-Michie, with her father John Michie in a picture he posted online after her death 2-CP: The drug said to have the hallucinogenic properties of LSD with the stimulant effects of ecstasy 2-CP is said to have the hallucinogenic properties of LSD combined with the stimulant effects of ecstasy. But users have reported that its effects can be intense and uncontrollable. Broughton's barrister Stephen Kamlish QC quoted a report on 2-CP in which one user described taking it as 'physically and psychologically draining'. But Mr Kamlish told the jury that 'no-one has ever been known to die from taking this drug (2-CP) or taking an overdose'. After taking the drug, Miss Fletcher-Michie became disturbed, agitated and seriously ill, groaning, scratching her flesh and attempting to eat thorns. Professor Charles Deakin, a consultant in cardiac anaesthesia and intensive care, said the footage showed she was 'not aware of her surroundings' and became 'seriously unwell and in need of urgent medical care'. Prof Deakin said sedative drugs, breathing support and monitoring of blood pressure could have been used to treat Miss Fletcher-Michie at the scene. But Broughton, who later admitted to her brother Sam that he had 'bumped up' the dose, did nothing to help her and she was found dead by a steward in woodland just 400 yards from the hospital tent. The trial heard that Broughton supplied the drug to her after her own 'pills' had been confiscated by Bestival stewards. The Talk To Frank drugs awareness website states that the 2C family of drugs can make you 'energised and alert, extra aware of colours, sounds and smells and very sensitive to touch and sexually aroused'. But it warns: 'The more you take, the more intense and uncontrollable the experience will be.' Advertisement Miss Fletcher-Michie, 24, the daughter of showbiz parents actor John and dancer Carol, fell head over heels for Broughton and was said to have 'loved him more than anyone else before.' However, their year-long, on-off romance ended in tragedy when Broughton gave his girlfriend a lethal overdose and watched as she died over six hours. Grime rapper was convicted of having a KNIFE in public but spared jail just weeks before Bestival The drug dealer convicted of killing Louella Fletcher-Michie had avoided a jail term for possessing a knife just a month before, it can be revealed today. It can be reported for the first time today that Broughton had avoided being jailed for possession of a bladed article in public. He was given a 24-week sentence suspended for a year at Thames magistrates' court in August 2017, just a month before he and Louella attended the music festival where she died. Prosecutors said Broughton did not get help for Louella because he was on the suspended jail term and feared the consequences. Advertisement Broughton was born in Croydon in 1989 and lived in in a small terraced house in Wembley Park before his parents split up when he was a young boy. The 30-year-old attended a local college in Enfield, and one of his subjects was photography before he entered the world of music and fashion. The rap artist, who goes by the stage name CEONRPG, was pictured among a number of artists alongside London mayor Sadiq Khan at the Mobo awards in 2017. He also worked with the late American rapper Lil Peep, who was found dead on his tour bus aged 21 in November 2017, after taking a lethal mix of cannabis, cocaine, Tramadol, Xanax and fentanyl. In 2017, Broughton released the song 'Duracell', which was produced by Skepta. The song was about a girl 'disrespecting him' and 'crushing his heart' and in the music video - directed by Miss Fletcher-Michie's brother Sam - Broughton is seen waving a large knife around a picturesque river and mountain setting wearing a chainmail headpiece. The song features lyrics including 'you crushed my heart and soul', 'how could you disrespect me?' and, 'you mean nothing now, see now I'm p****d'. It was released on YouTube on September 5, days before Miss Michie was found dead on her 25th birthday in a woodland part of the festival site known as the Ambient Forrest. The scene at Bestival where Miss Michie's body was discovered by police on the edge of the festival site, which covers hundreds of acres close to the landmark Durdle Door CCTV footage showing Miss Fletcher-Michie in a grey hooded top and Broughton in fluorescent trousers (circled) walking together at Bestival in Dorset in September 2017 Father to father: How Holby City star turned to man whose rapper son killed his daughter, 24, and said 'you have my sympathies' after guilty verdict Holby City actor John Michie turned to the father of his daughter's killer and said 'you have my sympathy' after today's verdicts were returned. Ceon Broughton, 30, was found guilty today of manslaughter and supplying the drugs that killed Michie's daughter Louella Fletcher-Michie, 24, at Bestival in Dorset. Broughton with his father Dave, who has sat in the court's public gallery during the trial Mr Michie has sat in the public gallery with his wife, Carol, and two children, Sam and Penny, throughout the trial, not far from the defendant's father, Dave. As he left the public gallery he approached the defendant's father to offer his condolences. His wife left the courtroom in tears. An emotional Mr Michie said outside court: 'Regardless of the outcome of this harrowing trial, there are never going to be any winners. Our life sentence began on what would have been Louella's 25th birthday. Ceon's life sentence is knowing he did not help Louella to live.' Advertisement It can now be reported how Broughton filmed another girl he was dating as she bled from a wound on her head. Swedish Paulina Aberg contacted prosecutor William Mousley QC by email and sent a letter to Winchester Crown Court after Broughton's trial started, but the judge refused to allow jurors to hear her evidence. Lawyers heard how Miss Aberg and Broughton had been in a relationship and on one occasion she fell and cracked her head open after he gave her 'a whole load of drugs.' Miss Aberg, who was flown from Sweden to Britain to give evidence, said she found recordings on Broughton's phone from April 27, 2017 and taken in Toronto, Canada. In the clips, he is filmed giving a woman drugs and encouraging her to take more. The court was shown the two clips, in which a young woman wearing a blue strappy top and underwear is offered a spoon by Broughton and snorts drugs. In the second clip, he can be heard saying 'more' as he offers a second spoon to her, before telling the girl she needs to finish the powder on the spoon. Miss Aberg claimed one month before Bestival, Broughton gave her a 'whole load of drugs' causing her to suffer a bad reaction, fall over and hurt herself. She claims Broughton took a photo of her and had similar images of 'people suffering or suffering death on his phone, which he appeared to have some interest in.' Prosecutors said Broughton 'supplied drugs to females, girlfriends or not, in large amounts and made recordings of the process and the reaction.' Miss Fletcher-Michie attended Tiffany Theatre School in London and comes from a showbiz dynasty - her uncle and father are actors, and her mother a trained dancer. She was the youngest daughter of actor John Michie and wife Carol Fletcher, a former dancer for TV troupe Hot Gossip. A 'health fanatic', Miss Fletcher-Michie travelled to Mexico, Paris, Austria and Ibiza to teach yoga and worked as a model and dancer for the House of Voga. Broughton and Miss Fletcher-Michie are pictured together on a Christmas Day previously John Michie (left) posted this picture on Instagram last September on the one-year anniversary of the death of his daughter Louella (right). Also pictured is his wife Carol Fletcher (centre) Miss Fletcher-Michie's godfather was One Foot In The Grave Star Richard Wilson The Michie family welcomed Broughton into their home and he appeared in family photographs including at the 60th birthday celebrations of Miss Fletcher-Michie's famous actor father, from Holby City. Broughton spent Christmas in 2016 in their north London mansion then suddenly ended his relationship with Louella, leaving her 'heartbroken'. Her mother, former Hot Gossip dancer Carol Fletcher, said her daughter fled to Los Angeles in the wake of the split, telling her, 'I have to get away, mum. I can't keep bumping into him in the street.' But Miss Fletcher-Michie and Broughton had rekindled their relationship just weeks before Bestival and her mother said Miss Fletcher-Michie followed him to Bestival. In a tragic twist, she said her daughter would never had gone to Bestival had it not been for Broughton. Meanwhile it also emerged today that Miss Fletcher-Michie's killer was obsessed with death images and had filmed other women struggling after he had fed them drugs at least twice before the tragedy. The full extent of Broughton's sinister fascination with watching women dice with death was not told to the jury at Winchester Crown Court at his trial. A bag containing white powder found in Broughton's phone case which was shown in court Miss Fletcher-Michie (left, with her mother Carol) became the first person to have ever been killed by the party drugs But MailOnline can reveal that police learned of two separate incidents where Broughton had used his mobile phone to photograph or film women stricken by drugs, in the same manner he captured the dying moments of his girlfriend. In other sickening images, Broughton, 29, had downloaded footage of people dying and stored them on his phone. After first meeting Broughton, Louella had told her mother: 'That's the boy I like' One of his own victims was his former Swedish girlfriend Paulina Aberg who he met in London while she was working at a fashion store. Miss Aberg, 25, told police that in addition to an image of her bleeding from her head, she had seen images of others 'suffering' on the grime star's mobile phone. Miss Aberg flew to Britain and told detectives that she and Broughton had been in a relationship. On one occasion, she said, he had given her a 'whole load of drugs' and she fallen and cracked her head open. She was bleeding from the wound as Broughton filmed the incident. The incident happened early in August 2017, a month before Louella died in woodland on the edge of the Bestival festival site at Lulworth Castle, Dorset on September 11. Miss Aberg, a voice over artist who worked as a member of sales staff at a Levis Store in London and is studying a media and communications degree in Stockholm, said she had a 'bad reaction' after Broughton fed her drugs. She fell and was injured and later found that Broughton had taken an image of her while she was suffering. She managed to delete the image but said there were other images of people suffering death or being taken ill which Broughton had an interest in. Broughton is pictured (bottom right) with London Mayor Sadiq Khan at the 2017 Mobo awards Broughton is pictured with rap star Drake in an undated photograph Miss Aberg contacted prosecutor William Mousley, QC,by email and sent a letter to Winchester Crown Court after she learned that Broughton had been put on trial. Mr Mousley told the judge while the jury were absent that the prosecution wanted to 'adduce evidence of other reprehensible conduct by the defendant.' She flew to Britain to talk to police and prosecutors, but was not allowed to tell her story to the court. Her mother, speaking at her Stockholm home, said: 'Paulina has gone on a break to America. I needed to protect her after this. 'She has decided that she does not want to talk to the media about it.' The second known victim of Broughton's hideous interest in death images was a woman who was fed drugs by Broughton using a spoon earlier in 2017. Police uncovered recordings on Broughton's phone of an incident on April 2017 that year. The two clips showed a young woman in a blue strappy top and knickers being offered a spoon by Broughton and then snorting drugs. In 2017, Broughton (left) released the song 'Duracell', which was produced by Skepta Broughton (right) was born in 1989 and lived in in a small terraced house in Wembley Park Revealed: How Bestival killer rapper harboured 'grotesque' love for death images and had fed women and ex-girlfriends drugs to film their reaction Swedish Paulina Aberg (above) contacted the prosecutor by email and sent a letter to the court after Broughton's trial started Ceon Broughton's ex-girlfriend has revealed the grime star was obsessed with death images and had filmed other women struggling after giving them drugs. It can now be reported how Broughton filmed another girl he was dating as she bled from a wound on her head. Swedish Paulina Aberg contacted prosecutor William Mousley QC by email and sent a letter to Winchester Crown Court after Broughton's trial started, but the judge refused to allow jurors to hear her evidence. Lawyers heard how Miss Aberg and Broughton had been in a relationship and on one occasion she fell and cracked her head open after he gave her 'a whole load of drugs.' Miss Aberg, who was flown from Sweden to Britain to give evidence, said she found recordings on Broughton's phone from April 27, 2017 and taken in Toronto, Canada. In the clips, he is filmed giving a woman drugs and encouraging her to take more. The court was shown the two clips, in which a young woman wearing a blue strappy top and underwear is offered a spoon by Broughton and snorts drugs. In the second clip, he can be heard saying 'more' as he offers a second spoon to her, before telling the girl she needs to finish the powder on the spoon. Ceon Broughton films himself as part of a 50-minute video he recorded of Miss Fletcher-Michie hours before she died Miss Aberg claimed one month before Bestival, Broughton gave her a 'whole load of drugs' causing her to suffer a bad reaction, fall over and hurt herself. She claims Broughton took a photo of her and had similar images of 'people suffering or suffering death on his phone, which he appeared to have some interest in.' Prosecutors said Broughton 'supplied drugs to females, girlfriends or not, in large amounts and made recordings of the process and the reaction.' Meanwhile it also emerged today that Miss Fletcher-Michie's killer was obsessed with death images and had filmed other women struggling after he had fed them drugs at least twice before the tragedy. The full extent of Broughton's sinister fascination with watching women dice with death was not told to the jury at Winchester Crown Court at his trial. But MailOnline can reveal that police learned of two separate incidents where Broughton had used his mobile phone to photograph or film women stricken by drugs, in the same manner he captured the dying moments of his girlfriend. A video grab issued by Dorset Police of Miss Fletcher-Michie and Broughton laughing together Ceon Broughton befriended tragic US rapper Lil Peep Grime star Ceon Broughton was a regular drug user who befriended tragic US rapper Lil Peep, whose life was cut short from a massive overdose. Broughton became part of Lil Peep's inner circle in London a few months before the death of the rapper from New York. Broughton, 30, hung out in London with the American rapper and UK grime singer Milkavelli shortly before his ex-girlfriend Louella Michie died at Bestival. In a Twitter message a week after Louella died, Milkavelli wrote: 'I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.' Broughton released a song with Milkavelli and attended shows by the US rap star, hung around studios and attended drug-fuelled parties with the American singer. The pair shared a love of grime and rap music - and a penchant for illegal drugs. Peep, 21, had moved to London to record his solo album Come Over When You're Sober, which entered the US Billboard and UK album charts. They became friends while Peep, whose real name was Gustav Elijah Ahr, spent the summer of 2017 in London working on his album. Despite Broughton's dreams of making it big as a rapper, it was his younger friend who enjoyed most success with a number four album in the US which was released after his death. Peep's life was cut short in November 2017 when he was found dead on his tour bus in Tucson, Arizona. In the hours leading up to his death he posted several messages on Instagram saying he had ingested psilocybin mushrooms, cannabis, and six Xanax pills. His death was ruled an accident, but cocaine, opiates and the pain killer Tramadol were found in his body by a pathologist. Two months before his death, Broughton had been at Bestival and seen his girlfriend die as he filmed her last moments after she had taken the hallucinogenic drug 2C-P. Broughton surrounded himself with a South London 'posse' and filmed life with his skateboarding friends. Under his name and the title 'Laigon Life, videos were posted of his skateboarding friends as well as footage of street fights and parties. He performed under the name CEONRPG, and had a song Duracell produced by Skepta. But despite Skepta and Lil Peep's fame, Broughton never managed to make a significant breakthrough. By Shekhar Bhatia Advertisement In other sickening images, Broughton, 29, had downloaded footage of people dying and stored them on his phone. Paulina Aberg, 25, whom he met in London while she was working at a fashion store, told police that in addition to an image of her bleeding from her head, she had seen images of others 'suffering' on the grime star's mobile phone. Miss Aberg flew to Britain and told detectives that she and Broughton had been in a relationship. On one occasion, she said, he had given her a 'whole load of drugs' and she fallen and cracked her head open. She was bleeding from the wound as Broughton filmed the incident. Timeline of the police probe into Louella Fletcher-Michie's death September 11, 2017: Louella Fletcher-Michie was found dead in a wooded area at Bestival at about 1am September 13, 2017: Ceon Broughton is arrested on suspicion of her murder and supplying a class A drug before being released under investigation February 23, 2018: Broughton is rearrested on suspicion of her manslaughter March 23, 2018: Broughton appears for the first time over the charge at Poole Magistrates' Court July 26, 2018: Broughton pleads not guilty to manslaughter at Winchester Crown Court February 4, 2019: Broughton's trial begins at Winchester Crown Court February 28, 2019: Trial jury begin their deliberations Advertisement The incident happened early in August 2017, a month before Louella died in woodland on the edge of the Bestival festival site at Lulworth Castle, Dorset on September 11. The second known victim of Broughton's hideous interest in death images was a woman who was fed drugs by Broughton using a spoon earlier in 2017. Police uncovered recordings on Broughton's phone of an incident on April 2017 that year. The two clips showed a young woman in a blue strappy top and knickers being offered a spoon by Broughton and then snorting drugs. Detectives were satisfied Broughton gave the drugs and then filmed the woman taking them. The videos were seven and eight seconds long and in the second Broughton is seen to urge her to finish the powder on the spoon. He is heard saying 'more' while offering a second spoon of drugs while the incident is recorded on his phone. The videos were shot in Toronto, Canada, and shown to the court while the jury were not present. After hearing from lawyers Mr Justice Goose, who called the images Broughton was alleged to have, 'death images' during the application, told the court he was rejecting the application for the 'bad character' evidence to be put before the jury. He said he would give his full reasons later in the case, but said: 'I do not want [Miss Aberg] to believe for a moment this court is forming a view. I do not want her feeling she is being disbelieved.' A 25-year-old IT whizkid accused of $17million dark web drug ring has his seaside home, luxury cars and $100,000 seized by the Crime Commission. Cody Ward, from the New South Wales South Coast, was arrested by detectives on February 14 after they uncovered his alleged side business. The 25-year-old regularly posted photos of his new Maserati and fancy international trips to Instagram, while also promoting himself as the CEO of a cyber security firm. But the wealth of his social media presence was seized on February 20 when the NSW Crime Commission's lawyer Katie Bourne successfully argued the bling had been purchased with drug money, The Daily Telegraph reported. A 25-year-old IT whizkid accused of $17million dark web drug ring has his seaside home, luxury cars and $100,000 seized by the Crime Commission Cody Ward, from the New South Wales South Coast, was arrested by detectives on February 14 after they uncovered his alleged side business Police allege Ward ran a 'sophisticated online drug distribution network' and employed two sisters to allegedly pack and send drugs through Australia Post to all corners of the country. Ward was arrested in Callala Bay after a nine-month investigation led police to five properties where they uncovered several kilograms of illicit drugs - including cocaine and MDMA - drug packaging material and $100,000 cash. Police initially indicated the syndicate, allegedly selling narcotics as 'NSWGreat' on the dark web, had turned over more than $17 million. Ward was charged with four counts of drug supply, knowingly deal with proceeds of crime, and knowingly participate in criminal group assist crime. Ward's five bedroom Callala Bay home at 44 Sydney Ave that he bought for $800,000 in November has been listed as an asset following the Supreme Court of NSW's decision to seize his property. Police found a combined total of $100,000 at the five raids - four homes in Callala Beach and Bay and one in Quakers Hill, Sydney. Ward and the two sisters were arrested in Callala Beach (pictured), on New South Wales' South Coast Police allege Ward (pictured) ran a 'sophisticated online drug distribution network' Over $60,000 was uncovered at 151 Queen Mary St, Callala Beach, $15,830 at 1/17 Superb Cres, Callala Bay, $16,000 at 101 Quay Rd, Callala Beach and $14,320 inside the vehicle Ward was using during his arrest, The Daily Telegraph reported. Ward's three vehicles - a 2002 Mitsubishi Evo 7, 2018 Elf Trailer and 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer - were also seized. 'NSWGreat', Ward's alleged pseudonym, became popular on Reddit in 2015. Police allege the syndicate, allegedly selling narcotics as 'NSWGreat' on the dark web, had turned over more than $17 million As recently as August 2018, 'NSWGreat' spoke to reporters and remained adamant his identity would remain anonymous and his business would not be caught. His co-accused, sisters Shanese, 24 and Patricia Koullaris, 20, were also charged with offences related to drug supply. The NSW Crime Commission seized four bank accounts from Shanese and her $60,000 2018 Lexus RC350 Coupe. Oskar Schindler, the German industrialist who saved some 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust, is seen above in Frankfurt in 1957 Several personal possessions of Oskar Schindler, the German industrialist who saved the lives of about 1,200 Jews during World War II, are up for auction. Schindler's Longines wristwatch, a compass he and his wife reportedly used in 1945 as they fled advancing Russians, two Parker fountain pens, and several other items are being sold by Boston-based RR Auction. The belongings being sold as a package are expected to fetch about $25,000 in the auction that ends March 6. RR's Executive Vice President Bobby Livingston says the possessions are from the estate of Schindler's wife, Emilie, who died in 2001. Schindler, a Nazi party member whose story was told in the 1993 Oscar-winning movie Schindler's List, saved Jews by employing then in his enamelware and munitions factories. He died in 1974. Two years ago, a heart-warming collection of letters sent to Schindler by Jews he saved from the Nazis during the Second World War went on sale. A compass that Schindler is believed to have used to flee advancing Russians is one of several items up for auction Two Parker fountain pens said to have been used by Schindler is also up for auction A medal is seen above. Two men appear to be standing on top of a Nazi symbol The image above shows a wooden business card used by Schindler The collection contains letters and photos sent to Schindler and his wife Emilie from countries across the world, including Israel and the US. After the Schindlers fled to Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1949, they began to receive letters from former employees expressing their gratitude. Schindler was famously portrayed by Liam Neeson (above) in Steven Spielberg's acclaimed film Schindler's List One survivor wrote: 'I was very moved by your courageous self-sacrifice. 'More importantly, however, I thank you Frau Schindler, for having restored my faith in mankind.' Another letter read: 'Although I never actually met you, it is an honour and privilege, as a spiritual heir to those whom you saved, to wish you a very happy and healthy birthday.' Rather, Burtynsky said that, for him, the more interesting conversation is how to mitigate the enormous strain on resources while making sure biodiversity is left intact. How do we go forward without destroying everything in our path? Burtynsky has worked with filmmakers Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier since 2004, when he and his photos of factories and dams and quarries were the subject for the documentary called Manufactured Landscapes, which was released in the U.S. in the summer of 2007. They started collaborating for the next documentary called Watermark, a look at humanitys relationship to and with water in around 2010. While doing press for the films release in 2013, Baichwal and Burtynsky, noting the interest in the documentary, began thinking about an approach to tell the story of how humans are reshaping the planet. So the film, you know, we felt was a great success and we thought was there something else that we can do, he recalled. Baichwal suggested that they do a film on the Anthropocene. Burtynsky said: I was real skeptical at first because I felt that, you know, if you put a film out there and nobody knows what the word is, do you immediately kind of say, well, why should I go see that film? But eventually they decided to bring awareness to the word and its meaning. Anthropocene seemed to be a kind of an umbrella that also contained a lot of the subjects that I had already worked on over a 30-year period, he explained. Burtynsky had photographed mining, quarrying, agriculture, urbanization, urban sprawl, as well as other subjects throughout his career. So of all these things were already in my repertoire and I had already done work along those lines in China. A six-year-old boy is in a coma after he was hit by an out of control car driven by an 82-year-old woman while walking to school. Stacey Williams, 32, was walking her son Isaac to school in Victor Harbour, 84 kilometres south of Adelaide, when they were rundown by a car. The accident unfolded in front of Ms Williams, who is also injured and in hospital, Seven News reported. Stacey Williams, 32, was walking her son Isaac to school in Victor Harbour, 84 kilometres south of Adelaide, as she does every morning Isaac (pictured) is in a coma after he was hit by an out of control car driven by an 82-year-old woman while walking to school As the pair were walking down the busy road, an 82-year-old woman driving a hatchback collided into a stationwagon. The out-of-control car then hit Isaac and his mother, before it drove through a fence and into a yard. Isaac suffered serious head and chest injuries and was immediately flown to the Women's and Children's Hospital where he is now in a coma. Tragedy struck on Wednesday morning as they were walking along busy Seaview Road and six-year-old Isaac was rundown by a car As the pair were walking down the busy road, an 82-year-old woman driving a hatchback collided into a stationwagon His 32-year-old mother also suffered minor injuries and was treated at Victor Harbour Hospital. Ms Williams' father said his daughter was devastated by the freak accident. 'She's quite upset at the moment, she's on her way down to Flinders Medical Centre, that's all I know,' he said. Seaview Road is one of the busiest streets in the area at school times, with many residents urging to install a stop sign at the intersection. Militant animal rights advocates who were arrested for breaking into a pig farm are now asking for legal funds online after they were charged with trespassing. Direct Action Everywhere activists James Warden, 25, and a female associate, 24, sneaked into a piggery near Pinjarra, West Australia, on Sunday night to live-stream the alleged mistreatment of the animals. The two were charged with trespassing and have been released on bail. Warden, however, is facing additional charges for a separate incident at a Mundijong property and for possessing a controlled weapon, according to Perth Now. The organisation launched a Facebook campaign on Tuesday asking for donations towards Warden's legal fees claiming he had been 'arrested for exposing the truth of WA farming practices.' Scroll down for video Direct Action Everywhere launched a Facebook campaign to raise money for activist James Warden (pictured) who was arrested for breaking into a pig farm near Pinjarra earlier this week. The group has raised $3,478 so far Warden live-streamed an 80-minute video aiming to 'expose' the poor conditions of the facility. 'These are the standard conditions these animals are kept in, subjugated and enslaved,' he said to 50,000 viewers around the world 'DxE Australia investigator was arrested and thrown in jail for filming animal cruelty at a factory pig farm,' the group said in a post. Following his release, the organisation posted an update revealing authorities 'also executed a search warrant on his home and confiscated thousands of dollars in electronics.' The campaign has so far raised $3,478 by 130 people. Critics, however, were quick to hit out at the appeal saying Warden had in fact, broken the law. 'I hate to be a dictionary, but you guys misspelt the word investigator. The correct spelling for investigator is TRESPASSER,' one person said. 'I believe you mean he is in jail for trespassing,' wrote another. Another user said: 'You got your headline wrong dw ill fix it (sic) Arrested for trespassing on private property and staying there for 2 hours and playing with peoples food.' The campaign, however, has received backlash from critics who claim Warden committed a crime Dressed in white forensic gear, Warden and his associate Kat complained about the cramped conditions pig were kept in at the farm Warden has described himself as a 'Non-regressive, non-apologetic animal rights activist ending the animal holocaust,' on his social media. His latest stunt was less than two weeks after a farmer in Harvey, Western Australia, confronted him outside his property before firing a shotgun twice into the air. He was arrested early Tuesday morning as police raided his home after seeing the 80-minute video. Commander Allan Adams said vegan activists were warned there was a 'line in the sand' and police would lay charges if they crossed it. 'There has certainly been an increase in profile with the use of social media to raise protester positions on particular matters,' he said. 'Certainly over the past four weeks activists have been more targeting of the primary industry, particularly around their care for livestock. 'We send a very clear message to those participating in that activity that if you do cross the line, evidence by the search warrant this morning and the subsequent charging of a person, police take that very seriously.' Western Australian Pork Producers Association president Dawson Bradford welcomed the 'appropriate' charges against a 'public nuisance'. 'Australia has world class animal welfare standards and the recent spate of activist activity has been very unwarranted,' he said. Mr Bradford earlier said activists like Warden should be arrested when they invaded farmers' property. Warden said the video was made to show consumers what went in to making their food in the hope it would make them join his cause 'Kept in small cages where they're barely able to move. They'll be keep confined their entire lives until they're three to five years old and then they will be murdered,' he said 'It's important that those engaging in this type of activity are held accountable not only for the illegal activity but also for the misleading, sensational, and selective footage that is not reflective of how the industry operates,' he said. Dressed in white forensic gear, Warden and his associate Kat complained about the cramped conditions pig were kept in at the farm. 'These are the standard conditions these animals are kept in, subjugated and enslaved,' he said to 55,000 viewers around the world. 'Kept in small cages where they're barely able to move. They'll be keep confined their entire lives until they're three to five years old and then they will be murdered.' Warden then moved to a disturbing pile of dead piglets who he said were either crushed to death in cages or killed for being too small. Nearby was an adult pig lying on the ground with what looked like a bullet hole in its head and its intestines hanging out. Warden then moved on to another shed on the farm where pregnant pigs were kept until they gave birth. Nearby was an adult pig lying on the ground with what looked like a bullet hole in its head and its intestines hanging out A violent clash between vegan activists and a farmer who fired two blasts from his shotgun into the air was captured on video (pictured) He said the video was made to show consumers what went in to making their food in the hope it would make them join his cause. 'We're showing people the suffering these animals are enduring. All of these beautiful sentient beings are going to be murdered for people's food,' he said. 'Animal love resides inside everyone, people don't know where their food comes from.' Warden's Facebook feed received death threats after the video, such as: 'Come and visit my farm tomorrow ya little p***k, I dare you'. 'Only a matter for time break into the wrong farm and cop a shotgun to the face,' another declared. 'You won't be around long, enjoy what's left of your life sweetheart you'll break into the wrong farm soon enough, pigs make sort work of bodies,' a third wrote. Warden said he received 4,600 abusive messages, including death threats, from farmers and others following his encounter with the farmer in Harvey. Western Australian Pork Producers Association president Dawson Bradford said activists like Warden should be arrested Warden said he received 4,600 abusive messages, including death threats, from farmers and others following his encounter with the farmer in Harvey Farmer Jason Parravicini approached Warden and Kat, who were parked outside the property. The farmer repeatedly asked the pair to stop taking photos of his cattle and to leave his property, but the activists refused to budge and continued to film him. 'Take the camera out of my face,' Mr Parravicini said, while pointing his finger toward Kat, who was recording the conversation. Not willing to back down, the activists continued to film the farmer, who then gave the pair a fiery ultimatum. 'I'll give her one minute to get rid of that (camera) or I'll remove it from you,' Mr Parravicini said, before he yelled out 'call the cops' to someone else nearby. 'This is ridiculous, move on mate,' he said. The farmer then tried to grab Warden's car keys from the ignition, resulting in punches being thrown between the pair through the open car window. 'Get the f*** out of my place,' Mr Parravicini screamed at the activists. 'You two, out! You are tormenting Harvey. Get the hell out of it.' Mr Parravicini then went back inside his property and emerged with a shotgun, which Warden said he fired in the air twice to 'intimidate' them. It is not suggested that Mr Parravicini has engaged in any cruel or illegal conduct towards his farm animals or that he sent any abusive or threatening messages to Warden. Advertisement An Australian student didn't realise she had photographed rare dragon-shaped Northern Lights until she had returned home from her Iceland holiday. Jingyi Tia Zhang, from Perth, took a dazzling photo of her mother gazing up at the spectacular Aurora Borealis near Gullfoss in the country's south-west. The picture shows an aurora that forms a lizard-like head with a furrowed brow and a menacing mouth and snout blowing purple fire and smoke. Fluorescent green light seems to depict the entire body of a dragon that expands to fill the sky, with its wings fanning out on either side in an image that was shared by NASA. Perth student Jingyi Tia Zhang didn't realise she had photographed rare dragon-shaped Northern Lights until she had returned home from her Iceland holiday. Her mother stands in the snow staring up at the aurora that forms a lizardy head, wings and a snout blowing purple smoke in an image that has been shared by NASA Ms Zhang's mother ran out into the snow when the light-show started to marvel at the emerald green lights illuminating the starry Arctic sky. Her mother is the small figure in the photo gazing up at the mythical beast looming in the heavens above. Ms Zhang said she was 'very lucky' to witness the rare spectacle, according to the ABC. 'I noticed the dragon on the photo when I got home,' she said. Another photo Ms Zhang took of the Aurora Borealis in Iceland was featured in the UK's Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition last year. Ms Zhang does photography as a hobby when she is not studying jewellery design at Curtin University. Aurora borealis in the sky above a lighthouse to the village of Grundarfjorour in Iceland. Auroras are caused by the interaction between energetic charged particles from the sun and gas molecules in the atmosphere of the earth, about 100 kilometres up Her dragon-themed picture was on NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day that explained it was caused by a sunspot, an area of reduced temperature on the Sun's outer shell, that released charged particles towards Earth. When the charged particles entered our planet's atmosphere collided with gas particles that emitted light and created the auroras that we see. NASA said its 'surprising' there have been 'multiple days of picturesque auroral activity' this month since there have been no sunspots recorded. WHAT ARE AURORAS AND WHAT TRIGGERS THE STUNNING NATURAL DISPLAYS? The Northern and Southern Lights are natural spectacles that occur in our atmosphere and are also known as auroras. There are two types of aurora - Aurora Borealis, which means 'dawn of the north', and Aurora Australis, 'dawn of the south.' The displays light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the Earths atmosphere and collide with gas particles like hydrogen and helium. The charged particles from the Sun excite the gas particles and create stunning light displays. Auroral displays appear in many colours although pale green and pink are common. The aurora borealis illuminates the sky in southeastern Iceland. Advertisement Calls are growing a high-speed bullet train between Melbourne and Sydney, which at 350km/h would cut travel time to only three hours. That would cut eight hours off the current trip between Broadmeadows Station in Melbourne and Central Station in Sydney, which now takes about 11 hours. Anthony Albanese, Shadow Minister for Transport, Cities and Regional Development, said the creation of a high-speed rail system would be a 'game changer' for Australia. Demands have grown for a high-speed bullet could travel at speeds between 250 - 350km/h (stock image) The high-speed bullet train could reduce the travel time from to Sydney to Melbourne from 11 hours to only three hours Mr Albanese has long been a proponent of a high-speed rail system in Sydney, but also wants to expand it across the whole country. 'We should bite the bullet and go for a high-speed rail connection not just through Sydney but right through to Melbourne and then north to Sydney,' Mr Albanese told 2HD Newcastle. 'It would be a real game changer - it is expensive, but nation-building requires vision.' Mr Albanese believes that a route between Melbourne and Newcastle should be the starting point for the project. The plans to develop a high-speed rail line within Australia were inspired by China, who has been at the forefront of the technology. High-speed trains in China travel at speeds from 250 - 350km/h, and run on 29,000km of train lines, the world's longest high-speed railway network. Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk also pitched land-based technology known as the Hyperloop to the Federal Government back in 2012. Australia would attempt to emulate the high-speed rail system in China which has a fleet of trains that connects the majority of the country The Hyperloop could reach speeds of 1,200km/h and would allow commuters travelling between Sydney and Melbourne to reach their destination in as little as 40 minutes. Hyperloop is a passenger or freight transportation system that uses reduced-pressure tubes where pressurised capsules ride on air bearings driven by linear induction motors and axial compressors. Federal Cities and Urban Infrastructure Minister Alan Tudge said that Australia needs high-speed rail but it is up to the states to acquire the land. 'High-speed rails have to be part of the landscape in the future,' Mr Tudge said. Mr Albanese passed a bill which would create a High Speed Rail Authority designed to begin working with states to buy land and secure the corridor needed for train lines 'Corridor preservation is critical, which only state governments have the power to do.' Infrastructure Australia said that preserving land along the corridor would cost $2.8 billion. A bill proposed by Anthony Albanese passed Federal Parliament late last year that would create a High-Speed Rail Authority to advance plans for a high-speed rail line. The High-Speed Rail Authority is tasked with starting work with all of the states to begin buying land for the train line and securing the corridor. 'High-speed rail is not only a viable and an economic benefit to the nation but it would super-charge regional economic growth,' Mr Albanese said in a statement. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian appointed a rail infrastructure committee in December, 2018 to advise the government on building a fast-rail network across four potential routes that include Canberra, Newcastle and Wollongong. 'This is a social issue, not just an economic issue,' Ms Berejiklian told reporters. 'It's about giving our citizens choice about how they live, where they love and how they can be better connected.' Premier Berejiklian said work on the high-speed rail network she proposed would start by 2023 with a focus on upgrading existing rail corridors first before building new lines. The plan would not connect Melbourne or Brisbane, unlike the plan proposed by Labor. Elon Musk pitched a proposal to the Federal Government for the Hyperloop, which is a passenger and freight transportation system that could reach speeds of 1,200km/h Racist letters penned in the 1920s by the then Prince of Wales about Aboriginal Australians - calling them 'revolting' and comparing them to monkeys - will be explored in a new documentary. The future King Edward VIII, who was then known as David, expressed his disdain for the Indigenous population during a Royal tour in 1920, when he visited all six Australian states. His opinions were revealed in letters to his then mistress, married English socialite Freda Dudley Ward. She was the future King's lover between 1918 to 1923 and they remained close until 1936, when he met American divorcee Wallis Simpson, who he gave up the throne for later that year. The Crown and Us: The Story of The Royals in Australia, which will air on the ABC on Sunday night, delves into 10 letters from his trip, purchased by the State Library of NSW in 2006. 'They showed us some of the native Aborigines at a wayside station in the great plain yesterday afternoon, though they are the most revolting form of living creatures I've ever seen,' he wrote. 'They are the lowest known form of human beings and are the nearest thing to monkeys I've ever seen.' Scroll down for video Letters written by Edward VIII while still Prince of Wales (pictured during his visit to Australia) reveal his racist views of Indigenous Australians Edward spent 49 days conducting royal duties in Australia which included visiting Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania (pictured in Launceston) The documentary will also shed new light on a torrid affair between married Australian woman Sheila Chisholm and the Queen's father George VI before he was king. King George V ordered his son to end the relationship and Prince George (known as Bertie) obliged. Edward spent 49 days conducting royal duties in Australia, which included visiting Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. Married English socialite Freda Dudley Ward (pictured) had was the Prince of Wales's mistress 'Confetti is appearing in great and unpleasant quantities, and the touching mania has started, only owing to the heartening disposition of the Australians the touches are more like blows and HRH arrived half blinded and black and blue,' he wrote in his diary of his arrival in Melbourne. He was extremely popular during his visit and was affectionately dubbed the 'Digger Prince' by Australians because he served during the First World War. Other letters written to Freda Dudley Ward during his 1920 visit to Barbados shows a similar view to those he wrote while in Australia. He reported the country as being 'ugly' and he found the 'coloured population' to be 'revolting'. A new documentary titled The Crown and Us: The Story of The Royals in Australia, set to air on March 3, will shed new light on the royals (pictured while Governor of the Bahamas in 1940s) He also wrote of begrudgingly dancing with various women on the trip, all of whom he insisted had to be young and vetted by his friend, Louis Mountbatten. Edward VIII, the eldest son of King George V and Queen Mary, would go on to become King of England in January of 1936. But he abdicated in December of that year in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. 'They are the lowest known form of human beings & are the nearest thing to monkeys I've ever seen,' Edward VIII wrote of Indigenous Australians The documentary, produced by Australian production company Fredbird Entertainment, chronicles the storied history of British royals visiting Australia throughout the generations. Exploring details such as the turbulent relationships between the crown and the then Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1972. It will also include a look at the 1954 visit to Australia by Queen Elizabeth II and the various visits by Prince Charles from his days as a school boy to the more official tours later in his life. 'The Crown is part of who we were and who we are and despite the secrets, scandals and questions of relevance, our affection for the British Royals remains as strong as ever. Why is that? And will it ever change?' the series synopsis reads. Sheldry Topp has been in prison since 1962 after fatally stabbing an Oakland County man but was resentenced Tuesday and is now eligible for freedom Michigan's oldest juvenile lifer who was sentenced aged just 17 for stabbing someone to death is set to finally be released nearly 60 years later at the age of 74. Sheldry Topp, who has been in prison since 1962, will probably be freed Thursday because he has accumulated plenty of good-behavior credits, Chris Gautz of the Corrections Department confirmed. A judge cleared the way for the release of Topp, who is also the state's longest-serving prisoner, resentencing him Tuesday to 40 years to 60 years. Topp's attorney Deborah LaBelle said: 'He's in a wheelchair. His health is not good, but he's hung in there. 'I feared he might die before seeing the night sky as a free man.' In 2011 Topp told Michigan Live: 'Basically, I was raised in prison. But Ive changed. Im confident I can be a productive member of society. Thats what I want to be more than anything. Ive always been remorseful.' Topp was convicted of fatally stabbing an Oakland County man during a home break-in in 1962. He was 17 when Charles Davis died. He had a history of mental-health problems as a teen when he walked away from a state hospital where he was being treated with electroshock therapy, attorney Trevor Garrison said in a court filing. 'Topp's upbringing was described as brutal. He was often the target of his father's abuse,' the judge said. After his capture in Chicago, Topp confessed, saying Davis was killed during a struggle. It was four years before the Supreme Court said crime suspects must be informed that they have a right to remain silent and a right to have an attorney present during questioning. Michigan and other states were forced to change the way they sentence teens after the U.S. Supreme Court said minors can't automatically be given no-parole prison terms. No-parole sentences still are possible in some cases, and prosecutor Jessica Cooper sought one again for Topp. But Oakland County Judge James Alexander said Topp has been rehabilitated. His brother Raymond Topp told a parole board in 2008: 'Hes a rational person, hes an intelligent person, and I believe that he, if given the opportunity, he can make a difference in some young men and womens lives.' An email seeking comment on the new sentence was sent to the prosecutor's office. The judge noted that the Michigan parole board years ago had recommended that Topp's life sentence be shortened. But two governors declined to grant it. Topp now plans to live with a sister in another state. The United States returned to Kyrgyzstan $4.6 million that were stolen by its former president Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the Kyrgyzstani Ministry of Finance said. "The funds in the amount of $4.6 million were transferred to the republics account," the Ministry of Finance said. According to the ministry, pursuant to the agreements previously reached with the US, Bishkek will spend this funds on the medical equipment for hospitals located in areas far from the capital and water purification systems for some regions, TASS reported. Bakiyev was removed from power in 2010 in a revolution, after which he had to flee the republic out of security concerns. He is currently living in Belarus. The Kyrgyzstani authorities repeatedly demanded his extradition, but received refusal from Minsk. In his motherland the president was sentenced in absentia to the supreme penalty - life imprisonment with the confiscation of property. A desperate search is underway for a teenage boy who has not been seen for fifty days. 14-year-old Nikolas Orsini, was last seen on January 9 at his home on Elgin Street in the town of Morwell, 150km east of Melbourne. The boy hasn't been seen since but his family has confirmed to police that he has communicated to them via text message. Nikolas Orsini, 14, has been missing for 50 days, he has since communicated with family members through text message Nikolas Orsini is described as having brown hair and eyes and walking with a limp. Police believe he may have travelled 350km north to Shepparton, or be in Melbourne. Police and family members are concerned with the length of his absence and ask anyone with information to come forward. A paedophile cult leader known by the nickname 'Little Pebble' has requested for his monitoring ankle bracelet to be removed as he claims he is no longer a threat to children. William Kamm, 68, was released from prison in 2014 after serving a nine-year sentence for raping two 15-year-old girls while he led a sect. Kamm, who now calls himself William Costellia, founded the Order of Saint Charbel near Nowra on the NSW South Coast in the 1980s and preached a doomsday Christian message. William 'Little Pebble' Kamm (pictured), 68, was released from prison in 2014 after serving a nine-year sentence for raping two 15-year-old girls while he led a sect Kamm (pictured centre), who now calls himself William Costellia, founded the Order of Saint Charbel near Nowra on the NSW South Coast in the 1980s Kamm's lawyers submitted an affidavit that describes the impact of a stroke he suffered in August 2018. Pictured: Former cult member Claire Ashman at her first communion, who joined the cult later as an adult He claimed the Virgin Mary told him to populate the Earth with the two teenage girls. Kamm appeared in the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday to appeal his release conditions which include wearing monitoring equipment, telling police of his schedule in advance, living with his wife at a unit in Sydney, abiding by a 10pm curfew, staying in NSW and staying away from teenage girls. His lawyers submitted an affidavit that describes the impact of a stroke he suffered in August 2018. 'I was personally, by my observation of the plaintiff, satisfied that he did not quite understand the effect of the evidence and general material filed in these proceedings,' the statement penned by lawyer Omar Juweinat reads. 'Nor was I comfortably satisfied that he was in a position to give oral evidence himself or follow the course of proceedings.' Kamm sat calmly in the courtroom, holding his wife's hand in silence. Kamm (pictured) appeared in the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday to appeal his release conditions which include wearing monitoring equipment Kamm wants to be able to return to his 'holy' Nowra property (the chapel at the property is pictured) 'He isn't the man I met a year ago or even six months ago,' Kamm's barrister Mark Robinson SC said. Kamm wants to be able to return to his 'holy' Nowra property or, depending on the finding of doctors, may ask for the electronic monitoring bracelet to be taken off. 'The effect of proposed medical assessments may have an overall impact on the risk factors which the court must take into account in determining what ought to occur, if anything, to the Extended Supervision Order,' Mr Juweinat said in a statement. Kamm's legal team had the matter adjourned until May 6. In that time he will be assessed by a neurologist then a psychiatrist, the court was told. While leading the cult, Kamm's followers handed over wives and daughters to help him rebuild humanity after the apocalypse and he has reportedly fathered more than 20 children. Meghan McCain has once again hit out at President Trump over comments he made about Vietnam. The daughter of the late Senator John McCain reacted angrily on Wednesday to a tweet by the president, who took aim at Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal. I have now spent more time in Vietnam than Da Nang Dick Blumenthal, the third rate Senator from Connecticut (how is Connecticut doing?), Trump tweeted. His war stories of his heroism in Vietnam were a total fraud - he was never even there. Meghan McCain (left) trolled President Trump (seen right alongside North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un in Hanoi on Tuesday) over comments he made about Vietnam Meghan McCain, co-host of The View, asked Trump: Have you taken a trip to the Hanoi Hilton yet? The Hanoi Hilton was the nickname given to the Hoa Lo Prison, where her father, the late Senator John McCain, was imprisoned and tortured there for years after he fell into captivity We talked about it today with Vietnamese leaders! Meghan McCain, co-host of The View, responded: Have you taken a trip to the Hanoi Hilton yet? The Hanoi Hilton was the nickname given to the Hoa Lo Prison, a detention center for POWs run by the North Vietnamese. Meghan McCains father, the late Senator John McCain, was imprisoned and tortured there for years after he fell into captivity. Trump is in Hanoi for a historic summit meeting with North Korean ruler Kim Jong-Un. Trump is in Hanoi for a historic summit meeting with North Korean ruler Kim Jong-Un. He has frequently taken aim at Richard Blumenthal (above) for the Democratic senator from Connecticuts past claims that he served in Vietnam - claims which turned out to be not true I have now spent more time in Vietnam than Da Nang Dick Blumenthal, the third rate Senator from Connecticut (how is Connecticut doing?), Trump tweeted. His war stories of his heroism in Vietnam were a total fraud - he was never even there' He has frequently taken aim at Blumenthal for the Democratic senators past claims that he served in Vietnam - claims which turned out to be not true. In 1970, Blumenthal enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves. Before that, he had obtained five deferments between 1965 and 1970 that prevented him from being sent to the battlefield, The New York Times reported in 2010. By enlisting in the reserves, Blumenthal significantly reduced his chances of ever seeing combat in Vietnam. He completed basic training in did six years of military service in Connecticut and the Washington, D.C. area. I routinely describe my pride at having served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves during the Vietnam era, Blumenthal said the day after the Times story broke. On a few occasions, I have misspoken about my service. And I regret that, and I take full responsibility. Trump, who seized on Blumenthals false claims to mock him as Da Nang Dick, also avoided service in Vietnam. Trump also avoided service in Vietnam. In July 2015, while Trump was campaigning for the Republican nomination, he said of McCain (seen above in Hanoi after his release in 1973): Hes not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured' At the time of the Vietnam War, Trump was in college. He obtained four student deferments and one medical deferment, which Trump later claimed to be for bone spurs in his heels. Trump was eventually classified 4-F, or unfit to serve. Despite the presidents suspected draft dodging, he still mocked the late Senator John McCain for falling into captivity during his stint as a naval aviator. In July 2015, while Trump was campaigning for the Republican nomination, he said of McCain: Hes not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who werent captured. Those remarks escalated the feud between Trump and the McCain family. The bad blood was so intense that McCain made it a point not to invite the president to his funeral services. John McCain passed away last August after he was diagnosed with brain cancer. Meghan McCain has been a frequent critic of Trump, though she still identifies as a conservative Republican. An escape from Gloriavale - a secretive and isolated religious cult - has ended in heartbreak when a father-of-three died in a freak motorbike accident. Zoe Max, 22, met her husband Jeremy, 21, when the pair were only teenagers living with the small sect at Haupiri on the west coast of the South Island in New Zealand. After their forbidden relationship caused friction between the couple and the group's leaders, Zoe and Jeremy fled and had three children together. But on January 6 tragedy struck, leaving Zoe and her kids heartbroken. An escape from Gloriavale - a secretive and isolated religious cult - has ended in heartbreak when a father-of-three died in a freak motorbike accident (pictured, Zoe and partner Jeremy with children Simeon and Alessia Lily) Zoe Max met her husband Jeremy when the pair were only teenagers at the small and isolated religious group at Haupiri on the west coast of the South Island in New Zealand (pictured, Jeremy) The pair had overcome a rocky start to their relationship due to the cult's strict rules, meaning they had to keep their budding romance a secret. At that time, Zoe said girls were not supposed to speak to boys, let alone make eye contact. And when the couple finally went public with their forbidden relationship they were shunned. After a series of run-ins with the leaders over time, they eventually left. The pair started a new, freer life away from the confines of the secretive religious group and Jeremy found work on a farm at South Canterbury. The worst of it seemed to be behind them until their new life came to an abrupt end in early January. Zoe was on the family farm outside Temuka at South Canterbury in New Zealand when a workmate of her husband turned up to the house and told her there had been a horrific accident. Expecting the worst, Zoe rushed out the door and found Jeremy lying unconscious on Macaulay Road, metres away from his motorbike. The terrified wife rushed to Jeremy's side and told him everything would be okay, before paramedics put him into an ambulance to transport him to Timaru Hospital. Meanwhile, their four-year-old son Simeon, one-year-old daughter Alessia Lily and four-month-old baby Dylan waited at home. Zoe was forbidden from making contact with Jeremy and her mother had to accompany her around at all hours of the day As Zoe sat next to her husband in the back of the speeding ambulance, the driver turned off the siren. 'They turned to me and said there was nothing else they could do,' Zoe told Woman's Day. WHAT IS GLORIAVALE? Gloriavale Christian Community is a small and isolated religious group located at Haupiri, on the South Island in New Zealand. Neville Cooper - also known as Hopeful Christian - founded the group in 1969. Hopeful Christian spent 11 months behind bars in 1995 on sexual abuse charges. Christian died after a battle with prostate cancer at the age of 92. Members of the group live a fundamentalist Christian life and are faithful followers of the New Testament. Advertisement 'All I could think was, 'The children. They're so young'.' The terrible tragedy brought to an end their Romeo and Juliet style relationship, as the pair battled the odds to stay with each other. Zoe recalled the moment a younger Jeremy first approached her at the Gloriavale complex along the west coast. At that time, Zoe said strict rules in the closed community distanced the girls from the boys. Though that didn't stop a bold, then-14-year-old Jeremy from approaching Zoe in a laundry room. She had heard of him before as the 'rebel' and was immediately drawn to him. Jeremy told Zoe he liked her, and asked if she liked him. She nodded. From that point on the pair took every opportunity to secretly meet, but Zoe openly admitted she had conflicting feelings during the outset. 'Every time I thought about liking Jeremy, I told myself I couldn't do it because it was so sinful.' When the pair stepped forward to tell the Gloriavale heads about their frowned-upon relationship, they hoped the group leaders would be understanding. That was anything but the case. Zoe was forbidden from making contact with Jeremy and her mother had to accompany her around at all hours of the day. She was stopped from socialising with other girls and had to spend her spare time studying the bible, Zoe said. Gloriavale founder and Jeremy's grandfather Hopeful Christian - who has passed away - allowed the marriage If that weren't enough, the hapless teenager signed a document to agree she would respect the rules of Gloriavale. Despite the punishment, Zoe managed to convince leaders to let her marry Jeremy. Gloriavale founder and Jeremy's grandfather Hopeful Christian - who has passed away - allowed the marriage on strict conditions. Zoe wasn't given the traditional Gloriavale wedding and wasn't allowed to wear a pink dress - a dress code that other girls in the compound follow. But even then, it was not to be a fairytale ending. The pair had already had their first child when they came into conflict with Gloriavale again. Jeremy became more firm in his way and often clashed with leaders and their controlling politics. Tensions came to a head when Jeremy was instructed to leave, Zoe said. Even though she was left on her own, Zoe was at first hesitant to follow her husband. 'I didn't want to at first because in their eyes, you're going straight to hell and you're taking your child with you.' Eventually Zoe steeled herself for the unknown and made the leap. Jeremy became more firm in his way and often clashed with leaders and their controlling politics Tensions came to a head when Jeremy was instructed to leave Gloriavale, Zoe said Jeremy found work at a stone-cutting factory for a time before he ended up as a farmer. During that time the pair welcomed their second and third child and the family grew free from the confines of their old life. Only two weeks before Christmas, Jeremy taught his son Simeon how to ride his new bicycle. On his last day, Jeremy carried on like it was any other. He woke up early for work, ate lunch at home and chatted with friends before Zoe hugged him and sent him on his way to work. Although he is gone, Jeremy's presence and impression will forever remain with the family. Zoe remembers him as a fun-loving and passionate father and husband who lived life with an open-heart. Friends of the family have kickstarted a Givealittle campaign that has already raised $56,000. Their intention is to raise money and help Zoe and her family through the trying time. 'The rules at Gloriavale state that you must cut-off anyone who leaves them, meaning they have been estranged from their parents, siblings and wider family for a few years,' the page reads. 'This will make the grieving process very difficult. Families in Gloriavale hold all their worldly possessions in common, so its possible there will be little financial assistance offered from that direction. 'Jeremy did not have any life insurance, however we understand that there will be some financial support from ACC for Zoe and her family, as is usual in cases of accidental death.' The secret testimony of George Pell's surviving sex abuse victim was so credible that a jury found the cardinal guilty without other witnesses or forensic evidence. Commentators have poured scorn on the conviction, pointing out that it is rare to run an historic sex abuse case on the word of a single witness. But one of the few people to have spoken to the victim about his ordeal has no doubt he is telling the truth. Pell is pictured surrounded by police officers and camera crews on the way to court on Wednesday While writing a book on the Pell case, ABC journalist Louise Milligan tracked down the man who was molested by the cardinal in 1996 in a Melbourne cathedral. She told the ABC last night that she believes the victim because he 'has everything to lose and nothing to gain.' 'This man is a very private person,' she said on The 7.30 Report. 'He doesn't want to be defined by being a victim of George Pell. 'What I have always said to people through the years is that I defy anyone to meet this man and not think that he is telling the truth. 'He has nothing to gain from this and everything to lose.' She noted that the man's evidence was given in secret and added: 'He must have been extraordinarily believable in that witness box. 'From what I know of him I'm not surprised by that one iota.' Pell (pictured in 2003) has always vehemently denied the sex attacks against the two choirboys happened, but a jury found otherwise In her book titled Cardinal, Milligan says the victim, whom she calls The Kid, is an ideal witness. 'The Kid has not led a chequered life,' Milligan writes. 'He's university-educated, he hasn't had trouble with the law. He has a lovely young girlfriend, lots of friends, he's a pillar of his community in a sort of understated, slightly ironic way, and in that part of his life, he is, he told me, very happy. 'He's managed, just, to keep it together. He's been able to compartmentalise. He's the sort of complainant you'd want as a Victoria Police detective alleging historic crime.' Several people made complaints against Pell although only one incident involving The Kid and another boy who were molested in St Patrick's Catheldral was brought to full trial. The other boy died aged 30 from a heroin overdose, leaving The Kid as the single witness. This is the sacristy of St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne, as it looks today and shown to the jury, where Cardinal George Pell molested two 13-year-old choirboys in his ceremonial robes On the other side of the room is a kitchen sink and cabinets next to the altar wine cabinet, a small room with a white door left slightly ajar Milligan, who was called as a witness in the committal proceeding before the trial, said last night she felt 'beaten' by the process of being examined in court. 'I felt beaten by this process - I thought how harrowing it must have been for them reliving what they went through,' she said. 'It's an unimaginable ordeal. This is something that happened to them as little kids and they're really embarrassed about it. 'Then they have the courage to come forward and they are met with doubt and suspicion.' Several commentators, from prominent Catholics to crime journalists, have poured scorn on the conviction and still believe Pell is innocent. Pope Francis (right, with Pell) banned him from saying Mass in public and from going near children until his appeal against the conviction is over Some say the trial was not fair because any jury was pre-determined to make Pell a scapegoat for child abuse in the Catholic Church. Others, such as crime writer John Silvester, say it is rare to run a case on the testimony of one witness without forensic evidence, a pattern of behaviour or a confession. Catholic academic George Weigel even proposes the wild conspiracy theory that Pell was just about to expose a major corruption scandal in the Vatican before he was charged and came home to Australia to defend himself. Milligan pointed out that commentators sticking up for Pell may have a warped view because the evidence defending him was heard in open court while the evidence against him was kept secret. Pell, the third most senior catholic in the world and once considered a pope in waiting, was in December found guilty of molesting two choirboys in 1996 before the verdict was made public on Tuesday. He will be sentenced on 13 March and will appeal his conviction thereafter. This is the brutal moment a cyclist punches a truck driver in the face during a furious road rage incident. The 32-year-old truck driver allegedly veered into the cyclist's lane while driving along Jalan Eunos in Singapore. In footage posted online, the truck driver can be seen attempting to enter the cyclist's lane. In footage posted online , the truck driver can be seen attempting to enter the cyclist's lane The 55-year-old cyclist is then forced off the road but the truck driver moves closer towards him. The cyclist is then seen confronting the driver through his passenger window before and angry verbal exchange. The truck driver then stops his vehicle and gets out before he charges at the man with an object in his right hand before hesitating. The cyclist then punches the man in the face, knocking him to the ground. Local police were alerted to the incident on Sunday morning after there were reports of a road rage incident. The 32-year-old truck driver was arrested for committing a rash act endangering the personal safety of others. The 32-year-old truck driver allegedly veered into the cyclist's lane while driving along Jalan Eunos in Singapore The cyclist then punches the man in the face, knocking him to the ground 'Rash driving or riding is dangerous and could result in serious or fatal traffic accidents,' police said. 'All motorists are urged to drive safely and strictly abide to traffic rules and regulations. The police will not hesitate to take firm action against motorists who choose to endanger the safety of other road users.' The video has been viewed more than 150,000 times. Michael Cohen ended his testimony to Congress on Wednesday with a chilling prediction that Donald Trump will not go quietly if he loses the 2020 election. Cohen claimed that he 'blindly followed' Trump's demands for years, and it has cost him 'everything,' including his law license, his honor, his reputation and soon, his freedom. 'And I will not sit back, say nothing, and allow him to do the same to the country,' Cohen said. 'I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, that there will never be a peaceful transition of power, and this is why I agreed to appear before you today.' Michael Cohen ended his testimony to Congress on Wednesday with a chilling prediction that Donald Trump will not go quietly if he loses the 2020 election The president's former attorney apologized repeatedly for lying to lawmakers and insisted he was telling the truth now, but it was not enough to convince Republican legislators who are close to Trump that Cohen is credible. Indeed, some Democrats, including the committee's chairman, signaled that they, too, remain skeptical. Cohen said in closing remarks that he is trying to make amends for his previous crimes, and he came before Congress as part of that process to blow the horn on Trump's illicit behavior. 'I acknowledged I have made my own mistakes, and I have owned up to them publicly and under oath,' he asserted. 'I did things and I acted improperly, at times at Mr. Trump's behest.' In a direct appeal to Trump, who is abroad in Vietnam, he hammered him for a host of controversial policies, including family separations at the border and the government shutdown. 'We honor our veterans, even in the rain, you tell the truth, even when it doesn't aggrandize you,' he said, 'you respect the law and our incredible law enforcement agents.' Cohen brought up Trump's unrelated slams on generals, a Gold Star father, and the late Arizona Republican John McCain. 'You don't attack the media, and those who question what you don't like or what you don't want them to say, and you take responsibility for your own dirty deeds,' he lectured. 'You don't use your power of your bully pulpit to destroy the credibility of those who speak out against you.' Rep. Jim Jordan, the ranking Republican on the committee, was not impressed. Jordan accused Cohen of making numerous false statements in his Wednesday testimony In a final plea to the man he worked for as a fixer for, Cohen said: 'This behavior is churlish, it denigrates the office of the president and it's simply unAmerican -- and it's not you. 'I pray the country doesn't make the same mistakes that I have made or pay the heavy price that my family and I are paying.' Rep. Jim Jordan, the ranking Republican on the committee, was not impressed. Jordan accused Cohen of making numerous false statements in testimony, as he wound down the the seven- and-half-hour hearing that ended after 5 pm. 'We know Mr Cohen has been dishonest in the past, that's why he's going to prison in two month,' he said as he delivered his final thoughts. 'But there are things today that he said in the several hours of questioning that just don't add up, either.' He said that Cohen claimed that he never defrauded a bank, when he did. Cohen said he did not have contracts with foreign entities, when he had at least two, the GOP legislator said. Furious Republicans crossed swords with Cohen and called him a liar on his way to prison who has neither credibility nor remorse, blasting him one after another in furious tones and eye-daggers throughout the hearing. Cohen stood his ground and recounted a day in Trump Tower when the future president made the decision to make a hush money payoff to an adult film actress who claimed she had an affair with the billionaire. In a direct appeal to Trump, who is abroad in Vietnam at a nuclear summit with Kim Jong-un, he hammered him for a host of controversial policies 'He had told me he had spoken to a couple of friends,' Cohen recalled of a meeting in then-candidate Trump's office. 'It's $130,000, it's not a lot of money and we should just do it. So go ahead and do it",' he said Trump told him. Even House Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings, a Maryland Democrat, said Cohen's credibility 'is a legitimate question.' Cummings is a former prosecutor. 'As he has admitted, he has repeatedly lied in the past,' Cummings said. But he insisted that following two years of denials from Trump, 'the American people have a right to hear the other side. They should watch Mr. Cohen's testimony and make their own judgments.' For committee Republicans, too, skepticism was the order of the day. Jordan called Cohen 'a guy who can't be trusted' in his opening statement. 'It's the first time a convicted perjurer has been brought back to be a star witness in a hearing,' he said during his opening statement, calling the star witness 'a guy who is going to prison in two months for? Lying to Congress.' Jordan also claimed former Bill Clinton lawyer Lanny Davis, who represents Cohen, organized the hearing. Davis sat behind Cohen in the first row. 'This is the Michael Cohen hearing presented by Lanny Davis. That's right: Lanny Davis choreographed the entire thing. The Clintons' best friend!' he marveled. 'He told our committee staff that this was his idea. ... He had to persuade the chairman to actually have it,' Jordan said. Kentucky Rep. James Comer also called Cohen's credibility into question on Wednesday morning on CNN. 'The fact that he's the sole witness; and the fact that he's already lied once to Congress; he's a convicted felon who was just disbarred this week from the New York Bar,' he said. 'I mean, the credibility factor with Michael Cohen is probably the lowest we've ever seen for a major witness in congressional testimony history.' The president's eldest son also mocked Cohen Wednesday on Twitter, responding to a conservative who noted that Congressional Democrats had invited a high-profile witness to testify after he pleaded guilty to lying to Congress. 'This time its different,' he tweeted, adding an emoji depicting an eye-roll. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders also noted in a statement that Cohen is a 'disgrace felon' who is 'going to prison for lying to Congress and making other false statements.' 'Sadly, he will go before Congress this week and we can expect more of the same. Its laughable that anyone would take a convicted liar like Cohen at his word, and pathetic to see him given yet another opportunity to spread his lies,' she said in a statement issued before Cohen spoke publicly. Cohen didn't spare himself from criticism as he reflected on his crimes. 'I am ashamed of my weakness and misplaced loyalty of the things I did for Mr. Trump in an effort to protect and promote him. I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump's illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience,' Cohen said. Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel took aim Thursday at Beto O'Rourke, the former Texas Democratic congressman who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2018 and is now contemplating a White House campaign. Progressive activists who want a young champion and aren't eager to embrace a second Bernie Sanders White House run have rallied around O'Rourke, a straunchly anti-Trump liberal who has said he would tear down some of the U.S.-Mexico border wall if he were president. 'You know what his biggest accomplishment was? Losing to Ted Cruz. That's who their big great hope is,' McDaniel said on stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference, mocking him as a political lightweight. Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel mocked Beto O'Rourke Thursday during the Conservative Political Action Conference O'Rourke has told reporters he plans to make a decision soon on whether to get in the race for president; McDaniel ripped him as a skateboarder and a political lightweight O'Rourke caught attention from millennials and eye-rolls from older voters with a skateboarding video before the 2018 Senate election that he narrowly lost to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz O'Rourke said Wednesday that he has made up his mind about a 2020 run and will announce his intentions soon. Joining an already crowded Democratic field could change the dynamic by forcing other candidates to chase one of the most buzzed-about politicians in the country. O'Rourke livestreamed his teeth-cleaning in 2018 to highlight his immigrant hygienist He said in a statement that he and his wife Amy 'have made a decision about how we can best serve our country' and were 'excited to share it with everyone soon.' McDaniel was unimpressed Thursday, mocking him for a stunt in which he livestreamed an appointment to have his teeth cleaned because the dental hygienist was a Latina immigrant. 'He did go to the dentist,' she snarked. 'Yeah, and I think he passed legislation to name a post office.' 'So that's who they're going to pin their hopes on? Oh, and he can skateboard. Give me a break!' O'Rourke held an anti-Trump 'March for Truth' in El Paso, Texas, on February 11 at the same time the president rallied an arena crowd across town McDaniel spoke Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference near Washington O'Rourke had said for a week that he planned to make up his mind by the end of February though how he will announce what he'll do remains unclear. Speaking to reporters in his native El Paso last week, O'Rourke raised the possibility that he might run for Senate again in 2020, this time challenging Texas' senior senator, John Cornyn, or that he could possibly seek the 2020 Democratic vice presidential nomination presumably by being another presidential candidate's running mate. But advisers close to O'Rourke have said for months that they didn't see another Senate run as a viable option, leaving the door open for a presidential bid. Donald Trump hasn't commented on O'Rourke as a political phenomenon who could threaten his re-election hopes While O'Rourke has continued to delay his decision, Democratic activists in states that hold early presidential voting contests, including Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina, have formed 'Draft Beto' groups that have raised money and tried to line up would-be supporters. Draft Beto announced Wednesday that it had creating a 'Beto Alert,' which will generate notifications by email and text message once O'Rourke makes his plans known, in order to 'mobilize supporters right away.' Another candidate expected to run but still deciding, former Vice President Joe Biden, said Tuesday that his family supported him launching a White House bid and that he was 'very close' to a decision. A former professor at Rutgers University medical school has been charged with using a hidden camera to film more than two dozen women in a bathroom. A 160-count indictment against James Goydos, 58, was released by the Middlesex County prosecutor's office on Wednesday, detailing alleged illegal activity committed over a two-year period. Goydos, formerly the director of Melanoma and Soft Tissue Oncology at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and a professor at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, allegedly recorded at least 26 women and three other people 'under circumstances in which a reasonable person would not expect to be observed'. More than 100 counts in the indictment are for invasion of privacy. The other charges include official misconduct, burglary, computer theft, impersonation, wiretapping, falsely implicating another, coercion, hindering, possession of an assault rifle and possession of a prohibited device. Former Rutgers University medical professor James Goydos, 58, has been charged with using a hidden camera to film more than two dozen women in a bathroom without their consent, according to a 160-count indictment released by the Middlesex County prosecutor's office in New Jersey on Wednesday. It is unclear whether Goydos has been arrested Goydos allegedly entered the offices of four colleagues at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey in 2016 and stole information from their computers in a 'scheme to defraud, or to obtain services, property, personal identifying information or money', according to the 41-page indictment. He then impersonated those employees for personal gain, the indictment alleges. In 2017, Goydos allegedly filmed and photographed 29 people in various stages of undress without their consent. A spokesperson for the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office said the victims were not recorded in Goydos' official capacity as a physician, but in a bathroom at his workplace at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey offices in New Brunswick. Goydos is a former professor at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and director of Melanoma and Soft Tissue Oncology at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. He resigned from the university last year after being arrested for illegal possession of an assault rifle Goydos was initially arrested in March of 2018 and charged with having an unregistered and unlicensed assault rifle after police searched his home in East Brunswick, according to court records. It is unclear what prompted that search. He was subsequently banned from Rutgers University property and later resigned. Rutgers spokesman Peter McDonough Jr told NJ.com that none of Goydos' alleged crimes were related to patient care. McDonough said the university immediately contacted authorities after learning of Goydos' alleged illegal activities. The physician began working at Rutgers in 1995 and earned $437,500 while working at the school, according to public records. An attorney who represented Goydos following his arrest last year has not returned media requests for comment. It was not immediately clear whether he'd been arrested as of Thursday morning. He is due to appear in court in March. The Cancer Institute of New Jersey offices in New Brunswick, where Goydos allegedly used a hidden camera to film 29 people in various states of undress, is pictured Advertisement Donald Trump's talks with Kim Jong-un ended abruptly on Thursday as the president said he was forced to walk away after the North Korean dictator demanded that all sanctions be lifted in return for giving up only some of his nukes. Trump said the final snag that caused the sudden breakdown was over sanctions and Kim's push to have all of them lifted in exchange for a concession Trump and his secretary of state could not live with. 'Sometimes you have to walk away,' Trump told reporters at a press conference in Hanoi that was abruptly moved up after a breakdown in talks. The president expressed his hope that the two leaders would meet again, but acknowledged: 'It might be soon, it might not be for a long time. I cant tell you.' Meanwhile, the president blasted longtime fixer Michael Cohen, saying he 'lied' after his former lawyer delivered bombshell testimony. The president mostly avoided the topic by calling on a series of members of the foreign press corps he did not recognize rather than White House reporters preparing to quiz him on the crimes Cohen claims he witnessed. 'Person in the front go ahead,' Trump said, calling on one of many members of the foreign press corps covering the event. Scroll down for video President Trump abruptly ended talks with Kim Jong-un in Hanoi on Thursday, telling reporters that the North Korean leader had demanded that all sanctions be lifted in return for only getting rid of part of his nuclear stockpile, so he walked away Trump said that he remains on good terms with Kim and continued to tout the 'enormous potential' of North Korea, not notably said there were no plans for a next summit meeting. Trump candidly revealed that Kim wanted the sanctions off, but was not willing to give up his array of nukes, missiles, and additional sites he only alluded to vaguely. 'Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldnt do that,' the president said. 'They were willing to de-nuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted but we coulnt give up all of the sacntions for that. 'We had to walk away from that particularly suggestion. We had to walk away from that,' Trump said. 'It was about sanctions. They wanted sanctions lifted but they weren't willing to do an area that we wanted,' Trump said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added: 'We have been working for weeks to find a path forward so we could make a big step at this summit. 'We made progress and even more progress when the two leaders met over the last 48, or 72 hours. 'But we didn't get all the way. We didn't get something that made sense for the United States.' The first signs of a rupture came when the White House suddenly made changes to the president's schedule. A planned lunch meeting never happened, although a table was set with a floral centerpiece and menus folded inside napkins. Reporters on hand to cover it were told to move to another location. Describing talks, which ran from a Wednesday dinner through mid-day Thursday, Trump said: 'We spent pretty much all day with Kim Jong-un, who is hes quite a guy and quite a character. And I think our relationship is very strong.' Both Trump and Pompeo said there was a willingness on both sides to keep talking, but revealed that no follow-up summit has been scheduled. Trump said that in the meantime, Kim was 'not going to do testing of rockets and nuclear. I trust him and I take him at his word.' He indicated that Kim was willing to make concessions related to the Yongbyon facility where his regime enriches Plutonium, but it wasn't enough. 'That facility while very big, it wasnt enough to do what we were doing. We had to have more than that,' said Trump. Trump insisted that his relationship with Kim remains 'warm' and that he sees 'great potential' in North Korea, but added that sometimes 'you have to be willing to walk away from a deal' if it's not the right one Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added that his team had been working with North Korea 'for weeks' to try and achieve a deal and that Trump and Kim made more progress towards a deal, but 'we didn't get all the way' President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un resumed their summit in Hanoi on Thursday morning local time as Trump predicted a 'fantastic success' but Kim said it was 'too early' to say they would reach a deal Trump once again asserted that he was in 'no rush' to make an agreement following an early report by NBC that the US was prepared to back away from a demand that North Korea provide a full accounting of its nuclear weapons programs Trump said that Kim was willing to dismantle the Yongbyon nuclear research facility if the US lifted sanctions, but said Kim was unwilling to make a deal on other facilities and weapons, forcing an end to the talks. Trump's remarks made clear there other sites the U.S. identified that Kim wanted to maintain. 'We have that setup so we would be able to do that very easily. The inspections on North Korea will take place, and if we do something with them, we have a schedule setup that is very good. We know things ... about certain places and certain sites. There are sites that people dont know about that we know about. We would be able to do inspections we think very, very successfully,' Trump said. Some critics had raised alarms before the summit that Trump and Kim would reach a deal that did not allow for verification. Asked whether it was premature to hold the summit now, Trump said he would 'much rather do it right than do it fast' and added that he 'could have signed something today' but didn't feel it was the right deal. But America and North Korea remain in a position 'to do something very special' together, he said. The recognition that no joint statement had been reached came despite weeks of advance negotiation. A range of compromise gestures had been circulating for days in media reports. The lack of agreement came after Trump repeatedly hailed a 'special relationship' between the two men, and stressed their personal bond as a reason progress might be possible. After the two men's historic summit in Singapore in June, they both signed a joint statement although critics blasted it for failing to include a timetable or verification members in its undefined call for denuclearization. On Thursday afternoon, Sanders suddenly told reporters traveling with the president before 1 pm local time that talks would wrap up within about half an hour, throwing the event's schedule into turmoil. She declined to say initial there would be a signing ceremony, though one had been on an earlier White House schedule. Only minutes before Trump was scheduled to face the press did she acknowledge that there would not be one. But reporters who were on hand to cover it were relocated to buses indicating that the event was most likely scrapped. The public White House schedule had listed a Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony with the chairman of the state affairs commission of DPRK, set for 2:05 pm local time. Trump was to have fielded questions at 4 pm, right before leaving Vietnam, but it got moved up to 2 pm. A planned lunch between the two men was scrapped so they could 'keep negotiating,' Bloomberg News reported. The U.S. dollar and South Korean stock market both fell on the news that no deal had been reached. The multiple signs of tension came after a public event hours earlier where the two leaders once again smiled for the cameras and Kim even took a few questions from U.S. media and expressed openness toward a step in normalization of relations. The North Korean dictator said he is open to the idea of a US liaison office in Pyongyang in a major development during the historic nuclear summit with President Donald Trump. Kim revealed his stance on the issue one of several negotiating points in Hanoi when the absolute leader submitted to a few unscripted questions from American media members. In another comment, he revealed his stated disposition on denuclearization although without saying what it would take to get him there. 'If I was not, I wouldn't be here,' he said in his native Korean, while seated alongside Trump. The two world leaders resumed their summit in Hanoi on Thursday morning local time as Trump predicted a 'fantastic success' but Kim said it was 'too early' to say they would reach a deal. Trump once again asserted that he was in 'no rush' to make an agreement following an early report by NBC that the US was prepared to back away from a demand that North Korea provide a full accounting of its nuclear weapons programs. 'I think we'll be together a lot over the years,' Trump said. 'I can't speak for today but over a little bit longer term .. we're going to have a fantastic success.' Trump and Jong Un smile during a meeting at the second US-North Korea summit at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi Trump listens as he meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday in Hanoi During an exchange with the media, a reporter asked Kim if he was ready for a U.S. liaison office in Pyongyang considered a step toward normalization of relations. At first a North Korean aide tried to cut him off, but Trump who has tangled with the press intervened. 'That's actually an interesting question. I would like to actually hear that answer,' Trump said. Kim responded: 'That is something that is welcomeable.' Trump then said the idea was a 'great thing.' A reporter asked Kim in Korean if he was confident of an agreement. Kim responded in Korean: ''It's too early to say. I would not say I'm pessimistic.' 'I have a feeling that good results will come,' Kim added. Trump also predicted spending more time with the North Korean dictator. 'And, I'm sure over the years we'll be together a lot, and I think we'll also be together after the fact, meaning after the deal is made. We had very good discussions last night at dinner, and the pre-dinner was very good. And, there were a lot of great ideas being thrown about,' Trump said. Trump once again called the relationship between the two men 'very strong'. 'So, I can't speak necessarily for today, but I can say that this, a little bit longer term, and over a period of time, I know we're going to have a fantastic success with respect to Chairman Kim and North Korea. They're going to have an economic powerhouse.' Trump predicted: 'I think it's going to be something very special.' 'I am in no rush. We don't want the testing, and we've developed something very special with respect to that,' Trump said, without revealing details, as the two men moved toward an expected joint statement. At one point after their first meeting Wednesday, the two men took a stroll by the hotel pool, with photographers ready to capture the moment They walked along with two interpreters beneath palm trees as Kim greeted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and general and spy chief Kim Yong Chol At one point after their first meeting Wednesday, the two men took a stroll by the hotel pool, with photographers ready to capture the moment. They walked along with two interpreters beneath palm trees as Kim greeted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and general and spy chief Kim Yong Chol. Reporters covering the event passed National Security Advisor John Bolton, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, and Trump aide Dan Scavino, who didn't appear to be joining the second meeting with staff. Trump was back to trying his hand at diplomacy after the president's ex-fixer Michael Cohen dominated headlines with his day of bombshell testimony against his former boss. Cohen's appearances have shadowed the president's appearances, and Trump even tweeted to attack his longtime fixer as a 'liar' shortly before he delivered bombshell testimony in the Capitol claiming Trump participated in a criminal conspiracy involving the hush payment to Stormy Daniels. Trump and Kim met for their second time at the French colonial-era Metropole hotel, where they had dined Wednesday night. Reporters covering the event passed National Security Advisor John Bolton, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, and Trump aide Dan Scavino, who didn't appear to be joining the second meeting with staff Trump's motorcade leaves the J.W. Marriot hotel during the second US-North Korea summit The motorcade of Jong Un is driven in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Thursday, ahead of the second summit Before they sat down, NBC reported the U.S. was no longer insisting as a negotiating position that North Korea provide a 'full accounting of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs' which would amount to a major concession. Trump hailed 'a very special relationship' when he met Kim in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi on Wednesday and said he was satisfied with the pace of talks, despite some criticism they were not moving quickly enough. 'Great meetings' and a 'Very good dialogue,' Trump said on Twitter after dinner with Kim at the French-colonial-era Metropole hotel while the White House said the two planned to sign a 'joint agreement' after further talks on Thursday. The White House has given no indication of what the signing ceremony might involve, although the two sides' discussions have included the possibility of a political statement to declare the 1950-53 Korean War over, which some critics see as premature. They have also discussed partial denuclearization measures, such as allowing inspectors to observe the dismantling of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear reactor, U.S. and South Korean officials say. Summit day two: North Korea released this picture of Trump shaking hands with dictator Kim Jong Un on the first day of their talks in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Wednesday All eyes watching: Michael Cohen's Greeting: Trump and Kim shake hands at the top of their meeting in Hanoi - which was followed by a 'quick dinner' U.S. concessions could include opening liaison offices or clearing the way for inter-Korean projects, but critics say Trump risks squandering vital leverage if he gives away too much, too quickly. The Hanoi summit was Trump's second with Kim since an inconclusive meeting in Singapore in June that produced much fanfare but little substance and there had been little sign of concrete progress since. The U.S. president nevertheless appeared upbeat with Kim even as his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testified at a congressional hearing in Washington, calling Trump a 'conman' who knew in advance about the release of stolen emails aimed at hurting his Democratic rival in the 2016 election campaign. Facing mounting pressure at home over investigations into Russian meddling in the election, Trump has sought a big win by trying to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for promises of peace and development, a foreign policy goal that has confounded multiple predecessors. Trump told Kim on Wednesday he felt the first summit was 'very successful'. 'Some people would like to see it go quicker; Im satisfied; youre satisfied, we want to be happy with what we're doing.' The leaders exchanged views at dinner with the aim of achieving comprehensive and ground-breaking results from their summit, Kim's state news agency KCNA said on Thursday. 'Sincere and in-depth views were exchanged to bring about a comprehensive and groundbreaking outcome,' it said. The two men had met in the Vietnamese capital in front of a bank of six flags from each nation, for the first meeting for the pair since their historic summit in Singapore in June. 'It's an honor to be with Chairman Kim. It's an honor to be together,' said Trump, who repeatedly praised his counterpart. The admiration may be mutual. In one remark, Kim praised Trump's 'courageous decision' to open dialogue, according to how his translator recounted it. In introductory remarks, Trump did much of the talking and one again dangled the promise of prosperity for North Korea, and addressed critics who noted their initial joint statement was vague and hard to measure. 'It's great to be with you. We had a very successful first summit,' Trump said. 'I felt it was very successful. Some people would like to see it go quicker. I'm satisfied, you're satisfied. We want to be happy with what we're doing.' 'I thought the first summit was a great success, I think this one hopefully will be equal or greater than the first,' the president added. As he has repeatedly, Trump pointed to personal chemistry with the reclusive leader of the family-led one-party dictatorship although his secretary of state says North Korea is still a nuclear threat, having tested a hydrogen bomb and months ago conducted a skein of missile tests. 'We made a lot of progress and I think the biggest progress was our relationship is really a good one,' Trump said. The two leaders smiled as they were seated before dinner People walk past a TV broadcasting a news report on a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, in Seoul, South Korea, February 27, 2019 Trump repeatedly hailed the personal relationship between the two men Trump complemented a New York Times photographer in one of many asides to Kim In a spat with the White House, two reporters who had earlier asked Trump questions were not permitted to witness the start of dinner Dangling economic enticements that he hopes will persuade Kim to give up nuclear weapons his nation has been developing for years, Trump said: 'I think that your country has tremendous economic potential. Unbelievable. Unlimited,' Trump said, seated across from Kim. Both men smiled before cameras as they exchanged a handshake. A reporter asked Trump about former lawyer Michael Cohen's bombshell testimony in Congress that calls Trump a 'conman.' Trump shook his head and didn't respond. That may not have gone over well with the White House staff. At a subsequent photo-op, two wire service reporters were excluded, including the one who had asked about Cohen, whose bombshell testimony touched on Stormy Daniels, a Trump Moscow tower project, and Wikileaks. According to a statement issued by White House press secretary Sarah Sanders: 'Due to the sensitive nature of the meetings we have limited the pool for the dinner to a smaller group, but ensured that representation of photographers, tv, radio and print Poolers are all in the room. We are continuing to negotiate aspects of this historic summit and will always work to make sure the U.S. media has as much access as possible.' For that event, the two men were seated at a round table with a floral centerpiece. Their meal had not yet been served. Once again, Trump talked up their bond. 'Our relationship is a very special relationship,' the president said. After Kim spoke in Korean, a translator said: 'They have exchanged very interesting dialogue with each other.' That prompted a joke from Trump. 'If you could have heard that dialogue. What you would pay for that dialogue ... It was good.' Then Trump stepped in again. 'We're going to have a very busy day tomorrow and we'll probably have a pretty quick dinner.' 'And a lot of things are going to be solved I hope. It'll lead to really a wonderful situation long term. And our relationship is a very special relationship,' the president said. Earlier Trump said: 'It's great to be with you. We had a very successful first summit. I felt it was very successful. Some people would like to see it go quicker. I'm satisfied, you're satisfied. We want to be happy with what we're doing.' Complimenting their host country, Trump said: 'It's an honor to be with Chairman Kim. It's an honor to be together in really a country, Vietnam, where they've really rolled red carpet. And they're very proud to have us.' Minutes earlier, as they first met, the two men engaged in brief remarks, then looked ahead toward press photographers with serious expressions on their faces. Eventually they smiled. Trump and Kim dinedalong with top aides. Trump said the meal would be a 'pretty quick dinner' Trump review the guard of honor during a meeting with Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong ahead of the US-North Korea summit in Hanoi President Donald Trump waves a Vietnam flag as he meets with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, waving an American flag DOWN TO BUSINESS: Trump touted a deal for Vietnam to purchase planes. The U.S. trade deficit with the nation has grown by $5 billion since Trump visited two years ago 'Thank you very much,' Trump told reporters. Trump began his Hanoi stay by meeting with Nguyen Phu Trong, the president of Vietnam, lavishing praise upon Vietnam for its 'thriving' economy and holding out the local economy as a model for North Korea to pursue. He announced a deal to have Vietnamese airlines purchase U.S.-made planes even as it continues to ship billions worth of sneakers and shrimp to U.S. ports. Other agreements would bring the total value of the agreements to $21 billion, according to an administration official. Trump also called the relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam an 'example' of what can become of North Korea if it gives up its nuclear weapons. Trump also posed in front of a statue of the nation's revolutionary founder Ho Chi Min. Later, Trump smiled and held a Vietnamese flag as he met with the country's prime minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and inked a series of agreements. Trump referenced 'my friend' KimJong Un and cited North Korea's economic potential The president also attacked his predecessor for failing to solve the North Korea problem, which has bedeviled U.S. policymakers for decades Per capita income in Vietnam is nearly double that in North Korea, $2,400 compared to $1,300, achieving 7 per cent growth and with robust foreign investment and growing trade with the U.S. South Korea is much farther along the development path, with per capita income of $26,000. The president is relying on his brand of personal diplomacy to try to score a breakthrough here with Kim, after failing to see progress on denuclearization after a vague letter reached after the Singapore summit. He has previously said they fell 'in love' at their Singapore summit, and has repeatedly stressed that the hermetic regime could become wildly successful if it modernizes and relinquishes its nuclear weapons. His bid to establish camaraderie with Kim comes despite dark signals that continue to emerge out of the closed society he governs. Kim forced his uncle to watch colleagues get blown apart with anti-aircraft guns before his own death, according to a defector. Kang Cheol-Hwan said he was told by eye witnesses that two men who worked with Kim's uncle, Jang Song-thaek, were killed by firing squad. The two men were brought in front of a barrage of eight anti-aircraft guns and had lumps of iron stuffed into their mouths before their deaths. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on the solution of the question of problem loans of individuals. Vusal Gasimli, executive director of the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms & Communications, has stated that the decree will cover more than 800,000 people. "In compliance with the decree the State Budget will allocate over AZN 700 million for execution of the decree," Gasimli said, abc.az reports. Under the decree, part of the amount of loan debt of individuals under $10,000 (AZN 17,000), which increased after the devaluations in manat terms, will be repaid at the expense of the State Budget, no later than within three months from the decree signing date at the exchange rate of the Central Bank. The principal amount of loans, taken until 21 February 2015, will be compensated in the amount of AZN 0.25 ($0.15) for each US dollar and of loans given from 22 February to 21 December 2015 AZN 0.6 ($0.35) for each US dollar. In accord with the decree, the Central Bank will allocate AZN 682 million to banks on the basis of the appeal of the Financial Market Supervision Chamber (FIMSA) for restructuring of problem foreign currency loans of citizens. Damian Hinds (pictured) denied suggestions that widening access schemes would ultimately mean fewer well-heeled applicants on degree courses Top universities should not squeeze out the middle classes to make way for disadvantaged students, the Education Secretary said yesterday. Damian Hinds denied suggestions that widening access schemes would ultimately mean fewer well-heeled applicants on degree courses. Instead, he said all those with the talent should be admitted, regardless of social class or background they come from. Mr Hindss comments came as he renewed the call for elite universities such as Oxford and Cambridge to admit a higher proportion of disadvantaged youngsters. The universities have been under intense political pressure to diversify their student body following accusations of elitism. But Mr Hinds said: This is not about saying have fewer children from any one particular background. He added: 'It needs to be about if youve got the ability, if youve got the talent. A train guard who was fired for sending his colleague a picture of his penis on Snapchat has lost his bid to be reinstated. Sydney Trains guard Rodney Fussell was dismissed from his role on August 15, 2018 after he sent a picture of his genitals to co-worker Kendall Abbott. Mr Fussell had added Ms Abbott on the social media app a day before he sent the photo on February 25, 2018. In 2015, Mr Fussell (pictured) was filmed channelling his inner Michael Jackson as he danced to the song 'Billie Jean' while working Ms Abbott was watching television with her husband and two children when she received a message from Mr Fussell, whose username was 'King Rod'. He told her that he had been drinking, and 'when I am drunk I send naughty images'. She told him to 'not send me a picture of you d**k', to which Mr Fussell replied 'don't girls like d**k pics because guys like to get cl*t pics'. Mr Fussell sent a picture of his erect penis with the letters 'fwb' in the caption - which Ms Abbott understood to mean 'friends with benefits'. Incensed, Ms Abbott messaged him back saying 'don't f**king do that again' and 'what the f**k is wrong with you'. Mr Fussell attempted to backtrack and told Ms Abbott he meant to send her a photo of his tattoo. Ms Abbott blocked Mr Fussell on Snapchat and told other employees about the incident to 'let them know what a f**king grub scum bag he is'. Superiors found out about Mr Fussell's message and he was sacked. He complained to the Fair Work Commission of being dismissed unfairly but his application was dismissed. Mr Fussell had argued the message was a 'one-off accidental event' and apologised. Fair Work deputy president Geoffrey Bull found Mr Fussell deliberately sent the photo and noted he had broken Sydney Trains' social media policy. 'While the sending of the offending image may have been a one-off lapse of judgment, the image was at the extreme outer limit of offensiveness,' Mr Bull said. In 2015, Mr Fussell was filmed channelling his inner Michael Jackson as he danced to the song 'Billie Jean' while working. Mr Fussell twirled, gyrated and moonwalked between the platform and a carriage at Waterfall train station south of Sydney's CBD. A New Zealand man, 30, who killed an 18-year-old boy for spraying him with a water pistol has been jailed for seven years. Myron Robert Alf Felise killed Eli Holtz after the teenager shot him with a water gun in the Auckland CBD last January. Felise pleaded guilty to one charge of manslaughter and was sentenced to seven years in jail in the Auckland High Court. Eighteen-year-old Eli Holtz was killed by Myron Robert Alf Felise, 30, after he shot Felise with a water pistol. Holtz was restricted by a seat belt in the passenger seat of a stationary car while Felise punched him six times until he was unconscious. He died the next day Crown prosecutor Brian Dickey said it was a 'very very serious assault' and 'entirely unnecessary'. Felise and six others were charged with murdering liquor store owner Navtej Singh during a robbery in 2008. Felise was only convicted of aggravated robbery Eli's mother Kirsten Holtz said 'there are no winners in this tragedy', Stuff reported. 'We've lost our son Eli and the Felise family have lost their son for a season as well. Our hearts go out to them,' Mrs Holtz said. 'Nothing can bring our Eli back to us.' CCTV footage shows Holtz's last moments before he was beaten unconscious by Felise. The video will not be shown to the public because Eli's family do not want to be retraumatised Eli Holtz was a passenger in his friend's car when he fired a water pellet at Felise from his Sniper King water pistol. The car had stopped at traffic lights when he carried out the light-hearted prank but Felise didn't see the funny side. Felise had been drinking at a pub and was walking down Queen St. A friend tried to restrain Felise who approached the car and punched the teenager six times until he passed out. Holtz was taken to Auckland City Hospital where he was put on life support. He died the next day. Eli Holtz carried out a light-hearted prank on January 27, 2017 and died the next day. Over a year later his killer has been sentenced to 7 years in jail. 'There are no winners in this tragedy,' his mother Kirsten Holtz said Crown prosecutor Brian Dickey said it was a 'very very serious assault' and 'entirely unnecessary'. Felise and six others were charged with murdering liquor store owner Navtej Singh during a robbery in 2008. Only Anitilea Chan Kee who pulled the trigger was found guilty while Felise was was convicted of aggravated robbery. The first British-grown strawberries of the year will arrive in supermarkets this weekend after the recent unseasonably warm temperatures helped speed up the ripening process. The berry season officially starts on May 1 and lasts until the end of September but even early glasshouse-grown varieties like those about to reach consumers have been helped by the mild winter and recent high light levels. Waitrose said it will be stocking the Lusa variety grown in glasshouses by Lancashire-based Medlar Fruit Farms from Saturday. The first British-grown strawberries of the year will arrive in supermarkets this weekend after a period of unusually warm weather. File photo According to British Summer Fruits, the strawberry season was only six weeks long 25 years ago, but industry investment has extended this period to up to nine months. Early batches of strawberries are normally grown in the warmer climates of Kent, Sussex and Wales. But computerised glasshouse technology is allowing producers in Lancashire and Scotland to be among the first to deliver fruit to retailers. Nicki Baggot, soft fruit buyer for Waitrose, said: 'Despite some cold weather early on in the year, the last few weeks of sunshine have helped speed up the ripening process of our British strawberries. 'Spring is now well on its way and those wishing for sunnier climes can start to prepare summery dishes such as Eton Mess and strawberries and cream... perfect on top of a pancake for Shrove Tuesday.' Waitrose British strawberries will be available for 3.50 for 260g in selected branches from March 1. Cardinal George Pell's bid to overturn his child abuse convictions relies on the same grounds successfully used in an appeal by Jill Meagher's killer, Adrian Bayley. A top defence barrister has claimed Pell, 77, has a 'reasonably good' chance of successfully appealing a Melbourne jury's unanimous guilty verdict. Australia's highest ranking Catholic priest was taken into custody on Wednesday after being convicted for raping a 13-year-old choirboy, and molesting another, at Melbourne's St Andrew's Cathedral in 1996. The attack was described by Victorian County Court Chief Judge Peter Kidd as 'callous' and 'brazen'. Pell, 77, has maintained his innocence and will appeal the verdict on grounds including that the verdict was 'unreasonable' or 'unsafe', his lawyer has reportedly said. His appeal comes as his conviction has been criticised by commentators who compared it to Lindy Chamberlain's wrongful murder conviction for baby Azaria's death in 1980. High-profile supporters such as former prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott have also stood by the most senior Vatican official to ever be convicted of child sex offenses. A top legal source believes Pell's lawyers have a case because of apparent flaws in the prosecution's side of the story. Cardinal George Pell's last ditch effort to overturn his child sex abuse convictions is expected to rely on the grounds the jury verdict was 'unsafe or unreasonable' Jill Meagher's killer Adrian Ernest Bayley had a separate rape conviction overturned by appealing on the grounds of an unreasonable verdict in 2016 'There's a reasonably good case for an "unreasonable verdict",' said the experienced barrister, who has run high-profile trials for both the prosecution and defence over his career. 'There does seem to be some real difficulties with the prosecution case.' The barrister, who asked not to be named critiquing a court case, said biggest issue with the Pell prosecution case is defence evidence that the brutal assault at St Andrew's Cathedral in December 1996 may not have happened. Prosecutors told the jury Pell orally raped and molested one boy in the priest's sacristy, and molested another, after they 'nicked off' from a Sunday solemn mass. Pell's defence lawyer told the jury he would have always been accompanied by another priest or a sacrister. The defence said he could not have been alone in the sacristy as the victim claimed. 'The evidence seemed to demonstrate a genuine unlikelihood there was an opportunity to commit the offence,' the legal source said. 'That goes to the question of evidence of whether it didn't happen.' But the jury accepted prosecutors' evidence the two other men would have been tending to other duties at the time. Other possible flaws in the case included that one of the victims denied the abuse before he died, and the 'short time period' where the assaults took place. That 'makes it a genuinely arguable case for an unreasonable verdict', the barrister argued. But it's rare to win on unreasonable verdict grounds, although it does happen. This is the sacristy of St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne, as it looks today and shown to the jury, where Cardinal George Pell molested two 13-year-old choirboys in his ceremonial robes On the other side of the room is a kitchen sink and cabinets next to the altar wine cabinet, a small room with a white door left slightly ajar Another look inside the cathedral where the two choirboys were attacked The interior of the ornate Melbourne church, as seen in exhibits tendered in court If an appeal is made on 'unreasonable verdict' grounds, the Court of Appeal will have to review all the evidence provided to the jury. The court will ask if 'it was open to the jury to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt' that Pell was guilty, the Victorian Criminal Proceedings Manual said. But the appeals court gives the jury leeway because jurors have actually seen and heard from the witnesses. Lawyers for Pell may look to similar big name cases where the court has quashed convictions. Adrian Ernest Bayley, the predator who abducted and murdered Jill Meagher in 2011, had a rape conviction overturned on unreasonable verdict grounds three years ago. A woman identified Bayley as her own rapist after seeing his image on Facebook in 2012. She told a jury she could never forget his eyes. Bayley's defence argued to the jury that she did not remember the correct colour of his car interior. A jury eventually convicted Bayley of the rape and Bayley's legal team appealed. His lawyers argued the verdict was 'unreasonable' because the evidence identifying Bayley was inadmissible in court. The Court of Appeal agreed and overturned the rape conviction - because the jury could not have convicted Bayley without the crucial evidence. Pell has been remanded in custody. He will be sentenced on March 17. His appeal will begin immediately after. A man who was questioned in connection with one of Scotland's most high-profile murder investigations has spoken out for the first time. Detectives interviewed Iain Packer in relation with the death of Emma Caldwell, 27, who had been working as a prostitute in Glasgow in the early 2000s. Her body was found dumped in isolated woods some 38 miles from Glasgow's red light district in May 2005. Iain Packer, 47, pictured, has been questioned by police several times in connection with the murder of Glasgow sex worker Emma Caldwell. Last night, Mr Packer spoke publicly for the first time about the 2005 murder Police suspected Mr Packer, pictured, had been involved in Ms Caldwell's murder, Emma Caldwell, pictured, was murdered in May 2005 and her body was dumped in an isolated wood almost 40 miles from Glasgow. A post mortem found she had been strangled A post mortem examination found Ms Caldwell had been strangled. Her naked body was found dumped in woods near Roberton, Lanarkshire. Police questioned Mr Packer six times under caution between 2005 and 2007 but was never arrested or charged in connection with Ms Caldwell's death. In a BBC documentary, Disclosure: Who Killed Emma? Mr Packer said he first told police he never used prostitutes. He later admitted he had paid for sex with Ms Caldwell. He even admitted taking other sex workers to the area where Ms Caldwell's body was recovered. Mr Packer was interviewed by the BBC as part of a documentary into Ms Caldwell's murder Ms Caldwell's body was found dumped in this location in May 2005 in a Lanarkshire forest However, reflecting on the earlier admissions, he told the BBC: 'In that room that day, you're bombarded with questions, calling you a liar. You start to question yourself. 'If you're sitting in a room with two guys point blank, hounding you for hours, restricting you where you go for a fag, restricting you when you go to the toilet, restricting you the fact that they won't give you a lawyer, it's bully tactics is the way I'd put it.' Officers claimed Mr Packer was able to bring them to the spot where the body was recovered, although he claimed they led him to the spot as he had no idea where to get there. A father has pleaded guilty to drink driving after being caught riding a motorised scooter more than three times the legal limit. Anthony Lee Preston, from Queensland, returned a blood alcohol reading (BAL) of .174 when police pulled him over after he ran a red light in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley in January, 9 News reported. After he pleaded guilty to the charge Preston was issued with a $400 fine and some stern words from the magistrate who called him 'stupid' for 'drink-riding' a scooter. Preston was remorseful after he was approached by reporters on leaving court but said he had 'no idea' what he was doing was illegal. Queensland father Anthony Lee Preston (pictured) has pleaded guilty to drink driving after being caught by police riding a motorised scooter more than three times the legal limit 'I had no idea, thought I was doing the right thing,' he told reporters. 'At the time I just wanted to get home.' The video shows police stop Preston after he runs a red light and the ask him politely to wheel it off to the sidewalk. The officer then explains to Preston that he has broken the law not just by running a red light. Preston returned a blood alcohol reading of .174 when police pulled him over after he ran a red light in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley in January (pictured) Under the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 it is illegal to operate vehicles, not just cars and trucks, while over the blood alcohol limit. 'Any person who, while under the influence of liquor or a drug, drives or is in charge of any vehicle (other than a motor vehicle) on a road, or attempts to put in motion any vehicle (other than a motor vehicle) on a road, is guilty of an offence,' it states. The offence carries a maximum penalty of a $4,400 fine or nine months in jail. Most Britons die without leaving anything to their families, a study has found. Six out of ten have less than 5,000 when they die and most of that is likely to be needed to pay for a funeral, according to researchers. The findings, based on the records of 60million wills left in England over more than 100 years, suggest that the growth in home ownership that transformed the lifestyles of baby-boomers is not being passed down to their offspring. According to the researchers, the share of those who leave significant wealth when they die went unchanged between 1950 and 2016 at around 40 per cent. Dr Cummins also suggested that many of the middle class people to benefit from the property boom may not have died yet (file image) Dr Neil Cummins of the London School of Economics, who produced the study, said the failure of wealth to trickle down through the families of most baby- boomers was surprising. Perhaps mortgage and other debt can explain this, his report said. Dr Cummins also suggested that many of the middle class people to benefit from the property boom may not have died yet. The average English person has little surplus wealth at death, he added. In April ministers were accused of introducing a stealth death tax by increasing the fees families must pay for the grant of probate which gives them legal control over an estate. There is currently a flat fee of 215 but the charge will now rise according to the value of the estate. Some 280,000 families a year will have to pay more, with 56,000 facing bills of between 2,500 and a maximum of 6,000, paid on estates of more than 2million. There will be no fee on estates of less than 50,000. American rapper Flavor Flav has been tricked into recording a 'retirement' message for Cardinal George Pell. The high-ranking Catholic, 77, was jailed on Wednesday after being convicted of sexually assaulting two 13-year-old boys. In the enthusiastic video recording, Flavor Flav, whose real name is William Jonathan Drayton Jr, thanks 'Tristan', who paid $150 for the recording, and goes on to wish Pell a 'happy retirement'. Pell (pictured left in 2011 and right in 2019) was found guilty of four counts of indecent assault and one count of rape by a jury at the County Court of Victoria 'I just gotta say, happy retirement my man. You know what I'm saying? For real,' he said. 'You know what, I know you ran the boys choir, you know what I'm saying man, and all of the boys on the choir respected you, you know what I'm saying, and collected you. 'Hey yo, George Pell, once again happy retirement, you know what I'm saying, and thanks for being a huge fan.' The message was recorded and shared to website Cameo, which allows people to ask famous people for video messages for a cost. Mr Drayton, a father of seven, is believed to be unaware of Pell's convictions, which the Cardinal intends to appeal, and appears to have simply been asked to record a message for a retiring choir director. Flavor Flav, a father of seven, was paid $150 to record a message for Pell, who he appeared to believe was a beloved choir director who was retiring. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting the rapper knew of Pell's conviction when he recorded the message Pell was found guilty of four counts of indecent assault and one count of rape by a Victorian jury last December, following three days of deliberations. The verdict was finally revealed after a second trial, over allegations Pell indecently assaulted boys in regional Victoria in the 1970s, was abandoned. That result meant a gag order preventing the verdict from being published in the Australian media was finally lifted after more than two months. During the trial, Pell's lone surviving victim, who is now in his 30s, told the court via video-link how he and his friend were assaulted by Pell when they were aged just 13. He said he and his friend had 'nicked off' after a Sunday solemn mass in December 1996 and were caught swigging sacramental wine in the priest's sacristy by Pell, newly installed as Archbishop of Melbourne. They were confronted by Pell, who told them they were 'in trouble', before exposing his penis from beneath his ornate ceremonial robes, and molesting the two young boys. The world's third most powerful Catholic was found guilty in December, but his sentence was under a suppression order in Australia until Tuesday The court was closed for the survivor's evidence of the events that followed - his recollection of standing frozen, watching his friend 'squirm' as his head was pulled toward Pell's genitals. 'Then he turned to me,' he said. The surviving victim, who cannot be identified, recalled Pell orally raping him and demanding he then remove his pants, which he did. Pell fondled the boy's genitals while masturbating himself. The teen put his pants back on and together the boys rejoined their choir. Afraid of jeopardising his schooling and not understanding what had happened or 'if it was normal', the survivor didn't say a word for years. Not even when, a month or so later, Pell shoved him against a wall in a cathedral corridor and fondled his genitals. Pell, 77, is the most senior Catholic clergyman to be found guilty of child sex offences anywhere in the world. George Pell (pictured) told his two 13-year-old victims 'you're in trouble' before exposing himself and assaulting them, a court heard Pell is pictured surrounded by police officers and camera crews. The disgraced cardinal spent Wednesday night behind bars after withdrawing his bail application In a statement released on Tuesday, Pell again maintained his innocence, and said he would be appealing the decision. 'An appeal has been lodged against his conviction, and he will await the outcome of the appeal process,' the statement read. 'Although originally the Cardinal faced allegations from a number of complainants, all charges except for those [that are] the subject of the appeal have now been either withdrawn, discharged or discontinued. 'He will not be commenting in the meantime.' On Wednesday he was remanded into custody, where he is expected to stay until his sentencing on March 13. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Flavor Flav's management for comment. Ministers are poised to offer a big concession to trade unions over online strike ballots as part of a package to win their backing for Theresa Mays Brexit deal. A decision by the Government on whether to introduce electronic balloting, a key demand of the unions, is imminent, and could come as soon as next week, they say. Unions have demanded improved trade union rights, including online ballots, as the price of their support for the deal. Government's decision on whether to introduce electronic balloting - a key demand of the trade unions - is imminent, and could come as soon as next week, they claim But critics have warned that allowing electronic votes would increase the prospect of strikes because it would become easier and cheaper to ballot union members. There have also been concerns about the security of online balloting. The imminent announcement follows weeks of negotiations between union bosses and Labour MPs in Leave-supporting areas. Labour sources familiar with the talks said ministers had agreed the move in principle, although a government source played down the prospect of an imminent announcement. One Labour MP in a Leave-voting seat said: Im looking for reasons to vote for the deal. Currently, unions are restricted to holding postal ballots and are not allowed to ballot their members in the workplace or online. This hampers turnout and is a cumbersome way of collecting votes, making it more difficult for unions to take industrial action. Yesterday it was also revealed that ministers are putting together a 1.6billion fund to help deprived areas after Brexit. They have wooed Labour MPs in the Midlands and the North with the prospect their towns could share in the bounty. Unions have demanded improved trade union rights, including online ballots, as the price of their support for Theresa May's Brexit deal But the Prime Minister yesterday confirmed that towns across England would be able to apply for support once the fund is established later this year. Ministers have agreed a fund of 1billion, with 600million in reserve. It will focus on improving infrastructure in the hope of boosting left behind areas whose economies are in decline. The Government, which hopes to win the support of up to 40 Labour MPs for Mrs Mays deal, is also working on a package to guarantee workers rights and environmental standards after Brexit. Four Labour MPs have separately confirmed that there is likely to be a concession on electronic balloting. A Labour source said of the package: This will be the most comprehensive Bill on workers rights ever delivered by a Tory government. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has met with the members of the Georgian diaspora and businesspersons in Baku. The meeting was held at the Georgian embassy in Baku, Georgian ambassador to Azerbaijan Zurab Pataradze also took part in the meeting. Zurabishvili said that she gives high importance to meeting with the members of the Georgian diaspora abroad during all her foreign trips and stated that Georgian embassies abroad should have close relations with Georgian emigrants for the people to feel the state support, Agenda.ge reported. Languages are dying off in schools, with the number of students studying them at its lowest since the turn of the millennium when they were still compulsory. BBC analysis shows the numbers taking foreign languages at GCSE have fallen by as much as 50 per cent in some areas. In 2002, almost 600,000 pupils took a foreign language GCSE. Two years later, doing so became optional and numbers have duly declined. Compared with 17 years ago, total numbers have fallen by 45 per cent, although there was a small rise after 2010 when languages were made part of the 'EBacc' qualification. In 2002, almost 600,000 pupils took a foreign language GCSE. Two years later, doing so became optional and numbers have duly declined (stock image) Broken down by subject, there has been a 63 per cent fall for French at GCSE and a 67 per cent fall for German, although numbers have risen for Spanish and Welsh. The analysis by area also showed huge localised drops since 2013, with a 50 per cent reduction in Knowsley, Merseyside. South Tyneside and Poole had drops of more than 40 per cent, while seven areas, including Wigan, Rochdale and Blackpool had drops of more than 30 per cent. Many schools told the BBC that the main reason behind the trend was pupils fearing languages are too difficult. Mike Hill, principal of Carmel College in St Helens, Merseyside, said he had scrapped German because demand was too low, adding he couldn't 'justify' such 'small classes'. A stunned homeowner has found a time capsule in his house after living there for a decade. Ray Levy was renovating his home in the Kapiti Coast, north of Wellington, New Zealand when he found a cigarette packet behind the wall. He opened it to find a letter written in 1981 by an inventor named Ted Witterick who built the house in 1957. Ray Levy was renovating his home in the Kapiti coast, north of Wellington, New Zealand when he found a cigarette packet (pictured) behind the wall The letter details what life was like in the early 1980s when cigarettes were as cheap as a dollar The man who wrote the letter said that Prime Minister Robert Muldoon was 'facing an election threat from Social Credit' The letter details what life was like in the early 1980s when cigarettes were as cheap as a dollar. It read: 'This cigarette packet when full cost $1.08, milk is 25c a pint, bread about 60c a loaf. 1981 vs 2019: New Zealand prices then and now Item 1981 price Equivalent in today's money 2019 price Cigarette packet $1.08 $4.43 $25.45 Box of canned beer $11 $48.73 $24 for 20 cans of Bruer 15 litres of petrol $10 $44.30 $32.70 Box of matches 8c $3.54 $3.00 Pint of milk 25c $1.10 Around $2 Loaf of bread 60c $2.66 $3.00 Bottle of beer $3.20 $14.18 $5 'Petrol is $10 for 15 litres, 4 litres of oil paint $25, matches 8c a box, we changed to decimal currency in 1973 and 1 pound = $2. 'Half a gallon of sherry $8.50, $3.20 per bottle beer, in cans $11 a box. Inland letter rate 25c per letter.' After discussing the prices of goods, Witterick wrote that Prime Minister Robert Muldoon was 'facing an election threat from Social Credit'. He also noted that his home just been hooked up to water from the town supply. The inventor and technician, who moved to New Zealand from the British offshore island of Guernsey, said his salary was $17,000 and tax was almost 50 per cent. He signed off: 'I hope you found this of interest, don't criticise my building skills - I'm a technician in Victoria University and travel in daily by car. 1971 Viva.' Mr Levy, who moved in to the home in 2008, found the letter when he was changing his fireplace. 'I thought this is really cool,' he said. The mother who threw her five-year-old son from a 20-story balcony before jumping to her own death in Miami has been identified. Solanye Virginia Matos, 37, jumped from a balcony of a high-rise building in Miami on Monday night. Investigators believe she jumped moments after throwing her five-year-old son, Luciano Matos, from the same balcony, according to WTVJ-TV. Police are now investigating the incident as a murder-suicide. The high-rise apartment is next to the Brickell City Center shopping complex. Police and Fire Rescue crews arrived just after 8pm to find the child unresponsive near a pool on the sixth floor terrace of the high rise block. Solanye Virginia Matos (left), 37, jumped from a balcony of a high-rise building in Miami on Monday night. Investigators believe she jumped moments after throwing her five-year-old son, Luciano Matos (right), from the same balcony Police and Fire Rescue crews arrived just after 8pm to find the child unresponsive near a pool (above) on the sixth floor terrace of the high rise block Courtesy of NBC6 He was given CPR by paramedics at the scene before being taken in critical condition to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he died. His mother, who investigators say fell from between the 20th and 23rd floors onto the terrace, was found nearby and was pronounced dead at the scene. Brickell City Center multiplex in Greater Downtown Miami, where a mother and her son died after falling around 20 floors on Monday evening Fire officials said they had received a call earlier from a family member saying a woman named Solange had been threatening to jump. Brickell City Center is a $1.05 billion shopping and cinema complex in Miami, located between 7th and 8th Streets on both sides of South Miami Avenue and east of South Miami Ave on the north side of 7th Street. The family is reportedly devastated, saying that they saw no warning signs beforehand that would indicate potential trouble. Residents of the building said they were shocked when they discovered what happened. 'Late last night, I heard, in passing, "Rise," and I go, "No, that couldnt be this building",' Patricia Lopez, who lives in the building, told WSVN-TV. 'I waited until this morning, saw the news, and I said, "Oh, my God".' Another neighbor, Roberto Junior, said: 'I asked the management and people from the building, but they werent allowed to say anything. 'I just saw the cops in the building interviewing people. Its a very family-friendly building. 'I love the area. I never saw anything weird.' On Tuesday, a 24-year-old mother was arrested in Upland, California, after throwing her one-year-old son off a balcony and jumping after him. Both Tierra Ortega, 24, and her son survived but she is also charged with and attempted murder charges after allegedly killing her seven-month-old daughter by fracturing her skull. Tom Parker Bowles said in 2012: 'I love having a pint and a packet of scratchings but I was incensed to find out most of them come from Danish pigs' Prince Charles' stepson once pledged his pork scratchings would be made from British pigs, but it has been revealed the company he founded now use continental pigs. Tom Parker Bowles launched 'Mr Trotter's Great British Pork Crackling' in 2011, saying that he had been 'incensed' to find non-British scratchings being widely flogged. He and two business partners were able to bring their scratchings packets, featuring a pig with a Union Jack waistcoat, to the shelves of Fortnum and Mason, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols. But the snacks company have said their fatty fodder was now shipped over from Denmark, Germany and Holland, according to The Times. Mr Parker Bowles had pledged that not only would his snacks be made from British pigs, but he also highlighted the need for ethical farms. Mr Trotter's current director Karyn Walker told the paper she was still working to find how the pigs on the foreign farms were being reared and confirmed it was possible they lived indoors. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Tom Parker Bowles attend the launch of the 'Fortnum & Mason Christmas & Other Winter Feasts' cookbook by Mr Parker Bowles at Fortnum & Mason in October 2018 Prince Charles has spoken frequently of supporting British farmers - pictured at Lambeth Palace in London last week She confirmed they still used the phrase 'Great British Pork Crackling' on their packaging because they are still cooked and seasoned in Britain. Ms Walker told the Times: 'It becomes British. I suppose its like if youre born in India because you are on holiday there it doesnt make you an Indian.' Mr Parker Bowles is no longer a director of Mr Trotter's but still an investor. He had aligned himself with his stepfather, Prince Charles, in his support for British farmers when the brand was launched. He told the Sunday Express in 2012: 'I love having a pint and a packet of scratchings but I was incensed to find out most of them come from Danish pigs and I started to look into producing an outdoor-reared, British-bred scratching.' Furthermore, he spoke about the 'grave situation' facing British farmers in a 2015 issue of Country Life and the importance of supporting them. In addition to pork scratchings, their other offerings include spicy Pork Sausalamis and gin scented candles. Twenty-four bags of the pork scratchings can be bought online for 38.40. The estranged wife of a notorious Albanian murderer fighting deportation on human rights grounds has called for him to be kicked out of Britain after he carried out a brutal knife attack on her. Machine gun killer Ardian Rragami, 47, claims his right to a happy family life will be breached if he is sent back to his native Albania. But his case was seriously undermined yesterday when pictures emerged of him holding a blade to his wifes throat during a drink-fuelled attack in which he also punched and spat at her. Machine gun killer Ardian Rragami, 47, (pictured) claims his right to a happy family life with wife Chrysoulla Michaels, 49, (also pictured) will be breached if he is sent back to his native Albania But his wife called for him to be deported immediately after pictures emerged of him holding a blade to her throat during a drink-fuelled attack in which he also punched and spat at her Despite this, legal red tape means he cannot be deported automatically and the Home Offices lengthy attempt to send him back to Albania continues. His four-year battle against deportation is thought to have cost the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds. Rragamis British wife, Chrysoulla Michaels, 49, yesterday said he should be deported immediately. Ardian has used the right to a family life to argue his case against deportation, but hes thrown that away now, she told The Sun. I stuck by him in the past but until hes deported it will never stop. In June 2016 the Daily Mail revealed how the killer, who was extradited from Britain to Albania in 2010 to face a 15-year jail term, had come back to live in the UK after serving just four years behind bars there The farce emerged nearly three years after the Daily Mail exposed how Rragami had twice entered Britain illegally. In June 2016 this paper revealed how the killer, who was extradited from Britain to Albania in 2010 to face a 15-year jail term, had come back to live in the UK after serving just four years behind bars there. He returned to Britain in 2014, a few years after he was kicked out to face justice for murdering his neighbour in cold blood at a bar in northern Albania. How he had played the system July 1998: Rragami shoots a man dead at a bar in Albania. Late 1998: He goes on the run, then arrives in the UK and claims asylum. 2000: In his absence, he is jailed for 15 years in Albania. 2002: He marries divorcee Chrysoulla Michaels in the UK. 2010: He is extradited to serve his jail term in Albania. 2014: He is freed early after appealing against the length of his prison term. June 2016: He is detained by immigration officers, pending deportation proceedings, after a Mail investigation reveals he is back on the streets of the UK. Sept 2016: An immigration judge grants him bail, pending his appeal against deportation. Advertisement Rragami had first sneaked into Britain in 1998 shortly after spraying his victim with four bullets by posing as a Kosovan refugee called Ardian Gashi. In 2016, Miss Michaels, with whom he has two daughters, spoke supportively of her husband, saying he had served his time and should be allowed to stay in the UK. I knew he was not a danger, she told a local newspaper. My family are all devastated by this. But she changed her tune yesterday after his terrifying assault on her at their Essex home. The attack, filmed by a niece, is said to have taken place while decorator Rragami was on immigration bail, wearing a tag and subject to a curfew. He pleaded guilty to assaulting Miss Michaels by punching her and cutting her jaw with a kitchen knife. He also admitted assaulting a child. But he walked free from Basildon Crown Court after getting an eight-month suspended jail sentence. If he had been jailed for 12 months or more, he would have been deported automatically. Miss Michaels, a beautician, told The Sun: Ive had to move house so he cant find me. Im scared. He had the knife held to my throat. I thought I was going to die. Rragami was taken into immigration custody in June 2016 after immigration officers were shamed by the Mail into getting him off the streets. Three months later, he was granted bail as he appealed against the decision to boot him out of the UK for a second time. Despite strenuous objections by the Home Office, a judge at the Birmingham Immigration and Asylum Chamber released him from immigration detention. The Home Office said yesterday: Foreign national offenders who abuse our hospitality by committing crimes have no place in this country. Since 2010 we have removed nearly 45,800. Last night the Home Office confirmed that Rragami is back in immigration detention, pending deportation proceedings. A toy manufacturer selling plastic soldiers depicting an ISIS beheading scene has provoked outrage from the family of a real life victim. Caesar Miniatures offer a masked jihahi wielding a large knife, some armed jihadis standing guard, and the figure of hostage with is hands tied behind his back as part of their 'Iraq and Syria' range. The scene imitating the horrifying murders of British citizens can be bought in the UK for as little as 7.99 for a box of 35 figures, measuring one inch high. Caesar Miniatures offer a masked jihahi wielding a large knife, some armed jihadis standing guard, and the figure of hostage with is hands tied behind his back as part of their 'Iraq and Syria' range The plastic soldiers come in sets containing men carrying shoulder-fired missiles as well as the masked jihadi and the bound-and-kneeling hostage UK based online seller Hannants currently offer the product and have more than 50 in stock, their website says. The brother of humanitarian aid worker Alan Henning, who was beheaded by ISIS in 2014, slammed the 'disgusting' set of toys. Reg Henning told the Mirror: 'If it's a toy then it's aimed at children. Only sick people would buy it for their kids. 'I am shocked, I'm sure they will be an outcry once this gets out.' Mr Henning, 47, was captured by ISIS in Syria in 2013 after he travelled to the region to help homeless children displaced by the conflict. The scene imitating the horrifying murders of British citizens can be bought in the UK for as little as 6.29 for a box of 35 figures, measuring one inch high Humanitarian aid worker Alan Henning was murdered by the ISIS jihadi dubbed Jihadi John He was beheaded on camera in October 2014 by Mohammed Emwazi, the British executioner known as Jihadi John. Caesar Miniatures products are sold around the world and have ranges modelled on historical armies throughout history. Many of the toys are far less controversial and depict conflicts involving Roman, Persian and Second World War soldiers. Their range of Mid-East Militia and Modern Urban Resisters (Terrorists) are proved upsetting to the family of victims. Caesar Miniatures, based in Taiwan, has not replied to requests for comment. For years they have relied on Ocado to source their marinated artichokes and fresh gnocchi. But now well-heeled Waitrose customers who use the online delivery service face having to change providers or pay a small premium to stock up for their dinner parties. Yesterday Ocado announced it had cut ties with Waitrose after 19 years to sign with the middle-class favourite's arch-rivals Marks & Spencer. Ocado, which stocks its own-brand goods as well as Waitrose's, struck a 1.5billion deal with M&S. The major shake-up of the grocery market will take effect next year, when Ocado's deal with Waitrose expires. Steve Rowe, CEO of Marks and Spencer described the deal with Ocado as the firm's 'biggest and boldest move' and a 'game-changing moment' Ocado announced it had cut ties with Waitrose after 19 years to sign with arch-rivals Marks & Spencer in a 1.5billion deal M&S chief executive Steve Rowe said: 'This is [our] biggest and boldest move to date and a game-changing moment.' The deal will see M&S pay Ocado 750million for a 50 per cent stake in the joint venture. But, despite Mr Rowe's insistence it would help M&S bring down prices, the tie-up raised fears of hikes. For example, a 500g punnet of green grapes sold at an M&S store costs 2.50, compared with 2 for the equivalent Waitrose product sold on Ocado.com. The ups and downs of one of Britain's most iconic retail brands Marks & Spencer was formed in 1884 when Michael Marks opened a market stall in Leeds, with the slogan dont ask the price, its a penny. The Polish refugee went into partnership with Thomas Spencer and in 1904 Marks & Spencer opened their first shop in a covered arcade in the city. Marks was from a Jewish family that fled the Russian Empire, in what is now Belarus. In the 1920s the store adopted the revolutionary policy of buying directly from suppliers. M&S opened its first Asian store in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1960 and the company then moved into Canada in 1973 as part of an international expansion. By the late 1990s the firm was experiencing financial problems and the company's share price fell by more than two thirds. Its profits fell from more than a billion pounds in 1997 and 1998 to 145 million. Since 2009 the company has undergone constant restructuring with a number of store closures and re-branding of its clothing lines. Advertisement A 250g pack of organic salted butter costs 1.90 at M&S, compared with 1.80 for the Waitrose version at Ocado. And a 1.5kg bag of self-raising flour is sold for 65p at M&S, while Waitrose's costs 54p. James Anstead, an analyst at Barclays, said: 'Waitrose is regarded as being premium, but M&S is widely seen as super-premium. This means that some customers might feel they could not afford to continue shopping at Ocado.' Ocado chief executive Tim Steiner said his customers are 'looking forward to getting their M&S Percy Pig sweets' The new deal will see M&S pay Ocado 750million for a 50 per cent stake in the joint venture in online delivery service Fraser McKevitt, an analyst at Kantar Worldpanel, said: 'Ocado needs to ensure shoppers aren't left disappointed.' Ocado faced an instant backlash on social media. One customer wrote on Twitter: 'You'll be losing us as weekly customers ... M&S don't provide a full range of lines and their food is too expensive and poorer quality.' How Ocado led the way in the grocery home delivery sector The name 'Ocado' is said to be a made-up word to evoke images of fresh fruit - derived from 'avocado'. Ocado was founded in April 2000 by Jonathan Faiman, Jason Gissing and Tim Steiner, former merchant bankers with Goldman Sachs. The online delivery firm was launched in January 2000 as a concept and started trading as a business in partnership with Waitrose in January 2002. Chief executive Tim Steiner is said to be worth 116million and the company's share price soared 80 per cent when a deal with US retail giant Kroger was announced last May. Ocado's products include own brand groceries from the Waitrose supermarket chain as well as their own Ocado brand, but also a selection of name brand groceries. In May 2010 the John Lewis Partnership entered into a ten-year branding and supply agreement. Since January 2014, Ocado have been delivering online groceries for one of their main grocery rivals Morrisons supermarkets. Rumours first started of a secret deal between Ocado and M&S last month. Advertisement Ocado chief executive Tim Steiner said he was confident it would gain new customers, adding: 'They've told us that they are looking forward to getting their M&S Percy Pig sweets.' Waitrose plans to double online sales using its own delivery service. But Mr Anstead cautioned: 'We do not know whether Waitrose.com has the capacity to actually serve the Ocado customer base.' Shoppers loyal to Waitrose and those fond of Ocado's mix of own and name brand products said they may defect to rivals after the new deal was announced. Chris McCausland wrote on Twitter: '@ocado i've been a customer for many years, and love the service. 'I just won't be able to continue if you stop selling Waitrose products. 'I'm afraid it just won't work for me, and I'm sure it won't work for a lot of other people as well. I hope this turns out not to be the case.' Niamh Skinner wrote: 'For god's sake @ocado my mum's in tears, used Ocado for 15 years, and your 'consciously uncoupling' with Waitrose for M&S means she has to 'consciously uncouple' with you. She's absolutely devastated.' Another Twitter user said: 'Thanks for the heads up. Hate M&S so you'll be losing our business. 13 years ordering Waitrose and Ocado products. 'Not sure how you think this will work. Watch the average weekly spend plummet and your regulars move away.' Rashida Abdulai added: 'Excited about finally being able to have yummy @marksandspencer groceries delivered, by none other than the brilliant @ocado! Great move as far as Im concerned.' One social media user said: 'Ocado I have used you faithfully for years as I like the combo of own brand, branded and Waitrose products. 'I am not at all happy that you will replace Waitrose with Marks & Spencer. May have to defect to Sainsbury's.' Norway's 740 billion sovereign wealth fund announced it will continue to invest in Britain despite uncertainty over the country's departure from the EU. The fund - which is the world's biggest - takes a percentage of oil and has revenues and invests it around the world. Last year, 8.5 per cent of the fund was invested in Britain - spread across equities, bonds and real estate. Yngve Slyngstad, CEO of the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund said his country would continue to invest in Brexit Britain regardless of the outcome of the Government's current negotiations with the European Union Mr Slyngstad said he was looking for investments over the next 30-year period which will not be affected by the Brexit uncertainty The fund's CEO Yngve Slyngstad said: 'We will continue to be significant' investors in Britain. He added: 'And we foresee that over time that our investments in the UK will increase.' However, the fund's British investments declined in value over the past 12 months. He said: 'With our time horizon, which is 30 years plus, current political discussions do not change our view of the situation.' Even so, Britain's share of the fund's portfolio slipped below Japan's to third from its usual spot in second behind the United States. Slyngstad said the dip was caused by a strengthening of the yen against the pound. And he said Britain was included in a broad-based global equities buying spree worth about 22.5 billion from November to January when the fund reckoned it was buying shares on the cheap amid turmoil on markets. The fund is one of the biggest foreign investors in Britain, as a co-owner of London's Regent Street, as a top five owner in firms such as HSBC and BP among others, and as a holder of roughly 6 billion of UK government debt. Slyngstad also reaffirmed commitment to Britain even in the case of a 'no-deal' Brexit. Norway is not a member of the EU, although it is bound by many of its rules. He said: 'We see no operational consequences of any possible outcomes.' He said that the fund had almost 250 staff in London and would stay at that level regardless of the outcome of the Brexit talks. Worldwide, the fund owns about 1.4 percent of all equities. Falls in stock markets meant that the fund, equivalent to 145,000 for every Norwegian man, woman and child, had a negative return on investment of 6.1 percent in 2018, down from a positive 13.7 percent in 2017. And it lagged its benchmark index by 0.3 percentage point. He continued: 'This is the first time that the fund has had a considerable decline in value. The only other time was a slight decline in 2002.' The vice mayor of a Florida city has been arrested for allegedly threatening a woman who was reportedly having an affair with her husband. Fort Meade Vice Mayor Maurice Nelson Campbell, 59, was taken into custody by the Polk County Sheriffs Office Tuesday morning. The arrest followed an investigation of a complaint from the victim, who told detectives that the two women had known each other for years, and Campbell had repeatedly harassed her. Campbell accused the victim of having an intimate relationship with her husband, according to a statement from the sheriff's office. Forte Meade, Florida's Vice Mayor, Maurice Nelson Campbell, 59, has been arrested for allegedly threatening a woman who was reportedly having an affair with her husband The victim told detectives that on Friday, February 8, 2019, she received calls at 4.46pm and 7.13pm, from a phone number belonging to Campbells husband, which she did not answer. A third call was made at 11.55pm, and the victim answered. The victim told authorities that she 'immediately recognized the voice on the phone as being Campbell, so she disconnected'. At 11.59pm, she received a call from the victims phone number, and two more from Campbells phone at 12.49am, which she didnt answer. The victim turned her phone off for the rest of the night, then awoke to find three missed calls from Campbells phone, along with three voicemails from Campbell. The voicemail messages contained a variety of profanities used frequently, and made a threat to cause the victim physical harm. During one of the messages, the vice mayor stated: 'And this is Maurice Campbell, and I approve that motherf**king message, and you can believe that.' In a voicemail, Campbell reportedly left on the victim's phone, she said: 'And this is Maurice Campbell, and I approve that motherf**king message, and you can believe that' Campbell (pictured) was arrested for aggravated stalking and transported to the Polk County Jail. Her prior criminal history includes charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Jacksonville, shoplifting in Orlando and petty larceny-failure to appear in Orange County In another voicemail, Campbell is heard saying: 'Ill beat your motherf**King a** down, you trifling b***h, stinking (expletive) (expletive). You rotten motherf**ker, you rotten motherf**ker!' The victim told detectives that she believed the threat was credible, and that the frequent harassment has caused her undue stress and anxiety. She believes that Campbell used her position on the Fort Meade City Commission to intimidate her. According to the arrest affidavit, the victim had contacted law enforcement about the harassment in the past, but refrained from pursuing criminal charges hoping Campbell would stop harassing. 'The victim has put up with this harassment for quite some time, and she finally reached a breaking point,' Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. 'This is not proper behavior for anyone, let alone an elected official. Leaving the voicemails, especially one that sounded like the end of a campaign commercial, wasnt good judgement either,' Judd added. Campbell was arrested for aggravated stalking and transported to the Polk County Jail. Her prior criminal history includes charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Jacksonville, shoplifting in Orlando and petty larceny-failure to appear in Orange County. A woman who was shot in the chest and stomach at close range nearly died when the metal from the underwire bra she was wearing pierced her body and did damage to vital organs, according to a medical journal. The incident, which is detailed in the March 2019 issue of the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, took place two years ago at a hospital in British Columbia. Doctors at the trauma center at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster received a patient, a 39-year-old woman who had just been shot at close range, according to CTV National News. The woman, who was responsive and talking, had bullet fragment lodged in her chest and abdomen. But doctors were confident that the injuries were not life-threatening, and that she would recover. Metal from an underwire bra (like the one seen in the above stock image) nearly killed a woman two years ago after it became lodged into her body because of the force of gunshot wounds, according to a Canadian medical journal In 2017, doctors at the trauma center at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster received a patient, a 39-year-old woman who had just been shot at close range Shortly after she was admitted to the hospital, however, her condition began to unexpectedly deteriorate. She had difficulty breathing, which prompted doctors to place a tube down her throat. Doctors then rushed her to the operating room. When they began surgery by cutting open her chest, they were shocked to see a metal wire emerge from deep inside the incision. When the surgeon opened her, this thing just literally sprang up at 90 degrees, Laura Duggan, an anesthesiologist at the University of British Columbia, told The Washington Post. To open an abdomen and have a wire pop out at 90 degrees, it felt like we were on a Greys Anatomy episode. The doctors werent sure what it was. Initially, there was fear that an explosive device had been lodged in the womans chest. Laura Duggan, an anesthesiologist at the University of British Columbia, was one of the surgeons who operated on the woman. The underwire acted like a sword, it was almost surgical,' she said The alarm was so great that doctors evacuated the room and a police officer was asked to take a look. The officer said that it was extremely unlikely that the wire was part of any sort of bomb. We were starting to get people to leave [the operating room], Duggan said. Thats when this nurse came in and said, Hey, thats an underwire! Duggan then took a look at the clothing that had been removed from the patient after she was rushed to the operating room. Thats when it was confirmed that the wire from her bra was missing. Doctors believed that the impact of the bullets was so severe that it pushed the underwire into the womans body. I couldnt believe the sharpness on those edges, man, on the underwire, Duggan said. It was like a scythe, truly. Doctors discovered that the underwire sliced the womans stomach in half, cut her liver, nicked her aorta, and lacerated her diaphragm. The underwire acted like a sword, it was almost surgical, said Duggan. The patient eventually recovered. Since then, doctors have issued warnings about wires in bras. I personally have never found them to be comfortable myself, said Duggan. US President Donald Trump (left) and Chairman of the Workers Party of Korea and the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Kim Jong Un (right)__Photo: CNN , , , , Chairman of the Workers Party of Korea and the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un has arrived in Vietnam in his heavily armored train in the morning of February 26.The train stopped at Dong Dang Railway Station in the northern border province of Lang Son. Kim's motorcade drove the remaining 100 miles to Hanoi.He is in Vietnam to attend the DPRK-USA Summit held in Hanoi and for an official friendship visit to the country.The official friendship visit is being made at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, President Nguyen Phu Trong.Chairman Kim will hold talks with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi, an event following the historic first round of talks last year in Singapore.The same day, US President Donald Trump lands at Noi Bai International Airport. He was accompanied by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney.In addition to holding talks with Kim Jong Un, Trump is scheduled to meet high-ranking Vietnamese officials.This is his second time in Vietnam. Last November, Trump made an official visit to Vietnam and attended the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in Da Nang.- A veterinarian has saved the life of a eastern brown snake after he pulled three poisoned rats out of its stomach The horrifying video shows Dr Jonathon Howard pushing three dead rats through the body of the snake and pulling them out of its mouth one-by-one. The snake was brought into the clinic in the Hunter Valley, north of Sydney, by a resident who was concerned for the snake's well-being after he started poisoning rats near his home. Dr Jonathon Howard slowly pushes the poisoned rats up the snakes body and pulls them out of its mouth using tweezers The snake was brought in by a concerned resident who had started poisoning the rats outside his home and feared the snake may die The video begins with Dr Howard holding the anaesthetised snake and slowly pushing the first rat up the snake's body and towards its mouth. As the rat moves into the mouth of the snake, its curled-up tail flops out and its hind legs emerge. Dr Howard picks up a pair of tweezers and grabs the rat's legs and slowly pulls it out of the snake. 'That's the first one,' Dr Howard says. 'We've got two more to go.' Dr Howard begins pushing the second rat out of the snake and as he pulls it out of its mouth, he notices that it's a baby. 'It must of raided a mum and some babies': The snake seems to have eaten an entire family of rats WHAT ARE EASTERN BROWN SNAKES? - Medium sized snake with a moderate build and small head - Body colour is any shade of brown - Average size of around 1.5m - Can be found in a variety of habitats but prefer open areas such as woodlands, scrubs and savanna grasslands - Widespread throughout eastern Australia, from northern Queensland to South Australia - Highest encounter rate is during spring and prefer mild winter days Source: Australian Museum Advertisement 'It must have raided a mum and some babies,' Dr Howard said. As the third and final rat is carefully taken out of the snake, Dr Howard explains that it was brought in by a resident who started poisoning rats outside his home. The resident became concerned that the snake may have eaten a poisoned rat. 'To reduce any risk of the poison passing on to the snake, we have anaesthetised this brown snake and helped him out.' Dr Howard posted on his Facebook page and provided an update about the snake after the procedure. He said that the snake has recovered well and that the procedure did not fracture any of its bones. The snake was given some pain relief to help with some bruising and released the following day. Zaharie Ahmad Shah (pictured) was the pilot of the doomed flight DID THE PILOT HIJACK HIS OWN PLANE? Pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah planned mass murder because of personal problems, locking his co-pilot out of the cockpit, closing down all communications, depressurising the main cabin and then disabling the aircraft so that it continued flying on auto-pilot until it ran out of fuel. That was the popular theory in the weeks after the plane's disappearance. His personal problems, rumours in Kuala Lumpur said, included a split with his wife Fizah Khan, and his fury that a relative, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, had been given a five-year jail sentence for sodomy shortly before he boarded the plane for the flight to Beijing. But the pilot's wife angrily denied any personal problems and other family members and his friends said he was a devoted family man and loved his job. This theory was also the conclusion of the first independent study into the disaster by the New Zealand-based air accident investigator, Ewan Wilson. Wilson, the founder of Kiwi Airlines and a commercial pilot himself, arrived at the shocking conclusion after considering 'every conceivable alternative scenario'. However, he has not been able to provide any conclusive evidence to support his theory. The claims are made in the book 'Goodnight Malaysian 370', which Wilson co-wrote with the New Zealand broadsheet journalist, Geoff Taylor. It's also been rumoured that Zaharie used a flight simulator at his home to plot a path to a remote island. However, officials in Kuala Lumpur declared that Malaysian police and the FBI's technical experts had found nothing to suggest he was planning to hijack the flight after closely examining his flight simulator. And there are also theories that t he tragic disappearance may have been a heroic act of sacrifice by the pilot. Australian aviation enthusiast Michael Gilbert believes the doomed plane caught fire mid-flight, forcing the pilot to plot a course away from heavily populated areas. IF NOT THE PILOT, WAS THE CO-PILOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MYSTERY? Co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, again for personal problems, was suspected by rumour-spreaders to have overpowered the pilot and disabled the aircraft, flying it to its doom with crew and passengers unable to get through the locked cockpit door. Theorists have put forward the suggestion that he was having relationship problems and this was his dramatic way of taking his own life. But he was engaged to be married to Captain Nadira Ramli, 26, a fellow pilot from another airline, and loved his job. There are no known reasons for him to have taken any fatal action. There have been a series of outlandish theories about the disappearance of the plane Others have suggested that because he was known to have occasionally invited young women into the cockpit during a flight, he had done so this time and something had gone wrong. Young Jonti Roos said in March that she spent an entire flight in 2011 in the cockpit being entertained by Hamid, who was smoking. Interest in the co-pilot was renewed when it was revealed he was the last person to communicate from the cockpit after the communication system was cut off. DID THE RUSSIANS STEAL MH370 AND FLY THE JET TO KAZAKHSTAN An expert has claimed the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 was hijacked on the orders of Vladimir Putin and secretly landed in Kazakhstan. Jeff Wise, a U.S. science writer who spearheaded CNN's coverage of the Boeing 777-200E, has based his outlandish theory on pings that the plane gave off for seven hours after it went missing, that were recorded by British telecommunications company Inmarsat. Wise believes that hijackers 'spoofed' the plane's navigation data to make it seem like it went in another direction, but flew it to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which is leased from Kazakhstan by Russia. However, Wise admits in New York Magazine that he does not know why Vladimir Putin would want to steal a plane full of people and that his idea is somewhat 'crazy'. Wise also noted there were three Russian men onboard the flight, two of them Ukrainian passport holders. Aviation disaster experts analysed satellite data and discovered - like the data recorded by Inmarsat - that the plane flew on for hours after losing contact. Careful examination of the evidence has revealed that MH370 made three turns after the last radio call, first a turn to the left, then two more, taking the plane west, then south towards Antarctica. MH370 WAS USED BY TERRORISTS FOR A SUICIDE ATTACK ON THE CHINESE NAVY This extraordinary claim came from 41-year-old British yachtsman Katherine Tee, from Liverpool, whose initial account of seeing what she thought was a burning plane in the night sky made headlines around the world. On arrival in Thailand's Phuket after sailing across the Indian Ocean from Cochin, southern India with her husband, she said: 'I could see the outline of the plane - it looked longer than planes usually do.There was what appeared to be black smoke streaming from behind.' Ms Tee's general description of the time and place was vague and she lost all credibility when she later stated on her blog that she believed MH370 was a kamikaze plane that was aimed at a flotilla of Chinese ships and it was shot down before it could smash into the vessels. Without solid proof of the satellite data, she wrote on her blog, Saucy Sailoress, the plane she saw was flying at low altitude towards the military convoy she and her husband had seen on recent nights. She added that internet research showed a Chinese flotilla was in the area at the time. While the debris proved the plane went down in the Indian Ocean, the location of the main underwater wreckage and its crucial black box data recorders remains stubbornly elusive. THE JET LANDED ON THE WATER AND WAS SEEN FLOATING ON THE ANDAMAN SEA On a flight from Jeddah to Kuala Lumpur that crossed over the Andaman Sea on March 8, Malaysian woman Raja Dalelah, 53, saw what she believed was a plane sitting on the water's surface. She didn't know about the search that had been started for MH370. She alerted a stewardess who told her to go back to sleep. 'I was shocked to see what looked like the tail and wing of an aircraft on the water,' she said. It was only when she told her friends on landing in Kuala Lumpur what she had seen that she learned of the missing jet. She had seen the object at about 2.30pm Malaysian time. She said she had been able to identify several ships and islands before noticing the silver object that she said was a plane. But her story was laughed off by pilots who said it would have been impossible to have seen part of an aircraft in the water from 35,000ft or seven miles. Ms Raja filed an official report with police the same day and has kept to her story. 'I know what I saw,' she said. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC SYSTEMS FAILURE AND CRASH-LANDED ON THE OCEAN A catastrophic event such as a fire disabling much of the equipment resulted in the pilots turning the plane back towards the Malaysian peninsula in the hope of landing at the nearest airport. Satellite data, believable or not, suggests the aircraft did make a turn and theorists say there would be no reason for the pilots to change course unless confronted with an emergency. A fire in a similar Boeing 777 jet parked at Cairo airport in 2011 was found to have been caused by a problem with the first officer's oxygen mask supply tubing. Stewarts Law, which has litigated in a series of recent air disasters, believes the plane crashed after a fire - similar to the blaze on the Cairo airport runway - broke out in the cockpit. After an investigation into the Cairo blaze, Egypt's Aircraft Accident Investigation Central Directorate (EAAICD) released their final report which revealed that the fire originated near the first officer's oxygen mask supply tubing. The cause of the fire could not be conclusively determined, but investigators pinpointed a problem with the cockpit hose used to provide oxygen for the crew in the event of decompression. Following the 2011 fire, US aircraft owners were instructed to replace the system - it was estimated to cost $2,596 (1,573) per aircraft. It was not known whether Malaysia Airlines had carried out the change. If either pilot wanted to crash the plane, why turn it around? So the turn-around suggests they were trying to land as soon as possible because of an emergency. THE US SHOT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT FEARING A TERROR ATTACK ON DIEGO GARCIA The Boeing 777 was shot down by the Americans who feared the aircraft had been hijacked and was about to be used to attack the U.S. military base on Diego Garcia atoll in the Indian Ocean. So conspiracy theorists claim. And former French airline director Marc Dugain said he had been warned by British intelligence that he was taking risks by investigating this angle. There is no way of checking whether Dugain received such a warning or why he believes the Americans shot down the plane. But adding to the theory that the aircraft was flown to Diego Garcia, either by the pilot Zaharie or a hijacker, was the claim that on the pilot's home flight simulator was a 'practice' flight to the island. Professor Glees said: 'The Americans would have no interest in doing anything of the kind and not telling the world. 'In theory, they might wish to shoot down a plane they thought was attacking them but they wouldn't just fire missiles, they'd investigate it first with fighters and would quickly realise that even if it had to be shot down, the world would need to know.' A funeral driver who drove off with a baby's coffin on the roof of his van has been charged with misconduct of a corpse. Richard John Bertrand, 58, was travelling to the John Tonge morgue in Brisbane in November, when he forgot to remove the casket from the top of his vehicle. The driver, who was employed by Queensland Funeral Transfers, appeared in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Thursday where he was charged misconduct by interfering. His case was adjourned until March for case conferencing, The Sunshine Daily Coast reported. Mr Bertrand said the mistake occurred when he was doing a change-over after dark with another driver at Eumundi, and he didn't notice he had left the coffin on top. Scroll down for video Richard Bertrand, 58, from Gracemere, was charged with misconduct of a corpse on Thursday It wasn't until he arrived at the mortuary hours later, that Bertrand realised the body was missing. The casket is said to have fallen off almost immediately after he pulled away from outside the other driver's home and was discovered the following morning by road workers. In an interview with Daily Mail Australia in December, Mr Bertrand expressed his remorse and said the incident was an accident. 'I just feel bad about the fact I made a mistake. I really feel for the family who are going through this,' he said. 'It (the casket) had to be moved and I put it on the roof. I just forgot to move it again.' The funeral driver from Gracemere near Rockhampton told Channel 9 he felt 'absolutely shattered' by the incident. He added his mistake came at a time when he was under the stress of having his hometown evacuated on Wednesday due to bushfires. The baby's body had been diverted to Brisbane because the local pathologist in Rockhampton had taken sick leave, police said. Shadow Attorney-General David Janetzki said the incident showed more regulation was needed in the funeral industry. He said: 'Words fail me. The funeral driver for Queensland Funeral Transfers accidentally took off in his van while the casket of a baby was still on the roof of the vehicle. Bertrand was meant to take the body to a morgue in Brisbane 'The entire system which deals with deceased in Queensland has to be urgently reviewed.' The family, who are said to be 'extremely distressed', was made aware of the incident. They have so far been too distressed to comment on the matter to the media. 'This is an incredibly distressing incident... We have spoken with the family to explain what happened, support them and to apologise,' a Queensland Health spokesman said. 'This transport was not undertaken by Queensland Health but by a licenced private funeral contractor. Queensland Health has already begun a process to fully investigate the contractor's actions, so that nothing like this ever happens again.' The company's licence has been suspended while the incident is investigated by Queensland Health, and the driver said his heart went out to the family. The last four children living in Australia's asylum seeker processing centre on Nauru have been flown to the United States for resettlement. The children left the island country with their families on Wednesday afternoon. Immigration Minister David Coleman said the milestone comes after there were 2000 children living in detention when the coalition formed government in 2013. 'We got them all out,' he said in a statement on Thursday. The last four children living in Australia's asylum seeker processing centre on Nauru have been flown to the United States for resettlement. Asylum seekers are pictured on Manus Island 'This is something the government has been working on for some time, quietly and in a way that would not impact our border protection policies.' The departure of the children and their families brings the number of refugees to have been resettled in the US under a deal with Australia to 493. Another 265 refugees have been assessed but rejected by the US under its extreme vetting policy. Some refugee advocates are worried the deal won't allow resettlement for the hundreds of asylum seekers still on Nauru and that the government is 'dragging its feet' on medical transfers for those who are sick. 'Almost six years of detention on Nauru has created a mental health crisis on the island, and the government still has no secure future for them,' Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul said. The government remains critical of new laws pushed through by Labor and crossbenchers without its support earlier this month making medical transfers for asylum seekers easier. The government plans to send sick people from Manus Island and Nauru to Christmas Island, but Labor is concerned about whether they will receive adequate care. An elite private school has been hit by a gastro outbreak, two student hospitalised with the virus. Almost 100 students at Prince Alfred College in Adelaide have been infected with gastroenteritis over the past three weeks, leading to an evacuation of a boarding house. 'The number has increased over the last week or so to approximately 94 students, over the three-week period,' headmaster Bradley Fenner said. The school said 94 students were infected with the virus over the three week process (stock image) Two students with gastro had to be hospitalised however both are now understood to be recovering (stock image) 'One student required overnight hospitalisation and another short stay treatment. 'During this period, we have been in regular communication with the Communicable Diseases Control Branch of SA Health and taken advice from an Infectious Disease Consultant. The outbreak is believed to have been caused by Norovirus, the most common way to contract gastroenteritis. Norovirus is highly contagious and can often be picked up through food, by touching contaminated surfaces and through close proximity infected people. 'We have followed the relevant guidelines in maintaining appropriate isolation and cleaning regimes in our endeavours to limit the spread of infection and this has been effective. 'Acting on the advice of the medical authorities, towards the end of last week we evacuated a section of the Boarding House to assist in isolating those affected and stopping further instances. The school said the situation will be assessed daily and it is working with SA Health and families of the students. A man who woke up in a construction site on top of a building with no idea how he got there has been rescued. The man, 41, woke up to the sound of construction in Brisbane this morning after falling ten metres from a rooftop into a crevasse below. He told paramedics the last thing he remembers was being on a night out in the city. Rescue attempt: Pictures from the scene show the man being attended to on the rooftop A man who woke up on top of a building with no idea how he got there has been rescued. Pictured: Paramedics at the scene A doctor was winched down to the man to assess his condition before he was hoisted up with a harness by firefighters. Pictures from the scene show the man being attended to on the rooftop. He was taken to hospital with minor injuries. Queensland Ambulance Service said in a statement: 'A paramedic has abseiled down between two buildings at a construction site to assess a male patient who potentially fell 10m into a crevasse in Fortitude Valley. 'At this stage, the man has not sustained any apparent injuries.' North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un kept his trusted sister close by Thursday as he met with President Donald Trump for their historic nuclear summit in Vietnam. Kim Yo Jong was seen standing close by, watching on from the sidelines as the two world leaders greeted each other in Hanoi. Kim and Trump resumed their summit on Thursday morning local time as the U.S. president predicted a 'fantastic success' but the North Korean dictator said it was 'too early' to say they would reach a deal. Experts say Kim Yo Jong functions as her brother's chief of staff, managing his engagements, offering trusted advice and acting as a gatekeeper. Scroll down for video. Kim Yo Jong never let her brother too far from her sights, trailing behind as he met Trump North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, U.S. President Donald Trump, Kim Yong Chol, Vice Chairman of the North Korean Workers' Party Committee, and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talk while Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un looks on Kim Yo Jong is said to hold great influence over her brother as he meets with President Donald Trump for their historic nuclear summit in Vietnam. She is said to function as his chief of staff, managing his engagements, offering trusted advice and acting as a gatekeeper President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un resumed their summit in Hanoi on Thursday morning local time as Trump predicted a 'fantastic success' but Kim said it was 'too early' to say they would reach a deal Who is Kim Yo Jong? Kim Yo Jong was the youngest of former leader Kim Jong-Il's seven children to four different women, and has the same mother as Kim Jong-Un. As a favorite daughter, she received key government positions after returning from her education in Switzerland. She often led advance parties to inspect sites before official engagements, and held various administrative posts. Ms Kim's power and influence increased when her brother inherited the presidency in 2011 and she began helping with policy making and reviewing intelligence. Last year she even ascended to the North Korean Communist Party Politburo, the top council under President Kim. Balbina Hwang, visiting professor at Georgetown University and founder of the National Committee on North Korea, said she held great sway over her brother's decisions. Advertisement A day earlier she was pictured running after her brother when they arrived in Dong Dang and has already been seen holding a large crystal ashtray as he smoked. In Apirl she was the only woman at the negotiating table as her brother met with South Korea. She was also on hand at the more informal moments of the summit, collecting his white gloves after a ceremonial tree-planting. Ms Kim was the first member of the ruling party to venture south of the border since the 1953 Korean War armistice as the face of its Winter Olympics delegation. Trump has once again asserted that he was in 'no rush' to make an agreement following an early report by NBC that the US was prepared to back away from a demand that North Korea provide a full accounting of its nuclear weapons programs. 'I think we'll be together a lot over the years,' Trump said. 'I can't speak for today but over a little bit longer term... we're going to have a fantastic success.' A reporter asked Kim in Korean if he was confident of an agreement. Kim responded in Korean: ''It's too early to say. I would not say I'm pessimistic.' 'I have a feeling that good results will come,' Kim added. Kim and Trump resumed their summit on Thursday morning local time and Kim Yo Jong was on hand to offer advice to her brother Kim Yo Jong runs after arriving at the border town with China in Dong Dang, Vietnam Tuesday As a favorite daughter Kim Yo Jong has received key government positions Trump and Jong Un smile during a meeting at the second US-North Korea summit at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi According to NBC News, US officials aren't demanding that North Korea agree to fully disclose its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. This decision hints at the possibility that North Korea has no intention of full denuclearizing. The Hanoi summit is Trump's second with Kim since an inconclusive meeting in Singapore in June that produced much fanfare but little substance and there had been little sign of concrete progress since. The U.S. president nevertheless appeared upbeat with Kim even as his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testified at a congressional hearing in Washington, calling Trump a 'conman' who knew in advance about the release of stolen emails aimed at hurting his Democratic rival in the 2016 election campaign. Richard Michael Parkhurst, 29, was convicted in court of sneaking into a woman's home and sucking on her toes while she slept on her couch in October 2017 A homeless man who claimed to be a god-like, mythical figure sent down from heaven to seduce women was convicted of breaking into a womans home and sucking on her toes. Richard Michael Parkhurst, 29, was convicted in California court of a felony burglary count and three misdemeanors, including one count of peeking into an inhabited building and two counts of indecent exposure. He was also charged with a felony count of assault with the intent to commit a sex offense, but jurors were undecided on a verdict. Prosecutors eventually dismissed this count, according to Patch. On October 15, 2017, Parkhurst allegedly exposed himself to a woman in the Southern California town of Seal Beach. According to court papers, when he noticed the woman walking her dog, he said to her: Nice dog. He then added: I am walking mine, too. At this point, he is alleged to have exposed himself. Later that day, Parkhurst is alleged to have snuck into the womans home. She was sleeping on her couch and woke up when she realized he was sucking on her toes, according to prosecutors. DNA evidence confirmed that Parkhurst was the culprit, according to Patch. The next day, Parkhurst is alleged to have looked into the mail slot of a nearby home. Two days earlier, he is alleged to have passed by the home and told a man who lives there that his girlfriend is attractive. After he was arrested and taken to a local jail in Seal Beach, Parkhurst is alleged to have touched himself while staring at the girlfriend. After he was transferred to Orange County Jail, Parkhurst allegedly passed a perverse note to a jail guard. Parkhursts lawyer told Patch that his client is delusional and suffers from mental illness. Mr. Parkhurst developed a delusion that he was a Zeus-like god who was sent down from the stars to seduce women, his lawyer wrote. It was his destiny to seduce women, and they would willingly have his children. Parkhurst's lawyer claims his client was homeless at the time of his arrest and had stopped taking his medication for schizophrenia. The above image is a stock photo of Seal Beach, California, where Parkhurst was arrested Mr. Parkhurst believes that is progeny will create a super race that will save the planet. In court papers, the lawyer claimed Parkhurst was homeless at the time of his arrest. The lawyer said Parkhursts girlfriend died, he lost his home, and stopped taking medication for schizophrenia. Soon afterward, Parkhurst began hearing voices emanating from his television, telling him to do things. He was even hospitalized at one point, according to the lawyer. Sentencing for Parkhurst is tentatively scheduled for April 5. 'Heil Hitler' and 'Filthy Jews' crept into comments on a video report on a desecrated Jewish cemetery, pushing French authorities to raise pressure on social media to banish hate-based content. Virulent anti-semitism has become commonplace on forums like Facebook and Twitter. Yet, efforts to cull the loathing have struggled to make headway. President Emmanuel Macron visited a desecrated Jewish cemetery in Quatzenheim, eastern France last week. A regional television channel covering the event was forced to cut the report from its Facebook page as result of dozens of scathing comments. Jewish graves in Quatzenheim were desecrated the day of nationwide marches against a rise in anti-Semitic attacks French President Emmanuel Macron looks at a grave vandalised with a swastika during a visit at the Jewish cemetery in Quatzenheim, on February 19, 2019, on the day of a nationwide marches against a rise in anti-Semitic attacks. Around 80 graves had been vandalised In early January, French Equality Minister Marlene Schiappa, who condemns the growing anti-Semitism, said that she had received thousands of insults, notably 'Jewish whore'. The internet and social media give anti-Semites a stage that widens their audience, and tools to organise networks, says Sacha Ghozlan, head of the French Jewish Students Union. 'We have seen in the past 15 years that people who used to just express themselves in dark basements now have a much bigger audience,' Ghozlan told AFP. And the internet allows such people 'to ally anti-Semites of varied and normally opposite tendencies on shared hatred of Jews,' he added, pointing to groups at the extreme right and left. Protesters assembled at a rally against anti-Semitism on February 19 in Paris, France People held signs reading "It's enough" (#Casuffit) in Paris's Republic Square 'What is virtual violence for some has become very real for others,' Ghozlan said. 'If we are seeing hate messages multiplying on walls in Paris it is also because for too long we've been used to remaining silent and not responding to hate messages that are posted by thousands each day on the internet,' he added. The UEJF has fought online hate speech for 20 years, and in 2013 it convinced judicial officials to order Twitter to suppress tweets associated with hashtags such as 'UnBonJuif' (A Good Jew, suggesting the ending 'is a dead Jew'), #SiMaFilleEpouseUnNoir (If my daughter marries a Black), or #SiMonFilsEstGay (If my son is gay). Social media are also now obliged to furnish IP addresses of racist or homophobic tweets, and to provide a global platform so that such messages can be signalled to network managers, he said. Former Twitter boss Dick Costolo acknowledged in 2015 that it had lagged in tackling online attacks, and it has since improved ways of highlighting hostile content and blocking it. A viral tweet of racist graffiti that read 'Juden' ('Jews') on a bagel shop in Paris, 2019, alongside a similar picture showing 'Jude' written on shop windows Berlin, 1938. Anti-semitism has risen in France since 2016, and is now 74 percent higher than in 2017 In mid-February, a Twitter spokeswoman said its top priority was untroubled dialogue, and that technological investments had seen a 214 percent leap in preventive interventions last year and 'a drop in the number of alerts.' But Ghozlan insisted that 'there is a lot more work to do,' citing the dozens of insults, threats, hate-filled and defamatory comments he receives on an almost daily basis. He protested meanwhile that the hunt for hate content was in the end a matter for victims. 'Major platforms repeat that we must alert them to content, but we are not the Net's rubbish collectors, we do not want to spend our days doing that,' he said. Rather, social networks should automatically eliminate hate messages, as they do now 'for content that violates copyrights or is paedophile' in nature. Offensive visual content is most often rejected before it even reaches the Net, thanks to artificial intelligence programmes, but it is a different story for abuse and insults, which require human intervention. Graves were desecrated at the Jewish cemetery in Quatzenheim, near Strasbourg, France Virtual anti-Semitic attacks on the internet have fueled a wave of real attacks in France Some insults can be allowed moreover, depending on the context and who is posting them (such as a victim who quotes remarks or a minority that seizes upon an expression to empty it of malicious meaning). The French government hopes to have legislation ready by May that will force online platforms to take more responsibility. The UEJF believes the best way is to hit them is in the wallet, by imposing a fine 'indexed with their French revenues, if the hate content has not been deleted within 24 hours,' Ghozlan said. Former Australian horse trainer John Nikolic has been found guilty of importing cocaine, ecstasy and handguns into Fiji. Nikolic and his wife Yvette Nikolic were arrested by Fijian police at Port Denarau in June 2018. They were on a voyage on their luxury yacht 'Shenanigans' around the United States in February 2018 with stops in Colombia and Panama before they were arrested. Officials allegedly found 13 bars of cocaine, 65 ecstasy tablets, two handguns, and 112 rounds of ammunition on the vessel. The drugs were stored in a blue bag in the locker below deck. Customs also allegedly found US $15,000 in cash on the yacht. John Nikolic is guilty of importing cocaine, ecstasy and handguns ten days after his wife was found not guilty and returned to Melbourne He pleaded not guilty to five charges including importation and possession of drugs and possession of firearms without a licence when the trial started in January. Two other less serious drug charges were dropped. It is claimed the couple's two children spent time with them on the yacht in Florida before their parents set sail. Judge Justice Daniel Goundar has today delivered the guilty verdict in Suva, ten days after Nikolic's wife was found to be not guilty and returned to Melbourne. Nikolic and his wife were on a voyage on their luxury yacht 'Shenanigans' around the United States in February 2018 before they were arrested in June According to ABC, Yvette's lawyer Ronald Gordon, said: 'There was no evidence at all against her on any of the charges, so we are thankful to the Fijian justice system, and we have been vindicated.' However, Justice Goundar said John Nikolic knew the packages of cocaine were on the boat. Nikolic showed no reaction when the verdict was delivered, and will be sentenced on March 8. Police found 13 bars of cocaine, 65 ecstasy tablets, two handguns, and 112 rounds of ammunition on the yacht, stored in a blue bag in the locker below deck (pictured) By Guest Blogger Sasha Jones Despite accessibility to arts education steadily declining nationwide since the 1980s, arts-learning experiences can reduce disciplinary infractions, increase students compassion for others and engagement, and improve writing skills and college aspirations, according to a new study . Forty-two Houston schools, representing more than 10,500 3rd-8th grade students, were assigned by lottery to take part in the Arts Access Initiative, through which schools receive infusions of arts education through community partnerships, local art organizations, cultural institutions, and teaching artists. Researchers used Houston school district administrative data on discipline and absences, and State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STARR) scores in reading, math, science, and writing, to compare students from schools who had been randomly assigned to participate in the initiative and those at nonparticipating schools. The study also developed surveys taken during the second year of AAI (2016-27) to determine factors such as engagement, college aspiration, arts-facilitated empathy, tolerance and compassion for others, desire to participate in cultural consumption, perceived value of the arts. Surveys were then linked to administrative records. Overall, the report found that increasing students access to arts education reduced the proportion of students receiving disciplinary infractions by 3.6 percentage points; increased writing achievement by 0.13 of a standard deviation; and strengthened students compassion for others by 0.08 of a standard deviation. It seems intuitive that if youre spending more time in the arts that you may be spending less time in reading and math, Daniel Bowen, an assistant professor in the department of educational administration and human resource development at Texas A&M University and study co-author, said. The study shows that this is not necessarily the case, as students in the study spent more time in art classes, and still showed improvements in academic classes. There are also several effects on subgroups, specifically in response to the survey portion of the study. Elementary students, those with limited English proficiency, and gifted and talented students exhibited more noticeable positive effects on writing achievement and compassion for others. Arts education also led to improvements for those subgroups in the social and emotional factors included in the survey. Schools should look to their communities and focus on making education a community-involving experience, Brian Kisida, an assistant professor in the Truman School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri and co-author of the study, said. Still, the report said that there is some evidence to suggest negative impacts of arts education on middle school students when it comes to school engagement and college aspiration. There were also several other limitations to the study. The study only measured schools involved in Houstons AAI, where principals have a commitment and desire to improve their schools arts education program. Such desire does not always exist in school leadership, the authors said. Additionally, the study only looked at results over a short period of time. One of the tradeoffs that we typically cite [when conducting large experiments] is that were not especially informed within the black box as we call it, Kisida said, referring to factors outside of researchers control that affect implementation of research. Kisida and Bowen said in the future, they would like to look at how different types of arts education affect students, as well as the impact of arts and humanities education on civics participation. Photo courtesy of Getty. A teenager fisher did battle with a massive three-metre shark for five hours before eventually reeling it in. Kai George, from Sydney, was out celebrating his 17th birthday with a few mates when he encountered the predator. Kai and his friends were off Lilli Pilli in Port Hacking, south of Sydney, when they came across the bull shark, Seven reported. Kai George, from Sydney, was out celebrating his 17th birthday with a few mates when he encountered the predator Incredible footage shows the shark fighting back as the boys try to reel it in. They eventually managed to drag the shark aboard, before taking a photo with it and letting it go. 'It was caught on my 17th birthday We fought it from 8pm last night till 1am this morning,' the teenager said. The teenagers have form at reeling in sharks, having caught another bull shark in April last year. A blonde beautician has been charged with a string of drug-related offences after police found chemsex party drug GBL hidden in bottles of eyelash glue remover. Mother-of-two Toni Millevoi, 48, was arrested after police found more than 1000 15ml bottles of fake eyelash glue remover at her home in Corbitty, west of Sydney. The bottles were found to contain gamma butyrolactone, more commonly known as GBL, a derivative of 'liquid ecstasy' party drug GHB. GBL has been dubbed 'coma in a bottle' because of its paralysing side-effects and has also been used as a 'chemsex' drug - a substance used during sex to make users more uninhibited. Sydney woman Toni Millevoi (pictured) has been charged with a string of drug related offences after a drawn out investigation by New South Wales Police GBL has been dubbed 'coma in a bottle' because of its paralysing side-effects and has also been used as a 'chemsex' drug (file photo) Police executed a search warrant at the home on Bibb Avenue and a granny flat that had been converted into a beauty shop Police raided Ms Millevoi's home and a granny flat converted into a beauty salon next door and found the drugs. Officers allegedly seized six unopened boxes, each containing 200 15ml bottles of fake eyelash glue remover believed to contain GBL, and one open box containing 215 x 15ml bottles of fake eyelash glue remover believed to contain GBL. The also took cash, a mobile phone, electronic storage devices and financial documents. Ms Millevoi was taken to the Narellan Police Station and charged with 15 offences including supply prohibited drug, supply prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis and import commercial quantity of border-controlled drug. She was refused bail to appear at Campbelltown Local Court on Thursday. Conservative radio broadcaster Ray Hadley has slammed two former Liberal prime ministers for standing by Cardinal George Pell despite a jury finding he had sexually assaulted two teenage choirboys in the 1990s. John Howard tended a character reference on behalf of the 77-year-old former Catholic Archbishop of Sydney and Melbourne after he been tried in the Victorian County Court. Tony Abbott meanwhile called Cardinal Pell on Tuesday after news of the guilty verdict from December could be revealed in the Australian media. Cardinal Pell is appealing the jury's finding that he had sexually assaulted two boys in the sacristy of St Patricks Cathedral in December 1996 and early 1997, months after Pell was inaugurated as Archbishop of Melbourne. Hadley, Sydney radio 2GB's top-rating morning broadcaster, said the former prime ministers from the right-faction of the Liberal Party had failed to show sensitivity to Cardinal Pell's victims, which included a 13-year-old boy and another choirboy. 'Both Mr Howard and Mr Abbott in my opinion have shown a complete lack of understanding of victims of paedophiles,' he told his listeners on Thursday. Hadley criticised Mr Howard for acknowledging the charges but failing to mention the underage victims. 'John Howard, despite my admiration for him over a long period of time, I think he went way over the top in providing a reference for George Pell,' he said. Conservative radio broadcaster Ray Hadley (pictured) has slammed two former Liberal PMs for standing by Cardinal George Pell despite a jury finding he had sexually assaulted two boys 'There's no mention of any victims in Mr Howard's reference and I think that doesn't bring any great credit to the former Prime Minister.' In his reference, tended to Victorian Chief Judge Peter Kidd, Mr John Howard said he was aware he had been convicted of serious charges. 'None of these matters alter my opinion of the Cardinal,' the former Prime Minister said. 'I have known Cardinal Pell for approximately 30 years. 'Cardinal Pell is a person of both high intelligence and exemplary character. John Howard (left) tended a character reference on behalf of the 77-year-old former Catholic archbishop of Sydney and Melbourne (right) after his Victorian Country Court trial verdict 'Strength and sincerity have always been features of his personality.' Hadley also took aim at Mr Abbott, a regular guest on his program who is also a devout Catholic, for calling Cardinal Pell on Tuesday after news of the guilty verdict. 'I'm trying to understand the call by Mr Abbott, and I'm really struggling here to get a grip on it,' he said. Mr Abbott on Wednesday told Hadley's 2GB colleague Ben Fordham he had called his 'friend' Cardinal Pell and accepted the jury verdict was 'a shocking result, a devastating result' without acknowledging the victims. 'Certainly for the friends of Cardinal Pell and as you say, I am one,' he said. 'Devastating for all who believe in the Catholic Church, and I'm also one of those.' Tony Abbott (meanwhile called Cardinal Pell on Tuesday after news of the guilty verdict from December could be revealed in the Australian media Mr Howard has stood by his defence of Cardinal Pell, who was Australia's most senior Catholic in the Vatican as the Catholic Church's treasurer in Rome. 'A conviction has been made. He continues to declare his innocence and has lodged an appeal,' he told reporters on Thursday. 'In those circumstances, it is not appropriate for me to make any comment at all and I do not intend to do so. Thank you.' Hadley is at odds with fellow conservative commentator Andrew Bolt who has questioned the evidence from a surviving victim that convinced a jury Cardinal Pell was guilty of sexually penetrating a child under the age of 16, along with four charges of an indecent act with a child under the age of 16. One of his victims, who died in 2014, had maintained the incident had not happened. Cardinal Pell is in custody as his defence barrister Robert Richter, QC, files an appeal and he awaits his sentencing. An Uber driver who was accused of raping a 16-year-old girl during a ride to her friend's house has been found not guilty of all charges. Anil Elavithungal Thomas, who had been charged with five counts of sexual assault, two counts of rape, and one count of attempted rape, was acquitted following a three-day trial in Brisbane District Court on Thursday. The married man had been accused of raping a teenage passenger after picking her up from a supermarket in Manly West in July 2017. During his trial, Thomas did not deny the encounter occurred but instead argued it was consensual and claimed the teen had propositioned him. Anil Elavithungal Thomas, pictured leaving court on Thursday, was found not guilty after a three-day trial in Brisbane The married Uber driver had been charged with five counts of sexual assault, two counts of rape, and one count of attempted rape, after a 16-year-old girl claimed he raped her during a trip to Manly West in 2017 He claimed he had rejected the girl's sexual advances twice before he ultimately 'lost control' because he couldn't 'resist her,' the Courier Mail reported. The pair did not have sexual intercourse but Thomas said he kissed the girl and claimed she performed oral sex on him. During an opening statement on Monday, prosecutors told the court that Thomas had been driving the girl to her friend's house when he took a detour to an isolated area near her destination. Crown prosecutor Jessica Goldie argued Thomas told the girl he had been going through a breakup and was feeling horny and said she could help him. Thomas was alleged to have turned off the Uber meter before turning to kiss the teen who had been sitting in the passenger seat. He then proceeded to sexually assault her, Goldie claimed. The girl was then driven back to her friend's house and she made a police report a few days later. Thomas's defence attorney asked the jury to not let his client's status as an Indian immigrant and his unfaithfulness to his wife cloud their judgment. He said Thomas's arguments made 'logical sense in the context of what you know about life and people,' adding that 'young people do stupid things'. A former policeman claims dobbing in two fellow officers having oral sex in a police car parked outside a Red Rooster was in the public interest. Rick Flori is suing the State of Queensland and eight other officers for $1.3 million for 'whistleblower reprisal' after he was dragged through the courts for six years. The former sergeant leaked footage of fellow officers bashing a handcuffed young chef Noa Begic in a basement of a Surfers Paradise police station. Rick Flori is suing the State of Queensland and eight other officers for $1.3 million for 'whistleblower reprisal' after he was dragged through the courts for six years For this he was charged with criminal misconduct and only acquitted a year ago, with his police career in tatters. To bolster his case as a whistleblower, Mr Flori wants the 2009 anonymous report he made about the Red Rooster incident declared a public interest disclosure. A copy of the letter was discovered a year later when his home was raided by internal affairs during the probe over the CCTV footage leak. 'In late 2009 [male senior sergeant] was seen at Red Rooster at Robina by [two officers] in the Gold Coast District duty officer police car,' the letter read. 'It was obvious that [the female constable] had her head in (the Senior Sergeant's) lap, giving him a head job.' Once discovered Mr Flori (pictured with social justice advocate Renee Eaves) was charged with criminal misconduct in 2015 for leaking the footage to the media He fought the charges against Queensland Police and eventually won, only being officially acquitted in an 11 to one jury verdict in February of last year Mr Flori's lawyer told the Queensland Supreme Court on Thursday that it was 'a gross act in a public place' and breached the trust bestowed on officers not to misuse police cars, according to the Gold Coast Bulletin. He said the act could have got the officers dismissed for misconduct or charged with committing an indecent act. However, Chief Superintendent Glenn Horton wrote in an affidavit that he'd never heard of officers being dismissed for such an act. Kerri Mellifont QC, representing the officers and the state, argued the letter did not meet the requirement for a public interest disclosure. She said the incident didn't count as misuse of a police car and there was no breach of trust involved in a liaison between two officers. Mr Flori exposed the horrific CCTV footage of police officers assaulting the handcuffed man and washing away his blood in 2011. He was only acquitted a year ago, with his police career in tatters Despite their actions the offending officers faced no prosecution, or any discipline at all in some cases. Two of the officers were stood down but reinstated at a later date. After the footage was released Queensland police commissioner Bob Atkinson vowed to find the person who leaked the footage. He also argued that the person who leaked the footage did not qualify for whistle blower laws as it was already being reviewed by Ethical Standards Command and the Crime and Corruption Commission. Once discovered Mr Flori was charged with criminal misconduct in 2015 for leaking the footage to the media. He fought the charges against Queensland Police and eventually won, only being officially acquitted in an 11 to one jury verdict in February of last year. Two Irishmen charged over the attempted murder of a former detective will be extradited to Victoria after a court hearing in New South Wales. Mark Dennis Dixon, 30, and Jack Harvey, 26, were arrested at Broken Head in northern NSW on Wednesday after a two-day manhunt, ABC News reported. They were wanted over the shooting of 53-year-old former NSW Police detective Sid Morgan, who was gunned down at Point Cook in Melbourne's west on February 21. Scroll down for video Irishmen Mark Dixon (left), 30, and Jack Harvey (right), 26, were arrested in Broken Head, in northern New South Wales, on Wednesday afternoon The pair were wanted over the shooting of 53-year-old Sid Morgan at Point Cook on February 21 after an alleged argument in the street Mr Morgan, who became a real estate agent after he was acquitted of shooting dead a paedophile in 1995, remains in hospital with life-threatening injuries. The pair have been charged with attempted murder and, on Thursday, Victoria Police got permission from Byron Bay Local Court to have them extradited to Melbourne. Both men didn't apply for bail, which was formally refused. They are due to front the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Saturday. The arrest comes after a two day manhunt during which police raided a motel room in Suffolk Park. A woman who witnessed the dramatic raid described how police swooped in and barricaded the motel's car park. 'About four or five cop cars rocked up to the motel, some were in standard uniform but there were also police were wearing full black uniforms, carrying rifles,' the woman told ABC News. 'They surrounded one of the rooms they had a loud speaker and I heard them calling out the name Mark.' Mr Morgan, who previously went by the name Said, was a detective in the NSW police force in the 1990s. Mr Morgan (pictured), shot Mansour Suha, his brother-in-law, after hearing accusations he was molesting three young girls, two of which were his relatives. In 1995 he shot Mansour Suha, his brother-in-law, after hearing accusations he was molesting three young girls, two of which were his relatives. He emptied his service revolver in the shooting which was described in court as a 'Clint Eastwood notion of justice,' The Age previously reported. He was eventually cleared of wrongdoing by a crown jury in August 1997, which found he had not acted out revenge but rather fear for the safety of children. Despite the result, NSW Police refused to reinstate him and he later started a career as a Sydney real estate agent. Mr Morgan was shot in the face outside his Point Cook address in Melbourne after an alleged argument took place in the street Detectives released an image of a ute (pictured) they believe is connected to the attack Police working the crime scene the day after the shooting occurred on February 21 President Donald Trump started off his press conference in Hanoi by citing some 'decent news' in the standoff between India and Pakistan that was raising global concerns even as he failed to reach agreement with North Korea. 'We have I think reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India. They've been going at it, and we've been involved in trying to have them stop,' Trump said at the top of his remarks, moments after it was revealed he and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un were unable to agree on a joint statement in Hanoi. Trump continued: 'And we have some reasonably decent news. I think hopefully that's going to be coming to an end,' he said of the flareup in violence. 'It's been going on for a long time, decades and decades. There's a lot of dislike, unfortunately. So we've been in the middle trying to help them both out, see if we can get some organization and some peace, and I think probably that's going to be happening,' Trump said. Soon after Trump's remarks, Pakistan's prime minister, Imran Khan, announced his nation would return a captured Indian pilot 'in our desire for peace.' He called it a 'first step to open negotiations.' Trump cited progress between India and Pakistan after each side downed enemy aircraft Pakistan said earlier Thursday that it was considering returning a captured Indian pilot, a day after both downed enemy jets. The pilot, identified by Islamabad as Wing Commander Abhi Nandan, became the human face of the latest flare-up following the release of videos showing him being captured and later held in custody. 'We are willing to return the captured Indian pilot if it leads to de-escalation,' Qureshi told Geo TV. A fire fighter douses the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed at village Garend Kalan of Budgam, about 34 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir Conflict between India and Pakistan - 27 Feb 2019 Indian Punjab Police personnel stand guard at Attari Railway station, some 35 kms from Amritsar on February 28, 2019. - Pakistan and India said on February 27 they had shot down each other's warplanes, in a dramatically escalating confrontation that has fuelled concerns of an all-out conflict between the nuclear-armed rivals Activists of Al-Badr Mujahideen burn an effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an anti-India protest in Peshawar on February 28, 2019 Qureshi also said the Saudi foreign minister was expected to visit Pakistan with a special message from Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who visited both Pakistan and India earlier this month. Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has already called for talks with India to prevent the risk of a 'miscalculation' between their nuclear-armed militaries. The Pakistani foreign minister's remarks came shortly after Trump said he expected 'reasonably decent news' regarding the conflict between India and Pakistan. The U.S., China and other world powers have urged restraint from the two nations as tensions escalate following tit-for-tat airstrikes in the wake of a suicide car bombing that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Feb. 14. Indian and Pakistani troops traded fire along the contested border in Kashmir on Thursday, but speaking at a press conference, Trump said the U.S. had been mediating between the two sides. 'They have been going at it and we have been involved in trying to have them stop,' Trump said in Hanoi, where he was attending a summit with North Korea's leader. 'We have been in the middle trying to help them both out.' Earlier on Thursday, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who faces a general election in a matter of months, told a rally of supporters that India would unite against its enemies. 'The world is observing our collective will. It is necessary that we shouldn't do anything that allows our enemy to raise a finger at us,' he said, in his first remarks since the downing of planes on Wednesday. FIRING CONTINUES Pakistan and India have fought three wars since independence from British colonial rule in 1947, two over Kashmir, and went to the brink of a fourth in 2002 after a Pakistani militant attack on India's parliament. Pakistan has shut its airspace, forcing commercial airlines to reroute. Thai Airways International announced on Thursday that it had cancelled flights to Pakistan and Europe, which left thousands of passengers stranded in Bangkok. As Trump was speaking, India said that Pakistan had fired mortars into Indian-occuptied territory at around 1 p.m. (0730 GMT). Troops from India and Pakistan also exchanged fire for over an hour in the Poonch district at 6 a.m., according to a statement from the Indian army. 'The Indian army retaliated strongly and effectively,' said Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand, a defence ministry spokesman. The firing was significantly less elevated than the artillery fire exchanged by the two sides on Wednesday. Pakistan said the firing began overnight. 'The firing continued in intervals throughout the night. It was moderate,' said Shaukat Yusufzai, an administration official in the Pakistan-controlled part of Poonch. One man was hospitalised after being hit by shrapnel, he added. India is building more than 14,000 bunkers for families in Jammu and Kashmir state living close to the border, hoping to keep them safe near their homes rather than evacuate them. On Wednesday evening India's foreign ministry handed a dossier to Pakistan that it claimed detailed camps of the Paskistan-based militant group that carried out the Feb 14 attack. With a general election due in India by May, an upsurge in nationalism from any conflict with Pakistan could become a key factor, potentially favoring Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Late on Wednesday B.S. Yeddyurappa, a BJP leader in the southern state of Karnataka, said India's strike inside Pakistani territory would help the party to win back power in the state - the first such comment from a member of the ruling party. 'This has brought a pro-Modi wave all through the country,' he told reporters. 'The effect of this will be seen in the elections.' INTERNATIONAL CONCERN The latest escalation marks a sudden deterioration in relations between the two countries. As recently as November, Pakistan's leader Khan spoke of 'mending ties' with India. The White House urged 'both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation.' U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement he had spoken separately with the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan and urged them to 'prioritise direct communication and avoid further military activity'. Pakistan's envoy to the United States, Asad Majeed Khan, said Islamabad would like to see the Trump administration play a more active role in easing the crisis. At the same time, he said the lack of U.S. condemnation of India's strike on Pakistan was 'construed and understood as an endorsement of the Indian position, and that is what emboldened them even more'. China, the European Union and other countries also called for restraint. Japan's foreign minister said on Thursday the country was concerned about the 'deteriorating situation'. The Chinese government's top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, spoke by telephone with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and expressed 'deep concern', China's foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday. The United States, Britain and France proposed the United Nations Security Council blacklist Masood Azhar, the head of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad, the group that claimed responsibility for the Feb. 14 attack. China is likely to be oppose the move. FLIGHTS CANCELLED Thai Airways said it had cancelled more than a dozen flights to Europe due to Pakistan's move, along with all flights to and from the country. Several airlines including Emirates and Qatar Airways, suspended flights to Pakistan on Wednesday, while others such as Singapore Airlines and British Airways were forced to reroute flights. Singapore Airlines said on Thursday all of its Europe-bound flights would continue as planned, avoiding the affected airspace as necessary. Flights from the Middle East and India were also affected. Air Canada said on Wednesday it has temporarily suspended service to India. (Reporting by Alasdair Pal, Fayaz Bukhari and Abu Arqam Naqash, additional reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Michelle Nicholls Editing by Michael Perry and Simon Cameron-Moore) The brother of a Rebels OCMG member who was shot eight times on Tuesday has been arrested by police desperate to stop a new bikie war from erupting. Emrah Turkyilmaz, 22, was arrested by officers from Taskforce Maxima on Wednesday night, less than a day after his brother, Gokhan 'Pitbull' Turkyilmaz, 33, was shot at his home in Upper Coomera, on the Gold Coast. Emrah Turkyyilmaz was charged with affray over his alleged involvement in an alleged shooting and brawl at a shopping centre at Loganholme on February 4, allegedly involving a member of the Bandidos bikie gang. Police acted out of concern he was planning a revenge attack against the Bandidos for the shooting of his brother, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported. Emrah Turkyilmaz, 22, (pictured) was arrested by officers from Taskforce Maxima on Wednesday night, less than a day after his brother, Gokhan Turkyilmaz, 33, was shot up to eight times Emrah Turkyilmaz (left) posted chilling threats to his Facebook page prior to his brother Gokhan Turkyilmaz (right) begin shot eight times in the front yard of his Upper Coomera home The threats (pictured) were made on February 24 and on February 27 before he was arrested on Wednesday night It's alleged that at about 4.45pm a 27-year-old Bandidos bikie, armed with a machete, was shot in the leg and a steel grate was smashed through the windscreen of a silver SUV. Two days later the man who was shot was charged with going armed to cause fear and wilful damage, relating the removal of a GPS tracking ankle bracelet. Prior to his brother being shot Emrah Turkyilmaz posted series of chilling updates to his Facebook account. 'One by one I'm coming,' he wrote on Wednesday. He was arrested a short time later by Queensland Police. On February 8 eight alleged members of the Rebels bikie gang were arrested in relation to the same alleged February 4 shooting incident. Then on Wednesday night, a 21-year-old Broadbeach man was arrested and charged with one count of affray and two counts of possessing dangerous drugs. He appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday. Emrah Turkyilmaz was bailed to appear in the Southport Magistrates Court on May 7. Police alleged a group of men cornered his brother, MMA fighter Gokhan Turkyilmaz, nicknamed Pitbull, in the front yard of his home on Tuesday night before shooting him in the groin. It's alleged a group of men cornered Gokhan Turkyilmaz (pictured) in the front yard of his home on Tuesday night where he was shot up to eight times 'Kill or be killed' and 'One by one I'm coming' were the chilling messages posted by Emrah Turkyilmaz (pictured right with Gokhan Turkyilmaz) before he was arrested by police in relation to the alleged February 4 shooting in Logan The men then allegedly fled the scene before police arrived. Turkyilmaz was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, The Courier Mail reported. He was one of 12 people arrested in raids across Queensland and Sydney in 2017. He was expected to appear in the Cairns Supreme Court on Thursday. Police have appealed for anyone with more information on the shooting to come forward and provide details. A woman who was left in debilitating pain for 16 years due to a series of diagnostic errors was ready to give up on any chance of a cure until discovering a saviour in the U.S who turned her life around. Claudia Wright, 27, from Perth, went through countless treatments, medications and surgeries as doctors attempted to treat her for Crohn's Disease - an ailment she never had. The former public relations consultant's nightmare began when she was just child - and she can barely remember a time when her body would allow her to perform the simplest of tasks without the help of another. From the age of seven, she battled the pain and discomfort that was only cured until when, 16 years later, when her own research saw her find a doctor in the U.S. who diagnosed her with Endometriosis. 'I went on school camp when I was 11 years old - the first time I'd ever been away from my parents,' Ms Wright told Daily Mail Australia. 'I started getting diarrhoea and losing blood with bowel movements. I was also suffering from bloating, killer cramps and vomiting. But I was too afraid to tell anyone.' Claudia Wright, 27, from Perth, went through countless treatments, medications and surgeries as doctors attempted to treat her for a disease she never had The 27-year-old underwent extensive testing from colonoscopies, endoscopies, blood tests and scans Ms Wright said she missed 70 per cent of school as a teenager as she was in and out of hospital Her symptoms were so severe she was even losing blood without being on the toilet seat. Once she was back from camp, Ms Wright told her parents what she was going through and together they went to their local GP, where she was referred to a gastroenterologist. Over the next few months she underwent extensive testing - colonoscopies, endoscopies, blood tests and scans. She also started getting her periods. 'After the testing, it came back that it was Crohn's disease,' Ms Wright told Daily Mail Australia. Claudia Wright lived with a chronic illness and suffered through immense pain as a result of continuously being incorrectly told she had Crohn's disease 'It all started when I was 11 at school camp and I started getting diarrhoea and losing blood with bowel movement and rectally,' Claudia Wright told Daily Mail Australia (pictured is her in hospital being tested) 'I was put on immune suppressants steroids, pain medication. I went through a number of medications to find the right one,' she said WHAT IS CROHN'S DISEASE? Crohns disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes painful swelling and redness inflammation inside the digestive tract. This can lead to symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Inflammation is a normal way in which the immune system defends the body when fighting off invaders, such as bacteria or viruses. Usually, the inflammation is switched off once the invaders are destroyed. In Crohns disease, a problem with the immune system causes the inflammation to continue, damaging the walls of the digestive tract. Source: Health Direct Advertisement 'I was put on immune suppressants steroids, pain medication. I went through a number of medications to find the right one. 'That kept going to the next few years, until I reached 15 years old.' The severe migraines, shortness of breath, chest pains, and pain in her limbs, along with severe cramping and fatigue, plus the bowel symptoms didn't stop. 'I was in Year 10 then and I missed 70 per cent of school that year because I was in and out of hospitals,' she said. 'I saw a naturopath, neurologist, gastrologist and I did every imaginable scan from MRI and CT scans. 'After two years of suffering with the pain so immensely, and they're not finding out what's wrong because for a lot of it the pain was bad in my head they thought it was swelling up the brain.' At 16, Ms Wright sought help from a pain specialist, but again, it failed to provide the relief she was so desperate for. 'I had a nerve simulator implanted into my buttocks and from there they had wires up my spine to my neck, it split off at the base of my skull,' she said. 'I was in year 10 then and I missed 70 per cent of school that year because I was in an out of hospitals,' she said 'I was put on immune suppressants steroids, pain medication. I went through a number of medications to find the right one' At 16, Ms Wright (pictured recently) sought help from a pain specialist, but again, it failed to provide the relief she was so desperate for At the age of 22, Ms Wright was only getting worse and rapidly losing weight. From 2014 to 2017 she was in an out of hospital emergency with a colonoscopy performed every year which came clear each time. Rather than delve deeper into her issue, Ms Wright was told 'nothing is wrong' and to 'please come back another time'. For the next eight months she began taking stronger steroids and stopped all other medication, and was told to only come back if the pain got worse. From 2014 to 2017 she was in an out of hospital emergency with a colonoscopy performed every year which came clear each time Rather than delve deeper into her issue, Ms Wright had been told 'nothing is wrong' and to 'please come back another time' Dr Ken Sinervo (left) performed an excision on Ms Wright (right) and now six-months post-operation she is feeling better than she has for nearly two decades When she experienced 'the most pain I have ever been in' when she had sex, Ms Wright realised she had an issue with her reproductive parts and that her long-term illness probably had nothing to do with the gastro-intestinal system. After extensive research and reaching out for help, a centre in Atlanta got back to Ms Wright and asked her to forward all her test results. 'After 16 years I didn't have any trust left in the health system,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'Not only physically did I deteriorate but also mentally - going and begging for help because no one was listening to me and helping me. 'It just took one singular man to call me and say ''I hear you, I believe you and I'm going to help you' to change my life''.' That man was Dr Ken Sinervo from the Endometriosis Care in Atlanta. Ms Wright now has 19 surgical scars from the 16 years of damage done by all the testing and surgeries 'Not only physically did I deteriorate but also mentally going and begging for help because no one was listening to me and helping me,' she said When she picked up the phone, Ms Wright finally knew what was wrong - she was diagnosed with Stage four Endometriosis - a genetic disease which caused the tissue lining of the uterus to grow outside of the uterus. Dr Ken Sinervo performed an excision on Ms Wright and now six-months post-operation she is feeling better than she has for nearly two decades. 'If I didn't go for the surgery, I don't know where I'd be right now,' she said. She has 19 surgical scars from the 16 years of damage done by all the testing and surgeries. 'I physically feel like a different partner... this is the best I've felt in ages,' she said. The family have started a GoFundMe page asking for the public to help them pay off the excess medical and travel bills. What is endometriosis? How the disorder results in pelvic pain and internal scarring Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus - the endometrium - grows outside the uterus. It most commonly affects the ovaries, Fallopian tubes and the tissue lining the pelvis. The primary symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain although many women also experience cramping during their menstrual cycle. Symptoms also include painful periods, pain with intercourse, pain with bowel movements or urination, inflammation, excessive bleeding and infertility. Often misdiagnosed, many women only discover they have the condition during infertility treatment. Approximately half of women diagnosed with endometriosis have difficulty getting pregnant. While studies about the link between endometriosis and miscarriages are still ongoing, newer research suggests that the condition can leave sufferers at greater risk of having a miscarriage. Source: Mayo Clinic Advertisement A 28-year-old man who 'sl*t shamed' Tinder users on Facebook has been jailed for sending his ex-girlfriend's nudes to another former lover. Zane Alchin, from Caringbah in south Sydney, became embroiled in a love-triangle drama when he sent explicit images of an ex-girlfriend, referred to as HL, to a different ex-girlfriend, identified as RM, through Instagram in December 2018. At the time of offending, Alchin was was serving an intensive corrections order after he smashed RM's phone, snapped her iPad and cut up $2000 of her lingerie when the couple had reunited in May 2018, St George Shire Standard reported. Alchin had broken up with HL in February 2018 and was prohibited from contacting her after he was convicted of damaging her car amid the breakup. Zane Alchin (pictured), 28, as been jailed for sending his ex-girlfriend's nudes to another former lover 'On December 29 HL received an Instagram direct message from RM saying ''I thought you had the right to know Zane's been sending me photos of you'',' police facts said. 'I'm not trying to start anything, it just pisses me off and you have the right to know.' Alchin's messages were screenshotted by RM and sent to HL. The messages included a picture of HL's vagina and buttocks and another of her face with her arms covering her cleavage. HL had cut off contact with Alchin after the end of their relationship but he emailed her dozens of times between November 11 and December 29. Police facts said Alchin emailed the victim 15 times between 7am and 9.30pm on November 15. One of the emails said: 'Do you want sit on my d*** tonight?' and the victim replied 'f*** off', according to police facts. In an email opened on November 20, HL saw a graphic image of a penis covered in what she understood was blood. Alchin, who was denied bail, pleaded guilty to contravening a apprehended violence order and distributing an intimate image without consent An email on November 25 asked whether the victim would engage in group sex with Alchin and his friend and offered to pay her money for the act. Alchin, who was denied bail, pleaded guilty to contravening a apprehended violence order and distributing an intimate image without consent. Magistrate Philip Stewart at Sutherland Local Court sentenced Alchin to seven months' in jail, eligible for parole on April 30. The Caringbah man was also found guilty in 2016 of using a carrier service to menace or harass. Alchin was convicted for a series of hateful comments he made online, harassing and shaming female Tinder users. WarbirdsNews has just received the February, 2019 report from Chuck Cravens concerning the restoration of the Dakota Territory Air Museums P-47D Thunderbolt 42-27609 at AirCorps Aviation in Bemidji, Minnesota. We thought our readers would be very interested to see how the project has progressed since our last article on this important project. So without further ado, here it goes! Update Fuselage skin riveting was nearly finished this month and the tail cone has been permanently attached to the forward fuselage. A great deal of progress was also made on the cockpit enclosure. Parts The parts depicted this month are primarily cockpit parts with the exception of some tailwheel castings. The parts that are given priority are always an indication of what comes next in the restoration process. The line of 5 identical sized holes allows adjustment of the cable tension by moving the pivot pin. The rudder pedal cable attaches to the single small hole that is furthest left. Cockpit Enclosure Work continues on the cockpit enclosure this month. It is both remarkable and a little surprising that it takes 390 parts to make up this assembly that is so unique to razorback versions of the P-47. Engine Mount It takes a strong engine mount to hold the well over 2000 lb. R-2800, and handle the vibrations and torque as it runs. Lance has been inspecting and restoring an engine mount. It is in pretty good shape, but needs repair on one of its steel tubes. The fixture will keep everything perfectly aligned as Lance repairs the one tube that needs work. (photo by John LaTourelle) Fuselage Restoration Assembly Work As the fuselage gets more and more recognizable, it makes sense to highlight some of the differences between restoring a P-47 and a more common Mustang project. Towards that end, I interviewed two of the guys doing the work. A P-47 is a challenge to restore in large part because of its size and complexity. That matters, but an even bigger challenge is Republics unique methods for accomplishing various engineering tasks. There are far more North American warbirds still flying, so most restorers are familiar with, and more accustomed to the way things were done on T-6s, Mustangs and Mitchells. Aaron pinpointed one of the Republic drawing conventions that differs significantly between the two manufacturers. In his opinion and experience, North American drawings are more complete and have better technical clarity. For example, on an NA drawing, each different type of rivet is labeled each time it appears. That isnt the case on a Republic drawing. Randy described it best in an example: when he checks a Republic engineering drawing for detailed information on specific parts, rivets in this case, the drawing shows the rivets, but doesnt have the size or type specification. Instead, he is refered to another drawing. This is normal for most WWII aviation engineering drawings from any manufacturer other than North American. However, when he examines the referred drawing, the rivets once again appear but the required information still isnt there, and the restorer has to continue in a reference chain until he may find his information four or five drawings down the line. Another example is the occasion when a drawing will have a label that says all rivets are 5/32 S-9757-5, except as otherwise noted. So every depicted rivet in the drawing has to be examined carefully to be sure to find those few that arent that size and type. Rivet usage note from a P-47 drawing. It isnt clearly legible and that is another issue in the restoration. (photo by John LaTourelle)Sometimes the drawings are simply ambiguous and a little confusing as in the note below: I think it is a little ironic that this note is labeled as a clarification. As my grandfather used to say its clear as mud. (photo by John LaTourelle) In comparison, on a North American engineering drawing, the reference generally takes the restorer (or original factory worker) directly to a drawing with the specific information that they need. To quote Aaron on the difference, A Mustang could be built with just the complete set of engineering drawings. It wouldnt be ideal without some original parts as templates, but without those templates it would still be possible. He is convinced that this would not be possible with the P-47. It is a good thing we have a supply of original parts for templates and measurements. The Thunderbolts interior structure also adds complications to the job. With so many passages for ducting and reinforcement plates, there are numerous very tight spaces for bucking rivets. These are created by inner and outer walled off areas, even though overall, the inside of the fuselage is cavernous. The number of rivets fastening the numerous fuselage stringers and other pieces of the tail cone is amazing on a P-47 (photo by John LaTourelle A Thunderbolt is, of course a much larger airframe than a Mustang, and many say that the P-47 is overbuilt. The guys pointed to the tail cone as an example. There are so many rivets in the tail cone that it seems to them that the number nearly equals the quantity in an entire P-51 fuselage. Though that may be an exaggeration, there are about three times as many rivets in a Thunderbolt as in a Mustang. It is definitely a fascinating challenge to duplicate Republics famously rugged fighter. And thats all for this month. We wish to thank AirCorps Aviation, Chuck Cravens (words) as well as John LaTourelle (images) for making this report possible! We look forwards to bringing more restoration reports on progress with this rare machine in the coming months. Is the P-47 Thunderbolt your favorite airplane? Make sure to purchase issue #73 of Warbird Digest featuring the beautiful Dottie Mae The wife of blackface Gov. Ralph Northam has been accused of handing cotton to black eighth-grade students during a tour of their mansion and then asking them to 'imagine being enslaved'. Virginia first lady Pam Northam is said to have upset one of the youngsters while hosting around 100 young people who had served as pages during the state Senate session on February 21. In a letter to Mrs Northam from the unidentified eighth-grader she said the first lady's 'comments and just the way you carried yourself ... was beyond inappropriate, especially considering recent events with the governor. 'From the time we walked into the mansion I did not receive a welcoming vibe.' The girl's mother, Leah Dozier Walker, is the director of equity and engagement at the Virginia Department of Education, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. In a letter to lawmakers and the governor's office she wrote: 'The actions of Mrs. Northam, just last week, do not lead me to believe that this Governor's office has taken seriously the harm and hurt they have caused African Americans in Virginia or that they are deserving of our forgiveness.' She added: 'Mrs. Northam then asked these three pages (the only African American pages in the program) if they could imagine what it must have been like to pick cotton all day. 'I can not for the life of me understand why the First Lady would single out the African American pages for this or why she would ask them such an insensitive question.' Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, flanked by his wife Pam, speaks with reporters at a press conference at the Governor's mansion on February 2, 2019 in Richmond, Virginia. Northam denied allegations that he is pictured in a yearbook photo wearing racist attire Mrs Northam's spokeswoman denied the claims she singled any children out and Virginia's first lady, pictured with her husband, said separately: 'I regret that I have upset anyone' But Northam's spokeswoman Ofirah Yheskel denied the claims, adding: 'She did not single anyone out, she invited all of the pages to touch agricultural products (such as dried tobacco, produce, cotton) and artifacts displayed in the Historic Kitchen as part of an educational tour.' In a separate statement Pam Northam said: 'The Historic Kitchen should be a feature of Executive Mansion tours, and I believe it does a disservice to Virginians to omit the stories of the enslaved people who lived and worked there - that's why I have been engaged in an effort to thoughtfully and honestly share this important story since I arrived in Richmond. 'I have provided the same educational tour to Executive Mansion visitors over the last few months and used a variety of artifacts and agricultural crops with the intention of illustrating a painful period of Virginia history. I regret that I have upset anyone.' This racist photo on Northam's 1984 medical school yearbook page has led to repeated calls for his resignation Northam apologized, initially saying he appeared in a photo showing one man in blackface and another wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood and robe. He later said he was not in the image The Virginia governor's residence was built with slave labor in 1813, according to The Washington Post. Her embattled husband Ralph Northam was last week he forced to cancel an appearance at historically black Virginia Union University. Northam was supposed to take part in a public tribute to the Richmond 34 Thursday on the campus. But he canceled his appearance after students asked him not to come, saying his presence could overshadow the event. Northam has indicated he wants to make criminal justice reform a key part of his efforts to win back support of the black community during his remaining three years in office. Other areas of focus include helping minority-owned businesses and improving health outcomes of minority patients. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has pledged to civil rights leaders Friday to 'do everything that I can do bring good from what happened' after a scandal over a racist yearbook photo and an admission of wearing blackface imperiled his governorship earlier this month Northam has largely stayed out of sight since then, with his only other public event being the funeral of fallen state trooper Lucas B. Dowell Leaders throughout Virginia's political structure have called on Gov. Ralph Northam to resign after a racist photo on his 1984 medical school yearbook page surfaced at the beginning of the month. Northam apologized, initially saying he appeared in a photo showing one man in blackface and another wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood and robe. Northam did not say which costume he wore. The next day he said he no longer believed he was in the photo but acknowledged wearing blackface the same year to look like Michael Jackson in a dance contest. The political pressure for his ouster lessened considerably as scandals have enveloped his would-be successors. Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, has denied allegations from two women that he sexually assaulted them, and Attorney General Mark Herring said he wore blackface in college, making the public admission just a few days after calling for Northam to resign. Northam has largely stayed out of sight since then, with his only other public event being the funeral of a state trooper. President Trump did not allow the distance between Vietnam and America to prevent him from calling his former lawyer a liar on Wednesday. 'Michael Cohen was one of many lawyers who represented me (unfortunately),' Trump tweeted just moments before Cohen testified before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. 'He had other clients also. He was just disbarred by the State Supreme Court for lying & fraud. 'He did bad things unrelated to Trump. He is lying in order to reduce his prison time. 'Using Crookeds lawyer!' Donald Trump tweeted this on Tuesday on the eve of Michael Cohen's testimony. The president is in Vietnam meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Trump posted the tweet while he was 8,000 miles away in Hanoi, Vietnam - the site of a historic summit meeting with North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un (seen left with the U.S. president on Wednesday) In his testimony on Wednesday before the House Oversight Committee, Cohen (above) accused Trump of committing numerous financial crimes both before and after he assumed the presidency. Cohen also blasted Trump as a 'racist', a 'conman,' and a 'cheat' 'Crooked' is a reference to Hillary Clinton, Trump's 2016 election rival. Lanny Davis, a longtime advisor to the Clintons, is also advising Cohen. Trump posted the tweet while in Vietnam, where he is taking part in a historic summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In his testimony on Wednesday, Cohen accused Trump of committing numerous financial crimes both before and after he assumed the presidency. Cohen also blasted Trump as a 'racist', a 'conman,' and a 'cheat.' The president's reaction came on the same day his sons were photographed appearing dismayed that the Trump-Kim meeting, their second in a year, is getting less attention than the Cohen testimony. Donald Trump Jr. was downcast on Wednesday as he ventured to Trump Tower in Manhattan in a fleece before launching an hours-long trolling, Twitter commentary of Michael Cohen's congressional testimony. Clutching an energy drink and sporting a full beard, Donald Jr. was stony-faced as he entered Trump Tower with a security team. He was dressed in a khaki fleece and beige slacks with a blue checked button-down shirt hidden beneath his outwear. At the same time in Washington DC, Michael Cohen, his father's turn-coat former lawyer, was testifying that he had the 'worst judgement in the world', something he claimed he'd heard the president say about his own son. Donald Trump Jr. is shown arriving at Trump Tower on Wednesday during Michael Cohen's hearing clutching an energy drink The president's son resumed his tweeting once he was inside the building on Fifth Avenue Trump Jr. tweeted throughout the hearing on Wednesday morning All out assault: Eric Trump also tweeted against Cohen on Wednesday morning Cohen told Congress that he was there when Donald Jr. arranged a meeting at Trump Tower with Russian operatives and said he remarked upon it as strange because it was one of the few times he had see him go behind his father's desk. 'Sometime in the summer of 2017, I read all over the media that there had been a meeting in Trump Tower in June 2016 involving Don Jr. and others from the campaign with Russians, including a representative of the Russian government, and a email setting up the meeting with the subject line "Dirt on Hillary Clinton." 'Something clicked in my mind. 'I remember being in the room with Mr. Trump, probably in early June 2016, when something peculiar happened. 'Don Jr. came into the room and walked behind his father's desk - which in itself was unusual. 'People didn't just walk behind Mr. Trump's desk to talk to him. 'I recall Don Jr. leaning over to his father and speaking in a low voice, which I could clearly hear, and saying: "The meeting is all set." I remember Mr. Trump saying, "OK, good... let me know. 'What struck me as I looked back and thought about that exchange between Don Jr. and his father was, first, that Mr. Trump had frequently told me and others that his son Don Jr. had the worst judgement of anyone in the world. 'And also, that Don Jr. would never set up any meeting of any significance alone - and certainly not without checking with his father.' Donald Jr. has repeatedly slammed Cohen as a 'rat'. Donald Jr. continued to Trump the former lawyer throughout the morning and afternoon On Wednesday morning, before the testimony began, he and his brother Eric called the hearing and the fact it was winning so much attention from the media a 'national disgrace'. Donald Jr. carried on his social media assault for hours, tweeting and retweeting condemning remarks about Cohen's character and ridiculing his mistakes. Eric Trump, the less pugnacious of the two, was less consistent but also tweeted his disdain several times. 'Michael was lobbying EVERYONE to be Chief of Staff. It was the biggest joke in the campaign and around the office. Did he just perjure himself again?' was among his put-downs. Michael Cohen testified in front of Congress on Wednesday about his work on behalf of Trump and his handling of payments hush money he gave women who claim to have had affairs with the president Donald Trump Jr. was carrying a Rockstar energy drink as he made his way into the building Donald Jr. was accompanied by a security team. He is shown walking a past an on-site security guard The 41-year-old arrived at the offices in a chauffeur-driven SUV Earlier in the day, he tweeted: 'It is a national disgrace that on the eve of historic peace talks between the USA & North Korea, the Democrats in the House orchestrate this clownshow. 'The accomplishments of are nothing short of incredible especially in the face of such hate & adversity.' Cohen is to report to prison in May to begin a three year sentence for tax fraud and lying to the authorities. A Fortnite addict accused of assaulting his pregnant girlfriend when she asked him to stop his gaming binge has won an appeal to return to his family after his alleged victim claimed it was an 'unfortunate mistake.' Luke James Munday, 26, was charged with common assault after allegedly hitting his partner at their Sydney home in December. Munday was handed an Apprehended Violence Order imposed by New South Wales Police that included a ban on going within 100 metres of his partner. Luke James Munday (right), 26, allegedly hit his partner in their Sydney residence when she asked him to stop playing the popular video game 'Fortnite' in December He was charged with common assault, however, he has pleaded not guilty and his girlfriend (pictured) has said that the incident was just an 'unfortunate mistake' But the woman asked the Camden Local Court to change the AVO conditions on Thursday, allowing Munday to the birth of the child, as well as attend counselling together. Her lawyer, Rebecca Black, told the court that the woman was expecting her third child in May and that both parties had previoulsy attended counselling separately. 'Mr Munday is dedicated to the family, he's really remorseful for what has happened and they are making really positive steps to ensure that it doesn't happen again,' Ms Black told the court, according to the ABC. 'They've learned a really hard lesson,' she said. The court was told she wrote a letter to police in December requesting the removal of the condition saying that she had no fears for her or her children's safety. The court was also told the birth would be a cesarean and she would need support afterwards. Magistrate Ian Cheetham said that Munday, who has pleaded not guilty, was entitled to the presumption of innocence ahead of his hearing on July 8. The initial incident was livestreamed over the internet during a videogame that the accused was playing NSW Police opposed the variations and the court was also told he has previous convictions for violence offences. The initial incident was livestreamed over the internet during a videogame that the accused was playing. Mr Munday previously worked for Telstra as a network engineer, however, he has been suspended from that role. 'This alleged behaviour goes against what we stand for as an organisation and the work we have done to assist women impacted by domestic violence,' a spokesperson for the company previously said. Manny MUA wants men to feel comfortable wearing make-up Beauty guru and YouTube star Manny MUA told viewers on GMB this morning he would love to give Donald Trump a make-over. The 27-year-old social media sensation, Manny Gutierrez, who advocates for men wearing make-up told Kate Garraway and Ben Shepherd he knows exactly what he would do to the US president Speaking about the men he would most like to make-over, Manny said the national leader would be at the top of his list. Manny's interview was paused when breaking news came in from Donald Trump's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in Vietnam. When he came back on air Manny said he would like to help the famously orange leader blend his colours. He said: 'I think Trump needs help colour matching. 'So we could help him out there.' Manny told the show about how he was set to become a surgeon and was heading to medical school when he decided to follow his heart and turn to make-up instead. Make-up sensation Manny MUA explained how he believes men should also feel free to wear cosmetics on their faces When he started his channel in 2014, Manny took his belief that 'make-up is genderless and has no rules' and ran with it. Manny, who has over two million YouTube subscribers, later became the first male spokesmodel for Maybelline. Before partnering with Maybelline, the vlogger worked on collaborations with influencer-loved brands Makeup Geek and Ofra Cosmetics. He said: 'It was definitely a hard upbringing. 'Growing up in a religious household can be very hectic... Beauty helped me come into my own. Manny MUA - real name Manny Gutierrez - has two million followers on YouTube President Trump needs help 'colour matching' according the Maybelline spokesmodel and internet star Manny MUA 'It was actually really, really hard in the beginning when my family first found out I wanted to be a doctor a plastic surgeon. 'So, when I was look guys I love make up... they were like huh? 'They helped me get through school, I went to pre-med. 'It was really hard but they finally came around.' Makeup artist Manny Mua grew up in a religious household and is now a member of the LGBT community Ben Shepherd said he wears make-up on camera and that 'its a secret thats been kept for too long' that it is used by men. Manny added: 'Thats the fun part about it, whether you're a boy or a girl, I feel like make-up is truly for anyone. 'It doesnt have to be as loud as mine. 'If you wanna cover up a pimple, if you wanna wear some concealer to cover up some darkness, wanna wear some bronzer on rainy day. That's how make-up works. You dont need to conform to rules you dont need to wear lashes. Take what applies to you, what you really, really like and use it. That goes for anyone. 'People have a misconception it is about covering insecurity. 'It's embracing who you are on the inside on the outside.' High profile barrister Robert Richter QC has apologised for his 'terrible choice of phrase' in describing George Pell's sexual abuse of a 13-year-old choirboy as 'vanilla sexual penetration'. The Queen's Counsel has been blasted for the remark, which came during a plea hearing for the cardinal who is now behind bars awaiting sentence for orally raping the boy, and molesting him and another 13-year-old after a Sunday mass in 1996. Mr Richter was attempting to note there were no aggravating features to Pell's offending, at a time when he was newly installed as Archbishop of Melbourne at St Patrick's Cathedral. High profile barrister Robert Richter (pictured) has apologised for describing George Pell's sexual abuse of a 13-year-old choirboy as 'vanilla sexual penetration' 'This is no more than a plain, vanilla sexual penetration case where a child is not volunteering or actively participating,' he said. He issued an apology late Thursday afternoon, after a 'sleepless night reflecting'. 'In seeking to mitigate sentence I used a wholly inappropriate phrase for which I apologise profusely to all who interpreted it in a way it was never intended: it was in no way meant to belittle or minimise the suffering and hurt of victims of sex abuse, and in retrospect I can see why it caused great offence to many,' he wrote in a statement. 'I hope my apology is accepted as sincerely as it is meant and I will never repeat such carelessness in my choice of words which might offend.' County Court Chief Judge Peter Kidd was immediately unimpressed by Mr Richter's remark. 'It must be clear by now I am struggling with that,' Judge Kidd replied. Mr Richter was attempting to note there were no aggravating features to Pell's (pictured) offending He described the five charges a jury convicted Pell of in December as brutal and callous. The statement drew widespread condemnation, including from Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton who said officers 'certainly don't treat them as plain vanilla offences'. 'It's probably a question you'd have to ask a victim of any sexual offending, not specifically talking about this case, but more generally whether they find that term offensive and I'm pretty sure I know what answer you'd get,' Mr Ashton told 3AW radio on Thursday. Judge Kidd will sentence Pell on March 13. Each of the charges carries a 10-year maximum sentence. A nurse who pleaded guilty to leaving her sons in her car while she went shopping at Kmart has been slapped with a fine. The mother's counsel argued she suffered from a 'momentary lapse' of judgement at Wynnum Plaza in Brisbane's east on February 2 and only left the two and four-year-olds for seven minutes. But the woman, who has no prior criminal history, was told by a judge 'leaving your children for one minute is one minute too long' and released on a $1,500 bond. A nurse who left her sons in her car on a baking 31 degree-morning while she went shopping at a Kmart in eastern Brisbane (pictured) has been let off with a fine 'The reality is you did not give your children sufficient thought,' magistrate Athol Kennedy told the registered nurse according to The Courier-Mail. Cleveland Magistrates Court heard the mother was also a law student and her lawyer said she had a lot on her plate when she left the children to buy bean bag filling. The woman's defence argued she had earlier been running the car's air-conditioning, meaning the car was cool at the time. The judge told the weeping mother her decision to leave the children in the car could have had resulted in a far worse outcome - highlighting the deaths of two young boys who drowned and whose bodies were found in Townsville this week. The woman, who has no prior criminal history, was told by a judge 'leaving your children for one minute is one minute too long' and released on a $1500 bond (pictured shopping centre where mother went shopping after leaving her sons sleeping in her car) 'There'll be an extra two little seats at (their table),' magistrate Kennedy said. 'It could have been two little seats at your table.' The magistrate said the bond's amount was high but emphasised the real danger she had put her children in. Advertisement Pakistan will release a captured Indian pilot in a 'peace gesture' to defuse tensions between the nuclear-armed nations over Kashmir, Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced. Abhinandan Varthaman's capture by Pakistani forces - after his plane was shot down yesterday - sparked a fresh crisis over the Himalayan province and prompted pleas from world leaders to step back from the brink of war. Khan announced he would be freed tomorrow despite a rally in Pakistan today where protesters waved their country's flag and told their military: 'Move forward, the nation is with you'. Some Indian politicians have also called for more aggression including 'secret missions' to target suspected terrorists in Pakistan. The tension, which was raised by an Indian airstrike on Tuesday, reached its highest point in almost 50 years yesterday as both countries claimed to have shot down warplanes and Pakistan paraded the captured pilot. Last night both sides exchanged gunfire in Kashmir and jet fighters roared overhead through the mountainous region as villagers along the so-called Line of Control fled to safety, and small arms fire and shelling continued into Thursday. Indian Air Force officials display a wreckage of an air-to-air missile that they say was fired by a Pakistan Air Force fighter jet during a strike over Kashmir on Wednesday Ready for war: Pakistani protesters hold a banner reading: 'Pakistan army move forward, the nation is with you,' in a rally against India in Quetta as world leaders urged the two nations to step back from the brink of war Captured pilot Abhinandan Varthaman pictured in Pakistani custody yesterday. Pakistan's PM Imran Khan announced today that the airman would be released on Friday as a 'peace gesture' Supplies: A train loaded with Indian army trucks and artillery guns is parked at a railway station on the outskirts of Jammu on Thursday amid fears the tension between the two nuclear-armed powers could lead to war Rivalry: Kashmiris burn an Indian flag as they shout anti-India slogans during a protest in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani administered Kashmir Hero: Indian people hold placards and photographs of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, as they celebrate the announcement of his impending release at a demonstration in Amritsar on Thursday As the nations sought to ease tensions today India also offered to share intelligence on the Kashmir bombing on February 14 which has sparked the crisis. A ceasefire line divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan, but both claim the Himalayan region in its entirety. Speaking in Pakistan's parliament, Khan said Islamabad would make a 'peace gesture' by freeing the captured pilot on Friday. But he warned New Delhi that Pakistan was 'prepared for any eventuality and response', saying: 'I beseech India not to force us down the path of war.' 'Our efforts to de-escalate should not be considered our weakness. We are indulging our efforts to maintain peace in the region,' he said. 'Pakistan acted with caution and restraint and replied to Indian aggression only to show that we are capable of safeguarding our sovereignty.' Allies of Indian PM Narendra Modi have backed further military action, as the country hurriedly arranged for 14,000 bunkers while heavy-calibre artillery was fired across the border. The country's finance minister suggested Indian special forces could carry out secret missions to capture terrorist leaders in Pakistan, invoking the 2011 U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden. A map showing the military clout of Pakistan (left) and India (right) and the volatile disputed region of Kashmir to the north and Jammu and Kashmir to the south Protests: Kashmiris hold Pakistani flag as they shout anti-India slogans during a protest in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani administered Kashmir Rally: Pakistanis wave their national flag in a protest against India in Quetta on Thursday amid rising tensions between them. Pakistan's PM Imran Khan has appealed for caution given the 'nature of the weapons that we have' Refugees: Kashmiri women who fled Chakothi - a town near the Line of Control in Kashmir - arrive to take refuge at a school around 25 miles from Mufzafarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir Debris: In India on Thursday night a defence officer holds up part of an air-to-air AMRAAM missile which was allegedly fired by Pakistani Air Force aircraft. India accuses them of violating Indian airspace Meanwhile the head of Modi's party in India's Karnataka state said India's pre-dawn airstrikes in Pakistan on Tuesday would help the party at the polls, just weeks before a general election. 'This has brought a pro-Modi wave all through the country,' B.S. Yeddyurappa told reporters. 'The effect of this will be seen in the elections.' Today Modi said his country's enemies were conspiring to create instability through terror attacks, calling on Indians to unite 'as the enemy seeks to destabilise India'. Speaking to tens of thousands of Hindu nationalist party workers by video link, he did not mention Pakistan but said a united India would 'fight, live, work and win.' 'Our defense forces are serving gallantly at the border. The entire country is one today and standing with our soldiers. The world is looking at our collective will and we have faith in our forces' capacity,' he said. Air Vice Marshal R.J.K. Kapoor, an Indian air force spokesman, says the Indian air force 'is extremely happy and looks forward to the return of the Indian pilot.' However Indian forces remain on a 'heightened' state of alert despite Pakistan's promise to free the pilot, military chiefs said on Thursday. Top generals from the Indian air force, army and navy also renewed claims that India had shot down a Pakistani F-16 jet in the air battles. Security: Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers patrol along the fence near the border with Pakistan on Thursday Remains: A Pakistani soldier stands guard near the wreckage of an Indian plane shot down by the Pakistan military on Wednesday, in Hurran, near the Line of Control in Pakistani Kashmir Slogans: Pakistani activists of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat party shout during an anti-Indian protest rally in Islamabad today Evidence: Indian Air Force officials display a wreckage of AMRAAM air-to-air missile that they say was fired by Pakistan Air Force fighter jet during a strike over Kashmir Captured: Photos shared on social media purport to show the moment when one of the Indian Air Force pilots is arrested in Pakistani Kashmir We don't want war: A Pakistani civil society activist sings a song as other carry placards during a peace rally in Islamabad Worries: Indian border villagers sit outside a community bunker in the wake of border tension between India and Pakistan Rally: Kashmiris hold a giant Pakistani flag as they shout anti-India slogans during a protest in Muzaffarabad today Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan had called for talks between the two nuclear-armed rivals in a televised address , saying: 'Considering the nature of the weapons that both of us have, can we afford any miscalculation?' India has yet to respond to Khan's suggestion of direct talks. Kashmir crisis 'could slip beyond control' of Indian and Pakistani leaders World leaders fear India and Pakistan are running out of escape routes to avoid a conflict, analysts say. While both sides have insisted they want to avoid escalation or war, the lack of direct government-to-government contact offers no clear way out of the crisis. In addition the United States - so often the peacebroker in past showdowns - has shown no signs of taking up such a pivotal role this time. Prime ministers Imran Khan of Pakistan and India's Narendra Modi - who is on the verge of calling a general election - are under enormous domestic pressure not be seen to give any ground. Public opinion in India, already at boiling point over a suicide attack in Kashmir that set off the hostilities, has been further inflamed by the capture of the pilot. 'The real danger is the crisis slipping beyond the two governments' control,' said Richard Gowan, a New York-based specialist on international peace and security. 'There is a risk that another terrorist attack or outbreak of communal violence could suddenly make diplomacy harder.' The United States, China, Russia and every major power has called for 'restraint,' but so far neither side has made any concrete move to defuse the situation. 'We are getting mixed signals, there is nothing reassuring yet,' said one western diplomat in New Delhi. Despite the dangerous surge in tensions, observers in the two countries, who have fought three wars since their independence and angry split in 1947, noted that India and Pakistan are used to finding ways to step back from the brink. Advertisement The confrontation represents the first major foreign policy crisis for Pakistan's leader, who is believed to be close to the powerful military and who came to power last year vowing to seek dialogue with New Delhi. 'The real danger is the crisis slipping beyond the two governments' control,' said Richard Gowan, a New York-based specialist on international peace and security and fellow at the UN University. 'There is a risk that another terrorist attack or outbreak of communal violence could suddenly make diplomacy harder.' In a possible sign of calm today Pakistan's foreign ministry said India has handed over its file on the deadly Kashmir bombing earlier this month which sparked the latest tensions. Pakistan also has said it will act against those linked to the Kashmir bombing if actionable intelligence is shared with it. Islamabad is also prepared to release a captured Indian pilot if doing so will ease soaring tension, its foreign ministry said. World powers have called on the nations to de-escalate the tensions gripping the region since a February 14 suicide car bombing killed over 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. India responded with an airstrike inside Pakistan on Tuesday, the first such raid since the two nations' 1971 war over territory that later became Bangladesh. The tension escalated with Wednesday's aerial skirmish, which saw Pakistan say it shot down two Indian aircraft, one of which crashed in Pakistan-held part of Kashmir and the other in India-controlled Kashmir. India acknowledged one of its MiG-21s, a Soviet-era fighter jet, was 'lost' in skirmishes with Pakistan and that its pilot was 'missing in action.' New Delhi also said it shot down a Pakistani warplane, something Islamabad denied. Pakistan's military later circulated a video of a man with a mustache who identified himself as the Indian pilot, sipping tea and responding to questions, mostly by saying, 'You know I can't answer that.' Footage of the airman, identified as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, being beaten and interrogated has gone viral in India and Pakistan. Kashmiris burn the Indian flag as they shout anti-India slogans amid pressure on the governments not to give ground Preparations: An excavator is seen next to an under-construction bunker in a residential area near the border with Pakistan Hiding: An Indian border villager looks out from a community bunker at Abdullian village near the India-Pakistan border A Pakistani soldier stands guard near the wreckage of an Indian plane shot down by the Pakistan military on Wednesday Strong feelings: Kashmiris burn an effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as they shout anti-India slogans during a protest in Muzaffarabad Standing guard: Indian paramilitary troopers in Srinagar. Some New Delhi politicians have called for more military action while one ally of PM Narendra Modi suggested the airstrikes on Pakistan would help him at the forthcoming elections Defence: Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers patrol along the fence at the India-Pakistan border, near Amritsar, today Peace protest: Pakistani women hold signs advocating 'love not war' at a peace rally in Islamabad on Thursday Plans: Residents stand outside an under-construction bunker in a residential area near the border with Pakistan Under construction: A worker explains the structure of a bunker in a near the border with Pakistan amid ongoing tensions Military might: Indian army trucks are transported on a train near a railway station on the outskirts of Jammu Safe place? A Kashmiri family who fled Chakoti, near the Line of Control between India and Pakistan, take refuge in a school at Hatian Bala amid the escalating tensions Stranded passengers travelling with 'Friendship Express' between Delhi and Attari in India and Lahore in Pakistan, sit at the waiting area at Lahore railway station after Pakistani officials shut the service down amid the rising tension Stranded: Passengers wait at the check-in area at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. Thai airways cancelled 11 European-bound flights after Pakistan closed its airspace What next? Indian border villagers play cards as they sit near a community bunker near the border with Pakistan People celebrate after the news of two Indian fighter jets shooting down by Pakistani Air Force, in Karachi on Wednesday night Workers construct a concrete bunker in a residential area near the border with Pakistan in Samba sector near Jammu, many of the civilian population have cleared out their old bunkers while others are having new ones made Indian soldiers and Kashmiri onlookers stand near the remains of an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft after it crashed in Budgam district in Indian-occupied Kashmir Firepower: This diagram shows the huge military capabilities of the two nuclear-armed nations Last night there was a complete power blackout overnight in Muzafarabad, the main city on the Pakistani-held side of the disputed Himalayan region Pakistan has denied involvement in the Kashmir bombing on February 14. While India has consistently accused its neighbour of supporting extremist groups, Pakistan has equally vehemently denied any role in attacks in India. Q&A: India, Pakistan and Kashmir WHY IS THIS TENSION SO DANGEROUS? Both India and Pakistan are believed to possess more than 100 nuclear warheads each and have conducted atomic weapon tests. Both countries have test-fired nuclear-capable missiles. Pakistan also has refused to renounce a first-strike option with its atomic bombs should it feel outgunned in a conventional war. It takes less than four minutes for a missile fired from Pakistan to reach India. The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists warns that 'computer models have predicted that the physical impacts of a nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan, or even a single strike on a large city, would be devastating . and would reverberate throughout the world.' HOW DID THE DISPUTE OVER KASHMIR BEGIN? When Britain granted independence to the region in 1947, it divided the Indian subcontinent into a predominantly Hindu India and mostly Muslim Pakistan. Some areas could decide their own fate. In Kashmir, the only Muslim majority area ruled by a Hindu monarch, its ruler decided against giving the population a choice. That started the first India-Pakistan war in 1947. The conflict ended in 1949 when a UN resolution established the Line of Control dividing Kashmir between the two nations and calling for a direct vote on which country should control it. That vote has never been held. Indian and Pakistan fought a second war over Kashmir in 1965. WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE? India and Pakistan fought a third war in 1971 over what was East Pakistan, which later became Bangladesh. In 1999 and 2000, after Pakistan's military sent a ground force into Indian-controlled Kashmir at Kargil, the two countries faced off and a worried world urged both to pull back from the brink of war, fearing it could escalate into a nuclear conflict. Even in times of relative peace the two nations readily engage in brinkmanship and aggressive rhetoric. Advertisement Today Russia offered to facilitate talks while the U.S., along with China, Britain, Germany and the European Union, has called for cooler heads to prevail. British PM Theresa May has said she is 'deeply concerned about rising tensions between India and Pakistan', adding that the UK 'urgently calls for restraint on both sides to avoid further escalation'. However Pakistan's ambassador to Washington said that the lack of U.S. condemnation for the Indian airstrike had increased tensions between the two neighbours. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described the initial strikes by India as 'counter-terrorism actions' and urged Pakistan to take 'meaningful action against terrorist groups operating on its soil.' The statement 'is construed and understood as an endorsement of the Indian position and that is what emboldened them even more,' the ambassador said. President Donald Trump has shown no sympathy for Pakistan, last year cutting $300 million in military aid that had been flowing over logistical assistance to US forces in Afghanistan. Speaking at the end of his summit with Kim Jong-Un, Trump said India and Pakistan have 'been going at it' and that the U.S. has been 'trying to help them both out' to 'see if we can get some organisation and some peace.' Japan has also urged the countries to 'exercise restraint and stabilise the situation through dialogue'. Meanwhile several airlines, including Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways, suspended flights to Pakistan after the nation closed its airspace. In Bangkok, an important and busy hub for transcontinental flights, thousands of travellers were stranded amid the political tension. The terminal was so crowded that the chief of Thailand's immigration police, Surachate Hakparn, tweeted a warning to 'Please spare your time for your trip!' The disruptions marked an unhappy end to a month-long tropical holiday for a group of 25 Danish students unable to board a connecting flight in Bangkok. 'We are trying to get home but our flight was cancelled so we can't get home and now we've been waiting here for 18 hours without food or water,' said Sara Bjerregaard Larsen, 21. 'And we've been sleeping on the floor.' Thai Airways says it had rerouted flights to Europe outside Pakistani air space. Malaysia Airlines also said in a travel advisory on its web site that it was avoiding air space over Pakistan and northern India 'until further notice.' Officials in Kashmir have also closed all schools and educational institutions in the region and are urging parents to keep their children at home amid mounting tension with neighboring India. Pakistan's foreign ministry said on Thursday that a key train service linking the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore with India has been suspended until 'the security situation improves.' The violence on Wednesday marked the most serious escalation of the long-simmering conflict since 1999, when Pakistan's military sent a ground force into Indian-controlled Kashmir at Kargil. That year also saw an Indian fighter jet shoot down a Pakistani naval aircraft, killing all 16 on board. Kashmir has been claimed by both India and Pakistan since almost immediately after their creation in 1947. The countries have fought three wars against each other, two directly dealing with the disputed region. Escalations: This map shows where one of the downed planes crashed in Indian Kashmir, as well as where Tuesday's airstrikes against an alleged jihadist militant training camp in the Balakot region took place just days after a suicide bomb attack in Indian Kashmir Spectacle: Kashmiri villagers gather near the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed in Budgam yesterday Students of Islami Jamiat Talaba burn an Indian flag during the protest rally in Lahore India's Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers patrol along the fenced border with Pakistan in Ranbir Singh Pura sector near Jammu on Tuesday People chant slogans during a rally after Pakistan shot down two Indian military aircrafts, in Peshawar, Pakistan Qantas is among the airlines forced to divert flights away from Kashmir following the military clash between India and Pakistan in Kashmir. The airline on Thursday changed the route of its London to Singapore service, which thousands of Australian use each week to return home from Eurpoe, amid escalating tensions in the region. A Qantas spokesman said flights QF1 and QF2 had been re-routed in both directions. 'Weve changed our flight path which adds around 20 minutes,' a Qantas spokesperson said. Scroll down for video Qantas have been forced to divert flights away from Kashmir following the fighter-jet clash between India and Pakistan - adding 20 minutes to one of its routes (stock image) Flights through Indian airspace are continuing, but all domestic commercial and international flights have been cancelled to and from Pakistan pending further notice. Flight data showed Pakistan's skies nearly completely empty throughout Thursday. Passengers due to fly with Thai Airways from Europe to Bangkok have suffered from some of the worst disruption resulting from the crisis. Ten of the airline's flights scheduled over the past two days have also been cancelled, but Thai Airways said it would resume services after being granted permission from China to use its airspace. Thousands of passengers have been affected by the disruption as carriers struggle to maintain the roughly 220 flights that run between Europe and Southeast Asia every day. The airline was forced to change the route of its London-Singapore service, due to arrive in the city on Thursday (pictured Pakistani airspace on Thursday morning) The conflict between India and Pakistan deepened on Wednesday after the latter claimed they carried out air strikes and shot down two Indian military jets. Pakistani forces were later pictured seemingly parading a captured Indian pilot - blindfolded and bloodied - for the camera. The day before, Indian warplanes aid it downed a Pakistani jet for the first time since a war in 1971, prompting leading powers to urge both of the nuclear-armed countries to show restraint. Dr Muhammad Khan (pictured outside his tribunal hearing) faces sexual misconduct claims from three women An orthopaedic surgeon groped a female trainee's breasts and slapped another woman's bottom, telling her to 'have an affair before she dried up', a tribunal heard today. Dr Muhammad Khan faces complaints from three women, one of whom says he pressed his genitals against her bottom and told her: 'This is what you're missing out on.' The 54-year-old allegedly approached his assistant from behind ahead of surgery and then wrapped his arms around her chest saying: 'I like your small ribs.' She says he ran his hands across her buttocks after enveloping her in a bear hug, telling her: 'No one needs to know about this.' The assistant claims he 'put his face close to hers' and made a 'kissing gesture' at Barnsley District Hospital as she called a patient into surgery. Dr Khan is alleged to have repeatedly suggest he and the woman start dating before grabbing her at their South Yorkshire workplace. On one occasion she banged her knee whilst sitting a rotating stool only for the doctor to say: 'Ooh I bet that hurt, let me rub it better for you.' She claims he then placed his hand on her back and then her left knee before rubbing it, saying: 'We should go out on a date.' Police investigated Dr Khan and he was reported to the General Medical Council after three women complained about his conduct between 2006 and 2013. One staff nurse claimed the doctor told her to 'hurry up and have an affair before she dried up,' and slapped her on the bottom, saying: 'Big, firm and you liked it.' It was also claimed he had pushed his groin onto her lower back on further occasions, made suggestive groans and added: 'What I'd like to do you.' A third colleague, an operating department practitioner said Khan put his genitals close to her face whilst she kneeling down in a locker room filling out a form. She said: 'If you don't get that f****** thing out of my face I will bite the f***** off' only for Khan to retort: 'Don't bite it blow it.' He denies wrongdoing. At the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service the trainee - an assistant technical officer known as Miss D - fled a hearing in tears as she gave evidence saying: 'This man's ruined my life and nobody believes it. 'I didn't want to tell the police because I thought it would be like this - it's scary and horrible and I am embarrassed.' Dr Muhammad Khan is alleged to have engaged in sexually motivate conduct against three women at this hospital in Barnsley Miss D said Dr Khan initially appeared 'quite friendly and a generally nice person' but two months into her new job began making her feel 'uncomfortable.' David Claxton, lawyer for the General Medical Council said: 'He asked her what she was doing at the weekend. She said that she was seeing her boyfriend and he replied: "Not me then."' He allegedly put his face close to hers when she told him she couldn't remember a patient's name to call out on the intercom. When she turned to the Tannoy system, he is said to have grabbed her in a way that hurt and led Miss D to resist. But he allegedly grabbed her again from behind to 'use his status to frighten Miss D' by groping her. Mr Claxton said that another staff member saw her 'upset and tearful' afterwards and that Miss D had told the worker she was groped on her breasts and bottom. A senior nurse spoke to Dr Khan and he was said to have replied that he 'did not realise he had upset her so much.' He apologised for his behaviour but Miss D claimed it 'did not seem to be genuine' so she contacted her union representative. The nurse who accused Dr Khan of slapping her bottom had attempted to protest against his behaviour but he 'laughed it off', the hearing heard. He allegedly then touched her right breast and struck her on the hand with a surgical bone lever as she was scrubbing up in preparation for surgery in Theatre 2. He is also alleged to have put his hands on a woman's private parts while she was sat in a coffee room before accosting her in a locker room. She claims he also made suggestive comments to her in the Afrikaans language describing what he 'would like to do to her if he got the chance.' Dr Khan originally from Natal, South Africa, denies sexually motivated misconduct. The hearing continues. A school has been forced to apologise after 'shaming' a pupil's mother after it sent an email demanding 445 from her to all parents. Mount Primary School in Wirral has apologised for the 'mistake' which amounted to a breach of data protection. The email was sent to the parent regarding a 445.50 bill for a pupil attending an after-school club facility where prices for a yearly pass for the after-school club costs 1,140. Parents of all 300 children at the school are said to have received the email on Tuesday 26 February, which asked for the money to be paid in full by March 8. If the money was not paid it said that the pupil's place on the Lighthouse after-school club would be forfeited. Mount Primary School in Wallasey which sent out an email to all parents regarding one woman's after-school club bill The Liverpool Echo reported that the email had 'angered' some parents who accused the school of 'shaming' the pupil's family. The Wallasey school has now said that it breached personal data by revealing the name of the pupil in question, saying that it had been an 'administrative error'. It added: 'Although we are sympathetic to individual circumstances and endeavour to try and help families, the club is self-funded and does not receive financial help from school. 'As a consequence the club relies on prompt and regular payment from families who use the club's services. Delays with childcare voucher payments notwithstanding all sessions should be paid in advance, or in the same week they are taken.' Detail from the school regarding the pricing of the after-school clubs and breakfast club The school's website says its Lighthouse Club is 'wholly self-financing and depends on prompt payment to continue provision'. It offers both breakfast and after-school sessions to pupils. Breakfast sessions costs 3.75 per day while afterschool sessions cost 6.00. On Tuesday, the school sent out a further email to parents informing them that the original email had amounted to a breach of the pupil's personal data. It added: 'Our data protection officer is investigating and the ICO has been informed.' A spokeswoman for the school said: 'This was an administrative error and we would like to apologise sincerely for our mistake. 'As soon as we realised what had happened, we contacted the parent of the pupil involved to explain and apologise for this error. 'We have also informed other parents of the breach and asked them to delete the email. 'The school has reported the breach to the Information Commissioner's Office under General Data Protection Regulations, and we await their response.' Jeremy Corbyn ally Chris Williamson has brazenly insisted 'there is no evidence against me' after Labour finally bowed to enormous pressure to suspend him during a furious row over anti-Semitism. The Derby North MP, who faces an official investigation that could see him kicked out of the party, vowed to clear his name after footage in which he said the party was 'too apologetic' sparked widespread fury. Mr Williamson told his supporters 'change is coming' in a Twitter post which included a bizarre link to a US Civil Rights era song which tells listeners: 'Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on'. He also thanked them for their 'incredible solidarity'. The MP was forced to issue a grovelling apology on Wednesday after footage emerged of him saying Labour had been 'too apologetic' over anti-Semitism. Scroll down for video Chris Williamson sent out an unabashed message to his supporters on Twitter on Thursday morning, after Labour bowed to pressure to suspend him The footage of Mr Williamson speaking to a Momentum rally in Sheffield (pictured right) has provoked fresh outrage over anti-Semitism in Labour's ranks Some Labour MPs lashed out at comments by Chris Williamson following his suspension. Earlier on Wednesday he has apologised for saying the party had been 'too apologetic' about anti-Semitism But hours after he was eventually suspended pending the probe, he told the BBC: 'I am going to clear my name within the party procedures. 'I think I've got a very strong case. There is no evidence against me in reality.' This prompted a backlash, with moderate Essex Labour MP Wes Streeting saying: 'So much for that sincere apology, eh?' It came as Tom Watson demanded a showdown meeting with Mr Corbyn today as he vowed to 'speak out on anti-Semitism for as long as it takes'. Labour's deputy leader warned the bullying of Jewish MP Luciana Berger out of the party was the 'worst day of shame' in its 120 year history. Mr Watson reacted with fury to Mr Corbyn's apparent reluctance to suspend his friend Mr Williamson yesterday. And In a direct rebuke to Mr Williamson today, Mr Watson warned:'The truth is I don't think we can apologise enough for anti-Semitism in our own ranks.' Mr Watson has asked to see Mr Corbyn on Monday as the party wrestles to draw a line under the scandal which has blighted the party for more than three years. Last night, Mr Corbyn suspended Mr Williamson after a revolt by his MPs following hours of fury and frustration. Labour had initially refused to withdraw the whip from the Derby North MP, despite announcing he would be investigated for a 'pattern of behaviour'. The official investigation could see Mr Williamson booted out of the party if he is found to have brought it into disrepute. But after a furious response from the backbenches the decision was reversed and Mr Williamson's suspension was confirmed. Mr Corbyn is believed to have intervened personally to block his suspension. Tom Watson (pictured today on GMB) demanded a showdown meeting with Jeremy Corbyn today as he vowed to 'speak out on anti-Semitism for as long as it takes' Some 38 moderate MPs then pressed for Mr Williamson's removal, putting their demands in a letter. Mr Watson also intervened, condemning the decision to only 'investigate' the remarks. Asked whether anyone from Mr Corbyn's office had argued against suspension of Mr Williamson, Mr Watson told Today: 'I can't confirm that. I've no idea who said what in Jeremy's office. I honestly don't know that.' But MP Siobhain McDonagh accused the party leader of doing 'all he could' to defend Mr Williamson before bowing to pressure to suspend him. She told HuffPostUK: 'No amount of mealy-mouthed apologies could justify his actions at the Sheffield Momentum event last week. How could we apologise too much for acts of anti-Jewish racism in our party? 'Jeremy did all he could to personally defend him but he could not maintain his support in the face of universal demands for his suspension.' But not everyone has criticised Mr Williamson's remarks, with a hashtag #istandwithchriswilliamson attracting support for him as the drama unfolded. George Galloway, the former Labour MP, warned Mr Corbyn that he was allowing his 'entire history and reputation' to be 'destroyed', adding: 'If you allow those who want your throat to take @DerbyChrisW (Chris Williamson) by his it really will be the end and that would be a tragedy.' The release of the video came little more than a week after nine MPs quite Labour, with eight linking up with Tory rebels in the Independent Group. They included several Jewish Labour politicians including Luciana Berger, who blasted Jeremy Corbyn's response to the avalanche of anti-Semitism they had faced from party members. Ian Austin, whose adoptive father was Jewish, also quit saying he was 'ashamed' of what Labour had become under Jeremy Corbyn. 'Most' Labour members agree with Chris Williamson, says McDonnell-led group A hard-left group led by shadow chancellor John McDonnell has claimed that most Labour members 'would agree wholeheartedly' with Chris Williamson. The Labour Representation Committee, of which Mr McDonnell is president, ran a blogpost yesterday claiming the Derby MP was 'a consistent, principled opponent of racism in all its forms'. Written by Jay Blackwood, a member of the leftwing Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL) group, it suggested the row was being used as a way to deflect media attention away from the Tories and the impact of austerity policies. And it took a pop at the party leader and Mr McDonnell - who appeared on television to try to diffuse the issue last night - accusing them of 'cringe-worthy displays of hand-wringing contrition'. Mr Blackwood wrote: 'The reality is that most Labour Party members - include this blogger - would wholeheartedly agree with Chris's words. 'I have not seen a single shred of evidence from his speech to justify the vile slurs now being thrown in his direction. 'Condemning the party's supine response to the campaign of vilification conducted by the Blairites, the Israel lobby and the mainstream media is not in any way anti-semitic.' He went on to warn that 'no amount of appeasement will satisfy the MPs who are using the anti-Semitism issue to undermine the party. He added: 'Making concessions simply plays into their hands, providing them with more publicity and more material from which to spin their bizarre narrative. 'Sadly, Corbyn and McDonnell have set the tone on this, with cringe-worthy displays of hand-wringing contrition around an issue which has largely been invented by the mainstream media.' The posted ended with a subscript noting: 'The LRC agrees with Jay 100%.' Advertisement McDonnell in furious TV bust-up with Labour MPs over anti-Semitism Shadow chancellor John McDonnell was involved in a furious bust-up with two senior Labour backbenchers live on television last night after defending the handling of a previous anti-Semitism case. Jeremy Corbyn's right-hand man was caught up in a fiery exchange with Lisa Nandy and Wes Streeting over the suspension of his former aide, the Bradford MP Naz Shah in 2016. Mrs Shah, who beat George Galloway for the Bradford West seat at the 2015 election, shared an image on Twitter in August 2014 which called for Israel to be relocated to the US and claimed this would be the 'solution for Israel-Palestine conflict'. She was subsequently suspended from the party, sacked as a parliamentary private secretary to Mr McDonnell and forced to make a grovelling apology. John McDonnell told ITV's Peston the way the party dealt with the 2016 case of Naz Shah, his former aide, was 'a shining example' of how to deal with anti-Semitism But former shadow minister Lisa Nandy (left) said that Mrs Shah was only suspended after pressure from Labour MPs on Jeremy Corbyn's reluctant top team Mr McDonnell tried to claim on Wednesday night that the way she was dealt with was 'a shining example' of how to deal with anti-Semitism and that he had deal with it himself. But Wigan MP Ms Nandy, who was shadow energy minister at the time, said this was 'not true'. In heated exchanges broadcast live online she told the shadow chancellor: 'I was in the shadow cabinet and I was trying to get answers out of the leader's office. 'I was live on telly being asked questions about it - it had been going on at that point for 24 hours and no action had been taken and the official line coming out of the party was 'we will draw a line on it'. 'And that changed under pressure from the shadow cabinet and members of the PLP (Parliamentary Labour Party).' Mr McDonnell replied: 'No you're wrong, I took that decision.' The row later spilled onto Twitter when Mr McDonnell's former advisor James Mills pitched in, saying: 'I was with John when this decision was taken - he's telling the truth. 'I like Wes & Lisa, so nothing personal at all, they just don't have all the details on this specific case.' Ms Nandy replied: 'The fact we're still not telling the truth about this is desperate. A decision was taken not to act. 'After sustained pressure it was reluctantly reversed. It matters because three years later it's still happening.' Advertisement Labour's deputy leader warned the bullying of Jewish MP Luciana Berger (pictured last week in Westminster) out of the party was the 'worst day of shame' in its 120 year history. Donald Trump has revealed he spoke with Kim Jong-un about the death of American student Otto Warmbier, who fell into a vegetative state while jailed in North Korea. The President admitted that while 'some really, really bad things' had happened to the University of Virginia student, Kim had denied any involvement in his case. '[Kim] tells me that he didn't know about it and I will take him at his word,' Trump told reporters in Hanoi after his summit with the dictator collapsed without a deal over reducing North Korea's nuclear stockpile. Donald Trump said he spoke with Kim Jong-un about Otto Warmbier, a US student who fell into a vegetative state while in North Korea custody, and the dictator said he was not involved Warmbier was returned to the US in a vegetative state (pictured) which North Korean authorities blamed on botulism, a rare bacterial infection that can be fatal He said: 'I really don't think [Warmbier's death] was in [Kim's] interests at all. 'I know the Warmbier family very well, they're a great family, what happened is horrible. I really believe something very bad happened to him. 'I don't think that the top leadership knew about it and when they had to send him home - by the way I got the prisoners back, I got the hostages back and Otto was one of the hostages - but he came back in a shape that was not even to be talked about. 'I thought it was horrible. The others came back extremely healthy but Otto came back in a condition that was just horrible. 'I did speak about it [with Kim]. I don't believe that he would have allowed that to happen, just wasn't to his advantage to allow that to happen. 'Those prisons are rough, they are rough places, and bad things happened but I really don't believe... that he knew about it. 'He felt badly about it. I did speak to him about it. He knew the case very well, but he knew it later and you know... you've got a big country, a lot of people. Trump acknowledged that some 'really, really bad things' happened to Warmbier but added: '[Kim] tells me that he didn't know about it and I will take him at his word' Trump spent the last two days in meetings with the North Korean leader in an attempt to negotiate a deal for the country to give up its nuclear weapons, but ultimately failed Warmbier decided to go to North Korea from China while completing a study abroad program in Hong Kong at the end of 2015 'In those camps and those prisons you have a lot of people and some really bad people. And some bad things happened to Otto, some really, really bad things. 'But [Kim] tells me that he didn't know about it and I will take him at his word.' Warmbier decided to go to North Korea from China while completing a study abroad program in Hong Kong at the end of 2015, as part of a tour group that included ten other Americans. The group celebrated New Year in Pyongyang, but at some point during the stay Warmbier took a propaganda poster from the wall of his hotel as a souvenir. He was arrested at Pyongyang airport shortly after, before tearfully confessing on North Korean television that he had taken the poster after six weeks in detention. Taking the poster was considered a crime against the state because the poster mentioned the names of the leadership. As a result, Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labor in March 2016, before being released in June 2017. He was returned to the US in a vegetative state which North Korean authorities blamed on botulism, a rare bacterial infection that can be fatal. American medical examiners said they found no evidence of the disease and said Otto's condition was the result of his brain being deprived of oxygen, likely because of a cardiac arrest. They said large parts of his brain had died as a result of the oxygen deprivation, but couldn't pinpoint an exact cause. No evidence of torture was found. Customers at various Starbucks stores in China were filmed fighting each other over limited edition 'cat-paw' coffee mugs. A series of videos filmed by witnesses showed people quarrelling and tussling at several branches of the American coffee shop chain as they struggled to get their hands on the new double-walled glass mug that has a mould resembling a cat's paw. The pink cups, part of Starbucks China's new Cherry Blossom collection, went on sale at its stores and online on Tuesday for 199 yuan (22) and sold out in minutes. One of the clip shows a man and woman wrestling and pushing each other as they fought over the limited edition mugs for at least two minutes before store employees intervened Starbucks fans in China have been desperate to get their hands on the new double-walled glass mug that has a mould inside resembling a cat's paw One of the clip shows a man and woman wrestling and pushing each other as they fought over the limited edition mugs for at least two minutes before store employees intervened, while another video shows two male customers shoving each other at the counter as they tried to pay. One clip, taken outside a Starbucks store, shows a woman kicking a man in the legs while he was being held down by several people in front of horrified customers. Another video shows two women charging into a store, only to end up pushing a dozen glass mugs off the display and breaking them. The pink cups, part of Starbucks China's new Cherry Blossom collection, went on sale at its stores and online on Tuesday for 199 yuan (22) and sold out in minutes A photo showed a person spending the night in a tent waiting for one of the coffee shops to open on Tuesday while a clip shows two male customers fighting each other to pay for the cup Many customers queued for hours before Starbucks opened its stores for business on Tuesday, according to National Business Daily. A photo showed a person spending the night in a tent waiting for one of the coffee shops to open. Smaller Starbucks branches had only stocked about four or five of the mugs while bigger ones had up to eight for sale, Global Times reported, quoting an employee at a store in Beijing. The sold-out cups have since been appearing on e-commerce sites such as Taobao and eBay for up to 1,800 yuan (202), nine times its original price. One clip, taken outside a Starbucks store, shows a woman kicking a man in the legs while he was being held down by several people. Another video shows two women charging into a store, only to end up pushing a dozen glass mugs off the display and breaking them The cups have since been appearing on e-commerce sites such as Taobao for a mark-up Chinese authorities have warned in online statements that those seen fighting over the cat-paw tumblers could be charged with public order offences, which would carry a minimum detention of 10 days. Starbucks China said in its official Weibo account that they would be releasing 1,000 mugs per day for purchase from February 28 to March 3 on its flagship shop on online retail platform Tmall. MailOnline has reached out to Starbucks for comment. Labour will demand a second referendum on Brexit when Theresa May bring back her deal for a second vote, John McDonnell has confirmed. The shadow chancellor said there will be a Labour amendment for a new public vote when the Prime Minister returns to MPs. Mrs May has promised to hold a second 'meaningful vote' to approve her deal by March 12, once she has secured 'legally binding' guarantees on the Irish border backstop. Labour officially switched is policy to backing a referendum last night when its own Brexit plans were rejected by 323 to 240 MPs in the Commons. Mr Corbyn ordering his MPs to vote for a referendum will bolster support for a poll - but probably will not be enough to win as dozens of Labour MPs will rebel and few Tories will back the idea. Labour will demand a second referendum on Brexit when Theresa May bring back her deal for a second vote, John McDonnell (pictured last night on Peston) has confirmed Parliament is already the scene of daily protests by both Leave and Remain supporters (pictured yesterday) Labour MPs Lisa Nandy and Wes Streeting both criticised the party switch last night on Peston (pictured). Ms Nandy said it would anger her pro-Leave constituents while Mr Streeting said it was a cynical move not aimed at ever securing a vote Mr McDonnell told ITV's Peston: 'When the meaningful vote comes back, and we are told maybe that might be on March 12, there are rumours today that it could be next week, we will see. 'That's the time when we will have to put the amendment up.' But he added: 'We are still going to argue that we want a general election, we are still going to argue we think our deal that we have put up was the best option. 'But we realise... we have got to break this deadlock.' He suggested 'either a deal will go through which will protect jobs and the economy or, to get some deal through, it will be conditional on going back to the people'. Mr McDonnell said were a referendum to happen he would campaign to reverse Brexit and keep Britain inside the EU. Mr Corbyn finally made the pivot on Monday night following months of pressure from pro-EU MPs and activists. But it has provoked fury from the minority pro-Leave wing in his party - and scepticism from many on the Remain side as well. Mr Corbyn (pictured right being driven out of Parliament last night) ordering his MPs to vote for a referendum will bolster support for a poll - but probably will not be enough to win as dozens of Labour MPs will rebel and few Tories will back the idea Lisa Nandy, who represents Leave-voting Wigan, told Peston 'large numbers of my constituents are now saying they want to vote for no deal at all'. She, added: 'Not listening to people, not responding to their concerns, is what got us here in the first place.' But People's Vote MP Wes Streeting told the show Labour's positioning was cynical. He said: 'I think what they're doing is playing a bit of a clever game to try and troop Labour MPs through in favor of a People's Vote, knowing there are some colleagues who won't.' After the result in the Commons, shadow Brexit spokesman Matthew Pennycook said it was 'now time to wholeheartedly get behind efforts to facilitate a new public vote that includes the option of staying in the EU'. Owen Smith, who was sacked from the shadow cabinet for calling for a second referendum, said: 'Now that Labour's version of Brexit has been rejected by Parliament, I expect Jeremy Corbyn to throw his full weight behind campaigning for a public vote.' But former minister Caroline Flint warned that a second referendum would be opposed by a number of Labour MPs, as well as members and voters who 'want the Labour Party to stand by its promise, and the promise was to respect the referendum'. President Donald Trump unloaded both on Michael Cohen and on lawmakers who scheduled his bombshell testimony that intruded on his nuclear summit with Kim Jong Un. Trump blasted the 'shameful' decision by lawmakers to schedule Cohen's testimony during his summit although lawmakers tried to lock it in for weeks to get Trump's longtime lawyer on record before he began his jail sentence. It was 'pretty shameful I think,' Trump vented. The president called it a 'fake hearing,' saying: 'Having a fake hearing like that and having it in the middle of this very important summit is really a terrible thing. They could have made it two days later or next week.' He took a single question on Cohen during a press briefing, where he called on reporter after reporter from a foreign press section that he did not recognize, including 'person in the front' and a man in a windbreaker who introduced himself as being 'from China.' President Donald Trump took a single question on Michael Cohen during a press conference Thursday This allowed Trump to keep the event mostly about the Nuclear summit even though it collapsed with no joint statement after what Trump said were Kim's demands that all sanctions be lifted in exchange for limited concessions. 'He lied a lot' Trump said. But then he complimented Cohen for something. 'He didn't lie about one thing. He said no collusion with the Russian hoax,' Trump said, deeply paraphrasing. Cohen testified he had no 'direct evidence' of collusion with Russia Trump spoke after his summit suddenly ended early with no joint statement 'And I said I wonder why he didn't lie about that too like he did about everything else.,' Trump continued. 'I was actually impressed that he didn't say, well, I think there was collusion for this reason or that. He didn't say that. He said no collusion, and I was a little impressed by that, frankly. He could have gone all out.' 'He lied about so many different things,' Trump said without getting into specifics. 'He said no collusion and I was a little impressed by that frankly. He could have gone all out ... The fact is there is no collusion. I was impressed with the fact,' Trump said. Cohen testified: 'Questions have been raised about whether I know of direct evidence that Mr. Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia. I do not, and I want to be clear. But I have my suspicions,' Cohen said. Although he took a Cohen question, the president appeared to be executing a strategy at his press conference of keeping the focus on North Korea rather than domestic concerns, despite the collapse of efforts to reach a joint statement. He called on multiple reporters seated in a section reserved for foreign press, including a skein of people who don't normally cover domestic politics. Cohen's appearances in Congress often overshadowed, or at least impinged, on the summit. Cohen showed up in the Capitol Wednesday just as Trump touched down. The president admitted he watched some of Cohen's testimony and got briefed on other parts. It ran into the early hours of Thursday morning, since Hanoi is 12 hours ahead of Washington time. Although Trump seized on Cohen's refusal to say he had evidence of collusion, he also told lawmakers at the House Oversight Committee about multiple concerns he had. He testified about a conversation in 2016 where he said Trump put Roger Stone on speakerphone while the longtime advisor said Julian Assange told him of an imminent dump of emails that would be harmful to Hillary Clinton. He also said after reading about the infamous Trump Tower meeting with Russians, he recalled an early June 2016 meeting with Trump where Donald Trump Jr. walked into the room. The president's son walked behind his desk and said 'the meeting's all set,' Cohen testified. Trump responded to the effect: ''OK, let me know,' Cohen said. He also said Trump quizzed him on a proposed Trump Moscow tower project worth hundreds of millions of dollars, even as Trump denied any business in Russia. Although he didn't testify Trump told him to lie to Congress, Trump said he knew what Trump wanted when the president told him he had no business with Russia. Millions of people have abandoned the internet after a new 'social media' tax was imposed in Uganda - with critics claiming it is restricting free speech and the ability to criticise the government. The punitive tax, which costs social media users 200 Ugandan shillings (4p) a day, was introduced in July to curb 'gossip' on websites that the president, Yoweri Museveni, labelled 'over the top'. It affects 60 websites including Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter and has already seen at least 2.5million people shun internet subscriptions. Millions of Ugandan people have shunned the internet after punitive new taxes were imposed on the use of over 60 social media websites. Pictured is Ugandan politician, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine, at a protest against the tax in Kampala The number of people paying the levy has dropped by 1.2million. When the tax was first introduced protesters took to the streets to demonstrate and some activists even sued the government for restricting their rights to free speech and access to information. Ugandan lawyer, Irene Ikomu, told the Guardian: 'Social media has become the major source of news and political information. 'Heightened exposure to information via the internet has led to Ugandan citizens being more critical about political conditions in the country.' Ms Ikomu says she worries that even more restrictive measures will be put on the Ugandan public with less than two years to the next election. The 60 affects websites include Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter which have been labelled 'over the top' by Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni In 2016, Museveni - who has ruled Uganda for the last 32 years - ordered all social media sites to be shut down during the elections to stop the spread of 'misleading information'. The tax affects 60 websites including Facebook, Whatsapp and Twitter. Most Ugandans have vowed not to pay the tax and installed virtual private network (VPN) software on their smartphones which allows them to use the otherwise banned social networks by making it seem as though they are in a different country. They can then taunt the government by posting with hashtags such as #ThisTaxMustGo and #NoToSocialMediaTax. Fears have been raised that the economy will also suffer as mobile phone companies are already having to fire staff and the value of mobile money transactions fell by almost a quarter in the first three months of the new tax. The majority of Ugandan people have vowed not to pay the tax and have installed virtual private network software to make it seem as though they are using their phone in a different country Paul Cise, who sells data for Nov Mobile Limited, said he has been forced to cut staff because of the levy because he can't afford to pay his employees and rent. Florence Acen, a Ugandan mobile money agent said she has lost business since the tax was introduced because it's reducing the commission she would get from poorer customers that she now has to turn away. Due to a lack of formal banking in Uganda, most people rely on their mobile phones to send and receive money via text message. The value of mobile money transactions also fell by almost a quarter, to 14.8tn Ugandan shillings (3.4bn) between June and September. While the rapidly decreasing number of internet users has sparked new calls for the tax to be scrapped, Ibrahim Bbosa, spokesperson of the Uganda Communications Commission, expects usage to recover. He told the Guardian: 'Probably, sooner or later, people will realise this is something [they] can live with. The pattern will return to normal'. Mirna Gonzalez has filed a lawsuit on behalf of her daughter, Gabriella Gonzalez (pictured), claiming dog owner Michelle Brannan should have known her animal had 'vicious propensities'. Picture provided by Chad Stavley A mother has launched a lawsuit against the owner of an 'emotional support animal' after it allegedly attacked and mauled her daughter. Mirna Gonzalez is claiming $1.1 million for her daughter Gabriella Gonzalez in medical costs as well as the child's 'pain and suffering'. The incident at Portland International Airport in Oregon started when the girl petted a pit bull, which then bit her causing 'serious injuries'. Filed in Multnomah County on Monday, the suit claims dog owner Michelle Brannan 'should have known the animal had vicious propensities', and that Alaska Airlines should not have allowed the dog in the gate waiting area. The attack took place on December 18, 2017 as Gabriella Gonzalez was waiting at Gate C7 with her family for a flight to Texas, according to court documents. Brannan is then believed to have arrived with her pitbull that was not confined to a kennel. The attack happened at Gate C7 in Portland International Airport, the largest airport in the US state of Oregon (Stock photo) The young girl was then allegedly given permission to pet the animal, which then bit her, leaving a deep cut on her lip and other marks. Ms Gonzalez 'suffered injury to the muscles, tendons, bones, nerves and soft tissue of her face, eye, eyelid, tear duct and lip,' according to the lawsuit. She required surgery for 'complex facial lacerations and a damaged tear duct'. Unlike service animals such as guide dogs, support animals need no training and tend to be used for mental health reasons rather than physical aliments. Alaska Airlines declined to comment on the lawsuit which has been filed against them as well as the pet's owner and the Port of Portland. A spokesperson said 'it would be inappropriate' to make a statement at this time Brannan told the Alaska Airlines that the pit bull was an emotional support animal and was allowed through the security and ticket desks. Alaska Airlines guidelines state emotional support animals are free to travel with owners but 'must be leashed and under control of the owner at all times'. A Port of Portland spokesperson said that Brannan's dog should have been in a crate or kennel and said that this was not the case at the time of the alleged attack. Fox News approached Alaska Airlines, who declined to comment saying 'it would be inappropriate' to make a statement at this time. It is not known what happened to the dog after the incident. German prosecutors said Thursday that they are investigating how a Moroccan man convicted of helping the Hamburg-based Sept. 11, 2001, suicide pilots was apparently paid some 7,000 euros ($7,960) before he was deported to his homeland last year. Mounir el Motassadeq, 44, was deported in October, shortly before completing his 15-year sentence for membership in a terrorist organization and being an accessory to murder. An investigation by Hamburg prosecutors centers on an apparent cash payment shortly before his release and deportation of money that had accumulated in his prison account, used in Germany to hold money earned by inmates by working and funds paid in by relatives, among other things. The money is generally transferred to inmates on their release, but el Motassadeq was on a list of terror suspects whose assets are frozen and aren't allowed to receive any funds. German weekly Der Spiegel first reported on the matter. Mounir el Motassadeq awaits his trial in Hamburg in January 2007 El Motassadeq, center, was sentenced in January 2007 by a German court to 15 years in jail for his role in the death of 246 passengers and crew aboard the four hijacked aircraft used in the September 11 attacks What did he do? German courts ruled that el Motassadeq was aware the 9/11 hijackers planned to crash planes, even though he might not have known the specifics of the plot. They said el Motassadeq had helped 'watch the attackers' backs and conceal them' by doing things such as helping them keep up the appearance of being regular university students paying tuition and rent fees, and transferring money. He was arrested in Germany two months after 9/11. Investigators discovered he had power of attorney over a bank account owned by Marwan al-Shehhi, the pilot of one of two planes flown into the World Trade Center. El Motassadeq acknowledged training at an al-Qaida camp in Afghanistan, but insisted he knew nothing of his friends' plans to attack the U.S. Advertisement Prosecutors' spokeswoman Nana Frombach said they are investigating a suspected violation of Germany's foreign trade and payments act following a complaint by the country's central bank, or Bundesbank, which is supposed to approve any exemptions from the ban on payments to people on the terror list. Frombach said the investigation is currently directed against persons unknown, because investigators need to clear up who ordered the alleged payment. Described in German courts as the 'treasurer' for the 9/11 hijackers, el Motassadeq spent nearly 15 years in prison for his part in the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon which killed 2,977 people in September 2001. El Motassadeq was first arrested in Hamburg in November 2001 - to date, he is one of only two men to be jailed over the 9/11 terror attacks. Following a legal saga that dragged on for years, he was convicted of membership in a terrorist organization and being an accessory to the murder of the 246 passengers and crew on the four jetliners used in the attacks in the United States in 2001. Police officers escort Mounir el Motassadeq after he is brought by helicopter from the Fuhlsbuettel prison to the airport in Hamburg, northwestern Germany, on October 15, 2018 Moroccan Mounir el Motassadeq, center, is arrested by German police in front of his appartment in Hamburg, Germany Following a legal saga that dragged on for years, el Motassadeq was convicted of membership in a terrorist organization and being an accessory to the murder of the 246 passengers and crew on the four jetliners used in the attacks in the United States in 2001 El Motassadeq was convicted of being part of the so-called Hamburg cell, which included three of the four September 11 pilots: Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi and Ziad Jarrah. He has been living in Morocco since his release from a German prison. In 2018, The Daily Mail tracked down Mounir el-Motassadeq to a suburb of Marrakesh where he is now living in the family home with his wife and children. A friend of the family described scenes of jubilation on his return and said people were coming from all over Morocco to see him. The convicted terrorist walked free in Marrakesh for the first time since entering prison A friend of the family described scenes of jubilation on his return and said people were coming from all over Morocco to see him. El Motassadeq grinned and told reporter he was too busy to speak as he shook hands with old friends in the street outside his home This is the moment that fishermen got more then they bargained for when they reeled in their catch - and found a great white shark. Alisha Day, a tourist in the area, recorded video of the shark caught on a fishing line, before brave men waded into the sea with the ferocious predator. The three men went into the shallow water while holding on to the shark in a bid to release it off the Navarre Beach Pier, Florida. Staff from Navarre Beach Pier, Florida go into the shallows with the great white to release it The shark, which was estimated to be 10 feet long and weighing between 600-700 pounds, was reportedly tagged and released by the workers at the pier on Tuesday. The information will be sent to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, which oversees marine life activity. The fisherman who caught the shark used bonito fish as bait, according to reports. The shark on the fishermen's line after it was caught off the Navarre Beach Pier, Florida The spectacle was recorded by a tourist from Oklahoma who said the men did a 'great job' An employee at the pier told reporters that he and his fishing team spent an hour reeling in the huge catch. 'Got down to the end [of the pier] and saw one of the men had something on his line and decided to stick around to see what he caught. 'Did not think it was going to be a shark,' Alisha Day told FOX 13 News. According to The News Herald, it is the first time a great white has been caught in the area. Ms Day, visiting from Oklahoma, said the spectacle was 'so cool to watch' before adding that the men who released the shark 'did an amazing job.' A hungry man working inside the Capital has been caught tucking into a slice of pizza while standing behind a reporter who was live on air. CBSN reporter Ed O'Keefe was on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to cover the testimony of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen. However it was the action in the hallway that has got people talking on social media and laughing at 'hallway pizza guy's' mishap. The man is handed a pizza box and a bottle of water by another person as he comes into the hallway where CBSN is reporting from The man stands behind Ed O'Keefe and eats his pizza completely oblivious to the cameras During the broadcast the young man is seen walking out of the courtroom and being handed a black and white pizza box by another person going inside. After taking a few steps, the man realizes he hasn't got a drink and calls the person back to grab a bottle of water from them. He then takes a couple of steps and smiles as he opens the pizza box and takes a huge bite. However almost immediately the man looks to his right where it appears someone must have told him about the camera crews. His head then quickly snaps forward and he looks directly at the camera in front of CBS reporter Ed O'Keefe. The man's eyes widen with the realization that the country has seen him tucking into a pizza. However after one bite he's told about where he's standing and looks directly at the camera I was impressed by the smooth handoff of the pizza box...and he remembered to get the water bottle! pic.twitter.com/4rIOizy8VB Musadiq Bidar (@Bidar411) February 27, 2019 The pizza in the clip appears to have come from chain &pizza, who have embraced the surprise fame on Twitter by changing their profile picture to the man. The clip has now been viewed more than one million times and hundreds of people have commented saying the man is a 'legend' and 'the hero we need.' Some people sympathized for the man saying: 'Yep, that's an intern or production assistant who hasn't had a break since pre-dawn call time.' Another added: 'This is the only pizza gate I care about.' The pizza company on the box tweeted about the clip and changed their picture to the man Many people sympathized with the young man saying he was probably 'starving' at the time The short clip has now been viewed more than one million times online Michael Cohen called the president a racist, a liar and a cheat during his testimony on Wednesday. Trump, he said, knew about WikiLeaks' plan to publish hacked Clinton emails and would work with 'anyone' to win. Cohen presented what he said was evidence that Trump knew about payments to Stormy Daniels, and continued to write checks to reimburse his attorney for them after he became president. Republicans attacked Cohen as a serial fabulist who already stands convicted of lying to Congress, making his testimony worthless. One member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee referred him for further investigation during Wednesday's hearing, claiming he lied on a financial disclosure form about his contracts with foreign companies. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the panel's most junior members, also landed a blow on Trump from 12 time zones away by broadcasting a logical reason for the committee to subpoena the president's long-sought after tax returns. Happy ape: British-born bonobo Bili hugs Akeena, the five-year-old daughter of his new girlfriend Mahdeblu A British bonobo who was bullied and beaten up by German apes after arriving at their zoo has found himself a 'cougar' girlfriend eight years his senior. Bili, aged 10, was pictured in an intimate moment with German great ape Mahdeblu at the zoo in Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia. The happy look on Bili's face - as he makes love with Mahdeblu and hugs her daughter - is a world apart from the terror he faced just weeks ago when the aggressive German apes refused to accept him at the zoo. The violence left the hapless British-born animal with bleeding wounds and part of his ear bitten off. But the British ape is now close to Mahdeblu her five-year-old daughter Akeena, who he was seen hugging tightly. The troop's grandfather Mato, 55, has also accepted Bili and reportedly been seen playing with him in the bonobo enclosure. A zoo spokesman said: 'In the meantime, Bili looks much more relaxed overall. We could no longer observe any aggression against him lately.' The repeated attacks on Bili even prompted 300,000 people to sign a petition calling for the bonobo's return to Britain. New love: Bili (right) shares an intimate moment with Mahdeblu, a German ape eight years older than him, at Wuppertal Zoo in Germany Aggression: In this violent scene Bonobo Bili is trying to protect himself on the ground while surrounded by the other apes in the troop who are attacking him The German zookeepers, who even received death threats for their refusal to move Bili, had always said that the frequent attacks on Bili were natural and they emphasised he could still integrate perfectly in the troop if given time. Wuppertal Zoo director Dr Arne Lawrenz said that people have a romanticised image of nature which makes them react angrily when confronted with violent episodes. Dr Lawrenz said: 'This is why there must be zoos, where we can show what nature really looks like. 'That is our mission and that's why we, as zoos, might be at a crossroads here. For example, in the U.S. there is a tendency to not exhibit bonobos because they are politically incorrect in terms of their sexual behaviour and aggression. Victim: Bili was sitting on a platform in the bonobo enclosure at Wuppertal Zoo when he was violently pulled down and set upon by the pack Attack: Almost the entire troop of bonobos is surrounding Bili who tries to make himself as small as possible in the back of the enclosure Bonobo Bili has even had part of his ear bitten off, and animal rights activists signed a petition calling for him to be sent back to England Bili was brought to Wuppertal Zoo for as part of a conservation programme as Bonobos are an endangered species, but can be seen here nursing open wounds 'I believe that zoos need to show people that nature is not all about peace, love and harmony, and that it's also about rivalry and that the animals are subject to different laws to humans.' Bili's difficult life began when his mother Maringa did not care for him properly after he was born in October 2008 in Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire. In 2009 Bili was adopted by loving female chimps in Frankfurt who have experience dealing with unwanted youngsters. However, despite being happy and well integrated he was sent to Wuppertal Zoo on the recommendation of the Specialist Group of the European Zoological Community and the European Conservation Breeding Programme. The petition 'Save Bonobo Bili from Wuppertal Zoo' was started by Petra Bente, who says he has been severely traumatised since being sent to the zoo in western Germany A promising start: Bili seen in 2009, aged four months, at the zoo in Frankfurt after his mother in England had abandoned him A Vodafone boss who shared a photo of himself dressed in a 'See You Jimmy' tartan hat with fake red hair and holding a bottle of Irn Bru, in advance of a meeting in Glasgow to announce job cuts, did not show up at talks with staff yesterday. Antonio Shabbir shared the insensitive photo on the mobile phone firm's internal system on Wednesday, causing outrage. The customer operations director was due to appear before the firm's workforce in Glasgow to speak about 312 jobs which, according to proposals revealed last month, are set to move to Manchester. Antonio Shabbir shared the insensitive photo on the mobile phone firm's internal system Vodafone office in Glasgow yesterday after employees were being told of redundancy plans as their jobs being transferred to Manchester However, a deputy was sent instead after the furious backlash, staff revealed. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a female worker who saw Mr Shabbir's post, spoke of staff feeling 'in limbo' - and said she would not uproot her family and move down south. The woman said: 'He's not even come up today. He's actually sent the lady below him who's his deputy. 'She's here today, but not him. It was quite inconsiderate yesterday with that post. Customer operations director Mr Shabbir was due to appear before the firm's workforce in Glasgow to speak about 312 jobs 'We saw it on the company Facebook and loads of people commented on how inconsiderate it was. They deleted it in a matter of seconds. 'They wanted us to move down south but you can't just up root your family and move. I've been here for four years and some people have been here six months, but they're getting the same redundancy package. 'You get two months back pay regardless if you've been here four or five years or six months - it's about 3,125. 'It's good for the people who only started six months ago but not me. 'They're saying because they're offering us relocation jobs we're not entitled to enhanced redundancy.' However, the staff were told they made have to wait until July to hear their personal fate. In the post a grinning Shabbir is pictured with the caption: 'Getting ready for this month's 'Audience with Antonio' some exciting news to share.' Vodafone workers in their Berkeley Street, Glasgow offices will learn the details of 360 jobs which the company plans to relocate to Manchester Speaking on condition of anonymity, a female Vodafone worker said staff were feeling 'in limbo' and said she would not uproot her family and move to Manchester The company apologised for the post on Wednesday night. At his 700,000 property detached modern house in the village of Stotfold in Bedfordshire on Wednesday evening, Shabbir refused to answer the door. He arrived home at around 8.30pm in a 2017 black BMW, but would not answer questions about the incident. The Daily Record reported that staff saw the post from their desks on Workspace, an internal work platform used by Vodafone employees, but it was later deleted after causing an uproar. Last month it was reported around 360 jobs at Vodafone offices in Glasgow would be relocated to Manchester in March. Employees are understood to have been told they had until Wednesday to volunteer to move south. Affected employees are believed to have been given 60 days to accept the move or lose their job. One furious Vodafone worker said: 'The whole thing is ridiculous. In work, everyone is so nervous. There's a real anxiety about the place. People's livelihoods are at stake. 'Some will have to wait until July to find out if they have a permanent job. To then see this photo is horrible.' A father-of-five who walked out of the Berkeley Street offices, said Mr Shabbir's post was 'distasteful'. He had worked for the communications company for four years but said he has got a new job rather than taking redundancy. The man said: 'I was the first to comment. I just said it's a bit distasteful when our office in Scotland is getting taken down south. 'I think the context was 'win a trip to Edinburgh' - I know none of us were invited. 'Forgotten about was the sentiment around it, the day right before other people lose their jobs.' Antonio Shabbir did not show up at the Vodafone office in Glasgow where he was due to to hold a staff meeting today He described Vodafone's apology for Mr Shabbir's post as 'standard'. The dad said: 'I've got five kids so I decided I just want a wage. 'I don't want to risk 200 other people looking for a job at the same time in June, July or whenever. 'The way I look at it the longer I go it will be harder looking for a job. 'I'm OK now, that's me been here four years - from the start. 'But I'm obviously not important enough to be put on gardening leave.' Mr Shabbir has worked for Vodafone for more than seven years and has been the customer operations director for two years and five months, according to his LinkedIn profile. He has previously held top jobs in mobile phone firms EE and T-Mobile. Staff responded by replying to the post on the intranet, with one saying: 'A bit distasteful when our office in Scotland is being taken down south and we find out who's going first tomorrow.' Another added: 'Is this really how a professional business goes about its business? 'Here we are in Scotland sitting at our desks waiting to hear news of our pending redundancies and this pops up. What's the news? 'We've binned 350-plus jobs?'.' A third worker posted: 'Astonished at this. Multiple redundancies in Scotland and this is what a senior leader posts? Truly awful.' A spokesman for Vodafone UK told MailOnline today: 'It was an internal event. No offence was meant and we apologise unreservedly.' Shadow Scotland Office Minister and Glasgow North East MP, Paul Sweeney, called the post 'insensitive at best and utterly callous at worst.' In the House of Commons today the issue was raised by Glasgow Central MP, Alison Thewliss, who said Mr Shabbir had added 'insult to injury'. Leader of the House, Andrea Leadsom, replied: 'It sounds like the supposed joke was in extremely poor taste and I certainly would agree with her that, in issues where a business has to relocate jobs, the greatest sensitivity needs to be paid to those who will have to relocate or lose their jobs as a result. 'She's absolutely right in that regard and she may well want to seek an adjournment debate so she can raise her concerns directly with ministers.' George Eustice quit the Government today warning Britain faces 'humiliation' at the hands of the EU after Theresa May said MPs could delay Brexit. The Leave supporter vowed to vote for no deal as he made the surprise decision to walk out on the PM after she handed Parliament more control of the Brexit process. Mrs May made a screeching U-turn this week to admit if MPs reject her deal a second time by March 12, they will get to vote first on whether to go for no deal on March 13 and, if not, on delaying Brexit on March 14. In the wake of her concessions Mr Eustice told Mrs May he now wanted to play full part in how Britain leaves the EU and could not do so as a minister having already stayed through 'a series of rather undignified retreats'. The MP, who was Michael Gove's deputy as Environment Secretary, told Mrs May he would vote for her deal when it comes back to Parliament - but said he would then vote to leave with no deal if she loses a second time. The incendiary resignation will fuel Brexiteer fears ministers expect to be whipped to vote against no deal on March 13 - despite Mrs May insisting no deal is still an option. In his furious resignation letter, Mr Eustice lashed Remain supporters in Parliament for refusing to respect the referendum result - telling Mrs May she has been 'terribly undermined'. He demanded the Government should show 'courage' and commit to leaving the EU without a deal if Brussels refuses to make further concessions. Mr Eustice accused the EU of not acting 'honorably' in the talks, deliberately making negotiations 'slow and difficult'. In reply, Mrs May said she was 'very sorry' to receive the letter and thanked Mr Eustice for five and a half years of 'exemplary service'. She welcomed his plan to vote for the deal and added: 'I agree with you that Parliament must now come together and honour the referendum result by voting for a deal which will give businesses and citizens the certainty they need and deserve.' George Eustice quit the Government today vowing to vote for no deal Brexit if Theresa May's deal is defeated a second time. Mr Eustice (left) was a Leave supporter at the 2016 EU Referendum and campaigned alongside Boris Johnson (pictured) The Leave supporter made the surprise decision to walk out on the PM (pictured today with the King of Jordan) fearing Parliament has seized control of the Brexit process. In his furious resignation letter, Mr Eustice lashed Remain supporters in Parliament for refusing to respect the referendum result - telling Mrs May she has been 'terribly undermined' The fresh embarrassment for Mrs May is the 25th ministerial resignation since she entered No 10 in July 2016. It took 11 years for Margaret Thatcher to lose as many ministers. Vowing to support no deal if the current divorce plan fails, Mr Eustice said: 'We must therefore have the courage, if necessary, to reclaim our freedom first and talk afterwards. In full: George Eustice's resignation letter Dear Prime Minister, It is with tremendous sadness that I have decided to resign from the government following the decision this week to allow the postponement of our exit from the EU. Since Parliament is now in direct control of events, I want to be free to participate in the critical debate that will take place in the weeks ahead. It has been an honour to work alongside so many talented individuals at Defra over the past five years. Defra has phenomenal expertise and, more than any other government department, has embraced the opportunities posed by our exit from the EU. I have particularly welcomed the chance to craft two new Bills on farming and fisheries, which are the first for half a century, as we have prepared the ground to restore self-government in this country. I will vote for your Withdrawal Agreement when it returns to the House and I very much hope that the Attorney General succeeds in securing final changes so that others might too. Although I campaigned to leave, I have always supported compromise to achieve a reconciliation in our country. Leaving the EU would represent an historic change and it is natural that some people will feel apprehensive. I have been open to the idea of using our existing membership of the EEA as an exit mechanism and I supported your approach outlined at Chequers when others did not. I have stuck with the government through a series of rather undignified retreats. However, I fear that developments this week will lead to a sequence of events culminating in the EU dictating the terms of any extension requested and the final humiliation of our country. I appreciate that you have been terribly undermined by those in Parliament who refuse to respect the referendum result. You have shown tenacity and resilience over the past year. However, what our country needs from all its political leaders at this critical juncture is courage, and we are about to find out whether Parliament has it. As a Defra Minister, I have enjoyed good relations with the European Commission and with Ministers from other member states. However, I do not believe that the Commission has behaved honourably during these negotiations. They have deliberately made progress slow and difficult. They have stated in terms that they will refuse to even hold substantive negotiations on a future partnership until after we leave. If the position of Parliament is now that we will refuse to leave without an agreement then we are somewhat stuck. This is uncomfortable for everyone, but we cannot negotiate a successful Brexit unless we are prepared to walk through the door. We must therefore have the courage, if necessary, to reclaim our freedom first and talk afterwards. We must be ready to face down the European Union here and now. The absence of an agreement poses risks and costs for them too. We already know that in the event of 'no deal' the EU will seek an informal transition period for nine months in many areas and settlement talks could continue within this window. I will do what I can from the back benches to try to salvage this sorry situation and I hope that, when the moment comes, Parliament will not let our country down. Kind regards, George Eustice Advertisement 'We must be ready to face down the European Union here and now. The absence of an agreement poses risks and costs for them too. 'We already know that in the event of ''no deal'' the EU will seek an informal transition period for nine months in many areas and settlement talks could continue within this window. 'I will do what I can from the back benches to try to salvage this sorry situation and I hope that, when the moment comes, Parliament will not let our country down.' Mr Eustice blamed Remain supporters in Parliament for making Mrs May's task even harder. His incendiary resignation comes after a blazing Cabinet row on Tuesday where Brexit backered lashed Amber Rudd, David Gauke and Greg Clark for publicly threatening to resign over no deal. Leading Remainer Yvette Cooper last night claimed no deal had been successfully taken off the table. Mr Eustice told the PM: 'I appreciate that you have been terribly undermined by those in Parliament who refuse to respect the referendum result. 'You have shown tenacity and resilience over the past year. 'However, what our country needs from all its political leaders at this critical juncture is courage, and we are about to find out whether Parliament has it.' Warning the positions of Parliament and the EU left Britain at an impasse, he added: 'They (the EU) have stated in terms that they will refuse to even hold substantive negotiations on a future partnership until after we leave. 'If the position of Parliament is now that we will refuse to leave without an agreement then we are somewhat stuck. 'This is uncomfortable for everyone, but we cannot negotiate a successful Brexit unless we are prepared to walk through the door.' Mr Eustice warned the 'series of 'undignified retreats' would 'lead to a sequence of events culminating in the EU dictating the terms of any extension requested and the final humiliation of our country'. In her letter back to Mr Eustice, Mrs May said: 'I am grateful for the support you have provided throughout our negotiations with the European Union and am glad to know you will continue to support the Withdrawal Agreement so that we can leave with a deal on 29 March. 'I agree with you that Parliament must now come together and honour the referendum result by voting for a deal which will give busisnesses and citizens the certainty they need and deserve. 'Our absolute focus should be on getting a deal that can command support in Parliament and leaving on 29 March. 'It is within our grasp, and I am grateful to have your continued support in that important mission.' Mr Gove said Mr Eustice left an 'outstanding legacy' at Defra. He said: 'So sorry to see George go. He has been a brilliant minister and will remain a dear friend. 'He leaves an outstanding legacy, with the Agriculture and Fisheries Bills setting domestic policy for the first time in nearly 50 years. He will be very much missed.' Chief Secretary Liz Truss said she was 'really sorry to see George Eustice leave Government' adding he was a 'great friend and colleague'. Environment Minister Therese Coffey said Mr Eustice had been 'immense' in his role. Tory MP Greg Hands said Mr Eustice had been 'right on top of his brief' and warned Mrs May to stop losing its 'best ministers of state'. Mr Hands quit from the same rank to vote against Heathrow expansion last summer. Zac Goldsmith said Mr Hands was 'one of the most principled politicians I know' Mr Gove said Mr Eustice left an 'outstanding legacy' at Defra, adding he was 'so sorry' to see him leave the department Chief Secretary Liz Truss said she was 'really sorry to see George Eustice leave Government' adding he was a 'great friend and colleague' Environment Minister Therese Coffey said Mr Eustice had been 'immense' in his role Tory MP Greg Hands said Mr Eustice had been 'right on top of his brief' and warned Mrs May to stop losing its 'best ministers of state' Zac Goldsmith said Mr Hands was 'one of the most principled politicians I know' Brexit bye-byes: May's ministers who have quit their jobs over Europe Theresa May has seen a slew of ministers quit her Government over Brexit since taking over as Prime Minister in 2016: Lord Bridges Phillip Lee David Davis Steve Baker Boris Johnson Guto Bebb Jo Johnson Shailesh Vara Dominic Raab Esther McVey Suella Braverman Sam Gyimah George Eustice Advertisement Earlier today, a member of the hardline Tory Brexiteers today said the group would back down and back the Brexit deal if Theresa May wins over the DUP. Attorney General Geoffrey Cox is thought to be drawing up legal guarantees the Irish border backstop will not be permanent. DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds repeated his demand yesterday ch+anges must be 'legally binding'. But the anonymous MP on the European Research Group (ERG) said Tory rebels would take their lead from the Northern Ireland party and back the deal if Mr Cox's work was enough. The ERG led by Jacob Rees-Mogg has so far been resolute in its opposition to the deal unless the Irish border backstop is stripped out. But with less than a fortnight until the next approval vote is expected the group may be softening its position. Mr Rees-Mogg said yesterday he could accept an appendix after all. One member told the FT: 'If the DUP back the deal, so will we. We would be in a ludicrous position if we were seen as more unionist than the unionists.' Hopes are rising in Downing Street Mr Cox's work - on a legal 'codicil' designed to make clearer how the backstop will work - could bear fruit. A member of the hardline Tory Brexiteers said the group would back down and back the Brexit deal if Theresa May wins over the DUP (led by Arlene Foster and Nigel Dodds, pictured) today The ERG led by Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured yesterday in the Commons) has so far been resolute in its opposition to the deal unless the Irish border backstop is stripped out - but appears to be softening its position The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier today repeated a call for a decision from London on its withdrawal deal, rather than seeking to delay the exit date. Strawberry farmer turned Eurosceptic MP, George Eustice worked for Cameron before becoming Gove's deputy The 47-year-old has been the Tory MP for Camborne and Redruth since 2010. Previously worked for his family's strawberry farming business in Cornwall Married to Katy Says his family has lived and worked in the area of his constituency for 400 years Was appointed Food Minister by David Cameron in 2015. A keen Brexiteer who supported the Vote Leave campaign Had previously campaigned against joining the Euro before becoming an MP Stood as a Ukip European election candidate in 1999 before switching parties Was the Conservatives' head of press under Michael Howard Acted as David Cameron's press secretary from 2005-2007 after being part of his leadership campaign team Led a revolt against George Osborne's 'pasty tax' in 2012. Advertisement An ERG source told MailOnline a panel of eight former lawyers - seven of which are current MPs and including Mr Dodds - would give the group a 'thumbs up or down' on what Mr Cox comes up with. But No 10 played down claims the new meaningful vote could come as soon as next week today. Mrs May's official spokesman said: 'As a matter of fact, what the PM said was the meaningful vote would be by March 12. 'I would say there remains a significant amount of work still to do.' On the continuing work of Mr Cox, the spokesman said 'talks are ongoing between EU and UK officials'. Government sources said a vote next week was 'unlikely'. Relations between No 10 and the DUP nose dived when the deal was first published late last year. Mr Dodds and his party leader Arlene Foster said it created a regulatory border between Northern Ireland and Great Britain - paving the way for Mrs May's deal to be crushed by 230 votes in January. An ally of Mrs May told the FT: 'Relations are much better with the DUP but everything depends on us securing a better deal in Brussels. 'There is some cause for hope.' Attorney General Geoffrey Cox (pictured in Downing Street on Tuesday) is thought to be drawing up legal guarantees the Irish border backstop will not be permanent What is the 'Cox Codicil'? What is a 'codicil'? A legal term for an extra document attached to a treaty - a bit like an appendix. What does this one try to do? It won't be clear unless and until it is published, but reports suggest Attorney General Geoffrey Cox is negotiating a codicil on how the backstop works. The obvious intention will be to make clear the backstop can only be temporary. Will it work? Unclear. The EU already says the backstop is supposed to be temporary and that language already in the divorce treaty says so. Cox's legal advice on the original deal was despite this language, if there is no future UK-EU trade deal there was nothing to stop the backstop lasting forever. The intention appears to be negotiating something that allows Cox to change his legal advice. Advertisement A DUP source told the paper: 'We are giving Theresa May space, and have to wait and see what she gets back from Brussels before we make a judgment. 'We are not 'never' people. If it's the right deal we will tell people to support it. We don't say no to everything.' During PMQs yesterday Mr Dodds blasted Remainer minsters who forced Mrs May to accept Brexit could be delayed for 'undermining' her negotiating position today. Mr Dodds, who leads 10 MPs propping Mrs May up in No 10, said the actions of Amber Rudd, David Gauke and Greg Clark would make concessions harder to get. He seized on a question at PMQs today to lash the ministers after Mrs May admitted on Tuesday MPs would be able to both delay Brexit and stop no deal if they rejected the Brexit divorce she has negotiated with Brussels. He said it meant 'the prospects of the PM being able to achieve the necessary changes have been undermined and her negotiating position weakened' by opening the door to delay. Mr Dodds demanded she still come back with 'legally binding changes' to the backstop part of the deal. The husband of a mother killed in the Manchester Arena bombing has hit out at fresh delays to inquests into the victims' deaths. Families of the 22 people killed in the terror attack in May 2017 were told today that a full public examination of the circumstances of the atrocity will now not be heard until at least April 2020 - three years after the bombing. Stephen Howe, whose wife Alison died in the attack, said he had walked out of court because he felt so frustrated. Speaking outside, he said: 'I feel as upset today as I did the day it happened. 'There was no update whatsoever today. They did not give us any answers to any of our questions. There is no point sitting there listening to nothing. 'It is very frustrating and very upsetting. I do not think they are getting anywhere with it. They are beating about the bush. I am sure everyone is feeling frustrated and angry.' Stephen Howe (pictured in 2017) is the husband of Manchester bombing victim Alison Howe. He hit out today at continued delays to full inquests into the victims' deaths A total of 22 people, aged between eight and 51, were killed when the suicide bomber struck Mrs Howe was standing in the foyer of the Manchester Arena waiting for her teenage daughter Darcie to emerge when terrorist Salman Abedi detonated his device. The pre-inquest hearing today was told there is ongoing delays in extraditing Abedi's brother, Hashem, from Libya, contributing to the problems with arranging full inquests. Mr Howe said he does not believe Hashem, who is reportedly being held by a militia in North Africa, will ever be brought to the UK. The families of those killed said they have been left in the dark about how things are progressing and have demanded to know when they will finally get answers about the circumstances of their loved ones' deaths. Pete Wetherby QC, the lawyer for the family of youngest victim, Saffie Roussos, today asked for more information on Hashem's extradition. He asked: 'What has been achieved so far? What hurdles remain? Where is Hashem Abedi? Is he in detention?' Salman Abedi (left), a 22-year-old jihadi, was behind the attack. Full inquests into his victims are being delayed as British authorities try to extradite his brother Hashem (right) from Libya Pete Weatherby QC - who is representing the families of Alison Howe and the youngest victim, Saffie Roussos, added: 'All that I am asking is that 20 months after the outrage of the bombing the families ought to be presented with a greater level of factual detail about the process. 'The most updates the families have received has in fact come through the press. 'In essence what we seek, through the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Greater Manchester Police (GMP), is a greater amount of factual transparency.' Progress on holding the inquests has been held up as they cannot take place before the conclusion of any criminal investigation and possible trial of any suspects. After the bombing, 23 people were arrested, but no-one has been charged with any offence. Previous pre-inquest hearings have heard that the police investigation is still 'live' and the UK is still trying to extradite the bomber's brother, Hashem Abedi, from Libya. Concertgoers were exiting an Ariana Grande gig when the bomber detonated his device If Hashem is returned to the UK, he will be arrested and charged, so any inquest proceedings must by law be suspended pending a possible criminal trial. But attempts to bring him back to the UK have made no apparent progress. Hashem is currently believed to be in the custody of a militia group in Libya, with the Western-recognised fledgling national government struggling to maintain order since civil war erupted in 2011. Ahead of the latest hearing, Andrew Petherbridge, a lawyer representing some of the victims' families, said they need clarity about where the lengthy process is going. Mr Petherbridge, of Hudgell Solicitors, said: 'The families we represent of course understand the difficulties and complexities of the ongoing investigations into this tragic event. 'However, given this May will mark two years since their loved ones were taken from them, they are understandably keen to better understand how the inquest process can bring much needed answers, and exactly what it will cover. 'We feel this is an opportunity to establish a clear schedule towards providing answers to key questions for the year ahead in the coronial process at this hearing. For families to come away feeling that step has been taken would be highly significant.' Police outside the central Manchester venue in the days after the atrocity in May 2017 A previous hearing was told that nineteen of the concert-goers died at the scene while three - including the youngest victim aged eight - were rushed to hospital, but pronounced dead shortly afterwards, a previous hearing was told. The youngest victim was eight-year-old Saffie Roussos, who had gone to the concert after receiving tickets as a Christmas present from her parents. Parents Marcin, 42, and Angelika Klis, 49, were also killed as they waited to collect their daughters, who were left orphaned. Around 220 others received medical treatment as a result of the blast. A number of those have life-changing injuries. Abedi was the British-born son of Libyan parents who had fled the North African country after reportedly becoming opponents of Colonel Gaddafi's regime. Donald Trump tried to make a hasty exit from Vietnam after his summit with Kim Jong Un was called off - only for the steps to Air Force One to break down. Several officials wearing suits were seen having to manually push a passenger stair truck away from the President's plane. The malfunction happened as President Trump's plane sat on the runway in Vietnam after talks between him and the North Korean leader abruptly ended on Thursday. Around half a dozen people quickly worked together to roll the steps, that are attached to a truck, away from the plane as reporters looked on. Several officials in suits push a plane stair truck away from Air Force One in Vietnam Donald Trump said he was forced to walk away on Thursday after Kim Jong Un demanded all sanctions were lifted in return for giving up only some of his nukes. Trump told reporters: 'Sometimes you have to walk away.' The President said that he remains on good terms with Kim and continued to tout the 'enormous potential' of North Korea, not notably said there were no plans for a next summit meeting. Trump candidly revealed that Kim wanted the sanctions off, but was not willing to give up his array of nukes, missiles, and sites he only alluded to vaguely. 'Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldnt do that,' the president said. 'They were willing to de-nuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted but we couldn't give up all of the sacntions for that. Men quickly move the stairs from the plane. President Trump made a quick departure from the summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, with the North Korean leader when talks collapsed on Thursday 'We had to walk away from that particularly suggestion. We had to walk away from that,' Trump said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added: 'We have been working for weeks to find a path forward so we could make a big step at this summit. 'We made progress and even more progress when the two leaders met over the last 48, or 72 hours. 'But we didn't get all the way. We didn't get something that made sense for the United States.' Both Trump and Pompeo said there was a willingness on both sides to keep talking, but revealed that no follow-up summit has been scheduled. Trump said that in the meantime, Kim was 'not going to do testing of rockets and nuclear. I trust him and I take him at his word.' Trump, left with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, insisted that his relationship with Kim remains 'warm' and that he sees 'great potential' in North Korea Trump and Jong Un smile during a meeting at the second US-North Korea summit at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi He indicated that Kim was willing to make concessions related to the Yongbyon facility where his regime enriches Plutonium, but it wasn't enough. 'That facility while very big, it wasnt enough to do what we were doing. We had to have more than that,' said Trump. Trump said that Kim was willing to dismantle the Yongbyon nuclear research facility if the US lifted sanctions, but said Kim was unwilling to make a deal on other facilities and weapons, forcing an end to the talks. Asked whether it was premature to hold the summit now, Trump said he would 'much rather do it right than do it fast' and added that he 'could have signed something today' but didn't feel it was the right deal. But America and North Korea remain in a position 'to do something very special' together, he said. An urgent health warning has been issued after a person infected with measles visited a series of public places including a mall, a supermarket and a public park. Queensland Health said the infected individual visited locations across Brisbane's Bayside earlier this month and warned of a risk of further infection because of the large numbers of people potentially exposed to the virus. The alert comes a week after a similar warning in New South Wales - sparked by a woman in her 40s becoming the 14th person in the state to be infected with the disease. Scroll down for video An urgent health warning has been issued after a person infected with measles visited a series of public places including a mall, a supermarket and a public park (stock image) The person involved in the latest case is believed to have visited Victoria Point Mall on February 16, February 17 and February 20 and an Aldi supermarket in Victoria Point on the afternoon of February 17. They also went to Norm Price Park at Redland Showgrounds on February 16 between 5pm and 9pm and Carmel College in Thornlands on February 18 and 19. They visited Good Life Gym in Cleveland on the afternoon of February 18 and a Princess Polly Warehouse Sale in Highland Park on February 23 between 8.20am and 2.30pm. Those who were at the locations at those times should watch for symptoms which usually start seven to 10 days after infection, Metro South Public Health physician Dr Bhakti Vasant warned. 'Measles is a serious viral infection that causes fever, cough, runny nose, then a red spotty rash and sore eyes a few days later,' Dr Vasant said in a statement on Thursday. Dr Vasant warned those who developed the symptoms to contact their GP for advice. 'Because of recent measles outbreaks overseas, it is particularly important for travellers to get vaccinated before leaving Australia,' the physician said. Alexandria Orcasio-Cortez hit out at a 'creepy' photographer who snapped a picture of her while she was eating dinner - all because there was a hamburger on the table. Caleb Hull, a videographer who works for Republican digital advertising firm Targeted Victory, posted the image to Twitter on Wednesday night along with the caption: 'Hi AOC, why is your Chief of Staff eating a hamburger?' After seeing the pictures, Ocasio-Cortez clapped back: 'Tonight a dude was creepily (and obviously) taking a picture of me while pretending he wasn't. Caleb Hull, who works for Republican ad agency Targeted Victory, tweeted a picture of Ocasio-Cortez eating dinner alongside her chief of staff who was having a hamburger Hull pressed the Democrat to explain why she was sitting next to someone eating a hamburger, after telling Americans to eat less meat as part of the Green New Deal 'I had to break his imaginary fourth wall and say "Hi! I'm a person! This is weird!"' It comes after Ocasio-Cortez suggested Americans should eat less meat as part of her Green New Deal, prompting Trump to quip that Democrats want to ban cows. Senator Marsha Blackburn told Fox News that the plan would mean 'you couldnt go grab a steak or a hamburger' because Ocasio-Cortez wanted to 'end cattle farming.' It is not clear from the picture what is on Ocasio-Cortez's plate in the photograph, but it does not appear to be meat-based. The hamburger was being eaten by Saikat Chakrabarti, her chief of staff. Well-known conservative Twitter personality Jack Posobiec also picked up on the pictures, tweeting a meme from the film Spy Kids along with the caption: 'When you spot @AOC out for dinner and sneak photos of her to post later on twitter.' Ocasio-Cortez also gave him the short-shrift, writing: 'When you're a guy that's so unaware of his own creepiness that you tweet this from your own account as if it's normal and not stalkerish at all.' Ocasio-Cortez hit back, accusing Hull of being 'creepy' by taking the picture and also took aim at conservative pundit Jack Posobiec for being 'stalkerish' Ocasio-Cortez has championed the Democrat's Green New Deal which aims to radically change the way Americans live in order to rescue the environment It comes after Washington Examiner reporter Eddie Scarry deleted a tweet of Ocasio-Cortez walking down a hallway on Capitol Hill shortly after the election after he was lambasted as 'creepy'. Scarry initially posted the picture of Cortez with her back turned to the camera along with the caption: 'Hill staffer sent me this pic of Ocasio-Cortez they took just now. 'I'll tell you something: that jacket and coat don't look like a girl who struggles.' Ocasio-Cortez also hit back on that occasion, writing: 'If I walked into Congress wearing a sack, they would laugh & take a picture of my backside. 'If I walk in with my best sale-rack clothes, they laugh & take a picture of my backside. Dark hates light - thats why you tune it out. 'Shine bright & keep it pushing.' A female kidnapper has revealed sickening details of how gangs abduct children in the Philippines to sell to foreign paedophiles - with bonuses for how pretty they are. Lilibeth Bustamante was caught trying to walk away with a ten-year-old girl in Paranaque City on February 20. She was playing in front of her house when Bustamante took her by the arm and told her to come with her to the store, but a neighbour intervened when he noticed the girl asking for help. Lilibeth Bustamante was caught attempting to abduct a 10-year-old girl in Paranaque City on February 20 and later told police horrifying details of the criminal gangs who sell children into sex slavery While under interrogation, Bustamante revealed how the gangs operate - giving a chilling insight into just how many youngsters are kidnapped from the Philippines to be sold as child sex slaves. She said she received 1,000 pesos (15) for each child and worked with one other woman to kidnap the children from the streets before they were passed on to her superiors. Bustamante added: 'I only take them, they sell. They only give me one thousand pesos. I send it to my family in Mindoro.' In an interview with local media, she then revealed how her group would kidnap young boys and girls to sell to foreign 'buyers', who would rape them while streaming it online and charging paedophiles to watch. Bustamante (pictured) said she is paid around 15 per child and is set a quota of two children per week by the gang she works for Bustamante said: 'We have a quota of two children per week. Our target age is ten years old and above. 'They require us to take good-looking children. They get 70,000 to 100,000 pesos (1,020 to 1,455) depending on their looks. My cut is 1,000 pesos.' Bustamante said that she had taken dozens of children since she joined the gang last year. She added: 'We operate in Manila and nearby towns. We don't stop until we reach our quota.' The Paranaque Police Women and Children Protection Desk OIC Rudy Dimson said: 'We are currently investigating the case. We want to look for other victims of this group. We urge the parents with missing children to come here.' Bustamante was found in possession of a dozen stolen ID cards belonging to other women when she was arrested (pictured) The arrest gives a disturbing insight into the wide-spread problem of child kidnapping in the Philippines. Several days after Bustamante was detained, police arrested a second woman after she was caught allegedly trying to abduct a young girl. Locals surrounded her and called police who arrested her on suspicion of attempted child abduction in Batasan Hills district of Quezon City in Manila. Air Chief Marshal Sir Ralph 'Cocky' Cochrane Wartime medals awarded to the man who masterminded the Dambusters Raid have sold for more than 20,000. Air Chief Marshal Sir Ralph 'Cocky' Cochrane planned in minute detail the audacious RAF operation to destroy three German dams using inventor Sir Barnes Wallis' 'bouncing bomb'. It was the highly respected officer who chose Victoria Cross hero Guy Gibson to lead the daring 1943 raid. He also oversaw the formation of the now-famous 617 Squadron for the successful mission that flooded Germany's industrial Ruhr Valley by breaching the dams. Two years later he came up with the idea of how to bomb the formidable Nazi battleship the Tirpitz - while sat in his bath. He again worked closely with Wallis' on his latest development, the 12,000lbs Tallboy bomb. Cochrane's plan succeeded and the menace to the Allied Arctic convoys was sunk in a Norwegian fjord in 1944. From left to right: Air Force Cross, 1914-15 Star, British War and Victory Medals, General Service 1918-62, 1939-45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence and War Medals 1939-45, Coronation Medal 1937 Group picture of the Dambusters squadron. The 1943 raid was masterminded by Air Chief Marshall Sir Ralph Cochrane Image depicting a bomber aircraft in flight. The raid on German dams is famous in war history His medals, which include the Air Force Cross, have now been sold in London by a private collector for 17,000. The collection also includes the 1914-15 Star, British War and Victory Medals, General Service 1918-62, 1939-45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence and War Medals 1939-45 and a Coronation Medal from 1937. With fees added on the total price paid by the anonymous buyer was 20,400. Mark Quayle, of auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb, said: 'Given the importance of Air Chief Marshal Sir Ralph 'Cocky' Cochrane's career, we feel that this particular group would appeal to all types of collectors on an international level. 'Cochrane had close links to Barnes Wallis throughout his long career - working together on experimental airships in the Great War, and on several high profile raids during the Second World War. 'The most high profile of all being the planning of Operation Chastise - the Dams Raid. 'Cochrane, a brilliant and meticulous planner, also masterminded the eventual sinking of the German battleship Tirpitz in 1944.' Cochrane, from Springfield, Fife, Scotland, first joined the Royal Navy before the First World War but transferred to the newly-formed Airship branch in 1915 and served as an airship pilot. He then joined the RAF in 1918, served in Iraq and Aden in the 1920s and worked his way up to Group Captain before he was appointed aide-de-camp to King George VI in 1939. He became the Air Officer Commanding in the RAF's No 5 Bomber Group. Then in March 1944 he was chosen to take command of the top secret Dams raid due to his reputation for being a perfectionist, a keen advocate of precision bombing and his relationship with Wallis. Aerial photo showing the destruction caused by the Dambusters' raid on the Edersee Dam, 17th March, 1943 The heavily defended Tirpitz sheltering in an Norwegian fjord seen from the air Air Chief Marshal Sir Ralph 'Cocky' Cochrane planned in minute detail the audacious RAF operation to destroy three German dams using inventor Sir Barnes Wallis' 'bouncing bomb' After spending two months painstakingly planning for Operation Chastise in total secrecy, Cochrane gathered at 617 Squadron's HQ in Grantham, Lincolnshire, and listened to the mission unfold. When word came back that the first dam had been breached, Wallis is said to have danced around the room while Cochrane grinned and shook him by the hand. He later masterminded the demise of the Tirpitz with three carefully orchestrated raids in November 1944. According to RAF pilot and journalist Paul Brickhill, Cochrane decided to go for the high-risk sortie while having a bath. In his 1950 non-fiction book The Dambusters, which paved the way for the 19654 movie, Brickhill wrote: 'In his waking moments work was rarely absent from his mind; he had been thinking of the Tirpitz for a long time and it was in his bath one morning that he finally made up his mind to get permission for 617 to sink her. He climbed out, dried, dressed and flew down to see (Sir Arthur 'Bomber') Harris and Harris said yes.' Cochrane retired from the RAF as Air Chief Marshal in 1952 and became managing director of Atlantic Shipbuilding Company and of Rolls Royce Ltd. He lived in Oxford and died in 1977 aged 82. A lecturer at the university that expelled a student for voicing views on 'Islamisation' was forced out over a private email in which he called religion 'nonsense'. Dr Chris Hill told colleagues that he thought 'faith is not something to be admired' and claimed it should instead be 'mocked' and 'ridiculed'. The 63-year-old labelled religious beliefs 'nonsense' and noted he was legally allowed to express 'dislike' and 'antipathy' toward faith. His comments were investigated by senior staff at The University of Central Lancashire, where he had worked for seven years. The vice chancellor stated he was 'summarily dismissed' in documents relating to the dismissal. Dr Hill (pictured, left) was dismissed last year and news of his row with the University of Central Lancashire emerged following the expulsion of student and Ukip member Sebastian Walsh (pictured, right) He is one of two victims of a free speech row at the uni as student Sebastian Walsh was expelled earlier this month after expressing concerns about the prevalence of Islam in British society and criticising halal slaughter practices. Dr Hill said the he is concerned the university is failing its legal obligation to uphold free speech on campus. 'I believe there is a problem in that staff see any discussion of religion as problematic. The university has effectively reintroduced blasphemy as a crime on campus. 'In my view, critical thinking about religion is an essential part of democratic and academic life.' The Engineering lecturer said he was angry after learning the university had invested 1million into a new 'faith' facility at the university in Preston, Lancashire. The university (pictured) in Preston stands accused of failing to live up to its free speech obligations after an academic was forced out and a student expelled for his views The Oasis Centre welcomes of faiths including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism. But Dr Hill insists the money would have been better spent on the underfunded maths department. He said: 'Students come to UCLan often with abysmally poor maths skills and engineering requires high level mathematics. 'Getting students up to an acceptable level of mathematical competence is a never ending battle which continues right through all years of their degree. 'I'd just had to jump through hoops to get about 900 of funding to put on eight extra maths tutorials for my students. 'The money used on the faith centre could have provided over a 1,000 years of maths support for engineering students at UCLan.' He noted that the debate began when the university issued a document warning staff and students against 'hate speech'. The staunch atheist replied via email to remind the student union that challenging religious beliefs was an important part of democracy. Sebastian Walsh (pictured) was expelled from the university for condemning halal slaughter practices and expressing concerns about what he sees as the 'Islamisation' of the UK A student then confronted him over his email remarks outside his office - though he said they spoke for only 47 seconds as captured on CCTV. The student - who had been forwarded the email - launched a formal complaint against the teacher. Dr Hill, from Liverpool, was described as a 'decent guy' and a 'valued member of staff' who 'does a good job at teaching' by senior staff in an official hearing. Since being forced out in July last year, he was given a good reference and has found further work in the engineering field. He was also compensated more than 13,000 after an academic legal clinic threatened to sue for wrongful dismissal. The payment was 'without prejudice', meaning staff didn't have to admit their wrongdoing. The lecturer now insists on speaking out against the university's 'toxic' culture. It comes after student Sebastian 19, was expelled from the same university for labelling halal meat 'barbaric' and 'inhumane'. He also said the NHS should charge for illegal immigrants and criticised the 'Islamisation' of the UK. Ukip member Sebastian was told he could only return to the university if he took a diversity training course. Neil Graham, a spokesman for Ukip's Preston branch, said today 'there is clearly a wider problem with free expression' at the university, branding it 'highly illiberal'. 'A number of other students and staff have been in touch with very concerning stories,' he said. 'Universities should be promoting truth, rationalism, free thinking and a spirit of inquiry.' A spokesman for the university said: 'The University of Central Lancashire promotes lawful, open debate, the discussion of varying views and academic freedom and has in place robust procedures to ensure this can take place. 'As a civic University we are proud to host a campus community comprised of many cultures, faiths, nationalities and beliefs. 'We value this rich diversity and take our responsibility to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all very seriously. On a point of accuracy Dr Hill left the employment of the University by agreement.' A Gulf War soldier who met his wife after stealing her pen pal letter off a comrade are set to celebrate 25 years of marriage. Jo Emery saw an advert in a newspaper in 1990 inviting the public to contact troops serving in the war. The then 18-year-old got a letter back from Private Kevin Algeo serving with the Royal Scots. Kevin and Jo Algeo met after he stole her pen pal letter destined for a comrade in the Gulf War The young love birds wrote to each other constantly for two years before they finally met But he didn't tell her he'd actually stolen her note from another soldier who had a stash of them. The love birds kept penning letters to each other and Kevin left the forces two years later. They eventually met up and quickly wed in 1994 and went on to have a son and a daughter together - now aged 18 and 21. Mrs Algeo, 46, of Blackwood, near Newport, South Wales said: 'I answered an ad in a newspaper. They were looking for pen pals for soldiers. 'You wrote about yourself and sent a picture. 'One of his friends had a pile of letters which he had stashed. 'My now husband stole about five from him and one was mine. 'He wrote to of all of us but we had a connection and before long he was only writing to me. Private Algeo was serving with the Royal Scots and was then posted to Germany before he finally met Jo in Wales She says: 'I believe we were meant to meet. He's my soulmate and best friend.' 'He didn't tell me straight away but when we talked more and got to know one another he told me then. 'I now believe in fate and as corny as it sounds it was our destiny. 'He was then posted to Germany and he started ringing me several times a week. 'This went on for about a year and until we eventually met. 'He came to Wales to see me. 'About another year later he left the Royal Scots after serving eight years and moved to to be with me. 'We got married in 1994.' Mr Algeo, 50, now works at a distribution depot for Tesco in nearby Magor. His wife said: 'I was attracted because of the uniform and job but that's not the reason I fell in love with him.' 'I believe we were meant to meet. He's my soulmate and best friend. He's been my rock and I love him so much.' The couple will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in September. 'The secrets to happy marriage are trust, give and take and to support each other through thick and thin.' A mother whose daughter was stillborn is suing the NHS for 6million, after the tragedy left her terrified of losing her two healthy sons. Justyna Zeromska-Smith lost her baby Megan at Lincoln County Hospital nearly six years ago and says she has been plagued by depression and anxiety ever since. The NHS Trust has admitted negligence but is disputing the amount of compensation the 38-year-old is entitled to. Mrs Zeromska-Smith from Lincoln subsequently gave birth to two baby boys but insisted that she remained fixated on the memory of her lost child. Justyna Zeromska-Smith (left) and husband Mark Smith (right) outside London's High Court where they are suing the NHS for 6million The mother says one of the grim effects of Megan's death has been a 'disabling separation anxiety', leaving her terrified of losing her two sons. Despite extensive treatment, she remains 'traumatised' by what happened and her 'separation anxiety' means she has to have her boys in her sight at all times, she says. Mrs Zeromska-Smith told London's High Court: 'I feel very worried about my children dying or something happening to them.' Prior to her tragic pregnancy with Megan, Mrs Zeromska-Smith had a successful job as a data manager and was ambitious. She is now claiming 6million compensation from the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust over the traumatic legacy of Megan's death at Lincoln County Hospital. Her lawyers claim the stillbirth has had a 'devastating and long-lasting impact on her and her family', with Mrs Zeromska-Smith suffering significant psychiatric injuries, including acute depression. She described herself now as a 'completely different person' to the confident young woman who had been 'overjoyed when she fell pregnant with Megan'. Lincoln County Hospital (pictured above) where Mrs Zeromska-Smith suffered the tragic stillbirth with Megan 'I just can't find a way to get it all back,' she told the court, choking back tears. 'Unfortunately, her positivity and general life ambitions were curtailed when the mismanagement of her pregnancy resulted in the stillbirth of Megan,' explained her solicitor, Kiran Kaur Deo, in court documents. Despite the NHS Trust having admitted negligence, it is disputing the amount of compensation she is due. Charles Feeny - barrister for the NHS - asked Mrs Zeromska-Smith if the eventual end of the case might help resolve the past. 'It's been a horrible experience, something I wouldn't wish on anyone,' she replied. 'I wish I didn't have to be here.' Discussing the prospect of the end of the case, she added: 'It won't change the things inside my head. It won't change the fact that my daughter is dead. 'It won't take Megan's grave away and it won't take away my visits to her grave with my two sons.' Mrs Zeromska-Smith said she had gone to court to get justice and find 'some sort of resolution - so that someone can take responsibility for what happened here'. 'So yes, the case will be over, but my life - this awful alternative life - I will be forced to continue with this.' She added that she has symptoms of extreme lethargy and said that she often feels 'really low for no particular reason'. There are days when she finds it a battle even getting up and down the stairs, a care expert reported. And her husband has to shoulder many everyday tasks, such as walking the family dog. Mr Feeny acknowledged that losing a child through stillbirth would 'reasonably be expected to cause a significant and emotional reaction in the mother'. But he took issue with the 'exceptionally dire prognosis' suggested by Mrs Zeromska-Smith's medical experts. Despite the tragedy, a mother of 'normal emotional resilience' would generally recover - 'although always harbouring an emotional and psychological effect from the stillbirth', he argued. And while accepting that her life is currently 'restricted and dependent', the barrister disputed that this resulted from any psychiatric illness caused by the stillbirth. 'The defendants do not accept that this results from any psychiatric illness or injury and therefore has to be considered voluntary,' he added. Despite the devastating impact of the tragedy, she had been able to return to work at various times, he also noted. The case continues before Mr Justice Martin Spencer, who turned down an application by Mrs Zeromska-Smith's lawyers for the parties to be anonymised. Nhat T. reportedly confessed to brutally murdering a fellow student at a university in Germany by smashing him with a hammer and hacking his body to pieces The trial of a 'Hannibal Lecter' fan who reportedly confessed to smashing a fellow student's head in with a hammer, before hacking the body to pieces, has begun in Germany. When the body was found, chopped up and stuffed into plastic bags, the victim's liver had been removed with a sharp instrument and is now missing. The victim's head was found under a bridge. Lawyer Christian Stuenkel, who represents the family of the victim, said: 'Hannibal Lecter was the biggest idol of the accused. 'He watched all the films and series again and again.' The suspect, who was only identified as 24-year-old Vietnamese student Nhat T., has appeared for the first time in the district court of Gera in the German state of Thuringia. Nhat T. was found to have searched 'Hannibal Lecter', 'secure killing methods' and 'psychological illnesses' around 30,000 times on the internet before the murder. Like his hero Hannibal Lecter, the main character in the series of novels written by Thomas Harris and which have become very successful films, Nhat T. was handcuffed as he was led into the courtroom. Lacking Lecter's trademark face mask which covers his mouth and nose, Nhat T. hid his face in his hoodie. In August 2018, the Vietnamese student, who attended university in the central German city of Jena, gave himself up to the cops and reportedly admitted to killing his 27-year-old Chinese classmate Chenxi L. on August 24 last year. Divers found some of the victim's body parts in the River Saale. The victim's head was found under a bridge Prosecutors believe that Nhat T. may be suffering from schizophrenia and a mental assessment by a court psychologist has been ordered to find out more about the Vietnamese student's state of mind According to the prosecutors, Nhat T. lured Chenxi L. into his student flat by telling him that a package had arrived for him, turning up the music volume and striking him with a hammer. He then allegedly chopped his body to pieces in the bath and stuffed them into plastic bags. During the trial, the court hopes to find out what Nhat T. exactly did with the body of Chenxi L. after he allegedly smashed his head in with a hammer. Some body parts were found by a special diving team in the River Saale while the victim's head was found under a bridge. Prosecutor Martin Zschaechner confirmed that the victim's liver was missing from its body and an autopsy showed signs of it being removed by a sharp instrument like a knife. As the liver was never found, prosecutors believe the suspect might have eaten it given his great fondness of his hero Hannibal Lecter. Nhat is said to have idolised notorious cannibal character, Hannibal Lecter, and was found to have searched 'Hannibal Lecter', 'secure killing methods' and 'psychological illnesses' around 30,000 times on the internet before the murder Mr Zschaechner said: 'The film 'Hannibal' definitely played a big role in the defendant's life. 'The liver was selectively removed [from the body].' The prosecutor may have been referring to the 1991 'The Silence of the Lambs' film, when the infamous cannibal psychiatrist says his famous line: 'I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.' Prosecutors suspect Nhat T. might suffer from schizophrenia. A mental assessment by a court psychologist has been ordered to find out more about the Vietnamese student's state of mind. Before the murder inside student housing accommodation in Jena, the suspect allegedly watched 'The Silence of the Lambs' several times and the sequel 'Hannibal'. Investigators also suspect that the student acted out of greed as he stole the victim's computer and mobile phone and ordered expensive goods on the internet using his money. The trial is ongoing. A murderer found guilty of an infamous child kidnapping and killing has been strangled to death in his cell, officials say. Anthony Palma, 59, was allegedly murdered by his cellmate, Raymond Pillado, at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. Medical reports described the cause of death as 'ligature strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head'. Anthony Palma, 59, was beaten and strangled to death at the Oklahoma state penitentiary last month. He was serving a sentence for the kidnapping and murder of eight-year-old Kirsten Hatfield The announcement of Palma's death came as a blow to the family of Kirsten Hatfield, the eight-year-old he was convicted of kidnapping and killing in 1997. DNA tests linked Palma to the crime, but the girl's body was never found. Cops said that Pillado, also a convicted murderer, took justice into his own hands on January 11 at the state prison and silenced his cellmate by strangling him to death. Cellmate Raymond Pillado, 35, is believed to have strangled his cellmate to death. He is also serving a sentence for murder The incident occurred in cells at Oklahoma's state penitentiary near McAlester in the east of the US state. Correctional officers notified reported the death at the time but the cause of death has only just been revealed Palma's death was reported last month but the cause was unclear at first. Correctional officials said that the conviction of being a child killer probably led to his demise. 'Those who are serving time for victimizing children, they are definitely more vulnerable,' DOC spokesman Matt Elliott told KFOR. Disappeared: Kirsten Hatfield is believed to have been kidnapped and murdered in 1997. Her body was never found but her family still hold out hope of locating her Palma was found guilty and sentenced for Ms Hatfield's murder in 2017. He was living just two doors down from the girl at the time of her disappearance and presumed death, according to reports. Forensic tests suggest that Palma kidnapped the eight-year-old, before sexually assaulting and killing her. Authorities told KFOR that they had plans to interviewing him later this year to extract information that could help lead to the location of her body. 'We've not had closure on this case and we may never have closure because we wanted to find her body and bring her home,' said Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes. 'Our hopes are, with any case like this... that hopefully he would have some inkling of a conscience, maybe intervention by a higher power, maybe God, and come out and tell us exactly what he did with her.' Shabnon Hazen, Kirsten Hatfield's mother said she doesn't plan to 'give up hope' just yet. 'I'm not going to I'm just not. I don't have to at this point,' she said last month. Three graffiti artists died as a result of an accident when they hid from an oncoming train, a coroner has found. Alberto Fresneda Carrasco, 19, Jack Gilbert, 23, and Harrison Scott-Hood, 23, were struck by the train in the early hours of June 18, 2018 on tracks in Brixton, south London. Recording their deaths as an accident, Senior Coroner Andrew Harris told Southwark Coroner's Court they scaled a fence to access the track near Loughborough Junction station at about 12.25am. He said: 'They were walking along a track which is subject to extensive graffiti. Unknown to them, they were facing an oncoming train. They hid by a wall but were struck by a train.' The families of three paid tribute to their boys' 'passion' and warned others of the dangers of the art, saying the taggers would 'Rest in Paint'. Left to right: Jack Gilbert, 23, Alberto Fresneda Carrasco, 19 and Harrison Scott-Hood, 23, Carlos Fresneda, father of Alberto Fresneda Carrasco, speaks to Maxine Gilbert as he leaves Southwark coroners court in Londo Grieving parents left the court today. Perry Scott-Hood and Susie Scott-Hood, parents of Harrison Scott-Hood (right) attended the inquest, as well as Maxine Gilbert, Mother of Jack Gilbert (left) The talented trio known as the 'Three Musketeers' bonded through their love of graffiti. Alberto Fresneda Carrasco moved to the UK from New York in 2011 but was 'at home' in London, while kind-hearted Jack Gilbert had been helping his recently bereaved sister care for her children when he died. Harrison Scott-Hood had been travelling and was due to start a graphic design course at the London College of Communications from September when he was killed. It is believed the trio walked from Brixton at around midnight on June 17 but were hit at 1.16am. Their bodies were discovered by a train driver around six hours later at 7am. The statement said: 'Eight months ago our sons: Jack Francis Gilbert, Alberto Fresneda and Harrison Scott-Hood, three young men with a love for life, promising futures ahead of them and a passion for art, particularly tagging, tragically lost their lives because of the dangerous risks this art form brings. 'The 'painting community' take their art seriously in trying to find a status. This passion is what brought our boys together. 'In a time full of needless violence, if our sons were guilty of anything, it was their love for painting. 'We can only express to young people trying to make their mark, to please be safe. Keep your creativity alive - but don't risk your lives.' The statement adds that the families are grateful to the 'painting community' for their tributes to the boys. The men were killed when they were hit by a train at Loughborough Junction in London The families of three graffiti artists hit by a train as they climbed onto the tracks with spray paint cans have defended their actions. Pictured: Bodies being brought off the tracks Isabel Carrasco leaves Southwark coroners court in London It read: 'We are also very grateful to the 'Painters' and other artists for their love and tributes that help keep our boys memory alive. May they always Rest In Paint.' Southwark Coroner's Court heard when the trio was hit by an eight-carriage train they were creeping along the track 'trying not to be seen.' DS Simon Rees from British a Transport Police said: 'Their first instinct is to conceal themselves. They don't want to be seen. 'At that point they would have hidden which in terms of where they are - it would have been to drop down by a wall so they can't be seen. 'Unfortunately by that point they have already put themselves in harms way.' Asked by Alberto's mother Isabel Carrasco if the trains are lit, DS Rees replied: 'There are two front lights similar to headlights. But they don't act as headlights. 'They are not expecting anything. The lights are more for other trains to see each other. 'There are lights on the sides but it's only when it comes around and straightens up [that they would have seen them]. 'You can't even make out the wall.' Alberto Fresneda Carrasco, 19, Jack Gilbert and Harrison Scott-Hood, both 23, were killed in the early hours of June 18 He added: 'None of the railway is lit up. It's not designed to be lit up.' The detective explained that the train mechanism which contacts the power line recorded a 42-second outage, which was the point at which the group were hit as they tried to walk alongside the wall by the train as it came around a corner. CCTV evidence shows the friends got the tube together earlier on in the evening to Brixton. They then headed to outdoor market Pop Brixton until it closed at midnight and then walked towards Denmark Hill. DS Rees said: 'They arranged to meet at Finsbury Park. They had plastic bags containing spray paints. 'They boarded together on the Victoria line at 8.50pm in June 17. 'And then two of them were seen by a passenger to use black markers on the seats. When challenged they didn't respond. 'At 8.50pm they arrived at Brixton underground and walked to the main line station and there was some graffiti put by them on the arches. 'They were seen there by two others using spray paint but in no way aggressive intimidating or threatening. 'They then go to Pop Brixton at 10.21pm. This being a small container market with food and drink. 'They stayed until it closed.' DS Rees said they were captured on CCTV at 12.02am leaving and again at Brighton Terrace twenty minutes later heading to the railway bridge. They are then believed to have climbed over wire fences and through undergrowth to access the tracks. He said: 'Climbing over fences - obviously they are young men, they are six foot type wire fencing so there's a degree of difficulty. 'But if you are determined it's not insurmountable. 'The fences weren't broken down. For a determined person you could get over it. Tributes: Fresh graffiti appeared next to Loughborough Station with three hearts under RIP 'Some areas use palisade fencing which is more substantial. They have spikes on top.' Giving evidence, Jack's mother Maxine told the coroner: 'From an early age Jack loved to draw or paint. 'At home when he was relaxing, he was always scribbling away in his art book. 'His talent was recognised at school when he was picked to paint a mural ironically outside the local train station. 'He did private art work and was paid to design shop fronts. 'Painting grounded him and in those last few months, in our family's darkest days, it was his release. 'For that I will never condemn my son for what he did.' She said Jack was a 'gorgeous, bright, cheeky and inquisitive' child with 'endless energy.' He had been working at events as a safety manager, the inquest heard. The family had suffered a recent bereavement at the time of Jack's death, Mrs Gilbert told the inquest. Jack would help his sister with her two children after the death of his brother-in-law in January last year. Mrs Gilbert said: 'Losing Jack was the most difficult day of my family's life. No words can adequately or sufficiently sum up the meaning or value of his short life. 'To experience the pain and devastation is a nightmare we don't ever wake up from. 'It leaves me helpless as a mother to be unable to protect and shield my family from this horror.' Police announced three men were dead. Some parents 'did not make the connection' and were horrified when they were told their sons were killed Harrison's mother Susie Hood also gave evidence about her son to the inquest. Describing him as a 'creative, free-spirited young man' she said over 400 people attended her son's funeral. Mrs Hood said: 'He painted and drew from an early age filling numerous sketch books with his ideas, wrote poetry, recorded music and was a fantastic chef. 'The Graffiti community do not want to hurt anyone they just want to paint. 'It is such a dreadful shame it has such a stigma attached to it when it is an amazing art form. 'We truly believe his legacy will live on.' Before the inquest broke for lunch, it heard an assessment said fences met Network Rail's standards a month before the young men's deaths. Daniel Matthews from Network Rail said access to the railway tracks around that area were assessed every 12 weeks and they had been carried out around six months prior to the incident. He added boundary fences, which the three were said to have climbed over to get to the elevated tracks, had met industry standards. Senior Coroner Andrew Harris asked him: 'Would it be right that Network Rail monitors the degree of unauthorised access to trans as part of its function? 'To what extent is this area of track been accessed in the past?' Mr Matthews replied: 'The figures we had there was five incidents in a 12 month period leading up to this incident. Who were graffiti artists the 'Three Musketeers' killed near Loughborough Junction Station? Alberto, known as 'Alby' to his family seen spray-painting Alberto Fresneda Carrasco, known as 'Trip': Alberto Fresneda Carrasco, 19, moved to England in 2011 from New York. The teenager known to loved ones as Alby always 'loved to draw' and was due to study graphic design at the London College of Communications from September. The keen Everton and Sevilla fan who went by the nickname Trip, had dual Spanish and American nationality but 'felt at home in London'. He lived with his family in Hampstead, north London. The Carrasco family said he had a 'special eye for business' and would often buy clothes from charity shops and resell them on the Internet. He is survived by his parents Isabel and Carlos, the UK correspondent for Spanish daily, and his brothers Miguel, 21, and Julio, 14. Harrison was well-known in the art scene Harrison Scott-Hood, known as 'Lover': Fine arts student and keen photographer Harrison Scott-Hood, 23, known as Harry to his loved ones was a well-known figure in the capital's underground graffiti scene. The budding artist from Muswell Hill, who attended 7,000-a-term Hampstead Fine Arts College, was described as irreplaceable by his family. Before his death he went travelling around Vietnam and Cambodia. Known by his tag 'Lover', he had been commissioned to undertake professional graffiti murals for firms. Jack Gilbert, known as K-bag-: Jack Gilbert, a 23-year-old nicknamed K-Bag, was a talented artist. His family said he 'lit up everyone's world just by being in it'. Mr Gilbert, 23, from Bush Hill Park, Enfield, drew from an early age and was known for his exceptional work. Jack helped his sister with her two children after the death of his brother-in-law in January, last year. He had been working at events as a safety manager at the time of his death. Jack Gilbert had been helping out his sister and his family after a death in their family Advertisement 'It is quite low for that part of London. There are certainly other parts of London which are more at risk from unauthorised access.' He said these incidents related to people walking off platforms and attempting to take their life at the station. He added: 'Network Rail inspects all its boundaries. It inspected this area on May 8. 'All records indicate there was no cause for concern at this location. There boundaries met standards.' He said although palisade fences were an option that can be used to deter trespassers, they are only being considered for this area now because of a recent spate of fly tipping and padlocks being broken. He said the area was currently being cleared and fences were expected to be up by the end of March. Mr Matthews said: 'It's one tool in our armoury. We will try to prevent trespassers at that location. 'It's inspected every 12 weeks. In the last number of weeks there has been an increase in activity in that location. 'Padlocks being broken off and fly tipping in third party land. We are now considering what else we can do at that location as a result of that recent activity. 'I think it's only been assessed at the moment but there's an assumption we will be doing those works.' Chris Rust, 71, stood in front of the bus for five hours in protest of the thick black smoke coming from its exhaust in Sheffield A retired university lecturer filmed himself blocking a bus for five hours in a protest against the 'shockingly thick' black smoke coming from its exhaust. Chris Rust, 71, stopped his bike in front of the vehicle at a bus stop and refused to budge - even after calls were made to the police. During a livestream of his protest Mr Rust was confronted by confused motorists, congratulated by supporters and delivered a speech against keeping an old bus in service. First South Yorkshire defended their fleet saying they record emissions tests on every vehicle every 28 days. Mr Rust, the former head of Art and Design at Sheffield Hallam University, filmed his protest live on Facebook on Tuesday going from midday to 5pm. He begins by filming the bus at a stand still and explaining why he had to intervene. Referring to the bus driver, Chris said: 'Every time he's stopped he's put out a very thick black smoke, really thick I mean shockingly thick. 'So I'm standing in front of the bus and he needs to get a tow truck because the vehicle is a risk to public safety.' Mr Rust also shows a shot of the registration plate, which has '02' on it, appearing to suggest the vehicle is 17 years old. The retired lecturer then holds up his bus pass to the camera and jokes: 'I don't know if I'm allowed one of these if I prevent the buses from running. 'Perhaps they'll take it off me and I'll be debarred from the bus service in the future'. Not everybody was impressed with Mr Rust's five-hour protest and some were not satisfied that the smoke was 'a public safety'. Also during the livestream, which was later taken over by friend and shared on their Facebook page, Mr Rust talks about how a couple who got off the bus were affected by the smoke. He says: 'An old couple got off the bus he pulled away and they were choking on the pavement.' There were multiple comments outlining support for Chris on his public Facebook post. Graham Turnbull commented: 'Let's all ask First Yorkshire why they are delivering zero emissions buses in other UK cities, but not Sheffield.' Mr Rust, left and right, filmed himself and said he was standing there until a tow truck came to collect the bus. He also joked about not being able to use his bus pass in the future Caroline Mackenzie said: 'Thanks for standing up for clean air in Nether Edge!' Mr Rust said that when bus chiefs turned up they 'weren't interested' in speaking to him and called the police. He said this call was a 'waste of resources.' He said: 'Bus company refused to tow the bus and they called the police instead. 'They weren't interested in talking to us which I think is very wrong. The police eventually turned up, for them to call the police was really a bad waste of resources. 'They asked them to carry checks on the bus and after five hours we said ok fair enough.' According to Chris, he agreed to end his protest when the police turned up and suggested to the bus company that their vehicle be tested. Speaking to a local newspaper, First South Yorkshire defended themselves saying 'millions' has been invested in low emission vehicles Managing Director, Garry Birmingham said: 'We'd like to provide reassurance on the safety of our vehicles and that we are committed to investing in vehicles with ultra-low-emissions that assist with improving air quality. 'As part of our 28-day inspection cycle, we do a recorded engine emissions test to DVSA standard on every vehicle. 'We believe Euro VI diesel engines are the eco-friendliest buses available for mass deployment right now, offering 95 per cent to 99 per cent reductions in the most harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and particulates against the older buses they replace. 'Over the last few years, millions have been invested in new ultra-low emission hybrid vehicles for Sheffield, including 8m in the last year. 'At the same time, we are getting ready for a low-carbon and zero-emission future.' Israeli security forces may have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in killing 189 Palestinians and wounding more than 6,100 at weekly protests in Gaza last year, United Nations investigators said on Thursday. The UN report, which examined Israeli soldiers' actions in response to unrest in the Gaza Strip, said they had found 'reasonable grounds' to believe snipers knowingly shot at 'journalists, health workers, children and persons with disabilities.' Israel rejected the findings of the UN probe, calling it 'hostile, deceitful and biased', and accused Palestinian Islamist Hamas of 'pushing the residents of Gaza to the fences, including women and children.' Tear gas canisters are fired by Israeli troops toward Palestinians during a protest at the Israel-Gaza border fence, in the southern Gaza Strip February 22, 2019. Israel rejected the findings of a UN probe on violations released Thursday into its soldiers' response to Gaza unrest A wounded Palestinian is evacuated during a protest at the Israel-Gaza border fence 'Israel rejects the report outright,' Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement after the probe alleged soldiers may have committed crimes against humanity. 'No institution can negate Israel's right to self-defence and its duty to defend its residents and borders from violent attacks,' he added, labelling it 'the theatre of the absurd.' Katz said that those 'pushing the residents of Gaza to the fences, including women and children, is Hamas, an organisation whose declared goal is destroying the state of Israel, and is the one to bear the responsibility.' The probe was carried out by a UN commission of inquiry set up by the world body's Human Rights Council. It investigated possible violations from the start of the protests on March 30, 2018 through to December 31. A Palestinian protester takes a pictures holding Israeli tear-gas during clashes after Friday protests near the border between Israel and Gaza Strip in February 2019 'The Commission found reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli snipers shot at journalists, health workers, children and persons with disabilities, knowing they were clearly recognisable as such,' it said. Protests and clashes broke out along the Gaza border on March 30 last year. Demonstrators have been calling for Palestinian refugees to be allowed to return to their former homes now inside Israel, which Israeli officials say is akin to calling for their country's destruction. They accuse Hamas of using the protests as cover for infiltrations and attacks, while rights groups and Palestinians say protesters posing little threat have been shot by Israeli snipers. For its part, Hamas is calling for Israel to be held accountable after the UN Gaza probe. At least 251 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since March 2018, the majority shot during weekly border protests and others hit by tank fire or air strikes in response to violence from Gaza. Two Israeli soldiers have been killed over the same period. Israel and Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the blockaded Gaza Strip, have fought three wars since 2008. Fuadh Naim, a popular Islamic preacher from Indonesia, has told Muslims to shun K-pop because it 'promotes homosexuality' A popular Indonesian preacher has told Muslims to shun South Korean music because it 'promotes homosexuality and free sex'. Fuadh Naim, who has almost 56,000 followers on Instagram, said that K-pop culture 'draws Muslims into the (hell) fire' by exposing them to LGBT relationships and lifestyles. Speaking at a mosque in South Jakarta on Tuesday, Mr Fuadh admitted that he had previously been swept up in the 'Korean Wave', as South Korea's global cultural influence is often known. But he is now campaigning against K-pop and has begged its Muslim fans to boycott its message and repent. '(K-pop) offers something interesting, and refreshing like water, which actually draws Muslims into the fire (of hell),' Mr Fuadh said. 'Starting from today, let's move on and pour our hearts out for Allah and his prophet Muhammad.' Mr Fuadh said that the Korean Wave promotes LGBT imagery, particularly 'skinship' - or close physical proximity between its male icons. Seven-piece group BTS (pictured) are the leading lights of the South Korean music phenomenon and made history last year by becoming the first K-Pop band to top the US album charts Mr Fuadh said he felt uneasy with K-Pop because it 'promotes homosexuality', with fans creating fantasy fiction and art about its male stars and bestowing portmanteau nicknames on imaginery couples such as 'Jihope' for Jhope (right) and Jimin (left) from international sensation BTS He said this ought to make religious followers of K-pop should feel uneasy, but instead the fans were excited to see the men on stage together. Many even create fan art or fan fiction depicting imagined relationships between male K-pop icons - and bestow portmanteau nicknames on them, such as 'Chanbaek' for Chanyeol and Baekhyun of boy band EXO and 'Jihope' for Jhope and Jimin from international sensation BTS. Mr Fuadh has visited 30 Indonesian cities to deliver his message and says he plans to travel to many more. 'I get support from many people who share concerns about our young generation's morality,' Mr Fuadh told The Jakarta Post after the forum. K-Pop group NCT 127 perform during the 1st anniversary festival of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and Paralympics at Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung, South Korea. Indonesia preacher Fuadh Naim said that K-pop 'offers something interesting, and refreshing like water, which actually draws Muslims into the fire (of hell)' It is not the first time K-pop artists have found themselves in the cross-hairs of religious conservatives or fallen afoul of Indonesia's censors. Last year, a TV ad featuring members of K-pop supergroup Blackpink dressed in miniskirts was banned because the national Broadcasting Commission deemed it indecent. Indonesia is now reportedly drafting a national law that seeks to ban blasphemous and 'pornographic' music content, which has sparked concerns about freedom of expression in the world's biggest Muslim majority nation. A nine-year-old boy and a 24-year-old woman have suffered horrific injuries in a dingo attack on a popular Queensland holiday island. Paramedics were called to Eurong on the eastern side of Fraser Island about 5.45pm on Thursday. 'Paramedics are at the scene of an incident where it's reported two people have been bitten by a dingo, sustaining arm and leg injuries,' Queensland Ambulance said. An Ambulance spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the nine-year-old boy suffered lacerations to his leg and face and the 24-year-old woman received puncture wounds to her arms. A dingo has viciously attacked a nine-year-old boy and 24-year-old woman on the east coast of Australia (stock image) Paramedics were called to Eurong on the eastern side of Fraser Island about 5.45pm on Thursday The duo, who are in a stable condition, were airlifted to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital by a rescue helicopter. 'Both patients are currently stable, with the rescue helicopter tasked to the area,' QLD Ambulance tweeted. The incident comes a month after a six-year-old boy was attacked by four dingoes on a family camping trip on Fraser Island. The young boy was bitten on the leg and was airlifted to hospital. 'The family had finished swimming when the young boy said he wanted to race up a sand dune,' RACQ LifeFlight Rescue aircrewman Dan Leggat said. 'Unfortunately, when he got to the top, there was a pack of four dingoes.' Paramedics treated and stabilised the boy to be transported by the Bundaberg-based RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter. Dingoes are a protected species on Fraser Island. 'Wildlife authorities recognise that Fraser Island dingoes may become the purest strain of dingo on the eastern Australian seaboard and perhaps Australia-wide,' the Queensland Department of Environment and Science website states. Paramedics were called to Eurong, the eastern side of Fraser Island, QLD, at about 5.45pm on Thursday after reports of a dingo attack Thursday's incident was the eight dingo attack at the popular tourist spot in the last 20 years. One attack resulted in the death of nine-year-old Clinton Gage in 2001. His death sparked the culling of 31 dingoes and caused an outcry among residents. A dingo was also responsible for murdering Lindy Chamberlain's baby in the outback in 1980 in a notorious case which divided Australia. In the years since she cried out in the night 'A dingo's got my baby!', there were four inquests and a government inquiry into nine-week-old Azaria's death. Mrs Chamberlain-Creighton was jailed in 1982 after being found guilty of slashing her daughter's throat and making it look like a dingo attack. Dingoes are a protected species on Fraser Island. Two dingos are pictured in a stock image She was released in 1986 after Englishman David Brett fell to his death while climbing Ayers Rock known today by its Aboriginal name of Uluru and landed beside a matinee jacket that was vital to her defence. Mrs Chamberlain-Creighton had told police that no dingo saliva had been found on Azaria's jumpsuit because the baby was wearing a matinee jacket over the jumpsuit, but no jacket was found at the time the child disappeared. A third inquest in 1995 could not determine the cause of death. Mr Chamberlain, who was convicted of being an accessory after the fact of murder but later exonerated, then fought a long legal battle for a fourth inquest. That inquest heard new evidence of dingo attacks, including three fatal attacks on children since the third inquest. Mrs Chamberlain-Creighton was finally exonerated in 2012. An Alaska Airlines plane from Chicago to Seattle was forced to divert Wednesday night as passengers and crew struggled to breathe. The Boeing 737-900, which had 114 people on board, landed in Minneapolis just after 7pm where 12 people were treated for breathing difficulties. An airport spokesman said four crew members were hospitalized and six more were examined by paramedics after a 'strange odor' filled the aircraft. Ten Alaska Airlines crew and two passengers had to be treated for breathing difficulties on Wednesday night after a 'strange odor' like burning plastic filled the cabin (file) Two passengers were also examined at the airport, NBC reports. Alaska Airlines said the odor was 'like burned plastic' and said it was currently looking for the source. Passengers and crew who did not need hospital treatment were offered different flights to Seattle, the airline said. Terrifying CCTV has captured a child ducking for cover as a gunman opened fire on a crowded sidewalk in New York in broad daylight. Bullets whizzed past a little girl who ran away in terror as the hooded assailant let off three rounds at a group of young men in the Bronx last week. Several people can be seen sprinting for cover, including a schoolgirl wearing bright pink leggings and a backpack who was closest to the shooter. A little girl in pink leggings is seen running for cover as a hooded gunman opens fire in broad daylight in the Bronx After missing with his first shot, the assailant fires two more rounds at a group of men down the street The suspect was dressed in a blue jacket, with a black hooded top underneath, light blue jeans and black and red sneakers. He was filmed drawing his pistol, clutching the weapon with two hands and pulling the trigger. The blast sent the group of men running, forcing the shooter to switch to one hand to try shoot the moving targets over car roofs. Police are hunting the shooter who was dressed in a blue jacket, with a black hooded top underneath, light blue jeans and black and red sneakers He fired off two more shots before turning and running away. Nearby CCTV managed to capture his face. Police are now hunting for the suspect involved in the incident in the Grand Concourse section of the New York City borough and have appealed for information. Luckily no one was injured in the shooting. The DNA of two men accused of raping a British woman in Italy was found under her fingernails after she tried to fight them off, a court has heard. The two men, Antonino Miniero and Francesco Ciro D'Antonio, are among five men accused of assaulting the 50-year-old Briton in Meta di Sorrento in 2016. The British widow, who cannot be named, allegedly had traces of their skin cells under her nails, on her back and in her bra clasp. 'There was contact between these men and the victim and it was not a simple brushing past,' a forensic expert told the court. The DNA of two men, Antonino Miniero (left) and Francesco Ciro D'Antonio (right), was allegedly found under the fingernails of a British woman they are accused of raping The British woman had travelled to the seaside town with her 26-year-old daughter after the death of her husband. She claims her drink was spiked on the last night of their holiday in the seaside resort south of Naples, and that up to eight hotel workers had raped her. Antonino Miniero, Gennaro Davide Gargiulo, Raffaele Regio, Francesco Ciro D'Antonio and Fabio De Virgilio, identified in photos published in Italian media, all deny rape, claiming the sex was consensual. The court heard the gang of workers were caught by police after sharing sick videos of the attack on a Whats App group. Raffaele Regio (pictured) is also charged with rape at the Italian seaside resort of Meta di Sorrento, south of Naples Prosecutors say the victim was taken to a room close to the swimming pool where she was raped several times by the men before stumbling back to her room at the Hotel Alimuri. She was on holiday with her daughter to get over the recent death of her husband and was so shocked she didn't tell police what happened until she returned home to Kent. The woman reported the attack to police in Kent when she returned and DNA samples and drug tests were sent to Italian investigators. They revealed a high level of date rape drug GHB but lawyers for the five defendants claim the victim was on tranquillisers following the death of her husband. Speaking in court last month, the victim's daughter broke down in tears as she revealed she believed her drink too was spiked. She said: 'My mum seemed distant and far away. She broke down in tears at the airport as we were leaving and told me everything that happened. Fabio De Virgilio (left) and Davide Gennaro Gargiulo (right) have been accused of raping a 50-year-old British woman at hotel where they worked with their co-accused '[The night of the attack] We had dinner at the hotel restaurant and shared a bottle of wine. We were with another couple of holidaymakers. 'The staff at the restaurant were very polite. Then one of the barmen offered my mother and I drink in some shot glasses. 'One of them had a tattoo on his neck. They invited us to the bar for a drink after we finished our dinner. 'I remember having a drink and then almost immediately feeling sick. I went to the toilet and threw up. I was there for a while and when I came back my mum had disappeared.' The five men deny the charges against them. The trial continues. Russian officials have brought charges against four companies in the Far East which have been keeping about 100 whales in small, crowded pools that environmentalists have dubbed a 'whale prison'. The companies have previously been fined for illegal capture and have a history of selling the animals to amusement parks abroad. The Border Guards Department said it suspects the four companies captured these whales illegally. Scroll down for video. This photo was taken in January by activist group Free Russian Whales and shows a whale in a marine containment facility in Srednyaya Bay, near Vladivostok Another photograph released by Free Russian Whales shows more of the captured creatures in the containment facility in Srednyaya Bay It also confirmed the environmentalists' claims that the belugas and orcas are kept in cramped conditions in a marine containment facility in Srednyaya Bay, near Vladivostok, and that they need to be released. The border guards did not specify when that will happen. The guards appear to be taking a cue from President Vladimir Putin, who last week ordered authorities to investigate the case and release the animals. Whales are worth a fortune on the black market, up to 4.6million each, and activists believe they were captured for sale to amusements parks in China. Russian law only allows for the capture of whales for scientific purposes. Greenpeace activists in Moscow have been protesting the 'whale prison' in the Far East. The placard reads: 'Freedom to orcas and white wales' As many as 90 belugas and 12 orcas were originally reported to have been kept in the containment facility. A single whale could sell for as much as 4.6million on the black market Activists raised the alarm late last year when the whales were captured off the Pacific Coast. As many as 90 belugas and 12 orcas were originally reported to have been kept in a marine containment facility in Srednyaya Bay, near Vladivostok, but local prosecutors said three belugas appear to have escaped. Environmentalists also reported the disappearance of one orca earlier in February. The whales are kept at one location off the Pacific Coast but are owned by four separate companies. Company records and court filings indicate that they are connected. In an interview with Russian state TV last year, a representative for the facility rejected reports of poor treatment of the animals. One of the companies unsuccessfully sued the Federal Fishery Agency in 2017 over its refusal to issue it a quota for capturing unidentified marine mammals. The 2017 ruling shows the company had a standing contract with a company in China's north east and that the company was unable to prove that the whales would be kept in good conditions and used for educational purposes. The city of Weihai in Shandong province hosts an ocean amusement park. The charges come after footage emerged showing a crane lifting one of the whales out of a tank at a fenced off facility near the city of Nakhodka - on Russia's Pacific Coast and not far from the Chinese border. The Russian Border Guards Department confirmed the environmentalists' claims that the belugas and orcas are kept in cramped conditions in a marine containment facility in Srednyaya Bay, near Vladivostok, and that they need to be released but didn't specify when According to the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, some of the animals have been at the crowded enclosures since July while local media claim the footage suggests preparations were being made for sending them to another destination According to the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, some of the animals have been at the compound since July while local media claim the footage suggests preparations were being made for sending them to another destination. Novaya Gazeta's report said the four companies renting enclosures at the facility exported as many as 13 orcas across the nearby boarder to China between 2013 and 2016. 'The scale of what is happening here is shocking,' said campaigning journalist Masha Netrebenko. From the air 'we saw that there are loads of white (Beluga) whales in enclosures built in the water. 'The helicopter couldn't go very low - because when it was less than 100 metres above the ground, it was entirely loosing control. 'Apparently these businessmen are so prepared that they even installed jammers. But the picture I have seen has deeply shaken me.' Ms Netrebenko claimed that nearby there is also a facility trading in seals. The four companies reportedly involved in the 'whale jail' had permission to catch 13 orcas this year. But prosecutors in Vladivostok believe this was based on catching the animals for conservation or educational purposes. Checks are also underway on the legality of the tanks where the whales - many of them infants - are held. Capturing such young whales is banned. Novaya Gazeta alleged this is the largest number of sea creatures ever to be held in such small temporary enclosures. China is reported to have some 60 marine theme parks with another 12 under construction. Greenpeace has described such enclosure facilities as 'torture' for orcas (file picture) This summer the Russian prosector general's office called on the Interior Ministry to launch a fraud probe on the capture and sale to China of seven orca whales between 2012-15. There are also claims of a scam by which whales are loaned rather than sold to evade tough environmental laws. Greenpeace Russia described the conditions shown here as 'torture'. The campaigning organisation's research coordinator Oganes Targulyan was quoted as saying: 'Catching them at this tempo, we risk losing our entire orca population.' He stressed that 'the capture quota now is 13 animals a year, but no one is taking into account that at least one orca is killed for every one that is caught.' There is high security around the 'whale jail'. One photographer Nina Zyryanova said she had her camera taken and its memory card stolen on Saturday as she investigated the site. Netrebenko said: 'I have seen orcas, white whales and whales in the ocean many times and can be confident that only the ocean can be their home, not these tiny enclosures where intelligent creatures are stuffed like fish in a tin. 'I don't know who you need to be to put them here and . to allow trading them as soulless pieces of meat'. She claimed the trade was for 'big money' and is a 'profitable business tied to people particularly close [to the Kremlin]'. However exact links to high places in Russia are unclear. She said orcas are 'the only living creatures apart from humans' with such strong family instincts. 'Orcas also feel very strongly about each other and can even die from sadness if something happens to a member of their family.' Benjamin Sherbrooke Roberts, 41, is pictured at Flintshire Magistrates' Court yesterday The boss of a gold mine supplying the Royal Family was caught drink-driving and speeding in his Porsche because he was late for dinner on Christmas Day. Benjamin Sherbrooke Roberts, 41, is the managing director of Clogau Gold of Wales - the mine which has supplied gold for royal wedding rings including for Meghan, Duchess of Sussex last May. But a court heard Roberts was pulled over when he was spotted driving at 95mph on a 70mph limit road to get to Chester Racecourse where he was having Christmas dinner with his family. Roberts, who lives in an 800,000 five-bedroom house in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, was over the drink drive limit as he raced along the A55 in Broughton. He had initially pleaded not guilty to speeding and drink-driving but changed his plea at Flintshire Magistrates' Court yesterday and was sentenced. A previous hearing was told a police motorcylist had followed Roberts's car and carried out a breathalyser test. Roberts was found to have had a breath-alcohol count of 43 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg per 100ml. The Clogau gold mine in Bontddu, North Wales, traditionally supplies gold rings to royals Craig McGregor, defending, said: 'This was Christmas Day and the roads were quiet. It was just before lunchtime and he was running a bit late to spend some time with his children. 'In a nutshell, the roads were quiet, he was speeding, and he was just over the drink drive limit.' Roberts was banned from driving for one year and fined 1,700. He was also been ordered to pay 600 costs and a 50 surcharge. Deputy District Judge Marting Jackson told him: 'To say the roads were quiet is no excuse for speeding, even if you were late for your lunch.' The historic Clogau mine traditionally supplies gold rings to the Royal Family, with Prince Harry's wife carrying on a century-long tradition by wearing one. The mine has supplied gold for royal wedding rings for nearly 100 years - including for Meghan, Duchess of Sussex - who is pictured after her marriage in Windsor on May 19 last year The first royal bride to wear a Clogau ring was Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 1923, who married George VI at Westminster Abbey on April 26 that year. The gold has also been used by the likes of the Queen, Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge. The jeweller revealed last August that up to 30 new jobs were created in its stores in both Wales and Merseyside thanks to the Meghan effect helping their sales soar. Gold was found at the Clogau St David's mine in 1854 and it was at the forefront of a 'rush' in the Dolgellau area in 1862. It has since closed and reopened several times. One of Britain's most famous interior designers who has worked for Elizabeth Taylor and King Hussein of Jordan is facing a police probe after a tree fell on a car in the grounds of her 8million estate and crushed a soldier to death. Saxon Bowes-Crick, 46, was killed while he and four friends drove along a road in Egham, Surrey, by the grounds of Tessa Kennedy's Runnymede estate near Egham. The large tree crashed onto the silver Lexus as it cruised along the A308, en route to Windsor, on February 17. Ms Kennedy, 80, who has also worked for on designs for The Ritz and Claridge's in London, said the tree was Surrey County Council's responsibility and was recently 'declared safe' after an inspection. Tessa Kennedy, 80, left, is facing a police probe over the death of soldier Saxon Bowes-Crick, 46, right, after he was crushed to death by a tree that fell from the grounds of her estate in Surrey while he was driving along the A308 Ms Kennedy, pictured with Dame Joan Collins, is one of the most famous interior designers in Britain and has worked for celebrities including Mick Jagger and Elizabeth Taylor as well as King Hussein of Jordan She told the Evening Standard: 'I wasn't home when it happened. The council had been down to cut the branches off the tree a couple of years ago. It should have been safe. They had dealt with it but unfortunately it fell down.' But the council claim the tree was on private land and thus maintenance was down to Ms Kennedy. A spokesman said: 'This was a tragic incident. The tree was on private land and the police are leading the investigation.' Surrey Police is investigating but would not confirm whether Ms Kennedy has been questioned. The force is appealing for anyone who saw the tree before the incident to come forward and said inquiries will involve speaking to surrounding homeowners. No arrests have been made. The mother-of-five designer has lived a glamorous life and caused a stir among society in the 1950s when eloping against her father's wishes aged 18 with painter Dominick Elwes, who was 26. Her father Geoffrey obtained a restraining order preventing them from marrying in England or Wales, causing them to go to Cuba where they had a civil ceremony in Havana at a hotel owned by notorious gangster Meyer Lansky. Pictured: The scene of the fatal crash on the A308. Ms Kennedy claims Surrey Council is responsible for the tree, and that it had previously passed a safety inspection They later fled the country after Fidel Castro's revolution and legally wed in New York, before returning to England where Elwes was initially arrested and temporarily jailed for contempt of court. She had three sons with Elwes, including actor and star of The Princess Bride Cary Elwes, before divorcing him and remarrying Hollywood producer Elliott Kastner, with whom she had a son and a daughter before his death in 2010. Mr Elwes, a friend of Lord Lucan's, killed himself with an overdose around six years after the couple divorced. After studying at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts school in Paris, Ms Kennedy began working as a designer in London in the 1960s with clients including Eric Clapton and Mick Jagger. She launched her own firm in 1986 and has won several awards. In 2014 she left her 20million home in Knightsbridge and auctioned off furniture and ornaments collected from around the world at Christie's, raising tens of thousands of pounds. She then retired and moved to Runnymede. Ms Kennedy became a famous interior designer during the 1960s and 70s, pictured, and worked with foreign royals as well as London hotels including The Ritz and Claridge's She was also well known for eloping to Cuba with first husband Dominick Elwes, pictured with her, when she was just 18 and he was 26 after her father said he did not want them marrying Tributes have been paid to Mr Bowes-Crick and his family have set up a memorial page for him on Facebook. Family member Emma Bowes-Crick said: 'All great journeys must come to an end and even for the indomitable Saxon. 'You've travelled far and touched so many lives along the way. Your adventures will never be forgotten.' She added: 'Saxon was killed instantly by a tree that fell on the car he was a passenger in. There was no pain, fear or suffering.' Dozens of people responded with fond memories of Mr Bowes-Crick. Mark Bolam said: 'I'm just in shock. The world has lost a hell of a man. Christ we had some good times together, one of the most honest people I've ever met.' Julie Williams added: 'Very sad news, such a lovely, sweet-natured guy. 'I only worked with Saxon for a couple of weeks in Norway but he seemed like quite a unique guy.' A World War II veteran who wished for 100 cards to help him celebrate his 100th birthday has been inundated with 'mountains of cards and gifts' from wellwishers. Joe Cuba, 99, has received over 10,000 early birthday presents from all across the world at his assisted living home in Wichita, Texas. The former solider's daughter had asked staff for help to make his March 2 birthday an extra special day, but 'didn't expect the reaction' they got. 99-year-old Joe Cuba inspects one day's delivery of cards and gifts to his Wichita, TX assisted living home. The war veteran has now reached a total of 10,000 and staff expect the final total to be five times as many A picture of Joe was posted online holding a card which said: 'I'm a WW2 veteran who will be turning 100 on March 2 2019. I would like to receive 100 birthday cards.' The heartwarming picture received more than 215 likes, shares and comments - but Joe was amazed when the postman delivered 500 cards within just three days. Photos of Joe sat among stacks of cards have drawn significant attention to the nonagenarian, who has now received more than 10,000 cards and gifts. The veteran, who is nicknamed 'GI Joe', is over the moon with the lovely messages. Birthday wish: Stephanie Veitenheimer, who works in Joe's care home, helped launch his appeal by taking a photo of him asking for 100 cards. News soon spreads and Joe appears in a local newspaper The World War II veteran receives a certificate from the State of Texas' House of Representatives as his birthday celebrations begin to pick up steam 'I really didn't expect all the cards. I got a whole bunch of them - and I couldn't thank everyone enough,' Joe told BBC News. Staff estimate that the veteran may receive around 50,000 cards and gifts by the time he reaches his centurial birthday. Jarvis Polvado, executive director at Brookdale Midwestern, said: 'We're over the moon. It's one of those where we are just blown away by the response locally and internationally. 'I expected to have stuff come from our local veterans and things like that, but he's getting phone calls, cards and gifts from veterans and people all over the world. It's unbelievable. It's crazy. Joe was surprised when he received 500 cards within three days of his social media post, not yet knowing that the postman's deliveries would become significantly bigger with each day Wellwishers have sent Joe flags, hats, shirts, flowers, a state flag that flew over Austin, Texas and plenty of chocolate 'The one thing that is amazing about Joe is that he is a very humble person... He just said, I can't thank people enough for doing this for me. 'He never expected anything like this. He's very humbled by it and very appreciative. One of the things he says is 'I just can't thank them enough'. It's awesome. 'We estimate he's got more than 10,000 - and the mail hasn't come yet today.. That's not counting the hundred or so gifts that have come too. 'I would say that by the time his birthday is over with, he will probably have gotten about 50,000 cards probably. It may have slowed down, but I don't think it will lose steam any time soon. At 47 cents per stamp (First class), the United States Postal Service could make $23,500 in revenue from Joe expected birthday gift deliveries Joe said that he likes to share his gifts with the other retirees in his community of 42 apartments and wouldn't want to keep all the attention to himself 'I asked Joe if he was going to read them all and he joked he hopes he lives long enough to.' Kind strangers touched by Joe's birthday request even sent in thoughtful gifts, including American flags, caps, shirts, flowers, a state flag flown over Austin, Texas - and plenty of chocolate. But Joe is sharing the donations with other veterans who also live in the same assisted living community to allow them to enjoy the attention too. Joe and his family will celebrate his 100th birthday with a party and have no idea how many people may turn up to join in the festivities. Boxes of cards and gifts overrun an apartment that has been set aside to hold the large deliveries that continue to arrive at Brookdale Midwestern community in Wichita Beginning the long and very enjoyable task of reading every birthday, Joe jokes that he hopes he'll live long enough to get through all of the expected 50,000 cards 'His daughter comes to see him every day and helps to take care of him. She is just ecstatic. She's so appreciative,' said Jarvis. 'Mr Cuba shares as much as he can with the other veterans that are here. 'His daughter wants to make sure that they feel recognised as well. She's humbled by the whole thing and is really appreciative, amazed, floored. So many things you could say about it. 'He's so excited for his birthday. There's a local group that is throwing him a birthday party on Saturday. 'We're a small assisted living community so we have 42 apartments altogether and we're expecting between 100 to 200 visitors on Saturday to come through and see Joe. 'It may be more than that. I'm not sure.' President Donald Trump's strategy of wooing North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un with repeated pronouncements of their 'special' bond wasn't able to secure the joint statement the administration was planning for Thursday. Although the president and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described the outlines of what could have been a potential lifting of sanctions in exchange for North Korean denuclearization, the deal wasn't meant to be at least for now. 'Unfortunately, we didnt get all the way that ultimately made sense for the United States of America,' Pompeo said while standing alongside Trump at a press conference that was abruptly moved forward after summit talks were cut short and a planned luncheon complete with a floral centerpiece was never served. Trump said Thursday 'theres a warmth that we have,' describing his bond with Kim Jong Un. But hopes of a joint statement collapsed Thursday But according to Pompeo, despite a first meeting in Singapore and a follow up in Hanoi, the two sides were on the same page. 'I think chairman Kim was hopeful that we would. We asked him to do more. He was unprepared to do that, but Im optimistic,' Pompeo said. The summit and the run-up to the second Trump-Kim meeting was punctuated with the president's repeated attestations of how well the two got along, in what appeared to be a form of personal diplomacy and flattery meant to reassure the dictator despite years of mistrust and bellicose rhetoric. But things broke down over the substance of North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile program. A planned lunch that was decked out with a floral centerpiece and printed menus inside cloth napkins Thursday never happened. 'I want to keep the relationship, and we will keep the relationship. Well see what happens over the next period of time. But as you know weve got our hostages back. Theres no more testing,' Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity, who flew to Hanoi and attended the press conference. Trump pointed to his trust in Kim when he provided an assurance his regime wouldn't set off more nuclear or missile tests that during another stage of their relationship led Trump to mock him as 'rocket man.' Trump peviously said they fell 'in love' at their Singapore summit. EYE TO EYE? Kim wanted total sanctions relief, but wasn't willing to totally relinquish nukes and missiles to make a deal work Summit day two: North Korea released this picture of Trump shaking hands with dictator Kim Jong Un on the first day of their talks in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Wednesday 'Unfortunately, we didnt get all the way that ultimately made sense for the United States of America,' Secretary of State Pompeo said At one point after their first meeting Wednesday, the two men took a stroll by the hotel pool, with photographers ready to capture the moment 'And one of the things importantly that chairman Kim promised me last night is regardless hes not going to do testing of rockets and nuclear not going to do testing. So, you know, I trust him, and I take him at his word. I hope thats true. But in the meantime well be talking,' Trump said. He explained: 'We you know, theres a warmth that we have and I hope that stays. I think it will. But were positioned to do something very special.' Nevertheless, Trump said in some circumstances you need to walk away. 'Sometimes you have to walk. And this was just one of those times,' Trump told reporters as he prepared to leave Kim behind and fly home to Washington. Kim announced plans to linger in Vietnam through Saturday, state media reported this week, with speculation he might travel to visit the picturesque sites at Halong Bay. Asked what the atmosphere was like when he walked out, Trump said: 'I think the relationship was very warm, and when we walked away it was a very friendly walk.' Trump's faith in his friend even extended to the fate of Otto Warmbier, the late college student who Trump and his aides helped rescue from the grips of North Korea, where he was imprisoned, only to have him die shortly after his return to the U.S. in a coma. Trump and Jong Un smile during a meeting at the second US-North Korea summit at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi 'And some really bad things happened to Otto, some really, really bad things. He tells me that he didnt know about it, and I will take him at his word,' Trump said of Kim, who maintains a tight grip on power in Pyongyang. On Wednesday, as the summit began and the two men met for their second meal, Trump also lauded their bond, using a term usually associated with the U.S.-British alliance. 'So were going to have a very busy day tomorrow, and well probably have a pretty quick dinner and a lot of things are going to be solved, I hope. And I think itll lead to wonderful it will lead to, really, a wonderful situation long term. And our relationship is a very special relationship,' Trump said. A company in China has allowed its employees to take leave when they are 'in a bad mood'. Staff at the theme park in eastern China don't need to give elaborate excuses to stay at home for the day; they simply need to tell their boss 'I feel low'. Each worker is entitled to one paid holiday per month to relax and feel better. Feeling moody? Take the day: Staff at a company in Changzhou, eastern China, have been entitled one day each month to stay at home and snap out of their bad mood (file photo) The company in Changzhou, called China Dinosaurs Park, has been issuing 'bad mood leave' for three years, and the policy aims to help employees work more happily and efficiently, according to the company's spokesperson Chen Qingcheng. Mr Chen, who runs the company's workers union, told Chinese video site Pear that workers would often need to deal with unreasonable customers in the park, and sometimes these customers would leave them feel sad and wronged; therefore, the leave policy could 'show the company's support and love towards our staff'. At the beginning staff were allowed to take a short break from their post to adjust their mood, but later on the park decided to give them one day a month to cope with stress, the spokesperson said. Not many workers have actually taken the 'bad mood leave', according to Mr Chen. He then added: 'Only when the employees feel happy can they pass on their happiness to our visitors.' The firm, China Dinosaurs Park (pictured), has been issuing 'bad mood leave' for three years The policy has been praised by internet users in China who have shown envy towards the company's staff for the benefit. One top-rated comment on Twitter-like Weibo said: '[The policy] is so humane. I am jealous.' Another user wrote: 'How can I let my boss read this piece of news by accident?' A third person joked: 'Boss, I suddenly feel very moody.' The state-run Workers Daily, however, has questioned the purpose of the 'bad mood leave'. In a commentary, the newspaper claimed that the company's leave policy worked as a marketing stunt more than a useful solution for workers. The article challenged: 'For those employees who can't manage their mood well, the "bad mood leave" wouldn't always be useful. Some workers could feel bad because of a sick family member or an accident, and before the issue gets resolved, it would be hard for them to feel like working.' The writer urged companies in China to provide practical help to their stressed workers rather than just issuing paid holidays. Meanwhile, some Chinese firms have started giving their single employees 'dating leave' The news comes after two Chinese companies reportedly started giving their single employees 'dating leave' last month to help them find their life partner. One of the firms, a middle school in Hangzhou, permitted unmarried teachers two half-days every month to go on dates. While the other firm, a theme park, gave all single female employees a 15-day spring break - instead of seven days for other employees - to look for Mr. Right. The company also claimed it would give any female employees who manage to get married by the end of this year a double year-end bonus. China's state-run Xinhua News Agency called the 'dating leave' a modern and creative way to manage human resources. An expert safe cracker police believe robbed Kerry Packer of $5.4 million of gold bullion was the slipperiest thief the cops tailing him had ever faced. The master criminal known as 'Mr X' pulled off the brazen heist on the last weekend of April 1995 from a hidden safe inside the media mogul's Sydney HQ. Mr X was so good that, though police knew it had to be him, he never gave them an inch despite hundreds of hours of surveillance. He was never even arrested. Scroll down for video An expert safe cracker robbed Kerry Packer of $5.4 million of gold bullion from a hidden safe in his Sydney HQ in April 1995 With exemplary skill he burned straight through the old 1940s Chubb safe (similar model pictured) in what experts suspect was no more than 10 minutes 'He was one of the best crooks I've ever, ever had to work on,' retired Sergeant John Jungblut told documentary Australian Crime Stories, broadcast for the first time on Thursday. Despite making off with a fortune, there were no spending sprees and Mr X was spotted 15 years later driving the same beaten up Ford Falcon ute. 'It's always the crooks that you don't hear of that are the much better crooks. They're not caught and they're not convicted,' Senior Sergeant Paul Watson said. Detectives only came face-to-face with Mr X once when they got sick of him leading them on wild goose chases in his car and decided to pull him over to 'rattle his cage'. Sergeant Jungblut stopped the suspect by the side of the road and tried to get him to give something away. 'I had a conversation with him. He was very guarded. Didn't say anything. I just happened to say to him, "well, Mr X, have a happy Christmas. We might be talking to you later",' he recalled. Mr X was so good that though police knew it had to be him, he never gave them an inch through hundreds of hours of surveillance and was never arrested (1970s mugshot pictured) Mr X had not been arrested since the 1970s, through bad luck when he was unknowingly in the background of an incriminating photo 'And he looked at me and said "that's up to you whether I have a happy Christmas or not". And sort of looked at me, and straight away I knew he was letting me know that I knew that it was him. 'That's as close as I got, because he just suddenly went quiet. The phone conversations stopped. Everything stopped. 'I suppose he got even more paranoid. And he just ceased all activity.' Soon after, the case was shut down and to this day remains unsolved. Mr X, police believe, strolled into Mr Packer's Australian Consolidated Press building at 54 Park Street and jimmied open two doors with a crowbar or screwdriver. He encountered no resistance up to that point because all the security guards famously spent the night shift working out or playing squash at the Hyde Park Club next door. From there, Mr X entered Mr Packer's office and went straight to the safe hidden in a drinks cabinet, knowing exactly where to look. With exemplary skill he burned straight through the 1940s Chubb safe in what experts suspect was no more than 10 minutes. 'It was a very neat cut and very targeted. It had hit exactly the right spot within that safe to affect entry in a minimal manner,' Mr Watson said. Sergeant John Jungblut recalled the only time police came face-to-face with Mr X was when they got sick of him leading them on wild goose chases in his car and decided to pull him over to 'rattle his cage' 'It's always the crooks that you don't hear of that are the much better crooks. They're not caught and they're not convicted,' Senior Sergeant Paul Watson (pictured) said The only sign that the safe had been robbed was a small burn mark from when a charred piece of metal burned away and hit the blood-red carpet. Mr X was originally thought to have used a thermal lance, but expert Mark Irvine, who examined the safe in 1995, believes it had to be a small torch powered by burning oxyacetylene gas. He then had to empty 283kg of gold bars out of the safe and make off with them single-handedly. Police believe he did this by wheeling them on a hand cart to a nearby service lift that led to a loading dock where only Mr Packer parked and was empty on weekends. He then loaded them in to the back of his trusty white ute and simply drove away. Detectives initially thought it must have been an inside job as there was too much he would have needed to know without an inside man. They believe he was sleeping with Mr Packer's longtime former secretary Pat Wheatley, who lived near his $1million flat in Woollahra, in Sydney's east. Ms Wheatley either let slip the details of the gold safe in pillow talk, or deliberately told him to get revenge for being sacked after 18 years when her drinking problem was discovered. Police believe Mr X learned about the gold through sleeping with Mr Packer's longtime former secretary Pat Wheatley (pictured) who lived near him The former political staffer was so good at keeping her boss' secrets she gave nothing away when questioned by police - always with her lawyer Malcolm Turnbull (above) by her side. Turnbull would go on to become Australia's 29th prime minister. The former political staffer was so good at keeping her boss' secrets she gave nothing away when questioned by police. She always talked to them alongside her lawyer Malcolm Turnbull, who would two decades later become Australia's 29th prime minister. Mr X's skill was the reason police gravitated towards him in the first place - he was 'one of the top three in the country' and one of few who could pull off the heist. But with no physical evidence, it would be all down to Mr X slipping up and incriminating himself - but he was too smart and careful for that. 'When we eventually did a search of his unit, we found that he entered through the back kitchen door. The kitchen door was at the back,' Mr Jungblut said. 'The only rooms he used were the kitchen, the lounge room, where he used to sit and the bedroom. And he had a gym, a work bench and some weights in one of the rooms. The other rooms he didn't use. 'He sat on the one part of the lounge and a coffee table in front of him where the phone was and he would ring up people and you could hear him say: "I'm at Hornsby now" or "I'm at Sutherland".' 'Or "I'm presently doing this or doing that", and he would sit in the lounge room.' When they tried to follow him, Mr X would lead police on a merry chase over half of Sydney, just so he could use a pay phone. Mr X, police believe, strolled into the Australian Consolidated Press building at 54 Park Street and jimmied open two doors with a crowbar or screwdriver From there, Mr X entered Mr Packer's office and went straight to the safe hidden in a drinks cabinet, knowing exactly where to look Mr X lived in a $1 million flat in Woollahra, in Sydney's east, of which he only used a few rooms and was fanatical about counter-surveillance Mr X had not been arrested since the 1970s, when he was unknowingly in the background of an incriminating photo. He had two other convictions from the previous decade, when he would have been in his 20s and not yet paranoid enough. In 1964 he stole 14,000lbs of cultured pearls from the Japanese Trading Centre in Pitt Street, Sydney, and did two years jail for stealing $41,000 from an ES and A Bank in 1967. By 1995 he was so careful he appeared to not spend Mr Packer's gold - believed to have been melted down and sold in Melbourne - in any way that drew attention. Fifteen years after the crime, Mr Watson spotted him by chance in the Sydney Airport car park getting out of the same ute used in the heist. 'If he'd got his hands on as much gold as we think he did, many years later, his mode of transport hadn't changed, which I found a little surprising,' he said. Mr X sold his flat in 2013 while aged in his 70s and has since disappeared from public and police view. It is unknown if he is dead or alive. The robbery is still officially unsolved, but Mr Packer got back $5 million from his insurance company. Thomas Mason (pictured) bought the boat that was used to try and bring Vietnamese migrants into the UK A people-smuggling gang who tried to sneak migrants into Britain on an inflatable boat have been jailed for a combined total of more than 27 years. Seven smugglers promised four Vietnamese nationals free accommodation and food for their labour when they took them from France across the English Channel. One migrant was left clinging to a strap on the 2,100 rigid hulled inflatable boat to save himself falling into the water and did not even know where he was being taken. Police saw the migrants leaving the boat in Deal, Kent, on August 3 last year and heading towards a getaway van. The boat - bought by gang member Thomas Mason - had made numerous runs across the Channel to prepare for the operation. The smugglers brought in other Vietnamese migrants from France and Belgium between April and August 2018. They were jailed at St Albans Crown Court in Hertfordshire yesterday, where a judge said the operation was a 'professional well organised conspiracy, purely motivated by financial gain', adding that they showed a 'callous disregard for safety'. Migrants 'walked from the sea' in Deal, Kent, and entered a silver Audi when they were stopped by police who had been surveying the smuggling operation Ringleader Nazmi Velia (left) was jailed and Egert Kajaci (right) had his sentencing deferred to next month for his role in the people smuggling operation They were caught following multiple botched attempts at bringing migrants into Britain and all were charged with conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into the UK. Ringleader Nazmi Velia, 32, of St Albans, was given four years and five months behind bars. He ran the gang with Hoa Thi Nguyen, 49, of Walthamstow, east London, who got an eight-year sentence. Thomas Mason, 36, of Eyeworth in Bedfordshire, was a transporter. He got eight years' jail time. The gang used this boat in their botched attempt to smuggle the Vietnamese migrants into Kent, promising them food for labour People smuggler Thomas Mason, 36, had purchased a RHIB (pictured on a failed test run from Whitstable) - rigid-hulled inflatable boat - from Exmouth, Devon for 2,100 cash on June 26 Egert Kajaci, 35, of Oxford, played the same role, but his sentencing was deferred to next month. The court heard Erald Gapi, 27, Chi Tan Huynh, 41, and Wayne Lee, 47 played a 'significant role' in the smuggling. Gapi, of Deptford, south-east London, got one year and nine months. Huynh, of Islington, north London, was sentenced to two and a half years while Lee, of Abbots Langley, Herts, got two years. The speedboat pilot had launched the boat from the Kent coast over the next few weeks 'to test the capabilities of the boat, negotiate and familiarise themselves with the Dover Straits' On July 13, the boat was taken out to sea from Whitstable at 8.30pm and returned the next morning at 5.17am (Pictured on its return) An eighth gang member - Patrick Ward, 33, of Hitchin, Hertforshire, was prosecuted in France for assisting the entry and movement of irregular foreign nationals. He was given a six-month suspended prison sentence, fined 2,000 and banned from entering France for three years. The convictions came after an investigation by detectives at the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit, a joint-policing team which tackles organised crime. Detective Inspector Trevor Davidson, who led the investigation for the unit, said: 'This was a complex investigation which came about following intelligence that an organised crime group were using a speedboat to bring migrants from Europe to England. 'We set up a surveillance operation and witnessed a number of failed attempts by the group to bring people across, before officers caught them landing in Walmer in August with four migrants. 'Not only was the operation highly illegal, the group were putting the lives of the migrants at risk, forcing them to travel without life jackets in a tiny boat across the Channel at night, for their own financial gain. 'We are pleased that justice has been done today but we know that there is more to be done, which is why we continue to work closely with our Border Force colleagues to tackle organised immigration crime.' Jussie Smollett spoke in June 2018 about the pressure of Hollywood and how he was 'about to break'. He is shown on Empire Jussie Smollett spoke about the pressures of Hollywood and warned 'I'm about to break' in an interview seven months before allegedly staging a hoax attack in an apparent attempt to get a raise at work. The actor spoke to Billboard in June 2018 to give young actors mental health advice. Smollett, who maintains he did not make up the attack and insists he is the true victim of a crime despite police allegations to the contrary, told the website that he stays 'healthy' by 'admitting things'. He warned actors not to 'bend' and said: 'I wish I had something really deep to say but Im in my 30s and Im trying my best to learn that I cant bend anymore. Im about to break.' The Empire star added: 'Im trying to be as honest as I can. Im not really good at that. Im trying to come up with a good answer but Im not good at that. 'Im not good at it yet, and I know the way I stay mentally healthy is by admitting things. I admit that Im jealous, I admit that Im insecure and that Im not good at certain things. Im getting better at it.' He said that he didn't 'believe in happiness' but instead strives to live in a constant state of 'joy'. 'For me, its about finding the joy in what we do. I dont believe in happiness because I feel like happiness is an emotion that can be taken away. Smollett is accused of paying brothers Abel and Ola Osundairo (right) for allegedly attacking him on January 29 'Joy is something that lives deep inside of you. 'Thats why I find joy in my sadness, frustration, love, hate, excitement, whatever emotion Im feeling at that moment -- joy is always there.' Smollett is awaiting his first appearance on a single felony count of filing a false police report. Police say he paid brothers Abel and Ola Osundairo to attack him on January 29 in what was billed as a hate crime. Smollett told Chicago police officers that his attackers, who were masked and whose faces he could not see, called him a 'f****t', a 'n****r' and shouted: 'This is MAGA country!' British backpackers who were sexually harassed and forced to work long hours in oppressive conditions have laid bare the sleazy underbelly of Australian farm work in a new documentary. The federal Government requires young travellers who want to extend their Working Holiday Visa for an extra year to spend 88 days working in regional areas. They are frequently exploited by farmers and contractors looking for cheap labour and made to endure harsh conditions just to qualify for an extra year in Australia. Backpackers like Mia Ayliffe-Chung, who was stabbed to death in a Queensland hostel in 2016, and Belgian Olivier Max Caramin, 27, who died of heatstroke while working on a watermelon farm in 2017, are the extreme examples of the human cost of the tough farm work. Katherine Stoner (pictured), who was 18 when she jetted off to Australia, endured bizarre physical and sexual taunts while working on the production line of a regional farm British documentary maker Katherine Stoner, who was 18 when she jetted off to Australia, endured physical and sexual taunts during her time on a farm. She has now hit back with her documentary '88 Days', which exposes the dark side of backpacking agricultural work. Ms Stoner, who said she was smacked on the bottom by a farmer and told to perform her duties naked, quickly realised she was not alone. She heard multiple stories from other travellers, begun investigating, and made the documentary to expose the shocking conditions and scale of the typically unreported problem. 'We've heard of so many backpackers who have gone through similar experiences - they've heard farmers being racist or verbally abusive,' she told News Corp. 'I have even heard about instances of backpackers being physically assaulted by farmers.' Ms Stoner's documentary, 88 Days, sheds light on the issue by speaking with the family and friends of two backpackers who died in Australia. Pictured: Mia Ayliffe-Chung was brutally stabbed to death in Australian hostel in August 2016 'We've heard of so many backpackers who have gone through similar experiences they've heard farmers being racist or verbally abusive,' Ms Stoner said (pictured: footage from documentary) WORKING HOLIDAY VISAS The working holiday visa (subclass 417) allows young visitors to travel and work in Australia. People under the age of 30 from certain countries, including the UK, Ireland, Canada and some European nations, can apply for the visa. It allows them to stay in Australia for up to a year and work here too - but they can only stay with employers for a maximum of six months. Working holiday visa owners can apply for a second year in Australia, but to do so they must complete 88 days of farm work by the time their first year ends. Advertisement Backpackers have also been forced to live in horrific conditions, despite the allure of an authentic outback experience. Guests at a South Australian hostel claimed there was no drinking water and mice running freely around their room. In Ms Stoner's documentary, she speaks with backpackers who stayed in rural Australia - as well as the family and friends of the two who died while on farm work. A British traveller who worked in Victoria with friends told the documentary that one of the farm managers made a comment about one of the girl's 'camel toe'. They reported the vile comment to the farm's owner but the girl was advised to wear shorts over leggings as he didn't want 'any of his male employees to get in trouble for saying something'. Backpackers have also been forced to live in horrific conditions, despite the allure of an authentic outback experience Ms Stoner quickly realised her story was not unique and decided to make the 88 Days documentary 'And, they (the farm managers) would just make comments about your t*ts and stuff,' the backpacker said, adding that many male farmers were sexist. Rosie Ayliffe, the mother of murdered British backpacker Mia Ayliffe-Chung, also spoke about the daunting reality of a year abroad in Australia in the documentary. Mia, 21, was stabbed to death in August 2016 by a French backpacker at a hostel in Home Hill, south of Townsville in Queensland's northeast. She was working at a Queensland cane field to extend her visa at the time of the violent attack. Rosie Ayliffe (right, the mother of murdered British backpacker Mia Ayliffe-Chung left) has called on the Australian Government to better care for the health and safety of backpackers doing their 88-day farm work Mia (pictured), 21, was stabbed to death in August 2016 by a French backpacker at a hostel in Home Hill, south of Townsville in Queensland's northeast Ms Ayliffe said her daughter's murderer developed an obsession and thought he owned her. Mia tried to move rooms at the hostel but was denied. The grieving mother said she wanted regulation of the working holiday visa to be changed, so her daughter's death would not be in vain. She called on the Australian Government to better care for the health and safety of backpackers doing their 88-day farm work. In the trailer for the documentary, Ms Ayliffe said: 'People started to tell me this was a wider picture and that young people on the 88 days were suffering from all kinds of exploitation and were put in danger and I was horrified because this was a government program'. The documentary also explored the death of Belgian backpacker Olivier Max Caramin. Mr Caramin was in North Queensland just three days before he died of suspected heatstroke while working on a fruit farm near Townsville. Mia (pictured) was working at a QLD cane field to extend her visa at the time of her murder The documentary also explored the death of Belgian backpacker Olivier Max Caramin (pictured) The 27-year-old was picking pumpkins in 30C heat when he collapsed. He was rushed to hospital that afternoon and died the next morning. British backpacker Martin Hand, who worked with Mr Caramin on the day he collapsed, described the scene as 'harrowing'. Shane Roulstone, from the Australian Workers' Union, told the documentary the number of deaths in the agricultural sector was disproportionate to the amount of workers in recent years. Ms Stoner opted for her Australian trip at the age of 18 as she was not yet ready to settle into university studies. She travelled with her best friend and the duo, who were inexperienced in employment, struggled to find work in Sydney. They saw advertisements online for farm and fruit-picking jobs in regional Australia and decided to hop on an train trip to Griffith, northwestern NSW. The pair scored a job working in a field picking peaches with about eight other backpackers, but when the peaches had all been picked the work ran out. Mr Caramin (pictured) had been in North Queensland just three days before he died of suspected heatstroke while working on a fruit farm near Townsville The 27-year-old (pictured) was picking pumpkins in 30 degree heat when he collapsed The boss kept the two best friends around for random tasks like trimming trees but the requests 'started to get really weird', Ms Stoner told New Corp. They were picking peaches alone on a scorching day when their farmer boss suggested they work in the nude. Ms Stoner said the farmer walked away but returned about five minutes later and questioned why they had not started to work naked. The girls did not know how to react and Ms Stoner admitted she was 'really shook up by it'. They got through to the end of the shift and quit the next day. British backpacker Martin Hand (pictured) who worked with Mr Caramin on the day he collapsed described the scene as 'harrowing' Ms Stoner (left with Rosie Ayliffe, right) was picking picking peaches at a farm in Griffith, NSW, when a farmer suggested she work naked The pair hoped the incident was a one-off and decided to look for more farm work but were disappointed by further appalling conditions. Ms Stoner and her friend found a job cleaning garlic on a conveyor belt for 10 hours a day with eight other female backpackers for two weeks. She said they were shouted at by the farmers who urged them to work faster. After a few days, one of the older farmers started tapping one of the girl's bare legs with garlic. He then circled the female backpackers and delivered 'cheeky' smacks on their legs. Ms Stoner said they were to scared to report the incident as they thought it was typical of farm work for backpackers. 88 Days is available to watch online now. Hyundai and Kia have added more than a half-million vehicles to a three-and-a-half-year string of US recalls for engine failures and fires. Three recalls released Thursday by the government add new problems and vehicles to the Korean automakers' list of safety woes, which have brought hundreds of complaints about fires from across the nation. The companies have now recalled nearly 2.4 million vehicles for fire and engine failure problems since September of 2015. They are under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for potentially being slow to fix faulty vehicles. Scroll down for video More than 500,000 Hyundai and Kia vehicles are being recalled following hundreds of complaints of the cars spontaneously catching on fire. The Korean automakers have recalled more than 2.4 million potentially-faulty cars since September 2015. A 2012 Kia Sorento that went up in flames in Orlando last May is pictured In addition to the recalls, the companies are doing a 'product improvement campaign' covering another 3.7 million vehicles to install software that will alert drivers of possible engine failures and send the cars into a reduced-speed 'limp' mode if problems are detected. The largest of three recalls posted on the NHTSA website Thursday covers nearly 379,000 Kia Soul small SUVs from 2012 through 2016 with 1.6-liter engines. Documents show that high exhaust gas temperatures can damage the catalytic converters, which control pollution. That can cause abnormal combustion and damage pistons and connecting rods. A failed connecting rod can pierce the engine block and cause oil leaks that can cause fires. Hyundai and Kia are also recalling 152,000 Tuscon SUVs from 2011 to 2013 and Sportage SUVs from 2011 and 2012 to fix an engine oil pan leak that also can cause fires. Documents show that Kia had been investigating fires in Souls after the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety petitioned the government to look into the fires last year. In November, the automaker couldn't find any safety problem trends but it kept monitoring repair data and found the problem with the catalytic converters. All Souls with 1.6-liter engines made from July 8, 2011 through August 11, 2016 are being recalled. Dealers will replace a computer that prevents the catalytic converter from overheating. They'll also replace the catalytic converter and the engine if they have been damaged. Letters will be mailed to owners starting April 12. In the Tuscon and Sportage recalls, the fix for the oil pan problem is still being developed. Hyundai owners will be notified starting March 29, while Kia owners will get letters starting April 10. The latest government recall announced Thursday affects 2012-2016 Kia Soul crossovers, 2011-2012 Kia Sportage SUVs and 2011-2013 Hyundai Tuscon SUVs (composite file photo) In a letter to legislators mailed Wednesday, the Center for Auto Safety asked for congressional action to hold Hyundai and Kia responsible for failing to repair millions of fire-prone vehicles. The center said the government has more than 300 Hyundai-Kia fire complaints, which is high compared with similar vehicles. Messages were left Thursday seeking comment from Hyundai and Kia officials. A DailyMail.com article published last fall detailed the accounts of several people whose Kias had caught fire. None of them were had models affected by the latest recalls. Susan King was driving along an Interstate 4 in Orlando last May when her white 2012 Kia Sorento suddenly burst into flames. Dramatic video captured the moment another motorist, Meridith Olinger, noticed the fire underneath the car and yelled at King to pull over. 'You've got to pull over!' she yelled repeatedly until King finally pulled over and got out the car. Moments later, the Kia was engulfed in flames. She was not hurt. 'I'm incredibly grateful... she was my angel that day. It was surreal,' King said of Olinger in a statement to WESH. Months later, Lorinda Hixon's 2012 Kia Sorento caught fire just after she pulled off a Los Angeles freeway. 'Thank god, I just say thank god. Thank god I got out of the vehicle and I'm here today,' she told NBC. One San Francisco father told the outlet his young daughters were in the back when his 2012 Hyundai Sonata caught fire. 'My girls were, you know, hysterical. They were terrified,' Jason Tellefsen said. A DailyMail.com article published last fall detailed the accounts of three people whose Kias had caught fire. One of them was Florida resident Susan King, whose car is pictured The Center for Auto Safety claims that the government has more than 300 Hyundai-Kia fire complaints, which is high compared with similar vehicles Documents in the latest round of recalls don't specifically mention any fires or injuries Jason Levine, director of the Center for Auto Safety, told the Associated Press: 'The better-late-than-never recall of Kia Souls hopefully will remedy this fire-causing defect. 'Yet one has to wonder why Kia's initial reaction was to deny the validity of our petition, particularly as there were dozens of reports of fires involving these vehicles all the way back to last summer.' Levine said Kia denied fire problems with the Soul and he questioned why the company is resisting recalls of other vehicles that are prone to fires. In one recall document, NHTSA wrote that it had scheduled a meeting with Hyundai to discuss the fire and engine failure investigation, but the meeting had to be canceled due to the partial government shutdown. The documents don't say whether it has taken place since the shutdown ended. Messages were left for a NHTSA spokeswoman. Documents in the latest round of recalls don't mention whether there have been any fires or injuries. In January, Kia said it had six reports of fires among vehicles being recalled for possible fuel leaks, while Hyundai said it had no fire reports. Neither company had any reports of injuries. Levine has said fire complaints to NHTSA have come from across the country, including a death in Ohio in April of 2017. Authorities have named a six-month-old girl who was allegedly killed by her mother, before the parent threw her other child from a balcony and jumped. Six-month-old Ezlynn Ortega was found in her California home Tuesday suffering a fractured skull and not breathing. Police allege that the girl's mother Tierra Ortega, 24, killed baby Ezlynn, then threw her one-year-old son Jericho off the balcony of their Upland apartment. The parent then jumped off the balcony herself. Ortega and her son survived. When cops arrived to the scene they found baby Ezlynn unresponsive inside the home, believed to be suffering a skull fracture and internal injuries. She was rushed her to a local hospital with head trauma and pronounced dead at 1.30pm, according to the San Bernardino County Coroner's office. Six-month-old Ezlynn Ortega was the baby found unresponsive and not breathing in an Upland, California apartment on Tuesday. Cops discovered the child after her mother Tierra Ortega allegedly threw her other child, Jericho, over a balcony and then jumped herself. Ezlynn was identified by authorities on Wednesay Tierra Ortega seen in her mugshot (left) suffering facial injuries from the fall after reportedly jumping from the balcony. On the right she is pictured on her driver's license Upland Police shared this fundraising poster saying the Ortega family will need financial help following the Tuesday incident to cover Ezlynn's funeral costs and Jericho's medical bills The mother is considered a suspect in her death and the case is being investigated. 'Thats the worst type of situation that we can encounter, when you have a child in that state,' Upland police captain Marcelo Blanco said to KTLA on the baby's state. Police are raising money to cover the expenses of baby Ezlynn's funeral as well as Jericho's medical bills. 'The dad works for waste management in the area, and unfortunately right now he is not at work; he is at the hospital by his sons side, which is where he needs to be. He has to worry now about burying his daughter,' Blanco said. The horrific incident took place at 11.30am on Tuesday and cops were called to the scene after neighbors reported hearing a child screaming and relentlessly crying. A 911 caller said she saw a woman, Ortega, dangling a child over a second-story apartment balcony. She allegedly dropped the toddler, sending her son Jericho flying 12 to 15 feet towards the ground. Once cops arrived to the scene, Ortega then jumped headfirst over the railing towards the ground. Ortega is shown sitting cross-legged outside the apartment building in handcuffs. She was taken to the hospital to be treated for facial injuries then was booked into jail. The balcony where a police officer is standing looking down on her is the same height from which she jumped and allegedly threw the young boy First responders evacuate one-year-old Jericho who was allegedly thrown off a second-story balcony in Upland, California by his mother on Tuesday She survived the fall, suffering injuries to her head and was arrested, facing possible charges of homicide, attempted homicide and child abuse resulting in death. She was a stay-at-home mom and police have not yet established a motive behind the alleged incident. Investigators say there's no history of disturbance calls at the apartment and neighbors reported seeing no issues in the family home. 'She was going through something. Who knows? Only God knows,' neighbor Raul Ramos said to KTLA. The baby's father Robert Ortega is stunned by the attack. 'The father was in as much awe as anybody else that was there, and shocked to even believe that something like this could have happened,' Blanco said. 'This was an absolute shock for him. It was beyond his wildest dreams,' the police captain said to DailyMail.com. The distraught father (above) spoke to police but 'has no idea what led to this,' local police said The little boy Jericho was rushed to Loma Linda University Medical Center and was treated for a broken foot and lacerations to his head. He's currently in stable and fair condition and hospital staff want to run an MRI on him to ensure he doesn't have any head trauma. Upland police say he may be released from the hospital as soon as tomorrow. The captain says Jericho has speedily recovered and is doing 'quite amazing'. 'In looking at him you would never think that what I just described to you happened. He is a happy little boy with a soft cast on his arm eating mashed potatoes and chicken nuggets,' Blanco said to the outlet. A 20-year-old man suspected of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl has been arrested at Los Angeles International Airport while allegedly trying to flee the US, authorities say. Gaoyang 'Gary' Li was taken into custody on Friday whilst 'attempting to return to China', according to a statement released by the Irvine Police Department on Wednesday. Police say Li and the 16-year-old victim were introduced via the Chinese dating app Tan Tan last fall. During their first meeting on September 9, 2018, Li allegedly forced the girl to perform oral sex on him. The victim reported Li to authorities on January 29 after he contacted her again through Tan Tan and threatened to release a video of the alleged assault on social media unless she paid him, the police statement said. Gaoyang 'Gary' Li, a 20-year-old suspect in the sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday as he was 'attempting to return to China', according to a press release from the Irvine Police Department. Li allegedly met the victim through the Chinese dating app Tan Tan and forced her to perform oral sex on him last fall Li was arrested on the University of California Irvine campus - where he is believed to be a student - on February 6 and was released two days later pending further investigation. He was arrested again last week after detectives learned of his plans to leave the country. The suspect is being held on $1million bail at the Orange County Jail. Police say Li is a suspect in another sexual battery case and that there may be additional victims. Anyone who believes they have been a victim or has information pertaining to the case is asked to contact Detective Gavin Hudson at 949-724-7168 or ghudson@cityofirvine.org. A massive 30-feet-deep sinkhole has swallowed up half a road in Tennessee and will cost more than $100,000 to repair. The monster sinkhole appeared on on Greenwell Road in Knox County on Tuesday when the ground gave way and left an enormous 30-feet-wide and 30-feet-deep hole. The ground collapsed following 10 consecutive days of heavy rain in the county where five inches fell on Saturday alone. Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, who is also WWE wrestling star Kane, shared pictures of the colossal sinkhole on Tuesday. 'More damage from the heavy rains and flooding. This sinkhole just opened on Greenwell Rd in Powell,' he captioned his photo, dubbing the hole a 'monster'. A 30-feet-deep sinkhole opened up on Tuesday in Knox County, Tennessee after the area was inundated with 10 consecutive days of heavy rain The giant sinkhole was first reported on Tuesday measuring about five feet wide before it expanded to 30 feet wide on Wednesday A birds-eye view shows just how colossal the sinkhole on Greenwell Road in Knox County was The hole spanned about five feet wide when it was spotted on Tuesday around noon. By Wednesday the sinkhole had expanded and covered half the road, measuring roughly 30 feet by 30 feet. Jim Snowden, the director of public works and engineers in Knox County, said the hole might end just 100 feet above underlying bedrock. By Wednesday crews were starting repairs which could end up costing between $100,000 to $110,000, Snowden said to the Knoxville News Sentinel. Workers tried to plug the hole with about 100 cubic yards of concrete but were halted by yet another deluge of rain. County crews tried to plug the hole with concrete on Wednesday before they were stalled by another deluge of rain. The filling effort continued on Thursday Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs shared pictures and video of the hole-filling effort on Twitter. The repairs are estimated to cost between $100,000 and $110,000 The bits of the hole that weren't filled with concrete were filled with grouting If the concrete is not enough to plug the hole, workers will fill the gap with grouting. By Thursday, officials continued to fill the giant hole and the road could open by the middle of next week. The monster sinkhole on Greenwell Road isn't the only damage which the rains caused in the area. County crews had to tend to five other major road repairs including a collapsed slope in Farragut. Sinkholes are nothing new to Tennessee residents thanks to the state's porous limestone that sits beneath the ground. Intense rain dissolves that rock, creating sinkholes. 'We're still collecting information, but right now we're guessing it'll be in the neighborhood of $35,000 for everything else,' Snowden said. 'Most of that we hope will be reimbursed by emergency grants.' A dog which accidentally shot his owner in New Mexico has been fatally shot by a rancher just weeks later after straying away from his home. Sonny 'Tex' Harold Gilligan was left with a gaping gunshot wound in his back when his 120lb Rottweiler mix named Charlie accidentally stepped on his gun trigger during a hunting trip in October. The 74-year-old suffered three broken ribs, an injured lung and a broken collarbone when the bullet tore through his body in his pickup truck in the middle of the desert near Las Cruces. Charlie, a Rottweiler mix, (left) was fatally shot by a rancher in New Mexico just weeks after he accidentally shot his owner Sonny 'Tex' Harold Gilligan (right) when his paw got caught on a shotgun trigger during a hunting trip He spent two weeks in hospital recovering from his injuries before returning home to Charlie and his two other dogs Cowboy and Scooter. A week later, Gilligan said Charlie and another dog were sadly killed by a rancher. 'Sadly, my dog Charlie got out and I guess a rancher shot him,' Gilligan told the Sun-News. '(Charlie) got shot and so did Cowboy and that's really sad. 'Scooter is still here with me. Charlie would never mean to shoot me, he was such a gentle dog. Cowboy is the mean one, he would've shot me on purpose. He was a little catahoula dog, but he was a mean guy.' Gilligan and his dog Charlie made headlines when it emerged the Rottweiler mix had accidentally shot his owner. Gilligan was left with a gaping gunshot wound in his back when his 120lb Rottweiler mix named Charlie accidentally stepped on his gun trigger during a hunting trip in October He spent two weeks in hospital recovering from his injuries before returning home to Charlie and his two other dogs Cowboy (back) and Scooter (front). A week later, Gilligan said Charlie and Cowboy were sadly killed by a rancher Charlie had been sitting in Gilligan's truck when he slipped and fell onto the weapon, which had been placed on the floorboard below. The dog's paw caught the shotgun trigger and fired. The bullet tore through the driver's seat and into Gilligan's back. Gilligan had his cellphone on him and was able to dial 911. 'I was very fortunate I could get to my phone. The first responders saved my life. If they waited 10 more minutes, I would've died,' he said. 'I lost so much blood. I know I actually passed to the other just before getting to the hospital but they were able to revive me through CPR and bring me back.' Gilligan was airlifted to a hospital in El Paso where he underwent multiple surgeries to repair the bullet's damage. Magnus Sjoberg, 21, a student at University of Tampa, has been arrested in Florida and charged with extortion, promoting sexual performance by a child and stalking A Norwegian man attending University of Tampa has been accused of hacking into a University of Miami students online accounts and illegally obtaining her nude photos and a sex tape as part of a 'sextortion' plot. Magnus Sjoberg, a native of Stavanger, Norway, living in Tampa, Florida, was arrested on Monday afternoon and booked into the Hillsboro County Jail on charges of extortion, promoting sexual performance by a child and stalking. Investigators do not know at this time how Sjoberg was able to access the victims topless images and a recording of the woman having sex as a minor. According to officials, Sjoberg reached out to the University of Miami student on Instagram a total of seven times between May and September 2018. In his first two messages, the 21-year-old Tampa student simply said, 'hello. They went unanswered. Sjoberg's third message to the woman included a photo of her in a bikini. It was accompanied by a text message that read, 'I have more,' according to the charging papers cited by Fox 13. Sjoberg was arrested at his apartment in Tampa, Florida, on Monday afternoon Three days later, the Norwegian national allegedly sent the woman topless photos of herself. Then a week later, he sent the woman a video recording showing her having a sexual intercourse as a teen, according to the documents. Sjoberg allegedly threatened to release the X-rated video unless the Miami student agreed to talk to him. The woman did reply to his message this time, telling him, 'I contacted police. You can go to jail for about five to 10 years for this.' Upon receiving her message, police say Sjoberg deleted his Instagram account. The Norwegian (left and right) is accused of sending a University of Miami student messages on Instagram that included her hacked topless photos When interviewed by police, the victim said she vaguely remembered Sjoberg from her time as a student at a school in his native Norway, but said she did not know how he had obtained her private photos and video. Sjoberg was extradited to Miami on Wednesday to face the charges against him there. His Facebook page indicates that he entered University of Tampa in August 2018, along with his girlfriend of three years. Police in Culver City, California are still searching for the remains of a baby boy investigators believe was stuffed in a suitcase and thrown in the trash by his parents after dying as a result of their neglect. Authorities have charged both Adam Manson, 34, and Kianna Williams, 32, with child abuse, which they believe led to the death of the six-month-old infant named Jacsun whose body may have ended up in a local landfill after being dropped in a dumpster. Detectives filed murder warrants against both parents on Monday. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said Manson and Williams were getting high in a South Los Angeles motel room where they were staying with baby Jacsun on December 31. Adam Manson, 34 (left) and his girlfriend Kianna Williams, 32 (right) have been charged with child abuse that led to the death of their six-month-old baby Jacsun Investigators have been searching for baby Jacsun's body in El Sobrante Landfill (pictured), which is located about 56 miles southeast of Los Angeles 'Detectives have developed reason to believe that Adam Manson and Kianna Williams are responsible for the disappearance and death of their six-month-old son Jacsun,' Culver City Police said in a statement to People Magazine. 'We also believe that after his death, Adam and Kianna discarded Jacsun's body in a dumpster near the Crenshaw Mall in Los Angeles.' Previously the family had been living at Upward Bound House, a family shelter for homeless and struggling families, according to prosecutors. A witness reported seeing baby Jacsun inside a blue 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser in South L.A.'s Hyde Park neighborhood on New Year's Eve around the same time his parents were allegedly spotted breaking into cars on the street, according to KTLA. Detectives suspect the Chrysler was stolen. They found the vehicle on February 8, but Jacsun was no longer inside. Baby Jacsun was last seen laying inside a blue Chrysler PT Cruiser that police say was stolen Manson (left) and Williams (right) were arrested on vehicle theft-related charged on January 3 Manson and Williams were arrested on vehicle theft-related charges on January 3. L.A. County records show Williams pleaded no contest to one count of vehicle theft in connection with her arrest in January and was sentenced to probation and 45 days in jail. Manson pleaded no contest to tampering with a vehicle, vehicle theft and driving on a suspended license and was sentenced to probation before being released from custody on January 8. He was arrested again in early February and is being held without bail, the L.A. Times reported. CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENT Dear Willamette community, Yesterday, in St. Louis, a conference of the global United Methodist Church made the disheartening decision not to embrace full inclusion of LGBTQ members and leaders. Led by conservative delegations, the conference rejected the view, held by the majority of American Methodists, that all should be welcomed in the church. As an Episcopalian who over the years watched my own denomination wrestle with these issues, I grieve for the LGBTQ members of the church, who have endured the pain of these last few days, as delegates debate their humanity. I share their anger and disappointment in the outcome of that debate. As the leader of the oldest Methodist-affiliated educational institution in the West, I want to assure all members of our community that we remain steadfast in our commitment to full inclusion of LGBTQ students, faculty and staff at Willamette. We are not alone in our commitment. The Western Jurisdiction of the UMC, which has appointed LGBTQ leaders at all levels, has committed to full inclusion. Bishop Elaine Stanovsky, the UMC leader in our region and a Willamette trustee, has also issued a stirring statement. Finally, our partners at Claremont School of Theology have affirmed a deep and ardent commitment to continued inclusion. The weeks and months ahead will be challenging for the fifty-year-old idea of a single United Methodist Church, the second largest Protestant denomination in the United States. It is a time when it would be easy for a loosely-affiliated school like Willamette to back away from the UMC and the debate that is tearing it apart, but I think that would be a mistake. Indeed, now is the time that the UMC, its Western Jurisdiction, and especially its many LGBTQ members need us and the other affiliated universities the most, to be the voice for those Wesleyan values that shaped Willamettes own values, that every human being is worthy of respect, dignity and love. Non nobis solum nati sumus, Steve A 28-year-old former MMA fighter who was arrested in December after taking police on a days-long car chase has been found dead in a prison shower, reportedly after taking his own life. Jeremiah Denson was found unresponsive in the shower at the Cass County Jail on the outskirts of Kansas City, Missouri on Monday at 8.30pm. The sheriff has not revealed any details about how he died or how he was found but said his death is an apparent suicide. Jeremiah Denson was found unresponsive in the shower at the Cass County Jail on the outskirts of Kansas City, Missouri on Monday at 8.30pm. His chest tattoo reads 'fear shall conquer no man'. He was arrested in December after a days-long manhunt Denson was taken into custody in December after leading police on a manhunt which lasted five days. He was wanted for stealing cars and burglarizing houses. At the start of the chase, he fled on the highway in one of the stolen cars. He then got out of the vehicle and carried on the chase on foot. Somehow, he was able to evade police including dog teams and helicopters for several days until he was taken into custody. He was charged with burglary, property damage, stealing, domestic assault and failure to appear in court. His bond was set at $50,000, which he had to pay 10 percent cash of to get out. Denson was a popular MMA fighter in Missouri. Friends shared their shock and grief online after his death was announced Friends described Denson as 'full of energy' and said he was like a 'big brother' to his friends It is not clear when his next court date was when he died. Neither the Cass County Sheriff's Office nor the medical examiner responded to DailyMail.com's inquiries on Thursday morning. Denson's family and friends shared their grief on social media. They described him as being 'full of life and energy' and said he acted as a 'big brother' to his friends. Others in the fighting industry credited him for inspiring their careers. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell was involved in a furious bust-up with two senior Labour backbenchers live on television last night after defending the handling of a previous anti-Semitism case. Jeremy Corbyn's right-hand man was caught up in a fiery exchange with Lisa Nandy and Wes Streeting on ITV's Peston over the suspension of his former aide, the Bradford MP Naz Shah in 2016. Mrs Shah, who beat George Galloway for the Bradford West seat at the 2015 election, shared an image on Twitter in August 2014 which called for Israel to be relocated to the US and claimed this would be the 'solution for Israel-Palestine conflict'. She was subsequently suspended from the party, sacked as a parliamentary private secretary to Mr McDonnell and forced to make a grovelling apology. John McDonnell told ITV's Peston the way the party dealt with the 2016 case of Naz Shah, his former aide, was 'a shining example' of how to deal with anti-Semitism But former shadow minister Lisa Nandy (left) said that Mrs Shah was only suspended after pressure from Labour MPs on Jeremy Corbyn's reluctant top team Mr McDonnell tried to claim on Wednesday night that the way she was dealt with was 'a shining example' of how to deal with anti-Semitism and that he had deal with it himself. But Wigan MP Ms Nandy, who was shadow energy minister at the time, said this was 'not true'. In heated exchanges broadcast live online she told the shadow chancellor: 'I was in the shadow cabinet and I was trying to get answers out of the leader's office. 'I was live on telly being asked questions about it - it had been going on at that point for 24 hours and no action had been taken and the official line coming out of the party was 'we will draw a line on it'. 'And that changed under pressure from the shadow cabinet and members of the PLP (Parliamentary Labour Party).' Mr McDonnell replied: 'No you're wrong, I took that decision.' The row later spilled onto Twitter when Mr McDonnell's former advisor James Mills pitched in, saying: 'I was with John when this decision was taken - he's telling the truth. 'I like Wes & Lisa, so nothing personal at all, they just don't have all the details on this specific case.' Ms Nandy replied: 'The fact we're still not telling the truth about this is desperate. A decision was taken not to act. 'After sustained pressure it was reluctantly reversed. It matters because three years later it's still happening.' The Labour trio were on Peston to discuss the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn ally Chris Williamson after footage in which he said the party was 'too apologetic' about anti-Semitism sparked widespread fury. Mr Wiulliamson has brazenly insisted 'there is no evidence against me' after Labour finally bowed to enormous pressure to suspend him during a furious row over anti-Semitism. The Derby North MP, who faces an official investigation that could see him kicked out of the party, vowed to clear his name after footage in which he said the party was 'too apologetic' sparked widespread fury. Mr Williamson told his supporters 'change is coming' in a Twitter post which included a bizarre link to a US Civil Rights era song which tells listeners: 'Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on'. He also thanked them for their 'incredible solidarity'. The MP was forced to issue a grovelling apology on Wednesday after footage emerged of him saying Labour had been 'too apologetic' over anti-Semitism. Family and friends of late weather presenter Dianne Oxberry have paid tribute to the 'oasis of loveliness' at a memorial service for the 51-year-old who died from ovarian cancer. The North West Tonight presenter fell ill over Christmas, and died on January 10 leaving behind husband Ian Hindle and two young children. Today Dianne's friends and relatives convened at Manchester Cathedral to celebrate the life of the BBC presenter. Famous faces such as Claire Balding, journalist and broadcaster Gordon Burns, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and regional news presenter Annabel Tiffin were there to pay their respects. BBC Radio Manchester presenter Chelsea Norris and presenter Roger Johnson were also in attendance as well as BBC Radio 5 Live presenters Tony Livesey and Rachel Burden. During the service Livesey recalled working with Dianne on North-West Tonight, where she had been a much-loved presenter since 1994. He said she was 'north-west royalty' but said she 'wore that celebrity very lightly'. Dianne (right) died in January after a short battle with ovarian cancer. Famous faces such as Claire Balding (left) attended the ceremony in Manchester Annabel Tiffin (left) hugs a well wisher while Tony Livesey and Rachel Burden (right) were pictured clutching onto service cards with a picture of Dianne Family and friends of the late presenter are seen gathering outside of Manchester Cathedral for the memorial service Ian Hindle (right) and Dianne Oxberry (left) enjoying a day out on the beach together Livesey said: 'She was fabulously normal. She'd be flabbergasted by all this. I'd go as far as to say that if Dianne was here today, she wouldn't be here. 'She'd be honoured that we'd all taken the time to think about her but she'd rather be out with the family having fun.' He told the packed cathedral: 'For me, it feels like the weather stopped once we lost Dianne.' Many of those who spoke recalled the much-replayed moment when comedian Peter Kay interrupted her weather forecast live on air. A man is pictured holding a memorial service card for the BBC presenter which was attended by many of her friends and family Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham (left) and broadcaster Gordon Burns (right) were also in attendance at the memorial service BBC Radio Manchester presenter Chelsea Norris (left) and Roger Johnson (right with Annabel Tiffin) arrived at the ceremony and were chatting to other well wishers before going inside Livesey said: 'As Peter Kay said, she brought sunshine into all our lives.' He said: 'She was, without doubt, an oasis of loveliness in all our lives in front of that map.' North-West Tonight presenter Roger Johnson said: 'She was a wonderful colleague. To others she was a much-loved friend. To Ian, Dianne's husband, her children and her family, Dianne was everything.' But Johnson said Dianne was 'our Dianne' to thousands of people across the north-west of England. The 90-minute long service was punctuated with clips of Dianne's varied career and tributes from broadcasters she had worked with, along with members of the public. Annabel Tiffin (pictured) chats to other well wishers as they arrive to pay their respects to Dianne Oxberry The presenter (pictured above) had hosted the Inside Out programme on BBC One in the North West Her friend, the broadcaster Jackie Brambles, struggled to hold back her tears as she read from the Bible during the service, but finished by telling the congregation the that Dianne would have told them to 'get a grip'. Mother-of-two Dianne found fame as a sidekick for Steve Wright and Simon Mayo on Radio 1. She later retrained as a meteorologist and joined BBC North West in 1994 becoming a TV fixture for 24 years. Her grieving husband Ian Hindle previously said her death would devastate not just her own family but all the others across the country who 'welcomed her into their homes each night'. The married mother-of-two (left in 2016) retrained as a meteorologist and became BBC North West's weather presenter in 1994 and lived with her husband Ian (right) and two children The broadcaster was working until mid-December but died at the Christie Hospital in Manchester, following her 'short illness'. Earlier this year her husband launched a JustGiving page to raise awareness of her condition - saying she died 'after a very short battle with ovarian cancer'. The cameraman told how he hoped to 'kick start a charity' to raise awareness about the 'appalling disease'. More than 2,500 was raised in the first 20 hours and the page has now raised over 44,000. Under a photograph of the couple on a beach, Mr Hindle wrote on JustGiving: 'Dianne died in early January after a very short battle with ovarian cancer. 'The tragic impact was felt not only by her family and friends, but also by the wider public whose lives she touched across more than 20 years' TV and radio presenting. Oxberry (right) with her BBC North West Tonight colleagues (from left) Richard Askam, Roger Johnson and Annabel Tiffin Dianne (right with Pudsey) was working as recently as December and took part in a 100-mile relay walk for Children In Need with co-hosts Roger Johnson and Annabel Tiffin 'The money raised will be used to help families and individuals who have, or are suffering from, this aggressive disease. 'The aim is also to raise awareness about ovarian cancer and its after-effects, particularly where families have suffered sudden loss, which can often be the case with this appalling disease.' Following the death of his wife Mr Hindle also spoke about his 'amazing wife and mother' who embraced life to the full. He said: The children and I will miss her more than anyone can imagine. 'She was an inspiration to all who knew and loved her but also to the people who watched and welcomed her into their homes each night as if she were part of their family too. 'She will leave a massive void in our lives but because of the remarkable person she was she will forever live on in our hearts'. News of her death in January spurred a host of tributes from fellow presenters and friends. Comedian Peter Kay once crawled on his hands and knees to get close to her as she gave a forecast on live TV BBC Breakfast star Dan Walker wrote: 'Dear me. This is incredibly sad. What an amazing woman Dianne was and such a professional broadcaster. Devastating news for her family. Heartbreaking'. Woman's Hour presenter Jane Garvey paid tribute to Oxberry on Twitter, writing: 'Dianne was a formidable voice for women at the BBC, a fantastically supportive colleague. Thank you for speaking up #BBCWomen'. Former Radio 1 DJ Mike Read wrote: 'Shocked to hear about Dianne Oxberry who I remember fondly from Radio One working with Steve Wright and Simon Mayo. Very sad news to start the day.' Professor Brian Cox said: 'Very sad to hear that Dianne Oxberry has died. Anyone who has lived in the North West over the last 20 years or so will know what a superb broadcaster she was'. Stacy Docherty, 28, and Gary Hopkins, 37, allegedly murdered Abdi Ali (pictured) with a claw hammer and 16cm long knife at their second floor flat in Enfield, north London, on December 21 2017 A couple killed a 17-year-old boy and hid his body in their attic, a court has heard. Stacy Docherty, 28, and Gary Hopkins, 37, allegedly murdered Abdi Ali with a claw hammer and 16cm long knife at their second floor flat in Enfield, north London, on December 21 2017. The court heard the teenager was allegedly a drug dealer and was asleep on the couple's settee when he was attacked. They bundled his body in a duvet cover and hid it in their loft for the next eight months, before allowing a visitor to see his insect-infested body, the Old Bailey in London heard. Detectives were then tipped off by a friend of the couple after they allowed the visitor to see the body. The court heard the couple stole up to 400 in cash and 'a large amount of heroin' from the youngster. Prosecutor Gareth Patterson QC said Docherty allegedly admitted to a friend that the motive was for the murder was financial because she wanted to 'give her children a good Christmas'. Opening the case, he said the defendants, who have three children, often took drugs at their flat at the time of Mr Ali's death. He said: 'Having killed him, they then wrapped up his body inside a duvet cover. 'They hid it in their attic along with the murder weapons - a claw hammer and a knife. 'They did this to try to get away with what they had done.' The lawyer said Mr Ali's family had reported him missing and police had tried in vain to find him. His body lay undiscovered in the loft of a house in Hartmoor Mews (pictured) He said: 'Meanwhile, as the months passed by, these defendants kept that body of Abdi Ali hidden away up in that attic. 'It began to decompose through the spring and summer. 'About eight months went by before it was finally discovered, by that stage having suffered serious decomposition and become infested with insects and the like. 'It was not until the end of August last summer that the family's worst fears were finally confirmed when the police had to deliver to them the terrible news about the discovery of the body.' Abdi had been stabbed at least 11 times in the chest and at least once in the neck. Injuries to his back suggested that the knife went all the way through his chest at least four times, court heard. He was hit with the hammer at least three times on the top of the head, the Old Bailey heard. His body was so badly decomposed and infested with insects that experts could not tell whether any of the stab wounds reached his heart. The bloodstained murder weapons were also stashed in the attic, jurors were told. Mr Patterson said: 'The body was wrapped in a bloodstained duvet cover with two plastic bags over the head, secured by a strap and start lead, creating a noose around the neck. 'The evidence shows this must have been a savage attack. 'The degree of decomposition was consistent with a period of eight months.' The couple were heavy drug users and would regularly take heroin and crack at the family home. Mr Patterson explained how Hopkins and Docherty told visitors to the flat about the body in the attic in August last year. The coupe bundled his body in a duvet cover and hid it in their loft for the next eight months, before allowing a visitor to see the grisly secret in the attic, the Old Bailey in London (pictured) heard. Docherty's friends, Stacie Collard, Liana Keenan and her boyfriend Kamil Mikolajczyk turned up there to find the pair indoors with another drug dealer. When the man refused to hand Hopkins any more drugs, the three visitors accompanied him to get some cash out, court heard. Hopkins became anxious when his dealer refused to give him more drugs, the court heard. On the way to a cash machine, Hopkins talked about wanting to rob the dealer and kill him as he had done with Mr Ali, the jury was told. In the car, Hopkins told Ms Collard he was 'angry' and wanted to rob and kill the dealer, adding that he had done this before, it is claimed. When they got back, Hopkins allegedly told Docherty 'I've told them about the attic' and she burst into tears. She went into the bathroom and confided in one of the visitors that she knew about what happened before Christmas, Mr Patterson said. Jurors heard Docherty began to cry uncontrollably and ran to the bathroom while Hopkins showed Mr Mikolajczyk the body in the loft. The prosecutor said: 'Liana Keenan made it clear that she had been aware of it and that it had occurred before Christmas. 'She revealed that the motive had been financial, stating that she had wanted to give her children a good Christmas. 'Liana Keenan describes her then calming down and appearing to be relieved as if a weight had come off her shoulders.' When police searched the attic, they found Abdi's body wrapped in a black and red duvet cover with plastic bags over his head. When the Abdi's body was discovered in August last year he had not been seen since a family wedding eight months before. An earlier hearing heard, a post-mortem examination gave the cause of Abdi's death as a blunt force trauma to the head and stab wounds to the chest. Ms Collard told jurors she met Docherty when they were young teenagers and reconnected with her years later through Facebook. Over the years they would organise visits to each other's home each summer and last year was their first in around 18 months. She said her sister Liana Keenan and her Polish boyfriend Kamil Mikolajczyk went with her on the Friday and found the dealer they came to know as Sean selling drugs out of the flat. By Saturday morning, she said Hopkins was 'very agitated' and seemed 'quite angry' because Docherty was sick with withdrawal symptoms and he couldn't get Sean up. The three guests then went out with him to get her some more heroin to combat the withdrawals, she said. Ms Collard said Hopkins was 'very annoyed' during the car journey. 'He was angry,' she continued, adding: 'He was saying 'I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill him' and I'm like 'Don't be stupid'. 'It was because Sean didn't wake up to give him the drugs. 'Then he said 'I've done it before'.' Jurors heard Hopkins then asked: 'Can you keep a secret? Promise you won't say anything. I've done it before - he's in the loft.' Ms Collard said: 'I didn't believe him at this point. His way of trying to reassure me was him saying that he will ask Stacy about the attic in front of me and then just watch her face.' During a stop-off to pick up the heroin, she said he discussed plans to rob Sean with another dealer who called Hopkins 'The Magician' because he does magic tricks. When they got back, jurors heard Hopkins ushered another of Docherty's friends out of the living room into the kitchen and closed the doors before pointing up to the loft and telling her: 'I've told them about the guy in the attic.' 'That was it,' Ms Collard said. 'She completely broke down.' She added that Hopkins seemed 'excited', 'especially in the way that he told Stacy and pointing to the loft'. 'I said 'Okay then, if it's true then I want to see', so I pushed a little bit,' said Ms Collard, telling jurors her, Gary and Kamil went and got a ladder from outside and propped it up to the attic. 'Gary was like 'Go on then, go'. 'I went maybe two or three steps up the ladder and thought to myself if this is true then I'm not going to un-see what I see, so I came back down. 'I had a complete freak out and couldn't go up, so I encouraged Kamil to go up instead.' She added: 'When he came down, I asked him if there was anything up there. 'He was very pale and just shook his head yes.' When she phoned Docherty to meet her a little while after leaving the flat, Ms Collard said she named Ali as the victim, saying he was a teenage Somalian. Jurors heard Docherty explained that he was 'there doing the same job Sean was doing' selling drugs and said 'no-one knew he was there'. 'I asked her how he died and how he was killed and she told me he was asleep on the settee and Gary had gone in with the hammer,' Ms Collard said. 'She wasn't in the room, I think she was in the bedroom listening. 'He was hit over the head with the hammer to a point that the hammer had broken, and it was at this point she heard the man shout Gary's name, so he was still alive. 'She then said that Gary went to the kitchen to get a knife and stabbed him in the chest.' The court heard Docherty was 'throwing up' as she helped clean up the blood-soaked living room. Before hiding the teenager's body they 'went through his pockets and took what he had, which was money and drugs'. Ms Collard said she was told the teenager had up to 400 in cash and 'quite a large amount of heroin'. 'She went on to tell me she had a debt of 60 to a guy and hadn't bought Christmas presents for the children, and that's why I believe it was done,' she added. 'She said she felt as if she pushed Gary into it all; she felt like it was all her idea and she pushed him into it.' Ms Collard told jurors she shared the grisly secret with her partner later that day and the two went to Hatfield Police Station to report it the following Monday. Hopkins and Docherty, both of north London, deny murder. Hopkins admits perverting the course of justice and preventing the lawful burial of a body but Docherty denies the same offences. Docherty claims Hopkins is the killer and that he put Abdi's body in the loft without her help. The trial continues. A rescue team searching for a missing British climber in Pakistan has found a snow-covered tent and evidence of an avalanche. Tom Ballard, 30, has not made contact since Sunday when he was 20,000ft up Nanga Parbat mountain, and initial rescue efforts were halted when Pakistan closed its airspace amid the Kashmir crisis. The climber, whose mother Alison Hargreaves died on K2 in 1995, was attempting to scale Nanga Parbat with Italian comrade Daniele Nardi, 42. A planned rescue mission was aborted when Pakistan closed its airspace after planes were shot down amid spiralling tensions with India over the Kashmir region. Today two military helicopters were drafted in to search for the missing climbers and found a tent and traces of an avalanche. Tom Ballard, 30 (left), and 42-year-old Daniele Nardi (right) have been missing since Sunday while attempting to climb Pakistan's 'killer mountain' (pictured during the climb) Ballard's mother was famous climber Alison Hargreaves (pictured with him as a child) who died while descending the world's second-highest mountain K2 in 1995 The Italian ambassador in Pakistan, Stefano Pontecorvo, said a search was authorised after talks with the military's aviation commander. He said a team of Russian volunteers currently on K2, about 120 miles away, could also be transported to Nanga Parbat to help the search. 'Notwithstanding there is a no-fly zone, the army helicopters are flying. They are surveying the areas in which Daniele Nardi and Tom Ballard should be,' he said. Thomas Drew, the British high commissioner to Pakistan, was also involved in the talks to begin search and rescue attempts. Ballard (pictured) and Nardi last made contact with loved ones on Sunday and nothing has been heard from them since A statement on Mr Nardi's official Facebook page, posted on Thursday in Italian, said an initial reconnaissance flight failed to find the climbers. The helicopter returned to a nearby heliport to refuel ahead of a planned second search, the statement said. Ali Sadpara, a Pakistani mountaineer who has previously climbed Nanga Parbat, is also aiding the search. The Foreign Office said it is working with Pakistani authorities. Mr Ballard's mother was the first woman to solo-climb Everest without oxygen, in 1995. The feat was part of her attempt to climb the world's three highest mountains unaided in the same year. But in August 1995 she was killed descending from the summit of K2, the world's second-highest peak. Hargreaves was blown off a ridge by 260mph winds amid an unexpected hurricane and her body has never been found. Ballard was six years old at the time. Nonetheless he followed in his mother's footsteps and become the first person to climb the great north faces of the Alps solo in winter and in the same season. Pakistani climbers have agreed to mount a search operation for Ballard and Nardi but have been delayed after airspace around the mountain was shut due to clashes with India (pictured, an Indian air force jet shot down over Kashmir) Nardi is an experienced altitude climber and has attempted to climb Nanga Parbat during winter on several occasions, none of them successful. Nanga Parbat became known as the 'killer mountain' after a series of attempts to climb it during the 1930s ended in the deaths of dozens of climbers. The most infamous accident came in 1937 when seven Germans and nine Sherpas were killed by an avalanche. Three years earlier a separate expedition claimed the lives of four German climbers and six Sherpas, who died of a combination of altitude sickness, exposure to a severe storm, and sheer exhaustion. Nanga Parbat is one of 14 mountains in the world to measure more than 8,000m (26,000ft in height), known as the eight-thousanders. It is the world's ninth highest peak and the second-highest in the Himalayas after Everest. Ballard (pictured during the climb) is not an experienced altitude climber, but made a name for himself by becoming the first person to climb the great north faces of the Alps in a single season and in winter Michael Cohen arrived on Capitol Hill Thursday for his final round of questions from lawmakers with a behind-closed doors session that will focus on Russia - both the failed Trump Tower Moscow deal and the investigation into Moscow's meddling in the 2016 election. Cohen didn't answer any questions as he arrived to the flash of cameras and shout of reporters. His attorney, Lanny Davis, gave the press a thumb's up sign as they headed toward the SCIF - the Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility - in the basement of the Capitol Visitors' Center where Cohen will answer questions from the House Intelligence Committee. Michael Cohen arrived on Capitol Hill Thursday for his final round of questioning from lawmakers Michael Cohen's behind-closed doors session that will focus on Russia - both the failed Trump Tower Moscow deal and the probe into Moscow's meddling in the 2016 election The day started off with a fumble with Cohen and his team went into the wrong place. They entered the Rayburn House Office Building, where President Donald Trump's former personal attorney spent nearly five hours answering questions before lawmakers in his only public testimony. They used the underground tunnel system in the Capitol complex to make their way to the correct location. Cohen even rode the underground subway lawmakers use to make their way from the House office buildings to the Capitol building. Although Cohen didn't address reporters Davis said his client would have a statement at the end of the day when the questioning is done. Cohen, who spent nine hours on Tuesday answering questions in a closed door session with the Senate Intelligence Committee, is expected to have a similarly long session today. House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, who will lead the questioning of Cohen today, told the DailyMail.com Wednesday that he was watching the president's former fixer's public testimony. Schiff told PBS he found Cohen, who pleaded guilty to lying to Congress, credible. 'I thought that his testimony was quite striking, and in a very credible fashion,' he told 'Newshour' Wednesday night. Schiff said the committee would ask about the Trump Tower Moscow project and 'drilling down' on the details. 'We're going to be drilling down on some of the topics you heard about today and some you didn't, but to give you an illustration, Moscow Trump Tower, this project that Michael Cohen talked about today, having repeated conversations on the campaign trail with Donald Trump, while Donald Trump was denying this was happening to the public,' he said. 'We're going to be drilling down in great detail, going over dozens of documents dealing with that transaction, talking about other witnesses to that transaction, talking about who in the Kremlin they were reaching out to for help, going into a lot of detail on that and other issues,' he added. Cohen's last round of questions follow Wednesday's explosive public hearing with the House Oversight and Reform Committee, where Cohen called the president a racist, a liar and a cheat. 'Mr. Trump is a racist. The country has seen Mr. Trump court white supremacists and big got bigots. You have heard him call foreign countries s***holes. He once asked me if I could name a country run by a black wasn't that wasn't a s***hole. This was when Barack Obama was president of the United States,' Cohen said. 'While we were once driving through a struggling neighborhood in Chicago, he commented that only black people could live that way. And he told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid. And yet I continued to work for him.' Trump, Cohen also claimed, knew about WikiLeaks' plan to publish hacked emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign and would work with 'anyone' to win. Michael Cohen paused to examine a baseball trophy on his way into Thursday's hearing Cohen and his team originally went in the wrong building and used the Capitol's underground tunnel system and subway to make their way to the SCIF House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff arrives to question Cohen He blasted President Trump for an alleged June 2016 conversation with Republican dirty-trickster Roger Stone. Cohen claims Stone told him that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had told him a 'massive dump' of emails harmful to Hillary Clinton would be released in just a few days. Stone has claimed he knew nothing about the torrent of emails that would eventually trickle out a month at a time, all hacked from the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. He also insists he has had no contact with WikiLeaks. But U.S. intelligence agencies believe Russian agents stole the materials and used WikiLeaks as a conduit to make them public. Stone, Federal prosecutors have charged Stone, Trump's longtime informal adviser whose political monkeywrenching dates back to the Nixon era, with witness tampering and lying to Congress. 'Mr. Stone told Mr. Trump that he had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange,' Cohen recounts in his prepared testimony, 'and that Mr. Assange told Mr. Stone that, within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clinton's campaign.' In a statement to reporters, Stone said Wednesday: 'Mr. Cohen's statement is not true.' Stone is under a gag order in his own federal trial for obstruction of an official proceeding, false statements and witness tampering Cohen will report to prison in May to serve a three-year sentence for crimes he has admitted to, including lying previously to House investigators. Cohen described briefing Trump on his work to develop a Moscow skyscraper project during the 2016 election, and revealed that he discussed it with Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump. Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, testified before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday, speaking for the first time in a public forum about his experiences related to his criminal conduct and the president's alleged role Cohen spoke to the Senate Intelligence Committee for nine hours on Tuesday His guilty plea for lying to Congress related stemmed from his claim under oath that the project was a dead issue by the time Trump won his first 2016 primary contest in New Hampshire. That turned out to be false, and Cohen claimed he misled Congress out of loyalty to his boss. 'I am not protecting Mr. Trump anymore,' he said Wednesday. Cohen said he briefed Trump's children on the project during 'the regular course of business' on about 10 occasions. 'Our goal was to get this project. We were interested in building what would have been the largest building in all of Europe,' he said of his briefings with then-candidate Trump. Cohen made clear that Trump never directly ordered him to lie about it, but claimed the president indirectly indicated his wishes. 'In conversations we had during the campaign, at the same time I was actively negotiating in Russia for him, he would look me in the eye and tell me, "There's no business in Russia," and then go out and lie to the American people by saying the same thing. In his way, he was telling me to lie,' Cohen said. He also claimed that Trump asked for updates on the Russia project 'at least a half-dozen times between the Iowa Caucus in January 2016 and the end of June.' Sally Challen, pictured, has had her murder conviction overturned after a landmark appeal that saw her argue she was driven to kill her husband due to decades of psychological abuse A wife convicted of murdering her husband after bludgeoning him to death with a hammer wept as she won a landmark appeal against her conviction today. Sally Challen, 65, whose real name is Georgina, battered her husband Richard, 61, to death at the couple's 1million Surrey home in 2010 by hitting him 20 times with the weapon as he ate breakfast. She was jailed for murder a year later, with an initial 22-year sentence reduced to 18 years on appeal. A panel of judges quashed that decision based on psychiatric evidence that she was suffering from two mental disorders at the time of the attack. But they did not downgrade the conviction to manslaughter as the family had hoped, which would have seen her walk free. Instead they ordered a retrial, although an application for bail was rejected meaning she will remain in prison. The announcement of Challen's retrial is a watershed moment for 'coercive control' and domestic violence cases in Britain. As Lady Justice Hallett took the court through the decision, Mrs Challen was seen wiping away tears on videolink from prison, while applause erupted throughout the packed courtroom when the ruling was announced, although it was followed by a loud gasp at the news of a retrial. Speaking outside court, Mrs Challen's son David, 31, who has campaigned for her freedom for years alongside brother James, 35, said the result gave his mother a 'shot at the freedom she has never had since she was 15', the age when she met her future husband. Challen, right, killed husband Richard, 61, left, in 2010 after bludgeoning him with a hammer 20 times as he ate breakfast at their Surrey home Speaking outside court, Mrs Challen's son David, 31, who has campaigned for her freedom for years alongside brother James, 35, said the result gave his mother a 'shot at the freedom she has never had since she was 15', the age when she met her future husband It is currently unclear when the new trial will take place. Psychiatrist Dr Gwen Adshead told the court that Mrs Challen was suffering from bipolar and dependent personality disorder disorders at the time of the killing, triggered by abuse, which undermined the safety of her conviction. Lady Justice Hallett, sitting with Mr Justice Sweeney and Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, said: 'The Court of Appeal heard that, in the opinion of a consultant forensic psychiatrist, the appellant was suffering from two mental disorders at the time of the killing. 'This evidence was not available at the time of the trial and and the court quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial.' After the ruling, David added: 'It's an amazing moment. The courts have decided that this case needs to be looked at again, as we have always said [it should be] as a family. 'The abuse our mother suffered was never recognised properly and her mental condition was not taken into account. 'As sons, we get another shot at our story to be heard and the events that led to our father's death to be heard and for our mother to have a right shot at freedom. A freedom she has never had since the age of 15.' Mrs Challen had challenged her conviction following the introduction of a new law called coercive control, which came into force in 2015, four years after she was convicted. How Sally Challen's case has come to a landmark hearing August 2010: Sally Challen bludgeons husband Richard, 61, to death with a hammer. The next day she drives to Beachy Head and threatens to kill herself only to be talked out of it by a chaplain. June 2011: Challen is convicted of murder and is jailed for 22 years a month later. November 2011: Challen's sentence is reduced to 18 years on appeal. December 2015: Coercive control is established in UK law, making it an offence to make someone feel controlled, dependent, isolated or scared. It can also be used as legal defense in domestic abuse cases. March 2018: Lawyers for Challen win the right to appeal her conviction after her sons David and James campaign with Justice for Women that she was 'driven to her actions' by coercive control. February 2019: Challen wins her case at the Court of Appeal and a retrial is ordered. Judges ruled she had been suffering from two mental disorders at the time of the killing which made the conviction 'unsafe'. Advertisement Experts told the Court of Appeal in London the law meant she would only be guilty of manslaughter if tried today. Coercive control applies to behaviour that threatens, isolates or makes a person dependent through actions such as constant insults, destruction of property and cutting them off from friends and family. Her lawyers argued she was driven to kill her husband after enduring 40 years of psychological and physical abuse, including rape, at his hands after they first met when she was 15 and he was 22. Challen's sons James, 35, and David, 31, supported her release alongside campaigners from Justice for Women, claiming she snapped after living in a 'pressure cooker' of abuse. On the day of his death, Mr Challen, 61, had told his wife she should not interrupt him when he was talking, not talk to strangers and quit smoking as part of an agreement drawn up to salvage their marriage. But she battered him to death with a hammer after suspecting he was having an affair with a woman he met on the dating website Dinner Dates, jurors had heard. After killing her husband she wrapped up his body in a carpet and then drove it to Beachy Head the next day, where she was talked out of killing herself. She denied murder on grounds of diminished responsibility but was handed a life sentence. Clare Wade, barrister for Challen, said the court would not have considered coercive at the trial. She said: 'Given developments in recent years, and particularly pre 2012,it is something that requires explanation. She told the court that while it was once mentioned by a women's charity in 2006 it was not referred to prior to 2012 by policy makers. She said: 'At the time the appellant was tried this is not something that would have been at the forefront of the minds of those trying her. 'It is difficult to decide if someone has been a victim of coercive control and in a trial the jury would need to be given evidence.' Challen, pictured in a court sketch, wiped away tears as she appeared via videolink from prison at the Court of Appeal Pictured: Challen and her husband on their wedding day. The couple's sons said their mother was subjected to years of controlling behaviour Ms Wade said Challen's personality disorder symptoms were suppressed by the coercive control she suffered at the hands of her husband. 'She had a prior existing condition which meant that she was susceptible to coercive control and these symptoms did not emerge properly until the crisis happened, with which the trial was concerned.' Ms Wade said Challen's trial in 2011 had focused on infidelity rather than other relevant evidence. She said: 'What they did was they then adduced only evidence that went back to 2004. 'The evidence all focused on infidelity, her reactions to infidelity and the deceased's infidelity. 'The case was condensed down to something which in truth if all of her instructions and accounts were taken into account was not the case.' Lady Justice Hallett asked Ms Wade: 'To get this straight in my mind, would a good working title be' psychological battered women syndrome?''. Ms Wade said: 'Yes, absolutely. Lady Justice Hallett said: 'There might be those out there who think this is appeal is all about coercive control but it's not. 'Primarily, it's about diagnosis of disorders that were undiagnosed at the time of the trial.' Prosecutor Caroline Carberry told the court that in the 2011 trial Challen lied about having the hammer she used to kill her husband with her in order to break up furniture. The prosecutor quoted Challen from the 2011 trial: 'I accept that this is not the real reason, my brother suggested I say that as it sounded better, something triggered me to take the hammer.' Mrs Challen's son David, left, 31, said today's result gave her a 'shot at the freedom she has not had since she was 15', when she met her future husband Challen, right, 65, was jailed for 22 years for murdering her husband Richard, left, 61, with a hammer in August 2010 but her sons David, 31, and James, 35, claim she was the victim of decades of abuse including rape and psychological torment by their father Son David, pictured left outside court, also appeared on Good Morning Britain, right, and said society had 'let his mother down' as a victim of domestic abuse Ms Carberry added: 'What triggered her was that she looked online at the profiles of two women that she believed her husband to have been involved with.' 'She said the thing that motivated me to take the hammer was something to do with Richard and how he had behaved towards me. 'She accepts that her motivation had been to harm him with the hammer.' She told the court that expert evidence is not needed in areas which could be said to fall under the areas of 'human experience'. The prosecutor said: 'It has long been held by this court that jurors do not need expert evidence in areas that are capable of being understood as part of human experience. What is coercive control and when did it become a new law? In 2015 it became an offence under UK law to subject someone to 'coercive control'. The offence is defined as when someone with a personal connection makes one feel controlled, dependent, isolated or scared and causes a 'serious effect'. Examples of such behaviour include isolating a person from friends and family, monitoring a person's movements, controlling their money, continuous verbal abuse, threats of violence and damaging property. A serious effect is defined as having substantially impacted a person's daily life, changing the way they live or causing them to feel threatened by violence. The offence came into force in December 2015. Although a person who committed coercive control before then cannot be charged with it, it can be used to show bad character and support a general case of abuse. Advertisement She said that attitudes had moved forward from the late 1980s and early 1990s by the time of the 2011 trial. Yesterday the court heard from several psychology experts who said coercive control can leave a person feeling trapped and feeling like a 'prisoner of war'. It was also suggested she had been inspired to launch the appeal after hearing characters on BBC radio show The Archers go through a similiar experience. The storyline in 2016 in the Radio 4 soap followed Helen Archer after she stabbed husband Rob when he repeatedly used tactics to make her doubt her own sense of reality. Questioning consultant psychiatrist Dr Paul Gilluley yesterday, Mrs Challen's barrister Clare Wade QC read a psychiatric assessment of her while she was in custody. It said: 'I wonder if she has been listening to this programme on Radio 4 about the woman who has been brainwashed by her husband and ends up killing him.' Mrs Wade said: 'The significance of The Archers story is that it was about coercive control.' But Dr Gilluley, a forensic psychiatrist who assessed Mrs Challen twice on behalf of the prosecution in 2011, added he still does not believe she was suffering a mental disorder when she killed her husband. On the case, Dr Gilluley said: 'At the relevant time it is my opinion that she was not suffering any mental disorder at the time of the offence. 'This was based on her own account and from others about how she was doing in her day to day functioning.' Dr Tim Exworthy, a consultant forensic psychiatrist, told the High Court he gave evidence about about the state of the marriage during her trial in 2011. He told the court that he had met Mrs Challen on three occasions and said: 'I had access to her GP records from 1970 to July 2010. 'I picked up that the relationship had been generally good, but she related an episode dated from 1987. She was concerned about her husband's infidelity. 'She said she challenged her husband as to where he had been and he simply replied he was' not prepared to discuss it'. At her trial the prosecution said Challen, pictured left on her wedding day and right with her husband, was driven by jealousy over possible infidelity Challen, pictured with one of her sons as a child, should have been afforded more legal protection at her original trial, according toher family Referring to the physical side of their relationship, Dr Exworthy said: 'She told me that their sex life was fine. 'She said that he decided when sexual activity took place and that it was always on his terms and that it was satisfactory, but only sometimes. 'She said she would do anything to make him happy and to avoid arguments. She said he was not an attentive father and had opted out.' Dr Exworthy told the court that from their meetings he concluded Mrs Challen suffered from depressive disorder. But he said he was not aware of the concept of coercive control in 2011. 'Driven to kill': The brutal killing that shocked suburbia Richard Challen, 61, was sitting down to eat breakfast when his wife Sally bludgeoned him in the head 20 times with a hammer at their 1million Surrey home. The mother of two then stuffed a cloth in his mouth to stop him breathing, wrapped his body in an old curtain and left a note saying 'I love you, Sally'. It brought to an end a tumultuous marriage during which their sons claimed their father subjected her to decades of abuse, including rape. The couple met when she was just 15 and he was 22, and soon married. But Challen accused her husband of cheating and even once caught him in a brothel, despite his claims she was 'mad'. Although she left him several times, shortly before his death she asked him to take her back. He agreed on condition she signed a humiliating postnuptial agreement with clauses that stripped her of financial assets, banned her from smoking and prevented her from 'interrupting him'. Her sons claim it was such controlling behaviour that drove their mother to kill him. But at her trial prosecutors claimed she acted out of jealousy after learning he was seeing a woman from an online dating site. Although she denied murder claiming diminished responsibility, she was found guilty in June 2011 and was jailed for life a month later. Advertisement The psychiatrist said he was not aware of Ms Challen suffering any manic episodes when he wrote his initial report stating that he believed her to suffer from a depressive disorder. The court was told Dr Exworthy had conceded at the 2011 trial that any mental disorder Ms Challen may have had must have been mild as she was highly functional at the time of the killing - the earliest recorded hypomanic episode that she had suffered was in 2014. But he believed that the concept of coercive control would have been useful at the time. Yesterday her son David appeared on Good Morning Britain where he claimed 'society had let his mother down' as a victim of domestic abuse. He said: 'We let victims of domestic violence down as well. 'She should have been afforded protections. If we all had that language she wouldn't be in this position. We lost a father as well people forget that. We all acknowledge, could we have done more?' He added: 'Our mother deserve the right to freedom she never had that right it was stolen from her. As sons we deserve rights to the recognition of the acts that led to our father's death. We have to recognise that.' David added his father would 'gaslight' his mother and tell her she was 'mad' when she accused him of infidelity, even when she caught him at a brothel. He said it was also impossible to argue with his father and he was 'like Teflon' because no one could make anything 'stick' against him. Challen tried to leave him many times and even started divorce proceedings on several occasions but eventually asked him to take her back, after which he forced her to sign a 'humiliating' postnuptial agreement stripping her of financial assets and banning her from smoking. Both brothers have spoken of how their campaign has been exhausting. In a joint statement ahead of the appeal, the brothers said: 'Our mother's appeal is a landmark case, the first of its kind to use coercive control as a part of a defence to murder. 'This appeal crucially provides an opportunity to recognise the lifelong abuse Sally suffered and, in the hope of understanding the cause of her actions, provides an understanding of how she was driven to take the life of our father, Richard.' At her 2011 trial at Guildford Crown Court, Challen, of Claygate, Surrey, admitted killing the former car dealer but denied murder, claiming diminished responsibility. The prosecution case was that it was the action of a jealous woman who suspected infidelity. The appeal was heard by Lady Justice Hallett, Mr Justice Sweeney and Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb. A mother who inserted ten metal needles in the body of her nine-month-old son has been sentenced to eight years in prison. Mukhayo Yakubova from the Central Asian Republic of Tajikistan was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to her nine-month-old son Mudassir Karimov. The 27-year-old embedded needles in her son's body 'to make her 30-year-old husband, who is a labour migrant in Russia, come back home', reports say. Mukhayo Yakubova, 27, from Tajikistan was sentenced to eight years in prison after doctors found ten metal needles in her baby son Mudassir's body (pictured together) X-rays performed in the Karabolo Hospital in the Tajikistan capital of Dushanbe revealed ten needles inside the baby boy's skull, nose, neck, chest and legs Little Mudassir was hospitalised last summer after one of his relatives found a needle stuck in his mouth. The x-rays performed in the Karabolo Hospital in the Tajikistan capital of Dushanbe revealed ten needles in the child's body. The boy underwent several surgeries before doctors managed to remove all the needles from his skull, nose, neck, chest and legs. Hospital spokesman Shukhrat Choriev said: 'When we removed the needles from the boy's body some of them become rusty. We believe that some needles had been inside for about three months.' Doctors in the Tajikistan capital of Dushanbe operated successfully to remove all the needles and Mudassir has made a full recovery The police initiated a criminal case and Yakubova was detained soon after the incident. According to the investigation, she confessed to the crime during police interrogations saying that she inserted needles in her son's body 'to make her husband, who is a labour migrant, be back at home'. Basing on the confession, the court found Yakubova guilty and sentenced her to eight years in prison. A court spokesperson said: 'The woman was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm. According to reports Yakubova planted the needles in a ritual 'to make her 30-year-old husband, who is a labour migrant in Russia, come back home' Yakubova says the conviction is based on a forced confession, claiming police officers threatened to rape her if she did not take the blame 'She can file an appeal with the court decision within the next ten days.' However, Yakubova denies her guilt saying that she was forced to confess to the crime during the police interrogations. She said: 'During the first interrogation they threatened to rape me and place my eldest son in an orphanage if I refused to take the blame. 'I do not know how the needles ended up in the body of my son. No mother is able to do this to her child.' Yakubova is going to file an appeal against the court's decision. Mudassir underwent several surgeries and doctors removed all the needles from his body. His health is back to normal. A teenage girl was rushed to hospital after she was dragged to the ground by her hair and stomped on in a sickening schoolyard brawl. The 15-year-old got into an argument with a Year 11 student at Narrogin Senior High School, 200km southeast of Perth, on February 19. She suffered injuries to her head and ribs and grazed her knees during the attack before school staff intervened. The 15-year-old got into an argument with a classmate at Narrogin High School when the older one, aged 16, suddenly grabbed her by the hair in front of shocked classmates 'I hear you've been talking about me, you and [your friend]. But [the friend] already got her hiding. Do you want your hiding now?' the older girl said in the video. When the younger girl denied this, the older one, aged 16, grabbed her by the hair in front of shocked classmates. She was dragged to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked while a female staff member watched in horror, until another woman dragged the attacker off. A second video showed the same girl pulling a different Year 10 student to the ground by her hair and punching her in the head. She was dragged to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked while a female staff member watched She suffered injuries to her head and ribs and grazed her knees during the attack before school staff intervened The girl's mother Jess Collette hit out at school staff for not intervening until the altercation turned physical. 'I'm very upset this was allowed to happen at all,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Ms Collette said her daughter was traumatised after the attack but wanted to get back to her studies quickly. 'She's pretty strong, she had one day off and wanted to go back to school,' she said. A second video showed the same girl pulling a different Year 10 student to the ground by her hair and punching her in the head The student was suspended for 10 days and the two students who filmed the attack for five days each under new WA Government rules about filming fights. Ms Collette wanted the girl expelled but was happy she was ordered to do several hours of community service. WA Police said they received a complaint from the school 'where it is alleged a female student assaulted two other female students'. 'Inquiries are continuing and police are working closely with the school in relation to this matter,' police said. A double-amputee Army veteran has allegedly shot and wounded a doctor before being restrained just as he was about to undergo a mental health evaluation at a Florida hospital. Larry Ray Bon, 59, of Michigan, arrived at the VA Medical Center - a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital - in Riviera Beach on Wednesday morning and was combative for several hours. Bon has had both his legs amputated from the knee down and uses an electric wheelchair. Authorities said Bon was taken to the emergency room that evening for the mental health evaluation when he pulled out a small handgun from his wheelchair and shot the doctor in the neck. Larry Ray Bon, 59, is accused of shooting a doctor in the neck after pulling a gun from his wheelchair at the VA Medical Center in Riviera Beach, Florida on Wednesday That same doctor managed to subdue Bon despite suffering the gunshot wound to his neck. 'During the shooting, in between shots, the doctor saw an opportunity to jump on the suspect and disarm him,' Justin Fleck, the assistant special agent in charge for the FBI's Miami office, said. 'He's a pretty heroic individual and probably saved a lot of lives.' It was not clear how Bon was able to bring the gun into the hospital. Another hospital employee was grazed by a bullet. VA spokeswoman Mary Kay Rutan said the doctor, whose name wasn't released, was treated at a West Palm Beach hospital and later released. Bon has had both his legs amputated from the knee down and uses an electric wheelchair Larry Ray Bon, 59, of Michigan, shot and wounded a doctor before being restrained as he was about to undergo a mental health evaluation at the VA Medical Center in Florida on Wednesday night The medical center was set to open for scheduled appointments on Thursday. Bon served in the Army in the 1970s but investigators were not aware of him having any combat-related conditions. Authorities said Bon refused to cooperate after he was taken into custody. According to online court records, Bon's only history in Palm Beach County's legal system was a case in small claims court in 2017 that was dismissed. His name did not appear in county jail records. Authorities believe Bon may be homeless and living around the area. A pensioner's extremely unconvincing 'crash for cash' attempt has been caught by a surveillance camera in a Chinese city. The elderly man can be seen stumbling towards a parked car, slamming himself onto the bonnet before pretending to fall to the ground painfully. He then accused the driver of hitting him and asked for cash compensation right away, according to accounts. The pensioner is seen staggering towards the white car parked on a road in Dalian, China The video then shows him smashing his body against the car's bonnet and falling to the ground The incident reportedly took place in the city of Dalian at noon on February 20. The female driver, named Li Yan, said she had parked the car by the side of a road in front of a convenience store for about 30 minutes. She said she had been sitting in the car to make an important phone call. 'Suddenly, I saw a grandpa dashing towards me from afar as if he was in a 100-metre race,' Ms Li told Beijing Youth Daily. The young woman said at first she did not understand what was going on, and seconds later the pensioner was already lying on her bonnet. 'I was still on the phone and was shocked,' she added. The driver quickly realised she could have been the victim of an attempted 'crash for cash' scam. She said she got off the car to challenge the pensioner, but was told by him that he had been hit by her and wanted financial compensation. The motorist told the pensioner she would call the police. The elderly man pretends to hit the ground in a painful state after slowly colliding into the car He sits on the kerb before standing up and walking away to avoid meeting police officers Speaking to Chinese video news site Pear, Ms Li claimed that she also found two pedestrians and a worker at the convenient store who were willing to be her eyewitnesses. 'As soon as he heard I was going to call the police, he got up and left,' Ms Li told Pear, adding that her car was scratched by him during the process. The elderly man's act has been ridiculed by internet users after footage of the incident was shared online. Some joked the pensioner should be a professional actor and try for an Oscar; others demand the police look into the matter properly to prevent the man from scamming other people. Ms Li told the press she later withdrew the report to the police because she feared the investigation could cost her too much time and energy. It is understood that the pensioner walked away without any injuries and the Dalian police have not launched an investigation into the attempted scam. Drone footage today revealed how close Holby City actor John Michie's daughter and her rapper boyfriend were to medics as she hallucinated before her death. Ceon Broughton, 30, allegedly killed Louella Fletcher-Michie, 24, by failing to seek medical help after he supplied her with party drug 2C-P and she overdosed. A CCTV still taken around two hours after Louella died at Bestival at Lulworth Castle in Dorset shows an officer in hi-vis clothing at the spot her body was found. Ceon Broughton (left), 30, allegedly killed Louella Fletcher-Michie (right), 24, by failing to seek medical help after he supplied her with party drug 2C-P and she overdosed The drone footage of the Bestival site was taken the day after Miss Fletcher-Michie's death The image, taken from Bestival's Temple Stage in September 2017, shows the location she died - 100ft into woodland just outside the event's official perimeter. The footage recorded the day after her body was found also gives a closer look at the wooded area which police covered with white sheets to protect it from rain. In the 24-second clip, the camera then pans across to a telegraph pole near a barbed wire fence which was flattened by a tree, allowing them to leave the festival grounds. The drone then moves to show the medical tent was - which Winchester Crown Court has heard during Broughton's trial was a mere 430 yards (400m) away. Winchester Crown Court has heard the medical tent was a mere 430 yards away from her The image shows the location she died - 100ft into woodland outside the event's perimeter The medical tent, behind a large blue tent, is where Miss Fletcher-Michie's parents John, 62, and Carol, 68, told jurors they urged Broughton to carry her to. Miss Fletcher-Michie's father, Holby City actor John, at Winchester Crown Court today Jurors were shown the drone footage during Broughton's trial. During police interviews, it has been heard Broughton told officers he would have carried her the short 430 yards to the tent, blaming Miss Fletcher-Michie's parents for him not doing so as they told him to get help. His barrister, Stephen Kamlish QC, has also told jurors he could not have simply picked her up, as she was allegedly thrashing around as she hallucinated wildly having taken 2C-P. Jurors have today been given all the footage shown to them throughout the trial to re-watch on the second day of their deliberations. The Michie family have attended each day of her trial and continue to do so as they await verdicts. Broughton, of Enfield, North London, is accused of failing to take "reasonable" action to seek help for his girlfriend. He denies manslaughter and supplying 2C-P to Miss Fletcher-Michie at Bestival. The jury began its deliberations yesterday and the trial continues. A Venezuelan politician has accused President Nicolas Maduro's regime of sneaking eight tons of gold out of the country's central bank with the intention of selling it on the international market. Angel Alvarado, a member of the opposition party, Venezuelan National Assembly, says trucks showed up at the Venezuelan Central Bank in Caracas and made off with the gold bars, under the instruction of Maduro's ruling socialist party. The armored vehicles reportedly presented an expired certificate proving they had permission to extract the gold from the vaults across three days in the past week, Alvarado told Reuters. Three other governmental sources were able to confirm the gold removal to the news agency. As of Thursday morning, an ounce of gold was selling for $1,314.72. The estimated value of the eight tons is $336,533,040. President Nicolas Maduro (pictured) and his regime is being accused of by the opposition party of allegedly sneaking out eight tons of gold from the Venezuelan Central Bank during a three-day period last week with the intention of smuggling it out of the country and selling it Opposition party legislator, Angel Alvarado (pictured), says agents operating under instructions of Maduro's socialist party withdrew the gold bars from the bank's vaults The agents surprisingly were able to extract the large gold deposit from the bank at a time when security officers were not present and the institution's president, Calixto Ortega, was away on a trip. 'They have been taking gold in four vans through [exit] doors 3 and 4 of the bank, using a document dated [from] last year to mislead,' Alvarado said, according to Infobae. 'They intend to smuggle it and sell it outside the country.' Maduro (pictured) and his ruling party have been looking for ways to fund their crippling government, which has been rocked by economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the international community Maduro's ruling government has been seeking ways to raise money to run the cash strapped nation as the United States continues to levy hard-hitting economic sanctions on a country that at one point was considered one the most prosperous in all of Latin America. Agents acted under the orders of Maduro's regime and withdrew eight tons of gold from the Venezuelan Central Bank (pictured) last week The embattled president sold over 40 percent of the South American nation's gold reserves in 2018, according to Bloomberg. The central bank had earlier bought part of this gold from primitive gold-mining camps in the south of Venezuela. Two firms in the United Arab Emirates and another in Turkey purchased 73 tons of gold. The central bank at one point had $3.1 billion worth of gold. On January 21, Noor Capital, a private investment firm in Abu Dhabi, purchased three tons of gold from the Venezuelan Central Bank. The firm also purchased about 27 tons of gold last year. But amidst mounting pressure from the United States and the international community, it said it would no longer purchase gold until the country stabilized. Maduro's government has been seeking to repatriate some 31 tons of gold in the Bank of England's vaults on fears it could be caught up in international sanctions on the country. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said on Wednesday, during a United Nations meeting in Geneva, that the Bank of England had blocked the government's assets. Shocking footage shows the moment an elderly man was dragged through the floor of his California home at gunpoint by two thieves. Two suspects forced their way into the man's house in Sacramento by driving their car through a garage door in broad daylight. Footage shows the 77-year-old man crying out in fear as he is dragged through his living room by the men, one who was armed with a handgun. Footage shows the moment an elderly man was viciously dragged through the floor of his California home at gunpoint by two thieves Just two of the three people thought to be responsible have been arrested for the burglary which happened two months ago. One of the accused robbers is a juvenile and the other suspect has been released on bond, Fox40 reported. The victim's son said that his father is still extremely shaken by the incident and they are thankful that he escaped unharmed. One of the suspects can be seen brandishing a handgun as he pulls the man across the floor The gunmen asked the victim where his money was during the terrifying ordeal He told Fox40: 'Luckily, you know, they did not hurt my father using the gun. That is very, very, very lucky. 'The one who's holding the gun is a very, very dangerous person and the other two shut up, shut their mouth. 'They don't want to give any information to the detective. Right now he [victim] has nightmares. Sometimes at night time, he's screaming,' his son added. The incident happened in the Sacramento area of Gerber Road One of the suspects reportedly asked the man where his money was and he replied that he was old and had none. The victim used to run a popular Sacramento restaurant and was home alone at the time of the robbery. His son said the family did not want to be identified as the third suspect is still on the loose. Sacramento County sheriff's Sargent Shaun Hampton told KSEE: 'Its pretty shocking the way they made entry into this home.' 'Typically there are some telltale signs from the onset why the victim is targeted. 'Our investigators and our patrol officers did some very diligent of work and were able to make two arrests in this case,' he said. He claimed the video footage and the vicious nature of the robbery 'made me absolutely sick.' A long-lost masterpiece valued at more than 128 million has gone on show in London before being sold at auction. The painting by Italian master Caravaggio is believed to have lain forgotten in an attic in Toulouse, France, for about a century until it was discovered five years ago. Today it emerged the rediscovery was even more miraculous than originally believed, after auctioneer Marc Labarbe revealed it was almost stolen by burglars a few years before it was identified. Mr Labarbe said burglars broke into the farmhouse and stole items including bottles of perfume but left the painting, which was gathering dust against a wall between some old clothes and unused crockery, believing it be worthless. Guests and members of the media listen to a presentation on 'Judith and Holofernes' by Caravaggio during a press event to promote the upcoming sale of the work at auction Speaking at the unveiling of the work at the Colnaghi gallery, Mr Labarbe joked the burglars had not deemed the painting 'adequate' enough to steal it. He said: 'One of my clients was clearing his attic and he needed two men to help him. It took a year to sell all the antiquities. 'Clocks, toys, pieces of religion, in good and bad condition, clothes, crockery, as well as many things of no interest. Everything was very dusty. 'I have to tell you that a few years before, burglars broke into the attic and stole many things, included eau de parfum bottles. Fortunately, our painting was not adequate.' He added: 'On the 23rd of April 2014, late in the morning, my client called me again because he had found a painting and wanted my opinion on it. 'I went to his house and climbed the stairs to the landing of the attic where the painting was displayed. 'At this moment there was what was like a fog across the whole canvas. 'The painting was blurry and it was almost impossible to see the details, but I was impressed by the state of the composition.' The painting was dramatically unveiled today at the Colnaghi Gallery on Bury Street in London According to Paris-based art appraiser Eric Turquin, the work was painted in 1607. It depicts the biblical tale of Judith, a widow from the city of Bethulia, who breaks the siege of her home by seducing the Assyrian leader and beheading him. It will be sold without reserve on June 27 in Toulouse at the La Halle aux Grains, with Mr Labarbe saying: 'This magnificent story began in Toulouse. It has to continue in Toulouse.' The painting is Caravaggio's second version of the same subject, with the first painted in Rome around 1600. The 57in by 69in canvas depicts the moment, told in a biblical story, when chaste widow Judith beheads the Assyrian general Holofernes to defend the city of Bethulia. It has undergone extensive scientific analysis including x-rays as part of the process of authentication before it could be sold. Caravaggio is famous for his dramatic use of light and shade, an artistic technique called chiaroscuro. This lost work is one of several he painted about the bible story Caravaggio's mastery of shadow and light, known as chiaroscuro, heralded the onset of the brooding Baroque style that flourished for 150 more years and produced the likes of Rubens and Rembrandt. But he was a hot-tempered genius who was wanted for murder, 'notorious for brawling, even in a time and place when such behaviour was commonplace,' according to the Caravaggio Foundation. The discovery means there are now 68 known paintings attributed to the artist, who was born in 1571 and died in 1610 of suspected lead poisoning from his paint. Judith And Holofernes will be on display at the Colnaghi gallery on Bury Street from tomorrow until March 9. Syrian forces have predicted complete victory over ISIS within days, as they uncovered a mass grave of decapitated bodies in the terror group's former territory. The Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led militia backed by Washington, are on the brink of ejecting ISIS from its last holdout in Baghouz, near the Iraqi border. The SDF's commander-in-chief Mazloum Kobani said in a video released today: 'We will announce the complete victory over Daesh [ISIS] in a week.' Today footage emerged appearing to show a mass grave which was discovered a week ago and is still being excavated. Search: A woman evacuated from the last ISIS holdout in Baghouz is checked by a Syrian Democratic Forces inspector at a screening area in eastern Syria on Wednesday It was not clear when the people had been killed but many of them had been decapitated, according to the SDF. Syrian forces are seeking to confirm whether the bodies were those of Yazidis enslaved by ISIS, an SDF commander said. Thousands of members of the minority Yazidi sect from Iraq were forced into sexual slavery by IS when they surged across the border in 2014 and seized swathes of territory. More than 3,000 other Yazidis were killed in an onslaught the United Nations later described as genocidal, which prompted the first U.S. air strikes against IS. Thousands more fled on foot and many remain displaced more than four years later. The SDF also announced on Thursday it had freed 24 of its fighters from the jihadist group. Escaped: A woman evacuated from Baghouz holds a child in her arms and leads another one along with her left hand at a screening area in Deir Ezzor, eastern Syria Long line: Women and children wait to be searched by members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, whose leaders have said they expect to defeat ISIS within a week Suspects: Men suspected of belonging to the Islamic State - one of them on crutches - wait to be searched by members of the Kurdish-led militia The operation to wipe out the last vestiges of ISIS's territorial control has been held up as the SDF seeks to evacuate thousands of civilians. The ISIS enclave at Baghouz, a tiny area on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, is the last populated territory held by the jihadists. Though the fall of Baghouz will mark a milestone in the campaign against IS, the group is still seen as a security threat. They will use guerrilla tactics and still hold some territory in a remote area west of the Euphrates River. Some 40,000 people have crossed from the jihadists' diminishing territory in the last three months as the U.S.-backed SDF sought to finish off the group. Inspection: An SDF member carries out a search on a woman evacuated from Baghouz, the terror group's last remaining populated territory in Syria Moving on: A woman takes her bags back after being searched by members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in Syria Helpless: Young children join their mothers at a screening area in eastern Syria on Wednesday The numbers of people, who are still pouring out of Baghouz, have surpassed initial estimates. Afrin said many of the people coming out of Baghouz had been underground in caves and tunnels. The SDF has said it wants to evacuate civilians inside Baghouz before storming it or forcing the surrender of the remaining jihadists, who the SDF has said are mostly foreigners. The U.S.-led coalition said Baghouz had been 'more crowded with both civilians and fighters than expected'. 'The overflow during the lull in battle has been difficult for the SDF and they have responded to everything well ...,' said Colonel Sean Ryan, the coalition spokesman. Elizabeth Holmes' professional life may be in the toilet, but her love life is flourishing ever since the SEC shut down her once-multi-billion-dollar company. A recent Vanity Fair piece revealed that Holmes was engaged to be married, and DailyMail.com can reveal that the man she is set to walk down the aisle with is 27-year-old hotel heir William 'Billy' Evans. The pair share a luxury apartment in San Francisco, are co-parents to the Theranos founder's wolf-dog Balto and even traveled off to Burning Man last year to party in the desert as the doors to Holmes' company were shut for good. A photo was posted by the pair on August 29, just six days before an email was sent to the few remaining employees of Theranos announcing that the company was dissolving for good. Holmes seemed carefree at the time, wearing purple sunglasses and a white military-style blazer with sequined pinstripes and a fur collar - a far cry from her standard uniform of black turtlenecks and pants. Evans meanwhile wore a military hat and a shirt that read: 'Sex Breakfast of Champions.' Scroll down for video White fang: Elizabeth Holmes, 35, is dating William 'Billy' Evans, the heir to a hotel fortune who worked for the driverless car start-up Luminar Technologies (Holmes and Evans with Balto) Burner: The two were seen partying at Burning Man just days before Theranos was dissolved, with Holmes wearing Evans' MIT signet ring around her neck (Evans and Holmes at Burning Man) Not 'Sunny': Holmes and Evans live in San Francisco in a luxury high rise with Balto, the husky whom Holmes believes is a 'wolf' Love bugs: Evans wrote in another snap with Holmes that 'the last year has been the best I've had' (above) In another photo, Holmes smiles while wearing a shirt with the name of Evans' company written across the front. The two are joined in that photo by Balto. That is the infamous husky that Holmes adopted as Theranos found itself in increasingly dire straits, informing workers that the husky was a 'wolf.' Evans refers to the dog as Baltisimo. In all the photos of the pair, Holmes is also seen wearing Evans' MIT signet ring around her neck. That may also be her engagement ring, as she is not seen wearing any jewelry on her ring finger in other photos. This would certainly be a practical decision given the fact that Holmes is being sued for millions of dollars, and if she loses those suits might have to hand over some of her more pricey possessions - like a diamond ring. Evans wrote in another snap with Holmes that 'the last year has been the best I've had.' Evans is a far cry from Holmes' ex, former Thernaos COO Ramesh 'Sunny' Balwani. Holmes and Balwani met in China just after her high school graduation when he was 37 and she was just 18. Balwani divorced his Japanese artist wife Keiko Fujimoto shortly after he met Holmes, and the two kept their relationship a secret for years. Evans is a player in the Silicon Valley scene, and recently worked at Luminar as the Director of Special Projects. He attended prep school in San Diego from an early age, enrolling at Francis W Parker when he was in kindergarten and remaining there until he went off to college. Evans chose MIT for college, and was able to also spend time in China at Fudan University. Timeline: Evans is the son of William and Susan Evans, and his paternal grandparents founded the Evans Hotel Group which owns properties on the West Coast (Evans left in 2015, Holmes right with Jared Leto at the Women of the Year Awards in 2015) Dad: Evans' father is described as 'a passionate collector of California Impressionist art, rare specimen palm trees and subtropical plants, and antique racing automobiles' (Evans and his father in 2015) Squad: Evans' mother (above with her son and not Balto in 2012) 'made the commitment to dedicate herself to raising their three children Billy, Rex, and Graciebefore accepting her current position' reads her bio on Evans Hotel Group He graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor's Degree in Science and Economics, at which point he took a post at LinkedIn before making the move in 2017 to Luminar Technologies. That is the company which is currently hard at work attempting to create and then mass market driverless cars. Photos of the couple obtained by DailyMail.com show the two are very close, and very private. They are seldom seen with anyone but each other or Balto, who wrecked havoc on the board rooms of Theranos in the company's final days, Evans is one of three children born to William and Susan Evans. The family grew up in the San Diego area, which is where Evans' grandparents, William and Anne, started the Evans Hotel Group in 1953. The hotel group now owns three major resort properties on the west coast: the Catamaran, the Baha and The Lodge at Torrey Pines. Anne remains the chairman emeritus of the company, and when her husband passed away in 1984 her children William and Grace joined the company. They were soon followed by their spouses, and those five now comprise the leadership team for the hotel group. On the company website, Evans' father is described as 'a passionate collector of California Impressionist art, rare specimen palm trees and subtropical plants, and antique racing automobiles'. Evans' mother, it is noted, 'made the commitment to dedicate herself to raising their three children Billy, Rex, and Graciebefore accepting her current position.' Shady lady: Holmes and her ex Sunny Balwani are facing decades in prison for defrauding investors and of defrauding doctors and patients Slide me New year, new me: Holmes in 2015 on left and in August on right days before Theranos dissolved In the Vanity Fair story it was also noted: 'She wears his M.I.T. signet ring on a necklace and the couple regularly post stories on Instagram professing their love for each other.' On the same day Vanity Fair published its piece, Holmes was spotted wandering the streets of Manhattans Upper East Side during a snowstorm. She was seen on February 20 exiting The Mark hotel, lugging her own suitcase and attempting to hail a cab in the photos obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com. It is unclear what will happen to the lovebirds though should Holmes be sent to prison. She has been charged with criminal fraud in federal court and is facing decades in prison, though she has maintained her innocence and entered a not guilty plea to all counts. She and Balwani are accused of defrauding investors and of defrauding doctors and patients. Holmes was set to revolutionize the medical industry with the introduction of Edison, a portable machine that she claimed could provide patients with a comprehensive blood test by analyzing just a single drop of blood. Elizabeth Holmes, 37, lugged her suitcase through the snow and sleet in her attempt to grab a cab while out in New York on February 20 Bad blood: On the same day, Vanity Fair released an expose on the final days of Theranos which detailed Holmes' oddly effusive attitude and decision to purchase a 'wolf' What followed was a spectacular fall from grace for Holmes, who had duped everyone from her billionaire investors and esteemed board members to Walgreens. Holmes seemed blissfully unaware of what was to come in those final days according to the story, and even purchased a husky that she insisted on calling a wolf. The workers who kept their jobs right until the bitter end recalled spending their final days with a inexplicably effusive Holmes and her 'wolf', who ran loose through the building and did not hesitate to use any room as his bathroom. Democrats on Thursday mocked President Donald Trump for his 'amateur hour' after the second North Korea summit ended early and Speaker Nancy Pelosi touted Kim Jong Un as the 'big winner' for getting the president to sit down and negotiate. 'I guess it took two meetings for him to realize that Kim Jong Un is not on the level,' Pelosi told reporters of the president in the Capitol Thursday. 'He was a big winner, Kim Jong Un, in getting to sit face-to-face with the most powerful person in the world - the president of the United States,' she added. Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised Kim Jong Un as the 'big winner' in the North Korea talks just for getting President Trump to sit down and negotiate Donald Trump left his second summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un empty handed after the U.S. president decided to 'walk away' from talks without so much as a framework for a treaty Other Democrats slammed the president for his naivety in expecting results from the North Korean dictator. Senior New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez characterized the two-day summit in Vietnam as 'amateur hour with nuclear weapons.' 'You don't put yourself in this position in the first place and I think that's one of the critical short failings,' he said on CNN. Trump left his second summit empty handed after the U.S. president decided to 'walk away' from talks without so much as a framework for a treaty regarding denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. He explained at his news conference that Kim wanted to give up some of his nukes in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions, but he would not agree to certain sites the U.S. is demanding. 'We had to walk away from that particular suggestion,' he acknowledged. Pelosi praised the president for walking away from a bad deal. 'Really it's good that the president did not give him anything for the little that he was proposing,' she said. Other Democratic lawmakers said they were not surprised that the Republican president - whose claim to fame is his deal-making skills - could not get Kim to agree the United States' preconditions for sanctions relief. They called the summit a 'failure' and the president who orchestrated it 'naive' for believing that the authoritarian leader would ever hand over his nuclear arsenal. Democratic lawmakers said they were not surprised that the Republican president - whose claim to fame is his deal-making skills - could not get Kim to agree the United States' preconditions for sanctions relief 'I'm not surprised it ended in failure. Trump just does not know what he's doing,' Congressman Brendan Boyle told DailyMail.com. 'We have gotten absolutely nothing out of these two bilateral summits, other than a photo op.' Even though a third summit is not planned for this time, after talks in Hanoi ended with the U.S. nixing a publicly-advertised signing ceremony for a document that never emerged, Trump said that the two sides agreed to keep the conversation going. Kim verbally promised not to conduct any additional nuclear tests, Trump told reporters. He personally committed to the indefinite suspension of joint United States and South Korean military drills. Trump pitched the military drawback as his preference, however. 'Those exercises are very expensive,' he stated. Prior to the summit a U.S. official indicated that the Trump administration had also relaxed a request that North Korea hand over a complete inventory of both its nuclear and missile sites in order for an accord to be reached. Trump, at a news conference, explained that Kim wanted to give up some, but not all, of his nukes in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions, 'So we continue to work, and we'll see. But we had to walk away from that particular suggestion' Congressman Ruben Gallego, a member on the House Armed Services Committee, said the administration is either 'naive or so desperate for a deal' that it was willing to offer North Korea 'something for nothing' to get to this point in talks. 'North Korea does not intend to denuclearize,' he told DailyMail.com. 'It shows either the administration is naive or so desperate for a deal that they would go down this path.' Trump suggested at a press conference that followed the summit that he may have been willing to lift some sanctions if Kim had agreed to dismantle key facilities. 'But they weren't willing to do an area that we wanted. They were willing to give us areas but not the ones we wanted,' he explained. Kim offered areas 'that are less important than the areas that we want' and that was the hold up. Trump declined to recommit to complete, irreversible, verifiable denuclearization, further signaling a softening of his views. Rep. Jim Clyburn, the number three House Democrat, told DailyMail.com as Trump flew back to the United States: 'I don't think anybody expected the president to get a deal out of that. I don't know what he was thinking.' Some legislators signaled relief that Trump had walked away, knowing what was on the table. 'In some ways this might be the best possible realistic outcome from my perspective because I was nervous President Trump would make an agreement that would be far worse than just a failed summit,' Boyle said. One Democratic lawmaker, who asked to speak to the DailyMail.com on background, said,' I guess no deal is better than a bad deal.' The lawmaker added what really concerned him were the president's comments on Otto Warmbier, the American student sent to a work camp who came back to the U.S. in a comma and died several days later. 'I was blown away by the president's quote about Otto Warmbier. That the president would defend Kim Jong-un and his regime I thought was incredible,' the lawmaker said. The member of Congress said the second summit did not help Trump's reputation as a deal maker. 'I think he really hasn't done a deal with anybody,' the lawmaker said, adding: 'He tries to do things on his own. He's not really a deal maker. At least he hasn't shown that in politics.' Ellen Page has defended herself after using the apparent racist and homophobic attack on Jussie Smollett as a cudgel to beat on the 'hateful' attitudes of Donald Trump and Mike Pence. Page said she had 'no reason to doubt Jussie' when he claimed two MAGA hat-wearing thugs had beat him up and placed a noose around his neck while shouting racist and homophobic language. But, in the wake of police claims that Smollett staged the attack to boost his salary, Page was forced to walk back her attacks on the President and his Vice. Ellen Page has walked back on criticism she leveled at Trump and Pence in the wake of the apparently racist and homophobic attack on Jussie Smollett, after it emerged he made it up Page said she had 'no reason to doubt Jussie' after he made his claims, before using them as a tool to slam Pence and Trump for 'hateful' attitudes which she said prompted such attacks 'The conversation around Jussie Smollett has led us all to examine hate violence and its implications and aftermath,' she wrote in a column for The Hollywood Reporter. 'I had no reason to doubt Jussie. My work on Gaycation - the docuseries I produced to chronicle LGBTQ+ stories from around the world - introduced me to many survivors of hate violence. 'I know how prevalent and pernicious it can be. If this situation was staged, it could make victims even more reluctant to report these crimes. Very real crimes. 'While the media and public debate the case and await more information, we must not lose sight of the very real, endemic violence that LGBTQ+ people, people of color and other underrepresented communities face every day. 'I ask you not to question our pain, not to draw into question our trauma, but to maintain, wholeheartedly, that hate violence exists. The merits of one case should not and cannot call that into question.' In a new column Page said the fact that Jussie invented his attack should not distract from the real hate that gay people face, without mentioning either the President or his Vice Page is just the latest in a long line of celebrities and politicians who have been forced to retract statements made after Smollett's attack was first reported - including figures as diverse as Cardi B and Nancy Pelosi. The revelations by the Chicago Police Department - which Smollett continues to deny - also prompted a reaction from Trump himself. After the actor's arrest, he tweeted: 'What about MAGA and the tens of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments!?' Page was one such figure to attack the MAGA movement, and Trump and Vice President Pence specifically, in the wake of Smollett's initial allegations. Speaking on Stephen Colbert's show, she accused Pence of having an anti-gay agenda before saying: 'Connect the dots. This is what happens. 'If you are in a position of power and you hate people and you want to cause suffering to them, you go through the trouble you spend your career trying to cause suffering, what do you think is going to happen? 'Kids are going to be abused and they are going to kill themselves and people are going to be beaten on the street. I have travelled the world and I have met the most marginalised people you can meet. 'I am lucky to have this time and the privilege to say this. This needs to f**king stop.' A girl was injured after she was struck by an elderly man working out on a horizontal bar at a park in China. The incident, captured on video, shows the man in his 70s doing backflips on the pull-up bar after strapping his feet on it at the Temple of Earth park in Beijing on Sunday. The man was seen spinning around the metal bar at high speed when he suddenly collided with the girl, who ran in front of him and was knocked flying in front of horrified bystanders. The incident, captured on video, shows the man in his 70s doing backflips on the pull-up bar after strapping his feet on it at the Temple of Earth park in Beijing on Sunday The man was seen spinning around the metal bar when he suddenly collided with the girl, who ran in front of him and was knocked flying in front of horrified bystanders The girl, aged around 10, suffered injuries to her mouth and the man sustained a bruise to his head, according to Beijing News. Both were taken to hospital for treatment. The child's condition was non-life threatening, added the report quoting an employee at the park. The girl's parents have already alerted police and investigations are ongoing, she added. The man, surnamed Xie, is somewhat of a local celebrity in the neighbourhood as he is a regular at the park, often seen doing his horizontal bar routine Chinese reports say the park has no strict guidelines on how the pull-up bars should be used The man, surnamed Xie, is somewhat of a local celebrity in the neighbourhood as he is a regular at the park, often seen doing his horizontal bar routine. Chinese reports say the park has no strict guidelines on how the horizontal bars should be used. The incident sparked a debate on social media, where net users argued which party should be at fault for the accident. Many blamed the pensioner for disregarding other patrons at the park, while others said the girl's parents' should be held responsible. Many blamed the pensioner for disregarding other patrons at the park, while others said the girl's parents' should be held responsible for the horrible accident 'The park is a public space - the man shouldn't be doing exercises that could potentially hurt other people,' one person commented on Chinese microblogging site Weibo. 'The horizontal bar should just be used for pull-ups, not for you to swing around on it,' another said, while one argued: 'This is entirely the girl's fault. She wasn't looking when she ran into him.' 'I say the girl's parents are in the wrong - they weren't looking after their child properly,' one user said. The girl's family and the pensioner are expected to share responsibility for the accident, according to the report. Is a 3000-Year Old Swedish Petroglyph the Oldest Known Depiction of Thor? Is a 3000-year old Swedish petroglyph the oldest known depiction of Thor? Here's what Swedish science journalist Karin Bojs (sounds like Boyce) suggests in her highly engaging genetic study of Europe, My European Family: The First 54,000 Years: The Vitlycke rock engraving includes a man driving...a two-wheeled chariot, clearly drawn by a horse. The man holds the horse's reins in one hand and a hammer in the other. Before him, a flash of lightning can be seen. The most likely interpretation is that the man is a thunder godthe Bronze Age counterpart of the god later known to the Vikings as Thor. The thunder god's attribute was an axe or a hammer, with which he would strike to produce thunder and lightning (296-7). Is she right? Well, the time and the place are right. The Vitlycke charioteer is one of tens of thousands of petroglyphs located on rock faces near Tanum, Sweden. Petroglyphs are notoriously difficult to date, but experts are agreed that these petroglyphs date mostly from the Scandinavian Bronze Age. We know that Scandinavia was populated by Indo-European speakers during this period, and that these petroglyphs are therefore a product of an Indo-European culture. The pantheons of virtually all IE cultures feature a divine Thunderer, often conceived of as a warrior, armed and riding in a two-wheeled chariot. Take a close look at the petroglyph shown above. A horned man with a noteworthy ithyphallus drives what would appear to be a highly schematic chariot drawn by (apparently) a horned animal. If so, with apologies to Bojs, this is no horse, but would only strengthen the image's likely identity as a sort of proto-Thor, since Thor's chariot was said to be drawn by goats, and historically the goat is associated with the Thunderer across the Indo-European diaspora. At very least, one can say that, if this chariot is indeed drawn by a horned animal (instead of a horse with unusually elongated ears, say), we are likely in the realm of myth here. No one, after all, hitches an ox to a chariot. Thor, of course, is not known to be horned in any of the surviving sources. Horned helms are, in fact, known from this period (although not from the later Viking Age), but we have no evidence for horned Thunderers per se. That the horned man driving the chariot is holding reins in one hand, I would agree. That he is holding a hammer in the other hand, though, I'm not so sure. The two hands actually look very similar, with five strokes each that could be fingers, the divine fingers of a god known for doing great deeds. Across pantheons, Thunderers do bear a strong family resemblance to one another. They tend to be bearded, virile, irascible; warriors, doers of great deeds, and men of mighty appetites: for liquor, food, and sex. Thor is not generally known as a phallic godin the Norse pantheon, such status is more generally accorded to Freybut as god of rain, well-known as a friend to farmers, such a characterization would not be entirely out of keeping with the Eddas' Thor. The calque between semen and rain is, of course, well-known: You pour your seed out on the ground, says one contemporary hymn to Thunder. The charioteer's erection would certainly seem to suggest that he is a bearer of fruitfulness, unless this is a battle-induced erection that he sports. (I've heard that men going into battle get erections; never having been in one myself, I can't vouch for this personally. Readers?) Let us say at least that his ithyphallic nature does not rule out the possibility that who we see depicted here might be an Ur-Thor. Speaking of erections, take a look at the zigzag positioned in front of the charioteer's. Bojs identifies this as lightning, but is it? It does, admittedly, look like lightning as a modern might draw it, but is this how a Bronze Age artists would have done so? Or is this particular zigzag, perhaps, a sign of moisture instead? If so, the proximity to the charioteer's phallus seems significant. If this is the Thunderer, is this then his fertilizing ejaculate rain? Maybe science reporters need to watch more gay porn. Is the Tanum Charioteer an ancestor of Thor? If he is, he's a being something different fromthough still in accordance withthe Thor of Norse tradition. But he sure sounds good to me. Joe Scarborough tore into Donald Trump Jr on Thursday after the the first son suggested that the Morning Joe host and his wife Mika Brzezinski had accepted comped meals, hotels and flights from his father. The latest social media feud between Trump's eldest son and a member of the media kicked off when Scarborough tweeted out a Wall Street Journal piece about Michael Cohen's testimony to the House Oversight Committee. Scarborough highlighted a few lines from the editorial as well, quoting the lines: 'The day was a reminder that Americans elected a President in 2016 who had spent decades in the sleazier corners of New York business and tabloid life. He surrounded himself with political rogues. Now he and the GOP will pay a political price.' And he did not stop there. 'Character does matter, especially in presidents,' added Scarborough, again quoting the paper. Fight: Joe Scarborough took aim at Donald Trump Jr (left in October) and his father (right with Jeffrey Epstein in 1997) on Twitter after the first son attacked him for posting an op ed that was critical of the president On blast: Scarborough and his wife Mika Brzezinski (above on Morning Joe) were accused by Don Jr of accepting free flights, hotel accommodations and meals from President Trump The social media feud kicked off when Scarborough tweeted out a Wall Street Journal piece about Michael Cohen's testimony Allegations: Don Jr painted the couple as freeloaders who turned negative when they stopped getting perks (above) Don Jr took issue with that and fired back on Twitter, writing: 'Though that didnt stop Joe and Mika from scrounging for freebies for years... room nights, plane rides, dinners etc. Funny that when all that stopped so did their support.' He then retweeted himself 12 hours later, with the second posting of his comment drawing a response from Scarborough. 'What a surprise. More lies from a Trump,' wrote Scarborough. He then stated: 'I never stepped on a Trump plane & never asked'; 'I was never comped a room or a meal at any Trump property'; 'I had dinner once with your father over a decade at his insistence. (Bad food. SAD!)'; 'I supported Jeb from Day 1.' Scarborough then turned from defending himself to attacking the Trumps. 'Hey Fredo, I think you might want to worry less about lying about me and more about the lies you have told Congress (and Bob Muellers focus on your lying),' wrote Scarborough. 'Tell me Fredo,how many plane rides and comped meals did your father have from Robert Kraft and Jeffrey Epstein?' He closed out by posting a GIF of Fredo, the disgraced son from The Godafter trilogy. Digging in: The Morning Joe host denied taking any flights or getting free hotels, and said he had just one meal with President Trump, and it was 'BAD' Response: 'Tell me Fredo,how many plane rides and comped meals did your father have from Robert Kraft and Jeffrey Epstein?' wrote Scarborough Fan: President Trump has made no secret about his ties to Epstein and Kraft, who have been been accused of sex crimes (Kraft and Trump at the White House last April) In that tweet he included a bit of testimony from Cohen that was clearly meant to tile up Don Jr. 'Mr. Trump had frequently told me and others that his son Don Jr. had the worst judgment of anyone in the world,' wrote Scarborough, who was quoting Cohen. President Trump has made no secret about his ties to Epstein and Kraft, who have been been accused of sex crimes. Epstein allegedly slept with scores of underage women in the Palm Beach area but managed to work out deal in which he was convicted of a single charge of soliciting an underage girl for prostitution. He served a brief jail sentence that allowed him to travel to work during the day and had to register as a sex offender. Kraft meanwhile has been charged with two counts of solicitation for allegedly having two different sex acts performed on him over the course of two days at a spa in Florida accused of human trafficking. A video of a bizarre altercation in a Massachusetts park seems to show a white woman calling 911 on a black man because his dog 'aggressively' humped her dog in a canine courting session gone wrong. Nicknamed 'Dog Park Diane' by viewers online, the woman depicted in the video can be seen speaking on the phone to police, attempting to report a crime in an Attleboro park. 'Why're you calling the cops right now? Because I told you I wasn't leaving the park? Because my dog humped your dog?' Franklin Baxley, 42, the man filming the video, asks. According to Baxley, the unnamed woman decided to involve police after she believed his dog 'assaulted' hers with an 'aggressive' hump. The woman, nicknamed 'Dog Park Diane' online, allegedly called police on Baxley after her dog was humped by his 'Diane' can be heard justifying her call to the police 'because your dog keeps humping my dog and assaulting him' Baxley says his dog is very friendly and he's a responsible dog owner Franklin Baxley, a former attorney, suspects the woman's actions were racially motivated Insisting he immediately pulled his dog away, the pair became ensnared in a heated exchange when the woman asked Baxley to leave the park - and he refused. 'That's inappropriate for the dog park,' Carol Cobb Ferraro, a worker at the park can be heard saying to Baxley in the video. 'No it's not,' retorts the Baxley. 'I've seen every single dog hump another dog here. She's asking me to leave and now she's calling the cops?' Baxley, a former attorney, compares the woman's action to the 2018 viral video 'BBQ Becky', where a white woman called the police on two black men because they were barbecuing in the grill-zone of an Oakland park. 'This is crazy,' he calls out. 'Have you heard of BBQ Becky? Because this is the newest one.' Despite Baxley's repeated pleas to not involve the police because its unnecessary, the woman refuses to hang up the call. Baxley can be heard repeatedly telling 'Diane' that dogs regularly hump at the park and insists he immediately pulled his dog off of hers The altercation is said to have escalated after Baxley refused the woman's demand to leave Attleboro dog park He insists that this is an every day occurrence and police intervention is far from needed. In a later snippet, 'Diane' can be heard justifying her call to the police claiming Baxley's dog 'keeps humping my dog and assaulting him.' The 42-year-old accuses the woman of having racial motivations for involving the police, insisting the argument wouldn't have escalated to this extent had he been white. 'If I were not Black, she would not have felt threatened by me talking to her and defying her orders for me to leave the park,' Baxley told DailyMail.com. 'It was about race if you ask me, but I wouldnt be surprised if this woman does this to just about anyone as she seems a little off. 'I am a responsible dog owner, and my dog is super friendly. Anyone who goes to that park regularly knows me and will attest to that fact. 'The dogs were living their best lives the whole time.' Commentors on his Facebook post agreed, with one remarking: 'White women these days will call cops on a black person for farting and claim they set off a chemical weapon.' Attleboro Police did eventually arrive on the scene, and said both parties were reasonable and understanding. 'Peace was restored and no charges were filed,' said an Attleboro Police Sergeant. When asked if the woman's use of 911 was justified in the circumstances, the Sergeant replied: 'We have a motto written on the sides of our cars: no call too small. 'If you see something, say something - and we'll investigate it.' A lurcher dubbed 'Britain's loneliest dog' has finally found a home after spending more than 500 days at an animal shelter. Staff and volunteers have desperately been trying to find a family for two year old Hector since he was rescued in October 2017 over welfare concerns. He had a fan club online, the RSPCA's Little Valley Animal Shelter in Exeter, Devon, said they could never understand why he was continually overlooked. dubbed 'Britain's loneliest dog' has finally found a home after spending more than 500 days at an animal shelter Alan and Rose from Devon, who have adopted the lurcher, following an online appeal But after a recent appeal went viral, hundreds of people from all over the world came forward offering to re-home him. Staff at Little Valley said they were overjoyed their longest-staying resident had finally found a new 'forever' home after being adopted by Alan and Rose from Devon. The centre say it was 'inundated' with messages from would-be owners worldwide after the campaign to find him a home went viral at the start of February. Shelter manager Jo Evans said: 'We couldn't be happier for him. We can't stop smiling.' The shelter thanked its supporters and everyone who came forward. Jo added: 'Hector is hilarious. He never fails to make us smile and is a firm favourite with all who meet him. 'He's adored by staff and we couldn't understand why he was always overlooked. 'He's an active boy who is looking for like-minded owners who can take him on plenty of adventures. He especially loves the beach, and we have learnt he likes to swim.' Hector loves meeting and playing with other dogs out. A Russian cargo ship captain may have been slightly drunk when he veered off course and crashed into a busy South Korean bridge this afternoon. The 6,000 ton Seagrand collided with the side of the Gwangan Bridge in Busan, in the southeast of the country, at around 4.20pm local time. The ship then attempted to turn and vacate the area before it was detained by the Korea Coast Guard (KCG). The Russian cargo ship Seagrand bumped into the side of the Gwangan Bridge in Busan, South Korea on Thursday with a 'drunk' captain on-board KCG officials said the captain's blood alcohol level was 0.086 per cent - almost three times the legal limit of 0.03 per cent. According to local news agency Yonhap the Seagrand also hit a moored cruise ship just 40 minutes before the accident. Authorities said they spoke to the cargo ship's crew and were still determining whether the captain, whose identity has not been released, was at the helm at the time of the crash. Drinking alcohol on-board is perfectly legal so as long as the person is not steering, the KCG said. The accident caused some superficial damage to the lower level of the bridge, but no injuries were reported Officials are also looking into why the vessel was in the waters near the 500 billion Gwangan Bridge - South Korea's second longest - when it should have been heading in the opposite direction. According to the KCG, the Seagrand arrived in Busan around 9am on Wednesday morning to unload 1,495 tons of iron pipes. It departed for Vladivostok, Russia on Thursday with 1,415 tons of steel coils. No injuries were reported, but a section of the bridge was closed off for a safety inspection. Photographs show some superficial damage to the lower level of the two-tiered structure. Michael Anthony King is accused of murdering his 65-year-old mother Nancy Ann Noone in Winter Park, Florida on Wednesday An 18-year-old has been arrested after he allegedly stabbed his mother and slit her throat in their Florida home after 'fantasizing' about killing her. Michael Anthony King is accused of murdering his 65-year-old mother Nancy Ann Noone in Winter Park, north east of Orlando, on Wednesday night. Sheriff's deputies were called to the home at about 8.30pm and found Noone unresponsive. Her throat had been cut and she was suffering from stab wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators estimated that Noone had been killed at about 8pm. Authorities said Noone's teenage son confessed to the brutal murder but have not released a motive. They said the attack was unprovoked but he allegedly fantasized about killing her. Sheriff's deputies were called to the family home (above) at about 8.30pm and found Noone unresponsive with stab wounds and her throat cut Investigators say Noone was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after authorities arrived King had attended nearby Winter Park High School before transferring to Aloma Charter High School. A former friend told ClickOrlando that King was 'pretty much normal' until junior year but did not elaborate. The friend said he had never witnessed anything unusual in relation to King's behavior. King is believed to have a twin sister. He was booked into the Orange County Jail on a first-degree murder charge early Thursday morning. His bond details were not immediately available. Disturbing video shows a defenceless prisoner 'on spice' abused by an inmate who forces his naked buttocks into his face. Two prisoners can be seen incapacitated and struggling to stand up in what appears to be a prison laundry room. Another prisoner then holds down one of the other prisoner's heads, before shoving his buttocks in his face. The bald prisoner is seen pushing his bare buttocks into the helpless inmate's face The clip is said to have been filmed in HM Prison Hull by another prisoner. UK prisons have been dogged by the 'spice epidemic' and this clip is further evidence of that. The Hull prison is one of 10 that has been targeted by the prison minister for crackdowns on the high level of contraband, including spice, making its way inside. Figures released last year showed that seizures of smuggled-in drugs and mobile phones in prisons rose by 23% and 15% respectively in the year to March. Before the laughing prisoner committed the degrading act, his victim was seen on all fours Prisons minister Rory Stewart said in August last year that he will resign in a year if he hasnt managed to reduce drugs and violence levels in the 10 target jails in England. The latest shocking clip begins with two men shaking and struggling to stand up in a room with large laundry machines on the left hand side. What is 'Spice'? Spice is a synthetic high which falls into a category of drug-like substances that can be bought in shops or online without breaking the law, but which give the body the same artificial rush of endorphins or high as illegal drugs such as cannabis or ecstasy. Black Mamba is a variation of Spice, a synthetic cannabinoid which has similar effects to natural cannabis. However it is much more potent and reacts more strongly with the brains receptors. Regular use can cause a relapse of mental health illness or increase the risk of developing a mental illness especially if someone has a family history of mental illness. Earlier this year, a global drugs survey found that hospital admissions as a result of taking the herbal substance Spice have increased by one-third since 2014. Reported effects include convulsions, shortness of breath, kidney failure and cardiac arrest, as well as hallucinations and irreparable damage to the users mental health. Spice was made illegal in May last year. Advertisement One man in the background can be seen holding onto one washing machine as he struggles to stay up, swaying back and forth. Another man, who is initially standing, falls to the ground, where he stays on his knees, shaking. There is some laughing behind the camera, before a male voice says: 'Watch this now.' A male figure then comes into view with his bare backside out, turning round so his backside is facing the struggling prisoner. The man holds down on the prisoner's head, and then rubs his buttocks in his face. There is more laughter, as the man jumps forward, back out of view of the camera. The other men continue to laugh and joke behind the camera, as the clip comes to an end. Last year it was reported how an inmate at HM Prison Hull attacked prison officers in a violent rage after smoking spice. Patrick Hogan, 54, was serving a 14 year jail term when he had a series of violent outbursts on June 19, 2017. Spice, which can cause convulsions and catatonic states, has been linked to 79 prison deaths since 2013. The Ministry of Justice has previously tried to instigate a crackdown on legal highs in prisons, with added powers to stop prisoners using. The video began with the victim and another suspected spice user struggling to balance Any prisoner who is suspected of being involved in smuggling prohibited items, including legal highs can be prevented contact with parents or children during visits, and have 42 days added to their sentence. The ten jails targeted for improvement are: Hull Category B; Humber, East Riding of Yorkshire Category C; Leeds Category B; Lindholme, near Doncaster Category C/D; Moorland, Hatfield Woodhouse, South Yorkshire Category C; Wealstun, near Wetherby, West Yorkshire Category C; Nottingham Category B; Ranby, Nottinghamshire Category C; Wormwood Scrubs, west London Category B; Isis, south-east London Category C. Serial liar Michael Cohen had come to Congress to finally tell the truth. Donald Trumps former lawyer and Fixer, who is about to start a prison sentence for amongst other things, lying, and who had previously brazenly lied to the same Congress, was ready to stop lying. Cohens bottom lip trembled as he solemnly declared: I am here under oath to correct the record, to answer the Committees questions truthfully, and to offer the American people what I know about President Trump. As for those who questioned his credibility, given the sheer volume of lies he has previously told, he insisted: I have lied, but I am not a liar. Michael Cohen too an oath on Wednesday and then insisted: I have lied, but I am not a liar. That's a lie! Ironically, this too was a lie. If you lie, as one of the Committee members later explained, then self-evidently, youre a liar. But Cohen was emphatic: what we were about to hear was the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And for the next seven hours, he did his very best to nail Trump down into a political coffin. He branded him a racist, a conman and a cheat who only ran for office on a platform of hate and intolerance to enhance his personal brand, not to make America great again. In a withering personal character assessment, Cohen said of the President: He is capable of behaving kindly, but he is not kind. He is capable of committing acts of generosity, but he is not generous. He is capable of being loyal, but he is fundamentally disloyal. It was a savage takedown, and Cohen clearly relished his moment in the global media spotlight. Cohen repeatedly cried; he spoke again and again of his family, his loss, and fears for prison He repeatedly turned on the tears; he spoke again and again of his family, of his loss, of his fears for prison life. Several times, he even evoked the memory of father of surviving the Holocaust thanks to the compassion and selfless acts of others to explain why he, Michael, himself now always instinctively helped those in need. As many people that know me best would say, I am the person they would call at 3am if they needed help. All of this was very carefully orchestrated and designed to make us feel sorry for him. Cohen, he was keen for us to know, is a massively misunderstood guy; someone who did bad things but is not actually bad. He even evoked the memory of father of surviving the Holocaust. All of this was very carefully orchestrated and designed to make us feel sorry for him A man whose only real crime was trying too hard to help people like Donald Trump at great personal risk to himself. I found myself laughing out loud at Cohens painfully insincere performance, not least because his own lawyer Lanny Davis was sitting right next to him looking like the cat that got every dollop of cream. Davis, of course, is best known for being one of the closest confidants and advisors to the Clintons. He took this gig for free, Cohen revealed. No sh*t, Sherlock! Davis who I know well and respect as a brilliant political operator - would have paid to do it, such is his intense dislike of Trump, keenness to exact revenge for Hillary, and love of media attention. But there was just one big problem with Cohens testimony, and it was perfectly highlighted when he was posed a very simple question. How long did you work in the White House? asked Republican rottweiler Jim Jordan. I never worked in the White House, replied Cohen. Thats the point isnt it, Mr Cohen? sneered Jordan. No, sir. Yes it is. You wanted to work in the White House, No sir. You just didnt get brought to the dance. I was extremely proud to be personal attorney to the President of the United States of America. I did not want to go to the White House. After being accused of feeling slighted he was brought to 'the dance,'Cohen said under oath, I was extremely proud to be personal attorney to the President of the United States of America. I did not want to go to the White House The moment he said those words, Twitter exploded led by many people closest to President Trump. Michael was lobbying EVERYONE to be Chief of Staff, tweeted Eric Trump. It was the biggest joke around the office. Did he just perjure himself again? His brother Donald Jr agreed: Hahahaha, Michael Cohen begged to work at the White House and everyone knows it. He added: It really was the biggest joke of the entire transition. The beginning of his bitterness when he realized that was never going to happen. #Delusional. Now, you might expect Trumps sons to spring to his defence and brand Cohen a liar again. What would be far less predictable is that CNN, Trumps least favourite news organisation, did the same. When Cohen said he didn't want to work in the White House, Twitter exploded. Cohen himself even said he'd wanted to work in the White House During a panel debate about Cohens testimony, CNNs top political correspondent Dana Bash said: The one potential problem that I thought Michael Cohen has is when he was asked if he wanted a job in the White House and he said no. Our reporting.all of us have been told by people in and around the process at the time he very much wanted a job at the White House. Very much, agreed CNN anchor Jake Tapper. Tapper then played the clip of Cohens claim because a lot of us raised our eyebrows because we knew it to not to be true. Afterwards, he added: The issue is that one sentence I did not want to go to the White House. All of our reporting suggests thats not true. Later in his testimony, Cohen doubled down and again said I did not want to go to the White House and insisted he had told President Trump he wanted to continue working for him as an outside personal attorney. Yet CNN reported Cohen wanted a job at the White House but was edged out by Trumps family, and was named personal attorney to mollify him. CNN said he had been particularly keen to be Chief of Staff and was crushed when the job went to Reince Preibus instead. I think its safe to assume CNN, that despises Trump as much as he despises them, would not be reporting all this as a favour to the President. They reported it because its true. And we know its true because Cohen himself admitted as much in a CNN interview with Chris Cuomo in 2016. Asked if he expected to work with Trump when he moved to the White House, Cohen replied: 'Oh, I certainly hope so, adding he would a hundred per cent accept a position. So Cohen lied yesterday again, about something relatively innocuous. And if he lied about that, then what else did he lie about? Cohen says Trump sent him signed personal checks to pay off porn stars, but was it a retainer for general services? Cohen says he overheard Roger Stone tell Trump that Julian Assange had told him in a phone call that Wikileaks was about to dump their damaging Hillary emails. But both Stone and Assange have categorically denied any such conversation ever happened. Cohen says he heard Trump spew racist abuse as they travelled through a black neighbourhood in Chicago. But there is no tape (Cohen taped a lot of things) and no witness. Cohen says Trump was aware of the infamous Tower meeting between members of his campaign and a Russian lawyer. But the detail of how Trump was supposedly imparted this news is distinctly inconclusive. In the end, most of what Cohen revealed is stuff that has yet to be independently verified or corroborated, and some of it cannot be as only Cohen and Trump were there. If its all true, then President Trump is undeniably facing serious charges and may well have broken several laws. But as I watched Cohens pathetically manipulative, sniveling and disingenuous performance yesterday, I found it very hard to believe almost anything he was saying. As I watched Cohens manipulative, sniveling and disingenuous performance yesterday, I found it very hard to believe almost anything he was saying. Even CNN called out his lying Over the past two years, I have been smeared as a rat by the President of the United States, Cohen bleated. The truth is much different. Is it, Michael? A 'rat' is a word mob bosses use for those who betray them. The famous mafia rat of all was Salvatore Sammy the Bull Gravano whose shocking plea deal testimony helped bring down John Gotti, head of the Gambino crime family. Gravano, a mass murderer involved in the killing of at least 19 people, squealed like a pig to save his own skin. But at least everyone believed him. In Michael Cohens case, he also made a plea deal in return for squealing like a pig about Trump. But how much of his testimony can we really trust? If he is still able to so obviously lie about a simple thing like wanting a job at the White House, how can we believe anything else he says? Id be more inclined to believe Pinocchio than Michael Sammy the Bullsh*tter Cohen. A Denver high school has come under fire for giving parents an 'opt-out' form that allowed their children to skip a Black History Month assembly. George Washington High School in Denver sent out an email on Tuesday saying that the school would host an African-American Heritage Month assembly in March and attached a form that would allow parents to exclude their kids from the event. 'Students who opt-out of the assembly will be supervised in the library for the duration of the assembly and will return to their second-period class at the conclusion of the assembly to continue the school day,' the letter said. But the school faced major backlash from the community and outraged parents, leading the school principal to retract the opt-out offer the following day. A Denver high school has come under fire for giving parents a form to opt-out their kids of a Black History Month assembly, leading Principal Kristin Waters to retract the option the following day It's not clear if any parents actually pulled their kids from attending the assembly. Angry phone calls poured in to the school and to the Denver Public Schools district office saying that they were disappointed that an assembly on black heritage was allowed to be skipped, according to the Denver Post. The backlash was so bad Principal Kristin Waters cancelled the opt-out form on Wednesday and said the assembly would be mandatory for all students Many flagged the issue to Hasira Ashemu, a local social activist and the co-founder of education advocacy group Our Voice, Our Schools. 'This is the type of systemic racism that we are talking about that pervades DPS at its core. Since when do students get to "opt-out" of Black History Month assemblies?!?!? It's the same with having teachers "opt-out" of racial bias training and having school leaders "opt-out" of best practices in discipline of its Black population,' Ashemu posted on Facebook on Wednesday. 'Everyday this is the type of microaggressions that Black faculty, parents and students have to face in this racist system,' he added. The opt-out option was particularly controversial because, according to staff, the school is already segregated. 'It's pretty segregated right now. It's mostly white kids in the program, and we're tying to stop that divide and include everyone,' Yasiris Torres, a teacher at the school, said. She sent this newsletter on Wednesday saying 'effective immediately we are eliminating the assembly opt-out policy and all students will attend educational assemblies at GW' Local activist Hasira Ashemu applauded Waters efforts saying 'she's a whole lot more responsive to Black equity demands then the Denver Public Schools admin seems to be' But Principal Kristin Waters says that the opt-out form was standard for any school assembly at the school. Furthermore the Black History Month assembly stemmed from resolution passed less than a week ago by the Denver Board of Education to enhance the success of its black and African-American students. By Wednesday Waters sent a follow-up message to parents saying the George Washington High is eliminating the assembly opt-out policy and all students will be required to attend the Black History Month gathering. 'As we continue the important work of dismantling systemic racism, segregation and inequity in education, and specifically at George Washington High School, we appreciate our community holding us accountable,' Waters wrote in the apology newsletter. 'To expand the perspectives and learning opportunities for all of our students, it is counter-productive to promote the opportunity to opt-out of an assembly examining any part of history, culture or current events,' she added. Denver Public Schools also released a statement in light of the outrage saying it was 'grateful for the opportunity to remedy' the controversy Following her announcement, Ashemu praised the school for listening to the community. 'I don't know who the principal is over at George Washington personally but whoever she is she's a whole lot more responsive to Black equity demands then the DPS admin seems to be. This is just the first step,' he wrote. Denver Public Schools also released a statement in light of the controversy. 'After hearing the concerns expressed by George Washington High School families, school leaders responded as rapidly as possible to correct the assembly opt-out policy so that it better reflects the schools commitment to all students,' spokesman Will Jones said. 'The school deeply appreciates the GW community for providing feedback and advocacy, and is grateful for the opportunity to remedy this,' he added. A Polish climber told his mother not to worry as he will 'be home soon' in a live video from Mont Blanc moments before he fell 1,300ft to his death. Krystian Madeja, 25, was climbing Europe's highest peak on the French-Italian border last weekend. He started his ascent from the French town of Chamonix and recorded the livestream for social media when he reached the 'Couloir of Death'. Krystian Madeja, 25, uploaded a live video reassuring his mother he would home home soon as he climbed Mont Blanc, moments before he fell to his death on the mountain A moment later, the Pole (pictured) fell 1,300ft into an abyss when he was at an altitude of about 7,218ft above sea level In the video, the young mountaineer can be seen panning across the view as tells the camera: 'Best regards, and we wish you all a nice day! Hey mum! She is also watching the live-streaming. Look mum, beautiful isn't it? 'There is nothing to worry about, I'll be home soon. This is the so-called Couloir of Death.' According to reports Madeja, from the town of Walim in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in western Poland, fell into a 1,312-foot (400-metre) abyss shortly after recording the video and died at the scene at an altitude of around 7,218ft (2,200 metres) above sea level. Mont Blanc's peak stands at 15,777ft (4,808.7 metres) above sea level. As reported by the French media, five Polish and Russian mountaineers participated in the expedition, including the famous Russian climber Denis Urubko The French gendarmerie from Chamonix announced: 'He made a technical mistake, so he fell off the wall. There have also been reports of problems with the equipment'. French media report five Polish and Russian mountaineers participated in the expedition and all were experienced climbers. Their group included famous Russian climber Denis Urubko - who in January last year took part in a rescue operation in Pakistan for French climber Elisabeth Revol and Pole Tomasz Mackiewicz. The French gendarmerie said that Krystian was not connected to other members of the expedition with a rope at the time of his death and report state that preliminary findings indicated a 'lack of vigilance' when the climbers were changing positions. The French gendarmerie from Chamonix said the 25-year-old fell after making a technical mistake. There have also been reports of problems with the equipment Mr Polissen, a spokesperson for the French Gendarmerie mountain rescue service in Chamonix said: 'The Polish climber fell down a steep snow slope after having poorly set up a climbing crampon that came loose and he slipped. 'He died on impact. We arrived ten to 15 minutes later and evacuated the body by helicopter.' Monika Witkowska, a Polish female traveller and climber, wrote on social media: 'I can not believe that Krystian is not here, that we won't go to the Himalayas together, that you will not show me your next videos that you made so eagerly.' His final live stream has been viewed more than 10,000 times on social media. Ewa Zakrzewska wrote: 'It's too early... So many other mountains were waiting for him.' And Malgorzata Kruczek wrote: 'You'll remain in our hearts forever. R.I.P.' Tim Dowd (pictured outside Leeds Crown Court today) has been convicted of trying to groom a 13-year-old girl A Coronation Street director has been found guilty of attempting to groom 13-year-old girl in a police sting. Paedophile Tim Dowd, 66, who has also worked on Emmerdale, has been warned by a judge he could be jailed. The disgraced TV worker asked what he believed to be a 13 year old girl in care but who was actually an undercover police officer to send him photographs of her breasts. The grandfather from Harrogate in North Yorkshire lost his wife and his job due to his arrest. He showed no emotion as the jury of eight men and four women found him unanimously guilty of four child sex offences at Leeds Crown Court. Judge Rodney Jameson QC granted Dowd bail for the preparation of a pre-sentence report. He must sign the sex offenders register and will be sentenced on 21 March. Judge Jameson warned him: 'You must understand that the fact I'm adjourning sentence and granting you bail is no indication what will happen. All options are open.' Dowd encouraged the decoy to have phone sex with him via WhatsApp and boasted he enjoyed wife swapping with his friend. Prosecutor Rupert Doswell told the trial that in January, last year, a West Yorkshire Police officer was employed online to identify child sex offenders. She created a false profile in the Lycos Chat room called Chantelle13Cymru, 'indicating that her age was 13' he said, adding: 'The officer was posing as a 13 year old girl.' At 11.49am on 12 January Dowd, using the profile Ollie Reed - after the actor Oliver Reed - contacted Chantelle and asked her whether she was 13 and saying that was 'not a problem' for him. 'He asked her whether she had ever had phone sex and he asked her whether she would like to,' said Mr Doswell. Dowd asked for her phone number to carry on the conversation on WhatsApp and they continued further communication outside the chat room. 'The defendant may have been concerned the chat room could be monitored and a mobile would be a much safer environment,' said Mr Doswell. 'From the outset he was overtly sexual.' Dowd (pictured leaving Leeds Crown Court) faces jail after he claimed that he thought he was speaking to an adult playing out a fantasy He asked whether she'd had sex and told her he had a owned his own house in Yorkshire. He asked her to delete all the texts and asked her to send a photo of her breasts. Dowd telephoned Chantelle later that day and spoke to the undercover officer. He was 'overtly sexual' in the call and told her she had a sexy voice. Dowd asked whether any other girls at the care home would like to join in, but Chantelle told him all the others were younger, eight years old. He also told her that he had a friend who he wanted to watch her have sex with once the man had finished with his wife. Over the next days he tried to encourage Chantelle to perform a sex act. Dowd was arrested at his then marital home in East Keswick, near Leeds, on 19 January. Prior to his sacking he had directed more than 200 episodes of Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Heartbeat and The Royal, bringing him into contact with hundreds of child actors and actresses. 'I have worked with hundreds of children throughout my career and helped them to be good actors,' he said. He said he had also worked on The Famous Five and Runaway Bay, filmed in Martinique, when the cast was all children. He said he received 'not one complaint' in his TV career. Dowd has been a member of the online group Lycos Chat for three years and 10 months in January, last year, and had to profile name Ollie Reed - after the drunken actor Oliver Reed. 'When I joined I was thinking of a lunch I had with him when asked to create the screen name,' he said. 'I used to go in there to find adult women who were interested in sharing some erotic conversations with me. 'There were moments in my marriage when I felt quite lonely, I felt unloved. And I used to go on the sites to find women I could talk to.' The jury heard Lycos Chat is based on a ship, with rooms including the bridge, gallery and deck. The longer you are on board the higher through the nautical based ranks you climb - Dowd had risen from 'passenger' to 'ordinary seaman level 4' by the time he was in contact with Chantelle. Dowd told the jury that Lycos Chat was for 16 and over users only and many were looking to play out sexual fantasies. When Chantelle told him she was a 13-year-old girl living in care he thought it was an adult woman playing out a fantasy. 'I thought it was some woman who was interested in having some fantasy about a younger girl and an older man,' he said. Asked by his barrister why he talked sexually to Chantelle directly after she told him she was 13, he replied: 'I thought that was her starting her role play - her being 13 and me being the older man.' Dowd was found guilty of three counts of attempting to cause a girl aged 13 to engage in sexual activity and one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child for the purpose of sexual gratification between January 12 and 15, last year. The first independent review to weigh whether new science curriculum series are truly aligned to a set of national standards was issued this morningand mostly, the materials fell well short of expectations . Four of the seriesDiscoverys Science Techbook, Carolina Biological Supply Companys Science and Technology Concepts, and two versions of Teachers Curriculum Institutes Bring Science Alive!were deemed insufficiently aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards. One series, Houghton Mifflin Harcourts Science Dimensions, was considered partially aligned. Only one series, Amplifys Amplify Science, got top marks for alignment, coherence, and usability, according to the nonprofit EdReports, which conducted the reviews. Those texts represent a sample of middle school science curricula; others will be reviewed in the future. All six of the series were designed for grades 6-8, and they represent a range of print and digital materials. Already, some of the publishers of the series are disputing the way EdReports carried out these reviews. Lets dig into the results a bit and see what they reveal about curriculum development for the NGSS and the shape of the current science-materials market. Who are these folks, and how did they conduct these reviews? EdReports is a nonprofit that tries to gauge whether published learning materials align to states expectations for students, including the NGSS and the Common Core State Standards. Its mostly been supported by philanthropies, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has given the group more than $15 million over the past decade. As it has in the past, EdReports relied on teachers to use an in-house framework to judge each curriculum. This time around, about 40 reviewers, mostly practicing teachers or science specialists, participated. Each series goes through a succession of gateways. Only those learning materials that get a high enough score on the first gateway, which is focused on how well they embody key features of the NGSS, were assessed on the next two, which focus in more detail on the specific coherence of lessons and their usability for teachers. In the past, not everyone has liked the gateway concept. EdReports very first math reviews, several years ago, were criticized by publishers and math groups partly for this reason . (The organization changed its methodology slightly after that.) Remind me. Whats in these standards? The NGSS were rolled out in 2013 and have since been adopted in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Even proponents acknowledge that the standards are incredibly complicated: They expect students to master science and engineering practices, such as analyzing and interpreting data. Students are also supposed to recognize themes that cut across biology, earth and physical science, and chemistry, such as how energy and matter flow into and out of systems. And both the practices and the crosscutting themes are layered on top of core science content, including weather patterns, natural selection, and ecosystems. (Theres rather a lot of jargon and acronyms in the standards to explain all this.) Publishers have struggled to figure out how to embody all those demands in their materialsfor example, should they attempt to put every science practice or crosscutting theme in every unit? Or can they be parceled out over the course of two or three units? Still, most of the major publishersincluding the three biggies, Pearson, HMH, and McGraw-Hillhave put out series supposedly aligned to the NGSS in the past three years. See also: Teachers Scramble for Texts to Match Science Standards Where did EdReports think these materials fell short? The series that reviewers thought fell short didnt make it through Gateway 1 on overall design criteria for the NGSS; they received fewer than half of the 26 points available for that section. (HMHs series, which reviewers deemed partially aligned, got exactly half.) That doesnt mean theyre terrible, but it should be something for teachers to think about, said Morgan Martin, a teacher on special assignment from the Los Alamitos district in California and one of the reviewers. I dont think not passing a certain gateway is the red flag [signaling] This is the worst thing ever, she said. Its just really good for teachers to have information about where the strengths are in the program, and then to know your teaching team and how qualified are you in understanding certain components and whether youre capable of filling in some gaps. And what are those gaps? They fall into three main buckets. One of the big problems was that most of the series apparently didnt consistently measure all three dimensions (I warned you that there was gonna be jargon!) of the standards: the science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary content. Discoverys series Discovery Science, for example, had some lessons with objectives that didnt include any of the crosscutting concepts or science and engineering practices, reviewers said. Another problem has to do with phenomena. Basically, the standards indicate that scientific phenomena should undergird lessons and units. (A phenomenon could be something like why, in dry weather, you get a shock when you shuffle rubber-soled shoes on a woolly carpet and touch a metal doorknob, or why certain organisms in a particular ecosystem appear to be dying out.) Then, each sub-unit is supposed to help students learn more about whats causing that phenomenon, to use scientific practices to record data about and make sense of it, and to connect it to the crosscutting themes. By the end of each unit, students should be able to generate a hypothesis for what caused the initial phenomenon and back it up with evidence. EdReports reviewers felt that some of the series appear to have gotten this a little backwards: The phenomena they included were more for illustrative purposes. For instance, heres what the reviewers wrote about one of the TCI series: The Anchoring Phenomena are most often used as examples of the content topic or concept as opposed to a driving mechanism for student questions and sensemaking. Finally, some of the series ran into problems with assessment. HMHs Science Dimensions, for example, had some classroom-based assessments that didnt give teachers enough helpful information to change their teaching. Discovery Sciences end-of-unit tests didnt always match the objectives given at the beginning of each unit. And Carolinas Science and Technology Concepts tests didnt adequately measure all three of the dimensions. There was a huge range of quality and types of assessment, and some of the concerns were the ones that were multiple- choice content only, and didnt really look different or new, said Martin. What do the publishers say about these findings? In an interview, Carolina Biological Supply Company officials agreed that their series presentation of the crosscutting themes wasnt as explicit as it could be, and promised theyd change that in future versions of the curriculum. David Heller, director of product development for Carolinas curriculum division, also felt that the the findings reflect how interpretations of the standards have evolved in the K-12 science field. In the early days of NGSS, curriculum writers knew that phenomena were supposed to get kids questioning and thinking, but being so explicit about how [lessons] relate back wasnt as much an understood point, he said. Discovery Education officials claim the review process suffered from some serious flaws. Their main dispute is how EdReports gauged a section of the Techbooks curriculum that allows teachers several choices of how to proceed. EdReports, they say, interpreted the whole section as optional, even though Discovery says it isnt. Overall, said Marty Creel, the chief academic officer at Discovery Education, the review doesnt reflect the current version of the Techbook. The reality in classrooms today is that teachers are pulling from materials all over the place, so to take a snapshot thats 10 months old we think is fundamentally unfair, he said. Weve been making a lot of improvements since and the version they are now reporting on is not one we have actively going into classrooms. So were kind of scratching our heads about why youd put out a review on a version that basically no longer exists. Asked about product updates, EdReports officials said they chose to review these series only after publishers assured them they wouldnt change radically, and that they did keep up-to-date with additions. Its kind of a merry-go-round with some curricula that are digital and its hard to know when to jump on and off, said Eric Hirsch, the executive director of EdReports. But we would have called off a review if we noticed the merry-go-round was starting to go around too fast. We also know that these materials will change, and thats why we stand ready to re-review. Two other publishers with low marks both sent statements. ... There are numerous instances in their report where we believe that EdReports overlooked or disregarded evidence that we shared or where EdReports reviewers fundamentally misunderstood our program, TCI President Bert Bowers said. HMHs assessment was even harsher. The rating, the company said, does not reflect errors or problems with alignment on HMHs part, but rather reveals the EdReports rubrics lack of depth of engagement with NGSS and a philosophical difference in approach to the standards integration. We believe the rubric is limited by a disconnection from the research base of NGSS, its writers, and the community of teacher practitioners implementing the standards, it concluded. Publishers also pointed out that the grading framework changed midway through the process, though EdReports officials said they rescored everything when those revisions were made. All of the publishers get to submit formal responses to the findings, and those should be uploaded now to the EdReports website. Educational publishing is a tough business, and publishers are definitely concerned about these early findings, though none would say that on the record. But some did acknowledge the results would make marketing the products more difficult, challenging, and also potentially confusing for consumers. In past reviews, publishers have made revisions to their products after a low-scoring review and earned higher scores on later ones. Where do these findings fit in with other science reviews? Thats a good question. This is the first independent review of science materials. Only a handful of states, notably California and Oregon, have issued comprehensive reviews of at least a half dozen series. Louisiana has rolling curriculum reviews which, like EdReports, are considered pretty tough; so far, theyve given just one set of materials a green light, for 4th grade science. In a way, the lack of thumbs-ups for science learning materials by both EdReports and Louisiana represents the opposite problem from what happened in California, which gave its blessing to 29 of 34 sets of science materials reviewed last fall. Even California officials say that districts will need additional help in narrowing down the list and making good choices, and there are some projects underway to help them do that. Its also a good reminder that alignment is a bit in the eye of the beholder: Different people can set up different criteria about what constitutes alignment to standards, and reach different conclusions about the results. And what does the science education field think of these results? Thats for you to tell me! I look forward to hearing from you about your thoughts, comments, and critiques on EdReports findings. Leave a comment, or email me directly at ssawchuk@epe.org. Clarification: This story has been updated to underscore that EdReports will review additional science series in the future. For more on NGSS curriculum: Forget the old news, Rwanda of today is one of Africas safest, cleanest and most stable countries. Slightly larger than Wales and about the size of the US state of Maryland, this countrys lure is its 703 bird species and three dozen Albertine Rift endemics among them. The Wild Rwanda Where to watch birds, primates, and other wildlife gives you the info how and where to look for both birds and mammals (not just primates, the title is somewhat misleading). Beside the mouth-watering African destination, what attracted my attention to the Wild Rwanda eco-travel guidebook was the trio of authors, all of them famous bird guides (and I do not use that word lightly). Ken Behrens is a tour guide for Tropical Birding, originally from Idaho, but now lives in Madagascar. Ruth Miller describes Ken in her and Alan Daviess travelogue The Biggest Twitch Around the world in 4,000 birds: what I remembered most about him from our first acquaintance was that he was another tall guy (beside some of our male guides during The Biggest Twitch, I often felt vertically challenged). Ken also had a very dry sense of humour and we definitively enjoyed his wry take on life Despite being only in his twenties [in 2008], Ken seemed to have been birding for at least forty years, so good were his birding skills. Christian Boix left his native Spain to become an ornithologist at the University of Cape Town and a tour guide for Tropical Birding, specialising in new destinations throughout Africa. Rut describes his seemingly limitless enthusiasm and bounce, plus his ability to keep going long after the rest of us mere mortals have run out of steam. Christian is a gifted storyteller and will have you in stitches after he tells the tale of some death-defying escapade or another. But do not be fooled by his relaxed appearance. Inside is a birder so hardcore that he makes concrete look soft. He will dig you out of your bed in the wee small hours and make you run around after birds all day in the heat of the sun. Food and drink is for wimps. This man is driven, but he gets the birds Keith Barnes has birded Africa intensively for 30 years and has led tours on the continent for the last 15 years, after creating the company Tropical Birding. Among others, he edited The Important Bird Areas of South Africa and The Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa. Rut wrote that hes very tall, with legs that go on forever and can cover the ground extremely quickly, and he has piercing blue eyes that miss no bird. He is also a storyteller, in fact if theres anyone who can beat Christian at telling great tales, its Keith. The Wild Rwanda Where to watch birds, primates, and other wildlife combines Ken, Christian and Keiths birding skills, African expertise and story-telling talent. Is there a need to say anything more? Wild Rwandas 256 pages and 157 colour photos covers topics ranging from standard travel guide staple of trip planning, climate, driving, language, money, accommodation, food, health and safety to geology of the region, biogeography of birds and mammals, habitats, conservation and local contacts (all packed in 44 pages). It continues with the main part of the guide, the 15 site accounts (further 150 pages), especially detailed in case of national parks Nyungwe (45 pg montane forest; that is where the best birds are), Akagera (35 pg additional savanna and papyrus swamp birds) and Volcanoes (21 pg that is where to look for the mountain gorillas; but primates aside, those birds are easier to find in other areas). The smaller en route sites such as Mukura and Gishwati forests, Rugezi marsh, Lake Kivu, etc., are covered in the remaining 49 pages. The next 32 pages are devoted to a specialities section covering the regions best mammals (25 mammals / 17% of the countrys total of 151 species) and birds (168 birds / even 24% of the countrys 703 species; not surprising having in mind that the authors are bird guides themselves) and describing their status, taxonomy and where to look for them. For birds, this guide follows the Clements list (2007, with revisions through 2013), so it is mostly compatible with your eBird app. The endemics of the Albertine Rift Mountains are marked in bold, 10 mammals and 26 birds. At the time of writing, Rwanda had 25 endemic birds (nowadays 27 to 29, depending on the taxonomy), but among the 26 mentioned and described is also the one that is not yet among them: the Congo Bay-owl, not confirmed for the country and recorded only in the guerilla infested montane forests of the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. There are 10 side boxes further underlying some topics, e.g. Colobus monkeys, Chimpanzees and mountain gorillas, with a separate box describing all the gorilla groups of the Volcanoes National Park, then a box on Dian Fossey and other gorilla researchers, as well as the Albertine Rift endemic birds of Rwanda. In the Albertine endemics one, the authors claim that that this region is one of the most fascinating areas for a birder to explore [and I fully agree]. The intrepid could easily discover something totally unexpected if they stray from the beaten path The Wild Rwanda is a paperback edition (so you can easily squeeze it inside your day pack or push it into a vest pocket), printed on a thick glossy paper that can survive rough field conditions (yet, that also makes it a bit heavy, but still manageable). The landscape photos are particularly illustrative, giving you a clue on local habitats. Guides (the authors) know where the best birds are and know how to guide and how to describe trails and routes with military precision. The text is just what you want it to be, practical, down to earth, no fancy-shmancy beautiful, spectacular, superb or other Conde Nast style exaggerations, even where they may be fully deserved. What is it that I do not like about this book? There are very few maps. The first map in the Introduction chapter (pg 16) depicts the road network with marked/numbered birding sites, while the second map (pg 31) shows birding sites relative to their elevations. The one-page map of Akagera National Park (above) is certainly the most detailed in the guide. The three smaller maps of Nyungwe are less detailed, but at least there are three of them. Practically, other sites have no maps, aside from the small outline of the entire country with the site location marked on it. So what if there are no proper maps, when I said that the text describes the trails with military precision? It may be so, yet I am a visual type (isnt every birder?) and to get my bearings I need some, however rough sketch of the area. Maps aside, Wild Rwanda Where to watch birds, primates, and other wildlife is an exceptionally well written guide. In ten days in Rwanda, one may expect to observe the majority of Albertine Rift endemics, plus most of the East African papyrus specialists, reaching some 250 to 350 species and this book will tell you how to achieve that goal. Wild Rwanda Where to watch birds, primates, and other wildlife By Ken Behrens, Christian Boix, Keith Barnes Published by Lynx Edicions Format: 14 x 22.8 cm, Paperback Pages: 256 Publication date: March 2015 ID: ITI0007 ISBN-13: 978-84-96553-96-5 Nearly 200 illegal immigrants were detained at the U.S.-Mexico border by federal border agents in the early hours of Tuesday morning. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol said the group was comprised primarily of Central American families and unaccompanied juveniles. Sunland Park Emergency Medical Service responded to the scene where they provided medical attention. It said in a statement that some of the illegal immigrants required further medical treatment. They were transported to a local hospital in Sunland Park. Nearly 200 (pictured) illegal immigrants were detained at the U.S. - Mexico border by federal border agents 'This is a situation that Border Patrol Agents continue to face in southern New Mexico: hundreds of parents and children being encountered by agents after having faced a dangerous journey in the hands of unscrupulous smugglers,' the statement read. On Monday, around 90 undocumented immigrants were apprehended in the small town of Quemado, which lies just northwest of Eagle Pass. Al were Honduran nationals and many were women and children. The group surrendered to the arresting agents without incident, according to a US Customers and Border Protection statement said. A transport bus and several support units responded to the area and brought the group to the Eagle Pass South Station for processing. When they arrived, a woman in the group was experiencing abdominal pain and stated that she was pregnant. She was rushed to Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center where she went into labor and gave birth. Del Rio Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Matthew J. Hudak said: 'Although groups of this size, until recently, have been uncommon in the Del Rio area, our agents are encountering larger groups of immigrants with women and young children. 'Our highest priority will always be the safety of all people involved, no matter the situation. Around 90 undocumented immigrants (pictured) were apprehended in the small town of Quemado on Monday Acting Chief Patrol Agent Matthew J. Hudak (pictured) said their priority was to ensure the safety of the individuals involved 'However, it is a criminal offense to enter the United States at a place other than a designated port of entry. 'Those who choose to enter illegally will be arrested and handled accordingly.' The Border Patrol has struggled to keep up with a growing number of families with children who come to the border, many seeking asylum. Agents regularly see large groups of hundreds of people at a time, and some require medical care but are in remote areas without hospitals. People stand at the border fence between Mexico and the United States, during an inter-religious service against U.S. President Donald Trump's border wall on Tuesday Agents also have very limited medical training, and the agency has had to deploy special units to help with medical emergencies in areas like western New Mexico, where a growing number of Central American migrants are crossing the border. There are about 2,900 active-duty troops and about 2,100 National Guard troops on the border supporting Customs and Border Protection. That combined total of 5,000 is expected to grow to 6,000 by March 1 as the Pentagon provides additional support. The border mission for active-duty forces began on October 30, 2018, as President Donald Trump asserted that caravans of Central American migrants posed an urgent national security threat. Critics dismissed his use of the military on the border as a political gimmick on the eve of midterm congressional elections. The active-duty mission has since been extended to September 30. Israel's attorney general has indicted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for bribery, breach of trust and fraud, in a move described by his allies as 'political persecution'. The attorney general has accepted police advice to charge Netanyahu in three different cases, including alleged trading of favours with media companies to receive favourable coverage. The indictment, only weeks before he runs for a fourth consecutive term April elections, will be followed by a hearing where Netanyahu could defend himself before charges are filed. Netanyahu denies all allegations against him and calls the investigations a bid by his political enemies to force him from office. He is not required to step down if indicted, only if convicted with all appeals exhausted. Israel's attorney general intends to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured) for bribery, breach of trust and fraud, reports in Israeli media claim Today Netanyahu's Likud party dismissed corruption allegations against him as 'political persecution'. 'Unilateral publication of the attorney general's announcement just a month before the elections, without giving the prime minister an opportunity to refute these false accusations, is a blatant and unprecedented intervention in the elections,' the party said. 'We're talking about political persecution.' In one case, Netanyahu is accused of pursuing regulatory benefits allegedly granted to telecommunications firm Bezeq in exchange for positive coverage from a related media company. Another involves Netanyahu allegedly seeking a secret deal with the publisher of Israel's top-selling newspaper Yediot Aharonot to ensure positive coverage in return for pushing forward a law that would have limited the circulation of a rival. The third case involves suspicions the premier and his family received luxury gifts from wealthy individuals in exchange for financial or personal favours. Under Israeli judicial procedures, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit is indicting Netanyahu pending a hearing. Police have recommended indicting Netanyahu, pictured with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, in three cases including alleged trading of favours with the media At the hearing the PM would be given an opportunity to defend himself before charges are filed. Some reports said Mandelblit would move to indict the prime minister for bribery, which a Netanyahu spokesman said would be 'ridiculous' and 'absurd'. Likud joined a petition filed with the supreme court to stop Mandelblit from announcing his decision before the elections. The supreme court on Thursday afternoon rejected the petition, and Likud called the decision 'regrettable.' The 69-year-old has been prime minister for a total of around 13 years and he would be on track to surpass founding father David Ben-Gurion as Israel's longest-serving premier should he win in April. Netanyahu and his Likud party are facing a serious challenge from a centrist alliance led by respected former military chief of staff Benny Gantz. The agreement to form the alliance under the name Blue and White - the colours of the Israeli flag - has shaken up the campaign. A rambler has stumbled upon three rusty boxes stashed under a tree - containing thousands of pounds worth of gold coins. The nine British bullion coins, estimated to be worth 3,000, were discovered by chance after being hidden near 12th century Allington Castle in Kent. Detectives have launched an appeal to return the hoard to its rightful owner - three months after they were found. Due to the way the haul was left, police believe the items could have been stolen. A rambler has stumbled upon three rusty boxes stashed under a tree - containing thousands of pounds worth of gold coins (pictured) The nine British bullion coins, estimated to be worth 3,000, were discovered by chance after being hidden near 12th century Allington Castle in Kent The coins were all released by The Royal Mint with 'Fine Gold Britannia' written on them. There are three coins from each of the years 2004, 2005 and 2006, varying in weight from half an ounce, quarter of an ounce and one-tenth of an ounce. The larger ones are worth around 600, with the smallest ones around 120 and the quarter-ounce coins around 300. Some feature an image of Britannia, a figure that has symbolised the island of Britain since the second century. She first appeared on the Roman coins of Emperor Hadrian in AD 119 and was revived for the coinage of Charles II in 1672. The coins also contain an image of Saint George and the Dragon - a legend traceable back to the 11th century. A Kent Police spokesperson said: 'Detectives are seeking to find the owners of a collection of gold coins discovered near Maidstone by a member of the public. 'A total of nine coins of varying size and denomination were found in an area close to Allington Castle on November 19. The coins were all released by The Royal Mint with 'Fine Gold Britannia' written on them. The coins also contain an image of Saint George and the Dragon - a legend traceable back to the 11th century. (Above, Allington Castle) 'The items were contained inside three small boxes and it is suspected they may have been stolen. 'Due to the condition they were found in, it is believed they had been left at the location for a lengthy period of time. 'Officers are now issuing images of the coins, which include the word Britannia on them and which all appear to have been minted during the previous decade.' Detective Constable Andy Julier, of Kent Police, who is investigating the case, said: 'It's estimated the coins have been there for months rather than years. 'This is obviously criminality - someone has got them from a burglary. 'They are minted coins and are from some sort of collection. Whoever owned them would have got bought them from the Royal Mint. 'The value has diminished because the boxes are now ruined, but they are still gold coins.' Local Nicholas Hedges said: 'It's not often you find gold by a castle - it's a bit of a treasure hunter's dream... or a pirate's.' Advertisement President Donald Trump defended his decision to walk away from his North Korean nuclear summit without a deal in an interview Fox News host Sean Hannity from Vietnam that will air on Thursday evening in the United States. Trump said he wasn't 'satisfied' with the outcome and he suspects that Kim Jong-un 'wasn't satisfied,' either. 'Were working towards something, but we didnt sign anything today, it didnt quite work out,' he told Hannity on Thursday afternoon local time. 'Good relationship, but I decided this wasnt the right time to sign something so well see what happens over a period of time.' President Donald Trump defended his decision to walk away from his North Korean nuclear summit without a deal in an interview Fox News host Sean Hannity from Vietnam that will air on Thursday evening in the United States The dictator demanded that all sanctions be lifted in return for giving up only some of his nukes, the U.S. president suggested. 'They wanted to de-nuke certain areas, and I wanted everything. And the sanctions are there and I didnt want to give up the sanctions unless we had a real program,' he told Hannity. 'And theyre not ready for that and I understand that fully, I really do.' Trump said that the final snag that caused the sudden breakdown was over sanctions and Kim's push to have all of them lifted in exchange for a concession Trump and his secretary of state could not live with. 'Sometimes you have to walk away,' Trump told reporters at a press conference in Hanoi that was abruptly moved up after a breakdown in talks. The president expressed his hope that the two leaders would meet again, but acknowledged: 'It might be soon, it might not be for a long time. I cant tell you.' At home, Democrats mocked the summit as 'amateur hour' and called it a 'failure' -- with Speaker Nancy Pelosi touting Kim the 'big winner' for getting the president to sit down and negotiate. 'I guess it took two meetings for him to realize that Kim Jong Un is not on the level,' Pelosi told reporters of the president in the Capitol Thursday. 'He was a big winner, Kim Jong Un, in getting to sit face-to-face with the most powerful person in the world - the president of the United States.' President Trump abruptly ended talks with Kim Jong-un in Hanoi on Thursday, telling reporters that the North Korean leader had demanded that all sanctions be lifted in return for only getting rid of part of his nuclear stockpile, so he walked away Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised Kim Jong Un as the 'big winner' in the North Korea talks just for getting President Trump to sit down and negotiate Trouble was brewing for Trump on multiple fronts as he flew back to the U.S. on Thursday. His longtime fixer, Michael Cohen, claimed in congressional testimony that Trump ordered him to silence two women threatening to go public with affairs. Cohen said that a $130,000 payoff to one of them, former adult film actress Stormy Daniels, was chump change to a billionaire like Trump. The president mostly avoided the topic at his news conference by calling on a series of members of the foreign press corps he did not recognize rather than White House reporters preparing to quiz him on the crimes Cohen claims he witnessed. He told Hannity, 'As far as Cohen is concerned, hes convicted, hes a liar, hes defrauded at a high level. Hes got a lot of problems. And you know, it was very interesting, because he lied so much.' Trump said he watched some of the House Oversight hearing that Cohen testified at between the hours of 10 pm and 5 am, Hanoi time. He suggested with the statement that he was up late watching Cohen, instead of prepping aggressively for his nuclear summit. 'He lied so much, and yet he said when it came to collusion, the whole hoax with the Russia collusion, its just a witch hunt hoax, and by the way, very, very bad for our country,' Trump told Hannity, 'because it really stops you from doing what youre supposed to be doing. He said no collusion.' Cohen was testifying again on Capitol Hill on Thursday, this time behind closed doors before the House Intelligence Committee. The president's lawyer did not speak to journalists as he entered the classified meeting. Back in Vietnam, a North Korea leader spokes to reporters during a never-before seen press conference, where the nation's foreign minister read aloud a press statement disputing aspects of the claims that Trump made in his news conference about sanctions and Pyongyang's readiness to make a deal. Ri Yong-ho said the country asked for 'partial sanctions' relief, primarily in the areas harming North Korean citizens and affecting their livelihoods. In return, Pyongyang offered to 'permanently' close its plutonium and uranium facilities in the Yongbyon region in the presence of U.S. inspectors. He said North Korea asked the U.S. to lift sanctions corresponding with five United Nations resolutions adopted between 2016 and 2017. He stressed, through an English translator, that North Korea did not ask for full sanctions relief as part of their proposal. Trump told Hannity that North Korea was 'not ready' to meet the United States' conditions. Ri said talks broke down 'when it became crystal clear that the US is not ready to accept our proposal,' according to a Bloomberg who attended the small news conference at Melia Hotel in Vietnam. The U.S. president expressed confidence that an accord could be struck in the future that would see North Korea denuclearize, but the Ri told reporters: 'Our proposal will never change.' White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters riding on Air Force One that the U.S. was aware of North Korea's comments. She had no statement to share as the president's plane touched down to refuel in Alaska. Speaking to reporters riding his plane back to Washington, the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did a deeper dive on what went wrong. 'We cleared away a lot of brush over the past, apparently, 60, 90 days at the working level, then we were hoping we could take another big swing when the two leaders got together. I think we did. We made some progress, but we didnt get as far as we would have hoped to have gotten,'he said. Pompeo insisted the Trump administration was 'prepared for the potentiality of this outcome as well, and tomorrow well get right back at it' when he lands in Washington. Trump said that he remains on good terms with Kim and continued to tout the 'enormous potential' of North Korea, not notably said there were no plans for a next summit meeting. He candidly revealed that Kim wanted the sanctions off, but was not willing to give up his array of nukes, missiles, and additional sites he only alluded to vaguely. 'Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldnt do that,' the president said. 'They were willing to de-nuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted but we couldn't give up all of the sanctions for that.' He added, 'We had to walk away from that particularly suggestion. We had to walk away from that. 'It was about sanctions. They wanted sanctions lifted but they weren't willing to do an area that we wanted,' Trump said. Pompeo chimed in to say, 'We have been working for weeks to find a path forward so we could make a big step at this summit. We made progress and even more progress when the two leaders met over the last 48, or 72 hours. 'But we didn't get all the way. We didn't get something that made sense for the United States.' The first signs of a rupture came when the White House suddenly made changes to the president's schedule. A planned lunch meeting never happened, although a table was set with a floral centerpiece and menus folded inside napkins. Reporters on hand to cover it were told to move to another location. Describing talks, which ran from a Wednesday dinner through mid-day Thursday, Trump said: 'We spent pretty much all day with Kim Jong-un, who is hes quite a guy and quite a character. And I think our relationship is very strong.' Both Trump and Pompeo said there was a willingness on both sides to keep talking, but revealed that no follow-up summit has been scheduled. Trump said that in the meantime, Kim was 'not going to do testing of rockets and nuclear. I trust him and I take him at his word.' He indicated that Kim was willing to make concessions related to the Yongbyon facility where his regime enriches Plutonium, but it wasn't enough. 'That facility while very big, it wasnt enough to do what we were doing. We had to have more than that,' said Trump. Trump insisted that his relationship with Kim remains 'warm' and that he sees 'great potential' in North Korea, but added that sometimes 'you have to be willing to walk away from a deal' if it's not the right one Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added that his team had been working with North Korea 'for weeks' to try and achieve a deal and that Trump and Kim made more progress towards a deal, but 'we didn't get all the way' President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un resumed their summit in Hanoi on Thursday morning local time as Trump predicted a 'fantastic success' but Kim said it was 'too early' to say they would reach a deal Trump once again asserted that he was in 'no rush' to make an agreement following an early report by NBC that the US was prepared to back away from a demand that North Korea provide a full accounting of its nuclear weapons programs Trump's remarks made clear that there are other sites the U.S. identified that Kim wanted to maintain. 'We have that setup so we would be able to do that very easily. The inspections on North Korea will take place, and if we do something with them, we have a schedule setup that is very good. We know things ... about certain places and certain sites. There are sites that people dont know about that we know about. We would be able to do inspections we think very, very successfully,' Trump said. Some critics had raised alarms before the summit that Trump and Kim would reach a deal that did not allow for verification. Asked whether it was premature to hold the summit now, Trump said he would 'much rather do it right than do it fast' and added that he 'could have signed something today' but didn't feel it was the right deal. But America and North Korea remain in a position 'to do something very special' together, he said. The recognition that no joint statement had been reached came despite weeks of advance negotiation. A range of compromise gestures had been circulating for days in media reports. The lack of agreement came after Trump repeatedly hailed a 'special relationship' between the two men, and stressed their personal bond as a reason progress might be possible. After the two men's historic summit in Singapore in June, they both signed a joint statement although critics blasted it for failing to include a timetable or verification members in its undefined call for denuclearization. A signing ceremony had been on the schedule for Thursday, as well. Trump's spokeswoman suddenly told reporters traveling with the president before 1 pm local time that talks would wrap up within about half an hour, throwing the event into turmoil. She declined to say whether there would be a signing ceremony, though one had been on an earlier White House schedule. Only minutes before Trump was scheduled to face the press did she acknowledge that there would not be one. But reporters who were on hand to cover it were relocated to buses indicating that the event was most likely scrapped. The public White House schedule had listed a Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony with the chairman of the state affairs commission of DPRK, set for 2:05 pm local time. Trump was to have fielded questions at 4 pm, right before leaving Vietnam, and subsequently moved his presser up to 2 pm. A planned lunch between the two men was also scrapped so they could 'keep negotiating,' Bloomberg News reported. The U.S. dollar and South Korean stock market both fell on the news that no deal had been reached. President Donald Trump is not crazy. Nor is he dumb or paranoid. Certainly he is not in over his head. Is he a liar? Nope. And he is not addicted to TV either. Who says so? None other than Michael Cohen, the president's former lawyer and fixer who eviscerated Trump in three days of testimony before Congressional committees this week. Cohen's comments were in a book proposal that the jail-bound disbarred attorney was shopping around in the weeks before the FBI raided his offices last year. DailyMail.com has reviewed a copy of that proposal. At the time he had nothing but good things to say about his boss who had entered the White House a little more than a year earlier. Cohen was pushing a book with the working title 'Trump Revolution: From The Tower to The White House, Understanding Donald J. Trump,' that he proposed to write. He sent his book to several potential publishers last year, and one, Hachette, reportedly was willing to pay him three-quarters of a million dollars for his wise words. But Cohen, who is due to start a three-year prison term in May for crimes including tax evasion, lying to Congress and making false statements, thought he could do better and continued to seek more money, DailyMail.com can reveal. Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen was pushing a positive book about working for Trump in the weeks before the FBI raided his offices last year. DailyMail.com has obtained a copy of his proposal a day after Cohen delivered a scathing testimony to Congress about Trump, who he now calls a racist and a conman 'I doubt he was offered $750,000,' one publishing executive told DailyMail.com. 'If he was, he was a fool not to take it. 'Everything he wanted to say about Trump was positive,' added another executive who discussed the deal with Cohen. 'Even in our meeting he was glowing with praise for the president.' The executive said Cohen did not tell him whether Trump knew about the planned book. The deal with Hachette's conservative imprint Center Street eventually fell apart after Cohen was charged with the crimes that will now land him in prison. In the proposal, Cohen, now 52, said his most important job in his role as special counsel to the Trump Organization was 'looking out for Mr. Trump and his family.' He added: 'Most of my work took place behind the scenes. Unless it was the sort of situation that required me to come through the front door with a wrecking ball, that is in which case my involvement was pretty obvious. 'No issue was too big, too sticky or too oddball for me to tackle. I saw it all, handled it all. And still do.' He started his proposal with a list of unflattering barbs that have been thrown at Trump since he became Commander-in-Chief. 'Crazy'; 'Dumb'; 'Paranoid'; 'In Over His Head'; 'Liar'; 'Addicted to TV'; 'Hates the Media'. 'All of these things have been said about my longtime boss, Donald J. Trump,' Cohen added. 'None of it is true. Except maybe that last one about the media. Trump does believe that reporters are out to get him, and for a very good reason. Many of them are. 'That doesn't make him paranoid,' wrote Cohen. 'That makes him a realist.' In the proposal, Cohen, 52, said his most important job in his role as special counsel to the Trump Organization was 'looking out for Mr. Trump and his family.' Pictured: Cohen with Trump on the campaign trail in 2016 The nearest Cohen came to criticizing Trump at the time was when he admitted he is 'an exceedingly tough boss,' adding that could clearly be seen by the 'revolving door' at the White House, which by the time of writing had included the departures of national security advisor Michael Flynn, press secretary Sean Spicer, chief of staff Reince Priebus, communications director Anthony Scaramucci; chief strategist Steve Bannon, deputy national security advisor K.T. McFarland, health and human services secretary Tom Price, communications director Omarosa Manigault Newman, FBI director James Comey and just days before he wrote his proposal - McFarland's successor Dina Powell. Deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe and staff secretary Rob Porter would be gone just days later. Cohen said in his proposal that he was the ideal person to write a book about Trump, which he said would be told 'by the guy who actually witnessed this stuff first-hand and lived to tell about it.' '(F)irst and foremost, I think I have a unique point-of-view to offer,' he bragged. 'One that is based not on headlines, brief encounters or armchair analysis from afar, but on my own up-close and personal observations and experiences with Donald Trump and his family over the past dozen years. 'That so many people are confused by Trump is not surprising to me. His world is a highly complex and nuanced place; it also has clear and very specific rules of order. Most people don't understand that or him at all. That's not really their fault. Because here's the thing about Trump: Despite his hyper-public profile Donald Trump is -- and has always been -- an enigma to most people. 'That is by design, and I'll be talking a lot about that, as well,' he said. Cohen promised chapters on both first lady Melania Trump and Trump's children, as well as 'the unfortunate saga' of Stormy Daniels, the porn star to whom Cohen paid $130,000 money which he told the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday that Trump had repaid him in a series of $35,000 checks. Cohen said in his proposal that he was the ideal person to write a book about Trump, which he said would be told 'by the guy who actually witnessed this stuff first-hand and lived to tell about it.' Pictured: Cohen on January 15, nearly 10 days before he wrote his proposal Cohen wrote his proposal on January 24, 2018, less than three weeks after the publication of the first critical book about the Trump presidency, Michael Wolff's 'Fire And Fury,' which claimed the White House was a chaotic place where '100% of the people around him' believe Trump is unfit for office. His book proposal was in stark contrast to his words to the oversight committee and to two other Congressional panels which he addressed in private. On Wednesday he said Trump 'is a racist, he is a con man and he is a cheat.' 'I am not protecting Mr. Trump anymore,' he added. 'My loyalty to Mr. Trump has cost me everything: my family's happiness, friendships, my law license, my company, my livelihood, my honor, my reputation, and soon my freedom. 'I will not sit back say nothing and allow him to do the same to the country.' He even made the startling claim that if Trump loses next year's election 'there may be no peaceful transfer of power.' But in early 2018, Cohen was full of praise for the man he had served for a dozen years. He said he would use the book to 'unravel and explain' mysteries that surround the president. Those would include: 'Trump's communications style, management style, negotiating tactics, combat profile, Twitter battles and family dynamics. Along with the Russia probe and the revolving door at the White House. 'I have a lot to say about all of this stuff, with the understanding that there are some things I simply can't talk about because I am, as I said at the outset, Trump's longtime lawyer. But there's plenty I can talk about, so here I am.' And he signed off on his proposal on a highbrow note. This, after all, would not be a downmarket tell-all, but a serious tome which would help people see what makes Trump tick. 'By offering my point-of-view, it is my sincere hope that I can help close or at least narrow the knowledge gap,' he wrote. 'For reporters, who have the important job of covering Trump; for lawmakers, who need to work constructively with Trump to get things done for our country; for global leaders who aspire to work collaboratively with America; for supporters, who have faith and put Trump into the White House; for critics, whose continued vigilance helps Trump and the Republican party get better at their jobs - Democrats, too. And for anybody else, no matter what your party or affiliation, who has an interest in gaining a better understanding of the world, ways and methodology of the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.' Louis D. Coleman III, 32, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of kidnapping Police have captured a man they suspect in the kidnapping of a woman who was last seen leaving a Boston nightclub with him. Louis D. Coleman III, 32, was arrested on Thursday in Delaware following a multi-state manhunt over suspicion of his role in the the kidnapping of 23-year-old Jassy Correia in Boston. The manhunt ended more than 300 miles from where it began, after a police pursuit of a red Buick sedan along Interstate 95 south near Stanton, Delaware at around 2pm on Thursday.. Hours prior to his capture, police had announced a manhunt and searched the area near Coleman's home in Providence, Rhode Island for any sign of him. Investigators were seen scouring the dumpster area of an apartment complex where Coleman, a systems engineer for Rayethon, lived. Surveillance video earlier captured Coleman carrying a woman into the building, and later leaving carrying two suitcases, sources told WPRI-TV reporter Tim White. Correia was not found inside the building and was never seen leaving it. Correia, the mother of a two-year-old daughter, was last seen at about 12.15am on Sunday, when she left the Venu Nightclub in the Theatre District of Boston. Jassy Correia, 23, was last seen leaving the Venu Nightclub in the Theatre District of Boston early on Saturday. She is the mother to a two-year-old girl Police circulated surveillance images taken on Sunday showing the male alone (left) and accompanying Correia (right) as she left the club Shortly after leaving the club, Correia was spotted on surveillance camera in the area of 255 Tremont Street in the company of an unknown male. Correia was later seen entering a red sedan with the same male in the area of Tremont and Herald Streets. The young woman's father grew alarmed after he tried to contact her for her birthday on Tuesday, and was unable to reach her. The following day, on Wednesday, Correia's family filed a missing persons report. Correia (above) had a birthday on Tuesday, and her father became alarmed when he couldn't reach her after multiple phone calls. The family filed a police report on Wednesday Police are also seeking information about this red sedan seen when Correia disappeared 'If I don't see my daughter, I don't know how I'm going to live,' the woman's father, Joaquin Correia, told WBTS-TV in tears. 'I feel bad. She told me, 'Daddy, I'm going to go out,'' the anguished father said. When last seen, Correia, who is approximately five-foot-seven tall, was wearing big hoop earrings, an orange jumpsuit and a jean jacket with an image of red lips and pink wings on the back of it. Anyone with information about Coleman or Correia is urged to call 911 immediately, or contact Boston CrimeStoppers anonymously at 800-494-8477. President Donald Trump called Republican congressman Matt Gaetz from his North Korean summit in Hanoi to discuss with the Florida lawmaker his now-deleted threat to Michael Cohen, it was revealed on Thursday. 'I was happy to do it for you. You just keep killing it,' Gaetz was heard telling him, according to a reporter for The Atlantic. Gaetz caused a fire storm when he tweeted a threat to Trump's former personal lawyer shortly before Cohen sat down with lawmakers to testify in public about the president who he claimed was a racist and a con man. President Trump called Rep. Matt Gaetz from his North Korean summit to discuss with the lawmaker's now-deleted threat to Michael Cohen 'I was happy to do it for you. You just keep killing it,' Rep. Matthew Gaetz was heard telling President Trump about his Michael Cohen tweet Democrats accused him of trying to intimidate a witness, with some calling for a criminal investigation, and the Florida State Bar is reviewing the matter. Gaetz apologized to Cohen in person for his tweet and deleted it. But Gaetz also told a reporter for Vice the report was 'fake news.' It was unclear if Gaetz was referring to the report of the phone call as fake news or that the subject matter of Cohen. The Republican congressman told The Atlantic he doesn't discuss his calls with the president. Gaetz's office did not respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment. Gaetz claimed in the now deleted tweet, without evidence, that Cohen had multiple 'girlfriends' that his wife should be aware of as he prepares to spend time behind bars. It was seen as a move out of Trump's playbook. The president often takes to twitter to issue personal attacks against his perceived rivals. But Gaetz insisted to the Daily Beast on Tuesday that he was not directed to issue the tweet by the Trump or anyone inside the administration. He also did not tell the Daily Beast how he knew about Cohen's alleged philandering. He personally apologized to Cohen for the tweet. 'I've personally apologized to [Michael Cohen] 4 referencing his private family in the public square,' Gaetz tweeted late Wednesday. The congressman was seen in the House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing room that day where Cohen was testifying. Gaetz is not a member of that panel and his presence sparked questions about why he was there. 'Regardless of disagreements, family members should be off-limits from attacks from representatives, senators & presidents, including myself. Let's leave the Cohen family alone,' Gaetz wrote. Gaetz is one of President Trump's staunchest allies on Capitol Hill. Congressman Matt Gaetz (left), a Republican from Florida, says he personally apologized to Michael Cohen (right), President Trump's former lawyer and fixer, for publicly suggesting he had an affair Gaetz tweeted on Wednesday: 'Regardless of disagreements, family members should be off-limits from attacks from representatives, senators & presidents, including myself.' Gaetz apology to Cohen came after the Florida Bar announced it will investigate Gaetz's claim that Cohen cheated on his wife with multiple women. The congressman is a licensed attorney in his home state. Other attorneys and fellow lawmakers say the claim, made on the eve of Cohen's public testimony to Congress, violated professional ethics. One Democrat said Wednesday that Gaetz's conduct should be reviewed by the House Ethics Committee and recommended a full-blown criminal investigation. But Del. Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands suggested in questioning during a House Oversight Committee hearing, at which Cohen was the star witness, that Congress do more to punish Gaetz than a slap on the wrist. 'I want to apologize for the inappropriate comments and tweets that have been made by other members of this body and as a former prosecutor and as former counsel on House Ethics,' she said. She told the former attorney, who was disbarred yesterday for lies he says he told Congress, that Gaetz may have committed a crime when he claimed Cohen was having an affair, without evidence. 'I think that at the very least there should be a referral to the Ethics committee of witness intimidation or tapering, under U.S.C. 1512 of my colleague Matt Gaetz,' she said, 'and it may be possibly him being referred for a criminal prosecution. So, I want to put that on the record.' Del. Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands said Wednesday that Gaetz may have committed a crime as she questioned Cohen during a House Oversight hearing The legal statute she referred to says that a person who 'knowingly uses intimidation, threatens, or corruptly persuades another person, or attempts to do so, or engages in misleading conduct toward another person with the intent' to 'influence, delay, or prevent the testimony of any person in an official proceeding' can be fined and sent to jail for up to 20 years. Harassing someone with the intent of preventing their testimony in an official proceeding can land the accused in jail for three years. The burden of proof in the statute lies with the defendant. A person accused under the statute must prove 'that the conduct consisted solely of lawful conduct and that the defendant's sole intention was to encourage, induce, or cause the other person to testify truthfully.' Additionally, Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly, who also sits on the Oversight Committee, told reporters Wednesday that the House should refer Gaetz's threat to Cohen to the Justice Department for criminal investigation. 'I think what he did was, on its face, an attempt at witness tampering. I've never know any member of Congress, in the history of Congress, to attempt to do that. And I believe that should be referred to the Justice Department,' Connolly said. 'If lying to Congress is crime, what is trying to intimidate a witness from testifying,' he added. Cohen testified publicly Wednesday morning for the first time about the crimes he claims Trump directed him to commit and misconduct he says he witnessed within the president's business and campaign. Earlier on Wednesday, Gaetz deleted a tweet accusing the ex-Trump fixer of philandering and apologized publicly for making the charged allegation His apology came after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reprimanded him on Twitter for the salacious charge Gaetz is not on the committee that will question Cohen. Still, his tweet was viewed as potential witness tampering, as the Florida lawmaker is an ally of the president's The Republican congressman was not initially contrite. He defended his conduct to reporters outside his congressional office in Washington. He apologized late Tuesday night Gaetz's tweet was viewed by some as witness tampering although the congressman denied he was trying to intimidate Cohen. But it earned him several rebukes including one from Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who reprimanded him on Twitter for the salacious charge. She did not mention Gaetz by name but her statement was seen as directed to the Florida congressman. 'I encourage all Members to be mindful that comments made on social media or in the press can adversely affect the ability of House Committees to obtain the truthful and complete information necessary to fulfill their duties,' she wrote. Gaetz told her in a reply: 'Speaker, I want to get the truth too. While it is important 2 create context around the testimony of liars like Michael Cohen, it was NOT my intent to threaten, as some believe I did. I'm deleting the tweet & I should have chosen words that better showed my intent. I'm sorry.' The Republican congressman was not initially contrite. He defended his conduct to reporters outside his congressional office in Washington, saying that he was 'witness testing not witness tampering' with his accusation. 'I don't threaten anybody. Michael Cohen threatens people,' he charged. He said Cohen has a 'PhD in intimidation' and should be held accountable for his 'stream of lies.' 'We already know that Michael Cohen lies to Congress. We already know that Michael Cohen lies to law enforcement. Now we're gonna find out if Michael Cohen lies to his own family,' he said. He told a fellow representative, California's Ro Khanna, who sent a tweet calling out his conduct that he was 'absolutely' right to challenge Cohen. 'We absolutely should encourage all witnesses to testify. I want Michael Cohen to testify so we can show his lies. We should be able to paint an accurate picture of witnesses,' he said. But once Pelosi issued a statement cautioning all lawmakers about witness tampering, Gaetz backed off. He told a fellow representative, California's Ro Khanna, who sent a tweet calling out his conduct that he was 'absolutely' right to challenge Cohen The Republican congressman took a page from Donald Trump's book and accused the president's former fixer, without evidence, of having multiple affairs Family: Michael Cohen and his wife Lauren (right) share two children, Samantha (left) and Jake (second from left) The congressman said in a tweet that Cohen's wife, Lauren, and her father should have a 'chat' with the disgraced attorney, suggesting in a tweet that he was hiding more than one illicit relationship from his family. 'Hey @MichaelCohen212 - Do your wife & father-in-law know about your girlfriends? Maybe tonight would be a good time for that chat. I wonder if she'll remain faithful when you're in prison. She's about to learn a lot...' he tweeted. Just over an hour later a Democratic member of the committee, New Jersey congressman Bill Pascrell, demanded that Gaetz be investigated for attempting to intimidate a witness. Gaetz told the Daily Beast on Tuesday he believes that Cohen's marriage is fair game, because it speaks to the 'veracity' of the congressman's testimony. Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress and Republicans have repeatedly questioned his credibility as the president's former fixer prepared to testify that Trump is a racist and con man. Cohen apologized to senators on Tuesday for lying in previous testimony as he started three days of testimony on Capitol Hill. Trump and his legal team have repeatedly branded Cohen as a liar, and say he cooperated with prosecutors and furnished false information to get a reduced jail sentence. Edyta Skubala, 40, pictured, was spared jail after being caught trying to smoke on a Ryanair flight four times A drunk mother-of-two told a flight attendant to f*** off and tried to smoke four cigarettes on a Ryanair plane - then asked police officers for another when she was arrested, a court heard. Edyta Skubala, 40, was caught trying to light up on the service from Poznan, Poland, to Bristol when the cabin crew was alerted by 'someone screaming' an hour into the flight. Skubala was immediately stopped but 10 minutes later she was caught trying to smoke again following even more screaming, and was also drinking duty free vodka. Prosecutor Clare Fear told Bristol Crown Court she was later seen 'stumbling to the toilet' and was 'so drunk she needed support' with staff forcing her to leave the door open so she did not start smoking again. Ms Fear added: 'There were a further two incidents when the defendant tried to smoke thereafter. 'So a total of four occasions when the defendant tried to light cigarettes whilst on flights.' Police officers were waiting at Bristol Airport to arrest the 'heavily intoxicated' mother and take her to a police station. She was put into a police van where the officer said she continued to ask for cigarettes on the way to the station. The court heard Skubalat and her partner, who lives in Doncaster, were flying to Bristol so she could look for a job in nearby Avonmouth. Rupert Russell, defending, said she had 'not intended to cause danger or alarm on the flight'. He added: 'She was simply too drunk to listen to instructions or recognise the danger she was causing.' Katie Wildish, a probation officer, said Skubala took full responsibility, adding: 'She's absolutely mortified by her behaviour.' Ms Wildish said Skubala had been living in the UK for four years prior to the offence. She said: 'She'd been to the funeral in Poland of her aunt who had been her primary carer as a child. She admits she was very emotionally distressed at the time.' The probation officer added Skubala's partner had purchased the vodka at the airport as they were leaving Poland, although she 'ordinarily drinks cider'. She added: 'By drinking the vodka her partner had purchased, she wasn't used to its strength and became drunk very quickly.' The court heard getting arrested had been a 'disaster' for Skubala as it meant she could no longer work, and the couple could barely afford to come to Bristol for the hearings. Skubala caused problems for cabin crew on the flight from Poland to Bristol and was 'so drunk she had to be supported on her way to the bathroom' Ms Wildish said: 'Ever since she's been in the UK she's worked but since the offence she hasn't been able to work because the police have her passport. 'She has a 15 year-old son and 20 year-old daughter live in crew and they're disgusted with her.' Passing sentence Recorder of Bristol Judge Blair said: 'You were extremely drunk, you were causing a disturbance with people around you and smoking. 'There were three further persistent occasions when you tried to smoke on the plane ignoring instructions that you must not. 'And you were abusive and intimidating and I have no doubt people were fearful of your behaviour.' But the judge said it would be 'wrong' to send her to prison, telling the defendant: 'You are someone with no previous convictions, you present a very low risk of ever reoffending and you have been severely affected by these proceedings because you've been unable to work without having your passport. 'You have gone to big efforts to make sure you are at court on time for each of the hearings there have been and you've shown genuine and deep remorse.' Edyta Skubala was sentenced to 180 hours of unpaid work as part of a community order and made to pay a statutory surcharge of 85 and 165 prosecution costs - a total of 250. Asad Malik, 38, from Crawley allegedly used websites in broken English to dupe holidaymakers into paying for car parking services A Gatwick Airport parker allegedly used a photo of a hospital 400 miles away to trick travellers into thinking their cars were safe when he dumped them in muddy fields in a 1m scam. Asad Malik, 38, made claims in broken English on two websites in a bid to fool people into using London Parking Gatwick and another service called Easy Meet and Greet Gatwick, Lewes Crown Court in Brighton heard. The jury were shown a picture of a car park of the Borders General Hospital in Melrose, in Scotland, which Malik was said to have passed off as one of his secure locations. But one owner was alerted to the con when he saw his MINI on a TV news bulletin while he was in Spain. Another alleged victim's car had clocked up 185 miles while he was abroad and other cars had unpaid parking tickets. Malik used a handful of muddy fields not far from the Gatwick runway and some were also sat outside a mosque in the area. Trading Standards found hundreds of cars at several locations parked in muddy fields and amongst bushes. Others were left unlocked with windows open and keys were left in plastic wallets stuck to the windscreen. Some cars came back damaged and others were not returned at all, the jury were told. The websites claimed the cars would be parked in secure compounds with CCTV by valets. One of the muddy fields close to the Gatwick runway where Asad allegedly kept cars which he said were in secure, CCTV monitored compounds maintained by valets When Trading Standards Officers went to the sites, they found no gates, fencing or CCTV. Richard Heller prosecuting said: 'Malik traded through the named companies in such a way that people were defrauded into paying for parking services to have been of an entirely different quality and character than the reality. 'When you are in the right, when you are in the wrong or quite simply when you are being dishonest or misleading, if your site doesn't have CCTV or you don't own the facilities when you claim you do, you are not telling the truth. 'Someone is far more likely to pay for your service than if you tell them it's going to be kept in a muddy field or forest. 'And pay they did, this was big business.' The websites used customer testimonials written in bad English as if it had been translated using Google, Mr Heller said. 'Mr John Smith left a review in December 2014 in which he described how his "experience with them was the most suitable one, as I paid very less there which was the around trip of taxi fare and got the full service both ends of my journey." 'In June 2016, Sylvia Goodman said her car was returned with a bent key, the language on the dashboard display was changed to one she didn't recognise, there was hardly any fuel left, it was dirty, the time had been changed and there was litter in the car including a Co-Op receipt for mini garlic naans,' Mr Heller said. Another holiday maker saw an ITV news report on Facebook while he was on holiday in Spain. 'A young man called Keegan Bowes watched that broadcast in Majorca on holiday and was rather alarmed to see his own car. 'He expected it to be parked in a secure location, not in a field where it had been left. 'He contacted his mother Linda Glover and arranged for her to collect the car. 'She discovered the passenger door would not open and the satnav was missing.' One of the websites used a photograph of the Borders General Hospital in Melrose, Lewes Crown Court in Brighton heard According to the prosecutor some of the cars came back damaged, while others did not come back at all Ross Newman said his BMW GT had a tow bar style dent in the front bumper after booking parking with London Parking Gatwick. 'He was very suspicious of the driver returning his car as he thought he was trying to prevent any damage being seen and made off very quickly,' Mr Heller said. His car had travelled 24 miles after being told the parking location was only 3.8 miles from Gatwick Airport. 'The company had no entitlement to do anything with that car other than drive it to the location and return it to the customer,' Mr Heller said. Another Ford Mondeo was returned with a smashed brake light. Malik, of Crawley, denies six counts of variously making fraudulent claims, engaging in misleading commercial practice and unfair commercial practice between 2014 and 2016. The trial continues. Advertisement Kim Jong-un 'may have lost the will to negotiate' after he and President Trump failed to reach an agreement over the country's nuclear program in Hanoi, North Korea's vice foreign minister said in a new warning. The dictator 'got the feeling that he didn't understand the way Americans calculate' after his offer to permanently dismantle his nuclear facilities in the Yongbyon region in return for partial sanctions relief was rejected, Choe Son-hui said after the summit abruptly collapsed on Thursday. Her characterization of the talks directly contradicts Trump's account he said talks collapsed after the North Koreans asked for total sanctions relief. He insisted his relationship with Kim remained friendly and talks would continue. If North Korea does decide to break off negotiations permanently, it raises the prospect that nuclear and ballistic missile tests could resume. Trump says Kim promised him they wouldn't, but the conditions of that verbal pledge are unknown. Kim remained in Hanoi on Friday, where he met with Vietnamese leaders after the U.S. president returned to Washington. Kim Jong-un 'may have lost the will to negotiate' with Trump, his vice foreign minister said on Thursday after their summit collapsed, but he seemed eager to make new friends Friday as he enjoyed a diplomatic meeting with Vietnam's leaders Kim was presented with an honour guard by Vietnam's President Nguyen Phu Trong (to his left) at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi during his 'official goodwill visit' to the country Kim Jong-un and Nguyen Phu Trong make their way inside the presidential palace where they will hold talks on Friday A military band welcomes Kim as he pays a goodwill visit to Vietnam. Kim's visit is not classed as a state visit because the official head of state is still his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, even though he died in 1994 Kim is pictured leaving his hotel in central Hanoi as he attends a day of talks with Vietnam's leaders, following his failed summit with President Trump The motorcade of Kim Jong-un moves through downtown Hanoi on Friday morning as he meets with the country's leaders Vietnamese children cheer and wave flags as they wait to see Kim Jong-un drive through downtown Hanoi on Friday The children were handed flags and flowers to wave as the country revels in being at the center of world diplomacy Women dressed in traditional clothes wait for the motorcade carrying North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un to pass in Hanoi Meanwhile President Trump touched down in Washington DC having left the summit early, saying he could not agree to Kim's demands of sanctions relief North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong-ho (right) and vice foreign minister Choe Son-hui (left) gave a rare press conference where they rebuked Trump for the summit failure in Hanoi. Choe said that Kim may have 'lost the will to negotiate further' Kim was treated to the pageantry of a formal diplomatic occasion in Hanoi, where, accompanied by his sister and close aide Kim Yo-jong, he was received by Vietnam President and Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong. The smiling leader walked before rows of children waving Vietnamese and North Korean flags outside the mustard-yellow colonial-era Presidential Palace, before inspecting an honor guard. The North's state KCNA news agency described it as an 'official goodwill visit' to Vietnam. Because Kim is not officially the head of state of North Korea, he does not qualify for a state visit. His grandfather Kim Il Sung retains the title of Eternal President, even though he died in 1994. Curious onlookers lined the streets Friday to catch a glimpse of Kim the first North Korean leader to visit Vietnam since Kim Il Sung in 1964. The North Korean leader is also due to meet the southeast Asian country's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and the head of its rubber stamp parliament, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. He is expected to lay wreaths at the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and war martyrs monument on Saturday ahead of his planned departure by train for a marathon 70-hour return journey home. Choe addressed the nuclear talks at a surprise press conference held by the North Korean delegation after Trump left Vietnam, where she took questions from foreign journalists. Such a move is highly unusual for North Korea, a country where all media is strictly controlled by the state. At the press appearance, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho also contradicted Trump's account of the summit, saying that Kim had only asked for the removal of sanctions that are harming North Korean citizens and affecting their livelihoods. In return, Pyongyang offered to 'permanently' close its Plutonium and Uranium facilities in the Yongbyon region in the presence of U.S. inspectors. North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un's Sister Kim Yo-jong holds a flower bouquet during a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi Kim Yo-jong, who serves as one of the dictator's closest confidants and advisers, speaks with North Korean officials during his visit to the National Assembly in Vietnam North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, left, and Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc shake hands at the Government Office in Hanoi in front of a statue of Ho Chi Minh Kim reclines on his chair during his meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi on Friday Kim and Phuc examine a photo gallery which includes images of Kim's trip to Hanoi, accompanied by their aides North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, center, and Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, front left, stroll through the Government Office in Hanoi after holding talks Ri contradicted Trump's account of the summit, saying that North Korea had asked for partial sanctions relief in return for permanently dismantling its nuclear facilities in the Yongbyon region in the presence of American inspectors He said North Korea asked the U.S. to lift sanctions corresponding with five United Nations resolutions adopted between 2016 and 2017. Ri said that his proposal was the 'biggest' offer North Korea could make based on the 'current level of confidence' between the country and the United States. Trump claimed Thursday that North Korea was 'not ready' to meet the United States' conditions. Ri said talks broke down when the United States 'insisted that we should take one more step' beyond the pledge to abandon Yongbyon. 'Therefore it became crystal clear that the United States was not ready to accept our proposal,' he stated. The U.S. president expressed confidence that an accord could be struck in the future that would see North Korea denuclearize, but Ri told reporters an opportunity to make a better agreement may not present itself: 'Our principle stand will remain variably and our proposal will never be changed.' Ri left the media availability without taking questions. His deputy Choe Son-hui did interact with press, and took a question in English from an NBC reporter on Otto Warmbier. Choe declined to comment on the Ohio college student's death, however, telling a rowdy group of reporters she would only talk about denuclearization. She proceeded to answer questions in Korean for three and a half more minutes before she left the scrum at Melia Hotel in Hanoi that took place nearly ten hours after the summit concluded. Trump speculated at his own presser that 'top leadership' in North Korea did not know about the Warmbier's arrest and the student's deteriorating condition. He claimed it wasn't to Kim's 'advantage' to send the young man, who'd been accused of taking down a propaganda poster, back to the U.S. in a coma. 'He tells me that he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word,' the American president said. Trump spoke to the press for roughly 40 minutes about his failure to get a deal before flying back to the U.S.,where he touched down just before 2 pm EDT at a base in Alaska. North Korean officials made a rare press appearance on Thursday after President Trump departed Vietnam to publicly dispute aspects of his claims about the breakdown in talks She proceeded to answer questions in Korean for three and a half more minutes before she left the scrum at Melia Hotel in Hanoi The president made no mention of Kim in remarks he delivered there to troops, opting for a traditional stump speech on the military, economy and trade, instead. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters riding on Air Force One that the U.S. was aware of North Korea's claims. She had no statement to share at the time in response to the country's shocking comments. Trump had already spoken about his decision to walk away from his North Korean nuclear summit without a deal not just at the news conference, but in a interview from Vietnam with Fox News host Sean Hannity, as well. The president told Hannity he wasn't 'satisfied' with the outcome of talks, and he suspects that Kim 'wasn't satisfied,' either. He suggested that they left as pals, though, and could someday resume the discussion. President Donald Trump defended his decision to walk away from his North Korean nuclear summit without a deal in an interview Fox News host Sean Hannity from Vietnam that will air on Thursday evening in the United States 'We're working towards something, but we didn't sign anything today, it didn't quite work out,' he told Hannity on Thursday afternoon local time. 'Good relationship, but I decided this wasn't the right time to sign something so we'll see what happens over a period of time.' The dictator demanded that all sanctions be lifted in return for giving up only some of his nukes, the U.S. president claimed. 'They wanted to de-nuke certain areas, and I wanted everything. And the sanctions are there and I didn't want to give up the sanctions unless we had a real program,' he told Hannity. 'And they're not ready for that and I understand that fully, I really do.' Trump said that the final snag that caused the sudden breakdown was over sanctions and Kim's push to have all of them lifted in exchange for a concession Trump and his secretary of state could not live with. 'Sometimes you have to walk away,' Trump told reporters at a press conference in Hanoi that was abruptly moved up after the stalled talks. The president expressed his hope that the two leaders would meet again, but acknowledged: 'It might be soon, it might not be for a long time. I can't tell you.' At home, the president received the usual cheering from Republicans like South Carolina's Lindsey Graham. Graham suggested that Kim's days will be numbered if he can't come to an agreement with Trump. 'Speaking of Rocket Man, he couldn't be here. And if he doesn't get a deal with Trump he won't be anywhere much longer,' the U.S. senator said to laughs at a large-scale conservative gathering just outside of Washington. 'Why is Rocket Man talking to Trump when he's never talked to anybody else? Because he knows Trump means business.' Democrats mocked the summit as 'amateur hour' with Speaker Nancy Pelosi touting Kim the 'big winner' for getting the president to sit down and negotiate. 'I guess it took two meetings for him to realize that Kim Jong Un is not on the level,' Pelosi told reporters at the U.S. Capitol. 'He was a big winner, Kim Jong Un, in getting to sit face-to-face with the most powerful person in the world - the president of the United States.' Other Democratic lawmakers said they were not surprised that the Republican president whose claim to fame is his deal-making skills could not get Kim to agree the United States' preconditions for sanctions relief. President Trump abruptly ended talks with Kim Jong-un in Hanoi on Thursday, telling reporters that the North Korean leader had demanded that all sanctions be lifted in return for only getting rid of part of his nuclear stockpile, so he walked away Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised Kim Jong Un as the 'big winner' in the North Korea talks just for getting President Trump to sit down and negotiate They called the summit a 'failure' and the president who orchestrated it 'naive' for believing that the authoritarian leader would ever hand over his nuclear arsenal. 'I'm not surprised it ended in failure. Trump just does not know what he's doing,' Congressman Brendan Boyle told DailyMail.com. 'We have gotten absolutely nothing out of these two bilateral summits, other than a photo op.' Congressman Ruben Gallego, a member on the House Armed Services Committee, said the administration is either 'naive or so desperate for a deal' that it was willing to offer North Korea 'something for nothing' to get to this point in talks. 'North Korea does not intend to denuclearize,' he told DailyMail.com. 'It shows either the administration is naive or so desperate for a deal that they would go down this path.' Rep. Jim Clyburn, the number three House Democrat, told DailyMail.com as Trump flew back to the United States: 'I don't think anybody expected the president to get a deal out of that. I don't know what he was thinking.' Some legislators signaled relief that Trump had walked away, knowing what was on the table. 'In some ways this might be the best possible realistic outcome from my perspective because I was nervous President Trump would make an agreement that would be far worse than just a failed summit,' Boyle said. One Democratic lawmaker, who asked to speak to the DailyMail.com on background, said,' I guess no deal is better than a bad deal.' The lawmaker added what really concerned him were the president's comments on Otto Warmbier, the American student sent to a work camp who came back to the U.S. in a comma and died several days later. 'I was blown away by the president's quote about Otto Warmbier. That the president would defend Kim Jong-un and his regime I thought was incredible,' the lawmaker said. The member of Congress said the second summit did not help Trump's reputation as a deal maker. 'I think he really hasn't done a deal with anybody,' the lawmaker said, adding: 'He tries to do things on his own. He's not really a deal maker. At least he hasn't shown that in politics.' New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand also said she was 'disappointed' that Trump's summit did not have a more productive conclusion. 'I'm grateful, however, that he is focused on diplomacy and a political solution with North Korea, as opposed to a military one,' she said. 'I just would hope that he would, perhaps, engage with our allies and South Korea more, so that we can reach a more productive solution.' Trouble was brewing for Trump on multiple fronts as he flew back to the U.S. on Thursday. His longtime fixer, Michael Cohen, claimed in congressional testimony that Trump ordered him to silence two women threatening to go public with affairs. Cohen said that a $130,000 payoff to one of them, former adult film actress Stormy Daniels, was chump change to a billionaire like Trump. The president mostly avoided the topic at his news conference by calling on a series of members of the foreign press corps he did not recognize rather than White House reporters preparing to quiz him on the crimes Cohen claims he witnessed. He told Hannity, 'As far as Cohen is concerned, he's convicted, he's a liar, he's defrauded at a high level. He's got a lot of problems. And you know, it was very interesting, because he lied so much.' Trump said he watched some of the House Oversight hearing that Cohen testified at between the hours of 10 pm and 5 am, Hanoi time. He suggested with the statement that he was up late watching his disbarred former employee rather that prepping aggressively for his nuclear summit with Kim. 'He lied so much, and yet he said when it came to collusion, the whole hoax with the Russia collusion, it's just a witch hunt hoax, and by the way, very, very bad for our country,' Trump told Hannity of Cohen, 'because it really stops you from doing what you're supposed to be doing. He said no collusion.' The president was unusually quiet on his flight back from Vietnam as it all unfurled, having tweeted his way through his flight to Hanoi on Tuesday. He's scheduled to arrive at the White House in the wee hours of Friday morning, when Americans who most likely missed his Vietnam presser will once again be going to bed. In Hanoi, Trump said that he remains on good terms with Kim and continued to tout the 'enormous potential' of North Korea but notably said there are no plans for another nuclear summit. Trump candidly revealed that Kim wanted the sanctions off, but was not willing to give up his array of nukes, missiles, and additional sites he only alluded to vaguely. 'They were willing to de-nuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted but we couldn't give up all of the sanctions for that,' Trump claimed. 'We had to walk away from that particular suggestion. We had to walk away from that.' He said, 'It was about sanctions. They wanted sanctions lifted but they weren't willing to do an area that we wanted.' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added: 'We have been working for weeks to find a path forward so we could make a big step at this summit. We made progress and even more progress when the two leaders met over the last 48, or 72 hours. 'But we didn't get all the way. We didn't get something that made sense for the United States,' he acknowledged. The first signs of a rupture came when the White House suddenly made changes to the president's schedule on Thursday afternoon local time. A planned lunch meeting never happened, although a table was set with a floral centerpiece and menus folded inside napkins. Reporters on hand to cover it were told to move to another location. Sanders suddenly told reporters traveling with the president just before 1 pm local time that talks would wrap up within a half an hour, throwing the event's schedule into turmoil. She declined to say initially that there wouldn't be a signing ceremony, though one had been on an earlier White House schedule. Only minutes before Trump was scheduled to face the press did she acknowledge that there would not be one. The public White House schedule had listed a 'Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony' with the chairman of the state affairs commission of DPRK, set for 2:05 pm local time. Trump was to have fielded questions at 4 pm, right before leaving Vietnam, but his news conference was subsequently moved to 2 pm, and he left immediately after that Describing talks, which ran from a Wednesday dinner through mid-day Thursday, at the presser, Trump said Kim told him he was 'not going to do testing of rockets and nuclear. I trust him and I take him at his word.' He indicated that Kim was willing to make concessions related to the Yongbyon facility where his regime enriches Plutonium, but it wasn't enough. 'That facility while very big, it wasn't enough to do what we were doing. We had to have more than that,' said Trump. Trump insisted that his relationship with Kim remains 'warm' and that he sees 'great potential' in North Korea, but added that sometimes 'you have to be willing to walk away from a deal' if it's not the right one Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added that his team had been working with North Korea 'for weeks' to try and achieve a deal and that Trump and Kim made more progress towards a deal, but 'we didn't get all the way' President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un resumed their summit in Hanoi on Thursday morning local time as Trump predicted a 'fantastic success' but Kim said it was 'too early' to say they would reach a deal Trump once again asserted that he was in 'no rush' to make an agreement following an early report by NBC that the US was prepared to back away from a demand that North Korea provide a full accounting of its nuclear weapons programs He made it clear in his remarks there were other sites the U.S. identified that Kim wanted to maintain. 'We have that setup so we would be able to do that very easily. The inspections on North Korea will take place, and if we do something with them, we have a schedule setup that is very good. We know things ... about certain places and certain sites. There are sites that people don't know about that we know about. We would be able to do inspections we think very, very successfully,' Trump said. He insisted that the U.S. and North Korea remain in a position 'to do something very special' together' and that he and Kim have 'become very friendly' with one another. The U.S. dollar and South Korean stock market meanwhile fell on the news that no deal had been reached. The recognition that the two parties were two far apart to agree to a joint statement came despite weeks of advance negotiations. A range of compromise gestures had been circulating for days in media reports. Pompeo told reporters riding his plane back to Washington that the U.S. intentionally took a 'big swing' with the summit that it hoped would produce a deal. 'We cleared away a lot of brush over the past, apparently, 60, 90 days at the working level, then we were hoping we could take another big swing when the two leaders got together. I think we did. We made some progress, but we didn't get as far as we would have hoped to have gotten,' he said. The Cabinet official who has been running point on talks with North Korea since they began nearly a year ago insisted, 'We were prepared for the potentiality of this outcome as well, and tomorrow we'll get right back at it.' He said of the signing ceremony that journalists 'shouldn't get hung up on things like that' as he blasted reports about what the U.S. would be willing to concede for ultimately being wrong. Pompeo singled out NBC for reporting that the U.S. was no longer insisting as a negotiating position that North Korea provide a 'full accounting of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs,' which would amount to a major capitualtion. 'I think that'd give you a lot more credibility to the world than going out and saying silly things that you know nothing about and speculating,' he complained. 'It was radically uninformed and now I think can be proven incorrect, and so you ought to go fix it.' Pompeo said, 'We were very hopeful we'd make enough progress that it would justify a signing statement at the ultimate concluding, and we didn't. The President made that decision. 'It's a schedule. Yeah, we were scheduled to leave seven minutes earlier than we did too,' he continued, as journalists tried to interject. 'Look, it's a long ways. We've known it was a long ways. There's still a lot of work to do.' After Trump and Kim's historic summit in Singapore in June, they signed a joint statement although critics lambasted it for failing to include a timetable or verification members in its undefined call for denuclearization. Trump and Jong Un smile during a meeting at the second US-North Korea summit at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi Trump listens as he meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday in Hanoi If the tension between Trump and Kim was there all along, it was not visible on Wednesday, when the two leaders and their aides smiled and chatted each other up at a poolside photo op. The chummy atmosphere continued into Thursday, when Trump and Kim grinned for the cameras before the start of talks Kim even took questions from U.S. media and expressed openness toward a step in normalization of relations. The North Korean dictator said he is open to the idea of a liaison office in Pyongyang, in a major development in relations. In another comment, he revealed his preference for denuclearization, although without saying what it would take to get him there. 'If I was not, I wouldn't be here,' he said in his native Korean, while seated alongside Trump, according to a translator. Trump once again asserted that he was in 'no rush' to make an agreement. 'We don't want the testing, and we've developed something very special with respect to that,' Trump said, without revealing details, as the two men seemingly moved toward their expected joint statement. A reporter asked Kim in Korean if he was confident of an agreement, and he responded, saying 'It's too early to say. I would not say I'm pessimistic.' 'I have a feeling that good results will come,' Kim added. Trump once again called the relationship between the two men 'very strong' and said he believes that 'a little bit longer term, and over a period of time, I know we're going to have a fantastic success with respect to Chairman Kim and North Korea. They're going to have an economic powerhouse.' Trump predicted: 'I think it's going to be something very special.' WHAT HAPPENED? On Wednesday Trump and Kim walked along with two interpreters beneath palm trees as Kim greeted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and general and spy chief Kim Yong Chol Greeting: Trump and Kim shake hands at the top of their meeting in Hanoi - which was followed by a 'quick dinner' The Hanoi summit was Trump's second with Kim since an inconclusive meeting in Singapore in June that produced much fanfare but little substance and there had been little sign of concrete progress since. Facing mounting pressure at home over investigations into Russian meddling in the election, Trump had sought a big win by trying to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for promises of peace and development, a foreign policy goal that has confounded multiple predecessors. 'It's great to be with you. We had a very successful first summit,' Trump said at his first meeting with Kim on Wednesday morning local time. 'I felt it was very successful. Some people would like to see it go quicker. I'm satisfied, you're satisfied. We want to be happy with what we're doing.' 'I thought the first summit was a great success, I think this one hopefully will be equal or greater than the first,' the president added. As he has repeatedly, Trump pointed to personal chemistry with the reclusive leader of the family-led one-party dictatorship. 'We made a lot of progress and I think the biggest progress was our relationship is really a good one,' he optimistically said. Trump complemented a New York Times photographer in one of many asides to Kim As he has repeatedly, Trump pointed to personal chemistry with the reclusive leader of the family-led one-party dictatorship although his secretary of state says North Korea is still a nuclear threat, having tested a hydrogen bomb and months ago conducted a skein of missile tests By the end of the summit, he said that the relationship was 'very good, very friendly' in spite of the way the talks ended. 'This wasn't a walk away, like you get up and walk out. No, this was very friendly. We shook hands. You know, there's a warmth that we have, and I hope that stays. I think it will.' Feb 28, 2019 | By Thomas Researchers from the University of Wollongong (UOW) headquartered ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES) have developed 3D Alek, a customised multi-materials biofabrication 3D printer designed to create a 3D printed human ear. Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) in Sydney took possession of the printer this week, and will soon be able to replicate a human ear for children with ear deformities. The 3D Alek printer utilises a specialised bio-ink developed and manufactured by ACES researchers at UOW and the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) to assist in the regeneration of cartilage for use in reconstructive ear surgery. This project illustrates our ability to manage a successful pipeline to turn fundamental research into a strategic application to create a new health solution to improve peoples lives, ACES Director Professor Gordon Wallace said. We have been responsible for the primary sourcing of materials; the formulation of bio-inks and the design and fabrication of a customised printer; the design of required optimal protocols for cell biology; through to the final clinical application. With one 3D Alek now established in a clinical environment at RPA and a replica in our lab at TRICEP, our new 3D bioprinting initiative, we will be able to fast-track the next stages of our research to deliver a practical solution to solve this clinical challenge. Professor Mukherjee said she was thrilled to be working with ACES researchers to develop a solution to combat microtia that is individualised to match the patients own anatomy. Treatment of this particular ear deformity is demanding because the outer ear is an extremely complex 3D shape, not only in length and breadth, but also in height and projection from the skull, Professor Mukherjee said. This is where bioprinting is an extremely exciting avenue, as it allows an ear graft to be designed and customised to the patients own face using the patients own natural tissue resulting in reduced operating time and improved cosmetic outcome and avoids the current complication of requiring a donor site for cartilage, usually from the patients rib cage. The team will continue to advance research including undertaking initial clinical trials with a focus on accelerating the development of the specialised bio-ink by using stem cells from human tissue, with the hope of eventually being able to print a living ear using a patients own stem cells. Posted in 3D Printer Maybe you also like: The incomes of the richest Americans the top 0.001 percent have grown at a rate much faster than the economy over the past four decades. This super-rich class of Americans have seen their incomes outstrip those of the rest of U.S. earners, far surpassing the GDP (Gross Domestic Product, a measure of the value of all goods and services produced), according to the work of economists Thomas Piketty, Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman. In fact, their pre-tax income has gone from an average of roughly $16.6 million in 1980 to $121.9 million in 2014 a 635 percent increase. That far outstrips the rate of income growth among the middle class, which saw a 42 percent rise in average pay since 1980. The difference is even more pronounced when compared to the bottom 50 percent of U.S. earners, who have seen average incomes rise 1.4 percent during the same period. 'The growth in pay at the top doesn't reflect greater productivity of people at the top,' said Lawrence Mishel, an economist with the Economic Policy Institute. 'It's not that CEOs became that much more valuable. They're getting money that would otherwise be available to everyone else. There is this dynamic of the people at the top grabbing more, and the people at the bottom, the bottom 90 percent, having less power to get what they're worth.' This chart illustrates the rate of income growth - before taxes - for each class since 1980, based on data compiled by economists Thomas Piketty, Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman When looking at income distribution, it's first important to understand who is at the very top, Mishel told DailyMail.com. The top 1 percent and .001 percent are 'dominated by two groups,' he said. 'The biggest group is executives. The second group is people in the finance sector. And both of those groups have seen their pay escalate tremendously and that helps drive up the wages of the top one percent.' According to an EPI report, average compensation for CEOs rose by 17.6 percent to $18.9 million last year more than 58 times the 0.3 percent increase in pay that typical workers in those industries received. The latest numbers mean CEOs earned $312 for every $1 earned by average workers, according to EPI. That is dramatically higher than 1965's 20-to-1 ratio, and even beats out the 58-to-1 ratio of 1989 and signals the country's income inequality problem is not going away any time soon. The reason CEOs did so well in 2017 is largely because their pay generally corresponds with the overall stock market and last year their rise in compensation was 'driven by stock awards and cashed-in stock options, not to changes in salaries or cash bonuses,' according to the report. That means that most CEOs like didn't get exorbitant salary increases, but other types of compensation drove the overall increase. And those higher paydays make it harder to compensate the average worker with a living wage. Stephen Rose, an economist with the Urban Institute, urges caution when reviewing data comparing income for each class, because the numbers don't track individuals. In other words, people may move up and down into different income brackets throughout their life (earning less in their early 20s, more in their mid-30s and hitting a decline in retirement). He said a more important measure is the extent to which life has improved for the middle class, and Americans in general have seen improved health incomes, longer lifespans and an overall better standard of living. 'The structure of the economy is getting bigger and the rewards have been more concentrated on the people at the top,' Rose told DailyMail.com. 'But it doesn't mean that the middle class is shrinking.' French economist Piketty, in his new book, 'Capital in the Twenty-First Century,' argues that as long as the rate of return on capital surpasses the rate of economic growth, inherited wealth will continue to outstrip earned wealth. It's a problem that Piketty said is incompatible with democracy, and which he suggests could be corrected through an 80 percent tax on annual incomes above $500,000 in the U.S. That idea has earned Piketty the label of 'neo-Marxist' among some right-wing U.S. economists. However, others note that higher taxes could help hold the line on or reverse growing inequality in the U.S., in part because earners at the very top see a lot of their income coming from capital gains, which is taxed at a lower rate than earned income. This chart illustrates the rate of income growth - after taxes - for each class since 1980, based on data compiled by economists Thomas Piketty, Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman 'The middle class has not received as much income growth as they could have if we didn't have this big increase in inequality,' Mishel said. 'Basically, the bottom 90 percent has lost out.' 'Capital income should be taxed the same as wage income,' he added. 'It would restore a lot of equity to the economy.' Richard Reeves, an economist and head of the Middle Class Initiative at the Brookings Institution, said we need to think differently about how we view classes in America rather than pitting the top 1 percent against the bottom 99 percent, he sees a still-thriving upper-middle class. 'I actually think there's a trifurcation between the very top (and) the people just below them,' Reeves told DailyMail.com. 'There's been no increase in inequality in the bottom 90 percent, or the bottom 80 percent. So, you're seeing a strong pulling away of the really, really rich. The problem is the people in the upper middle class look at the super rich and compare themselves and think they're just middle class.' He said the biggest problem with wealth disparity in America is the way that plays out in government. 'The thing that worries me the most about the super-rich is not that they're rich it's that they can turn their riches into political power,' Reeves said. 'In the U.S. there's no wall between money and politics. That means if you have vast wealth you can have disproportionate power in politics.' He advocates for campaign finance reform to take the money out of politics and put more power back in the hands of lower earners to make decisions about how the everyone including the super-rich are taxed. 'I don't think there's anything intrinsically wrong with billionaires,' he said. 'I think there's something wrong with billionaires who avoid taxes and buy politicians.' Theresa May has announced new financial support for Jordan to 'open the door' to reinvigorating the country's economy. The Prime Minister, speaking at the close of a major international conference on the Arab state in London, said the UK would underwrite a 188 million (250 million US dollar) World Bank loan to Jordan. The support is designed to help the country borrow money at a lower rate and manage its national debt. Britain will also increase its grant financing to Jordan over the next five years, Mrs May said, to attract the investment needed for creating jobs. Mrs May told the London conference that a stable Jordan 'defends us from terrorist groups taking root and strengthens the border security of neighbouring countries' Jordan, which neighbours Syria, will be also to borrow money at a lower rate and manage its national debt because of the UK's role in underwriting the loan The Prime Minister said it 'matters to all of us' to unlock Jordan's potential so it can 'prosper and remain a beacon of stability' in an unstable region of the world Jordans PM Omar Razzaz also addressed the event in central London at which Mrs may announced the UK's role in helping Jordan's economy The PM told the Jordan: Growth and Opportunity conference on Thursday afternoon: 'To demonstrate the extent of the UK's own confidence in Jordan, and our determination to make the vision that Jordan's prime minister and king have spoken about today a reality, I am pleased that the UK will be underwriting a 250 million dollar World Bank loan to Jordan. 'This will come alongside a substantial uplift in our grant financing over the next five years. This will open the door to reinvigorating Jordan's economy, attracting the investment needed to stimulate growth and create jobs. 'The UK's assistance for Jordan is a practical demonstration of the approach I set out in Cape Town. 'This is about working in partnership, sharing our skills, experience and resources to jointly tackle the challenges we face in a way that delivers global security and prosperity.' Mrs May said it 'matters to all of us' to unlock Jordan's potential so it can 'prosper and remain a beacon of stability'. Mrs May earlier met King Abdullah II of Jordan at Number 10 during his visit, which also saw him meet the Queen She told the conference: 'Jordan sits at the centre of a region that has faced turbulence and uncertainty over the last decade. 'The political upheaval in 2010 and 2011, the emergence of Daesh, and the ongoing conflict in Syria have changed the face of the Middle East.' She said a stable Jordan 'defends us from terrorist groups taking root and strengthens the border security of neighbouring countries'. She added: 'And that is why our collective support for Jordan is so crucial.' US treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin, interim president of the World Bank Kristalina Georgieva, EU foreign affairs representative Federica Mogherini, and foreign ministers from around the world also attended the conference. Mrs May earlier held talks with King Abdullah II of Jordan in Downing Street. Theresa May has stunned an entertainer battling to be crowned Britain's best drag queen by sending him a good luck letter. Ben Tye, 22, says he has 'absolutely no idea' why the Prime Minister sent him a letter wishing him luck ahead of Miss Drag UK. Mr Tye will go up against other hopefuls as he performs as Amber Dextris at the Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone, Kent, on March 10. He joked: 'I don't remember contacting her. If I did, I was drunk.' Ben Tye, 22, who works as a holiday park entertainer by day is hoping to take the crown at the first nationwide drag pageant on March 10 Mr Tye (right) in his usual attire, he said he did not remember contacting Mrs May - unless he was drunk Although he is unsure why he received the letter, Ben says he is grateful for the support. On Twitter, the PM wished him luck again but said she hasn't watched the hit show RuPaul's Drag Race. Theresa May's letter to Mr Tye contained a signed photo for him to sell for charity Ben said: 'The letter just wished me good luck for the pageant and included a photo of Theresa May to sell. 'It was the weirdest day of my life. 'I have absolutely no idea why I received it. I take an interest in politics but this was a big surprise.' Now Ben hopes to flog the photo on eBay in order to raise dosh for Sands, a neonatal death charity which the pageant is in aid for. The letter features the 10 Downing Street crest and the photo has the PM's signature at the bottom. Mr Tye works as a holiday park entertainer by day but is hoping to take the crown at the UK's first ever nationwide drag pageant. The Miss Drag UK pageant has hit national headlines with drag queens from across the UK taking part. Downing Street were not able to provide details on why the Prime Minister had chosen to champion Mr Tye. British sailors faced down Spanish warships that has entered waters around Gibraltar and refused to leave. The standoff began when HMS Sabre followed Spanish vessel OPV Infanta Cristina as it sailed into British waters around the disputed Rock. HMS Sabre is a small Scimitar-class fast patrol boat around 52ft (15 meters) long and around 24 tonnes, whereas the OPV Infanta Cristina is 291ft long and weighs around 1,640 tonnes. The Spanish warship is also armed with torpedoes, mortars weapons and guns and dwarfs the tiny Royal Navy patrol boat. Both warships faced-off against each other for nearly two hours before the Spanish boat finally left at around midday. Spanish Navy warship OPV Infanta Cristina (right) was involved in a two-hour standoff in British waters with HMS Sabre (left) of the British Navy Gibraltar Squadron HMS Sabre followed the much larger Spanish warship extremely close (seen here close behind on the left) for two hours as it refused to depart British territorial waters HMS Sabre, a small patrol boat of around 52ft (15 meters) long and 24 tonnes, confronted the OPV Infanta Cristina, which is 291ft long and weighs around 1,640 tonnes Witnesses reported the vessel was around a mile and a half off shore, according to the Daily Star. The ship's proximity to Gibraltar mean it ignored the three miles of British waters around the Rock. British residents in Gibraltar are worried about the recurring incursions of Spanish vessels and want action to be taken. The British government confirmed the incident and said the incursion was a 'violation of sovereignty'. A Foreign Office spokeswoman told the MailOnline that the Spanish vessel left the area when it was challenged by the Royal Navy. She said: 'We can confirm an incursion by the Spanish navy occurred this morning. As with all incursions, the Royal Navy challenged the vessel. 'When challenged, the Spanish navy vessel left British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. 'Incursions are a violation of sovereignty, not a threat to it. We have no doubt about our sovereignty over Gibraltar. The Rock of Gibraltar has been used as a pawn in the Brexit negotiations over the last two years A Spanish warship with its guns primed for action (highlighted in red) tried to order commercial vessels to leave Gibraltars British waters earlier this month 'The UK will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their wishes, nor enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content.' HMS Sabre has been working with the Gibraltar Squadron since 2003. This latest incident is the fifth incursion of into British waters by a Spanish vessel this year amid ongoing tensions over Gibraltar that have heightened during Brexit negotiations. Two weeks ago it was reported that another Spanish warship with its guns manned tried to order commercial vessels to leave Gibraltar's British waters. Royal Navy boats were deployed and confronted the ship, which then sailed along the Gibraltar coast 'with its weapons uncovered and manned'. Royal Navy boats were deployed and confronted the ship, which then sailed along the Gibraltar coast 'with its weapons uncovered and manned'. Boats which were ordered to leave remained at the port during the incident, which was branded 'foolish' by a spokesman for Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar. It came just weeks after Britain's Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson suggested in a meeting with top brass, that UK forces should pelt Spanish war ships with paintballs in a bid to humiliate them. Downing Street has clashed with Brussels over its description of Gibraltar as a 'colony' following an European Council document setting out plans for visa-free travel for Britons after Brexit The Rock's sovereignty has become a flashpoint during heated Brexit negotiations between the EU, Britain and Spain. Last month Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sought to use the Brexit stand-off as an opportunity to open discussions over joint sovereignty of The Rock after Britain leaves the EU. Spain almost blocked the conclusion of the Withdrawal Agreement deal last November and repeatedly raised the issue during two years of negotiations. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez threatened he would 'veto Brexit' over Gibraltar. But Gibraltar's Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, rejected Spain's talk of power-sharing and Britain refused to listen to Madrid's threats. Spain again raised the idea of Gibraltar being defined as 'disputed' earlier this month when a footnote defining Gibralar as a 'colony' was inserted into the visa-free legal documents. The issue is threatening to derail visa-free travel between Britain and the bloc post-Brexit meaning British citizens could have to pay 52 in order to enter EU states. A Michigan groundskeeper who was accused of raping a teen and killing her while he was out on bond has been convicted of first-degree murder. Quinn James, 43, was found guilty of strangling Mujey Dumbuya on Thursday in Grand Rapids. Mujey had accused James, a maintenance worker at the girl's school, of sexually assaulting her at multiple locations in Kent County during the summer of 2017 when she was 15. Months later in January 2018, the then-16-year old's partially-clothed body was found in a wooded area of Kalamazoo, about 50 miles southeast of her Grand Rapids-area home. Authorities say James killed the girl while free on a $100,000 cash bond in the sexual assault case so that she wouldn't be able to testify against him at trial. He was found guilty of four counts of criminal sexual conduct in December and was sentenced to 20 to 30 years in prison. His sentencing in the murder conviction is scheduled for March 25. He faces a maximum of life in prison. Quinn James, 43, (left) was convicted of first degree murder in the January 2018 slaying of 16-year-old Mujey Dumbuya in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Thursday. Authorities say James had raped Mujey when she was 15 and then killed her so she wouldn't be able to testify against him at trial Mujey (above) had accused James, a maintenance worker at the girl's school, of raping her at multiple locations in Kent County during the summer of 2017 Authorities say James killed the girl while free on a $100,000 cash bond in the sexual assault case so that she wouldn't be able to testify against him at trial Mujey mother, Fatmata Corne (center) is comforted by her sisters, Najah Konneh (left) and Jainya Sannoh (right) after the jury handed down the guilty verdict on Thursday After the verdict was read, Mujey's aunt, Janya Sannoh, expressed relief that her niece's case 'did not go cold' and thanked the law enforcement agencies that helped bring James to justice. 'The truth is the truth,' Sannoh said outside the courtroom. 'It's like putting a bright light in a dark room. Whatever it is, is gonna come out. The truth did come out.' She added: 'He's not going to hurt another girl. No other family should go through this because of him.' Prosecutors laid out the evidence implicating James - including DNA, surveillance footage, witness statements and car rental documents - over six days of testimony in Grand Rapids. 'He preyed on this little girl for sex and when it became a problem, he eliminated her,' Kent County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kellee Koncki told the jury. The defense tried to explain away each piece of evidence by providing innocent explanations. Attorney Johnathan Schildgen alleged that the prosecution's case was merely 'theory and speculation based on the fact they think they have a powerful motive'. Mujey's partially-clothed body was found in a wooded area of Kalamazoo, about 50 miles southeast of her Grand Rapids-area home, in January 2018 Prosecutors laid out the evidence implicating James - including DNA, surveillance footage and witness statements - over six days of testimony in Grand Rapids. Assistant Kent County Prosecutor Kellee Koncki is seen delivering her closing argument Wednesday The defense tried to explain away each piece of evidence by providing innocent explanations. Attorney Johnathan Schildgen (above on Wednesday) alleged that the prosecution's case was merely 'theory and speculation based on the fact they think they have a powerful motive' After the guilty verdict was read on Thursday, Mujey's aunt, Janya Sannoh, spoke to reporters outside the courtroom. She expressed relief that her niece's case 'did not go cold' Sannoh said: 'The truth is the truth. It's like putting a bright light in a dark room. Whatever it is, is gonna come out. The truth did come out.' She is seen embracing Prosecutor Kellee Koncki Mujey had been scheduled to testify against James at trial in April 2018, but went missing on January 24 after failing to catch the school bus. She was found dead of asphyxiation four days later. James was arrested on an unrelated sexual assault charge on February 1. His bond was increased to $250,000 after Mujey's death. 'When I set the $100,000 bond, Dumbuya was alive,' Kentwood District Judge William Kelly said during his sexual assault trial. James was employed by East Kentwood Public Schools in 2011 despite an extensive criminal career that included convictions for armed robbery and possession of a weapon as a prisoner. The school insisted they did not have access his criminal record as a juvenile. A northern Mexico politician is threatening to sue anyone who criticizes his government on social media, especially those making false statements. Mayor Florencio Siller Linaje was met by a great show of support from his fellow council members and city employees earlier this week. The presiding council leader, Olain Obed Mendoza, would sue any person who spoke out against Siller Linaje and the city government. 'Under no circumstances will any person talk bad about our mayor, much less of us,' Obed Mendoza said. Siller Linaje had been at odds with local reporters in the past, especially in the middle of his campaign last year. A female reporter has claimed a masked gunman threw her in a SUV and peppered her with questions about why she was criticizing Siller Linaje before they hit her head and freed her. Council leader, Olain Obed Mendoza (right), said the northern Mexico municipality's government will take action against any person who speaks badly about Mayor Florencio Siller Linaje (pictured center wearing a cowboy hat) Mayor Florencio Siller Linaje (pictured) was re-elected mayor of Frontera, a town with a population of 65,000 residents, in July 2018 'We will take legal action against those who are making false statements on Facebook, Twitter, whatever form of electronic media, slandering this town, this municipality and especially our mayor.' Siller Linaje was re-elected to office in July 2018, in Frontera, a town with a population of 65,000 residents in the central region in the state of Coahuila. Any person who criticizes Mexican mayor Florencio Siller Linaje on social media forum could be subject to a lawsuit, especially if the comments are proven to be false The mayor preached a sense of calm to his loyalists. 'We have to continue the work that we have been doing since last year,' Siller Linaje said. 'Don't worry about the comments.' Siller Linaje's tactics were condemned by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. 'Democratic society public officials are more exposed to public scrutiny and criticism,' the San Jose, Costa Rica-based organization said in a statement. 'That is why we are concerned about the position and expressions of the officials of the municipality of Frontera, who join other attacks against journalists in this region.' This is the shocking moment that more than a dozen schoolboys fought in a mass brawl on the street that saw two youths rushed to hospital with stab injuries. Two boys aged 14 and 16 were injured in the brawl that saw fierce punches thrown after the end of the school day before shocked passers-by intervened. The fight in Ilford, East London, yesterday was filmed from a passing bus and saw a group of girls run off while other boys stood and watched the brawl. Two boys aged 14 and 16 were injured in the brawl that saw fierce punches thrown yesterday The fight caught on camera took place after the end of the school day in Ilford, East London It comes just two days after Alwi Jamal, 20, was murdered nearby by being knifed in the chest and slashed in the face outside a betting shop on Tuesday at 9pm. The violence is another example of a gun and knife crime epidemic gripping London, which has already seen 16 people murdered in the capital this year. A video of yesterday's fight was reposted on Twitter last night by Keith Prince, the Conservative London Assembly Member for Havering and Redbridge. He wrote: 'This is what Ilford has come to under [Mayor] Sadiq Khan. He needs to resign now and hang his head in shame. He is a complete failure. Shocking!' 16 people have been murdered in London so far this year, plus a 17th on a London-bound train Police at the scene of the attack in Ilford, East London, helping victims yesterday afternoon Officers were called to Ilford and two schoolboys were rushed to hospital with stab wounds The two boys injured in yesterday's attack were taken to hospital following the brawl at about 3.45pm, with one facing life-threatening injuries. However Scotland Yard said his condition was later downgraded to non-life-threatening while the other boy is also in a stable condition. One man, whose age is not yet known, was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm following the brawl - which was attended by five police cars and three vans. Wes Streeting, Labour MP for Ilford, said there had been a 'big fight' and thanked the emergency services for their 'rapid response' in a tweet yesterday evening. Just two days ago around a mile-and-a-half away outside Ilford station, Mr Jamal was stabbed to death with what witnesses described as a 'zombie' knife. #Redbridge BREAKING: A teenage boy is in a life threatening condition after a double stabbing which has taken place on Beehive Lane, #Ilford. The condition of the other is boy is currently unknown. Continued below. pic.twitter.com/iYdgJXxqYl London 999 (@999London) February 28, 2019 The Ilford murder on Tuesday is another example of a gun and knife crime epidemic in London Police outside Ilford station in East London on Wednesday after a fatal stabbing on Tuesday Witnesses reportedly filmed the killing and posted the gruesome footage on Snapchat. Other witnesses said he was caught up in a fight over drugs. He was one of four victims to be stabbed on London's streets in the space of just eight hours on Tuesday, including a boy left for dead in South Ruislip, West London. On the same day in Enfield, North London, police were called to reports of an fight and found a man in his 30s with a stab wound to the thigh. Finally, police were called to a stabbing in Romford, East London, along with the London Ambulance Service who treated at 18-year-old man for stab injuries. A Colorado hunter's decision to share photos on her Facebook page of her proudly posing up with a blood-soaked mountain lion she had just killed has led an environmental group to publicly shame her as a sociopathic trophy hunter. Prairie Protection Colorado last week reposted images depicting Franchesca Esplin lifting the carcass of the freshly killed mountain lion, and then showing off her manicured hands completed coated with the animal's blood. The images, along with a short video showing the woman shooting the big cat perched in a snow-covered tree, were all taken during a December 2018 hunting trip. Scroll down for video Franchesca 'Franny' Esplin, 28, in December 2018 legally harvested this mountain lion in Colorado and posed for grisly pictures Caught red-handed: She shared this image with blood coating her hands and clothes The group also shared a post from Esplins now-defunct Facebook page, in which the married mom, who is a taxidermist by trade, gushes about bagging the mountain lion, which she said 'has been at the top of my bucket list FOREVER.' In her status update from late December, Esplin thanks the houndsmen who helped her 'harvest this amazing tom' and went on to says she is 'still on cloud 9.' 'Thank you to all those that helped out, you guys have NO idea how happy I am,' she goes on. 'I can see why this hunt is addicting.' She concludes her effusive note by saying, 'I'm so dang happy.' Activists with Prairie Protection Colorado, which seeks to protect local wildlife, wrote a blistering post condemning the 28-year-old Esplin as a 'sadistic' killer and calling for a ban on trophy hunts. Shots from the video show the hunter shooting the lion from the top of a tree. The wildlife group Prairie Protection Colorado last week re-shared Esplin's bloody photos and slammed her as 'sadistic' killer Esplin, who is married with children, is a taxidermist (pictured shooting the lion) This is the mentality of people who kill predator species for sport and fun, the groups message read. Make no mistake that Colorado's wildlife policies and officials support this insane looting of Colorado's wildlife. It is OUR RESPONSIBILITY as people who care about wildlife to END the insanity of killing for pleasure. We have to do more than get angry and type about it on Facebook. We need to all come together to start the process of changing laws. The author of the post appealed to the groups supporters to sign a citizens petition calling for a ban on bobcat trapping and hunting in Colorado. Under the current rules of the Department of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, mountain lion hunters are required to obtain a lion license and have it with them during the hunt. The license allows each hunter to harvest one bobcat per season. The woman appears overjoyed, having killed the bobcat during the recent hunt She wrote this gushing post about her 'bucket list' experience that left her feeling on 'cloud 9' Esplin defended herself in an off-camera interview with Fox 31 Denver on Wednesday, telling the station that she had a permit to take the bobcat and that her hunt was 'completely legal. Officials from Colorado Parks and Wildlife backed her up, saying there is nothing to suggest the woman had violated any laws pertaining to mountain lion hunting. Esplin, who has deleted most of her social media accounts as of Thursday afternoon, complained that she has been receiving threats. On Wednesday, the wildlife protection organization posted a follow-up message on its Facebook page, arguing that they never intended to 'specifically target Franny,' but rather the mentality of trophy hunters.' Anyone who would glory in the blood of an animal they kill has some cleary[sic] sociopathic tendencie, the post read. Ethical hunters feel reverence and a sense of responsibility to the animals whose lives they take for subsistence. They do not proudly display the "trophy" of the animal they killed and exclaim that the kill had been on their "bucket list forever." Unfortunately, this mentality and the killing of our native species for sport is codified in Colorado's wildlife laws that are geared towards protecting sport hunters "right to kill." 'By publishing these types of photos, we are shining a light on what is legally accepted in Colorado. We do this to inspire the people who care to get educated, put their feet on the ground and work towards change. Amazon has abandoned plans of expansion for the second time this month, as it pulls the plug on a project to occupy a 722,000 square ft office in downtown Seattle. In what would've been one of the biggest lease deals in city's history, the 58-story Rainier Square tower will now be looking for a new tenant following Amazon's announcement on Wednesday. The plans would have provided space for as many as 5,000 employees within the high-rise - which is still under construction - located a stones-throw away from Amazon's original headquarters. The U-turn followed a Seattle City Council decision to reverse on the imposition of a new business tax - dubbed the 'Amazon tax' - on the Bezos-owned company, the Seattle Times reported. Amazon has abandoned plans of expansion to occupy the 722,000 square Rainier Square tower in downtown Seattle (pictured: an architect's interpretation of the finished building) Amazon had previously threatened to withdraw from the deal, when Seattle Council touted new taxes 10 months ago (pictured: Amazon owner, Jeff Bezos) Charging Amazon $275 per employee, per year, the head tax would have raised millions annually to help address the city's affordable housing crisis and fund homeless initiatives in the area. Amazon had initially threatened to withdraw from the scheme 10 months ago as a result of the impending tax, but, despite the council's decision to repeal it, Amazon decided to sublease the building, rather than frequent it. 'This is a good reminder for us that backing down to the bullying of corporations never stops their bullying,' said Seattle Councillor Kshama Sawant. 'As the next step, people in Seattle should gather courage and renew our fight to tax big business for social housing,' she added. November photos from Long Island City shows the area Amazon had planned to take over for their New York headquarters Just two weeks ago, the e-commerce company abandoned its plans to construct a major Campus in New York, following a litany of opposition from local lawmakers. Named 'HQ2', the sprawling 8 million square feet campus was projected to bring 25,000 jobs to the area, with the city dangling a $3 billion tax break as collateral. The plan was announced last November and would have created over $10 billion in revenue over the next 20 years. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the city lost a golden opportunity to be 'an emerging center for tech' and previously said the Amazon move was 'an extraordinary economic win not just for Queens and New York City, but for the entire region, from Long Island to Albany's nanotech center.' Meanwhile the likes of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez celebrated the withdrawal, calling it a victory for 'everyday people.' Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, celebrated the e-commerce company's NYC withdrawal, calling it a victory for 'every day people' Amazon's decision to withdraw from NYC came as a result of stern opposition from lawmakers and the local community Similarly in Seattle, the company has long been at loggerheads with City Hall, where issues of traffic, affordability and homelessness are regularly attributed to Amazon's overwhelming presence in the area. 'Whether or not this building is occupied by Amazon workers, we have a housing crisis. We have transportation issues,' said Council representative Teresa Mosqueda, who opposed the head-tax repeal. 'This is a city that not only welcomed them in but helped them succeed. For that success to now be sustainable, we have to get on the same page about investments in housing, transit and infrastructure,' she added. Unlike New York, though, Amazon insists its future does still lay in Seattle. In a statement they revealed that more than 9,000 open jobs and 2 million square feet of new space is currently under construction in the city. 'We are always evaluating our space requirements and intend to sublease Rainier Square based on our current plans', Amazon's statement read. They added they will 'continue to evaluate future growth' in the area. Rainier Square tower will open next year. It will become the second largest building in Seattle. Amazon had previously said they'd occupy the whole building Unlike New York, Amazon says its future still lies in Seattle - and the Bezos-owned company has recently been making real estate moves in Bellevue, just across Lake Washington Amazon has already started spreading its roots across the other side of Lake Washington too, having recently signed a 16-year lease to occupy a 20-story office tower in the neighboring city of Bellevue - the same city Bezos originally started the company in. The 10-story Bellevue Corporate Plaza is also believed to be in the company's sights. The now vacant Rainier Square tower will open next year. It will become the second largest building in Seattle. Greg Johnson, president of Wright Runstad - the property management company overseeing the Rainier Square tower - couldnt say why Amazon pulled out of the building and if its tied into any larger threads about the companys future here. 'Its a relatively small part of what they occupy in the region, so I wouldnt necessarily try to read that much into it,' Johnson said to the Seattle Times, adding that subleasing is common in Seattle. 'We wish [Amazon] well and hope its super successful [in subleasing the space]. 'I think the good news for Amazon is were in a very robust market and theres other people and companies out looking for space, and there isnt much available. I think theyre going to fill it up pretty quickly,' Johnson added. President Donald Trump told American troops on Thursday that U.S.-backed forces in Syria have retaken 100 percent of the territory once held by ISIS militants. That claim contradicts the commander of the U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces, who said it would take another week. 'We just took over you know, you kept hearing it was 90 per cent, 92 per cent, the caliphate in Syria. Now it's 100 percent we just took over. One hundred per cent caliphate,' Trump told troops. He was at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson during a refueling stop in Alaska on the way back to Washington from a Vietnam summit with North korean dictator Kim Jong Un. The Defense Department declined to confirm Trump's claim hours later, referring questions back to the White House. President Donald Trump spoke to soldiers in Alaska during a refueling stop on Thursday, claiming that U.S.-allied forces have reclaimed '100 per cent' of territory formerly held by the ISIS terror army, a fact that neither the allied SDF nor the Pentagon will confirm Men suspected of being Islamic State group fighters wait to be searched by members of the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces after leaving their last holdout of Baghouz in eastern Syria Earlier on Thursday, the commander of Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Kobani, said in a video released to the news media that the SDF would be able to announce 'the complete victory over Daesh (ISIS) in a week.' Trump made his comments while talking to U.S. troops in Alaska about the progress his administration has made in Afghanistan and the Middle East over the past two years. The president has been anxious to declare that ISIS has been driven out of all its territory since announcing in December that he would withdraw American forces from Syria, claiming they had succeeded in their mission to defeat the militant group. While the U.S. has withdrawn some soldiers, Trump responded to criticism of his move by deciding to leave some 400 U.S. troops in the country over the longer run. About 200 will remain in the northeast as part of a multinational force and another 200 will stay at an outpost in the southeast to counter Iranian influence. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, told the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland on Thursday that ISIS has been 'destroyed.' Hundreds are fleeing the last ISIS pocket in Syria, but the holdoiuts are not yet defeated U.S.-backed SDF fighters sort new arrivals as soon as they disembark from evacuation trucks with the men and the women shuffled into separate lines 'Why is Rocket Man talking to Trump when he's never talked to anybody else? Because he knows Trump means business,' Graham said of North Korean dictator im Jong Un. 'Why is the Taliban at the peace table? Because we've been kicking their ass.' 'Why is the caliphate destroyed? Because Trump let the military do its job. Why is Iran on the run? Because Trump understands a bad deal when he sees one.' Trump said on Feb. 6 that he expected a formal announcement the following week that coalition forces had recaptured all ISIS territory in Syria. That announcement has yet to be made. Last week the SDF, a U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led militia, uncovered a mass grave of decapitated bodies in the terror army's former territory. They are on the brink of ejecting ISIS from its last holdout in Baghouz, near the Iraqi border. Wives of suspected IS jihadists and their children are kept in a special section of the Al-Hol camp for the displaced in Syria's Hasakeh province after leaving the Islamic State group last redoubt Meanwhile SDF units have been plucking thousands of people out of the enclave since February 20. Holdout ISIS fighters and civilians, mostly relatives of jihadists, are trapped in less than half a square kilometre, besieged and crammed in a makeshift riverside camp. To the north and west of the settlement, SDF fighters surround jihadists and their relatives. Iraqi forces are positioned across the border, to the east of the shrinking pocket. Syrian government forces are based across the river, on the western banks of the Euphrates, in the towns of Mayadin and Albu Kamal. In the past week, jihadists have allowed men, women and children, especially the wounded, to leave. Those wanting to escape walk up a steep incline towards a hilltop on the eastern outskirts of the village, where the SDF has opened a corridor for civilians. At the civilian collection point, they are taken in double-trailer trucks to a screening outpost 12 miles north. There members of the U.S-led international coalition backing the SDF are often seen displaying pictures of wanted foreigners to evacuees. Reporters have also seen them using retina scans to identify potential jihadists. Escaped: A woman evacuated from Baghouz holds a child in her arms and leads another one along with her left hand at a screening area in Deir Ezzor, eastern Syria Suspects: Men suspected of belonging to the Islamic State - one of them on crutches - wait to be searched by members of the Kurdish-led militia Men and women are sorted into separate lines, where they wait to be searched. The Kurdish-led SDF soldiuers scrupulously inspect baggages and belongings carried by all new arrivals, confiscating weapons, phones and other electronic devices. The women who are usually veiled from head to toe are required to reveal their faces to female SDF fighters. The men are all required to record their fingerprints with a small digital reader. The SDF also take their photo, and jot down their name and nationality. Suspected fighters among them are then singled out for further interrogation. After being vetted, women, children, and men not suspected of belonging to the extremist group are transported north to Kurdish-run camps. Suspected combattants are sent to SDF detention centers, also located in northeastern Syria. Their exact locations are not all known, but the Kurds say their prisons are overflowing. Beyond routine interrogation procedures, SDF fighters inspect suspects for a callus on a trigger finger or marks on the shoulder from carrying a cartridge pouch. Andrew Penkethman appointed CEO to lead Ardea on advancing it's three-pronged value creation strategy Appoints Chief Executive Officer Perth, Feb 28, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Ardea Resources ( ASX:ARL ) ( OTCMKTS:ARRRF ) ("Ardea" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that Mr Andrew Penkethman has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer, effective from 1 April 2019.Mr Penkethman is a resources sector executive and geologist with 25 years' experience in the resources industry. His technical skills include project evaluation, early stage and near mine exploration, resource development, feasibility study management, permitting, stake holder engagement and mine development across open pit and underground operations within Australia and overseas. Commodities experience includes gold, base metals, battery minerals and energy commodities over a range of geological settings.Andrew's technical expertise is complimented by over 13 years in executive roles with a strong corporate focus including strategic partner processes, joint venture management, financial modelling, and project acquisition and divestment. Andrew has ASX, AIM and TSX equity markets experience.Mr Penkethman holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wollongong, is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists.Andrew Penkethman, incoming CEO said:"I am impressed by the quality and diversity of the Ardea project portfolio which includes:1. the large scale and strategic Goongarrie Nickel Cobalt Project advancing through feasibility to demonstrate it is a compelling development opportunity;2. an extensive, under-explored yet highly prospective gold and nickel sulphide land position in the heart of the WA goldfields with any discoveries made expected to add significant Company value; and3. multiple under explored base and precious metals projects in the Lachlan Fold Belt in NSW.This combination of three quality Australian project portfolios, a team of well managed and committed industry professionals and a strong cash position, provides Ardea with multiple options to create value for the benefit of all stake holders and shareholders across the communities the Company operates in. I look forward to helping realise this value by working with a highly experienced and dedicated Board of Directors and building upon the quality work already completed by the Ardea team."Ardea Executive Chair Ms Katina Law said:"After a detailed search process, Andrew's energy and combination of corporate and technical experience was identified as being the right blend of skills to help add further value to all facets of the Ardea business. The Board look forward to working with Andrew to further advance our three-pronged value creation strategy and continue delivering optimum value for our shareholders."About Ardea Resources Ltd Ardea Resources Ltd (ASX:ARL) (OTCMKTS:ARRRF) (FRA:A91) is an ASX listed resources company, with 100% controlled Australian based projects, prioritising a three-pronged value creation strategy which is: - development of the Goongarrie Nickel Cobalt Project, which is part of the Kalgoorlie Nickel Project, a globally significant series of nickel-cobalt deposits which host the largest nickel-cobalt resource in the developed world, coincidentally located as a cover sequence overlying fertile orogenic gold targets; - advanced-stage exploration at WA gold and nickel sulphide targets within the Eastern Goldfields world-class nickel-gold province; and - the demerger of the NSW gold and base metal assets with planned in-specie share distribution, with projects located within the Lachlan Fold Belt world-class gold-copper province. Disturbing security footage has captured the moment a mother whose hip was dislocated during an arrest was repeatedly mocked by police officers. The woman - known only as Ms Duncan - was arrested in the early hours of New Year's Day in 2017 after her daughter failed a breath test. Ms Duncan became frustrated when police refused to breath test her so she could drive the pair home, and a scuffle broke out which led to her dislocated hip. She was then arrested and locked up at Fremantle Police Station in Perth for the next five hours, taunted by officers while screaming out in pain for medical treatment. A woman whose hip was dislocated during an arrest was made to sit in detention for hours before she was properly treated (pictured, officers haul Ms Duncan up the stairs that lead into the Fremantle Police Station) In the CCTV footage, Ms Duncan is seen standing on limp, bent legs outside the station as two officers hold her up by her arms. They are forced to carry her up the stairs that lead into the police station, walking backwards and taking one step at a time. At one point Ms Duncan is seen lying on the ground while screaming: 'It hurts.' Once Ms Duncan is eventually placed into the cell, a female officer says: 'Trust me, you're not pretty to look at. So why don't you just straighten your legs out?' The verbal barbs only continue when the female officer sits behind her desk near the cell. 'Is your daughter embarrassed by you? Is that why she high-tailed it out of here? Because I'd be embarrassed of you, too,' she taunts. Other officers are heard saying 'Is she having an orgasm or what?', 'you're just drawing this out mate' and 'tone this whole act down.' The woman - known as Ms Duncan - was arrested in the early hours of New Years Day in 2017 after her daughter failed a breath test (pictured, Ms Duncan is taken in direction of the cell) It wasn't until new officers arrived to start their shift that Ms Duncan was asked if she needed medical help. 'I'm going to call an ambulance, okay? And get them to come here and assess you, okay?,' an officer said. Ms Duncan was taken to hospital and charged with failing to provide her personal details and assaulting a police officer who was attempting to restrain her. The Corruption and Crime Commission slammed the treatment of the woman, describing it as 'oppressive, unjust and contrary to law'. 'What happened to Ms Duncan was a cascading failure of duty from the roadside beside the car, until the ambulance took her to hospital,' the CCC said. The CCC and Police Union have recommended an upgrade to the station, which was a bank in its previous life. A total of 12 police officers are to be disciplined over the matter. The female officer who taunted the woman was also stood down and has reportedly been asked to explain to the force why she still deserves a job. 'We process many thousands of people every year and we don't always get it right,' WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson told Yahoo. 'What I am saying here, clearly is that we did not get it right and for that I am sorry.' Ms Duncan was acquitted of both charges after the corruption watchdog investigation. Some are bound to talk foolishly of a curse. Others will spread their hands helplessly and speak of the inevitability of a family obsession. Yet the reality of the news that British climber Tom Ballard, 30, is missing on one of the worlds highest and most forbidding peaks its grim nickname the Killer Mountain is the memory it triggers of an earlier tragedy, one which came against the background of a violent marriage. In 1995, Ballards mother Alison Hargreaves, then at the height of her fame as the first woman to conquer Everest unaided, died as she descended from the summit of K2, the worlds second highest mountain. She and six other climbers were swept to their deaths by 260mph winds. Her body lies to this day in an inaccessible snowfield. Of course, the disappearance of her son and his Italian-born climbing partner, Daniele Nardi, 42, may yet have a happier ending. Tom Ballard, 30, went missing on the infamous K2 peak more than two decades since his mother's disappearance Alison Hargreaves holds Tom (right) and his sister before she died while descending the world's second highest mountain Officially the two men are still listed as missing yesterday a Pakistani army helicopter rescue team was reported to have spotted the climbers tent at their last known camp, 6,000ft below the 26,660ft summit of Nanga Parbat. But bad weather and the escalation in tensions between Pakistan and India have hampered the search operation. Sir Chris Bonington, Britains greatest living mountaineer, and a family friend, said last night that one mustnt write them off. The lack of communication could be simply down to phone batteries failing in the extreme cold, he added. But the facts remain that the climbers have not made contact with their support team since Sunday and there are few more inhospitable and unpredictable places on earth than the Himalayas. So do two potential tragedies in the space of almost 25 years constitute a curse, or merely the cruellest of misfortunes? There is undoubtedly an invisible thread linking Alisons own death to the disappearance of her son on the worlds ninth highest peak. He was just six when she died. She was 33 and while her death has naturally cast a shadow over his life, it has also fuelled his passion and love for mountains. Four years ago, he became the first person to climb solo all six of the great north faces in the Alps in one winter season, among them the treacherous Eiger. The achievement was one of the greatest feats in mountaineering history, demanding not just considerable skill and technique but also deep psychological strength. In 2010 he announced plans to make a solo attempt on K2, the mountain where his mothers body lies. That was postponed but it was perhaps an indication of the haunting legacy of her death. Throughout her climbing career criticism was often directed at Alison Hargreaves for selfishly putting her love for the mountains ahead of her responsibilities as a mother Toms sister Kate was four at the time of Alisons death. In 1988, she had herself scaled the north face of the Eiger while six months pregnant with Tom. He would later defend his mother by declaring that her favourite saying was: One day as a tiger is better than a thousand days as a sheep. But the impact of Hargreavess death on Tom, and his sister became a matter of intense, and often unkind, fascination to millions after their father Jim Ballard took the pair to the glacier at the foot of K2 for a BBC documentary barely a month after her death. Then a biography revealed a darker story, alleging that Alison had been driven to seek fame in part by money worries after her husbands climbing equipment business and shop struggled in the early 1990s recession but also to escape from an abusive marriage. Alison (pictured with her young family) was a 16-year-old schoolgirl when she met Ballard after taking a Saturday job in the climbing store he owned near her parents home in Belper, Derbyshire Alison was a 16-year-old schoolgirl when she met Ballard after taking a Saturday job in the climbing store he owned near her parents home in Belper, Derbyshire. He was married and almost twice her age, but they began an affair. A few months later his marriage was over and in 1980, on her 18th birthday, Alison moved in with him. To begin with the relationship was loving but Ballard later physically abused his 5ft 4in wife, the book claimed. Climbing became a way of escaping from domestic violence. From 1983 onwards, her personal journals record a series of assaults. In one entry that year she says: I was frightened when I was kicked. JB (Jim Ballard) said I didnt look after him when I was tired. In another she writes how he attacked her because he was late for a meeting and meant they could not dig the car out of a snowdrift. JB beat me up again today...he blew up at me, thumped and kicked me in the snow. The violence continued after the arrival of their children. In March 1989 she wrote: Jims hit me on too many occasions now. I dont know what to do about it. Ive nowhere else to go all my life has gone into building a house and home here. By the early 1990s, her husbands business had failed; the phone was disconnected, her car repossessed and they could not afford to heat the house. Not long after they lost their home to bailiffs. Now climbing became more than just a sport. Alison was desperate to reach summits because she saw it as the only way to achieve financial independence and break free of her marriage. However, to make her name she needed to make her climbs as challenging as possible. So she chose the hardest routes to grab the headlines that would attract sponsors and the money she needed. It is what took her to K2 in the summer of 1995. Still basking in the success of her conquest of Everest achieved without sherpas or oxygen she was determined to match the triumph. Her marriage had apparently reached its end. According to her biographer David Rose, by the time she left for K2, she had already consulted a solicitor. She was also said to have had a brief affair with a fellow mountaineer on an earlier climb, but it had petered out. After weeks of bad weather and false starts, porters arrived to take her equipment back down the mountain. She decided to stay for one last attempt at the 28,253ft summit and made it. But then freak weather, so common in the Himalayas, swept in sucking her and her companions from the mountain. Jim Ballard has never directly responded to his wifes claims written in her journals. They were her personal diaries, and they were not to be read by outsiders, has been his only comment. After his wifes death the family moved to Scotland until 2009 when they packed up the family home near Fort William, and drove an old VW camper van to the Alps. Mr Ballard posted this picture of skis on the Nanga Parabat mountain not long before his disappearance At one stage, ahead of his north faces challenge in 2014, Tom and his father were living in a campsite in the Italian Dolomites. Kate, now a ski instructor, was said to be in South Africa recovering from a canyoning accident. Before Tom embarked on his epic challenge, he gave a few hints about his mothers enduring inspiration. She, too, climbed all six classic north faces in one record-breaking season, in 1993, although she did it in summer, taking her young family with her on a camping holiday. Unconsciously that is where this scheme must have been born, Tom said. Some of her energy and passion for this project must have transferred to me. It is very interesting following in the footsteps of my mother. Except that this time I am climbing, not playing in the sand. Perhaps most poignantly, he trusted his life to his mothers old ice axes, ensuring that she was with him in spirit at the most dangerous moments of every climb. His gear was always stowed in the same barrels she used on her ill-fated K2 expedition. Undoubtedly a brilliant Alpine climber, Toms current attempt on Nanga Parbat is his first on an 8,000 metre-plus peak. Its a new learning experience, he said ahead of the expedition. I have to learn a lot more about my body and how I react to altitude. Himalayan winter alpinism is so much more remote, so much higher and colder [than the Alps]. It makes everything more difficult and dangerous. Then the UK's most famous female climber with Tom and his sister Kate The tasks involved in Himalayan climbing are the same, just harder. He and climbing partner Nardi a veteran of four attempts on Killer Mountain arrived at their base camp in December and have been attempting the climb by the Mummery spur, the boldest and most direct route to the summit. They have endured appalling conditions with winds so strong they could barely stand. At one stage Tom had to dig the Italians tent out of snow because he feared he was beginning to suffocate. Even before the climb, they were weak from illness and lack of food. Two Pakistani climbers dropped out of the expedition because of illness and injury. Given his experience, skill and the strength he has drawn from the death of his mother, if anyone can survive these nightmarish conditions and prevent a second tragedy striking the family, Tom Ballard can. Posting on Facebook this week, sister Kate wrote: Please join with me in positive thinking that my brother and Daniele will return safe. Please all believe and trust that they will be OK. A stupendous exhibition has opened in Amsterdam, in which the works of Vincent Van Gogh, perhaps the most accessible of all the great Post Impressionists, are hung beside those of our own David Hockney. It received an unexpected publicity boost this week when, on his way to the Van Gogh Museum, Hockney got stuck in the lift at his hotel and had to be rescued by firemen. On his release, staff apologetically offered him a glass of whisky. He said hed rather have a cup of strong Yorkshire tea and a nice cigarette. It was an endearingly English answer from this very English artist. But is Hockney really Englands Van Gogh, as the new exhibition suggests? Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh (left) and a similar typically vibrant David Hockney piece (right) 'Landscape with Wheat Sheaves and Rising Moon' by Vincent van Gogh, 1889 Hockney's 'Kilham to Langtoft II' from 2005 shows striking similarities with Van Gogh's brush strokes Certainly, the curators of the show are on to something in comparing Hockneys work with the brilliance of the Dutch painter. After all, Hockney has himself admitted his enormous debt to Van Gogh. He has painted vases of sunflowers, not in imitation so much as in conversation with Van Goghs most famous canvas. He has painted portraits of household chairs in the style of Van Gogh. In the new shows catalogue, Hockney says: I have found the world quite beautiful, looking at it. Just looking. Thats the important thing I share with Vincent Van Gogh. We both really, really enjoy looking at the world. The Amsterdam exhibition, entitled The Joy Of Nature, reveals both artists extraordinary observational ability. Van Gogh only took up painting in his late 20s, after a depressive life in which he had tried to be a missionary. His first essays in paint were gloomy in the extreme, and it was only when he went from a winter-oppressed Paris to sun-blanched Arles in Provence in 1888 that the bright yellows of corn and sunflowers, the dazzling blue of the sky, awakened him to his most distinctive work. In many of Hockneys forest scenes, where Yorkshire timber is being felled for instance, one is reminded of the earlier much darker and more unhappy woodland pictures of Van Gogh, in which gloomy Dutchmen were to be glimpsed in the glades. Hockney's piece titled 'Barry Humphries' (left) which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in London in March 2015 and 'Portret van de postbode Joseph Roulin' (right) by Van Gogh Van Gogh's 'Undergrowth with Two Figures', 1890 Hockney's 'The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011' In contrast, Hockneys manner of depicting the rolling, fertile fields around Huggate and Sledmere, bright and sunlit, seemed to suggest that if you come to Yorkshire on a good day, it is as good as a trip to the South of France. You could say this burst of sun and colour in Hockneys work stems from his own Arles moment when the openly gay artist who had grown up in grimy Yorkshire before the days of homosexual liberation went to gay-friendly, sun-filled California and started painting his brilliant canvases of young men standing beside bright blue pools of Los Angeles chlorinated water. The differences between the two men, however, could not be more marked. Poor Van Goghs depression did not leave him. Mania gripped him, as on the notorious occasion when he cut off his own ear. Even in his sun-drenched cornfields of southern France, black crows hover ominously like the darkest of thoughts. Aged just 37, he took his own life. Hockney, now 81, is one of the sanest men who ever lived. His sheer capacity for enjoyment shines out of almost everything he has ever drawn or painted. Whereas Van Gogh was often drunk, Hockney is teetotal, although still a chain-smoker. Van Gogh's 'Chair' (left) and Hockney's homage to the master 'Vincent's Chair and Pipe' (right) He is also modest. In a BBC interview this week, he stated simply that he was not as good as Van Gogh. He emphasised what a brilliant draughtsman Van Gogh was, but was too unassuming to recall his own skills in that area. The real clue to Hockneys greatness is found in the years he spent at the Bradford School of Art, learning how to draw. He has always been a fierce critic of those art schools which did not make drawing central to their teaching, and he urges young students not simply to play around with videos and installations. He draws every day. He never stops. And his facility with charcoal and pencil is staggering. Not since Picasso has there been an artist with a surer grasp of what he is doing when he draws a line or a draughtsman with better co-ordination between hand and eye. Some of the most breathtaking things he has done in the past decade are charcoal drawings of trees and fields depicting the arrival of spring in Yorkshire after his return there. When you look around a Hockney show, you will always be struck by two things. One is the sheer brilliance of the art on display. The other is the look of happiness on gallery-goers faces, as they see the beauty of nature more clearly than ever through the prism of art. At this miserable time in British history, when everyone seems so grumpy with one another about Brexit, it is wonderful to see these Hockneys alongside Van Goghs. Van Gogh's 'The Harvest', which combines the blue of the sky with green tones in the land, and captures the dryness of summer Hockney's 'Woldgate Vista' is comparable to Van Gogh's piece which combines colours on the ground with the sky The new Amsterdam show is a great demonstration of how the best British art has always been part of the mainstream of European tradition that brought us the genius of Van Gogh. It also reminds us how lucky we British are to live here surrounded by some of the most glorious landscape on this beautiful planet. The sheer variety of colours in the British landscape, the play of light, varying with each passing week, is what has inspired our great artists such as Constable and Turner. Hockney belongs very firmly in this tradition. It is cheering to remember that the blossom will still be here and the trees bursting into leaf, whether or not those achingly boring politicians ever agree about the Irish backstop. Police say a 61-year-old Nebraska man shot dead his younger girlfriend before turning the gun on himself. Jonathan Scott Hartley killed his 28-year-old girlfriend Ashley Stephens at their home in Omaha on Tuesday. Authorities said Hartley had called 911 to report a shooting just before 5pm but quickly hung up. Ashley Stephens, a 28-year-old mother-of-two, was shot dead by her boyfriend Jonathan Scott Hartley, 61, in a murder-suicide on Tuesday in Omaha, Nebraska First responders found Stephens, who has two young children from a previous relationship, dead when they arrived. Hartley was found with a gun near him and was severely injured from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to hospital but died on Wednesday night. It is not clear how long Hartley and Stephens were dating but a GoFundMe page set up for the mother-of-two said her life was 'tragically taken by someone she trusted and loved'. Hartley was a businessman in Omaha who ran a company that trained emergency medical providers across the state. Jonathan Scott Hartley (left) killed his girlfriend Ashley Stephens (right) at their home in Omaha on Tuesday before turning the gun on himself Authorities said Hartley had called 911 to report a shooting at his home in Omaha just before 5pm on Tuesday but quickly hung up Chris Hove, who is the father of Stephens' two children, told WOWT that his ex had previously told him Hartley suffered from depression. But Hove, who has custody of the children, said he had always felt safe letting his children spend time with their mother's boyfriend. The children, aged four and five, were meant to be with their mother on the night of the shooting but stayed with their father due to a recent snowstorm. Hove said it was heartbreaking having to tell his children that their mother was dead. 'That look on my son's face when he realized what it meant and that he's never going to see mom again - I don't ever want to see that face again, from anybody,' Hove said. Funds raised through the GoFundMe page will go towards Stephens' funeral and her two children. The identity of Lawyer X, the barrister whose information helped convict dozens of Victorian gangland criminals and drug traffickers, is set to be revealed. A court order suppressing the identity of the female police informant, who is also often referred to as Informer 3838, has been enforced since 2014, but is expected to be lifted at 4.15pm on Friday. The scandal is now the subject of a royal commission and has opened a window of appeal for some of Victoria's worst criminals, including drug lord Tony Mokbel. The lawyer, who represented dozens of clients linked to Melbourne's gangland era, helped rein in crime kingpins by feeding police confidential information. It's believed that Informer 3838 fed information to authorities which led to the capture of drug kingpin Tony Mokbel (left). Among the convicted felons who could appeal their sentences following the revelation of Lawyer X's identity is Pasquale Barbaro (right) There were 36 gangland murders in Melbourne from 1998 to 2010 as warring criminal groups fought for control and power. The royal commission's scope was widened after police revealed Lawyer X - also known as informer 3838 or 'EF' - was first recruited in 1995, not 2005 as previously thought, and other people who held obligations of confidentiality were also used as informants. Revelations that gangland lawyers were passing privileged information to police are expected to result in many major jailed crime figures appealing their convictions. Expected to be among them are Pasquale Barbaro, who is serving a life sentence for failed ecstasy importation, as well as infamous drug boss Tony Mokbel, who received a 30-year sentence for drug trafficking. The much anticipated reveal comes after years of court battles, and despite fears held by Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton for the safety of Lawyer X. In an earlier police submission to the Supreme Court of Victoria, officers claimed they believed there was a real threat to the woman's life. Informer 3838 helped authorities bust John Higgs (left) and Rob Karam (right) by intercepting 15million pills hidden inside 3,000 tomato tins The intercept was the largest seizure of ecstasy in the world (pictured are drugs hidden inside the cans) The court heard Informer 3838 believed if her former clients became aware that she had been working as an informant, she would be killed: 'by a bullet in her head or something else lesser'. Informer 3838 and senior police officers have said there will be a genuine threat to the barrister's life if her identity is confirmed (pictured: Milad Mokbel, who Lawyer X helped to convict) She told her police handlers if the information ever got out, to 'say nice things at my eulogy, because I will be gone - and enjoy the royal commission'. In a submission tendered to the court, Lawyer X said there wasn't 'anyone in Victoria who does not know who Informer 3838 is when references are made publicly', and that she was told by police her life was in 'the highest category of danger'. The former criminal defence barrister, who has two young children, told the court she believed her former clients or their associates were simply waiting for official confirmation before they went looking for revenge. 'So they might see a Herald Sun article. They've got an idea in their head,' she said. 'They three-quarters believe it, but they still want, as they did when I was acting for [them], a piece of paper that confirms it. 'Often what they wanted was a police diary entry, a daybook entry, an informer's registration page from Victoria Police's records. 'Their expression was, "Show us the show me the paper work."' FBI ballistics tests could not conclusively prove Omar Mateen fired all the fatal shots The FBI has released its ballistics report from the Pulse nightclub massacre, revealing that forensic tests were unable to conclusively prove who fired the fatal shots. The release on Thursday came two weeks after prosecutors in Orlando, Florida insisted that that no clubgoers were hit by responding officers' bullets in the June 2016 attack. Fourteen law enforcement officers who fired more than 180 shots during a more than three-hour standoff with gunman Omar Mateen were cleared by State Attorney Aramis Ayala on February 14. Mateen had pledged allegiance to Islamic State and stormed the gay nightclub armed with a 9mm Glock Model 17 and a .223 SIG Sauer rifle. Deborah Barra, the Florida state attorney's chief assistant, led a six-month review of the shooting that determined that Mateen, who was killed by police, was responsible for all of the civilian deaths. The FBI ballistics report on the Pulse massacre said several of the bullets recovered from victims could be from either Mateen's Glock Model 17 (similar to above) or police weapons Mateen also used a .223 SIG Sauer rifle similar to the weapon above in the shooting Police are seen responding to the Pulse shooting in June 2016. State prosecutors found that no civilians were killed by police gunfire, through the FBI could not prove it with ballistics 'No civilians were struck. Each time law enforcement pulled the trigger, it was reasonable and justified,' Barra said at a press conference earlier this month. While the FBI's report doesn't contradict that assessment, it reveals that it can't be backed up by forensic science in every case. For instance, one set of eight 9 mm fragments tested by the lab 'contained no marks of value for comparison purposes,' the report states. The report could not exclude either Mateen's Glock pistol or one of several guns used by law enforcement officers as the gun that fired the bullets, which were recovered from the bodies of civilian victims. However, the examiners noted that the fragments shared characteristics with the bullets found loaded in magazines found strewn outside the nightclub. The FBI declined to comment further on the contents of the ballistics report. The FBI report included an examination of 987 items, including bullet fragments and cartridges. An FBI agents is seen investigating the scene soon after the attack Family members of the victims had clamored for months for the release of the FBI report, even after Florida prosecutors released their findings earlier this month. The state of Florida's six-month review of the massacre included 350 witness statements, police radio traffic, officers' body and dash cameras, footage from cameras inside the club and 911 calls, according to Barra. Mateen fired 186 times with an assault weapon and 22 times with a handgun. At one point, his assault weapon jammed, based on a spent shell found in the weapon, Barra said. 'That is significant because that actually saved lives,' she said. At another time during the standoff, SWAT team members punched a hole through what they thought was a bathroom where clubgoers were trapped, but it ended up being a hallway. They later opened a hole through which patrons in the bathroom could escape. Orange circuit Chief Assistant State Attorney Deborah Barra is seen at a press briefing on February 13, at which she insisted no civilians were killed by police at Pulse nightclub The prosecutor's office concluded that responding officers and deputies engaged with Mateen five separate times. Mateen was hit seven times during the fourth engagement and killed during the fifth engagement. Even though he was down after being shot, he appeared to have wires protruding from him and his handgun was just an inch or two from his reach. Fearing he had explosives, a SWAT team member shot him in the head to ensure he was no longer a threat, Barra said. The wires turned out to be from an exit sign that had fallen. Mateen's wife was acquitted last year of aiding and abetting him and lying to FBI agents during a federal trial, and much of the evidence used in the review couldn't be evaluated until afterward. Nearly two-thirds of Millennial homeowners have buyer's remorse more than any other generation, according to a new report. Homeownership is an integral part of the American dream, but it's not for everyone: 44 percent of all U.S. homeowners have regrets about their home purchase, according to the survey of 2,668 U.S. adults by Bankrate. The most common regret was not anticipating the high maintenance and repair costs that come with home ownership (18 percent), followed by 12 percent who say they bought too small of a home and 8 percent who said they purchased in a bad location. 'When you buy a house, you can't call the maintenance company or a landlord to fix major issues; it's all on you,' said Luis Rosa, a certified financial planner in Henderson, Nevada. This chart illustrates how much of each generation harbors regrets over their home purchase He noted that some expenses such as a new air conditioner, furnace or water heater often take first-time buyers by surprise. 'I always advise homebuyers to create savings buckets and open a savings account that can collect interest that's set aside specifically for housing repairs,' he said. Another 7 percent each said their remorse is because their mortgage payment is too high and because they don't feel like their home was a good investment. 'Buyer's remorse can easily be avoided with adequate research and planning,' Bankrate analyst, Deborah Kearns said. 'Consumers should expect to set aside 1 percent of their home's purchase price each year to keep in a savings account to cover these expenses. Budgeting early on can prevent dipping into emergency savings or going into debt.' When broken down by generation, after Millennials (63 percent), Generation X was the next most likely (53 percent) to have second-thoughts about their home purchase, followed by Baby Boomers (35 percent) and the Silent Generation (33 percent). Overall, a majority of Americans (79 percent) said that owning a home is a benchmark on the path to achieving the American dream. It ranks higher that reaching retirement (68 percent), having a successful career (63 percent) and owning a car (58 percent). This graph illustrates the top reasons why American homeowners regret their purchase - along with the 56 percent who have no regrets Roughly half of respondents who don't own a home said they don't make enough money to afford that kind of investment. Another 41 percent said they can't afford a down payment or closing costs and 34 percent said home prices are too high for them to buy right now. Millennials are more than three times as likely as those who are older to say that student loan debt is holding them back from homeownership (19 percent compared to 6 percent). Just 17 percent of non-homeowners said they have no desire to buy a house. 'Taking on a larger mortgage payment than you can comfortably handle is a recipe for disaster,' Kearns said. 'Spend a few minutes using a mortgage calculator to determine what you can afford, and shop around with at least three different lenders to ensure you're getting the best rates and terms,' she added. 'The up-front legwork could potentially save you thousands of dollars.' UBS executive Shele Danishefsky (pictured) was in the midst of divorcing her much younger husband Rod Covlin when she was killed on New Year's Eve in 2009 Backgammon pro Rod Covlin, on trial for murdering his millionaire financier wife Shele Danishefsky, boasted to a friend he could kill someone and 'no one would ever find out', jurors in his Manhattan Supreme Court trial heard on Thursday. Patent attorney Morey Wildes said he knew Danishefsky and Covlin from synagogue and they were part of a younger parents group. He said that the men in the group would sometimes have a 'guys nights out', usually consisting of a movie and dinner. Wildes said he and Covlin went to a New York restaurant in 2006 for one of these events and Covlin boasted he could kill someone undetected. 'I remember Rod telling me that he could kill either me or someone else. He said, 'I could kill you with one hand in a way that no one would ever find out,' WIldes said. 'Did he appear to be joking,' asked Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos. 'No, he did not,' Wildes responded. Patent attorney Morey Wildes told jurors at Manhattan Supreme Court on Thursday, 'I remember Rod telling me that he could kill either me or someone else'. Rod Covlin, pictured on Thursday, is accused of strangling Danishefsky, 47, and staging the scene to look as though she slipped in the tub, struck her head and drowned in the bathwater Covlin is charged with murdering Shele in her Upper West Side apartment on December 31, 2009 by strangling her and then staging the scene to look like the USB financier had died in a freak accident in the bathtub and drowned. Her Orthodox Jewish family objected to an autopsy and Shele was buried three days later. It was only after suspicions against Covlin mounted that her body was exhumed and a post mortem examination revealed a broken hyoid bone along with petechiae -- blood spot on her eyes both indications of strangulation. WIldes said he did not remember what he told police years later in the investigation but said despite Covlin's boast, he did not call the police when he found out she had died. Jeffrey Buller, a fellow member of the young parents group at Covlin's synagogue, told the court on Thursday Covlin boasted how he could hurt someone Another member of the informal group of men from the congregation was communications business strategist Jeffrey Buller. Buller told the jury Covlin had also boasted to him of his fighting abilities, but Covlin never mentioned killing anyone. 'He indicated that he had the ability to hurt someone by bending his hand with his fingers like this .. his two fingers shaped like a 'C' in a horizontal position,' Buller said, demonstrating the grip. But, he added, 'I wasn't sure if he was kidding or not, I didn't take it seriously, because guys night out -- you talk big it doesn't matter.' Covlin is alleged to have killed Shele days after she made an inquiry about removing him from her will. He faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted. JetBlue has apologized for featuring a woman who fatally shot a New Jersey State Trooper as part of a display for Black History Month. The airline included an image of Joanne Chesimard in a display at LaGuardia Airport, which sparked outrage online as it was circulated on pro-police websites and Twitter. In 1973 Chesimard, who was also known as Assata Shakur, and other members of the extremist Black Liberation Army group, opened fired on state troopers during a traffic stop on the New Jersey Turnpike. JetBlue included an included an image of Joanne Chesimard, who was also known as Assata Shakur, who was featured in a display at LaGuardia Airport in tribute to Black History Month State Trooper Werner Foerster was shot and killed, while another officer was shot and wounded. Chesimard was sentenced to prison in 1979. However she escaped and fled to Cuba and is believed to still be there. The airline apologized over the embarrassing blunder. It said in a statement: 'Our crew members came together to celebrate Black History Month with a display in Terminal 5 featuring prominent individuals in history. 'When we learned of concerns regarding one individual, we immediately removed the poster. 'The intention was always to unite our crew members and customers around the importance of Black History Month and we apologize for any offense the poster may have caused.' Joanne Chesimard, (left), escaped prison after she was convicted for the 1973 killing of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster (right) Supporters have claimed that Chesimard was framed for the killing and she remains an icon among some in the black liberation movement. She now lives under political asylum in Cuba. Shakur is listed as one of the FBIs most wanted terrorists, and her escape remains a bone of contention for law enforcement, who have urged political leaders to pressure Cuban officials to return her to the U.S. New Jersey State Police said in a statement on Facebook that Joanne Chesimard 'is a fugitive who was tried and convicted of the murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster.' Joanne Deborah Chesimard is seen in an undated Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) handout photo in 2013 Shakur is listed as one of the FBIs most wanted terrorists, and her escape remains a bone of contention for law enforcement However it said it appreciated Jetblue removing her portrait from its Black History Month Display. 'We appreciate Jet Blue removing the portrait of Chesimard out of respect for the Foerster family, the men and women of the New Jersey State Police, and all of the men and women in law enforcement who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. 'We will never forget the service of Trooper Foerster and remain steadfast and committed in our efforts to bring Chesimard to justice.' She renamed herself Assata Olugbala Shakur in 1971, calling Joanne Chesimard a 'slave name'. She is also known as Tupac Shakur's 'godmother' and was close friends with the slain rapper's mother Afeni and stepfather Mutulu. Mutulu was convicted of helping her escape in 1979 and is currently in prison the fatal robbery of a Brinks money truck. An advertisement campaign aimed at bringing British tourists to Western Australia to watch a beautiful sunset has faced a barrage of backlash for featuring a couple watching the sun rise. The awkward blunder was made in an advert released on Friday as part of a federal tourism promotion, which aims to attract British visitors to Western Australia's lesser-known tourist hotspots. The image shows a couple sitting in a prime position to view the sunset at the top of a hill in Kings Park, in inner Perth, but embarrassingly the advert pictures the couple facing the wrong way. Scroll down for video An advertisement campaign aimed at bringing British tourists to Western Australia to watch a beautiful sunset has faced a barrage of backlash for featuring a couple watching the sun rise Appearing to forget the sun actually sets in the west, the advert pictures the couple facing the east - where the sun is rising. However, when made aware of the mistake, a spokesman for Tourism Australia confirmed the advert would be amended before it was released on social media, reported The West Australian. Despite the error, the promotion, which was launched by Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham, was designed to 'expand the tourism appeal' of Western Australia. The inclusion of Western Australia in the UnDiscover Australia campaign comes as Western Australia Tourism Minister Paul Papalia claims the state doesn't get a 'comparable amount of market time' compared to other destinations across the country. (File picture) The image shows the sun setting in the west from a viewpoint in inner Perth 'The east coast has experienced a tourism boom which is understandable given the profile and attention Sydney and its neighbouring cities receive when the Federal Government markets our country to the world,' Mr Papalia said. He implored his federal counterparts to 'invest in tourism' in the state. 'We are the western gateway to the country and as air space and accommodation reach capacity in Sydney and Melbourne, Perth and our beautiful regions will help Tourism Australia continue to grow visitor numbers,' he added. (File picture) The campaign was designed to 'expand the tourism appeal' of Western Australia (Perth, pictured) However, Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham, refuted the claims, stating the latest campaign was an example of where Western Australia was featured. He added that the campaign highlighted to tourists that there was more to Australia than the 'Reef, the Rock and the Bridge'. 'The more British tourists we can lure to WA the more cash they will splash in local businesses which helps to boost the economy and create more local jobs,' Mr Birmingham said. Western Australia is believed to see more than 149,000 British tourists travel to the state each year, which boosts the local economy by around $277million. There were 373,700 visitors in total to NSW from United Kingdom in the year ending September 2018. Based on visitor numbers, United Kingdom ranks fourth in NSW. Visitors from United Kingdom spent an estimated $639 million in NSW in year ending September 2018. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Tourism Western Australia for comment. Extension of Rights Issue Closing Date Perth, Feb 28, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Australian Potash Limited ( ASX:APC ) (APC or the Company) advises that it has extended the Closing Date for the current renounceable rights issue (Rights Issue).Rights IssueAs announced on 11 February 2019, the Company is undertaking a pro rata renounceable rights (or entitlements) issue to eligible shareholders to raise up to $5,229,824 (before the costs of the offer), comprising an offer on the basis of three (3) rights shares (Rights Shares) for every fourteen (14) existing shares held at an issue price of 8 cents ($0.08) per Rights Share, together with one (1) free attaching listed option (Rights Option) exercisable at 12 cents ($0.12) on or before 8 August 2021 for every four (4) Rights Shares subscribed. Shareholders of the Company are afforded the opportunity to subscribe for Rights Shares in excess of their entitlement to the extent that there is a shortfall.The Rights Issue is underwritten to $4.2 million by Patersons Securities Limited, who are also acting as Lead Manager to the Rights Issue.The Company's directors intend to participate in the Rights Issue.The funds raised from the Rights Issue will be used to complete the definitive feasibility study for the Company's high-grade, low cost Lake Wells Potash Project (LWPP), and for general working capital.The closing date for the Rights Issue has been extended to Friday, 8 March 2019.Revised Indicative TimetableThe revised timetable for the Rights Issue is set out below. The dates are indicative only and the Company reserves the right to vary the dates (subject to the Corporations Act and the ASX Listing Rules).Offer announcement - 11 February 2019Lodgement of Prospectus with ASIC - 13 February 2019Lodgement of Prospectus and Appendix 3B with ASX - 13 February 2019Notice sent to Optionholders - 13 February 2019Notice sent to Shareholders - 15 February 2019Ex date - 18 February 2019Rights start trading - 18 February 2019Record date for determining entitlements - 19 February 2019Prospectus sent out to Shareholders and Company announces this has been completed - 22 February 2019Rights stop trading - 26 February 2019Last date to extend the closing date - 28 February 2019Closing Date* - 8 March 2019ASX notified of any under subscriptions - 13 March 2019Issue date/Shares entered into Shareholders' security holdings - 15 March 2019Quotation of Shares issued under the Offer* - 16 March 2019*The Directors may extend the Closing Date by giving at least 3 business days' notice to ASX prior to the Closing Date. As such the date the Rights Shares are expected to commence trading on ASX may vary.About Australian Potash Ltd Australian Potash Limited (ASX:APC) is an ASX-listed Sulphate of Potash (SOP) developer. The Company holds a 100% interest in the Lake Wells Potash Project located approximately 500kms northeast of Kalgoorlie, in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields. Following the release of a Scoping Study in 2017, APC has been conducting a Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) into the development of the Lake Wells Potash Project. The Company is aiming to release the findings of the DFS in H2 2019. The Lake Wells Potash Project is a palaeochannel brine hosted sulphate of potash project. Palaeochannel bore fields supply large volumes of brine to many existing mining operations throughout Western Australia, and this technique is a well understood and proven method for extracting brine. APC will use this technically low-risk and commonly used brine extraction model to further develop a bore-field into the palaeochannel hosting the Lake Wells SOP resource. A Scoping Study on the Lake Wells Potash Project was completed and released on 23 March 2017. The Scoping Study exceeded expectations and confirmed that the Project's economic and technical aspects are all exceptionally strong, and highlights APC's potential to become a significant long-life, low capital and high margin sulphate of potash (SOP) producer. Sally Challen with her husband Richard. Her court victory was described as a watershed moment for victims of domestic violence A mother who bludgeoned her husband to death with a hammer after years of being abused had her murder conviction quashed yesterday. Sally Challens court victory was described as a watershed moment for victims of domestic violence. Cheers erupted from family, friends and supporters in the public gallery of Court 4 at Londons Royal Courts of Justice as Mrs Challens conviction was quashed. It is the first time pleas of being coercively controlled have been raised in appealing a murder conviction. Appearing via videolink from HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, Mrs Challen, 65, who has served eight years in custody, wept and hugged a prison officer. But hopes that she would be released immediately were dashed when it was ruled the former Police Federation worker will face a murder retrial. A new jury will hear fresh evidence which has emerged on Mrs Challens mental state at the time of the killing in 2010. The case has been cited as a turning point in the quest for justice for victims of domestic abuse and has been supported by charities including Justice For Women. It centres on the years of coercive and controlling behaviour that Mrs Challen allegedly suffered at the hands of Richard Challen, her husband of 31 years. The couple met when she was 15 and he was 22, but their relationship was said to have been marred by Mr Challens numerous affairs, intimidation and gaslighting a term used to describe making a partner feel as though they are going mad. Sally Challen, 61, appears via video link to appeal against her 18 year sentence for murdering her husband in 2010 at the Court of Appeal Richard Challen with couple's son David as a child, centre, and his brother James This specific type of abuse rose to public consciousness in 2016 when it featured in a storyline on The Archers, which may have partly inspired Mrs Challen to recognise herself as a victim of the behaviour, the court heard earlier. Coercive and controlling behaviour became a criminal offence in 2015 four years after she was convicted of murder. Her lawyers argued that had its impact been widely known at the time of the trial, the jury may have convicted Mrs Challen of the lesser charge of manslaughter. They claimed that the harm caused as a result of coercive control, over years in which her husband controlled her finances, visited prostitutes and made her perform all household chores, was not sufficiently appreciated by psychiatrists at the time of the trial. Lady Justice Hallett, sitting with Mr Justice Sweeney and Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, said: The Court of Appeal heard that, in the opinion of a consultant forensic psychiatrist, the appellant was suffering from two mental disorders at the time of the killing. Challen, right, 65, was jailed for 22 years for murdering her husband Richard, left, 61, with a hammer in August 2010 but her sons David, 31, and James, 35, claim she was the victim of decades of abuse including rape and psychological torment by their father This evidence was not available at the time of the trial and the court quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial. Mrs Challens barrister, Clare Wade QC, said her clients personality disorder symptoms were suppressed by the coercive control she suffered at the hands of her husband. She had a prior existing condition which meant that she was susceptible to coercive control and these symptoms did not emerge properly until the crisis happened, with which the trial was concerned. Miss Wade said Mrs Challens trial in 2011 had focused on infidelity rather than other relevant evidence, adding: What they did was they then adduced only evidence that went back to 2004. The case was condensed down to something which in truth if all of her instructions and accounts were taken into account, was not the case. Lady Justice Hallett asked Miss Wade: To get this straight in my mind, would a good working title be psychological battered women syndrome? Miss Wade said: Yes, absolutely. Sally Challen with her husband Richard on their wedding day. The couple's sons said their mother was subjected to years of controlling behaviour Challen, pictured with one of her sons as a child, should have been afforded more legal protection at her original trial, according to her family The ruling followed evidence from consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Gwen Adshead, who interviewed Mrs Challen five years after the attack. She said that in her opinion, Mrs Challen was suffering from a borderline personality disorder at the time of the killing, exacerbated by the abuse she was suffering. Speaking after the appeal judges ruling, Mrs Challens son David, 31, who has vigorously campaigned for justice for his mother, said: This is a watershed moment for domestic violence in recognising coercive control. We dont want her to serve any more time in prison. She is not a murderer today. That is the most amazing thing that has been recognised. We want her to be free to live a good life and live an independent life that she has not lived since she was 15. Her solicitor Harriet Wistrich, who specialises in working with women who have been victims of abuse, said she spoke to Mrs Challen after the verdict. Sally Challen, pictured, has had her murder conviction overturned after a landmark appeal that saw her argue she was driven to kill her husband due to decades of psychological abuse She was very tearful but she is well supported where she is. Its not all sunk in yet, she said. She added that her legal team will apply for bail and try to avoid a retrial by offering a guilty plea to the charge of voluntary manslaughter. The Court of Appeal earlier heard from an expert in coercive and controlling behaviour. Professor Evan Stark said it could produce hostage-like conditions of entrapment... similar to that produced in prisoners of war. He added: It achieves compliance essentially by making the victims afraid and... by depriving them of rights, resources and liberties without which they cannot effectively defend themselves, escape, refuse demands or resist. Claire Mawer, from Justice For Women, said: I hope the interest in this case will provide a platform for a greater understanding of the appalling struggle that so many women going through the criminal justice system face. How women's rights lawyer who fought to keep black cab rapist John Worboys in prison could secure landmark legal victor Sally Challen's historic appeal is being led by a lawyer who is no stranger to major legal battles. Harriet Wistrich is arguing the 65-year-old should have been convicted of manslaughter over the killing of her husband following decades of emotional and physical abuse. The 58-year-old has constantly championed women's rights and last year represented victims of black cab rapist John Worboys in a successful effort to prevent his release by the Parole Board after just eight years in prison. Women's rights lawyer Harriet Wistrich, pictured, who is representing Challen at the Court of Appeal, said the case was far from certain but that the new law is 'like fresh evidence' She has spent 25 years as a lawyer and most recently worked for Birnberg Peirce & Partners, working on abuse cases. Today she will tell Court of Appeal judges Challen would have the legal defence of coercive control if tried today after it was brought into law in 2015, four years after her trial. The legislation covers abuse where someone with a personal connection to a victim threatens, isolates, intimidates and subjects them to behaviour that makes them dependent, which Challen's sons claim their father was guilty of for 40 years. They say their mother snapped after living in a 'pressure cooker' after being raped and psychologically abused for so long. Challen wrote to Ms Wistrich for help in 2012 and she subsequently found her defence did not include the decades of abuse Challen suffered. Speaking to the Telegraph, Ms Wistrich said the appeal was 'important in terms of violence against women'. She said: 'In a sense it's like fresh evidence. The fact a law has been passed illustrates an advancement in our understanding of the dynamics of an abusive relationship.' Miss Wistrich added: 'The number of people killed in terrorist attacks, such as Manchester, are much lower than the number of women killed every year as a result of domestic terrorism. There should be a massive outcry.' She founded Justice for Women with partner Julie Bindel in 1991 and since then the organisation has helped quash convictions of more than a dozen women who were convicted of murdering abusive partners. Ms Wistrich added Challen's case was 'a very hard argument' but that a the huge amount of work carried out by the legal team and a 'public mood swing' meant the judges should seriously consider it. Advertisement 'He drove her to the edge': Devoted sons, 31 and 35, who BACKED their mother's appeal against a murder conviction for killing their father reveal the horrific abuse she suffered at his hands By Barbara Davies for the Daily Mail Making sense of their childhood years has been a lifes work for Sally Challens sons. For while they have never believed their father Richard deserved to die, they do understand why their mother was driven to kill him. Yesterday, the 65-year-old mother-of-two saw her conviction for murdering her husband of 31 years by hitting him 20 times with a hammer quashed at the Royal Courts of Justice. She now faces a retrial after a panel of judges at the Court of Appeal ruled she was suffering from two mental disorders at the time of the 2010 attack. She has already served eight years in a Surrey prison. Speaking outside court, Mrs Challen's son David, 31, who has campaigned for her freedom for years alongside brother James, 35, said the result gave his mother a 'shot at the freedom she has never had since she was 15', the age when she met her future husband Behind yesterdays watershed moment is a tale of extraordinary filial love and a heroic fight for justice by the two level-headed young sons who emerged from the Challens ill-fated marriage. There is little doubt that 31-year-old David and his brother James, 35, have been her most powerful allies in winning over public opinion and gathering support for her case. Even more remarkable is that they have thrown their support behind their mother while respecting the memory of their father, who was 61 when he died. The undiagnosed mental disorders that made her conviction unsafe Sally Challens quest for justice received a lifeline in March last year when she was granted leave to appeal her conviction. Lawyers argued that changes in the law around coercive and controlling behaviour which became a crime in 2015 could have led a jury to reach a different conclusion had the concept been fully explored at trial. However, coercive and controlling behaviour is not a defence to murder. Addressing the Court of Appeal yesterday, Lady Justice Hallett said: This case has received a great deal of public attention. There might be those out there who think this appeal is all about coercive control but its not. Primarily, its about diagnosis of disorders that were undiagnosed at the time of the trial. Mrs Challen can, however, claim defences of provocation and diminished responsibility. Her legal team have had to prove that at the time of the killing she had a previously undiagnosed mental disorder. One not identified during the original trial could amount to fresh evidence in a defence of diminished responsibility. Her barrister Clare Wade QC called on evidence from consultant psychiatrist Dr Gwen Adshead, who said that, in her opinion, Mrs Challen was suffering from a borderline personality disorder and had symptoms of a mood disorder in the years leading up to the killing. Dr Adshead told the court: Where there is domestic violence, that can precipitate a mood disorder. The emergence of two mental disorders prompted the three Court of Appeal judges to rule the original conviction unsafe. At her 2011 trial, Mrs Challen claimed diminished responsibility but Mrs Wade said it was not put as fully as it could have been. Advertisement Or as David put it in an exclusive interview with the Mail last October: We do not justify our fathers killing. We are seeking to stop the lie that our mother is a murderer. But it has taken years of dedication by a young man who juggles his job with a film distribution company while campaigning against domestic violence with the group Justice For Women and addressing feminist conferences around the UK. Even after the deep shock of seeing their mother found guilty at Guildford Crown Court in 2011 and sentenced to life imprisonment, they refused to give up their quest. Shortly after the 2011 conviction, the family contacted Justice For Women, a feminist law reform campaign group which supports women who have killed their partners as a response to domestic violence. Sally Challens case, however, is the first of its kind because although she says she was raped she was not a victim of sustained and persistent physical violence. The abuse her supporters say she suffered was largely psychological, financial and emotional. They say Richards behaviour pushed her to the brink. We have had a lifetime of living with this and eight years trying to find the words, David said this week. The words he is referring to are coercive control, a legal term which ultimately enabled the brothers to articulate what they say their mother had suffered at the hands of their father, which wasnt the kind of physical violence usually associated with domestic abuse cases but something far more psychological. The Serious Crime Act 2015 created a new offence of controlling and coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship, recognising that a pattern of isolation, humiliation and domination could rob women of their lives as much as physical violence, and was a form of domestic abuse. It was on these legal grounds that Mrs Challen was given leave to appeal against her murder conviction in 2011 when coercive control wasnt recognised by the law. Right from the moment in August 2010 that his family life was torn apart, David has felt only compassion for his mother. He was 22 at the time she killed his father she hit Richard Challen over the head with a hammer more than 20 times while he ate the bacon and eggs he had made her go out in the rain to buy that morning. She wrapped his body in a curtain and left a note on it saying: I love you before washing the dishes and leaving the 1 million marital home in Claygate, Surrey. The following day, Mrs Challen gave David a lift to work at a local restaurant and as he got out of the car, she leaned over towards the passenger side and said: You know I love you, David, dont you? How Sally Challen's case has come to a landmark hearing August 2010: Sally Challen bludgeons husband Richard, 61, to death with a hammer. The next day she drives to Beachy Head and threatens to kill herself only to be talked out of it by a chaplain. June 2011: Challen is convicted of murder and is jailed for 22 years a month later. November 2011: Challen's sentence is reduced to 18 years on appeal. December 2015: Coercive control is established in UK law, making it an offence to make someone feel controlled, dependent, isolated or scared. It can also be used as legal defense in domestic abuse cases. March 2018: Lawyers for Challen win the right to appeal her conviction after her sons David and James campaign with Justice for Women that she was 'driven to her actions' by coercive control. February 2019: Challen wins her case at the Court of Appeal and a retrial is ordered. Judges ruled she had been suffering from two mental disorders at the time of the killing which made the conviction 'unsafe'. Advertisement The significance of those words became clear just hours later when police arrived at the restaurant to tell him that his father was dead and his mother had been found at the notorious East Sussex suicide spot Beachy Head. It took a chaplain two hours to talk her out of jumping. To the outside world it was a shocking case, not least because the Challens appeared to be the perfect middle-class couple. Richard Challen owned a car dealership, while his elegant blonde wife Sally worked as an office manager for the Police Federation. Mrs Challens parents were born in India, and lived a typical expat lifestyle with servants. She was born in Walton-on-Thames in 1954, after her parents returned to England. When she was five her father died of a heart attack and her mother did not consider it appropriate for her daughter to pursue a career. Sally was expected to learn secretarial skills, marry and devote herself to her husband. She was a 15-year-old schoolgirl when she met 22-year-old Richard Challen and was immediately besotted with a man described by those that knew him as charming and charismatic. In the early years of their relationship, she used to call in at Richards flat after school to clean and cook it was a pattern of subservient behaviour that continued once they were married. As David puts it: Mum never had a chance to experience any other relationship or form any adult identity of her own. My dad, and the way he behaved, was all she knew. Mrs Challens sons claimed their father subjected her to decades of abuse, including rape. Mrs Challen accused her husband of cheating and even said she once caught him in a brothel, despite his claims she was mad. Although she left him several times, shortly before his death she asked him to take her back. He is said to have agreed on condition she signed a bizarre post-nuptial agreement with clauses that stripped her of financial assets, banned her from smoking and prevented her from interrupting him. What is coercive control and when did it become a new law? In 2015 it became an offence under UK law to subject someone to 'coercive control'. The offence is defined as when someone with a personal connection makes one feel controlled, dependent, isolated or scared and causes a 'serious effect'. Examples of such behaviour include isolating a person from friends and family, monitoring a person's movements, controlling their money, continuous verbal abuse, threats of violence and damaging property. A serious effect is defined as having substantially impacted a person's daily life, changing the way they live or causing them to feel threatened by violence. The offence came into force in December 2015. Although a person who committed coercive control before then cannot be charged with it, it can be used to show bad character and support a general case of abuse. Advertisement Her sons claim it was such controlling behaviour that drove their mother to kill him. At her original five-day trial at Guildford Crown Court, Mrs Challens defence team relied on a defence of diminished responsibility, hoping shed be found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter. Her husbands alleged behaviour was deemed to be irrelevant and Mrs Challens lawyers believed it would look bad for them to speak ill of the dead. David says it was excruciating watching the trial unfold in the public gallery and he was in deep shock when his mother was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. The verdict was the wrong one. She deserves justice, he said when he spoke to the Mail last year. People need to understand that she killed my father not because she is a bad person but because he drove her to the edge. Speaking of the complex emotions behind his mothers case, David said of his father in a weird way, we still love him but added that nothing will ever be solved in society unless we look at the root cause. Right now this conviction serves absolutely no one in society and thats one of the most frustrating things. Mrs Challens own testimony illustrates the same complexities and, incredibly, the same love. Speaking after her arrest in 2010, she told police: I felt without Richard I was worthless, I couldnt go on, I couldnt cope. I loved him and he was part of my life, part of me. My whole identity was built up as a part of a couple. I just couldnt exist separately. I still think about Richard all the time, every night. When she was sentenced to life imprisonment, Judge Christopher Critchlow told her: You are somebody who killed the only man you loved and you will have to live with knowing what you did. Yesterdays glimmer of hope for Mrs Challen, however, has come largely thanks to the love of the two sons who have stood by her as she makes legal history. Extending your leg out in front of you in an upright posture can be challenging at any age. But even at 79, Ali MacGraw makes it look effortless a testament to her dedication to yoga and Pilates. While it might look a bit like a step by John Cleese in Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks, the US actress exuded serenity as she practised the mindful movement near the village market in her hometown of Tesuque, New Mexico, this week. Stepping up: Ali MacGraw (left) extends her leg effortlessly a testament to her dedication to yoga and Pilates. The stride is remarkably similar to John Cleese (right) doing a silly walk in 'Monty Python' Heyday: MacGraw with Ryan O'Neal in the 1970 hit film Love Story where she first rose to fame. She shunned the limelight in 1994 when she moved from to a mountain cottage Looking stylishly bohemian with her hair left its natural grey, Ms MacGraw, 80 in April, wore tight blue jeans, a beige cardigan and a matching scarf. She first rose to fame in the 1970 hit movie Love Story and was married to Hollywood heart-throb Steve McQueen for five years. Having long shunned the limelight, she moved from Malibu to her current mountaintop cottage in 1994 and is now an animal welfare campaigner. She also enjoys walking, which she describes as 'my meditation' and a chance to practise 'gratitude for all I have been given'. Making sense of their childhood years has been a life's work for Sally Challen's sons. For while they have never believed their father Richard deserved to die, they do understand why their mother was driven to kill him. The 65-year-old mother-of-two saw her conviction for murdering her husband of 31 years by hitting him 20 times with a hammer quashed at the Royal Courts of Justice today. She now faces a retrial after a panel of judges at the Court of Appeal ruled she was suffering from two mental disorders at the time of the 2010 attack. She has already served eight years in a Surrey prison. Behind today's watershed moment is a tale of extraordinary filial love and a heroic fight for justice by the two level-headed young sons who emerged from the Challens' ill-fated marriage. Challen, right, 65, was jailed for 22 years for murdering her husband Richard, left, 61, with a hammer in August 2010 but her sons David, 31, and James, 35, claim she was the victim of decades of abuse including rape and psychological torment by their father Richard Challen with couple's son David as a child, centre, and his brother James There is little doubt that 31-year-old David and his brother James, 35, have been her most powerful allies in winning over public opinion and gathering support for her case. Even more remarkable is that they have thrown their support behind their mother while respecting the memory of their father, who was 61 when he died. Or as David put it in an exclusive interview with the Mail last October: 'We do not justify our father's killing. We are seeking to stop the lie that our mother is a murderer.' But it has taken years of dedication by a young man who juggles his job with a film distribution company while campaigning against domestic violence with the group Justice For Women and addressing feminist conferences around the UK. Even after the 'deep shock' of seeing their mother found guilty at Guildford Crown Court in 2011 and sentenced to life imprisonment, they refused to give up their quest. Shortly after the 2011 conviction, the family contacted Justice For Women, a feminist law reform campaign group which supports women who have killed their partners as a response to domestic violence. Police guarding the couple's property in Claygate where Richard Challen was bludgeoned to death with a hammer by his wife Sally Sally Challen's case, however, is the first of its kind because although she says she was raped she was not a victim of sustained and persistent physical violence. The abuse her supporters say she suffered was largely psychological, financial and emotional. They say Richard's behaviour pushed her to the brink. 'We have had a lifetime of living with this and eight years trying to find the words,' David said this week. The words he is referring to are 'coercive control', a legal term which ultimately enabled the brothers to articulate what they say their mother had suffered at the hands of their father, which wasn't the kind of physical violence usually associated with domestic abuse cases but something far more psychological. The Serious Crime Act 2015 created a new offence of controlling and coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship, recognising that a pattern of isolation, humiliation and domination could rob women of their lives as much as physical violence, and was a form of domestic abuse. It was on these legal grounds that Mrs Challen was given leave to appeal against her murder conviction in 2011 when 'coercive control' wasn't recognised by the law. At her trial the prosecution said Challen, pictured left on her wedding day and right with her husband, was driven by jealousy over possible infidelity Right from the moment in August 2010 that his family life was torn apart, David has felt only compassion for his mother. He was 22 at the time she killed his father she hit Richard Challen over the head with a hammer more than 20 times while he ate the bacon and eggs he had made her go out in the rain to buy that morning. She wrapped his body in a curtain and left a note on it saying: 'I love you' before washing the dishes and leaving the 1 million marital home in Claygate, Surrey. Sally Challen, pictured, has had her murder conviction overturned after a landmark appeal that saw her argue she was driven to kill her husband due to decades of psychological abuse The following day, Mrs Challen gave David a lift to work at a local restaurant and as he got out of the car, she leaned over towards the passenger side and said: 'You know I love you, David, don't you?' The significance of those words became clear just hours later when police arrived at the restaurant to tell him that his father was dead and his mother had been found at the notorious East Sussex suicide spot Beachy Head. It took a chaplain two hours to talk her out of jumping. To the outside world it was a shocking case, not least because the Challens appeared to be the perfect middle-class couple. Richard Challen owned a car dealership, while his elegant blonde wife Sally worked as an office manager for the Police Federation. Mrs Challen's parents were born in India, and lived a typical expat lifestyle with servants. She was born in Walton-on-Thames in 1954, after her parents returned to England. When she was five her father died of a heart attack and her mother did not consider it appropriate for her daughter to pursue a career. Sally was expected to learn secretarial skills, marry and devote herself to her husband. She was a 15-year-old schoolgirl when she met 22-year-old Richard Challen and was immediately besotted with a man described by those that knew him as charming and charismatic. In the early years of their relationship, she used to call in at Richard's flat after school to clean and cook it was a pattern of subservient behaviour that continued once they were married. Sally Challen with her husband Richard on their wedding day. The couple's sons said their mother was subjected to years of controlling behaviour Challen, pictured with one of her sons as a child, should have been afforded more legal protection at her original trial, according toher family As David puts it: 'Mum never had a chance to experience any other relationship or form any adult identity of her own. My dad, and the way he behaved, was all she knew.' Mrs Challen's sons claimed their father subjected her to decades of abuse, including rape. Mrs Challen accused her husband of cheating and even said she once caught him in a brothel, despite his claims she was 'mad'. Sally Challen with her husband Richard. Sally Challen, who bludgeoned her husband to death with a hammer in August 2010, was given the go ahead to challenge her murder conviction Although she left him several times, shortly before his death she asked him to take her back. He is said to have agreed on condition she signed a bizarre post-nuptial agreement with clauses that stripped her of financial assets, banned her from smoking and prevented her from 'interrupting him'. Her sons claim it was such controlling behaviour that drove their mother to kill him. At her original five-day trial at Guildford Crown Court, Mrs Challen's defence team relied on a defence of diminished responsibility, hoping she'd be found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter. Her husband's alleged behaviour was deemed to be irrelevant and Mrs Challen's lawyers believed it would look bad for them to 'speak ill of the dead'. David says it was 'excruciating' watching the trial unfold in the public gallery and he was in 'deep shock' when his mother was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. 'The verdict was the wrong one. She deserves justice,' he said when he spoke to the Mail last year. 'People need to understand that she killed my father not because she is a bad person but because he drove her to the edge.' Speaking of the complex emotions behind his mother's case, David said of his father 'in a weird way, we still love him' but added that 'nothing will ever be solved in society unless we look at the root cause. Sally Challen appearing via video link at the Court of Appeal to appeal against her 18 year sentence for murdering her husband in 2010 Right now this conviction serves absolutely no-one in society and that's one of the most frustrating things.' Mrs Challen's own testimony illustrates the same complexities and, incredibly, the same love. Speaking after her arrest in 2010, she told police: 'I felt without Richard I was worthless, I couldn't go on, I couldn't cope. 'I loved him and he was part of my life, part of me. My whole identity was built up as a part of a couple. I just couldn't exist separately. I still think about Richard all the time, every night.' When she was sentenced to life imprisonment, Judge Christopher Critchlow told her: 'You are somebody who killed the only man you loved and you will have to live with knowing what you did.' Today's glimmer of hope for Mrs Challen, however, has come largely thanks to the love of the two sons who have stood by her as she makes legal history. Plans to smuggle 'Jihadi Jack' out of Syria and take him to Canada collapsed at the last minute 'after Foreign Office intervention,' an MP has revealed. Jack Letts, 23, fled his hometown of Oxford to join ISIS in 2014 where he said he lived on 'the Oxford Street of Raqqa', got married to an Iraqi and fathered a child. Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle claimed Letts - whose father is Canadian - was just days away from being transited to Canada before 'another party' blocked the move. The Canadian government pledged 'they would do everything' to ensure the release of Letts and planned his transit through Turkey, Channel 4 reported. John Letts and Sally Lane spoke to Channel 4 News after Jack gave an interview to ITV last week in which he said: 'I miss my Mum' Jack 'Jihadi Jack' Letts, 23, said he lived 'the Oxford Street of Raqqa' and married an Iraqi woman with whom he had fathered a child But suddenly last year Ottawa wrote to John Letts and Sally Lane to say they could no longer guarantee the release of their son. Mr Russell-Moyle went to visit the Kurdish prison and told the broadcaster: 'My understanding is that hesitant agreement had been reached with them and the Canadians. 'The words that they used to me - and this was last year now - is that it is a matter of days or weeks in which Jack will be sent to Canada. And then it fell apart at the last minute due to the intervention of another party.' Mr Russell-Moyle said that he believed this 'other party' was 'either the British government or the Americans'. His father said that his son realised he made a stupid mistake, while his mother said she was heartbroken when she heard him speak last week. Letts spoke to ITV from the Kurdish jail where he has been held for two years and said, 'I miss my mum.' He continued: 'I feel British, I am British. If the UK accepted me I would go back to the UK, but I dont think thats going to happen.' According to Channel 4 the Trudeau government had sought to bring the ISIS convert to Canada, as he was eligible due to his dual citizenship After his interview, the Home Office wrote: 'In recent days the Home Secretary has clearly stated that his priority is the safety and security of Britain and the people who live here. 'In order to protect this country, he has the power to deprive someone of their British citizenship where it would not render them stateless. 'We do not comment on individual cases, but any decisions to deprive individuals of their citizenship are based on all available evidence and not taken lightly.' Unlike Shamima Begum, Letts remains a British citizen. A California woman has been presumed dead after being caught in a 'freak landslide' while hiking with her dog and a friend along a beach. Kyra Sunshine Scarlet, 22, was climbing up from the shoreline on San Franciscos Fort Funston beach when the cliff caved in on them on February 22. The friend and the dog were able to be rescued, but Kyra was never found. She has now been presumed dead. Her family said in a statement to KTVU: 'Kyra Sunshine was a beautiful, sweet, amazing woman. She died in one of her favorite places after hiking with her sweet dog Iris and her dear friend.' A GoFundMe campaign has been set up by Kyra's extended family to help cover costs associated with holding a memorial for the young woman. A 'freak landslide' is believed to have taken the life of Kyra Sunshine Scarlet, 22 (pictured), while she was walking along the beach and hiking with her dog and a friend in San Francisco Kyra was born in Florida and raised in Kaysville, Utah. She had recently moved to Oakley in the Bay Area, according to her family. Fire officials responded to a call at around 2.30pm on Friday, after witness reported seeing the women and the dog climbing up a cliff that caved in on them. Witnesses said the group were about halfway up the 80-foot cliff when the landslide began, according to officials. Kyra, her dog (both pictured) and her friend were seen climbing about halfway up the 80-foot cliff when the ground gave way, witnesses said Kyra's friend was found buried up to her shoulders in the sand, but Kyra (pictured) was not found. Her dog (pictured) was rescued and did not suffer injuries Firefighters search after the landslide on Fort Funston beach, San Francisco It is estimated that four to five tons of dirt came loose and crashed down to the shore below the cliff. The friend was buried in the sand up to her shoulders, NBC reported. Kyra's friend did not have serious injuries, and her dog was not inured. 'The familys faith allows for them to be at peace knowing that Kyra Sunshine is in a better place and that they will be reunited in the future,' the family said in its statement. 'The family would like to thank the many public safety agencies that have worked tirelessly to help find Kyra Sunshine, watch over the site and the kindness they have shown the family.' It's estimated that four to five tons of dirt came loose and crashed down to the shore below the cliff, buring Kyra (pictured) Officials believe that no one else was injured in the landslide. 'From third-hand reports, this appears to be an unfortunate and isolated natural incident,' Charlie Strickfaden, communications director for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, said. 'Ocean waves, soft sand and soil, and recent storm events contribute to erosion of beaches and coastal bluffs.' Extended family member Tiffany Evans created a GoFundMe campaign collect contributions toward a memorial service for Kyra. 'Among the many loved ones she has left are her loving mother, father, older brother and sister, and two younger sisters and nephew who are impacted by this tragedy, and with many are embarking on the heart-wrenching journey of living without Kyra,' Evans wrote. 'As extended family, we humbly ask at this time for you to support Kryas family by donating to this memorial fund to honor her life. By doing so, may it give you peace to know that you are taking part in helping the family, who is desperately seeking comfort and peace, be freed from the distraction of expenses, as they continue the wait to bring Krya home for a memorial service. 'Immediate family members have had to travel from Utah to California to be close to the location of the slide while the search for Kyras body continues. These funds will support the family with all related expenses and provide peace of mind during this tender time.' House of Horrors mom Louise Turpin cries in jail about her 13 children because she misses them, her sister has revealed. Turpin, 50, and her husband David, 57, are behind bars for their horrific abuse of their children which was discovered when one escaped in 2017. They had been starving them, tying them to beds and leaving them in locked rooms, soiled in their own waste. The despicable couple pleaded guilty to 14 counts of torture and other abuse in a California court on Friday and have since received a visit from Louise's sister, Elizabeth Flores. Flores told Radar Online after the visit that Louise cried when they discussed the children but 'didn't want to admit to anything' and is in 'denial'. 'We talked about the baby. She told me how she would turn 3 in two weeks and she started to cry because she was upset she wouldnt be there,' Elizabeth said. Louise Turpin (shown in court on February 22) cried in jail when her sister asked her about her children and particularly misses her two-year-old Louise and her husband David are pictured with their 13 children. She is holding the toddler She would not give any more details for fear that it could harm her sister's case. David is hopeful that the children will forgive him. 'He kept hoping the kids would come visit him in jail,' Flores said of David's conversation. 'He was telling me that no matter what happened with him, he hoped that he still had a relationship with his kids. 'That's what he kept worrying about.' David appeared stoic as he pleaded guilty, but Louise's face reddened and she began crying and dabbed her eyes with a tissue during the hearing. Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin says the couple will be sentenced to 25 years-to-life in prison. Hestrin said the guilty pleas were important to protect the children from having to testify. 'The defendants ruined lives so I think it's just and fair that the sentence be equivalent to first-degree murder,' Hestrin said. David Turpin wants his children to forgive him and visit him in jail The Turpins had led a mostly solitary, but seemingly unremarkable life until the teenager jumped from a window and called for help in 2018. David had worked as an engineer for both Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, while his wife Louise was listed as a housewife in a 2011 bankruptcy filing. The couple were arrested in January 2018 after their 17-year-old daughter escaped from the home, in the Californian city of Perris, and called 911. The children, who ranged in age from 2 to 29 at the time, were severely underweight, had stunted growth and hadn't bathed for months. They described being beaten, starved and put in cages. The family led a nocturnal existence, which kept them largely out of sight from neighbors in a middle-class subdivision. In a recording of the 911 call, the girl who escaped said two younger sisters and a brother were chained to beds and she couldn't take it. 'They will wake up at night and they will start crying and they wanted me to call somebody,' she said in a high-pitched voice. 'I wanted to call y'all so y'all can help my sisters.' Police who responded discovered a house of horrors. The family led a nocturnal existence, which kept them largely out of sight from neighbors in a middle-class subdivision. The couple were arrested in January 2018 after their 17-year-old daughter escaped from the home and called 911 Two girls had been hastily released from their chains but a 22-year-old son remained shackled. The brother told police he and his siblings had been suspected of stealing food and being disrespectful. The intervention marked a new start for the children who lived in such isolation that the teen who called for help didn't know her address. Although the parents filed reports with the state that they home-schooled their children, the oldest child only completed the third grade. Some children suffered from severe malnutrition, stunted growth and muscle wasting, including an 11-year-old girl who had arms the size of an infant. Children were deprived of food and things other children take for granted, such as toys and games, and allowed to do little except write in journals, authorities said. The kids were rarely allowed outside but went out on Halloween and traveled as a family to Disneyland and Las Vegas. They spent most of their time locked in their rooms except for limited meals or using the bathroom. All the children were hospitalized immediately after they were discovered and have not spoken publicly. Riverside County authorities then obtained temporary conservatorship over the adults. The Turpins had led a mostly solitary, but seemingly unremarkable life until the teenager jumped from a window and called for help in 2018 The social services agency tasked with overseeing the younger children declined to comment on their cases. The adult children are all living together, attending school and getting healthy while leading lives similar to their peers, said Jack Osborn, an attorney who represents the seven adult children. He said they value their privacy. 'They are relieved they can now move forward with their lives and not have the specter of a trial hanging over their heads and all the stress that would have caused,' Osborn said. The guilty pleas could help with the challenges the children face, especially since many abuse survivors struggle with feelings of self-doubt, said Jessica Borelli, a clinical psychologist and professor at University of California, Irvine. 'It is a pretty clear affirmation of how they were mistreated,' Borelli said. 'If there is any part of them that needs validation that how they were treated was wrong and was abuse, this is it.' The guilty pleas were important to spare the children from testifying, though they will be allowed to speak at the sentencing if they choose, said Hestrin, who was impressed with their resiliency. 'I was very taken by their optimism, by their hope for the future,' Hestrin said. 'They have a zest for life and huge smiles and I am optimistic for them and I think that's how they feel about their future.' Advertisement A video of Holby City actor John Michie's daughter laughing and joking with her rapper boyfriend, Ceon Broughton, hours before her death at Bestival With long, blonde hair flowing from beneath a headscarf and shades shielding her eyes from the late summer sun, Louella Fletcher-Michie looked like any other young festival-goer eagerly anticipating the evening ahead. Acclaimed pop and rap stars, the 'world's biggest bouncy castle' and a cocktail bus were among the many attractions on offer at Bestival, being held for the first time at Lulworth Castle, on Dorset's idyllic Jurassic Coast. Illicit drugs, perhaps inevitably, were available too, if you knew who to ask. But Louella's parents the actor John Michie, who plays neurosurgeon Guy Self in BBC hospital drama Holby City, and his partner, former Hot Gossip dancer Carol Fletcher weren't unduly concerned. Their bubbly, but sensible, yoga-instructor daughter might have experimented on occasion, but she had what they described as a 'cautious' and 'measured' attitude towards illegal substances. Besides, Louella was with her boyfriend, aspiring musician Ceon Broughton, whom John and Carol had welcomed into their family over the course of his 15-month on-off relationship with Louella. Broughton had spent Christmas at the Michies' 1.2 million home in North London, worked with Louella's brother Sam and had been a guest at John's 60th birthday dinner. There was no reason to believe he didn't have their daughter's best interests at heart. And when the unthinkable happened, and Louella died after taking the newly available drug 2C-P at Bestival that evening in September 2017, John and Carol were quick to defend him, despite their grief and rumours that Broughton who had a previous conviction for supplying drugs may be implicated in her death. A heartbroken John, 62, even issued a statement saying he believed there to be no 'malice' involved, adding it was 'just a tragic accident'. Actor John Michie with daughter Louella Fletcher-Michie, 24 (left), who died after taking party drug 2C-P John Michie and his daughter Louella as a child. She died at Bestival in 2017 after taking drugs given to her by her boyfriend How sickening his words must sound now; how utterly misplaced his trust in Broughton, 30, who was yesterday found guilty of manslaughter and supplying class A drugs. For, as we can reveal here, Louella wasn't the first woman to fall victim to Broughton's odious obsession with drugs and death. The court heard he was a sadistic drug-dealer who took 'callous pleasure' in giving women large doses of illegal substances before filming the humiliating results. It was said he had a 'morbid' obsession with images of death, hoarding at least a dozen photographs of corpses and videos of people dying, including from knife violence, on his phone, it can be reported for the first time yesterday. He even told one ex-girlfriend, a Swedish student named Paulina Aberg, that he dreamt of pushing her off a roof and covering up the murder, lawyers said. The court also heard how the 30-year-old took 'sadistic pleasure' in filming Paulina after she smashed her head against a sink, knocking herself out after he gave her a 'whole load of drugs'. Ceon Broughton was convicted of the manslaughter of Louella Fletcher-Michie for failing to get her the vital medical help she needed after she took a class A drug he had supplied her at Bestival Ceon Broughton posted a video of an unconscious girl on the underground on his YouTube channel Ceon Broughton (left), 30, had been on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of being responsible for the death of his girlfriend Miss Fletcher-Michie (right) In Louella's case, Broughton had supplied her with six times the usual dose of 2C-P one of a potent new breed of psychedelic stimulants that can cause acute psychosis. When she'd reacted badly to it, he had spent six hours filming her distress, allegedly seeking a perverse pleasure in the sight of her hallucinating, crying for her mother and harming herself. Although a hospital tent at the festival stood only 400m away, he dismissed Louella's cries for help as those of a 'drama queen' and failed to get medical assistance that would almost certainly have saved her life. Broughton who it is thought even filmed Louella after she had died, an hour short of her 25th birthday, in woodland on the outskirts of the festival, where they remained alone allegedly had another motive for not seeking help. He had received a suspended sentence for two counts of carrying knives just a month earlier. Calling the police or other authorities, he realised, would risk further investigation, prosecution and prison. For John and Carol and their two older children, Sam and Daisy, who sat in court throughout Broughton's three-week trial at Winchester Crown Court, the sense of betrayal following his conviction for manslaughter through gross negligence must be nothing short of earth-shattering. Louella Fletcher-Michie, the 24-year-old daughter of actor John Michie, died after being given a fatal amount of 2-CP at Bestival. Her boyfriend, Ceon Broughton, was yesterday convicted of manslaughter for supplying the drug and failing to help her when she collapsed Miss Fletcher-Michie (second right) and Broughton (far right) at a family dinner with her actor father John, mother Carol, brother Sam, sister Daisy and her boyfriend Jamie Jamieson Speaking outside the court yesterday, Mr Michie said: 'Regardless of the outcome of this harrowing trial, there were never going to be any winners. 'We began our life sentence on what would have been Louella's 25th birthday. Ceon's life sentence is knowing he didn't help Louella to live.' Their despair will not be lost on the family of Paulina, who escaped Broughton's morbid obessions. Relatives in Sweden reacted to the news with quiet dignity. 'It will bring comfort,' one said. Swedish Paulina Aberg (above) contacted the prosecutor by email and sent a letter to the court after Broughton's trial started Paulina's father, music producer Ingemar Aberg, was more direct. Speaking exclusively to the Mail from Stockholm, he said: 'I hope he rots in jail.' So how did Broughton manage to hide his monstrous behaviour from Louella's loving parents? A Jekyll and Hyde character whose grandmother has described him as placid and 'polite', he appeared equally at ease in the Michies' privileged celebrity world as he did among the drug-fuelled rap music industry. Broughton's father (the only member of his family who came to court) and mother separated when he was a child, his mother remarrying a property consultant, with whom she had two daughters, now in their early 20s. The family moved from London to a semi-detached home in leafier Watford, where although his mother later separated from her second husband her son appeared to enjoy a loving upbringing. Certainly, neighbours told the Mail they were a 'nice' family about whom they had not 'a bad word to say'. As a teenager, however, Broughton discovered skateboarding, his new hobby eventually dragging him into an altogether murkier world. By his 20s, he was a fully-fledged member of skateboarding gang Laigon Life, a group that also produced violent rap music and whose social media outpourings and YouTube videos celebrated street fights and debauchery. In one piece of footage, apparently from a festival, a youth sits among tents pretending to be a drug-dealer. Another chillingly prescient moment shows a woman slumped half-unconscious on public transport, seemingly unaware she is being filmed. Such publicly available clips, it emerged, were merely a drop in the ocean of Broughton's compulsion to film potentially criminal activity. Police discovered a wealth of more information on his iPhone, which Broughton's lawyers successfully argued would prejudice a jury's decision. In other shock footage not shown to the jury, he is seen shoving a spoonful of white powder into a scantily-clad woman's nose. Broughton smashed up a table in the atrium of the court after being confronted by the family during a break in proceedings He brusquely tells the woman to do 'more'. The unknown female responds: 'More?', and is apparently unsure, before he again shoves the spoon under her nose. 'No, no, you have to do more,' he says, before feeding her the rest of the dose, while he films it. Broughton defended A friend of Ms Fletcher-Michie said that he had sympathy for Broughton. 'The reason I feel so bad for him is that that could have been me or any of my friends,' he told The Times. 'People say he watched her lying on the floor, looking as if she was dying but every time I go to a festival I see at least one of my friends lying on the floor, looking like they're dying. You don't really acknowledge it as a life-or-death situation. Everyone is doing that. It's just festival antics. Ceon is being portrayed as some kind of drug-dealing gangsta rapper but he's a very nice, honest guy. 'He wasn't a drug-dealer. It was literally unlucky.' Advertisement Another disturbing clip from his phone showed a woman in pink underwear dancing in front of a bathroom mirror, apparently under the influence and unaware she was being filmed by him. The evidence was so damning, however, that Broughton's lawyers managed to have it ruled out as overly prejudicial, as it was said it showed he took a 'callous pleasure in the pain of others'. 'No justice,' John Michie spat from the public gallery, after the judge announced his decision to exclude the devastating material. Despite Broughton's abhorrent behaviour, his profile grew. He began rapping under the artist name CEONRPG, working with renowned 'grime' (a genre of electronic dance music) stars such as Wiley and Mercury award-winner Skepta and amassing some 20,000 followers on Instagram. He modelled for Chanel at London Fashion Week and in 2017 was pictured, among other artists, alongside London Mayor Sadiq Khan at the Mobo music awards. Yet he continued to lead a parallel, despicable, life. On social media, a picture emerged of Broughton and a fellow member of Laigon Life next to suspicious lines of white power, and he was accused of sexual assault, rape and emotional abuse. He was one of 38 male 'abusers in UK creative scenes' whose names appeared in a post-Weinstein era online list, the creator of which is unknown. In 2017, Broughton (left) released the song 'Duracell', which was produced by Skepta This was, it should be stressed, an unverified list which played no part in Broughton's trial but were the allegations to become widespread and his dubious treatment of women better known, it is fair to assume his and Louella's paths might never have crossed. As it was, his burgeoning success would have been applauded by the Michies, who shun showbusiness airs and graces. John, who found fame as Detective Inspector Robbie Ross in Nineties drama series Taggart before landing the role of Karl Munro in ITV soap Coronation Street in 2011, met dancer Carol on the set of an advert in the Eighties. Broken TV star's tragic statement after hearing jury's verdicts Actor John Michie said this afternoon his family's 'life sentence' began when his daughter was heartlessly left to die in woodland by Ceon Broughton. Reading from his phone outside court yesterday, the 62-year-old said: 'Regardless of the outcome of this trial, there was never going to be any winners. 'We began our life sentence on what would have have Louella's 25th birthday.. Ceon's life sentence is knowing he did not help Louella to live.' Advertisement Louella's film director brother Sam specialises in directing rap videos, and her sister Daisy is a dancer and stylist. Home, John once declared proudly, is a 'United Nations' street in multicultural Holloway and family holidays are spent on the same Spanish campsite every year. It is easy to see how Broughton might have fitted in, not least because Louella, who taught a dance-based form of yoga called Voga, had the same down-to-earth demeanour as her family. After she and Broughton became an item in June 2016, John and Carol, with whom Louella still lived, welcomed him into their home, as they did all her friends. 'I loved that as I felt involved with her life,' Carol told the court. 'We welcomed Ceon, too.' But Broughton who was invited to John's 60th birthday restaurant meal in October 2016 ended their relationship 'suddenly' after spending Christmas with the family that December. Louella, so enamoured by Broughton she decorated her bedroom with graffiti that read 'Laigon Life', was apparently 'devastated' by the unexplained split. By the summer of 2017, however, they were back together. 'She loved Ceon more than anyone before,' Carol told the court. Sadly, it seems doubtful the feeling was reciprocated. As her sister Daisy put it: 'I think she loved Ceon but I don't think he loved her.' Recently reunited when they attended Bestival together, Louella and Broughton's decision to head away from the music area into the wooded outskirts of the festival on September 10 was understandable, says Carol. 'They liked trees and the outdoors. It was not a surprise that they went to the forest.' Some two hours after taking 2C-P which is typically smoked or snorted at 6.48pm, Broughton called Louella's family to tell them Louella was having what he described as a 'bad trip'. Broughton (right) was born in 1989 and lived in in a small terraced house in Wembley Park Broughton is pictured (bottom right) with London Mayor Sadiq Khan at the 2017 Mobo awards After Carol heard her daughter crying in the background, she and John who both urged Broughton to seek medical help embarked on a frantic 130-mile drive from London to Dorset to rescue their daughter. Meanwhile, Broughton continued his cruel and relentless recording of Louella one video he made is 51 minutes long as she became increasingly disorientated, rubbing herself with brambles and cutting her face and hands. Her garbled cries were interspersed with heart-breaking moments of lucidity at one stage she shouted: 'Dad, I love you.' Broughton appeared impervious to her distress, a note he recorded on his phone even appearing to romanticise her ordeal, the court heard, 'referring to her laying beneath with him, nettles and thorns, a reference to bleeding where the heart was torn'. If there was a nagging voice telling him to seek help, he silenced it, texting a friend to explain he couldn't get 'bagged' (slang for arrested). Grime rapper was convicted of having a KNIFE in public but spared jail just weeks before Bestival The drug dealer convicted of killing Louella Fletcher-Michie had avoided a jail term for possessing a knife just a month before, it can be revealed yesterday. It can be reported for the first time yesterday that Broughton had avoided being jailed for possession of a bladed article in public. He was given a 24-week sentence suspended for a year at Thames magistrates' court in August 2017, just a month before he and Louella attended the music festival where she died. Prosecutors said Broughton did not get help for Louella because he was on the suspended jail term and feared the consequences. Advertisement At 11.24pm, a picture he took appears to show Louella's lifeless body at his feet. According to Prosecutor William Mousley QC, his decision not to seek help was 'born out of selfishness and self-preservation' and by the time John and Carol arrived at the festival, it was too late. Shortly after Louella's death was announced, rumours of Broughton's involvement swirled and he was arrested on suspicion of her murder. But police found no evidence Louella had been assaulted and he was released under investigation. An inquest revealed Louella had died of an overdose. Like Broughton, she also had the drugs ketamine and MDMA in her system, which caused a long period of agitation, eventually fatally blocking her airways. Broughton who had already pleaded guilty to supplying 2C-P to Louella and her friend at Glastonbury Festival three months before she died was charged with manslaughter and supplying her with a second dose of 2C-P last February. Granted unconditional police bail, he was allowed to live in his privately rented waterside terrace home in a converted Victorian arms factory in Enfield, North London, as he awaited trial. He even released another single. But any hopes he could resume his burgeoning music career have been lost with his conviction, along with the selfless support he enjoyed from Louella's family. Having decided not to give evidence, thus denying her loved ones the opportunity to understand the precise circumstances surrounding her death, Broughton was called evil by a distraught John Michie when he passed the man in the court atrium. Broughton smashed a table and destroyed a water-cooler in retaliation, before being restrained by police. As he awaits the terms of his sentence, to be decided yesterday, he will have plenty of time to reflect on the horrific manner in which he let down the woman who loved him. As, too, will John Michie, whose assessment of his initial support for Broughton was summarised with tragic understatement to the jurors: 'Clearly, I made a mistake.' 'He filmed me unconscious too': Rapper's ex-girlfriend reveals he made footage of her after drugs binge as his love of grotesque death images emerges Swedish Paulina Aberg (above) contacted the prosecutor by email and sent a letter to the court after Broughton's trial started Ceon Broughton's morbid obsession with filming women has been revealed after an ex girlfriend said he once recorded her while she was badly bleeding and said he wanted to throw her off a roof and cover up her murder. Swedish Paulina Aberg contacted prosecutors after the trial started revealing she fell and cracked her head against a sink after Broughton gave her 'a whole load of drugs', but instead of helping he took out his phone and took a photograph of her wound. She also told police that 'she was aware that the defendant had images of people suffering, including suffering death, on his phone, in which he appeared to have some interest'. Broughton was today found guilty of manslaughter after supplying his girlfriend Louella Fletcher-Michie, the daughter of Holby City star John Michie, with the so-called party drug 2-CP before her death at the Bestival music festival in 2017. She also told police that 'she was aware that the defendant had images of people suffering, including suffering death, on his phone, in which he appeared to have some interest'. Broughton was today found guilty of manslaughter after supplying his girlfriend Louella Fletcher-Michie, the daughter of Holby City star John Michie, with the so-called party drug 2-CP before her death at the Bestival music festival in 2017. Miss Aberg, who was flown from Sweden to Britain to give evidence, said she found recordings on Broughton's phone from April 27, 2017 and taken in Toronto, Canada. In the clips, he is filmed giving a woman drugs and encouraging her to take more. The court was shown the two clips, in which a young woman wearing a blue strappy top and underwear is offered a spoon by Broughton and snorts drugs. In the second clip, he can be heard saying 'more' as he offers a second spoon to her, before telling the girl she needs to finish the powder on the spoon. Miss Aberg claimed one month before Bestival, Broughton gave her a 'whole load of drugs' causing her to suffer a bad reaction, fall over and hurt herself. John Michie (left) posted this picture on Instagram last September on the one-year anniversary of the death of his daughter Louella (right). Also pictured is his wife Carol Fletcher (centre She claims Broughton took a photo of her and had similar images of 'people suffering or suffering death on his phone, which he appeared to have some interest in.' Footage (which can be viewed above) was also shared to Broughton's personal YouTube channel of a woman passed out on public transport. Prosecutors said Broughton 'supplied drugs to females, girlfriends or not, in large amounts and made recordings of the process and the reaction.' Broughton himself showed little emotion, flippantly telling his lawyer to 'text my mum'. Speaking outside court, an emotional Mr Michie said: 'Regardless of the outcome of this harrowing trial, there are never going to be any winners. 'Our life sentence began on what would have been Louella's 25th birthday. Ceon's life sentence is knowing he did not help Louella to live.' Broughton showed no emotion when the verdict was delivered but called out to his lawyers: 'Text my mum'. He will be sentenced tomorrow. Mr Michie has been in the public gallery with his wife, Carol, and two children, Sam and Penny, throughout the trial, along with the defendant's father Dave. As he left the public gallery he approached the defendant's father to offer his condolences. His wife left the courtroom in tears. At the conclusion of an emotionally charged trial, it was revealed: Broughton narrowly avoided a jail sentence a month earlier after he appeared in court for possession of a bladed article in public. Miss Fletcher-Michie's devastated parents said in they were already serving a 'life sentence' of grief, following their daughter's overdose from the party drug 2-CP. MailOnline revealed exclusively that a former girlfriend of Broughton said the rapper once filmed her bleeding from a head wound after she fell over from taking a large amount of drugs. MailOnline also exclusively revealed that Holby City star John Michie clashed with the killer rapper outside of court calling him 'evil' as the grime star shouted at police to 'get off me bruv' and began hitting himself wildly. Broughton's father Dave turned to the family and offered his sympathy following the verdict announcement. Broughton was born in Croydon in 1989 and lived in in a small terraced house in Wembley Park before his parents split up when he was a young boy. The 29-year-old attended a local college in Enfield, and one of his subjects was photography before he entered the world of music and fashion. The rap artist, who goes by the stage name CEONRPG, was pictured among a number of artists alongside London mayor Sadiq Khan at the Mobo awards in 2017. He also worked with the late American rapper Lil Peep, who was found dead on his tour bus aged 21 in November 2017, after taking a lethal mix of cannabis, cocaine, Tramadol, Xanax and fentanyl. In 2017, Broughton released the song 'Duracell', which was produced by Skepta. The song was about a girl 'disrespecting him' and 'crushing his heart' and in the music video - directed by Miss Fletcher-Michie's brother Sam - Broughton is seen waving a large knife around a picturesque river and mountain setting wearing a chainmail headpiece. Ceon Broughton films himself as part of a 50-minute video he recorded of Miss Fletcher-Michie hours before she died Miss Fletcher-Michie fell head over heels for Broughton and 'loved him more than anyone else' Her mother and father, Holby City actor John Michie and his wife Carol, are pictured today Miss Fletcher-Michie (left, with her mother Carol) became the first person to have ever been killed by the party drugs Miss Fletcher-Michie's godfather was One Foot In The Grave Star Richard Wilson The song features lyrics including 'you crushed my heart and soul', 'how could you disrespect me?' and, 'you mean nothing now, see now I'm p****d'. It was released on YouTube on September 5, days before Miss Michie was found dead on her 25th birthday in a woodland part of the festival site known as the Ambient Forrest. Miss Fletcher-Michie attended Tiffany Theatre School in London and comes from a showbiz dynasty - her uncle and father are actors, and her mother a trained dancer. She was the youngest daughter of actor John Michie and wife Carol Fletcher, a former dancer for TV troupe Hot Gossip. A 'health fanatic', Miss Fletcher-Michie travelled to Mexico, Paris, Austria and Ibiza to teach yoga and worked as a model and dancer for the House of Voga. The Michie family welcomed Broughton into their home and he appeared in family photographs including at the 60th birthday celebrations of Miss Fletcher-Michie's famous actor father, from Holby City. Broughton spent Christmas in 2016 in their north London mansion then suddenly ended his relationship with Louella, leaving her 'heartbroken'. Her mother, former Hot Gossip dancer Carol Fletcher, said her daughter fled to Los Angeles in the wake of the split, telling her, 'I have to get away, mum. I can't keep bumping into him in the street.' But Miss Fletcher-Michie and Broughton had rekindled their relationship just weeks before Bestival and her mother said Miss Fletcher-Michie followed him to Bestival. In a tragic twist, she said her daughter would never had gone to Bestival had it not been for Broughton. Meanwhile it also emerged yesterday that Miss Fletcher-Michie's killer was obsessed with death images and had filmed other women struggling after he had fed them drugs at least twice before the tragedy. The full extent of Broughton's sinister fascination with watching women dice with death was not told to the jury at Winchester Crown Court at his trial. But MailOnline can reveal that police learned of two separate incidents where Broughton had used his mobile phone to photograph or film women stricken by drugs, in the same manner he captured the dying moments of his girlfriend. Miss Fletcher-Michie, who grew up in a 1.2million Islington home, was found dead after taking 2-CP at the Bestival site in 2017 In other sickening images, Broughton, 29, had downloaded footage of people dying and stored them on his phone. One of his own victims was his former Swedish girlfriend Paulina Aberg who he met in London while she was working at a fashion store. Miss Aberg, 25, told police that in addition to an image of her bleeding from her head, she had seen images of others 'suffering' on the grime star's mobile phone. Miss Aberg flew to Britain and told detectives that she and Broughton had been in a relationship. On one occasion, she said, he had given her a 'whole load of drugs' and she fallen and cracked her head open. She was bleeding from the wound as Broughton filmed the incident. The incident happened early in August 2017, a month before Louella died in woodland on the edge of the Bestival festival site at Lulworth Castle, Dorset on September 11. Miss Aberg, a voice over artist who worked as a member of sales staff at a Levis Store in London and is studying a media and communications degree in Stockholm, said she had a 'bad reaction' after Broughton fed her drugs. She fell and was injured and later found that Broughton had taken an image of her while she was suffering. She managed to delete the image but said there were other images of people suffering death or being taken ill which Broughton had an interest in. Miss Aberg contacted prosecutor William Mousley, QC,by email and sent a letter to Winchester Crown Court after she learned that Broughton had been put on trial. Broughton is pictured (bottom right) with London Mayor Sadiq Khan at the 2017 Mobo awards Broughton is pictured (far right) with rap star Drake in an undated photograph Mr Mousley told the judge while the jury were absent that the prosecution wanted to 'adduce evidence of other reprehensible conduct by the defendant.' She flew to Britain to talk to police and prosecutors, but was not allowed to tell her story to the court. Her mother, speaking at her Stockholm home, said: 'Paulina has gone on a break to America. I needed to protect her after this. 'She has decided that she does not want to talk to the media about it.' The second known victim of Broughton's hideous interest in death images was a woman who was fed drugs by Broughton using a spoon earlier in 2017. Police uncovered recordings on Broughton's phone of an incident on April 2017 that year. The two clips showed a young woman in a blue strappy top and knickers being offered a spoon by Broughton and then snorting drugs. In 2017, Broughton (left) released the song 'Duracell', which was produced by Skepta Detectives were satisfied Broughton gave the drugs and then filmed the woman taking them. The videos were seven and eight seconds long and in the second Broughton is seen to urge her to finish the powder on the spoon. He is heard saying 'more' while offering a second spoon of drugs while the incident is recorded on his phone. The videos were shot in Toronto, Canada, and shown to the court while the jury were not present. During legal arguments, it was heard that Miss Aberg and Broughton had been in a relationship and on one occcasion he had given her a 'whole load of drugs' and she fell and cracked her head open. Mr Mousley told High Court Judge Mr Justice Goose that Miss Aberg, who was flown from Sweden to Britain to give evidence, had seen images of 'people suffering' on Broughton's phone. However, Stephen Kamlish QC, representing Broughton, said this was an 'ambush' by Miss Aberg, who had kept a journal in which she discussed her knowledge and feelings of Louella Fletcher-Michie's death and her resentment about the end of her own relationship with Broughton, 29. Broughton (right) was born in 1989 and lived in in a small terraced house in Wembley Park Submitting a bad character application while the jury were not present, Mr Mousley said: 'The prosecution seeks to adduce evidence of other reprehensible conduct by the defendant. 'We seek the permission of the court to do so through two sources of evidence. 'The first source formed the submission of a bad character application on May 30, 2018. It relates to recordings found on Ceon Broughton's phone of an incident on April 27, 2017. 'This shows the defendant filming the giving of drugs to a female and exhorting her to take more. One of the videos is seven seconds and one is eight seconds. These were taken in Toronto, Canada.' The court was shown the two clips, in which a young woman in a blue strappy top and knickers is offered a spoon by Broughton and snorts drugs. A bag containing white powder found in Broughton's phone case which was shown in court In the second clip, he can be heard saying 'more' as he offers a second spoon to her, before telling the girl she needs to finish the powder on the spoon. Mr Mousley continued: 'The other source on which the Crown seek permission is that which comes from a statement provided by a female last week. 'It deals with a specific incident which appears to have occurred some time in the first half of August 2017, so a month before events at Bestival. 'The defendant gives the witness what she describes as a 'whole load of drugs' and she says, as a result, she suffered a bad reaction, falling and hurting herself. 'She says that an image of her was taken by the defendant on his phone and subsequent to that she found it and she deleted the image. 'She also says over and above that specific incident, she was aware the defendant had images of people suffering or suffering death on his phone, which he appeared to have some interest in. CCTV footage showing Miss Fletcher-Michie in a grey hooded top and Broughton in fluorescent trousers (circled) walking together at Bestival in Dorset in September 2017 Miss Fletcher-Michie in a grey hooded top and Broughton in fluorescent trousers at Bestival 'Having regard to the issues in this case, what happened at Bestival and what happened in the video clip and in the description of Paulina Aberg, was supplying drugs to females, girlfriends or not, in large amounts and the recordings of the process and the reaction.' Representing Broughton, Mr Kamlish called for the judge to refuse the application on the grounds the 'sleazy' evidence significantly changed the case and would be 'extremely prejudicial'. Timeline of the police probe into Louella Fletcher-Michie's death September 11, 2017: Louella Fletcher-Michie was found dead in a wooded area at Bestival at about 1am September 13, 2017: Ceon Broughton is arrested on suspicion of her murder and supplying a class A drug before being released under investigation February 23, 2018: Broughton is rearrested on suspicion of her manslaughter March 23, 2018: Broughton appears for the first time over the charge at Poole Magistrates' Court July 26, 2018: Broughton pleads not guilty to manslaughter at Winchester Crown Court February 4, 2019: Broughton's trial begins at Winchester Crown Court February 28, 2019: Trial jury begin their deliberations Advertisement He said: '[Miss Aberg] has waited until after the case has begun before deciding she had something to contribute. That's an important factor. 'She has taken a view, she has waited until the last moment to put this evidence before the jury. It is an ambush. 'There's a notebook full of resentment from beginning to end. She wants to hurt him in these proceedings. There is a good deal of resentment and she deals with her knowledge and feelings about Louella's death [in the notebook]. 'On the banging of the head incident, she is not telling the truth, that's proved by a text we have quoted and the Crown have not. 'Whether or not the defendant was with her as it happened, he did not know she was hurt because she does not tell him. He puts her in a taxi and when she says she is hurt, he says 'can I help you?' and 'go to the doctor'. 'Also, why is it relevant that someone might take morbid interest in grotesque images? 'As my Lord has pointed out, this is not a case of salacious pleasure in death, it is whether the defendant was grossly negligent. 'This is just prejudicial. The effect will be to make the jury take a view against him. It is a step too far. There is some sleaziness involved and they may find the defendant took an unhealthy pleasure in suffering and that has never been the case.' After hearing both barristers, Mr Justice Goose, who called the images Broughton was alleged to have, 'death images' during the application, told the court he was rejecting the application for the bad character evidence to be put before the jury. He said he would give his full reasons later in the case, but said: 'I do not want [Miss Aberg] to believe for a moment this court is forming a view. I do not want her feeling she is being disbelieved.' Shamima Begum and her newly born baby have vanished from the refugee camp they were staying in after receiving death threats Shamima Begum and her newly born baby have vanished from the refugee camp they were staying in after a price was put on her head. The 19-year-old, from Bethnal Green, east London, who left the UK for Syria in 2015 to join ISIS, is thought to have fled to the Roj camp near the Iraqi border in a late-night escape after receiving death threats. ISIS wives at the Al-Hawl refugee camp believe she has disgraced their cause by giving media interviews about life under the caliphate, which has earned her celebrity status in the camp. A source told The Sun: 'Shamima was threatened directly in the camp. 'She is living in fear of her life. There is a bounty on her head. She felt she had no option but to move her and her child to have a chance of survival. 'Shamima has become something of a celebrity and is constantly looking over her shoulder, fearing brutal reprisals for daring to speak out about life with ISIS. 'She's in misery, but only has herself to blame.' Islamic hardliners also criticised her for repeatedly appearing on television without covering her face. ISIS wives at the Al-Hawl refugee camp believe she has disgraced their cause by giving media interviews about life under the caliphate, which has earned her celebrity status in the camp ISIS bride Shamima Begum pictured with her baby has been threatened by other jihadi brides Her appeal to be brought home with her newborn baby, called Jerah, has caused outrage across Britain, and sparked a political row after she was stripped of her citizenship. Begum wants to return to the UK for the sake of her newborn child, after her first two children died in Syria - despite her calling life in the ISIS 'capital' Raqqa 'normal'. Home Secretary Sajid Javid made the move on advice that she qualified for Bangladeshi citizenship through her mother, although authorities there have said they will not let her enter the country. Begum's father, Ahmed Ali, said his 19-year-old daughter should face justice in Britain despite previously appearing to back the removal of her citizenship. The teenager, who married Dutch IS fighter Yago Riedijk, left home for Syria with two other classmates, Amira Abass and Kadiza Sultana. Kadiza was killed in Raqqa. Mr Ali told ITV News: 'I don't think he's (Sajid Javid) done the right thing because she is a British citizen, and if it turns out she has committed any crimes, then she should face justice in the UK. Shamima Begum, 19 (pictured before she left the country four years ago) and her family are all pleading with the government to allow her back into Britain 'She belongs to this country, she belongs to England. My daughter was a little child, she made a mistake, she didn't properly understand.' Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was criticised after saying Begum should be allowed back into the UK and given the 'support that she needs'. He accused Mr Javid of a 'very extreme manoeuvre' in stripping her of British citizenship on the basis that she is entitled to live in Bangladesh because her parents were born there. Mr Corbyn said making Begum stateless is 'not the right thing to do'. She had 'a lot of questions to answer' but should be allowed to return to the UK and 'at that point any action may or may not be taken'. He added: 'The idea of stripping anyone of their citizenship when they're born in Britain is a very extreme manoeuvre. I question the right of the Home Secretary to have these powers.' The Colorado father who is serving multiple life sentences for the murders of his pregnant wife and two daughters sat down with investigators earlier this month to share new information about the case. Chris Watts spoke with agents from the FBI and CBI as well as a member of the Frederick Police Department on February 18, though what exactly was said during that meeting has not yet been shared with the public. It will be released on March 7, and now many are speculating as to what it could mean for the case and if it might bring some closure following the tragic deaths of Shanann, Bella and Celeste Watts. Scroll down for video Tragedy: Chris Watts met with members of the FBI, CBI and Frederick Police Department on February 18 at the Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin (Watts above with wife Shanann and daughters Celeste and Bella) Behind bars: The details of that interview will be released on March 7 along with audio from the meeting The interview was conducted at the Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin, where Watts was transferred back in December. It is unclear however if he is still there, or if he may have leveraged his interview with authorities to be moved to another facility. Authorities do not believe that Watts ever gave a factual account of what happened the night of the murders. He only confessed to murdering his wife Shanann, claiming he did this in a act of rage after she murdered their two young daughters. Local police and the FBI did not believe that, and ultimately charged the father with three counts of first-degree murder after deliberation, two counts of first-degree murder of a child under the age of 12 and by a person in a position of trust, three counts of tampering with a deceased human body and one count of unlawful termination of a pregnancy. There is also a possibility that evidence in the case could perhaps exonerate Watts or even implicate a second or third person. The release last week of doorbell footage that showed Shanann arriving home on the night she was murdered also suggests that the Weld County District Attorney may have come across new video evidence. Watts had claimed he saw the couple's daughter Bella dead in her bead and Shanann in the process of strangling Celeste on the baby monitor. Caught: Watts told authorities that he murdered Shanann after watching her strangle their daughters Bella and Celeste in a fit of rage (Watts watching himself load the bodies into his truck on a neighbor's surveillance camera) Recovery: He then dumped the bodies of Celeste and Bella into oil tanks and buried Shanann in a shallow grave (officials removing the bodies of Celeste and Bella) If footage was obtained from that system it would be able to confirm or deny his allegation. Upon watching Shanann 'on top of' Celeste, Watts said he ran into the room but it was too late. He then strangled Shanann he told police and agents. It is the same three officials who worked the case for the FBD, FBI and CBI who visited Watts in prison. He only admitted to murdering Shanann and the burying her in a shallow grave. He said that he also dumped his two daughters' lifeless bodies in oil tanks after failing a polygraph test. The fast-growing, Chinese-owned video sharing network TikTok agreed to pay a $5.7 million fine to US authorities to settle charges that it illegally collected personal information from children. The Federal Trade Commission said Wednesday the penalty by the social network, which had been known as Musical.ly, was the largest ever in a children's privacy investigation. The social network, which has been surging in popularity with young smartphone users and taking over from rivals like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, failed to obtain parental consent from its underage users as required by the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), FTC officials said. Scroll down for video Fast-growing, Chinese-owned video sharing network TikTok agreed to pay a $5.7 million fine to US authorities to settle charges that it illegally collected personal information from children 'The operators of Musical.ly - now known as TikTok - knew many children were using the app, but they still failed to seek parental consent before collecting names, email addresses, and other personal information from users under the age of 13,' said FTC chairman Joe Simons. 'This record penalty should be a reminder to all online services and websites that target children: We take enforcement of COPPA very seriously, and we will not tolerate companies that flagrantly ignore the law.' TikTok claimed some 500 million users worldwide last year, making it one of the most popular worldwide apps. Owned by China's ByteDance, it expanded its reach in the US with the merger with Musical.ly. Teens have been flocking to the service, which allows them to create and share videos of 15 seconds. According to the FTC, the company required users to provide an email address, phone number, username, first and last name, a short biography, and a profile picture. TikTok lets users create and share short singing and dancing videos that are set to well-known songs. It's owners bought Musical.ly and merged the two apps. The Beijing based company behind the app has more than 500 million active users and is now worth more than 58 billion As part of its agreement with the FTC, TikTok said it would no longer allow children under 13 to upload videos, leave comments, create a profile or send messages. The changes took effect on Wednesday, with the app now requiring users to enter their birthday. TIKTOK: A CHINESE-OWNED SOCIAL MEDIA APP SPECIALISING IN SHORT VIDEO CLIPS TikTok is a Chinese social media app where users can live stream, create short videos and music videos and Gifs with a host of functions. TikTok's tagline is 'Make every second count'. It was the most downloaded app in the US in 2018 and the world's fourth most downloaded app in 2018, ahead of Instagram and Snapchat. TikTok is known in China as Douyin where it was launched in 2016 and then made more widely available around the world in 2017. Douyin is still the version of the app used in China, available to download separately to TikTok. It offers users a raft of colourful modification and editing tools including overlaying music, sound, animated stickers, filters and augmented reality (AR) for creating short videos. The Beijing based social network has more than 500 million active users and the company is now worth more than $75 billion (58 billion). In 2020 Donald Trump called for the US arm of TikTok to be sold to an American company over fears the China-owned app posed a national security risk. Talks are under way between ByteDance, Oracle and Walmart over US operations after Trump threatened a download ban in the US. Advertisement Some users who entered their birthday discovered that videos has been deleted after they indicated they were younger than 13, according to the Verge. The consumer protection regulator said 65 million accounts have been registered in the United States. Officials said the company knew that many of its users were under 13 and should have taken greater precautions. 'In our view, these practices reflected the company's willingness to pursue growth even at the expense of endangering children,' said a statement from FTC commissioners Rohit Chopra and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter. 'The agency secured a record-setting civil penalty and deletion of ill-gotten data, as well as other remedies to stop this egregious conduct.' TikTok has faced criticism around the world for featuring sexually suggestive content inappropriate for children. TikTok said in a statement it would create a 'separate app experience' for younger users with additional privacy protections as part of its agreement with regulators. The separate app experience will likely allow younger users to watch videos, but the selection will be curated. 'It's our priority to create a safe and welcoming experience for all of our users, and as we developed the global TikTok platform, we've been committed to creating measures to further protect our user community -- including tools for parents to protect their teens and for users to enable additional privacy settings,' the statement said. It comes after TikTok announced it would be launching a series of safety videos in its app focused around user privacy, safety and well-being settings. The company has faced criticism from child safety advocates who say TikTok has attracted child predators who seek to sexually exploit minors. Interim Report - 31 December 2018 Sydney, Feb 28, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The Betmakers Holdings Limited ( ASX:TBH ) ( OTCMKTS:TPBTF ) provides the Company's FY19 Half Year Financial Report.During the half year to 31 December 2018, the group acquired two new businesses, DynamicOdds and Global Betting Services. The group agreed an acquisition price of $7,000,000 for each business (plus performance payments), and raised $4,268,870 net of costs to assist with the required funding. Both businesses greatly strengthen the group's content services division.To view the full report, please visit:About Betmakers Technology Group Ltd Betmakers Technology Group Ltd (ASX:BET) (OTCMKTS:TPBTF) is an ASX-listed holding company and a global provider of online wagering products and services to both wholesale and retail markets through its various wholly owned subsidiaries. The Company operates a retail wagering business, offering consumers wagering, fantasy tournament and content products and services. Telemedicine has gone way beyond conference calls: new technologies allow doctors to monitor blood pressure and other vital signs -- take x-rays even -- and assist with operations from miles away. Wireless technology is moving 'healthcare outside of clinics and hospitals', said Pamela Spence, health sciences market leader at Ernst & Young, at the Mobile World Congress trade fair in Barcelona. And that is making it easier to provide in remote areas, she added. Participants at the mobile industry's biggest annual global event discussed how telemedicine is doing more than just connecting doctors and patients over a video or voice call. Scroll down for video The arrival of blazing fast 5G wireless networks, which telecoms operators are starting to roll out, opens up new possibilities for telemedicine -- such as surgeries performed by remotely controlled robots. File photo A telemedicine cabin developed by French firm Health for Humanity (H4D) allows a doctor hundreds of miles away from a patient measure their pulse rate, temperature and blood oxygen level. The cabin -- dubbed the Consult Station -- is also equipped with tools that allow a doctor to carry out X-rays and hearing tests. Dozens of Consult Stations have so far been installed in France, Italy and Portugal and H4D is carrying out pilot projects in Canada, the United States, the Philippines and Dubai. But training doctors on how to carry out a clinical exam remotely is 'crucial' to the success of the service, said HD4 founder and president Franck Baudino. They have to learn how guide the patient through the process. Doctors were initially wary of the idea of telemedicine cabins when the company was founded in 2008 but have since warmed to them, he added. 'Ten years ago people looked at me as if I were an alien,' said Baudino, a French doctor who worked in remote African communities. 'Today people still think we are avant-garde but the big difference is that 10 years ago we were talking about the future, today it is systems that are already being used.' Market research firm Forrester predicts there will be more virtual visits to healthcare providers in the United States than in-person visits by the end of 2020. 'Up until this point there has been relatively slow growth in the telemedicine market,' said Jeff Becker, a health care IT expert at Forrester. 'We do think it has proven itself in these early years and that we are going to see broad adoption.' The arrival of blazing fast 5G wireless networks, which telecoms operators are starting to roll out, opens up new possibilities for telemedicine -- such as surgeries performed by remotely controlled robots. Spanish doctor Antonio de Lacy carried out the world's first 5G-power telemonitored operation on Wednesday from the Barcelona trade fair grounds. He provided real-time guidance via a 5G video link to a surgical team operating on a patient with an intestinal tumour about five kilometres (three miles) away at the Hospital Clinic. 'This is a first step to achieve our dream, which is to make remote operations in the near future,' said de Lacy. EXPLAINED: THE EVOLUTION OF MOBILE BROADBAND UP TO 5G The evolution of the G system started in 1980 with the invention of the mobile phone which allowed for analogue data to be transmitted via phone calls. Digital came into play in 1991 with 2G and SMS and MMS capabilities were launched. Since then, the capabilities and carrying capacity for the mobile network has increased massively. More data can be transferred from one point to another via the mobile network quicker than ever. 5G is expected to be 100 times faster than the currently used 4G. Whilst the jump from 3G to 4G was most beneficial for mobile browsing and working, the step to 5G will be so fast they become almost real-time. That means mobile operations will be just as fast as office-based internet connections. Potential uses for 5g include: Simultaneous translation of several languages in a party conference call Self-driving cars can stream movies, music and navigation information from the cloud A full length 8GB film can be downloaded in six seconds. 5G is expected to be so quick and efficient it is possible it could start the end of wired connections. By the end of 2020, industry estimates claim 50 billion devices will be connected to 5G. The evolution of from 1G to 5G. The predicted speed of 5G is more than 1Gbps - 1,000 times greater than the existing speed of 4G and could be implemented in laptops of the future Advertisement Doctors have performed surgeries in the past using wireless networks. What 5G does is increase image quality and definition, crucial for medical teams to take decisions with as much information as possible and reduce the risk of mistakes. This next-level cellular networks also greatly reduces latency -- the time it takes to get a response to information sent -- of wireless networks. That means images and data are relayed almost instantly. Telemedicine could be especially important in developing nations. Gifted Mom, a text-messaging service and app, gives women in out-of-the way rural communities across Cameroon free health advice from doctors. By 2020, it expects to reduce the number of women who die during childbirth in the African country by at least 70 percent. Even if many patients are still more comfortable being treated face-to-face, the use of telemedicine will 'definitely' continue, said Michael Barnett, a professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston who has studied the new techniques. 'The question is where it will plateau,' he added. 'Use is still pretty uncommon, so it still has plenty of room to grow.' On a busy day, contract employees in India monitoring nudity and pornography on Facebook and Instagram will each view 2,000 posts in an eight-hour shift, or almost four a minute. They are part of a 1,600-member team at Genpact, an outsourcing firm with offices in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad that is contracted to review Facebook content. Seven content reviewers at Genpact said in interviews late last year and early in 2019 that their work was underpaid, stressful and sometimes traumatic. The reviewers, all in their 20s, declined to be identified for fear of losing their jobs or violating non-disclosure agreements. Three of the seven have left Genpact in recent months. The working conditions described by the employees offers a window into the moderator operations at Facebook and the challenges faced by the company as it seeks to police what its 2 billion users post. File photo 'I have seen women employees breaking down on the floor, reliving the trauma of watching suicides real-time,' one former employee said. He said he had seen this happen at least three times. Reuters was unable to independently verify the incidents or determine how often they may have occurred. Genpact declined comment. The working conditions described by the employees offers a window into the moderator operations at Facebook and the challenges faced by the company as it seeks to police what its 2 billion users post. Their account contrasts in several respects with the image presented by three Facebook executives in interviews and statements to Reuters of a carefully selected, skilled workforce that is paid well and has the tools to handle a difficult job. Ellen Silver, Facebook's vice president of operations, acknowledged to Reuters that content moderation 'at this size is uncharted territory'. 'We care deeply about getting this right,' she said in January. 'This includes the training reviewers receive, our hiring practices, the wellness resources that we provide to each and every person reviewing content, and our overall engagement with partners.' While rejecting the Hyderabad employees' assertions about low pay, Facebook has said it had begun drafting a code of conduct for outsourcing partners but declined to give details. It has also said it would be introducing an annual compliance audit of its vendor policies this year to review the work at contractor facilities. The company is organising a first-ever summit in April to bring together its outsourcing vendors from around the world, with the aim of sharing best practices and bringing more consistency to how moderators are treated. Seven content reviewers at Genpact said in interviews late last year and early in 2019 that their work was underpaid, stressful and sometimes traumatic. File photo These efforts were announced in a blog post on Monday by Justin Osofsky, Facebook's vice-president of global operations. Facebook works with at least five outsourcing vendors in at least eight countries on content review, a Reuters tally shows. Silver said about 15,000 people, a mix of contractors and employees, were working on content review at Facebook as of December. Facebook had over 20 content review sites around the world, she said. Over a dozen moderators in other parts of the world have talked of similar traumatic experiences. A former Facebook contract employee, Selena Scola, filed a lawsuit in California in September, alleging that content moderators who face mental trauma after reviewing distressing images on the platform are not being properly protected by the social networking company. Facebook in a court filing has denied all of Scola's allegations and called for a dismissal, contending that Scola has insufficient grounds to sue. Some examples of traumatic experiences among Facebook content moderators in the United States were described this week by The Verge, a technology news website. The Genpact unit in Hyderabad reviews posts in Indian languages, Arabic, English and some Afghan and Asian tribal dialects, according to Facebook. On one team, employees spend their days reviewing nudity and explicit pornography. The 'counter-terrorism' team, meanwhile, watches videos that include beheadings, car bombings and electric shock torture sessions, the employees said. Those on the 'self-harm' unit regularly watch live videos of suicide attempts - and do not always succeed in alerting authorities in time, two of the employees said. They told Reuters they had no experience with suicide or trauma. Facebook said its policies called for moderators to alert a 'specially trained team' to review situations where there was 'potential imminent risk or harm.' The moderators who spoke to Reuters said in the instances they knew of, the trained team was called in when there was a possibility of a suicide, but the reviewers continued to monitor the feed even after the team had been alerted. Job postings and salary pay-slips seen by Reuters showed annual compensation at Genpact for an entry-level Facebook Arabic language content reviewer was 100,000 Indian rupees ($1,404) annually, or just over $6 a day. Facebook contended that benefits made the real pay much higher. On a busy day, contract employees in India monitoring nudity and pornography on Facebook and Instagram will each view 2,000 posts in an eight-hour shift, or almost four a minute. File photo The workers said they did receive transport to and from work, a common non-cash benefit in India. Moderators in Hyderabad employed by another IT outsourcing firm, Accenture, monitor Arabic content on YouTube on behalf of Google for a minimum of 350,000 rupees annually, according to two of its workers and pay slips seen by Reuters. Accenture declined to comment, citing client confidentiality. Facebook disputed the pay analysis, saying Genpact is required to pay above industry averages. The outsourcer, while declining to comment on its work for Facebook, said in a statement that its wages are 'significantly higher than the standard in the industry or the minimum wage set by law.' The Genpact moderators in Hyderabad said Facebook sets performance targets, which are reassessed from time to time, that are called Average Review Time or Average Handling Time. 'We have to meet an accuracy rate of 98 percent on massive targets,' one of the moderators told Reuters. 'It is just not easy when you are consistently bombarded with stuff that is mostly mind-numbing.' They said they often took work home on their laptops to keep up. Silver said handling time was tracked to assess whether Facebook needs more reviewers and whether its policies are clear enough. But she acknowledged some older procedures may have led moderators to feel pressured. The company also said it was increasing restrictions on workers' remote access to its tools. An ex-Facebook employee claims the social media platform is censoring content from some conservative publishers and commentators. The California-based social media giant has been accused of using software manipulation or 'special features' to 'deboost' traffic to certain sites and individuals, especially near elections. Facebook has denied the allegations - and claims the ex-employee was fired a year ago for 'breaking multiple employment policies'. The individual now works for the publication that published the expose - Project Veritas, a right-wing activist group. The unnamed ex-employee was hired as a content review analyst in Facebook's intellectual property department and was responsible for copyright and trademark claims. But during her employment at the tech firm, she says, she found a feature known as 'actiondeboostlivedistribution' attached to some conservative media outlets. She claimed this is responsible for throttling the circulation for the users it is attached to and directly interferes with posts. It is capable of disabling notifications and shares for example. The strategy also includes 'drastically limited bandwidth,' auto logouts for people trying to upload content and posts failing to upload without any valid reason. Screenshots released by Project Veritas show what it claims to be evidence of the demoting and effective censorship of content by Facebook. The anonymous whistle-blower said: 'They believe the election of Donald Trump was a fluke, it shouldn't have happened' (stock image) She revealed this was one of the 'methods of suppression' Facebook employed to prevent the widespread distribution of some media. A live video would be branded ActionDeboostLiveDistribution by Facebook and this would suppress the content. The activist group also claims there is no evidence that liberal outlets are subjected to the same rules. It claims this is evidence of anti-conservative bias. Facebook's response is that this is not true and instead the violation and subsequent suppression is as a result of broadcasting non-live videos and claiming they are live. This is a violation of Facebook's terms and conditions. The whistle-blower claims the label would be applied to 'several different conservatives pages'. She revealed she has found evidence of it on the sites of Mike Cernovich, Steven Crowder and the Daily Caller. Mike Cernovich is a prominent right-leaning social media personality and serves as a host on InfoWars, the show operated by Alex Jones which was banned on Facebook, Apple, YouTube, and Spotify last year. Steven Crowder is a conservative political commentator in the US and Canada and the Daily Caller is a conservative American news and opinion website. Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe, who narrates the video, said Facebook's practices are intended to affect right-wing users the hardest. Mr O'Keefe has a chequered history with video production when his previous work on ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) and NPR (National Public Radio) were found to be inaccurate. He was also arrested in 2010 when he, along with three accomplices, tried to break into a federal building disguised as a telephone repairman. He was later sentenced to three years of probation and 100 hours of community service. Facebook has refuted the allegations and says the ex-employee, who collected the information out of curiosity and not as part of her job, skewed its internal protocols. 'We fired this person a year ago for breaking multiple employment policies and using her contractor role at Facebook to perform a stunt for Project Veritas,' a Facebook spokesperson told The Verge. 'Unsurprisingly, the claims she is making validate her agenda and ignore the processes we have in place to ensure Facebook remains a platform to give people a voice, regardless of their political ideology.)' Facebook also stands accused by the ex-employee of targeting moderate right-leaning individuals and groups by labelling specific terms as offensive and censoring them. These include, she claims, phrases such as SJM and MSM for social justice media mainstream media - which are used regularly by independent conservative outlets but not by left-leaning groups. The insider stated in the Project Veritas interview : 'It was clearly kind of designed aimed to be the right-wing meme culture that's become extremely prevalent in the past few years. Project Veritas also posted online documents supporting the insider. Facebook stands accused by the ex-employee of targeting moderate right-leaning individuals and groups by labelling specific terms as offensive and censoring them (stock) 'And some of the words that appeared on there were, using words like SJW and MSM, the New York Times doesn't talk about the MSM. The independent conservative outlets are using that language.' Project Veritas also posted online documents supporting the insider. The anonymous whistle-blower added: 'They believe the election of Donald Trump was a fluke, it shouldn't have happened.' The Facebook insider believes a data science manager at the company, called Seiji Yamamoto, is the mastermind behind the 'dethrottling'. She claims his 'news feed reduction strategy' stems from Mr Yamamoto's concerns over hate speech and content near the perimeter. Mr Yamamoto's report also featured a line referred to the process of 'red-pilling', something it referred to as a 'destructive behaviour'. Project Veritas says this term is a phrase indicating 'bluntly showing the truth'. FACEBOOK'S PRIVACY DISASTERS April 2020: Facebook hackers leaked phone numbers and personal data from 553 million users online. July 2019: Facebook data scandal: Social network is fined $5billion over 'inappropriate' sharing of users' personal information March 2019: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg promised to rebuild based on six 'privacy-focused' principles: Private interactions Encryption Reducing permanence Safety Interoperability Secure data storage Zuckerberg promised end-to-end encryption for all of its messaging services, which will be combined in a way that allows users to communicate across WhatsApp, Instagram Direct, and Facebook Messenger. December 2018: Facebook comes under fire after a bombshell report discovered the firm allowed over 150 companies, including Netflix, Spotify and Bing, to access unprecedented amounts of user data, such as private messages. Some of these 'partners' had the ability to read, write, and delete Facebook users' private messages and to see all participants on a thread. It also allowed Microsoft's search engine, known as Bing, to see the name of all Facebook users' friends without their consent. Amazon was allowed to obtain users' names and contact information through their friends, and Yahoo could view streams of friends' posts. September 2018: Facebook disclosed that it had been hit by its worst ever data breach, affecting 50 million users - including those of Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg. Attackers exploited the site's 'View As' feature, which lets people see what their profiles look like to other users. Facebook (file image) made headlines in March 2018 after the data of 87 million users was improperly accessed by Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy The unknown attackers took advantage of a feature in the code called 'Access Tokens,' to take over people's accounts, potentially giving hackers access to private messages, photos and posts - although Facebook said there was no evidence that had been done. The hackers also tried to harvest people's private information, including name, sex and hometown, from Facebook's systems. Zuckerberg assured users that passwords and credit card information was not accessed. As a result of the breach, the firm logged roughly 90 million people out of their accounts as a security measure. March 2018: Facebook made headlines after the data of 87 million users was improperly accessed by Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy. The disclosure has prompted government inquiries into the company's privacy practices across the world, and fueled a '#deleteFacebook' movement among consumers. Communications firm Cambridge Analytica had 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 claimed 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. The data firm suspended its chief executive, Alexander Nix (pictured), 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 meant the company was able to mine the information of 87 million Facebook users even though just 270,000 people gave them permission to do so. 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 Mr Yamamoto's accused these sites of converting 'normies' to their point of view and Project Veritas called these people 'apolitical or uninformed people'. The internal documents do shed light on some of the social media firm's attitudes towards content management. One of its presentations dating back to 2017 suggested a 'Twilight Zone' for suspected trolls where activities online are hampered by what appear to be bugs. Issues logging in, mysterious diversions to the homepage and problems logging in are all part of this dark region on the fringes of Facebook. Another tactic Facebook considered employing was the use of naming and shaming. For example, threatening to inform Facebook friends when someone has posted something 'egregious'. It would potentially show a message that reads similar to 'John Smith's account has been suspected for 7 days because he shared hate speech in [a group].' It adds: 'Fear of being outed as a miscreant is what regulates behaviour in real like and we should re-introduce that to the online world.' A NASA rover equipped with a drill has collected micro organisms from three feet underground in Chile's Atacama desert, a study claims. It is hoped that the experiment will give scientists a clearer picture of what kind of bacteria they might expect to get from the arid soil on Mars. They use the Atacama desert as a testing ground because it is the most 'Mars-like' region on Earth and will accurately replicate the harsh, irradiated environment. The robotic rover collected micro-organisms from the subsurface soil ahead of NASA and European Space Agency missions to the Red Planet in 2020. The microbes they found had adapted to high salt levels, similar to what may be expected in the Martian subsurface. Scroll down for video A NASA rover equipped with a drill has collected micro organisms from three feet under the ground in Chile's Atacama desert. It is hoped that the experiment will give scientists a clearer picture of what kind of bacteria they might expect to get from the arid soil on Mars The robotic rover collected micro-organisms from the subsurface soil ahead of NASA and European Space Agency missions to the Red Planet in 2020. The microbes they found had adapted to high salt levels. Here, the drill attached to the rover Because of its high UV radiation exposure and very salty soil, the desert is the closest match and therefore the best place for simulating missions to this planet. Study leader Professor Stephen Pointing, of Yale-NUS College, Singapore, said: 'We have shown that a robotic rover can recover subsurface soil in the most Mars-like desert on Earth. 'This is important because most scientists agree that any life on Mars would have to occur below the surface to escape the harsh surface conditions where high radiation, low temperature and lack of water make life unlikely. 'We found microbes adapted to high salt levels, similar to what may be expected in the Martian subsurface. These microbes are very different from those previously known to occur on the surface of deserts. The autonomous solar-powered rover travelled 31 miles (50 km) over two types of terrain similar the surface of Mars. One was stony desert pavement, and the other was sandy and typical of the desert environment. The samples recovered by the autonomous rover contained unusual and highly specialised microbes that were distributed in patches. The scientists use Atacama desert because it is the most 'Mars-like' driest region on Earth and will replicate the harsh, irradiated environment. Experts say that future research includes drilling deeper to understand just how far down recoverable microbes occur Researchers then linked their dispersal to limited water availability, scarce nutrients and chemistry of the soil. The drill used in the study had a depth of 31.5 inches (80cm) and its samples were compared to those recovered by hand. In the coming years rovers will be deployed to Mars to drill below the ground to find evidence of past or present life. Mars missions hope to drill to approximately 2m and so having an Earth-based comparison will help identify potential problems and the interpretation of results. 'Ecological studies that help us predict the habitable areas for microbial communities in Earth's most extreme environments will also be critical to finding life on other planets,' said Professor Pointing. DNA sequencing found the results of each methods were similar and that the trial was a success. Mars missions hope to drill to approximately 2m and so having an Earth-based comparison will help identify potential problems and the interpretation of results. Here, Images of the surface of Mars taken by the European Space Agency Professor Pointing said future research includes drilling deeper to understand just how far down recoverable microbes occur. The tests also revealed that microbial life was very patchy and related to the limited water availability, scarce nutrients and geochemistry of the soil. Study co-author Dr Nathalie Cabrol, of The SETI Institute, said: 'These results confirm a basic ecological rule that microbial life is patchy in Earth's most extreme habitats, which hints that past or present life on other planets may also exhibit patchiness.' She added: 'While this will make detection more challenging, our findings provide possible signposts to guide the exploration for life on Mars, demonstrating that it is possible to detect life with smart robotic search and sampling strategies.' The findings of the study were published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology. One of the earliest tools for tattooing human skin has been discovered in America and it dates back 2,000 years. The primitive instrument is made of a skunkbush wooden handle and penetrating cactus-spines that were used to embed pigment under the skin. It was discovered and placed in storage more than 40 years ago but its true purpose has only just been discovered. The discovery sheds light on the mysterious ancestral Pueblo people that lived in modern-day Utah - where the pen-sized body art instrument was found. Little is known about this community and its culture and experts say the breakthrough could help unpick the traits of the extinct society. Scroll down for video A primitive tool made from a skunkbush handle and with a penetrating cactus-spine to put pigment under the skin (pictured) Experts from Washington State University used a variety of high tech imaging techniques to examine the object to analyse residue on the end of the cactus spines, which revealed that the residue was pigment used for tattooing. Andrew Gillreath-Brown, an anthropology PhD candidate at the university, saw the instrument for the first time while taking an inventory of archaeological materials. His discovery pushes back the earliest evidence of tattooing in western North America by more than 1,000 years. The scientist also claims it provides a rare glimpse into the lives of a prehistoric society whose customs and culture have largely been forgotten. Study lead author Mr Gillreath-Brown, said: 'Tattooing by prehistoric people in the South West is not talked about much because there has not ever been any direct evidence to substantiate it. 'This tattoo tool provides us information about past South Western culture we did not know before.' Tattooing is common among many indigenous cultures worldwide but its origins are a widespread mystery. In the south western United States, no tattoos have been identified on preserved human remains, and there are no ancient written accounts of the practice. Archaeologists have instead relied on visual depictions in ancient artwork and the identification of tattooing tools to trace the origins of the practice. Cactus spine tattoo tools from Arizona and New Mexico previously provided the best archaeological examples of early tattooing in the region. The earliest of these were dated to between 1100 and 1280AD. The pen-sized tool was discovered in storage after 40 years. It sheds light on the ancestral Pueblo people living in modern-day Utah and little is known about the communities and culture Study lead author Mr Gillreath-Brown, said: 'Tattooing by prehistoric people in the South West is not talked about much because there has not ever been any direct evidence to substantiate it Mr Gillreath-Brown says his discovery is 1,000 years younger. He added: 'When I first pulled it out of the museum box and realised what it might have been I got really excited.' The tool consists of a 3.5 inch wooden skunkbush sumac handle bound at the end with split yucca leaves holding two parallel cactus spines, stained black at their tips. Mr Gillreath-Brown said: 'The residue staining from tattoo pigments on the tip was what immediately piqued my interest as being possibly a tattoo tool.' The crystalline structure of the pigment determined it likely contained carbon, a common element in body painting and tattooing. Mr Gillreath-Brown added: 'The find has a great significance for understanding how people managed relationships and how status may have been marked on people in the past during a time when population densities were increasing in the South West.' The findings were published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. The first British-led expedition to the Antarctica to find 'lost' iron-rich meteorites that are permanently trapped under ice has returned with a haul of 36 rocks. Varying in size and mostly dark in colour, some of the rocks are being described as large as a melon'. Meteorites can provide important information about our solar system and planetary formation as they 'capture' data about the point in time they are formed. The meteorites sought by the research team are much harder to collect compared to common 'non-metallic' varieties as are not easily visible on the ice's surface. Similar meteorite expeditions have been regularly carried out since the 1970s by countries like Japan, Italy, China and the US, which has an annual Antarctic expedition. The first British-led expedition to the Antarctica to find 'lost' meteorites trapped under the ice's surface has returned with haul of 36 rocks. One of the meteorites (pictured) collected by the expeditioners from the Antarctica is roughly 20 cm long, roughly the size of a 'melon' This is the first ever expedition by a British team to the Antarctica to collect meteorites. Explorers from Manchester university examined an area described by one of the researchers as being 600 km from the coast and at an altitude of 1,100 m above sea level and being flat but surrounded by mountain ranges In a blog of the expedition, Dr Katherine Joy (pictured) from the University of Manchester said: 'We visited an area about 600 km or so from the coast, at an altitude of 1100 m above sea level. It was quite a flat region, but we could see mountain ranges around to give a sense of scale'. Researchers from the University of Manchester spent four weeks in the Antarctica skidding across ice on 'snowmobiles' collecting meteorite rocks. In a blog of the expedition, headed by researchers from the University of Manchester, Dr Katherine Joy from the School of Environmental Sciences said: 'We visited an area about 600 km or so from the coast, at an altitude of 1100 m above sea level. It was quite a flat region, but we could see mountain ranges around to give a sense of scale. From some initial tests that we do in the field when we collect them I think that most are likely to have come from different types asteroids but you never know, and when we have checked them more carefully I hope we might have one from the Moon or Mars.' The area that was visited by the team has never been explored before and was chosen for being an area with a likely higher density of meteorites than usual Dr Joy's team were on a specific mission to retrieve 'lost' iron-rich meteorites which heat up more than their non-metallic counterparts under the sun and therefore sink into the ice and become trapped underneath it. Even though the scientists think that most metallic meteorites are only trapped a few centimeters below the ice's surface, their location can significantly impede their identification and retrieval. Iron-rich meteorites are therefore notably under-represented in all meteorite collections expeditions in the Arctic, as well as across the globe. The team stayed in cabins at the Halley research station that has been built on a floating ice shelf in the Weddell Sea and then stayed in tents while carrying out the search and collection exercise. The area that was visited by the team has never been explored before and was chosen for being an area with a likely higher density of meteorites than usual. Dr Joy's team were on a specific mission to retrieve 'lost' iron-rich meteorites which heat up more than their non-metallic counterparts under the sun and therefore sink into the ice and become trapped underneath it Moving ice sheets in the Antarctica means the rocks that crashed there are moved towards the coast where they then normally run into the ocean. But some are 'stopped' on the way by physical landscape features such as mountain ranges, and end up in higher concentrations in certain areas. This makes it more likely for the rocks to be thrust to the ice's surface, although they are often still hidden beneath the ice's layers, particularly if they are metallic meteorites. Meteorites can tell us a great deal about the formation of our solar system as well as that of its planets. The period during the birth of the solar system saw space rocks swarming around the growing gravitational field of the Sun and colliding at a rapid rate to form the planets, moons and meteors we see today. The site of the expedition undertaken by Dr Katherine Joy and her team of researchers. The team stayed in orange coloured tents with two people in a tent while carrying out the search and collection of meteorites By analysing one of the meteorites, known as Orgueil, that formed during this period, scientists have been able to date the earth and tell more about the beginning of our solar system. The rock revealed the elemental building blocks for life and was shown to have crashed to Earth 4.5 billion years after its formation - the point at which our planetary system began. A chemical 'fingerprint' for oxygen, carbon and nitrogen was discovered hidden within the meteorite, opening the door for further research into how life blossomed on Earth and potentially on other planets, both in and outside our solar system. The iconic Razr flip phone is getting a futuristic facelift. Motorola has confirmed that it plans to reboot the Razr this summer as a folding phone with a touchscreen, CNET reported, citing sources close to the situation. Speculation has been building over the last few months that Motorola, which is owned by Chinese tech giant Lenovo, will launch a redesigned Razr phone. Scroll down for video Motorola has confirmed that it plans to reboot the Razr this summer as a folding phone with a touchscreen, CNET reported. Pictured are sketches of a folding device from a Motorola patent A source with knowledge of Motorola's plans told CNET that the foldable Razr would have a different design compared to other folding phones currently on the market. Samsung's $1,980 Galaxy Fold, debuted earlier this month, packs a 7.3-inch display when opened and a 4.6-inch display when closed. Meanwhile, Huawei's $2,600 Mate X, revealed this week at the annual Mobile World Congress conference, has a screen that measures 8 inches diagonally. The Galaxy Fold is slated to launch April 26th and the Mate X will hit the shelves later this year. A recent report from The Wall Street Journal claimed that the rebooted Razr device could be priced at $1,500. Dan Dery, Motorola's vice president of Global Product, told Engadget that a folding phone has been in the works for 'a long time.' The patent showed off a folding device that looks similar to the iconic flip phone (pictured), aside from a folding screen on the inside and another display on the outside of the device Sketches of the phone show that it would keep some elements of the 2000s-era Razr, like the large chin at the bottom of the phone, as well as the hinge allowing it to flip open and closed 'We started to work on foldables a long time ago,' Dery explained. 'And we have been doing a lot of iteration. He added that the company has 'no intention of coming later than everybody else in the market.' Motorola recently filed a patent showing off a folding device that looks similar to the iconic flip phone, aside from a folding screen on the inside and another medium-sized display on the outside of the device. While the Mate X and Galaxy Fold unfurl to become a larger device, Motorola's patent shows a phone that would be folded to become more compact and portable. Sketches of the device show that it would keep some of the familiar elements of the 2000s-era Razr, like the large chin at the bottom of the phone, as well as the hinge allowing it to flip open and closed. Dery told Engadget that the company was pursuing this type of design so that the screen would be less likely to become damaged. A source with knowledge of Motorola's said the foldable Razr would have a different design compared to other folding phones currently on the market, such as Huawei's Mate X (pictured) The foldable Razr would also differ from Samsung's Galaxy Fold (pictured), which launched earlier this month. The $1,980 device unfolds to become a 7.3-inch screen, the size of a tablet 'When you know the scratching issues you would be facing, you will have something that is very rapidly not usable,' he said. However, Dery said the firm is also exploring a device with a single screen that folds twice, leaving a third of the display visible when not in tablet mode, according to Engadget. That device is unlikely to be Motorola's first folding phone, though, as the design is quite complicated, he added. With a $1,500 price tag, it would cost more than double the original $600 Razr. It wouldn't mark the first time that Motorola has attempted to resurrect the Razr name. In 2011, the company partnered with Verizon to launch the Droid Razr, a smartphone that didn't replicate the original flip phone design, but instead featured a 4.3-inch display and claimed to be the 'world's thinnest smartphone' at 7.1mm thick. Married At First Sight's Bronson Norrish and new girlfriend Melissa Dobson have opened up about their romance for the first time. During an exclusive chat with Daily Mail Australia on Thursday, Perth-based pole dance instructor Melissa revealed the pair actually met 17 years ago. 'I was his high school crush,' said Melissa, 34, while revealing Bronson, 35, tracked her down last year after his 'marriage' to Ines Basic ended in October. 'I was his high school crush 17 years ago': Married At First Sight's Bronson Norrish and his new girlfriend Melissa Dobson shared candid details about their romance for the first time in an interview with Daily Mail Australia on Thursday After Bronson unexpectedly reached out to her, Melissa joked: 'I had no idea who he was, and I had to ask him, "Who are you? Sorry I don't remember [laughs]." 'It was 17 years since we last seen each other. We caught up and had a connection straight away and spoke about the old days. 'Every time we caught up, there was more and more we learnt about each other that we had in common. From there he swept me off my feet.' 'He swept me off my feet': Melissa, 34, revealed Bronson, 35, tracked her down last year after his 'marriage' to Ines Basic ended in October and he returned home to Perth He clearly hadn't forgotten! After Bronson unexpectedly reached out to her, Melissa jokes: 'I had no idea who he was, and I had to ask him, "Who are you? Sorry I don't remember [laughs]" Melissa, who is also a passionate charity worker in Western Australia and animal rescue advocate, added: 'It's all about timing and he really is an amazing guy.' The beauty concluded: 'I feel like I'm the most luckiest girl in the world.' Sharing his thoughts on their relationship, as they currently enjoy a romantic trip to Bali together, Bronson added: 'I am extremely happy.' Due to contractual restrictions attached to his appearance on Married At First Sight, Bronson said he is unable to say anything more. 'I am extremely happy': Bronson also gushed about their romance to Daily Mail Australia, with Melissa saying she 'feels like the luckiest girl in the world' Daily Mail Australia first revealed that Bronson had found love on Tuesday. Melissa went public with their romance on Monday night, sharing an intimate selfie of the pair captioned, 'Worth the wait' - before quickly deleting it. 'Once he returned to Perth after filming MAFS they reconnected and started dating,' a source close to Bronson initially said. Much needed break! The couple are currently enjoying a romantic holiday in Bali What a catch! Melissa, who works as a pole dance instructor in Perth, is also a passionate charity worker across Western Australia and an animal rescue advocate Bronson's happy ending will surely delight fans of Married At First Sight. The former stripper was matched with Ines Basic on the social experiment show, who instigated an 'affair' with co-star Sam Ball behind his back. Before the betrayal was exposed, Bronson had repeatedly attempted to salvage their 'marriage' - but Ines had stated she was only continuing on the show for Sam. They each chose to leave the reality program on Sunday, along with Sam and his 'wife' Elizabeth Sobinonff. 'I'm sad I'm leaving, I really was in it for the long haul,' said Bronson during his final scene, which was filmed in October 2018. Drake has a nice new ride on the way for spring. The Mob Ties rapper, 32, has plunked down an estimated $600,000 for Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Landaulet, an ultra-rare all-terrain vehicle that's a G-Wagen with convertible features. The Toronto, Canada native's go-to man for luxury vehicles, Tony Bet, posted a shot of the shiny black vehicle earlier this month, writing: 'Who wants this smirk of your face G class? G650 Maybach Landaulet in charging mode awaiting its journey.' Ready to ride: Drake, 32, has plunked down an estimated $600,000 for Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Landaulet, an ultra-rare all-terrain vehicle that's a G-Wagen with convertible features. The rapper was snapped earlier this month at the Grammy Awards in LA Vroom! The Toronto, Canada native's go-to man for luxury vehicles, Tony Bet, posted a shot of the shiny black vehicle earlier this month Bet, who's with the Driving Emotions Toronto dealership, added that the model was '1 OF 99 worldwide,' 'not available at your local mercedes dealer,' adding, 'Price tag: $$$$.' Drake left a comment underneath asking, 'Whos that for?' with an emoji of an angel to Bet, who went on to congratulate the rapper on his purchase last week. Mercedes-Benz describes the vehicle as the 'a unique combination of luxurious chauffeur saloon and off-roader,' with features including a 'superlative V12 engine, portal axles, electric fabric top and exclusive equipment specification in the rear compartment.' The interior of the vehicle is decked out in leather and includes a glass partition - that can be see-through or opaque - that separates the driver's area from the back of the vehicle, according to the auto manufacturer. Wheels: Last week, the automotive professional congratulated the rapper on his purchase King of the stage: Drake was snapped last year performing in New Orleans Comfort is also a key feature of the interior, as Mercedes-Benz boast, the 'active multicontour seats with energizing massage function have inflatable air chambers to provide high seating comfort and excellent lateral support.' Based on past manufacturer prices of $550,000, the In My Feelings performer likely invested more than $50,000 on upgrades. The rap artist, whose full name is Aubrey Drake Graham, can certain afford the pricey wheels as his career continues to surge, as he's achieving both critical acclaim and commercial success. He captured his second Grammy earlier this month, winning the award for Best Rap Song for God's Plan, and on Tuesday, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry declared him to be last year's best-selling musical artist. 'Drake has had an incredible, record-breaking year, one that is more than worthy of the title of Global Recording Artist of the Year,' the organization's chief executive Frances Moore told Billboard. 'That Drake has won this award for the second time is testament to his continued global appeal and his ability to engage and connect with fans.' Rounding out the IFPI's top five best-sellers are BTS, Ed Sheeran, Post Malone and Eminem. She has enjoyed a speaking tour of Australia and spent time at some of the most iconic places Down Under, including Sydney's Bondi Beach this week. And on Wednesday, it was time for British chef Nigella Lawson to leave one of her favourite countries. The 59-year-old - who recently went from a size 16 to a size 12 - covered her famous figure with a black trench coat as she jetted out of Sydney airport. Where to next? Nigella Lawson cut a casual figure in a trench coat and baggy trousers as she jetted out of Sydney on Wednesday She also wore wide-leg trousers and sneakers, opting for comfort for her flight. Nigella carried a metallic shoulder bag, and she wore natural-looking makeup as her shoulder length locks fell around her shoulders. Low-key! Nigella carried a metallic shoulder bag, and she wore natural-looking makeup as her shoulder length locks fell around her shoulders Ready to fly: Nigella was helped by an airport staff member who pushed her luggage in a trolley The TV presenter appeared in high spirits, smiling as she walked into the terminal while clutching her passport. Nigella made headlines this month after revealing how she felt 'exposed and under attack,' when she laid bare the 'traumatic' aftermath of her drug and marriage revelations. In a new interview with The Irish Times, the cook discussed the 'shame' she felt after the infamous row with now ex-husband, Charles Saatchi, and confessing in court she took cocaine. Relaxed: The TV presenter appeared in high spirits, smiling as she walked into the terminal Making headlines: Nigella made headlines this month after revealing how she felt 'exposed and under attack,' when she laid bare the 'traumatic' aftermath of her drug and marriage revelations Candid: In a new interview with The Irish Times, the cook discussed the 'shame' she felt after the infamous row with now ex-husband, Charles Saatchi (pictured with Charles at Scotts restaurant in London in June 2009) The 59-year-old told the publication: 'It was generally about feeling exposed and under attack. In a way, it would have been much better for me to be able to speak openly.' Nigella's comments refer to when she was pictured in a row with her husband of ten years, eating at their favourite restaurant and a trial with her former assistants. Shocking photos captured the moment Charles put his hands round a tearful Nigella's throat at their usual table outside Scott's restaurant, in London's Mayfair in 2013. Nigella also courted controversy when she said she had taken cocaine in a dramatic courtroom confession in 2014. In reference to both incidents, Nigella said: 'It goes against my nature not to... Everything I went through then, shame, various things, in a way gave me a form of trauma of its own.' 'And I don't think I've addressed that enough to talk about it.' Significantly Improved Financial Results Sydney, Feb 28, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - YPB Group Ltd ( ASX:YPB ) provides the Company's financial results commentary.- Reported net loss 64% improvement- EBITDA loss 30% improvement- Gross profit up 36%, operating costs down 24%- Further 23% cash overhead reduction in 2019- Operational revamp gaining traction, clear evidence H1 2019- Breakeven target in 2019EBITDA improves 30% - gross margin up, costs down2018 saw a significantly improved financial performance. The reported net loss fell 64% to $7.3m. This figure included impairments of intangibles of $2.4m in 2018 cf. $10.0m in 2017.More meaningfully, the EBITDA loss of $6.0m for 2018 was 30% lower than that of 2017. This was confirmed by net cash used in operating activities of $5.8m which was 25% lower in 2018.The improved result was driven by the combination of a higher gross margin from changed product mix against a lower cost base.Revenue was flat in 2018 from 2017 at $2.0m. Retail solutions revenue unexpectedly fell 22% ($0.2m) with the balance made up by higher anti-counterfeit (AC) and customer engagement (CE) sales. This changed product mix saw gross margin lift 18 percentage points to 68% which in turn lifted the gross profit contribution by a meaningful 36% to $1.3m.Clearly, both the level of profitability and profit leverage from selling high intellectual property products is significant and will be a key driver of the company's push toward profitability.Operating overhead costs were down 24% to the targeted $6.5m, although reported overhead costs were down 16% to $7.1m. The difference is comprised of much higher legal fees (significant dealings with ASX, ASIC and funders re a number of issues), non-recurring restructuring costs, currency movements increasing AUD costs of international operations and increased regulatory fees.As advised on 22 October 2018, additional cost reduction measures taken in Q4 2018 are expected to result in a further 23% reduction in cash overhead from $6.5m to $5.0m in 2019.Revenue shortfall necessitated external fundingAlthough financial performance improved in 2018, it was well short of plan. The greatest frustration, particularly after major restructuring in 2017 and early 2018, was the inability to drive revenue growth through the inability to successfully conclude multiple, imminent opportunities. The individuals responsible have since left the company.This significant revenue shortfall against budget meant the business continued to consume cash rather than becoming self-funding during the year as was planned. Even though the cost base was lower, the cost base had still been set for the much higher budgeted revenue which, if achieved, would have seen the company financially self-sufficient.Consequently, the revenue shortfall drove reliance on external funding which, in a difficult capital raising market, saw unfortunate new stock issuance at lower share prices.The board and all senior staff are extremely conscious of the cost to shareholders of new equity issuance to fund operations. The team is optimistic that the major operational improvements achieved in H2 2018 will translate into significant client wins and revenue growth as the year progresses.A further call on funds in 2018 was the need to repay the Bracknor convertible equity facility. By January 2nd, 2019, A$1.9m had been repaid to Bracknor to eliminate any further call on the company.Operational improvements not yet obvious but very realWhile financials are yet to demonstrate a better operating performance through increased revenue, internal progress has been significant in H2 2018 in terms of team quality, match fitness and capacity to start kicking meaningful revenue goals.With the wisdom of hindsight, the company's ambitions were too high - trying too hard in too many places with insufficiently skilled resources. Consequently, over the past 18 months:- The focus has been narrowed to obvious sectors;- In accessible geographies;- Taking novel, market-ready, rapid-payback products to markets;- With reinvigorated and new channel partners; and- Executed by a refreshed team with vastly higher sales skills and refined go-to-market plans and tactics.The team is executing well and evidence is expected to flow in coming months with new channel partners and prominent new clients.Other key operational developmentsMotif Micro - The completion of the acquisition of the global rights to the Motif Micro technology suite from a major educational institute in Boston, USA. Motif Micro is the most significant investment ever made by YPB in terms of its potential future value and MM is the heart of YPB's IP suite. MM is a completely novel technology that takes high security anticounterfeit technology fully integrated with customer engagement capabilities to the mass market for the first time.Smartphone breakthrough - In August 2018, a major advance with MM technology was announced with a world's first smartphone readability of a high security anti-counterfeit mark.Accolade Wines - Global wine major Accolade to trial YPB technologies in the Grant Burge range of wines.Cannabis Confirmed - Partnering with a major international e-commerce leader in cannabis, Canadian company Namaste Technologies ( CVE:N ), to create Cannabis Confirmed. This initiative aspires to become the trust and engagement standard for the global legal cannabis market.Cannabis equipment vendors - Four signed under Namaste partnership.China channel partners - Three new channel partners supplying product to global majors in oil, electronics and automotive, and a domestic FMCG producer.YPB TokenGiven the current lack of liquidity in the crypto market, and the emergence of new commercial opportunities for applied use cases, the go-to-market strategy for the YPB token is currently being reworked with the company's token facilitators FGF with a view to delivering the commercial outcomes previously anticipated. Subject to further discussions with external stakeholders, the new plans for the YPB Token are expected to be announced in the near term. As previously advised, the Company has obtained regulatory clearance (ASX, ASIC) in the form of 'no objections' and has AFSL coverage to facilitate the launch of the token.Outlook.As stated in the company's 4C commentary of February 1st, 2019, significant progress in client wins and new revenues is expected in coming months in- Wine;- Cannabis;- Pharma;- Health and beauty; and- Retail Anti-Theft and Engagement.These will be driven by a better team with better vertical targeting of standardised solutions into key sectors via active channel partners resulting in greater sales success with shorter sales cycles.The key door opener for significant new business is the Motif Micro IP allowing smartphone readability to transform packaging into a smart, low cost, new customer engagement channel.The primary financial goal for 2019 is to become self-funding as quickly as possible. Revenue growth will be the key driver and it in turn will be determined by the timing of new client wins and billings. Such timing cannot presently be determined but revenue growth is expected to accelerate through the year.A more thorough review of strategy and developments will be detailed in the forthcoming Annual Report.YPB Executive Chairman said: "2018 was an improvement on the prior year but fell well short of our objectives. The company's rebuild has been harder and longer than expected but I reiterate my confidence in 2019 proving transformational. We expect to win significant new clients capable of meaningfully lifting revenues. I expect YPB's potential will be clearly demonstrated in 2019 and the rebuilding of shareholder value advanced."About YPB Group Ltd DEACTIVATED They're the electronic duo known for their down-to-earth nature. And on Wednesday, Peking Duck's Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles were left in stitches after children hilariously interviewed them on NewsHub. Adorable Sam, nine, and seven-year-old Ruby took the opportunity to grill the stars about their dancing skills and alcohol consumption. 'Was that you dancing or the alcohol?' Peking Duk's Adam Hyde (L) and Reuben Styles (R) were left gobsmacked after children hilariously grilled them in an interview on Wednesday. Pictured in November 2018 'In your music video Wasted, was that you dancing or the alcohol?' A cheeky Sam asked the duo. Looking gobsmacked, an amused Adam responded: 'No alcohol was consumed during that shoot. 'Cause you can have fun without alcohol!' The little girl then offered Adam priceless advice on why he shouldn't be busting moves while intoxicated. 'Don't dance drunk 'cause after that you won't have any friends,' she sternly said. 'No alcohol was consumed during that shoot. 'Cause you can have fun without alcohol!' A gobsmacked Adam (R) said during the interview. Pictured with Reuben (L) in 2017 Agreeing, Adam clapped: 'Yeah, exactly!' whilst Rueben said: 'That's genius!' Peking Duck are set to kick off their 2019 national Australian tour on the 28th of March, starting at The Northern in Byron Bay. In a statement to Music Feeds last December, they said: 'We are so damn stoked to announce this tour.' They continued: '2019 is going to be the best year for Peking Duk yet. We'll be releasing a lot of the best music we've ever written and we plan to put on the biggest, sweatiest and wildest shows of all time. 'First taste of the new music is out in January and more to follow early in 2019. We can't wait to share it with everyone and see your faces at the shows.' She was seen at the Dior show earlier this week, attending her first public event since confirming her engagement to art gallery director Cooke Maroney. And Jennifer Lawrence was spotted enjoying a night out in the French capital on Tuesday following another busy day at Paris Fashion Week. The actress, 28, kept a low profile during her outing, rocking a camo print denim jacket. Stepping out: Jennifer Lawrence was spotted enjoying a night out in the French capital on Tuesday following another busy day at Paris Fashion Week JLaw completed her look with a brown toned silk skirt and a pair of shades, cutting a casual figure. The Passengers star wore her blonde locks tied back and hid behind a pair of shades - even at night. She kept her engagement ring under wraps as she returned to her hotel. Keeping it casual: The actress, 26, kept a low profile during her outing, rocking a camo print denim jacket Jennifer had turned heads the previous day when she arrived at the Dior Autumn/Winter Paris Fashion Week presentation at the Musee Rodin. The Oscar-winning actress looked delighted as she flashed her diamond for the cameras while sitting front row at the show alongside Cara Delevingne, 26, marking her first public event since announcing her engagement. The Silver Linings Playbook star looked chic in a charcoal grey tweed collared skater dress, which was belted at the middle to showcase her slim waist. Stunning: Jennifer had turned heads the previous day when she arrived at the Dior Autumn/Winter Paris Fashion Week presentation at the Musee Rodin Bling: The actress and art gallery director Cooke, 34, had been dating for eight months when he proposed Jennifer teamed the garment with monochrome plaid kitten heels and a black patent leather Dior handbag. The talented actress threw on dark shades and a stylish black fedora as she arrived at the presentation alongside a star-studded crowd. Jennifer and Cara seemed to be having a blast as they sat on the front row, laughing and joking as they chatted away before the show started. The star's high-profile Parisian appearance marks her first event since announcing her engagement earlier this month. The actress and art gallery director Cooke, 34, had been dating for eight months when he got down on one knee and popped the question. New bling! The Oscar-winning actress, 28, looked delighted as she flashed her diamond for the cameras while sitting front row at the show alongside supermodel Cara Delevingne High profile: The Dior show marked Jennifer's first public event since announcing her engagement to art gallery director Cooke Maroney earlier this month The happy couple are believed to have been introduced by Jennifer's best friend, Laura Simpson. Cooke works at New York's Gladstone Gallery, which represents artists including Lena Dunham's dad, Carroll Dunham, as well as Richard Prince, Anish Kapoor, and Bjork's ex, Matthew Barney. While he is now very much part of the New York social scene, Cooke, like his new fiancee grew up in the countryside, spending his childhood on his parent's farm in Vermont. Elegant: The Silver Linings Playbook star looked chic in a charcoal grey tweed collared skater dress, which was belted at the middle to showcase her slim waist J'adore Dior! Jennifer teamed the garment with monochrome plaid kitten heels and a black patent leather Dior handbag Hot ticket! The Dior showcase took over the iconic Musee Rodin in the French capital His father was an art dealer in Manhattan and previously served as the Head of American Paintings at Christie's before the family decided to move to the country. While neither Jennifer or Cooke have spoken publicly about their relationship, insiders have gushed about their chemistry, with a source telling People in August: 'She is smiling like I have never seen her do with any of her previous boyfriends.' The relationship begun just months after Jennifer split from Mother! director Darren Aronofsky, 49, in November 2017 after a year of dating. It was claimed their age gap caused problems with their romance, and the actress admitted they were never able to switch off from talking about work after meeting on the set of the widely-panned horror movie. City of light: The talented actress threw on dark shades and a stylish black fedora as she arrived at the presentation alongside a star-studded crowd Catching up: Jennifer and Cara seemed to be having a blast as they sat on the front row, laughing and joking as they chatted away before the show started (pictured with Karlie Kloss) Prior to her relationship with the film-maker, Jennifer enjoyed a romance with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, 41, beginning in August 2014, just five months after his ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow, 46, filed for divorce. The A-list couple dated for four months before they broke up the first time in October of that year. They reunited in December and parted ways once again, this time for good, in August 2015. Jennifer's longest relationship was with her co-star Nicholas Hoult, 29, enjoying a on/off five-year relationship after meeting on the set of X-Men First Class in 2010. Loved up: The star's high-profile Parisian appearance marks her first event since announcing her engagement earlier this month Hat's the way to do it! Leather bucket hats, plaid material, flowing skirts and chunky boots seemed to be a key feature of the Dior presentation The Kentucky-born actress and British star were together for three years before a brief split in 2013. The couple reunited both off and onscreen in X-Men: Days Of Future Past, but called it quits for good in August 2014. In November 2015, the actress reflected on the relationship, which ended around the same time she wrapped her hit Hunger Games film franchise. She said in an interview with ABC News: 'I was also in a relationship with somebody for five years and we broke up around the same time I wrapped the movies. 'Being 24 was this whole year of, "Who am I without these movies? Who am I without this man?"' Wedding bells: Jennifer has been open about her journey to finding the one in past interviews, telling Vogue in 2015: 'I can't wait to be married A-list: The Dior show kicked off Paris Fashion Week with a very star-studded start Nicholas welcomed a child with his lingerie model girlfriend Bryana Holly last year. Stepping out in style: The American beauty put her best foot forward as she headed out in Paris While many of her past relationships have been conducted under the gaze of the world, Jennifer and Cooke have enjoyed their romance away from the public eye, taking low-key trips to Europe and being spotted on dinner dates in New York. While they haven't walked a red carpet together, in September Jennifer took Cooke to the New York Film Festival premiere of The Favourite, which stars her ex Nicholas Hoult and her close friend Emma Stone. Also in attendance was the actress' other ex Darren Aronofsky. Jennifer has been open about her journey to finding the one in past interviews, telling Vogue in 2015: 'I can't wait to be married. 'I feel like if I find that one person who I want to spend the rest of my life with, who I want to be the father of my children, that I would absolutely not f**k it up.' Looking good: The blonde beauty was elegantly clad in her cute skater style dress He starred in one of the most famous and acclaimed mob movies of all time - Martin Scorcese's Goodfellas. And now Ray Liotta is set to join the cast of Davide Chase's Sopranos prequel The Many Saints Of Newark. Deadline.com reported Wednesday that Liotta, 64, is in negotiations to come on board the movie set at the time of tensions between African Americans and Italian Americans that led to riots in 1967 in Newark, New Jersey. Back to the mob: Ray Liotta, 64, is set to join the cast of Davide Chase's Sopranos prequel The Many Saints Of Newark, Deadline.com reported Wednesday Classic: Liotta starred in Martin Scorcese's acclaimed mob movie Goodfellas with Robert De Niro, Paul Sorvino and Joe Pesci. The film was released in 1990 In a statement, Liotta said he was 'thrilled to be working' with Chase and Alan Taylor who is set to direct the film. 'I respect them both immensely and look forward to making this special project with New Line,' he added. The actor, who starred as Henry Hill in 1990's Goodfellas, was born and raised in Newark. He's the latest Goodfellas actor to be associated with The Sopranos. Twenty-seven people who appeared in the Scorsese film also had roles in the HBO series, according to Deadline.com, including Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Frank Vincent and Tony Sirico. Leading role: Alessandro Nivola was the first actor to be cast in the prequel and will star as Dickie Moltisanti, the father of the TV series character Christopher On board: Other announced castmembers include Vera Farmiga, left,and Corey Stoll, right He joins the already announced cast of Alessandro Nivola, Vera Farmiga, Jon Bernthal, Billy Magnussen, Corey Stoll and Michael Gandolfini, the son of the late Sopranos star James Gandolfini. Little is known about the characters that will be featured in The Many Saints Of Newark as Sopranos creator David Chase is keeping his cards close to his chest. Chase is co-writing the screenplay with Lawrence Konner who wrote for The Sopranos and also for Boardwalk Empire. Director Taylor helmed nine episodes of The Sopranos as well as directing episodes of Game Of Thrones, Mad Men and the film Thor: The Dark World. All that's been revealed so far is that Nivola will play Dickie Moltisanti, the father of the TV series character Christopher, and Gandolfini will play the young version of his father's mob boss character Tony Soprano. Chip off the old block: Michael Gandolfini, the 19-year-old son of the late Sopranos star James Gandolfini, will play his famous father's character Tony Soprano as a young man Backstory: The Sopranos centered around mob boss Tony, played by Gandolfini, who sought treatment for panic attacks. The show ran for six seasons on HBO from 1999 to 2007 The Sopranos centered around mob boss Tony who sought treatment for panic attacks and ran for six seasons on HBO from 1999 to 2007. It made a star of actor James Gandolfini and won numerous awards including Golden Globes, Emmys and SAG Awards. Gandolfini died suddenly of a heart attack while visiting Rome, Italy, on June 19, 2013. He was 51. Earlier this month, Michael Gandolfini, 19, told TMZ that he's psyched to be playing his famous father's character as a young man in the prequel. 'It's exciting to step into the shoes of my dad,' he said. 'I'm real excited, it's going to be great!' he said. Michael, whose mother Marcy Wudarski was married to Gandolfini from 1999 to 2002, was chosen because his looks and mannerisms so closely align with his father's. The teen actor's previous credits include a role in Ocean's Eight and a recurring role on HBO's The Deuce. Highly anticipated: Little more is known about the characters that will be featured in The Many Saints Of Newark as Sopranos creator David Chase is keeping his cards close to his chest Now that Rami Malek has an Academy Award, his sights might be set on being a Bond villain. The 37-year-old actor, who triumphed at Sunday's Oscars, has been linked to the upcoming 25th James Bond film - Bond 25 - as the chief antagonist of Daniel Craig's titular character, Variety reports. Producers have been determined to sign up Malek for months, sources told the outlet, with the main obstacle being his availability to shoot the film this spring concurrent with his work on Mr. Robot's last season, which he's slated to shoot. Scroll below for video Next up? Rami Malek, 37, who triumphed at Sunday's Oscars, has been linked to the upcoming 25th James Bond film - Bond 25 - as the chief antagonist of Daniel Craig's titular character, Variety reports Producers have been looking into whether they can tailor a schedule to the actor's availability so he can film both, insiders told the outlet. Malek's career is at a fever pitch in the wake of his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in the film Bohemian Rhapsody, which landed him the Best Actor Oscar. The gold statue marked the end of a fruitful award season for Malek, who also captured a BAFTA Film Award, a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance as the Queen frontman. Also linked to the milestone motion picture is actor Billy Magnussen, who sources told the outlet looks to be the favorite to play a CIA operative. Magnussen has previously worked with the film's writer-director Cary Joji Fukunaga on Netflix's Maniac. Milestone: Daniel Craig will reprise the role of James Bond for the upcoming movie King of the hill: Malek's portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody landed him the Best Actor Oscar Sunday Other prominent roles in the motion picture yet to be cast include a pair of key female characters, of an MI6 agent and another villain, according to the outlet, noting that actress reads opposite Craig are in the works. Insiders told Variety that a recent draft of the film Fukunaga submit earlier this year was agreeable with Craig and produicers. The cast of the film currently features Lea Seydoux as Madeleine Swann, Ralph Fiennes as M, Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny, and Ben Whishaw as Q. Bond 25 is tentatively slated to hit theaters April 8, 2020. Nine News presenter Julie Snook has revealed her heartbreaking battle with endometriosis, which has resulted in her having 12 surgeries to combat the condition. The 31-year-old said she was diagnosed with endometriosis at just 19 years old. Speaking to WHO magazine, Julie said she is 'terrified' that she won't be able to conceive naturally with partner, Hugo Johnstone-Burt. 'It's terrifying': Nine News presenter Julie Snook has revealed her heartbreaking battle with endometriosis, which has resulted in her having 12 surgeries to combat the condition (pictured with partner Hugo Johnstone-Burt) 'It's terrifying... For now, it's just day by day,' Julie said. The TV star said she does everything to keep healthy 'in the hopes that you can have a family down the track.' She added that Hugo is her biggest support when it comes to her condition, where she suffers severe pain and bloating. Concerned: The TV star said she does everything to keep healthy 'in the hopes that you can have a family down the track' 'I have a wonderfully supportive partner': She added that Hugo is her biggest support when it comes to her condition, where she suffers severe pain and bloating (pictured posing for WHO this week) 'I have a wonderfully supportive partner, so I'm one of the lucky ones because when you go home, that's when your guards down and you can really go through the motions of whatever the pain might be,' she explained to the magazine. Julie and actor Hugo met in 2016 at a Sydney pub. In May last year, the pair told TV Week that it took Hugo 'months' to convince her to go on a date with him. 'Boy sees girl, boy has 27 beers to get up the courage to speak to girl and then slurs a few words, girl doesn't like him, boy hits her up on social media... and then the real love story started,' Hugo told the publication. 'She didn't like me at first.' Julie also joked that she will never get used to the idea of her man kissing another woman for his job. 'I can never get used to it,' Julie said. Sweet: Julie and actor Hugo met in 2016 at a Sydney pub. In May last year, the pair told TV Week that it took Hugo 'months' to convince her to go on a date with him The Wiggles star Emma Watkins has had a well publicised battle with endometriosis over the years. And now the 29-year-old has revealed that she leaned on her bandmates, including estranged husband Lachlan Gillespie, while recovering from surgery for the condition last year. Speaking to WHO magazine on Thursday, Emma said: 'It's so great having them and having Lachie as my best friend.' 'I'm so lucky': Yellow Wiggle Emma Watkins leaned on estranged husband Lachlan Gillespie last year during her battle with endometriosis She added: 'I'm so lucky.' Emma took six weeks off work last April after undergoing grueling surgery that left her so sore she was unable to roll over or make a cup of tea. Last year, the children's entertainer spoke about her secret struggle with the painful condition in an interview with The Australian Women's Weekly. 'As a dancer I've always been used to pushing through, so even though I was bleeding every day for over six months, initially I thought it was just touring and constantly changing time zones,' she said. Struggle: Emma took six weeks off work last April after undergoing grueling surgery that left her so sore she was unable to roll over or make a cup of tea Emma added: 'I guess there was also an assumption on my part that it wasn't appropriate to mention [the symptoms].' When she did reveal to her bandmates that she was in pain, Emma was overwhelmed with their kindness. 'They are the most caring, gentle men but it just sort of snowballed and before I knew it, I was having an operation,' she said. Ordeal: Emma added: 'I guess there was an assumption on my part it wasn't appropriate to mention [the symptoms]' Discussing her operation in a previous interview with The Daily Telegraph, Emma said: 'I lost so much blood I had an infusion, and that's when it started to hit me. 'I had had really bad periods since school pretty much, but when the doctors are actually in there, they can see the severity. 'It seemed worse than I had thought, and [worse than] they thought as well.' 'They are the most caring, gentle men': When Emma did reveal to her bandmates that she was in pain, Emma was overwhelmed with their kindness. Pictured: The Wiggles in May 2016 On Tuesday he was criticized on social media for 'pretending to be poor' after wife Kim Kardashian posted pictures of the couple eating in a modest kitchen. But on Wednesday, Kanye West flaunted his wealth as he cheerfully posed for photographers next to his 2019 Lamborghini Urus, valued at a cool $200,000. The 41-year-old rapper's hair was dyed in an eye-watering rainbow color combination as he parked outside his Los Angeles Office. Pose: On Wednesday, Kanye West flaunted his wealth as he cheerfully posed for photographers next to his 2019 Lamborghini Urus, valued at a cool $200,000 The Black Skinhead hitmaker paired the eccentric hairstyle with a very casual ensemble for his day of work. Kanye wore a faded black sweater with matching sweatpants, which he tucked into black combat boots. Over the top of this dark outfit, the father-of-three had slipped on a large, camouflage coat. He accessorized with a bevy of gold chains. Yikes: The 41-year-old rapper's hair was dyed in an eye-watering rainbow color combination as he parked outside his Los Angeles Office Casual: The Black Skinhead hitmaker paired the eccentric hairstyle with a very casual ensemble for his day of work Money well spent: Kanye wore a faded black sweater with matching sweatpants, which he tucked into black combat boots But West's most eye-catching accessory was his pricey Lamborghini 'Super Sport Utility Vehicle'. The luxury vehicle was cream in color and boasted brushed steel rims. Kanye played up for the cameras, striking a series of exaggerated poses while crouched next to and leaning against the car. Where'd he go? Over the top of this dark outfit, the father-of-three had slipped on a large, camouflage coat No expense spared: But West's most eye-catching accessory was his pricey Lamborghini 'Super Sport Utility Vehicle Clowning: Kanye played up for the cameras, striking a series of exaggerated poses while crouched next to and leaning against the car Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the POWER rapper and wife Kim Kardashian were mercilessly mocked for 'pretending to be poor' and 'using the lower and middle class as some type of aesthetic.' The couple, who are worth a cool $350million shared a throwback snap of themselves having a simple breakfast in a low-key kitchen on Instagram. 38-year-old Kim's image showed Kanye eating from a bowl, a plastic bottle of milk in front of him, as she sat with her legs on her chair, watching her husband in the 1950s-style kitchen. Stay gold: He accessorized with a bevy of gold chains Simple pleasures: On Tuesday he was criticized on social media for 'pretending to be poor' after wife Kim Kardashian posted pictures of the couple eating in a modest kitchen They were taken in music producer Rick Rubin's Shangri La Malibu recording studio and are worlds away from the setting of Kim and Kanye's lavish Calabasas mansion. Rubin is an icon in the industry and has not only worked with Kanye but several top-tier talent including Adele, Lady Gaga, Jay Z, Johnny Cash, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Justin Timberlake. Fans posted in the comments: 'Using the lower and middle class as some type of aesthetic.. keep it classy '@kimkardashian & Ye.' 'I wish I could pretend being poor instead of actually being it.' Melissa Lucarelli had a meltdown when she learned on Wednesday that her 'husband' Dino Hira had secretly recorded her phone conversation with her sister. And a criminal lawyer has now weighed in on the legality of the Married At First Sight star's actions, which Melissa furiously insisted had broken her 'trust and respect'. 'Under the Invasion Of Privacy Act of 1971, people are afforded a certain level of privacy,' Nick Dore, of Fisher Dore Lawyers, told Hit 105's Stav, Abby and Matt. 'People are afforded a certain level of privacy': A lawyer has weighed in on the legality of MAFS' Dino Hira secretly recording his 'wife' Melissa Lucarelli's (pictured) phone chat with her sister 'Technically, if youre having a private conversation with another person, anyone of that party could record the conversation,' he went on. 'But a third party is unable to record the conversation, if it's expressed that its a private conversation.' Nick drew this out in layman's terms, explaining that if he was in a private room like a closed office he could expect privacy, but somewhere more public like a busy cafe would be different. 'If I'm having a conversation with someone and I shut the door and someone puts a listening device to the door and records it, that would be a breach of privacy,' Nick said. Interesting: He suggested that because Melissa didn't outline expressly that it was a private conversation - by closing the door for example - Dino's actions may not count as a breach of of privacy 'However, if Im on the phone sitting in a coffee shop and someone overhears and records it, there may be an argument that you werent affording yourself privacy,' he added. 'You're having a conversation that youre letting people hear, youve indicated that it's not a private conversation.' Dino was in bed while Melissa was talking to her sister in the other room. The lawyer suggested that because Melissa didn't outline expressly that it was a private conversation - by closing the door for example - Dino's actions may not count as a breach of of privacy. Hmm: The lawyer explained in layman's terms: 'If Im on the phone sitting in a coffee shop and someone overhears and records it, there may be an argument that you werent affording yourself privacy' Recalling his behaviour, Dino told producers on Wednesday: 'When I was in bed last night, I overheard Melissa saying some unkind things to her sister in a phone conversation. 'She was complaining about my vows, saying they're a joke and how she was carrying us as a couple.' But when he admitted to Melissa that he not only heard her conversation, but recorded it, the 38-year-old talent agent was left enraged. 'I actually feel sick about it! You have violated my trust and my respect. What you did was sneaky and calculated. I have no trust for you!' she fumed. 'I am so done!' When Dino admitted to Melissa that he not only heard her conversation, but recorded it, the 38-year-old talent agent was left enraged. 'I feel betrayed by him doing that, he listened to my conversation and pretended to be asleep,' she added. During the dinner party, she broke down in tears after confronting her TV husband about secretly recording her. 'I'm so done. I am so done. I am so sick of this!' the upset blonde said to Dino while sobbing uncontrollably. Enraged by her spiritual groom's inability to clarify the situation, she shouted in front of the other guests: 'Dino, just own what you did! This is bulls**t.' Wiping tears from her face, Melissa said she was 'so done' as she stormed out of the party and did not return. TV presenter Yumi Stynes has spoken candidly about her 'long-time battle with booze', three years after getting sober. Speaking with Who magazine on Thursday, the 43-year-old confessed that 'one drink was never enough' before detailing how sobriety has totally transformed her life. Yumi had previously told The Sydney Morning Herald, 'I loved to drink. It was the medicine that got me through life', but the outspoken star told Who she relied on alcohol too much, after having first tried liquor at the age of 15. 'Alcohol was the medicine that got me through life!' On Thursday, Yumi Stynes spoke candidly with Who magazine about her 'long-time battle with booze'... three years after going sober. She is pictured at left several years ago The mother-of-four has now been sober for more than two-and-a-half years, and it appears she'll never go turn back to drinking. Yumi explained that sobriety has made things more manageable, saying: 'It's like you quit drinking and suddenly all this s**t opens up, wide open. All the things you couldn't do or were too hard, that's the s**t you can do now you're sober'. The former TV star's candid interview with Who comes a month after she went 'undercover' on Tinder to gain an understanding of what it's like for single women on dating apps. No going back! The mother-of-four has now been sober for more than two-and-a-half years, and it appears she'll never go turn back to drinking Yumi downloaded Tinder as part of an expose penned for Marie Clare magazine. In her article, the popular personality revealed that she received shocking messages from potential suitors. 'I felt disgusted and diminished,' she emotionally declared. Candid interview: Yumi told Who that 'one drink was never enough' before she detailed how sobriety has totally transformed her life Yumi said the recent case of a British backpacker who was allegedly murdered after a Tinder date in New Zealand made her concerned for female friends who use the app. 'I don't think men wonder, "Will I end up dead at the end of this date? [Or] bashed or raped?"' she wrote. Thankfully, Yumi does not have to resort to dating apps as she has been happily married for six years. The star tied the knot with political consultant Martin Bendeler in 2012. Making headlines: It comes after Yumi she found herself the centre of controversy following an appearance on Studio 10 Megan Barton Hanson seemed to be embracing a look plucked from the Nineties on Wednesday night, as she donned a see-through mesh top for a night out a Radio 1's Big Weekend party held at London's Shoreditch House. It was the Love Island's stars first outing since claims surfaced that she had signed a big money deal to become the face of Matt Fiddes' new Pilates Company. Highlighting her ample bust Megan, 24, left little to the imagination as she wore the revealing top and camouflage combat trousers for the occasion, finishing the ensemble with a long blonde wig. Jaw-dropping: Megan Barton Hanson channelled Nineties on Wednesday night, as she left London's Shoreditch House after attending Radio 1's Big Weekend event Flashing her amazing physique, Megan ensure that all eyes were on her as she exited the exclusive venue, donning the revealing black mesh top with printed combat trousers. The Essex beauty finishing the look wither towering strapped heels as she jumped into a waiting taxi, where she chatted to her female pal. Megan was also sporting a long black blonde wig in a poker straight style as she exited the bar, amid claims she has already signed her next big money deal. Amazing: Megan made sure that all eyes were on her as she donned a see-through black mesh top and bra, teamed with printed camouflage trousers Statement: The Essex beauty accessorised her look with black thin-strapped heels, as she also donned a long blonde straight wig Celebrating? The outing was Megan's first since it was claimed that she is set to become the face of trainer Matt Fiddes new Pilates company Quirky: Megan finished her 90s-inspired look with a long blonde straight wig, as she made a dramatic exit for the evening Giddy: After leaving the bar, Megan couldn't stop smiling as she jumped into a taxi, after enjoying the night out with a female pal Exciting: A source claimed earlier in the day that Megan was set to be the face of the new Pilates campaign, and would travel to Australia to launch the venture Hours earlier a source told The Sun that Megan would join forces with her trainer Matt - who previously worked as a bodyguard for Michael Jackson. It was also claimed that the reality TV star will travel to Australia to officially launch the venture, and will also visit UK schools to talk about anti-bullying. The source said: 'Matt has been impressed with Megan's entrepreneurial flare and is giving her a huge opportunity to be part of his award winning global brand. 'The deal will also see Megan fly to Oz where she will also launch Pilates to Matt's customer's out there. 'It is claimed that Megan and Matt will also be embarking on a UK nationwide school tour where they will talk to children about anti bullying which is a topic close to both their hearts.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Megan Barton Hanson for comment. Excited: Megan certainly seemed as if she had something to celebrate as she climbed into the car after a fun-filled evening Throwback! Her ensemble and its street chic feel seemed to be plucked straight from the Nineties, as she also flaunted her ample cleavage in the sheer top Fun night? As the taxi left the bar, Megan was seen chatting to her female pal after making a bleary-eyed exit from the bar Back to work? Megan seems to have thrown herself back into work following her split from Wes Nelson last month Megan has previously lauded her close friendship with Matt after weeks of training with him, as she posted a snap of them together earlier this month. Alongside the touching post she wrote: 'Thank you @officialmattfiddes for all your love and support throughout this tough month. 'You have been my Rock! Training with you has really helped me stay calm and clear my mind. I honestly believe people cross paths for a reason.' Matt had previously worked as the UK bodyguard for Michael Jackson before his death in 2009. Big job: Megan recently described Matt as her 'rock', amid claims that they will join forces for the venture In shape: It was also claimed that the pair would visit UK schools to speak about anti-bullying Soldiering: Megan has of course gone through a tough time in recent weeks, and posted on Wednesday about 'struggling to move on' Megan has of course gone through a tough time in recent weeks after she split from Love Island beau Wes Nelson, which came after she clashed with his Dancing On Ice partner Vanessa Bauer. The blonde beauty still seems to be struggling to move on from the difficult time, as she took to social media on Wednesday as she took to Instagram to post a cryptic message. Megan appeared to be in a reflective mode as she shared the encouraging message with her social media followers, which read: 'Be strong enough to let go and wise enough to wait for what you deserve.' Report to Shareholders for the Year Ended 31st December 2018 Melbourne, Feb 28, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Australian Securities and Frankfurt Stock Exchange cross listed iSignthis Ltd ( ASX:ISX ) ( FRA:TA8 ), the global leader in RegTech for identity verification and transactional banking/payments, is pleased to provide the following business update and un-audited Appendix 4E for the year ended 31st December 2018.As previously advised, the Company is moving its accounting dates to January to December financial year, effective 1st January 2019. However, in order to move the financial reporting calendar, the company has been required to report the 2018 year as January to December 2018 and with comparative period of January to December 2017. An annual report for calendar and financial year 2018 is due post audit by end of March 2019.Highlights:- First EU merchant live on unified neobanking and payments platform- First Bank to Bank transfers via SEPA BIC ISEMCY22XXX- EU/EEA Visa and Mastercard Tier 1 card acquiring, processing and settlement live- Discover Card, Diners Club International issues ISXPay Global (non-USA) Card Acquiring License- Further key Technology Platforms completed inhouse- Preparations for final APRA audits for Australian ADI license commenced- AFSL application lodged- Reserve Bank of Australia Exchange Settlement Account (ESA) opening in progress- Commenced Deployment of Probanx.com CORE banking Platform for Australian ADI- Probanx.com CorePlus core banking platform live in the EEA supporting ISX IBAN holders- Hong Kong's Wanfuteng Bank now live with Probanx CorePlusIntroductionThe Financial Year and Calendar Year ended 31st of December 2018 was a period of progress and continued business development. The year also presented its share of challenges, as we moved from the reliance on third party partnerships to creating our own Tier 1 banking capabilities.The second half of the year in particular was used as a period of to conclude key elements of our European Tier 1 infrastrucure build, finalising steps to launch our own services independent from other traditional and neobanks in the New Year. The efforts to complete Tier 1 opportunites created during 2015/16, are now set to deliver the rewards that we believe are possible when we as part of our neobanking strategy.- The neobanking strategy has been pursued with determination since March 2015, and we have achieved regulatory authorisation, scheme licensing, third party certification and operational capabilities since then, with $10m Institutional Placement completed (issue price of $0.145 per share in October 2018).Business UpdateThe Company has been developing its merchant and business focussed neo-banking capabilities since 2015, commencing initially with its patented identity verification service on the Paydentity(TM) platform, and then progressing to being an EU/EEA authorised eMoney Institution in early 2017.This was followed by principal member licensing of Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners, Discover, China UnionPay and AMEX licensed as payment capabilities, with Eurosystem central banking facilities, deposit taking and IBAN account issuing capabilities, and SEPA transfers live during December quarter.Strengthening Board Experience and ExpertiseIn July 2018 the Company was pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Christakis (Takis) Taoushanis as a nonexecutive director. Mr. Taoushanis brings extensive banking and finance knowledge and experience to our organisation having spent over 30 years in the industry in various senior roles. The board members have met with Australian Prudential Regulation Authority representatives as part of the below Authorised Deposit-Taking Institution (ADI) licensing process.Regulatory Licensing- The Company has applied for an Australian Authorised Deposit-Taking Institution (ADI) license directly to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), with authorisation anticipated early Q2 2019.o The Company has already been granted Australian licensing under the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) "Card Access Regime" by Mastercard, with Amex, Diners, Discover and China Unionpay also licensed.o Application for an RBA Exchange Settlement Account (ESA) is in progress.o Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) Australian Financial Services License (AFSL) application is in progress.o Banking Executive Accountability Regime (BEAR) submitted to APRA.o iSignthis eMoney (AU) Pty Ltd now a member of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.Probanx.com- The Company acquired Probanx Information Systems (Cyprus) Ltd, which has developed the CorePlus internet-based core banking platform since 2000 and has been deployed to more than 20 banks globally, including to meet Swiss, UK, Hong Kong, EU, and now Australian regulatory requirements.- Hong Kong's Wanfuteng Bank is the latest deployment, at their Vanuatu subsidiary.- APRA requires ADI applicants to install and certify their CORE banking platforms. The Probanx.com system installation has been commenced at an Australian data centre for active/active service, with Azure cloud-based deployment as passive standby.o Grant Thornton engaged to prepare a report on that the Probanx 'systems maintain fair and true records for financial obligations, systems calculate interest accurately etc' to satisfy APRA. Report completed and submitted to APRA February 2019.o Secure Centric engaged to review IT security and policies for the draft APRA Prudential Standard CPS234, which takes effect July 2019. The Company seeks to be ahead of the regulatory requirements and meet CPS234 as part of its license submissions. Report completed and submitted to APRA February 2019.OperationsThe first EU merchant went live with funds processed via ISXPay's Principal member Tier 1 connections. In doing so, iSignthis became the first ASX listed fully authorised EU neobank with inhouse deposit taking and payment capabilities. Unlike almost every other neobank, ISX has built and operates its own Tier 1 network to Visa, Mastercard, JCB and SEPA networks, and does not 'piggy back' on other institutions infrastructure.The Paydentity platform is:i) performing the identity verification,ii) ii) ISXPay is performing the payment processing and settlement, andiii) iii) Probanx.com is performing the journaling of the settlement deposits from ISXPay, with ISXPay executing outbound transactions.The first Bank to Bank transfers via BIC: ISEMCY22XXX were completed in the quarter ending 31 December 2018. These facilities allow the Company to offer its customers;- IBAN based Euro (EUR) denominated eMoney accounts (EMA), in the name of legal or natural persons- electronic funds transfer from/to any of the ~4300 SEPA scheme connected banks and branches in the EU28, EEA including Norway, Lichtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, Iceland and Switzerland- zero credit risk facilities to ISXPay depositing customers, under the Eurosystem of central banking- fast clearing of Euro (EUR) settlements from card and payment schemes- International SWIFT inbound and outbound transactions by late January 2019- Corporate EMA facilities are managed from our Cyprus office, via a private banking relationship management, specifically tailored for our customers in the Equities, CFD, and FX industries, and their affiliates.- The Company is focussed on providing corporate customers with EURO (EUR) denominated eMoney (EMA) services initially, with eMoney accounts in other currency denominations including USD$, GBPGBP, HKD$, SGD$, CAD$, AUD$ and CHF, by Q2 2019.Our Focus for the Upcoming yearThe Company will be focussed on revenue and growth, in addition to reducing its cost of goods through implementation of its own Tier 1 supply chain, releasing several new products to market for additional revenue streams, and completing the transformation to a commercially focussed transactional banking institution.We have provided market guidance on expected revenues and profit to be achieved in 2019. The delivery of our first profit and the generation of positive cashflows are reasons to be excited about the immediate future of the business created. We look forward to sharing further news and updates as the company develops and builds scale.About iSignthis Ltd iSignthis Ltd (ASX:ISX) (FRA:TA8) is a hybrid monetary financial institution and also a RegTech leader in remote identity verification, payment authentication with deposit taking, transactional banking and payment processing capability. iSignthis provides an end-to-end on-boarding service for merchants, with a unified payment, electronic money and identity service via our Paydentity(TM) and ISXPay(R) solutions. By converging payments and identity, iSignthis delivers regulatory compliance to an enhanced customer due diligence standard, offering global reach to any of the world's 4.2Bn 'bank verified' card or account holders, that can be remotely on-boarded to meet the Customer Due Diligence requirements of AML regulated merchants in as little as 3 to 5 minutes. Paydentity(TM) has now onboarded and verified more than 1.5m persons to an AML KYC standard. iSignthis Paydentity(TM) service is the trusted back office solution for regulated entities, allowing merchants to stay ahead of the regulatory curve, and focus on growing their core business. iSignthis' subsidiary, iSignthis eMoney Ltd, trades as ISXPay(R), and is an EEA authorised eMoney Monetary Financial Institution, offering card acquiring in the EEA, and Australia. ISXPay(R) is a principal member of Mastercard Inc, Diners, Discover, (China) Union Pay International and JCB International, an American Express aggregator, and provides merchants with access to payments via alternative methods including SEPA, Poli Payments, Sofort, PRZ24 and others. Probanx Solutions Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of iSignthis Ltd, provides API based access to CORE Banking solutions, SEPA Core, SEPA Instant and SEPA business scheme, for neobanks, banks, credit unions and emoney institutions, and provides a bridge to the Eurosystem's Central Bank of Lithuania's CENTROLink service. She's known as 'The World's Hottest Grandma', so it's no surprise that good genes run in Gina Stewart's family. This week, the 48-year-old took to Instagram to share a side-by-side photo of herself and her daughter Casey, 25, flaunting their 'beach bums.' In the racy image, Casey is wearing a G-string bikini, while Gina appears to be completely bottomless. 'Like mother, like daughter': The World's Hottest Grandma Gina Stewart, 48, shared a photo of herself and her daughter Casey, 25, flaunting their 'beach bums' on Instagram Captioning the racy image, the blonde bombshell wrote : 'Like mother, like daughter. Beach bums.' Besides Casey, Gina is a doting mother to sons James, 28, Cody, 23, and daughter Summer, four. While the Sunshine Coast stunner is already an Instagram sensation, she's now preparing to cross over into print with a racy shoot in The Picture magazine. The World's Hottest Daughter: Gina is a doting mother to four children, including Casey Gina told Daily Mail Australia this week that she's going to appear topless in an upcoming issue of the adults only magazine. Daily Mail Australia has contacted The Picture for comment. While fans will surely be clamoring to get their hands on the magazine, they can see more of Gina through her Patreon account. Centerfold: Gina told Daily Mail Australia this week that she's going to appear topless in an upcoming issue of the adults only magazine However, seeing the 48-year-old in all her glory doesn't come cheap, with Gina charging a whopping $500 per MONTH for her nude content on the subscription-based service. For fans who are willing to settle for topless content only, the price is a little more affordable at $100 a month. Promoting her raunchy $500 tier, Gina wrote to potential members: 'I'm a worldwide media sensation and a celebrity. Only a rare few people get to access me on this level. Expensive taste: Gina currently charges fans between $100-$500 to see her naked on Patreon 'You not only get ALL my Patreon content, but you also get ALL my online store content! Right here in one place! All my topless videos, photo-sets, mystery images and posters! 'PLUS, I'll will be creating some very special, very intimate content exclusively for the my Patreon Diamond Tier.' Outside of Patreon, the mother-of-four is also selling a topless video of herself for $50 via her official website. Promoting her raunchy $500 tier, Gina wrote to potential members: 'I'm a worldwide media sensation and a celebrity. Only a rare few people get to access me on this level' Gina shot to fame early last year after posting sexy, non-nude photos of herself on Instagram. Her profile soon skyrocketed, with the Gold Coast grandmother quickly picking up over 100,000 followers and making it onto Maxim's Hot 100 list. She also became an in-demand media figure, appearing on Sunday Night, The Kyle and Jackie O Show and more. They've survived the mass TOWIE cull and will be appearing in the new series. And Chloe Sims was celebrating in style when she dined with her pal Dan Edgar and her sister Demi Sims at Shoreditch House in London on Wednesday night, where they had been attending Radio 1's Big Weekend party. The reality star channeled her inner Barbie in a sexy PVC skirt and neon polo neck in a clashing shade of pink. Living it up: Chloe Sims dined with her pal Dan Edgar and her sister Demi Sims at Shoreditch House in London on Wednesday night, where they attended Radio 1's Big Weekend launch Chloe completed her look with a pair of bright pink peep toe heels and a clashing red bag, cinching in her waist with a clear belt. The veteran TV personality wore her long blonde locks down loose in a poker straight style and matched her bold make-up to her outfit. Dan was looking dapper in a checked blazer and white trainers as he dined out in style with the sisters. Eye-catching: The reality star channeled her inner Barbie in a sexy PVC skirt and neon polo neck in a clashing shade of pink Daring outfit: Chloe completed her look with a pair of bright pink peep toe heels and a clashing red bag, cinching in her waist with a clear belt Their outing comes following the news that TOWIE castmembers are jetting off to holiday hot spot Thailand for the new series, set to return in March. Bosses are shunning the show's typical clubbing destinations in favour of a yoga retreat, after a number of stars, such as Amber Turner and Yazmin Oukhellou, have been booted off the show in producers' 'biggest ever cull'. Insiders revealed to MailOnline: 'The trip is to Thailand furthest they've ever gone - very cool - feel more grown-up more beach bars than clubs'. Off they go: Bosses are shunning the show's typical clubbing destinations in favour of a yoga retreat, after a number of stars, such as Amber Turner (L) and Yazmin Oukhellou (R), have been booted off the show in producers' 'biggest ever cull' In the past, the cast have enjoyed sun-soaked getaways in Vegas, Marbella, Tenerife and Ibiza - yet this time the stars are going for a more unique vibe. Insiders added to The Sun: 'This time round theyll be enjoying meals out and attending yoga classes. A lot of the cast have grown up since filming in Marbella... 'Though they still love a night out being in Thailand will give them the chance to experience something new.' Meanwhile, former castmember Amber has become the latest victim of the huge cast cull hitting the ITVBe series as it has been confirmed she will not return for the next season. Joining the likes of Myles Barnett and Kady McDermott, the 25-year-old reality star, who recently split from her co-star boyfriend Dan Edgar, has been told by producers that she will not come back. Insiders revealed exclusively to MailOnline that show bosses had been sympathetic to her plight, while TOWIE representatives confirmed she was told her contract for the coming series had been terminated so would not be returning. Gone: Meanwhile, former castmember Amber has become the latest victim of the huge cast cull hitting the ITVBe series as it has been confirmed she will not return for the next season Amber was a divisive addition to the show when she made her entrance as Megan McKenna's best friend during the cast trip to Tenerife in 2017's series 20. She was in a relationship with live-in beau Jamie Reed for four years before her arrival in TOWIE in which she was accused of cheating on the hunk with co-star Dan. After breaking up with Jamie, she began an on-off and often-casual fling with Dan before making things official last year - however things ended bitterly at Christmas. Now, insiders have revealed she will not be brought back despite the fact bosses and producers have been extremely sympathetic to the star. Ahem: Joining the likes of Myles Barnett, Kady McDermott and Adam Oukhellou, the 25-year-old reality star, who recently split from her co-star boyfriend Dan Edgar, has been told by producers that she will not come back Lost love: She was in a relationship with live-in beau Jamie Reed (pictured) for four years before her arrival in TOWIE in which she was accused of cheating on the hunk with co-star Dan Heartache: Her trials and tribulations have played out on screen Speaking to MailOnline, a source said: 'Producers have been sympathetic to her heartache with Dan but any return will be on their terms Shes had a really difficult time and they've been really kind.' A spokesperson for TOWIE confirmed: 'Executive producers have informed Amber that she won't be starting the series. However, Amber is in dialogue with producers to see if there is an opportunity for her to return.' At the start of the month, Yazmin and James Lock became victims of producers' biggest ever cast cull. Insiders confirmed to MailOnline the couple are stepping back from the ITVBe show after a year of personal dramas. Shocker: After breaking up with Jamie, she began an on-off and often-casual fling with Dan before making things official last year - however things ended bitterly at Christmas Shock: Insiders revealed exclusively to MailOnline that show bosses had been sympathetic to her plight, while TOWIE representatives confirmed she was told her contract for the coming series had been terminated so would not be returning James and Yazmin being downgraded to minor characters means a total of 10 cast members from The Only Way Is Essex won't feature when the 24th season of the reality show returns later this year. TOWIE bosses are now on the hunt for new characters to feature in the Essex-based programme. A source told MailOnline: 'Lockie and Yazs turbulent relationship has been well documented and since taking a break at the end of last series they have been working hard on themselves and their relationship... Moving on: Yazmin and Amber (left-right) have both taken steps back from the show Gone: At the start of the month, James Lock and Yazmin Oukhellou became victims of producers' biggest ever cast cull. Insiders confirmed to MailOnline the couple are stepping back from the ITVBe show after a year of personal dramas 'They mutually agree with producers that taking an extended break and a back seat is best for them and the show at this time but as two of the shows most popular characters were sure theyll be back onscreen soon.' The pair have been spending their time in Marrakech launching a new health and fitness venture - adding to their diminished role on the show. Friends of the couple added: 'They are currently in and out of Marrakech building a health, fitness and well-being business. 'While working hard to build their brand that theyre both very passionate about, they are also on a health and fitness drive and taking the time to work on their relationship.' She tied the knot with AFL star, Lance 'Buddy' Franklin, in an intimate Blue Mountains wedding in November 2016. And three years on from their nuptials, Jesinta Franklin revealed that the couple are under no pressure to start a family. The 27-year-old model explained that they have a relaxed approach to having children and are simply 'leaving it up to the universe'. No pressure! Jestina Campbell revealed she and husband Buddy are 'leaving it up to the universe' as to whether they have children soon Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Jesinta said: 'We're just leaving it up to the universe and whatever happens, happens. 'There's a lot in our life that has to be so planned so I think the big moments in life happen when they're meant to happen. There's a reason for everything.' The AFL WAG added that she would 'never' ask a woman about pregnancy or whether they have children as you can't know what other women have gone through. 'I think it's a really sensitive topic and people have to be aware that there can be a lot going on in people's lives,' she said. When the timing is right: 'There's a lot in our life that has to be so planned so I think the big moments in life happen when they're meant to happen. There's a reason for everything,' she said It comes after Jesinta revealed how she and Buddy spent Valentine's Day earlier this month. 'I feel like sometimes Valentine's Day is so commercialised and takes out the impact of a really beautiful day,' she candidly told Vogue. Jesinta revealed that the duo enjoyed a magical afternoon by Sydney's harbour in lead up to the special day, adding that they also celebrated with friends. The blonde beauty explained that the pair don't have a set ritual for the annual event and sometimes decide not to exchange gifts. 'Romance to me is usually quite subtle... it is almost those subtle spontaneous little things in life that are the most romantic to me - especially in a long-term relationship,' she told the publication. Cute couple: She tied the knot with the AFL star in an intimate Blue Mountains wedding in November 2016 'When Buddy knows I've had a really bad day, and I'm feeling a bit off, he comes home with a bottle of wine, or a block of chocolate, or even just says ''tonight I don't want you to do the dishes'' I think that is really romantic,' she added. Jesinta also revealed that six years ago, Buddy's first Valentine's gift to her was her favourite perfume, Miss Dior. She also said that's when the AFL star, 32, asked her to become 'official' in their relationship. Meanwhile, Buddy popped the question with an estimated $100,000 ring in December 2014, after dating for 14 months. Their high-profile relationship has not been without struggle however, when Buddy took time off from the AFL to get help for mental health issues and epilepsy. Dramatic before and after photos have emerged of Married At First Sight star Jessika Power's 'smile' makeover. A Western Australian dental clinic shared pictures of the 26-year-old model's stunning transformation back in October 2016, long before she appeared on the controversial social experiment. The images show Jessika's gappy grin corrected with white porcelain veneers. Tooth be told! Married At First Sight star Jessika Power underwent an extreme 'smile' makeover back in 2016. Jessika is pictured here showing off her set of sparkling pearly whites in January 2019 Before: In before images seen here on the left, Jessika displayed a set of teeth riddled with aesthetic blemishes. Pictures on the right show her smile corrected with porcelain veneers In the before pictures, Jessika displayed a set of teeth riddled with aesthetic blemishes, including gaps, chips, yellow discouloration and misalignment. However in the after images, the blonde reality TV star flashed her transformed dentistry, sporting a set of perfectly straight pearly whites. The veneers changed the shape of Jessika's damaged and somewhat crooked smile, and have ultimately made her teeth fuller and larger. 'I couldn't wait to post this Glamsmile result, but first I wanted this patient's family to enjoy her smile. Another ecstatic patient,' the official Maven Dental Yokine Instagram account captioned the slideshow of images back in October 2016. Something to smile about! Western Australian dental clinic, Maven Dental Yokine, took to Instagram in October, 2016 to share pictures of the 26-year-old model's stunning transformation Porcelain veneers are made of wafer-thin tooth-like material, which are placed over discolored, worn, chipped or broken natural teeth. Earlier this month, Jessika's mouth became the centre of much attention once again after fans mercilessly mocked the blonde star for her plumped-up lips on-screen. 'She can barely talk through those lips!' one fan tweeted just moments Jessika confronted her co-star Mike Gunner for supposedly calling 'fake'. 'They're so big, she can barely talk!' Earlier this month, Jessika's mouth became the centre of much attention after fans mercilessly mocked the blonde star for her plumped-up lips on-screen 'Jessika looks like she has been stung on the lips by a bee,' another wrote. Similar comments included: 'I'm sorry, but Jessika is talking like daffy duck with those lips', and, 'Did Jess just call Mick "Mitch"? I can't tell with those lips'. Rumours began circulating last month that Jessika has undergone lip fillers - but she has yet to confirm or deny the speculation. Before and after! Rumours began circulating last month that Jessika has undergone lip fillers - but she has yet to confirm or deny the speculation. Pictured left in 2017 and right in a recent Instagram snap The Perth-born administrative assistant looks very different today compared to photos shared to Instagram several years ago. In one photo, taken in 2017, Jessika is hardly recognisable without makeup and with a noticeably thinner top lip Married At First Sight continues Thursday at 7:30pm on Channel Nine Chris Pratt's fiancee Katherine Schwarzenegger was spotted laughing while on her phone after pampering herself at a Los Angeles nail salon on Wednesday. Whomever the 29-year-old bride-to-be was speaking to certainly had her beaming with delight as she ran errands solo. The socialite-turned-blogger was dressed casually in a white T-shirt, blue jeans, furry Santa Claus-style slides, and a 490 Mietis 'Soho' bag. Hilarity: Chris Pratt's fiancee Katherine Schwarzenegger was spotted laughing while on her phone after pampering herself at a Los Angeles nail salon on Wednesday Amused: Whomever the 29-year-old bride-to-be was speaking to certainly had her beaming with delight as she ran errands solo Beneath the sleeves of her grey maxi-cardigan, Katherine hid her 5-carat diamond engagement ring estimated to cost $150K-$550K. Katherine's street sighting came the day after she and the 39-year-old Lego Movie 2 funnyman were spotted shopping for furniture together at interior design shop Life Style in Los Angeles. For whatever unknown reason, E! News co-hosts Giuliana Rancic and Jason Kennedy selected the daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger to be their official #WCW. Upon seeing the honor, the USC grad - who boasts 765K social media followers - Insta-storied: 'OMG I'm the @jasonkennedy Woman Crush Wednesday!' Dressed down: The socialite-turned-blogger was dressed casually in a white T-shirt, blue jeans, furry Santa Claus-style slides, and a 490 Mietis 'Soho' bag Smoothie stop: Beneath the sleeves of her grey maxi-cardigan, Katherine hid her 5-carat diamond engagement ring estimated to cost $150K-$550K Nesting: Katherine's street sighting came the day after she and the 39-year-old Lego Movie 2 funnyman were spotted shopping for furniture together at interior design shop Life Style Tagged: For whatever unknown reason, E! News co-hosts Giuliana Rancic and Jason Kennedy selected the daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger to be their official #WCW Upon seeing the honor, the USC grad - who boasts 765K social media followers - Insta-storied: 'OMG I'm the @jasonkennedy Woman Crush Wednesday!' Katherine and Chris just returned from a trip to Washington state where they visited his San Juan Islands farm which houses 160 sheep, 30 pigs and 60 chickens - according to HeraldNet.com. Without measuring tape, Pratt was forced to use Schwarzenegger's 5ft8in figure to measure where the furniture would eventually go inside their 'own special slice of heaven.' The nesting lovebirds - who were introduced by her mother Maria Shriver - announced their engagement on January 14 after seven months of dating. Katherine will soon become stepmother to the Jurassic World action star' six-year-old son Jack, whom he shares joint legal and physical custody with his ex-wife of eight years, Mom star Anna Faris. Ewe! Katherine and Chris just returned from a trip to Washington state where they visited his San Juan Islands farm which houses 160 sheep, 30 pigs and 60 chickens (pictured Sunday) 'Special slice of heaven': Without measuring tape, Pratt was forced to use Schwarzenegger's 5ft8in figure to measure where the furniture would eventually go (pictured Sunday) 'So happy you said yes!' The nesting lovebirds - who were introduced by her mother Maria Shriver - announced their engagement on January 14 after seven months of dating Married At First Sight bride Lauren Huntriss, 31, revealed she's lost 10 kilograms since she split with virgin 'husband', Matthew Bennett, 30. But it appears she's undergoing an entire transformation, with the Sydney make-up artist debuting a new hair-do on Thursday. Taking to Instagram, the usually blonde reality TV star showed off her new brunette tresses in a new social media snap, letting them cascade around her shoulders. Scroll down for video Is that you, Lauren? Married At First Sight star Lauren Huntriss, 31, has unveiled a brunette hair transformation to Instagram on Thursday. Pictured (L) on the show. (R) On Thursday Lauren tagged co-star Elizabeth Sobinoff, 27, in the post: 'girl you inspired me to make the change to the darkside,' she wrote. She then added the tongue-in-cheek hashtag: 'blondesareboring.' However some fans were not convinced, saying Lauren was trying to imitate Matt's new brunette girlfriend, Annabel Jameson, who has natural long brunette tresses. 'Girl you inspired me to make the change to the darkside': Lauren said it was co-star Elizabeth Sobinoff that inspired her to make the change from blonde to brunette Inspiration? MAFS bride Lauren said that her co-star Elizabeth Sobinoff, 27 (pictured) was her inspiration, after she unveiled her own brunette transformation this week 'Why are you trying to look like Matthew's current gf,' one fan commented under the photo. However, a number gushed over her new look: 'Love it,' and 'Suits you beautiful.' Matthew, who failed to find love with Lauren after losing his virginity on the show, revealed to the Sunshine Coast Daily he has met a new woman, named Annabel, since filming MAFS. 'Why are you trying to look like Matthew's current gf': A fan of the show couldn't help but notice the change made Lauren look like ex Matthew's new girlfriend, Annabel (right) 'I'm crazy about her. I've never been with someone who makes time disappear when I'm with her,' he said, in an interview last week. Matt and Lauren split after the 'former virgin' lost his virginity to his new 'bride' on the show. However the pair broke up after Lauren revealed she'd had same-sex relationships in the past, among other issues. They tied the knot in 2015. And the romance between Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden is still going strong. The couple were spotted kissing as they left an Italian restaurant in LA after enjoying dinner together on Wednesday night. Packed on the PDA: Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden were spotted kissing as they left an Italian restaurant after a dinner date on Wednesday night Their date came after Diaz, 46, returned home from a trip to New York City. On Tuesday, the Something About Mary star had been seen shopping in Manhattan with a female friend. Madden, 39, was clearly delighted to have his wife back by his side. Reunited: Their date came after Diaz, 46, returned home from a trip to New York City where she'd been seen shopping in Manhattan with a female friend Going strong: The couple, who celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary in January, chatted away as they walked hand in hand Diaz, who hasn't made any movies since 2014, wore her signature blonde hair in a ponytail. She wore a gray jacket over a white top with skinny blue jeans and gray ankle boots. Madden, a rock musician, opted for an all black ensemble of hoodie and jeans with sneakers. In January, the couple celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary and earlier this month, the Good Charlotte lead guitarist gushed about his bride in a sweet Valentine's Day Instagram post. Alongside a photo of Diaz, he wrote: 'Light of my life Only thing that could rival your beauty is your heart Im very GratefulHappy Valentines.' In love: Good Charlotte rocker Madden had gushed about his beautiful wife on Valentine's Day, calling her the 'light of my life' in a sweet Instagram post Whirlwind romance: Diaz and Madden tied the knot in early 2015 just a year after they started dating This past Saturday, Diaz had helped her good friend Drew Barrymore celebrate her 44th birthday. Also joining in the fun were Diaz's sister-in-law Nicole Richie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Lake Bell. Paltrow posted a snap of the group of girlfriends sitting on some stairs to her Instagram which Barrymore regrammed. She was recently forced to hit back at trolls who claimed she 'spoiled' her daughter Billie with an 'overindulgent' doll-themed fifth birthday party. But Rebecca Judd proved she'd cast the controversy aside, as she proudly shared a sweet Instagram snap of her two-year-old twin sons, Tom and Darcy, at the Australian Grand Prix in Victoria. The 35-year-old footy WAG dressed the cute tots in matching race car driving gear during the fun-filled day out on Thursday. 'My little race car drivers!' Rebecca Judd dressed her two-year-old twin sons Tom and Darcy in matching driving gear during a fun-filled day at the Australian Grand Prix on Thursday 'My little race car drivers revving up for the Australian Grand Prix,' she wrote in the caption. Rebecca's family outing comes after she faced backlash for throwing her daughter Billie an extravagant bash last month, featuring a customised cake, giant balloons and a huge bouquet of flowers. But the TV presenter furiously defended herself, insisting it was 'hardly lavish' as she had used 'Kmart accessories' and discount party supplies. Lavish? Rebecca's family outing comes after she faced backlash for throwing her daughter Billie an extravagant bash last month The mother-of-four shared a screenshot to Instagram of an online article with the headline: 'Bec Judd's party for daughter branded excessive by angry parents.' She wrote: 'Kmart accessories, homemade fairy bread and fruit skewers, a cake from the shop around the corner and party supplies from the Discount Party shop - hardly lavish.' Social media bullies cruelly branded Billie 'spoilt' and claimed the party was 'overindulgent' for a five year old. Criticism: The footy WAG faced a backlash after throwing an extravagant bash featuring a customised cake, giant balloons and a huge bouquet of flowers. Pictured: Billie Hitting back: The 35-year-old furiously defended herself, insisting it was 'hardly lavish' as she had used 'Kmart accessories' and discount party supplies 'Wow, she's spoiled,' one person wrote, before adding: 'Lol sorry I should have said very spoiled.' Another follower described the decorations and theme as 'utterly disgusting'. 'What overindulgence for a five year old,' they commented. 'Would probably feed a hundred homeless people for a month. I'm out of here!' Rebecca is married to former AFL star Chris Judd, 35, and they share four children - Billie, son Oscar, seven, and two-year-old twin sons, Tom and Darcy. Michael Douglas and his lookalike son Cameron enjoyed dinner together in West Hollywood on Wednesday night. The pair hit up celebrity hotspot Craig's which meant they had to run the gauntlet of fans and photographers. Hollywood star Michael, 74, has been supportive of his eldest son since he was released from prison in the summer of 2016. Guys night out: Michael Douglas and his lookalike son Cameron enjoyed dinner together in West Hollywood on Wednesday night Cameron, 40, served seven years behind bars on drugs charges. Following his release, he has made a home with girlfriend Viviane Thibes, a yoga instructor. In December 2017, the couple welcomed their daughter Lua, the first grandchild for Basic Instinct star Michael. Michael has two other children - Dylan, 18, and Carys, 15, with second wife Catherine Zeta Jones. High profile: The pair hit up celebrity hotspot Craig's which meant they had to run the gauntlet of fans and photographers Mended relationship: Hollywood star Michael, 74, has been supportive of his eldest son since he was released from prison in the summer of 2016 Time is finite: Earlier this month, Michael revealed that he is increasingly conscious of his age and has 'a much deeper appreciation of marriage, of your children' Earlier this month, Michael revealed that he is increasingly conscious of his age and the fact that the time that remains to him is limited. 'There's much more planning your time because all of a sudden you don't have this infinite amount of time. Your time is finite now,the actor explained to Britain's Daily Mirror. The Ant-Man and Kominsky Method star Michael also discussed how his priorities changed after surviving stage IV throat cancer. 'You have a much deeper appreciation of marriage, of your children - you see everything a little bit clearer, and a little brighter,' he said. Ex-convict: Cameron, 40, is the only child from Michael's first marriage to Diandra Luker. He served seven years in prison for drugs offenses Family man: Since regaining his freedom, Cameron has made a home with girlfriend Viviane Thibes with whom he shares daughter Lua, one. He shared this snap on Instagram in November Cameron is his only child from his first marriage to Diandra Luker. They married in 1977 and split in 1995 finalizing their divorce five years later. He started dating Welsh actress Zeta Jones in March 1999 and she gave birth to their son Dylan in August 2000. They married in New York in November 2000 and welcomed daughter Carys in April 2013. It was reported by Geeks WorldWide on Tuesday that The Umbrella Academy had been renewed for a second season by Netflix. But series star Aidan Gallagher has since shut down the claim, as he took to Twitter on Wednesday to break the bad news to fans that a second outing hasn't yet been given the green light. The actor, 15, who plays time-travelling being Number Five in the show, wrote: 'While I have no doubts because I've been to the future (it sucks by the way) -- no word from Netflix on a 2nd season has been given to anyone yet. Sorry to break it to you: The Umbrella Academy's Aidan Gallagher (right) shut down rumours about a second season on Wednesday... amid speculation the Netflix series had been renewed He concluded: 'When it comes they will make it loud and headline clear to all.' The series first dropped on Netflix on February 15, and has since gained a huge fanbase to quickly become the site's most watched show. According to the publication, filming was reportedly set to begin later this year in Toronto, with Peter Hoar on board to direct the first episode. Brutal truth: The actor, 15, wrote: 'While I have no doubts because I've been to the future (it sucks by the way) -- no word from Netflix on a 2nd season has been given to anyone yet' I heard a rumour: It was reported by Geeks WorldWide on Tuesday that the show had been renewed for a second season by Netflix, where they claimed filming would begin later this year The series follows the 'super dysfunctional' Hargreeves family, Luther (Tom Hopper), Diego (David Castaneda), Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman), Klaus (Robert Sheehan), Number Five (Aidan), Ben (Justin H. Min) and Vanya (Ellen Page). The adopted siblings were born on the same day, even though their mothers were not pregnant the morning of their birth, and their unlikely arrival into the world meant they were bestowed with different special abilities. Despite growing up as supergroup The Umbrella Academy, the family's cold and distant father Sir Reginald (Colm Feore) and their tough upbringing drove them apart, and they only reunite at their paternal figure's funeral. Super dysfunctional family: The series follows Hargreeves siblings Luther, Diego , Allison , Klaus, Number Five, Ben and Vanya Getting the team back together: The family's cold and distant father Sir Reginald (Colm Feore) and tough upbringing drove them apart, and they only reunite at their paternal figure's funeral There, Number Five -who was missing for 17 years- suddenly returns after time-travelling to the future, announces that the apocalypse is set to happen in eight days and reveals its up to them to figure out how to stop it. Based on the bestselling comic book series by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba, the show was developed by Steve Blackman and Jeremy Slater for the video-on-demand platform. On how he worked with the development duo, Gerard told Collider: 'What I did for Steve Blackman and the writers in that first writers room was to create an 18-page document that laid everything out. Even if the graphic novels that havent come out yet, which should equal eight when were all done. 'So I gave them the blueprint for what happens because you do want to seed certain things in there for future series and the hope is that its a success so that you do a lot more of these.' He concluded: 'Theyre very curious what Gabriel and I are doing next. We always send them the new comics. They really want to know whats happening.' The first season of The Umbrella Academy is available to stream on Netflix. They are the Stranger Things stars who found a lasting romance off-screen. And Charlie Heaton has spoken about his relationship with Natalia Dyer, 22, saying that dating while working on the Netflix show brought them closer together. Talking candidly in an interview for V Man's Spring 2019 issue on Wednesday, the actor, 25, explained: 'To go home with someone you work with, and say, "I think they hate me" Theyll say, "No they dont." Cover star: Charlie Heaton appears in V Mans Spring 2019 issue, out on March 1 Helpful: The Stranger Things star said on Wednesday working with girlfriend Natalia Dyer on the Netflix show brought them closer together as they can 'share their insecurities' 'You can break the walls down with your partner. Because we work in the same industry and have had similar trajectories, weve gone through it together. 'Sharing that does bring you closer. They understand something that maybe no one else would. You go into high-pressure situations together but you can share those insecurities or whatever they are. The great, happy times, tooReally f***ing sweet!' This month marks the SAG Award-winning couple's second year publicly dating each other, and even their characters Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers are in love on the binge-watching favourite. Working the camera: The actor put his modelling skills on show Going on to talk about Stranger Things, which is set to return with its third season in July, he said: 'The characters have been on a journey, and all of us [as actors] have been on a journey. Sometimes Ill get extremely nostalgic for the first season; there was innocence in not knowing what it would become.' 'The trajectory of the last three years happened so quick; you dont have time to think. And when you get a grip of things, you think, yeah I can be in control of my own destiny.' While the actor added that he finds it difficult to be happy with his performances after filming, as he will 'always walk away with self-doubt' and doesn't think he'll ever be pleased with how he's done. Teamwork: Charlie explained, 'You can break the walls down with your partner. Because we work in the same industry and have had similar trajectories, weve gone through it together' Superstars: Talking about Stranger Things, which is set to return with its third season in July, he said, 'The trajectory of the last three years happened so quick; you dont have time to think' Natalia told MTV News on Sunday that season three will be 'bigger, darker, and scarier'. She explained: 'It does feel bigger, just filming it. Obviously, I haven't seen any of it, but it does feel bigger, darker, scarier. 'It felt like they noticeably bumped it up to a different level this season. So I'm excited to see it, too. 'I don't know how [creators Ross & Matt Duffer] do it, but yeah, I'm excited!' While little is known about season three , apart the fact it features the Starcourt Mall, the show will introduce three new actors to the talented ensemble: Maya Hawke, Cary Elwes, and Jake Busey. Read the full interview in V Mans Spring 2019 issue, out on newsstands on March 1. Last August, Tom Ballard's ABC comedy series Tonightly was axed from the network after just two seasons. And on Thursday's The Project, the comedian promoted his new play '#Kwanda' that parodies ABC's popular political program QandA. However, when Project host Peter Helliar suggested Hamish Macdonald could be next in line to host the ABC program, Tom leaped across the desk. Scroll down for video 'Let me have him!' The Project's Peter Helliar was forced to intervene when comedian Tom Ballard leaps across the desk to grab host Hamish Macdonald on Thursday night's show The radio presenter has been a guest host for Tony Jones in the past, with Hamish also taking on the hosting gig from time to time. 'I've been lucky enough to fill in for Tony Jones a couple of times on QandA. I watch that show every week and I yell and throw things at the television,' Tom said. Speaking of his decision to create the parody play, he said: 'I thought that could be a funny way to explore the way we discuss politics in Australia, particularly on that show where everybody is an idiot and nothing changes.' 'You've hosted QandA, Hamish has hosted QandA, Tony Jones is leaving... who's going to?' Peter (middle) started a friendly rivalry between the two media personalities Peter then interjected: 'You've hosted QandA, Hamish has hosted QandA, Tony Jones is leaving... who's going to?' Unable to finish his question, Peter was forced to hold back Tom as he leaped over the table to grab Hamish in a playful manner. 'Let me have him!' Tom jokingly yelled as the faux fight continued on the panel. Hamish laughed off the joke, as did the other panel stars on the night. All fun and games: Peter was forced to hold back Tom as he leaped over the table to grab Hamish in a playful manner The ABC announced it would not be renewing the controversial Tonightly with Tom Ballard comedy program last year, with the announcement coming in the wake of a number of on-air controversies and allegations. The television watchdog has since cleared the ABC of any wrongdoing after the show ran a satirical skit that called a conservative politician a c**t on-air, The Australian reported. In the controversial sketch, which centered around the by-election in the Melbourne electorate of Batman, comedian Greg Larson labelled an Australian Conseratives candidate a 'c**t' for refusing an interview. Scottish actor David O'Hara has been pictured getting into a fight at an Oscars party in Los Angeles on Sunday. The 53-year-old star, who has appeared in movies such as Braveheart and The Departed, was seen fighting with friends as they tried to get him away from the Hollywood China Night party. Video footage shows the Scotsman punching one pal before being wrestled to the ground after a boozy night of partying. Throwing a punch: Scottish actor David O'Hara has been pictured getting into a fight at an Oscars party in Los Angeles on Sunday According to fellow party-goers he was seen mixing drinks before throwing a bottle of wine across a table. An eyewitness said: 'David was slammed. He was mixing wine with double shots of tequila for hours. 'When he got to the party he was sober but he started drinking like a fish at his table. Anything with alcohol in it he was pouring down his throat. Calm down: The 53-year-old star, who has appeared in movies such as Braveheart, was seen fighting with friends as they tried to get him away from the Hollywood China Night party Easy: David was seen raising his fist as a crowd of friends did their best to calm him down Time to call it a night: According to eyewitnesses the inebriated actor was arguing with friends who were trying to put him in an Uber home 'He went from 0 to 60 gone in no time. He was grabbing women and just all round acting out of control. He was acting crazy, trying to pull down his pants in front of one guy. 'Then he grabbed a bottle of wine and threw it at a couple of people. He only just missed them.' According to the eyewitness, O'Hara's friends managed to get the actor outside before trying to put him in an Uber. Fight: One eyewitness revealed of the star's behaviour: 'He went from 0 to 60 gone in no time' On the ground: 'After he was wrestled to the floor his friends managed to get him into a limousine,' claims the insider Party time: The Scottish star enjoyed the glam party with a string of female guests which was held on Oscars night Close: According to fellow party-goers he was seen 'grabbing women and just all round acting out of control' 'At the end he got into a scuffle with his buddy who had told him to control himself and go back to rehab,' claims the insider. 'After he was wrestled to the floor his friends managed to get him into a limousine.' Representatives for O'Hara have been contacted by MailOnline for comment. Dancefloor: The stage and screen actor was dressed in a smart black suit for the glam event Boozy: According to insiders he was seen downing drinks before getting close with fellow guests on the dancefloor Drinking: The eyewitness said: 'When he got to the party he was sober but he started drinking like a fish at his table. Anything with alcohol in it he was pouring down his throat' Good time: A female guest was seen with her arms around the actor as they danced before he was taken outside by friends The Glaswegian was fined 200 for hurling racist abuse at a cop after boozing at Celtic Park in 2014. O'Hara is best known for his role as Stephen the Mad Irishman in the huge big screen hit Braveheart, which was crowned Best Picture in 1996. He also played mobster Patrick 'Fitzy' Fitzgibbons in The Departed, sharing the screen with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as playing Albert Runcorn in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. Notable TV performances include his turns as the Earl of Surrey on The Tudors and DSU George Stark in Luther. Showing off his moves: O'Hara seemed to enjoy the festivities, inviting several women to dance 0-60: The annual party celebrates the collaboration between the US and China in the film industry and is held on Oscars night Actor: Glasgow-born O'Hara has been a stage and screen star for 30 years Star: O'Hara is best known for his role as Stephen the Mad Irishman in the huge big screen hit Braveheart, pictured far right with co-stars Brendan Gleeson and Mel Gibson American actor Matt Damon has been living like an Australian local while on holiday in New South Wales. And on Wednesday, the Hollywood megastar was spotted shopping at Ballina's retail chain BCF (Boating Camping and Fishing) near Byron Bay. Cutting a casual figure, the 48-year-old appeared to be browsing the aisles of the outdoor supply store in a plain white T-shirt and cargo shorts. Bourne to shop! Matt Damon is spotted browsing the aisles of Ballina's BCF on Wednesday... days after bargain hunting at Kmart during his family's Byron Bay holiday Down Under Despite wearing his black cap indoors, he was recognised by a staff member, who asked him for a photo. The Good Will Hunting star happily stood alongside the BCF store clerk, while clutching onto a hat in his hands. According to The Courier-Mail, the BCF store captioned the since-deleted photo: 'Matt Damon dropped by our BCF Ballina store and said Gday to the team! What a legend, even walked away with a BCFing Expert hat!' Good Bargain Hunting! On Sunday, Matt Damon ditched the Oscars and instead went discount shopping in Ballina's KMART near Byron Bay, New South Wales. (He is pictured posing in the store with a young fan) On Monday, the Hollywood star was spotted at Ballina's Kmart store instead of attending Sunday night's Academy Awards in Los Angeles. The superstar eschewed the glitz and glamour of the event in favour of some bargain hunting thousands of miles away. As his famous peers prepared for the awards show, the 48-year-old was spotted shopping for discount wares in Ballina Kmart, located on Australia's Mid North Coas It's not the first time the star has been seen shopping at Ballina Kmart, with the Oscar winner seen inside the budget retailer in May last year. His favourite store? The Oscar winner has previously been spotted shopping in Ballina Kmart (Pictured inside the retailer in May 2018) Indeed, the actor has been spending ample time in the area over the past twelve months. Ballina is located a half hour drive from Byron Bay, the beachside enclave that Matt's close friend Chris Hemsworth calls home. Matt and his wife Luciana Barroso, 43, spent four months in the coastal town last year, and have returned for another holiday. He's the former NRL player turned radio star who is about to transform himself into a glamorous drag queen for Mardi Gras. And Beau Ryan, 33, decided to put part of his outfit to a vote on Thursday. Taking to Instagram, Beau posted a side-by-side of himself in a long brunette wig and a cropped blonde wig ahead of Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Blonde or brunette? Beau Ryan, 33, (pictured) sought the advice of fans when it came to his wig when he transformed himself into a drag queen on Thursday Looking almost unrecognisable in the gender bending costume, Beau wrote: 'Blonde or Brunette for this weekend????' He later took to Instagram Stories with a choice of two more wigs, encouraging fans to let him know what they thought about his looks. Earlier in the day Beau was joined by PR maven Roxy Jacenko, with the pair dressing like drag queens to promote RuPaul's Drag Race on streaming service Stan. Turning it out, honey! Beau showcased a second look sharing a snap of himself in a cropped brunette wig, calling it his 'Ru Paul look', while promoting Ru Paul's Drag Race on Stan On Tuesday, Beau let fans know he was going 'full Mardi Gras' this year, while speaking on the Kyle and Jackie O Show. He even got waxing advice from former Bachelorette Sophie Monk. 'Last year I just clippered my body and there was too much hair when they used clippers, so they want me to fully wax or shave,' he said. Beau was referring to House of Priscilla, the Darlinghurst costume shop which will be dressing Beau for the big event. Blondes have more fun? Beau also appeared to be a fan of a long blonde wig, with the tresses cascading around his shoulders. Beau was prompting Ru Paul's Drag Race on Stan Newsreader Brooklyn Ross advised Beau: 'If you're going to wax you need to wax now because you're going to be spotty.' 'Yeah, and get in-growns,' said Sophie Monk, 39. 'Thanks for that heads up,' replied Beau. Beau also dressed up in drag for the 40th anniversary of Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 2018. They rose to fame as sisters Sansa and Arya Stark in the hit HBO series. And Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams have revealed that they used to 'sneak a kiss' into every Game of Thrones scene to 'freak out their co-stars'. The two actresses, aged 23 and 21, were speaking to Glamour UK ahead of the final series of the HBO series. Sneaky: Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams have revealed that they used to 'sneak a kiss' into every Game of Thrones scene to 'freak out their co-stars' in an interview with Glamour UK And as such, Sophie and Maisie decided to share candid and intimate details about their time on Game of Thrones. Talking to the publication, Sophie, who is engaged to Joe Jonas, revealed that people always mistake the two stars for a 'couple' as she admitted that she is 'obsessed' with her, even stalking her hashtag on Instagram. She said: 'Even though we are sisters [in Game of Thrones], we tried to sneak a kiss into every scene we did together to freak everyone out a bit. It kept them on their toes making sure they were following the script.' Final scenes: The two actresses, aged 23 and 21, were speaking to the publication ahead of the final series of the HBO series - they star as sisters Sansa and Arya Stark 'Obsessed': Talking to the publication, Sophie, who is engaged to Joe Jonas, revealed that people always mistake the two stars for a 'couple' and she is 'obsessed' with Maisie (pictured) The two stars went on to reveal that they are both each other's 'strong home' and 'protectors', with Sophie revealing if anything ever happened on Game of Thrones, Maisie would 'go crazy and protect her'. While Maisie added: 'Sophie knows too much about me to not be my friend. I cant tell you the amount of times Sophie said, "Go to therapy" before I actually did. She really helped me through some messy break-ups and some friend break-ups. Whenever Im like, "I need help! This is bigger than anything I can sort out on my own," Sophie is my point of call.' The 21-year-old also went on to talk about body image, revealing: 'Ive never felt very pretty because Ive never been portrayed as very pretty on screen. I actually think thats really great, but in terms of how I personally feel, its been difficult sometimes.' Sweet: The two stars went on to reveal that they are both each other's 'protectors', with Maisie revealing: 'Sophie knows too much about me to not be my friend.' (pictured in 2014) Sophie and Maisie looked sensational in bold multi-coloured prints for the photoshoot with the magazine, wearing designers such as Louis Vuitton, Prada and Stella McCartney. Following the fashion theme for their make-up, both stars rocked neon pink, green and yellow eye make-up with Maisie's pink locks blow-dried into a voluminous hairdo, while Sophie swept her blonde locks to one side. The girls' candid confessions come after they revealed what they would do together after a long day of GoT filming. Candid: The 21-year-old also went on to talk about body image, revealing: 'Ive never felt very pretty because Ive never been portrayed as very pretty on screen.' 'Were kind of like loners on Game Of Thrones, just because the past few seasons Maisie and I have sleepovers every night when were shooting. Or every night whenever both of us are in town,' she told Vulture. 'We just used to sit there and eat and watch stupid videos and smoke weed. 'I dont know if my publicist will kill me for saying this. Wed get high and then wed sit in the bath together and wed rub makeup brushes on our faces. Its fun.' The full interview is available to read in the Spring/Summer 2019 issue of GLAMOUR UK, out 7 March. Dan Osborne has revealed his beloved grandmother passed away on Wednesday. In a touching tribute, the former TOWIE star, 27, hailed his late grandparent 'beautiful and strong' as he shared a series of sweet family snaps on his Instagram account on Thursday. The TV personality, who is married to EastEnders' Jacqueline Jossa, 26, penned: 'Yesterday was a heartbreaking day.. My beautiful, strong little nanny left us for a better place where she will now be so happy to be back with grandad.' [sic] Sad loss: Dan Osborne has revealed his beloved grandmother passed away on Wednesday (pictured with son Teddy, four, wife Jacqueline Jossa, 26, and their daughter Ella, four) He continued his emotional message: 'Miss you grandad and miss you already nan... you had your funny, cheeky little character right to the end and you are just amazing! 'Thank you for everything you did for me, my brothers and for the whole family we were so lucky to have you as our nan. I love you so much', the CBB star added. In honour of his grandmother, Dan shared a series of images of her with his wife Jacqueline, their daughter Ella, five, and his five-year-old son Teddy, who he shares with ex Megan Tomlin. Devastating: In a touching tribute, the former TOWIE star, 27, hailed his late grandparent 'beautiful and strong' as he shared a series of sweet family snaps on his Instagram account on Thursday In honour: 'Miss you grandad and miss you already nan... you had your funny, cheeky little character right to the end and you are just amazing', the CBB star added The Essex star and actress Jacqueline tied the knot in June 2017 during a romantic ceremony, and welcomed second daughter Mia in June 2018. Back in November, the couple said they feel like 'newlyweds' again and claimed their marriage is 'better than ever'. Dan said the time he spent on Celebrity Big Brother allowed them both to get things back on track, following their brief split earlier that year. Happy family: The Essex star and the former EastEnders star tied the knot in June 2017 during a romantic ceremony, and welcomed second daughter Mia in June 2018 Smitten: Back in November, the couple said they feel like 'newlyweds' again and claimed their marriage is 'better than ever' They enjoyed a trip to Dubai in November, which was all the more special since they never had the time to celebrate their 2017 wedding due to Jacqueline's filming commitments with EastEnders at the time. Discussing the benefits of their getaway, fitness enthusiast Dan told OK!: Our relationship is better now than its ever been. Since getting back together, it feels like were stronger and we appreciate each other so much more. 'In a way we have a lot to thank CBB for, because the time apart made us realise what we were both missing.' She's learned from the best after following in the fashionable footsteps of her supermodel mother, Cindy Crawford. And Kaia Gerber, 17, looked the spitting image of her catwalk queen relative, 53, as she stepped out during another busy day at Paris Fashion Week in the French capital on Thursday. Channelling her famous mother's good looks, the teen model oozed sophistication in a tweed trench coat and flared jeans, teamed with a simple black T-shirt. Runs in the family: Kaia Gerber, 17, (L) looked the spitting image of her supermodel mother Cindy Crawford, 53, (R) as she stepped out during Paris Fashion Week on Thursday The cover girl wore her shoulder-length brunette locks in the same bouncy style as Cindy favours, and accessorised with micro-shades. Kaia topped off her stylish look with white lace-up boots and a tan cross-body leather bag. Allowing her natural beauty to shine through, the rising star opted to go make-up free for the outing. It was a busy day for Kaia, who walked in the Chloe autumn/winter 19/20 presentation at the city's Maison de la Radio. Checkmate: Channelling her famous mother's good looks, the teen model oozed sophistication in a tweed trench coat and flared jeans, teamed with a simple black T-shirt Seeing double: The cover girl wore her shoulder-length brunette locks in the same bouncy style as Cindy favours, and accessorised with micro-shades Girl about town: Kaia accessorised her stylish look with white lace-up boots and a tan cross-body leather bag The star wore a blue lace skirt which had a waterfall hemline and a matching coloured top as she showcased the latest trends in front of the fash-pack. Kaia's ensemble was completed with an oversized toffee coloured vinyl coat which had a shearling collar and matching lining. She wore matching calf-length toffee coloured boots and wore a pair of tortoiseshell sunglasses. Sitting in the FROW on the day was US Vogue's Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour, 69, who wore a patterned dress under a black coat and dark shades. Shine: Allowing her natural beauty to shine through, the rising star opted to go make-up free for the outing Meet up: Later, the model was seen going to lunch with a female friend at the organic concept store Sloe Greeting: The two hugged before entering the eatery, with Kaia seen enjoying her meal Later, the model was seen going to lunch with a friend at the organic concept store Sloe. The two hugged before entering the eatery, with Kaia seen enjoying her meal. Cindy has previously spoken about her daughter following in her footsteps and pursuing a catwalk career, saying she never wants Kaia to feel 'in competition' with her. Speaking in an interview with The Edit magazine in 2014, she explained: 'Kaia's blossoming into such a beautiful young woman and I really want to let her shine. 'I don't want her to feel in competition with me, although I'll tease her, and say, "You have my old hair give it back!" Or, "Give me back my legs!" But she'll be fine... she's much more together and worldly than I was at her age.' Bon appetit: Kaia was seen enjoying her food ahead of a busy day of walking the a/w 2019 Chloe Fashion Show Plenty to smile about: The model was in good spirits as she giggled with her friend Deep in thought: The catwalk queen appeared to take some of her lunch away in a takeout bag as she was spotted in the City of Light later in the afternoon Star of the show: It was a busy day for Kaia, who walked in the Chloe autumn/winter 19/20 presentation at the city's Maison de la Radio Despite her mother being one of the world's most famous models, Kaia has admitted Cindy has never given her a catwalk lesson. Speaking to British Vogue, Kaia said: 'She's never given me a catwalk lesson. I've definitely watched her work, but we're not at home just walking down the hallways of our house together! Although Kaia landed her first modelling job at the age of just 10, she insisted she had a regular upbringing. She added: 'I admire how down to earth my mom is... everyone would ask me what's it like to have Cindy Crawford as your mom, but Cindy Crawford (the supermodel) wasnt my mom - she did a really good job of separating her work and home life.' Cindy and model turned businessman husband Rande Gerber, 56, are also parents to son Presley, 19. As if the French capital needed more glamour, Lottie Moss and Bar Refaeli promptly brought it to Paris Fashion Week as local designer Roger Vivier unveiled his new womenswear collection on Thursday afternoon. The two models joined an exclusive selection of guests at the citys Simone and Cino Del Duca Foundation, where they took a fist look at the new fall-winter range of footwear, bags and accessories. Making her way inside, Lottie, 21, caught the eye in a thigh-skimming snakeskin print dress with a tastefully cinched waist that drew attention to her slender physique. Here they come: Lottie Moss (L) and Bar Refaeli (R) made an appearance at Paris Fashion Week on Thursday afternoon as local designer Roger Vivier unveiled his new womenswear collection The half-sister of supermodel Kate Moss added to her look with a pair of black stiletto heels, while a simple black handbag rounded things off. Joining the willowy blonde, Bar opted for a comparatively subdued black blouse and skinny jeans, teamed with a matching black blazer. The Israeli supermodel, 33, added to her look with highly distinctive black cowboy boots that ensured she commanded her fair share of attention as she made her way inside. Looking good: Making her way inside, Lottie caught the eye in a thigh-skimming monochrome dress with a tastefully cinched waist that drew attention to her slender physique Low key: Joining the willowy blonde, Bar opted for a comparatively subdued black blouse and matching black blazer Incoming: Patricia Arquette (L) and Helena Noguerra (R) also attended the presentation on Thursday afternoon Bold: Spanish actress Rossy de Palma caught the eye in a distinctive monochrome gown as she made her way inside Parisian venue Simone and Cino Del Duca Foundation ahead of the launch Others to attend on Thursday afternoon included Hollywood star Patricia Arquette, who made an entrance in a sweeping grey gown and duster coat. Elsewhere Spanish actress Rossy de Palma and Belgian star Helena Noguerra were also on hand to cast an eye over Vivier's latest designs. Guests were joined by a range of garishly dressed models as Vivier unveiled his new range with a highly original presentation filled with vibrancy and colour. Play that tune: A colourfully dressed DJ set the mood as guests arrived at the venue on Thursday afternoon Settle down: Hollywood star Patricia joined Rossy and a fishnet clad model in a guerrilla mask for a fun snap at the Paris Fashion Week event Mirror mirror: A model checked her delicately proportioned features as the event got underway Lottie's appearance at the event comes after she posted an encouraging quote to her widely-followed Instagram account, which read: 'You can rise up from anything. You can completely recreate yourself. 'Nothing is permanent. You're not stuck. You have choices. You can think new thoughts. You can learn something new. You can create new habits. 'All that matters is that you decide today and never look back.' I say: Guests were joined by a range of garishly dressed models as Vivier unveiled his new range with a highly original presentation filled with vibrancy and colour Colourful: Bags and shoes from the designer were carefully laid out on a four-poster bed as part of the new presentation If the shoe fits: Vivier is famed for his distinctively designed handbags, shoes and accessories Taking time to reflect on her career, she added: 'Recently I have decided to completely reinvent myself as I wasnt happy in myself or where i felt I was going in life. 'Just a quick reminder that whatever point you are at in your life its never too late to pick yourself up and change.' Lottie recently admitted she doesn't feel pressured by her legacy as Kate's half-sister. She previously said: 'My sister and I are two different people and she is on her path and I am on my own.' Say cheese: Patricia posed for a photo with Roger Vivier's Creative Director Gherardo Felloni Side by side: French model Ines De La Fressange rubbed shoulders with Belgian star Helena Noguerra She is one of the stand-out stars of this year's Celebs Go Dating due to a rumoured rift with Megan McKenna and a geography blunder over Wales and Ireland. And Georgia Steel was hit by a fan backlash following her saucy second date on the show, shown on Wednesday. The Love Island star, 20, was all fired up for her date with hunky Max, and opened up about the advice she had been given by dating experts Paul Carrick-Brunson and Anna Williamson. Scroll down for video Oh dear: Georgia Steel was hit by a fan backlash following her saucy second date on Celebs Go Dating Oh dear: The Love Island star, 20, was branded 'rude' 'fake' and 'annoying' after her second date But fans took to social media in the wake of the show to lambast her behaviour on the date as 'rude' 'fake' and 'annoying'. She said: 'The agents said to me make sure you let him take control tonight, and I think I did.' 'But I did battle. I can't help that, it's just an instinct thing. I try to be the one in control but I don't think he was having any of it'. The brunette beauty, who had an ill-fated romance with Sam Bird on Love Island, then expressed a desire to ravish her date. Hmm: The star's date got off to a rocky start when she failed to understand her date's name was Maxwell, calling him 'Maxworld' for around 30 seconds She said: 'Yeah I fancied him. I wanted to rip his clothes off lets not lie. I can't help that can I boo.' The star's date got off to a rocky start when she failed to understand her date's name was Maxwell, calling him 'Maxworld' for around 30 seconds. Fans took to social media to comment on the star's behaviour during the date with one follower writing: 'Her voice makes me want to die' while another added: 'MAX. CANCEL. KENT DOESNT WANT GEORGIA. #CelebsGoDating.' Another wrote: 'Catching up on #CelebsGoDating and Georgia has legit given me a headache.' Interesting: The brunette beauty, who had an ill-fated romance with Sam Bird on Love Island, then expressed a desire to ravish her date One fan wrote: 'Used to like Georgia Steele on Love Island NGL. However shes actually a bit f*****g rude! Who does she actually think she is speaking to people the way she does? Ew. #CelebsGoDating Another added: 'Georgia is so embarrassing! Rain it in babe!!! (sic) while another added: 'catching up on #celebsgodating and i didnt mind Georgia in love island as much but in this she just seems even more fake/gobby.' (sic) Georgia had already riled-up viewers with her lack of general knowledge as she headed on her first date with insurance agent, Aaron on Tuesday's show. The reality starlet left the 31-year-old stunned when she asked him what a sausage dog was, if there were sheep in Wales and confused it for Ireland, prompting fans to call her out for 'putting on an act'. Oh dear; Fans took to social media to comment on the star's behaviour during the date After turning up 40 minutes late, Georgia dropped a clanger when she asked Aaron if he took a boat from Wales to London. She said: 'Youre from Wales, thats an island from us, isnt it? So how did you get across, on a boat? With Aaron replying he took the train, Georgia went on to ask: 'Does the train go under the water? So you didnt swim then?' It has also been claimed Georgia and Megan McKenna suffered a major fall-out behind the scenes of Celebs Go Dating, according to The Sun. A source told the publication that the pair were at odds during filming for the series finale in Tenerife, after Georgia accused Megan of name-calling and badmouthing her. This comes just hours after the pair appeared on Good Morning Britain together where they insisted that the cast got along well on the E4 show, though the source also claimed that this is likely to be the last time the pair will cross paths He was announced as the president of LAMDA, the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art, last year. And Benedict Cumberbatch has taken on his prestigious duties with pride as he appointed director Sarah Frankcom as the new chief of LAMDA in school's theatre in Hammersmith, London, on Thursday afternoon. The Doctor Strange actor, 42, appeared in great spirits as he took snaps with excited students at the oldest drama school in the UK. Honour: Benedict Cumberbatch appointed director Sarah Frankcom as the new chief of LAMDA in school's theatre in Hammersmith, London, on Thursday afternoon Cutting a sophisticated figure, the screen star sported a cosy grey jumper, cobalt blue trousers and a stringy red scarf. The Avengers: Infinity War actor beamed with delight as Sarah, 51, the artistic director of Manchester's Royal Exchange theatre, took up her new role. According to BBC, the Thor: Ragnarok star enthused: 'Her reputation precedes her. I am sure her leadership will be a performance to truly grip the industry.' Having fun: The Doctor Strange actor, 42, appeared in great spirits as he took snaps with excited drama students at the oldest drama school in the UK Suave: Cutting a sophisticated figure, the screen star sported a cosy grey jumper, cobalt blue trousers and a stringy red scarf 'I am thrilled at the prospect of working with Sarah, who I know has a passion for finding the best talent from whatever background and increasing diversity on stage and screen', he added. Benedict was announced as the president of LAMDA, the school which he graduated from back in 2000, in January last year. Speaking of the honour, he said in a statement: 'Having trained at LAMDA, I am thrilled to have been appointed as its new President and would like to thank my predecessor, the great Timothy West for his remarkable and steadfast tenure. 'It will be an honour to watch the next generation of actors, directors and technicians blossom and grow into outstanding creative artists and theatre professionals through the exceptional training provided by LAMDA.' Celebration: The Avengers actor beamed with delight as Sarah, 51, the artistic director of Manchester's Royal Exchange theatre, took up her new role (also pictured with Shaun Woodward) Praise: 'Her reputation precedes her. I am sure her leadership will be a performance to truly grip the industry', Benedict enthused The talented thespian was stepping out amid claims his playwright wife Sophie Hunter, 40, is expecting the couple's third child. Speculation when Sophie appeared to display a blossoming baby bump as the pair graced the red carpet at the Emmys in Los Angeles in September 2018. Sources told PEOPLE at the time that Sophie was also spotted cradling and resting her crossed arms atop her tummy as the couple attended the post-show Emmy Awards Governors Ball. Excited: 'I am thrilled at the prospect of working with Sarah, who I know has a passion for finding the best talent from whatever background and increasing diversity on stage and screen', he added The arrival will be their third in just four years, as the couple are already proud parents to sons Christopher 'Kit' Carlton, three, and Hal Auden, 18 months. Sophie and Benedict, who have been friends for 20 years, took their romance public in spring 2014, before tying the knot the following year on the Isle Of Wight. Benedict's eldest son was born two weeks before he began rehearsing for London stage production Hamlet and he has found that becoming a father helped him with his role in the Shakespearean play. Busy bee: Benedict was announced as the president of LAMDA, the school which he graduated from back in 2000, in January last year He previously said: 'Having a baby - it's massive. And on a very unexpected level. Suddenly I understood my parents much more profoundly than I ever had before. 'I was expecting, with 'Hamlet', that it might be a hindrance to be a father, because it's all about being a son. 'But it's the opposite. You understand much more about being a son, becoming a father.' She has been ruling the runways during Paris Fashion Week. And as Gigi Hadid, 23, enjoyed a rare break from the catwalk on Thursday she was showing off her sense of style in a quirky ensemble. The US model stepped out onto the streets of Paris in a denim boiler suit for an outing with actress and FROW regular Olivia Culpo, 26. Models off duty: Gigi Hadid, 23, enjoyed a rare break from the catwalk on Thursday she was showing off her sense of style in a quirky ensemble for an outing with Olivia Culpo Both ladies chose fashion-forward looks as they left the Hotel du palais Royal. Gigi teamed her blue boiler suit with a matching jacket, cinching in her waist with a black leather belt. Patent ankle boots and statement shades completed the stylish look, while she styled her hair into a high pony. Looking fab: Both ladies chose fashion-forward looks as they left the Hotel du palais Royal. Gigi teamed her blue boiler suit with a matching jacket, cinching in her waist with a black belt Olivia meanwhile had a sporty vibe, rocking on-trend striped leg trousers which coordinated with her green satin top, featuring a perilously low neckline. She added a taupe-coloured jacket over the top and matched Gigi with statement shades. Gigi has been ruling the runway alongside her stylish sister Bella as well as the likes of Irina Shayk, Kaia Gerber and Candice Swanepoel in Paris, while Olivia has been one of the VIPs on the front row. head-turning: Olivia meanwhile had a sporty vibe, rocking on-trend striped leg trousers which coordinated with her green satin top, featuring a perilously low neckline Designer vibes: She added a taupe-coloured jacket over the top and matched Gigi with statement shades It's been a tough time for the world of fashion, who paid their respects to designer Karl Lagerfeld following his death in Paris ten days ago. Gigi referenced the 85-year-old's 'genius mind' and 'indescribable presence' after his passing following a short illness. She wrote on Instagram: 'Karl, I will miss your indescribable presence, watching your calm, quiet genius mind working, your little jokes, amazing stories, and experience the clothes, sets, and productions only you could dream up.' Out and about: Patent ankle boots and statement shades completed the stylish look, while she styled her hair into a high pony 'Thank you for believing in me and for the beautiful, incredible opportunities you brought to my career, but mostly thank you for giving me the honor of knowing the magic behind the myth. 'There will never be another Karl Lagerfeld. I am overwhelmed with sadness today, but also with so much love, admiration and gratitude for you. 'To all his beloved friends and colleagues, and his favourite girl Choupette, my heart is with you. Rest in Peace King Karl. I didn't want this day to come.' Her ex-husband Ant McPartlin recently returned to work after his first family holiday with his partner Anne-Marie Corbett and her daughters. And Lisa Armstrong was back to the grind herself on Wednesday as she shared a very glamorous selfie from her work day. The make-up guru, 41, who was reportedly axed from her ex's show Britain's Got Talent, looked stunning in the mirror selfie, with her lavender hued locks styled into a chic quiff. Hard at it: Lisa Armstrong was back to the grind herself on Wednesday as she shared a very glamorous selfie from her work day Moving on: Her ex-husband Ant McPartlin recently returned to work after his first family holiday with his partner Anne-Marie Corbett and her daughters Showing off her prowess in the field, she sported artfully-applied smoky shadow, fluttery lashes and a slick of nude lipstick. The star looked uber stylish in a black fitted blazer and pink patterned Louis Vuitton scarf as she flashed a phone case by the designer. Showing it was a busy day ahead, the make-up table with littered with make-up brushes as the star posed in a studio. Ant and Lisa split after an 11 year marriage - and more than two decades together - in January 2018. The selfie comes days after Ant returned from his first family holiday over the weekend, enjoying some quality time with Anne Marie and her two daughters in Abu Dhabi. Happier times: Ant and Lisa split in January 2018 after an 11 year marriage (pictured May 2015) The holiday was the couple's third since they got together last year, but their first with Anne-Marie's children. Preparing to fly back to Heathrow, the group waited for the flight, with an insider telling MailOnline: 'He was laughing with the kids and with his girlfriend. He smiled at passersby. They looked really happy and comfortable and he hugged the older girl.' Ant and Anne-Marie went public with their romance last year and have since looked incredibly loved-up at every turn, with their holiday being the next step. An onlooker told the Mirror: 'Ant was chuckling and smiling with his family, but also seemed keen to keep his head down and get on the plane as quickly as possible'. Ant previously credited girlfriend Anne-Marie for 'saving his life', after battling addiction, a drink-drive conviction and divorce. The former PA has been throwing her support behind Ant, travelling around the UK while he films for the upcoming series of BGT. His return to BGT for auditions has firmly marked his return to TV since last year's troubles. After first seeking rehab treatment for his addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol in 2017, Ant then pleaded guilty to drink-driving in April last year after being involved in a three-car collision. The series of incidents led to the star checking in for rehab treatment, while he also stepped away from his co-presenting gigs with sidekick Declan Donnelly. Ant has credited Anne-Marie for guiding him on the straight and narrow, telling The Sun On Sunday: 'Shes a beautiful soul. Were very happy. Im in the best place Ive been in my life, to be honest with you. Its great.' Teresa Giudice is defending herself against rumors she plans to divorce husband Joe Giudice when he's out of prison. The 46-year-old reality star was quizzed during part two of The Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion on Wednesday about photos of her without her wedding rings while celebrating New Years' Eve with rumored love interest Blake Schreck, 26. 'I mean, who cares? Who cares if I wear my rings, if I don't?' Teresa told host Andy Cohen. Teresa Giudice snapped 'who cares' when she was asked about not wearing her wedding rings during her 'aggressively flirtatious' NYE with rumored beau Blake Schreck 'Joe never wore rings.' she added. Cohen had asked the mom-of-four about photos of her 'aggressively flirting' with Blake during a New Years Eve outing in Miami, published by UsWeekly. Teresa brushed off speculation saying she took lots of photos with tons of fans during the evening. At the time of those reports Teresa's lawyer claimed the evening was 'nothing more' than 'a night out with friends.' 'I mean, who cares? Who cares if I wear my rings, if I don't?' Teresa told host Andy Cohen during part two of The Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion show 'Joe never wore rings.' Teresa added in her defense. She is pictured here with Joe in March 2016 Of course Teresa has now been spotted with Blake a handful of times, most recently enjoying a trip to Miami with the handsome 20-something and putting on PDA during a night out with friends. Cohen has made his feelings on the matter pretty clear as he revealed in a recent episode of Watch What Happens Live that he hopes the rumors are true that Teresa is enjoying a fling with the young former realtor. 'I want her to be getting it from this guy.' the Bravo host said. Since the New Year, Teresa, 46, has been pictured several times with the 26-year-old. They are seen together in Miami on February 18 The reality star has previously said that she will separate from Joe, 46, if he is deported from the US back to his native Italy after he's completed his 41-month jail sentence for bankruptcy fraud. But her lawyer shot down any speculation that she's currently looking into divorce. 'The only lawyers Teresa is talking to are her husband's immigration lawyers and those conversations are about bringing Joe home where he belongs. Nobody is talking about getting divorced,' James Leonard Jr. said. 'Joe Giudice is a fighter and he wants to come home. His lawyers are putting up a hell of a fight in an effort to make that happen.' TOWIE bosses axed some of their biggest stars in the show's largest cull earlier this year. And new cast members Chloe Brockett, 18, and her glamorous mum Clare looked ready to shake things up as they were spotted filming for the upcoming ITVBe series on Thursday. The pair made a head-turning arrival as they strutted into the Sheppard and Dog in Romford, while Shelby Tribble was spotted heading to Sugar Hut in Brentwood as the first day of filming got under way. Newbies: New cast members Chloe Brockett and her glamorous mum Clare looked ready to shake things up as they were spotted filming for the upcoming TOWIE series on Thursday Chloe looked effortlessly snakeskin print dress, which showed off her tremendous pins and cinched in her waist with its black belt. She added a boost to her petite frame with black suede ankle boots and toted her beloved Louis Vuitton bag. Styling her brunette locks in soft waves, Chloe accentuated her Essex tan with heavy strokes of bronzer, fluttery eyelashes and a pink lip. Eye-catching: The pair made a head-turning arrival as they strutted into the Sheppard and Dog in Romford as the first day of filming got under way Ready for the camera: Shelby Tribble headed to Sugar Hut in Brentwood as the first day of filming got under way First taste of fame: Chloe looked effortlessly snakeskin print dress, which showed off her tremendous pins and cinched in her waist with its black belt Chloe's mum Clare, who is a cab driver, threatened to steal the limelight as she put on a very leggy display in a thigh-skimming black minidress with an embellished neckline. The TOWIE newbie larked around for cameras, sticking out her tongue before heading into the pub with her daughter. Chloe already boasts an impressive 9k followers on Instagram and litters her page with bikini-clad photos, snaps of her latest designer purchases and nights out in some of London's celeb hotspots. Strutting her stuff: She added a boost to her petite frame with black suede ankle boots and toted her beloved Louis Vuitton bag Glam queen: Chloe's mum Clare threatened to steal the limelight as she put on a very leggy display in a thigh-skimming black minidress with an embellished neckline Having a laugh: The TOWIE newbie larked around for cameras, sticking out her tongue before heading into the pub with her daughter The Brockett family signing comes after The Only Way Is Essex announced earlier this month that it has axed eight stars in the show's biggest ever cull ahead of the 24th series. Shelby ,26, best pal Clelia Theodorou and Sam Mucklow were in Brentwood to film at TOWIE hotspot Sugar Hut. The beauty pageant queen dressed her incredible figure in a simple black t-shirt, leather jacket and blue jeans, while Clelia, 23, donned a oversized cardigan and showed off her new full fringe. Giggly display: Shelby dressed her incredible figure in a simple black t-shirt, leather jacket and blue jeans and appeared in high spirits as she walked alongside Sam New look: Clelia, 23, donned a oversized cardigan and showed off her new full fringe Her time in the spotlight: Shelby beamed with happiness as she headed to Sugar Hut and looked excited to film new scenes for the upcoming series Looking good: Sam showed off his edgy style in a bomber jacket, Nike trainers and Louis Vuitton man bag Loves the ladies: The Essex charmer looked delighted to be in presence of Shelby and Clelia In a bid to refresh the long-running reality series, eight have departed the ITVBe show - including Jon Clark, Chloe Lewis and Yazmin Oukhellou's brother Adam Oukhellou. A spokesperson for the show said: 'Every series we review our cast to ensure we're following the lives of those who are most interesting and willing to share their real lives and relationship highs and lows. Risque: Chloe already boasts an impressive 9k followers on Instagram and litters her page with bikini-clad photos 'A number of cast have been notified that they're not being contracted for the start of series 24 as we look to bring in some fresh new faces, however we've always maintained that cast can return as and when the timing is right for them and the show. 'It's how TOWIE has stayed so fresh and exciting for nearly a decade. We remain grateful to every single cast member that has featured in TOWIE and contributed to its huge success.' Chloe Sims' younger sister Demi has also joined the cast. She debuted her growing baby bump on the most glamorous stage of them all at The Oscars on Sunday. And days later Krysten Ritter opted for a much more low-key outing. The 37-year-old actress kept things simple in a black dress while out and about with boyfriend Adam Granduciel in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Bumping along: Krysten Ritter kept things simple in a black dress while out and about with boyfriend Adam Granduciel in Los Angeles on Wednesday Her burgeoning baby belly could be seen in a clinging black long-sleeved midi dress as she crossed the street with her 40-year-old musician beau. She completed her look with all black pieces including leather boots, designer bag, and black shades. Her raven-colored tresses were worn down and she let her natural looks show with minimal make-up on her porcelain skin. Just us: The 37-year-old star's burgeoning baby belly could be seen in a clinging black long-sleeved midi dress as she crossed the street with her 40-year-old musician beau Adam looked comfortable in a black hoodie with matching jeans and Adidas trainers. The outing came just three days after the Jessica Jones actress shared her happy news by showing off a small baby bump on the red carpet of the 91st Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood. Ritter glowed while wearing a wine red lace look by Reem Acra as she attended the awards show with Adam. Showing her style: She completed her look with all black pieces including leather boots, designer bag, and black shades The Breaking Bad actress' burgundy gown hugged her growing bump while cascading down to the floor with a modest sweep train. Chandelier earrings and rhinestone trimming added some sparkle to the expecting beauty's ensemble. For glam, she matched her brick red lipstick to her look and styled her raven locks in soft curls. Hot mama! The outing came just three days after Ritter announced her pregancy by showing off her budding baby bump at the Oscars on Sunday Lady in red: The Breaking Bad actress' burgundy gown hugged her growing bump while cascading down to the floor with a modest sweep train Supporting role: The starlet was there is boyfriend Adam Adam Granduciel Adam, who is the guitarist of The War On Drugs, was handsome in an all black ensemble as he supported his love at the affair. (The couple have been linked since 2014.) Krysten would later take the stage to present the award for Best Live Action Short Film and Best Animated Short Film with Kiki Layne. While Krysten is certainly celebrating her pregnancy, she's also likely mourning the loss of her Netflix show Jessica Jones. The streaming service announced that they'd given the Marvel series the ax on Monday, via a statement to Deadline. Charlotte Crosby has launched into a foul-mouthed rant about 'fake' celebrities who attempt to be her friend for 'social status'. The reality star, 28, took to Instagram to announce that she had a 'big problem' with 'fake f**kers' in this industry, as she vented her frustrations to her followers. Charlotte, who's friends include Geordie Shore stars Holly Hagan and Sophie Kasaei, said that she was glad to have real friends rather than fake ones. Rant: Charlotte Crosby has launched into a foul-mouthed rant about 'fake friends' in show business who attempt to be her friend for 'social status' The Charlotte Show star joked that one day she plans to make a list of 'genuine ones' and 'c**ts', in order to clearly rule out who she considers to be 'fake'. Her rant began: 'Another thing..... I've got such a big f***ing problem with fake f***ers in this industry. Make me laugh SO SO SOOOO much..... She added: 'I'm so glad I've got a very small circle of REAL friends, And not just making FALSE FRIENDSHIPS for social status. That must be painful man SO PAINFUL.' 'Big problem': The reality star, 28, took to Instagram to announce that she had a 'big problem' with 'fake f**kers' in this industry, as she vented her frustrations to her followers Continuing her tirade, Charlotte said that she would one day name those people who only pursue friendships for personal game, adding that they could be put into the two categories. She said: 'One day I'm gunna make a list of.... but I think we would run out of room on this list!!!!!' (sic). Adding another post to her story, Charlotte then circled the word 'c**ts' and said: 'But my god I know the first 2 names that would be getting slammed on this one.' Since returning from her trip to Mexico, Charlotte has been getting back into her everyday routine and was spotted heading out by herself without her love Josh whom she has been inseparable with while on holiday. Real love: Charlotte, who's friends include Geordie Shore stars Holly Hagan and Sophie Kasaei, said that she was glad to have real friends rather than fake ones Things were rosy between Charlotte and Joshua once again when they made the most of their getaway in Cancun recently. Having reignited the flames of passion they felt for one another during their getaway, the couple appear to have worked through their problems. During a recent interview, Charlotte freely shared she and Joshua had been going through a rough patch in recent months. Burn book: The Charlotte Show star joked that one day she plans to make a list of 'genuine ones' and 'c**ts', in order to clearly rule out who she considers to be 'fake' She explained to radio hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson: 'We were going through a really bad time.' 'We were going through a really bad time in our relationship. This is the first serious relationship over ever had on camera, like where he's actually my boyfriend, we were planning our lives together. 'It's really serious. I found it really hard that the cameras were there when we were going through a really bad stage. Rocky road: During a recent interview, Charlotte freely shared she and Joshua had been going through a rough patch in recent months 'It was like, I just went through this stage where I was getting really paranoid. Because I'm so serious about Josh I just went overboard... 'Of course I was psychopath for no reason. Nothing was even happening. You know when it's just in your head?' Charlotte has enjoyed headline-grabbing romances with Gaz Beadle, Stephen Bear, Ash Harrison and Mitch Jenkins Christina Hendricks looked radiant in a black outfit when in New York City on Wednesday. The Mad Men vet had on a black dress with flowers on it under a long coat which contrasted nicely with her flame red hair as she left the Today show in New York City. The 43-year-old Tennessee native was later seen on Late Night With Seth Meyers where she talked about how her mother used to practice hypnosis on their neighbors. Chic star: Christina Hendricks looked radiant in a black outfit when in New York City on Wednesday On the town: The Mad Men vet had on a black dress with flowers on it under a long coat which contrasted nicely with her flame red hair as she left the Today show in New York City While seen on the street, the beauty had on a low-cut black dress that had red flowers on the bottom. She covered up in a black coat with wood closures in the front. A black purse with crystal strawberries could also be seen. And at one point the star was seen holding a larger bag with a fun print and bead work. Accessory: She covered up in a black coat with wood closures in the front. A black purse with crystal strawberries could also be seen. And at one point the star was seen holding a larger bag with a fun print and bead work. And she added black heels with red roses on the front. The red accents tied in nicely with her red lipstick and red nails. Later the actress - who is best known for her TV series Mad Men but now plays criminal Beth Boland Good Girls - had fun with Seth. She had on a black dress with little metal designs all over the neckline and bust. The conversation was likely as Christina talked her past. Late night: The 43-year-old Tennessee native was later seen on Late Night With Seth Meyers where she talked about how her mother used to practice hypnosis on their neighbors Glam gal: She had on a black dress with little metal designs all over the neckline and bust Her mother was a hypnotherapist. When Seth asks if that was cool she said, 'It was sort of a neighborhood trick, she would pratice on us when she was learning. 'She would put us in the process of hynosis and she would say, 'You're going to forget the number five." Then they would make up and could their fingers - 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 - no way, no way!' And we would be like, "ha ha." 'I am sure we were all faking it but it seemed cool.' Before her chat: Christina was seen in a makeup chair as Seth said hello in the green room She also talked about how her agent did not want her to take the part of Joan because at the time AMC didn't have the progamming piece and it was period. Hendricks insisted on doing Mad Men and her agents then fired her, she said. Meyers also asked her about working as a florist. When Mad Men was in a holding pattern, she started being a floral expert and she said she loved it. 'My friend Craig Bierko came in and was like hey, ohhh,' sghe said, like he felt sorry for her for being a florist. Later he called her a 'bad a**' for doing that job. Hilary Duff was seen filming Younger in New York City on Thursday. The former Disney actress was standing next to co-star Sutton Foster, 43, as the duo continue to work on season six of the series. Both star were bundled up for the cool winter weather as they shot outside several store fronts. Simply elegant: Hilary looks fashion forward for her scene on Younger Hilary's chilly weather vibe was finished off with a scarf and dangling yellow earrings. Sutton wore a long, loose fitted brown and white patterned dress with a light pink fur coat over to keep her warm. The Georgia born actress also had on aqua blue heels. Hard at work: Hilary and Sutton prep to start filming another take Getting real: The stars share a serious moment on set as they shared knowing looks Brrr: The wind made the star's coat blow back and she surely must have felt the chill Hilary and Sutton had a serious moment later on. The Lizzie McGuire actress recently returned back to filming after a three month break post the birth of her daughter, Banks Violet Bair, in October. Hilary even brought the four-month-old to work with her this week. In a very smiley picture, Hilary holds Banks who's wearing an adorable pink dress covered in zebras. Hilary wrote on the story saying, 'Visiting mommy at work' and 'I look way to excited, I think I scared her.' Doutzen Kroes was showcasing her model versatility in her latest photo shoot on Thursday, as she was joined by a flock of pigeons in the heart of Athens' Syntagma Square. The Dutch model, 34, was oozing sartorial chic in a black trouser suit with side cutouts, as she posed with ease despite the feathered friends joining her on set. Doutzen also showed off her amazing long blonde tresses as she flipped back her head to soak up the sun, while nailing every shot as the pigeons dramatically surrounded her. Sensational: Doutzen Kroes was showcasing her model versatility in her latest photo shoot on Thursday, as she was joined by a flock of pigeons in the heart of Athens' Syntagma Square As she posed up a storm for the photoshoot, Doutzen was donning a sharp but sophisticated ensemble, which included a smart black trouser suit and strapped heels. The former Victoria's Secret star sported her blonde tresses in loose dramatic waves as she strutted through the Square. And despite the fear that pigeons on a photo shoot could end in a messy disaster, Doutzen seemed to handle the challenge with ease as she posed for the slew of snaps. Steer clear! The Dutch model, 34, was oozing sartorial chic in a black trouser suit with side cutouts, as she posed with ease despite the feathered friends joining her on set Sensational: Doutzen looked amazing in the classic black suit with cutouts to highlight her slender figure, teamed with matching strapped heels as she strutted through the square The Birds: The former Victoria's Secret star sported her blonde tresses in loose dramatic waves as they billowed in the wind, while the pigeons dramatically flew around her Pro: And despite the fear that pigeons on a photo shoot could end in a messy disaster, Doutzen seemed to handle the challenge with ease as she posed for the slew of snaps Doutzen accentuated her flawless complexion with a dramatic smoky eye and nude lip as she posed for the shoot, with pigeons constantly flying or walking in front and around her. During the Summer, she also told FASHION magazine she was 'very lucky' to be born with such an incredible figure as she discussed her success in the modelling world. She also acknowledged that the fashion world is completely different to when she first started, and that younger models are now at an advantage. Epic: Doutzen accentuated her flawless complexion with a dramatic smoky eye and nude lip as she posed for the shoot, with pigeons constantly flying or walking in front and around her Superstar: The Dutch beauty rose to public attention in 2005 after being chosen as Vogue.com's 'Model Of The Year', she went on to be named a Victoria Secret's Angel in 2008 Relaxed: During a break from shoot, Doutzen also kept herself warm with a blanket over her legs, while a stylist ensured her hair looked perfect 'When I started out, the [fashion] industry was more playful and not as calculated,' she explained. 'Now, because of social media, everyone knows everything - there's all these 15-year-old girls who know all the big photographers and fashion designers.' Doutzen first rose to prominence in 2005 after being chosen as Vogue.com's 'Model Of The Year', she went on to be named a Victoria Secret's Angel in 2008. Christine McGuinness revealed she has had an operation and a biopsy as she thanked her fans for their well-wishes on Friday. The stunning model, 30, took to her Instagram platform to say she was 'feeling well', after sharing a picture of herself in a hospital bed the night before. She wrote: 'Thank you for your kind messages. I am feeling well and ready to recover from a little op and a biopsy. I am awaiting results and some further tests, mostly precautionary. Sending love, Christine.' Worries: Christine McGuinness revealed she's 'had an op and a biopsy and is awaiting test results' as she updated her fans on Friday, hours after sharing this snap of herself in hospital Keeping us posted: On Friday morning, Christine updated her fans with a little information on what procedure she had undergone and reassured them that she was feeling well She also wrote: 'Very sleepy, but positive vibes.' The night before. the wife of TV star Paddy McGuinness had shared a snap of herself wearing an oxygen mask and giving her followers a thumbs-up. She assured her fans that everything was okay, while also urging them to be 'kind to each other as you never know what people are dealing with'. Christine captioned the first snap: 'Please hear me when I say I am very well so please dont worry I just had a little snooze, honestly it wasnt long enough. 'Stay strong': The night before, Christine had reassured her fans that everthing was okay, while also urging them to be 'kind to each other as you never know what people are dealing with' 'But whilst Im lay here, Ill take a selfie and send a little reminder to stay strong. Live, laugh and love every day. 'Be kind always, you never know what people are dealing with behind their smile,' her caption concluded. MailOnline has contacted representative for Christine for further information. Getting on with it: On Wednesday, Christine appeared in good health as she partied in London, stepping out in an eye-catching frock On Wednesday, Christine appeared a-ok as she partied in London, stepping out in an eye-catching frock. The glamorous blonde took a walk on the wild side in a silky, tiger print number which plunged perilously. Christine's hospital selfie comes after her recent revelation that she feels 'happy, healthy and strong' following her one stone weight gain over the last year. As 2018 drew to a close, the reality star took to her Instagram to share two clips of herself side-to-side. Christine explained that in the first video at the start of the year she felt 'weak, broken and worthless', whereas the second clip she felt 'happy, healthy and strong' going into 2019 after gaining one stone. Transformation: Christine's hospital selfie comes after her recent revelation that she feels 'happy, healthy and strong' following her one stone weight gain over the last year She said: 'I started 2018 feeling very weak, broken and worthless.. Im leaving 2018 feeling happy, healthy and strong. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to get back up and realise how strong you are. 'Everyone has good and bad times in life, focus on the good. Remember things do change so never make a permanent decision on temporary feelings. 'Create your own happiness. Build yourself and your future. . Be strong when you are weak, brave when you are scared and humble when you are victorious . Believe in yourself always.' Her divorce from Marty Caffrey was finalized a week ago after ten months of marriage. But Danielle Staub is wasting no time getting back into the marriage game, announcing Thursday she's engaged. The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, who's 56, confirmed to People that her new beau Olivier Maier proposed during a romantic getaway to St. Barth and they plan to tie the knot on Monday in New York City. Surprise: Danielle Staub has confirmed to People that she is getting married again, after new beau Olivier Maier proposed during a romantic getaway in St. Barth. 'Im madly in love,' Staub told People. 'Im feeling elated and excited for the next stage of my life,' she said. 'Im going to marry the man of my possible dreams and hopefully Ill spend the rest of my life in bliss.' The couple reportedly plan to return to the US to exchange vows before a Justice of the Peace at a ceremony in front of friends including Staubs RHONJ co-star Teresa Giudice. It will be the fourth marriage - and 21st engagement! - for the Bravo reality star and the second for Maier, who is a managing director of Speyside Equity, a private equity firm based out of New York. Wasting no time: It will be the fourth marriage - and 21st engagement! - for the Bravo reality star who plans to exchange vows with Maier on Monday in New York City Moving on: Staub only finalized her divorce from third husband Marty Caffrey on February 21 after a turbulent 10-month marriage. They're pictured in May 2018 According to People, Maier, who is German and French, is also minor royalty. He told the publication he is the Duke of Provence and that his family own 15 vineyards in the South of France and two castles. It's certainly been a whirlwind romance. The two only met last October when Maier was dating a friend of Staub's. In fact, they only began a romantic relationship earlier this month, Staub said, after she'd gotten to know the financier a little better. Hint: Staub seemed to suggest something was up with this swimsuit Instagram post on Wednesday in which she declared she'd found happiness in St. Barth 'I quite frankly couldnt stand him when I first met him,' she told People. 'Hes so strong-willed, and at first, I read that as rude, and arrogant and entitled. It wasnt until I got to know him that I saw the other side,' she explained. For his part, though, Maier insists he knew straightaway he wanted to be with the three-time divorcee. 'Danielles one of the smartest people Ive met,' he said. 'People have preconceived notions about her from reality TV, but shes a smart women. And I was instantly attracted to that.' As for the future, the New Jersey native is now getting ready to live the high life on the other side of the Atlantic. 'Most likely well be spending a lot of time in France,' she explained to People. 'Well be going to castles and all that, and living in Paris for a certain amount of months out of the year. Its going to be far different than Jersey, thats for sure,' she added. Staub has two daughters from her second marriage to Thomas Staub which lasted from from 1993 to 2007. Maier is reported to be the father of a 12-year-old daughter whom he shares with his ex-wife. Witness: Among the guests at the planned low-key wedding ceremony Monday in NYC will be Staub's good friend and RHONJ co-star Teresa Giudice. Pictured together February 8 Queensland will create a new institution to investigate complaints of discrimination and educate people about their human rights. Legislation that will enshrine 23 entitlements in law and create the Queensland Human Rights Commission passed state parliament on Wednesday. It covers rights to privacy, protection from degrading treatment and a fair hearing, among others. "The primary aim of the legislation is to ensure that respect for human rights is embedded in the culture of the public sector," Attorney General Yvette D'Ath said. "A dispute resolution function for the Commission will provide an accessible, independent and appropriate avenue for members of the community to raise human rights concerns with public entities, with a view to reaching a practical resolution." Liberal National Party members told parliament the move wasn't necessary, that it wouldn't change the lives of individuals in a tangible way and that existing protections were enough. But the Labor government insisted the legislation was needed to make the community fairer, while independent Noosa MP Sandy Bolton pointed to to its limited capacity to be a practical shield from discrimination or segregation. The law's passing was applauded by the Human Rights Law Centre, which said it will give individuals power to hold government accountable if it breaches their rights. Dozens of Aboriginal communities could sue the NT Government for millions of dollars following the awarding of compensation to residents from remote Santa Teresa over the neglect of their homes. The Eastern Arrernte people of Santa Teresa near Alice Springs sued and won in the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal on the basis that their homes were uninhabitable due to neglect. The Government counter-sued for unpaid rent and was at one stage claiming nearly $2 million, or an average $21,000 from Santa Teresa's households. However, the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NTCAT) dismissed that claim and ruled the Department of Housing had breached its tenancy agreement and obligations as a landlord. One of the worst proven cases involved resident Jasmine Cavanagh having a blocked toilet and leaking shower for 269 days, during which time sewage water leaked through her family's home. "I used to have to go and have a shower at my mum's house. We would also wash the kids there," she said. One household did not have an air conditioner for at least 540 days, in a region where heat is extreme, while others were left without front or back doors, handles and locks and stoves not working for long periods. "Thisisalandmarkcasecementingthatgovernmentscannotenforcedodgy rentaldebtsagainstremoteindigenouscommunitiesforuninhabitable housing," said LouDargan from GrataFund, which funded the litigation. "GrataFundandAustralianLawyersforRemoteAboriginalRights are exploringthepotentialforsimilarlitigationinotherremotecommunities." The residents' lawyer Dan Kelly said he had already been approached by other communities. Four households were examined but the compensation will apply to all 70 Santa Teresa households part of the class action, with rough estimates of about $350,000 in taxpayer funds to be paid. The department would not comment, while Housing Minister Gerry McCarthy blamed the previous Country Liberal Government which was in power when the class action started in 2016. The Territory Labor Government had committed $1.1 billion over a decade to housing in remote communities but the Commonwealth was yet to honour its outstanding $550 million commitment "which has been held up for eight months", he said. Australia has urged Pakistan and India to avoid further military action as the conflict in Kashmir between the two nuclear-armed neighbours heats up. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she was very concerned by the reports of the escalation in the conflict, with both countries launching air strikes in the past two days. Troops on the ground have also exchanged fire at numerous locations in the disputed territory claimed by both sides. "If those reports are correct, we would certainly urge both sides to exercise restraint. To avoid further military action, this is a dangerous cycle of escalation," Senator Payne said during a visit to London. "I would encourage direct dialogue between both countries to endeavour to resolve these matters in a peaceful way." Senator Payne said "the cycle of escalation ... is very dangerous for all concerned". The Department of Foreign Affairs is monitoring the situation in the two countries but no travel advice has been issued for Australians as yet. Senator Payne was in London for a meeting with her counterpart, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, to discuss a post-Brexit free trade deal between the two countries and the shared efforts to promote the international rules based order. Michael Mullen was employed to care for elderly residents at an Adelaide nursing home but instead bashed one, leaving her injured and crying out in pain. The 55-year-old was on Wednesday found guilty of the aggravated assault of Elizabeth Hannaford, 72, in November 2015. The attack took place while Mullen was working a night shift at Southern Cross Care's Lourdes Valley nursing home at Myrtle Bank. The court heard Mullen became angry after Ms Hannaford repeatedly pulled the cords to sensor mats around her bed. Her roommate, Meg Rogers, said Mullen came into their room and said words to the effect of "there'll be consequences if you continue this behaviour" and "you are doing my bloody head in". Ms Rogers, in a statement before her death, said she heard Mullen's punches and Ms Hannaford saying 'no' in a "pained and wounded" voice. In a police interview, Mullen denied the assault and suggested Ms Hannaford may have rolled over and hit herself on a cabinet beside the bed. However, magistrate Paul Foley found Mullen had punched her in the face "more than once", leaving her with extensive bruising. He said Mullen was in a position of trust in his role as a carer and knew of Ms Hannaford's condition. "He was aware that (Ms Hannaford) was in a position of particular vulnerability because of both physical and mental disability," he said on Wednesday. Ms Hannaford died several months after the attack, but her family are calling for measures to be put in place to ensure other residents are not harmed. Outside Adelaide Magistrates Court, her daughter, Joanna Warde, said her mother had suffered because of Mullen's actions. "She was such a lovely, caring person and she did not deserve what he did to her," she told reporters. "I just hope this never, ever, ever happens to another person again. "It's been quite traumatic and a really terrible way to lose your mum." Ms Hannaford's ex-husband and carer, David Binns, called for better screening processes for aged care workers. "I think that the aged care management need to be more careful about the selecting of carers, perhaps carers need to be trained more about dementia," he said. Mullen was remanded on continuing bail to face court again in April. NSW cult leader William "Little Pebble" Kamm wants a court to consider letting him return to his "holy" land or remove his ankle monitor after having a stroke. The convicted child sex offender, who now calls himself William Costellia, founded the Order of Saint Charbel near Nowra in the 1980s and preached a doomsday Christian message. His followers handed over wives and daughters to help him rebuild humanity after the apocalypse and he has reportedly fathered more than 20 children. He spent nine years in jail for having sex with two teenage girls before being paroled in November 2014. In 2016 he submitted to release conditions that include wearing electronic monitoring equipment, telling authorities his schedule in advance, living with his wife at a unit in Sydney, abiding by a 10pm curfew, remaining in NSW and staying away from teenage girls. The release orders were expected to last until 2021 but, on Wednesday, Kamm appeared in the NSW Supreme Court alongside his legal team to resume his bid to have them varied. His lawyers submitted an affidavit that describes the impact of the stroke he suffered in August 2018. "I was personally, by my observation of the plaintiff, satisfied that he did not quite understand the effect of the evidence and general material filed in these proceedings," the statement penned by lawyer Omar Juweinat reads. "Nor was I comfortably satisfied that he was in a position to give oral evidence himself or follow the course of proceedings." Kamm sat calmly in the courtroom, holding his wife's hand in silence. "He isn't the man I met a year ago or even six months ago," Kamm's barrister Mark Robinson SC told the court on Wednesday. AAP understands Kamm wants to be able to return to the Nowra property or, depending on the finding of doctors, may ask for the electronic monitoring bracelet to be taken off. "The effect of proposed medical assessments may have an overall impact on the risk factors which the court must take into account in determining what ought to occur, if anything, to the Extended Supervision Order," Mr Juweinat said in a statement. Kamm's legal team had the matter adjourned until May 6. In that time he will be assessed by a neurologist then a psychiatrist, the court was told. Former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott has revealed he called his friend Cardinal George Pell after his conviction for child sexual abuse was made public. "I have had discussions with him, as you would with someone who you know and know well in such a predicament," Mr Abbott told Sydney radio 2GB, after the Catholic churchman was found guilty on Tuesday of five counts of abuse. "His position is that the charges are false. Now that's not the position the court has come to and it is now going on appeal." Mr Abbott said Pell's conviction was "a shocking result, a devastating result". "Certainly for the friends of Cardinal Pell, and as you say I am one, devastating for all who believe in the Catholic Church, and I'm also one of those," he said on Wednesday. Mr Abbott, a devout Catholic who once went to Pell for confession, said he accepted the verdict of the jury but would now await the outcome of an appeal. "It certainly doesn't sound consistent with the man I have known but as I said this is something that will now go on appeal and then we will be able to come to a settled conclusion about the matter." Mr Abbott declined refused multiple times to say whether he or not would remain a friend and supporter of Pell if the convictions were upheld. Mr Abbott isn't the only former prime minister that has backed Pell. John Howard provided Pell with a character reference, amongst the 10 put forward by the defence. "These people love him; none of them believe he is capable of these offences," Pell's defence barrister said at a pre-sentence hearing on Wednesday. "None of these matters alter my opinion of the cardinal," Mr Howard wrote, according to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. A Sydney woman has been charged, accused of stockpiling more than 21 litres of the drug GBL - known as liquid ecstasy - in bottles of fake eyelash glue remover. Police on Wednesday raided a home and granny flat that had been converted into a beauty shop at Cobbity, in the city's west, seizing boxes containing more than 1400 bottles of fake remover. Each is believed to contain 15ml of gamma butyrolactone - a total of 21.2 litres, while cash, storage devices and financial documents were also seized. A 48-year-old woman was arrested and charged with 15 offences, including supplying a large commercial quantity of prohibited drugs and organising or conducting a drug premises that a child is exposed to. She was refused bail to appear at Campbelltown Local Court on Thursday. Fitness may no longer be a concern for Jack Bird but the injury-plagued Brisbane X-factor admits working out how to play left centre is still a problem. Yet Bird is confident of making up for lost time at the Broncos and forming a deadly centre combination with NSW strike weapon James Roberts this NRL season. Bird said he was finally injury-free, backing up well from last week's trial against Wynnum Manly - his first game in 287 days after a nightmare 2018 Broncos debut season. The former Cronulla star arrived at Red Hill last year amid much fanfare on a four-year deal reportedly worth $4 million. But the ex-NSW utility failed to deliver bang for the bucks, as he was limited to just eight NRL games due to his recovery from a shoulder reconstruction and then a sternum injury. Now fully fit, Bird admitted he still faced a challenge ahead of the 2019 season - learning how to play on the left side of the field. Bird won the 2016 premiership with Cronulla at right centre. But he knew that position would never be up for grabs at Brisbane due to Roberts' presence. Bird hoped to graduate from his left centre crash course against the Titans. "I am still trying to get used to it (left centre). It's pretty hard. I have played on the right pretty much my whole life," Bird told AAP. "Adjusting to the left edge is not as easy as everyone thinks. "I am getting there but it takes times. Hopefully I can get it down pat this weekend - that's what trials are for." Bird was still hopeful his centre combination with Roberts would make an impact. But Bird admitted simply running out on the field for Brisbane regularly would be an achievement after his disastrous 2018. "We all know what Jimmy can do so I am really looking forward with forming a combination with him and linking up in the middle when he is skipping over," Bird said. "But I am just looking forward to playing footy with the boys. It's something I missed very much last year - I can't wait." A funny thing happened on the way to one of the most explosive Congressional hearings in recent memory: The star witness mentioned the SAT. Michael Cohen, President Trumps onetime attorney and fixer, used his opening statement to the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday to unroll a laundry list of the presidents alleged lies and hypocrisies. How did a college-entrance exam get into that mix? Cohen disclosed that Trump directed him to write a letter in 2015 to the Rev. Joseph McShane, the president of Fordham University in New York, where Trump was a student for two years before transferring to the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School of Business. In that letter, Cohen says that the news media have been trying to obtain Trumps college records, and he threatens Rev. McShane with civil and criminal penalties if the university discloses Trumps academic records, including records from the College Board. Cohen said in his testimony that he wrote similar letters to Trumps high school and to the College Board, but the list of exhibits published by The New York Times and on CNN showed only the Fordham letter. Education Week asked the College Board to confirm that it received a similar letter, and to supply the letter, but the organization declined to comment. Fordham told Inside Higher Ed that someone on the Trump campaign called to warn about penalties if the university released Trumps records, and followed up with a letter restating the call. Fordham said that it informed the Trump representative that we obey federal law and dont release student records to anyone but the student/graduate or anyone that the student designates, in writing. Cohen used the Fordham letter to paint a portrait of a hypocritical Trump. He pointed to a 2011 interview with the Associated Press when Trump was considering running for president, in which he questioned Barack Obamas college record and suggested he release details for public scrutiny. I heard he was a terrible student, terrible. How does a bad student go to Columbia and then to Harvard? Trump said in the interview. Im thinking about it, Im certainly looking into it. Let him show his records. The Fordham letter and the 2011 Trump interview were submitted as exhibits 6 and 7 to Cohens testimony. They can be found widely online, along with the testimony itself. Photo: Michael Cohen, President Donald Trumps former personal lawyer, is sworn in to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 27, 2019. J. Scott Applewhite/AP Get High School & Beyond posts delivered to your inbox as soon as theyre published. Sign up here . Also, for news and analysis of issues that shape adolescents preparation for work and higher education. The treatment of a woman whose hip was dislocated during a police arrest was "oppressive, unjust and contrary to law", Western Australia's corruption watchdog has found. The Corruption and Crime Commission tabled its report on Thursday into the arrest and five-hour detention of a woman known as Ms Duncan at Fremantle Police Station in January 2017 - two weeks after the coroner delivered findings into the death of Ms Dhu in custody. "What happened to Ms Duncan was a cascading failure of duty from the roadside beside the car, until the ambulance took her to hospital," the CCC said. Jhulio Sariago, aged 3, and his big brother Barak, aged 5, slipped away from their home in Townsville on Monday and drowned in the Ross River. HOW THE TRAGEDY UNFOLDED: * Barak comes home from school on Monday, February 25, and plays with his Jhulio in their Cranbrook yard. * During the afternoon, the brothers slip away. * Security cameras at another Brett Street home capture the last images of the barefooted boys as they walk side by side at 5.30pm towards the river at the end of the street. * The little boys didn't realise the favourite swimming hole had become so dangerous after record-breaking floods earlier this month. * Witnesses saw the pair during the afternoon, and saw them jumping into the river, where neighbourhood children often play. * Their mother, Leanne Eatts, raised the alarm around 6.30pm when the boys failed to come home. * Police begin a search around 9.30pm, asking residents to check their yards. * Two hours later police issue an "Amber Alert" asking for urgent public assistance, and hundreds answer the call. * Dozens of people joined the SES, Rural Fire Services volunteers, firefighters and police to scour land and the waterways for any sign of the boys. * More than 10 hours after they were reported missing, at 4.40am on February 26, their bodies were found. *They were just 2 metres apart, submerged in a small cutaway on the Ross River, only 300 metres from their home. * Their devastated family have been inundated with support. * A memorial and smoking ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 3. * A fundraiser has been launched to help the family return the bodies to Darwin for burial, since that is where they were originally from. Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former personal attorney, called the US president a conman and inveterate liar in dramatic testimony to Congress Donald Trump's longtime lawyer Michael Cohen turned on his former boss in a dramatic congressional appearance Wednesday, calling the US president a conman and inveterate liar who engaged in possibly illegal conduct while in office. Cohen told the House Oversight Committee that Trump directed him last year to lie about hush payments made to a porn actress to silence her claims of an affair with Trump. He said that Trump knew in advance in mid-2016 that WikiLeaks would publish emails stolen from rival Hillary Clinton's campaign by the Russians. And Cohen asserted that personal lawyers for Trump and his family reviewed and edited his written testimony to Congress in 2017 in which he lied about a Moscow real estate deal that was negotiated through the 2016 presidential election. But Cohen's five hours of testimony, at times angry and at others emotional, produced no fresh evidence that Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia during the race, or evidence of financial crimes by the president and his Trump Organization -- subjects at the center of multiple federal and congressional investigations. Instead, he drew a damning portrait of the man he worked for as personal lawyer, dealmaker and fixer for over 10 years -- depicting a morally corrupt figure who forces staff to lie for him, and cares only about himself. "Today, I am here to tell the truth about Mr Trump," Cohen told the nationally-televised hearing. "He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat," who inflated his assets when it suited him "and deflated his assets to reduce his real estate taxes," Cohen said. Michael Cohen called his former boss Donald Trump an "autocrat" who readily abuses the power of his office, and compared his operations to a mafia family Cohen was sentenced in December to three years in prison over the hush payments and his lies to Congress -- both of which he said were to protect Trump -- as well as for tax evasion. But in a striking display of remorse, the 52-year-old New Yorker, who was the president's right-hand man at the Trump Organization, said he was ashamed of the time he worked for Trump, protecting him and concealing "illicit acts." He called Trump an "autocrat" who readily abuses the power of his office, and compared his operations to a mafia family. "I did things and I acted improperly. I blindly followed his demands," Cohen told the panel. "My loyalty has cost me everything, my family's happiness, my law license, my company, my livelihood, my honor, my reputation and soon my freedom. I will not sit back and allow him to do the same to the country." - No evidence of collusion - The White House and Republicans sought to undermine Cohen's credibility, insisting his history of lying to Congress -- to which he pleaded guilty last year -- made his testimony unreliable. In emotional testimony, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen said he was "ashamed" to have spent 10 years protecting Donald Turmp and covering up his "illicit acts" "Michael Cohen was one of many lawyers who represented me (unfortunately)," Trump tweeted ahead of the hearing from Hanoi, where he was enmeshed in a second nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "He was just disbarred by the State Supreme Court for lying & fraud. He did bad things unrelated to Trump. He is lying in order to reduce his prison time." Cohen held his own against fiery attacks during the hearing, castigating Republicans for avoiding serious questions about Trump. Still, on the key issue of whether Trump worked with the Russians to get elected -- Cohen delivered no knock-out blow. "Questions have been raised about whether I know of direct evidence that Mr Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia," he said. "I do not, I want to be clear. But I have my suspicions." Michael Cohen was sentenced in December to three years in prison for making hush payments and lying to Congress -- both of which he said were to protect Donald Trump -- as well as for tax evasion Cohen said Trump knew ahead of time -- via the political consultant Roger Stone -- that WikiLeaks would publish damaging information obtained from Russian hackers on his Democratic opponent Clinton. He also said he believed Trump had prior knowledge of a June 2016 meeting between his campaign and a Russian lawyer peddling "dirt" on Clinton. And he named two private lawyers working for Trump and his family -- Jay Sekulow and Abbe Lowell -- as having edited the false testimony on the Moscow Trump Tower project that led to Cohen's conviction for lying to Congress. In a later statement, Sekulow called that assertion -- which appeared to implicate the lawyers in a crime -- "completely false." - 'Accountability' - The hearing was one of three for Cohen on Capitol Hill this week, with the other two -- Tuesday in the Senate Intelligence Committee and Thursday in the House Intelligence Committee -- both behind closed doors. All are running in parallel with the Russia meddling investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is focused on whether the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow and whether Trump has illegally obstructed the investigation. Cohen also asserted that federal prosecutors in New York are investigating other possible illegal activities involving the president. Elijah Cummings, the committee's Democratic chairman, said Wednesday's hearing was essential to bringing accountability to the Trump administration. "Over the past two years there has not been any accountability. None," Cummings said after the hearing. "Basically what he (Cohen) did was to reintroduce the American people to the man he has known for 10 years." US President Donald Trump predicted a 'very successful' summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un smiled, shook hands and dined Wednesday in Hanoi, expressing optimism that their highly personal brand of diplomacy will lead to a deal on the totalitarian state's nuclear weapons. At the start of around two hours of talks and dinner at a luxury hotel in the Vietnamese capital, Trump predicted a "very successful" summit, due to resume Thursday and end in a still unspecified signing ceremony. The two-day get-together follows up on the leaders' initial historic meeting in Singapore in June, where Trump launched his charm offensive to try and get Kim to give up his nuclear arsenal. Shaking hands and smiling in front of a bank of a dozen alternating US and North Korean flags, they briefly took questions from reporters before starting one-on-one talks, then the dinner. Critics said the Singapore summit was light on concrete results but Trump said the Hanoi talks would be "equal or better than the first" time. Kim said: "I am certain that a great outcome will be achieved this time that will be welcomed by all people." United States and North Korea since 1945 The White House said that on Thursday Trump and Kim will meet again one-on-one, before continuing talks alongside advisers throughout the morning. This will culminate in a "Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony," the White House said without providing further detail. A press conference is also scheduled before Trump returns to Washington. But the president has been dogged by scandal at home, where his former lawyer Michael Cohen described him as a "conman" in nationally televised testimony to Congress starting shortly after Trump finished Wednesday's negotiations on the other side of the world. Asked by reporters if he had any reaction to Cohen's bombshell testimony about hush money payments and murky business dealings in Russia, Trump simply shook his head. - Bidding to make history - Seeking a big foreign policy win to push back against domestic troubles, Trump believes he can make history with North Korea and claims Japan's prime minister has already nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize. Donald Trump, seeking a big foreign policy win to push back against domestic troubles, believes he can make history with North Korea His goal is to persuade Kim to dismantle his nuclear weapons and resolve a stand-off with the deeply isolated state that has bedevilled US leaders since the end of the Korean war in 1953. To lure Kim into radical change, Trump is believed to be considering offering a formal peace declaration -- though perhaps not a formal treaty -- to draw a line under the technically still unfinished war. At the same time, Washington faces mounting pressure to extract significant concessions from Kim, who has so far shown little desire to ditch his nuclear capability. Washington and Pyongyang disagree even on what denuclearisation means precisely. And while North Korea has now gone more than a year without conducting missile and nuclear tests, it has done nothing to roll back the weapons already built. - From insults to love - A former real estate tycoon who often boasts he is one of the world's best negotiators, Trump is pitching a vision of North Korea as a new Asian economic tiger if it surrenders its nuclear status. Donald Trump said North Korea could quickly emulate summit host Vietnam -- a communist state once locked in devastating conflict with the US, but now a thriving trade partner He said the country could quickly emulate the summit's host, Vietnam -- a communist state once locked in devastating conflict with the United States, but now a thriving trade partner. Trump sent a tweet touting North Korea's "AWESOME" potential if his "friend" Kim takes the non-nuclear route. And Trump has invested himself personally in the relationship with Kim, creating the diplomatic equivalent of a Hollywood odd-couple bromance. Before Singapore, they were slinging bizarre insults -- Trump calling Kim "rocket man" and Kim calling him a "dotard." With North Korea then busily testing missiles and conducting underground nuclear tests, analysts feared the duo were egging each other on towards a catastrophic confrontation. Now, Trump talks of "love" and claims that his ground-breaking policies defused the threat posed by Kim. Critics warn Trump is so keen to score a deal that he could give away too much, too quickly, endangering US allies South Korea and Japan. In Singapore, Trump took his own generals by surprise when he announced a suspension of military exercises with the South -- something the North badly wanted. Washington would ideally like Kim to dismantle a key nuclear facility at Yongbyon, allow in international inspectors, or even hand over a list of all his nuclear assets -- something the North Koreans have categorically refused to do Washington would ideally like Kim to dismantle a key nuclear facility at Yongbyon, allow in international inspectors, or even hand over a list of all his nuclear assets -- something the North Koreans have categorically refused to do. In return, Trump is believed to be considering dangling relief from tough international sanctions. Opening diplomatic liaison offices is another possible US concession. Another possibility is a joint declaration to end the Korean War -- a hugely symbolic gesture which some analysts fear would upset the delicate power balance in a region where the US and China are already struggling for influence. Those pushing for a scaled-back US foreign policy footprint around the world would welcome the gambit. "If you get an end of war declaration, I think that's really important symbolically because it starts to change the mentality," Daniel Davis, at the conservative Washington-based Defense Priorities think tank, told AFP. And Trump deserves credit, he said. "You just can't ignore the fact that he's the only one of the last nine American presidents that has even gotten to this point. No one else has even had the conversations, no one else has had these summits." Pakistani soldiers stand next to what Islamabad says is the wreckage of an Indian fighter jet shot down in Pakistan- controlled Kashmir Pakistan and India said Wednesday they had shot down each other's warplanes, in a dramatically escalating confrontation that has fuelled concerns of an all-out conflict between the nuclear-armed rivals. Calling for talks with India to defuse the situation, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan warned of the potentially catastrophic consequences should "better sense" not prevail. "Can we afford any miscalculation with the kind of weapons that we have and you have?" he said in a televised statement. While both sides have sought to play down the threat of war, the rare aerial engagement over the divided and disputed territory of Kashmir significantly raises the stakes in a standoff sparked by a suicide attack on the Indian-controlled side earlier this month. Pakistan initially said it downed two Indian jets in its airspace and captured two pilots, but later its military spokesman tweeted that there was "only one pilot" in Pakistani custody. India's foreign ministry demanded the "immediate and safe return" of the pilot, calling on Pakistan to ensure no harm comes to him. The pilot "gives Islamabad a key bargaining chip that may affect just how muscular Delhi's next move could be," tweeted US analyst Michael Kugelman. New Delhi also confirmed the loss of one of its planes and said it had shot down a Pakistani fighter jet. Kashmir region of India and Pakistan In a sign of the deepening crisis, Pakistan closed its airspace "until further notice". At least six airports were shuttered in India, and a vast area north of New Delhi was closed to civilian flights. "We do not want to go towards war," Pakistan's military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor told a press conference. Ghafoor said the jets had been shot down after Pakistani planes earlier flew across the Line of Control, the de facto border in Kashmir, to the Indian side in a show of strength, hitting open space after locking on to military targets. Afterwards, he said, the two Indian planes crossed the LoC into Pakistani airspace. One fell into Pakistani-held Kashmir, while the second crashed on the other side, he said. He denied initial reports that a Pakistan plane had been shot down, saying accounts an F-16 had been lost were incorrect. - 'Unfortunate loss' - Later, Indian foreign ministry spokesman Rajeesh Kumar said a Pakistani jet was hit as it took part in an operation "to target military installations on the Indian side". The incident is the latest in a dangerous sequence of events between the two countries, whose ties have been under intense strain since a February 14 suicide bombing in Indian Kashmir that killed 40 troops He said the Indian plane flown by the captured pilot -- a Mig-21 -- was lost in that operation. Pakistan state media published a video purportedly showing the captured pilot being interrogated. It shows a blindfolded man in an Indian Air Force uniform, his face bloodied, with his hands tied behind him, giving his name, rank and serial number as a soldier interrogates him. The military later released a second video showing the man without a blindfold and drinking a cup of tea. The incidents are the latest in a dangerous sequence of events between the two countries, whose ties have been under intense strain since the February 14 suicide bombing in Indian Kashmir that killed 40 troops. New Delhi had promised to act, and on Tuesday its warplanes flew into Pakistani airspace and struck what it said was a camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), the militant group that claimed the Kashmir bombing. It was India's first air strike on Pakistani soil since the neighbours fought a war in 1971 -- when neither had nuclear weapons. Islamabad, while denying the Indian strike caused any major damage or casualties, quickly vowed to retaliate, fuelling fears of a disastrous confrontation in South Asia. - Appeal against 'escalation' - Earlier Wednesday, India's foreign minister sought to ease the situation by downplaying Tuesday's strike, repeating Indian claims that it had been a pre-emptive attack on JeM. Scores of flights have been cancelled or diverted after the closure of the airspace north of Delhi "India does not wish to see further escalation of this situation," Sushma Swaraj said during a visit to China. The US, along with China, Britain, Germany and the European Union, have called for cooler heads to prevail. "We encourage India and Pakistan to ... avoid escalation at any cost," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. China Wednesday again urged the two sides to "exercise restraint". Britain said it was "deeply concerned" and working with partners including the UN Security Council to defuse tensions. - Crisis for Khan - The confrontation represents the first major foreign policy crisis for Pakistan's leader, who is believed to be close to the powerful military and who came to power last year vowing to seek dialogue with New Delhi. Pakistan has denied involvement in the Kashmir bombing on February 14. While India has consistently accused its neighbour of supporting extremist groups, Pakistan has equally vehemently denied any role in attacks in India and its only Muslim-majority state, Kashmir. The Himalayan region has been divided between India and Pakistan since independence in 1947. They have fought two of their three wars over the territory. Previously, the US and other members of the international community have acted to defuse tensions. "If I were Washington, I'd be in overdrive making phone calls and signalling that it wants tensions to be de-escalated now," said Moeed Yusuf, an expert at the US Institute of Peace in Washington. "The risks of letting this play out are too great." burs-st/rox/qan Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari winning election margin over nearest challenger Atiku Abubakar was 3.9 million votes Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday said his re-election was "free and fair", after his beaten rival denounced the results as a "sham" and promised a legal challenge that could dominate politics for weeks. The 76-year-old one-time military ruler's victory was confirmed late on Tuesday, after rescheduled polling blamed on logistical difficulties. Buhari's winning margin over his nearest challenger, Atiku Abubakar, was 3.9 million votes -- more than enough to ensure he remained head of Africa's most populous nation and leading oil producer for the next four years. It's the second victory at the ballot box for resident Muhammadu Buhari, a one-time military ruler who was first elected in 2015 to lead Africa's most-populous nation Leading civil society election monitors YIAGA Africa, which has US and British backing, said "the announced election results reflect the votes cast", even if there were problems. But Abubakar's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cried foul, claiming Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC) colluded with the electoral commission to manipulate the outcome. The former vice-president broke his silence nearly 10 hours after results were announced to explain he would have congratulated Buhari, had the vote been "free and fair". Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission chairman Mahmood Yakubu declared President Muhammadu Buhari winner of the presidential elections Instead, he said: "I hereby reject the result of the February 23, 2019 sham election and will be challenging it in court." Buhari called Saturday's vote "another milestone in Nigeria's democratic development", 20 years after the country returned to civilian rule. Thanking his opponents for a "hard-fought campaign", he said: "From the comment of several observers, both local and foreign, it is obvious that the elections were both free and fair." - Failed 'Messiah' - Buhari's supporters began celebrating at his campaign headquarters in Abuja late on Tuesday, as he took an unassailable lead. But there were none of the spontaneous street parties that marked his victory in 2015, when he became Nigeria's first opposition candidate to beat an incumbent president. Even in Kano, the biggest city in Buhari's northern homeland, celebrations were muted. Many blamed the fact that results were only confirmed at 4:00 am. Following the re-election of Muhammadu Buhari supporters took to the streets in Kano, dancing to music played on loudspeakers and waving wicker brooms -- the party symbol Later on Wednesday morning, APC supporters took to the streets, dancing to music played on loudspeakers and waving wicker brooms -- the party symbol. Many shouted his campaign slogan "Sai Baba!" (Only Buhari) and "four more years!" Crowds were noticeably smaller than in 2015, an AFP correspondent in the city said. Armed police had to break up skirmishes between APC and PDP supporters, he added. In the southern city of Port Harcourt -- a PDP stronghold -- a group of angry pro-Biafran supporters took to the streets to denounce the results as a "charade". "We don't want Buhari. His re-election was a grand manipulation... We want freedom," said car mechanic Joseph Elijah, calling for an independent republic for the Igbo people in the southeast. In the commercial capital, Lagos, Ade Monday, 63, said Buhari was hailed as "the Messiah" four years ago and expected to tackle insecurity, corruption and boost the economy. "But now look, the Messiah has failed us," he told AFP. - Legal challenge - The vote was marred by violence, including 53 deaths, according to election observers. Some reported vote-buying, intimidation and violence towards voters and officials, which have been a problem in previous polls in Nigeria. People watch a live broadcast of election results in Port Harcourt, in the south of Nigeria At 35 percent across the country, low voter turnout was blamed on a combination of apathy because of the one-week delay, organisational problems and unrest. Abubakar's promise of legal action now raises the prospect of a lengthy court battle, which will dominate the run-up to Buhari's official inauguration on May 29. The PDP's main claim is that data from handheld devices used to authenticate voter identities at nearly 120,000 polling units had been altered in favour of the ruling party. It called for the data from the machines to be made available to all parties for checking and the election to be re-run in at least two states. Tens of thousands of "valid, legal" votes had been cancelled elsewhere, it added. PDP spokesman Boladele Adekoya said evidence for the legal challenge was being compiled for submission to the presidential election tribunal, set up by the Supreme Court. Buhari sparked controversy weeks before the election by suspending the head of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen, after he was charged with corruption. Critics spied a political motive, as Onnoghen could have ruled on any dispute. The election tribunal will be overseen by the acting chief justice, Ibrahim Muhammad Tanko. It will adjudicate on complaints about the result and has the power to overturn it. "We wait to see how independent and truthful the acting CJN panel is," said the PDP's Adekoya. An 11 year old girl is vaccinated against whooping cough in Los Los Angeles in 2012 US public health experts sounded the alarm Wednesday over a resurgence of measles in recent years, principally in communities where people reject vaccinations and obtain exemptions for religious or "personal" reasons. Six outbreaks of the disease have been reported in the United States since January 1, totalling 159 cases, in the states of Washington, Colorado and New York. Since 2000, between 50 or several hundred cases have been reported a year, even though the highly contagious disease was declared eradicated at the start of the century. Its return is "really unacceptable," said Antony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases, during a congressional hearing. "We need to get to zero." The virus is one of the most contagious known. It can linger in a room or on a surface for up to two hours after the infected person has left. In most American measles epidemics, the virus has been imported by travelers returning to the United States, the disease being highly active in many other countries. It then propagates among un-vaccinated people, who tend to live close to each other. "There are pockets of people who are vaccine hesitant," Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), told the lawmakers. In the past five years, 12 of the 26 US measles epidemics -- an epidemic is defined as more than five people infected -- occurred in "close knit communities," she said. Three quarters of the cases are concentrated in such communities. Examples include an outbreak in the Somali community in Minnesota in 2017, and in the Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn last year. - Disinformation - Disinformation about vaccines is a factor, the experts stressed, blaming social networks for spreading false information about the risks of vaccination. Recently, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest, under pressure from Congress, announced measures to block anti-vaccine content. The MMR vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella is "incredibly safe," Messonnier said. Since it was created in the 1960s, millions and millions of doses have been administered, with sore arms the most frequent side effect. "We are a victim of our own success," said Messonnier. As the number of measles cases has dropped by 99 percent since the 1960s, parents have become less attentive to the risks posed by the disease. Measles once claimed 400 to 500 lives a year in the United States. Besides fever, tiny red spots and other symptoms, complications from the disease include ear infections (1 in 10 cases); pneumonia (1 in 20 cases); and encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain (1 in 1,000 cases). To obtain "herd immunity" -- in which unvaccinated people are protected by the high proportion of others who are vaccinated -- requires vaccinating between 92 and 95 percent of the population, Fauci said. The national rate of vaccination for children is at about that level, but there are big disparities among states, and from one city or school to another. - The exemptions - The most flagrant example of that is Clark County, a jurisdiction just north of Portland, Oregon, where 65 of 159 cases of measles in the United States are concentrated. Fifteen years ago, 96 percent of five-year-old students in the county were vaccinated against measles. In the 2017-2018 school year, the proportion had fallen to 84 percent. In some schools, especially private schools, the MMR vaccination rate was as low as 20 or 30 percent. Washington state lawmakers have reacted by advancing legislation that would eliminate exemptions for personal or philosophical reasons. The opt-out for religious reasons would remain. Other states are also considering similar action. In the United States, only three of the 50 states -- California, Mississippi and West Virginia -- allow exemptions only for medical reasons. Michael Cohen, US President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, testifying before the House Oversight and Reform Committee Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former personal attorney, testified on Wednesday before a committee of the US House of Representatives. Here are some highlights from Cohen's opening and closing statements to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform: - 'Racist, conman, cheat' - "I am ashamed of my weakness and misplaced loyalty -- of the things I did for Mr Trump in an effort to protect and promote him. "I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr Trump's illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. "I am ashamed because I know what Mr Trump is. "He is a racist. "He is a conman. "He is a cheat." - 'Hate and intolerance' - "Never in a million years did I imagine, when I accepted a job in 2007 to work for Donald Trump, that he would one day run for President, launch a campaign on a platform of hate and intolerance, and actually win. I regret the day I said 'yes' to Mr Trump. I regret all the help and support I gave him along the way." - Trump Tower Moscow deal - "To be clear: Mr Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it. He lied about it because he never expected to win the election. He also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions of dollars on the Moscow real estate project." - Apology - "Sitting here today, it seems unbelievable that I was so mesmerized by Donald Trump that I was willing to do things for him that I knew were absolutely wrong. For that reason, I have come here to apologize to my family, to the government, and to the American people." - 'An enigma' - "Mr Trump is an enigma. He is complicated, as am I. He has both good and bad, as do we all. But the bad far outweighs the good, and since taking office, he has become the worst version of himself... Cohen on Trump "Donald Trump is a man who ran for office to make his brand great, not to make our country great. He had no desire or intention to lead this nation -- only to market himself and to build his wealth and power. Mr Trump would often say, this campaign was going to be the 'greatest infomercial in political history.'" - Hacked Democratic emails - "A lot of people have asked me about whether Mr Trump knew about the release of the hacked Democratic National Committee emails ahead of time. The answer is yes." - 'A racist' - "Mr Trump is a racist. "The country has seen Mr Trump court white supremacists and bigots. You have heard him call poorer countries 'shitholes.' "In private, he is even worse. He once asked me if I could name a country run by a black person that wasn't a 'shithole.' This was when Barack Obama was President of the United States. "While we were once driving through a struggling neighborhood in Chicago, he commented that only black people could live that way. "And, he told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid." - 'A cheat' - "Mr Trump is a cheat... "It was my experience that Mr Trump inflated his total assets when it served his purposes, such as trying to be listed among the wealthiest people in Forbes, and deflated his assets to reduce his real estate taxes. - 'A conman' - "Mr Trump is a conman... "He asked me to pay off an adult film star with whom he had an affair, and to lie to his wife about it, which I did. Lying to the First Lady is one of my biggest regrets. She is a kind, good person. I respect her greatly -- and she did not deserve that. "When I say conman, I'm talking about a man who declares himself brilliant but directed me to threaten his high school, his colleges, and the College Board to never release his grades or SAT scores," from a standardized college admission test. - Closing statement - "In closing I would like to say directly to the president we honor our veterans even in the rain. You tell the truth even when it doesn't aggrandize you. You respect the law and our incredible law enforcement agents. You don't villainize them. You don't disparage generals, Gold Star families, prisoners of war and other heroes who have the courage to fight for this country. "You don't attack the media and those who question what you don't like or what you don't want them to say. You take responsibility for your own dirty deeds. You don't use your power of your bully pulpit to destroy the credibility of those who speak out against you. "You don't separate families from one another or demonize those looking to America for a better life. You don't vilify people based on the god they pray to and you don't cuddle up to our adversaries at the expense of our allies. "And finally you don't shut down the government before Christmas and New Year's just to simply appease your base. "This behavior is churlish, it denigrates the office of the president and it's simply un-American. And it's not you." US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said there is a ways to go in trade negotiations with Beijing Washington's chief trade negotiator on Wednesday said there remained much to do before reaching a new trade agreement with China despite "real progress" so far. After months of negotiating with Beijing, "now we are making real progress," US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in congressional testimony. However, "much still needs to be done both before an agreement is reached, and more importantly after it is reached if one is reached." Citing progress toward a new trade agreement with Beijing, President Donald Trump on Sunday said he would postpone a sharp increase in US duties on $200 billion in Chinese imports while the two sides worked to reach an agreement. Along with Japanese and European officials, the United States accuses China of entrenched unfair trade practices, including massive state intervention in markets, subsidies and the theft of foreign technology. Chinese officials have offered to increase purchases of American farm goods and energy exports but it remains unclear whether Beijing will give in to US demands for fundamental changes in industrial policy, which analysts say could weaken the communist party's power. Lighthizer's testimony coincided with other headline-grabbing appearances on Capitol Hill, with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and former Trump attorney Michael Cohen also appearing. But Lighthizer's remark about the remaining work needed in the China negotiations appeared to helped send stocks lower on Wall Street. "It's part of the negotiating tactic. They don't want to be seen as weak against China," said Adam Sarhan of 50 Park Investments told AFP, adding that investors were not unduly worried. "I dont think the market is really taking that seriously. It is pulling back after a recent rally." The controversial Israeli extreme-right Jewish Power party which many view as racist is led by former MP Michael Ben Ari, a follower of late anti-Arab rabbi Meir Kahane Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's widely criticised attempts to boost a party many view as racist in April elections could be blocked if his opponents succeed in a bid to disqualify its candidates. A range of politicians seeking to oust Netanyahu have supported a petition seeking to have candidates for the party, Jewish Power, barred from participating in the April 9 election on the grounds of incitement to racism. Netanyahu last week brokered a deal that saw Jewish Power join with two other far-right parties to form one list to boost its chances of making it into parliament after the polls. The prime minister, with an eye on his next coalition government should he win, says the move was necessary to ensure enough seats in the next parliament for right-wing parties. But Netanyahu has received condemnation both at home and abroad over the move, with many accusing him of easing the path for anti-Arab "racists" to make it into parliament. He has even faced rare criticism from pro-Israel organisations in the United States, including from lobbying group AIPAC, which called the party "racist and reprehensible". Jewish Power leaders are followers of late racist rabbi Meir Kahane, whose Kach movement was labelled a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States and the European Union. - 'No other choice' - Netanyahu is in the midst of a tough re-election campaign while under the threat of being indicted on corruption charges. His right-wing Likud is not directly part of the pact between the far-right parties, though Netanyahu pushed to have the merger formed. "We had no other choice," Likud official Eli Hazan told Israel's i24 television when asked why Netanyahu was "basically OK with bringing racists into the Israeli parliament." "We need to win the elections," he added, saying Likud did not want Arab Israeli parties to help form the next government. Left-wing party Meretz filed a petition to the central elections committee on Tuesday to have Jewish Power candidates disqualified. Centrist party Yesh Atid as well as the Labour party have said they support the petition. A Meretz spokesman told AFP on Wednesday they had collected the 12 votes needed to have the request debated by the committee. "A terror organisation has no place in the Knesset," or parliament, Meretz said in a statement. The central elections committee, headed by a supreme court justice, is comprised of representatives of the parties in parliament. A spokesman for the committee said the deliberations on disqualifying lists would take place between March 6-10. Israel's supreme court has the final word on whether candidates can be disqualified. Jewish Power advocates removing "Israel's enemies from our land," a reference to Palestinians and Arab Israelis who carry out attacks or who they see as not accepting the Jewish state they envision. It also calls for Israel annexing the occupied West Bank, where more than 2.5 million Palestinians live. The Kach movement founded by Kahane, who was assassinated in New York in 1990, wanted to chase Arabs from Israel. - 'Did not foresee' - Likud has hit back at attempts to bar Jewish Power candidates by saying it planned to petition the elections committee to disqualify Arab party Balad from taking part in the vote. Right-wing politicians regularly condemn Israeli Arab politicians over their support for the Palestinian cause. Mordechai Kremnitzer of the Israel Democracy Institute and a professor emeritus at Jerusalem's Hebrew University said it seemed Netanyahu had been taken aback by criticism over the Jewish Power agreement. "I think that he probably did not foresee the level or degree of critique that came both from Israel and Jews abroad against it," he told AFP. "This was really a surprise to everybody, including Netanyahu, that AIPAC, the most loyal organisation to all Israeli governments, never criticising anything that Israel does, would come out with criticism." Netanyahu is facing a serious challenge from a centrist alliance of parties led by respected former military chief of staff Benny Gantz. The prime minister has sought to label Gantz, despite his military background, a weak "leftist". A video posted by Likud on Tuesday night drew criticism for going too far. The video warned against voting for Gantz because it would lead to "more violence," and included images of sites of attacks against Israelis as well as a shot of a military cemetery. Netanyahu said the video had been a mistake and Likud was suspending those responsible for it. Incumbent President Macky Sall (C) is expected to win enough votes to claim a first-round victory, according to local media reports of regional vote tallies The results of Senegal's presidential election will be released Thursday, a source at the official body handling the count said. The provisional results will be released at 11:00 am (1100 GMT), the source at the National Vote Counting Commission, known as CNRV, said Wednesday, confirming a report by the Senegalese Press Agency (APS). Since Tuesday, the CNRV, led by a magistrate, has been examining the tallies sent to the 45 departmental committees across the country and the count for Senegalese voting abroad. Media reports Tuesday based on tallies of the regional results -- with 90 percent of votes counted -- suggested that President Macky Sall was poised to return to power after Sunday's election. According to those figures, Sall was set to win without needing a second-round run-off because he was already comfortably over the 50-percent total required for a definitive, first-round victory. His nearest rival was former prime minister Idrissa Seck, according to the media reports. A number of the other presidential candidates have insisted that a second-round run-off would be inevitable. The head of the European Union observer group said Tuesday that while the vote had been "calm and transparent" it had taken place "in a climate characterised by a lack of trust and blocked dialogue". A source close to the interior ministry said that turnout was higher than 66 percent. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says sanctions will remain on Russia until it returns control of Crimea to Ukraine The United States reaffirmed Wednesday that it will keep sanctions on Russia until it "returns control of Crimea to Ukraine," nearly five years after Moscow annexed the peninsula. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Russia's occupation of the Crimean peninsula five years ago has fueled "an escalation of Russian aggression." "The world has not forgotten the cynical lies Russia employed to justify its aggression and mask its attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory," he said. Crimea's parliament elected a new local government on February 27, 2014, after the territory was seized by a Russian military force amid fighting between pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian factions. A referendum on the future of the peninsula, denounced as illegitimate by the United States, was held on March 16 of that year approving Crimea's reattachment to Russia. "The United States reiterates its unwavering position: Crimea is Ukraine and must be returned to Ukraine's control," Pompeo said, denouncing "the worsening repression by Russia's occupation regime in Crimea." He called on Moscow to release the more than 70 people that he said have been imprisoned for their peaceful dissent, and "to cease all abuses immediately." "The United States will maintain respective sanctions against Russia until the Russian government returns control of Crimea to Ukraine and fully implements the Minsk agreements," he said, referring to a 2015 peace accord that was never applied in its entirety. Michael Cohen, once one of Donald Trump's most trusted lieutenants, completed his break with the president in an explosive appearance before the US Congress He was the personal lawyer to Donald Trump and the epitome of loyalty -- a man who said he would "take a bullet" for his boss. No longer. Michael Cohen, once one of Trump's most trusted lieutenants, completed his acrimonious break with the president on Wednesday. In dramatic nationally televised testimony before a US House committee, the 52-year-old New Yorker called Trump a "racist," a "conman" and a "cheat." Cohen, who is to report to prison on May 6 to begin serving a three-year sentence for fraud, tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions and lying to Congress, expressed regret for his years of devoted service to the real estate tycoon. "I am ashamed of my weakness and misplaced loyalty -- of the things I did for Mr. Trump in an effort to protect and promote him," Cohen said. "I am not protecting Mr. Trump anymore." Since August, Cohen has been the witness Trump fears most in the Russia investigation, one whose testimony has the power to strike at the heart of his increasingly embattled presidency. As vice president of Donald Trump's family business, The Trump Organization, Michael Cohen was the fixer assigned the most delicate tasks After a decade working at Trump's side, Cohen has been telling law enforcement and Special Counsel Robert Mueller everything he knows about the real estate magnate's affairs. Before meeting Trump in New York through real estate dealings, Cohen was an admirer of the brash tycoon, twice reading his book "The Art of the Deal." Named vice president of the Trump family business, The Trump Organization, Cohen was the fixer assigned the most delicate tasks his boss needed done. These included making threats to journalists who asked too many questions about the shady dealings of a man whose empire was built on loud, cocky and grandiose self-promotion. - Nickname, the pitbull - "Sitting here today, it seems unbelievable that I was so mesmerized by Donald Trump that I was willing to do things for him that I knew were absolutely wrong," Cohen said Wednesday. Michael Cohen, who has been sentenced to three years in jail for fraud, tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions and lying to Congress, expressed regret for his years of devoted service to Donald Trump This devotion would earn Cohen -- the son of a nurse and a Polish-born doctor who survived the Holocaust -- the nickname of Trump's pitbull. And ultimately it dragged him into life-altering legal woes. "Over the past year or so, I have done some real soul searching," Cohen told the House committee. "I see now that my ambition and the intoxication of Trump power had much to do with the bad decisions in part that I made. "I have done bad things, but I am not a bad man," Cohen said. "I have fixed things, but I am no longer your 'fixer,' Mr. Trump." After graduating from law school at Western Michigan University, Cohen specialized in representing people hurt in accidents -- an ambulance chaser in slang. For instance, he once defended a woman accused of trying to defraud an insurance company by seeking damages from a fictitious road accident. Along with his Ukrainian-born wife, Cohen later made a great deal of money investing in New York taxi licenses, in a pre-Uber era when their value was high and always climbing. As Trump's personal attorney, Cohen arranged for hush money payments before the 2016 election to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal, both of whom claimed to have had sex with Trump. - 'A fool' - Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and his legal woes But it was an FBI raid on his office in April of last year that paved the way for Cohen to start cooperating with the investigation into whether Trump colluded with Russia. Cohen has met seven times with the special counsel's office, which is probing whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to sway the 2016 presidential vote in his favor. Cohen said Wednesday he had no "direct evidence" that Mr. Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia "but I have my suspicions." Cohen acknowledged that he lied to Congress about his contacts with Russia about building a Trump Tower in Moscow and said they went on until at least June 2016, far longer than he had previously told lawmakers. During his testimony on Wednesday, Republican members of the House committee repeatedly sought to undermine Cohen's credibility, pointing to his felony convictions. Cohen was asked at one point how he would characterize himself. "A fool," he said. Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan (R) welcomes Jared Kushner, a senior US President Donald Trump, to his office in Ankara in this picture released by the Turkish Presidential Press Service Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday met with US President Donald Trump's adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner during the American official's regional tour to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Erdogan regards himself as a champion of the Palestinians and Turkey has often been vocal in its criticism of the Israeli government and Washington, especially after Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the US embassy there last year. Erdogan said late Tuesday that the two men would discuss "economic and regional issues", at the meeting at the presidential palace in Ankara although neither side said Syria was on the agenda. The men were joined by Erdogan's son-in-law and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, according to Turkish presidency images. Kushner's visit follows from Trump's shock announcement in December -- welcomed by Ankara -- that he would withdraw 2,000 American ground troops from northern Syria. Ankara has called for a "safe zone" controlled by Turkish forces to be a buffer area against the US-backed Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia. Trump last week indicated that a few hundred "peacekeeping" troops would remain in Syria despite intentions to withdraw by April 30. There have been tensions between Washington and Ankara over US support to the YPG which has spearheaded the West's fight against the Islamic State extremist group. Other issues remain between the NATO allies including the US failure to extradite the Pennsylvania-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen who Turkey claims orchestrated the 2016 failed overthrow of Erdogan. Gulen strongly denies the accusations. Kushner and Jason Greenblatt, the US Middle East peace envoy, met officials from the United Arab Emirates and Oman on Monday alongside Brian Hook, the US special representative for Iran. The officials were in Bahrain on Tuesday. Kushner at a conference in Warsaw earlier this month presented Washington's plans for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians to be formally presented after Israeli elections in April. Supporters of President Buhari celebrate his re-election although the reaction was generally more muted than last time He was welcomed as the "Messiah", a skilled former military man and anti-corruption champion who would tackle the insecurity and graft that have blighted Nigeria for decades. But four years after he was first elected, there was no repeat of the fireworks and dancing in the streets to mark confirmation of Muhammadu Buhari's second term as president. Some blamed the fact that most people were sleeping when the result was confirmed on Wednesday morning. Even several hours later, though, the celebrations were muted. In Lagos, Nigeria's bustling commercial centre, where Buhari won a tightly fought contest, the daily hustle carried on as normal. "Look at the faces of the people, look," said 63-year-old Ade Monday, from his perch on a bench overlooking the teeming markets of Obalende in the south of the city. Buhari himself warned when he was first elected that the weight of expectations was unrealistic In 2015, celebrations in the area were joyous, he said. "Last time people thought he was like the Messiah coming but now look, the Messiah has failed us." Buhari himself warned when he was first elected that the weight of expectation was unrealistic, whatever the dissatisfaction of people with the outgoing government. - Lower key celebrations - Last Saturday's election was largely a referendum on Buhari's first term In many respects, last Saturday's election was a referendum on his first term -- and the reception to his win a sobering dose of reality. During his first term there was a 15-month recession caused in part by falling global crude prices that led to millions of job losses. Almost half of the country are unemployed and under-employed (43 per cent), reliant on barely manageable daily wages. Some 87 million people -- nearly half the country -- live in extreme poverty on less than $1.90 a day, reflecting the gulf between a monied minority and almost everyone else. Insecurity is widespread, not just the Boko Haram Islamists Buhari pledged to eradicate. Bribery and corruption remains a part of daily life. In Kano, a city in the heart of Buhari's support base in northwest Nigeria, celebrations were also more subdued compared to last time round. "In 2015 there were celebrations as soon as Buhari was declared the winner because the announcement was made in the afternoon," said shopkeeper Yusuf Abdulaziz Baba. "I didn't sleep until after the declaration, I was listening to the radio all night long," said Yusuf Abdulaziz Baba, a young shop owner in the old part of the city. He and a dozen other young men quietly tidied outside the campaign office of Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC) party before afternoon celebrations. Eventually, crowds took to the streets, waving wicker brooms -- the APC symbol -- and shouting "Sai Baba!" (Only Buhari), his Hausa-language campaign slogan, and "Four more years!" - Change takes time - Most people were sleeping when the result was confirmed on Wednesday morning In the southern city of Port Harcourt -- a stronghold of the beaten Peoples Democratic Party -- locals gathered around newspaper stands to discuss the result. Most reflected the PDP position that Buhari and the ruling party had manipulated the outcome. "The APC has used the security forces to rig the election in favour of Buhari," said Stephen Woju, a 56-year-old trader. "There's no way Buhari would have won if the elections had been free and fair." Chukwudi Anozie, an industrial engineer, backed PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar's legal challenge to the result but Festus Goodwill called for calm. "Atiku should concede defeat in the interest of peace," said the 25-year-old unemployed graduate. Despite impatience with the pace of Buhari's promised change in 2015, and the tough economic conditions since, many see Buhari as someone serious about tackling corruption. There was also sympathy with his task of providing prosperity for all, in a country of 190 million with an exploding population. "Changing the country takes time, that's what people need to understand," said one supporter in Lagos, brandishing a maroon hat with Buhari's "Next Level" campaign slogan. Michael Cohen, US President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, testifies before the House Oversight Committee on February 27, 2019 A feisty Michael Cohen lashed out Wednesday at Republicans for blind support of his former boss President Donald Trump, saying Trump foments incivility, habitually lies and abuses his power to the point of becoming an autocrat. Trump's former personal lawyer told a congressional hearing that people who blindly follow the president will end up like Cohen, who has been sentenced to three years in prison for crimes related in part for his work for Trump. "I can only warn people, the more people that follow Mr Trump as I did blindly are going to suffer the same consequences that I'm suffering," Cohen said. "Look at what's happened to me? I had a wonderful life. I have a beautiful wife. I have two amazing children. I achieved financial success by the age of 39. I didn't go to work for Mr Trump because I had to. I went to work for him because I wanted to, and I've lost it all." Cohen, who spent a decade as a lawyer for Trump and was his principle "fixer" at the Trump Organization, said the real estate tycoon is abusing his power in the White House, including making threats against Cohen's family on Twitter, where the president has tens of millions of followers. "He's got over 60 million people," Cohen told the House Oversight Committee. "When he goes on Twitter and he starts bringing in my in-laws, my parents, my wife, what does he think is going to happen? He's sending out the same message that he can do whatever he wants: this is his country," Cohen continued. "He's becoming an autocrat, and hopefully something bad will happen to me or my children or my wife so that i will not be here and testify." "You don't know him. I do. I've sat next to this man for 10 years, and I watched his back," Cohen added. Republicans in the hearing sought to discredit Cohen as not credible, pointing to his guilty plea last year to charges of lying to Congress, illegal hush-money payments to a former lover of Trump, and tax evasion. But Cohen stiffly rebutted their charges, saying he had broken the law but is now coming clean about a president for whom he is now "ashamed" of having worked. He countered that Republicans were -- like he had before -- protecting Trump at all costs by trying to ignore the president's behavior. From committee Republicans, Cohen chided, "not one question so far since I'm here has been asked about Mr Trump." Spain's interior ministry said the probe concerned injuries to a North Korean citizen, but a Spanish online news source said intruders entered the embassy, tied up employees and stole computers Spain is probing an incident linked to the North Korean embassy in Madrid, the interior ministry and police said Wednesday, which Spanish media described as a break- in by people who stole computers. "We are investigating," a ministry spokesman told AFP, saying the probe centred around "mild injuries to a North Korean citizen in the street." A police source, who refused to be named, said the mysterious incident had taken place "near the embassy," describing the incident as "unusual." The interior ministry spokesman said the North Korean embassy had not filed any official complaint. Online news media El Confidencial reported that intruders made their way into the embassy on Friday, tying up and gagging employees for several hours before taking away computers. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told a House committee the US 'can never fail to pay all of our bills' With a deadline fast approaching, the US Congress must act to ensure the US does not default on its debt payments, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Wednesday. Amid the budget debate in early 2018, Congress suspended the ceiling on US government debt until March 2, although the Treasury can manage the cash flow to put off the drop-dead date for some months. The US "can never fail to pay all of our bills. That can never happen," Powell told a House committee. "That's not something we can allow to happen." The US lost its coveted AAA debt rating in 2011, following battles among lawmakers in Washington over whether to lift caps on US sovereign borrowing, raising the likelihood of a US default. Powell said loss of that "important asset" imposed a "significant cost imposed on the taxpayer" through higher cost of the national debt after the rating was lowered to AA+. When it is reintroduced on Saturday, the debt ceiling will be equivalent to the debt level as of January 31 -- just under $22 trillion. With the government bonds issued in 2018, it is $1.5 trillion more than the previous limit. The federal government also plans to borrow at least $1 trillion this year. Because the federal government traditionally runs a budget deficit, it has no choice but to borrow to finance government operations, including salaries, retirement benefits, social spending and other expenses already approved by Congress. Powell said there is "uncertainty" about when the government will run out of cash but could be late summer or early fall. Treasury has said it is too early to determine when the drop dead date will be. Under the administration of former president Barack Obama, Republicans repeatedly pushed the government to the verge of default, using the debt limit to force spending cuts. Michael Cohen, US President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, testified to Congress that he is aware of investigations of illegal activities involving Trump beyond those which have been made public Donald Trump's former personal attorney told Congress Wednesday US authorities are investigating illegal activities involving the president beyond those that have been made public. Michael Cohen had spent hours addressing accusations that Trump paid hush money to two women shortly before the 2016 presidential election, directed his lawyer to lie about negotiations over a Moscow business deal and knew in advance that WikiLeaks was planning to reveal hacked Democratic National Committee emails. When asked by House Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi if he was aware of other crimes involving Trump that had yet to be discussed in Wednesday's contentious hearing, Cohen replied that he had. But he could not discuss them because "those are part of the investigation that are currently being looked at by the Southern District of New York," he said. The testimony could provide new legal uncertainty for the White House, which is grappling with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 US election and its possible collusion with Trump or members of his campaign team. The Southern District of New York sentenced Cohen in December to three years in prison for fraud and tax evasion and lying to Congress. It has been probing behavior by the Trump Organization regarding taxes, banking and possible campaign finance violations. Citing the ongoing inquiry into unspecified crimes, Cohen also declined to answer Krishnamoorthi's questions regarding the content of his final conversations with Trump or his representatives. "Unfortunately, this topic is actually something that is being investigated right now by the Southern District of New York, and I've been asked by them not to discuss, and not to talk about these issues," Cohen said. Venezuelans confronted police and demanded that humanitarian aid sent to Colombia be allowed in the country The UN Security Council will vote Thursday on two rival draft resolutions from the United States and Russia aimed at confronting the crisis in Venezuela, but both are expected to fail, according to diplomats. Battered by an economic meltdown, Venezuela descended into a major political crisis when opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president in January and asserted that President Nicolas Maduro was no longer legitimate. On Wednesday, the United States put forward a measure that would call for presidential elections to end the political standoff and unimpeded deliveries of aid to ease shortages of food and medicine in Venezuela. A competing Russian text urges a peaceful settlement of the crisis and recalls that aid deliveries to Venezuela require the consent of Maduro's government. The council is set to vote around 9:30 am (1530 GMT) on both proposed measures. Russia and China, which support Maduro, are likely to veto the US draft resolution that "expresses deep concern about the actions of a regime that have caused an economic collapse," diplomats said. But the Russian measure, which expresses "concern over the threats to use force" against Venezuela, is unlikely to garner the nine votes for adoption, according to diplomats. Resolutions at the Security Council, which are legally binding, must garner nine votes to be adopted, with no vetoes from the five permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. - 'Neither free, nor fair' - The US-drafted text, seen by AFP, calls for "free, fair and credible presidential elections," with the presence of international observers, describing the May vote in which Maduro was declared the winner as "neither free nor fair." It expresses support for "the peaceful restoration of democracy and rule of law in Venezuela" and requests that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres broker a deal on holding fresh elections. Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido (C) takes a selfie his wife Fabiana Rosales (2-R), Chilean President Sebastian Pinera (next to him at left), Colombian President Ivan Duque (back), Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez (R) during a weekend concert in Colombia Russia's draft resolution urges a settlement "through peaceful means" and welcomes calls by Guterres for dialogue, according to the text seen by AFP. The United States is leading a push for recognition of Guaido, who heads the National Assembly, backed by about 50 countries. The crisis turned violent over the weekend when four people died in clashes at Venezuela's borders during an attempt led by Guaido to bring in humanitarian aid from Colombia and Brazil. Maduro has accused the United States of using aid as a political tool aimed at overthrowing him, and blames US sanctions for the economic turmoil. UN expert Richard Gowan said the United States is hoping to pile pressure on Caracas by showing that a majority of council members back its stance, even if Russia and China block the measure. - What next? - Aid for Venezuela "If Beijing and Moscow kill it off, the US will claim the moral high ground," said Gowan, a senior fellow at the UN University Center for Policy Research. "The problem is what the US does next after this resolution fails. Does it keep trying to pile moral pressure on Maduro, or does it conclude the UN diplomatic route is dead?" In Geneva earlier, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza proposed direct talks between the leaders, asking: "Why shouldn't they meet, President Trump and President Maduro?" But US Vice President Mike Pence responded on Twitter that "the only thing to discuss with Maduro at this point is the time and date for his departure." In an address to the council on Tuesday, the foreign minister accused the Trump administration of having a "script to justify war" against his country and urged the council to adopt a measure opposing the use of force. The US-drafted measure "stresses the importance of ensuring the security" of all lawmakers and opposition members, but a reference in a previous draft expressing "full support" for the National Assembly was dropped. At a council meeting on Tuesday, US envoy Elliott Abrams said his government was "deeply concerned" about Guaido's safety after Maduro said in an interview that the opposition leader would have to face justice when he returns from Colombia. Guaido was to travel to Brasilia to meet President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday. Volunteers Repair Assyrian Monastery in Mosul Muslim volunteers pitched in to help repair a Christian monastery near the Iraqi city of Mosul, it has been claimed. Young residents of the al-Arabi neighbourhood, which had been occupied by Isis until earlier this year, helped to restore the damaged St George's Monastery. The building, belonging to the Chaldean Catholic tradition, had been vandalised by Isis militants. According to a Facebook post by the "This is Christian Iraq" page, the youths' aim was to demonstrate that "Mosul is yours as it is ours" and that "our differences are our strength". Isis had damaged the monastery's dome, smashed the windows and removed a cross, according to various reports. However, The Irish Times reported earlier this year that Christians had celebrated Easter there for the first time since 2014. A Canadian senior official said that American tariffs on steel and aluminum make it "difficult for us to ratify" the continental trade deal Canada stepped up pressure on Washington to remove steel and aluminum tariffs, warning on Wednesday that it won't ratify a continental trade deal while the irritant remains and that time was running out. "We're telling the Americans that the tariffs on steel and aluminum make it difficult for us to ratify the agreement because MPs, senators, and Canadians are going to ask why we are moving forward as long as they are in place," a senior official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Canada's agriculture and transport ministers made similar comments recently to officials in Washington. And Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland on Monday raised Ottawa's concerns with US President Mike Pence on the sidelines of Venezuela crisis talks in Bogota, as well as with other US officials. With a general election scheduled in October, Canadian lawmakers would need to ratify the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement before the end of the current parliamentary session on June 6. The leaders of Canada, the US and Mexico signed the successor deal to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in November, after more than a year of negotiations. US President Donald Trump imposed the steep tariffs on aluminum and steel imports last year, saying it was important to national security to protect the domestic industry from allegedly unfair foreign competition. Indian demonstrators shout slogans against Pakistan during a protest at India Gate in New Delhi Pakistan's ambassador to Washington voiced regret Wednesday that the United States has not condemned India's air incursion, saying the stance "emboldened" New Delhi. With the nuclear-armed rivals shooting down each other's warplanes in their worst crisis in years, Pakistani Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan said the United States should have pinned blame on India. "It is construed and understood as an endorsement of the Indian position and that is what emboldened them even more," Khan told reporters when asked about the US statement. But Khan said that Pakistan -- which has an increasingly close relationship with China and rising friction with Washington -- was eager for greater US diplomacy between Islamabad and New Delhi. "There is perhaps no other country better placed than the United States to be able to play some role," he said, pointing to the US relationship with both countries. India said on Tuesday its air force conducted strikes on a militant camp inside Pakistan -- the first time since 1971 it hit territory beyond divided Kashmir -- after a Pakistan-based Islamist extremist group claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing on the Indian side of Kashmir that killed 40 troops. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a statement after talking to his counterparts in both countries, described the Indian strikes as "counter-terrorism actions." While urging both sides to avoid escalation, he urged Pakistan to take "meaningful action against terrorist groups operating on its soil." President Donald Trump's administration last year cut off $300 million in military aid to Pakistan, saying Islamabad had not done enough to fight extremists at home or close safe havens for militants in neighboring Afghanistan. The fate of the Bladensburg cross, a monument to local Maryland soldiers who died fighting in World War One, is being decided by the Supreme Court The US Supreme Court deliberated Wednesday on whether a giant cross that serves as a war memorial is an unconstitutional state religious endorsement, as secularist critics contend. Supporters and critics of the 40-foot (12-meter) high Peace Cross in Bladensburg, just outside the capital Washington, presented arguments to the country's top court, which will decide if the monument violates the First Amendment forbidding the state from promoting one religion over another. The case is the latest example of the sensitive subject of religion-state links in America. The cross was erected in 1925 in Maryland to honor the memory of 49 local soldiers killed in World War I, and now stands at the intersection of three busy roads. During the hearing, justices focused on whether such a monument could be erected for other tragedies, such as in memory of victims of a shooting, regardless of religion -- or whether it could be regarded as proselytizing. For the Washington-based American Humanist Association (AHA), a plaintiff in the case, the monument represents a breach of the First Amendment because it is built on public land. The group says that $100,000 of public money has been used to maintain the cross, which they say essentially honors only Christian veterans. "We are here to honor all veterans," argued AHA lawyer Monica Miller. - Symbol of 'sacrifice' - "I think that there's no history whatsoever of anyone using Latin crosses to honor Jews, Muslims, and atheists." Speaking to reporters, she added, "we are not seeking desecration or demolishment of crosses in general," and an acceptable solution for the Bladensburg cross would include moving it to private land "where it will be better maintained" and away from traffic so veterans can pay their respects. Roy Speckhardt, head of the American Humanist Association, with the cross he wants to see removed as a violation of the First Amendment But Neal Katyal, lead legal counsel for the State of Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, the government agency which owns the land on which the memorial sits, said it has stood for nearly a century "as a symbol of that sacrifice and their service to this country. "The memorial served a central non-religious function since 1925." A similar argument came from Michael Carvin, a lawyer for the American Legion, which originally helped build the monument. Carvin said "the history and what the monument looks like, what it says, all underscore that secular point." He added: "The stakes are very high. I don't think there is any rational basis for forcing this cross to come down, be sold or moved other than naked hostility towards religion." A lower court rejected the AHA's initial filing. "The display aggrandizes the Latin cross in a manner that says to any reasonable observer that the Commission either places Christianity above other faiths, views being American and Christian as one in the same, or both," the initial ruling said. In December 2016, an appeals court ordered that the cross be either torn down, changed or moved to private land. - Other religions growing - The American Legion, which represents military veterans, and the parks department, then appealed to the Supreme Court. Since then, the administration of President Donald Trump, several members of which openly profess their Christian beliefs, has expressed support for the monument. In a Supreme Court brief, the Department of Justice said removal or destruction of the cross "would be viewed by many as the action of a government that is not neutral but hostile on matters of religion." The court is not due to render a decision until June, and its finding will have an impact on numerous monuments around the country, including the two crosses at the Arlington military cemetery on the edge of Washington. The Supreme Court, which under President Donald Trump has tilted to a 5-4 conservative majority, could use the case to set a precedent as to how lower courts should interpret the First Amendment. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion," the Amendment says, while it also guarantees freedom to exercise religious beliefs. That has left numerous grey areas in a country where Christians are still a majority and dollar bills state: "In God We Trust." In recent years, however, the growing number of other religions, and of atheists, in the country has led to a rising chorus of protest about Christianity's dominance in US cultural life. Stranded passengers wait outside the Thai Airways ticket counter at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok after the airline cancelled 11 European-bound flights due to Pakistan closing its airspace amid mounting tensions with India Thousands of travellers were stranded in Bangkok on Thursday when Thai Airways cancelled all flights over Pakistan after Islamabad closed its airspace in response to soaring tensions with India. Nearly thirty flights -- the majority to and from European routes -- were initially affected, the airline said, with three aircraft forced to return to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport and others cancelled or set to be re-routed. The travel disruption spun out across the region, with Singapore Airlines' usually direct flights to Europe forced to re-fuel on Wednesday, while a flight to Frankfurt was cancelled. The disruption follows a snowballing crisis between nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan and India, which has raised fears of an all-out war. Pakistan claimed it shot down two Indian Air Force planes in its airspace, although it later clarified only one Indian pilot had been captured. India said its forces had also shot down a Pakistani fighter jet as Pakistan suddenly closed its airspace. Thai Airways said nearly 5,000 passengers had been caught up in the drama, as it struggled to find new routes to Europe with Iran "rejecting" a request to travel over its airspace, according to a spokesperson for the carrier. But a few hours later China gave "permission to Thai Airways ... to bypass Pakistani airspace," according to Pratana Patanasiri, Thai Airways Vice President, allowing Thursday night's flights to Europe to resume. But frustration mounted Thursday at Bangkok's main airport at the sudden delays. "We have waited here for 11 or 12 hours already," Gerda Heinzel 55, a German tourist flying back to Munich after a holiday in Phuket. "We have not been given anything to eat, anywhere to stay. There are no German-speaking staff to help us." North Korea military sites The future of North Korea's decades-old Yongbyon nuclear complex was one of the sticking points that sparked deadlock between leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump at their second summit in Hanoi. Pyongyang offered to "completely dismantle" its nuclear production facilities in the presence of US experts if Washington lifted some sanctions "that hamper the civilian economy and the livelihood of our people", the North's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told reporters in a surprise late-night briefing. Yongbyon has long been at the heart of Pyongyang's atomic development programme, but remains shrouded in secrecy. Here is what we know about it: - What is it? - About 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Pyongyang, Yongbyon is made up of dozens of buildings related to North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. In the aftermath of the summit, a State Department official described it as: "A sprawling three square-mile site, with more than 300 different separate facilities located on it, all of which are dedicated to supporting the nuclear weapons programme in North Korea." The North blew up a cooling tower as a token of its commitment in 2008 but that deal also fell apart when relations soured Opened in 1986, it is home to the country's first nuclear reactor, with a five megawatt capacity, and is the only known source of plutonium for the North's weapons programme. It also produces other key fuels for nuclear bombs -- highly enriched uranium and tritium -- and according to a 2019 report by the Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation has been expanding even amid the recent diplomatic thaw. The report by leading nuclear researcher Siegfried Hecker, who has visited Yongbyon four times, said the complex produced enough fissile material for five to seven atomic bombs in 2018. - How important is it? - Yongbyon is not believed to be the North's only uranium enrichment facility and closing it down would not in and of itself signal an end to the country's atomic programme. US intelligence believes Pyongyang has at least two more uranium plants -- one near Kangson, just outside Pyongyang, and another at an undisclosed location. A Yongbyon closure "may *slow* the growth of North Korea's fissile material stockpile, but it would not *cap* it", tweeted Jeffrey Lewis, a researcher at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Critics also note that North Korea has already produced a stockpile of fissile material with which to build more bombs. "It is important to be precise about what a shut-down accomplishes and what it does not," Lewis added. Given the size of the complex, the State Department official said it was important to be "very precise" about what the North Koreans were offering to dismantle. "The North Koreans struggled to give us a precise definition of what that was," said the official. - What does the North want in exchange? - When South Korean President Moon Jae-in went to Pyongyang for a summit with Kim in September, the North offered Yongbyon's "permanent destruction", but only if the US took "corresponding actions". The qualification goes to the heart of one of the disagreements between Washington and Pyongyang -- the North wants the US to make concessions step-by-step along the way, particularly sanctions relief, while Washington has insisted the restrictions must remain in place until denuclearisation is completed. - Have we been here before? - Pyongyang has agreed to mothball Yongbyon in the past. The main reactor was shut down in 1994 under an agreement with Washington, only to be restarted in 2003 after the deal was derailed. Another agreement to shut down the reactor was signed in 2007, and the North blew up a cooling tower as a token of its commitment. But that deal also fell apart when relations soured and Pyongyang reactivated the reactor, using river water to cool it. Experts say previous broken promises show that simple deactivation will not be enough. "This demonstrates the need for (1) verification by trusted inspectors, (2) acceptance that somethings can be reversed, (3) the ability to reverse economic inducements," tweeted Melissa Hanham, a researcher at the One Earth Future foundation. - How could it be checked? - In the past North Korea has allowed in UN nuclear inspectors in exchange for concessions. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officials carried out checks from 1994 to 2002 and again from 2007 to 2009. But Pyongyang expelled them in 2009 ahead of the second of its six nuclear tests and has since refused to allow international inspections on its territory. And the IAEA has said its representatives were never given full access to the complex, including the uranium enrichment facilities. A supporter of the group Sunni Tehreek holds a placard during an anti-Indian protest in Karachi As conflict between India and Pakistan escalates to near all-out war, the United States has been thrust into a familiar position of hoping to defuse tensions -- but is making no secret it faults Islamabad. US policymakers have grown exasperated with Pakistan for not doing more against Islamist extremists and envision a broad, long-term alliance with an emerging India -- a stark flip from the Cold War when Washington sided with Pakistan. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a statement after calls with his two counterparts, urged restraint from both sides as India and Pakistan shot down each other's warplanes. But in language that would be carefully parsed, Pompeo described the initial strikes by India as "counter-terrorism actions" and urged Pakistan to take "meaningful action against terrorist groups operating on its soil." India was responding to a February 14 suicide attack in divided Kashmir that killed 40 of its troops. For the first time since 1971, India hit Pakistan in territory beyond Kashmir, the Himalayan region that has triggered two of the rivals' three full-fledged wars. Asad Majeed Khan, Pakistan's ambassador to Washington, criticized the statement for not reprimanding India -- where Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose Hindu nationalist base is staunchly anti-Pakistan, faces imminent elections. An Indian paramilitary trooper stands guard during a strike in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-administered Kashmir The statement "is construed and understood as an endorsement of the Indian position and that is what emboldened them even more," Khan said. President Donald Trump has shown no sympathy for Pakistan, last year cutting $300 million in military aid that had been flowing over logistical assistance to US forces in Afghanistan. Trump -- who has championed the US right to act as it pleases -- said last week that Pakistan had been "taking very strong advantage of the United States" and voiced understanding that India was planning "something very strong." - How much US attention? - Trump said Thursday after the nuclear summit with North Korea in Hanoi that the US was working to defuse the conflict. "They've been going at it, and we've been involved in trying to have them stop, and we have some reasonably decent news, I think, hopefully, that will be coming to an end," he told a news conference. Richard Olson, who served as US ambassador to Islamabad from 2012 to 2015, said there was a growing sense among policymakers that militants coming out of Pakistan were "really a fundamental problem." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has urged restraint from both Pakistan and India "Defining the issue in terms of counter-terrorism indicates something of a harder line than had been adopted, at least publicly, in the past," said Olson, now a senior advisor at the US Institute of Peace. But Pompeo placed calls while heading to the summit with North Korea in Hanoi, his statement coming nearly 24 hours after the Indian strikes. And while US military officials maintain strong ties with Pakistani and Indian counterparts, the Trump administration has no confirmed defense secretary, ambassador in Islamabad or assistant secretary of state for South Asia -- all positions key in a crisis. Khan, the Pakistani ambassador, nonetheless said there was "no other country better placed than the United States" to play a role owing to its relationships. Pakistan has increasingly relied on China for diplomatic and economic support, but Beijing holds little sway over India. The United States, France and Britain are asking the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on the leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed, the Pakistan-based group that claimed responsibility for the Kashmir attack, although China blocked two earlier attempts. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures during a public rally in Jammu, the winter capital of Indian-administered Kashmir Pakistan banned Jaish-e-Mohammed after a 2001 attack on the Indian parliament triggered an earlier standoff, but the group still operates openly under different names. - US could raise pressure - Pakistan points out that the culprit behind the latest bombing was a local Kashmiri and says it is happy to hold dialogue with India. "Everybody is tired of hearing, essentially, excuses," said Alyssa Ayres, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for South Asia, adding that Pakistan also offered talks rather than action after the bloody 2008 siege of Mumbai. Then US president Bill Clinton meets Pakistan's ten prime minister Nawaz Sharif outside the Blair House in Washington during 1999 talks to end the Kargil crisis Ayres, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said he United States could take tougher action including revoking Pakistan's status as a major non-NATO ally or holding up a bailout from the International Monetary Fund, where the cash-strapped country is again seeking help. "I can't say if Pakistan will respond in the right way. But I do think that we haven't tried all of the leverage we could," she said. President Bill Clinton raised the prospect of blocking IMF support to Pakistan when he negotiated an end to the 1999 Kargil crisis, with Pakistan-backed forces withdrawing from incursions in Kashmir. Pakistan also has leverage -- Afghanistan, where it is facilitating the Taliban's negotiations as Trump seeks to end nearly 18 years of war. But Olson, the former ambassador, doubted the United States would switch tack over Afghanistan. "Preventing an escalation of a conflict between nuclear-weapons states will take priority over just about anything else -- and it should," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi (pictured at a rally in Jammu) has called on Indians to 'stand as a rock' Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Indians Thursday to "stand as a wall" with anger boiling over Pakistan's capture of a pilot as a crisis escalates between the nuclear-armed rivals. In his first remarks since India and Pakistan both claimed to have shot down each other's fighter planes near the disputed border of Kashmir, the prime minister urged his countrymen to unite "as the enemy seeks to destabilise India". "In the face of their objective, every Indian should stand as a wall, as a rock," Modi said. "The entire country is one today and standing with our soldiers. The world is looking at our collective will and we have faith in our forces' capacity. "India will live as one. India will work as one. India will grow as one. India will fight as one. India will win as one." Modi did not mention Pakistan by name during the address to party workers. But anger against the neighbour, with whom India has fought three wars since 1947, remains high Protestors burn the Pakistani flag outside the Pakistani high commission in New Delhi Protesters set ablaze Pakistan's national flag outside the country's embassy in New Delhi Thursday. Police detained some but others ran away, witnesses said. Claiming to be supporters of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party the dozen men gathered outside the heavily guarded diplomatic mission shouting "Down with Pakistan" before setting fire to the flag dipped in kerosene. "Police tried to restrain them but they got into a car and quickly fled," one witness told AFP. The rival neighbours have been urged by major world powers to exercise restraint after India and Pakistani fighter planes fought a brief skirmish Wednesday morning over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir. New Delhi said it lost one fighter jet and a pilot was missing in action, later confirming he was in Pakistani custody. India also downed a Pakistani jet, the foreign ministry said. Pakistan claimed to have shot down two Indian jets and denied it lost any aircraft in the dogfight. Islamabad said its incursion across the heavily militarised border was in response to Indian warplanes bombing Balakot, well inside its territory, on February 26. That attack was the "jaw breaking" response Modi had promised after militants staged a suicide bombing in Indian Kashmir on February 14, killing at least 40 paramilitaries. New Delhi blamed the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad for the attack, and hit what it called a training camp for the militants in its aerial raid 12 days later. Indian Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has become the face of the escalating conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan said Thursday it is prepared to release a captured Indian pilot if doing so will ease soaring tensions with India that have fuelled fears of conflict between the nuclear-armed rivals. "We are ready to hand over the Indian pilot if it leads to de-escalation," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal told AFP, attributing the statement to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. He spoke a day after the pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, was shot down in a rare aerial engagement between the South Asian neighbours over the disputed region of Kashmir. The incident was the latest in a dangerous sequence of events between the two countries that have sent tensions rocketing, as major world powers including China, the US and the UN urged restraint. India-Pakistan military balance It sparked fears of India and Pakistan -- who have fought two wars and countless deadly skirmishes over Kashmir -- entering a cycle of retaliation and counterattacks that could spiral out of control. Abhinandan, who rapidly attained hero status in his own country, has become the face of the escalating conflict, with analysts touting him as a potential trump card for Islamabad and perhaps the key to bringing the arch-rivals back from the brink. Earlier Thursday Faisal told reporters that the pilot "is with us, he is safe and in good condition". A viral video purports to show Abhinandan being dragged and beaten by what appears to be a group of men as Pakistani soldiers intervene, shouting "Stop! Stop!" Faisal admitted he had "some mishap before our officers reached there because he was caught by the public", but stressed his well-being. "We will decide in a day or two whether he will be given the status of POW or else," he added. Soldiers stand next to what Pakistan says is the wreckage of an Indian fighter jet shot down in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir But it was a later video released by the Pakistani military which showed the pilot sipping tea, his face swollen and sporting bruises but otherwise collected and calm, that was most seized upon in both India and Pakistan. In it, he thanks the "thorough gentlemen" who rescued him from the mob and compliments the tea as "fantastic". It was unclear if he had been coerced to speak. The video was aired widely on Pakistani television channels, but none of the footage was broadcast in India. What happens to him next could prove central to de-escalating one of the most serious confrontations between the rival neighbours in decades, analysts say. Any mistreatment of him could create huge anger in India and send tensions soaring once more -- but his safe release could "aid peace", a retired Indian general told AFP. Pakistanis in Karachi celebrate the shooting down of two Indian fighter jets by the Pakistan Air Force With tit-for-tat air raids across their hair-trigger border pushing India and Pakistan closer to all-out conflict, growing international concern is being fuelled by fears that the rivals are running out of escape routes, analysts say. While both sides have insisted they want to avoid escalation or war, the lack of direct government-to-government contact offers no clear way out of the crisis, and the United States - so often the peacebroker in past showdowns -- has shown no signs of taking up such a pivotal role this time. Prime ministers Imran Khan of Pakistan and Indias Narendra Modi - who is on the verge of calling a general election - are under enormous domestic pressure not be seen to give any ground. Public opinion in India, already at boiling point over a suicide attack in Kashmir that set off the hostilities, has been further inflamed by the capture of a downed Indian air force pilot, and video images showing him being slapped by a mob and interrogated. "The real danger is the crisis slipping beyond the two governments' control," said Richard Gowan, a New York-based specialist on international peace and security and fellow at the UN University. "There is a risk that another terrorist attack or outbreak of communal violence could suddenly make diplomacy harder." No caption India has yet to respond to Khans suggestion of direct talks, and the Pakistani leaders offer was couched in an ominous warning about the potentially catastrophic consequences of any further escalation between the nuclear-armed rivals "Can we afford any miscalculation with the kind of weapons that we have and you have?" Khan said in a televised national address Wednesday. The United States, China, Russia and every major power has called for "restraint," but so far neither side has made any concrete move to defuse the situation. "We are getting mixed signals, there is nothing reassuring yet," said one western diplomat in New Delhi. - 'Fight as one' - Indian and Pakistani fighter planes fought a brief skirmish Wednesday over Kashmir. Pakistan said it had downed two Indian fighters, while India confirmed it had lost one plane and claimed it had shot down a Pakistani jet. In an address to ruling party workers on Thursday, Modi said "India will fight as one" and added that the entire country was "standing with our soldiers." "While it is now much more politically difficult for Modi not to militarily respond and instead enter crisis de-escalation talks with Pakistan, he must still prevent this slide toward general war," said Frank O'Donnell, a South Asia specialist at the Stimson Center, a US think tank. The fate of the captured India pilot could be key, with Pakistan saying Thursday it would consider returning him if it would help defuse the situation. And despite the dangerous surge in tensions, observers in the two countries, who have fought three wars since their independence and angry split in 1947, noted that India and Pakistan are used to finding ways to step back from the brink. "There is a tendency to say that because there has been downing of planes claimed on both sides, that suddenly nuclear war is likely," Dhruva Jaishankar, a foreign policy expert at Brookings India in New Delhi, told AFP. "That completely overlooks the past when India and Pakistan have found ways to manage escalation. "The question both are facing at this time is how they can sell to their domestic audiences the fact that they achieved the defence of their country." In Pakistan, security analyst and columnist Farrukh Pittafi said "the next few days are important in terms of normalisation of the situation because we have one Indian pilot POW." Khan is still offering dialogue and "the Pakistani leadership has effectively shown its ability to defend the country by striking back. Now a better sense should prevail," said Pittafi. Even if the two sides can talk their way out of this showdown, the signs are not good for Kashmir, where it all started with the killing of 40 Indian paramilitaries in a suicide bomb attack on February 14. Shelling across the ceasefire line in the Himalayan region, fought over since 1947, has intensified since this week's raids. Jane's Intelligence Weekly has warned there is a "high risk" of any escalation being focused in the forgotten conflict zone where tens of thousands have died in an uprising on the Indian side launched in 1989. burs-tw/gh/sls President Trump left the Hanoi summit early, but analysts say the talks with Kim Jung Il were not necessarily a failure Donald Trump summoned the world's media to Hanoi for a meeting with Kim Jong Un, travelled the long way around the world to get there, and dangled an "AWESOME" future before the North Korean leader. And they did not agree anything. That may not be such a bad thing, analysts say -- but reaching a deal will take a long time. Trump and Kim's Singapore summit -- the first-ever encounter between the leaders of two countries on opposite sides of the technically still unfinished Korean War -- made global headlines last year. The agreement they signed, though, was short on specifics, with Kim committing only to a vague promise to "work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula". Subsequent progress stalled with the two sides disagreeing over what that means, and ahead of the Hanoi meeting analysts expected them to put meat on the bones of the text. In the event, there was more bonhomie in the Vietnamese capital -- a venue chosen partly to symbolise the possibility of a good post-war relationship with the US -- but even less in the way of tangible outcomes, with no communique emerging from the summit. Trump told reporters Kim wanted all sanctions imposed on the North over its weapons programmes lifted before it made any further moves over its Yongbyon nuclear plant and other covert sites, and he had decided to walk away. "I'd much rather do it right than do it fast," he added. At a surprise late-night briefing North Korea's foreign minister insisted that Pyongyang had only wanted partial sanctions relief in exchange for Yongbyon's closure, and that its position was "invariable". The optics of the stand-off looked poor. But analysts pointed to the meeting as part of a long process, and potentially a necessary one. "These talks were not a failure," said David Kim of the Stimson Center. "Think of the Trump-Kim relationship like a Korean drama," he went on. "We are just beginning to watch the long love story unfold." It would be filled with "excitement, disappointment and utter heartache", but "the bond between Kim and Trump will remain steadfast to the end. "As long as both 'lovers' remain committed to their relationship, we can expect more positive outcomes in the future." - Third date? - Trump has previously said he and Kim "fell in love" over an exchange of letters, and while no third summit with Kim had been agreed, the White House said working-level talks would continue. But in his New Year speech, a key political set-piece in the North, Kim said Pyongyang would seek a "new way" to defend its interests if Washington did not offer concessions in return for the steps it has already taken -- a missile and nuclear test moratorium, and what it says is the destruction of facilities it no longer needs. That raises the prospect of Kim turning to neighbour and ally China for succour. Trump told reporters Kim wanted all sanctions imposed on the North lifted, and he had decided to walk away In and before Hanoi, Trump repeatedly said the North could become an "economic powerhouse" if it gave up its weapons. The two discussed liaison offices -- a vital initial step in normalising relations -- and Ankit Panda of the Federation of American Scientists said there were "multiple credible reports an end-of-war declaration was on the table." But those were "never the 'corresponding measures' North Korea sought", he added. Pyongyang will once again have been able to portray itself as Washington's equal, and Kim as Trump's -- the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper carried a front-page picture Thursday that showed the US president appearing to bow slightly as the pair shook hands. Former CIA analyst Soo Kim noted that Trump had insisted several times he was in no rush to complete a deal and that with the North not yet prepared to take the steps Washington wanted, the US president "so far looks at ease with this decision". But, she told AFP: "This outcome is likely not what the Kim regime had banked on. So it remains to be seen whether after the rug has been pulled from underneath, North Korea will bite again at another opportunity." - Waning Moon - The no-result from Hanoi leaves South Korean President Moon Jae-in -- who seized on last year's Winter Olympics in his country to broker talks between Pyongyang and Washington -- in a bind. Moon had intended to unveil an inter-Korean economic co-operation plan on Friday, said former CIA staffer Kim, the 100th anniversary of a movement against Japanese colonial rule -- one issue on which North and South Koreans are in total agreement. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been left in a difficult position by the no-result in Hanoi Now suggestions of a Kim Jong Un trip to Seoul are likely to go on the back burner, and she said it "remained to be seen" whether Moon would be able to pursue his inter-Korean rapprochement so quickly. Christopher Green, senior advisor at International Crisis Group, said the outcome was unexpected, "but I don't think it's a disaster and it doesn't end the dialogue process". "There will have to be some re-booting and I would expect after a period of relative quiet that lower level talks will begin again," he added. But while Trump has his eye on next year's US presidential election -- and is said to want a Nobel Peace Prize -- Kim is the third generation of his family to rule the North and undoubtedly expects to remain in power for decades. And Ri said the North's stance would "never" change in any future negotiations. "These talks will take a long time and will far outlive this presidency," said David Kim. "Patience is a virtue." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the UN report had hit 'new records of hypocrisy and lies' A UN probe released Thursday said Israel may have committed crimes against humanity in responding to last year's unrest in Gaza, as snipers "intentionally" shot civilians including children, journalists and the disabled. Israel rejected the report "outright," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Hamas, which controls Gaza, called for Israel to be held accountable. The UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory investigated possible violations during demonstrations in the Gaza strip between March 30 and December 31 last year. Commission chairman Santiago Canton said Israeli soldiers committed multiple breaches of international humanitarian law while suppressing protesters who were calling for Palestinian refugees to be allowed to return to their former homes now inside Israel. "Some of those violations may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity," he said in a statement. Commission member Sara Hossain told reporters in Geneva that Israeli snipers "intentionally shot children." "They have intentionally shot people with disabilities. They have intentionally shot journalists," she added. Health workers were also hit by snipers who shot more than 6,000 "unarmed demonstrators" during weeks of protest, according to the inquiry set up in May by the UN Human Rights Council. Netanyahu said the rights council, a frequent target of criticism by the Jewish State, had hit "new records of hypocrisy and lies, out of obsessive hatred of Israel." - Protests 'civilian in nature' - Among the most contentious questions surrounding the protests was whether the demonstrators presented a threat to Israeli troops. Netanyahu said on Twitter that "it is Hamas which fires rockets at Israeli civilians, bombs and carries out terrorist activities during the violent demonstrations on the fence." But investigators pointed to evidence that Israeli troops targeted Palestinians "who were neither directly participating in hostilities, nor posing an imminent threat." The commission also dismissed claims the protests were aimed to conceal acts of terrorism, describing the demonstrations as "civilian in nature". The commission dismissed claims by Israel that the protests were aimed to conceal acts of terrorism "Despite some acts of significant violence, the commission found that the demonstrations did not constitute combat or military campaigns." The investigators did not have access to the Israeli military's rules of engagement. But, based on publicly available evidence, the commission said there is evidence that Israeli troops have been instructed that they can use lethal force against those who incite others to violence. The so-called "main inciters" provision is at odds with international law and must be removed from Israel's rules of engagement, Canton told reporters. The commission said it conducted 325 interviews with victims, witnesses and other sources, reviewed more than 8,000 documents and looked at drone footage among other material. Israel did not cooperate with the probe or provide access to Gaza. - Hamas role - Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim told AFP that the panel's findings had proven that Israel "committed clear war crimes" against peaceful protesters and demanded justice. Israel has however accused Hamas of using the protests as cover for infiltrations and attacks. Canton told reporters the commission considered Hamas's culpability for the bloodshed, but stressed that since the demonstrations were generally peaceful in nature, Hamas was under no obligation to stop them. At least 251 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since March 2018 "People have the right to demonstrate, they have the right to assembly," he told reporters. "So to put responsibility on (Hamas) for letting those demonstrations happen (is) against international humanitarian law," he added. - Suspects list - The UN inquiry was in part tasked with identifying individuals who could be prosecuted for international crimes. The commission declined to discuss specific suspects, but the report calls for the UN human rights office to manage the list of those with possible criminal responsibility and to share that information with relevant courts. It also calls on states to "consider imposing individual sanctions, such as a travel ban or an assets freeze, on those identified as responsible by the commission." burs-bs/nl/pvh US President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference following the second US-North Korea summit in Hanoi on February 28, 2019.The nuclear summit between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un in Hanoi ended without an agreement on February 28, the White House said after the two leaders cut short their discussions. Branded a criminal by a former friend in Washington, then let down by his new friend Kim Jong Un in Vietnam, Donald Trump cut a lonely figure before returning home from North Korea nuclear talks Thursday. The US president's usual fire was missing at a press conference marking the end of two days of negotiations to try and get Kim to give up nuclear weapons. Trump made few of his customary quips and kept largely on topic, a far cry from the rambling, excited performance he put on after his first summit with Kim in Singapore last year. This time he didn't even seem angry, just tired. That, quite possibly, was in part due to having stayed up to watch his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testify in Washington -- during Vietnam's night time hours -- that his old boss was a crook. Trump lamented Congress' scheduling. "They could have made it two days later or next week, and it would have been even better. They would have had more time," he said bitterly. Originally, the Kim summit in Hanoi seemed set to give Trump a chance to escape the Washington swamp. Back home his pet project to build a wall on the Mexico border is embroiled in controversy and allegations of misconduct are mounting. But on the other side of the world, a chance to make history beckoned. US President Donald Trump (R) walks with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un during a break in talks at the second US-North Korea summit at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi on February 28, 2019. Trump heavily hyped the event, apparently believing that by sheer force of personality he can succeed where decades of diplomats have flopped, transforming North Korea from an isolated, nuclear-armed fortress state to Asian tiger and friend of the US. He even let out that his name was being pushed for a Nobel Peace Prize. By lunchtime Thursday, though, it was clear that Trump's bold gambit had failed for now. He and Kim couldn't even agree on enough to issue a joint declaration and the summit ended two hours early. "Sometimes you have to walk," a deflated Trump said. - With friends like these - Hoping to get Kim to agree to fundamental cuts in his arsenal, Trump says he instead found himself facing impossible demands from the totalitarian leader for Washington to drop economic sanctions. But Trump insisted that he and Kim remain buddies. Michael Cohen, US President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on February 27, 2019. "There was a warmth that we have and I hope it stays," he said. "He's quite a guy." Clearly Trump likes to be liked. For a president who stakes so much on his claim to be a star negotiator, that personal magic may even be the vital ingredient. "Believe it or not I have a great relationship with almost every leader," Trump told the press conference, ending his boast on a defensive note. "A lot of people find that hard to understand." - Losing focus - But there will never be any rescuing his once-great relationship with Cohen, a man who served him as lawyer and general fixer for a decade. Cohen, about to go to prison for three years after being convicted of lying under oath, took the oath again Wednesday in an extraordinarily theatrical congressional hearing. Broadcast across the world on cable and US network channels, Cohen used the big stage to unload on his old boss, describing him as a "mobster", "conman", "cheat" and a "racist". As the Trump-Kim negotiations in Hanoi kicked off on Wednesday, many asked how the president would react. US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Noi Bai International Airport to leave Vietnam following the second US-North Korea summit in Hanoi on February 28, 2019.The nuclear summit between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un in Hanoi ended without an agreement on February 28, the White House said after the two leaders cut short their discussions. Would he ignore the commotion back home to stay focused on the even-higher-stakes talks scheduled for early Thursday morning? Or would he go back to his hotel and tune in? There was never really much doubt. "I tried to watch as much as I could," Trump said, before delivering a detailed critique in which he estimated that Cohen had lied about him "95 percent instead of 100 percent". With that, his less than happy Vietnam trip was over. A less than happy return home loomed. "I'm about to get on a plane and fly back to a wonderful place called Washington, DC," Trump told the press conference. He sounded wearier than ever. Jiang Tianyong had taken on many high-profile cases including those of Falun Gong practitioners and Tibetan protesters A prominent Chinese human rights lawyer went missing after he was scheduled to be released from jail Thursday following a two-year prison sentence for state subversion charges, said rights activists. Jiang Tianyong -- who had taken on many high-profile cases including those of Falun Gong practitioners and Tibetan protesters -- was one of more than 200 lawyers and activists detained since 2015 in a sweep aimed at courtroom critics of Communist authorities. Supporters of Jiang, who traveled to the No.2 Henan prison where Jiang was held, told AFP that police outside the jail said the 47-year-old lawyer was "taken away" but did not specify by who. "Police officers drove away people who went near the entrance of the prison," said Yuan Shanshan, the wife of human rights lawyer Xie Yanyi, who was also targeted in what is now known as the "709" crackdown because arrests started on July 9, 2015. More than 200 lawyers and activists have been swept up in the crackdown since 2015 Jiang's sister and father had planned to meet him outside the jail, explained his wife, but both have gone missing as well and have been unreachable since Wednesday night. "I am angry at the authorities -- China's law is just trash," Jin Bianling, who is based in the US, told AFP. Authorities said that he would be free after his release from jail, which was a lie, she added. "I was hoping and waiting for Jiang's release from prison," she said. "I didn't expect him to go missing after serving his sentence." Authorities could not be immediately reached for comment. - Ongoing restrictions - The disappearance of Jiang, who was charged with "inciting subversion" in 2017, comes as China continues to clamp down on human rights activists and lawyers in the country. Last month, Wang Quanzhang, another well-known Chinese lawyer swept up in the 709 crackdown, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for "subverting state power". Meanwhile, other rights lawyers who have been released after serving their prison sentences -- like Jiang -- have continued to face restrictions, said Doriane Lau, China researcher at Amnesty International. Many of the wives of the "709" lawyers have actively campaigned on behalf of their husbands despite state pressure "The Chinese authorities had no intention to really protect Jiang Tianyong's freedom," Lau told AFP. The disappearance of Jiang's father and sister is not unusual either, she said. Chinese authorities will often threaten an activist's "family and friends before they were sentenced, during the person's sentencing, and after they are released." Nevertheless, many of the wives of the "709" lawyers have actively campaigned on the behalf of their husbands, despite facing pressure from authorities. Last April, Li Wenzu, the wife of Wang, attempted to march 100 kilometres (60 miles) to the detention facility in Tianjin where her husband had been held. In December, Li was placed under de facto house arrest the day before Wang's trial to prevent her from attending. Indian Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has become the face of the escalating conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan said Thursday it will release a captured Indian pilot as a "peace gesture", taking a step towards rapprochement as clashes between the nuclear-armed rivals ignited fears of a disastrous conflict. The pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, has become the face of the crisis since he was shot down in a rare aerial engagement between the South Asian neighbours over the disputed region of Kashmir on Wednesday. With anger boiling over his capture in India, analysts have touted him as a potential trump card for Islamabad. "As a peace gesture we are releasing the Indian pilot tomorrow," Prime Minister Imran Khan told a joint session of parliament. Parliamentarians stamped their feet in approval at his statement, the first sign of a potential thaw after a dangerous sequence of events between the two countries sent tensions soaring. Tit-for-tat raids across their hair-trigger border have alarmed world powers including China and the US, who have urged restraint. Pakistan has said it downed two Indian fighters, while India confirmed it had lost one plane and claimed it had shot down a Pakistani jet. "I am afraid of miscalculations," Khan said. "We should not even think of war, especially in view of the lethality of the weapons that we have." However he warned that his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi should not misconstrue his desire to de-escalate as "weakness". India-Pakistan military balance "India must know that we will be forced to strongly retaliate against any Indian action in the future," he said. Wednesday's dogfight and the pilot's capture sparked fears of India and Pakistan -- who have fought two wars and countless deadly skirmishes over the Himalayan region -- entering a cycle of retaliation and counterattacks that could spiral out of control. Pakistan has closed its airspace indefinitely, stranding thousands of passengers worldwide; and the army said Thursday its troops were on high alert along the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides Kashmir. Authorities have tightened security across the country, with hospitals on alert and leave for police and other security officials cancelled in some cities. - 'He is safe' - With the pilot attaining hero status among Indians enraged over his capture, Modi called on his citizens earlier Thursday to "stand as a wall" in the face of an enemy that "seeks to destabilise India". Analysts have said the pilot's fate, and his safe release, could prove central to the neighbours pulling back from the brink. US analyst Michael Kugelman said it was a "big decision to part with a bargaining chip". In India the announcement was being seen as a diplomatic victory for New Delhi, with commentators saying Islamabad had yielded under pressure. The hashtag #WelcomeBackAbhi was swiftly trending. US President Donald Trump voiced optimism earlier Thursday that the tensions could soon be resolved. "We have had some reasonably decent news... Hopefully that's going to be coming to an end," he said of the crisis, speaking to reporters in Hanoi after a summit there with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Indian government sources said they were unsure what Trump was referring to. The confrontation erupted after a suicide attack in Indian-held Kashmir killed 40 Indian troops on February 14. New Delhi blamed the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group for the attack. Twelve days later Indian warplanes launched a strike inside Pakistani territory, hitting what it said was a militant training camp. Soldiers stand next to what Pakistan says is the wreckage of an Indian fighter jet shot down in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir An infuriated Islamabad denied major casualties or damage, but a day later launched its own incursion across the Line of Control which sparked the dogfight that ended in Abhinandan's capture. A viral video apparently taken shortly after his plane was shot down purportedly showed Abhinandan being dragged and beaten by a group of men as Pakistani soldiers intervened, shouting "Stop! Stop!" Mohammad Faisal, the Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman, told reporters Thursday that the pilot had "some mishap before our officers reached there because he was caught by the public". But he stressed the pilot was now "with us, he is safe and in good condition". A video released by the Pakistani military later showed Abhinandan sipping tea, his face swollen and sporting bruises but otherwise collected and calm. He thanked the "thorough gentlemen" who rescued him from the mob and complimented the tea as "fantastic". It was unclear if he had been coerced to speak. Khan did not give details of when or where the pilot would be released. Kashmir has been divided and disputed by India and Pakistan since 1947. The two countries have fought two of their three wars over the region. Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority said it would keep airspace closed until Friday morning, disrupting major routes between Europe and South East Asia Thousands of air travellers worldwide were left stranded on Thursday after Pakistan closed its airspace in response to escalating tensions with India. Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it would keep airspace shut until at least 1.00pm on Friday local time (0800 GMT), disrupting major routes between Europe and South East Asia. Thai Airways has cancelled nearly 30 flights, affecting 5,000 passengers. "All THAI flights from Bangkok to Europe departing near midnight of 27 FEB through early 28 FEB and from Europe to Bangkok departing on 27 FEB have been cancelled due to Pakistan airspace closure," the airline wrote on its Twitter page. Thai Airways has cancelled nearly 30 flights, affecting 5,000 passengers The decision affected services to London, Munich, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Vienna, Stockholm, Zurich, Copenhagen and Oslo, but the airline said at around 0530 GMT that it was resuming normal operations to Europe. Singapore Airlines was also forced to divert Europe-bound flights to Mumbai and Dubai to refuel, while a flight to Frankfurt was cancelled. The crisis between nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan and India had raised fears of an all-out war. But Pakistan said it would release a captured Indian pilot on Friday, in an overture towards New Delhi. Passengers of Pakistan International Airlines wait in Karachi after flights were cancelled or diverted India earlier said its forces had also shot down a Pakistani fighter jet as Pakistan suddenly closed its airspace early Wednesday. Pakistan's civil aviation authorities said they had allowed some flights to depart on Thursday. They were an Emirates service from Peshawar to Dubai, an Air Arabia flight from Peshawar to Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE and a Qatar Airways flight from Peshawar to Doha. - Atmosphere 'not good' - Emirates was earlier forced to cancel 10 return flights to Pakistan while Qatar Airways pulled flights to Peshawar, Faisalabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Multan. Saudi Airlines also suspended all flights to Pakistan "until further notice". In Russia, two flights from Moscow to Vietnam and Saint Petersburg to Thailand had to turn back while a Bangkok-bound flight was forced to land in Uzbekistan. Air Canada suspended flights to Mumbai and New Delhi, diverting an India-bound flight back to Toronto, while seven services from Istanbul to Pakistan were cancelled. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) also cancelled services to and from Britain, Spain, Italy and Canada as the airspace closure was extended into Friday. Thai Airways flights to Scandinavia and a PIA flight to Copenhagen were also affected, with local television station TV2 television reporting that 25 Danish students were stuck at Bangkok airport. "The atmosphere is not very good right now. We try to keep up the morale, but it's difficult," said student Sara Bjerregaard Larsen, adding that many were in tears. Thai Airways struggled to find new routes to Europe with Iran "rejecting" a request to travel over its airspace, according to a spokesperson for the carrier. But a few hours later China gave "permission to Thai Airways... to bypass Pakistani airspace," according to Pratana Patanasiri, Thai Airways Vice President, allowing Thursday night's flights to Europe to resume. Frustration meanwhile mounted Thursday at Bangkok's main airport. "We have waited here for 11 or 12 hours already," said Gerda Heinzel 55, a German tourist returning to Munich after a holiday in Phuket. "We have not been given anything to eat, anywhere to stay. There are no German-speaking staff to help us." The airline said in a Facebook statement that refreshments were available and that it would "take care of expenses incurred". "Passengers who were booked to travel on the affected routes may change their itineraries without any fees and charges, and conditions apply," it added. Defectors at the 'Free North Korea Radio' station in Seoul fell silent when they heard US-North Korea talks were deadlocked The abrupt end to the summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un came as no surprise to North Korean defectors in the south, with one saying simply: "I told you so!" The defectors, who now live in Seoul, chatted and laughed at the office of North Korea Free Radio as they awaited news from the US president and the leader of their former homeland. But they quickly fell silent as it became clear the talks were deadlocked. Cha Ri-hyuk, 33, told AFP at the radio station -- which is staffed by defectors and broadcasts into North Korea -- that he was not shocked by the no deal outcome. "I knew that Kim Jong Un would never give up the nukes. If the two countries were to make an agreement, I think they would have done it in Singapore last year," added Cha, who left North Korea in 2013. Jo Young-hwa, aged 39, who defected a year earlier, said his countrymen "don't care" about the summits. "Whenever I talk to them in the North, they are not interested. They don't bother trying to learn anything about it," he said. "If you say something 'wrong' you can be prosecuted. You are being monitored by so many people all the time." The no deal outcome will come as a huge disappointment for South Korea's president, who had touted the summit as a "remarkable breakthrough" for peace negotiations on the Korean peninsula. His presidential office said earlier this week it had hopes Trump and Kim would formally declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War. Big questions now face the dovish leader, who was set to unveil details of a new economic cooperation policy between the two Koreas on Friday. In Seoul's main railway station, dozens of people of all ages were glued to TV screens, sombre faced as Trump explained why he and Kim had failed to reach an agreement. Some expressed sympathy for the North Korean leader. "I feel bad for Kim Jong Un who made a very long train journey to get to Hanoi only to walk away from the meeting with empty hands," said Jang Ho-su, 36, a government employee. Lee Gap-yong, a 71-year-old a taxi driver, said Trump could have been "more flexible". "I think he wanted too much out of Kim, to an extent that Kim could not agree to." South Korea's presidential office expressed regret at the summit's outcome but said "meaningful progress" had been made. US investor Michael Calvey, the head of investment company Baring Vostok, was first detained in mid-February on suspicion of laundering 2.5 billion rubles ($38 million) from Vostochny Bank A Moscow court on Thursday ruled against releasing US investor Michael Calvey to house arrest pending trial on his controversial fraud case, despite numerous petitions on his behalf. The judge at Moscow City Court said Calvey was to remain behind bars until at least April 13, in line with previous rulings for five other people in the case. The founder of the multibillion investment fund Baring Vostok was first detained in mid-February on suspicion of laundering 2.5 billion rubles ($38 million) from Vostochny Bank. He vigorously denies the charges and says they are part of an ongoing shareholder dispute. He told the court Thursday that he should be allowed house arrest. "I do not plan to escape, I am going to fulfil all my obligations," he said via a video link from his Moscow jail. Speaking Russian, the father of three said the he "must advise my children in choosing university courses, and this is why this detention is very difficult". Baring Vostok said it would appeal against the decision to keep its founder in jail. The fund stressed its track record of "investing in Russian companies" over 25 years. "This is the first time when somebody so high-profile and with such a positive reputation was arrested," said Alexander Khurudzhi, head of a business rights association, speaking outside the courthouse. "(Calvey) has earned his reputation, so this has surprised everyone," he said. Authorities this month detained four BVCP employees, along with two other associates. Investigators say that a firm controlled by Calvey embezzled millions from Vostochny bank by regulating a debt with an undervalued asset. Calvey has maintained contact with Russian authorities and met President Vladimir Putin on several occasions US businessman Michael Calvey has navigated the political winds and diplomatic tensions in Russia for 25 years while building one of the country's largest private equity firms. Despite his optimism regarding Russia's economy, he is now behind bars. A Moscow court on Thursday rejected his appeal against pre-trial detention, ruling to keep the US-born founder of Baring Vostok investment fund in custody ahead of his trial for alleged fraud. The 51-year-old investor has maintained his innocence, claiming the probe into alleged embezzlement of 2.5 billion rubles from Vostochny Bank is the result of a shareholder dispute. His arrest shocked Russian financial circles, even though they are accustomed to the use of heavy-handed criminal proceedings against business. An admirer of the novels of Leo Tolstoy, Calvey is married to a Russian woman and hails from the American Midwest. He stayed in Russia after many investors bowed out in recent years over the growing rift between Moscow and the West. Speaking fluent Russian on Thursday, he said he would like to be put under house arrest to be able to assist his children with their college coursework. He has maintained contact with Russian authorities and met President Vladimir Putin on several occasions. "Michael is cheerful and doesn't lose faith in the Russian economy, despite what is happening to him," Russia's business ombudsman Boris Titov wrote on Facebook after visiting Calvey in prison on Tuesday. "He said he is innocent, he said he's a Russian patriot," prison monitor Yevgeny Yekinfeyev told Interfax news agency after speaking with him. Calvey launched his firm after Russia made the transition to a market economy. Since then, he brought in foreign investment worth billions of dollars for Russian projects, despite frequent chaos. "This was one of the big lessons over the last 20 years: periodic crises are inevitable in rapidly evolving emerging markets," Calvey said in a 2013 interview to EMPEA, an industry association specialising in emerging markets. He concluded however that these periods "often present the best opportunities" for investors. "There is an irrational bias about Russia" based on "external politics," he said. "It's not a paradise, of course, but there isn't an investment paradise anywhere in the world." - 'No greater patriot' - Calvey was brought up in Oklahoma where his brother, an Iraq war veteran, is an active member of the Republican Party. A graduate of the prestigious London School of Economics, he worked in London and New York for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), launched to transform the socialist bloc into a market economy. He also worked for Salomon Brothers as a specialist on mergers and acquisitions in the oil and gas industry. Russia's enormous oil and gas reserves in the 1990s were an opportunity for investors following the breakup of the Soviet Union. In 1994, he moved to Moscow and founded Baring Vostok as the country's economy resembled that of the US Wild West. A handful of men set out to divvy up the Soviet Union's industrial infrastructure, becoming Russia's oligarchs. "During the first four years of our firm's existence, Russia's GDP fell by about 40-50 percent," Calvey said in 2013. Baring Vostok invested "about two-thirds of our first fund in former Soviet businesses that had been privatised and about one-third in new private companies." He said his most "memorable" project is Yandex, the Russian internet success story. Baring Vostok invested $5 million into the start-up, which is today worth $10 billion on the New York exchange. Since his arrest, several high-profile Russians have praised Calvey's professionalism and dedication to Russia. "There is no greater patriot" in terms of attracting foreign investment to Russia, Titov said of Calvey. But the fact that a high-profile businessman with such a positive outlook is being incarcerated is not likely to attract investment to Russia, another US businessman said Thursday. "Events like this deter people from investing their money here," August Meyer told AFP outside the court. "I think it's obvious and clear." Men and boys suspected of being Islamic State fighters wait to be searched by members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces after leaving the IS group's last holdout of Baghouz on February 27, 2019 Kurdish-led fighters vowed Thursday to crush the last remnant of the Islamic State group's "caliphate" in Syria within a week, after saying they have evacuated hundreds of people from the jihadist holdout. The Syrian Democratic Forces are poised to storm the pocket held by jihadists on the edge of the village of Baghouz, the last patch of the organisation's once sprawling "caliphate". Thousands of men, women and children, have poured out of the riverside hamlet in recent days, posing a huge humanitarian challenge for the US-backed Kurdish fighters leading the operation. "In around one week, we will declare complete victory over IS," Mazloum Kobani, the general commander of the SDF said in a video released by the group's media office on Thursday. His comments came as SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali said that hundreds of men, women and children were plucked from the crumbling proto-state on Thursday, as the epilogue of the nearly six-month-old operation against the jihadists' last scrap of territory dragged on. "Many foreigners from various nationalities were among them," he told AFP, without specifying. "We checked the identification cards of all the men, so if there were any jihadists among them they were surely arrested," he said. Hundreds flee last pocket of IS group in Syria Earlier on Thursday, SDF spokesman Adnan Afrin said his force was waiting to complete evacuations from Baghouz before launching a final push to defeat jihadists. "We want the evacuation operations to finish as soon as possible so we can move to the next phase: an assault or the surrender" of the jihadists still inside, Afrin told AFP. The SDF estimates the number of people inside the last IS redoubt, a patch of half a square kilometre on the banks of the Euphrates River, at anything from a few hundred to several thousand. "We're not sure about the number of civilians still inside but everyday we're astonished by the number of people coming out. We didn't expect that," Afrin said. - Hostages - The SDF announced Thursday its forces had secured the release of 24 of their comrades who had been captured by the jihadists but did not specify how. Their fate was is one reason the operation to flush out the jihadists has been slow moving, Kobani told the released hostages. "We stopped military operations for your safety and now we have stopped the war for the safety of the rest of the comrades," he said. It was unclear how many members of the SDF, an alliance of Kurdish troops and fighters from local Arab tribes, are still held in Baghouz. Women who have left the Islamic State group's last enclave in Syria in recent days suggest the jihadists are allowing many families to leave what remains of its "caliphate" There has been little fighting recently, with the use of human shields by the jihadists preventing major air raids to prepare for a ground assault. The US-backed SDF is ready to move from the west and north of Baghouz while the Syrian regime fighters and Iraqi paramilitaries sealing the siege are stationed across the river and border. Accounts from women who have left the enclave in recent days suggest IS is allowing many families to go, sending them to a hill from which they can walk to an assembly point and hand themselves over. "We have been waiting here a long time for the vehicles that will take us out," said Nadia al-Hamid, a woman from the nearby city of Mayadin. "Some of the Islamic State fighters say they want to die there," she said, claiming only foreign jihadists are left inside. Thousands of women like Nadia, have been trucked to the camp of Al-Hol in recent days. The droves of famished and often wounded women and children filling the Al-Hol camp, a six-hour drive to the north, has raised fears of an outbreak of dysentery. - Sleeping rough - Many of the civilians who spent months holed up in the last dreg of the "caliphate" proclaimed almost five years ago are in bad physical and mental health. A young child looks at a member of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces after leaving the Islamic State group's last holdout of Baghouz, in Syria's northern Deir Ezzor province on February 27, 2019 "There have been more than 100 cases of diarrhoea among new arrivals and efforts are ongoing to prevent an outbreak of dysentery," the International Rescue Committee said. "We are now seeing thousands of people sleeping rough in the arrivals area at the camp, where they are exposed to the cold, wind and rain," said Misty Buswell, the IRC's Middle East advocacy director. "Many of the children are having to cope without shoes or coats," she added. Save the Children has also said much more should be done to treat the trauma suffered by the hundreds of children emerging from the ruins of the IS "caliphate". The SDF said Thursday it had discovered a mass grave containing the severed heads of women near Baghouz. SDF spokesman Afrin said it was not yet clear who the victims were or how many bodies the grave held. Lawyer Sebastien Courtoy said the prosecution case was "manipulated and bogus". He contested expert evidence that his client's voice is heard on videos claiming responsiblity for the attack Lawyers for a Frenchman accused of murdering four people in a terrorist attack at the Jewish museum in Brussels insisted Thursday their client was not the killer, as his trial nears its end. Defence lawyers said Mehdi Nemmouche, 33, was not to blame for the cold-blooded slaughter in May 2014, claiming he was caught up in some kind of plot involving the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. Nemmouche, a serial criminal radicalised in prison who allegedly fought for jihadist groups in Syria, faces life in prison if found guilty of four counts of terrorist murder, with the jury expected to give its verdict on March 7. His lawyer Sebastien Courtoy said the prosecution case was "manipulated and bogus". Courtoy expressed doubts about videos claiming responsiblity for the attack that were found when Nemmouche was arrested, contesting expert evidence identifying the voice on tape as that of the defendant. "The man making the claim is linguistically handicapped. In five minutes he makes eight mistakes," Courtoy told the court in his closing statement, saying his client spoke "faultless" French. Courtoy said -- for the first time during the seven-week trial -- that others could have had access to the Brussels apartment Nemmouche rented before the attack, including to his computer and to his personal belongings. The lawyer also attacked the testimony of two French journalists who told the trial they had no doubt Nemmouche was the man who imprisoned and tortured them when they were captured in Syria in 2013. According to the defence, the museum shooting was not the work of the Islamic State group but a "targeted execution" aimed at Mossad agents. The defence says the Israeli couple who were killed were in fact Mossad agents murdered by a man who had hunted them down. Judges investigating the museum attack last month told the court there was no evidence to support any link to Mossad. Prosecutors say the attack was the first carried out in Europe by a jihadist returning from fighting in Syria. The Brussels killings came 18 months before the November 13, 2015, Paris attacks which left 130 dead. Aside from denying his guilt, Nemmouche has said almost nothing in the dock since the first day. If Azali wins the elections, he will be starting his first term in office, under a controversial reform of the constitution Eleven opposition candidates running in Comoros' upcoming presidential elections have issued a joint call for a transparent vote, fearing fraud by incumbent President Azali Assoumani, who is seeking re-election. Azali, who was elected in 2016, is tipped by observers to win the election, the first round of which is due to be held on March 24. Thirteen candidates have been cleared for the vote, but Azali's main challengers have been barred. "We must ensure voting security for credible and transparent elections that are beyond reproach," opposition spokesman Moustoifa Said Cheikh told reporters on Wednesday. As things stand there are no "guarantees for a free vote," he said. The parties sounded the alarm just over three weeks before Indian Ocean archipelago, one of the world's poorest economies, goes to the polls. The candidates demanded manual counting of ballots at polling stations in the presence of candidates' representatives to ensure fairness. Mohamed Ali Soilihi, leader of an opposition coalition that comprises 10 parties who has been banned from running in the polls, called for a "review of the entire electoral process". "Under the current situation, even if one of our candidates gets 90 percent of the vote, Azali will win," he predicted. Azali initially seized power in a coup against an acting head of state in 1999. He went on to win elections and remained in power until 2006. That year, power transferred peacefully for the first time since independence from France in 1975. Today, Azali's critics say his behaviour is authoritarian, and accuse him of seeking to remain in power until 2029. If there is no outright winner in the first round, a second round of voting will be held on April 21. Elections will be held under a new constitution which Azali put to a public vote in July 2018 that was boycotted by opposition parties. The controversial reform allows the president to hold two five-year mandates instead of one. If Azali wins March's polls, he will be considered to be starting a first term under the law, which would allow him to seek a second in 2024. The two sisters have previously been told they will be "tolerated" in Hong Kong until the end of February Two Saudi sisters marooned in Hong Kong after fleeing their family appealed to authorities not to deport them while they seek sanctuary in a third country as the clock ticked down Thursday on their permission to stay. The siblings are the latest example of Saudi women escaping the ultra-conservative kingdom only to find themselves stranded in foreign cities and making public appeals for their safety. The young women, aged 20 and 18, said they made a break from an abusive family during a holiday in Sri Lanka last September, with the intention of heading for Australia. But they only made it as far as Hong Kong. The two women -- who use the aliases Reem and Rawan -- said they were intercepted by Saudi consular officials at Hong Kong's airport and had their air tickets cancelled. Fearful they might be abducted, they entered Hong Kong as visitors where they say they have had to change locations 13 times to stay hidden. Their passports were later revoked. Michael Vidler, a lawyer for the pair, said city immigration authorities had previously indicated the pair would be "tolerated" until February 28. As that deadline loomed they issued a fresh appeal on Thursday asking authorities to allow them to remain as "tolerated overstayers" while they seek "emergency rescue visas to a third country". "We are in fear every day we are in Hong Kong," the two sisters said in a statement posted late Thursday on the Facebook page of their lawyer' firm. "We want to leave to a third country place of safety as soon as possible. We hope that this will happen soon and that the Hong Kong government will continue to allow us to stay here until then," they added. Immigration authorities in Hong Kong have so far refused to comment on the case. The city itself has a poor record on refugees, only granting sanctuary to less than one percent of claimants. The two women told AFP last week that chronic physical abuse by male family members prompted them to flee. They said they had also renounced Islam, a crime technically punishable by death in Saudi Arabia. Their testimony cannot be independently verified and Saudi authorities have yet to comment on their allegations. But many Saudi women who flee overseas have described to media and rights groups of persuasive and coercive tactics used by Saudi officials and family members to pursue those who escape. In the statement on Facebook, Vidler said he was "hopeful" Hong Kong would extend his clients' stay and that their asylum request in a third country would be granted soon. The Hong Kong sister's case emerged a month after 18-year-old Saudi Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun drew global attention with her dramatic escape from an allegedly abusive family, eventually gaining refugee status in Canada. Michael Cohen, US President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, arrives for a closed hearing of the House Intelligence Committee -- his third straight day on Capitol Hill President Donald Trump's ex-attorney will return to Congress next week for more testimony, US lawmakers said Thursday, after three days of marathon appearances during which Michael Cohen accused his longtime boss of being a conman engaged in illegal activity. House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff also revealed that Felix Sater, a Russian-born real estate developer who claims strong connections to the Kremlin, and who reportedly pitched the Moscow Trump Tower project to Trump's team, will testify before the committee on March 14. The public hearing is believed to be the first scheduled appearance before Congress for Sater, who once had an office in Trump Tower and is seen as a mysterious figure who could shed light on dealings between the Trump organization, his campaign and Russia. Cohen meanwhile will return on March 6 for additional closed-door testimony to the Intelligence Committee, Schiff said. "It was a very productive interview today, where he was able to shed light on a lot of issues that are very core to our investigation, and we were able to drill down in great detail," Schiff said, adding that he intented to publicly release transcripts of Cohen's testimony "at the appropriate point." News of the upcoming hearings came after Cohen's grueling three days on Capitol Hill, including his explosive nationally televised testimony on Wednesday, during which he called Trump an inveterate liar, "racist," and "cheat." Cohen -- who is to report to prison on May 6 to begin serving a three-year sentence for fraud, tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions and lying to Congress -- expressed regret for his years of devoted service to Trump. In emotional testimony, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen said he was "ashamed" to have spent 10 years protecting Donald Turmp and covering up his "illicit acts" The onetime lawyer, who has been disbarred, said Trump directed him to lie about hush payments made to a porn actress to silence her claims of a 2006 affair with the real estate tycoon. He also said Trump knew in advance in mid-2016 that WikiLeaks would publish emails stolen by the Russians from rival Hillary Clinton's campaign. And Cohen asserted that lawyers for Trump and his family reviewed and edited his written testimony to Congress in 2017 in which he lied about the Moscow real estate deal. Nevertheless, Cohen produced no fresh evidence that Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia during the election, the subject of an investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. - 'Lied a lot' - US President Donald Trump (R) said his former attorney Michael Cohen (L) had "lied a lot" in his testimony to Congress Speaking in Vietnam after a summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, Trump sought to discredit Cohen, saying his former lawyer and fixer had "lied a lot" -- although not about "one thing." "He said, no collusion with the Russian hoax," Trump said. "And I said, I wonder why he didn't lie about that, too, like everything else." The president did not address any of Cohen's specific, explosive allegations about his decade of working with Trump. On Thursday, two Republicans on the House Oversight Committee said they had petitioned the Justice Department to investigate Cohen for perjury. They alleged that he lied in Wednesday's testimony about his alleged desire to get a job in the Trump White House, and about whether he had committed bank fraud in the past. Cohen's lawyer Lanny Davis rejected their claims. "Mr. Cohen testified truthfully before the House Oversight Committee.... He also backed up much of his testimony with documents," Davis said, calling the complaint "baseless." - 'Our boy can become president' - As for Sater, lawmakers will seek to quiz him on his dealings with the Trump Organization and the campaign. Sater has boasted of his ties to Vladimir Putin, saying he could get the Russian president to say "great things" about Trump, and suggested that the Trump Tower deal would help him get elected. "Our boy can become president of the USA and we can engineer it," Sater wrote in a November 2015 email quoted by The New York Times. "I will get all of Putin's team to buy in on this, I will manage this process." Cohen has testified that Trump was negotiating on the Moscow building deal in 2016, contradicting Trump's repeated declarations during the presidential campaign that he had no business ties to the country. Macky Sall, seen here at an election rally near the northern town of Saint Louis, is returning for a second term in office Macky Sall has been re-elected president of Senegal for a second term, according to provisional results published on Thursday. Figures released by the National Vote Counting Commission (CNRV) showed Sall won Sunday's first round outright, picking up 58.27 percent of the vote. Opposition candidates said they rejected the result, but would not contest it. His nearest rival, former prime minister Idrissa Seck, who was making his third tilt at the presidency, took 20.50 percent. Turnout was 66.24 percent, the CNRV's chairman, Demba Kandji, said. A candidate must garner more than 50 percent of the votes cast to prevent a second-round runoff. The provisional results must be approved by the Constitutional Council. The other candidates were taxman-turned MP legislator Ousmane Sonko, who won 15.67 percent of the vote; Issa Sall, who is head of a private university, with 4.07 percent; and former minister Madicke Niang, on 1.48 percent. Issa Sall and Macky Sall are not related. - Stable and prosperous - Senegal is often held up as a model of stability in Africa and has enjoyed strong economic growth. The Muslim-majority country has largely escaped the jihadist attacks that have destabilised neighbours such as Mali. It has known two peaceful power transfers, in 2000 and 2012, and has never experienced a coup. But election campaigns are typically stained by charges of corruption, disinformation and bouts of violence. On February 11, two people were killed in clashes between supporters of Macky Sall and Issa Sall in the eastern city of Tambacounda. Police made 24 arrests. Sonko's party late Wednesday attacked what it called "irregularities" in the vote. All four losing candidates conferred on Thursday at Seck's home before issuing a statement condemning the outcome but confirming they would not oppose it. "We firmly and unreservedly reject this result. We will not appeal to the Constitutional Council," it said. Elena Valenciano, head of a European Union election observer group, said Tuesday that the election was "calm and transparent". But, she said, it took place "in a climate characterised by a lack of trust and blocked dialogue between the opposition and the majority". A geologist by training, 56-year-old Sall took over as president in 2012 after beating his former mentor Abdoulaye Wade. He campaign for a second term was based on his "Emerging Senegal" infrastructure project to spur economic growth. The ambitious scheme has entailed building a new airport, train line and motorway for Dakar, and constructing a new town, Diamniadio, 32 kilometres (20 miles) outside the capital. Sall came under fire after parliament last year approved a law requring presidential candidates to show they were supported by a minimum number of citizens and regions. Senegal Once the regulations went into force, only seven candidates made the cut. Two of them -- popular Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall and Karim Wade, the powerful son of President Sall's predecessor, were then disqualified over convictions for misuse of public funds, which they say were engineered to bar them from the race. As a result, neither the Socialist Party nor the Senegalese Democratic Party -- which have dominated the country's political landscape since independence -- fielded presidential candidates. Senegal's incumbent President Macky Sall won re-election in Sunday's poll Senegal's Macky Sall, a stolid 56-year-old ex-geologist who had challenged his former mentor to become president, has big plans to take his country "further and higher" on the path to development. Sall, who was re-elected in Sunday's poll, campaigned on the back of his "Emerging Senegal" reform plan, which he credits with boosting water and electricity provision, farm output, and new infrastructure. A geological engineer by training, the portly Senegalese leader is often called "Niangal" -- a nickname in the local Wolof language which refers to his closed, austere expression. A self-proclaimed social liberal -- despite a flirtation with Maoism in his youth -- Sall has described himself as coming from a long line of warriors. Warriors "prefer dying to losing face," he said when his autobiography was published in November. In it, he describes a slow, steady rise from a modest background all the way to the top, despite a stint in the political wilderness. But critics argue that such single-mindedness has made Sall willing to bend the rules to get what he wants, even if it means using the courts to rule out challengers. And some say he did just that to sideline potential challengers in Sunday's presidential election. Former Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall, and Karim Wade, son of the previous president, were both disqualified from running following graft convictions that were questioned by rights groups. Sall has denied abusing his powers, but told France 24 television in November that if re-elected, he might consider an amnesty for both men. - Big mistake - Sall was born into a modest family in the western city of Fatick, to a civil servant father and a mother who sold groundnuts. He graduated from Dakar's Cheikh Anta Diop University with a degree in geology, before heading to France to further his education in the field. Although his father was a dedicated member of the ruling Socialists, who had been in power since independence from France in 1960, Sall himself was quickly disillusioned with the party. In 1989, he joined the opposition Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) led by Abdoulaye Wade and was at his side when the opposition leader finally unseated the Socialists during the elections of 2000. A year later, Wade named him minister of mining. In 2003, Sall became minister for territorial administration and government spokesman, then a year later, he was named prime minister. In 2007, he managed his mentor's election campaign but lost his spot as premier shortly afterwards, only to be elected Speaker of the National Assembly. - Falling out with Wade - It was during this period that Sall fell out with Wade after failing to inform him that parliament was summoning his son Karim for questioning over allegations of improper financing. For him, the showdown was a "turning point". Lawmakers promptly drew up a law reducing the Speaker's mandate from five years to one, prompting Sall to resign in October 2008. Several months later, Sall formed the liberal Alliance for the Republic (APR), and in 2009, was elected mayor of Fatick -- a year when the opposition claimed several large towns in legislative polls as dissatisfaction with Wade grew. While Wade spent 25 years in opposition before finally winning the presidency, Sall won the country's top political prize on his first attempt. In a first round of voting on February 26, 2012, Sall came second to his one-time mentor but prevented him from winning outright, forcing the octogenarian into a run-off. Ultimately Sall won the backing of his former rivals, with the opposition and civil society joining forces to support him in order to prevent Wade from getting a third mandate that many viewed as unconstitutional. burs-ml/hmw/ri/boc This image obtained from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows death row inmate Billie Wayne Coble in a January 2018 booking photo. A 70-year-old convicted murderer is scheduled Thursday to become the oldest man executed in Texas since the United States reinstated the death penalty. Billie Wayne Coble was convicted for the 1989 murders of three people -- the parents and brother of his estranged wife, who had asked for a divorce. If the lethal injection is administered Thursday evening in the Texas death chamber in Huntsville, it would be the third this year in the United States and the second in the Lone Star state, which puts to death the most inmates. A state official confirmed that Coble would be the oldest man executed in Texas since the US Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. The oldest in the US was serial bomber Walter Moody, put to death last year in Alabama at the age of 83. Inmates can languish on death row for decades as their cases wind through the courts. There are nearly 30 condemned inmates in Texas who have been in prison more than 25 years, according to the Texas Tribune. The US Supreme Court denied a last-minute appeal Thursday night. Coble, a Vietnam War veteran, was convicted of killing his brother-in-law Bobby Vicha, who was a police officer in the city of Waco, and Vicha's parents Robert and Zelda. Prosecutors said he also tied up his children and Bobby Vicha's son, and kidnapped his wife with the intention of raping and killing her. She escaped with her life after Coble crashed his car. - 'Discredited testimony' - Bobby Vicha's son JR, who was 11 years old at the time, told television station KXXV that he and his cousins were tied up for hours. "Through the whole thing, I didn't really know what was going on," Vicha said. "I was a prosecutor for eight years, so every day I dealt with criminals," he added. "I've never dealt with anybody that I thought was as bad or as evil as he is." In the latest unsuccessful appeal to the Supreme Court, Coble's current attorney had claimed the convict's trial lawyers did not present the defense he had wanted. "Coble did not agree with his lawyers' decision to drop altogether any semblance of a defense at the guilt phase" and concede his guilt, the court filing said. In previous appeals, his lawyers focused on the sentencing phase of the trial, saying irregularities and faulty testimony did not allow for proper consideration of a lesser sentence. The American Civil Liberties Union said this week that two experts who had testified in support of Coble getting the death penalty have since been discredited. "That Coble will be executed on such discredited testimony is unconscionable," the civil liberties group said. "The example of his case already shows all who are willing to look why the death penalty is never justice." Twenty-five people were put to death last year in the US, more than half in Texas, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Fulanis fled their homes after the February 11 attack At least 29 people have been killed in northern Nigeria, police say, in a suspected revenge attack after gunmen shot dead more than 130 people in the same area earlier this month. The latest bloodshed hit several villages in the Kajuru area of Kaduna state which has seen a surge in ethnic violence. Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herders stormed into villages of ethnic Adara farmers on Tuesday, killing 29 people and burning some 40 homes. "We counted 27 persons dead, including a policeman," Kaduna police chief Ahman Abdurrahman told reporters after visiting the area on Wednesday. The police later found two more bodies. The bloodshed was believed to be in retaliation for gunmen attacking eight Fulani settlements on February 11, which state governor Nasir El-Rufai said killed more than 130 people. The violence took place on the eve of Nigeria's presidential election, which ended up being held last Saturday after a week-long delay. "This kind of animalistic carnage must stop," said Abdurrahman. Map locating Kajuru district in northern Nigeria Southern Kaduna is one of many areas blighted by years-long violence between largely Muslim Fulani herders and indigenous Christian farmers over land and water rights. The clashes have been aggravated by rapid population growth in Africa's most populous country. The violence has recently taken on an ethnic and religious dimension, with politicians accused of inflaming the violence for political ends. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has declared a year-long state of emergency across the country and issued a slew of orders to curb nationwide protests against his rule, including a ban on unauthorised rallies Hundreds of Sudanese protesters rallied Thursday in Khartoum and its twin city Omdurman against the rule of President Omar al-Bashir, despite a ban imposed on unauthorised demonstrations, witnesses said. Last week Bashir declared a year-long state of emergency across the country, and issued a slew of orders to curb nationwide protests against his rule, including a ban on any unauthorised rallies. He also gave sweeping powers to security forces to carry out raids and search people. Thursday's rallies came as the authorities set up special emergency courts to investigate violations of the directives issued by Bashir, with offences punishable by up to 10 years in prison. But protesters chanting their rallying cry "freedom, peace, justice" demonstrated across several districts of the capital Khartoum and Omdurman on Thursday, in defiance of the ban, witnesses said. Witnesses said areas including Street 60 and Shambat in Khartoum and parts of Omdurman saw some of the biggest gatherings since the protests erupted in December. Riot police confronted the protesters in some districts with tear gas, witnesses said. "We came out today because we have no alternative," said protester Siddiq, who gave only his first name for security reasons. Protests erupted across Sudan in December after a government decision to triple the price of bread "The only alternative we have is to overthrow this regime. We will continue despite the state of emergency." Several protesters were arrested and taken to the emergency courts, lawyers said on condition of anonymity. Deadly clashes surrounding protests have rocked Sudan for more than two months, with demonstrators taking to the streets since December 19 after a government decision to triple the price of bread. The protests swiftly mushroomed into nationwide rallies against Bashir's three-decade rule, with people calling on him to step down. Sudanese officials say 31 people have died in protest-related violence so far, while Human Rights Watch says at least 51 have been killed, including medics and children. Bashir, who swept to power in an 1989 Islamist-backed coup, has remained defiant. Last week he also dissolved the federal and provincial governments and appointed 16 army officers and two officers from the feared National Intelligence and Security Service as provincial governors. The United States, Britain, Norway and Canada have criticised the state of emergency as a "return to military rule". "Allowing security forces to act with impunity will further erode human rights, governance and effective economic management," the four Western countries said in a joint statement Tuesday. "The return to military rule does not create a conducive environment for a renewed political dialogue or credible elections." Khartoum hit back at the rebuke on Wednesday, saying it was an "intervention" in the country's internal affairs. "The state of emergency will not impact freedoms of people and their rights," the foreign ministry said. BEIRUT (AP) - Lebanon's president told EU Foreign Policy Chief Frederica Mogherini on Tuesday that Beirut will continue to work for the return of Syrian refugees to safe areas in their war-torn country without waiting for a political solution. President Michel Aoun added in remarks released by his office that Lebanon will try to ensure that Syrian returnees are not in danger. The EU had stated in the past that the return of refugees in large numbers should take place after the war in the neighboring country comes to an end. Aoun and his allies in Lebanon, including the powerful Hezbollah group, support having contacts with the Syrian government saying it would help facilitate the return of refugees. On the contrary, politicians from the Western-backed coalition, led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, refuse such contacts with Damascus before a solution is reached for the conflict that has killed more than 400,000 people. Aoun suggested that international assistance to refugees be given to them after they return home in order to encourage them to do so, adding that their presence in Lebanon is making them compete with Lebanese for jobs and increasing emigration among Lebanese citizens. Thousands of Syrian refugees returned home from Lebanon last year after government forces captured wide parts of the country. European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, speaks during the official opening of the new building of the European Union delegation to Lebanon, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. (Wael Hamzeh/Pool via AP) Syria's nearly eight-year conflict has led to the displacement of half the country's population and created more than 5 million refugees, who fled mostly to neighboring Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Lebanon is home to some 1 million Syrian refugees, a quarter of the country's population, putting pressure on the country's crumbling infrastructure. An estimated 70 percent of them live in poverty. Amnesty International issued its report on the Middle East and North Africa on Tuesday saying that although Lebanon is hosting hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, the tiny Arab country has kept its border closed to people fleeing the ongoing conflict. Since 2015, Lebanon has imposed restrictions on Syrians coming to Lebanon, slowing their flow into the country. "Syrian refugees continued to face financial and administrative difficulties in obtaining or renewing residency permits, exposing them to a constant risk of arbitrary arrest, detention and forcible return to Syria," Amnesty said. Minister of State for Refugee Affairs Saleh Gharib visited Syria last week and told reporters after his return that Syrian officials "were very positive and showed interest in facilitating" refugees' return. Mogherini later met with Hariri and Parliament Speaker Nabi Berri who told her that the EU should play an active role on demarcating the maritime border between Lebanon and Israel. The Lebanon-Israel dispute dates back years but resurfaced last year when Lebanon invited companies to bid for exploratory offshore drilling next year along the countries' maritime border. Israel claims Lebanon will be drilling partly in areas owned by Israel. Lebanon and Israel are technically at war, and quarrel over their land borders. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, left, cuts a ribbon with European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, during the official opening of the new building of the European Union delegation to Lebanon in Beirut, Lebanon, Feb. 26, 2019. (Wael Hamzeh/Pool via AP) HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - The Latest on the summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (all times local): 7:45 a.m. Thursday North Korean state media says leader Kim Jong Un exchanged "sincere and deep opinions" with U.S. President Donald Trump at their dinner meeting. The Korean Central News Agency said Thursday that the leaders celebrated the progress in bilateral relations since their first summit last June in Singapore. State media also says they discussed ways on Wednesday for making "comprehensive and epoch-making results" at their meetings in Hanoi, Vietnam. Kim and Trump will hold more meetings on Thursday on resolving the standoff over Kim's nuclear weapons program and plan to announce a joint statement. ___ President Donald Trump has dinner with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) 10 p.m. Wednesday President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un (kim jawng oon) feasted on shrimp cocktail, grilled sirloin and chocolate lava cake at their dinner in Hanoi Wednesday. The two leaders held what the White House was calling a "social dinner" at the Metropole Hotel as they kicked off their second summit meeting. On the menu was shrimp cocktail with Thousand Island dressing, marinated grilled sirloin with pear kimchi, hot runny-centered chocolate cake with berries and vanilla ice cream, as well as dried persimmon punch, which the White House described as a traditional beverage sweetened with dried persimmons and honey. Trump and Kim will reconvene on Thursday for formal talks. ___ 9 p.m. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have wrapped up an evening of meetings in Vietnam after just over two hours. Trump departed the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel after concluding a 90-minute dinner with Kim and their top advisers Wednesday. Earlier the pair greeted each other warmly before reporters and held a brief discussion. The White House did not immediately provide more information on what it called a "social dinner," which had restricted press access. Trump and Kim are scheduled to hold additional meetings with aides on Thursday, before Trump returns to the U.S. It's Trump and Kim's second summit, after one in Singapore in June. Trump wants Kim to agree to dismantle his nuclear sites in a verifiable way. Kim is seeking relief from crushing U.S. sanctions hobbling his economy. ___ 7:45 p.m. The White House is restricting press access to President Donald Trump's summit in Vietnam with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. Four print reporters, including one from The Associated Press, were prohibited from covering the beginning of Trump's dinner with Kim in Hanoi on Wednesday. That came after two of those reporters asked questions of the president during earlier events at the summit. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders released a statement saying that due to the "sensitive nature of the meetings we have limited the pool for dinner to a smaller group." Sanders initially said no reporters would be allowed into the dinner. But after photographers said they would not cover it without an editorial presence, one print reporter and a radio reporter were allowed in. ___ 7:30 p.m. President Donald Trump is praising what he's calling a "very special relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as the two sit down for dinner in Hanoi, Vietnam, ahead of formal talks. Trump struck a hopeful tone Wednesday evening, telling reporters at the Metropole hotel that "a lot of things are going to be solved, I hope" and saying he thinks "it'll lead to a wonderful, really a wonderful situation long term." Trump also says the dinner is likely to be quick because they're expecting "a very busy day" Thursday when they sit down at the negotiating table to try to hash out a deal for the North to denuclearize. Trump and Kim are being joined by senior aides, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (pahm-PAY'-oh) and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. ___ 7 p.m. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are striking a positive tone as they begin their second summit in Vietnam. Trump says, "I thought the first summit was a great success and I think this one, hopefully, will be equal or greater than the first." He says it's an honor to meet with Kim once again. Trump stresses North Korea's "economic potential" as he prepares to encourage Kim to give up his country's nuclear weapons. Speaking through an interpreter, Kim said Wednesday he is "confident of achieving the great results that everyone will welcome" during the summit. ___ 6:35 p.m. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are exchanging greetings as they kick off their second summit in Hanoi, Vietnam. The two leaders exchanged handshakes, laughs and some small talk at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel, where they're scheduled to meet for 20 minutes before sitting down for what the White House has described as a "social dinner." Trump told reporters of the meeting: "We look forward to it, we both do." Asked whether he might formally end the Korean War, he responded: "We'll see." Trump earlier made the case that North Korea could thrive economically like Vietnam if the North ends its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Trump said: "We'll see what happens, but he wants to do something great." ___ 6:20 p.m. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived at a hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam, ahead of his planned dinner with U.S. President Donald Trump. Kim is set to have what U.S. officials call a "social dinner" with Trump at Hanoi's Metropole Hotel on Wednesday. The two leaders are to meet again on Thursday for a formal meeting on Kim's advancing nuclear program. They met for the first time in Singapore last June, and that meeting ended with Kim pledging to work toward "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." ___ 6:15 p.m. U.S. President Donald Trump has arrived at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi for his second face-to-face meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump and Kim are scheduled to meet for 20 minutes before sitting down for what the White House has described as a "social dinner" together. They'll sit down again for formal meetings Thursday. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said earlier that Trump would be joined at the Vietnam dinner by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. Kim will be joined by Kim Yong Chol, his chief interlocutor with the U.S., and North Korea's minister of foreign affairs Ri Yong Ho. ___ 5 p.m. Less than two hours before he is set to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam, U.S. President Donald Trump is complaining about news coverage of their second summit. In a Wednesday tweet, Trump is criticizing "false reporting (guessing)" about his intentions with respect to North Korea but isn't citing any. He adds: "Kim Jong Un and I will try very hard to work something out on Denuclearization & then making North Korea an Economic Powerhouse." Trump in recent days has signaled there is some flexibility on his previous demands that North Korea denuclearize before it sees some relief from crushing U.S. and international sanctions. Trump and Kim are set to meet for what the White House is calling a "social dinner" on Wednesday and have formal meetings on Thursday. ___ 3:35 p.m. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will meet for what the White House is calling a "social dinner," as they begin their second summit in Vietnam. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says each of the leaders will be joined Wednesday by two of his senior-most aides, as well as interpreters. Trump is to be joined by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (pahm-PAY'-oh) and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. Kim will bring Kim Yong Chol, his chief interlocutor with the U.S., and North Korea's minister of foreign affairs Ri Yong Ho. They will be dining at Hanoi's Metropole Hotel, which also will host their formal meetings Thursday. ___ 3:25 p.m. U.S. President Donald Trump is continuing to take political shots on foreign soil even as he prepares for a high-stakes meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump is tweeting during downtime at his hotel in Hanoi that he has now "spent more time in Vietnam than Da Nang Dick Blumenthal." Trump was referring to Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who served in the Marine Corps Reserves during the Vietnam War and apologized in 2010 for saying he had served in Vietnam. Trump adds that Blumenthal's "war stories of his heroism in Vietnam were a total fraud." Blumenthal is a Trump critic and has brushed off Trump's attacks in the past, tweeting in 2017 that Trump's "bullying hasn't worked." Trump also is tweeting that he talked about the incident in his meetings with Vietnam's leaders Wednesday. That would be a highly unusual topic of conversation for an American president on the world stage. ___ 3:05 p.m. South Korea's presidential office is apparently lowering the bar for success on the second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam. A spokesman of South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday that any progress in Hanoi would be a positive development and downplayed concerns that Trump would fail to get a deal from Kim that meaningfully restricts the North's nuclear weapons capabilities. Spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom says it would be unfair to rate the summit as a failure if it comes short of "big deals," saying "small deals" can be keys that open up bigger agreements later. The spokesman says, "A thousand-mile journey begins with the first step." Moon has tried to maintain an impression that things are moving toward the North's denuclearization in the face of growing skepticism. He is trying to keep Washington hard-liners at bay and create more space for inter-Korean engagement. ___ 1:45 p.m. North Korean officials have toured Vietnam's scenic Halong Bay and a nearby industrial site while leader Kim Jong Un spent his second morning in Hanoi inside a hotel preparing for his meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump. South Korean TV on Wednesday showed a group of North Korean officials, including Ri Su Yong, vice chairman of the North Korean ruling party's central committee, taking a cruise ride along Halong Bay and visiting factories in the port city of Hai Phong. The group also reportedly included O Su Yong, director of economic affairs at the North's ruling party. Experts say O's inclusion in the North's delegation indicates Kim expects to return home with economic rewards, including partial sanctions relief, following nuclear talks with Trump. Kim is expected to meet Trump during a dinner meeting later Wednesday. ___ 11:45 a.m. U.S. President Donald Trump and Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong have presided over a signing ceremony of several commercial trade deals between their two airline industries. U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing signed agreements with VietJet for 100 737 MAX planes and with Bamboo Airways for 10 787 Dreamliners as the two leaders looked on Wednesday. U.S.-based aviation technology company Sabre also inked a deal with Vietnam Airlines. The White House did not immediately provide details on the agreements. Trump is scheduled to sit down with North Korea's Kim Jong Un later Wednesday in Hanoi for a second round of nuclear talks. ___ 11:25 a.m. The mayor of Hanoi, Vietnam, is urging residents to be on their best behavior during the summit between North Korean and U.S. leaders so they can show the world the "civilized, elegant, friendly and hospitable people" of the nation's capital. The statement from Hanoi Mayor Nguyen Duc Chung, posted on the city's website Tuesday, called for residents to "maintain and sustain Hanoians' code of behavior." The mayor also urged residents to dress well and decorate the city with flags and flowers to welcome the visitors here for the summit. An estimated 3,000 journalists are in Hanoi to cover the summit on nuclear disarmament. The mayor says residents should also "refrain from hiking prices of goods and services during the summit." ___ 11:15 a.m. President Donald Trump is calling the relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam an "example" of what can become of North Korea if it gives up its nuclear weapons. Trump paid a courtesy call Wednesday to Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong ahead of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi. Trump says, "We both felt very good about having this very important summit in Vietnam because you really are an example as to what can happen, with good thinking." The Vietnamese leader says his country has "been making all necessary preparations to ensure the best conditions for the success of this very special meeting." Trump is thanking Vietnam for hosting the summit and for agreeing to new trade deals with American companies, including Boeing. ___ Follow all of AP's summit coverage at https://apnews.com/Trump-KimSummit People gather outside Metropole Hotel where U.S President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will have dinner in Hanoi, Vietnam, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. The second summit between U.S President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will take place in Hanoi on Feb. 27 and 28. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump speaks during a dinner with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) U.S. President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) Police officers stand guard outside Metropole hotel where U.S President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are scheduled to have dinner in Hanoi, Vietnam, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. The second summit between U.S President Trump and North Korean leader Kim will take place in Hanoi on Feb. 27 and 28. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) A man holds a placard and U.S. national and North Korea flags outside Metropole hotel where U.S President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are scheduled to have dinner in Hanoi, Vietnam, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. The second summit between U.S President Trump and North Korean leader Kim will take place in Hanoi on Feb. 27 and 28. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Children wave flags before President Donald Trump arrives to meet Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong at the Presidential Palace, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump speaks during a dinner with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) A girl plays with American, North Korean, and Vietnamese flags in a tourist area near Sword Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. The second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un takes place in Hanoi Feb. 27 and 28. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President Donald Trump shakes hands with Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong at the Presidential Palace, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc wave flags before a meeting at the Office of Government Hall, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) MUZAFARABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistan's military said Wednesday it shot down two Indian warplanes in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured a pilot, answering an airstrike a day earlier by Indian fighter jets inside Pakistan and raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals to a level unseen in two decades. Within hours Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan went on television urging peace talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying both countries needed to step back from the brink and warning that "miscalculations" could drag their two countries into a war that neither side would benefit from. "Let's sit together to talk to find a solution," Khan said. There was no reply from Modi, but India acknowledged one of its air force planes was "lost" in skirmishes with Pakistan and that its pilot was "missing in action." Pakistan's military later circulated a video of a man with a mustache who identified himself as the Indian pilot, sipping tea and responding to questions, mostly by saying, "You know I can't answer that." He appeared in good health as he was questioned about his hometown, his aircraft and his mission. The downing of the Indian aircraft came on a chaotic day that also saw mortar shells fired by Indian troops from across the frontier dividing the two sectors of Kashmir kill six civilians and wound several others. A helicopter crash in the region also killed six Indian air force officials and a civilian on the ground. Pakistan responded by shutting down its civilian airspace. The Indian warplanes went down Wednesday morning in Kashmir, a mountainous region claimed by both India and Pakistan since almost immediately after their creation in 1947. One of the downed planes crashed in Pakistan's part of Kashmir while the other went down in an Indian-controlled section of the Himalayan region, Pakistan's army spokesman Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor said. Kashmiri villagers gather near the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) He said Pakistani troops on the ground captured the Indian pilot. He had said earlier that two pilots were captured, but did not explain the discrepancy. "We have no intention of escalation, but are fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm," Ghafoor said. India's External Affairs Ministry spokesman, Raveesh Kumar, said one of India's MiG-21 fighter aircraft was missing and India was still "ascertaining" whether its pilot was in Pakistan's custody. He said one Pakistani aircraft was shot down, something Pakistan denied. Meanwhile, Indian police said officials recovered seven bodies from the wreckage of the Indian air force chopper that crashed in an Indian-controlled sector of Kashmir, including six Indian airmen and a civilian on the ground. They gave no cause for the crash. Senior police officer Munir Ahmed Khan said the chopper crashed close to an airport in the Budgam area, on the outskirts of the region's main city of Srinagar. The Srinagar airport, which was shut along with two other airports for civilian flights in the region, is also an air force station. Witnesses said soldiers fired in the air to keep residents away from the crash site. Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad said the country's air force was carrying out airstrikes Wednesday from within Pakistani airspace across the disputed Kashmir boundary but that this was not in "retaliation to continued Indian belligerence." Ghafoor, the Pakistani military spokesman, said the strikes were aimed at "avoiding human loss and collateral damage." The shelling earlier Wednesday by India hit the village of Kotli in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, killing six civilians, including children, local police official Mohammad Altaf said. Kashmir is split between Pakistan and India and claimed by both in its entirety. Though Pakistani and Indian troops in Kashmir often trade fire, the latest casualties came a day after tensions escalated sharply following a pre-dawn airstrike and incursion by India that New Delhi said targeted a terrorist training camp in northwestern Pakistan. The strike Tuesday was India's first inside Pakistan since the two nations' 1971 war over territory that later became Bangladesh. Pakistan said Indian warplanes dropped bombs near the Pakistani town of Balakot but there were no casualties. The violence Wednesday marked the most serious escalation of the long-simmering conflict since 1999, when Pakistan's military sent a ground force into Indian-controlled Kashmir at Kargil. That year also saw an Indian fighter jet shoot down a Pakistani naval aircraft, killing all 16 on board. Residents on both sides of the de-facto frontier, the so-called Line of Control, said there were exchanges of fire between the two sides through the night into Wednesday morning. Hundreds of villagers fled border towns in both India and Pakistan. In New Delhi, Indian officials said Wednesday at least five of their soldiers were wounded in firing by Pakistani troops along the volatile frontier. Lt. Col. Devender Anand, an Indian army spokesman, said Pakistani soldiers targeted dozens of Indian military positions across the Line of Control throughout the night. An Indian military statement said that "out of anger and frustration," Pakistan initiated an "unprovoked cease-fire violation." The statement said Indian troops "retaliated for effect" and claimed to have destroyed five Pakistani posts. It accused Pakistani soldiers of firing mortars and missiles "from civilian houses, using villagers as human shields." On Wednesday, Pakistan's foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, told state-run Pakistan Television he was in touch with his counterparts across the world about the "Indian aggression," adding that New Delhi had endangered peace in the region by Tuesday's airstrike inside Pakistan. India's external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, said Wednesday her country does not wish to see further escalation of the situation with Pakistan and that it will continue to act with responsibility and restraint. She said the limited objective of India's pre-emptive strike inside Pakistan on a terrorist training camp Tuesday was to prevent another terror attack inside India by the Jaish-e-Mohammad extremist group. The latest wave of tensions between Pakistan and India first erupted after Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for a Feb. 14 suicide bombing on Indian paramilitary forces on the Indian side of Kashmir that killed more than 40 troops. India long has accused Pakistan of cultivating such militant groups to attack it. Pakistan has said it was not involved in that attack and was ready to help New Delhi in the investigations. ___ Hussain reported from Srinagar, India. Associated Press writers Ashok Sharma in New Delhi and Kathy Gannon and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report. This still image taken from video circulated by Pakistan's military shows a man who identified himself as the pilot of an Indian military aircraft that was shot down Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, over a part of the mountainous Kashmir region controlled by Pakistan. (Pakistan Armed Forces via AP) Indian army soldiers arrive near the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) Indian army soldiers stand near the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) Indian army soldiers stand near the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) Kashmiri villagers and Indian army soldiers gather near the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, left, with Indian Air Force Air Vice Marshal R.G.K. Kapoor gives a statement in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's air force shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the boundary between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the disputed territory of Kashmir on Wednesday and captured two Indian pilots, one of whom was injured, a Pakistani military spokesman said. Kumar said one of its Mig-21 fighter aircraft was missing and that India was still "ascertaining" whether its pilot was in Pakistan's custody. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) An Indian Air Force officer along with others inspects the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) Pakistani Kashmiris flee the town of Chakoti which is about 3 miles, 5 km, from the Pakistan Indian border, following the intense exchange of fire between Pakistan and India, at the Line of Control in Pakistani Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's military said Wednesday it shot down two Indian warplanes in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured two pilots, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals to a level unseen in 20 years. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal) Kashmiri villagers gather near the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) Supporters of a Pakistani religious group Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba hold a rally against India, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's air force shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the boundary between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the disputed territory of Kashmir on Wednesday and captured one Indian pilot, a military spokesman said. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Supporters of a Pakistani religious group Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba chant slogans at a rally against India, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's air force shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the boundary between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the disputed territory of Kashmir on Wednesday and captured one Indian pilot, a military spokesman said. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Supporters of a Pakistani religious group Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba chant slogans at a rally to condemn Indian aggression, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's air force shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the boundary between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the disputed territory of Kashmir on Wednesday and captured one Indian pilot, a military spokesman said. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Supporters of a Pakistani religious group Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba chant slogans at a rally against India, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's air force shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the boundary between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the disputed territory of Kashmir on Wednesday and captured one Indian pilot, a military spokesman said. Banners read: "Indian Aggression not Accepted", and "India is Enemy of Regional Peace". (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Kashmiri villagers and Indian army soldiers gather near the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) People celebrate the shooting down of Indian planes by Pakistani forces with fireworks, in Karachi, Pakistan, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's military said Wednesday it shot down two Indian warplanes in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured two pilots, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals to a level unseen in 20 years. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan) People holding a poster of Pakistani army chief exchange sweets to celebrate the shooting down Indian planes by Pakistani forces, outside in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's military said Wednesday it shot down two Indian warplanes in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured two pilots, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals to a level unseen in 20 years. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash) ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - Nigeria's president on Wednesday defended his sweeping win of a second term as free and fair and appealed to a "common love of country" as his top challenger vowed to go to court with allegations of fraud. President Muhammadu Buhari was declared the clear winner by nearly 4 million votes as citizens of Africa's largest democracy gave him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession. While many frustrated Nigerians had said they wanted to give someone new a try, Buhari , a former military dictator, profited from his upright reputation in an oil-rich nation weary of politicians enriching themselves instead of the people. Top opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar, a billionaire former vice president who made campaign promises to "make Nigeria work again," quickly rejected the result of what he called a "sham election" and said next steps would be revealed shortly. As many Nigerians awakened to the win along with the morning prayer, Buhari told colleagues he was "deeply humbled." He regretted the loss of dozens of lives in "mindless" election-related violence. "I will like to make a special appeal to my supporters not to gloat or humiliate the opposition," he said. At a later event certifying his victory, he added to applause: "Election is not war and should never be seen as a do-or-die affair." Supporters of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, some carrying crude weapons, ride on the back of a truck as they follow a march of others to celebrate his electoral win, on a street in Kano, northern Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari on Wednesday defended his sweeping win of a second term as free and fair and appealed to a "common love of country" as his top challenger vowed to go to court with allegations of fraud. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Challenger Abubakar said he would have conceded "within seconds" if the vote had been free and fair. Instead he alleged "manifest and premeditated malpractices" in many of Nigeria's 36 states. He asserted that voting was suppressed in his strongholds in the oil-rich south and that states threatened by an extremist insurgency generated unusually high turnouts. One domestic election observer, the Civic Media Lab, noted that "contrary to normal reasoning" the state most affected by extremist attacks, Borno, saw a 13 percent increase in turnout. Some residents said, however, they were determined to vote despite the threat. YIAGA Africa, which deployed more than 3,900 observers, said its parallel vote-counting project found official results largely tracked with its own but called on the electoral commission to look into "inconsistent" turnout figures. Court challenges are nothing new in Nigeria, where Buhari himself doggedly fought his past election losses for months, in vain. The Supreme Court of Nigeria has never overturned a presidential election, Chris Kwaja, a senior adviser to the United States Institute of Peace, told The Associated Press. The president's colleagues had expected a challenge. "There's no opposition that will roll over and play dead," Hameed Ali, the ruling party agent attending the vote declaration, told reporters. Nigeria was peaceful after the winner was announced. Both Buhari and Abubakar are Muslims from the north, avoiding regional tensions in the vast country with a largely Christian south. Buhari's supporters danced in the streets and clung to speeding vehicles in a perilous display of exuberance. "He is a man of integrity," a Buhari supporter in the northern city of Kano, Mohammed Aliyu, said as jubilant people held up four fingers to mark the new term. "He is the only leader in Nigeria today that does not accumulate wealth." Buhari received 15.1 million votes, or 55 percent, the electoral commission said. Abubakar received 11.2 million, or 41 percent. The average national turnout was 35.6 percent, continuing a downward trend. "The rigging was so obvious," said one Abubakar supporter in Kano, John Orerere. "You cannot expect someone to be smiling after robbing him of his hard-earned result," said Anthony Chigbo, a political activist in southeastern Anambra state. But a civil rights activist, Musa Babn Iya, asserted that Nigerians were not interested in going to court but instead were thinking about "how to get out of this hardship" of simply getting by. Buhari's party rejected Abubakar's allegations of manipulation of results and called on Abubakar to accept his loss gracefully. British Prime Minister Theresa May and the leaders of Kenya, Ghana, Senegal and Niger sent their congratulations to Buhari. The election, once described as too close to call, suffered from a surprise weeklong postponement and significant delays in the opening of polling stations. While observers called the process generally peaceful, at least 53 people were killed in an attack claimed by the Islamic State West Africa Province extremist group and other violence, analysis unit SBM Intelligence said. A former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, has said the troubled election gives the candidates grounds to go to the courts. Many Nigerians have prayed for peace during the unexpectedly drawn-out election process. Some spoke approvingly of the 2015 vote, when President Goodluck Jonathan took the unprecedented step of conceding to Buhari before official results were announced. It was the first defeat of an incumbent president by the opposition in the country's history. Now Nigerians, who have been praised for their patience and resilience in this bumpy vote, are settling in for a legal fight. ___ Anna reported from Kano, Nigeria. Associated Press writers Ismail Alfa Abdulrahim in Maiduguri, Nigeria; Hilary Uguru in Ughelli, Nigeria; and Sam Olukoya in Lagos, Nigeria and video journalist Desmond Tiro in Kano contributed. ___ Follow AP's full coverage of the Nigeria elections here: https://www.apnews.com/Nigeria ___ Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa Young supporters of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari celebrate his electoral win, holding up four fingers to indicate "four more years", in the streets of Kano, northern Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Members of a Nigerian honor guard await the arrival of President Muhammadu Buhari at an electoral commission ceremony confirming his victory in Abuja, Nigeria, Wednesday Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari defeated opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Supporters of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, carrying posters showing Buhari and other party officials, march to celebrate his electoral win, on a street in Kano, northern Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari on Wednesday defended his sweeping win of a second term as free and fair and appealed to a "common love of country" as his top challenger vowed to go to court with allegations of fraud. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Supporters of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari carry posters showing Buhari and other party officials during a march to celebrate his electoral win, on a street in Kano, northern Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari on Wednesday defended his sweeping win of a second term as free and fair and appealed to a "common love of country" as his top challenger vowed to go to court with allegations of fraud. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari walks to the lectern to address the crowd gathered at an electoral commission ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria, Wednesday Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari defeated opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Young supporters of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari celebrate his electoral win, holding up four fingers to indicate "four more years", and carry a poster of him, in the streets of Kano, northern Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari waves as he arrives at an electoral commission ceremony confirming his victory, which he secured with 55 percent of the vote ,in Abuja, Nigeria, Wednesday Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari defeated opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Defeated Nigerian opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, center right, walks to his car after giving a post election statement in Abuja, Nigeria, Wednesday Feb. 27, 2019. Abubakar was defeated by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) A supporter of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari holds up four fingers to indicate "four more years", in the streets of Kano, northern Nigeria, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Supporters of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, some carrying crude weapons, ride on the back of a truck as they follow a march of others to celebrate his electoral win, on a street in Kano, northern Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari on Wednesday defended his sweeping win of a second term as free and fair and appealed to a "common love of country" as his top challenger vowed to go to court with allegations of fraud. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Supporters of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, some masked and carrying crude weapons, march to celebrate his electoral win, on a street in Kano, northern Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari on Wednesday defended his sweeping win of a second term as free and fair and appealed to a "common love of country" as his top challenger vowed to go to court with allegations of fraud. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari delivers a speech during an electoral commission ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria, Wednesday Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari said that "Election is not war and should never be seen as a do-or-die affair." (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Defeated Nigerian opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar reads a post election statement in Abuja, Nigeria, Wednesday Feb. 27, 2019. Abubakar was defeated by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, center, is greeted by Nigeria's electoral commission chairman Mahmoud Yakubu after arriving at an electoral commission ceremony confirming his victory in Abuja, Nigeria, Wednesday Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari defeated opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Supporters of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari carry a poster showing Buhari, right, and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, left, as they march to celebrate his electoral win, on a street in Kano, northern Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari on Wednesday defended his sweeping win of a second term as free and fair and appealed to a "common love of country" as his top challenger vowed to go to court with allegations of fraud. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) A masked supporter of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, carries a poster showing Buhari, right, and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, left, as he and others march to celebrate his electoral win, on a street in Kano, northern Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari on Wednesday defended his sweeping win of a second term as free and fair and appealed to a "common love of country" as his top challenger vowed to go to court with allegations of fraud. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Young supporters of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari celebrate his electoral win, holding up four fingers to indicate "four more years", in the streets of Kano, northern Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Nigerian schoolgirls show their amusement as a march of supporters of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari passes by their school in Kano, northern Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari on Wednesday defended his sweeping win of a second term as free and fair and appealed to a "common love of country" as his top challenger vowed to go to court with allegations of fraud. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Supporters of Nigeria's incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress party, celebrates his victory after he was declared the winner of the presidential election, in Yola, Nigeria, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Nigeria's president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) In this photo released by the Nigeria State House, Nigeria's incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, center, of the All Progressives Congress party, arrives to speaks with his supporters as he was declared the winner of the just concluded presidential election in Abuja, Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Nigeria's president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession. (Bayo Omoboriowo/Nigeria State House via AP) Supporters of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari celebrate his electoral win in the streets of Yola, northern Nigeria, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Supporters of Nigeria's incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress party, celebrate his victory after he was declared the winner of the presidential election, in Yola, Nigeria, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Nigeria's president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Supporters of Nigeria's incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress party, celebrate his victory after he was declared the winner of the presidential election, in Yola, Nigeria, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Nigeria's president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Supporters of Nigeria's incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress party, celebrate his victory after he was declared the winner of the presidential election, in Yola, Nigeria, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Nigeria's president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Supporters of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari celebrate his electoral win in the streets of Kano, northern Nigeria, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Young supporters of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari celebrate his electoral win, holding up four fingers to indicate "four more years", and carrying a poster of him, in the streets of Kano, northern Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Supporters of Nigeria's incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress party, celebrate his victory after he was declared the winner of the presidential election, in Yola, Nigeria, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Nigeria's president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) A Nigerian reads the morning's newspapers at a stand in Kano, northern Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Nigeria's president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Nigerians read the morning's newspapers at a stand in Kano, northern Nigeria, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Nigeria's president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Supporters of Nigeria's incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress party, celebrate his victory after he was declared the winner of the presidential election, in Yola, Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Nigeria's president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Supporters of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari celebrate his electoral win in the streets of Kano, northern Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Supporters of Nigeria's incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress party, celebrates his victory after he was declared the winner of the presidential election, in Yola, Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Nigeria's president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Supporters of Nigeria's incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress party, celebrate his victory after he was declared the winner of the presidential election, in Yola, Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Nigeria's president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Supporters of Nigeria's incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress party, celebrate his victory after he was declared the winner of the presidential election, in Yola, Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Nigeria's president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Supporters of Nigeria's incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress party, celebrate his victory after he was declared the winner of the presidential election, in Yola, Nigeria Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Nigeria's president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) In this photo released by the Nigeria State House, Nigeria's incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress party, speaks as he was declared the winner of the just concluded Presidential election in Abuja Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Nigeria's president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession.(Bayo Omoboriowo/Nigeria State House via AP) In this photo released by the Nigeria State House, Nigeria's incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress party, right, greets his supporters as he was declared the winner of the just concluded Presidential election in Abuja Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Nigeria's president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession.(Bayo Omoboriowo/Nigeria State House via AP) Supporters of Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari pour champagne anticipating a win as they wait for the results to be officially announced in Abuja, Nigeria, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Anxious Nigerians on Tuesday awaited a second day of state-by-state announcements of presidential election results in a race described as too close to call. Buhari is facing opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Supporters of Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari dance to Lady Gaga songs anticipating a win as they wait for the results to be officially announced in Abuja, Nigeria, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Anxious Nigerians on Tuesday awaited a second day of state-by-state announcements of presidential election results in a race described as too close to call. Buhari is facing opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Supporters of Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari take selfies at Buhari's campaign headquarters as they wait for the results to be officially announced in Abuja, Nigeria, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Anxious Nigerians on Tuesday awaited a second day of state-by-state announcements of presidential election results in a race described as too close to call. Buhari is facing opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Supporters of Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari party anticipating a win as they wait for the results to be officially announced in Abuja, Nigeria, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Anxious Nigerians on Tuesday awaited a second day of state-by-state announcements of presidential election results in a race described as too close to call. Buhari is facing opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Supporters of Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari party anticipating a win as they wait for the results to be officially announced in Abuja, Nigeria, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Anxious Nigerians on Tuesday awaited a second day of state-by-state announcements of presidential election results in a race described as too close to call. Buhari is facing opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) A man takes a call on his cellphone as he stands between two billboards showing Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari and other party officials, in Kano, northern Nigeria Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Buhari's election lead grew on Tuesday during a second day of announcing state-by-state election results in Africa's largest democracy. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) FILE - In this Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019 file photo, Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari speaks to the media after casting his vote in his hometown of Daura, in northern Nigeria. Nigeria's president was poised to win a second term in Africa's largest democracy, with unofficial results on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019 showing a victory, his campaign spokesman said. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File) ISLAMABAD (AP) - The Latest on escalating India-Pakistan tensions (all times local): 1:30 a.m. Pakistan's ambassador to the United States says that the lack of U.S. condemnation for an Indian airstrike inside his country is seen by his government as having increased tensions between the two neighbors. Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan told reporters in Washington Wednesday that the U.S. response to the airstrike was "construed and understood as an endorsement of the Indian position, and that is what emboldened them even more." Khan also repeated Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's assertions that Pakistan has made a "sincere" offer to investigate the deadly Feb. 14 suicide bombing on the Indian side of Kashmir that prompted India's airstrike Tuesday in Pakistan. He said Pakistan wants "dialogue" with India and not war, but noted that the prime minister has authorized Pakistan's armed forces of Pakistan to respond "decisively and comprehensively to any aggression." Kashmiri villagers and Indian army soldiers gather near the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) ___ 11:55 p.m. Pakistan's military says it shot down two Indian warplanes in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured a pilot, answering an airstrike a day earlier by Indian aircraft inside Pakistan and raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals to a level unseen in the last two decades. The downing of the Indian aircraft came on a chaotic day that also saw mortar shells fired by Indian troops from across the frontier dividing the two sectors of Kashmir kill six civilians and wound several others. ___ 8:15 p.m. The European Union is urging India and Pakistan to "exercise utmost restraint" as tensions mount between the two nuclear powers around the disputed region of Kashmir. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini warned Wednesday that "this has the potential to lead to serious and dangerous consequences for the two countries and the wider region." In a statement, the EU's top diplomat called on "both countries to now exercise utmost restraint and avoid any further escalation of the situation." Mogherini urged them to resume diplomatic contacts and take "urgent measures," without elaborating. She said the EU will remain in contact with both countries and closely monitor developments. ___ 7 p.m. India says it expects an immediate and safe return of its air force pilot that Pakistan claims to have in its custody. India's External Affairs Ministry in a statement says Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to Indian defense personnel in its custody. India said Wednesday that one of its air force Mig-21 fighter aircraft has been "lost" in an engagement with Pakistani aircraft in the Indian portion of Kashmir and that its pilot was missing. Pakistan earlier said it shot down two Indian planes and captured two pilots. The ministry said it summoned the acting High Commissioner of Pakistan and lodged a strong protest at the violation of the Indian air space by Pakistan Air Force and targeting of Indian military posts. ___ 6:45 p.m. Pakistan's military now says that only one Indian pilot - not two - is in custody but still says they shot down two planes. Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor tweeted that "only one pilot" is in Pakistan's custody. The tweet included a picture of a mustachioed man identified as the Indian pilot sipping tea. An army official who could not be identified under briefing rules said the confusion came from soldiers on the ground. While two planes were shot down, he said one pilot landed inside Pakistani controlled Kashmir and the other on the Indian side of the disputed border. Despite Geneva Convention rules prohibiting the public display of prisoners , the military circulated a video of the Indian pilot, who was recorded saying he was being well treated and praising the Pakistan military. ___ 5:35 p.m. Germany is calling for dialogue between India and Pakistan, to prevent a further escalation of the situation between the two nuclear-armed states. A spokeswoman for Germany's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that Berlin is watching developments in South Asia "with great concern." Maria Adebahr told reporters that both sides have a responsibility to prevent an escalation. She added that Germany is also calling on Pakistan specifically to act against extremist groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammad, which claimed responsibility for a bomb attack in Kashmir that killed more than 40 Indian troops earlier this month. ___ 4:40 p.m. Turkey has expressed concerns over increasing tensions between Pakistan and India and called on both to exercise "common sense and restraint." Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters Wednesday that the two countries should avoid any steps that would further escalate the tensions. Cavusoglu says it is important that the dispute over Kashmir be resolved, adding that Turkey is ready to contribute to a solution. The minister says "the Kashmir problem is a conflict whose solution has been frozen for years but which constantly leads to tensions between the two countries." Cavusoglu says that he has discussed the issue in a telephone conversation with his Pakistani counterpart. ___ 3:55 p.m. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has extended an offer to Indian Prime Minister Nerendra Modi for talks to de-escalate rising tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Khan says that war benefits neither nation and that he hopes "better sense can prevail." In a televised address to the nation, Khan says Pakistan is "ready to cooperate" and added: "Let's sit together to talk to find a solution." Khan again promised to cooperate with India to find the perpetrators behind a February suicide attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed more than 40 Indian troops. The Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad group claimed responsibility; the suicide bomber was from Indian-ruled Kashmir. India has long accused Pakistan of harboring anti-Indian militants, a claim Pakistan denies. ___ 3:30 p.m. Indian police say officials have recovered four bodies from the wreckage of an Indian Air Force chopper that crashed in Indian-controlled sector of Kashmir. Senior police officer Munir Ahmed Khan said the chopper crashed close to an airport on Wednesday in Budgam area, in the outskirts of the region's main city of Srinagar. The Srinagar airport, which has been shut along with two other airports for civilian flights in the region, is also an air force station. Police said they were still going through the wreckage and did not immediately identify the victims. Local residents earlier said they saw three bodies at the site. Eyewitnesses said soldiers fired warning shots in air to keep residents away from the crash site. Meanwhile, as the tensions and confrontation escalated between India and Pakistan, authorities asked workers to paint rooftops of hospitals and clinics in red and white with medical emblem of cross in Srinagar city. ___ 3:20 p.m. India says one of its air force Mig-21 fighter aircraft has been "lost" in an engagement with intruding Pakistani aircraft in the Indian portion of Kashmir and that its pilot is missing. Pakistan earlier on Wednesday said it shot down two Indian planes and captured two pilots. India's External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar says that one Pakistan air force aircraft also was shot down and India's ground forces saw it falling from the sky on the Pakistan side on Wednesday. Kumar's statement came hours after Pakistan claimed that its air force shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the boundary between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the disputed territory of Kashmir and captured two Indian pilots, one of whom was injured. Kumar said India was still "ascertaining" whether its pilot was in Pakistan's custody. ___ 2:40 p.m. China is renewing calls for Pakistan and India to take steps to avoid a further deterioration of ties following the latest flare-up over Kashmir. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters at a daily briefing on Wednesday that "both Pakistan and India are important countries in the subcontinent of South Asia." He added that China hopes "they will keep in mind the regional peace and stability, exercise restraint, take effective measures to strengthen dialogue, and maintain two sides' fundamental interests and the regional peace and stability." Lu also said: "We hope they will avoid deterioration of the situation." China is longstanding close ally and arms supplier to Pakistan, but has also sought better ties with its southern neighbor and Asian rival India. ___ 2:10 p.m. India's former ambassador to the United States says that a new red line with Pakistan has been drawn. The remarks came hours after Pakistan said its air force shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the boundary in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured two Indian pilots. Retired diplomat Lalit Mansingh said on Wednesday that India's policy of strategic restraint "is no longer." Mansingh says a new doctrine was established by India's pre-dawn airstrikes on Tuesday in Pakistani territory that Indian officials said targeted terrorist infrastructure. The strikes were the deepest inside Pakistani territory since the neighboring countries last went to war over Kashmir in 1971. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said afterward that the attacks paid homage to "India's brave hearts" - an apparent reference to 40 Indian soldiers killed in a Feb. 14 suicide bombing in India-controlled Kashmir. ___ 1:45 p.m. Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority says it has shut its airspace to all commercial flights as tensions with neighboring India escalate further over the disputed region of Kashmir. The agency says in a statement that the airspace was closed on Wednesday, without elaborating or indicating when flights might resume. This came shortly after Pakistan said its air force shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the boundary between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the disputed territory of Kashmir, and captured two Indian pilots. The latest wave of tensions erupted after a pre-dawn strike by Indian aircraft Tuesday on Pakistani territory. ___ 1:10 p.m. Pakistan's military says it has two Indian pilots now in custody, captured after the Pakistani air force shot down their aircraft on its side of the disputed region of Kashmir. The military's spokesman, Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor, says one of the pilots is injured and is being treated in a military hospital. He did not elaborate on the pilot's injuries. Ghafoor says the other pilot is in custody. The military says the Indian Air Force plane was downed on the Pakistani side of the Line of Control in Kashmir - a boundary separating the disputed Himalayan region between the nuclear armed neighbors. Ghafoor says the Indian pilots "are being treated well." He made no mention of whether they would be returned to India. Tensions remain high on the Asian Subcontinent where tens of thousands of Indian and Pakistani soldiers face off along the Kashmir boundary. ___ 12:30 a.m. Indian news reports say that airports in the Indian portion of Kashmir have been closed for civilian traffic shortly after an Indian air force jet crashed in the area. The Press Trust of India news agency says these airports are located at Srinagar, Jammu and Leh. Indian authorities declined to comment. Pakistan said its air force shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the boundary between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the disputed territory of Kashmir, and that one Indian pilot was captured on Wednesday. New Delhi has not commented on Pakistan's claim. The closure of airports in Indian-controlled Kashmir came amid escalation of tensions between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan following a pre-dawn airstrike by India on Tuesday that New Delhi said targeted a terrorist training camp in northwest Pakistan. Pakistan says Indian warplanes dropped bombs near the town of Balakot but that there were no casualties. ___ 12:10 p.m. Pakistan's foreign ministry says the country's Air Force is carrying out airstrikes from within Pakistani airspace across the disputed Kashmir boundary but that this was not in "retaliation to continued Indian belligerence". The ministry said the strikes on Wednesday are aimed at "avoiding human loss and collateral damage." The statement came shortly after the Pakistani military shot down two Indian airplanes after they crossed the Kashmir border and captured one of the pilots. It says the Pakistanis have "no intention of escalation, but are fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm. That is why we undertook the action with clear warning and in broad daylight." Meanwhile, civil administrator Baseer Khan confirmed that the airport in Srinagar, the main city in Indian-controlled Kashmir, was closed and said it was a "temporary and precautionary measure." ___ 11:35 a.m. Pakistan's army spokesman says the country's air force shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the boundary between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the disputed territory of Kashmir, and that one Indian pilot was captured. Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor says Pakistani troops on ground captured the Indian pilot. He says one of the planes crashed in Pakistan's part of Kashmir and the other went down in Indian-controlled Kashmir. He says that "one Indian pilot was arrested by troops on ground while two are in the area" on Wednesday. Indian air force spokesman Anupam Banerjee in New Delhi said he has no information on Pakistan's statement. Earlier, senior Indian police officer Munir Ahmed Khan said an Indian Air Force plane crashed in Indian-controlled sector of Kashmir. It wasn't immediately known if there were casualties. Another police officer, S.P. Pani, said firefighters were at the site in Budgam area where the warplane crashed. Eyewitnesses said soldiers fired in air to keep residents away from the crash site. ___ 10:40 a.m. India says it does not wish to see a further escalation of the situation with Pakistan and will continue to act with responsibility and restraint. This shortly after Pakistani police said mortar shells fired by Indian troops from across the frontier in the Himalayan region of Kashmir killed six civilians on Wednesday. India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj says the limited objective of Tuesday's pre-emptive strike inside Pakistan was to act decisively against the terrorist Jaish-e-Mohammad group to prevent another attack in India. Swaraj spoke at the 16th Meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, India and China in Wuzhen, China. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad group claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a convoy of India's paramilitary forces in the Indian portion of Kashmir on Feb. 14 that killed 40 troops. Pakistan said there were no casualties in India's airstrike near the town of Balakot on Tuesday. ___ 9:55 a.m. Pakistani police say mortar shells fired by Indian troops from across the frontier in the Himalayan region of Kashmir struck homes, killing six civilians and wounding several others amid increasing tensions between the two South Asian nuclear rivals. Local police official Mohammad Altaf says six people, including children, were killed Wednesday in Kotli village in Pakistan's part of Kashmir, which is split between Pakistan and India and claimed by both in its entirety. Pakistani and Indian troops deployed in Kashmir often trade fire. The latest civilian casualties came a day after tensions escalated sharply following a pre-dawn airstrike by India that New Delhi said targeted a terrorist training camp in northwest Pakistan. Pakistan says Indian warplanes dropped bombs near the town of Balakot but there were no casualties. Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, left, with Indian Air Force Air Vice Marshal R.G.K. Kapoor gives a statement in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's air force shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the boundary between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the disputed territory of Kashmir on Wednesday and captured two Indian pilots, one of whom was injured, a Pakistani military spokesman said. Kumar said one of its Mig-21 fighter aircraft was missing and that India was still "ascertaining" whether its pilot was in Pakistan's custody. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) Kashmiri workers prepare to paint the red and white medical emblem of cross on the roof of SMHS hospital as tensions escalate between India and Pakistan in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/ Dar Yasin) Stranded passengers stand outside an airport after it was closed for civilians operations amid tension along the border with Pakistan in Jammu, India, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan shot down two Indian warplanes Wednesday in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured their pilots, its military said, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals to a level unseen in 20 years. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) A Kashmiri worker paints the red and white medical emblem of cross on the roof of SMHS hospital as tensions escalate between India and Pakistan in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/ Dar Yasin) Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, left, with Indian Air Force Air Vice Marshal R.G.K. Kapoor gives a statement in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's air force shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the boundary between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the disputed territory of Kashmir on Wednesday and captured two Indian pilots, one of whom was injured, a Pakistani military spokesman said. Kumar said one of its Mig-21 fighter aircraft was missing and that India was still "ascertaining" whether its pilot was in Pakistan's custody. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) Kashmiri villagers and Indian soldiers gather near the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) Kashmiri villagers gather to look at the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) Indian army soldiers stand near the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) Pakistani watch news bulletins on television in Karachi, Pakistan, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's air force shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the boundary between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the disputed territory of Kashmir on Wednesday and captured one Indian pilot, a military spokesman said. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan) An Indian Air Force officer along with others inspects the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) A Pakistani soldier stands guard in the area where Indian jets strike in Jaba near Balakot, in Pakistan, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Pakistan said India launched an airstrike on its territory early Tuesday that caused no casualties, while India said it targeted a terrorist training camp in a pre-emptive strike that killed a "very large number" of militants. (AP Photo/Riaz Khan) Supporters of a Pakistani religious group Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba chant slogans at a rally against India, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's air force shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the boundary between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the disputed territory of Kashmir on Wednesday and captured one Indian pilot, a military spokesman said. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Supporters of a Pakistani religious group Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba chant slogans at a rally against India, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's air force shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the boundary between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the disputed territory of Kashmir on Wednesday and captured one Indian pilot, a military spokesman said. Banners read: "Indian Aggression not Accepted", and "India is Enemy of Regional Peace". (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Pakistani reporters and troops visit the site of an Indian airstrike in Jaba, near Balakot, Pakistan, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Pakistan said India launched an airstrike on its territory early Tuesday that caused no casualties, while India said it targeted a terrorist training camp in a pre-emptive strike that killed a "very large number" of militants. (AP Photo/Aqeel Ahmed) SAN DIEGO (AP) - Transgender troops testifying for the first time to Congress on Wednesday said transitioning to another sex made them stronger, while Pentagon officials defended the Trump administration's desire to bar people like them from enlisting in the future. Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik, an infantry officer and graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. and Ranger School, told lawmakers she became a more "effective soldier" after she transitioned from male to female in 2017. "What is the value of having transgender people in the military? Based on my experience first as a combat arms officer and medical provider, the answer is unequivocally that my transition - and so many others - has dramatically increased the readiness and lethality of every branch of the armed forces," said Stehlik, who returned from a deployment to Afghanistan a month ago where she treated soldiers as a physical therapist. With the ban now blocked by lawsuits, active-duty transgender service members were invited to testify at the hearing called by Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier, chairwoman of the military personnel subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee. Speier said the ban is "discriminatory, unconstitutional and self-defeating" and said the Obama administration's 2016 lifting of the barrier to allow transgender people to serve has been an "unequivocal success." She added that barring transgender people again "would cost us recruits at a time when so few Americans are willing to serve." She called the five transgender troops who testified Wednesday "exceptional, but also exceptionally normal." Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik, second from left, together with other transgender military members, from left, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Blake Dremann, Army Capt. Jennifer Peace, Army SSgt. Patricia King, and Navy Petty Officer Third Class Akira Wyatt, testify about their service before a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, as the Trump administration pushes to ban their service. Stehlik is a graduate of West Point and served in Iraq. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Retired Air Force Gen. James N. Stewart, who is now performing the duties of the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, defended the Trump administration's policy, which is currently blocked by litigation. He said current transgender troops will be allowed to continue to serve and other transgender people can join the military if they serve in their biological sex and have not been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a condition under which people experience distress if they do not identify with their birth gender. "It's not a ban on transgender individuals," he insisted. Stewart added that "special accommodations" cannot be made for people with such a medical condition. Maryland Democratic Rep. Anthony Brown said the same argument was used to keep blacks from integrating into the Army in 1948 and again in the 1990s to keep gay people from serving openly under the don't ask, don't tell policy, which was repealed by Congress in 2010. He said barring people who have undergone treatment for gender dysphoria and transitioned to another sex is equivalent to banning transgender people. "You're transgender and only if you agree not to transition, then you can serve, that's just like 'don't ask, don't tell,'" he said. In the nearly three years since the U.S. military welcomed transgender people into the armed forces, they have largely served without incident. Some, like Army attack helicopter pilot Lindsey Muller, have earned prestigious medals or received other forms of recognition. "Once you meet transgender people who have served in the different branches ... it's really hard to dismiss the fact that you will find Purple Heart recipients, Bronze Star winners, attack aviators, Navy SEALs," said Muller, who did not testify but is a plaintiff in one of four lawsuits challenging the ban. "We've been here, and we will continue to be here regardless. In what capacity is up to the administration." President Donald Trump has argued that their presence is a burden and cited "tremendous medical costs" as a reason for the ban. According to new data from the Defense Department provided to the House Armed Services Committee ahead of the hearing, the military has spent about $8 million on transgender care since 2016. The military's annual health care budget tops $50 billion. An estimated 14,700 troops on active duty and in the Reserves identify as transgender but not all seek treatment. Military chiefs testified before Congress last year that they found no problems with transgender troops on morale or unit cohesion. The five transgender troops who testified Wednesday said their medical transitions took anywhere from four weeks to four months and they did most of it on their own time. All were fit to return to deploying afterward. They said recovery from pregnancy and shoulder surgery takes much longer. The Defense Department treated 1,525 service members between July 1, 2016 and February 1, 2019, who were diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Currently about 1,071 are serving, including 20 senior officers. The military spent about $8 million on transgender care, including about $5.8 million on psychotherapy and about $2 million on surgeries mostly for breast reductions and hysterectomies. There were about 23,000 psychotherapy visits and about 160 surgeries. Speier asked Pentagon officials to look into reports that the military requires weekly psychotherapy visits, over prescribing therapy. Mississippi Rep. Trent Kelly, the committee's ranking Republican member, said not everyone can join the military because of its "stringent medical and behavioral health standards needed to maintain a ready and resilient force. However, it only makes sense that any individual who can meet these standards and is otherwise qualified should be allowed to serve." ___ This story corrects the date to 2017 when Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik transitioned from male to female. This undated photo provided by her wife Jessica Kibodeaux shows Lindsey Muller and her dog Emma hiking in the Cheyenne Mountains west of Fort Carson, Colo. Muller, a 19-year combat veteran who served multiple tours in Iraq, diligently followed the Pentagon guidelines to transition. In the nearly three years since the U.S. military welcomed transgender people into the armed forces in 2016, they have served without incident. Some, like Muller, have earned prestigious medals or received other forms of recognition. (Jessica Kibodeaux via AP) In this Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019 photo released by the her office, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., left, gives challenge coins to U.S. Army Maj. Ian Brown, right, and other military service members to thank them for their service, in her office at the Capitol following the State of the Union address in Washington. Brown, 38, is a two-time Bronze Star recipient who transitioned from female to male while advising the Army's deputy chief of staff in operations and planning. (Julio Obscura/Office of the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi via AP) In this July 27, 2017 photo, Master Sgt. Erika Stoltz, poses for a photo at her home in Sun Prairie, Wis. Stoltz, 56, served four combat deployments and earned two Bronze Stars. After returning from Afghanistan, she transitioned from male to female while working full-time for the Army. (M.P. King/Wisconsin State Journal via AP) In this July 27, 2017 photo, Master Sgt. Erika Stoltz, poses for a photo at her home in Sun Prairie, Wis. Stoltz, 56, served four combat deployments and earned two Bronze Stars. After returning from Afghanistan, she transitioned from male to female while working full-time for the Army. (M.P. King/Wisconsin State Journal via AP) Army Staff Sgt. Patricia King, second from right, together with other transgender military members, from left, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Blake Dremann, Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik, Army Capt. Jennifer Peace and Navy Petty Officer Third Class Akira Wyatt, testify about their military service before a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, as the Trump administration pushes to ban them. King was deployed three times to Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) From left, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Blake Dremann, together with other transgender military members, Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik, Army Capt. Jennifer Peace, Army Staff Sgt. Patricia King and Navy Petty Officer Third Class Akira Wyatt, testify about their military service before a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, as the Trump administration pushes to ban them. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) From left, transgender military members Navy Lt. Cmdr. Blake Dremann, Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik, Army Capt. Jennifer Peace, Army Staff Sgt. Patricia King and Navy Petty Officer Third Class Akira Wyatt, are briefed about hearing procedures before the start of a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, as the Trump administration pushes to ban transgender troops. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) From left, transgender military members Navy Lt. Cmdr. Blake Dremann, Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik, Army Capt. Jennifer Peace, Army Staff Sgt. Patricia King and Navy Petty Officer Third Class Akira Wyatt, prepare for the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, as the Trump administration pushes to ban transgender troops. This is the first ever hearing that transgender military members openly testified in Congress. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Committee member Rep. Gil Cisneros, D-Calif., right, talks to Navy Lt. Cmdr. Blake Dremann, from left, together with other transgender military members Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik, Army Capt. Jennifer Peace, Army Staff Sgt. Patricia King and Navy Petty Officer Third Class Akira Wyatt, at the conclusion of a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. This is the first ever hearing that transgender military members openly testified in Congress. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) From left, transgender military members Navy Lt. Cmdr. Blake Dremann, Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik, Army Capt. Jennifer Peace and Army Staff Sgt. Patricia King, listen to an emotional committee member Rep. Debra Haaland, D-N.M. relate to the witnesses about her daughter who is gay during a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. This is the first ever hearing that transgender military members openly testified in Congress. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik, fourth from right, together with other transgender military members testify about their service before a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, as the Trump administration pushes to ban their service. Stehlik is a graduate of West Point and served in Iraq. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) GUERNEVILLE, Calif. (AP) - A Northern California river flooded 2,000 homes, businesses and other buildings and left two communities virtual islands after days of stormy weather, officials said Wednesday. The towns of Guerneville and Monte Rio were hardest hit by water pouring from the Russian River, which topped 46 feet (13 meters) late Wednesday night, said Briana Khan, a Sonoma County spokeswoman. The river frequently floods in rainy weather but it hadn't reached that level for 25 years and wasn't expected to recede again until late Thursday night. About 3,500 people in two dozen communities along the river remained under evacuation orders. Jeff Bridges didn't leave even though he said the water was 8 feet (2.44 meters) deep in some places. The co-owner of the R3 Hotel in Guerneville, said he and others who stayed behind were well-prepared to ride out the storm. He and employees moved computers, business records and furniture to second-floor room. "As long as everybody is safe, dry and warm, it's all fine. You just ride it out," said Bridges, noting that this flood was the fourth he's experienced in 33 years. A woman with a dog sails a kayak on a flooded street in Guerneville, north of San Francisco on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) He added: "People in Florida have hurricanes, people in Maine have blizzards; we have floods," he said. "It's the price we have to pay to live in paradise." The river was one of several in Northern California that was engorged by days of rain from western U.S. storms that also dumped heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada, throughout the Pacific Northwest and into Montana, where Gov. Steve Bullock signed an emergency order to help keep up the supply of heating fuel amid frigid temperatures. Two Amtrak trains together carrying nearly 300 passengers stopped and reversed directions because of an avalanche that closed railroad tracks in the Sierra Nevada. In Idaho, the mountain town of Stanley became marooned Wednesday after all three highways leading to the town were closed because of drifting snow, avalanches and the risk of more slides. Several areas in California set record-high rainfall totals in recent days, including nearby Santa Rosa, which had nearly 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain in one day. The often-waterlogged Venado weather station 5 miles (8 kilometers) from Guerneville recorded more than 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain in 48 hours. Elsewhere in Northern California, dozens of people had to be rescued from cars stranded while motorists tried to drive through flooded roads. Nina Sheehan, who is visiting from North Carolina, had to abandon her rental SUV after it got stuck in a flooded hotel parking lot. "We made a decision to take the rental car through the waist-high water and we got two thirds of the way and then the car stalled," she said. "Do not try to go through any water over a foot high because you never know what you're going to find." Firefighters in Monte Rio worked through the night pulling people out of cars stuck in flooded roadways and getting people out of their homes as water approached, Fire Chief Steve Baxman told the Press-Democrat newspaper of Santa Rosa. "We took 17 people out of cars and houses during the night. Too many people are driving into water," he said. ___ Rodriguez reported from San Francisco. A No Parking sign is almost completely submerged in flood waters from the Russian River in Forestville, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. The still rising Russian River was engorged by days of rain from western U.S. storms. (AP Photo/Michael Short) Anna Gaffney is pulled to shore by Jason Clopton of the Russian River Fire District swift water rescue team in Guerneville, Calif., Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Gaffney and a friend were trying to get belongings when they were pulled precariously into the Russian River current. In the background is Mark Haas, also with the department. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) A CHP helicopter uses Main Street in Guerneville, Calif. as a landing pad as water continues to rise, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Two Northern California communities are accessible only by boat after a rain-swollen river overflowed its banks following a relentless downpour. The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office says Guerneville, "is officially an island" and another nearby town was also isolated by floodwaters. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) Pacific Gas & Electric workers and a canoe are seen on a street flooded by the Russian River in Forestville, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. The still rising Russian River was engorged by days of rain from western U.S. storms. (AP Photo/Michael Short) Scott Heemstra takes Veronica Burdette out of the flood zone as floodwaters rise along Mill Street in Guerneville, Calif., Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Two Northern California communities are accessible only by boat after a rain-swollen river overflowed its banks following a relentless downpour. The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office says Guerneville, "is officially an island" and another nearby town was also isolated by floodwaters. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) The top of a pickup truck is seen in flood waters from the Russian River in Forestville, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. The still rising Russian River was engorged by days of rain from western U.S. storms. (AP Photo/Michael Short) Amanda Hamner looks out at flood waters from the Russian River surrounding her home in Forestville, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. The still rising Russian River was engorged by days of rain from western U.S. storms. (AP Photo/Michael Short) People gather on a partially submerged RV in the flood waters of the Russian River in Forestville, north of San Francisco, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. The rain that swamped the area came from a storm system that also dumped heavy snow in the mountains of California and Nevada and in Washington state, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. (AP Photo/Michael Short) An American flag hangs from the front of a home submerged in the flood waters of the Russian River in Forestville, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. The still rising Russian River was engorged by days of rain from western U.S. storms. (AP Photo/Michael Short) Jennifer Stewart, left, and Amy Holland dig their snow out of a snow bank after swerving to avoid a four-wheeler plowing snow on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in an alley in Moscow, Idaho. The car was pulled out of the snow bank by a truck that plowing a nearby parking lot. (Geoff Crimmins/Moscow-Pullman Daily News via AP) Shanna Allen, knocks the glove and sled out of the hands of her son Hollis, 6 while riding down the hill with her daughter Summer Allen, 8, and Kaiza Anglin, 7 at Timber-Linn Memorial Park in Albany, Ore., Wednesday Feb. 28, 2019. Several inches of snow blanked the mid-Willamette Valley Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. (Mark Ylen/Albany Democrat-Herald via AP) This photo provided by the California Highway Patrol Truckee Division shows a patrol vehicle navigating a stretch of Interstate 80 in the Donner Pass area of the Sierra Nevada, just west of Truckee, Calif., that remained closed Wednesday morning, Feb. 27, 2019. An avalanche has prompted Amtrak officials to suspend passenger rail service between Sacramento and Reno, Nevada after more than more than 4 feet (1.2 meters) of snow fell in the Sierra Nevada. Officials also shut down a 70-mile (112-kilometers) stretch of Interstate 80 from Reno to Colfax, California. (California Highway Patrol via AP) Jonathan Von Renner Jr., and a friend row past Mill and Third Street in Guerneville, Calif., Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Officials say flood waters have inundated the California town north of San Francisco and that the community is now only accessible by boats after a rain-swollen river overflowed its banks. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) This photo provided by the California Highway Patrol Truckee Division shows only the peaked roof of a structure visible, buried in snowdrifts in the Donner Pass area of the Sierra Nevada just west of Truckee, Calif., that remained closed Wednesday morning, Feb. 27, 2019. The California Department of Transportation reported that a Sierra maintenance yard above 6,000 feet had received 30 inches of snow on Tuesday. Several mountain and foothill roads were repeatedly closed because of whiteout conditions or to clear trucks and cars that spun out on the slippery pavement. The fierce weather was driven by a river of atmospheric moisture stretching from Hawaii. (California Highway Patrol via AP) WASHINGTON (AP) - A 40-foot-tall, concrete cross on public land in a Maryland suburb of Washington is at the center of a case before the Supreme Court. But similar monuments elsewhere in the country could be affected by the high court ruling, states have told the justices. The District of Columbia-based American Humanist Association, which is behind the challenge to the Maryland cross, acknowledges that at least a handful of other monuments around the country could be affected if the court sides with them, though they disagree with those supporting the cross that the number is vast. The monuments most likely to be affected are large crosses on public, not private, lands and where there's a prominent cross that isn't part of a larger memorial or setting such as a cemetery, said Monica Miller, an American Humanist Association attorney. By the same token, those monuments could be insulated from challenges if the other side prevails, as many observers think is likely given the court's conservative makeup. A look at the cross at the center of the case and cross memorials in other states: ___ Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association, speaks near the 40' Maryland Peace Cross dedicated to World War I soldiers on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019 in Bladensburg, Md. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) MARYLAND If the justices wanted to take a field trip to see the cross at the center of the case, it wouldn't be hard. The cross is located on a large, grassy traffic median in Bladensburg, about 5 miles from the Supreme Court. Sometimes called the "Peace Cross," it was completed in 1925. A plaque on the base of the cross lists the names of 49 soldiers from the area who died in World War I. While a trial court judge ruled the memorial was constitutional, an appeals court disagreed. Those challenging the cross are telling the Supreme Court that it should be moved to private property or modified into a slab or obelisk. They also note that the nearly 100-year-old monument has been deteriorating. Chunks have fallen off and restoration work planned years ago has been put off while the case has moved forward. ___ FLORIDA A 34-foot-tall concrete cross in Pensacola's Bayview Park has been the site of a sunrise Easter service for decades. The first Easter service was organized at the site in 1941. A wooden cross was put up for the gathering, which was organized by the local Junior Chamber of Commerce. In 1969, however, the group installed the concrete cross that stands today. Lighting and maintaining the cross costs Pensacola around $200 a year. Four people sued over the cross in 2016. They have the backing of the American Humanist Association, the same group behind the cross lawsuit now before the Supreme Court, and the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation. Two lower courts have ruled against the cross. ___ KANSAS A cross near Lyons, Kansas, honors Father Juan de Padilla, a 16th century Franciscan missionary. Installed in 1950, the cross was a gift to the state by the Knights of Columbus. The Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter in 2018 objecting to the cross, asking that it be removed or moved to private property. ___ NEW MEXICO A bronze cross on a concrete pedestal stands in the town plaza in the center of Taos. Paid for by private donations and dedicated in 1960, the cross is part of a memorial honoring young men from the area who fought and died in World War II. Beside the cross are flagpoles flying the flags of the United States and New Mexico, and in front of the cross is a sculpture of three soldiers. The town says it has been threatened with lawsuits similar to the one currently before the Supreme Court. If the high court doesn't side with supporters of the Maryland cross, Taos told the justices, it would "virtually guarantee Taos would be drawn into costly and unjust litigation to remove its memorial." ___ TEXAS The Seaman's Memorial Tower in Aransas Pass used to be topped by a cross, but it's been removed because of wear. The 80-foot-tall tower still has a crucifix on its front, however. Lu Arcemont, 82, who chairs a commission that oversees the tower's maintenance, says she hopes to see a cross topping the tower again. Arcemont is the keeper of the tower's history. It was dedicated in 1970 as a memorial to area fisherman who died at sea, their names on plaques on the tower. At first the tower was topped by a 22-foot wooden cross. A smaller, metal cross later replaced it. As for the crucifix on the tower's front, Arcemont says her husband carved it out of a telephone pole. Arcemont hadn't heard of the Maryland lawsuit, but she was quick to distinguish her town's memorial. She called it a "living memorial" because names continue to be added to it. People also sometimes scatter family members' ashes at the site. "The reason we have a crucifix and a cross on our tower is so it represents both religions - Protestant and Catholic," she said. Aransas Pass is about 20 miles northeast of Corpus Christi. ___ Follow Jessica Gresko on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jessicagresko Visitors walk around the 40-foot Maryland Peace Cross dedicated to World War I soldiers on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019 in Bladensburg, Md. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court seemed inclined Wednesday to rule that a 40-foot-tall cross that stands on public land in Maryland is constitutional, but shy away from a sweeping ruling. The case the justices heard arguments in is being closely watched because it involves the place of religious symbols in public life. But the particular memorial at issue is a nearly 100-year-old cross that was built in a Washington, D.C., suburb as a memorial to area residents who died in World War I. Before arguments in the case, it seemed that the memorial's supporters, including the Trump administration, had the upper hand based on the court's conservative makeup and its decision to take up the matter. On Wednesday, even liberal justices Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer suggested that they could join a narrow ruling upholding this particular memorial. Kagan noted that the cross is a symbol linked with soldiers killed in World War I. "When you go into a World War I battlefield, there are Stars of David there, but because those battlefields were just rows and rows and rows of crosses, the cross became, in people's minds, the pre-eminent symbol of how to memorialize World War I dead," she said, adding that there are no religious words on the Maryland cross and that it sits in an area with other war memorials. She asked, "So why in a case like that can we not say essentially the religious content has been stripped of this monument?" Breyer, for his part, asked a lawyer arguing for the cross' challengers what she thought about saying that "history counts" and that "We're not going to have people trying to tear down historical monuments even here." Visitors walk around the 40-foot Maryland Peace Cross dedicated to World War I soldiers on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019 in Bladensburg, Md. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) "What about saying past is past?" he said at another point during arguments conducted in a courtroom whose friezes include depictions of Moses and Muhammed and that began, as always, with the marshal's cry: "God save the United States and this honorable court." The cross's challengers include three area residents and the District of Columbia-based American Humanist Association, a group that includes atheists and agnostics. They argue that the cross's location on public land violates the First Amendment's establishment clause, which prohibits the government from favoring one religion over others. They say the cross should be moved to private property or modified into a nonreligious monument such as a slab or obelisk. The group lost the first round in court, but in 2017 an appeals court ruled the cross unconstitutional. The cross's defenders include The American Legion, which raised money for the monument, and Maryland officials who took over maintenance of the cross nearly 60 years ago to preserve it and address traffic safety concerns. Maryland officials say the cross, sometimes called the "Peace Cross," doesn't violate the Constitution because it has a secular purpose and meaning. Those defending the cross say a ruling against them could doom of hundreds of war memorials that use crosses to commemorate soldiers who died. Justice Samuel Alito picked up on that concern during arguments, telling American Humanist Association lawyer Monica Miller: "There are cross monuments all over the country, many of them quite old. Do you want them all taken down?" Miller said no, and she told the justices there are only between 10 and 20 monuments nationwide that are truly like Maryland's cross. In the past, similar monuments have met with a mixed fate at the high court. On the same day in 2005, for example, the court upheld a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the Texas state Capitol while striking down Ten Commandments displays in Kentucky courthouses. After those rulings and others the Supreme Court has been criticized for being less than clear in explaining how to analyze so-called passive displays, like Maryland's cross, that are challenged as violating the Constitution's establishment clause. In 1971 the court announced one test for such cases. It asks whether the government's action has a secular purpose, advances or inhibits religion or fosters "an excessive government entanglement with religion." But in the decades since, the court hasn't consistently followed that test, and several former and current justices have criticized it. Justice Neil Gorsuch asked Wednesday if it wasn't time to get rid of the test, saying it has resulted in a "welter of confusion." Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested that lower courts "need some clarity" from the Supreme Court. At the same time, several conservative justices sounded skeptical of a test advocated by Michael Carvin, a lawyer for The American Legion, who told the justices that what the Constitution was concerned with was religious coercion. Chief Justice John Roberts told Carvin that he was advocating "a pretty concise test" but that it deteriorates "pretty quickly into, well, I need to know about this and I need to know about that." A decision in the case is expected by the end of June. ___ Associated Press reporter Mark Sherman contributed to this report. ___ Follow Jessica Gresko on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jessicagresko Co-Council Michael Carvin of Jones Day, center, speaks during a news conference with First Liberty Institute's President, CEO, and chief counsel Kelly Shackelford, center right, and The National Judge Advocate for The American Legion Kevin Bartlett, second from right, following oral arguments at the Supreme Court on the fate of a cross-shaped war memorial on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) WASHINGTON (AP) - In a damning depiction of Donald Trump, the president's former lawyer on Wednesday cast him as a racist and conman who used his inner circle to cover up politically damaging allegations about sex and lied about his business interests in Russia throughout the campaign that sent him to the White House. Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty last year to lying to Congress, testified that Trump had advance knowledge and embraced the news that emails damaging to Hillary Clinton would be released. But he also said he has no "direct evidence" that the Trump presidential campaign colluded with Russia. Shaking off incessant criticism from Republicans anxious to paint him as a felon and liar, Cohen became the first Trump insider to pull back the curtain on his version of the inner workings of Trump's political and business operations. He likened the president to a "mobster" who demands blind loyalty from underlings and expects them to lie on his behalf to conceal information and protect him - even if it means breaking the law. "I am not protecting Mr. Trump anymore," he declared. In one revelation, Cohen said that prosecutors in New York are investigating conversations Trump or his advisers had with him after his hotel room was raided for documents by the FBI last April. He was asked by a Democratic congressman about the last contact he had had with Trump or any agent representing the president. Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Cohen said that happened about two months after his hotel room was raided by the FBI. But he declined to provide more specific details on grounds that the matter was under current investigation by federal prosecutors. His appearance marked the latest step in Cohen's evolution from legal fixer for the president - he once boasted he'd "take a bullet" for Trump - to a foe who has implicated him in federal campaign finance violations. The matter-of-fact testimony about hush money payments and furtive Russian meetings unfolded as Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, offering stark TV counterprogramming to the president's official duties. At a Vietnam hotel and unable to ignore the drama thousands of miles away, Trump lashed out on Twitter, saying Cohen "did bad things unrelated to Trump" and "is lying in order to reduce his prison time." Cohen will soon report to prison for a three-year sentence. At the same time, he is seen as a vital witness for federal prosecutors because of his proximity to the president during key episodes under investigation. He is the first of six Trump aides charged in special counsel Robert Mueller's Trump-Russia investigation to testify publicly about crimes committed during the 2016 campaign and in the months that followed. Cohen gave lawmakers his first-person account of how he arranged hush money payments to a porn actress and a Playboy model who said they had sex with the president. He testified that he was present for conversations in which Trump denigrated blacks as "too stupid" to vote for him. And he said he overheard Trump confidant Roger Stone telling the candidate that WikiLeaks would dump damaging information about Clinton. "I am ashamed of my weakness and misplaced loyalty, of the things I did for Mr. Trump in an effort to protect and promote him," Cohen said. "I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump's illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is." Cohen's claims that Trump had advance knowledge of the emails contradict the president's assertions that he was in the dark, but it is not clear how legally problematic that could be for Trump. Special counsel Mueller has not suggested that mere awareness of WikiLeaks' plans, as Trump confidant Roger Stone is purported to have had, is by itself a crime. Cohen also suggested that Trump implicitly told him to lie about a Moscow real estate project. Cohen has admitted lying about the project, which he says Trump knew about as Cohen was negotiating with Russia during the 2016 campaign. Cohen said Trump did not directly tell him to lie, but "he would look me in the eye and tell me there's no business in Russia and then go out and lie to the American people by saying the same thing." Underscoring the deeply partisan nature of the proceedings, Republicans on the House Oversight and Reform Committee sought unsuccessfully to block the hearing as it got underway on grounds that Cohen had not provided his opening statement long enough in advance. Republicans repeatedly pointed out that Cohen had already pleaded guilty to lying to Congress and argued that the sole purpose of the hearing was to bring Trump down. The committee's top Republican, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, called Cohen a "fraudster, cheat" and "a convicted felon." "Certainly it's the first time a convicted perjurer has been brought back to be a star witness at a hearing," Jordan said. Cohen called himself a "fool." Rep. Elijah Cummings, the committee's Democratic chairman, sternly reminded Cohen of his past lies and warned him at the outset: "We will not tolerate lying to this Congress." On WikiLeaks, Cohen said he was in Trump's office in July 2016 when Stone, a longtime adviser, telephoned Trump. Trump put Stone on speakerphone and Stone told him that he had communicated with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that "within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clinton's campaign," according to Cohen. Trump responded by saying "wouldn't that be great," Cohen said. That month, WikiLeaks released thousands of emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee's server. "A lot of people have asked me about whether Mr. Trump knew about the release of the hacked Democratic National Committee emails ahead of time," Cohen said. "The answer is yes." Cohen said he does not have direct evidence that Trump colluded with the Russian government during the election, but that he has "suspicions." "I wouldn't use the word 'colluding.' Was there something odd about the back-and-forth praise with President Putin?" Cohen said. "Yes, but I'm not really sure I can answer the question about collusion." Concerning a meeting in Trump Tower between campaign advisers, including Trump's oldest son, and a Russian lawyer, Cohen said that Trump had frequently told him that Donald Trump Jr. "had the worst judgment of anyone in the world" and he "would never set up any meeting of any significance alone - and certainly not without checking with his father." Cohen, once Trump's loyal attorney, has turned on his former boss and cooperated with Mueller's Russia investigation. He begins a prison sentence in May after pleading guilty to lying to Congress and committing campaign finance violations while working for Trump. Federal prosecutors in New York have said Trump directed Cohen to arrange the payments to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in the run-up to the 2016 campaign. Cohen has said he acted out of "blind loyalty." He said he was presenting the committee with a copy of the check Trump wrote from his personal bank account after he became president to reimburse Cohen for the hush money payments. He claimed he had other exhibits as well, including some financial statements. On the matter of racism, Cohen said the president made racist comments "disparaging African-Americans, saying at one point that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid." He said that Trump once privately confided to him that, despite his public explanation of a medical deferment from the Vietnam War, he never had any intention of fighting there. "You think I'm stupid, I wasn't going to Vietnam," Cohen quoted Trump as saying. "I find it ironic, President Trump, that you are in Vietnam right now," Cohen said. ___ Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. Michael Cohen, right, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, walks past committee member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., center, during a break in Cohen's testimony before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, is sworn in to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, speaks as he testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the House Oversight and Reform Committee ranking Republican, left, takes his seat next to Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The committee voted to subpoena Trump administration officials over family separations at the southern border, the first issued in the new Congress as Democrats have promised to hold the administration aggressively to count. The decision by the Oversight Committee will compel the heads of Justice, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services to deliver documents.(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) House Oversight and Reform Committee Chair Elijah Cummings, D-Md., watches during a break in testimony by Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) A copy of a check from Donald Trump to Michael Cohen, his former personal lawyer, is displayed as he testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) LONDON (AP) - Prime Minister Theresa May insisted Wednesday that Britain will leave the European Union on schedule next month, amid signs that her promise to give Parliament a vote on delaying Brexit was boosting support for her unpopular EU divorce deal. May has bowed to pressure from within her Conservative government and given Parliament the chance to delay Britain's scheduled March 29 departure if lawmakers fail to approve her divorce agreement with the bloc. The change of course was welcomed by pro-EU members of Britain's divided Parliament, who sought further guarantees the government would not try to renege on May's commitment. Lawmakers in the House of Commons voted 502-20 in favor of a symbolic motion underscoring May's promise. Some pro-Brexit lawmakers, who fear delaying Brexit day could be used to try to stop Britain's withdrawal altogether, abstained from the vote. On Tuesday, May gave Parliament a greater say over Brexit to forestall a rebellion by pro-EU members of her government, who threatened to quit and vote with the opposition in order to rule out a disruptive "no-deal" Brexit. She said Parliament will get to vote again on her deal with the EU by March 12. If it is rejected, lawmakers will then vote on whether to leave the EU without an agreement or seek to postpone Brexit by up to three months. May stressed that she personally opposes extending the Brexit deadline, and said "the United Kingdom remains on course to leave the European Union with a deal" if lawmakers "hold their nerve." Writing in the Daily Mail, May said talks with the EU about securing changes to the divorce deal to make it more palatable to Parliament have "begun to bear fruit." Remain in the European Union demonstrators hold up electrically lit letter asking for a 'People's Vote' opposite the Palace of Westminster in London, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will give British lawmakers a choice of approving her Brexit divorce agreement, leaving the EU March 29 without a deal, or asking to delay Brexit by up to three months. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) The House of Commons rejected May's deal with the EU by a huge margin last month - largely over concerns about a provision to guarantee an open border between the U.K.'s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland - and sent May back to Brussels to get changes. The EU is adamant that the legally binding withdrawal agreement can't be changed, though the bloc's negotiators are holding talks with U.K. Attorney General Geoffrey Cox about potential tweaks or additions to reassure pro-Brexit British lawmakers that the border "backstop" is only a temporary measure. May is calculating that the prospect of a delay may persuade pro-Brexit lawmakers to support her deal despite their reservations. Many Brexiteers feel the Irish backstop portion of the deal keeps the U.K. bound closely to EU trade rules, unable to strike new agreements around the world. Brexit-backing Conservative lawmaker Edward Leigh said Wednesday that colleagues should back the agreement because "the choice is no longer perhaps between an imperfect deal and no deal - it is between an imperfect deal and no Brexit." Lawmakers rejected a bid Wednesday by the main opposition Labour Party to force the government to embrace its alternative Brexit plan, which calls for retaining close ties with the EU. Labour has said if it can't get its plan through Parliament, it will campaign for a second referendum on Britain's EU membership. The government caved in on a vote it looked set to lose, agreeing to guarantee the rights of EU citizens living in Britain whether or not the U.K. leaves the bloc without a Brexit deal. "That such an amendment is needed is in itself a very sad state of affairs," said Alberto Costa, the Conservative lawmaker behind the motion. He said 3 million EU citizens in Britain and 1 million U.K. citizens in other EU countries "should never have been used as a bargaining chip. British businesses welcomed the prospect of a Brexit delay. They warn that without a deal, Britain risks a chaotic departure that could disrupt trade between the U.K. and the EU, its biggest trading partner. Confederation of British Industry head Carolyn Fairbairn said leaving without a deal would be "a wrecking ball on our economy" and giving the option to delay "feels like an option on sanity." Delaying Brexit would require approval from all 27 other EU countries, whose leaders are annoyed by what they see as the inability of feuding British politicians to agree on what kind of relationship the U.K. wants with the bloc. Chief EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said Wednesday that there must be clarity that extending negotiations wouldn't just prolong the impasse facing both sides. EU politicians say Britain must have a good reason for seeking a pause. French President Emmanuel Macron said any such request would need to be justified by "a clear perspective on the goal." "We don't need time. We need decisions," he said at a joint news conference in Paris with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Merkel said the EU wouldn't refuse Britain "a bit more time." She said "we are aiming for an orderly solution - an orderly withdrawal by the British from the European Union." ___ Sylvie Corbet in Paris, Geir Moulson in Berlin and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this story. ___ Follow AP's full coverage of Brexit at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit A projection calling for a second referendum or a so-called "Peoples's vote", is cast onto the Houses of Parliament in London, Wednesday Feb. 27, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will give British lawmakers a choice of approving her divorce agreement, leaving the EU March 29 without a deal or asking to delay Brexit by up to three months. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Demonstrators protest opposite the Houses of Parliament in London, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein) Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks to lawmakers in parliament, London, Wednesday Feb. 27, 2019. May insisted Wednesday that Britain will leave the European Union on schedule next month, amid signs that her promise to give Parliament a vote on delaying Brexit was boosting support for her unpopular EU divorce deal. (Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament via AP) Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, centre right, stands to talk to lawmakers inside parliament, London, Wednesday Feb. 27, 2019. Prime Minister Theresa May insisted Wednesday that Britain will leave the European Union on schedule next month, amid signs that her promise to give Parliament a vote on delaying Brexit was boosting support for her unpopular EU divorce deal. (Mark Duffy/UK Parliament via AP) A European Union supporter holds up a placard showing the face of a prominent British lawmaker and leave the EU supporter Boris Johnson, during a demonstration outside the Palace of Westminster in London, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will give British lawmakers a choice of approving her divorce agreement, leaving the EU March 29 without a deal or asking to delay Brexit by up to three months. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street in London, to attend Prime Minister's Questions at the Houses of Parliament, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) Demonstrators protest opposite the Houses of Parliament in London, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein) Leave the European Union supporters march in protest outside Houses of Parliament in London, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will give British lawmakers a choice of approving her divorce agreement, leaving the EU March 29 without a deal or asking to delay Brexit by up to three months. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) Demonstrators protest opposite the Houses of Parliament in London, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Britain's bumpy journey out of the European Union took a major turn Tuesday, as Prime Minister Theresa May handed the steering wheel to Parliament, giving lawmakers the power to slam on the brakes and divert Britain away from a disruptive cliff-edge Brexit. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) A Demonstrator protests at the entrance of the Houses of Parliament in London, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has warned that the Brexit uncertainty that has dogged the British economy over the past couple of years will remain even if lawmakers agree to a withdrawal agreement with the European Union in coming weeks.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein) A remain in the European Union supporter holds up a placard showing the face of a prominent British lawmaker and leave the EU supporter Jacob Rees-Mogg, during a demonstration outside the Palace of Westminster in London, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will give British lawmakers a choice of approving her divorce agreement, leaving the EU March 29 without a deal or asking to delay Brexit by up to three months. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) A European Union supporter tries on a new beret which shows the starts of the EU flag, as he take part in a demonstration outside the Palace of Westminster in London, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will give British lawmakers a choice of approving her divorce agreement, leaving the EU March 29 without a deal or asking to delay Brexit by up to three months. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) A supporter of leaving the European Union holds up a placard as he take part in a demonstration outside the Palace of Westminster in London, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will give British lawmakers a choice of approving her divorce agreement, leaving the EU March 29 without a deal or asking to delay Brexit by up to three months. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) A projection calling for a second referendum or a so-called "Peoples's vote", on behalf of a pressure group, is cast onto the Houses of Parliament in London, Wednesday Feb. 27, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will give British lawmakers a choice of approving her divorce agreement, leaving the EU March 29 without a deal or asking to delay Brexit by up to three months. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Remain in the European Union protesters eat after paying for snacks at a stall run by the campaigners to help pay for they placards and flags outside the Palace of Westminster in London, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will give British lawmakers a choice of approving her divorce agreement, leaving the EU March 29 without a deal or asking to delay Brexit by up to three months. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Remain in the European Union demonstrators use a megaphone outside the Palace of Westminster in London, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will give British lawmakers a choice of approving her divorce agreement, leaving the EU March 29 without a deal or asking to delay Brexit by up to three months. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - The Latest on Nigeria's election results (all times local): 5:40 p.m. Nigerian opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar says his next steps in challenging the results of Saturday's election "will be revealed to the public shortly." Abubakar received 41 percent of the vote in what he rejects as "the implementation of grand theft of the people's will." He has said he will challenge the results in court. He spoke to reporters Wednesday evening but took no questions. Abubakar asserts that voting was suppressed in his party's strongholds in the oil-rich south and that turnout was unusually high in the extremist-threatened northeast, which backed the winner, President Muhammadu Buhari. A supporter of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari holds up four fingers to indicate "four more years", in the streets of Kano, northern Nigeria, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) The opposition candidate calls this the worst election in three decades but calls for calm: "This is a long journey but I am confident of victory." Nigeria has been peaceful since Buhari was declared the winner early Wednesday. Both he and Abubakar are Muslims from the north, avoiding regional tensions in the vast country split between a largely Muslim north and largely Christian south. ___ 3:25 p.m. Nigeria's newly re-elected president is vowing to combat banditry and deadly violence in the north and central regions, saying that "mass murder of innocent people by criminals would be met with full force." Spokesman Garba Shehu tweeted President Muhammadu Buhari's comments hours after he won a second term and pledged to tackle widespread insecurity. Bandits plague Nigeria's northwest while farmers and herders engage in deadly clashes in the central region over increasingly scarce land. An official says 29 people were killed in central Kaduna state on Tuesday. The spokesman cites the president as saying that "it is a matter of time before these murderous gangs of criminals meet their Waterloo." ___ 2:50 p.m. Nigeria's president says it is "obvious that elections were free and fair" as his top opposition challenger vows to contest the results in court. President Muhammadu Buhari spoke during an electoral commission ceremony confirming his victory, which he secured with 55 percent of the vote. He congratulated all candidates and urged them to accept the democratic approach in Africa's most populous country, "however contentious." "Election is not war and should never be seen as a do-or-die affair," the president added, to applause. Challenger Atiku Abubakar is expected to speak to the media later Wednesday in the capital, Abuja. He asserts that results of Saturday's vote were manipulated. ___ 10:35 a.m. Nigeria's top opposition candidate is rejecting the results of what he calls a "sham election" and says he will be challenging it in court. The statement by Atiku Abubakar was shared by aides on Wednesday morning, a few hours after the electoral commission declared President Muhammadu Buhari the winner of Saturday's election by nearly 4 million votes. Abubakar's statement says he could have conceded "within seconds" if the vote had been free and fair, but it alleges "manifest and premeditated malpractices" in many of Nigeria's 36 states. The statement asserts that voting was suppressed in Abubakar's strongholds in the south and that states where an extremist insurgency continues generated "much higher voter turnouts" than in peaceful states. It also objects to the deployment of the military in some areas. Abubakar's statement adds that "I have never seen our democracy so debased." It does not say when a court challenge will be lodged. ___ Nigeria's president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession. While many frustrated Nigerians had said they wanted to give someone new a try, President Muhammadu Buhari , a former military dictator, profited from his upright reputation in an oil-rich nation weary of politicians enriching themselves instead of the people. Speaking shortly after the announcement of the official results and as many Nigerians awakened to the morning prayer, Buhari told colleagues that he was "deeply humbled" by the win. He also said he regretted the loss of dozens of lives in election-related violence. "I will like to make a special appeal to my supporters not to gloat or humiliate the opposition. Victory is enough reward for your efforts," said Buhari. He pledged that in his second term, his new administration "will intensify its efforts in security, restructuring the economy and fighting corruption. ... We will strive to strengthen our unity and inclusiveness so that no section or group will feel left behind or left out." Supporters began dancing in the streets of the capital, Abuja, on Tuesday night as vote counting stretched his lead from the weekend election to nearly 4 million votes over top opposition challenger Atiku Abubakar, a billionaire former vice president who made sweeping campaign promises to "make Nigeria work again." Buhari received 15.1 million votes, or 55 percent, the electoral commission said in making its official declaration. Abubakar received 11.2 million, or 41 percent. The average national turnout was 35.6 percent, continuing a downward trend. In a failed last-ditch effort to stop the official declaration, Abubakar's party claimed that election data had been manipulated and demanded fresh elections in four of Nigeria's 36 states. Buhari's party rejected the accusations. It also called on Abubakar, who hasn't made a public appearance since Saturday's election, to accept his loss gracefully and concede. "Let this nation move forward," campaign spokesman Babatunde Fashola said. "There's no opposition that will roll over and play dead. Anybody that lost an election will always complain," Hameed Ali, the ruling party agent attending the vote declaration, told reporters. The election, once described as too close to call, suffered from a surprise weeklong postponement and significant delays in the opening of polling stations. While election observers called the process generally peaceful, at least 53 people were killed in an attack claimed by the Islamic State West Africa Province extremist group and other violence, analysis unit SBM Intelligence said. It remained to be seen whether Abubakar will follow through on pledges to accept a loss, or challenge the results. A former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, said the troubled election had given the candidates grounds to go to the courts. That route could take months. Many Nigerians have prayed for peace. They were surprised in 2015 when President Goodluck Jonathan took the unprecedented step of conceding to Buhari before official results were announced. It was the first defeat of an incumbent president by the opposition in the country's history. "Jonathan set the benchmark on how electoral outcomes should be handled," Chris Kwaja, a senior adviser to the United States Institute of Peace, a U.S. government-backed institution promoting conflict resolution worldwide, told The Associated Press. "Accept defeat in the spirit of sportsmanship. This is a critical vehicle for democratic consolidation." Nigerians were praised for their patience and resilience in this bumpy vote. ___ Anna reported from Kano, Nigeria. Associated Press writer Sam Olukoya in Lagos, Nigeria, contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP's full coverage of the Nigeria elections here: https://www.apnews.com/Nigeria ___ Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa Supporters of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari celebrate his electoral win in the streets of Yola, northern Nigeria, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Buhari was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) In this photo released by the Nigeria State House, Nigeria's incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress party, speaks as he was declared the winner of the just concluded Presidential election in Abuja Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Nigeria's president was declared the clear winner of a second term in Africa's largest democracy early Wednesday, after a campaign in which he urged voters to give him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession.(Bayo Omoboriowo/Nigeria State House via AP) Supporters of Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari pour champagne anticipating a win as they wait for the results to be officially announced in Abuja, Nigeria, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Anxious Nigerians on Tuesday awaited a second day of state-by-state announcements of presidential election results in a race described as too close to call. Buhari is facing opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Supporters of Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari dance to Lady Gaga songs anticipating a win as they wait for the results to be officially announced in Abuja, Nigeria, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Anxious Nigerians on Tuesday awaited a second day of state-by-state announcements of presidential election results in a race described as too close to call. Buhari is facing opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Supporters of Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari take selfies at Buhari's campaign headquarters as they wait for the results to be officially announced in Abuja, Nigeria, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Anxious Nigerians on Tuesday awaited a second day of state-by-state announcements of presidential election results in a race described as too close to call. Buhari is facing opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Supporters of Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari party anticipating a win as they wait for the results to be officially announced in Abuja, Nigeria, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Anxious Nigerians on Tuesday awaited a second day of state-by-state announcements of presidential election results in a race described as too close to call. Buhari is facing opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Supporters of Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari party anticipating a win as they wait for the results to be officially announced in Abuja, Nigeria, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Anxious Nigerians on Tuesday awaited a second day of state-by-state announcements of presidential election results in a race described as too close to call. Buhari is facing opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) A man takes a call on his cellphone as he stands between two billboards showing Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari and other party officials, in Kano, northern Nigeria Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Buhari's election lead grew on Tuesday during a second day of announcing state-by-state election results in Africa's largest democracy. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) FILE - In this Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019 file photo, Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari speaks to the media after casting his vote in his hometown of Daura, in northern Nigeria. Nigeria's president was poised to win a second term in Africa's largest democracy, with unofficial results on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019 showing a victory, his campaign spokesman said. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File) LONDON (AP) - The Latest on the negotiations on Brexit (all times local): 7:50 p.m. Britain's Parliament has underscored Prime Minister Theresa May's promise to give lawmakers a vote on whether to delay Brexit rather than leave the European Union at the end of March without a divorce deal. The House of Commons voted 502 to 20 on Wednesday in favor of a motion backing May's commitment to hand lawmakers a say in the Brexit process if she can't win backing for her withdrawal deal by March 12. May said Tuesday that lawmakers would get to vote March 13 on whether to leave the EU with no deal, and to vote again the next day on whether to seek to postpone the scheduled Brexit day of March 29. Wednesday's vote in the House of Commons was a symbolic move designed to ensure the government doesn't try to wriggle out of the promise. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks to lawmakers in parliament, London, Wednesday Feb. 27, 2019. May insisted Wednesday that Britain will leave the European Union on schedule next month, amid signs that her promise to give Parliament a vote on delaying Brexit was boosting support for her unpopular EU divorce deal. (Mark Duffy/UK Parliament via AP) The government did not oppose the amendment. Some pro-Brexit lawmakers, who fear a delay could be used to try to stop Brexit altogether, abstained. ___ 7:35 p.m. Britain has agreed to guarantee the rights of European Union citizens in the country, even if it leaves the bloc without a divorce deal. An agreement struck between the U.K. and the bloc says 3 million EU citizens in Britain and 1 million U.K. nationals in other EU nations can continue their lives undisturbed after Brexit. But the deal has not been approved by Britain's Parliament, leaving a question mark over the citizens' status just a month before the scheduled Brexit day of March 29. On Wednesday, the Conservative government agreed that Prime Minister Theresa May will seek a joint U.K.-EU commitment on citizens' rights, whether or not the Brexit deal is approved. The move had gained wide support across the political spectrum, and the government agreed to support it to avoid an embarrassing defeat in Parliament. ___ 4:30 p.m. Britain has struck a deal through the World Trade Organization for a post-Brexit world, inking plans to stay part of a market for lucrative government contracts with dozens of trading partners. The accord reached Wednesday paves the way for Britain to retain its place among 47 WTO countries that are involved in the Government Procurement Agreement, including the European Union's 28 and soon to be 27 members. The arrangement ensures continuity of cross-border bidding for big-ticket government contracts, though military contracts are generally excluded. A Geneva-based trade official said the agreement was a relatively straightforward step but also important for ensuring access to a combined market valued at over $1.7 trillion. Britain still faces unresolved issues when it comes to access for its goods and services markets after its withdrawal from the EU scheduled for March 29. ___ 2 p.m. French President Emmanuel Macron says Britain needs a good reason to seek a delay of its scheduled March 29 departure from the European Union. Speaking in a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Paris Wednesday, Macron reiterated that the withdrawal agreement "cannot be renegotiated." Any delay request would need to be justified by "a clear perspective on the goal," he said. "We don't need time, we need decisions." Merkel said that Germany and France "agree completely" that the already-negotiated withdrawal agreement stands. "If Britain needs a bit more time, we will not refuse that, but we are aiming for an orderly solution - an orderly withdrawal by the British from the European Union," she said. ___ 1:35 p.m. EU negotiator Michel Barnier is holding out the possibility that Britain can still exit the European Union in an orderly fashion. Barnier said in an interview on Wednesday with FranceInfo radio that "I think we can save this accord" but that it's up to Britain to take responsibility. Barnier said: "It's not correct to say that a no-deal is the most probable" outcome. "It's a possibility. It's not yet a probability." If British lawmakers agree to seek an extension of the March 29 exit date, the 27 other countries in the EU must unanimously agree. He said everyone must be sure that extending negotiations won't still lead to the impasse facing both sides today. He added that he sees no "added value" in Britain's departure. "Brexit is lose-lose." ___ 10:30 a.m. The Czech Parliament has approved a government plan to guarantee the short-term rights of British citizens in the country in the event of a "no-deal" Brexit. The lower house approved the plan in January, and the upper house, or the Senate, followed suit in a 72-1 vote on Wednesday. The plan means that the roughly 8,000 Britons currently living in the country would retain their rights immediately after Brexit, even if Britain crashes out of the EU in March with no deal. They would retain basically the same rights as citizens of EU countries for a transitional period until Dec. 31, 2020. "The goal of the law is to prevent serious complications" those Britons might face, Interior Minister Jan Hamacek told lawmakers. They would retain basically the same rights as citizens of EU countries for a transitional period until Dec. 31, 2020. ___ 9:35 a.m. A senior German official says Berlin would want to see "something substantially new" put on the table to justify delaying Brexit. British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will give British lawmakers a choice of approving her divorce agreement, leaving the EU March 29 without a deal or asking to delay Brexit by up to three months. A delay would require other EU members' approval. Michael Roth, a German deputy foreign minister, told ZDF television Wednesday that "for us as the German government, it is important that something substantially new be put on the table that justifies a delay." He added that "if we can really achieve something new with a delay, and if we then reach a sensible decision, we are the last people who will stand in the way." ___ 9:25 a.m. The head of one of Britain's biggest business organizations says Prime Minister Theresa May's decision to allow lawmakers to delay the country's exit from the European Union provides an "option on sanity." May on Tuesday said Parliament will get the chance to delay Britain's scheduled March 29 departure if lawmakers fail to approve the divorce agreement with the bloc. Confederation of British Industry head Carolyn Fairbairn told the BBC on Wednesday that neither business nor the government is ready to leave, and exiting without a deal would be "a wrecking ball on our economy." Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay refused to take the possibility of a no-deal Brexit off the table, however, telling the BBC: "It will be for Parliament to decide." German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, and French President Emmanuel Macron attend a press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool Photo via AP) British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street in London, to attend Prime Minister's Questions at the Houses of Parliament, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) Demonstrators protest opposite the Houses of Parliament in London, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein) WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen (all times local): 4:55 p.m. President Donald Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, says he's seen the president's tax returns but hasn't gone through them. Cohen is testifying Wednesday before the House oversight committee. Trump broke with decades of tradition for presidential candidates by refusing to release his income tax filings during his 2016 campaign. He has said he won't release them because he is being audited. Cohen on Wednesday undercut that rationale, saying he presumes Trump is not being audited. Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Cohen says he asked Trump for paperwork about the audit to prepare Trump's response to reporters about the issue but never received any documentation. Cohen says Trump didn't want to release his tax returns because he "didn't want an entire group of think tanks, who are tax experts, to run through his returns." __ 3:40 p.m. The Florida Bar has opened an investigation into a U.S. congressman from Florida after it received a complaint about a taunting tweet he made hours before Presidnet Donald Trump's former attorney, Michael Cohen, testified before a U.S. House committee. Florida Bar spokeswoman Francine Walker said in an email Wednesday that an investigation has been opened into Republican Matt Gaetz, but confidentiality rules prevent her from offering any further details. Gaetz, who is a Florida Bar member, has 15 days to respond. After an initial evaluation, the case is sent to a branch office and then a grievance committee, if Bar officials believe it has merit. If the grievance committee finds probable cause, charges are filed with the Florida Supreme Court and then a judge is appointed to hear the case. __ 3:20 p.m. A spokeswoman for President Donald Trump's re-election campaign is dismissing Michael Cohen's testimony as coming from a felon and convicted liar. Kayleigh McEnany says in a statement Wednesday that Cohen is offering "what he says is evidence, but the only support for that is his own testimony." Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, is appearing before the House Oversight and Reform Committee. In his testimony, Cohen painted Trump as a racist and conman who acted like a mob boss. He said Trump used those around him to tamp down allegations that could be damaging to him. McEnany emphasizes that prosecutors have said Cohen had an instinct to blame others and committed crimes, in part, to benefit himself. Cohen has pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations and lying to Congress. __ 2:40 p.m. President Donald Trump's former lawyer says he was pressured by the president to lie to first lady Melania (meh-LAH'-nee-ah) Trump about hush money payments paid to a porn actress who alleged she had an affair with Donald Trump. Michael Cohen tells the House Oversight and Reform Committee that the president put him on the phone with Mrs. Trump, and Cohen says he misled her in that conversation. Cohen is referring to $130,000 that he arranged to be paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford. The White House has denied that Trump had an affair with Daniels. ___ 2:10 p.m. Fordham University is confirming it received a letter from Donald Trump's then-lawyer threatening legal action if Trump's academic records became public. Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen has testified to Congress that Trump directed him to write letters warning his schools and the College Board not to disclose his grades or SAT scores. Cohen has given the House Oversight and Reform Committee a copy of his letter to Fordham. It was dated May 2015, about a month before Trump started his presidential campaign. Fordham says the letter from Trump's lawyer was preceded by a phone call from a campaign staffer. Fordham says it's bound by federal law barring the release of student records. Trump attended the Roman Catholic university in New York City for two years. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. Penn and the College Board declined to comment. ___ 1:50 p.m. Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen says President Donald Trump called him and asked him to mislead the public about hush money paid to a porn actress. Cohen says during testimony before the House Oversight and Reform Committee that Trump called him in February 2018 to discuss the public messaging about $130,000 paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about allegations of an extramarital affair. Cohen says Trump asked him to say that the president "wasn't knowledgeable" about the payments. In fact, Cohen says Trump directed and coordinated the payments. Documents also show Trump personally signed at least one check paid to Cohen to reimburse him for the payments. The White House has denied Trump had an affair with Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford. ___ 1 p.m. President Donald Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, says prosecutors in New York are investigating conversations that Trump or his advisers had with Cohen after his hotel room was raided by the FBI. Cohen is testifying before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, and he was asked by a Democrat, Raja Krishnamoorthi (krish-nah-MOOR'-thee) of Illinois, about the last contact Cohen had with Trump or any agent representing the president. Cohen says it was about two months after his hotel room was raided by the FBI in April 2018. But Cohen is declining to provide more specific details and says prosecutors are investigating the matter. Cohen has pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations, lying to Congress and other offenses. He's been cooperating with prosecutors and is expected to begin a three-year prison sentence in May. ___ 12:45 p.m. For much of Michael Cohen's congressional testimony, Republicans on the House Oversight and Reform Committee have called President Donald Trump's former lawyer a liar. Rep. Paul Gosar (GOH'-sahr) of Arizona and other Republicans say Cohen can't be trusted for what he says about Trump because Cohen pleaded guilty last year for lying to Congress. At the hearing, Gosar put up a sign that read "Liar, Liar Pants on Fire" and called Cohen a "pathological liar." Democrats shot back, with Massachusetts Rep. Stephen Lynch saying committee Republicans "aren't afraid you're going to lie. I think they're afraid you're going to tell the truth." Cohen turned the focus on the president, saying lying became "the norm" working for Trump. ___ 12 p.m. President Donald Trump's eldest sons are tweeting their thoughts about Michael Cohen's public testimony - and they're ridiculing him as a disgruntled ex-employee out to try and save himself. Cohen is the president's former lawyer who's cooperated with special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation and is set to begin a three-year prison sentence in May. Cohen is testifying before the House Oversight and Reform Committee. Donald Trump Jr. tweets that Cohen's testimony sounded "like a breakup letter" and that it's "funny how things change when you're trying to save your ass." Trump Jr. and Eric Trump suggest the longtime Trump loyalist is retaliating against the president after getting rejected for a White House job. Eric Trump tweets Cohen was "lobbying EVERYONE" to be chief of staff and that it "was the biggest joke in the campaign." Cohen tells the committee he was never interested in such a position. Eric Trump also is taking aim at Cohen's impending prison sentence by tweeting a Republican Party video about Cohen with the title, "Have Fun in Prison!" ___ 11:17 a.m. President Donald Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, says he doesn't know whether Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election, but he has "suspicions" about that. Cohen tells a House committee that he witnessed instances before the election in which Trump was informed about WikiLeaks' release of Democratic National Committee emails and about a Trump Tower meeting that included campaign advisers, Trump's oldest son and a Russian lawyer. Cohen says Trump had told him that the younger Trump "had the worst judgment of anyone in the world." Cohen also said Donald Trump Jr. "would never set up any meeting of any significance alone - and certainly not without checking with his father." Cohen has turned on his former boss and cooperated with special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Cohen begins a three-year prison sentence in May. ___ 11:15 a.m. "Not true." That's the word from Roger Stone, a confidant of President Donald Trump, in response to a claim by Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen. Cohen has testified to a House committee that Stone told Trump that the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks planned to release emails damaging to Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. Cohen says Stone told Trump in July 2016 that Stone had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange, who run WikiLeaks, and that there would be a "massive dump" of emails harmful to the Clinton campaign. Cohen's allegation would contradict the president's assertions that he was in the dark on this issue. It's not immediately clear what evidence Cohen has to support the allegation or how legally problematic the claim it might be for Trump. Stone has pleaded not guilty to witness tampering and obstruction in Mueller's investigation ___ 11:10 a.m. President Donald Trump's former lawyer is apologizing to Congress and the American people for, in his words, "actively working to hide from you the truth about Mr. Trump when you needed it most." Michael Cohen is also apologizing to lawmakers for lying to Congress in 2017. Cohen pleaded guilty to that lying, among other offenses, and is headed to prison in May. Cohen tells a House committee that "it seems unbelievable that I was so mesmerized by Donald Trump that I was willing to do things for him that I knew were absolutely wrong." ___ 11 a.m. Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen says he wouldn't accept a pardon from the president and he didn't ask for one. Cohen is testifying under oath before the House Oversight and Reform Committee - and has said that Trump instructed him to pay off women who said they'd had affairs with the president. Trump has denied the claims. For more than a decade, Cohen was a key power player in the Trump Organization and a fixture in Trump's political life. Cohen is set to begin a three-year prison sentence in May after pleading guilty to lying to Congress in 2017 and committing campaign finance violations while he was working for Trump. Cohen says he's speaking before the committee to set the record straight and try to atone for some of his mistakes. ___ 10:58 a.m. President Donald Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, says Trump personally signed checks repaying him for hush money paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels. Cohen has presented a check to the House Oversight and Reform Committee. The $35,000 check was from dated August 2017. Cohen has pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations connected to a $130,000 hush-money deal involving porn actress Stormy Daniels. She alleges an affair; Trump denies it. Cohen says he personally paid Daniels. But Trump's current lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has said Cohen was repaid through a retainer agreement. Prosecutors have said the Trump Organization paid Cohen in monthly installments to reimburse him for the Daniels' payment. They say Cohen used "sham" invoices to try to conceal the true nature of the payments. A second check from March 2017 was signed by Donald Trump Jr. and Trump's chief financial officer. ___ 10:55 a.m. The president's former personal lawyer says Donald Trump lied about his wealth to look richer to Forbes magazine and less wealthy for tax authorities. Michael Cohen is testifying under oath before the House Oversight and Reform Committee. Cohen says financial documents show Trump inflated his assets to rank higher on the Forbes world's billionaires list. Trump ranked 766th on the publication's latest list, which was released last March. Cohen claims Trump would also deflate his assets to pay lower real estate taxes. Democrats have promised an aggressive effort to investigate the president since they regained control of the House in January. For more than a decade, Cohen was a key power player in the Trump Organization and a fixture in Trump's political life. Cohen is set to begin a three-year prison sentence in May after pleading guilty to lying to Congress in 2017 and committing campaign finance violations while he was working for Trump. ___ 10:52 a.m. Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen is telling Congress that President Donald Trump lied to the American people about negotiations during the 2016 presidential campaign about a proposed Trump building in Russia. Cohen says in public testimony before the House Oversight and Reform Committee that Trump "knew of and directed" the negotiations about a proposed Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen pleaded guilty last year to lying to Congress about the timing of the business proposal. Cohen is testifying that Trump didn't "directly" tell him to lie to Congress about the project but he did so "in his way." Cohen says that while he was negotiating the Russian business deal during the campaign, Trump would look him in the eye and tell him "there's no business in Russia." ___ 10:50 a.m. The top Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee is charging that Democrats are bringing President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to testify so they can "start their impeachment process." Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio tells the committee chairman, Maryland Democrat Elijah Cummings, at the start of the hearing that "your chairmanship will always be identified by this hearing." Jordan and other Republicans are challenging Cohen's credibility because Cohen is going to prison for lying to Congress in 2017, among other charges. Democrats invited Cohen to testify after he turned on Trump and started cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. ___ 10:45 a.m. President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, is accusing Trump of being a "racist." Testifying under oath before a House committee, Cohen says he heard Trump say that black people "would never vote for him because they were too stupid." Cohen says that when he and Trump were driving through a "struggling neighborhood" in Chicago, Trump said that "only black people could live that way." Trump has denied charges of racism before, and has said, "I've never used racist remarks." For more than a decade, Cohen was a key power player in the Trump Organization and a fixture in Trump's political life. Cohen is set to begin a three-year prison sentence in May after pleading guilty to lying to Congress in 2017 and committing campaign finance violations while he was working for Trump. ___ 10:30 a.m. The president's former personal lawyer claims Donald Trump was told in advance that WikiLeaks planned to release emails damaging to Hillary Clinton's 2016 White House campaign. That's what Michael Cohen is telling the House Oversight and Reform Committee. In his prepared testimony, Cohen says he was in Trump's office in 2016 when Trump adviser Roger Stone called. Cohen says Stone told Trump that Stone had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange, who run the anti-secrecy WikiLeaks group, and that there would be a "massive dump" of emails harmful to the Clinton campaign. Cohen's allegation would contradict the president's assertions that he was in the dark on this issue. It's not immediately clear what evidence Cohen has to support the allegation or how legally problematic this claim it might be for Trump. Special counsel Robert Mueller hasn't suggested that merely being aware of WikiLeaks' plans is by itself a crime. Stone has pleaded not guilty to witness tampering and obstruction in Mueller's investigation. ___ 10:25 a.m. The chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee says the public has a right to hear from former Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer. Democrat Elijah Cummings of Maryland says Cohen's testimony is necessary because it's the committee's job to search out the truth. Cummings says the committee won't restrict any questions, and that means some lawmakers may ask about special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. ___ 10:20 a.m. As soon as the House hearing involving President Donald Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, got underway, a key Republican lawmaker claimed that the committee was violating its own rules. Rep. Mark Meadows, a top Trump ally, said Cohen was showing "disdain" for the committee process by failing to submit his prepared remarks ahead of time. Meadows claimed it was an intentional "violation of the rules." Cohen's much-anticipated testimony was received by the committee the night before Wednesday's session, according to the chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland. Meadows made a motion to postpone the hearing. Lawmakers quickly voted to reject the motion and the hearing resumed. ___ 10:15 a.m. A Democratic member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee says that restrictions on questions about Russia have been lifted when the committee questions Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer. Just before the hearing began, Rep. Gerry Connolly said he'd discussed the issue with the committee's leadership. The Virginia congressman said previous limits on questions about Russia were "null and void" because Cohen mentioned the issue in his opening statement. The committee chairman had issued a memo outlining the scope of the hearing, and it didn't include questions about Russia. Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings had said that he didn't want to interfere with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. ___ 10 a.m. A congressional hearing is underway featuring the much-anticipated public testimony from Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer. Cohen is expected to detail before the House Oversight and Reform Committee what he believes is Trump's lying, racism and cheating, and possibly even criminal conduct. Cohen, who was Trump's longtime fixer, is the first high-profile witness called before the committee as newly empowered Democrats pursue an aggressive effort to investigate the president. Cohen played a pivotal role in buying the silence of a porn actress and a former Playboy Playmate who both alleged they had sex with Trump. The president has denied their claims. Cohen has pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations connected to the payments and to lying to Congress. He's set to begin a three-year prison sentence in May. ___ 4:30 a.m. President Donald Trump is lashing out at his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, before Cohen testifies at a public hearing. Trump is distancing himself from Cohen in a tweet from Hanoi, Vietnam, where he has traveled for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump insists Cohen was just "one of many lawyers who represented me (unfortunately)." He also says Cohen "had other clients also" and "did bad things unrelated to Trump." Cohen plans to tell a House committee on Wednesday that Trump knew ahead of time that WikiLeaks had emails damaging to 2016 Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and that Trump is a "racist," a "conman" and a "cheat." That's according to prepared testimony obtained by The Associated Press. Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a project in Russia. Trump accuses Cohen of now lying to reduce his prison sentence. ___ 2:15 a.m. President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer is planning to tell a House committee that Trump knew ahead of time that WikiLeaks had emails damaging to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. In prepared testimony obtained by The Associated Press, Michael Cohen says that Trump implicitly told him to lie about a Moscow real estate project. And the former Trump fixer brands his old boss a "racist," a "conman" and a "cheat." On the matter of racism, Cohen says the president made racist comments "disparaging African-Americans, saying at one point that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid." Ahead of his appearance, Cohen said Tuesday that the American people can decide "exactly who is telling the truth" when he testifies Wednesday before the House Oversight and Reform committee. Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) A poster on display during a hearing with Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) House Oversight and Reform Committee Chair Elijah Cummings, D-Md., watches during a break in testimony by Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) ISLAMABAD (AP) - Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan face their worst tension in years over the disputed region of Kashmir, with Islamabad saying they shot down two Indian warplanes Wednesday and captured a pilot. Pakistan, which previously said it captured two pilots, immediately shut down its civilian airspace in response. But how did the relations between these two Asian nations become so bad and what's at stake in this rapidly worsening conflict that both sides say they want to de-escalate? ___ WHAT STARTED THIS LATEST TENSION? On Feb. 14, a suicide car bomber attacked a paramilitary convoy on the Indian-controlled side of Kashmir in the Himalayas, killing more than 40 troops. The militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, which is based in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack. The suicide bomber was from Indian Kashmir. New Delhi long has accused Pakistan of cultivating such groups, something denied by Islamabad. India launched an airstrike on Pakistani territory early Tuesday that New Delhi called a pre-emptive strike against militant camps in Pakistan. India said its bombs killed a "very large number" of militants, while Pakistan said there were no casualties in an airstrike it described as being carried out "in haste." ___ A Kashmiri worker paints the red and white medical emblem of cross on the roof of SMHS hospital as tensions escalate between India and Pakistan in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/ Dar Yasin) WHY IS THIS TENSION SO DANGEROUS? Both India and Pakistan are believed to possess more than 100 nuclear warheads each and have conducted atomic weapon tests. Both countries have test-fired nuclear-capable missiles. Pakistan also has refused to renounce a first-strike option with its atomic bombs should it feel outgunned in a conventional war. It takes less than four minutes for a missile fired from Pakistan to reach India. The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists warns that "computer models have predicted that the physical impacts of a nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan, or even a single strike on a large city, would be devastating . and would reverberate throughout the world." ___ HOW DID THE DISPUTE OVER KASHMIR BEGIN? When Britain granted independence to the region in 1947, it divided the Indian subcontinent into a predominantly Hindu India and mostly Muslim Pakistan. Some areas could decide their own fate. In Kashmir, the only Muslim majority area ruled by a Hindu monarch, its ruler decided against giving the population a choice. That started the first India-Pakistan war in 1947. The conflict ended in 1949 when a United Nations resolution established the Line of Control dividing Kashmir between the two nations and calling for a direct vote on which country should control it. That vote has never been held. Indian and Pakistan fought a second war over Kashmir in 1965. ___ WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE? India and Pakistan fought a third war in 1971 over what was East Pakistan, which later became an independent Bangladesh. In 1999 and 2000, after Pakistan's military sent a ground force into Indian-controlled Kashmir at Kargil, the two countries faced off and a worried world urged both to pull back from the brink of war, fearing it could escalate into a nuclear conflict. Even in times of relative peace the two nations readily engage in brinkmanship and aggressive rhetoric. ___ HOW DO THE MILITARIES OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN COMPARE? India, home to 1.3 billion people, has a conventional army of about 1.4 million soldiers. Pakistan, with a population of over 200 million people, has about 650,000 troops. Both countries have spent billions developing conventional arms. Last year, Pakistan spent about $11 billion or about 3.6 percent of its gross domestic product on defense. India meanwhile allocated about $58 billion, or 2.1 percent of its GDP on defense, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. India's ballooning military spending has propelled it to the world's fifth-biggest defense spender, surpassing the United Kingdom, according to the IISS. ___ HOW IS PAKISTAN REACTING? Pakistan, which has a history of military coups and strong-arm rule from those tied to its intelligence services, has largely reacted to this conflict through its civilian government. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi took the lead to condemn the airstrike Tuesday, painting India as an aggressor who would suffer repercussions, without elaborating. Qureshi also accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of playing with regional stability to get votes in upcoming national elections. Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for a joint meeting of Pakistan's upper and lower houses of parliament. Public criticism of India has been loud across Pakistani media, with sporadic protests against New Delhi breaking out across the country. ___ HOW IS INDIA REACTING? Indian government officials called the airstrike Tuesday a counterterrorism operation based on credible intelligence that another attack against India was imminent. The tensions could be a boon for Modi, whose Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party aims to maintain power in elections due by May. The airstrike appears to have temporarily insulated the Modi government from criticism about it failing to create as many jobs as pledged in the 2014 elections. Opposition party leaders have responded with support for India's air force. Meanwhile, Modi earned points with the powerful Hindu nationalist social group, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said Tuesday: "Truth and non-violence are fine, but the world understands the language of power." ___ Associated Press writer Emily Schmall in New Delhi contributed to this report. A Pakistani Kashmiri walks through the closed market following the intense exchange of fire between Pakistan and India at border town of Chakoti at the Line of Control in Pakistani Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's air force shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the boundary between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the disputed territory of Kashmir on Wednesday and captured one Indian pilot, a military spokesman said. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal) Pakistani watch news bulletins on television in Karachi, Pakistan, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's air force shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the boundary between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the disputed territory of Kashmir on Wednesday and captured one Indian pilot, a military spokesman said. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan) Pakistani Kashmiris walk through the closed main market, following the intense exchange of fire between Pakistan and India at the border town of Chakoti at the Line of Control in Pakistani Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's air force shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the boundary between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the disputed territory of Kashmir on Wednesday and captured one Indian pilot, a military spokesman said. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal) HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Senior members of North Korea's delegation to Hanoi for Kim Jong Un's summit with President Donald Trump took a side trip Wednesday to visit one of Vietnam's most successful conglomerates. Kim has several senior foreign and economic advisers with him in Hanoi and gleaning insights into ways to improve the North's economy appears to be high on their list of priorities. As Kim stayed behind to prepare for the summit, a motorcade with former Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong, who is now the ruling party's top foreign policy adviser, and O Su Yong, a ruling party vice chairman and director of its Economic Affairs Department, traveled by car to the port city of Hai Phong, about 105 kilometers (60 miles) east of Hanoi, for a tour of Vinfast, which is part of the Vingroup, Vietnam's largest conglomerate. Kim's visit for the two-day summit with Trump is seen as a good chance for Vietnam to show him that a war-ravaged Communist country can produce billionaires by launching reforms to attract foreign trade and investment. While Kim wasn't in the motorcade, much of the route was lined with Vietnamese and North Korean flags. Hundreds of engineering students waved as the limousines entered the factory complex. Trump has also made a point of how he hopes Kim will follow Vietnam's example. Students of Vinfast Training Center holding Vietnam and North Korea national flags as they prepare for the arrival of a senior North Korean delegation at VinFast, an automotive startup manufacturer in Hai Phong, Vietnam Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un prepared for his second summit with President Donald Trump, top members of his delegation made a whirlwind tour of one of Vietnam's most successful conglomerates. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang) "Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize," he tweeted on Wednesday before his first meeting with Kim. "The potential is AWESOME, a great opportunity, like almost none other in history, for my friend Kim Jong Un." Vietnam is one of fastest growing economies in Asia and the Vingroup is one of its flagship successes. Vinfast's businesses range from real estate development, hospitals and education to car manufacturing, agriculture, retails and resorts. Its operation in the Dinh Vu industrial park in Hai Phong uses technology from BMW and Bosch, among others, and is expected to start rolling out cars later this year. Pham Nhat Vuong, chairman of Vingroup, ranked 499th in Forbes' world's richest people's list, worth $7.8 billion as of Feb. 24, 2019 and is Vietnam's richest man. The Forbes list includes three other Vietnamese. Earlier in the day, the North Korean officials visited Quang Ninh province, location of the UNESCO world heritage site Ha Long Bay and about a half-hour's drive from Hai Phong. Like Vietnam, North Korea is trying to tap tourism as a potential major income source. A big drawback for the North is its restrictive regulations on what tourists can do and where they can go. Since Trump took office there has been a travel ban on all non-essential trips by U.S. citizens. The North may be hoping to see that ban lifted if the summit talks go smoothly. ___ AP reporter Minh Tran contributed to this report. Talmadge is the AP's Pyongyang bureau chief. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram: @EricTalmadge ___ Follow all of AP's summit coverage: https://apnews.com/Trump-KimSummit Students of Vinfast Training Center holding Vietnam and North Korea national flags as they prepare for the arrival of a senior North Korean delegation at VinFast, an automotive startup manufacturer in Hai Phong, Vietnam Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un prepared for his second summit with President Donald Trump, top members of his delegation made a whirlwind tour of one of Vietnam's most successful conglomerates. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang) Policemen stand guard outside VinFast, an automotive startup manufacturer in Hai Phong, Vietnam Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un prepared for his second summit with President Donald Trump, top members of his delegation made a whirlwind tour of one of Vietnam's most successful conglomerates. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang) Two men walk outside the main entrance of VinFast, an automotive startup manufacturer in Hai Phong, Vietnam Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un prepared for his second summit with President Donald Trump, top members of his delegation made a whirlwind tour of one of Vietnam's most successful conglomerates. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang) ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - After 10 years of delay, a federal judge has ruled that three former inmates who say they were tortured at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison can go forward with their lawsuit against a military contractor. Arlington-based CACI Premier Technology asked the judge Wednesday to dismiss the lawsuit. The company, which supplied the Army with civilian interrogators, argued that the government's refusal to declassify key facts is making it impossible to defend itself. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema acknowledged CACI's frustration but said the lawsuit can move forward even though the government says certain facts like the identities of the interrogators are state secrets that can't be declassified. The case is now slated to go to trial in April. While other pretrial matters remain unresolved, Brinkema told both sides that "you should expect if you don't settle this case, it'll go to trial." The lawsuit, first filed in 2008, has previously been tossed out on multiple occasions, but each time the 4th U.S. Circuit of Appeals in Richmond has revived the case and ordered the district court to take a closer look. Brinkema said she has interpreted her mandate from the 4th Circuit as one that generally requires her to get the case in front of a jury. The judge did say, though, that she expects to toss one of the four Iraqi plaintiffs from the case because his allegations of abuse largely occurred before CACI interrogators arrived in Iraq in late September 2003. The inmates say they were beaten and tortured by military police officers who were acting at the direction of civilian interrogators who wanted the inmates "softened up" for questioning. Some of the inmates who filed the lawsuit, with assistance from the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights, say they suffered abuse mirroring some of the most well-documented incidents that shocked the world's conscience when photos from Abu Ghraib were publicized 15 years ago, including being stacked into naked human pyramids. CACI says none of its interrogators are linked to the abuse suffered by the inmates who are suing. CACI's lawyers have expressed concern that they will be unfairly tarnished in front of the jury by the worst of what occurred at Abu Ghraib when they say it was military police who conducted the worst abuse. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Many Southern communities could face weeks of flooding, along with other disruptions, as recent rains have sent many streams over their banks. In one Mississippi Delta hamlet, the mayor says water has cut off all but one road into the town and forced some residents to flee. Runoff is pooling behind a Mississippi levee and could cause record flooding. And the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened a spillway to relieve pressure on New Orleans. Nearly the entire state of Tennessee has seen 10-20 inches (25-51 centimeters) of rain this month, the National Weather Service said. The Tennessee Department of Transportation is building temporary lanes on Interstate 24 near Nashville after a landslide closed the highway's eastbound lanes Saturday. Authorities Wednesday estimated 800-900 homes flooded in and around Knoxville. The Tennessee River was cresting Wednesday at Perryville, Tennessee, at the third-highest level ever, with waters predicted to fall gradually. Many riverside buildings are submerged in a string of small towns, and drinking water is cut off in a few areas. "People are going to be shell-shocked when the water recedes," Hardin County Mayor Kevin Davis told the Jackson Sun. The Ohio River is predicted to crest this weekend at Cairo, Illinois, also at the third-highest level ever. But the flow is far from over downriver, with crests at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and below unlikely until the middle of March. In this Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019 photo, Terry Huddleston looks out over a group of houses on Due West Plantation, just outside Glendora, Miss. The property was surrounded by water after recent flooding until workers used polytubes to build dams around the structures and pump the water out from around the houses. (Gavin Melissa/The Commonwealth via AP) In Glendora, Mississippi, the town of 151 people was caught between the flooded Tallahatchie River and Black Bayou. Water is within inches of covering U.S. 49, the only unflooded route into town. Mayor Johnny B. Thomas told The Associated Press that 12-15 houses in the small Delta town are flooded. A shelter is open, although Thomas said many people are trying to stay home. The water has receded an inch or two. Thomas said, but National Weather Service forecasters are warning of more rain over the weekend. "I've never seen it this bad," he said. Thomas said. "I'm surrounded with water under my house." Some of that water is pooling up against a closed Mississippi River levee and could cause a 75-mile-long flood in the Mississippi Delta. Mississippi Levee Board Chief Engineer Peter Nimrod said Wednesday that water inside the Yazoo Backwater Levee could reach the highest levels since the levee was completed in 1978. The levee protects thousands of square miles from even worse flooding by the Mississippi River. But when officials close a floodgate that keeps out the big river, water draining down smaller rivers has nowhere to go. That gate is closed now and is unlikely to reopen until late in March. "The water just sits there," Nimrod said. "It's a dead flat pool." Clay Adcock, who farms 3,800 acres near Holly Bluff, Mississippi, said his home has never flooded in the 34 years he's lived there. But he's worried now. "I'm building a levee today," Adcock said. All but about 200 acres (81 hectares) of his land will be unfarmable until water recedes, Adcock said, meaning he won't be able to plant corn because of a shortened growing season. Instead, Adcock will turn to other crops. In Louisiana, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened a flood control structure upstream of New Orleans to divert Mississippi River water and ease pressure on levees protecting the city. Cranes lifted wooden timbers from the Bonnet Carre Spillway structure Wednesday. That allows some river water to flow into Lake Pontchartrain. Wednesday marks the first time the structure has operated in consecutive years. It's the 13th time it's opened since construction was completed in 1931. ___ Associated Press writers Rebecca Santana and Kevin McGill contributed from New Orleans. ___ Follow Jeff Amy at http://twitter.com/jeffamy . Highway 465 in Warren and Issaquena County is seen closed on the south end due to the rising flood waters north of Vicksburg, Miss., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Mississippi River is currently at 47.48 feet in Vicksburg according to the National Weather Service and is expected to crest at 51.4 feet on March 14, which is the highest crest since 2016 (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post, via AP) Workers with the City of Vicksburg fill sandbags in preparation of the rising floodwater in Vicksburg, Miss., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Mississippi River is currently at 47.48 feet in Vicksburg according to the National Weather Service and is expected to crest at 51.4 feet on March 14th which is the highest crest since 2016 (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post, via AP) Chickasaw Road is covered with flood waters in Vicksburg, Miss., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Mississippi River is currently at 47.48 feet in Vicksburg according to the National Weather Service and is expected to crest at 51.4 feet on March 14th which is the highest crest since 2016.(Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post, via AP) Herman Brown fishes in the flooded lands off of LeTourneau Road in Vicksburg, Miss., Wednesday February 27, 2019. (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post via AP) S.K.E. Jackson and Herman Brown fish in the flooded lands off of LeTourneau Road in Vicksburg, Miss., Wednesday February 27, 2019. (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post via AP) The damaged carpet of a home at 1628 Woodview Street in Hartselle, Ala. lies in the garage on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 after the house suffered flooding. (Jeronimo Nisa/The Decatur Daily via AP) A section of Country Club Road Southeast between Fairview Drive and Cherokee Lane in Decatur, Ala. remains flooded and closed to traffic on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. (Jeronimo Nisa/The Decatur Daily via AP) Highway 465 in Warren and Issaquena County is seen closed on the south end due to the rising flood waters north of Vicksburg, Miss., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Mississippi River is currently at 47.48 feet in Vicksburg according to the National Weather Service and is expected to crest at 51.4 feet on March 14, which is the highest crest since 2016 (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post, via AP) A barge passes by on the Yazoo River as works with the City of Vicksburg erect the Levee and Grove street flood wall in preparation of the rising floodwater in Vicksburg, Miss., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Mississippi River is currently at 47.48 feet in Vicksburg according to the National Weather Service and is expected to crest at 51.4 feet on March 14th which is the highest crest since 2016. (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post, via AP) Workers with the City of Vicksburg fill sandbags in preparation of the rising floodwater in Vicksburg, Miss., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Mississippi River is currently at 47.48 feet in Vicksburg according to the National Weather Service and is expected to crest at 51.4 feet on March 14th which is the highest crest since 2016. (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post, via AP) ATLANTA (AP) - Three people were shot by Georgia law officers during separate confrontations on Tuesday, bringing the state's total of officer-involved shootings so far this year to 15, state investigators said Wednesday. One of the shootings was fatal. The latest shootings involved the Georgia State Patrol in McIntosh County; Atlanta and East Point police in Atlanta; and the Walton County Sheriff's Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Natalie Ammons said in an email. In coastal McIntosh County, a state trooper pulled over a vehicle on Interstate 95 around 9:20 a.m. Tuesday. During the traffic stop, 20-year-old Sasha Ann Pishko of Clermont, Florida, drove off, hitting the trooper with her vehicle, the GBI said. The trooper fired multiple shots into the vehicle, and Pishko drove a short distance before crashing, the GBI said. Pishko was pronounced dead at the scene, and an autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday. The trooper was being treated for minor injuries. Atlanta and East Point police officers were working on a joint investigation into stolen vehicles when officers tried to stop a suspected stolen vehicle on an interstate exit ramp around 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, the GBI said. The vehicle initially pulled over but drove away as an officer approached. Officers followed the vehicle to an intersection in southwest Atlanta, where the vehicle wrecked and hit marked and unmarked police vehicles, the GBI said. Atlanta and East Point officers fired, and the driver was hit in the leg, the GBI said. The driver, 34-year-old Willie Banks of Atlanta, was taken to a hospital where he was in stable condition, the GBI said. An Atlanta officer who suffered injuries was treated and released from a hospital. Banks was arrested and faces multiple charges. It wasn't immediately clear whether he had a lawyer who could comment on the charges. A Walton County sheriff's deputy was on routine patrol around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday when he saw a pedestrian in a busy road in Loganville. The deputy turned his vehicle around and turned on his blue lights to try to get the man to step out of the road, the GBI said. The 19-year-old man jogged away from the deputy and didn't stop when the deputy ordered him to, the GBI said. During a foot chase, the deputy called in over his radio to say the man had a gun. A short time later, the deputy fired and hit the man, the GBI said. The man was hospitalized in stable condition and formal charges were pending, the GBI said. The deputy was placed on administrative leave with pay, which is standard procedure for the Walton County Sheriff's Office, the GBI said. Once the GBI completes its investigations of the shootings, investigators plan to turn over the results to local prosecutors for review, the GBI said. WESTBURY, N.Y. (AP) - The Latest on the deadly crash of two Long Island Rail Road trains and a car that went around lowered crossing gates (all times local): 1:50 p.m. A witness has told police that the driver who caused a deadly wreck by trying to go around a lowered railroad gate on Long Island in New York was fleeing the scene of an earlier crash. Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder and other officials held a news conference Wednesday. The car was hit by two commuter trains and burst into flames Tuesday night in Westbury. Three people in the vehicle died and eight people on one of the trains suffered injuries, three of them seriously. Police have not yet confirmed the alleged earlier crash. Emergency personnel look over the site of a fatal train collision in Westbury, N.Y., Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Two commuter trains traveling in opposite directions collided with a vehicle on the tracks in Westbury, killing all three occupants in the vehicle before one of the trains derailed and tore into a concrete platform Tuesday night, according to officials. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) The Long Island Rail Road has provided limited service as railroad employees work to remove the damaged train cars and repair the tracks. ___ 9:45 a.m. New York's Long Island Rail Road predicts "heavy delays" all day following the crash of a car and two commuter trains that claimed three lives. A National Transportation Safety Board spokesman said Wednesday that the circumstances of the crash, though tragic, don't point to any safety issues that require its investigation. Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder says the vehicle's driver was "trying to beat" the crossing gate when it was struck just before 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday in Westbury. An eastbound train that had just pulled away from the station hit the car first. It was then struck again by a faster-moving westbound train. Three people in the car were killed and seven people on the westbound train suffered minor injuries. ___ 7:30 a.m. New York's Long Island Rail Road predicts "heavy delays" all day following the crash of a car and two commuter trains that claimed three lives. Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder says the vehicle's driver was "trying to beat" the crossing gate when it was struck just before 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday in Westbury. Ryder says one of the trains, which was carrying about 200 passengers and headed for Manhattan, was going at "full speed" when it crashed. Three people in the car were killed. Seven people on the westbound train suffered minor injuries. The LIRR says its crews have been working on two derailed train cars and "significant" track damage. They've also been assessing damage to the station platform. Emergency personnel look over the site of a fatal train collision in Westbury, N.Y., Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Two commuter trains traveling in opposite directions collided with a vehicle on the tracks in Westbury, killing all three occupants in the vehicle before one of the trains derailed and tore into a concrete platform Tuesday night, according to officials. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) In this image taken from video provided by WNYW-TV, first responders work the scene of a collision between a commuter train and a motor vehicle in Westbury, N.Y., Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Authorities say that three people were killed when the vehicle they were riding in was struck by the Manhattan-bound train. (WNYW-TV via AP) In this image taken from video provided by WNYW TV, first responders work the scene of a collision between an commuter train and a vehicle in Westbury, N.Y., Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Two commuter trains traveling in opposite directions collided with a vehicle on the tracks in Westbury, killing all occupants in the vehicle before one of the trains derailed and tore into a concrete platform Tuesday night, according to officials. (WNYW TV via AP) Firefighters work the scene of a collision involving a Manhattan-bound commuter train and a vehicle in Westbury, N.Y., Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Long Island Rail Road says service was suspended Tuesday evening in both directions on the Ronkonkoma and Huntington/Port Jefferson branches. (Howard Schnapp/Newsday via AP) First responders work the scene of a collision involving a Manhattan-bound commuter train and a vehicle in Westbury, N.Y., Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Long Island Rail Road says service was suspended Tuesday evening in both directions on the Ronkonkoma and Huntington/Port Jefferson branches. (Howard Schnapp/Newsday via AP) In this image taken from video provided by WNYW TV, officials from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority work the scene of a collision between an commuter train and a motor vehicle in Westbury, N.Y., Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Two commuter trains traveling in opposite directions collided with a vehicle on the tracks in Westbury, killing all occupants in the vehicle before one of the trains derailed and tore into a concrete platform Tuesday night, according to officials. (WNYW TV via AP) Emergency personnel look over the site of a fatal train collision in Westbury, N.Y., Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Two commuter trains traveling in opposite directions collided with a vehicle on the tracks in Westbury, killing all three occupants in the vehicle before one of the trains derailed and tore into a concrete platform Tuesday night, according to officials. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) PARIS (AP) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday asked the Dutch government to clarify why it bought more than 12 percent of shares in the holding company for the Air France-KLM alliance without first advising Paris. French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire called the move "incomprehensible" and said his Dutch counterpart would come to Paris in coming days to clarify the situation. France's strong response to the Dutch purchase a day after it was announced underscores the tensions surrounding the alliance between the two airlines. Speaking at a news conference in Paris, Macron said the French government hadn't been informed ahead of time of the Dutch move, and stressed the alliance's interests must be "preserved." French news media reported that the board of Air France-KLM was meeting Wednesday. A stern Le Maire told reporters that the Dutch decision to buy shares was "incomprehensible and unexpected." The best way is to clarify the move, he said, was in person. Dutch Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra - who announced the shares purchase Tuesday - will be in Paris "in the coming days," Le Maire said. French President Emmanuel Macron attends a press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (Gonzalo Fuentes/ Pool Photo via AP) Hoekstra announced the Dutch government's purchase of 12.68 percent of shares in Air France-KLM S.A. for 680 million euros ($775 million) with plans to build up its stake to around 14 percent. The French government's stake is 14.3 percent. The Dutch state already owns a 5.9-percent stake in KLM, the Dutch national airline. Hoekstra said the shares purchased will allow the government to exert greater influence in strategic decisions about the alliance. French national carrier Air France and KLM reached a deal last week on tightening ties after fears of a power struggle alarmed the Dutch government, airline employees and shareholders. KLM has cut jobs and costs but is more profitable than Air France, which has faced extended labor disputes in recent years. Air France-KLM CEO Benjamin Smith met Dutch government ministers in The Hague this month to discuss the airlines' future. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte declined at the time to give details of those talks, but stressed what was at stake. "It is unbelievably important for the Dutch economy that KLM functions well," he said. For Le Maire, the objective must be a "collective success" in the "extremely competitive" air transport sector. CHICAGO (AP) - A Chicago federal jury has convicted an investment manager of defrauding clients and lenders out of more than $10 million over more than a decade. Federal prosecutors say 53-year-old Shawn Baldwin was convicted Tuesday of seven counts of wire fraud. Authorities say he swindled 15 investors and corporate lenders when he operated investment firms in Chicago. Prosecutors allege he told victims their cash would be placed in the stock market and used in other investments, but that he instead pocketed the money for personal use. Prosecutors say he sent investors bogus account statements. Investigators say Baldwin's deceptive practices included lying about working with compliance officers and professional advisers, and minimizing actions regulators took against him. Prosecutors say the scheme last from 2006 to 2017. Baldwin is to be sentenced in July. He's from Olympia Fields, just south of Chicago. WASHINGTON (AP) - A U.S.-China trade agreement is far from completion and will require much more work, particularly on enforcement, the U.S. official negotiating the pact told a House panel Wednesday. "Much still needs to be done before an agreement can be reached," U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said. "If we can complete this effort, and again I say if, and can reach a satisfactory solution to the issue of enforceability ... we might have an agreement that turns the corner in our economic relationship with China." President Donald Trump held out hope earlier this week that an agreement could be reached when he said "substantial progress" had been made after negotiations that went through the weekend. Trump also announced that he would postpone a scheduled March 2 increase in tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports, from 10 percent to 25 percent. But Lighthizer's testimony suggested the two sides are still far apart. The trade representative also said the administration is pushing for structural changes in China, including an end to cyber theft of U.S. commercial secrets, limits on state support for Chinese companies, and an end to the forced transfer of technology from U.S. companies as a condition of accessing China's markets. At stake, Lighthizer said, is whether the United States or China will dominate the industries of the future. "The U.S. has the best technology in the world," he said. "It's probably our single biggest competitive advantage and why we'll be No. 1 for a long time if we protect our intellectual property." China, he said, "knows full well that it's the key. Technology is what's going to determine who rules the future." U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, left, and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, right, attend a meeting of senior U.S. and Chinese officials to resume trade negotiations, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019, in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House complex, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) China has previously offered to make major purchases of U.S. goods, such as soybeans and natural gas, in an effort to resolve the conflict that followed the administration's imposition of tariffs on Chinese products. But Lighthizer said such steps wouldn't be enough. "The issues on the table are too serious to be resolved with promises of additional purchases," he said. "We need new rules." Lighthizer also said it will be critical to have tough enforcement provisions in any agreement because China has typically not kept its past promises. "I can point to many examples" of China's government signing onto an agreement, "and in very few cases have they actually kept their obligations," he said. Members of Congress from both parties were supportive of Lighthizer's efforts and expressed approval of the Trump administration's confrontational approach. Lighthizer "has time and again developed a vision that many of us on this committee will support vigorously," said Rep. Richard Neal, Democrat from Massachusetts and chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. But Neal also urged the administration to reach a broad deal that would address the structural barriers U.S. companies face in trying to access China's market. The administration "must hold out for a good deal, a structural deal," Neal said. Lighthizer also urged Congress to pass the regional trade pact he negotiated last year: the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, which is meant to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement and which encourages companies to expand manufacturing in the United States. "If USMCA doesn't pass it would be a catastrophe across the country," Lighthizer said. If Congress rejects the deal, he said, it would cost the U.S. the credibility it needs to negotiate additional trade agreements. The Trump administration is pursuing trade pacts with Japan and the European Union. SAN DIEGO (AP) - A jackhammer reduced prototypes of President Donald Trump's prized border wall into piles of rubble Wednesday, a quick ending to an experiment that turned into a spectacle at times. The four concrete and four steel panels, spaced closely together steps from an existing barrier separating San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico, instantly became powerful symbols associated with the president and one of his top priorities when they went up 16 months ago. For Trump's allies, the towering models were a show of his commitment to border security and making good on a core campaign promise. For detractors, they were monuments to wasted taxpayer dollars and a misguided display of aggression toward Mexico and immigrants seeking a new home in the United States. Within about two hours, a hydraulic jackhammer on an excavator leveled seven prototypes. Concrete slabs crashed in small clouds of dust, steel panels were knocked over, and an owl flew out of a steel tube atop one panel just before it thundered down. The last prototype standing took a little more time to destroy. U.S. officials say elements of the prototypes have been melded into current border fence designs and they were no longer needed. Public access to the prototypes was blocked from the San Diego side, turning an impoverished Tijuana neighborhood into a popular spot for journalists, anti-wall demonstrators and curious observers. People climbed piles of trash against a short border fence that has since been replaced to get a clear view from Mexico. The top tube of a border wall prototype falls during demolition at the border between Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in San Diego. The government is demolishing eight prototypes of Donald Trump's prized border wall that instantly became powerful symbols of his presidency when they were built nine months after he took office. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Artists projected light shows on the walls from Mexico, with one message reading "Refugees Welcome Here" next to an image of the Statue of Liberty and another showing a silhouette jumping on a trampoline with a caption that read, "Use in Case of Wall." Demonstrators craned their necks for a view when Trump toured the prototypes 11 months ago. Removal of prototypes made way to extend a second-layer barrier of steel poles topped by a metal plate rising 30 feet (9.1 meters) from the ground, the same design being used elsewhere on the border. The new barrier vaguely resembles some of the steel prototypes but looks nothing like the solid concrete panels, which were widely panned because border agents couldn't see what was happening on the other side. The nearly $3 billion that Congress has provided for barriers during the first half of Trump's term requires that money be spent on designs that were in place before May 2017, effectively prohibiting the prototypes from being used and denying Trump bragging rights to say he built his wall. It's unclear if the restriction would apply to the billions of dollars that Trump wants to spend by declaring a national emergency on the nation's southern border, which the House of Representatives voted this week to block. The eight prototypes, which cost $300,000 to $500,000 each to build, vary by slopes, thickness and curves. Bidding guidelines called from them to withstand at least an hour of punishment from a sledgehammer, pickaxe, torch, chisel or battery-operated tools and to prevent use of climbing aids such as grappling hooks. The guidelines also required they be "aesthetically pleasing" from the U.S. side. One had two shades of blue with white trim. The others were gray, tan or brown - in sync with the desert. The Department of Homeland Security redirected $20 million from its budget in February 2017, a month after Trump took office, to pay for the prototypes and smaller mock-ups built farther from the border that have also been dismantled. Open bidding generated a wide range of ideas, some of them whimsical or far-fetched. One bidder wanted a wall large enough for a deck that would offer tourists scenic views of the desert. Bidders met fierce criticism from wall opponents. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico said any Mexican companies that expressed interest were betraying their country. The government rigorously tested the designs and, according to a summary from the Government Accountability Office, found that the concrete walls posed "extensive" construction challenges and the others posed "substantial" or "moderate" challenges. Six of the eight would require extensive changes to accommodate drainage. A Customs and Border Protection report, first reported by KPBS of San Diego, showed that each prototype could be breached using several different techniques but the heavily redacted version that was made public did not say how long it took. Ross Wilkin, a Border Patrol spokesman, noted that authorities never claimed the prototypes would be impenetrable and that they simply wanted to know how much time it took to crack each one. The appeal to private industry for ideas was a new approach to building barriers and provided many lessons to guide construction, he said. Authorities learned that certain materials were unsuitable for quick repairs and that combining different surfaces, like bollards topped by plates, were more effective. A steel model with vertical U-shaped indentations could be jammed with pieces of wood and become a ladder, Wilkin said. Prototypes with exposed fasteners - like screws or bolts - could be broken with the right tools. "They were tested and evaluated," Wilkin said. "They're not required anymore. It's time for them to go." The new barrier replaces a steel-mesh fence that runs more than 12 miles (19 kilometers) from the Pacific Ocean, which worked like a fortress when it was built a decade ago but is now regularly breached with powerful battery-operated saws recently made available in home improvement stores. It will then extend another mile or so over the prototype site. SLSCO Ltd. of Galveston, Texas, won the $101 million contract in December and started work last week. Work on replacing the first-layer barrier, also with steel bollards and metal plates up to 30 feet high, runs the same length as the second layer and is nearly finished. Illegal crossings have fallen dramatically in San Diego over the last 25 years as the government erected barriers and added agents. In the Tijuana neighborhood near the prototypes, Guillermina Fernandez briefly turned her patio into an informal restaurant about 15 years ago, once serving 200 sandwiches on a single order from a smuggler who fed his customers. Smugglers dug small holes under the old fence for migrants to pass. Campfires warmed them while waiting for an opening to dart past border agents. "It looked like a party here," said Fernandez, 54, who, like some neighbors, built her shack of plywood scraps on squatted land that she and her husband later bought. Residents complain that outsiders illegally dump trash on their dirt roads that lack street lights. They tout one benefit of the new wall: The poles allow the Border Patrol's bright lights to seep in and provide some visibility at night. ___ AP writer Jill Colvin in Washington and photographer Gregory Bull in San Diego contributed to this report. A border wall prototype falls during demolition at the border between Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in San Diego. The government is demolishing eight prototypes of Donald Trump's prized border wall that instantly became powerful symbols of his presidency when they were built nine months after he took office. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Crews work during demolition of border wall prototypes at the border between Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in San Diego. The government is demolishing eight prototypes of Donald Trump's prized border wall that instantly became powerful symbols of his presidency when they were built nine months after he took office. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) A worker passes a partially-demolished border wall prototype during demolition at the border between Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in San Diego. The government on Wednesday began demolishing eight prototypes of Donald Trump's prized border wall that instantly became powerful symbols of his presidency when they were built nine months after he took office. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Work crews begin to demolish border wall prototypes in San Diego on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. The Trump administration on Wednesday began to demolish eight prototypes of the president's prized border wall that the government built near San Diego one year ago. (AP Photo/Elliot Spagat) FILE - In this Feb. 5, 2019 file photo a Border Patrol agent walks towards prototypes for a border wall in San Diego. The Trump administration on Wednesday, Feb. 27 plans to demolish eight prototypes of the president's prized border wall that the government built near San Diego one year ago. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull,File) FILE - In this March 13, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump talks with reporters as he reviews border wall prototypes in San Diego. The Trump administration on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, began demolishing eight prototypes of the president's prized border wall, saying they have served their purpose. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) FILE - In this March 13, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump holds a poster with photographs of the U.S. - Mexico border area as he reviews border wall prototypes in San Diego with Rodney Scott, the U.S. Border Patrol's San Diego sector chief. The Trump administration on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, began demolishing eight prototypes of the president's prized border wall, saying they have served their purpose. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) In this Feb. 26, 2019, photo, Mariana Palacios stands among items she collects from along the border wall separating San Diego from her home in Tijuana, Mexico. The border wall prototypes which sit not far from Palacios' home, beyond the newly-refurbished border wall in the U.S., were another colorful chapter of border activity in this Tijuana neighborhood, initially occupied by squatters who later bought the land. Crews in the U.S. began demolishing the prototypes Wednesday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) In this Feb. 26, 2019, photo, Mariana Palacios looks towards the border wall separating San Diego from her home in Tijuana, Mexico. The border wall prototypes which sit not far from Palacios' home, beyond the newly-refurbished border wall in the U.S., were another colorful chapter of border activity in this Tijuana neighborhood, initially occupied by squatters who later bought the land. Crews in the U.S. began demolishing the prototypes Wednesday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - The White House restricted press access Wednesday to portions of President Donald Trump's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam. Four print reporters, including one from The Associated Press, were barred from a press availability as Trump sat down for dinner with Kim, the leader of a country where there is no press freedom. That came after two of those reporters asked questions of the president during earlier events at the summit, including one query about upcoming congressional testimony from Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, that was critical of the president. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders released a statement saying that due to the "sensitive nature of the meetings we have limited the pool for dinner to a smaller group." The decision to bar reporters Wednesday was an abrupt change of plans. The White House had previously said that access would be granted to the usual 13-person group of reporters, known as the traveling press pool, who follow the president to every event. AP spokeswoman Lauren Easton said the company "decries such efforts by the White House to restrict access to the president. It is critically important that any president uphold American press freedom standards, not only at home but especially while abroad." White House Correspondents' Association president Olivier Knox said in a statement that the organization "strenuously objects" to the restrictions. President Donald Trump speaks during a dinner with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) "This summit provides an opportunity for the American presidency to display its strength by facing vigorous questioning from a free and independent news media, not telegraph weakness by retreating behind arbitrary last-minute restrictions on coverage," said Knox. "We call on the White House to not allow a diminution of the previously agreed-to press complement for the remainder of the summit." Trump has a complex relationship with the press, routinely maligning news stories, outlets and reporters he doesn't like as "fake news," while at the same time taking questions more frequently than some of his predecessors. Earlier in the week, the White House press corps was ousted from its workspace at the hotel where Kim was staying after Kim apparently objected to the setup. The decision was announced by the Vietnamese government. The entire press pool was permitted to cover the first two events that Trump and Kim held at the Metropole hotel in Hanoi on Wednesday: a formal greeting and the opening of a sit-down meeting. At the first of those events, reporters asked three questions of Trump about the negotiations. He answered all three. At the second event with Kim, an Associated Press reporter asked Trump a question about Cohen, who was due to testify hours later in Washington. In written testimony released in advance of the appearance, the president's former lawyer and fixer called Trump a "racist" and a "conman" and claimed Trump knew ahead of time that WikiLeaks had emails damaging to Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's campaign. Trump did not answer the Cohen question, instead shaking his head and frowning. A short time later, Sanders told the press pool that no reporters would be allowed into the dinner. But after photographers said they would not cover the event without an editorial presence, one print reporter and radio reporter were allowed in. Reporters from the three wire services and one other print reporter, however, were barred. No questions were asked of Trump at the dinner. It wasn't the first time that the White House has excluded specific reporters. Last year, a CNN correspondent was barred from attending an open press event because, she said, White House officials deemed her questions "inappropriate." The White House disputed that characterization. ___ Colvin reported from Washington. Follow Lemire and Colvin on https://twitter.com/JonLemire and Twitter at https://twitter.com/colvinj ___ Follow all of AP's summit coverage at https://apnews.com/Trump-KimSummit VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) - The Latest on flooding in the South (all times local): 5 p.m. Workers are continuing to clear a mudslide in Tennessee, where transportation officials say part of Interstate 24 may be closed until March 15 or longer. Mud, rocks and trees slid down a hillside Saturday north of Nashville, blocking eastbound traffic leading into the city. Assistant Chief Engineer of Operations Will Reid of the state Transportation Department told The Tennessean repairs will involve building three-fourths of a mile to a mile of interstate within two weeks, a task that normally would take months. The cost could reach $1 million or more. Reid said it will take about 5,000 dump truck loads to clear all the debris. By Wednesday, 96 loads had been moved. Workers with the City of Vicksburg fill sandbags in preparation of the rising floodwater in Vicksburg, Miss., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Mississippi River is currently at 47.48 feet in Vicksburg according to the National Weather Service and is expected to crest at 51.4 feet on March 14th which is the highest crest since 2016 (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post, via AP) Transportation Department Chief Engineer Paul Degges said a record-breaking volume of rainfall during the past month was a significant factor in the slide. ___ 12:05 p.m. Water from recent rainfalls is pooling up behind a Mississippi levee and could cause record flooding. Mississippi Levee Board Chief Engineer Peter Nimrod said Wednesday that water inside the Yazoo Backwater Levee could reach the highest levels since the levee was completed in 1978. The levee protects hundreds of square miles of the Delta region from even worse flooding by the Mississippi River. But when officials close a floodgate that keeps out the big river, water draining from the north has nowhere to go, rising inside the levee. That gate is closed now and is unlikely to reopen until after the river crests in Vicksburg in mid-March. Clay Adcock, who farms 3,800 acres near Holly Bluff, says he's building a levee around his home, which has never flooded in the 34 years he's lived there. He says all but about 200 acres of his land will be unfarmable until water recedes, forcing him to change what crops he plants this year. ___ 10:40 a.m. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun opening a historic flood control structure west of New Orleans to divert water from the rising Mississippi River and ease pressure on levees that protect the city. Cranes were used Wednesday morning to lift heavy wooden timbers from sections of the Bonnet Carre (BAHN'-eh CARE'-ee) Spillway structure. That allows some of the water from the rain-swollen river to flow through the structure and over a broad expanse of land into Lake Pontchartrain. Wednesday's opening of the structure marks the first time it has been operated in consecutive years. It's the 13th time it's been operated since construction was completed in 1931. Plans to open the spillway were announced as the rate of flow at New Orleans approached 1.25 million cubic feet per second. Rain-swollen rivers are spilling over their banks across the South. ___ 10 a.m. The Mississippi River is closed to navigation at Vicksburg, Mississippi, after a 30-barge tow struck a railroad bridge between the city and Louisiana as rain-swollen rivers are spilling over banks across the South. Bridge superintendent Herman Smith tells The Vicksburg Post the MV Chad Tregrache, operated by Marquette Transportation of Paducah, Kentucky, struck the bridge just after 7 a.m. Wednesday. U.S. Coast Guard officials say two grain barges sank, but no injuries were reported. Coast Guard officials are on site investigating. The railroad bridge, owned by a local government commission and operated by the Kansas City Southern Railway, is also closed. Tows frequently strike the bridge, especially when the Mississippi River is high. River levels at Vicksburg are rising and are predicted to crest later this month at one of the 10 highest levels on record. ___ 7:10 a.m. Rain-swollen rivers are spilling over their banks across the South, and a Mississippi mayor says water has surrounded his town and forced some families to leave their homes. Forecasters say flood warnings were in place Wednesday in parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. In Glendora, Mississippi, The Greenwood Commonwealth reported Wednesday that the town of 151 people is caught between the flooded Tallahatchie River to the north and the Black Bayou to the south. Glendora Mayor Johnny Thomas says the water is within inches of covering U.S. Highway 49 in both directions. Thomas says "I hope it doesn't get worse. We've only got one way out of here." City workers filled sandbags Tuesday afternoon, and a shelter opened for those displaced. Highway 465 in Warren and Issaquena County is seen closed on the south end due to the rising flood waters north of Vicksburg, Miss., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Mississippi River is currently at 47.48 feet in Vicksburg according to the National Weather Service and is expected to crest at 51.4 feet on March 14, which is the highest crest since 2016 (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post, via AP) Chickasaw Road is covered with flood waters in Vicksburg, Miss., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Mississippi River is currently at 47.48 feet in Vicksburg according to the National Weather Service and is expected to crest at 51.4 feet on March 14th which is the highest crest since 2016.(Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post, via AP) Highway 465 in Warren and Issaquena County is seen closed on the south end due to the rising flood waters north of Vicksburg, Miss., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Mississippi River is currently at 47.48 feet in Vicksburg according to the National Weather Service and is expected to crest at 51.4 feet on March 14, which is the highest crest since 2016 (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post, via AP) The damaged carpet of a home at 1628 Woodview Street in Hartselle, Ala. lies in the garage on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 after the house suffered flooding. (Jeronimo Nisa/The Decatur Daily via AP) A section of Country Club Road Southeast between Fairview Drive and Cherokee Lane in Decatur, Ala. remains flooded and closed to traffic on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. (Jeronimo Nisa/The Decatur Daily via AP) A barge passes by on the Yazoo River as works with the City of Vicksburg erect the Levee and Grove street flood wall in preparation of the rising floodwater in Vicksburg, Miss., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Mississippi River is currently at 47.48 feet in Vicksburg according to the National Weather Service and is expected to crest at 51.4 feet on March 14th which is the highest crest since 2016. (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post, via AP) CUCUTA, Colombia (AP) - Next year in Caracas? As Venezuela's opposition rekindles street protests and builds powerful international support, the millions who fled are redirecting their gaze toward their beloved homeland in hopes that their exile will prove short-lived. Diomira Becerra has been watching the events unfold from Colombia, eyeing every development for a hint of how soon she might be able to pack her bags. She left three years ago and has built a life for her family in the border city of Cucuta. But the country that took them in has never quite felt like home. "I don't know how it's going to happen, but next Christmas will be in Venezuela," Becerra said. The high expectations of an exile community that is over 3 million strong are fueling a renewed push from abroad to bring about change in Venezuela. Some like Becerra are tempted to return already, wanting to join in protests. Others, like exiled lawmaker Gaby Arellano, are playing a key role in collecting humanitarian aid. Even many who left long ago and cannot see themselves returning have begun imagining how they might contribute to Venezuela's recovery. "I want to put in my little grain of sand," said Pedro Morales, a gastroenterologist who has lived in Miami for over two decades. In this Feb. 11, 2019 photo, Venezuelan Diomira Becerra, left center, arrives with her 7-year-old daughter Hillary and her mother Betty Guerrero, for an interview at the entrance of the Simon Bolivar International Bridge, in La Parada, Colombia, near Cucuta. Becerra left Venezuela three years ago and has built a life for her family in the border city of Cucuta. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) In the throes of an economic downturn worse than the U.S. Great Depression, Venezuela will need the knowledge, contacts and financial resources many exiles took with them. One prominent economist predicts Venezuela will need a $60 billion cash infusion just to begin a turnaround. At least a small portion of that could come from exiles eager to invest in Venezuelan businesses, send remittances or buy property. And yet even as Venezuelans like Becerra daydream of spending next Christmas back home with relatives they haven't seen in years, they are also steeling themselves for the possibility that Nicolas Maduro will manage to keep his grip on power. One month after opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself Venezuela's interim president, the military has shown little sign that it plans to revolt against Maduro. At least four people were killed and 300 injured over the weekend when clashes broke out between state security forces, armed pro-government groups and the opposition as they tried to bring food and medical supplies into the country. Like the exile group they most resemble - Cubans- Venezuelans are all too aware that their current status as emigres could become a permanent condition. Cubans for decades toasted to "Next year in Cuba," a cry that is uttered less and less as their exile from the communist island drags into its 60th year. Each time Becerra gets the urge to pack her bags, she talks herself out of it. Her daughter and mother, a cancer patient, are comfortable in Colombia. An opposition activist, she wonders if pro-Maduro compatriots might still hold a grudge against her. In her mind, she questions if she'd even be returning to the same country. "It has been 20 years of this," she said. "How do you change 20 years?" Venezuelans began fleeing two decades ago, when revolutionary Hugo Chavez rose to power, in a familiar pattern: Those with money and connections fled first, often to the United States, while the poorer left later, by bus and on foot to Colombia. The exodus of Venezuelans is now one of the largest mass migrations in the world - an estimated 5,000 cross into Colombia every day, about the same size as the entire migrant caravan from Central America to the U.S. last fall. The United Nations estimates there are 3.4 million Venezuelans abroad, a conservative assessment based on government figures, though the actual number could be as high as 5.5 million. A study of 2013 Census Bureau data by the Pew Hispanic Center found that Venezuelans in the U.S. have higher levels of education than the general population and a higher median income than most Latinos in the country, an indicator of the skill sets and capital they can contribute to their homeland. Unlike the Cubans who fled decades ago, many still have fresh memories of Venezuela and want to put their knowledge to use. "There is a lot of international know-how waiting outside Venezuela," said Daniel Lansberg-Rodriguez, a Venezuela expert who teaches at Northwestern University. Past experience shows that once a Latin American emigre has been abroad for more than five years, they are very unlikely to return, said Manuel Orozco, director of the Migration, Remittances and Development Program at The Inter-American Dialogue in Washington. But other countries that have experienced protracted domestic conflicts saw a boom in remittances once political stability was restored and Venezuela could too, if a more effective payment network is established, Orozco said. Still, he warned, it will fall short of what is needed by a nation in such dire straits. "The diaspora think they can just come and redo the country in a short period of time - it's just not going to be that way," he said. Frank Carreno, an actor and businessman, said that after 15 years in Miami, where his immediate family is now all located, he wouldn't move back. But he would like to open a business in Venezuela as he did 10 years ago when he set up three vocal training studios. He closed them in 2013 as the country's economic crisis began to sink in. "I'd return to invest," he said. "But to live, no. It would mean starting from scratch again. I have my family here and it's just not feasible." Others, like Gabriela Alvarez, 32, who has lived in Madrid for the last two years, envision themselves returning but want more than just political change. She said she'd want Venezuela's crime rate- among the highest in the world - to improve and to be assured that she and her family could get adequate medical care. "Venezuela needs us," said Alvarez, who used to work as a producer at a Venezuelan television channel. "The best thing we could do is return to help the country recover." Venezuelans abroad are already playing a key role in helping Guaido consolidate his position as the country's interim president. In the years leading up to his proclamation in January, dozens of opposition leaders fled under the threat of arrest. They used their platform outside Venezuela to raise awareness with international leaders and are now helping execute Guaido's mandates, like findings ways to gather humanitarian aid. "Exile feels isolating, but we've been able to reinvent ourselves," said exiled lawmaker turned activist Arellano. Becerra, who can see the Venezuelan mountains from her new home in Cucuta, said her young daughter Hillary often asks when they can go back. She was 4 when they left, but has idyllic childhood memories of her homeland. Becerra struggles with how to respond: "How do I explain to my 7-year-old daughter that the country she remembers doesn't exist anymore?" A trained occupational therapist, in exile Becerra has done everything from dog walking to selling corn pastries at the Simon Bolivar International Bridge where masses of Venezuelans enter each day. She says her biggest wish is for her family to spend Christmas together again, gathered like they used to at her grandmother's house. But she knows it's more complicated than that: Would she be able to earn a living and provide for her daughter? Could she just abandon the life she has built in Colombia after three painstaking years? "You get your bags ready each morning but unpack them by the evening," she said. "It's wanting to go home. But it's not the same home." FILE - In this Feb. 23, 2019 file photo, an opposition supporter wears a message on his forehead that reads in Spanish: "Humanitarian aid now" during a demonstration urging soldiers to allow the entry of U.S. humanitarian aid, in Caracas, Venezuela. As Venezuela's opposition rekindles street protests and builds powerful international support, the millions who fled are redirecting their gaze toward their beloved homeland in hopes that their exile will prove short-lived. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File) FILE - In this Feb. 21, 2019 file photo, Venezuelan exiled lawmaker Gaby Arellano speaks to the media during a press conference in Cucuta, Colombia. "Exile feels isolating, but we've been able to reinvent ourselves," said exiled lawmaker turned activist Arellano, who is playing a key role in collecting humanitarian aid. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File) FILE - In this Feb. 25, 2019 file photo, a Venezuelan youth, injured in clashes with Venezuelan National Guardsmen, is carried to a safe zone, at the Simon Bolivar International Bridge in La Parada, Colombia, on the border with Venezuela. At least four people were killed and 300 injured when clashes broke out between state security forces, armed pro-government groups and the opposition as they tried to bring U.S. humanitarian aid into the country despite President Nicolas Maduro's objections. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File) FILE - In this Feb. 23, 2019 file photo, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks to supporters during a pro-government rally in Caracas, Venezuela. As some Venezuelans exiles are beginning to daydream of spending next Christmas back home with relatives they haven't seen in years, they are also steeling themselves for the possibility that Maduro will manage to keep his grip on power. (AP Photo/Boris Vergara, File) FILE - In this Feb. 23, 2019 file photo, officers of the Bolivarian National Guard run during clashing with residents who cleared a barricaded border bridge attempting to bring humanitarian aid into the country, in Urena, Venezuela, near the border with Colombia. One month after opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself Venezuela's interim president, the military has shown little sign that it plans to revolt against Maduro. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File) FILE - In this Feb. 8, 2019 file photo, Venezuela's self-proclaimed president Juan Guaido speaks during a meeting with university students at the Central University of Venezuela, in Caracas, Venezuela. Venezuelans abroad are already playing a key role in helping Guaido consolidate his position as the country's interim president. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File) FILE - In this March 9, 2018 file photo, 9-year-old Ashley Angelina holds her doll as she hitch-hikes with her twin brother Angel David and parents after crossing the Venezuelan border in their migration to Brazil, near Pacaraima. Venezuelans began fleeing two decades ago, when revolutionary Hugo Chavez rose to power, in a familiar pattern: Those with money and connections fled first, often to the United States, while the poorer left later, by bus and on foot. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File) In this Feb. 15, 2019 photo, Venezuelan Pedro Morales, a gastroenterologist who has lived in Miami for over two decades, speaks during an interview in Miami. Even those who left long ago have begun imagining how they might contribute to Venezuela's recovery. "I want to put in my little grain of sand," said Morales. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) FILE - In this Feb. 11, 2019 file photo, children have lunch in the San Antonio de Padua soup kitchen in Petare slum of Caracas, Venezuela. In the throes of an economic downturn worse than the U.S. Great Depression, Venezuela will need the knowledge, contacts and financial resources many exiles took with them. One prominent economist predicts Venezuela will need a $60 billion cash infusion just to begin a turnaround. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File) In this Feb. 15, 2019 photo, Frank Carreno, an actor and businessman, speaks during an interview in Doral, Fla. Carreno said that after 15 years in Miami, where his immediate family is now all located, he wouldn't move back to Venezuela. "I'd return to invest," he said. "But to live, no. It would mean starting from scratch again. I have my family here and it's just not feasible." (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) LONDON (AP) - A Canadian attorney says he appears to have been targeted by the same undercover operative unmasked by The Associated Press at a New York hotel last month , drawing a line between the man and the notorious Israeli intelligence firm Black Cube. In a court filing made public last week, Toronto attorney Darryl Levitt says that the spy, whose real name is Aharon Almog-Assouline, "bears a striking similarity" to a man he identified as an alleged Black Cube operative. Levitt says he was targeted because of his involvement in a long-running legal battle between two Canadian private equity firms, Catalyst Capital and West Face Capital. Previous media reports have hinted at a link between Almog-Assouline and Black Cube, but Levitt's Feb. 21 claim before Ontario's Superior Court of Justice is the first attempt to substantiate the connection by requesting receipts and surveillance footage. Black Cube has previously acknowledged doing work on the Catalyst case, which centers on allegations of stock market manipulation. In an email, Black Cube's Canadian lawyer, John Adair, said he had no comment on Levitt's filing. Almog-Assouline also didn't immediately return messages Wednesday. Levitt made his claim after reading the AP's account of how Almog-Assouline was caught trying to extract information from an employee of Citizen Lab, a cybersecurity research group, at the Peninsula Hotel in New York on Jan. 24. Levitt declined to comment for this article, but in his 115-page filing he said the photograph published by AP bore a powerful resemblance to a man he knew as Victor Petrov. Petrov masqueraded as a London consultant and invited Levitt to Toronto's Hazelton Hotel under false pretenses on Oct. 11, 2017. Levitt said in the court filing that he was asked "a series of increasingly suspicious questions which appeared designed to elicit confidential and/or embarrassing information." In this image from video, a man identified as former Israeli intelligence officer Aharon Almog-Assouline speaks during an interview at a restaurant in New York on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019. Newly filed Canadian court documents say Almog-Assouline bears a "striking resemblance" to a spy active in Toronto in 2017. (AP Photo/Joseph Frederick) Almog-Assouline hasn't answered any questions from the AP since last month's ambush, when - while still masquerading as a French consultant named Michel Lambert - he denied working for Black Cube. He was unmasked shortly after sitting down to lunch with Citizen Lab's John Scott-Railton and asking pointed questions about his group's role in documenting the use of Israeli hacking tools to spy on slain Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi's inner circle. The Lambert and Petrov aliases appeared to use some of the same cover stories during their undercover operations. Levitt said Petrov boasted of his "enormous experience" in Africa; Lambert told Scott-Railton he knew the continent well. The names of their fictitious companies sounded similar: Petrov said he worked for KWE Consulting; Lambert said his employer was CPW Consulting. Neither company was found in corporate databases examined by the AP or at addresses visited by reporters. Some of the small talk used by the Lambert and Petrov personas appears to be drawn from Almog-Assouline's real life experiences. Lambert claimed Morocco as his native country; a former colleague said that's where Almog-Assouline lived until his move to Israel as a teenager. Lambert had also claimed to be a fan of Punch cigars; on WhatsApp, the mobile messaging service, Almog-Assouline's profile photo consisted of a Punch cigar logo which he deleted after reporters began sending him messages. Almog-Assouline had served on the municipal council of the upscale Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Hasharon between 2013 and 2018, where former associates said it was an open secret that Almog-Assouline was a veteran of Israel's intelligence services. Fellow councilman Marc Mimouni said Almog-Assouline served in the Mossad, the Jewish state's storied external espionage agency. The Israeli prime minister's office, which oversees the Mossad, didn't return a message seeking comment. Mimouni said he didn't think Almog-Assouline had it in him to be a dirty trickster, saying he was a good friend and a fun, friendly "team player." "The man I know gave the impression of a patriot who would not do anything bad for the country," Mimouni said. Others familiar with Almog-Assouline take a different view. Ramat Hasharon's former deputy mayor, Nurit Avner, said Almog-Assouline had ridden her coattails into local politics and then ditched her party after the pair were elected, a move she described as a cynical betrayal. "I had a bad experience with the man," she said. "Nothing connected to him would surprise me." ___ Aron Heller reported from Ramat Hasharon, Israel. ___ Online: Darryl Levitt's court filing: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5750598-Darryl-Levitt-s-Court-Filing.html More documents on the undercover operatives: https://www.documentcloud.org/search/projectid:42174-Citizen-Lab-Undercover-Op ___ Do you know anything about Almog-Assouline, Black Cube or the undercover operatives? Raphael Satter is reachable at: http://raphaelsatter.com In this photo taken on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, a double-decker bus passes by the six-story London office building alleged to be the home of KWE Consulting, the company supposedly employing Victor Petrov. Neither Petrov nor his firm appear to exist; the AP found no evidence that either ever occupied the building. And newly filed court documents say that Petrov "bears a striking similarity" to Aharon Almog-Assouline, a spy surprised by the AP at a New York hotel restaurant in January. (AP Photo/Raphael Satter) FREDERICK, Md. (AP) - A Salvadoran woman who successfully sued a Maryland county over wrongful profiling and was later unexpectedly detained during a routine immigration check-in will be allowed to remain in the United States for now. WJZ-TV reports Roxana Orellana Santos met with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday, as supporters waited outside. Her lawyer, Nick Katz, says she must check in again in May. ICE detained Santos on Jan. 8, days before a scheduled hearing to determine damages owed by Frederick County. A federal judge previously said Santos should remain in the country until the case was settled. She was released Feb. 4, three weeks after winning a restraining order against ICE. Santos says she fears being separated from her children, and is scared of her abusive father in El Salvador. ___ Information from: WJZ-TV, http://www.wjz.com/ MADRID (AP) - Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy made a strident defense of Spain's national unity Wednesday when he appeared as a witness at the trial of a dozen Catalan separatists. Rajoy told Spain's Supreme Court that he had warned Catalonia's separatist leaders on several occasions leading up to their failed 2017 secession attempt that "the law, the national sovereignty and the Constitution are non-negotiable." The ex-leader of Spain's conservatives was unable to stop the separatists from holding an unauthorized referendum despite a violent police crackdown. Catalan separatists declared independence from Spain unilaterally in Oct. 2017 but received no international recognition. In response, Rajoy fired the Catalan regional government and ordered a temporary takeover of the region by central authorities. When shown a video of police beating voters while trying to confiscate ballot boxes in the 2017 vote, Rajoy said that he "lamented" the incidents. "If those who tried to break the law had instead obeyed it then we would not have seen such events take place," Rajoy said. "I deeply lament those images and others like them (...) but it is the job of politicians to work so that the conditions that produce them are not given." Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is received by prosecutor Ana Murillo, as he arrives at the court to the testify in the ongoing trial of Catalan separatists in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas) The 12 Catalan separatists are charged with sedition and other alleged crimes. Their trial is expected to last months. Rajoy retired from politics after his government lost a no-confidence vote in June following a court ruling into a major corruption case that implicated several members of his Popular Party. __ Follow AP's full coverage of Spain's political crisis in Catalonia: https://apnews.com/Catalonia HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Only four other ears on the planet heard what President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said to each other Wednesday during a one-on-one chat that began their second nuclear summit. The two leaders' interpreters were the only others privy to their conversation, raising concerns about why Trump would risk meeting Kim, who has threatened the U.S. with nuclear strikes and has a dismal human rights record, without staff to take notes. Absent a detailed historical record and corroborating witnesses, the leaders could potentially leave a meeting and misrepresent what transpired, prompting a kind of he said-he said showdown of words. More one-on-one talks between Trump and Kim are scheduled for Thursday, when the two leaders dig into the meat of their nuclear talks. Trump has had private confabs with world leaders before that have raised red flags. Early in his presidency, he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Germany with only a Kremlin interpreter present. Last year, after Trump spent more than two hours talking with Putin in Helsinki, Finland, Democrats tried to subpoena Trump's translator to testify in Congress about what was said. President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Hanoi, as interpreters look on. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) Republicans blocked it. The White House has never provided information on what Putin and Trump talked about. Even Trump's director of national intelligence, Dan Coats, said he didn't know. "It is utterly amazing, utterly amazing, that no one knows what was said," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said at the time. Trump's translator in Wednesday's private chat was Yun-hyang Lee, the U.S. State Department's division chief for interpreting services, who also translated for the president at his first meeting with Kim last year in Singapore. The White House identified Kim's translator as Sin Hye Yong. Some experts on past U.S.-North Korean diplomatic efforts worry the private sit-downs give Kim an opportunity to win concessions from Trump that working-level officials would have advised him not to offer. Before the summit, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said he thought Kim requested the private meeting with hopes that he could "elicit concessions from President Trump that might not otherwise be possible if it was just our diplomats talking one-on-one." Others think there's nothing wrong with the president's penchant for one-on-one meetings with world leaders. "I don't find that they're nefarious," said retired Army Lt. Col. Daniel Davis with the Defense Priorities think tank, which advocates against overusing military action to solve foreign policy challenges. "I think he's just more comfortable doing it that way," Davis told reporters at a summit briefing. Davis pointed to President Richard Nixon's many private confabs with Chinese leaders when he reopened relations with China in the 1970s. Last year, at the Singapore summit, Trump caught U.S. ally South Korea off guard by announcing the suspension of major U.S. military exercises with the South. Trump critics said he squandered critical U.S. leverage before the North took any concrete steps toward denuclearization. It was widely presumed that Trump made the decision during his private talks with Kim - his description of the war games as "very provocative" seemed to be in line with North Korea's view of the drills as rehearsals for invasions. Both Washington and Seoul have insisted for years that the exercises were routine and defensive in nature. Bong Young-shik, an analyst at Seoul's Yonsei University, was less worried, saying that the criticism Trump faced in Singapore could make him less likely to make huge, impulsive decisions during his private meetings with Kim this time around. "There's always a certain level of risk in this kind of meeting, but it's hard to say Trump will be dragged into a decision by Kim just because of what happened in Singapore," Bong said. Former President Barack Obama was known to occasionally hold impromptu chats with leaders on the sidelines of major global summits with only their interpreters at their sides. At former President Ronald Reagan's first meeting with then-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in Geneva, Switzerland, in November 1985, the two men met alone with only trusted interpreters. Only 15 minutes had been allotted for the discussion, but it went on for an hour. ___ Associated Press writer Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report. ___ Follow all of AP's summit coverage at https://apnews.com/Trump-KimSummit President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump has dinner with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) MINSK, Belarus (AP) - Ukraine's Constitutional Court has struck down a law against officials enriching themselves, a move that raised concerns Wednesday about a weakening of the country's fight against endemic corruption and ability to get more aid from the International Monetary Fund. The National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine, the law enforcement agency that prepares corruption cases for prosecution, said the court decision published Wednesday meant criminal proceedings in all the cases detectives were investigating would have to be closed, including "illegal enrichment" investigations of judges and other public officials. The bureau said it had about 65 cases involving a total of about $20 million. The Constitutional Court said the law was unconstitutional because it violated the presumption-of-innocence principle by obliging suspected officials to prove their assets were legitimate, rather than obliging prosecutors to show assets were obtained through corrupt practices. The law was introduced in 2015 to meet an International Monetary Fund demand Ukraine needed to meet to receive badly needed loans. The IMF in 2015 authorized $17.5 billion in aid to Ukraine to support reforms. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he would instruct his government to formulate a new draft law on punishing officials for corruption and that it would be submitted to parliament as an urgent priority. Official corruption is a major issue in Ukraine as it approaches a presidential election on March 31. On Tuesday, one of Poroshenko's top challengers in the race, Yulia Tymoshenko, called for him to be impeached following a media investigation into alleged embezzlement schemes in the country's military industries. FILE - In this file photo dated Tuesday Feb. 19, 2019, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko shows the newly signed Constitutional amendment to joining the EU and NATO in Ukrainian parliament in Kiev, Ukraine. President Petro Poroshenko said he would instruct his government to formulate a new draft law on punishing officials for corruption and that it would be submitted to parliament as an urgent priority. (Mikhail Palinchak, Presidential Press Service Pool Photo via AP, File) Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the prosecutor general's office Wednesday to protest corruption, crying "Death to the marauders." Volunteers with the right-wing paramilitary Azov National Corps brandish flares and hold a banner reading 'Scammers in jail' during a rally in front of the office of the General Prosecutor of Ukraine in Kiev, Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko suspended from office Oleh Hladkovsky, First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, pending the probe opened following a journalistic investigative report on corruption. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Volunteers with the right-wing paramilitary Azov National Corps shout slogan during a rally in front of the office of the General Prosecutor of Ukraine in Kiev, Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko suspended from office Oleh Hladkovsky, First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, pending the probe opened following a journalistic investigative report on corruption. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) FILE - In this file photo taken on Friday, Feb. 22, 2019, Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko speaks during her press conference in Kiev, Ukraine. Official corruption is a major issue in Ukraine as it approaches a presidential election on March 31, and a top challenger for the position, Yulia Tymoshenko, called Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, for the impeachment of President Petro Poroshenko following a media investigation into alleged embezzlement schemes in the country's military industries. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File) Volunteers with the right-wing paramilitary Azov National Corps brandish flares and hold a banner reading 'Scammers in jail' during a rally in front of the office of the General Prosecutor of Ukraine in Kiev, Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko suspended from office Oleh Hladkovsky, First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, pending the probe opened following a journalistic investigative report on corruption. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Volunteers with the right-wing paramilitary Azov National Corps attend a rally in front of the office of the General Prosecutor of Ukraine in Kiev, Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko suspended from office Oleh Hladkovsky, First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, pending the probe opened following a journalistic investigative report on corruption.(AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) - Montenegro has issued an international arrest warrant for a fugitive banker who is a former close ally-turned-foe of long-serving President Milo Djukanovic. Police said Wednesday an Interpol warrant has been issued for Dusko Knezevic, who is in London, according to local media, after fleeing Montenegro to avoid detention on suspicion of money laundering and fraud. Knezevic has accused Djukanovic and his Democratic Party of Socialist of high-level corruption and murky business practices. He has published documents and a video allegedly backing the claims. Djukanovic has denied the accusations. Thousands of Montenegrins have protested and demanded the government's resignation over the scandal. Djukanovic has ruled Montenegro virtually unchallenged for three decades. He led the country to independence from much larger Serbia in 2006 and defied Russia to join NATO in 2017. SAN DIEGO (AP) - The Latest on transgender troops' impact on the U.S. military since the policy was changed in 2016 under then-President Barack Obama allowing them to serve openly, (all times local): 4 p.m. Transgender troops testifying for the first time to Congress say transitioning to another sex made them stronger, while Pentagon officials defended the Trump administration's desire to bar people like them from enlisting in the future. Congressional Democrats said at the hearing Wednesday by members of the House Armed Services Committee that President Donald Trump's policy is based on discrimination and likened it to the Army's ban on blacks in the 1940s. Retired Air Force Gen. James N. Stewart, who is now performing the duties of the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, defended Trump's policy that is held up in litigation. He says it is not a ban, but the military cannot make "special accommodations" for people with a medical condition. ___ Army Staff Sgt. Patricia King, second from right, together with other transgender military members, from left, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Blake Dremann, Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik, Army Capt. Jennifer Peace and Navy Petty Officer Third Class Akira Wyatt, testify about their military service before a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, as the Trump administration pushes to ban them. King was deployed three times to Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) 9:45 a.m. The Pentagon has spent nearly $8 million to treat more than 1,500 transgender troops since 2016 when the Obama administration changed the policy to allow them to serve openly. The data from the Defense Department was given to the House Armed Services Committee ahead of a hearing Wednesday in which transgender service members are scheduled to testify before members of Congress for the first time. The Trump administration is pushing to reinstate the ban on transgender personnel, citing medical costs as a reason. The ban remains blocked by litigation. The military's health care budget tops $50 billion. ___ 11:05 p.m. Transgender troops will testify about their service for the first time before Congress as the Trump administration pushes to ban them. Among those set to testify Wednesday before lawmakers of the House Armed Services Committee will be five active-duty transgender service members and Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld, a Navy Reserve commander who helped push to remove the military's last barrier to service under the Obama administration. Also testifying will be Pentagon officials. They are expected to be questioned about whether transgender troops have affected the military's warfighting abilities and whether any medical evidence supports excluding them. Since the U.S. military welcomed transgender people in 2016, they have served without incident. Many have earned medals from a military that only recently denied them the chance to serve. This undated photo provided by her wife Jessica Kibodeaux shows Lindsey Muller and her dog Emma hiking in the Cheyenne Mountains west of Fort Carson, Colo. Muller, a 19-year combat veteran who served multiple tours in Iraq, diligently followed the Pentagon guidelines to transition. In the nearly three years since the U.S. military welcomed transgender people into the armed forces in 2016, they have served without incident. Some, like Muller, have earned prestigious medals or received other forms of recognition. (Jessica Kibodeaux via AP) In this Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019 photo released by the her office, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., left, gives challenge coins to U.S. Army Maj. Ian Brown, right, and other military service members to thank them for their service, in her office at the Capitol following the State of the Union address in Washington. Brown, 38, is a two-time Bronze Star recipient who transitioned from female to male while advising the Army's deputy chief of staff in operations and planning. (Julio Obscura/Office of the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi via AP) In this July 27, 2017 photo, Master Sgt. Erika Stoltz, poses for a photo at her home in Sun Prairie, Wis. Stoltz, 56, served four combat deployments and earned two Bronze Stars. After returning from Afghanistan, she transitioned from male to female while working full-time for the Army. (M.P. King/Wisconsin State Journal via AP) In this July 27, 2017 photo, Master Sgt. Erika Stoltz, poses for a photo at her home in Sun Prairie, Wis. Stoltz, 56, served four combat deployments and earned two Bronze Stars. After returning from Afghanistan, she transitioned from male to female while working full-time for the Army. (M.P. King/Wisconsin State Journal via AP) From left, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Blake Dremann, together with other transgender military members, Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik, Army Capt. Jennifer Peace, Army Staff Sgt. Patricia King and Navy Petty Officer Third Class Akira Wyatt, testify about their military service before a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, as the Trump administration pushes to ban them. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik, second from left, together with other transgender military members, from left, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Blake Dremann, Army Capt. Jennifer Peace, Army SSgt. Patricia King, and Navy Petty Officer Third Class Akira Wyatt, testify about their service before a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, as the Trump administration pushes to ban their service. Stehlik is a graduate of West Point and served in Iraq. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) From left, transgender military members Navy Lt. Cmdr. Blake Dremann, Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik, Army Capt. Jennifer Peace, Army Staff Sgt. Patricia King and Navy Petty Officer Third Class Akira Wyatt, prepare for the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, as the Trump administration pushes to ban transgender troops. This is the first ever hearing that transgender military members openly testified in Congress. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) From left, transgender military members Navy Lt. Cmdr. Blake Dremann, Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik, Army Capt. Jennifer Peace and Army Staff Sgt. Patricia King, listen to an emotional committee member Rep. Debra Haaland, D-N.M. relate to the witnesses about her daughter who is gay during a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. This is the first ever hearing that transgender military members openly testified in Congress. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - An Oklahoma man's new trial request for a 1999 federal murder conviction and death sentence in Arkansas has been denied, with the judge saying he doesn't have jurisdiction while noting that evidence presented by attorneys "is reasonably likely" to have led to a different sentence. Danny Lee, 46, of Yukon, was convicted and sentenced to die for the 1996 deaths of gun dealer William Mueller, his wife, Nancy Mueller and her 8-year-old daughter, Sarah Powell, of Russellville and stealing guns and cash in a plot to establish a whites-only nation in the Pacific Northwest. Chevie Kehoe, 46, of Colville, Washington, was also convicted of murder in the case and was sentenced to life in prison, though prosecutors called Kehoe the ringleader and also sought the death penalty for him. Tuesday's order by U.S. District Judge Leon Holmes said that because the request is the third by Lee, it requires federal appeals court authorization, which has not been requested. Lee's attorneys, assistant federal public defenders Morris Moon and George Kouros, did not return phone calls for comment Wednesday. The defense attorneys said in their September motion for a new trial that recently discovered documents show a 1990 murder charge against Lee, who was 17 at the time, was not reduced to a robbery charge, as said by prosecutors during the sentencing phase of his 1999 trial, but dismissed for a lack of evidence. FILE - In this Oct. 31 1997, file photo, Danny Lee waits for his arraignment hearing for the 1996 murders of an Arkansas family in Russellville, Ark. Lee's request for a new trial in a 1999 federal murder conviction and death sentence in Arkansas has been denied, with the judge saying he doesn't have jurisdiction while noting that evidence presented by attorneys "is reasonably likely" to have led in a different sentence. (Dan Pierce/The Courier via AP, File) Holmes' 20-page order notes that prosecutors, in seeking the death penalty, told jurors that Lee had received a "gift" when the murder charge in Oklahoma City was reduced. "Assuming that the Oklahoma state court held at a preliminary hearing that the evidence was insufficient to establish probable cause that Lee was guilty of murdering Joey Wavra, that evidence is material," Holmes wrote. "In light of the government's reliance on the Wavra murder during sentencing it is reasonably likely that ... the outcome at sentencing would have been different." The new trial request does not say when the documents were discovered, but includes a September 1991 request for attorney fees by Kenneth Watson, the attorney for Lee, who was known at the time as Daniel Graham. "Court finds crime of Murder I not established by evidence," according to the request. "Court recommends a dismissal of Murder I charges and state consider refiling on charge of Robbery I." Watson, now a retired state judge, did not immediately return a phone call for comment. Lee's cousin was later convicted of killing Wavra and sentenced to life in prison. CINCINNATI (AP) - A federal appeals court has rejected an Ohio woman's defamation lawsuit against actor James Woods over Twitter posts during the 2016 presidential campaign. The Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Wednesday a lower court ruling dismissing the lawsuit by Portia Boulger of Chillicothe (chihl-ih-KAHTH'-ee), an activist for Democrat Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign. In March 2016, a Twitter account mistakenly identified Boulger as a woman who appeared to give a Nazi salute at a rally for then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Woods' account retweeted the photos, asking: "So-called #Trump 'Nazi' is a #BernieSanders agitator/operative?" Multiple outlets reported the photo was of another woman, and Woods eventually corrected his tweet. The appellate judges found Woods' tweet "could reasonably be read to have an innocent meaning" as merely asking a question. ___ FILE - In this Nov. 2, 2016, file photo, actor James Woods poses at the premiere of the film "Bleed for This" at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, Calif. A federal appeals court has agreed with the dismissal of an Ohio woman's defamation lawsuit against Woods over Twitter posts during the 2016 presidential campaign season. The Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, upheld a lower court ruling for Woods. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File) Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire lawmakers on Wednesday gave preliminary approval to legalizing recreational marijuana, dismissing public safety and health concerns on a path to join scores of other states that have passed similar cannabis measures. Lawmakers voted 209-147 in favor of the bill that would legalize possession up to 1 ounce (28 grams). Adults would be allowed to grow up to six plants, and a commission would be set up to license and regulate an industry supporters said could produce $33 million per year. "I know change is hard. It's a little scary," the bill's sponsor, Democratic Rep. Renny Cushing, told lawmakers ahead of the vote. "But I think now is the time that New Hampshire makes the transition from prohibition to real legalization, taxation and regulation." Past efforts have failed in New Hampshire, but Democrats, who added legalization to their platform last year, now control both the House and Senate. But a spokesman for Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said the governor remains committed to vetoing the bill. Benjamin Vihstadt said Sununu agrees with law enforcement and public health officials who say "now is not the time for the recreational legalization of cannabis in New Hampshire." While the vote Wednesday falls short of the two-thirds majority to override a veto, Cushing said he expects it to pick up support and that it will eventually become law. "I'm confident that the force of history is with us," he said. FILE-- In this July 12, 2018 file photo, newly transplanted cannabis cuttings grow in pots at a marijuana cultivation facility in Milford, Mass. The New Hampshire House has given preliminary approval to a bill legalizing recreational marijuana, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, putting the state on the path to joining several of its neighbors who allow the possession of small amounts of pot. Lawmakers voted 209-147 in favor of the bill that would legalize up to 1 ounce (28 grams) of recreational marijuana and 5 grams of concentrated cannabis. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) The bill now goes to the Ways and Means Committee because of the revenue component of the bill. It then will return to the House for another vote before moving to the Senate. Ten states have legalized recreational marijuana - including the three bordering New Hampshire - while New York, New Jersey and others are considering it this year. Opponents dominated much of the debate Wednesday, with several lawmakers raising concerns over health, motorists driving while high and marijuana being a gateway drug. "Marijuana commercialization is wrong for New Hampshire's young people, our communities," Democratic Rep. Linda Harriott-Gathright said. "Allowing big marijuana into New Hampshire will allow this major industry to manufacture, sell and market an addictive substance to our kids setting them up for long-term health problems." Republican Rep. Stephen Pearson said that as a firefighter he sees the impacts of the opioid crisis. He said he fears legalization of marijuana could only add to the state's drug problems. "We are not going to solve our drug crisis by legalizing more drugs. This bill creates far more problems than its worth," he said. Supporters countered that the health concerns are overblown. They also said legalization would take the sales away from criminal gangs and ensure safer transactions and that products that more reliable. They also said legalization would be a boon to the economy. "I don't share my colleagues' concern about cannabis... I know we are dealing with the opioid epidemic but this is not that - not even close," said Democratic Rep. William Pearson. "Rather, I would compare cannabis to coffee or sugar." Last year, California became the largest legal U.S. marketplace, Massachusetts opened the first recreational shops on the East Coast, Canada legalized it in most provinces, and Mexico's Supreme Court recognized the rights of individuals to use marijuana, moving the country closer to broad legalization. ___ Follow AP's complete marijuana coverage: https://apnews.com/Marijuana PRAGUE (AP) - Czech parliament's upper house rejected a proposal drafted by Communist lawmakers to tax the compensation that the country's churches receive for property seized by the former Communist regime. The opposition-controlled Senate on Wednesday vetoed a previous approval by the lower house, which still can override the veto. The nation's churches have had some property held by the state returned, and they are also to receive around $3 billion over 30 years. The Communists have been vocal opponents of the payment. The lower house vote in January showed their rising influence. The party is not part of the center-left ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Andrej Babis, but helped the minority Cabinet survive a confidence vote. The churches strictly oppose the taxation and plan to sue. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Nashville's top prosecutor has apologized for posing with a Confederate flag in a Kappa Alpha fraternity group photo in his 1982 college yearbook. In a statement, Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk said he found the photo while searching his Wake Forest University yearbooks and felt compelled to disclose it after Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee expressed regret for wearing a Confederate uniform for "Old South" parties with Kappa Alpha at Auburn University. A 1980 Auburn yearbook photo shows Lee in the outfit. The Nashville Scene reported that Funk, a Democrat, brought the photo and a written statement of apology to the newsweekly on Tuesday. "I was wrong to participate in divisive and hurtful behavior," Funk said in his statement. "I apologize for the hurt caused then and now." Funk's disclosure also comes in the wake of a scandal involving two Virginia politicians who once wore blackface. That case has focused renewed scrutiny on the past behavior of elected officials around the country when it comes to race. The photo shows Funk and a few dozen more of his fraternity brothers around the Confederate flag. Kappa Alpha's "Old South" parties were a tradition on multiple campuses, but the fraternity's national organization has prohibited the use of Confederate flags at any chapter since 2001 and banned the wearing of uniforms and parades in 2010, a spokesman told the AP. Auburn's "Old South" parade ended in 1992, according to a university spokesman. Earlier this month, Wake Forest University President Nathan Hatch said in a news release he was "disheartened and disturbed" to learn that old yearbooks include lynching references, racial slurs, Confederate symbols and photos of students wearing blackface. In 2016, the North Carolina school joined a group of Universities Studying Slavery to better understand the role of slaves in the university's founding. Funk won a decisive Democratic primary election in 2014 with the help of black voters. He did not have a Republican opponent in the general election. ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (AP) - Police say Kentucky officers shot and wounded a suspect who pointed a gun at them after a high-speed chase through two counties. Kentucky State Police said in a statement Wednesday that the pursuit began in Elizabethtown after the suspect fled from a traffic stop, stole another vehicle and tried to run over several officers. The statement says the officers fired and the suspect fled onto Interstate 65 at speeds reaching more than 120 mph before the chase ended in a field in Larue County. Police say the man pulled a gun, so state troopers, Elizabethtown officers and a Hardin County Sheriff's deputy fired. The suspect was hit multiple times and taken to a hospital in Louisville, where he remained in critical condition. Neither the suspect nor the officers were identified. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - Activists are calling for the firing of a western Michigan police officer whom they accuse of racial profiling by notifying immigration officials about the arrest of a mentally ill Latino war veteran who is actually a U.S. citizen. Immigration and Customs Enforcement held Jilmar Ramos-Gomez for three days in December before releasing the Michigan-born man. Grand Rapids Lt. Curt VanderKooi told ICE about Ramos-Gomez' November arrest at a local hospital, referring to him as "loco," or crazy. Interim police Chief David Kiddle says VanderKooi was reprimanded for "unprofessional language." Dozens of people attended a city commission meeting Tuesday to express their displeasure with how Ramos-Gomez was treated. Miriam Aukerman, of the American Civil Liberties Union, says Ramos-Gomez was racially profiled. Kiddle says he's using the case to review policies. In this Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019 photo, Mayor Rosalynn Bliss reacts to protestors during a Grand Rapids City Commission meeting in Grand Rapids, Mich. Civil rights groups allege Grand Rapids police officials acted on racial profiling not fear of terrorism when they called federal immigration authorities on a former U.S. Marine who is Latino. Jilmar Ramos-Gomez was arrested in November 2018 after setting a small fire inside Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital and then standing on the rooftop helipad. He was later held for three days by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, even though he was arrested with a U.S. passport. Grand Rapids Interim Police Chief David Kiddle said his department acted properly. (Cory Morse/The Grand Rapids Press via AP) In this Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, Interim Police Chief David Kiddle speaks during a Grand Rapids City Commission meeting that had a crowd of protesters in Grand Rapids, Mich. Civil rights groups allege Grand Rapids police officials acted on racial profiling not fear of terrorism when they called federal immigration authorities on a former U.S. Marine who is Latino. Jilmar Ramos-Gomez was arrested in November 2018 after setting a small fire inside Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital and then standing on the rooftop helipad. He was later held for three days by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, even though he was arrested with a U.S. passport. Kiddle said his department acted properly. (Cory Morse/The Grand Rapids Press via AP) SAN DIEGO (AP) - The Latest on the demolition of eight prototypes of the president's prized border wall. (all times local): 11 a.m. Less than two hours after crews began demolishing eight prototypes of the president's prized border wall in San Diego, seven of the barriers were destroyed. A large hydraulic jackhammer attached to an excavator pounded the walls repeatedly on Wednesday as slabs fell into small clouds of dust. Crews had previously drilled small holes in the concrete and stuffed them with grout that softens the cement and makes them easier to destroy. A panel made of steel poles was also dismantled. The Trump administration says elements of the prototypes have been melded into current border fence designs and they have served their purpose. Work crews begin to demolish border wall prototypes in San Diego on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. The Trump administration on Wednesday began to demolish eight prototypes of the president's prized border wall that the government built near San Diego one year ago. (AP Photo/Elliot Spagat) The eight prototypes cost $300,000 to $500,000 each to build. For Trump's allies, the towering models were a show of his commitment to border security and fulfilling a core campaign promise. For detractors, they were monuments to wasted taxpayer dollars and a misguided display of aggression toward Mexico and immigrants. ___ 7:45 a.m. The Trump administration is set to demolish eight prototypes of the president's prized border wall, saying elements of them have been melded into current designs and that they have served their purpose. The concrete and steel models near the border separating San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico, became potent symbols associated with one of the president's top priorities when they were built in 2017. For Trump's allies, they were a show of his commitment to border security. For detractors, they were a misguided display of aggression toward Mexico and immigrants. After the prototypes are removed on Wednesday, an extension to the current border wall in the area will be installed. FILE - In this March 13, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump talks with reporters as he reviews border wall prototypes in San Diego. The Trump administration on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, began demolishing eight prototypes of the president's prized border wall, saying they have served their purpose. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) FILE - In this March 13, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump holds a poster with photographs of the U.S. - Mexico border area as he reviews border wall prototypes in San Diego with Rodney Scott, the U.S. Border Patrol's San Diego sector chief. The Trump administration on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, began demolishing eight prototypes of the president's prized border wall, saying they have served their purpose. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - A Kentucky man accused by the Singapore government of stealing a database of HIV patients has been jailed in the U.S. on federal charges of illegally possessing Singaporean identification documents. Mikhy Farrera-Brochez of Winchester was briefly in federal court in Lexington on Wednesday. A federal grand jury will meet to decide if Brochez should be indicted on four U.S. charges related to the possession of the documents. Last month, Singapore's health ministry accused Brochez of stealing and leaking a pre-2013 database of 14,200 people who were infected with HIV. The ministry says Brochez worked in Singapore as a lecturer before he was jailed for several drug and fraud-related offenses and deported last year. Brochez's attorney, Jay Oakley, said Wednesday that Brochez is innocent of the charges. "The nature of the charges are that he has in his possession certain identifying government documents coming from Singapore and that he shouldn't have in his possession," Oakley said after the court hearing. "We're going to prepare our defense and handle the charges as they need to be handled." Singapore's health ministry said Brochez's partner, who headed the ministry's National Public Health Unit from March 2012 to May 2013, had access to the confidential information. This undated photo made available by the Fayette County Department of Corrections shows Mikhy Farrera Brochez under arrest. Farrera Brochez, is accused of leaking information on thousands of HIV victims in Singapore, appears in U.S. District Court Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, after being charged with possession and unlawful transfer of stolen documents. (Fayette County Department of Corrections via AP) His partner is Ler Teck Siang, a Singaporean doctor who has been charged in Singapore for failing to take reasonable care of confidential information relating to HIV-positive patients. The charge is pending. Brochez refers to Siang as his husband. It is not clear what their official marital status is. Brochez appeared in the Kentucky courtroom Wednesday in a yellow jumpsuit and handcuffs. Oakley said after the hearing that Brochez is concerned about the welfare of Siang, who remains in Singapore. Brochez told U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Stinnett on Wednesday that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder due to his treatment in jail in Singapore. Brochez reached out to the FBI in January, claiming he had important information and was in danger of being kidnapped by the Singapore government, according to an FBI affidavit. The affidavit said the FBI learned earlier this month from public reports that Brochez possessed a medical database maintained by the National Public Health Unit of Singapore. The data contains personal medical information for those who have tested positive for HIV. "Brochez has personally reached out to several media outlets and revealed his possession of the ... database," the affidavit said. Brochez also wrote on Facebook that he "will continue releasing this evidence until the (Singapore government) stops the HIV registry and releases my husband Dr. Ler Teck Siang from the unlawful imprisonment based on false charges," the affidavit said. One of the U.S. charges against Brochez accuses him of making threats to extort a thing of value, along with a charge that Brochez knew the documents were stolen. The FBI began looking for Brochez in Kentucky earlier this month and located his mother on Feb. 21. His mother said Brochez was "mentally ill and she was extremely afraid of him" and she had kicked him out of the house. Agents and state police tracked down Brochez later that day and took him into custody. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Saying there is no evidence of widespread election fraud in Texas, a federal judge Wednesday blocked the removal of any registered voter after state Republican leaders loudly but wrongly questioned the U.S. citizenship of tens of thousands of people. The decision by U.S. District Judge Fred Biery of San Antonio temporarily halts a bungled search for illegal voters in Texas, which began in January with the release of a deeply flawed list of 98,000 voters who were flagged as possibly not being citizens. Those names were immediately referred to prosecutors , and Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton amplified the announcement as a "VOTER FRAUD ALERT." Within days, however, it emerged that the list wasn't vetted and included scores of U.S. citizens. Biery called the search a "a solution looking for a problem" and barred elections officials from asking anyone on the list to affirm their citizenship. "Notwithstanding good intentions, the road to a solution was inherently paved with flawed results, meaning perfectly legal naturalized Americans were burdened with what the Court finds to be ham-handed and threatening correspondence from the state which did not politely ask for information but rather exemplifies the power of government to strike fear and anxiety and to intimidate the least powerful among us," Biery wrote. Paxton said after the decision that the state is weighing its options. "Today's ruling involves a federal district court improperly assuming control over key aspects of the State's obligation under federal and state law to maintain the integrity of its voter rolls," he said. FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2019 file photo, Secretary of State David Whitley, left, arrives for his confirmation hearing in Austin, Texas, where he addressed the backlash surrounding Texas' efforts to find noncitizen voters on voter rolls. A key Texas Democrat says he won't back Whitley, Gov. Greg Abbott's embattled choice for secretary of state, whose job is in peril over an inaccurate list of 95,000 voters flagged as possible non-U.S. citizens. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) The decision is a victory for civil rights groups that swiftly sued after Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's new elections chief, Secretary of State David Whitley, announced that his office had compared voter rolls against a database of legal U.S. residents with state IDs. Whitley has defended the effort as "list maintenance" of the voter rolls required by law. His office said in a statement it appreciated the judge's "acknowledgment that the list maintenance process was performed in good faith." It added that Whitley met Wednesday with plaintiffs in the lawsuit to solicit feedback and make clear "that every option is on the table." The state originally claimed that 58,000 names on the list had voted in at least one election since 1996, prompting President Donald Trump to take to Twitter and renew his unsubstantiated claims of rampant voter fraud. But significantly, the Texas list failed to exclude voters who legally cast ballots only after becoming naturalized citizens. "This is an extremely important ruling to help prevent eligible voters in Texas from getting kicked off the voter rolls," said Thomas Buser-Clancy, a staff attorney for the ACLU of Texas. The fallout has jeopardized Whitley's nomination in the Texas Senate, where all 12 Democrats have come out against his confirmation. That means Whitley, a former Abbott aide who was appointed in December, likely can't get through the Republican-controlled Senate because he would need some Democrats to reach a two-third margin on the day of his confirmation vote. Biery said Whitley's office "created this mess." Only 80 of the original 98,000 names on the list have been identified as being ineligible to vote, according to his ruling. "The evidence has shown in a hearing before this Court that there is no widespread voter fraud," Biery wrote. Abbott has stood by Whitley even as Democrats last week lined up to effectively block his confirmation. Whitley can serve until the end of May without a vote. ___ Follow Paul J. Weber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pauljweber INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said Wednesday he will try to build public support for a hate crimes law, a week after the Republican-dominated state Senate stripped out a list of specific protected traits he had supported to get Indiana off a list of five states without such a law. The Republican governor told a Statehouse news conference that he might not have stressed strongly enough to the public how important it is for Indiana to adopt a hate crimes law with a list of protected traits, such as race, gender, age, religion and sexual orientation. Social conservatives oppose such a list and Republican senators voted last week to remove it , replacing it in the bill with the words "including bias" to current state code on factors a judge may consider in determining criminal sentences. That move immediately drew criticism from Holcomb, civil rights activists and business leaders. Holcomb said he will encourage Indiana residents to contact their legislators and appeal to them to pass a law with a specific list of protected traits as the House takes up the issue in the coming weeks. "They need to contact the legislators that vote - their legislator - and respectfully appeal to their hearts and minds why this is important not to just to them but to the life of our state and the future of our state," he said. "This is about now, but also where we're going to be in 5, 10, 15 years." Holcomb has said that Indiana is "long overdue" to adopt such a law following the spray-painting of a swastika outside a suburban Indianapolis synagogue last summer. He's called it the moral thing to do and said it could also help with economic development because it would make Indiana appear more tolerant. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb speaks during a press conference at the Statehouse, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019 in Indianapolis. (Robert Scheer, Indianapolis Star via AP) He said when this year's legislative session opened in early January that he would be "uber" involved in the hate crimes law debate, but has done little publicly to push for such a law beyond discussing it during his State of the State address six weeks ago. Holcomb said Wednesday that his administration would be "hyperactive" on working for passage of such a law before the legislative session ends in late April. Democrats are united in supporting the list and say Holcomb must be more vocal on the issue as 33 Republican senators showed they were willing to vote against one of his priority bills. "This is going to need a concerted effort by all groups and folks around the state, starting with the governor and business leaders," House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta of Fort Wayne said Tuesday. "We're going to really need their help." Senate Democratic Leader Tim Lanane of Anderson faulted Republicans for replacing the list with "two words and a comma," saying "It just simply doesn't get the job done." The hate crimes debate follows the controversy over a 2015 Indiana law that critics said allowed gay people to be discriminated against. The law was later changed, but only after a national backlash and threats of a boycott. Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma said several Indiana business executives called him after the Senate vote to argue in favor of including the list, but for weeks he's warned of significant opposition among GOP House members to the full list. While getting Indiana off the list of states without a hate crimes law is important for business recruitment, Bosma said opposition goes beyond including sexual orientation and gender identity in the proposal. "There are plenty of people in our caucus who believe we should take no action on this, it is not a necessity, it's not an issue in their community," he said. "It isn't just about those two categories, it's about whether there is a list and whether we have to take this action at all." An overwhelming majority of states have hate crime laws, which vary to some degree but generally allow for stiffer sentences to be given to people who are convicted of crimes motivated by hatred or bias. Only Indiana, Georgia, South Carolina, Wyoming and Arkansas do not. Holcomb said Wednesday that Indiana needs a bias law that specifically details the covered characteristics, and suggested that lawmakers could simply take the wording from the federal hate crimes law and put that into state law for judges to consider in sentencings. "I would use the specific words. I want to get away from the vagueness," he said. "I have a lot of respect for the legislators upstairs who have a deeply rooted legal knowledge, but I also know what gets us off the list and I've looked at other states that have been vague and that will just not suffice." Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb speaks during a press conference at the Statehouse, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019 in Indianapolis. (Robert Scheer, Indianapolis Star via AP) Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb speaks during a press conference at the Statehouse, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019 in Indianapolis. (Robert Scheer, Indianapolis Star via AP) In this Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019 photo, Indiana House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta, right, of Fort Wayne, and Senate Democratic Leader Tim Lanane, of Anderson, speak during a Statehouse news conference in Indianapolis. They both called on Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb to push more aggressively for a strong state hate crimes law. (AP Photo/Tom Davies) WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is skewing facts when it comes to Republican congressional efforts to stem the type of election malfeasance recently seen in North Carolina. The Kentucky Republican on Tuesday accused Democrats of resisting GOP efforts over the years to address "voter fraud." That's misleading. The GOP efforts McConnell refers to have focused on requiring voter ID, which has no effect in stopping the alleged mail-in ballot fraud seen in North Carolina. A look at the claim: McCONNELL: "Now, for years and years, every Republican who dared to call for commonsense safeguards for Americans' ballots was demonized by Democrats and their allies. We were hit with left-wing talking points insisting that voter fraud wasn't real. That fraud just didn't happen. That modest efforts to ensure that voters are who they say they are and are voting in the proper place were really some sinister right-wing plot. As you might expect, now that an incident of very real voter fraud has become national news and the Republican candidate seems to have benefited, these long-standing Democrat talking points have quieted. ...I've been focused for decades on protecting the integrity of our elections." - remarks in the Senate on Tuesday. THE FACTS: McConnell suggested the election debacle in North Carolina could have been prevented by Republican efforts, including his own, to fight "voter fraud" with voter ID laws, and he blamed Democrats for inaction on the issue. But the longtime Republican drive to require people to show identification when they show up to vote is not on point to what happened in North Carolina. The case of malfeasance involving Republican Mark Harris' congressional campaign in November focused on absentee mail-in ballot fraud, not voter impersonation at the ballot box. Laws mandating voter IDs - like one in North Carolina, which is in limbo due to legal challenges - are powerless to stop mail-in ballot fraud. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters he can't say whether the Republican-controlled Senate will approve a resolution to block President Donald Trump's emergency declaration on immigration, during a news conference after a closed-door GOP meeting with Vice President Mike Pence, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The House later voted to block President Trump's emergency declaration, a measure intended get him billions of extra dollars to build his border wall. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) The North Carolina State Board of Elections last week ordered a new election in the district, citing the voting improprieties. According to testimony during a state elections board hearing, Harris hired political operative Leslie McCrae Dowless Jr., who collected absentee ballots from voters by offering to put them in the mail. Some of Dowless' associates testified they collected blank or incomplete ballots, then forged signatures and filled in votes for local candidates. Dowless was arrested Wednesday on criminal charges over his collection of absentee ballots. McConnell is correct that Republicans and Democrats in Congress have debated election security for years. The Republican efforts in Congress have centered on voter ID laws, including an amendment McConnell unsuccessfully offered in 2007 to require ID to help prevent noncitizens from voting at the ballot box. Democrats have opposed voter-ID laws as unnecessarily restrictive for nonwhites, the poor and young people, who tend to vote Democratic. President Donald Trump himself typically points to a need for voter ID when addressing voter fraud. Last month he cited alleged problems in Texas as the "tip of the iceberg," and tweeted, "Must be stopped. Strong voter ID!" He also inaccurately asserted last November that photo ID is required "if you do anything" such as buying a box of cereal, but not for voting. A spokeswoman for McConnell, Stephanie Penn, said the Senate majority leader was seeking to make a broader point about voting fraud. She said Democrats have been hesitant about addressing "ballot harvesting" - the type of fraud alleged to have happened in North Carolina - in a voting rights bill in the House. The actual number of election fraud cases is very small, and the type that voter IDs is designed to prevent - voter impersonation at the ballot box - is virtually nonexistent. A 2012 report by News21, a reporting project affiliated with Arizona State University, found 2,068 cases of election fraud in the United States since 2000. Ten of those cases involved voter impersonation, or 1 out of every 15 million prospective voters. Mail-in absentee fraud was more common, with 491 cases. None of those instances affected the outcome of an election. In court cases that have invalidated some ID laws as having discriminatory effects, election officials could barely cite a case in which a person was charged with in-person voting fraud. ___ Beam reported from Frankfort, Kentucky. ___ Find AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United States is calling for a vote on a U.N. resolution urging "the peaceful restoration of democracy" in Venezuela, free and fair presidential elections, unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to all people in need - and making clear its support for opposition leader Juan Guaido. The draft resolution is expected to be put to a vote Thursday afternoon, a council diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of an expected announcement. But it is likely to face a veto from Russia, which backs Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the May 20 election that kept him in power. The proposed resolution, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, also expresses "deep concern" at "the violence and excessive use of force by Venezuelan security forces against unarmed, peaceful protesters" and "recent attempts to block the delivery of humanitarian aid." At a Security Council meeting Tuesday, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called the weekend attempt by the Venezuelan opposition to carry in aid shipments from Colombia nothing but a "humanitarian show" created by the United States. He said the Trump administration's sole aim is "regime change, including with threats to do so via foreign intervention" in violation of the U.N. Charter's principle of noninterference in the affairs of another country. Elliott Abrams, the U.S. envoy for Venezuela, shot back: "I reject from start to finish, I reject from top to bottom, accusations of military interventions from a country that is occupying the territory of Georgia and Ukraine." Before the council meeting, Abrams told reporters that U.S. policy "is to use as much diplomatic and economic and political pressure as we can" along with the dozens of countries backing Guaido "to support the Venezuelan people's desire for democracy." Supporters of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro raise their hands swearing allegiance to the fatherland during an "anti-intervention" march coinciding with the anniversary of the deadly 1989 social uprising against neoliberal measures known as the Caracazo, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) The U.S. draft resolution to be voted on makes some significant changes from the administration's initial draft, in what one diplomat called an attempt to address Russian concerns. Russia had circulated a rival draft resolution "expressing concern over the threats to use force" against Venezuela and "to intervene" in its domestic matters. Its draft reaffirmed that international disputes should be settled peacefully and urged that the Venezuelan situation to be settled "through peaceful means." The initial U.S. draft's only mention of "peace" was to recognize "the disruption to peace and security in the region caused by the actions of a regime that have caused an economic collapse." More than 3 million Venezuelans have fled their homeland in recent years in search of food, medicine and opportunities elsewhere in the region. The final U.S. draft doesn't mention the use or threatened use of force but it does make several references to peace. It "calls for the start of a peaceful political process leading to free, fair and credible presidential elections." It "supports the peaceful restoration of democracy and rule of law in Venezuela." And it asks U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "to help ensure free, fair, and credible presidential elections, and encourages subsequent peaceful, inclusive, and credible initiatives to address the prolonged crisis in the country." The Russians, however, are likely to object to another statement in the new U.S. text. It notes "the constitutional authority of the democratically elected National Assembly," which Guaido heads, and commends its efforts to release political prisoners, fight corruption and provide amnesties to civilian and military officials who support "the restoration of democracy." Responding to threats against Guaido and others in the opposition, the draft "stresses the importance of ensuring the security of all members of the National Assembly, and members of the political opposition." As for aid, the Trump administration's initial draft expressed "deep concern" at "recent attempts to block the delivery of humanitarian aid" and stressed the need to facilitate access and delivery of aid to all Venezuelans in need - similar language to the final draft, which added a call for "unhindered access." Colombian soldiers escort a Venezuelan policeman, who deserted his post with his family, after crossing the Simon Bolivar International Bridge into La Parada, Colombia, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, on the border with Venezuela. The policeman said that, "We have no food, my daughter needs medicine." (AP Photo/Martin Mejia) A supporter of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro sits next to an image depicting the late president Hugo Chavez during an "anti-intervention" march coinciding with the anniversary of the deadly 1989 social uprising against neoliberal measures known as the Caracazo, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma residents will be able to openly carry firearms without a background check or training under a bill given final legislative approval Wednesday that quickly became the first signed into law by the new Republican governor. Dubbed "constitutional carry" by its supporters, the bill passed the Senate on a 40-6 vote with every Republican and one Democrat voting in favor. It already sailed through the GOP-controlled House . The bill, which becomes effective Nov. 1, would allow most residents 21 and older to carry concealed or unconcealed firearms without a license. Exceptions would include anyone in the country illegally or those convicted of certain crimes. Firearms would still be prohibited in certain locations, including public buildings, schools, professional sporting events, casinos and bars. Currently, those wishing to carry a firearm in public must apply for a license that includes a state background check and completion of a training course. "I just don't like asking government for permission to exercise a constitutional right. It's that simple," said Don Spencer, a citizen activist who has pushed for looser gun laws at the Capitol for nearly a decade. Gov. Kevin Stitt endorsed the plan on the campaign trail and held a signing ceremony Wednesday afternoon, flanked by dozens of Republican lawmakers. He pushed for a provision that allows businesses the right to ban firearms on their property. Wayne McCombs, left, executive director of the Davis Arms & Historical Museum of Claremore, Okla., shows Ellie Lilly, right, of Claremore, Okla., an air rifle at a display in the state Capitol rotunda, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Oklahoma City. The museum ran the display where visitors could fire an air rifle at targets. The winner was awarded a air rifle. Oklahomans will be able to openly carry firearms without a background check or training under a bill given final legislative approval on Wednesday that will be the first signed into law by state's new Republican governor. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) "As I traveled all over the state to all 77 counties, I heard from Oklahomans all over that they wanted us to protect their right to bear arms," Stitt said. "I'm excited to sign this." The bill was vetoed last year by GOP Gov. Mary Fallin , who cited opposition from the business community and law enforcement. "We already have reasonable licensing and background checks," said Drew Diamond, a 22-year law enforcement veteran and former police chief of Tulsa. "From a policing standpoint, it seems like we're taking all that away and moving backward for no good reason. It seems senseless to me." Diamond joined about 200 volunteers with the gun safety group Moms Demand Action who met with legislators to urge them to oppose the bill. Groups of church leaders also opposed the bill and held a prayer vigil outside the governor's office earlier this week. "Usually, I am proud to call Oklahoma home. But today, I'm embarrassed for our state. I'm embarrassed that our elected leaders put politics before the safety of our families by passing permitless carry," Christine Jackson, a volunteer leader with the Oklahoma chapter of Moms Demand Action, said in a statement. Before the measure was signed, a separate "trailer" bill was moving through the Legislature that would put additional restrictions on openly carrying weapons in places like the Oklahoma City Zoo and the Gathering Place in Tulsa, one of the largest parks in the nation . The park that operates as a private enterprise but was gifted to a public parks entity has blocked people carrying handguns from entering . In the Capitol rotunda on Wednesday while the bill was being debated, officials from a gun museum in the northeast Oklahoma town of Claremore erected a display where visitors could fire an air rifle at targets. The winner was awarded a BB gun. According to the National Rifle Association, at least 14 states have approved some version of permitless carry, most recently South Dakota , where it was the first bill signed by new Republican Gov. Kristi Noem. ___ Follow Sean Murphy at www.twitter.com/apseanmurphy Oklahoma state Sen. Gary Stanislawski, R-Tulsa, stands under the voting board as the vote is counted on the permitless carry bill on the Senate floor Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Neil Hester, center, and other members of the Oklahoma chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America watch debate on a permitless carry bill on the Senate floor Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Oklahoma state Sen. Kim David, R-Porter, speaks on the Senate floor about the permitless carry bill Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Oklahoma City. With passage of the bill, Oklahoma residents will be able to openly carry firearms without a background check or training. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) TORONTO (AP) - Canada's former attorney general testified Wednesday she experienced a consistent and sustained effort by many people in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government to inappropriately interfere in the prosecution of a major Canadian engineering company, including receiving "veiled threats." Ex-justice minister and ex-attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould called it "incredibly inappropriate" but said she didn't think it was illegal because she wasn't instructed to seek a settlement. She said 11 people tried to interfere in her prosecutorial discretion including Trudeau. In a meeting with Trudeau, the prime minister raised the issue and asked her to "help out" with the case, she said. Wilson-Raybould said she asked Trudeau if he was politically interfering with her role as attorney general and told him she would strongly advise against it. "No, no, no. We just need to find a solution," she said Trudeau responded. She said Trudeau told her that if Montreal-based SNC-Lavalin didn't get a deferred prosecution there would be jobs lost and the company would move its headquarters from Montreal to London and noted he was a lawmaker from Quebec. Wilson-Raybould said she was "barraged" and subjected to "hounding" by members of the government. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at a media availability in Montreal on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP) Trudeau disputed her view of events. "I strongly maintain, as I have from the beginning, that I and my staff always acted appropriately and professionally, and therefore I completely disagree with the characterization of the former attorney general about these events," he said at a news conference. Trudeau said the decision on whether to forgo prosecution and enter a plea agreement with the company was hers and hers alone. He also welcomed the investigation of the ethics commissioner while he rejected calls by the leader of the opposition Conservative Party to resign, saying Canadians will have a choice later this year in parliamentary elections. "My job as prime minister is to stand up for jobs. I have done that and will continue to do that. That is a fundamental role of a Canadian prime minister," Trudeau said. Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer also said police should investigate and called Trudeau a disgraced prime minister. Jagmeet Singh, leader of the opposition NDP, said there should be a public inquiry but stopped short of calling for Trudeau to step down. "He may need to resign because of this," he said. "What we heard today was explosive." Trudeau's government has been on the defensive since the Globe and Mail newspaper reported Feb. 7 that Trudeau or his staff pressured her to try to avoid a criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin over allegations of corruption involving government contracts in Libya. Critics say that would be improper political meddling in a legal case. "For a period of approximately four months, between September and December of 2018, I experienced a consistent and sustained effort by many people within the government to seek to politically interfere in the exercise of prosecutorial discretion in my role as the attorney general of Canada," she told a Parliament justice committee. The scandal has been a significant blow to Trudeau, who is facing an election this year. Gerald Butts, Trudeau's closet adviser, resigned last week but denied that he or anyone else pressured Wilson-Raybould. Michael Wernick, the top civil servant in the government, has also said that no inappropriate pressure was put on Wilson-Raybould. Wilson-Raybould resigned from the Cabinet on Feb. 12 as veteran affairs minister but gave no reasons. She had been unexpectedly demoted from justice minister last month, and was furious, releasing a 2,000-word statement after that. "I was concerned I was shuffled because of a decision I would not take with SNC, I raised those concerns with the PM," she said. "Those concerns were denied." Wilson-Raybould compared the situation to President Richard Nixon's "Saturday Night Massacre" firing of the independent special prosecutor overseeing the Watergate investigation in 1973. The Globe and Mail's report this month said Trudeau's office pressured her to instruct the director of public prosecutions to negotiate a remediation agreement with SNC-Lavalin. The agreement would have allowed the company to pay reparations but avoid a criminal trial on charges of corruption and bribery. If convicted criminally, the company would be banned from receiving any federal government business for a decade. SNC-Lavalin is a major employer in Quebec, with about 3,400 employees in the province, 9,000 employees in Canada and more than 50,000 worldwide. "It's OK to talk about job losses. It's OK to talk about it in initial conversations but when those topics continue to be brought up after there is a clear awareness that a decision has been made it becomes inappropriate," Wilson-Raybould said. "Where they became very clearly inappropriate was when political issues came up, like the election in Quebec, like losing the election were SNC to move its headquarters." She said there would be merits in separating the roles of attorney general and justice minister. Asked if she has confidence in Trudeau, Wilson-Raybould twice did not answer yes Wilson-Raybould remains a member of Trudeau's Liberal party in Parliament. She said she doesn't anticipate being kicked out of the party. Trudeau said he hadn't reviewed her entire testimony and needed to see that before he made any decision on her membership. Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill university, said Wilson-Raybould's testimony is very bad for Trudeau and threatens his re-election chances this fall. "Her testimony was both detailed and credible. She also implicated a lot of people, from top advisers and the most powerful civil servant in the country to the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister, Bill Morneau," Beland said. "The Liberals have fallen in the polls since this story emerged and today's testimony is likely to make things worse for them, at least in the short run." Cameras follow Jody Wilson Raybould as she waits to appear in front of the Justice committee in Ottawa, Wednesday February 27, 2019. Wilson Raybould is testifying she experienced a consistent and sustained effort by many people in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government to inappropriately interfere in the prosecution of a major Canadian engineering company (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Jody Wilson Raybould adjusts her earpiece as she waits to appear in front of the Justice committee in Ottawa, Wednesday February 27, 2019. 7, 2019. Wilson Raybould is testifying she experienced a consistent and sustained effort by many people in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government to inappropriately interfere in the prosecution of a major Canadian engineering company (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Jody Wilson-Raybould appears at the House of Commons Justice Committee on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Wilson Raybould is testifying she experienced a consistent and sustained effort by many people in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government to inappropriately interfere in the prosecution of a major Canadian engineering company. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Cameras follow Jody Wilson Raybould as she waits to appear in front of the Justice committee in Ottawa, Wednesday February 27, 2019. Wilson Raybould is testifying she experienced a consistent and sustained effort by many people in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government to inappropriately interfere in the prosecution of a major Canadian engineering company (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Canada's former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould appears to testify in front of the House of Commons Justice Committee on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Wilson-Raybould said she experienced a consistent and sustained effort by many people in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government to inappropriately interfere in the prosecution of a Montreal engineering giant SNC-Lavalin and says it included "veiled threats."(Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP) Canada's former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould appears to testify in front of the House of Commons Justice Committee on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Wilson-Raybould said she experienced a consistent and sustained effort by many people in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government to inappropriately interfere in the prosecution of a Montreal engineering giant SNC-Lavalin and says it included "veiled threats."(Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP) BOSTON (AP) - Letters written behind bars by notorious Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger have sold for as much as $1,430 at an auction. The letters auctioned Sunday provide a glimpse into Bulger's life behind bars before he was killed by fellow inmates last year. The letters were written to a man Bulger met in prison. The auction house says the six letters fetched between $845 and $1,430 each. In the letters, Bulger longingly recalled his old days at Alcatraz, complained about the gentrification of his old neighborhood and discussed how other inmates would try to push his wheelchair when he passed. Bulger was beaten to death in October shortly after being transferred to a troubled prison in West Virginia. He was serving a life sentence for participating in 11 murders. FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Twelve-year-old Hannah Piedad first encountered vaping - an electronic form of smoking - at a New Year's party. It was the smell that got her attention. "I was intrigued because it smelled just like maple syrup," she said. Now the student at Johnson County Middle School in eastern Kentucky has testified before lawmakers in this tobacco state that e-cigarettes have become commonplace at her school despite a state law requiring a person to be at least 18 to buy them. Piedad and her classmates told state lawmakers Wednesday that they regularly find their peers vaping in the bathroom, with many hiding the products in plain sight. They plug them into their laptops to fool teachers into thinking they just have a USB storage device or they carry them around in water bottles with secret compartments. "Imagine a whole generation of us, but addicted to nicotine. That is what's happening all across Kentucky right now,' warned Emily Farler, 13. The students' testimony before the Kentucky Senate Health and Welfare Committee highlights a challenge for tobacco companies, which have bet their future on e-cigarettes and other vaping products. But those products have drawn the scrutiny of federal regulators, who blame their flavored varieties for appealing to children and halting what had been a steady decline of youth smoking rates. Republican state Sen. Brandon Smith speaks to a legislative committee in Kentucky with some students from Johnson County Middle School on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Frankfort, Kentucky. The students asked lawmakers to pass a bill that would set up an anonymous tip line for students to report when other students are vaping or using e-cigarettes at school. After their testimony, Republican Sen. Steve Meredith vowed to amend the bill to ban all e-cigarettes and vaping products for anyone under 21. Right now, the smoking age is 18.(AP Photo/Adam Beam) Altria, one of the world's largest tobacco companies, has purchased a nearly $13 billion stake in Juul Labs, one of the leading makers of e-cigarettes. Recently, those companies have been trying to persuade state legislatures across the country to raise the tobacco age to 21 in an effort to address concerns by the Food and Drug Administration. Similar proposals have been filed in Tennessee, Delaware and Arkansas. And last week, Virginia became the seventh state to raise the tobacco age to 21. But lawmakers in Kentucky, one of the country's largest tobacco-producing states, rejected a similar effort on Monday. Republican state Sen. Stan Humphries, who is a tobacco farmer, declared just before that vote that "tobacco is still king." But Wednesday' testimony from the middle school students appears to have revived efforts to raise the vaping age in Kentucky. The students urged passage of Senate bill 218, which would set up a way for students to anonymously report concerns about vaping at their public schools. Following the student's testimony, Republican Sen. Steve Meredith said he would amend the bill to include a ban on people 21 and younger from purchasing e-cigarettes and other vapor products. It would still allow 18-year-olds to purchase traditional cigarettes and chewing tobacco. "If you can't get the whole pie I'll settle for half the pie. This is a good start," Meredith said. All tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, are already illegal for anyone under 18 in Kentucky. But Meredith said 80 percent of high school seniors turn 18 before they graduate, offering a potential conduit for the products into public schools. E-cigarettes contain nicotine, and a 2016 U.S. Surgeon General report concluded youth exposure to nicotine of any kind can cause addiction and harm brain development. Juul Labs spokesman Ted Kwong declined to comment about Meredith's proposed amendment, which would affect Juul products but not traditional tobacco products. Earlier in the week, Kwong said the company supports raising the minimum purchase age for all tobacco products and is "committed to preventing youth access of JUUL products, and no young person or non-nicotine user should ever try JUUL." It's unclear if Meredith's proposed amendment will have enough support to pass this year. But the middle school students were delighted their testimony inspired Meredith to try again. "I think that's pretty cool," said 13-year-old Constance Martin. "Normally when you think of like a middle school kid you just think they are going to, like, go home and play video games. But no, we are here testifying in front of a committee. That's wild." SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) - A woman who authorities believe was living in her car was rescued after a snowplow inadvertently bumped into her vehicle, which was buried in snow. South Lake Tahoe, California, city spokesman Chris Fiore highlighted the Feb. 17 incident in a Tuesday news release urging drivers to take safety precautions in winter weather. He said the city has had problems with illegally parked vehicles, which slows snow removal. Fiore said the snowplow driver bumped into the back of the car, which popped the vehicle's trunk open. After that happened, workers from the plow truck started shoveling around the vehicle to prepare to tow it when the woman put her hand on the window from the inside. "She wasn't trying to get out," he said Wednesday. "She wasn't making any noise." The name of the woman was not released because police did not cite her for any violations, Fiore said. She declined medical attention and left and the vehicle was towed. The woman said she'd been in the car for about five hours and seemed unconcerned about what could have happened had the snowplow not hit her vehicle, he said. The car's battery was dead and she couldn't roll down the windows. This Feb. 17, 2019 photo provided by City of South Lake Tahoe shows a car buried in snow in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. Authorities say a snowplow operator inadvertently bumped into a car buried in snow and found a woman unharmed inside. Chris Fiore, spokesman for the city of South Lake Tahoe, highlighted the Feb. 17 incident in a Tuesday, Feb. 26 news release in order to urge safety precautions in winter weather. (City of South Lake Tahoe via AP) "The truth is that this could have turned out very differently," he said. Washington The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in a challenge to a 94-year-old cross memorializing a Maryland countys World War I dead, in a case that may affect church-state controversies in the public schools. Conservative members of the court seemed inclined to find a way to uphold keeping the cross on state property, with some wanting to use the case to overrule the so-called Lemon test for evaluating government interaction with religion. If the court goes that far, the cross case would hold more significant implications for religion in public education. Is it time for the court to thank Lemon for its service and send it on its way? Justice Neil M. Gorsuch asked in reference to the 1971 decision in Lemon v. Kurtzman . Under that test, courts must examine whether government action regarding religion had a secular purpose, had the primary effect of advancing or inhibiting religion, or created an excessive entanglement with religion. Gorsuch made clear he believed the answer was yes, since the Supreme Court itself has rarely relied on the test for the last quarter-century, he said, while lower courts continue to apply Lemon in church-state cases, but are confused by it. More than once, Gorsuch used an especially vivid and disdainful description of the Lemon test, saying it has become a dogs breakfast. The case before the court involves a 40-foot-tall memorial, known as the Peace Cross, which stands in a large highway median in Bladensburg, Md. It was erected in 1925 by the American Legion to honor 49 men from Prince Georges County, Md., who died during World War I. In 1961, the cross and the land beneath it were acquired by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, a state agency. Last year, ruling on a 2012 challenge brought by the American Humanist Association, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, in Richmond, Va., ruled 2-1 that the cross on public land violated the First Amendments prohibition against government establishment of religion because it has the primary effect of endorsing religion and excessively entangles the government in religion. The Latin cross is the core symbol of Christianity, the 4th Circuit majority said. And here, it is 40 feet tall; prominently displayed in the center of one of the busiest intersections in Prince Georges County, Maryland; and maintained with thousands of dollars in government funds. Therefore, we hold that the purported war memorial breaches the wall of separation between church and state. The appeals court did not rule on a remedy for the violation, but the humanist group has sought the crosss removal, while one judge suggested that the arms could be cut off to render the statue an obelisk that would no longer violate the Constitution. 49 Brave Souls The Supreme Court agreed to hear two consolidated appeals, in American Legion v. American Humanist Association (Case No. 17-1717) and Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission v. American Humanist Association (No. 18-18). Neal K. Katyal, one of three lawyers who argued in support of the cross during the Feb. 27 arguments, said the case was an easy one because of the circumstances of the cross, including its age and the fact that it was designed specifically to memorialize the Maryland countys war dead. Families and the Legion built it 93 years ago to commemorate 49 brave souls who gave their lives in World War I, and it has stood since that time until the recent challenge, he said. Its unnecessary and unwise to use this case to overrule the Lemon test, Katyal said, because the cross could be upheld under that or any of the courts other establishment clause tests. Wait for a case where [Lemon] has some bite. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wondered about the constitutionality of hypothetical similar memorial to a mass shooting at a school. Could the local community then decide it wants to put up a cross in front of that school to honor the children and the teachers who died in the mass shooting? Ginsburg asked. Katyal said the test for such a memorial was whether there was an independent secular purpose. Jeffrey B. Wall, who is the acting U.S. solicitor general in this case because Solicitor General Noel J. Francisco is recused, argued on behalf of the Trump administration to uphold the Bladensburg cross. He said that the cross that commemorates the school shooting ... seems to us perfectly permissible. Katyal, who represents the Maryland agency; Wall, and Michael A. Carvin, who represents the American Legion, were peppered with questions from the courts more liberal justices about the symbolism of the large cross. Justice Elena Kagan said that a Latin cross would be a very natural way for predominantly Christian communities to memorialize their war dead. But for others, not, she said. Ginsburg said she had visited U.S. cemeteries of World War I dead in Europe, where the markers of Jewish soldiers have a Star of David. The cross is the preeminent symbol of Christianity, she said. People wear crosses to show their Christian faith. Justice Sonia Sotomayor said that not just religious minorities might be offended by the Bladensburg cross, but also Christians who objected to arguments that is is merely a secular symbol. Justice Stephen G. Breyer hinted that he favors upholding the Bladensburg cross, but a similar one erected today might face more skepticism. History counts, but no more, he said. Were a different country now, there are 50 more different religions and, therefore, no more. Breyer said he was merely offering that observation as a question, but it is consistent with his concurring opinion in a 2005 case, Van Orden v. Perry , that upheld a longstanding Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the Texas state capitol. World War I History Monica L. Miller, defending the 4th Circuits ruling against the cross on behalf of the humanists group, said the establishment clause prevents the government to prefer one religion over another religion. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. told her there are cross memorials all over the country. Do you want them all taken down? Miller said there were only 10 to 20 on government land, and the remedy for most if not all of those could be to move them or sell the land to private parties. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said he understood that Native American totems have spiritual and religious significance. If one of those is on federal property, does it have to be torn down? Likely not, Miller said. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh said that the Supreme Court has upheld religious displays and religious words in cases that approved of legislative prayers and the Ten Commandments monuments. Kagan, who defended a cross on a federal property when she was U.S. solicitor general under President Barack Obama, suggested to Miller that World War I does have this history that this is how soldiers were memorialized, with crosses. And its true not all soldiers, Kagan said. When you go into a World War I battlefield [cemetery], there are Stars of David there, but because those battlefields were just rows and rows and rows of crosses, the cross became, in peoples minds, the preeminent symbol of how to memorialize World War I dead. So why in a case like [this] can we not say essentially the religious content has been stripped of this monument? she said. Im not aware of any secondary meaning thats derived from the Latin cross, Miller said. Its meaning as a war memorial is distinctly for Christians. A decision in the case is expected by late June. CHICAGO (AP) - A political outsider who campaigned on reforming Chicago's police department after a white officer's fatal shooting of a black teenager said Wednesday that voters likely had the high-profile case on their minds when they advanced her to an April runoff for mayor, assuring for the first time a black woman will lead the nation's third-largest city. Former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot's first-place finish in Tuesday's opening round of voting was somewhat surprising considering the 14-candidate field featured prominent state and local leaders and a member of the Daley family that had dominated Chicago politics for more than half a century. But former Commerce Secretary and White House chief of staff William Daley, whose father and brother both served two-decade stints as mayor, didn't even make it to the runoff to succeed Rahm Emanuel, who isn't seeking a third term. Instead, Lightfoot's outsider candidacy will be matched up against the ultimate insider, Toni Preckwinkle - a longtime member of the City Council who now holds the top job in Cook County. They are both black women who campaigned as progressives, but that's largely where the similarities end. Lightfoot rose to prominence after she was appointed to lead the Police Accountability Task Force in the wake of the death of Laquan McDonald. The black teenager was shot 16 times and killed by white police officer Jason Van Dyke, who was convicted and sentenced to about seven years in prison. "To do honor to Laquan McDonald's short and tragic life we have to make significant changes in the way our police department, in particular, addresses communities of color," Lightfoot told The Associated Press. Mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot and her daughter Vivian Lightfoot appear with supporters at EvolveHer in Chicago Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Former federal prosecutor Lightfoot, who could become the first African-American woman to lead the nation's third-largest city, was the top vote-getter in a field of 14 that included a member of the Daley family that has dominated Chicago politics for much of the last six decades. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune via AP) Currently, black women serve as mayor of seven major cities. New Orleans; Charlotte, North Carolina; San Francisco; and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, have all elected black women leaders for the first time in recent years. Atlanta, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., are also led by black women. "Welcome to the Sisterhood!! Two African-American Women Are Headed for Runoff in Chicago's Mayor Race," Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms tweeted Tuesday night. Black women have had successful mayoral races in smaller cities, too. Karen Weaver was elected Flint, Michigan's mayor as the city reeled from a lead-tainted water crisis while under state control. The issue galvanized black voters behind a reform candidacy much in the same way the McDonald shooting helped promote Lightfoot's campaign. "We lift each other up and share a common bond," Weaver said of fellow black female mayors. But Marcus Pohlmann, a political science professor at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, says the fact two black women finished on top in a crowded race doesn't necessarily mean the racially divided city has suddenly undergone a "progressive breakthrough." Combined, the two candidates barely topped a third of the vote - 17.5 percent for Lightfoot and 16 percent for Preckwinkle. A third black candidate, Willie Wilson, finished fourth in the race with 10 percent. "I call it a historic opportunity," Pohlmann said. "Once the city recognizes that a black woman can do the job it does break some ice, it does break that glass ceiling and opens the door for more women to seriously be considered." Blacks make up about a third of Chicago's population. The city has only elected one black mayor, Harold Washington Jr., who was elected in 1983 and died months into his second term. Washington's predecessor, Jane Byrne, is the only woman to serve in the job. "Organizers campaigned around issues of education, racial economic equity, police accountability, and really young black women have largely been at the forefront of those community organizing efforts," said Elizabeth Todd-Breland, assistant professor of history at the University of Illinois-Chicago. The growing black sorority of city leadership is part of the momentum around black women as candidates and voters across the country, as a key constituency in the Democratic Party. Black women are again expected to impact the 2020 election, with a diverse field of candidates that includes California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris, who could become the first female president and second African-American. Preckwinkle now leads one of the largest counties in the country but started her career spending a decade as a high school history teacher. She then was elected a Chicago alderman and did economic development work during the 1980s when Washington served as mayor. Preckwinkle fared well, in part, in predominantly black areas on the city's South Side. Lightfoot, who is openly gay, got much of her support from wealthier, predominantly white areas along the northern shores of Lake Michigan. Todd-Breland said having two black women in the runoff to become mayor of a city known for its segregated neighborhoods is historically significant, "given both the city's history of racism and marginalization of African-Americans." Both women are becoming role models for expanding other women's perspectives and opportunities, Pohlmann said. "I look at it more as breaking down stereotypes than necessarily assume that a woman is going to do something differently," he said. ___ Williams reported from Detroit. Errin Haines Whack contributed to this report from Philadelphia. AP video producer Noreen Nasir contributed from Chicago. Chicago Mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot addresses the crowd at her election night party as she leads in the polls, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, in Chicago. Lightfoot, a federal prosecutor running as an outsider, advanced Tuesday to a runoff for Chicago mayor, a transitional election for a lakefront metropolis still struggling to shed its reputation for corruption, police brutality and street violence. (Tyler LaRiviere/Chicago Sun-Times via AP) Chicago mayoral candidate Toni Preckwinkle speaks at her election night event in Chicago on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Cook County Board President Preckwinkle will face former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot in a runoff to become Chicago's next mayor. The race will guarantee the nation's third-largest city will be led the next four years by an African-American woman. (Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times via AP) Chicago mayoral candidate Toni Preckwinkle pauses during her speech at her election night event in Chicago on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Cook County Board President Preckwinkle will face former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot in a runoff to become Chicago's next mayor. The race will guarantee the nation's third-largest city will be led the next four years by an African-American woman. (Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times via AP) Chicago Mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot addresses the crowd at her election night party as she leads in the polls, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, in Chicago. Lightfoot, a federal prosecutor running as an outsider, advanced Tuesday to a runoff for Chicago mayor, a transitional election for a lakefront metropolis still struggling to shed its reputation for corruption, police brutality and street violence. (Tyler LaRiviere/Chicago Sun-Times via AP) Chicago mayoral candidate Bill Daley reacts as he speaks during an election night celebration in Chicago, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) Supporters at Lori Lightfoot's election party cheer, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, in Chicago. Fourteen candidates are jockeying for a spot in what will be an almost certain mayoral runoff. (Tyler LaRiviere/Chicago Sun-Times via AP) Chicago Mayoral candidate Toni Preckwinkle greets voters at 95th Red Line Station in Chicago on Election Day, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. Cook County Board President Preckwinkle will face former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot in a runoff to become Chicago's next mayor. The race will guarantee the nation's third-largest city will be led the next four years by an African-American woman. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune via AP) RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - An operative in North Carolina's unresolved congressional race was charged Wednesday with obstruction and illegal ballot possession related to 2016 and 2018 elections. Leslie McCrae Dowless Jr. had been the target of multiple investigations into his election activities over the years, but none had yielded any charges until now. Here is a timeline of what led to this point: A NARROW DEFEAT -- JUNE 7, 2016 Republican Mark Harris was narrowly defeated by incumbent U.S. Rep. Robert Pittenger in the GOP primary for North Carolina's 9th Congressional District. Among those working for the third-place candidate Todd Johnson was political operative Leslie McCrae Dowless, who focused on securing mailed-in absentee votes. FILE - In this Dec. 5, 2018 file photo, Leslie McCrae Dowless Jr. poses for a portrait outside of his home in Bladenboro, N.C. The North Carolina political operative at the center of a ballot fraud scandal is facing criminal charges for his activities in the 2016 elections and the Republican primary in 2018. Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, that Dowless was arrested after grand jury indictments alleging illegal possession of absentee ballots and obstruction of justice. (Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP, File) Despite finishing in third with about 30 percent of the overall vote, Johnson got an incredible 98 percent of Bladen County's mailed-in absentee votes. Harris later said he discussed with a campaign attorney to protest the anomalous result, but ultimately decided to drop the matter. MEMO REFERRED -- JAN. 31, 2017 A January 2017 memo by state elections investigators referred Dowless for criminal charges , warning that those involved in illegally harvesting absentee ballots in rural Bladen County would likely do it again if they weren't prosecuted. People who had worked for Dowless in the 2016 election cycle described collecting absentee ballots from voters. Because of the potential for mischief, it is against North Carolina law for anyone other than a voter or immediate relative to handle someone's absentee ballot before it is sealed and mailed. Federal prosecutors, however, have so far taken no action. The extent of the state's investigation was not reported until December 2018. DOWLESS AND HARRIS MEET -- APRIL 2017 Shortly after an in-person meeting in April 2017, Dowless joined the Harris campaign as an independent contractor. Harris later said he recruited Dowless because he produced election results in his rural North Carolina county and other Republicans vouched for the contractor. Harris said he didn't know before November's election that state elections board investigators found evidence that Dowless may have illegally handled ballots in 2016. Harris told the AP that a background check by his political consultants missed Dowless' previous felony convictions for insurance fraud and perjury in the 1990s. A RAZOR-THIN VICTORY? -- NOV. 6, 2018 Unofficial ballot totals showed Republican Mark Harris ahead of Democrat Dan McCready by 905 votes in the 9th Congressional District. It was one of the closest margins among the hundreds of congressional races around the country. McCready conceded the next day. RESULT NOT FINALIZED -- NOV. 27, 2018 North Carolina's elections board delayed finalizing the results of the 9th District race. Officials agreed to hold a public hearing into alleged "numerous irregularities" and "concerted fraudulent activities" involving traditional mail-in absentee ballots in the race. A copy of the Bladen election board's log book later shows Dowless turned in well over 500 absentee ballot applications. CONCESSION WITHDRAWN -- DEC. 6, 2018 McCready withdrew his concession as state election officials continued to investigate allegations of absentee ballot fraud. McCready, an Iraq War veteran, said "I didn't serve overseas in the Marine Corps just to come back and watch politicians and career criminals attack our democracy." SON'S SURPRISE TESTIMONY -- FEB. 20, 2019 Harris' son said he had warned his parents that he thought Dowless used shady methods and should be avoided. John Harris' testimony at a state elections board special hearing contradicted his father's public statements that he never suspected his campaign deployed an operative who collected ballots by the bundle and turned them in when he wanted. John Harris said he warned his father even before the 2018 primary campaign that he didn't trust Dowless. John Harris said he thinks Dowless lied about his methods and his parents believed him. NEW ELECTION ORDERED -- FEB. 21, 2019 North Carolina's elections board ordered a new election after Harris conceded his lead was tainted by evidence of ballot-tampering. The State Board of Elections voted 5-0 in favor of a do-over in the 9th District but did not immediately set a date. The board action came after Harris, in a surprising turn, dropped his bid to be declared the winner and instead called for a new election. He also cited a blood infection that required hospitalization and led to two strokes. HARRIS NOT RUNNING -- FEB. 26, 2019 Harris announced he will not run in the do-over election , saying he needs surgery next month. Harris' announcement focused on his health problems and did not mention the absentee ballot scandal. Harris encouraged supporters to rally around Republican Stony Rushing, a commissioner in Union County in the Charlotte suburbs. McCready has been assembling a new campaign staff and raising money to run again in the district. CHARGES FILED -- FEB. 27, 2019 Dowless was arrested on charges of illegal ballot handling and conspiracy. Four people working for him were also charged. He is accused of directing workers to collect and mail in other people's absentee ballots during the 2018 Republican congressional primary and the 2016 general election. Dowless has denied any wrongdoing and did not immediately respond to phone and text messages. This booking photo released Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019 by the Wake City-County Bureau of Identification, shows Leslie McCrae Dowless, who was arrested Wednesday and charged with illegal ballot handling and obstruction of justice in the 2016 general election and 2018 primary. Dowless was also at the center of a ballot fraud investigation by state elections officials who ordered a new election in the disputed North Carolina congressional race. (Wake City-County Bureau of Identification via AP) FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019, file photo, Mark Harris, Republican candidate in North Carolina's 9th congressional race, makes a statement before the state board of elections calling for a new election during the fourth day of a public evidentiary hearing on the 9th congressional district voting irregularities investigation at the North Carolina State Bar in Raleigh, N.C. Harris, whose narrow lead in the North Carolina congressional race was thrown out because of suspicions of ballot fraud, announced Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, he will not run in the newly ordered do-over election, saying he needs surgery in late March. (Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP, Pool, File) WASHINGTON (AP) - In a damning depiction of Donald Trump, the president's former lawyer on Wednesday cast him as a racist and a con man who used his inner circle to cover up politically damaging allegations about sex, and who lied throughout the 2016 election campaign about his business interests in Russia. Michael Cohen, who previously pleaded guilty to lying to Congress, told lawmakers that Trump had advance knowledge and embraced the news that emails damaging to Hillary Clinton would be released during the campaign. But he also said he had no "direct evidence" that Trump or his aides colluded with Russia to get him elected, the primary question of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Cohen, shaking off incessant criticism from Republicans anxious to paint him as a felon and liar, became the first Trump insider to pull back the curtain on a version of the inner workings of Trump's political and business operations. He likened the president to a "mobster" who demanded blind loyalty from underlings and expected them to lie on his behalf to conceal information and protect him - even if it meant breaking the law. "I am not protecting Mr. Trump anymore," Cohen declared. "My loyalty to Mr. Trump has cost me everything: my family's happiness, friendships, my law license, my company, my livelihood, my honor, my reputation, and soon my freedom," Cohen said. "I will not sit back say nothing and allow him to do the same to the country." Cohen's matter-of-fact testimony about secret payments and lies unfolded as Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. At a Vietnam hotel and unable to ignore the drama thousands of miles away, Trump lashed out on Twitter, saying Cohen "did bad things unrelated to Trump" and "is lying in order to reduce his prison time." Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, is sworn in to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) In testimony that cut to the heart of federal investigations encircling the White House, Cohen said he arranged a hush money payment to a porn actress at the president's behest and agreed to lie about it to the public and the first lady. He said he had lied by claiming that Trump was "not knowledgeable" about the transaction even though the president had directly arranged for his reimbursement. And he said he was left with the unmistakable impression Trump wanted him to lie to Congress about a Moscow real estate project, though the president never directly told him so. In one revelation, Cohen said prosecutors in New York were investigating conversations Trump or his advisers had with him after his office and hotel room were raided by the FBI last April. Cohen said he could not discuss that conversation, the last contact he said he has had with the president or anyone acting on his behalf, because it remains under investigation. The appearance marked the latest step in Cohen's evolution from legal fixer for the president - he once boasted he'd "take a bullet" for Trump - to a foe who has implicated him in federal campaign finance violations. The hearing proceeded along parallel tracks, with Democrats focusing on allegations against Trump while Republicans sought to undermine Cohen's credibility and the proceeding itself. As Republicans blasted him as a convicted liar, a mostly unrattled Cohen sought to blunt the attacks by repeatedly acknowledging his own failings. He called himself a "fool," warned lawmakers of the perils of blind loyalty to a leader undeserving of it and pronounced himself ashamed of what he'd done to protect Trump. Cohen is due to begin a three-year prison sentence in May, and described himself as cooperative with multiple investigations in hopes of reducing his time behind bars. He is seen as a vital witness for federal prosecutors because of his proximity to the president during key episodes under investigation and their decade-long professional relationship. The first of six Trump aides charged in the Trump-Russia investigation to testify publicly about crimes committed during the 2016 campaign and in the months that followed, Cohen also delivered biting personal commentary on a president he said never expected to win in the first place. "He never expected to win the primary. He never expected to win the general election," Cohen said. "The campaign - for him - was always a marketing opportunity." He recounted how Trump made him threaten schools he attended to not release his grades and SAT scores and denigrated blacks as "too stupid" to vote for him. He said Trump once confided to him that, despite his public explanation of a medical deferment from the Vietnam War because of bone spurs, he never had any intention of fighting there. "I find it ironic, President Trump, that you are in Vietnam right now," Cohen said. Cohen gave lawmakers his first-person account of how he arranged to buy the silence of a porn actress and a Playboy model who said they had sex with Trump. He described a February 2017 conversation with Trump in the Oval Office in which the president reassured him that reimbursement checks sent through Federal Express were coming but would take some time to get through the White House system. He said the president spoke to him a year later to discuss the public messaging around the transaction, and had even once put his wife, Melania, on the phone so that Cohen could lie to her. "Lying to the first lady is one of my biggest regrets," Cohen said. "She is a kind, good person. I respect her greatly, and she did not deserve that." In an allegation relating to Mueller's probe, Cohen said he overheard Trump confidant Roger Stone telling the candidate in the summer of 2016 that WikiLeaks would dump damaging information about Clinton. Trump put Stone on speakerphone as Stone relayed that he had communicated with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that "within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clinton's campaign," Cohen said. Damaging emails U.S. officials say were hacked by Russia were later released by WikiLeaks. Trump responded by saying "wouldn't that be great," Cohen said. Stone disputed that account Wednesday, and Barry Pollack, a lawyer for Assange, said Stone and Assange did not have the telephone call that Cohen described. Cohen's claims that Trump had advance knowledge of the emails contradict the president's assertions that he was in the dark, and it is not clear how legally problematic that could be for Trump anyway. Mueller has not suggested that mere awareness of WikiLeaks' plans, as Stone is purported to have had, is by itself a crime. Cohen also suggested Trump implicitly told him to lie about a Moscow real estate project. Cohen has admitted lying about the project, which he says Trump knew about as Cohen was negotiating with Russia during the campaign. Cohen said Trump did not directly tell him to lie, but "he would look me in the eye and tell me there's no business in Russia and then go out and lie to the American people by saying the same thing." Cohen said he does not have direct evidence that Trump colluded with the Russian government during the election, but that he has "suspicions," including after a June 2016 meeting between the president's oldest son and a Kremlin-connected lawyer. "I wouldn't use the word 'colluding.' Was there something odd about the back-and-forth praise with President Putin?" Cohen said. "Yes, but I'm not really sure I can answer that question in terms of collusion." Federal prosecutors in New York have said Trump directed Cohen to arrange payments to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in the run-up to the 2016 campaign. Cohen has said he acted out of "blind loyalty." He said he was presenting the committee with a copy of a check Trump wrote from his personal bank account after he became president to reimburse Cohen for the hush money payments. He offered up other exhibits as well, including examples of financial statements he said Trump had drawn up to show he was wealthier than he really was. ___ Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman, Lisa Mascaro, Chad Day, Michael Balsamo and Colleen Long contributed to this report. ___ Follow all of AP's Trump Investigations coverage at https://apnews.com/TrumpInvestigations Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, speaks as he testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) House Oversight and Reform Committee Chair Elijah Cummings, D-Md., is joined at left by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, ranking member, as Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) House Oversight and Reform Committee Chair Elijah Cummings, D-Md., watches during a break in testimony by Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) A copy of a check from Donald Trump to Michael Cohen, his former personal lawyer, is displayed as he testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., holds up documents as he questions Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, as Cohen testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the House Oversight and Reform Committee ranking Republican, left, takes his seat next to Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The committee voted to subpoena Trump administration officials over family separations at the southern border, the first issued in the new Congress as Democrats have promised to hold the administration aggressively to count. The decision by the Oversight Committee will compel the heads of Justice, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services to deliver documents.(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Michael Cohen, right, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, speaks with his lawyer Lanny Davis of Washington, as he testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) A bipartisan report from Congress is urging U.S. colleges and universities to sever ties with the Confucius Institute, a program that allows the Chinese government to help teach language classes on American campuses but that, according to critics, poses a threat to national security and academic freedom. The report, released Wednesday, found that federal agencies have failed to monitor the program and the $158 million it has sent to the United States since 2006. The panel says the program should "not continue in the United States" unless Chinese officials provide full transparency and offer the U.S. equal opportunities for cultural outreach in China. "We learned that schools in the United States - from kindergarten to college - have provided a level of access to the Chinese government that the Chinese government has refused to provide to the United States," said Sen. Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican who leads the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. More than 100 U.S. colleges host Confucius Institutes through partnerships with Hanban, an affiliate of China's Ministry of Education. Hanban provides teachers and directors from China, along with textbooks and startup funding of $100,000 to $200,000. Schools have to sign a contract with Hanban and agree to split the cost. The investigation by Portman's panel found that the deals give Chinese authorities too much control over programs on U.S. soil. Many colleges told investigators they don't know how Hanban selects its teachers or if its process aligns with campus hiring policies. Teachers sent by Hanban sign contracts saying they will "safeguard national interests" for China. As a result, the Senate found, the program often depicts China as "approachable and compassionate" while leaving out critical views of the country. The report adds to mounting scrutiny of a program that has been dogged by criticism for years. Professors have said China's control of the program encourages schools to avoid events or speakers that might be seen as controversial by China. The Confucius Institute U.S. Center did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. At least 10 schools have announced plans to close Confucius Institutes since the start of 2018, including the University of Michigan, Texas A&M University and the University of Minnesota. Last April, the Texas A&M University system closed its Confucius Institutes at the request of two Texas congressmen who called the program a threat to national security. The system's chancellor, John Sharp, said at the time he didn't question the lawmakers' judgment. The University of Rhode Island closed its institute in January to preserve federal funding for its Chinese language program after a 2018 national defense bill explicitly barred schools from using Defense Department money on Chinese language programs if the school hosts Confucius Institutes. The Senate panel acknowledged that there are mixed views on the institutes. While some school officials told investigators they had concerns about China's influence, others reported no concerns about academic freedom or undue control. The congressional report called for increased oversight of the program. At the State Department, officials have been ramping up oversight, the report found. Last year, the U.S. revoked 32 visas for Chinese nationals who said they were coming for research but were found to be teaching at Confucius Institutes. This year the department plans to take a close look at more campuses. At the same time, the report found that the State Department doesn't collect information on Confucius Institute employees and doesn't know how many are in the U.S. The Education Department tells schools to report foreign gifts of more than $250,000, but the Senate found that 70 percent that received that amount from Hanban didn't properly report it, and the agency didn't catch it. Through its own investigation, the Senate found that Hanban has sent more than $158 million to more than 100 U.S. schools since 2006. Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware, the top Democrat on the investigations panel, said that while there's no evidence of illegal activity, U.S. officials must "have our eyes wide open about the presence of these institutes in our schools and around young, impressionable students," especially since the program is tied to "a much different worldview than ours." In response to the early success of the Confucius Institutes, the State Department launched its own American Cultural Center program in 2010, paying more than $5 million to set up 29 outposts at Chinese universities. But China has routinely interfered with the program and its activities, the Senate found. But the program was ended in October 2018 after the State Department's internal watchdog found that it was ineffective, the report revealed. The panel encouraged colleges to continue partnering with Chinese universities in other ways. "Partnering with foreign universities offers students unique international learning experiences and enhances research opportunities," it said. "U.S. schools, however, should never, under any circumstances, compromise academic freedom." ___ Follow Collin Binkley on Twitter at https://twitter.com/cbinkley COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A deputy in South Carolina who was pinned behind his SUV by gunfire for 17 minutes kept talking to the suspect to buy time for backup to arrive, Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis said Wednesday. Lewis said he can only thank God that the deputy and other officers fired on Tuesday afternoon were not wounded. Deputies killed the suspect, identified by the coroner's office as 51-year-old Joseph Hart. "The amount of rounds this guy was firing on deputies and police officers, it is a miracle no one was killed on our side," Lewis said at a news conference Wednesday. The confrontation started after a neighbor complained Hart was speeding down a street in Huger, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Charleston, authorities said. Hart pulled a gun, the neighbor called 911, and when a Berkeley County deputy arrived, Hart hid where he could fire on the deputy and the officer couldn't safely retreat, Lewis said. According to the sheriff, the deputy and Hart started yelling back and forth as they fired at each other. In this Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019 photo, Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis, second from left, talks with sheriff department personnel after deputies and other law enforcement agents responded to an active shooter situation in Huger, S.C. A deputy in South Carolina who was pinned behind his SUV by gunfire for 17 minutes kept talking to the suspect to buy time for backup to arrive, Lewis said Wednesday. Authorities say the shooter, 51-year-old Joseph Hart, was shot and killed. (Brad Nettles/The Post And Courier via AP) "He was trying to have a dialogue with this suspect in my estimation to try to buy time for back up to arrive," the sheriff said of the deputy. Lewis said it took 17 minutes for another officer to get to the area, which is so rural it doesn't have reliable cellphone service. But then, officers arrived from everywhere. The sheriff estimated 60 officers were in the area by the time Hart, hiding under a shed, said he would surrender. Instead, Hart fired at a deputy approaching to arrest him and was killed by officers more than 30 minutes after the shooting began, the sheriff said. The sheriff's office sent a picture on Twitter of a police SUV with more than a dozen bullet holes. Lewis said deputies still don't know much about Hart who didn't have a permanent address and was staying with friends in the area. They don't know what set him off Tuesday. Four officers who fired their guns have been placed on leave as the State Law Enforcement Division investigates, said Lewis, who did not release their names. Lewis said the deputy who was pinned down was calm during the firefight and the immediate aftermath. "Afterword when I spoke with him and had some time with him, I think things started to come together for him how close he came to losing his life," Lewis said. WASHINGTON (AP) - He carried out the boss' wishes. He understood "the code." He was blindly loyal - but now he's considered a rat. Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen spoke at length Wednesday about his life in the president's inner circle, but the most vivid descriptor came in just six words. Trump ran his operation "much like a mobster would do," Cohen said. In Cohen's scathing testimony at a House committee hearing, he repeatedly described Trump, the onetime head of a family business, like a mob boss minus the body count: quick to bully and expecting others to do his dirty work. Cohen described himself as a consigliere, telling lawmakers he did Trump's bidding for years, intimidating maybe 500 people and lying to scores, including the first lady. But Trump never directly told him to do it, he said. "He doesn't give you questions, he doesn't give you orders," Cohen said. "He speaks in a code, and I understand the code because I've been around him for a decade." Cohen is facing a three-year sentence for lying to Congress in 2017 and other charges. He came back to Capitol Hill this week, worrying for his family's safety, but claiming he would no longer lie for his former boss and was ready to spill. Trump has denied the allegations against him and called Cohen a liar. Even as he's done so, he's used mob speak. Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) "Remember, Michael Cohen only became a 'Rat' after the FBI did something which was absolutely unthinkable & unheard of until the Witch Hunt was illegally started," Trump tweeted in December. "They BROKE INTO AN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE," he wrote, referring to the raid on Cohen's office that touched off the now-disbarred lawyer's eventual guilty plea. During the hearing, Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly even likened Cohen to Joe Valachi, an American gangster known as the "first rat" whose 1960s testimony before Congress lead to the eventual dismantling of organized crime. "This Congress historically has relied on all kinds of shady figures who turned," Connolly said. It's hardly the first time Trump's orbit has drawn mob comparisons. In his book "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership," former FBI director James Comey said he got the sinking feeling that Trump's operation functioned like the mob. Former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe spun a similar story, and a former agent and former federal prosecutor tweeted Wednesday that Trump's tactics as detailed by Cohen sure felt a lot like the mafia. There's even a "Godfather: Part II" reference in the indictment by the special prosecutor investigating Trump's possible ties to Russia. Trump confidant Roger Stone told an associate to pull a "Frank Pentangeli" before a House committee, the indictment says. In the film, Pentangeli, an associate of the Corleone crime family, lies to protect the family during congressional testimony. ___ Associated Press Writer Michael Balsamo contributed to this report. ATLANTA (AP) - Long lines, last-minute polling place changes, missing or incorrect voter registration records and malfunctioning machines are among the problems Georgians faced during last year's midterm election, according to sworn statements gathered as part of a challenge to the way the state's elections are run. More than 200 declarations made public Wednesday are meant to bolster a lawsuit filed by a group founded by former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who helped focus national attention on Georgia's voting system during her campaign. She accused her Republican opponent, then-secretary of state Brian Kemp, of using his post as the state's top elections official to suppress minority votes. Kemp, now governor, has vehemently denied the allegations. The lawsuit says "gross mismanagement" of the election deprived citizens of their right to vote. Among other things, the lawsuit asks that Georgia be required to secure approval from a federal judge before changing voting rules. State election officials have said the suit is without merit and that the allegations of "unrelated actions by mostly local officials" don't result in constitutional violations requiring intervention by a judge. They also argued election system changes should be made by lawmakers, not by the courts. The lawsuit was filed Nov. 27 by Fair Fight Action and Care in Action Georgia, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting for the rights of domestic workers. They were joined earlier this month by several churches, including Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had preached. The 763 pages of sworn statements from voters and poll watchers echo stories Abrams' allies have highlighted since the November election. FILE - In this Nov. 7, 2018 file photo, Fulton County election worker counts provisional ballots, in Atlanta. Long lines, last-minute polling place changes, missing or incorrect voter registration records and malfunctioning machines are among the problems Georgians faced during last year's midterm election, according to sworn statements gathered as part of a challenge to the way the state's elections are run. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File) An overwhelming majority of the declarations are from voters around the state who say they encountered problems, including: absentee ballots that were never received or weren't counted; excessively long waits at polling places; missing or erroneous voter registration records; machines that switched votes or had other glitches; and not being offered provisional ballots when appropriate. Fulton County voter Arnaud Huguet went to his polling place three times on Election Day. But he left each time because he was unable to wait in lines lasting hours, complaining the precinct only had three voting machines when he first showed up. DeKalb County voter Sheena Brinson said she "very carefully and deliberately" selected Abrams for governor. "However, when I selected her name, the screen blinked quickly and then showed that I had selected Brian Kemp for governor," her declaration says. "This made my heart flutter to see this happen in front of me." With a poll worker's help, she said, she believes her vote was counted. But she worried about other voters who may not have noticed a similar switch. Bertron Beard, a Gwinnett County resident stationed at Fort Knox in Kentucky, said he registered in time but was then told his registration was received too late. Only after he provided proof that he'd registered on time was his registration updated, he said. "I was able to vote absentee but had to be persistent to be able to vote," his declaration says. "I did not fight in Afghanistan and Iraq to be denied my right to vote." Lawyers planned to submit the names of the 200-plus people who had made sworn declarations to the court Wednesday, along with a summary. But Lauren Groh-Wargo, Abrams' former campaign manager who's now CEO of Fair Fight Action, said those represent a small fraction of the voters who had problems and that all the issues together represent systemic constitutional violations. Of particular and timely value, she said, are the many stories of problems with the state's paperless touchscreen voting machines. State lawmakers are currently considering options to replace the state's outdated election system. A Republican-sponsored bill that passed the House this week on a largely party-line vote, calls for new electronic touchscreen machines that print a paper ballot. Critics of that proposal cite the advice of cybersecurity experts, who say hand-marked paper ballots are the most secure. Groh-Wargo said lawmakers would be wise to learn from the stories they've collected of problems with touchscreen machines and avoid buying a costly, potentially problematic electronic system. TIERRA AMARILLA, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico may become the latest state in the American West to place major restrictions on wildlife trapping as frontier ethics and suburban attitudes toward animal suffering collide. A Democrat-backed bill that bans traps, snares and animal poison on public land with few exceptions was poised for a crucial vote in in the state House of Representatives as soon as Thursday. Final approval would banish independent trappers from public lands that span nearly a third of the state. Trapping traditions date back to the Spanish colonial era and include celebrity 19th century frontiersman Kit Carson. Lining up against the ban are trappers and ranchers who depend on each other to tamp down livestock predators and harvest pelts for international markets. In this Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019 photo sheep rancher Antonio Manzanares, left, and shepherd Javier Zamoron prepare to feed to a flock of hundreds of sheep on a ranch outside Tierra Amarilla, N.M. A bill advancing through the New Mexico Legislature would ban most traps and snares on public land where the sheep graze during the summer. Manzanares, whose sheep graze on public land in summer months, says trapping is an important tool for contending with livestock predators that kill about 5 percent of his flock a year. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) In this Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019 photo a foothold trap intended for bobcats is set by licensed trapper Tom Fisher on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019, on the outskirts of Tierra Amarilla, N.M. A bill advancing through the New Mexico Legislature would ban independent trappers and foothold traps, snares and poison on public land with limited exception. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) In this Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019 photo shepherd Javier Zamoron rests alongside herding dogs after providing hay to a flock of hundreds of sheep on a ranch outside Tierra Amarilla, N.M. A bill advancing through the New Mexico Legislature would ban most traps and snares on public land where the flock grazes during the summer. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) In this Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019 photo licensed trapper Tom Fisher of Tierra Amarilla, N.M., makes a require daily check on wildlife traps in hopes of catching a coyote or bobcat. Fisher relies on a creek to keep trap bait thawed and attract wildlife in cold weather. A bill advancing through the New Mexico Legislature would ban independent trappers and foothold traps, snares and poison on public land with limited exception. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) In this Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019 photo shepherd Javier Zamoron provides hay to a flock sheep on a ranch outside Tierra Amarilla, N.M. A bill advancing through the New Mexico Legislature would ban most traps and snares on public land where the sheep graze during the summer. The flock's owner, Antonio Manzanares, says trapping is an important tool for stopping livestock predators and opposes that ban proposal. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) In this Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019 photo licensed trapper Tom Fisher of Tierra Amarilla, N.M., examines animal tracks on wildlife traps in hopes of catching a coyote or bobcat in northern New Mexico. A progressive shift in the political landscape and the highly publicized death of a household dog named Roxy in an illegal wire snare could make this winter the last open season for wildlife trapping and snaring on public land in New Mexico. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) In this Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019 photo Sheep rancher Antonio Manzanares, right, and shepherd Javier Zamoron tend to a flock of hundreds of sheep on a ranch outside Tierra Amarilla, N.M. A bill advancing through the New Mexico Legislature would ban most traps and snares on public land where the sheep graze during the summer. Manzanares, whose sheep graze on public land in summer months, says trapping is an important tool for dealing with livestock predators that take about 5 percent of his flock a year. He opposes the trapping ban proposal. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) In this Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019 photo licensed trapper Tom Fisher of Tierra Amarilla, N.M., completes a daily check on wildlife traps in hopes of catching a coyote or bobcat in northern New Mexico. A bill advancing through the New Mexico Legislature would ban independent trappers and foothold traps, snares and poison on public land with few exception. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) LOS ANGELES (AP) - Edward Nixon, the youngest brother of former President Richard Nixon who staunchly defended his sibling's White House legacy, died Wednesday. He was 88. The Richard Nixon Foundation announced that Nixon died at a nursing facility in Bothell, Washington, a Seattle suburb. A geologist and Navy veteran, Nixon worked on his brother's 1968 and 1972 presidential campaigns and served as co-chairman of the Nixon re-election committee in 1972. In a statement released by the foundation, Richard Nixon's daughters, Tricia Nixon Cox and Julie Nixon Eisenhower, called their uncle "our family's rock" since the former president died in 1994. They also called him a "source of strength." Richard Nixon was 17 years old and getting ready to start college when his youngest brother was born on May 3, 1930, in Whittier, California. Edward Calvert Nixon was the fifth son of Frank and Hannah Nixon and had been the last surviving brother of the former president. FILE - This Jan. 9, 2013 file photo shows Edward Nixon, brother of former President Richard Nixon, appearing at the Richard Nixon Centennial Birthday Celebration in Washington. Edward Nixon, the youngest and last surviving brother of former President Richard Nixon, died Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019 at a skilled nursing facility in Bothell, Wash. He was 88. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File) Because of their age difference, Edward Nixon described his older brother as a mentor and assistant father, the foundation said. In 1994, Edward Nixon told reporters the former president was frequently misrepresented, with the focus on the Watergate scandal that drove him from office. He said in his extensive travels around the globe he was always asked by residents in other countries, "What's the matter with the people in the United States? Why did they put him out of office?" "What really irks ... his friends are the repeated references to the things that didn't go well in his life and to the 'enigma of the man,'" Nixon said at the time. "He's just a brother to me." Edward Nixon was an original board member of the private Richard Nixon Foundation, which founded and operated the presidential library until the National Archives took control in 2007. A $500,000 makeover followed, which scholars said provided a more balanced and accurate account of the Watergate story. But the new exhibit caused friction with the foundation, which filed extensive objections. Then-library director Tim Naftali, who described the original display as inaccurate, told the Los Angeles Times in 2011 that he had a tense encounter with Edward Nixon and other foundation members in 2010, who berated him about the revised exhibit and considered it unfair. Edward Nixon is survived by his daughters Amelie "Amy" Peiffer and Elizabeth "Beth" Matheny. His wife died in 2014. FILE - In this Aug. 16, 2011 file photo, Edward Nixon, brother of former President Richard Nixon, encourages restless children in the audience to stand and stretch at the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, Calif. Edward Nixon was portraying the former president at the "Meet The Presidents" Summer Educational Series at the library. Nixon, the youngest and last surviving brother of former President Nixon, died Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, at a nursing facility in Bothell, Wash. He was 88. (Jebb Harris/The Orange County Register via AP, File) HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - North Koreans have been getting a quicker, more polished look at their leader as he meets with President Donald Trump in Vietnam in their second summit. But one thing hasn't changed at all - North Korea's media have one story to tell, and it's always about the infallibility of the glorious leader. Even before his first handshake with Trump, photos of leader Kim Jong Un were featured Wednesday on the front page of the ruling party's daily newspaper, Rodong Sinmun. The news of his travels was also broadcast on nationwide television. There appears to be an effort to present the news in a somewhat more visually appealing manner. Man-in-the-street interviews, which have often been carefully staged and done in several takes to make sure they come out just right, are looking more casual. One woman was interviewed while riding a trolley, another at her station in a factory in a soft light. What the people have to say, however, is as predictable as ever. Nearly every interviewee speaks of their ardent wish for Kim to return home safely, of their intense longing for his guidance and how he has inspired them to work ever harder for the glory of their nation. In this Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, photo, men gather around the public newspaper posts to read about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's visit to Vietnam for the second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Koreans have been getting a quicker, more polished look at their leader as he meets with Trump in Hanoi in their second summit. But one thing hasn't changed at all - North Korea's media have one story to tell, and it's always about the infallibility of the glorious leader. (AP Photo) The news component has been fairly cautious. There is little or no significant news about what the two leaders discuss. Denuclearization is almost never mentioned, nor is the debate in the United States about the merits of meeting with Kim at all. The vast majority of North Korean people do not have access to foreign media, and the domestic media are all state-controlled. But the regime is well aware that the population is not entirely isolated from outside media. Even officially, some foreign books, films and television shows are allowed, and can be quite popular. Harry Potter books, for example, and Bollywood films. The media have under Kim made a visible effort to boost the level of their own productions at least in part to compete with such pressures, and the quicker, slicker news coverage reflects that. To get a feel for just how big a gap remains between their approach to the news and that in many other nations, one needs only to look to South Korea. Since her appearance as Kim Jong Un's de facto stand-in at last year's Winter Olympics in South Korea, Kim Yo Jong, Kim's younger sister, has been the darling of South Korean media. During Kim's Hanoi trip, South Korean broadcasters and newspapers have fixated on the "shadow assistance" she provides to her brother - holding his crystal ashtray during a pre-dawn smoke break, scurrying around a Vietnamese train station to ensure that her brother is shown in the perfect setting, and carrying the bouquets of flowers her brother hands to her. The Seoul-based Kookmin Ilbo newspaper said Kim Yo Jong was handling an "extreme job" in which she singlehandedly serves as her brother's "strategist, secretary and little sister." Kim Yo Jong's "airtight assistance ahead of the U.S.-North Korea summit in Vietnam as stood out," it wrote in an article subtitled "Pens, letters and ashtrays: Turn your head and she's there." In North Korea's media, she is hardly mentioned. Even that she is the leader's sister isn't something the North's media have reported. The leader is who counts. ___ Associated Press writer Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report. Talmadge is the AP's Pyongyang bureau chief. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram: @EricTalmadge Follow all of AP's summit coverage: https://apnews.com/Trump-KimSummit In this Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, photo, North Koreans watch news about their leader Kim Jong Un's visit to Vietnam for his second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Koreans have been getting a quicker, more polished look at their leader as he meets with Trump in Hanoi in their second summit. But one thing hasn't changed at all - North Korea's media have one story to tell, and it's always about the infallibility of the glorious leader. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin) In this Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, photo, North Koreans watch news about their leader Kim Jong Un's visit to Vietnam for his second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Koreans have been getting a quicker, more polished look at their leader as he meets with Trump in Hanoi in their second summit. But one thing hasn't changed at all - North Korea's media have one story to tell, and it's always about the infallibility of the glorious leader. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin) NEW YORK (AP) - From the start of Michael Cohen's congressional testimony Wednesday, President Donald Trump's views on race took center stage. Trump's former attorney did not mince words, flat out calling his former boss "a racist" who believed "black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid." "Mr. Trump is a racist. The country has seen Mr. Trump court white supremacists and bigots," Cohen said in his opening remarks. Race and racism came up time and again during the televised hearing, which was chaired by an African-American man and saw several freshman lawmakers of color get in questioning. Cohen, who previously pleaded guilty to lying to Congress, told the House Oversight Committee that he continued to work for Trump despite a history of racist comments. Several Republican lawmakers, who maintained that Cohen is a perpetual liar who cannot be trusted, questioned Cohen's characterization. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., questions Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, as he testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) "I've talked to the president over 300 times," said GOP Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina. "I've not heard one time a racist comment out of his mouth in private. So, how do you reconcile it? Do you have proof of those conversations?" The NAACP said the testimony affirms what Trump has already demonstrated through unfair housing practices, birther accusations against Obama and a failure to call out white supremacists. "Trump's presidency and entire career has been an affront to civil rights so nothing in Michael Cohen's testimony is surprising for a person that has historically racialized and stigmatized those around him," President and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement. Cohen then pointed out that the Trump Organization has no black executives. In perhaps the day's most heated exchange, Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan took issue, as did others before her, with Meadows bringing in Trump administration worker Lynne Patton, a black woman, to the hearing. Meadows referenced Patton, who works at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, in his questioning. She would not work for someone who was racist, Meadows said. When it was her turn for questioning, Tlaib said, "Just because someone has a person of color, a black person, working for them does not mean they aren't racist ... the fact someone would actually use a prop, a black woman in this chamber, in this committee, is alone racist in itself." A visibly irate Meadows asked her statement be stricken from the record because it was a personal attack. Committee Chair Rep. Elijah Cummings asked Tlaib to clarify that she wasn't calling Meadows a racist. She denied doing that, but said bringing in Patton was a "racist act." The episode quickly became fodder for social media, both in support of Tlaib's comments and in opposition. Many were outraged and accused Meadows of throwing out the "I have a black friend" argument to refute the idea that he is racist. He cited having nieces and nephews of color and his friendship with Cummings "that's not based on color." Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., defended Meadows. "Yet another display of reckless incivility by this new House Democrat majority," McCarthy tweeted. "My friend and colleague @RepMarkMeadows is one of the most decent people that I know and he showed tremendous class in the face of an absurd accusation from Rep. Tlaib." Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley, the first African-American woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts, used her time with Cohen to circle back to the issue. "Would you agree that someone could deny rental units to African-Americans, lead the birther movement, refer to the diaspora as (expletive) countries, and refer to white supremacists as fine people have a black friend and still be racist?" she asked Cohen. Cohen said "yes." __ Associated Press national writer Errin Haines Whack in Philadelphia contributed to this report. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C. questions Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, as he testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, becomes emotional as he finishes a day of testimony to the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Talks between President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un collapsed Thursday after the two sides failed to bridge a standoff over U.S. sanctions, a dispiriting end to high-stakes meetings meant to disarm a global nuclear threat. Trump blamed the breakdown on North Korea's insistence that all the punishing sanctions the U.S. has imposed on Pyongyang be lifted without the North committing to eliminate its nuclear arsenal. "Sometimes you have to walk," Trump explained at a closing news conference after the summit was abruptly cut short. He said there had been a proposed agreement that was "ready to be signed." "I'd much rather do it right than do it fast," Trump said. "We're in position to do something very special." Mere hours after both nations had seemed hopeful of a deal, the two leaders' motorcades roared away from the downtown Hanoi summit site within minutes of each other, their lunch canceled and a signing ceremony scuttled. The president's closing news conference was hurriedly moved up, and he departed for Washington more than two hours ahead of schedule. The disintegration of talks came after Trump and Kim had appeared to be ready to inch toward normalizing relations between their still technically warring nations and as the American leader dampened expectations that their negotiations would yield an agreement by North Korea to take concrete steps toward ending a nuclear program that Pyongyang likely sees as its strongest security guarantee. President Donald Trump speaks as Sec of State Mike Pompeo looks on during a news conference after a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) In something of a role reversal, Trump had deliberately ratcheted down some of the pressure on North Korea, abandoning his fiery rhetoric and declaring that he wanted the "right deal" over a rushed agreement. For his part, Kim, when asked whether he was ready to denuclearize, had said, "If I'm not willing to do that I won't be here right now." The breakdown denied Trump a much-needed triumph amid growing domestic turmoil back home, including congressional testimony this week by his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, who called Trump a "racist" and "con man" and claimed prior knowledge that WikiLeaks would release emails that would damage Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016. North Korea's state media made no immediate comment on the diplomatic impasse, and Kim remained in his locked-down hotel after leaving the summit venue. The North Korean leader was scheduled to meet with top Vietnamese leaders on Friday and leave Saturday on his armored train for the long return trip, through China, to North Korea. Trump insisted his relations with Kim remained warm, but he did not commit to having a third summit with the North Korean leader, saying a possible next meeting "may not be for a long time." Though both he and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said significant progress had been made in Hanoi, the two sides appeared to be galaxies apart on an agreement that would live up to U.S. stated goals. "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that," Trump told reporters. Kim, he explained, appeared willing to close his country's main nuclear facility, the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center, if the sanctions were lifted. But that would leave him with missiles, warheads and weapon systems, Pompeo said. There are also suspected hidden nuclear fuel production sites around the country. "We couldn't quite get there today," Pompeo said, minimizing what seemed to be a chasm between the two sides. Longstanding U.S. policy has insisted that U.S. sanctions on North Korea would not be lifted until that country committed to, if not concluded, complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization. Trump declined to restate that goal Thursday, insisting he wanted flexibility in talks with Kim. "I don't want to put myself in that position from the standpoint of negotiation," he said. White House aides stressed that Trump stood strong, and some observers evoked the 1987 Reykjavik summit between Ronald Reagan and the Soviet Union's Mikhail Gorbachev, a meeting over nuclear weapons that ended without a deal but laid the groundwork for a future agreement. The failure in Hanoi laid bare a risk in Trump's unpredictable negotiating style: Preferring one-on-one meetings with his foreign counterparts, his administration often eschews the staff-level work done in advance to assure a deal and envisions summits more as messaging opportunities than venues for hardline negotiation. There was disappointment and alarm in South Korea, whose liberal leader has been a leading orchestrator of the nuclear diplomacy and who needs a breakthrough to restart lucrative engagement projects with the impoverished North. Yonhap news agency said that the clock on the Korean Peninsula's security situation has "turned back to zero" and diplomacy is now "at a crossroads." The collapse was a dramatic turnaround from the optimism that surrounded the talks after the leaders' dinner Wednesday and that had prompted the White House to list a signing ceremony on Trump's official schedule for Thursday. The two leaders had seemed to find a point of agreement when Kim, who fielded questions from American journalists for the first time, was asked if the U.S. may open a liaison office in North Korea. Trump declared it "not a bad idea," and Kim called it "welcomable." Such an office would mark the first U.S. presence in North Korea and a significant grant to a country that has long been deliberately starved of international recognition. But questions persisted throughout the summit, including whether Kim was willing to make valuable concessions, what Trump would demand in the face of rising domestic turmoil and whether the meeting could yield far more concrete results than the leaders' first summit, a meeting in Singapore less than a year ago that was long on dramatic imagery but short on tangible results. There had long been skepticism that Kim would be willing to give away the weapons his nation had spent decades developing and Pyongyang felt ensured its survival. But even after the summit ended, Trump praised Kim's commitment to continue a moratorium on missile testing. Trump also said he believed the autocrat's claim that he had nothing to do with the 2017 death of Otto Warmbier, a American college student who died after being held in a North Korean prison. "I don't believe that he would have allowed that to happen," Trump said. "He felt badly about it." The declaration immediately called to mind other moments when Trump chose to believe autocrats over his own intelligence agencies, including siding with the Saudi royal family regarding the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and supporting Russia's Vladimir Putin's denials that he interfered with the 2016 election. If the first Trump-Kim summit gave the reclusive nation's leader entree onto the international stage, the second appeared to grant him the legitimacy his family has long desired. Kim, for the first time, affably parried with the international press without having to account for his government's long history of oppression. He secured Trump's support for the opening of a liaison office in Pyongyang, without offering any concessions of his own. Even without an agreement, Trump's backing for the step toward normalization provided the sort of recognition the international community has long denied Kim's government. Experts worried that the darker side of Kim's leadership was being brushed aside in the rush to address the North's nuclear weapons program: the charges of massive human rights abuses; the prison camps filled with dissidents; a near complete absence of media, religious and speech freedoms; the famine in the 1990s that killed hundreds of thousands; and the executions of a slew of government and military officials, including his uncle and the alleged assassination order of his half-brother in a Malaysian airport. Trump also has a history of cutting short foreign trips and walking out of meetings when he feels no progress is being made. That includes a notable episode this year when he walked out of a White House meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer over a government shutdown, calling the negotiation "a total waste of time." ___ Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Zeke Miller and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire , Riechmann at http://twitter.com/@debriechmann and Klug at http://twitter.com/@APklug ___ Follow all of AP's summit coverage: https://apnews.com/Trump-KimSummit Artworks featuring U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are displayed at a gallery in Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, Hanoi, Vietnam. The nuclear summit between Trump and Kim has collapsed after the two sides failed to reach a deal due to a standoff over U.S. sanctions on the reclusive nation, a stunning end to high-stakes meetings meant to disarm a global threat. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un take a walk after their first meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un listens to President Donald Trump speak during a meeting, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) NEW YORK (AP) - President Donald Trump's inaugural committee has received a subpoena from the attorney general for the District of Columbia, the third request it has received from prosecutors for financial records over the past month. The subpoena, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, seeks documents showing whether any committee officers benefited from the group's spending. It also seeks records involving any payments the committee made to the Trump Organization and the Trump International Hotel in Washington, which hosted some of the inaugural events. Inaugural committee spokesman Chris Bond said late Wednesday that committee officials are in contact with investigators. The committee has maintained that its finances were independently audited, and that all funds were spent in accordance with the law. A spokesman for the D.C. Attorney General's Office did not return a message seeking comment. The committee raised $107 million to host events celebrating Trump's inauguration in January 2017- an unprecedented amount of money raised by an inaugural committee. But its spending has drawn mounting scrutiny in recent months. The inaugural committee has received two similar subpoenas from federal prosecutors in New York and state authorities in New Jersey, who are investigating, among other things, whether foreigners illegally contributed to the inaugural events. Among other materials, the New York prosecutors asked for documents related to any payments made by donors directly to contractors and vendors who worked for the committee. FILE- In this Jan. 20, 2017 file photo, President Donald Trump dances with first lady Melania Trump at the Liberty Ball in Washington after his Inauguration ceremony. On Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, a spokesman for President Donald Trump's inaugural committee has confirmed that the committee has been subpoenaed for financial records by the attorney general for the District of Columbia. The subpoena requests documents regarding the $107 million the committee raised to hold inaugural events. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) The latest subpoena says the D.C. attorney general is investigating "whether the committee's expenditures of its nonprofit funds were wasteful, mismanaged and/or improperly provided private benefit." The document names three of Trump's children - Ivanka, Eric and Donald Trump Jr. - and seeks documents "sufficient to identify" any role they held with the committee. It also seeks any documents "concerning agreements between the committee and any business in which a committee director, officer, chairman or deputy chairman had a financial interest." __ Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo contributed to this report from Washington. In this Jan. 2, 2015 photo, Attorney General of the District of Columbia Karl Racine speaks during the 2015 District of Columbia Inauguration ceremony at the Convention Center in Washington. On Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, a spokesman for President Donald Trump's inaugural committee has confirmed that Racine's office has subpoenaed financial records from the committee regarding the $107 million the committee raised to hold inaugural events. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) FILE - In this Jan. 20, 2017, file photo President Donald Trump, center, raises his fist alongside first lady Melania Trump, left, and son Donald Trump, Jr., after dancing at the Liberty Ball following his inauguration in Washington. On Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, a spokesman for President Donald Trump's inaugural committee has confirmed that the committee has been subpoenaed for financial records by the attorney general for the District of Columbia. The subpoena requests documents regarding the $107 million the committee raised to hold inaugural events. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File) HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - The Latest on the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (all times local): 12:45 a.m. Friday North Korea is disputing President Donald Trump's account of why the summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (kim jawng oon) collapsed. North Korea's foreign minister says the North demanded only partial sanctions relief in exchange for shuttering its main nuclear complex, and that the discussions collapsed after the U.S. demanded further disarmament steps. Ri Yong Ho's comments during an abruptly scheduled news conference in Hanoi on Friday contradicted the explanation by Trump, who hours earlier told reporters that the North had demanded a full removal of sanctions in exchange for shuttering the Yongbyon nuclear facility. Ri says the North was also ready to offer in writing a permanent halt of the country's nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and that Washington wasted an opportunity that "may not come again." President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un take a walk after their first meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) He says the North's position wouldn't change even if the United States offers to resume another round of dialogue. __ 8:20 p.m. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says nuclear negotiations with North Korea will resume quickly following the collapse of President Donald Trump's summit with Kim Jong Un (kim jawng oon). Pompeo tells reporters aboard his plane Thursday that his team will get back to work "tomorrow" although no new meetings have yet been scheduled. Pompeo said progress was made between Trump and Kim at their talks in Hanoi but not enough to warrant signing any kind of agreement. The White House had scheduled a signing ceremony but abruptly canceled it along with a lunch when it became clear an agreement could not be reached. Pompeo spoke as he flew to Manila from Hanoi, Vietnam, for talks with senior Philippines officials. __ 6:35 p.m. South Korea's presidential office says U.S. President Donald Trump regretted the collapse of his nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam but expressed "firm" commitment to continue negotiations. The office of South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday that Trump in a phone conversation with Moon discussed the details of his talks with Kim as he flew out of Vietnam. The Blue House says Moon encouraged Trump to continue his efforts for accomplishing the "historic feat of resolving the world's last remaining Cold War rivalry." It says the leaders agreed to meet soon to discuss the nuclear issue. Trump says he "walked away" from talks with Kim after it was clear the two sides remained at odds over ending the North's nuclear program. Kim was asked whether he was ready to denuclearize and said, "If I'm not willing to do that I won't be here right now." ___ 5:10 p.m. The Kremlin says that talks at the U.S.-North Korean nuclear summit in Vietnam appear to have failed because the parties proved unwilling to compromise and make concessions. Talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wrapped up two hours earlier on Thursday after the parties failed to reach an agreement. Trump says the U.S. was unwilling to meet North Korea's demand to remove all U.S.-led international sanctions in exchange for the shuttering of a North Korean nuclear facility. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Moscow is encouraged by the fact the negotiations did not break down completely. But Peskov laments the lack of "small steps" and flexibility that could have helped to achieve some progress. Peskov says the North Korean nuclear program is a complicated issue that is "impossible to solve in one go." ___ 4:55 p.m. China says the U.S. and North Korea must "meet each other halfway" after no agreement was reached between the two countries' leaders during their nuclear summit in Vietnam. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said during a regular news briefing Thursday that the situation in the Korean Peninsula experienced a significant "turnaround" over the past year, a "hard-won result" that is worth cherishing. Lu says the U.S. and North Korea have returned to the correct path toward a political settlement, which is "the only way out." During his post-summit press conference, U.S. President Donald Trump called Chinese leader Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng) "a highly-respected leader all over the world" who has been "very helpful" with North Korea. Trump says China is highly influential because of its high volume of trade with North Korea. ___ 4:30 p.m. South Korea's presidential office says it was "unfortunate" that U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un failed to produce an agreement in their high-stakes nuclear summit in Vietnam. But it says it expects "active dialogue" to continue between Washington and Pyongyang. The Blue House said Thursday it believes Washington and Pyongyang deepened their understandings of each other during their "long and deep discussions" in Hanoi. It says Trump raising the possibility of sanctions relief in exchange for nuclear disarmament steps from the North shows that the nuclear negotiations between the countries have entered an "elevated level." The collapse of the Trump-Kim summit could prove to be a setback for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, whose ambitions for inter-Korean engagement hinge on a nuclear breakthrough between Washington and Pyongyang. ___ 3:50 p.m. President Donald Trump has departed Vietnam after failing to reach an agreement during his second nuclear summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. The U.S. leader said he "walked away" from talks with Kim after it was clear the two sides remained at odds in talks over ending the North's nuclear program. Trump says the North had demanded a full removal of U.S.-led international sanctions in exchange for the shuttering of the North's Yongbyon nuclear facility, and the U.S. wouldn't agree to that. Trump took off from Hanoi more than two hours early after the abrupt change in schedule. Air Force One is scheduled to refuel in Anchorage, Alaska, before returning to Joint Base Andrews outside Washington late Thursday. ___ 3:40 p.m. South Korean media are reacting with alarm over the collapse of the nuclear summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Yonhap news agency said Thursday that the clock on the security situation of the Korean Peninsula has "turned back to zero" and that the diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff with the North was now "at a crossroads." Financial News wondered whether Washington and Pyongyang would struggle to keep the momentum of dialogue alive and anticipated the nuclear negotiations becoming a prolonged battle. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who met with Kim three times last year and lobbied hard to revive nuclear diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang, was expected to comment on the outcome of the Trump-Kim summit later Thursday. ___ 3:25 p.m. President Donald Trump is hopeful that India and Pakistan may be on the cusp of progress after the two countries exchanged gunfire through the night along the Kashmir region a day after Islamabad said it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot. Trump told reporters Thursday at the end of a two-day summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam that India and Pakistan have "been going at it" and that the U.S. has been involved, "trying to help them both out" to "see if we can get some organization and some peace." He says: "I think probably that's going to be happening," adding: "We have, I think, reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India." World powers have called on the two nations to de-escalate tensions that have gripped the region since a Feb. 14 suicide car bombing killed over 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. The situation escalated with Wednesday's aerial skirmish. ___ 3:05 p.m. President Donald Trump says his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un fell through after the North demanded a full removal of U.S.-led international sanctions in exchange for the shuttering of the North's Yongbyon nuclear facility. Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in Vietnam on Thursday that the United States wasn't willing to make a deal without the North committing to giving up its secretive nuclear facilities outside Yongbyon as well as its missile and warheads program. Experts have said Washington shouldn't give up too much for a Yongbyon-only deal as the North is believed to be secretly operating other uranium enrichment sites hidden around the country. Trump says that the summit ended on a good note but that there are no current plans for a third summit. ___ 3 p.m. President Donald Trump says he doesn't think North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was involved in the mistreatment of American college student Otto Warmbier, who died after being detained in the isolated country. Trump says of Kim: "He tells me that he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word." Trump has taken credit for freeing American prisoners abroad and used Warmbier's death as a rallying cry against the North's human rights abuses before softening his rhetoric in advance of talks with Kim. Warmbier, a 22-year-old University of Virginia student from Ohio, was visiting North Korea with a tour group when he was arrested and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in 2016 on suspicion of stealing a propaganda poster. He died in June 2017, shortly after he returned to the U.S. in a coma. ___ 2:55 p.m. President Donald Trump won't commit to saying the U.S. is demanding complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea before removing sanctions on that country. Trump spoke Thursday at a news conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, after he announced that he had walked away from his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un without a deal being reached. Trump says: "I don't want to put myself in that position from the standpoint of negotiation." Trump and other U.S. officials have long maintained that denuclearization was a prerequisite to lifting sanctions on North Korea. Trump said earlier that U.S. sanctions were the sticking point in the talks with Kim. ___ 2:50 p.m. U.S. President Donald Trump says he has not committed to a third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after their second summit ended early without a deal. Trump told reporters at a news conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Thursday at the end of two days of talks that "we'll see if it happens," but that he has "not committed." As for any further meetings, Trump says, "It might be soon. It might not be for a long time." Trump took questions from reporters after talks with Kim ended early. Trump says that Kim asked the U.S. to lift sanctions in exchange for certain steps toward denuclearization. Trump says he refused. ___ 2:25 p.m. President Donald Trump is explaining the abrupt and early end to his Vietnamese summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un by telling reporters: "Sometimes you have to walk." Trump said Thursday that North Korea wanted him to lift U.S. sanctions on the country in exchange for denuclearization, but he wasn't willing to do that. Still, he says Kim assured him he'll continue to hold off on nuclear and missile tests. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday at the news conference in Hanoi that he wishes the two sides could have gotten further. He says they asked Kim to do more and "he was unprepared to do that." ___ 1:40 p.m. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un have failed to reach an agreement at their second summit in Vietnam, but talks between the two nations will continue in the future. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says the two leaders discussed denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. She adds: "No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future." Still, Sanders is describing the meetings between Trump and Kim as "very good and constructive." Trump and Kim departed the hotel where they've been holding summit negotiations far earlier than planned Thursday. A joint agreement signing ceremony was scrapped. ___ 1:25 p.m. President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un have departed the hotel where they've been holding summit negotiations far earlier than planned. The leaders had been expected to hold a working lunch as well as attend a joint agreement signing ceremony at the Hanoi Metropole hotel on Thursday. Instead, they departed in separate motorcades within minutes of each other after doing neither. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters before Trump departed that there had been a "program change," but she did not provide further explanation about what had prompted the upheaval or whether any deals had been agreed to. Trump is scheduled to hold a news conference at 2 p.m. - two hours earlier than originally scheduled - before he departs Hanoi. ___ 12:55 p.m. Talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un are wrapping up earlier than expected. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters on Thursday that "negotiations are still ongoing" between the two delegations. Trump and Kim were scheduled to have lunch but did not enter the dining room where reporters were assembled. Sanders says Trump will return with his delegation to his hotel soon, providing no updates on a scheduled joint signing with Kim that had been on the books for 2 p.m. Sanders says Trump's press conference, which had been scheduled for 4 p.m., has now been moved to 2 p.m. at his hotel. ___ 12:50 p.m. South Korean President Moon Jae-in expects to speak with U.S. President Donald Trump on the phone following Trump's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over the future of the North's nuclear weapons program. A spokesman for Moon said Thursday that the call could take place shortly before Trump departs Vietnam or when he's aboard the presidential plane. Moon is desperate for a breakthrough in nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang so he can continue to push engagement with North Korea. Moon recently told Trump in a phone conversation that the South was ready to proceed with inter-Korean economic projects to induce further nuclear disarmament steps from the North. ___ Noon South Korean President Moon Jae-in plans to offer new proposals for inter-Korean engagement following the high-stakes nuclear summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Moon's announcement is planned for a Friday ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of a 1919 uprising by Koreans against Japan's colonial rule and will likely include plans for economic cooperation between the rival Koreas. Moon is desperate for a breakthrough in nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang so he can continue engagement with North Korea. He has driven the three-way diplomacy but is now held back by tough U.S.-led sanctions against the North. Kim and Trump are meeting Thursday in Vietnam as they inch closer toward establishing formal ties. ___ 11:25 a.m. President Donald Trump says it's "a good idea" for the U.S. to open a liaison office in North Korea, as Kim Jong Un calls the notion "welcomable." In an unprecedented question-and-answer session with reporters Thursday in Vietnam, the two leaders of the technically-warring countries inched closer toward establishing formal ties. Asked by an American reporter if he was willing to allow the U.S. to open an office in Pyongyang, Kim said through a translator, "I think that is something which is welcomable." Trump says that he considers it "a good idea," adding that it should happen "both ways." Earlier Thursday, Kim said he wouldn't be holding a summit with Trump if he weren't willing to make good on his denuclearization pledge. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo greets Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte at Colonel Jesus Villamor Airbase in Manila, Philippines, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool) People watch a TV screen showing U.S. President Donald Trump's press conference, during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The nuclear summit between President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un collapsed Thursday after the two sides failed to reach a deal due to a standoff over U.S. sanctions on the reclusive nation, a stunning end to high-stakes meetings meant to disarm a global threat. The signs read: " Trump talks with North Korea about denuclearization." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One after a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in Hanoi, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, following his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh) President Donald Trump listens to a question during a news conference after a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump, left, standing with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, speaks during a news conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, following his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh) President Donald Trump listens as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un answers a question from reporters during a meeting, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un take a walk after their first meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un take a walk after their first meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un take a walk after their first meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un take a walk after their first meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. At front right is Kim Yong Chol, a North Korean senior ruling party official and former intelligence chief. At left is national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, second from left. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un take a walk after their first meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Schoolchildren gather along the streets in anticipation of seeing the motorcade for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump are meeting for a second day in Hanoi. The second summit between Trump and Kim came against the backdrop of the American president's domestic troubles. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un smiles during a meeting with President Donald Trump, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. at right is Kim Yong Chol, a North Korean senior ruling party official and former intelligence chief. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - For a one-party communist state without a free press, there were bound to be some kinks when Vietnam agreed to welcome more than 2,600 journalists from around the world to its capital for one of the biggest news stories of the year. But Vietnamese officials also saw an upside to hosting media from around the world: This was a unique chance to polish their country's image and perhaps boost tourism and investment. They were also keen to show themselves as members in good standing of the global community by hosting the second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Hanoi was chosen for the summit location roughly two weeks ago, and Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said whatever bumps might occur would be the result of having very little time to prepare for the largest number of foreign media to ever descend on Vietnam's capital at one time. Reporters generally agree security during the summit is tight - maybe a bit too tight for their liking. When Kim transferred at the China-Vietnam border from his personal train to an armored limousine for the two-and-a-half hour drive to Hanoi, Highway One was closed to traffic and thousands of police and military personnel were deployed along the route. In this Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019 photo, journalists gather outside Metropole hotel where U.S President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are to have their meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam. Journalists covering their summit may want freedom to work and food to fuel them through the long days, and they won't hesitate to say so. But Vietnamese officials see an upside to hosting media from around the world. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Whenever he or Trump ventures out from his Hanoi hotel, barricades ensure the streets along his route are deserted when his motorcade passes through. While Kim's travel plans and itineraries are routinely kept secret, getting information relating to Kim's activities has been harder in Vietnam than it was in Singapore during the first summit last June, said Peter Wang, who works for Taiwan's Eastern Broadcasting Company. "You can even follow Kim Jong Un, his personal activities, while he went out middle of the night in Singapore. All reporters when they knew the information, they could rush to the location trying to get a shot to film what Kim Jong Un did," he said. "But here it's very hard. They blocked the road a couple of blocks away and police are very strict." Some reporters received a rude awakening about their host's priorities just before the leaders arrived in town. The White House press corps was forced to leave its established work space at the Melia Hotel after last-minute word that Kim would be staying there. The White House-based journalists now share space at the International Media Center. Their ouster reportedly came at the request of the North Korean delegation. Some members of the elite press group were so irate at being turfed out that they posted their outrage on Twitter. The White House also restricted press access during the summit, prohibiting four print reporters, including one from The Associated Press, from covering the beginning of Trump's dinner with Kim in Hanoi on Wednesday. That came after two of those reporters asked questions of the president during earlier events at the summit. Hanoi Mayor Nguyen Duc Chung told city residents to be on their best behavior, noting the presence of foreign journalists. In a message on the city's website, he urged them to "maintain and sustain Hanoians' code of behavior, heighten the image of civilized, elegant, friendly and hospitable Vietnamese people and Hanoi residents in the eyes of international press and friends." He also pleaded for businesspeople to "refrain from hiking prices of goods and services during the summit." "This is the best opportunity to publicize the culture, development and image of Vietnam and capital Hanoi to the international community, maintaining peace and friendship," his statement said. All his exhortations, though, couldn't tame Hanoi's traffic. Robert Costantini, the White House correspondent for Westwood One News, a U.S radio news network, found maneuvering on the streets a challenge. "The traffic here is just kind of really amazing," he said, noting it was like nothing he had experienced before. "All the people on motorbikes, and the bus will turn in front of them, and then they stop and try to squeeze through. It's just amazing visually for me." Getting around in Hanoi is totally different than in the "very rigid and disciplined society" of Singapore at the first Trump-Kim summit, Costantini said. However, in pondering the main attraction rather than the sideshows, a Finnish reporter who also covered the Singapore meeting saw a reason for the differences in the two summits. "This is a different summit in all aspects. There was really excitement simply to see Kim Jong Un and his caravan coming through Singapore," said Mika Hentunen, the U.S. correspondent of Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE. "Now there's not that excitement anymore. Nw it's like they want to have results. That's why it's more businesslike." ___ Follow all of AP's summit coverage: https://apnews.com/Trump-KimSummit In this Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, photo, Peter Wang of Taiwan's Eastern Broadcasting Company, poses for a photo at the international media center in Hanoi, Vietnam. In welcoming more than 2,600 foreign journalists, Vietnam has a unique opportunity to polish its image and, hopefully, boost tourism and investment. Vietnamese are keen to show themselves as members in good standing of the global community, to the extent of helping broker a major diplomatic entente as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump meet for a second time to discuss North Korea's nuclear program. (AP Photo/Tran Van Minh) BEIJING (AP) - Chinese manufacturing activity fell to a three-year low in February amid a tariff battle with Washington and weak global demand, a survey showed Thursday. The monthly purchasing managers' index by the government statistics bureau and an industry group fell 0.3 points to 49.2 on a 100-point scale on which numbers below 50 indicate activity contracting. That was the lowest level since February 2016. Chinese manufacturers have been hurt by President Donald Trump's punitive tariffs in a fight over Beijing's technology plans and cooling consumer demand at home and abroad. Trump said weekend talks in Washington made progress but his chief negotiator, Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, indicated Wednesday there are significant differences between the two sides. "Much still needs to be done," Lighthizer said during an appearance before a U.S. House of Representatives panel. He mentioned Washington's desire for an enforcement mechanism with penalties if Beijing fails to carry out its commitments but gave no other details. Companies are wary of making investments and other long-term decisions without a formal settlement, economists say. In this Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, photo, a laborer works in an aluminum factory in Suixi in eastern China's Anhui province. A survey shows Chinese manufacturing activity fell to a three-year low in February amid a tariff battle with Washington and weak global demand. (Chinatopix via AP) "Unless the trade war truly turns into an extended truce, the weakening trend may not end quickly," Irene Pang of ING said in a report. Any U.S.-Chinese deal is unlikely until at least the end of March, so "another month or two of bad PMI data" are likely, Pang said. Measures of output and employment declined, according to the National Bureau of Statistics and the Federation of Logistics & Purchasing. The weakness in trade and manufacturing has increased pressure on the ruling Communist Party to resolve its fight with Washington. Last year's economic growth declined to a three-decade low of 6.6 percent and Thursday's report adds to signs activity might be weakening further. Trump is pressing Beijing to roll back plans for state-led creation of global competitors in robotics and other technology that Washington, Europe, Japan and other trading partners say violate China's market-opening obligations. China's global exports rebounded in January from a contraction but sales to the United States fell 2.4 percent from a year earlier, reflecting the impact of Trump's tariff hikes. The trade battle has rattled Chinese consumers, some of whom say they are putting off big purchases until the economic outlook is clearer. That sets back Beijing's campaign to nurture self-sustaining economic growth based on domestic consumption instead of exports and investment. The government has warned Chinese exporters the global environment is "complicated and severe." A woman walks by a lingerie's poster reflecting on a fashion boutique outlet inside a shopping mall in Beijing, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Chinese manufacturing activity fell to a three-year low in February amid a tariff battle with Washington and weak global demand, a survey showed Thursday. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) BOLAANG MONGONDOW, Indonesia (AP) - Rescuers have passed water and food to some of the dozens of people trapped in a collapsed Indonesian gold mine, an official said Thursday, calling the grueling rescue effort in a remote inaccessible location a race against time. The national disaster agency said 19 people had been rescued alive from the mine in North Sulawesi's Bolaang Mongondow district as of Thursday evening. The death toll rose to seven and about three dozen miners remain trapped. Local disaster official Abdul Muin Paputungan said a trapped miner's leg was amputated to free him but the man died from blood loss while being carried out of the area. "We were forced to amputate his leg to get him out because besides his lower leg being badly injured, the rock that squeezed it was impossible to shift or lift because we feared it could cause landslides and endanger rescuers and other victims," Paputungan said. "Sadly I have to say that he died of blood loss. Since the beginning his wounds were bleeding a lot," he said. Rescue workers used makeshift stretchers to haul victims through steep jungle terrain to safety. Rescuers stand at the entrance of a collapsed mine in Bolaang Mongondow, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Rescue workers used makeshift stretchers to haul victims of the gold mine collapse through steep jungle terrain to safety, as the death toll rose and dozens remained trapped in the debris. (AP Photo) "We hope those still trapped can survive with the food and drinking water that we delivered to them," Paputungan said. "We have to race against time because their conditions are getting weaker and the oxygen inside we hope is still enough to let them survive." Wooden structures in the mine collapsed Tuesday evening due to shifting soil and the large number of mining holes. Informal mining operations are commonplace in Indonesia, providing a tenuous livelihood to thousands who labor in conditions with a high risk of serious injury or death. The national disaster agency said at least 140 people from different agencies are involved in the rescue effort. It said there was an urgent need for body bags. Photos showed a trapped miner's arms and head jutting through a gap in rocks and rescuers toiling through the night in arduous conditions. A woman who took her missing husband's ID to an emergency command post cried out in anguish when an officer showed her a photo of a dead victim they believed was her husband, video showed. "God forgive me," she screamed. Rescuers were using their bare hands and basic tools to search for the missing. They fashioned stretchers from tree branches, twine and other material. Photos showed rescuers working in mine tunnels. Small artisanal and often unauthorized mining is rising in many parts of Asia and Africa. A study by the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development found the number of people engaged in such mining had risen to more than 40 million, up from 30 million in 2014 and 6 million in 1993. Landslides, flooding and collapses of tunnels are just some of the hazards. Much of the processing of gold ore involves use of highly toxic mercury and cyanide by workers using little or no protection. ___ Karmini reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. This story has been corrected to show 19 people have been rescued alive. ___ This story has been corrected to show that the number of people rescued alive is 19 instead of 25. Rescuers take a break near the entrance of a collapsed mine in Bolaang Mongondow, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Rescue workers used makeshift stretchers to haul victims of a gold mine collapse through steep jungle terrain to safety, as the death toll rose and dozens remained trapped in the debris. (AP Photo) Rescuers carry a survivor from inside a collapsed mine in Bolaang Mongondow, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. The collapse of an unlicensed gold mine in Indonesia buried dozens of people, and rescuers dug desperately with their bare hands and farm tools on Wednesday to unearth victims calling for help from beneath the rubble. (AP Photo/Harry Tri Atmojo) Rescuers carry the body of a victim of a collapsed mine in Bolaang Mongondow, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. The collapse of an unlicensed gold mine in Indonesia buried dozens of people, and rescuers dug desperately with their bare hands and farm tools on Wednesday to unearth victims calling for help from beneath the rubble. (AP Photo/Harry Tri Atmojo) In this undated photo released by Indonesian Search And Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) rescuers evacuate a survivor from a collapsed gold mine in Bolaang Mongondow, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The collapse of an unlicensed gold mine in Indonesia's North Sulawesi province has buried dozens of people, a disaster official said Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, as emergency personnel used their bare hands and farm tools in a desperate attempt to reach victims calling for help from beneath the rubble. (BASARNAS via AP) BANGKOK (AP) - A temporary closure of air space over Pakistan snarled air traffic Thursday, especially between Asia and Europe, though some airlines adjusted by rerouting their flights. In Bangkok, an important and busy hub for transcontinental flights, thousands of travelers were stranded. The closure of a main route for many flights to the Middle East and Europe was likely to be costly for airlines having to carry extra fuel and take longer journeys than usual. Bangkok airport officials said over 4,000 travelers were affected. Those needing help were getting access to accommodations and alternative travel arrangements, they said, though some of those stranded complained they were getting no help at all. The terminal was so crowded that the chief of Thailand's immigration police, Surachate Hakparn, tweeted a warning to "Please spare your time for your trip!" The disruptions brought a month-long tropical holiday for a group of 25 Danish students unable to board a connecting flight in Bangkok to an unhappy end. "The guard over there just said we have to go down to the basement to sleep. So we can't get any help or information," said Sara Bjerregaard Larsen, 21. A group of 25 Danish students stay overnight at Suvarnabhumi Airport after being unable to board a connecting flight Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Bangkok, Thailand. A temporary closure of air space over Pakistan snarled air traffic Thursday, especially between Asia and Europe, though some airlines adjusted by rerouting their flights. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) Thai Airways says it had rerouted flights to Europe outside Pakistani air space. Malaysia Airlines also said in a travel advisory on its web site that it was avoiding air space over Pakistan and northern India "until further notice." The first available flight to London on Thai Airways, according to its booking website, was Thursday, March 7. Pakistan aviation authorities said the country's air space would reopen as of midnight Thursday (1900 GMT). The government closed it Wednesday after Pakistan said its military had shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot, escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. India also suspended flights though some of its northern airports on Wednesday. Those facilities were back to normal on Thursday, but flights both to the U.S. and Europe out of New Delhi were affected. A United flight from Newark, New Jersey, to New Delhi was rerouted through London and later canceled, and Air Canada canceled flights from Toronto and Vancouver to the Indian capital. As of mid-morning Thursday, Chinese airlines had changed the routes of seven flights due to the closure of Pakistani airspace while foreign airlines were allowed to divert 40 flights through Chinese airspace, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said on its website. Air China canceled its flight Thursday from Beijing to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. According to an employee of the airline's publicity office in Beijing, the status of other flights would be decided later. The closing of Pakistan's airspace saw Gulf Arab airlines, which serve as a link between East and West in global travel, rapidly reshuffle their flights. In the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, civil aviation authorities immediately halted their flights to Pakistan. Airlines in those countries include the long-haul carriers Etihad, Emirates and Gulf Air. Saudi Arabian Airlines and Oman Air similarly cancelled flights to Pakistan. Pakistanis work in a variety of blue- and white-collar jobs across the Gulf Arab states. Danish students sleep overnight at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. A temporary closure of air space over Pakistan snarled air traffic Thursday, especially between Asia and Europe, though some airlines adjusted by rerouting their flights. In Bangkok, an important and busy hub for transcontinental flights, thousands of travelers were stranded. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) Pakistani police officers block a road to Karachi airport after it was close for civilian operations amid tension along the border with India, in Karachi, Pakistan, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's military said Wednesday it shot down two Indian warplanes in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured a pilot, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. (AP Photo/Muhammad Rizwan) Stranded passengers wait for transport outside Allama Iqbal Airport after it was closed for civilians operations amid tension along the border with India, in Lahore, Pakistan, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's military said Wednesday it shot down two Indian warplanes in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured two pilots, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals to a level unseen in 20 years. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Stranded passengers wait for transport outside Allama Iqbal airport after it was closed for civilians operations amid tension along the border with India, in Lahore, Pakistan, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's military said Wednesday it shot down two Indian warplanes in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured two pilots, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals to a level unseen in 20 years. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Stranded passengers stand outside an airport after it was closed for civilians operations amid tension along the border with Pakistan in Jammu, India, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan shot down two Indian warplanes Wednesday in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured their pilots, its military said, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals to a level unseen in 20 years. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) Stranded passengers stand outside an airport after it was closed for civilians operations amid tension along the border with Pakistan in Jammu, India, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan shot down two Indian warplanes Wednesday in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured their pilots, its military said, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals to a level unseen in 20 years. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) A group of 25 Danish students stay overnight at Suvarnabhumi Airport after being unable to board a connecting flight Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Bangkok, Thailand. A temporary closure of air space over Pakistan snarled air traffic Thursday, especially between Asia and Europe, though some airlines adjusted by rerouting their flights. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) US, North Korea offer dueling accounts of talks breakdown HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - The U.S. and North Korea offered contradictory accounts Thursday of why the summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un broke down, though both pointed to punishing American sanctions as a sticking point in the high-stakes nuclear negotiation. President Trump, who returned to the White House Thursday night, said before leaving Hanoi that the talks collapsed because North Korea's leader insisted that all the sanctions the U.S. has imposed on Pyongyang be lifted without the North firmly committing to eliminate its nuclear arsenal. But North Korea challenged that account, insisting it had asked only for partial sanctions relief in exchange for shutting down its main nuclear complex. Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho commented on the talks during an abruptly scheduled middle-of-the-night news conference after Trump was in the air. Ri said the North was also ready to offer in writing a permanent halt of the country's nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and Washington had wasted an opportunity that "may not come again." He said the North's position won't change even if the United States offers to resume another round of dialogue. Later, a senior U.S. official involved in the negotiations offered some clarification, saying the North wanted all sanctions, except for those involving weapons sales and transfers, to be lifted in exchange for the dismantlement of parts of the Yongbyon nuclear site. The official was not authorized to discuss the negotiations publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. ___ The Art of the Walk? Summit collapse and Trump's diplomacy HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - President Donald Trump framed the breakdown of his nuclear summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un as wisely knowing when "to walk." But the stunning collapse revealed the limits of his unique brand of personal diplomacy and raised concerns about future efforts to disarm a global threat. Eyeing the history books and a much-needed political victory, Trump bet big on the two-day Vietnam summit only to be forced to explain away its sudden failure. The president and North Korea gave conflicting explanations of what went wrong, though the result actually was a relief to some critics and even some Trump supporters who feared he might give too much away in pursuit of a deal. Trump, the businessman who was elected in part on his boasts of deal-making prowess, said a proposed agreement was "ready to be signed." But he said he refused to accept what he described as North Korean insistence that all U.S. sanctions be lifted without the North committing to eliminate its nuclear arsenal. "I'd much rather do it right than do it fast," the president said. "We're in position to do something very special." ___ Democrats eye new inquiries, witnesses after Cohen testimony WASHINGTON (AP) - After three days of grilling Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, Democrats are quickly using his words as a roadmap to open new lines of investigation into the president's ties to Russia and summon additional witnesses. Cohen completed a third day of testimony on Capitol Hill Thursday, one day after publicly branding his former boss a racist and a con man who lied about business dealings in Russia and directed him to conceal extramarital relationships. He was interviewed behind closed doors by the House Intelligence Committee for more than eight hours. As he left the House intelligence interview, Cohen said he would be returning to Capitol Hill on March 6 for another round of questioning with that panel. The weeklong gauntlet of interviews with Cohen launched what is expected to be months of investigations of Trump and those connected to him. Multiple Democrat-led House committees are pledging to investigate not only Trump's campaign's ties to Russia, which are also the subject of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe, but presidential conflicts of interest, possible money laundering and other oversight matters that Democrats say were ignored under GOP control. House Intelligence Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff called the closed-door session with Cohen productive and said lawmakers were able to "drill down in great detail" on issues they are investigating. Another Democratic committee member, California Rep. Eric Swalwell, said Cohen "has been asked, based on a lot of new evidence we learned today, to bring corroborating materials that he believes he has." ___ Many view 'black friend defense' as a tired, hollow argument Kelly Darden Jr. still remembers one of the first times he experienced the "black friend defense." Back in high school, a group of white classmates dressed in Confederate-inspired clothing as part of a social club called the "Rebel Rousers" and insisted they weren't racist when confronted because some of them knew Darden, who is black. "It was insulting," the 64-year-old Greenville, North Carolina, man recalled Thursday. "I was insulted by it even when it was occurring." Darden and countless other African-Americans have experienced variations of the "black friend defense" - saying that a person can't be racist because of the color of the company he keeps - for generations. And the trope played out in front of a national TV audience this week as Republican Rep. Mark Meadows defended President Donald Trump against testimony by Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen , who claimed the president is racist. Meadows, of North Carolina, quickly sent social media into a frenzy when he pointed to Lynne Patton, a black Trump administration staffer, and said Patton never would tolerate working for a racist . Many consider the "black friend defense" a tired and hollow argument. ___ Trump border emergency foes close in on needed Senate votes WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate opponents of President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the Mexican border moved within a hair Thursday of having enough votes to prevail, and one Republican suggested he risks a rebuff by the GOP-led chamber if he doesn't change course. Trump's move would "turn a border crisis into a constitutional crisis," veteran Sen. Lamar Alexander said on the Senate floor. But he stopped just short of saying he'd support a resolution blocking the president's move. Had Alexander pledged his vote, it would probably be enough for the Senate to pass a measure repealing the emergency declaration. Speaking later to reporters, Alexander, R-Tenn., warned what might happen if Trump doesn't settle for using other money he can access without declaring an emergency. "He can build a wall and avoid a dangerous precedent and I hope he'll do that," Alexander said. "So that would change the voting situation if he would agree to do that." The Democratic-led House voted Tuesday to upend Trump's declaration, which he declared to circumvent Congress and funnel billions of extra dollars to erecting his proposed wall. ___ Report says Trump demanded top-secret clearance for Kushner WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump last year ordered officials to grant top-secret security clearance to his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, according to a report published Thursday by The New York Times. Kushner was granted the high-level clearance last May after a lengthy background check. The Times, citing anonymous sources, said Trump demanded Kushner's clearance despite the concerns of intelligence officials, then-Chief of Staff John Kelly and then-White House counsel Don McGahn. The newspaper said Kelly wrote in an internal memo that he had been "ordered" to give top-secret clearance to Kushner. McGahn wrote a memo in which he advised against such clearance. Peter Mirijanian, a spokesman for Kushner lawyer Abbe Lowell, responded Thursday to the Times story with a statement, saying: "In 2018, White House and security clearance officials affirmed that Mr. Kushner's security clearance was handled in the regular process with no pressure from anyone. That was conveyed to the media at the time, and new stories, if accurate, do not change what was affirmed at the time." ___ Pakistan ready to hand over Indian pilot amid more shelling ISLAMABAD (AP) - Pakistan is preparing to hand over a captured Indian pilot as shelling continued for a third night across the disputed Kashmir border even as the two nuclear-armed neighbors seek to defuse the most serious confrontation in two decades. Tens of thousands of Indian and Pakistani soldiers face off against each other along the disputed Himalayan border known as the Line of Control in one of the world most volatile regions. Tensions have been running high since Indian aircraft crossed into Pakistan on Tuesday. Pakistan retaliated, shooting down two Indian aircraft and capturing a pilot. World leaders have scrambled to head off an all-out war on the Asian subcontinent. Saudi Arabia's foreign minister is expected in Islamabad later Friday. ___ California residents survey damage as historic floods recede GUERNEVILLE, Calif. (AP) - Tom Orr began moving lyrics and scripts, clothes and photo albums from his apartment as authorities ordered evacuations along a rising Northern California river threatening to hit a historic crest. But the actor and writer couldn't move costumes, computers and performance videos. So he shifted those to his loft bed about 10 feet up and prayed they would survive. On Wednesday, television news footage showed muddy brown water nearly swallowing his ground-level unit and much of the tiny town of Guerneville, part of Sonoma County's famed wine country and a popular tourist destination. Residents awoke Thursday to sunshine and began assessing the damage while the water started receding. Orr, 48, was among those still unable to get into his house after the rain-swollen Russian River reached nearly 46 feet (14 meters) Wednesday night, its highest level in more than 20 years. "I feel so helpless just sitting here and waiting before I can go back and start salvaging whatever I can," Orr said in text messages to The Associated Press before preparing for a friend to take him by canoe to work at the Main Street Bistro, one of the few places in town that did not flood. Sonoma County officials said they expected the communities of Guerneville and Monte Rio to be accessible by car Friday. The two-day storm rendered the towns reachable only by boat on Wednesday. ___ YouTube suspends comments on videos of kids SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - YouTube said Thursday it will turn off comments on nearly all videos featuring kids - potentially affecting millions of posts on the site - after reports last week that pedophiles were leaving inappropriate comments on innocuous videos of children. The change comes as YouTube grapples with moderating content across its platform as concerns about hate speech, violence and conspiracy theories continue to plague it. It will take YouTube several months to disable comments on all videos featuring minors, the company said. It already started the process last week when it turned off comments from tens of millions of videos. Advertisers including Nestle, AT&T and Fortnite-maker Epic Games pulled ads from YouTube last week after the inappropriate comments about children were unearthed by a popular YouTuber and media reports. At least one company, Nestle, was satisfied with YouTube's response and reinstated ads late last week. A small number of channels which have videos featuring kids will be allowed to keep comments turned on. But they must be known to YouTube and must actively monitor the comments beyond the standard monitoring tools YouTube provides. ___ Paying full Bryce: Harper, Phils agree to record $330M deal NEW YORK (AP) - It took a long time and a lot of money, but the Philadelphia Phillies finally landed Bryce Harper with a record contract. The young star outfielder and the Phillies agreed Thursday to a $330 million, 13-year contract, the largest deal in baseball history. Harper's agent, California-based Scott Boras, said the deal was agreed to at 10:34 a.m. PST, subject to a successful physical. Phillies manager Gabe Kapler and his players learned of the agreement from fans behind Philadelphia's dugout who saw media reports on their mobile devices during a spring training game in Clearwater, Florida. "If the reports are true, it's a huge moment for our baseball team," Kapler said. "Certainly I think that the city of Philadelphia would embrace Bryce Harper. I think he would be very happy in this city because our fans care deeply about winning." HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - So here's a bit of history made at President Donald Trump's summit with Kim Jong Un: for what is almost certainly the first time, the North Korean leader actually answered an impromptu question from an American reporter. Then just a little bit later, as if to prove it wasn't a fluke, he did it again. Looking confident and speaking in his typically gravelly voice, Kim didn't miss a beat when asked by a member of the White House press pool about his outlook on the summit , saying "It's too early to say. I won't make predictions. But I instinctively feel that a good outcome will be produced." South Korea's Unification Ministry, which deals with North Korean affairs, couldn't confirm whether it was the first time Kim answered a question from a foreign journalist. But reporters didn't get opportunities to ask questions of Kim during his three summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Kim ignored questions shouted at him during his first summit with Trump last June in Singapore. In an earlier brush with foreign media at the opening of a war museum in Pyongyang in 2013, questions were shouted at him but not answered. The first journalist to get his response on Thursday was David Nakamura of the Washington Post. As a pool reporter, he was allowed close access to the leaders as the representative of the White House press corps. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un listens as he meets with President Donald Trump, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) "I asked Kim Jong Un if he felt confident he could get a deal with @realDonaldTrump," Nakamura tweeted. "He replied: 'It's too early to say. I would not say I'm pessimistic.'" Soon after, as journalists were allowed to see the beginning of the final day of talks, Kim responded to several more questions from American reporters in the White House pool - including The Associated Press, Reuters and Bloomberg. He said he thought it would be a good idea to open a U.S. liaison office in Pyongyang and said through the interpreter that he wouldn't be in Hanoi if he weren't willing to discuss denuclearization. The interpreters - Yun-hyang Lee, who also translated for Trump at his first meeting with Kim in Singapore, and Sin Hye Yong, for Kim - played a key role in the exchanges. Shouted or unapproved questions are usually simply not translated to begin with. But with Trump responding, it appeared natural for Kim to follow suit. The interpreters interpreted. And Kim jumped right in. Kim's confident performance in Hanoi began as soon as he got off the train. Despite the tight security that is the rule at summits, foreign media were allowed to get right up beside him as he got off his armored train at the Chinese border to switch to a limousine for the drive the rest of the way to Hanoi. ___ Talmadge is the AP's Pyongyang bureau chief. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter: @EricTalmadge ___ Follow all of AP's summit coverage: https://apnews.com/Trump-KimSummit WASHINGTON (AP) - Michael Cohen's testimony is just the beginning. The House oversight hearing with President Donald Trump's former attorney, coming in advance of special counsel Robert Mueller's report, heralds what Democrats in Congress view as the long days ahead providing checks and balances on the Oval Office. For some, the outcome may - or may not - lead to grounds for impeachment. For others, impeachment cannot come fast enough. What is certain, though, is the mounting tension. As the hearings and investigations unfold, Democrats, particularly those running for the White House, may be speeding toward a moment when they have no choice but to consider the I-word. Newly elected Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, among the most outspoken lawmakers on impeachment, says that as the 2020 presidential candidates visit her Detroit-area district, "most residents are going to ask where they stand on this issue." Voters are less concerned with Mueller's Russia investigation, Tlaib said, than with the day-to-day White House operations and "whether or not there's a crooked CEO in the Oval Office." Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, becomes emotional as he finishes a day of testimony to the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Hours into Cohen's testimony Wednesday, New Hampshire's statehouse Speaker Steve Shurtleff, a Democrat, said that impeaching the president was becoming a realistic option. "They're putting a lot of meat on the bone," Shurtleff said in an interview. "It could be a one-two punch," he said of the Cohen hearing and Mueller report. "I think it'll connect a lot of dots." Trump allies have tried to use the prospect of impeachment as a political weapon. The president's former chief counselor, Steve Bannon, had warned before the 2018 elections that Democrats would impeach the president if they won control of Congress. Republicans are taking up that mantle. At the start of the Cohen hearing, the top Republican on the panel, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, said the only reason for the session was so Democrats could pursue impeachment. Another committee Republican, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, called the hearing a "circus" not worth Americans' time. And newly elected Republican Rep. Carol Miller of West Virginia said the sole purpose was "discrediting the president." "If it was not already obvious," Miller said, "there are members here with a singular goal in Congress to impeach President Trump." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has kept calls for impeachment at bay by insisting that Mueller first must be allowed to finish his work, which reports suggest could happen in the coming weeks, and present his findings publicly - though it's unclear whether the White House will allow its full release. "Impeachment is a divisive issue in our country and let us see what the facts are," Pelosi said Thursday. "When the facts are known, we'll make a judgment then." Pelosi says the House shouldn't pursue impeachment for political reasons, nor should it hold back for political reasons. Instead, she says lawmakers need to do their jobs as a co-equal branch of government and go wherever the facts lead. "The American people expect us to hold the administration accountable," said Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I, a member of House leadership. "And if during the course of that we come upon sufficient evidence that warrants his removal, I think they expect us to do that." But Democrats are not there yet, at all. So far, the Democratic Party's potential 2020 class has tried to avoid the impeachment question altogether, fearful that calling for impeachment before the Mueller report is out could undermine the process and trigger a voter backlash. Among them, only former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke has directly called for Trump's impeachment. Others approached the Cohen hearing in more cautious and creative ways. Sen. Kamala Harris of California, used the hearings as a fundraising opportunity. "Are you watching Michael Cohen testify before Congress today?" campaign manager Juan Rodriguez wrote. "There's a lot to unpack, but it's abundantly clear: if we are finally going to get to the truth, Congress must act to protect Robert Mueller from being fired before his findings in the Russia investigation are made public." He asked for donations of between $10 and $250. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts sent an email during the hearing promising, if she becomes president, not to pardon anyone implicated in the Trump investigations. She set down a challenge for others running to do same. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota tweeted that Cohen's testimony "is a big deal." Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said in a brief chat that he wasn't watching the hearing but was "looking to digest it." And Howard Schultz, the former Starbucks CEO considering an independent bid, said the testimony is "another stark reminder of President Trump's utter disregard for honesty and decency." The liberal base is restive, though. A new group, By the People, launched a pledge drive urging members of both parties in Congress to show leadership by extending the legislative branch's oversight to the next step of impeachment. "We already know Donald Trump has committed impeachable offenses," said Alexandra Flores-Quilty, a spokesperson for the group. "We can't wait any longer and want our representatives to move forward now." So far only Tlaib and fellow newly elected Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota have signed on. Another new Democrat, Rep. Joe Cunningham of South Carolina, said impeachment was not central to his campaign for office. "Our constituents back home sent me up here to do a job and focus on certain issues and that's not something I'm focused on right now," he said. Surveys show impeachment has merit for some voters. In a January Washington Post-ABC News poll, about as many Americans said Congress should begin impeachment proceedings (40 percent) as said they approved of the job Trump is doing as president (37 percent). Billionaire liberal activist Tom Steyer, who has poured millions of dollars into a campaign calling for Trump's impeachment, said Cohen's testimony marked a turning point in the debate because it's clear Trump broke the law. His group is launching a TV ad over the next week to highlight that point. "It ended the argument. It didn't end the fight," Steyer said in an interview. Steyer says Democrats can only wait on the Mueller report for so long before they have to make their own decisions. His group is hosting town halls in the hometown districts of key House chairmen - including Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, who presided over the Wednesday's hearing. But as the Oversight Committee chairman exited the hourslong sessions, Cummings told reporters the only people using the I-word were the Republicans. "Not one person on our side mentioned the word impeachment," the chairman said. ___ EDITOR'S NOTE - AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro has covered Congress since 2010. AP National Political Writer Steve Peoples has covered presidential politics for The Associated Press since 2011. ___ Associated Press writers Andrew Taylor and Emily Swanson contributed to this report. Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, becomes emotional as he finishes a day of testimony to the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, becomes emotional as he finishes a day of testimony to the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, becomes emotional as he finishes a day of testimony to the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, departs after speaking with the media after testifying before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, accompanied by his lawyers, Michael Monico, left, of Chicago and Lanny Davis of Washington, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) ISLAMABAD (AP) - Pakistan's prime minister pledged on Thursday his country would release a captured Indian fighter pilot, a move that could help defuse the most serious confrontation in two decades between the nuclear-armed neighbors over the disputed region of Kashmir. Prime Minister Imran Khan made the announcement in an address to both houses of Parliament, saying he tried to reach his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Wednesday with a message that he wants to de-escalate tensions. "We are releasing the Indian pilot as a goodwill gesture tomorrow," Khan told lawmakers. He did not say whether the release was conditional. An Indian government official, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak publicly, warned that even if the pilot is returned home, New Delhi would not hesitate to strike its neighbor first if it feared a similar militant attack was looming. Modi earlier in the day warned that "India's enemies are conspiring to create instability in the country through terror attacks." Khan also said that he had feared Wednesday night that India might launch a missile attack, but the situation was later defused. He did not elaborate. "Pakistan wants peace, but it should not be treated as our weakness," Khan said "The region will prosper if there is peace and stability. It is good for both sides." An Indian paramilitary soldier stands guard outside a closed market during a strike in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. As tensions escalate between India and Pakistan, shops and business remained closed for the second consecutive day in Indian portion of Kashmir following a strike call by separatist leaders to protest Tuesday's raids on key separatist leaders by Indian intelligence officers. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Meanwhile, fresh skirmishes erupted Thursday between Indian and Pakistani soldiers along the so-called Line of Control that divides disputed Kashmir between the two nuclear-armed rivals. India's army said Pakistani soldiers were targeting nearly two dozen Indian forward points with mortar and gunfire. Lt. Col. Devender Anand, an Indian army spokesman, called it an "unprovoked" violation of the 2003 cease-fire accord between the two countries. He said Indian soldiers were responding to ongoing Pakistani attacks along the highly militarized de facto frontier. A young woman was killed and two others, including an off-duty soldier, were wounded in the shelling in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said. World powers have called on the nations to de-escalate the tensions gripping the contested region since a Feb. 14 suicide bombing killed over 40 Indian paramilitary troops in Indian-controlled Kashmir. India responded with a pre-dawn airstrike on Tuesday inside Pakistan, the first such raid since the two nations' 1971 war over territory that later became Bangladesh. The situation then escalated further with Wednesday's aerial skirmish, which saw Pakistan say it shot down two Indian aircraft, one of which crashed in Pakistan-held part of Kashmir and the other in India-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan later aired a video of a man it identified as the Indian pilot. India acknowledged one of its MiG-21s, a Soviet-era fighter jet, was "lost" in skirmishes with Pakistan. India's Ministry of External Affairs said late Wednesday that it "strongly objected to Pakistan's vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force," and that it expects his immediate and safe return. India also said it shot down a Pakistani warplane, something Islamabad denied. Kashmir has been divided but claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan since almost immediately after the two countries' creation in 1947. They have fought three wars against each other, two directly dealing with the disputed region. Both Indian and Pakistani officials reported small-arms fire and shelling along the Kashmir region into Thursday morning. There were no reported casualties. Authorities in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir closed all schools and educational institutions in the region and are urged parents to keep their children at home amid mounting tension with neighboring India. Pakistan's airspace remained closed for a second day Thursday, snarling air traffic. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal acknowledged his country received a "dossier" from India about the Feb. 14 attack. He refused to provide details about the information that New Delhi has shared. World leaders weighing in on the tension included President Donald Trump, who began remarks at a news conference Thursday in Vietnam after meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by focusing on India and Pakistan. "I think hopefully that's going to be coming to an end," Trump said, without elaborating. "It's been going on for a long time - decades and decades. There's a lot of dislike, unfortunately, so we've been in the middle trying to help them both out, see if we can get some organization and some peace, and I think probably that's going to be happening." Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also said Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia's minister of state for foreign affairs, planned to come to Islamabad with an urgent message from the kingdom's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Modi, in his first remarks since the pilot's capture, gave a rallying speech ahead of elections in the coming months. "Our defense forces are serving gallantly at the border," he told tens of thousands gathered across the country to listen to him in a videoconference from New Delhi. "The country is facing challenging times and it will fight, live, work and win unitedly." Just weeks before general elections are due in India, the head of Modi's party in India's Karnataka state, B.S. Yeddyurappa, said India's pre-dawn airstrikes in Pakistan on Tuesday would help the party at the polls. The violence Wednesday marked the most serious escalation of the long-simmering conflict since 1999, when Pakistan's military sent a ground force into Indian-controlled Kashmir at Kargil. That year also saw an Indian fighter jet shoot down a Pakistani naval aircraft, killing all 16 on board. This latest wave of tension between the two rivals first began after the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for a Feb. 14 suicide bombing on Indian paramilitary forces on the Indian side of Kashmir that killed more than 40 troops. India long has accused Pakistan of cultivating such militant groups to attack it. Pakistan has said it was not involved in that attack and was ready to help New Delhi in the investigation. ___ Associated Press writers Aijaz Hussain in Srinagar, India; Ashok Sharma and Emily Schmall in New Delhi; Roshan Mughal in Muzafarabad, Pakistan; Adam Schreck in Hanoi, Vietnam, and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates;contributed to this report. Indian passengers arrive at Lahore railway station to travel to India, in Pakistan, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The Pakistan government temporally suspended the Pakistan-Indian bound Samjhuta Express after escalation tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) An Indian passenger Samreen waits at Lahore railway station to travel to India, in Pakistan, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The Pakistan government temporally suspended the Pakistan-Indian bound Samjhuta Express after escalation tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) An Indian paramilitary soldier stands guard during a strike in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. As tensions escalate between India and Pakistan, shops and business remained closed for the second consecutive day in Indian portion of Kashmir following a strike call by separatist leaders to protest Tuesday's raids on key separatist leaders by Indian intelligence officers. (AP Photo/ Dar Yasin) An Indian paramilitary soldier stands guard outside a closed market during a strike in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. As tensions escalate between India and Pakistan, shops and business remained closed for the second consecutive day in Indian portion of Kashmir following a strike call by separatist leaders to protest Tuesday's raids on key separatist leaders by Indian intelligence officers. (AP Photo/ Dar Yasin) Indian passengers wait at Lahore railway station to travel to India, in Pakistan, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The Pakistan government temporally suspended the Pakistan-Indian bound Samjhuta Express after escalation tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Indian passenger Abida Bano cries as she arrives at Lahore railway station to travel to India, in Lahore, Pakistan, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The Pakistan government temporally suspended the operation of the Samjhuta Express that runs from Lahore to New Delhi, India, after escalation of tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Pakistani rally against India in Quetta, Pakistan, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. India and Pakistan exchanged gunfire through the night into Thursday morning in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, a day after Islamabad said it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt) Pakistani Kashmiris flee the town of Chakoti which is about 3 miles, 5 km, from the Pakistan Indian border, following the intense exchange of fire between Pakistan and India, at the Line of Control in Pakistani Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's military said Wednesday it shot down two Indian warplanes in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured two pilots, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals to a level unseen in 20 years. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal) People celebrate the shooting down of Indian planes by Pakistani forces, with fireworks, in Karachi, Pakistan, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's military said Wednesday it shot down two Indian warplanes in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured a pilot, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. (AP Photo/Muhammad Rizwan) In this image taken from video released by Pakistan's military, showing what they claim to be an Indian pilot who was captured after his plane was shot down by Pakistan's Air Force in the country's part of Kashmir. Pakistan's military said Wednesday it shot down two Indian warplanes in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured a pilot, answering an air strike a day earlier by Indian aircraft inside Pakistan. (Pakistan military via AP) ADDS HELICOPTER CRASH AND UPDATES CASUALTIES - Indian army soldiers stand near the wreckage of an Indian helicopter after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019. The crash killed six Indian air force officials and a civilian on the ground. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - An admitted con man who scammed nearly $2 million from investors told a federal judge that he was "disgusted" with himself but asked to serve at least part of his sentence on home confinement so he can access a computer to make money and repay his victims. Kyle Sandler, 43, appeared in federal court for a sentencing hearing after pleading guilty to wire and securities fraud. U.S. District Judge Keith Watkins said sentence guidelines indicate Sandler should spend between 63 to 78 months in prison. Watkins delayed a sentencing decision to weigh whether Sandler would even qualify for home confinement under "brand new" changes in federal sentencing law. During the sentencing hearing, Sandler said his crimes had been motivated by greed but he would dedicate the rest of his life to repaying victims. "I'm disgusted with myself," Sandler told the judge. "I'm blessed with a certain amount of intelligence. I used it to hurt people and take their money." Sandler said that if he was allowed to serve part of his sentence on home confinement that he could use his skills to make money and beginning pay $1.9 million in restitution. In this March 31, 2015 photo provided by Art Meripol, Kyle Sandler poses for a photo at The Round House in Opelika, Ala. Sandler, who launched the business incubator called the Round House plead guilty to charges of taking about $1.9 million from investors. Authorities say Sandler used the money to pay for child care, rent, cars and more. Sandler now admits falsely portraying himself as a one-time Google executive to reel in a whole town. (Art Meripol via AP) Prosecutors objected to Sandler's request. "Home confinement is not appropriate," Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise O. Simpson said. "If we do not impose a sentence of 63 months, it will not deter." Four of Sandler's victims attended the court hearing. One urged the judge to hand down a stiff sentence. "I urge you to sentence him to the maximum that you can," said Chuck Wacker, who invested with Sandler. Sandler moved to the east Alabama town of Opelika (Oh-puh-LIE-kuh) in 2011 and later opened a business incubator called the Round House. He pleaded guilty last year to fraud for taking about $1.9 million from more than 50 investors. Sandler told The Associated Press in a series of recent telephone interviews from jail that he falsely portrayed himself as a one-time Google executive and acted out of greed. He said he used John McAfee, who developed early internet security software, and Taylor Rosenthal, a teen who had an idea for a new kind of first aid vending machine, to help gain publicity for his operation. Wacker said he was particularly concerned that Sandler exploited a teen investor to lure investors. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Leslie McCrae Dowless was known in his rural North Carolina community as a sad-eyed, politically obsessed man who over nearly a decade delivered votes for his candidates and stayed just out of reach of laws protecting ballots from potential tampering. But less than two years after landing his best-paying client in Republican congressional candidate Mark Harris, Dowless was booked Wednesday on charges of illegal ballot handling and conspiracy in the 2018 Republican primary and in the 2016 elections. He and four people who'd worked for him were also charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice. North Carolina law makes it illegal for anyone other than a voter or their immediate family to handle an absentee ballot before it is sealed and mailed. Dowless was arrested less than a week after the state elections board decided his work on behalf of Harris, starting with the 2018 primary, tainted the GOP candidate's apparent victory in November. The board ordered a new election but hasn't set a date. Harris is not running in the new election, but his Democratic opponent from November, Dan McCready, is. The charges came a year after state elections investigators published a report detailing that Dowless paid cash-starved rural neighbors to bring him voters' ballots in the 2016 elections. By that time, Harris had already recruited and paid Dowless a retainer to replicate the magic formula that resulted in one of Harris' Republican rivals scoring an incredible 98 percent of the mail-in ballots in the 2016 primary. This booking photo released Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019 by the Wake City-County Bureau of Identification, shows Leslie McCrae Dowless, who was arrested Wednesday and charged with illegal ballot handling and obstruction of justice in the 2016 general election and 2018 primary. Dowless was also at the center of a ballot fraud investigation by state elections officials who ordered a new election in the disputed North Carolina congressional race. (Wake City-County Bureau of Identification via AP) Harris funneled about $115,000 to Dowless through campaign consulting firm Red Dome, which never evaluated the Bladen County man's methods or performance and never asked for expense receipts. Some of that was used to pay workers to put up and take down Harris campaign signs on top of the door-to-door absentee ballot campaign. But the amount still shocked Dowless' ex-wife and roommate for part of last year, Sandra Dowless said at a special elections board hearing into the ballot-fraud allegations last week. "He didn't ever have any money," she said of the man perpetually holding a cigarette in one hand and cellphone in the other. Prosecutors are still investigating evidence of ballot tampering by Dowless and others during last fall's congressional election in the mostly rural 9th District, which includes part of Charlotte and extends eastward across several counties. The indictment represents the first charges in a scandal that has cast doubt on election integrity and will leave a congressional seat unfilled for months. The crimes "served to undermine the integrity of the absentee ballot process and the public's confidence in the outcome of the electoral process," the indictment said. Harris has not been charged with a crime and has denied knowledge of any illegal practices by those involved with his campaign. But he, too, could come under scrutiny. During last week's board hearing, he admitted writing personal checks to Dowless in 2017, a potential violation if the payments weren't reported. Dowless has denied any wrongdoing and did not respond to phone and text messages Wednesday. A woman hung up on a call to Dowless' attorney. Dowless refused to testify before the elections board without immunity from prosecution. Harris paid Dowless despite repeated warnings from the candidate's son, now an assistant federal prosecutor in Raleigh, that the operative was likely resorting to illegal methods to get his results. In fact, Dowless had been on the radar of state elections investigators since 2010, when he was suspected - but never charged - with being among a group buying votes. That was one of at least a half-dozen instances over the last nine years that prosecutors and elections officials received complaints of serious elections irregularities in Bladen County. Dowless is a "needy person" who called daily to talk about the Harris campaign, Red Dome founder Andy Yates testified last week. "Politics was his thing. He didn't have anything else going on." Sandra Dowless said last week she overheard a phone conversation before November's election in which her ex-husband told Harris he was performing strongly. Since no votes had yet been counted, Harris asked him how he knew, she said. "I know the people and I know how they vote," Sandra Dowless recounted him saying. ___ Follow Emery P. Dalesio on Twitter at http://twitter.com/emerydalesio . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/emery%20dalesio . FILE - In this Dec. 5, 2018 file photo, Leslie McCrae Dowless Jr. poses for a portrait outside of his home in Bladenboro, N.C. The North Carolina political operative at the center of a ballot fraud scandal is facing criminal charges for his activities in the 2016 elections and the Republican primary in 2018. Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, that Dowless was arrested after grand jury indictments alleging illegal possession of absentee ballots and obstruction of justice. (Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP, File) FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019, file photo, Mark Harris, Republican candidate in North Carolina's 9th Congressional race, prepares to testify during the fourth day of a public evidentiary hearing on the 9th Congressional District voting irregularities investigation at the North Carolina State Bar in Raleigh, N.C. Harris, whose narrow lead in the North Carolina congressional race was thrown out because of suspicions of ballot fraud, announced Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, he will not run in the newly ordered do-over election, saying he needs surgery in late March. (Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP, Pool, File) FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019, file photo, Mark Harris, Republican candidate in North Carolina's 9th congressional race, makes a statement before the state board of elections calling for a new election during the fourth day of a public evidentiary hearing on the 9th congressional district voting irregularities investigation at the North Carolina State Bar in Raleigh, N.C. Harris, whose narrow lead in the North Carolina congressional race was thrown out because of suspicions of ballot fraud, announced Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, he will not run in the newly ordered do-over election, saying he needs surgery in late March. (Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP, Pool, File) FILE - In this May 8, 2018 file photo Ninth Congressional district Democratic candidate Dan McCready smiles as he speaks with U.S. Rep. Alma Adams outside Eastover Elementary School in Charlotte, N.C. The Democratic candidate in the nation's last undecided congressional race will address his supporters now that a new election has been called. McCready was planning a rally and news conference Friday, Feb. 22, 2019. (Jeff Siner/The Charlotte Observer via AP) ISLAMABAD (AP) - The Latest on escalating India-Pakistan tensions (all times local): 9:10 p.m. Turkish officials say Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan has called President Recep Tayyip Erdogan amid his country's standoff with India. A statement from Erdogan's office said the two discussed the tensions between Pakistan and India and other developments in the region during Thursday's telephone conversation. The statement did not provide further details and officials would not say whether Khan had requested Turkey's assistance to defuse tensions. Islamabad has reached out asking the international community for help to deescalate tensions with India over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. An Indian paramilitary soldier stands guard outside a closed market during a strike in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. As tensions escalate between India and Pakistan, shops and business remained closed for the second consecutive day in Indian portion of Kashmir following a strike call by separatist leaders to protest Tuesday's raids on key separatist leaders by Indian intelligence officers. (AP Photo/ Dar Yasin) ___ 4:05 p.m. India is welcoming Pakistan's decision to free a captured Indian pilot whose Mig-21 fighter was shot down during an aerial skirmish between the air forces of the two countries in disputed Kashmir. Air Vice Marshal R.J.K. Kapoor, an Indian air force spokesman, says the Indian air force "is extremely happy and looks forward to the return of the Indian pilot." Talking to reporters, the spokesman did not give any details, such as whether the pilot will be flown from Pakistan on Friday. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in Parliament on Thursday that the pilot will be released as "a peace gesture, " a step that is likely to help defuse the confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbors over the disputed region of Kashmir. ___ 5:20 p.m. Fresh fighting has erupted between Indian and Pakistani soldiers along the so-called Line of Control that divides disputed Kashmir between the two nuclear-armed rivals. India's army says Pakistani soldiers are targeting nearly two dozen Indian forward points with mortar and gunfire. Lt. Col. Devender Anand, an Indian army spokesman, says Pakistani troops later Thursday attacked forward posts along the Line of Control calling it an "unprovoked" violation of the 2003 cease-fire accord. He said Indian soldiers were responding to the ongoing Pakistani multiple attacks along the highly militarized de-facto frontier. Anand said shells were also landing in some civilian areas near the frontier. Police said at least two people, an off-duty soldier and a woman, were injured in the shelling. Pakistani soldiers also attacked Indian positions overnight, the army spokesman said earlier, but described its intensity as "lesser" than previous nights. He said no casualties involving soldiers were reported so far in fighting since Wednesday night. India and Pakistan routinely trade fire and blame the other for starting skirmishes along the frontier. ___ 4:25 p.m. Prime Minister Imran Khan says Pakistan will release the captured Indian pilot as a "peace gesture" toward India. Khan made this announcement Thursday while addressing lawmakers in both chambers of parliament, convened to discuss the latest situation amid rising tensions with India over the disputed territory of Kashmir. Khan says he tried to reach his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Wednesday with a message that he wants to de-escalate tension. Khan did not say how India responded to his initiative. He also reiterated his offer for talks to New Delhi, saying this is the only way to solve all issues. ___ 2:55 p.m. China says it's in close communication with both India and Pakistan in hopes of promoting a de-escalation of their current standoff. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang says China hopes "the two countries can meet each other halfway and resolve this issue via dialogue." Lu said at a daily briefing on Thursday that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed Beijing's concerns both to his Indian counterpart at a trilateral meeting in eastern China and over the phone with Pakistan's foreign minister. Lu says upholding regional peace and stability was a primary concern. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang expressed similar sentiments calling for restraint. Ren said "both India and Pakistan are friends of China and we believe that the top priority is for the two sides to exercise restraint and to resolve the issue through dialogue and coordination." Ren declined to say if China has taken any special measures at its border with Kashmir in response to the India-Pakistan escalation. ___ 2:45 p.m. Pakistan's foreign minister says a top Saudi diplomat is coming to Islamabad later in the day to deliver an important message from the Saudi crown prince amid the Pakistan-India standoff. Islamabad has reached out asking the international community for help to deescalate tensions with India over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi says Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs, will a message from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman later on Thursday. Qureshi says he spoke to al-Jubeir on the phone the previous night. He did not give further details. Al-Jubeir will arrive in Islamabad on his special plane even though Pakistan has temporarily closed its air space to all civilian traffic amid tensions with India. ___ 2:20 p.m. Pakistan's foreign ministry says India has handed over its file on the deadly Kashmir bombing this month, a sign of easing tensions between the two nuclear-armed rivals. The Feb. 14 suicide bombing targeted Indian paramilitary forces in the Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing 40 troops and leading to a dramatic escalation between India and Pakistan. The ministry's spokesman, Mohammad Faisal, says the Pakistani side will be examining the "dossier" that Islamabad received through diplomatic channels on Thursday. He refused to provide details about the information that New Delhi has shared. The Indian move to share information comes after Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan offered talks with India. Pakistan also has said it will act against those linked to the Kashmir bombing if actionable intelligence is shared with it. ___ 1 p.m. India's prime minister says his country's enemies are conspiring to create instability through terror attacks. The remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi come amid tensions with Pakistan following the areal skirmish between the two countries in disputed Kashmir. Pakistan said it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot on Wednesday. Modi spoke to tens of thousands of Hindu nationalist party workers on Thursday in a video conference from New Delhi. He didn't mention archrival Pakistan but said a united India would "fight, live, work and win." The videoconference was meant to galvanize his party workers ahead of elections due by May. Opposition leaders are criticizing Modi for the campaign event during the tense standoff with Pakistan. ___ 11:40 a.m. Members of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party have called for more military action against Pakistan as tensions dramatically escalated this week between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Modi is to address tens of thousands of workers and volunteers from his Bharitiya Janata Party across the country on Thursday afternoon, rallying support ahead elections this spring in an event being billed as the "world's largest videoconference." Opposition leaders demanded on Twitter that he cancel the event amid the tensions with Pakistan. Twenty-one opposition party leaders met in New Delhi on Wednesday, releasing a statement praising the "valor" of India's armed forces and condemning the ruling party's "blatant politicization" of the events. ___ 11:15 a.m. Authorities in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir have closed all schools and educational institutions in the region and are urging parents to keep their children at home amid mounting tension with neighboring India. Pakistan's foreign ministry said on Thursday that a key train service linking the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore with India has been suspended until "the security situation improves." Pakistan's airspace remained closed for a second day Thursday, snarling air traffic. There was a complete power blackout overnight in Muzafarabad, the main city on the Pakistani-held side of the disputed Himalayan region because of concerns India could to retaliate after Pakistan said it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot the day before. ___ 11 a.m. Pakistani police say troops deployed in the disputed region of Kashmir continued trading fire with India overnight, forcing villagers living near the contested frontier to move to safer places even as the two nuclear-armed nations appear to be stepping back from the brink. Police official Mohammad Tahir says cross-border fire continued into Thursday but there were no casualties. Government buildings in Muzafarabad, the capital of the Pakistan-controlled section of Kashmir, are being used to provide shelter to those who fled from border towns. This comes a day after Pakistan's military said it shot down two Indian warplanes in Kashmir and captured a pilot, answering an airstrike the previous day by Indian fighter jets inside Pakistan. Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan offered peace talks and India's external affairs minister promised restraint. Indian paramilitary soldiers stand guard outside a closed market during a strike in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. As tensions escalate between India and Pakistan, shops and business remained closed for the second consecutive day in Indian portion of Kashmir following a strike call by separatist leaders to protest Tuesday's raids on key separatist leaders by Indian intelligence officers. (AP Photo/ Dar Yasin) An Indian passenger Samreen waits at Lahore railway station to travel to India, in Pakistan, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The Pakistan government temporally suspended the Pakistan-Indian bound Samjhuta Express after escalation tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Indian passenger Saira cries as she arrives at Lahore railway station to travel to India, in Lahore, Pakistan, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The Pakistan government temporally suspended the operation of the Samjhuta Express that runs from Lahore to New Delhi, India, after escalation of tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Indian passengers wait at Lahore railway station to travel to India, in Pakistan, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The Pakistan government temporally suspended the Pakistan-Indian bound Samjhuta Express after escalation tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Indian passengers arrive at Lahore railway station to travel to India, in Pakistan, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The Pakistan government temporally suspended the Pakistan-Indian bound Samjhuta Express after escalation tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Pakistani rally against India in Quetta, Pakistan, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. India and Pakistan exchanged gunfire through the night into Thursday morning in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, a day after Islamabad said it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt) People celebrate the shooting down of Indian planes by Pakistani forces, with fireworks, in Karachi, Pakistan, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Pakistan's military said Wednesday it shot down two Indian warplanes in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured a pilot, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. (AP Photo/Muhammad Rizwan) In this image taken from video released by Pakistan's military, showing what they claim to be an Indian pilot who was captured after his plane was shot down by Pakistan's Air Force in the country's part of Kashmir. Pakistan's military said Wednesday it shot down two Indian warplanes in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured a pilot, answering an air strike a day earlier by Indian aircraft inside Pakistan. (Pakistan military via AP) ADDS HELICOPTER CRASH AND UPDATES CASUALTIES - Indian army soldiers stand near the wreckage of an Indian helicopter after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019. The crash killed six Indian air force officials and a civilian on the ground. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) GUERNEVILLE, Calif. (AP) - Tom Orr began moving lyrics and scripts, clothes and photo albums from his apartment as authorities ordered evacuations along a rising Northern California river threatening to hit a historic crest. But the actor and writer couldn't move costumes, computers and performance videos. So he shifted those to his loft bed about 10 feet up and prayed they would survive. On Wednesday, television news footage showed muddy brown water nearly swallowing his ground-level unit and much of the tiny town of Guerneville, part of Sonoma County's famed wine country and a popular tourist destination. Residents awoke Thursday to sunshine and began assessing the damage while the water started receding. Orr, 48, was among those still unable to get into his house after the rain-swollen Russian River reached nearly 46 feet (14 meters) Wednesday night, its highest level in more than 20 years. "I feel so helpless just sitting here and waiting before I can go back and start salvaging whatever I can," Orr said in text messages to The Associated Press before preparing for a friend to take him by canoe to work at the Main Street Bistro, one of the few places in town that did not flood. Sonoma County officials said they expected the communities of Guerneville and Monte Rio to be accessible by car Friday. The two-day storm rendered the towns reachable only by boat on Wednesday. One National Weather Service station measured 20 inches of rain in 48 hours. John Buergler of the Sonoma County Sheriff's marine unit patrols Neely Road in Guerneville, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019 as the Russian River recedes, but continues to flood. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) While no flood-related serious injuries or deaths were reported in Sonoma County, a man about 150 miles (330 kilometers) to the north in Ferndale died trying to reach three children. The unidentified man was trying to walk from a barn to his home through up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water Wednesday evening when he was carried away by the fast-moving current, said Samantha Karges, a spokeswoman with the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office. Two adults and a child tried to rescue the man, but their tractor stalled in the water. Deputies in a boat then rescued them and the three children from the home, Karges said. The missing man's body was found Thursday morning. He was the father of a 12-year-old trapped in the home with two children under 4, Karges said. She was not sure if all three children were related. The low-lying rural area about 215 miles (473 kilometers) north of San Francisco is home to many dairy farms and flooded when the Eel River went over its banks. In Sonoma County, Guerneville and Monte Rio remained cut off by floodwaters that swamped the communities. Water was chest-high in some places, several feet in others. In downtown Guerneville, some residents stood on the roofs of their flooded two-story houses, watching neighbors and others paddling kayaks, canoes and rowboats down watery streets. Oversized National Guard truck occasionally sloshed by. Drone video showed a sign reading "Monte Rio awaits your return" hanging over muddy water that hid any trace of the road beneath. In Sonoma County, Sheriff Mark Essick said Thursday that three women had to be rescued. Two were on a boat without paddles, and one was rescued from a tree after driving her car into floodwaters, he said. About 2,000 homes, businesses and other structures were flooded by water up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) deep. About 3,500 people were under evacuation orders. In addition, two wastewater treatment plants were not working, leading to concerns about sewage spills, said Briana Khan, a Sonoma County spokeswoman. Guerneville, a town of 4,500, is a former logging community now popular with day-tripping tourists, including gays and lesbians who flock to the town's resorts and fine restaurants. Throughout the storm, residents with canoes and kayaks gave rides to neighbors and documented the rising water with photos posted to social media. Locals are accustomed to the Russian River flooding in rainy weather, but not like this. In Monte Rio, 28-year-old Michael Super watched helplessly as water seeped in from five different entry points, including doors and walls. He grabbed the cat and dog and found higher ground. He said the landlord has insurance, but the silt and dirty water are a mess to clean. "A lot of the furniture will have to go into the dump," he said. "We've seen oil and gas sheens and alcohol bottles so the water is unsafe." Orr moved to Guerneville about five years ago, driven out of San Francisco by rising costs. He helped create a dinner theater show at a local restaurant. It didn't work out, but he stayed on, unable to move back to the city. He started moving items out of his house Tuesday afternoon, humming a version of "My Funny Valentine" called "My Floody Valentine" to keep up his spirits. By 10 p.m., the water was too high for him to get inside. He doesn't have insurance, but the items he hopes survive are not easily replaceable: computers, floppy disks and videotapes containing decades of essays, performances, ideas for musicals and "sassy satirical parodies of Broadway show tunes." He's a cabaret performer accustomed to cracking jokes to keep the grief at bay. "This is the most serious thing that's ever happened to me, but I don't know the punchline," he said. "For now, I'm trying to do my best to keep everybody laughing." ___ Har reported from San Francisco. Associated Press Writer Olga R. Rodriguez and Paul Elias in San Francisco also contributed to this report. River Road, center, is flooded by the Russian River, right, in Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The Russian River in wine country north of San Francisco reached about 46 feet (14 meters) Wednesday night, its highest level in 25 years. Floodwaters cut off the towns of Guerneville and Monte Rio and inundated several other communities. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) A national guard truck drives down a flooded road in Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The Russian River in wine country north of San Francisco reached about 46 feet (14 meters) Wednesday night, its highest level in 25 years. Floodwaters cut off the towns of Guerneville and Monte Rio and inundated several other communities. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) Flood waters from the Russian River flood Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Sonoma County officials said they expected the communities of Guerneville and Monte Rio to be accessible by car Friday. The two-day storm rendered the towns reachable only by boat on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) Flooded homes are seen in Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Sonoma County officials said they expected the communities of Guerneville and Monte Rio to be accessible by car Friday. The two-day storm rendered the towns reachable only by boat on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) The top of a garage is barely visible on a flooded home in in Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Sonoma County officials said they expected the communities of Guerneville and Monte Rio to be accessible by car Friday. The two-day storm rendered the towns reachable only by boat on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) A car sits submerged in flood waters in Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The two-day storm rendered the towns reachable only by boat on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) People take their boats into the water on the flooded River Road in Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Floodwaters cut off the towns of Guerneville and Monte Rio and inundated several other communities. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) Flood water in Guerneville, Calif., starts to recede on Mill Street leaving behind mud caked reminders of the level of the Russian River, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) Flood water in Guerneville, Calif., starts to recede leaving behind mud caked reminders of the level as Guerneville resident Janice Rojas relaxes on her kayak, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) A national guardsman navigates flood waters in the town of Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared an emergency for five northern counties after a heavy storm led to the worst flooding in 20 years in one county and the death of a man in another. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) The water recedes on Main Street in Guerneville, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The aftermath of the flood will leave a massive cleanup on the river. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) A man kayaks down a flooded street in the town of Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The Russian River in Sonoma County crested at more than 46 feet (14 meters) Wednesday night, flooding about 2,000 buildings (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) Residents prepare to row through flood waters in the town of Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The Russian River in Sonoma County crested at more than 46 feet (14 meters) Wednesday night, flooding about 2,000 buildings (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) People kayak down Mill Street in flood waters from the overflowing Russian River in the town of Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The Russian River in Sonoma County crested at more than 46 feet (14 meters) Wednesday night, flooding about 2,000 buildings. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un both said they support the opening of a U.S. liaison office in Pyongyang at the start of their second summit in Hanoi on Thursday. But the prospects for the office's opening were quickly plunged into doubt as their high-stakes meeting ended without any agreement. Trump told reporters he has not committed to a third summit with Kim. If the office opened, it would be the first of its kind between the wartime foes and could be a preliminary step toward normalizing their relations once the U.S. feels North Korea no longer poses any significant threat. Here's a look at what opening a liaison office could mean for ties between the two countries: ___ LEADERS' WELCOME OFFICE President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) Asked by an American reporter at their second summit in Hanoi if he was willing to allow the U.S. to open an office in Pyongyang, Kim said through a translator, "I think that is something which is welcomable." Trump said that he considers it "a good idea" and that it should happen "both ways," suggesting he wants North Korea to open its own liaison office in Washington. No further details were available. Many outside experts had said the opening of a liaison office was among possible things Trump could offer to persuade Kim to promise firmer denuclearization measures in Hanoi. The North has complained about the lack of action taken by the U.S. since their first summit in June, when Kim and Trump agreed to establish new relations and build a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. The U.S. has been pushing for North Korea to take substantial disarmament steps before getting any serious concessions. __ NO EMBASSIES FOR ENEMIES The two countries have no embassies in each other's capitals because they have no diplomatic ties. They are actually in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. Sweden, which has an embassy in Pyongyang, has offered consular services for U.S. citizens, including those who had been detained in the North on charges of illegally entering the country or engaging in espionage acts. The North Korean mission at the United Nations in New York has also provided a back-channel negotiation option for the two countries. It's not the first time the countries have floated the idea of a liaison office as way to improve ties. In 1994, when the U.S. and North Korea signed a now-defunct landmark disarmament-for-aid deal, they vowed to open liaison offices and reduce barriers to investment and ultimately have ambassador-level relations. But the idea was shelved after a nuclear crisis erupted again in 2002, with U.S. officials accusing North Korea of running a covert uranium-enrichment program in violation of the 1994 deal. __ INTER-KOREAN OFFICE The U.S. could look to South Korea as an example. North Korea and South Korea opened an inter-Korean liaison office last September at the North's border town of Kaesong as part of a flurry of reconciliation steps. It is the first such Korean office since the peninsula was split into a U.S.-backed, capitalistic South and a Soviet-supported, socialist North in 1945. The Koreas had previously used telephone and fax-like communication channels that were often shut down in times of high tension. South Korean officials work at the office and regularly hold meetings with North Korean officials. They sleep at nearby lodgings and take turns staffing the office on weekends. The town is where the Korea's now-stalled jointly run factory complex was located. It combined South Korean initiatives, capital and technology with North Korea's cheap labor. Both Koreas want the U.S. to allow sanctions exemptions to allow the reopening of the factory park, which provided the North with much-needed foreign currency. ___ Follow all of AP's summit coverage: https://apnews.com/Trump-KimSummit JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel's attorney general on Thursday recommended criminal charges against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a series of corruption cases, shaking up an already tumultuous election campaign and threatening to end the Israeli leader's decades-long political career. The potential charges stretch across an array of embarrassing scandals that have painted Netanyahu as a hedonistic, and sometimes petty, leader with a taste for expensive gifts and an obsession over his public image. They include allegations he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars of champagne and cigars from billionaire friends, and allegedly used his influence to help a wealthy telecom magnate in exchange for favorable coverage on a popular news site. While a final decision on charges is still months away, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit's recommendations threatened to hurt Netanyahu's standing in the heat of a tight re-election battle. Netanyahu quickly faced calls to immediately step aside while he deals with the distraction of trying to clear his name. Appearing on national TV late Thursday, Netanyahu dismissed the allegations as an "unprecedented witch hunt" by political opponents intent on seeing him lose the April 9 election. He called the timing of the recommendations "outrageous" and accused prosecutors of caving in to pressure from "the left." Appearing emotional at times, he called the case a "blood libel," said he would debunk all charges and vowed to remain prime minister for many years. "This house of cards will collapse," he said as he addressed voters. "Don't let this witch hunt affect you." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures as he delivers a statement at the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Israel's attorney general on Thursday recommended indicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with bribery and breach of trust in a series of corruption cases, a momentous move that shook up Israel's election campaign and could spell the end of the prime minister's illustrious political career. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner) Mandelblit announced his recommendations after more than two years of intense investigations and deliberations by police, legal experts and financial regulators. "The attorney general has reached his decision after thoroughly examining the evidence collected during the investigations," his statement said. Netanyahu was not formally charged. Under Israeli law, he is entitled to defend himself at a hearing before charges are officially filed. That process is expected to take many months and be completed long after the election. Tomer Naor of the Movement for Quality Government, a watchdog group, said the hearing process could take about a year. While charges are not guaranteed, he said most of the cases, particularly the bribery case, appeared to be solid. The recommendations nonetheless plunged Israel into uncharted legal waters, marking the first time in its history that a sitting prime minister is so close to facing criminal charges. While Israeli prime ministers are not required by law to resign if charged, the prospect of a prime minister standing trial while simultaneously running the country could increase calls, even from his allies, to step down. Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who spent time in prison for corruption, stepped down a decade ago, months before police completed an investigation against him. As opposition leader, Netanyahu called on Olmert to step down before his indictment, saying he could not devote his full attention to governing. Netanyahu has a solid base of hard-line, nationalist and religious voters who are likely to rally behind him. For now, Likud officials and his current coalition partners are also supporting him. But polls have indicated that the upcoming vote, in which Netanyahu is seeking a fourth consecutive term, could be swayed by a small number of voters who abandon him in favor of a new centrist party headed by a popular former military chief, Benny Gantz. Those voters could well be turned off by Netanyahu's lengthy rule and never-ending scandals. Gantz, whose campaign has focused heavily on Netanyahu's character, late Thursday called on Netanyahu to resign immediately to deal with his legal problems. He said Israel could not afford to have a "part-time prime minister." "Let's imagine our reality when the prime minister needs to divide his time between court and dealing with the critical issues facing the state of Israel," he said. Even before Thursday's announcement, Netanyahu's campaign had shown signs of trouble. The alliance formed by Gantz and Yair Lapid, another centrist leader, has been welcomed by voters. Their "Blue and White" alliance enjoys a slight lead in opinion polls, making them the first credible threat to Netanyahu's decade-long rule. Lapid also called on Netanyahu to step down. "This is a sad day for the state of Israel," he said. "If Netanyahu loves the state of Israel as he always says he does, then he needs to do what's best for the country. He needs to resign, immediately." Netanyahu has also come under fire, both in Israel and abroad, for forming a partnership with the political heirs of an ultranationalist party that was banned for its racist views toward Arabs. The campaign now appears to be morphing into a referendum on Netanyahu as he seeks to become the longest-serving premier in Israeli history. Netanyahu has been prime minister since 2009 and served a previous term between 1996 and 1999. Netanyahu had previously tried unsuccessfully to persuade Mandelblit to delay publication of his recommendations until after the election. And on Thursday, the Supreme Court rejected an attempt by the Likud Party to block publication. The most serious allegations against Netanyahu involve his relationship with Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of Israel's telecom giant Bezeq. Mandelblit recommended a bribery charge in the case based on evidence collected that confidants of Netanyahu promoted regulatory changes worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Bezeq. In exchange, they believe Netanyahu used his connections with Elovitch to receive positive press coverage on Bezeq's popular news site Walla. A related charge against Netanyahu's wife, Sara, was dropped. Mandelblit's statement said there was a unanimous opinion among investigators that the relationship between Netanyahu and the Elovitches was "give or take," constituting bribery. Mandelblit also filed breach of trust charges in two other cases. One involves accepting gifts from billionaire friends, including over $300,000 worth of champagne and cigars from Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan. The second revolves around alleged offers of advantageous legislation for a major newspaper in return for favorable coverage. Mandelblit's office said the timing of Netanyahu's hearing would be set in the near future in coordination with the prime minister's lawyers. President Donald Trump, with whom Netanyahu has forged a close connection, offered the Israeli leader a boost earlier Thursday. "I can say this: that he's done a great job as prime minister. He's tough, he's smart, he's strong," Trump said in Hanoi, where he was holding a summit with the leader of North Korea. Yohanan Plesner, a former lawmaker who now heads the Israel Democracy Institute, an independent think tank, said he does not expect any dramatic changes in voting patterns, but there could be small enough shifts "that can actually make the difference." Plesner said from a "practical standpoint," Netanyahu should step down due to the severity of the charges. "But this will probably not happen," he said. ___ Follow Heller at www.twitter.com/aronhellerap and Federman at www.twitter.com/joseffederman Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures as he delivers a statement at the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Israel's attorney general on Thursday recommended indicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with bribery and breach of trust in a series of corruption cases, a momentous move that shook up Israel's election campaign and could spell the end of the prime minister's illustrious political career. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner) FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2015 file photo, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, speaks with then Cabinet Secretary Avichai Mandelblit during the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. The attorney general Avichai Mandelblit's decision on whether to indict Netanyahu on a series of corruption allegations is expected to be delivered Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Mandelblit is expected to announce his decision after more than two years of intense investigations and deliberations. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP, File) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures as he delivers a statement at the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Israel's attorney general on Thursday recommended indicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with bribery and breach of trust in a series of corruption cases, a momentous move that shook up Israel's election campaign and could spell the end of the prime minister's illustrious political career. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner) Since last year, the U.S. has waged a vigorous diplomatic offensive against the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, claiming that any nation deploying its gear in next-generation wireless networks is giving Beijing a conduit for espionage or worse. But security experts say the U.S. government is likely exaggerating that threat. Not only is the U.S. case short on specifics, they say, it glosses over the fact that the Chinese don't need secret access to Huawei routers to infiltrate global networks that already have notoriously poor security. State-sponsored hackers have shown no preference for one manufacturer's technology over another, these experts say. Kremlin-backed hackers, for instance, adroitly exploit internet routers and other networking equipment made by companies that are not Russian. If the Chinese want to disrupt global networks, "they will do so regardless of the type of equipment you are using," said Jan-Peter Kleinhans, a researcher at the Berlin think tank Neue Verantwortung Stiftung. One of the most common U.S. fears - that Huawei might install software "backdoors" in its equipment that Chinese intelligence could use to tap into, eavesdrop on or interrupt data transmissions -- strikes some experts as highly unlikely. Priscilla Moriuchi, who retired from the National Security Agency in 2017 after running its Far East operations, does not believe the Huawei threat is overblown. But she called the odds of the company installing backdoors on behalf of Chinese intelligence "almost zero because of the chance that it would be discovered," thus exposing Huawei's complicity. U.S. Deputy Assistant secretary for Cyber and International Communications and Information Policy Robert Strayer, right, and Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, centre, attend a press conference at the Mobile World Congress wireless show, in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The annual Mobile World Congress (MWC) runs from 25-28 February in Barcelona, where companies from all over the world gather to share new products. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Moriuchi, now an analyst at the U.S. cybersecurity firm Recorded Future, said she was not aware of the NSA ever finding Huawei backdoors created for Chinese intelligence but also cautioned that it can be extraordinarily difficult, when backdoors are found, to determine who is behind them. European allies have been reluctant to embrace a blanket anti-Huawei ban even as U.S. officials continue to cast the world's No. 1 telecom-equipment maker as little more than an untrustworthy surrogate for Beijing's intelligence services. The top U.S. diplomat for cybersecurity policy, Robert Strayer, says Huawei is obliged to heed Chinese Communist Party orders by a 2017 intelligence law that "compels their citizens and their companies to participate in intelligence activities." Strayer provided no specifics when pressed by reporters Tuesday as to how Huawei gear might pose more of a security threat than other manufacturers' switches, routers and wireless base stations. The diplomat spoke at Mobile World Congress, the world's largest wireless trade show, in Barcelona, Spain. The American rhetoric has included threats. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested in a TV interview last week any use of Huawei equipment could jeopardize U.S. intelligence sharing and might even be a reason to locate military bases elsewhere. The remarks may have been targeted at NATO allies including Poland and the Czech Republic where Huawei has made significant inroads. A spokeswoman for the U.S. National Security Council declined to comment or to provide any officials to address specifics. A State Department spokesman referred The Associated Press to a press statement on Strayer's remarks in Barcelona. Huawei, founded in 1987 by a former military engineer, overtook Sweden's LM Ericsson in 2017 as the lead company in the market for wireless and internet switching gear. It says it supplies 45 of the world's top 50 phone companies and has contracts with 30 carriers to test so-called fifth-generation, or 5G, wireless technology. U.S. companies are not serious competitors in this market, having pulled back over the years. Huawei's major rivals are European - Ericsson and Finland's Nokia. The U.S. has provided no evidence of China planting espionage backdoors in Huawei equipment despite as 2012 congressional report that led the U.S. government and top domestic wireless carriers to ban it and other Chinese manufacturers from their networks. "The backdrop for this is essentially the rise of China as a tech power in a variety of domains" said Paul Triolo, tech lead at the Eurasia Group risk analysis consultancy. Now, he said, "there is a big campaign to paint Huawei as an irresponsible actor." In January, U.S. prosecutors filed criminal charges against Huawei and one of its top executives, alleging the company stole trade secrets and lied to banks about embargo-busting company dealings with Iran. Canada earlier arrested that Huawei executive - who is also the daughter of the company's founder - at U.S. behest; she is currently awaiting extradition to the U.S. Huawei has denied wrongdoing. On Thursday it pleaded not guilty to charges that it stole trade secrets from T-Mobile. One irony of the situation is that the U.S. has actually done what it accuses Huawei of doing. According to top-secret documents released in 2013 by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, the U.S. planted surveillance beacons in network devices and shipped them around the world. The affected equipment included devices from Cisco Systems, a Silicon Valley company whose routers were blacklisted by Chinese authorities after the Snowden revelations. Washington's closest ally has taken a different approach to any potential threats from Huawei. Britain's National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) long ago placed multiple restrictions on Huawei equipment, including disallowing it in any sensitive networks, agency director Ciaran Martin noted in a speech last week. According to Kleinhans, who has studied the agency's practices, Huawei can't conduct any direct maintenance on mobile base stations in the U.K., and instead must allow local wireless carriers to handle the work. Those carriers can't use Chinese equipment to conduct any law enforcement wiretapping. The British agency also requires redundancy in critical networks and a variety of equipment suppliers to prevent overreliance on any single manufacturer. In its annual review of Huawei's engineering practices published in July, the NCSC found "shortcomings" that "exposed new risks in the U.K. telecommunication networks." But none were deemed of medium or high priority. Martin called the problems manageable and not reflective of Chinese hostility - though experts say it's often difficult to tell if vulnerabilities are simply coding defects or intentional. "With 5G, some equipment needs to be more trustworthy than ever. But probably not all," NCSC technical director Ian Levy wrote in a blog. Like the British, German officials have indicated they'll reject a blanket Huawei 5G ban. In December, the head of Germany's cyber-risk agency, Arne Schoenbohm, said "for such serious decisions as a ban, you need evidence." Last week, the nation's Interior Ministry told The Associated Press "the direct exclusion of a particular manufacturer from the 5G expansion is at the time not legally possible." ___ Eds: An earlier version of the story incorrectly stated that Moriuchi was among NSA agents tasked with searching for backdoors in Huawei equipment. ___ Frank Jordans in Berlin, Joe McDonald in Beijing and Kelvin Chan in Barcelona, Spain, contributed to this report. FILE - In this Jan. 29, 2019, file photo, the logos of Huawei are displayed at its retail shop window reflecting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Beijing. Security experts say the U.S. government is likely exaggerating the threat it says the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei poses to the world's next-generation wireless networks. Critics say the U.S. case is short on specifics and glosses over the fact that China doesn't need secret access to Huawei routers to infiltrate global networks. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File) U.S. Deputy Assistant secretary for Cyber and International Communications and Information Policy Robert Strayer, right, and Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, centre, attend a press conference at the Mobile World Congress wireless show, in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The annual Mobile World Congress (MWC) runs from 25-28 February in Barcelona, where companies from all over the world gather to share new products. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) TOKYO (AP) - Tokyo is still a smoker's heaven. Despite tougher laws enacted last year, smokers can light up in some restaurants and bars. Tobacco advertising is allowed on television, cigarette packages don't contain graphic health warnings, and tobacco is cheap compared to other major cities. However, don't expect to puff away at next year's Tokyo Olympics. Organizers on Thursday announced a stringent ban on all tobacco products and vaping devices. Smoking will be banned at all indoor and outdoor Olympic and Paralympic venues, plus within all perimeter areas of the Tokyo Games. Organizers say the prohibition is tougher than regulations for the last two Summer Olympics in London and Rio de Janeiro. "Tokyo 2020 aims to leave a legacy of improved health for the country at large," organizers said in a statement. FILE - In this April 7, 2017, file photo, people gather at a smoking area in Tokyo. Tokyo is a smokers' heaven. Despite tougher laws enacted last year, smokers can still light up in small restaurants and bars. Tobacco advertising is allowed on television, cigarette packages don't contain graphic health warnings, and tobacco is cheap compared to prices in other world cities. Tokyo organizers on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, announced a stringent ban on all tobacco products and vaping devices. Smoking will be banned at any indoor or outdoor Olympic or Paralympic venue _ including perimeter areas being run Tokyo 2020. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File) Japan's national legislature last year approved a ban on smoking inside public facilities, but the measure was seen as weak and excluded many bars and restaurants. Tokyo's city government separately enacted tougher rules last year to protect from second-hand smoke. All provisions kick in during the run-up to the Olympics. Smoking is still allowed in small eateries and bars. They make up half of Japanese establishments, where it's common to see a customer eating with chopsticks in one hand and a cigarette in the other. "Countering passive smoking has long been a concern," Keiko Nakayama, a Tokyo city government health official, said in a statement to The Associated Press. "We would like to push for approving more anti-smoking measures so people stay healthy longer." The city's smoking policy will be reviewed in five years. But more regulation will always face tough opposition despite the fact that smoking has declined in recent years. The Japanese government has a large stake in tobacco. It owns a third of the stock and is the top investor in major cigarette company Japan Tobacco Inc. The industry was a government monopoly until 1985, and is a huge source of tax revenue. Smoking is cheap in Japan compared to other developed countries. A pack of Marlboro cigarettes costs about $5. In London and New York it's about $14, and in Sydney it's $20. According to World Health Organization data for 2015, 32.7 percent of Japanese males smoke, compared to 24.4 in the United States. The highest figures were East Timor (78.0) and Indonesia (74.9), and the lowest two were in Africa: Ethiopia (7.6) and Ghana (7.1). ___ More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports ___ Stephen Wade on Twitter: http://twitter.com/StephenWadeAP GENEVA (AP) - Israeli soldiers intentionally fired on civilians and could have committed crimes against humanity during a string of crackdowns against Palestinian demonstrators last year in Gaza that left 189 people dead, U.N.-backed investigators said Thursday. The independent Commission of Inquiry, mandated by Human Rights Council, said more than 6,000 people were shot by military snipers using live ammunition to repel protesters near the separation fence. The panel showed video of grisly shootings of protesters as it issued a report on the violence that began in March. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the council for "setting new records for hypocrisy and mendacity, out of an obsessive hatred of Israel." The three-person panel said civilians who did not pose an "imminent threat" were among those killed and injured. It acknowledged significant violence linked to the demonstrations, but said they did not amount to combat campaigns, essentially rejecting an Israeli claim of "terror activities" by Palestinian armed groups. "Between the 30th of March and the 31st of December, we found that 189 Palestinians were killed - 183 of them with live ammunition," said Bangladeshi lawyer and commission member Sara Hossain. Alluding to Israeli soldiers, she said, "we are saying that they have intentionally shot children, they have intentionally shot people with disabilities, they have intentionally shot journalists." The panel said Israel needed to do more to allow the injured, even today, to gain access to proper medical care, and urged Israel's government to authorize a "meaningful" investigation into the events. The commission also faulted Hamas, which runs Gaza, for not preventing use of incendiary kites - low-tech weapons with flaming tails designed to ignite fires - during the protests. The Hamas-led protests were fueled initially by calls for the "right of return" of Palestinian refugees to go back to long-lost properties in what is now Israel. They later turned into a weekly demonstration aimed at easing a painful blockade imposed on Gaza. Israel imposed the blockade after Hamas, a militant group sworn to its destruction, seized control of Gaza in 2007. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since then. Commission Chairman Santiago decried a "failure" of the international community to respond. "The only way that we will find the solution to all the killings taking place is if the international community takes the responsibility of taking this issue more seriously, and finding a peaceful solution to this conflict," he said. Israel says its army is defending the country's border against violent infiltration attempts and accuses Hamas of using the large crowds as cover to carry out attacks. Protesters have hurled flaming tires, grenades and firebombs at soldiers and attempted to cut through the fence with wire cutters. One soldier was killed by a Palestinian sniper last July. Critics say Israel has repeatedly used disproportionate force in non-life-threatening situations. They point to the large numbers of unarmed people who have been shot, including women, minors and medics, often while standing hundreds of meters away from the fence. Netanyahu, in a statement, stressed Israel's right to self-defense and blamed the Gaza border violence on Hamas, which he accused of firing missiles at Israeli citizens and throwing explosive devices at soldiers. "Israel will not allow Hamas to attack Israel's sovereignty and its people, and will maintain the right of self-defense," he said. There was no immediate reaction from Hamas. The rival Palestinian Authority, which is based in the West Bank, welcomed the findings. "The findings and demands to open an immediate investigation by Israel, the occupying power, is a step in the right direction, yet is not enough for establishing comprehensive accountability," said Ahmad Shami, a spokesman for the Palestinian prime minister. "The international community must take its responsibility and provide international protection for the Palestinian citizens in every inch of Occupied Palestine." The report was based on 325 interviews and meetings with victims, witnesses, government officials and members of civil society from all sides, and more than 8,000 documents. The commission said it heard from 15 contributors from the Israeli side, including non-governmental organizations, but got no cooperation from the Israel government. The panel said its mandate was to identify those it believed responsible for the violations, and it planned to hand over a confidential file with such information to U.N. human rights chief Michele Bachelet, who could hand it over the International Criminal Court and national authorities. The Israeli government has repeatedly lambasted alleged bias against Israel by the 47-member Human Rights Council. The Trump administration pulled the U.S. out of the council last year, citing in part such alleged bias. __ Isabel DeBre in Jerusalem contributed to this report. RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - The family of a Palestinian lawmaker says Israeli authorities have released Khalida Jarrar after 20 months of holding her in detention without raising charges. The lawmaker's husband, Ghassan Jarrar, says she was freed on Thursday. The 56-year-old Khalida Jarrar was held under "administrative detention," an Israeli policy that permits holding people for months at a time without charges. In 2015, she served 15 months after being convicted of incitement to violence and "promoting terror activities." A senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, she was arrested again in July 2017 and held since then. She was initially scheduled to be released last October, but her detention was then extended another four months. Since her dentition began, the Palestinian parliament has been dissolved due to internal strife. HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - The summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ended without an agreement in Hanoi. After the second day of talks , Trump told reporters that the North demanded a full removal of U.S.-led sanctions in exchange for the shuttering of the Yongbyon nuclear facility. The U.S. wasn't willing to make a deal without the North committing to giving up its secretive nuclear facilities outside Yongbyon as well as its missile and warheads program. Trump said that the summit ended on a good note but that there are no current plans for a third meeting. ___ Follow all of AP's summit coverage at https://apnews.com/Trump-KimSummit U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un take a walk after their first meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump speaks as Sec of State Mike Pompeo looks on during a news conference after a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) Newspapers fronting pictures of U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are displayed at a newspaper stall Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. Trump and Kim cut short their second summit Thursday without reaching an agreement, a stunning collapse of talks that caused both leaders to leave their Vietnam meeting early and cancel a planned signing ceremony. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang) President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference after a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) U.S. President Donald Trump's motorcade travels through Hanoi after meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. Trump and Kim cut short their second summit Thursday without reaching an agreement, a stunning collapse of talks that caused both leaders to leave their Vietnam meeting early and cancel a planned signing ceremony. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang) A street vendor walks past resting pedicab riders as the second summit between U.S President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un taking place in Hanoi, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) U.S. President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) People watch a TV screen showing U.S. President Donald Trump's press conference during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The nuclear summit between President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un collapsed Thursday after the two sides failed to reach a deal due to a standoff over U.S. sanctions on the reclusive nation, a stunning end to high-stakes meetings meant to disarm a global threat. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) In this Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019 photo, journalists gather outside Metropole hotel where U.S President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are to have their meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Bodyguards run behind the motorcade of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as he returns to the Melia Hotel, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) A man reads newspapers fronting U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a newspaper stall Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. Trump and Kim cut short their second summit Thursday without reaching an agreement, a stunning collapse of talks that caused both leaders to leave their Vietnam meeting early and cancel a planned signing ceremony. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang) President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, following his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh) HELSINKI (AP) - Nearly a million people are eligible to vote Sunday to choose Estonia's 101-seat Riigikogu legislature, where the outgoing prime minister and his Center Party is pitted against the center-right opposition Reform Party. Both want to keep at bay a nationalist, far-right party with an anti-immigration, xenophobic and Euroskeptic agenda, which has increased its popularity since the last election in 2015. ___ WHO'S RUNNING Ten political parties and 15 independents - totaling 1,099 candidates - are up for election. The main contenders are the Center Party, whose backers include ethnic Russians who make up 25 percent of the population in this former Soviet republic; the center-right Reform Party that advocates liberal economic policies; and the Social Democrats, focusing on social and welfare issues. FILE - In this file photo taken on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018, Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas speaks with the media as he arrives for an EU summit in Brussels. Nearly a million people are eligible to vote Sunday, March 3, 2019 to choose Estonia's 101-seat Riigikogu legislature, where the outgoing prime minister and his Center Party is pitted against the center-right opposition Reform Party. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert, File) Juri Ratas has been heading a coalition of his Center Party, the Social Democrats and the conservative Fatherland since November 2016, when the previous, center-right government collapsed after internal disputes and a lost confidence vote. ___ WORTH KEEPING AN EYE ON. Polls show the nationalist, far-right Estonian Conservative People's Party, known by its acronym EKRE, has gained in popularity in recent years. Led by father and son Mart and Martin Helme, it claims to represent true Estonian values. The party has harshly criticized the EU's compulsory quotas for taking in refugees. EKRE's rhetoric has led the main parties to say there's no place for the populists in the new government, no matter how well they do in the election. ___ THE MAIN ISSUES Top of the list are economic and domestic issues such as taxation and health care, and how to lure back tens of thousands of people who have emigrated - particularly to neighboring Finland and Britain - leaving Estonia with a shortage of skilled workers. A few thousand immigrants mainly from former Soviet states are making up for the labor shortage. The government is keeping a tight annual quota on workers from outside the European Union - a particular irritation to the flourishing startup scene. All parties agree that Estonia is an active EU member and a staunch Washington ally, and that NATO is the cornerstone of the country's security policy. But Russia has maintained interest in the military and security affairs of Estonia and its Baltic neighbors since they joined NATO in 2004. ___ THE POLLS A Feb. 25 poll commissioned by Estonia's public broadcaster ERR based on 4,700 respondents showed Ratas' Center Party could win 28 percent of the vote, up from 24.8 percent in 2015, with the Reform Party coming in second with 24 percent. EKRE is on 17 percent. Pundits say the top two parties may end up forming a coalition, possibly with one junior partner from the smaller parties. ___ CAMPAIGNING AND VOTING ONLINE One of Europe's most wired nations, Estonia in 2005 was the first country in the world to use online balloting for a national election. Some 26 percent of voters had cast their ballot via a dedicated government website by the deadline of Feb. 27. No online voting takes place on the election day. Candidates have been trained to secure their home pages in case of hacking and Estonian authorities closely track fake news and disinformation. Estonia's electoral committee has so far reported no attempts from Russia or elsewhere to interfere with the election, either through hacking, fake news or disinformation. Microsoft said last week that Estonia was not among countries targeted by a hacking group with alleged links to Russia ahead of the EU parliamentary elections in May. Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas smiles prior to a cabinet meeting, where he heads a coalition of his Social Democrats and the conservative Fatherland, in Tallinn, Estonia, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Ratas has headed the coalition government since November 2016, when the previous, center-right government collapsed, but he faces an election upcoming Sunday with nearly a million eligible voters choosing Estonia's legislature. (AP Photo/Raul Mee) In this photo taken on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, Chairman of the Estonian Conservative People's Party (EKRE) Martin Helme speaks at his party's campaign meeting in Parnu, Estonia. Nearly a million people are eligible to vote Sunday, March 3, 2019 to choose Estonia's 101-seat Riigikogu legislature, where the outgoing prime minister and his Center Party is pitted against the center-right opposition Reform Party. (AP Photo/Raul Mee) In this photo taken on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, Chairwoman of the Reform Party Kaja Kallas poses for a photo in Tallinn, Estonia. Nearly a million people are eligible to vote Sunday, March 3, 2019 to choose Estonia's 101-seat Riigikogu legislature, where the outgoing prime minister and his Center Party is pitted against the center-right opposition Reform Party. (AP Photo/Raul Mee) In this photo taken on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, Chairwoman of the Reform Party Kaja Kallas poses for a photo in Tallinn, Estonia. Nearly a million people are eligible to vote Sunday, March 3, 2019 to choose Estonia's 101-seat Riigikogu legislature, where the outgoing prime minister and his Center Party is pitted against the center-right opposition Reform Party. (AP Photo/Raul Mee) In this photo taken on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, Chairwoman of the Reform Party Kaja Kallas poses for a photo in Tallinn, Estonia. Nearly a million people are eligible to vote Sunday, March 3, 2019 to choose Estonia's 101-seat Riigikogu legislature, where the outgoing prime minister and his Center Party is pitted against the center-right opposition Reform Party. (AP Photo/Raul Mee) LONDON (AP) - Ireland's deputy prime minister said Thursday that the European Union wants to work with Britain to ensure there is a Brexit deal, as Irish drivers were warned they will need new paperwork to cross the currently invisible border to Northern Ireland if the U.K. leaves the bloc without an agreement. The Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland said it has supplied insurance companies with 1 million forms so customers can apply for the internationally recognized "Green Card" proof of insurance documents. British drivers traveling to Ireland or other EU countries will also need the paperwork - just one of a host of new rules and hurdles citizens will need to negotiate if Britain crashes out of the bloc without a framework over its departure. Currently, auto insurance in any EU country covers the whole bloc. If Britain leaves with a deal, there will be no change until at least the end of 2020. Britain is due to leave the 28-nation bloc on March 29, but lawmakers have rejected the divorce deal Prime Minister Theresa May negotiated with the EU, raising the prospect of a chaotic "no deal" Brexit. Governments in EU countries, as well as in Britain, have warned citizens and businesses to prepare for potential disruption to trade and travel as tariffs, customs checks and other barriers are erected between Britain and its biggest trading partner. Remain supporters shelter from the wind and rain across the street from parliament in London, Thursday Feb. 28, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May has offered Parliament the chance to delay Britain's scheduled March 29 departure if lawmakers fail to approve her divorce agreement with the bloc.(Jonathan Brady/PA via AP) But U.K. authorities acknowledged this week that neither individuals nor businesses are ready for a "no-deal" departure, and "the short time remaining before 29 March 2019 does not allow government to unilaterally mitigate the effects of no deal." British lawmakers rejected May's deal with the EU last month, largely over a provision to guarantee there are no customs posts or other barriers along the Irish border. The mechanism, known as the backstop, is a safeguard that would keep the U.K. in a customs union with the EU to remove the need for checks until a permanent new trading relationship is in place. May wants to revise the deal to reassure opponents that the backstop would only apply temporarily. But EU leaders insist that the legally binding Brexit withdrawal agreement can't be reopened. Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney said the EU "wants to work with the U.K. to try to give the reassurance and clarification" it needs on the border issue. But he said the EU had made it "very clear" that the text of the withdrawal agreement will not be reopened. "What they'll be providing will be an addition, but in a way that doesn't undermine the meaning of that text, which I think is very important from an Irish perspective," Coveney said in Dublin. May says U.K. lawmakers will get to vote again on her deal - including any amendments she secures - by March 12. If it is rejected, Parliament will then vote on whether to leave the EU without an agreement or seek to postpone Brexit by up to three months. The move has angered pro-Brexit lawmakers, who fear a delay could be used to try to stop Britain leaving the EU. A junior minister in May's government, George Eustice, quit Thursday, saying that postponing Brexit would be "the final humiliation of our country." "We cannot negotiate a successful Brexit unless we are prepared to walk through the (exit) door," said Eustice in a letter resigning as agriculture minister. Any delay would require approval from all 27 remaining EU nations. Austria's leader said Thursday that if Britain seeks an extension to prevent a disorderly exit, Vienna would back it. But Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said he wanted to see Britain leave before European Parliament elections in late May. Kurz said that "the participation of a country that wants to leave the European Union in European Parliament elections would, I think, seem more than absurd." Speaking after meeting Kurz in Vienna, chief EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said any delay "must serve not to put off the problem but to resolve the problem" in the British Parliament. "Today, above all we need decisions, much more than extra time," he said. ___ Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this story. FILE - In this file photo dated Monday, Jan. 30, 2017, a bureau de change on the border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, near the town of Jonesborough, Northern Ireland. The Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland have issued a warning to Irish drivers, Thursday Feb. 28, 2019, that they will need a special insurance document to cross the currently invisible border from Ireland into Northern Ireland, if the U.K. leaves the European Union without a deal. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison, FILE) Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, left, welcomes European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, right, for a meeting at the federal chancellery in Vienna, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Gruber) Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, left, and European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, right, pose prior to a meeting at the federal chancellery in Vienna, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Gruber) A projection calling for a second referendum or a so-called "Peoples's vote", is cast onto the Houses of Parliament in London, Wednesday Feb. 27, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will give British lawmakers a choice of approving her divorce agreement, leaving the EU March 29 without a deal or asking to delay Brexit by up to three months. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) A projection calling for a second referendum or a so-called "Peoples's vote", on behalf of a pressure group, is cast onto the Houses of Parliament in London, Wednesday Feb. 27, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will give British lawmakers a choice of approving her divorce agreement, leaving the EU March 29 without a deal or asking to delay Brexit by up to three months. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) A European Union supporter holds up a placard showing the face of a prominent British lawmaker and leave the EU supporter Boris Johnson, during a demonstration outside the Palace of Westminster in London, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will give British lawmakers a choice of approving her divorce agreement, leaving the EU March 29 without a deal or asking to delay Brexit by up to three months. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) In this undated photo issued by Britain's ruling Conservative Party, showing lawmaker George Eustice who has resigned Thursday Feb. 28, 2019, from the British government over Brexit. Junior minister Eustice is a firm backer of Britain's Brexit split with Europe. (Conservative Party via AP) Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz adresses the media during a joint press conference with European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier at the federal chancellery in Vienna, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Gruber) BEIJING (AP) - China's defense ministry defended military cooperation with Tajikistan Thursday following a report of a sizeable Chinese troop presence at a base in the Central Asian state. Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang told reporters at a monthly briefing that cooperation between the two was "in line with" international law and related resolutions passed by the United Nations Security Council. "This cooperation benefits the two countries, their two militaries and regional peace and stability," Ren said. However, Ren said there was no Chinese presence in the adjacent Wakhan Corridor belonging to Afghanistan, in line with earlier denials of any plans to deploy troops to the war-torn nation with which it shares a narrow border. Despite the denials of Chinese military activity in the area, unconfirmed reports have shown what appear to be Chinese military vehicles operating in the corridor, which lies in the shadow of the Hindu Kush mountains with Tajikistan to the north and Pakistan to the south. China had apparently sought to keep its Tajikistan base manned by members of the paramilitary People's Armed Police a secret. However, the Washington Post in February reported on the sizeable Chinese military complex first-hand, although it remains unclear what the troops' mission is and Ren provided no details. The area borders China's restive Xinjiang region, where Beijing has deployed a massive security presence following violent attacks by Muslim separatists in past years. BRUSSELS (AP) - A lawyer for a man charged with "terror murder" over the killing four people at a Jewish museum in Belgium set about dismantling the case against his client Thursday, accusing investigators of meddling with evidence, prosecutors of intimidating witnesses and some of the witnesses of lying. Gesticulating and bickering with prosecutors in a display that had some lawyers snickering and Presiding Judge Laurence Massart frowning, Sebastien Courtoy claimed the 2014 slayings were carried out by Israeli intelligence agents and not his client, Mehdi Nemmouche. Nemmouche, a suspected French jihadist who spent time in Syria, is accused of murdering an Israeli couple by shooting them in the back of the head at point-blank range with a revolver at the entrance to the Jewish museum in Brussels, before moving inside and gunning down two employees. Courtoy claimed that investigators desperate to secure a guilty verdict had faked some of the security camera images from the scene of the crime - just a five-minute walk from the Brussels criminal court - which were shown to jurors during the trial. He said investigators are bent on convicting Nemmouche because there were "four dead right outside the justice palace. It's an affront to the justice system." When he wasn't whispering in a confidential tone to jurors, Courtoy repeatedly chastised two prosecutors he claimed were annoying him. He said of one: "We know what his methods are. He was constantly trying to intimidate the witnesses. It won't work with me." Lawyer for the accused, Sebastien Courtoy, center, attends the trial of Mehdi Nemmouche at the Justice Palace in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The defense lawyer Thursday is summing up the case for Nemmouche, who is charged with "terrorist murder" over the 2014 slaying of an Israeli couple and two employees at the Jewish museum in Brussels, about a week before the verdict is expected to be handed down.(AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert, Pool) When it came to witnesses, Courtoy branded as liars some of the four French journalists who claim they were held hostage by Nemmouche in Syria. He also pointed out that a woman who was at the museum and said she had watched the attacker, identified him as being of European descent and aged in his forties. Nemmouche is a 33-year-old Frenchman of northern African origin. Nemmouche's lawyers have claimed that the real killers were agents from the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and that Nemmouche was a patsy coerced into transporting the weapons. "It was a civil execution" of the Israeli couple, Courtoy told the court. He did not present any hard evidence of Mossad involvement. The court previously declined a request by Courtoy to call testimony from Mossad agents. The 12 jurors must decide by a majority whether Nemmouche is guilty. Should their secret ballot be tied at 6-6, he would be found not guilty. A verdict is expected on March 7. Should he be found guilty, Nemmouche would likely be sentenced the following day. He faces up to 30 years in prison. If he is acquitted, Nemmouche, who was flanked in court by two police officers in ski masks, would remain jailed as he must faces charges in France over the hostage taking in Syria. Nemmouche has mostly exercised his right to silence during the trial but has suggested that he will speak before it ends. Courtoy said the defense lawyers have been threatened and branded as anti-Semites, Nazis and fascists for defending their client. An alleged accomplice, 30-year-old Nacer Bendrer, is on trial accused of supplying the revolver and assault rifle used in the killings. Chairwoman of the court Laurence Massar attends the trial of Mehdi Nemmouche at the Justice Palace in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The defense lawyer Thursday is summing up the case for Nemmouche, who is charged with "terrorist murder" over the 2014 slaying of an Israeli couple and two employees at the Jewish museum in Brussels, about a week before the verdict is expected to be handed down.(AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert, Pool) Belgian public prosecutors Yves Moreau, left, and Bernard Michel attend the trial of Mehdi Nemmouche at the Justice Palace in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The defense lawyer Thursday is summing up the case for Nemmouche, who is charged with "terrorist murder" over the 2014 slaying of an Israeli couple and two employees at the Jewish museum in Brussels, about a week before the verdict is expected to be handed down. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert, Pool) Lawyer Adrien Masset, representing the Jewish Museum, center, with other lawyers as he attends the trial of Mehdi Nemmouche at the Justice Palace in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The defense lawyer Thursday is summing up the case for Nemmouche, who is charged with "terrorist murder" over the 2014 slaying of an Israeli couple and two employees at the Jewish museum in Brussels, about a week before the verdict is expected to be handed down.(AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert, Pool) HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - The table was set, with flowers in vases and menus tucked inside white napkins. Water glasses were filled. Wicker fans provided a cool breeze. But nobody came. "Schedule change," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders announced. That was the first indication something was up at President Donald Trump's two-day summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. But what did it mean for the prospects of denuclearizing? Reporters and photographers assembled to record the leaders' lunchtime chitchat were hustled out of the room and eventually from building in anticipation of Trump's departure. President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One after a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) Speculation swirled. Was Trump staging an exit as a negotiating tactic to put more pressure on Kim? Might the two leaders appear at a joint news conference to announce progress toward a deal? Those theories soon proved meritless. Trump and Kim's motorcades left moments apart on diverging routes back to their hotels. In a statement, Sanders said the summit was over. There was no deal. The summit that had started amicably enough had collapsed. "Sometimes you have to walk," Trump said at a closing news conference. It was a dramatic reversal for a summit that had kicked off Wednesday with friendly greetings, laughter and lots of arm-touching by Trump at a luxury hotel in Hanoi. When the talks resumed Thursday morning, Kim likened the scene of the two leaders, who had once denounced one another as "Little Rocket Man" and "deranged," sitting side by side to a "fantasy movie." Trump reported that at dinner the night before, there were "a lot of great ideas being thrown around." By lunchtime, not so much. The two men met privately in the morning for about 35 minutes and then walked to an outdoor pool area, where they were joined by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his North Korean counterpart. But it was humid and the air was sticky, so they moved to a glass-enclosed, air-conditioned room off the patio. The four, plus two interpreters, spoke for about 70 minutes in what was described as an "informal" session. Trump and Kim took a 15-minute break and then reconvened, this time with more officials. At the start of that final meeting, journalists invited in for a photo opportunity witnessed something unheard of: Kim answering questions from foreign reporters - not just one, but several. And then he shooed them away. "If you would kindly give us more time between us, because you know one minute, even one minute's more precious to us," Kim said through a translator. Pompeo said later that U.S. officials had been hopeful for a deal even on Thursday morning after working through the night. "We all went back and tried to sharpen our pencils and see if we couldn't get a little further and we actually did," he told reporters on his plane. But not far enough. Next on the schedule was the lunch that never happened, followed by a signing ceremony for a joint agreement that was advertised on Trump's public schedule. But there was nothing to sign. Instead, Air Force One took off two hours early. Trump was returning to Washington without a deal. ___ Colvin reported from Washington. ___ Follow all of AP's summit coverage: https://apnews.com/Trump-KimSummit The motorcade carrying North Korean leader Kim Jong Un move past the Opera House after meeting with U.S President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Kim and Trump have failed to reach an agreement at their second summit in Vietnam, but talks between the two nations will continue in the future. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Air Force One with President Donald Trump aboard takes off at Nom Bar International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, to travel to Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool) President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un take a walk at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) TIRANA, Albania (AP) - A group of European Parliament lawmakers on Thursday strongly denounced the resignation of Albania's opposition from parliament and violence in recent protests. The European Parliament delegation, which was visiting Albania, also called on the governing majority to open talks with the opposition to solve the political crisis. "Boycotting the peoples' representation in parliament is a very bad signal. This will undermine the credibility of the state and the nation as a whole," said Tunne Kelam from Estonia, head of the delegation. Albania, a NATO member since 2009, was granted EU candidate status in 2014 and hopes to launch membership negotiations in June. The center-right Democratic Party-led opposition claims the leftist government of Prime Minister Edi Rama is corrupt and has links to organized crime. They want a caretaker administration to hold early elections. "Even if the opposition is totally right with accusations, by boycotting the parliament they will not solve their problems," said Knut Fleckenstein, a German member of the delegation. Touring a northern city, Democrats' leader Lulzim Basha did not sound ready to heed the delegation's calls. He said the opposition will "intertwine protests, civil disobedience and all the other acts of civil revolt and anger." Opposition protests in the past two weeks turned violent, with supporters attacking police and officers responding with tear gas. Dozens of protesters and police were injured. The EU delegation will next travel to neighboring North Macedonia, which is also looking to launch membership negotiations this year. ___ Follow Llazar Semini on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lsemini AL-OMAR OIL FIELD BASE, Syria (AP) - The U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group said Thursday that a prominent French militant who is one of Europe's most wanted members of the extremist group has been killed in an airstrike in Syria. The coalition tweeted that a strike killed Fabien Clain, who is linked to the 2015 attacks on Paris, in the Syrian village of Baghouz on the banks of the Euphrates River where the militant group is making its last stand. Coalition spokesman Col. Sean Ryan said the airstrike occurred on Feb. 20, but gave no further details. French authorities did not immediately comment on the announcement, but said last week they were working on verifying reports that Clain had been killed. The day after the Nov. 13, 2015 attacks on Paris, Clain's voice announced in a recording that the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the onslaught. The attacks killed 130 people at the Bataclan concert hall, cafes and the national stadium. Clain was believed to have been in Syria since 2015. Officials suspect that a number of French extremists remain holed up in Baghouz. Women and children sit in the back of a truck as they wait to be screened by U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after being evacuated out of the last territory held by Islamic State militants, in the desert outside Baghouz, Syria, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) From a self-proclaimed caliphate that once stretched over large areas of Syria and Iraq, the Islamic State group has been reduced to a tiny speck of land in the village of Baghouz, where a few hundred IS militants are holed up with family members and other civilians who are among the group's most determined supporters, many of whom traveled to Syria from all over the world. SDF officials have denied there were negotiations with the militants, some of whom had asked for an exit. SDF commanders on Thursday said they have freed 24 of their fighters held by IS, and uncovered a mass grave near Baghouz. Adnan Afrin, a spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces, said the grave unearthed a few days ago outside Baghouz contains the remains of men and women but said the number of bodies and their identities remain unclear. "An investigation is still underway to determine their nationality and the manner of killing," said Afrin, adding they were looking into reports that they may be Yazidis or IS fighters. A video posted by Kurdish-run Furat FM TV on Wednesday showed several bodies dug out from a pit - mostly women and children. A station executive, Salah Youssef, said those in the mass grave appear to have been shot in the head. He said authorities are investigating whether the bodies are those of women and children who had refused to stay under IS rule and were shot as they tried to escape, or belonged to IS fighters who were killed fighting the SDF. Youssef said there are reports of more than one mass grave. Thousands of civilians, many of them women and children, have evacuated the area in the past few weeks on foot, many saying they had paid smugglers to get out. But for the past week, trucks have brought out in intermittent batches hundreds of civilians, mostly members of IS families and wounded men, in an organized evacuation amid a truce in the fighting. Afrin said his forces managed to free 24 SDF fighters from the extremist group's hold while evacuating civilians from the area in the past days. The SDF fighters were taken hostage by IS during recent fighting. In a video released by the SDF press office Thursday, the leader of the force Mazloum Kobani is seen meeting with a number of newly released fighters. One of the soldiers said they had spent 22 days in captivity. Kobani said "the main reason" military operations against IS have stopped is to allow for the liberation of more hostages. He added that a full victory against IS is days away. "They think themselves very strong but it is not like this," he said. The fate of a number of foreign hostages and Syrian and Iraqi detainees by IS also remains unknown as the group's territory has shrunk. SDF officials said they are probing whether some of those hostages may still be in the hands of the militants in Baghouz. In recent days, at least 13 Yazidi children, including two girls, were released from inside the IS pocket. Recapturing Baghouz would mark an end to the militants' territorial rule, but few believe that will end the threat posed by an organization that still stages and inspires attacks through sleeper cells in both Syria and Iraq and that has active affiliates in Egypt, West Africa and elsewhere. The group also has a presence online, using social media to recruit new members and promote its attacks. In Geneva, U.N.-backed investigators focusing on Syria expressed concern that Islamic State fighters and their affiliates are being held by U.S. troops and Syrian opposition forces without proper legal protections. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic presented its findings based on investigations conducted over the past six months saying that in areas under the control of the SDF, thousands of women, men and children "continued to be unlawfully interned or detained, some of them held in deplorable conditions in makeshift camps unfit to meet their basic needs." The report released in Geneva on Thursday said there is a concern that IS "terrorists and their affiliates are being held incommunicado by SDF and American forces without adequate judicial guarantees, conditions that are conducive to detainee abuse." Officials from the Kurdish-led administration had no immediate comment on the report. ___ Associated Press writers Angela Charlton in Paris and Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed reporting. Women and children are screened by U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after being evacuated out of the last territory held by Islamic State militants, in the desert outside Baghouz, Syria, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) Men sit in the back of a truck as they wait to be screened by U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after being evacuated out of the last territory held by Islamic State militants, in the desert outside Baghouz, Syria, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) Men and women sit in the back of a truck as they wait to be screened by U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after being evacuated out of the last territory held by Islamic State militants, in the desert outside Baghouz, Syria, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) Women and children evacuated out of the last territory held by Islamic State militants wait to be screened by U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the desert outside Baghouz, Syria, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) MOSCOW (AP) - A Moscow court on Thursday rejected an appeal by a prominent U.S. foreign investment manager and ordered him to remain in jail for at least the next month-and-a-half in connection with an embezzlement probe. The Moscow City Court's decision to keep Michael Calvey behind bars until April 13 comes despite numerous statements from prominent members of the Russian investment community who vouched for him in court. Calvey, who co-founded private equity firm Baring Vostok in 1994, was detained along with five others in Moscow on suspicion they embezzled 2.5 billion rubles ($37 million) from Vostochny Bank, in which Baring Vostok has a controlling stake. The veteran American investor denies the charges and maintains that they spring from a business dispute between the bank's shareholders. The case alleges that Calvey took a 2.5-billion-ruble ($37 million) loan from the bank and that in turn he transferred to the bank his shares in a company called IFTG that he said were worth the amount of the loan, but were actually worth far less. Calvey on Thursday proposed the dispute be resolved by the bank selling the IFTG shares, saying he believed such a sale would fetch at least 2.5 billion rubles ($37 million). Founder of the Baring Vostok investment fund Michael Calvey is seen on a screen, with public observers and journalists below, during a court session in a court room in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Calvey, co-founder of one of Russia's oldest and biggest equity firms Baring Vostok, was arrested earlier February on suspicion of fraud. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) Calvey says the charges against him are likely connected to an arbitration case pending in London that Baring Vostok initiated against some Vostochny Bank shareholders. "It's an attempt to deprive access to the London court of arbitration to key witnesses and key figures in this process because they're sitting here in pre-trial detention," Calvey attorney Dmitry Kletochkin told journalists at the court. Prominent businessmen have expressed concern over the arrest of Calvey, a well-known figure in Russian investment circles. "If he can be taken down, then anybody can," said private investor August Meyer. "People don't want to invest their money when they can be thrown into jail over a civil dispute." NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) - ExxonMobil has made the world's third-biggest gas find in the last two years off the cost of Cyprus, the country's government said Thursday. Energy Minister Georgios Lakkotrypis said the discovery of an estimated 5-8 trillion cubic feet of gas offers hope for more discoveries in waters off the east Mediterranean island nation, which wants to become an alternative energy source for Europe. ExxonMobil Vice President Tristan Aspray said there's potential for more discoveries for ExxonMobil and partners Qatar Petroleum. "We'd be interested in other opportunities offshore Cyprus and indeed the whole eastern Mediterranean," Aspray said. He said ExxonMobil will carry out additional drilling most likely next year. This is the third gas find in waters that Cyprus has licensed out for exploratory drilling to companies including Italy's Eni and France's Total. FILE - In this Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017 file photo, a man sits on a beach as a drilling platform is seen in the background outside from Larnaca port, in the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Cyprus' energy minister says ExxonMobil has discovered the third-biggest gas deposit in the world in the last two years. Announcing the results on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, of exploratory drilling, Energy Minister Georgios Lakkotrypis said the "world class" discovery offers proof of the potential for more hydrocarbon discoveries in waters off the east Mediterranean island nation that could become an alternative energy source for Europe. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias, File) A year ago, Eni announced the discovery of a potentially sizeable gas deposit in an area adjacent to where ExxonMobil has made the discovery. In 2011, Texas-based Noble Energy discovered a deposit in waters southeast of Cyprus estimated to contain 4.5 trillion cubic feet of gas. But Turkey strongly objects to any gas search off Cyprus, saying it infringes on its rights - as well as those of Turkish Cypriots in the island's breakaway northern region. Turkey, which doesn't recognize Cyprus as a state, claims parts of Cyprus's offshore exclusive economic zone and says it will carry out drilling of its own soon. Aspray said his company is aware of the region's "geopolitical tensions," but remains focused on its work in waters that lie outside the area Turkey claims as its own. ___ This story has been corrected to say the discovered deposit contains an estimated 5-8 trillion cubic feet of gas, instead of 5-8 trillion feet of gas. FILE - In this Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017 file photo, people on a beach as a drilling platform is seen in the background outside from Larnaca port, in the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Cyprus' energy minister says ExxonMobil has discovered the third-biggest gas deposit in the world in the last two years. Announcing the results on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, of exploratory drilling, Energy Minister Georgios Lakkotrypis said the "world class" discovery offers proof of the potential for more hydrocarbon discoveries in waters off the east Mediterranean island nation that could become an alternative energy source for Europe. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias, File) Cyprus Energy Minister Georgios Lakkotrypis, left, and ExxonMobil Vice President Tristan Aspray look each other as they announce the findings of the energy company's exploratory drilling in an area off Cyprus', at the energy ministry in capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Cyprus says ExxonMobil has discovered a natural gas deposit estimated to contain 5-8 trillion cubic feet of gas. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) ExxonMobil Vice President Tristan Aspray, center, announce with Cyprus Energy Minister Georgios Lakkotrypis the findings of the energy company's exploratory drilling in an area off Cyprus', at the energy ministry in capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Cyprus says ExxonMobil has discovered a natural gas deposit estimated to contain 5-8 trillion cubic feet of gas. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) Cyprus Energy Minister Georgios Lakkotrypis, left, and ExxonMobil Vice President Tristan Aspray, center, announce the findings of the energy company's exploratory drilling in an area off Cyprus', at the energy ministry in capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Cyprus says ExxonMobil has discovered a natural gas deposit estimated to contain 5-8 trillion cubic feet of gas. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) Cyprus Energy Minister Georgios Lakkotrypis, center, and ExxonMobil Vice President Tristan Aspray, rear left, walk to the podium to announce the findings of the energy company's exploratory drilling in an area off Cyprus', at the energy ministry in capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Cyprus says ExxonMobil has discovered a natural gas deposit estimated to contain 5-8 trillion cubic feet of gas. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) ExxonMobil Vice President Tristan Aspray, center, announce with Cyprus Energy Minister Georgios Lakkotrypis the findings of the energy company's exploratory drilling in an area off Cyprus', at the energy ministry in capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Cyprus says ExxonMobil has discovered a natural gas deposit estimated to contain 5-8 trillion cubic feet of gas. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) BRUSSELS (AP) - Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg has led thousands of Belgian students in a climate change march - the second she's led in as many weeks to draw more attention to the topic. It was the eighth week in a row that school kids have skipped school to protest. Numbers have come down from the tens of thousands recorded earlier - there was one march of about 3,000 in Antwerp Thursday, and several thousand in Brussels and provincial centers. Thunberg has become her generation's voice on climate change after inspiring students around the world to go on strike to express their anger and angst over global warming. Student leaders are planning another march next week. Youths shout slogans as they march during a climate protest in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. This is the eighth week in a row that school students have skipped school to protest, with one march of about 3,000 in Antwerp and a few thousand in Brussels and other provincial centres. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Youths shout slogans as they march during a climate protest in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. It was the eighth week in a row that school students skipped school to protest, with one march of about 3,000 in Antwerp and a few thousand in Brussels and other provincial centers. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, center, leads a march of thousands of French students through Paris, France, to draw more attention to fighting climate change, Friday, Feb. 22, 2019. Sign reads : "school strike for the climate". (AP Photo/Francois Mori) Youths shout slogans as they march during a climate protest in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. This is the eighth week in a row that school students have skipped school to protest, with one march of about 3,000 in Antwerp and a few thousand in Brussels and other provincial centres. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) PARIS (AP) - The European Court of Human Rights ordered France to pay 15,000 euros ($17,000) to an Afghan migrant for failing to protect him when, as a 12-year-old, he lived alone in a makeshift migrant camp in Calais. Thursday's decision is limited to the case of Jamil Khan, who spent six months in the squalid camp, one of scores of unaccompanied minors there. Khan sneaked across the English Channel in March 2016 and now lives in Birmingham. The Strasbourg court said that it wasn't convinced the French government did all it could to care for and protect the child, as a court had ordered after a lawyers' group filed a complaint on his behalf. The court ruled authorities had breached Europe's human rights convention forbidding inhuman or degrading treatment. The decision comes amid controversy over a new French database on young migrants who claim to be children. The number of migrants officially recognized as underage in France tripled between 2015 and last year, to more than 17,000 people, the Interior Ministry said in a statement Thursday. But it said a much larger number of adult migrants claim to be children in order to seek special state aid and shelter from local governments. If local officials determine that they are adults, these migrants then travel to other regions to apply again for child benefits, the ministry said. So the government issued a decree last month allowing the creation of a nationwide database of migrants seeking child benefits, including their photos and fingerprints. UNICEF and several other rights groups objected, and filed a complaint Thursday with the Council of State, France's highest administrative body. The rights groups fear the new database doesn't respect privacy rights, encourages authorities to deport young migrants, and will scare isolated children away from seeking help. ATHENS, Greece (AP) - The lawyers for a Russian suspected of bitcoin fraud and wanted by three countries said Thursday that the man's health is deteriorating due to a hunger strike, and criticized the Greek courts for detaining him for more than the maximum 18 months allowed. Lawyer Zoe Konstantopoulou said Alexander Vinnik, 39, has been on a hunger strike for three months, during which time he has lost about 30 percent of his body weight. She aired a video of a gaunt-looking Vinnik she said was shot last week. She noted he has been in custody for 19 months despite not being charged with any crimes in Greece. "This person is a detainee without charges, without a sentence and without rights," Konstantopoulou said during a news conference, adding that he was now in an "exceptionally critical state of health." Vinnik's Russian lawyer, Timofey Musatov, said his client was determined to receive justice. "From the beginning, he said: 'justice or death'," Musatov said through an interpreter. Vinnik was arrested in northern Greece while on holiday with his wife and two young children in July 2017 on a request from the United States, where he is accused of laundering billions of dollars using bitcoin, the virtual currency. France and Russia later also sought his extradition, and Greek courts approved all three requests. A photograph of the Russian cybercrime suspect Russian man Alexander Vinnik is on display on a screen during a press conference by his lawyers in Athens, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Zoe Konstantopoulou, the lawyer for Vinnik, suspected of bitcoin fraud and wanted by three countries says his health is deteriorating due to a hunger strike and criticized the Greek courts for holding him in custody for more than the maximum 18 months allowed. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Due to the competing requests and approvals, the final decision on where he will be sent rests with Greece's justice minister, who has yet to make a ruling. "Alexander Vinnik has been in this procedure of torturous waiting for the past 19 months ... without the justice minister answering him on whether he will hear him and what his decision will be," Konstantopoulou said. Vinnik has agreed to be sent to Russia, where he is charged with lesser offences of alleged fraud worth 750 million rubles ($11 million) but is fighting the other two requests. In France, the former bitcoin platform operator is accused of laundering millions of euros raised by cyber-criminals using the virtual currency. He denies any wrongdoing. FILE - In this Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017 file photo, Russian cybercrime suspect Alexander Vinnik arrives at Greece's supreme court in Athens. The lawyer for the Russian suspected of bitcoin fraud and wanted by three countries say on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, the man's health is deteriorating due to a hunger strike and criticized the Greek courts for holding him in custody for more than the maximum 18 months allowed. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, File) MANILA, Philippines (AP) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday he would discuss U.S. concerns about Chinese actions that threaten freedom of navigation in the disputed South China Sea with Philippine officials during an overnight visit to Manila. Pompeo arrived late Thursday and immediately met with President Rodrigo Duterte at an air base. He discussed with Duterte about unsuccessful talks between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, which he also attended. "We're worried that the Chinese are using their power in ways that will deny freedom of navigation in the region and that's important to every country in Asia, and Philippines included," Pompeo told reporters as he flew to Manila from Hanoi. When asked if the U.S. was concerned about China's actions, Pompeo replied "absolutely," adding that Washington has a national security strategy to address the problem. The long-seething territorial disputes are a key irritant between Washington and Beijing, which has turned several disputed barren reefs into islands with runways and other military facilities. In addition to China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also contest ownership of the strategic waters, where U.S. Navy ships have sailed close to Chinese-occupied islands to assert freedom of navigation. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, left, greets U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo upon arrival at Villamor Air Base in suburban Pasay city southeast of Manila, Philippines, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Pompeo, who joined U.S. President Donald Trump in the second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vietnam, is here for talks on the two countries' relations as well as the mutual defense treaty. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, POOL) Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Romualdez said by telephone that a proposed move to re-examine the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty between Washington and Manila was also expected to be discussed during Pompeo's meetings with Philippine officials. Romualdez said the Philippines has sought a review of the 1951 treaty, which calls on the allies to come to each other's defense against an external attack, to update it. An initial meeting between Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and a Pentagon official will be held next month in Manila before formal talks begin, he said. In the past, Filipino officials have tried to clarify whether the Philippines could invoke the treaty to seek U.S. help in case of an attack in the South China Sea. Duterte, who took office in 2016, has been a challenge to the U.S. because of his frequent attacks on U.S. security policies and his crackdown on illegal drugs that has claimed the lives of thousands of mostly poor drug suspects. He lashed out at former President Barack Obama over criticisms of the crackdown but has had better relations with Trump, who has invited him to visit the White House. Duterte has revived once-frigid ties with China and sought Chinese infrastructure funding and trade and investment. He has reached out to Russia and once threatened to end the presence of U.S. counterterrorism forces in the country, although that has not happened. "This is a long-standing, deep relationship between our countries and I hope to go build on that with my counterpart Teodoro Locsin and President Duterte," Pompeo told reporters. Duterte and Pompeo "reaffirmed the longstanding U.S.-Philippines alliance, discussing ways to improve cooperation on regional security and counterterrorism," Pompeo's deputy spokesman, Robert Palladino, said. ___ Associated Press journalists Matthew Lee in Washington and Bullit Marquez in Manila contributed to this report. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, left, greets U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo upon arrival at Villamor Air Base in suburban Pasay city southeast of Manila, Philippines, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Pompeo, who joined U.S. President Donald Trump in the second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vietnam, is here for talks on the two countries' relations as well as the mutual defense treaty. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, POOL) HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - As Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump took their seats across from each other at the negotiating table, the North Korean leader confidently told reporters he had a gut feeling the two would conclude their second summit with some sort of an agreement. His gut proved wrong. A few hours later, he was speeding back to his Hanoi hotel, with no deal at all . Gauging Kim's calculus in a negotiation is never easy, but the ending to his two days in Hanoi with Trump seemed like a major disaster. Kim came to Hanoi seeking sanctions relief, which Trump said he simply could not give. Before Thursday's sudden rupture, Kim even seemed to be on the verge of something that had eluded his father and grandfather - a declaration by the U.S. president of the end of the Korean War. That, too, was not to be. But Kim won't be going home empty-handed. Kim may have overplayed his hand on sanctions, but he demonstrated he is capable of playing hardball - a capability Trump won't likely forget. He walks away with arguably more legitimacy than he had before, having convinced the most powerful man in the world to come to Asia a second time in less than nine months. Even in announcing that the talks had failed, Trump continued to praise Kim, stressing that the summit had been generally friendly and constructive. More importantly, Trump left the door open for negotiations to continue. Kim can work with that. President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) He has already made big strides toward undercutting support for sanctions in China and South Korea and can be expected to try to keep pushing them farther away from Washington's increasingly fragile policy of maximum pressure. Trump said Kim vowed to maintain his moratorium on missile launches and nuclear tests, so the lack of an agreement in Hanoi doesn't necessarily mean all sides must immediately revert to crisis mode. Throughout the negotiation process so far, North Korea's state media have been extremely careful not to criticize Trump directly, focusing their ire instead on lower-level officials like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton. It remains to be seen how the North's propaganda machine will spin the Hanoi outcome, but it would seem unlikely that their deference to Trump will change dramatically. Wittingly or not, Trump has repeatedly helped Kim establish himself as a leader on the world stage. In his news conference, Trump seemed to almost argue one of Kim's talking points, suggesting that military exercises are expensive and not entirely necessary. The U.S. maintains nearly 30,000 troops in South Korea and their joint exercises with the South's military have long been a major source of concern in North Korea, which sees the maneuvers as a dress rehearsal for war. Trump hasn't called for their removal or for an end to the exercises, but he seems to be receptive to Kim's complaints. Even as his talks with Washington have bogged down, Kim has largely erased the one-dimensional image of North Korean leaders since he emerged one year ago to hold a surprisingly successful and effective series of summits with the leaders of China and South Korea and with Trump. In Hanoi, he was congenial and diplomatic in his interactions with the U.S. president. But he stood firm in his refusal to give up the country's crown jewels - its hard-won and expensive nuclear program - for an offer that the North would consider second-rate. Not agreeing to a deal means North Korea can potentially carry out further work on its nuclear and conventional weapons programs, upping the stakes in future talks. And the lack of a fiery ending or angry words - at least in public - further boosts Kim's stature. In Hanoi, as in Singapore, he showed a more human face than is presented in state-controlled media back home. He was at turns stern and smiling, confident but respectful in his dealings with his older counterpart. He was even caught having an all-too-human smoke break while on his way by train to Vietnam, standing on a train platform and lighting his own cigarette with an old-school match before his doting sister delivered an ashtray to him. While he relied on translators, he was heard speaking English when greeting Trump. He also took a real risk by engaging Western reporters' questions for the first time. Unlike Trump, who immediately boarded Air Force One for Washington, Kim isn't rushing out of Hanoi after the summit. He is expected to stay until Saturday and will spend his remaining time sightseeing and meeting Vietnamese officials on what is being billed as a "friendly visit." That gives him a chance to present to both the world and his domestic audience the image that his meeting with Trump was just one part of a larger, multipronged trip. Kim also will be going back to a public that, according to the state media at least, has been losing sleep as it reverently longs for his return. Whether that's true or not, he is surely likely to avoid the same sort of political fires that await Trump. ___ Schreck is the AP's Asia-Pacific news director. Follow him on Twitter: @adamschreck. Talmadge has been the AP's Pyongyang bureau chief since 2013. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter: @EricTalmadge North Korean leader Kim Jong Un answers a question from reporters during a meeting with President Donald Trump, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. At right is Kim Yong Chol, a North Korean senior ruling party official and former intelligence chief. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump listens as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un answers a question from reporters during a meeting, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un take a walk after their first meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) LONDON (AP) - The Latest on Brexit negotiations (all times local): 3:40 p.m. A junior minister has resigned from the British government over Brexit, saying he does not agree with the decision to offer Parliament the chance to delay Britain's departure from the European Union and rule out a "no-deal" exit. Ex-Agriculture Minister George Eustice says "we cannot negotiate a successful Brexit unless we are prepared to walk through the (exit) door." Prime Minister Theresa May said this week that if lawmakers reject her EU divorce deal they will be able to seek a delay to Britain's departure. The move was a concession to growing pressure from lawmakers to remove the risk Britain may leave without a deal - an outcome that could spark severe economic disruption. But Eustice, a firm backer of Brexit, said in his resignation letter Thursday that the decision would "lead to a sequence of events culminating in the EU dictating the terms of any extension requested and the final humiliation of our country." Remain in the European Union demonstrators hold up electrically lit letter asking for a 'People's Vote' opposite the Palace of Westminster in London, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will give British lawmakers a choice of approving her Brexit divorce agreement, leaving the EU March 29 without a deal, or asking to delay Brexit by up to three months. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) ___ 2:30 p.m. Official figures show that net migration into Britain from the other 27 European Union countries has fallen to near-decade lows, suggesting that Brexit uncertainty is making the country a less attractive place to work. The Office for National Statistics said Thursday that though the number of EU citizens coming into Britain continues to add to the population, the difference between those coming into the country and those leaving fell in the year to September 2018 to 57,000, its lowest level since 2009. However, net migration to Britain from non-EU countries is at its highest since 2004. Net migration from the EU has fallen consistently since Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016. Part of the reason is that economic rebound in many parts of the EU has lessened the need for many to search for opportunities abroad. ___ 2:15 p.m. The European Union's chief Brexit negotiator says that what is most needed in divorce negotiations with Britain is decisions, rather than extra time. British Prime Minister Theresa May has offered Parliament the chance to delay Britain's scheduled March 29 departure if it again rejects her agreement. EU negotiator Michel Barnier said in Vienna Thursday that any delay "must serve not to put off the problem but to resolve the problem" in the British Parliament. He added: "Today, above all we need decisions, much more than extra time." British lawmakers' objections to the withdrawal deal have centered on the so-called "backstop" meant to ensure that the border between the U.K.'s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland stays open while a future trade relationship is negotiated. While the EU and Britain are working on "clarifications," Barnier stressed anew that "we are not going to change the backstop and ... we are not going to reopen the withdrawal agreement." ___ 1:40 p.m. Austria's leader says he would like to see Brexit resolved before the European Parliament elections in late May because it would be "absurd" for a country that wants to leave the European Union to vote for its legislature. British Prime Minister Theresa May has offered Parliament the chance to delay Britain's scheduled March 29 departure if lawmakers fail to approve her divorce agreement with the bloc. EU officials say that, if the U.K. is still a member by the time of the EU elections May 23-26, it would have to take part. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Thursday that if Britain seeks an extension to prevent a disorderly exit, Vienna would back it. But he said that "ideally" an orderly Brexit should happen by the time of the elections, "because the participation of a country that wants to leave the European Union in European Parliament elections would, I think, seem more than absurd." ___ 10:10 a.m. Irish drivers have been warned they will need a special insurance document to cross the currently invisible border to Northern Ireland after next month if the U.K. leaves the European Union without a deal. The Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland says it has issued insurance firms with 1 million application forms for the internationally recognized "Green Card" document. Britain is due to leave the 28-nation Bloc on March 29 and so far Britain's Parliament has rejected the government's divorce deal, raising the chance of a chaotic "no deal" Brexit. Governments in EU countries, as well as in Britain, have warned of potential disruption to trade and travel. If there is a deal, there will be no change for citizens and businesses until at least the end of 2020. The flag of the European Union and the British national flags are flown on poles during a demonstration by remain in the EU outside spporters the Palace of Westminster in London, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will give British lawmakers a choice of approving her divorce agreement, leaving the EU March 29 without a deal or asking to delay Brexit by up to three months. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) A projection calling for a second referendum or a so-called "Peoples's vote", is cast onto the Houses of Parliament in London, Wednesday Feb. 27, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will give British lawmakers a choice of approving her divorce agreement, leaving the EU March 29 without a deal or asking to delay Brexit by up to three months. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Remain in the European Union demonstrators use a megaphone outside the Palace of Westminster in London, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will give British lawmakers a choice of approving her divorce agreement, leaving the EU March 29 without a deal or asking to delay Brexit by up to three months. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) LOS ANGELES (AP) - Authorities believe the parents of a missing baby in Southern California found the child had died, tossed his body in a suitcase and threw it in the trash. Los Angeles County prosecutors on Wednesday charged 34-year-old Adam Manson and 32-year-old Kiana Williams with one count of child abuse resulting in death. Authorities allege the parents were doing drugs in a motel room on Dec. 31 and later found their 5-month-old son, Jacsun, dead. Officials believe they put the body in a suitcase and tossed it into a trash dumpster. Culver City police investigators are planning to search a landfill in hopes of finding the boy's remains. It's not known if the parents have retained lawyers. FILE - This undated file booking photo provided by the Culver City, Calif., Police Department shows Kianna Williams. Los Angeles County prosecutors have filed charges against Williams and Adam Manson, the parents of a missing baby who is presumed dead. They were each charged Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, with one count of child abuse resulting in death. (Culver City Police Department via AP, File) FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - At least six Kentucky school districts were forced to close Thursday - including the two largest systems in the state - as hundreds of teachers called in sick to protest what one leader called "half-truths" and "shadiness" at the state legislature. The "sick out" was organized by the group KY 120 United, a reference to the state's 120 counties, which encouraged teachers in a Facebook post Wednesday night to call in sick. Within hours, the state's two largest school districts in Jefferson and Fayette counties announced they would close because they didn't have enough teachers to cover classes. Districts in Marion, Carter, Letcher and Boyd counties were also closed Thursday. In Fayette County, officials said, at least 40 percent of teachers called in sick. "This is (about) a series of kicks in the teeth. And the dog is now ready to fight back," said Nema Brewer, a leader of the KY 120 United group who is not a teacher but works for Fayette County Public Schools. "This is about the last year and what we've seen coming from Frankfort. The half truths, the shadiness." Thursday's protest is the latest iteration of teachers leaving the classroom to protest at state capitols, a movement that began last year in West Virginia before spreading to Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Arizona. The protest came the day lawmakers in the Republican-controlled state House of Representatives voted to advance House bill 525, a proposal to change how people are nominated to the Kentucky Teachers Retirement System's board of trustees. A teacher reacts emotionally during a hearing for a bill that will change how individuals are nominated to the Kentucky teachers retirement systems board of trustees, in Frankfort, Ky, Thursday, Feb 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston) Right now, the Kentucky Education Association controls nominations for seven of the pension board's 11 members. House Bill 525 would change that, letting groups like the Kentucky Retired Teachers Association, the Kentucky School Boards Association, and the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents nominate members. The Kentucky Education Association has about 43,000 members, including both active and retired teachers. The Kentucky Teachers Retirement System covers about 126,500 people. "One organization in particular controls the process of nominating seven of those positions, effectively locking out other educators from the very decisions that impact their financial future," said Republican Rep. Ken Upchurch, the bill's sponsor. KEA President Stephanie Winkler, a fourth-grade teacher in Madison County Public Schools, said the nominating committee includes non-KEA members. Plus, she said the committee has nominated superintendents and principals. "We have weathered these volatile markets well because we trusted in our colleagues to be good decision makers. We also want to trust our elected officials," Winkler said. Kentucky's pension systems are among the nation's worst funded. State officials are at least $39 billion short of the money required to pay benefits over the next 30 years. The teachers' retirement system alone is at least $14.3 billion short of what it will need to pay benefits. Lawmakers have made changes to the system that oversees state and local government employees. But they've been unable to make changes to the Kentucky Teachers Retirement System. Teachers are well-organized and oppose anything seen as a threat to their profession. Thousands marched at the state Capitol last year to protest a Republican-backed bill that would have put all new teacher hires into a hybrid pension system. Lawmakers passed the bill anyway, but the state Supreme Court struck it down in December on a procedural issue. Teachers packed the committee room for a hearing on the bill, jamming the aisles as they sang and chanted beforehand. At one point, Karen Schwartz looked at her watch and said she should be teaching a math class. Instead, she held a sign she made urging lawmakers to vote against the bill. Missy Davis, a fifth grade teacher at Farmer Elementary School in Jefferson County, said she knows canceling school is a major disruption for working parents who must scramble to find child care. But she's worried for the future. "The teachers want to be in school," she said. "We are here because we are passionate about what we do and we want to protect the future of education." Much of the teachers' ire was aimed a Republican Gov. Matt Bevin, who has criticized teachers in the past for opposing his pension system reform efforts. When asked to comment on the latest teachers' protest, Bevin replied: "I really am not sure what the point is." Bevin, who is running for re-election, noted unprecedented amounts of money have been pumped into the struggling Kentucky Teachers Retirement System since he's been in office and Republicans have controlled both chambers of the legislature. "So everything that seems to be what people would want is what we've been doing," Bevin said. "So it's clearly about things that are other than that, and I have no idea what that would be." Brewer said teachers would return to the classroom Friday. ___ Associated Press writer Bruce Schreiner contributed to this report. In a room packed with teachers, Kentucky State Representative Ken Upchurch speaks on a bill that will change how individuals are nominated to the Kentucky teachers retirement systems board of trustees, in Frankfort, Ky, Thursday, Feb 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston) Teachers react as lawmakers discuss a bill to change how people are nominated to the Kentucky Teachers Retirement System's board, in Frankfort, Ky, Thursday, Feb 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston) Kristin Walker, a Jefferson County teacher shouts in a hearing room to protest a bill that would change how individuals are nominated to the Kentucky teachers retirement systems board of trustees, in Frankfort,, Ky, Thursday, Feb 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston) Kentucky Education Association President Stephanie Winkler speaks during a hearing on a bill that will change how individuals are nominated to the Kentucky teachers retirement systems board of trustees, in Frankfort, Ky, Thursday, Feb 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston) Kristin Walker, a Jefferson County teacher sits in a hearing room waiting to protest the passage of a bill that would change how individuals are nominated to the Kentucky teachers retirement systems board of trustees, in Frankfort,, Ky, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston) Kentucky State Representative and Candidate for Governor Rocky Adkins speaks about a bill that will change how individuals are nominated to the Kentucky teachers retirement systems board of trustees, in Frankfort, Ky, Thursday, Feb 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston) Kentucky State Representative and candidate for Governor Rocky Adkins speaks about a bill that will change how individuals are nominated to the Kentucky teachers retirement systems board of trustees, in Frankfort, Ky, Thursday, Feb 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston) TORONTO (AP) - Cabinet ministers rallied around Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday, a day after his former attorney general testified that he inappropriately tried to pressure her to avoid prosecution of a major Canadian engineering company in order to save jobs - a case that has shaken the government in an election year. Popular Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that "the prime minister would never apply improper pressure" and expressed "100 percent faith" in him. Finance Minister Bill Morneau denied meddling, saying it was "entirely appropriate" for his staff to talk with the justice minister's staff about the economic effects of their decisions. Ex-Attorney General and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould testified Wednesday that Trudeau, his staff and other officials imposed inappropriate pressure on her to avoid criminal prosecution of Montreal-based SNC-Lavalin in a case involving allegations of corruption in Libya. She said they pushed for an agreement that would let the company pay reparations but avoid a conviction. If convicted criminally, the company would be banned from receiving any federal government business for a decade. SNC-Lavalin is a major employer in Quebec, with about 3,400 employees in the province, 9,000 employees in Canada and more than 50,000 worldwide. Trudeau has acknowledged raising the issue with Wilson-Raybould, but said that was appropriate. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at a media availability in Montreal on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP) "Canadians expect their government to look for ways to protect jobs," Trudeau said Thursday. "That's exactly what we have done every step of the way. "We have also done it in a way that has respected our laws and respected the independence of the judiciary," he added. "There are no doubt disagreements in perspective on this but I can reassure Canadians that we were doing our job and we were doing in a way that respects and defends our institutions." Morneau said he never raised issue with Wilson-Raybould, but said she had "approached me in the House of Commons to inform me that my staff was speaking to her staff, which I think is entirely appropriate." Wilson-Raybould herself said she didn't think the pressure had been illegal; she had not directly instructed to avoid prosecuting. But she said Trudeau warned that a prosecution would drive the company and its jobs out of Canada, and she said she was "barraged" and subjected to "hounding" by Trudeau and senior members of his government, including Morneau and his chief of staff. The opposition Conservative leader Andrew Scheer is calling on Trudeau to resign, and Wilson-Raybould's testimony to Parliament has increased the uproar against Trudeau, who is facing an election this fall. Trudeau has already lost his closet adviser, Gerald Butts, who resigned last week. Butts denied he or anyone in Trudeau's office pressured Wilson-Raybould and he is now asking Parliament's justice committee to testify. "I believe my evidence will be of assistance," Butts said in a statement. Wilson-Raybould, who had already been demoted to veterans' affairs minister in January, resigned from the Cabinet on Feb. 12. She remains a member of Trudeau's Liberal party in Parliament. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at a media availability in Montreal on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduces newly elected MP Rachel Bendayan in Montreal, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to supporters in Montreal, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to supporters in Montreal, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP) GUERNEVILLE, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on flooding in California after days of heavy rain (all times local): 3:40 p.m. Officials say they expect two Northern California towns cut off after a river broke its banks during heavy rain to be accessible again by Friday. Tennis Wick, Sonoma County's permits director, said Thursday 30 teams of damage inspectors plan to enter flooded communities along the Russian River once the water level drops below the flood stage of 32 feet (10 meters). Wick says they expect that to happen by Friday afternoon. The Russian River in wine country north of San Francisco reached about 46 feet (14 meters) Wednesday night, its highest level in 25 years. Floodwaters cut off the towns of Guerneville and Monte Rio and inundated several other communities. Sheriff Mark Essick says there are no reports of deaths or injuries. He adds that deputies have helped rescued three women since Wednesday night. Flood waters from the Russian River partially submerge properties in Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The river in the wine country north of San Francisco reached its highest level in 25 years Wednesday night and Sonoma County officials say it won't return to its banks until late Thursday. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) He says two were on a boat without paddles and one had to be rescued from a tree after driving her car into floodwaters. ___ 12:15 p.m. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared an emergency for five northern counties after a heavy storm led to the worst flooding in 20 years in one county and the death of a man in another. Newsom said Thursday the emergency proclamation is for the counties of Amador, Glenn, Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma, where hundreds were marooned. The governor says the emergency declaration directs state officials to immediately request federal assistance to help communities recover from flooding, mudslides and damage to critical infrastructure. The Russian River in Sonoma County crested at more than 46 feet (14 meters) Wednesday night, flooding about 2,000 buildings. More than 200 miles (322 kilometers) to the north, a man drowned in floodwaters while trying to reach his home, where three children were trapped. ___ 10:20 a.m. Authorities in Northern California say a man drowned in floodwaters trying to get to his home, where three children were trapped. The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office says in a statement Thursday that deputies were sent Wednesday night to the house in Ferndale, about 200 miles (322 kilometers) north of two California towns cut off by water from a river that broke its banks. The statement says the man was trying to walk to his home from a barn through up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water when he was carried away by the fast-moving current. Authorities found his body Thursday. His name has not been made public. The office says three people tried to reach the man by driving a tractor through the floodwaters but the tractor stalled and they couldn't get to him in time. It says deputies in a boat rescued the three people from the tractor and the children from the home. ___ 6:50 a.m. Floodwaters that turned two Northern California communities into islands have started receding after inundating about 2,000 buildings. The Russian River in wine country north of San Francisco reached about 46 feet (14 meters) Wednesday night, its highest level in 25 years. The water is not expected to return to the river's banks until late Thursday. The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Thursday that officials received no calls for help overnight from hundreds of people who stayed in their homes instead of heeding evacuation orders. The town of Guerneville and neighboring community Monte Rio are cut off by flooded roads. Some places were standing in 8 feet (2.44 meters) of water. About 3,500 people living near the river were told to evacuate. Residents who stayed said flooding is not uncommon in the area and they were prepared to weather the storm. ___ 12 a.m. A flooded river that swamped some 2,000 homes and other buildings in Northern California is expected to begin receding now that days of rain have eased. The Russian River in the wine country north of San Francisco reached its highest level in 25 years Wednesday night and Sonoma County officials say it won't return to its banks until late Thursday. Meanwhile, the town of Guerneville and neighboring Monte Rio are described as islands - cut off by flooded roads. Some places were standing in 8 feet (2.44 meters) of water. About 3,500 people along the river remain under evacuation orders. Elsewhere, the storms that scoured the western U.S. dumped heavy rain and snow. In Montana, the governor signed an emergency order to help keep up the supply of heating fuel. Flood waters from the Russian River partially submerge properties in Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The river in the wine country north of San Francisco reached its highest level in 25 years Wednesday night and Sonoma County officials say it won't return to its banks until late Thursday. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) Flood waters from the Russian River partially submerge properties in Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The river in the wine country north of San Francisco reached its highest level in 25 years Wednesday night and Sonoma County officials say it won't return to its banks until late Thursday. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) Flood waters from the Russian River partially submerge properties in Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The river in the wine country north of San Francisco reached its highest level in 25 years Wednesday night and Sonoma County officials say it won't return to its banks until late Thursday. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) Flood waters from the Russian River partially submerge properties in Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The river in the wine country north of San Francisco reached its highest level in 25 years Wednesday night and Sonoma County officials say it won't return to its banks until late Thursday. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) Flood waters from the Russian River partially submerge properties in Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The river in the wine country north of San Francisco reached its highest level in 25 years Wednesday night and Sonoma County officials say it won't return to its banks until late Thursday. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) Flood waters from the Russian River partially submerge properties in Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The river in the wine country north of San Francisco reached its highest level in 25 years Wednesday night and Sonoma County officials say it won't return to its banks until late Thursday. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) Flood waters from the Russian River partially submerge a vinyard near Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The Russian River in the wine country north of San Francisco reached its highest level in 25 years Wednesday night and Sonoma County officials say it won't return to its banks until late Thursday. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) Flood waters from the Russian River partially submerge properties in Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The river in the wine country north of San Francisco reached its highest level in 25 years Wednesday night and Sonoma County officials say it won't return to its banks until late Thursday. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) Flood waters from the Russian River partially submerge properties in Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The Russian River in the wine country north of San Francisco reached its highest level in 25 years Wednesday night and Sonoma County officials say it won't return to its banks until late Thursday. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) A truck sits submerged in floodwaters in Forestville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson) The Trump administration renewed its push for school choice on Thursday with a proposal to provide $5 billion a year in federal tax credits for donations made to groups offering scholarships for private schools, apprenticeships and other educational programs. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos unveiled the plan as a "bold proposal" to give students more choices without diverting money from public schools. "What's missing in education today is at the core of what makes America truly great: freedom," DeVos said. "Kids should be free to learn where and how it works for them." Legislation for the tax credits is being introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Ala. DeVos said she expects to face opposition, and Democrats quickly let her know she'll get it. Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate education committee, said the proposal is "dead on arrival." "Secretary DeVos keeps pushing her anti-public school agenda despite a clear lack of support from parents, students, teachers, and even within her own party," Murray said in a statement. "Congress has repeatedly rejected her privatization efforts, and she should expect nothing less here." Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, talks with Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards before President Donald Trump arrives to speak at the 2019 White House Business Session with Our Nation's Governors in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) The proposal will also face a difficult time in the House, where Democrats gained a majority in the November midterm elections. Rep. Bobby Scott, chairman of the House education committee, said Democrats "will not waste time on proposals that undermine public education." "We're focused on reversing our chronic underfunding of public schools so that all students - regardless of their background - can learn in schools that are healthy, safe and provide a quality education," Scott said. Education officials crafted the plan in an attempt to make school choice more politically appealing, after previous initiatives failed to take hold. Congress rejected DeVos' efforts to boost funding for charter schools and to create federal vouchers to attend private schools. Opponents of charter schools and vouchers argue that they steer money away from public schools. But DeVos contends the proposal would spark new funding that could be used for a range of education options including public or private schools. "The only folks who are threatened are those who have a vested interested in suppressing education freedom," DeVos said. "The program won't take a single cent from local public school teachers or public school students." But The National Association of Secondary School Principals called the plan "insulting" and said it "reflects this administration's persistent disdain for public education." The group contends that it would make it harder for public schools to attract and retain good teachers. The plan, called the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act, would allow states to set their own rules around the credits, including which students are eligible for scholarships and where they could be used. Possible programs include apprenticeships, private schools, home schooling, special education, tutoring or public virtual schools. The proposal would offer a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for individuals and businesses that donate to scholarship groups approved by the state, meaning that every dollar given takes a dollar off the donor's tax bill. Credits would be capped at 10 percent of an individual's gross income and 5 percent of a business' taxable income. Education officials said it's unlikely the $5 billion annual cap would be hit. States could decide not to participate, but DeVos said she believes that would lead to a backlash from students and their families. "Demand will rise, and pressure will mount on those that have not yet embraced the opportunity," she said. Eighteen states already offer their own scholarship tax credits, including Alabama, Arizona, New Hampshire and Virginia. Most programs are aimed at helping students from low-income families or those with disabilities. A federal version was discussed as part of last year's tax overhaul but wasn't included in the law. Lawmakers described the new plan as a response to President Donald Trump's call for school choice in his State of the Union address. Trump's speech largely avoided education but included a single line saying that "the time has come to pass school choice for America's children." Speaking alongside DeVos, Cruz said Thursday that he believes in public schools, but he argued that providing options will spur improvement at all schools. "Competition improves," he said. "And in this case, injecting new money to give that freedom, to give that competition, to give that power of choice, will enhance the quality of education to kids all across the country." The proposal drew applause from some groups that support school choice, including the Center for Education Reform. Jeanne Allen, the group's CEO, called it "a welcome sign in the battle for more opportunities for students." Some conservative groups found fault with DeVos' proposal. The Heritage Foundation applauded it for pursuing school choice but said federal tax credits would open the door for undue federal regulation. "It would grow, rather than reduce, federal intervention in education," the group said. "It would be better for the Education Department to keep highlighting the great advances that states have made in school choice." ___ Follow Collin Binkley on Twitter at https://twitter.com/cbinkley WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate opponents of President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the Mexican border moved within a hair Thursday of having enough votes to prevail, and one Republican suggested he risks a rebuff by the GOP-led chamber if he doesn't change course. Trump's move would "turn a border crisis into a constitutional crisis," veteran Sen. Lamar Alexander said on the Senate floor. But he stopped just short of saying he'd support a resolution blocking the president's move. Had Alexander pledged his vote, it would probably be enough for the Senate to pass a measure repealing the emergency declaration. Speaking later to reporters, Alexander, R-Tenn., warned what might happen if Trump doesn't settle for using other money he can access without declaring an emergency. "He can build a wall and avoid a dangerous precedent and I hope he'll do that," Alexander said. "So that would change the voting situation if he would agree to do that." The Democratic-led House voted Tuesday to upend Trump's declaration, which he declared to circumvent Congress and funnel billions of extra dollars to erecting his proposed wall. Trump has promised to veto the effort to thwart him, and Congress seems all but certain to lack the two-thirds majorities in each chamber that would be needed to override his veto. But the showdown puts GOP lawmakers in a ticklish spot that party leaders are hoping to ease. President Donald Trump speaks to service members at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Anchorage, Alaska., during a refueling stop as he returns from Hanoi. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republicans say a Senate vote is likely in two weeks, but exactly what the Senate will vote on remains unclear. Several Republicans said that behind closed doors, they were considering several options for alternative language. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, was among those suggesting provisions making it harder for future presidents to divert federal dollars to projects of their choosing by declaring emergencies. "I wouldn't be surprised if some changes are made," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. While the wall elicits wide public opposition, Trump remains wildly popular with hard-right voters and GOP lawmakers cross him at their peril. Trump warned Republicans anew against challenging him. "I really think that Republicans that vote against border security and the wall, I think you know, I've been OK at predicting things, I think they put themselves at great jeopardy," Trump said in excerpts of an interview with Fox News Channel's "Hannity" show released Thursday. While congressional Republicans are reluctant to confront Trump, many say his move tramples Congress' constitutional power to control spending. They say it would set a precedent for future Democratic presidents to declare emergencies for their own purposes, and they worry he would siphon money to barrier construction from home-state projects. Alexander, a three-term senator who plans to retire in 2021, has no re-election worries. "I support what the president wants to do on border security, but not the way he has been advised to do it," said Alexander, 78. "It is unnecessary and unwise to turn a border crisis into a constitutional crisis about separation of powers." Presidents have declared 58 national emergencies under a 1976 law. But never has one declared an emergency after Congress had explicitly denied the money in question, Alexander said. GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have said they will vote to derail the emergency declaration. Just four Republicans would be needed to send the measure to Trump for his promised veto, assuming that all 47 Democrats and their independent allies vote as expected to confront the president. By law, the resolution cannot be filibustered and would only need a majority to pass the Senate, usually 51 votes. Congress has voted to limit spending for barriers to just under $1.4 billion. Trump featured the wall as a central plank of his presidential campaign and repeatedly said Mexico would pay for it, which hasn't happened. Trump has said he needs additional barriers to halt drugs, human traffickers and unauthorized immigrants from slipping into the U.S. Opponents say there is no crisis. The emergency declaration would let Trump divert $3.6 billion from military construction to erect more border barriers. He's invoking other authorities to transfer an additional $3.1 billion to construction. Lawsuits have been filed aimed at derailing the declaration, which could at least prevent Trump from getting the extra money for months or more. Meanwhile, Collins and three other moderate senators introduced their own resolution blocking the emergency. The proposal is identical to the one-sentence, House-approved measure. The new legislation lets senators put their stamp on congressional opposition to Trump's move. The other sponsors are Sens. Tom Udall, D-N.M., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. Only Murkowski doesn't face re-election next year. ___ AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro in Washington and AP writer David Sharp in Portland, Maine, contributed. A deadly train crash at Cairos main station which left 25 people dead was triggered by a brawl between two conductors. Prosecutor General Nabil Sadek said the conductor of the train that rammed into a station barrier Wednesday and caused a huge explosion and fire had left the vehicle without putting on its brakes. He said the driver left to fight with another conductor who had blocked his way with the train he was driving. The driver left the railcar without taking any measures to brake it, Sadek said in a statement. Health officials said at least 25 people were killed and dozens more injured in the crash and ensuing fire. Mohammed Said, the head of the Cairo Railway hospital, said there were concerns the death toll could rise further. A firefighter stands amid rubble and blood-stained clothes (Nariman El-Mofty/AP) Photographs from the station showed charred bodies lying on the platforms at the Ramsis station in central Cairo as firefighters struggled to get the flames under control. Heavy black smoke rose into the sky as ambulances rushed to the scene. The Ramsis district is among the busiest and most crowded areas of the Egyptian capital. The state railway agency briefly halted all train traffic and ordered the evacuation of the station. Videos from surveillance cameras inside the station showed flames ravaging the station. People gather outside Ramsis railway station (Nariman El-Mofty/AP) A video that surfaced on social media showed men and women carrying bags and personal belonging and walking on the rail platforms as the train crashed and exploded. Another video showed men and women running, searching for exits after the explosion. A man runs back and forth, his shirt on fire, until another man rushes to pour water on him. Egypts prime minister Mustafa Madbouli said authorities must determine who caused the accident and hold that person accountable. He promised harsh punishment for the culprits. Egypts transport minister Hisham Arafat later resigned. Egypts railway system has a poor safety record, mostly blamed on decades of badly maintained equipment and poor management. Policemen stand guard in front of a damaged train (Nariman El-Mofty/AP) Official figures show that 1,793 train accidents took place in 2017 across the country. In March last year, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said the government lacks about 250 billion Egyptian pounds, or 10.7 billion, to overhaul the run-down railway system. Mr el-Sissi spoke a day after a passenger train collided with a cargo train, killing at least 12 people, including a child. And in August 2017, two passenger trains collided just outside the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, killing 43 people. In 2016, at least 51 people were killed when two commuter trains collided near Cairo. A group of Iranian men have been rescued as attempts by migrants to cross the English Channel in small boats continue for the fourth consecutive day. Lifeboat crews and a cutter were called out to a dinghy spotted off the Kent coast on Wednesday. At about 10.30am Border Force was alerted by French authorities to a small boat heading towards the UK, the Home Office said. Nine men, who all said they were Iranian, were found on board. All were checked by paramedics when they arrived at Dover, a spokeswoman added. Eight have been handed over to immigration officials and one was arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal entry to the UK. A Border Force cutter (Gareth Fuller/PA) It comes after MPs on the Commons Home Affairs Committee were told migrants were paying thousands of pounds to make the perilous crossing in the belief they will never have to leave once they reach the UK. Home Secretary Sajid Javid told the committee 138 migrants succeeded in arriving in the UK in December last year by boat. This dropped to 47 in January but rose again in February with 79 arrivals so far, he said. A baby and two children were among a group of 13 migrants found at sea in the early hours of Tuesday morning. On Monday, a group of 15 Iranian men were found on board two small boats. Four were arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal entry to the UK and have been released under investigation, the Home Office said. On Sunday, a family of seven were found near Kingsdown after an empty dinghy was spotted in the Channel. The mother, father and five children were handed over to immigration officials. A week ago a group of 34 men, women and children were detained after cutters and a coastal patrol boat intercepted a dinghy. Political parties and human rights organisations have called for a public inquiry into the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane. The Supreme Court in London ruled on Wednesday that there had been no effective investigation into Mr Finucanes murder, and previous inquiries had not complied with the Finucane familys human rights. On Twitter, Mr Finucanes son John wrote: We have won! The British Govt. now knows that it cannot conceal the truth any longer. Today they have been told this by the highest court in the land. It is time for the murder of Pat Finucane to be properly and publicly investigated in a public inquiry. Nothing less will suffice. We have won! The British Govt. now knows that it cannot conceal the truth any longer. Today they have been told this by the highest court in the land. It is time for the murder of Pat Finucane to be properly & publicly investigated in a public inquiry. Nothing less will suffice John Finucane MP (@johnfinucane) February 27, 2019 Human rights organisation Amnesty International welcomed the ruling that an effective investigation into the 1989 murder has not yet been conducted by UK authorities. The group said the Supreme Court decision should bring an end to the 30 years of shameful failure by the Government to deliver the full truth about state involvement in Mr Finucanes murder, and called for a public inquiry to be established without further delay. John Finucane (Kelvin Boyes/PA) Todays ruling by the Supreme Court is welcome news for everyone who cares about the truth, said Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty Internationals Northern Ireland programme director. Northern Ireland: Patrick Finucane Supreme Court ruling welcomed - now for public inquiry https://t.co/c0aNzsIOSq Amnesty Int'l NI (@AmnestyNI) February 27, 2019 It is shameful that Patrick Finucanes widow Geraldine has had to fight for 30 years, and all the way to the Supreme Court, to ensure the truth will be brought to light about the murder of her husband. The murder of a lawyer in the UK, with the state actively colluding in that murder, is one of the darkest chapters of our recent history. Todays decision should bring to an end 30 years of shameful failure by the UK Government to deliver the public inquiry which they promised long ago. It is vital for public confidence in the rule of law that the Government now moves swiftly to establish an independent public inquiry following the ruling of the Supreme Court. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) joined calls for a full inquiry to vindicate the familys rights to truth and justice. "The collusion of state actors in the assassination of a lawyer is a threat to justice and the democratic system and remains so as long as an investigation is pending". We are calling on the UK govt to hold a public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane:https://t.co/7eb90RXKmy ICCLtweet (@ICCLtweet) February 27, 2019 The collusion of state actors in the assassination of a lawyer is a serious threat to justice and the entire democratic system, and remains so as long as a proper investigation remains pending, ICCL director Liam Herrick said. Pat Finucanes family have the right to have a full and detailed investigation into his murder, and to know the extent of state collusion and what individual security officers were involved in that murder. Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald called the judgment a watershed moment in the campaign for truth and justice. The people who killed Pat Finucane were agents of the RUC. The withholding of information on the part of the British government and the disregard shown to victims in the Courts is a feature of many other cases also - this must stop - @MaryLouMcDonald #dail pic.twitter.com/PTJztPRYZm Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) February 27, 2019 The withholding of information on the part of the British Government and the disregard shown to victims in the courts is a feature of many other cases also this must stop, she said. The British Government should now immediately fulfil its obligation to hold a public inquiry into the killing of Pat Finucane. Ms McDonalds statement came after Irish premier Leo Varadkar told the government chamber during Leaders Questions that he and his deputy Simon Coveney would be urging Theresa May to do the honourable thing and hold an inquiry. Irish Govts position remains that an independent public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane should be established, in line with commitments made by British & Irish Govts at Weston Park, 2001. We have made this position clear to the British Govt and will continue to do so. Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) February 27, 2019 Mr Coveney, who is also Minister for Foreign Affairs, wrote on social media that the Irish government position remains that an independent public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane should be established, in line with commitments made by British and Irish governments at Weston Park, 2001. We have made this position clear to the British Govt and will continue to do so. Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry MLA has said a public inquiry is the only way forward. This is a significant judgment and the onus now falls on the UK Government to study this decision and respond to it promptly, said Dr Farry. While the Supreme Courts ruling has not been prescriptive, it would appear a public inquiry is the only way forward in this matter, due to the serious public interest issues at stake. The bosses of Marks & Spencer and Ocado have defended their joint venture in the face of investor concerns about the announcement. M&S chief executive Steve Rowe said he was not surprised by the dramatic 10% decline in his companys share price on Wednesday, but insisted that the strategy was the right move in the long term. This is not about the short term, he said. This is about the transformation of M&S, about the transformation of online shopping in the UK. Investors and analysts have expressed concern about the deal, which will see M&S spend 750 million to buy half of Ocados UK retail business. To fund the investment, the retailer is to conduct a rights issue with the goal of raising 600 million and slash its dividend by 40%. Ocado boss Tim Steiner said he knows the cause of the fire at the companys Andover facility (Katie Collins/PA) Mr Rowe said the share price reaction reflected these short-term measures. However, analysts at Jefferies said the retailer was paying a high price. Strategically this deal offers M&S some potential of achieving some medium to longer-term growth in food, and in our view is the only way it can hope to make money in the online food space, they said. However, we think it is paying a high price which reflects it being very late to the party. Mr Rowe also sought to allay fears that the destruction of Ocados Andover facility in a fire this month would hold back growth, calling it a minor setback. Ocado boss Tim Steiner revealed that he knows the exact cause of the fire, and has been able to share this information with M&S to assure them of the safety of the groups technology. There is no issue here, he said at a press conference. The move is the latest action taken by M&S to overhaul its business, as it embarks on a major programme of store closures. Over Christmas, its food sales fell 2.1% on a like-for-like basis, while clothing and home was down 2.4%. The retailer has formed various partnerships as part of its turnaround plan, including agreements with Microsoft and Octopus Energy. Mr Steiner said the joint venture with Ocado could help build customer loyalty to the M&S brand, driving shoppers to the bricks and mortar stores. I strongly believe through this transformational deal, Steve will have more shops in five years than he would if he hadnt done this deal, he said. A prominent ally of Jeremy Corbyn is facing investigation by the party after he apologised for suggesting Labour had given too much ground in its response to complaints of anti-Semitism. Derby North MP Chris Williamson regretted his choice of words and insisted he had not intended to minimise the seriousness of anti-Semitism. But his apology was rejected as half-hearted by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which sent a formal complaint calling for Mr Corbyn to withdraw the Labour whip. And there was a furious response from Labour MPs, with deputy leader Tom Watson saying the apology was not good enough and issuing a formal request for Mr Williamsons suspension. A personal message and sincere apology from me regarding my recent remarks on anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. pic.twitter.com/2qaNCOVqGk Chris Williamson (@DerbyChrisW) February 27, 2019 Labour had already branded Mr Williamsons actions as completely unacceptable after he booked a room in Parliament for the screening of a film about an activist suspended over anti-Semitism complaints. And the row was reignited by video footage showing him telling a meeting of the grassroots Momentum group that Labours reaction to anti-Semitism allegations had been too apologetic and had led to the party being demonised. Labour MP Chris Williamson (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The video, obtained by the Yorkshire Post, was recorded at a meeting in Sheffield in the wake of last weeks resignation of eight Labour MPs to join the Independent Group. Mr Williamson was also filmed saying he had celebrated the resignation of MP Joan Ryan, who quit Labour in protest over the handling of anti-Semitism and bullying complaints. Theresa May seized on the issue during Prime Ministers Questions in the House of Commons, challenging Mr Corbyn to suspend the man he once praised as a very good, very effective Labour MP. Chris Williamson has produced a long-winded and heavily caveated apology. It is not good enough. If it was in my gift I would have removed the whip from him already. pic.twitter.com/IuEpDM1Ak2 Tom Watson (@tom_watson) February 27, 2019 Moments before the PM spoke, Mr Williamson issued a statement insisting he had been an anti-racist all my life and that it pained him to think that anyone should believe he intended to minimise the cancerous and pernicious nature of anti-Semitism. Promising to be more considered in my remarks in future, Mr Williamson said: I deeply regret, and apologise for, my recent choice of words when speaking about how the Labour Party has responded to the ongoing fight against anti-Semitism inside of our party. I was trying to stress how much the party has done to tackle anti-Semitism. Our movement can never be too apologetic about racism within our ranks. Whilst it is true that there have been very few cases of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party something I believe is often forgotten when discussing this issue it is also true that those few are too many. A Labour spokesman said that Mr Williamson had been issued with a notice of investigation for a pattern of behaviour, but has not been suspended from the party. The spokesman said the comments were deeply offensive and that downplaying the problem of anti-Semitism makes it harder for us to tackle it. He added: Chris Williamson has rightly apologised and withdrawn his remarks, and has been issued with a notice of investigation for a pattern of behaviour, and is not suspended during the investigation. But Labours deputy leader Tom Watson tweeted: Chris Williamson has produced a long-winded and heavily caveated apology. It is not good enough. If it was in my gift I would have removed the whip from him already. This is what I have left behind. Its toxic. Our country deserves so much better. #ChangePolitics https://t.co/a7AZYzeF5z Luciana Berger (@lucianaberger) February 26, 2019 And Board of Deputies president Marie van der Zyl said: Chris Williamson trolls those who oppose anti-Semitism, repeatedly siding with the anti-Semites over the Jews. The two issues reported yesterday were just the latest in a long series of offences. Jeremy Corbyn must remove the whip at once if he wants to retain the faintest image of himself as an anti-racist. Anything less removes any semblance of leadership and reveals only the most naked moral cowardice. Ruth Smeeth, vice-chairwoman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, branded Mr Williamson a disgrace and said he needs to go. She told BBC Radio 5 Live: He is now becoming notorious for Jew-baiting, for saying things which are completely and utterly outrageous, for aligning himself with people who are incredibly offensive. And she added: Those views are incompatible with the aims and values of the Labour Party. He has no place in my party. He should leave. I really hope that well see the whip removed today. I think that that is the least that they can do to start salvaging the reputation of the Labour Party on this issue. Senior backbencher Dame Margaret Hodge said she had written to chief whip Nick Brown to call for the removal of the whip from Mr Williamson. We are supposed to be rebuilding the shattered confidence of the Jewish community in @UKLabour. This will only further undermine it. https://t.co/rRUAO1d9bG Harriet Harman (@HarrietHarman) February 27, 2019 And former deputy leader Harriet Harman warned: We are supposed to be rebuilding the shattered confidence of the Jewish community in Labour. This will only further undermine it. Mr Williamson was first elected MP for Derby North in 2010, but was unseated in the 2015 general election. He ran again in 2017, this time receiving a visit from Mr Corbyn during the general election campaign, and won. Mr Williamson was later made a shadow emergency services minister, but left by mutual agreement six months later after suggesting council tax should be doubled on more expensive homes. President Donald Trumps former personal lawyer has told Congress that Mr Trump knew ahead of time that WikiLeaks had emails damaging to Hillary Clintons presidential campaign. He gave evidence that Mr Trump is a racist, a conman and a cheat. Michael Cohen suggested Mr Trump also implicitly told him to lie about a Moscow property project. Cohen has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the project, which he says Mr Trump knew about as Cohen was negotiating with Russia during the 2016 election campaign. Michael Cohen (Alex Brandon/AP) The hearing was expected to produce the most damning depiction to date of Mr Trumps campaign and business operations from a onetime member of the presidents inner circle. It is the latest step in Cohens evolution from legal fixer for the president, he once boasted he would take a bullet for Mr Trump, to a foe who has implicated him in federal campaign finance violations. I am ashamed of my weakness and misplaced loyalty, of the things I did for Mr Trump in an effort to protect and promote him, Cohen said. I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr Trumps illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. I am ashamed because I know what Mr Trump is. Cohens claims that Mr Trump had advance knowledge of the emails contradict the presidents assertions that he was in the dark, but it was not clear what evidence Cohen had to support the allegation or even how legally problematic it would be for Mr Trump. Special counsel Robert Mueller has not suggested that mere awareness of WikiLeaks plans, as Trump confidant Roger Stone is purported to have had, is by itself a crime. Underscoring the deeply partisan nature of the proceedings, Democrats on the House Oversight and Reform Committee lifted an earlier restriction that the hearing not delve into Russia, while Republicans tried unsuccessfully to block the hearing as it got under way. That was on the grounds that Cohen had not provided his opening statement long enough in advance. The committees top Republican, Representative Jim Jordan sought early on to undermine Cohens credibility by calling him a fraudster, cheat and a convicted felon. Certainly its the first time a convicted perjurer has been brought back to be a star witness at a hearing, Mr Jordan said. Cohen said Mr Trump did not directly tell him to lie, but he would look me in the eye and tell me theres no business in Russia and then go out and lie to the American people by saying the same thing. Cohen said that in his way, he was telling me to lie. He added that lawyers for Mr Trump had reviewed and edited the statement in which Cohen falsely said a proposal for a Trump Tower in Moscow had been abandoned in January 2016. Cohen has since said he continued pursuing the project for Mr Trump for months after that. Mr Trump, at a Vietnam hotel before a planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and unable to ignore the drama playing out thousands of miles away, lashed out at Cohen on Twitter, saying his lawyer did bad things unrelated to Trump and is lying in order to reduce his prison time. A judge already has set Cohens sentence, and Cohens cooperation will have no bearing on that term. Cohen, ahead of his appearance, said the American people could decide exactly who is telling the truth when he gave evidence before the House committee. On WikiLeaks, Cohen said in the prepared evidence that he was in Mr Trumps office in July 2016 when longtime adviser Roger Stone telephoned Mr Trump. US President Donald Trump passes wellwishers in Hanoi, Vietnam (Adam Schreck/AP) Mr Trump put Stone on speakerphone and Stone told him that he had communicated with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clintons campaign, according to Cohen. Mr Trump responded by saying wouldnt that be great, Cohen said. That month, WikiLeaks released thousands of emails hacked from the Democratic National Committees server. A lot of people have asked me about whether Mr Trump knew about the release of the hacked Democratic National Committee emails ahead of time, Cohen said in the prepared evidence. The answer is yes. Cohen said he does not have direct evidence that Mr Trump colluded with the Russian government during the election, but that he has suspicions. Of a meeting in Trump Tower between campaign advisers, including Mr Trumps oldest son, and a Russian lawyer, Cohen said that Mr Trump had frequently told him that Donald Trump Jr had the worst judgment of anyone in the world and he would never set up any meeting of any significance alone and certainly not without checking with his father. Cohen, once Mr Trumps loyal attorney, has turned on his former boss and cooperated with Mr Muellers Russia investigation. The US Capitol (Jose Luis Magana/AP) He begins a three-year prison sentence in May after pleading guilty to lying to Congress in 2017 and committing campaign finance violations while working for Mr Trump. He met with the Senate intelligence committee for more than nine hours behind closed doors on Tuesday. Cohen said afterwards that he appreciated the opportunity to clear the record and tell the truth to the panel after acknowledging he lied to the committee in 2017. St Basils Cathedral in Moscow, Russia (Steve Parsons/PA) In addition to lying to Congress, Cohen pleaded guilty last year to campaign finance violations for his involvement in payments to two women who allege they had affairs with Mr Trump. Federal prosecutors in New York have said Mr Trump directed Cohen to arrange the payments to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in the run-up to the 2016 campaign. Cohen told a judge that he agreed to cover up Mr Trumps dirty deeds out of blind loyalty. A slew of stabbings across two major cities has been described as a national emergency by West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson. Speaking after three teenagers died in knife attacks in two weeks in Birmingham, Mr Jamieson called on the Home Secretary to give his area a special policing grant to tackle the problem. Hazrat Umar, 17, was killed in Bordesley Green on Monday; Abdullah Muhammad, 16, died in Small Heath last week; and seven days earlier Sidali Mohamed, 16, was stabbed outside a college in Highgate. The attacks were among 269 knife crimes recorded so far this year in the West Midlands. There have been 17 homicides in London in 2019, six of which happened in nine days. On Tuesday alone, five people were stabbed, four of whom were attacked in less than eight hours and one who died. Patrols are being boosted across the capital, including by the Mets Violent Crime Taskforce and teams from the gang violence, roads, dogs and neighbourhood units. West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson (Richard Vernalls/PA) Speaking to the media in the Dale End area of Birmingham on Wednesday, Mr Jamieson said: I would ask the Home Secretary now, to give a special grant here in the West Midlands to help the Chief Constable and his staff actually tackle what is a serious outbreak of violence weve seen here in Birmingham and other parts of the West Midlands. Many of the children who are getting involved in these crimes have been excluded from their school. This is a national emergency, and we must do something about that exclusion of children because those children are on almost an immediate path into crime and into violence. He continued: Certainly weve got a very high level of knife crime here, theres no escaping that and theyve got a real problem in parts of London. As part of emergency measures, officers in Birmingham are being given sweeping powers to stop and search suspects. For the first time ever, the Section 60 Order will cover the whole of Birmingham and will run until 3am on Thursday, police said. Police operate a knife arch at a McDonalds in Birmingham city centre (Richard Vernalls/PA) Chief Constable David Thompson said: In my mind this has become a real emergency this week in terms of the work we need to do as the police. Resources are an issue but they should not get in the way of the police response to an emergency issue that this is. Mr Thompson continued: Im afraid on this story about the deaths of young men, we use the words tipping point too often so I have deliberately not used them today. I think weve been really clear that the force has reached a level, where in police officer numbers, it is smaller than it was in 1974. Mr Thompson told reporters the rate of knife crime was increasing across all major cities. Addressing the policing grant, a source close to the commissioner said: We are working with West Midlands Police to put forward a bid to the Home Office for a special grant bid, in a matter of weeks. In London, Commander Dave Musker urged the public to help stem the tide of attacks. He said: Every death or injury is a tragedy and will have a lasting impact on those who knew and were close to the victims. The public play a key role in helping to both prevent and detect crime in London. We are asking communities to support us and I strongly urge anyone who knows anything about these recent incidents, any violent crimes that have been committed or may be committed in the future, to give information however small or insignificant it may seem, it could help save lives. John Poyton from Redthread, an anti-knife crime charity that works in A&E departments, said all sectors of society have to take responsibility for stopping violence. It is always devastating to hear of someone losing their life to violence. Sadly, these deaths are just the tip of the iceberg emergency departments are seeing a steady increase in young people coming in having been caught up in youth violence. There is an urgent need to address the trauma some young people experience in their communities which perpetuates further violence. It is crucial that all sectors of society take responsibility to tackle violence as a health issue and ensure our communities are healthy, safe and happy for all young people. A son-in-law who stole 110,000 from a war hero in her final years and continued to do so after her death has been jailed by a judge who said she has a duty to protect vulnerable people from family members. For eight years, married Ian Downs, 67, siphoned cash from bank accounts he controlled for former publican Mary Garvey, then cashed in insurance policies after she died aged 94. The debt-ridden former building society worker, of St Bedes, East Boldon, South Tyneside, admitted two counts of theft and was jailed for two-and-a-half years at Newcastle Crown Court. Judge Sarah Mallett told him: I have to bear in mind the importance of protecting vulnerable elderly people from exploitation by family members who have easy access to their money. Mary Garvey with her husband Anthony, who died in 1977 (Northumbria Police/PA) Mrs Garvey served in the British Army Catering Corps in the Second World War and was credited with a piece of life-saving quick thinking. While travelling across Europe, she saw someone putting something under an Allied train and told her superior. As a result, the train was searched and a bomb was found before it could be detonated. She met her husband Anthony while he was in the Durham Light Infantry and they went on to run a Newcastle pub together until she was widowed in 1977. She had two daughters Gwenda Gilby and Margaret, who married Downs. Mrs Garvey, a grandmother-of-two, developed dementia in later years and lived in sheltered accommodation, and her granddaughter Angela Gilby said she died in poverty. Downs, who had previously worked as a financial adviser, had taken control of her finances with the agreement of the rest of the family. But the Gilbys did not know he was stealing her cash. They called police when it became known money was missing. Fiona Lamb, defending, said Downs had been made redundant in 2001 and was short of money. There was no evidence of any extravagant spending, not clothes or a new car, this was to put food in their mouths, she said. As an example, she said Downs drove a 1996 Mercedes worth 50. He has paid 32,000 back to his sister-in-law and niece, the court heard. Mrs Downs, a part-time hairdresser who has been married to Downs for 42 years, was co-accused but prosecutors did not pursue the case against her. Mary Garvey and husband Anthony on their wedding day (Northumbria Police/PA) Downs has had bowel cancer and a heart condition, while his wife had a brain haemorrhage in 2000. Yvonne Taylor, prosecuting, said Downs stole 90,565 while Mrs Garvey was still alive and a further 19,697 from insurance policies following her death. After her uncle admitted the charges last month, Angela Gilby said: This case was never about the money. It was about the fact a woman who dedicated her life to her country was left to die in poverty. My grandmother deserved a life of luxury and should have had anything she wanted, but instead a person she trusted ended up stealing all her money. She was vulnerable, lonely and suffering from dementia but my uncle took advantage of that for his own financial gain. He has torn our family apart and I will never be able to forgive him for how he treated my grandmother. Nigerias president has defended his sweeping win of a second term as free and fair and appealed to a common love of country as his top challenger vowed to go to court with allegations of fraud. President Muhammadu Buhari was declared the clear winner by nearly four million votes as citizens of Africas largest democracy gave him another chance to tackle gaping corruption, widespread insecurity and an economy limping back from a rare recession. While many frustrated Nigerians had said they wanted to give someone new a try, Mr Buhari, a former military dictator, profited from his upright reputation in an oil-rich nation weary of politicians enriching themselves instead of the people. Top opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar, a billionaire former vice president who made campaign promises to make Nigeria work again, quickly rejected the result of what he called a sham election. As many Nigerians awakened to the win along with the morning prayer, Mr Buhari told colleagues he was deeply humbled. He regretted the loss of dozens of lives in mindless election-related violence. I will like to make a special appeal to my supporters not to gloat or humiliate the opposition. Victory is enough reward for your efforts, he said. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari (Jerome Delay/AP) At a later event certifying his victory, he added to applause: Election is not war and should never be seen as a do-or-die affair. He congratulated all candidates and the democratic process, however contentious. In a statement shared by aides, challenger Mr Abubakar said he would have conceded within seconds if the vote had been free and fair. Instead he alleged manifest and premeditated malpractices in many of Nigerias 36 states. He asserted that voting was suppressed in his strongholds in the south and that states threatened by an extremist insurgency generated much higher voter turnouts than in peaceful ones. He also objected to the deployment of the military in some areas. A woman displays her voters card (Sunday Alamba/AP) One domestic election observer, the Civic Media Lab, noted that contrary to normal reasoning the state most affected by extremist attacks, Borno, saw a 13% increase in voter turnout, even as overall turnout dropped. Some residents had said, however, they were determined to vote despite the threat. Court challenges are nothing new in Nigeria, where Mr Buhari himself doggedly fought his past election losses for months, in vain. The Supreme Court of Nigeria has never overturned a presidential election, Chris Kwaja, a senior adviser to the United States Institute of Peace, said. The presidents colleagues had expected a challenge. Opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar disputes the result (Sunday Alamba/AP) Theres no opposition that will roll over and play dead, Hameed Ali, the ruling party agent attending the vote declaration, told reporters. Mr Buharis supporters began dancing in the streets of the capital, Abuja, on Tuesday night as victory became clear. He is a man of integrity, a Buhari supporter in the northern city of Kano, Mohammed Aliyu, said as jubilant people held up four fingers to mark the new term. He is the only leader in Nigeria today that does not accumulate wealth. Mr Buhari received 15.1 million votes, or 55%, the electoral commission said. Mr Abubakar received 11.2 million, or 41%. The average national turnout was 35.6%, continuing a downward trend. Politicians in Scotland have a role to play in ensuring that the justice system meets the needs of victims, a Conservative MSP has said. The comments were made by Liam Kerr during a Scottish Labour debate on sentencing guidelines at Holyrood on Wednesday. It followed the sentencing of Christopher Daniel, 18, who was found guilty of repeated sexual assaults on a six-year-old girl but was granted an absolute discharge by Sheriff Gerard Sinclair for various reasons including his perceived emotional naivety. The decision means that Daniel, who was between 15 and 17 at the time, will not be on the Sex Offenders Register or have any criminal record. Prosecutors decided that the sentence could not be appealed by the Crown Office on the grounds of undue leniency because the case does not meet the high legal test required. Mr Kerr has called for the Scottish Law Commission to review the test of undue leniency, suggesting that the Crown is restricted in its ability to appeal sentences. The discharge of Christopher Daniel, 18, was granted at Dumbarton Sheriff Court (John Linton/PA) We all agree that politicians should not interfere with the independence of the Judiciary, said the MSP. But politicians do set out the parameters for sentencing. Indeed, the SNP will shortly seek to implement a presumption against sentences of less than 12 months and thus it does accept that politicians have a role in how sentencing, and therefore appeals, operate. There is a role for polticians in ensuring our justice system meets the needs of victims and society, and it is crucial that victims understand and have faith in our system. We would be failing, surely, in our duty if when a perpetrator has walked free, having been found guilty of sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl, we do not empower the Scottish Law Commission to review whether the undue leniency test is overly restrictive. Labour justice spokesman Daniel Johnson said that the justice system still has distance to travel in both consistency and transparency. The party has called for sentencing guidelines for sexual assault to be changed, particularly for young people. Mr Johnson said: How can it be fair or just to sentence someone on the basis of the life chances they have had to date. It can not be right that two individuals receive different sentences for the same crime because of whether or not they were lucky in the lottery of life. The reality is we have been discussing the need for sentencing guidelines for more than 25 years. In the three-and-a-half years since it was created, the Scottish Sentencing Council has only produced one guideline. Of course guidance on sentencing must not be rushed and must be subject to careful consideration and reflection, but I think it is right we ask questions as to whether this progress has been adequate. Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf stressed that the Scottish Sentencing Council (SSC) had a wider roll than just producing guidelines, adding it was also responsible for matters such as promoting greater awareness and understanding of sentencing policy. He said: One of the reasons why guidelines can take a bit of time to come to fruition is because public consultation is a key part of that. At the first meeting of the Sentencing Council it was determined that every single guideline they produce will then go to public consultation, so there is a consultation for guidelines as there would be for legislation. The Justice Secretary also spoke about the need for guidelines to be right and not rushed. A prominent ally of Jeremy Corbyn has been suspended from Labour after he apologised for suggesting the party had given too much ground in its response to complaints of anti-Semitism. Derby North MP Chris Williamson said he regretted his choice of words and insisted he had not intended to minimise the seriousness of anti-Semitism. But Labours general secretary Jennie Formby decided to suspend him pending an investigation after his pattern of behaviour was reviewed by staff. A party spokesman said: Chris Williamson is suspended from the party, and therefore the whip, pending investigation. A personal message and sincere apology from me regarding my recent remarks on anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. pic.twitter.com/2qaNCOVqGk Chris Williamson (@DerbyChrisW) February 27, 2019 Mr Williamson told the BBC: I am going to clear my name within the party procedures. I think Ive got a very strong case. There is no evidence against me in reality. His apology was earlier rejected as half-hearted by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which sent a formal complaint calling for Mr Corbyn to withdraw the Labour whip. Labour MP Chris Williamson has been suspended by the party (Nick Ansell/PA) There was a furious response from Labour MPs, with deputy leader Tom Watson saying the apology was not good enough and issuing a formal request for Mr Williamsons suspension. Labour had already branded Mr Williamsons actions completely unacceptable after he booked a room in Parliament for the screening of a film about an activist suspended over anti-Semitism complaints. The row was reignited by video footage showing him telling a meeting of the grassroots Momentum group that Labours reaction to anti-Semitism allegations had been too apologetic and had led to the party being demonised. The video, obtained by the Yorkshire Post, was recorded at a meeting in Sheffield in the wake of last weeks resignation of eight Labour MPs to join the Independent Group. Chris Williamson has produced a long-winded and heavily caveated apology. It is not good enough. If it was in my gift I would have removed the whip from him already. pic.twitter.com/IuEpDM1Ak2 Tom Watson (@tom_watson) February 27, 2019 Mr Williamson was also filmed saying he had celebrated the resignation of MP Joan Ryan, who quit Labour in protest over the handling of anti-Semitism and bullying complaints. Theresa May seized on the issue during Prime Ministers Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday, challenging Mr Corbyn to suspend the man he once praised as a very good, very effective Labour MP. Moments before the PM spoke, Mr Williamson issued a statement insisting he had been an anti-racist all my life and that it pained him to think that anyone should believe he intended to minimise the cancerous and pernicious nature of anti-Semitism. Promising to be more considered in my remarks in future, Mr Williamson said: I deeply regret, and apologise for, my recent choice of words when speaking about how the Labour Party has responded to the ongoing fight against anti-Semitism inside of our party. I was trying to stress how much the party has done to tackle anti-Semitism. In suspending Chris Williamson MP, @UKLabour has taken the right decision, if long overdue. Thanks to @tom_watson and all those Labour MPs who had to push the party leadership to take this matter seriously. Board of Deputies of British Jews (@BoardofDeputies) February 27, 2019 Our movement can never be too apologetic about racism within our ranks. Whilst it is true that there have been very few cases of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party something I believe is often forgotten when discussing this issue it is also true that those few are too many. Earlier, a Labour spokesman said Mr Williamson had been issued with a notice of investigation for a pattern of behaviour, but at that stage had not been suspended from the party. The spokesman said the comments were deeply offensive and downplaying the problem of anti-Semitism makes it harder for us to tackle it. After he was suspended, the Board of Deputies of British Jews said Labour had taken the right decision, if long overdue. They said on Twitter: Thanks to @tom_watson and all those Labour MPs who had to push the party leadership to take this matter seriously. A woman who killed her husband with a hammer was not suffering from an abnormality of mind at the time, senior judges have heard. Georgina Challen, known as Sally, says she killed 61-year-old Richard Challen in August 2010 after 40 years of being controlled and humiliated by him. Challen, who turned 65 on Wednesday, is challenging her murder conviction at the Court of Appeal in London. Her lawyers argue that, had the defence of coercive control which passed into law in 2015 been available at the time of her trial, she would not have been found guilty of murder But lawyers for the Crown contend that the jury at her trial were provided with evidence about her state of mind and were able to understand the impact of her husbands behaviour upon her. I am exhausted. All the campaigning over the last year comes down to tomorrow. All we have lived as a family since our fathers death comes down to tomorrow. Tomorrow isnt just about our story, its about thousands of victims stories. #CoerciveControl #FreeSallyChallen pic.twitter.com/i64y09vJZp David Challen (@David_Challen) February 26, 2019 Caroline Carberry QC told the court in written submissions: The introduction into the legal lexicon in 2015, four years post conviction, of the phrase controlling and coercive behaviour was the popularisation of a new phrase to describe an old and well understood problem. It is not one upon which juries require expert guidance. Ms Carberry said there was ample evidence to demonstrate that Challen was able to think in a logical and coherent way before, during and after the killing. She said Challen had armed herself with the hammer, made sure her husband died from the blows she struck, put a cushion under his head and bought wine and cigarettes before typing a note which she placed on the body. She added: This evidence is utterly inconsistent with the contention that her responsibility was substantially impaired. A clear and unimpeachable conclusion was reached by the jury that the appellant was not suffering from an abnormality of mind which substantially impaired her responsibility for the killing. Ms Carberry said Mr Challens alleged behaviour was without doubt unacceptable, but that the court does not need to decide whether it amounted in law to coercive and controlling behaviour. Richard Challen was a former car dealer (Surrey Police/PA) The court also heard evidence from psychiatrist Dr Paul Gilluley, the Crowns forensic expert during the trial, who said he remained of the opinion that Challen was not suffering from any mental disorder at the time of the killing. But another forensic psychiatrist, Dr Gwen Adshead, who assessed Challen after her conviction following a psychotic episode, said she was suffering from a severe clinical mood disorder, probably bipolar affective disorder. Giving evidence before Lady Justice Hallett, Mr Justice Sweeney and Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, Dr Adshead said: It is very common for people with borderline personality disorder to become victims of domestic violence because they are often quite poor at self-protection and they may be intensely dependent on people to whom they are attached. Challen observed proceedings over a video link from HMP Bronzefield in Ashford, Surrey. Her case is supported by the campaign group Justice for Women. At her 2011 trial at Guildford Crown Court, Challen, of Claygate, Surrey, admitted killing the former car dealer but denied murder, claiming diminished responsibility. The prosecution case was that it was the action of a jealous woman who suspected infidelity. She was jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years, later reduced on appeal by four years. The hearing is due to continue on Thursday. Speaker John Bercow has selected five amendments to be considered as MPs prepare for the latest votes on the Governments negotiating strategy for Brexit. Any successful amendments will not have the force of law but will carry heavy political weight as a signal to Downing Street and Brussels of what kind of Brexit MPs are likely to approve. The Speaker has provisionally selected the following amendments that may be voted on this evening. They are: (a) - @jeremycorbyn (k) - @IanBlackfordMP (c) - @spelmanc (b) - @AlbertoCostaMP (f) - @YvetteCooperMP Read all amendments here: https://t.co/ixbSf1kxMc pic.twitter.com/JOkVbGThfW UK House of Commons (@HouseofCommons) February 27, 2019 Heres a look at the key amendments: Costa Tory backbencher Alberto Costa is demanding Mrs May seeks a treaty on citizens rights after Brexit. Home Secretary Sajid Javid has said the Government backs his amendment. 1/4 Cant begin to say how brilliant it is to see my amendment in black and white on the order paper today. Im hugely grateful to those colleagues who have very kindly supported my amendment to ringfence rights for those EU citizens in the UK and those in UK citizens in the EU. pic.twitter.com/zrhwN9ljpw Alberto Costa MP (@AlbertoCostaMP) February 27, 2019 His amendment, which has the backing of more than 140 MPs from across the House, including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, calls for a separate agreement with the European Union to protect the rights of expats even if there is a no-deal Brexit. Cooper Labour former minister Yvette Cooper has tabled an amendment seeking to pin the Prime Minister down to the commitments she made to the Commons on Tuesday. Mrs May offered MPs a chance to vote to delay Brexit if her deal is rejected again next month, in a move which closely matched demands put forward in a plan by Ms Cooper and Tory Sir Oliver Letwin. We have tabled a cross party amendment to pin down PMs commitments from today & another to get a further day for Commons debate when amendments/options can be put. Weve also all still laid paving amendment for Bill just to ensure there is no backtracking from anyone in Cabinet Yvette Cooper (@YvetteCooperMP) February 26, 2019 While Sir Oliver said there was now no need for the Cooper/Letwin Bill, Ms Cooper said she would lay a cross-party amendment to secure confirmation of the Prime Ministers commitment. Spelman/Dromey Conservative MP Dame Caroline Spelman and Labours Jack Dromey, who last month tabled a successful amendment opposing a no-deal Brexit, have tabled an amendment to pave the way for the Cooper/Letwin Bill to give MPs the opportunity to extend the two-year Article 50 negotiation process. Jack Dromey and Caroline Spelman last month tabled a successful amendment opposing a no-deal Brexit (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The pair said they would seek assurances from ministers to secure confirmation of the Prime Ministers commitments during the debate on Wednesday. They said if they receive the assurances they will not push the amendment to a vote. Labour Jeremy Corbyns amendment seeks support for his partys five Brexit demands. Jeremy Corbyn (Aaron Chown/PA) The party is calling for a permanent and comprehensive customs union with the EU; dynamic alignment on rights and protections; commitments on participation in EU agencies and funding programmes; unambiguous agreements on the detail of future security arrangements; and close alignment with the single market. Liberal Democrats have tagged their own amendment on to Mr Corbyns proposals, calling for an extension of Article 50 to provide time for a referendum. SNP The SNPs amendment requires the PM to immediately rule out a no-deal Brexit under any and all circumstances and regardless of exit date. BREAKING: The SNP have tabled an amendment, with cross-party support, seeking to reject a no-deal Brexit in any circumstances. No-deal would disproportionately hit Scotland and would be the height of irresponsibility. Scotland will never accept it. pic.twitter.com/jq2N7APes8 The SNP (@theSNP) February 27, 2019 The partys Westminster leader Ian Blackford said Parliament must take control and force the UK Government to do the right thing by immediately ruling out a no-deal Brexit under any and all circumstances. Round-the-clock diplomatic efforts are under way in a bid to defuse the very volatile crisis over Kashmir, Jeremy Hunt has said. The Foreign Secretary said clashes between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan over the disputed territory are extremely dangerous. His comments came after Prime Minister Theresa May urged both sides to show restraint and work to find a peaceful outcome. In the latest exchanges in the brewing conflict, Pakistans air force said it shot down two Indian warplanes after they crossed the frontier between the two nations. The escalation came hours after Pakistan said Indian mortar shells fired by Indian troops from across the frontier dividing the two sectors of Kashmir killed six civilians and wounded several others. UK is deeply concerned about the rising tensions between India and Pakistan. We urgently call for restraint on both sides to avoid further escalation pic.twitter.com/CZF83OHFAF Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) February 27, 2019 Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for talks with Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to address the situation. Mr Hunt said he had spoken to his counterparts in India and Pakistan in recent days and urged both sides to de-escalate and reduce tensions. Wreckges of Indian fighter planes burning. Well done Pakistan Air Force. The entire nation is proud of you. pic.twitter.com/TTIb1zvNZS Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (@MoIB_Official) February 27, 2019 Speaking in his Commons office, Mr Hunt said: You have two nuclear powers who have a long history of tension squaring up against each other and now the start of some kind of military conflict. Its an extremely dangerous situation. Mr Hunt said there wi no desire from either side to escalate the conflict, but the situation is very volatile, adding: You dont just have the governments but you have public opinion in both countries that is very inflamed. The minister said the UK is working with allies and other members of the UN Security Council to find a way to calm the situation, with contacts at all levels of government. He said: Its a full, round-the-clock, diplomatic effort to try and make sure we can avert the worst and end up with a peaceful resolution which we know both countries want. Todays strike demonstrates our right, will and Capability to defend ourselves. We do not want war. We hope India will come to the table to resolve all outstanding issues. Pakistan Zindabad. Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) February 27, 2019 At Prime Ministers Questions in the Commons, Mrs May said she is deeply concerned about the situation and the UK urgently calls for restraint on both sides to avoid further escalation. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: We strongly support rapid dialogue between India and Pakistan in order to reduce the conflict, reduce the tensions and deal with the root causes of it before more lives are lost. India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence from Britain and partition in 1947, two of them over Kashmir. An anti-Indian rally with a banner showing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Peshawar, Pakistan (Muhammad Sajjad/AP) Low-level skirmishes are not unusual over the frontier, but the dramatic rise in tensions comes after Indian jets targeted what New Delhi claimed was a terrorist training camp in Pakistani territory. The military response came after a February 14 car bomb attack on a convoy in Indian-controlled Kashmir killed 40 paramilitary troops. The militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, which is based in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack, which was carried out by a suicide bomber from Indian Kashmir. Theresa May has set the scene for a succession of dramatic Brexit showdowns in the middle of March. But what might happen and what would the implications be? March 12 The vote The Prime Minister has promised to bring her Withdrawal Agreement back for a further meaningful vote. Mrs May says she will call the vote by March 12, but few in Westminster think she will be ready to face MPs any earlier than that Tuesday. How will it go? On her last attempt to win Commons approval for her deal, in January, Mrs May lost by a record-breaking 230 votes. Some 118 Conservative rebels from both the Leave and Remain wings of the party as well as all of her DUP allies joined up with virtually all of the opposition to inflict a humiliating defeat. Theresa May addressing the House of Commons after the defeat of her Withdrawal Agreement (UK Parliament/Mark Duffy/PA Images) Since then, the PM and her allies have tried to wring concessions from Brussels on the controversial backstop, which is hated by the DUP and Leave-backing Tories in the European Research Group. Simultaneously, the Government has highlighted the dangers of the UK leaving without a deal or missing out on Brexit altogether in the hope of persuading critics that they cannot risk her plan failing altogether. Labour MPs have been wooed with offers of protections for workers rights and money for left-behind communities. Key to Mrs Mays chances of success will be securing strong assurances preferably of a legally binding nature from Brussels that the backstop, designed to keep the Irish border open, will not be permanent. If she can deliver enough to satisfy the DUP and the ERG or at least provide them with a fig leaf to soften their stance with dignity then she may have the makings of a majority. Even with the Brexit hardliners on board though, it is likely she would need the votes of about 20 Labour MPs from Leave constituencies to seal victory. As things stand, it still looks a long shot. What happens next? If the PM wins, she can go to the European Council on March 21 with Parliamentary support in the bag, ready to complete the final steps to ratification. However, Parliament will have a formidable amount of legislation to complete in order to leave the EU on March 29. Having already conceded the possibility of an extension to the Article 50 negotiation process, Mrs May might be ready to ask for another few weeks to allow the necessary bills to be passed. Whatever the formal date of Brexit, little will change until the end of the transition period in December 2020. If the PM loses, Britain faces the possibility of a chaotic no-deal Brexit on March 29 or an extension of negotiations. Mrs May would be faced with the decision of whether to tear up her twice-rejected Withdrawal Agreement and seek consensus around a different plan or to make one more push to get the existing deal over the line. Many in Westminster expect her to do the latter. By leaving the EU with a deal, we can move our country forward. And in doing so, we send a clear message: that this House is resolved to honour the result of the referendum and leave the European Union with a deal. pic.twitter.com/pqDYJofv6t Theresa May (@theresa_may) February 26, 2019 March 13 The vote If the meaningful vote is lost, Mrs May has promised a vote the following day on whether the UK should leave the European Union on March 29 without a Withdrawal Agreement or a framework for its future relations with the EU. If it takes place, as expected, on March 13, this vote would come immediately after Chancellor Philip Hammonds Spring Statement, due the same day. How will it go? There seems little doubt that Parliament would emphatically reject no-deal at this point. An amendment in January opposing no-deal was passed by eight votes in a defeat for Mrs May. Now that the Prime Minister has indicated she is prepared to accept an extension to Article 50, it seems unlikely that any but the most hardcore Conservative Leavers would vote to insist on departure on March 29 without a deal. Only a handful of the most fervent Eurosceptics regard no-deal as the best outcome and most of Westminsters Brexiteers are likely to be ready to swallow an extra few weeks in the EU so long as they are sure that the ultimate destination will be reached. What happens next? It is important to remember that this vote does not rule out no-deal forever. It only expresses the view of the Commons that the UK must not crash out without a deal on the scheduled date of March 29. That date is already written into Brexit legislation, which would have to be hastily amended. And EU rules state that the European treaties cease to apply to the UK on March 29 anyway unless Britain revokes Article 50 or all 27 remaining states agree to extend it. March 14 The vote If Mrs Mays deal and a no-deal Brexit are both rejected by MPs, the Commons will vote on March 14 on an extension of the two-year negotiating period to take the date of withdrawal beyond March 29. How will it go? Having got to this point, it seems unlikely that MPs would turn down the opportunity to extend Article 50. Downing Street has said that any other result would be contradictory. However, there will certainly be some opposition. ERG chairman Jacob Rees-Mogg has warned that any delay to Brexit looks like a plot to stop Brexit, and some staunch Leavers will be reluctant to give up the totemic date of March 29. An extension of Brexit negotiations can be expected to fire up protests on both sides (Victoria Jones/PA) Much may also hang on the precise wording of the motion. Mrs May has suggested that it would be difficult to extend negotiations beyond the end of June, as this would require the UK to elect MEPs to the European Parliament in May. Opponents of her agreement worry that getting an acceptable deal will take more than a couple of months. As the motion will be amendable, there may be attempts to impose a lengthy delay of as much as two years. Expectations are that MPs will finally settle on a short extension. What happens next? First of all, Mrs May would have to request an extension, which must be approved by all 27 remaining member states. This would probably be secured at the European Council in Brussels on March 21. EU leaders are thought to be generally willing to grant an extension, but some may insist it should be accompanied by a shift in UK position to make a final agreement more attainable. Reports suggest Brussels officials would like an extension to the end of 2020, to allow time for thorny issues about the future relationship to be properly tackled. A short extension would give a brief breathing space for Mrs May to try to secure a majority behind her deal, probably by securing stronger assurances from the EU to work on technological solutions for the Irish border. It would also provide her with a new weapon by creating a firm deadline of the end of June for MPs to choose between her deal or no-deal, as the UK cannot remain in the EU beyond that date without electing new MEPs. Alternatively, it would give her a little time for cross-party talks to try to achieve consensus on an alternative plan. A long extension would require the hasty arrangement of elections to the European Parliament, with Ukip and the new Brexit Party campaigning fiercely against what they see as the betrayal of Brexit by the Government. Talks in Brussels would move on to the future trade and security relationship. Opponents of Brexit would seize on the loss of momentum in the process to renew demands for a second EU referendum. UK research into gaming addiction and the effects of loot boxes is poor, experts in gambling and gaming have warned. A parliamentary committee is looking into the potential harms immersive and addictive technologies can cause, with a particular focus on how video games are contributing to the issue. The UKs research is behind the likes of South Korea and China, Dr Daria Kuss, a psychologist specialising in gaming-related behaviours, told MPs on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee on Wednesday. Within the UK the research basis is relatively poor, there is very little that has been done in the context of research in this country, she said. Our evidence session on Immersive and Addictive Tech with Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones, Director, National Problem Gambling Clinic, Dr Daria Kuss, Nottingham Trent University, and Dr David Zendle, York St John University is how live: https://t.co/sQMSTXoiXm Damian Collins (@DamianCollins) February 27, 2019 Specifically in south-east Asian countries, like South Korea, as well as China, there is a lot of research that is coming out. Internet addiction has officially been recognised as a mental disorder in 2009 there already, and were sitting here in 2019, in the UK, and we do not know much. Dr Kuss appeared in Parliament alongside Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones, a psychiatrist running the national Problem Gambling Clinic, who had received letters from concerned parents hoping she might be able to help with their childrens addictive gaming behaviours. When asked by parents where they could go for help, she said she did not know anywhere: Right now there isnt an NHS-funded clinic for gaming disorder. The panel, which also included Dr David Zendle, an expert on the effects of video games and loot boxes from York St John University, said that they believe that only a very small minority of people suffer with gaming disorder, but needed more government-backed research to understand the breadth of the issue. (Joe Giddens/PA) Free-to-play, games with no ending, team games, and games that can be played across multiple time zones with players online were named as likely offenders for encouraging gaming addiction, but prevention was cited as one of the best possible remedies. Prevention is quite crucial, it is integral for us to implement, in my opinion, within the school context, campaigns and also sessions for both the students, teachers and parents to raise awareness of the potential problems and to stop the problems from occurring in the first place, Dr Kuss added. Loot boxes were also discussed with the committee. These are virtual lucky dips that can be purchased within games and reward players with useful items and modifications to help their progress but are based on chance and have therefore been linked to gambling. According to Dr Zendle, 12 of the highest grossing mobile games in the top 20 feature loot boxes. In January, Fortnite decided to change how its loot boxes worked, opting to show users the contents before they buy. The Government has previously said that the Gambling Commission has powers to regulate gambling and was monitoring convergence between gambling and video games closely. An award-winning artist is appealing for help after claiming she lost a one-of-a-kind Donald Trump wig she says is worth thousands of pounds and took months to make. Alison Jackson, who photographs lookalikes of famous people in compromising situations as a commentary on celebrity culture, made the appeal on her Instagram account on Tuesday after apparently leaving the hairpiece in a black cab in Londons Leicester Square. Ive got to have it back. Please. Its got a[n] orange quiff and it looks like Donald Trumps hair, Ms Jackson said in the video. The wig was fitted on a wig makers block inside a black bin liner, she told the Press Association, and is made of human hair which was dyed, cut and styled to be as close to the real US presidents barnet as possible. It was intended to be worn by a Trump lookalike who will appear in Ms Jacksons Leicester Square show next week. One of Alison Jacksons posed photos featuring a Donald Trump lookalike reading a book by Hillary Clinton (Credit: Alison Jackson/PA) Hes very attached to it, he doesnt like to take it off, she told the Press Association. Its extraordinary what happens, one minute hes nobody and suddenly hes got the wig on and hes a complete and utter star. That wig is part of his stardom, and probably Donald Trumps himself. Without it, he is just an overweight, bald, normal-looking guy, she added, referring to the lookalike. Its the wig that makes the man. A hairstylist prepares the wig (Credit: Alison Jackson/PA) Ms Jackson reported the loss to Transport for London but has yet to hear anything back A TfL spokesman could not confirm if any wigs had been handed in but urged anyone who loses belongings on the transport network to contact the lost property office. As well as the official report and social media appeal, Ms Jackson said she had been putting up signs on lampposts to ask for any sightings like a lost cat. The hairpiece took 15 stylists more than six months to make, she claimed, following detailed research into 1960s hairstyles and diagrams of how to do it on the internet. Ms Jackson first rose to prominence in the 1990s after producing photographs of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al-Fayed lookalikes with a mixed-race child. She won a Bafta for her 2002 BBC show Doubletake, which featured celebrity lookalikes in embarrassing situations and, more recently, she organised a protest rally with the Trump lookalike and scantily clad women in Manhattan ahead of the 2016 US presidential election. I just need it back is the main thing, she said of the wig. If nobody comes back from TfL or the taxi lost property office then Im completely stuck. Its been missing since 10 in the morning and the show opens on Tuesday with the Donald Trump lookalike. He would be so upset to arrive in England and find that theres no wig. The Irish government has urged businesses to step up their contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said there would be a certain level of disruption caused by the UKs exit from the EU but that the government was doing all it could to minimise it. Mr Varadkar said: I urge businesses to step up their contingency planning for a no-deal Brexit and to utilise the supports available. Brexit of any kind means change for the worse and no country can be fully prepared for no deal. It is uncharted territory. Mr Varadkar made the comments on the second day of debate in the Irish parliament on the governments no-deal Brexit emergency plans. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has urged businesses to do all they can to prepare for a no-deal Brexit (Liam McBurney/PA Wire) The debate got under way in the Dail on Tuesday following the publication of the proposed legislation on Friday. The Omnibus Bill, which will be fast-tracked through the Oireachtas, features a wide range of worst-case contingency laws that will be enacted if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. It is designed to support businesses and jobs affected by a no deal and secure ongoing access to essential services and products across the Irish border. Mr Varadkar told the Dail that it was essential that the Bill passes through all stages of the Dail and Seanad in a timely fashion to ensure it is ready to be used on March 29 if needed. The leader of the main opposition party said nobody could seriously claim that businesses would be fully prepared by March 29, despite the many contingency plans that are under way. Fianna Fails Micheal Martin said: The government has not answered the simple question of what will happen at the border on March 29 if there is no deal. We have been told repeatedly what is not being contemplated or not being planned but equally we have been told that a hard Brexit, and a no deal is the hardest of all Brexits, will cause serious disruption. Mr Martin claimed the Taoiseach, foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney and transport minister Shane Ross had all made entirely contradictory statements. According to the Taoiseach, the army may be sent to the border. According to Minister Ross, there may be security checks, he said. But according to the Tanaiste (Mr Coveney), there are no such actions likely or being considered. Mr Martin told the Dail that clarity was needed on the matter. It is just not credible for the government to claim it has not studied what might happen or not happen at the border on March 29, he said. Mr Martin said that despite the Bill being debated too close to the March deadline, it must be passed. The Bill, known as the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill, is made up of 15 parts and was prepared by nine ministers. The proposed laws cover a wide range of areas and focus on protecting Irish citizens rights, supporting businesses and jobs, healthcare, transport, education and energy. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge tested out their sporting abilities at a youth facility in Co Fermanagh as part of their two-day visit to Northern Ireland. William and Kate joined in with children as they took part in a range of activities including archery, canoeing and an assault course. The action-packed afternoon at Roscor Youth Village kicked off with the duchess being given a demonstration on how to assemble cooking utensils used for camping, before she helped put up a tent. The Youth Village, which sits on the shores of Lough Erne, caters for young children from across the island of Ireland. William took up position in the back of his boat for the race, which his team won (Niall Carson/PA) It offers a place of safety and hope for thousands of young people who face challenges at home or in care. The duke spoke to the children about what they love most about the facility. They described to him their favourite activities and how they have made life-long friends at the Youth Village. The couple were greeted to the facility by a range of people including Roland Eadie, deputy lieutenant of County Fermanagh; chairman of Fermanagh and Omagh Council Howard Thornton; Charlie Mack, the chief executive of the charity Extern; and Mark Rodgers from Roscor Youth Village. Kate helped the children put up a tent at Roscor Youth Village (Niall Carson/PA) As part of the tour of the facilities, Kate tried her hand at archery. The duchess missed her first shot but after getting some tips from the children, she hit the target on her second attempt. Meanwhile, Williams balance was tested as he walked across a low-ropes assault course. Some of the children urged him on until he made it to the end and celebrated with a cheer. Kate and William then went head-to-head in a canoeing race on Lough Erne. William attempted an obstacle course, cheered on by children (Niall Carson/PA) They were part of two teams which raced each other in Canadian canoes. Williams team was crowned the winner after reaching the marker a few seconds ahead of Kates team. The duchess congratulated her opposing team before returning to dry land. The children at Roscor are given the opportunity to enjoy more than 50 water and land-based activities in a setting which offers life-changing psychological and social care interventions by the charitys staff. The duchess was on target at the second attempt (Niall Carson/PA) The duke met a number of young people who have previously been supported by the Extern charity and are still in touch with Roscor. The royal couple heard how the facility helps support the children to build much-needed resilience and self-confidence around issues in their lives. Before the couple left the youth facility, they were presented with a bowl that was painted by some of the children. They also signed their names on two tiles that will be placed on a wall outside the building. The royal visitors signed two tiles which will be placed on a wall at the youth facility (Niall Carson/PA) The couple posed with all the children and a number of staff from Roscor Youth Village for a photograph before leaving to the sounds of everyone cheering. Mr Mack said: We are tremendously honoured to have the duke and duchess visit Extern to learn more about the life-changing work which goes on at our Roscor Youth Village. Childhood should be a safe, happy and precious time but unfortunately, when things go wrong at home, it is often the children who feel the brunt. Extern applauds the work the royal highnesses are undertaking to raise awareness about the many challenges which children face today. Luis Suarez scored twice as Barcelona maintained their stranglehold on the Copa del Rey with a 3-0 win at Real Madrid in the second leg of their semi-final. Barca, competition winners for the past four seasons, were held 1-1 in the first leg at the Nou Camp and were second best for large periods in the return before running out convincing 4-1 aggregate winners. Suarez struck against the run of play early in the second half and after Raphael Varanes own goal left Real a mountain to climb, the Uruguay striker converted a penalty, Panenka-style, to silence the Bernabeu. That is what dreams are made of... WE'RE THOUGH TO THE FINAL!!!!!! #WeColorFootball pic.twitter.com/LUriRw3ma4 FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 27, 2019 Real banished memories of their 5-1 LaLiga defeat to Barca in September by shading the first leg earlier this month, but the visitors were clinical in the Spanish capital to seal a sixth successive final appearance. The home side were aggrieved not to have been awarded a penalty by the video assistant referee in the 14th minute. Vinicius Juniors tumble in the penalty area after Nelson Semedos challenge was referred back to VAR by match official Sanchez Martinez, who had initially appeared unmoved, but play continued. Reals best early efforts in a frenetic opening came through Vinicius Junior, who fired over the crossbar and had another shot saved by Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. Ladies and gentlemen: @LuisSuarez9 Two goals and almost a third, but Raphael Varane got there first. (RMA 0-3 FCB; Agg 1-4) pic.twitter.com/CB513SAvRp FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 27, 2019 Vinicius pace was causing the visitors problems. The Brazilian set up Karim Benzema, whose shot was comfortably saved by Ter Stegen, and then fired just over after another swift Real counter. Barca had their moments in a goalless first half without creating a clear-cut chance, but Real, clearly intent on not relying on their away goal advantage, shaded it as the pace of an end-to-end encounter was unrelenting. Benzema headed Toni Krooss free-kick narrowly over soon after the restart and at the other end Gerard Pique was off target with a similar effort from Lionel Messis set piece. Barca then stunned the Bernabeu by snatching the lead in the 50th minute. Luis Suarez, second right, is congratulated by Lionel Messi after opening the scoring against Real Madrid (Andrea Comas/AP) Suarez appeared well covered by Sergio Ramos when Ousmane Dembeles cut back from the left reached him inside the area, but he shimmied to create space and side-footed home an emphatic finish. The Uruguay striker maintained his impressive record at the Bernabeu by scoring his 17th goal in 18 visits. There was no let-up. Barca were unlucky not to have been awarded a penalty when Ivan Rakitic appeared to be fouled by Ramos, while Real were denied an equaliser by Ter Stegens brilliance as he kept out Sergio Reguilons header. Vinicius went close again for the home side when his run carried him into the area, but his deflected shot curled agonisingly wide. Luis Suarez, right, shows his joy at Raphael Varanes own goal (Andrea Comas/AP) Barca, outplayed for long periods, then dealt Real a hammer blow with their second goal on the night. Dembele again was the provider as his precision pass into the area from the right was turned into his own net by the sliding Varane, who was under pressure from Suarez. Barca sealed their place in the final when Suarez was fouled by Casemiro on the left edge of the box and then dinked home his spot-kick straight down the middle. Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from next months Miami Open after undergoing minor shoulder surgery. The 31-year-old former world number one announced she had had a small procedure on her right shoulder on Instagram. As many of you know, I have struggled with shoulder pain since last summer, Sharapova said. For 10 weeks post US Open, I focused on getting my rotator cuff and scapula strong to support a surgically repaired fraying tendon and a small labrum tear. We are sad to announce that @mariasharapova has withdrawn as she heals from a right shoulder procedure she underwent last week. We wish Maria a speedy recovery and look forward to having her back in Miami in 2020! pic.twitter.com/VVpr1CxACA Miami Open (@MiamiOpen) February 27, 2019 Although my shoulder got strong, it didnt help the pain on impact. After a few different opinions in a few different countries, last week I had a small procedure done which will take a few weeks to heal. Although this has been a very long process, I am incredibly committed to getting back strong and more importantly without the pain I was playing with at the beginning of the year. Maria Sharapova reached the last 16 of the Australian Open in January (Simon Cooper/PA) Sharapova, currently 29th in the WTA rankings, reached the last 16 of the Australian Open earlier this year, but has not won a tournament since the Tianjin Open in October 2017. The Miami Open is due to start on March 18. A think tank has called for new legislation to ensure the next census in Scotland has a better question on languages. Reform Scotland believes the current question is flawed, could encourage people not to tell the truth about what language they speak and suggests speaking languages other than English is bad. They want it changed from Do you use a language other than English at home? to What languages do you regularly use?. The intervention comes ahead of a stage one debate in the Scottish Parliament on the Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill on Thursday. In written evidence to Holyroods Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee, Reform Scotland said the current question could distort the data if respondents believe answering yes to the question implies they do not also speak English. The think tank argues the question phrasing could convey the assumption speaking a language other than English is problematic rather than beneficial. A think tank wants the language question in Scotlands census to be changed (Danny Lawson/PA) They also criticise the census allowing only a single other language to be specified, as people may speak more than one at home. In its report on the Bill, the committee recommended the Scottish Government considers this evidence in regard to the language question for the 2021 census. The Committee has published its Stage 1 Report on the Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill today. Read the report here: https://t.co/uzedz6sN3l pic.twitter.com/ePqXt81x3U Constitution, Europe, External Affairs & Culture (@SP_CEEAC) February 7, 2019 Reform Scotland research director Alison Payne welcomed the committees recommendation. She said: Having more citizens speaking a wider range of languages should be an opportunity for all to learn more and help bring us together. However, we do not know precisely how extensively other languages are spoken in Scottish households, because sufficient data does not exist to tell us this due to the flawed nature of the census question. We can fix this relatively simply, by asking a better question, and indeed a question which does not suggest speaking a language other than English is a bad thing. A minor change will give us more accurate and better data which can help inform government strategy to encourage more people to speak more languages. The Scottish Government wants all children to learn two additional languages by the end of primary school. The Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill adds gender identity and sexual orientation to the list of questions which can be asked in a census, but ensures answering these will be voluntary, not compulsory. The questions which will be asked in Census 2021 will be considered via secondary legislation in the form of a Census order, which will be scrutinised by the Parliament at a later date. A National Records of Scotland (NRS) spokeswoman said: The aim of the language questions is to identify people for whom English is not their main language, and their level of proficiency in English to support service provision. We have considered the committees recommendations, and the evidence it has received, carefully and NRS will work with them for the next steps as we prepare the proposed questions to be asked to ensure the census captures the information needed to shape services in Scotland and reflect all of Scottish society. Some parents are paying more than the cost of a years university tuition for a part-time nursery place, new research has indicated. The average cost for 25 hours a week at nursery for a child under-two is 175 a week in Inner London, or 9,100 a year, according to figures released by the Coram Family and Childcare Trust. The cost of early-years education has risen by 3% in the last year, with British parents now paying 127 per week on average for each child under-two in nursery, the charitys 2019 childcare survey said. Childcare prices vary significantly across Great Britain, but are lowest in Yorkshire and Humberside, where 25 hours of weekly care for a child under-two will set parents back 5,616 per year. Nursery bills are slightly cheaper for older children with an average cost of 124 a week, or 6,448 per year, for three and four-year-olds in Britain. Most working parents are entitled to some Government funding for three and four-year-olds, thanks to the 30 hours a week free childcare allowance, redeemable at most nursery schools and childminders. British parents now paying 127 per week on average for each child under-two in nursery (PA) However, the report suggests that a number of local authorities believe the policy to be damaging the childcare sector. One in four (26%) local bodies think the new rules are making childcare outside of the 30-hour allowance more expensive, and one local authority in the East Midlands told the survey providers were increasing charges so that the daily rate was higher for funded children than unfunded children. It said: One of the most extreme examples of additional charges was a setting who were charging parents 1 a day to open their childs packed lunch. A lack of affordable, flexible and high quality childcare means parents can struggle to make work pay. Last years #ChildcareSurvey found a 7% increase in childcare costs. Stay tuned for this years report out 28 February https://t.co/seZ5uXCYAu Coram Family and Childcare (@CoramFamChild) February 21, 2019 Anntoinette Bramble, who chairs the Local Government Associations children and young people board, called on the Government to ensure councils can provide early-years education for all families. She said: Good quality early years education is vital in helping children get the best start in life. The intention behind the 30 hours free childcare scheme is good, but the funding provided by Government does not cover the costs for providers in many cases. In this years Spending Review, the Government must make sure that councils have enough funding to make sure that all families can access the high quality early education that meets their needs. The Government said it is spending a record amount on childcare support, allowing parents to be flexible in their working hours. A Department for Education spokesman said: More than 700,000 of the most disadvantaged two-year-olds have benefited from 15 hours free childcare since 2013, and more than 340,000 three and four-year-olds benefited from our 30 hours offer in the first year, meaning parents are spending less on childcare or are able to work more flexibly. Labours deputy leader Tom Watson is seeking a meeting with Jeremy Corbyn to discuss making tackling anti-Semitism the number one issue for the party. He warned that the party was perilously close to losing more MPs over the issue after nine resigned last week. Mr Watson spoke the day after the suspension of close Corbyn ally Chris Williamson over his claims that the party has been too apologetic about anti-Semitism. The deputy leader said Labour cant apologise enough, describing last weeks resignation of Liverpool Wavertree MP Luciana Berger as the worst day of shame in the Labour Partys 120-year history a pregnant young MP bullied out of her own party by racist thugs. Mr Watson declined to comment on speculation that a representative of Mr Corbyns office had argued against Mr Williamsons suspension on Wednesday. Following the publication by the Yorkshire Post of a video of the Derby North MPs comments, the party initially issued a call for him to withdraw the remarks. WATCH: Chris Williamson tells a Sheffield Momentum meeting that Labour has been "too apologetic" about anti-Semitism... pic.twitter.com/zxtKdHQPvw Liz Bates (@wizbates) February 26, 2019 It was only later in the day, after a number of Labour MPs including Mr Watson voiced their outrage over the comments, that his suspension was announced. Labour said it was categorically untrue to suggest that Mr Corbyn himself had intervened in the case because he has no role in disciplinary procedures. The party said the decision to suspend Mr Williamson was taken before a letter from MPs demanding tougher action was received. Asked during an interview with BBC Radio 4s Today programme whether anyone from the leaders office had argued against suspension, Mr Watson said: I cant confirm that. Ive no idea who said what in Jeremys office. I honestly dont know that. Ive asked to see Jeremy on Monday next week to talk about how we can further improve our measures to deal with anti-Semitism. Mr Watson said Mr Williamson was entitled to a fair hearing. 'I'm not going to allow [the Labour party] to be tainted by a racist badge.' Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson says Corbyn must step up and tackle racism in the party. This comes as MP Chris Williamson was suspended after claiming Labour was 'too apologetic' for anti-Semitism. pic.twitter.com/LcfeXJrrA1 Good Morning Britain (@GMB) February 28, 2019 But he added: Ive been very, very concerned that his comments have almost been deliberately inflammatory and causing offence to not just parliamentary colleagues but people in the Jewish community who understandably have a real concern about anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. He told ITV1s Good Morning Britain: I dont think we can apologise enough for anti-Semitism in our ranks. The only way we will rebuild trust with the British Jewish community is to deal with anti-Semitism as the number one issue in my party. And Im going to do it, because Im not going to allow half a million Labour Party members to be tainted by racism. I owe it to them to speak out. Ive said theres a battle for Labours soul. Im worried that colleagues feel they want to go. Im doing everything I can to make sure that they feel theyre part of a movement that is a century old and millions wide. Im doing my best, but we are perilously close to other colleagues leaving. I just say to them again Stay and fight your corner. Suspended Labour MP Chris Williamson Asked if Mr Corbyn was fit to be prime minister, given his handling of the anti-Semitism issue, Mr Watson told Today: He could easily be prime minister. But, of course, we could do without the anti-Semitism because it allows you to ask me that question on the Today programme. We need to close these issues down and we do it by being absolutely vigilant in the way we deal with racism in our own ranks. Thats on all of us. Mr Williamson has issued an apology and said he regrets his choice of words, but insisted he had not intended to minimise the seriousness of anti-Semitism. He told the BBC on Wednesday: I am going to clear my name within the party procedures. I think Ive got a very strong case. There is no evidence against me in reality. On Thursday, he released a statement on Twitter thanking Labour members and supporters for the incredible solidarity you have shown me over the last 48 hours. Linking the tweet to a video of the US civil rights era anthem Eyes On The Prize, he added: My message is this: Keep your eyes on the prize and hold on because #ChangeIsComing. I want to thank grassroots Labour Party members and supporters from the bottom of my heart for the incredible solidarity you have shown me over the last 48 hours. My message is this: Keep your eyes on the prize and hold on because #ChangeIsCominghttps://t.co/WBBKoCpN5E Chris Williamson (@DerbyChrisW) February 28, 2019 His apology w on Wednesday as rejected as half-hearted by the Board of Deputies of British Jews and Mr Watson said it was not good enough. Labour had already branded Mr Williamsons actions completely unacceptable after he booked a room in Parliament for the screening of a film about an activist suspended over anti-Semitism complaints. Elsewhere, Labours Dame Louise Ellman said it would be very difficult to tell people to vote for Mr Corbyn to be prime minister unless he changes in a very radical way. He keeps saying that hes going to do something about anti-Semitism but he hasnt done it yet, so Im watching, she told BBC Radio 4s World At One. Dame Louise said she suspected Mr Corbyn had thoughts which could be seen as anti-Semitic without registering them as such. The Pakistan army has launched a helicopter search for a British climber missing on a mountain after commercial air space was closed amid military tensions with India. Tom Ballard, from Derbyshire, whose mother died on K2 in 1995, has been reported missing on Nanga Parbat, nicknamed Killer Mountain. He had been climbing with Italian Daniele Nardi and the pair were making an ascent before they lost contact. Plans for an initial search operation were prevented when Pakistan closed its air space after it shot down two Indian military planes, but two army helicopters were drafted in on Thursday. Thoms Ballard and Daniel Nardi Missing on Nanga Parbat; Rescue Operation Underway. pic.twitter.com/qKTIYMOrBE Alpine Adventure Guides (@Alpine_Pakistan) February 27, 2019 The Italian ambassador in Pakistan, Stefano Pontecorvo, told the Press Association a search was authorised after talks with the militarys aviation commander. He said a team of Russian volunteers currently on K2, about 120 miles away, could also be transported to Nanga Parbat to help the search. I talked personally to the commander of the army aviation who gave the authorisation, Mr Pontecorvo said. Notwithstanding there is a no-fly zone, the army helicopters are flying. They are surveying the areas in which Daniele Nardi and Tom Ballard should be. Thomas Drew, the British high commissioner to Pakistan, was also involved in the talks to begin search and rescue attempts. Mr Pontecorvo said: The army is very committed. A statement on Mr Nardis official Facebook page, posted on Thursday in Italian, said an initial reconnaissance flight failed to find the climbers. (Facebook/Nardi/PA) The helicopter returned to a nearby heliport to refuel ahead of a planned second search, the statement said. Ali Sadpara, a Pakistani mountaineer who has previously climbed Nanga Parbat, is also aiding the search. The climbers last made contact with their team on Sunday when they reached around 20,670ft. The Foreign Office said it is working with Pakistani authorities. Alison Hargreaves on the slopes of K2 (PA) Mr Ballards mother, Alison Hargreaves, died on K2 aged 33, months after becoming the first woman to climb Mount Everest unaided. The European Commission has rebuffed a call by MPs for an agreement with the UK to ensure that the rights of expats are protected across Europe in the case of a no-deal Brexit. A proposal from Conservative backbencher Alberto Costa for a UK/EU commitment to preserve the citizens rights provisions in Theresa Mays Withdrawal Agreement, even if the deal as a whole is rejected, was passed without opposition by the House of Commons on Wednesday. But a Commission spokeswoman said in response that the EU was not willing to conclude mini-deals with the UK outside the framework of the main Withdrawal Agreement. The Agreement includes reciprocal commitments to maintain the rights of an estimated 3.5 million EU nationals in the UK and 1.5 million Britons on the continent to live and work in their chosen homes following Brexit. European Commission Mina Andreeva said there would be no `mini-deals outside the Withdrawal Agreement (European Commission Audiovisual Services/PA) The Prime Minister has pledged to honour this commitment for EU expats in Britain even if her deal fails. But there has been no similar promise from the EU as a whole, which has left it to individual member states to decide how they will act in a no-deal scenario. Asked whether the EU was ready to strike an agreement of the kind proposed by Mr Costa, Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva told a Brussels press conference: We will not negotiate mini-deals because negotiating such mini-deals outside the Withdrawal Agreement would imply that the negotiations have failed. Ms Andreeva said that the best way to protect the continuing rights of expat citizens was through the Withdrawal Agreement. (PA Graphics) The Commission welcomed the UKs indication of its intention to preserve EU nationals rights if no deal is concluded and expects the assurance to be formalised soon so that citizens can rely on it, she said. Cabinet Office minister David Lidington made clear in the Commons on Wednesday that the Government did not expect the EU as a whole to be able to strike a Europe-wide agreement with the UK on citizens rights. Downing Street said on Thursday that, following Parliaments approval of the Costa amendment, the UK would speak to the Commission to seek clarification of the EUs position on ring-fencing the citizens rights section of the Withdrawal Agreement. Technical talks were continuing between UK and EU officials in Brussels on Londons request for legally-binding changes to the Agreement to ensure that its controversial backstop mechanism cannot become permanent. Mrs May has promised to bring her Withdrawal Agreement back to the Commons for a meaningful vote by March 12, although there is speculation in Westminster that the showdown could come as soon as next week. The PMs official spokesman confirmed that the date of the vote could be any time up to March 12, but told reporters: There remains a significant amount of work still to do. Labour MP David Lammy has denied snubbing Comic Relief after the charity said he refused its offer to make a charity film in Africa. He said it was simply not true that he did not respond to the offer, adding he had held two meetings with the organisation. Mr Lammy claimed Comic Relief had fallen short of what he called its public duty to promote racial equality and serve minority communities. It's simply not true to say I did not respond: we had two meetings in my office. I had hoped - and still hope - your coverage would improve but Stacey's post was more of the same tried tropes. As I told you before, I'm not prepared to become part of a PR exercise. https://t.co/D5K0gI1dSz David Lammy (@DavidLammy) February 28, 2019 It came after the backbench MP accused Strictly Come Dancing star Stacey Dooley of perpetuating tired and unhelpful stereotypes after she travelled to Uganda for a documentary ahead of Red Nose Day. Comic Relief on Thursday made no apologies, saying the offer of a collaborative film was still open. It thanked Dooley for helping people working with or supported by Comic Relief projects tell their own stories in their own words. David Lammy (David Mirzoeff/PA) In response, Mr Lammy said he was not prepared to become part of a PR exercise. The world does not need any more white saviours. As I've said before, this just perpetuates tired and unhelpful stereotypes. Let's instead promote voices from across the continent of Africa and have serious debate.https://t.co/LySa0BXeyi David Lammy (@DavidLammy) February 27, 2019 On Twitter, he wrote: Its simply not true to say I did not respond: we had two meetings in my office. I had hoped and still hope your coverage would improve but Staceys post was more of the same tried tropes. As I told you before, Im not prepared to become part of a PR exercise. Its not about me making a nice film, but about you giving some of your very privileged platform on the BBC to the hundreds of African comedians, filmmakers, celebrities and everyday people who live on the continent. My job as a politician is to raise the issue. The people of Africa do not need a British politician to make a film. I want African people to speak for themselves, not UK celebs acting as tour guides. Comic relief has a privileged platform because of its unique access to the BBC. My constituents pay that license fee too. You and the BBC have a public duty to educate and promote racial equality. Previous Comic Relief films have fallen short of this. On Wednesday, Dooley shared pictures on her social media from Uganda, with one snap showing her posing with a young child. Mr Lammy, who has been the MP for Tottenham since 2010, sparked the row when he said on Twitter on Wednesday that the 31-year-old investigative reporter was reinforcing unhelpful stereotypes about Africa. He said his issue was not personal with Dooley and he does not question her good motives. Instead, he said he had a problem with British celebrities being flown out to Africa by Comic Relief to make films that send a distorted image of the continent and perpetuate an old idea from the colonial era. Dooley replied, inviting Mr Lammy to travel to Africa himself. Red Nose Day takes place on March 15. Labour has called for a train maintenance depot in Glasgow that is facing closure to be brought into public ownership. Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard raised the impending closure of the St Rollox Railway Works announced by Gemini Rail in December, and urged the First Minister to take it into public ownership. In response, Nicola Sturgeon criticised the unacceptable treatment of railway maintenance staff but rebuffed calls to nationalise the depot and called for more time for consultation with the firm. At First Ministers Questions, Mr Leonard said: Time is running out to save this critical part of Scotlands railway infrastructure and to save these 200 highly skilled jobs. Comparing the situation to the nationalisation of Prestwick Airport in 2013, he added: Why is it good enough for an airport then and not good enough for our railways now? Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish Government was urging the firm to extend the consultation about the closure. Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard wants to see a Glasgow train depot brought into public hands (PA) She said: We will continue to apply as much pressure as we can to the company because the jobs are important and I think the way the workforce is being treated is unacceptable. Before we can take a decision like the one we took around Prestwick Airport which I think was a good decision at the time we have to undertake due diligence and look at all the different aspects. That is why we have encouraged Gemini Rail to extend the consultation because the current consultation period is too short to allow any serious exploration of alternative options. We are prepared to look at all options. The plant, set up in the 1850s by the Caledonian Railway Company, carries out services, maintenance and repairs of trains for Scotland and northern England. Mr Leonard revealed that he wrote to the First Minister almost four weeks ago stressing the urgency of the situation and you have said nothing in response. The workers and their unions are awaiting a proper response as well, he added. Out there in the real world, what is at stake are peoples livelihoods and a national transport asset. So will you take decisive action; will you step in and will you bring the Caledonian Railway Works back into public ownership? Edward Nixon, the youngest brother of former president Richard Nixon who staunchly defended his siblings White House legacy, has died aged 88. The Richard Nixon Foundation announced that he died at a nursing facility in Bothell, Washington, a Seattle suburb. A geologist and Navy veteran, Edward Nixon worked on his brothers 1968 and 1972 presidential campaigns and served as co-chairman of the Nixon re-election committee in 1972. Edward Nixon, youngest and last surviving brother of President Richard Nixon, passed away this morning near his home in Washington at 88. Statement from President Nixon's daughters and more about Ed's life here: https://t.co/4NHYu51Qj3 pic.twitter.com/LG4VD90mCn Richard Nixon Foundation (@nixonfoundation) February 27, 2019 In a statement released by the foundation, Richard Nixons daughters, Tricia Nixon Cox and Julie Nixon Eisenhower, called their uncle our familys rock since the former president died in 1994. They also called him a source of strength. Richard Nixon was 17 years old and getting ready to start college when his youngest brother was born on May 3, 1930, in Whittier, California. Edward Nixon (Jebb Harris/The Orange County Register/AP) Edward Calvert Nixon was the fifth son of Frank and Hannah Nixon and had been the last surviving brother of the former president. Because of their age difference, Edward Nixon described his older brother as a mentor and assistant father, the foundation said. In 1994, Edward Nixon told reporters the former president was frequently misrepresented, with the focus on the Watergate scandal that drove him from office. He said in his extensive travels around the globe he was always asked by residents in other countries, Whats the matter with the people in the United States? Why did they put him out of office? What really irks his friends are the repeated references to the things that didnt go well in his life and to the enigma of the man, Edward Nixon said at the time. Hes just a brother to me. Edward Nixon was an original board member of the private Richard Nixon Foundation, which founded and operated the presidential library until the National Archives took control in 2007. A $500,000 makeover followed, which scholars said provided a more balanced and accurate account of the Watergate story. But the new exhibit caused friction with the foundation, which filed extensive objections. Then-library director Tim Naftali, who described the original display as inaccurate, told the Los Angeles Times in 2011 that he had a tense encounter with Edward Nixon and other foundation members in 2010, who berated him about the revised exhibit and considered it unfair. Edward Nixon is survived by his daughters Amelie Amy Peiffer and Elizabeth Beth Matheny. His wife died in 2014. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge chatted with other parents of young children during a visit to a childcare centre in Northern Ireland. On the final stop of their two-day visit to the region before returning home to their own children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, the royal couple spent time listening to the experiences of parents in Ballymena, Co Antrim. William and Kate waved to cheering onlookers who had gathered at St Josephs SureStart facility in the Dunclug area as they arrived on Thursday afternoon. They were officially welcomed by the vice lord lieutenant for County Antrim, Richard Reade, before being escorted inside by centre manager Jennifer Campbell. William chats to children at the SureStart facility in Ballymena (Liam McBurney/PA) The SureStart centre, funded by the Department for Education in Northern Ireland, is run by the leading childrens charity Action for Children. The parenting programme focuses on supporting families facing challenges like parental isolation or mental health issues or who may have limited support networks. Hatching Dinosaur eggs at Ballymena & Little Steps Sure Start which children and their parents work together to open and hatch, supporting childrens physical and cognitive skill development. #RoyalVisitNI pic.twitter.com/GAKQ6CdvTZ The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) February 28, 2019 Father-of-three Michael Jennings, 34, was among the parents who met William and Kate. He said he was not expecting William to sit around a table and engage in conversation with him, adding he found him very, very down to earth. The duke showed he is no stranger to Play-Dough as he sat at a childrens table with Mr Jennings and his daughter Aurora, three, and a number of other parents and children. Kate helped children with a gardening activity at the centre (Liam McBurney/PA) Mr Jennings said: We talked about parenting and how everyone has their own style. He gave Aurora a handshake, and she got a high-five from the duchess, she was over the moon that she got to meet a princess. Ms Campbell said it had been a fantastic visit which has left a lot of happy faces. The crowd outside the centre as Kate and William arrived (Niall Carson/PA) She said: It went as well as we hoped it would do, the duke and duchess were very engaged, there were fantastic interactions between our guests and the families, a great celebration of what we do here at SureStart. A key part of all their conversations today was about being parents, about the parenting journey and the support we all need on that parenting journey. Mr Farage will lead march from Sunderland which is due in London on March 29 Leave Means Leave campaign organising the protest which begins on March 16 Nigel Farage is to lead a march from Sunderland to London by Leave campaigners who accuse the Government of 'betraying the British people over Brexit'. Organised by the Leave Means Leave campaign, the march will begin on March 16 and arrive in the capital on March 29 the scheduled date of Brexit. Theresa May's announcement that she will offer MPs a vote on blocking a no-deal Brexit or extending negotiations mean it is no longer certain the Government will take the UK out of the EU that day. Mr Farage said: 'The Westminster elite are in the process of betraying the British people over Brexit. 'All of us who want Britain to be a great country once again accept that we must be prepared to stand up for what we believe in and fight for our independence.' Nigel Farage looks down from the top deck of an open top bus during a Leave Means Leave event Organised by the Leave Means Leave campaign, the march will begin on March 16 and arrive in the capital on March 29 the scheduled date of Brexit Departing from the first city to return a Leave vote on the night of June 23 2016, the march will visit towns including Hartlepool, Pontefract, Doncaster and Wellingborough on its way to London. Different marchers are expected to take part in each leg of the route, leading to a mass rally in Parliament Square at its conclusion. Leave Means Leave chairman John Longworth said: 'The Westminster elite has had over two years to implement Brexit and instead has done everything in its power to prevent it. 'Despite 52% of voters choosing Brexit, only 24% of current UK MPs voted to leave. 'An extension of Article 50, thereby kicking the can further down the road, is completely unacceptable.' Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, who backs the pro-EU Best for Britain, said: 'This is another ludicrous idea from Britain's best-known charlatan. 'A 14-day march sounds rough, especially one led by Nigel Farage. 'He'll march his troops to the top of the hill where he'll ask them to dive off the no deal cliff edge.' Are India and Pakistan in a state of war or even in a state of declared armed conflict? Thats the question that could possibly determine the fate of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was allegedly taken into custody of the Pakistani Army after crashing in Pakistani territory. So far, both India and Pakistan have been very careful to not use the word war or even armed conflict to describe what has been going on at the LOC for the past few days. Everything has been described as LOC violation", "Targeted non-military attack" and Self-defence. The language, however, seems to be changing after the capture of our Air Force pilot. The government issued a demarche to the Pakistani authorities on Wednesday, hours after videos, apparently of an Indian Air Force pilot, surfaced in Pakistan media and social media. The soldier was seen being beaten up by locals in the presence of army personnel in one video, and standing bloodied with his hands tied behind his back, while being questioned by officers of the Pakistan Army in another. The MEA initially made a statement that it had not received any information through legitimate diplomatic channels regarding the identity of the arrested soldier but later summoned the Pakistani High Commissioner to lodge a strong protest against the vulgar display of the injured IAF personnel, calling it a violation of all norms of the International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. The use of videos or images of conflict captures circulated on social media is a major new challenge for international law to deal with. (Photo: India Today) The Geneva Convention and international human rights law have a complicated relationship with the realities of war and politics. Article 2 of the Geneva Convention, on the treatment of Prisoners of War, in 1949, defined that the provisions of the international treaty would apply to all cases of declared war or any other armed conflict, which may arise between two countries. Article 13 protects POWs and other protected persons from any inhumane, degrading treatment, including anything that could endanger the health and safety of the person. It also includes a specific prohibition against acts of violence or intimidation, and against insults and public curiosity. Article 118 talks about release and repatriation of the POWs after cessation of active hostilities. Some experts say India could appeal to the international community stating that Pakistan violated the Geneva Convention by parading the captured soldier, reportedly keeping him blindfolded and tied up, and circulating the video of his alleged questioning. Others say that since the two countries are not at war, nuances of international law and diplomacy will have to be skilfully negotiated. The issue of social media leaks of Wing Commander Abhinandans alleged capture and questioning has remained a grey area in international law. In 1999, during the Kargil War, when flight lieutenant K Nachiketa had been captured by Pakistan, the Indian government refused to allow him to be handed over back to India amid media presence. He was finally brought back to India by officials of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) which is one of the international bodies that is a neutral observer for implementation of the Geneva Convention. With increasing TV and social media presence now, the question of photographing or videographing captured personnel has become more and more complicated. In 2003, during the Iraq War, the international community was engaged in a debate on the photos and videos taken and published by reporters from media agencies embedded with US and British forces. The question was of balance between photography for identification of a captured person versus situations in which photography is intended to further humiliation through in-person display. In 2006, the ICRC put out a consultation paper on the issue, noting that the Conventions signed in 1949 did not make any provision for modern social media technology. On the one hand, a newspaper photograph or television picture of a prisoner of war or of a civilian security internee can be claimed to prove that he/she is alive and to show his/her standard of treatment. On the other hand, such publicity can humiliate the prisoner of war or civilian security internee, endanger his/her family and make his/her return to his/her own State or community more difficult, the ICRC paper said. However, the ICRC also suggested that It would also be unacceptable to show images of prisoners of war and civilian security internees in situations which humiliate or degrade them, even if they are not recognisable. Thus, it would not normally be acceptable to show hooded prisoners or unidentifiable persons in a humiliating or degrading position. The debate over showing prisoners of war or of conflict, often in hard situations, intensified with the Iraq War. (Image used for representational purposes. Photo: Reuters) The question of whether showing hooded prisoners was degrading towards them was raised in the international community during the outrage on Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay, with the Supreme Court of the USA in 2008 finally saying that even non-state actors were entitled to basic human rights, and the Geneva Convention protections would include protection from videos and photos being shown. However, the practice still continues, even as the debate in the international community is not clearly settled. Since neither India, nor Pakistan is ready to admit that there is an ongoing armed conflict, the situation becomes more complicated when it comes to international law obligations and asking the international community to support India. There has been an outpouring of support from various countries, asking Pakistan to sit down at the negotiating table with India. It is now up to the Indian authorities to leverage international support and bring our brave soldier back home where he belongs. Also read: MIG29 vs F16, Mirage vs Chengdu, Sukhoi vs Thunder: Comparing India and Pakistan's deadliest aircraft In the wake of the allegations and counter-allegations that both India and Pakistan lobbed against each other over making incursions into each other's airspace, shutting down a few key regional airports was a crucial move that both the sides took. India lifted the shutdown on selected airports a few hours later but Pakistan has extended the lockdown and for the second consecutive day. Its entire airspace has been closed off for several hours now. The move is significant and unprecedented in recent history. Its ramifications go beyond the current bilateral tension. The Pakistan-Afghanistan airspace is a crucial route. (Photo: FlightRadar24) When does a country close off its airspace? One may remember how the Federal Aviation Administration, for the first time ever, shut down the airspace of the United States, following the 9/11 terror attack. Going by the rulebook, airspace restrictions serve mainly two purposes: One, to ensure the safety of aircraft and their occupants; Two, to protect the people on the ground. The decision is taken by the country as in general, the airspace over a country is controlled by that nation's authorities. Pilots and airlines have to follow the directives of the country in which they are registered. Closing off their airspace now means commercial flights can neither land, nor take off from any airport in Pakistan. All flights using Pakistani airspace en route have to divert. Perhaps the most extreme example yet of the circuitous routing required due to the closure of Pakistani airspace. https://t.co/Sxm2x0qfkG pic.twitter.com/BTFm7kI1GD Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 28, 2019 International air traffic severely disrupted Following this embargo, international air traffic has been thrown into a tizzy. Thai Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, GulfAir, SriLankan Airlines, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines and British Airways have cancelled and/or rescheduled or diverted their flights. Thousands of passengers are stranded in Pakistan and elsewhere due to the airspace lockdown. As aviation analyst Geoffrey Thomas said to CNN, this is a serious disruption as all traffic has been pushed much further south over the top of the Arabian Gulf. You cant go further north as you are then flying over the Himalayas and you cant do that. Youre locked into this corridor. Re-routing involves a sudden hike in cost. Current flight activity above India and Pakistan vs one month prior. Pakistani airspace is currently closed to all traffic and traffic in India restricted from certain airports.???? https://t.co/XZQTqbPAJ1 pic.twitter.com/roRwY7pK1U Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 27, 2019 International airlines alarmed As a report of the Independent points out, since the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over an area of Ukraine occupied by Russia separatists, pilots and airlines are wary of flying over any conflict zones. Even if the embargo is lifted by midnight today, whether it would create a similar impact with international airlines fearful of using Pakistan-Afghanistan airspace remains to be seen. Also Read: Steeped in Extremism: Balakot has been a hub of Wahabi ideology and radical Islam for centuries Balakot, one of the three places in Pakistan that Indian fighter jets targeted on February 26 to destroy the terror bases of the Maulana Masood Azhar-led Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), has a historic connection with followers of ultra Wahabi or the extremist brand of Islam in Pakistan and India. Bits of debris from the payload reportedly released by Indian military aircraft at the JeM facility in Balakot. (Twitter/@OfficialDGISPR) Balakots symbolic and sentimental value for terror outfits, such as Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has been there for almost two centuries now. Even LeT co-founder Hafiz Saeed has strong links to Balakot. At one point, Saeed used to run his charity activities for local poor Muslims in the area. Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed has been a regular visitor to terrorist camps in Balakot. (Source: Reuters) Balakot was one of the favourite breeding grounds for Wahabism in South Asia. Balakot is associated with the death of a famous Indian Wahabi preacher Syed Ahmad Barelvi. Barelvi was killed in a battle with the army of the Sikh emperor Ranjit Singh in 1831. Barelvi was killed along with his lieutenant, Shahid Ismail, another Wahabi preacher who is not only revered by Wahabis in India and Pakistan but also in Saudi Arabia because of his prolific writing, condemning the practices of not just non-Islamic religions but also moderate Sufi Islam. When the battle took place, Barelvi was leading an army of his followers known as the Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen and had styled himself as Amir-ul-Momin of the Wahabis. Shah Ismail belonged to a family of ideologues of radical Islam. His great grandfather had penned Fatawa-e-Alamgiri, a religious book for fanatical Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. It was Aurangzeb's commentary on the interpretation of Koran. Ismails grandfather was well-known radical Islamic preacher Shah Waliullah who invited Afghan invader Ahmed Shah Abdali to invade India in 1759 and defeat the kafir Marathas and Jats who were controlling the Mughal throne and thereby re-establish Muslim rule based on puritanical Islam. Significantly, both Barelvi and Ismail are known as people who played the most prominent role in laying the foundation of Wahabi tenets in India. In fact, Barelvi is also known as Syed Ahmed Barelvi Wahabi in British records. He veered full-stream towards Wahabi Islam after visiting Mecca and Medina and coming in touch with the mainstream preachers there. He became a preacher of Wahabi tenets after coming back to India. Ismail accepted Barelvi as his religious preceptor and eventually, the guru and chela became inseparable. Surprisingly, Ismails teachings have also been praised by nationalist Muslims, such as Abul Kalam Azad, Indias first education minister and a favourite of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, who was Congress president from 1939 to 1945, the most crucial years before Indias Partition and independence. Ismails book Taqwiyat-ul-Iman (Strengthening of the Faith), which decries Sufism and the practices of non-Islamic religions, and is taught in all Wahabi madrasas (seminaries of Deoband and Ahle Hadis schools in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) for the last 150 years or more is said to be one of the main reasons for the radicalisation of Muslims studying in these madrasas. The text Taqwiyat Ul Iman (Strengthening Of The Faith), Darussalam, which shaped radical Islam across South Asia. Interestingly, the Sikh army in the Balakot battle was led by Ranjit Singhs son, Kunwar Sher Singh, who later became the Sikh emperor for a short while. It is said Barelvi was apparently killed off by the Sikh soldiers and his body was never found the body of Ismail Dehlvi was buried in Balakot. Ismails tomb can be found in Balakot even today. The battle was fought because Barelvi, a resident of Bareilly in UP, left India for the North West-Frontier Province (now known as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) to canvass support for the jihad that he declared against the British, and later against the Sikhs. Another Balakot location: Shahid Ismails tomb can also be found in Balakot. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) Barelvis ultimate goal was the re-establishment of Muslim rule in India, based on a puritanical Islamic order. Like all Wahabis, he regarded emperor Akbars liberal policies as the root cause for the weakening of puritanical Islam in India. However, he saw the British as enemy number one and therefore tried seeking tactical support from Hindu and Muslim rulers of that time. But he was forced to migrate to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because he didnt get the desired support for his jihad against the British despite his best efforts. Significantly, he first tried to enlist the support of his friend, the famous Pathan chieftain, Amir Khan Pindari, but Amir Khan refused as he had been made nawab of Tonk by the British to prevent him from harassing and looting the local princely rulers in Malwa and Rajasthan. Next, he tried to seek support from Raja Hindurao Ghatge, the brother-in-law of the Maratha ruler of Gwalior, Maharaja Daulat Rao Scindia, but he also refused interestingly, he is the same Hindurao Ghatge in whose erstwhile palace the Bada Hindu Rao Hospital is housed in Delhi today. When Barelvi reached NWFP, he was warmly welcomed by the local Pathan tribesman. In fact, they virtually accepted him as their religious pontiff and declared him their Amir-ul-Momin. Barelvi lived at a place called Sittana in NWFP. But Barelvi practiced a severe brand of Wahabi Islam and in doing so, he inflicted heavy punishments on those who indulged in the worship of Sufi saints which is prohibited in Wahabism and seen as an import from the Hindu tradition of guru puja. Syed Ahmed Barelvi was first warmly welcomed by the Pathan tribesman of the NWFP. He was then rejected. (Source: Reuters) At that time, playing and listening to folk music was part of tribal Pathan culture in NWFP but Barelvi, in keeping with Wahabi tenets, opposed it and punished its practitioners. Gradually, he came to be disliked by local Pathans and eventually hated. A point came when he was forced to leave NWFP with his band of less than 5,000 followers, after skirmishes with local Pathans, and look for refuge in Kashmir instead. However, Barelvi had turned Sikhs into his cut-throat enemies while being in NWFP. Sikhs had been very harsh on the Pathans of NWFP and Barelvi wanted to take revenge on the Sikhs. So, he declared jihad against the Sikhs and fought battles with them. In 1831, when he was passing through Balakot on his return from NWFP, he suddenly came face to face with a Sikh army and had to engage in battle. The battle lasted for a few hours before Barelvi and his lieutenant were killed and his army dispersed. Today, if moderate Islam is battling radical Islam in South Asia, it is Barelvi and Ismail who are believed to be the reason behind this as it is they who spread Wahabi Islam. That they died while waging jihad put them on a very high pedestal in the entire Wahabi world. Ismail is also regarded as a holy figure by Wahabis because he spread Islam with both the pen and the sword. These are the main factors why the ultra-Wahabis or the terrorists have an emotional attachment with Balakot. On the flipside, at a time Pakistan is trying to woo Indian Sikhs in the name of 'Khalistan' by using baits such as opening the Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara for Indian Sikhs, episodes like the 1831 battle at Balakot act as impediments. Also read: A Strategic Moment: Why the Balakot air-strike is so significant Formulating a cohesive account of Hindu nationalism and polity in India has been hampered by the reality of history In his 1934 book, The Story of My Life, the early Hindu nationalist and author, Bhai Parmanand, lamented that when he visited the United States in 1914, many Americans asked him, Are all Hindus Muslim? The Indian historian, Gyanendra Pandey, in his essay for the anthology, Hindus and Others, wrote that even till the late 19th century, being a Hindu largely meant being an inhabitant of India, no matter what religion he or she belonged to. Both Hindu and Muslim nationalisms in India have their roots in the aftermath of the failure of the 1857 War of Independence. Nationalism as an idea was largely foreign to both communities. It was uncannily introduced in the subcontinent by the British. Eminent historian Ayesha Jalal in her book, Self and Sovereignty, wrote that at least one of the reasons behind the emergence of Hindu and Muslim nationalism was the introduction of the holding of a nation-wide census by the British, who insisted that the natives declare their faith. Bhai Parmanand should not have been surprised by what the Americans asked him. The idea of defining the Hindus and Muslims as separate communities of India was still new to those living thousands of miles away. To them, India was Hindustan and its citizens were Hindu just as Americas citizens were American be they Christian or otherwise. But Parmanand was aware of the fact that unlike Islam, Judaism or Christianity, Hinduism was a dispersed faith, which did not have a centre. According to author and historian Craig A Lockhard, in his book, Societies, Networks and Transitions, Hinduism emerged over centuries as a synthesis and fusion of various cultures and beliefs which sprang up in the region. But this synthesis was more cultural and geographical in nature. It wasnt tied together by a single, over-arching theological thread. The British scholar of comparative religion, GD Flood, wrote in his tome, An Introduction to Hinduism, that the word Hindu was first used as a geographical term in the Persian texts of 6th century BCE to describe people who lived beyond River Indus (in present-day Pakistan). Flood also wrote that the Persians formulated this word from the original local name of the Indus, which was Sindhu. According to Indian historian Romila Thapar, the term Sindhu was derived from Sapta Sindhu mentioned in the Rig Veda a book of Sanskrit hymns composed between 1500 and 1200 BCE. The Sapta Sindhu is described as a river in the Rig Veda. The post-seventh century Arabs picked up on the word Hindu, first coined by the Persians to form the word al-Hind or Hindustan. By this, they meant a region inhabited by the people of the Indus. JT OConnell, in his 1973 essay, The Word Hindu, published in Gaudiya Vaisnava Texts, wrote that it was only in the 16th century CE that the word Hindu initially emerged in the context of being a faith. According to him, it is described as a religion in the 16th century Bengali tome Chaitanya Charitamrita, which uses the term Hindu dharma. Pandey wrote that to overcome this realisation, early Hindu nationalists claimed that a majority of non-Hindu people living in the region had originally been Hindu and were converted. On the other hand, also in the 19th century, early Muslim nationalists claimed that their ancestors were non-Indian and had roots in Muslim Arabia and Central Asia. But the early Muslim nationalists had an established monotheist faith to help them concoct a social and political link with Muslim-majority regions; early Hindu nationalists struggled to formulate a coherent history of Hinduism. Whereas it was somewhat simpler for 19th century Muslim reformers of India to work with an established monotheist faith with an organised history to express their cultural and political separateness, Hindu reformers had to start almost from scratch. Therefore, early Hindu reformist organisations such as the Arya Samaj (formed in 1875) based their Hindu reformism on the idea that Hinduism, too, was a monotheistic faith, which had just one God and that all other deities worshipped in India were just manifestations of this one God. The aim was to shape a dispersed cultural synthesis into an organised monotheist faith so that it could be used to form a cohesive Hindu nationalist narrative and polity. In Modis India today, historians who hold the above-mentioned view, are under attack. For example, a textbook authored by Thapar was removed from the curriculum. The book was replaced by one authored by Meenakshi Jain, a political scientist and a vocal supporter of Hindu nationalism. Jain accused Thapar of trying to portray Hindu nationalism as a modern political construct which had no roots in antiquity. Then, there was the case of American historian James Laines 2004 book, Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India, on the 17th century warrior king hailed as an unmatched hero by Hindu nationalists. But Laine did not treat any of the myths related to the king as facts. A group of men belonging to the far-right Shiv Sena stormed the library where Laine had done his research. They broke its windows and doors and set fire to a number of books. One of Laines Indian collaborators was thrashed and his face blackened. The BJP Government decided to ban the book in India. In 2002, prolific historian Prof DN Jha completed his book, Myth of the Holy Cow. Drawing from various historical sources, Jha established that the cow was not always sacred in what became Hinduism and that ancient Hindus regularly ate beef. He used the word ancient Hindus because they were probably not called that at the time. To Jha, the issues of cow worship and beef in India today are more political and ideological in nature than theological. After word got out about the contents of his book, its appointed publishing house was threatened. The publisher withdrew and Jha had to look for another publisher. The book was finally published, but Hindu nationalist groups demanded that Jha be arrested for heresy. As threats grew, Jha secretly left India. The Muslim religious-nationalist narrative in Pakistan, too, has caused fissures. But ever since the 1990s, it has developed a less reactive tendency to absorb the counter-narratives which challenge the mythical aspects of the religious-nationalist narrative. In India, the Hindu religious-nationalist narrative constituted a lesser part of the overall Indian nationalist narrative. It only began to assert itself in the late 1980s. Challenging it causes more bitterness and violence there especially by that section of the polity which accuses the original Indian nationalist narrative of suppressing Hindu majoritarianism. (Courtesy: The Dawn) Forces dismiss Pak claims, show wreckage of F16 used in incursion Debunking Pakistan claims that F-16s were not used in the offensive against Indian military targets in Jammu & Kashmir on Wednesday morning, the Indian Air Force on Thursday said the American aircraft was used in the misadventure and also displayed the wreckage of the beyond visual range missiles of the US-supplied fighter plane. Air Vice Chief RGK Kapoor, who addressed the media, along with the representatives of the Army and the Navy, said a variety of aircraft was used by Pakistan Air Force F-16s, JF 17 Thunder and Mirages. This rejects Pakistans claims that its air force did not target the Indian military installations during Wednesdays air intrusion. Asserting that the IAF strikes hit the intended target and achieved the mission, Kapoor said its up to the political leadership to decide when and how to release evidence of the Balakot strikes success. He was responding to a question on the scepticism in some quarters about whether IAF fighters had hit the intended targets. Kapoor said there is credible information and evidence that We hit the intended targets and it was premature to assess the casualties and damage. Sources in the Government said more than 20 Pakistani aircraft had approached the Indian airspace. The IAF also nailed the misinformation by the Pakistan military that it shot down two Indian aircraft and captured three Indian pilots which was later claimed to be two and by the evening on Wednesday they said just one pilot was in their custody. The Army and Navy representatives asserted that the Armed forces are on high alert and ready to meet any security challenge on land and sea. But the sources added there has been no mobilisation of ground forces yet. Tensions between the two countries escalated after Indian fighters bombed banned terror group Jaish-e-Mohammeds biggest training camp near Balakot deep inside Pakistan early on Tuesday. It came 12 days after the JeM claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama in Jammu & Kashmir, killing 40 paramilitary men. The IAF showed parts of Amraam missiles as proof that Pakistan used F-16 aircraft to attack Indian military establishments on Wednesday. Pakistan lied that no F-16 was used but there was enough evidence, Kapoor said. Stating that Pakistan aircraft targeted military installations, he added PAF bombs were unable to damage any of Indias defence installations. Addressing the media, Indian Armys Major General SS Mahal said escalation of tensions had been done by Pakistan but India was prepared for any contingency if the enemy provoked it. Mechanised forces were put on standby and troops were ready to deal with any security challenge, Mahal said. Rear Admiral of the Indian Navy Dalbir Singh Gujral said the force was in a high state of readiness to deal with any Pakistan misadventure in the maritime domain. The briefing by the tri-services came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high level meeting amid the heightened tensions with Pakistan and after Imran Khan announced the release of an Indian Air Force pilot captured by his country. The meeting was attended by chiefs of the three Services, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. A host of other senior officials attended the meeting at the PMs residence. Imran says release a gesture of peace; India asserts it cant be bargaining chip A day after India demanded immediate release of an IAF pilot who landed in Pakistan detention on Wednesday following an aerial engagement by air forces of the two countries, Pakistan Prime Minster Imran Khan on Thursday announced that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released on Friday as a gesture of peace and the first step to open negotiations with India. The decision comes amid report that the Indian Government reportedly decided that Varthaman cannot be a bargaining chip and New Delhi will not strike any deal with Islamabad for his release. Khan made the announcement during a joint session of Parliament soon after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Khan is ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions. In our desire for peace, I announce that tomorrow (Friday), and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody, Khan said. The announcement was greeted by thumping of desks by Pakistani lawmakers. The Indian Air Force on Thursday said it is very happy that captured pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan is returning home but dismissed suggestions it was a goodwill gesture, insisting it was in line with the Geneva Conventions. We are very happy Abhinandan will be freed tomorrow and look forward to his return, Air Vice Marshal R GK Kapoor, assistant chief of Air Staff, told a news conference. Asked if the IAF sees it as a goodwill move, Kapoor said, We see it as a gesture in consonance with the Geneva Conventions. The joint session of Pakistan Parliament was held on Thursday to discuss rising tension with India. The Pakistani Air Force on Wednesday carried out a retaliatory strike, a day after Indian struck inside Pakistan, destroying the biggest terrorist training camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Addressing the House, Khan said, The only purpose of our strike was to demonstrate our capability and will. We did not want to inflict any casualty on India as we wanted to act in a responsible manner. He warned if India moved ahead with the aggression, Pakistan will be forced to retaliate and urged the Indian leadership not to push for escalation as war is not solution to any problem. Warning that any miscalculation from India would result in disaster, he said, Countries are ruined because of miscalculation. War is not a solution. If India takes any action, we will have to retaliate. Khan, however, said Pakistans desire for de-escalation should not be misconstrued as its weakness. Our armed forces are battle-hardened and they are fully prepared to respond to any aggression, he said. Khan said he tried to call the Indian Prime Minister on the phone on Wednesday because escalation is not in our interests nor in Indias. The Prime Minister urged the international community to play its role in de-escalation for peace and stability in the region. Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale briefed envoys of several countries, including from China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, on the Pakistan Air Force targeting Indian military installations in an aggressive manner, resulting in the escalation of tensions. On US President Donald Trumps suggesting that the situation between India and Pakistan was de-escalating, the sources said New Delhi has no idea what he was referring to. Pakistans efforts to link the release of the pilot with de-escalation of tensions with India has not gone down well in New Delhi, they indicated. In Islamabad, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said his Government was willing to consider returning the captured IAF pilot if it leads to de-escalation of tensions with India. According to the sources, Khan has to walk the talk on investigating the February 14 Pulwama attack. India, they stressed, wants immediate, credible and verifiable action against terrorists and their proxies. Pakistan has to take concrete steps against JeM, the sources said when asked about Khans offer of talks with India. They added that Pakistan was deliberately whipping up war psychosis and trying to mislead the international community on the situation. Asked on talks with Khan, the sources said Pakistan must first take concrete and specific anti-terror steps. The sources said India did not share actionable intelligence with Pakistan about involvement of JeM in the Pulwama terror attack and instead targeted its terrorist training camp in Balakot as no result had yielded after actionable intelligence was shared with Islamabad following the Mumbai and Pathankot attacks. Google-owned YouTube on Thursday removed 11 objectionable video links of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan during an air combat on Wednesday. The YouTube took the decision after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology asked the video streaming platform to do so. When contacted, a Google spokesperson said the company complies with valid legal requests from authorities wherever possible, consistent with our longstanding policy and act quickly to remove such material. Data on Government requests to remove content from Google services is regularly updated in our transparency report, the spokesperson added. Hashtags like #BringbackAbhinandan, #SayNoToWar, #MiG21, #F16 and #PakFakeClaim were trending as netizens from both the sides of border turned to social media to express their views. India also strongly objected to Pakistans vulgar display of an injured personnel of the IAF in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. It was made clear that Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return, the MEA said in a statement. A host of American IT giants like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Google continue to host anti-India and jehadi content floated by UN-banned terrorists like Hafiz Sayeed, and the chief of banned terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad and its leader Masood Azhar. Interestingly, these US companies also have a significant presence in the Indian market but are not taking any action to delete such contents, many of which are used for radicalisation and ultimately lead to terrorist attacks by the terror proxies of the Pakistan Army and the ISI combine. The 13th Uttarakhand State Science and Technology Congress concluded with 46 young scientists awarded for their work in different fields on Thursday. Speaking on the occasion as the chief guest, the chairman of Uttarakhand Public Service Commission, Anand Singh Rawat, motivated participants to be doers and develop passion for the nation while also trying to contribute through innovative research towards the welfare of society. Saluting the soldiers safeguarding the nations borders, he said that it is because of science and technology that the soldiers were well equipped. Speaking on the occasion of National Science Day, retired IAS officer Hem Kumar Pande analysed all the National Science Day themes since 1999, presenting a picture of where the efforts started, what the current status is and in which direction the efforts are headed. He also elaborated on the theme for this year Science for the People, and the People for Science while exhorting young researchers to develop scientific temperament and come up with small innovations that could change daily life. He also asked students to be entrepreneurs and develop devices for solid waste management so that the Himalayan region and hills can be rid of garbage heaps. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh director professor Ravi Kant, former chief secretary N Ravishankar, HNB Uttarakhand Medical Education University vice chancellorprofessor Hem Chandra, Wildlife Institute of India director VB Mathur and Indian Institute of Remote Sensing director Prakash Chauhan also addressed the gathering on the occasion. Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST) director general Rajendra Dobhal informed that out of 500 papers presented in the 13th science and technology congress, 46 students were selected for Young Scientist Award. Upasana from GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology received the Innovator of the Year award for 2018-19. Infuriated by the challans issued by the Delhi Traffic Police, three persons, including an auto taxi union leader, allegedly thrashed a Traffic police constable near New Delhi Railway station on Tuesday night. According to a senior police official, the 33-year-old traffic police constable Satish Kumar was returning home in a DTC bus after his duty from Ajmeri Gate point on Tuesday when around 9.45 pm when the bus reached in New Delhi Railway station, three persons boarded the bus including the Taxi union leader. The union leader pointed towards him and said that, he challaned our taxies so we have to teach him a lesson. The victim tried to escape but was caught by the trio who thrashed him black and blue. Kumar somehow managed to call the police after which the trio fled away, said the senior police official. Police said that, during the incident the constable was off duty and in civil uniform. Further on the complaint of the victim cop the Kamla Market police station lodged an FIR under appropriate sections and efforts are being made to nab the accused. Welcoming Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khans announcement on the release of IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan a day after, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday termed it a goodwill gesture that would help ease the prevailing tensions at the border. Capt Amarinder, interacting with the BSF personnel at the Khalra observation post during a tour of the border areas as part of his confidence-building measures for the residents, said that the Pulwama attack by Pak-back terror forces was an act of cowardice, necessitating the retaliation by the Indian government. I, however, hope that normalcy would return soon at the border, he said. The Chief Minister extended all support on behalf of his government to the BSF to deal with the current situation in the aftermath of the IAF strikes on terror hideouts across the Line of Control (LoC). We are there for you, he told the BSF personnel. During his tour of the Tarn Taran region to assess the ground situation, the Chief Minister interacted with the residents of at least 15 border area villages, including Shaheed Baba Tara Singh Wala, Rajoke, Kalia Shatara, Dholan, Lakhna and Kals. During his interaction with the residents, he urged them to remain calm and not to be swayed by rumours. Assuring the huge crowd that had gathered at Mastgarh village, just two kilometers from the international border to see him, the Chief Minister reaffirmed his commitment to ensure the safety and security of every citizen. The Chief Minister, who shared lunch with them, urged one and all to guard against manufactured hysteria and not get waylaid by rumours. Punjab Government stands shoulder to shoulder with you in this critical hour, Capt Amarinder told the residents in Kals village, urging them not to panic. Earlier, Capt Amarinder also visited the 14th BSF Batallion Headquarters at Khemkaran, the bravehearts of which are stationed along the international border, and was briefed about the overall defence preparedness by IG BSF Mahipal Yadav. He was assured that the force was fully prepared to thwart any untoward incident from across the border. The Chief Minister, on his arrival at Ghariala village in Tarn Taran district earlier, took stock of the situation and was briefed by top police and administrative brass regarding the prevailing situation and measures taken for the security of citizens. The Chief Minister asked the civil and police administration to work in coordination to prevail upon the border residents not to leave their homes in panic but to jointly hold meetings of village panchayats and prominent local residents to instil a sense of confidence. Capt Amarinder also impressed upon the residents not to be swayed by the false propaganda and desist from rumour mongering in the prevailing situation. Reiterating his governments firm commitment to stand by the people of the border areas in the tense atmosphere, the Chief Minister said that he was in constant touch with the Centre and keeping a tab on the situation. The Chief Minister also informed the people that he had already directed the state Chief Secretary and DGP to stay in close touch with the district and police administration of the six border districts Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Fazilka and Pathankot and work with them on the contingency plans. Meanwhile, in an informal chat with media, the Chief Minister said that during his visit to the border villages, he found the morale of the people and forces very high. He said that he had met officials and personnel from the Army and the BSF and they all were well prepared to deal with any situation. He said during his visit, several villagers had raised their problems with him and he will ensure that they are resolved at the earliest. Ive already instructed officers to visit the area tomorrow and resolve complaints relating to absence of teachers and doctors in schools and hospitals, he said. The team of IIM Indore emerged victorious at the city level rounds of Indias biggest inter-college quiz contest - Numero YONO held in Bhopal on February 26. IIM Indore team bagged annual scholarship of Rs 2.16 lakh that witnessed participation of 106 teams from multiple colleges in the city. First and Second Runners up teams from Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT Bhopal) win annual scholarship of Rs 1.44 lakh and one time amount of Rs 12000 respectively. Numero YONO - presented by State Bank of India, is conducted across all 17 cities where SBI Local Head Offices are located. In the Grand finale, 17 teams from 17 cities will compete with each other for the top spot to win the total scholarship of Rs 5.76 lakh at Mumbai in March, 2019. The 17 cities include Ahmedabad, Amravati, Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna, Pune and Thiruvananthapuram. Rajnish Kumar, Chairman, SBI said, We would like to congratulate the winning team of IIM Indore. Also we want to thank all the teams for their whole-hearted participation in Numero YONO to make this a successful event. We hope that by taking part in this contest, students took away enriching experience of learning and strong team spirit. In the last few months SBI under its comprehensive digital service platform YONO has come up with diverse youth engagement initiatives. Numero YONO is yet another initiative by the bank to reinforce the brand recall for YONO among its stakeholders. Haryana cabinet meeting on Mar 5 Chandigarh: Haryana Cabinet will meet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal in the Committee Room, fourth floor, Haryana Civil Secretariat, Chandigarh on March 5 at 5 pm. Employee held for taking bribe Chandigarh: Punjab State Vigilance Bureau on Thursday nabbed contractual employee of Sales Tax Department Prashant Kumar posted at Ludhiana red handed for accepting bribe of Rs 25,000 and also registered a case against Sales Tax Inspector Pankaj Takker posted at Sangrur. Spokesperson said that Kumar was nabbed red handed while accepting bribe of Rs 25,000 from complainant Sham Lal of Sangrur district. Apply for subsidy under SMAM Chandigarh: Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister OP Dhankar on Thursday appealed to the farmers to apply for availing subsidy on agriculture equipment for crop stubble management under Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanisation (SMAM) for the year 2018-19, from March 1 to 7. He said that this year, the farmers of Haryana have worked well as compared to other states for crop stubble management. Haryana transfers three IAS, 13 HCS Chandigarh: Haryana Government has issued transfer and posting orders of three IAS officers and 13 HCS officers with immediate effect. Among IAS, Sangeeta Tetarwal, Bhiwanis Additional Deputy Commissioner, and Secretary, RTA, Bhiwani has been posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner, Charkhi Dadri and Secretary, RTA, Charkhi Dadri vice Manoj Kumar who has been posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner, Bhiwani and Secretary, RTA, Bhiwani vice Sangeeta Tetarwal. IIM Rohtak wraps up placements for 19 batch Rohtak: IIM Rohtak has completed the final placement process for the Batch of 2019 with all students successfully achieving their placement goals. With this, IIM Rohtak is seventh out of 20 IIMs to place one of the largest PGP batch of 250 students. Hence, it is an incredible achievement for the institute to achieve 100 percent placements. NGO SPEAK Indias health conclave on Mar 3 Chandigarh: Society for Promotion of Ethical and Affordable Health Care (SPEAK), a not-for-profit non-government organisation (NGO), is organising a conclave on March 3 in collaboration with Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER). The conclave will take place in the auditorium of PGIMERs Advanced Pediatric Centre on the theme of Reducing spending on wasteful and unethical medical practices. Talent-Hunt Prize Distribution function held Chandigarh: Children with Special Needs of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 10 (GMSSS-10), participated in a state-level talent hunt prize distribution function organised at the school to acknowledge and celebrate inclusiveness in citys government schools. The entire event was well thought-out vis-a-vis Samagra Shiksha an overarching programme for the school education sector prepared with the broader goal of improving school effectiveness measured in terms of equal opportunities to Children with Special Needs and equitable learning outcomes. Foundation stone laid for SPV power plant Chandigarh: The city MP Kirron Kher on Thursday laid the foundation stone of 50 kWp SPV power plant at Lawyers Chamber, District Court Complex, Sector-43, Chandigarh, in the presence of UT District and Sessions Judge Balbir Singh. The plant is being installed on the rooftop of Lawyers Chamber at a total cost of Rs 23.48 lakhs under MPLAD scheme and is being executed by CREST (Chandigarh Renewable Science and Technology Promotion Society). Meet for emergency response arrangements Chandigarh: The Adviser to the Administrator, UT, Chandigarh, Manoj Parida, on Thursday held a precautionary review meeting at U.T Secretariat with senior officials of Chandigarh Administration, to review the security arrangements and response mechanism in the city. Deliberations were done by stakeholders over continuous vigilance by security forces, medical preparedness, prompt availability of fire brigades, public transport, civil defense mechanism and safety measures to be taken beforehand to counter any kind of eventualities. Workshop on crime scene at PU Chandigarh: The Criminal Justice Practicum Cell (CJPC), University Institute of Legal Studies, Panjab University, in collaboration with Central Detective Training Institute (CDTI), on Thursday organized a workshop on Crime Scene Management and Investigation. A local TV reporter had to be hospitalised on Wednesday after being allegedly thrashed by a group of Ranchi University staff at the Examination Department of the university. Chandan Dev Bhattacharya, who is said to have sustained severe injuries on his head and nose, was rushed to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) after he reportedly lost excessive blood and started vomiting. Later in the day, police detained two persons in connection with the attack. More detentions are likely in the course of investigation, sources said. Eyewitnesses said that Bhattacharya and two other journalists had gone to the University to report about the alleged anomalies in the functioning of the Examination Department. While he was capturing the locked door of the Examination Department on his camera, few staff objected. This reportedly led to a scuffle and subsequent thrashing of the journalists. Around eight to 10 people, who claimed to be staff of the department, asked us to stop recording videos. When we refused to oblige, they attacked us, said Sandeep Kumar, one of the three journalists thrashed in the incident. This is not the first incident of attack on journalists in the State Capital. Several incidents of journalists falling prey to the wrath of government doctors and teachers have been reported in Ranchi in the recent years. The media fraternity gathered at Kotwali Police Station in solidarity with Bhattacharya and demanded actions against the perpetrators. Later in the day, Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police Anish Gupta and other senior officials of Ranchi police met Bhattacharya and lodged a first information report against the staff involved in the attack. We have already detained two persons involved in the attack. More detentions will happen, Gupta said. As the man-elephant conflict spiked in Surguja and Korba districts of the state recently, Chhattisgarh government on Thursday decided to convene a meeting of all legislators of the affected areas to work out a solution to the problem. Forest Minister Mohammad Akbar made an announcement in this regard in the assembly after members raised the issue. Expressing concern over the crisis, some members attributed the problem to unplanned exploitation of coal in the affected region. Congress MLA Ambika Singhdeo drawing attention of the House towards the conflict, said the situation in the affected areas was grave. Participating in the debate, JCC (J) legislator and former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi termed it a serious problem. In the past decade, incidents of man-elephant conflicts saw 120% rise and people of Surguja and Korba are facing the fury of wild elephants, he said. Jogi also blamed the previous BJP government for not implementing Lemru Corridor and elephant parks in the regions to tackle the menace. It could have benefitted both humans and elephants, he added. Recalling steps taken during his own tenure, Jogi claimed he stopped coal mining activities in Hasdeo Aranya region during 2002 to avert the conflict. Another JCC (J) legislator Dharamjeet Singh too attributed the crisis to coal mining activities in the regions inhabited by elephants. He said mining activities were irritating the animals and making them violent. He claimed elephants have amazing ability to detect vibration caused by a blast even at a distance of 100 kilometers and as soon as they feel the vibration, the start running in opposite direction. Dharamjeet expressed surprise by the governments decision to allot 30 coal mines to Adani group. He demanded that since Congress President Rahul Gandhi during his visit to the region had opposed the allotment, the government led by his party should now cancel the deal. Speaker Charandas Mahant intervening into the matter, instructed for sending it to Questions References Committee of the state assembly. In order to reduce the illegal activities, smuggling and sale of various brands of liquor and bootlegging in the national Capital, the Delhi Government is planning to develop an online window ESCIMS (Excise Supply Chain Information Management System) through which the Delhi Police can track the activities related to import and transport permit. The Government officials closely associated with this project said that the process of developing the online window ESCIMS has been started. The unscrupulous elements will be eliminated once the feature comes in effect, the official said. As per the data shared by the Excise Department, about 2.88 lakh illegal bottles of liquor have been seized across the city and 585 First Information Report (FIR) registered in the year 2018-19. In addition to it, 585 persons were arrested in the same period under appropriate provisions of Excise Act. The main purpose behind the new initiative is to reduce bootlegging activities and further to check the illegal smuggling of liquor into the city and bootlegging activities, regular intelligence is being gathered, said the official, adding that large number of illegal liquor is smuggled from Haryana and then sold in the city on a cheaper rate. The data further shows that around 467 persons were arrested in just one month between November and December 2018 for consuming liquor in open area and creating chaotic situations to the public. The Excise Department is committed to maximise transparency, objectivity and professionalism in its functioning. Registration of foreign liquor suppliers who are not supplying liquor to retail vends in Delhi has been introduced in order to enable the department to track the movement of the foreign liquor, management of inventory and checking pilferage/evasion of the excise duty, said Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. Further, action and steps are being taken up by the excise to remove red-tapism and corruption. Further, major steps are taken by simplifying the process of renewal of licenses. The process of renewal and grant of fresh license has been made online, Sisodia had said in his budget speech on Tuesday. An application called Msalecheck has been developed for the excise inspectors to check the Non-Duty Paid liquor (NDPL). This app helps the Excise Inspector to fetch detailed information. Also, MliquorSalecheck App has also been developed through which citizens can check the authenticity of the liquor sold to them, said a official. Further, the total revenue generated by Excise department this year (2018-19 up to January) is Rs 4,015.64 crore with a growth of 12.2 per cent, the official added. Despite decades of court fights and countless state and local political battles, there remains today a $23 billion gap between the amount of money spent on predominantly white school districts and predominantly nonwhite school districts, according to a new report by EdBuild, an advocacy organization that pushes for equitable spending. Its a point that public school funding advocates in states have been making for some time now, but few national organizations have cited the disparity in such a stark and dramatic way nor attempt to place a dollar figure to the gap in spending. For its study, EdBuild added up all the local and state tax revenue spent in the 2015-16 school year on school districts that are more than 75 percent white (about $152 billion), and all the local and state tax revenue spent on school districts that are more than 75 percent nonwhite (about $129.7 billion). The authors found that, on average, the nonwhite school districts get $2,226 less funding per student than the white districts. It found that the highpoverty, nonwhite districts receive $1,487 less per student than the highpoverty, white school districts. The problem, the organization argues, lies in the way Americas schools have become hyper-racially segregated in recent decades and on districts heavy reliance on local funding revenue. So long as we link opportunity to gerrymandered borders and school funding to local wealth, we will never have a fair education system, EdBuild CEO Rebecca Sibilia said in a press release. The wrenching reality is that, from any angle, America is investing billions more in the futures of white children. Some state policymakers, however, take issue with the groups methodology. EdBuild, for example, did not include charter schools, schools on Native American reservations, or states with racially monolithic populations, such as Idaho. They also did not weigh districts size in order to figure out how geography and school district borders affect school resources. The EdBuild report ranked Arizona as having the highest disparities in the nation, spending $7,613 more on predominantly white school districts than on school districts predominantly serving students of color. That gap is $3,500 more than the state with the next highest-ranked disparity, Nebraska. But Arizona officials say, while a disparity certainly exists, that number would be much smaller if EdBuild factored in more of the states students into its funding formula and weighed district size. (Some of the states 666 districts, many of them charter schools, have just a dozen students in them.) Theres so many things to question about the data, you can easily dismiss the message, Anabel Aportela, the director of research for the Arizona School Boards Association, said. That kind of reporting doesnt help us. EdBuild CEO Rebecca Sibilia said in an interview with Education Week that the researchers absolutely stand by their math. National Debate The report comes as several increasingly racially diverse states, including Massachusetts, Maryland, and Texas, look to recalibrate outdated school funding formulas that dictate revenue streams for schools. While the average state funding formula is about 20 years old, finance experts suggest such formulas be replaced once every decade. School districts today are now more dependent on local funds than they are on state funds, a trend that reversed in recent years after state school spending dwindled during the last recession. Overhauling funding formulas is a politically thorny and extremely complicated process . It includes trying to figure out how much it costs to educate students, all with a varying set of needs; figuring out how to divvy up sales, income, and property revenue among hundreds of districts; and then determining what districts should spend that money on. Political hurdles abound: Taxpayers are increasingly hostile to new taxes and sharing tax revenue with neighboring racially segregated districts and district superintendents often fiercely compete against each other for state and federal resources. Hey guys. Lawrence wants to make sure you see our newest report on racial funding disparities. pic.twitter.com/jmX8qfErns Rebecca Sibilia (@RebeccaSibilia) February 26, 2019 Districts that serve large portions of poor students and students of color have historically struggled in recruiting and retaining qualityand inevitably more expensiveteachers. And several recent studies show that as poor students cluster in a schoolhouse, schools have to pay for more wraparound services such as school nurses and school psyhologists and reduce class sizes to ameliorate the effects of poverty. Funding formulas being pushed in recent years in states would provide more money to districts that serve large concentrations of poor students, students with special needs, and English-language learners. But convincing mostly white districts to sign on to those sorts of plans are politically difficult. The newest battlefront is equalizing funding between schools . Even in states where districts receive similar amounts of money, districts then disburse that money between schools in uneven, haphazard and, some critics point out, racially discriminatory ways. But, the political debates aside, states own studies have come to similar conclusions: taxpayers spend more on white and wealthy students than they spend on poor students and students of color. A Maryland commission on school finance, for example, recently released a report that says it would cost $4.4 billion over the next decade in order to provide Marylands increasingly diverse student body an adequate education. Among the commissions findings: the fewer white students at a school, the less money it has to spend. The more students of color a district serves, the more underfunded the district is. Kirwan Commission, studying education in Maryland, getting closer to finalizing recommendations today pic.twitter.com/DIHYr9N8mI Luke Broadwater (@lukebroadwater) December 19, 2018 Dont miss another State EdWatch post. Sign up here to get news alerts in your email inbox. And make sure to follow @StateEdWatch on Twitter for the latest news from state K-12 policy and politics. Chief Minister Raghubar Das today ordered to release payment of outstanding incentives of the volunteers working in Gram Panchayats of the State and issuance of identity cards within 10 days. During the monthly Seedhi Baat programme here on Thursday he asked all the Deputy Commissioners to monitor their own activities and also through the Panchayat volunteers to ensure the performance of the applications submitted for caste and income certificate on priority basis. The CM was speaking to senior government officials, Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police of all districts alongwith Secretaries and heads of different departments through video conferencing here on Thursday. Appreciating the role of Panchayat Sewaks, the CM said that they have helped in bringing the benefits of various government schemes to the people in every village-panchayat and bringing development work to the surface. In return, the incentive amount due to them should be paid in due course. He also instructed all the panchayat secretariats to allocate separate rooms for the Panchayat Sewaks. Das, on the occasion, also instructed the DCs to register their workers by organizing camps in all the blocks from 5th to 7th March for effective implementation of the Prime Minister Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan Yojana, which started for pension of unorganized sector workers. Every worker of the unorganized sector who has been enrolled in this scheme has to be paid Rs 3,000 pension per month after completion of 60 years of age. He also asked the Deputy Commissioners to ensure that the campaign being run for backward caste survey in the State is completed within a month. During the programme, the CM listened to the complaints of 16 people and most cases were settled on the spot. Virendra Mahato, a resident of Kuju in Ramgarh district, complained that he had applied for a passport, but in the course of police verification, in-charge of Kuju OP has given incorrect report of lodging four criminal cases against him. For this reason his passport was not released. The SP of Ramgarh admitted that the Kuju OP in charge had given the wrong report. The Chief Minister ordered him to immediately suspend the police officer giving incorrect report stating the matter of serious negligence. Khunti resident Manju Devi complained that her son was killed on March 28, 2018, at a distance of just 300 meters from the police station, but no action has been taken against the accused till now. When asked about this, the SP said that two militants of the PLFI arrested two days ago have accepted their involvement in the case. They will be questioned shortly after taking them on remand. On this, the CM ordered that if this case of militant killings proves the case, then the victim's younger brother should be given job on compassionate grounds and the affected family should be given compensation according to the government rules. Bandhani Devi of Bero Block, Ranchi, had been working as a watchman in the Bero police station, complaining that the pension received after the death of her husband Jalsu Oraon was stopped for five years. On this, the Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi informed that due to non-verification of the dead persons service book, the pension was stopped. Within a week, the pension will be started by completing this process. Satyakinkar Verma of Seraikela-Kharsawan had filed a complaint that his three acres of land situated in Asagi village was not acquired by the Adityapur Industrial Area Development Authority, but it was incorrectly labeled as acquired land in the register of the zonal office. With this, the receipt of their land is not being issued. When asked by the Chief Minister in this matter, the Deputy Commissioner of Saraikela-Kharsawan assured that within one week, the receipt of land will be issued by improving the register-2. On the complaint of not getting compensation despite the loss of more than 100 farmers' crops due to drought under the Basia block of Gumla district, the CM ordered the concerned department to compensate all the affected farmers through insurance. Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Sunil Kumar Barnwal informed on the occasion that 3,32,211 complaints were lodged in Jan Samvad out of which 2.91 lakh have been found to be fit for taking action. A total of 2.61 lakh complaints (90.14%) were solved till date. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addressed BJP leaders and cadres through video conferencing across the country, mobilizing them for upcoming general elections. The BJP function was part of party Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot programme, through which Modi interacted with around 1 crore party members and cadres across the country. The State BJP to make the function a grand success had arranged video conferencing facilities at around 513 BJP mandals. Senior party leaders including union ministers in Modi cabinet Sudarshan Bhagat attended the function in Gumla, Jayant Sinha in Hazaribag, State BJP president and party Rajya Sabha MP, Laxman Gilua in Chakradharpur, state urban development and housing minister CP Singh at Sukhdeo Nagar in State capital among others. The video conferencing of PM Modi billed as world largest video conferencing by BJP where the PM interacted with 1 crore BJP workers and volunteers from nearly 15,000 locations across the country, the functions was held at 513 BJP Mandals in State. In State Capital the video conferencing was held at 17 Mandals. During the 90 minute function, Modi also interacted with BJP cadres. BJP Telco Mandal (Jamshedpur) Mahila Morcha president, Jaya Laxmi interacted with PM. Jaya Laxmi asked the PM how to strengthened democracy in country. Replying to Jaya Laxmis query, Modi said, Your name is Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. Goddess Laxmi sits at lotus, which is BJP symbol too. Modi further said, The Indian democracy is divided between two culturesone is headed by BJP and other by Congress. The Congress culture is driven around one family, but the BJP culture is of workers and cadres, where a normal party cadre like me can also think of becoming Prime Minister and Chief Minister. Modi advised all BJP booth workers to reach out to supporters and others in their area and explain the good work done by the government both at the centre and state. The PM asked the BJP cadres to have a healthy competition among themselves. Competition should be among the booth level BJP member to see who gets the maximum number of new votes, or young voters or women voters to come and vote during the elections. Energizing the BJP cadres, Modi asked the BJP members to utilize their full potential in upcoming next general election. He said, The centre has initiated several development works and the party leaders should reach out to people with the schemes launched by the government. The loss for the party, like in 2014 will jeopardise development works and ease of corruption will replace ease of doing business. Modi said, The mandate of 2014 was for fulfilling the people necessities while the 2019 elections will be about fulfilling peoples aspirations. The BJP cadres and workers from State were euphoric with PM mantra. BJP media in-charge, Shiv Pujan Pathak said, The video conferencing of PM was enriched with new thoughts and motivation for BJP cadres. It is the potential of Modi jee that while on one hand he can talk about country foreign policy on the other hand he can give guidelines and directions to booth level workers. Echoing the views of Pathak, BJP Ranchi Mahanagar president Manoj Mishra said, The message of PM was loud and clear to all BJP workers not to sit idle but to fasten our belts for next general elections. The PM videoconferencing was held from Lucknow, the BJP expects to reach to nearly 10 crore people across the country. In Jharkhand, the State BJP expects around 10 lakh people might have watched the PM programme though live telecast or though NaMo app. In State the BJP has around 22 lakh members. Ghaziabad markets remained closed after a trader Bijendra Garg was allegedly shot dead and was robbed by three unidentified armed robbers on Wednesday night. Three robbers confronted with the trader when he reached his home in Nusratpura after closing his shop Baba traders. The days sale cash was with him and his two servants escorted him from the shop. As he reached outside his homes gate and knocked it, the robbers appeared from narrow and dark lane and stopped him to enter his home. The accused also opened fire in air, said the police official. The robbers tried to snatch the bag containing cash and on resisting the trader was shot from point blank range and fled from the spot with the bag. A case has been registered at Kotwali police station and investigation has been initiated. A team of officers have been assigned to solve the case and hope we shall solve the case within a short time said SP City Shlok Kumar. Meanwhile, to mark their protest against district police inaction, the traders in the city closed the market on Thursday and staged a dharna at clock tower grain market. The traders are demanding immediate arrest of robbers.Traders Union leader Gopi Chand said that the traders are not safe in present regime. Several incidents of robbery had occurred in the past. We demand the immediate arrest of the robbers, added traders leader. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the second and third berths of the Gopalpur Port on Thursday. With cargo handling capacity of 20 million MTPA and an investment of Rs 2,000 crore, the port would boost maritime trade and commerce and create employment opportunities for 8,000 youths in the State, said Patniak while addressing a gathering on the occasion. Patnaik said, The Gopalpur Port will be a strategic shift in cargo movement on the east coast of India. Development of this port will provide significant economic benefits to Ganjam district and create direct and indirect employment for over 6,500 people. The port will play a crucial role in economic development of Odisha, especially the southern districts of the state, added he. ShapoorjiPallonji Port Managing Director AmitSaboo said, The Gopalpur Port is expanding its capacity to 20-MT all-weather operations in this phase with an overall vision of 55MT by 2025. The Shapoorji Pallonji Groups ports business will now operate on both sides of the Indian coast providing strategic logistical advantages to its customers. Notably, in 2017, the ShapoorjiPallonji Group became majority shareholder in the Gopalpur Port and undertook the Rs 2,000-crore expansion programme. The Gopalpur Port is strategically located between Paradip and Visakhapatnam Ports. The current expansion entails a total investment of Rs 2,000 crore and will contribute significantly towards the economic development of Odisha and Ganjam district in particular, said Gopalpur Port CEO Captain Sandeep Agarwal. During his visit to Ganjam district, Patnaik also laid foundation-stone for expansion of the Harbhangi irrigation project to be constructed at a cost of Rs 172 crore. The project would enable irrigation in 3,763 hectares of arable land in 32 villages. The CM also laid foundation-stone for 24 piped water supply projects in four blocks of the district. Patnaik later visited Gajapati district to inaugurate and lay foundation-stones of projects worth Rs 631.24 crore. The projects include a mega piped water supply projects worth Rs 404 crore for Kasinagar, Gumma and Mohana blocks in the district. Goods and valuables worth Rs 1 lakh were burgled from Tusli Colony under Kolar police station area on Tuesday; victims neighbor spotted broken locks and burgled valuables and informed police. According to the police, the victim Anil Marmet along with his family had gone to Indore to visit his relative on February 24 and on Tuesday he was informed that valuables were missing. A complaint was made by the victim with the Kolar police and in the complaint the victim had claimed that on his neighbor found that the locks were broken and on entering the house was found ransacked. Goods and valuables worth over Rs 1 lakh were found missing claimed the victim. The victim had given keys to neighbor to feed fish in his aquarium and when the neighbor came to feed fishes on Tuesday house was found burgled. In the burglary the almirah which was having the valuables was targeted and the other valuables were not disturbed. The lock of the almirah was found broken and along with the jewelry and cash Rs 15000 was found burgled. Based on the complaint the police have registered a case under sections 457 and 380 of the IPC and have started further investigation. Meanwhile, valuables worth Rs 1.5 lakh were burgled from Danish Hills under Kolar police station area on Wednesday. The victim, Neelesh Dubeys newly build house was targeted by miscreants on Wednesday where electronic goods and household goods was kept. A suitcase carrying brass idols was also burgled. The total loss was around Rs 1.5 lakh claimed the victim. The police have registered a case under sections 457 and 380 of the IPC and started further investigation. The ongoing anti-encroachment drive at MG Road might have brought some respite for the pedestrians and motorists but the situation remains the same for the street vendors, who despite having a dedicated place are forced to put their shops along the busiest routes. Ranchi Municipal Corporations (RMC) ambitious project Atal Smriti Vendors Market at Kutchery Road is yet to become operational. Inaugurated amidst much fanfare in mid November 2018, the mega structure designed with all basic amenities is lying inoperative since December 2018. As per an official associated with the project, the Municipal Corporation is yet to complete the exercise of roping in a competent Operation and Maintenance (O&M) agency. An Expression of Interest (EoI) was floated for the newly constructed vendors market in December 2018. Three agencies have showed their interest in the Vendors Market operation. The documentation work is going on. Taking into account all the clauses of the bidding agency, the project will be handed over to the suitable company soon, said RMC City Manager and In-charge of DAY-NULM programme, Vikas Kumar. The final data of the street vendors has been finalised. As many as 520 street vendors have been selected. However, in accordance to the new rule, no street food vendors are allowed to put their stalls inside the vendors complex. Hence, in the first phase, only 130 street vendors will be allocated place there, the City Manager added. During the inauguration, it was announced that 127 street vendors will be settled down inside the marketing complex immediately. However, considering the intervention of the members of Town Vending Committee (TVC), the shifting process was kept on hold. The vendors market has a capacity of accommodating 472 street vendors. The time was consumed in resolving the claims and objections received from the applicants. In accordance to the rule, the Municipal Corporation cannot start the operation of the vendors market without hiring an O&M agency, Kumar further added. Out of 36,831 identified street vendors, as many as 5,901 street vendors are from Ranchi, as per the State governments record. Around 16,141 Identity (ID) cards have been distributed among the street vendors across the State, while 238 street vendors have been linked with banking facilities. The building (G+5) that covers a carpet area of 2,94,240 sq. feet with basement, a banquet hall, a cafeteria, 23 offices, 472 kiosks, 108 shops is the biggest Vendors Market of the State with all State-of-the- Art facilities. Constructed at a cost of Rs. 54 crore granted by the Government of Jharkhand (GoJ), it has advanced facilities ranging from CCTV cameras, fire extinguishers, public announcement systems, advance parking service for better crowd management and maintenance. Poverty has not stopped nonagenarian Thanga Darlong -- all of 91 years -- from playing the rosem, a flute-like tribal musical instrument made of bamboo. This labour of love saw him nominated for the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, in the Republic Day honours list. The unlettered musical genius, who hails from the remote Muraibari tribal village in northern Tripura's Unakoti district, learned to play the rosem from his father, Hakvunga Darlong, and was later groomed by his uncle, Darthuama Darlong. It's been a journey that has lasted for over eight decades. Thanga Darlong, the father of four sons and four daughters, receives only Rs 700 per month from the social welfare department as a grant. "My grandfather, father and uncles are unable to do farming due to various reasons including illness and non-availability of suitable land," Thanga Darlong's grandson Talnghninga Darlong, told IANS, adding: "Despite having to often starve and his advanced age 'dadu' (grandfather) devotes a few hours every day to playing his rosem." "I am greatly honoured that the central government announced my name for the Padma Shri award," a hearing-impaired Thanga Darlong told IANS. "It is extremely regrettable that the young generation of our Darlong community and other tribal communities do not play this instrument and this could cause its demise," he said. Darlong is a sub-tribe of the Kuki community and and its members, who number over 9,000, are largely Christians. "The Darlongs mostly live on hilltops. They are fond of music and dance and work hard as 'jhum' (slash and burn) cultivators and also grow fruit. Now-a-days they do farming in the plains and raise livestock. They speak a language which is closely related to the Kuki-Chin linguistic family of the Sino-Tibetan race," writer and researcher Pralayendu Chowdhury told IANS. The community has a high literacy rate, Tripura governement Principal Secretary Laihlia Darlong told IANS. Not surprisingly, quite a few from the Darlong community currently hold important government posts. Cinematographer turned filmmaker Laxman Utekar, who was a set sweeper, does everything with an intensity that has propelled him from the ground upwards, says Saimi Sattar He sits quietly on the side and allows his actors, Kriti Sanon, Kartik Aryaan and Aparshakti Khurana to corner the spotlight completely. But Laxman Utekar, who makes his Hindi directorial debut with Luka Chuppi, which releases today, by his own admission is more of an observer than a talker. Thats because he has waited along the sidelines for far too long, being a sweeper on the sets. Then he held somebodys camera, played with shots and the rest is cliched history. This quality of being an onlooker has set the tone for his film set in Gwalior and Mathura, far-removed from his native Maharashtra. The dialect is totally different as is the culture. For one and a half years, my writer and I visited the place often and stayed there at a stretch for 10 days to get the nuances right. We made friends, sat at the ghat, saw people, the lanes and the cows just ambling along. We came back at night and wrote the script. We even heard stories like the one about a couple who was unable to meet, given that it was a small town and did so at 4 in the morning in the public toilet, he says. He believes that he has been able to incorporate the citys atmosphere in it. Luka Chuppi is the latest in the surfeit of films that are set in small towns and Utekar explains the reason. Small cities are coming to the fore as cinema is changing. With producers like Dinesh Vijan, who are approachable for small town directors coming from places like Kanpur, Lucknow and other hinterland with stories that they have seen and lived, there is an element of realism. The audience appreciates these kind of stories. Moreover, the towns where these are set too become characters and reveal themselves to the widespread audience. For the audience, New York, Australia, Africa, where movies were shot four to five years ago, were all the same, alien and disconnected. But in India, after every kilometre, the colours and the culture change. We discovered Chanderi in Stree and in Luka Chuppi we found Gwalior. People like being connected to their dialect, culture, places and colour, says the director who you have to strain to hear as he is so soft-spoken. Initially, besides Mathura, Agra was also a part of the film but it was Gwalior, lead actor Kartik Aryaans hometown, that they finally settled for. I have worked as a cinematographer in Agra and I was not happy with it as besides the beautiful Taj Mahal, there is not much to the city. It wasnt enough, he recalls. So the crew decided to explore Gwalior as they had heard a lot about the place. It was love at first sight. It is unique, clean and fresh and has the largest fort in India, says Utekar. The storyline of the film, which is evident from the promos, is about a couples decision to live in and their travails when their conventional families join them. Utekar decided to take up the topic as it has a resonance among the countrys youth. If a couple wants to live-in even in a metro, it is difficult to rent a house. If they manage to do so, the neighbours cast aspersions and label them characterless. So in a smaller town it is even more difficult where the atmosphere is conservative. The film is a fun ride, he says. However, at another level he does feel that the country is changing. Young India for me is smart India, he says and gives the example of people in a mofussil town having access to web content from all over the world. He goes on to add, People, having been exposed to a wide bouquet of subjects, can now gauge if the film works for them just by looking at the promo. They can differentiate between the good and bad. They appreciate a great plot. You can get any star for your project but if you give a bad product, it would not work. Talking of stars, not many might know that he has rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in the industry and says that he has learnt a lot from them. When I was shooting with Amitabh Bachchan for 102 Not Out, I wondered if he was the same person whose films Id watched as a child. He has the same energy, hunger and positivity at this age. One wants to be like that when one grows older, he asserts. But the list does not end there. He says there is a reason why Shahrukh Khan with whom he worked in Dear Zindagi is such a phenomenon. It is not a fluke that he became one of the biggest superstars in India. The kind of decency and the knowledge that he has about any topic is unsurpassed. He is a directors actor and a true gentleman. His co-star in the film Alia, even at this age, is a powerful performer but her feet are firmly planted on the ground. She knows she has the talent and how to use it, He also worked with Sridevi (English Vinglish) Irrfan Khan (Hindi Medium) as well as directors like Amit Sharma, Gauri Shinde and Umesh Shukla from whom he learnt the craft. I have taken something from every actor or director as I observe a lot, he says. Incidentally he learnt his craft in that manner too. He has no qualms about admitting that he was a sweeper in a studio called Jain Brothers and rose through the ranks. The camera attendant didnt come in one day and the main camera attendant cribbed about the owner taking bookings in the absence of staff. So the owner Ashok Jain suggested that he should take me as I had finished my work for the day. I accompanied him. I always take up everything with an intensity. He liked my work and I gradually became second assistant, then first and so on, says Utekar, who started his career as a cinematographer with the 2007 Hindi drama Khanna & Iyer. He has been a part of films like Blue, Boss and Tevar. He made his directorial debut in 2014 with the Marathi movie Tapaal, which first screened at the 18th Busan International Film Festival 2013, South Korea, and opened to positive reviews and acclaim upon its release in India. His next directorial venture was yet another Marathi movie titled Lalbaugchi Rani, which chronicled the life of a mentally unstable girl who gets lost at Lalbaug during a Ganpati darshan and how she meets different people, changing their perspective towards life. Beyond films, Utekar is a restless being. He says, I cannot sit free at home. When I am not shooting, I might be writing or thinking about a story. If I am travelling, then I often wonder what is the relationship between two people from their body language, whether they are siblings or a couple. However, having done a lot, it is home that he likes going back to. If I get a leave for three-four days, I go to my village Polatpur, near Mahabaleshwar, which is five hours away from Mumbai. My father and my joint family stay there. We have cows, goats, chickens. I like to plough fields, eat farm food and drink fresh milk. The atmosphere is different as there is no phone network. In metros, the phones do not let us live, even though humans do. Clearly he inhabits the space between the small village and the megapolis with equal ease. Vesuvius plc provides engineering services and solutions principally to steel and foundry industries worldwide. It operates in two segments, Steel and Foundry. The company offers foundry consumables and equipment, including binders, coatings, feeding systems, filtration and gating systems, melt shop refractories, metallurgical and pouring control systems, die dressings and coatings, melt treatment products, crucibles, and ceramics for the iron, steel, and nonferrous foundries. It also provides nonferrous metals, such as primary and secondary aluminum, copper, and other metals and alloys; cement and lime solutions, iron ore pelletizing and calcination products, and grains and powders; and process heaters, FCC units, hydrogen reformers, boilers, coke calciners, and thermal oxidizers, as well as sulphur, ethylene, and ammonia plants. 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Additionally, the company offers ingot casting solutions; and reheat furnace, steel hot forming, galvanized steel, and electrical and stainless steel solutions. Vesuvius plc was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More Dunelm Group plc engages in the retail of homewares in the United Kingdom. The company offers furniture for bedroom, living room, dining room, and office; sofas and chairs; bean bags; bed frames, mattresses, divan beds and bases, and headboards, as well as kids beds; and bedding products, such as bed linens, duvets, pillows, protectors, and baby and kids beddings. It also provides curtains, and poles and tracks; blinds; rugs, runners, and door mats; mirrors; cushion pads, covers; throws; seat pads; pictures and frames, wallpapers, and accessories; lighting products, including ceiling and wall lights, lamp shades, floor and table lamps, and outdoor lights; kitchen products, such as cooking, dining, utility, and electrical products; and storage products for home, clothes, and kitchen, as well as travel and luggage products. In addition, the company offers towels and bathmats, bathroom accessories, and bathroom furniture; kids accessories and toys, and nursery furniture and products, as well as travel, safety, and wellbeing products; garden furniture and storage, and garden dAcor products; and Christmas trees and lights, wreaths and garlands, baubles and tree decoration, and novelty products. It operates 173 superstores and 2 distribution centers, as well as sells its products through an online store at dunelm.com. Dunelm Group plc was founded in 1979 and is based in Syston, the United Kingdom. Read More Canadian Western Bank has been the subject of 6 research reports in the past 90 days, demonstrating strong analyst interest in this stock. According to analysts' consensus price target of $42.30, Canadian Western Bank has a forecasted upside of 47.0% from its current price of $28.78. Canadian Western Bank has received a consensus rating of Buy. The company's average rating score is 2.80, and is based on 8 buy ratings, 2 hold ratings, and no sell ratings. 4.4 Community Rank Outperform Votes Canadian Western Bank has received 115 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Canadian Western Bank has received 59 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Canadian Western Bank has received 66.09% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Canadian Western Bank and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe CBWBF will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe CBWBF will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next 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 Greif, Inc. engages in the production of industrial packaging products and services. It operates through the following segments: Rigid Industrial Packaging and Services, Paper Packaging and Services, Flexible Products and Services, and Land Management. The Rigid Industrial Packaging and Services segment involves the production and sale of rigid industrial packaging products, such as steel, fibre and plastic drums, rigid intermediate bulk containers, closure systems for industrial packaging products, transit protection products, water bottles and reconditioned containers, and services, such as container life cycle services, blending, filling and other packaging services, logistics and warehousing. The Paper Packaging and Services segment involves the production and sale of containerboard, corrugated sheets, corrugated containers and other corrugated products to customers in North America. The Flexible Products and Services segment involves the production and sale of flexible intermediate bulk containers and related services on a global basis and the sale of industrial and consumer shipping sacks and multiwall bag products in North America. The Land Management segment involves the ma Read More The following companies are subsidiares of HP: 3Com, 3PAR, ABB CADE, AOME Holdings Ltd., Alpha Holding One B.V., Alpha Holding Two B.V., Anatolus Holding B.V., Antila Holding B.V., Apogee, Apogee Corp, Apollo Computer, AppIQ, Applied Optoelectronic Tech, Aptitude Management Consulting W.L.L., Aquarius Holding S.C.A., ArcSight, Arteis, Artivision Technologies, Aruba Networks, Atos Origin, Atos Origin Middle East group, Aurasma Limited, Autonomy Corporation, Avantek, BT & D Technologies, Bitfone Corporation, Bluestone Software, Boonton Radio, Bristol Technology Inc., Bromium, CEC Europe Service Management, CGNZ, CaLan, Caleum Holding B.V., Callisto Holding B.V., Colorado Memory Systems, Colubris Networks, Colubris Networks, Columba Holding B.V., Compaq Cayman Holdings Company, Compaq Cayman Holdings General Partnership II, Compaq Cayman Islands Vision Company, Compaq Information Technologies, Compaq Information Technologies LLC, Computer Insurance Company, Computing and Printing Global Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Computing and Printing Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Computing and Printing Professional Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Consera Software, ConteXtream Inc, Convex Computer, Crater Holding B.V., David Vision Systems GmbH, Dazel, Division, Dorado Holding B.V., EDS (Electronic Data Systems), EEsof, EYP Mission Critical Facilities, Elara Holding B.V., ElseWare, Eon Systems, Eucalyptus Systems, Eunomia Holding B.V., ExcellerateHRO, Exstream Software, Extreme Logic, F&M Scientific Corporation, F.L. 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Guangzhou Branch, HP Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd. Nanjing Branch, HP Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd. Shanghai Branch, HP Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., HP Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, HP Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. Dalian Branch, HP Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. Zhangjiang Branch, HP WebOS LLC, HP-PPS Ecuador Cia. Ltda, HPCP-Computing and Printing Portugal Unipessoal Lda., HPI Bermuda Holdings LLC, HPI Brazil Holdings LLC, HPI CCHGPII LLC, HPI CCHGPII Sub LLC, HPI Federal LLC, HPI J1 Holdings LLC, HPI J2 Holdings LLC, HPI Luxembourg LLC, HPQ Holdings LLC, Hadar Holding B.V., Handspring Corporation, Heartstream, Hewlett Packard Distribution Center Panama S. de R.L, Hewlett-Packard (Chongqing) Co. Ltd, Hewlett-Packard (Chongqing) Manufacturing Export Procurement and Settlement Co. Ltd., Hewlett-Packard (Japan NK) Holdings C.V., Hewlett-Packard Angola Ltda., Hewlett-Packard Arabia LLC, Hewlett-Packard Cambridge B.V., Hewlett-Packard Company Archives LLC, Hewlett-Packard Copenhagen B.V., Hewlett-Packard Danube B.V., Hewlett-Packard Development Company L.P., Hewlett-Packard Enterprises LLC, Hewlett-Packard Europe BVAbu Dhabi Branch, Hewlett-Packard G.K., Hewlett-Packard Global Holdings B.V., Hewlett-Packard Global Investments B.V., Hewlett-Packard India Sales Private Limited, Hewlett-Packard Indigo B.V., Hewlett-Packard Indigo Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Industrial Printing Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Industrial Printing Solutions Europe BVBA, Hewlett-Packard International Pte Ltd, Hewlett-Packard International Pte Ltd Taiwan Branch, Hewlett-Packard Ireland (Holdings) Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Ireland 1 Limited, Hewlett-Packard Ireland Limited, Hewlett-Packard KSA Ltd, Hewlett-Packard KSA Ltd. Qatar Branch, Hewlett-Packard Lisbon B.V., Hewlett-Packard MENA FZ-LLC, Hewlett-Packard MENA FZ-LLC Libya Branch, Hewlett-Packard Malaysia Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd., Hewlett-Packard Mercator B.V., Hewlett-Packard Munich B.V., Hewlett-Packard Products B.V., Hewlett-Packard Products C.V., Hewlett-Packard Products CV 1 LLC, Hewlett-Packard Products CV 2 LLC, Hewlett-Packard Services Saudi Arabia Company, Hewlett-Packard Singapore (Private) Limited, Hewlett-Packard Sunnyvale B.V., Hewlett-Packard Vietnam Ltd., Hewlett-Packard West Indies Limited, Hewlett-Packard World Trade LLC, Hiflex Software, HyperX, IBRIX, IndiGo, Indigo America Inc., Kale Holding B.V., Kale Holding B.V. (Puerto Rico Branch) LLC, Knightsbridge Solutions, Lefthand Networks, Limited Liability Company HP Inc, Logoworks, Lyra Holding B.V., MacDermid ColorSpan, ManageOne, Melodeo, Mensa Holding B.V., Mercury Interactive, Metrix Network Systems, NUR Macroprinters, Neoware, Nihon HP Nin-I Kumiai, Novadigm, NuView ManageX, Nur do Brasil Ltda, OOO "Hewlett-Packard RUS", Opelin, Opelin, Open Skies, Opsware, Opsware, Optimization Systems, Optotech, OuterBay Technologies, OuterBay Technologies, PERSIST Technologies, PFE Investments Ltd., PIXACO, PROLIN, PT Hewlett-Packard Indonesia, Palm, Palm, Palm Asia Pacific Limited Taiwan Branch, Palm Comercio de Aparelhos Eletronicos Ltda., Palm Europe Limited, Palm Global Operations Limited, Palm Inc., Palm Ireland Investment, Palm Latin America Inc., Palm South America LLC, Palm Trademark Holding Company LLC, Pearl Holding Cooperatief U.A., Peregrine Systems, Perseus Holding B.V., Phoenix Holding L.P., PipeBeach, Polaris Holding One L.P., Polaris Holding Two L.P., PolyServe, Propus Holding B.V., Qosnetics, Quartz Holding Co, RLX Technologies, Regor Holding B.V., SPI Dynamics, Samsung Printing Solutions, Scitex, Scitex Vision, Scope Communications, Scorpius Holding B.V., Security Force Software, Shoreline Investment Management Company, Shunra Software, Shunra Software, Silverwire Holding, Snapfish, StorageApps, Stratavia, Synstar, Tabblo, Talking Blocks, Tall Tree Insurance Company, Techink International Pte. Ltd., Technology Partners, Telegra, The Technology Partners, Tourmaline Holding B.V., Tower Software, Tower Software Engineering Pty Ltd, Transoft Networks, Trellis Software & Controls, Triaton, Trinagy, TruLogica, Trustgenix, Turquoise Holding L.P., VeriFone, Verifone, Versatest, Vertica Systems, Vesta Holding B.V., Vital Technology Pte Ltd, Voltage Security, VoodooPC, and ZAO Hewlett-Packard A.O.. The following companies are subsidiares of IDEX: ADS Corp., ADS Environmental Services Pty Limited, ADS Environmental Technologies Inc., ADS LLC, AEGIS Flow Technologies, AEGIS Flow Technologies L.L.C., AWG, AWG Fittings GmbH, Abel Pumps, Advanced Thin Films, Advanced Thin Films Inc., Airtech Group, Akron Brass, Akron Brass Company, Alfa Valvole, Alfa Valvole S.r.l., Band-It Clamps (Asia) Pte. Ltd., Band-It Company Limited, Band-It-IDEX Inc., Banjo Corporation, Banjo Europe S.r.l., BarbIDEX International SRL, CIDRA Precision Services, CVI Laser, CVI Laser LLC, CVI Laser Limited, CVI Melles Griot, Corken Inc., ERC, Eastern Plastics, FAST & Fluid Management S.r.l., FM Delaware Inc., FM Investment Inc., FMD Distribution and Service LLC, FMD Fabrication Services LLC, FTL Seals Technology Limited, Fast & Fluid Management B.V., Fast & Fluid Management Eastern Europe Sp. Z O.O., Fast and Fluid Management Australia Pty. Ltd., Flow Management Devices, Flow Management Devices LLC, Fluid Management Canada Inc., Fluid Management Inc., Fluid Management Operations LLC, Gast Group Ltd, Gast Manufacturing Inc., Godiva Limited, Godiva Products Limited, Hale Products Europe Limited, Hale Products Inc., Hurst Jaws of Life Inc., IDEX Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., IDEX Dinglee Technology (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., IDEX Europe GmbH, IDEX Health & Science KK, IDEX Health & Science LLC, IDEX Holdings GmbH, IDEX Holdings Inc., IDEX India Private Limited, IDEX Italy S.r.l., IDEX Japan GK, IDEX Korea Ltd, IDEX Leasing GmbH, IDEX MPT Inc., IDEX Mexico S.A. de C.V., IDEX Middle East FZE, IDEX Pump Technologies (Ireland) Limited, IDEX SAS, IDEX Service Corp., IDEX Sourcing Corporation, IDEX Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., IDEX Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, IDEX UK Investment Ltd, IDEX UK Ltd., IDEX do Brasil Servicos e Vendas Ltda., IETG, Isolation Technologies, KNIGHT LLC, KVT-Koenig Holding Limited, Knight (Canada) Limited, Knight Inc., Knight UK Ltd, LUKAS Hydraulik GmbH, Liquid Controls, Liquid Controls LLC, Matcon, Matcon (R&D) Limited, Matcon Group Limited, Matcon Limited, Melles Griot B.V., Melles Griot GmbH, Microfluidics, Microfluidics International Corporation, Micropump Inc., Nova Technologies, Nova Technologies Corporation, Novotema, Novotema S.p.A, OBL, OBL Srl, Oil & Gas Process Solutions LLC, PP AWG GmbH, PPE International LLC, PPE LLC, Precision Photonics, Precision Polymer Engineering Limited, Project Gold Acquisition Corp., Pulsafeeder Inc., Quadro Engineering Corp., RV Acquisition Corp., Richter Chemie-Technik, Richter Chemie-Technik GmbH, Richter EP (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., Richter Pumps & Valves Inc., Roplan AB, Roplan GmbH, Roplan Holding AB, Roplan Ltd, Roplan Machinery (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., Roplan Machining AB, Roplan Sales (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., Roplan Sales AB, Roplan Sales Inc., Roplan Trading AB, S.A.M.P.I. S.p.A., SFC KOENIG, SFC KOENIG Flow Control (Suzhou) Co. Limited, SFC Koenig AG, SFC Koenig Beteilgungs GmbH, SFC Koenig GmbH, SFC Koenig LLC, Scivex, Seals Limited, Semrock, Steridose Sales AB, The Fitzpatrick Company, Toptech Systems, Toptech Systems Inc., Toptech Systems NV, Trebor International Inc., Velcora, Velcora Holding AB, Vetter GmbH, Viking Pump Inc., Viking Pump of Canada Inc., Warren Rupp Inc., Wright Flow Technologies Limited, XAM Swiss Holding I GmbH, iPEK, iPEK International GmbH, iPEK Spezial TV GmbH, thinXXS Microtechnology, and thinXXS Microtechnology AG. The Boeing Co. is an aerospace company, which engages in the manufacture of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space and Security; Global Services; and Boeing Capital. The Commercial Airplanes segment includes the development, production, and market of commercial jet aircraft and provides fleet support services, principally to the commercial airline industry worldwide. The Defense, Space and Security segment refers to the research, development, production and modification of manned and unmanned military aircraft and weapons systems for global strike, including fighter and combat rotorcraft aircraft and missile systems; global mobility, including tanker, rotorcraft and tilt-rotor aircraft; and airborne surveillance and reconnaissance, including command and control, battle management and airborne anti-submarine aircraft. The Global Services segment provides services to commercial and defense customers. The Boeing Capital segment seeks to ensure that Boeing customers have the financing they need to buy and take delivery of their Boeing product and manages overall financing exposure. T 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 Oasis Petroleum Inc., an independent exploration and production company, focuses on the acquisition and development of onshore unconventional oil and natural gas resources in the United States. It operates through Exploration and Production(E&P), and Midstream segments. The E&P segment engages in the acquisition and development of oil and gas properties. The Midstream segment offers midstream services, such as natural gas gathering, compression, processing and, gas lift supply; crude oil gathering, terminaling, and transportation; produced and flowback water gathering, and disposal; and water distribution. As of December 31, 2020, the company had 401,766 net leasehold acres in the Williston Basin; and 24,396 net leasehold acres in the Permian Basin, as well as approximately 152.2 million barrels of oil equivalent of estimated net proved reserves. The company sells its crude oil and natural gas to refiners, marketers, and other purchasers that have access to pipeline and rail facilities. Oasis Petroleum Inc. was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Read More There is not enough analysis data for PSA Group. 4.1 Community Rank Outperform Votes PSA Group has received 126 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes PSA Group has received 77 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment PSA Group has received 62.07% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about PSA Group and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe PEUGY will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe PEUGY will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Parkland Corporation operates as a marketer, distributor, and refiner of fuel and petroleum products in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Canada, International, USA, Supply, and Corporate segments. The Canada segment supplies and supports a coast-to-coast network of 1,860 retail gas stations under the Ultramar, Esso, Fas Gas Plus, Chevron, Pioneer, and Race Trac as well as operates convenience stores under the On the Run/MarchA Express brand. Additionally it offers bulk fuel, bulk and cylinder exchange propane, heating oil, lubricants, and other related products and services to commercial, industrial, and residential customers in various industries, such as oil and gas, construction, mining, forestry, fishing, and transportation under the Ultramar, Bluewave Energy, Pipeline Commercial, Chevron, Columbia Fuels, and Sparlings Propane brands. The International segment operates retail service stations under the Esso, Shell, and Sol brands; and delivers and supplies gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, propane, and lubricants to customers in various sectors, including power, oil and gas, and mining. The USA segment operates a network of gas stations; and delivers bulk fuel, lubricants, and other related products and services under the Farstad Oil, Rhinehart Oil, Tropic Oil, Superpumper, Harts, and On the Run brands. The Supply segment manufactures transportation fuels; transports, stores, and markets fuels, crude oil, and liquid petroleum gases; and manufactures and sells aviation fuel to airlines. This segment also engages in the wholesale, supply, and distribution business. The company was formerly known as Parkland Fuel Corporation and changed its name to Parkland Corporation in May 2020. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Read More NovaGold Resources Inc. explores for and develops gold mineral properties in the United States. It primarily owns 50% interest in the Donlin Gold project consisting of 493 mining claims covering an area of 71,420 acres located in the Kuskokwim region of southwestern Alaska. The company was formerly known as NovaCan Mining Resources (1985) Limited and changed its name to NovaGold Resources Inc. in March 1987. NovaGold Resources Inc. was founded in 1984 and is based in Vancouver, Canada. Read More iShares National Muni Bond ETF's stock was trading at $114.45 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, MUB stock has increased by 1.6% and is now trading at $116.28. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. 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. Reinsurance Group of America, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of traditional and non-traditional life and health reinsurance products. It operates through the following segments: U.S. and Latin America; Canada; Europe, Middle East, and Africa; Asia Pacific; and Corporate and Other. The U.S. and Latin America segment markets individual and group life and health reinsurance to domestic clients for a variety of products through yearly renewable term agreements, coinsurance, and modified coinsurance. The Canada segment offers individual life reinsurance, and to a lesser extent creditor, group life and health, critical illness and disability reinsurance, through yearly renewable term and coinsurance agreements. The Europe, Middle East, and Africa segment serves individual and group life and health products through yearly renewable term and coinsurance agreements, reinsurance of critical illness coverage that provides a benefit in the event of the diagnosis of a pre-defined critical illness and underwritten annuities. The Asia Pacific segment comprises individual and group life and health reinsurance, critical illness coverage, disability, and superannuation thr Read More William Lyon Homes (NYSE:WLH) announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November, 6th. The construction company reported $0.37 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.07. The construction company earned $466.90 million during 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 business's quarterly revenue was down 12.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.68 earnings per share. View William Lyon Homes' earnings history. Just Group plc provides various financial services in the retirement income market in the United Kingdom. It offers de-risking solutions, guaranteed income for life, secure lifetime income, care plans, lifetime mortgages, and protection products. The company also provides professional services, including regulated financial advice and guidance services; and a range of business services, such as consultancy and software development, and outsourced customer service delivery and marketing services. In addition, it engages in writing of insurance products for distribution to the at- or in-retirement market, which is undertaken through the activities of the life company; and provision of licensed software to financial advisers, banks, building societies, life assurance companies, and pension trustees. Further, the company arranges guaranteed income for life contracts; and provides lifetime mortgages through advice and intermediary services. It offers its products and services to trustees and scheme sponsors, individuals, homeowners, and other corporate clients. The company was formerly known as JRP Group plc and changed its name to Just Group plc in May 2017. Just Group plc was founded in 2004 and is based in Reigate, the United Kingdom. Read More Gildan Activewear Inc. manufactures and sells various apparel products in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It provides various activewear products, including T-shirts, fleece tops and bottoms, and sport shirts under the Gildan, Gildan Performance, Gildan Hammer, Comfort Colors, American Apparel, Anvil by Gildan, Alstyle, Prim + Preux, and GoldToe brands. The company also offers hosiery products comprising athletic; dress; and casual, liner, therapeutic, and workwear socks, as well as sheer panty hoses, tights, and leggings under the brands of Gildan, Under Armour, GoldToe, PowerSox, GT a GoldToe Brand, Silver Toe, Signature Gold by Goldtoe, Peds, MediPeds, Kushyfoot, Therapy Plus, All Pro, Secret, Silks, Secret Silky, and American Apparel. In addition, it provides men's and boys' underwear products, and ladies panties under the Gildan and Gildan Platinum brand names; and ladies' shapewear, intimates, and accessories under the Secret and Secret Silky brands. The company sells its products to wholesale distributors, screen printers, or embellishers, as well as to retailers and consumer brand companies. The company was formerly known as Textiles Gildan Inc. and changed its name to Gildan Activewear Inc. in March 1995. Gildan Activewear Inc. was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Read More (ANSA) - Rome, February 28 - Deputy Premier and 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Luigi Di Maio has expressed reservations about the drive for some Italian regions to have greater autonomy. "We support autonomy, but not the split up of Italy," Di Maio, who is also labour and industry minister, said in an interview published in Thursday's edition of daily newspaper La Repubblica. "We will allow the regions that ask to be able to manage some services. But the path will not be fast". Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna are bidding to have greater control, but critics have said that the drive for more autonomy could be to the detriment of other regions, above all, less wealthy ones in the south. Deputy Premier, Interior Minister and League leader Matteo Salvini is said to be ready to support the three regions' bids for greater autonomy in the cabinet, but his coalition partners in the 5-Star Movement (M5S) are concerned about the danger this would create "top flight and second-tier citizens". Brookfield Business Partners LP engages in owning and operating business services and industrial operations. It operates though the following segments: Business Services, Infrastructure Services, Industrial Operations, and Corporate and Other. The Business Services segment includes services such as residential mortgage insurance, healthcare, road fuel distribution and marketing, real estate and construction, entertainment, financing, and other businesses. The Infrastructure Services segment consists of services to the nuclear power generation industry and offshore oil production industry: and access, forming, and shoring solutions and specialized services. The Industrial Operations segment deals with automotive batteries, graphite electrode, and other manufacturing; water and wastewater services: natural gas production and well servicing; and a variety of other industrial operations. The Corporate and Other segment comprises cash and liquidity management, and activities related to the management of the partnership's relationship with Brookfield. The company was founded on October 1, 2015 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. 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 Cellcom Israel Ltd. operates and maintains a cellular mobile telephone system in Israel. It operates in two segments, Cellular and Fixed-line. The company offers cellular communications services, such as basic cellular telephony services comprising voice mail, cellular fax, call waiting, call forwarding, caller identification, and conference calling; text and multimedia messaging; and cellular content and data services. It also provides international roaming services; value-added services, such as short message and multimedia messaging; cloud backup; and content services, including Cellcom Volume music, Cellcom TV, and other applications. In addition, the company sells handsets, tablets, streamers, smart watches, and home security cameras, as well as offers repair services. Further, it provides internet infrastructure and connectivity services, over-the-top TV services, international long distance services, and landline telephony and transmission services; transmission and data services through fiber-optic infrastructure and complementary microwave links; IP switchboard services; and cloud services and data protection products, as well as operates and manages business telecommunication systems to selected business customers and telecommunications operators. As of December 31, 2019, the company had approximately 10.6 million cellular subscribers. Cellcom Israel Ltd. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Netanya, Israel. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Tyson Foods: APF Legacy Subs LLC, Advance Food Company LLC, AdvancePierre Foods, AdvancePierre Foods Holdings Inc., AdvancePierre Foods Inc., Aidells Sausage Company Inc., Allied Specialty Foods Inc., American Proteins Inc, Artisan Bread Co. LLC, Australian Food Corporation Pty Limited, Australian Food Corporation Trust, BRF, Barber Foods LLC, Bosco's Pizza Co., Bryan Foods Inc., C.S. Grain LLC, C.V. Holdings Inc., CBFA Management Corp., Central Industries Inc., Chefs Pantry LLC, Clovervale Farms LLC, Cobb (Hubei) Breeding Co. Ltd., Cobb (Shanghai) Enterprise Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Cobb Ana Damizlik Tavukculuk Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Cobb Columbia S.A.S., Cobb Europe B.V., Cobb Europe Limited, Cobb Peru (Andina) S.A.C., Cobb-Heritage LLC, Cobb-Vantress Brasil Ltda, Cobb-Vantress Inc., Cobb-Vantress New Zealand Limited, Cobb-Vantress Philippines Inc., Coominya AFC Pty Limited, Coominya AFC Trust, DFG Foods Inc., DFG Foods L.L.C., Don Julio, Egbert LLC, Equity Group - Georgia Division LLC, Equity Group - Kentucky Division LLC, Equity Group Eufaula Division LLC, Equity Meat Corp., Flavor Corp., Flavor Holdings Inc., Foodbrands America Inc., Foodbrands Supply Chain Services Inc., Gallo Salame Inc., Global Employment Services Inc., Grow-Out Credit LLC, Grow-Out Holdings LLC, Haimen Tyson Poultry Development Co. Ltd, Hudson Foods Company, Hudson Midwest Foods Inc., Hybro Genetics Brasil Ltda, IBP Caribbean Inc., IBP Foodservice L.L.C., IBP Inc., International Affiliates & Investment LLC, Jiangsu Tyson Foods Co. Ltd, Keydutch Finance B.V., Keydutch Holdings I LLC, Keydutch Holdings II LLC, Keydutch Investments B.V., Keystone CLJV Holdings Limited, Keystone County House Road LLC, Keystone Foods, Keystone Foods (AP) Limited, Keystone Foods Holdco LLC, Keystone Foods Intermediate LLC, Keystone Foods LLC, Keystone Foods Pty Limited, Keystone Management Inc., Keystone Trading (Shanghai) Company Limited, LD Foods LLC, M & M Express LLC, M&M Restaurant Supply (MI/OH) LLC, MFG (USA) Holdings Inc., Mac Food Services (Malaysia) SDN. BHD., Madison Foods Inc., McKey Food Services (Hong Kong) Limited, McKey Food Services (Shandong) Limited, McKey Food Services (Thailand) Limited, McKey Food Services Limited, McKey Luxembourg Holdings APMEA S.a.r.l., McKey Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., McKey Luxembourg S.a.r.l., McKey VI Holdings Limited, Myung Seung Food Company Ltd., National Comp Care Inc., New Canada Holdings Inc., Oaklawn Capital Corporation, Oaklawn IT Solution Private Limited, Original Philly Holdings Inc., PBX inc., Pierre Holdco Inc., River Valley Ingredients LLC, Rizhao Tyson Foods Co. Ltd, Rizhao Tyson Poultry Co. Ltd, Rural Energy Systems Inc., Sara Lee - Kiwi Holdings LLC, Sara Lee Diversified LLC, Sara Lee Foods LLC, Sara Lee Household & Body Care Malawi Ltd., Sara Lee International LLC, Sara Lee International TM Holdings LLC, Sara Lee Mexicana Holdings Investment L.L.C., Sara Lee TM Holdings LLC, Sara Lee Trademark Holdings Australasia LLC, Saramar L.L.C., Shandong Tyson-Da Long Food Company Limited, Smart Chicken, Southern Family Foods L.L.C., Southwest Products LLC, TF 20 B.V., TF 5201 B.V., TFA Leasing LLC, TFA Opportunity Zone Fund LLC, TFI of California Inc., Tecumseh Poultry LLC, Texas Transfer Inc., The Bruss Company, The Hillshire Brands Company, The IBP Foods Co., The Pork Group Inc., TyNet Corporation, Tyson (Shanghai) Enterprise Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Tyson Americas Holding Sarl, Tyson Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Tyson Breeders Inc., Tyson Chicken Inc., Tyson China Holding 2 Limited, Tyson China Holding 3 Limited, Tyson China Holding Limited, Tyson Deli Inc., Tyson Europe Holding Company, Tyson Farms Inc., Tyson Farms QOZB LLC, Tyson Foods Brasil Investimentos Ltda., Tyson Foods Canada Inc., Tyson Foods Europe (Netherlands) B.V., Tyson Foods Europe GmbH, Tyson Foods France S.A.R.L., Tyson Foods Germany GmbH, Tyson Foods Group Limited, Tyson Foods Holland B.V., Tyson Foods Huadong Development Co. Ltd, Tyson Foods Iberia Alimentos S.L.U., Tyson Foods Italia S.p.A., Tyson Foods Korea, Tyson Foods Netherlands B.V., Tyson Foods Products Limited, Tyson Foods Scotland Europe Limited, Tyson Foods Scotland Sales (Europe) Limited, Tyson Foods UK Limited, Tyson Foods Wrexham Limited, Tyson Foods oosterwolde B.V., Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., Tyson Fresh Meats Sales and Distribution LLC, Tyson Global Holding Sarl, Tyson Hog Markets Inc., Tyson India Holdings Ltd., Tyson International APAC Ltd., Tyson International Company Ltd., Tyson International Holding Company, Tyson International Holding Sarl, Tyson International Service Center Inc., Tyson International Service Center Inc. Asia, Tyson International Service Center Inc. Europe, Tyson Mexican Original Inc., Tyson Mexico Trading Company S. de R.L. de CV., Tyson New Ventures LLC, Tyson Opportunity Zone Fund LLC, Tyson Pet Products Inc., Tyson Poultry Inc., Tyson Prepared Foods Inc., Tyson Processing Services Inc., Tyson Refrigerated Processed Meats Inc., Tyson Sales and Distribution Inc., Tyson Service Center Corp., Tyson Shared Services Inc., Tyson Storm Lake Holdings LLC, Tyson Warehousing Services LLC, Tyson of Wisconsin LLC, Uninex SA, Universal Meats (UK) Limited, WBA Analytical Laboratories Inc., Wilton Foods Inc., Xamol Consultores e Servicos, and Zemco Industries Inc.. (ANSA) - Rome, February 28 - The threat from Islamist extremists has not declined as shown by "numerous alerts about planned terrorist attacks targeting Western targets", the DIS security department, which is part of Italy's intelligence network, said in its annual report on Thursday. It said that ISIS "has shown itself still to be capable of inspiring attacks in Europe" which the group can do by indicating people and methods to carry out attacks, despite its defeats on the ground. The report said jihadist propaganda was calling on extremists to use new forms of weapons, such as drones loaded with explosives to target events attended by big crowds and shopping centres. The report also sounded the alarm about homegrown terrorists radicalised in Italy. It said the intelligence services were paying great attention to the cases of 138 foreign fighters with links to Italy who went to Syria and Iraq. Civeo Corp. engages in the provision of workforce accommodations, logistics and facility management services to the natural resource industry. It operates through the following business segments: Canada, Australia, and U.S. The Canada segment provides accommodation services through lodges, open camps and mobile assets, which supports workforces from oil sands and in a variety of oil and natural gas drilling, mining and related natural resource applications, as well as disaster relief efforts. The Australia segment provides accommodations services on a day rate basis to mining and related service companies, such as construction contractors. The U.S. segment provides open camp facilities and highly mobile smaller camps that follow drilling rigs and completion crews as well as accommodation, office and storage modules that are placed on offshore drilling rigs and products platforms. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Houston, TX. Read More Bayer Aktiengesellschaft operates as a life science company worldwide. It operates through Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Health, and Crop Science segments. The Pharmaceuticals segment offers prescription products primarily for cardiology and women's health care; specialty therapeutics in the areas of oncology, hematology, and ophthalmology; and diagnostic imaging equipment and contrast agents, as well as cell and gene therapy. The Consumer Health segment markets nonprescription over-the-counter medicines, medical products, medicated skincare products, nutritional supplements, and self-care solutions in dermatology, nutritional supplements, pain and cardiovascular risk prevention, digestive health, allergy, and cold and cough. The Crop Science segment offers chemical and biological crop protection products, improved plant traits, seeds, digital solution, and pest and weed control products, as well as customer service for agriculture. This segment also provides breeding, propagation, and production/processing of seeds, including seed dressing. Bayer Aktiengesellschaft has a collaboration agreement with MD Anderson Cancer Center to develop oncology drugs; research and license agreement with Dewpoint Therapeutics, Inc. for the development of new treatments for cardiovascular and gynecological diseases; collaboration agreement with Exscientia Ltd, Foundation Medicine Inc., and Evotec AG; research collaboration with Arvinas Inc. and Forschungszentrum JAlich GmbH; strategic research partnership with University of Oxford to develop novel gynecological therapies; and research collaboration agreements with Haplogen GmbH and Kyoto University to identify new drugs candidates for the treatment of pulmonary diseases. The company distributes its products through wholesalers, pharmacies and pharmacy chains, supermarkets, online and other retailers, and hospitals, as well as directly to farmers. Bayer Aktiengesellschaft was founded in 1863 and is headquartered in Leverkusen, Germany. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of D.R. Horton: 10700 Pecan Park Austin Inc., 11241 Slater Avenue NE LLC, 2 C Development Company LLC, 8800 Roswell Road Bldg. B LLC, 91st Avenue & Happy Valley L.L.C., ANN & 215 LLC, Austin Data Inc., BP456 Inc., C. Richard Dobson Builders Inc., CH Funding LLC, CH Investments of Texas Inc., CHI Construction Company, CHM Partners L.P., CHTEX of Texas Inc., CV Mountain View 25 Inv LLC, Cane Island LLC, Continental Homes Inc., Continental Homes of Texas L.P., Continental Residential Inc., Continental Traditions LLC, Crown Operating Company Inc., Cypress Road L.P., D.R. Horton - CHAustin LLC, D.R. Horton - Colorado LLC, D.R. Horton - Crown LLC, D.R. Horton - Emerald Ltd., D.R. Horton - Georgia LLC, D.R. Horton - Hawaii LLC, D.R. Horton - Highland LLC, D.R. Horton - Indiana LLC, D.R. Horton - Iowa LLC, D.R. Horton - MV LLC, D.R. Horton - Nebraska LLC, D.R. Horton - Permian LLC, D.R. Horton - Regent LLC, D.R. Horton - Terramor LLC, D.R. Horton - Texas Ltd., D.R. Horton - WPH LLC, D.R. Horton - Wyoming LLC, D.R. Horton BAY Inc., D.R. Horton CA2 Inc., D.R. Horton CA3 Inc., D.R. Horton CA4 LLC, D.R. Horton Commercial Inc., D.R. Horton Cruces Construction Inc., D.R. Horton Inc. - Birmingham, D.R. Horton Inc. - Chicago, D.R. Horton Inc. - Denver, D.R. Horton Inc. - Dietz-Crane, D.R. Horton Inc. - Greensboro, D.R. Horton Inc. - Gulf Coast, D.R. Horton Inc. - Huntsville, D.R. Horton Inc. - Jacksonville, D.R. Horton Inc. - Louisville, D.R. Horton Inc. - Midwest, D.R. Horton Inc. - Minnesota, D.R. Horton Inc. - NNV, D.R. Horton Inc. - New Jersey, D.R. Horton Inc. - Portland, D.R. Horton Inc. - Torrey, D.R. Horton Inc. Foundation, D.R. Horton Insurance Agency Inc., D.R. Horton LA North Inc., D.R. Horton Life Insurance Agency Inc., D.R. Horton Los Angeles Holding Company Inc., D.R. Horton Management Company Ltd., D.R. Horton Materials Inc., D.R. Horton Realty LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Atlantic County LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Central Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Delaware LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Georgia Inc., D.R. Horton Realty of Melbourne LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Northwest Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Southeast Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Southwest Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Tampa LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Virginia LLC, D.R. Horton Seabridge Marina Inc., D.R. Horton Serenity Construction LLC, D.R. Horton Urban Renewal LLC, D.R. Horton VEN Inc., D.R. Horton Corpus Christi LLC, DBC54 LLC, DHI Commercial - Lakeview LLC, DHI Commercial - Signal Butte LLC, DHI Commercial - Tamarron LLC, DHI Commercial Inc., DHI Communities Construction LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Arizona LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Colorado LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Florida LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Iowa LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Nevada LLC, DHI Communities Construction of North Carolina LLC, DHI Communities Construction of South Carolina LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Texas LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Utah LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Virginia LLC, DHI Communities II LLC, DHI Communities Inc., DHI Engineering LLC, DHI Insurance Inc., DHI Mortgage Company, DHI Mortgage Company GP Inc., DHI Mortgage Company LP Inc., DHI Mortgage Company Ltd., DHI Ranch Ltd., DHI Realty of Alabama LLC, DHI Realty of Mississippi LLC, DHI Title GP Inc., DHI Title LP Inc., DHI Title of Alabama Inc., DHI Title of Arizona Inc., DHI Title of Florida Inc., DHI Title of Minnesota Inc., DHI Title of Nevada Inc., DHI Title of Texas Ltd., DHI Title of Washington Inc., DHI Verandah South Shores Communities LLC, DHIC - Bridges LLC, DHIC - Brittmore LLC, DHIC - Carolina Forest LLC, DHIC - Desert Peak LLC, DHIC - Durbin Creek LLC, DHIC - Freestone LLC, DHIC - Hammock Landing LLC, DHIC - Heritage LLC, DHIC - Horizon Uptown LLC, DHIC - Jacobs Reserve LLC, DHIC - Lakeview LLC, DHIC - Lipoma LLC, DHIC - Minton Cove LLC, DHIC - Mountain Vista LLC, DHIC - Naco LLC, DHIC - Northshore LLC, DHIC - Prairie Village LLC, DHIC - South Creek LLC, DHIC - Tamarron LLC, DHIC - Valley Vista LLC, DHIC - Varina Gateway LLC, DHIC - Waterleigh II LLC, DHIC - Waterleigh III LLC, DHIC - Waterleigh LLC, DHIC - Westridge LLC, DHIC LLC, DHIC Glendale LLC, DHIC Grove West LLC, DHIC South Park LLC, DHIC Westinghouse LLC, DHIR - Aspen Vista LLC, DHIR - Avian Pointe LLC, DHIR - Emerald Lakes LLC, DHIR - Fosters Ridge LLC, DHIR - Gulf Stream LLC, DHIR - Parkview at Lynn Haven LLC, DHIR - Poplar Terrace LLC, DHIR - Properties I LLC, DHIR - Rock Ridge LLC, DHIR - Sunset Village LLC, DHIR - Village at Hickory Street LLC, DRH - ARK LLC, DRH - ASG LLC, DRH - HWY 114 LLC, DRH Cambridge Homes LLC, DRH Capital Trust I, DRH Capital Trust II, DRH Capital Trust III, DRH Colorado Realty Inc., DRH Construction Inc., DRH Energy Inc., DRH FS Mortgage Reinsurance Ltd., DRH Land Opportunities I Inc., DRH Land Opportunities II Inc., DRH Mountain View LLC, DRH Oil & Gas Inc., DRH Opportunities I Inc., DRH Properties Inc., DRH Realty Company Inc., DRH Realty of Iowa LLC, DRH Regrem L LLC, DRH Regrem LI LLC, DRH Regrem LII LLC, DRH Regrem LIII LLC, DRH Regrem LIV LLC, DRH Regrem LV LLC, DRH Regrem VII LP, DRH Regrem XII LP, DRH Regrem XIV Inc., DRH Regrem XIX Inc., DRH Regrem XLIX LLC, DRH Regrem XLV LLC, DRH Regrem XLVI LLC, DRH Regrem XLVII LLC, DRH Regrem XLVIII LLC, DRH Regrem XV Inc., DRH Regrem XVI Inc., DRH Regrem XVII Inc., DRH Regrem XVIII Inc., DRH Regrem XX Inc., DRH Regrem XXI Inc., DRH Regrem XXII Inc., DRH Regrem XXIII Inc., DRH Regrem XXIV Inc., DRH Regrem XXV Inc., DRH Southwest Construction Inc., DRH Tucson Construction Inc., DRHI Inc., Deer Valley Office Park LLC, Desert Ridge Phase I Partners, Emerald Creek No. 4 L.P., Emerald Realty of Alabama LLC, Emerald Realty of Central Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of North Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of Northwest Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of Southeast Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of Southwest Florida LLC, Encore II Inc., Encore Venture Partners II (California) L.P., Encore Venture Partners II (Texas) L.P., Encore Venture Partners L.P., Express Realty of Central Florida LLC, Express Realty of North Florida LLC, Express Realty of Northwest Florida LLC, Express Realty of Southeast Florida LLC, Express Realty of Southwest Florida LLC, Forestar Group, Forestar Group Inc., Founders Oil & Gas II LLC, Founders Oil & Gas III LLC, Founders Oil & Gas IV LLC, Founders Oil & Gas LLC, Founders Oil & Gas Operating LLC, GP-Encore Inc., Georgetown Data Inc., Germann & McQueen L.L.C., Grand Title Agency LLC, Grande Realty Incorporated, Grande Realty of Pennsylvania LLC, Greywes LLC, HPH Homebuilders 2000 L.P., Hadian LLC, KDB Homes Inc., Kaomalo LLC, Lexington Homes - DRH LLC, MRLF LLC, Martin Road Lake Forest LLC, McQueen & Willis LLC, Meadows I Ltd., Meadows II Ltd., Meadows IX Inc., Meadows VIII Ltd., Meadows X Inc., Melody Homes Inc., Pacific Ridge - DRH LLC, Rielly Carlsbad LLC, Rielly Homes Madison LLC, SFTEN LLC, SGS Communities at Grand Quay L.L.C, SHA Construction LLC, SHLR of California Inc., SHLR of Nevada Inc., SHLR of Washington Inc., SRHI LLC, SSHI LLC, Schuler Homes of Arizona LLC, Schuler Homes of California Inc., Schuler Homes of Oregon Inc., Schuler Homes of Washington Inc., Summerlin Pkwy & Cimarron LLC, Surprise Village North LLC, The Club at Cobblestone LLC, The Club at Hidden River LLC, Tierra Financial Advisors LLC, Travis County Title Company, Treasure Assets LLC, Venture Management of South Carolina LLC, Vertical Construction Corporation, WPH-Camino Ruiz LLC, WPH-Copper Canyon II LLC, WPH-Copper Canyon LLC, Walker Drive LLC, Western Pacific Brea Development LLC, Western Pacific Housing - Mountaingate L.P., Western Pacific Housing - SDG LLC, Western Pacific Housing - Westlake II L.P., Western Pacific Housing Inc., Western Pacific Housing Management Inc., Western Pacific Housing-Antigua LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Broadway LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Canyon Park LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Carrillo LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Communications Hill LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Copper Canyon LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Creekside LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Lomas Verdes LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Lyons Canyon Partners LLC, Western Pacific Housing-McGonigle Canyon LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Norco Estates LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Pacific Park II LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Park Avenue East LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Park Avenue West LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Playa Vista LLC, Western Pacific Housing-River Ridge LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Terra Bay Duets LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Torrey Meadows LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Torrey Village Center LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Windemere LLC, and Wilson Parker Homes. The following companies are subsidiares of Dover: Accelerated Production Systems, Acme Elevator, Advansor A/S, Advansor Dover International (Poland) sp. z o.o, Advansor Germany GmbH, Alfred Fueling Systems Holdco Ltd., Alfred Fueling Systems Inc., Alfred Fueling Systems Intermediate Holdco Ltd., All-Flo Pump Company, Anman LLC, Anthony Equity Holdings Inc., Anthony Holdings Inc., Anthony Inc., Anthony International, Anthony International Foreign Sales Corp., Anthony International Holding Company, Anthony Mexico Holdings LLC, Anthony North Holdco Inc., Anthony Specialty Glass LLC, Anthony TemperBent GP LLC, Auto Glanz Solutions LLC, Automatik Grundstucksverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Automatik Plastics Machinery (Taiwan) Ltd., BSC Filters Limited, Background2 Limited, Belanger, Belanger Inc., Belvac Middle East FZE, Belvac Production Machinery Inc., Blackmer, BlitzRotary GmbH, Butler Engineering and Marketing S.P.A., CDS Visual, CEP Liquidation LLC, CP Formation LLC, CPC Europe Inc., CPI Products Inc., Caldera, Canada Organization & Development LLC, Chief Automotive Technologies (Shanghai) Trading Company Ltd., Chippewa Square Captive Insurance Company, Colder Products Company, Colder Products Company GmbH, Colder Products Company LTD, Cook Compression BV, Cook Compression LLC, Cook Compression Limited, Cook-MFS Inc., DD1 Inc., DDI Properties Inc., DE-STA-CO Benelux B.V., DE-STA-CO FRANCE, DE-STA-CO Shanghai Co. Ltd., DESTACO UK Limited, DFH Corporation, DFS Netherlands B.V., DSR BZ Holdings LLC, Datamax International Corp, De Sta Co (Asia) Company Limited, De-Sta-Co Cylinders Inc., DeStaCo Europe GmbH, Delaware Capital Formation Inc., Delaware Capital Holdings Inc., Dover (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Dover (Schweiz) Holding GmbH, Dover (Shanghai) Industrial Co. Ltd., Dover (Shenzhen) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover (Suzhou) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover Asia Trading Private Ltd., Dover Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Dover Business Services EMEA Limited, Dover Business Services LLC, Dover Business Services Philippines Corporation, Dover CLP Formation Limited Partnership, Dover CR spol s r.o., Dover Canada Holdings ULC, Dover Canada Operations ULC, Dover Corporation Regional Headquarters, Dover DEI Services Inc., Dover Denmark Holdings ApS, Dover EMEA FZCO, Dover Energy UK Ltd, Dover Engineered Products Segment Inc., Dover Europe Inc., Dover Europe Sarl, Dover Fluids UK Ltd, Dover France Holdings, Dover France Participations, Dover France Technologies, Dover Fueling Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Fueling Solutions UK Limited, Dover Germany GmbH, Dover Global Holdings LLC, Dover Holdings de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Dover Imaging & Identification Segment Inc., Dover India Pvt. Ltd., Dover Intercompany Services UK Limited, Dover International B.V., Dover International Operations Inc., Dover International Ventures Inc., Dover International Ventures Tunisia S.a.r.l., Dover International ithalat ihracat ve Pazarlama Limited Sirketi, Dover Italy Holdings S.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Finance Sarl, Dover Luxembourg Participations Sarl, Dover Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Services Sarl, Dover Operations South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Dover Overseas Ventures Inc., Dover Pumps & Process Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment UK Ltd, Dover Resources International de Mexico S. de R.L. C.V., Dover Solutions Colombia SAS, Dover Southeast Asia (Thailand) Ltd., Dover Spain Holdings S.L., Dover UK Pensions Limited, Dover WSCR Holding LLC, Dover WSCR LLC, Dover do Brasil Ltda., Dow-Key Microwave Corporation, Dresser Wayne Data Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Dresser Wayne Fuel Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., EOA Systems Inc., Ebs-Ray Holdings Pty Ltd, Ebs-Ray Industries Pty. Ltd., Ebs-Ray Pumps Pty. Ltd., Em-tec, Espy, Ettlinger, Ettlinger Kunststoffmaschinen GmbH, Fairbanks Environmental Limited, Fibrelite Composites Limited, Fibresec Holdings Limited, Fibresec Limited, Finder, GAL LLC, GIIER LLC, Gala Industries, Gala Kunststoff-und Kautschukmaschinen GmbH, Guangdong Tokheim LIYUAN Oil Industry Technology Limited Company, Highland Park Insurance Company, Hill PHOENIX Inc., Hill PHOENIX WIC LLC, Hill Phoenix Costa Rica Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, Hill Phoenix El Salvador Limitada de Capital Variable, Hill Phoenix Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Honduras Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hiltap Fittings Ltd., Hydro Systems Company, Hydro Systems Europe Ltd., Hydronova Australia-NZ Pty Ltd, Industrial Motion Control LLC, Innovative Control Systems, Innovative Control Systems Inc., Inpro/Seal LLC, JK Group, JK Group S.P.A., JK Group USA Inc., K S Boca Inc., K&L Microwave DR Inc., K&L Microwave Inc., KPS (Beijing) Petroleum Equipment Trading Co Ltd., KPS Fueling Solutions Sdn. Bhd., KPS Hong Kong Holding Limited, KPS UK Limited, KS Formation Inc., KS Liquidation Inc., KSLP Liquidation L.P., Kiian Digital (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Knappco LLC, Knowles Electronics, LIQAL, Liquip, Liquip International Pty Limited, MAAG, MARKEM FZ SA, MARKEM-IMAJE Corporation, MIP Holdings Inc., MS Printing Solutions, MS Printing Solutions S.R.L., Maag Automatik GmbH, Maag Automatik Plastics Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Maag Gala Inc., Maag Italy S.R.L., Maag Pump Systems, Maag Pump Systems (US) Inc., Maag Pump Systems AG, Maag Reduction Inc., Maag Service (Malaysia) Sdn. Bdn., Maag Systems (Thailand) Limited, Marathon Equipment Company (Delaware), Markem Imaje Center of Competencies Spain S.L.U., Markem-Imaje, Markem-Imaje (China) Co. Limited, Markem-Imaje - Unipessoal Lda, Markem-Imaje A/S, Markem-Imaje AB, Markem-Imaje AG, Markem-Imaje AS, Markem-Imaje B.V., Markem-Imaje CSAT GmbH, Markem-Imaje Co. Ltd., Markem-Imaje GmbH, Markem-Imaje Holding, Markem-Imaje Identificacao de Produtos Ltda., Markem-Imaje Inc., Markem-Imaje India Private Limited, Markem-Imaje Industries, Markem-Imaje Industries Limited, Markem-Imaje KK, Markem-Imaje LLC, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Ltd., Markem-Imaje N.V., Markem-Imaje Oy, Markem-Imaje Philippines Corporation, Markem-Imaje Pty Ltd, Markem-Imaje S.A., Markem-Imaje S.A. de C.V., Markem-Imaje S.r.l., Markem-Imaje SAS, Markem-Imaje Sdn Bhd, Markem-Imaje Singapore Pte. Ltd., Markem-Imaje Spain S.A.U, Markpoint Holding AB, Midland Manufacturing LLC, Mouvex, Northern Lights (Nevada) Inc., Northern Lights Funding LP, Northern Lights Investments LLC, Nova Controls Inc., OK International, OK International (UK) Ltd., OK International Holdings Inc., OK International Inc., OPW Engineered Systems Inc., OPW Fluid Transfer Group Europe B.V., OPW Fluid Transfer Solutions (Jiang Su) Co. Ltd., OPW Fluids Group Inc., OPW France, OPW Fuel Management Systems Inc., OPW Fueling Components (SuZhou) Co. Ltd., OPW Fueling Components LLC, OPW Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OPW Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., OPW Slovakia s.r.o., OPW Sweden AB, Officine Meccaniche Sirio S.R.L., PDQ Manufacturing, PDQ Manufacturing Inc., PISCES by OPW Inc., PSD Codax Holdings Limited, PSD Codax Limited, PSG (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, PSG (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PSG California LLC, PSG Germany GmbH, Petro Vend Sp. z o.o., Pike Machine Products Inc., Pole/Zero Acquisition Inc., Precision Brasil Equipamentos E Servicos Para Postos De Combustiveis Ltda., Precision Service - Servicos De Manutencao E Instalacao De Postos De Abastecimento De Combustivel Ltda., Production Control Services, Pump Management Services Co. LLC, RAV Equipos Espana S.L., RAV France, Ravaglioli Deutschland GmbH, Ravaglioli S.P.A., Reduction Engineering GmbH, Revod Corporation, Revod Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Revod SAS, Revod Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd, Revod Sweden AB, Robohand Inc., Rosario, Rosario Handel B.V., Rotary Lift Consolidated (Haimen) Co. Ltd, SE Liquidation LLC, SWEP Germany GmbH, SWEP Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., SWEP North America Inc., SWEP Slovakia s.r.o., SWEP Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Seabiscuit Motorsports Inc., Simmons Sirvey Corporation, So. Cal. Soft-Pak, So. Cal. Soft-Pak Incorporated, Solaris Laser, Solaris Laser S.A., Somero Enterprises, Sound Solutions, Space S.R.L., Spirit, Start Italiana Petrol Cihazlari Sanayi Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Start Italiana S.R.L., Swep Energy Oy, Swep International A.B., Swep Japan K.K., Sys-Tech Solutions, Sys-Tech Solutions Inc., Systech GB Limited, Systech Shanghai Consulting Company Limited, TQC Quantium Quality S.A. de C.V., TTSI III Inc., TWG Canada Consolidated Inc., TXHI LLC, Tartan Textile Services Inc., The Heil Co., Tokheim Belgium, Tokheim China Company Limited, Tokheim GmbH, Tokheim Group, Tokheim Hengshan Technologies (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Tokheim Holding B.V., Tokheim India Private Limited, Tokheim Sofitam Applications, Trans - Logistic Group S.R.L., Triton Systems, Tulsa Winch Inc., UPCO Inc., US Synthetic, Unattended Payment Solutions LLC, Unified Brands, Unified Brands Inc., Val TemperBent Glass L.P., Vectron Frequency Devices (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Vehicle Service Group LLC, Vehicle Service Group UK Limited, Vos Food Store Equipment Ltd., WSCR Corp., Warn Automotive LLC, Warn Industries, Waukesha Bearings, Waukesha Bearings Corporation, Waukesha Bearings Limited, Waukesha Bearings Russia LLC, Wayne Fuel Management UK Ltd., Wayne Fueling Systems, Wayne Fueling Systems (Rus) Limited Liability Company, Wayne Fueling Systems Australia Pty Ltd, Wayne Fueling Systems Canada ULC, Wayne Fueling Systems Deutschland GmbH, Wayne Fueling Systems Italia S.R.L., Wayne Fueling Systems LLC, Wayne Fueling Systems Ltd., Wayne Fueling Systems Sweden AB, Wayne Fueling Systems UK Holdco Ltd., Wayne Industria e Comercio Ltda., WellMark, XanTec Steuerungs- und EDV-Technik GmbH, and em-tec GmbH. The following companies are subsidiares of 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. Italy has been left alone over migrants - Conte Shortsightedness will cause problems for everyone says premier (ANSAmed) - ROME, FEBRUARY 28 - Premier Giuseppe Conte on Thursday reiterated the assertion that Italy has been left alone by its European partners to cope with flow of migrants across the Mediterranean from North Africa. "Up to now, Italy has been left alone and it has saved Europe's honour," Conte said at the presentation of the annual report of Italy's intelligence network. "But if we continue to proceed with short-sighted interests, Europe will continue in a spiral of crises that we won't come out of. "It is a problem that regards everyone". (ANSAmed). Hypoport SE operates as a technology-based financial service provider in Germany. The company operates through four segments: Credit Platform, Private Clients, Real Estate Platform, and Insurance Platform. It offers EUROPACE marketplace for independent distributors to process their financing transactions with the product suppliers they represent. The company also provides mortgage finance, personal loans, insurance, and current and deposit accounts through distribution channels, including online and branch-based sales. In addition, it offers advice and customized solutions in the areas of financial management, portfolio management, and insurance for business customers; PRoMMiSe, a software that helps banks with the analysis and reporting of securitized or collateralized loan portfolios; Software as a Service for banks and housing companies; and property valuation services, as well as supports issuers with the provision of information technology and a range of services. Further, it develops and operates software solutions for the sale and management of insurance products; operates SMART INSUR, a web-based B2B platform for advice, comparison of tariffs, and the administration of insurance policies; and provides support services to small and medium-sized financial product distributors in relation to the brokerage of insurance policies. The company is headquartered in LAbeck, Germany. Read More Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. is a supplier of precision instruments and services. The firm manufactures weighing instruments for use in laboratory, industrial, packaging, logistics, and food retailing applications. It also manufactures several related analytical instruments and provides automated chemistry solutions used in drug and chemical compound discovery and development; and also, metal detection and other end-of-line inspection systems used in production and packaging and provides solutions for use in certain process analytics applications. Its operations are conducted by the following segments: U. S. Operations, Swiss Operations, Western European Operations, Chinese Operations and Other. The U.S. Operations segment represents certain of the company's marketing and producing organizations located in the United States. The Swiss Operations segment includes marketing and producing organizations located in Switzerland, as well as extensive R&D operations that are responsible for the development, production, and marketing of precision instruments, including weighing, analytical, and measurement technologies for use in a variety of industrial and laboratory applications. Th Read More James Fisher and Sons plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides marine and specialist engineering services worldwide. It operates through four segments: Marine Support, Specialist Technical, Offshore Oil, and Tankships. The Marine Support segment engages in the provision of ship to ship transfer services; offshore terminal services; integrated marine services, including remotely operated vehicle systems and diving services; mass-flow excavation services; and products and services that measure and monitor structural stress, and instrumentation and testing materials to marine, oil and gas, renewables, defense, civil, and construction end markets. The Specialist Technical segment designs, supplies, and services diving and subsea equipment, submarine rescue products, and special operational services, as well as offers engineered solutions in remote handling, non-destructive testing, and calibration services to defense, commercial and defense diving, hyperbaric, submarine rescue, and nuclear decommissioning end markets. The Offshore Oil segment is involved in the design and engineering of specialist equipment; platform maintenance and modification; well testing support; provision of products and services to well testing companies; and subsea operations, as well as offers artificial lift specialist completion technology and accessory tools for electrical submersible pumps, and lifting equipment and services to the marine, oil and gas, offshore wind, and subsea industries. The Tankships segment delivers clean petroleum products by operating a fleet of product and chemical tankers, which carry petrol, diesel, gasoil, kerosene, and chemicals/biofuels in the European coastline; operates ports in Plymouth, the United Kingdom. James Fisher and Sons Plc was founded in 1847 and is headquartered in Barrow-in-Furness, the United Kingdom. Read More Great Western Exploration Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration of mineral properties in Australia. It operates through Mineral Exploration, and Finance and Administration segments. The company primarily explores for gold, copper, nickel, and base metals. It holds 100% interests in the Finlayson Gold Target and Golden Corridor Project located in the northwest of the Kalgoorlie Terrane; the Atley Gold Project located in the Youanmi district; the Lake Way Potash Project that comprises an area of 415 square kilometers located near Wiluna; and the Yerrida South Project located in the Western Australia.The company also holds interest in the Yerrida North JV project; and the Yandal West gold project. Great Western Exploration Limited was incorporated in 2007 and is based in Perth, Australia. Read More TEL AVIV - Tension remains high at the border between Gaza and Israel where Hamas militants over the past few nights have been attacking Israeli soldiers once again with Molotov cocktails, firecrackers and improvised bombs. Last night, balloons carrying a bomb launched from Gaza exploded near an Israeli civilian home in western Negev, causing material damage. An Israeli military spokesman said Israeli jets and helicopters struck in response ''terrorist targets'' at a Hamas military camp in a central area of the Gaza Strip. No victims were registered. The following companies are subsidiares of InterContinental Hotels Group: 2250 Blake Street Hotel LLC, 24th Street Operator Sub LLC, 36th Street IHG Sub LLC, 426 Main Ave LLC, 46 Nevins Street Associates LLC, Allegro Management LLC, Alpha Kimball Hotel LLC, American Commonwealth Assurance Co. Ltd., Asia Pacific Holdings Limited, BHMC Canada Inc., BHR Holdings B.V., BHR Luxembourg SARL, BHR Pacific Holdings Inc., BHTC Canada Inc., BOC Barclay Sub LLC, Barclay Operating Corp., Bristol Oakbrook Tenant Company, Cafe Biarritz, Cambridge Lodging LLC, Capital Lodging LLC, Compania Inter-Continental De Hoteles El Salvador SA, Crowne Plaza Amsterdam (Management) B.V., Crowne Plaza LLC, Cumberland Akers Hotel LLC, Dunwoody Operations Inc., EVEN Real Estate Holding LLC, Edinburgh IC Limited, General Innkeeping Acceptance Corporation, Guangzhou SC Hotels Services Ltd., H.I. (Ireland) Limited, H.I. Soaltee Management Company Ltd, HC International Holdings Inc., HH France Holdings SAS, HH Hotels (EMEA) B.V., HH Hotels (Romania) SRL, HI Sugarloaf LLC, HIM (Aruba) NV, Hale International Ltd., Hoft Properties LLC, Holiday Hospitality Franchising LLC, Holiday Inn Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Holiday Inns (China) Ltd, Holiday Inns (Chongqing) Inc., Holiday Inns (Courtalin) Holdings SAS, Holiday Inns (Courtalin) SAS, Holiday Inns (England) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Germany) LLC, Holiday Inns (Guangzhou) Inc., Holiday Inns (Jamaica) Inc., Holiday Inns (Malaysia) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Middle East) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Philippines) Inc., Holiday Inns (Saudi Arabia) Inc., Holiday Inns (South East Asia) Inc., Holiday Inns (Thailand) Ltd., Holiday Inns (UK) Inc., Holiday Inns Crowne Plaza (Hong Kong) Inc., Holiday Inns Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, Holiday Inns Inc., Holiday Inns Investment (Nepal) Ltd., Holiday Inns of America (UK) Ltd., Holiday Inns of Belgium N.V., Holiday Pacific Equity Corporation, Holiday Pacific LLC, Holiday Pacific Partners LP, Hotel Inter-Continental London Limited, Hotel InterContinental London (Holdings) Limited, Hoteles Y Turismo HIH SRL, IC Hotelbetriebsfuhrungs GmbH, IC Hotels Management (Portugal) Unipessoal Lda, IC International Hotels Limited Liability Company, IHC (Thailand) Limited, IHC Buckhead LLC, IHC Edinburgh (Holdings), IHC Hopkins (Holdings) Corp., IHC Hotel Limited, IHC Inter-Continental (Holdings) Corp., IHC London (Holdings), IHC M-H (Holdings) Corp., IHC May Fair (Holdings) Limited, IHC May Fair Hotel Limited, IHC Overseas (U.K.) Limited, IHC UK (Holdings) Limited, IHC United States (Holdings) Corp., IHC Willard (Holdings) Corp., IHG (Australasia) Limited, IHG (Marseille) SAS, IHG (Thailand) Limited, IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan LLC, IHG ANA Hotels Holdings Co. Ltd., IHG Bangkok Ltd, IHG Brasil Administracao de Hoteis e Servicos Ltda, IHG Commission Services SRL, IHG Community Development LLC, IHG Cyprus Limited, IHG ECS (Barbados) SRL, IHG Franchising Brasil Ltda, IHG Franchising DR Corporation, IHG Franchising LLC, IHG Hotels (New Zealand) Limited, IHG Hotels Limited, IHG Hotels Management (Australia) Pty Limited, IHG Hotels Nigeria Limited, IHG Hotels South Africa (Pty) Ltd, IHG International Partnership, IHG Istanbul Otel Yonetim Limited Sirketi, IHG Japan (Management) LLC, IHG Japan (Osaka) LLC, IHG Management (Maryland) LLC, IHG Management (Netherlands) B.V., IHG Management MD Barclay Sub LLC, IHG Management SL d.o.o, IHG Management d.o.o. Beograd, IHG Orchard Street Member LLC, IHG PS Nominees Limited, IHG Systems Pty Ltd, IHG Szalloda Budapest Szolgaltato Kft., IHG de Argentina SA, IND East Village SD Holdings LLC, Inter-Continental D.C. Operating Corp., Inter-Continental Florida Investment Corp., Inter-Continental Florida Partner Corp., Inter-Continental Hospitality Corporation, Inter-Continental Hoteleira Limitada, Inter-Continental Hotels (Montreal) Operating Corp., Inter-Continental Hotels (Montreal) Owning Corp., Inter-Continental Hotels (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation, Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation de Venezuela C.A., Inter-Continental Hotels of San Francisco Inc., Inter-Continental IOHC (Mauritius) Limited, Inter-Continental Management (Australia) Pty Limited, InterContinental (Branston) 1 Limited, InterContinental (PB) 1, InterContinental (PB) 2, InterContinental (PB) 3 Limited, InterContinental Berlin Service Company GmbH, InterContinental Brasil Administracao de Hoteis Ltda, InterContinental Gestion Hotelera S.L., InterContinental Hotel Berlin GmbH, InterContinental Hotel Dusseldorf GmbH (Germany), InterContinental Hotels (Puerto Rico) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, InterContinental Hotels Group (Australia) Pty Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (Canada) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (Espana) SA, InterContinental Hotels Group (Greater China) Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (India) Pvt. Ltd, InterContinental Hotels Group (Japan) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (New Zealand) Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (Shanghai) Ltd., InterContinental Hotels Group Customer Services Ltd., InterContinental Hotels Group Healthcare Trustee Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group Operating Corp., InterContinental Hotels Group Resources Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group Services Company, InterContinental Hotels Group do Brasil Limitada, InterContinental Hotels Italia S.r.L., InterContinental Hotels Limited, InterContinental Hotels Management GmbH, InterContinental Hotels Nevada Corporation, InterContinental Management AM LLC, InterContinental Management Bulgaria EOOD, InterContinental Management France SAS, InterContinental Management Poland sp. z.o.o, InterContinental Overseas Holding Corporation, Intercontinental Hotels Corporation Limited, KG Benefits LLC, KG Gift Card Inc., KG Liability LLC, KG Technology LLC, KHP Washington Operator LLC, KHRG 11th Avenue Hotel LLC, KHRG 851 LLC, KHRG Aertson LLC, KHRG Alexandria LLC, KHRG Alexis LLC, KHRG Allegro LLC, KHRG Argyle LLC, KHRG Austin Beverage Company LLC, KHRG Baltimore LLC, KHRG Born LLC, KHRG Boston Hotel LLC, KHRG Canary LLC, KHRG Cayman Employer Ltd., KHRG Cayman LLC, KHRG DC 1731 LLC, KHRG DC 2505 LLC, KHRG Donovan LLC, KHRG Employer LLC, KHRG Goleta LLC, KHRG Gray LLC, KHRG Gray U2 LLC, KHRG Hillcrest LLC, KHRG Huntington Beach LLC, KHRG King Street LLC, KHRG La Peer LLC, KHRG Miami Beach LLC, KHRG Muse LLC, KHRG NPC LLC, KHRG Onyx LLC, KHRG Palladian LLC, KHRG Palomar Phoenix LLC, KHRG Philly Monaco LLC, KHRG Pittsburgh LLC, KHRG Reynolds LLC, KHRG Riverplace LLC, KHRG SFD LLC, KHRG Sacramento LLC, KHRG Savannah LLC, KHRG Schofield LLC, KHRG Sedona LLC, KHRG State Street LLC, KHRG Sutter LLC, KHRG Sutter Union LLC, KHRG Taconic LLC, KHRG Tariff LLC, KHRG Texas Hospitality LLC, KHRG Texas Operations LLC, KHRG Tryon LLC, KHRG VZ Austin LLC, KHRG Vero Beach LLC, KHRG Vintage Park LLC, KHRG WPB LLC, KHRG Wabash LLC, KHRG Westwood LLC, KHRG Wilshire LLC, KHRG Zamora LLC, Kimpton Hollywood Licenses LLC, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group LLC, Kimpton Phoenix Licenses Holdings LLC, Kimpton Sedona Licenses LLC, Louisiana Acquisitions Corp., MH Lodging LLC, Mercer Fairview Holdings LLC, PML Services LLC, PT SC Hotels & Resorts Indonesia, Pollstrong Limited, Powell Pine Inc., Priscilla Holiday of Texas Inc., RM Lodging LLC, Regent Hotels and Resorts, Resort Services International (Cayo Largo) L.P., SBS Maryland Beverage Company LLC, SC Cellars Limited, SC Hotels International Services Inc., SC Leisure Group Limited, SC NAS 2 Limited, SC Quest Limited, SC Reservations (Philippines) Inc., SCH Insurance Company, SCIH Branston 3, SF MH Acquisition LLC, SPHC Group Pty Ltd., SPHC Management Ltd., Semiramis for training of Hotel Personnel and Hotel Management SAE, Six Continents Corporate Services, Six Continents Holdings Limited, Six Continents Hotels Inc., Six Continents Hotels International Limited, Six Continents Hotels de Colombia SA, Six Continents International Holdings B.V., Six Continents Investments Limited, Six Continents Limited, Six Continents Overseas Holdings Limited, Six Continents Restaurants Limited, SixCo North America Inc., Solamar Lodging LLC, Southern Pacific Hotel Corporation (BVI) Ltd., Southern Pacific Hotels Properties Limited, Universal de Hoteles SA, White Shield Insurance Company Limited, and World Trade Centre Montreal Hotel Corporation. The following companies are subsidiares of 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.. (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, FEBRUARY 28 - The 'deal of the century' drawn up by the Trump administration to foster peace in the Middle East does not include the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. It does, however, call for Palestinian autonomy in the Gaza Strip with political and economic links to the West Bank, reported the Palestinian newspaper al-Quds on Thursday. The publication did not cite the source of the information but said that the Jewish settlements in the West Bank will remain on the ground but will not be able to be extended. Most of the Israeli military checkpoints in the West Bank will instead reportedly have to be removed to facilitate the movement of Palestinians. The newspaper said that 25 billion dollars of investment in the West Bank and Gaza will be foreseen as part of the 'deal', as well as significant investment for Egypt, Jordan, and possibly also Lebanon. (ANSAmed). 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. 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. 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 There is not enough analysis data for Macquarie Global Infrastructure Total Return Fund. 4.8 Community Rank Outperform Votes Macquarie Global Infrastructure Total Return Fund has received 72 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Macquarie Global Infrastructure Total Return Fund has received 29 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Macquarie Global Infrastructure Total Return Fund has received 71.29% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Macquarie Global Infrastructure Total Return Fund and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe MGU will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe MGU will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next ISTANBUL - Representatives of Turkey and the European Union on Thursday are meeting at Istanbul's Dolmabahce palace for the Third High-Level Dialogue. The summit will be chaired by the vice-president of the European Commission, Jyrki Katainen, and Turkish Economy Minister Berat Albayrak, who will also hold a joint press conference. The dialogue mechanism was first created in 2015 to develop bilateral economic relations and create a platform to meet for the entrepreneurial communities of Turkey and EU member States. The summit will be divided into two parts: an event for entrepreneurs and institutions and another for inter-governmental dialogue between Ankara and Brussels to discuss the economic situation, structural reforms, investments, bilateral commercial relations and a customs union. The event will be attended by EU commissioner for transport, Violeta Bulc, and Turkey's transport minister, Mehmet Cahit Turhan, who will sign a bilateral agreement to co-fund the construction of the Halkali-Kapikule railway line through the Instrument of pre-accession assistance II (IPA II). Brussels will provide 275 million euros for the initiative, the most important EU investment in a single project in Turkey. The following companies are subsidiares of PPG Industries: AIPCF V Texstars Blocker Inc., AkzoNobel, Alermac Inversiones S.A. de C.V., Alpha Coating Technologies LLC, Alpha Coatings Inc., Broad Range Development Limited, Brown Brothers Distribution Limited, CG Holdings Manufacturing Co., Centro de Investigacion en Polimeros S.A. de C.V., Chemfil Canada Limited, Chorlton Trade Paints Limited, Comercial Mexicana de Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Comex, Comex Industrial Coatings S.A. de C.V., Consorcio Comex S.A. de C.V., Cristacol S.A., Cuming Microwave Corporation, Deutek SA, Dexmet Corporation, Dexmet Holding Corporation, Distribuidora Kroma S.A. de C.V., EPIC Insurance Co. Ltd., Eberle Design Inc., Empresa Aga S.A. de C.V., Ennis Canadian Holding Company, Ennis Flint Soluciones Seguras Para Trafico, Ennis Highway Traffic Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Ennis Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, Ennis Paint Australia Holding Pty Ltd, Ennis Paint Boya Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., Ennis Paint Canada ULC, Ennis Paint Germany GmbH, Ennis Paint Netherlands Holdings LLC, Ennis Paint U.K. Holding Company Limited, Ennis Traffic Safety Solutions Pty Ltd, Ennis Flint Mexico, Ennis Flint New Zealand, Ennis Flint New Zealand Holding Pty Ltd, Ennis-Flint, Ennis-Flint Africa (Pty) Ltd, Ennis-Flint Inc., Foshan Bairun Chemicals Co. Ltd., Fpu Industrial S.A. de C.V., Grupo Comex S.A. de C.V., Hemmelrath Automotive Coatings (Jilin) Co. Ltd., Hodij Coatings B.V., Homax Products, Industria Chimica Reggiana I.C.R. SPA, Johnstones Paints Limited, Kalon Investment Company Limited, Kalon South Africa Proprietary Limited, Manchester Thermoplastics LLC, Masterwork Paint, MetoKote Canada Limited, MetoKote Corporation, MetoKote Mexico Holding Inc., MetoKote UK Limited, MetoKote de Mexico S. de RL de CV, PPG AC - France SA, PPG ALESCO Automotive Finishes Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PPG AP Resinas S.A. de C.V., PPG Aerospace Materials (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Architectural Coatings (Puerto Rico) Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Canada Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Ireland Limited, PPG Architectural Coatings Italy S.r.l., PPG Architectural Coatings UK Limited, PPG Architectural Finishes Inc., PPG Asian Paints Private Ltd., PPG COATINGS SINGAPORE PTE. LTD., PPG Canada Inc., PPG Cieszyn S.A., PPG Coatings (Hong Kong) Co. Limited, PPG Coatings (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., PPG Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Thailand) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Wuhu) Company Ltd., PPG Coatings (Zhangjiagang) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings B.V., PPG Coatings Belgium BV, PPG Coatings Danmark A/S, PPG Coatings Deutschland GmbH, PPG Coatings Europe B.V., PPG Coatings Manufacturing SARL, PPG Coatings Nederland BV, PPG Coatings S.A., PPG Coatings South Africa (Pty) Ltd., PPG DYRUP S.A., PPG Deco Czech a.s., PPG Deco Polska sp. z.o.o., PPG Deco Slovakia s.r.o., PPG Deutschland Business Support GmbH, PPG Deutschland Sales & Services GmbH, PPG Distribution S.A.S., PPG Europe B.V., PPG Finance B.V., PPG France Business Support S.A.S., PPG France Manufacturing S.A.S., PPG Guadeloupe SAS, PPG Hellas S.A., PPG Hemmelrath Coatings Inc., PPG Hemmelrath Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Holdco SAS, PPG Holdings (U.K.) Limited, PPG Holdings Argentina USA LLC, PPG Holdings Latin America USA LLC, PPG Iberica S.A., PPG Iberica Sales & Services S.L., PPG Industrial Coatings B.V., PPG Industrial do Brasil - Tintas E. Vernizes - Ltda., PPG Industries (Korea) Ltd., PPG Industries (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PPG Industries (UK) Ltd, PPG Industries Argentina S.R.L., PPG Industries Australia PTY Limited A.C.N. 055 500 939, PPG Industries Colombia Ltda., PPG Industries Czech Republic s.r.o., PPG Industries Delfzijl B.V., PPG Industries Europe Sarl, PPG Industries France S.A.S., PPG Industries International Inc., PPG Industries Italia S.r.l., PPG Industries Kimya a Sanayi VE Ticaret AS, PPG Industries LLC, PPG Industries Lipetsk LLC, PPG Industries Middle East FZE, PPG Industries Netherlands B.V., PPG Industries New Zealand Limited, PPG Industries Ohio Inc., PPG Industries Poland Sp. Z.o.o., PPG Industries Securities LLC, PPG Industries de Mexico S.A. de C.V., PPG Italia Business Support S.r.l., PPG Italia Sales & Services S.r.l., PPG Japan Ltd., PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes Canada LP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.K. LLP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.S. LLC, PPG Luxembourg Finance S.aR.L., PPG Luxembourg Holdings S.aR.L., PPG Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Mexico S.A. de C.V., PPG Packaging Coatings (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Paints Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Performance Coatings (Hong Kong) Limited, PPG Powder Coatings (Shanghai) Limited, PPG Romania S.A., PPG SSC Co. Ltd., PPG Switzerland GmbH, PPG Trilak Kft., PPG Vietnam Co. Ltd., PRC-DeSoto Australia Pty Ltd., PRC-DeSoto International Inc., PT. PPG Coatings Indonesia, Painter's Supply, Paintzen, Peintures de Paris SAS, Plasticos Envolventes S.A. de C.V., Polymeric Systems Inc., Prismo Road Markings Limited, ProCoatings B.V., ProCoatings BV, Protec Pty Ltd. A.C.N. 007 857 392, Reno A&E LLC, Revocoat France SAS, Revocoat Holding SAS, Revocoat Iberica SLU, Revocoat S.A.S, Road Infrastructure Investment Holdings Inc., SEM Products Inc., Sealants Europe SAS, Sierracin Corporation, Sierracin/Sylmar Corporation, Sigma Marine & Protective Coatings Holding B.V., SigmaKalon (BC) UK Limited, SigmaKalon Group, SigmaKalon Middle East B.V., Sikar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Spraylat International Ltd, Texstars LLC, The Crown Group Co., The Crown Group Inc, The Homax Group, Tikkurila Group, Traffic Safety Intermediate LLC, Traffic Safety Parent LLC, United International Business NV, Vanex Inc., Vernisol S.p.A., Versaflex, Viasa S.A. de C.V., Whitford, Whitford B.V., Whitford Corporation, Whitford Jiangmen Ltd., Whitford Ltd. (HK), Whitford Ltd. (UK), Whitford Pte. Ltd., Whitford S.r.l., Whitford Worldwide Company LLC, Worwag Coatings, and Zaganite Industries Pty Ltd. Telecom Italia S.p.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides fixed and mobile telecommunications services in Europe, South America, and the Mediterranean Basin. The company operates through Domestic, Brazil, and Other Operations segments. It offers fixed and mobile voice and Internet, and public telephony services, as well as products managed and developed for individuals and families; and voice, data, and Internet services and products, and information and communications technology solutions for small and medium-size enterprises, small offices/home offices, the public sector, large accounts, and enterprises in the fixed and mobile telecommunications markets. The company also manages and develops a portfolio of regulated and unregulated wholesale services for fixed and mobile telecommunications operators; provision of infrastructure for housing radio transmission equipment of mobile telephone networks; and development, engineering, building, and operation of network infrastructures, information technology (IT), real estate properties, and plant engineering. In addition, it engages in customer care, operating credit support, loyalty, and retention activities; and staff functions and other support activities. Further, the company offers office products and services for IT sector. The company was founded in 1908 and is headquartered in Rome, Italy. Read More Toachi Mining Inc. engages in the mineral exploration activities. It holds an option to acquire 60% to 75% interest in the La Plata gold-rich copper-zinc-silver-lead volcanogenic massive sulphide project located to the southwest of Quito, Ecuador. The company was formerly known as Ferrum Americas Mining Inc. and changed its name to Toachi Mining Inc. in March 2016. Toachi Mining Inc. was founded in 2010 and is based in Toronto, Canada. Read More Vedanta Ltd. is a natural resource company, which engages in the exploration, extraction, and processing of minerals, oil, and gas properties. It operates through the following segments: Copper, Aluminum, Iron Ore, Power, and Oil & Gas. The Copper segment focuses in custom smelting and also include a copper smelter, a refinery, a phosphoric acid plant, a sulphuric acid plant, a copper rod plant, and three captive power plants. The Aluminum segment comprises refinery and a captive power plant at Lanjigarh and a smelter, a thermal coal based captive power facility at Jharsuguda both situated in the State of Odisha in India. The Iron Ore segment explores, mines, and processes iron ore, pig iron, and metallurgical coke. The Power segment consists 600 MW thermal coal-based commercial power facility at Jharsuguda in the State of Odisha in Eastern India. The Oil and Gas segment involves in the exploration and development and production of oil and gas. The company was founded by Dwarka Prasad Agarwal on June 25, 1965 and is headquartered in Mumbai, India. Read More Amber Road, Inc. provides cloud-based global trade management (GTM) solutions in the United States and internationally. The company's GTM solutions include modules, such as import management, export management, China trade management, global logistics management, trade agreement management, and supply chain collaboration, as well as professional services, such as assessment, implementation, education and training, and maintenance and support. It provides modules for logistics contract and rate management; supply chain visibility and event management; international trade compliance; and global knowledge trade content database, supply chain collaboration with international factories and vendors, and duty management solutions to importers and exporters, nonvessel owning common carriers (resellers), and ocean carriers. The company offers its solution to various industries comprising chemical/pharmaceutical, high technology/electronics, industrial/manufacturing, logistics, oil and gas, and retail/apparel through a software-as-a-service model. The company was formerly known as Management Dynamics Inc. and changed its name to Amber Road, Inc. in 2011. Amber Road, Inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Read More Updated The pension flu is coming around againthousands of Kentucky teachers called out sick on Thursday to protest legislation, forcing at least eight school districts to close. Teachers are protesting a bill that would restructure the board that oversees the states teacher pension system. Currently, the board has seven trustees who are elected by members of the pension system from a group of nominees selected by the Kentucky Education Association, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader . The version of the bill released Thursday would up the number of elected board members to eight, and change how that nomination process works. The Kentucky Education Association would be in charge of two of the positions (a current educator and a retired educator), and the rest of the nominations would be filled by other education-related groups, including the Jefferson County Teachers Association, the Kentucky Association of Professional Educators, and professional groups for school board members, school administrators, superintendents, and retired teachers. The states two largest school districtsJefferson and Fayette Countiesare among the districts forced to close because of a lack of substitutes to cover the number of teacher absences. Last year, Kentucky teachers rallied at the state Capitol on three separate occasions to protest changes to the states retirement plan. Schools were forced to close then, too. The sickout this year was called for by the grassroots group KY 120 United, which led the protests last year . We show up every day in the classroom with a lot of passion, but sadly passion will not substitute for our pension or our paycheck. It has been crystal clear for over a year that public education, teachers, and our public pensions are under attack. Enough is enough, KY 120 United posted. This isnt about just one bill but a series of events that have transpired over the past year. Kentuckys pension system is one of the worst-funded in the nation, and fixing it has been a priority for lawmakers. Last year, they moved new teachers to a cash-balance plan, which is a hybrid of a traditional defined-benefit pension and the kind of 401(K) retirement savings plan common in the private sector. That will help ensure that the state does not accrue additional unfunded liabilities. In addition, school districts are now expected to contribute 2 percent of teachers salaries to their pension plans, on top of the contribution from the commonwealth. See also: Costly Pension Plans Are Fanning the Flames of Teacher Unrest While the legislation that ultimately passed did not include any significant changes to current teachers or retirees benefit plans, it still angered many teachers, who are now watching legislators very closely. The Kentucky Education Association has called the bill to restructure the pension systems board a retaliatory effort for last years protests. Although the state teachers union did not sanction the sickout, it posted on Twitter a quote from community organizer Fannie Lou Hamer: Im sick and tired of being sick and tired. Kentucky was part of a rash of widespread teacher activism last year that has continued into 2019 as well. In addition to big-city teacher strikes in Denver , Los Angeles , and now Oakland, Calif., West Virginia teachers repeated their activism last year with another two-day strike this month over a school choice bill. In Kentucky, state Rep. Travis Brenda, a high school math teacher who was elected to the legislature as a Republican last year, posted on Twitter that the bill that sparked the protests is currently in its first draft. The updates that are in the works, he said, will be dramatically better. This post was updated on 3/1 to reflect the current language of the bill. Image: Kristin Walker, a Jefferson County teacher, sits in a hearing room waiting to protest the passage of a bill that would change how individuals are nominated to the Kentucky Teachers Retirement Systems board of trustees. Bryan Woolston/AP ANSAmed - Today's events in the Mediterranean (ANSAmed) - ROME, FEBRUARY 28 - These are the main events scheduled for today in the Euro-Mediterranean area: MADRID - A meeting at the Italian Institute of Culture of the 'E3 l'Autore e l'Editor' series. Dialogue between Marsilio editor Jacopo de Michelis and the writer Gaja Cianciarelli. SEVILLE - The tenth plenary assembly of the Arlem (regional and local Euro-Mediterranean Assembly) concludes. ISTANBUL - Cisit by EU commissioner Jyrki Katainen, who will be co-chairing high-level economic dialogue between the EU and Turkey. ABU DHABI - Exhibition 'Rembrandt, Vermeer and the Dutch Golden Age: Masterpieces from the Leiden collection and the Musee du Louvre' (until May 18). ROME - Exhibit titled 'Shapes of the Soul' in the Dali Room of the Cervantes Institute with works of painting, sculpture, photography, video and installations by 14 Spanish artists continues (to March 30). Audi India head Rahil Ansari along with Audi Hyderabad MD Rajiv Sanghvi at the launch of the new Audi showroom in Hyderabad on Thursday. Hyderabad: With the current norms allowing carmakers to import up to 2,500 homologation-free (drive-worthiness certificate) vehicles in India, Audi India is considering importing the Q2 model under the scheme, a top company official said. The norms, which were relaxed recently, have divided the automotive industry down the middle with industry body SIAM objecting to the relaxation. However, the German luxury car brand is ready to forge ahead with its plans to import vehicles under the scheme. Speaking to the media after the launch of Audi India's latest showroom in Hyderabad, Audi India head Rahil Ansari said, "There is a new regulation that 2,500 vehicles can be imported without homologation. That means you can also bring in cars either in low or higher segments just to test the waters how the market acceptance is... We will definitely bring one or other car under this scheme because this will give us the ability to see what the market acceptance is in any segment for the future local investment or assembly... Q2 is one of those that fit under the scheme." Meanwhile, Audi, which had briefly topped the luxury vehicle segment in 2016, has fallen back to the third spot and expects sales to remain around the same range due to the change in emission norms in Europe and the closure of its dealership in NCR. "We had closed last year with 6,463 units and expect the current year numbers to be around the same as the new launches are in higher segment, where volumes are relatively low." Mr Ansari also revealed that Audi plans to launch 3 models R8, Q8 and A8 in the second half of the year. However, when quizzed about Audi eTron its electric vehicle that has a range of about 400 km he said much would depend upon how quickly the charging infrastructure comes up. This may be either in 2020 or may even see early introduction depending upon how electric vehicle infrastructure develops in the country during the year, he said. Mumbai: Kotak Mahindra Bank's alternate asset arm on Thursday announced a USD 600 million distressed assets investment fund, with a bulk of the quantum committed by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). ADIA has committed USD 500 million for the special situations fund, while Kotak will invest the remaining. It will invest in cases where accounts have been classified as non performing assets (NPAs) and also where companies are facing financial stress but are not NPAs, Kotak Investment Advisors' (KIA) managing director and chief executive Srini Sriniwasan told PTI. The fund will be operational for eight years and will be in the investment mode for next four years, he said. "It is a very flexible approach that we are looking at. We will focus on debt and structured debt with an equity upside," he said. The fund is targeting returns of over 20 percent, he said, adding that the Kotak Mahindra group will be investing the remaining USD 500 million. The announcement comes after media reports in August 2017 of Kotak ending a joint venture with Canadian pension fund manager CPPIB, where the two had launched a USD 525 million fund to invest in the stressed assets space. Quoting sources, the reports had said that the joint venture ended as the fund failed to find investments but added that the company was in talks with other investors including ADIA and Qatar Investment Authority for a fund. Sriniwasan confirmed the same on Thursday, saying there was no Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) framework and a strong RBI framework on NPA recognition which resulted in a paucity of deals which resulted in the end of the JV. He added that the February 12 circular which ends asset restructuring and mandates a compulsory reference to the IBC has been of comfort, and also helps the fund. The Government has been proactive with the changes required to the law and has made the necessary amendments as well, he said, replying to concerns of the IBC process being mired in legal processes and few resolutions. The Indian banking system is saddled with over Rs 10 lakh crore in NPAs. According to the RBI, the gross NPAs for the system stood at 10.8 per cent as of September 2018 and it expects a further improvement in the number as resolutions rise. The PPP models should aim at harnessing the strengths and equitably distribute risks of the partners. (Photo: ANI) New Delhi: India is well positioned to offer exemplary digital health solutions through public private partnerships, especially when it has launched the worlds largest healthcare programme Ayushman Bharat, a senior government official said on Thursday. However, this will be possible only with accountable and outcome-oriented models of engagement, said Anup Wadhawan, Secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. He was addressing a roundtable organised by industry body FICCI. Wadhawan said PPPs in digital health have already started addressing many key challenges. Thus a platform must be established to continue engagement between the government and the private sector while keeping patients at the centre of such discussions. The PPP models should aim at harnessing the strengths and equitably distribute risks of the partners, said Wadhawan. The government has acknowledged health information as one of the key dimensions of health systems. Several initiatives have been launched including notification of electronic health records, National eHealth Authority (NeHA), Integrated Health Information Programme (IHIP) and National Health Stack (NHS). Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, urged the private sector to establish a platform where promising innovations in digital health can be showcased for adoption as PPPs. The roundtable brought together about 35 experts representing leading hospital groups, diagnostic labs, medical technology companies, healthcare IT companies and health insurers. Vicky Kaushal in the still from URI. (Instagrammed by Vicky Kaushal) Mumbai: Ever since Vicky Kaushal's film 'URI: The Surgical Strike' made solid business at the box-office, Bollywood producers are showing more interest in making 'patriotic' films. The recent crisis between India and Pakistan over the Pulwama attack and India's subsequent surgical strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp Balakot, have sent Bollywood producers in a tizzy to book these names for upcoming films. According to a report in Huffingpost, the names on top of the lists are 'Balakot', Pulwama, Abhinandan - the pilot captured by Pakistan, and who will be released on Friday. Balakot was the Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest and poshest training camp. It had facilities for nearly 600 men with a swimming pool and gym. In an early morning strike on Tuesday, Indian jet destroyed Balakot and two other terrorist camps inside Pakistan territories. Abhinandan Varthaman is the name of Indian Air Force pilot who was captured by Pakistan army on February 27. Since then people in India have been praying for his return. Pakistan PM Imran Khan himself confirmed that they will release Abhinandan on March 1. Huffingpost reported that February 26 was a busy day at the Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMMPA) office in Andheri in Western Mumbai. Representatives of at least 5 different production companies rushed to reserve jingoistic movie titles for films that they hoped to make in the future. The report further stated a person who was present at the office described the scene as a khichdi, saying producers fought to register titles like Balakot, Surgical Strikes 2.0 and Pulwama Attacks. Many of them even want variations in the titles. According to data provided by the trade magazine Complete Cinema, after Pulwama terror attack, titles like Pulwama Pulwama: The Surgical Strike, War Room, Hindustan Hamara Hai, Pulwama Terror Attack, The Attacks of Pulwama, With Love, From India, and ATS - One Man Show have been registered. Now let's see who will get 'Pulwama', 'Balakot' and 'Abhinandan' titles. Mumbai: Even though she is an outsider in the industry, Kriti Sanon never fears voicing her opinion. The actress stood firmly in support of the #MeToo Movement, which has brought a huge shift in the industry. The actress is also a part of Housefull 4, whose actor Nana Patekar and director Sajid Khan are facing allegations of sexual harassment. Following which, they both were replaced mid-way. While Sajid was replaced by writer Farhad Samji, Nana was replaced by actor Rana Daggubati. Reacting to the allegations and developments thereafter, Kriti says, I think we all were, at that point, disturbed, angry and shocked. And, at the same time, we were glad that at least there was some talk and people were coming out. But, every day, we were waking up to some 10 #MeToo stories. Being a woman, it is disturbing and I know how much guts it takes for anybody to come and talk in the open. The actress further reveals that the film didnt suffer much as it had a strong support system like Sajid Nadiadwala as the producer. The producer Sajid Nadiadwala handled it very well. The shooting was stopped only for two days and we were back on track. So much had changed but the film was intact and he made sure he was on sets every day and he took out a lot of money from his own pocket. There were parts that needed to be reshot and he took the call to do all of that even though it was not his fault. Being a responsible producer, he handled it really well, says the 28-year-old actress. She also feels that the movement has brought a change in the industry for the better. The #MeToo movement has brought in the fear where people are cautious and they have this fear that if I do something wrong, I will not be able to get away with it. We needed this and there might not be a lot of developments in terms of legality but I am glad it has opened up conversations, says Kriti. For Kriti, Bareilly Ki Barfi was a game changer and she has come a long way since then. The actress believes that the only thing thats bankable today is the content. Bareilly broke a lot of barriers for me. I started getting a lot of opportunities. People started seeing me in the small town world. I don't know what bankable really means but today content is the only thing thats bankable, says Kriti who is looking for a script that she would like to pull off entirely on her shoulders. But, I have to believe in the script. I am still looking for that script, she adds. The actress, who is an outsider, agrees that now she has a sense of belonging in the industry. However, she is still struggling to find some good scripts. I do have a sense of belonging. I know I am here and have made a place for myself. However, the kind of opportunity that I am really craving to do is not on my table. Sometimes I find myself being frustrated but everyone has their own journey. Sometimes it takes one hit and sometimes it takes a little more but you do get there in your own way, says Kriti who made her debut with the film Heropanti and is busy promoting her upcoming film Luka Chuppi. Luka Chuppi dwells on live-in relationships and talking about the subject, she says, I really believe in the institution of marriage but I dont judge when someone wants to go for a live-in. You want to be sure before you commit marriage to someone. It helps to see the compatibility or to know that person better. So, its okay! For me, even if I ever think of a live-in, it will be leading to marriage. Also, I am okay not being in a live-in and directly going for marriage, she signs off. New Delhi: Following the Pulwama terror attack and IAF's multiple aerial strikes at terror launch pads at various places across LoC, actor Sonam Kapoor took to her Instagram handle to talk about her anti-war stance, comparing 'average' Indian and Pakistani citizens, saying that it is they who suffer in war, along with soldiers "who are always first in line of a fire they did not ignite." The actor was sharing a post that was originally written by Humans of Hindutva on their Facebook page. However, her comments were not well received by Twitterati, many of who slammed her for the same. Sonam Kapoor's Instagram story Comparing citizens of both countries, she shared, "The average Indian has more in common with the average Pakistani than he does with a Hindu fundamentalist who wants to bomb in the name of Ram and lynch minorities and rally in support of child rapists." The 'Ek Ladki ko Dekha Toh Aisa laga' star further wrote, "The average Pakistani has more in common with an average Indian than he does with an Islamic fundamentalist who wants to bomb others in the name of Allah and oppress women and put guns in the hands of children." Kapoor went on to opine that ordinary citizens everywhere just want to have a "normal life and go to work and raise their children well and save up for a decent home." According to the actor, Hindu and Islamic fundamentalists "both have loads in common." The 33-year-old actor, condemning war, elaborated upon fundamentalists, saying, "Their minds are poisoned by hate and they both lack empathy for the other side. They both want war and do not care for its consequences," adding, "The cost of this extraordinary hatred of fundamentalists in both countries is eventually going to be paid by the ordinary citizens of both countries and the soldiers who are always first in line of a fire they did not ignite." However, Twitterati soon slammed the actor for her comments, with one user writing, Bas in jeso k wajah se hum kabhi 1 nhi ho pae, desh k asli gaddar yahi log hai.. #BikaooBollywood #SonamKapoor. Bas in jeso k wajah se hum kabhi 1 nhi ho pae, desh k asli gaddar yahi log hai.. #BikaooBollywood #SonamKapoor pic.twitter.com/Rs9yyyllaj (@Thechaiwala11) February 28, 2019 Another user went on to write, FIR should be filed against Sonam Kapoor for hate speech against Hindus @MumbaiPolice #SonamKapoor #AntiNational. FIR should be filed against Sonam Kapoor for hate speech against Hindus @MumbaiPolice #SonamKapoor #AntiNational KUNAL DUTT (@kunaldutt204) February 28, 2019 Calling her words a way to get attention, another user posted, She (sonam kapoor) is not getting any movie because of her poor acting. She have no other option to be in headlines. #SonamKapoor #CongressPakistanUnited. She (sonam kapoor) is not getting any movie because of her poor acting. She have no other option to be in headlines. #SonamKapoor #CongressPakistanUnited Rahul Marwal (@marwalrahul_) February 28, 2019 A twitter user who is studying to be a doctor wrote, I m ready to leave my studies (MBBS) Join the war for my India. Than being a Sonam Kapoor. Anil Kapoor failed in instilling Desh bhakti in his daughter. I m ready to leave my studies (MBBS) Join the war for my India Than being a Sonam Kapoor Anil Kapoor failed in instilling Desh bhakti in his daughter Brahmananda Das (@Brahman49846790) February 28, 2019 Many Indian celebrities including Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Vicky Kaushal, Varun Dhawan, Rajkummar Rao, Sidharth Malhotra, Hema Malini, Kriti Sanon, Bhumi Pednekar, Preity Zinta, Sachin Tendulkar and Shikhar Dhawan have earlier hailed IAF's multiple aerial strikes across the LoC twelve days after the Pulwama terror attack. Zombie by Bhuvan R Nullan of Mo fame has already garnered attention for being the first ever Zom-Com made in Ktown. Though Yogi Babu and Yashika Anand and several other comedy actors are on board, theres no hero or heroine and all of them are part of the film. The shoot is happening only during nights across resorts in ECR, as the story of this film is set inside a beach side locale happening on a single night. A grand scene featuring Yogi Babu, Yashika Anand, Gopi, Sudhakar, Bijili Ramesh, Karthik, Chitra Akka and other internet sensations along with 200 young women was shot recently. Talking about the sequences that were shot, the director says it is the pre-climax scene and a crucial segment in the movie where Zombies and the lead characters encounter each other. Premgi Amaran is composing the music for this film. With only a few days of shooting left, the makers Vasanth Mahalingam of S3 Pictures are keen to release the movie this summer. I am not a porn star to act nude in films. I am an actress who does commercial cinema. Just because we girls speak openly that does not mean we are ready for anything. Yes, there are lot of lip-locks, smoking and drinking scenes in 90 ML and it is the character Rita as essayed by me who does it and not Oviya the actress, lashed out Oviya, who became an overnight sensation post her Bigg Boss stint. Her forthcoming film 90ML directed by Anita Udeep, who has changed her name to Azhagiya Asura, has become the talk of the town ever since its first look and trailer was out. Its bold theme, provocative language and explicit depiction of what happens when five girls get together in private seemingly in a girls-gang-night-out has captured the imagination. The unabashed Oviya speaks to DC and justifies her stand. After watching me in Bigg Boss, Anita maam called me for 96ML. Though I got a lot of offers after Big Boss, film 96 ML was striking and it has a strong female centric script and is from a lady director. So I grabbed it. The film breaks all stereotypical notions like a woman should be confined to certain things and should not vent out her feelings. I play Rita who works in a beauty parlour and its about five girls from different backgrounds who share an apartment and how they view life. Yes, it has an adult content and it is for mature audiences, Oviya admits. She adds, We are not abusing men or common people. It is basically girlie talk among friends. Yes, there are smoking and drinking scenes. Is there anything wrong in women smoking and drinking? Cinema being a visual medium wont it have a bad influence on your fans, we ask and she laughs. It is the character Rita which is doing what is required for the script. And I had only apple juice in drinking scenes and everything we do on screen is not real. I dont want them to follow my screen character; I want my fans to follow me as Oviya in real life. I do drink in real life but I know my limits. I never get behind the wheel when drunk, nor have I ever passed out. I was smoking when in Bigg Boss, but I have quit the habit now. And the Kalavanigirl says no to aping stars. It is only cinema and we are just acting. Come, have fun and enjoy a movie. Dont carry forward it further. Many actors who have projected themselves as do-gooders for society in films and using that as platform later turn into politician in real life. The movie has been awarded A Certificate and adults above 18 should watch it with an open mind, she asserts. Dont watch the film if you are a male chauvinist. You may not like it. Just by watching the teaser and trailer and without even knowing whats the actual content of the film, I wondered how men made derogatory and cheap comments, which only shows their hypocrite mentality. On lip locks she says, Those scenes were needed for the film and I have no qualms acting in such scenes. And wont we kiss when we are in love? Kissing in not an offence and if both parties accept, theres nothing wrong in locking lips (smiles). However, no one can touch a woman without her consent. Shifting the topic to her skin show in skimpy clothes in 90 MLhas her pouncing. Theres a thin line between being glamorous and being vulgar. Is there any rule that women should be portrayed as tearjerkers in films? I have not acted nude in the film nor are there any rape scenes. It is my liberty to wear what kind of attire I should wear. No one needs to interfere in that. The svelte actress says that her romance with actor and Bigg Bossco-contestant Aarav has come to an end and she is now single and ready to mingle. Oviya signs off with self-assurance saying , I am ready to face the backlash. The film has music by Simbu who will also be seen in a cameo and co-stars Anson Paul, Masoom Shankar, Monisha Ram, Shree Gopika and Bommu Lakshmi. And the Kalavani girl says no to aping stars. It is only cinema and we are just acting. Come, have fun and enjoy a movie. Dont carry forward it further. Many actors who have projected themselves as do-gooders for society in films and using that as platform later turn into politician in real life. The movie has been awarded an A Certificate and adults should watch it with an open mind, she asserts. Dont watch the film if you are a male chauvinist. You may not like it. Just by watching the teaser and trailer and without even knowing whats the actual content of the film, I wondered how men made derogatory and cheap comments, which only shows their hypocrite mentality. On lip locks she says, Those scenes were needed for the film and I have no qualms acting in such scenes. And wont we kiss when we are in love? Kissing in not an offence and if both parties accept, theres nothing wrong in locking lips (smiles). However, no one can touch a woman without her consent. Shifting the topic to her skin show in skimpy clothes in 90 ML has her pouncing. Theres a thin line between being glamorous and being vulgar. Is there any rule that women should be portrayed as tearjerkers in films? I have not acted nude in the film nor are there any rape scenes. It is my liberty to wear what kind of attire I should wear. No one needs to interfere in that. The svelte actress says that her romance with actor and Bigg Boss co-contestant Aarav has come to an end and she is now single and ready to mingle. Oviya signs off with self-assurance saying , I am ready to face the backlash. The film has music by Simbu who will also be seen in a cameo and co-stars Anson Paul, Masoom Shankar, Monisha Ram, Shree Gopika and Bommu Lakshmi. She has managed her studies as she juggles between stage shows and TV ventures but with her latest, she is finding it hard to attend classes. Her father who hails from Sakleshpur was an artist who used to perform street plays in his youth before he moved to Bengaluru seeking better opportunities with his family. When he saw his only daughters interest towards art thanks to her extra-curricular activities in school, he encouraged her from a very young age. From learning classical music to Bharatanatyam, she faced the camera for the first time when she was in class six, as a TV anchor, hosting shows for the Chintu TV, the only dedicated channel for children in Kannada. Now, actress Nisha who previously made her television debut in Sarva Mangala Mangalye, has bagged the female lead role in the upcoming brand new family drama on Zee Kannadas Gattimela which starts from March 11 at 8 pm. She shares her journey with Bengaluru Chronicle. My television debut in Sarva Mangala Mangalye helped me get this great offer to work in Gattimela. However, I was selected only after the necessary screen tests were done. Fortunately, I was selected to play the lead role Amulya. Though I was working in a serial for another channel, there were no such restrictions to take up this exciting venture. Now, the role in my debut serial is being replaced with another artiste, so I am dedicating all my time for Gattimela, says Nisha, who is presently pursuing her first year in B.Com from RNS College. She has managed her studies as she juggles between stage shows and TV ventures but with her latest, she is finding it hard to attend classes. Right from nursery, my parents Ravi Krishnan and Usha,e encouraged my interest in the performing arts. My father would take me to singing and dance classes, and later my mother would accompany me for all my TV and stage shows. It is because of their support, I could pursue my interests. Also, I would manage to excel in studies which helped me gain support from school and college. During examinations, I carry my study materials to work, Nisha adds. In Gattimela, Nisha plays Amulya. She says that it has been a wonderful experience working along with great senior artists including Sudha Madam, the daughter of legendary comedian Narasimharaju Sir. It is a family drama which revolves around a middle class family who has four daughters to take care of. Everyday has been a learning experience. Sudha Madam, who plays my mother is so dear to all of us. We call her Amma even off screen. Such is the bonding on the sets, she explains. She has been getting offers to work in movies but due to her time commitment to television, she has been unable to take up any as of now. Australia: Cardinal George Pell's sex crime conviction is expected to unleash a flood of lawsuits by abuse victims who fear they were cheated by a compensation scheme set up by the disgraced cleric himself, lawyers said. The most senior Catholic clergyman found guilty of child sex abuse, Pell is behind bars awaiting sentencing for assaulting two choirboys in 1996-97, shortly after he was appointed Archbishop of Melbourne. Around the same time, Pell set up the Melbourne Response, a redressal plan to compensate victims of clerical abuse in Australia's Victoria state. The plan required sex abuse victims to waive their right to future claims and capped compensation payments at AUD 50,000 (USD 35,700), a figure later raised to AUD 75,000. The scheme has long been criticised for helping the Church limit its financial liability and the announcement this week that its architect had himself been convicted of child sex abuse heightened the mistrust. Protesters gathered outside court where Cardinal George Pell was due for a pre-sentencing hearing. (Photo: AFP) "Anything that Pell designs loses credibility" with his conviction, lawyer Ingrid Irwin from Pell's hometown of Ballarat in Victoria told AFP. Irwin has represented clients who alleged they were abused by Pell. "At a time when he is sexually assaulting young boys in Melbourne, he is designing a compensation scheme to get out of it. So it is completely inappropriate," she said. Irwin predicted victims could receive more than AUD 500,000 in compensation if they challenged their earlier awards through the justice system. "Now, in terms of compensation, the sky's the limit if they were to sue in the County Court," she said. Western Australia and Queensland states already allow courts to set aside victims' settlements with the Church if they were found to be unjust or unreasonable. "We are looking at a range of options to ensure survivors of institutional child sex abuse are not left worse off as a result of their participation in institutional forums such as the Melbourne Response," Victorian Attorney-General Jill Hennessy said. Action on the issue would come soon, she added. Lawyers in Victoria confirmed they planned to challenge victims' settlements with the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. The current Archbishop of Melbourne, Peter Comensoli, said Wednesday he was reviewing the Melbourne Response but defended it, adding that not everyone who sought compensation with the Church had been disappointed. News of Pell's December conviction, which was kept secret by a gag order until Tuesday, is expected to encourage more sex abuse victims to come forward. Comensoli said several people in his archdiocese reported alleged abuse by clergy within hours of Pell's conviction being announced. In the United States, archdioceses have paid millions of dollars to settle child sex abuse claims. Several cafes now serve millet pizzas and heirloom rice bowls, village cooking is a YouTube sensation there is a rise in the use of hyper local food and cooking techniques. Bengaluru Chronicle explores this trend. Do you know what makes that Dindigul biryani so special? Its Kalpasi or dagad phool, which literally translates to flowers that grow on stone a species of edible lichen which exudes a mysterious aroma both woodsy and earthy. It is used in meat dishes in the south, Goda masala in Maharashtra and elevates the dish to beyond ordinary,says Shweta Kapur, a mother of two who spotted this on her trips to Ooty and Kodai. Being a perfectionist she researched on lichens and now uses it in her misal paav and kolumb. Did you know the terroir that your salt is made at, lends itself to the flavour and mineral value of the salt. Take for instance the Sanikatta salt from Uttar Karnataka which has medicinal value too as the river passes through these medicinal plants in the Western Ghats before it reaches the salt basin. Locavores people who consume food cultivated within a certain radius are on the rise and hence the businesses, be it cereals, breads or pizzas are looking to appease consumers. Rasika Prashant, CMO of a food company says, Consumers prefer products that complement their changing lifestyle. They are now exploring the power of our ancient Indian grains such as millets which are a power house of nutrition and energy for on-the-go lifestyles. These grains not only benefit the consumers but also the farmers and environment as they consume less natural resources and thus we bring healthy and tasty offerings like millet flakes, muesli and smoothies to the table. Wellness enthusiast Vidushi Singhania adds, Millets have a variety of applications and dont have to be limited to Indian preparations. Infact she only uses the richly perfumed gandharaj lebu (a local variety of lemon) which has an incredible flavour profile and thick skin perfect for zesting in her lemon pasta. Srinivas V, partner at a mindfullness cafe in town believes in slow cooking just like in olden days. He mentions, We cut vegetables after we get an order and use simple cooking techniques just like homes. Our regular customers now keep their phones away and eat mindfully. Their smoothies use native ingredients like moringa, ashwagandha instead of Kale and their desserts have puffed amaranth instead of quinoa. Priyanka Ramaswamy and her mother started small, home baking millet breads for their friends and family twice a week. But the growing interest in heritage grains got them more requests from consumers, stores and electronic platforms as much as, they now have a commercial set up and partnered with most stores and e-commerce platforms in the city. She says, Everyone eats bread, but a millet bread keeps you satiated for three to four hours since it has more fibre. It also packs a punch in terms of taste. Blame it on lifestyle diseases or the love for traditional there is certainly an appreciation of old world recipes and going back to our flavour roots. Foraging, native ingredients and indegenius cusine with a new spin on it is certainly good for the health of the planet. Washington: A new study now finds that children who grow up with greener surroundings have up to 55 per cent less risk of developing various mental disorders later in life. The study by Aarhus University, Denmark, emphasises the need for designing green and healthy cities for the future. With a majority of world population living in cities, WHO estimates, more than 450 million of the global human population suffer from mental disorders. Now, based on satellite data from 1985 to 2013, researchers from Aarhus University have mapped the presence of green space around the childhood homes of almost one million Danes and compared this data with the risk of developing one of 16 different mental disorders later in life. The study, published in American Journal PNAS, shows that children surrounded by the high amounts of green space in childhood have up to a 55 per cent lower risk of developing a mental disorder, even after adjusting for other known risk factors such as socio-economic status, urbanisation, and the family history of mental disorders. Speaking about it, lead author of the study, Kristine Engemann from said, "Our data is unique. We have had the opportunity to use a massive amount of data from Danish registers of, among other things, residential location and disease diagnoses and compare it with satellite images revealing the extent of green space surrounding each individual when growing up." "With our dataset, we show that the risk of developing a mental disorder decreases incrementally the longer you have been surrounded by green space from birth and up to the age of 10. Green space throughout childhood is therefore, extremely important," Kristine Engemann explained. The researchers saw there is a robust indication of a close relationship between green space, urban life, and mental disorders. Speaking about it Engemann said, There is increasing evidence that the natural environment plays a larger role for mental health than previously thought. Our study is important in giving us a better understanding of its importance across the broader population." This knowledge has important implications for sustainable urban planning. "The coupling between mental health and access to green space in your local area is something that should be considered even more in urban planning to ensure greener and healthier cities and improve mental health of urban residents in the future," added co-author Professor Jens-Christian Svenning. Singapore Airlines confirmed that a customer had found what seemed to be 'a foreign object in their meal'. (Photo: AFP) Melbourne: A horrified Australian traveller discovered a suspected human tooth in a meal on a Singapore Airlines flight, prompting the carrier Thursday to apologise and launch an investigation. Bradley Button was eating rice on the flight on Tuesday when he heard a crunch and spat out what appeared to be a molar. "For the rest of the flight I was not well, just the idea of having someone else's body part in my food is not nice," he told the Australian Associated Press. He said a flight attendant was "adamant" that she needed to take the object away for testing and that it was a small rock. "It was without a shadow of a doubt a tooth," he added. After the discovery, Button said he was given a voucher to use on the airline's duty-free products. Singapore Airlines confirmed that a customer travelling on a service from Wellington to Melbourne found "what appeared to be a foreign object in their meal". "We sincerely apologise to the customer for this negative experience and for the inconvenience this has caused. We are currently investigating this incident and have sent the object for analysis to determine what it is," the carrier said in a statement. It is just the latest controversy to hit Singapore's flag carrier, last week there was an outcry online after worried passengers discovered cameras on seatback monitors on some of the airline's newer planes. The airline however insisted the cameras were disabled. Various airlines, such as Air India, Jet Airways, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines, announced rerouting of their flights. (Representational Image) Hyderabad: The closure of Pakistans airspace to commercial flights on Wednesday forced dozens of airlines to reroute their aircraft to reach their destinations, burning more oil and cash. The airspace will be reopened on Friday. Pakistan on Thursday temporarily restored airspace for commercial aviation, allowing three flights to depart. Though the airspace was closed by Pakistan on account of worsening relations with India, the move has affected international flights between Asia-Pacific and Europe. Most Europe-bound flights from Asia-Pacific and South Asia and vice-versa fly over India and Pakistan air space. Following the Pakistani ban on commercial flights over its airspace, the flights have to take longer routes. Various airlines, such as Air India, Jet Airways, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines, announced rerouting of their flights. According to a website that tracks commercial flights, the decision affected at least 33 West-bound flights flying from South Asia and Asia-Pacific. The most impacted was Thai Airways, which cancelled nearly 30 flights to Europe, affecting 5,000 passengers. By closing the airspace, every flight from Thailand to Europe has been hit. For flights that are going to depart this evening, we will call an urgent meeting to consider the impact of such events, Thai Airways said in a statement. With the Mumbai sector getting crowded after the ban, the Bangkok-based airline suspended all its flights to Europe. Swedish real-time commercial aircraft flight tracker FlightRadar24 showed crowding of the sky over the Arabian Sea after the Pakistan ban. Singapore Airlines was forced to direct flights to Europe to refuel, while a flight to Frankfurt was cancelled. Airports Authority of India has said that due to the closure of Pakistani airspace, air traffic was significantly heavy over the Mumbai region on Wednesday night. The ban would primarily hurt the finances of an already bleeding aviation industry in South Asia and Asia Pacific. However, now-a-days, the water released from Mettur reservoir was being pumped out for drip irrigation by farmers of Salem, Namakkal districts, which was more than the permitted quantity. (Representational image) Tiruchy: Most representatives of the various farmers associations urged the district administration to ensure water in Cauvery and its branch canals to save the standing annual crops like banana plantations, sugarcane etc. at the monthly agriculturalists grievances day at Tiruchy on Thursday. P. Ayyakannu, State president of the Desiya Then India Nathigal Inaippu Vivasayeegal Sangam and Ayilai Sivasuriyan, secretary of the Tiruchy district unit of the CPI-affiliated Tamil Nadu Agriculturalists association, pointed out that till recently, even meagre release of 3,000 cusecs of water for summer irrigation from the Mettur reservoir used to reach Tiruchy and its neighboring districts. However, now-a-days, the water released from Mettur reservoir was being pumped out for drip irrigation by farmers of Salem, Namakkal districts, which was more than the permitted quantity. Hence, they wanted that the Government should ensure that Cauvery waters reached Tiruchy and its nearby districts, to save the standing annual crops. R. Rajachidambaram, state secretary of the Tamilaga Vivasayeegal Sangam said, the government, instead of clearing the ordinary waiting list of electricity connections for agriculture pump-sets, was encouraging the Tatkal scheme which was more expensive for farmers. He said government should clear all the 25,000 on the waiting list in a phased manner besides to simplify the power connection procedure for the agriculture pump-sets. Mr.S. Sivarasu, district collector, who presided over the meeting assured that he will take up the issues with the State government for suitable remedy. The Soorampatti police rushed to the spot and are investigating, even as one person was arrested today in connection with the robbery. (Representational Image) Erode: In a shocking heist past midnight here on Wednesday, miscreants broke into the house of a private firm's top executive, tied up the family members after threatening them with sickles and robbed them of 35 sovereigns of gold and diamond jewels, before bolting away with their ATM cards and mobile phones. Police said on Thursday that Ramanathan, 52, manager with a private dyeing unit, his wife Valliammai, 48 and their younger son, Sriram, 16, after locking their compound gate had as usual retired to bed on the first floor of their house when the gang members suddenly struck around 1 am. Hearing the noise from the house break-in, Ramanathan and others woke up but by then the miscreants had entered the house, threatened them with deadly sickles and knives and dragged them away into another room where they tied all three with rope. Police said the miscreants had switched off all the lights in the house, their mobile phones and flashed a torch to threaten them with the dangerous weapons they had and seeking to know where their valuables and cash was kept. When Valliammai declined to answer their posers, she was hit on her right hand and suffered injury. The miscreants then took away whatever they could lay their hands on in the house, including 35 sovereigns of gold and diamond jewellery, besides an LED television, police said. Angered at not finding any cash in the house, the gang members again threatened them, took over the family members' ATM cards, besides six smart phones before bolting away. Ramanathan, his wife and son then managed to free themselves and with help of neighbours informed the police. The Soorampatti police rushed to the spot and are investigating, even as one person was arrested today in connection with the robbery. Chennai: Carrying a huge load of love from multitudes of well-wishers, the family of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman left for Delhi Thursday night to welcome the hero at the Wagah border where the Pakistani forces wo- uld release him on Friday. Sources said Abhi's father Air Marshall (retd) Varthaman Simhakutty, mother Dr Shoba and close relatives Prasad Ajit, Usha Ajit Prasad and Ashok Banukumar took the Indigo flight at 10:.35 pm. Family serving India for generations As the nation joyously celebrated the news from across the border that Wing Commander Abhinandan is being released on Friday, the much-decorated Air Marshall (retd) S Varthaman has said he is very proud of his son Abhi's bravery and thanked the people for their love, great support and good wishes. "Thank you my friends for your concern and wishes. I thank God for his blessings, Abhi is alive, not injured, sound in mind, just look at the way he talked so bravely...a true soldier...we are so proud of him," said the proud father. "I am sure all your hands and blessings are on his head...prayers for his safe return. I pray that he does not get tortured and comes home safe and sound in body and mind," the veteran IAF personnel, whose father was also an air warrior, said in a statement on Thursday. Thanking the people for "being with the family in this hour of need", he said, "We draw our strengths from your support and energy". Referring to the video of his son after capture in Pakistan, Air Marshall Varthaman said Abhinandan "spoke like a true soldier" despite being in extreme difficult situation in captivity. He was praying his son should not get tortured and he must return home safe and sound, said the retired Air Marshall, who had served the IAF with great distinction. His father Simhakutty too had served the nation in the Air Force during the Second World War. Many political leaders and prominent well wishers called on the family at suburban Chennai to express solidarity, including senior state minister D Jayakumar, who later told reporters the nation was proud and grateful to Abhinandan and family. "The parents' courage is admirable. Father Varthaman is a retired Air Marshall and had served our nation during the Kargil war," he said adding Abhi's grandfather Simhakutty too had served the nation during World War II in the Air Force. For the veteran Air Marshall, who is a recipient of many honours including a Param Vishisht Seva Medal, there is now an uncanny similarity between reel and real life now. Just like the 2017 Mani Ratnam film "Kaatru Veliyidai," for which Varthaman was a consultant, his son has unfortunately landed in Pakistan's custody. In the movie, hero Karthi -who essayed the role of an IAF officer- lands in Pakistan after his jet got shot down. The hero gets reunited later with his family in the movie and so will soon be Abhi. Hashtags like #BringBackAbhinandan, #AbhinandanMyHero, MeraJawanSabseMajboot trended on microblogging site Twitter seeking Abhinandan's early return. Actor Karthi tweeted saying, "I'm very fortunate to have met a few of our fighter pilots in #IAF. It's a true honour to know them and they are men of a different league. I sincerely pray for the safe return of our warriors." Meanwhile, PTI quoted from defence ministry release of 2011 to say that when Varthaman took charge as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Air Command, he was among a few select pilots to hold the distinction of having flown 40 types of aircraft with over 4000 flying hours. During the Kargil conflict, he was the Chief Operations Officer of Gwalior and he was in command of an operational airbase in the western sector at the time of Operation Parakram following the December 13, 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament. RTHK: Pakistan to free pilot as peace gesture Pakistan said on Thursday it will release a captured Indian pilot in a "peace gesture", taking a step towards rapprochement as clashes between the nuclear-armed rivals ignited fears of a disastrous conflict. The pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, has become the face of the crisis since he was shot down in a rare aerial engagement between the South Asian neighbours over the disputed region of Kashmir on Wednesday. With anger boiling over his capture in India, analysts have touted him as a potential trump card for Islamabad. "As a peace gesture we are releasing the Indian pilot tomorrow," Prime Minister Imran Khan told a joint session of parliament. Parliamentarians stamped their feet in approval at his statement, the first sign of a potential thaw after a dangerous sequence of events between the two countries sent tensions soaring. Tit-for-tat raids across their hair-trigger border have alarmed world powers including China and the US, who have urged restraint. Pakistan has said it downed two Indian fighters, while India confirmed it had lost one plane and claimed it had shot down a Pakistani jet. "I am afraid of miscalculations," Khan said. "We should not even think of war, especially in view of the lethality of the weapons that we have." However he warned that his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi should not misconstrue his desire to de-escalate as "weakness". "India must know that we will be forced to strongly retaliate against any Indian action in the future," he said. Wednesday's dogfight and the pilot's capture sparked fears of India and Pakistan -- who have fought two wars and countless deadly skirmishes over the Himalayan region -- entering a cycle of retaliation and counterattacks that could spiral out of control. Pakistan has closed its airspace indefinitely, and the army said Thursday its troops were on high alert along the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides Kashmir. Authorities have tightened security across the country, with hospitals on alert and leave for police and other security officials cancelled in some cities. With anger boiling in India over Pakistan's capture of the pilot, Modi called on his citizens Thursday to "stand as a wall" in the face of an enemy that "seeks to destabilise India". Analysts have said the pilot's fate, and his safe release, could prove central to the neighbours pulling back from the brink. US President Donald Trump has voiced optimism that the tensions could soon be resolved. "We have had some reasonably decent news... Hopefully that's going to be coming to an end," he said of the crisis, speaking to reporters in Hanoi after a summit there with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The confrontation erupted after a suicide attack in Indian-held Kashmir killed 40 Indian troops on February 14. New Delhi blamed the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group for the attack. Twelve days later Indian warplanes launched a strike inside Pakistani territory, hitting what it said was a militant training camp. An infuriated Islamabad denied major casualties or damage, but a day later launched its own incursion across the Line of Control which sparked the dogfight that ended in Abhinandan's capture. A viral video apparently taken shortly after his plane was shot down purportedly showed Abhinandan being dragged and beaten by a group of men as Pakistani soldiers intervened, shouting "Stop! Stop!" Mohammad Faisal, the Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman, told reporters Thursday that the pilot had "some mishap before our officers reached there because he was caught by the public". But he stressed the pilot was now "with us, he is safe and in good condition". A video released by the Pakistani military later showed Abhinandan sipping tea, his face swollen and sporting bruises but otherwise collected and calm. He thanked the "thorough gentlemen" who rescued him from the mob and complimented the tea as "fantastic". It was unclear if he had been coerced to speak. Kashmir has been divided and disputed by India and Pakistan since 1947. The two countries have fought two of their three wars over the region. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2019-02-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. One of the accused persons had created a fake ID showing him to be a sub-inspector of police about three years ago. (Representational Image) Hyderabad: The Rachakonda Special Operations Team apprehended a Home Guard and two former home guards who have been posing as policemen and trying to extort money from realtors. One of the accused persons had created a fake ID showing him to be a sub-inspector of police about three years ago. He used this in many places, including temples, to get special treatment during a visit. The three men were handed over to the LB Nagar police for further investigation. The LB Nagar special operations team acting on a tip, arrested the three men and seized from them an air pistol along with pellets, fake identification cards of the ranks of sub-inspector and police constable, an SUV, Rs 36,000 in cash and mobile phones. The three have been identified as Kasi Reddy Venkateshwar Reddy, 33, Home Guard attached to Abids traffic police station, Devi Reddy Akki Reddy, 42, and T. Ashok, 35, both former Home Guards. Ashok is Venkateshwars driver and blows the police siren fixed on the car. SOT (LB Nagar) inspector T. Ravi Kumar said that the trio was proceeding to Yadagirigutta to settle a land dispute when they were stopped at Nagarjuna Sagar highway and quizzed. It was found that Venkateshwar was using a fake ID card that made him out to be a sub-inspector, while Ashoks fake ID identified him as a police constable. The accused persons were doing real estate business for the last few years. Three years ago, they made the fake ID cards. Venkateshwar is currently posted at Abids Traffic police station, and also does chit fund and real estate business. He appointed Ashok, who posed as a constable, as driver of his car. They used the fake ID cards to get toll exemption, to receive special facilities at temples, and while doing land settlements, said Inspector Ravi Kumar. The three have been charged with cheating by impersonation and remanded to judicial custody. VIJAYAWADA: Amidst escalating tension between India and Pakistan, TD supremo and AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to act responsibly. He also admired the bravery of IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Mr Naidu said, The rulers at the Centre should be responsible. A leader should behave according to the frame of mind of the nation and to protect the sovereignty of the country. One should not see political benefits in such incidents, should not compromise on the integrity of the country. Thiruvananthapuram: As the formal handing over of the operations of Thiruvananthapuram airport to Adani Enterprises is scheduled shortly, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu urging them to stop the process. In the letter sent on Thursday, Mr Vijayan urged Mr Modi to intervene to hand over the airport to the company formed by the state government under KSIDC instead of to Adani Enterprises. This would safeguard the interest of the state and the centre and ensure the participation of the state government in the development of the airport, Mr Vijayan said. There has been opposition from the public against the handing over of the airport to the private company because the bid for all the six airports was won by the same company. In such circumstances, it would be difficult for the state government to support the private agency in the running and development of the airport, he said. The state has given 635 acres of land to the Thiruvananthapuram airport free of cost. Moreover, the decision to hand over the 23.57 acres to the development of a new terminal was taken in 2005 as per certain conditions. If the airport was converted into a separate company or a separate company was formed for running the airport, the value of the land should be converted into shares of the state government, he said. In 2003, the civil aviation secretary had given a written assurance to the state government that it will be consulted in case there was a decision for private participation in the airport, said Mr Vijayan. This assurance was given taking into account the fact that the state government had given land and other support for the development of the airport. As per the assurance, forming a special purpose vehicle with state participation will be considered, he said. The fact that the state government had the experience of running two international airports after forming a separate company was brought to the notice of the civil aviation minister. The state had also suggested that a committee with Airport Authority of India chairman, civil aviation secretary and chief secretary should seek the possibility of handing over the airport to a company with the state participation, Mr Vijayan said. However, the centre asked the state to put the proposal before the secretary-level committee with Niti Ayog CEO as chairman. As per the directive, the state government put two proposals before the central government. One proposal was to hand over the airport to the company formed by the state government. This company would identify a partner at the international level with expertise in running an airport. The airport should be handed over to the company for a lease of 99 years, said Mr Vijayan. The second proposal was to allow the company formed by the state government to take part in the bid and give them the right of first refusal. Both the proposals were not allowed by the civil aviation ministry. Even the right of first refusal was given with a condition that it will be accepted only if it came within 10 percent of the highest bid, said Mr Vijayan. Moreover, there was no provision in the tender document that the bidder should have previous experience. This was surprising, he said. The only condition was that the bidder should have previous experience in developing infrastructural development. It was in this circumstance that the public has raised concern over handing the airport to Adani group, said Mr Vijayan. The KSIDC has already moved the High Court against the decision to hand over the operations of the airport to Adani. The court had pointed out that the bid process would be subjected to its final decision, Mr Vijayan said. The court order is a setback for nearly 4,000 students who have secured admissions in 21 private medical colleges in the state as they may be asked to pay more than Rs 4.85 lakh to Rs 5.65 lakh fixed by the regulatory commission for the academic year 2017-18. Kochi: The High Court on Thursday quashed the order of the fee regulatory commission headed by Justice Rajendra Babu fixing the tuition fees structure for students in the private medical colleges of the state for the academic year 2017-18. The court asked the commission to fix the fees structure afresh within two months. The court order is a setback for nearly 4,000 students who have secured admissions in 21 private medical colleges in the state as they may be asked to pay more than Rs 4.85 lakh to Rs 5.65 lakh fixed by the regulatory commission for the academic year 2017-18. The court observed that the fee fixed earlier was an interim measure. The court issued the order on a batch of petitions filed by a slew of private medical colleges against the order of the fee regulatory commission. The private medical college managements have sought Rs 11-15 lakh as fees instead of the amount fixed by the regulatory commission. The existing fee structure, however, will remain in force till the fixation of the new fees by the commission. The court has asked the educational institutions to cooperate with the regulatory commission. The court has also observed that all members of the fee regulatory commission should sign the order fixing the fee instead of two or three members doing it as was in the case of the earlier decision. Kothagudem: A bus shelter constructed at Medipally has gone missing according to the Road Transport Corporation. TSRTC, Chengicherla, depot assistant manager Nakka Sripathi Krushna said in his complaint on Wednesday that the shelter was constructed on the main road several years ago with permission from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. The shelter suddenly vanished a few days ago, Mr Krishna said. He said some unidentified persons may have dismantled the shelter and taken away the material used to build it. Medipally sub-inspector B. Srinivas said that during the probe it was found that the bus shelter was shifted to another location without the knowledge of the RTC officials. A case has been registered under Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and investigation is on to find out the persons who damaged the public property, he said. Hyderabad: TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao saluted Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman for his courage and called him ultra-dignified braveheart though he is under fire. Mr Rama Rao said in a post on Twitter: What a contrast, while petty politicking and TRP wars in media plays out back home. Calm composed, wounded Indian pilot Abhinandan refuses to divulge information. Salute this ultra dignified brave heart for his courage under fire (sic). Mr Rama Rao expressed happies on the announcement of that Wg Cmdr Abhinandan would be released on Friday. Hyderabad: Interacting with one crore BJP booth-level workers across the country through video chat on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was confident the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would win a considerable number of Lok Sabha seats from Telangana state. He told party workers that the BJP would perform better in the state because the welfare schemes and initiatives taken by the party in various sectors, including finance, had created confidence among the people of Telangana state. A party worker from Tamil Nadu questioned the PM on the NDAs prospects in the south. Mr Modi replied that he was confident that the NDA alliance with the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu would see the party posting a good performance there. Mr G. Kishan Reddy, a senior leader of the BJP in Telangana state, who participated in the video conference, said that the PM had to cut short his programme in view of the tension on the boarder and hence, all party workers did not get a chance to interact with him. caught in the lie | The commanding officers of Pakistans 7 Northern Light Infantry assess the damage done to their F-16 downed by an Indian MiG. Sources in the IAF said that this picture is being falsely circulated by the Pakistan Army as debris belonging to the MiG. Hyderabad: India gave Pakistan a dossier after the Pulwama attack, specifying the role of the Jaish-e-Mohammed, but this was not the first time Delhi gave Islamabad information on wanted terrorists. The Centre had earlier presented dossiers on the Lashkar-e-Tayyabas activities after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, Pathankot air base attack and on underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. In 2010, India had shared 11 dossiers with additional and supplementary information about Lashkar founder Hafiz Saeed, for his alleged involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks and possible role in other blasts. However, experts opinioned that sharing documents on terror outfits whose roots have been traced to Pakistan, has become more of a formality because history shows that Pakistan has acted less upon it. After the Pulwana attack, in which 44 CRPF jawans were killed, India on Wednesday India handed over to Pakistan a dossier with specific details of the Jaish-e-Mohammads involvement. The documents pointed out that the UN-proscribed terror outfit has its presence in Pakistan. It was handed over to the acting high commissioner of Pakistan. But whether Pakistan will act against terrorism is questionable. Former home secretary K. Padmanabhaiah told this newspaper: The LeT, an Islamic terrorist organisation based in Pakistan, carried out a series of bombings across Mumbai in the incident referred to as 26/11. The Centre handed specific details about the Lashkar to the Yousaf Raza Gilani government. In fact, according to reports, the Centre chalked out specific offences committed by Lashkar founder Saeed under the Indian Penal Code. The Centre also specified that Saeed tried to wage a war against India. Details of his involvement with Lashkar-e-Tayyaba operative Zaki-ur-Rehman and gunman Ajmal Kasab were handed over. But except for confirming that Ajmal was a Pakistani, they did not act on the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba. He further said: India gave them details about Dawood Ibrahim. Have they done anything? The Pakistan government is controlled by their Army and the ISI. The present Prime Minister was elected to power with Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masoods support. Prior to the Pulwama attack, in 2016, it was the United States that had handed a dossier which comprised details of terrorist handlers such as Kashif Jaan and inputs investigated by the National Investigating Agency (NIA). One needs to understand the functioning of the Pakistan government to comment on their action against terrorism, said Lt. Gen. Mohan Bhandari (retired). Pakistan Prime Ministers are elected with the help of their Army, ISI and the highly radicalised terror outfits. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is controlled by Rawalpindi, the headquarters of the Army. Over the years, be it Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Nawaz Sharif or Yousaf Raza Gillani, their Army controlled them all, Gen. Bhandari (retd) said. It is their Army that runs a parallel government, thus many generals (chief of staff) dont retire. The generals own banks, infrastructure and more. You give them a dossier or any document to prove role of Pakistani homegrown terror outfits in a blast, it will be brushed aside, he said. Gen. Bhandari (retd) said JeM chief Masood in 1999 after the Indian Airlines aircraft was the price India is paying. :In recent years, pressure from UK, USA and Russia is mounting on them to wind up highly radicalised terror groups, he said. A senior officer working with the intelligence wing said on condition of anonymity: How will Pakistan take action against these groups when its own government is involved in the terror blasts there? Have they ever acted upon Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed/Tahrik-e-Furqan, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba/Pasban-e-Ahle Hadis, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and other groups banned under Section 35 of the UAPA? The twin blasts in Hyderabad were carried out by local terrorists but with support from outfits based in Pakistan, said former DGP Swarnajit Sen. There are helpers in India for these handlers, which the police and the Intelligence should dig deep to curb further damages, he said. Mr Sen said dossiers had become more of a counter-country drama after a blast. :After the 26/11 attacks, the Centre gave Pakistan details of terrorists killed in counter-firing in India. The details included that of their parents. Pakistan bluntly denied their existence. India has to think of other methods than handing over evidence to Pakistan. Dossiers were never respected because the country itself is guilty, Mr Sen said. New Delhi/Islamabad: In a major diplomatic move billed as a peace gesture and designed to de-escalate mounting tensions with India, Pakistan Prime Minster Imran Khan on Thursday announced that Indian Air Forces Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released on Friday. According to media reports, he is expected to reach India through the Wagah-Attari border near Amritsar in Punjab accompanied by Indias air attache to Pakistan, Group Captain J.D. Kurian. Speaking in Parliament on rising tensions between Pakistan and India, Mr Khan said, As a peace gesture, we are releasing the Indian pilot tomorrow (Friday). The announcement came just hours after Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Mr Khan was ready for telephonic talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and that Pakistan was ready to hand over Wg. Com. Abhinandan if it leads to de-escalation. Interestingly, earlier in the day Indian government sources had made it clear that there would be no deal with Pakistan over the release of the IAF pilot. They indicated that India cannot let the mood of the nation depend on an individual and that the focus would remain on Indias concerns on terrorism. Pakistans move is being seen as an effort to wrest the diplomatic initiative, deny India any ground for military action, generate goodwill among the Indian public and convey to the world that Pakistan believes in peace. The move came even as Western powers like the US, UK and France and powerful Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia and UAE lobbied with both countries in an effort to lower temperatures. Evidence of that global pressure was clear when US President Donald Trump, in response to questions in Hanoi, said early on Thursday, I think (we will soon have) reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India. They have been going at it and we have been involved and have them stop, we have some reasonably decent news. Hopefully its going to be coming to an end this has been going on for a long time, decades and decades. The release of the IAF pilot is expected to somewhat pacify the Indian government, with both the IAF and government sources saying New Delhi was happy over Mr Khans announcement, but also insisting that Pakistan has to act against terrorists operating from its soil. Mr Modi on Thursday appeared to be making a reference to Indias air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan when he said that a pilot project was recently carried out and now the real one has to be done. Speaking at an award ceremony for scientists, he said, You spend your life in laboratories. You have a tradition of first doing a pilot project. It is later scaled up. So recently a pilot project happened. Now the real one has to be done. Earlier one was a practice. Government sources revealed on Thursday morning that on Wednesday night, Pakistan had made false allegations to foreign embassies in Islamabad by claiming that India was planning missile strikes, that Indian troops were massing on the border and that the Indian Navy was preparing to strike Karachi. India strongly objected to Pakistans vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the Geneva Convention. New Delhi also told Islamabad to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody, adding that India also expects his immediate and safe return. In Islamabad, officials reviewed legal aspects, bilateral and international agreements, including whether Geneva Conventions would apply, before taking the decision to release Wg. Com. Abhinandan. If he were granted Prisoner of War (PoW) status, then Geneva Convention would have applied to him. Hyderabad: As the nation awaits for the return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Vathaman, taken prisoner of war in Pakistan after he shot down an intruding F-16 aircraft, a former IAF officer can understand exactly what it feels like. In May 27, 1999, a young IAF pilot, Flt. Lt. K. Nachiketa, had to eject after his engine suffered a flame-out during the Kargil war. He had completed a bombing run and was going in for his second sortie. He was taken into custody in Pakistan and was returned to India eight days later. He later retired as Group Captain and has joined a private airline. When this newspaper asked him about Wg Cmdr Abhinandan, Gp Cpt Nachiketa (retired) said, Abhinandhan is a brave and courageous pilot with a high professional ethos befitting an IAF air warrior and we all are proud of him. He should be back soon and will take to the skies again to defend his motherland whenever called for. After all, he said, the heart of a pilot is always in the cockpit. Speaking of the moment he heard of Wg Cmdr Abhinandans capture, he said: It was indeed a disturbing news when he was captured but we all are trained and conditioned for this. I am sure he will be with us shortly and join back his unit soon. He said Wg Cmdr Abhinandan had been made a prisoner of war in a hostile situation in the line of duty. As per the Geneva Convention, which is applicable to both India and Pakistan, there are standards that have been laid and one should follow it while treating a PoW. The country holding custody of the PoW must treat the solider appropriately and release him. New Delhi: In a huge relief to over 10 lakh tribals, the Supreme Court on Thursday stayed its February 13 order directing eviction of forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes (FDST) and other traditional forest dwellers (OTFDs) whose claims have been rejected by the States governments concerned. A bench of Justices Arun Mishra, Navin Sinha and M.R. Shah passed this order on an application filed by the Centre and State of Gujarat seeking suspension of the order in the larger interest of tribals facing eviction. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted to the court that the eviction order has affected a large number of families. He said the states should first file proper affidavits on the procedure followed in the verification of forest rights claims before any such eviction. The eviction of the tribals may be withheld, as the eviction of tribals, without such information, would cause serious prejudice to them who have been residing in forests for generations. Many are poor and illiterate. Justice Mishra asked whether the Centre was caught in a slumber for the past three years. He pointed out that the February 13 order was only a follow-up of the courts order on January 29, 2016, which had also directed the eviction of encroachers into forestlands. The court asked why there was no mechanism in place in the states or in the Centre to review the rejection orders. The bench, accepting that it is a human problem, stayed its order and directed states to submit details of the process adopted in rejection of claims under the Forests Rights Act and the authorities which passed the orders and also whether the State Level Monitoring Committees under the Act monitored the process. The states have been directed to submit details within 4 months, and till then the implementation of February 13 order has been stayed. The court, however, said the mighty and the undeserving who have encroached on forestlands would be shown no mercy. Senior advocate Shyam Divan, for petitioner NGO Wildlife First, submitted that lakhs of genuine claims were honoured under the FRA. He brought to the notice of the court the MoTAs data up to November 2018 that 42,24,951 claims from individuals and communities were received till November 30 last year. New Delhi/United Nations (New York),: The US, the UK and Fra-nce who comprise three of the five permanent (P-5) UN security Council (SC) members enjoying the veto power have moved a fresh proposal in the UNSC to designate Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeMs) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, a listing that will subject him to global travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo. The other two permanent members are Russia and China. While Russia is expected to support the move in solidarity with New Delhi, all eyes will be on China which has always vetoed previous such proposals. Speculation is rife that China may either abstain this time-thereby allowing the proposal to be passedor else veto it again. Even if China abstains, it will be seen as a victory for India which has been lobbying with Beijing and sharing information with it about Azhar whose JeM carried out the recent Pulwama terror attack. However, if China vetoes the proposal again, it will be seen as a setback for India and victory for Beijings all-weather friend Pakistan, particularly in the context of Indo-Pak military tensions after the Pulwama terror attack. Indian government sou-rces said New Delhi had no information currently on how China would vote but pointed out that India has been sharing all relevant information on Azhar with Beijing. Meanwhile, the proposal was moved Wednesday by the three permanent veto-wielding members of the 15-nation Security Council. Bishop Remegiose Inchananiyil and the priests have criticised the draft Bill which has been placed before the public by the Kerala Law Reforms Commission seeking suggestions and corrections. (Photo: AFP) Kozhikode: The Thamarassery diocese has launched a campaign against the Kerala Church (Properties and Institutions) Bill 2019 terming it as anti-Church and an attempt to take over Church properties. Bishop Remegiose Inchananiyil and the priests have criticised the draft Bill which has been placed before the public by the Kerala Law Reforms Commission seeking suggestions and corrections. The bishop urged believers at a programme here recently to rise up against the attempts to impose the Act on the faithful and take over its properties. He also warned the government saying that the Bill would trigger agitations. The Catholic Laymens Association (CLA), the believers forum, based here has also come out against the Bill, terming it as a watered down version of the earlier one submitted by Justice V.R. Krisha Iyer to the law reforms committee in 2009. The rebel organisations allege that the Church Act 2009 has been shelved as it would curb the freedom enjoyed by Church authorities who have looted the Church wealth. The reformists have flayed the Act as it does not ensure individual freedom within the Church. It allows the alien influence, including the Canon Law, which is against the law of the land, and Roman hegemony, it was pointed out. Chennai: The AIADMK members are on cloud nine over the Delhi high court verdict upholding the Election Commissions order in the two leaves symbol case. Reacting to the verdict, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami who was on a visit to Tiruppur on Thursday, said, we have been confirmed as the real AIADMK. Hailing the verdict, Palaniswami described the order as a good one. It has been confirmed that we are the real AIADMK, he said. There was little possibility for an appeal against the verdict by T.T.V. Dhinakaran, the Chief Minister, who is also the AIADMK joint coordinator, told reporters in Tiruppur. The court dismissed the pleas of AMMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran and jailed V.K. Sasikala challenging the Election Commissions order granting the AIADMK name and two leaves symbol to the faction led by him, saying that it showed they are the true AIADMK. The bench comprising justices: G.S. Sistani and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal upheld the ECs decision of Nov. 23, 2017, saying none of the grounds of the challenge taken by Dhinakaran and Sasikala was sufficient to set aside the poll panel order. However, Dhinakarans Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam said the verdict was expected but vowed to put up a good show in the Lok Sabha polls. Indirectly referring to Dhinakaran, Palaniswami said, some created a lot of hurdles with the intention of taking over the party. With this good verdict, a solution has been found to that. Now, the AIADMK will march ahead. Also, the CM alleged that Dhinakaran had moved the court on this issue as part of the rival DMKs conspiracy against the AIADMK, but did not elaborate. I believe there is no possibility for that since similar material will be placed before the apex court too, the CM shot back when asked if the rival would go on an appeal against the verdict in the Supreme Court. In Chennai, party senior and fisheries minister D. Jayakumar averred that none can block his party symbol. The two leaves symbol belongs to the AIADMK. It is a victory symbol. None can freeze the symbol. If you see the history, those who attempted to destroy the party faded into the oblivion, and no one can destroy the AIADMK, he said. Law minister C.Ve. Shanmugam said the verdict was on expected lines. Those not related to the party and attempted to destroy the AIADMK by blocking its symbol with an evil design have been given a severe blow, he added. Police officers and locals carry an injured for treatment to a hospital after firing and mortar shelling by the Pakistani Army along the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector of J&K. PTI SRINAGAR: Indian and Pakistani troops on Thursday again exchanged heavy small arms and mortar fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district. One woman resident was killed, an off-duty soldier was critically injured and another woman was injured in the unprovoked Pakistani shelling, the officials said. Defence spokesman Lt. Col. Davendra Anand said in Jammu that Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire agreement by initiating unprovoked shelling of mortars and firing by small arms in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch early Thursday. The shelling and firing, he said, started at 6 am and continued for one hour. The own forces (Indian troops) retaliated strongly and effectively. Firing stopped at about 7 am, he said. The cross-LoC shelling and firing resumed in the same sector in the afternoon. The Army said that the Pakistani troops again resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling at 1 pm and that the Indian troops responded to it strongly and befittingly. Arrangements have been made for the distribution of ginger coffee to devotees. Kochi: Thousands of people will converge on the sand banks at Aluva where the Maha Sivaratri celebrations will begin on March 4. The Aluva municipality and the district administration have made elaborate arrangements for the devotees coming to attend the Sivaratri festival and for the balitharpanam rituals for ancestors during the days. In association with the district administration and the Suchitwa Mission, the authorities have taken measures to ensure that the festival is organised in compliance with the green protocol. Unlike in the previous years, plastic carry-bags will be completely controlled this time. As part of Sivaratri, the municipality has organised a month-long trade festival and a week-long live performance of the flood-affected artists. Besides, the fishermen and people who were involved in the rescue operations will be felicitated. The municipal authorities said that 50 electric posts that were damaged in the August floods will be replaced and 100 new LED lights will be installed before the festival. Over `35 lakh has been allotted for the lighting arrangements done by the KSEB. About 1,500 police personnel would provide security cover to the rituals and celebrations. Two police watch towers will be functioning 24x7 and CCTV cameras will be placed in selected areas. The fire and rescue personnel and a fire engine will be deployed at the Priayadarshini town hall to prevent fire mishaps. The municipality has taken an insurance coverage of `1.5 crore for devotees who come to the Manappuram. Arrangements have been made for the distribution of ginger coffee to devotees. Rescue teams from the police and Navy along with support facilities such as boats and life jackets would be made available on the river banks. Meanwhile, the municipality has asked the excise department to observe dry day on Sivaratri. No sale of liquor will be allowed in the town. 'Social media and our social media volunteers will have a big contribution to the 2019 Lok Sabha election,' said Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Photo: File) New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged people to not get influenced by fake news being spread over social media by enemy countries. He also cautioned BJP party workers to be wary of attempts of attack by the Opposition, whom he called the "masters of fake news". Social media is a democratic media. On it, every person gets an opportunity to speak. Social media has worked to make a big difference in the world over the past few years. Social media and our social media volunteers will have a big contribution to the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Modi said while addressing the BJP booth workers via video conference. Urging party workers to use social media to "connect, communicate and correct", Modi said caution must be exercised not to share fake news. "The Opposition has received 'maharat' (masters) in using fake news. Its a normal thing, somebody who does not have own agenda, will make fake news as its agenda. Fake news should not be deleted from phones only, but from minds also. In todays times, enemy countries spread fake news over social media, whether they are in UN or present on any other platform, he added. His statement comes ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. During his interaction with the BJP workers, Prime Minister Modi also urged them to use social media as a tool to make people aware of the various initiatives of the central government. Bengaluru: Twelve bonded labourers were rescued from two sericulture units in Chikkaballapura where they were allegedly confined for over 10 years. The joint rescue operation was carried out by the Chikkaballapura district administration, the Sidlaghatta town police and Labour Department along with the help of NGO International Justice Mission. The Sidlagatta police have registered a case under various sections of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, Section 370 (Trafficking in Persons) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. They have now launched a manhunt for the accused brothers Imtiyaz and Khwaja, who are absconding. The case came to light when two labourers escaped from one of the units earlier. Seven people from Bengaluru Urban and Rural were rescued from the first factory and five people from Ramanagara from the second factory. In the first factory, Vivek, a 26-year-old worker, spent 10 years in bondage to pay off a debt of Rs 40,000 given to his parents 10 years ago. His parents also worked at the factory for four years till his father died and his mother was allowed to leave because she was diagnosed with cancer. Thereafter, the son had to take full responsibility for the debt. The owners got him married to a fellow worker. His wife and brother-in-law have spent seven years working at the same factory. The couple has two children aged five and three who were not working. Apart from this family, a mother and son aged 38 and 19, who had spent five years in bondage at the factory, were also rescued. Vivek said that he and his family were never allowed to leave the factory together and he could only go out for 10-15 minutes after the days work to buy provisions. His wife was never allowed to leave the factory for seven years except for the time when the owner took them out to the government hospital for her deliveries. They had to work continuously from 6 am to 7 pm, six days a week and could only take a short break for lunch. In the second factory, Chanda from Magadi and her four-year-old son spent six months in bondage after she had taken an advance of Rs 60,000. Chanda said that she was not given any wages but was given two meals a day. She complained that she was given water to bathe only once a month and said that she and her son developed a skin disease from working in the sericulture unit and for not being able to bathe. A source said that in both units, all the labourers rescued were trafficked by the owners themselves or by an agent. They were promised good wages and living conditions and brought to the units. (Workers names have been changed) They also informed that the Pangolin scales, Sea Horses, Pipefish and shark fins and other marine wildlife species were procured from Rameswaram coastal area. Chennai: Endangered wildlife species weighing 660 kg valued at Rs 7 crore were seized during a raid at a godown in Mannady and two persons have been detained, officials said Wednesday. Based on specific intelligence that wildlife species were stored in a godown and is likely to be taken out of the city for smuggling, officers of the Chennai Customs searched a godown at Mannady here on Monday night. During the search, they nabbed two persons who confessed that the contraband was likely to be sent to Mumbai by road to be smuggled to China and other South Asian countries. They also informed that the Pangolin scales, Sea Horses, Pipefish and shark fins and other marine wildlife species were procured from Rameswaram coastal area. The Pangolin scales were handed over to them by a Sri Lankan national, they said. The wildlife species were subsequently weighed and were found to be Pangolin scales - 111 kgs, dried Sea Horse - 160 kgs, dried Pipefish - 180 kgs, Sea Cucumber - 5 kgs, Manta and Mobula Ray Gills - 125 kgs, fins of different species of sharks - 79 kgs. Totally everything weighed 660 kgs. The wildlife species weighing 660 kg valued at Rs 7 crore in the International market were seized under the provisions of Customs Act 1962 and Wild Life (Protection Act) 1972 read with Foreign Trade (D&R). Two persons have been detained. The seized wildlife species along with those detained will be handed over to the Forest Department, Tamil Nadu, for further action under the Wild Life (Protection ) Act 1972. The seized goods were brought to the custom house warehouse for further examination. Sources said, Pangolin scales, Sea horse and Pipefish were used in traditional Chinese medicine. Further investigations are on. A police officer said, on Tuesday at around 6 pm, the police control room received a call where a man claimed that he overheard his wife Munni talking on the phone that she will indulge in a bomb blast at Chennai Central Railway station on Wednesday. (Representational image) Chennai: A 37-year-old man was arrested by the city police for making a hoax bomb threat call to the police control room on Tuesday. According to police, A. Saravanan (37), a carpenter cum painter of Teynampet, in an inebriated state made the bomb threat call to get his wife into trouble as she quarrels with him. A police officer said, on Tuesday at around 6 pm, the police control room received a call where a man claimed that he overheard his wife Munni talking on the phone that she will indulge in a bomb blast at Chennai Central Railway station on Wednesday. While the search operation was launched at the Central Railway station, the local police traced out the call and caught Saravanan from Varadharajapuram in Teynampet. He was found under the influence of alcohol. The man was taken into custody and an investigation revealed that his wife, Munni, and he used to have frequent fights. In a fit of anger he made the bomb threat call to the police control room. Police said that Munni did not have any clue about bomb threat call. He was later remanded to judicial custody. Amid Indo-Pakistan tension, PM said, 'The enemy tries to destabilize us, carries out terror attacks, they want to stop our growth. We all countrymen are standing like a rock to counter their evil designs.' (Photo: ANI | Twitter) New Delhi: Ignoring the opposition attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed millions of workers of BJP on Thursday. Modi said, India will stand as one, India will work as one, India will grow as one, India will fight as one, India will win as one." "When the enemy supports terror and acts against India, it is to stop India's progress. But we must all ensure that we stand together, stand united, stand with our soldiers to ensure we are strong... ensure that no matter what, our progress and our work does not stop," said PM Modi at the event, "Mera Booth, Sabse Mazboot". 'Be cautious of Opposition's attempt to spread fake news over social media': Modi Amid Indo-Pakistan tension, PM said, The enemy tries to destabilize us, carries out terror attacks, they want to stop our growth. We all countrymen are standing like a rock to counter their evil designs. We have to be hardworking in all sectors. India is grateful to all those who are protecting the nation. It is because they are there, the nation can reach new levels of development, Modi said appreciating the armed forces. This Prime Ministers mega event is pitched as the worlds largest video conference. PM Modi interacted with one crore BJP workers and volunteers at the level of polling booths, called "booth workers", to mobilise them ahead of the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Hyderabad: Junior doctors continued their strike for the second day on Wednesday in Gandhi Hospital and Niloufer Hospital. Other than emergency services, all the services were boycotted by the junior doctors at Gandhi Hospital. On the other hand, all the services including emergency services were boycotted by junior doctors in Niloufer Hospital. Reportedly, around 800 junior doctors participated in the strike following an assault on one of their colleagues. Recently, there have been many instances where doctors were assaulted by a patients relative in case the patient did not recover. The junior doctors demanded safety as there were many incidents where junior doctors had been assa-ulted by the patients family members. The doctors have been fighting for a secure environment for a long time. No government has taken preventive measures to ensure a secure environment for the doctors in government hospitals. The junior doctors took out a rally near Gandhi Hospital which was opposed by the city police as they did not have permission to take out a rally. Other than the emergency, all the outpatient department services, were boycotted by the junior doctors. The resentment of the junior doctors followed an assault on a junior post graduate, Dr P. Karthik, who was beaten up by relatives in Gandhi Hospital as a critically ill two-year-old died. The child was admitted with fever and congestive heart failure. The doctors had explained the critical condition to the parents and relatives. But at 6.30 pm on Tuesday, when the childs condition worsened, the attendees called upon the post-graduate doctor to attend to the child. The child was kept on ventilator support but there was no response. The family members then attacked the doctor and also damaged the furniture in the hospital. Though there were security personnel present, none of them stopped the angry family members. The junior doctors said, We are not gods. We are also humans like them. We are trying our best to save patients as it is our responsibility. With the recent attacks on many junior doctors, many are working with fear. Subsequently, we cannot deliver 100 per cent. The situation has to change. We are seeing it as a total security failure. Gandhi Hospital is the last option for many patients after visiting many hospitals. Many cases which come to the Gandhi Hospital are in very serious condition. The doctors stated that there was no security guard in the evening to protect them and they have been repeatedly asking for protection but it has not been given to them. Superintendent of Gandhi Hospital, P Shravan Kumar said, Assault on doctors who were doing their duty is very shameful. We have also discussed the issue with police officials. We have requested them to increase the force. Rahul, a junior doctor from Niloufer Hospital, said, Ten days ago we had submitted our representation to the superintendents and the District Medical Officer. Our main demand is security. Shyam Sundar from the Indian Medical Association said, The essential role of the medicos is to act as a link between patients and senior doctors. Thiruvananthapuram: Two school children from Kerala have been chosen to attend a summer camp to be held in Fukuoka, Japan, in July. They are Nayanika Maya Jayapra-kash, a fifth grader of St. Thomas Residential Sch-ool here, and Yohan Jose-ph Abraham, a fifth grader at Pallikoodam, Kott-ayam. They have been selected as junior ambassadors from India to participate in the 10-day fully paid Bridge summer camp 2019 of the Junior Chamber International Asia Pacific Children's Convention (JCI APCC). JCI is a non-governmental fraternal organisation of people aged between 18 and 40 and having members from 124 countries. Junior ambassador is chosen from children aged between 10 and 11, whose parents are also active in JCI activities. The children should excel in academics as well as extracurricular activities. Nayanika, 10, is one of the eight junior ambassadors from the country. I can meet people from different countries of Asia and Pacific region which will help me further excel in various activities and academics. I will stay with a host families in Japan as parents will not be allowed in the trip, Nayanika, a member of JCI Thiruvananthapur-am Zone XXII and a resident of Sasthamangalam, told DC. She is the daughter of LIC development officer R. Jayprakash and Maya Nair. Her elder brother, Bharat Govind, is the president of Thiruvananthapuram chapter. Yohan Joseph Abraham is the son of Robin Abraham and Merin Babu Mathews. After the camp, the two students will attend the national conference of JCI in Nagpur. Chennai: Slamming the authorities concerned for not taking action against erection of unauthorised digital banners, the Madras high court has directed the Commissioner, Kancheepuram Municipality, the Superintendent of Police, Kancheepuram District and the Collector, Kancheepuram district to personally remain present before the court on March 13 and explain as to the action taken to abate the nuisance and also identify the officials/persons, who are responsible for the said violations in the form of affidavits. A division bench comprising Justices M. Sathyanaraynan and M. Nirmal Kumar said, This court, in the order dated December 20, 2018, which is the subject matter of this contempt petition, has also pointed out that despite subsistence of Rules and various orders passed by this court for very many years, neither the Rules nor the orders passed by this court have been adhered to/complied with and left with no other option only, has passed the above said order. The authorities concerned have not learnt their lesson and it may be that they would like to learn their lesson in a hard way. The bench gave the directive on the contempt petition and applications filed by social activist Traffic Ramaswamy. The bench said this court had taken note of the affidavit filed by the Principal Secretary to Government and passed an order dated February 13, 2019, wherein it was observed that the present affidavit is hardly satisfactory and except the affidavit containing five pages, no worthwhile details as to the prosecution for the violation that already took place and the prevention mechanism so as to prevent such kind of violation in future, have not been stated. Today, when the matter was taken up, it was brought to the knowledge of this court a news item appeared in a Tamil daily dated February 25, 2019, which would disclose among other things as to the erection of digital banners and it also reads that on the occasion of 71st Birth Anniversary of the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, late J.Jayalalithaa, on the arterial road, namely, Gandhi Road, Kancheepuram, huge digital banners have been erected and on the one side of the road, a huge stage has also been erected, blocking a part of the road, the bench added. The bench said additional advocate general S.R. Rajagopal has produced a letter of the Principal Secretary to government addressed to the Commissioner, Greater Chennai corporation, and submitted that serious efforts were being taken to abate the said nuisance and prayed for short accommodation to get instructions as to the erection of digital banners and putting up of stage on the arterial road of Kancheepuram. In the news item, a photograph of Gandhi Road, Kancheepuram has been printed and it prima facie disclose that right on the edge of the road, huge digital banners purported to have been put up by the ruling party functionaries are in place and that apart, on the one side of the road, a huge stage has also been put up and thereby movement of traffic on the part of the road appear to have been blocked on that day. The said material would prima facie disclose that whatever assurances/undertakings given to this court through the Additional advocate general had gone to wind and so far, no proper and effective mechanism has been put in place to prevent unauthorised erection of digital banners, the bench added. The bench said the length and breadth of the digital banners erected and as pointed out by Traffic K.R. Ramaswamy, in the photographs annexed to the sub-applications as well as affidavits, would disclose that those digital banners have not come in place within a short span of time and it would have taken considerable time to erect it right on the arterial roads of various towns/cities and despite that, the authorities concerned appear to have turned a blind eye for the reasons best known to them and the only explanation offered was that cases were registered against the violators. Only in the event of final reports being filed, the stage of the cases will be made known to this court and therefore, the statement made in that regard, appears to be an empty formality for the purpose of seeking time, the bench pointed out. India has not asked for consular access, sources said, warning Pakistan that the pilot was no card to negotiate with. (Representational Image) New Delhi: India expects immediate release of Wing Commander Abhinandan Vartaman, government sources said on Thursday, rubbishing any suggestion of a deal over him. India has not asked for consular access, sources said, warning Pakistan that the pilot was no card to negotiate with. India wants him to be treated in a humane manner, sources said. Geo News had earlier quoted Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi as stating that the pilot would be returned if that meant de-escalation of tension between the two countries. "We are willing to return the captured Indian pilot if it leads to de-escalation and peace," he added. "We are ready for all positive engagement,: Geo News quoted Qureshi as saying. Indian Defence Ministry officials told ANI that the government believes the Pakistan air intrusion was an attack on military installations. We believe the Indian Air Force pilot was ill treated by the Pakistan Army in violation of the Geneva convention, ANI quoted them as saying. Qureshi also told Geo News that India had handed over a dossier to the acting High Commissioner of Pakistan a day earlier. I will evaluate the dossier with an open heart and then see if talks will be held on that," he said. I wish the dossier was sent earlier, the foreign minister stated. Sources said India didnt consider giving actionable intel earlier as Pakistan has never acted in past on actionable inputs on Mumbai and Pathankot attacks. Terrorists were caught, audio given, access given to forward posts in Pathankot. Pakistan remained in denial. Thirteen days after Pulwama, they still deny Jaish-e-Mohammed role, sources said. We believe the Pakistan Army is actively supporting the Jaish-e-Mohammed and is harbouring its leaders including Masood Azhar in its facilities, sources added. We are ready for talks on Kartarpur. They (Pakistan) had called it off just as they had closed airspace and stopped Samjhauta Express. We are trying to appear reasonable, they are creating a war hysteria, sources told ANI, adding: Pakistan has lied to the international community on Jaish-e-Mohammed, about two pilots in custody. They lied on Indian ships approaching, they have lied on missile strikes. Pakistan must first take concrete and specific anti-terror steps, government sources said when asked about talks with Paqkistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Imran has to walk the talk on investigating the Pulwama attack, sources told PTI. Why did Pak PM say two Indian jets were downed? Was he not briefed or did he say an untruth, govt sources told PTI. Pakistan Air Force specifically targeted Indian military facilities while we targeted only JeM terror camp, the sources said. The sources added that India was waiting for immediate, credible and verifiable action against terrorists and their proxies. On being asked if he is open to meeting Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on sidelines of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation(OIC) meet, Pakistan Foreign Minister Qureshi said he would not hesitate to meet but OIC was not the forum for talks with Swaraj. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he hoped the conflict between India and Pakistan will be coming to an end, after the two nuclear powers clashed across a contested border in the disputed Kashmir region. Read: Have reasonably decent news from India, Pakistan: Trump in Hanoi Speaking at a news conference in Vietnam after a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trump said he had some reasonably decent news from India and Pakistan. He did not elaborate. Meanwhile, Pakistan and India continued to exchange fire along the Line of Control on Thursday. Pakistan fired at 6 am and stopped after an hour. Cross-LoC shelling and firing resumed in Krishna Ghathi sector of Poonch in the afternoon. The Army said Pakistani troops again resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling at 1 pm and that the Indian troops were responding to it strongly and befittingly. 'Dr Saud Mohammed Al-Sati, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to India met PM,' the PMO said while tweeting a picture of the two. (Photo: Twitter) New Delhi: Saudi Arabia's ambassador to New Delhi on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting comes a day after tensions between India and its western neighbour escalated after Pakistani fighter jets violated Indian air space in response to IAF targeting a JeM terror camp in its territory. An IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat Wednesday. Both sides said they shot down each other's warplanes. "Dr Saud Mohammed Al-Sati, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to India met PM," the PMO said while tweeting a picture of the two. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman was in India last week. Terrorism and extremism are "common concerns" and Saudi Arabia will extend all cooperation to India and other neighbouring countries to deal with them, Mohammed Bin Salman had said after holding "extensive and successful" talks with Prime Minister Modi. Wang and Qureshi spoke hours after Sushma Swaraj left China after day-long meeting of foreign ministers of Russia, India and China. (Photo: AP) Mumbai: Amid India-Pakistan tension, Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi told his Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mahmood Qureshi that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected. Responding to an urgent late night phone call from Qureshi, Wang stressed that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, Chinas foreign ministry said in a statement in Chinese. China is unwilling to see acts that violate the norms of international relations, statement added. The conversation between the two nations took place against the backdrop of Pakistan violating Indian airspace on Wednesday morning. India has described the violation as an unsuccessful attempt to target military installations. The Indian Air force foiled the attempt and shot down a Pak F-16. One Indian fighter jet, a MiG 21 Bison, was also shot down. The IAF pilot is in custody of Pakistani authorities. Read: No deal, says India on pilot return; Pak media reports release is conditional On February 26, India had carried out aerial strikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp across the Line of Control in Balakot. Wang and Qureshi spoke hours after Sushma Swaraj left China after day-long meeting of foreign ministers of Russia, India and China. After the meet, in a joint statement, the three nations strongly condemned terrorism and stressed that terrorist groups cannot be supported and used in political and geopolitical goals. Swaraj made a strong pitch for concerted international efforts to combat terror raising the Pulwama attack during meetings with her Russian and Chinese counterparts. During the phone conversation with Wang on Wednesday night, Qureshi said he hoped that China would continue to play a constructive role in easing the current tension, the MFA statement said. Two cases of copying were noted in Vikarabad and one in Nagarkurnool. (Representational Image) Hyderabad: A first-year student jumped off a building in Warangal when she was caught copying in an examination on Wednesday. Four cases of copying have been booked in Telangana during the intermediate second language examination. Two cases of copying were noted in Vikarabad and one in Nagarkurnool. Seven students took the test of which five were from Medchal and three from Adilabad. The first-year student P. Sunitha attempted suicide after she was caught cheating in the final exams at an examination centre in Hanamkonda. The 16-year-old was caught by the invigilator copying answers from chits she carried with her. The invigilator told her to stand outside the examination hall. Embarrassed at being caught cheating, she jumped from the third floor of the building. She was taken to MGM Hospital and found to have fractures in both her legs. The girl is a resident of Warangal and is studying in a local college. Oddly enough, students' organisations and parents of the girl launched a protest outside the examination centre demanding "justice" for the girl. The police convinced them to call off their protest in view of the ongoing examination. Officials from the education department said that despite checking being carried out at the entrance gates, the four students had chits with them. The presence of chits with students shows that the checking at the entrance was not properly carried out, said a senior official. The telephonic conversation confirmed that the US supported Indias decision to take target terror group Jaish-e-Mohammeds biggest training camp. (Photo; File) New Delhi: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Wednesday night spoke to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over the phone amid tensions between India and Pakistan. The telephonic conversation confirmed that the US supported Indias decision to take target terror group Jaish-e-Mohammeds biggest training camp. On Tuesday morning, Indian Air Force jets flew across the Line of Control to blow up the camp. New Delhi: At a time when the government and saffron stakeholders have been cautioning political parties not to politicise the Pulwama attack and Indias retaliatory air strikes, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came under attack for not practising what he and others had been preaching. Things worsened for the party when its senior leader and former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said that the BJP is going to reap the benefits of Indias air strikes in the Lok Sabha elections. He had on Wednesday said Indias pre-emptive strikes on terror camps in Pakistan has created a wave in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will help the party win over 22 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka. Mr Yeddyurappa faced disapproval from his party colleague and minister of state for external affairs V.K. Singh, who tweeted, I beg to differ. We stand as one nation, Action taken by our government is to safeguard our nation and ensure safety of our citizens, not to win a few extra seats. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal also targeted Mr Yeddyurappa saying, Is this patriotism or crass politics? Mr Yeddyurappa has since gone back on his remarks, saying that was not what he meant. I would like to clarify that my Wednesdays statement has been completely misinterpreted. I have highest regard for our armed forces. I salute the bravery of our men in fighting for the countrys safety. I stand along with my fellow countrymen and pray for the safe return of Abhinandan Varthaman. To me, the nation comes first and then the party, he said in a series of tweets. Accusing the Prime Minister of having misplaced priorities, the Congress said that he was desperate only for re-election. We postponed our CWC (Congress Working Committee) meeting and rally, but the Prime Minister is addressing booth workers, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said. In such a difficult situation, they think that the party is bigger than the country. Yesterday (Wednesday) the Union home minister attended a rally of the BJP in Bilaspur, he said. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that the Prime Minister was hell-bent on creating a video-conference record when the entire country was praying for the return of its brave-heart pilot. Glaring case of misplaced priorities! 132 crore Indians pray for safe and immediate return of Indias brave-heart Wing Comm, Abhinandan, but Modiji desperate only for re-election. Congress cancelled its imp CWC & Rally today. Pradhan Sevak hell-bent on creating a video Conference record! Mr Surjewala tweeted. Delhi chief minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal also took on the PM for engaging in political activities when an IAF personnel is captured. Mr Kejriwal tweeted, I would urge the PM to postpone this (Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot programme). At this moment, we as a nation need to spend all our energies and time to get the IAF pilot back safely and to sternly deal with Pakistan. Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav also slammed the BJP for trying to create a booth record at a time when the entire country is standing with the Modi government in its fight against terrorism. He tweeted, When the entire country is standing shoulder to shoulder with the government by keeping politics aside, the BJP is trying to create a record of connecting booth workers. Even BJP workers are ashamed. However bad the situation is, the suit-boot BJP will continue with celebrations. Reprehensible. Hubballi: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, Dinesh Gundurao and chairman of the party's Karnataka Campaign Committee, H. K. Patil, on Thursday accused state BJP chief, B. S. Yeddyurappa of trying to gain political mileage from the country's airstrikes against Pakistan by his recent claim that they would help his party win over 22 Lok Sabha seats from the state in the coming poll. Calling the statement in poor taste, they demanded that he withdraw it and apologise for making it to the people. "Are our soldiers fighting Pakistani forces or the BJP and RSS workers? The confrontation is still on. However, the BJP members have already started celebrating Vijayotsava. Patriotism is not the domain of any one particular group. The BJP is crossing all limits of decency by trying to politicise the whole issue to gain in the upcoming parliamentary elections," Mr Rao charged, speaking to reporters here. Observing that this was not the first time that such incidents had taken place between India and Pakistan, he said, "Our forces have carried out such strikes in the past too and three wars were fought with Pakistan when the Congress was in power, but it never tried to gain politically from them. This is a time to stand united instead of one party trying to take benefit of the situation." In the Congress leader's view the BJP was desperately trying to cash in on sensitive issues like national security after tasting defeat in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. Moving on to the party's campaign for the coming poll, Mr. Rao said Congress president, Rahul Gandhi would address a Parivartana Yatre rally at Bankapur between Haveri and Dharwad on March 9. To a query, he said the Congress-JD(S) coordination committee meeting would be held in Bengaluru in a couple of days and the list of candidates finalised in the first week of March. Meanwhile, Minister for Social Welfare Priyank Kharge slammed Mr Yeddyurappa for the latter's comment on the air strike. Speaking to the media in Kalaburagi, Mr Priyank remarked that BJP leaders should be ashamed of themselves for "politicising each and everything". "Mr Narendra Modi, Mr Amit Shah and Mr Yeddyurappa are hunting for political gain in each and every decision they take. Where was Mr Modi when the attack at Pulwama took place? He was engaged in a photo-shooting session. Now Mr Yeddyurappa says the BJP will win 22 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka. BJP leaders should be ashamed of making such statements", he remarked. Thiruvananthapuram: BJP state president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai on Wednesday demanded registration of sedition case against the CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan if he failed to publicly apologise for insulting national emotions. At a press conference here, Mr Pillai asked the CPMs central leadership to clarify ifthey approved of Mr Kodyeris statement. He said the CPM state secretary had expressed doubts over Pulwama attacks and had alleged that these could have been stage-managed in view of forthcoming general elections. The BJP leader said the CPM leader had made wild allegations at a time when the entire nation is united in fighting the aggression from across the border and attacks of Pakistan backed by terrorists in the Jammu and Kashmir valley. The entire Opposition including the CPM had extended full support to the Central government at the all party meeting held in New Delhi to brief about the action taken by Indian Air Force. The BJP state president said the CPM was trying to politicise the issue by making wild allegations. He said his party will organise statewide protests over Kodiyeris statement on Thursday. There can be little doubt that the intense diplomatic pressure that India succeeded in building has forced Pakistans hand, leading Prime Minister Imran Khan to announce in his Parliament that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, the Indian fighter pilot who had fallen in Pakistan's hand on Wednesday, will be sent back to India on Friday. Mr. Khan played his announcement as a "peace gesture". There are two issues to be considered here. The first is the Geneva convention concerning prisoners of war. Under its protocols, Islamabad had no option but to release the pilot sooner or later and treat him humanely and with dignity while they held him. However, in the past, the Pakistan military has dispensed with such niceties, as the case of Wing Commander Ahuja who was brutally killed in Pakistani custody showed. But at the present juncture, such adventurism would not pay. And here comes in the second consideration. Pakistan is currently on the brink of the economic precipice. As such, it could not disregard the counsel of its historical economic patron, Saudi Arabia, or of the UAE and the US, and probably also China, its all-weather friend to pull back. Each of them is vital to Pakistan's economic health. In geo-economic terms, the US and the key West Asian states are on the same page, and the US has described the Indian airstrike at the Jaish-e-Mohammed camp at Balakote last Tuesday as a "counter-terrorist" action. This meant that any recalcitrance on Islamabad's part could attract bad notice from the Financial Action Task Force, the international body that tracks terrorist financing, and this would lead to the drying up of funds from leading multilateral lenders. The major nations probably anticipated further military squeeze by India if Pakistan did not comply immediately on the demand of the release of the pilot, and this does not augur well when two nuclear-armed nations This is the backdrop to the Pakistan PM's announcement to release our pilot. Mr. Khan evidently hopes to use this as a scaffolding for the resumption of stalled dialogue between the two countries. India can afford to keep diplomatic channels open if only to convey to Islamabad that this country expects the start of clear action against the infrastructure of terrorism, which cannot be dismantled in a matter of days or weeks, so entrenched is the panoply of extremism and terrorism in Pakistan's civil life. India can underline that it did not permit Pakistan to use the captivity of our pilot as a bargaining chip because its focus was elimination of use of terrorism against this country. To Pakistan and the world community, India would do well to reiterate that it has no wish to escalate the situation or expand the use of military resources into a state of war even if it is resolved to hit at Pakistan-based terrorist assets as retaliation. Farm income support scheme PM KISAN is an important step towards doubling the income of small and marginal farmers, Krishnamurthy Subramanian, Chief Economic Adviser to Government of India tells Sangeetha G in an exclusive interview. The CEA is also confident that the government will achieve the fiscal deficit targets and the country is resilient in the face global growth concerns. Excerpts: Farmer distress has remained a persistent problem and the declining share of farm income in the total rural income too is a concern. What are the structural changes needed in the farm sector? The PM-KISAN scheme is good step in this direction. Farm sector has some basic problems. The population is growing at less than 1 per cent, but farm produce is growing more than three per cent. You will have more surplus and prices will come down. In this context, the PM KISAN Scheme is very important for doubling the farmer income. The average income of a farmer from farming is Rs 30,000 per year and Rs 6,000 to this is 20 per cent increase in income. More importantly, this is assured income. A microfinance institution or self-help group can give him a loan taking the cash as collateral. The MFI can leverage it and give loan of three times the amount. So the Rs 6,000 can generate a cash flow of Rs 18,000. This is much better than the earlier narrative of loan waiver, which is really bad economically. The government has set up a committee to double farmer income. As part of the steps taken, MSP for 23 crops has been increased. Farmer income has been increased by 20 per cent through PM-KISAN scheme. For the remaining 80 per cent, we are working on and the problem is on the marketing side. E-Nam is being used to address the issues in marketing and inter-state trade has started happening. Huge wastage is happening between the farm and the fork. Despite incentives being given, investments have not been coming into cold storage and supply chain infrastructure? Many a time the farmer gets a small portion of the price because he cannot store the things. If he has the infrastructure, he may store it and sell it at a higher price. There are startups that are doing this. As states have different APMCs, the change has not been easy and that is where the incentives for private sector are being given. There are players coming in now and as more information starts going to farmers, things will improve. Dont you think APMCs have become redundant? Some states have this and some have done away with it. Shouldnt we have a uniform system for the entire country? GST provides a good template to carry out reforms. Agriculture being a state-level subject, the template provided by GST can be used to reform some of these legislations. Are we on the right pace to achieve fiscal deficit and debt-to-GDP ratio targets as per N K Singh committee recommendations? We are very much on target. Next year, the target is kept at 3.4 per cent and we are very much following the glide path to consolidation. Do remember that these projections are not based on the revised GDP numbers. So when we take those into account, if the base increases fiscal deficit will be lower. As per the revised GDP data, it should be 3.1- 3.2 per cent. We are still waiting to understand the revised GDP numbers. The path towards fiscal consolidation since 2014 has been on a glide despite higher devolvement of funds for the states. Further, the fiscal deficit has not jumped up even after implementing the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission. Given the growth path the economy is following, we will achieve those targets. Responding to reporters questions over the current situation between India and Pakistan, the spokesperson joined the White House and the Pentagon in urging the two countries to de-escalate their tension and avoid military to resolve their differences. (Photo: File) Washington: The US has asked Pakistan to abide by its UN Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. This US statement came after India on Wednesday handed over to Pakistan a dossier on specific details of the involvement of the Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) in the Pulwama terror attack on Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) as also the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror outfit in that country. Forty CRPF personnel were killed in a suicide attack by Pakistan-based JeM in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14, sparking outrage in the country. Cross-border terrorism, such as the recent attack on India's CRPF on February 14, poses a grave threat to the security of the region. We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds, a State Department spokesperson said. The Ministry of External Affairs handed over the dossier Pakistan's Acting High Commissioner on Wednesday. It was conveyed that India expects Pakistan to take immediate and verifiable action against terrorism emanating from territories under its control. Responding to reporters questions over the current situation between India and Pakistan, the spokesperson joined the White House and the Pentagon in urging the two countries to de-escalate their tension and avoid military to resolve their differences. The United States calls on India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and for a return to stability, the spokesperson said. We urge both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation, including through direct communication. Further military activity will exacerbate the situation, the spokesperson said. The Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan called for a durable diplomatic solution to the existing problem between the India and Pakistan. (Photo: Washington: Fearing an escalation of the current tensions between India and Pakistan, the Pentagon on Wednesday urged the two South Asian neighbours to avoid further military action. Tensions between India and Pakistan rose following the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack. The Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan has been in contact with the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Advisor John Bolton, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford, and Commander of US Central Command General Joseph Votel regarding India-Pakistan tensions. Acting Secretary Shanahan's focus is on de-escalating tensions and urging both of the nations to avoid further military action, the Pentagon said in a statement. Canada also called for de-escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan. Canada is gravely concerned about rising tensions between India and Pakistan. We urge both sides to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any further military escalation, Chrystia Freeland, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, said. He called for a durable diplomatic solution to the existing problem between India and Pakistan. Dialogue between India and Pakistan is needed to identify a durable diplomatic solution and maintain peace and security in the region, Freeland said. Canada remains steadfast in its support of the global fight against terrorism, the Canadian Foreign Minister said. We are committed to working with India, Pakistan and our international partners in this effort, she said. Following the Pulwama terror attack, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. On Wednesday, Pakistan claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot. Author Fatima Bhutto, the granddaughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, on Wednesday asked the Imran Khan government to release an Indian Air Force pilot captured after an air combat. (Photo: Facebook | @fatima.bhutooo) Washington: Author Fatima Bhutto, the granddaughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, on Wednesday asked the Imran Khan government to release an Indian Air Force pilot captured after an air combat. Pilot Abhinandan Varthaman was captured on Wednesday after he ejected safely from his MiG 21 Bison aircraft but landed across the Line of Control. India has demanded immediate and safe return of the Wing Commander Varthaman, who was taken into custody by Pakistani army following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control. "Many other young Pakistanis and I have called upon our country to release the captured Indian pilot as a gesture of our commitment to peace, humanity and dignity," Bhutto, 36, wrote in an op-ed in the New York Times. "We have spent a lifetime at war. I do not want to see Pakistani soldiers die. I do not want to see Indian soldiers die. We cannot be a subcontinent of orphans," said Bhutto, a writer who is also the niece of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. "My generation of Pakistanis have fought for the right to speak, and we are not afraid to lend our voices to that most righteous cause: peace," said the daughter of Murtaza Bhutto, son of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. She said Pakistan's recent history was bloody and no one has suffered more violence than its own citizens. "But our long history with military dictatorships and experience of terrorism and uncertainty means that my generation of Pakistanis have no tolerance, no appetite, for jingoism or war," she said. Bhutto said like her, a large section of the population was against the escalation of tensions. "I have never seen my country at peace with its neighbour. But never before have I seen a war played out between two nuclear-armed states with Twitter accounts," Bhutto said. In the afternoon on Wednesday, #saynotowar hashtag began to trend in Pakistan, before hitting the worldwide number 1 spot on Twitter. Tensions between India and Pakistan rose following the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack. Following the incident, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early on Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. On Wednesday, Pakistan claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested the pilot. The Security Council Sanctions Committee will have 10 working days to consider the fresh proposal submitted by the three members. (Photo: AFP) United Nations: The US, the UK and France have moved a fresh proposal in the UN Security Council to designate Pakistan-based terror group JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, a listing that will subject him to a global travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo. The fresh proposal was moved Wednesday by the three permanent veto-wielding members of the 15-nation Security Council. The Security Council Sanctions Committee will have 10 working days to consider the fresh proposal submitted by the three members. The proposal is the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist. In 2009, India moved a proposal to designate Azhar, whose UN-proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility for the suicide attack against Indian security forces in Pulwama on February 14 in which over 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed. In 2016 again, India moved the proposal with the P3 - the United States, the United Kingdom and France in the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar, also the mastermind of the attack on the air base in Pathankot in January 2016. In 2017, the P3 nations moved a similar proposal again. However, on all occasions, China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, blocked India's proposal from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee. It remains to be seen how China will vote on the proposal this time. China, a close ally of Pakistan, has consistently blocked moves first by India and later by the US, the UK and France to designate Azhar as a global terrorist by the 1267 Committee by putting technical holds. France assumes the crucial rotating presidency of the UN Security Council in March. At least 40 CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on February 14 in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a JeM suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. India has strongly reiterated its appeal to all members of the international community to support the proposal to list terrorists, including Azhar, as designated terrorists under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, and to ban terrorist organizations operating from territories controlled by Pakistan. Shringla updated the Indian students about the latest development back home and why India choose to act this way, after the Pulwama terrorist attack. (Photo: Facbeook | Harsh V Shringla) Washington: India's Ambassador to the US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, has said that India will not keep quiet to any act of terrorism and giving "appropriate response" to all terrorism incidents is the new normal for the country. In a first-of-its-kind interaction with Indian students from the various universities from the Greater Washington area, Shringla said that Pakistan needs to meet its international obligations to crackdown on terrorist networks and safe havens within its territory. Forty CRPF personnel were killed in a suicide attack by Pakistan-based JeM in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14, sparking outrage in the country. Following the attack, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. Shringla updated the Indian students about the latest development back home and why India choose to act this way, after the Pulwama terrorist attack. He said that Pakistan did not act against terrorist organizations or its leaders despite India giving actionable intelligence against the 26/11, Pathankot and Uri attacks. "This time, India opted for pre-emptive attack, mainly because terrorists were planning to launch another terrorist attack inside India, he said referring to the daring air strike by Indian Air Force deep inside Pakistan. "By doing so, India ensured that it was a non-military, and in remote area with no civilian casualties," he said. Shringla said that India has been successful in articulating its case with the international community including the US. "The international community is with India," he said. Appreciating the strong support coming from the United States, in particular from the White House, the State Department and the Congress, Shringla said this incident has brought the two countries together for counter-terrorism cooperation. Islamabad: Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said he will not attend a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) scheduled for March 1 (today) if Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj participated in it. The Indian minister has been invited as a guest of honour at the inaugural session of the foreign ministers' conclave in Abu Dhabi. Mr Qureshi said, I have no reservations with OIC or any other Islamic country. My reservations are with Indian foreign minister Sushma Swar-aj's attendance at the OIC meeting. He added: If Swaraj attends the meeting, I will not participate in it," the foreign minister asserted. Mr Qureshi said UN Secretary-General Anto-nio Guterres and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu telephoned him. The Turkish foreign minister telephoned me himself and sought to be briefed on the current situation. He said: Turkey is fully standing behind Pakis-tani people and government. The Turkish foreign minister said the prayers and cooperation of Turks are with their Pakistani brothers and sisters. Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in his telephonic conversation with Mr Qureshi had assured him that Turkey also declared opposition to the move for the Indian external affairs minister to speak at the OIC meeting in Abu Dhabi. Turkey also offered me-diation to ease the tensio-ns between Islamabad an-d New Delhi on Wednes-day after Pakistan Air F-orce (PAF) struck down two Indian Air Force pla-nes and captured a pilot. Mr Cavusoglu said that he has told Pakistan that Turkey is willing to mediate between India and Pakistan. According to the Turkish media, the minister said that he had a phone contact with his Pakistani counterpart, but not with any Indian official yet. Mr Qureshi said that the UN Secretary General had also telephoned him and while expressing concern over the current situation in Pakistan, assured to play his role in whatever way and manner he could. India has been told in no uncertain terms that its continuous ceasefire violations are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation, he said. Wuzhen: The Pulwama attack is the direct result of the impunity and cover provided to the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group by Pakistan, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said on Wednesday as she forcefully raised the terror strike with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi here. Swarajs meeting with Wang came a day after India destroyed a major Jaish-e-Mohammed terror training camp in Pakistan. China, a close ally of Pakistan has repeatedly foiled Indias attempts to brand JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN. I am visiting China at a time when there is grief and anger in India. It is the worst terrorist attack directed against our security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, she said in her opening remarks during the meeting held on the sidelines of Russia, India, China foreign ministers' meeting. World powers have urged restraint as tensions escalate following tit-for-tat air strikes this week after a suicide car bombing that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Feb. 14. (Photo: File) Hanoi: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he hoped the conflict between India and Pakistan will be coming to an end after the two nuclear powers clashed across a contested border in the disputed Kashmir region. Speaking at a news conference in Vietnam after a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trump said he had some reasonably decent news from India and Pakistan. He did not elaborate. World powers have urged restraint as tensions escalate following tit-for-tat air strikes this week after a suicide car bombing that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police in Kashmir on February 14. Indian and Pakistani troops traded fire briefly along the border in Kashmir on Thursday morning, a day after the two nuclear powers both downed enemy jets, with Pakistan capturing an Indian pilot. Read: No deal, says India on pilot return; Pak media reports release is conditional Indias foreign ministry said on Wednesday it had told Pakistans acting high commissioner that New Delhi expects the immediate and safe return of a military pilot held by Pakistan. India and Pakistan both said they shot down each others fighter jets on Wednesday, a day after Indian warplanes struck inside Pakistan for the first time since the 1971 war, prompting world powers to urge restraint. India said it had lost one of its planes in combat with Pakistan over Kashmir and a pilot was missing. It summoned Pakistans acting envoy to serve a diplomatic demarche. It was made clear that Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defense personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return, the foreign ministry said in a statement. The United States, China and other world powers have urged restraint from the two nations as tensions escalate following tit-for-tat airstrikes in the wake of a suicide car bombing that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Feb. 14. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for talks. History tells us that wars are full of miscalculation. My question is that, given the weapons we have, can we afford miscalculation, Khan said during a brief televised broadcast to the nation. We should sit down and talk. Pakistan and India have fought three wars since independence from British colonial rule in 1947, two over Kashmir, and went to the brink of a fourth in 2002 after a Pakistani militant attack on Indias parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modis address to one crore BJP workers on Thursday came under fire from the opposition, who accused him of pursuing a political agenda at a time when clouds of war were hovering over the nation. Congress slammed Modi for carrying on with his Mera Booth Sabse Majboot programme where he was set to address one crore BJP workers through video conferencing. It is a glaring case of misplaced priorities, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said. MUST READ | Surgical Strike 2.0 LIVE - Catch latest updates here 132 crore Indians pray for safe and immediate return of Indias brave-heart Wing Commander Abhinandan but Modiji desperate only for re-election, Surjewala said. BSP supremo Mayawati termed Modis plans as laughable and aimed at playing with the emotions of the nation. At a time when war clouds are hovering and the nation is in dire need of leadership, Prime Minister Modi, instead of focussing on national security is worried about his party, she said. His address to the BJP booth workers is not only laughable but also playing with the emotions of the nation, Mayawati said. At a time when India is facing hostility of war and country needs firm leadership, PM Nrendra Modi instead of concentrating on the matters of national security trying to serve political interest by addressing his BJP workers is ridiculous besides betrayal of national sentiments. Mayawati (@Mayawati) February 28, 2019 Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged the Prime Minister to call off his political engagements for the day, I would urge the PM to postpone this. At this moment, we as a nation, need to spend all our energies and time to get the IAF pilot back safely and to sternly deal with Pakistan, Kejriwal said. Surjewala pointed out that the Congress had cancelled the meeting of the Congress Working Committee, the partys top decision-making body scheduled for Thursday at Ahmedabad as well as the rally to be addressed by Rahul Gandhi. Pradhan Sevak hell-bent on creating a video conference record, Surjewala said taking a dig at Modi using a sobriquet oft-quoted by Modi himself. CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury asked the BJP to introspect on the statement of 21 opposition parties who had asked the ruling party to refrain from politicising the Pulwama attack and its aftermath. BJP leaders have been doing election rallies, Modi has been attending party events, when CRPF jawans were martyred or when Pakistani jets were being taken on by our brave pilots, Yechury said. At a meeting of 21 opposition parties on Wednesday, senior leaders decided to train their guns at Modi, who they accused of driving political mileage from the Pulwama terror attacks. The Congress also launched a social media campaign targeting Modis actions in the immediate aftermath of the Pulwama attack. By Susan L. Serbin Times Correspondent CONCORD >> Each year property owners receive a school tax bill which, for the most part, has been rising annually. The consistent need for local revenue makes no one happy and that includes school boards. The Garnet Valley School Board passed a Resolution Urging the General Assembly to Adequately Invest in Public Schools and Students. While it may not change tax increases in the short term, the statement fortifies the feelings of school boards across the commonwealth. Board President Rosemary Fiumara introduced Tomea Sippio-Smith, K-12 policy director of Public Citizens for Children and Youth. The organization organized a recent summit at Delaware County Intermediate Unit to discuss school funding. The resolution is supported by PA Schools Work, a non-partisan coalition representing communities on education issues. The resolution begins, Whereas Pennsylvanias more than 1.7 million public school students deserve the highest quality education; and the states public schools work best when they have the resources to give all students the opportunities they need to succeed Sippio-Smith said that funding is a common cause for schools in Philadelphia and the suburbs. Arguably, with a preliminary2019-2020 budget of nearly $111 million, Garnet Valley has substantial support from its taxpayers. But that support comes with ample outreach to certain constituencies, particularly senior citizens. At the January preliminary budget presentation, Superintendent Marc Bertrando noted he and Business Director Chris Wilson have visited such senior living communities as Maris Grove to review the budget development as well as the challenges. The resolution just passed lays out the challenges in numbers, including the commonwealths rank as 46th among the 50 states in allocated state subsidies for K-12 education; one of the lowest nationally for share of funding at 38 percent; failure to keep pace with special education costs which have increased by $1.6 billion over the last decade, but states share dropping for 36 to 25 percent; and only 8 percent funding for career and technical education. Pension funding was not mentioned in the resolution, perhaps as it does not appear as applying to direct education. However, the Public School Employee Retirement System has increased by millions over the last decade. Like other mandates, contracted salaries and benefits are not discretionary. The resolution, which can be expected in other districts, concludes: Garnet Valley urges the General Assembly to take legislative action for public education by increasing basic education funding thought the states fair funding formula; ensuring sufficient resources for special education and career and technical education; and generating the necessary revenues through sustainable, recurring funding sources. Board member Bob Anderson chairs the legislative committee, reporting to colleagues and the public. Anderson is immersed in upcoming issues, but has a keen eye on finance realm. The only way to make a difference is for everyone to pressure our legislators to vote to get money for schools. The (funding) percentages go down and we constantly get mandates for services, said Anderson. It behooves every person to take action. The resolution was signed by Fiumara and Robert Guidetti, Garnet Valley Education Association president. The Glen Mills Schools announced late Thursday that Executive Director Randy Ireson is taking a leave of absence for health reasons effective immediately. The Board of Managers has appointed Christopher Spriggs as the Assistant Executive Director, effectively immediately and he will assume all of the functions of the Executive Director, according to a release from spokeswoman Aimee Tysarczyk. Additionally, Joe Hand Jr. has resigned as a member of the Board of Managers for business and personal reasons. Effective immediately, board Vice President Carolyn Seagraves has assumed the duties of the President. The embattled reform school has been under mounting scrutiny and pressure from state and local regulators in the wake of an alleged assault against a student in July 2017. Patrick Jameson Raquet, 34, of West Chester, and Christopher Medina, 31, of Kennett Square, are both facing charges in the July 19 incident that was allegedly caught on camera. A recent investigative report by the Philadelphia Inquirer detailing decades of alleged abuse at the school prompted the citys Department of Human Services to withdraw 51 students earlier this week, a move quickly followed by other jurisdictions within and outside the state. Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun Copeland said her office is continuing to investigate the facility and the state Department of Human Services is looking into taking additional action, according to spokeswoman Maggi Mumma, including options permitted under the departments licensing regulations. These include revocation or nonrenewal of licensure for mistreatment or abuse of clients being cared for in the facility or receiving service from the agency and gross incompetence, negligence or misconduct in operating the facility or agency. DHS will work to do whatever it must to stop this culture of silence, intimidation, and mistreatment of children, said Mumma earlier this week. We are committed to working with counties, children and youth agencies, juvenile probation, the court system, and families to keep a closer watch over congregate care facilities like Glen Mills so we can stop mistreatment and abuse in these settings. Ireson, who became director in 2013, has repeatedly denied the allegations in the Inquirer report and urged that a panel of experts be convened to investigate alleged staff misconduct be given the time needed to provide an assessment. As we work through these difficult times, the administration will need the support of the entire staff of The Glen Mills Schools to continue to provide a high quality of service for youth, the release from the school stated Thursday. Its amazing what happens to a politician when he or she is no longer running for office. Thats not always a bad thing. Take former U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello, for instance. He spent years representing the 6th District in Chester County and slivers of some surrounding communities. Like many local Republican congressmen, he was pretty much insulated by gerrymandered congressional maps that had been drawn up by Republicans in the state Legislature to protect their own. Costello had a reputation as a moderate, middle-of-the-road kind of guy. That became an increasingly difficult proposition after Donald Trump ascended to the White House. The GOP took a severe right-turn, bowing to Trump and the conservative wing of the party. Middle of the road suddenly started looking more like roadkill. Costello found himself the target of constant protests focusing on the Republican push to undo the Affordable Care Act, as well as President Trumps tax-cut plan. Then, with the 2018 midterm election looming, things got even worse for Costello. The state Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that tossed out the old congressional maps. Not only that, but when Gov. Wolf and Republicans in the Legislature failed to agree on a plan, the court drew up a map of its own. A quick glance at the map made it pretty clear the days of Costello and other southeastern Pennsylvania members of Congress coasting to easy victories was over. First, Costello blew a gasket, railing at the Democrat-controlled state Supreme Court, calling the new map politically corrupt and indicating he would seek to impeach the Dems who crafted the new plan. Eventually, the courts ruled the new map would stand. Facing a new electorate that suggested a bruising political fight, Costello raised the white flag, announcing he would not seek re-election. That does not mean he went away. The Republican became a very familiar sight on of all places that liberal bastion MSNBC. And he was often saying things not especially complimentary of President Trump, and bemoaning the political tenor that made middle-of-the-roaders like him an endangered species. Now hes firing back again, in a manner of speaking. Costello is joining forces with another former Republican member of Congress, Carlos Curbelo of Florida, to push another measure that no doubt will rub a lot of his old GOP pals in Washington the wrong way. The duo are urging their former colleagues in the House to approve a new piece of gun legislation expanding gun background checks. Its what a lot of people call common-sense gun law, and of course what many in the GOP and National Rifle Association would call anathema. The measure is H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019. It would accomplish something gun-control proponents have been seeking for years, closing the co-called gun show loophole in the law. In short it would mandate a background check for every gun sale, not just sales by licensed dealers, which became the law of the land under the Brady Act in 1994, named for former President Ronald Reagan Jim Brady, who was severely wounded in an assassination attempt. It would bring under the same umbrella private sales, transactions done online and sales at gun shows. A person who would fail a background check when attempting to buy a firearm from a licensed dealer in a brick-and-mortar store then also would be denied the legal ability acquire guns elsewhere at least in any legal transaction. Costello and Curbelo, who lost his re-election bid in November to a Democrat in Floridas 26th Congressional District, went public with their plea in a Sunday op-ed piece that appeared in the Washington Post. Both are now serving as advisers for Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization that promotes gun-safety issues. We will echo here something weve said before, something that Costello and Curbelo correctly pointed out in their op-ed. This is not an attack on anyones gun rights. This is not a push to repeal the Second Amendment. No one is espousing taking away anyones guns. Nor is anyone suggesting some kind of federal registry to catalog gun owners. The legislations goal is to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. But that is exactly why it is taking fire from the National Rifle Association and gun rights advocates. So-called universal background checks will never be universal because criminals do not comply with the law, said Jennifer Baker, a spokeswoman for the NRA. The measure is supported by Democrats swept into office last November, including Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-5 of Swarthmore, and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, the Democrat who succeeded Costello in representing the 6th District. Thats not the challenge. The real obstacle in recent years, as it always is with any measure targeting guns, is getting enough support from Republicans in the House. Yesterday the House 240-190 largely along party lines to approve the measure. It now goes to the Senate, which remains under Republican control. Well see if the measure can win enough GOP support there. A notion that is decidedly more difficult when you are still in office. Under this new arrangement, IRCTC will have full control of the payment system. A statement from the railways' catering and ticketing arm said the exclusive digital payment gateway will provide an improved online digital payment convenience and ease of doing business to passengers availing online travel related services through the IRCTC website. (Photo: File) New Delhi: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has launched its own payment aggregator system, IRCTC iPay, a step which will help promote government's Digital India initiative. A statement from the railways' catering and ticketing arm said the exclusive digital payment gateway will provide an improved online digital payment convenience and ease of doing business to passengers availing online travel related services through the IRCTC website. "With the launch of IRCTC iPay, the passengers will not need any third-party platforms as the IRCTC iPay provides payment options like credit card, debit card, UPI Unified Payment Interface, International Card. The option of IRCTC prepaid card cum wallet, auto debit shall also be available shortly," the statement said. Under this new arrangement, IRCTC will have full control of the payment system because of its direct relationship with acquiring banks, card networks and other partners. "This will help reduce the gap between IRCTC and banks which will eventually lead to substantial reduction in payment failures. Moreover, in case an online transaction is unsuccessful or some other error occurs, IRCTC can directly get in touch with the bank instead of relying on an intermediate source which usually delays the process," the statement said. SALT LAKE CITY Thirty years ago, teachers at Clayton Middle School began directing small, student-driven plays. Twenty years ago, the plays were placed into the hands of the neighborhood community who decided the school's theater department would be worth investing in. And 16 years ago, Nanette Kearl stepped in, first as choreographer, then as director. Since that time, she has played a pivotal role in making Clayton's theater department the amazing spectacle it is today. (It just shows you) that people believe in public education, that people buy into experiences and in supporting all arts programs, Kearl told the Deseret News. You may not think theres much to a simple middle school play, but community members know full well that the yearly Clayton production is no joke. To give you an idea, here are some statistics from this years upcoming production of Aladdin: 304 students cast, nearly 300 volunteers and 9 performances, with the school anticipating nearly 6,000 total attendees. Its so big, 14-year-old Jack Biggs, who is playing Aladdin, told the Deseret News. In other schools it might not be as big, but here, half the school is doing it. It's what you do. Its such an amazing production that so many people go to just for a middle school. And this years production of "Aladdin" will prove to be bigger than ever. While combing through costumes, Kearl showcased everything from Jasmines gold-trimmed wedding dress to Jafars headdress to "Arabian Nights" sequin tops, many of which have been borrowed from Tuacahn Amphitheatre. (These) things are expensive, Kearl noted which is why shes spent years cultivating relationships with various theaters across the country and forming partnerships with other directors. This year, Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theater crafted personalized set designs for the Clayton production, including a massive elephant that comes out during the number "Prince Ali," as well as a magnificent cave of wonders. But it isnt just professionals who contribute their talents hundreds of community members help craft costumes, set designs and props for the play. Clayton's production of "Aladdin" will feature a flying carpet, camels, a marketplace, gold piles, golden thrones, snake charmers and peacock dancers, to name a few of its features. In fact, Kearl said that the production has already outgrown their 55-foot stage due to the amount of space all the costuming and massive sets require. And while she admits their "Aladdin" does have a lot of flair, Kearl is quick to remind students that it isnt just about the spectacle. Every year, Kearl takes something from the text and makes it the theme of the play. This years theme comes from a line from the Genie: Its not whats on the outside, but whats on the inside that counts. And as a director, Kearl tries to do just that. She doesnt just scrutinize talent when casting a play, but looks for those who exhibit strong character. The one element I always look for in a callback is, 'can you lift those around you?' That is the most important quality, Kearl said. This ability to lift those around him was what helped Biggs land the role of Aladdin, despite taking his first theater class last year because it was the only elective that would fit in his schedule. I never really thought about doing theater or being a big part in the play, Biggs said. Ive never taken voice lessons or acting lessons but I ended up getting Aladdin. When you stand in front of these kids, you stand in front of promise. Thats what the Clayton productions have been doing for kids for the past 20 years, Kearl explained giving them a sense of their own potential. When you stand in front of these kids, you stand in front of promise, she said. She recalled a student from years ago who was incredibly gifted, and though everyone assumed performing would be effortless for him, he was actually terrified. (One day I talked to him and said), Do you trust me? And he goes, Yeah, Mrs. Kearl, I do. I said Ok, Just trust me, Kearl remembered. On performance day, he was finally able to go full-out and no one could deny that he was born for the stage. But," she said, "he wouldve never thought to have done it. (He learned to) take a risk and trust. Kearl's belief in the students is just one of the hundreds of reasons why nearly all the student body at Clayton Middle School jumps at the chance to be involved in the school plays. But Kearl has another theory for why so many students are flocking to the stage. Its different from (any other) social experience theyre having today, she said. Theyre learning to look at someone in the eye and speak, not looking at a phone and sending a text message. It helps (them) feel what others feel. (They) start having empathy." The audience gets to see the (actual) show, but I get to see the real show. I have the best seat in the house. For Biggs, the reason hes enjoyed his experience is because hes gotten to forge new friendships, and because hes learned skills he didnt even know he needed. Ive learned how to read my emails and keep track of my schedule everyday life things (that will) help myself in the future, he said. Seeing students like Biggs develop confidence in various capacities and settings, even beyond the stage, is what keeps Kearl coming back every year after year, something she says she plans on doing forever. (My favorite thing is) watching a human progress, Kearl said, fighting back tears. The audience gets to see the (actual) show, but I get to see the real show. I have the best seat in the house. If you go ... What: Clayton Middle School's production of "Aladdin" When: Mar. 1-2, 7 p.m. and Mar. 4-9, 7 p.m., matinee on March 9, 1 p.m. Where: 1470 S. 1900 East How much: $9 Website: clayton.slcschools.org SALT LAKE CITY Jussie Smollett, Dianne Feinstein and Nick Sandmann arent teachers, but in recent weeks, theyve given Americans a lesson in the danger of jumping to conclusions particularly if youre prone to spreading your conclusions on the internet. The actor, the congresswoman and the Covington Catholic High School student made news for vastly different reasons. Smollett has been charged with faking a hate crime, Feinstein had feisty exchange with visiting students, and Sandmann was part of a videotaped protest that went viral. Yet each incident ignited a fiery chain of responses known as "hot takes," which Merriam-Webster describes as published reaction or analysis of a recent news event that, of because of its time-sensitive nature, doesnt offer much in the way of deep reflection. Sometimes, hot takes can also turn out to be wrong, or a mischaracterization of what actually happened, resulting in apologies, deletions and retractions, and in the case of the Covington Catholic teen, a lawsuit. Americans embrace of instant certainty, a phrase coined by Deseret News opinion editor Boyd Matheson, has both immediate and lasting effects, none of which are beneficial, according to the Rev. Mark Schaefer, an American University chaplain and scholar who has studied why people are quick to jump to conclusions. But there are evolutionary reasons why we do this; the tendency isnt necessarily a sign of bad character. And while social media and other aspects of a culture addicted to speed have made it easy to spread dubious information quickly, the internet also has given us a solution to the problems that stem from our desire to be right, right now, and to let everyone know. The same medium thats demanding these instant reactions with certainty is also the medium thats allowing us to eventually get the context, said Annie Duke, a Philadelphia-based consultant on decision-making. To stop contributing to the problem, next time you you find yourself tempted to offer a hot take, wait 18 seconds and ask yourself a few key questions, Duke and other experts say. Biological causes Daniel Kahneman, a psychologist and economist who won the Nobel Prize in part for his insights into how we make decisions without certainty, is frequently cited for his 2011 book Thinking, Fast and Slow, which explains the biological underpinnings of decision-making. Kahneman describes the brain as having two working systems, one that is fast and intuitive and another that is slower and deliberative. System 1, as Kahneman describes it, is a machine for jumping to conclusions, but its important because it allow us to quickly process information that could be vital in keeping us and our loved ones alive for example, rushing to move a child away from a hot stove. System 1, because it operates automatically and without the strain of deep thought, also frees up more of the brains processing power for System 2, which handles more challenging and complex mental activities, Kahneman wrote. Understanding these mechanisms of brain function can help us understand why we crave fast and easy answers, even if they later turn out to be false, said the Rev. Schaefer, author of the 2018 book The Certainty of Uncertainty. Our brain is always seeking to cut corners on some level, so were drawn to a certain answer because its the easier one, the Rev. Schaefer said. Its easier to say, Oh, I know whats happening, even if you dont know whats happening, than it is to stop and invest the time and energy in coming up with the correct answer or a more nuanced picture. The Rev. Schaefer, a United Methodist pastor and the university chaplain at American University in Washington, D.C., said in an interview that the desire for certainty stems in part from an existential terror of mortality. In order to cope with their fear of death and other uncertainties of existence, people try to establish as many certainties as they can. In addition to this internal need for certainty, external pressures exist as well, as when we pressure other people to be certain of a medical diagnosis or the outcome of a policy, Schaefer said. When our built-in preferences for snap judgments and certainty meet the internet, which enables and rewards speed, hot takes result, with sometimes devastating consequences. Covington Catholic High School junior Sandmann is suing The Washington Post for defamation, saying the newspapers coverage of a protest outside the Lincoln Memorial in January resulted in character assassination and death threats. Right now, were just in this shouting match culturally where nobody thinks that anyone has anything meaningful to say on the other side. Rev. Mark Schaefer, an American University chaplain In that case, and in that of a recent incident involving California Sen. Feinstein, an edited snippet of video led people to form conclusions that were not as convincing when more of the video was viewed. In cases like these, the targets of mistaken outrage suffer consequences, and so do the people who must later admit they were wrong. Theres the problem of regret, wishing youd paused first, and feeling a surge of shame," said Stephanie Brown, a psychologist in Menlo Park, California, and author of Speed: Facing Our Addiction to Fast and Faster And Overcoming Our Fear of Slowing Down. But its not just individuals who are affected adversely by hot takes and instant certainty. Society suffers because people who believe that they are certain on a specific topic stop listening to others. This is not an unusual problem, but rather its become the norm for countless people, younger and older, Brown said in an email. The Rev. Schaefer, of American University, concurred. When people are too certain, they have no reason to hear anybody else, he said, adding that this widespread problem has contributed to a national problem. Right now, were just in this shouting match culturally where nobody thinks that anyone has anything meaningful to say on the other side. And they feel that to even acknowledge that the other side might have a point is to be hopelessly weak on your side. Some solutions To counter the problem, Americans first need to accept that its OK to be uncertain, Schaefer said. Some of the most meaningful things cant be known with absolute certainty. And yet that does not prevent us from leading a meaningful life; in fact, on some levels, it makes it more possible, he said. People wrongly confuse certainty and confidence, said Duke, who wrote a book called Thinking in Bets. We think that in order to come across as confident and believable, we have to express our beliefs with certainty. But in fact, there are ways to be both uncertain and confident. As an example, she said, if you are considering a plan with three options, you could say that theres a 60 percent probability that the first option will work out, compared to 40 percent for the other two. I just said something very confidently when Im not very sure that its going to work out, Duke said. I think of certainty as a kind of brittle strength. It has the appearance of hardness, but it snaps easily. Rev. Mark Schaefer, an American University chaplain She also said that when sharing things on social media, people should use cautious language, such as saying, This is just one opinion or This is just part of the video. It may seem counterintuitive, but Schaefer argues that expressing uncertainty and being open to what others believe has its own kind of strength, signaling to others, Im strong enough that I can handle it and I can figure out a way to incorporate (others thinking) into what I already do know and believe. I think of certainty as a kind of brittle strength. It has the appearance of hardness, but it snaps easily. Which is why it doesnt bend, it doesnt grow and it doesnt do anything organic. And thats why its having a real cost in our culture today, he said. Brown, the Menlo Park psychologist and author of "Speed," said it helps for people to adopt a personal policy that they will not respond instantly to things they see on the internet. You can adopt the 18-second rule always pause first, and the craving or impulse will usually soften or pass, she said. As you develop this slowing-down and follow-the-rule stance, it becomes easier to step away, think about it and then consciously respond or not. And Duke, a former professional poker player, recommends that people use the language of betting to help them slow down on the rush to judgment. When considering the validity of something, instead of asking yourself, Am I sure? ask How sure am I?," Duke said A lot of the desire for certainty is driven by the nature of an uncertain world, and a world that is changing rapidly in ways that are frightening to many. Rev. Mark Schaefer, an American University chaplain Asking Would I be willing to lose my net worth on the hot take Im about to take? can cause you to think about the reasons you might be wrong and how other people might believe differently, she said. Another good question to ask yourself is, If this turned out to be wrong, why might that be? This gets you quickly to the answer of, 'Well, I haven't seen the whole video. Maybe it's been edited,'" Duke said. While it's easy to blame technology for the instant certainty culture, the internet is also the solution to the problem, she noted, crediting entrepreneur Marc Andreessen for pointing out that misinformation can be as quickly corrected as it is spread. "So we do have the ability to change our minds in ways we might not have before." Instant certainty is a hard habit to break, in part because the desire to be surrounded by our tribe is an ancient one, satisfying primal needs for safety, love and reassurance, the Rev. Schaefer, of American University, said. "A lot of the desire for certainty is driven by the nature of an uncertain world, and a world that is changing rapidly in ways that are frightening to many. So (people) are circling the wagons politically, ideologically and culturally. They're trying to draw into themselves and say, 'Where's that patch of savannah with the tree and water because that's where I feel safe?' "But I think what we're missing out on is the opportunity to create a new kind of community, one in which, no matter what your faith, no matter what you believe, no matter what you think, we can be part of this big thing together." But, he said, "As long as we keep retreating into these smaller and smaller homogeneous groups, it makes it harder, and (the need for) certainty is another piece of that." Weve all heard the phrase, Dont waste a good crisis. Its an expression commonly applied to government because, absent a crisis, it's usually very difficult for government, especially at the federal level, to address challenging issues and make consequential decisions. It is the almost-universal nature of government to postpone thorny problems until a major crisis forces action. But something remarkable is happening right now on Utahs Capitol Hill. Our governor and state legislators are committed to addressing a looming problem a serious imbalance in the states tax system before it grows into a major crisis. I congratulate the governor, legislators and their leaders, and all the stakeholder groups for being willing to tackle this critical, complex issue before the imbalance causes significant damage to the services of state government. With only two weeks to go in the session, lawmakers are deep into the complicated details of tax reform. Initiatives such as this one are always far more difficult, and take longer, than expected. I encourage our lawmakers to stay focused and get the job done. This would be a generational accomplishment, a legacy achievement that will benefit our children and grandchildren. Utah could emerge with the most balanced tax system in the country, positioning the state for future growth and prosperity and the ability to cope with inevitable economic downturns. And this is the right time to do it. The healthy budget surplus the state enjoys helps lubricate tax reform. It enables an overall tax cut for all taxpayers even as the sales tax base is broadened and tax rates are reduced. If we wait for a crisis, we will face budget shortfalls and rebalancing the tax system will be much more difficult. A sales tax that does not keep up with population or economic growth threatens funding for virtually all state services, and eventually for education. Air quality, Medicaid, law enforcement, child welfare services, prisons, and so forth, could all face funding shortfalls if the sales tax base is not broadened. Again, its important to remember that broadening the base will not increase taxes. In fact, the governor and Legislature are committed to lowering the sales tax rate. But some services that currently are not taxed, will be taxed, (including some in my own financial services industry), at the lower rate. Reforming the sales tax will be incredibly complicated. According to the Federation of Tax Administrators, as reported by the Gardner Policy Institute, some 248 different services exist in nine categories. Thats a lot of services. Some of them may simply be impractical to tax, costing more to collect the tax than revenue received. And the interests on local taxing entities, which rely heavily on the sales tax, will need to be taken into account. Each service industry and category employs many advocates and lobbyists, some of them saying, Dont tax you, dont tax me, tax that man behind the tree. Tough choices must be made. In the process, I hope the education fund will be protected. Rebalancing the states sales tax system can be done without impacting the income tax, which funds education. WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Wednesday considered the fate of the Bladensburg cross, a 40-foot-tall World War I memorial in Maryland maintained with government funds. Just outside the Supreme Court, Maryland resident Mike Moore reflected on where he'd be if that cross was never built. "When I was 13, my dad took me by the cross" to talk about honoring the service and sacrifice of veterans, he said. "That stuck with me to the extent that when I graduated from the University of Maryland, I enlisted in the Army." Rather than a government-sponsored religious display, Moore says the so-called "Peace Cross," which was dedicated in 1925, is a fitting tribute to those willing to die for their country. "It is just beyond my understanding why anybody would want to take it down," said Moore, who helps lead the Greenbelt American Legion in Greenbelt, Maryland. Twenty yards away, around 50 people were trying to explain it to him. Participants in the Honor Them All rally said the Peace Cross is an affront to non-Christian soldiers and an unlawful display of religious favoritism. "The government has no role to play in establishing a preference for any religion or for no religion. That's not just a good idea, it's the law," said Rabbi Jack Moline, president of Interfaith Alliance, during his remarks at the rally. The Supreme Court weighed these competing claims Wednesday during oral arguments in The American Legion, et al. v. American Humanist Association, which centers on the Constitution's establishment clause. Justices debated a variety of hypothetical cross-shaped memorials, questioning which types would violate the legal mandate to treat all faiths equally. It seemed likely after the arguments that the court would rule narrowly in favor of the Bladensburg cross, but some justices were wary of establishing a precedent that allows governments to build more religious displays. "What do you say to the Jewish war veterans (who say) the government's decision to honor only the salvation that Christians believe is hurtful, wrong and not in keeping with the promise of the Constitution?" asked Justice Brett Kavanaugh early in the proceedings. It's not just Jewish people or Hindu people who might be offended. It could be Christians as well. Justice Sonia Sotomayor Supporters of the cross pointed to its historical significance, arguing that it wasn't just Christians who thought of the cross as a symbol of the sacrifices made during WWI. However, some justices took issue with this line of argument, noting that Christians submitted briefs to the court saying the cross is never entirely secular. "It's not just Jewish people or Hindu people who might be offended. It could be Christians as well," Justice Sonia Sotomayor said. Neal Katyal, who argued on behalf of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, which has overseen the care of the Bladensburg cross since the 1960s, said the Constitution doesn't say Americans should never be offended. "I don't think we let those objectors" dictate whether a cross-shaped WWI memorial is constitutional, he said. "If that were the rule, you'd be tearing down crosses at Arlington Cemetery and nationwide." Justices asked Monica Miller, who was arguing against the cross on behalf of the American Humanist Association, to address that idea and articulate a clear standard for religious symbols in the public square. "This is the only area I can think of where we allow people to sue over an offense because, for them, it is too loud," said Justice Neil Gorsuch. "We have a Ten Commandments display just above you, which may be too loud for many." Miller responded that the case is not about protecting non-Christians from all Christian messages and symbols, but, instead, about ensuring that the government is neutral when it comes to religion. In this case, "we're talking about the government being the speaker and essentially giving you the message as the non-Christian in your community that you are a lesser citizen," she said. The discussion during oral arguments showed that the case is more complicated than it may at first appear. Members of the same faith group or military branch often answer the legal questions involved very differently. Moore, of the Greenbelt American Legion, was joined by dozens of other American Legion members as he stood in support of the Bladensburg cross in front of the Supreme Court. But there were also veterans speaking at the Honor Them All rally. The American Legion, et al. v. American Humanist Association originated in 2014 when the association sued the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. The cross' original owner, the American Legion, joined the lawsuit soon after it began. Surely the shapes of our memorials that are used to honor the war dead do not in and of themselves create a constitutional problem. Neal Katyal, who argued on behalf of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission The American Humanist Association argues that the government should avoid religious symbols, even when they have a secular purpose. "The government's Christian cross war memorial honors Christians to the exclusion of everyone else," said Miller, senior counsel for the association, in a statement. The commission and American Legion, on the other hand, say that the government shouldn't be condemned for honoring soldiers. "We agree with our friends on the other side of the courtroom that the separation of church and state are foundational American values," Katyal said. "Surely the shapes of our memorials that are used to honor the war dead do not in and of themselves create a constitutional problem." The American Humanist Association initially lost at the district court level, but the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals later ruled against the cross. During oral arguments on Wednesday, justices appeared interested in finding a way to protect the cross without dramatically closing the gap between church and state. They acknowledged the Bladensburg cross' historical significance, but also the risk of allowing new crosses to be constructed with government funds. "What about saying past is past but no more?" asked Justice Stephen Breyer, noting that the U.S. is now much more religiously diverse than it was when the Bladensburg cross was constructed. We are hopeful the court will not only end the attacks on this memorial, but will clarify the law and put an end on the attacks on memorials nationwide. Kelly Shackelford, president, CEO and chief counsel for First Liberty Institute Comments like these foreshadow a narrow ruling, which would apply to the Bladensburg cross but not address rising tension over government-sponsored religious symbols elsewhere. Attorneys for the American Legion and other cross supporters have argued that the Supreme Court should issue a broad ruling and clear up confusion over the establishment clause. "We are hopeful the court will not only end the attacks on this memorial, but will clarify the law and put an end on the attacks on memorials nationwide," said Kelly Shackelford, president, CEO and chief counsel for First Liberty Institute, in a statement after oral arguments concluded. A ruling in The American Legion, et al. v. American Humanist Association is expected by the end of June. SALT LAKE CITY With thousands packed into the Salt Palace Convention Center, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints kicked off the ninth annual RootsTech family history and technology conference by announcing a $2 million donation to the forthcoming International African American Museum Center for Family History. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presented the church's donation to Michael B. Moore, president and CEO of the museum. Moore brought his hands to his face in an expression of joy, then with a big smile he gave the apostle a fist bump. "We have such high hopes and aspirations for the work that we will do for lives we will touch," Moore said. "To be able to partner with the church and with FamilySearch in this very important work, it's just an amazing opportunity and it will fortify our capabilities and extend the reach of our ability to touch people. It's an amazing gift. We are so grateful." Elder Bednar said the church is pleased to be part of an effort that will help connect Heavenly Father's children to a heavenly family, regardless of skin color, cultural background or language. "We want to support the museum and the Center for Family History because we both value the strength that comes from learning about our families," Elder Bednar said. "The museum will not only educate its patrons on the important contributions of Africans who came through Gadsdens Wharf and Charleston, it also will help all who visit to discover and connect with ancestors whose stories previously may not have been known." Elder Bednar continued: "I've had the opportunity to oversee the work of the church in Africa for many years and it changes you. There is a spiritual quality to the African saints that gets into your mind, it gets into your heart. So to see something like this occurred today that can benefit so many in various parts of the world that have come from Africa and the people in Africa. That's a that's a highlight in my life." Martin Luther King III, son of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was on hand for the announcement. His connection to the church goes back more than a decade to when the church offered humanitarian relief in Louisiana. King said he was "beyond impressed." A few years later he came to Utah and learned about the church's family history program. Again, he was impressed. "When you talk about the church and genealogy, you're really talking about connections. When people understand how they're connected, ultimately, perhaps we all are connected. That's one of the major things that the church does. That is so so impressive and amazing," King said. "So of course, this museum is will be located in Charleston, South Carolina. It is a gift to this nation and the world because people will be coming from all over the world to visit this museum. There's a lot of history to be learned and appreciate and a lot of bridges that will be built." In offering remarks, King said the museum will have a "tremendous impact" on the African-American community. He also noted that the partnership between the church and the museum is a reflection of the "beloved community" his father envisioned, according to a news release. Joseph P. Riley, a lifetime board member of the museum, thanked the church for helping the Center for Family History to become one of the museum's "crown jewels." "Because of this generous donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the center will catapult into a level of excellence that simply would not be achievable, said Riley in a news release. Elder Bradley Foster, a General Authority Seventy and the executive director of the Family History Department, said this museum "will bless African-Americans for generations to come." The church and IAAM came together thanks to a Latter-day Saint in the Charleston area who reached out to FamilySearch wanting access to more African American genealogy resources. Thom Reed, a deputy chief genealogical officer at FamilySearch, reached out to a contact at the museum. That connection led to a meeting between Elder Bednar and Moore when the apostle was visiting the area last October, Reed said. "This is going to open some amazing doors," Reed said. The museum will be built on the former Gadsden's Wharf in Charleston, South Carolina, where nearly half of all enslaved Africans disembarked after being forced to America through the transatlantic slave trade. Construction on the museum, which will be long and thin (140 feet long and 80 feet wide) is expected to begin later this year with plans to open doors in 2021. It is located within a mile of the church where a nine worshippers in a black community church were shot in 2015, Moore said. When completed, the International African American Museum Center for Family History will be one of the world's top centers for African-American genealogy. Moore spoke of the historic significance of the Charleston site, where he believes one of his ancestors stepped off a ship. "I often try to imagine what that site must have looked like with the emotions of the people who are captive there," he said. "We believe that my great-great-great-great grandmother was actually disembarked on that site. So this is a powerful project in general, but it becomes personal when those aspects sort of were interjected into the motivations." Riley, a former mayor of Charleston, first announced plans to raise funds for the museum in 2000. Since then the project has raisedmore than $75 million with at least $10 million still to go. In recent years the church has supported African-American genealogy and collaborated with organizations and leaders in the African-American community. In 2015, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was in Los Angeles as the church, FamilySearch.org and African-American history organizations announced a joint Freedmen's Bureau Project to digitize 1.5 million handwritten records of former slaves and make the records available for free online. The following year, Elder Christofferson pulled a flash drive from a lantern and presented a database of those Freedmen Bureau records to the Smithsonian's new National African American Museum of History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Last May, President Russell M. Nelson stood with Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP and "called for an end to prejudice and greater racial and ethnic harmony" at Temple Square. Two months later at the NAACP Annual Convention in San Antonio, the two organizations announced plans to launch a joint education and employment initiative on the East Coast. RootsTech is considered to be the largest genealogy conference in the world and is organized by FamilySearch, which operates as a nonprofit company under the church. SALT LAKE CITY Utah members of Congress didn't drop everything to tune in to the extraordinary testimony of President Donald Trump's lawyer in a congressional hearing Wednesday. Rather, they say they're waiting to make any judgments until special counsel Robert Mueller finishes his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and whether there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, said he would continue to keep any eye on the various investigations, particularly the Mueller probe. "I will consider new information that unfolds in todays hearing and others, but I am primarily interested in seeing Muellers investigation be completed before making a final determination. Otherwise, we are a faulty jury without all of the information," he said. In his testimony before the House Oversight Committee, Trump's former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen described the president as a "racist," a "con man" and a "cheat." Cohen said that Trump directed him to lie about his own involvement in and knowledge of the Stormy Daniels hush money payments in a February 2018 phone call. Grid View The U.S. Capitol is seen during a sunrise in Washington, Wednesday Feb. 27, 2019. Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, will testify today before the House Oversight and Reform Committee in an open hearing. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Jose Luis Magana Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, arrives to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Alex Brandon House Oversight and Reform Committee Chair Elijah Cummings, D-Md., watches during a break in testimony by Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Pablo Martinez Monsivais House Oversight and Reform Committee Chair Elijah Cummings, D-Md., is joined at left by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, ranking member, as Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) J. Scott Applewhite Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, speaks with the media as he departs after testifying before a closed door hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Alex Brandon Michael Cohen, right, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, walks past committee member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., center, during a break in Cohen's testimony before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Pablo Martinez Monsivais Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., holds up documents as he questions Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, as Cohen testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Alex Brandon Michael Cohen, right, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, speaks with his lawyer Lanny Davis of Washington, as he testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Alex Brandon Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the House Oversight and Reform Committee ranking Republican, left, takes his seat next to Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The committee voted to subpoena Trump administration officials over family separations at the southern border, the first issued in the new Congress as Democrats have promised to hold the administration aggressively to count. The decision by the Oversight Committee will compel the heads of Justice, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services to deliver documents.(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) J. Scott Applewhite, Associated Press Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, back center, leaves after a closed door Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Manuel Balce Ceneta Michael Cohen, left, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, arrives to testify before a closed door hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee accompanied by his lawyer Lanny Davis of Washington, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Alex Brandon Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Alex Brandon Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, speaks as he testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Alex Brandon Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Pablo Martinez Monsivais Michael Cohen, center, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, speaks as he departs after testifying before a closed door hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee accompanied by his lawyers, Lanny Davis, left, of Washington, and Michael Monico of Chicago, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Alex Brandon Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Alex Brandon A copy of a check from Donald Trump to Michael Cohen, his former personal lawyer, is displayed as he testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) J. Scott Applewhite Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, arrives to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Alex Brandon Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, arrives to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Alex Brandon Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, is sworn in to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) J. Scott Applewhite, Associated Press Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) J. Scott Applewhite Cohen also talked about how Trump discussed the Trump Tower Moscow project with him into the 2016 campaign and that Trump knew of Roger Stone's efforts to contact WikiLeaks ahead of the release of hacked Democratic emails during the campaign. Republicans spent the entire hearing aiming to discredit Cohen's testimony, repeatedly calling him a liar including lying to Congress over the Trump Tower Moscow project and pointing out that he is a convicted felon. None of Utah's four congressmen serve on the House Oversight Committee. Rep. Ben McAdams, Utah's only Democrat in Congress, said the public deserves to know the facts and to draw its own conclusions, adding he supports the Mueller investigation continuing without interference. "Congress does have a constitutional oversight role and this hearing is important in that regard. I'm monitoring the testimony and look forward to all the facts coming out for Congress and for the public," he said. Curtis, too, said it's imperative that the Mueller probe go on without external influence. "As I have said before, our country hinges upon due process and procedures that assure a fair review of the facts," he said. Chris Karpowitz, co-director of BYU's Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy, called Cohen's testimony "embarrassing" for the president, basically saying Trump is unfit for office. "Whether that is going to change the political calculation is uncertain," he said. "The thing that could fundamentally change the political calculation for the president is if he loses support among Republicans, and so far that has not happened." After having reservations about Trump before he took office, Utah Republicans in Congress have largely supported him, though Utahns in general have yet to go all in on the president. "Unlike other Republican states, support of Trump is low relative to what we would expect for a Republican president as this point in his term," Karpowitz said. There's "no question" the behavior Cohen described of Trump is out of step with how most Utahns go about their lives, he said. "If a member of the delegation chose to be more critical (of Trump), I think there's room to do that," Karpowitz said. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, had a busy schedule Wednesday and wasn't able to watch the hearing, according to spokeswoman Liz Johnson. But Romney has made observations of Trump that are similar to Cohen's over the past three years. In a speech at the University of Utah in 2016, Romney said, "Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud. His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. Hes playing the members of the American public for suckers." Romney tried to distance himself from those comments during his Senate campaign last year. In 2017, Romney didn't call Trump a racist but demanded he apologize for his remarks about the deadly racial violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. "Whether he intended to or not, what he communicated caused racists to rejoice, minorities to weep, and the vast heart of America to mourn," Romney said at the time. Last August, Romney tweeted that the convictions of Cohen and Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort confirmed his faith in the U.S. justice system. Other members of Utah's federal delegation didn't respond to requests for comment on the Cohen hearing. Trump tweeted that "Michael Cohen was one of many lawyers who represented me (unfortunately). He had other clients also. He was just disbarred by the State Supreme Court for lying & fraud. He did bad things unrelated to Trump. He is lying in order to reduce his prison time. Using Crookeds lawyer!" Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Populism will remain a powerful, misused and even abused political tool as long as current leaders and policymakers across the political spectrum are primarily concerned with preserving their own power within the status quo of the current system. The cry to take on the wealthy and well-connected echo from the liberal left, while chants against the establishment elite ring from the right. The real question is whether anyone is actually looking out for the little guy. Is authentic populism possible? It isnt hard to incite a populist uprising on almost any issue. A 4-year-old can do it literally. I recently received a text message from my daughter Rachel and her husband Jeff, who were on a long drive from California to their home in Arizona. Buckled in the back seat their two boys, ages 4 and 2, were doing a good job of enduring the seemingly endless drive. Rachel said that sometimes during their extended car rides she and Jeff instigate no water periods for the boys, because they dont want to have to stop at the side of the road for an urgent potty break. Apparently, there is no such water consumption restriction for the parents in the front seat and that is where the populist uprising begins in the back. The 4-year-old was trying to rile up the back seat to complain against this incredible injustice. In this case, he played both the leader and the crowd, as the 2-year-old didnt quite follow how populist rally chants are supposed to be done. The older brother began his own chant and echo: Everyone in the car is thirsty. Who in the car is thirsty? Everyone. Who wants water? Everyone. Is everyone in the front thirsty? Yes. Is everyone in the back thirsty? Yes. Is the front allowed to drink? Yes! Is the back allowed to drink? No! And the backseat populist movement against the tyranny of the parents takes rise. The 4-year-old could lay claim to leadership of the back of the car while protesting the oppression of the them in the front. I could actually envision the two boys reenacting a scene from Les Miserables. (I am sure the elder hadnt considered that they all were going to stay in the same car, together, or that if he took over the front of the car there would be a devastating crash that would make drinking water and potty breaks irrelevant). The problem with political populism is that it is divisive at its core. It creates us versus them battles that usually result in shouts of what the people are against instead of a conversation about a vision of what they are for. It also focuses on demonizing the them instead of seeking to solve the problem. The Tea Party populism of 2009 used the angst around Obamacare as the piston to drive a white-hot engine of change against the them of President Obama and congressional Democrats. The Occupy Wall Street movement similarly channeled frustration about the top 1 percent of earners, millionaires and corporate executives, as the populist target for people angry about the economy to rail against. President Trump rode a populist wave into office in 2016. The large and growing field of Democrats lining up to run for the presidency in 2020 are likewise attempting to claim the populist mantle in one form or another. The populist message is not hard for any candidate to claim. The American people do want to be led, and they want to know that their leader has their back and is fighting for them. Americans have become increasingly convinced the system is rigged. They have watched their political leaders, along with lobbyists, wealthy donors and well-connected elites in Washington, climb the ladder of success and then pull it up behind them. Citizens have felt the oppressive and heavy hand of government agencies that have targeted, taxed and tested their trust in the institutions of the republic. Populism only has to incite the riot. It doesnt have to govern, and it never has to truly lead. Is there a path that could transcend partisan politics and achieve an authentic populist agenda? Yes, but it requires an authentic leader. Authentic leaders recognize they their role is to help the little guy, and every girl and all the citizens. Abraham Lincoln was such an authentic leader and rightly declared that the purpose of government was "to elevate the condition of men to lift artificial weights from all shoulders, to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all, to afford all an unfettered start and a fair chance, in the race of life." Real leaders and policymakers ought to be focused on the more laudable pursuit of government that Lincoln described. In addition to a government that fosters that fair chance, leaders must encourage a free-market economy as well as a robust civil society. Imagine the difference if rather than pursuing an us versus them political populism, a truly authentic leader chose instead to focus on an empowering axis of institutions and ideas, including a properly focused government, a free-market economy and civil society. That would do wonders for the real little guys across America. The push of politically driven us versus them populism will sadly continue until leaders and policymakers foster an environment where cronyist privilege ends, upward economic mobility begins and real opportunity extends to all Americans. Until then when we hear the cries of populism coming from candidates on the left and on the right we all would be wise to remember that even a 4-year-old in a car seat in the back can launch a populist uprising. Sources close to the actress say that she is keen on working with the Oscar-winning producer. Priyanka Chopra recently made headlines for announcing her fourth Hollywood project, which will see her play the role of Oshos right hand, Ma Anand Sheela. The actress has roped in Oscar-winning director, Barry Levinson to helm the project and now, sources close to the actress say that she is keen on working with Oscar-winning producer, Guneet Monga as well. The India-based documentary, Period. End of Sentence., co-produced by Guneet Monga, bagged an Oscar for Best Documentary Short at the 91st Academy Awards and has brought the producer international acclaim. A source in the know reveals how the actresss and the producers chance meeting at the Oscars led to a conversation about a future collaboration. Guneet and Priyanka met in Los Angeles recently during the Oscars and they had a brief chat over a project. Priyanka and Guneet are keen to collaborate over some project but its too soon to make it official right now, says a source in the know. If things fall into place, the world would see Priyanka and Guneet collaborating for the first time. Meanwhile, Priyanka Chopra, who was in Delhi with hubby Nick Jonas, for her brother Siddharth Chopras roka ceremony, will be coming to Mumbai to shoot the last leg of The Sky Is Pink. PROVO A dealer of Mormon artifacts who stole historical books and a photograph from a BYU archive and sold some of them to a collector is headed to jail after returning about $3,000 he made from the job. A judge on Wednesday ordered Kevin Schuwer, 29, to therapy, an additional month in jail and three years of probation. Schuwer, a former BYU student from Denmark, faces deportation and is expected to remain behind bars for longer as federal immigration proceedings play out. Schuwer had been struggling to cover medical costs for his young daughter with spina bifida, a birth defect that can cause physical or intellectual disabilities, when he took and sold the artifacts, his attorney Kate Conyers said. "I think he got desperate," she said after the hearing. Prosecutors see it differently. "He was systematically taking advantage of people and exploiting people for monetary gain," said deputy Utah County attorney Brian Miller. He said Schuwer has swindled other collectors who were too embarrassed to testify in court or didn't want the legal hassle. A shackled Schuwer, who has been held in the Utah County Jail for about three months, told the judge Wednesday, "I understand that the acts I took were a crime and it was a terrible act and I understand that. And I am trying to take the ownership of it. Police said he stole eight books from the BYU Library's Special Collection from September to November, checking them out, putting their bar codes into other books and returning the fake ones to the library. He replaced an original picture of Porter Rockwell, the bodyguard for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints founder Joseph Smith, with a fake copy of the same photo, according to prosecutors. Schuwer then sold the original photo to a collector in Utah County, according to court documents. Fourth District Judge Lynn Davis said his deception "took skill," but also noted that Schuwer has a clean record and has already paid the court $3,125 to pass on to the collector. The judge warned that a prison sentence of up to five years will be imposed if Schuwer doesn't comply with not-yet-determined terms of his probation. Miller said the case has frustrated prosecutors, who have fewer tools to seek heftier sentences than guidelines recommend following 2015 justice reforms in Utah. Schuwer was originally charged with engaging in a pattern of unlawful activity, a second-degree felony, plus theft and theft by deception, both third-degree felonies. As part of an agreement with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty last month to two reduced counts of wrongful appropriation, third-degree felonies. He has a similar pending case in Logan, where he has entered the same pleas after prosecutors said he stole "a portrait of a prominent LDS apostle, Orson F. Whitney," from a Utah State University special collection. In a separate civil proceeding, he was ordered to pay nearly $700,000 to a man to whom he had sold a counterfeit 1835 Latter-day Saint hymnal and a counterfeit 1849 Mormon gold coin, court documents show. Schuwer is scheduled to be sentenced in the Logan case on March 4. SALT LAKE CITY Of the bills presented at the Utah Legislature to help the "epidemic level" of e-cigarette use, Students Against Electronic Vaping says HB252, which increases the sales tax on electronic cigarettes to match other tobacco products, would be the most effective. "We know that this tax is the solution, an 86 percent tax is the way to decrease youth usage of electronic cigarettes," said Cade Hyde, president of Students Against Electronic Vaping. Hyde said with this tax increase, 28,000 youth would immediately stop using electronic cigarettes because of the increase in cost, and the number of youth smokers would continue to decrease. He said funds from the tax would be directed to youth cessation and prevention programs. "Youth need to understand that electronic cigarettes are a way for them to get addicted to drugs, it is the way that they are getting addicted to drugs at this time," Hyde said. Members of Students Against Electronic Vaping came to the Capitol Wednesday to hold a press event encouraging legislators to listen to the issue. The bill will likely be heard in committee next week. McGyver Clark, from Students Against Electronic Vaping, said the number of youth addicted to electronic cigarettes doubled between 2017 and 2018. He said research shows the increased tax is the best way to decrease use. Right now in Utah there is over 45,000 youth ages 13-17 that are using e-cigarettes. In the last six years our legislators have neglected and disregarded this issue and have not taken this seriously, Clark said. The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, said the fiscal note on the same bill last year said the increased tax would have a revenue of $9.4 million. This year the revenue with the same tax increase would bring $21 million. Thats how much vaping with the youth has increased, Ray said. Ray said he thinks this is the year that the bill will get out of committee and make it to the floor in the House and Senate. SALT LAKE CITY Utah's only Democrat in Congress voted in support of the bill the U.S. House passed Wednesday requiring background checks on all gun sales, while the state's three Republicans voted against it. Rep. Ben McAdams, D-Utah, said he supported the legislation because background checks are a proven way to stop dangerous people from getting a gun, while not interfering with law-abiding gun owners. As a gun owner and a supporter of the Second Amendment, I believe that with rights come responsibilities, including keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, terrorists and domestic abusers," he said. The House passed the bill 240-190, mostly along party lines. It is expected to face stiff opposition in the Senate. The legislation would require background checks on all firearm sales in the country. Only licensed gun dealers now must perform background checks for anyone seeking to buy a gun. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, said the bill addresses a "fabricated threat" and makes criminals out of innocent people. "This equates to nothing more than a false sense of security promoted by those who refuse to address real threats to safety. Congress should turn its attention to finding ways to protect society from criminals," he said. "Instead, this farcical effort betrays the Second Amendment and would have done nothing to prevent the tragic mass shootings of recent years." Bishop said safety ought to trump politics and politics ought never trump the Constitution. GOP Reps. Chris Stewart and John Curtis also voted against the bill. SALT LAKE CITY FamilySearch President and CEO Steve Rockwood stepped onto the main stage to thunderous applause and quickly made a promise to attendees at RootsTech 2019. "We are going to have such a blast this week," Rockwood said. "You're about to feel some extremely strong emotions that are very unique to discovering, gathering and connecting your family. In the next few days you will connect to your homelands. You will connect to your families, both past and present. And in the process, you're also going to connect to each other." RootsTech may also offer deep, abiding, meaningful impressions, he said. "My advice to you is follow those impressions. Act on them," Rockwood said. "Family history is not a spectator sport. Nothing really happens here until you act." Thus began what many consider the largest family history conference in the world Wednesday at the Salt Palace Convention Center. Rockwood's remarks were actually fairly short as he gave way to a video and a lineup of other speakers, culminating with Elder David A. Bednar, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announcing the donation of $2 million to the International African American Museum Center for Family History in Charleston, South Carolina. Before making the announcement, Elder Bednar also made a promise. "I promise the things you will learn this week will enrich your life forever," he said. Having supervised the work of the church in Africa for many years, Elder Bednar expressed his love for the people of African descent in that vast continent, as well as in the United States and the Caribbean. With the advent of genetic genealogy and DNA technology, it's exciting to see those of African ancestry discovering their roots in their homelands, he said. Elder Bednar told the audience that FamilySearch is collecting oral histories of various ethnic and family groups in 15 nations in Africa. For example, in 2018, through more than 4,000 local contractors with native language abilities, over 44,000 interviews with village and clan leaders were conducted, resulting in 16.2 million names recorded that will be added to FamilySearch's database in the next five years, he said. "And we're just getting started," Elder Bednar said. "We're doing our best to reconnect families who previously were disconnected by the transatlantic slave trade. We applaud Michael Moore and his team at the International African American Museum for their vision of reestablishing family connections and of restoring an appropriate sense of place in our world through the work they will do in the Center for Family History. We are inspired by their example and want to assist in making a vision a reality." In recent years, initiatives like the 2001 Freedman's bank records database project and the 2016 Freedmen's Bureau project are two more examples of how the church is working with various partners to make more records freely accessible for those with African heritage in the United States. "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, through FamilySearch International, is making a concerted effort to help establish a bridge back to Africa so individuals can reclaim their African roots," Elder Bednar said. The video introduced the conference theme, "Connect.Belong," featuring a montage of scenes depicting families in all walks of life. Following Rockwood's remarks, Elder Bradley D. Foster, a General Authority Seventy and the executive director of the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, welcomed visitors to the "historic" conference. Elder Foster introduced Michael B. Moore, the president and CEO of the International African American Museum, who spoke for several minutes about his vision of African-American genealogy at the museum, the history of the transatlantic slave trade in Charleston, South Carolina, and one of his ancestors, Robert Smalls. "Those who landed there and their descendants, it will endeavor to tell of their incalculable sacrifices and contributions in the building in this country," Moore said. "So we will be telling this broad story about African-American history. But then in our Center for Family History, we will empower people to find their personal strand in that story and to personalize the broad history in very, very powerful ways." Moore grew up listening to stories of Smalls, his great-great-grandfather, who stole a Confederate steamer and sailed past a federal blockade in Charleston Harbor to freedom. Smalls later fought in the Civil War for the Union as the captain of a ship and after the war served as a legislator and congressman, Moore said. "In a very practical way, he bet everything he had on everything he dreamed of, and he won. He made it to freedom," Moore said. "I wouldn't be here if he hadn't achieved that." Moore also shared his tender experience of discovering his roots in the West Africa nation of Sierra Leone, where he was embraced as one of their own. "At the ripe old age of 57, as I mentioned, I was adopted by this paramount chief and his wife and I found myself being an African prince," Moore said. Moore summarized his message by telling genealogists and family historians that their work matters. RootsTech will continue through Saturday at the Salt Palace Convention Center. For more information, visit RootsTech.org. SALT LAKE CITY Some of the pharmaceutical companies' executives will face questions from the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday about drug prices, The Wall Street Journal reports. And, according to Forbes, members of the committee have received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the firms' political action committees. Forbes reviewed data from the Federal Election Commission between 2009 and 2018. The data showed that PACs from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb,, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Pfizer and Sanofi which will appear before the committee gave close to $1.6 million to 27 out of 28 members of the committee. A large portion of that money went to six senators, who reportedly received $100,000 or more from the PACs in the last 10 years. Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey received the most with $121,500. Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo received $119,000. Ohio Sen. Rob Portman received $113,000. Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson received $107,000. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott received $101,000. Delaware Sen. Tom Carpenter received $100,000. Hot seat: Pharmaceutical executives are facing questions about prescription drugs' rising costs, Yahoo! Finance reports. "There is no question that researchers and doctors have developed treatments and cures for disease where there was no such cures or treatments. Such innovations take time and money ... but we're all trying to understand the sticker shock that many drugs generate," said Finance Committee chairman Chuck Grassley. TOOELE A former Tooele police officer accused of having sexual relations with a man on federal parole is facing a felony charge. Derik L. Dudley, 24, of Tooele, was charged Thursday in 3rd District Court with custodial sexual relations, a third-degree felony. Between Dec. 1, 2017, and April 2018, Dudley, while employed as an officer with the Tooele Police Department, "engaged in a sexual relationship with an individual who was on federal parole and currently supervised by the federal government," according to charging documents. Both the officer and the man who was on parole were interviewed and admitted to sexual contact, the charges state. Dudley resigned from Tooele police in April 2018, according to court documents. In February, Dudley interviewed for a job with the Salt Lake City Police Department, the charges state, and during that interview, "the defendant admitted to SLCPD that he had engaged in sex with the federal parolee while employed as a TCPD officer." Tooele officials were notified of the interview and Dudley was charged. Salt Lake City police said Thursday that Dudley was not hired by their department. Peace Officer Standards and Training, the organization that certifies police officers in Utah, confirmed Thursday it currently has an open investigation into Dudley. SALT LAKE CITY There is an acute need for more mental health providers and other support personnel in schools, educators and community members told the House Education Committee on Thursday. "Tragically, in our school district, we've had four suicides in the last 10 months of our students. We have a tremendous need," said Sevier School District Superintendent Cade Douglas. "We're doing everything we can think of. We are implementing every program we can possibly come up with," said Douglas, who leads a school district of 4,685 students. Two years ago, the school district "scraped together" funding for a licensed social worker to serve five elementary schools. "We're having tremendous success, but he's spread so thin," Douglas said. The district needs another licensed clinical social worker and three therapists for its secondary students, he said. Douglas urged committee members to support HB373, sponsored by Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, which would appropriate to the Utah State Board of Education more than $32.1 million ongoing for school support personnel or permit schools to contract with local mental health authorities for students who need clinical services. "Our goal is to hire immediately using these funds," Douglas said. Eliason said HB373 would build upon the efforts of previous legislation he sponsored to provide matching grants to schools to hire more school counselors. Under HB373, "qualifying personnel" would include school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers or school nurses. These professionals will collaborate with educators and a student's parents on early identification and intervention of the student's academic and mental health needs. Some students may benefit from school-based services while others may need clinical services offered in their communities by professionals trained to diagnose conditions, provide treatment and in some cases prescribe medication. In Carbon County, a flyer was sent home to parents asking if they would like their child to undergo mental health screening. "I believe 90 percent of parents opted in voluntarily," Eliason said. The school district worked in partnership with its local mental health authority to refer students with more intensive needs to community-based providers and worked with students with lesser needs at school. Most members of the public who spoke to the bill said they support it, including the Utah PTA, a pediatrician and the Disability Law Center of Utah, along with the Utah Education Association and professional organizations that represent school boards, superintendents and school business administrators. "My only regret about this bill is, it's long overdue," said Eliason. Those who spoke in opposition, including committee member Rep. Adam Robertson, R-Provo, expressed concerns that the initiative would encroach on parental rights. Robertson cast the lone vote against recommending HB373 to the House for its consideration. "We need to make sure we don't get in the way of parental rights," Robertson said. While some district's have an opt-in mechanism, it is just as important to have a means to opt out, he said. "I want to make sure the parents are in the driver seat with our children," Robertson said. Superintendent Douglas said school districts respect the role of parents. "There's not a school district in the state that would do anything with mental health without fully involving the parents in the process," he said. SALT LAKE CITY A bill banning abortions solely based on a Down syndrome diagnosis passed the Senate without debate Thursday and now goes to Gov. Gary Herbert for his action. The governor, at his monthly KUED news conference Thursday, said he will weigh the pros and cons of HB166 like any other bill that comes to his desk and then make a decision. "This is somewhat of a message bill from the standpoint that we are saying if that is the reason that you want an abortion, that is probably not a good reason," Herbert said. He added he believes the bill comes with some legal protection because of its provision that Utah will not implement the law until other states have tested it and it is deemed constitutional. "(That) takes some of the risk out of it," the governor said. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, R-Clearfield, contains a "trigger" provision that spells out the ban would not take effect until a court ruled on its constitutionality. It cleared the Senate on a final vote of 20-6, with all six Democratic senators opposed and every Republican on floor supporting the measure. There was no discussion in the Senate before Wednesday's initial vote, also along party lines. Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, said Down syndrome is "really a sensitive issue" because of the late son of Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan. Matt Hillyard, who was a constant presence in past sessions, often giving out hugs, had Down syndrome. "We did all love Matt," Senate Majority Assistant Whip Jani Iwamoto, D-Holladay, said. When the bill was considered by the House, Lisonbee told representatives "social engineering is alive and well in Utah's abortion clinics and doctor's offices today as we see the eradication of babies with Down syndrome." Contributing: Amy Joi O'Donoghue SALT LAKE CITY Major news outlets including the BBC are reporting that the "Momo challenge" is a hoax being perpetuated by alarmed parents and online news articles. A woman named Becci McGuigan posted a video on Facebook Sunday which shows her confronting her son about a character called "Momo," depicted by a photo of a creepy bulging-eyed woman. The pictured character is really a statue called Mother Bird, designed by Japanese artist Keisuke Aisawa and displayed at the Vanilla Gallery in Tokyo in 2016. "This is my boy's reaction when I asked him if he had ever heard or seen this Momo," McGuigan, who lives in Morecambe, England, wrote on her Facebook page. "I've had to spend the last half hour trying to convince my sobbing boy that it's not real and nobody is going to hurt him." She indicated in her post that her son encountered the character on YouTube but kept it secret because he was frightened. "It just comes up as a picture," her son says sobbing in the Facebook video. Other parents have shared similar stories, some claiming the Momo character threatened to harm their children. For example, a woman named Pearl Woods told CBS Sacramento this week that her 12-year-old daughter with autism was encouraged to do dangerous things by the character. But despite accounts parents have shared about kids allegedly encountering Momo, YouTube confirmed that it has not seen any evidence of videos promoting Momo on its platform, according to The Atlantic. A YouTube spokesman told The Atlantic that if the videos did exist, they would be removed instantly for violating the platform's policies. "We work to ensure the videos in YouTube Kids are family-friendly and take feedback very seriously," said YouTube in a statement reported by USA Today. The UK Safer Internet Centre told the Guardian that stories about "the momo challenge" were "fake news." "News coverage of the momo challenge is prompting schools or the police to warn about the supposed risks posed by the momo challenge, which has in turn produced more news stories warning about the challenge," said Guardian media editor Jim Waterson. According to Rolling Stone, the photo of Aisawa's "Mother Bird" statue gained traction on Reddit back in 2016 because it looked so disturbing. From there, rumors started circulating that scammers using the photo would encourage children to text a number on WhatsApp and then send the kids instructions to reveal personal information and complete a series of dangerous tasks, culminating in self-harm or suicide. In July 2018, a YouTube user called ReignBot posted a video that unpacked and debunked the phenomenon, prompting stories and news articles warning about the dangers of the "challenge" last year, Rolling Stone reported. Now, those rumors are back. On Monday, Northern Ireland police issued a warning stating they are working with other UK law enforcement to "identify the extent of the problem and look for opportunities to deal with this issue." "No official reports have been made to police," the statement reads. Fact-checking website Snopes said although the challenge is likely a hoax, reports about the challenge can still be harmful. "Word of the 'Momo challenge' is now so widespread that whether or not it represents a real threat, the subject has generated rumors that in themselves can be cause for concern among children," David Mikkelson wrote in the Snopes article. Kim Metcalfe, a retired professor of early childhood education and psychology, told the Deseret News that there is danger in perpetuating a myth that might cause kids to go searching for disturbing material out of curiosity. "Professionals and parents are naturally concerned and want to keep our kids safe. Consequently, they leap into action while trying to get the facts," said Metcalfe. "Naturally, the first thing kids do is go to the internet and try to explore the 'forbidden' Momo challenge. As we see these behaviors keep the topic alive, and the spread of the virus across social media is like a runaway train gathering speed as it descends down the tracks." Experts have suggested that rather than focusing on Momo, parents should use the opportunity to educate children about internet safety. You dont need to know about every platform and every app and every device out there, but you do need to know and understand your kids' favorite apps, their favorite games, their devices, said cyber safety expert Denise DeRosa, as reported by Snopes. Pediatric psychologist Meghan Walls, said it's best to talk to kids about frightening things they might encounter online before they run into them. Something like, 'Ya know, theres some scary things that pop up on phones and tablets and if you ever see something like that, come get me,' Walls told Snopes. "Have honest conversations with kids about click bait information intentionally embedded in social media to entice kids to 'click' for the purpose of stealing their private information or giving unscrupulous characters access to you and your information," Metcalfe recommended. "Keep the conversation matter-of-fact style. There is no need to mention Momo challenge." The BBC reported that adults should be careful about sharing articles that perpetuate the myth to avoid causing unnecessary alarm. The name Samarpan is an acknowledgement to the masters of the six-member band. A blend of Hindustani classical music with a little Jazz and Carnatic music is the way tabla player Ojas Adhiya depicts the music of his band Samarpan. The band has recently performed in Delhi in a concert and it has been quite evident that the gathering of people regardless of their age acknowledges the well-composed pieces by Adhiya and his band. We thought of doing something different, but keeping Indian music in mind. It had to be music with an Indian soul, just improvised upon, Adhiya said. Its is a musical offering by youthful artists who have come together and emerge as a band with an intention of showing musical solidarity to the traditionally rich Indian classical music and western Jazz. As the name suggests, it is an attempt to musically surrender to the great musical ethos & create every moment musically joyful. It is music of genuine passion and ardor. They have been performing at Festivals & Global Exchange Programmes all across the Globe. Guided by various music stalwarts, the six folks - Ojas Adhiya (tabla), Ninad Mulaokar (woodwind), Manas Kumar (violin), Vishal Dhumal (console), I.D. Rao (saxophone) and Gautam Sharma (percussion) have performed with their Gurus (masters) before meeting each another. As an offering to what they learnt all these years is what the band is named after Samarpan or an offering. We thought of doing something different, but keeping Indian music in mind. It had to be music with an Indian soul, just improvised upon," said Adhiya, after a successful Delhi show. Appreciated as a miraculous child, Adhiya (presently 30), amazed his family as a two-year-old by playing the instrument with no prior preparation. Later on, he began training under Guru Mridangraj and gave his first open execution at the age of four. In 1993, he entered Limca Book of Records as the countrys youngest tabla player. His father, Dr Yogesh Adhiya, detected the childs distinct fascination for percussion at a youthful age of two during Siddha Yoga Guru Swami Muktananda and Gurumayi Chidvilasanandas recitation and reflection focus. Ojas was sent under the consideration of music maestros Shri Kalyanji-Anandji. Kalyanji is known to have guided Ojas to a family friend Mridangraj to learn traditional niceties of table playing including accompaniments. Ojas turned into the Gandaa Bandh Shaagird (disciple) of Shri Mridangraj. Woodwind player Ninad, on the other hand, is a skilled craftsman and is a very young talent. He has won numerous shrubs. He won the SURMANI by Sursingar Samsad, Pandit Pulaskar grant and came first in All India Radio Classical Music Competition, A grade. By and by he is gaining from Anand Kashikar and Vijay Sardeshmukh from Mumbai. Ninad has two solo collections. He has been performing with Ustad Rashid Khan, Hariharan , Pankaj Udhas, Bhupendra Mitali Singh, Talat Aziz among others. Violinist Manas Kumar, who has done M.Music from Lucknow, received 'A' grade from All India Radio, SURMANI by Sur Singar Samsad, Pandit V.D. Paluskar grant, and got the governments senior grant from the service of culture, among others. Presently he is learning from Pandit Bidyut Misra. Manas has two solo collections under his name. He has also performed with Pankaj Udhas, Bhupedra Mitali Singh, Talat Aziz among others. Console player Vishal got his first task as a music director at the age of 19 for a collection, sung by Suresh Wadekar, Sonu Nigam, Devki Pandit and others. He has been performing with the best performers with a traditional combination of widely acclaimed percussionists like Trilok Gurtu, Sivamani, Taufiq Qureshi, Fazal Qureshi, Selva Ganesh, Ustad Rashid Khan, Late Jagjit Singh ji, Pankaj Udhas, Ghulam Ali, Hariharan, Anup Jalota, Bhupendra Mitali Singh and numerous others. Saxophone player I.D. Rao is an adaptable performer. At a young age he has mastered the art of playing Saxophone and can play in Carnatic, Hindustani and Western classical music. Percussion player, Gautam Sharma is a devotee of a legendry percussion maestro Ustad Taufiq Quereshi. He has been helping him and playing with his band MUMBAI STAMP at different celebrations and occasions across the nation. He has additionally performed with Ranjit Barot , and numerous others. On Samarpan's execution at the HCL shows at the India Habitat Center, Adhiya said every single piece that the band performed were their own, in view of Indian 'ragas' with a bit of Jazz. HCL has been organising Concerts for over 20 years, dedicated to identifying, evolving and promoting talent rooted in the glorious heritage of Indian classical performing arts. Over the years, HCL Concerts has evolved into a unique platform for the exceptionally talented veterans as well as upcoming artists be it dancers, vocalists or instrumentalists. LAYTON A grandmother visiting family in Utah is accused of attacking her pregnant daughter and stabbing a man who came to her defense, according to charges filed Thursday. Felicia Sherice Jordan, 39, was charged in 2nd District Court with two counts of attempted murder, a first-degree felony, and two counts of domestic violence in the presence of children, a third-degree felony. On Sunday, Jordan was showering when her 5-year-old granddaughter knocked several times saying she needed to use the bathroom, the charges state. Jordan then got into an argument with the girl's mother, her own daughter, about how Jordan was talking to the young girl, the charges state. "Jordan felt like she was disrespected and she snapped. She grabbed a glass plate and threw it at (her daughter) trying to hit her in the head," according to the charges. The plate missed, but broke when it hit a wall and the daughter's foot was cut, according to charging documents. "Jordan then seized a large kitchen knife and began to charge at (her daughter)," the charges state. Another person, a male, then stepped in to try and stop the attack, but Jordan "stabbed him in the neck and he began to bleed quite a bit," the charges state. The charges do not identify the male victim. Jordan continued to say her daughter "needed to die," the charges state. The two victims ran out of the apartment and called police. "When asked about her intent, she said, 'When you are in a fight and you have your gun out, you know how it's gonna be. Same thing.' She intended to 'put her down like the dog she is,' meaning, 'I brought her into this world, I can take her out of it,'" Jordan told police, according to the charges. The daughter's two children, ages 5 and 3, witnessed the alleged attack, the charges state. Prosecutors noted in charging documents that the grandmother "is from out of ... Chicago and is a documented gang member of the Gangster Disciples," and asked that she be held without bail. SALT LAKE CITY Did a woman shot and killed in a Magna basement receive an unnerving message on her phone just moments before being attacked? That's what investigators from the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office are trying to find out, according to a search warrant affidavit. On July 16, 2017, Paige Espinoza, 25, was in a basement bedroom at 8360 W. Mix Ave. visiting her boyfriend when someone from outside the house fired at least 15 rounds into the room, striking Espinoza twice and killing her, according to charging documents. Gino James Cecala, 46, of Salt Lake City, was charged with murder, a first-degree felony. He was arrested several months later in Texas. According to a newly unsealed search warrant filed in 3rd District Court, Espinoza's boyfriend told police that "Espinoza was acting 'normal' and was clearly in a good mood on the night of her death. However, in the minutes before the shooting, he said she looked at her phone as if she had received a message and her demeanor changed. (He) said she got 'stone faced' and serious." Detectives analyzed Espinoza's phone but could not find any incoming or outgoing texts during that time, the warrant states. The warrant was filed to search her social media apps, including Facebook messenger, to determine if she had received any threatening messages. Results of the search were pending Thursday. Cecala is Espinoza's former boyfriend, the warrant states. Her current boyfriend told police "he and the victim had received numerous threats from Cecala stating he was going to kill them," the warrant affidavit states. The Metro Gang Unit was made aware of these threats, according to the warrant. "It is suspected that (the current boyfriend) was the person targeted in this incident and that Espinoza was shot simply because the shooter fired blindly through the basement window," the warrant states. About one week prior to the shooting, the boyfriend "assaulted Cecala for calling him a 'snitch,'" an informant later told investigators, according to the warrant. The same informant also claimed Cecala told her the boyfriend "is done, he's done! the warrant states. The informant contends that Cecala even asked for help to "set up" the boyfriend to "get him," but the informant refused, the warrant states. Instead, the informant warned the boyfriend "to get a hotel and 'stay low' because Gino Cecala was going to kill him," according to the warrant. Cecala's trial is scheduled to begin in April. SALT LAKE CITY Concerns about creating unnecessary legislation and the removal of educational language stalled the idling revisions bill Thursday after a 3-2 decision to move the meeting forward without a vote. HB148's sponsor, Rep. Patrice Arent, D-Millcreek, said she plans to amend the bill and try for another hearing in the Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy and Technology Committee. Arent said education has not been enough to change idling practices, and now more Utah cities have anti-idling ordinances or are considering them. HB148 would allow cities to create idling ordinances that would be more enforceable and effective by removing the requirement for three warnings before a ticket. The bill originally took out the need for warnings but it was modified in the House to require one warning before passing that body last week. "Its really difficult to try to get our officers to engage with three warnings. I dont disagree that one warning is appropriate," Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini said. Bryce Bird, director of the Utah Division of Air Quality, mentioned idling a car gets zero miles per gallon. "It is very clear that it is better for your car to turn it off, its better for the air quality to turn it off, it's better for your pocketbook to turn it off," Bird said. Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, said a study showed air quality in classrooms near the drop-off zones at schools was worse than in other classrooms. "We need to start taking this seriously. This is not just for driving your car but its for the safety of our children, and I think its important," Riebe said. SALT LAKE CITY President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ended their summit in Hanoi Thursday morning (U.S. time) without making any deal between the U.S. and North Korea. Neither side reached an agreement on denuclearization of North Korea, according to The New York Times. Sometimes you have to walk, Trump said after the summit. Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldnt do that, he said. They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas that we want, but we couldnt give up all of the sanctions for that. A number of opinion writers and columnists opined on the lack of a deal, which weve rounded up for you below. The New York Times editorial board wrote that Trumps personal touch to negotiations doesnt always work. The outcome in Hanoi demonstrated the hazards of the personal diplomacy with authoritarian leaders that has become Mr. Trumps stock-in-trade. From Vladimir Putins protestations of innocence on election meddling to Prince Mohammed bin Salmans denial that he had the journalist Jamal Khashoggi murdered, Mr. Trump has shown that he trusts despots over his own government. His fawning over dictators like Mr. Kim continues to erode the moral foundation that for generations has supported American diplomacy, and its notion of Americas role in the world. CNNs Chris Cillizza wrote that Trumps about-face on Otto Warmbier who was captured by North Korea and later died upon his return to the U.S. was shocking and shameful. This is after Trump was pretty angry about the Warmbier situation back when it happened in 2017. So why did Trump reverse course on Warmbier and North Korea? Simple: Because it was the politically expedient thing to do. Ilan Berman, senior vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council, wrote for USA Today that Trump and the White House need a plan B for North Korea. Whatever transpired between the two leaders in Vietnam, theres still hope that the two countries could eventually find their way back to the negotiating table. International negotiations are complex affairs, and talks over North Koreas nuclear program which Pyongyang has long viewed as a staple of regime stability are bound to be particularly thorny. But a negotiated deal isnt an assured outcome, or even necessarily a probable one. Thats why Washington needs to put Pyongyang on notice as to exactly what will happen if the two countries dont eventually come to an acceptable meeting of the minds. The Washington Posts editorial board wrote that the Hanoi summit failure exposed the president's weak diplomacy skills. The president supposed that his personal and improvisational diplomacy, featuring unwarranted and unseemly flattery of a murderous tyrant, would make possible the substantive steps toward disarmament that the regime has resisted for decades. Instead, he was presented by Mr. Kim with a patently unacceptable offer that left him no choice but to walk away. The Guardian published an editorialthat said Trumps claim to be a deal maker fell flat in Hanoi. Mr. Trumps vanity diplomacy has strengthened the North Korean leader. A humbler, more careful and more pragmatic approach, seeking to freeze rather than eradicate the weapons programme, would have been a far wiser course. A Washington Post cartoon joked about Trumps ability to make deals. Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times wrote that the Trump-Kim summit was a failure. However, he wrote that Trump was right to walk rather than accept a bad deal. Still, there are significant risks ahead. The most important is that North Korea may return to testing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, for that would mark a huge escalation of tensions and renewed concerns about brinkmanship and war. Unfortunately, North Korea is an otherwise unimportant country that gets attention only when it behaves provocatively. So its leaders have learned that their best leverage is to fire missiles, detonate warheads or start up nuclear complexes. Victor Cha, a former National Security Council director for Asia, wondered in his piece for The New York Times if Trump will take a more aggressive stance on North Korea now. Indeed, he may lose interest in the issue as he becomes distracted by the Mueller report, trade negotiations with China, Venezuelas political crisis, and Indo-Pakistan relations. And if he gives up on diplomacy completely, then its either back to the fire-and-fury of 2017 or the de facto acceptance of North Korea as a state armed with nuclear weapons. Either outcome will make Americans less secure. Fox News opinion writer Christian Whiton wrote that Trumps decision to walk away from a deal was similar to President Ronald Reagan walking away from the Soviet Union in a 1986 summit in Reykjavik, Iceland. Trump already has a victory of sorts, in that he seems to have frozen in place previous progress with North Korea over the disastrous situation he inherited from Barack Obama. This includes a halt to North Korean nuclear and ballistic-missile tests, the partial dismantling of some facilities, the return of American hostages, and a return of the remains of our Korean War dead. James Jay Carafano wondered in his Fox News piece what Kim will do after the summit. Both sides will go home, assess what happened, and decide where to go from here. Since both nations have invested substantially in the negotiating process, it would make no sense for North Korea to throw that away and go back to issuing fruitless threats. Nor would it be wise for North Korea to resume taking provocative acts. Not only would that undermine the goodwill Kim has built-up, it would actually make the U.S. look wise for not trusting Kims professions of good intentions and improved behavior. Fred Kaplan wrote for Slate that Trump and Kim failed to make a breakthrough and that might be the best move for now. SALT LAKE CITY Despite pushback from Democrats and some Republicans representing concerned residents, a bill that would limit city and counties' regulations of gravel pits is advancing in the Utah Legislature. HB288, sponsored by Rep. Logan Wilde, R-Croydon, cleared the Utah House on Thursday on a 51-20 vote, mostly along party lines, but with Republicans from areas including Draper and Tooele County casting no votes, expressing concerns the bill favors the gravel industry over neighbors who breathe its dust. HB288 stems from the stirring controversy over gravel pits along the Wasatch Front. Gravel pits are in high demand to fuel Utah's growth and construction for roads. But where neighborhoods abut gravel pits such as Geneva Rock's Point of the Mountain gravel pit in Draper residents decry their noise and dust, and mobilize against expansion. While some cities are pushing for regulations, residents want operations to move away altogether. "The bill provides heavy protections to the gravel industry with very little or no regard for residents in the vicinity of gravel extraction pits," argued Rep. Merrill Nelson, R-Grantsville, representing an area where residents have fought noise and debris of gravel pits. "It gives insufficient protection to local residents who live near these gravel pits," Nelson said. "So when the winds blow they feel the effects of it." Rep. Jeff Stenquist, R-Draper, a former councilman for the Point of the Mountain city, also rose against HB288, saying that while Wilde worked to address concerns with the bill, residents in his city remain firmly opposed. In Draper, residents have fought expansion of the gravel mining operations along I-15. "I hope that we can consider the balance between the ability of local government to look out for residents while at the same time making accommodations to the industry," Stenquist said. But despite that pushback, a majority of House Republicans voted to move the bill forward, arguing it struck an appropriate balance between private property rights and local control, while also ensuring Utah's gravel pits can continue to operate in the Wasatch Front's rapidly growing communities. "It protects our economy," Wilde argued on the House floor, noting that sand, rock and gravel are important construction materials that will balloon in cost the further they move away. "Can you imagine if our projects that we have around the state started to double, triple, just due to the fact we moved our gravel pits or our sand out of our communities?" Wilde said. "What this bill says is we need to keep those resources right where they're at." Yet at the same time, Wilde said his bill "does not give the industry free reign." Wilde noted that he's worked with the Utah League of Cities and Towns and the Utah Association of Counties to reach a compromise and "tighten" language so the gravel pit protection areas only take effect if the area's city or county council approves a proposal. "It protects those laws. It protects the public, and it protects the resources there," Wilde said. Defining rock, sand and gravel as "critical infrastructure materials," Wilde's bill would create special zones that protect existing gravel pits. In those zones, owners would be able to expand or alter operations regardless of city or county restrictions and would be able to expand into nearby property as long as it is allowed by zoning. Rep. Carl Albrecht, R-Richfield, came to the defense of Wilde's bill, saying the Point of the Mountain gravel pit has "been there for years" before neighborhoods encroached. "Maybe the blame should be placed upon the developer for buying those lands and trying to squeak every piece of real estate they can out of them, knowing in fact that the gravel pit was there, that when the wind blows they're going to have dust," Albrecht said. Albrecht added: "Those gravel pits are what make our freeways. They make our yards comfortable Sometimes we think, 'Oh no, we've got something going on bad here.' Well, let's understand those folks were there for a long time and that the other people moved into the area." The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration. Ericsson has been selected by Tele2 Russia to upgrade its network with the 5G-ready Ericsson Radio System, including software. More than 50,000 base stations will be deployed across the country as part of the five-year network modernisation deal. The deal will enable higher speed and capacity rates and prepare the Tele2 network for 5G. The agreement was signed at Mobile World Congress 2019 in Barcelona by Sergey Emdin, CEO of Tele2, and Sebastian Tolstoy, Head of Ericsson Russia. Under the terms of the agreement, the parties will cooperate to implement technological solutions on Tele2s infrastructure across 27 regions in Russia including Moscow and Saint Petersburg to meet constantly growing data traffic demands. We are deploying a high-quality network based on advanced equipment while taking into account the increasing data volumes and technological changes in the industry. Before launching 5G networks, Russia must first address several infrastructure issues. However, when all barriers are overcome, new networks will be built faster than LTE, partly owing to existing infrastructure remarked Sergey Emdin, CEO of Tele2 Russia. This would be possible only with Ericssons cutting-edge technology. We are sure that Ericssons experience, expertise and market-leading portfolio will allow us to upgrade our network to meet loads and gear up for the launch of 5G. A Better World, Irelands New Policy for International Development Press release Taoiseach, Tanaiste and Minister Cannon launch A Better World, Irelands New Policy for International Development Gender Equality Climate Action Good Governance Combatting Poverty Crucial Element of Global Ireland Plan for Doubling Irelands Impact by 2025 With the significant expansion of Irelands international development programme already underway, the Government today launched A Better World, a new policy with a re-aligned focus on gender equality, climate action, good governance and combatting poverty. Speaking this morning (28 February) at the launch event, which is being hosted by the Sustainable Development Goals Unit in University College Dublin, An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar T.D. said: I believe in an Ireland that is at the centre of the world, an economy open to trade and investment, a committed member of the European Union and the United Nations, a country committed to peace, human rights and multilateralism. Our commitment to continue to increase funding for International Development as part of the Global Ireland programme is central to realising this vision. But its not just about money. Its about outcomes. So we have chosen to focus on a few areas in which we believe we can make a real difference including gender equality, governance, climate action and reducing humanitarian need. Climate change, terrorism, inequality and migration are worldwide challenges. We cannot solve them on our own. We need to take global action. Its the right thing to do but its also in our interest to do it. The Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney T.D., added: This policy provides the framework for the Governments commitment in Global Ireland to reach the international target for overseas development assistance of 0.7% of GNI by 2030. In doing so, our investments will focus on the furthest behind first. This is not only a moral imperative - it is also in Irelands strategic self-interest. Expanding our development cooperation is an investment in a more peaceful, equal and sustainable world. A Better World focuses on conflict prevention, sustainable food systems, health and education, and dealing with humanitarian emergencies. It raises the emphasis on gender and climate action across Irelands international development programme. And it reinforces Irelands contribution to multilateralism where countries co-operate for the greater good. A Better World alsoplaces a strong emphasis on partnerships with civil society and Irelands membership of the European Union, on innovation and on sharing Irelands own experiences in international development. The Minister for the Diaspora and International Development, Ciaran Cannon T.D., underlined the importance of these dimensions, saying: It is only through coming together with others that the great challenges of our time, such as climate change, poverty and conflict, can be addressed. A Better World will enhance Irelands role in dealing with global challenges, and build on the strong reputation that Ireland has gained in international development since it launched its first programme in 1974. It builds on Global Ireland, the Governments initiative to double the scope and impact of Irelands global footprint in the period to 2025. Global Ireland is the most ambitious renewal and expansion of Irelands international presence ever undertaken in terms of diplomacy, culture, business, overseas aid, tourism and trade. Irelands Official Development Assistance The new policy will provide the framework for making progress towards the UN target of allocating 0.7 percent GNI to Official Development Assistance by 2030 as economic circumstances permit. Overall Irish official development assistance in 2019 is forecast to reach almost 817 million, an increase of approximately 110 million, or a 16 percent increase on 2018s budget announcements. This represents a very significant investment of public funds by the Government in Irelands international development cooperation programme on behalf of the taxpayer. Irelands contribution to reducing global poverty is regularly found to be amongst the best in the world, making a difference to approximately 130 countries each year. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Brokered at the UN in 2015, by Ireland and Kenya, the Sustainable Development Goals is a universal plan of action to improve the quality of life for all by 2030. Central to the SDGs is the concept of `Leave no one behind and reaching the furthest behind first. Ireland presented its first voluntary report to the UN on Irelands progress on the SDGs in July 2018. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld/publication | Next Item Better together: a united response to Europe's challenges Speech Better together: a united response to Europe's challenges Address by Minister of State for European Affairs, Helen McEntee, T.D. Lithuanian Institute of Political Science 28 February 2019 ***Check Against Delivery*** Ladies and Gentlemen, Laba diena, aciu uz kvietima [Good day, thank you for your invitation] Let me begin by saying what a pleasure it is for me to be here in the beautiful city of Vilnius and to be here in the Institute for International Relations and Political Science. I know the Institute has produced many of Lithuanias modern leaders. You, the students of the Institute, bear a special responsibility not only to uphold the reputation of the Institute, but also to use the skills and values that you develop here for the good of Lithuania, for the good of Europe, and for good of the wider world. My visit to Lithuania follows in the footsteps of the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, who had a wonderfully warm visit here last June. He came to offer the congratulations of the Irish people on the centenary of Lithuanias re-emergence as an independent state. He also came to celebrate the strength and the depth of the friendship between our two countries. It is beyond anything that either of us could have imagined in 1918, when we too were making our difficult way towards independence. Who back then would have expected that Lithuanians would become the third largest community living in Ireland? The richness of our relationship owes much to the tens of thousands of Lithuanians who have come to live in Ireland. As a country with a long history of emigration, we know how much you feel their absence. We hope that they keep their connections with you, their family and friends in Lithuania. But, we also want them to feel at home in Ireland and to know that they are valued members of our community. They help to represent modern Ireland an outward looking, open country. They also represent what it is to be European to have the freedom to travel, to study, to work and to make a life in any other country in the European Union. And it is our shared home in the European Union which binds Ireland and Lithuania more than anything else. Our shared home and the shared future we are building within it. This year we will take vital decisions about the future direction of our Union. In May, we will elect a new European Parliament. Or at least some of us will. In a Eurobarometer survey last year, only half of the people said they had an interest in the elections. If they all voted, it would be an improvement on the 43% turnout for the last European Parliament elections, when turnout dropped for the seventh time in a row. For countries like Ireland and Lithuania, who are amongst the most optimistic about the future of the European Union, these figures are deeply worrying. All elections are important, but I do not remember any more important European elections than these, especially for those of us who believe we are better together. For us, apathy comes at a price. A recent European Council on Foreign Relations report provides a worrying snapshot of the disruptive effect a one-third Anti-European parliament could have on foreign trade, the rule of law, migration, foreign policy, the EU budget and the appointment of the next Commission. Those of us who care about what it means to be European are rightly concerned by the rise of Euroscepticism, but in the face of it I am reminded of something John F. Kennedy once said: The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by sceptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were. Our Union has been blessed with men and women of vision and of pragmatism. Men and women who, as George Bernard Shaw said, ask: Why not? How improbable a Union based on peace, freedom and democracy must have seemed to a continent devastated by the Second World War. How improbable that Union must have seemed to people whose lives had long been shattered by the rivalry of nation states and the pooling of blood not sovereignty. How improbable it must have seemed when, one summer morning in 1961, Berlin awoke to a wall that split our continent in two. How improbable it must have seemed as the Lithuanian Theatre Union staged plays - in the beautiful building which is now home to the Irish Embassy in Vilnius mostly using puppets to defy Soviet censorship and to foster once again your citizens belief in your freedom to choose your own destiny. And, yet, here we are. A Union of sovereign states, committed to working together to face the challenges of our modern world. A Union that is better together. This year Lithuania celebrates 15 years of membership of the European Union. As President Higgins recalled during his visit, we, in Ireland, are particularly proud that that historic moment occurred in Dublin, during Irelands Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2004. We named the occasion The Day of Welcomes. The most significant enlargement in the history of the European Union. As the President said when he was here last summer: It was a moment of healing and of hope hope for the founding ideals upon which the Union was built. Cynics and sceptics could not have conceived that moment. They could never have imagined all that it means to be in the European Union. Some of them still cant. And, yet, cynics and sceptics seem to be gaining a foothold. Populism is loud. It claims to speak for the silent majority, but I believe that the will of the majority is in the remarkable achievements of the European Union over the past 60 years. I believe it is in the very fabric of our society. So we need to fight for the Europe we believe in. We need to vote for the Europe we believe in. Last year, Ireland celebrated 45 years membership of the European Union. Our European destiny was not always obvious. We first established diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community, as it then was, in 1959. At the time we did not even have diplomatic relations with all six of the founding members. It took more than a decade from our first application for membership in 1961 to the moment of our accession in 1973. Our applications were so deeply intertwined with those of the United Kingdom, that each time their application for membership was vetoed, our prospects also ended. But, even without this, there were doubts about our capacity to make a success of membership. Ireland was seen as remote, underdeveloped and unprepared for the obligations of membership. And, yet, people with vision persisted. In the face of disappointment, they stretched the obvious horizons. So that now, more than 45 years later, Ireland stands transformed by our membership of the European Union. There is an Irish saying: Ni neart go cur le cheile. It translates as: There is no strength without unity. We have experienced both unity and strength at the heart of the European Union. Never more so than during the difficult negotiations surrounding the United Kingdoms departure from the European Union. Brexit poses a unique and unprecedented challenge for the European Union and for Ireland We are profoundly grateful to each and every one of the Member States, including Lithuania, for the extraordinary solidarity which they have all shown to Ireland in the context of Brexit. The invisible border is the most tangible product of the Peace Process on the island of Ireland. It has allowed relationships and communities to be rebuilt following 30 years of violent conflict. With an average of 30,000 border crossings every day for work or study, it allows commercial, political and social relationships to thrive across the island. The European Union has always played a crucial role in fostering peace and reconciliation. While we deeply regret the UKs decision to leave, we respect the choice of the British people. The EU has also respected that choice. The Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, including the backstop, was negotiated on the basis of the EU and the United Kingdoms shared understanding of the need to address the unique circumstances on the island of Ireland. It is there to protect the hard won peace on the island of Ireland and acts as an insurance policy to avoid a hard border in all circumstances. It cannot, as some have suggested, be time limited. A backstop with a time limit is simply not a backstop. Recent events in Westminster have only reinforced how important this is. Brexit is deeply disappointing for all of us who remain committed to the European Union. But EU membership is also our greatest protection from the challenges that it will bring: We know that we are better together. Experience tells us so. We also know that solidarity is at the very foundation of our Union and it is reciprocal. A very tangible expression of European solidarity is found in how we allocate our resources. We are currently negotiating the EUs next long-term financial plan the Multi-Annual Financial Framework the MFF. It is negotiated once every seven years. There is still a lot of work to be done to reach a common position. Each Member State has its own priorities, as does the European Parliament, and negotiations are always difficult. For Ireland, our top priority is to agree a budget of an adequate size and structure to meet the needs of our Union and our citizens, and to deliver on our shared ambitions. As a Net Contributor, Ireland is open to contributing more to the Budget, so long as European Added Value is met. For Ireland, a well-funded Common Agricultural Policy is a classic example of European Added Value. Likewise, we are strong defenders of the need to protect the Structural and Cohesion Funds. As a country that has benefited enormously from the investment in our infrastructure that was made possible by these funds, we understand why they matter so much to countries like Lithuania. We also believe that it is essential that we continue to fund other Programmes that work well such as Erasmus Plus, which is particularly valuable to our young people. Another example is Horizon Europe, which will support the necessary investment in research and development to create the jobs of the future. In this vital year for our Union, we need to focus on what unites us as Europeans and how we ensure that we are better together. We are part of a generation with two identities national and European. We can enjoy each of those identities without compromising the other. But we cannot be complacent about the values that underpin this unparalleled privilege. We have to safeguard and protect the fundamental values of our Union freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights. These are what it means to be European. Europes history reminds us that they cannot be taken for granted. Our shared values are the foundations on which we will build our future and meet the challenges that we face. And we are facing challenges - challenges which could scarcely have been imagined by those who had the vision to create our Union. When the leaders of the EU27 met in Bratislava shortly after the Brexit referendum they declared: The EU is not perfect, but it is the best instrument we have for addressing the new challenges we are facing. We need the EU not only to guarantee peace and democracy but also the security of our people. We need the EU to serve better their needs and wishes to live, study, work, move and prosper freely across our continent and benefit from the rich European cultural heritage. As we move forward, we have pledged to focus on the expectations of Europes citizens, to listen and to respond to their concerns. In Ireland, I travelled across the country leading a series of Citizens Dialogue on the Future of Europe. The over-riding message that I heard is that Irish people want the European Union to be fair. They want the European Union to continue to do what it does best. They support investment in policies like the CAP, in regional development and in Erasmus Plus. Business and consumers want to see the completion of the Single Market, particularly in services, and to adapt to the increasing digitalisation of our economies and our lives. These are overdue commitments. They are what the European Parliament calls the cost of non-Europe. That is why we have been working closely with Lithuania, together with the other Nordic-Baltic partners and the Netherlands, on a number of important policy initiatives, in these and other areas which we believe will deliver real benefits. Throughout the country when I asked people about what the EU means to them, they repeated words like peace, cooperation, unity, solidarity and community. They want to be part of a Union that lives up to its values. They believe we are better together. You have had a similar citizens consultation initiative My Europe - here in Lithuania. I know that one of the key concerns raised here was about the need for the EU to be more active in response to emerging threats and challenges. We live in an increasingly globalised world. We are challenged by new issues such as mass migration, climate change, cyber threats and international terrorism. These are issues that pay no heed to national borders and that are too big to be dealt with by any single Member State acting alone. We are better facing these challenges together. One of the founding fathers of the European Union, Paul-Henri Spaak once said that there were only two kinds of countries in Europe: small countries and small countries that have not yet realised that they are small. It is telling that that quote has been gaining currency of late even in Germany. We in Ireland have always known that it is a small country. We also know that membership of the European Union is one of the best ways we have to amplify our voice and project our Treaty based values. In a time when some are choosing to retreat from multilateralism, it is vital that we ensure that the European Union a collection of small to medium sized states - has the capacity to work together to be a strong actor on the world stage. There are challenges which simply cannot wait. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership, through which the EU governs its relationship with many post-Soviet states including Georgia and Ukraine. I know the European perspective of both these countries was also something which featured in your Citizens Dialogues. I commend your solidarity with your neighbours. The 10th anniversary is a milestone during which we should acknowledge the progress made by our partners in an unpredictable environment. I was very pleased that the Political Directors of both Ireland and Lithuanias Foreign Ministries travelled to Ukraine last year for joint political consultations. Coming from a country that both remembers the long wait to become a member and has benefitted hugely from accession, I believe that we have a responsibility to welcome new members who can demonstrate that they are ready and able to take on all of the responsibilities and obligations of membership. I recently visited North Macedonia and Albania. The enthusiasm that these countries have for membership is palpable. It reflects the true value of membership. We, who are privileged to have it, must not take it for granted. Next May, EU leaders will gather in Sibiu in Romania. They will discuss Europes priorities for the next five years, with a view to agreeing the Unions Strategic Agenda for 2019-2024 at the June European Council. They will be guided by what we have heard during our citizens consultations. They will be guided by you. I want to leave to you today not with my vision of the future of Europe, but with the vision of an ordinary Irish citizen who came along to one of our Citizens Dialogues. It was a vision of: A safe Europe, a united Europe, a prosperous Europe, a fair Europe, an enlightened Europe. That is a vision of Europe we should all aspire to. A vision of Europe where we will truly be: Better Together. Thank you. Aciu uz demesi, laukiu jusu klausimu. [Thank you for your attention, I look forward to your questions.] | Next Item Railways cancels operations from its end as Pak suspends services across border. The train, which was supposed to leave from Attari to Delhi at 8 pm Thursday, has been cancelled. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Railways has cancelled the operations of the Indo-Pak Samjhauta Express on its side from Thursday, which senior officials said was due to purely operational r-easons as Pakistan had suspended services from across the border. A notification in this regard was issued here. Pakistan has already suspended services on its end, officials said here, amidst strain in ties in the aftermath of the February 14 terror attack on CRPF personnel in Pulwama and subsequent developments. The train, which was supposed to leave from Attari to Delhi at around 8 pm Thursday, has been cancelled. The Railway Board has also suspended all operations of the Attari Special Express, Delhi-Attari-Delhi, which together with the Wagah-Lahore link is known as the Samjhauta or Friendship Express, from the trains next scheduled run which is on Sunday, March 3, according to the order. With no passengers from Pakistan, it makes no sense to run it on our end. The cancellation has been done purely for operational reason. Hopefully we will be able to resume services once tension deescalates, a source said. At least 40 passengers from both countries are believed to be stranded at Attari, the sources said. Pakistan had Wednesday cancelled the trains trip on the Wagah-Lahore stretch on its side, even as 27 passengers 24 Indians and three from the neighbouring country arrived in Attari at 7 am. The train had left the Old Delhi Railway station at 11.20 pm Wednesday night. On Thursday, the Wagah station master sent a message to his Attari counterpart that the passenger and parcel train which comes to Attari station from the Pakistan side at 12.30 pm will not be coming till further notice, officials said. Earlier in the day, a Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) spokesman said in a statement the operations of the train had been suspended Thursday in view of the prevailing tensions between Pakistan and India. The biweekly train was scheduled to depart from Lahore with 16 passengers. Samjhauta Express will resume its operations as soon as the security situation improves between India and Pakistan, the FO said, not giving any specific date for resuming the services. Originally, the train offered a through service with one rake going all the way between the terminals Delhi in India to Lahore in Pakistan. Subscriber content preview NEW YORK (AP) Major U.S. stock indexes closed mostly lower Wednesday after wavering for much of the day between small gains and losses. The downbeat finish extended the market's mild losses from a day earlier. Even so, the benchmark S&P 500 index is on track to end the month with a gain of more than 3 percent, extending the market's rebound over the last two months after a steep slide late last year. . . . Subscriber content preview By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press As Walmart moves to phase out its familiar blue-vested greeters at some 1,000 stores nationwide, disabled workers who fill many of those jobs say they're being ill-treated by a chain that styles itself as community-minded and inclusive. Walmart told greeters around the country last week that their positions would be eliminated on April 26 in favor of an expanded, more physically demanding customer host role. To qualify, they will need to be able to lift 25-pound (11-kilogram) packages, climb ladders and stand for long periods. . . . Subscriber content preview BOSTON (AP) Gov. Charlie Baker is brushing aside a proposal for Massachusetts to allow supervised injection sites for drug users. The Republican told reporters Wednesday the proposal is illegal under federal law and he wants to focus on legal actions the state is taking to curb overdose deaths. . . . Waterfront Park fits how Seattle lives, works The new park will support downtown residents and attract more Seattleites and visitors. By MAGGIE WALKER and HEIDI HUGHES Friends of Waterfront Seattle Walker Hughes Seattles waterfront, like its industries and its workers, is evolving. Now that the viaduct has been traveled for the last time, its noise and dirt have stopped. Soon, the structure itself will disappear, allowing sunlight onto a waterfront newly connected to the downtown core. Weve always known this was going to be an extraordinary opportunity for our city, and were committed at a high level: Friends is the nonprofit partner created as part of the citys waterfront strategic plan to help build and manage the new park spaces. We are raising philanthropic funds to help construct the park and provide free community programming for all users, and will work with the city Parks Department to maintain the park when built. With local improvement district funding in place, construction is imminent and we are getting an even clearer picture of how the new central Waterfront Park will benefit the region. Our continued economic growth depends on our ability to anticipate the needs of future generations of workers and industries, and Waterfront Park is an important element of that. Its been fascinating to see how other cities nationally are benefiting from similar projects. Image from Friends of Waterfront Seattle [enlarge] A rebuild of Pier 62 will be finished later this year; construction of the entire park will be finished in 2023. Knowledge-economy workers choose to work where they want to live, and that tends to be in dense, walkable and vibrant mixed-use environments. Projects like The High Line, Brooklyn Bridge Park and The Yards Park have been a boon to residents, workers and visitors. Seattles timing could not be better. Once Waterfront Park is complete, it will: Attract people from all over. The emerging Waterfront District wont just be a nice place for downtown residents, but an asset to the whole region. With a concentration of small businesses, a new park offering music and cultural activities, space to run, bike and play, the waterfront will attract people from across the region and the state. Support and attract downtown residents. People of all ages and stages of life are choosing to live downtown, and downtown residents keep a city vibrant by supporting large and small retailers, restaurants and cultural activities. Children under 18 are the fastest growing downtown demographic, and a high percentage of lower-income residents live within walking distance of the waterfront: 42 percent have incomes under $35,000. Retain workers and businesses in the core. Investments in signature urban spaces like the new waterfront help attract and retain workers, especially knowledge workers. These workers arent just in tech they are essential to other established industries such as aerospace, advanced manufacturing, agriculture and trade. Provide investment returns to the city. The plan for the waterfront was intentionally diversified with funding from the state, city, port, property owners and philanthropists. This means we can have a great waterfront without sacrificing other city priorities. The large initial economic impact of construction activity will be followed by hundreds of millions of dollars in ongoing economic impact over the years, as well as thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in direct taxes. Visit the showroom Friends of Waterfront Seattle is the city of Seattles nonprofit partner helping to build the park and ensure its lasting success. Following the public-benefit partnership model, we educate the public about the park and its benefits, raise philanthropic funds to build the park, and will partner with the city to fund, manage and program the park long-term. Our goal is to make the central waterfront a public mixing ground where all communities can share cultural, recreational and civic experiences in a beautiful environment. Explore the future park at our project showroom, Waterfront Space, at 1400 Western Ave. in Seattle. Its open noon-5 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday. Expand opportunities to small businesses; celebrate Seattles many cultures and partner with social service agencies. Friends is working to ensure this large public project benefits the entire community. For example, well be helping lower-income entrepreneurs establish their Waterfront Park-based businesses. Through partnerships with organizations like Ventures, Friends will provide access to affordable space, business training and micro-loans. Small businesses are the heart of job growth, and it is essential that we make sure everyone can get on that economic elevator. Diverse groups will also be engaged in cultural, educational and recreational programming so that visitors can experience Seattles cultural vibrancy. To keep these goals central to our work, we will expand our organization and diversify our leadership to reflect all Seattles communities and cultures. Its happening now Those who are watching the waterfront are seeing the physical transformation: the tunnel construction, the viaduct demolition, the MarketFront expansion. Over the next four years, well also see the construction of Waterfront Park: The Overlook Walk connecting Pike Place Market to the waterfront and restoring viaduct views; Seattle Aquariums new Ocean Pavilion with its sharkulus; and new trees, bike paths, bioswales, benches and playgrounds. But just as it takes people to make a house a home, our park wont fulfill its purpose until its filled with people. This has already started. Friends has been activating the existing waterfront during summers since 2015, and we have employed a three-pronged approach to keeping it welcoming and lively. First, we attract people to the space by bringing an abundance of programming and events; second, for those residents who are experiencing homelessness and addiction, we are meeting them where they are; and third, we engage law enforcement as appropriate. We get many questions about that second element. For several years, we have been engaged with Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) to help those in need. By pairing LEAD with our summer programming, we have seen a 30 percent decrease in arrests and citations and a 40 percent increase in attendance at events. This is crucial validation for our approach of honoring all people who come to the waterfront, and we look forward to scaling up this work year-round. Our waterfront is truly going to be Seattles front porch. As a place for recreation and restoration for those near and far, as a place of economic opportunity and as a legacy to our city, our waterfront will improve both stability and growth for our entire region. Maggie Walker is board chair and Heidi Hughes is executive director of Friends of Waterfront Seattle. Sponsor Other Stories: Old industrial area becomes a destination along the Columbia At full build out, The Waterfront Vancouver will have 3,300 residential units, 1.5 million square feet of office, retail and restaurant buildings and a waterfront park. By BARRY CAIN Gramor Development Cain Its easy to look at The Waterfront Vancouver today and forget what once was: An old paper mill, with a railroad track that separated downtown Vancouver from the Columbia River, and no public access to the largest waterway in the Portland metropolitan area. What isnt easy to forget is the years needed and the numerous people that invested time in making this project a success. Thirteen years were spent in meetings between members of the investor group, Columbia Waterfront LLC, and the city of Vancouver, as well as a long list of government agencies including those who specialize in waterfront projects. The team involved wanted to ensure that we werent just building a commercial development, but a destination. We knew whole-heartedly that we had the opportunity to impact Vancouver for generations to come and we didnt approach that responsibility lightly. Images from Gramor Development [enlarge] A cable-stayed pier at Waterfront Park juts nearly 100 feet over the Columbia River without any in-water support. Century in the making As is the case for many waterfront redevelopments across the country, the land along Vancouvers waterfront, which borders the Columbia River, was an unfriendly industrial area. For over a century this sprawling riverfront location was inaccessible to the public, separated from downtown Vancouver. For some history on the site: In 1905, a sawmill opened on the shore just south of downtown Vancouver, followed by a massive shipbuilding operation in 1918, which was converted to a paper mill in 1962. All these industrial uses eventually made downtown Vancouver less of a livable community, and most of the Vancouver residential growth occurred north and east of downtown. The city started an effort in 1990 to reverse this trend in the downtown area by sponsoring the Hilton hotel and convention center, rebuilding Esther Short Park and subsidizing the conversion of the Lucky Lager brewery into apartments. The last piece of the industrial uses and separation from the Columbia River remained until the paper mill closed in 1996. This opened the door for the redevelopment of downtown Vancouvers most valuable amenity: the riverfront. Shared vision In 2005, Boise Cascade offered the 32-acre property for sale. I recognized the unique potential of this site and set out to explore the possibilities of redeveloping it. To tackle a development of this size and scale, and to do so successfully, required a team of professionals from diverse backgrounds, which led to the formation of the Columbia Waterfront LLC. The then newly formed company put the property under contract and began a 4-year process of finalizing a development agreement with the city of Vancouver. In 2008, the 32-acre site was acquired by this investor group so it could continue the singular vision it had in mind: return the title of Gateway to the Pacific Northwest to the shores of Vancouver. The group worked closely with public planners, financing entities, city and Port of Vancouver leaders, as well as local residents, to create a master plan for development. The initial plan for the $1.5 billion development was approved in October 2009. This plan includes 3,300 urban residential units, 1.5 million square feet of office, retail and restaurant buildings and the waterfront park. It takes a village While the formation of the partnership and purchase of the land was an incredible first step towards turning our shared vision into a reality, there were still many obstacles that needed to be overcome. For one, the site had no infrastructure. It took thousands of hours of meetings, planning and a significant investment from Columbia Waterfront LLC and public entities to bring the basics water, electricity, roadways and a public park to the site. One of the most significant modifications was to reroute the train tracks that separated the waterfront land from the downtown core, including the creation of two new access points on Grant and Ester streets. If the $1.5 billion development was separated from the balance of downtown by a train track, it would never truly feel like a part of downtown, nor would downtown benefit from the development. It took the proverbial moving of a mountain to relocate a railroad and I will always be grateful for the efforts and cooperation needed from the city of Vancouver, the Port of Vancouver and Washington Department of Transportation Rail Division to make this critical part of the vision a reality. To create a first-class urban destination and not just a disconnected collection of high-rise buildings, Columbia Waterfront LLC donated over 7 acres and a half-mile of waterfront land, valued at over $15 million, to be used specifically for a world class park. [enlarge] This plaza will be one of several public gathering areas along the Columbia. Design leadership from the development team and coordination between private and public entities has resulted in outstanding quality for the developments Waterfront Park, as well as the extension of the Columbia River Renaissance Trail a stretch of riverside trail already used by over 800,000 people a year. In addition to major local architectural and engineering companies that designed streets and buildings, the development team spanned national and international partners. Those included PWL Partnership Landscape Architects of Vancouver, B.C.; Larry Kirkland, a renowned public artist with numerous notable monuments in Washington, D.C.; and Fisher Marantz Stone, designers responsible for lighting some of the largest and most iconic structures in the world. Stronger community, together The Waterfront Vancouver represents why cities across the country are investing in the redevelopment of their waterfronts through relationships with private investors: To bring new places and experiences to local residents, expand businesses and welcome visitors, improving their community for generations to come. Today, The Waterfront Vancouver is open and home to thriving restaurants, apartments and businesses, including Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar and WildFin American Grill, which are setting economic performance benchmarks for downtown Vancouver. Looking ahead, development will continue steadily into this year with more apartments and condos, a luxury hotel, Hotel Indigo, and restaurants including Pizzeria sul Lago, Barlows Public House, Maryhill Winery and Stack 571 Burger & Whiskey Bar. This collaboration and partnership between private and public entities can be a magnet for investment. As stated in a study from Johnson Economics in 2012: The Vancouver Waterfront project represents the most viable opportunity for the state of Washington to benefit from the economic activity in the broader Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area. The present value of the tax contributions from the development over a 20-year period would be over $382.6 million for the state and local jurisdictions. Additionally, employment at The Waterfront Vancouver is expected to total over 10,000 jobs when considering both construction labor and ongoing business needed to bring the project to life. However, the numbers only tell part of the story. The true success of The Waterfront Vancouver can only be measured in the eyes of the community. If they connect with this place and are proud to live, work and visit, then we have done our job well as development partners. Barry Cain owns and directs Gramor Development, a commercial retail real estate company responsible for the development of more than 65 retail and mixed-use projects in the Portland-metro area valued at over $1 billion. Sponsor Other Stories: While Russia is expected to support the move in solidarity with New Delhi, all eyes will be on China which has always vetoed previous such proposals. New Delhi/United Nations (New York): The US, the UK and Fra-nce who comprise three of the five permanent (P-5) UN security Council (SC) members enjoying the veto power have moved a fresh proposal in the UNSC to designate Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeMs) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, a listing that will subject him to global travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo. The other two permanent members are Russia and China. While Russia is expected to support the move in solidarity with New Delhi, all eyes will be on China which has always vetoed previous such proposals. Speculation is rife that China may either abstain this time-thereby allowing the proposal to be passedor else veto it again. Even if China abstains, it will be seen as a victory for India which has been lobbying with Beijing and sharing information with it about Azhar whose JeM carried out the recent Pulwama terror attack. However, if China vetoes the proposal again, it will be seen as a setback for India and victory for Beijings all-weather friend Pakistan, particularly in the context of Indo-Pak military tensions after the Pulwama terror attack. Indian government sou-rces said New Delhi had no information currently on how China would vote but pointed out that India has been sharing all relevant information on Azhar with Beijing. Meanwhile, the proposal was moved Wednesday by the three permanent veto-wielding members of the 15-nation Security Council. Soldiers first wore the field jacket. The Britons paraded the utility coat in the 19th century, serving as a practical uniform when stationed in India: lightweight for the equatorial heat and smartly cut from sturdy cotton canvas. Decades later, the Americans recruited the field jacket on patrol in Vietnam, the M65 the most popular, recognised by its olive green hue, billowy front pockets, and a built-in hood and epaulettes. The earthy tones saw the field jacket transition onto the African plains, offering camouflage for safari hunters, who also relished in the jackets breathability and function. But it was Monsieur Saint Laurent who brought the field-cum-fashion jacket to the concrete jungle in Paris in the Sixties, before Hollywood endorsed it with Sir Roger Moore, the coat gaining a civilian following thanks to a stylish James Bond. What Is The Field Jacket Nowadays, the field jacket ricochets down the runway and battles it out in the street-style scene. From Milan to New York, stylish men have adopted the former-army piece as their very own, wearing it with tailoring to work or over a simple t-shirt and jeans. While the basic construction a mid-length jacket with four front pockets hasnt altered that much today, the colours, fabrics and textures of contemporary field jackets have altered to meet changing style tastes and different weather condition. Love the look but not sure how to recruit it? Weve laid out 5 mens field jacket style tips, making it easy. The biggest piece of advice? The field jacket should feel and look effortless when worn. Just throw it on over any of your current go-to outfits and walk out the door. Field Jacket With A Suit The classic field jacket is the perfect office layer, serving as a functional and stylish top coat for the daily commute. Paired with a neutral two-piece business suit, opt for a sharp fitting field coat in deep olive and keep the details refined: a length that covers the hemline of the suit jacket and a belted waist for a tailored, clean aesthetic. And look into added features. Some models come with an insulating inlay (interchangeable from season to season) and boast a contemporary nylon shell to avoid creasing, but with a suede-trim collar and fleece-lined pockets for a touch of luxury thats subtle. Just add a textural woven tie and cutaway-collared shirt in baby blue and youre office prepped. Field Jacket With A Shirt Meeting up with the crew for pre-weekend drinks? Dressed-down Fridays welcome the field jacket in buttery tan or cream suede, the beltless style and natural colours creating a more refined, less rockstar top layer than say, a black leather perfecto. Belstaffs slim-fit suede design is a luxurious take on the army jacket. Embracing flap pockets, theres plenty of roomy for wallet, phone and keys, fastened with an easy-slide, two-way zipper. Fully-lined with an ultra-soft finish, its an informal elegance piece, taking you from night to day in style. Layer it over collared shirting and clean cut trousers, slipping in a fine-gauge knit and silk neckerchief adding smoothness to the suede. Wearing Black Field Jackets Even the monochrome and minimal can enlist the field jacket for daily wear. Keeping things black, opt for a sleek and lightweight blazer design. With minimal appendages and neat button fastening, layer it over a basic t-shirt, black chinos and white leather sneakers in low-cut silhouette. Burberry offers a a fully reversible model with military quilt topstitching, adding much needed texture and dimension to an all-black look. Despite the absence of metal, the jackets patch pockets, a small throat tab and subtle elbow patches give back points of interest without derailing simplicity. And when you tire from black, reverse the jacket and youll be a navy seal in no time. Wearing Waxed Field Jackets We have raincoats, but is there much option for keeping stylishly dry in the wet? Enter the waxed field jacket. A timeless classic, the weather-proof wax cotton boasts protection suitable for long periods outside; the black finish providing a statement sheen thats less ostentatious than say, patent leather. Barbour offers its take on waxed, finish with the brands signature corduroy collar, red check lining and logo patch for something a little heritage too. The ruggedness rolls well with denim: a jean jacket layered under an open waxed field, atop a plain t-shirt and black slim jeans for a great fabric mix. For a rock edge, simply add Wayfarer shades and suede Chelsea boots. And the beauty of waxed cotton? Like denim, it ages with the wearer: each crease, fold and blemish a symbol of individuality and a unique story to tell. Denim-heads, rejoice. Wearing Camo Field Jackets Camo print is taking street wear by storm this season, adding some tough-guy patterning to urban, skate-inspired outfits. Opting for an authentic camouflage, team the jacket with more refined casual pieces: Breton shirt, cropped trousers and low cut sneakers. Or with washed out denim jeans and chunky boots, the latter emphasising the military aspect well. Saint Laurent has crafted the perfect California-meets-captain jacket with a short shape shirt jacket style in fitted cut. The added sewn-on regiment patches reimagine military days, as do the many pockets. Roll the sleeves for summer and wear open, as its made from light cotton. The idea is to look like its a vintage second-hand find, but better without the bulky fit and heavy-duty fabric of yesteryear. And dust, obviously. Field Jackets FAQ What is versatile colour for a field jacket? Apart from the original olive green, khaki is a classic choice but if you want a more stylish alternative, go for grey. With field jackets it is best to keep things relatively neutral. How should a field jacket fit? Your field jacket should sit close to your body, not too tight especially when worn closed, or too baggy and loose. There should be allowance to wear layers underneath while not looking too bulky. Can you wear a field jacket with a suit? Sure. There are field jackets made of premium fabrics like suede that you can wear in formal affairs. Choose one with a trimmer fit and with cotton-linen tailoring. Ditch the blazer and pair your field jacket with tailored trousers and a white Oxford shirt. Read Next Pakistan to release captive IAF pilot tomorrow Pakistan has offered to return Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who is currently in the custody of Pakistani Army officials, on Friday, after the Pakistani authorities found a bargaining over the captive Indian Air Force officer is not a feasible option. Addressing Pakistans National Assembly, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will return to India on Friday. This, he maintained, is part of his governments efforts to de-escalate the rising tension between the two countries. "As a peace gesture, I announce that tomorrow (Friday), and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody," Imran Khan told the Assembly. Reports, meanwhile, said Imran Khan will be calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone. The Indian government has been maintaining that it will not be negotiating for Wing Commanders release. Reports also said after Wednesdays failed retaliatory attempt, Pakistan once again violated the Indian airspace in the Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control. Two jets tried to enter but were chased out by the Indian Air Force aircraft. A day after Indian Air Force bombed terror training camps across the Line of Control in Pakistan, attempted a retaliation, escalating the conflict. Both nations also shot down each other's warplanes. While India shot down a Pak F-16 fighter jet it also lost the MoG-21 it used to shoot down the plane. Pakistan also captured the IAF pilot after his plane was brought down the air combat. A statement from India`s foreign ministry said the pilot`s treatment was a "vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention," ordering his immediate release. US, UK, France move UNSC afresh against Jaish chief Masood Azhar The US, the UK and France have moved a fresh proposal in the United Nations Security Council to designate Masood Azhar, chief of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Muhamad, as a global terrorist the fourth attempt to put Masood Azhar on the UN terror blacklist. On all occasions, China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, had come as a saviour of Pakistan and its JeM. China blocked all proposals to impose sanctions on Masood Azhar, a listing that will subject him to global travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo. The Security Council Sanctions Committee will have 10 working days to consider the fresh proposal submitted by the three permanent veto-wielding members of the 15-nation Security Council. The proposal is the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist. China In 2009, India moved the firsy proposal to designate Azhar, whose UN-proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammed and in 2016 again, India moved the proposal with the P3 - the United States, the United Kingdom and France in the UNs 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar, who also is the mastermind of the attack on the air base in Pathankot in January 2016. In 2017, the P3 nations moved a similar proposal. However, all these proposals came to nought with China blocking the proposals from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee. India has strongly reiterated its appeal to all members of the international community to support the proposal to list terrorists, including Azhar, as designated terrorists under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, and to ban terrorist organisations operating from territories controlled by Pakistan. It remains to be seen how China will vote on the proposal this time. There is strong speculation in Letterkenny that a fourth Fianna Fail candidate may be added to the ticket for the upcoming local elections in May. Letterkenny Municipal District has already three sitting Fianna Fail councillors, Liam Blaney, James Pat McDaid and Ciaran Brogan. Donal Coyle is also seeking selection at the convention. However, a senior source within the party has indicated this week that a fourth candidate is almost certain to be added on to the ticket. The candidate is Ms. Bernie Moran, an IT specialist and proprietor of the House of Fun Montessori School and wife of Dr. Kevin Moran, the team doctor for Donegal GAA. Ms. Moran attended the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis in Dublin last weekend. Ms. Moran confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that she was indeed giving it consideration. I have been approached and feel honoured, she said. I am giving it consideration but just need a little more time before I finally make up my mind. I feel I have to discuss it with my family as I am one of those people that when I do something I throw my heart and soul into it. A Fianna Fail stalwart in Letterkenny said, Bernie Moran is a formidable woman and would truly be a great asset. Motorists planning on driving in Northern Ireland/UK immediately post no deal Brexit are being advised to begin applying from first week of March. Today the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) confirmed it has issued approximately one million Green Card forms, as well as electronic application templates to insurance companies and insurance brokers in case there is a no deal Brexit. The figure was revealed at a special briefing organised for members of the Oireachtas on the Green Cards issue. The MIBI also advised that motorists who plan on driving in Northern Ireland or elsewhere in the UK immediately after no deal Brexit should begin applying for their Green Cards from the first week of March. Those who plan on travelling after that period should contact their insurance companies and insurance brokers one month in advance of their expected travel date. Green Cards are internationally recognised insurance documents which provide proof of insurance cover to law enforcement agencies in the relevant country. It is a hard copy document which is printed on green paper or with a green background. If there is a no deal Brexit on 29th March then any motorist who plans on driving their Irish registered vehicle in Northern Ireland or the UK is advised to ensure they have a Green Card or they could possibly be subjected to the penalties for driving uninsured after that date. The Oireachtas members were also informed that the Green Cards will not be necessary if a deal is agreed between the UK and the EU on Brexit, while if the UK were to delay their plans for Brexit then the need for Green Cards would also be delayed. The MIBI acts as Green Card Bureau in the Republic of Ireland. The MIBI is a not for profit organisation that was established to compensate victims of road traffic accidents caused by uninsured and unidentified vehicles. Speaking after the briefing organised for members of the Oireachtas, David Fitzgerald, Chief Executive of the MIBI said: As the Green Card Bureau for the Republic of Ireland, the MIBI is working with the insurance companies and insurance brokers in this country to ensure that anyone who requires a Green Card can get one. At this point we have issued approximately 1 million blank Green Card forms to insurance companies and insurance brokers, as well as electronic application templates for those organisations who are completing the documentation digitally. Anyone who expects they will need to drive their vehicle in Northern Ireland or other parts of the UK in the days after Brexit should apply for their Green Card from the beginning of March. After that we would encourage anyone else who plans to travel to notify their insurance company or insurance broker one month in advance of their expected travel date to ensure they receive their Green Card on time. We still hope that Green Cards will not be required and that the UK will reach an agreement with the EU on an orderly Brexit. If a transitional Brexit arrangement is put in place between the EU and the UK then Green Cards will not be required. While a delayed Brexit means the need for Green Cards will also be pushed back. However, as things stand a no deal Brexit could occur on the 29th March and it is important that the motoring public is aware of the implications. Under a no deal Brexit then Irish insurance documentation may no longer be recognised by the law enforcement authorities in Northern Ireland or the rest of the UK. In Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK the penalties for driving without insurance include having your vehicle seized at the side of the road, fines and impoundment. We dont want to see that happen to motorists with valid insurance and we urge anyone who thinks this may impact them to apply for a Green Card in sufficient time, Mr. Fitzgerald concluded. Louth TD Gerry Adams is calling on the government to act urgently to avoid chaos for drivers travelling across the border post Brexit. Adams warned: forcing drivers from either jurisdiction on this island to carry an International Motor Insurance Card to cross the border would be a significant breach of the spirit and ethos of the Good Friday Agreement. Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland held a briefing with Oireachtas members in the Dail yesterday. The Insurers organisation provided some information on the introduction of the International Motor Insurance Card (Green Card), which motorists in each jurisdiction on this island will be expected to carry when travelling across the border in the event of a no deal Brexit. Teachta Adams added: It was clear from the briefing today that there is an absence of information about the outworking of the introduction of the International Motor Insurance Card, or so-called Green Card, and how it will be used. He continued: "The Motor Insurers Bureau told the briefing that drivers need to contact their insurer next week and apply for a green card because a no deal Brexit on March 29 would leave them without proper car insurance. Drivers must apply one month before travelling. Despite this imminent and significant legal change there is no public information campaign planned by either the insurers or the government. "The Insurers could not tell us how this system will be enforced? What powers will An Garda Siochana and the PSNI have if they stop a driver with no green card? "There is an urgent responsibility on the government to resolve this issue. To force drivers on this island to apply for and carry an International Motor Insurance Card to travel across the border would be a significant breach of the spirit and ethos of the Good Friday Agreement. The Government must urgently put the case to the European Commission to waive the green card requirement. The cross-LoC shelling and firing resumed in the same sector in the afternoon. Police officers and locals carry an injured for treatment to a hospital after firing and mortar shelling by the Pakistani Army along the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector of J&K. (Photo: PTI) Srinagar: Indian and Pakistani troops on Thursday again exchanged heavy small arms and mortar fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district. One woman resident was killed, an off-duty soldier was critically injured and another woman was injured in the unprovoked Pakistani shelling, the officials said. Defence spokesman Lt. Col. Davendra Anand said in Jammu that Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire agreement by initiating unprovoked shelling of mortars and firing by small arms in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch early Thursday. The shelling and firing, he said, started at 6 am and continued for one hour. The own forces (Indian troops) retaliated strongly and effectively. Firing stopped at about 7 am, he said. The cross-LoC shelling and firing resumed in the same sector in the afternoon. The Army said that the Pakistani troops again resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling at 1 pm and that the Indian troops responded to it strongly and befittingly. Two hours later, the Pakistani troops resorted to heavy-shelling with mortars and firing of small arms also along Sunderbani, Mankote, Khari Karmara and Degwar areas of LoC, the Army said. The Pakistani troops started firing and shelling in these areas at 3 pm. There also, our troops are retaliating to unprovoked ceasefire violation strongly and befittingly, it said. The police sources said that a woman was killed and a jawan on leave at home and another woman were injured as the Pakistani Army shelled civilian areas and forward posts in six sectors along the LoC in Poonch and neighbouring Rajouri district on Thursday. This was the seventh consecutive day that Pakistan has targeted forward posts along the LoC, the sources said. In the Chajjala area of Mendhar (Poonch district), a woman resident identified as 32-year-old Amina Akhter, was killed after being hit by mortar shrapnel, the police said. An off-duty soldier Lance Naik Zakir Hussain was critically wounded in the Pakistani shelling in Balnoi village of Mankote area. The police said that a shell fired by the Pakistan Army hit the residential premises of Hussain who is on leave. Mendhars Block Medical Officer, Dr Pervaiz Ahmad Khan, said that Hussain was referred to district hospital in critical condition. Another woman resident Naseema Akhter of Nar Mankote village was also injured in the Pakistani shelling, the police said. Meanwhile, schools in the five kilometres area from the LoC in Poonch, Rajouri, Samba and Jammu districts have been closed as a precautionary measure in view of the cross- border firing amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan. On Wednesday, the Army had said that it destroyed, at least, five forward posts of Pakistan Army along the LoC in Poonch and neighbouring Rajouri district. The action, it said, was taken in retaliation to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing and shelling resorted to by the Pakistani troops in violation of the November 2003 ceasefire understanding soon after the IAF struck at the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) camp at Balakot on Tuesday. The Army had also said that it was giving a befitting reply to a similar pastime of the Pakistani troops in the Kamalkot area of Uri sector in the Kashmir Valley. The Army had said that five Pakistani posts were destroyed late on Tuesday night. Defence spokesperson Lt. Col. Anand had said the firing resulted in several casualties on the Pakistani side. Reports from across the LoC said that hundreds of families in PoKs border belt have fled their homes to escape cross-border shelling and firing and shifted to safer areas. The Pakistani authorities had on Tuesday claimed that six civilians including two women and two children were killed in the Indian firing and shelling on civilian areas in PoKs Nakyal sector. 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. You have only one day left to apply. The closing date for application to join the summit is 1 March. At a pre-event of GES2019 in Las Vegas (USA) Dutch and US companies discussed the importance of an event for high-impact entrepreneurs. Here Corinne Vigreux, co-founder of Dutch navigation technologies company TomTom, explains the importance of an ecosystem for entrepreneurs to scale up. More bankable water projects There is one more reason for entrepreneurs to participate. To join in on discussions with financers to make more water projects bankable to be able to reach the Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water by 2030. By involving financers at an early stage of the development of new water technologies it will become easier to roll out the technical solutions globally. Shared ownership "With shared ownership, water projects last longer", says Dutch special water envoy Henk Ovink. Ovink will be at the summit sharing the latest experiences with the Water as Leverage programme in three Asian cities. "In those cities we are seeking ways to integrating water solutions in other infrastructure projects, such as the creation of parks, harbours, roads or district renovation", Ovink explains. Join discussions with financers Ovink invites tech entrepreneurs to join the discussion with him and the financers that will be present at the summit. "I take pride in your innovative technologies, your capacity to connect and collaborate globally", the water envoy continues. "Together we show how to run water approaches, inclusively and comprehensively, and show the world to deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development". Ovink: "Join me and possible partners from around the world to connect, find opportunities to invest, implement and scale up and replicate your best projects. Lets show the world this best global investment opportunity." First time in Europe The 9th edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit will be held in Europe for the first time. It is hosted by the Dutch government and will again bring together 2,000 entrepreneurs from all over the world, giving them the chance to meet 400 top investors, business leaders, policy makers and innovators. The event includes inspirational talks, pitch competitions and matchmaking sessions. Besides water, this years edition will also be focussing on agriculture/food, connectivity, energy and health. Three pre-events Before the summit takes place in The Hague, three pre-events will take place: Road to GES 2019 Caribbean, Curacao, on 14-15 March 2019 Road to GES Heartland, Kansas, USA, on 18-19 March Road to GES The Next Web, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 9-10 May 2019 See more details on the application: www.ges2019.org/application Read more on this website Pitch your water innovation at GES2019 Summit in The Hague, 29 January 2019 European Water Technology Week 2018: A look back on an event that connected water tech hubs worldwide, 3 October 2018 Water Tech Fest: Caught in the battle between game changers and game keepers, 27 May 2016 Expertise: Water technology More information Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2019 www.ges2019.org 2019 Global Entrepreneurship Summit: Apply Now Pak troops violate ceasefire agreement by initiating unprovoked shelling in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch. The shelling and firing, Lt. Col. Devender Anand said, started at 6 am and continued for one hour. Indian troops retaliated strongly and effectively. Firing stopped around 7 am, he said. (Representational Image) Srinagar: India and Pakistan troops on Thursday exchanged heavy small arms and mortar fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. No casualties were reported. Defence spokesman Lt. Col. Devender Anand said in Jammu that Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire agreement by initiating unprovoked shelling of mortars and firing by small arms in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch. The shelling and firing, he said, started at 6 am and continued for one hour. Indian troops retaliated strongly and effectively. Firing stopped around 7 am, he said. On Wednesday, the Army had destroyed at least five forward posts of the Pakistan army along the LoC in Poonch and neighbouring Rajouri district. The action, it said, was taken in retaliation to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing and shelling by the Pakistani troops in violation of the November 2003 ceasefire understanding. Defence spokesperson Lt. Col. Anand had said there was firing on Tuesday too and it resulted in several casualties on the Pakistani side. He also said the Pakistani troops initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling with heavy calibre weapons at 12 to 15 places along the LoC from 6.30 pm (Wednesday) onwards. Pakistani troops were also seen firing mortars and missiles from civilian houses using villagers as human shields, he claimed. The areas affected by the Pakistani firing on Tuesday and Wednesday included Krishna Gate, Balakote, Mankote, Karmara and Tarkundi areas of Poonch and Kalal, Baba Khori, Kalsian, Laam and Jhangar in Rajouri. Cross border clashes were reported also from Pallanwala and Laleali sub-sectors in Akhnoor sector of Jammu district. The two sides clashed also in Kamalkote area of Uri. A few Pakistani shells landed in Kamalkote nallah and near Kaalgi village of Uri. No casualties were reported on the Indian side, reports said. Meanwhile, schools in the five kilometres area from the LoC in Poonch, Rajouri, Samba and Jammu districts have been closed as a precautionary measure in view of the cross-border firing amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan. Modi said, 'India will stand as one, work as one, grow as one, fight as one and will win as one.' Amid Indo-Pakistan tension, PM said, 'The enemy tries to destabilize us, carries out terror attacks, they want to stop our growth. We all countrymen are standing like a rock to counter their evil designs.' (Photo: ANI | Twitter) New Delhi: Ignoring the opposition attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed millions of workers of BJP on Thursday. Modi said, India will stand as one, India will work as one, India will grow as one, India will fight as one, India will win as one." "When the enemy supports terror and acts against India, it is to stop India's progress. But we must all ensure that we stand together, stand united, stand with our soldiers to ensure we are strong... ensure that no matter what, our progress and our work does not stop," said PM Modi at the event, "Mera Booth, Sabse Mazboot". 'Be cautious of Opposition's attempt to spread fake news over social media': Modi Amid Indo-Pakistan tension, PM said, The enemy tries to destabilize us, carries out terror attacks, they want to stop our growth. We all countrymen are standing like a rock to counter their evil designs. We have to be hardworking in all sectors. India is grateful to all those who are protecting the nation. It is because they are there, the nation can reach new levels of development, Modi said appreciating the armed forces. This Prime Ministers mega event is pitched as the worlds largest video conference. PM Modi interacted with one crore BJP workers and volunteers at the level of polling booths, called "booth workers", to mobilise them ahead of the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Not sure how this helps, folks Youre about to go to prison for lying. How can we believe anything you say? The answer is we cant. That was House Republican Rep. Carol Miller from West Virginia at yesterdays hearing with Trump fixer Michael Cohen who is going to prison, in part, for lying to Congress in 2017. During the hearing, like Ms. Miller, Republican after Republican reminded America that Michael Cohen is a convicted liar. And what did Cohen lie to them about? The criminality of the President of the United States. One after another, they made it clear as day that when Cohen came to Congress and lied, he was lying to protect a man who, as is increasingly clear, is up to his neck in criminal behavior. And at no point did they try to defend Donald Trump. In other words, in their rush to discredit Cohen, they very literally made the case that when he came to them the first time and defended Trump, he was lying, and that Trump was, in fact, guilty of the things Cohen was trying to cover up. Im not sure how that approach helps Trumps cause. More importantly, it shines a bright light on Republicans own negligence in doing the job theyre supposed to do to protect our country from a Criminal-in-Chief. Enterprise IT Lead Generation Services Fuel Your Pipeline. Close More Deals. Our full-service marketing programs deliver sales-ready leads. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee! Learn more. Google must remove search results about medical regulators' conditional suspension of a Dutch physician in the first "right to be forgotten" case of its kind in the European Union. After Google and Dutch data privacy watchdog Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens rebuffed the doctor's initial attempts to get disciplinary actions purged from online search results, a district court in Amsterdam sided with the surgeon. The physician had an interest in preventing her full name from appearing in Google search engine links connected to a blacklist of doctors, the court found. The surgeon's right to be left out of Google's search results outweighed the public's right to use the search engine to find the information, the court maintained. Although the court acknowledged that information at the blacklist site was accurate, it stated that the pejorative name of the site suggested the surgeon wasn't fit to treat people, which was not supported by the regulators' findings. Google as Censor Because the blacklist site contained accurate information, it would have been an uphill battle for the surgeon to force it to take down the offending information about her. "They didn't go after the site because they had no grounds," said Adam Holland, a project manager at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University in Boston. However, "if they could render it invisible in Google, that's practical obscurity, which is the next best thing to taking the information down," he told TechNewsWorld. Right-to-be-forgotten cases have placed Google in the role of a censor, observed French Caldwell, CFO of The Analyst Syndicate, an IT research and analysis group in Washington, D.C. "The reason is it's much easier to deal with Google from a regulatory enforcement standpoint than it is to deal with millions of source sites," he told TechNewsWorld. "Google has been made the de facto censor of Europe," Caldwell said. "That's an awful lot of power to hand over to a private company." The European Union has been asking Google to exercise judgment in circumstances that didn't require it before, Robert E. Cattanach, a partner in the Dorsey law firm in Minneapolis, told TechNewsWorld. "Once you put that power in the hands of a platform, where's the accountability?" he asked. "Who's going to say to Google, 'Take this down but leave this up'?" Precedent for Professions Without its search findings, people would have trouble finding relevant information on the medical regulator's Big Register, where its public records are available online, Google argued in the case. However, the notion that consumers depend on Google search results to choose doctors is questionable. "I don't think consumers are googling names, clicking on links and saying, 'Here's an unverifiable database of names. I'm going to make my doctor decisions based on that,'" suggested the Berkman Center's Holland. "That seems pretty tenuous to me." The court initially handed down its ruling in the case last summer, but up to now, legal wrangling over whether it should be made public prevented its release. Since then, the surgeon's attorney has tried to remove from the blacklist the details of 15 doctors who have been involved in disciplinary actions. "This sets a precedent," Holland said, "especially for any profession that is often reviewed and likely to have these third-party sites collecting disciplinary information about the profession." Missing Misdeeds It's worrisome not only that important information about this particular doctor will be difficult for consumers to find, but also that other information will be obscured, said The Analyst Syndicate's Caldwell. "I think there is a danger that people who commit deeds consumers should know about are going to have their information blocked," he said. "It's going to have a negative impact on consumers," said Dorsey's Cattanach. "We all depend on online, reputable resources to make decisions. If you start denying that information, we aren't going to make as many good decisions." In the United States, this decision rubs against prevailing trends toward transparency, to provide consumers with information about everything from police actions to sexual harassment violations, to rent charged in rent control areas, observed Timothy Toohey, an attorney with the Greenberg Glusker law firm in Los Angeles. "Europeans believe a person is entitled to a fresh start," he explained. That can be very hard in the digital age, when "one remark broadcast on the Internet can destroy a person," Toohey remarked. Right to Be Forgotten The "right to be forgotten" originated in a 2014 decision by the European Court of Justice in a case involving Mario Costeja Gonzalez. Gonzalez, a Spanish man, filed a lawsuit with the court after a newspaper in Catalonia refused to delete a 1998 auction notice about his repossessed home. He argued the matter had been settled and no longer should appear in Google's search results. The court sided with Gonzalez and ordered Google to erase links to the pages at the newspaper that contained the auction information. In its ruling, the court noted that European citizens had the right to ask search engines to remove search result links that were "inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant or excessive ... in the light of the time that had elapsed." Since the decision, some 3 million Europeans have made right-to-be-forgotten requests. However, the right applies only to European searches, a principle recently affirmed by the ECJ after France tried to expand the right globally. A number of UK and international free speech groups opposed France's move, arguing that extending the power would encourage censorship in countries like China, Russia and Saudi Arabia. Ignored Potential Problems The ECJ adopted a black-and-white position on the right to be forgotten, Cattanach said. "They knew there would be places on the margin where ... it would make no sense, but they were intimidated by the prospect of creating exceptions, and exceptions to the exceptions, and getting bogged down forever in debate and drafting," he explained. "So they made it an absolute right, and it trumps the rights, among others, of consumers to be given important public information about service providers," Cattahach noted. "They decided to go with that even though they knew it would create some problems." John P. Mello Jr. has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, IT issues, privacy, e-commerce, social media, artificial intelligence, big data and consumer electronics. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including the Boston Business Journal, the Boston Phoenix, Megapixel.Net and Government Security News. Email John. Eating healthy does not have to be boring. There are massive amounts of food that are both healthy and tasty. Here are the 50 healthiest foods on Earth. Most of them are surprisingly delicious. Calorie for calorie, vegetables are among the world's most concentrated sources of nutrients. There is a wide variety available, and it is best to eat many different types of vegetables every day. 1-6: Fruits and Berries Fruits and berries are among the world's most popular health foods. This is not surprising, given that they taste incredible. Fruits are also very easy to incorporate into the diet, because they require little to no preparation. 1. Apples The apple is high in fiber, vitamin C and numerous antioxidants. Apples are very fulfilling, and perfect as snacks if you find yourself hungry between meals. 2. Avocados Avocados are different than most fruits, because they are loaded with healthy fats instead of carbs. They are creamy, tasty and high in fiber, potassium and vitamin C. 3. Bananas Bananas are among the world's best sources of potassium. They are also high in vitamin B6 and fiber. Bananas are ridiculously convenient and portable. 4. Blueberries Blueberries are not only delicious, but also among the most powerful sources of antioxidants in the world. 5. Oranges Oranges are well known for their vitamin C content. They are also high in fiber, antioxidants and taste incredible. 6. Strawberries Strawberries are highly nutritious, and are low in both carbs and calories. They are loaded with vitamin C, fiber and manganese, and are arguably among the most delicious foods in existence. Other Healthy Fruits There are many other healthy fruits and berries that aren't listed here. Some examples: Cherries, grapes, grapefruit, kiwi, lemons, mango, melons, olives, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums and raspberries. 7. Eggs Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. They were previously demonized for being high in cholesterol, but new studies have shown that they are perfectly safe and healthy (1, 2). 8-10: Meats It is a myth that meat is harmful. Unprocessed, gently cooked meat is one of the healthiest and most nutritious foods you can eat. 8. Lean Beef Lean beef is among the best sources of protein in existence, and loaded with highly bioavailable iron. Choosing the fatty cuts is fine if you're on a low carb diet. 9. Chicken Breasts Chicken breast is low in fat and calories, but extremely high in protein. It is a great source of many nutrients. Again, feel free to eat fattier cuts of chicken if you're not eating that many carbs. 10. Lamb Lambs are usually grass-fed, and their meat tends to be high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Read page 1 11-16: Nuts, Seeds and Peanuts Despite being high in fat and calories, studies suggest that nuts and seeds can help you lose weight (3, 4). These foods are crunchy, fulfilling and loaded with important nutrients that many people don't get enough of, including magnesium and vitamin E. They also require zero preparation, which is important because it makes it easier to incorporate them into the diet. 11. Almonds The almond is a popular type of nut. It is loaded with vitamin E, antioxidants, magnesium and fiber. Studies show that almonds can help you lose weight, and provide impressive benefits for metabolic health (5). 12. Chia Seeds Chia seeds are among the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. A single ounce (28 grams) contains 11 grams of fiber, and a large part of the recommended intake for magnesium, manganese, calcium and various other nutrients. 13. Coconuts Coconuts are loaded with fiber and powerful fatty acids called medium-chain triglycerides. 14. Macadamia Nuts Macadamia nuts are very tasty. They are much higher in monounsaturated fats, and lower in Omega-6 fatty acids, than most other nuts. 15. Walnuts Walnuts are highly nutritious and loaded with fiber and all sorts of vitamins and minerals. 16. Peanuts Peanuts (technically legumes, not nuts) are incredibly tasty and high in nutrients and antioxidants. Several studies show that peanuts can help you lose weight (6, 7). However, take it easy on the peanut butter. It is very high in calories and incredibly easy to eat excessive amounts of it. 17-26: Vegetables Calorie for calorie, vegetables are among the world's most concentrated sources of nutrients. There is a wide variety available, and it is best to eat many different types of vegetables every day. 17. Asparagus Asparagus is a popular vegetable. It is low in both carbs and calories, but loaded with vitamin K. 18. Bell Peppers Bell peppers come in several colors, including red, yellow and green. They are crunchy and taste very sweet, and are a great source of antioxidants and vitamin C. 19. Broccoli Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that tastes great both raw and cooked. It is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin K and vitamin C, and contains a decent amount of protein compared to other vegetables. 20. Carrots The carrot is a popular root vegetable. It is extremely tasty and crunchy, and loaded with nutrients like fiber and vitamin K. Carrots are also very high in carotene antioxidants, which have numerous benefits. 21. Cauliflower Cauliflower is a very versatile cruciferous vegetable. It can be used to make all sorts of healthy recipes, and also tastes pretty good on its own. 22. Cucumber The cucumber is one of the world's most popular vegetables. It is very low in both carbs and calories, and consists mostly of water. However, it does contain a number of nutrients in small amounts, including vitamin K. 23. Garlic Garlic is incredibly healthy. It contains allicin, a bioactive compound with powerful biological effects, including improved immune function (8). 24. Kale Kale has been very popular in recent years, for good reason. It is incredibly high in vitamin K, vitamin C, fiber and a number of other nutrients. It is perfect to add a satisfying crunch to salads and recipes. 25. Onions Onions have a very strong flavor, and are very popular for use in recipes. They contain a number of bioactive compounds believed to have health benefits. 26. Tomatoes Tomatoes are usually categorized as a vegetable, although they are technically a fruit. They are tasty and loaded with nutrients like potassium and vitamin C. More Healthy Vegetables These weren't listed, but are also very healthy: Artichokes, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, eggplant, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, radishes, squash, swiss chard, turnips, zucchini. 27-32: Fish and Seafood Fish and other seafoods tend to be very healthy and nutritious. They are especially rich in in omega-3 fatty acids and iodine, two nutrients that most people don't get enough of. Studies show that people who eat the most foods from the sea (especially fish) tend to live longer and have a lower risk of many diseases, including heart disease, dementia and depression (9, 10, 11). 27. Salmon Salmon is a type of oily fish that is incredibly popular due to its excellent taste and high amount of nutrients, including protein and Omega-3 fatty acids. It also contains some vitamin D. 28. Sardines Sardines are small, oily fish that are among the most nutritious foods you can eat. They contain hefty amounts of the majority of nutrients required by the human body. 29. Shellfish Shellfish isn't eaten very often, which is a shame because it contains more nutrients than almost every other food. It ranks similar to organ meats when it comes to nutrient density. Edible shellfish includes clams, mollusks and oysters. 30. Shrimp Shrimp is a type of animal found in the sea. It tends to be low in fat and calories, but high in protein. It is also loaded with various other nutrients, including selenium and vitamin B12. Read page 1 31. Trout Trout is another type of delicious oily fish, similar to salmon. 32. Tuna Tuna is very popular in Western countries, and tends to be low in fat and calories, but high in protein. It is perfect people who need to add more protein to their diets, while keeping calories low. 33-35: Grains Grains have gotten a bad rap in recent years, mainly due to them being a forbidden food on the wildly popular paleo diet. However, it is a mistake to lump all grains together. There are many different types of grains, and some of them are very healthy. Just keep in mind that they are still pretty high in carbs, so they are not recommended on a low carb diet. 33. Brown Rice Rice is one of the oldest cereal grains, and is currently a staple food for more than half of people in the world. Brown (whole grain) rice is fairly nutritious, with a decent amount of fiber, vitamin B1 and magnesium. 34. Oats Oats are incredibly healthy. They are loaded with nutrients, and also contain powerful fibers called beta-glucans, shown to have numerous benefits. 35. Quinoa Quinoa has become incredibly popular among health conscious individuals in recent years. It is a tasty grain that is high in nutrients like fiber and magnesium. It is also an excellent source of plant-based protein. 36-37: Breads Most people eat a lot of bread. For those who are trying to adopt a healthier diet for the first time, it can be extremely challenging to find something to eat instead of bread. Fortunately, there are several healthy (or at least less bad") options available. 36. Ezekiel Bread Ezekiel bread may be the healthiest bread you can buy at the store. It is made from organic, sprouted whole grains, and also contains several types of legumes. 37. Homemade low-carb breads The safest choice for healthy bread is something that you make yourself. Here is a list of 15 recipes for healthy breads that are gluten-free and low in carbs. 38-40: Legumes Legumes are another food group that has been unfairly demonized in recent years. It is true that legumes contain anti-nutrients, substances that can interfere with digestion and absorption of nutrients. However, these anti-nutrients can be eliminated by soaking and properly preparing the legumes before eating them (12). What we're left with is an incredibly cheap source of quality nutrition, including a great plant-based source of protein. 38. Green beans Green beans, also called string beans, are unripe varieties of the common bean. They are very popular in Western countries. 39. Kidney beans Kidney beans are loaded with various vitamins and minerals, and are very high in fiber. Just make sure to cook them properly, because they are toxic when raw. 40. Lentils Lentils are another popular legume. They are high in fiber and are among the best sources of plant-based protein. Lentils also taste delicious, and have a very satisfying texture. 41-43: Dairy Many people can't tolerate dairy products. However, for people who do tolerate them, they are a healthy source of various important nutrients. Full-fat dairy products seem to be the best, and studies show that people who eat the most full-fat dairy have a lower risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes (13, 14). If the dairy comes from grass-fed cows, then that may be even better, as it is higher in some bioactive fatty acids like CLA. 41. Cheese Cheese is incredibly nutritious, and a single slice of it contains about the same nutrients as an entire cup of milk. It is also one of the most delicious foods you can eat. 42. Whole milk Whole milk is very high in vitamins, minerals, quality animal protein and healthy fats. It is one of the best sources of calcium. 43. Yogurt Yogurt is made from milk that is fermented by adding live bacteria to it. It has many of the same health effects as milk, except with the added benefits of the friendly probiotic bacteria. 44-46: Fats and Oils The war" on fat is lost, and many fats and oils have been making a comeback as health foods. 44. Butter from grass-fed cows Butter from cows that were fed on grass is high in many important nutrients, including the very important vitamin K2. 45. Coconut Oil Coconut oil is loaded with powerful fatty acids called medium chain triglycerides. Coconut oil may have benefits for Alzheimer's disease, and has been shown to help you lose belly fat (15, 16). 46. Extra virgin olive oil Extra virgin olive oil is the healthiest fat on earth. It contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, and is very high in antioxidants with powerful health benefits. 47-48: Tubers Tubers are the storage organs of some plants. They tend to contain a number of beneficial nutrients. 47. Potatoes Potatoes are a very popular food around the world. They are loaded with potassium, and contain a little bit of almost every nutrient we need, including vitamin C. They are also incredibly fulfilling. One study found that boiled potatoes were by far the most filling of 38 foods that were tested (17). 48. Sweet potatoes Sweet potatoes are among the most delicious starchy foods you can eat. They are loaded with antioxidants and all sorts of healthy nutrients. 49. Apple Cider Vinegar Apple cider vinegar is incredibly popular in the natural health community. Studies show that it can help lower blood sugar levels and cause modest weight loss (18, 19). It is great to use in salad dressings, and to add flavor to meals. 50. Dark Chocolate Not only is dark chocolate the most delicious food on this list, but it may also be the healthiest. Dark chocolate is loaded with fiber and magnesium, and is one of the most powerful sources of antioxidants in existence (20). 51. Anything Else? This is just the tip of the iceberg. Feel free to leave a comment if you want to add to the list! YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Move Over Food Trucks: Eco-Friendly Food Bikes Hit the Streets 4 Steps to Detoxify Your Kitchen Baby Carrots: A Great Way to Get Kids to Snack on Veggies, But Are They Safe? A surprising number of dolphins are washing up on Southern California beaches this February, and the Pacific Marine Mammal Center (PMMC) wants to know why. The PMCC has responded to six beached dolphins in just 14 days, it said in a Monday press release. By this time last year, it had only responded to one stranding. "This drastic and unexpected increase in cetaceans has had a significant impact on our Center. With so many incidents concentrated in such a short period of time, this has taken up much of the attention as well as our resources away from our more 'traditional' animal care operations focused on seals and sea lions," PMMC CEO Peter Chang said. PMCC is working with scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NOAA certified labs at universities across the country to determine what is causing the uptick in dolphin deaths. "There are a variety of potential reasons as to why these dolphins are stranding. These include, but are not limited to, viral infections, bacterial infections and toxins," PMCC veterinarian Kristen Sakamaki said. One source of toxins could be algae blooms that the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (SCCOOS) has observed off the coast of Southern California. Algae blooms can release domoic acid, which is poisonous for humans, marine mammals and seabirds. Another potential source could be the storms and heavy rainfall that Southern California has received this winter, which flushes more excess nutrients and pollutants from land into the oceans. A study published in April 2018 found that a "whiplash" between extremely wet and extremely dry years would be two times more likely in Southern California by 2100 if nothing is done to mitigate climate change. Here is the timeline of dolphin strandings that the PMMC responded to during February: Feb. 4: Three male Common dolphins beached themselves in one day. One male was found dead on Huntington Beach and two were found alive on Laguna Beach but had to be euthanized later. Feb. 10: A pregnant female Bottlenose dolphin washed up dead on Corona Del Mar. Feb. 15: A pregnant female Common dolphin was found dead on Corona Del Mar. Feb. 18: A male Common dolphin was found on Corona Del Mar. PMMC said it also received reports of two other dolphins stranded during February, but were unable to respond because the first washed right back to sea and the second washed up in a place where the PMMC could not recover it safely. Chang said the one bright side of the beachings was that they gave scientists a chance to better understand what is happening to the world's oceans. "Although absolutely heart-breaking, these stranding events will provide a tremendous amount of information that will not only contribute to important insights into the lives of dolphins, but also, it will help with the overarching science on the changes that we are seeing in our ocean waters," Chang said. By Cristina Sanza, Brittney Borowiec, David Secko, Farah Qaiser, Fernanda de Araujo Ferreira, Heather MacGregor , Michael Bramadat-Willcock and Pouria Nazemi Eat blueberries for the antioxidants. Exercise daily at a moderate intensity for optimal heart health. Get the vaccine to prevent the disease. Our decision-making and conduct is influenced by what we read, see or hear. And many parts of our lives, from the food we eat to our quality of sleep, can in some way be linked back to scientific research. The media aiming to inform or engage can end up peppering readers with sensationalism, hype or inaccurate science stories that shape our day-to-day lives and how we perceive the value of science. But this could be avoided if science journalists update the way they report stories. And if readers understand what accurate, balanced science journalism should look like, they'll able to distinguish the good stories from the not-so-good ones, and make informed choices. The future of science journalism is both exciting and perilous. Those wanting to enter the field can follow tradition such as transmitting information through a single platform or reshape how science stories are told. It's a choice we can no longer ignore. Last summer, graduate students from around the world took part in Projected Futures, an intensive summer school that seeks to rethink how science is communicated with society. We came up with some key ways to create better science stories and boost interest and trust in science. How do we humanize unfinished science? Science is not a sterile and infallible creation of computers and gleaming, strange machines. It's a human pursuit packed with curiosity, frustration, ambiguity and excitement. It's seldom a series of dramatic eureka moments. It's a slow challenging grind that's collaborative and competitive. Here's an old story: Scientists find a new cure for cancer and it's been hiding in coffee this whole time. Relish that morning latte! This focus on show-stopping, paradigm-shifting breakthroughs makes it easy to miss the bigger picture. Tomorrow another research article may derail the cancer-promoting effects of the morning pick-me-up. These dots are too often left unconnected, leaving readers with false hopes, apprehension and confusion about the scientific process. Researchers may feel agitated and irritated or, with luck, exhilaration with an ever-changing body of knowledge. For this reason, a story about science remains unfinished. Journalism needs to embrace the limitations, ambiguity and caveats of its subject, and pull people to the forefront. It should capture the collaborative efforts of researchers, combined with critical takes on available evidence. This means straying away from the myth of the lone genius and seeking information from more than a lead author. Graduate students and post-docs often know an experiment's most intimate details. Spotlighting trainees captures their strong contributions and the collaborative nature of science. Bonus: They tend to be more accessible, a plus for journalists. Who's in our community? Science journalism should be delivered by journalists who are trained in science and scientists who are trained in journalism. This will enrich the public's understanding of science from multiple perspectives and prevent blowing findings out of proportion and misleading claims from going viral. But diversity in science journalism should not be limited to one's professional or academic background the inclusion of under-represented or marginalized individuals is essential. The few surveys that do report science journalist demographics have abysmal response rates, making it difficult to have an informed conversation on how to advance diversity in the profession. A 2016 J-Source survey of 125 Canadian columnists found that demographics skewed largely towards white, male and middle-aged heterosexual individuals. Similarly, when it comes to interviewees, a 2016 analysis of major Canadian media revealed that male sources represented 71 per cent of all quotes and outnumbered women in every professional category. Fortunately, new platforms are broadening access to the public sphere. The Canadian group Informed Opinions and the global organization 500 Women Scientists advocate for an increase in the number of diverse sources in science journalism. But science journalists need to actively use such resources and address any underlying biases in their reporting. Can we be more international? Diversification of science-related content will benefit public understanding of science on both local and global levels. While top-tier institutes often conduct more costly studies, less well-known research centres could benefit from the publicity. Although it's not the media's role to promote institutions or individuals, in the interest of a balanced outlook, we should also cover smaller, credible public institutions that are not typically promoted by granting agencies or public relations teams. This added exposure could translate to more funding opportunities for people who don't have access to prestigious institutions and help combat inequality. Western media has a tendency to focus on European and North American academic sources. A 2017 study of Canadian media coverage of the developing world focused largely on conflicts and disasters. More focus on international research could promote interest in cultural exchange and increase public understanding of the global nature of science research. A more collaborative future New forms of storytelling from Instagram stories to podcasts to artificial intelligence-based tools are trickling into journalism. Between the complex subjects we cover and the emergence of new digital platforms we need to master, the old idea of science journalists working alone will change. Science journalists, who are often freelancers, rarely have the resources or time to optimize a story across platforms. But a network of communicators, each bearing a different expertise, skill sets and tools, can transform stories into collaborations. Our stories should also be adapted to be more accessible. For example, a print story could be read and recorded as an audio story, which publications such as The New Yorker, Wired and Hakai Magazine have done. Like the researchers they cover, the work of science reporters is packed with curiosity, frustration, ambiguity and excitement. It's an ever-changing grind but by working together and exercising creativity, good stories that matter will be told. Projected Futures 3 runs from Aug. 5-9, 2019. Join in to add your projections for the future of science journalism. Reposted with permission from our media associate The Conversation. The US special forces had raided Osamas hideaway, a compound in Abbotabad in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa north of Islamabad, killing the dreaded terrorist. New Delhi: Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday suggested that India is capable of carrying out an operation similar to the 2011 US action in Pakistan to eliminate Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. His remarks at an event related to the campaign to clean River Ganga came a day after the Indian Air Force pounded the main terror camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit in Balakot in Pakistans Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province . Referring to the US operation in Abbotabad, Mr Jaitley said, It is said that a week is too long a time in politics. In our country the way people get enthusiastic, if you look at the last 24 hours, one week would appear to be a day. The kind of things we see.... I remember when the US Navy SEAL had taken Osama bin Laden from Abottabad, cant we do the same? The US special forces had raided Osamas hideaway, a compound in Abbotabad in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa north of Islamabad, killing the dreaded terrorist. We could earlier only imagine, desire and get frustrated and disappointed (for failing to conduct such operations). But today, it is possible, he said at the event dedicated to generate funds to clean river Ganga. The comments came a day after the escalation of tension between the two nuclear power neighbours. India had hit the biggest terror camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror outfit in Pakistan in a pre-dawn strike on Tuesday. The attacks on the JeM terror camp came after the February 14 Pulwama attack in which over 40 security personnel from India were killed by a sucicide bomber from the terror outfit. By Julia Conley Tired of receiving notices warning that their drinking water may have been compromised and having little recourse to fight corporate polluters, voters in Toledo, Ohio on Tuesday approved a measure granting Lake Erie some of the same legal rights as a human being. Sixty-one percent of voters in Tuesday's special election voted in favor of Lake Erie's Bill of Rights, which allows residents to take legal action against entities that violate the lake's rights to "flourish and naturally evolve" without interference. Toledoans for Safe Water led a years-long campaign to convince voters that their city's charter must be amended to ensure that the "environmental burden" carried by the lake, which provides drinking water to 12 million Americans and Canadians, must be reduced. "Beginning today, with this historic vote, the people of Toledo and our allies are ushering in a new era of environmental rights by securing the rights of the Great Lake Erie," said Markie Miller of Toledoans for Safe Water in a statement. Under the Bill of Rights, residents will now have legal standing in court to sue corporate polluters on behalf of Lake Erie and to seek damages which would be used to rid the lake of pollution. The initiative was modeled on "rights to nature" laws which have passed in Lafayette, Colorado; by the Ponca Nation of Oklahoma and the Chippewa Nation in Minnesota; and countries including India and Nepal. Toledoans for Safe Water began their campaign in 2016 in response to a drinking water crisis in the area two years earlier. Five hundred thousand residents of the Toledo area were advised not to drink or use their tap water for three days due to a toxic algae bloom that had been detected in the water system. "People need to start relying on our democracy to hold polluters accountable," Mike Ferner of another local group, Advocates for a Clean Lake Erie (ACLE), told the Toledo Blade. "Regulatory agencies have not been doing their jobs for a long time. We're still going to try to get them to do what they're supposed to do. But there's no reason to be limited just to that if there are creative approaches out there such as the Lake Erie Bill of Rights." The groups were up against the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, which argued that businesses and farmers may now face high costs of complying with the new law and legal bills if they pollute Lake Erie. "What Toledo voters and other places working on rights of nature are hoping is to not only change laws but to change culture," Tish O'Dell, an organizer with the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, which assisted the local campaigners, told The Progressive. "So much of our way of thinking about our relationship with nature has to change. We are not separate from nature but part of nature. Nature is living and that right to thrive, flourish and be healthy needs to be recognized. Nature doesn't need us to survive but we need nature to survive." By Tim Radford For forests, it really does help to be young. British scientists who have identified the vital factor that shows what makes a forest a good carbon sink say young forests use carbon best and absorb it most efficiently. A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences seems on the face of it to settle an old puzzle with an unsurprising answer. New and young forests make the most efficient and effective carbon sinks. Humans burn fossil fuels and emit vast quantities of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The felling, burning and clearing of natural forest releases ever more carbon. But green plants absorb CO2 to make tissue and turn the gas into root and branch, leaf and bark, trunk and fruit. So scientists, led by Tom Pugh of the University of Birmingham in England, addressed the question: what kind of forest is best as a carbon sink? They gathered data about forest age, devised computer models and looked at the estimates of carbon intake between 2001 and 2010 in old, long-established areas of forest. Then they looked at the data from younger stands of timber that had colonized areas once logged, or damaged by forest fire, or farmed and then abandoned. They identified an age effect in stands of timber less than 140 years old: big enough to account for 25 percent of forest carbon uptake from the atmosphere. And although the great tropical rainforests are regarded as the "lungs" of the planet, and invaluable resources and homes for biodiversity, in fact the most efficient carbon dioxide consumers were forests in the middle and high latitudes: these included areas of land once farmed in the US eastern states, and then left to become part of the US National Forest, and farmland abandoned during the worldwide economic depression of the 1930s. The finding seems reasonable, if only because the carbon appetite that turns a sapling into a full-grown tree would seem to be more demanding than that of mature or very old trees. But nothing about the notorious "carbon budget problem" is simple. Uncertain Response It is an axiom of global response to climate change that forests should be protected and restored. But the nature and the mechanisms of forest carbon uptake can be difficult to establish. In theory forests may absorb around a third of all carbon emissions, but the way trees could respond to the extra carbon dioxide available is still not certain. As carbon dioxide ratios in the atmosphere increase, the planet warms and climates change: it could be possible for some forests, some of the time, to actually release more carbon than they absorb. And while it might seem obvious that young trees would be greedier than old ones, precise measurement of the forest giants doesn't necessarily tell the same story. Although the importance of forests is not in question, researchers keep making the point that forests are not enough. Drastic Cuts Needed Humans must still find ways to drastically cut fossil fuel use, and greenhouse gas emissions. But as of 2019, there is no sign that this is happening. But the latest research confirms the value of some investments. It suggests that the vast reforestation programmes launched in China, and the huge boreal forests of Canada, Russia and Europe, are playing an important role in climate management. "It's important to get a clear sense of where and why this carbon uptake is happening, because it helps us make targeted and informed decisions about forest management," Dr Pugh said. "The amount of CO2 that can be taken up by forests is a finite amount; ultimately reforestation programmes will only be effective if we simultaneously work to reduce our emissions." Reposted with permission from our media associate Climate News Network. This is a story about how I lost my cool. As a teacher, I learned to put up with a lot of nonsense: disruptive students, lame excuses, and dumb bureaucratic rules. For 25 years, I handled classrooms with a smile and learned to kill with kindness. The truth is, I loved my job. I went to work every day thinking about the possibilities ahead of me. But over the last few years, it became harder and harder to keep that smile on my face. If youre a teacher, too, you know what Im talking about. Politicians cut education budgets everywhere, leaving teachers with larger class sizes and fewer resources, even as new education standards increased workloads. In my state of Oklahoma, teachers went a decade without a raise. All too many of them left the state or the profession to provide for their families. Where I had been one of the only teacher candidates, I now had lots of company." I decided to do something about it. I went to talk to my state legislators several times, asking them to reverse tax cuts to pay for necessary public services. One time, I brought a novice teacher with me. She told a representative that she had to live with her parents to make ends meet. His response: You knew that going in, didnt you? I think thats when I snapped. A few months later, I posted something foolish on Facebooka declaration of candidacy. I was committed. I ran for a state Senate seat in the middle of Tulsa, Okla. I was a Democrat, and the district leaned heavily Republican, but I was too mad to care. I put together a team, knocked on 25,000 doors, and made education a central issue of the campaign. And I lost. In 2016, the year of Trump, it was too much to ask in such a red district. But the issue didnt go away. Two years later, teachers were ready to revolt all over the country. Where I had been one of the only teacher candidates, I now had lots of company. I declared my candidacy for a House of Representatives district. And there was the walkout. For nearly two weeks, teachers, supported by their local school boards, shut down the school system statewide and assembled at the capitol. The politicians did everything they could to avoid us, and after two weeks of demonstrations made only minor concessions to our demands for smaller classrooms and greater support. See Also: Over 170 Teachers Ran for State Office in 2018. Heres What We Know About Them I went back to the campaign trail. Rage was again my ally. I had seen too many colleagues walk away, too many children denied the full benefit of the education that is their birthright. So I went back to knocking doors. I knocked doors when it was raining. I knocked doors when the wind was blowing beer cans down the street. I knocked at zero degrees and at 110 degrees. I went to meetings, rallies, and gatherings. I spoke to journalists and (of course) posted lots of stuff on social media. This time, more people were listening. I went on to victory this past November. Heres what I learned: To paraphrase Gordon Gekko, rage is good. We teachers have to be ready to say, Were not going to take it anymore! In Oklahoma, West Virginia, Arizona, California, Colorado, and elsewhere, teachers have been learning how to stand up for the kids they serve. I knowgood teachers were already standing up for their kids all the time. But we depend on politicians and legislatures to take care of us while we take care of the children. Thats not enough anymore. Teachers have to become more effective advocates for their profession if we want to see public schools thrive in the 21st century. At the beginning of this month, I took my seat in the Oklahoma House of Representatives as we take up the peoples business. Theres a lot on our current agenda: proposed Medicaid expansion, criminal justice reform, and the future of our public schools. Teachers gained a lot of ground in the last election, but I can already see some warning signs. The governor wants to keep most of this years budget surplus (gained by making some overdue tax corrections in the last legislature) for a rainy day fund, even though most state agencies remain starved of funding. And theres a slew of bills designed to extend vouchers, mostly to enable middle-class families to drop their public school obligations in favor of private schools. Sounds like Ill need to stay angry. He said that Pakistan had not used F-16 in the entire operation and no Pakistani fighter jet had been hit. New Delhi: After reports that three Pakistani fighter jets entered Indian air space at 9:58 am to target key military installations in Rajouri and Naushera in Jammu & Kashmir, as part of the retaliatory strike, India says Pakistan Air Forces F-16 that violated Indian air space was shot down three kilometres within Pakistan territory in Lam valley, Nowshera sector. News agency ANI reported that a parachute belonging to Pakistan Air Forces F-16 was seen going down, and the condition of the pilot was unknown. Though only three Pakistani jets violated Indian air space, the package of the aircraft deployed by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) for the operation was significantly large as it comprised a fleet of JF-17 and F-16 combat aircraft, Indian sources said. However, Pakistans director general Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR), Major General Asif Ghafoor, refuted Indias claim of shooting down Pakistans F-16 aircraft. He said that Pakistan had not used F-16 in the entire operation and no Pakistani fighter jet had been hit. Mexico City, Feb 28 (epa-efe).- Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador presented Thursday a plan to guarantee rights and protection for the estimated 11.3 million Mexicans living in the United States, nearly half of them without documents. During his daily morning press conference, the president emphasized the need to give "support to our migrant compatriots." Noting that the emigrants were driven by "necessity" to seek opportunities north of the border, he called them "exemplary" citizens for the more than $30 billion in remittances they send back to Mexico annually. "It's a fundamental support for the popular economy, for the economy of communities. That's the reason for our commitment to support them, to protect them and support them," he said. Joining Lopez Obrador in front of reporters was Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, who said that Mexico planned to devote 3.93 billion pesos ($205 million) to the effort. He said that at least 2,163 people will be part of the program and possible as many as 2,800 if the number of mobile consulates is increased. Currently, 11.8 million Mexicans live outside of Mexico, according to official figures. More than 97 percent of them reside in the US, with the largest concentrations in the states of California, Texas and Arizona. While 8 percent of them have visas, 17 percent are dual citizens and 27 percent are legal permanent residents, the remaining 48 percent of Mexicans in the US are undocumented. "These are the most vulnerable, the ones we have to support the most," Ebrard said. Among the complaints of Mexicans abroad are the deficiencies of Mexitel, the official digital platform for consular procedures. The plan presented Thursday includes enlisting more attorneys to represent migrants and creating mechanisms to involve expats in development projects in Mexico. Ebrard also pledged to streamline the workings of consulates and the Foreign Affairs Secretariat to reduce delays and red tape for routine procedures such as passport renewal and casting absentee ballots. There will also be an emphasis on the defense of Mexican culture abroad that is "different from the narrative presented in film, television and series of the last 20 years, which always tends to be very negative," the foreign secretary said. Mexico will coordinate with Spain and other Latin American countries on cultural activities in the United States to promote the Spanish language and the shared Ibero-American culture. "The government wants Mexican citizens of the United States to have identity and rights," Ebrard said. The administration of Lopez Obrador, who assumed the presidency on Dec. 1, is addressing the migration phenomenon in a structural manner by investing in disadvantaged areas. Though Lopez Obrador has persuaded Washington to support the idea of investment in Central America as a way of stemming migration, President Donald Trump continues to insist on the need for a barrier on the US-Mexico border. "It is their decision, but I believe that walls are not required," Ebrard said in response to a question. We are willing to return captured Indian pilot if it leads to peace, Pak FM tells Geo News. India has not asked for consular access, sources said, warning Pakistan that the pilot was no card to negotiate with. (Representational Image) New Delhi: India expects immediate release of Wing Commander Abhinandan Vartaman, government sources said on Thursday, rubbishing any suggestion of a deal over him. India has not asked for consular access, sources said, warning Pakistan that the pilot was no card to negotiate with. India wants him to be treated in a humane manner, sources said. Geo News had earlier quoted Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi as stating that the pilot would be returned if that meant de-escalation of tension between the two countries. "We are willing to return the captured Indian pilot if it leads to de-escalation and peace," he added. "We are ready for all positive engagement,: Geo News quoted Qureshi as saying. Indian Defence Ministry officials told ANI that the government believes the Pakistan air intrusion was an attack on military installations. We believe the Indian Air Force pilot was ill treated by the Pakistan Army in violation of the Geneva convention, ANI quoted them as saying. Qureshi also told Geo News that India had handed over a dossier to the acting High Commissioner of Pakistan a day earlier. I will evaluate the dossier with an open heart and then see if talks will be held on that,: he said. I wish the dossier was sent earlier, the foreign minister stated. Sources said India didnt consider giving actionable intel earlier as Pakistan has never acted in past on actionable inputs on Mumbai and Pathankot. Terrorists were caught, audio given, access given to forward posts in Pathankot. Pakistan remained in denial. Thirteen days after Pulwama, they still deny Jaish-e-Mohammed role, sources said. We believe the Pakistan Army is actively supporting the Jaish-e-Mohammed and is harbouring its leaders including Masood Azhar in its facilities, sources added. We are ready for talks on Kartarpur. They (Pakistan) had called it off just as they had closed airspace and stopped Samjhauta Express. We are trying to appear reasonable, they are creating a war hysteria, sources told ANI, adding: Pakistan has lied to the international community on Jaish-e-Mohammed, about two pilots in custody. They lied on Indian ships approaching, they have lied on missile strikes. Pakistan must first take concrete and specific anti-terror steps, government sources said when asked about talks with Paqkistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Imran has to walk the talk on investigating the Pulwama attack, sources told PTI. Why did Pak PM say two Indian jets were downed? Was he not briefed or did he say an untruth, govt sources told PTI. Pakistan Air Force specifically targeted Indian military facilities while we targeted only JeM terror camp, the sources said. The sources added that India was waiting for immediate, credible and verifiable action against terrorists and their proxies. On being asked if he is open to meeting Indian EAM Sushma Swaraj on sidelines of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation(OIC) meet, Pakistan Foreign Minister Qureshi said he will not hesitate to meet but OIC is not the forum for talks with Swaraj. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he hoped the conflict between India and Pakistan will be coming to an end, after the two nuclear powers clashed across a contested border in the disputed Kashmir region. Read: Donald Trump 'hopeful' of Indo-Pak conflict coming to end Speaking at a news conference in Vietnam after a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trump said he had some reasonably decent news from India and Pakistan. He did not elaborate. Meanwhile, Pakistan and India continued to exchange fire along the Line of Control on Thursday. Pakistan fired at 6 am and stopped after an hour. Cross-LoC shelling and firing resumed in Krishna Ghathi sector of Poonch in the afternoon. The Army said Pakistani troops again resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling at 1 pm and that the Indian troops were responding to it strongly and befittingly. North Korea leader says ready to denuclearize North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Thursday he was willing to give up his nuclear weapons and he would not be holding a second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Vietnam if he were not. Kim and Trump began the second day of talks earlier on Thursday in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, with both expressing hope for progress on improving relations and the key issue of denuclearization. KIM SAYS HE IS READY TO TAKE CONCRETE STEPS If Im not willing to do that, I wont be here right now, Kim told reporters through an interpreter when asked if he was ready to give up his nuclear weapons. Trump, responding to that, said: That might be the best answer youve ever heard. The two leaders were sitting across from each other at a conference table, with their aides. Kim did not elaborate on what denuclearization would entail but asked if he was ready to take concrete steps, Kim said they had just been talking about that. Hope you give us more time to talk. Even a minute is precious, he told reporters. While the United States is demanding North Korea give up all of its nuclear and missile programs, the North wants to see the removal of a US nuclear umbrella for its Asian allies such as South Korea and Japan. President Erdogan receives Trumps senior advisor The closed-door meeting lasts for some 2 hours. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday met with US President Donald Trumps senior advisor. FINANCIAL COLLABORATION WAS DISCUSSED According to presidential sources, the Turkish president discussed economic relations with Jared Kushner, who is also the son-in-law of Trump, for some two hours in a meeting that was closed to the media. Turkey's Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, who also attended the meeting, said in a tweet that both sides discussed ways to further enhance their financial collaboration. Kushner is part of a delegation currently on a seven-day tour of the Middle East that includes Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt and Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook. Trump scraps North Korea summit deal The summit between US President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended with no agreement after the US refused North Korean demands for sanctions relief, Trump said. US President Donald Trump said he had walked away from a nuclear deal at his summit with Kim Jong Un in Vietnam on Thursday because of unacceptable demands from the North Korean leader to lift punishing US-led sanctions. "IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE SANCTIONS" Trump said two days of talks in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi had made good progress in building relations and on the key issue of denuclearization, but it was important not to rush into a bad deal. It was all about the sanctions, Trump said at a news conference after the talks were cut short. Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldnt do that. "SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO WALK AWAY" The United Nations and the United States ratcheted up sanctions on North Korea when the reclusive state undertook a series of nuclear and ballistic missile tests in 2017, cutting off its main sources hard cash. Trump and Kim cut short their talks, skipping a planned working lunch at the French-colonial-era Metropole hotel after a morning of meetings. Sometimes you have to walk, and this was just one of those times, Trump said, adding it was a friendly walk. He later left Vietnam to return to Washington. UN welcomes Turkish, Greek Cypriot leaders meeting UN Security Council praises progress made between both sides, says status quo on island unsustainable. The UN Security Council on Wednesday welcomed a meeting between Turkish and Greek leaders of the divided island of Cyprus, praising progress made as well as the increased interaction between the two communities. COUNCIL REITERATES THEIR SUPPORT FOR A CYPRIOT-LED PROCESS "The members of the Security Council urged the sides and all involved participants to renew their political will and commitment to a settlement under United Nations auspices," the Security Council said in a statement. "The Security Council reiterated their support for a Cypriot-led process and reaffirmed the primary role of the United Nations in assisting the parties to reach a settlement," the statement added. Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Aknc and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades met Tuesday in the UN Green Zone under the auspices of UN Cyprus Envoy Elizabeth Speha, where they agreed on a number of issues to increase confidence, including the interoperability of cellphone networks and electrical grids, as well as clearing hazardous areas. "SOLDIERS ARE WORKING TO CLEAR MINEFIELDS" Aknc said he exchanged views on the issue of extending the jurisdiction of founding states, in a possible solution to the Cyprus issue. He also mentioned that soldiers were working to clear nine minefields on both sides of the island, with a goal of making the island mine-free. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks and Ankara's intervention as a guarantor power. It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including the failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Turkey, Greece and the UK. The Security Council called on the two leaders to put their efforts forward expeditiously because the status quo on the island is unsustainable. Norway's Government Pension Fund divests from agricultural companies to combat deforestation Norways Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), the worlds largest sovereign wealth fund with $1 trillion of assets, has divested from four major agricultural companies to combat deforestation. To access this article please sign-in below or register for a free one-month trial. Based on the data from the All-India Debt and Investment Surveys, a re-emergence of non-institutional credit agencies in the incidence of household indebtedness is found since the 1990s, especially in the rural areas, reflecting the inadequate social commitments of the institutional agencies due to their contemporary organisational deficiencies. The data, however, do not seem to capture the extent of urban distress in totality. Yet, given the general dearth of evidence on the status of household indebtedness over time, institutions like the Reserve Bank of India and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development should revisit this information to resurrect their roles in strengthening credit delivery to the general population. Studies on indebtedness and wealth of households, both in rural and urban areas of the country, have principally used the results of All-India Debt and Investment Surveys (AIDIS).1 The various correlates by which the AIDIS results have been reported provide ample opportunity to the research community and policymakers to dissect incidence of indebtedness (IOI) in their varied dimensions (Rajakumar et al 2018). In this paper, the authors present the trends and patterns of indebtedness of the Indian rural and urban households, based on the analysis of these longitudinal data. Data for the overall rural sector are available from 1951 onwards, and since 1961 these are disaggregated into cultivator and non-cultivator households. For the urban sector, data disaggregated by self-employed and other households, are available from 1981. This paper is broadly divided into three parts. The first part discusses the trends of household indebtedness; the second part provides a comparative analysis of the demand-side results with their corresponding supply-side statistics; and the third part makes a few concluding observations. The first body was found on January 26. Multiple agencies are involved in the operation which is underway to rescue the miners trapped in the mine located at Ksan near Lytein River in East Jaintia Hills. (Photo: File) Meghalaya: One more unidentified body has been recovered from the ill-fated mine here where 13 miners were trapped since December 13 last year. The first body was found on January 26. Multiple agencies are involved in the operation which is underway to rescue the miners trapped in the mine located at Ksan near Lytein River in East Jaintia Hills. On January 28, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre and the Meghalaya government to continue their efforts to rescue the miners. This came two days after Navy divers recovered a second body from the flooded rat-hole coal mine. The miners were trapped in the illegal mine in Lumthari village when water from the nearby Lytein river flooded the mine. Since then, a multi-agency rescue operation has been underway to rescue the miners. The American Physical Society (APS) announced today the launch of their fourteenth peer-reviewed journal, Physical Review Research (PRResearch). This title is the fourth fully open-access (OA) journal within the Physical Review suite of journals and will cover the full spectrum of research topics including fundamental and applied, theoretical and experimental, and interdisciplinary and newly emerging areas. The journal will open for submissions this spring with the aim to publish its first papers in the second half of this year. "As we continue to expand publishing options for our authors and readers, Physical Review Research is the latest addition to our world-leading family of journals in physics and related research areas. This new journal will aim to advance and disseminate scientific research and discovery, promote physics, and serve the broader physics community. In these ways it will directly support our mission at APS," says Matthew Salter, APS Publisher. "PRResearch will be positioned alongside Physical Review A-E, with similar selection criteria to these established topical titles. It will offer a fully OA option for all authors who prefer or require that model and seek the Physical Review refereeing and publishing experience they value and trust. Submissions to PRResearch will be handled by the same professional editorial team of Ph.D. scientists who manage peer review for all of the Physical Review titles," explains Michael Thoennessen, Editor in Chief for the APS journals. "The Physical Review journals have served physics well for over 125 years, and this new journal is a step towards ensuring that they continue to do so well into the future. As science evolves to be more collaborative and global, Physical Review Research aims to meet the needs of the broadest research community, including the next generation of physicists and researchers working in related fields. With this new journal we hope to initiate conversations across traditional boundaries, invite new opportunities for collaboration, and enable future discoveries," says Jeff Lewandowski, Associate Publisher at APS. APS is currently recruiting active researchers to serve as editorial board members. PRResearch will be online only and the fully open access publishing model will make all articles immediately free to read and will allow reuse by readers anywhere in the world under a CC-BY 4.0 International license. ### For more information, visit the PRResearch website (https://journals.aps.org/prresearch). Chinese scientists have found that cytosine base editors (BE3 and HF1-BE3) induce genome wide off-target mutations. A research team led by Prof. GAO Caixia of the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences performed a comprehensive investigation of the off-target mutations of BE3, HF1-BE3 and ABE using whole genome sequencing (WGS) in rice, an important crop species. Single nucleotide alterations are an important cause of human disease and trait variations in economic organisms. Genetic engineering of single nucleotide polymorphisms by nucleobase editors holds great promise for gene therapy, which could potentially cure human disease and improve traits in crop plants. Researchers have already developed cytosine and adenine base editors (CBE and ABE, respectively). The base editors are fusions of a nickase-type Cas9 protein with a cytosine deaminase or an adenine deaminase, and have been found to catalyze the conversion of either C>T or A>G in the target site of a single guide RNA (sgRNA). Although on-target conversions by CBE and ABE are found in many organisms, their off-target effects have not been systematically assessed at the whole-genome level. Past analysis of base editing specificity has largely been confined to the target-like sites predicted using in silico software These target-like sites are generally low in number and limited in genomic distribution. Considering that ectopic expression of cytosine deaminase in E. coli, yeast cells and human cells has been found to elicit genome-wide deamination events, it has become necessary and urgent to examine the specificity of base editors at the whole-genome level and in an unbiased manner. The researchers chose three widely used base editors: BE3, high-fidelity BE3 (HF1-BE3) and ABE. A total of 14 base editors construct targeting 11 genomic sites were transformed into rice via Agrobacterium transformation. Regenerated T0 plants edited by BE3, HF1-BE3 or ABE and those transformed with the base editors but without sgRNAs, together with two control groups of plants (i.e., wild-type rice and null-segregate of transgenic rice), were analyzed by WGS. The base editor groups and control group did not differ substantially in the number of indels found. In contrast, the BE3 and HF1-BE3 groups had significantly more single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) than the ABE and control groups. The average numbers of C>T single nucleotide variants (SNVs) per plant were: 203 (BE3); 347 (HF1-BE3); 88 (ABE); and 105 (control group). Consequently, C>T SNVs in the BE3 and HF1-BE3 plants were 94.5% and 231.9% more frequent than in the control plants, respectively. Notably, treatment of rice plants with BE3 and HF1-BE3 in the absence of sgRNA also caused high numbers of C>T SNVs. Furthermore, the great majority of the extra C>T mutations conferred by BE3 and HF1-BE3 did not match the off-target sites predicted using an in silico software (Cas-OFFinder). All the SNVs, as well as C>T SNVs, were found to be distributed throughout the rice genome, indicating a genome-wide occurrence. Mapping with transcriptome data showed that the high numbers of C>T SNVs associated with BE3 and HF1-BE3 occurred more frequently in transcribed genic regions, where single-stranded DNA is generated owing to active transcription. Altogether, the data generated by Dr. GAO's team suggest that BE3 and HF1-BE3, but not ABE, induce genome-wide off-target mutations in rice. These off-target mutations, being mainly C>T SNVs and enriched in transcribed genic regions, are not predicted by the current in silico approach. The base conversion unit containing cytosine deaminase is likely responsible for the high number of off-target SNVs elicited by BE3 and HF1-BE3, and needs to be optimized for increasing the specificity of cytosine base editors. "Base editors represent an appealing tool for producing the precise genetic variants needed in plant breeding. The specificity of these editors is of paramount importance because off-target mutations can be deleterious. We revealed that current BE3 or HF1-BE3 cause unexpected and unpredictable genome-wide off-target mutations in plants, highlighting the urgency of optimizing the specificity of this type of editor," said Dr. GAO. This work, entitled "Cytosine, but not adenine, base editors induce genome-wide off-target mutations in rice," will be published in Science. ### This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Key Research and Development Program of China, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. NEW YORK, NY (Feb 28, 2019)--Researchers have discovered that fat tissue releases a lipid-filled particle that has a role in immune function and metabolism. The study, in mice, was published online in the journal Science. Why it matters Obesity appears to activate the immune system, contributing to type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and other disorders. Understanding how fat tissue regulates immune response could lead to the development of new treatments and preventive strategies for metabolic disorders and other obesity-related diseases, according to study leader Anthony Ferrante Jr., MD, PhD, the Tilden-Weger-Bieler Professor of Preventative Medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Background Specialized cells in fat tissue called adipocytes store excess calories as triglycerides, a type of lipid. Adipocytes break down triglycerides into smaller lipids called fatty acids, which are released into the bloodstream to meet the body's energy needs. In previous studies, Ferrante's laboratory discovered that, in addition to adipocytes, fat tissue contains many immune cells, including large numbers of macrophages. In other tissues, macrophages engulf and destroy pathogens. "For a long time, we've been trying to figure out what these immune cells are doing in fat," says Ferrante. Several years ago, his research team found that the macrophages found in fat take up and 'digest' large amounts of lipid. He and others had assumed that the lipid came from the breakdown products of triglycerides. What the study found In the current study, conducted in mice, the researchers discovered that adipocytes don't just release the fatty acid components of triglycerides; they also release intact triglycerides that are packaged into small particles. These lipid-filled particles, called adipocyte exosomes (AdExos), are taken up by macrophages in fat. The macrophages rapidly break down the triglyceride in the AdExos and release it as fatty acids, which Ferrante hypothesizes can then be taken up by adipocytes in a lipid cycle that resupplies fat cells with fresh lipid. "There's a similar mechanism in bone, where osteoclasts -- another type of macrophage -- break down bone into calcium and phosphate, which are used to make fresh bone. This cycle is critical for bone health. We now wonder whether a similar cycle occurs in fat to maintain its health," Ferrante notes. In addition, the researchers found that AdExos appear to control the development of immune cells. Scientists don't have a clear idea about how macrophages develop tissue-specific functions. But Ferrante and his team found that the AdExos may play a central role in "educating" immune cells, inducing bone marrow cells to develop into macrophages that are instructed to digest and recycle lipids. Intriguingly, the AdExo particles were also found in the blood, raising the possibility that they might have effects outside of fat tissue. "Our next step is to investigate whether these lipid particles appear in humans and, if so, whether they contribute to lipids we measure in the circulation and in metabolic diseases," Ferrante says. ### The paper is titled, "A lipase-independent pathway of lipid release and immune modulation by adipocytes." The other contributors are: Stephen E. Flaherty (CUIMC), Ambar Grijalva (CUIMC), Xiaoyuan Xu (CUIMC), Eleanore Ables (CUIMC), and Alireza Nomani (Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ). The study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health (R01DK066525, P30DK026687, P30DK063608, and T32DK007328) and the Russell Berrie Foundation. The authors declare no financial or other conflicts of interest. Columbia University Irving Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, preclinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; and patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Irving Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. For more information, visit cuimc.columbia.edu or columbiadoctors.org. The circulation of the dengue virus for the past sixty years in South-East Asia is relatively well known. For Zika, the situation is much less clear. In an attempt to shed light on Zika circulation, scientists from the Institut Pasteur and the CNRS, in collaboration with US teams and the Thai National Institute of Health, decided to investigate the history of the Zika virus in Thailand. They made the surprising discovery that it has been circulating in the country for at least 16 years and probably longer. Their findings were published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases on February 27, 2019. The Aedes mosquito - potentially together with flaviviruses like dengue and Zika - is found in most tropical and subtropical countries, and South-East Asia is no exception. But unlike South America, South-East Asia has not recorded widespread Zika outbreaks. However, it has been unclear whether there represented a true absence of the virus in the region or if outbreaks have simply not been detected. "It is a disease that is difficult to study, since most people infected by Zika do not fall ill or suffer only minor symptoms," explains Henrik Salje, a statistician and epidemiologist in the Mathematical Modeling of Infectious Diseases Unit at the Institut Pasteur. "Even when they do get sick, the symptoms can easily be confused with other diseases such as the flu or dengue". This means that outbreaks may remain silent. "The two main problems with this virus are that, occasionally, it can lead to neurological complications, such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, or severe fetal brain developmental defects. That is why an effective surveillance system is vital." But how can we keep track of such a discreet virus? Scientists from the Institut Pasteur, in collaboration with Thai and US scientists,(1) with the participation of the CNRS, decided to make use of the surveillance network set up by the Thai government in 2016, when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Zika outbreak to be a "public health emergency of international concern". In 2016, in response to the WHO declaration, the Thai government called on hospitals in the country to collect urine, blood and plasma samples from people with symptoms that may be associated with Zika, in other words people with fever or rash symptoms. Over the next two years, a total of 1,717 samples were collected and 368 individuals were revealed to be infected by Zika, giving the scientists the material they needed to start their investigation. Initial results showed that all age categories in the population were affected, exactly as was observed in Colombia, which recently experienced a Zika outbreak. But a surprising finding soon came to light. "We noticed that from the very beginning of the surveillance campaign, Zika could be found all over Thailand," explains Henrik Salje. "This was not expected, since in South America the Zika virus largely disappeared after two or three years following the outbreaks; there does not appear to be widespread long-term circulation." This encouraged the teams to take their inquiry further by examining the viral genome. "Unlike humans, viruses do not have a genetic repair system," says Henrik Salje. "We can use the little errors that emerge during viral replication to piece together the historical spread of viruses." By producing a phylogenetic tree of the Zika virus in Thailand, the scientists discovered that the viral strains within Thailand were genetically very different from each other, and their ancestor seems to have appeared in the country in 2002. "In South America, all the viral strains are very similar to each other. We are pretty sure that there were no strains circulating in South America before 2013 and that the virus has now largely gone" explains Henrik Salje. "When we examine the genetic information collected in Thailand, we see that the virus has been circulating for at least 16 years, and probably even longer." Several theories can be put forward to explain these differences. The first is that changes may have occurred to the Zika virus - and its transmissibility - when the virus migrated to South America. Another hypothesis suggests cross-immunity with circulating dengue viruses; in other words, individuals who are immune to dengue are also temporarily immunized against Zika. "This publication raises several questions. And we don't yet know why such a difference exists. But one thing that has been confirmed is that it is important to have surveillance systems in place that can monitor Zika on a long-term basis, even if there are no visible signs of its activity," concludes Henrik Salje. ### The 2015-2016 El Nino event brought weather conditions that triggered regional disease outbreaks throughout the world, according to a new NASA study that is the first to comprehensively assess the public health impacts of the major climate event on a global scale. El Nino is an irregularly recurring climate pattern characterized by warmer than usual ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, which creates a ripple effect of anticipated weather changes in far-spread regions of Earth. During the 2015-2016 event, changes in precipitation, land surface temperatures and vegetation created and facilitated conditions for transmission of diseases, resulting in an uptick in reported cases for plague and hantavirus in Colorado and New Mexico, cholera in Tanzania, and dengue fever in Brazil and Southeast Asia, among others. "The strength of this El Nino was among the top three of the last 50 years, and so the impact on weather and therefore diseases in these regions was especially pronounced," said lead author Assaf Anyamba, a research scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "By analyzing satellite data and modeling to track those climate anomalies, along with public health records, we were able to quantify that relationship." The study utilized a number of climate datasets, among them land surface temperature and vegetation data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer aboard NASA's Terra satellite, and NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration precipitation datasets. The study was published Feb. 13 in the journal Nature Scientific Reports. Based on monthly outbreak data from 2002 to 2016 in Colorado and New Mexico, reported cases of plague were at their highest in 2015, while the number of hantavirus cases reached their peak in 2016. The cause of the uptick in both potentially fatal diseases was an El Nino-driven increase in rainfall and milder temperatures over the American Southwest, which spurred vegetative growth, providing more food for rodents that carry hantavirus. A resulting rodent population explosion put them in more frequent contact with humans, who contract the potentially fatal disease mostly through fecal or urine contamination. As their rodent hosts proliferated, so did plague-carrying fleas. A continent away, in East Africa's Tanzania, the number of reported cases for cholera in 2015 and 2016 were the second and third highest, respectively, over an 18-year period from 2000 to 2017. Cholera is a potentially deadly bacterial infection of the small intestine that spreads through fecal contamination of food and water. Increased rainfall in East Africa during the El Nino allowed for sewage to contaminate local water sources, such as untreated drinking water. "Cholera doesn't flush out of the system quickly," Anyamba said, "so even though it was amplified in 2015-2016, it actually continued into 2017 and 2018. We're talking about a long-tailed, lasting peak." In Brazil and Southeast Asia, during the El Nino dengue fever proliferated. In Brazil the number of reported cases for the potentially deadly mosquito-borne disease in 2015 was the highest from 2000 to 2017. In Southeast Asia, namely Indonesia and Thailand, the number of reported cases, while relatively low for an El Nino year, was still higher than in neutral years. In both regions, the El Nino produced higher than normal land surface temperatures and therefore drier habitats, which drew mosquitoes into populated, urban areas containing the open water needed for laying eggs. As the air warmed, mosquitoes also grew hungrier and reached sexual maturity more quickly, resulting in an increase in mosquito bites. The strong relationship between El Nino events and disease outbreaks underscores the importance of existing seasonal forecasts, said Anyamba, who has been involved with such work for the past 20 years through funding from the U.S. Department of Defense. Countries where these outbreaks occur, along with the United Nations' World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization, can utilize these early warning forecasts to take preventive measures to minimize the spread of disease. Based on the forecast, the U.S. Department of Defense does pre-deployment planning, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) takes measures to ensure the safety of imported goods. "Knowledge of the linkages between El Nino events and these important human and animal diseases generated by this study is critical to disease control and prevention, which will also mitigate globalization," said co-author Kenneth Linthicum, USDA center director at an entomology laboratory in Gainesville, Florida. He noted these data were used in 2016 to avert a Rift Valley fever outbreak in East Africa. "By vaccinating livestock, they likely prevented thousands of human cases and animal deaths." "This is a remarkable tool to help people prepare for impending disease events and take steps to prevent them," said co-author William Karesh, executive vice president for New York City-based public health and environmental nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance. "Vaccinations for humans and livestock, pest control programs, removing excess stagnant water -- those are some actions that countries can take to minimize the impacts. But for many countries, in particular the agriculture sectors in Africa and Asia, these climate-weather forecasts are a new tool for them, so it may take time and dedicated resources for these kinds of practices to become more utilized." According to Anyamba, the major benefit of these seasonal forecasts is time. "A lot of diseases, particularly mosquito-borne epidemics, have a lag time of two to three months following these weather changes," he said. "So seasonal forecasting is actually very good, and the fact that they are updated every month means we can track conditions in different locations and prepare accordingly. It has the power to save lives." ### For more information about NASA Earth science, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/earth Maritime regulations and ship architecture have improved quite a bit since that freezing, deadly night in April 1912 when the RMS Titanic collided with an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, with global warming affecting the Arctic region, there could be a chance for a similar disaster. Kwek Tze (KT) Tan, Ph.D., assistant professor of mechanical engineering in UA's College of Engineering, recently received a $150,000 grant from the Office of Naval Research to investigate the impact and behavior of specific materials used in the construction of military naval vessels in extreme low temperature Arctic conditions. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, global warming has reduced the Arctic ice region by 50 percent in the last 30 years. This has resulted in new sea routes that are more efficient and economical to connect opposite ends of the globe, which has led to a significant increase in sea travel and transportation through the region. As more ships sail through these freezing waters, there will likely be more impacts with iceburgs. The Arctic has a very harsh climatic condition (average temperature about negative 22 degrees Fahrenheit and lowest temperature about negative 94 degrees Fahrenheit). Materials used to build these vessels must be designed to withstand this extreme low temperature to transport people and goods safely through these harsh conditions. "If we don't alter the makeup of these structures to withstand the cold, we're looking at another Titanic catastrophe," said Tan. Tan and his team will study composite sandwich structures, which are used in the construction of many naval vessels due to their lightweight and high strength. They are fabricated by attaching two thin but stiff skins to a lightweight but thick core. The core material is normally low strength material, but its higher thickness provides the sandwich composite with high bending stiffness with overall low density. However, current composite structures used in the manufacture of naval vessels are not designed for low temperature environments, the team has found. "Our preliminary work shows that extreme low temperature has detrimental effect on the strength and integrity of composites," said Tan, who has been researching the durability of composite structures for 14 years. "Results from this work will provide the Office of Naval Research with fundamental understanding on how composite materials behave at low temperature environment and thus lead to new sandwich construction with enhanced dynamic performances for arctic region applications, benefiting the design of new generation naval vessels." Research, conducted by Tan and his graduate assistant and Ph.D. student Mahfujul Khan, will incorporate experimental techniques such as impact dynamic characterization and non-destructive inspection analysis. The research will utilize state-of-the art technology available on campus, including the impact test machine (Instron CEAST 9350) and X-ray micro-computed tomography device (Nikon XTH320). Liquid nitrogen gas will be used to cool down sample composites in an environmental chamber, which can test at freezing Arctic temperatures. ### National legislation as well as bans under the international CITES agreement not slowing the trade in seahorse products Many countries are engaged in a vast illegal and unrecorded international trade in seahorses, one that circumvents global regulations, according to new UBC study that has implications for many other animal species. The United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) restricts exports of seahorses to those that have been sourced sustainably and legally. Seahorses were the first marine fishes subject to such regulation, largely because of work by the Project Seahorse team at UBC's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries. The goal of this CITES regulation was sustainable use but most countries that exported large numbers of seahorses have subsequently either chosen to ban exports or had bans imposed on them by CITES. Approximately 98 per cent of seahorses previously found in global trade came from countries that have now imposed bans, so both exports and imports should more or less have ended. However, the new research from UBC indicates that many nations with bans apparently continued to export dried seahorses, thus neither meeting their obligations under CITES nor enforcing the trade bans. "The 183 Parties to CITES are required to limit export of species that have been placed on Appendix II, including seahorses, to levels that are safe for wild populations. Many are struggling to meet this obligation," explains Dr. Amanda Vincent, senior author on the paper, professor in UBC's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, and co-founder and Director of Project Seahorse. "We found that 95 per cent of dried seahorses in Hong Kong's large market were reported as being imported from source countries that had export bans being in place, including Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, and Viet Nam," noted Dr. Ting-Chun Kuo, co-author and, during the study, a PhD candidate in Project Seahorse. "This is a remarkable discovery given the high proportion of global seahorse trade that goes through Hong Kong," commented Dr. Sarah Foster, lead author and Research Associate with Project Seahorse. "Such illegal shipments lacked the required CITES records and permits. This means that many seahorse populations continue to be under heavy pressure without CITES oversight of sources and sustainability of trade." Dr. Vincent, who also Chairs the global expert group on seahorses, points to problematic fishing methods as a driver of the trade. "The great majority of seahorses are obtained as bycatch in bottom trawls and other non-selective fishing methods. Such indiscriminate fishing obtains at least 37 million seahorses each year, a vast number that can easily enter trade. It is vital that such fisheries be constrained, even as trade is regulated." "It is going to take all actors and agencies to curb the substantial illegal trade in seahorses and other marine wildlife," noted Dr. Foster, also Global Trade Officer for the expert group on seahorses. "CITES needs to work more closely with the nations involved to ensure strict enforcement so that traders reject seahorses from source countries with trade bans, and authorities impose penalties such as confiscation and stiff fines." That said, it would be far better for CITES members to manage their trade sustainably than to declare bans that are not implemented. At present, most seahorse trade occurs in a black market, neither tracked nor regulated. "The current high level of illegal activity may have significant consequences for conservation of wild populations. Getting this right is vital for seahorses and for the other marine fishes subject to CITES regulation, such as sharks, rays, Napoleon wrasse and European eels," concluded Dr. Vincent. ### This research "Global seahorse trade defies export bans under CITES action and national legislation" by Sarah Foster, Ting-Cho Kuo, Anita Kar Yan Wan and Amanda Vincent was published in Marine Policy. BACKGROUND Project Seahorse Project Seahorse is a marine conservation group based at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and Zoological Society of London. Project Seahorse works to protect seahorses in order to support ocean conservation more broadly, generating cutting-edge research and using it to inform highly effective conservation interventions. Led by Dr. Amanda Vincent and Dr. Heather Koldewey, both global experts on seahorse conservation, Project Seahorse works in collaboration with researchers, governments, conservation groups and local communities worldwide. Its accomplishments have been recognized with many international awards and honours, including the Rolex Award for Enterprise and the Whitley Award in Animal Conservation. CITES CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement among governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Annually, international wildlife trade is estimated to be worth billions of dollars and to include hundreds of millions of plant and animal specimens. The trade is diverse, ranging from live animals and plants to a vast array of wildlife products derived from them, including food products, exotic leather goods, wooden musical instruments, timber, tourist curios and medicines. Levels of exploitation of some animal and plant species are high and the trade in them, together with other factors, such as habitat loss, is capable of heavily depleting their populations and even bringing some species close to extinction. For many years CITES has been among the conservation agreements with the largest membership, with now 183 Parties. CITES provides a framework within which each Party has to adopt its own domestic legislation to support its CITES obligations. The upcoming 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES - which takes place in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 23 May to 3 June 2019 - will formally discuss Issues relating to the implementation of marine fish listings under the Convention. The conversation took place against the backdrop of Pakistan violating Indian airspace on Wednesday morning. Wang and Qureshi spoke hours after Sushma Swaraj left China after day-long meeting of foreign ministers of Russia, India and China. (Photo: AP) Mumbai: Amid India-Pakistan tension, Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi told his Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mahmood Qureshi that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected. Responding to an urgent late night phone call from Qureshi, Wang stressed that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, Chinas foreign ministry said in a statement in Chinese. China is unwilling to see acts that violate the norms of international relations, statement added. The conversation between the two nations took place against the backdrop of Pakistan violating Indian airspace on Wednesday morning. India has described the violation as an unsuccessful attempt to target military installations. The Indian Air force foiled the attempt and shot down a Pak F-16. One Indian fighter jet, a MiG 21 Bison, was also shot down. The IAF pilot is in custody of Pakistani authorities. Read: No deal, says India on pilot return; Pak reports release only after de-escalation On February 26, India had carried out aerial strikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp across the Line of Control in Balakot. Wang and Qureshi spoke hours after Sushma Swaraj left China after day-long meeting of foreign ministers of Russia, India and China. After the meet, in a joint statement, the three nations strongly condemned terrorism and stressed that terrorist groups cannot be supported and used in political and geopolitical goals. Swaraj made a strong pitch for concerted international efforts to combat terror raising the Pulwama attack during meetings with her Russian and Chinese counterparts. During the phone conversation with Wang on Wednesday night, Qureshi said he hoped that China would continue to play a constructive role in easing the current tension, the MFA statement said. UC Riverside study could lead to better strategies for protecting crops from attacks by pathogens RIVERSIDE, Calif. - A team led by a plant pathologist at the University of California, Riverside, has identified a regulatory, genetic mechanism in plants that could help fight bacterial infection. "By better understanding this molecular mechanism of regulation, we can modify or treat crops to induce their immune response against bacterial pathogens," said Hailing Jin, a professor of microbiology and plant pathology, who led the research. Working on Arabidopsis thaliana, a small flowering plant widely used by biologists as a model species, Jin's research team found that Argonaute protein, a major core protein in the RNA interference machinery, is controlled by a process called "post-translational modification" during bacterial infection. This process controls the level of the Argonaute protein and its associated small RNAs -- molecules that regulate biological processes by interfering with gene expression. This provides double security in regulating the RNA interference machinery. RNA interference, or RNAi, is an important cellular mechanism that many organisms use to regulate gene expression. It involves turning off genes, also known as "gene silencing." A previous study in Jin's lab identified that one of 10 Argonaute proteins in Arabidopsis is induced by bacterial infection and contributes to plant immunity -- the higher the level of the protein, the higher the plant immunity. A high level of the protein, however, can limit the plant's growth. Under normal plant growth conditions, the Argonaute protein and its associated small RNAs are well controlled by arginine methylation - a type of post-translational modification of the Argonaute protein. This regulates the Argonaute protein and prevents it from accumulating to high levels. The small RNAs associated with the Argonaute protein are also prevented from accumulating to higher levels, allowing the plant to save energy for growth. During bacterial infection, however, arginine methylation of the Argonaute protein is suppressed, which leads to the accumulation of the Argonaute protein and its associated small RNAs that contribute to plant immunity. Together, these two changes allow the plant to both survive and defend itself. "If the Argonaute protein and the associated small RNAs were to remain at such high levels after normal conditions returned, it would be detrimental to plant growth," Jin said. "But post-translational modification of the Argonaute protein, restored under normal conditions, decreases these levels to promote plant growth." Study results appear in Nature Communications. Jin explained that all plants possess the RNAi machinery, as well as the equivalent plant-immunity-related Argonaute protein. RNA silencing is seen in all mammals, plants, and most eukaryotes. "Until our study, how the Argonaute protein got controlled during a pathogen attack was unclear, and just how plants' immune responses got regulated by the RNAi machinery was largely a mystery," said Jin, who holds the Cy Mouradick Endowed Chair at UCR and is a member of UCR's Institute for Integrative Genome Biology. "Ours is the first study to show that post-translational modification regulates the RNAi machinery in plant immune responses." ### Jin was joined in the study by UCR's Po Hu, Hongwei Zhao, Pei Zhu, Yongsheng Xiao, Weili Miao, and Yinsheng Wang. The work was funded by the National Institute of Health, National Science Foundation, and UCR Agricultural Experiment Station - Cooperative Extension. Irvine, CA - February 28, 2019 - University of California, Irvine School of Medicine researcher Geoff Abbott, PhD, has been awarded a $2 million Outstanding Investigator Award/Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) R35 grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, and a $1.7 million R01 grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The MIRA grant is for a study titled, "Ion Channel Transporter Interactions," and the R01 is for research titled, "GABA Activation of the M-current." The 5-year grants support different studies, both focused on understanding the pathophysiology of ion channel-related disorders, including epilepsy, in search of viable therapies. The MIRA award will support research in the Abbott Lab aimed at understanding the KCNQ and KCNE potassium channel gene families, their interactions with each other and with solute transporters. KCNQ family potassium channels are essential for the normal functioning of tissues including human heart, brain, thyroid, stomach, colon, pancreases, pituitary gland, auditory system and blood vessels, and are highly important for human health. The channels and transporters to be examined are linked to human diseases including cardiac arrhythmia, epilepsy and diabetes. "With the help of this MIRA grant, my lab will explore how and why channel-transporter complexes form, how KCNEs and other proteins regulate these complexes, and the molecular basis for the disease processes that occur when they dysfunction," said Abbott. The 5-year R01 grant Abbott received will support work that follows earlier studies done by the Abbott Lab, including their discovery of the first example of a neurotransmitter directly activating a voltage-gated ion channel, and their work uncovering the molecular basis for the anticonvulsant action of specific herbal medicines. "This grant will allow us to continue our work in an effort to uncover how prevalent and important this newly discovered mode of channel regulation is, and its potential role for pathophysiology and therapy in neurological disorders, including epilepsy," Abbott explained. The two studies are already underway and Abbott hopes his work will lead to the development of therapeutic agents that target the complexes to treat human disease. ### About the UCI School of Medicine: Each year, the UCI School of Medicine educates more than 400 medical students, as well as 200 doctoral and master's students. More than 600 residents and fellows are trained at UC Irvine Medical Center and affiliated institutions. The UCI School of Medicine offers an MD degree, a dual MD/PhD medical scientist training program, PhDs and master's degrees in anatomy and neurobiology, biomedical sciences, genetic counseling, epidemiology, environmental health sciences, pathology, pharmacology, physiology and biophysics, and translational sciences. Medical students also may pursue an MD/MBA program, a combined MD/Master's in Public Health or a dual MD/master's program called the Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (PRIME-LC). UCI School of Medicine is accredited by Liaison Committee on Medical Accreditation (LCME), and ranks among the top 50 nationwide for research. For more information, visit: som.uci.edu. About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 222 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit http://www.uci.edu. Family businesses looking to the next generation to take over need to prepare themselves for unexpected events - such as Brexit - according to researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA). Rather than trying to protect firms from the outside world and excluding non-family members from taking up senior roles, modern family businesses should open themselves up to collaboration and external expertise. They should prioritize equipping all their members for the "unexpected, the erratic and the external", rather than for the pursuit of longevity and amicable internal relationships. The authors argue that this is particularly important when rapid social and economic changes are taking place outside the business. Passing a business down to the next generation is commonly referred to as succession planning. Using a family-run construction company in Scotland as a case study, Dr Zografia Bika and Dr Fahri Karakas from UEA, and Prof Peter Rosa of University of Edinburgh Business School, looked at the succession process over three generations. As part of the worldwide STEP (Successful Transgenerational Entrepreneurship Practices) project, they investigated how entrepreneurial family values, knowledge and resources emerged or were transferred from the founders to subsequent generations. The findings, published in the journal Family Business Review, show how the traditional succession process has changed. Where once they were taught 'on the job' from a young age by the older generation, referred to as 'internal socialization', younger members now network with external stakeholders and peers, known as 'interactive socialization', to bring with them new skills and knowledge. This can often involve working elsewhere in a different or related industry before joining the family firm. A third process, 'experiential socialization', sees younger family members using their external experiences and their own participation in the business to better inform how to reproduce its values. Lead author Dr Bika, associate professor in entrepreneurship at UEA's Norwich Business School, said Brexit was an example of an unusual external event that could affect family businesses. "When the change taking place outside the business is fast, your new experiences and the way you experience the context become very important. "Events such as Brexit could make family businesses concerned about succession, the older generation might think the younger generation can deal with it better and bring forward succession. For a business to adjust to something like Brexit could take years, but some businesses will only have had months." Dr Bika added: "While an entrepreneurial mindset can be 'nurtured', that is gradually developed over time, or 'transmitted' through traditional socialization processes, it can also be nurtured organically through peer interaction and experiential learning. "Instead of departmental boundaries, ground rules and training tools, we suggest that modern family businesses need more open spaces and collaborative events bringing together diverse stakeholders and recognizing a range of personal experiences, shifting roles and emergent strategies in a flexible and changing context." The authors say the findings have implications for family business planning training, which should no longer be seen as an internal process revolving around systematically transferring values and knowledge from the older to the younger generation, but rather include peers, mentors, minority shareholders, professional advisers and non-family managers, who may not be driven by shared objectives or constitute a successor team. They add that where change is rapid the older generation can benefit from 're-socialization'. "This study provides a rationale for introducing more formal re-socialization training and mentorship for family business leaders," said Dr Bika. "The younger generation can teach the older family members what they need to know and do in the new business context. Indeed, in times of rapid change, attitudes, knowledge and skills of the older generation, conscientiously passed on to their children, may be active contributors to business failure. "In our case study, re-socialization has become a conscious strategy in the business. A fast moving board of family and non-family directors, a less self-sufficient growth strategy, a proactive approach to the creation of entrepreneurial opportunities, such as a new induction and other tailored programmes for apprentices, and adoption of new 'modern' managerial practices, such as new open plan offices, are among a raft of recent changes that have reversed years of more traditional family management practices. "This is best illustrated by attempts to involve shareholders more in the running of the company, requiring many to reconsider and abandon older cherished assumptions." 'Multi-layered socialization processes in transgenerational family firms', Zografia Bika, Peter Rosa and Fahri Karakas, is published in Family Business Review. ### When Hawaiian Island residents received a false alarm text message that said "Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill," in January 2018, the result was not panic, according to new research from the University of Georgia. A team of researchers analyzed the unprecedented event--a text that was announced as a false alarm 38 minutes later--to better understand how people react in the face of a potentially catastrophic event. What they found was that people sought information that could verify their risk and help them decide what to do next. They asked island residents to respond to questions about their perceived level of risk, what actions they took after seeing the warning, and whether the false alarm affected their trust in future warnings. Most respondents, they found, didn't seek immediate shelter, but instead spent time looking for more information about the incoming attack. This behavior is known among disaster researchers as "social milling." "It's getting a sense of what other people are doing," said Sarah DeYoung," an assistant professor in the Institute for Disaster Management at UGA's College of Public Health. "Social milling means, let's see what's going on, observing the scene but also checking in with others." When people are milling, she said, they are more likely to find the information they need to make the best decision about what to do. Respondents said they looked to major news outlets and social media to corroborate the alert message. Social media played a key role in helping to spread the word about the false alarm. Hawaiian congressional leader Tulsi Gabbard was quick to tweet the warning was an error, and 16 percent of respondents said they saw and shared the tweet. "There was a spillover effect of social media that went beyond people who follow it," said DeYoung, the study author. "And it also speaks to the value of following social media because those people who did were able to deliver that message to their immediate network of people." In the days following the false alarm, respondents reported feeling a mix of emotions. Among feelings of trauma and anger, some respondents also said they didn't trust their local government to handle future emergencies. The good news for emergency managers and local government, said DeYoung, is that broader findings from disaster research says that false alarms generally don't cause people to disregard future alarms, but she added that respondents in her study said they'd be more likely to trust future tsunami warnings than future missile warnings. DeYoung said the way to overcome doubt about future emergencies is to send out official warning messages across more platforms than the wireless emergency alert system. "People wanted multiple cues to validate the warning," she said, "so in order to increase belief and trust in the warning, it should go across multiple channels." ### The paper, "Death was not in the agenda for the day": Emotions, behavioral reactions, and perceptions in response to the 2018 Hawaii Wireless Emergency Alert," recently appeared in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. It's available online at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420918305077?via%3Dihub Co-authors include Jeannette N. Sutton with University of Kentucky, Ashley K. Farmer with Illinois State University, David Neal with Indiana University - South Bend, and Katherine A. Nichols, a recent graduate of UGA. LOWELL, Mass. - A UMass Lowell researcher who analyzes the causes and impacts of violence fueled by drug trafficking has won critical acclaim for her work and is bringing a fresh understanding of these issues from the streets into the classroom. When teaching, UMass Lowell's Angelica Duran-Martinez, assistant professor of political science, draws on 15 months of extensive fieldwork she conducted in five cities in Colombia and Mexico experts have considered for decades to be centers for drug-trafficking organizations. "Through my research, I began to better understand the political factors that contribute to variations in the frequency and type of violence committed, whether it be hidden or visible in the community," she said. Her investigation took her to Cali and Medellin in Colombia, and Ciudad Juarez, Culiacan and Tijuana in Mexico several times. While in each city, she interviewed crime victims' families, drug dealers, government officials, law-enforcement officers, community organizers and journalists. For historical perspective, she pored over news accounts, police reports and court records of drug-related murders from 1984 through 2011. Duran-Martinez found that patterns of violence are tied to three main factors: whether the drug cartels had a market monopoly or were fighting for turf, whether they were outsourcing the violence to street gangs or performing criminal acts themselves and whether the security forces provided by the government in each city were cohesive or fragmented. She discovered that the frequency of violence escalates when trafficking organizations are fighting for turf or when the violence is outsourced to street gangs. "I also found that drug traffickers who face a cohesive and effective security apparatus, as well as those protected by corrupt state actors, often have an incentive to minimize and hide their violence, so as not to cause a public outcry and force a crackdown," she said. "On the other hand, trafficking organizations in areas with fragmented security forces may have incentives to maintain control through visible violence, including public assassinations, bombings and shootouts." Duran-Martinez's research is detailed in her first book, "The Politics of Drug Violence: Criminals, Cops and Politicians in Colombia and Mexico." The work has won praise from the International Association for the Study of Organized Crime, which commended the quality and relevance of her findings and will honor her later this year as part of the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology. A native of Colombia, Duran-Martinez has been committed to understanding and finding effective responses to illegal drug trafficking for much of her life. She began examining these issues while working for the United Nations as a graduate student. Her students are benefiting from her firsthand account of her experiences. At UMass Lowell, Duran-Martinez has created courses that specifically address drug enforcement policies and theories of political and criminal violence. She teaches undergraduate courses in comparative and Latin American politics, along with courses in research design and methods for Ph.D. candidates in the global studies program. Duran-Martinez's findings suggest military might is not effective in stemming the drug trade, as military operations against organized crime increase both direct and collateral violence and deaths, leading to bloody battles for control, she said. A better approach, she finds, is for governments in drug-producing countries to put more resources into long-term social and economic solutions, including education. "And, although it's not a popular idea, decriminalization or legalization of drugs in consumer nations would help a lot by removing the financial incentives that drive illegal markets," she said. "We're already seeing this with the legalization of marijuana in some states and the decriminalization of all drugs in Portugal." ### UMass Lowell is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its more than 18,000 students bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. UMass Lowell delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be leaders in their communities and around the globe. http://www.uml.edu Test more accurately identifies four mutations for which FDA-approved drugs exist and offers faster turn-around time between initial testing and commencement of therapy A multi-center study led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center revealed that a liquid biopsy test called Guardant360, is comparable to standard tissue biopsies in detection of guideline recommended biomarkers in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), has a faster turn-around time, and has the potential to support identification of more patients who can be treated with targeted therapy. The study findings are significant given that 30 percent of lung cancers can be treated successfully with molecular-targeted therapies, which often yield higher response rates than chemotherapy. Trial results were shared during a media preview of the AACR Annual Meeting 2019, to be held March 29-April 3, in Atlanta. The multi-institutional trial was led by Vassiliki Papadimitrakopoulou, M.D., professor of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology. "When choosing therapy for patients with NSCLC, it is vital that we know which patients have gene mutations that often respond to molecular therapies. The response rates can be up to 30 percent higher than with chemotherapy or immunotherapy, said Papadimitrakopoulou, "In the past, our only option to test for mutations was to rely on tissue-biopsy-based testing, which can be invasive, have serious complications, is time-consuming and often not adequate to test for all relevant targetable mutations." In this comprehensive liquid biopsy study conducted at several participating institutions, Guardant360 employed cell-free tumor DNA (cfDNA) in blood to test for mutations in 282 patients. The test detected seven known predictive biomarkers including genomic alterations in ROS1, BRAF, RET, MET, ALK, EGFR and ERBB2, and one prognostic biomarker, KRAS mutations. Standard tissue sampling detected at least one of predictive biomarkers in 60 patients, while Guardant360 identified biomarkers in 77 patients. Among the remaining 193 patients who did not have one of the seven biomarkers, the liquid biopsy test found the KRAS mutation in 92 patients, compared to 24 patients with standard tissue sampling. Therapies specifically targeting EGFR, ALK, ROS1 and BRAF gene mutations or fusions are already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "We know that guideline-recommended testing is normally completed in only 8 percent of patients with NSCLC," said Papadimitrakopoulou. "This does not provide all the crucial information for physicians to make an informed therapy decision. This study shows that a highly sensitive and specific liquid biopsy should be part of the standard of care for these patients." The study reported a median turn-around time from test order to final results of nine days for the liquid biopsy test, compared to 15 days for tissue-based testing. "Given that advanced NSCLC is often fatal, it is important we get patients on treatment at the earliest possible time," said Papadimitrakopoulou. "Our findings show that we can greatly reduce the amount of time between testing and initiation of therapy." The study's limitations included that the test was compared to the standard-of-care tissue genotyping test and not the tissue-based next-generation sequencing test. The study results were applicable only to the Guardant360 test and not to other liquid biopsy tests. The study incorporates analysis of patient outcomes that will be separately reported at a later date. ### Other institutions who participated in the study include Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto; Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Fort Worth, Texas; Guardant Health, Inc., Redwood City, Calif.; Tennessee Oncology, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Genesis Cancer Center, Hot Springs, Ark.; City of Hope Cancer Center, Duarte, Calif.; and Miami Cancer Institute, Miami. The study was funded by Guardant Health, Inc. Papadimitrakopoulou reported no disclosures. UPDATE: The Pound Sterling held firm against the Euro into Fridays session, retaining the overnight range with the GBP/EUR exchange rate last seen trading at 1.1660, flat overall. Thursdays session saw the GBP trim gains against both the single currency and Greenback following an early-week rally which saw the Sterling appreciate sharply against a basket of peers. Overall, the GBP remained up for the week. In their daily FX brief, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking analysts wrote The pound looks set to the end the week around 11.5% higher against both the US dollar and the euro, adding This likely reflects the markets perception of diminishing risks of a no deal at the end of March and the possibility that parliament may be coalescing around a revised deal. With the next key date for Brexit the March 12th meaningful vote, developments on this front are expected to settle as the PM continues her efforts to secure the necessary changes or assurances needed to garner support for the EU withdrawal agreement. Nevertheless, as weve witnessed before, the GBP remains vulnerable to ad-hoc news flow, especially any developments which increase or reduce the probability of the UK exiting the EU without a deal. UPDATE: The Pound drifted lower against the Euro and US Dollar over the course of Thursdays trading session, failing to extend gains following four consecutive days of Brexit-spurred GBP appreciation. Against the Greenback, the Pound was down by 0.25% at last check with the GBP/USD exchange rate trading at $1.32738 after hitting a seven-month high of $1.33503 in Wednesdays session. The Pound-to-Euro (GBPEUR) x-rate traded 0.41% down from the session open at 1.1656 after posting a twenty-one-month high of 1.1723 on Wednesday. Following three days of stellar performance from the Pound Sterling, price action on Thursday was relatively subdued in comparison with Brexit-related developments expected to peter out over the coming weeks ahead of the March 12th 14th House of Commons votes. Even the impact of news-flow relating to the PMs continued efforts to seek legally binding assurances over the Irish backstop arrangements could be met with limited market reaction given the PMs deal is widely expected to be rejected anyway at the March 12th meaningful vote and a focus instead on the potential Article 50 extension, on which MPs will vote on March 14th. Speaking earlier on Thursday, Michel Barnier, the EUs chief negotiator conceded that a short technical extension to finalise Brexit proceedings would be acceptable but reiterated earlier comments from French President Emanuel Macron that for the EU to approve a lengthier delay there must be some justification i.e., evidence suggesting such an extension would yield a breakthrough. IN the wake of recent developments, a number of institutions have downwardly revised their expectations of a no-deal scenario with, for instance, Goldman Sachs paring their estimates from 15% to 10% while upping the probability of a negotiated deal to 55%. JP Morgan however have left their probabilities unchanged with a 45% chance of the UK leaving the EU with a deal, a 20% probability of a long delay, a 15% likelihood of a referendum and the remaining 10% attributed to the probability of a no-deal Brexit and fresh general election. Commenting on the investment banks Brexit projections, J.P Morgan economist, Malcolm Barr, said We have been considering tweaking the set of probabilities for various scenarios we last tweaked on February 13th All told, we have decided not to make any changes at this stage. Barr added We expect the March 12th vote to be close enough to bring gaining a majority for it on a third attempt into view, with that taking place in late March or early April. Brexit-Boosted Pound Sterling at Multi-Month Highs Vs. Peers Wednesdays session saw the Pound Sterling (GBP/) round off four successive days of gains against a basket of peer currencies, posting multi-month highs, amid a surge in Brexit-based optimism reflecting substantially moderated expectations of a no-deal outcome. Peaking at a 21-month best of 1.1723, the Pound-to-Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate traded flat overnight before a short-lived dip following the latest nationwide house price index (HPI) release and was last seen trading at 1.1677. The Pound-to-Dollar (GBPUSD) meanwhile hit a seven-month high of $1.33501 before flattening over the Asian session and was last seen trading at $1.33008, down a meagre 0.07% from the session open. Recent sessions have seen significant steps taken towards reducing the probability of a no deal Brexit outcome at the end of March. With just 29 days to go until the UK is expected to leave the EU the PM and her Labour counterpart, Jeremy Corbyn, both announced a change of strategy earlier in the week with the PM adopting a softer stance on extending the Brexit deadline to avoid a no-deal outcome and Corbyn throwing the Labour Partys weight officially behind a push for a second EU referendum. Both these developments were seen to be paring the chances of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, with chances cut further in the Wake of Wednesdays House of Commons indicative votes which saw MPs overwhelmingly back the Cooper amendment (502 to 20) which put the PM's earlier pledge to offer a series of votes on her deal, no-deal and an extension to MPs in March into writing. Following the vote, Labour leader Corbyn told reporters well continue to push for a close economic relationship based on our credible alternative plan or a general election, adding Well also back a public vote in order to prevent a damaging Tory Brexit or disastrous no deal. Further commentary from Labours John McDonnell suggested the party could table an amendment calling for a second referendum or peoples vote following Mays re-tabling of her deal and the subsequent meaningful vote thereon, scheduled for March 12th. Commenting on the latest developments and their implications for how the UK will exit the EU, portfolio manager at BlueBay Asset Management, Kaspar Hense, wrote We think the risk of a no-deal Brexit has substantially fallen for now. Golman Sachs economists concurred with this assessment, raising their probability of a deal to 55% while cutting their no-deal odds to 10%, with no Brexit at all remaining a 35% probability in their estimations. In a brief, Goldman researchers wrote We continue to see the most likely outcome of the current impasse as eventual ratification of the Prime Ministers Brexit deal, with a three-month extension of Article 50. While UK lawmakers are discussing whether or not to pursue an extension to the deadline, EU officials have warned that they will only endorse such a move if its expected to yield progress. Speaking on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said If the British need more time, we would support an extension request if it was justified by new choices from the British. But we would in no way accept an extension without a clear view on the objective pursued. Looking ahead, the next round of key Brexit milestones is likely to occur in the votes commencing from March 12th. Senior Danske Bank analyst, Jens Nrvig Pedersen, summarised the upcoming votes, things now come down to three key votes in mid-March (vote on full deal on Tuesday 12 March, vote on support for no deal on Wednesday 13 March and vote for extension of Article 50 on Thursday 14 March), adding their expectation that the House of Commons will vote in favour of asking the EU27 for an extension of Article 50 by two to three months. With regards to the Euro-to-Pound (EURGBP) exchange rate, currently trading at 0.85636, Pederson added, We still hold the view that either we will see a Brexit deal passing eventually or a second referendum and both these scenarios are likely to bring more GBP strength. We target 0.84 in 3M. INGs outlook for the Euro-to-Pound x-rate is broadly aligned with analysts at the Dutch multinational writing While we dont want to stand in front of any GBP rally, we recognise that the move is already meaningful and for EUR/GBP to break below 0.8500 level we need more catalysts, suggesting the GBPs rally could be at, or close to, peak in lieu of further developments. UPDATE: Thursdays session saw the Pound Canadian Dollar (GBP/CAD) exchange rate post a fresh eight-month best of CA$1.75510 before dipping sharply. A relatively flat Asian session gave way to further downside into Friday trading with the cross last seen at CA$1.74028. Following a disappointing CPI earlier in the week, focus will be on todays monthly gross domestic product (GDP) growth figure from Statistics Canada, forecast to print nil change at 0.0% following last months 0.1% contraction. First on the data schedule however will be the latest UK manufacturing PMI release, forecast to dip to 52.0 from a prior 52.8 alongside the latest Bank of England (BoE) net lending to individuals data, expected to register a decline in the amount of new credit issued to consumers with a forecast of 4.7B (previously 4.8B). The Pound Canadian Dollar (GBP/CAD) exchange rate is holding steady today and is currently trading around CA$1.7522 on the inter-bank market. The Canadian Dollar (CAD) has lost some of its gains following yesterdays printing of the Bank of Canadas year-on-year CPI figures for January, which decreased to 1.5%. Today has continued to see CAD remain somewhat subdued, and being a commodity-reliant currency the lack of US-China trade talk developments has weighed on confidence in the Loonie today. These came following strains between US President Donald Trump and his Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. Neil Ferguson, a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, commented: I think the big question ... is whether or not President Trump is going to overrule Robert Lighthizer and take a deal that Lighthizer would regard as inadequate, as weak' Robert Lighthizer has been doing an excellent job driving a very hard bargain and when Lighthizer says we're not there yet, I take that very seriously. Canadian Dollar investors will be awaiting the printing of Canadas current account figures for the fourth-quarter today, which are expected to decrease. The Pound, meanwhile, gained on the Loonie today following the publication of the UK GfK consumer confidence figures for January, which increased above expectation to -13. GBP/CAD Exchange Rate Rangebound as Traders Await Further Brexit Developments Sterling lost some of yesterdays gains following the House of Commons vote on various amendments last night. And although no-deal fears have diminished significantly after Labour MP Yvette Coopers amendment gained overwhelming favour, traders are becoming increasingly cautious. Prime Minister Theresa May now has to gain the necessary support for her Brexit deal in the coming weeks ahead of the 12 March vote, and if she fails then there may be a request for an extension of Article 50. German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, sounded a warning yesterday, however, saying she was not opposed to an extension, while French President Emmanuel Macron urged a clear objective from Parliament to merit the delay. Macron said: As our negotiator Michel Barnier has said, we don't need more time but decisions The time has come therefore for the British to make choices. CAD/GBP Exchange Rate Forecast: Canadian Dollar Could Rise on US-China Trade Talk Developments Canadian Dollar traders will be looking ahead to the printing of its annualized GDP figures for the fourth-quarter tomorrow, and with and increase this could prove CAD-positive. Sterling could also rise if the UK manufacturing PMI figures for February show any signs of improving tomorrow. The GBP/CAD exchange rate, however, is likely to remain fixated on political developments, with Brexit back in the driving seat following recent breakthroughs and, for Loonie traders, any developments between the US-China could improve confidence in the Canadian Dollar. Learn More About Capturing Global Markets in a Turbulent World February 28, 2019 Atlanta, Georgia Sustainable profitable growth, and organic agribusiness expert Gary W. Patterson, FiscalDoctor, will attend the Atlanta 3rd Annual World Trade Day on May 3rd https://www.wtcatlanta.com/world-trade-day/ Learn more about topics including: Geopolitical Forces Impacting International Market Opportunities Financing Your Global Expansion: Uncovering New Sources of Funding That Help Your Bottom Line Global Strategy Workshop Gaming, Film & Creative Media: Leveraging Talent and The Local-Global Connection Infrastructure: How Radical Changes in Water, Energy, Transportation and Communications Systems Impact Your Organization Agri-Business: From Peanuts to Drones Where Is Technology Creating Opportunities? 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Imagine how much you can benefit. #fertilizer #insecticide # OMRI #restorative #agriculture #organic #farming #agribusiness #microbial #Lalitha #spectrum #water #broadspectrum #agronomist #crop #yield #soil #dirt #organicfarming #global About Fiscal Doctor Inc. FiscalDoctor Inc. enables growth through leverage you did not know you had and works with leaders to uncover million-dollar holes to make the best business decisions and dramatically accelerate or free up cashflow. Fund things like deferred CAPEX, profit improvement and growth projects. http://www.fiscaldoctor.com/contact-us/ About Gary W. Patterson Gary W. Patterson, president & CEO of FiscalDoctor, works with leaders who want to uncover their blind spot before it finds them, so they can make better decisions. He can also help increase your profitability, providing access to 100 best-of-the-best experts who are often better and cheaper than incumbents. Gary can be reached at 678-319-4739 or gary@FiscalDoctor.com ### Thursday, February 28, 2019 Kris Putnam-Walkerly, global philanthropy advisor and president of Putnam Consulting Group, Inc., was named U.S. Philanthropy Expert for De Dikke Blauwe, the leading opinion platform for Dutch philanthropy in the Netherlands. The organization names her as one of America's most influential philanthropy advisors and experts in the field of transformational giving. Kris Putnam-Walkerly is an internationally recognized philanthropy advisor, speaker, and award-winning author who just signed a contract with Wiley to write her second book, Delusional Altruism. As one of their experts, Putnam-Walkerly will be contributing content and insight with their Dutch audience. De Dikke Blauwe is the leading opinion platform on Dutch philanthropy and is widely viewed as a credible source of philanthropic information for influential leaders in the Netherlands, such as members of the Dutch cabinet, policymakers and politicians, national media, academic researchers and consultants. De Dikke Blauwe produces an annual book on the state of Dutch philanthropy, identifies the Top 100 philanthropy influentials, produces The Blue Barometer, a yearly opinion poll on the state of Dutch philanthropy. They also distribute a weekly newsletter, The DDB Journaal, and host the annual Dutch philanthropy conference, Civil Power. When asked why De Dikke Blauwe chose Putnam-Walkerly to be their U.S. Philanthropy Expert, Don Akkermans, founder of Lenthe, the nonprofit publishing agency of De Dikke Blauwe stated, "De Dikke Blauwe is extremely proud to welcome Kris Putnam-Walkerly as one of its 'Experts.' Kris will share her articles and columns with our Dutch audience. We are thrilled that one of the top consultants, writers and speakers on philanthropy from the United States will share her profound insight with our readers in the Netherlands." Putnam-Walkerly, who recently addresses topics such as delusional altruism, transformational giving, creating effective funder collaborations, rapid strategy development and implementation and the role of philanthropy as an investment tool throughout her diverse publications from Forbes.com to her award-winning book, Confident Giving: Sage Advice for Funders. "I'm delighted to be named as the U.S. Philanthropy Expert for the prestigious De Dikke Blauwe," said Putnam-Walkerly. "I am excited to share content and insight with Dutch philanthropists and foundations to help them increase their impact, but I also believe there is a lot to learn from philanthropy in the Netherlands and around the world to improve philanthropic practices in the United States." "Kris Putnam-Walkerly's advice is vital for philanthropy. Her wisdom and insight are a valuable asset for all foundation boards and staff," said Cole Wilbur, Trustee Emeritus and Former President of The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. NSA Ajit Doval talked to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over the phone on Wedneday night amid tensions between India and Pak. The telephonic conversation confirmed that the US supported Indias decision to take target terror group Jaish-e-Mohammeds biggest training camp. (Photo; File) New Delhi: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Wednesday night spoke to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over the phone amid tensions between India and Pakistan. The telephonic conversation confirmed that the US supported Indias decision to take target terror group Jaish-e-Mohammeds biggest training camp. On Tuesday morning, Indian Air Force jets flew across the Line of Control to blow up the camp. Thursday, February 28, 2019 ** You have a LinkedIn profile. ** You have a Facebook page. ** You should have an ExpertClick Press Room. Free ExpertClick Press Rooms are now available. Send SEO optimized news releases today. ExpertClick.com is a business referral web site where experts, speakers, and expert witnesses are found by journalists for media interviews, meeting planners for speaking engagements, and lawyers to engage for trial testimony. Help the news media know your expertise, find you, and know you welcome inquires -- attract new clients. Send News Releases quickly -- Use our seven-keystroke system. Be found with SEO and content syndication. Lock in a free ExpertClick Press Room for life when you join at http://wwww.ExpertClick.com/FREE Or choose a paid Press Room membership with top-shelf benefits: 1) Sending News Releases, 2) Syndication of your blog, 3) Profile in the printed 2020 Yearbook of Experts the 36th Annual, 4) Shown higher in search results --- above free profiles. Here's the paid full-benefits join URL with discount: ... save 15% courtesy of the Association of Professional Futurists http://www.ExpertClick.com/discount/Pro_Futurists Accenture Federal Services plans to bulk up its operations in San Antonio, adding 500 new jobs over the next four years. The company, a subsidiary of Accenture LLP, provides cloud computing, cybersecurity, testing and other services to federal agencies. It has more than 1,300 employees across several locations in the Alamo City, and also has offices in Arlington, Virginia. On ExpressNews.com: Accenture Federal Services sees opportunity in San Antonio Demand for its services is fueling the hiring spree, said Ben Peavy, Accenture Federal Services managing director in San Antonio. Were really excited, Peavy said. Expanding its workforce here, he added, furthers our commitment to the city and enables the company to make an impact in the communities in which we live and work. Accentures plans show how Team San Antonio works not only to attract new companies, but also to help existing corporations grow and succeed in our community, Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, president and CEO of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, said in a statement. City and county officials will consider incentives for the expansion in coming weeks. The financial boost would help Accenture accelerate its hiring goals, Peavy said. Council members will vote next week on a grant of up to $500,000, based on the jobs Accenture plans to create and half earning at least $50,000 annually. Half of the grant funds would support the companys internship and training programs. They will also consider nominating the company for designation as a Texas Enterprise Zone project, which would mean a possible refund of up to $1.25 million in state sales and use taxes, according to city staff. The primary site in the application is Accentures location at 7050 Fairgrounds Parkway. County leaders are scheduled to review a $100,000 package March 12. It includes a grant of up to $50,000 based on the firm creating 50 jobs paying at least $50,000 annually before benefits and bonuses, a spokesperson said. On ExpressNews.com: Virginia companies get $900K in city incentives to add 600 jobs in San Antonio A second grant of up to $50,000 is based on training, with at least 50 employees earning specific certifications through Alamo Colleges or another program. The new positions will include information-security specialists, software developers and test engineers. The company plans to invest $5 million over the four-year span as part of the expansion. The skills Accenture is looking for dont necessarily require a four-year degree, Peavy said. Companies are looking at more workers who have taken alternative education routes such as earning certifications and its enabled Accenture to tap into a more diverse group of employees, he said. On ExpressNews.com: Apprenticeships expose East Side youth to tech jobs Accenture also has a local apprenticeship program. Launched in 2017, the initiative focuses on recruiting young people from the Eastside Promise Zone. madison.iszler@express-news.net APASEO EL GRANDE, Mexico - A new notch in central Mexico's automotive belt rises in the central state of Guanajuato amid irrigated crops, multiplying industrial parks - and deadly gangland warfare. By year's end, Toyota's assembly plant in Apaseo El Grande, a rapidly transforming township of farmers and factory laborers, will begin producing some 100,000 Tacoma pickup trucks a year, according to industry reports, with many of them for shipment across the Rio Grande and through Texas. Toyota currently produces the Tacoma in San Antonio and in Tijuana, the Mexican city bordering San Diego. A spokesman said Toyota declined requests to comment about the plant and the companys plans. With any luck, and perhaps a prayer, the violence that has been racking the state for several years now also will have slackened, with the rival gangs subdued and the corruption that nurtures them corralled. Imagine a plant of this size operating amid so much violence. Thats not going to work, says Francisco Rodriguez, 59, who grows alfalfa not far from the Toyota plant. The government has to get this under control. The cradle of Mexico's independence from Spain two centuries ago, Guanajuato today stands as an emblem of both the country's promise and its peril as leftist-nationalist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador takes the helm for a six-year term. Conservative Guanajuato was the only of Mexico's 32 states that Lopez Obrador did not win in last July's election. Now, as he struggles to both maintain industrial-driven growth and bring criminal gangs to heel, few corners of the country have more at stake in the outcome. Exports to the U.S. of vehicles and auto parts turbo-charge the state's economy - it has grown by more than 4 percent annually this decade, about twice the national rate. Officials say Guanajuato, which is Mexicos sixth-most important state economically, will lead the country in automotive production by next year. The state produced about a fifth of the nearly 4 million cars and light trucks foreign automakers produced in Mexico in 2018. But gangland killings and other violent crimes have spiked as well, claiming more than 2,300 lives last year and making Guanajuato the deadliest state of Mexico. In all, a record 33,000 people nationwide died violently last year, most of them at the hands of organized crime, officials say. Though nearly 600 miles from the Rio Grande at Laredo, the fates of Apaseo El Grande and Guanajuato's long have been meshed with that of Texas. Like other nearby factories, the Toyota plant will use energy made possible by natural gas from the Eagle Ford field of south Texas, shipped through a recently completed pipeline that terminates a few miles away. Many of the vehicles Toyota will build here like those made by Honda, Mazda and BMW in nearby plants will be shipped to U.S. and Canadian customers on trains crossing the border at Laredo and other Texas cities. San Miguel de Allende, the colonial jewel thats at least a part-time home for some 15,000 foreigners, including many Texans, huddles in low mountains scarcely an hour away. In turn, many migrants from Guanajuato through recent decades have made their homes in Texas. The Toyota plant is certain to make the bonds tighter still. There are going to be a lot of links between Apaseo and San Antonio, says Alejandro Garcia, a municipal economic development official in Apaseo El Grande. Gangs tapping pipelines Criminal bands traffic narcotics and pillage trains carrying locally made auto parts and cargo from Asia passing through from the Pacific port of Lazaro Cardenas. But officials blame most of the killing on the rivalries between gangs that tap pipelines to steal gasoline and other distillates for sale on the black market. Mexican officials estimate that some $3.7 billion a year worth of fuel is stolen nationwide. We know that our murder problem derives from the fuel theft, Gov. Diego Rodriguez, who took office last fall, said in a recent video message. With a major refinery in the city of Salamanca and some 700 pipelines of every variety crisscrossing the state, Guanajuato has suffered an outsize share of it. Police and soldiers last year discovered more than 1,000 pipeline taps, making Guanajuato one of the top three most affected by the crime. Lopez Obrador launched a nationwide campaign against the fuel thieves, known as huachicoleros, shortly after taking office three months ago. Soldiers have seized refineries nationwide; patrols of pipelines have been increased; the bank accounts of suspects have been frozen. In Guanajuato and elsewhere, the bloodshed has spiked. A bomb was placed at one of the main gates of the Salamanca refinery in late January, accompanied by a message purportedly written by one of the warring gang bosses calling on Lopez Obrador to withdraw the army and other federal forces from the state. If not, I am going to start killing innocent people so you see this is not a game, the message read, The accused gangster later claimed he had not placed the bomb nor issued the threat. Lopez Obrador shrugged off the incident and said the government would not alter its policy. The U.S. State Department last fall warned that visitors should exercise increased caution when visiting Guanajuato, but noted that most of the violence occurs in southern zones of the state, that include Apaseo El Grande. Guanajuato isnt among the five states, including neighboring Michoacan, that U.S. officials warn should not be visited. The townships police chief was assassinated, gangland style, two years ago and another in 2014. The mayoral candidate of Lopez Obradors party was gunned down last spring in a neighboring township. His wife won the seat in his place. Meanwhile, Lopez Obradors campaign against fuel theft has taken jobs from a lot of people who are looking for other sources of income, said Marco Ramon, president of Amistad Industrial Developers, which operates industrial parks in Apaseo El Grande sheltering Japanese and other foreign auto component makers. This is something that should be temporary, Ramon, whose company is headquartered on the central Texas border and operates across northern Mexico, said of the violence. Its a shame to say it, but we are used to it. Others, including the Americans and other foreigners who have made San Miguel de Allende their home, face getting used to it as well. A tourism destination for more than seven decades, the city of 70,000 is expecting 2 million visitors this year, many of them deep-pocketed people drawn by its ranking as one of the premier destinations in the world. Im convinced that so much of it is a reaction to the money that has come into town, David Bossman, a retired New York City teacher and 20-year resident said of San Miguel de Allende's growing crime problem. This town has gone from a quiet bohemian town to a major international destination. Bossman edits a Facebook page - More Security in San Miguel de Allende - that monitors the crime situation for some 11,000 followers. In addition to more infrequent murders, the page documents highway assaults, home invasions and street muggings. We have had a significant amount of assaults, Bossman said, referring to a rising number of armed highway attacks on residents returning to San Miguel from shopping trips to the nearby city of Celaya. A lot of it was a growing epidemic of small gangs. Hundreds of factories Toyota's will be the fourth assembly plant to operate along a 70-mile stretch of four lane highway in Guanajuato. Each company brought with them their own suppliers, totaling hundreds of factories employing tens of thousands of people, according to state officials. The state's auto boom began in 1985 when General Motors began producing SUVs and light trucks in the town of Silao. Honda opened its factory in Celaya and Mazda another in nearby Salamanca in early 2014. In addition, Volkswagen builds motors in Silao and Ford makes transmissions near the city of Irapuato. Combined with large Japanese and German assembly plants in neighboring Aguascalientes and San Luis Potosi state, analysts project that central Mexico will produce half of Mexico's cars and light trucks by sometime next year. Though employment has boomed, wages have remained low. Line workers in some Japanese assembly plants in Guanajuato make little more than $12 a day. Those employed at suppliers factories earn even less. It's unclear what wages Toyota will pay once the factory starts production. President Donald Trump's threat to renegotiate or cancel the North American Free Trade Agreement which provides duty-free commerce between the U.S., Mexico and Canada slowed investment in new plants in recent years. Scrapping the trade pact would have meant slapping a 25 percent U.S. import tax on the pickup trucks made in Mexico. As the first left-leaning president of Mexico in decades, Lopez Obrador's arrival to office has set some executive stomachs churning anew. But he so far has proved less antagonistic toward business than many feared. They were two-and-half years of a lot of doubt, first with Trump's arrival and then with Lopez Obradors, said Ramon, the industrial park manager. It was a perfect storm. The three country's leaders signed a new trade pact late last year that looks much like the old one. While the agreement needs to be ratified by each country's legislators, investors are hitting the gas again, Roman said. Toughened requirements that more auto components be made within North America are drawing more Asian and European companies to Mexico, executives said. Mexico is a very important hub for suppliers and assemblers, thats why we need to be here, said. Peter Oberparleiter, chief executive of GKN Sinter Metals, a British company that supplies the auto and other industries. We are already supplying a lot of parts from Europe and the U.S. and that should end, he said. We dont need to ship many thousands of miles. While the ongoing violence in Guanajuato is a concern, Oberparleiter said, We see Mexico as something that wont go away. The father of 8-month-old King Jay Davila did not appear in court as expected Wednesday as his court-appointed attorney and hired lawyers tried to determine who will represent him. Christopher Davila, 34, who is accused of failing to seek medical care for his son and covering up his death, was transported from the jail to the courthouse. But bailiffs didnt lead Davila into the courtroom, where several members of Kings maternal family waited. Kings maternal grandfather, Fernando Yee, expressed frustration that the hearing was delayed by legalities. He said he was hoping Davila might go on trial Wednesday. That likely wont happen for months, if not a year. What he did to King, he has no excuse, Yee said. I feel bad. I feel angry. Yee, who was accompanied by Kings great-aunt, Maria Morales, and several friends, said he wants justice for King. Investigators and prosecutors have kept his family in the dark about the legal process, he said. Yee grew emotional as he spoke about King, whom he described as a happy and cheerful baby. He showed a video of the boy, laughing and smiling as he swayed back and forth in a baby swing. Yee and his wife, Josephine, are the primary caregivers for four of Kings half-siblings. They often watched over King, too. On ExpressNews.com: King Jays death is tearing us apart, his great-uncle says Davilas court-appointed lawyer, Anton Tony Hajek III, and one of his hired attorneys, Bob Behrens, briefly addressed Judge Kevin M. OConnell during the hearing. The attorneys said they were not sure who was representing Davila. Davila hired Green and Behrens after his initial arrest when he was charged with child endangerment. Hajek was appointed to represent Davila on the four added charges, which were filed later. After the hearing, Hajek told reporters that Green and Behrens would likely represent Davila. I have talked to Mr. Davila, Hajek said. Hes quite remorseful. According to Hajek, prosecutors have more than 500 photographs and 25 videos that could be entered as evidence. He said prosecutors have not yet handed over all the records, which are apparently too large to send by email. If Green and Behrens take over, Hajek said he would provide them with any photographs, videos and documents hes already received. The hearing Wednesday would have been the first time Davila appeared in court since he was arrested Jan. 10 and charged with injury to a child, tampering with evidence, possession of a controlled substance and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Davila remains in jail in lieu of bail set at $1.25 million. Police say Davilas mother, Beatrice Sampayo, 64, and his cousin, Angie Torres, 45, helped Davila cover up Kings death by staging the kidnapping. They have been charged with tampering with evidence. Sampayo was released earlier this month after she asked a judge to lower her bail. Torres remains in jail in lieu of bail set at $300,000. Since his arrest, Davila has maintained that King died accidentally after falling from a bed at his Northeast Side home. In an exclusive letter to the San Antonio Express-News, Davila said earlier this month that he didnt call 911 because he didnt want to lose custody of his five other sons. On ExpressNews.com: Im so hurt by my actions: King Jays father speaks from jail He said he was experiencing back pain the day of the accident, sometime in early January. He said he went into the garage to smoke marijuana and left his son unbuckled in a car seat on the edge of the bed. Once I was done I came back inside and layed (sic) down and pulled the blanket a little, Davila wrote. Thats when he fell. Davila said he got up quickly to pick up King, who was already unresponsive. Throughout the letter, Davila acknowledged that he had made a mistake by smoking marijuana and leaving King unsupervised, but what happened afterward was an accident. He wrote that he would do anything for his sons, who range in age from 3 to 12. Davila said in his letter that the pills authorities found on him belonged to Sampayo, who takes methadone, morphine and fentanyl to treat terminal ovarian and bone cancer. He said the gun belonged to his cousin. Police have hinted that they do not believe Davilas latest account. The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office concluded that King died of a blunt force trauma injury and ruled his death a homicide a determination different from the charge brought by police. An earlier version of this story incorrectly described which attorneys were present Wednesday. Anton Tony Hajek III and Bob Behrens attended the hearing. Emilie Eaton is a criminal justice reporter in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | eeaton@express-news.net | Twitter: @emilieeaton 2 1 of 2 Bob Owen /Staff file photo Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Bob Owen /Staff file photo Show More Show Less The program allowing people from eligible, unsafe countries to live legally in the United States has been extended for refugees from several countries, according to the Federal Register. Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, has been automatically extended to Jan. 2, 2020, for the hundreds of thousands of people from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan living in the United States. As state lawmakers in Austin weigh property tax reform, San Antonio Councilmen John Courage and Clayton Perry are pushing a tax relief measure at the local level. The two North Side council members filed a request last week that would direct city staff to research the impact on tax revenue and future budgets if San Antonio were to offer a homestead exemption. I think we need to have the city lay out the procedure that we could follow and what some of the options are in order for the council to actually act, Courage said. OnExpressNews.com: Texas House District 125 candidates square off in forum Council members Art Hall, Rebecca Viagran and Manny Pelaez also supported the request, which requires five signatures. Mayor Ron Nirenberg said Wednesday he also supports it. Courage and Perry plan to discuss it at a Municipal Plaza press conference Thursday. The request will now head to the citys governance committee, where it could be forwarded to another committee or sent to the council for a briefing or a vote. Perry said the initiative has its roots in budget discussions at City Hall over the past two years. He pushed for an exemption on both occasions, to no avail. Councilman Greg Brockhouse also supported those measures, Perry said. Basically, everybodys taxes keep going upWere the only major Texas city that does not offer a homestead exemption, Perry said. San Antonio hasnt increased its property tax rate in years, but rising appraised values have kept its average tax bill consistently on the rise. Homestead exemptions allow homeowners to decrease the taxable value of their primary residence by a percentage or a fixed amount and, as a result, lower the taxes owed. Courage and Perrys request would also examine whether the city can increase its existing exemptions for seniors and disabled homeowners. Taken together, San Antonio currently offers the lowest total exemptions among the five largest cities in Texas, partly because its the only one that does not offer a homestead exemption. San Antonios exemptions for those 65 or older ($65,000) and disabled people ($12,500) are also lower than most in that group. The city, however, freezes property tax payments for seniors and only Austin has a lower tax rate. Houston offers a 20 percent homestead exemption, along with $160,000 exemptions for disabled people and those over 65. The discounts are 20 percent and $90,000 in Dallas; 10 percent and $88,000 in Austin; and 20 percent and $40,000 in Fort Worth. OnExpressNews.com: Business community will honor Sculley with reception next month Courage and Perrys request doesnt commit to a specific figure. Instead, it gives staff the discretion to research what would be workable for San Antonio. A staff presentation from last years budget cycle reported a homestead exemption would have cost the city anywhere from $6 million for the minimum, $5,000 exemption to $44 million for the maximum, 20 percent exemption in the 2018 fiscal year. Most of the lost revenue would have impacted the general fund, which provides city services. The tax savings varies with the value of a home. The analysis said a flat, $5,000 exemption would have saved San Antonio homeowners an average of $27.91 on their tax bill. A 20 percent exemption would save someone who owns a $200,000 home about $223.31. Both Courage and Perry said they envision an exemption that would gradually increase over a few years to what other cities offer, to reduce the strain on city finances. The citys decision will ultimately be influenced by what happens on the state and federal levels, he said. But both councilmen said theyd like to see an exemption built into the next budget. Nirenberg emphasized those external factors in a statement supporting the measure. While San Antonio homeowners have the second lowest property tax rate of any big city in the state, we need to do more, he said. And we especially need to insist that the Legislature stop shifting more and more of the burden for public school funding onto the shoulders of local (school) districts and homeowners. In the past decade, the states share of funding public schools has dropped from nearly 50 percent to 38 percent, according to the Legislative Budget Board, shifting the burden to school district property taxes. Generally speaking, school districts account for a majority of property tax bills, according to Bexar County Tax-Assessor Collector Albert Uresti. The city accounts for about a fifth of the average bill in San Antonio. The city must submit a request to the state if it wants to create an exemption in next years budget, according to Perry. The deadline to do that is July 1. Life expectancy varies by as much as 30 years in some parts of the state and 21 years in some parts of Bexar County, according to a new report that breaks down the time Texans will likely live by race and geography. The report by University of Texas researchers found that life expectancy in some ZIP codes of the state is more than 10 years less than the state and national averages. Those areas are strongly associated with poverty. A 10-year difference within a region is insane, said Sandi Pruitt, a UT Southwestern Medical Center professor of population and data science and the researchs lead investigator. We know that where you live is predictive of health, but the degree of variation in this study was quite striking. Dr. David Lakey, currently UT System vice chancellor for health affairs for the UT System and formerly state health commissioner, said the numbers should get peoples attention to work to determine why this is happening and how to address it. RELATED: Life expectancy varies greatly in Harris County The report, released Tuesday, found that Hispanics are likely to live the longest and blacks the shortest. In Bexar County, it found life expectancies of 79.6 years for Hispanics, 79 years for whites and 76.5 years for blacks. Mike Fisher Pruitt noted the findings about Hispanics life expectancy is consistent with the so-called Hispanic Paradox, the idea that Latin Americans have lower death rates despite their abundance of social and health disadvantages. The idea, popularized by a UT Medical Branch at Galveston researcher, is not well understood. LATINO LIFE EXPECTANCY: Government says Hispanics live longer Bexar Countys lowest life expectancy 67.6 years is in the 78208 ZIP code, which encompasses the Government Hill and near East Side neighborhoods near downtown. The highest 89.2 years is in the 78254 ZIP code, an area on the far Northwest Side adjacent to Government Canyon State Natural Area. The average life expectancy in the county is 79.1 years. In Texas, its 78.5 years. Nationally, its 78.8. The report is the latest in a UT System project mapping health by ZIP code, a project born of the idea that state and even county statistics obscure pockets of populations where problems are more pronounced. Previous reports have provided ZIP code level data on infant mortality, severe pregnancy-related disease, maternal risk factors and child maltreatment risks. Each found significant problem areas. The infant mortality report showed areas where the rates are nearly five times the national average. More Information Visit https://www.texashealthmaps.com/lfex to search life expectancies by ZIP code across Texas. See More Collapse The new report was based on an analysis of 1.6 million death certificates from the years 2005 to 2014. It calculated the average number of years a newborn can expect to live assuming the ZIP codes mortality patterns at the time of birth remain constant over time. The study found the longest life expectancy 97 years in the 78634 ZIP code in Hutto, which is near Austin. The shortest 66.7 is in the 76104 ZIP code in Fort Worth. It also found womens life expectancy was 5.2 years longer than mens. Compared to their male counterparts, an approximate figure held true whether the women were Hispanic, black or white. Living in high-poverty areas subtracts six years of life expectancy, according to the report. Those living in ZIP codes with less than 5 percent poverty are likely to live an average of 82.4 years; those living in ZIP codes with more than 20 percent poverty are likely to live an average of 76.4 years. Among San Antonio-area counties, the report found average life expectancies of 80.13 years in Kendall, 80.7 in Comal, 80.8 in Guadalupe and 78.5 in Wilson. Among other urban areas, it found averages of 78.9 years for Harris, 78.3 for Dallas, 78.7 for Tarrant and 81.97 for Travis. I hope making this data public inspires state officials to address these inequities, Pruitt said. It shows massive differences that could be addressed through policy. Staff writer Lauren Caruba contributed to this story. todd.ackerman@chron.com twitter.com/chronmed 'As a peace gesture, Wing Commander Abhinandan will be released tomorrow,' said Pak PM Imran Khan said. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said Wednesday evening that the pilot would be released as a peace gesture. (Photo: File) New Delhi: After India demanded that captured Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman be released without any condition, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said Wednesday evening that the pilot would be released as a peace gesture. Earlier in the day, India had strongly reacted to Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureishis statement to Geo TV that the Indian pilot would be released only if India agreed to de-escalated tension on the border. Read: No deal, rules India on pilot; Pakistan FM says release if de-escalation Ceasefire violation from the Pakistani side has been consistent since Tuesday. Thursday saw two bouts in the morning and afternoon of shelling. Pakistan must first take concrete and specific anti-terror steps, government sources said Thursday when asked about talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Imran has to walk the talk on investigating the Pulwama attack, sources told PTI. Why did Pak PM say two Indian jets were downed? Was he not briefed or did he say an untruth, govt sources told PTI. Pakistan Air Force specifically targeted Indian military facilities while we targeted only JeM terror camp, the sources said. Read: A true soldier, look how bravely he spoke: Pilot Abhinandans father The sources added that India was waiting for immediate, credible and verifiable action against terrorists and their proxies. In a surprise move, Bexar County's sheriff forced the retirement of his second-in-command and fired another high-ranking deputy Wednesday amid continued turmoil at the jail. "In light of current and pervasive issues, this agency needs swift and decisive management," Sheriff Javier Salazar said in a statement. Salazar asked for the resignations of Chief Deputy Don Tijerina and Deputy Chief Ruben Vela, a news release stated. Tijerina, who oversees the other chiefs and has been with the department since 1992, chose to retire, officials said. While Tijerina's retirement takes effect March 31 as he assists Salazar with the transition process, his last working day was Wednesday, the release said. Vela "declined the courtesy" and was immediately terminated, officials said. "These former members of command staff, while they served this agency well during their many years of service, are no longer part of my strategy and vision moving forward," Salazar said in the statement. "It is my commitment to the citizens of Bexar County to provide them with the most effective public safety services possible." RELATED: Internal audit spurs changes at Bexar County Jail after mistakes releasing, transferring inmates Tijerina did not respond to a request seeking comment on his resignation, and Salazar didn't accept an interview request for further comment. It has been a tumultuous time at the Sheriff's Office, with the county jail under particular scrutiny. At least four inmate releases or transfers were botched in January. An internal audit of the jail's inmate processing facility earlier this month found 18 areas of concern that either have been addressed or are being corrected. On Tuesday, Salazar announced that a Texas Commission on Jail Standards inspection, which will be released this week, found the jail out of compliance with state standards. Despite the recent turmoil, the specific reason for the sudden shakeup and how the two men ousted were chosen wasn't clear. The move even came as a surprise to Juan Contreras, president of the Deputy Sheriff's Association of Bexar County. "We recently had a meeting with Tijerina yesterday on a matter," Contreras said. "This just came out of left field." Vela, who served as jail administrator when many of the mistakes were made, was placed on leave Jan. 26. RELATED: Bexar County Jail to fail state standards inspection, sheriff says But on Feb. 18, Salazar said Vela would return to his leadership position, albeit not back to the jail, after healing from an off-duty injury. Tijerina was Salazar's second-in-command but his name had not previously come up in discussions of needed jail improvements. "Right now, I'm looking to keep (interim jail administrator Avery) Walker as our acting jail administrator," Salazar said at the time. "But certainly, Chief Vela is welcome to come back and function as a chief." On Tuesday, Salazar announced the promotion of Capt. Walker, who had been filling in for Vela, to deputy chief and permanent jail administrator. Vela joined the force in 1983 and was appointed as deputy chief of the Adult Detention and Administration and Operations Division in April, replacing former Deputy Chief Laura Balditt. She retired a month after three inmates escaped Bexar County Jail in March by cutting a hole in mesh and scaling a wall. He then assumed the interim responsibilities of Assistant Chief Deputy Bobby Hogeland, who resigned in September, citing "other opportunities." The leadership change is the latest move by Salazar as he works to rectify the issues at the jail and to regain compliance. Though the finalized report from the Texas Commission of Jail Standards has not yet been released, Salazar said state inspectors found issues with allowing nonsworn civilian employees to book and release inmates, the inmate classification system and inmate recreation practices. He said his office already submitted to the commission proposed solutions with a plan of action and has begun correcting certain practices, including reassigning deputies to book and release inmates, and replacing the civilian staffers who had been serving in that role. The last time Bexar County Jail was not in compliance was last April after the escape of the three inmates. It came back into compliance May 4. The internal audit earlier this month spurred significant changes in how jail releases are handled. Salazar put in place a requirement that inmate release documents must be reviewed by two supervisory staff members and limited inmates to exiting through one door, rather than two. The gaffes that led to the changes include: On Jan. 3, jail officials mistakenly released Andrew Taylor Ford, who was in custody on suspicion of failure to stop and give information. The charge was dismissed, but jailers overlooked an order to keep Ford in jail on an unrelated charge out of San Patricio County. On Jan. 15, jail officials let Ricardo Mujica, who was convicted of a domestic violence charge, go free despite an immigration detainer. Because his state charge had already been handled, the sheriff's office said deputies had no authority to bring him back into custody. On Jan. 17, jailers were supposed to send Johnny Villalobos to a rehabilitation facility for a drug offense, but they instead sent him to prison where he was placed in general population. It took three weeks for the sheriff's office to submit the proper paperwork to transfer Villalobos to rehab. On Jan. 26, jail officials released Terrik McCoy, who had been arrested on a charge of evading arrest, without an electronic monitor, which was a condition of his release. Salazar personally tracked McCoy down and brought him into custody the next day. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSA AUSTIN The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday struck down a key provision of the states Open Meetings Act, finding the section that makes it a crime for government officials to meet secretly to discuss the publics business to be unconstitutionally vague. The ruling makes such violations no longer punishable as crimes in Texas, so long as the meetings do not involve a majority of a governing board such as a city council, county commission or school district board of trustees. The court stuck a knife into the heart of the Open Meetings Act, said Joe Larsen, a board member of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas who has worked on the case. Its the real world where the consequences are going to be backroom deals hidden from the public. The court said it was up to the Legislature, which is currently in session, to decide whether to revise the provision so it would pass constitutional muster. We do not doubt the Legislatures power to prevent government officials from using clever tactics to circumvent the purpose and effect of the Texas Open Meetings Act, wrote Presiding Judge Sharon Keller. As written, the act makes it illegal for members of a government body to knowingly conspire to circumvent this chapter by meeting in numbers less than a quorum for the purpose of secret deliberations. The attorney generals office, which defended the law in court, defined this violation as a walking quorum, in which members of a governing body gather in groups smaller than a majority and through successive meetings conduct business in secret. The attorney generals office described this practice as building a daisy chain of members, the sum of whom constitute a quorum. The Office of the Attorney General strongly believes in the transparency of government to ensure its accountability to Texans. Were disappointed that the court did not follow the brief we filed, but we look forward to working with the Legislature to address this vital issue, said Jeff Mateer, First Assistant Attorney General. Larsen suggested the ruling could have national implications if other states use it to justify arguments that their own open meetings laws are also unconstitutionally vague. He said he hoped the state would appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The attorney generals office did not respond when asked to comment on that possibility. The ruling stems from the indictment of Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal, who, as a member of the county commissioners court, met privately with a fellow commissioner and a political consultant about a county road bond in 2015. For subscribers: Appeals court reinstates indictments against top Montgomery county leader Doyal, two others Doyal asked the courts to dismiss the 2016 indictment, arguing that the law is too vague and violates free speech rights. The trial court agreed with him, although an appeals court overturned that decision, reinstating the indictments of Doyal, fellow commissioner Charlie Riley, and political consultant Marc Davenport. The three faced misdemeanor charges of violating the open meetings law, punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $500. What a tragic waste of time, energy, effort, money and reputation on the part of several elected officials in Montgomery County that we had to fight this battle, said Doyal, who said the charges allowed his opponent to imply he was a criminal and were largely responsible for his defeat in the 2018 primary election. But the truth always finds a way I expected this result because I always knew we never did anything wrong. Thats whats frustrating. I worked with the county for 32 years. I know the TOMA rules, and I did not violate them. Judge Kevin Yeary wrote the dissenting opinion to the criminal courts 7-2 ruling. Also dissenting was Judge David Newell. Yet another perfectly good statute falls today, adding fuel to the claims that this court is often too quick to reject the considered will of our states Legislative Department, Yeary wrote. Advocates for open government in Texas expressed frustration. The Open Meetings Act is not as vague as some make it out to be, said Kelly Shannon, executive director of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, a nonprofit funded by donors and foundations. If its public businesses, dont be talking about it in secret. Several organizations representing government and school officials say the law is less than clear. The Texas Municipal League, the Texas City Attorneys Association and the Texas Association of Counties told the court that officials desperately need guidance as to what they can and cannot do. The provision is one of the major pillars of the Open Meetings Law. Others remain intact, however, including requirements that boards, councils and commissions vote in public, post meeting agendas and give notice of upcoming meetings. Ruling could impact investigation of HISD The ruling could affect the Texas Education Agencys investigation into allegations of Open Meetings Act violations by some members of the Houston ISD Board of Trustees. TEA officials are investigating whether five trustees illegally coordinated ahead of an October 2018 vote to oust Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan, who took over the position indefinitely in March 2018. The five trustees each spoke with Lathans chosen replacement, Abelardo Saavedra, before the vote. Some trustees have said they communicated with one other board member about a potential motion to remove Lathan. Trustees ultimately voted 5-4 to replace Lathan with Saavedra, but they reversed the decision several days later following intense public backlash and Saavedras decision to back out of the job. TEA opened a special accreditation investigation in January after receiving multiple complaints about violations of the Open Meetings Act. TEA leaders said they are investigating whether trustees were deliberating district business prior to a regularly scheduled board meeting regarding Lathans removal. Staff writer Jacob Carpenter contributed to this report. Abdulhamit Bilici, a Turkish journalist living in the United States, sounds wistful about his countrys golden age, when a once-flourishing model of democracy in the Muslim world was on the cusp of joining the European Union. Since leaving Turkey in 2016, he has been a man in mourning. Democracy is so fragile, he says. We lost it in five years. It can be lost if youre not cautious, he warns, if youre not paying attention, or if youre not ready to defend it. OnExpressNews.com: Texas welcomed Pelosi's visit to a non-emergency border bridge Bilici will be in San Antonio Monday for the 14th Annual Dialogue and Friendship Dinner at the University of the Incarnate Word to speak about another loss in his country the loss of a free press. His own story is a dramatic one. Once editor in chief of Zaman, the largest daily in Turkey, and CEO of its English-language version, Todays Zaman, he now lives with his wife and children in Virginia. Like other exiles who find it difficult to practice their professions in foreign countries, Bilici drives Uber and Lyft to make a living. Before and after the newspaper was seized by the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, many of its reporters, columnists, even news page designers were rounded up. Turkish journalists have been charged with crimes, such as terrorism and sedition, that groups such as the Committee to Protect Journalists have criticized as meritless. This month, the New York-based group, which promotes freedom of the press worldwide, called on Turkey to end its mass imprisonment of journalists. It was joined by 47 members of the European Parliament. CPJs annual survey lists Turkey as the worlds worst jailer of journalists. Sixty-eight are imprisoned. China, Egypt and Turkey together hold about 140, more than half of the worlds imprisoned journalists, even as Erdogan continues to be one of Saudi Arabias biggest critics of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident living in the United States and a columnist for the Washington Post. For many years, Bilici gained unprecedented access to the Turkish president. He was leading a reformist party. I, as a journalist, and Turkish citizen and our newspaper supported Erdogan, he says. Bilici now believes Erdogan was and always has been an Islamist fascist, who had shifted his political tone to centralize his power. Step by step, Bilici says, Erdogan drifted from reform toward to autocracy. Old-fashioned corruption surfaced first. OnExpressNews.com: Teenage obliviousness about the horrors of slavery Corruption doesnt like democracy, Bilici says, and when the press exposed it and the judiciary examined it, crackdowns began, even on citizen protesters who had come to take for granted their right to protest. The country had experienced 200 years of modernization and democratic advances, he said. The autocratic changes were unimaginable. Many people didnt realize it and didnt want to accept it. Journalists, academics, artists and activists first felt the shift. Bilici was sometimes busier in court defending his staff than he was putting out newspapers. In 2014, 20 of his reporters were facing charges, he said. Erdogan took power by taking advantage of polarization between different parts of society. Theres a wisp of sorrow in his voice when he says, They didnt know each others stories and histories. We werent able to establish a united front. He has spoken all over the country, wherever hes invited. Hes in San Antonio by invitation of the Dialogue Institute of the Southwest and the Raindrop Foundation of San Antonio, two Turkish American nonprofit groups that promote awareness of their communities through interfaith, intercultural gatherings at the Raindrop Turkish House. Turkish leaders here are a busy lot. They work, study and build new homes. Among them are Uber and Lyft drivers. In March 2016, 20 days after his paper had been taken over, its new trustees appointed by the government fired Bilici and anyone else who objected to its new management. Bilici knew he had to get out of the country or face possible imprisonment, but he didnt know whether his passport was still valid. He couldnt risk asking. So, he bought an airline ticket two hours before departure. He went to the Istanbul airport at midnight. No officials stopped him. His story reads like a movie plot. He cant help seeing some parallels between Erdogan and President Donald Trumps relationship with the press. His regular attacks of fake news arent a good sign, but Belici stops short of other comparisons. Bilici will continue to speak out, he says: to restore democracy in Turkey and get my friends out of jail and tell people in democracies to understand the dynamics of how a democracy can be hijacked. WASHINGTON For Nayda Alvarez, the U.S.-Mexico border is not a political slogan or a line of demarcation. It's her back yard. With the federal government threatening to construct "border security tactical infrastructure" across her one-acre lot in La Rosita, along the Rio Grande, she is looking at the end of a way of life her family has enjoyed for five generations wooden corrals, farm animals and all. So on Thursday, she took a seat alongside a group of constitutional theorists testifying before Congress on the legitimacy of President Donald Trump's national emergency declaration, which the administration is using to get billions of dollars for a new border wall part of which would run between her house and the river 200 feet away. "The bottom line for me is that the federal government is threatening to take my land to fulfill a campaign promise," Alvarez told sympathetic lawmakers, including several from Texas. Alvarez's real hope, however, could lie not in the halls of Congress, but in a federal courthouse near the U.S. Capitol where she and a group of South Texas landowners are challenging the president's edict. Her lawsuit, which names Trump and Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, seeks to block the administration from diverting some $8 billion in military construction and other funds for a border wall. Hers' comes on top another suit filed by 16 states other than Texas, as well as a Democratic-led resolution in Congress that Trump is expected to veto. Unlike the hundreds of cases that have gone to court over the past decade involving people fighting federal seizures of their land on the southwest border, Alvarez's challenge is tied directly to Trump's two-week old emergency order. Although Trump has said the wall is already going up, the legal jockeying around his move could push any new construction back years, at the same time that the administration seeks money for dozens more lawyers to fight a multitude of individual condemnation cases. In addition to the construction costs, the government has been forced to spend nearly $80 million to acquire land for fencing since 2007, according to congressional reports. With the political fight over executive power intensifying as well, Alvarez has now become the national poster child for the cause of private landowners along the border in Texas threatened by the loss of land. Like many others, she faces not only eminent domain action for a wall, but also for a 150-wide "enforcement zone" to go with it. For Alvarez, a 47-year-old teacher and landowner, that would put her house less than 50 feet from a major federal installation. "Even if my house is spared," she said, "it will never be the same. I will lose my entire back yard, and I will be staring at a wall right outside my back door and windows." Her case has been picked up by Public Citizen Litigation Group, which filed suit in February, a month after she received her third letter from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seeking to survey her land for a wall and threatening to take her to court if she does not cooperate. Alvarez lives next door to her father alongside land where her grandfather lived. The family has lived there for at least five generations. "My grandchild and nieces and nephews play in the same places where their parents played and where I played as a child," she told a panel of the House Judiciary Committee, which is considering changes to the 1976 National Emergency Act being invoked by the White House. "There is no emergency where I live," she continued, "and there is no good reason for the government to take my property to build a border wall in my back yard." Alvarez's property, however, lies in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley, about halfway between Brownsville and Laredo, a sector which the Border Patrol has identified as one of the most heavily travelled sectors for migrants of the entire 1,954-mile Mexican border. Some GOP lawmakers questioned her contention that she has never seen migrants from Mexico traversing her family's land illegally. "How can you be so certain?" asked Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson, the ranking Republican on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties subcommittee. Alvarez cited the video surveillance cameras around the house. "No drugs, no gangs, no terrorists come across my property," she said. Some of the Texans on the committee came to her rescue, including Houston Democrat Sylvia Garcia, who grew up on a farm in the South Texas town of Palito Blanco. "We always knew when somebody crossed the farm because there'd be either a fence that was left unlocked or some footprints," she said. "There'd be some sign that somebody had traversed our property." Texas U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, a Republican from Tyler, said he sympathized, even as he remains a stalwart backer of Trump's proposed wall. "I certainly appreciate testimony from anybody that lives there," he said, "but of all the nights I've spent all night on the border, I've seen a crisis." For Alvarez, the crisis is the uncertainty of the coming legal battle, which to her is personal, not political. "You've obviously had to hire lawyers, and you've had to fly to Washington, D.C., to defend your property," said El Paso Democrat Veronica Escobar, a member of the committee. "I am very curious about what the government is putting you through." Alvarez testified that her community has been wracked by the same divisions as the rest of the country. "The government has created a loss of family members and a loss of friendships, divisions amongst us in our communities, because people agree and disagree," she said. As for her, she added, "I am here and I am here to fight this." Texas would be closer to a toss-up in the 2020 presidential campaign if either Joe Biden or Beto ORourke were the Democrats nominee against President Donald Trump, a new poll of Texas voters shows. In a hypothetical matchup, Trump is ahead of ORourke by a 47 to 46 percent margin among 1,222 voters polled by a Quinnipiac University poll. Trump would have a 47 to 46 percent advantage over Biden. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders is not far behind either. Trump leads Sanders in a potential matchup 47 percent to 45 percent. While Trump would still hold Texas in any case by 1 percentage point, the poll's margin of error is 3.4 percent and there are 4 to 5 percent undecideds in all three matchups. That all makes for Texas essentially being a toss up in 2020 according to this one super early poll. A Democrat has not won Texas in the presidential election since Jimmy Carter in 1976. Neither Biden or ORourke have announced if they will run for the White House. ORourke said on Wednesday that he has made a decision but did not announce if he was going to run. While the poll showed Trump with a narrow lead, ORourke does well among independent voters. According to the poll, 48 percent would go with ORourke, versus just 41 percent going with Trump. Former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro doesnt fare as well in a potential head to head match up against Trump in the poll that was conducted from Feb. 20 to Feb. 25. Castro would win 41 percent of the vote, compared to 46 percent for Trump, in the potential matchup. If ORourke ran for Senate instead, the poll shows it would also be a dead heat. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and ORourke would both win 46 percent of the vote in such a matchup in 2020, with 6 percent saying they do not know who they would pick. AUSTIN Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is blaming the Texas Department of Public Safety and its director for a flawed effort to purge non-citizens from the state voter rolls. The Secretary of State was hamstrung by faulty information from the Department of Public Safety from the beginning and did not know that, Abbott said on the KFYO radio program Thursday. And so part of the fault goes to Steve McCraw, the director of the Department of Public Safety, for causing the error in the first place. The Secretary of States office in January sent a list of roughly 95,000 suspected noncitizen voters to county election officials, who quickly discovered tens of thousands of wrongly flagged names. The analysis relied on a comparison of state voter rolls and driver license records from DPS in which people indicated they werent citizens. The list, however, flagged people who have since proven their citizenship when they registered to vote at naturalization ceremonies or at a Texas Department of Public Safety office. The debacle is threatening the future of Secretary of State David Whitley, who has been serving in the post since he was appointed by Abbott in December. But Whitley still needs to be confirmed by the State Senate. A Senate Nominations committee voted along party lines Thursday to advance his nomination, but all 12 Senate Democrats have said they will oppose his appointment on the floor. RELATED: Texas Senate inches forward with Whitley appointment When asked whether he thinks any Democrats might reconsider, Abbott said he wouldnt be surprised and that conversations are ongoing. Abbott also defended Whitley, his former deputy chief of staff. I think he is advancing something that we can all agree on, and that is no one who is in the country illegally, who is illegally registered to vote, should be capable of voting, he said. Abbotts remarks drew a quick response from a coalition of Texas voting rights groups, including Common Cause Texas, the League of Women Voters of Texas, Progress Texas, the Texas AFL-CIO, the Texas Civil Rights Project, the Texas Freedom Network, and the Workers Defense Action Fund. The groups issued a statement addressed to the 12 Democrats in the Senate: "We demand that they hold the line and follow through on their promise to protect voting rights in Texas." The Department of Public Safety didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. amorris@express-news.net Ideas drive history. But not just any ideas, magnetic ideas. Ideas so charismatic that people devote their lives to them. In his 1999 book, The Real American Dream, Andrew Delbanco described the different ideas that, at different stages, drove American history. The first stage in our history was driven by a belief in God. The Pilgrims came because God called them to do so. Gods plans for humanity were to be completed on this continent. The second phase, through the 19th century, was organized around Nation. The pioneers were settling the West. It was the age of American exceptionalism. America was to be a universal nation, a home and model for all humankind, the last best hope of Earth. The third phase, from 1960 to today, was organized around Self. Each individual should throw off constraints. The best life was the life of maximum self-expression, self-actualization and maximum personal freedom, economic as well as lifestyle. We are now leaving the era of Self. The right and left now offer two different magnetic ideas. The Trumpian right offers Tribe. Our kind of people are under threat from their kind of people. We need to erect walls, build barriers and fight. The left offers the idea of Social Justice. The left tells stories of oppression. The story of America is the story of class, racial and gender oppression. The mission now is to rise up and destroy the systems of oppression. The problem with todays left-wing and right-wing ideas is that they are based upon us/them, friend/enemy, politics is war, life is conflict. They are both based on the fantasy that the other half of America can be conquered, and when it disappears, we can get everything we want. They are both based on the idea that if we can just concentrate enough power in the centralized authoritarian state, then we can ram through the changes we seek. A lot of us dont want to live in a war society, whether its a tribal war or a class war. If the 2020 choice is between Donald Trump and a Democrat who supports the Green New Deal, Id vote for any moderate alternative. The problem with moderates has always been that they dont have a magnetic idea. Recent moderation has been a bland porridge that defines itself by what it doesnt like. It doesnt have to be that way. What is the core problem facing America today? It is division: The growing gaps between rich and poor, rural and urban, educated and less educated, black and white, left and right. What big idea counteracts division, fragmentation, alienation? Love your neighbor. The big idea for moderates should be solidarity, fraternity, conversation across difference. A moderate agenda should magnify our affections for one another. There are four affections that bind our society, and moderates could champion a policy agenda for each: We are bound together by our love of our children. The first mission is to promote policies to make sure children are enmeshed in webs of warm relationships: child tax credits, early childhood education, parental leave, schools that emphasize social and emotional learning. We are bound to society by our work. The second mission is to help people find vocations through which they can serve the community: wage subsidies, apprenticeship tracks, subsidies to help people move to opportunity, work councils, which are clubs that would offer workers lifelong training and representation. We are bound together by our affection for our place. The third mission is to out-radicalize the left and right by offering a different system of power, a system in which power is wielded by neighbors, who know their local context and trust one another. Create a national service program so that young people are paid to serve organizations in their community. We are bound together by our shared humanity. The fourth mission is to embrace an immigration policy that balances welcome with cultural integration. Its to champion housing and education policies that encourage racial integration. Integration is the prerequisite for national unity. Moderation is not an ideology; it is a way of being. It stands for humility of the head and ardor in the heart. When you listen to your neighbor, you see how many perspectives there are and youre intellectually humble in the face of that pluralism. When you listen to your neighbor, you see that deep down were the same and you hunger to deepen that connection. Let the left and right stand for endless political war. The moderate seeks the beloved community. That, too, is a magnetic idea. Whoever said there is no such thing as bad publicity never met Jussie Smollett. Ask your HR director. There must be easier ways to get a salary bump. In a dizzying turn of events, the star went from alleged victim to criminal defendant. The actor has now been arrested in Chicago and charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false police report. If convicted, the actor could get one to three years in prison and face a $25,000 fine. And a story that could have helped shine a light on a rash of anti-LGBTQ violence in America will instead give those who are uncomfortable with the topic an excuse to stay in the dark. I dont see how we avoid it. There are too many stories. For instance, in a case that didnt get a fraction of the attention given to the Smollett story, a gay couple was attacked and seriously injured by four men in Austin on Jan. 19 in an apparent hate crime. According to the police report, Spencer Deehring and Tristan Perry were beaten and kicked until unconscious. If Smollett did indeed stage this attack on himself, then the actor did incalculable harm to victims of genuine hate crimes, and shame on him. But if anyone who doesnt feel comfortable discussing LGBTQ issues is using this case as an easy out, then shame on them. Lets catch up. Smollett, a gay African-American actor who stars in the Fox drama Empire, claimed that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in Chicago on Jan 29. He said that two men who recognized him from the show cornered him in the middle of the night. He said they yelled slurs, hit him, doused him with bleach and put a noose around his neck all while shouting, This is MAGA country! A couple weeks later, police questioned two brothers from Nigeria, who told them that Smollett had hired them at the bargain price of $3,500 to stage the attack. The stunt might have been phony, but the hatred it unleashed was real. A lot of it came from anti-Trumpers some of whom are running for president. In fact, @CoryBooker and @KamalaHarris both tweeted that this was an attempted modern-day lynching. Meanwhile, as this drama was unfolding, the audience got into the act and tripped over its own feet. Many of those who tried to follow each bounce of this story immediately jumped to conclusions based on nothing more than their biases. It happened on both the oversensitive left, and the desensitized right. Liberals went off half-cocked and suggested the alleged incident was fueled by the same mood that helped elect Donald Trump. Conservatives cynically used the alleged hoax as an excuse to bash identity politics. If we wanted something to be true, it was true. If we wanted it to be false, it must be false. Why? Because this story wasnt about Smollett. It was about us about how we feel about anti-LGBTQ violence. Cmon, people, how broken are we? Weve gone from not listening to not thinking. We see a tweet or hear a rumor, and we decide on the spot whether or not its true based on our politics and our prejudices. Case closed. Last month, when my brother who happens to be gay, so his antennae are up for stories like this texted me to share news of the alleged hate crime, I didnt buy it. The journalist in me was skeptical that white racist homophobes who voted for Trump but also watched Empire were roaming the streets of a Democratic haven like Chicago. But people kept talking about the story. So eventually, I mentioned the alleged attack in a column about how it is that so many LGBTQ stories are in the news these days. And I was careful to use the word alleged. No matter. I still heard from readers who were eager to discount the whole column. Days before police arrested Smollett, they had already made up their minds that the alleged attack was a hoax. Like I said, we feel. We dont think. Never mind Jussie Smollett. The justice system will take care of him. Whos going to take care of fixing the rest of us? ruben@rubennavarrette.com The president needs an economist. Not just any economist; he desperately needs a game theorist, someone who can impress upon him why the negotiating strategy that has (mostly) served him well in his private business utterly fails him now. Specifically: He needs someone to explain repeated play and the idea that players may want to strategize differently if theyre going to face off multiple times rather than just once. On Friday, Trump got into a bizarre and awkward public debate with his own U.S. trade representative, Robert E. Lighthizer. On live television, and in front of a laughing Chinese envoy, Lighthizer and Trump argued about whether the memorandums of understanding that the United States and China have spent weeks negotiating would be meaningful and enforceable. Lighthizer said an MOU is a binding agreement between two people. Trump said, To me they dont mean anything. To many, the argument was just another example of White House disarray and amateurism. But Trumps comments also offer useful insight into the central defect of our deal-maker in chiefs deal-making strategy. Trump isnt technically wrong about an MOUs legal enforceability, by the way. There is no external enforcement mechanism with an MOU; instead, its a statement that two sides want to do business together, under given terms. Its essentially an honor-bound agreement that a relationship will commence or continue. For this and arguably most kinds of transactions whether handshake deals or even written contracts the most effective enforcement mechanism is not some threat of penalties imposed by a third party, but rather the desire by both partners to maintain their relationship and their reputations. It doesnt take a Ph.D. to understand why Trump would be predisposed to find such agreements worthless. Throughout his career, Trump clearly viewed his business deals as one-off transactions, in which he should try to extract as much as he could today and assume no future relationship tomorrow. In literally hundreds of cases, he is alleged to have reneged on money owed to plumbers, carpenters, caterers, even bankers. And for the most part, this strategy worked, so long as the carpenter and caterer in Florida didnt talk to their counterparts in New Jersey. Later in his career, his reputation did seem to catch up with him, as he found it harder to get financing. Nonetheless, you can see these private-sector lessons in how Trump approaches deal-making at the White House. Whether negotiating with trading partners or congressional Democrats, Trump seems to have trouble envisioning the negative consequences if he defects from a deal he has already struck. But negotiating on behalf of the United States is different from negotiating a one-off contract with a plumber. In government, there is necessarily repeated play; there is no inexhaustible supply of sovereign nations or political parties to haggle with. Trump must sit across the table from the same counterparties, again and again. Trump appears not to realize that if he doesnt keep his (or his countrys) word this time, it will be harder to make a deal next time. Even if a next deal is struck, he has made it more likely that the other side will defect when convenient, too. Trump may well be correct to distrust Chinas commitment to keeping its word, whether in an MOU or an agreement (as U.S. officials are newly rebranding the documents, apparently at Trumps request). But over the years, weve built up strong relationships with our allies, who might be inclined to help us keep China in line. Instead, were alienating them by reneging on other international agreements: on climate change, a Pacific Rim trade pact, the Iran deal. We have also levied arbitrary tariffs upon them, citing nonsense national security rationales when Trump admits the real aim is to gain leverage in trade negotiations. And meanwhile, as experts observed at a trade conference I attended over the weekend, its likely no mere coincidence that other countries are pulling out of other international pacts, or eyeing national security as an excuse to skirt their own trade obligations. To the United States great peril, weve treated our longtime friends like Trumps many one-time contractors. We should not be surprised when they notice, adapt and worst of all start to imitate us. crampell@washpost.com Kin Man Hui /San Antonio Express-News We recommend Ray Lopez in the runoff election to represent Texas House District 125 because he would bring a wealth of knowledge about local governance and needs to the office. He has garnered this experience through his eight-year tenure as a San Antonio city councilman he termed out and as a former chair and trustee on the Northside Independent School District board. He served on the Metropolitan Transportation Organization and was recently chair of the San Antonio Mobility Coalition, which lobbies for transportation needs. Lopez is a retired AT&T executive. The announcement was greeted by thumping of desks by Pakistani lawmakers. New Delhi/Islamabad: In a major diplomatic move billed as a peace gesture and designed to de-escalate mounting tensions with India, Pakistan Prime Minster Imran Khan Thursday announced that Indian Air Forces captured pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, will be released on Friday. According to media reports, he is expected to reach India through the Wagah-Attari border near Amritsar in Punjab accompanied by Indias air attache to Pakistan, Group Captain J.D. Kurian. Speaking in Parliament on rising tensions between Pakistan and India, Mr Khan said, As a peace gesture, we are releasing the Indian pilot tomorrow (Friday). The announcement came just hours after Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Mr Khan was ready for telephonic talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and that Pakistan was ready to hand over Wg. Cdr. Abhinandan if it leads to de-escalation. We want peace in the region, he said. Pakistans move is being seen as an effort to wrest the diplomatic initiative, deny India any ground for military action, generate goodwill among the Indian public and convey to the world that Pakistan believes in peace. The move came even as Western powers like the US, UK and France and powerful Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia and UAE lobbied with both countries in an effort to lower temperatures. Evidence of that global pressure was clear when US President Donald Trump, in response to questions in Hanoi, said early on Thursday, I think (we will soon have) reaso-nably attractive news from Pakist-an and India. They have been going at it and we have been involved and have them stop, we have some reasonably decent news. Hopefully its going to be coming to an end this has been going on for a long time, decades and decades. The release of the IAF pilot is expected to somewhat pacify the Indian government, with both the IAF and government sources saying New Delhi was happy over Mr Khans announcement, but also insisting that Pakistan has to act against terrorists operating from its soil. Mr Modi too on Thursday appeared to be making a reference to Indias air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan when he said that a pilot project was recently carried out and now the real one has to be done. Speaking at an award ceremony for scientists, he said, You spend your life in laboratories. You have a tradition of first doing a pilot project. It is later scaled up. So recently a pilot project happened. Now the real one has to be done. Earlier one was a practice. The surprise announcement of the captured IAF pilots release was made by Mr Khan during a joint session of Parliament on Thursday afternoon. As Pakistans Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif took the floor of the House, Mr Khan apologised for interrupting and said he wished to announce that the Indian pilot would be released on Friday as a peace gesture. The announcement was greeted by thumping of desks by Pakistani lawmakers. Prime Minister Khan once again said that Pakistan had nothing to gain from the Pulwama attack, especially at a time when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was paying an official visit to the country. We offered investigation into the incident if provided with actionable intelligence, he said, and recalled that Pakistan has prepared a consensus National Action Plan to eliminate terrorism in which commitments have been made that armed militias will not be allowed any space. Instead of giving evidence, the Indian side resorted to war mongering and created war hysteria, Mr Khan said and added that on Thursday Pakistan received a dossier from India, which should have been shared just after the Pulwama incident. Saudi Arabias ambassador to New Delhi Dr Saud Mohammed Al-Sati met Prime Minister Modi on Thursday, sparking intense speculation about Saudi efforts to broker peace between the two nations. According to reports, the UAEs Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed also spoke with both the Prime Ministers, emphasising dialogue and communication between the two neighbours. The IAF on Thursday insisted that Wg. Cdr. Abhinandans release was in line with the Geneva Convention. We are very happy Abhinandan will be freed tomorrow and look forward to his return, Air Vice Marshal R.G.K. Kapoor, assistant chief of Air Staff, told a news conference. Asked if the IAF sees it as a goodwill move, he said, We see it as a gesture in consonance with the Geneva Convention. Interestingly, earlier in the day Indian government sources had made it clear that there would be no deal with Pakistan over the release of the IAF pilot. They indicated that India cannot let the mood of the nation depend on an individual and that the focus would remain on Indias concerns on terrorism. The IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after his MiG-21 Bison fighter aircraft that shot down a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter aircraft crashed inside Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). He managed to eject safely before his jet crashed. Indian government sources revealed on Thursday morning that on Wednesday night, Pakistan had made false allegations to foreign embassies in Islamabad by claiming that India was planning missile strikes, that Indian troops were massing on the border and that the Indian Navy was preparing to strike Karachi. The capture of the pilot had provoked a war of words on Wednesday, especially after disturbing footage from Pakistan went viral on social media of the captured IAF officer being beaten up and later being given a cup of tea by his captors. India strongly objected to Pakistans vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the Geneva Convention. New Delhi also told Islamabad to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody, adding that India also expects his immediate and safe return. In Islamabad, officials reviewed legal aspects, bilateral and international agreements, including whether Geneva Conventions would apply, before taking the decision to release Wg. Cdr. Abhinandan. If he were granted Prisoner of War (PoW) status, then Geneva Convention would have applied to him. Pakistan and India are signatories to the Geneva Conventions, and under Article 13-16, are bound to release and repatriate PoW without delay after the end of hostilities. The detaining power may prosecute them for possible war crimes, but not for acts of violence that are lawful under the IHL. The Geneva Convention is a set of rules that apply only in times of armed conflict and seek to protect people who are not or are no longer taking part in hostilities. These include the sick and wounded of armed forces on the field, at sea, prisoners of war, and civilians. Pakistan had detained a Indian pilot during Kargil war in 1999 and Islamabad repatriated him after eight days. Linde plans to build what it indicated will be one of the largest hydrogen manufacturing plants in the United States, supplying an unspecified refinery in Louisiana. Linde and its Praxair subsidiary have their main corporate offices in Danbury after combining late last year to form the worlds largest supplier of industrial gases. FAIRFIELD For the next school year, more Early Childhood Center students will be sent to Stratfield Elementary School from the programs original location at Fairfield Warde High School. Though some are against the idea of a decentralized ECC, this short-term measure is indicative of future long-term plans. Board of Education members described decisions regarding the ECC a linchpin of future plans. And in an informal, unofficial vote, a majority of board members were in favor of seeing the ECC split into two sites, though many had different criteria as to what exactly that entailed. I dont see why we cant have two half-schools, Jeff Peterson said at the Feb. 27 meeting. Im not seeing why breaking (the ECC) up is necessarily a terrible thing. Out of the nine members, Jennifer Maxon-Kennelly and Trisha Pytko were in favor of maintaining a single, centralized ECC program. One of my priorities is to keep the ECC in one central model. ... I would like to see a long-term solution as soon as possible, Pytko said. One year of change for those students is huge. Jerriann Mitchell, a speech language pathologist at the ECC since 2004, said she was devastated at the tentative long-term plan of having a two-site ECC. Knowing that this is all preliminary allows for staff and families to send the BOE input to inform the long-term plan, Mitchell said. More Information To learn more about the ECC, visit: http://fairfieldschools.org/schools/ecc/ See More Collapse Board members discussed keeping ECC students in one school, or even placing those students in an existing elementary school and having those students redistributed across the district. That idea, to some, was simply not feasible. We all want to do everything. We cant, Connor Dwyer said. Unless this board is willing to close an elementary to convert into the ECC, I dont think this board will create an elementary-size school. I dont see that in the cards. In January, the board unanimously approved what they deemed a short-term plan to send more students to Stratfield Elementary School, where there already were two preschool classes, from the ECCs Fairfield Warde High School location. Administrators cited a ballooning student population at the ECC as a reason for the move. The number of students has doubled over the last nine years; there were 161 students at the end of the 2017-18 school year. This short-term plan was approved to go into effect for the 2019-20 school year. Superintendent Toni Jones said the meeting was instrumental to moving forward with a legitimate plan and idea. Facilities discussions are always big and its good to have those discussions, Jones said. Its not a voting item but we got a good sense of what the board believes as a body. humberto.juarez@hearstmediact.com There is not enough analysis data for Ener-Core. 4.5 Community Rank Outperform Votes Ener-Core has received 70 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Ener-Core has received 34 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Ener-Core has received 67.31% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Ener-Core and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe ENCR will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe ENCR will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Arvind Kejriwal also took on the PM for engaging in political activities when an IAF personnel is captured. New Delhi: At a time when the government and saffron stakeholders have been cautioning political parties not to politicise the Pulwama attack and Indias retaliatory air strikes, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came under attack for not practicing what he and others had been preaching. Things worsened for the party when its senior leader and former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said that the BJP is going to reap the benefits of Indias airstrikes in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. The Congress launched a stinging attack on Mr Modi for addressing BJP booth workers and playing the nationalist card by raising Pulwama and the air strikes. Billed as the worlds largest videoconference, Mr Modi interacted with over 1 crore BJP workers in 15,000 locations across the country on the partys preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Accusing the Prime Minister of having misplaced priorities, the Congress said that he was desperate only for re-election. We postponed our CWC (Congress Working Committee) meeting and rally, but the PM is addressing booth workers, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said. In such a difficult situation, they think that the party is bigger than the country. Yesterday the Union home minister attended a rally of the BJP in Bilaspur, Mr Tewari added. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that the Prime Minister was hell-bent on creating a video-conference record when the entire country was praying for the return of its brave-heart pilot. Glaring case of misplaced priorities! 132 crore Indians pray for safe and immediate return of Indias brave-heart Wing Comm, Abhinandan, but Modiji desperate only for re-election. Congress cancelled its imp CWC & Rally today. Pradhan Sevak hell-bent on creating a video Conference record! Mr Surjewala tweeted. Delhi chief minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal also took on the PM for engaging in political activities when an IAF personnel is captured. Mr Kejriwal tweeted, I would urge the PM to postpone this (Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot programme). At this moment, we as a nation need to spend all our energies and time to get the IAF pilot back safely and to sternly deal with Pakistan. Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav also slammed the BJP for trying to create a booth record at a time when the entire country is standing with the Modi government in its fight against terrorism. He tweeted, When the entire country is standing shoulder to shoulder with the government by keeping politics aside, the BJP is trying to create a record of connecting booth workers. Even BJP workers are ashamed. However bad the situation is, the suit-boot BJP will continue with celebrations. Reprehensible. The Congress further alleged that saffron party leaders were politicising the bravery of the armed forces, while referring to Mr Yeddyurappas comment that the BJP is guaranteed to win at least 22 seats from Karnataka following Indias pre-emptive strikes on terror camps in Pakistan which have created a wave in favour of PM Modi. Mr Yeddyurappa also faced disapproval from his own party colleague and minister of state for external affairs V.K. Singh, who tweeted, ji, I beg to differ. We stand as one nation, action taken by our government is to safeguard our nation and ensure safety of our citizens, not to win a few extra seats. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal also targeted Mr Yeddyurappa saying, On 27th February, B.S. Yeddyurappa at Chitradurga in a public function said, The Indian Armed Forces proved their mettle by destroying the terrorists hideouts. The impact of this strike will help BJP win more than 22 seats in the state. Is this patriotism or crass politics? Mr Yeddyurappa has since gone back on his remarks, saying that was not what he meant. I would like to clarify that my yesterdays statement has been completely misinterpreted. I have highest regard for our armed forces. I salute the bravery of our men in fighting for the countrys safety I stand along with my fellow countrymen and pray for the safe return of Abhinandan Varthaman... To me, the Nation comes first and then the party, he said in a series of tweets. 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Inc., Virginia Power Services LLC, Virginia Solar 201 Projects LLC, Wakefield Solar LLC, Wexpro Company, Wexpro Development Company, Wexpro II Company, Wilkinson Solar LLC, Wrangler Retail Gas Holdings LLC, and Yemassee Solar LLC. iShares Latin America 40 ETF's stock was trading at $22.49 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, ILF stock has increased by 10.0% and is now trading at $24.74. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. A photography exhibition to showcase the real shades of the nation. It is now a fact that India is a colourful country but however it has never been shown due to various regions. The colours in India are present all throughout the year throughout the length and breadth of the nation, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Amidst all the violence and catastrophe, the colours are lost leading to a gray and gloomy India. Festivals are the time where India is at its colourful best. Pongal by Rama Kaushalyan The gold is seen in Deepawali and Dusshera. A variety of colours that is seen at the time of Holi, from the bright and light to dark and bold is truly mesmerising. In Christmas, the colours of red, green and gold set the tone. With the introduction of digital cameras and cell phones, the photography form of art has become very popular not only with the professional photographers, but also with the amateurs from various walks of life. Indeed, it is passion for the photographers to shoot subjects of their liking just to have aesthetic pleasure and documentation. With an aim to show all the colours of India, an exhibition of photographs Bharat Ke Rang- Festivals of India is organised by Shanker Art Foundation at the Indian Habitat Centre, in the capital curated by Kishore Shanker. The exhibition contains 35 photographs in all. Some of the award-winning photographs are from Shivratri by Birbal Sharma from Mandi, Jejuri Turmeric festival by Sampa Guha Majundar from Jamnagar, Kodungallur Bharani by Ashok Swaroop Kallada from Kochi and Holi by Satabdi Pal from Gurugram, Tarender Pal Vaidya from Solan, Manisha Jagdish Bhoj from Bhubaneswar, who have captured the mood of Raja Rani Music Festival. Students of MRIS Charmwood, Faridabad also participated and won some awards. When asked about the reason what was his inspiration to curate this event, Kishore says, The photographs today are only limited to the online medium. So I felt that in order to put them on the walls, there must be an event of such nature. He then explains that they had organised a competition in six phases last year. We approached people by e-mail and on social media out of which 70 people participated in the contest, he says. The best photographs from the competitions are on display in the exhibition. He goes on to say that the photographs that are being put up in the exhibition would be returned back to the photographers. Even though we have printed these photographs, we are returning these photographs to them so that they can display it in their house or gift them to their friends, he says. The trend of printing photographs and hanging them on walls is of the past now. A photo by Sayali Milind Maharao It was not easy to curate the event. There were challenges. The photographers sometimes wonder why should they be participating in such events. There were professional photographers who told us and wrote to us on mail saying they would not participate and sought invitations instead, he recalls. The other major challenge, he says, was to find a database of the events, collection of information as very few government websites had details of any of these events. He advises upcoming photographers to participate in such events so the public can see their work. It is important to print photographs as well. It should not happen that we completely forget about prints, he concludes. ZANESVILLE, Ohio The 60-plus head of beef cattle that Muskingum County farmer Todd Sands keeps on pasture take a fair amount of time and effort. Because he focuses on grazing, the grass-fed cattle take longer to finish than if they were in a feedlot, and because he tries to rotate them to a new pasture every day, theres something that always needs done. But while the cattle require work, they also keep their owner going, and provide him with hope and optimism. After surviving a life-threatening experience with cancer about 20 years ago, which started in a kidney and was later discovered in his lungs, his wife made a deal with him. If he fought hard and recovered, he could move the family anywhere he wanted including his dream of having his own farm. She said to me, if you make it through this, you can live wherever you want to live. And I did make it, and here we are, Sands said. Intensive grazing Making his rounds across the farm in a pickup truck, Sands is happy with farm life and the pleasure of checking on his herd. Hed like to graze his cattle year-round, but because of Ohios cold and wet winters, he gives them access to the barn and dry hay for about three months. The rest of the time, the grass is growing and the cattle are on pasture, enjoying the sunlight and fresh nutrients. Sands has about 150 acres in pasture and hay ground, and rotates the cattle across 30-plus paddocks, which lets each paddock recover before being re-grazed in the cycle. The farm keeps me going the beauty of being out here working with animals and nature and the land, he said. Sands has owned the farm for about 10 years. About four years ago, he had to step down from his position as county commissioner, due to ongoing health issues related to leukemia. He receives treatments regularly, but said that the farm itself is sometimes his best form of treatment. Team of helpers When theres something hes not able to do, he relies on the help of family and neighbors, including his three adult daughters: twins Jessica and Jennifer, and Mary. If I have problems and I cant do something I call these guys (and girls) and they come and do it, he said. Its awesome. But Sands handles most of his own work, especially the planning and vision for the farm. Hes transitioning into a freezer beef operation and hopes to sell about 20 head this way in 2019. He currently sells at the Zanesville-area farmers markets, and is hoping to get accepted at a few more markets. Hes also hoping to one day renovate an old milkhouse on the farm, and turn it into a self-serve store. Grazing has been his favorite model, but he said he also respects what grain farmers are doing, and those who finish their cattle on grain. Benefits of grazing For Sands, grazing offers a good system because it requires few inputs, and it returns the nutrients back to the soil in his case, soil that includes reclaimed strip mind ground and not the best ground for grain production. Sands researched other grazing operations and read books about grazing before and during his planning stages, and he also consulted the advice of other graziers and soil health experts. One of the experts Sands worked with most, and continues to work with, is Van Slack, ag resources specialist with the Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation District. Slack said he and Sands worked together to map out some of the fencing for the paddocks, and where waterlines would be placed. They also talked about the benefits of grazing, and the different ways that grazing could be made economical and efficient on Sands property. What I was able to do was kind of dream with him, Slack said. Todd is interested, hes passionate, he wants to see things succeed. Sands wife, Julie, and their daughters have also been a part of the dream even more so in recent years. Although the family lived in Zanesville when his girls were young, they said moving to the farm was a good experience and one that they ultimately embraced. Jennifer Sands, who lives next door to the farm, keeps some sheep on the farm that she uses for spinning wool. The farms really good for our family just for us to all be together and do something we enjoy, Jennifer said. Todd Sands said the goal is to finish the cattle in about 18 months, but realistically, it usually takes about 24 months to reach the target live weight of about 1,000-1,100 pounds. The weight gain for grass-fed cattle simply takes longer, he said, but the wait is worth it to him and his customers. Grass-fed beef is typically leaner than grain-fed, and some consumers prefer its taste and cooking qualities. Labor of love Sands said hes always looking for ways to improve and extend his grazing season. His farm has been the host site for a number of grazing tours over the years. What he likes most about farming is being outdoors, spending time with God and nature. I love this life. This is an amazing way to live, he said. Being in my position, with the health, I recommend cancer if you can survive it, because the grass is a little greener, and the flowers are a little prettier. He said all farmers should appreciate the life they live, and the freedom that farm life provides. If theyre able to live that life, then they need to be very thankful, he said. We should be thankful that were able to live this lifestyle, and not take it for granted. CANFIELD, Ohio The Mahoning County Junior Fair Board meeting was held at the Canfield Fairgrounds Feb. 21. The members broke into groups to do team bonding activities, then members reported on ideas they gleaned from the Ohio Fair Managers Conference. Adviser Jessica Ricker showed a variety of past junior fair board shirts as well as several other sweatshirts and T-shirts the members could order. The fun shirt designs will be discussed at future meetings. President Karlee Banks and Junior Fair Manager Kim Moff raised fundraiser options for this coming year. Moff also went over the member responsibilities and behavior listed in the organizations charter. The leaders of the various committees then introduced themselves to the new members and described their committees responsibilities. The committees are Public Relations, Special Features, the Saturday Night Dance, Battle of the Barns, Talent Show, Ice Cream Social and Youth Day Activities. The events that are coming up include: Dairy Palooza set up at Canfield Fairgrounds, April 26; Dairy Palooza event, April 27; and market livestock tagging, 8 a.m., May 11, Dairy Complex. CANFIELD, Ohio The Mahoning County Goat Herders 4-H club met Feb. 16 at the home of adviser Arlinda Greenfield. Members received information about meeting dates and enrollment. The clubs community service and fundraising project this year is selling lotion to raise money to give a goat or two to a family in a developing country. In the election of officers, Christopher Greenfield was elected president; Noah Johnson, vice president; Kaylee Burcaw, secretary; Trevor Greenfield, news reporter; Kaylea Pinkerton, devotions officer; and Mitchell Hofmann, refreshments officer. The clubs next meeting is March 16, 1 p.m., at the Hofmann home. CALEDONIA, Ohio River Valley FFA members recently represented the chapter in the state agriculture communication competition. Team members Halle Troutman, Jackson Crawford, Emily Eickemeyer, Libby Strine and Maci Carter placed 11th in the state, with Crawford placing fourth in his division. WEST SALEM, Ohio Northwestern FFA member Haley Wilson competed Feb. 13 in the district public speaking contest held at Norwayne High School. Wilson, who participated in the beginning prepared speech division, placed third in the contest. On Feb. 20, chapter members competed in the District 3 Ag Sales contest held at Hillsdale High School. Dugan McLaughlin, Cody Morrow, Brock Tegtmeier and Claire Vaughan competed, with Jadeyn Berry participating as an alternate. The team placed first overall in the district, with Morrow placing first; Tegtmeier, second; Vaughan, third; and McLaughlin, fifth individually. The team advances to the state contest March 5 at the Marysville National Guard Training and Community Center. ASHLAND, Ohio The Crestview FFA chapter held its annual staff breakfast Feb. 22, in honor of FFA week. The members prepare a meal for the staff from all three schools, arriving at the school at 6 a.m. to start preparing the meal. The members prepared french toast, pancakes, omelets, sausage, bacon, and doughnuts. MILLERSBURG, Ohio The West Holmes FFA general livestock team competed at the Mount Gilead General Livestock competition Feb. 16. The team finished in eighth place. Individually, team members Taylor Feikert placed seventh; Maddie Stitzlein, 53rd; and Ethan Drzazga, 64th. Chloe Shumaker, Ally Ogi, Lexi Ogi, Hannah Goines, Ethan Feikert and Cora Crilow rounded out the team. SULLIVAN, Ohio On Feb. 8, Black River FFA members Breann Czarny and Chloee Howard participated in the sub-district public speaking career development event held at Norwayne High School. Czarny, an eighth-grader, participated in the Beginning Creed division and placed fourth. Freshman Chloee Howard competed in the extemporaneous event. She placed third in her division and advanced to the district competition. Northern Irish farmers have spoken of their outrage over government proposals to reduce Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) tariffs. The Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) has called the Department of Economy (DfE) proposal 'completely unacceptable' which would 'devastate' farmers. It said the plans would ultimately make Northern Irelands poultry industry less competitive, as many poultry farmers are involved in the RHI scheme. Tariffs offered in other regions, such as Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, 'more accurately' reflect the cost of installing, running and maintaining boilers, the union said. Farmers in these regions are able to produce birds at a lower cost making them more competitive in the market place. UFU deputy president, Victor Chestnutt said: A further reduction in tariffs is a crushing blow to farmers who entered the scheme - encouraged by politicians, government departments, and processors - in good faith and have used the scheme responsibly. Farmers didnt design the flawed scheme and it is utterly shameful they are being made scapegoats for the failures of others. Farmers have contacted the union highlighting their concerns over the future of their businesses as a result of these proposals. Mr Chestnutt said: Many are angry and feel conned by the politicians and civil servants who ultimately have a duty of care to the public, which includes the farmers who entered into the RHI scheme. The aim of the RHI scheme, introduced in 2012, is to deliver a greener industry and final product, by reducing fossil fuel use and improving animal welfare standards. In 2018, DfE consulted on the future of the scheme. However, the UFU said the consultation was based on 'fundamentally flawed' assumptions. The proposed plans do not add up. Under the new proposals farmers stand to lose 10,000 per year per boiler, which when you factor in loan repayments, maintenance and fuel costs is completely unsustainable, Mr Chestnutt added. The danger is that these destructive proposals will be pushed through Westminster without an adequate level of legislative scrutiny and no regard for the devastating impact on recipients. It is another example of a department riding roughshod over the public while there are no local Ministers or NI Executive to be held accountable to, he said. Consumers have been encouraged to buy Scotch beef this spring as farmers continue to face challenging trading conditions. Scottish farmers and crofters producing beef are facing adverse conditions, with beef prices down by as much as 22 per cent compered to where they were last summer. This is due to poorer retail sales domestically, while a strengthening of sterling against the euro since August 2018 has affected the export market. The low beef price is further compounding the uncertainty felt by many during the ongoing political confusion over Brexit, with farmers unsure to invest for the future. NFU Scotland is now urging shoppers and retailers to boost their support for Scotch beef this spring in a bid to help the industry. The union will carry out a beef shelfwatch over the coming weeks, looking at major retailers to identify which are supporting the Scotch Beef PGI label over imported products. Consumers have been reminded that local butchers and farm shops are often the best place to go to find locally sourced Scotch beef. NFU Scotland Livestock Chairman, Jimmy Ireland said: Scottish beef farmers and crofters will continue to do our part to feed the nation with high quality and healthy beef despite challenging economic conditions, but we need to be supported by our retailers and customers now more than ever. While we are still some time away from prime BBQ weather, shoppers can continue to support Scotch beef this spring, look for the Scotch Beef PGI label and make sure beef plays a part when planning a healthy, hearty menu each week. We know that Scottish shoppers strongly value the great story that Scottish beef farming has to tell, recognising our high-quality assurance standards as well as the significant environmental benefits generated by grazing Scotlands grassy hills and uplands. Its important, therefore, that our largest retailers show the strongest possible support for us in their stores. Next month, Quality Meat Scotland will launch its latest marketing campaign for the Scotch Beef PGI, with support from NFU Scotland. The Vale of Clwyd Denbigh Plum has been awarded protected food status by the EU, despite uncertainty over such schemes after Brexit. The plum has been awarded protected food name (PFN) status by the European Commission, and joins the ranks of Caerphilly Cheese, Halen Mon and Welsh Lamb. The fruit, which had its application submitted by the Denbigh Plum Group, boasts the only native variety of plum in Wales and has seen a resurgence of plums being grown in the area over the last decade. The Denbigh Plum is the 16th Welsh product, and Wales first fruit, to gain the EUs prestigious protected food name status. The EU recognises quality agricultural food and drink products that surpass strict qualifying criteria. Food and drink products awarded protected food name status under the EU scheme receive protection against imitation, misuse and fraud. The European Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, which forms part of one of three special European Protected Food Name (PFN) designations will help raise the profile of Denbigh town and its surrounding area too. Producers worry that the protection of produce, such as Scotch beef and Yorkshire Wensleydale, won't continue under any new trade deals agreed by the government. However, the UK government is working to ensure the current PFNs continue to enjoy protection rights within the UK once it leaves the European Union through the creation of a new scheme replicating the existing benefits. The new scheme will continue the legacy of PFNs in the UK and provide support as the EU scheme transitions into a new UK scheme. The scheme will also continue to support UK producers to achieve the EU status under new terms after Brexit. Firefighters were called to help out a 400-cow dairy farm in Staffordshire after its vital water supply failed. The farm on Three Mile Lane, Newcastle-Under-Lyme had suffered a failure of its water supply earlier during the day on Tuesday (26 February). The farm was struggling to find an alternative, putting its 400 head of dairy cows at risk of dehydration. In desperation, the farmer rang Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service at around 10.40pm to ask for assistance. A pump from Newcastle and the water carrier from Cheadle attended and delivered 8,500 litres of water. Group Manager, Ian Housley said: There was a genuine risk to the welfare of the cows and the farm staff were getting really concerned as theyd been doing their best to reinstate the water supply all day. The easiest way for us to help them was to bring over the water carrier from Cheadle which we use when we need additional supplies of water at a large fire. Fortunately, not long after wed provided the water, the farmer was able to re-establish the connection to ensure that 2 large on-site tanks could be continuously filled to provide water for the cows. A community-led initiative which brings superfast broadband to rural communities is aiming to raise 3 million through investment crowdfunding. Broadband for the Rural North (B4RN) delivers fibre optic broadband connection in the UK to over 5,000 rural homes, farming businesses and schools in the North West and more recently in East Anglia. According to Ofcom, 1.1 million (4%) of premises in the UK cannot get decent broadband and almost two-thirds of premises in rural areas are without superfast broadband coverage. Only 16 percent of farmers have access to superfast broadband, the NFU's latest broadband survey shows. Despite a slight improvement in access, the survey highlights a need for better coverage to support farmers and their businesses. Initiatives like B4RN aim to change this. The project is now looking to raise 3 million to fund the roll-out of its fibre network in more rural communities the aim being to quadruple its network in the next five years. Reinvested profits As a social project its profits are reinvested back into the rural community. For example, it provides internet service to schools free of charge. The organisation installs cables at a significantly reduced cost by working directly with local farmers and landowners, gaining access across their land rather than digging up roads. Such projects benefit from the governments Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, which contributes to the installation costs of gigabit-capable broadband connections. The bond will pay 4.5% gross interest per year for its seven-year term and the minimum investment is 50. 'Everyday problem' Barry Forde, chief executive of B4RN, said the issue of a lack of decent broadband in rural Britain is an 'everyday problem' for its residents and businesses. We have overcome challenges the large providers were just simply unprepared to take on and by working as a community we have managed to bring the UKs fastest broadband to some of the UKs most rural areas. By crowdfunding we can connect more and more rural properties, which makes a huge difference to everyone living and working in those communities, and local schools benefit from free broadband, he said. Some rural communities have taken matters into their own hands. Last year, a small village which long-suffered from inadequate broadband speeds is now benefiting from some of the fastest connections in the UK following the help of farmers and landowners. A new set of apprenticeship standards have been launched to help better equip the next generation of workers in the agricultural industry. The NFU, along with AHDB and other industry employers, have created criteria for two farming apprenticeships crop technician and stockperson. A third set of standards for a packhouse line leader is also underway. The aim is to bring together technical knowledge from a training provider with practical on-the-job learning, to ensure the apprentice is a fully competent employee when they qualify. And as the new style apprenticeships are industry-led, the standards of competency are set by those doing the recruiting. One key element of the apprenticeships is the inclusion of Behaviours alongside the more traditional Knowledge and Skills helping build conducts that can lead workers to be more successful in the future. Richard Longthorp, who chairs the Agricultural Trailblazer Employer Group, said the new structure to the standards will be 'hugely beneficial' to farming industry. He added: Trailblazer might not be a word people normally associate with the dry nature of education and skills policy, but with these new Trailblazer Apprenticeships, I genuinely believe we have made a really exciting shift in policy. We have gone from a top-down approach with Whitehall Suits deciding what apprenticeships should look like, to where we are now a bottom up approach with industry making the decisions. These standards were developed by those at the sharp end in farm business and then taken to representatives from across the industry and its organisations for consultation, he said. The apprenticeships are open to all industry businesses and depending on the size of it, the training will either be funded by the apprenticeship levy or by government. Any Trailblazer Apprenticeship has a minimum duration of 12 months, but some can take up to 30 months, depending on the course level, apprentice and employer. NFU Deputy President, Guy Smith said: When you consider the exciting technical advances most of us are seeing on farms, from crop scanning drones to robot milking machines, its clear that agriculture is an incredibly innovative and rewarding sector to pursue a career in. There has never been a more important time to get involved in an industry that helps to provide the nation with safe, traceable and affordable food. Apprenticeships play a huge role in attracting new talent to the farming industry as well as offering farmers a great way to recruit new people and develop their skills, which enables farm businesses to continue to be productive, profitable and progressive, Mr Smith said. New high-path bird flu outbreak confirmed in Wales Third case of avian influenza in Wales so far As humans struggle to achieve environmental sustainability, a recent study discovers that gentrification will also be influenced by climate. Global warming and climate change are common topics of debate and discussion now. We are slowly waking up to the reality of climate change, the affects of which are now very visible. And most contemporary researches the world over indicate that the conditions are only going to get worse, if our current coarse of action is not corrected. Climate change has now ushered in the new phenomenon of climate gentrification. The term implies shifting or relocating from places that are prone to climate changes or natural calamities like forest fires, floods, etc to areas inland, or at higher sea levels. It is same as gentrification, only encouraged by or results due to changes in the climate. As report by the Daily Beast, climate gentrification is growing rapidly all over the globe. This was concept conceived and formulated by Jesse Keenan, a faculty of Harvards Graduate School of Design. Keenan says, It makes perfect sense to me that at some point in time in Southern California people will want to move to areas that are proximate to their communities, and that may mean moving to areas that are lower risk but have a different set of cultures and socio-economic characteristics. Keenan initially did not take think forest fires to be a significant cause of climate gratification. But he is now of the strong opinion that forest fires are not only going to increase in frequency, but also the amount of destruction they cause. Hence, the need for shifting for to safer places in California especially is a must. He believes that climate gentrification will not only be limited to Los Angeles but also across West Coast. There are these areas that are pretty vulnerable, and theyre going to burn over and over again, Keenan said. Keenan explained why climate gentrification is very much distinguished by general gentrification. Gentrification, in the classic sense, is about supply, he said. Its about a developer, who comes in and sees a value and wants to capture that value, and they create supply and people flood in. Climate gentrification is totally different because theres a change in consumer preferences. Its not about supply, its about demand. Its a shift in demand, he added. Nevada County and Nevada City firefighters work to assess a structure on Juniper Drive that sustained a tree fall, knocking out power and potentially causing a gas hazard in the process. (Photo:AP) One big reason Keenan emphasised for the shift to take place in vulnerable areas is the issue of insurance. He says, That should be very effective in driving people out. Even if they can rebuild, theyre going to risk being under-insured or not insured at all. And if you have a mortgage, you have to be insured. The risk is that if an insurance company denies home insurances on a way too risky neighbourhood, the whole community in the area will be in trouble. The inter change between geography and economics can be gradually seen in the east of Los Angeles, due to the rise in the sea levels. A lot of people are shifting to more elevated areas, which are considered to be safer. Not only areas near the coastal region are facing issues but regions of Arizona are also witnessing people moving out due to issues of extreme heat. Liz Koslov of Urban Planning and the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA, told the Daily Beast that most people prefer to move short distances if they move due to climate change related issues as they would still like to be close to their social communities and work areas. Koslov also emphasises that the government policy and city planners play a prominent role in this shift. They are the decision makers who decide which affected areas are to be saved and which are to be left out, which brings about a lot of difference. Koslov said, Their actions in anticipation of climate impacts and in response to disasters have the potential to displace a lot of people or make places more habitable. Washington is one place which as per Keenan is a lost cause. Theres no hope for Washington DC, Keenan said. Its built on a swamp. Its sinking rapidly, and sea level rise is coming in. People dont generally talk about that but it literally is a swamp. A woman with a dog sails a kayak on a flooded street in Guerneville, north of San Francisco. (Photo: AP) Keenan also talks about the positives and negatives of the whole climate gentrification. He said, Whenever you talk about the shifting of people in large numbers, theres a sending zone and a receiving zone and that receiving zone is going to have to bear the negative consequences. There are also positive consequences to this, because when you bring people, you bring economies along with them and you also bring in both social and financial capital. Koslov highlights the complexity of the gentrification as the people from regions of extreme heat might try to escape and end up in flood prone areas. The ones moving away from the storms may find themselves in areas prone to forest fires. Keenan predicted that Americans will move to the north, to cooler areas less prone to forest fires. Theres no doubt that people will begin to move north, Keenan said. The question is: Wheres potable water? Wheres it safe? Where are there an economy and a culture you can tie into? Keenan concluded. 2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning -- 4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS. We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover. We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come. Date Issued February 28, 2019 Audience People with breast cancer or those at high risk for breast cancer who are considering the surgical removal of one or both breasts (mastectomy) using robotically-assisted surgery People considering robotically-assisted surgery for the prevention or treatment of other cancers Health care providers who perform robotically-assisted procedures as part of cancer prevention or treatment Health care providers who advise patients on the need for mastectomy Medical Specialties Breast Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecological Oncology, General Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Endocrine Surgery, Hepatobiliary Surgery, Thoracic Surgery, Urology, Colorectal Surgery, Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Oncology Nurses, Primary Care. Device Robotically-assisted surgical devices enable surgeons to perform a variety of surgical procedures through small cuts (incisions) in a patient's body. This type of surgery may help reduce pain, blood loss, scarring, infection, and recovery time after surgery in comparison to traditional surgical procedures. Computer and software technology allow a surgeon to precisely control surgical instruments attached to mechanical arms through small incisions while viewing the surgical site in three-dimensional high definition. Purpose The FDA takes women's health issues very seriously. The FDA is issuing this safety communication because it is important for health care providers and patients to understand that the safety and effectiveness of using robotically-assisted surgical devices in mastectomy procedures or in the prevention or treatment of cancer has not been established. There is limited, preliminary evidence that the use of robotically-assisted surgical devices for treatment or prevention of cancers that primarily (breast) or exclusively (cervical) affect women may be associated with diminished long-term survival. Health care providers and patients should consider the benefits, risks, and alternatives to robotically-assisted surgical procedures and consider this information to make informed treatment decisions. Summary of Problem and Scope Since robotically-assisted surgical devices became available in the US, robotically-assisted surgical procedures were widely adopted because they may allow for quicker recovery and could improve surgical precision. However, the FDA is concerned that health care providers and patients may not be aware that the safety and effectiveness of these devices has not been established for use in mastectomy procedures or the prevention or treatment of cancer. Patients and health care providers should also be aware that the FDA encourages health care providers who use robotically-assisted surgical devices to have specialized training and practice in their use. Current evidence on use of robotically-assisted surgical devices The safety and effectiveness of robotically-assisted surgical devices for use in mastectomy procedures or prevention or treatment of cancer has not been established. However, the FDA is aware of scientific literature and media publications describing surgeons and hospital systems that use robotically-assisted surgical devices for mastectomy. To date, the FDA's evaluation of robotically-assisted surgical devices has generally focused on determining whether the complication rate at 30 days is clinically comparable to other surgical techniques. To evaluate robotically-assisted surgical devices for use in the prevention or treatment of cancer, including breast cancer, the FDA anticipates these uses would be supported by specific clinical outcomes, such as local cancer recurrence, disease-free survival, or overall survival at time periods much longer than 30 days. The relative benefits and risks of surgery using robotically-assisted surgical devices compared to conventional surgical approaches in cancer treatment have not been established. The FDA is aware of peer-reviewed literature reporting clinical outcomes for the use of robotically-assisted surgical devices in cancer treatment including one limited report that compared long term survival after radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer either by open abdominal surgery or by minimally invasive surgery (which included laparoscopic surgery or robotically-assisted surgery). In this report minimally invasive surgery appeared to be associated with a lower rate of long term survival compared with open abdominal surgery; however other researchers have reported no statistically significant difference in long term survival when these types of surgical procedures are compared (New England Journal of Medicine, November 2018). To date, the FDA has not granted marketing authorization for any robotically-assisted surgical device for use in the United States for the prevention or treatment of cancer, including breast cancer. The labeling for robotically-assisted surgical devices that are legally marketed in the United States includes statements that cancer treatment outcomes using the device have not been evaluated by the FDA. Recommendations for Patients Before you have robotically assisted surgery to prevent or treat cancer: Be aware that that the safety and effectiveness of using robotically-assisted surgical devices in mastectomy procedures or in the prevention or treatment of cancer has not been established. Discuss the benefits, risks, and alternatives of all available treatment options with your health care provider to make the most informed treatment decisions. Before choosing your surgeon, we recommend asking the following questions: Ask your surgeon about his or her training, experience, and patient outcomes with robotically-assisted surgical device procedures. Ask how many robotically-assisted surgical procedures like yours he or she has performed. Ask your surgeon about possible complications and how often they happen. If you had treatment with a robotically-assisted surgical device for any cancerous condition and experienced a complication, we encourage you to file a report through MedWatch, the FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting program. Recommendations for Health Care Providers Understand that the FDA has not cleared or approved any robotically-assisted surgical device based on cancer-related outcomes such as overall survival, recurrence, and disease-free survival. Be aware that robotically-assisted surgical devices have been evaluated by the FDA and cleared for use in certain types of surgical procedures, but not for mastectomy. The FDA recommends that you take training for the specific robotically-assisted surgical device procedures you perform. Talk to your patients about your experience and training, and the clinical outcomes expected with the use of robotically-assisted surgical devices. Discuss the benefits, risks, and alternatives of all available treatment options with your patients to help them make informed treatment decisions. Be aware that clinical studies conducted in the United States involving a legally marketed device investigating a new intended use are subject to FDA oversight. For further information, please refer to the FDA's Investigational Device Exemption website. If any of your patients experience adverse effects or complications with a robotically-assisted surgical device, we encouraged you to file a report through MedWatch, the FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting program. FDA Actions Robotically-assisted surgical devices are novel and complex systems and the FDA reviews each robotically-assisted surgical device system individually, based on the complexity of the technology and its intended use. The FDA is monitoring adverse events in the literature and reported to the FDA to inform our understanding of the benefits and risks of robotically-assisted surgical devices when used for specific indications. The FDA encourages academic and research institutions, professional societies, robotically-assisted surgical device experts, and manufacturers to establish patient registries to gather data on the use of robotically-assisted surgical devices for all uses, including the prevention and treatment of cancer. Patient registries may help characterize surgeons' learning curves, assess long-term clinical outcomes, and identify problems early to help enhance patient safety. The FDA will update this communication if significant new information becomes available. Reporting Problems to the FDA Prompt reporting of adverse events can help the FDA identify and better understand the risks associated with robotically-assisted surgical devices. If you experience adverse events associated with the use of these devices for treatment of cancerous conditions, we encourage you to file a voluntary report through MedWatch, the FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting program. Health care personnel employed by facilities that are subject to the FDA's user facility reporting requirements should follow the reporting procedures established by their facilities. Other Resources Contact Information If you have questions about this communication, please contact the Division of Industry and Consumer Education (DICE) at DICE@FDA.HHS.GOV, 800-638-2041 or 301-796-7100. Bhumi & Sushant All Excited For Sonchiriya Bhumi Pednekar and Sushant Singh Rajput are evidently excited about the release of their upcoming film Sonchiriya. The two were snapped at a promotional event of the movie today. Bhumi looked ravishing in a red one shoulder jump suit. Sushant, on the other hand, looked casual in a blue graphic t-shirt teamed with black pants. Sonchiriya, also starring Ranvir Shorey, Manoj Bajpayee and Ashutosh Rana, releases today, March 1st. A special screening of the film was held on Wednesday night for celebs from the film fraternity. Taimur Is Taking His Horse Riding Lessons Seriously Taimur Ali Khan seems to be taking his horse riding lessons seriously as he was snapped during yet another lesson on Thursday. The little Nawab looked cute as a button when he was snapped with the same chestnut colored horse that has been helping him with the lessons. Tim Tim was wearing a stripped t-shirt with red shorts, and had a look of intense focus on his adorable face. Raveena Tandon Was A Key Note Speaker At The ITCH Summit Raveena Tandon was a key note speaker at the ITCH summit on Thursday. The summit brought together people from various fields such as art, culture, politics, social activism. Raveena posed for photos during the media session. She looked pretty in an emerald green floor length anarkali dress, with the dupatta wrapped around her neck, and her hair tied up in a bun. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Was Also A Key Note Speaker At The Summit Director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra was another key note speaker at the ITCH summit, along with Raveena Tandon. He too was clicked by the media at the event. Mehra's next film, Mere Pyare Prime Minister is set to hit the theatres on March 15th. Madhuri Shared A Warm Equation With Sridevi Speaking about her equation with Sridevi, Madhuri told the leading daily, "We had known each other for many years and shared a warm equation. It was difficult for everyone in the industry to wrap their heads around her sudden loss." 'We Will Always Feel The Void', Says Madhuri She further added, "It is still hard to accept the truth. I don't think anyone of us has still come to terms with her absence. We will always feel the void." Madhuri Got Emotional When KJo Asked Her To Replace Sridevi Talking about shooting for Kalank, Madhuri revealed, "When I was on the sets, I looked at it as just another role. But, yes, I was extremely emotional when Karan (Johar) asked me to take up her role. I hope I make her proud." On Her Role In Kalank "It is hard to talk about the character without revealing too much. When people watch the movie, they will realise how different it is from what I have done in my other films like Devdas where I played Chandramukhi. The role that I have here is poles apart from that," the actress told the leading daily. Tainted cardinal George Pell's conviction casts doubt on the victim redressal scheme he created. Australia: Cardinal George Pell's sex crime conviction is expected to unleash a flood of lawsuits by abuse victims who fear they were cheated by a compensation scheme set up by the disgraced cleric himself, lawyers said. The most senior Catholic clergyman found guilty of child sex abuse, Pell is behind bars awaiting sentencing for assaulting two choirboys in 1996-97, shortly after he was appointed Archbishop of Melbourne. Around the same time, Pell set up the Melbourne Response, a redressal plan to compensate victims of clerical abuse in Australia's Victoria state. The plan required sex abuse victims to waive their right to future claims and capped compensation payments at AUD 50,000 (USD 35,700), a figure later raised to AUD 75,000. The scheme has long been criticised for helping the Church limit its financial liability and the announcement this week that its architect had himself been convicted of child sex abuse heightened the mistrust. Protesters gathered outside court where Cardinal George Pell was due for a pre-sentencing hearing. (Photo: AFP) "Anything that Pell designs loses credibility" with his conviction, lawyer Ingrid Irwin from Pell's hometown of Ballarat in Victoria told AFP. Irwin has represented clients who alleged they were abused by Pell. "At a time when he is sexually assaulting young boys in Melbourne, he is designing a compensation scheme to get out of it. So it is completely inappropriate," she said. Irwin predicted victims could receive more than AUD 500,000 in compensation if they challenged their earlier awards through the justice system. "Now, in terms of compensation, the sky's the limit if they were to sue in the County Court," she said. Western Australia and Queensland states already allow courts to set aside victims' settlements with the Church if they were found to be unjust or unreasonable. "We are looking at a range of options to ensure survivors of institutional child sex abuse are not left worse off as a result of their participation in institutional forums such as the Melbourne Response," Victorian Attorney-General Jill Hennessy said. Action on the issue would come soon, she added. Lawyers in Victoria confirmed they planned to challenge victims' settlements with the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. The current Archbishop of Melbourne, Peter Comensoli, said Wednesday he was reviewing the Melbourne Response but defended it, adding that not everyone who sought compensation with the Church had been disappointed. News of Pell's December conviction, which was kept secret by a gag order until Tuesday, is expected to encourage more sex abuse victims to come forward. Comensoli said several people in his archdiocese reported alleged abuse by clergy within hours of Pell's conviction being announced. In the United States, archdioceses have paid millions of dollars to settle child sex abuse claims. The Pakistan government on Tuesday said no film from India will release in the country as it has called for a ban on Indian content after the Indian air force destroyed a terror training camp in Balakot. The country's information and broadcasting minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said the country's film exhibitors association will be boycotting the Indian films. He also said that he has instructed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to crack down on "made-in-India advertisements". "Cinema Exhibitors Association has boycotted Indian content, no Indian movie will be released in Pakistan. Also have instructed PEMRA to act against Made in India Advertisements. #PakistanTayarHai" Hussain tweeted. Malaika Arora HITS BACK At Salman Khan For Dabangg 3 Exit? Says Dont' Call Songs As 'Item Numbers'! The minister's comments came on a day when India bombed and destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC). The bombing resulted in killing of a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders, officials said in New Delhi. The air strikes came 12 days after the JeM carried out a suicide attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district that killed 40 CRPF soldiers. In the wake of the terror attack, the makers of films such as Total Dhamaal, Luka Chuppi, Arjun Patiala, Notebook and Kabir Singh had announced that they will not screening their movies the neighbouring country. Salman Khan Responsible For Kareena Kapoor's Re-entry & Malaika Arora's Exit From Dabangg 3? (PTI News) Rating: 2.5 /5 Star Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey, Mahesh Balraj Director: Abhishek Chaubhey Sonchiriya Movie Review: Sushant Singh Rajput | Manoj Bajpayee | Bhumi Pednekar | FilmiBeat In a scene in Abhishek Chaubey's Sonchiriya, a cop points at a bandit movie poster stuck on a wall and asks a man if he watched that flick and liked it. To this, the young fellow chuckles and says that unlike the reel where bandits arrive on horses, the reality is quite different. Abhishek Chaubey's latest offering derives its narrative from a space where caste, gender, masculinity and patriarchy run skin deep. The film begins with a disturbing close-up shot of a rotting carcass of a cobra being feasted on by a swarm of flies. Soon, when group of dacoits approach it, their leader lifts the serpent with the barrel of his shotgun and places it aside before mumbling a quick prayer. We realize that beneath their tough exterior, these 'baaghis' are desperate to let go their burden of guilt of a crime gone wrong. One of them even expresses how the pride of being a bandit is slowing making way for a sense of shame. The dacoits led by Man Singh (Manoj Bajpayee) are the mice in this game of death with a policeman Virendra Gujjar (Ashutosh Rana) hunting them down like a snake for his own personal reason. The caste, on the other hand, hovers over everyone like a vulture. The women ain't spared either. There is a scene where a female character says, "Yeh jaati sirf aadhmiyon ke liye hai, aurton ko alag hi jaat hoti hai, in sabse neeche." Abhishek Chaubey dives deep into a landscape where death stalks everyone but doesn't guarantee redemption. The filmmaker's realistic depiction of the Chambal ravines combined with minute detailing of every character in the film is worth an applause. Having said that, it's the cluttered narrative which plays a major spoilsport. Despite having an interesting premise, the director fails to control your senses with his bumpy execution making you a little restless in your seats. Speaking about the performances, Sushant Singh Rajput as Lakhan wears his character like his second skin. Bhumi Pednekar delivers an earnest performance in her frames. Manoj Bajpayee as Man Singh leaves you highly impressed with his superlative acting chops. Ranvir Shorey portrays the ruthlessness and the seething anger of his character with great conviction. Ashutosh Rana's menacing act leaves a mark. The gunfire-exchange sequences in Sonchiriya are well-choreographed and are depicted realistically. The background score adds more to the tension in the film. Anuj Rakesh Dhawan's cinematography is raw and rustic. Meghana Sen's taut editing packs in some punch. There's a dialogue in the film which goes, "Sonchiriya jaake sab dhundh rahe hain, jo kaaho ke haath nahi aani ki." This Sushant Singh Rajput-Bhumi Pednekar starrer falls short of soaring high in the sky. I am going with 2.5 stars. Darshan and Rashmika Mandanna starrer Yajamana is finally releasing today! After a long wait, the Challenging Star is all set to entertain his fans. As of now, people have been highly excited about the family entertainer. Consisting of a star ensemble, the film is believed to be made especially for the mass audience. Also, for the first time ever, fans will get to witness Rashmika and Darshan's chemistry on-screen. The film has been shot in some of the most beautiful locations across Karnataka and abroad. While you are eagerly waiting to watch D Boss' film, here are a few things about the film you ought to know!#First half receives good response. Challenging Star's fans call Yajamana D Boss' comeback. #Rashmika Mandanna as Kaveri steals the show! Her surprise entry is one of the most liked elements of the film. #Basanni song to become the new anthem of the mass. Tanya Hope leaves an impression on the audience with her sensual dance. #Cinematography praised for showcasing some of the most beautiful locations in the song Ondu Mundane. But placement of the songs questioned. #Yajamana gets called a complete mass entertainer. Darshan delivers strong dialogues and stunts. #Though, climax comes across tad bit draggy, it totally makes up for the slow first half. Fans are calling Yajamana a decent family entertainer. A Complete Family Entertainer Yajamana is a combination of various factors. There is action, emotions, romance and more. The film also stars the Kodava beauty Rashmika Mandanna and Devaraj. The trailer gives a glimpse of the father-son bond showcased in the film, which is something you have to look out for! First Kannada Film In This Region! Darshan starrer will be the first Kannada film to release in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. The theatre which is screening the film in Anantapur tweeted, "Dear Patrons, For the first time in #Anantapur we are planning to screen a Kannada movie #Yajamaana starring #Darshan and #Rashmika which will be releasing this March 1st. Bookings to open soon...#YajamanaFromMarch1st @SVCINEMAX" - (sic) Kaveri Is One Of The Highlights Rashmika will be seen playing the role of a village girl Kaveri. This is how she describes her character, "The character of Kaveri, I portray in Yajamana is loud with a lot of energy. During the shooting of the film, I would feel so exhausted at the end of the day, but all that hard work reflects onscreen as well." NO Counter Dialogues! When asked about the two dialogues from the film that went viral, Darshan said, "I had warned my writers against any kind of counter dialogues in the script. I had even told them that they would be held responsible if they incorporated such dialogues." MOST READ : Yajamana To Become The Next Monster Hit After KGF In Karnataka; Reasons That Justify Film's Success! Arshi Khan joins Congress Party, Reacts on Pakistani Artist Ban: Watch Video | FilmiBeat After Bigg Boss 11 winner Shilpa Shinde, her inmate Arshi Khan is all set to join politics. It has to be recalled that a few days ago, Shilpa joined the Congress in the presence of its Mumbai unit chief Sanjay Nirupam. She will be contesting in the upcoming Lok Sabha election on a Congress ticket in Mumbai. The Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain actress was even trolled for joining politics. Now, Arshi will be following in Shilpa's footsteps. Apparently, the controversial actress will be joining Congress as Vice President of Maharashtra. Arshi was quoted by India-forum as saying, "Yes I am joining Congress as Vice President of Maharashtra, they have offered me a post that is the reason I said Yes. Also, the party needs youth people who are outspoken." Post her Bigg Boss stint, Arshi appeared on a couple of popular shows on Colors TV. She was seen gracing a few events. Recently, she even bagged the Top Entertainer' award at the Global Peace Conference. The self-proclaimed seduction queen also emerged as the most Googled entertainer in India, after Sunny Leone! Well, it has to be seen what the viewers have to say regarding her entry in politics. Most Read: After Asha Negi, Devoleena Bhattacharjee Trolled For Flaunting Cleavage! Pakistani actress Veena Malik makes fun of wing Commander Abhinandan; Here's why | FilmiBeat Yesterday (February 26, 2019), IAF shot down Pakistani fighter aircraft, but one Indian pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, went missing in action. While India is waiting and praying for the the Wing Commander's safe return to India who is held captive by Pakistan forces, actress Veena Malik took to Twitter to mock Abhinandan Varthaman. She wrote, "Abhi abhi tu ayo ho...achi mehmaan nawazi ho gi aap ki." She also made a series of tweets against the Wing Commander. This indeed didn't go well with the netizens, who slammed her. Not just netizens even celebrities lashed out at Veena Malik for her tweet. Saumya Tandon lashed out at Veena. She wrote, "Can't imagine someone like him tweeting like this. Sad really sad." She further tweeted, "Yes it's her not him, but doesn't change the disgust this tweet is spreading." Swara Bhasker condemned the tweet. She wrote, "Veena ji.. Shame on you & ur sick mindset. Your glee is just gross! Our officer is a hero- brave, gracious & dignified in the face of capture. At least some decency from that major in you army who was questioning #WingCommanderAbhinandan or the many Pakistanis suing 4 peace #sick." Veena also mocked Bollywood actors like Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn and Kangana Ranaut, who supported Indian Air Force for their Surgical Strike. It's ironic that Veena, who worked in India (was seen on Bigg Boss) is all praises for Pakistan! Most Read: Ishqbaaz To Go Off Air In March; Gul Khan CONFIRMS The Reports! Anjali CBI Leaked Online In an unfortunate development, the full movie has been leaked online by Tamilrockers in HD quality and is available for 'free download'. The original Tamil version too had fallen prey to piracy shortly after its release last year. Nayan Fans Condemn The Leak As expected, the leak has upset Nayanthara fans big time. Most of them have condemned the leak and urged movie buffs to refrain from downloading the pirated version. Some fans have also gone to the extent of requesting the authorities to punish those behind the leak. Let us hope that the common man takes note of these pleas and refrains from supporting piracy. Not A First The notorious gang Tamilrockers has been a thorn in the side of the entire film fraternity for quite some time. 2.0, Viswasam, Vinaya Vidheya Rama and F2 are just a few of the recent movies that were leaked within hours of hitting screens. The group has also leaked Hindi films such as Zero, Thugs of Hindostan and Total Dhamaal and proved that it is a bigger nuisance than expected. To Conclude... The likes of Dulquer Salmaan, Vishal and Vijay Deverakonda have time and again urged fans to refrain from supporting piracy. While this has improved things a bit, the problem still persists. The general feeling is that more stringent rules are the need of the hour. Let us hope that some steps are taken in this direction at the earliest as piracy is not acceptable under any circumstances. Bigg Boss Telugu winner Kaushal and the Kaushal army are back in the news, so is the case of Babu Gogineni, who has been not on good terms with Kaushal at the Bigg Boss house. Recently, the revelations of the Kaushal army, expressing their disappointment over Kaushal's change in attitude had grabbed headlines. Now, Babu Gogineni has come out with his comments regarding the same. He opened up that he had already mentioned that Kaushal is having a paid army and also added that it is not only a paid army but the army is paying Kaushal. He has also lashed out at the Kaushal Army stating that they have done all the mistakes as anybody who talked against Kaushal was targeted and trolled by them. Geetha Madhuri, another contestant of Bigg Boss Telugu was also not on good terms with Kaushal. Babu Gogineni has pointed out that Kaushal Army bashes whatever posts that Geetha Madhuri comes up with but neither Geetha Madhuri nor her husband Nandu has ever filed a complaint against Babu Gogineni. He has also pointed out the example of Deepthi Sunaina who was also being targeted by Kaushal Army. He has also mentioned that he had revealed the proofs regarding Kaushal Army and Kaushal earlier itself during the hot debate with Kaushal, which was held in Melbourne. (Source: Telugu Popular TV) Some time ago, actress Sri Reddy became the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons when she stripped in public and accused several big names of exploiting 'local girls' before showing them the door. She also claimed that producers cast girls from Mumbai in their films and ignored 'local talent'. While some people praised her act, actor Pawan Kalyan made it clear that he did not approve of her actions. During a press conference, PK said that she should have approached the authorities and not sensationalised the whole thing. As expected, this offended Sri Reddy who openly abused the 'Power Star' much to the shock of countless fans. Now, Sri Reddy has once attacked the Gabbar Singh actor. The feisty lady just posted a photo of Pawan Kalyan breaking a coconut during a puja and took a dig at him. She said that PK was a 'pulka' (fool) as he was breaking a coconut on his own photo. This objectionable post has ruffled a few feathers and also proved that Sri Reddy and PK's war is anything but a thing of the past. Interestingly, in January too she had taken a dig at Pawan Kalyan while supporting Balakrishna in his war of words with Naga Babu. So, do you think Sri Reddy has crossed the line with her latest attack on Pawan Kalyan? Tell us in the space below. Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - February 27, 2019) - Raise Production Inc. (TSXV: RPC) ("Raise" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an operational update to its shareholders. The Company has three systems that can be used independently or in combination in horizontal wellbores: the High Angle Reciprocating Pump ("HARP"); the Raise Efficient Artificial Lift ("REAL") formerly known as the High Angle Lift Solution ("HALS"); and the Horizontal Artificial Recovery Technology ("HARTTM"). As part of the Company's commercialization effort, the decision was made to rebrand the HALS system as the Raise Efficient Artificial Lift ("REAL") system. Canada The Company has recently installed its first HARP in a Montney wellbore. The customer plans to activate the HARP in early March when its surface equipment is installed. Recent installs in the Cardium and Glauconite formations are increasing productivity and flattening the decline curve profile for Raise's customers. An overlooked aspect and a major cost benefit to the customer is that the high efficiency of the HARP often allows the opportunity to decrease pump jack strokes per minute ("SPM") resulting in reduced power costs. The REAL installs, referred to in the Company's press release dated November 21, 2018, have been delayed as the customer focuses on drilling operations during the winter months. The Company will continue to keep investors updated on the timing of these installs. Although the Canadian market has experienced a slowdown and spending is constrained, the Company continues to receive positive results, feedback and interest from its customer base and expects its marketing efforts to pay off in time. The Company will be posting its sales activity from its Customer Relationship Management database (in the form presented below) on its website www.raiseproduction.com beginning March 16th and will provide bi-weekly updates which will allow investors to monitor the Company's sales and commercialization initiatives. The Company has identified numerous high potential customers that will benefit from its product lines and continues to execute its strategic sales approach. The results of this approach to date are: HARP Candidate Wells in BC, AB, & SK: >10,000 Top 15 producers have: 75% Market Top 25 producers have: 85% Market Completed Discovery and Presentation sales calls, Shop Tours, Field Visits or Lunch 'N Learns with: 12 of the Top 15 targets 18 of the Top 25 targets Total number of meetings over the past 90 days: >100 Number of Active Proposals: 8 Sales pipeline potential: >$5.0MM CAD Total installs to date including test wells: 73 USA Endurance Lift Solutions ("ELS") continues to promote the HARP and REAL systems in the USA. ELS has recently installed the Company's re-designed HARP Generation 2 with material and design changes that can handle deeper, higher volume wellbores. Recent installs in the Eagle Ford and Permian basin have been successful. In addition to installs in the Eagle Ford and Permian, ELS is expecting to use Raise's HARPTM and REALTM in the Granite Wash (Texas Panhandle) as well as the STACK formation in Oklahoma. In light of the recent success with the HARP Generation 2 installs, ELS has placed its first significant order of the HARP Generation 2 with 15 pumps due for delivery by April 2019. International The Company, with its partner in Romania, CDI (a wholly owned subsidiary of ELS) has successfully completed the three well test of the HARP for Petrom Romania. The wells have seen production improvements and eliminated gas locking which was a significant issue. CDI and Petrom have qualified the HARP technology based on results from the test wells and will include the Raise high angle technology in its long-term contract offering. The contract is expected to be awarded by the end of this year. The Company has decided to put its test operations in Oman on hold and concentrate on its North American commitments. Once the Company is generating positive cash flow and has additional resources it will look at all new international opportunities that are of strategic and economical value. HARTTM (Horizontal Artificial Recovery Technology) The Company continues to explore options for testing the HARTTM in deeper more economically viable wellbores. Investor Relations The Company is pleased to announce that Tom Kehoe will be assuming the main role in Investor Relations. As a Director of the Company, in addition to his vast experience in the banking and the investment community, Mr. Kehoe is uniquely qualified to lead this segment as the Company works to commercialize its products and present results to all stakeholders on a timely schedule. About Raise Production Inc. The Company is an innovative oilfield service company that focuses its efforts on the production service sector, utilizing its proprietary products to enhance and increase ultimate production in both conventional and unconventional oil and gas wells. For further information please contact: Tom Kehoe, Investor Relations E-mail: tkehoe@raiseproduction.com Eric Laing, President and Chief Executive Officer E-mail: elaing@raiseproduction.com Raise Production Inc. 2620-58th Avenue S.E. Calgary, Alberta T2C 1G5 Tel: (403) 699-7675 Web site at: www.raiseproduction.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Certain information included in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements or information typically contain or can be identified by statements that include words such as "anticipate", "assume", "based", "believe", "can", "continue", "depend", "estimate", "expect", "forecast", "if", "intend", "may", "plan", "project", "propose", "result", "upon", "will", "within" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Such forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions that may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: the ability to obtain financing to provide working capital to fund operations, the availability of credit, the ability to commercialize products and operations, the potential to increase recoverable reserves for customers by utilization of the HARPTM, REALTM and HARTTM systems, estimates regarding current and projected cash resources and cash flow anticipated sales, the ability to adequately protect proprietary information and technology from its competitors; the ability to obtain partnering opportunities; the ability to attract and retain key personnel and key collaborators; the availability of skilled labour, services and equipment, general economic and financial market conditions, the legislative and regulatory environment of the jurisdictions where the Company carries on business and the ability to successfully compete in targeted markets. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any of the included forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable Canadian securities law. Forward-looking statements are based upon the current opinions, estimates, projections, assumptions and expectations of management of the Company as at the effective date of such statements and, in some cases, information supplied by third parties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions and that information received from third parties is reliable, it can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. By its nature, forward-looking information involves numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statement will not occur. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: deployment and commercialization of the Company's products and regulatory changes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance upon the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and such forward-looking statements should not be interpreted or regarded as guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedar.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43105 During the official visit of HRH, the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman to China BEIJING, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the official visit to the People's Republic of China by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Defence, ACWA Power signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with two renowned Chinese entities. The agreements with the Silk Road Fund and Huawei will lay the ground for collaboration in further investments and technological advancements of power generation and desalinated water production plants that ACWA Power develops and operates. On this occasion, Mohammad Abunayyan, Chairman of ACWA Power, said, "Our growing relationships with major Chinese entities reflects the strong and friendly ties between Saudi Arabia and China. As a leading developer of power and water assets in the region committed to reducing cost and investing in several countries within the Belt and Road initiative corridor, ACWA Power has the unique position of being able to support the economic transformation envisioned by both; the ambitious and collaborative Belt and Road initiative as well as Saudi Arabia's forward-looking Vision 2030. We look forward to playing a vital role in both these national agendas which complement each other." In the presence of HRH Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Vice Premier of State Council of China Han Zheng, Mohammad Abunayyan from ACWA Power signed a MoU with Mr. Wang Yanzhi, CEO of Silk Road Fund. Under the agreement, the Silk Road Fund will partner with the company to invest in ACWA Power Renewable Energy Holding Ltd in Belt and Road countries including South Africa, UAE, Jordan and Egypt. Following the first signing, at the Saudi China Investment and Cooperation Forum (Future Forward Partnerships), ACWA Power also entered into an agreement with Huawei, a leading global ICT (Information and Communication Technology) and energy network solutions provider. The two companies will be collaborating on utilising ICT to increase efficiency and improve performance of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy projects owned and operated by ACWA Power including the Sakaka PV IPP, the first utility scale solar plant in Saudi Arabia. The collaboration extends to digitalisation of power plant management. Paddy Padmanathan, President of ACWA Power further commented, saying: "Over the last few years we have been privileged to work with an increasing number of Chinese investors, financial service providers, technology providers and EPC contractors on our rapidly expanding portfolio. We are eager to nurture and expand these very successful collaborations. The synergies created through these agreements will allow us to maintain our cost leadership reputation creating immense value to the ultimate beneficiaries of the electricity and desalinated water we provide - the people of the countries we invest in." ACWA Power already has well-established relationships with several Chinese companies. ACWA Power rolled out of a centralized control and monitoring pilot project that implemented Huawei's Fusion Solar solution for enhanced plant management, monitoring and control, last January. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/826465/ACWA_Power_Logo.jpg) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/826453/ACWA_Power.jpg) Contact: Jon Barber Director - Marketing & Communications jbarber@acwapower.com +971(0)45091052 Twitter: @acwapower The decision led the Sena legislators to the well and the NCP and Congress were also supporting them. Mumbai: Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar, chairman of the Upper House on Thursday ruled that the party group leaders would take a decision on the proposal of dismissing MLC Prashant Paricharak, who has the backing of the Bharitya Janata Party (BJP). Mr Paricharak had made a controversial statement against the wives of the soldiers who were posted at the border during an election campaign in 2017. The Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislators were upset over the chairmans opinion that the motion pertaining to the expulsion of Paricharak moved by the Shiv Sena was not sustained and the party group leaders would take a decision over it later. The decision led the Sena legislators to the well and the NCP and Congress were also supporting them. Amidst this, Sena legislator Anil Parab moved a motion on Thursday for expulsion of Paricharak from the Upper House for his controversial statement. Mr Nimbalkar said, he thinks that Parabs proposal cannot be accepted but the group leaders should take a decision over it. Adjourning the House, Mr Nimbalkar left and transport minister Diwakar Raote vented out his anger over him. Sources said that Mr Raote had later met the chairman, Mr. Nimbalkar, in his chamber and sought an apology from him. Speaking with the reporters at Vidhan Bhavan, leader of the Upper House and revenue minister Chandrakant Patil said that due to chaos in the house, the Opposition members couldn't understand what the chairman had read out over this issue, which led to confusion among the members and that the group leaders of all parties would take the decision regarding Mr Paricharak. BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Openbravo, the global cloud-based omnichannel platform vendor for agile and innovative retailing, today announced its results for the full year ending December 31, 2018. Openbravo experienced exceptional business momentum during 2018 with a stunning +70% annual growth in its retail software subscription bookings. Strong growth driven by Openbravo Cloud Openbravo achieved solid growth across all revenue lines, led principally by its main client group of mid-sized and larger specialty retailers as well as the market traction that the Openbravo Cloud offering has generated with new and existing customers alike. Openbravo confirmed important new projects and strengthened its strategic partnerships with key long-time clients like Decathlon and Cirque du Soleil. The year has been also very positive in terms of new customer wins including iconic new names such as Toys "R" Us, which selected Openbravo for its revamp of its 61 stores in Spain & Portugal. Another good example is Groupe Rand of France which selected Openbravo to replace Columbus, its legacy system, with the aim of improving the customer experience across its 43 stores in France, Spain and Italy for its renowned brands Lollipops and Balabooste. Growing interest from large retailers running SAP Openbravo also detected growing and strong interest in its retail solution from large retailers running SAP enterprise software, specially after achieving the official certified integration of the Openbravo Commerce Suite with SAP Applications. The integration of the two platforms allows larger retailers to continue to use SAP as their back-office system while enjoying the benefits of Openbravo's best-of-breed retail platform, which provides comprehensive end-to-end mobile-enabled and cloud-ready omnichannel capabilities for retailers seeking faster innovation and greater business agility. Acceleration of the international expansion 2018 was also important for international growth of the company with two new office openings. First, in June Openbravo inaugurated an office in Lille, France, led by a highly experienced team that came from Cylande and Raymark. Their objective is to reinforce Openbravo's position in the French market and facilitate the expansion into Northern European countries. Second, in September Openbravo opened an office in Dubai, UAE, to support company growth in the Middle East and offer enhanced service to existing retail customers in the region - like Sharaf DG and Organic Foods & Cafe - which are already using Openbravo's omnichannel solution. "This excellent 2018 consolidates our positioning and illustrates our determination to become a market leader in the retail software space. The completeness and flexibility of our omnichannel platform give us a tremendous competitive advantage over other software vendors and thanks to new functional enhancements, such as the certified integration with SAP, we are becoming more and more the preferred option for larger companies to transform their retail operations. Openbravo Cloud is key to our future as it enables us to continue to accelerate sales and so achieve significantly more revenue and profits, and is instrumental in keeping client satisfaction high." said Marco de Vries, CEO of Openbravo. And in 2019 In addition to building on the strong results in 2018, company focus for the current year will be on maintaining exceptional client satisfaction and putting more emphasis on accelerating growth, both by continuing to win new names in existing markets as well as with selective office openings to further support its increasingly global business footprint. About Openbravo Openbravo is a global omnichannel platform vendor for agile and innovative retailing. The Openbravo Commerce Cloud is a cloud-based omnichannel platform providing comprehensive omnichannel capabilities. It is built on a highly flexible, mobile-enabled technology platform, which allows retailers to innovate more and faster, and to manage change more efficiently. With customers in more than 60 countries and over 16,000 back-office users and 25,000 points of sale currently using its solutions, Openbravo offers the most flexible omnichannel platform on the market. Openbravo has offices in France, Dubai, India, Mexico, and Spain. Visit www.openbravo.com to learn more. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/703504/Openbravo_Logo.jpg) Contact: Xavier Places Marketing Director +34 607 676 568 xavier.places@openbravo.com Investor Information Zurich, February 28, 2019; 6:45 a.m. CET Annual General Meeting on April 10, 2019 Sunrise Communications Group AG issues today the invitation to the upcoming Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of Sunrise Communications Group (the "AGM") on April 10, 2019 on behalf of the Board of Directors. The AGM will be held on April 10, 2019 at 10.30 am at Lake Side, Bellerivestrasse 170, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland. On or about March 18, 2019, the invitation to the AGM, together with the agenda items and proposals by the Board of Directors, will be sent to the shareholders registered in the share register. No entries will be made to the share register between April 5, 2019 at 17.00, and April 10, 2019. Holders of registered shares who sell their shares before the AGM are no longer eligible to vote. The invitation with the agenda items and proposals will also be published in the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce (Schweizerisches Handelsamtsblatt) on or about March 18, 2019 and is available, together with the Company's Annual Report, under the following links: https://www.sunrise.ch/en/corporate-communications/investor-relations/AGM.html (https://www.sunrise.ch/en/corporate-communications/investor-relations/AGM.html) https://www.sunrise.ch/content/dam/sunrise/corporate/documents/ir-agm/Sunrise_Annual_Report_2018.pdf (https://www.sunrise.ch/content/dam/sunrise/corporate/documents/ir-agm/Sunrise_Annual_Report_2018.pdf) Members of the Board of Directors The Board of Directors will propose to the AGM, the re-election of all members of the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board of Directors as well as the members and the Chairman of the Nomination and Compensation Committee. The Board of Directors proposes the election of Ingo Arnold as new member of the Board of Directors. Ingo Arnold shall replace Joachim Preisig, who resigned from the Board of Directors effective as of December 31, 2018 (see press release dated October 11, 2018) as representative of freenet AG in the Board of Directors of Sunrise Communications Group AG. The following is a short CV of Ingo Arnold: After studying business administration, Ingo Arnold began his professional career in the treasury division of Henkel KGaA in Dusseldorf. There he gained over 10 years of experience in various financial functions. After three years as Head of Treasury at Veba Oil & Gas, he joined debitel AG in the telecommunications sector in 2001. From 2008, he worked for freenet AG as Head of Finance & Investor Relations. Since 1 January 2019, Ingo Arnold is the CFO of freenet AG. Sunrise Uwe Schiller Senior Vice President Investor Relations P.O. Box CH-8050 Zurich investor.relations@sunrise.net www.sunrise.ch/ir (http://www.sunrise.ch/ir) Phone: +41 58 777 96 86 About Sunrise Sunrise Communications Group AG (Sunrise) is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich and is the leading challenger in the Swiss telecommunications market. Sunrise is the largest non state-controlled telecommunications company in Switzerland, offering its mobile, Internet, TV and landline services to private and business customers. Sunrise is headquartered in Zurich and had a total of 1,671 employees (full-time equivalents) as well as more than 140 apprentices allocated to diverse business locations across the entire country as of December 31, 2018. For more information regarding Sunrise, please visit: www.sunrise.ch (http://www.sunrise.ch/) Disclaimer The information contained in this media release has not been independently verified and no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made as to, and no reliance should be placed on, the fairness, accuracy, completeness, reasonableness or correctness of the information or opinions contained herein. None of Sunrise Communications Group AG, its subsidiaries or any of their respective employees, advisers, representatives or affiliates shall have any liability whatsoever (in negligence or otherwise) for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this document or its contents or otherwise arising in connection with this media release. The information contained in this media release is provided as at the date of this media release and is subject to change without notice. Statements made in this media release may include forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by the fact that they use words such as "anticipate", "estimate", "should", "expect", "guidance", "project", "intend", "plan", "believe", and/or other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with, among other things, any discussion of results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies or developments in the industry in which we operate. Such statements are based on management's current intentions, expectations or beliefs and involve inherent risks, assumptions and uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change any of them. Forward-looking statements contained in this media release regarding trends or current activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. Actual outcomes, results and other future events may differ materially from those expressed or implied by the statements contained herein. Such differences may adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described herein and may result from, among other things, changes in economic, business, competitive, technological, strategic or regulatory factors and other factors affecting the business and operations of the company. Neither Sunrise Communications Group AG nor any of its affiliates is under any obligation, and each such entity expressly disclaims any such obligation, to update, revise or amend any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this media release. It should be noted that past performance is not a guide to future performance. Please also note that interim results are not necessarily indicative of full-year results. Studies Demonstrate Ipsen's Ongoing Commitment to Innovation and Improving Patient Care in Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs) Regulatory News: Ipsen (Euronext: IPN; ADR: IPSEY)today announced that they are looking forward to revealing 17 presentations that detail their research into neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) at the 16th European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) Annual Conference, which is taking place in Barcelona, Spain between 6th-8th March 2019. One of the key presentations, titled (Abstract H14 'Development of a new and improved delivery system for lanreotide autogel/depot to further enhance care for patients with NETs and acromegaly', reports results from five separate, but complementary studies designed to inform and test enhancements to the existing Somatuline Autogel (lanreotide) pre-filled syringe.1 Input from patients and their caregivers, as well as nurses and other healthcare professionals, was used to design a new pre-filled syringe1 that was submitted to the European Union as a type II variation via a work-sharing procedure with HPRA (Ireland) as the reference country.Following a positive outcome of the work-sharing procedure, each member state would consider a national approval.Notable new features are modified ergonomics and handling, a needle shield removal system, an injection process with plunger support and heightened ease of use.1 "It is our mission to ensure patients continue to receive optimized care as they navigate the challenges of living with NETs and acromegaly," said Sotirios Stergiopoulos, Chief Medical Officer at Ipsen. "The data we are sharing at this year's ENETS conference underscores our commitment to understanding the patient experience and to supporting a multidisciplinary treatment approach to make treatment administration as simple as possible whether in hospital or at home." "For nurses and other healthcare practitioners treating patients with NETs or acromegaly, the value of innovation across the entire treatment landscape supports our ability to provide the best care for our patients," said Daphne T Adelman, Clinical Nurse Specialist from Northwestern University in Chicago, U.S. and one of the authors of the study. "As a nurse who administers treatments to patients often, efficient pre-filled syringes allow me to save time and focus on patients and their needs." Also, being highlighted are results from: (Abstract H18) Tumour growth rate (TGR) to monitor growth/predict response to lanreotide autogel (LAN) use before, during and after peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) in advanced gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs): data from PRELUDE This abstract has been selected for a poster walk during ENETS' scientific program and will report effectiveness data and post-hoc analyses of tumor growth rate (TGR) as a measure of response to LAN-PRRT (lanreotide autogel peptide receptor radionuclide therapy). (Abstract M03) ATLANT, phase 2 study combination trial between long acting somatostatin analogue (SSA) lanreotide (LAN) and temozolomide (TMZ) in progressive thoracic (lung thymus) well differentiated NET (carcinoid) (TNETS) (Abstract F22) Exploratory assessment of the clinical value of baseline (BL) circulating tumour cells (CTC) to predict symptomatic response in pts with functioning midgut neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) receiving lanreotide autogel (LAN): CALM-NET study results In addition to these posters, Ipsen will share data from the following 13 company sponsored or supported studies and literature reviews: (Abstract H17) Safety and Efficacy of 14-Day Dosing Interval of Lanreotide Autogel/Depot (LAN) For Patients With Pancreatic or Midgut Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs) Progressing on LAN Every 28 Days: The Prospective, Open-label, International, Phase 2 CLARINET FORTE Study (Abstract P04) Lanreotide autogel 120mg (LAN) in patients (pts) with locally advanced or metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP-NETs): prospective observational NETways study (Abstract D13) Satisfaction Survey of Administration Modes for Long-Acting (LA) Somatostatin Analog (SSA) Therapy in Patients (pts) with Neuroendocrine Tumuors (NETs): Results of Cognitive Interviews With Patients and Nurses (Abstract J15) The Effect of Carcinoid Syndrome Diarrhea (CSD) Interventions on Patient Experience Outcomes: a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) (Abstract J08) Differential Diagnosis (DDx) of Carcinoid Syndrome Diarrhea (CSD): a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) (Abstract H25) Evaluation of the use of resources and costs associated with Uncontrolled or Controlled Carcinoid Syndrome (CS) in patients (pts) with Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs) in Spain: RECOSY study (Abstract F10) Relationship between biomarkers and number of liver metastases at the time of diagnosis of small intestinal neuroendocrine tumors (Abstract A11) Evaluation of gene expression changes associated with response to somatostatin analogues (SSAs) in gastrointestinal (GI) neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) (Abstract J07) Long-term Treatment with Telotristat Ethyl (TE) in Patients with Carcinoid Syndrome (CS) Symptoms: Results from TELEPATH Study (Abstract P05) TELEFIRST: A randomized phase III clinical trial of Lanreotide (LAN) combined with Telotristat ethyl (TE) or placebo (PBO) for the First-line treatment in patients (pts) with advanced well-differentiated (wd) small intestinal neuroendocrine tumours (siNET) with highly-functioning carcinoid syndrome (CS) (Abstract K30) OPS-C-001: A Phase I/II Study To Investigate Safety, Tolerability, Biodistribution, Dosimetry and Preliminary Efficacy of 177Lu-OPS201 for the Therapy of Somatostatin Receptor (SSTR)-Positive Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs) (Abstract P08) Study to evaluate the optimal dose of 68Ga-OPS202 as a PET imaging agent in patients with GEP-NETs (Abstract D33) Establishment of a NET data base in a German tertiary referral center; preliminary results About SOMATULINE2 Somatuline Autogel is made of the active substance lanreotide, which is a long-acting somatostatin analogue that inhibits the secretion of growth hormone and certain hormones secreted by the digestive system. The main indications of Somatuline and Somatuline Autogel are:2 The treatment of individuals with acromegaly when the circulating levels of Growth Hormone (GH) and/or Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) remain abnormal after surgery and/or radiotherapy, or in patients who otherwise require medical treatment. The treatment of grade 1 and a subset of grade 2 (Ki-67 index up to 10%) gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) of midgut, pancreatic or unknown origin where hindgut sites of origin have been excluded, in adult patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic disease. The treatment of symptoms associated with neuroendocrine (particularly carcinoid) tumors. Important Safety Information The detailed recommendations for the use of Somatuline Autogel are described in the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC), available here About XERMELO3 Xermelo is a novel, orally administered, inhibitor of the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH). Through inhibition of TPH, the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of serotonin, Xermelo was designed to reduce the production of serotonin within neuroendocrine tumors. Xermelo (telotristat ethyl) is commercialized by Ipsen in all territories excluding the United States and Japan, where Lexicon retains the rights. Lexicon has approval for Xermelo in the U.S. as a first and only orally administered therapy for the treatment of carcinoid syndrome diarrhea in combination with somatostatin analog (SSA) therapy in adults inadequately controlled by SSA therapy. Xermelois approved in Europe for the treatment of carcinoid syndrome diarrhea in patients inadequately controlled by somatostatin analogue therapy. Important Safety Information The detailed recommendations for the use of Xermelo are described in the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC), available here References 1 Data on File. ENETS '19 2 Somatuline Autogel SmPC. November 2018 3 Xermelo SmPC. January 2019 About Ipsen Ipsen is a global specialty-driven biopharmaceutical group focused on innovation and Specialty Care. The group develops and commercializes innovative medicines in three key therapeutic areas Oncology, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases. Its commitment to Oncology is exemplified through its growing portfolio of key therapies for prostate cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, renal cell carcinoma and pancreatic cancer. Ipsen also has a well-established Consumer Healthcare business. With total sales over 2.2billion in 2018, Ipsen sells more than 20 drugs in over 115 countries, with a direct commercial presence in more than 30 countries. Ipsen's R&D is focused on its innovative and differentiated technological platforms located in the heart of the leading biotechnological and life sciences hubs (Paris-Saclay, France; Oxford, UK; Cambridge, US). The Group has about 5,700 employees worldwide. Ipsen is listed in Paris (Euronext: IPN) and in the United States through a Sponsored Level I American Depositary Receipt program (ADR: IPSEY). For more information on Ipsen, visit www.ipsen.com. Forward Looking Statement The forward-looking statements, objectives and targets contained herein are based on the Group's management strategy, current views and assumptions. Such statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those anticipated herein. All of the above risks could affect the Group's future ability to achieve its financial targets, which were set assuming reasonable macroeconomic conditions based on the information available today. Use of the words "believes", "anticipates" and "expects" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, including the Group's expectations regarding future events, including regulatory filings and determinations. Moreover, the targets described in this document were prepared without taking into account external growth assumptions and potential future acquisitions, which may alter these parameters. These objectives are based on data and assumptions regarded as reasonable by the Group. These targets depend on conditions or facts likely to happen in the future, and not exclusively on historical data. Actual results may depart significantly from these targets given the occurrence of certain risks and uncertainties, notably the fact that a promising product in early development phase or clinical trial may end up never being launched on the market or reaching its commercial targets, notably for regulatory or competition reasons. The Group must face or might face competition from generic products that might translate into a loss of market share. Furthermore, the Research and Development process involves several stages each of which involves the substantial risk that the Group may fail to achieve its objectives and be forced to abandon its efforts with regards to a product in which it has invested significant sums. Therefore, the Group cannot be certain that favourable results obtained during pre-clinical trials will be confirmed subsequently during clinical trials, or that the results of clinical trials will be sufficient to demonstrate the safe and effective nature of the product concerned. There can be no guarantees a product will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that the product will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Other risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the Group's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the Group's patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions. The Group also depends on third parties to develop and market some of its products which could potentially generate substantial royalties; these partners could behave in such ways which could cause damage to the Group's activities and financial results. The Group cannot be certain that its partners will fulfil their obligations. It might be unable to obtain any benefit from those agreements. A default by any of the Group's partners could generate lower revenues than expected. Such situations could have a negative impact on the Group's business, financial position or performance. The Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements, targets or estimates contained in this press release to reflect any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which any such statements are based, unless so required by applicable law. The Group's business is subject to the risk factors outlined in its registration documents filed with the French Autorite des Marches Financiers. The risks and uncertainties set out are not exhaustive and the reader is advised to refer to the Group's 2017 Registration Document available on its website (www.ipsen.com). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190227005838/en/ Contacts: For further information Media Christian Marcoux Senior Vice President, Corporate Global Communications +33 (0) 1 58 33 67 94 Christian.marcoux@ipsen.com Kelly Blaney Corporate Communications +44(0)7903 402275 Kelly.blaney.ext@ipsen.com Financial Community Eugenia Litz Vice President, Investor Relations +44 (0) 1753 627721 eugenia.litz@ipsen.com Myriam Koutchinsky Investor Relations Manager +33 (0)1 58 33 51 04 myriam.koutchinsky@ipsen.com Regulatory News: Ontex Group NV, a leading international provider of personal hygiene solutions, with expertise in baby care, feminine care and adult care, will release its results for the three and twelve months ended 31 December 2018 at 6:00 am GMT 7:00 am CET on Friday, 8 March 2019. The press release and presentation announcement will be available on the Company's website: http://www.ontexglobal.com/financial-reports. Management will host a conference call for investors and analysts on Friday, 8 March 2019 at 8:00 am GMT 9:00 am CET. A replay of the conference call will also be available for one week afterwards, please see dial-in information below. Notice of Investor Update Ontex also announces that it will hold an Investor Update event together with its Q1 2019 Trading Update on Wednesday, 8 May 2019 in London. The event will be hosted by members of the Ontex management team and will provide an update on Ontex's strategy and its implementation, leveraging the outcome of the comprehensive review of its business underway. Ontex invites financial analysts and institutional investors to save the date. A formal invitation with full details will be sent out in advance of the event. To register your interest in attending the event, please send an email to investorrelations@ontexglobal.com. Dial-in information for FY 2018 results conference call Please dial in 5-10 minutes before the scheduled start time to register your attendance. Dial-in numbers for the call are as follows: United Kingdom +44 (0)330 336 9411 United States +1 323 994 2093 Belgium +32 (0)2 400 6926 France +33 (0)1 76 77 22 57 Germany +49 (0)69 2222 2018 Passcode: 5363865 Replay numbers United Kingdom +44 (0)207 660 0134 United States +1 719 457 0820 Belgium +32 (0)2 620 0568 France +33 (0)1 70 48 00 94 Germany +49 (0)69 2000 1800 Passcode: 5363865 About Ontex Ontex is a leading international provider of personal hygiene solutions, with expertise in baby care, feminine care and adult care. Ontex's innovative products are distributed in more than 110 countries through Ontex brands such as BBTips, BioBaby, Pompom, Bigfral, Canbebe, Canped, ID and Serenity, as well as leading retailer brands. Employing 11,000 passionate people all over the world, Ontex has a presence in 21 countries, with its headquarters in Aalst, Belgium. Ontex is part of the Bel20 and STOXX Europe 600. To keep up with the latest news, visit www.ontexglobal.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190227006060/en/ Contacts: PRESS ENQUIRIES Gaelle Vilatte +32 53 333 708 gaelle.vilatte@ontexglobal.com INVESTOR ENQUIRIES Philip Ludwig +32 53 333 730 investorrelations@ontexglobal.com OSLO, Norway, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- FY 2018 EBITDA USD 45.3 million . . FY 2018 net loss USD -1.6 million . . Equity ratio 63.6% as of 31 December 2018. Q4 and twelve-month 2018 results: MPC Container Ships ASA ("MPCC" or the "Company", together with its subsidiaries the "Group") today published its unaudited financial report for the twelve-month period ended 31 December 2018. The Group reports a net loss of USD -1.6 million for Q1 - Q4 2018. Total revenue was USD 52.5 million in Q4 2018 (Q3 2018: USD 55.8 million ). For FY 2018, total revenue was USD 183.5 million . in Q4 2018 (Q3 2018: ). For FY 2018, total revenue was . EBITDA was USD 9.5 million in Q4 2018 (Q3 2018: USD 14.6 million ). For FY 2018, EBITDA was USD 45.3 million . in Q4 2018 (Q3 2018: ). For FY 2018, EBITDA was . Average time charter equivalent ("TCE") was USD 9,991 per day in Q4 2018 (Q3 2018: USD 10,230 per day) and USD 9,911 per day for FY 2018. per day in Q4 2018 (Q3 2018: per day) and per day for FY 2018. Cash and cash equivalents stood at USD 60.2 million as of 31 December 2018 . As of the same date, the Group has an equity ratio of 63.6% and a leverage ratio of 34.3%. As of 31 December 2018, the Group has acquired and taken over 69 container vessels, whereof 61 are fully owned and 8 are operated in a joint venture. CEO Constantin Baack comments in relation to the announcement: "In 2018, MPC Container Ships grew and stabilised operations to become one of the world's largest owners of feeder container vessels. We assumed ownership of an additional 40 vessels, propelling the fleet to 69 ships, and listed the Company on the Mainboard of the Oslo Stock Exchange. On the back of improved charter markets, revenues developed favourably in Q1 - Q3 2018. Contrarily, global trade tensions and political uncertainties led to a shift in sentiment in Q4 and earnings were affected by challenging shipping markets. Due to this and the Company's rapid ramp-up and expansion of operations, MPCC reports a net loss for FY 2018. Adjusting for non-recurring expenses would yield a balanced result. Despite the geopolitical environment and charter markets having proven difficult also into 2019, we foresee upticks in demand growth paired with limited supply growth for smaller vessel segments, in sum pointing towards a market rebalancing. In addition, IMO 2020 implications (e.g. scrubber retrofits, tank cleanings and slow steaming) and accelerated vessel demolition activity should curb supply growth even further. Going forward, MPCC will maintain a low cash break-even, prudent leverage profile and capital allocation (e.g. share buy-back programme as outlined below). As such, MPCC is positioned to benefit from expected market improvements whilst we ensure manoeuvrability under current conditions" Q4 and twelve-month 2018 earnings call: The Company will host a webcast for the presentation of the Q4 and twelve-month 2018 results commencing on 28 February 2019 at 15:00 hours CET. The presentation will be made available on the Company's webpage (www.mpc-container.com/IR) from 12:00 hours CET. There will be a Q&A session after the presentation. The webcast can be accessed through the following link: https://digital.vevent.com/index.jsp?eid=8329&seid=22 Please note that for optimal viewing, it is recommended not to use VPN, but instead to connect directly to the internet. Please disable pop-up blockers in order to view the content in its entirety. This event is being streamed. It is recommended that you listen via your computer speakers. International/Toll Attendee Dial In: +44(0)2071928000 Conference ID: 2978965 Initiation of share buy-back programme: Pursuant to the authority for the Company's Board of Directors to acquire shares in the Company, as granted by an extraordinary general meeting on 17 January 2019, the Board of Directors has resolved to initiate a share buy-back programme. The share buy-back programme comprises up to 8,425,300 common shares, representing up to 10% of the Company's share capital. When acquiring own shares the consideration per share may not exceed NOK 200, and shall in no event exceed the price of the last independent trade or the highest current independent bid at the Oslo Stock Exchange on the relevant trading day. The number of shares acquired per day shall not exceed 8,594, representing 25% of the average daily trading volume in January 2019 (excluding reported trades not matched via the stock exchange's electronic order book) of 34,376 shares. Any acquired shares may for example be used as consideration in acquisitions or other transactions. The Board of Directors determines the methods by which the Company's shares can be acquired or disposed of. Any repurchased shares will be held as treasury shares. The buy-back programme will commence today and will continue until the Company's next annual general meeting, scheduled for 25 April 2019. Any transactions in own shares will be continuously and promptly disclosed through the Oslo Stock Exchange and on the Company's webpage. The above information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Further information and contact: ir@mpc-container.com About MPC Container Ships ASA: MPC Container Ships ASA (ticker code "MPCC") was formed in April 2017. Its main activity is to own and operate a portfolio of container ships with a focus on the feeder segment between 1,000 and 3,000 TEU. The Company is registered and has its business office in Oslo, Norway. For more information, please see our webpage: www.mpc-container.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/mpc-container-ships-asa/r/mpc-container-ships-asa-reports-q4-and-twelve-month-2018-results-and-announces-initiation-of-share-b,c2752461 The following files are available for download: VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Weekend Unlimited Inc. ("Weekend" or the "Company") (CSE: POT) (CSE: POT.CN) (FSE: 0OS1) (OTCQB: WKULF) is pleased to announce the following executive appointments, Mr. Ese Roberts, Director of Operations, and Mr. Clint Pyatt, Director of Revenue Generation. "The Company is advancing quickly as it integrates the teams, infrastructure, production, overall product mix and development from its strategic acquisitions. It is imperative that we have strong leadership for operations and revenue generation. Ese and Clint bring a wealth of experience that will be focused upon productization, sales and operations," said Mr. Paul Chu, Weekend President and CEO. Mr. Ese Roberts, a first-generation Samoan-American entrepreneur. He the owner of a California State license as an engineering contractor who has extensive experience with both cultivators and extractors in the cannabis and hemp space. This includes property acquisition, preliminary design, permitting and final tenant improvements required for issuance of cannabis CUP and certificate of occupancy. Ese's experience in the cannabis and hemp industry also includes the following roles, CEO of 333 Custom Spectrum Inc (Los Angeles permitted hemp extractor/manufacturer), the Secretary/General Mgr. for High Desert Group Inc. (a Type 6 licensed CA cannabis extractor/manufacturer) and the President of Canna Candy's, a THC / CBD infused edible candy brand in the Weekend family of brands. Mr. Clint Pyatt, Director of Revenue Generation, has over 8 years working in the cannabis and hemp markets. His experience includes the design, development and implementation of manufacturing, extraction and proprietary delivery methods for cannabis in eight states. Clint is a USMC veteran with multiple commendations for service in Iraq, Somalia and throughout the Middle East. Mr. Pyatt's experience also includes a decade in the financial sector with a focus on mortgage backed securities. Clint has launched multiple cannabis brands in California, with extensive knowledge and experience in licensed distribution channels and revenue centers within cannabis vertical markets. "Weekend's brand portfolio is about more than products; the team we are building is essential to our strategy and achieving our goal set. We are accelerating the integration of our brands with collaborative teams coming together under the right leadership. With recent appointments of Karl Schmieder and Tom Wisniewski, and now Ese and Clint, we can manage each subsidiary and harmonize the overall Company to leverage assets, including talent, so that we can maximize brand development, production and sales in multiple markets," added Mr. Paul Chu. About Weekend Unlimited Inc. Weekend Unlimited is capitalizing on its vast industry relationships to establish a lifestyle brand featuring premium products and delivering life's highest moments. The Company aggregates and scales small to medium brands, primarily in the categories of flower, extracts and edibles. Weekend Unlimited brands have best of class operations, distribution and strong revenue trajectories, making them ideal candidates for the deployment of capital and expertise through access to technologies, infrastructure and centralized systems. Learn more at www.weekendunlimited.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking Statements Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint-ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws. Formation Group Plc - Investment in Proton Partners International Limited FORMATION GROUP PLC ('Formation' or the 'Company') Investment in Proton Partners International Limited ('PPI') Formation notes the commencement of trading today in the ordinary shares of 0.001 each in PPI (the 'PPI Shares') on the NEX Exchange Growth Market. Formation is interested in 4,347,826 PPI Shares, which the Company acquired in March 2018 at a price of 115p per PPI Share for a total cash consideration of 5.0 million. Based on today's admission price of 225p per PPI Share, Formation's interest in PPI is valued at approximately 9.78 million. The directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement. --ENDS-- Enquiries: VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- NetCents Technology Inc. ("NetCents" or the "Company") (CSE: NC) (Frankfurt: 26N) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a five-year ISO Reseller Agreement with a leading merchant service and POS terminal provider (MSP). MSP is partnered with Apple Pay and Android Pay to process transactions on Verifone and GROOVV POS systems to allow merchants to be fully EMV compliant and accept a multitude of payment options including VISA, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and Apple Pay, and now, cryptocurrency. MSP will be bundling the NetCents merchant gateway and cryptocurrency credit card program into their services to be rolled out to their merchant base. MSP is working with one of their enterprise-level merchants with the intent to introduce a white label of the NetCents cryptocurrency credit card program to the merchants network of over 100,000 users, a new milestone for the Company. This ISO agreement represents the 20th partner agreement that the Company has signed since it announced the launch of its four partner programs last August, including: Enterprise White Label, ISO Reseller, and Technology agreements. Through these signed contracts, NetCents has access to hundreds of thousands of merchants, 100's of ISO's, millions of users, and a sales force of 100's of sales agents actively selling NetCents to their merchant and user bases and the onboarding phase of these merchants and users continues. About NetCents NetCents Technology Inc, the transactional hub for all cryptocurrency payments, equips forward-thinking businesses with the technology to seamlessly integrate cryptocurrency processing into their payment model without taking on the risk or volatility of the crypto market. NetCents Technology is registered as a Money Services Business (MSB) with FINTRAC, which ensures our consumer's security and privacy. For more information, please visit the corporate website at www.net-cents.com or Investor Relations at investor@net-cents.com On Behalf of the Board of Directors NetCents Technology Inc. "Clayton Moore" Clayton Moore, CEO, Founder and Director NetCents Technology Inc. Suite 1000 - 1021 West Hastings Street Vancouver BC V6B 0C3 Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates, and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. For more information, please visit the corporate website at www.net-cents.com Investor Relations at investor@net-cents.com +1-604-676-5249 A WilsonHCG-backed project to raise awareness of air quality and smog-related issues in Poland has been named Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of the year at the CEE Business Services Awards Gala. Employees from WilsonHCG, along with staff from ten other companies and two associations, have been hosting workshops in schools in Krakow to teach youngsters about smog, the danger it poses to health, and what can be done to improve air quality. The goal of the Business vs Smog project, which started in November 2018, is to educate around 5,000 children who attend schools and kindergartens in Malopolskie province by the time the programme ends in March. PwC launched the campaign and asked organizations in the region to help. The Krakow Smog Alarm and ASPIRE Association teamed up with WilsonHCG and the following companies: Akamai, Amway, Aon, CANPACK Group, Cisco, Hitachi Vantara, Herbalife Nutrition, Jacobs (Ch2M), and Zurich Insurance Company LTD. "When we became aware of the initiative we were happy to be involved," said Anna Stewart, Centre Manager at WilsonHCG's Centre of Excellence in Krakow. "Anything that helps to raise awareness of the poor air quality here in Poland and the things that can be done to improve it should be applauded." John Wilson, CEO at WilsonHCG, added: "At WilsonHCG, we want to contribute to the communities that nurture and support us. That's why we put such a strong emphasis on giving back. The initiative being named CSR Initiative of the Year in Poland at the CEE Business Services Awards Gala is a testament to the effort all the volunteers have put in." The programme has also been given honorary patronage of the Marshal of the Malopolskie province. About WilsonHCG WilsonHCG is a multi-award winning talent solutions firm with a global footprint that spans six continents and 40 countries. We help businesses build modern workforce programs and offer a wide range of HR solutions that span talent acquisition and talent management. We're passionate about revolutionizing the way in which organizations think about talent acquisition because we believe that people are the most important aspect of any company. Better People, Better Business View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005080/en/ Contacts: Kirsty Hewitt 813-418-4479/+44 7889901517 Kirsty.Hewitt@WilsonHCG.com SHENZHEN, China, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting this week, global e-commerce platform Gearbest is scheduled to launch its upgraded branding strategies, including brand-new VI system, brand values and brand positioning. Gearbest is transitioning from an electronic-product-oriented shopping website to a comprehensive e-commerce brand targeting at a greater range of consumers. "Affordable quality, Fun shopping" In order to provide a smooth and consistent experience for consumers, the Gearbest team spent 4 months updating all existing elements. Gearbest's logo has been adjusted from a typical electronic style to a much more e-commerce marketplace style to match a wider range of consumers as well as more global suppliers and brands. The transformation represents the initiation of a more inclusive and comprehensive brand concept. Gearbest picked black and bright yellow to represent a dual identity of a professional, quality shopping website as well as an energetic and fun place to experience. Along with the logo, the icon can be imagined as a smiley face to represent the happiness that Gearbest is devoted to providing via shopping. "We spent 4 months working on this grand upgrade from sending questionnaires to consumers to comparing hundreds of logos and proposals. This is really big for us, and for Gearbest," Director of UED center Thor Zhao said. According to the Branding director Lilac Luo, Gearbest is determined to convey happiness to global consumers and now regards it as the eventual brand mission. Meanwhile, as Gearbest's global scale grows, it starts to apply precise marketing to its global business by concentrating its premium resources in key target market while capitalizing the radiating effect on neighbor countries. Closed-loop supply chain "VI is the perfect breakthrough point to transform the image, strategies and brand philosophy. We completed our closed-loop supply chain by building up a management and control system on purchase, storage, sale, and delivery, which will be crucial and a strong support for branding in the future," Mrs Luo said. On top of the all-around brand upgrade, Gearbest will kick off its 5th brand anniversary campaign in March to fully apply and promote the new image, while at the same time create its first-ever shopping festivals to build up the marketing calendar. Needless to say, there will be more transformation and market decisions for Gearbest to be expected this year. About Gearbest Founded in 2014, GearBest is a leading global e-commerce platform that is committed to providing Affordable, Quality and Fun shopping experience and happiness for global consumers. Five years of growth and development enabled Gearbest to have close partnership with world-famous brands, having a wide selection of products and over one thousand new arrivals on a daily basis. In 2018, Gearbest was ranked 22th in Top 50 Chinese Export Global Brand Builders by BrandZ, the world's largest brand equity database. Website: www.gearbest.com Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBsMRQnz-DY Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/828251/Gearbest.jpg Reacting to the India-Pakistan conflict, he said that war will be damaging for the nation and take it back on all levels. Mumbai: Under fire for his comments indicating that Pulwama terror attack was stage managed, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday said that war could never be the solution to any issue. Reacting to the India-Pakistan conflict, he said that war will be damaging for the nation and take it back on all levels. Mr Thackeray was under fire on social media when he indicated that the Pulwama attack could be a conspiracy by the Modi government and said that NSA Ajit Doval should be interrogated to know the truth behind the Pulwama attack. Addressing a public rally at Kolhapur, Mr Thackeray last Sunday alleged that the martyrs (CRPF jawans) of the Pulwama attacks were political victims. He also demanded that a thorough probe of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval be conducted to bring out the reality behind the attack. In letter on Thursday, he said that Pakistan PM Imran Khan had offered dialogue to resolve all issues including the Pulwama attack. Similar efforts had been made by former Prime Minister Mr Vajpayee and former Pakistan chief Pervez Musharraf during their regimes. Vajpayee had started a bus service Sada-e-Sarhad for Lahore and the Samjhauta Express. However, the dialogue had not reached its conclusion. The letter further stated that if Pakistan immediately freed the captured IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman and ordered a ceasefire, only then it could be said that Mr Khans intentions were pure and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not drop Pakistan PMs offer for talks. Two Million Euros in Scholarship Funds to Boost Young Innovators from Norway and Africa MADRID, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- IE Foundation is pleased to announce that Kistefos AS, thanks to the generosity of its owner Christen Sveaas, has pledged more than two million euros to create the IE Kistefos Young Talented Leaders Scholarships Program. The program will enable young talent from Norway and Africa with a vision for business and innovation to study at IE University. Over four years, the program will grant a total of 46 scholarships to candidates in Norway, South Africa, Liberia, and Ethiopia. The Fellowships for Leading Norwegian Talent will include two scholarships for undergraduate studies and 20 scholarships for pre-experience masters and the Fellowships for Leading Africa Talent will include 24 scholarships for pre-experience masters for candidates. All scholarships will cover up to 100% of tuition fees including living expenses and travel arrangements for the master programs. Scholarship candidates must demonstrate academic and personal excellence, strong leadership capabilities, an entrepreneurial mindset, and a commitment to impacting their home countries upon graduation. With this recent gift and creation of the Kistefos Young Talented Leaders Scholarships Program for undergraduate and master studies at IE University, Kistefos AS continues its support of young talent, specifically in the company's home country of Norway and on the African continent. In the past decade, the investment company, has established programs focused on public service in coordination with other academic institutions such as the Kistefos Public Service Fellowship at Harvard Kennedy School and the Kistefos St. Gallen Masterclass Scholarship. Through this new partnership with IE University, Kistefos AS continues that tradition of empowering young talent to make a difference, now by nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators. "For IE Foundation, this major gift is a testament to both the generosity of Norwegian entrepreneur and philanthropist Mr. Sveaas and our desire at IE to ensure that all students have access to a transformative university experience that will help them forge their own paths and help bring about change for the better," said Santiago Iniguez, President of IE University. For the past five years, IE has awarded approximately 15 million euros per year in scholarships to more than a total of 6,000 students from +150 countries. The IE "Talent without Borders" scholarships program, of which the Kistefos Young Talented Leader Scholarships Program is the latest donor, aims to provide a wide range of scholarships and grants to individuals from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. "Africa's young population will soon become tomorrow's leaders and in the coming years no other region in the world will have such high demand for management education which will drive sustained economic growth and innovation," said Christen Sveaas. "These scholarships will help students from Ethiopia, Liberia, and South Africa develop the skills in technology, business and development which will enable them to have meaningful impact in their countries upon graduation." "The scholarship fund sets out to attract Norwegian students who demonstrate high potential yet lack the financial resources that make an international education possible. These scholarships aim to develop socially responsible leaders who will innovate and advance Norway's business sector through innovative entrepreneurial initiatives," said Bengt A. Rem, CEO of Kistefos AS. About IE University IE University offers a technology-based learning ecosystem for leaders making a difference in the world through innovation, global vision, an entrepreneurial mindset and a Humanities-based approach. IE's faculty includes more than 500 professors who teach degree and master's programs, doctorates and executive training to students from 131 countries. About Kistefos AS Kistefos is a private investment company wholly-owned by Christen Sveaas, with a portfolio that includes Norwegian and foreign companies within the segments offshore, shipping, financial services, telecommunications, real estate as well as financial investments. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/825718/IE_University.jpg) Contact Kerry Parke Associate Director of Communications, IE University kerry.parke@ie.edu +34-915-689-850 LONDON, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In recent weeks, Australian coal cargoes have been facing increasing delays clearing customs at Chinese ports. Most recently, it was reported that Dalian Port, in North China, has banned Australian coal from being received. This Insight aims to explain the possible impact of such policies, which are making Australian coal less viable for Chinese consumers. A weaker Chinese market makes this more feasible Chinese coal imports have increased by a CAGR of 11% since 2015, considerably stronger than underlying demand growth of 1% per year. During this period there has been major consolidation of the country's coal mining industry that resulted in a 9% drop in coal production in 2016 and limited supply growth in 2017. This consolidation is viewed as successful, as profitability of the coal industry has improved; however, higher imports are an undesirable, albeit very predictable, outcome from supply-side reform and now market conditions are such that policy makers feel able to do something about rising imports. While CRU estimate the Chinese coal industry remains profitable, margins are falling and are at their lowest since restructuring began. Coal demand, particularly in coastal China, fell significantly towards the end of 2018 as Chinese industrial activity deteriorated. At the same time, Chinese coal supply has gradually improved in recent quarters as the pace of capacity closures has slowed and incremental capacity has been expedited in order to bring down fuel costs. Coal production has risen by 5% y/y in recent months, while demand growth has slowed and most Chinese consumers have plenty of stock to use. Both parties will be affected Despite the fairly weak market in China, domestic thermal and coking coal prices have risen in response to this development, albeit slightly. In the last three years, Australian coal has accounted for 30% of total Chinese coal imports but CRU estimate that Australian met. coal accounts for 80% of met. coal imports on the coast (i.e. excluding inland imports from Mongolia). Australian thermal coal accounts for 20% of Chinese thermal coal imports, but the relatively high energy content of these tonnes means that Australian coal has accounted for 30% of energy imported in coal. Read the full story: https://www.crugroup.com/knowledge-and-insights/insights/2019/china-discourages-australian-coal-imports/ Read more about CRU: http://bit.ly/About_CRU About CRU CRU offers unrivalled business intelligence on the global metals, mining and fertilizer industries through market analysis, price assessments, consultancy and events. Since our foundation by Robert Perlman in 1969, we have consistently invested in primary research and robust methodologies, and developed expert teams in key locations worldwide, including in hard-to-reach markets such as China. CRU employs over 280 experts and has more than 11 offices around the world, in Europe, the Americas, China, Asia and Australia - our office in Beijing opened in 2004 and Singapore in 2018. When facing critical business decisions, you can rely on our first-hand knowledge to give you a complete view of a commodity market. And you can engage with our experts directly, for the full picture and a personalised response. CRU - big enough to deliver a high-quality service, small enough to care about all of our customers. MANCHESTER, England, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- 19.5% increase in members of staff absent from work on Monday & Tuesday compared to this time last year. Aberdeen was the city with the highest amount of staff absences (20.5% increase) was the city with the highest amount of staff absences (20.5% increase) Brighton was the city with the lowest amount of staff absences (17.5% increase) Employees turning up to work is a vital part of any business functioning properly, however, whilst most of us will be disappointed to not be enjoying the irregularly warm February weather. HR software provider, BrightHR can reveal they saw a 19.5% increase in absences logged in their system on Monday and Tuesday (25th and 26th of February) compared to this time last year. This comes after England, Scotland and Wales all experienced their hottest days in February on record, with the temperature rising to 20.1C in south-west London. The city with the highest number of staff being recorded as absent on Monday the 25th and Tuesday the 26th was Aberdeen, which saw temperatures hit highs of 17C and were close to the highest temperature of a 120-year record in Scotland, at 18.3C recording in Aboyne. The city with the lowest number of staff being recorded as absent was surprisingly, Brighton as workers weren't tempted by the pull of the warm weather and the beach to avoid work. Alistair Brown, Chief Technical Officer at BrightHR said: "At BrightHR, we advise employers that prevention is the best tactic when it comes to reducing employee absences." "Employers should ensure they have implemented an up-to-date policy, regarding employee conduct and a procedure for notifying someone when an employee is going to be absent." "Employees should ensure they give management enough notice when making holiday requests so it's not a last minute decision that can land businesses with not enough employees to function properly." "However, honesty is the best policy when it comes to employees reporting absences during the warm weather, as lying will reduce trust within the business." About BrightHR https://www.brighthr.com BrightHR is the UK's most popular HR software and support service. Their cloud-based software offers users single place to record their employees' absences, respond to annual leave requests and make shifts and rotas. Contact: Jane Pearson Group PR Specialist UKI +44(0)161-830-2400 +44(0)7966112032 jane.pearson@brighthr.com w: www.peninsulagrouplimited.com GENEVA, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --The Global Commission on Drug Policy is honored to welcome as a new member Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General Emeritus of the International Atomic Energy Agency and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who provides a wealth of experience and invaluable knowledge on public policies and multilateralism. During his career as a diplomat, international civil servant and scholar, Dr. ElBaradei became closely familiar with the work and processes of international organizations, particularly in the fields of international peace and security and international development. Dr. ElBaradei is a champion of rights and people-centered policies in the Middle East and North Africa, globally recognized for his concern with the wellbeing of communities. He brings to the Global Commission his strategic understanding of the causes of stigma and discrimination in drug policy, and his support for the achievement of sustainable development. Dr ElBaradei said, "I have seen first-hand the impact of drug policies on communities all over the world, and the impact of repression on the poorest and those most vulnerable to economic, social and cultural hardship. I look forward to working with my fellow Commissioners to help the world heal from a failed war on drugs that is running out of steam." Ruth Dreifuss, Chair of the Global Commission and former President of Switzerland, said, "We are thrilled to count Dr. ElBaradei among us. The drug policy reform movement could not hope for a better advocate from the MENA region. We are thankful for his support in opening the debate in the region, and in strengthening our global advocacy for future drug policies that do not tear the fabric of our societies." Dr. ElBaradei is the first member of the Global Commission from the Middle East and North Africa. The Global Commission on Drug Policy now comprises 24 members, including 12 former Heads of State or Government from Brazil, Chile, Colombia (2), Greece, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland, and Timor-Leste, and four Nobel prize laureates. Twitter: @globalcdp Facebook: www.facebook.com/globalcommissionondrugs Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/gcdp Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/DrugsandDemocracy1 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/828160/Arabic_GCODP_Logo.jpg An abstract from AroCell has been accepted for poster presentation on the American Association of Cancer Research 2019 (AACR 2019) held from March 29 to April 3 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The Study compares AroCell TK210 ELISA with TK-Liaison assay. The study entitled "The Assay of Thymidine Kinase 1 in Sera from Subjects with Hematological and Solid Tumors with AroCell TK 210 ELISA: Comparison with TK-Liaison Assay and its Clinical Implications" by Jagarlamudi KK et al. shows that the AroCell TK 210 ELISA has a higher sensitivity for TK1 in sera from subjects with solid tumors and a similar sensitivity and specificity to the TK-Liaison assay for hematological malignancies. This indicates that the AroCell TK210 ELISA may facilitate the application of TK1 as a biomarker for solid tumors. Furthermore, the robustness and convenience of the ELISA not only overcomes the limitations of TK-Liaison but also widens the clinical applications of TK1 in cancer management. The study included a large group of serum samples (N=273; blood donors (N=102), hematological tumors (N=51), breast cancer (N=60) and urological conditions (N=60)) analyzed for TK1 protein by TK 210 ELISA and TK1 activity by TK-Liaison assay. The full abstract is available following the link below. https://www.abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/6812/presentation/5087 For more information: Michael Brobjer, CEO Telephone: +46 AroCell is obliged to make public this information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. This information was submitted for publication through the agency of Michael Brobjer, February 28, 2019 at 10.30. About AroCell AroCell AB, +46 (0)8 121 576 90. For more information; www.arocell.com Attachment News release from Asia Pacific Singapore, 28 February 2019 Vestas has received a 214 MW order from the leading Australian utility Alinta Energy for the Yandin Wind Farm in Western Australia. Once built, the wind park will be the state's largest renewable power plant, providing affordable renewable energy to more than 200,000 homes. Located approximately 150 km north of Perth, the Yandin Wind Farm project will feature 51 V150-4.2 MW turbines with hub heights of 105 meters to maximise performance in the site's specific wind conditions. Vestas will also construct the entire project through an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) agreement. With a very competitive cost of energy, the Yandin project demonstrates Alinta's determination to make energy more affordable and sustainable for its customers. Once in operation, Yandin will also allow Alinta to reduce its use of natural gas for electricity generation, reducing its energy production costs and illustrating how renewable energy is quickly becoming the lowest-cost energy technology in Australia. Alinta will also look to Vestas to keep Yandin operating at maximum efficiency through a 25-year Active Output Management 4000 (AOM 4000) service agreement, designed to maximise uptime and ensure optimised performance of the project. The service agreement covers scheduled and unscheduled maintenance of the wind turbines, electrical and civil balance of plant. "Yandin is a key project for Vestas, Alinta and Western Australia", said Peter Cowling, Head of Vestas Australia and New Zealand. "We are more than pleased to be Alinta's partner on this project, as we can see enormous potential for wind energy in Western Australia that is perfectly suited to our industry-leading wind turbines. Our leadership position in providing complete renewable energy solutions in Australia means we have more knowledge and resources to apply to giving our customers, and by extension, Australian energy consumers, the most productive, reliable and affordable clean energy around. In this way, we will support Australia's transition towards an energy system entirely powered by renewable energy". The Yandin Wind Farm, the first wind energy project developed by Alinta, and its largest investment in renewable energy to date, will form part of the company's growing renewable energy portfolio in Australia. "Yandin will give Alinta Energy a considerable supply of affordable renewable power for our growing electricity customer base", said Ken Woolley, Alinta Energy's Executive Director of Merchant Energy, "We selected Vestas based on their years of experience, industry-leading technology, and the commitments we share around safety and generating affordable power for Australians". Commercial operations at Yandin are scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2020. For media enquiries, please contact: Rebecca Zhang rezwe@vestas.com Tel: +61 3 86987339 About Vestas Vestas is the energy industry's global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service wind turbines across the globe, and with 101 GW of wind turbines in 80 countries, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and 86 GW of wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas' more than 24,600 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future. For updated Vestas photographs and videos, please visit our media images page on: https://www.vestas.com/en/media/images . We invite you to learn more about Vestas by visiting our website at www.vestas.com and following us on our social media channels: www.twitter.com/vestas (http://www.twitter.com/vestas) (http://www.twitter.com/vestas) www.linkedin.com/company/vestas (http://www.linkedin.com/company/vestas) (http://www.linkedin.com/company/vestas) www.facebook.com/vestas (http://www.facebook.com/vestas) (http://www.facebook.com/vestas) www.instagram.com/vestas (http://www.instagram.com/vestas) (http://www.instagram.com/vestas) www.youtube.com/vestas (http://www.youtube.com/vestas) Attachment - GreatGuides.com has launched and is recruiting adventure guides worldwide - The company's goal is to be the number one source for adventure travelers to find tours with local guides SEATTLE, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- To have a great travel experience, you need a great guide. The best experiences create a personal connection between adventurers and their guide. GreatGuides.com matches adventure seekers to inspirational guides. "Guides are the foundation of delivering life changing adventures. The Great Guides concept provides tools and resources for guides to run a successful guide business AND continue to be a guide." Dan Moore, CEO Pandion Consulting & Facilitation GreatGuides' mission is to: Seamlessly connect adventure guides directly with travelers. Enable guides to build a sustainable business that supports the local community. Promote a 'leave no trace' tourism philosophy. Provide travelers with unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. GreatGuides.com is an expansion of www.GreatGuides.org . Roddy Bay, a leader in the adventure travel field, created GreatGuides.org so local experts could share insights about their communities. "The launch of GreatGuides.com is brilliant news for the guiding industry and for travellers looking for a personal, authentic destination experience. The original GreatGuides.org project, which I curated, was created by leading guides to express the passion, experience, and skills of guides in Africa. I am delighted that GreatGuides.com will take this project forward to a global audience, giving travellers a way to connect directly with inspirational people and experiences around the world." Roddy Bray The GreatGuides.com platform: Allows guides to launch sustainable, independent ventures with no upfront costs. Pairs adventure travelers to local guides with outstanding knowledge and cultural insights. Promotes ethical tourism, allowing travelers to contribute to NGOs or other charities selected by local guides. "During my sabbatical, I went trekking with a guide in a remote region of Ladakh, India. There I discovered the huge disparity between the price paid by the traveler and the earnings of the adventure guide! I wanted to build a site that would benefit guides and help them grow their business. The GreatGuides platform will help guides dictate their terms and pricing. Guides get the tools and resources to design trips and reach out to global adventure travelers." - Atma Shetty, Founder of GreatGuides GreatGuides is recruiting guides with expertise in the following areas: Adventure. Ecotourism. Hiking. Rafting. Cuisine. Culture. Are you a guide who loves to bring once-in-a-lifetime experiences to adventure travelers? Learn more about becoming a GreatGuide here . GreatGuides: GreatGuides will augment the adventure tourism industry by connecting guides directly with travelers. Our model reflects our guiding principles: Courbevoie, the 25th February 2019 ENERTIME (FR0011915339-d'alene), a leader in innovative thermodynamic solution for the transition to a CO2-free economy, announce having received, in consortium with the Thai Company ENSYS, an order for the supply of an ORC power generation system to convert waste heat into electricity from the new float glass plant of Bangkok Glass Company in Kabin Buri, Province of Prachinburi In Thailand. The project is to be carried out in 15 months for commissioning in May 2020. ENERTIME and ENSYS will then operate the ORC on behalf of the customer as part of an operation and maintenance contract. Enertime will design the overall system and supply the turbine and key components of the ORC to recover the energy wasted in the exhaust of the glass furnace. ENSYS will provide the heat recovery system and will participate to the construction of the ORC on site. The 1.8 MW ORC Project associated with a 2 MW solar plant will be implemented by BG-Ensys, a project company, subsidiary of BG Energy Solution and ENSYS that will sell the electricity produced to Bangkok glass at competitive cost. Gilles David, president and chief executive officer of ENERTIME declares: "This new contract win against strong competitors offering Steam Turbine Technology is strategic for Enertime; this is a first reference in the glass industry with an anchor customer in the Asian market, it has been won in partnership with a Thai local partner with whom Enertime intend to collaborate in the Region and it is financed on the Energy Service Company (ESCO) Model. This Project also confirm the unique competitiveness of the ORC Technology that without subsidies or feed-in tariff prevail worldwide on the industrial energy efficiency market. Considering only float glass factories, there are about 230 float glass factories in the world to equip with ORC of which only 13 are already equipped. The turbine and critical components of the ORC module will be manufactured in France in Enertime workshop in Courbevoie and in the factories of its subcontractors. ABOUT ENERTIME Created in 2008, ENERTIME designs, develops and implements Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) machines and high temperature heat pumps for industrial energy efficiency and decentralized production of renewable energy. ORC machines transform heat into electricity. Heat pumps value low temperature heat to produce heat at higher temperatures. ENERTIME is the only actor in the world offering ORC machines and a portfolio of other technologies in the field of thermodynamics applied to the energy transition. For ORC Technology it is one of the four major global players and the only French Company mastering this technology of high-power machines (1 MW and more). The Company is called "Innovative Company" by Bpifrance and is recognized as " French creative Industry". ENERTIME is listed on the Euronext Growth market (ISIN: FR0011915339- Ticker: ALENE). More information about www.enertime.com CONTACTS ENERTIME Gilles DAVID - President and CEO Tel. +33 1 75 43 15 40 gilles . david (at) enertime.com ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Recevez gratuitement par email les prochains communiques de la societe en vous inscrivant sur www.actusnews.com Communique integral et original au format PDF:Telecharger le PDF Sponsoring international study to examine the burden of Rett syndrome on patients and caregivers, featured at Findacure's Drug Repurposing for Rare Diseases Conference in the UK Newron Pharmaceuticals S.p.A. ("Newron") (SIX: NWRN), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for patients with diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system, is pleased to support this year's Rare Disease Day. Observed today, February 28, Rare Disease Day helps to raise awareness of rare diseases, and in turn improve access to treatments. As part of its commitment to the rare disease patient community, Newron has partnered with the global Rett community in conducting the ongoing, first International Burden of Disease study. Rett syndrome is a severe neuro-developmental orphan disease with no approved treatment options and overwhelmingly affects girls starting at a very young age. Apneas are an unfortunate feature of Rett syndrome, present in approximately 70 percent of patients, and contribute significantly to other co-morbidities as well as to a reduced quality of life. The study aims to deliver data and analytics to quantify the physical, emotional and financial challenges of Rett syndrome. The results will help identify and guide improved intervention programs and services designed to complement the Rett care pathway. Newron is also strongly supportive of the role that drug repurposing can play in accelerating the development of rare disease treatments. Newron's sarizotan, a new chemical entity, which was initially studied in another indication, has since been repurposed and is currently being studied in the STARS (Sarizotan for the Treatment of Apneas in Rett Syndrome) clinical trial. Findacure, a UK charity supporting the rare disease community to drive research and develop treatments, yesterday held the Drug Repurposing for Rare Diseases Conference in London, UK. At the conference, Rachael Stevenson, CEO of Reverse Rett, and Becky Jenner, CEO of Rett UK, two leading advocates for the Rett patient community, discussed the potential for improving the lives of children and adults with Rett syndrome in the UK and also shared their experiences of their daughters who participated in Newron's STARS trial in the UK. Dr. Richard Thompson, CEO of Findacure, said, "Drug repurposing can make use of our existing knowledge about a drug and its interactions with humans to potentially accelerate the pace of drug discovery. There is an enormous unmet need, as more than 7,000 rare diseases have been identified but only 400 have an approved treatment. Effective drug repurposing can have significant potential to bring treatments to patients with little hope of ever receiving pharmaceutical intervention." "Through our commitment to the Rett community, we work with caregivers, advocacy groups, physicians and government agencies to help deliver what patients need," said Dennis Dionne, Newron Pharmaceutical's Vice President of Commercial Affairs. "We are proud to engage in a meaningful way with Rare Disease Day, and to support the advocacy organizations that are helping to improve the quality of life for patients and their families." About Rare Disease Day Rare Disease Day takes place on the last day of February each year, a month known as having a 'rare' number of days, thus on February 28, 2019. The main objective of Rare Disease Day is to raise awareness among the general public and decision-makers about rare diseases and their impact on patients' lives. The campaign targets primarily the general public and seeks to raise awareness among policy makers, public authorities, industry representatives, researchers, health professionals and anyone who has a genuine interest in rare diseases. The campaign started as a European event and has progressively become a world phenomenon, with the USA joining in 2009 and participants in over 90 countries throughout the world in both 2017 and 2018. On rarediseaseday.org you can find information about the thousands of events happening around the world on the last day of February. About Rett Syndrome Rett syndrome is a severe neuro-developmental disorder primarily affecting females, with an estimated prevalence of one in 10,000 females. There are no approved treatments available. Rett syndrome is characterized by a loss of acquired fine and gross motor skills and the development of neurological, cognitive and autonomic dysfunction, which leads to loss of ability to conduct daily life activities, walk or communicate. Rett syndrome also is associated with a reduced life expectancy. Approximately 25 percent of the deaths in patients with Rett syndrome are possibly related to multiple cardio-respiratory dysrhythmias that result from brain stem immaturity and autonomic failure. More than 95 percent of these patients have a random mutation in the MeCP2 gene. Episodes of apnea, hyperventilation and disordered breathing are found in approximately 70 percent of patients with Rett syndrome at some stage of their life. For more information on Rett syndrome, visit http://www.rettsyndrome.org. STARS Study Newron has successfully completed patient enrollment in the Sarizotan Treatment of Apneas in Rett Syndrome (STARS) study, a clinical study to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of sarizotan in patients with Rett syndrome suffering from respiratory symptoms. Among the core symptoms of Rett, breathing disturbances may affect the whole person body; they can have a marked effect on biochemistry, influence emotions, circulation and digestive function as well as musculoskeletal structures in the respiratory process. About Newron Pharmaceuticals Newron (SIX: NWRN) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for patients with diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. The company is headquartered in Bresso near Milan, Italy. Xadago (safinamide) has received marketing authorization for the treatment of Parkinson's disease in the European Union, Switzerland, the USA, Australia and Canada, and is commercialized by Newron's partner Zambon. US WorldMeds holds the commercialization rights in the USA. Meiji Seika has the rights to develop and commercialize the compound in Japan and other key Asian territories. In addition to Xadago for Parkinson's disease, Newron has a strong pipeline of promising treatments for rare disease patients at various stages of clinical development, including sarizotan for patients with Rett syndrome and ralfinamide for patients with specific rare pain indications. Newron is also developing Evenamide as the potential first add-on therapy for the treatment of patients with positive symptoms of schizophrenia. For more information, please visit: www.newron.com Important Notices This document contains forward-looking statements, including (without limitation) about (1) Newron's ability to develop and expand its business, successfully complete development of its current product candidates and current and future collaborations for the development and commercialization of its product candidates and reduce costs (including staff costs), (2) the market for drugs to treat diseases of the central nervous system and pain conditions, (3) Newron's anticipated future revenues, capital expenditures and financial resources and (4) assumptions underlying any such statements. In some cases, these statements and assumptions can be identified by the fact that they use words such as "will," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," "target" and other words and terms of similar meaning. All statements, other than historical facts, contained herein regarding Newron's strategy, goals, plans, future financial position, projected revenues and costs and prospects are forward-looking statements. By their very nature, such statements and assumptions involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that predictions, forecasts, projections and other outcomes described, assumed or implied therein will not be achieved. Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set out in, contemplated by or underlying the forward-looking statements due to a number of important factors. These factors include (without limitation) (1) uncertainties in the discovery, development or marketing of products, including without limitation negative results of clinical trials or research projects or unexpected side effects, (2) delay or inability in obtaining regulatory approvals or bringing products to market, (3) future market acceptance of products, (4) loss of or inability to obtain adequate protection for intellectual property rights, (5) inability to raise additional funds, (6) success of existing and entry into future collaborations and licensing agreements, (7) litigation, (8) loss of key executive or other employees, (9) adverse publicity and news coverage and (10) competition, regulatory, legislative and judicial developments or changes in market and/or overall economic conditions. Newron may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in forward-looking statements, and assumptions underlying any such statements may prove wrong. Investors should therefore not place undue reliance on them. There can be no assurance that actual results of Newron's research programmes, development activities, commercialization plans, collaborations and operations will not differ materially from the expectations set out in such forward-looking statements or underlying assumptions. Newron does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements except as may be required by applicable regulations of the SIX Swiss Exchange, where the shares of Newron are listed. This announcement is not an offer for sale of securities in the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan or any other jurisdiction where such an offer or solicitation would otherwise be unlawful. The securities referred to herein may not be sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This document does not contain or constitute an offer or invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities of Newron and no part of this document shall form the basis of or be relied upon in connection with any contract or commitment whatsoever. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005198/en/ Contacts: Newron Stefan Weber CEO +39 02 6103 46 26 pr@newron.com UK/Europe Julia Phillips Natalie Garland-Collins, FTI Consulting +44 20 3727 1000 SCnewron@fticonsulting.com Switzerland Martin Meier-Pfister, IRF +41 43 244 81 40 meier-pfister@irf-reputation.ch Germany/Europe Anne Hennecke, MC Services +49 211 52925222 anne.hennecke@mc-services.eu USA Paul Sagan, LaVoieHealthScience +1 617 374 8800, Ext. 112 psagan@lavoiehealthscience.com For marketing and sales of SMG's downhole oil tools in the Permian Basin HOUSTON, TX and ODESSA, TX / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / SMG Industries, Inc. (OTCQB: SMGI) an oilfield services company headquartered in Houston, Texas announced today that it has established a corporate alliance through the execution of an exclusive rental agreement with Christopher Equipment and Rentals, LLC ("CER") of Odessa, Texas. Under the terms of the agreement, SMGI will contribute its 850 down hole oil tools which include steel and non-mag stabilizers, roller reamers, collars, bit subs and crossovers to CER for its exclusive use to rent these bottom hole assembly (BHA) tools to directional drillers and other oilfield customers in the Permian Basin. Additionally, John Christopher, President of CER, will also contribute approximately 400 of similar oil tools from an affiliate business to CER to create a broad offering of down hole rental fleet for customers to use in their unconventional drilling applications. As a marketing and rental partner to SMGI, Christopher Equipment and Rentals will manage all aspects of the down hole tool business including sourcing customers, delivering rental oil tools, repair and customer service. Matt Flemming, the Chief Executive Officer of SMGI, stated, "We are pleased to have this corporate alliance with Christopher Equipment and Rentals and utilize the relationships built in the Permian Basin by its principal John Christopher. This alliance and agreement allows SMG to focus on its growth plans while benefiting from CER's relationships in active West Texas market." John Christopher, President of Christopher Equipment and Rentals LLC., stated, "Through this relationship with SMGI, we believe CER can offer customers one of the larger inventories of down hole rental tools available in the Permian Basin. Through my history of manufacturing and repairs of BHA oil tools, I have developed customer relationships that should assist us in market awareness. We believe that this alliance represents a win-win scenario for us." Through this agreement, CER will pay a royalty on rental revenues to SMGI the amount of which was not disclosed publicly. The agreement is for three years, with permission based extensions possible, and requires minimum royalties be made to SMGI to preserve the agreement's exclusivity. About SMG Industries, Inc. SMG Industries is a rapidly growing oilfield services company that operates throughout the Southwest United States. Through its wholly-owned operating subsidiaries, the Company offers an expanding suite of products and services across the market segments of drilling, completions and production. MG Cleaners LLC., serves the drilling market segment with proprietary branded products including detergents, surfactants and degreasers (such as Miracle Blue) as well as equipment and service crews that perform on-site repairs, maintenance and drilling rig wash services. SMG's rental division includes an inventory of 850 bottom hole assembly (BHA) oil tools such as stabilizers, drill collars, crossovers and bit subs rented to oil companies and their directional drillers. SMG's frac water management division, known as Momentum Water Transfer, focuses in the completion or fracing market segment providing high volume above ground equipment and temporary infrastructure to route water used on location for fracing. SMG Industries, Inc. headquartered in Houston, Texas has facilities in Carthage, Odessa and Alice, Texas. Read more at www.SMGIndustries.com and www.MGCleanersllc.com and www.MomentumWTS.com. Contact: Matthew Flemming, SMG Industries, Inc. +1-713-821-3153 SOURCE: SMG Industries, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/537359/SMG-Industries-Inc-Announces-Corporate-Alliance-with-Christopher-Equipment-and-Rentals-LLC The police said that all 94 police stations in the city have been asked to increase presence at the areas of high footfall. Apart from the local police, Quick Response Teams (QRT) and the reserve police platoons have also been deployed at locations across the city. (Photo: Mrugesh Bandiwadekar) Mumbai: After the coastal security agencies on the western coast of India were put on high alert amidst tensions between India and Pakistan, the Mumbai police have also beefed up security in the city with maximum emphasis on the sea and beach fronts. The city police said that they are closely coordinating with the navy and the coast guards and have put their port wing on high alert. A concentrated effort is being put up focusing the land, water, air and cyber security and the city police is coordinating with the concerned state and central agencies for the same. The police said that all 94 police stations in the city have been asked to increase presence at the areas of high footfall. The officials said that surprise traffic checks and verification of antecedents of suspicious persons have been ordered. All required steps have been taken as a part of the heightened security measure in the city. All the vital installations and other sensitive locations have been covered with improved security citing current circumstances, said Manjunath Singe, deputy commissioner (operations) and Mumbai police spokesperson. Apart from the local police, Quick Response Teams (QRT) and the reserve police platoons have also been deployed at locations across the city. The Force I commandos have also been alerted to counter any untoward situation, police said. The officials added that apart from land and sea, the aerial security is also being closely monitored by the agencies. The city airports have also been put on alert by the central government, police said. The security threat might also spell the end of ongoing budget session of the State Legislature earlier than its scheduled end on March 2. According to the sources, the session might be curtailed on Thursday only. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis called an all-party meeting in the assembly on Wednesday evening after both the houses were adjourned. Various aspects of the possibility of security threat to Mumbai were discussed at the meeting after which it was proposed curtailment of the session. A formal decision on curtailing the session may be taken on Thursday after both the houses approve the vote on account for first four months of the next fiscal year, sources said. Minister of state for ho-me Deepak Kesarkar said that there was no need to panic, though the security across the city and rest of the state has been tightened. Mumbai is always on high alert, he said. The coastal wing of Mumbai police meanwhile have been asked to increase coastal patrolling and keep up the vigil. The deputy commissioner of port zone of city police is supervising the situation on ground herself. There is close coordination between the command rooms of coastal police, navy and the coast guards, added Mr Singe. The polices cyber wing is monitoring the online chatter and keeping tabs on any provocative and misleading content that could lead to any law and order situation. The police said that mass messaging applications are being closely monitored. The Government Railway Police (GRP) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) have also increased security at all the major stations in Mumbai. The railway police are monitoring the CCTV camera footage real-time of the important stations and terminals. The security threat to Mumbai due to the escalated tensions between India and Pakistan might spell the end of ongoing budget session of State Legislature earlier than its scheduled end on March 2. According to sources, the session might be curtailed on Thursday only. The budget session, which generally lasts for around five weeks, was scheduled this time for only a week due to vote on account. The session began on February 25 and was to end on March 2. However, now, it might end on Thursday, sources said. BURLINGTON, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / Memex Inc. ("Memex" or the "Company") (TSX-V: OEE), a global leader in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) manufacturing productivity software, today released financial and operational highlights for its first-quarter 2019 ending December 31, 2018. All results are reported in Canadian dollars. A complete set of December 31, 2018 Consolidated Financial Statements and Management's Discussion & Analysis has been filed at www.sedar.com. Summary financial highlights for the three-months ended December 31, 2018: Memex reported revenue of $693 thousand for the three-month period, as compared to $362 thousand in the same period a year ago (a 91% increase); Bookingsi for the period totalled $1.04 million - a record for the Company and versus $660 thousand in the same period a year ago, a 58% increase; The Company finished the period with $1.44 million in project backlogii, $344 thousand more than at the start of the quarter; Gross margin was 67% for the period compared to 43% for the year-ago period, the increase was due primarily to higher software and support services sales volume in the current quarter; Cash consumed from operations in Q1-2019 (before changes in non-cash items) was $301 thousand, equating to $600 thousand or 67% less consumed than the same period a year ago; Net and comprehensive loss for the period was $348 thousand ($0.003 per share), compared to $985 thousand ($0.007 per share) for the same period a year ago; and The Company had $380 thousand in working capital, including $553 thousand in cash at December 31, 2018, as compared with $723 thousand in working capital and $1.05 million in cash at September 30, 2018 Operational and other highlights: Memex achieved record bookings in Q1-2019, ending December 31st, 2018 with $1.043 Million in new business. To strengthen the Company's working capital position and support ongoing operations, management along with the Company's Board of Directors have been actively exploring opportunities to secure funding from non-operational sources. Memex recently signed a non-binding term sheet with affiliates of G&G Private Capital ("G&G") which could provide up to $1.4 million in loan facilities in combination with an additional $100 thousand from Officers of Memex (condition of G&G financing) for a total of $1.5 million dollars in potential Loan Facility Financing. Provided G&G are satisfied with the results of their due diligence review, currently in process, the financing is estimated to close within the next 30 days. Additional information related to this potential financing was included in a previous press release dated February 20, 2019. Memex joined Siemens' MindSphere Partner Program as a Silver Partner. MindSphere is the cloud-based, open IoT operating system from Siemens that connects products, plants, systems and machines, enabling businesses to harness the wealth of data generated by the IoT with advanced analytics. This relationship will further enable Memex to service cloud-centric enterprise customers. Memex continues to expand its arrangements with Enterprise Resource Planning ("ERP") solutions providers to seamlessly integrate MERLIN Tempus with leading ERP systems. Management commentary: "We're pleased with the quarter's year-over-year revenue growth and record bookings," said Memex CEO David McPhail. "As we stated in our year-end press release, we anticipated that this quarter would be generally weaker due to holiday shutdowns in the manufacturing industry." Mr. McPhail went on to comment: "Subsequent to quarter-end, we are seeing increased activity that should flow through the second quarter." Selected financial information: Three-months periods ended December 31 (Canadian dollars - in thousands except per share and margin%) 2018 2017 Change Revenue 693 362 + 91 % Bookingsi 1,043 660 + 58 % Gross margin % 67.0 42.8 + 57 % Operating expenses 799 1,127 - 29 % Cash utilized in operating activities1 301 901 - 67 % Net and comprehensive loss for the period 348 985 - 65 % Basic and diluted loss per share - period (0.003 ) (0.007 ) - 68 % Before changes in non-cash working capital balances. As at (Canadian dollars - in thousands except WC ratio) December 31, 2018 September 30, 2018 Cash on hand 553 1,048 Current assets 1,481 1,964 Total assets 1,819 2,319 Current liabilities 1,101 1,241 Working capital* 380 723 Working capital ratio** 1.35 to 1 1.58 to 1 Backlogii 1,444 1,100 * Working Capital = current assets - current liabilities ** Working Capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities About Memex Inc.: Established in 1992, Memex grew to be an industry leader in Industry Internet of Things (IIoT) through the development of MERLIN Tempus, an award-winning platform that delivers real-time, tangible increases in manufacturing productivity. Memex is on the leading edge of industry trends in computing power, machine connectivity, industry standards, advanced software technology, and manufacturing domain expertise. Our persistent pursuit of innovative IIoT solutions led to a comprehensive understanding of the challenges manufacturers face. We made it our mission to, "successfully transform factories of today into factories of the future." As the global leader in Machine to Machine (M2M) connectivity solutions, our hardware and software products create unparalleled visibility at all levels, from "Shop-Floor-to-Top-Floor." The MERLIN Tempus Suite provides effective quantification and management of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) by revealing hidden capacity using real-time objective data. Further, it offers sustainable benefits that enable world-class OEE such as reducing costs, incorporating strategies for continuous LEAN improvement, and boosting bottom-line financial performance. For more information, please visit: www.MemexOEE.com For investor inquiries please contact: Ed Crymble, Chief Financial Officer 905-635-1540 investor.relations@memexOEE.com David McPhail, President & CEO 905-635-1540 investor.relations@memexOEE.com Sean Peasgood, Investor Relations 647-977-9264 sean@sophiccapital.com Forward-Looking Statements Statements relating to the potential financing with affiliates of G&G Private Capital Inc., including statements related to the anticipated closing of the financing, are forward-looking statements. However, closing of the financing is subject to the lenders being satisfied with the results of their due diligence review, the execution of definitive binding documentation and the satisfaction of certain conditions precedent including, but not limited to, the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. There can be no guarantee that closing of the financing will occur or, if closing does occur, that the Company will be able to achieve the milestones required for additional drawdowns. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The aforementioned forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and, except as required by applicable securities legislation, MEMEX assumes no obligation to update publicly or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent information, events, or circumstances Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. _________________________________ i & ii These non-IFRS financial measures are identified, defined and reconciled to their closest IFRS measures, revenue and unearned revenue, within our Management's Discussion and Analysis for the periods ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, in the section "Other Financial Measures." That MD&A is available at www.sedar.com under our company profile. SOURCE: Memex Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/537345/Memex-Inc-Reports-Q1-2019-Results-Record-Quarterly-Bookings-15M-Loan-Facility-Term-Sheet-Signed Q3 growth increased 145 per cent year over year, contributing to the Company's best quarter ever Vernon, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2019) - True Leaf Medicine International Ltd. (CSE: MJ) (OTCQX: TRLFF) (FSE: TLA) ("True Leaf" or the "Company"), a leading global cannabis and hemp wellness brand for pets, has announced its best sales quarter ever for the three-months ended December 31, 2018. The revenues were generated from global sales of the Company's legal hemp-based products for pets. Sales of the products totaled $652,370 (CAD), making it the Company's third record-setting quarter in a row. Revenue for the nine-months ended December 31, 2018 was $1,715,775 - the Company's highest revenue over three quarters to date and an increase of 69 per cent from the comparable nine-month period in the prior year, which had revenue of $1,016,667. The Company's European operations contributed $291,437 of the total revenue for this nine-month period, an increase of 167 per cent compared to $109,030 for the same period in the prior year. Revenue growth was primarily fueled by the Company's investment in its international sales team which has expanded the commercial reach of its True Leaf Pet division into new markets. The Company's True Hemp line of functional chew, stick, and oil supplements for dogs and cats is now sold in more than 2,800 stores worldwide, including Pets Supplies Plus (USA), PetSmart Canada, and Pets Corner UK. Pet owners can also shop for True Leaf Pet products online at www.trueleafpet.com. "True Leaf's impressive finish to 2018 was marked by record revenue growth, increasing our global retail presence by 55 per cent, and several impressive hires," said Darcy Bomford, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of True Leaf. "We now have strong momentum going into one of the biggest announcements for our brand to date. We look forward to sharing the transformation - or True Leaf 2.0 - with our shareholders, customers, and the global pet industry next month." Q3 2019 Financial Highlights For the three-month period ended December 31, 2018 True Leaf sales totaled a record $652,370 (CAD) in the quarter, an increase of 145 per cent over the $265,555 recorded for the same period last year. This is the third consecutive record quarter for the Company. The Company announced extensive progress had been made on True Leaf Campus - its cannabis cultivation and production facility in Lumby, British Columbia. Occupancy is expected February 2019 with the facility ready for final inspection in Spring 2019. True Leaf expanded its global retail presence to 2,800 stores worldwide. True Leaf also announced it was reaching more customers online with the launch of direct-to-consumer stores in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. True Leaf launched its first hemp-based product line specially formulated for cats to the European market. True Leaf launched a brand ambassador program for professional athletes and influencers who love pets with its partner, creative agency Rozaay Management. True Leaf donated $10,000 (USD) to the Hemp Feed Coalition to help advance its efforts to engage the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on new uses of hemp for pets. Recent Developments Highlights subsequent to Q3 2019 True Leaf announced former Petco senior vice-president Jodi Watson joined its Board of Directors as Vice-Chair. The Company announced its True Hemp product line will soon be available in Arcaplanet stores in Italy, expanding its total retail distribution to 1,000 stores across Europe. True Leaf announced it closed a convertible security funding agreement for gross proceeds of $4.5 million with The Lind Partners, a New York-based institutional fund manager. True Leaf upgraded to the OTCQX Best Market by OTC Markets Group and began trading under the ticker symbol TRLFF. For further information, please refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the three-month period ended December 31, 2018, published on the Company's website at ir.trueleaf.com. About True Leaf True Leaf is a leading global cannabis and hemp wellness brand for pets. Inspired by the unconditional love our pets give us every day, we return that love through our wellness pet products which help maintain and protect the natural vitality of our pet companions. "Return the Love" is the purpose that drives our business and is at the heart of our values to bring happiness to pets and their owners. www.trueleaf.com Media Contact: Paul Sullivan Director, Public Relations Paul@trueleaf.com O: 604-685-4742 M: 604-603-7358 Investor Contact: Kevin Bottomley (Canada) Director and Corporate Relations Kevin@trueleaf.com M: 778-389-9933 Joe Green (US) Edison Advisors jgreen@edisongroup.com O: 646-653-7030 M: 917-575-7089 Follow True Leaf Twitter: @trueleafmed Facebook: trueleafmed Instagram: @trueleafpet Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and management may make additional forward-looking statements in response to your questions. Such written and oral disclosures are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and True Leaf hereby claims such safe harbour protection for all forward-looking statements. True Leaf believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions; however, True Leaf's actual results and performance and the value of its securities could differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements due to the impact of many factors summarized in the "Risk Factors" section of True Leaf's Offering Circular Form 1-A filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulatory authorities and other discussions of risk factors contained in True Leaf's periodic filings or supplements to the offering circular. True Leaf's Offering Circular Form 1-A can be found at ir.trueleaf.com. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. True Leaf undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such information for any reason after the date of this presentation unless required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43106 Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Quarterly net revenues of $69.7 million, representing 30 percent growth versus the fourth quarter 2017 and 8 percent growth versus the third quarter 2018 Full year 2018 net revenues of $248.1 million, representing annual growth of 40 percent compared to 2017 Three additional phase 3 clinical trials ongoing studying the use of Optune in brain metastases, non-small-cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer Novocure (NASDAQ: NVCR) today reported financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2018, highlighting continued revenue growth, anticipated clinical and regulatory milestones and a strong cash position. Novocure is a global oncology company working to extend survival in some of the most aggressive forms of cancer through the development and commercialization of its innovative therapy, Tumor Treating Fields. Fourth quarter and full year 2018 highlights include: Three months ended December 31, Year ended December 31, 2018 2017 Change 2018 2017 Change Non-financial Active patients at period end(1) 2,383 1,834 30% 2,383 1,834 30% Prescriptions received in period(2) 1,315 1,090 21% 5,060 4,119 23% Financial, in millions Net revenues 69.7 53.7 30% 248.1 177.0 40% Net income (loss) (15.6 (10.9 43% (63.6 (61.7 3% Cash and cash equivalents at the end of period 140.6 78.6 Short-term investments at the end of period 105.3 104.7 Total cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments at the end of period 245.9 183.3 (1) An "active patient" is a patient who is on Optune under a commercial prescription order as of the measurement date, including patients who may be on a temporary break from treatment and who plan to resume treatment in less than 60 days. (2) A "prescription received" is a commercial order for Optune that is received from a physician certified to treat patients with Optune for a patient not previously on Optune. Orders to renew or extend treatment are not included in this total. "2018 was an extremely productive year for Novocure," said William Doyle, Novocure's Executive Chairman. "Highlights included annual revenue growth of 40 percent, the presentation of our STELLAR data in mesothelioma, the first patient enrollment in our PANOVA-3 phase 3 trial for pancreatic cancer and our collaboration agreement with Zai Labs in China. We continued to grow our glioblastoma business globally and invested more than $50 million in research and development in 2018." "At Novocure, we are working to extend survival in some of the most aggressive forms of cancer by developing and commercializing Tumor Treating Fields," continued Mr. Doyle. "With 2018 revenues approaching $250 million, four indications in our late stage pipeline and significant cash on hand, we believe we enter 2019 well-positioned to deliver both continued near-term growth and significant long-term value." Fourth quarter 2018 operating statistics and financial update There were 2,383 active patients on Optune at December 31, 2018, representing 30 percent growth compared to December 31, 2017, and 6 percent growth compared to September 30, 2018. The increase in active patients was driven by increased commercial adoption and by continued growth in prescriptions for patients with newly diagnosed GBM, who typically have a longer duration of treatment with Optune. In the United States, there were 1,637 active patients on Optune at December 31, 2018, representing 24 percent growth compared to December 31, 2017. In Germany and other EMEA markets, there were 654 active patients on Optune at December 31, 2018, representing 28 percent growth compared to December 31, 2017. In Japan, there were 92 active patients on Optune at December 31, 2018, representing significant growth in the first year with reimbursement approval for Optune in Japan. There were 1,315 prescriptions received in the quarter ended December 31, 2018, representing 21 percent growth compared to the same period in 2017, and 6 percent growth compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2018. Prescriptions for newly diagnosed GBM continued to grow, with approximately 950 Optune prescriptions in the fourth quarter written for patients with newly diagnosed GBM. In the United States, 941 prescriptions were received in the quarter ended December 31, 2018, representing 16 percent growth compared to the same period in 2017. In Germany and other EMEA markets, 322 prescriptions were received in the quarter ended December 31, 2018, representing 15 percent growth compared to the same period in 2017. In Japan, 52 prescriptions were received in the quarter ended December 31, 2018, representing significant growth in the first year with reimbursement approval for Optune in Japan. For the three months ended December 31, 2018, net revenues were $69.7 million, representing 30 percent growth versus the same period in 2017 and 8 percent growth versus the three months ended September 30, 2018. This growth was primarily driven by an increase in active patients. For the three months ended December 31, 2018, cost of revenues was $23.0 million compared to $15.6 million for the same period in 2017, representing an increase of 47 percent. The increase was primarily driven by the cost of shipping transducer arrays to a higher volume of commercial patients and a one-time increase of $2.7 million in non-recoverable indirect taxes. Research, development and clinical trials expenses for the three months ended December 31, 2018, were $15.0 million compared to $10.0 million for the same period in 2017, representing an increase of 50 percent. This was primarily due to an increase in clinical trial and personnel expenses for our METIS, LUNAR, and PANOVA-3 trials and an increase in personnel costs associated with regulatory and medical affairs. Sales and marketing expenses for the three months ended December 31, 2018, were $21.2 million compared to $16.0 million for the same period in 2017, representing an increase of 32 percent. This was primarily due to increased marketing expenses, increases in personnel costs associated with a larger sales force globally and increased share-based compensation expense. General and administrative expenses for the three months ended December 31, 2018, were $19.1 million compared to $16.5 million for the same period in 2017, representing an increase of 16 percent. This was primarily due to an increase in share-based compensation and an increase in professional services. Personnel costs for the three months ended December 31, 2018, included $10.6 million in non-cash share-based compensation expenses, comprised of $0.4 million in cost of revenues; $1.3 million in research, development and clinical trials; $2.1 million in sales and marketing; and $6.9 million in general and administrative expenses. Total non-cash share-based compensation expenses for the fourth quarter 2017 were $6.4 million. Net loss for the three months ended December 31, 2018, was $15.6 million compared to net loss of $10.9 million for the same period in 2017. At December 31, 2018, we had $140.6 million in cash and cash equivalents and $105.3 million in short-term investments, for a total balance of $245.9 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments. This represents an increase of $18.2 million in cash and investments since September 30, 2018. Anticipated clinical and regulatory milestones FDA approval for unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (2019) Initiation of phase 3 pivotal trial in recurrent ovarian cancer (2019) Zai Labs initiation of phase 2 pilot trial in gastric cancer (2019) Data from phase 2 pilot HEPANOVA trial in advanced liver cancer (2020) Interim analysis of phase 3 pivotal LUNAR trial in non-small cell lung cancer (2020) Data from phase 3 pivotal METIS trial in brain metastases (2021) Interim analysis of phase 3 pivotal PANOVA-3 trial in locally advanced pancreatic cancer (2021) Final data from phase 3 pivotal LUNAR trial in non-small cell lung cancer (2021) Interim analysis of phase 3 pivotal INNOVATE-3 trial in recurrent ovarian cancer (2022) Conference call details Novocure will host a conference call and webcast to discuss fourth quarter and full year 2018 financial results today, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019 at 8 a.m. EDT. Analysts and investors can participate in the conference call by dialing 855-442-6895 for domestic callers and 509-960-9037 for international callers, using the conference ID 3956899. The webcast, earnings slides presented during the webcast and the corporate presentation can be accessed live from the Investor Relations page of Novocure's website, www.novocure.com/investor-relations, and will be available for at least 14 days following the call. Contractor advisory committee meeting details The durable medical equipment Medicare administrative contractors (DME MACs) plan to host a contractor advisory committee on March 6, 2019 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT to discuss the scientific evidence underlying Novocure's local coverage decision reconsideration request. The meeting agenda is available on the DME MAC web sites. Morning and afternoon sessions of the contractor advisory committee meeting can be viewed live on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services YouTube channel. A recording of the meeting will also be posted on the DME MAC web sites following the meeting. About Novocure Novocure is a global oncology company working to extend survival in some of the most aggressive forms of cancer through the development and commercialization of its innovative therapy, Tumor Treating Fields, Tumor Treating Fields. Tumor Treating Fields is a cancer therapy that uses electric fields tuned to specific frequencies to disrupt solid tumor cancer cell division. Novocure's commercialized product is approved for the treatment of adult patients with glioblastoma. Novocure has ongoing or completed clinical trials investigating Tumor Treating Fields in mesothelioma, brain metastases, non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer and liver cancer. Headquartered in Jersey, Novocure has U.S. operations in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Malvern, Pennsylvania and New York City. Additionally, the company has offices in Germany, Switzerland, Japan and Israel. For additional information about the company, please visit www.novocure.com or follow us at www.twitter.com/novocure. Forward-Looking Statements In addition to historical facts or statements of current condition, this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements provide Novocure's current expectations or forecasts of future events. These may include statements regarding anticipated scientific progress on its research programs, development of potential products, interpretation of clinical results, prospects for regulatory approval, manufacturing development and capabilities, market prospects for its products, and other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts. You may identify some of these forward-looking statements by the use of words in the statements such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe" or other words and terms of similar meaning. Novocure's performance and financial results could differ materially from those reflected in these forward-looking statements due to general financial, economic, regulatory and political conditions as well as more specific risks and uncertainties facing Novocure such as those set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 28, 2019, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Given these risks and uncertainties, any or all of these forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Therefore, you should not rely on any such factors or forward-looking statements. Furthermore, Novocure does not intend to update publicly any forward-looking statement, except as required by law. Any forward-looking statements herein speak only as of the date hereof. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 permits this discussion. Consolidated Statements of Operations USD in thousands (except share and per share data) Three months ended December 31, Twelve months ended December 31, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Unaudited Audited Net revenues 69,674 53,661 248,069 177,026 Cost of revenues 23,028 15,640 80,048 55,609 Gross profit 46,646 38,021 168,021 121,417 Operating costs and expenses: Research, development and clinical trials 15,034 10,048 50,574 38,103 Sales and marketing 21,208 16,025 77,663 63,528 General and administrative 19,068 16,454 73,456 59,114 Total operating costs and expenses 55,310 42,527 201,693 160,745 Operating income (loss) (8,664 (4,506 (33,672 (39,328 Financial expenses (income), net 2,160 2,384 12,270 9,169 Income (loss) before income taxes (10,824 (6,890 (45,942 (48,497 Income taxes 4,807 4,055 17,617 13,165 Net income (loss) (15,631 (10,945 (63,559 (61,662 Basic and diluted net income (loss) per ordinary share (0.17 (0.12 (0.69 (0.70 Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in computing basic and diluted net income (loss) per share 93,083,298 89,389,364 91,828,043 88,546,719 Consolidated Balance Sheets USD in thousands (except share data) December 31, December 31, 2018 2017 Audited Audited ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS: Cash and cash equivalents 140,622 78,592 Short-term investments 105,256 104,719 Restricted cash 2,134 2,126 Trade receivables 36,523 29,567 Receivables and prepaid expenses 14,279 8,105 Inventories 22,555 22,025 Total current assets 321,369 245,134 LONG-TERM ASSETS: Property and equipment, net 8,442 9,031 Field equipment, net 6,924 9,036 Severance pay fund 113 111 Other long-term assets 2,945 1,986 Total long-term assets 18,424 20,164 TOTAL ASSETS 339,793 265,298 December 31, December 31, 2018 2017 Audited Audited LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY CURRENT LIABILITIES: Trade payables 26,708 17,206 Other payables and accrued expenses 37,852 32,996 Total current liabilities 64,560 50,202 LONG-TERM LIABILITIES: Long-term loan, net of discount and issuance costs 149,268 97,342 Employee benefit liabilities 2,683 2,453 Deferred Revenues 9,929 Other long-term liabilities 1,094 1,737 Total long-term liabilities 162,974 101,532 TOTAL LIABILITIES 227,534 151,734 COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY: Share capital Ordinary shares no par value, unlimited shares authorized; issued and outstanding: 93,254,185 shares and 89,478,032 shares at December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively Additional paid-in capital 757,314 697,165 Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (1,400 (1,343 Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) (643,655 (582,258 Total shareholders' equity 112,259 113,564 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY 339,793 265,298 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005174/en/ Contacts: Media and Investor Contact: Ashley Cordova acordova@novocure.com 212-767-7558 - Production capacity over 190,000 Nm3/h of high-purity hydrogen - Plant to be part of Praxair's hydrogen system in Louisiana MUNICH, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / The technology company The Linde Group has signed a contract with U.S. industrial gas company, Praxair Inc., to supply a hydrogen plant. The new plant will be part of Praxair's hydrogen system in Louisiana. "We are very pleased with this second major order from Praxair to supply a large hydrogen plant within a few months," said Dr Christian Bruch, Member of the Executive Board of Linde AG and responsible for the company's plant engineering business. "Our well-founded and customer-oriented engineering solutions are the basis of this success." Linde's Engineering Division is responsible for the design and supply of the equipment for the core components of the hydrogen plant. The order includes the steam-methane reformer, designed and supplied by Linde subsidiary Selas Linde in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, the pressure swing adsorption unit, and the balance of the core plant. The plant will have a production capacity of over 190,000 Nm3/h of high-purity hydrogen and will also generate steam. The new plant will be highly modularized with world-class reliability and energy efficiency and is scheduled to come on stream in 2021. In the 2017 financial year, The Linde Group generated revenue of EUR 17.113 bn, making it one of the leading gases and engineering companies in the world, with approximately 58,000 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards long-term profitable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business, with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. The company is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development. For more information, see The Linde Group online at www.linde.com Further information: Media Relations Matthias Dachwald Phone +49.89.35757-1333 Dr Thomas Hagn Phone +49.89.35757-1323 Investor Relations Julia Szeszat Phone +49.89.35757-1332 Contact: Person making the notification: Matthias Dachwald, Head of External Communications SOURCE: Linde AG View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/537390/Linde-Awarded-Second-Major-Contract-to-Supply-Hydrogen-Plant-for-Praxair Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2019) - ALX Uranium Corp. (TSXV: AL) (FSE: 6LLN) (OTC: ALXEF) ("ALX" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that ALX has signed a non-binding letter agreement (the "LOI") with Orano Canada Inc. ("Orano") a subsidiary of Orano Group, France, a world leader in the nuclear marketplace, whereby ALX can earn up to a 51% participating interest in the Close Lake Uranium Project ("Close Lake", or the "Project") located in the eastern Athabasca Basin area of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The LOI outlines a five (5) year deal with ALX funding exploration expenditures for a total amount of $12.0 million and issuing 10,000,000 common shares of ALX to Orano. Close Lake consists of 21 mineral claims totaling 38,679 hectares located in the heart of one of the most prolific uranium districts in the world. The eastern boundary of the Project adjoins the Cigar Lake uranium mine property ("Cigar Lake") and its southern boundary adjoins the McArthur River uranium mine property. Numerous uranium and base metals showings have been discovered from drilling at Close Lake by a joint venture first established in 1978. Close Lake is accessible by winter trail from Cigar Lake and Points North Landing, each of which has all-weather road access and nearby infrastructure, including airports. Click here to view a map of the Project. "We are very fortunate to have this opportunity to work with Orano at Close Lake, which is a hidden gem strategically located between the Cigar Lake and McArthur River uranium mines, the two richest of their kind in the world," said Warren Stanyer, CEO and Chairman of the Company. "With that address, and considering the known mineralized trends in the Wollaston Belt, the addition of Close Lake to its portfolio gives ALX a stellar chance to be involved in a new uranium discovery in the eastern Athabasca Basin." About Close Lake Close Lake is currently the subject of a joint venture in which Orano, as operator, holds a 74.40% interest, with Cameco Corporation ("Cameco) (TSX: CCO) holding a 14.99% interest, and JCU (Canada) Company Ltd. ("JCU") holding the remaining 10.61% interest. ALX can earn up to a 51% interest from Orano, subject to a back-in right to be retained by Orano. Historical drilling at the Project totals approximately 110,049 metres in 170 drill holes. Uranium mineralization has been intersected at or near the unconformity between the Athabasca sandstone and basement rock units, often graphitic, with associated base metals values and rare gold occurrences at downhole depths ranging between 463 metres and 682 metres. Table 1. Close Lake Historical Mineralized Intersections Hole No. Year Width (metres) From (metres) To (metres) Uranium Grade (% U 3 O 8 ) Other Metals (%) Ni Co Cu CL-11 1985 23.0 620.5 643.5 1.52 3.71 0.52 0.01 including 2.5 641.0 643.5 11.46 23.14 0.79 0.09 CL-12 1985 1.5 642.5 644.0 0.06 0.02 0.00 0.00 CL-13 1985 2.0 647.5 649.5 1.21 1.10 1.78 0.01 CL-90 1997 107.3 504.7 612.0 0.34 0.01 0.00 0.03 including 8.5 505.7 514.2 2.86 0.03 0.03 0.18 including 1.5 580.5 582.0 2.00 0.01 0.01 0.05 including 11.0 590.0 601.0 0.44 0.01 0.01 0.04 CL-106 1998 0.5 667.0 667.5 0.28 0.01 0.01 0.50 CL-109 1998 3.5 524.1 527.6 0.06 0.03 0.01 0.12 CL-135 2006 7.3 517.0 524.3 0.11 0.02 0.03 0.04 The grades, widths and lithologies encountered in the drilling to date provide compelling evidence that Close Lake could host a mineralizing system similar to those previously found within the Wollaston Belt, which has produced over 900 million pounds of U 3 O 8 during the past four decades. 2019 Exploration Plan An exploration program will be planned with Orano in 2019 to initiate the proposed terms of the LOI and Option Agreement that will consist of a diamond drilling program. In 1985, a predecessor company of Orano, encountered a significant intersection of uranium mineralization in drill hole CL-11 (1.52% U 3 O 8 over 23.0 metres) on the Tucker Lake C-5 Trend in the northeastern portion of the Project. Follow-up drilling that year on section with CL-11 intersected 0.06% U 3 O 8 over 1.5 metres in hole CL-12 and 1.21% U 3 O 8 over 2.0 metres in hole CL-13. Drilling in 1997 on the C-1 East Trend in the southern portion of the Project intersected a wide interval of uranium mineralization in drill hole CL-90 (0.34% U 3 O 8 over 107.3 metres including 2.86% U 3 O 8 over 8.5 metres and 2.00% U 3 O 8 over 1.5 metres). Subsequent follow-up drilling in 1998 along strike of drill hole CL-90 encountered 0.28% U 3 O 8 over 0.5 metres in hole CL-106 and 0.06% U 3 O 8 over 3.5 metres in hole CL-109. In its initial evaluation of the Project, ALX has determined that certain target areas at Close Lake that have only been explored with widely-spaced drill holes still exhibit high potential to host significant high-grade uranium deposits. Terms of the LOI and the Option Agreement ALX shall have a 60-day period following execution of the LOI to further evaluate the Project and if satisfied, can proceed to a definitive agreement for the transaction (the "Option Agreement"), which when signed by ALX and Orano will establish the effective date of the Option Agreement (the "Effective Date"). In order for ALX to earn an option to acquire a 51% interest in the Project, ALX would be required to issue to Orano a total of 10,000,000 common shares of ALX and fund a total of $12.0 million towards exploration expenditures for the Project for a period of five (5) years. Subject to prior written approval by Orano, ALX would be able to accelerate any of the expenditure payments. Any common shares that ALX issues to Orano in connection with the Proposed Acquisition would be subject to a 4-month statutory hold period. The purchase terms of the LOI are subject to acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange, and to the waiver of respective rights of first refusal by Cameco and JCU. Joint Venture Participation Upon having exercised any portion of its Options ALX will be required to become a party to the Joint Venture Agreement among Orano, Cameco, and JCU. Orano will remain operator of the Project during ALX's option period. Orano's Back-in Rights Orano would have two options (the "Back-in Options") to re-acquire a 51% interest in the Project from ALX (the "Back-in Interest") following its exercise of the Back-in Options by giving written notices to ALX (the "Back-in Notices") and paying ALX in the case of the first Back-In Option, an amount based on ALX's expenditures to date, and in the case of the second Back-In Option an amount of $24.0 million through a combination of cash payments and carrying ALX's share of expenditures required to maintain ALX's share in the Project, with regards to future approved exploration programs. The Back-in Options are exercisable for a period of up to three (3) years from the date of ALX earning either a 35% or a 51% participating interest, at Orano's discretion. Reimbursement of Orano's Exploration Expenses If ALX obtains a 51% interest in the Project and (i) Orano does not exercise the Back-in Options; and (ii) ALX, or a successor company, produces at least 1,000,000 pounds of uranium from the Project Assets ("Initial Production") ALX would notify Orano of the date that ALX or a successor company achieved Initial Production (the "Initial Production Date") and pay Orano $25.0 million over a 5-year period. Orano will receive a 2.0% net smelter return production royalty on any uranium produced from the Project, and any other milled mineral and/or product, except from Project claims subject to previously established net profits royalties. NI 43-101 Disclosure The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Sierd Eriks, P. Geo., President and Chief Geologist of the Company, who is a Qualified Person in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101. Readers are cautioned that some of the technical information described in this news release is historical in nature; however, the information is deemed credible and was produced by professional geologists of the eras discussed. ALX further cautions investors it has reviewed but has not verified the Close Lake exploration data, and that mineralization located on adjacent properties by historical exploration may not be present at Close Lake. About ALX ALX's mandate is to provide shareholders with multiple opportunities for discovery by exploring a portfolio of prospective mineral properties in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The Company executes well-designed exploration programs using the latest technologies and has interests in over 200,000 hectares in Saskatchewan, a Province which hosts the richest uranium deposits in the world, a producing gold mine, and demonstrates potential for base metals deposits. ALX is based in Vancouver, BC, Canada and its common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "AL", on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol "6LLN" and in the United States OTC market under the symbol "ALXEF". Technical reports are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com for several of the Company's active properties. For more information about the Company, please visit the ALX corporate website at www.alxuranium.com or contact Roger Leschuk, Manager, Corporate Communications at PH: 604.629.0293 or Toll-Free: 866.629.8368, or by email: rleschuk@alxuranium.com On Behalf of the Board of Directors of ALX Uranium Corp. "Warren Stanyer" Warren Stanyer, CEO and Chairman FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Statements in this document which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Forward looking statements in this news release include the Company's plans to sign an agreement to undertake exploration activities at the Close Lake Project ("Close Lake"), and expend funds on Close Lake. It is important to note that the Company's actual business outcomes and exploration results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include that our due diligence may result in our not deciding to pursue Close Lake; we may not get regulatory approval to complete an agreement on Close Lake; we may not be able to finance our intended participation at Close Lake; we may not be able to come to agreements with the Close Lake JV partners; our other projects in the Athabasca Basin may prove to be unworthy of further expenditure; and economic, competitive, governmental, environmental and technological factors may affect the Company's operations, markets, products and prices. Additional risk factors are discussed in the section entitled "Risk and uncertainties" in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the Nine Months ended September 30, 2018, which is available under Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Except as required by law, we will not update these forward looking statement risk factors. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43109 Road Town, British Virgin Islands--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2019) - Talon Metals Corp. (TSX: TLO) announced today that its wholly owned indirect subsidiary, Talon Nickel (USA) LLC (collectively, "Talon" or the "Company"), has entered into an extension agreement (the "Extension Agreement") in respect of the option agreement (the "Option Agreement") previously entered into with Kennecott Exploration Company ("Kennecott") on November 7, 2018. Pursuant to the Extension Agreement, the Company has until March 15, 2019 to make an initial upfront payment of US$6 million (the "Initial Payment") to Kennecott in order to make the Option Agreement effective. In the event the Option Agreement becomes effective, the Company will have the right to acquire up to a 60% interest in the Tamarack Project, subject to certain terms and conditions. In contrast, the failure by the Company to make the upfront payment to Kennecott would result in the parties entering into a joint venture agreement under which Kennecott would have an initial 82.44% interest in the Tamarack Project, while Talon would have an initial 17.56% interest in the Tamarack Project. The Company is continuing to pursue various financing options and will provide an update in respect thereto as soon as appropriate. About Talon Talon is a TSX-listed company focused on the exploration and development of the Tamarack Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project in Minnesota, USA (which comprises the Tamarack North Project and the Tamarack South Project). The Company has a well-qualified exploration and mine management team with extensive experience in project management. For additional information on Talon, please visit the Company's website at www.talonmetals.com or contact: Sean Werger President Talon Metals Corp. Tel: (416) 500-9891 Email: werger@talonmetals.com Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements". All statements, other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Such forward-looking statements include statements relating to closing of the Option Agreement including satisfaction of the Initial Payment, as well as financing alternatives and availability. Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on the Company. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43112 Indoor Positioning Technology Will Be Integrated into New Mapping Product Esri, the global leader in location intelligence, today announced the acquisition of indoo.rs GmbH, a world-leading provider of Indoor Positioning System (IPS) technology and Esri partner. The indoo.rs software will become part of Esri's ArcGIS Indoors, a new mapping product that enables interactive indoor mapping of corporate facilities, retail and commercial locations, airports, hospitals, event venues, universities, and more. The acquisition will also provide users of Esri's ArcGIS platform with imbedded IPS location services to support indoor mapping and analysis. The indoo.rs headquarters will also serve as a new Esri R&D center based in Vienna, Austria, focused on cutting-edge IPS capability. The capability to accurately map, manage, navigate, and plan indoor spaces is a rapidly emerging market that promises to decrease costs, increase safety, and provide users of indoor spaces with a better workplace experience. ArcGIS Indoors does this by providing floor-aware 3D maps and focused apps to support a variety of workplace and facility users, including owner/operators, maintenance and service personnel, security staff, employees, and visitors. "indoo.rs is a leading provider of IPS software and services, working with organizations across the globe such as international hub airports, major rail stations, and corporate headquarters, and I am excited to welcome the company to the Esri family," said Brian Cross, Esri director of professional services. "indoo.rs' technology, experience, and leadership in the IPS field will be of tremendous benefit to our customers who want to bring the power of GIS to indoor spaces." The new Vienna-based Esri R&D center will also provide support for IPS within ArcGIS Indoors and across the ArcGIS line of products. Existing indoo.rs customers will now have access to ArcGIS, adding the most powerful GIS software to their indoor mapping uses. "Becoming an integral part of Esri's product catalog allows us to continue the provision of our services at the highest professional level," said Bernd Gruber, founder of indoo.rs. "It also fosters new and exciting future developments, as well as securing our leading-edge approach." "We have seen the IPS market skyrocketing over the last few years," said Rainer Wolfsberger, CEO of indoo.rs, "and our enterprise customers showed a high demand for deep integration of IPS technology to release the benefits of such a solution at all levels of their organization." The initial release of ArcGIS Indoors will include the acquired indoo.rs IPS capability to enable ArcGIS Indoors mobile apps to work with iBeacon-based IPS systems, which provides "blue dot" accuracy on mobile devices. ArcGIS Indoors supports other IPS formats such as Apple's indoor position service, and will add support for other IPS providers in coming releases. For more information about ArcGIS Indoors, visit go.esri.com/indoors. About Esri Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, offers the most powerful geospatial cloud available. Since 1969, Esri has helped customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Today, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations including the world's largest cities, most national governments, 75 percent of Fortune 500 companies, and more than 7,000 colleges and universities. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial information technology, Esri engineers the most advanced solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics. Visit us at esri.com. Copyright 2019 Esri. All rights reserved. Esri, the Esri globe logo, ArcGIS, Indoors, The Science of Where, esri.com, and @esri.com are trademarks, service marks, or registered marks of Esri in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. Other companies and products or services mentioned herein may be trademarks, service marks, or registered marks of their respective mark owners. About indoo.rs indoo.rs is a specialist in indoor location-based services. Founded in 2010, indoo.rs counts 20 specialists focusing on developing, optimizing, and distributing indoor localization for mobile devices. The company is based in Austria, has a developer's hub in Vienna, Austria, and has an international branch in San Francisco, California. For more information about indoo.rs, please visit www.indoo.rs. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005287/en/ Contacts: Jo Ann Pruchniewski Public Relations, Esri Mobile: 301-693-2643 Email:jpruchniewski@esri.com TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 25, 2019 / PJX Resources is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Trygve Hoy to the Board of Directors. Dr. Hoy is well respected for his 45 years of experience and knowledge as a research economic and exploration geologist. Dr. Hoy is a Professional Engineer and a member of the Society of Economic Geologists. He received his BSc (Geology) from the University of British Columbia, his MSc (Geology) from Carleton University, Ottawa, his Doctorate of Geology from Queens University, Ontario and Geological Engineering Degree from the University of British Columbia in 1976. He joined the British Columbia Department of Mines in 1974 and spent 28 years there as a research economic geologist, mainly concentrating on deposits and their setting in the southeastern part of the province of B.C where PJX Resources owns the mineral rights to over 50,000 hectares of land. Trygve has been an exploration consultant since 2002. "We welcome Trygve as a valued member to the Board." states the President and CEO of PJX, John Keating. "Trygve's extensive knowledge of the Sullivan zinc-lead-silver deposit, sediment-hosted copper deposits and the structural geology of gold deposits will greatly contribute to the considerable expertise and experience of PJX's Board of Directors." Additional Background Trygve has won several awards, including the Provincial Medallists Award (2002) presented annually to the top Canadian geologist working in provincial and territorial areas in mineral deposit related fields. He also received the prestigious Julian Goldy Award for top research paper presented at an annual Geological Association of Canada meeting. Dr. Hoy co-authored the setting of mineral deposits in the Belt-Purcell Supergroup where PJX's exploration properties are located (the Sullivan Volume, Geological Association of Canada, Special Publication No. 1 (2001)). Dr. Hoy's experience and expertise spans most metallic deposit types including the following: Sedex deposits in the Purcell Supergroup of Canada where he co-edited the major treatise on the Sullivan deposit and its environment, titled "The Geological Environment of the Sullivan deposit", and was an author of several papers in this volume. in the Purcell Supergroup of Canada where he co-edited the major treatise on the Sullivan deposit and its environment, titled "The Geological Environment of the Sullivan deposit", and was an author of several papers in this volume. Gold vein, mesothermal, and epithermal gold deposits in British Columbia and Mexico. deposits in British Columbia and Mexico. Sediment-hosted copper deposits (Montanore, Spar Lake) in Idaho, USA . (Montanore, Spar Lake) in Idaho, USA Silver vein deposits in the Slocan Silver camp, British Columbia. deposits in the Slocan Silver camp, British Columbia. Copper-gold vein, porphyry, and skarn type deposits in British Columbia, the Yukon Territory, and Mexico. About PJX Resources Inc. PJX is a mineral exploration company focused on building shareholder value and community opportunity through the exploration and development of mineral resources with a focus on gold and base metals. PJX's properties are located in the historical mining area of Cranbrook and Kimberley, British Columbia. Please refer to our web site http://www.pjxresources.com for additional information. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Linda Brennan, Chief Financial Officer (416) 799-9205 info@pjxresources.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information This News Release contains forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements which relate to future events. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to exploration results, the success of exploration activities, mine development prospects, completion of economic assessments, and future gold production. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may", "appears to", "should", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", believes", "estimates", "predicts", "potential", or "continue" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking-statements. Although PJX has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. SOURCE: PJX Resources Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/536649/Dr-Trygve-Hoy-Joins-PJX-Resources-Board-of-Directors The CardLinx Association today announced its 2019 board of directors including Microsoft, Rakuten, Sumitomo Mitsui Card Company, Mastercard, Discover, First Data, FIS, Transunion, Augeo, Affinity Solutions, Fidel, and Empyr. Board members are elected for one-year renewable terms and represent the leading global merchants, banks, data and technology companies, payment companies and fin-tech/ad-tech companies. The CardLinx Association is the leading global trade association focused on transforming online and in-store commerce by instituting industry standards, fostering cross-industry collaboration, and convening executive-level innovation forums. "As recent news headlines demonstrate, the traditional industry lines between merchants, digital advertising platforms and payment companies are blurring rapidly," said Silvio Tavares, CardLinx President and CEO. "The 2019 CardLinx board of directors is comprised of world-class executives from leading global companies. We are committed to industry collaboration and product partnership to drive the next generation of consumer shopping experiences." The CardLinx Association congratulates the 2019 board of directors: Silvio Tavares , CEO and President of the Board, The CardLinx Association , CEO and President of the Board, The CardLinx Association Neal Bernstein , Senior Director, Microsoft , Senior Director, Microsoft Bryon Cook , President and COO, Empyr , President and COO, Empyr Paul Dattilo, Vice President Product, First Data Vice President Product, First Data Jasma Ghai, Vice President, Network Products Delivery, Discover Vice President, Network Products Delivery, Discover David Kristal , Founder and CEO, Augeo , Founder and CEO, Augeo Brandon Logsdon , President, Excentus, a PDI Company , President, Excentus, a PDI Company Kirsty Rankin , Senior Vice President, Mastercard , Senior Vice President, Mastercard Paul Siegfried , Senior Vice President, TransUnion , Senior Vice President, TransUnion Jonathan Silver , President and CEO, Affinity Solutions , President and CEO, Affinity Solutions Dev Subrata , Founder and CEO, Fidel , Founder and CEO, Fidel Satoru Suzuki , General Manager and Head of US Office, Sumitomo Mitsui Card Company , General Manager and Head of US Office, Sumitomo Mitsui Card Company Mladen Vladic , General Manager of Loyalty Division, FIS , General Manager of Loyalty Division, FIS Erin Warren, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Rakuten 2019 CardLinx Forum Series Launches with the CardLinx West Forum: Beyond the Shopping Cart in San Francisco on March 12th CardLinx also announced its groundbreaking 2019 Forum Series exploring new commerce technologies, digital loyalty and artificial Intelligence. The first forum takes place in the San Francisco Bay Area on March 12th and features keynotes from Mastercard, Transunion and Rakuten among others. These exclusive, senior-level forums are held in North America (CardLinx West), Asia (CardLinx Asia) and Europe (CardLinx Europe) and enable leaders from various industries to meet, collaborate, and learn about the latest advances in commerce technology. March 12, 2019: CardLinx West Forum Online-to-Offline Commerce Beyond the Shopping Cart, San Francisco, California To register: https://www.cardlinx.org/events/cardlinx-west-forum-online-to-offline-commerce-march-2019/ May 14, 2019: CardLinx Europe Forum Digital Loyalty Advantage AI: More Engagement, More Sales, Paris, France To register: https://www.cardlinx.org/events/cardlinx-europe-forum-digital-loyalty-may-2019/ June 2019: CardLinx Asia Forum AI and Digital Advertising What Machines Get About Human Behavior, Tokyo, Japan To register: https://www.cardlinx.org/events/cardlinx-asia-forum-ai-and-digital-advertising-june-2019/ Introducing the CardLinx O20 Awards Winners Will Be Announced at the CardLinx West Forum CardLinx will be presenting the first annual CardLinx O2O Awards on March 12, 2019. The O2O Awards recognize outstanding achievement in the online-to-offline (O2O) industry. Founder's Award This award recognizes outstanding achievement and service to the card-linking and online-to-offline industries. Nominees must have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to industry advocacy, promoting product collaboration and standardization in the industry. Entrepreneur of the Year This award honors the most successful independent innovators that have started new businesses or new business models within large enterprise companies. The winner will have achieved significant scale and/or impact with their new business. Product Collaboration of the Year This award highlights innovation that is the product of partnerships between independent companies in online-to-offline commerce. Best Consumer Experience This award recognizes new online-to-offline products that deliver new and compelling consumer experiences. Nominees must have demonstrated a new or innovative approach to consumer shopping experiences. About the CardLinx Association The CardLinx Association is the premier, multi-industry trade association focused on transforming online-to-offline commerce and card-linking worldwide. On behalf of its members, the association fosters cross-industry collaboration, develops industry services, organizes executive-level innovation forums and institutes common standards to minimize and eliminate friction for purchases. Membership in the CardLinx Association is open to merchants, financial institutions, digital publishers, advertisers, merchant acquirers, payment networks and fintech companies. For more information about CardLinx visit: http://bit.ly/2QqUuJe View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005323/en/ Contacts: Ming Lacey ming@cardlinx.org 917-340-7251 In recent interviews, Shamima has stated that going public with her plea to the British government was likely not in her best interests. She was 15 years old when she fled. Shamima Begum was a schoolgirl at the Bethnal Green Academy. She wanted to work for the Islamist cause and saw the life of a militant's wife in the service of the Islamic State as superior to her ordinary life as the child of Bangladeshi immigrants to the United Kingdom. Recently, just as the last of the IS fighters were being rounded up, she surfaced again. Now 19, Shamima said she wanted nothing more than to return to the UK. Soon her family too was making appeals to the public; even if her return could not be immediately achieved, they wanted to be able to bring her son to the UK where he could receive better care than at the refugee camp where she now lives. Return, however, is more complicated. Despite the fact that Shamima is a British citizen, there were hesitations. In the days after her story emerged, British Home Secretary Sajid Javid declared that Britain would not take Shamima back. The fact that she was of Bangladeshi descent, he argued, made her eligible for Bangladeshi citizenship. The issue of the women who were married to IS fighters is bigger than Shamima Begum. According to news reports there are over 800 people in refugee camps somehow connected to the group with citizenship of Western nations. International law requires these countries to claim these people, so they are not left stateless. Just like Mr. Javid, many of these countries are likely to point to other nations. The fact that they, like Shamima, may have tenuous or fragile connections to these places of descent does not seem to matter in the process of disowning these women. According to the UK, then, Shamima Begum is Bangladesh's problem. While not implicated in this particular case, Pakistan too may soon find itself in a situation where it has to accept disowned citizens of this or that Western country who have been associated with the IS. Pakistani citizenship laws, like those of Bangladesh, do provide citizenship by descent and IS members who migrated to Syria were often from these communities. What indeed should Pakistan or Bangladesh do in such a situation? There are people in the UK who are on the side of bringing Shamima back. In the wake of the controversy some commentators argued that Shamima was a child who had been groomed and indoctrinated in the UK. She was, in this sense, a home-grown terrorist who had been beguiled to migrate to Syria, all while in the UK. According to UK law she was 15, a minor, when she left. If she were being tried for a crime committed in the UK, her age would have been a mitigating factor. Then there is the pedigree of Mr. Javid, the home secretary and opponent-in-chief of her return. Some alluded to the fact that he was coming down hard on Shamimas case as he wanted to burnish his anti-terror credentials with conservatives. In recent interviews, Shamima has stated that going public with her plea to the British government was likely not in her best interests. After her case, another woman, Hoda Muthana, who was a United States citizen, has also expressed her desire to be repatriated to the US. Like the British, the Americans have refused to take her back, the US Secretary of State arguing that she has no valid US passport, visa or claim to a passport and hence will not be permitted back. Lodged in the midst of the issue of citizenship is that of culpability. It is not quite clear what Shamima was up to while she was with the IS. According to statements made by some Yazidi women, it is naive to assume that all of these women were innocent bystanders and passive wives. Many were directly involved in pushing the agenda of the IS and mistreating others whom they saw as lesser militants. In the case of Muthana, the evidence is easily available, with various internet records showing that she was a top recruiter making vivid calls on social media to kill Americans. Why should a country, any country, take back women such as these? International law provides some answers but they seem hollow and incomplete given the nature of the IS and the tactics that they deployed to attract young people to the caliphate they established. There is little guarantee, after all, that these women, brides of IS fighters, would not get back to the task of gathering up recruits and militants once they were permitted back into these countries. In the days to come, it seems that no country is likely to be amenable to taking on the headache of repatriating and rehabilitating them. By arrangement with Dawn VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / EVITRADE Health Systems Corp. (CSE: EVA, OTCQB: EVAHF) (the 'Company') provides an update on its hemp extraction facility in Nevada. EviTrade is pleased to report that the development of its Nevada based hemp extraction facility is ahead of schedule. Over the past few months, Mr. Brown, President of Western Agri Solutions Supply Corp ('WASSC'), a wholly owned subsidiary of EviTrade, has made great strides in the process of bringing the facility on-line. 'We have been singularly focused on bringing our processes into revenue producing status. Accordingly, we have cleared most of our operating permits and are moving rapidly to achieving our processing licenses.' Said Mr. Brown. 'When completed, our facility will be able to process enough hemp to produce approximately 200Kgs of CBD isolate per month. With this volume of throughput, we will be able to satisfy our sales channels with our line of premium CBD based products subject to applicable federal and local laws.' WASSC is an agricultural supply company focused on sourcing and processing industrial hemp. Through utilization of a proprietary industrial-grade extraction system, WASSC is setting up to offer CBD based health and wellness products based on extracts from industrial hemp. EviTrade continues to fulfill its commitment to elevate the human condition through advanced medical technology solutions for effective health and wellness research and products. Contact: EVITRADE Health Systems Corp. (formerly Auxellence Health Corporation) Email info@evahealthsystems.com or ceo@auxellence.com Website http://www.evahealthsystems.com CSE Micro-site: http://thecse.com/en/listings/technology/evitrade-health-systems-corp US OTC Markets (OTCQB): http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/EVAHF/news About EVITRADE Health (CSE: EVA, OTCQB: EVAHF) EVITRADE Health Systems Corp. (formerly, Auxellence Health Corporation), is a technology company specializing in the Health and Life Sciences sector looking to deliver effective personalized health solutions with a higher degree of predictability and consistency. The Company is focused on the following areas to help improve health: personalized medical care (including CBD usage monitoring and effects on the cardiovascular system), molecular biology, nutraceutical solutions and genetic tailoring. Through its subsidiaries' focus on technologies involved in extracting and purifying CBD extracts for its personalized healthcare system, the Company may be the first to offer a complete quality assured vertically integrated 'CBD Health System' for monitoring and recording the effects of CBD on your cardiovascular system. Disclaimers This news release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions and judgments of management regarding future events or results. Such statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. The company disclaims any intention or obligation to revise or update such statements. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulators and on the OTC Markets website which is posted on www.sedar.com , http://thecse.com/en/listings/technology/evitrade-health-systems-corp , and http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/EVAHF/filings .This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE or CNSX Markets), nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the CSE), or any other regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The Company does not undertake to update this news release unless required by applicable law. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein in the United States. The securities described herein have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 'U.S. Securities Act'), or any state securities law and may not be offered or sold in the 'United States', as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act, unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. SOURCE: EVITRADE Health Systems Corp View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/537384/EviTrade-Provides-Update-on-Hemp-Based-Extraction-and-Processing-Facility VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / FIORE GOLD LTD. (TSXV: F) (OTCQB: FIOGF) ("Fiore" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the first fiscal quarter ("Q1 2019") ended December 31, 2018, have been filed with the securities regulatory authorities and are available at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.fioregold.com. Q1 2019 Operational, Financial and Organic Growth Highlights (all figures in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated) Operating Highlights Gold production of 9,765 ounces, a 47% increase over Q1 2018 Gold sales of 9,744 ounces at an average realized price of $1,232 per ounce Mined ore production of 15,196 ore tons per day ("tpd"), with a stripping ratio of 1.49 18,723 man-hours worked in Q1 2019, achieving our goal of zero reportable incidents, zero reportable accidents, and zero lost-time injuries. As of December 31, 2018, the operation was at 957 consecutive days of attaining this Triple-Zero achievement. Q1 2019 Pan Mine AISC 1 per ounce sold of $882 and cash costs per ounce sold 1 of $812, compared to Q1 2018 Pan Mine AISC 1 per ounce sold of $1,704 and cash costs per ounce sold 1 of $822 per ounce sold of $882 and cash costs per ounce sold of $812, compared to Q1 2018 Pan Mine AISC per ounce sold of $1,704 and cash costs per ounce sold of $822 Q1 2019 Fiore consolidated AISC1 of $995 compared to Q1 2018 Fiore consolidated AISC1 of $1,900 Financial Highlights Recorded quarterly revenues of $12.01 million with mine operating income of $3.03 million Generated Pan operating cash flow 1 of $2.60 million and consolidated operating cash flow of $0.91 million, compared to Pan operating cash flow 1 of $0.26 million and consolidated operating cash flow use of $1.58 million during Q1 of 2018 of $2.60 million and consolidated operating cash flow of $0.91 million, compared to Pan operating cash flow of $0.26 million and consolidated operating cash flow use of $1.58 million during Q1 of 2018 Maintained a strong balance sheet with no debt and working capital of $20.44 million as of December 31, 2018 Consolidated operating income of $1.63 million Subsequent to quarter-end, we entered into a gold option collar program for 9,600 ounces over a six-month period, securing a floor of $1,300 per ounce for hedged production and a ceiling of $1,350 per ounce. The balance of our expected production for that period remains unhedged. Organic Growth Highlights An updated Pan Mine resource estimate showed almost complete replacement of Measured and Indicated resources mined in the 19 months since declaring commercial production, and a significant growth in Inferred resources even after allowing for mining depletion. Subsequent to quarter-end, we have decided to proceed with the installation of a primary crushing circuit at the Pan Mine, that will be financed in part by a $2.3 million finance lease secured with First National Capital, LLC, subject to completion of final documentation. We expect the crusher to be operational by the end of calendar Q2 2019. 1 This is a non-IFRS financial measure. Please refer to "Non-IFRS Financial Measures" at the end of this news release for a description of these non-IFRS financial measures and to the Non-IFRS Financial Measures in the December 31, 2018 Management's Discussion and Analysis for a reconciliation to operating costs from the Company's interim financial statements. Tim Warman, Chief Executive Officer of Fiore, commented: "Q1 2019 represented another strong operating quarter for the Pan Mine with 9,765 gold ounces produced at Pan Mine all-in sustaining costs below $900 per gold ounce sold for the second consecutive quarter. The steady operating performance, coupled with the positive resource update announced during the quarter, have allowed us to proceed with the investment in a primary crushing circuit which we expect to have operational by the end of calendar Q2 2019. With Pan maturing as an operation, we now turn our attention to the adjacent Gold Rock property which hosts grades approximately 60% higher than at Pan. A development plan for Gold Rock is expected in calendar Q2 2019 that will lay out the steps to advance the project to a production decision." Review of Operating Results Three Months Ended December 31, Operating Results 2018 2017 Ore Mined Waste Mined Total Mined Gold Ounces Mined Ore Grade Mined Strip Ratio Gold Ounces Produced Gold Ounces Sold (Payable) Average Realized Price1 Total Cash Costs per Ounce1 Cost of Sales per Ounce1 Pan Mine AISC per Ounce1 Fiore Consolidated AISC per Ounce1 (t) (t) (t) (oz) (oz/t) waste/ore (oz) (oz) $/oz $/oz $/oz $/oz $/oz 1,398,005 2,078,830 3,476,835 22,909 0.016 1.49 9,765 9,744 1,232 812 921 882 995 1,364,137 1,391,389 2,755,526 17,681 0.013 1.02 6,645 6,468 1,277 822 885 1,704 1,900 1 This is a non-IFRS financial measure. Please refer to "Non-IFRS Financial Measures" at the end of this news release for a description of these non-IFRS financial measures and to the Non-IFRS Financial measures in the December 31, 2018 Management's Discussion and Analysis for a reconciliation to operating costs from the Company's interim financial statements. The first quarter of 2019 represents the Company's fourth consecutive quarter of gold production above 8,500 ounces. It also represents the second consecutive quarter of the Pan Mine all-in sustaining costs per gold ounce sold below $900 and third consecutive quarter of improvements shown on both the Pan Mine AISC and Fiore consolidated AISC. Our ore mining of approximately 15,200 tons per day is ahead of a targeted 14,000 tpd despite an increase in the stripping ratio to 1.49 during the quarter. We mined approximately 37,800 total tons per day in the quarter relative to 31,300 tpd in Q4 2018 and 30,000 tpd in the comparative Q1 2018 period. Importantly, Pan maintained its strong safety record achieving our goal of zero reportable incidents, zero reportable accidents, and zero lost-time injuries through Q1 2019. Key Developments Pan Mine A drilling program aimed at extending the mine life at Pan encompassed 28,790 feet (over 8,800 m) of developmental and exploration drilling during FY2018. An updated resource estimate released during Q1 2019 (refer to news release dated December 3rd, 2018) showed almost complete replacement of M+I resources mined in the 19 months since declaring commercial production (which averaged approximately 12,500 ore tons mined per day), and a significant growth in Inferred resources even after allowing for mining depletion. Work on a new life of mine ("LOM") plan and schedule is underway on the updated resource estimate. The updated mine plan will focus on exploiting the updated resources to extend the current mine life and optimize the mine plan. Fiore intends to issue FY2019 production guidance and a reserve update based on the results of the updated LOM plan, which is expected to be completed by the end of calendar Q1 of 2019. Given the operating performance and updated resource estimate, we are proceeding with the installation of a primary stage crushing circuit. Pan is currently a run of mine operation where blasted ore is hauled from the pit and placed directly on the leach pad. Blending rocky ore with more clay-rich ore ensures adequate permeability and stability of the leach pad. Metallurgical testing has shown that primary crushing will increase both the overall gold recovery and the rate of gold recovery. At the present targeted ore mining rate of 14,000 tons per day, the crushing circuit will produce an estimated 6,000-7,000 additional gold ounces per year. Preliminary site preparation for the crusher is already underway and the crusher system is expected to be operational by the end of calendar Q2 2019. Capital requirements for the crushing circuit, which total approximately $3.5 million, will come in part from a $2.3 million finance lease secured with First National Capital, LLC, subject to completion of final documentation. The 2018 drilling program also highlighted several areas in the vicinity of the Pan North Pit where mineralization remains open with the potential to further increase the near-mine resource base with additional drilling. Numerous additional targets remain to be tested along strike from the existing Pan deposit. Looking forward, the next phase of drilling at Pan is being developed to maximize resource conversion. Gold Rock During Q4 2018, the United States Bureau of Land Management issued the Record of Decision for the Company's 100%-owned Gold Rock project, located approximately 8 km southeast of our Pan Mine, marking the completion of the federal permitting process required for the construction of a mine on the Gold Rock property. On October 25, 2018, we filed a current technical report for Gold Rock. Gold Rock currently hosts an Indicated resource of 238,700 gold ounces (9.0 million tonnes at 0.82 g/t gold), and an Inferred resource of 180,900 gold ounces (7.8 million tonnes at 0.72 g/t gold). We also completed eight exploration holes targeting three of nine previously-identified areas north of the Gold Rock resource area. All eight holes intercepted the targeted Joanna Limestone unit, with six of the eight holes encountering anomalous gold mineralization. Having demonstrated that gold mineralization is present for a considerable distance along the EZ fault and anticline structure, we also increased our coverage along this structure through the acquisition of the Ely Gold claims during Q1 2019. Fiore now controls approximately 16.5 km of strike length along the prospective EZ structure. The next phases of drilling at Gold Rock are currently being planned for follow-up drilling at the three recently-confirmed targets, as well as drilling to expand the existing resource. A priority target will be the central portion of the 2018 resource area, between the two resource pits. This area was not included in the current resource and has seen only limited, widely-spaced, vertical holes that in many cases stopped in the upper portion of the mineralization. The deposit also remains open to the north of the existing resource area, where drilling density drops off rapidly. A development plan for Gold Rock is expected in calendar Q2 2019 that will lay out the steps required to advance the project to a production decision. The next steps in this process will include: Additional core and reverse circulation drilling to expand the existing resource, upgrade Inferred resources to Measured and Indicated, and collect samples for orebody characterization and metallurgical testing. A priority target will be the central portion of the 2018 resource area, between the two resource pits. This area was not included in the current resource and has seen only limited, widely-spaced, vertical holes that in many cases stopped in the upper portion of the mineralization. The deposit also remains open to the north of the existing resource area, where drilling density drops off rapidly. Metallurgical testing to determine the most economical recovery method(s) and establish expected gold recoveries; and Collecting additional data to support a Preliminary Economic Assessment. Q1 2019 Financial Results Three Months Ended December 31, Financial Results of Operations Select Items - On a Consolidated Basis Revenue Mine Operating Income Income from Operations Operating Cash Flow Unrealized (Loss) Gain on Change in FV of Warrant Derivative Net Income 2018 $000's 12,005 3,031 1,627 905 (158) 764 2017 $000's 8,259 2,535 780 (1,581) 2,119 2,792 Financial Position as of: December 31, 2018 September 30, 2018 Select Items - On a Consolidated Basis Cash Inventories Total Current Assets Mineral Property, Plant and Equipment, net Total Assets Total Current Liabilities Long-Term Liabilities Working Capital Surplus $000's 6,365 15,793 23,036 15,886 45,802 (2,601) (5,794) 20,435 $000's 6,167 13,201 20,397 16,801 43,603 (2,274) (4,833) 18,123 As Q1 2018 was still an operating ramp-up quarter, all key income statement and cash flow metrics improved significantly in Q1 2019 with Pan at steady state operational capacity. Fiore sold 9,744 ounces at an average realize gold price of $1,232 per ounce resulting in revenue of $12.01 million. Mine operating income was $3.03 million compared to $2.54 million for the comparative 2018 period. Operating cash flow was $0.91 million relative to a use of $1.58 million in Q1 2018. The cash balance increased relative to September 30, 2018 by $0.20 million as operating cash flow of $0.91 million was partially used to finance $0.48 million of reclamation deposit funding and $0.22 million of capital expenditures. As of December 31, 2018, we continue to have a strong working capital surplus of $20.44 million, consisting of current assets of $23.04 million and current liabilities of $2.60 million. Corporate Strategy Our corporate strategy is to grow Fiore Gold into a 150,000 ounce per year gold producer. To achieve this, we intend to: grow gold production at the Pan Mine while also growing the reserve and resource base; advance exploration and development of the nearby Gold Rock project; and acquire additional production or near-production assets to complement our existing operations *Note on AISC Presentation The presentation of Pan Mine all-in sustaining costs as shown is consistent with prior quarters' measures of all-in sustaining costs. We have added Fiore Consolidated all-in sustaining costs to layer in corporate general and administrative costs, including share based compensation and corporate sustaining capital expenditures, when applicable. A reconciliation from prior presentations of all-in sustaining costs per ounce sold has been presented in the table below to the current Pan Mine AISC and Fiore Consolidated AISC per ounce sold presentations. Three Months Ended December 31, 2018 2017 AISC per Ounce Sold as previously defined $ 882 $ 1,803 Adjustments to Pan Mine AISC per Ounce Sold: Non-Sustaining Exploration Costs per Ounce Sold - (72) Corporate Share Based Compensation per Ounce Sold - (27) Pan Mine AISC per Ounce Sold $ 882 $ 1,704 Adjustments to Fiore Consolidated AISC per Ounce Sold: Corporate General & Administrative Costs per Ounce Sold 101 151 Corporate Share Based Compensation per Ounce Sold 12 45 Fiore Consolidated AISC per Ounce Sold $ 995 $ 1,900 Qualified Person The scientific and technical information relating to Fiore Gold's properties contained in this news release was approved by J. Ross MacLean (MMSA), Fiore Gold's Chief Operating Officer and a "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101. On behalf of FIORE GOLD LTD. "Tim Warman" Chief Executive Officer Contact Us: info@fioregold.com 1 (416) 639-1426 Ext. 1 www.fioregold.com Non-IFRS Financial Measures The Company provides some non-IFRS measures as supplementary information that management believes may be useful to investors to explain the Company's financial results. We have adopted "all-in sustaining costs" measures for the Pan Mine and Fiore as a consolidated group, consistent with guidance issued by the WGC on June 27, 2013. We believe that the use of all-in sustaining costs is helpful to analysts, investors and other stakeholders in assessing our operating performance, our ability to generate free cash flow from current operations and our overall value. These measures are helpful to governments and local communities in understanding the economics of gold mining. The "all-in sustaining costs" measure is an extension of existing "cash cost" metrics and incorporates costs related to sustaining production. The WGC definition of all-in sustaining costs seeks to extend the definition of total cash costs by adding reclamation and remediation costs, exploration and study costs, capitalized stripping costs, corporate general and administrative costs and sustaining capital expenditures to represent the total costs of producing gold from current operations. All-in sustaining costs exclude income tax, interest costs, depreciation, non-sustaining capital expenditures, non-sustaining exploration expense and other items needed to normalize earnings. Therefore, these measures are not indicative of our cash expenditures or overall profitability. "Total cash cost per ounce sold" is a common financial performance measure in the gold mining industry but has no standard meaning under IFRS. The Company reports total cash costs on a sales basis. We believe that, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance and ability to generate cash flow. Accordingly, it is intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. The measure, along with sales, is considered to be a key indicator of a Company's ability to generate operating earnings and cash flow from its mining operations. "Costs of sales per ounce sold" adds depreciation and depletion and share based compensation allocated to production to the cash costs figures. Total cash costs figures are calculated in accordance with a standard developed by The Gold Institute, which was a worldwide association of suppliers of gold and gold products and included leading North American gold producers. The Gold Institute ceased operations in 2002, but the standard is considered the accepted standard of reporting cash cost of production in North America. Adoption of the standard is voluntary, and the cost measures presented may not be comparable to other similarly titled measure of other companies. "Total cash costs per ounce", "cost of sales per ounce", "all-in sustaining costs per ounce", "Non-sustaining exploration per ounce", "Pan operating income" and "Pan operating cash flow" are intended to provide additional information only and do not have any standardized definition under IFRS and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. The measures are not necessarily indicative of operating profit or cash flow from operations as determined under IFRS. Other companies may calculate the measure differently. The Non-IFRS table within the December 31, 2018 MD&A reconciles non-IFRS measures to the most directly comparable IFRS measure. "Average realized price" is a financial measure with no standard meaning under IFRS. Management uses this measure to better understand the price realized in each reporting period for gold sales. Average realized price excludes from revenues unrealized gains and losses, if applicable, on non-hedge derivative contracts. The average realized price is intended to provide additional information only and does not have any standardized definition under IFRS; it should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. Other companies may calculate this measure differently. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward looking information" (as defined under applicable securities laws), based on management's best estimates, assumptions and current expectations. Such statements include but are not limited to, statements with respect to future operations at the Pan Mine, extending the mine life at the Pan Mine, updated mineable reserve, new life of mine plan at the Pan Mine, expectations for production at the Pan Mine, estimates of mineral resources, addition of crushing circuit at the Pan Mine, estimates and expectation that the crushing circuit will produce additional gold ounces and increase gold recoveries, the crusher system will be in operation by the second calendar of 2019, the crushing circuit will improve the efficiency and productivity of mining operations, capital requirements for the crushing circuit, that First National Capital will finance a portion of the capital requirement for the crushing circuit, ability to finance the addition of a crushing and agglomeration circuit, future drilling and expected results at the Pan Mine and the Gold Rock project, development and advancement of the Gold Rock Project, all of the future planned development, construction and operations described in the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision for the Gold Rock Mine project, creating development plan for Gold Rock and preliminary economic assessment, metallurgical testing for Gold Rock, ability to maintain balance sheet strength, future financial performance, company outlook, goal to become a 150,000 ounce producer, goal to acquire additional production or near production assets, and other statements, estimates or expectations. Often, but not always, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects", "expected", "budgeted", "targets", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "scheduled", "estimates", "aims", "will", "believes", "projects" and similar expressions (including negative variations) which by their nature refer to future events. By their very nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Fiore Gold's control. There can be no assurances that the finance lease transaction with First National Capital will be closed and, even if all final documentation is executed, there can be no assurance that we will meet all the requirements to access the funds under the finance lease transaction. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, as well as a number of assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company concerning, among other things, anticipated geological formations, potential mineralization, future plans for exploration and/or development, potential future production, ability to obtain permits for future operations, drilling exposure, and exploration budgets and timing of expenditures, all of which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievement of Fiore Gold to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from results anticipated by such forward looking statements include, but not limited to, risks related to the Pan Mine performance, risks related to the company's limited operating history; risks related to international operations; risks related to general economic conditions, actual results of current or future exploration activities, unanticipated reclamation expenses; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; fluctuations in prices of metals including gold; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; increases in market prices of mining consumables; possible variations in ore reserves, grade or recovery rates; uncertainties involved in the interpretation of drilling results, test results and the estimation of gold resources and reserves; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; the possibility that capital and operating costs may be higher than currently estimated; the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated expenses in the work programs; availability of financing; accidents, labour disputes, title disputes, claims and limitations on insurance coverage and other risks of the mining industry; delays in the completion of exploration, development or construction activities; the possibility that required permits may not be obtained on a timely manner or at all; possibility that the Gold Rock Record of Decision will be appealed and that such an appeal may be successful; changes in national and local government regulation of mining operations, tax rules and regulations, and political and economic developments in countries in which Fiore Gold operates, and other factors identified in Fiore Gold's filings with Canadian securities authorities under its profile at www.sedar.com respecting the risks affecting Fiore and its business. Although Fiore has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The forward-looking statements and forward-looking information are made as of the date hereof and are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Fiore disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such factors or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as require by law. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Fiore Gold Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/537375/Fiore-Gold-Announces-First-Quarter-2019-Results Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2019) - Walker River Resources Corp. (TSXV: WRR) ("Walker" or the "Company") is pleased to announce since February 15, 2019 it has received proceeds of $878,578.48 from the exercise of 7,513,154 previously issued common share purchase warrants. As of the date of this news release, the Company now has 128,927,269 common shares issued and outstanding. The warrants were issued in connection with the Company's private placements and had exercise prices of $0.10, $0.12 and $0.15 per common share. The Company intends to use the proceeds of the warrant exercises for work on the Company's Lapon Canyon Gold Project and general working capital. Finally, the Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Rene Lessard to its board of directors. Rene is an independent sales consultant. He was the Sales Manager of Campagna Motors Inc. and T-Rex Vehicles Inc. Rene is a former director of Nemaska Lithium Inc. and Monarques Resources Inc. The Company also announces the resignation of Thomas Schuster as a director of the Company. The Company would like to thank Mr. Schuster for his contributions to the Company during his appointment to the Board of Directors and wishes him well in his future endeavors. Mr. Schuster will remain a consultant to the Company. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "Michel David" ________________________ Michel David, Chief Executive Officer and Director FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Walker River Resources Corp. Tel: 819 874-0030 Fax: 819 825-1199 Email: info@wrrgold.com Website: www.wrrgold.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation service provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43098 New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2019) - NexTech AR Solutions (OTC Pink: NEXCF) (CSE: NTAR) (FSE: N29) (the "Company" or "NexTech") is pleased to announce that it has released an upgraded user experience for its patent-pending web-enabled AR platform. The new web-based UX gives users the feel of being inside an app by allowing for 3D virtual AR objects to be previewed in a location and then "placed." After the virtual 3D object is "placed," the user can pan their mobile camera left and right while the object stays stationary, giving the consumer a realistic experience, known as simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). Demo 3D-AR "Integrating IBM Watson's AI into our web-enabled 3D-AR platform puts NexTech at the forefront of the AR industry. With this new UX, we solidify our position as the most technologically-advanced web-enabled AR platform in the market today," said Evan Gappelberg, CEO of NexTech. "Previously, users were unable to place a 3D object inside a room without using Apple's ARKit, Google's ARCore, or WebXR which is very limited and only works on iOS for browsers. Our new UX is a technological advancement that leapfrogs everything on the market today and offers a truly cross-browser, cross-platform, stable and reliable 3D AR experience inside the web." This UX update is the latest initiative by NexTech to further bolster its offerings as a complete end-to-end solution for the growing e-commerce industry. Earlier this month, it launched its Try-It-On AR technology for eCommerce sellers, and just this week it announced its acquisition of Hoot to provide online retailers with 3D and 360-degree product photography solutions creating the industry's first end-to-end AR solution for e-commerce. With the global retail e-commerce market projected to reach $4.8 trillion in 2021, (according to Statistica) technologies that can offer a more personalized online shopping experience like augmented reality are poised for rapid growth. Recent research states 74 percent of consumers expect retailers to offer an augmented reality experience, and one-third reported they would be more likely to buy a product after using AR to preview it. NexTech's 3D AR platform for e-commerce provides online retailers with the tools that empower shoppers to make purchasing decisions, which ultimately drives conversions and spend which increases ROI. To see how NexTech's AR e-commerce platform works, view our demo site or contact us to learn more. About NexTech AR Solutions Corp. NexTech is bringing a next generation web enabled augmented reality (AR) platform with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and analytics using a xAPI to the Cannabis industry, eCommerce, education, training, healthcare and video conferencing. Having integrated with Shopify, Magento and Wordpress its technology offers eCommerce a universal 3D shopping solution. With just a few lines of embed code, the company's web-enabled patent-pending platform offers the most technologically advanced 3D-AR technology anywhere. Online retailers can subscribe to NexTech's state of the art, 3D-AR/AI solution for $79/mo. The company has created the AR industry's first end-to-end affordable, intelligent, frictionless, scalable platform. To learn more, please follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, or visit our website: https://www.nextechar.com. On behalf of the Board of NexTech AR Solutions Corp. "Evan Gappelberg" CEO and Director For further information, please contact: Evan Gappelberg Chief Executive Officer info@nextechar.com Media contact: Erin Hadden FischTank Marketing and PR ehadden@fischtankpr.com The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "will be", "looking forward" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements regarding the Company increasing investors awareness are based on the Company's estimates and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of NexTech to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including capital expenditures and other costs. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. NexTech will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43108 PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / Uptick Newswire Stock Day Podcast welcomed Seafarer Exploration (SFRX), a publicly traded underwater salvage and exploration company. Research Archeologist and Shareholder, Dr. Robert Baer, joined Stock Day host Everett Jolly. To begin number four of the Company's five-part series, Jolly asked Dr. Baer for some background information on himself and his partnership with Seafarer Exploration. Dr. Baer shared that he has an extensive education and background as an archaeologist, as well as in serving as the archaeologist for exploration projects. His experience and goals have paired well with the Company and it has been a successful partnership. Jolly then asked about the 1715 shipwrecks off the coast of Florida, as well as the treasure possible treasure that can be found there. Dr. Baer explained that the ships sank in a storm off of the coast of Florida, which has come to be known as the Treasure Coast. Overall, there are hundreds of sunken ships in this area, including three fleets. Jolly followed by asking Dr. Baer to explain what he does for the Company. 'I'm the liaison between Seafarer and the state of Florida.', stated Dr. Baer. He continued by sharing that he works with getting all of the necessary permitting and fulfilling additional requirements so that the Company can perform its explorations. Dr. Baer then stated that the Company has already succeeded in finding many historical artifacts through its numerous exploration projects. Many of these findings have had significant historical value. Currently, the Company has adapted its exploration process to include advanced technology, which only puts them on the verge of discovering even more artifacts. Jolly then asked Dr. Baer about the exploration projects he has personally witnessed, and the revenues associated with any findings. Dr. Baer explained that typically 20% of the findings go to the state, while the other 80% goes to the salvage company. Dr. Baer explained that currently, the Company is exploring the Melbourne beach shipwreck, which could lead to hundreds of millions of dollars of artifacts. This shipwreck could possibly represent one of the missing 1715 shipwrecks. To hear Dr. Baer's entire interview, follow the link to the podcast here: https://upticknewswire.com/featured-interview-dr-bob-baer-of-seafarer-exploration-corp-otcpink-sfrx/ Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of 'Stock Day,' and Uptick Newswire encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/ About Seafarer Exploration: Seafarer Exploration Corp. is a publicly traded underwater salvage and exploration company traded under the symbol SFRX. The principal business of the company is to develop the infrastructure necessary to engage in the archaeologically-sensitive research, documentation, exploration, recovery, and conservation of historic shipwrecks. The company has secured multiple sites it believes contain historic and valuable shipwrecks. The company will use accepted archaeological methods to properly document, research and recover portions of the wrecks. Seafarer employs scientists and historians and is committed to preserving the cultural and historical significance of every wreck it finds. www.seafarercorp.com Disclaimer: The press release may include certain statements that are not descriptions of historical facts but are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements may include the description of our plans and objectives for future operations, assumptions underlying such plans and objectives, and other forward-looking terminology such as 'may,' 'expects," 'believes,' 'anticipates,' 'intends,' 'projects," or similar terms, variations of such terms or the negative of such terms. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements made herein. Such information is based upon various assumptions made by, and expectations of, our management that was reasonable when made but may prove to be incorrect. All of such assumptions are inherently subject to significant economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies beyond our control and upon assumptions with respect to the future business decisions which are subject to change. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that actual results will meet expectation and actual results may vary (perhaps materially) from certain of the results anticipated herein. Contact: Kyle Kennedy (813) 448-3577 About Uptick Newswire and the 'Stock Day' Podcast Founded in 2013, Uptick Newswire is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Uptick provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. Uptick is the sole producer of its 'Stock Day' Podcast, which is the number one radio show of its kind in America. The Uptick Network 'Stock Day' Podcast is an extension of Uptick Newswire, which recently launched its Video Interview Studio located in Phoenix, Arizona. Media Contact: Uptick Newswire 602-441-3474 https://upticknewswire.com/ SOURCE: Uptick Newswire View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/537367/Uptick-Newswire-Welcomes-Archaeologist-Dr-Robert-Baer-of-SFRX-on-the-Stock-Day-Podcast-to-Discuss-Impressive-Findings According to Coherent Market Insights, the global small satellite market was valued at US$ 2.92 billion in 2017, and is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 26.8% over the forecast period (2018 2026). Key Trends and Analysis of the Global Small Satellite Market: The decline in cost of satellite launching, technological innovations such as IoT, 3D printing and satellite miniaturization, increasing need for crop and natural disaster monitoring, and steady demand for satellites for R&D are some of the factors driving the small satellite market growth. According to Coherent Market Insights Analysis, around 7,000 small sats are expected to be launched at an average of 580 small sats, annually by 2022 and 820 small sats, annually by 2027. Small sats can be used in various applications such as earth observation, communication, and data collection services. Request for Sample Pages of this Report https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/2512 Increase in funding for research and development of small satellites is expected to boost the market growth. For instance, in September 2018, France's The National Center for Space Studies (CNES) had set an US$ 103.7-129.63 Mn venture fund named 'CosmiCapital' that focuses on space and space applications. In the U.K., the US$ 90m Seraphim Space Fund that is managed by Seraphim Capital was launched in 2017. Among satellite size, the nano satellite segment is expected to witness significant growth in the market during the forecast period. In 2017, the nano satellite segment was valued at US$ 143.7 million and is expected to reach US$ 356.1 million by 2026, witnessing a CAGR of 13.43%. Nano satellites can be used in earth observation, surveillance, communication, and other applications. Nano satellites can operate under harsh environmental conditions and are cost effective, which makes them preferable for space missions. Miniature satellite leverage advances in computation, and packaging to produce sophisticated to produce mission capabilities. Moreover, micro satellite can share ride with another space missions, they offer private companies, universities, and government space agencies to perform space missions. However, lack of dedicated launch vehicles, design related restrictions, programmatic risks, are some factors that may affect growth of the market. To know the latest trends and insights prevalent in this market, click the link below: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/small-satellite-market-2512 Key Market Takeaways: The global small satellite market is projected to witness a CAGR of 26.8% during the forecast period (2018 2026) Among region, North America held dominant position in the market in 2017, accounting for 55% of the market share by value. The market in the region is expected to witness a CAGR of 13.1% during the forecast period and retain its dominance, owing to increasing funding by government and private organizations for development and launch of small satellites. Moreover, presence of key market players is also expected to drive growth of the small satellite market in this region. For instance, in May 2018, the National Aeronautics Space Association (NASA) launched a CubeSat mission GTOSat- an earth observatory small satellite which will provide key observations of the environmentally forbidding radiation belts that encircle Earth. In April 2018, NASA launched a new ASTERIA small satellite that is only slightly larger than a box of cereal and can be used to study planets orbiting other stars. Major players operating in the global small satellite market include, Airbus S.A.S, Boeing, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Thales Group, SpaceX, Space Systems/Loral, LLC, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Ball Corporation, and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) About Coherent Market Insights: Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005391/en/ Contacts: Mr. Shah Coherent Market Insights 1001 4th Ave, #3200 Seattle, WA 98154 Tel: +1-206-701-6702 Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com VANCOUVER, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Canfor Corporation (TSX: CFP), further to the Company's news release dated November 15, 2018, announces that it has completed the purchase of 70% of the Vida Group ("VIDA") of Sweden for a purchase price of 3,990 million Swedish Krona (approximately CAD$580 million). "We are excited to welcome the VIDA team to Canfor and we are looking forward to working with VIDA to develop our business on a global scale," said Don Kayne, President and Chief Executive Officer of Canfor. "We respect VIDA's team, the quality of the wood products they produce, their strong customer relationships, and most importantly the value of the VIDA brand worldwide." Forward Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Words such as "expects", "anticipates", "projects", "intends", "plans", "will", "believes", "seeks", "estimates", "should", "may", "could", and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and actual events or results may differ materially. There are many factors that could cause such actual events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by such statements. In addition, assumptions on which such forward-looking statements are based include the timely receipt of regulatory approvals and no adverse regulatory decisions, the timely and successful integration of the Company and VIDA AB and the accuracy and completeness of the information provided to the Company in respect of VIDA AB. There can be no assurance that the proposed transaction will occur or that the anticipated strategic benefits and synergies will be realized in their entirety, in part or at all. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and Canfor assumes no obligation to update such information to reflect later events or developments, except as required by law. Canfor is a leading integrated forest products company based in Vancouver, British Columbia ("BC") with interests in BC, Alberta, North and South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Arkansas. Canfor produces primarily softwood lumber and also owns a 54.8% interest in Canfor Pulp Products Inc., which is one of the largest producers of market northern bleached softwood kraft pulp and a leading producer of high performance kraft paper. Canfor shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol CFP. Media Contact: Michelle Ward, Director, Corporate Communications, 1 (604) 661-5225, communications@canfor.com; Investor Contact: Pat Elliott, Vice President, Corporate Finance and Strategy, 1 (604) 661-5441, Patrick.Elliott@canfor.com Halifax, Nova Scotia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2019) - Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSXV: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF) ("Ucore" or the "Company") announces that on Monday February 25, 2019 it filed a Request for Emergency Motion for Interim Injunction to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (the "Court") in response to IBC Advanced Technologies, Inc.'s ("IBC") February 19, 2019, Notice of Termination of the Option Agreement. The Court agreed to hear this request yesterday, February 27, 2019. The Company is pleased to announce the Court has granted an interim injunction (the "Injunction") pending the hearing of an interlocutory injunction on March 20, 2019. Until this hearing, the Court has ordered that: 1) IBC is prohibited from: a) taking any further steps to issue additional notices to terminate the Option Agreement or taking steps in reliance upon (or further to) the Notice of Termination; b) taking any steps, or conducting any business, or transacting with any third parties in such a manner as to prevent or preclude (or effectively prevent or preclude) Ucore from fully or effectively exercising its asserted and disputed rights under the Option Agreement. 2) IBC is permitted to: a) carry on and market its business in the ordinary course of business, so long as such is in compliance with the terms of the Option Agreement. Under the terms of the Injunction, Ucore shall refrain from enforcing its asserted and disputed rights under the Option Agreement, and any such rights shall be suspended on the understanding that Ucore's rights under the Option Agreement shall be preserved during such time as this Injunction remains in place. "We are very grateful to the Court for hearing our concerns regarding our asserted rights to lawfully acquire IBC," stated Jim McKenzie, President & CEO of Ucore. "This injunction allows a cooling off period while we continue to extend an offer to discuss a business solution to the other side. Conversely, it also provides Ucore with the right to preserve the status quo that existed on February 18, 2019, until the issues are resolved utilizing all of the remedies available to us under law." About Ucore Ucore Rare Metals is a development-phase company focused on rare metals resources, extraction and beneficiation technologies with near term potential for production, growth and scalability. The Company has a 100% ownership stake in the Bokan-Dotson Ridge Rare Earth Project. On March 31, 2014, Ucore announced the unanimous support of the Alaska State Legislature for Senate Bill 99 (2014), which authorized the AIDEA to issue up to USD $145 Million in bonds for the infrastructure and construction costs of the Bokan-Dotson Ridge Rare Earth Project. Ucore's vision and plan is to transition as a leading nanotechnology company that provides mineral separation products and services to the mining and mineral extraction industry. This vision includes the development of a Strategic Metals Complex (initially announced on Nov. 15, 2016) in Ketchikan, Alaska and the development of the Company's rare earth minerals property located at Bokan Mountain in Alaska (technical report filed on SEDAR on March 14, 2013). For further information, please contact Mr. Jim McKenzie, President & CEO of Ucore Rare Metals Inc. at: +1 (902) 482-5214 or visit . Cautionary Notes This press release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future business acquisition activities (including related required financings), timelines, litigation outcomes, events or developments that the Company expects, are forward looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Ucore has assumed that it will in the near future be able to obtain interim financing and sufficient additional financing to acquire IBC in compliance with the terms contemplated in the existing agreements with IBC and its shareholders holding a majority of its shares. Ucore has also assumed that there will be no material adverse findings in its upcoming expected comprehensive due diligence review of IBC. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include: Ucore not being able to raise sufficient funds to acquire IBC (including the non-acquisition payments owed under the previous and existing agreements); adverse capital market conditions; unexpected due diligence findings; unexpected or adverse outcomes in the currently outstanding litigation matters between Ucore and IBC; resistance to or noncompliance by IBC or its key shareholders with the existing agreements; the emergence of alternative superior metallurgy and mineral separation technologies; the inability of IBC to retain its key staff members and clients; the inability of IBC to protect its intellectual property; unexpected transaction costs or other deal completion setbacks; the availability and procurement of any required interim financing that may be required; and general economic, market or business conditions. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined by the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43123 'Women Developers of the Future', Turkey's biggest software, education and development programme realized by Turkcell (NYSE: TKC) (BIST: TCELL) to increase employment of women in technology sector, won the 'Women4Tech' Industry Leadership award in the 'Outstanding Achievement' category at the Glomo Awards (Global Mobile Awards) 2019. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005542/en/ Turkcell CEO Kaan Terzioglu receiving the award at the ceremony which took place at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on the 28th of February. (Photo: Turkcell) Turkcell CEO Kaan Terzioglu received the award at the ceremony which took place at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on the 28th of February. Turkcell was the only telecom company to represent Turkey at the finals. The focus of the Women Developers of the Future Programme is women aged 18 and older who are high-school graduates, college student or graduates who want to work in the mobile technology industry or who want to carry out their business ideas by using mobile technologies. 'Yes data, yes jobs, yes women in our industry' Turkcell CEO Kaan Terzioglu stated that Turkcell aims to use the technology to empower society at scale and added: "We started the Women Developers of the Future Programme journey with this objective. With this conscience, we have established Turkey's biggest women software, education and development programme to help drive transformation to assure gender equality in technology business. We employed test specialists among the participants in Women Developers of the Future Programme after trainings and entrusted Turkcell's digital services and solutions to them. Today, behind Turkcell's global success is the punctiliousness, elaborateness and efforts of these women. This award shows the success of the Women Developers of the Future Programme and we are proud to ensure women's contribution to the digital economy. The transformational value of technology as an equalizer empowers us to safeguard women's part in the digital ecosystem." About Women Developers of the Future The journey of the platform started with 1359 women from 60 cities in the first year of the project. 2.3 million lines of codes keyed in, and 170 thousand kilometers of road was travelled after the 1836 hours of in-class and 46 thousand 200 hours of online training. Successful women developers who made it to the finals have the opportunity of internship or employments in technology companies or access to the Incubator Center and overseas trip to observe entrepreneurship in technology. 100 women who gained the right to attain the project development process were employed by Turkcell as test specialists. www.DigitalOperator1440.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005542/en/ Contacts: Ali Karakaya Turkcell Corporate Communications Manager ali.karakaya@turkcell.com.tr Bugra Kaya Turkcell Corporate Communications Expert bugra.kaya@turkcell.com.tr Deal with UK brand grows the company to 22 service brands, 1.5 billion in annual system-wide sales and nearly 3,700 franchisees. BANBURY, England, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Neighborly, the world's largest franchisor of home service brands, has announced the acquisition of Dream Doors, the UK's No. 1 kitchen makeover franchisor. The addition marks the first acquisition of 2019 and brings Neighborly to a total of 22 service brands, nearly 3,700 franchise owners and more than 850 colleagues across nine countries. The deal includes 91 locally-owned and operated franchise showrooms of Dream Doors across the UK specialising in fully-fitted kitchen makeovers, replacement doors and countertops and the installation of new appliances. As a result, Neighbourly UK now consists of a total of six brands, including Aire Serv, Bright & Beautiful, Countrywide Grounds Maintenance, Drain Doctor, Mr. Electric and Dream Doors, and three support offices in Banbury, Manchester and Portsmouth. "Dream Doors has delivered on its promise of 'new life for old kitchens and bedrooms' for the past 20 years, making the brand a perfect complement to Neighborly Brands' community of premium home services," said Mike Bidwell, President and CEO of Neighborly. "This brand furthers our expertise for Neighborly in today's home improvement industry and accelerates the franchise's growth of in-demand home services throughout the UK." "The successful acquisition of this value-add new brand builds on our position as a UK leader in the services, helping people to repair, maintain and enhance their homes and businesses. We are always looking to strengthen and grow our portfolio of brands in the UK and Europe and establish new strategic partnerships to help us maximise the breath and value of our franchise opportunities," says Jeff Meyers, Vice-President of International Operations for Neighborly. "We are really excited to have Dream Doors on board and welcome them to our neighborhood." Based in Portsmouth in the south of England, Dream Doors was founded on providing kitchen makeovers and recently expanded to offer custom wardrobes. As a result of its proven business model and innovations, Dream Doors has received numerous franchise accolades and awards for excellent service and satisfaction over the years. Founder and Chairman Troy Tappenden will step down and depart from the company. The Dream Doors network will continue to be overseen by Managing Director Philip Carr who has been instrumental in implementing the brand's long-term expansion strategy since 2017. "By joining the world's largest franchisor of home services, Dream Doors will gain new vendor relationships, a powerful peer group of other Neighborly service brands and more," said Carr. "Supported by Neighborly's expertise moving forward, I look forward to this new phase of growth for our brand." For more information about Neighborly's service brands visit www.neighborlybrands.com. About Neighborly: Neighborly is a holding company of 22 service brands, focused on repairing, maintaining and enhancing consumers' homes and businesses. The company operates online platforms that connect consumers to service providers in their local communities that meet their rigorous standards as a franchisor across 15 service categories at www.getneighborly.com in the United States and www.getneighbourly.ca in Canada. The company was founded in 1981 as Dwyer Group and is based in Waco, Texas. More information about Neighborly/Neighbourly, and its franchise concepts, is available at https://www.neighborlybrands.com/. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/747251/NBLY_LO_US_NoTag_RGB_FullColor_0218_Logo.jpg The BJP, meanwhile, had been assiduously working since the "surgical strike" following the 2016 attack on the Uri military camp to foment jingoism. A scene of the spot after militants attacked a CRPF convoy in Goripora area of Awantipora town in Pulwama district of J&K on Thursday. At least 49 CRPF jawans were killed in the attack. (Photo: PTI) India-Pakistan relations, turbulent over the entire tenure of Narendra Modi's prime ministership, reached a crisis point after the dastardly attack at Pulwama on a CRPF convoy on February 14. It was audacious as it reintroduced the deadly car bomb, which hasn't been seen in the Valley in some years. The sheer ferocity of the attack, literally mangling and instantly killing over 40 bus occupants, ignited anger across India. The BJP, meanwhile, had been assiduously working since the "surgical strike" following the 2016 attack on the Uri military camp to foment jingoism. The operation was turned into a film, promoted for viewing by the BJP faithful, among others, in the run-up to the Lok Sabha election. The Pulwama attack ignited that subliminal nationalistic churn. The BJP-led NDA government sat on its hands as Kashmiri students studying outside their home state were harassed. Prime Minister Modi kept silent till the exodus had turned into a deluge. Meanwhile, chants of revenge began urging a willing government to extract immediate and visible revenge from Pakistan. The BJP sensed an opportunity to divert public discourse from bread-and-butter issues, such as rural distress and unemployment, which had cost the BJP three vital Hindi-belt states, to national security. Modi breached constitutional propriety and ethical norms while inaugurating the new National War Memorial on February 25. He did not invite the President of India who, according to Article 53(2) of the Constitution is the "supreme commander" of the defence forces, to do the honours. He also used the occasion for Congress-bashing, misusing a sacred space commemorating the supreme sacrifice of Indian servicemen. Nowhere in the world are such national monuments used to promote such blatant political partisanship. Early next morning was launched the well-planned attack by the Indian Air Force on two points near the Line of Control and a massive bombing of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) training camp at Balakot, in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, thus breaking old taboos. Foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale in his briefing, said: India conducted a "non-military, pre-emptive" attack; India had reliable intelligence that terrorists and suicide bombers there were training to attack India; India had no desire to target the Pakistani military or escalate. Pakistan immediately contested the Indian version, saying no buildings were destroyed or people killed at Balakot. India, on the other hand, claimed a few hundred militants dead, including the who's who of the JeM's terror syndicate. Balakot has a special resonance for JeM head Masood Azhar. In 1831 Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh's army had eliminated the radical Muslim jihadists led by Sayed Ahmed, who declared jihad on Sikhs after proclaiming himself, a la Taliban leader Mullah Omar, Amir al-Mu'minin. Its destruction shatters that propaganda value of Balakot. By nightfall PM Narendra Modi had effectively rewritten the strategic equation between India and Pakistan, having ignored the nuclear blackmail lingering since the 1990s. India showed it can reach leading perpetrators of terror against India and inflict punishment even when the Pakistani state protected them. But by forenoon the next day, the feel-good air vanished as the news spread of a helicopter crash and an Indo-Pak aerial dogfight over the LoC. Indian television channels focused on India shooting down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet but ignored till late afternoon that in fact an Indian MiG-21 Bison had also been shot down by Pakistan in a clever ambush. The pilot was seen soon in Pakistani hands. Pakistan's PM Imran Khan appeared on television and played the reasonable adversary, condoling the loss of life at Pulwama, and suggesting dialogue and de-escalation. The Indian pilot, Pakistan claimed, would be treated as per the Geneva Conventions. US President Donald Trump, preoccupied with his parleys with North Korean leader in Vietnam gave early indication of some positive development in Indo-Pak military stand-off. But his reputation for incomplete comprehension of complex issues made most think he was over optimistic or ill-briefed. PM Imran Khan sprung a surprise on the floor of Pakistan's National Assembly on February 28 when he announced their decision to repatriate the apprehended Indian pilot unilaterally. This queers the jingoistic pitch of Modi government as any military action now would appear like thankless adventurism unless fresh provocation emanates from Pakistani state or non-state elements. Meanwhile US will have to calibrate what next steps need to be taken by both sides to make the de-escalation permanent. Three defence services after this held a press conference to reiterate strong defense preparedness and show proof of Pakistani loss of F-16. So far global opinion has favoured India as even China refused to condemn the Indian action. Australia, in fact, was strongly supportive. Imran Khan rang up the Crown Princes of Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi and probably got advice to not escalate. The Modi government, however, faces a dilemma. Accepting a dialogue, even short of formal talks, returns the script to terror and talks going together, unless Pakistan starts moving against India-specific terror networks. Alternatively, the government has two basic options - one, to escalate and inflict more punishment on the Pakistani military if it does not relent and start dismantling its terror networks; two, keep the military option on the table while getting the international community to ratchet up the pressure, some space now being created by Imran Khan pilot release gambit. The first plays into the instincts of the BJP's core constituency and perhaps its electoral needs. But international opinion and more importantly President Trump will now swing against more adventurism by India. Meanwhile, 21 Opposition parties met and issued a statement criticising the "politicisation of military and national security issues" and questioning the Prime Minister for not even meeting the Opposition as nation faced a serious challenge. They naturally expressed solidarity with the armed forces. The external affairs ministry summoned Pakistan's deputy high commissioner and protested against the Pakistani air attack on military targets, adding that India reserved the right to retaliate. Military escalation is not a perfect science, as the events of the past few days have shown. But as Otto von Bismarck, the astute 19th century German Chancellor, had said, "People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war and before an election." In India, it is these last two together. According to the New Study, Iowa Ranks as One of the Safest States for Senior Citizens to Reside LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / The founders of TheSeniorList.com, a community site where people can learn about the latest technology for aging adults, engage in discussions about caregiving and more, are pleased to announce that they have just released an official list of which states are currently the safest for senior citizens. To learn more about TheSeniorList.com and join in on the online conversation, please visit https://www.theseniorlist.com/. As a company spokesperson noted, while most people would like to imagine that their golden years will be a blissful time filled with financial peace, safety and relaxation, this is far from the truth for millions of older Americans. Many are still working, the spokesperson noted, and elderly people can also be victims of violence and fraud. This situation inspired the founders of The Senior List to amass and read through a great deal of data to determine which states are the safest for seniors, as well as which areas of the country have been found to be risky for older adults. After spending hours poring over research from a number of sources, the new study notes, The Hawkeye State was found to be an especially safe place for older Americans to reside. "Iowa was determined to be the best for senior citizens in our ranking, while, pretty ironically, Florida posed the greatest risk to seniors," the new article noted, adding that the founders' analysis looked at five key factors affecting Americans 65 and older: fraud victimization, violent deaths, living alone, median rental costs and poverty. People who would like to read the study in its entirety may visit The Senior List website at any time; there, they can also learn more about the online resource. As the article notes, Iowa received very favorable rankings in these five areas - for example, it ranked third in the nation for the lowest incidents of fraud and for the number of seniors living in poverty, as well as those who are living alone. Other states that may be especially safe for seniors, the new article notes, include Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota. About TheSeniorList.com: The Senior List(R) is a lifestyle brand focused on the needs of boomers and older adults across the U.S. and Canada. The Senior List was founded by a team that believes transparency is the key to finding quality products and services. The Senior List website is a great place to start when looking for professional and consumer feedback on senior care products and services. Contact: Amie Clark amieclark@theseniorlist.com (949) 555-2861 SOURCE: TheSeniorList.com View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/537391/TheSeniorListcom-Releases-Official-List-of-Which-States-are-Safest-for-Seniors Del Mar, California--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2019) - Defense Technologies International Corp. (OTC Pink: DTII) (The Company,) an innovative provider of security technology with broad and diverse applications, is pleased to announce that it signed a consulting agreement with Kenneth Fitzpatrick, President of Montecito Ventures, Scottdale, AZ. Mr. Kenneth F. Fitzpatrick of Montecito Ventures has over 30 years of experience in assisting companies on matters relating to market awareness/support and branding of said companies. Mr. Fitzpatrick an institutional stock broker in New York and in San Francisco with Kidder, Peabody and with Hambrecht & Quist. Montecito Ventures is a public relations firm specializing in consulting, raising market awareness, market support & branding for small cap companies. Mr. Fitzpatrick is a success driven professional with a solid track record and he has over 30 years experience assisting Corporations in achieving their goals be it in bringing funding, short and long- term capital, acquisitions or raising market awareness, Mr. Fitzpatrick's successes have been in these sectors: Oil & Gas, Mineral Exploration, Health Sciences, Material Sciences and Special Situations. "We are impressed with the capabilities of Mr. Fitzpatrick and are excited to be working with him. He will take the lead in developing a program that will effectively communicate our investment opportunity, promote sustainable value and broaden our shareholder base with our new 'Passive Portal; Weapons Detector project, it is our goal to create value for the Shareholders. We welcome Mr. Fitzpatrick to the Team, we are sure that his years of experience will enhance the value to our present and future shareholders" said Mr. Moses, President. "THE PASSIVE PORTAL" The Passive Portal uses the 'Earth's Magnetic Fields' with no emissions for detection of dangerous weapons in the educational environment and is extremely safe for any person passing through. Other competing devices use technology with emissions that many parents, teachers and administrators are wary of. The 'Passive Portal' is the state-of-the-art for this security purpose and is significantly less expensive, allowing for more life-saving units to be deployed. The 'Passive Portal' is equally suitable for many other public venues. "It is now time to begin to tell our corporate story as the Passive Portal embarks on an aggressive new marketing program," stated Merrill W. Moses, President and CEO, Defense Technologies International. "We have been quiet for a long time, working meticulously to prepare our technology and the company itself for a national awareness effort. Now, we've added Kenneth Fitzpatrick to lead our market awareness program, as a solid next step." For more information on the Passive Security Scan Technology and the Passive Portal, visit www.passivesecurityscan.com. Video productions about the "Passive Security Scan" Project are available at these links: Corporate Video: https://youtu.be/rFV6Y1tOdG4 Technical Video: https://youtu.be/uv4EYsjUmL4 Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking" statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are no guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Company Contact Defense Technologies International Merrill W. Moses, President & CEO Phone: 800 520-9485 Email: dtii@defensetechnologiesintl.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43103 Dynamic media company expands its US portfolio with acquisition of market-leading financial publishing business Dennis Publishing (Dennis), the leading international media group and publisher of The Week in the US and the UK, today announces that it has acquired Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. (Kiplinger), a market leader in business and personal finance information, in print and online. Kiplinger, founded in 1920 in Washington, D.C. and run by three generations of the Kiplinger family, publishes the largest paid-subscription publications in several financial fields: business forecasting (the weekly Kiplinger Letter); taxes (the biweekly Kiplinger Tax Letter); retirement living (the monthly Kiplinger's Retirement Report) and yield-oriented investing (the monthly Kiplinger's Investing for Income Its most widely read products are Kiplinger's Personal Finance, the 600,000-circulation monthly magazine which pioneered personal finance journalism in 1947, and Kiplinger.com, its website with four million unique visitors and more than 30 million page views per month. Dennis is one of the most dynamic media organisations operating in the US and UK markets. Its portfolio of over 30 brands currently operates in four areas of excellence: Current Affairs, Technology, Automotive and Lifestyle, reaching over 50 million unique users and selling over 2.5 million magazines every month. James Tye, Group CEO of Dennis, said: "Kiplinger is everything we look for in a business: It is blessed with strong brands that have developed a high degree of trust with their readers, allied to a vibrant, growing digital business. Kiplingeris run by an experienced leadership team that understand the value of authoritative and concise information in the finance category as well as the key role the various Kiplinger brands play in delivering excellent results for its advertising clients." Dennis currently owns The Week based in New York, which boasts over 550,000 paid-for print subscribers and 5.8 million monthly unique users to its award-winning current affairs website TheWeek.com. The Week is renowned for both its concise style and the unique balance it brings to an increasingly fragmented and divided news landscape. Dennis was acquired by one of the UK's leading Private Equity firms, Exponent, in October 2018. Washington-based Kiplinger is the first acquisition that Dennis has made in the US since it changed ownership. Tye continued: "Kiplinger is a great fit for Dennis. It expands our presence into the finance category, an area we already have an impressive footprint in with the The Week and MoneyWeek. It is also a business with strong, recurring, subscription revenues; Dennis stands out as a company that is built around brands that readers trust and want to buy. I look forward to working with Denise Elliott and her talented team to keep growing the relevance, reach and revenues of the Kiplinger business." Denise Elliott, Senior VP and Chief Operating Officer at Kiplinger, will step up to run Kiplinger as CEO from the company's Washington DC headquarters and will become part of the Dennis Leadership Team. Jack Griffin, Chairman of Dennis, said: "Dennis has deep expertise in developing and growing well-loved media brands, both in print and online. We see a significant opportunity to continue to grow our business through expanding our reach and reputation globally. The Kiplinger acquisition marks the beginning of our focus on expansion through launch and acquisition in the US, one of the largest and most exciting media markets in the world." Knight Kiplinger, 71, will remain Chairman of KWE's former parent, Outlook, Inc.,and will serve as an informal advisor to Kiplinger and Dennis on editorial content, with the title of Editor Emeritus. None of Outlook's substantial real estate holdings in Maryland and Martin County, Fla., are part of the transaction, and will continue to be owned and managed by the Kiplinger family. Knight Kiplinger, formerly Kiplinger's Chairman and Editor in Chief, said "Dennis will be an excellent custodian of not just the Kiplinger business, but of our editorial integrity and focus on strong reader service." Kiplinger was represented in the transaction by Berkery Noyes Co in New York, and assisted by the Washington law office of Venable. Dennis was legally represented by Travers Smith in London and Choate, Hall Stewart in Boston, and assisted by Oaklins DeSilva Phillips in New York. About Dennis Publishing Group Dennis Publishing Group (Dennis) comprises Dennis Publishing Ltd in the UK and The Week Publications Inc. in the US. Dennis is one of the most dynamic media organisations, operating in the UK and US markets. Its portfolio of over 30 brands, operates in four areas of excellence: Current Affairs, Technology, Automotive and Lifestyle, reaching over 50 million unique users and selling over 2.5million magazines every month. Dennis has transformed its approach from its traditional print publishing roots to a multi-platform publishing and ecommerce business spanning both the UK and US, with a group turnover of over 190m. Dennis brands include The Week, Money Week, Auto Express, Expertreviews.co.uk, BuyACar.co.uk, Cyclist and Viz. Dennis holds the title of AOP Digital Publishing Company of the Year, 2016 2018, and British Media Awards Media Company of the Year 2016 2018. For more information, go to Dennis.co.uk. The Week was launched in 2001 and is based in New York. It boasts over 550,000 paid-for print subscribers and 5.8m monthly unique users to its award winning current affairs website TheWeek.com. About Kiplinger Kiplinger was founded in 1920 by a former Associated Press economics reporter, W. M. Kiplinger (1891-1967), whose tersely written Kiplinger Washington Letter (launched in 1923) and Kiplinger Tax Letter (1925) became the prototypes for modern newsletter journalism and the most widely read newsletters in the world. In 1947 W. M. Kiplinger and his son, Austin H. Kiplinger (1918-2015), launched Kiplinger Magazine, the first magazine to give its readers advice on their personal finances. Under the leadership of Knight Kiplinger, the company expanded into video, audio and online information in the 1990s, also launching new periodicals on retirement living and income investing. In 2007, Kiplinger was named one of "America's "Most Ethical Companies" by Ethisphere magazine, and Kiplinger's Personal Finance won the 2009 General Excellence Award in the large-magazine category, from the Society of American Business Writers and Editors (SABEW). It has won or been a finalist for numerous online content honors, including MIN's Best of the Web, EPPY and Webby awards. About Exponent Established in 2004, Exponent is one of the UK's leading private equity firms, investing in companies with enterprise values between 100m and 400m. The company seeks to identify untapped potential and navigate complexity to unlock growth for its portfolio companies and investors. Its current and former investments in consumer media and publishing businesses include the Times Educational Supplement, Immediate Media and the Racing Post. A selection of Exponent's other investments include Quorn Foods, Photobox Group, Loch Lomond Whisky, Big Bus Tours, the Ambassador Theatre Group and Trainline. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005557/en/ Contacts: For Dennis UK press enquiries, contact jerina_hardy@dennis.co.uk; +44(0)7968 531 473 For Dennis/The Week US press enquiries, contact Alissa Neil PR, alissa@alissaneilpr.com; (917) 328-4889 Press contact for Kiplinger: The Rosen Group [Lori Rosen, lori@rosengrouppr.com] CHICAGO, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --According to the new research report "Armored Vehicles Market by Platform (Combat Vehicles, Combat Support Vehicles, Unmanned Armored Ground Vehicles), Mobility (Wheeled, Tracked), System (Engine, Drive Systems, Ballistic Armor, Turret Drive, C2 Systems), Region - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Armored Vehicles Market is projected to grow from USD 14.3 billion in 2018 to USD 16.8 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 3.25% from 2018 to 2023. Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=6322755 Increasing demand for armored vehicles due to rise in the instances of cross-border conflicts and increasing incidences of asymmetric warfare across the globe are major factors driving the growth of the armored vehicles market. "Based on platform, the combat vehicles segment is expected to lead the armored vehicles market during the forecast period." Based on platform, the armored vehicles market has been segmented into combat vehicles, combat support vehicles, and unmanned armored ground vehicles. The unmanned armored ground vehicles segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Increasing demand for unmanned systems in battlefields is fueling the growth of this segment of the market. Browse in-depth TOC on "Armored Vehicles Market" 134 - Tables 107 - Figures 161 - Pages "Based on mobility, the wheeled segment of the armored vehicles market is projected to grow at a higher CAGR as compared to the tracked segment from 2018 to 2023." Based on mobility, the market has been segmented into wheeled and tracked. The wheeled segment is projected to grow at a higher CAGR as compared to the tracked segment during the forecast period. Increased demand for 4x4 light armored vehicles by military forces to carry out Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) activities and transport defense personnel and equipment from one location to another is fueling the growth of this segment of the market. "The North American region is projected to lead the armored vehicles market during the forecast period." The North American region is projected to lead the armored vehicles market from 2018 to 2023. The growth of the market in this region can be attributed to the increasing investments being made by countries of the region to develop highly advanced and scalable armored vehicles with strong ballistic capabilities. These investments are mainly driven by the US, which is issuing contracts for the development and launch of new products. The US is also procuring light armored vehicles in large numbers and is also upgrading its fleet of main battle tanks and armored fighting vehicles with lethal capabilities. The continuous involvement of the US in various conflicts across the globe has increased the demand for armored vehicles in the North American region. Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=6322755 Major players operating in this market include Oshkosh Corporation (US), UralVagonZavod (Russia), Ukroboronprom (Ukraine), General Dynamics Corporation (US), BAE Systems plc (UK), NORINCO (China), Rheinmetall AG (Germany), and Textron Inc. (US). Please Explore Relevant Report: Actuators Market by Type (Linear Actuators, Rotary Actuators), System (Electrical, Hydraulic, Pneumatic, Mechanical), Application (End Use, Industrial), and Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, RoW) - Global Forecast to 2022 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Shelly Singh MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/armored-vehicle-market.asp Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Mondi Limited Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa Registered office: 4th Floor, No.3 Melrose Boulevard, Melrose Arch 2196, Gauteng, RSA Registration number: 1967/013038/06 Tax registration number: 920/0017/71/4P JSE share code: MND ISIN: ZAE000156550 Mondi plc Incorporated in England and Wales Registered office: 1st Floor, Building 1, Aviator Park, Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 2PG, UK Registered number: 6209386 Tax registration number: 454 12394 14454 LEI: 213800LOZA69QFDC9N34 JSE share code: MNP ISIN: GB00B1CRLC47 LSE share code: MNDI As part of the dual listed company structure, Mondi Limited and Mondi plc (together "Mondi Group") notify both the JSE Limited and the London Stock Exchange of matters required to be disclosed under the Listings Requirements of the JSE Limited and/or the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency and Listing Rules of the United Kingdom Listing Authority. 28 February 2019 Mondi Group - 2018 Final Ordinary Dividend ZAR/Euro Exchange Rate On 28 February 2019 Mondi Group announced, in its Preliminary Results announcement, that a proposed final ordinary dividend for the year ended 31 December 2018 of 54.55 euro cents per ordinary share will be paid on 16 May 2019 to all Mondi Limited and Mondi plc ordinary shareholders on the relevant registers on 12 April 2019. The final ordinary dividend is subject to the approval of the shareholders of Mondi Limited and Mondi plc at the respective annual general meetings scheduled for 9 May 2019. Mondi Limited and Mondi plc will pay their respective dividends as follows: Mondi Limited Mondi Limited will pay its final ordinary dividend in South African rand cents. The applicable exchange rate is EUR 1 to ZAR 15.90343. Therefore, the equivalent gross final ordinary dividend in rand cents per ordinary share will be 867.53211. Dividend tax will be withheld from Mondi Limited shareholders at a rate of 20%, unless a shareholder qualifies for an exemption, resulting in a net final ordinary dividend of 694.02569 rand cents per ordinary share. Mondi plc Mondi plc will pay its final ordinary dividend in euro. However, ordinary shareholders resident in the United Kingdom will receive the final ordinary dividend in sterling (unless shareholders have elected to receive their dividends in euro). The last date for euro currency elections will be 12 April 2019. The exchange rate for this payment will be set on 30 April 2019. In addition, Mondi plc South African branch register shareholders will receive the final ordinary dividend in South African rand cents, converted at a rate of EUR 1 to ZAR 15.90343. Therefore, the equivalent gross final ordinary dividend in rand cents per ordinary share will be 867.53211. Dividend tax will be withheld from Mondi plc South African branch register shareholders at a rate of 20%, unless a shareholder qualifies for an exemption, resulting in a net final ordinary dividend of 694.02569 rand cents per ordinary share. Additional Information The final ordinary dividend will be paid from income reserves. Mondi Limited had a total of 118,312,975 ordinary shares in issue and Mondi plc 367,240,805 ordinary shares in issue of which 114,128,350 were held on the branch register, excluding treasury shares, at the final ordinary dividend recommendation date of 28 February 2019. Sponsor in South Africa: UBS South Africa (Pty) Ltd Cloud Solutions India is Pleased to Play an Important Role in Salesforce CRM Training TAMIL NADU, INDIA / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / The founders of Cloud Solutions India are pleased to announce that their salesforce training in Chennai has experienced a significant amount of growth. To contact Cloud Solutions India and learn more about their Salesforce CRM training, please visit https://www.salesforcetraining.education/a/. As a company spokesperson noted, the founders of Cloud Solutions India understand how important Salesforce training is for companies. This inspired them to create and launch the Salesforce CRM training that is comprehensive, highly educational and effective. For companies that are looking for outstanding and affordable salesforce training, Chennai based Cloud Solutions India is the perfect one stop solution. The company's website, designed and developed by top efficient designers in the Industry, has played a pivotal role in the growth of the company. The website offers plenty of helpful information about their Salesforce CRM training, and also about how Cloud Solutions India's training institute bagged the pioneer position in this industry. 'If you are looking to outperform your competition in Sales, Service, Marketing and Administration or looking for a customized training solution for your team for every vertical of your Salesforce, we provide the answer to your search with either our traditional Salesforce training in Chennai or company specific end-user training,' the spokesperson noted. He further added that Cloud Solutions India offer only the best instructors who have in-depth knowledge on this topic. 'By offering a customized solution that supports every vertical in sales, and inculcating the current best practices and practical industry knowledge, Cloud Solutions India has become one of the best Salesforce training centers in Chennai.' The fact that Cloud Solution India's Salesforce CRM training has grown by leaps and bounds will not surprise the many satisfied clients that they have worked with. The company's website features a number of positive reviews from clients who have signed up for salesforce training. As one review by a sales manager from a European country noted, after determining that he needs to be better positioned in the industry, he wanted to find a reputable salesforce training center in Chennai that offered flexible times and intensive yet user-friendly courses. 'In Cloud Solutions India, I found what I was looking for,' he wrote. About Cloud Solutions India: Cloud Solutions India is a reputed training institute in Chennai which has professional, experienced and talented teachers for various courses in Salesforce. For more information, please visit https://www.salesforcetraining.education/about-us/. This Press Release was released by DigitalSEO Tirunelveli who handle the Digital Marketing activities of Cloud Solutions India. Cloud Solutions India 26, S W Boag Rd, T.Nagar Chennai - 600017 Tamil Nadu India Contact: Jabaraj admin@cloudsolutionsindia.com 9840488332 SOURCE: Cloud Solutions India View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/537393/Salesforce-Training-in-Chennai-from-Cloud-Solutions-India-Experiences-Remarkable-Growth VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / DIGATRADE FINANCIAL CORP (OTCQB: DIGAF), an OTC digital asset trade desk for institutions and financial technology company, has executed its anticipated Definitive Agreement ("DA") with Securter Inc., a private Canadian Corporation that is developing a proprietary, patent-pending credit card payment platform to significantly increase the security of online credit card payment processing. Securter technology reduces immense losses by financial institutions and merchants that arise from fraudulent credit card use and protects cardholder privacy by eliminating the distribution of personal information to third parties. With the current worldwide surge in online commerce expected to continue for years to come, the problem of credit card security is large and growing. The Definitive Agreement with Securter sets out that Securter's technology will be launched and commercialized as a Digatrade subsidiary. Securter's technology and conceptual innovations for online payment processing are numerous. They improve the financial security and privacy of all "card-not-present" (CNP) credit card transactions that are processed by participating financial institutions and merchants. Card-not-present transactions represent a large and rapidly growing proportion of all global credit card commerce due to the consumer convenience of online payments. Securter's technology has multiple elements by which to tackle mounting online losses in the credit card payment processing industry. The Definitive agreement authorizes the formation of a new Digatrade subsidiary to receive and hold all existing Securter assets and intellectual property, including existing and future patent rights of the present Securter Inc. The subsidiary will have its own dedicated management. Under the agreement, Digatrade will fund its new subsidiary up to US $3 Million in operational financing. This will enable the subsidiary to make its technology market-ready for launch through alliances with established payment service providers and other fintech industry channels. Securter prototype research and consultation with the industry has confirmed the need for the benefits that Securter technology delivers. The international payments processing industry is actively seeking solutions for the serious problem that CNP fraud represents. Securter's better security with lower cost and improved convenience make adoption of Securter technology a natural choice for these industry partners. Securter will monetize its technology by sharing credit card transaction-fee revenue with participating processors. ABOUT DIGATRADE: DIGATRADE is a Financial Technology "Fintech" company that offers buyside digital asset transactions to institutions through its proprietary over-the-counter trade desk. The Company recently executed an agreement with Securter that is developing a proprietary, patent-pending credit card payment platform to significantly increase the security of online credit card payment processing. Digatrade Financial Corp., located in Vancouver, British Columbia is publicly listed on the OTC.QB under the trading symbol DIGAF. DIGAF is a reporting issuer in the Province of British Columbia, Canada with the British Columbia Securities Commission "BCSC" and in the United States with the Securities Exchange Commission "SEC". CORPORATE CONTACT INFORMATION: Digatrade Financial Corp 1500 West Georgia Street, 1300 Vancouver, BC V6G-2Z6 Canada Tel: +1(604) 200-0071 Fax: +1(604) 200-0072 www.digatradefinancial.com Forward-Looking Information This press release contains certain "forward-looking information". All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or development that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future constitute forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects the current expectations or beliefs of the company based on information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking information is subject to a number of significant risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, the possibility of unanticipated costs and expenses. Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such information due to the inherent uncertainty therein. SOURCE: Digatrade Financial Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/537337/Digatrade-Executes-Definitive-Agreement-to-Develop-More-Secure-Fintech-with-Securter-Inc Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2019) - Southern Silver Exploration Corp. (TSXV: SSV) ("Southern Silver") reported today final results from the 2018 core drilling exploration program on the Cerro Las Minitas project. Twenty-one drill holes totaling 10,157 metres were completed in both the Area of the Cerro and various other targets in the more recently acquired Ag-Au epithermal CLM West claim group. Eleven core holes totaling 6,632 metres were completed in the Area of the Cerro with a focus towards further mineral resource expansion. Drilling tested the lateral extensions of mineralization in the North Skarn target and the Las Victorias target and grade gaps in the central part of the Skarn Front target. Highlights from the most recent drilling in the central part of the Skarn Front include: a 2.6m down hole interval (2.0m est. True Thickness) averaging 409g/t Ag, 0.9% Cu, 0.8% Pb and 8.4% Zn (871g/t AgEq; 24.6% ZnEq) including a 0.6m (0.5m est. TT) grading 477g/t Ag, 3.7% Cu, 0.6% Pb and 32.3% Zn (2181g/t AgEq; 61.1% ZnEq) in drill hole 18CLM-115 ; and including a 0.6m (0.5m est. TT) in drill hole 18CLM-115 and a 1.0m down hole interval (0.8m est. TT) averaging 640g/t Ag, 1.0% Cu, 16.7% Pb and 22.4% Zn (2117g/t AgEq; 59.8% ZnEq) in drill hole 18CLM-115; The drilling fills a grade gap within the Skarn Front deposit and demonstrates the continuity of the higher-grade mineralization with previously reported intercepts from drill holes 15CLM-081 (16.8m down hole interval 136g/t Ag, 0.5% Cu, 0.3% Pb and 4.5% Zn or 361g/t AgEq; see NR-14-15, December 1, 2015) and 18CLM-091 (15.1m down hole interval averaging 39g/t Ag, 0.1% Pb and 10.2% Zn (410.7g/t AgEq; 11.6% ZnEq; see NR-01-17, January 19, 2017). In the Las Victorias zone, drill hole CLM-117 tested a 200 metre lateral and down-dip step-out to the southeast of earlier drilling and returned: a 2.3m down hole interval (1.2m est. TT) averaging 202g/t Ag, 1.6g/t Au, 3.8% Pb, and 1.8% Zn (501g/t AgEq; 14.2% ZnEq); and a 2.8m down hole interval (2.4 est TT) averaging 71g/t Ag, 0.1% Pb and 3.3% Zn (220g/t AgEq; 6.2% ZnEq). These new intercepts help maintain and extend continuity within the 300m x 300m tested area, particularly of the high-grade hanging wall mineralization, in Las Victorias zone which remains open down dip and laterally. Figure 1: Drill hole locations, Area of the Cerro, Cerro Las Minitas project To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5344/43102_ea9a359154c30947_002full.jpg CLM West Claim Group Southern Silver also reported that 3,525 metres of core drilling was completed in 10 holes on the CLM West claim group as part of the 2018 CLM program. Drilling targeted vein and breccia systems in younger Tertiary-age volcanic rocks similar to those identified in the adjacent Avino Gold Silver Mine, located 8 kilometres to the northwest and the La Preciosa deposit (Coeur Mining) located 25 kilometres to the west The 2018 drill results on CLM West are highlighted by a previously reported 3 metre (downhole interval) intercept grading 168g/t Ag (see NR-12-18, October 29, 2018) from a strongly oxidized and broken zone located in the upper part of drill hole 18CLMW-007 and two deeper anomalous pathfinder zones with strongly enriched arsenic and antimony including 32.2m of 1073ppm As and 676ppm Sb. The intercepts correlate to the Durazno breccia structure, which can be traced in outcrop on surface mapping for over 1.5km in the northern part of the claim group. Further drilling confirmed an extension of the anomalous arsenic and antimony in hole 18CLMW-007 including 3m of 4.9g/t Ag, 1145ppm As and 676ppm Sb and strongly elevated values of Ag, Sb and As in drill holes 18CLMW-008 and -009 including 5.5m of 2.1g/t Ag, 629ppm As and 68ppm Sb in 18CLM-009. The identification of such enriched silver and pathfinder metals in this initial phase of wide-spread drill testing on the CLM West claims may be significant in suggesting a potential proximity to much more precious-metal enriched (Ag-Au) deposits. Similar pathfinder-ore relationships are identified on the adjacent La Preciosa and Avino mineral systems and are described in classic models of vein and breccia epithermal systems. This conclusion is supported by surface mapping in the northern part of the CLM West claim group which indicates a younger stratigraphy than that which hosts the adjacent La Preciosa and Avino deposits suggesting that the ultimate targets of this exploration may remain at depth within the lower Tertiary volcanic package and along the currently mapped surface structures. A compilation of the current down hole and surface data in the area of 18CLMW-007 and 18CLMW-008 has identified several new targets ready for follow-up drill testing. Table 1: Select Summary Assays from 2018 Exploration on CLM West claims To view an enhanced version of Table 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5344/43102_ea9a359154c30947_003full.jpg Analyzed by FA/AA for gold and ICP-AES by ALS Laboratories, North Vancouver, BC. Silver (>100ppm), copper, lead and zinc (>1%) overlimits assayed by ore grade ICP analysis, High silver overlimits (>1500g/t Ag) and gold overlimits (>10g/t Au) re-assayed with FA-Grav. High Pb (>20%) and Zn (>30%) overlimits assayed by titration. Figure 2: Drill hole locations, CLM West Claim Group, Cerro Las Minitas project To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5344/43102_ea9a359154c30947_004full.jpg Table 2: Select Summary Assays from 2018 Exploration in the Area of the Cerro To view an enhanced version of Table 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5344/43102_ea9a359154c30947_005full.jpg Analyzed by FA/AA for gold and ICP-AES by ALS Laboratories, North Vancouver, BC. Silver (>100ppm), copper, lead and zinc (>1%) overlimits assayed by ore grade ICP analysis, High silver overlimits (>1500g/t Ag) and gold overlimits (>10g/t Au) re-assayed with FA-Grav. High Pb (>20%) and Zn (>30%) overlimits assayed by titration. AgEq and ZnEq were calculated using average metal prices of: US$18.2/oz silver, US$1240/oz gold, US$2.8/lbs copper and US$0.91/lbs lead and US$0.94/lbs zinc. AgEq and ZnEq calculations did not account for relative metallurgical recoveries of the metals. Ore-grade composites calculated using a 80g/t AgEq cut-off and <20% internal dilution, except where noted; anomalous intercepts calculated using a 10g/t AgEq cut-off. Cerro Las Minitas Project: Summary and Conclusions: Drilling in the Area of the Cerro as part of the 2018 exploration program successfully extended mineralization at the North Skarn and Las Victorias target areas; filled grade gaps within the Skarn Front deposit and extended the continuity of high-grade mineralization within the known target areas. Compilation and assessment of the current drill data is underway toward a NI43-101 Mineral Resource update. Pre-development studies continue to de-risk the project for investors with a second phase of metallurgical characterization of the Skarn Front and Blind - El Sol target presently being conducted. New drill targeting is contemplated to further extend mineralization at depth and to the southeast in the Las Victorias zone and on the eastern side of the Central Intrusion at the South Skarn and Mina La Bocona target areas. Work on the CLM West claims has intersected strongly elevated Ag-As-Sb values in shallow drilling (100m to 300m depth) in the northern part of the claims and identified multiple targets for follow-up drill testing. The Cerro Las Minitas project as of January 8th, 2018 contains an estimated Indicated Resource, at a 175g/t AgEq cut-off, of 33.6Mozs silver and 319Mlbs of lead and 813Mlbs zinc (116.1Mozs AgEq; 1.69Blbs ZnEq) and an estimated Inferred Resource of 20.7Mozs silver, 131Mlbs lead and 870Mlbs zinc (92.7Mozs AgEq; 1.35Blbs ZnEq).(1) The Cerro Las Minitas project operates on a joint venture basis by Southern Silver at a 40% interest and Electrum Global Holdings LP at a 60% interest. Southern Silver is operator of the project. With the completion of the current US$3.0M exploration program, total exploration and acquisition costs now total US$18.5M, including US$3.5M in J/V funding since formation of the Joint Venture in September, 2017. About Southern Silver Exploration Corp. Southern Silver Exploration Corp. is a precious metals exploration and development company with a focus on the discovery of economic mineral deposits in north-central Mexico and the southern USA. Our specific emphasis is the Cerro Las Minitas silver-lead-zinc project located in the heart of Mexico's Faja de Plata, which hosts multiple mineral deposits such as Penasquito, San Martin, Naica, Los Gatos and Pitarrilla. We have assembled a team of highly experienced technical, operational and transactional professionals to support our exploration efforts in developing, along with our partner, Electrum Global Holdings LP, the Cerro Las Minitas project into a premier silver-lead-zinc mine. The Company engages in the acquisition, exploration and development either directly or through joint-venture relationships in mineral properties in major jurisdictions. Our property portfolio also includes the Oro porphyry copper-gold project located in southern New Mexico, USA. The Oro property consists of patented land, State leases and BLM located mineral claims which cover a highly prospective quartz-sericite-pyrite alteration zone, interpreted to overlie an unexposed porphyry centre and distal sediment-hosted, oxide-gold target. The 2018 Cerro Las Minitas Resource Estimate was prepared following CIM definitions for classification of Mineral Resources. Resources are constrained using mainly geological constraints and approximate 10g/t AgEq grade shells. The block models are comprised of an array of blocks measuring 10m x 2m x 10m, with grades for Au, Ag, Cu, Pb, Zn and AgEq values interpolated using ID2 weighting. The models identified at a 175g/t AgEq cut-off, an indicated resource of 10,135,000 tonnes averaging 102g/t Ag, 0.1g/t Au, 1.4% Pb, 3.6% Zn and 0.15% Cu and a cumulative inferred resource of 8,685,000 tonnes averaging 74g/t Ag, 0.04g/t Au, 0.7% Pb, 4.5% Zn and 0.15% Cu. Mineral Resource cut-offs are estimated using an average long-term price of $16/oz silver, $1,200/oz gold, $2.75/lb Cu, $1.00/lb lead and $1.10/lb zinc and metal recoveries of 82% silver, 86% lead 80% copper and 80% zinc. AgEq calculations did not account for relative metallurgical recoveries of the metals. All prices are stated in $USD. Mineral Resources are conceptual in nature and as such do not have demonstrated economic viability. The current Resource Estimate was prepared by Garth Kirkham, P.Geo. of Kirkham Geosciences Ltd. who is the Independent Qualified Person responsible for presentation and review of the Mineral Resource Estimate. Robert Macdonald, MSc. P.Geo, is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 responsible for the supervision of the exploration on the Cerro Las Minitas Project and for the preparation of the technical information in this disclosure. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Lawrence Page" Lawrence Page, Q.C. President & Director, Southern Silver Exploration Corp. For further information, please visit Southern Silver's website at southernsilverexploration.com or contact us at 604.641.2759 or by email at ir@mnxltd.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include the timing and receipt of government and regulatory approvals, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. Southern Silver Exploration Corp. does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43102 PALM DESERT, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / Full Alliance Group, Inc. (OTC PINK: FAGI) ('Full Alliance Group' or the 'Company'), is pleased to announce the formation of its Medical Advisory Board. Dr. Paul Brian Volpp, CEO and President of Full Alliance Group, commented, 'We expect the next several months to be extremely exciting and productive for Full Alliance Group as we move to rapidly accelerate our operations in the healthcare and medical sectors. The formation of a Medical Advisory Board will provide us with access to additional experienced professionals and proven leaders that can offer invaluable guidance to the Company and its subsidiaries as we continue to execute our business plans.' First to join Full Alliance Group's Advisory Board are three American medical professionals; Dr. Samedyar (Sam) Durrani, Dr. Catherine Collins, and Dr. Joseph R. Purita. Samedyar (Sam) Durrani, MD, born and raised in the Midwest, is a proud graduate of The Ohio State University and The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He completed his residency training in general surgery at Mount Carmel Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. Currently based in the Phoenix, Arizona, area since 2010, he established Desert Surgical Specialists, a general surgery practice with a special focus in pancreatic surgery, endocrine surgery, oncologic surgery, and advanced techniques in hernia repair. Dr. Durrani also provides trauma surgery coverage for various hospitals in his area. Dr. Durrani has hospital privileges at Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center, Scottsdale Shea Medical Center, Scottsdale Thompson Peak Medical Center, Deer Valley Medical Center, and John C Lincoln Medical Center. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery. Christine Collins, MD, is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is a member of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. A graduate of the USC School of Medicine, Beverly Hills gynecologist Christine Collins has been an attending physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for over 20 years, where she also completed her residency training. Dr. Collins was awarded the prestigious ARCS scholarship while in medical school and also merited status as a Dean's Scholar upon graduation. Though she is a traditional GYN, she values the holistic side of medicine and proudly offers this underappreciated route of treatment to the valued patients of her private practice. Dr. Collins is also board certified in anti-aging and regenerative medicine. Joseph Purita, MD, a regenerative medicine pioneer in the use of stem cell and PRP therapy for orthopedic conditions, graduated from Georgetown University Medical School and served his surgical internship at the University of Florida Medical Center. Following completion of his orthopedic surgery residency at University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he served as the Chief Administrative Resident, Dr. Purita joined the Boca Raton Orthopedic Group in 1981. Dr. Purita is a founding member of the American Academy of Regenerative Medicine and is certified by several organizations, including the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, American College of Orthopaedic Surgery, American Board of Pain Management, and American Board of Regenerative Medicine. In 2014, Dr. Purita was named one of U.S. News & World Report's 'Top Doctors' by the physicians at Doximity, a U.S. healthcare professional network with over 1 million members. Dr. Volpp concluded, 'We are honored to have Drs. Durrani, Collins, and Purita as the first members of the Full Alliance Group Medical Advisory Board. Their extensive knowledge of medicine, patient care, and healthcare business operations will be a great benefit to the Company and its shareholders going forward.' Full Alliance Group anticipates appointing additional members to the Medical Advisory Board over the next several weeks which should further enhance management's ability to direct the future growth of the Company. Sincerely, Dr. Paul Brian Volpp President & CEO / Director Full Alliance Group Inc. About Full Alliance Group Inc. Full Alliance Group Inc. (OTC PINK: FAGI) is a multi-faceted holding company with various interests in technology, healthcare, and nutraceuticals. For additional information, visit www.fullalliance.com Contact: ir@fullalliance.com FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This shareholder update may contain a number of forward-looking statements. Words and variations of words such as: 'expect', 'goals', 'could', 'plans', 'believe', 'continue', 'may', 'will' and similar expressions are intended to identify our forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: our expectation for growth, benefits from brand-building, cost savings and margins. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in our forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: continued volatility of, and sharp increase in: costs/pricing actions, increased competition, ability to raise sufficient operating capital, risks from operating internationally, consumer weakness, weakness in economic conditions and tax law changes. SOURCE: Full Alliance Group, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/537379/Full-Alliance-Group-Inc-Forms-Medical-Advisory-Board--Distinguished-Medical-and-Healthcare-Experts-Join-Full-Alliance-Team "Concentrate grading 64.9% Iron and 0.63% Vanadium Pentoxide across 97.4 meters from Davis Tube Analysis" TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / Vanadium One Energy Corp. (the "Company") (TSXV:VONE), is pleased to release a second round of assay results for 6 holes from its 2018 fall drilling program at its 100% owned Mont Sorcier Project, near Chibougamau, Quebec. These results follow the 8 holes reported on February 7th, 2019. Drilling intersected significant continuous mineralization throughout each hole, with Hole MSN-18-04, one of four holes drilled in the North Zone, returning an intersection of 165 meters of Iron formation, including a concentrate grading 62.4% Fe and 0.64% Vanadium Pentoxide (V2O5) over 36 meters, using the Davis Tube Test (DTT). The average content of Vanadium Pentoxide (V2O5) in magnetite concentrate prepared through Davis Tube analysis is 0.53% with an average Iron (Fe) content of 62.5% across 748 meters of drill core composite samples, as shown in Table 1. Martin Walter, CEO, said, "Our results continue to demonstrate wide zones of Fe and V205 mineralization within the two deposits, named the North and South Zones. We are particularly encouraged by the persistent wide bands of higher grade of Vanadium Pentoxide found inside the magnetite iron formation. This strengthens our opinion that the vanadium content is an important economic credit in addition to the value of the Iron, when considering future economic studies conducted on the project." Table 1: List of Drill Intersections - 2018 Fall Drill Program (Lengths: downhole meters, Grades: %) The Company drilled a total of 17 new holes between September and December 2018, adding 13 holes in the South Zone and completing 4 holes in the North Zone. Drilling continued eastward in the South Zone at either 100 or 200 meter line spacings (MSS-18-26 to MSS-18-28). Drilling concluded with 4 new drill holes located in the North Zone (MSN-18-01 to MSN-18-04), along strike and on approximately 500 meter line spacing. The North and South Zone dip steeply to the north and sometimes south. Campbell drilled vertical holes downdip that often started and ended in the iron formation. VONE drilled at 45 and 60 both north and south across the iron formation. It also often started and ended drill holes in the iron formation. Drill hole locations are found a map on our web site at https://www.vanadiumone.com/. Sample Information A total of 1,171 core samples up to 4 meters in length each were delivered to SGS Laboratories in Val d'Or, from November through December, 2018. Once at SGS the rock (Head) samples are initially crushed and assayed with XRF Technology plus Satmagan. Each sample then undergoes Davis Tube Testing (DTT), which removes the magnetic fraction from the non-magnetic material, to produce a magnetite concentrate. The magnetite concentrate is then assayed to measure its Iron and Vanadium content recovered. The Company reports both sets of assay grades. The total-iron assay (%Fe2O3) reported is split between magnetic commercial grade iron oxide and other non-magnetic minerals bearing iron using Satmagan and/or Davis Tube. Satmagan measures magnetic iron content with a magnet. DTT is a small-scale laboratory magnetic separator designed to measure the amount and quality of potentially commercial iron content concentrate of drill core samples. DTT results can vary depending on grinding. The Company used grinding at 85% passing 75 microns (200 mesh) which is exploration standard. Previous owner Campbell, in 1974, reported its DTT using 95% passing 38 microns (325 mesh), which is a Feasibility Study standard. The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Pierre-Jean Lafleur, P.Eng. (OIQ), who is a Qualified Person with respect to the Company's Mont Sorcier Project as defined under National Instrument 43-101. About Vanadium One Energy Corp.: Vanadium One Energy Corp. is a mineral exploration company headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The Company is focused on advancing its Mont Sorcier Magnetite Iron Ore and Vanadium Project. The Mont Sorcier Project is a bulk tonnage magnetite iron ore and vanadium deposit, with very low titanium content, located near the northern Quebec mining town of Chibougamau, providing access to world class infrastructure including rail, shipping and power. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF VANADIUM ONE ENERGY CORP. Martin Walter, CEO Tel: 416-599-8547 Rodney Ireland, Investor Relations Tel: 416-599-8547 info@vanadiumone.com www.vanadiumone.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains "forward-looking information" including statements with respect to the future exploration performance of the Company. This forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements of the Company, expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks, as well as others, are disclosed within the Company's filing on SEDAR, which investors are encouraged to review prior to any transaction involving the securities of the Company. Forward-looking information contained herein is provided as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any obligation, other than as required by law, to update any forward-looking information for any reason. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate and the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. SOURCE: Vanadium One Energy Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/537404/Vanadium-One-Reports-Further-Drilling-Results-from-Its-Mont-Sorcier-Iron-and-Vanadium-Project The growth in satellites will spur demand for rocket launch services. Companies like Elon Musks SpaceX, LeoSat Enterprises, and Canadas Telesat are working to enable data networks with hundreds or even thousands of tiny satellites that orbit closer to Earth than traditional communications satellites, a radical shift made possible by leaps in laser technology and computer chips. A rocket carrying six satellites built by Airbus SE and partner OneWeb blasted off from French Guiana on Wednesday, the first step in a plan to give millions of people in remote and rural areas high-speed internet beamed down from space. A successful launch could mark a new era in the satellite services industry. Companies like Elon Musks SpaceX, LeoSat Enterprises, and Canadas Telesat are working to enable data networks with hundreds or even thousands of tiny satellites that orbit closer to Earth than traditional communications satellites, a radical shift made possible by leaps in laser technology and computer chips. The growth in satellites will spur demand for rocket launch services, and a handful of venture-backed rocket companies are developing smaller boosters to deploy the smaller satellites at lower cost. We are looking in the next five years at potentially 10,000 satellites needing to be launched and we dont have the launch capacity at this moment to do that, aerospace consultancy Teal Group analyst Marco Caceres said. The Arianespace Soyuz rocket lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 6.37 p.m. (2137 GMT) carrying satellites made by the Airbus-OneWeb joint venture called OneWeb Satellites in Toulouse, France. The refrigerator-sized satellites were expected to reach an altitude of 1,000 km (620 miles) more than an hour after launch. It could take 24 hours to fully assess the health of the satellites. OneWeb and others aim to expand the availability and speed of satellite-based internet compared to existing providers such as Hughes Network Systems, whose network is in a higher-altitude geostationary orbit. Hughes is also an investor in OneWeb and helping to build out its ground infrastructure. OneWeb has raised more than $2 billion from investors including Airbus, Coca-Cola, Virgin Group, Qualcomm Inc and SoftBank. It aims to have global broadband coverage in 2021 from about 650 satellites. OneWeb plans to begin launching more than 30 satellites at a time every month starting as early as September so its constellation is nearly 25 percent complete by year-end, a person with direct knowledge of the project said. Other firms say they are not far behind. Telesat, backed by Loral Space & Communications Inc, is targeting 2022 for broadband services from nearly 300 satellites. Washington, D.C.-based LeoSat Enterprises says it has already signed more than $1 billion in pre-launch provisional agreements for secure data transfers for global banks, telecoms providers and governments beginning in 2022. FAST ASSEMBLY REQUIRED Reuters reported a major shake-up last year at SpaceXs Starlink project, which Chief Executive Musk has said is critical as a funding source for his broader space transportation ambitions but faces challenges on development and testing. A person with direct knowledge of the program said SpaceX was driving toward a first production launch with money-making satellites in mid-2019. SpaceX already has two test satellites in space and plans to launch a new design based on those soon, said one SpaceX official, who asked not to be named. SpaceX has not chosen a location to manufacture the satellites or made a final decision on how it will build, sell and service the terminals that will link the satellite-based internet to users, people with direct knowledge of the project said. Musk told employees in at least one meeting last year that SpaceX could decide to sell broadband to existing internet providers initially and worry about building out its own network later, according to a person who attended the meeting. SpaceX spokeswoman Eva Behrend declined to comment. A SpaceX official said its initial batch of satellites were currently being manufactured, and its internal launch targets were on track, but the company has not announced a launch date. The OneWeb project has forced Airbus to rethink the way it builds satellites, overhauling a painstaking, bespoke effort to introduce industrial methods and speed using assembly lines and automation. The two companies plan to open what they say is the worlds first satellite mass-production factory at Floridas Kennedy Space Center in March for $85 million. Production will ramp up to 15 satellites per week at a cost of $1 million per satellite, executives say. OneWeb Satellites Chief Executive Officer Tony Gingiss told Reuters the goal is to be making two to three satellites a day by early summer. Thats revolutionary in an industry where it costs $50 million to build one satellite and normally takes months and a team of engineers to do, Gingiss said. OneWeb has ground stations in Canada, Italy and Norway that allow the satellites to communicate with Earth, and has signed a partnership with Qualcomm to develop the technology that links the internet from space to different users, such as airlines. FAIAL, Portugal, February 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Regional Government of the Azores announced the implementation of new marine protected areas covering 15% of the Azorean Exclusive Economic Zone. This decision corresponds to a new international alliance between the Regional Government of the Azores, the Oceano Azul Foundation and the Waitt Institute under the aim of promoting marine conservation, the sustainable use of the Azores, and the valorization of the region's unique natural heritage, through the Blue Azores program. According to the President of the Regional Government of the Azores, Vasco Cordeiro, this partnership will span generations, because this, "Work will not conclude in the time defined in this memorandum. We should view this work not as a point of arrival, but rather as one more step in the larger goal of preserving the Azores for generations to come." Ted Waitt, Founder and Chairman of the Waitt Foundation, said: "The vision and leadership of the Regional Government of the Azores is why we are here. With this path to Blue Prosperity, the Azores can be global leader in both marine protection and growing the blue economy. Our partnership will accelerate the Azores' efforts to improve the long-term prosperity of the people while safeguarding the unparalleled marine resources that make the Azores unique." Jose Soares dos Santos, president of the Oceano Azul Foundation, believes: "The Azores can be an example on a global scale, in which natural capital is protected, promoted, and valued, with the integral involvement of its major stakeholders: the Azorean community. And, more and more, the world calls for joint actions, concerted efforts." The Blue Azores program focuses on the conservation and sustainable use of resources, involving education, economics and fisheries management. The Blue Azores is based on the following actions: Declare 15% of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Azores as new marine protected areas; Create and implement management plans for the new marine reserves and all existing marine protected areas; Develop and legally adopt a marine spatial plan; Develop studies and approaches contributing to the sustainable management of fisheries; Identify new areas of interest for conservation; Implement a blue literacy program for schools and the community. The Blue Azores program will also support the Azores and Portugal to achieve the international objectives established by the United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the objectives of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. About Oceano Azul Foundation Founded in 2017 with the motivation to promote healthier, productive oceans through literacy, conservation and capacity building, the Oceano Azul Foundation serves as a voice for the sustainable use of the ocean. Based in Portugal, the Oceano Azul Foundation works to position the country as an international leader in ocean-related issues by developing a blue generation and blue economy, while supporting innovation in scientific research. The Oceano Azul Foundation works toward a sustainable future for both humans and the ocean, under its motto, "From the ocean's point of view." About the Waitt Foundation and Institute The Waitt Foundation, established by Gateway, Inc. co-founder Ted Waitt in 1993, specializes in public-private partnership and supports global ocean initiatives with the goal of sustainable, resilient and thriving seas by partnering with unique coalitions of government, philanthropists, NGOs, academics, and businesses. The operational arm of the foundation, the Waitt Institute, partners with committed governments to develop and implement comprehensive, science-based ocean management plans that benefit both the economy and the environment. Learn more at http://www.waittfoundation.org (@WaittFdn) and http://www.waittinstitute.org (@Waittinstitute). For media requests, please contact: Regional Government of the Azores Pedro Caetano, Pedro.AF.Caetano@azores.gov.pt, Press Advisor of the Office of the President of the Regional Government, +351-91-9130314 Gina Macedo, Gina.MA.Macedo@azores.gov.pt, Press Advisor of the office of the Regional Secretary of the Sea, Science & Technology, +351-91-7425055 Oceano Azul Foundation Maria Joao Soares, mjsoares@jlma.pt, +351-914-237487 Maria Roquete, mariaroquete@jlma.pt, +351-962-068-300 Waitt Institute Shayna Brody, sbrody@waittinstitute.org, +1-719-229-5237 LONDON, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- - See the new EcoStruxure Ready 3-Phase UPS with 99% on-line efficiency and li-ion battery options - Explore the award-winning HyperPod, rack ready system for fast IT deployments - Learn about AI, Liquid Cooling, Edge Computing, 5G and Digital Transformation with James Simonelli, Senior Vice President (SVP) Emerging Businesses, keynote on March 12th - Evaluate Liquid cooling with our on-site demo and speak with our cooling experts Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, has announced it will be showcasing two new EcoStruxure Ready and industry-leading physical infrastructure solutions at Data Centre World London 2019. The first to be launched during the show is an innovative new UPS solution for small data centre and edge computing environments, enabling customers to increase resilience, drive energy efficiency and minimise downtime from critical power issues. Live demonstrations of the solution will be available on stand D630. During the course of the event, which takes place on the 12th and 13th March at Excel London, the company will also showcase an on-site demo of a liquid cooling solution and will unveil live demonstrations of their award-winning HyperPod architecture. This will be the first time that HyperPod is available in its physical form at a UK event. HyperPod is a rack ready system is designed to deploy IT in increments of 8 to 12 racks and is the only solution of it's kind available in the market today. Its innovative pod architecture is engineered to support all of today's rack types, with integrated power, cooling, cabling, software management and containment. It enables pre-populated IT racks to be rolled into place, which significantly reduces the complexity and installation time associated with traditional infrastructure deployments. "At Data Centre World Schneider Electric will explore critical innovation within edge computing, AI, and the highly anticipated emergence of 5G," said Marc Garner, Vice President, IT Division, UK and Ireland. "Data centres have become the backbone of today's smart and IoT enabled world, a transformational driver for businesses. As more companies adapt to this distributed ecosystem, it presents key challenges for owners and operators - especially those utilising compute intensive applications such as AVI and Blockchain." James Simonelli, Senior Vice President (SVP) Emerging Businesses will be discussing 'The Digital Transformation of Data Centres' on the 12th March at 11:15am. Taking place in the Data Centres of The Future Theatre, the session will explore how today's hybrid IT requirements have evolved via the adoption of new technologies including liquid cooling, micro data centres, prefabrication and cloud-based management software. What are the key considerations in this growing and complex environment, and how can companies become ready for the imminent arrival of ultra fast, low latency 5G networks. Other components of Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure for Data Centers architecture will also be available for demonstration during the event. They include EcoStruxure Ready micro data centre solutions, PDU with customisation capability, Lithium-ion UPS, InRow cooling and the companies industry-leading Cloud-based software, EcoStruxure IT Expert. EcoStruxure for Data Centers is part of EcoStruxure, Schneider Electric open, interoperable, IoT- enabled system architecture and platform. EcoStruxure delivers enhanced value around safety, reliability, efficiency, sustainability, and connectivity for our customers. EcoStruxure leverages advancements in IoT, mobility, sensing, cloud, analytics, and cybersecurity to deliver Innovation at Every Level. This includes Connected Products, Edge Control, and Apps, Analytics & Services. EcoStruxure has been deployed in 480,000+ sites, with the support of 20,000+ system integrators and developers, connecting over 1.6 million assets under management through 40+ digital services. To find out more about Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure Ready solutions portfolio, please join us at stand D630 during Data Centre World London on the 12th and 13th March 2019. To secure an interview with James Simonelli, SVP Emerging Businesses please contact rflashman@spacomms.com. About Schneider Electric Schneider Electric is leading the Digital Transformation of Energy Management and Automation in Homes, Buildings, Data Centers, Infrastructure and Industries. With global presence in over 100 countries, Schneider is the undisputable leader in Power Management - Medium Voltage, Low Voltage and Secure Power, and in Automation Systems. We provide integrated efficiency solutions, combining energy, automation and software. In our global Ecosystem, we collaborate with the largest Partner, Integrator and Developer Community on our Open Platform to deliver real-time control and operational efficiency. We believe that great people and partners make Schneider a great company and that our commitment to Innovation, Diversity and Sustainability ensures that Life Is On everywhere, for everyone and at every moment. schneider-electric.com Discover Life Is On Discover EcoStruxure Related resources: White Paper No 231, "FAQs for Using Lithium-ion Batteries with a UPS" White Paper No 263, "Analysis of How Data Center Pod Frames Reduce Cost and Accelerate IT Rack Deployments" White Paper No 225, "The Drivers and Benefits of Edge Computing" APC by Schneider Electric UK Blog HyperPod - The backbone of your data centre Hashtags: #EcoStruxure IoT APC EdgeComputing Datacentre UPS AI Follow us on: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Google+ YouTube Instagram Blog Quantzig, a leading analytics advisory firm that delivers customized analytics solutions, has announced the completion of their article on the role of social media analytics in improving customer engagement and marketing performance. This article highlights the impact that social media analytics solutions can have on businesses. It also gives an overview of how social media analytics can help businesses in mining customer sentiment to improve marketing performance and customer service activities. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005704/en/ Benefits of social media analytics. (Graphic: Business Wire) Social media analytics helps organizations in collecting and interpreting online conversation, making it easier to separate valuable inputs. Social media analytics tools are also helpful in crawling most social media channels and social networks. Additionally, it aids in gathering data from social media websites and analyzing that data to facilitate better business decisions. Are you finding it difficult to develop an understanding of KPIs, selecting measurement tools, analyzing reports to enhance performance, and creating tests to improve media messages? Get in touch with our experts and learn how our social media analytics solutions can help you address all your issues. Benefits of social media analytics: Helps to understand your audience Social media analytics has the potential to help businesses understand their audience using social data. This can help in examining your previous posts and can also assist you in finding the best time to share the content as timing is an important part of social media marketing. If you want your social posts to drive more engagement, sales, and traffic, you need to post when your audience is online and at their highest level of alertness. With our social media analytics solutions, companies can analyze the effectiveness of company communications and customer interactions on different digital marketing platforms including social media presence, website, and mobile marketing. Request a free proposal now to check out our complete portfolio of analytics solutions. Guide you to understand your competitors One of the most important benefits of social media analytics is that it helps in analyzing competitors. Social media competitor analysis makes it easy for you to eliminate mistakes that your competitors are making and focus mostly on techniques that yield maximum results. There are many social media analytics tools that can help you see the traffic percentage your site receives from various social networks. Assists in producing better content By tracking your social media networks, you can fairly analyze the content that drives the best results. Social media analytics also helps in figuring out the best performing content. Additionally, it can help in examining most shared and viewed content, time spent on each of them and sales driven by them. Looking to make data-driven business decisions and improve operational efficiency? Request a free demo now About Quantzig Quantzig is a global analytics and advisory firm with offices in the US, UK, Canada, China, and India. For more than 15 years, we have assisted our clients across the globe with end-to-end data modeling capabilities to leverage analytics for prudent decision making. Today, our firm consists of 120+ clients, including 45 Fortune 500 companies. For more information on our engagement policies and pricing plans, visit: https://www.quantzig.com/request-for-proposal View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005704/en/ Contacts: Quantzig Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager US: +1 630 538 7144 UK: +44 208 629 1455 https://www.quantzig.com/contact-us Capgemini will enter into a new partnership agreement with IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, aiming to introduce a secure Internet of Things (IoT) device management platform which reinforces secure connectivity for a vast array of devices and data. This agreement is a step towards meeting the ever-growing need for the connectivity and security of smart objects. Even though cybercrime costs have quadrupled between 2015 and 20191, IOT will create more opportunities for many industries. Given this context, for IoT to be more scalable and trustworthy for clients and end users, connectivity capabilities and security need to be increased. Backed by Capgemini and IDEMIA's expertise, the joint platform intends to bring to smart devices much needed security and connectivity while simplifying the device on-boarding, configuration and integration with existing customer back-end systems. For example, an e-health app gives doctors flexibility in taking care of their patients via an exchange of critical data and provides them with the possibility to make smarter decisions based on authenticated and encrypted devices, secured access (to change parameters) and secure data flow. In the same way, within a factory or across an infrastructure, it enables machines and devices to connect, to predict and prevent fluctuations. Jean-Pierre Petit, Director of Digital Manufacturing at Capgemini said, "The basic foundation of product or industrial analytics and AI is connectivity coupled with security. Capgemini's agreement with IDEMIA will provide a unique, fully agnostic, configurable and highly secure platform from an end-point device to the cloud." The platform will be based on Capgemini's IoT device management platform X-IoT, which securely connects and manages any type of gateway and protocols to the cloud, plus IDEMIA's M-TRUST solution, which guarantees device security of all collected data, command and configurations sent to devices. It can be used for all kinds of devices, from simple smart health devices and smart valves to supply water to a city, through to industrial machinery and devices. Yves Portalier, Executive Vice-President for Connected Objects activities at IDEMIA said: "We are thrilled to join forces with Capgemini, given the excellent fit of our mutual services. Boosted by our M-TRUST solution, IDEMIA brings its globally reputed expertise to Capgemini with a view to stepping up security for Capgemini's clients involved in various sectors that are complementary to those we serve." About Capgemini A global leader in consulting, technology services and digital transformation, Capgemini is at the forefront of innovation to address the entire breadth of clients' opportunities in the evolving world of cloud, digital and platforms. Building on its strong 50-year heritage and deep industry-specific expertise, Capgemini enables organizations to realize their business ambitions through an array of services from strategy to operations. Capgemini is driven by the conviction that the business value of technology comes from and through people. It is a multicultural company of over 200,000 team members in more than 40 countries. The Group reported 2018 global revenues of EUR 13.2 billion. Visit us at www.capgemini.com.People matter, results count. About IDEMIA IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, provides a trusted environment enabling citizens and consumers alike to perform their daily critical activities (such as pay, connect, travel and vote), in the physical as well as digital space. Securing our identity has become mission critical in the world we live in today. By standing for Augmented Identity, an identity that ensures privacy and trust and guarantees secure, authenticated and verifiable transactions, we reinvent the way we think, produce, use and protect one of our greatest assets our identity whether for individuals or for objects, whenever and wherever security matters. We provide Augmented Identity for international clients from Financial, Telecom, Identity, Public Security and IoT sectors. With close to $3 billion in revenues and 13,000 employees around the world, IDEMIA serves clients in 180 countries. For more information, visit www.idemia.com Follow @IDEMIAGroup on Twitter 1 Source: www.juniperresearch.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005755/en/ Contacts: Capgemini Press contact: Michele Moore Tel.: +44 370 905 3408 E-mail: michele.moore@capgemini.com IDEMIA Press Contact: Hanna SEBBAH Havas PR Agency Email: idemia@havas.com Libourne - 28 February 2019 - Fermentalg (Euronext - FALG), a French market leader in microalgae, today announces the appointment of Helene Moncorger Pilicer as independent director[1]. Helene Moncorger Pilicer will bring 36 years of experience as a senior finance executive to the role, having extensive management experience in multinational flagship companies such as PwC, Apple Europe and the Nestle Group, where she spent 27 years serving as Chief Financial Officer, Vice-Chairman and member of the Management Committee of Nestle Waters Group, Nestle Group and Nespresso Group. She also represented Nestle Waters France and Belgium on the Board of Directors of Eco-emballages for 2 years. Married with four children, Helene Moncorger Pilicer holds an MBA from Emlyon Business School. Today, Helene Moncorger Pilicer is focusing on developing and passing on her wealth of professional experience through her various corporate office appointments. Philippe Lavielle, Fermentalg CEO, made the following comments: "This appointment strengthens our corporate governance and brings a complementary profile to the Board with extensive financial and strategic management experience gained at a flagship European agrifood group. Helen will be a real asset to our company and I thank her for agreeing to join us." Following this appointment, Fermentalg's Board of Directors will comprise the following members: Philippe Lavielle, Chairman Demeter Partners, represented by Stephane Villecroze Bpifrance Investissement, represented by Gilles Schang Audrey Menasse, independent director Helene Moncorger Pilicer, independent director Fabienne Saadane-Oaks, independent director This appointment will be submitted for approval at the next Ordinary and Extraordinary Annual General Meeting scheduled for 19 June 2019. About Fermentalg: An expert in research and bio-industrial use of microalgae, Fermentalg seeks to provide sustainable solutions and innovative products that contribute towards the creation of natural, healthy and effective products. Our business: the development, production and sale of active ingredients extracted from microalgae for the health and nutrition sectors. Natural nutritional oils, pigments and antioxidants, as well as specialty proteins, comprise our present and future offering. Fermentalg shares are listed on Euronext in Paris (FR0011271600 - FALG). For more information, visit: www.fermentalg.com Contact - Journalists: Contact - Investors: ACTUS finance & communication Alexandra PRISA Tel: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 90 aprisa@actus.fr ACTUS finance & communication Jerome FABREGUETTES-LEIB Tel: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 78 jfl@actus.fr [1] To replace Demeter Ventures, which resigned as director on 22 June 2018. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Recevez gratuitement par email les prochains communiques de la societe en vous inscrivant sur www.actusnews.com Communique integral et original au format PDF:Telecharger le PDF 2018 consolidated revenue of 65 million, representing growth of +112% vs. 2017 2018 EBITDA expected to be higher than company's expectations Confirmation of the 2020 objectives: 200 million revenue and 10% EBITDA margin Regulatory News: 2CRSI (Paris:2CRSI), manufacturer of very high-performance servers, today announced its consolidated revenue for the year ended 31 December 2018. Alain Wilmouth, Co-Founder and Chairman and CEO of 2CRSI said: "I am very proud of the many commercial successes achieved thanks to our products, in particular the Octopus, which have enabled us to more than double our sales. We have also been able to generate this strong growth while paying particular attention to our margins. However, the end of the year was marked by component delivery delays and invoicing delays in 2019. The beginning of the year is very dynamic, giving us good visibility on embedded growth and allowing us to confirm our 2020 objectives." At 31st December 2018, 2CRSI's revenue amounted to 65 million (non-audited), a strong increase (+112%) compared to 31 December 2017. The volume of international deliveries is increasing sharply and now represents 56% of sales compared to 29% in 2017. In a context of restrictive supplies of electronic components, the Group has chosen to focus on its historical customers and to increase its margin level in order to anticipate an EBITDA higher than the 2018 expectations. On the back of the positive orientation of the activity, 2CRSI confirms its 2020 business plan with the objective of achieving a turnover of 200 million and an EBITDA margin of at least 10% by this time. Next financial publication: Tuesday 26 March 2019 (after market close) About 2CRSI Based in Strasbourg, and with subsidiaries in Manchester, Dubai and San Jose at the heart of America's Silicon Valley, 2CRSI specialises in the design and manufacturing of very high-performance computer servers. The Group already has more than 100 customers in 25 countries, to whom it has supplied innovative processing, storage and data transfer solutions. In 2018, the 2CRSI Group had consolidated revenue of 65m, an increase of 112%. It currently employs more than 140 persons. For more information: www.2crsi.fr View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005825/en/ Contacts: 2CRSI Emmanuel Ruffenach Deputy CEO investors@2crsi.com +33 (0)1 68 41 10 60 NewCap Investor Relations Thomas Grojean Mathilde Bohin 2crsi@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 98 55 NewCap Media Relations Nicolas Merigeau 2crsi@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2019) - IAMGOLD Corporation (TSX: IMG) ("IAMGOLD" or the "Company") deeply regrets to report the death of a contractor's employee due to an equipment fire at its Essakane Mine in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The incident occurred at the end of the night shift and during the operation of the contractor haul truck on site. Essakane's Emergency Response Team was immediately activated. The appropriate government authorities have been notified. An investigation into the incident has been initiated by the Company and we are working with our contractor, and the local authorities to determine the cause. Our thoughts are with the family, friends and co-workers of our colleague, and we are offering support at this difficult time. About IAMGOLD IAMGOLD (www.iamgold.com) is a mid-tier mining company with four operating gold mines on three continents. A solid base of strategic assets in North and South America and West Africa is complemented by development and exploration projects and continued assessment of accretive acquisition opportunities. IAMGOLD is in a strong financial position with extensive management and operational expertise. For further information please contact: Indi Gopinathan, Investor Relations Lead, IAMGOLD Corporation Tel: (416) 360-4743 Mobile: (416) 388-6883 Martin Dumont, Senior Analyst Investor Relations, IAMGOLD Corporation Tel: (416) 933-5783 Mobile: (647) 967-9942 IAMGOLD Corporation Toll-free: 1 888 464-9999 info@iamgold.com Please note: This entire news release may be accessed via fax, e-mail, IAMGOLD's website at www.iamgold.com and through Newsfile's website at www.newsfilecorp.com. All material information on IAMGOLD can be found at www.sedar.com or at www.sec.gov. Si vous desirez obtenir la version francaise de ce communique, veuillez consulter le http://www.iamgold.com/French/accueil/default.aspx. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43130 WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) and Wells Fargo are proud to announce a new business accelerator capacity building program titled Avanzar. The USHCC and Wells Fargo, in partnership with the Albuquerque Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (AHCC) and the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte (LACCC), will administer a year-long accelerator program designed to help small scalable Hispanic-owned Business Enterprises (HBEs) called Avanzar (or advance) and take their business to the next level. Each month for eight consecutive months, the LACCC and AHCC will convene their 10 participating Hispanic businesses for an educational programming series. The administered curriculum and training will help the participants overcome barriers to success in order to scale their businesses and build sustainable enterprises. "We are thrilled at the prospects of this new program rooted in our steadfast commitment to the Hispanic business community," said Ramiro Cavazos, USHCC president and CEO. "Hispanic entrepreneurs start businesses three times faster than the average American, but they often face undue barriers to scaling. If Hispanic-owned businesses scaled as quickly as non-minority-owned businesses, there would be an additional $1.47 trillion dollars in the American economy. We are committed to helping the Hispanic business community reach its full potential." "Wells Fargo is proud to be the exclusive sponsor of the Avanzar program. We fundamentally believe that capacity building, access to capital and effective mentoring are critical ways to ensure that Hispanic-owned businesses grow and scale. The Avanzar program is about empowering Hispanic business owners to grow sustainable firms that create jobs in communities all across the United States," said Regina Heyward, senior vice president and head of supplier diversity at Wells Fargo. Participant Criteria Hispanic businesses between $100K - $ 1MM in revenue Must be an established business with at least three years of operations Must have a business that in the long term is scalable into an enterprise Be in good membership standing with the local chamber of commerce For the Avanzar program application in Charlotte, click here. For the Avanzar program application in Albuquerque, click here. About USHCC The USHCC actively promotes the economic growth, development and interests of more than 4.37 million Hispanic-owned businesses that, combined, contribute over $700 billion to the American economy every year. It also advocates on behalf of 260 major American corporations and serves as the umbrella organization for more than 200 local chambers and business associations nationwide. For more information, please visit ushcc.com. Follow us on Twitter @USHCC. Media Contact: Michael Saltz Phone: 202.842.1212 Email: press@ushcc.com Additional Images Avanzar Logo SOURCE: United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/537419/The-USHCC-Partners-With-Wells-Fargo-on-New-Business-Accelerator-Program Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2019) - Pure Nickel Inc. (TSXV: NIC) (the "Company") announces it has signed an agreement with Murchison Minerals Ltd. ("Murchison") for the sale of the Company's 50% interest in the HPM Property, Quebec. Murchison will pay the Company $50,000 and issue 500,000 common shares of Murchison; the shares will be subject to a four month statutory hold period. Mr. Russell, Pure Nickel's President and CEO stated: "We are pleased to see Murchison assume control of the project and build upon its previous exploration success. Pure Nickel plans to continue to evaluate its portfolio and review potential opportunities to diversify the Company." Corporate Updates The Company announces that it has adopted a new fixed number stock option plan (the "Plan"), for its directors, consultants, employees and service providers, so as to attract, retain and motivate eligible grantees. The Plan replaces and supersedes the Company's previous rolling plan and is managed by the Board of Directors of the company. The maximum number of common shares reserved for issuance under the Plan is 6,814,487, representing approximately 10% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company as of the date hereof. Options may be granted for a period of ten years at a price not less than the "discounted market price" as defined by TSXV policies. There are currently no options granted or existing under the Plan. The TSX Venture Exchange has conditionally accepted the adoption of the Plan. About Pure Nickel Inc. Pure Nickel is a mineral exploration company with a diverse collection of gold, nickel, copper and platinum group element exploration projects in North America. For further information: Pure Nickel Inc. R. David Russell T. (416) 644-0066 info@purenickel.com www.purenickel.com Forward Looking Statements Some of the statements contained herein may be forward-looking statements which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization and resources, exploration results, expectations, plans, and objectives of Pure Nickel are forward-looking statements that involve various risks. The following are important factors that could cause Pure Nickel's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements: changes in the world-wide price of mineral commodities, general market conditions, risks inherent in mineral exploration, risks associated with development, construction and mining operations, the uncertainty of future exploration activities and cash flows, and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events may differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Pure Nickel undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43129 Company's cash runway expected to extend through first quarter of 2020 About 90% of patients have completed full 24-week treatment period in Phase 2 clinical trial of GKT831 in PBC and no dropouts or treatment interruptions due to pruritus have been reported to date Interim efficacy results abstract selected for an oral presentation during general session of International Liver Conference (ILC 2019) Last patient out from the PBC Phase 2 clinical trial is expected by mid-March 2019 and final results expected in spring 2019 according to plan Regulatory News: Genkyotex (Euronext Paris Brussels: FR0011790542 GKTX), a biopharmaceutical company and the leader in NOX therapies, announces its consolidated financial results for the year ended December 31, 20181, in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). A summary of the consolidated financial statements is included below. Elias Papatheodorou, CEO of Genkyotex, says: "In 2018, we achieved significant progress in advancing the development of GKT831 in multiple indications. Most importantly, the compelling interim data from our Phase 2 trial in PBC is indicative of GKT831's potential to treat a wide-range of fibrotic indications and represents the first clinical proof-of-concept for the novel therapeutic class of NOX inhibitors. We look forward to final results and especially data related to fibrosis and quality of life." On December 31, 2018, Genkyotex had cash and cash equivalents of 10.3 million, versus 12.8 million on September 30, 2018. The Company expects that its current cash position, after taking into account the full conversion of the convertible notes with warrants attached issued in August 2018 (of which 175 notes out of 500 notes have been converted to date), is sufficient to fund planned operations through first quarter of 2020. Given its stage of development, Genkyotex has not generated any sales to date, as all of its product candidates are in the Research Development (R&D) phase. In 2018, the Company received 750 thousand corresponding to the upfront payment resulting from the execution of the Serum of India Institute Private Ltd (SIIPL) extension agreement announced on June 25, 2018. The subsidies mainly correspond to the expected French research tax credit for 2018 (893 thousand) accrued for 2018. R&D expenses related to the costs of the ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial of GKT831 in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) drove the current operating loss of -10.4 million at December 31, 2018. As previously communicated, the Phase 2 clinical trial in Diabetic Kidney Disease, initiated by investigators, is being entirely financed by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF Australia) and the Baker Institute, and thus had no impact on the Company's recurring operating loss. Genkyotex recorded a consolidated net loss of -11.4 million (-0.15 per share without the effect of the 10-for-1 reverse stock split of Genkyotex's common shares currently in progress) for the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to a net loss of -25.8 million at December 31, 2017 (precision being made that without the one-time items related to the reverse takeover and the non-cash share-based payment for a total of 15.2 million, the adjusted consolidated net loss would have been -10.5 million in 2017). _________________________ 1 Consolidated accounts were approved by the Board on February 28th, 2019. These accounts have been audited and the certification report will be issued after verification of the management report Selected 2018 Financial Results thousands IFRS At December 31, 2018 At December 31, 2017 Income from customers agreement 750 Research Development expenses (a) (9,282) (9,475) Subsidies and Research Tax Credit 893 669 General Administrative expenses (a) (2,836) (5,299) Other Income 44 Current operating loss (a) (10,430) (14,104) Other operating expenses (b) (11,408) Operating loss (10,430) (25,512) Net loss for the period (c) (11,417) (25,773) Net loss per share (in euros) (d) (0.15) (0.39) (a) In 2017, the current operating loss includes a non-cash share-based payment expense of 1,990 thousand in Research Development expenses and 1,838 thousand in General Administrative expenses (b) In 2017, the other operating expenses include the quotation cost of 10,898 thousand (non-cash item) and restructuring costs for 510 thousand (c) In 2017, the net loss excluding onetime items related to the reverse takeover and the non-cash share-based payment expense would be -10,537 thousand (d) Net loss per share is presented before the effect of the 10-for-1 reverse stock split of Genkyotex's common shares currently in progress. The consolidated statement of financial position and the consolidated income statement prepared in accordance with IFRS for the year ended December 31, 2018 are included in appendix 1 of this press release. 2018 Key Highlights Announced positive interim results of the ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial of GKT831, the Company's lead product candidate, in PBC, where both primary and secondary efficacy endpoints were met with high statistical significance. After just 6 weeks of treatment, GKT831 achieved time and dose dependent improvements in markers of cholestasis, liver injury and inflammation. Announced 3 positive safety monitoring board (SMB) recommendations confirming the clinical favorable safety profile of GKT831 observed during the study. Expanded the license agreement with the SIIPL for the Vaxiclase platform to the developed world, bringing the overall agreement to approximately 150 million in development and commercial milestones. Announced that academic partner, Professor Victor Thannickal at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), was awarded an $8.9 million grant by the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) to evaluate GKT831 in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Business Update and Outlook for 2019 Phase 2 trial of GKT831 in patients with PBC is on track: this 24-week phase 2 trial is being conducted across a global network of investigational sites in Europe, North America and Israel, on 111 randomized patients. Last patient is expected to complete the 24-week treatment period by mid-march 2019 and the final results are expected in spring 2019. Importantly, to date, about 90% of patients have completed the 24-week treatment period and no dropouts or treatment interruptions due to pruritus have been reported. In addition to markers of cholestasis and liver inflammation, the final analysis will evaluate potential benefits on liver fibrosis, quality of life (i.e. itching and fatigue), bile acid metabolism, and autoimmune processes. this 24-week phase 2 trial is being conducted across a global network of investigational sites in Europe, North America and Israel, on 111 randomized patients. Last patient is expected to complete the 24-week treatment period by mid-march 2019 and the final results are expected in spring 2019. Importantly, to date, about 90% of patients have completed the 24-week treatment period and no dropouts or treatment interruptions due to pruritus have been reported. In addition to markers of cholestasis and liver inflammation, the final analysis will evaluate potential benefits on liver fibrosis, quality of life (i.e. itching and fatigue), bile acid metabolism, and autoimmune processes. Abstract presenting the interim efficacy results of the phase 2 trial in PBC was selected for an oral presentation during general session of International Liver Conference (ILC 2019) to be held in Wiena (Austria) from April 10 to 14, 2019. Further information regarding the presentation will be provided prior to the conference. was selected for an oral presentation during general session of International Liver Conference (ILC 2019) to be held in Wiena (Austria) from April 10 to 14, 2019. Further information regarding the presentation will be provided prior to the conference. Ongoing investigator-initiated Phase 2 trial of GKT831 in patients with Type 1 diabetes and diabetic kidney disease (DKD): this 48-week Phase 2 clinical trial is currently recruiting and no SAEs or discontinuations have been reported to date. This investigator-initiated trial is being entirely financed by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Australia and the Baker Institute. A target of 142 patients expected to be enrolled in up to 15 centers in Australia. this 48-week Phase 2 clinical trial is currently recruiting and no SAEs or discontinuations have been reported to date. This investigator-initiated trial is being entirely financed by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Australia and the Baker Institute. A target of 142 patients expected to be enrolled in up to 15 centers in Australia. Investigator-initiated Phase 2 trial of GKT831 in lung fibrosis (IPF) expected to be initiated in the first half of 2019: the core component of this program, financed by a $8.9 million grant from US NIH to Professor Thannickal at UAB, will be to conduct a 24-week investigator-initiated Phase 2 trial of GKT831. This will be a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical trial of GKT831 in 60 patients with IPF receiving standard of care therapies. the core component of this program, financed by a $8.9 million grant from US NIH to Professor Thannickal at UAB, will be to conduct a 24-week investigator-initiated Phase 2 trial of GKT831. This will be a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical trial of GKT831 in 60 patients with IPF receiving standard of care therapies. Advancing research on NOX inhibitors in oncology: on February 2019, the Company announced that Professor Gareth Thomas of the University of Southampton (UK), was awarded a Biotherapeutics Drug Discovery Project grant by Cancer Research UK (CRUK), a leading cancer research and awareness organization, to conduct a research program focused on the role of NOX inhibition in oncology. The 260 thousand grant will support the research program entitled "Combination immunotherapy for breast cancer: targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts to improving therapeutic vaccination." This is the second grant provided by CRUK to Professor Thomas for the evaluation of NOX inhibitors in oncology. Next financial press release: Q1 2019 business update and cash position: April 25, 2019 (after market) About Genkyotex Genkyotex is the leading biopharmaceutical company in NOX therapies, listed on the Euronext Paris and Euronext Brussels markets. A leader in NOX therapies, its unique therapeutic approach is based on a selective inhibition of NOX enzymes that amplify multiple disease processes such as fibrosis, inflammation, pain processing, cancer development, and neurodegeneration. Genkyotex's platform enables the identification of orally available small-molecules that selectively inhibit specific NOX enzymes. Genkyotex is developing a pipeline of first-in-class product candidates targeting one or multiple NOX enzymes. The lead product candidate, GKT831, a NOX1 and NOX4 inhibitor is evaluated in a phase 2 clinical trial in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC, a fibrotic orphan disease) and in an investigator-initiated Phase 2 clinical trial in Type 1 Diabetes and Kidney Disease (DKD). A grant from the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) of $8.9 million was awarded to Professor Victor Thannickal at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to fund a multi-year research program evaluating the role of NOX enzymes in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic lung disease that results in fibrosis of the lungs, the core component of the program will be to conduct a Phase 2 trial with the GKT831 in patients with IPF. This product candidate may also be active in other fibrotic indications. Its second product candidate, GKT771, is a NOX1 inhibitor targeting multiple pathways in angiogenesis, pain processing, and inflammation, currently undergoing preclinical testing. Genkyotex also has a versatile platform well-suited to the development of various immunotherapies (Vaxiclase). A partnership covering the use of Vaxiclase as an antigen per se (GTL003) has been established with Serum Institute of India Private Ltd (Serum Institute), the world's largest producer of vaccine doses, for the development by Serum Institute of cellular multivalent combination vaccines against a variety of infectious diseases. This partnership could generate approximately 150 million in future revenues for Genkyotex, before royalties on sales. For further information, please go towww.genkyotex.com Disclaimer This press release may contain forward-looking statements by the company with respect to its objectives. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs, estimates and expectations of Genkyotex's management and are subject to risks and uncertainties such as the company's ability to implement its chosen strategy, customer market trends, changes in technologies and in the company's competitive environment, changes in regulations, clinical or industrial risks and all risks linked to the company's growth. These factors as well as other risks and uncertainties may prevent the company from achieving the objectives outlined in the press release and actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements, due to various factors. Without being exhaustive, such factors include uncertainties involved in the development of Genkyotex's products, which may not succeed, or in the delivery of Genkyotex's products marketing authorizations by the relevant regulatory authorities and, in general, any factor that could affects Genkyotex's capacity to commercialize the products it develops. No guarantee is given on forward-looking statements which are subject to a number of risks, notably those described in the registration document (document de reference) registered by the French Markets Authority (the AMF) on 27 April 2018 under number R.18-037, and those linked to changes in economic conditions, the financial markets, or the markets on which Genkyotex is present. Genkyotex products are currently used for clinical trials only and are not otherwise available for distribution or sale. Appendix 1 Statement of consolidated financial position and consolidated income statement as of December 31, 2018 The statement of consolidated financial position and consolidated income statement of the Company were prepared in accordance International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The audit procedures on the consolidated financial statements have been performed. The consolidated financial statements for the period ended December 31, 2018 were approved by Board of Directors on February 28, 2019 and will be submitted to the shareholders at the Shareholders' Meeting on June 13, 2019. GENKYOTEX 12/31/2018 12/31/2017 Consolidated Statement of Financial Position (in thousands of EUR) ASSETS Intangible assets 9 653 10 221 Property, plant and equipment 31 51 Non-current financial assets 45 64 Total non-current assets 9 729 10 336 Other current assets 2 157 1 932 Current financial assets 3 280 Cash and cash equivalents 10 309 11 345 Total current assets 12 466 16 557 Total Assets 22 195 26 893 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Equity Capital 7 935 7 785 Additional paid-in capital 124 183 162 015 Cumulative translation adjustments (2 361) (2 258) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (514) (316) Accumulated deficit attributable to owners of the parent (103 383) (117 917) Net loss attributable to owners of the parent (11 417) (25 773) Equity attributable to owners of the parent 14 442 23 535 Non-controlling interests Total equity 14 442 23 535 Non-current liabilities Employee benefit obligations 996 822 Non-current financial liabilities 115 Non-current liabilities 996 937 Current liabilities Current financial liabilities 3 641 288 Trade payables 2 214 1 312 Other current liabilities 903 820 Current liabilities 6 757 2 421 Total Liabilities and Equity 22 195 26 893 GENKYOTEX 12/31/2018 12/31/2017 Consolidated Income Statement 12 months 12 months (in thousands of EUR) Sales Cost of sales Gross margin Income from customers agreement 750 Research and development expenses Research and development expenses (9 282) (9 475) Subsidies 893 669 General and administrative expenses (2 836) (5 299) Other income 44 Current operating loss (10 430) (14 104) Other operating income Other operating expenses (11 408) Operating loss (10 430) (25 512) Financial expenses (1 185) (309) Financial income 197 54 Pre-tax loss (11 417) (25 768) Income tax (expense) (5) Net loss for the period (11 417) (25 773) Attributable to owners of the parent company (11 417) (25 773) Non-controlling interests 12/31/2018 12/31/2017 Basic loss per share (EUR/share) (0,15) (0,39) Diluted loss per share (EUR/share) (0,15) (0,39) Basic loss per share (EUR/share) proforma (1) (1,46) (3,90) Diluted loss per share (EUR/share) proforma (1) (1,46) (3,90) (1) The loss per share proforma reflects the effect of the 10-for-1 reverse stock split of Genkyotex's common shares, as approved by Genkyotex' shareholders at the Extraordinary General Meeting on January 24, 2019 and implemented by the Board of Directors the same day. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005872/en/ Contacts: INVESTORS NewCap Dusan Oresansky, Tristan Roquet Montegon and Emmanuel Huynh +33 1 44 71 94 92 genkyotex@newcap.eu MEDIA NewCap Nicolas Merigeau, Arthur Rouille +33 1 44 71 00 15 genkyotex@newcap.eu US LifeSci Advisors, LLC Brian Ritchie +1-212-915-2578 britchie@lifesciadvisors.com Leading carriers recognize the value of the consortium-based Cross-Carrier Blockchain. The two companies will develop use cases in areas of Supply Chain, Contract Management, Roaming Billing, Identity Management and Mobile transactions. Tech Mahindra Ltd. announced a collaboration with TBCASoft to promote the Cross-Carrier Blockchain Platform for telecom carriers. TBCASoft leads the Carrier Blockchain Study Group (CBSG), a global consortium of telecom carriers, which has been gaining momentum because of its unique vision and Cross-Carrier Blockchain Platform technology. CBSG Consortium members and partners are building blockchain-based services on this platform. Leading carriers recognize the value of the consortium-based Cross-Carrier Blockchain, and the technology is gaining recognition as an innovative means of empowering carriers to provide differentiated services featuring transparency, security, real-time transactions and other blockchain advantages. The collaboration aims to architect use cases leveraging the platform in upcoming areas of Supply Chain (CPE handling, pricing, reassignment), Contract Management, Roaming billing and taxes, Identity Management and Mobile transactions, to customers around the world. As a leading digital player, Tech Mahindra is committed to helping CoSPs run Telcos better; achieving efficiency and effectiveness in operations, changing their existing setup, enabling new systems, platforms and solution methodology, and above all growing their revenues and enabling new business models. In India, Tech Mahindra has partnered with Microsoft to create a Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)-based solution to build a robust ecosystem in line with the regulations issued by TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India), to combat the issue of unsolicited commercial communication (UCC) or spam calls. BARCELONA, Spain, February 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of PETRONAS, today introduced Stephanie Travers as the successful candidate following its global search for a new Trackside Fluid Engineer. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/828728/PETRONAS.jpg ) 24-year-old Travers will provide five-time FIA F1 World Constructors' Champions, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Motorsport , with a comprehensive suite of fluid support services during the 2019 season. After over 7000 applications, there was a rigorous five stage selection process, culminating in an interview with PLI Group Chief Executive Officer, Giuseppe D'Arrigo. "We are delighted to welcome Stephanie on-board as a new PETRONAS Trackside Fluid Engineer (PTFE) today," said D'Arrigo. "Stephanie will operate at every race in the travelling PETRONAS Trackside Laboratory. These engineers represent the technical excellence of PETRONAS in Formula One and the company's commitment to building a pool of talent for the advancement of our fluid technology from track-to-road. PETRONAS employs the best and the brightest throughout the company and I believe that Stephanie's skillset, passion, determination and positive attitude will make her an incredible addition to our team." Introduced by PLI Group Technology Officer, Eric Holthusen, at the Circuit de Catalunya, Stephanie will be mentored by incumbent PTFE, Ahmad Nasri Mohd Shafie. "PETRONAS has contributed greatly to the performance and the reliability that is at the very heart of the success we've enjoyed over the past five seasons," said Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO of Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Motorsport. "PETRONAS has continuously raised the bar throughout our decade-long partnership, providing us with the technology and the technical expertise to give us a competitive advantage. The PETRONAS Trackside Fluid Engineer programme has been part of our partnership from the very beginning; it's an important pillar in our hunt for performance and reliability. Having fluid engineers in the on-track laboratory gives us the opportunity to quickly analyse lubricants from the car and to respond to potential challenges in real-time. The programme has also become a great asset to find and develop talent in our highly competitive industry and I'm sure that Stephanie will further strengthen our team at the track. Welcome to the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Motorsport family, Stephanie!" Technical partner since 2010, PETRONAS has co-engineered PETRONAS Primax fuel, PETRONAS Syntium engine oil and PETRONAS Tutela gearbox fluid, in close collaboration with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Motorsport, Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP), and PETRONAS Fluid Technology Solutions. Highlights: - An historical LCT Pegmatite showing, referred to as the Pennock Lake showing was confirmed 30 km northwest of the PAK Lithium Deposit; - The surface area of the showing pegmatite is minimum 30m by 16m; - The outcrop consists entirely of spodumene and quartz intergrowth (SQUI) and lithium contents in a grab sample gave 4.41% Li2O; - The results from electron microprobe work from spodumene in the western dikes and outcrop with an average of less than 0.1% Fe2O3, indicate similar Fe2O3 content as the PAK deposit. SUDBURY, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / Frontier Lithium Inc. (TSX.V: FL) (the "Company") is pleased to announce results from the confirmation of a historical showing of the Pennock Lake Pegmatite on the PAK Lithium Project ("The Project"), located 30 km north-west of the PAK deposit (Figure 1). The showing is an LCT (Lithium Cesium Tantalum) pegmatite intruding vertically into granitoids and metavolcanics. It was confirmed in the final days of a geological mapping program in late September 2018. It was originally described by L.D. Ayers (Ontario Geological Survey; Ayres et al., 1972) as "fine-grained spodumene.in a white pegmatite dike" Figure 1: Location Map of the Pennock Lake Pegmatite showing historical showings. (To view the full-size image, please click here) Initial mapping and sampling indicate zones that appear similar to the Lower Intermediate Zone at the PAK Deposit. Aplite, feldspar and spodumene is common throughout the outcrop exposure. Grab sample from the north-west outcrop contain 4.41% Li2O. The Company cautions that the grab sample result may not be indicative of the body being sampled. Figure 2: The Pennock Lake Pegmatite outcrop was visited in September 2018. The outcrop's exposure is limited by vegetation but currently measures approximately 30 x 16 m and consists entirely of spodumene + quartz intergrowth (SQUI). (To view the full-size image please click here (left) and here (right)) Limited EMP (electron microprobe) work was completed on spodumene from polished thin sections from one grab sample collected at the pegmatite outcrop. The results indicate similar Na2O and Al2O3 content for spodumene as the PAK Deposit. The iron oxide (Fe2O3) content of spodumene from this initial work averages less than 0.10%, which is similar to high-purity spodumene at the PAK Deposit (Figure 3). More work will be completed on the impurity assessment as the pegmatite zonations become better understood. Figure 3: Results of electron microprobe of spodumene from the Pennock Lake Pegmatite show mean Fe2O3 contents less than 0.1 wt.% Fe2O3. Results are compared to initial Spark pegmatite analyses and those at PAK (UIZ - Upper Intermediate Zone; LIZ - Lower Intermediate Zone) (To view the full-size image, please click here) "The Pennock Lake showing highlights the potential of the Electric Avenue." stated Trevor Walker, President and CEO. ""The west dike exposure is very consistent and appears very similar to the PAK deposit given it's high grade and low iron properties. We will be expedient with our assessment of the showing because we see the leverage it represents for the further de-risking it provides to the development of the PAK Lithium Project". Due Diligence All scientific and technical information in this release has been reviewed and approved by Garth Drever, P.Geo., the qualified person (QP) under the definitions established by National Instrument 43-101. Under Frontier's QA/QC procedures, grab samples are collected from outcrop using a rock hammer to best represent the site. The samples are described, placed into a poly sample bag with a numbered sample tag and then shipped to the assay lab for quantitative multi-element analysis. All samples were assayed by AGAT Laboratories Ltd. ("AGAT"), an ISO accredited laboratory in Mississauga, Ontario. Sample blanks along with tantalum, lithium, rubidium and cesium certified reference material was routinely inserted into the sample stream in accordance with industry recommended practices. Field duplicate samples were also taken in accordance with industry recommended practices. About Frontier Lithium Inc. Frontier Lithium is a Canadian junior mining company and have the largest land position in the Electric Avenue, a newly emerging premium lithium-metal district hosted in the Canadian Shield of northwestern Ontario. Frontier is implementing a phased approach to development for becoming a producer of technical grade lithium concentrates required to produce premium glass/ceramics as well as supplying a by-product of chemical grade concentrates for the production of lithium chemicals required for the burgeoning lithium battery industry. Frontier's goal is to become a low-cost, fully integrated lithium producer through development of the PAK lithium deposit in Ontario, Canada. Frontier maintains a tight share structure with management ownership exceeding 30% of the Company. The deposit boasts its lithium in a rare, high-purity, low-iron spodumene and is analogous to the Greenbushes' Deposit in SW Australia, which supplies approximately 40% of the world's lithium demands. Frontier has recently discovered a new LCT Pegmatite showing that is called the Spark, which at surface has displayed a channel cut with similar grade and composition to PAK Lithium Deposit. The surface exposure is at least 2 times larger than the PAK pegmatite which widths greater than 100m and a strike length of more than 300m. Ceramic/glass customers prefer to source technical-grade (low-iron) spodumene concentrate in excess of 7% lithium oxide (Li2O), if available, to avoid inferior lower grade petalite concentrates, or paying much higher prices for battery grade lithium compounds. The PAK lithium deposit remains open in all directions and Company Management is working towards developing a viable operation. The Company has completed a pre-feasibility study to assess the economic viability and technical feasibility of producing lithium concentrates. About the PAK Lithium Project The PAK Lithium Project lies close to the boundary between two geological sub-provinces of the western Superior geologic province in northwestern Ontario and hosts a rare metals pegmatite deposit. The deposit is an LCT (lithium- cesium- tantalum) type pegmatite and located on Ontario's Electric Avenue. These types of pegmatites have been the principal source of hard rock lithium, tantalum, rubidium and cesium ores mined in the world but there are comparatively few commercially-viable deposits. Frontier is actively exploring its 100% owned project which contains the Pakeagama Lake pegmatite, Spark pegmatite and Pennock Lake pegmatite. The PAK deposit has a current Measured and Indicated Resource of 7.5 million tonnes of 2.02% Li2O and an Inferred Lithium Resource of 1.8 million tonnes of 2.10% Li2O which has a technical/ceramic grade spodumene with low inherent iron (below 0.1% Fe2O3) as per its NI 43-101 Technical Report, "Preliminary Feasibility Study" disseminated on April 16, 2018. The PAK Lithium Project encompasses 26,774 hectares located 175 kilometers north of Red Lake in northwestern Ontario. Company Contact Information Bora Ugurgel Manager, Investor Relations 2736 Belisle Drive Val Caron, ON. P3N 1B3 CANADA T. +001 705.897.7622 F. +001 705.897.7618 Additional information regarding Frontier Lithium is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile and on its website at https://www.frontierlithium.com , including various pictures of ongoing work at the project. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Frontier Lithium Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/537425/Frontier-Lithium-Confirms-High-Grade-Lithium-on-a-Historical-Showing-on-the-PAK-Lithium-Project Prospectors & Developers Association Conference, Toronto - March 3-6 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2019) - Ely Gold Royalties Inc.(TSXV: ELY) (OTCQB: ELYGF) ("Ely Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that, Ely Gold Royalties will be presenting and exhibiting at a number of conferences in March including: The Metals Investment Forum, taking place at the Delta Hotel, Simcoe Street in Toronto on March 2-3, 2019; and The Prospectors and Developers Association Conference, taking place in Toronto at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre ("MTTC") on March 3-6. The Company will be exhibiting in the Investors Exchange and will be participating in the PDAC/Precious Metals Summit One on One Meeting Program on March 5-6. The Company will also have a presence at the Nevada Booth #7017N located in the North Building of the MTTC. Stakeholders and industry professionals are invited to meet senior management in the Investors Exchange at Booth #3012. About Ely Gold Royalties Ely Gold Royalties Inc. is a Vancouver based, emerging royalty company with development assets focused in Nevada and the Western US. Its current portfolio includes 31 Deeded Royalties and 19 properties optioned to third parties. All 50 of these properties are being explored by third parties. Ely Gold's royalty portfolio includes producing royalties, royalties on fully permitted mines, mines under construction and development projects that are being permitted for mine construction. The Company is actively purchasing existing third-party royalties for its portfolio and all the Company's Option Properties will produce royalties, if exercised. The royalty and option portfolios are currently generating significant revenue. Ely Gold is well positioned with its current portfolio of over 20 available properties to generate additional operating revenue through option and sale transactions. The Company has a proven track record of maximizing the value of its properties through claim consolidation and advancement using its extensive, proprietary data base. All portfolio properties are sold or optioned on a 100% basis, while the Company retains net smelter royalty interests. Management believes that due to the Company's ability to generate option and royalty transactions, its successful strategy of organically creating royalties, its equity portfolio and its current low valuation, Ely Gold offers shareholders a low-risk leverage to the current price of gold, exploration in Nevada and low-cost access to long-term mineral royalties. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Signed "Trey Wasser" Trey Wasser, President & CEO For further information, please contact: Trey Wasser, President & CEO trey@elygoldinc.com 972-803-3087 Joanne Jobin, Investor Relations Officer jjobin@elygoldinc.com 604-488-1104 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Disclaimer: This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including statements regarding the Company's contemplated acquisition or sale of royalties and Properties, and any stated plans for further near-term exploration and development of the its Properties. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include the risk of accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration, development and extraction operations, the risk that its partners will encounter unanticipated geological factors, or the possibility that they may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances, necessary to carry out their stated plans for the Properties, the Company's inability to secure the required TSXV acceptance required for any Transaction, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal disputes or changes in the jurisdictions where the Company carries on its business that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effect. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43133 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / Entrepreneur Chris Frederick has announced that he is hosting a networking event entitled 'Branding Bootcamp' in Miami, Florida on March 8th through the 11th. The purpose of this event is to teach young entrepreneurs what it takes to be successful and to provide them with the skills necessary for them to achieve success. Anyone interested in attending this event can still purchase tickets, but they are selling out fast. People have described Frederick as a 'serial entrepreneur,' and they would be right. He has established several successful businesses over the years. A big reason for his success can be attributed to networking. At this upcoming event, he will be talking about how to generate multiple streams of income by using practical networking strategies. The ideal target audience for the Branding Bootcamp event is aspiring entrepreneurs who need inspiration and knowledge. Chris Frederick will be joined by co-hosts Jeremy Bishop and Cody Kerns. Kerns is the CEO of ICOMEUP, and Bishop is the Vice President of Marketing at ICOMEUP. Aside from being a serial entrepreneur, Frederick has also established himself as a bigtime influencer on Instagram. At ChrisFrederick.com, Frederick assists entrepreneurs with their networking endeavors by utilizing his Instagram following, which includes over 300 million connections. When these entrepreneurs attend the event, they'll learn how to build their brand and take their business to the next level. There is one philosophy which comes out of making money, according to Frederick. You need to spend a little money in order to make a lot of money. If you can learn to do that, success will follow. This is what Frederick will talk about at Branding Bootcamp. He'll also reveal the income streams which made him the most money. Most importantly, he'll go over everything there is to know about increasing productivity and networking. Anyone who attends the event can write it off as a tax deduction. It is open to entrepreneurs of several levels, starting from entry level all the way to the VIP level and Super VIP level. For each person who attends, a private session will be available to them which teaches things like content creation, detailed sales training, customizing and editing photographs and videos, 2-day access to a mansion, and brand development. Those who are at a higher level of entry will receive additional bonuses too. About Entrepreneur Chris Frederick Chris Frederick is both an entrepreneur and a father, and he works hard at both. He tries to be better at both every single day to inspire Carter Frederick, his son. As of 2019, Frederick has over 7 different income streams and businesses. His most notable one is an exotic car rental company. As an Instagram influencer, he sells promotional advertisements for his clients. They usually see substantial growth to their businesses after just 3 days, resulting in thousands of new connections and followers. It helps that Frederick is a direct sales representative who is a top producer in his field. His expertise is to train other people and show them how to sell valuable items over the internet. Outside of his own businesses, Frederick invests in several other start-up businesses too, such as Core 22. You may contact Chris on Instagram or email: cfmagic@icloud.com SOURCE: MentionWorth View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/537431/Entrepreneur-Chris-Frederick-to-Host-a-Miami-Networking-Event-in-March-2019 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / Skeena Resources Limited (TSX.V: SKE, OTCQX: SKREF) ("Skeena" or the "Company") is pleased to announce an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE), for the Eskay Creek Project ("Eskay Creek"), which has been reviewed and validated by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc ("SRK"). The updated 2019 MRE has a larger component of pit constrained resources than the 2018 MRE which was principally reported as underground resources. Remaining mineralization below the optimized resource reporting pit shell with reasonable prospects of economic extraction by underground mining methods is reported accordingly. The effective date of this MRE is February 28, 2019 and a new technical report will be filed on the Company's website and SEDAR within 45 days of this disclosure. Updated 2019 Pit Constrained Resource Estimate The pit constrained Indicated resource includes 2.46 million gold equivalent ounces within 12.7 million tonnes at an average gold equivalent grade of 6.0 g/t. The pit constrained Inferred resource includes 1.23 million gold equivalent ounces within 13.6 million tonnes at an average gold equivalent grade of 2.8 g/t. Table 1: Indicated and Inferred pit constrained resources reported at a 0.7 g/t AuEQ cut-off grade. GRADE CONTAINED OUNCES TONNES AUEQ AU AG AUEQ AU AG (000) G/T G/T G/T OZ (000) OZ (000) OZ (000) TOTAL INDICATED 12,711 6.0 4.5 117 2,455 1,818 47,791 TOTAL INFERRED 13,557 2.8 2.2 42 1,230 984 18,455 Updated 2019 Underground Resource Estimate The underground Indicated resource estimate includes 218,000 gold equivalent ounces within 819,000 tonnes at an average gold equivalent grade of 8.2 g/t. The underground Inferred resource estimate includes 78,000 gold equivalent ounces within 295,000 tonnes at an average gold equivalent grade of 8.2 g/t. Table 2: Indicated and Inferred underground resources reported at a 5.0 g/t AuEQ cut-off grade. GRADE CONTAINED OUNCES TONNES AUEQ AU AG AUEQ AU AG (000) G/T G/T G/T OZ (000) OZ (000) OZ (000) TOTAL INDICATED 819 8.2 6.4 139 218 169 3,657 TOTAL INFERRED 295 8.2 7.1 82 78 68 778 2019 Resource Estimate - Additional Considerations To constrain the pit optimization, the Company requested the application of a Mining Cost Adjustment Factor (MCAF) to certain blocks in the resource model to limit the ultimate depth of the resource reporting pit. The applied MCAF resulted in a tightly constrained resource reporting pit shell with a maximum depth of only 230 meters below surface. Due to the resource being advantageously located below a topographic ridge, the average maximum depth below surface of the pit constrained resources is only 180 meters resulting in a modest strip ratio of 7.5:1. Table 3: Combined pit constrained and underground resources. GRADE CONTAINED OUNCES TONNES AUEQ AU AG AUEQ AU AG (000) G/T G/T G/T OZ (000) OZ (000) OZ (000) INDICATED PIT CONSTRAINED 12,711 6.0 4.5 117 2,455 1,818 47,791 UNDERGROUND 819 8.2 6.4 139 218 169 3,657 INFERRED PIT CONSTRAINED 13,557 2.8 2.2 42 1,230 984 18,455 UNDERGROUND 295 8.2 7.1 82 78 68 778 TOTAL INDICATED 13,530 6.1 4.6 118 2,673 1,987 51,448 TOTAL INFERRED 13,852 2.9 2.3 43 1,308 1,052 19,233 The majority of remaining mineralization at Eskay Creek is hosted in the rhyolite facies feeder structures which are not enriched in the exhalative epithermal suite of elements (Hg-As-Sb). Preferential historical development and mining of the bonanza grade mineralization hosted in the mudstone has resulted in extensive depletion of resources in this rock type. The 2019 pit constrained MRE indicates that on a tonnage weighted basis, 70% of the contained gold equivalent ounces are hosted within the rhyolite facies with only 30% hosted in the remaining unmined mudstone. The metallurgical process recovery assumptions which were applied to the pit optimizations and to the calculations to determine cut-off grades for reasonable prospects of economic extraction are well founded from historical Eskay Creek mill recoveries. Averaged across all rock types, gold recovery was 80% and silver recovery was 92%. It is noteworthy that liberation of free milling gold is excellent as demonstrated by the historical gravity gold recoveries which ranged from 10-30%. The 2019 MRE was derived from 7,583 historical surface and underground diamond drill holes totalling 651,332 meters, with an additional 46 surface diamond drill holes completed by Skeena in 2018 totalling 7,738 meters. Eskay Creek Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate Notes: The mineral resources disclosed in this press release were estimated using the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") standards on mineral resources and reserves definitions, and guidelines prepared by the CIM standing committee on reserve definitions and adopted by the CIM council Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or any part of the mineral resources estimated will be converted into mineral reserves. As defined by NI 43-101, the Independent and Qualified Person for the Eskay Creek MRE is Sheila Ulansky P.Geo., of SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. who has reviewed and validated the Eskay Creek MRE. The effective date of the MRE is February 28, 2019. Resources are reported in-situ and diluted for the pit constrained scenario and undiluted for the underground scenario; both are considered to have reasonable prospects for economic extraction. In accordance with NI 43-101 recommendations, the number of metric tonnes was rounded to the nearest thousand. Any discrepancies in the totals are due to rounding effects. Metal prices used for the AuEQ calculation are US$1,275 per ounce of gold, and US$17.00 per ounce of silver. AuEQ = Au (g/t) + [Ag (g/t)/75]. Historical metallurgical recoveries of 80% AuEQ were utilized in the determination of cut-off grades for underground resources. The calculated pit constrained cut-off grade was determined to be 0.7 g/t AuEQ and the underground cut-off grade was determined to be 4.5 g/t AuEQ. Cut-off grades must be re-evaluated considering prevailing market conditions (including gold prices, exchange rates and costs). At the request of the Company, the underground resources are reported at a higher cut-off grade of 5.0 g/t AuEQ as opposed to the calculated 4.5 g/t AuEQ. Block tonnage was estimated from volumes using a bulk density formula that was applied using interpolated lead, zinc, copper and antimony grades. This density formula was derived from the historic operator based on comparisons between actual measurements and analyses at the Eskay Creek Mine. SG = (Pb + Zn + Cu + Sb) x 0.03491 + 2.67 (where all metals are reported in percent). Two models were constructed in a two-stage process: a pit constrained model using a 9 x 9 x 4 meter block size using 2 meter capped composites was estimated in stage one, and an underground model using a 3 x 3 x 2 meter block size using 1 meter capped composites was estimated in stage two. All ten mineralization domains were estimated in stage one and that proportion of mineralization captured in the optimized pit were reported as pit constrained resources. The mineralization domains below the level of the optimized pit were estimated in stage two and reported as resources amenable for underground extraction. Mineralization domains were created in Leapfrog GeoTM (Seequent) using Indicator RBF Interpolants and utilizing a cut-off grade of 0.5 g/t AuEQ and a probability of 50%. The domains were split according to two primary lithology types: (1) rhyolite and (2) mudstone and andesite combined. Domains were further refined by means of separating into major fault block and historical mining zones. Each domain was modified or reassessed individually to consider presiding mineralization features. A 3.0 meter hard boundary around all underground working was constructed so that high grade composites from within mined out areas had limited influence. The 3.0 meter limiting domain was utilized in both the pit constrained and underground estimation models. Grade capping was performed on each lithology-split domain using 1.0 meter down the hole composites that honoured mineralized domain boundaries. Small composites less than 0.5 meters were merged with the previous sample. Gold capping values ranged from 10 to 900 g/t and silver capping values ranged from 600 to 30,000 g/t. A total of 190 and 418 samples were capped for gold and silver, respectively. Preliminary Ordinary Kriged (OK) block models were run using (1) capped and (2) uncapped 1.0 meter composites to determine the percent metal lost per estimation domain. Capping values were subsequently readjusted to ensure that capping was neither too severe nor too lenient. The 2.0 meter composites utilized for the pit constrained model inherited the capped values established from the 1.0 meter composites. Gold and silver variograms were used to determine the spatial relationship of composites over distance. One-meter composites established the primary orientation, nugget, sills and ranges per domain, and were used to estimate the mineralization domains in the underground model. Variograms for 2.0 meter composites were updated for nugget and first sill and were used to estimate the domains in the pit constrained model. Ordinary Kriging was used for the estimation of gold and silver in all domains. Resources were estimated using Maptek VulcanTM 11.0.1 using sub-blocking capabilities of 3 x 3 x 2 meter cell sizes for the pit constrained model, and 1 x 1 x 1 meter cell sizes for the underground model. Search orientations were modified with Dynamic Anisotropy using a surface which mimicked the local lithological units. Dynamic Anisotropy was used for all domains except for Zone 22, Pumphouse and Zone 109 where the variogram model was appropriate. The mineral resources were estimated using two passes with increasing search radii based on variogram ranges. Pass 1 approximated 90% of the range of the variogram; Pass 2 equalled two times the range of the variogram. In the pit constrained model, Pass 1 used a minimum of 5 composites and a maximum of 15 composites. Pass 2 used a minimum of 3 composites and a maximum of 15 composites. In the underground model Pass 1 used a minimum of 5 composites and a maximum of 10 composites. Pass 2 used a minimum of 3 composites and a maximum of 10 composites. For both models, a maximum of 2 composites per hole were specified. Hard boundary interpolations were honoured except for domains having the same orientation and structure but split by lithology; between these zones soft boundary estimation was applied. A waste model was estimated using Inverse Distance Squared (ID2) methodology using 2 meter capped composites. Five waste domains were partitioned and anisotropy and ranges within each waste domain were inherited from the nearest mineralization domain. One estimation pass using 100% of the range was allocated using a minimum of 3 composites and a maximum of 10 composites. A maximum of 2 composites per hole were specified. Only coherent waste zone blocks were included into the Inferred category. Indicated and Inferred resources were classified according to interpolation Passes 1 and 2, respectively. The Indicated category is defined by blocks interpolated from Pass 1 for gold using a minimum of 3 holes and a maximum distance of 43 meters to a drill hole showing reasonable geological and grade continuity. In areas where blocks were interpolated during Pass 1 where continuity is lacking, or blocks were isolated, the blocks were reclassified to Inferred on a visual basis. The Inferred category is defined by blocks interpolated from Pass 2 for gold using a minimum of 2 holes and a maximum distance to a drill hole composite of 95 meters. In consultation with SRK's geotechnical team who reviewed the documentation on fill-type used previously at the Eskay Creek Mine, an exclusion buffer of 3.0 meters surrounding the underground workings for the underground model was specified, whereas a buffer of 1.0 meters surround the underground workings in the proposed pit constrained model was adopted. Estimated mineralization that occurs within these buffers is not included in this MRE. Estimates use metric units (meters, tonnes and g/t). Metal contents are presented in troy ounces (metric tonne x grade / 31.10348). Neither the Company, nor SRK, is aware of any known environmental, permitting, legal, title-related, taxation, socio-political, marketing or other relevant issue that could materially affect this mineral resource estimate. The abundance and significance of As, Hg and Sb are unknown but currently under evaluation. The quantity and grade of reported Inferred mineral resources in this estimation are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to re-define the Inferred mineral resources as Indicated mineral resources. It is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to the Indicated mineral resources category. Table 4: Pit constrained scenario assumptions for determining cut-off grades with reasonable prospects of economic extraction. INPUT PARAMETERS VALUE UNIT PIT WALL ANGLES 45 DEGREES REFERENCE MINING COST $ 2.00 US DOLLARS PER TONNE MINED MINING RECOVERY 95 PERCENT MINING DILUTION 5 PERCENT PROCESSING COST $ 15.00 US DOLLARS PER TONNE PROCESSED GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATION $ 5.75 US DOLLARS PER TONNE PROCESSED PROCESS RECOVERY AU 80% PERCENT PROCESS RECOVERY AG 90% PERCENT SELL PRICE AU $ 1,275.00 X (0.95) US DOLLARS PER OUNCE (95% PAYABLE) SELL PRICE AG $ 17.00 X (0.95) US DOLLARS PER OUNCE (95% PAYABLE) TRANSPORTATION/REFINING COSTS $ 25.00 US DOLLARS PER OUNCE AUEQ COMBINED STRIP RATIO 7.5:1 UNITLESS Table 5: Underground scenario assumptions for determining cut-off grades with reasonable prospects of economic extraction. INPUT PARAMETERS VALUE UNIT REFERENCE MINING COST $ 79.25 US DOLLARS PER TONNE MINED PROCESSING COST $ 15.00 US DOLLARS PER TONNE MILLED GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATION $ 5.75 US DOLLARS PER TONNE MILLED PROCESS RECOVERY AU 80% PERCENT PROCESS RECOVERY AG 90% PERCENT SELL PRICE AU $ 1,275.00 X (0.95) US DOLLARS PER OUNCE (95% PAYABLE) SELL PRICE AG $ 17.00 X (0.95) US DOLLARS PER OUNCE (95% PAYABLE) TRANSPORTATION/REFINING COSTS $ 25.00 US DOLLARS PER OUNCE AUEQ Eskay Creek Mineralization The Eskay Creek deposits represent a shallow water, bimodal volcanic sequence hosted in a fault bounded basin with an epithermal VMS signature. Rhyolite facies volcanics are overlain by mafic volcanics with a clastic mudstone occurring at the contact between the two volcanic episodes. This mudstone represents the period of quiescence between the two volcanic events and is spatially and temporally related to the main mineralizing event at Eskay Creek. The epithermal suite of elements (Hg-Sb-As) and bonanza precious metal grades dominantly occur at this interface but are not homogenously distributed throughout the mudstone. Rather, they are spatially associated with vents fed from underlying synvolcanic feeders. Due to the higher precious metal tenor of the mudstone-hosted mineralization, the vast majority of historical production at Eskay Creek occurred within this rock type whilst the rhyolite-hosted feeder style mineralization was less developed due to its lower Au-Ag grades. Rhyolite-hosted mineralization is not enriched in Hg-Sb-As and was often blended with mudstone-hosted zones to reduce smelter penalties for the on-site milled concentrates and Direct Shipped Ore (DSO). Qualified Persons The Independent and Qualified Person for the Eskay Creek MRE is Sheila Ulansky P.Geo., of SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. (Vancouver), who has reviewed, validated and approved the Eskay Creek MRE as well as the technical disclosure in this release. In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Paul Geddes, P.Geo. Vice President Exploration and Resource Development, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has validated and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. The Company strictly adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines in conducting, documenting, and reporting its activities on its various exploration projects. About Skeena Skeena Resources Limited is a junior Canadian mining exploration company focused on developing prospective precious and base metal properties in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Company's primary activities are the exploration and development of the past-producing Snip mine and the optioned Eskay Creek mine. In addition, the Company has completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment on the GJ copper-gold porphyry project. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Skeena Resources Limited, Walter Coles Jr. President & CEO Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements Certain statements made, and information contained herein may constitute "forward looking information" and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. These statements and information are based on facts currently available to the Company and there is no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements and information may be identified by such terms as "anticipates", "believes", "targets", "estimates", "plans", "expects", "may", "will", "could" or "would". Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and other matters. While the Company considers its assumptions to be reasonable as of the date hereof, forward-looking statements and information are not guarantees of future performance and readers should not place undue importance on such statements as actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or information except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Skeena Resources Limited View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/537429/Skeena-Announces-Upgraded-Pit-Constrained-Resource-Estimate-for-Eskay-Creek Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2019) - Iconic Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: ICM) (OTC Pink: BVTEF) (FSE: YQGB) ("Iconic" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the launch of a "CEO Verified" Discussion Forum on AGORACOM. The forum will serve as the Company's primary social media platform to interact with both shareholders and the broader investment community in a fully moderated environment. Iconic will also receive significant exposure through millions of content brand insertions on the AGORACOM network and extensive search engine marketing over the next 12 months. In addition, exclusive sponsorships of invaluable digital properties such as AGORACOM TV, the AGORACOM home page and the AGORACOM Twitter account will serve to significantly raise the brand awareness of the Company among small cap investors. MODERATED DISCUSSION FOR PUBLIC COMPANY EXECUTIVES AND SHAREHOLDERS AGORACOM "CEO Verified" provides the first ever identity verification of small cap executives on a finance platform. For the first time ever, small cap CEO's and other company officers can post or communicate within a discussion forum without the risk of impersonation leading to catastrophic consequences. As the ultimate influencers of their own companies, "CEO Verified" Forums will create levels of engagement between companies and investors that have long desired civilized, constructive and factual conversation, with no limitations as to the number of characters. Posts to AGORACOM are shareable on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, which enables the Company to continue utilizing these channels while making AGORACOM the primary HUB of investor engagement. There are no log-in requirements for investors to visit the forum and read posts. Those wishing to post questions, comments and interact with company officers can quickly log-in using their Facebook or LinkedIn accounts, or create an anonymous new user account. The Iconic Discussion Forum can be found at: https://agoracom.com/ir/IconicMinerals The Verified Director at launch is Keturah Nathe, Director of the Company. Keturah Nathe stated: "Social media participation is integral for shareholder communication, as well as the growth of public companies. AGORACOM forums are purpose built to facilitate intelligent discussion, and to provide meaningful content. I encourage everyone to read and participate in our CEO Verified Discussion Forum to create vibrant and constructive discussions for the long-term benefit of all stakeholders." George Tsiolis, AGORACOM Founder stated: "This is a service that is long overdue for small cap companies, executives and long-term shareholders that have had no choice but to watch their company message get hijacked on unmonitored forums by unscrupulous investors. CEO Verified Discussion Forums are the best solution, and it is free, so every small cap CEO in North America should be using it and every small cap shareholder should be demanding it." SHARES FOR SERVICES The Company intends, subject to receipt of acceptance from the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V"), to issue common shares in its capital stock (the "Common Shares") to AGORA in exchange for the Services. The number of Common Shares to be issued at the end of each period will be determined by using the closing price of the Common Shares of the Company on the TSX-V on the first trading day following the end of each period for which the Services were provided by AGORA. Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the Company will be paying AGORA a total of $60,000 + HST by the issuance of Common Shares as follows: $12,000 + HST in Common Shares for Services upon Commencement February 20, 2019 for initial set up of HUB, marketing materials and search engine programs. $12,000 + HST in Common Shares for Services at end of Third Month - May 20, 2019; $12,000 + HST in Common Shares for Services at end of Sixth Month - August 20, 2019; $12,000 + HST in Common Shares for Services at end of Ninth Month - November 20, 2019; $12,000 + HST in Common Shares for Services at end of Twelfth Month - February 20, 2020. The term of the Agreement is for 12 months effective February 20, 2019, subject to TSX-V acceptance. About ICONIC: Iconic has several quality Lithium and Gold exploration projects in Nevada, USA, primarily focusing exploration and development efforts on the Bonnie Claire Lithium Property. The Bonnie Claire is located within the Sarcobatus Valley that is approximately 30 km (19 miles) long and 20 km (12 miles) wide. Iconic recently completed a NI 43-101 technical resource study where the report defined an Inferred resource11.839 billion pounds of elemental lithium. The 5.370 billion kg resource is equivalent to 28.584 billion kilograms (28.584 million tonnes) of LCE, with the average grade being 963 ppm lithium. Early initial metallurgy showed leach recoveries of 83% to 98% Li, leaching with dilute acid and 11% to 56% leaching with distilled water. Iconic will be initiating its Phase 2 drilling program in 2019, where the data will be used towards completion of a pre-feasibility study. Iconic has two other highly prospective Lithium exploration properties, which are also located in Nevada. About AGORACOM: AGORACOM is the pioneer of online marketing, broadcasting, conferences and investor relations services to North American small and mid-cap public companies, with more than 300 companies served. AGORACOM is the home of more than 767K investors that visited 5.2 million times and read 53 million pages of information every year. The average duration of visit of 8min 43sec is more than double that of global financial sites, which can be attributed to the implementation and enforcement of the strongest moderation rules in the industry (All Metrics Average 2008 - 2017). AGORACOM traffic ranks within the top 0.5% of all websites around the world. These traffic results are independently tracked and verified by Google analytics. AGORACOM traffic can be attributed to its strategy of maintaining the cleanest, moderated small-cap discussion, as well as, implementation of the first ever Investor Controlled Stock Discussion Forums in 2007. 10 years later, in 2017, AGORACOM launched the first ever "CEO Verified" Discussion Forums to allow Small Cap CEO's and Company officers to post comments in a fully verified, moderated and social media shareable environment. For further information on AGORACOM, please contact: Web:www.agoracom.com Email: contact@agoracom.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD SIGNED: "Richard Kern" Richard Kern, President and CEO Contact: Keturah Nathe, VP Corporate Development (604) 336-8614 For further information on Iconic, please visit our website at www.iconicmineralsltd.com The Company's public documents may be accessed at www.sedar.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43138 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2019) -FALCON GOLD CORP. (TSXV: FG) ("Falcon" or the "Company") announces results of its Annual General ("AGM") held Thursday February 28, 2019. Shareholders voted in favour of all management resolutions proposed in the Company's Information Circular. Resolutions proposed and approved include: The number of Directors for the Company was set at four. The four members elected to the Board of Directors include: Stephen J. Wilkinson, David G. Tafel, James D. Farley, and Brian L. Crawford. Manning Elliott LLP, Chartered Accountants, was appointed as auditor of the Company for the ensuing year. The Company's Stock Option Plan was ratified. Subsequent to the AGM, the Board of Directors re-appointed the following officers: Mr. Stephen Wilkinson - CEO, Mr. Brian Crawford - CFO, Mr. Kenneth Cawkell - Secretary Mr. David Tafel - Chairman, Audit Committee About Falcon Gold Corp. Falcon is a Canadian based mineral exploration company focused on generating, acquiring, and exploring opportunities in the Americas. Its Ontario, Canada projects include: The Central Canada cobalt, copper, gold project; the Coomer Lake vanadium and titanium project; the Wabunk Bay cobalt, copper and nickel project, and the Burton gold property. Falcon also has an agreement to acquire 20,461 hectares within the Sierra de Las Minas District, Argentina which has hosted several past producing gold, copper and silver mines. The Company has 38,020,184 common shares outstanding and is listed on the TSX Venture exchange with the trading symbol: "FG". For information on the Company, please visit our website: www.falcongold.ca. CONTACT INFORMATION: Falcon Gold Corp. David Tafel Chairman Stephen Wilkinson CEO & Director Telephone: +1 604-683-1991 Email: info@falcongold.ca Cautionary Language and Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, etc. Forward looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43142 Amazon India will support, train and empower women entrepreneurs associated with Kudumbashree Thiruvananthapuram: Amazon India on Wednesday signed an MoU with Kudumbashree, a poverty eradication and women empowerment programme implemented by the State Poverty Eradication Mission of the Kerala Government for its pioneering programmeAmazon Saheli. Through this partnership, Amazon India will support, train and empower women entrepreneurs associated with the organisation and provide a marketplace for them to showcase their products to Amazon customers across the country, a press release said. Kudumbashree is one of the largest women empowerment programmes in the world with more than 1,000 Community Development Societies and reaching more than four million women across 14 districts in Kerala. The Saheli team will train and support women entrepreneurs associated with Kudumbashree and provide them a slew of benefits to enable them start selling online at zero initial cost. They will also be provided seamless onboarding assistance,imaging and cataloging, product listing, subsidized referral fee and free account management, the release said. With this partnership, Amazon India will bring in the regional selection and unique products across categories like grocery, home and fashion accessories made by women entrepreneurs from the state. Amazon has already conducted a pilot workshop and added products in grocery and personal care made by women artisans under the Kudumbashree account. Within the first three weeks of the pilot, they have started receiving orders from states like Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal,Delhi,Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, to name a few. Pranav Bhasin, Director, Seller Experience, Amazon India, said participation of women entrepreneurs on the Amazon.in marketplace has been growing substantially over the past few years, especially since the inception of our dedicated program Amazon Saheli. Kudumbashree was launched by the state government in 1997 to eradicate poverty in rural and urban areas of Kerala through community development schemes, under the leadership of Local Self Governments. It is now also considered as one of the largest women empowering projects in India. By supporting women weavers and handicraft experts, this association will change the socio-economic life of women in Kerala, both in urban and rural areas of the state, S Harikishore, Executive Director, Kudumbashree, said. Launched in November 2017, with SEWA and Impulse Social Enterprise, Amazon Saheli currently has a diverse range of products listed by women entrepreneurs. The programme offers extensive training and skill development workshops for its partners to help women entrepreneurs understand the nuances of online selling and develop skills and capabilities necessary to grow their business on Amazon.in. The training workshops comprise sessions on listing of products, imaging and cataloging, packaging and shipping, inventory and account management and customer servicing. The workshops are free and offer exclusive benefits, including assisted onboarding and mentorship programs. Amazon Saheli works with 17 partners with the reach of 100,000 women entrepreneurs. Currently,the Saheli program includes women entrepreneurs like housewives, domestic helpers, artisans etc.with thousands of products across 13 categories like apparel, jewellery and groceries. Coca-Cola said Chaturvedi, who joined the company in 2012 as National Head - Human Resources as part of HCCB, has risen through the ranks within the compnay New Delhi: Beverage major Coca-Cola India Thursday announced the appointment of Nishi Kulshreshtha Chaturvedi as Vice President, Human Resources, India and South West Asia. Chaturvedi will lead talent recruitment and advancement, performance enablement, and leadership development functions for the company in India and South West Asia, the company said in a statement. Coca-Cola said Chaturvedi, who joined the company in 2012 as National Head - Human Resources as part of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd (HCCB), has risen through the ranks within the Coca-Cola system. "We at Coca-Cola are committed to developing and nurturing internal talent. Nishi has extensive experience and a natural flair for working with people in bringing out the best in them. We are looking forward to her leadership in developing resilient leaders for the company who can withstand the rapidly-evolving external environment and serve as role models for the next generation," Coca-Cola India and South West Asia President T Krishnakumar said. Nishi has over 20 years' experience in human resources across FMCG, healthcare, oil and gas and energy sectors working with Schneider Electric, Cairn Energy and Baxter Healthcare prior to Coca-Cola. Hughes Communications India (HCIL) on Thursday said it has received Flight and Maritime Connectivity licence from the government, that authorises it to offer high-quality broadband services in ships and aircraft, within Indian territory New Delhi: Hughes Communications India (HCIL) on Thursday said it has received Flight and Maritime Connectivity licence from the government, that authorises it to offer high-quality broadband services in ships and aircraft, within Indian territory. With this, HCIL becomes the first company to be granted the Flight and Maritime Connectivity (FMC) licence in India by the telecom department, after the government notified rules for in-flight, maritime mobile phone services in December last year. HCIL is a majority-owned subsidiary of broadband network and services provider Hughes Network Systems. "The first company to be granted the FMC licence in India, HCIL is now authorised to provide in-flight connectivity and high-quality broadband services to Indian and foreign airlines and shipping companies operating within Indian territory," HCIL said in a statement. The company has already set up a base mobility platform and is in talks to enhance the services in India, it added. The statement did not divulge details about potential tie-ups with specific airlines, likely tariffs, or timeframe in which the services could be available. A source however said the connectivity could be in place in about three months for in-flight services, and before that for ships. Once the alliances with airlines are in place, travellers will be able to stay connected during a flight with internet access and possibly also have voice services through apps during air travel within Indian territory, the source said. The FMC licence has been granted for a period of 10 years, and HCIL will pay spectrum charges based on revenue earned from providing these services, which can be delivered using both satellites and telecom networks on the ground. HCIL will provide FMC services in India operating over domestic and foreign satellites permitted by the Department of Space, the statement said. Since the policy was first published by regulatory authorities in mid-December 2018, it has generated a lot of interest from India's maritime and airline industries and HCIL looks forward to supporting them in the rapidly growing opportunity for in-flight and maritime connectivity services, the statement said. Commenting on the development, Partho Banerjee, President & Managing Director at Hughes Communications India said: "We stand ready operationally to initiate high quality broadband services for both airlines and maritime operators, including having the availability of ubiquitous satellite coverage across Indian airspace and territorial waters". According to Euroconsult, over 23,000 commercial aircraft will offer connectivity to their passengers by 2027, up from 7,400 aircraft in 2017. Northern Sky Research's Aeronautical SatCom Market's 2017 report predicts that by the end of 2019, broadband VSAT connectivity will be installed on one out of every three commercial passenger aircraft and will rise to two out of every three by the end of 2026. Fuelled by rising demand for broadband connectivity, this installed base is estimated to generate over USD 32 billion in revenue over the next decade, as air travel continues its rise around the world. The connectivity needs in maritime industry are also growing leaps and bounds. An increasing number of vessels are looking to stay connected to provide their crew and passengers high-speed internet access, monitoring weather patterns to cut fuel costs, filing regulatory documents, ordering supplies from sea to save time in port, and generating business intelligence. Over 44,242 ships are equipped with Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) in 2018, double the last recorded number in 2013, the Hughes statement said citing data by Comsys. The Mate 20 Pro is powered by the worlds first 7nm mobile AI chipset Kirin 980, for high performance and battery life. At MWC Barcelona 2019, Huawei Consumer Business Group (BG) received an award from the event organizer GSMA. The Huawei Mate 20 Pro was named the Best Smartphone in recognition of its powerful performance, outstanding camera system, long battery life, innovative charging solutions and striking design. This coveted accolade serves as a testament to Huaweis leading technologies and its commitment to delivering the best products and user experiences to consumers around the world. First nominated and then named the Best Smartphone by GSMA, HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro is Huaweis latest flagship smartphone. Representing the best of Huaweis breakthrough technologies, HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro is powered by the worlds first 7nm mobile AI chipset Kirin 980, enabling top-class performance and battery life. It supports 40W HUAWEI SuperCharge, one of the fastest smartphone charging solutions on the market, 15W HUAWEI Wireless Quick Change and the innovative Reverse Wireless Charging that lets its users charge other devices and electronic gadgets wirelessly. At the back of the device is the Matrix Camera System, which incorporates the Leica Ultra Wide Angle Lens to enable wide-angle photography and capturing at macro distances. HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro comes with EMUI 9.0, Huaweis nature-inspired Android-based custom operating system, which introduces gesture navigation and a host of other new features that help users get the most out of their devices. The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting more than 750 operators with over 350 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem. The GSMA also produces the industry-leading MWC events held annually in Barcelona, Los Angeles and Shanghai, as well as the Mobile 360 Series of regional conferences. Driven by a consumer-first ethos, Huawei is committed to enabling all people to enjoy the benefits of the digital lifestyle. At the advent of 5G technology, Huawei is one of the few manufacturers that has the capability to develop the full breadth of 5G products and deliver a fully synergized user experience. At MWC Barcelona 2019, Huawei unveiled HUAWEI Mate X, the companys first 5G foldable phone; the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro, HUAWEI MateBook 14 and HUAWEI MateBook 13; as well as HUAWEI 5G CPE Pro. Increasing exports would boost the average wages, according to the report titled 'Exports to Jobs: Boosting the Gains from Trade in South Asia'. New Delhi: Increasing exports can lead to better jobs and higher wages in India, including more formal sector employment for youth and women, the World Bank said in a report released on Thursday. Labour market policies can help different groups of workers acquire the right skills and ensure that the gains of increased exports are shared more broadly across society, said the report jointly released by the World Bank and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Increasing exports would boost the average wages, according to the report titled 'Exports to Jobs: Boosting the Gains from Trade in South Asia'. The biggest beneficiaries of the wage gains would be the high-skilled, urban, more experienced, and mainly male workers. For low-skilled workers, the shift would result in an increase in formal jobs, it said. "Our research shows that exports can improve the performance of local labour markets and that policies need to be put in place to increase exports in South Asia, while ensuring that the benefits of higher exports are shared more broadly," said Gladys Lopez-Acevedo, World Bank lead economist and one of the report's authors. Addressing constraints that prevent people from moving and taking advantage of new job opportunities is important, Lopez-Acevedo said. India grew at a rate of 7.2 percent in 2017, at the same time reducing the number of people living in poverty. However, most Indians do not have regular jobs in the formal economy and differences in wages across regions and in the quality of employment opportunities prevail. The increasing population also puts pressure on labour markets, said the joint study. In addition, trade has been falling, from 55.8 percent to 41.1 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) between 2012 and 2017. India's exports are mainly capital-intensive goods such as chemicals and fabricated metals, meaning that the direct benefits for workers have been limited, it said. With the right policies, India can ensure that greater export orientation can boost workers' gains from trade and spread them more widely, so benefiting disadvantaged groups, the report said. "Economists and policy makers need a better understanding of how exactly globalisation affects both workers and national labour markets," said Daniel Samaan, senior economist, ILO research department and one of the report's authors. "Our research shows that more exports can create benefits for workers by raising wages and reducing informality, but we need stronger policies to ensure these benefits reach everyone in the labour market, and don't leave any groups behind," he added. State finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Wednesday presented an interim budget for 2019-20 having an estimated revenue deficit of Rs 19,784 crore Mumbai: The Maharashtra Assembly on Thursday approved the vote-on-account, which has budgetary provisions for four months of the next financial year (April to July this year), without any debate. Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and NCP members Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil said they were tabling their respective speeches on the interim budgetary provisions on the floor of the House. The appropriation bill and vote-on-account were subsequently passed by a voice vote and without any debate. Reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) were also tabled. The House was then adjourned for an hour. State finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Wednesday presented an interim budget for 2019-20 having an estimated revenue deficit of Rs 19,784 crore and provision of special fund for farm loan waiver. Earlier, as soon as the House assembled for the day on Thursday, NCP legislator Jitendra Awad urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to move a motion that the state along with rest of the country stood firmly behind the armed forces and Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan after air combat on Wednesday. He said the state should lead by example and a one-line resolution about this should be sent to Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, to be forwarded to President Ram Nath Kovind. Before the session, Awhad told reporters that the state's ongoing budget session should not be curtailed due to threat perception amid rising Indo-Pak tensions. "We need to show courage and poise by carrying out our daily functioning here. Winding up of the session in the name of security (threat) would give a wrong message," he said. The final budget which will be presented in the next session (after Lok Sabha elections) will focus on farmers, the poor, women and youth Mumbai: Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Wednesday presented an interim budget for 2019-20 which has an estimated revenue deficit of Rs 19,784 crore and has provision of special fund for farm loan waiver. The states outstanding debt has increased to Rs 4,14,411 crore, which is 14.82 percent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), he said, but maintained that the states economy was sound. The debt level of Maharashtra, leading industrialised state, is among the highest in the country. The budget also provides for Rs 90 crore towards a skill development scheme named after late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan. As per the budget provisions for 2019-20, revenue receipts of Rs 3,14,489 crore and revenue expenditure of Rs 3,34,273 crore is estimated, he said. Maharashtra governments annual plan has been fixed at Rs 99,000 crore for the financial year 2019-20. Presenting the vote-on-account, which will have budget provisions for the first four months of 2019-20 (April to July this year), Mungantiwar said in the state Assembly that the government will try to keep the deficit in control by reducing unnecessary expenditure and making effective recovery of revenue. It is observed that whenever the pay commission recommendations (for government staff) are implemented, the states finances are somewhat stressed the next year, the minister said, explaining the deficit. Mungantiwar said the annual plan includes an outlay of Rs 9,208 crore for a special component plan, Rs 8,431 crore for tribal sub-plan and Rs 9,000 crore for district annual plan. The final budget which will be presented in the next session (after Lok Sabha elections) will focus on farmers, the poor, women and youth, he informed the Lower House. Looking at the state economys size, it can be said that the current debt level is reasonable as per the established fiscal benchmarks, he mentioned. According to fiscal indicators, the financial position of a state is considered healthy if the quantum of debt is below 25 percent of GSDP, he said. The government has been successful in keeping the debt quantum below 15 per cent of GSDP for 2018-19, he said. The minister said 2017-18 was the first year of implementation of GST and a revenue of Rs 90,000 crore was expected from this tax. Due to co-operation of farmers, merchants, workers and industrialists, the actual revenue was Rs 1,15,000 crore, he said. Mungantiwar said last year, the farmers loan waiver scheme, known as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojana, was not included in the original budget. It was introduced later for which Rs 16,095 crore was to be provided. Despite this, Rs 2,082 crore was the revenue surplus, he said. He said the revenue deficit for 2017-18 was Rs 14,960 crore against the estimated Rs 15,374.90 crore. Minister of state for Finance Deepak Kesarkar presented the budget in the Legislative Council. There is a reduction in the marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) with effect from 1 March, 2019, New Delhi: State-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) on Wednesday said it will reduce the MCLR by 0.10 percentage point for various tenor loans from 1 March. There is a reduction in the marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) with effect from 1 March, 2019, PNB said in a regulatory filing. The one-year tenor loans, against which most of the consumer loans are benchmarked, has been cut to 8.45 percent from 8.55 percent. The three-year MCLR has been cut to 8.65 percent. The rates for overnight, one/three/six month MCLRs are also down by 10 basis points each at 8.05 percent, 8.10 percent and 8.15 percent respectively. Base rate at 9.25 percent will remain unchanged, bank said. The country's largest lender SBI on 8 February had announced to cut home loan rates by 0.05 percentage point for loans up to Rs 30 lakh. The Reserve Bank in its last bi-monthly policy review for 2018-19 had cut the key repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.25 percent, paving the way for banks to make consumer loans cheaper. (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's top shareholder Wellington Management said on Wednesday that it did not support the U.S. drugmaker's $74 billion purchase of biotech Celgene Corp, saying the deal is too risky. Wellington Management owns about 8 percent of Bristol-Myers shares and was the largest institutional holder as of Feb. (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's top shareholder Wellington Management said on Wednesday that it did not support the U.S. drugmaker's $74 billion purchase of biotech Celgene Corp, saying the deal is too risky. Wellington Management owns about 8 percent of Bristol-Myers shares and was the largest institutional holder as of Feb. 25. Celgene shares fell 8.5 percent after the Wellington statement was released, while Bristol-Myers shares rose 3 percent. Bristol-Myers said in January that it would buy New Jersey-based Celgene, combining two of the world's largest cancer drug businesses in the biggest pharmaceutical deal ever. Wellington said it had concluded that the deal asks Bristol-Myers shareholders to accept too much risk and that the terms offer the company's shares to Celgene shareholders at a price well below the implied asset value. The investment manager also said successful execution of the deal could be more difficult to achieve than depicted by company management. Neither Bristol-Myers nor Celgene could immediately be reached for comment. The Wellington statement comes a week after Bristol-Myers said that activist hedge fund Starboard Value LP intends to nominate five directors to the Bristol-Myers board. Reuters reported in February that Starboard was working with a proxy solicitor to gauge the level of support among Bristol-Myers shareholders for the Celgene deal. If it finds enough discontent, Starboard could agitate against it. (Reporting by Ankur Banerjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Bill Berkrot) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Bar and Bench spoke with International Lawyer Priya Pillai on the current situation between India and Pakistan and Abhinandan Vathaman's legal position under the Geneva Conventions. The standoff between India and Pakistan, which began with a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama which killed 42 Central Reserve Police Force personnel, and was followed by IAF strikes against terror training camps in Pakistan and other locations, took a new turn with the capture of an IAF pilot reportedly identified as Wing Commander Abhinandan by Pakistani forces on Wednesday. On Thursday, Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan announced in parliament that the pilot will be returned to India on Friday via the Wagah border as a 'peace gesture'. Imran further called for talks with India to prevent the risk of a miscalculation between the two nuclear-armed militaries. Amid the rising tensions, Bar and Bench spoke with international lawyer Priya Pillai on the situation between India and Pakistan, and the legal position and rights of Wing Commander Abhinandan Vathaman under the Geneva Conventions. Legally speaking, do the laws of war or International Humanitarian Law (IHL) apply in the current scenario? There has been no declaration of war, with neither state indicating this. What is more relevant is whether the protection of International Humanitarian Law would apply in this case, regardless of a declaration, or of the scale or intensity of the conflict. The Geneva Conventions the bedrock of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), or the laws of war apply in the case of international armed conflict, where at least one of the parties is a signatory to the conventions. In this case, Pakistan and India have both signed and ratified Geneva Conventions I - IV of 1949, in 1950 and 1951 respectively. These Conventions relate to the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field [GC (I)]; to the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea [GC (II)]; relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War [GC (III)]; and last but not least, relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War [GC (IV)]. This means that the rights and obligations detailed by these international conventions that are nearly universally signed and ratified are incumbent on both states. Specifically, on the question of the application of the Geneva Conventions to a particular conflict, guidance can be found in Common Article 2 which is an article that is present in all the conventions. Per this provision, the Convention shall apply to all cases of declared war or to any other armed conflict which may arise between two or more of the High Contracting Parties, even if the state of war is not recognized by one of them. The current situation would clearly fall within this definition, resulting in the applicability of the Geneva Conventions. With Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman in custody of Pakistan, can he be considered a Prisoner of War? If so, how long does this status last? The definition of a prisoner of war is in Article 4 of the Third Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War [GC (III)]. Per Article 4 (A)(1), prisoners of war are persons belonging to one of the following categories, who have fallen into the power of the enemy: (1) Members of the armed forces of a Party to the conflict as well as (2) members of militias or volunteer corps forming part of such armed forces. Wing Commander Varthaman is a member of the armed forces of a Party to the conflict being an officer of the Indian Air Force and therefore falls within this definition of a prisoner of war. As such, he must be accorded all the protections available under the Geneva Conventions. Article 5 of GC III then details the scope of application of the convention i.e. it shall apply to the persons referred to in Article 4 from the time they fall into the power of the enemy and until their final release and repatriation. This means that at the time of capture and until final release, the obligations under the conventions will continue to apply in all circumstances. This then leads to the question of release and repatriation. Per Article 118 GC (III), Prisoners of war shall be released and repatriated without delay after the cessation of active hostilities. If there is no such provisions in any agreement for the end of hostilities, there still needs to be a plan for repatriation put in place without delay and these plans must be informed to the prisoner. In the case of a prisoner of war who is sick or wounded, there is also provision for repatriation to a neutral third state (Article 110). While the term cessation of active hostilities is not defined, it is relevant to note the aims of the convention when interpreting this term that GC (III) was to rectify gaps in previous treaties (the Hague Regulations of 1907 and the 1929 Convention on Prisoners of War) which relied on the establishment of peace prior to release. The interpretation of the phrase differs in practice in various military manuals, but there does not seem to be a requirement of a formal "agreement" as such. Rather, the end of hostilities is assessed as a question of fact and should suffice for release and repatriation. (It is worth pointing out that at the end of the last major conflict between India and Pakistan in 1971, the signing of an agreement signifying the end of hostilities (the Simla Accord) unfortunately did not guarantee the release of approximately 50 Indian prisoners of war, suspected to be still held in jails in Pakistan.) The rationale underlying these provisions, however, is based on the premise that repatriation is an inalienable right, that must be respected and without undue delay. What are the rights and obligations regarding a prisoner of war under the Geneva Conventions? There are 143 articles in GC III, which relate to the rights of prisoners of war, and the corresponding obligations of the detaining power. The approach of the laws of war is to realize the protection of those vulnerable in times of conflict, including civilians and prisoners of war. In this respect, most of the obligations are on the detaining state. GC (III) has detailed provisions as regards the treatment and protection of prisoners of war. The basic principles for the treatment of prisoners are established in Part II (Articles 12 16). Article 13, on humane treatment, stipulates that prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity. Reprisals against prisoners of war are prohibited. In addition, there must be the provision of medical attention (Article 15), and equal treatment of all with no adverse distinction on the basis of race, nationality, religious belief etc. (Article 16). Arguably, the circulation of videos of the prisoner, or any form of humiliating treatment, would fall foul of Article 13. At the commencement of captivity, when prisoners may be questioned in a language they understand, Article 17 details the information required to be divulged by a prisoner only his surname, first names and rank, date of birth, and army, regimental, personal or serial number, or failing this, equivalent information. This is the only information required. No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind whatever. Prisoners of war who refuse to answer may not be threatened, insulted, or exposed to any unpleasant or disadvantageous treatment of any kind. There are other extremely detailed provisions that encompass all aspects of captivity and possible situations in detention, including the conditions of captivity, food, medical treatment, labour, correspondence, discipline, etc. These provisions are meant to regulate and protect the condition of prisoners, till such time as repatriation occurs, and are a comprehensive legal regime. (As a point to note, Pakistan has entered reservations to two provisions of GC (III), but these are not relevant to the current discussion.) This article, which originally appeared on Bar and Bench, has been reproduced with permission and has not been edited for style and clarity by Firstpost Pakistan claimed that it had arrested Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman on Wednesday, and also said that its air force had shot down two Indian aircraft. Veteran Air Marshal and father of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, an IAF pilot who was captured by Pakistani troops on Wednesday, on Thursday thanked people for their concern and wishes, CNN-News18 reported. "I thank God for his blessings. Abhi is alive, not injured, sound in mind. Just look at the way he talked so bravely. A true soldier. We are so proud of him. I am sure all your hands and blessings are on his head; prayers for his safe return. I pray that he does not get tortured, and comes home safe and sound in body and mind. Thank you all for being with us in this hour of need. We draw our strengths from your support and energy," the news channel quoted veteran Air Marshal Varthaman as saying. Varthaman Senior, who last served as Eastern Air Command chief, had even seen action during Kargil, The Times of India reported. An experienced test pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours on 40 types of aircraft to his credit, Varthaman senior had joined the IAF as a fighter pilot in 1973. The newspaper quoted the IAF as saying in 2011: "During the Kargil conflict, Varthaman was the chief operations officer of Gwalior where he used his flight test experience to coordinate the upgradation of the Mirage 2000 aircraft that proved instrumental in the success of the air campaign." Also read on Firstpost: Wing Commander Abhinandan's poise in Pakistan captivity is commendable; a true officer and a gentleman Pakistan claimed that it had arrested Abhinandan on Wednesday, and also said that its air force had shot down two Indian aircraft. Pakistani jets had violated the Indian airspace in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Rajouri sectors. PAF fighters reportedly dropped bombs at Nadian, Laam Jhangar and Kerri in Rajouri district and in the Hamirpur area of Bhimber Gali in Poonch, at about 10 am. Following the arrest, Twitter users began urging the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government to pull out all stops to bring him back home to India. Many also expressed hope that Pakistan will grant the IAF pilot relevant protections under the Geneva Convention. Reports had said that Pakistan's attack was in retaliation to an airstrike carried out by India on Tuesday, in which "a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and jihadis were eliminated", said Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale. Follow LIVE updates on the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict The Congress leader tweeted his request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan's announcement that the IAF pilot would be released on 1 March. Amritsar: Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has offered to receive Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman at the Attari border in Amritsar district when the IAF pilot arrives on Friday after being released by Pakistan. The Congress leader tweeted his request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan's announcement that the IAF pilot would be released on 1 March. "Dear Narendra Modiji, I'm touring the border areas of Punjab and I'm presently in Amritsar. Came to know that Government of Pakistan has decided to release Abhinandan Varthaman from Wagah. It will be an honour for me to go and receive him, as he and his father are alumnus of the NDA as I am," Singh wrote. Meanwhile, official sources said in New Delhi that a delegation of IAF will on Friday receive Varthaman at the Wagah border. Varthaman's MiG 21 was shot and he bailed out after bringing down one Pakistani F-16 fighter during a dogfight to repel a Pakistani attack on Wednesday morning. He has been in Pakistan since then. The chief minister arrived in Amritsar on Thursday evening as part of his visit to border areas to take stock of situation and instill confidence among the people in the wake of heightened tensions. "Amarinder Singh has offered to receive Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman at the border on his arrival from Pakistan," the Chief Minister's Officer said in a statement. Abhinandan's father S Varthaman retired as an Air Marshall. The chief minister later said it was a spontaneous gesture on his part and a desire that came from his heart, given the prevailing situation. Amarinder had earlier, in an informal interaction with mediapersons in Jalandhar, welcomed the announcement of the Pakistani prime minister and termed the decision to release Abhinandan a goodwill gesture that could help ease the tensions at the border. Following reports of the IAF pilot's capture by Pakistan, the chief minister had urged the Indian government to take all possible steps to secure his early release. He had also urged Pakistan to ensure the officer's safety and wellbeing as per the Geneva Conventions. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley appealed to Opposition to introspect their statement on blatant politicisation of the sacrifices of the armed forces New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Wednesday appealed to opposition parties to introspect their statement on "blatant politicisation" of the sacrifices of the armed forces, saying it is being used by Pakistan to bolster their case, drawing a sharp retort from the Congress that it is the ruling party "leadership who require real introspection". Jaitley hit out at the Opposition, saying why it is alleging that the government is politicising the anti-terror operation when the whole nation is speaking in one voice. "My appeal to India's opposition - 'Let the country speak in one voice'. Please introspect - 'Your ill-advised statement is being used by Pakistan to bolster its case'." The whole nation has spoken in one voice. Why, then is Indias opposition alleging that the Government is politicising our Anti-Terror Operations. Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 27, 2019 "The Cross Border terror attack in Pulwama was a reality. The Balakot Operation was India's Anti-Terror preemptive strike to defend its Sovereignty," he said in a series of tweets. Countering Jaitley, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted, "Mr. Jaitley, it's BJP and its leadership who require real introspection. Entire opposition stood as one backing the armed forces and the Govt. Still, Amit Shah and entire BJP resorted to credit seeking for the sacrifice of our martyrs & indulged in blaming the Congress provocatively." Mr. Jaitley, Its BJP & its leadership who require real introspection. Entire opposition stood as one backing the armed forces & the Govt. Still, Amit Shah & entire BJP resorted to credit seeking for the sacrifice of our martyrs & indulged in blaming the Congress provocatively https://t.co/BlOLgX1gwE Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) February 27, 2019 The 21 opposition parties after their meeting earlier in the day issued a joint statement expressing "deep anguish" over what they alleged was "blatant politicisation" of the sacrifices of armed forces. They urged the government to take the nation into confidence on all measures to protect India's sovereignty, unity and integrity. The statement said, "National security must transcend narrow political considerations... The leaders observed that the prime minister has, regrettably, not convened an all-party meeting as per established practice in our democracy." The papal conclave ended with vague promises of concrete measures and special programmes. For the survivors in Kerala, this means nothing except a continuation of their trauma and uncertainties. Pope Franciss four-day conclave last week in Rome, to address the issue of rampant sexual abuse in the church, was billed as a landmark event. As senior church officials from all over the world flocked to the Vatican, there was hope that the church would this time round offer more than empty reassurances. Outside the gates of the conclave, hundreds of survivors of abuse, rape, assault stood waiting, as also the children of "celibate" priests, who wanted some form of acknowledgement or recompense for the trauma they had endured. In Kerala too, survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated by members of the clergy awaited the outcome of the Pope's conference; perhaps he would address their problems as well? The nun who has accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal of rape had written to the Pope over a year ago, asking for help with her case. Then there was the minor girl who was raped by her parish priest in 2016, and then gave birth to a child that he claimed was not fathered by him. A DNA test and a police investigation resulted in the priest being imprisoned. In both these cases, the Church in Kerala had stood by the perpetrators rather than the survivors. Would this change after Pope Francis' conclave? Read on Firstpost: Sister Lucy, who protested against accused bishop in Kerala nun rape case, says sexual abuse is rampant in Church India has a population of over 24 million Catholics who form 2.3 percent of the population, as per the 2011 Census. However, the issue of sexual assault by the clergy is rarely spoken about in public. Although there have been a couple of tell-all books written by nuns who left their convents, the church in India has not found it necessary to probe the issue in depth or set up any self-regulatory mechanism. Now, the issue has come to the fore. Kerala, which has the largest population of Catholics in the country, also produces the largest number of priests and nuns. And it is here that the problems are surfacing. The incidents which triggered this unrest have been extensively reported the rape allegations against the powerful Bishop Franco Mullakal (who was arrested, then released after three weeks on bail, when the nun who had accused him filed a police complaint) and the rape of the minor by the (now convicted) parish priest. In the Bishop Franco case, the nun had appealed to the church for help before going to the police. She found herself ostracised by the church; now she and the handful of sisters who stood by her have held fast against the lack of institutional support. The case of the parish priest included some sordid attempts to silence the minor survivor. Also read: Vatican's meet on sexual abuse focused on child survivors, problematically excluded women Older nuns are now slowly beginning to speak out about the harassment they faced when they were teenagers and novices. They had stayed silent thus far for a number of reasons. Some cited the importance placed on chastity as a reason for not speaking up. A nun who had been sexually assaulted by a priest when she was in her teens had complained to a senior in the church about the incident. She says she was advised to "keep away" from the priest, and was responsible for protecting her own chastity. Others had to stay on in convents despite suffering abuse because they were financially dependent on the church and would face social boycott if they left. Church officials who are mostly male euphemistically term sexual assaults rarest of rare transgressions and say their prevalence is exaggerated by the media. Survivors, however, now want zero tolerance for the problem of sexual abuse and full protection from the church. They do not want to be deprived of their livelihoods or face social boycotts, when they are not the ones at fault. As one nun said: I came here because I wanted to serve God and the people. Why should I leave because someone else misbehaves with me? The papal conclave ended with vague promises of concrete measures and special programmes. For the survivors in Kerala, this means nothing except a continuation of their trauma and uncertainties. Pilot Abhinandan Varthaman was captured on Wednesday after he ejected safely from his MiG 21 Bison aircraft but landed across the LoC. Author Fatima Bhutto, the granddaughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, on Wednesday asked the Imran Khan government to release an Indian Air Force pilot captured after an air combat. (Photo: Facebook | @fatima.bhutooo) Washington: Author Fatima Bhutto, the granddaughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, on Wednesday asked the Imran Khan government to release an Indian Air Force pilot captured after an air combat. Pilot Abhinandan Varthaman was captured on Wednesday after he ejected safely from his MiG 21 Bison aircraft but landed across the Line of Control. India has demanded immediate and safe return of the Wing Commander Varthaman, who was taken into custody by Pakistani army following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control. "Many other young Pakistanis and I have called upon our country to release the captured Indian pilot as a gesture of our commitment to peace, humanity and dignity," Bhutto, 36, wrote in an op-ed in the New York Times. "We have spent a lifetime at war. I do not want to see Pakistani soldiers die. I do not want to see Indian soldiers die. We cannot be a subcontinent of orphans," said Bhutto, a writer who is also the niece of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. "My generation of Pakistanis have fought for the right to speak, and we are not afraid to lend our voices to that most righteous cause: peace," said the daughter of Murtaza Bhutto, son of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. She said Pakistan's recent history was bloody and no one has suffered more violence than its own citizens. "But our long history with military dictatorships and experience of terrorism and uncertainty means that my generation of Pakistanis have no tolerance, no appetite, for jingoism or war," she said. Bhutto said like her, a large section of the population was against the escalation of tensions. "I have never seen my country at peace with its neighbour. But never before have I seen a war played out between two nuclear-armed states with Twitter accounts," Bhutto said. In the afternoon on Wednesday, #saynotowar hashtag began to trend in Pakistan, before hitting the worldwide number 1 spot on Twitter. Tensions between India and Pakistan rose following the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack. Following the incident, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early on Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. On Wednesday, Pakistan claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested the pilot. Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne, who was in London on Wednesday, said that she was very concerned about the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack. 'I was hearing very serious reports about an escalation of the conflict between Pakistan and India. I am very concerned about those. Melbourne: Australia has once again urged India and Pakistan to "exercise restraint" and avoid further military action, saying the cycle of escalation is "very dangerous" for all. Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne, who was in London on Wednesday, said that she was very concerned about the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack. "I was hearing very serious reports about an escalation of the conflict between Pakistan and India. I am very concerned about those. "If those reports are correct, we would certainly urge both sides to exercise restraint and to avoid further military action... this is a dangerous cycle of escalation," she said. Payne said she would encourage "direct dialogue" between both countries to resolve these matters in a peaceful way. "I will seek further information as soon as I am in a position to do so," the minister said. Asked if the upcoming general election in India was behind the recent escalation, Payne said: "No, I believe the terrorist attacks in Kashmir recently generated some significant angst for obvious reasons. What does concern me though, is the cycle of escalation which is very dangerous for all concerned". On Tuesday, the minister urged the two sides to exercise restraint and clearly asked Pakistan to take urgent and meaningful action against terrorist groups in its territory including Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). "Pakistan must do everything possible to implement its own proscription of Jaish-e-Mohammed. It can no longer allow extremist groups the legal and physical space to operate from its territory," she had said in the statement. Payne said that the government was continuously reviewing consular advice and safety of its embassy staff. "I would be expecting advice from High Commissioners on that matter. That is a matter that DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) takes very seriously both in terms of the safety of those we have working in posts and also of course Australians travelling," she said. On Wednesday, the Australian government updated its travel advisory for India without changing it. "Following a terrorist attack in Kashmir on 14 February, India's military response on 26 February and reports of air force incidents over border areas of the disputed region of Kashmir, there is increased tension in the region. There are reports of suspended and/or cancelled flights for some airports in North India. "Airport operations and flight schedules may change at short notice. Monitor local media for developments and contact your airline for the latest information. We haven't changed the level of our advice - 'exercise a high degree of caution' in India overall. We have higher advice levels in some parts of the country, including Jammu and Kashmir," the advisory said. In the wake of the Pulwama terror attack by the Pakistan-based terror group JeM, tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. Forty CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on 14 February in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a JeM suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. On Wednesday, social media was full of images and video clips of captured IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman bloodied, arrested, blindfolded, then cleaned up and casually quizzed while sipping a cup of tea On Wednesday, social media was full of images and video clips of captured IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman bloodied, arrested, blindfolded, then cleaned up and casually quizzed while sipping a cup of tea. His MiG-21 Bison jet had been shot down, following a duel with a Pakistan Air Force F-16, inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. In the over 24 hours since, Indian mainstream media outlets and social media users have been baying for retribution and demanding that Pakistan return the captured pilot, while simultaneously exhorting the Indian government to free him. On Thursday afternoon, however, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that Abhinandan would be released on Friday 'as a peace gesture'. As a true statesman, taking the lead, Prime Minister of Pakistan @ImranKhanPTI announced that Pakistan will release captured Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman tomorrow as a peace gesture.#LetBetterSensePrevail PTI (@PTIofficial) February 28, 2019 Whether it was the tenets of the Geneva Conventions that prevailed upon the Pakistani prime minister or concerns about escalating the situation is unknown, and more to the point, irrelevant. What needs to be noted is how Khan owned the narrative of the whole episode and demonstrated that he was taking the moral high ground in an increasingly volatile situation. But his announcement in the Pakistani Parliament that the pilot is to be released was no flash-in-the-pan or a one-off. He's been carefully managing the narrative ever since Abhinandan was captured. A few hours after the news of the MiG-21 jet being shot down hit the airwaves, Khan addressed his nation in a conciliatory manner. After speaking briefly about the horrors of war, he turned his attention to India and said,"[W]ith our weapons capability... on both sides, can we afford a miscalculation? It will neither be in my control nor [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi's. The hurt that has been caused due to the Pulwama attack, we want to come to the table and talk about terrorism that effects us both." He warned, "I had stated that if India plays war games, we will retaliate. We waited, and today we took action. It was our plan to not cause any collateral damage and not to cause any casualties." In doing so, he was able to paint a picture of Pakistan being mature and rational about the whole imbroglio and retaliating only when provoked. Interestingly, during the time since Abhinandan's capture, Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, for the most part, remained belligerent threatening to boycott the upcoming Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meet if his Indian counterpart and the summit's guest of honour Sushma Swaraj was allowed to attend and Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, continued to goad India with missives like the following: But a desperate bid to win an election by one man is gripping an entire nation in war hysteria. India needs to realise that war is in no ones interest except Narendra Modi; whose escalating ego is reminiscent of dictators who started world wars.#SayNoToWar https://t.co/uNZZ40hXD0 PTI (@PTIofficial) February 27, 2019 Air Force excursions, war mongering, soldiers in captivity and the lives of so many people in danger all equate to 22 seats in the eyes of representatives on Indias ruling party. Is war an election option?#SayNoToWar https://t.co/BdiqiJcdVP PTI (@PTIofficial) February 28, 2019 All the while, Khan stuck to his script and spoke of peace. On Thursday morning, his desire to speak to Modi over the phone in order to defuse tensions was reiterated by Qureshi. And finally, on Thursday afternoon, his decision to release Abhinandan as a 'peace gesture' was announced to the world at large. Even as news channels flash phrases like "India Frees Abhinandan" proudly across their tickers, the fact is India didn't 'free' Abhinandan. At least not until such time as details emerge about possible back-channel negotiations or other off-the-record discussions that may have pushed Abhinandan's case along. The pilot's return home will be seen as Pakistan 'releasing' Abhinandan. And with that show of apparent magnanimity, Khan managed not only to take hold of the narrative of the entire episode, but also to signal the notion that his country seeks peaceful ties with its neighbours and to grab the moral high ground. In contrast, Modi who has yet to address the nation about the pilot's capture, much less to speak about the rising tensions between the South Asian nuclear neighbours has kept eerily mum about the whole episode, and ceded moral high ground to Khan and let him come out on top, in terms of optics at least. Follow all the latest India-Pakistan updates here Pakistan's foray into Indian airspace as expressed by the statement released by MOFA on Wednesday morning was aimed more at reclaiming some lost ground and playing to the gallery back home instead of a serious retaliation. What a difference a day makes. On Tuesday, as news emerged that Indian Air Force had carried out an audacious "pre-emptive non-military strike" deep inside Pakistan's territory in Balakot to demolish Jaish-e-Mohammed's terror facilities and eliminate a "very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for fidayeen attacks", the mood in the nation was jubilant. The deaths of 44 CRPF jawans in Pulwama had been avenged. Their families and the entire nation had achieved a sense of closure. Equally, India seemed to have finally found a way of mitigating Pakistan's low-cost asymmetric war by altering the retaliation doctrine. The fact that a dozen IAF Mirage 2000 jets crossed the LoC for the first time since 1971 war, carried out a deep penetration strike and returned unharmed after a successful operation pointed to a greater Indian capability for military prowess, meticulous planning, execution and political will. This also signaled as many columnists including this one had noted Indias willingness to call Pakistan's nuclear bluff and raise the bar of escalation calculus. By sending its fighter jets across the LoC and hitting a target in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region in mainland Pakistan, India declared that it will impose greater costs on the enemy nation through conventional war to degrade Rawalpindis ability of using terror as an instrument of foreign policy. Pakistan's low-cost asymmetric war that uses terrorists as cannon fodder, is reliant on the assumption that its nuclear arsenal will act as a deterrent against Indian aggression. Pakistan's nuclear doctrine has no mention of no-first-use policy and its policymakers have deliberately talked up a low threshold scenario. The importance of Balakot lies in the fact that it proved the truth about nuclear war that it lies at the very top of a graded escalation pyramid and there is enough space for a conventional war to achieve military objectives. It is also worth noting that the paradigm shift in Indias security architecture is incumbent on a greater willingness for risk-taking. It is this risk-taking that will now be tested. While India looked to have adopted the Israeli retaliatory model by degrading terror facilities deep inside Pakistan, it cannot have ruled out the possibility of a Pakistani retaliation. Pakistan had two options. Retaliation by pushing the envelope and risking escalation of a sub-conventional war while still staying below the nuclear threshold. Or quiet backing down through a mechanism of denial as we witnessed in the aftermath of precision strikes by Indian Army across LoC post Uri terror attacks. There was a difference. It is much easier to deny that a ground strike had taken place than denying air intrusion, and by putting out an announcement early on Tuesday Pakistan made it very difficult for itself to resort to denial. In absence of an effective denial mechanism, Pakistan struggled for the entire length of Tuesday by making some ridiculous statements and claims but it soon became clear to the Rawalpindi GHq that denial is not work going to work. India issued a pragmatic, de-escalatory and completely non-provocative statement on the Balakot strikes on Tuesday but the domestic pressure on Pakistani military began to increase fed by an incendiary social media that acted as a force-multiplier. The Wednesday morning violation of Indian airspace by Pakistan Air Force jets almost had an air of inevitability about it. Word is that Qamar Ahmed Bajwa, COAS, Pakistan army, is getting ready to pitch for an extended term instead of retirement on due date and IAF incursion into Balakot looked bad for his CV. A retaliation was inevitable if only to maintain the facade of invincibility. It could have proved too costly for Pakistan to take an IAF hit in its mainland and remain quiet or in denial. However, the chain of events that unfolded on Wednesday point towards a conclusion that Pakistan has been plain lucky to be in possession of a leverage in the form IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman whose MiG-21 Bison took a hit and he landed in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir post ejection. Pakistans foray into Indian airspace as expressed by the statement released by MOFA on Wednesday morning was aimed more at reclaiming some lost ground and playing to the gallery back home instead of a serious retaliation. The statement makes it clear that PAF strikes across Line of Control was not a retaliation to continued Indian belligerence. Pakistan has therefore, taken strikes at non military target, avoiding human loss and collateral damage. Sole purpose being to demonstrate our right, will and capability for self defence. We have no intention of escalation, but are fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm. http://www.mofa.gov.pk/pr-details.php As can be gauged from media reports so far while one Pakistan fighter aircraft was shot down by IAF jets in an aerial engagement after PAF jets had violated Indian airspace in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Nowshera sectors the IAF lost one MiG-21 Bison. It is possible that the aerial engagement took place over PoK airspace when IAF jets were in pursuit of the PAF aircraft. The chain of events at this stage are unclear still, but it appears that both the F-16 and MiG-21 fell on the PoK territory, making it possible for Pakistan to claim his custody. There is only one pilot under Pakistan Armys custody. Wing Comd Abhi Nandan is being treated as per norms of military ethics. pic.twitter.com/8IQ5BPhLj2 Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 27, 2019 Indian ministry of external affairs released two statements on Wednesday. The first statement also read out at a media briefing by the MEA spokesperson acknowledged the loss of one MiG-21 Bison aircraft and one pilot missing in action and mentioned the fact that one Pakistani jet has been hit. The most important lines were these: Against this (Indias) Counter Terrorism Action, Pakistan has responded this morning by using its Air Force to target military installations on the Indian side. Due to our high state of readiness and alertness, Pakistan's attempts were foiled successfully. Targeting military establishments in retaliation for Indias acts of demolishing a terror facility (non-military preemptive strike, ostensibly in self-defence) is an act of war, and the very fact that this was mentioned, points towards an Indian willingness for escalation. The second statement makes this threat more explicit. This MEA statement mentioned that Pakistan's acting high commissioner was handed a demarche lodging Indias strong protest at the unprovoked act of aggression by Pakistan against India earlier today, including by violation of the Indian air space by Pakistan Air Force and targeting of Indian military posts." The release goes on to add, "It was clearly conveyed that India reserves the right to take firm and decisive action to protect its national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity against any act of aggression or cross-border terrorism India also strongly objected to Pakistans vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention." The language reinforces the impression that we may be looking at a kinetic action from India. As an option, it is fraught with risks of escalation but is best suited to meet domestic expectations. What this fortuitous turn of events has done is that it has presented Pakistan with a crucial leverage in a game of brinkmanship and shifted the onus on India to react. The choice before India as it was last night before Pakistan are two. India may choose to engage in diplomacy, remind Pakistan of its obligations under the Geneva Convention and demand early and safe return of Wing Commander Abhinandan. This could be the most pragmatic course of action since none of the nations want war as evident from both Pakistani and Indian responses but it will become increasingly difficult for both nations to get off the escalation ladder without suffering from significant political and strategic costs. Pakistan is in a better position at this stage. The Balakot embarrassment has been reversed and a degree of deterrence has been restored. The capture of an IAF pilot is a bonus. It has therefore sounded conciliatory. Army spokesperson Imran Khan who is also the Pakistani PM has renewed his call for peace, confident in the belief that he has the upper hand. The task for prime minister Narendra Modi is tough. The capture of Wing Commander Abhinandan is a major embarrassment and over the next few days is likely to become a hot button issue causing major domestic pressure. The Opposition wont let go of such an opportunity right before the elections, more so because they sense that Balakot may bring political dividends for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Under the circumstances, Modi may order more air strikes inside Pakistan or a limited ground incursion but none of these options will be risk-free and will involve re-raising the escalatory calculus. The other option, of course, is diplomacy and highlighting the duplicity of Pakistan and its aggression that is a tacit acknowledgement of the fact that the JeM terror facilities at Balakot were important enough for it to retaliate. That establishes a direct link between Pakistani state and the terror assets under its command. It is also difficult to achieve dominance in escalation over an adversary which has nuclear arsenal and decent conventional resources. Whether that will be enough in achieving Indias objectives and mitigate domestic pressure is the moot question. Two deadlines, the first 2010 and the second March 2017, to make Le Corbusiers beautiful city slum-free have come and gone. Editor's Note: A network of 60 reporters set off across India to test the idea of development as it is experienced on the ground. Their brief: Use your mobile phone to record the impact of 120 key policy decisions on everyday life; what works, what doesn't and why; what can be done better and what should be done differently. Their findings straight and raw from the ground will be combined in this series, Elections on the Go, over a course of 100 days. Read more articles from the series here Chandigarh: Two deadlines, the first 2010 and the second March 2017, to make Le Corbusiers beautiful city slum-free have come and gone, even as new slums keep springing up on Chandigarhs outskirts. One particular eyesore beside the well-maintained airport highway falls in Anandpur Sahib constituency, which is fast turning into a major real estate hub. We are registered voters of this area, said Tara Chand, who settled in these slums ten years ago. This colony has over 1,000 shelters. Politicians visit us only before the elections. Once the elections are over, no one bothers about our presence. Peopled mainly by migrant labourers from rural areas, these slums have taken on some pretty names - Colony No 4, Janta Colony, Guru Sagar Colony in Maloya, Sanjay Colony, and Rajiv Colony in Sector 38. These slum dwellers number about one lakh out of Chandigarhs total population of 10.6 lakh as per the 2011 Census. We arrived at Rajiv colony as night was falling. Loud voices cut through the narrow maze of temporary settlements asking about lighting arrangements. A few had rechargeable LED lights; most others still relied on tapers to light their shelters. We have been doing this every evening for the past five years, said Rajmala as she prepared supper for her family of eight. Sometimes, we manage to get the LED lights recharged at the places we work. On others days, candles are what we depend on to prepare our meals. Home to thousands of labourers, the colonies lack basic amenities, electricity, water, toilets, the last a cause of great difficulty to women residing in these slums. We face major problems because of this, said Shivani, a resident of Janta Nagar settlement. Menstruation becomes a huge pain when we have no option but to wait for it to get dark. Also, women have to go out in open for toilet only at dawn and dusk and often end up hurting themselves. Snakes are also a danger the in open green patches, added Raj Bihari, another resident. A common narrative at all the big ten slum colonies in the citys outskirts which occupy over 60 acres. And while the slum dwellers have heard of the various schemes meant for them, like the Saubhagya (electricity for all), Ujjwala (LPG for all) and Ayushman (health insurance) schemes, they have no way or means to get access under these schemes. We are aware of LPG scheme of government but cannot afford to invest the initial amount required to take the LPG connection, said Prabha, a slum dweller in Sector 38(W). The irony here is that nearly 5,000 flats have been built in Maloya to house these slum-dwellers. But they are lying vacant and getting vandalised, as the city administration waits for a date from the PMO for handing over the flats. Pawan Kumar Bansal, the former MP from Chandigarh, mentioned how during his tenure, many slum dwellers were shifted to flats constructed under Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). But he is unable to explain how and why new settlements keep springing up. Ajoy Kumar Sinha, chairman of Chandigarh Housing Board, the nodal agency for construction of flats under the slum rehabilitation scheme, said that out of the nearly 25,000 flats constructed, the Chandigarh administration has allotted almost half of them to the slum dwellers from settlements like Colony No 5, Nehru Colony, Kuldeep Colony and Mazdoor Colony. Ramesh Kumar, 41, a daily wager who was allotted a flat under JNNURM at Dhanas that is a 38-acre area, says that he started paying Rs 1,050 to the government from the time of allotment of the house in 2015. He is unequivocal about how much their quality of life has improved since they moved into this permanent structure, even though there was a little delay in handing over of the keys of flat to him. "Some of my relatives who have been allotted flats at Maloya are still waiting for possession despite the fact that they have been paying the monthly amount," Kumar said. His relative Shambu said, We somehow manage to pay the amount that we are supposed to. Those who do not have the money have also been taking loans. So its a major problem when the government fails to meet the deadline. These flats should have been handed over to us long ago, but due to official delay, we are forced to live in miserable conditions in these temporary households." In 2006, Rs 1,200 crore was sanctioned for JNNURM, out of which the Centre's share was Rs 400 crore. Construction-related activities like land acquisition began the same year but the first flats were only handed over in 2013. After 2014, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana came into effect, though only Rs 2.72 crore was sanctioned and released by the Centre in the three years until December 2018 under this scheme, in light of the work already ongoing under JNNURM. 126 flats were constructed under PMAY and construction continued on the 4,960 flats. According to a response given in the Lok Sabha by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, 5,086 flats cumulatively have been completed till the end of last year. Newly-elected Mayor Rajesh Kalia is quite hopeful that nearly 5,000 flats in Maloya, initiated under JNNURM, will soon be handed over to the allottees as talks for the inauguration ceremony with PMO are underway. We are hopeful that the flats will be allotted before the model code of elections come into force, said Kalia. While the Chandigarh housing board completed construction of these flats in 2017, the Municipal Corporation could not set up the sewerage treatment plant at the site as 400 metres of land under which sewer pipes were to be laid was under litigation. Prime Minister Modi was to visit the city in May 2018 to hand over the flat keys to the allottees, but couldn't do so as the project was incomplete. Now the Chandigarh administration is trying to get a date from the PMO before February end. But the flats are in a dilapidated state as the area is a den of drug addicts. Most window panes are broken, while taps, water meters, manhole covers and part of the firefighting system have gone missing. AK Sinha, chairman of Chandigarh Housing Board, admitted that theft and vandalisation happened as these flats had been lying vacant for quite some time. Security has been beefed up and necessary repairs would be done, said Sinha. The survey to identify allottees takes time, given the forms the slum dwellers have to fill to prove their eligibility followed by the verification that the administration does. Being daily wagers, many of them are not available when the survey happens, which makes identifying the allottees a time-consuming process. (The author is a Chandigarh-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com) Many parties and party leaders respectively have condemned BS Yeddyurappa's comments, accusing him of being focussed on politics during the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan. Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa was in hot water on Thursday following his comments which said that the air strike carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Pakistan on Tuesday will help the BJP win 22 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Various parties and party leaders respectively have condemned Yeddyurappa's comments, accusing him of being focussed on politics during the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan. Following the backlash, Yeddyurappa took to Twitter to clarify his statement and wrote: My statement is being reported out of context. I said that situation favourable for BJP which i am saying for last couple of months. This is not first time that i said BJP in Karnataka will win minimum 22 seats under the able leadership of Modi ji. B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) February 28, 2019 His tweet comes amid heavy condemnation from the political spectrum, even from Pakistan. The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) took note of the statement and said that those "desperate" to win an election should be "isolated": We hope you understand that you were manipulated into war mongering. #LetBetterSensePrevail; isolate the ppl who r desperate to win an election.War is in no nations interest,& its soldiers & civilians who are the collateral damage. Dont let one man use it for political mileage. https://t.co/n538eDBnzf PTI (@PTIofficial) February 28, 2019 The party also hit out at the BJP for "equating" the "Air Force excursions, war mongering, soldiers in captivity and the lives of so many people in danger" with winning 22 Lok Sabha seats: Air Force excursions, war mongering, soldiers in captivity and the lives of so many people in danger all equate to 22 seats in the eyes of representatives on Indias ruling party. Is war an election option?#SayNoToWar https://t.co/BdiqiJcdVP PTI (@PTIofficial) February 28, 2019 Meanwhile, on the Indian front, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala reiterated the Opposition's claim that the BJP is "blatantly politicising" the killings of armed personnel: Dear Modiji/ Jaitleyji, Any more questions on politicisation? Regards, 132 Crore Indians.https://t.co/RlbCNyRUY5 Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) February 28, 2019 Surjewala's tweet is in reference to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's statement on Wednesday, who expressed the collective anguish of 21 Opposition parties over the BJP's "blatant politicisation" of the killings of Indian armed personnel. The Opposition leaders also released a written statement. Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, state Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao, and former chief minister Siddaramaiah also joined in the attack against Yeddyurappa: The entire nation is united in supporting the central govt&our armed forces to fight terrorism,while #Bjp leader @BSYBJP is busy calculating howmany extra LS seats the terror attack&Pak war can bring to his party. It's shameful to exploit our jawans' sacrifice for electoral gains H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) February 28, 2019 Most disgusting shameful irresponsible statement made by @BSYBJP. Using the #J&K situation for political benefit. Is winning elections becoming the criteria for BJP & not the security of India. Is going to war a electoral strategy for the BJP. https://t.co/G2r96RWxlO Dinesh Gundu Rao (@dineshgrao) February 27, 2019 Shocking & disgusting to understand #BJPsPlot4Vote. It is unfortunate that @BJP4India is calculating electoral gains even before the dust has settled. No patriot shall derive such sadistic gains over soldiers' death, only a anti-nationalist can. What will RSS say about this? pic.twitter.com/w6wAhAg6gv Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) February 28, 2019 Many other Congress leaders also condemned his comments: On 27th Feb. B S Yeddyurappa at Chitradurga In a public function said : " The Indian Armed Forces proved their mettle by destroying the terrorists' hideouts . The impact of this strike will help BJP win more than 22 seats in the state " Is this patriotism or crass politics ? Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) February 28, 2019 The #BJP makes me hang my head in shame. These guys have no principles. They are crude. They are vulgar. Air strike will help BJP win more than 22 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka: B S Yeddyurappa - The New Indian Express https://t.co/u4jRzLQ40P Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) February 28, 2019 As the nation prays for our Wing Commander held hostage by Pakistan and counts dead bodies of our bravehearts, BJP counts votes. Modi govt has proven yet again that votes and election campaigns come before India's security!#MeraJawanSabseMajboot https://t.co/jXXr6n0gJi Youth Congress (@IYC) February 28, 2019 Dear @arunjaitley Ji, Take a Deep Breath & read what your own loose cannon has to say! Always aiming at the opposition for everything while you cant keep your own house in line, especially in times like this is shameful! !https://t.co/Ad7enA4uLU Amarinder Singh Raja (@RajaBrar_INC) February 28, 2019 The Communist Party of India (Marxist) also hit out at Yeddyurappa over his statement: AJL argued that the transfer of a majority of the shares of the company to Young India, did not automatically make Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi (who are shareholders of Young India) owners of the National Herald building. The Delhi High Court on Thursday ordered National Herald publisher Associated Journals Limited to vacate the Herald House on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg in Delhi. The Associated Journals Limited (AJL) had appealed against a single judge's order on 21 December, 2018, asking it to vacate the premises. The court had then given the AJL two weeks to vacate, after which eviction proceedings would have begun under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971. The order had come on AJL's plea challenging the Centre's order to vacate the building. The Centre had ended its 56-year-old lease and asked AJL to vacate the premises, saying no printing or publishing activity was going on and the building was being used only for commercial purposes. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice VK Rao rejected the appeal. The Court, however, has not clarified the time within which AJL has to leave the building, reported ANI. The AJL had argued that it wished to begin operations to start printing out of the premises, but the Court held the Centre's stand that as printing had stopped much before, to occupy the premises would be illegal, reported News18. AJL argued that the transfer of a majority of the shares of the company to Young India, did not automatically make Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi (who are shareholders of Young India) owners of the building. But the bench refused to accede to that. On 18 February, the bench had reserved its order after hearing the arguments of the Centre, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, and AJL, represented by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi. He had also contended that the Centre had never raised the issue of lack of printing activity at the Herald building prior to June 2018, by when publishing of some of its online editions had already commenced. The Centre, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, had argued that the government had allocate the land in question to AJL on lease for printing press and this "dominant purpose" was stopped several years ago. The single judge of the Delhi High Court had also said that by transfering 99 percent of AJL's shares to Young India, the beneficial interest of AJL's Rs 413.4-crore property stands "clandestinely" transferred to Young India. The Centre had contended before the court that transfer of stake to Young India, which bought over the Rs 90-crore debt for a consideration of Rs 50 lakh, led to a "virtual" sale of the Herald building. With inputs from PTI Given the relatively short period of time within which these three developments broke, confusion reigned on social media where journalists, news portals and those following the news traded various versions of the yet unverified reports of the three air crashes. Pakistan on Wednesday claimed that its air force had shot down two Indian aircraft and that an Indian pilot was arrested by troops. Minutes later, reports arrived a F-16 jet of Pakistan, that had violated Indian air space, was shot down by India in the Lam valley, in Nowshera sector. Meanwhile, a Mi-17 transport chopper has crashed in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam. The exact cause behind this attack has not been determined. Given the relatively short period of time within which these three developments broke, confusion reigned on social media where journalists, news portals and those following the news traded various versions of the yet unverified reports of the three air crashes. A number of the images and videos circulated in the immediate aftermath were claimed to be fake, with many pinning the blame for the circulation of fake images on Pakistan. Pakistan army spokesperson Asif Ghafoor's tweet, that set off the cycle of claims, mentioned that of the two Indian aircraft that Pakistan reportedly hit, one fell inside Pakistan occupied Kashmir while other fell inside the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Shortly afterwards, videos of what was claimed to be the wreckage of the aircraft were shared by several people on Twitter, among them the Pakistani dailies Dawn and Express Tribune and the channel, the Pakistan Television Corporation. The latter claimed that a video of a man blindfolded and another of a pilot lying wounded on the ground were both "exclusive" videos that showed Indian pilots who had been flying jets that were allegedly struck down by Pakistan. However, the time stamp of the videos, uploaded to YouTube, was 26 February, 2019. Both videos were widely shared on Twitter and shown on Pakistani television channels. Many have since claimed that the video of the soldier lying on the ground was shot at the Yemlur grounds of Bengaluru, after one of the pilots on the Surya Kiran fell to the ground after the crash. He was later identified as Wing Commander Vijay Shelke, one of the pilots who had ejected safely after the two aircraft crashed. Some said Kannada could clearly be heard in the background, causing both "Kannada" and #PakFakeClaims to trend on Twitter. 2nd Indian Pilot Arrested Alive... pic.twitter.com/TaYWNCCljY Dr Shahid Masood (@Shahidmasooddr) February 27, 2019 The Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed that there has been an air-to-air engagement between Pakistan and India and a pilot of a MiG 21 is missing in action. However, there is no clarity on whether the widely shared video of a man who is injured and is standing upright, blindfolded, does indeed show the Indian pilot who is missing. In the circulating video, the captured man can be heard identifying himself as "Wing Commander Abhinandan" but there is no clarity yet on whether he is the man missing in action. The two IAF jets shown on Pakistani media had the tail numbers TU657 and A3492. The first was an IAF Mikoyan MiG-27MU which crashed in a residential area of the city on 12 June, 2016. The aircraft was on a routine training sortie when it crashed and around three people had been injured. Two houses in the area had been damaged. The second, A3492, was a Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer which crashed on 3 June, 2015 in Odisha's Mayurbhanj. Since the Hawk A-3492 crashed in a paddy field about 200 metres from human habitation around noon, there were no reports of any civilian casualties or loss of property, The Hindu had reported. Both the Dawn and the Express Tribune have taken down the contentious images and instead run with two images attributed to Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations. Those have not been proven to be fake yet. The spread of misinformation regarding flights continued on Thursday when it emerged that photographs of a jet being circulated as a felled MiG-21 were actually that of the Pakistani F-16 that had been brought down by India and were found in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. ANI reported that the Commanding Officer of Pakistan's 7 Northern Light Infantry was also visible in the photograph. The discrepancies in terrain between the sites of the MiG-21 and F-16 crashes are evident from the photographs shared, even though many claimed that both jets were Indian. Pakistani social media accounts also shared what appeared to be a manufactured video of an Indian Air Force jet being shot down, reported the fact-checking website Alt-News. The video has been picked up from a 2015 video uploaded by a YouTube channel "Pakistan Defense." Paksitani website The News claimed that the Indian government has removed a senior air force officer reportedly after Pakistans successful strikes and capturing of a pilot on 27 February. ANI clarified on Friday that Western Air Command Chief Air Marshal C Hari Kumar retired on 28 February, the day he was scheduled to retire, after completing more than 39 years of service. Air Marshal Raghunath Nambiar took over as his successor Fake news of IAF strike In India, fake images of JeM camps which were struck by Indian Air Force jets on Tuesday were circulated too. According to Alt-News, a bunch of images showing the destruction caused by the IAF jets in Balakot and circulated on social media, were fake. Some of these images, which were shared on social media, including on 'I Support Amit Shah' a fan group on Facebook dedicated to BJP president Amit Shah and on WhatsApp were, in fact, from the 2005 Kashmir earthquake which caused maximum damage in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The fan group shared the image of the devastation caused in Balakot after the earthquake as damage caused by IAF jets. Another image, which has been circulating on social media is that of a crowd mourning their dead. This image was (presented as victims of IAF strikes in Balakot), but was originally from a bomb blast in 2014, which took place near the India-Pakistan border. According to Reuters, which published the image in 2014, 57 Pakistanis were killed in the attack. Another image which shows rescue workers in Pakistan carrying dead bodies on a stretcher (below), was in fact, from a 2017 blast in Lahore, Pakistan. The image was taken by AFP. According to Dawn, which published the image, at least "26 people, including nine policemen, were killed while 58 others were injured in the bombing attack near the Arfa Karim IT Tower on Lahore's Ferozepur Road". Tensions between India and Pakistan have been escalating since the 14 February terror attack at Pulwama, killing 42 Central Reserve Police Force soldiers. After the IAF carried out air strikes on terror training camps of the Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan has convened two high-level meetings involving Prime Minister Imran Khan. While Pakistan has acknowledged the IAF operation in Balakot, it has denied that the effort resulted in any casualties. Follow LIVE updates on tension between India and Pakistan here Mita Santra, who has a masters degree in modern history and teaches at a private school, said she has been offered a job in the CRPF but has not yet decided on taking it up. She said since a job in the CRPF would be transferable, it will come in the way of her taking care of her aged mother-in-law Kolkata: Unfazed by trolls she faced for her advocacy of peace between India and Pakistan, the widow of a CRPF jawan killed in Pulwama attack Thursday asserted she stands by her views that dialogue should be "given a chance". She also urged the Centre to ensure the safe release of Indian fighter pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan on Wednesday. Mita Santra's husband Bablu Santra was one of the 40 victims of the suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Kashmir's Pulwama on 14 February. Mita said she was not worried about the criticism she faced on social media over her anti-war stand. "We should give dialogue a chance instead of war that will lead to loss of so many more lives," Mita said and urged the Government of India to make all efforts to ensure Varthaman's return. "I urge our government to engage with that of Pakistan to get back Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman safely," she said. Varthaman was captured following a fierce engagement between fighter aircraft of the two sides along the Line of Control in which a Pakistani F-16 jet was downed. The IAF also lost a MiG 21 Bison aircrft being flown by Varthaman, who bailed out but was captured and arrested. Following the death of her husband, Mita had made a strong anti-war pitch despite calls for avenging the suicide attack, insisting that a war should be avoided as it will snuff out many more lives on both sides of the border, leaving women widowed, mothers without sons and children without fathers. Mita said she was not bothered about social media trolls criticising her stand on war, adding that if one person has criticised her, 10 others appreciated her approach. The trolls even questioned her love for her husband. "After 14 February, nothing touches me. Anybody can say anything, I am not worried," said the mother of a six-year-old girl. However, she wondered if those criticising her had a family member serving in the armed forces. "Sitting in their homes, some people are saying so many things, but do they have any of their family members in the Army, Air Force, Navy or paramilitary forces?" she asked. "It is natural that the armed forces will have to go to war and make the ultimate sacrifice, but the Indian government must ensure their security," she said. "I want security of the forces to be ensured. All the forces, be it the Army or the paramilitary like CRPF or ITBP, are of the Government of India and it is the duty of the government to take necessary measures to ensure their security," she said. Mita, who has a masters degree in modern history and teaches at a private school, said she has been offered a job in the CRPF but has not yet decided on taking it up. She said since a job in the CRPF would be transferable, it will come in the way of her taking care of her aged mother-in-law. "I want a job in the West Bengal government as was promised by ministers who visited our house following my husband's death," she said. An announcement by Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan regarding the release of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman brought relief to Indians. An announcement by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday evening regarding the release of Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by the neighbouring countrys army, brought relief to Indians. The IAF pilot was captured on Wednesday after his MiG-21 fighter jet crashed in an aerial combat with a Pakistani fighter jet. Soon, videos surfaced showing him in the custody of the Pakistani army. After Imran Khan's announcement of releasing the IAF officer in a "gesture of peace", #WelcomeBackAbhinandan began to trend on Twitter on Friday. As an Air warrior, Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman served the nation by defending it with total disregard to his personal safety. As a nation we pray for his continuous well being and early return. Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) February 27, 2019 I pray and hope brave son of India Wing Commander Abhinandan will be reunited with his family tomorrow. The country is proud of his courage. Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 28, 2019 Really happy to know Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be back home tomorrow. Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) February 28, 2019 ...Indian IAF Fighter Pilot #Abhinandan held captive comes back home tom. for Indias firm stand and international glare. Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) February 28, 2019 BREAKING NEWS: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman to be released tomorrow. !!#BringBackAbhinandan Priti Gandhi (@MrsGandhi) February 28, 2019 Many hailed the announcement and hoped it results in de-escalation of crisis between the two countries. Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh told ANI, "I'm very happy. I had demanded his release earlier too. This is going to be a step towards goodwill and I hope this will be lasting." Pak PM has exhibited real statesmanship today. It is time for our political leadership to step up & take measures to de escalate the current situation. People of J&K are living under unimaginable duress. How much longer will we suffer for? Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 28, 2019 @ImranKhanPTI Every noble act makes a way for itself... your goodwill gesture is a cup of joy for a billion people, a nation rejoices... I am overjoyed for his parents and loved ones. Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) February 28, 2019 Great news from Pakistan on the release of Wing Commander #Abhinandan. We eagerly wait for our son to return home. #Peace Dr. G Parameshwara (@DrParameshwara) February 28, 2019 "Indian Airforce Pilot Abhinandan will be freed tomorrow as a gesture of peace" Announced by Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI in the National Assembly. #PakistanZindabad #SayNoToWar Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) February 28, 2019 Great News- @ImranKhanPTI says the Indian Pilot #AbhiNandan will be released tomorrow as a goodwill gesture Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) February 28, 2019 I am so uplifted by the compassionate and mature Pakistani response today and over the past few days. I have long been a critic but today the governments move can only be commended by anyone, Indian or Pakistani, who is a true believer in peace. fatima bhutto (@fbhutto) February 28, 2019 Yes. The churlishness I see on some media channels will not work for our good and it jeopardises #Abhinandan. How stupid can we get. Immature small minds. https://t.co/stImgTYoOD Nirupama Menon Rao, , (@NMenonRao) February 28, 2019 Good move by Pakistan to release Wing Commander Abhinandan. Nirupama Subramanian (@tallstories) February 28, 2019 West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said the people of the country are anxiously waiting for the safe return of Abhinandan, who currently is in Pakistan custody . "Along with his family members and all our countrymen, we are anxiously waiting for the safe return of our pilot #Abhinandhan," Banerjee said in a tweet. Along with his family members and all our countrymen, we are anxiously waiting for the safe return of our pilot #Abhinandhan Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) February 28, 2019 Abhinandan had taken part in the retaliatory measures carried out by the IAF after Pakistan fighter jets violated the Indian air space on Wednesday. Ceasefire violations by Pakistan and cross-border shelling is also being reported since India carried out precision air strikes in the neighbouring country's Balakot, Chakoti and Muzaffarabad, decimating Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) "biggest training camp" and eliminating over 300 terrorists. India carried out these strikes after the 14 February Pulwama terror attack, which claimed the lives of more than 40 CRPF personnel. Even thought India has not confirmed the name of the missing pilot of the MiG-21 Bison, which went down across the LoC on Wednesday, speculation is rife on the international statutes that require his return soon. As reports of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman's capture by Pakistan appeared to be true on Wednesday, confusion over which side struck which aircraft gave way to a show of solidarity and hopes of a de-escalation of tension between India and Pakistan. Even thought India has not confirmed the name of the missing pilot of the MiG-21 Bison, which went down across the LoC on Wednesday, speculation is rife on the international statutes that require his return soon. The Geneva Conventions: One of the terms most thrown about in this regard, the "Geneva Conventions" are four treaties and three protocols that establish the standards of international law for humanitarian treatment in war. The term "Geneva Convention" refers to the agreements that were arrived at in the aftermath of World War II, in 1949. These agreements were updates of earlier protocols adopted in 1864, 1907 and 1929. As many as 196 countries have given their consent to following the words of the Conventions. The Conventions aim to define the basic rights of both civilians and military personnel who may be taken as wartime prisoners. It also establishes rules to protect those who have been injured, as well as for civilians living or moving in and around a war zone. Importantly for India, the rules of the Conventions apply to times of peace as well. They also apply even if one of the countries has declared a war and the other does not recognise a state of war, if one of them are not a signatory to the Convention and even if one country has occupied another country without facing any armed resistance. In a strongly-worded statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on 27 February had said that it objects to Pakistan's "vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force". The MEA mentioned that Pakistan's conduct was in "violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention". Pakistan became a signatory to the Conventions in 1951, a year after India did, making it imperative upon both parties to follow the codifications of humanitarian conduct in the Convention. Pakistan army spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor tweeted late on Wednesday, seemingly to reassure that the statutes demanding ethical treatment of people captured in conflict are maintained. There is only one pilot under Pakistan Armys custody. Wing Comd Abhi Nandan is being treated as per norms of military ethics. pic.twitter.com/8IQ5BPhLj2 Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 27, 2019 Prisoner of war: While there is little doubt that Abhinandan is governed by the rules of the Geneva Conventions, when it comes to his status as a "prisoner of war", the codification renders the situation murky. According to the rules, the status of prisoner of war only applies in international armed conflict. The categories of persons entitled to "prisoner of war" status have been broadened and the conditions and places of their captivity gave been more precisely defined, particularly with regard to prisoners of war who are engaged in manual labour, their financial resources, the relief they receive, and the judicial proceedings instituted against them. "Prisoners of war are usually members of the armed forces of one of the parties to a conflict who fall into the hands of the adverse party," the Conventions state. Such prisoners cannot be prosecuted for taking a direct part in hostilities -- something which it is widely speculated the Wing Commander did. He was confirmed to be flying an MiG-21, the same plane that reportedly took down a Pakistani F-16. However, while the Conventions establish the principle that prisoners of war shall be released and repatriated without delay after the end of active hostilities, the question remains as to whether in the lack of clearly defined situation of war, the Wing Commander may be designated as a "prisoner of war". Nonetheless, the Conventions are firm on the assertion that detention of such a prisoner cannot be by way of punishment, of either the country or the person and must only aim to prevent escalation of the conflict. Notably, the Conventions also mention that the prisoner of war is to be protected against public curiosity, something Pakistan can be accused of flouting, as it has released a video and photographs of the Wing Commander it claims to have taken captive. Hostage: The International Convention against the Taking of Hostages defines the offence as the seizure or detention of a person (the hostage), combined with threatening to kill, to injure or to continue to detain the hostage, in order to compel a third party to do or to abstain from doing any act as an explicit or implicit condition for the release of the hostage. The taking of hostages is considered a grave breach of the Conventions and are bluntly mentioned as "prohibited" in Article 3 of the Fourth Convention. Article 147 of the same Convention reiterates that taking a hostage is a breach similar to that of "willful killing, torture or inhuman treatment, including biological experiments, willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health," and so on. So Pakistan is unlikely to designate the Wing Commander as a hostage, even though his eventual release will likely be a result of negotiations between India and Pakistan, similar to what is seen when a hostage is set to be freed. International organizations, in particular the United Nations, have also condemned such instances with respect to the Gulf War and conflicts in Cambodia, Chechnya, El Salvador, Kosovo, Middle East, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan and the former Yugoslavia. International armed conflict: The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia had proposed a general definition of international armed conflict. The Tribunal had stated that "an armed conflict exists whenever there is a resort to armed force between States". This definition has been adopted by other international bodies since then and is considered to be a part of International Humanitarian Law. Rather than "war", the Geneva Conventions use the term "armed conflict" to highlight that the determination whether an armed conflict exists depends on the prevailing circumstances and not on the subjective views of the parties to the conflict. The threshold for an international armed conflict to be recognised as such is very low, notes the The Rule of Law in Armed Conflict Project. Whenever there is the mobilisation of hostile armed force between two States, there is an international armed conflict. While the Geneva Convention applies both for international and non-international armed conflict, for the latter it stipulates a minimum degree of violence and organisation which it does not for the former. Thus, a skirmish at the border is an international armed conflict, but a scattered group of people fighting with police is not a case of non-international armed conflict. The situation between Pakistan and India is firmly within the category of international armed conflict. War: War is a state of armed conflict between States, governments, societies and informal paramilitary groups, such as mercenaries, insurgents and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence. Because the Geneva Conventions would rather focus on those suffering violence due to a very minimum degree of conflict between States and not on whether the cause to herald the violence has been agreed upon by the two or more parties engaged in violence, it does not go into the definition of war. Follow all the latest updates from the India-Pakistan situation here Shringla said, Paki needs to meet its international obligations to crackdown on terrorist networks and safe havens within its territory. Shringla updated the Indian students about the latest development back home and why India choose to act this way, after the Pulwama terrorist attack. (Photo: Facbeook | Harsh V Shringla) Washington: India's Ambassador to the US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, has said that India will not keep quiet to any act of terrorism and giving "appropriate response" to all terrorism incidents is the new normal for the country. In a first-of-its-kind interaction with Indian students from the various universities from the Greater Washington area, Shringla said that Pakistan needs to meet its international obligations to crackdown on terrorist networks and safe havens within its territory. Forty CRPF personnel were killed in a suicide attack by Pakistan-based JeM in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14, sparking outrage in the country. Following the attack, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. Shringla updated the Indian students about the latest development back home and why India choose to act this way, after the Pulwama terrorist attack. He said that Pakistan did not act against terrorist organizations or its leaders despite India giving actionable intelligence against the 26/11, Pathankot and Uri attacks. "This time, India opted for pre-emptive attack, mainly because terrorists were planning to launch another terrorist attack inside India, he said referring to the daring air strike by Indian Air Force deep inside Pakistan. "By doing so, India ensured that it was a non-military, and in remote area with no civilian casualties," he said. Shringla said that India has been successful in articulating its case with the international community including the US. "The international community is with India," he said. Appreciating the strong support coming from the United States, in particular from the White House, the State Department and the Congress, Shringla said this incident has brought the two countries together for counter-terrorism cooperation. Raytheon, the manufacturers of the AMRAAM missile, have described it as 'the world's most sophisticated air dominance weapon. The Indian Air Force on Thursday showed parts of Advanced Medium Range Air-To-Air Missile ( AMRAAM) missiles as proof that F-16 aircraft from Pakistan attacked the Indian military. New Delhi has alleged that Pakistan resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violations in response to the counter-terror strike carried out by India. Raytheon, the manufacturers of the AMRAAM missile, have described it as "the world's most sophisticated air dominance weapon." Its website further states, "With more than 25 years of design, upgrades, testing and production, the AIM-120 missile continues to meet all warfighter requirements. Its capabilities have been fully demonstrated in over 4,200 test shots and 10 air-to-air combat victories." The AMRAAM is a medium range, air-to-air missile. This means that it is meant to be fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. It is integrated with several combat aircraft, including F-16 (which India has accused Pakistan of using.) The Pakistan Air Force placed an order for 500 AIM-120C-5 AMRAAM missiles in 2006, Republic reported. During a press conference on Thursday evening, Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor said Pakistan lied that no F-16 was used, but there was enough evidence. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after Indian fighters bombed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp near Balakot deep inside Pakistan early Tuesday. It came 12 days after the JeM claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Kashmir, killing 42 soldiers. With inputs from PTI Here is a lowdown on how some of the prominent world powers reacted to the hostilities between India and Pakistan As the tension escalated between India and Pakistan, nations across the world urged the governments of India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and resolve differences through dialogue. However, the nuances of standard geopolitik subtly reveal the official stand of each nation. While friendly nations were more open in condemning terrorism and Pakistan, responses by China and Russia were also no less surprising. Here is a lowdown on how some of the prominent world powers reacted to the hostilities between India and Pakistan. The US The United States favoured India in its response after the Balakot strike and the subsequent escalation of tension. It asked Pakistan to honour the UN Security Council commitments and deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. While in the aftermath of Indian air strikes, US lawmakers and officials advised Pakistan to take "meaningful action" against terrorist groups operating on its soil, there was no similar advice to India. After the Pakistani aggression, the US simply claimed it is closely monitoring the situation while urging the two countries to de-escalate their tension and avoid military to resolve their differences. "The United States calls on India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and for a return to stability," the spokesperson said. "We urge both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation, including through direct communication. Further military activity will exacerbate the situation," a White House spokesperson said. The US also asked Pakistan to abide by its UN Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. UK The UK stuck to its traditional stance on the issue. Describing both countries as "important and long-standing friends of the United Kingdom", the minister said the UK government's position on Kashmir remains unchanged in that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting political resolution to the situation. "It isn't for the UK to prescribe, to intervene or to interfere with a solution or to act as a mediator," UK Foreign Office minister Mark Field said. During the lengthy Commons sessions, Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry called on the government to urge both countries to think "first and foremost of the innocent people in Kashmir, literally caught in the middle of this cross-fire". France France was a little more forthcoming in its support for India, by clearly recognising India's need to ensure its security. A statement issued by France's Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs said, "France recognises India's legitimacy to ensure its security against cross-border terrorism and asks Pakistan to put an end to the operations of terrorist groups established on its territory." Moreover, just a day after India's air strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp, news came that France is working on a proposal to ban JeM chief Masood Azhar after it assumes the Presidency of the powerful UN Security Council in March. The rotating monthly Presidency of the 15-nation UN Security Council (UNSC) will go from Equatorial Guinea to France on 1 March. It too, however, requested both countries to avoid further escalation of border hostilities. "France calls on India and Pakistan to exercise restraint to avert any risk of military escalation and preserve strategic stability in region. Resumption of dialogue between Islamabad and New is Delhi necessary to initiate peaceful settlement of differences." Russia Russia, once a close ally of India, took a relatively neutral stand in the face of the conflict. It urged both India and Pakistan to ''show restraint" as it expressed "serious concern" about the escalation of hostilities between the two countries. "We call on both sides to show restraint and step up efforts to resolve existing problems by political and diplomatic means," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia said in a statement. It expressed "serious concern" about the aggravation of the situation along the Line of Control and the outbreak of tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations. Russia also offered to mediate between New Delhi and Islamabad to dissolve tension. "We are ready to further assist in strengthening the counter-terrorism potential of New Delhi and Islamabad," the ministry added. Besides this, at the Russia-India-China trilateral in Zhejiang, Russia did join India in "strongly condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations" and "called on the international community to strengthen UN-led global counter-terrorism cooperation by fully implementing the relevant UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law." China China's position (at least verbal) was neutral and predictable. It took the usual view expressing concern over the rising hostilities between India Pakistan while advising both countries to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue to uphold the peace and stability in the region. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang's remarks came after Pakistan targeted military installations in India in response to Indian counter-terrorism in Balakot. "I understand that in the latest development Pakistan says it had shot down two Indian aircraft and captured Indian pilots," Lu Kang said. "China's position is clear. As two important countries in South Asia we hope that the two countries can exercise restraint and engage in dialogue and take actions for the peace and stability in the region," he said. However, what made for a touch of surprise was Beijing's silence over Indian airstrikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed camp. And the silence did not go unnoticed. Husain Haqqani, the former Pakistani Ambassador to the US told PTI, "It is telling that no country has spoken out in Pakistan's favour after the Indian air strike. Even China called for restraint on both sides instead of supporting Pakistan in protesting India's violation of Pakistan's air space." Chinese silence was even interpreted by some as a "tacit support" to Indian air strikes against the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist camps while maintaining some degree of support to its 'all-weather ally' Pakistan by making it plain that it would not label Islamabad as a state sponsor of terrorism. A report in The Hindu said that China's deft balancing act became visible when during the Russia-India-China trilateral in Zhejiang when Wang said that it was especially important to eradicate the breeding grounds of terrorism and extremism." But the Chinese were also not yet ready to abandon Pakistan completely. China, Russia and India have reaffirmed our strong opposition to terrorism in its various forms and manifestations. At the same time, we believe that Pakistan has always been opposed to terrorism," Wang observed. It is also highly unlikely that the Chinese will change their stance on the issue of blacklisting Azhar. The French Presidency of the UNSC comes after the 15-nation UN organ under the presidency of Equatorial Guinea had issued a highly significant press statement strongly condemning the Pulwama terror attack. China had to sign off on the 21 February UNSC press statement that "condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly suicide bombing in Jammu and Kashmir, for which Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility". The UNSC press statement was seen not only as a strong condemnation of terror against India but also of international solidarity with New Delhi on its fight against terrorism. But China's was the lone opposition in the UNSC to any mention of 'terrorism' in the press statement, which resulted in a delay of nearly one week in the issuance of the UNSC statement, official sources told PTI. However, the US assiduously worked as "pen holder" making various adjustments to get the approval by all other members of the Council, they said. With inputs from PTI India-Pakistan tensions LIVE updates: Narendra Modi will conduct a security review meeting with all three service chiefs, and intel chiefs, CNN-News18 reported. NSA Ajit Doval will be briefing the prime minister about the day's developments. Auto refresh feeds United States, United Kingdom and France have asked the 15-member United Nations Security Council sanctions committee to subject Maulana Masood Azhar, the head of Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad, to an arms embargo, global travel ban and asset freeze. The aerial engagement between India and Pakistan for the first time since the 1971 war marked a dramatic escalation of confrontation prompting world leaders to urge the two neighbouring countries to exercise "utmost restraint". India said it shot down a F-16 warplane of Pakistan while it lost a MiG 21 during the fierce engagement between the air forces of the two countries along the Line of Control(LoC). An IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat Wednesday during which the two sides said they shot down each other's warplanes that followed an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes that sparked fears of war. All government and private schools within a range of five Kilometers from the International Border will remain closed on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district as per orders of District Development Commissioner in Samba. Indian Commercial Pilots Association released a statement saying, "ICPA being a patriotic and responsible union would like to extend complete support and co-operation in all operations as the situation demands. We will support the government and the PMO in this fight against terrorism." US called on India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and for a return to stability. US State Department told ANI that the US urges both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation,including direct communication. Further military activity will exacerbate situation, the state department said. Pakistan violated ceasefire at 6 am on Thursday in Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control in Poonch district. Indian Army retaliated effectively. Firing stopped around 7 am, ANI reports. Thai Airways has suspended all its flights to Europe amid Indo-Pak tensions as the airlines uses the route over Indian and Pakistani air space. "By closing the airspace, every flight from Thailand to Europe has been affected. For flights that are going to depart this evening, we will call an urgent meeting to consider the impact of such events," a BBC report quoted Thai Airways president Sumeth Damrongchaitham as saying. Singapore Airlines and British Airways are among the operators which have had to reroute flights. Singapore Airlines said longer flight routes would make refuelling necessary, the report further said. Amid the escalating tensions between the neighbours, citizens and prominent faces of both India and Pakistan are appealing for peace. Among them were Pakistan Peoples Party leader Farhatullah Babar and former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram. Hours after the counter-terror air strikes occurred beyond the Line of Control (LoC), it is worth taking note of the way the Indian Army is preparing for the security challenges it faces. The era of conventional wars was followed by sub-conventional counter-insurgency challenges; the method of war corresponds both to the challenges in the field and the technologies available to the army taking on those challenges. After the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai, Indias current National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had spoken about the need to shift from defensive defence to offensive defence. As #GiveBackAbhinandan and #AbhinandanMyHero trends on Twitter, one of the voices joining in was that of former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah who extended support to the Prime Minister's Office to get back the captured IAF pilot from Pakistan. Pompeo said the US will pressurise Pakistan to take action against terror. Sedwill too gave complete assurance of the UK's support to India. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval spoke to both United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and United Kingdom NSA Mark Sedwill last night, reports said. Jammu and Kashmir has been under thick cover of security. Here are visuals from the Manjakote sector of Rajouri district. "We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven & block their access to funds," it was quoted by ANI as having said. The US State department tells ANI that cross-border terrorism,such as recent attack on Indias Central Reserve Police Forces, "poses grave threat to security" of the area. India had been on high alert amid warnings of retaliation by Islamabad after IAF fighter jets destroyed a major terror camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot, around 80 km from the Line of Control, in a pre-dawn strike on Tuesday. In various videos circulated by Pakistani accounts, the pilot was seen blindfolded and wounded, his arms tied behind his back, being interrogated. The videos were taken off as Pakistan faced allegations of violating the Geneva Convention for prisoners. Later, a video showed the pilot sipping tea, saying that "officers of the Pakistani army have looked after me well". On Wednesday, New Delhi summoned the Pakistan envoy and lodged a strong protest over "unprovoked act of aggression by Pakistan", saying its jets had targeted military installations in India a day after Indian fighter jets crossed the Line of Control and carried out a strike at a major terror camp. A meeting of the Union Cabinet will be held at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, on Thursday. The situation with Pakistan is likely to come up in the meeting. Even though it's an updated version after the MiG 21 FL was decommissioned by the Indian Air Force in 2013, in todays context, a MiG 21 Bison has a limited combat role. To send it up against F-16s, if that is what India did, was like sending a pigeon to fight a falcon. Wing Commander Abhinandan, who reportedly engaged one of the F-16s had no chance in terms of firepower and manoeuvrability. It was nowhere near an even playing field in the air. Wang told Qureshi he hoped the nuclear-armed neighbours would "exercise restraint and earnestly fulfil their commitment to preventing the expansion of the situation", a ministry statement said. Wang Yi's comments came as Shah Mahmood Qureshi called him on Wednesday to provide an update on the latest developments in the standoff, the Chinese foreign ministry said Thursday. China's foreign minister has called on Pakistan and India to avoid escalating tensions, expressing to his Pakistani counterpart "deep concern" over the Kashmir crisis amid fears aerial battles could snowball into an all-out conflict, AFP reported. General Vijay Kumar Singh, former chief of Army staff and now Minister of State for External Affairs has tweeted on captured Wing Commander Abhinandan. Singh called him the "embodiment of a mentally tough, selfless & courageous soldier". Indian High Commission in Pakistan last evening gave a demarche to Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs for immediate and safe return of Wing Commander Abhinandan. Islamabad has decided to suspend Samjhauta Express cross-border train service, reports Pakistani Media. Indian railways had said yes to no plans to stop the service, News18 has reported. On basis of the inputs received from security agencies, Mumbai Metro One has issued Red Alert on all 12 stations with immediate effect. Mumbai Metro tweeted, "We seek cooperation and support from our esteemed commuters." VK Singh tweeted, "During these testing times the country stands, as one, behind him and his family. Our efforts are on and under the Geneva Convention we hope that the brave pilot would return home soon." Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh's tweet and the mention of Geneva Convention holds importance because Wednesday's second statement by The Ministry of External Affairs noted , "India also strongly objected to Pakistans vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. It was made clear that Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return." India to Pakistan: 'Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody' The Samjhauta Express, or the peace train, is a bi-weekly train Wednesday and Sunday runs between Delhi and Attari in India and Lahore in Pakistan. It comprises six sleeper coaches and an AC 3-tier coach. Union Railway Minister on Wednesday said that the Samjhauta Express that runs between Delhi and Attari will run as per schedule, amidst reports that Pakistan had halted the service of the train. "We have not yet received any instructions from authorities so far as running of Samjhauta Express. So it will run as planned as per the schedule," said Railway Minister Piyush Goyal. "I thank God for his blessings. Abhi is alive, not injured, sound in mind. Just look at the way he talked so bravely. A true soldier. We are so proud of him. I am sure all your hands and blessings are on his head; prayers for his safe return. I pray that he does not get tortured, and comes home safe and sound in body and mind. Thank you all for being with us in this hour of need. We draw our strengths from your support and energy," veteran Air Marshal Varthaman was quoted as saying by News18. Veteran Air Marshal and father of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has thanked people for their concern and wishes, News18 reports. Abhi is alive, not injured, sound in mind. Just look at the way he talked so bravely. A true soldier, says Abhinandan's father Flights resume in Srinagar airport. Air traffic is normal, India Today reports. Air India has decided to fix cap of 5,000 from Delhi to Srinagar, Leh and Jammu airport for any passengers. Further, Air India has also waived journey date change charges upto first week of March. In a press statement to journalists, the press secretary of Russian president Vladimir Putin said Moscow was closely following the developments. "We are extremely concerned about the news coming in. We are very closely monitoring the situation and, of course, we urge all parties to show restraint," said a Kremlin spokesman. Russia also called on both sides to step up efforts to resolve existing problems by political and diplomatic means. In the face of serious cross-border tension between India and Pakistan, Russia, in a statement released on Wednesday, has offered to mediate between New Delhi and Islamabad. We are ready to further assist in strengthening the counter-terrorism potential of New Delhi and Islamabad, read the statement. Russia also expressed serious concerns about the aggravation of the situation along the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan and the outbreak of tensions between friendly states. According to the report, the captured pilot used a pistol to ward off local village boys, was unsure of which side of the border he had landed, and tried to swallow and destroy maps and documents before he was taken into custody. A report in Dawn details what happened after Wing Commander Abhinandan landed on Pakistan's soil. The report quotes a social and political activist who witnessed the minutes after the Indian Air Force pilot landed in Pakistan. "The pilot, who was equipped with a pistol, asked the youngsters whether it was India or Pakistan. On this, one of them intelligently responded that it was India. The pilot, later identified as Wing Commander Abhi Nandan, shouted some slogans and asked which place exactly it was in India." Abhinandan was unsure which side of the border he had landed, tried to swallow maps and documents before he was taken into custody: Dawn "Japan is concerned about the deteriorating situation in Kashmir. Japan strongly condemns the terrorist attack on 14 February, 2019 for which the Islamic extremist group Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility. Japan urges Pakistan to take stronger measures to counter terrorism. In response to mounting tension due to the operations since 26 February between the Indian Air Force and Pakistan Air Force, Japan strongly urges India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and stabilise the situation through dialogue." Aam Aadmi Party chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to postpone his proposed mega-video conference, amid heightened tensions with Pakistan. The response came to a tweet by the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) about the event to be held on Thursday. It said party chief Amit Shah and other leaders would participate in the programme at the Delhi BJP office in New Delhi. News18 quoted government sources and reported that the Samjhauta Express is currently stuck at the customs office at Attari border. According to News18, the train was not allowed to enter Pakistan because Islamabad suspended services even as India said that there won't be any change in the schedule of the train. Government sources have reportedly said that discussion is on over what the next step should be and meanwhile, News18 reported that passengers maybe put on a bus to the Wagah Border. Samjhauta Express stuck at Attari after Pakistan refuses to allow it enter its territory Home Minister Rajnath Singh will hold a high-level meeting shortly with Intelligence Bureau chief and RAW chief, reports have said. The Union Cabinet meeting will be held at 6.30 pm today at Prime Minister Narendra Modis residence. Same picture, which is circulating on social media, claims that this is the Indian MiG fighter, however multiple IAF sources confirm this is the wreckage of Pakistani F16 downed on Wednesday. Portion of downed Pakistani Air Force jet and its wreckage was found in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. ANI tweeted an image with the Commanding Officer of Pakistans 7 Northern Light Infantry. The three service chiefs Army, Navy and Air Force will meet Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today shortly, reports have said. The chiefs on Wednesday had apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the security situation after Pakistani aircraft violated Indian airspace and an Indian pilot was taken into custody by the neighbouring country. "The atmosphere....day by day the wind is increasingly blowing in favour of BJP. Tuesday's action of destroying terror hideouts by entering inside Pakistan has resulted in a pro-Modi wave in the country, the results of which can be seen in coming Lok Sabha polls," Yeddyurappa said. Speaking to reporters in Chitradurga, he said "It has enthused youths; all this will help us in winning more than 22 Lok Sabha seats (in Karnataka)." Karnataka BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa on Wednesday said India's pre-emptive strikes on terror camps in Pakistan has created a wave in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will help the party win over 22 of 28 seats in the state in the coming Lok Sabha polls. Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa has not only stirred the political circles here with his statement but has become the talk in Pakistan with Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf tweeting about it. Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy has lent support to the central government and the armed forces in fight against terrorism. He also slammed Yeddyurappa over his 'strikes to favour BJP' statement. Minister of state for external affairs Gen (retired) Vijay Kumar Singh said that he differed with his party member, Yeddyurappa. "We stand as one nation, action taken by our government is to safeguard our nation and ensure safety of our citizens, not to win a few extra seats," he added. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala took a dig at Narendra Modi over Yeddyurappa's statement that "India's preemptive strikes on terror camps in Pakistan has created a wave in favour of the prime minister". US has asked Pakistan to abide by its UN Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. This US statement came after India on Wednesday handed over to Pakistan a dossier on specific details"of involvement of the Jaish-e-Mohammed in the Pulwama terror attack on Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) as also the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror outfit in that country. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke to NSA Ajit Doval on Wednesday evening. According to reports, the conversation between Pompeo and Doval lasted for 25 minutes. According to government sources, US has extended full support to India. Nobel Peace Prize Winner and Pakistani citizen Malala Yousufzai urged the governments of Pakistan and India to avoid a war at all costs. Pointing to the futility of war, Malala said that the world did not need another conflict. He had kicked up a storm, by stating India's air strikes on a terror camp in Pakistan has created a wave in favour of Modi and will help the party win over 22 of 28 seats in the state in the national election. BJP's Karnataka unit president BS Yeddyurappa, has backtracked on his controversial statement politicising the Indian air strike on Pakistani terror camps. He said his comments were taken out of context. Yeddyurappa backtracks from statement, says my comments on air strikes taken out of context Passengers of Samjhauta Express going to Pakistan were stuck in Attari after Pakistan refused to allow the train in their territory. Passengers are now being sent to the Wagah border on bus from where they will cross over to Pakistan on foot, News18 quoted government sources as saying. According to TV reports , NSA Ajit Doval is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening. Doval will give the prime minister a comprehensive stock of the situation. Thousands of travellers were stranded in Bangkok on Thursday when Thai Airways cancelled all flights over Pakistan after Islamabad closed its airspace in response to soaring tensions with India. Nearly 30 flights the majority to and from European routes were initially affected, the airline said, with three aircraft forced to return to Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi airport and others cancelled or set to be re-routed. Sherry Rehman RT-d his tweet and said, "Statesmanlike response. This standoff between India and Pakistan has proved one thing: Majoritarian Pakistan is politically mature, strategically farsighted and has clearly chosen peace over war. We will defend our territory like we should but we need no wardrums to make a point." Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari tweeted on Thursday agreed with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and tweeted, "It is the youth of the subcontinent who will pay in blood and coin for generations to come for the shortsighted decisions of a few today. Pakistans Prime Ministers call for dialogue must be reciprocated, time to deescalate before its too late." Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing India on the ongoing tension with the neighbouring country, called all Indians to be one and fight the tensions. "Is samay desh ki bhavnayein ek alag star par hain. Desh ka vir jawan seema par aur seema ke paar bhi apna parakram dikha raha hai. Pura desh ek hai, aur hamare jawano ke saath khada hai. Duniya hamare collective will ko dekh rahi hai." Narendra Modi urges nation not to do anything to dampen the spirit of Armed Forces Reports say that meeting of Army Chief General Bipin Rawat with delegates from panchayat members and ex-servicemen from Jammu and Kashmir scheduled for today has been cancelled. "We have to be hardworking in all sectors. India is grateful to all those who are protecting the nation. It is because they are there, the nation can reach new levels of development," the prime minister said in his address on Thursday. It's because of the Armed Forces that India can reach new levels of development: Narendra Modi Narendra Modi urges BJP booth workers across India to take the message to all homes in their respective areas that a strong government makes a huge difference to every countryman. Amid tension between India and Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India won't stop at any cost. He made the statement while addressing BJP workers during "world's largest video-conference" 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot'. "Booth soldiers need to step up now. If you win your booth, if you win hearts of people, you can work directly for the nation," says Modi. If you win your booth, if you win hearts of people, you can work directly for the nation: Narendra Modi "We have to be hardworking in all sectors. India is grateful to all those who are protecting the nation. It is because they are there, the nation can reach new levels of development," says PM Modi while addressing BJP workers during 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot' programme even as Opposition leaders have been slamming the Centre for remaining "silent" after Pakistan captured IAF pilot. "The nation is praying. Were all waiting with baited breath but not a word from our leadership," former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav had tweeted earlier today. Former Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati slammed Modi for "trying to serve political interest" at a time when "India is facing hostility of war and country needs firm leadership." "Every citizen in the country right now wants to contribute in some way or the other towards Indias betterment. Every Indian has an unshakable belief on himself as well as the government, and that is our biggest achievement," says Modi while addressing BJP workers during 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot' programme. Mayawati slams Modi for trying to serve political interest at a time when India is facing hostility of war Addressing the media after meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, US President Donald Trump said, "I think reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India, they have been going at it and we have been involved and have them stop, we have some reasonably decent news,hopefully its going to be coming to an end, going on for a long time,decades and decades." Pakistan government sources have told CNBC TV18 that the timing of Wing Commander Abhinandan's return depends on border hostilities and when they end. "Pakistan will definitely return Wing Commander Abhinandan but India must engage on reducing tensions and hostilities," News18 quoted Pakistan sources as saying. Reports said heavy shelling with mortars was heard around the area at around 1 pm. Ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control in Krishna Ghati Sector, Jammu and Kashmir today at around 1.00 pm, suggest reports. Indian Army retaliated. Thiruvananthapuram MP and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor says the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) will brief the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs on the current situation with Pakistan at its meeting on Friday afternoon. The three-member committee is headed by Tharoor. According to latest TV reports, Indian Army chief, chief of Indian Air Force, and chief of naval command will address the media ta 5 pm to brief them on the situation at the border, a day after an IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan. Meanwhile, the three service chiefs have briefed defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the situation. To start with, the stadium is virtually next door to a key Indian Air Force base and is located directly in its flight path. This was the reason why it was not given permission to erect conventional tall light towers in the first place. Even the final ODI in Delhi could be shifted. Bengaluru and Kolkata have been identified as the possible alternate venues and the association officials of both centres have been asked to get their facilities ready. The first casualty of the India-Pakistan imbroglio will not be the World Cup cricket encounter, but rather the India-Australia fourth ODI in Mohali on 10 March and the one following that in Delhi. Sources revealed that with chances of a flare up with Pakistan escalating, the day-night match at Mohali would have to be shifted out for logistical reasons. Defence Ministry sources have said that they believe that despite Pakistani claims, the Indian Air Force Pilot was ill treated by the Pakistan Army in violation of the Geneva convention, ANI reported. Defence Ministry Officials said: "We believe that the Pakistan air intrusion was an attack on military installations. We believe that the Pakistan Army is actively supporting the Jaish-e-Mohammed and is harbouring the leaders including Masood Azhar in its facilities." "India has raised the matter of the pilot with us. We'll decide in a couple of days what convention will apply to him and whether to give him Prisoner of War status or not," Foreign Office spokesperson Muhammad Faisal said. CNN-News reported that Pakistan has said it will decide on whether to give IAF pilot the prisoner of war status or not. They said that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was safe and healthy in Pakistani custody. Pakistan says will decide on PoW status for IAF pilot in few days This comes moments after news reports claimed that Pakistan has said it will decide whether or not the status of Prisoner of War should be given to Wing Commander Abhinandan or not. Government sources have informed ANI that India has not asked for consular access to Indian Air Force pilot captured in Pakistan, instead it has sought his but immediate release. India has refused to cut any deal in order to secure the release of Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan. New Delhi has clarified that it has not asked for consular access, nor any other concessions as its sole demand is immediate release of the pilot. However, ANI quoted Indian government sources to report that the talks are unlikely in present scenario. The source said: "Immediate, credible and verifiable action against terror is required before any such conversation. Imran Khan should now walk the talk on dealing with terrorism. That is our message to Pakistan and International community." Pakistan foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that Imran khan is ready to speak to Prime Minister Modi over phone if India is willing for dialogue. Civil Association Authority for Pakistan has confirmed that Pakistan will temporarily restore its airspace for commercial flights. Details are awaited. Sources at the Ministry of Home Affairs told Firstpost that Pakistan has sharply increased deployment of its troops at Kotli in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, just opposite Rajouri sector, since Wednesday night. Citing intelligence inputs, MHA sources said that four Pakistan army artillery units were moved on Wednesday evening at Topa Girdan and Tarkundi. MHA sources further said that on Punjab border heavy deployment was reported with three Pakistan posts, including Sutlej Rangers and Chenab rangers. Pakistan civilians have been shifted from that area. Two Pakistan units, Sindh and Mujahid, moved to Kot Katera. Intercepted chatters have revealed that Pakistani rangers and army deployed snipers on selected Pakistan posts along the International Border and the Line of Control. Reports quoted Indian government sources who said that India did not consider giving actionable intelligence earlier as Pakistan had not acted on actionable inputs on Mumbai and Pathankot cases in the past."Terrorists were caught, audio was given, access was given to forward posts in Pathankot and Pakistan still remained in denial, the source told ANI . "Thirteen days after Pulwama and they still deny Jaish-e-Mohammed role. We are ready for talks on Kartarpur. They (Pakistan) had called it off just as they had closed airspace and stopped Samjhauta Express. We are trying to appear reasonable, they are creating a war hysteria." Pakistan violated ceasefire in Nowshera sector, Rajouri at around 2.15 pm today, ANI reports. The Indian Army has responded by retaliating fire. According to reports, this is the 22nd time in last three days that Pakistan has violated ceasefire. On being asked if he is open to meeting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on sidelines of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation(OIC) meet. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said he will not hesitate to meet but OIC is not the forum for talks with Swaraj. Open to talks, but OIC not the forum for India-Pakistan talks with Sushma Swaraj: Shah Mahmood Qureshi Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia will be arriving in Pakistan with a message from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told Pakistan's daily The Dawn. Swaraj has been invited as a "guest of honour" at the inaugural session of the OIC foreign ministers' conclave in Abu Dhabi on 1-2 March. "I have no reservations with the OIC or any other Islamic country. My reservations are with Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj's attendance at the OIC meeting," Qureshi was quoted as saying by the Geo News . "If Swaraj attends the meeting then I will not participate in it," he said. While Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told ANI that he was pro-talks with Sushma Swaraj over the deteriorating conditions between the two countries, Qureshi on Wednesday had threatened to boycott the OIC meeting in the UAE if external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj participates in the event. He also said the Saudi foreign minister was expected to visit Pakistan with a special message from Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who visited both Pakistan and India earlier this month. Reuters We are willing to return the captured Indian pilot if it leads to de-escalation, he was quoted as saying. Pakistan would be prepared to return the Indian pilot shot down and captured this week if it helped ease the crisis with its neighbour, Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told Geo TV. "As a peace gesture, we are releasing Wing Commander Abhinandan tomorrow," ANI quoted the Pakistan prime minister as saying. Pakistan prime minster Imran Khan told a joint session of Parliament that IAF's captured pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released on Friday as a gesture of peace. "I have a feeling that the Indian public does not agree with the current government's warmongering," said Imran Khan at joint session of parliament. India Today and CNN-News18 reported that Wing Commander Abhinandan will be coming out through Wagah Border on Friday. He will be accompanied by outgoing defence attache of Pakistan. Joint press briefing by army, navy and air force in New Delhi that was scheduled for 5 pm has been postponed to 7 pm. Reacting to Pakistan's announcement that it will release IAF pilot Abhinandan, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said, "I'm very happy, I had demanded his release earlier too. This is going to be a step towards goodwill and I hope this will be lasting." Narendra Modi will conduct a security review meeting with all three service chiefs, and intel chiefs, CNN-News18 reported. NSA Ajit Doval will be briefing the prime minister about the day's developments. Karnataka deputy chief minister G Parameshwara welcomed on Twitter the "great news" from Pakistan on the release of Wing Commander Abhinandan. "We eagerly wait for our son to return home," he said. In the past week, Pakistan troops have heavily shelled and fired small, automatic and heavy weapons, including 120 mm mortars, in over 60 locations in Krishna Gati (KG), Balakote, Khari Karmara, Mankote, Tarkundi (Poonch district), Kalal, Baba Khori, Kalsian, Laam and Jhangar areas (Rajouri district) and Pallanwala and Laleali (Jammu district) sub-sectors along the LoC. PTI He said the area is pounded by Pakistan forces year after year, at least for a few days every month "making living here hell-like". "Every night mortar shells fall here. No shell has fallen on our house yet. We don't know when the shells will kill us. We are living in absolute fear," said Sakhee, who has a family of nine. Intense shelling and air intrusions by Pakistan jets have left hundreds of people living in villages along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir in the grip of fear. Locals said the nights are the worst as the shelling is the most severe then. Sakhee Mohmmmad, who lives barely 200 metres from the LoC in Pokhrni hamlet in Laam sector, left his house for the first time in four days on Thursday. Pakistan's interest is peace in the region so we can focus to lift our people out of poverty. Our effort of de-escalation must not be misinterpreted as weakness. The hero of this country is Tipu Sultan who prefered fighting over subjugation.- @ImranKhanPTI #PakistanLeadsWithPeace pic.twitter.com/QCrADcIpme Our effort of de-escalation must not be misinterpreted as weakness: Imran Khan Mehbooba Mufti: Good news,whole nation will be relieved. I hope our leadership will also reciprocate this peace gesture. I hope Imran Khan will stand by his word and take steps on Indian dossier on Pulwama attack. Imran Khan has acted like a statesman. #AbhinandanVartaman pic.twitter.com/mefxTZBJdO Mufti's reaction came after Imran Khan announced that the captured IAF pilot will be released tomorrow. I always knew the colours for peace were Green & White and today just proved it!We have said it again and again that we are a peace loving nation but today actions speak louder than words.Proud of our leader who shows us what is true,what is just & what is right #LetPeacePrevail "Pakistan claimed that it targeted only those spaces which were sparcely populated. However, Pakistan targeted military installations, attempts which wer foiled by us," he said. "First blatant misinformation by Pakistan was that two Indian aircraft had been shot down," Kapoor. "Pakistan later changed its statement. It was only by late evening that Pakistan accepted the facts," he said. "In the aerial combat that ensued, one F-16 Pakistani aircraft was shot down and crashed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. One Mig-21 crashed and the pilot parachuted into PoK," Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor said in New Delhi. "We stand as one with the army and the air force to ensure the security of our citizens," Rear Admiral DS Gujral said at the joint services press conference in New Delhi. "The Indian Army is committed to maintaining peace and stability in the region," he said. "We continue to maintain strict vigil along the LoC and the IB sector. A ground-based weapons system has been put on high alert. I wish to assure the nation that we are fully prepared to respond to any action by Pakistan," he added. "In response to the counter-terror strike, Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violations," said Major General Surendra Singh Mahal. "This was responded to by the Indian Army in a befitting manner." Air Vice MArshal RGK Kapoor: There is enough evidence to show that F-16s were used in this mission through their electronic signatures. Parts of AMRAAM, air to air missile which is carried only on the Pakistani F-16s was recovered east of Rajouri within the Indian territory. pic.twitter.com/edtvXYnNbK "There is enough evidence to show that F-16s were used in this mission through their electronic signatures. Parts of AMRAAM, air to air missile which is carried only on the Pakistani F-16s was recovered east of Rajouri within the Indian territory," ANI quoted him as saying. "What you are seeing today is evidence of a flight carrying AMRAAM missiles, something which only an F-16 can do," AVM RGK Kapoor said at the joint services press conference. Enough evidence to show that F-16s were used by Pakistan: IAF Visuals of cover of AARAM missile fired from Pakistani F-16 aircraft found near the LoC in India pic.twitter.com/qHdOm5cDqN The IAF AVM said that only an F-16 could carry the AMRAAM missiles. India-Pakistan tensions LATEST updates: The Indian Air Force said that Pakistan had spread misinformation and had actually targeted military installations in India. Narendra Modi will conduct a security review meeting with all three service chiefs, and intel chiefs, CNN-News18 reported. NSA Ajit Doval will be briefing the prime minister about the day's developments. According to reports, Wing Commander Abhinandan will be coming out through Wagah Border on Friday. He will be accompanied by outgoing defence attache of Pakistan. The news comes after Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan said that Islamabad will release Abhinandan on Friday. On being asked if he is open to meeting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on sidelines of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation(OIC) meet. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said he will not hesitate to meet but OIC is not the forum for talks with Swaraj. Reports quoted Indian government sources who said that India did not consider giving actionable intelligence earlier as Pakistan had not acted on actionable inputs on Mumbai and Pathankot cases in the past."Terrorists were caught, audio was given, access was given to forward posts in Pathankot and Pakistan still remained in denial, the source told ANI. "Thirteen days after Pulwama and they still deny Jaish-e-Mohammed role. We are ready for talks on Kartarpur. They (Pakistan) had called it off just as they had closed airspace and stopped Samjhauta Express. We are trying to appear reasonable, they are creating a war hysteria." TV reports are quoting sources from the Indian government and said that there is no question of any deal or negotiation over Wing Commander Abhinandan's return. The IAF pilot was captured on 27 February after his jet crashed in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. India has refused to cut any deal in order to secure the release of Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan. New Delhi has clarified that it has not asked for consular access, nor any other concessions as its sole demand is immediate release of the pilot. Pakistan has said it will decide on whether to give IAF pilot the prisoner of war status or not. They said that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was safe and healthy in Pakistani custody. Reports said that Germany has urged Islamabad to safely return the captured IAF pilot to India to avoid escalation of hostilities. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian ambassador to India met Prime Minister Modi and offered him support. According to latest TV reports, Indian Army chief and chief of Indian Air Force, Navy will address the media ta 5 pm to brief them on the situation at the border, a day after an IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan. Meanwhile, the three service chiefs have briefed defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the situation. Pakistan government sources have told CNBC TV18 that the timing of Wing Commander Abhinandan's return depends on border hostilities and when they end. "Pakistan will definitely return Wing Commander Abhinandan but India must engage on reducing tensions and hostilities," News18 quoted Pakistan sources as saying. Amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India won't stop at any cost and will continue to fight against terrorism. Meanwhile, addressing the media after meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, US President Donald Trump said, "I think reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India, they have been going at it and we have been involved and have them stop, we have some reasonably decent news,hopefully its going to be coming to an end, going on for a long time,decades and decades." Narendra Modi urges BJP booth workers across India to take the message to all homes in their respective areas that a strong government makes a huge difference to every countryman. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing BJP karyakartas across the nation said that all Indians should come together and fight as a nation. "Is samay desh ki bhavnayein ek alag star par hain. Desh ka vir jawan seema par aur seema ke paar bhi apna parakram dikha raha hai. Pura desh ek hai, aur hamare jawano ke saath khada hai. Duniya hamare collective will ko dekh rahi hai." According to TV reports, NSA Ajit Doval is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening. Doval will give the prime minister a comprehensive stock of the situation. Passengers of Samjhauta Express going to Pakistan were stuck in Attari after Pakistan refused to allow the train in their territory. Passengers are now being sent to the Wagah border on bus from where they will cross over to Pakistan on foot, News18 quoted government sources as saying. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke to NSA Ajit Doval on Wednesday evening. According to reports, the conversation between Pompeo and Doval lasted for 25 minutes. According to government sources, US has extended full support to India. US has asked Pakistan to abide by its UN Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. The three service chiefs Army, Navy and Air Force will meet Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today shortly, reports have said. The chiefs on Wednesday had apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the security situation after Pakistani aircraft violated Indian airspace and an Indian pilot was taken into custody by the neighbouring country. Home Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to meet intelligence bureau chief and RAW chief today as well. Portion of downed Pakistani Air Force jet and its wreckage was found in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. ANI tweeted an image with the Commanding Officer of Pakistans 7 Northern Light Infantry. Same picture, which is circulating on social media, claims that this is the Indian MiG fighter, however multiple IAF sources confirm this is the wreckage of Pakistani F16 downed on Wednesday. News18 quoted government sources and reported that the Samjhauta Express is currently stuck at the customs office at Attari border. According to News18, the train was not allowed to enter Pakistan because Islamabad suspended services even as India said that there won't be any change in the schedule of the train. Government sources have reportedly said that discussion is on over what the next step should be and meanwhile, News18 reported that passengers maybe put on a bus to the Wagah Border. More details are awaited. A report in Dawn details what happened after Wing Commander Abhinandan landed on Pakistan's soil. The report quotes a social and political activist who witnessed the minutes after the Indian Air Force pilot landed in Pakistan. "The pilot, who was equipped with a pistol, asked the youngsters whether it was India or Pakistan. On this, one of them intelligently responded that it was India. The pilot, later identified as Wing Commander Abhi Nandan, shouted some slogans and asked which place exactly it was in India." According to the report, the captured pilot used a pistol to ward off local village boys, was unsure of which side of the border he had landed, and tried to swallow and destroy maps and documents before he was taken into custody. Veteran Air Marshal and father of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has thanked people for their concern and wishes, News18 reports. "I thank God for his blessings. Abhi is alive, not injured, sound in mind. Just look at the way he talked so bravely. A true soldier. We are so proud of him. I am sure all your hands and blessings are on his head; prayers for his safe return. I pray that he does not get tortured, and comes home safe and sound in body and mind. Thank you all for being with us in this hour of need. We draw our strengths from your support and energy," veteran Air Marshal Varthaman was quoted as saying by News18. Pakistan captured Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman after a fierce engagement between the two air forces. General Vijay Kumar Singh, former chief of Army staff and now Minister of State for External Affairs has tweeted on captured Wing Commander Abhinandan. Singh called him the "embodiment of a mentally tough, selfless & courageous soldier" National Security Adviser Ajit Doval spoke to both United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and United Kingdom NSA Mark Sedwill last night, reports said. Pompeo said the US will pressurise Pakistan to take action against terror. Sedwill too gave complete assurance of the UK's support to India. The US called on India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and for a return to stability. US State Department told ANI that the US urges both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation,including direct communication. Further military activity will exacerbate situation, the state department said. Pakistan violated ceasefire at 6 am on Thursday in Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control in Poonch district. Indian Army retaliated effectively. Firing stopped around 7 am, ANI reports. Fearing an escalation of the current tensions between India and Pakistan, the Pentagon on Wednesday urged the two South Asian neighbours to avoid further military action. Canada also called for de-escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan. Meanwhile, the United States, United Kingdom and France have asked the 15-member United Nations Security Council sanctions committee to subject Maulana Masood Azhar, the head of Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad, to an arms embargo, global travel ban and asset freeze. An IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat Wednesday during which the two sides said they shot down each other's warplanes that followed an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes that sparked fears of war. The aerial engagement between India and Pakistan for the first time since the 1971 war marked a dramatic escalation of confrontation prompting world leaders to urge the two neighbouring countries to exercise "utmost restraint". India said it shot down a F-16 warplane of Pakistan while it lost a MiG 21 during the fierce engagement between the air forces of the two countries along the Line of Control(LoC). Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan sought to defuse the escalating tension by saying war is futile and can lead to unknown consequences while making an oblique reference to the nuclear weapons that both countries possess. "I ask India: with the weapons you have and the weapons we have, can we really afford a miscalculation? If this (situation) escalates, it will no longer be in my control or in (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi's," Khan said in a live television broadcast, as he offered to hold talks with India to resolve issues. The Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan Syed Haider Shah and demanded immediate and safe return of the pilot identified as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. It was also made clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, the ministry said, adding it has conveyed strong objection to the neighbouring country at the "vulgar display" of an injured personnel in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. In a strongly worded statement, the MEA said the envoy was clearly told that India reserves the right to take "firm and decisive action to protect its national security". Pakistan detained the pilot following the aerial engagement in which a Pakistani jet, stated to be a F-16, was downed by Indian air defence forces in Jammu region's Rajouri sector. The IAF also lost a MiG 21 jet in the engagement, an Indian official said. Pakistan has denied losing a jet. The Pakistan Army retracted its earlier statement that two IAF pilots were arrested and in the evening said it had "only one" pilot in its custody. "There is only one pilot under Pakistan Army's custody. Wing Comd Abhi Nandan is being treated as per norms of military ethics," Pakistani military spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor said in the evening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was given an update on the latest security situation by the chiefs of the three armed forces following violation of Indian airspace by Pakistani fighter jets in Jammu and Kashmir and the capture of the Indian pilot across the LoC, sources said. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, senior officials of the Indian Navy, Army and the Air Force and other security officials also had a meeting to discuss the current security situation, they said. A day after India bombed Jaish-e-Mohammed's(JeM) biggest training camp in Pakistan, it was a day of hectic developments moving with dizzying rapidity. Three Pakistani fighter jets entered Indian air space at 9:58 AM to target key military installations in Rajouri and Naushera in Jammu and Kashmir, as part of the retaliatory strike, official sources said. Though three Pakistani jets violated Indian air space, the package of the aircraft deployed by Pakistan Air Force(PAF) for the operation was "significantly large" as it comprised a fleet of JF-17 and F-16 combat aircraft, the sources said. The sources said the Pakistani jets targeted Indian army's bases in Krishna Ghati and Nangi Tekri and an ammunition point in Narian. However, the bombs dropped by the Pakistani jets fell in uninhabited areas. Minutes after Pakistani jets violated Indian air space, the IAF's Combat Air Patrol (CAP), comprising MiG-21 and other jets engaged with the enemy aircraft, successfully thwarting their attempts to bomb a number of key military installations in Naushera and Rajouri, they said. Islamabad claimed it hit back at India by bringing down two Indian military aircraft, one of which crashed in Pakistan occupied Kashmir(PoK) while the other fell in Jammu and Kashmir. "This morning PAF (Pakistan Air Force) jets while remaining in Pakistani airspace engaged six targets across the LoC," Major General Asif Ghafoor told reporters in Islamabad. "Our pilots locked on those six targets and we struck on open places," he said, adding that it was decided that the PAF will not hit the military targets. He said some of the targets were in Bhimber galli and Naran area where the supply depots were engaged from a distance. "After the PAF strikes, 2 IAF jets entered Pakistani airspace and the PAF took them on and the two IAF were shot down. The wreckage of one (aircraft) fell inside Pakistan (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) while the second fell inside India." "Original targets were military posts and administrative facilities but we did not target those," he said. The spokesman claimed that targets engaged by the PAF were changed to avoid any loss of life. "It was not retaliation in the true sense but it was an action to show that we can retaliate. We do not want to push the region to war. We want peace." As tension mounted, the entire airspace north of New Delhi was briefly "vacated". Nine airports in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab were closed for civilian traffic for some part of the morning but opened later in the day. Jammu and Kashmir was the centre of much of the action on a day of escalating tensions between the two neighbours. There was also nightlong heavy firing and shelling on forward and civilian areas from across the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch with the Army and the Border Security Force(BSF) being put on the highest degree of alertness. All residents of the border areas were asked to remain inside their homes and not venture outside. In a terse press statement earlier in the day, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, accompanied by Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor, said, "Pakistan has responded this morning by using its Air Force to target military installations on the Indian side. Due to our high state of readiness and alertness, Pakistan's attempts were foiled successfully." He said the Pakistan Air Force activity was detected and the Indian Air Force responded instantly. "In that aerial engagement, one Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft was shot down by a MiG 21 Bison of the Indian Air Force. The Pakistani aircraft was seen by ground forces falling from the sky on the Pakistan side. "In this engagement, we have unfortunately lost one MiG 21. The pilot is missing in action...." Expressing concern over the well-being of the IAF pilot, leaders of various parties said Pakistan should abide by Geneva Convention and ensure his safe return home. EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini called on India and Pakistan to show the "utmost restraint" in their escalating confrontation. British Prime Minister Theresa May also urged both the countries to exercise restraint to avoid further escalation. Earlier, Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the country is willing to consider returning IAF pilot Abhinandan if it leads to 'de-escalation.' Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has announced in the country's parliament that Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan will be released on Friday. Abhinandan had been detained following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control (LoC) in which a Pakistani jet and an Indian jet were downed. Earlier, Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the country is willing to consider returning the detained IAF pilot if it leads to "de-escalation" of tension with India. "Pakistan is willing to consider returning the Indian pilot if it leads to de-escalation," Qureshi said in Islamabad. India on Wednesday summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan and demanded immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot who was detained by Pakistan following an aerial engagement by air forces of the two countries. It has also been made clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, the External Affairs Ministry said in New Delhi, adding that it has conveyed strong objection to the neighbouring country at the "vulgar display" of an injured personnel in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. With inputs from PTI While Imran Khan has responded in a public address after India and Pakistan's air strikes on Wednesday, India is yet to hear from Prime Minister Narendra Modi There has been a stark contrast in the nature and frequency of media addresses on both sides of the border after the strike by Indian Air Force on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot on 26 February. On Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale along with the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs of India (MEA) Raveesh Kumar held a press conference. In the press meet held after the Balakot strike, Gokhale read out a pre-prepared statement confirming that the Indian forces had carried out an air strike on terror camps inside Pakistan and called it a "pre-emptive non-military action" taken to safeguard India's security in wake of the Pulwama terror attack and the imminent danger of more suicide attacks by JeM. At a public rally in Rajasthan's Churu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also talked about the IAF's operation and said that he was solemn in his pledge to not let the nation bow down as he assured the nation that the country was in "safe hands". Later in the evening, there was a media address from the spokesperson of the Pakistan Army, Major General Asif Ghafoor, refuting Indian claim of mass casualties in the attack. Whereas on Wednesday, after both India and Pakistan engaged in air strikes early in the morning and two planes a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet and an Indian MiG-21 aircraft were shot down across the Line of Control (LoC). Pakistan claimed that it had captured the plane's pilot and released a video where he is seen identifying himself. Immediately, after tweeting about shooting down Indian planes (Pakistan had earlier claimed of gunning down two planes and having two pilots in their territory) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Ghafoor held another press conference to tell his country about the developments and hail the PAF's efforts to thwart India's "attempt to breach its air space". Thereafter, at 3 pm, the MEA spokesperson, accompanied by IAF's Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor, addressed a press conference to confirm that India had lost one MiG-21 in the air strikes on Wednesday morning and that its pilot was "missing in action". He said that India was ascertaining Pakistan's claim of having held the pilot captive. However, following a similar pattern as on Tuesday, Kumar stated at the start of the briefing that the officials won't answer any media queries after the statement is read out. Meanwhile, Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan also released a video address in which he talked about the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan and once again reiterated that he wants peace and talks and that Pakistan does not wish to escalate and take the situation to a war. However, from the Indian side, neither the prime minister nor the defence or home minister addressed the media on Wednesday. Union minister Arun Jaitley did speak at an event earlier in the day and said that India had the capability to do a mission like how the United States carried out an operation involving Navy Seals as they eliminated Al Qaeda chief Osama-bin-Laden. But no official word came from any minister in the Modi cabinet as the nation awaited a response to re-assure it in such trying times. Modi was in Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan to launch the Khelo India App when he had to leave his address in between and rush for a meeting amid the reports of rising tension on the border. However, apart from the MEA press conference and a statement regarding summoning of the Pakistani envoy, issued thereafter, there was no media engagement by the Indian side. Whereas, Pakistan's army officials, its foreign minister and other top leaders tweeted and addressed their people in various capacities as the events unfolded. Follow LIVE updates on the aftermath of India-Pakistan air strikes here In an unexpected statement, Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan said during the joint session of their parliament that Abhinandan will be released on Friday 'as a peace gesture'. Pakistan's announcement that captured Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan came amid escalating tension between Islamabad and New Delhi. In an unexpected statement, Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan said during the joint session of parliament that Abhinandan will be released on Friday "as a peace gesture". "In our desire for peace, I announce that tomorrow (Friday), and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the IAF officer in our custody," he said, as lawmakers greeted the decision by thumping their desks. Pakistan's interest is peace in the region so we can focus to lift our people out of poverty. Our effort of de-escalation must not be misinterpreted as weakness. The hero of this country is Tipu Sultan who prefered fighting over subjugation.- @ImranKhanPTI #PakistanLeadsWithPeace pic.twitter.com/QCrADcIpme PTI (@PTIofficial) February 28, 2019 The move, which was widely hailed by the Indian side, came just hours after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the Pakistani leader is ready for telephonic talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to deescalate the tensions. India earlier sent a strong message to Pakistan, rejecting the possibility of any deal for securing the release of the pilot and demanding his unconditional and immediate repatriation. India Today and CNN-News18 reported that Abhinandan will be return to India via Wagah border on Friday and be accompanied by outgoing defence attache of Pakistan. Pakistani Air Force on Wednesday carried out a retaliatory strike across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and attempted to target military installations, a day after Indian struck inside Pakistan, destroying the biggest terrorist training camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). During a fierce aerial engagement with Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighters on the LoC, Abhinandan landed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) after his MiG 21 was brought down. India mounted pressure on Pakistan through the international community, with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval holding talks with the US and other P-5 countries on Wednesday. As international pressure grew for India and Pakistan to show restraint, US president Donald Trump said earlier on Thursday that the US has some "reasonably attractive news" from the two countries. "We have been involved in trying to help them (India and Pakistan) stop and we have some reasonably decent news," he said in his opening statement at a press conference at the end of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi. "I think hopefully that (tensions) could be coming to an end, it has been going on for a long time," said Trump amid efforts by back-channel interlocutors to defuse the tensions that spiked after the Pulwama suicide attack by a JeM bomber on 14 February in which at least 40 CRPF jawans were killed. 'Expected Abhinandan's return' The Indian Air Force Thursday said it is very happy that Abhinandan is returning home but dismissed suggestions it was a goodwill gesture, insisting it was in line with the Geneva Conventions. "We are very happy Abhinandan will be freed tomorrow and look forward to his return," Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor, Assistant Chief of Air Staff said. He was addressing the media along with the representatives of the army and the navy, who both said the armed forces were on high alert and ready to meet any security challenge on land and sea. Kapoor said it was up to the political leadership to decide when and how to release evidence of the Balakot strike's success. He was responding to a question on the scepticism in some quarters about whether IAF fighters had hit the intended targets. Kapoor said there is credible information and evidence that "we hit the intended targets" and it was premature to assess the casualties and damage. The IAF showed parts of Amraam missiles as proof that Pakistan used F-16 aircraft to attack Indian military establishments on Wednesday. Visuals of cover of AARAM missile fired from Pakistani F-16 aircraft found near the LoC in India pic.twitter.com/qHdOm5cDqN ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 Kapoor accused Pakistan of lying that no F-16 was used, and said there was enough evidence. Stating that Pakistan aircraft targeted military installations, he added that PAF bombs were unable to damage any of India's defence installations. Major General SS Mahal said escalation of tensions had been done by Pakistan but India was prepared for any contingency if the enemy provoked it. Mechanised forces were put on standby and troops were ready to deal with any security challenge, he said. Rear Admiral of the Indian Navy Dalbir Singh Gujral said the force was in a high state of readiness to deal with any Pakistan maritime misadventure. The joint press conference by the three services came after Modi held a security review meeting in New Delhi. Delhi: Visuals from the high level meeting on security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg pic.twitter.com/y9DDv8UA04 ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 Prior to the news of his release, Abhinandan's father said he was proud of his son's bravery and thanked the people for their support and good wishes. In a statement, S Varthaman, a retired Air Marshal, referring to a purported video of his son after his capture, said he spoke like a "true soldier" despite being in captivity and that he was praying he would not get tortured, and return home "safe and sound". With inputs from agencies The Indian minister has been invited as a guest of honour at the inaugural session of the foreign ministers' conclave in Abu Dhabi. Islamabad: Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said he will not attend a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) scheduled for March 1 (today) if Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj participated in it. The Indian minister has been invited as a guest of honour at the inaugural session of the foreign ministers' conclave in Abu Dhabi. Mr Qureshi said, I have no reservations with OIC or any other Islamic country. My reservations are with Indian foreign minister Sushma Swar-aj's attendance at the OIC meeting. He added: If Swaraj attends the meeting, I will not participate in it," the foreign minister asserted. Mr Qureshi said UN Secretary-General Anto-nio Guterres and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu telephoned him. The Turkish foreign minister telephoned me himself and sought to be briefed on the current situation. He said: Turkey is fully standing behind Pakis-tani people and government. The Turkish foreign minister said the prayers and cooperation of Turks are with their Pakistani brothers and sisters. Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in his telephonic conversation with Mr Qureshi had assured him that Turkey also declared opposition to the move for the Indian external affairs minister to speak at the OIC meeting in Abu Dhabi. Turkey also offered me-diation to ease the tensio-ns between Islamabad an-d New Delhi on Wednes-day after Pakistan Air F-orce (PAF) struck down two Indian Air Force pla-nes and captured a pilot. Mr Cavusoglu said that he has told Pakistan that Turkey is willing to mediate between India and Pakistan. According to the Turkish media, the minister said that he had a phone contact with his Pakistani counterpart, but not with any Indian official yet. Mr Qureshi said that the UN Secretary General had also telephoned him and while expressing concern over the current situation in Pakistan, assured to play his role in whatever way and manner he could. India, he said, had been asked to respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement, investigate incident of February 26 along the Line of Control and other incidents of ceasefire violations, instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary. Imran Thursday announced that IAF's captured pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan, will be released on Friday as a 'gesture of peace' and the 'first step' to open negotiations with India. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday chaired a high-level meeting on security amid the heightened tensions with Pakistan and after Imran Khan announced the release of an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot captured by his country. Officials sources said the meeting was attended by chiefs of the three Services, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Several other senior officials also attended the meeting held at the prime minister's residence in Delhi. An IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after an aerial combat on Wednesday during which the two sides claimed they shot down each other's aircraft. Imran Thursday announced that IAF's captured pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan, will be released on Friday as a "gesture of peace" and the "first step" to open negotiations with India. The prime ministers public appearances as per his schedule give the public confidence that he is in control and that they don't have to worry about escalating tensions with Pakistan. A series of tweets from Opposition leaders such as Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and others blasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for attending the programmes on his schedule and those of his own party. Their argument is, that given the escalating border situation, the prime minister should have remained at his official residence of 7 Lok Kalyan Marg or at South Block office. The prime minister participating in a video interaction programme like 'Mera Booth Sabse Majboot' with workers at 15,000 booths across the country was a strict `no no for them. I wud urge the PM to postpone this. At this moment, we as a nation, need to spend all our energies and time to get the IAF pilot back safely andto sternly deal wid Pak. https://t.co/HKgBeqSe8a Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 28, 2019 Glaring case of misplaced priorities! 132 Cr Indians pray for safe & immediate return of Indias brave-heart Wing Comm, Abhinandan but Modiji desperate only for re-election. Congress cancelled its imp CWC & Rally today. Pradhan Sevak hell-bent on creating a Video Conf. record! pic.twitter.com/ulIMzA35Xv Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) February 28, 2019 Even when our pilot is missing, everything even national security is seen through the lens of public relations and votes. The BJP only knows the politics of distraction, lies, branding and marketing. Those who worship power will only be consumed by it. #BringHimHome Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) February 28, 2019 Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday read out a joint statement of behalf of '21 parties' targeting Modi and BJP: The meeting of 21 parties expressed their deep anguish over the blatant politicization of the sacrifices made by our Armed Forces by leaders of the ruling party. National security must transcend narrow political considerations. The leaders observed that the Prime Minister has, regrettably, not convened an-all party meeting as per the established practice in our democracy. While reading that statement, Rahul conveniently forgot that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj convened an all-party meeting on 26 February, the day Indian Air Force penetrated deep inside Pakistan territory and bombed Jaish-e-Mohammed's largest training facility in Balakot. Rahul and other Opposition leaders' criticism of Modi raises a bigger question: Should the prime minister of a country as strong and big as India confine himself to his residence and his office when tensions with a rogue neighbour are high and a war-like situation is prevalent? India responded against Pakistan-sponsored terror like never before. Having done that and given the necessary instructions for consequent action and counteraction, should Modi not be carrying out the other business, like an elected prime minister is supposed to? Or should he remain indoors in anticipation of some counter action from Pakistan? By conducting a second surgical strike inside Pakistani territory, Modi has already sent a strong message: That India is a strong and resilient nation, and its developmental path and economic growth must not be disrupted because of a major terror strike. It is important that the perpetrators of the crime and their backers are made to pay a heavy price, and made to realise they were up against a nation and people that had the will and capability to blast them wherever they could hide. Governance and politics different from politicking had to go on. The prime ministers public appearances as per his schedule give the public confidence that he is in control and that they don't have to worry about escalating tensions with Pakistan. Modi is letting the public know India has the appetite and the capacity to repulse our neighbour's nefarious designs. Contrary to what his political detractors say regarding his public engagements, Modi is doing exactly what he should under these circumstances: giving required clearances to armed forces, standing behind them at a time of crisis and offer his guidance, if needed. The actual planning and operations are carried out by the concerned agencies and forces. As Modi said, the armed forces have been given free hand to decide on the time, place and nature of response. Now, take a look at Modi's schedule what is known in the public domain not taking into account series of early morning and late night meetings with key officers and persons at his residence or office since 25 February (the JeM terror camp was bombed on 26 February). On 25 February, Modi inaugurated the National War Memorial and gave the keynote address at the Network 18 Rising India Conclave. On 26 February after the surgical strike on Pakistan Modi chaired the Cabinet Committee on Security meet, then rushed to Rashtrapati Bhavan to attend the Gandhi Peace Prize ceremony. Then, he addressed a public rally in Churu, and later in the evening attended a function at New Delhi's ISKCON temple where the biggest copy of the Bhagavad Geeta was unveiled. On 27 February, Modi attended a function of the The Youth Parliament and on 28 February, he addressed BJP workers through the Namo app. At none of these functions did Modi raise the pitch on the second surgical strike. Modi was greeted with cheers, clapping and chants of 'Modi-Modi'. He paid respect to the armed forces, at one point saying the nation was in safe hands. It is important in these critical times for the nation to have confidence in the man leading the government. Modis public appearances are helping shape that mood. Modi remarked that 'India will live as one, work as one, grow as one, fight as one and win as one'. He also said that today he sees a new India which is much stronger, full of enthusiasm and has the will to do and die for the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke to BJP's booth workers in a national address but also used the opportunity to assure the nation amidst the escalating tension between India and Pakistan. Modi said that it was time to show resolve, support and faith in our armed forces and not let their morale drop down in times like these. He said that even though these are trying times as the enemy is trying to put obstacles in the way of India's growth, peace and prosperity, the nation will not stop at any cost. He said that no matter what the adversaries do, they can't stop the progress of India. He said that all Indians will have to stand as one to shield the country against the terrorists' agenda to derail the nation's growth and bring it to a halt. Modi remarked that "India will live as one, work as one, grow as one, fight as one and win as one." He also said that today he sees a new India which is much stronger, full of enthusiasm and has the will to do and die for the country. The prime minister also highlighted the fact that how the world was standing with India in this hour of need and supporting its stand to defend itself. Saying that he was grateful to the armed forces for risking their lives for the nation's security and guarding at the border and taking action beyond it as well, Modi reiterated that despite challenges and retaliation, India will continue to be on the path of progress and development. He said that in this, the 'booth soldiers' who are active citizens of the country will help as they will ensure they work day and night for continuing the growth process of India. Follow LIVE updates on the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict Journalist Priyanka Dubey spent six years travelling across India to document cases of rape and sexual assault. Her reportage, compiled in a book, presents a stark picture of the problem, and looks at the path ahead. In India, sexual abuse is so rampant that it seems almost normalised. The public is desensitised; the press gives these stories a column or two, or clubs them together. Many cases simply aren't spoken about. The majority of the reportage on the issue is clinical, devoid of any emotion. Journalist Priyanka Dubey's recently published book, No Nation for Women Reportage on Rape from India, the Worlds Largest Democracy (Simon & Schuster India), is a difficult one to read. It documents stories of sexual violence against women, each more horrific than the other. Each of the 13 chapters in Dubey's book addresses different types of crimes the violence against denotified tribes, caste-based, "corrective rapes" in Bundelkhand, rape within the police force. Dubey spent six years travelling across India, meeting with survivors, their families and the law. In her book, she also details the aftermath of assault the court cases and legal battles, the estrangement of families, the heavy price of speaking up, and the depth of loss. Though the cases may seem dated, the stories, the way each incident was handled, and the ongoing fight for justice, are familiar and still relevant. The writing is raw, bare-boned; this is longform journalism contained within a book. In an interview with Firstpost, Dubey spoke of her journalistic process, the role of the media in reporting rape, and the effect working on the book has had on her life. Tell us about your reporting process. How did you choose the stories that ultimately went into the book? I never made any conscious attempt to pursue any particular theme around gender violence for this book. Instead, I only followed stories that made me curious as a reporter and moved me enough to go out and find out more. The [news] gathering was overwhelming for me to handle alone. I had to leave out a few important chapters for the sake of keeping the length of the book non-intimidating. I mostly refrained from recording videos as it makes people uncomfortable especially women talking about gender violence. Audio tapes were better for documentation. I clicked hundreds of pictures for my own writing reference. Then there were heaps of legal papers and charge-sheets to read. At times, the material would look intimidating and unending to me. I would look at the amount of [material] and feel as if I am drowning. It was only after going through the notes a couple of times that I was able to identify the distinct threads that make the book's chapter-list today. You did most of your reportage travelling solo through some of the most remote villages in the country. How did you prepare? I did lots of homework, readings and research at my end before leaving for reporting trips. We cannot completely remove the risk factor on tough reporting projects but we can minimise it by doing adequate homework. The solid network that one earns after years of on-ground work, is any reporters biggest strength. Likewise, more than anything else, my own rapport with people on ground helped me most. My local contacts helped me in overcoming language barriers. In the book, you mention being harassed on a train. Safety must have been a priority. What was it like reporting as a journalist and a woman? I had no special strategy in my mind but I did keep a few important, routine points in mind. For example, the drivers I travelled with always came via a trusted network or on recommendation. I made a conscious attempt to travel only during daylight. Taking calculated risks, reading up on the geography, having printouts of Google maps, keeping a low profile and having a plan B always helps. If in two minds, I preferred either sticking to the local contacts or going back. Because you can always return to a story with more preparation if you are alive! Through six years of reportage and writing, I would assume the stories of the women youve met and spoken to would affect you. How did you tackle moments when everything felt overwhelming? Its not possible to detach oneself while working on a book like this. I also believe that one cannot completely recover, so to speak, after being deeply immersed in the conversation around gender violence for so long. The reporting and then the writing of this book was a soul bruising experience for me and I had no option but to hold myself together through the years of its making. I kept slipping in and out of depression and felt as if I was circling a ball of darkness. Long walks with old friends and reading works by my favourite authors were my refuge during this time. On Firstpost #Spotlight tracks incidents of sexual misconduct and workplace harassment in the Indian news media industry as they emerge in the #MeToo conversation Was there any point in this whole process where you wanted to step back? I did not want to give up, but I felt like taking a break many times. I would feel choked up working back to back on the book chapters and then freelancing in between to sustain myself. Also, the content was too dark to live with for so many years. There is a fair amount of talk about the lack of outrage in the Delhi-centric media. Is this something that people think that media stories could get them justice/that the media isnt doing enough? Primarily, people's outrage is targeted at the insensitive behaviour of the media towards victims of gender violence. The disproportionately provocative questioning often ends up coming across as being exploitative of the victims/survivors, rather than as raising a voice against injustice. I feel people respond positively to the media if one treats them as whole, equal human beings rather than just thrusting them into the binaries of victim or survivor. How do you see your book helping these women? Is it about bringing these stories to light or about helping them find justice? In this increasingly complex world, journalism and nonfiction writing has greater significance than ever. The first important role that a book like No Nation for Women plays is to attempt documentation of a multi-layered and multi-dimensional problem while keeping all possible nuances intact. Documentation helps in increasing understanding, which in turn pushes for acknowledgement. Acknowledging rape as an urgent crisis is the first step towards rectifying the problem. Slowly changing public opinion and contributing to the fight for justice are the long-term goals, and nonfiction books are making change possible. Justice or the lack of it seems to overpower every story. How much blame can we put on the system: police, courts, governments, etc into his fight for victims to get justice? What is the biggest learning youve taken away from this experience? Of course, the battles of bad policing, slack investigation, power politics etc. are very much here but my biggest learning is that societys mindset needs to be changed. We must get done with the victim-blaming and victim-shaming attitude, only then is any kind of long-term change possible. Lets start by acknowledging the demons of patriarchy. Amid rising hostilities between India and Pakistan and an imminent rise in cross-border tensions, the government in the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has asked all public hospitals to stay alert. Amid rising hostilities between India and Pakistan and an imminent rise in cross-border tensions, the government in the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has asked all public hospitals to stay alert. A government communique shows that the leaves of all medical personnel have been cancelled with immediate effect and they have been asked to stay prepared for any eventuality. The reports come in the backdrop of Indian claim that it inflicted 'heavy casualties' in its recent air strike at a Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in the Jaba top area of the province. Although the Ministry of External Affairs did not give an exact count on the number of terrorists killed or injured, media reports quoting defence ministry sources claimed that 200 to 300 people were killed while scores of people were injured. Pakistan has officially denied that the Indian strikes hit any terrorist camp on its territory and claimed that no damage was caused. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, previously known as North West Frontier Province, is also strategically located as it shares its border with Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Given the Indian claim on the territory of Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is in the immediate vicinity of International Border between India and Pakistan. Meanwhile, on the Indian side too, preparation was underway in case the current situation deteriorates. For starters, authorities have directed all government hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir to paint Red Cross signs on the rooftop of the buildings owing to several airstrikes and ceasefire violations along Line of Control (LoC). Besides, nearly all government-owned hospitals have stocked up on medicine and other equipment in bulk in case of an emergency. The Jammu and Kashmir administration Wednesday also passed an order to take necessary steps to upgrade the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) at Srinagars Humhama. The state government constituted a five-member committee for the upgradation of the SEOC, officials said. "Sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of a committee regarding the upgradation of the SEOC in Humhama, Kashmir," an order issued by General Administration Department (GAD) said. The five-member panel would identify agency or agencies for execution of the project in a time bound manner after following due codal formalities and utilise funds placed at its disposal by the State Executive Committee of the State Disaster Management Authority for this Project in accordance with norms and guidelines. Additionally, all schools in the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir have been asked to remain closed. With inputs from PTI Pakistans prime minister Imran Khan has already called for talks with India to prevent the risk of a miscalculation between their nuclear-armed militaries. New Delhi/Islamabad: Pakistan said on Thursday that it was considering returning a captured Indian pilot, as US president Donald Trump said American mediation was helping to defuse a crisis between the two nuclear powers a day after both downed enemy jets. The pilot, reportedly identified by Islamabad as Wing Commander Abhinandan Vartaman, became the human face of the latest flare-up following the release of videos showing him being captured and later held in custody. We are willing to return the captured Indian pilot if it leads to de-escalation, Qureshi told Geo TV. He also said the Saudi foreign minister was expected to visit Pakistan with a special message from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who visited both Pakistan and India earlier this month. Pakistans prime minister Imran Khan has already called for talks with India to prevent the risk of a miscalculation between their nuclear-armed militaries. The Pakistani foreign ministers remarks came shortly after Trump said he expected reasonably decent news regarding the conflict between India and Pakistan. The US, China and other world powers have urged restraint from the two nations as tensions escalate following tit-for-tat airstrikes in the wake of a suicide car bombing that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police in Indian-controlled Kashmir on 14 February. Indian and Pakistani troops traded fire along the contested border in Kashmir on Thursday, but speaking at a press conference, Trump said the US had been mediating between the two sides. They have been going at it and we have been involved in trying to have them stop, Trump said in Hanoi, where he was attending a summit with North Koreas leader. We have been in the middle trying to help them both out. Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a rally of supporters that India would unite against its enemies. The world is observing our collective will. It is necessary that we shouldnt do anything that allows our enemy to raise a finger at us, he said, in his first remarks since the downing of planes on Wednesday. Firing continues Pakistan and India have fought three wars since independence from British colonial rule in 1947, two over Kashmir, and went to the brink of a fourth in 2002 after a Pakistani militant attack on Indias parliament. Pakistan has shut its airspace, forcing commercial airlines to reroute. Thai Airways International announced on Thursday that it had cancelled flights to Pakistan and Europe, which left thousands of passengers stranded in Bangkok. As Trump was speaking, India said that Pakistan had fired mortars into Indian-occupied territory at around 1 pm. Troops from India and Pakistan also exchanged fire for over an hour in the Poonch district at 6 am, according to a statement from the Indian army. The Indian army retaliated strongly and effectively, said Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand, a defence ministry spokesman. The firing was significantly less elevated than the artillery fire exchanged by the two sides on Wednesday. Pakistan said the firing began overnight. The firing continued in intervals throughout the night. It was moderate, said Shaukat Yusufzai, an administration official in the Pakistan-controlled part of Poonch. One man was hospitalised after being hit by shrapnel, he added. India is building more than 14,000 bunkers for families in Jammu and Kashmir state living close to the border, hoping to keep them safe near their homes rather than evacuate them. On Wednesday evening Indias foreign ministry handed a dossier to Pakistan that it claimed detailed camps of the Pakistan-based militant group that carried out the 14 February attack. With a general election due in India by May, an upsurge in nationalism from any conflict with Pakistan could become a key factor, potentially favouring Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Late on Wednesday, Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa, said Indias strike inside Pakistani territory would help the party to win back power in the state the first such comment from a member of the ruling party. This has brought a pro-Modi wave all through the country, he told reporters. The effect of this will be seen in the elections. International concern The latest escalation marks a sudden deterioration in relations between the two countries. As recently as November, Pakistans leader Khan spoke of mending ties with India. The White House urged both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement he had spoken separately with the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan and urged them to prioritise direct communication and avoid further military activity. Pakistans envoy to the United States, Asad Majeed Khan, said Islamabad would like to see the Trump administration play a more active role in easing the crisis. At the same time, he said the lack of US condemnation of Indias strike on Pakistan was construed and understood as an endorsement of the Indian position, and that is what emboldened them even more. China, the European Union and other countries also called for restraint. Japans foreign minister said on Thursday the country was concerned about the deteriorating situation. The Chinese governments top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, spoke by telephone with Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and expressed deep concern, Chinas foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday. The United States, Britain and France proposed the United Nations Security Council blacklist Masood Azhar, the head of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad, the group that claimed responsibility for the 14 February attack. China is likely to oppose the move. Flights cancelled Thai Airways said it had cancelled more than a dozen flights to Europe due to Pakistans move, along with all flights to and from the country. Several airlines including Emirates and Qatar Airways, suspended flights to Pakistan on Wednesday, while others such as Singapore Airlines and British Airways were forced to reroute flights. Singapore Airlines said on Thursday all of its Europe-bound flights would continue as planned, avoiding the affected airspace as necessary. Flights from West Asia and India were also affected. Air Canada said on Wednesday it has temporarily suspended service to India. Follow LIVE updates on the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan Pakistan's decision to release Indian pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman is the first significant step in the de-escalation of the India-Pakistan crisis Pakistan's decision to release Indian pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman is the first significant step in the de-escalation of the India-Pakistan crisis. Whether the crisis abates will depend on everyone in India taking a deep breath and resisting the temptation to comment on the India-Pakistan crisis, whether from dovish or hawkish positions. Everyone here includes the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the Opposition, prime time TV anchors, social media warriors of varying ideological persuasions, the urban middle class that has a penchant to take to streets with candles on every conceivable issue, and even peaceniks decrying war. It might seem a surprise to ask peaceniks to refrain from speaking out. Yet India stands so ideologically polarised that the advocacy of restraint in escalating the India-Pakistan tension fans the fury of those who feel the response to the 14 February bombing of the Central Reserve Police Force convoy in Pulwama, in which over 40 died, must include military options. Conversely, the group rooting for strikes against Pakistan to teach it a lesson is accused of behaving irresponsibly, of having scant regard for human life. War is not a sport, counter the critics of those pushing for an aggressive response. To hammer their point, they will now point to the anxieties that the family of Abhinandan must have undergone during the two days he was in Pakistan's custody. Like schoolboys, both groups call them pro-escalation and anti-escalation feel the other is teasing or mocking them for their position. This, in turn, has them raise their pitch to a higher level in support of their respective stances. The din of the debate has serious repercussions because 2019 is not just another year a month or so from now, India will have its Lok Sabha election. Members of both schools of thought are also voters. Ostensibly, the anti-escalation group is unlikely to vote for the BJP. This is because it has always been askance at the claims of BJP leaders that only they have the spunk and audacity to teach Pakistan a lesson for fomenting terrorism in India. Yet the anti-escalation group has rarely spelt out what other methods are there of dissuading Pakistan from using non-State actors as an instrument of foreign policy. The advocacy of restraint in dealing with Pakistan miffs BJP voters. They interpreted the Pulwama incident as a goal scored by Pakistan, so to speak. India's strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan, signified to them that India had equalised the score 1-1. But Pakistan, in their perception, went 2-1 up because it shot down India's MiG-21 fighter and took the Indian pilot in custody. Will they see the impending release of Abhinandan as 2-2 between India and Pakistan? Very unlikely, largely because they feel India missed the chance to teach Pakistan a fitting lesson for supporting terrorism. Their disappointment could still mount pressure on the Narendra Modi government to act, not least because the pro-escalation group comprises members who are principally the BJP's voters. This is why it is vital to delink national security from elections. Decisions in this domain cannot and should not be determined by electoral gains and losses. For instance, BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa was guilty of waving a red rag at the Opposition through his comment that Indias air strikes in Pakistan would fetch his party 22 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karanataka. Although Yeddyurappa claimed his remark was twisted out of context, yet it is just the kind of statement that will have the Opposition argue, rightly or wrongly, that no gains accrued from Indias air strikes in Pakistan. As such, 21 Opposition parties issued a statement on 27 February decrying the "blatant politicisation" of the sacrifices made by the forces. The onus is on the BJP and Modi to desist from turning national security into an electoral issue. For sure, the Pulwama terror attack did demand a comment from Modi. Yet, as big powers, particularly the United States, intervene to de-escalate the India-Pakistan crisis, of which the release of Abhinandan is the first step, it is incumbent upon the BJP to desist from going rah-rah over crossing the LoC to launch strikes in Pakistan. Or boasting of how the strike pressured Pakistan to take action against JeM, in case it eventually does under international pressure. Such talk will only compel the Opposition to raise several disquieting aspects of national security for instance, the intelligence failure in Pulwama and the extent of damage India's air strikes inflicted in Balakot. The BJP cannot exploit the emotive issue of national security and not expect a riposte from the Opposition. In his Independence Day speech of 15 August, 2014, Modi had spoken of putting a moratorium on communal and casteist activities for 10 years. He had then said, "Friends, look behind and you will find that nobody has benefited from it. Let's resolve for once in our hearts, let's put a moratorium on all such activities for 10 years, we shall march ahead to a society which will be free from all such tensions." Although BJP leaders have often violated the spirit of Modi's 2014 statement, it is certainly the kind of attitude he and his colleagues need to display over national security. But this is unlikely to happen as long as many of TV anchors thirst for war, in the process becoming a factor the ruling party must take into account. They are already claiming that Pakistan decided to release Abhinandan under international pressure, did not have much of a bargaining power, and that Imran Khan took the decision only because he wanted to bolster his credibility. The media has not even paused from insisting that Pakistan must crackdown on the terror network. That it must do, but the announcement of release of Abhinandan was just the occasion where Khan's gesture should have been appreciated. It is this kind of media narrative that roils international relations and compounds the problem of taking decision on national security. India's media behaviour is not unique to the country. For instance, the Vietnam War was fuelled by the American media and high income groups. In his magisterial A Peoples History of the United States: 1492-Present, the late historian Howard Zinn cited Richard F Hamilton who, on the basis of a 1968 survey, concluded, "Preferences for 'tough' policy alternatives are most frequent among the following groups, the highly educated, high status occupations, those with high incomes, younger persons, and those paying much attention to newspapers and magazines." After citing Hamilton and surveys of others, Zinn wrote, "It seems that the media, themselves controlled by higher-education, higher-income people who were more aggressive in foreign policy, tended to give the impression that working-class people were superpatriots for the war." Zinn's observation of the America of the 1960s is as true of India of 2019. TV anchors root for war because it does not imperil them or their children. So it is not just about India and Pakistan de-escalating the crisis, but also about everyone in India realising and ensuring that national security does not become hostage to electoral politics. Follow all the latest India-Pakistan updates here Despite the India-Pakistan conflict escalating after the Indian Air Force carried out air strikes in Pakistan's Balakot and additional paramilitary forces being deployed in the Kashmir Valley to quell any insurgency, the issue of pay parity among Indian security forces continues to simmer. Despite the India-Pakistan conflict escalating after the Indian Air Force carried out air strikes in Pakistan's Balakot and additional paramilitary forces being deployed in the Kashmir Valley to quell any insurgency, the issue of pay parity among Indian security forces continues to simmer. Family members of soldiers killed in combat have expressed a sense of satisfaction that Indian has finally taken tough action against Pakistan. These families have been feeling the absence of their breadwinners. Mita, wife of Bablu Santra who was killed in the Pulwama attack, said in Kolkata that the IAF operation will not bring back her husband. "But I don't want any son to be martyred in the future." But the kin of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans killed in Pulwama believe that the government needs to come up with a quantitative policy to end the discrimination against paramilitary forces, especially as they are also given the task of tackling conflict in insurgency-hit areas and all border states. Binu Jha's husband HK Jha, a deputy CRPF commandant who died on 4 July, 2014, battling Maoist insurgents, explains the problems she faced after her husband's death. A housewife, Binu decided to relocate to Delhi to escape the barbs she had to endure from her relatives and those around her. She struggled to find accommodation as well a job and a school for her two children. Her husband's colleagues in the CRPF were helpful, but she soon realised that the paramilitary force had no institutional mechanism in place to help her. "It has been an uphill task. As a widow, the CRPF offered me a job of a head constable, which I declined. I am entitled to my husband's basic pay at the time of his death. Apart from the emotional trauma I suffered after his death, life in general has been an uphill task," she said. Binu is not alone. Thousands of widows of soldiers who served the Central Paramilitary Forces (CPF) are battling tremendous odds to keep their hearths burning. Although the strength of the CPF has risen steadily so much so that the CRPF today is three lakh-strong widows of CPF troopers killed in action believe that authorities don't pay as much attention to their needs as they do to address the concerns of widows of the armed forces. Director General (retired) of the CRPF Pranay Sharma concedes as much, saying that even he knows of instances where the insurance money after the death of a jawan has not reached the widow, with the jawan's parents and other family members insisting that the money be given to them. "Several such cases have gone to court, which creates further confusion and delay," he said. Widows of CPF troops complain that while the insurance cover provided to a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan works out to around Rs 20 lakh, that given to a jawan of the armed forces is around Rs 37.5 lakh. They are also not entitled to many of the benefits extended to armymen killed in the field because BSF personnel are not accorded the status of a martyr. "My husband performed the same duty as that of an army jawan. Why should we be discriminated against? The principle of equal pay for equal work should apply. After all, the CRPF is deployed alongside the army," said the widow of one such soldier. There is no doubt that a significant pay gap exists between the personnel of the CPF and Indian Army. While the transport allowance (Rs 1,800) and remote hardship allowance (Rs 6,930) are the same for the two forces at the rank of havaldar, the ration money given to a BSF jawan is taxable but is tax free for an army soldier. The pension a CPF jawan receives is dependent on the contributions he makes to the pension fund, while army jawans receive OROP (One Rank, One Pension). BSF jawans are also not entitled to House Rent Allowance in their home towns and have much less access to family accommodation as compared to their counterparts in the army. Major (retired) DP Singh, a Kargil War veteran, is of the opinion that there should be a uniform policy of compensation for men in uniform. "There is disparity of compensation across the states for jawans who died performing their duty," he pointed out. BSF Director General of Police (retired) Prakash Singh agrees that the government has to ensure there are no major differences between the service conditions of the army and paramilitary forces, but at the same time, he believes there will be differences because of the nature of the jobs. "There are going to be some differences between the Central police forces and the state police, otherwise very soon, everyone will start clamouring for equal salaries. Tomorrow, the Home Guards will say they, too, perform the same duties, so their salary should be at par with that of the armed forces," he added. Singh is also critical of the rapid expansion witnessed in the CRPF. "There has been too much expansion within the CRPF, and its strength has risen to three lakh. This has created promotional blockages, especially from the post of deputy commandant to commandant and then to the deputy inspector general," he said. "I have always maintained that the force that should be strengthened is the state police force in terms of their manpower, equipment and weaponry. But instead of building up the resources of their police, states have come to rely heavily on the CRPF. We need local police to tackle the Maoist problem in Chhattisgarh. They know the terrain and local conditions. Someone from Punjab is not going to be familiar with those surroundings," Singh explained. Director General of Police (retired) SM Khanna does not agree. He believes that inter-service discrimination favours the IAS bureaucracy, which frames the rules in its favour. "Take the question of pension, for example. A retired IAS officer's pension is higher than that of officers of other services. That is discriminatory," he highlighted. Moreover, DGP SVM Tripathi, who served in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police on retirement, said the nut and bolt work is done by paramilitary forces, but the public holds the armed forces in much higher regard. "Their work is appreciated much more than that of the state police. The army has more resources, though I am not denigrating their contribution. But public esteem plays a potent factor in shaping perception and building the morale of a workforce," Tripathi said. On the issue of pension disparity, he said, "Army personnel retire at a much earlier age. An army jawan retires by 37, while a constable in the paramilitary forces will retire between 57 and 60 years of age. There is a trade-off here, which is why the army jawan is entitled to a higher pension." Furthermore, CRPF DGP (retired) Shivaji Cairae expressed surprise at how the Pulwama attack on the CRPF took place. "Obviously, the Standard Operating Procedures were not followed. I served in both Tripura and Manipur during a time when insurgency was at its peak, and landmines were laid along roads. We were very particular. Road opening patrols had to move ahead and ensure that the area was clear. All these procedures took a long time a week and sometimes more but we made sure no untoward incident happened," he said. During his tenure in Jharkhand, to circumvent the problem of mines, Cairae instructed CRPF jawans to move around on cycles while travelling over dirt roads, and each jawan had to maintain a distance of 15 feet between them. "This way, only one jawan runs the risk of being blown up. When they faced an ambush, they jumped off their bikes and ran for cover, one to the left and the other to the right. Their training followed the syllabi of the Jungle Warfare School. The result was that our casualty numbers remained very low," Cairae said. A senior officer in the CRPF, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Pulwama attack had the second-largest loss of troops in the past nine years the highest was the loss of 75 CRPF troopers in a landmine explosion in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada in April 2010. "Since then, we have been strengthening our systems and working towards better coordination between the police and army. Our force was headless for two years till the Sukma massacre, when Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar was appointed the Director General of the CRPF. At that time, the SOPs were not followed, which led to the death of 25 of our men," he said. On the issue of inter-service disparity, he pointed out that the government had agreed to fly troops, and that they expected them to meet many of their other demands. There is little doubt that there is considerable dissatisfaction towards the service conditions within the paramilitary forces, as can be seen by the attrition levels. To cite one example, more than 2,583 troopers sought voluntary retirement in 2014, and 7,166 personnel (3 percent) left the force in three years between 2012 and 2014. This is also reflected in the fact that nearly 60 percent of those selected as officers in the BSF from the IPS have declined to join the service. Politicians have often promised to improve their working conditions, but little has been done on the ground. The latest to join the bandwagon is Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who has promised that jawans of paramilitary forces killed in action will be given martyr status. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also made several promises before he came to power at the Centre, but these were not fulfilled. However, the tough stand he has taken against terrorism and Pakistan may see the implementation of a more nuanced policy favouring paramilitary services. If we wish to build a great nation, our system of government must unify people and involve us all in governance. These two ingredients are essential for a large, diverse country but our parliamentary system fails us on both counts. If we wish to build a great nation, our system of government must unify people and involve us all in governance. These two ingredients are essential for a large, diverse country but our parliamentary system fails us on both counts. We have a system of majority-rule, designed for top-down administration. India needs a decentralised system that promotes self-governance. This will allow diverse communities to express their cultures, yet feel the spirit of national unity. Americas presidential form of government is just such a decentralised system. It provides local autonomy but brings people together behind a strong Centre. This is so because it was devised from the bottom up by individual states after they gained independence from Britain in the late 1700s. Familiar with the weaknesses of Britains parliamentary government, Americas founding fathers created a better alternative. The presidential system has the same three branches executive, legislature and judiciary but unlike our system, they have been structured to be truly separate. The top official of each branch is elected directly by the people while judges are appointed jointly by the executive (president) and the legislature (senators). These are not minor differences. They make each branch independent, allowing them to act as a check on the others. When the survival of the executive depends on the legislature, or vice-versa, as in India, checking each other becomes meaningless. State governments in that system are also independent. They cannot be dissolved by the Centre and they create their own local governments. There are nearly 90,000 local government bodies in America from school districts to ambulance services all are run by citizens. Indias decision to go for a parliamentary system was really made by Jawaharlal Nehru-led Union Constitution Committee and not the Constituent Assembly. The only rationale given in the assembly was our leaders were familiar with the parliamentary system. B R Ambedkars argument that the presidential system offered more stable but less accountable governments came after the decision was made as the draft constitution was being adopted. Still, Hussain Imam corrected Ambedkar: If it is examined, it will be found the committees of the House of Representative and the Senate in USA exercise far greater control than the control exercised by the House of Commons. Ambedkar had proposed a plan for a United States of India based on non-parliamentary features and Sardar Patel, too, wanted a system wherein the president and governors were directly elected. If India copies England, it is my firm conviction she will be ruined, Mahatma Gandhi had said. Even the British cautioned in a 1933 parliamentary committee report that none of the factors essential for parliamentary governments existed in India. There are two common myths about the US system: it can become a dictatorship and it would harm Indias diversity. The truth is just the opposite. It is the Indian system that produces autocrats and causes communal and ethnic fissures. In the 230-year history of the US, no president has acted autocratically. But in just 71 years of our history, we can cite at least two prime ministers who have been terribly autocratic. A single person cannot control the presidential system. A president is not akin to our prime minister. He has no control over state governments. Even at the Centre, he doesnt control the legislature nor can he make laws or approve budgets. He cannot use the investigative agencies at will. He cannot even pick his cabinet without the legislatures approval. We have seen this with Donald Trump. His wings were clipped within days of him coming to the office. The recent midterm elections have cut him down to size even further. As for diversity, the last thing a heterogeneous society needs is a system of majority rule. Americas population is even more diverse than ours. It has people of 15 different races, who practice every religion on the planet and speak 350 languages. Their system offers true federalism, giving local communities the autonomy to serve different ethnicities. The presidential system is the best defence against one-man rule. It provides better protection against corruption, because all ministers are directly answerable to the legislature. Every new programme requires the legislatures approval and can be stopped by the courts. This restricts governments from doling out taxpayers money. It eliminates vote-bank politics. Candidates are not chosen by party bosses based on caste or religion. They have to win in large constituencies, through primary elections. It offers a transparent judiciary managed by states. The judiciary is accountable because legislatures control subordinate courts. Its time to take a clear-eyed look at the presidential system that is designed for a much diverse society. The author is the founder-chairman of the Divya Himachal Group and also the author of Why India Needs the Presidential System He also urged that the Indian side should permit the UN observers to play their mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions. Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday summoned Indian Acting High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia to protest against the ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC). Director General South Asia Dr Mohammed Faisal, summoned Mr Ahluwalia and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian forces along the Line of Control yesterday in Nikial and Khuiratta Sectors which resulted in the death of four civilians while injuring six others, a foreign ministry statement said. The Director General urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement; investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations and instruct its Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary. He also urged that the Indian side should permit the UN observers to play their mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions. The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws. The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation, he said. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi postponed his official visit to Japan, scheduled from 24-27 February 2019, due to the evolving situation in the South Asia. The foreign minister was due to visit Japan at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart. He was scheduled to meet with the countrys leadership to discuss international issue, bilateral relations and recent situation in Kashmir. Speaking to his Japanese counterpart over the telephone, Mr Qureshi thanked him for the invitation and explained that the current situation in the region warranted his presence in the country. It was agreed between the two Foreign Ministers that the new dates will be fixed at the earliest convenience. Madhumita Ray, who taught at Odisha's KIIT, appeared on a Kanak News discussion on 18 February, along with retired Indian Army Colonel Purna Chandra Patnaik A professor at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Odisha's Bhubaneshwar has been sacked after saying on a local television channel that India should not go to war with Pakistan. Madhumita Ray, who taught at the private university's School of Rural Management, appeared on a Kanak News discussion on 18 February, along with retired Indian Army Colonel Purna Chandra Patnaik, The Wire reported. She made the statement after the colonel said "everlasting peace can only be brought about by war". "In response, I quoted Mahatma Gandhi, who had said that 'an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind'. We are talking about a war to avenge 40 soldiers (who died in Pulwama), but this will just lead to more soldiers dying, both Indian and Pakistani. This is not going to help anybody," she told The Wire. Ray's remarks come in the wake of the hostilities between India and Pakistan, which began after the Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based terror group, attacked a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. Speaking to The Indian Express, Ray said: "KIIT's disciplinary committee said it received complaints about my remarks on the TV debate and asked me to resign. The committee members had not seen the episode. At the meeting, they questioned whether they can believe me." When asked by the Odisha Sun Times about whether she wanted to take legal action against the varsity, Ray said they are powerful people, and she does not want to pursue the matter. "I feel what I said is right and stand by my words. War is not at all a solution." The newspaper quoted KIIT director of public relations Sradhanjali Nayak as saying that Ray had "resigned citing personal reasons, as per the information received by our human resources division". Meanwhile, the episode of Manoranjan Mishra Live is not available on the website of Kanak News anymore, The Wire reported. When questioned about it, the editor of the channel, who was anchoring the debate, Manoranjan Mishra, said the channel received a lot of "negative feedback" and has not yet made a decision on putting out the episode. Follow LIVE updates on the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions The rescue of 179 Nepali nationals reveals Moreh, a bustling commercial town bordering Myanmar, to be an emerging point for human trafficking. The rescue of 179 Nepalis 147 women and 32 men in Manipur by the state police earlier this month reveals Moreh, a bustling commercial town bordering Myanmar, to be an emerging point for human trafficking. It was a 22-year-old Nepali girl who sounded the alarm that eventually led to the biggest human trafficking rescue operation in India of Nepali citizens. Narrating the details of her movements, Kalpana (name changed) said she was flown from Delhi to Imphal and she stayed in a hotel in Imphal for about ten days before finally crossing over to Myanmar on a ten-day permit via border gate number 2 in Moreh. "Twenty-three of us crossed over and waited for our turn to fly to Dubai along with 12 other Nepali women who were already there before us. Kalpana said she got suspicious on the eighth day and called her brother in Kathmandu. She asked him to alert Maiti Nepal, a Kathmandu-based NGO working against human trafficking. Kalpana was rescued by the Yangon Anti-Trafficking Task Force in Myanmar. The rescue mission was undertaken after Maiti Nepal informed a Shillong-based NGO, Impulse, that a large number of Nepali girls and boys were travelling to North East India to cross the border into Myanmar. Maiti Nepal also informed Impulse that 301 of them had already crossed into Myanmar, and were being trafficked to Gulf countries in batches. The modus operandi of the traffickers was to take their victims to Manipur via air or land, and cross over to Myanmar via Moreh. From Myanmar, they would be sent to countries in West Asia like the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait, etc. According to the statement issued by the Manipur Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, the rescued persons had neither their passports nor tickets with them. Most victims, both boys and girls, were highly educated and fluent in English. While a few of them flew to Imphal from Delhi, most flew to Bagdogra in West Bengal. From there, they took a train to Dimapur in Nagaland, and then boarded buses to Imphal and Moreh. In the police crackdown, at least eight persons were arrested. However, the main handlers of this case, who are apparently a couple, escaped, taking away all of their travel documents, including their Nepali passports. According to Emarine Kharbhih, programme manager of Impulse NGO Network, the victims were promised jobs as company executives or secretarial jobs in Malaysia and Dubai, but they were in fact mostly to be recruited as construction workers or as bonded labourers. As many as 301 people crossed over to Myanmar from December 2018 to January 2019 via Moreh, stated Keisham Pradipkumar Singh, Chairperson of Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights while briefing the press in Imphal. Details recorded at the Moreh border check-post proved that they are all Nepali citizens. However, local authorities and activists have not yet been able to confirm whether they are still in Myanmar or have moved to other countries, he further said. The next round of the operation is taking place in Myanmar. Were working with the Myanmar authorities and other partners to track those who have already crossed the border, informed Kharbhih. Moreh, besides being a centre for legal border trade of cheap Chinese electronics and garments, is notorious for smuggling activities, from Burmese precious stones to animal products, teak, sandalwood, supari, gold, arms and contraband drugs. However, till now, human trafficking had not made it to the list of illicit activities which take place here. Maiti Nepal, in its communication after the Manipur rescue, stated that this "is a fresh manifestation of human trafficking. Normally, traffickers would use the porous borders in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal to transport people from Nepal and subsequently fly them out from Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata to West Asia and other foreign shores. Taking note of this trend, the government of India had made it mandatory for every Nepali citizen flying abroad from India to produce a "no-objection certificate" from the Nepali embassy. This appears to have prompted traffickers to drop the air route and opt for new land routes. Seemingly, their choice for the time being is Moreh. As per an existing bilateral agreement between India and Myanmar, Moreh comes under the visa-free movement regime, allowing people living within 16 kilometres on either side of the border to cross over and stay up to 72 hours with permits issued by designated authorities on either side. (India shares a porous 1,643-kilometre border with Myanmar.) Moreh is also Indias "gateway to South East Asia," as the momentum of trade and mobility between India and South East Asia is steadily increasing due to Indias Act East Policy. This has made Moreh a preferred route for trafficking of people to South East Asia and West Asia. According to Hasina Kharbhih, founder and chairperson of Impulse NGO Network, one of the key factors that contributed to the success of the Manipur rescue operation was the fact that several different organisations with different fields of expertise came together under one technology platform to play different roles in assisting law enforcement in anti-trafficking intervention In 2012, the Impulse NGO Network developed a highly confidential information sharing software with the help of all the Director Generals of Police of the eight northeastern states. Through this software, called the Impulse Model Case Info Software Technology Platform, all nodal officers of anti-human trafficking units of the northeastern states as well as concerned police officers are connected online. They are also connected to several national-level and state partner NGOs working against human trafficking. This can ensure speedy communication between various law enforcement authorities in India as well as outside the country. In the recent rescue case, the alarm triggered by Maiti Nepal in Kathmandu was put into the Impulse Model Case Info Software. "This alerted our partner in Myanmar, which is the YMCA, Young Men's Christian Association. The YMCA then informed the local authority, which led to Kalpana being rescued by the task force, said Hasina Kharbhih. Alerts were also sounded to the Manipur Enforcement and the Impulses state partner, New Life Foundation, Manipur. This translated into quick information sharing and fast action on the ground. The Manipur Director General of Police as well as the Joint Secretary, Home were also duly informed. This led to a well co-ordinated action that eventually led to the rescue of 179 human trafficking victims and the arrests of eight handlers from various parts of Manipur. Forty-two people were rescued and 3 accused were arrested from Moreh itself. Hasina Kharbhih said that while the global trend of opening of borders is good for economic reasons, one must understand that there will be movement of people. According to her, this gives scope for the aspirations of young people of the North East to go to South East Asia. In this emerging migration trend, we need a highly-trained border force to ensure unsafe migration does not take place," she said. Though both India and Myanmar are signatories to the UN protocol on human trafficking, strong laws at the ground level are essential to effectively counter the menace of human trafficking. Other than Moreh in Manipur, Zokhawthar in Champhai district in Mizoram and Lungwa in Mon district in Nagaland are also border points used by traffickers, according to data available with the Impulse NGO Network. On being asked from which constituency he will contest the elections from, Robert Vadra said, 'I was born in Moradabad and have spent childhood in Uttar Pradesh and I think I understand that area. However, I can stay anywhere and I believe I will be able to understand them.' New Delhi: Robert Vadra, husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, on Thursday indicated his interest to join active politics and that he may contest elections from Moradabad as and when he decides on that. "Just because I help people, others think that I am inclined towards politics. It is not necessary to be a politician to help and serve the people. But, if people feel that I can bring about a change in good time then only I will get into politics," Vadra said while speaking to ANI. On being asked from which constituency he will contest the elections from, Vadra added, "I was born in Moradabad and have spent childhood in Uttar Pradesh and I think I understand that area. However, I can stay anywhere and I believe I will be able to understand them." Talking about the ongoing money laundering case against him Vadra asserted that he will not leave the country till the time all charges against him are cleared. "I am a law-abiding citizen. Whenever I am called I will go, I have nothing to hide. I will not leave the country till the time my name is not cleared in the matter. I have always been available and will continue to do so." On Wednesday, Vadra appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to face questioning in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged purchase of a London-based property. Earlier on Monday, a Delhi court had rejected Vadra's application for a stay on questioning and directed him to appear before the ED. He had sought the stay till required documents were supplied to him and his legal team. On another application, the court had directed the ED to provide hard copies of documents to his legal team within five days in connection with the case. Vadra, who approached the court on Saturday, had sought a complete list of documents with the full description of each document allegedly seized during a search of his office by the agency. Meanwhile, sharing his views on Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman's release by Pakistan, he said, "It is the best news for his family and everyone in India. We are very proud of him and the forces. Peace is significant and very important." Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced that Wing Commander Abhinandan will be released on Friday as a peace gesture. Abhinandan, flying a MiG -21 Bison fighter plane, was chasing Pakistani jets which transgressed into Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday and crossed over to PoK where his aircraft was shot down. He ejected safely and was taken to the custody by the Pakistan Army. Follow all the latest India-Pakistan updates here Russian president Vladimir Putin on Thursday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express his deep condolences over the Pulwama terrorist attack. New Delhi: Russian president Vladimir Putin on Thursday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express his deep condolences over the Pulwama terrorist attack and conveyed the solidarity of his country with New Delhi in its fight against terror. Modi thanked Putin for Russia's steadfast support for India's efforts to protect its interests against cross-border terror attacks, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said. In their telephonic conversation, the prime minister also renewed India's commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in countering terrorism as a pillar of privileged and special strategic partnership. Both leaders agreed that the "concerned" should stop all support to terrorism. The two also agreed that the growing cooperation between the two countries will take their special and privileged strategic partnership from strength to strength. President Putin reiterated the invitation to Modi to attend the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok later this year. The Prime Minister welcomed the invitation and underscored the significance of growing economic cooperation, including in the Russian Far East, between the two countries, the statement added. According to the Union tribal affairs ministrys application to the Supreme Court, its letter to state governments dated 12 September, 2014, had noted that reasons for rejection were not communicated. Mumbai: The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed its 13 February 2019 order that directed the eviction of 1.19 million forest dwellers following an application by the Union tribal affairs ministry. The order ruled their eviction by 24 July, 2019, under this premise: A rejected claim of forest dwellers for title over forest land implies encroachment or illegal occupation. The order separately instructed chief secretaries of 21 state governments to ensure eviction where rejection orders have attained finality although how the finality is determined is not spelt out. The Central governments 17-page application sought to modify the Supreme Courts order and direct state governments to file detailed affidavits regarding the procedure followed and details of rejection of claims. So, where have lapses been in the process of rejection of forest dwellers claims for forest land titles? Over the years, numerous violations in the process have been pointed out in at least six letters of the Union tribal affairs ministry, a joint-ministerial committee report and studies by groups working with the Adivasis. These violations on the part of district-level authorities include not providing written intimation of rejections, not accepting mandated documents as evidence in support of claims as well as sabotaging claims. According to affidavits presented by state governments to the Supreme Court, 1.19 million claims of Adivasis and other traditional forest dwellers across 17 states have been rejected so far. States of Gujarat, Manipur, Himachal Pradesh and Goa are yet to submit the status of rejections before the Supreme Court. As per data maintained by the tribal affairs ministry as on 30 November 2018, 1.89 million individual forest rights claims have been rejected. This alluded to evictions at a much larger scale even as concerns over shortcomings in the rejection process remained. The claims recognition and rejection process was first outlined in The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Rules, 2008. It was more clearly defined in The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Amendment Rules, 2012. These Rules, also called the Forest Rights Rules, are an extension of The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, which is also called the Forest Rights Act. Under these, every Adivasi and a traditional forest dweller living in the forests can submit a claim form for a title over the land they have occupied for farming and habitation. The claims are then processed by a three-tier mechanism established in the Forest Rights Rules. Verification of claims is first conducted by the village-level forest rights committee followed by the sub-divisional level committee and finally by the district level committee which also grants land titles. At every tier, claims are either recognised or rejected. No written intimation However, in 2010, a joint committee report of the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Ministry of Tribal Affairs had pointed out how decisions of rejections were not intimated to claimants. In an overwhelming number of rejection cases, the rejection is either not communicated to the claimant, or it is communicated but the claimants are not informed of their right to appeal. This is found across all states, it had said. When the amended Forest Rights Rules, 2012, were formulated, the aspect of communication of rejection was explicitly put forth. Section 12A (3) states that rejection of a claim at any tier must be communicated to the claimant to enable a petition to a higher committee. Section 12A (7) also mandates detailed reasons for not accepting claims to be recorded in writing by the district level committee. Additionally, a copy of the district level committees order along with reasons is to be made available to the claimant. But, according to the Union tribal affairs ministrys application to the Supreme Court, its letter to state governments dated 12 September, 2014, had noted that reasons for rejection were not communicated. A set of Frequently Asked Questions by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the United Nations Development Programme was issued to further clarify this. Reasons for rejection must be supplied to the claimants, it said. This is so they can take any other legal recourse, such as, activating the writ jurisdiction of the constitutional courts, or any other avenue available in law. But, according to a 2016 India report of the Community Forest Rights Learning and Advocacy Group, which comprises of community members and researchers working on forest rights, this process is violated in most states. Due process such as recording reasons for rejections, communicating them to the claimants, and hearing their appeals has not been followed, the report stated. The Union ministrys application submitted to the Supreme Court also said: The applicant has attempted to sensitise the state governments while deciding their claims. The rejection orders are not communicated or the same are without reasons. It is also noted that in certain cases, eviction orders are issued even before the appeals under the Act are exhausted. In the claims status data maintained by the Union tribal affairs ministry and state tribal development departments, the number of claims filed, approved, rejected and pending is enumerated. The number of appeals filed against rejected claims is not indicated. Burden of documentary proof and arbitrary rejections Where reasons for rejection have been communicated, they have been in gross violation of the Forest Rights Rules. The claims are being rejected in some states as the officials are insisting on certain types of evidences, stated a 12 July, 2012, letter issued to state governments by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs. New technology, such as, satellite imagery, is being used as the only form of evidence for consideration of a claim, the letter had further stated. The ministry had also annexed additional guidelines with the letter in order to address the above concerns. Section 13 (1) and (3) of the Forest Rights Rules, provides for any two of the nine enlisted types of documentary evidence to be submitted by the claimants with their claim form. The amended Forest Rights Rules, 2012, also make the point on documents to be submitted with claims clear. Section 12A (10) of these rules states: No rejection of claims shall be merely on technical or procedural grounds. Section 12A (11) also states that the sub-divisional and district level committees shall not insist upon any particular form of documentary evidence. But, despite this, sub-divisional and district level committees in southern Gujarats Dang district, for instance, had, in August 2018, rejected claims of 51 Bhil, Konkana and Varli Adivasis across two villages citing insufficient evidence. Their documents consisting statements of elders, voter identity cards and ration cards were considered invalid despite the Forest Rights Rules specifying these as evidence. A total of 94.45 percent of total households in Dang are Adivasi. Similar rejections on faulty grounds and in violation of the Forest Rights Rules were reported in other states too. In Odisha, 42 percent of the rejected claims were due to lack of evidence and faulty application of Forest Rights Rules, according to the 2016 Odisha report of the Community Forest Rights Learning and Advocacy Group. Earlier government reports (such as primary offence report, encroachment cases) are insisted upon. Other prescribed evidences such as statement of elders, genealogy, and physical evidence are completely ignored, the report said. The 2010 joint committee report had also mentioned a range of wrongful reasons for rejection. These were claimants being employed in a government job, claimants already owning other revenue land, claimants farms not being cultivated with certain crops etc. A 10 April, 2015, a letter issued to the state governments by the tribal affairs ministry had called for categorisation of rejection cases on the basis of their causes. There is a need to have a relook into the cases of doubtful rejection so that any rightful claim does not get denied, it had said. This was restated in two more subsequent letters dated 27 July, 2015, and 5 February, 2016, as presented by the ministry in its application to the Supreme Court. But, such a review had been pending across states, the 2016 India report of Community Forest Rights Learning and Advocacy Group observed. Although the ministry has directed states to review rejected claims, barring a few examples, such as in Nandurbar and Jalgaon in Maharashtra, review of rejected claims is pending across states, it said. Just eight months before the order was pronounced, the tribal affairs ministry had again written to the state governments on 29 June, 2018, to undertake suo motto review of rejected claims. The letter had further said: It may be ensured that no eviction of Forest Rights Act claimants takes place during pendency of review or appeal. Role of forest department While lack of documents is a common reason for rejection by sub-divisional and district level committees, forest department officials at the village level have been found to disregard the Act in other ways. Section 12A (1) of Forest Rights Rules, 2012, mandates revenue and forest department officials to be present during field verification of claims conducted by the gram sabha-constituted forest rights committee. The officials are also required to sign the proceedings with their designation, date and comments, if any. But, they have often been found misusing these provisions or failing in enforcing them. This was recorded in the case of Vishakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh in a 14 July, 2014, meeting between the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs and principal secretaries of a few state governments. Forest department officials, it was observed, had objected to and reduced the extent of claims recommended by the gram sabha-level forest rights committee without joint field inspection. Due to this reason, most of the tribal beneficiaries are getting the title deeds for less extent instead of actual extent cultivated by them, the minutes of the meeting stated. Similar testimonies were also brought up in a 2016 report of the Indian Peoples Tribunal, a collective of lawyers by communities in Wayanad district, Kerala, Udaipur district in Rajasthan and Nandurbar district in Maharashtra. Thirty forest rights committees had sent letters to the forest department six times for joint inspection, but it had still not had happened, Pratibha Shinde from Lok Samanvay Partishthan, Nandurbar, had said at the tribunal. Madhulika, a volunteer with Vagad Mazdoor Kisan Sangathan in Dungarpur district of southern Rajasthan said that the recent Supreme Court order would embolden forest department officials to reject pending claims that are disputed. There are eight villages in Dungarpur where 1,894 acres of land ownership of which was disputed after these were transferred from the revenue department to the forest department in 1985. So, their applications for land rights had not been accepted by either department for all these years, she said. Madhulika added that only in the last few months after repeated agitations by people, their claims were accepted by the forest department. But, the verification of these claims is yet to be taken by the officials. Their future is now clouded in the context of this judgment. The 29 June, 2018, letter of the tribal affairs ministry to chief secretaries of all states had also recommended revision of the training curriculum of front line staff and forest range officers. There is a need for awareness and sensitisation of field staff about the symbiotic relationship of forest dwelling scheduled tribes and other traditional forest dwellers with forests and forest ecosystems, the letter had said. All government and private schools within a range of 5 kilometers from the International Border will remain closed on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district as per orders of the District Development Commissioner of Samba. Samba: All government and private schools within a range of 5 kilometers from the International Border will remain closed on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district as per orders of the District Development Commissioner of Samba. Similarly, the Deputy Commissioner of Jammu also informed that all government and private schools up to 10+2 level falling within 5 kilometers of the International Border and the Line of Control (LoC) in the district will remain closed on Thursday. Moreover, the director of school education has also announced that the Class 8 and Class 9 mathematics exam scheduled to be held on 28 February stands postponed due to the unavoidable circumstances in the Jammu division, and the rescheduled date shall be notified separately. The decisions were made keeping the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir in mind. On Tuesday, Governor Satya Pal Malik had reviewed the prevailing law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir following the air strikes carried out earlier that day. In the meeting, Malik was briefed about the prevailing law and order and security situation in the state following the early morning operations against Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed, which claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack. He was also informed that the life in both Kashmir Valley and in Jammu region was normal. Delhi HC dismissed the pleas of TTV Dinakaran, Sasikala challenging ECs order granting the AIADMK name and two leaves symbol to the Palaniswami-led faction New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed the pleas of TTV Dinakaran and VK Sasikala challenging the Election Commission's order granting the AIADMK name and two leaves symbol to the faction led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E K Palaniswami. A bench of justices G S Sistani and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal upheld the EC's decision of 23 November, 2017, saying none of the grounds of challenge taken by Dinakaran and Sasikala were sufficient to set aside the poll panel's order. The court said there was no infirmity in the poll panel's decision to allot the AIADMK name and two leaves symbol to the faction headed by Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam. After the order was pronounced, senior advocate Abhishek M Singhvi, appearing for Dinakaran and Sasikala, urged the bench to direct the EC not to allot the pressure cooker symbol to anyone during the next 15 days so that they have time to move the Supreme Court and seek an appropriate relief from there. The EC, thereafter, agreed not to allot the 'pressure cooker' symbol to anyone for next 15 days in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The court had on 8 February reserved its decision in the matter after hearing arguments on behalf of the EC and the two factions vying for the AIADMK name and the party symbol. The bench had said it would deliver the judgement within four weeks in view of the 7 February Supreme Court order that the EC can decide Dinakaran's plea for an interim poll symbol, if the high court's decision does not come within four weeks. Dinakaran had floated Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) after he and Sasikala were expelled from the Palaniswami-led AIADMK. The apex court had on 7 February also vacated its order of abeyance on the high court's interim decision of 9 March, 2018 directing the EC to allot a common symbol, preferably that of a 'pressure cooker', and a name to the then AIADMK (Amma) faction led by Dinakaran. The top court had said that since the matter was pending before the high court for final adjudication, there was no just reason as to why the interim arrangement of allotting 'pressure cooker' symbol by the poll panel ought not continue. The apex court's order had come on an application filed by Dinakaran for a direction to the EC for allocating his group a common symbol, preferably 'pressure cooker', as a by-election to fill the vacant assembly seat of Thiruvarur in Tamil Nadu had been announced for 28 January. Later, the by-election to Thiruvarur seat was rescinded by a notification issued by the EC on 6 January. The 'pressure cooker' symbol was allotted as an interim measure, to Dinakaran faction last year during the bypolls of the R K Nagar constituency in the state which he had won with a margin of over 40,000 votes. The EC in March 2017 had given the 'hat' symbol to the Sasikala-Dinakaran group after it froze the use of the 'two leaves' symbol to which the group led by Palaniswami and Panneerselvam had also staked claim. The Palaniswami-Panneerselvam faction had at the same time been granted the 'electric pole' symbol. However, on 23 November, 2017, the poll panel had ruled in favour of the Palaniswami-Panneerselvam faction by allotting the 'two-leaves' symbol to them. The symbol issue has been lingering since April 2017 in the aftermath of the announcement of the by-poll to Radha Krishnan Nagar constituency in Tamil Nadu following the death of AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa in December 2016. Earlier, rival factions led by Sasikala and Panneerselvam had staked claim over the symbol. Palaniswami was then in the Sasikala camp. Later, a large number of legislators led by Palaniswami revolted against Sasikala. Even as India and Pakistan fighter jets engaged in mid-air confrontation on Wednesday, further escalating tensions between the two neighbouring countries, six Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel died in an unrelated MI-17 chopper crash in Budgam Even as India and Pakistan fighter jets engaged in mid-air confrontation on Wednesday, further escalating tensions between the two neighbouring countries, six Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel died in an unrelated MI-17 chopper crash in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on 27 February. This happened on the same day one of the IAF pilots who confronted Pakistani F-16 jets crashed inside the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and was captured by Pakistan. On Thursday, Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan said that Islamabad would return the IAF pilot in order to ease tensions between the two neighbouring countries. Bodies of Siddharth Vashishth, Ninad Mandvgane, Kumar Pandey, Vikrant Sahrawat, Pankaj Kumar and Deepak Pandey were recovered from the mangled remains of the helicopter that came down in Garend Kalan village in Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on Wednesday morning. While the cause of the crash is not yet known, armed forces personnel along with a forensic team are believed to be on the spot to collect evidence and ascertain what went wrong. 'He was my only child' Ram Prakash Pandey, father of Corporal Deepak Pandey who was killed in the chopper crash on Wednesday is in shock. Ram Prakash, who was in a happy space searching for a bride for his son, is now being forced to come to terms with the news that his brave boy is no more. A shroud of melancholy draped the family home in Kanpur citys Chakeri area soon after Deepaks mother received a phone call from an IAF officer informing about their sons death. And as the news spread, a large number of people from the neighbourhood, undeterred by rain, dropped in to console the couple. Deepak, a helicopter technician, had joined the IAF in September 2012 and was posted in Srinagar in June 2018. An inconsolable Ram Prakash managed to get a few words out to media persons crowding around his house. Deepak had called his mother around 8 am that fateful day; it was a usual family conversation we asked him if he had had breakfast and he said he would as soon as he hung up. He even promised her that he was ready to get married the next time he came home for a visit," he said. Ram Prakash added that when they expressed their worry over the ongoing turmoil in Kashmir, Deepak assured them that everything was fine and that the situation would improve in the coming days. He had returned to his unit last month and was in Kanpur for a while. He helped us get some repairs done in the house and even took me to the doctor to get my eyes checked. He was my only child; I still cannot believe he is no more, that he wont be coming home anymore, Ram Prakash said. He was so committed to serving the nation that hed turned down so many of our requests to return home and get married. Had he listened, perhaps, he would be still with us. Nonetheless, I am proud; he laid his life down for his beloved country, not everyone gets the privilege to make such a sacrifice. Ram Prakash, who retired from a private firm a few months ago, wants the government to take strict action against Pakistan. India has sacrificed enough of her sons to this cause; now is the time to teach Pakistan a stern lesson, he said. 'We are ready to fight' The Sehrawat household in Bhadani village of Haryanas Jhajjar is grieving too, but not without pride in their eyes and voice for their son, sergeant Vikrant. Their relatives and neighbours, who have gathered at the house, however, are vehement that Article 370 should be scrapped, so that the long tussle can get over soon. The 33-year-old officer, the third among four children, joined the IAF in 2005; he got married seven years ago to Suman and has two children five-year-old Kavya and 18-month-old Vardan. He was posted to Srinagar from Coimbatore four months ago and had resumed duty after a month-long leave just 40 days ago. His father Krishna, a farmer, said, "Political parties should look for a permanent solution to this issue and, if need be, go into a war with Pakistan to finish everything once and for all; so that mothers of this country dont keep losing their children. Krishna is already determined to serve the country in a war-like situation and wants his second son to join the army too so that enemies of the country can be taught a lesson. Vikrants uncle Ashok, a retired army man, seconded Krishna and said, I am proud of Vikrant. Its about time we finished this... we all ex-servicemen are ready to go to the border to give Pakistan a befitting reply. Sergeant Vikrant's visibly devastated mother, however, couldnt say much but said he was proud of him. Vikrants mortal remains are expected to reach the village on Thursday, where he will be given the final farewell with state honours. The authors are freelance writers and members of 101Reporters.com New Delhi: Amid a threat by Pakistan to boycott a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) if India attended, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is slated to leave for the UAE later on Thursday to participate in the conclave as the guest of honour. Swaraj will address the plenary of the 46th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers to be held in Abu Dhabi from on 1 and 2 March. Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has threatened to boycott the OIC meeting if Swaraj participated. On Wednesday, Swaraj attended the 16th Foreign Ministers meeting of Russia-India-China (RIC) at Wuzhen in China, where she said that terrorist attacks like Pulwama are a grim reminder for the need of all countries to show "zero tolerance" towards terrorism. The OIC on Tuesday "condemned" the aerial strike carried out by India deep inside Pakistan, urging New Delhi and Islamabad to exercise restraint to avoid further provocations that would "endanger peace and security in the region." The Indian Air Force strike in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province destroyed a major terrorist training camp run by Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and eliminated a "large number" of terrorists, including top commanders. JeM had claimed responsibility for the attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama on 14 February in which at least 42 jawans were killed. On Wednesday morning, India foiled an attempt by Pakistan Air Force to carry out strikes in Jammu and Kashmir by shooting down an F-16 fighter plane while losing its own MiG-21 jet after which a pilot was missing in action. Pakistan later acknowledged that a wing commander, reportedly named Abhinandan Varthaman, who ejected across the Line of Control is in its custody. The OIC called on both sides to resume bilateral dialogue towards de-escalation of the current situation "as a matter of priority". Swaraj has been invited by UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to address the OIC meeting. Since Tuesday, when India and Pakistan got into an air battle leading to the subsequent capturing of IAF wing commander Abhinandan in the Pakistani territory, rapid developments have served as fodder to netizens and news consumers. The latest major development came on Thursday when Islamabad said that it will release Abhinandan on Friday as a goodwill gesture. Twitter was gripped by a jingoistic fervour on Thursday after Pakistan announced it would release IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan as a gesture of goodwill. Even as Pakistani lawmakers greeted Prime Minister Imran Khan's announcement by thumping their desks in parliament, the Twitterati also engaged in some chest-thumping: TITANIC WIN FOR INDIA: Pakistan to release IAF's Wing Commander Abhinandan tomorrow, crumbling under unprecedented pressure from India #SaluteOurForceshttps://t.co/HG6kD0PrBy Republic (@republic) February 28, 2019 In less than 48 hours Pakistan has agreed to release our brave warrior Wing Commander Abhinandan. Because the very well knew if the don't release him, then this image could have become a reality. #AbhinandanMyHero #WelcomeBackAbhinandan pic.twitter.com/3ZZeFnfYTY karan Gupta (@GuptaKaran971) February 28, 2019 Really nice of Pakistan that they are releasing Abhinandan as a peace gesture. Now time for India to reciprocate, respond in same kindness & destroy few more Terror camps in Pakistan as a peace gesture...#WelcomeBackAbhinandan sarcasm (@tum_rehnedo) February 28, 2019 This is the power of Modi govt and Indian forces. They did not buckle all along for peace talks, they mounted aggressive political pressure to bring confirmation #AbhinandanMyHero! This is the power of India! Proud of Abhinandan, ForcesGovt Love from India#WelcomeBackAbhinandan pic.twitter.com/Yatl2VOLZ2 sachin jain (@sachin_jain21) February 28, 2019 Huge strategic Win for India!! Pakistan to return wing commander #Abhinandan tomorrow, let they save their face by repeating "Peace gesture" card. But we know Pak buckled for international diplomatic pressure, this is the victory of GOI, our armed forces.#WelcomeBackAbhinandan pic.twitter.com/UJKpbI30Pa Shakti Hiremath (@ShaktiSjh) February 28, 2019 #WelcomeBackAbhinandan India asserted he wasn't a bargaining chip & his return was non negotiable. The world agreed. Pak releasing him "as a peace gesture." So be it, let them save face. India has successfully called Pak's nuclear bluff & redefined red line for terror response Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) February 28, 2019 This Is Biggest Diplomatic Victory.. This is the power of Modi govt and Indian forces... MODI Jii Rocks #AbhinandanMyHero! This is the power of India! Proud of Abhinandan, ForcesGovt Love from India#WelcomeBackAbhinandan Thank You For Pakistan PM Immran Khan pic.twitter.com/BLxXnH8Wbe Deepu Deepak (@deepudeepak16) February 28, 2019 Imran's announcement came on the heels of India rejecting the possibility of any deal for securing the release of the pilot and demanding his unconditional and immediate repatriation. "In our desire for peace, I announce that tomorrow (Friday), and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody," Imran said. Tensions between the two countries have been building up since the Pulwama attack, which was carried out by the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, in which 42 CRPF soldiers were killed. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi earlier on Thursday said Pakistan is willing to consider returning the pilot if it leads to "de-escalation" of tensions with India, and that Imran was ready to talk to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to de-escalate tensions. With inputs from agencies A summit between N Korea's Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump ended without an agreement, said White House after a two-day meeting. US President Donald Trump said his summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un ended with no agreement because he was not willing to lift all the sanctions on North Korea. (Photo: File) Hanoi: US President Donald Trump said his summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un ended with no agreement because he was not willing to lift all the sanctions on North Korea. "It was about the sanctions," he told reporters after the summit ended without a joint statement. "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that." A summit between North Korea's Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump ended without agreement, the White House said earlier on Thursday after the two-day meeting. However, no deal on denuclearisation was finalised. When asked if a third summit had been agreed with Kim, Trump told reporters: "No we haven't... we'll see if it happens." "No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. Live locations of Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft moving to combat the Pakistani airstrikes on the morning of 27 February were watched keenly by bloggers, aviation enthusiasts and a large number of people on social media. These live movements were recorded by websites like www.flightradar24.com which provide real time tracking facilities for almost every flight in the world. Unfortunately, this site also showed where the Indian Air Force jets and choppers were moving, sparking speculation, interest and concern across the globe as India and Pakistan engaged in air clashes. Some Twitter accounts too tweeted live locations of IAF aircraft avidly. Some of these are open source intelligence (OSINT) aviation enthusiasts, while others are just regular readers fascinated with the data provided by flight tracking websites. The Lede spoke with a few of these account holders and asked whether what they were doing tweeting live locations of IAF aircraft in a situation of rising military tensions could compromise Indias national security in any manner. The Handle: @GDarkconrad Name: Manu Gomez This Spanish aviation enthusiast has been an avid tweeter of screenshots of military flight movements across the globe. His was one of the most active handles today. Military planes can use an encrypted mode and we will not be able to see it, they just have to change the mode of the transponder. FR24 (Flight Radar 24) censored almost all military flights, Gomez told The Lede. But do not blame me for that, he argued. I repeat again all the information is Open Source. I do not reveal any secret. Gomez added that he has been an open source aviation tracker for many years. Ive been doing it for many years and its the first time I have a problem. Ive been cited as a source multiple times from Russia Today to The Guardian and I repeat its the first time I see myself in this problem, he said. Gomez also added I do not work for any government. I do not earn money with this. Even if you do not believe it, what I do is positive for many people who try to look for unbiased information. The whole community of AVGEEK (Aviation Geeks) and spotters, from Israel to Latin America through Russia and everyone knows me, I have no obscure intention. The last and most important I never share judgments or biases I always share what I see, it is not my fault that other accounts or people or media fill in the empty spaces, he said. Gomez also said that when his tweets are used in a biased way, his work takes a dangerous note. The Handle: @IntelCrab Name: Justin Peden According to the website www.intelcrab.com that the @IntelCrab account leads us to, it is an online Twitter account which focuses heavily on the aggregation of open source information. Partnered with the fellow OSINT nerds over at Strategic Sentinel, the Intel Crab has become a household name for the collection and analyzation of some of the worlds most interesting phenomenon. This handle too was tweeting live locations of IAF aircraft. Keeping a close eye on the C-17 skimming along the border. I wonder where he could be headed? pic.twitter.com/XAsXowGcAj (@IntelCrab) February 27, 2019 Justin Peden based in the US is the brain behind this open source analytics site and he spoke with The Lede and shared his views on his work and why he does it. He is a freelance analyst and contributor for @StrategicSentinel. While it is true that these aircraft are being monitored, none of the aircraft shown via these monitoring websites are deemed critical, offered Peden. Combat aircraft do not appear, which from a strategic standpoint is imperative for the proper function of the IAF. Peden added that the live flight tracking sites are not 100% reliable. It is important to note the element time and latency play into the reporting of these so called military aircraft. While indeed it is true that aircraft can be monitored in real time, they are not solid objects, but rather always on the move. While flight monitoring software (like FlightRadar24) does do an excellent job tracking these flights, it is not perfect, and does often lose the ability to track certain craft for minutes, even hours at a time, he said. Peden though acknowledges that this is a hot potato subject and something that needs more discussion and consensus between the OSINT community and governments. OSINT community has grown exponentially in the amount of data it has access to over the past couple of years, but never once has it eclipsed the basic intelligence gathering capabilities of any nation with a standing air force. As long as nothing illegal is being reported, and as long as information is not revealed in a way which poses an imminent threat to those involved, I see no issue in sharing said data in an appropriate manner, he stated. The Handle: @NavroopSingh_ Name: Navroop Singh Delhi-based lawyer and author Navroop Singh had also tweeted out some of these live locations of IAF aircraft. Speaking to The Lede, Singh said that he had deleted all of the tweets which could possibly pose a threat to the Air Force. Agreed, I have also got movements of troop movements as in videos, said Singh to The Lede when asked about whether the live locations of IAF aircraft could pose a potential threat to national security. I havent tweeted that (the videos). I understand the sensitivity of the situation even though it is open source. I have taken those RTs (retweets) off my TL (timeline). Nothing that can compromise anything. Always India First, he said, with an emoji of an Indian flag at the end. The Handle: @intellipus Name: Ronald Jessee Ronald Jessee is a data researcher based in the United States and he too had tweeted a number of screenshots of live locations of IAF aircraft. #Indian airforce has heavies up. Il-76MF out of Palam AFS and an Il-78MKI tanker likely out of Delhi/Indira Ghandi AFS. Would expect the tanker is supporting Barrier Combat Air Patrol fighters near the Pakistan border. pic.twitter.com/llwm7BUKr4 INTELLIPUS (@intellipus) February 27, 2019 Speaking to The Lede, he said Those are good questions that I asked myself when I first began monitoring Open source intelligence. What we can see in those images come from the aircraft location and status transponder as it transmits in commercial mode. They do this because the aircraft are often close to commercial airliner routes. Jessee went on to add that Indias military aircraft was not in any significant danger from the OSINT live tracking of defence aircraft. Since Im seeing India has shut down much of the airspace, the military aircraft can safely transmit on a military setting that we cannot see. You may also notice that tactical aircraft like fighters do not appear, only large transports and support aircraft. The only way we know of attacks are through social media talking about certain areas, and attempting to filter out misinformation, he said. Jessee continued Its not any more a danger to those aircraft because Pakistani air defence radars have nothing to do with transponders. They can see whatever is there based on their own reflected energy, not a transmission from the other aircraft. The reason we look at transponder data is because it can support theories on possible future activities, and confirm or deny speculation. OSINT is not generally used by the military for events as they happen. They use their own closed sources for that. They are much more reliable and secure. In fact, in my own country, large reconnaissance aircraft often broadcast their locations purposefully as a record to show that they are not breaking opposition-controlled airspace- in case they are intercepted or shot down, he said. The IAF Version A senior officer in the India Air Force spoke to The Lede about this on condition of anonymity. To a question whether live tracking of defence aircraft could lead to information warfare, he told The Lede Yes and with info getting updated real time and with websites like FlightRadar giving vast amount of information, the secrecy of armed forces does get affected. As for the Twitter handles doling out such sensitive open source information, he said Some are free OSINT handles but one can never say they are neutral and not contacted by ISPR (Inter-Services Intelligence). The IAF is also battling the problem of an ageing fleet which cannot help but show up on radars of these flight tracking sites. It is only now that the fleet is being modernised and we are getting aircraft which can be invisible to these open source websites and other radars, he added. The Lede contacted Flight Radar 24 for a response to the issue but is yet to receive one. This article will be updated as and when the firm responds. This article was originally published in The Lede. Going by the examples of prisoners of war released in the past and the state of affairs between India and Pakistan, IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan may, indeed, be considered a POW, making it vital for Pakistan to treat him humanely as per the Geneva Conventions. Pakistan carrying out air strikes on "military installations" in India and then capturing air force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman after an air-to-air engagement in Rajouri has the country hankering for war, but more importantly, his safe return. On Wednesday, India confirmed that one pilot was "missing in action" after he ejected from his MiG-21 Bison and landed beyond the Line of Control, but has not neither confirmed nor denied claims regarding his identity. The Pakistan Army has released videos of a man, believed to be the wing commander, who identifies himself as 'flying pilot Abhinandan' a with the Indian Air Force. He says: "My name is Wing Commander Abhinandan. My service number is 27981. I'm a flying pilot. My religion is Hindu." Reports say he was first caught by the residents of the village where he landed after parachuting, and the Pakistan Army has claimed that its soldiers had "rescued" the pilot from being lynched. In light of these videos, India has made it clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, also strongly objecting to "Pakistan's vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention". Mention of the Geneva Conventions brings to focus the rules that protect prisoners of war (POWs) detailed in the 1949 amendment to the Geneva Convention. "POWs are usually members of the armed forces of one of the parties to a conflict who fall into the hands of the adverse party," it states, adding that the status of POW only applies in international armed conflict, and that they cannot be prosecuted for taking a direct part in hostilities. "Their detention is not a form of punishment, but only aims to prevent further participation in the conflict. They must be released and repatriated without delay after the end of hostilities." In one of the videos the Pakistan Army released, the man believed to be Wing Commander Abhinandan appears badly injured and bloodied, and in another, his face appears swollen and injured. Unsurprisingly, these videos sparked outrage in India, as well as admiration for the air force pilot and his composure. Abhinandan's case has raised the question of whether he can be given the status of a prisoner of war and also brought to light past cases of POWs being returned. The most recent example that comes to mind is that of Group Captain Kambampati Nachiketa who was held captive by Pakistan during the 1999 Kargil War. He was the flight lieutenant at the time of the India-Pakistan war. On 27 May, 1999, Nachiketa was carrying out air strikes against Pakistani posts in the Batalik sector from his MiG-27 fighter jet when the aircraft experienced engine failure and he was forced to eject. On hitting the ground, he rained bullets on Pakistani forces, after which he was taken to a prison in Rawalpindi, where he is believed to have been brutally beaten, till a senior officer intervened on the realisation that Nachiketa was now a captive and should not be manhandled. Finally, bowing to international pressure, including from the United Nations, Pakistan released Nachiketa on 3 June, 1999, when he was handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Pakistan, after which he returned home via the Wagah Border. In 2000, the air force pilot was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal for his bravery. During the 1965 India-Pakistan war, K Nanda Cariappa, who was 26 years old at the time, was captured by the neighbouring country after his Hawker Hunter aircraft was brought down. He was kept in solitary confinement for eight weeks before being moved to a POW camp in Rawalpindi. With no social media at that time, the only news about the existence of war prisoners, including Cariappa, now 81, was through parcels from the Red Cross at the POW camps. He returned to India four months after his capture after the two sides agreed on an exchange deal. Then there's also the case of "the missing 54" the soldiers, pilots and officers of the Indian Army and Indian Air Force who were labelled "missing in action" like Abhinandan or "killed in action" in the 1971 India-Pakistan war, though many believe that they they are alive and imprisoned in various jails in Pakistan. In contrast, India had released 90,000 Pakistani troopers the by army had captured at the end of the war as part of the Simla Agreement, under which Pakistan had to recognise the Independence of Bangladesh in exchange for the return of its POWs. While former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto had told visiting Indian officials that the Indian men were in their custody, former president Pervez Musharraf had denied the claim. There is still no clarity on these missing Indian men. Till as recently as 2015, the Government of India was pressured to push Pakistan to release these 54 "prisoners", and the families have approached both the United Nations and the International Committee for the Red Cross for assistance but to no avail. Like the release of these POWs by India and Pakistan and the denial of the existence of many there are examples from across the globe of war prisoners being released after the end of hostilities. Scores of US military men were taking hostage as POWs during the 1964-1993 Vietnam War. On 12 February, 1973, Vietnam released the first batch of US POWs as part of "Operation Homecoming", which ended US military involvement in the South East Asian country. However, the US still lists over a thousand Americans as prisoners of war, or missing in action, in Vietnam. These US prisoners were kept in 13 prisons and prison camps. Vietnam was never charged with the war crimes it is believed to have been committed on the US prisoners. Moreover, Vietnam also maintained that it had not violated the Geneva Conventions, insisting that it was not bound by it as it was not a signatory to the accords. Even during the 1990-1991 Gulf War, there were reports of Iraq abusing Coalition officers it had captured as war prisoners. An Iraqi officer had also raped then flight surgeon Rhonda Cornum after the Black Hawk she was riding in was shot down while it was searching for a downed F-16 pilot of the Coalition. There are no known records of any prisoner swap between Iraq and the Coalition. The concept of a Prisoner of War goes back to pre-World War I days, with its definition changing over the years. While neither India nor Pakistan have identified Wing Commander Abhinandan as a POW, the third of the four Geneva Conventions says: "The convention applies to all cases of declared war or of any other armed conflict that may arise between two or more of the signatories, even if the state of war is not recognised by one of them." Going by the examples of POWs released in the past and the state of affairs between India and Pakistan, Abhinandan may, indeed, be considered a POW, making it vital for Pakistan to treat him humanely as per the Geneva Conventions. The Indian Air Force pilot was confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs as having been locked in aerial engagement with an aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force (believed to be an F-16 that was felled by India) that violated Indian airspace over Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district. On Thursday afternoon, Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan announced that captured Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released on Friday. As a true statesman, taking the lead, Prime Minister of Pakistan @ImranKhanPTI announced that Pakistan will release captured Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman tomorrow as a peace gesture.#LetBetterSensePrevail PTI (@PTIofficial) February 28, 2019 The development comes only a day after he was captured after the MiG-21 he had been flying was shot down by Pakistan. The Indian Air Force pilot was confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs as having been locked in aerial engagement with an aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force (believed to be an F-16 that was felled by India) that violated Indian airspace over Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district. The pilot's capture took place in the wake of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan after the IAF carried out air strikes on terror training camps of the Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It resulted in an immediate wave of misinformation on social media, with fake images of earlier crashes being peddled as those of more recent ones along the Line of Control. A video of Wing Commander Vijay Shelke after the Surya Kiran crash in Bengaluru was claimed as having been of the IAF pilot who was caught by Pakistan, on the country's television news channels. Videos of the man believed to be the Wing Commander who had indeed been captured also did the rounds. He was not only shown to be captured, but videos were also reportedly shot while he was being taken to the location of captivity, and afterwards, where a visibly injured prisoner could be seen announcing his name. Even thought India had not confirmed the name of the missing pilot of the MiG-21 Bison, which went down across the LoC on Wednesday, speculation was rife on the international statutes that require his return soon. The Geneva Convention and whether its statutes would govern the capture of the pilot became matters of grave concern as trading of barbs on social media gave way to a sombre demand that the captive pilot return home. In a strongly-worded statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that it objects to Pakistan's "vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force". The MEA was ostensibly referring to the videos and photographs of the Wing Commander. A photograph was also tweeted by the Pakistan Army's spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor. Pakistan, which has repeatedly pressed for talks in these past few days of tension, sought to allay India's fears regarding the well-being of the captive with a statement by their foreign office spokesperson, Dr Muhammad Faisal. "India has raised the matter of the pilot with us. We'll decide in a couple of days what convention will apply to him and whether to give him Prisoner of War status or not," Dr Faisal said, stressing that he was "safe and healthy." Thursday's development could be a step towards ensuring an eventual understanding between the two countries which have seen only a rise in tension since the 14 February attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama. The attack killed 42 soldiers. Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed took responsibility for the attack, leading India to blame Pakistan for its role in supporting terror on its soil. Follow all the latest updates from the India-Pakistan situation here Playwright Jyoti Dogra's latest performance piece uses the blackhole as a metaphor to mean human life the line of difference between who is dead and who is alive A woman, a white sheet, and the idea of the universe. This is all it takes theatre practitioner Jyoti Dogra to explore ideas from theoretical physics, from the perspective of an ordinary person trying to find a greater engagement with the cosmos. Concepts from astrophysics entwine with personal narratives of love, loss, mortality and experiential limits in Dogras latest performance piece The Black Hole, which examines ones thirst for knowledge, hunger for experience and how the two combine to create an understanding of the universe that one inhabits. The piece draws parallels between a black hole and life. It has singularity, central to a black hole and ones selfhood, as the running theme of the piece. Scientifically speaking, gravitational singularity is the one-dimensional central point of a black hole which contains a huge mass in an infinitesimal amount of space, where the laws of physics as we know them cease to operate. The piece explores singularity in terms of where one begins and where one ends, and the scientific concept of singularity inside a black hole, says Dogra in an interview with Firstpost. Dogra, who has always been attracted to astrophysics, says that for her, the idea of a black hole as an image or as a metaphor connects to the human condition more than other cosmic objects, which led her to explore the idea of death through it in her piece. The idea of a black hole, [it is] a thing into which you keep putting things but it never fills up, a thing into which everything disappears. A little bit like life. You keep pouring things into it, but it is never filled. And nothing seems to come out from it. [Life is] like a vast sense of emptiness or a void, which is often connected to the idea of a black hole, she says. The Black Hole opened at Odd Bird Theatre in New Delhi in December last year, and made its debut in Mumbai at the Prithvi Theatre on 26 and 27 February. It has also been performed in smaller towns like Bareilly, Solan and Shimla. It is Dogras fourth solo devised piece, following the hugely popular Notes on Chai. In Dogra's latest work, a woman talks about a recurring dream where she is standing at the precipice of a black hole. She is waiting to be sucked in, but the black hole does not pull her in. Instead, it is waiting for her to take the leap. The play has three characters in it the protagonist, her mother who is terminally ill, and the protagonists male partner. When asked what made her explore death through science while devising the play, Dogra says, One cant say what made you. It is an organic process. Various topics come and there are some topics that interest you, so you stay with them while the others go away. More than anything, Dogra feels death creates the ultimate boundary, and like a black hole, once one crosses its boundary, one can never return. It is also one of the reasons why the principal metaphor works in the piece. Scientifically, the world inside a black hole and the world outside it never meet. Similarly, in the case of death, there is always a stark divide between those who are dead and those who are not. No one from the dead can bring information to the world of the living, and nobody from the living world can go into the world of the dead and tell them what it is like there. You need to be dead or alive, and depending on where you are, you belong there. I feel death is a great divide, the event horizon of a black hole is a great divide, [and] so those ideas connected, she explains. Influenced by Polish theatre director Jerzy Grotowski, Dogra has used the body and voice as the sole instruments in her work. There is the simplest possible use of staging, lighting, costumes and special effects. Grotowskis technique forces the actor to transform empty spaces into imaginative worlds. In my work, I dont work with an idea. I simply start working with the process and as the process continues, the material starts to grow and organically move, which was also the case here, she says. One of the things that motivated Dogra to devise The Black Hole was a desire to work with something other than her own body; her previous solo piece Notes on Chai featured just her on stage. This eventually took the form of a white sheet that she uses as a prop during her performance. But the sheet was not her first choice. I worked with garbage bags. I also worked with a chair before I finally moved on to a sheet. Dogra also uses scientific equations in her piece, such as the black hole equation 2GM/c2 (also known as the Schwarzschild radius) where G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the object and c is the speed of light. I also sing it at times, she says, I feel the piece uses science as a metaphor. While the science is very precise and scientifically correct, the focus of the piece is not that you understand the science. But, of course, you want people to understand the science so it has been put as simplistically as possible without actually taking away from the science. For Dogra, the play lies in the connections between the science and the narrative. However, she makes it clear that her piece is not particularly about science but rather about the human condition. So eventually, whether you are from a science background or a non-scientific background, you start to respond to the human condition, which is an inherent part of the piece. Ideas of death, love and loss are basically human ideas and are not segregated into the science and non-science, she clarifies. Dogra devised The Black Hole over the last three years, but one of things that had a deep impact on the development of the piece was her visit to the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva as part of the Pro Helvatia Residency in June 2017. Conversations at CERN, which is home to the largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider, revolved around quantum science, she shares. But for me, it was just going to CERN, working with the large things they are working with, the kind of data they are working with, the huge amount of numbers and material and stuff, it had a deep impact on my relationship with science itself, more than anything, she says. Following its premiere in New Delhi in December last year, The Black Hole found a sustained interest from unusual quarters: science departments from various colleges and universities. Dogra has had successful shows at institutional spaces for students and faculty of post-graduate courses, mostly connected to the sciences such as the Astrophysics department at Delhi University, the department of Physics at Guwahati University, IIT Delhis Physics department, Vishwa Bharati University in Shantiniketan etc. She also performed at the International Conference of Cosmology held at the International Centre of Theoretical Sciences, in Bengaluru. Dogra says she did not expect such a warm reception in scientific circles. I think that for a person coming from the science background, the science (in The Black Hole) is put very simply. So, I mostly thought that they (science students/teachers/ researchers) would be generally irritated, if nothing else. But what I found interesting is that these people are not so much interested in what scientific concepts I used, but how were the connections being made between science and the human condition, between life and science, says Dogra. For her, life and science are not separate entities. This proved to be a challenge for the thespian while developing the piece, when she had to find a performance language to understand how to make those connections. For her, the piece lay in finding a place where science and life connect. During the process, there were times when she felt like abandoning the piece altogether. Two or three times, as a matter of fact, Dogra laughs, because a lot of this piece was about reading science, which I was doing, and enjoying very much. But then you starting thinking, Okay, now what do I do with this information? How does this information become a play? That was quite a struggle and continued to be. Also when you are working alone, over long periods of time, there are times when you think its all too difficult and too much for you. Despite its challenges, Dogra likes to start with nothing, similar to how the universe began too. Unlike working with texts, there is no foundation upon which the play is made. It gets created in the process. It is also a bit difficult because you dont know which way to go, says Dogra. What is the material, what is the language of this material, do you want to work with sound, do you want to work with text, do you want to work with a body, do you want to work with visual images, everything is very open (in devising). I enjoyed it more because things, as they say, they show themselves as you go along. Dogra says she has always felt a deeper connection with the larger idea of the universe and feels we are one with everything. If anything, the piece has strengthened that notion. In the old city of Ahmedabad, in the Shahibag-Dudheshwar area, there is a small kabristan (graveyard). You would not find this kabristan unless you were specifically looking for it, even though the popular Dariyakhan Gumbad dargah is just a five-minute walk away. But if you were to hear the testimonies of those who survived the dhamaal of 2002, especially the survivors from Gulbarg Society and Naroda Patiya, Kalandari Kabristan will be an oft-named place, because it is here that they buried their dead. Above: Graves at Kalandari Kabristan Targeting minorities in episodes of slaughter has become almost an unnoticed banality. But after the business of killing has been done, there remains an immediate, vital issue: what to do with the masses of dead. It was to solve this issue that crematoriums were installed in Nazi concentration camps; these structures can still be seen, at the former sites of Dachau and Auschwitz camps for example. The absolute secrecy in which the Nazis perpetrated genocide is perhaps an anachronism for today. Today, killings of minorities do make news. But how do those who oversee, instigate and perpetrate these killings respond to such news? Their responses are of either denial or justification. Above: The signboard written in Gujarati reads, "Momin jamaat kabristan Kalandari Masjid, 28 February 2002 qaumi fasaad mein shaheed bachche (children martyred in communal violence), Bachche (children): 50" There is a sanctity that is accorded to the mortal remains of the dead; most funeral rites involve procedures for cleansing and sometimes even adorning the body. But pogroms do not make beauteous corpses. Yusufbhai, the care-taker of Kalandari Kabristan, described that the dead brought for burial there were dismembered. Body parts were missing, they emitted a stench, they were even burnt beyond recognition. And the dead were so many that there was not enough space in the kabristan for each body to be buried in its individual kabar (grave). Above: The signboard in Gujarati says, "99 men who were martyred on 28 February 2002 are buried here" Those who are living must undertake the collective duty of burial of the dead: this is an injunction of Islamic ethics. And so, those who survived the pogrom volunteered themselves in service of the dead. Suhana, Yusufbhais daughter-in-law, told me that she considered it as khidmat (service) to attend to the janazah (funeral) of those who had died such merciless, brutal deaths. Her husband Feroz and her brother Asif were among those young men who had gone out to collect the remains of the dead, even while the pogrom was still raging in Ahmedabad. Allah ne un ladkon ko ye himmat, ye quwwat diya, toh woh ye kaam kar paaye (Allah gave these men the courage and energy so they were able to do this work)." Above: The signboard says, "50 women and 30 children martyred in 2002 are buried here" It was not just the care-takers family members who did this duty; Mehrun, another survivor of the pogrom who lives in Shahibagh, a little far from Kalandari, told me that she too had helped in the janazah of the victims. She said, Hum toh sab gunehgaar hain. Ye neki ka kaam karne ko mila toh kyun na karein (We are all sinners. I got a chance to do this act of piety so why wouldnt I do it?)." Abdul Hamid, a retired city official who lives in the locality near Kalandari, reported that three large graves had been dug in the grounds of the kabristan. Each of these graves was about 12-15 feet deep. The bodies of men were buried separately from those of women, in different graves. There was a third grave dug for the bodies of children. In each grave, several bodies had to be buried together. I was told by several khadims (service-givers) that it was not possible to cleanse or wash these bodies, because they were disintegrating when touched. Only a sprinkling of water had to suffice instead. Within each grave, the bodies were laid out in rows, with layers of earth between them. The namaaz-e-janazah (funeral prayer) was offered at the end. Above: An empty bird-feeder in the kabristan The care-taker Yusufbhais family has been living in a small house on the grounds of the Kalandari Kabristan itself. Each time that I have visited the kabristan, I have seen Yusufbhai sitting under the shade of trees, a little distance away from the graves. He said that before him, his father was the guardian of the kabristan. Tragedy has not spared his family; his son, Feroz, died of cancer not long after 2002. Ferozs wife was pregnant when he died; today, his nine-year old daughter, Ferdous, and her many cousins not only look after the kabristan but also play there. Above: Namaazis on the occasion of Eid, outside the Kalandari Kabristan. File photo courtesy Abdul Hamid On the occasions of Eid-Milad-un-Nabi and Shab-e-baraat, the kabristan has many visitors. They come here to do duas (prayers) or to read the Quran. Saira Sandhi, one of the survivors of the Gulbarg Society massacre told me, My son has been buried at the Kalandari Kabristan. That is why I live there at Dariyapur, at the relief colony, close to the grave where my son lies buried. Iske Pappa wahaan Juma ke din jaawe namaaz padhne, aur hum jumraat ke din jaate phool chadhane. Yahaan ghar se bhi woh kabrein dikhti hain (My husband goes to the kabristan on Friday to offer namaaz. I go there on Thursdays, and put flowers on the grave. I can see my sons grave from my home). There is a two-storeyed mosque located on the Kalandari grounds. It was much smaller earlier, and used only for the purpose of performing namaaz-e-janazah. Later on, during the 1990s, it was expanded. Today, a steady stream of namaazis visits the mosque for each of the five namaaz prayers of the day. During the namaaz for the annual Eid festivals, the mosque overflows. Above: The entrance to the Kalandari Masjid and Kabristan Not much is known of Kalandaris recorded history. Abdul Hamid said that he was told by the mutawalli of Kalandari Masjid, that a judge named Katariwala had bequeathed this land to the Momin jamaat of Ahmedabad just before leaving for Pakistan during Partition. It began to be used as a kabristan from that time itself. In 2002, it was considered a relatively safe part of the city, hence was chosen to be the site of burials. Sometimes you can see a peacock here; like other kabristans of Ahmedabad, bird-feeders are to be found in Kalandari as well. Today, Kalandari Kabristan stands as a site of remembrance and prayer, containing the memories of those Muslims who have lived through one of the bloodiest episodes of Indian democracy. All photos courtesy the author except where indicated otherwise Heba Ahmed is a research scholar at the Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University With glacier retreat, permafrost melt, and extreme rainfall events, ICIMODs HIMAP report suggests that the countries of the Hindu Kush Himalayas have to start cooperating far more closely, or pay a huge price By Omair Ahmad Water in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region is going through large and dramatic changes, caused by both climate change and human intervention, and the countries around it are unprepared for it. The stark message of the Hindu Kush Himalayan Monitoring and Assessment Programme (HIMAP), the most comprehensive analysis of what is happening in the HKH region, is one that concerns agriculture, hydropower, inland waterways, jobs, urbanisation, and international relations some of the most sensitive and important issues in the region. These effects are complex, and will impact different regions differently, but some are already visible. Glacier retreat (and some advance) in the face of climate change will make the fragile mountains more prone to natural disasters, such as landslides, and will make the impact of other natural disasters, such as earthquakes, far greater. Variations in rainfall will continue to rise, setting in place the possibility of catastrophic flooding, at the same time springs have been reducing their flows in the hills, and this may increase, leading to drought among communities that already have higher-than-national-average rates of poverty. The HKH region is bounded by eight countries Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. The four transboundary river basins connected to the glaciers there the Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra and the Mekong as well as the Yellow and Yangtze exclusively in China support the well-being of nearly two billion people. While only about 240 million of these live in the mountains themselves, and will be the most directly affected, the changes foreseen will affect all these countries massively, especially if mechanisms of transboundary cooperation are not implemented. Climate change crunch The key message is that the water flow regime is being impacted by climate change. Temperatures are rising faster in the HKH region than in the rest of the world, and even if the world is able to keep the temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius, in the HKH region it would translate to at least a rise of 1.8 C, and in some places, above 2.2 C. The HIMAP report goes some way in specifying how and why. Part of it is due to glacier retreat, although this will have the greatest impact on the Indus, where approximately 80 percent of the water is contributed by snowmelt and glacier melt. The glaciers in this region are also among the ones showing the lowest retreat. But the combination of retreating glaciers and expansion in snow melt, as well as melting permafrost will create a more disturbed system, affecting silt and sediment flow in the region, as well as significantly increasing the chances of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), and floods. This will be a critical problem for India and Pakistan, who have both experienced devastating floods in their Himalayan regions, but it will have an immediate impact on Afghanistan, which experienced the worst drought of the century in 2018, primarily due to low snowfall early in the year. With no water-cooperation mechanisms with any country on its borders, Afghanistan will face increasing water uncertainty over the next decades with few tools to address it. The eastern HKH region will experience the most glacier retreat. These are also the river basins of the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Mekong (as well as the Yellow and Yangtze in China) which are the least reliant on glacier melt and snowmelt on water flow, accounting for less than 10 percent of the volume of water in the rivers. The hazards will largely be those faced by mountain communities both of decreasing water during the summer months as well as the potential for landslides, GLOFs, and other related disasters. Given that 240 million people live in the HKH mountain communities, the risk to their lives and livelihoods will increase both in the western and eastern Himalayas significantly. Hydropower a dangerous wager The instability of the fragile HKH region one of the youngest mountains in the world will also pose a significant risk to hydropower projects. But because water flow in the region is unlikely to decline and may marginally increase until 2050 the incentive to build more of them is likely to remain. This is especially so since the HIMAP report states that there is a potential for 500 GW of barely tapped hydropower potential in the region, which is also critically energy-poor. There are large hydropower projects currently being planned in the Indus and Brahmaputra, with China playing an important role in both financing and development, particularly in Pakistan. The unfortunate reality has been that hydropower projects have very rarely benefited mountain communities themselves. Indias state of Jammu & Kashmir is a key example. One of the largest producers of hydropower in the country, its summer capital, Srinagar, struggles for electricity during the long, bitter winters. Further downstream, hydropower dams along the Teesta have found that they are only financially viable if they are run during select evening hours, thus releasing water for only three or four hours a day, playing havoc on the ecosystem as the riverbed stays dry for most of the day, only to be flooded for a few hours. The mix of extreme rainfall events, glacier retreat, and permafrost melting, will increase the risks of GLOFs and other natural disasters. As the HIMAP report notes, the disasters in the HKH region build on each other. An earthquake will lead to landslides, which, in turn, will dump debris in rivers, leading to flooding. These will all add significant external risks to both existing, and planned, hydropower projects. While the HIMAP report mentions some good practices emerging in the hydropower sector from benefit sharing schemes with local communities to a push for more scientific understanding of environmental flows these are far from established practice. The other big infrastructural issue that will be impacted will be Indias ambitious Inland River Waterways project. With depots already being built in Nepal, this is a transboundary project that will involve not just the Indian lowlands, but also Nepal and Bangladesh, who will be key partners. With the risk of extreme weather events, combined with glacial retreat, the amount of debris and silt in the Ganga will rise, disrupting the flow of rivers as well as increasing the amount of dredging needed to keep waterways navigable for large freight carrying ships. About one-third of the global sediment deposited to the oceans is estimated to be generated from the Tibetan Plateau and its neighbouring regions, says the HIMAP report. Much of this is due to the fragile nature of the Himalayan range, and the monsoon system. While the former will not change, the number of extreme weather events due to climate change will add to the power of the latter. In the past most catastrophically in 2008 rivers flowing through Nepal to India have radically changed their path due to build-up of silt, breaching embankments, leading to floods that have cost the lives and livelihoods in both countries. As the HIMAP report states, transboundary cooperation between India and Nepal has been marred by suspicion and blame-games. The addition of increased silt and debris into the river system is likely to exacerbate such tensions, unless key cooperation mechanisms evolve. Water dries up for agriculture The sector that will be impacted the most by variations in water will be agriculture. Of the eight countries in the region, seven use almost 90 percent of their water for agriculture (China uses 65 percent). There are four major sources of this water the river systems, springs, groundwater, and rain. While the river systems are projected to supply the same amount of water up until 2050 (with maybe some increase), their variability of flow is likely to increase. More problematically the springs in much of the mid-HKH region seem to be drying up. The HIMAP report bluntly states, Due to factors related to anthropogenic impacts (such as deforestation, grazing, exploitative land use resulting in soil erosion, etc.) and climate change (e.g., highly variable rainfall), springs fed during the monsoon by groundwater or underground aquifers are reported to be drying up and threatening whole ways of life for local communities in most parts of the mid-hills of the HKH. The mountain regions already suffer from higher poverty rates than the rest of the countries, especially because infrastructure, and with it, access to services, is more costly to build. This will be added pressure on a region which is already deeply food insecure. In the case of groundwater, again, rain variability will have an impact on the recharge of aquifers on which groundwater is dependent. The cycle of droughts and floods is projected to increase. Given that 95 percent of owners of electric pumps in India the largest user of groundwater in the world are private citizens, it will be a challenge to create a governance regime to manage these private actors at times of scarcity. Rainfall, as already indicated, will become much more irregular. For a region in which almost half the population (except for China) is dependent on agriculture, or agriculture-related employment, the future looks far from certain. Strains on international relations Lastly, the change in water flows, especially lower base flows during the summer months, is likely to strain international relations. The cooperation mechanisms between India and Nepal have not worked well. While the Indus Rivers Treaty between India and Pakistan has stood the test of time, it has become an increasingly testy subject. A repeat of an extreme rainfall event as happened in 2014 in Indias state of Jammu & Kashmir and bordering areas in Pakistans Punjab which led to hundreds of lives lost in both countries, will only increase tensions unless timely data sharing and policies of disaster cooperation are not put in place. India and Bangladesh signed the Ganga River Treaty in 1996, but it is based on a sharing of water that just may not be available in the dry seasons if water levels decline during that time. Furthermore 90 percent of Bangladeshs water comes from transboundary rivers. The Ganga River Treaty covers only one even if it is a major river and will expire in 2026. While India and China have no formal cooperation agreements, China does share upstream data on the Brahmaputra with India. The Brahmaputra is unlikely to be impacted by lower water flow from Chinese territory because most of its catchment area lies in India, but it will be subject to destabilisation and floods as glacier retreat, extreme rainfall events, and permafrost melting change impact the region. The two countries will have to develop closer coordination on these issues. Bhutan and India, which have cooperated closely on Bhutans hydropower sector, will have to proactively work on better local communication. The two Indian states downstream of Bhutan Assam and West Bengal have blamed Bhutan for lack of information or coordination for flooding. These problems will only escalate in the future if steps are not taken to deal with them now. All in all, the HIMAP report suggests an increasingly turbulent time, and politics, for the South Asian region. It does offer an opportunity though of cooperation. The communities of the HKH region are critically stressed, but their hope lies in each other. None of the changes foreseen are sudden, or without recourse, but it will require working together, with a high degree of foresighted diplomacy, to manage the challenges. The only question is will the countries come together to do so. Read the full report here. The Third Pole is a multilingual platform dedicated to promoting information and discussion about the Himalayan watershed and the rivers that originate there. This report was originally published on thethirdpole.net and has been reproduced here with permission. The BJP had earlier announced an alliance with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. New Delhi: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will contest on 10 seats and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on three out of total 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, it was announced on Thursday. The two parties announced the seat sharing arrangement. The decision was taken after SAD leaders including Sukhbir Singh Badal met BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday at his residence in Delhi. Later while talking to media, Badal said, "We have also formed a coordination committee which will hold strategy sessions every week." The BJP had earlier announced an alliance with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. The party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala in a tweet alleged that the Narendra Modi was 'hell-bent on creating a video-conference record' when the entire country was praying for the return of its braveheart pilot. New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "misplaced priorities" and that he was "desperate only for re-election". It also accused the saffron party leaders of politicising the bravery of the armed forces, while referring to Karnataka BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa's comment that India's "pre-emptive strikes" on terror camps in Pakistan have created a wave in favour of the prime minister and will help his party win over 22 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala in a tweet alleged that the prime minister was "hell-bent on creating a video-conference record" when the entire country was praying for the return of its braveheart pilot. An IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after air combat on Wednesday during which the two sides said they shot down each other's warplanes that followed an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes that sparked fears of war. IAF sources reportedly identified the pilot as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Surjewala wrote on Twitter: Glaring case of misplaced priorities! 132 Cr Indians pray for safe & immediate return of Indias brave-heart Wing Comm, Abhinandan but Modiji desperate only for re-election. Congress cancelled its imp CWC & Rally today. Pradhan Sevak hell-bent on creating a Video Conf. record! pic.twitter.com/ulIMzA35Xv Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) February 28, 2019 The prime minister on Thursday had direct dialogue with BJP workers and volunteers as part of the party's Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot programme through, what the party claims, the "world's largest video conference". Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal also targeted Yeddyurappa saying, "On 27th February B S Yeddyurappa at Chitradurga in a public function said: 'The Indian Armed Forces proved their mettle by destroying the terrorists' hideouts. The impact of this strike will help BJP win more than 22 seats in the state'." "Is this patriotism or crass politics?" he asked. Surjewala, in a tweet, hit out at Modi saying, "The armed forces are taking care of the borders and the Pradhan Sewak the booth. These are the soldiers of power." He also used the hashtag "Booth first or country". "Dear Modiji/ Jaitleyji, Any more questions on politicisation. Regards, 132 Crore Indians," he wrote on Twitter and tagged a report quoting Yeddyurappa that 'pre-emptive' strikes will help BJP win 22 of 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka". Yeddyurappa has since gone back on his remarks saying that was not what he meant. Twenty-one opposition parties Wednesday expressed "deep anguish" over what they alleged was "blatant politicisation" of the sacrifices of armed forces and urged the government to take the nation into confidence on all measures to protect India's sovereignty, unity and integrity. Follow LIVE updates on the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions On Thursday, Ashish Singh Patel alleged that a section of BJP leaders did not want Apna Dal (Sonelal) stay in alliance with the saffron party Lucknow: Amid reports of differences with its ally BJP, Apna Dal (Sonelal) chief Ashish Singh Patel on Thursday said he had a "positive" meeting with Amit Shah, but all options were open if a certain section of saffron party leaders "do not change their attitude". Ashish Singh Patel, the husband of Union Minister Anupriya Patel, had met BJP national president Amit Shah at New Delhi on Wednesday. "We have put up various issues before Shah. Overall, the meeting was positive," he said, adding the talks were regarding the "problems" his party was facing with the BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit. Anupriya Patel had last week accused the BJP of "apparently not taking care of its allies" and said that her party was "free to take its own decisions" regarding the upcoming general elections. "Some differences cropped up between the Apna Dal and the BJP. We had given them time till 20 February to resolve the issues, but there is no answer from the BJP. It appears they are not interested in taking care of their allies," Apna Dal leader and Union Minister Anupriya Patel had told reporters in Bareilly last week. "Now, the Apna Dal is free to make its own decision. A party meeting has been called to chalk out our future course of action," she had said. On Thursday, Ashish Singh Patel alleged that a section of BJP leaders did not want Apna Dal (Sonelal) stay in alliance with the saffron party. "This section used to create many problems for us. If they do not change attitude our options are open," he said. Ashish Singh Patel said a meeting of all the office-bearers of his party, which was supposed to be held in the state capital on Thursday, has been rescheduled due to India-Pakistan tensions. "Our party demands appointment of Dalits and (people belonging to backward communities on 50 per cent police stations of the state besides giving either DM or SP post in districts to these category officers. Our party workers should be considered in appointment in various state corporations," he said. He refuted reports of Anupriya Patel meeting Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as "baseless". Apna Dal, a crucial ally of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, had won two seats Mirzapur and Pratapgarh in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The Opposition has once again targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not putting off political campaigning as the nation faces a tense situation at the border with Pakistan. While the nation is praying for the safe return of the missing IAF pilot, Modi is scheduled to address booth level party workers of BJP at noon on Thursday. The Opposition has once again targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not putting off political campaigning as the nation faces a tense situation at the border with Pakistan. While the nation is praying for the safe return of the missing IAF pilot, Modi is scheduled to address booth level party workers of BJP at noon on Thursday. The Congress tweeted through its official handle that it is "shameful" that the prime minister can't stop campaigning amid such a crisis. It said that the party will continue to question the Modi government on its "apathy". It is shameful that while India awaits the return of Wing Commander Abhinandan, our Prime Time PM cannot stop campaigning even for a few minutes. We stand with our soldiers & will continue to question the Modi Govt on their apathy. #MeraJawanSabseMajboot Congress (@INCIndia) February 28, 2019 Appealing to the prime minister to postpone his address, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that at this moment as a nation, "we need to spend all our energies and time to bring back the IAF pilot and fight with Pakistan sternly". National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah also retweeted a sigh reaction to Jammu and Kashmir BJP's tweet about Modi's address to the karyakartas. However, it is interesting to note that this would be Modi's first public address after India confirmed losing one MiG-21 fighter plane to Pakistan's strike and admitted to one of its pilots being 'missing in action'. The number of migrants returning since the beginning of the year has reached almost 400. Last year there were over 1,500. Since 2015, at least 5,000 have managed to flee the Saudi hell. All of them report rape, torture and unpaid wages. Dhaka (AsiaNews/Agencies) Ninety more Bangladeshi women employed in Saudi Arabia as domestic workers arrived at Dhaka International Airport yesterday. They were met by representatives of Building Resources Across Communities (BRAC), an NGO that helps migrants who manage to escape from places of torture. All of them were tortured by employers, says Shariful Hasan, head of BRACs Migration Program With the latest arrivals, the number of migrant workers returning from the Saudi hell reached 200 this month, whilst another 182 women managed to escape in January. According to the Bangladeshi NGO, more than 1,500 women returned home last year. The association estimates that between 1991 and 2018 about 700,000 women went abroad for work, almost 250,000 in Saudi Arabia alone. In 2015, the governments of Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on sending female workers as domestic help. Since then, poor women, mostly from rural areas in Bangladesh, have travelled to Saudi Arabia with hopes and dreams of improving their standards of living. However, around 5,000 female Bangladeshi workers have fled Saudi Arabia since 2015, due to various reasons, ranging from failure to adapt to the foreign culture, to torture, sexual abuse, and irregularities in the payment of their wages. Typically, these women fail to adapt to the local gender relations whereby women must submit to male desires. It's been over 24 hours since Pakistan's failed attempts at targeting military installations in India, and more than 48 hours after India's surgical strike in Balakot, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has yet to chair an all-party meeting It's been over 24 hours since Pakistan's failed attempts at targeting military installations in India, and more than 48 hours after India's surgical strike in Balakot, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has yet to chair an all-party meeting. He has, since these two seminal events occurred, launched an app and continued to campaign for the coming Lok Sabha election. Far more worryingly, the prime minister is yet to address the nation about the surgical strike and the resulting Pakistani response. On Tuesday, addressing a rally in Rajasthan, all he had to offer was election rhetoric: The nation is in safe hands, he told his audience, before reciting a poem that had been used as an election song in 2014 and contained the vow that he would not allow harm to befall the country. In the aftermath of the Pulwama attack, the main political parties had agreed unofficially to suspend political activities, including their election campaigns, to present a united front to Pakistan and the world at large. And with stray exceptions, parties desisted from playing politics or running their campaigns. Not so, however, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Led by the prime minister and party president Amit Shah, the BJP used every opportunity to do precisely what the Opposition was refraining from doing. Before turning to the highlights of Modi's political activities, mention must be made of something significant that happened, or did not for quite some time. In the aftermath of Pulwama, Kashmiris, mostly students, but others as well, living in other states began to be attacked. Unconscionably, just for being Kashmiris. Many leaders condemned the attacks. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh issued an advisory to all states and Union Territories to provide security to people from Kashmir. Some did, some didn't bother. But it took the prime minister almost a week to speak up. It was only on Saturday, 23 February, that Modi said the fight was against terrorists and not Kashmiris and it was the 'duty of every citizen of Hindustan to safeguard the children of Kashmir'. On the Saturday after the attack, Modi was being Modi in Maharashtra, where he spoke at several government functions, including the launch of several projects. At these programmes, he claimed his government had worked tirelessly for farmers and he personally had worked sincerely to fulfil his promises. Sounds like an election speech? Around 24 hours later, in Jharkhand, to pay homage to one of the slain Central Reserve Police force (CRPF) head constable Vijay Soreng and inaugurate three medical colleges, he once again resorted to electioneering. Rapid strides have been made in the state in the past four years, he said. Jharkhand had three medical colleges, now it has six, he added, before going on to pipelines for drinking water. After a day's silence (filled by Shah), on Tuesday, Modi was back in campaign mode in Uttar Pradesh, where he inaugurated several projects. What stood out, however, was his invocation of Ravidas, the Bhakti saint, at the latters birthplace in Varanasi. After speaking about honesty the BJP's preserve apparently, LPG connections, hospital cover for the poor, irrigation facilities and subsidies for farmers, Modi said some people were spreading negativity about his claims. The people of Varanasi would, he added for good measure, give them a fitting reply. On Monday, 25 February, the prime minister used the inauguration of the National War Memorial, a solemn occasion if ever there was one, to attack the Nehru-Gandhi family, accusing it of criminal negligence in matters of national security and using defence deals to make money. But Modi himself is yet to reply to the questions that have been asked of him, by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and others, about the Pulwama attack. But the BJP is well insulated in its sense of righteousness and its penchant for overblown rhetoric. When the Congress broke its self-imposed silence and started asking uncomfortable questions about the prime minister's whereabouts in the forests of Corbett National Park on the day the attack took place, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had this non-answer: At the time the whole country was united, the Congress was showing its true colours. The Opposition had the decency, by and large, to wait a week to let the country recover from a horrendous attack, but for the BJP and the prime minister it has been business as usual from Day One. Follow all the latest India-Pakistan updates here Retired Bombay High Court judge BG Kolse-Patil, who will contest the Lok Sabha election from the Aurangabad constituency, spoke about taking the electoral plunge. BG Kolse Patil, a retired judge of the Bombay High Court, is a resolute and confident man. He has been declared as the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadis candidate for the Lok Sabha election from Aurangabad, and is drawing support from many organisations and citizens' groups. He has been active in public life since his retirement, has been associated with peoples movements, and is known to be a bitter critic of the Sangh Parivar's brand of politics. He had launched the Lokshasan Andolan, which supports grassroots struggles and resists environmental exploitation by large corporate interests. He was also one of the organisers of the Elgaar Parishad held in Pune on 31 December, 2017. In this interview, he spoke about taking the electoral plunge and the events that have been unfolding in the run-up to the election. Describe some of the factors that went into your taking the electoral plunge. I have been working for the downtrodden, and have been agitating on various issues. But I have come to the conclusion that unless you are in power, you cannot really help people to the extent that you wish to. I have chosen to fight this election because I believe this is a unique election it is a choice between the Constitution and those who do not believe in the Constitution. Secondly, it is a choice between secularism and those who propagate a Hindu Rashtra. Further, it is a choice between democracy on one hand and non-democratic practices and dictatorship on the other hand. You have stated that any party except the BJP and Shiv Sena that puts up a candidate against you will be strengthening the BJP. What has been the response of the Congress and NCP to this? This was what the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) itself had declared when it put up my candidature. I was announced as the Aurangabad candidate by the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (an alliance of the Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh led by Prakash Ambedkar and All India Majlis-Ittehadul-Muslimeen led by Asaduddin Owaisi) in a suo motu manner. I was in Harvard for a lecture when I heard that they had declared me as their candidate for Aurangabad and appealed to all other parties, including Congress and NCP to back me. They knew I had been working for the downtrodden for many years, and perhaps my work had not been recognized. They also felt that a voice like mine was needed in Parliament today to represent the interests of the downtrodden. So far, the Congress and NCP have not expressed any opposition, nor have they offered any support to my candidature. They are in a bit of a fix. There is also jostling going on between them about seats and numbers. On what grounds did you choose Aurangabad over Pune as the constituency that you will contest from? What are your thoughts and plans for the constituency? The choice of seat was at the VBAs insistence, because they felt that Aurangabad has a much higher number of downtrodden people, and they knew my history with grassroots struggles. In Pune, communal forces have the upper hand. I have had a very long association with Aurangabad. Decades ago, I gave my first speech here at Siddharth Law College. I was part of the executive process of setting up the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court in 1982. I have been in touch with the people and know the conditions there. Do voters across Maharashtra who are opposed to the BJP see the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi as a viable option? It is very difficult to assess this at present. The picture is not very clear. It will become clearer in the upcoming weeks. From our side, Prakash Ambedkar, at the biggest public meeting he has ever addressed, had categorically stated in Mumbai that our doors are still open for negotiation with the Congress. It is for them to approach this with the spirit of generosity and sacrifice if they are serious about fighting Modi. If they are able to see and understand this, it will be good for both of our parties, and will be good for the country. What are your thoughts on the present situation between India and Pakistan? It is most unfortunate. We salute the courage and sacrifices of our soldiers, and deeply mourn their loss. But certain things are apparent the Pulwama attack could not have happened without serious security lapses. How could so much RDX be moving in a vehicle in such a sensitive area? How could this be allowed to happen? But the common people see through this. They know now what Modi is like. I cannot speak for the rest of the country, but I can definitely say that in Aurangabad, there will be no Modi wave. People are not about to be swept off in any emotional wave. They will vote with their eyes open. Narendra Modi's political engagement has come a day after the Pakistan Air Force jets violated the Indian airspace over the Line of Control on Wednesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with over one crore BJP workers, volunteers and 'karyakartas' under the party's 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot' programme on Thursday afternoon, in what the saffron unit called the "world's largest video conference". However, Opposition leaders, including Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and BSP chief Mayawati, criticised the timing of the conference, in light of the India-Pakistan hostilities. The BJP had earlier said one can send her or his question through the NaMo app to the prime minister or using #MeraBoothSabseMazboot on social media. Before taking questions, Modi briefly addressed the current India-Pakistan tension, saying it was "time to show resolve, support and faith in our armed forces". He then went on to ask all booth workers to reach out to supporters and explain the good work the saffron party has done. He also insisted that there should be "healthy competition" among booth workers to see who gets the maximum number of new voters, including young women and men. "Booth soldiers need to step up now. If you win your booth, if you win the hearts of people; you can work directly for the nation," he said. Modi's political engagement has come a day after Pakistan Air Force jets violated the Indian airspace over Rajouri in Kashmir on Wednesday. Later in the day, Pakistan had also released a video of an Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman it has in custody. In Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, Modi spoke about how there were some who wanted to have a 'mazboor, not a mazboot' government and directed workers to teach people about the benefits of a 'mazboot' administration. When asked about the party's plans if it comes to power again, Modi explained that the BJP will try to fulfill peoples' "aspirations" having already taken care of their "needs" in the past five years. "Before 2014, India had a government that was drowning in corruption. But we gave people the essentials that they had always wanted. Every Indian can see the difference. We want to make India the third largest economy of the world. Each citizen today wants to contribute towards India's betterment," he added. Down South, Modi greeted the gathering in Tamil before going ahead to take questions. He said that the BJP has "always worked" for all states and its people, irrespective of their religion and social strata. The prime minister went on to mention farmers' distress in the JD(S)-Congress-ruled Karnataka. "We have formed a strong alliance in Tamil Nadu, and the BJP will have its biggest win in this state. In Kerala, too, people have come to see our party as the one that will protect their culture," he added. Amid pro-Modi chants in West Bengal, the prime minister said he "salutes" workers in this eastern state who work under "immense difficulties". He then went on to add how the Mahagathbandhan is but a 'mahamilavat'. "The Congress is bringing all small parties together in order to revive itself. The Congress itself needs oxygen to breathe. If this Mahagathbandhan comes to power, the country will be brought to an ICU unit," he said. In Assam again, he spoke about utilising social media to "connect, communicate and correct" people. Citing usefulness of the medium, Modi gave an example of how even a 90-year-old woman was once able to reiterate various government schemes because of social media usage. "If anyone is spreading lies, this is also the platform to bring her or him upfront. I appeal to all workers to spread only positive things via social media. We have to be aware of fake news," he further said. To end the deadlock of seat-sharing formula in Bihar, Congress president Rahul Gandhi is likely to meet RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav on 2 March. New Delhi: All is not well within the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led Congress alliance in Bihar. The talks have not concluded yet and the seat-sharing formula has hit a dead end. To end the deadlock, Congress president Rahul Gandhi is likely to meet RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav to resolve the issue of seat sharing on 2 March. Congress hopes that Yadav's intervention will help to settle the issue. Rahul is scheduled to address a Congress rally in Ranchi on the same day. The problem arose with former Bihar chief minister and Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi escalating his demand for seats, which the RJD is not relenting. The Congress is demanding 12 seats, including a seat for senior leader Tariq Anwar who switched sides and joined the party. The RJD is adamant in contesting at least 20 seats. Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha may settle for five seats and one seat for CPI. In this formula, Manjhi has to settle for one seat and he is seeking green pastures across the fence, sources said. Congress sources hope that talks between Rahul and Yadav would yield positive results. Late actor-politician Ambareesh's wife Sumalathas unexpected claim over Mandya constituency has resulted in a new headache for the JD(S)-Congress coalition in sharing the 28 LS seats in Karnataka Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamys attempt to launch his actor-son Nikhil Kumaraswamy into politics from Mandya in the upcoming Lok Sabha election is facing a strong hurdle in the form of Sumalatha, wife of late actor-politician Ambareesh, who has staked her claim for a Congress ticket from the same constituency. Even as the leaders of gathabandhan in Karnataka Congress and the Janata Dal (S) are involved in an intense battle over the sharing of 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state, Sumalathas unexpected entry with the backing of a section of local Congress leaders has resulted in a new headache for the coalition partners. Ambareesh, who passed away three months ago, was a popular Kannada film star having worked in over 200 films. He had represented Mandya thrice in the Lok Sabha and twice in the state Assembly, but the Congress was ready to offer this seat to JD(S) as part of an electoral understanding. In the bye-election held for the Mandya Lok Sabha seat a few months ago, JD(S)' Shivarame Gowda had won by a huge margin as Congress had not put up a candidate. On Wednesday, Kumaraswamy, who was in Mandya, announcing a series of development projects worth over Rs 3,000 crore, took a potshot at Ambareesh saying he had done nothing for the constituency. He had earlier questioned Sumalathas contribution also, clearly displaying his annoyance at her intrusion into the Vokkaliga territory. Sumalatha, an actress herself, had always campaigned for Ambareesh and is no stranger to politics. She met former chief minister Siddaramaiah last week and formally sought his support. Though Siddaramaiah remained non-committal, Sumalatha has made it clear that she would contest the Lok Sabha polls from Mandya even as an independent. She may get cine superstars like Rajnikanth, Chiranjeevi and Darshan to campaign for her as Ambareesh had a good rapport with them. Meanwhile, JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowdas another grandson, Prajwal Revanna (son of Kumaraswamys elder brother HD Revanna), has been declared as JD(S) candidate from Hassan, as Deve Gowda has decided to move out. But, local Congress leaders say that they are ready to offer support to Gowda and not his grandson as he is a political novice'. Though the leaders of Congress and JD(S) have already held two rounds of discussions, they have not been able to arrive at a consensus on the sharing of seats. While the JD(S), which currently holds just two seats, is demanding 10-12 seats, state Congress leaders are in no mood to offer more than six-seven seats. Complicating matters further, JD(S) wants even some of the seats won by Congress last time such as Tumakuru, Chikkaballapur, Chamarajanagar and Chitradurga on the grounds that JD(S) had done well in these places during the May 2018 Assembly polls and it has a better chance of winning these seats. Deve Gowda is mulling to contest from either Bengaluru North or Mysuru, which have a strong presence of Vokkaligas, his community base. If he chooses Bengaluru North, he has to take on Union minister Sadananda Gowda, who is a Vokkaliga himself and it is said, there are more people from his sub-caste here than Deve Gowdas. Two former ministers from the Congress Veerappa Moily and KH Muniyappa, who were elected from Chikkaballapur and Kolar, respectively, may not have it easy either. A triangular fight had helped Moily last time against BN Bacche Gowda of the BJP. It is rumoured that Moily would not be averse to go to Rajya Sabha if he is adequately compensated for leaving a Lok Sabha seat. Another Congress stalwart Mallikarjun Kharge, who has been elected to the Assembly nine times and twice to the Lok Sabha from Kalaburgi district, is facing a tough time as several local Congress leaders have turned against him for promoting his son, Priyak Kharge, at their cost. Former MLA Qamar-ul-Islam is no more and two other strongmen from the district, Baburao Chinchansoor and Malikayya Guttedar, who used to support Kharge, are no longer with him. Besides, Dr Umesh Jadhav, a local Congress MLA, is all set to desert his party and join BJP to take on Kharge from Kalaburgi. Efforts are being made to persuade Kharge to shift to Kolar in south Karnataka, but he is reportedly reluctant to leave his north Karnataka fortress, where he remains undefeated. Moving to Kolar would also mean displacing KH Muniyappa, who is a seven-time MP and knows the constituency like the back of his hand. But, Congress leaders hope to convince Muniyappa that he should shift to Chitradurga this time, as the situation in Kolar is no longer conducive for him. A clearer picture on the sharing of seats between the Congress and the JD(S) is likely to emerge only after the two parties coordination committee meeting on 4 March. Yeddyurappa's remarks amid escalating tension between India and Pakistan drew criticism from political leaders in Karnataka and disapproval from his own party colleague and Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh. Bengaluru: Facing flak for linking India's air strike on terror camps in Pakistan with BJP's prospects in Lok Sabha polls, party Karnataka chief BS Yeddyurappa on Thursday said there was no question of seeking electoral gains and the nation came first to him. Yeddyurappa's remarks amid escalating tension between India and Pakistan drew criticism from political leaders in Karnataka and disapproval from his own party colleague and Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh. He had on Wednesday said India's pre-emptive strikes on terror camps in Pakistan has created a wave in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will help the party win over 22 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka. The Pakistan media and the ruling party there Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) too latched on to Yeddyurappa's statement to question India whether war was an election option. "I would like to clarify that my yesterday's (Wednesday) statement has been completely misinterpreted. I have highest regard for our armed forces. I salute the bravery of our men in fighting for the country's safety," Yeddyurappa said in a series of tweets. "I stand along with my fellow countrymen and pray for the safe return of (Wing) Commander Abhinandan Varthaman (IAF pilot in Pakistan's custody). To me, the nation comes first, and then the party," he said. In another tweet, he said, "My statement is being reported out of context. I said that 'situation is favourable for BJP' which I have been saying for the last couple of months. This is not first time I said BJP in Karnataka will win a minimum of 22 seats under the able leadership of Modiji." Speaking to reporters, he said there was no question of using the situation arising out of the IAF strike for electoral gains. Noting that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Union home minister Rajnath Singh had informed about the developments at an all-party meeting, he said all political parties, including Congress President Rahul Gandhi, have welcomed India's action. "Where is the question of using it for politics? Whole country has welcomed it. There is no question of using it for political gains," he added. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah slammed Yeddyurappa for looking at political gains on an issue involving national security and interest. Singh, a former army chief, expressed his difference with Yeddyurappa on the issue. "Yeddyurappa, I beg to differ. We stand as one nation, action taken by our government is to safeguard our nation and ensure safety of our citizens, not to win a few extra seats," Singh tweeted. He tagged a video link of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's speech in the parliament stressing on unity among parties at times of national distress. In a tweet tagging a news report about Yeddyurappa's statement, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's party said "Air Force excursions, war mongering, soldiers in captivity and the lives of so many people in danger all equate to 22 seats in the eyes of representatives on India's ruling party. Is war an election option? #SayNoToWar." Hitting out at Yeddyurappa, Kumaraswamy termed his comments as "shameful." "The entire nation is united in supporting the central government and our armed forces to fight terrorism, while BJP leader Yeddyurappa is busy calculating how many extra Lok Sabha seats the terror attack and Pakistan war can bring to his party. "It's shameful to exploit our jawans' sacrifice for electoral gains," Kumaraswamy tweeted. Questioning BJP's intention, former chief minister and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah demanded clarification from the prime minister. "Shocking and disgusting to understand #BJPsPlot4Vote. It is unfortunate that BJP is calculating electoral gains even before the dust has settled," he said in a tweet. He also said: "No patriot shall derive such sadistic gains over soldiers' death, only a anti-nationalist can. What will RSS say about this?" Siddaramaiah asked. State Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao also slammed Yeddyurappa, asking whether going to war an electoral strategy for the BJP. tech2 News Staff Its been almost eight months since Google released the final and stable build of its latest Android operating system, Android Pie. But while every OS update brings a host of new features and stability to an Android device, the fragmentation is still a common concern faced by many Android device owners. But Asus has brought some good news and a bit of relief to its smartphone users. The Taiwanese tech company has revealed the roadmap for the Android 9 Pie update on its Zenfone devices. The listing was posted on Asus Zen Talk thread. The Android 9 Pie update list includes its premium phone Asus Zenfone 5Z and the mid-range Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 as well. Among other lucky smartphones, the listing mentions of the Asus ROG gaming phone and a few other mid-range and budget Zenfone devices. Here is the full list of devices that will receive the Android 9 Pie update this year: ZenFone 4 Max (ZC554KL) ZenFone 4 Selfie (ZD553KL) ZenFone 4 Max (ZC520KL) ZenFone Live (ZB553KL) ZenFone4 Max (ZB520KL) ZenFone Max Plus (M1) Clear Soft Bumper (ZB570TL) ZenFone 5Q (ZC600KL) ZenFone Live (L1) Clear Soft Bumper (ZA550KZ / ZA551KL) ZenFone Max Pro (ZB602KL) ZenFone Max Pro (ZB601KL) ZenFone Max (M1) Clear Soft Bumper (ZB555KL / ZB556KL) ZenFone 5 (ZE620KL) ZenFone 5Z (ZS620KL) ASUS ROG Phone (ZS600KL) ZenFone Max Pro (M2) Clear Soft Bumper (ZB631KL/ ZB630KL) ZenFone Max (M2) Clear Soft Bumper (ZB633KL / ZB632KL) Notably, Asus officially rolled out the stable Android 9 Pie update to the Asus Zenfone 5Z earlier this month. While the Taiwanese tech company has promised that Googles latest mobile OS update will come to its 2018 Zenfone models, previous Asus models are still struggling with the slow pace of updates. The Zenfone Max 2 series, for instance, is yet to receive the Android Nougat update. Asus hasnt shared any specific timeframe as to when and how it will roll out Android Pie to the above-listed smartphones. However, the Zenfone Max Pro M2 received the Android Pie beta update this month and the ROG phone was recently spotted on the benchmark site Geekbench with Android Pie, which means that these phones could be the first one from the lot to get a taste of the latest Android OS. Asheeta Regidi The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade released a new draft National E-commerce Policy for stakeholder comments on 23 February, 2019. While past policies on e-commerce dealt primarily with the FDI rules, the new Policy covers a much wider range of activities, including on infrastructure development, new rules for imports, suggesting online customs clearance, rules for consumer protection, requiring business entities to be established in India and so on. In addition to rules of this nature, which are more specific to the commercial functioning of an e-commerce site, the policy also proposes rules that affect intermediary liability for such sites, in their dealing with counterfeit goods, piracy and prohibited goods. The proposed rules are problematic, however, since firstly, they impose rules that effectively remove the protection e-commerce sites have as intermediaries, by requiring all such sites to play a more active role. Secondly, they go against the Supreme Court and other judgments including the Shreya Singhal judgment, by requiring intermediaries to exercise their own judgment as to identifying content that infringes anothers copyright or trademark, removing it and even blacklisting the concerned sellers for a period. The rules completely omit the fact that such determinations require the judgment of the courts and not the intermediaries. How copyright and trademark intermediary liability works Intermediary liabilities and the need to revisit them have been a subject of contention for a while, giving the changing nature of the internet and technology. The draft Intermediary Guidelines released last December reflect this change, and the new rules proposed under the e-commerce policy take the next step, both albeit in a problematic manner. Existing laws on intermediary liability, in general, are well-known, where Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, protects intermediaries like social media companies, e-commerce sites, etc. from liability for any content they host. Intermediaries are obligated to exercise due diligence for the content uploaded and must take down illegal content within 36 hours on receiving a court direction or government order to do so (as laid down in the Shreya Singhal judgement). While these same rules form the foundation of liability for intellectual property right infringement as well (such as trademarks and copyright), the rules in relation to this are more nuanced and are laid down under the Indian Copyright Act, 1957, as well as various judgments, as discussed below. On trademark infringement under the draft e-commerce policy First, turning to the new rules for anti-counterfeiting measures or products infringing trademarks under the new e-commerce policy. In order to enable trademark owners to exercise their rights, the policy includes requirements to: allow trademark owners to register themselves with a platform, and any trademarked product uploaded there must be notified by the platform to the trademark owner; give trademark owners the option to require their authorisation before the listing of their products by sellers, while compulsorily requiring such authorisation for high value (luxury) goods, cosmetics and others; require trademark owners to be informed of complaints of counterfeit products, and if the seller is unable to prove authenticity, have it taken down; and require platforms to cease hosting products that were found to be counterfeit, impose financial disincentives on the sellers and even blacklist them. In relation to sellers, the new rules also require that: platforms make seller names and contact details available; and platforms enter into agreements with sellers to provide guarantees of authenticity and validity of brand warranties for their products, without which they cannot be listed. It also includes new rules on reviews as well as customer support. It includes similar rules for prohibited products- requiring their removal, blacklisting of the sellers concerned and notification of authorities. A problematic adaption of a Delhi HC judgment These rules are adapted from directions given by the Delhi High Court in 2018 in Christian Louboutin Sas v. Nakul Bajaj. The proposed rules, however, omit some key factors of the judgment. First, the judgment differentiates between e-commerce sites that are mere intermediaries and thus protected under intermediary law, and those which are more active participants, and thus not. The judgment lists a number of factors to help make this determination, such as platforms identifying sellers, providing transportation facilities, providing quality assurances and authenticity guarantees, providing or uploading reviews, promoting products and giving specific discounts, providing customer support, booking ad-space on search engines, using trademarks through metatags, deep-linking to the owners website, etc. Based on this, one can consider (going by general perceptions of these sites) OLX and eBay as examples of mere intermediaries, and Amazon and Myntra as examples of more active participants. Despite this list, the judgment requires facts and circumstances to be taken into account, including the terms and conditions of the site. Assessing the nature of e-commerce sites The new policy, however, completely omits the requirement to make this determination. Additionally, the rules the policy adopts, as listed previously, are derived from the directions given in this case. However, the directions, in this case, were given specifically for the e-commerce site in question (Darveys.com) and were not general rules for all intermediaries. The adoption of the same directions as rules for all e-commerce sites under the new policy, without any consideration of the facts and circumstances, results in rules that require all e-commerce sites to perform various acts, such as identifying sellers, monitoring products, requiring guarantees, etc., which in turn will make them lose their mere intermediary status, and thus their protection under the law. Further, the judgment makes no mention of blacklisting of sellers, which again, is something that should need an evaluation of facts and circumstances by a Court, instead of the e-commerce site. The rules, instead, completely omit the requirement of a Court order. Actual facts and circumstances can make a big difference, for instance, the determination of whether the seller made a bona fide effort to ascertain whether the goods were genuine before blacklisting him. Similarly, the sale of used goods is a factor, since they may be genuine, branded products, but may not have a valid original warrantee as required under the new rules. Such resales would be impermissible under the new rules. On copyright infringement under the new policy Turning to copyright infringement and the anti-piracy measures under the new Policy, e-commerce sites are to put in place measures to deal with online distribution of pirated content, and to identify trusted entities whose complaints are resolved on a priority. Upon being notified by a copyright owner of the distribution of content without his permission, the e-commerce platform must expeditiously remove or disable access to the content. This requirement to remove content on being notified is in keeping with intermediary rules for copyright under Section 52(1)(c) of the Copyright Act. This provision requires potentially infringing content to be taken down temporarily upon receiving such notice for 21 days, until a Court order is received to take it down permanently. The need for specific knowledge through a notice of copyright infringement has been upheld in Myspace Inc v. Super Cassettes Industries Ltd (Delhi High Court, 2016). On monitoring content for IPR infringement However, if the requirement of having measures to deal with piracy refers to a monitoring requirement, this goes against a Supreme Court ruling in 2017, Kent RO Systems v. Amit Kotak, where while dealing with eBay, it was ruled that an intermediary is not required to be in a place where it needs to judge whether content infringes intellectual property rights or not. The law, it was held, only requires intermediaries to take down content on being notified, and an intermediary cannot be expected to monitor all its content for infringement. A requirement to monitor is justified when the website is not a mere intermediary, for instance, in the case of Unacademy, where the Madras High Court in 2018, found that Unacademy was not protected as an intermediary from the upload of content that infringed copyright. Unacademy was found to be more than a mere intermediary on considering its terms of service, which stated that it approved the content uploaded, paid users for the content provided, and required exclusivity for the content, it was not a mere intermediary. Blocking of websites An additional rule is in relation to the blocking of websites, and it is unclear why such a rule is placed in an e-commerce policy. A body of industry stakeholders, as per the Policy, is to list rogue websites which predominantly host pirated content. For websites placed on this Infringing Websites List, internet service providers are to remove or disable access within time limits, payment gateways are not to allow payments to such websites, search engines must take steps to remove such websites from search lists, and advertisers cannot host advertisements on such websites. The inclusion of this rule, which would normally be within the powers of say, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, appears to be a result of the wide net that the Policy has cast in dealing with e-commerce. It appears to have included any activity on the internet which involves payment in some form, be it even the providing of content. While the overlap of traditional regulatory jurisdictions when dealing with the internet is inevitable, this can lead to conflicting regulations for the industry. Misinterpretation of judgment rulings A misadaptation of the Supreme Court rulings, as seen with the draft e-commerce policy, was recently seen with the draft Intermediary Guidelines as well, where requirements in the Tehseen Poonawalla case to address fake news and in the Prajwala Letter case for automated monitoring and deletion of content in relation to child pornography, rape and gang rape, were misinterpreted to include a general requirement to share information, censor content and automatically monitor all content for lawfulness (a more detailed discussion is here). While giving an intermediary absolute immunity for the content it hosts is no longer justified and intermediary liabilities do need to take on greater responsibility, this adaptation of rules without a proper understanding of the ruling that they are based on is problematic. The current set of rules, as seen, are problematic on many accounts that they fail to take the actual nature of an e-commerce site into account, require an intermediary to pass judgment on the content it hosts, and do not provide any recourse or appeal to the parties that are affected. The nuances of the underlying jurisprudence, be it the laws or judgments, constitutional rights as well as the principles of natural justice (like the right to be heard) cannot be overlooked. In any case, the invite of stakeholder comments to the proposed policy is welcome, so that issues of this nature can be addressed. Further, perhaps in the age of technology, regulatory roles need to be re-determined, and maybe regulations issued jointly by concerned departments can lead to a more wholesome view of the picture. The author is a lawyer specialising in technology, privacy and cyber laws tech2 News Staff Rumours around Motorolas foldable smartphone have long been circulating around. Reports since the past few months hinted heavily that the foldable phone might be introduced as a revamped Moto Razr, the super-sleek phone we saw in the early 2000s. But while Motorola was tight-lipped about the device, the company has now confirmed that it is indeed working on a foldable display smartphone. In an interview with Engadget, Motorolas VP of Global Product Dan Dery shared some insight about the foldable phones development. As per the report, the company began working on foldables a long time ago and that they have been doing a lot of iteration. Derry hinted at the folding phone following the design that appeared in a leaked patent filing that appeared last month. The patent filing showed off a device with a dual-screen and flip design similar to the Moto Razr phone. Derry said that the 'screen-on-the-outside approach 'adopted by Huawei is the nicest and purest way to go, but given the outward fold designs inherent fragility, he suggested that the clamshell-fold design would likely survive in the long run. Concerned about the scratching issues he said that the company doesnt have any intention of putting the display outside. When you know the scratching issues you would be facing, you will have something that is very rapidly not usable," Derry said. Apparently, the clamshell folding design is not the only concept Motorola is looking into. As per the report the company is said to be exploring the possibility of a dual-hinge device with a single screen that will double fold, sort of like a Z-design. Referring to it as the holy grail of foldable design, Derry indicated that the Lenovo sub-brand wasn't the only one doing this and that two very famous companies are already actively exploring the concept. While a report from The Wall Street Journal last month suggested that Motorolas foldable phone could launch by the end of this month, Derry, however, refuting it said that the company has "no intention of coming later than everybody else in the market. With Galaxy Fold releasing in April and Huaweis Mate X launching in mid-2019, perhaps Motorolas foldable phone might be showcased late summer. Moto's VP of Global Product didn't share any other details regarding specs other than to give some insight on the calculated design choices the company is considering for its upcoming foldable device. Reports suggest that the phone might have an in-display fingerprint sensor and it could be made available at a price of $1,500. The Associated Press China has unveiled draft regulations on gene editing and other potentially risky biomedical technologies after a Chinese scientists claim of helping to create gene-edited babies roiled the global science community. Under the proposed measures released Tuesday, technology involving gene editing, gene transfer and gene regulation would be categorised as high-risk and managed by the health department of the State Council, Chinas Cabinet. The measures follow assertions in November from scientist He Jiankui that he altered the DNA of twin girls born that month using a powerful new tool. The technology, called CRISPR-cas9, makes it possible to operate on DNA to supply a needed gene or disable the one thats causing problems. The revelation that it may have been used to conceive children elicited widespread outcry over the procedures ethical implications. Researchers said Hes actions exposed the twins to unknown health risks, possibly including a higher susceptibility to viral illnesses. Gene editing for reproductive purposes is effectively banned in the US and most of Europe. In China, ministerial guidelines prohibit research on embryos that violates the ethical or moral principles. Ethical guidelines published in 2003 say that gene editing is permitted for research, but that the experimental embryo cannot be nurtured for more than 14 days. He Jiankui said he edited the babies genes at conception in hopes of making them resistant to the AIDS virus, as their father is HIV positive. His lab was in Shenzhen, Chinas southern tech hub, and he recruited study participants through an AIDS advocacy group. He said his goal was to rewrite DNA before birth to make some children immune to HIV during their lifetime. China immediately halted Hes experiments after his announcement. He also pursued international experts at Stanford and Rice universities, where he had done graduate studies work, and elsewhere, seeking advice before and during the experiment. In an interview with The Associated Press the month before his project was publicised, the 34-year-old scientist said he believed gene editing of human embryos resulting in live births was legal in China because the country has no law specifically forbidding it. Chinas official Xinhua News Agency reported last month that He had breached national guidelines and would be punished for any legal violations. Xinhua didnt say which laws He might have violated but noted that he had fabricated an ethical review. Along with the birth of the twins, another embryo yet to be born reportedly resulted from Hes experiment. All three will remain under medical observation with regular visits supervised by government health departments, Xinhua said. Late last year, Chinas education ministry sent notices to universities requiring self-checks on research related to gene editing. In an email, the ministry told the AP that it called on educational institutions to strengthen management of scientific research ethics and inspect research involving gene-editing technology. Kehkooi Kee, a Tsinghua University researcher who conducts gene editing on stem cells, said the volume of paperwork he must now fill out has increased as a result of being subject to more checks. He (Jiankui) is an irresponsible scientist, Kee said in late December after the Education Ministry issued its notification. I dont even want to call him a scientist he is an irresponsible man. While Hes work was widely condemned by his fellow scientists in China, it has had repercussions for others studying gene editing. It has also become more difficult to get gene-editing research approved, Kee said. The industry will develop at a slower pace, Kee said. The government will be more cautious with research funds, and private organisations, such as charities and startups, will be less likely to invest. There should be No exception, no special treatment". The prelate responds to the president, who is against deporting undocumented Chinese because it might lead to Filipinos deported from China. About 74 per cent of the 533 foreigners arrested in the Philippines in 2018 were Chinese. Manila (AsiaNews) Tolerating the flow of undocumented Chinese migrants is "unfair to Filipinos", says Mgr Ruperto Cruz Santos (pictured), bishop of Balanga and president of the Episcopal Commission for Migrants and Itinerant People. The prelate told CBCP News that immigration legislation must be applied in all cases, regardless of nationality or status. Their entry, stay and work must be legal, and if not, so apply the law. No exception, no special treatment, Santos said. The bishop was reacting to President Rodrigo Dutertes statement on 23 February discouraging the deportation of undocumented Chinese workers in the Philippines. During an election rally in the province of Laguna, Duterte said they should be allowed to stay and work. Often criticised for his conciliatory policies towards Beijing, the president defended his view by comparing the situation of Chinese migrants to that of Filipinos in China. "Thats why I cant tell them to leave, deport them. What if they make the 300,000 Filipinos there leave? In 2016, the Filipino consulate in Hong Kong estimated that some undocumented 200,000 Filipinos worked as helpers in China. Duterte stressed that there is a distinct possibility that deportation would also happen to Filipinos in China so we must avoid getting rough on this issue. In early February, the Philippines Bureau of Immigration reported that 74 per cent of the 533 foreigners arrested in 2018 were Chinese nationals. On 7 February, immigration officials arrested 30 Chinese nationals working illegally in several establishments in Paranaque City (Metro Manila). Mgr Santos rejected the claim coming from the presidential palace (Malacanang) that Chinese workers fill a gap because of a lack of skilled Filipinos, especially in the construction sector. It could be that we are not giving them work and chose to give work to other nationalities. And thus, it is unfair treatment to our fellow Filipinos, he explained. The prelate urged the government to ensure that Filipinos are not robbed of job opportunities in their own country. Prioritise them, Filipinos first and give them work here so that there will be no need of going abroad, Santos added. tech2 News Staff Yes, there are some that look forward to the month of February for other reasons than Valentine's Day and the shortest month in the year. 28 February also brings a day to commemorate an important discovery made by the legendary Indian physicist C V Raman. Educated entirely in India, C V Raman's expertise were acoustic vibrations sounds of string instruments like the violin, the veena and two signature Indian percussion instruments the tabla and mridangam. Raman made his first trip to London in 1921 to collaborate on a study with two internationally famous British scientists J J Thomson and Lord Rutherford. His return journey to India a fifteen-day voyage by ship, would be a historic one. Raman was struck by a question while cruising the deep blue Mediterranean waters: Why does the sea appear blue? At the time, there was one explanation for it already, but one that Raman wasn't convinced by. Lord Rayleigh, a British scientist who made countless contributions to theoretical and experimental physics, explained that the colour of sea simply reflected the colour of the sky. Raman outlined his thoughts on why he didn't agree with Rayleigh's theory and posted a letter to the journal Nature once his ship docked in the Bombay harbor. He spent the next six years solidifying his theory and shared it with the world in a 1928 paper. Raman showed conclusively and for the first time that the colour of the sea was blue because sunlight was scattered by water molecules. Ironically, it was the same exact argument Rayleigh had used to explain the sky's colour. The sea's blue, however, was because sunlight was split into its spectrum of colours by molecules in the air. The only colour reflected by the water, that reaches our eyes is blue. C V Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for this discovery, making him the first Indian and the first Asian to win the prestigious award. AIR remembers legendary physicist Nobel Laureate Sir C.V. Raman and one of his discoveries, the famous 'Raman Effect' on #NationalScienceDay pic.twitter.com/FSeWNcG6up ALL INDIA RADIO (@AkashvaniAIR) February 28, 2019 For the past 32 years, every 28 February has been celebrated as a remembrance of Raman's contribution to science and the Indian scientific community. Every Science Day has had a theme over the years. Last year's was 'Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future'. The theme for this year's Science Day is 'Science for the People and the People for Science'. Dinesh C Sharma National Science Day is celebrated every year on February 28 to commemorate the discovery of Raman Effect by Sir C V Raman on this day in 1928. The discovery won him the Nobel prize in physics a couple of years later. But few people know about Ramans research associates and students who were witness to the discovery and subsequently worked on various aspects of it. Sukumar Chandra Sirkar (1898- 1983) is one such unsung student of Raman. In 1928, when Raman made the discovery in his laboratory at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) in Kolkata, he had a fairly large number of associates and researchers working with him. In all, 32 research scholars were working under his guidance but only two K S Krishnan and S C Sirkar were involved in the work on scattering of light, which later came to be known as the Raman Effect. Krishnan had recorded details of the work relating to the discovery in his private diaries, covering the period from February 5 to 28, 1928. Details of these diaries were published only after his death. Now a new book on the life and science of Sirkar, written by leading historian of science Rajinder Singh, has brought to light the contribution of Sirkar to the work on Raman Effect. Sirkar, according to the new book, was the first person whom Raman asked to evaluate the first ever Raman spectrum of benzene. Sirkar recalled that Raman came to him with glass plates containing benzene and mercury lamp spectra and asked him to measure the wavelength of new lines with an Adam Hilger comparator. Since a standard iron spectrum was not available for comparison and the distance between the lines was too small, Sirkar was unable to make the measurement. When Sirkar informed Raman about the difficulty, he told him there was no time to take a reference spectrogram as he had to leave for Bangalore to announce the discovery. Raman made the announcement in Bangalore on March 16, 1928, which was immediately published in the Indian Journal of Physics. Raman then dispatched a pre-print of the paper to Neils Bohr. He wanted leading physicists to know about it at the earliest since he was aware that scientists in Russia and France were also working in this field. The news of the discovery was also announced in Indian newspapers like Amrit Bazar Patrika. Sirkar later recalled that even in the middle of 1928, neither Raman nor his students made an effort to investigate the theory of the effect. The effect was being called modified scattering. In June 1928, German physicist Peter Pringsheim who performed independent experiments with benzol, toluene and carbon tetrachloride and found spectra similar to the ones reported by Raman. Pringsheim published the results in a scientific journal and it was he who coined the term Der Raman Effekt or the Raman Effect in his paper. Following the discovery, Sirkar continued to work on the intensity of Raman lines on the Raman spectra. Sirkars work on the relative intensities of Raman lines was of high quality and international repute. For these investigations, he was awarded D Sc degree by the University of Calcutta, says the book. He also worked on a different phenomenon called the Kerr Effect. He co-authored a research paper with Raman and it was published in international science journal Nature. After Raman left for Bangalore to become director of the Indian Institute of Science, Sirkar worked under his successor at IACS, M N Saha. By 1942, Sirkar had 50 research publications to his credit but did not have a permanent position. Only in 1945, he was appointed a lecturer in the Science College, and after three years moved back to IACS as a professor to head the Department of Optics. Sirkar belonged to that group of scientists who may not have made discoveries or inventions but influenced the development of science in India by training a number of students, summed up Rajinder Singh while speaking to India Science Wire. Singh has brought to fore lives of other such unsung heroes of Indian science including Bidhu Bhushan Ray and Bibha Chowdhury. India Science Wire Press Trust of India Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday urged scientists to mould their research in accordance with the needs of the society and the economy, and pitched for cross-disciplinary research. Addressing the recipients of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for excellence in science and technology here, he said the days of working in silos are over. He said he had asked his principal scientific advisor to prepare a scheme in this regard. "Your participation is a must," he told the gathering. He said that in the coming days, data will be the "new fuel" and the country and the scientific community will have to accordingly invest in it. "The days of one person planting sapling and the other watering it are over...cannot work in silos," he said. The prime minister also pitched for having "local technology" to fulfil the needs of the people and the society. The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince stressed the UAE's will to support positive relations between the two neighbouring countries, noting the common historical and cultural ties that brings them together, the report said. Dubai: Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan Thursday telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan as part of his efforts to de-escalate India-Pakistan tensions and underline the importance of dialogue and communication in resolving differences. The Crown Prince, also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, in a tweet said he talked to Modi and Imran. Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the 14 February Pulwama attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group. India carried out air strikes against the "biggest training camp" of JeM in Balakot and two other locations, to which Pakistan retaliated on Wednesday. On Thursday, Imran announced that Pakistan will free "captured" IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan on Friday as a "peace gesture", hours after a strong message from India demanding his unconditional release, largely de-escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. "His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, held two phone calls on Thursday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan," his Twitter handle said. Interestingly, his tweet came a day before the UAE hosts the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Abu Dhabi on Friday. India has been invited for the first time to attend the Foreign Ministers' conclave in Abu Dhabi where External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be the "guest of honour". Pakistan, a member of the OIC, has conveyed its reservations over Swaraj's presence at the meeting. "Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al Jubeir is scheduled to visit Islamabad on Thursday carrying an important message from the Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman," reports from Pakistan said. Meanwhile, the official WAM Emirates News Agency, reporting on the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's talks with Modi and Imran said, "His Highness and the two Prime Ministers exchanged talks on recent developments in the India-Pakistan arena." "Sheikh Mohamed emphasised the importance behind dealing with these worrying developments, and working towards easing tensions between the two countries, prioritising dialogue and communication between the parties," it said. The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince stressed the UAE's will to support positive relations between the two neighbouring countries, noting the common historical and cultural ties that brings them together, the report said. "Sheikh Mohammed underscored the UAE's keenness on ensuring peace and stability in India-Pakistan ties, expressing his great confidence in the two countries' leadership prioritising peaceful dialogue in dealing with the developments that have occurred in the past few days," it added. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgium has won an appeal against a judge's order forcing it to repatriate two Belgian women convicted of being Islamic State militants and their six children from Syria, a court said on Wednesday. A judge ruled last year that the country had to bring back Tatiana Wielandt, 26, Bouchra Abouallal, 25, and the children they had with militants, from the Al-Hol camp where they were being held in a Kurdish-dominated part of Syria BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgium has won an appeal against a judge's order forcing it to repatriate two Belgian women convicted of being Islamic State militants and their six children from Syria, a court said on Wednesday. A judge ruled last year that the country had to bring back Tatiana Wielandt, 26, Bouchra Abouallal, 25, and the children they had with militants, from the Al-Hol camp where they were being held in a Kurdish-dominated part of Syria. But the Belgian government sought to make a distinction between the mothers, who were convicted last year in absentia of being members of Islamic State, and the children who officials say cannot be guilty of acts committed by their parents. The Brussels court of appeal said that the Belgian state was not forced "to undertake any act of repatriation." In response, the Belgian justice ministry said it would still seek to repatriate all children younger than 10 years old from Iraq and Syria, where European citizens, many of them babies, are being held in camps by U.S.-backed Kurdish militias following the defeat of Islamic State by coalition forces. It was not immediately clear how many of the six children were under 10 in the Belgian case. European nations are wrestling with how to handle suspected militants and their families seeking to return from combat zones, an issue made more pressing by U.S. plans to withdraw troops from Syria. (Reporting by Robin Emmott, Editing by William Maclean) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Benjamin Netanyahu was indicted for bribery, breach of trust and fraud, media reports said Thursday ahead of a widely expected announcement. Jeruselam: Israel's attorney general intends to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for bribery, breach of trust and fraud, media reports said Thursday ahead of a widely expected announcement. Various Israeli outlets said Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit would move to indict the premier pending a hearing, where Netanyahu would be given a chance to defend himself before charges are filed. However, Netanyahu's Likud party dismissed corruption allegations against him as "political persecution" after media reported that the attorney general was set to move to indict him for bribery. "We're talking about political persecution," the right-wing party said ahead of a planned statement by Netanyahu at 18.00 GMT. "Unilateral publication of the attorney general's announcement just a month before the elections, without giving the prime minister an opportunity to refute these false accusations, is a blatant and unprecedented intervention in the elections." The final decision on indictment will only take place after a hearing, where Netanyahu will be given the opportunity to defend himself. The process is expected to take many months and be completed long after the 9 April election. But the recommendations immediately cast a cloud over the campaign and Netanyahu's future. An indictment would mark the first time in Israeli history that a sitting prime minister has been charged with a crime. Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert served time in prison for corruption, but had already resigned by the time he was charged. Netanyahu denied any wrongdoing and called the various allegations a "media-orchestrated witch hunt" aimed at removing him from office. He vowed to carry on and is deadlocked in the polls, 40 days before Israelis go to vote. Netanyahu scheduled a press conference later on Thursday to respond to the attorney general's decision. In a last-ditch effort to prevent the public release of an indictment, Netanyahu's Likud party petitioned the Supreme Court to have it delayed until after the elections. But the court rejected the request Thursday afternoon, potentially clearing the way for an announcement from the attorney general. With inputs from agencies BRASILIA (Reuters) - A Brazilian judge on Wednesday ordered the release of eight workers for Vale SA who had been jailed in connection with an investigation into a burst tailing dam that killed an estimated 300 people, news website G1 reported. The workers had been jailed since Feb. 15. BRASILIA (Reuters) - A Brazilian judge on Wednesday ordered the release of eight workers for Vale SA who had been jailed in connection with an investigation into a burst tailing dam that killed an estimated 300 people, news website G1 reported. The workers had been jailed since Feb. 15. (Reporting by Jake Spring; Editing by Christian Plumb) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. SHANGHAI (Reuters) - A senior Chinese diplomat expressed 'deep concern' over the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan on Wednesday, after the two countries said they shot down each other's fighter jets. State Councillor Wang Yi, the Chinese government's top diplomat made the comments in a telephone conversation with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, China's foreign ministry said in a statement on its website on Thursday SHANGHAI (Reuters) - A senior Chinese diplomat expressed "deep concern" over the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan on Wednesday, after the two countries said they shot down each other's fighter jets. State Councillor Wang Yi, the Chinese government's top diplomat made the comments in a telephone conversation with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, China's foreign ministry said in a statement on its website on Thursday. Qureshi telephoned Wang to inform him of the latest developments in the conflict and to express hope that China would continue to play a "constructive role" in easing tensions, the statement said. Wang "reiterated his hope that both Pakistan and India will exercise restraint and earnestly fulfil their commitments to preventing the expansion of the situation," and said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the statement said. India launched an air strike on what it said was a militant training base on Tuesday, its first inside Pakistan since a 1971 war, after at least 40 Indian paramilitary police died in a Feb. 14 suicide car bombing by Pakistan-based militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir. It is the first time in history that two nuclear-armed powers have launched air strikes against each other, while ground forces have exchanged fire in more than a dozen locations. (Reporting by Andrew Galbraith; Editing by Michael Perry) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen said during his congressional testimony on Wednesday that he fears Trump will not allow his successor to peacefully take control of the White House if he loses the 2020 presidential election. 'Given my experience working for Mr WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen said during his congressional testimony on Wednesday that he fears Trump will not allow his successor to peacefully take control of the White House if he loses the 2020 presidential election. "Given my experience working for Mr. Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, there will never be a peaceful transition of power," Cohen said during his closing remarks before the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee. (Reporting by Ginger Gibson, Doina Chiacu and Sarah N. Lynch; editing by Grant McCool) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen called Trump a 'racist,' 'conman' and 'cheat' in testimony on Wednesday before a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives committee. Here are highlights from his opening statement https://tmsnrt.rs/2BPJTPp (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen called Trump a "racist," "conman" and "cheat" in testimony on Wednesday before a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives committee. Here are highlights from his opening statement https://tmsnrt.rs/2BPJTPp. WIKILEAKS EMAIL DUMP Cohen said Trump, the Republican candidate, knew WikiLeaks would release hacked Democratic National Committee emails ahead of time. He said he was in Trump's office at Trump Tower when Roger Stone told Trump he had spoken with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that Assange had told Stone that within a couple of days there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage rival Hillary Clinton's campaign. Cohen said Trump responded, "Wouldn't that be great." TRUMP TOWER MEETING WITH RUSSIANS Cohen said that, after reading 2017 media accounts of a Trump Tower meeting in June 2016 involving Donald Trump Jr., others from the Trump campaign and Russians, he recalled Donald Jr. entering a room that month, leaning over his father's desk and, speaking in a low voice, saying, "the meeting is all set." "I remember Mr. Trump saying, 'OK, good ... Let me know." Cohen said that Donald Jr. would never set up a meeting of any significance on his own and not without checking with his father, and that nothing went on in "Trump world," especially the campaign, without Trump's knowledge and approval. He said Trump had frequently told him and others that Donald Jr. "had the worst judgment of anyone in the world." HUSH-MONEY PAYMENTS Cohen said Trump asked him to pay off an adult film star with whom Trump had had an affair, and to lie about it to Trump's wife Melania. Cohen gave the committee a copy of the $130,000 wire transfer during the closing days of the presidential campaign from him to an attorney for Stephanie Clifford, whose screen name is Stormy Daniels. He said the actress had demanded the payment to maintain her silence about her affair with Trump. He said Trump told Cohen to use his own personal funds from a home equity line of credit to avoid any money being traced back to Trump that could hurt the campaign. Cohen also provided the committee a copy of a $35,000 personal check signed by Trump https://tmsnrt.rs/2BPKgcL on Aug. 1, 2017, to reimburse him "for the illegal hush money I paid on his behalf." He said the check was one of 11 instalments paid throughout the year. Other reimbursement checks were signed by Trump Organization finance chief Allen Weisselberg and Donald Trump Jr., Cohen said. MOSCOW TRUMP TOWER Cohen said Trump lied when he said negotiations to build a Trump tower in Moscow ended in January 2016 and that Trump asked him about the negotiations as late as June of that year. He said Trump did not tell him directly to lie to Congress about the negotiations but that he inferred from his boss's statements that he should do so and that Trump's lawyers reviewed and edited his statements to Congress in a previous appearance. CHEATING Cohen told the committee that Trump inflated the worth of his total assets "when it served his purposes," such as trying to be listed as one of Forbes magazine's wealthiest people, and deflated them to reduce his real estate taxes. He also said Trump directed him to find a straw, or fake bidder, to buy a Trump portrait that was being auctioned, in order to ensure it went for the highest price of any portrait that day. Cohen said the fake bidder bought the painting for $60,000 https://tmsnrt.rs/2BRQrNm. "Mr. Trump directed the Trump Foundation, which is supposed to be a charitable organization, to repay the fake bidder, despite keeping the art for himself," Cohen said. Cohen also said he commonly called owners of businesses that were owed money for their services and told them there would be no payment or reduced payment. "When I told Mr. Trump of my success, he actually revelled in it," Cohen testified. RACISM Cohen said Trump has publicly courted white supremacists and bigots, and has called poorer countries "shitholes." "In private, he is even worse," the lawyer told the committee. "He once asked me if I could name a country run by a black person that wasn't a 'shithole.' This was when Barack Obama was president of the United States." Cohen recalled driving through a struggling Chicago neighbourhood and Trump telling him that "only black people could live that way." "And, he told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid." TRUMP'S CHARACTER "When I say conman, I'm talking about a man who declares himself brilliant but directed me to threaten his high school, his colleges https://tmsnrt.rs/2C5PGAD, and the College Board to never release his grades or SAT scores," Cohen told the committee. He recalled that in 2011 Trump criticized Obama for not releasing his grades https://tmsnrt.rs/2BRQDfy, calling the Democratic president "a terrible student." He said that, since becoming president, Trump "has become the worst version of himself. He is capable of behaving kindly, but he is not kind. He is capable of committing acts of generosity, but he is not generous. He is capable of being loyal, but he is fundamentally disloyal. "Donald Trump is a man who ran for office to make his brand great, not to make our country great," Cohen said. "He had no desire or intention to lead this nation - only to market himself and to build his wealth and power." (Compiled by Jonathan Oatis; Editing by Howard Goller) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. by Nirmala Carvalho The right-wing group Rastriya Prajatantra Party has launched a campaign in all the provinces. Hindu monarchy was abolished in Nepal in 2006. The new Penal Code which came into force in 2018 punishes all religious conversions. Mumbai (AsiaNews) - A Hindu confessional party in Nepal has launched a campaign to re-establish the Hindu theocratic state. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party, a right-wing group, claims that the national spirit has been weakened by secularism. Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), comments to AsiaNews: "We are very concerned about the campaign to restore Nepal as a Hindu state". The party launched the "Mechi-Mahakali" initiative in all seven provinces of the country. A conference was held in Kathmandu during which the two presidents Pashupati Shamsher Rana and Prakash Chandra Lohani reiterated the importance of the Hindu State. According to them, the idea of a Hindu country is growing and for this reason it is necessary to respect the sentiment of the majority of the population, which professes Hinduism. In Nepal, the Hindu monarchy was abolished in 2006 and in 2015 the first democratic constitution was approved. Since 2018, recalls Sajan K George, a new penal code punishes all religious conversions. The norm provides "that anyone who encourages or is involved in religious conversions through any means, can be charged with criminal offenses and serve up to five years in prison, in addition to paying a fine of 5,000 rupees". In the country, he adds, "Christians are about 3% of the population. Of these, 65% is dalit, so they suffer double discrimination as a marginalized group. Christians are often accused of seducing the Dalits through money with the aim of converting them. These are false accusations ". By Ellen Francis DEIR AL-ZOR PROVINCE, Syria (Reuters) - Hundreds more people of many nationalities streamed out of Islamic State's last enclave in Syria under escort from U.S.-backed forces on Wednesday, part of an exodus of both its supporters and victims from its final shred of land. Part of Baghouz, a tiny cluster of hamlets and farmland on the banks of the Euphrates at the Iraqi border, is all that remains to Islamic State of the 'caliphate' straddling the two countries which its leader proclaimed in 2014. Women from Iraq, Syria, Russia, Azerbaijan and Poland, an Indonesian boy and enslaved, traumatised Yazidi girls were among those to emerge over the past 48 hours from the caravans of trucks that trundled to an assembly point outside the enclave By Ellen Francis DEIR AL-ZOR PROVINCE, Syria (Reuters) - Hundreds more people of many nationalities streamed out of Islamic State's last enclave in Syria under escort from U.S.-backed forces on Wednesday, part of an exodus of both its supporters and victims from its final shred of land. Part of Baghouz, a tiny cluster of hamlets and farmland on the banks of the Euphrates at the Iraqi border, is all that remains to Islamic State of the "caliphate" straddling the two countries which its leader proclaimed in 2014. Women from Iraq, Syria, Russia, Azerbaijan and Poland, an Indonesian boy and enslaved, traumatised Yazidi girls were among those to emerge over the past 48 hours from the caravans of trucks that trundled to an assembly point outside the enclave. Around 40,000 people have come out over three months, including 15,000 since the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced a final assault to capture it on Feb. 9, said SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali. The number surpassed initial estimates and has delayed SDF plans to storm the enclave or force the remaining hardened foreign fighters holed up inside to surrender. As 15 trucks arrived on Wednesday, hundreds of women in full face veils clambered out along with children and stood in line to be searched and given bread and water. They waited in a bitter cold wind and swirling dust for the onward journey to al-Hol and other camps for displaced people in northeast Syria. Two ambulances waited to the side and warplanes flew overhead. Some 78 people have died reaching the camp or soon afterwards over three months, the World Health Organisation said, two-thirds of them babies. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), an aid agency working in northeast Syria, said it was aware of two more babies dying on Wednesday. "As many of the new arrivals are pregnant women close to their due date, there is a real need to increase maternity services in the camp," said the IRC. SPECIAL FORCES Men who came off the trucks were searched and interrogated. Several were taken aside and made to kneel on the ground, an arid steppe green in places from recent rains. Some had had feet amputated, some others were on crutches. Since halting Islamic State's advance at the town of Kobani on the Turkish border in early 2015, fighters from the SDF have fought it back across northern and eastern Syria under an intense U.S.-led coalition air campaign. Some men kneeling in line said they were not fighters but Islamic State administrators who had had no part in violence. Other Syrian men said they had not worked at all for Islamic State but ended up in its enclave as bus drivers or traders. "Our special forces investigate the identities of the men in case there are terrorists who infiltrate with civilians," said Bali. While searching people leaving Baghouz, the SDF has found bombs, suicide vests and gun silencers, he said. The varied backgrounds of those who came out attested to the way Islamic State drew in people from across the world, and swept up Syrians and Iraqis in its cruel rule. An 11-year-old Indonesian boy said he had been in Syria for four years, brought by his parents to join the group's caliphate. They had lived in Iraq and in eastern Syria, he said, and he had learnt Koran and used weapons. His mother died in the bombardment and his father, a fighter, had left Baghouz with him and was now detained, leaving him alone and far from home. SUPPORTERS AND VICTIMS On Tuesday two very young Yazidi girls came out of Baghouz on a truck with phone numbers scrawled on their arms. They had been grabbed by Islamic State fighters in the Sinjar region of Iraq and made captive. The SDF will try to reunite them with their families in Iraq, it said. But many of those emerging from Baghouz still supported the organisation which had enslaved those children, pointing to its lingering threat. Marwa, a 19-year-old Iraqi woman, said she had come to Syria after her father had been arrested and her brother killed in an air strike in Iraq. "I feel like I'm in a dream. I left Islamic State and came here, I came out of a dream," she said. Umm Hisham, a young woman from Aleppo in Syria, said the situation in Baghouz was miserable. "Everyone is dying. Hundreds of sisters are dying. The children are dying of hunger," she said. Her husband, an Islamic State member, was injured by sniper fire and insisted that she leave the enclave with their two small children so he could seek treatment. She had been willing to die inside. "I do not regret joining Islamic State. No I do not regret it... it is the same death if I die it here or in Baghouz," she said. (Reporting by Ellen Francis; Writing by Angus McDowall, Editing by William Maclean) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Donald Trump said two days of talks in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi had made good progress in building relations and on the key issue of denuclearisation, but it was important not to rush into a bad deal. Hanoi: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he had walked away from a nuclear deal at his summit with Kim Jong-un because of unacceptable demands from the North Korean leader to lift punishing US-led sanctions. Trump said two days of talks in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi had made good progress in building relations and on the key issue of denuclearisation, but it was important not to rush into a bad deal. It was all about the sanctions, Trump said at a news conference after the talks were cut short. Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldnt do that. The United Nations and the United States ratcheted up sanctions on North Korea when the reclusive state undertook a series of nuclear and ballistic missile tests in 2017, cutting off its main sources hard cash. Both Trump and Kim left the venue of their talks, the French-colonial-era Metropole hotel, without attending a planned lunch together. Sometimes you have to walk, and this was just one of those times, Trump said, adding it was a friendly walk. He later left Vietnam to return to Washington. Failure to reach an agreement marks a setback for Trump, a self-styled dealmaker under pressure at home over his ties to Russia and testimony from Michael Cohen, his former personal lawyer who accused him of breaking the law while in office. Trump said Cohen lied a lot during Congressional testimony in Washington on Wednesday, though he had told the truth when he said there had been no collusion with Russia. The collapse of the talks will likely raise questions about the Trump administrations preparations and about what some critics see as his cavalier style of personal diplomacy. Since their first summit in Singapore in June, Trump has stressed his good chemistry with Kim, but there have been questions about whether the bonhomie could move them beyond summit pageantry to substantive progress on eliminating a North Korean nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States. 'No rush' No deal is a surprise, especially as they were both all smiley last evening, said Lim Soo-ho, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy. But no-deal today doesnt mean there wont be one in coming months. It means stakes were way too high for the two leaders to give another wishy-washy statement as they did in Singapore. The Singapore summit, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, produced a vague statement in which Kim pledged to work toward denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But little progress followed. News of the summit failure sent South Koreas currency lower and knocked regional stock markets. South Koreas Kospi index closed 1.8 percent lower, marking the biggest one-day percentage loss since October 2018. North Koreas old rival South Korea, which backs efforts to end confrontation on the peninsula, said it regretted that no deal had been reached but the two sides had made progress. While Trump had said he was in no rush to strike a deal with North Korea, the White House had been confident enough to schedule a joint agreement signing ceremony at the conclusion of talks. Like the planned lunch, the ceremony did not take the place. There was no indication of when Trump and Kim might meet again, but the White House said the respective teams look forward to meeting in the future. Kicking off their second day in Hanoi, Trump said he would be happy as long as North Korea conducted no more nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests. North Korea has conducted no nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests since late 2017, and Trump said Kim had promised him there would be no more. Trump said he and Kim had discussed dismantling North Koreas main nuclear facility at Yongbyon, which Kim was willing to do, but Kim had wanted sanctions relief first. There were other facilities that Trump said he had raised, and the North Koreans had been surprised the Americans knew about them, but they had not been able to agree on them. We asked him to do more and he was unprepared to do that, but Im still optimistic, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the news conference, referring to Kim. Trump said the United States would be able to inspect some North Korean facilities but he did not go into specifics. Willingness? While Trump indicated a more flexible stance in the run-up to the Hanoi summit, critics had warned that he risked squandering vital leverage over North Korea if he gave away too much, too quickly. US intelligence officials have said there is no sign North Korea would eve give up its entire arsenal of nuclear weapons, which Kims ruling family sees as vital to its survival. While the United States has long demanded that North Korea give up all of its nuclear and missile programmes, the North wants to see the removal of a US nuclear umbrella for its Asian allies such as South Korea and Japan. Earlier Kim and Trump, seated across from each other at a conference table, appeared confident of progress, and Kim had suggested he was ready to give up his nuclear bombs. If Im not willing to do that, I wont be here right now, Kim told reporters through an interpreter when asked if he was ready to give up his nuclear weapons. In a damning depiction of Donald Trump, the US president's former lawyer Michael Cohen on Wednesday cast him as a racist and a con man who used his inner circle to cover up politically damaging allegations about sex, and lied throughout the 2016 election campaign about his business interests in Russia. Washington: In a damning depiction of Donald Trump, the US president's former lawyer Michael Cohen on Wednesday cast him as a racist and a con man who used his inner circle to cover up politically damaging allegations about sex, and lied throughout the 2016 election campaign about his business interests in Russia. Michael Cohen, who previously pleaded guilty to lying to Congress, told lawmakers that Trump had advance knowledge and embraced the news that emails damaging to Hillary Clinton would be released during the campaign. But he also said he had no "direct evidence" that Trump or his aides colluded with Russia to get him elected, the primary question of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Cohen, shaking off incessant criticism from Republicans anxious to paint him as a felon and liar, became the first Trump insider to pull back the curtain on a version of the inner workings of Trump's political and business operations. He likened the president to a "mobster" who demanded blind loyalty from underlings and expected them to lie on his behalf to conceal information and protect him even if it meant breaking the law. "I am not protecting Mr. Trump anymore," Cohen declared. His matter-of-fact testimony about secret payments and lies unfolded as Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. At a Vietnam hotel and unable to ignore the drama thousands of miles away, Trump lashed out on Twitter, saying Cohen "did bad things unrelated to Trump" and "is lying in order to reduce his prison time." In testimony that cut to the heart of federal investigations encircling the White House, Cohen said he arranged hush money payments to women on Trump's behalf and lied about them to the public and the first lady at the president's behest. He said Trump was "not knowledgeable" about the transactions even though the president directly reimbursed him, and said he was left with the unmistakable impression Trump wanted him to lie to Congress about a Moscow real estate project, even if the president never directly told him so. In one revelation, Cohen said prosecutors in New York were investigating conversations Trump or his advisers had with him after his office and hotel room were raided by the FBI last April. Cohen said he could not discuss that conversation, the last contact he said he has had with the president or anyone acting on his behalf, because it remains under investigation. The appearance marked the latest step in Cohen's evolution from legal fixer for the president he once boasted he'd "take a bullet" for Trump to a foe who has implicated him in federal campaign finance violations. The hearing proceeded along parallel tracks, with Democrats focusing on allegations against Trump while Republicans sought to undermine Cohen's credibility and the proceeding itself. As Republicans blasted him as a convicted liar, a mostly unrattled Cohen sought to blunt the attacks by repeatedly acknowledging his own failings. He called himself a "fool," warned lawmakers of the perils of blind loyalty to a leader undeserving of it and pronounced himself ashamed of what he'd done to protect Trump. "You make mistakes in life and I've owned them and I've taken responsibility for them, and I'm paying a huge price, as is my family," Cohen said during testimony that spanned roughly seven hours. Cohen will soon report to prison for a three-year sentence. At the same time, he is seen as a vital witness for federal prosecutors because of his proximity to the president during key episodes under investigation and their decade-long professional relationship. The first of six Trump aides charged in the Trump-Russia investigation to testify publicly about crimes committed during the 2016 campaign and in the months that followed, Cohen also delivered biting personal commentary on a president he said never expected to win in the first place. He recalled how Trump made him threaten schools he attended to not release his grades and SAT scores, mocked his own avoidance of the Vietnam War and denigrated blacks as "too stupid" to vote for him. "He never expected to win the primary. He never expected to win the general election," Cohen said. "The campaign for him was always a marketing opportunity." Cohen gave lawmakers his first-person account of how he arranged to buy the silence of a porn actress and a Playboy model who said they had sex with Trump. He described a February 2017 conversation with Trump in the Oval Office in which the president reassured him that reimbursement checks sent through Federal Express were coming but would take some time to get through the White House system. He said the president called him a year later to discuss the public messaging around the payments, and had even once put his wife, Melania, on the phone so that he could disavow knowledge. "Lying to the first lady is one of my biggest regrets," Cohen said. "She is a kind, good person. I respect her greatly, and she did not deserve that." In an allegation relating to Mueller's probe, Cohen said he said he overheard Trump confidant Roger Stone telling the candidate in the summer of 2016 that WikiLeaks would dump damaging information about Clinton. Trump put Stone on speakerphone and Stone told him that he had communicated with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that "within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clinton's campaign," according to Cohen. Damaging emails that U.S. officials say were hacked by Russia were later released by WikiLeaks. Trump responded by saying "wouldn't that be great," Cohen said. Stone disputed that account Wednesday. Cohen's claims that Trump had advance knowledge of the emails contradict the president's assertions that he was in the dark, and it is not clear how legally problematic that could be for Trump anyway. Mueller has not suggested that mere awareness of WikiLeaks' plans, as Stone is purported to have had, is by itself a crime. Cohen also suggested Trump implicitly told him to lie about a Moscow real estate project. Cohen has admitted lying about the project, which he says Trump knew about as Cohen was negotiating with Russia during the campaign. Cohen said Trump did not directly tell him to lie, but "he would look me in the eye and tell me there's no business in Russia and then go out and lie to the American people by saying the same thing." Cohen said he does not have direct evidence that Trump colluded with the Russian government during the election, but that he has "suspicions," including after a June 2016 meeting between the president's oldest son and a Kremlin-connected lawyer. "I wouldn't use the word 'colluding.' Was there something odd about the back-and-forth praise with President Putin?" Cohen said. "Yes, but I'm not really sure I can answer the question about collusion." Federal prosecutors in New York have said Trump directed Cohen to arrange payments to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in the run-up to the 2016 campaign. Cohen has said he acted out of "blind loyalty." He said he was presenting the committee with a copy of a check Trump wrote from his personal bank account after he became president to reimburse Cohen for the hush money payments. He claimed he had other exhibits as well, including some financial statements. On the matter of racism, Cohen said the president made comments "disparaging African-Americans, saying at one point that black people would never vote for him because they were "too stupid." He said that Trump once confided to him that, despite his public explanation of a medical deferment from the Vietnam War, he never had any intention of fighting there. "You think I'm stupid, I wasn't going to Vietnam," Cohen quoted Trump as saying. "I find it ironic, President Trump, that you are in Vietnam right now," Cohen said. By Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - There's a new cartoon up on the wall in John Bolton's West Wing office, one that depicts U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser shaking maracas and dreaming of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro behind bars in an orange jumpsuit. Until now, the trophy wall has been dominated by mementos associated with Bolton's signature foreign policy fight: Iran By Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - There's a new cartoon up on the wall in John Bolton's West Wing office, one that depicts U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser shaking maracas and dreaming of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro behind bars in an orange jumpsuit. Until now, the trophy wall has been dominated by mementos associated with Bolton's signature foreign policy fight: Iran. One cartoon features an ayatollah hearing about Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. The new addition is a sign of how Bolton's hawkish focus has zeroed in on a new target - getting Maduro to leave Venezuela. It's a battle he has waged on Twitter, where his acid-tongued trolling of the socialist leader has made him one of the Trump administration's fiercest voices on the issue. Since January, Bolton has fired off more than 130 withering missives directed at Maduro, accounting for three quarters of all his Twitter activity in that time and more than a third of all his tweets since Trump named him national security adviser in March 2018. A spokesman for Bolton declined comment on the strategy. The United States has led an international effort to recognise opposition leader Juan Guaido as the legitimate interim president of Venezuela, considering Maduro's 2018 re-election a sham. More than a month later, Maduro clings to power, with the support of his military. Bolton, a veteran neoconservative who critics call a warmonger, has tweeted far more about Venezuela in his time as national security adviser than any other topic, including Iran (34 tweets) or the Middle East and Syria (29 tweets). It was Bolton's most viral Venezuela tweet that was the genesis for the cartoon from Miami newspaper Diario Las Americas that now graces his office. "I wish Nicolas Maduro and his top advisors a long, quiet retirement, living on a nice beach somewhere far from Venezuela," Bolton said, a zing that has since been retweeted 19,000 times and liked 39,000 times. The next day, Bolton talked about the tweet with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, and added a threat: "The sooner he takes advantage of that, the sooner he's likely to have a nice, quiet retirement on a pretty beach, rather than being in some other beach area like Guantanamo," Bolton said. In Caracas, cartoonist Fernando Pinilla heard about Bolton's warning and was inspired. "Guantanamero ... Maduro Guantanamero ...," Bolton sings in the caricature - a play on both the well-known Cuban song, and the U.S. military detention centre at Guantanamo Bay. "It was easy to imagine that it would be the soundtrack of that arrest, which is our dream," said Pinilla, who said he was surprised and honoured when he learned from Reuters that his work was hanging on Bolton's wall. 'I DREAM OF BOLTON' Bolton's war of words has rankled his targets. Earlier this month, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza held up his phone at a United Nations press conference, brandishing a Bolton tweet warning countries and companies against buying oil and gold from Maduro's government. "What hes trying to do here is give orders," Arreaza complained to reporters. Arreaza follows Bolton on Twitter. Bolton does not follow him back. "Bolton's gangster-style language and threats are proof of the most sublime diplomatic practice. How regrettable that US foreign policy has fallen into the hands of such a gang," Arreaza tweeted last week. While Bolton has far fewer followers than Maduro - 543,000 to Maduro's 3.5 million - Bolton has stronger stats on "engagement," a measurement of how readers connect with a message, noted Matthias Luefkens, who produces an annual "Twiplomacy" study on how world leaders use Twitter. "His language is very bold, very daring, direct. It's not diplomatic language that he uses," said Luefkens, who works for the public relations firm BCW Global in Geneva. The strategy bypasses the time-sucking layers of approvals needed to release a traditional White House statement and also side-steps the media. "It's the Trump formula of avoiding the gatekeepers," said Philip Seib, who writes about diplomacy and social media at the University of Southern California's School for Communication and Journalism. Bolton's brash style won fans in Caracas among supporters of opposition leader Guaido, like Martha Anez. She gushed about the mustachioed Trump adviser as she welcomed her friends to a crochet circle in her home in a well-to-do district earlier this month. "I dream of Bolton!" Anez quipped. "The first thing I do in the morning, even before my coffee, is check whether or not the gringos have said they will intervene. Here we need a square in honour of Bolton! Because he has helped us," she said. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; additional reporting by Sarah Marsh and Shaylim Valderrama in Caracas and Michelle Nichols in New York; Editing by Mary Milliken and Grant McCool) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. That first historic summit in Singapore produced little more than a vaguely worded document committing to complete denuclearisation. Concrete steps could be laid out as Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump meet for the second time in Hanoi. Hanoi: North Korea's Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump met for a second day of talks in Hanoi Thursday aimed at building on their last meeting eight months ago. That first historic summit in Singapore produced little more than a vaguely worded document committing to "complete denuclearisation" and observers say concrete steps will need to be laid out at their second meeting in Hanoi. But Trump appeared to temper expectations of any major breakthroughs, telling reporters Thursday he was "in no rush", saying results would be achieved over the longer term. "We are going to see, there is no rush, we want to do the right deal," he said as he sat down with Kim at the luxury Metropole hotel. For his part, Kim promised to "do my best to achieve a great, ultimately good outcome." They had "walked side by side to Hanoi", where the summit was taking place, and were "continuing great dialogue", he added. The leaders have met face-to-face once again this morning. They are scheduled to sign a declaration. Trump will hold a press conference before leaving Vietnam Thursday evening, while Kim will stay on for a state visit until his departure this weekend. Days ahead of the summit, Donald Trump said he was in no hurry to achieve denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. Ahead of the summit, on Wednesday, he again tweeted an "AWESOME" future for North Korea if his "friend" agrees to give up his nuclear arsenal. Hours before the high-stakes dinner, Trump again said that he was not walking back on US' demands for North Korea's denuclearisation. According to Foreign Policy magazine, a series of reports have indicated little progress on elimination of North Korea's nuclear weapons in advance of the Hanoi meeting. This concern was raised even as US has been willing to engage with North Korea along the lines of the Sunshine Policy: the approach embraced by progressive South Korean leaders from Kim Dae-jung to Moon Jae-in. The idea, the report states, is a simple one: "Hostility causes Kim to cling to his nuclear weapons, as the cold wind makes people pull their coats more tightly around themselves. But the warm sun can cause those same people to willingly abandon their coats. The idea is that the same approach might cause Kim to abandon his nuclear weapons, or at least his hostility to his neighbors". Fatima Bhutto said Pakistan's recent history was bloody and no one has suffered more violence than its own citizens. 'But our long history with military dictatorships and experience of terrorism and uncertainty means that my generation of Pakistanis have no tolerance, no appetite, for jingoism or war,' she said Washington: Author Fatima Bhutto, the grand daughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, on Wednesday asked the Imran Khan government to release an Indian Air Force pilot captured after an air combat. Pilot Abhinandan Varthaman was captured on Wednesday after he ejected safely from his MiG 21 Bison aircraft but landed across the Line of Control. India has demanded immediate and safe return of the Wing Commander Varthaman, who was taken into custody by Pakistani army following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control. "I and many other young Pakistanis have called upon our country to release the captured Indian pilot as a gesture of our commitment to peace, humanity and dignity," Bhutto, 36, wrote in an op-ed in the New York Times. "We have spent a lifetime at war. I do not want to see Pakistani soldiers die. I do not want to see Indian soldiers die. We cannot be a subcontinent of orphans," said Bhutto, a writer who is also niece of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. "My generation of Pakistanis have fought for the right to speak, and we are not afraid to lend our voices to that most righteous cause: peace," said daughter of Murtaza Bhutto, son of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. She said Pakistan's recent history was bloody and no one has suffered more violence than its own citizens. "But our long history with military dictatorships and experience of terrorism and uncertainty means that my generation of Pakistanis have no tolerance, no appetite, for jingoism or war," she said. Bhutto said like her, a large section of the population was against the escalation of tensions. "I have never seen my country at peace with its neighbour. But never before have I seen a war played out between two nuclear-armed states with Twitter accounts," Bhutto said. In the afternoon on Wednesday, #saynotowar hashtag began to trend in Pakistan, before hitting the worldwide number 1 spot on Twitter. Tensions between India and Pakistan rose following the 14 February terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack. Following the incident, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. On Wednesday, Pakistan claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested the pilot. By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China has provided over $158 million to U.S. schools for Confucius Institutes to promote Chinese culture, U.S. By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China has provided over $158 million to U.S. schools for Confucius Institutes to promote Chinese culture, U.S. Senate investigators said on Wednesday, releasing a report saying the centres have acted as tightly controlled propaganda arms for Beijing and should be changed - or shut down. The Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations spent eight months investigating the Confucius Institutes, which were created in 2004 to promote Chinese language and culture at schools and universities around the world. But the centres have been criticized, particularly in the United States, for promoting the views of the Chinese Communist party, assertions denied by both the institutes and the government. The FBI has said it is "watching warily" the Confucius Institutes and the State Department has called them "China's most powerful soft power platforms," the investigators found. The report said the Department of Justice should decide whether any Confucius Institutes or their employees should register as foreign agents. China's government said on Feb. 24 that it plans to "optimize" the spread of the institutes and they will remain a key part of government policy. The new Senate report said China's government controls nearly every aspect of the institutes in the United States, including their funding, staff and programming. It also can veto any program or speaker. The report was released amid a costly trade war between Washington and Beijing, which has seen President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials accuse the Chinese of using students as spies, stealing intellectual property and a range of other dirty tricks. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told a House of Representatives committee that the United States will need to maintain the threat of imposing tariffs on Chinese goods for years even if a deal is struck to end the current dispute. NO EVIDENCE OF ESPIONAGE The Senate investigators did not find evidence that staff at the Confucius Institutes were involved in espionage or other activity that would need reporting to law enforcement. But they did find many staff had obtained the wrong type of visa and that 70 percent of U.S. colleges and universities that received at least $250,000 per year from the Chinese government did not report it as required by the Department of Education. The report's recommendations included requiring that U.S. schools publish online all contracts with foreign governments, ensure hiring confirms to their rules, not Beijing's, and that the State Department review all visas and demand reciprocal treatment in China. "Absent full transparency regarding how Confucius Institutes operate and full reciprocity for U.S. cultural outreach efforts on U.S. campuses in China, Confucius Institutes should not continue in the United States," Senator Rob Portman, the subcommittee's Republican chairman, said in a statement. Subcommittee investigators said they were considering legislation to ensure the centres complied with their recommendations. The subcommittee will hold a hearing on China's influence on U.S. education on Thursday. Officials at the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Besides Confucius Institutes at 100 U.S. schools, Beijing also funds more than 500 "Confucius Classrooms" that teach Chinese language and culture in primary and high schools. The investigators said some of the U.S. universities' contracts with the Chinese government include non-disclosure provisions and require adherence to U.S. and Chinese law. They faulted the U.S. Department of Education for doing too little oversight. Officials at the Education Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The report also said the U.S. State Department had tried to set up a program in China to promote U.S. culture, but that China had insisted on controlling the program to such an extent that the department stopped funding it in October. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Phil Berlowitz) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. ANKARA (Reuters) - White House adviser Jared Kushner discussed his Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, and the two also discussed increasing U.S.-Turkish cooperation and ways to boost economic conditions in the region. ANKARA (Reuters) - White House adviser Jared Kushner discussed his Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, and the two also discussed increasing U.S.-Turkish cooperation and ways to boost economic conditions in the region. Kushner, who has responsibility for Washington's Israel-Palestinian policy, has said the peace plan will address final-status issues of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, including establishing borders. The White House said the meeting with Erdogan included Kushner, Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt and U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook. "They discussed increasing cooperation between the United States and Turkey, and the Trump administrations efforts to facilitate peace between the Israelis and Palestinians," the White House said. "Additionally, they discussed ways to improve the condition of the entire region through economic investment." Erdogan has been one of the most vocal critics of U.S. President Donald Trump's support for Israel. Last year he said the United States had forfeited its role as mediator in the Middle East by moving its Israel embassy to Jerusalem and recognising the city as Israel's capital. "The United States has chosen to be part of the problem rather than the solution," the Turkish president said last May, days before he hosted a summit of Muslim leaders which threatened economic measures against countries which followed the United States in moving their embassies to Jerusalem. Israel calls all of Jerusalem its "eternal and undivided capital", a status not recognised internationally. Palestinians want East Jerusalem, captured and occupied by Israel in a 1967 war, as capital of a future state. In an interview broadcast on Monday on Sky News Arabia during a visit to U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states, Kushner made no specific mention of a Palestinian state, whose creation had been a key goal of Washington's peace efforts for two decades. But he said the long-awaited peace proposal would build on "a lot of the efforts in the past", including the 1990s Oslo accords that provided a foundation for Palestinian statehood, and would require concessions from both sides. U.S. officials said that Kushner, who is Trump's son-in-law, is expected to focus on the economic component of the plan during his week-long trip to the region. (Reporting by Mert Ozkan; Writing by Daren Butler; editing by Gareth Jones) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Jeff Mason and Soyoung Kim HANOI (Reuters) - U.S. By Jeff Mason and Soyoung Kim HANOI (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will hold another day of talks at their second summit in eight months on Thursday, after swapping compliments at a dinner but giving no sign of progress on the key issue of denuclearisation. Trump hailed "a very special relationship" when he met Kim in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi on Wednesday and said he was satisfied with the pace of talks, despite some criticism they were not moving quickly enough. "Great meetings" and a "Very good dialogue," Trump said on Twitter after dinner with Kim at Hanoi's French-colonial-era Metropole hotel while the White House said the two planned to sign a "joint agreement" after further talks on Thursday. [nS0N1ZW00V] The White House has given no indication of what the signing ceremony might involve, although the two sides' discussions have included the possibility of a political statement to declare the 1950-53 Korean War over, which some critics say would be premature. They have also discussed partial denuclearisation measures, such as allowing inspectors to observe the dismantling of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear reactor, U.S. and South Korean officials say. U.S. concessions could include opening liaison offices or clearing the way for inter-Korean projects, but critics say Trump risks squandering vital leverage if he gives away too much, too quickly. The Hanoi summit was Trump's second with Kim since an inconclusive meeting in Singapore in June that produced much fanfare but little substance and there had been little sign of concrete progress since. The U.S. president nevertheless appeared upbeat with Kim even as his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testified at a congressional hearing in Washington, calling Trump a "conman" who knew in advance about the release of stolen emails aimed at hurting his Democratic rival in the 2016 election campaign. [nL1N20M06U] Facing mounting pressure at home over investigations into Russian meddling in the election, Trump has sought a big win by trying to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for promises of peace and development, a foreign policy goal that has confounded multiple predecessors. Trump told Kim on Wednesday he felt the first summit was "very successful". "Some people would like to see it go quicker; Im satisfied; youre satisfied, we want to be happy with what we're doing." TRUMP SAYS NOT WALKING BACK Asked by a reporter if he was "walking back" on denuclearisation demands, Trump said, "No". Trump and Kim held a 20-minute, one-on-one chat before a dinner that also involved U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trump's acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Kim's top envoy Kim Yong Chol and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho. On Thursday, the two leaders have a series of meetings scheduled at the Metropole, beginning with another one-on-one session lasting 45 minutes, the White House said. After a "joint agreement signing ceremony" Trump plans a news conference at 3:50 p.m. Hanoi time (0850 GMT). Asked if he would declare a formal end to the Korean War, which concluded with an armistice, rather than a peace treaty that North Korea has long sought, Trump said on Wednesday: "Well see." The June meeting was the first between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader. It produced a joint statement in which Kim pledged to work toward denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and the two sides committed to establish new ties and build a permanent peace regime. But there has been little progress since. Kim said on Wednesday the leaders had overcome obstacles to meet a second time and praised Trump for his "courageous decision" to begin a dialogue, adding that he was "confident that there will be an excellent outcome that everyone welcomes". Trump said late last year he and Kim "fell in love", but whether bonhomie can move them beyond summit pageantry to substantive progress on eliminating a North Korean nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States is a big question. Trump indicated a more flexible stance in the run-up to Hanoi, saying he was in no rush as long as North Korea, which has not tested a nuclear weapon or intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017, maintained that freeze. U.S. intelligence officials have said there is no sign North Korea will give up its entire arsenal of nuclear weapons, which Kim's ruling family sees as vital to its survival, and analysts say Pyongyang is unlikely to commit to significant steps without an easing of punishing U.S.-led sanctions. Trump has appeared to be betting on his personal relationship with Kim, and the economic incentive after 70 years of hostility between their countries. "Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize," Trump said on Twitter ahead of the meeting. (For live coverage of the summit, click: https://www.reuters.com/live/north-korea; Eikon SUMMIT LIVE [nL3N20M1H6]; Reporting by Soyoung Kim and Jeff Mason in HANOI; Additional reporting by Hyonhee Shin, James Pearson, Mai Nyugen, Ju-min Park, Khanh Vu, Josh Smith in HANOI, David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick in WASHINGTON; Editing by Grant McCool and Clarence Fernandez) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Jeff Mason and Soyoung Kim HANOI (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump hailed 'a very special relationship' with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as they met in Vietnam for a second summit on Wednesday and said he was satisfied with the pace of denuclearisation talks despite some criticism they were not moving quickly enough. By Jeff Mason and Soyoung Kim HANOI (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump hailed "a very special relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as they met in Vietnam for a second summit on Wednesday and said he was satisfied with the pace of denuclearisation talks despite some criticism they were not moving quickly enough. The U.S. president appeared upbeat with Kim even as on the other side of the world in Washington his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen called Trump a "conman" who knew in advance about the release of stolen emails aimed at hurting his Democratic rival in the 2016 election campaign. "Great meetings" and a "Very good dialogue," Trump said on Twitter after dinner with Kim at Hanoi's French-colonial-era Metropole hotel while the White House said the two planned to sign a "joint agreement" after further talks on Thursday. Facing increasing political and legal pressure at home over investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, Trump has devoted significant time and effort to trying to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for promises of peace and development, a foreign policy goal that has confounded multiple predecessors. The Hanoi meeting was Trump's second meeting with Kim in eight months and he appeared to reiterate recent statements that he was in no rush. "We had a very successful first summit," he told Kim. "I felt it was very successful, and some people would like to see it go quicker; Im satisfied; youre satisfied, we want to be happy with what we're doing." Asked by a reporter if he was "walking back" on denuclearisation demands, Trump said "no". Trump and Kim held a 20-minute, one-on-one chat before they sat down to dinner with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trump's acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Kim's top envoy Kim Yong Chol and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho. On Thursday, the two leaders are scheduled for a series of meetings at the Metropole, beginning with another one-on-one session lasting 45 minutes, the White House said. The two leaders would hold a "joint agreement signing ceremony," at the end of the meetings, which would be followed by a news conference by Trump at 3:50 p.m. Hanoi time (0850 GMT). The White House has given no indication as to what the signing ceremony might involve, although the two sides have held discussions that have included the possibility of a political statement to declare the 1950-53 Korean War over, which some critics say would be premature. Asked if he would declare a formal end to the Korean War, which concluded with an armistice, not a peace treaty that North Korea has long sought, Trump said: Well see. Their summit in Singapore in June was the first meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader and ended with fanfare but little substance. Trump and Kim pledged to work toward denuclearisation and permanent peace on the Korean peninsula, but there has been little progress since. Kim said they had overcome obstacles to meet a second time and praised Trump for his "courageous decision" to begin a dialogue. "Now that we're meeting here again like this, I'm confident that there will be an excellent outcome that everyone welcomes, and I'll do my best to make it happen," Kim said. "Were going to have a very busy day tomorrow, a smiling, relaxed-looking Trump, said seated beside Kim at a round dinner table with the other four officials and two interpreters. "Our relationship is a very special relationship." Observers said the pair were at pains to show their relationship had improved since June, with their body language closely mirroring each other. LEVERAGE Trump said late last year he and Kim "fell in love", but whether the bonhomie can move them beyond summit pageantry to substantive progress on eliminating a North Korean nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States is the big question. Trump indicated a more flexible stance in the run-up to Hanoi, saying he was in no rush on denuclearisation as long as North Korea, which has not tested a nuclear weapon or intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017, maintained that freeze. Trump risks squandering vital leverage if he gives away too much, too quickly, critics said. Evans Revere, a former U.S. negotiator with North Korea, said Trump was under pressure given his domestic problems and "Kim may be tempted to push Trump even harder for concessions, knowing how much the president wants and needs that testing pause." Daniel Russel, who served as the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia until early in Trump's presidency, said telling Kim that he could take his time was anything but strategically wise. "The yardstick for assessing ... results is not whether Trump proclaims himself 'happy,' but whether the outcome takes North Korea measurably closer to revealing and dismantling its nuclear and ballistic missile programs." U.S. intelligence officials have said there is no sign North Korea will give up its entire arsenal of nuclear weapons, which Kim's ruling family sees as vital to its survival, and analysts say Pyongyang is unlikely to commit to significant steps without an easing of punishing U.S.-led sanctions. The two sides have discussed partial denuclearisation measures, such as allowing inspectors to observe the dismantlement of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear reactor, U.S. and South Korean officials say. U.S. concessions could include opening liaison offices or clearing the way for inter-Korean projects. Trump has appeared to be betting on his personal relationship with Kim, and the economic incentive after 70 years of hostility between their countries. "Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize," Trump said on Twitter ahead of the meeting. (For live coverage of the summit, click: https://www.reuters.com/live/north-korea; Eikon SUMMIT LIVE [nL3N20M1H6]; Reporting by Soyoung Kim and Jeff Mason in HANOI; Additional reporting by Hyonhee Shin, James Pearson, Mai Nyugen, Ju-min Park, Khanh Vu, Josh Smith in HANOI, David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick in WASHINGTON; Editing by Robert Birsel, Lincoln Feast and Grant McCool) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Today the schools in the Kashmir Valley are closed and New Delhi has demanded the release of the pilot captured yesterday by the army of Islamabad. Mgr. Joseph Arshad recalls that "the population suffers the most". This is why he launches an appeal to the whole international community. China expresses concern. Islamabad (AsiaNews) - Given the recent incidents along the border, "I ask the leaders of India and Pakistan to resume peace talks and resolve all issues through dialogue" writes Msgr. Joseph Arshad, Archbishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi and president of the Pakistani Episcopal Conference. He is appealing for an end to the clashes between the two countries, which were resumed two weeks ago after an attack against Indian soldiers in Kashmir. He also remembers the pain experienced by the population, often an innocent victim of the decisions made at the top. "The people of Pakistan and India - he underlines - want peace". Meanwhile, the tension between the two nations shows no sign of diminishing and today the schools within 5 km of the Control Line (the border) were closed. The conflict reached its peak yesterday, when the Islamabad anti-aircraft shot down two Indian jets that illegally entered into Pakistani airspace. One of the two pilots was taken prisoner and shown bandaged and bleeding in a video. The video, uploaded to the official account of the Pakistani Ministry of Information, was then erased following harsh protests from users who described the images as a "vulgar display of a wounded person". Islamabad's reaction was due to the bombing the day before by New Delhi of a training camp for Islamic militants who carried out an earlier attack in Kashmir. The launch of bombs is the first military action since the last war between the two countries that dates back to 1971, although the Kashmir Valley has been disputed since the partition of 1947. Today the Indian government calls for the release of the pilot, Wing Commander (Lieutenant Colonel) Abhinandan. In the meantime he has appeared in another video while sipping tea. Even social media, which is becoming increasingly influential in the political debate, are calling for an end to hostilities and launching the hashtag #SayNoToWar. The clash has aroused the concerns of the countries of the area, above all China. Wang Yi, a state councilor in Beijing, assured that China will continue to play a "constructive role" to reduce tension. What worries most is the fact that India and Pakistan both hold the nuclear bomb. It has been calculated that if an atomic conflict were to start, this would cause at least two billion deaths. Msgr. Arshad has spoken directly to those in government. "We expect that the international community would also play its role to eradicate the situation that is causing loss to the dignity of human lives and to avoid ruination of this region that would wipe out everything on this part of earth". The president of the Pakistani bishops reiterates: "Without giving up in the face of difficulties, we all must seek out and follow every possible way of avoiding war, which always results in sorrow and grave consequences for all. Let us all pray that May Almighty God grant wisdom to the leadership of both countries to resolve their matters in a way that peace and prosperity may prevail, leading to a better future of people in the region and in the world". By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council is due to vote on Thursday on rival U.S. and Russian draft resolutions on Venezuela, diplomats said, with Washington's proposal calling for free and fair presidential elections and unhindered aid delivery. The Russian draft text, seen by Reuters, expresses support for a political solution to the crisis and backs the Venezuelan government as the primary coordinator of international assistance efforts in the country By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council is due to vote on Thursday on rival U.S. and Russian draft resolutions on Venezuela, diplomats said, with Washington's proposal calling for free and fair presidential elections and unhindered aid delivery. The Russian draft text, seen by Reuters, expresses support for a political solution to the crisis and backs the Venezuelan government as the primary coordinator of international assistance efforts in the country. A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, France, Britain or the United States to pass. Diplomats said the U.S. draft is likely to gain the minimum nine votes to force a likely Russian veto, while the Russian draft is expected to fail without the need for a U.S. veto. Russia and the United States have been at loggerheads over a U.S.-led campaign for international recognition of Juan Guaido, the Venezuelan opposition leader and head of the countrys elected National Assembly, over President Nicholas Maduro. Guaido last month declared himself the interim head of state. The U.S. draft resolution, seen by Reuters, asks U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to help ensure there is a free, fair and credible presidential election with international observers. It stresses the need to ensure the safety of all the members of Venezuelas National Assembly. The U.S. envoy on Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that he was concerned for Guaidos safety upon his return to Venezuela. Guaido crossed into Colombia on Saturday in preparation for efforts to move aid over the border to Venezuela. He then met with members of the Lima Group, a bloc of nations from Argentina to Canada, on Monday in Bogota. The Russian draft resolution expresses concern over threats to use force against Venezuela. U.S. President Donald Trump has all options are on the table in dealing with Venezuela. The United States and dozens of other nations have recognised Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate president, but Maduro still controls the military, state institutions and oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA, which provides 90 percent of the country's export revenue. The United States targeted Venezuela's government with new sanctions on Monday and called on allies to freeze the assets of state-owned PDVSA after deadly violence blocked humanitarian aid from reaching the country over the weekend. In Geneva, Venezuela Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, addressing the U.N. Human Rights Council, suggested on Wednesday that Maduro and U.S. President Donald Trump meet to "try to find common ground and explain their differences." Maduro also "stands ready for dialogue" with the Venezuelan opposition, he said. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Lisa Shumaker) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United States has asked the United Nations Security Council to vote on Thursday on a draft resolution calling for free and fair presidential elections in Venezuela and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, diplomats said. The draft resolution is likely to be opposed by Russia, the diplomats said. A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, France, Britain and the United States to pass NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United States has asked the United Nations Security Council to vote on Thursday on a draft resolution calling for free and fair presidential elections in Venezuela and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, diplomats said. The draft resolution is likely to be opposed by Russia, the diplomats said. A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, France, Britain and the United States to pass. Russia and the United States have been at loggerheads over a U.S.-led campaign for international recognition of Juan Guaido, the Venezuelan opposition leader and head of the countrys elected National Assembly, over President Nicholas Maduro. Guaido last month declared himself the interim head of state. Earlier this month the United States proposed a draft Security Council resolution, which prompted Russia to propose a rival text that makes no reference to elections or aid. A revised U.S. draft, seen by Reuters, was circulated on Wednesday. It was unclear if Russia planned to put its text to a vote as well. The U.S. draft asks U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to help ensure there is a free, fair and credible presidential election with international observers. It stresses the need to ensure the safety of all the members of Venezuelas National Assembly. The U.S. envoy on Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that he was concerned for Guaidos safety upon his return to Venezuela. Guaido crossed into Colombia on Saturday in preparation for efforts to move aid over the border to Venezuela. He then met with members of the Lima Group, a bloc of nations from Argentina to Canada, on Monday in Bogota. The United States and dozens of other nations have recognised Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate president, but Maduro still controls the military, state institutions and oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA [PDVSA.UL], which provides 90 percent of the country's export revenue. The United States targeted Venezuela's government with new sanctions on Monday and called on allies to freeze the assets of state-owned PDVSA after deadly violence blocked humanitarian aid from reaching the country over the weekend. In Geneva, Venezuela Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, addressing the U.N. Human Rights Council, suggested on Wednesday that Maduro and U.S. President Donald Trump meet to "try to find common ground and explain their differences." Maduro also "stands ready for dialogue" with the Venezuelan opposition, he said. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing By Cynthia Osterman) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court justices on Wednesday signalled a willingness to let a 40-foot-tall (12 meters) cross-shaped war memorial stay on public land in Maryland despite a legal challenge that called it an unconstitutional government endorsement of religion By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court justices on Wednesday signalled a willingness to let a 40-foot-tall (12 meters) cross-shaped war memorial stay on public land in Maryland despite a legal challenge that called it an unconstitutional government endorsement of religion. But during a lively 70-minute oral argument in the major case about the separation of church and state, the justices appeared unlikely to issue a sweeping ruling allowing greater government involvement in religious expression. Justice Stephen Breyer, one of the court's four liberals, suggested a compromise ruling allowing the cross to remain based in part on the fact it was built in 1925 while making it clear that newly built religious symbols would be treated differently. "What about saying past is past ... but no more?" Breyer asked. On one hand "we're not going to have people trying to tear down historical monuments," Breyer said. But on the other, "we are a different country now" that is more pluralistic, he added. The case, one of the most important of the court's current term, presented the justices with their latest test on the parameters for government-endorsed religious expression. A ruling is due by the end of June. The so-called Peace Cross, a concrete memorial to 49 men from Maryland's Prince George's County killed in World War One shaped like a Christian cross, is situated on public land at a busy road intersection in Bladensburg just outside Washington. Fred Edwords and two other plaintiffs filed a 2014 lawsuit challenging the cross as a violation of the U.S. Constitution's Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from establishing an official religion and bars governmental actions favouring one religion over another. On the bench, where conservatives hold a 5-4 majority, liberal Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor appeared the most reluctant to find the cross constitutional. On the question of whether the cross should be retained because of its historic nature, Sotomayor pointed out that there are few large crosses on public land across the nation. "We don't have a long tradition of that. It's sectarian," Sotomayor said. A DOG'S BREAKFAST Fellow liberal Justice Elena Kagan asked tough questions of the monument's supporters, at one point noting that the cross is "the foremost symbol of Christianity." But at another point, Kagan appeared willing to compromise, based on the role of the cross as a war memorial. Aside from its shape, the cross has no other religious themes or imagery. "So why in a case like that can we not say essentially the religious content has been stripped of this monument?" Kagan asked. There appeared little appetite on the court for a broad ruling proposed by the American Legion, a veterans' group that supports the cross, that would say that the government violates the Constitution only when it actively coerces people into practicing religion. Several conservative justices indicated they are not content with the court's current precedent that holds that mere government endorsement of religion is unconstitutional, but the alternative test suggested by the American Legion did not seem to appeal either. One of them, Justice Neil Gorsuch, described both approaches as a "dog's breakfast." Edwords, who is retired, is a long-time member and previous employee of the American Humanist Association, which advocates for the separation of church and state. The most steadfast supporter of the Maryland cross was conservative Justice Samuel Alito, who questioned the American Humanist Association's lawyer, Monica Miller, on the fate of other crosses on public land if she were to win. "Do you want them all taken down?" Alito asked. The cross was funded privately and the property where it stands was in private hands when it was erected, but it is now on land owned by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, a governmental agency. The cross has the backing of President Donald Trump's administration. The American Legion holds memorial events at the site. Veterans and their relatives have said the monument has no religious meaning despite being in the shape of a cross, calling the lawsuit misguided and hurtful. The Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found the cross unconstitutional, reversing a Maryland-based federal judge's decision. That ruling was appealed by the park commission and the American Legion, which is represented by the conservative religious rights group First Liberty Institute. The Supreme Court has sent mixed messages about limits on government-approved religious expression, including in two rulings issued on the same day in 2005. In one, it ruled that a monument on the grounds of the Texas state capitol building depicting the biblical Ten Commandments did not violate the Constitution. But in the other, it decided that Ten Commandments displays in Kentucky courthouses and schools were unlawful. Breyer was the decisive vote in both cases. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Additional reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States, Britain and France proposed on Wednesday that the United Nations Security Council blacklist the head of Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad, which said it attacked an Indian paramilitary convoy in disputed Kashmir. However, the move is likely to be opposed by China, which previously prevented the Security Council's Islamic State and al Qaeda sanctions committee from sanctioning JeM leader Masood Azhar in 2016 and 2017. China's U.N By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States, Britain and France proposed on Wednesday that the United Nations Security Council blacklist the head of Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad, which said it attacked an Indian paramilitary convoy in disputed Kashmir. However, the move is likely to be opposed by China, which previously prevented the Security Council's Islamic State and al Qaeda sanctions committee from sanctioning JeM leader Masood Azhar in 2016 and 2017. China's U.N. mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new proposal. The Feb. 14 attack, the most deadly in Kashmir during a 30-year-long insurgency, increased tensions between Pakistan and India with the nuclear-armed neighbours both saying they had shot down each other's fighter jets on Wednesday. The United States, Britain and France have asked the 15-member Security Council sanctions committee to subject Azhar to an arms embargo, global travel ban and asset freeze. The committee operates by consensus and members have until March 13 to raise objections, according to the proposal seen by Reuters. When the council committee previously considered blacklisting Azhar in 2017 the Chinese Foreign Ministry said there were clear rules for listing a person or group as a terrorist, and that China has always believed the relevant U.N. committee should operate on the principles of objectivity. JeM is a primarily anti-India group that forged ties with al Qaeda and was blacklisted by the U.N. Security Council in 2001. In December 2001, Jaish fighters, along with members of another Pakistan-based militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, attacked India's parliament, which almost led to a fourth war. The Security Council condemned the Feb. 14 attack in a statement last week, which was agreed after several days of negotiation. Diplomats said China had been opposed to a reference of JeM, however the agreed statement did eventually note that JeM has claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has written at least twice to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and they spoke on the phone on Tuesday. In a Feb. 26 letter, seen by Reuters, Qureshi called on Guterres and the Security Council to urge India to halt "acts of aggression." India's U.N. Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin told Reuters on Wednesday: "Our efforts are focused on countering terrorism and we are working with many global partners in pursuit of that objective." U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters that the United Nations has had contacts with India at "various levels." He said on Wednesday that Guterres was available to mediate should both parties agree. "The United Nations message both publicly and privately to both sides is to urgently take steps to lower tensions through meaningful mutual engagement and meet the responsibilities to maintain peace and security in the region," Dujarric said. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Grant McCool) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The US, UK and France have asked the 15-member UN Security Council sanctions committee to subject JeM chief Masood Azhar to an arms embargo, global travel ban and asset freeze. United Nations: The United States, Britain and France proposed on Wednesday that the United Nations Security Council blacklist the head of Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad, which said it attacked an Indian paramilitary convoy in disputed Kashmir. However, the move is likely to be opposed by China, which previously prevented the Security Council's Islamic State and Al Qaeda sanctions committee from sanctioning JeM leader Masood Azhar in 2016 and 2017. China's UN mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new proposal. The 14 February attack, the most deadly in Kashmir during a 30-year-long insurgency, increased tensions between Pakistan and India with the nuclear-armed neighbours both saying they had shot down each others fighter jets on Wednesday. The United States, Britain and France have asked the 15-member Security Council sanctions committee to subject Azhar to an arms embargo, global travel ban and asset freeze. The committee operates by consensus and members have until 13 March to raise objections, according to the proposal seen by Reuters. When the council committee previously considered blacklisting Azhar in 2017 the Chinese foreign ministry said there were clear rules for listing a person or group as a terrorist, and that China has always believed the relevant UN committee should operate on the principles of objectivity. JeM is a primarily anti-India group that forged ties with Al Qaeda and was blacklisted by the UN Security Council in 2001. In December 2001, Jaish fighters, along with members of another Pakistan-based militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, attacked Indias parliament, which almost led to a fourth war. The Security Council condemned the 14 February attack in a statement last week, which was agreed after several days of negotiation. Diplomats said China had been opposed to a reference of JeM, however the agreed statement did eventually note that JeM has claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has written at least twice to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and they spoke on the phone on Tuesday. In a 26 February letter, seen by Reuters, Qureshi called on Guterres and the Security Council to urge India to halt "acts of aggression". India's UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin told Reuters on Wednesday: "Our efforts are focused on countering terrorism and we are working with many global partners in pursuit of that objective." UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters that the United Nations has had contacts with India at "various levels". He said on Wednesday that Guterres was available to mediate should both parties agree. "The United Nations message both publicly and privately to both sides is to urgently take steps to lower tensions through meaningful mutual engagement and meet the responsibilities to maintain peace and security in the region," Dujarric said. Top Indian officials on Wednesday had said one Pakistan Air Force's F-16 jet that violated Indian air space in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district was shot down in retaliatory firing, three kilometres within Pakistan territory in Lam valley, along the Line of Control Soon after photos of the wreckage of a fighter jet began circulating on social media, multiple Indian Air Force (IAF) sources confirmed that the debris, in fact, belonged to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16 that was downed by Indian forces on Wednesday, reports ANI. The photo also shows the Commanding Officer of Pakistan's 7 Northern Light Infantry in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Sources: Picture of portion of downed Pakistani Air Force jet F16 from yesterdays failed PAF raid, wreckage was in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Also seen in pic, Commanding Officer of Pakistans 7 Northern Light Infantry. pic.twitter.com/weYcB0G5eD ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 While there was some initial confusion, with some people trying to claim that this was part of an Indian MiG fighter which was shot at by PAF, IAF sources later clarified it as the wreckage of the Pakistani F-16. Same picture circulating on social media claim this is an Indian MiG fighter, however multiple IAF sources confirm this is the wreckage of Pakistani F16 downed yesterday https://t.co/C7t5lYtP51 ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 Top Indian officials on Wednesday had said one Pakistan Air Force's F-16 jet that violated Indian air space in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district was shot down in retaliatory firing, three kilometres within Pakistan territory in Lam valley, along the Line of Control. The jets were immediately pushed back by Indian aircraft on air patrol, a top official had reiterated. Police sources had also said that Pakistani jets dropped bombs on their way out at Nadian, Lam Jhangar, and Kerri in Rajouri district and Hamirpur area of Bhimber Galli in Poonch of the Indian territory. File picture of cross section of F16 engine and wreckage of downed Pakistani F16 jet pic.twitter.com/Mq78QkLTz9 ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 A parachute was later spotted going down across the Line of Control but the condition of the PAF pilot is still not known. This action had come a day after the IAF carried out air strikes in the wee hours of Tuesday morning on Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camps in Balakot, Muzaffarabad and Chakoti. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had on Wednesday further confirmed that the Pakistani warplane was shot down by the IAF after it attempted to target military establishments in Jammu and Kashmir. It was earlier reported that three PAF jets attempted to violate the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Nowshera sectors but were chased away by Indian combat air patrol team. The Pakistan government, however, claimed in a statement that its air force undertook strikes on the Indian side of the Line of Control from within Pakistani airspace and for "self-defence". It denied that the F-16 was shot down. At Mass in Santa Marta, the pontiff recalls that "the mercy of God is there, but so is His anger". "Do not think he warns that we can get away with it forever. Do not wait to be converted to the Lord and do not delay from day to day because suddenly the wrath of the Lord will break out". Vatican City (AsiaNews) We should stop every day and examine our conscience to convert ourselves to the Lord, because God's mercy exists but so too does His anger, said Pope Francis this morning at Mass in Santa Marta house. In his homily, Vatican News reports, the Pope resumes "the advice" contained in the Book of Sirach that exhorts a change of heart, to convert to the Lord. The Pope pointed out that wisdom is a daily thing that comes from reflection on life and from stopping to think about how one lives. The Pope said, do not follow your instincts, your strength, indulging in the passions of your heart. All have passions, but one must be careful and dominate them. Passions, the Pope said, are not bad things, but they need to be managed. They are like bloodthat helps do many good things but if you are not able to dominate them, they will dominate you, the Pope warned. The Holy Father drew attention to the relativeness of life. We are not eternal, we cannot think of doing whatever we like, trusting in the infinite mercy of God. So don't be rash and reckless and believe that you will get away with it. You may get away with it once but you dont know whats next. Don't say: "God's compassion is great, he'll forgive me my many sins", and so I continue doing what I want. Regarding this, the advice of the father or grandfather is: "Dont wait to convert yourself to the Lord, dont postpone it from day to day because the anger of the Lord will suddenly burst forth," the Pope warned. Lets take a little time every day to examine our conscience, to convert to the Lord, the Pope urged, without it off for tomorrow. Try to not to let it happen again and if you manage to control yourself and not be controlled by your passion, perhaps it may happen less. But no one is sure of how and when our life will end. Five minutes at the end of each day, the Pope said, will help us think about a change of heart and conversion to the Lord, without procrastination. Bombs, explosive belts and silencers found in the village of Baghouz. About 40 thousand people have fled in the last three months; of these 15 thousand since 9 February, start of the offensive. Civilians in bad conditions, at least 78 people died trying to reach the reception centers. Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The exodus of hundreds of people of different nationalities continues from the last enclave of the Islamic State (IS, ex Isis) in Syria, escorted on the ground by the Arab-Kurdish forces supported by the United States. Part of Baghouz, a small cluster of houses and land on the banks of the Euphrates, not far from the borders with Iraq, is what remains today of what was once called the "Caliphate" and which had occupied half the territory of Syria and Iraq. During the patrol and check operations of people fleeing from Baghouz, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) men - protagonists of the offensive - found bombs, explosive belts and silencers inside the village. Local sources report that the great "variety" of people emerging from the area shows how ISIS has attracted people from all over the world. Women from Iraq, Syria, Russia, Azerbaijan and Poland, an Indonesian boy and Yazidi girls, traumatized and enslaved, are the people on board the truck caravans, who have gathered at a gathering point outside the enclave. About 40 thousand people have fled in the last three months; of these, at least 15 thousand have managed to escape from 9 February, when the departments of the SDF announced the final offensive to reconquer the jihadist stronghold. The total number was far superior to the initial estimates of the Arab-Kurdish coalition and caused delays in military operations. Only yesterday, at least 15 trucks arrived at the collection points, from which hundreds of women with their veiled faces descended, along with their children exhausted by hunger and looking for food and water. Men are searched and interrogated, to verify that there are no hidden militiamen among civilians. Eyewitnesses speak of very bad general conditions of civilians, some of whom risk their lives. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 78 people have died in the last three months, in an attempt to reach the reception centers or in the days following their arrival. The International Relief Committee (IRC), a humanitarian agency active in the north-east of Syria, talks about two children who died yesterday. "Since many of the new arrivals are pregnant women - the IRC explains in a statement - close to their due date, there is a real need to increase services in the maternity sector". A UN report accuses the Israeli military in connection with its action against protestors in the Strip. The report is based on confidential information from military sources. It will not have any effects, source tells AsiaNews. Meanwhile, Israel goes to the polls in April with Netanyahu's leadership at risk. Jerusalem (AsiaNews) A UN panel accuses Israeli security forces of (possible) war crimes in connection with the death of at least 189 Palestinians and the wounding of another 6,100 during the weekly protests that flared up last year to Gaza. The Israeli security forces killed and maimed Palestinian demonstrators who did not pose an imminent threat of death or serious injury to others when they were shot, nor were they directly participating in hostilities, the panel report said. The panel had access to confidential information about those believed to be responsible for the killings, including snipers and commanders, which was given to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to share with the International Criminal Court (ICC). One anonymous source in Jerusalem told AsiaNews that this report "will not have any particular effects". In the past, "international organisations, including the UN, reacted to violent acts, but nothing happened. It's just a pile of documents, worth nothing because, with someones veto, everything falls." Things are "quieter" now and the recent violence has been put behind. Israel responded with force, based on fear hard to measure that led to the death of almost 200 people in less than a year. After 30 March 2018 and the start of the "Return March", the border between the Strip and Israel saw repeated Palestinian demonstrations against Israels blockade, which has turned Gaza into an open-air jail, and for the recognition of the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes. The confrontation led to numerous episodes of violence, which Israeli activists have described as our shame because of the number of Palestinians casualties. For its part, the Israeli military have claimed that they opened fire to protect the border from raids and attacks by armed gunmen. A ceasefire seems unlikely and Gazas Catholic parish priest has said that the situation is "desperate". Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but has kept a tight control over its borders and coastline. Since then, it has fought three wars with Hamas, the Palestinian extremist movement that rules the Strip. "Now everything is focused on Israels upcoming elections in April, said a diplomat contacted by AsiaNews. There is great expectation for the result and changes at the top are not excluded ". The challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership has never so strong. Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 was amongst the best selling devices launched in 2017 in India, despite launching in 2017 it was launched with Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) and was updated to Android 7.0 (Nougat) in August 2017. Redmi Note 4 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 mobile platform, the same processor that powers Mi A1 which received Android 9.0 (Pie) update along with Dual 4G VoLTE support couple of months ago. Xiaomi has already announced the list of smartphones eligible for Android Oreo/Pie update, but Xiaomis best seller from 2017 is not included in the list and now we can assume that Redmi Note 4 will not receive any Android update. In case you wish to enjoy the latest version of Android on your Redmi Note 4, you can use custom ROM on your device. Earlier, we tried Arrow OS and crDroid ROM on Redmi Note 4 both of which were based on Android Pie. Oxygen OS is another Android skin that is popular amongst users for the customizations it offers without adding bloat, developers have ported Android 9.0 (Pie) based Oxygen OS to Redmi Note 4. We tried it on our unit and here are the first impressions, Performance and Benchmarks: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 is almost three year old now, we obtained AnTuTu score of 69444 which is lesser as compared to 81212 on Arrow OS but day to day performance was just fine. By default, PUBG runs on low graphics and it was playable on the default settings. Software, UI, and Apps: Oxygen OS Beta 26 is ported from One Plus 5, it is based on Android 9.0 (Pie) and runs on January 2019 security patch. Out of 32 GB internal storage, 10.32 GB is occupied by the system and users get around 21 GB of free storage, and there are only few Google and OnePlus apps preinstalled. All the Oxygen OS features like Quick Gestures are present here, but navigation gestures are missing here since the ROM is ported from One Plus 5 which also lacks Oxygen OS navigation gestures. Fingerprint Sensor: The fingerprint works just fine on this ROM, users can add up to five different fingerprints to unlock the phone. The fingerprint unlock animation is slow as compared to stock MIUI Global ROM but during our usage, it was accurate and reliable. Camera: It features stock Oxygen OS camera app which keeps on crashing, but Cam2API is enabled by default, unlike MIUI. Users can use ported GCam to enjoy Portrait mode and Night sight, a working GCam apk can be downloaded from here, for more ported GCam apks users can visit this website. Battery Life: The battery performance on this ROM is similar to what you get on stock MIUI ROM, it lasts for a whole day with heavy usage. On moderate usage, the device can easily last for more than a day. I was able to get more than 5:30 hours screen on time on a busy day with 29% charge left on my device and device lasted for 2 days on moderate usage. It also offers Adaptive battery similar to what you get on any Stock Android phone running Android Pie. Conclusion: If youre still using Redmi Note 4 (mido) and want to stay updated along with good performance without compromising much on battery life, and some neat customization features, you should try Oxygen OS port. Pros Fluid day to day performance System-wide themes and accent colors Bloat-free UI Cam2API enabled Cons Average battery life Slow Fingerprint unlock animation No sound via earpiece during calls (Can be fixed by turning off Noise Cancellation under Phone Settings) During the calls the sound output is routed via earpiece even if the device is connected to headsets via Bluetooth, media playback works fine over Bluetooth devices. Jio VoLTE working only in Sim slot 1. Requirements Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 with an unlocked bootloader To Unlock the bootloader of your device, apply here. OrangeFox Recovery for Redmi Note 4 You can download the recovery file from here. Oxygen OS Port Download the latest ROM ZIP file from here and extract it in your PC. GApps Included in ROM. ADB software (For Windows) / Android zip file (For Mac) If you are on a Mac you need to Extract the Android zip and place the folder on your Desktop. Open Terminal Type cd Desktop/Android Enter ./ADB-Install-Mac.sh Follow the procedure mentioned below to flash the ROM on the device, Switch off the phone and boot it into Fastboot mode by long pressing Power and Volume down buttons simultaneously. Connect your phone to PC by a USB cable, open command prompt on your PC and navigate to the folder where you have downloaded OrangeFox Recovery ZIP. Type fastboot devices in command prompt and check if the device is detected by the system. If the system detects the phone, type fastboot flash recovery redwolf_twrp_filename.zip and hit enter, the process will be completed in seconds. Now long press the Volume up and Power Button to boot the phone in recovery mode. It will ask to allow modifications, Slide towards the right to allow Modifications. Go to Backup and take a backup of any small file, for example, we have taken backup of Persist, following which select Reboot System. Now navigate to Fox folder in the File Manager and choose Backups, and paste the extracted ROM inside the folder. Now Power off the device and boot to Recovery by holding Power and Volume up buttons simultaneously. Select Wipe, and choose Advanced Wipe, tick on Dalvik / ART Cache, System, Data, Cache, Vendor and then swipe towards the right to Wipe. Go back and click on Restore, navigate to the location where you have pasted the Oxygen OS Port. Swipe towards the right to restore, within 10 minutes device will boot with Oxygen OS Port. Thanks, Shreyas Ochani for helping with the installation. Warning disclaimer: Bootloader unlocking and flashing ROM may void the warranty of Xiaomi devices, FoneArena is not responsible for any damage or loss caused to your device. Credits for Oxygen OS Port and OrangeFox Recovery go to their respective developers. Disney (NYSE:DIS) CEO Bob Iger has been forthright in noting the company's focus on direct-to-consumer streaming will weigh on the company's bottom line in the short term. In particular, Disney is giving up high-margin licensing revenue from its deal with Netflix in order to retain those rights for its own Disney+ service. During the company's first-quarter earnings call, CFO Christine McCarthy said investors should expect a $150 million drop in operating income as a result of decreased licensing revenue. That's actually a relatively small number. For reference, Disney generated $3.7 billion in operating income in the first quarter alone and $15.7 billion for the full year last year. In the context of Disney+, for which Disney hasn't announced pricing, it could mean just a couple of million subscribers paying $7 or $8 per month. Disney grew ESPN+ to 2 million subscribers in just nine months, so it's feasible Disney could cover its licensing revenue loss in about a year. But lost licensing revenue is just part of the equation. Let's break down the true cost of Disney's direct-to-consumer service and how many subscribers it'll need just to get back to where it started. Opportunity cost is just a small expense Disney isn't just forgoing licensing revenue to build Disney+ and its other streaming services. It's also investing in new content for the services and must market them in order to attract subscribers. Disney is investing in exclusive series and films based on its Star Wars, Marvel, and classic Disney intellectual property. The company hasn't disclosed how much it's budgeting for exclusives, but considering the talent it's signed, it should be substantial. Spending on marketing could also add up. Macquarie analysts estimate marketing and technology expenses for ESPN+ alone will total $100 million through its first three years of operation. Considering the broader target audience for Disney+, the marketing budget could be much higher. How much will this whole thing cost? Development of the Disney+ platform alone is costing hundreds of millions of dollars. Disney disclosed that investments in ESPN+ and Disney+ resulted in a $200 million negative impact on operating income in the first quarter. About one-third of that -- $66 million -- is tied to Disney+. As a reminder, that doesn't include any of its content costs (which start amortizing after the service launches), and there's no marketing expense for the product yet since there's no product to sell. The $133 million or so loss associated with ESPN+ may be an indication of ongoing costs associated with Disney's streaming services after launch. Those expenses are offset by the 2 million or so customers paying $4.15 to $5 per month for the service, plus ad revenue. That's likely over $30 million in revenue offsetting the operating loss. Disney's investments in content and marketing will likely be bigger for Disney+, but the technology back end may be less expensive due to less live streaming and a lack of advertising on the platform. Based on the roughly $16 million in content and operating costs for ESPN+ last quarter, Disney+ will likely cost more than $200 million per quarter once it launches. That number could climb much higher if Disney doubles down on content or marketing expenses. Adding it all together When you add in the $150 million in lost annual operating income from its licensing deals, Disney's annual costs (including opportunity costs) for Disney+ after launch could be around $1 billion. Iger said consumers should expect Disney to charge less than Netflix for its service -- and he said that when Netflix charged $10.99 per month for its most popular plan. A price around $8 per month, about $100 per year, sounds more reasonable. At that rate, Disney will need at least 10 million Disney+ subscribers to reach true breakeven, including its foregone licensing revenue. Check out the latest Disney earnings call transcript. That's likely going to take a few years, but Disney has been forthcoming with milestone updates for ESPN+, so investors should get a good idea of how the company is progressing with regard to Disney+, as well. Disney will provide additional details on Disney+ at its investors meeting in April, so look for a clearer outlook on the service then. Reports have surfaced that China-based contract chip manufacturer Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (NYSE:SMI) plans to go into production on its 14-nanometer (nm) technology at some point in the first half of 2019. Manufacturing technologies designated by smaller nanometer numbers tend to be more area- and power-efficient than technologies designated by larger numbers. SMIC is by no means a chip manufacturer on the cutting edge of technology. The industry's largest contract chip manufacturer by revenue, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE:TSM), began mass production of its comparable 16nm technology in 2015 and has refined that technology multiple times. The latest iteration of TSMC's 16nm technology is referred to as 12nm. (TSMC also has more advanced 10nm and 7nm technologies in production, too.) With SMIC now set to go into production on its 14nm technology, TSMC investors might be worried that additional competition at 14/16nm-class technologies could be a significant negative for TSMC, which generated 23% of its revenue from 16nm/20nm technologies (this includes 12nm, too) in 2018. Here's why this isn't as big a deal as some might think. Understanding the competitive landscape Both TSMC and SMIC are contract chip manufacturers that need to compete to win manufacturing contracts from companies that design -- but don't manufacture -- their own chips, also known as "fabless" semiconductor companies. There are a number of factors involved when a fabless company chooses a contract manufacturer, but ultimately fabless companies are going to want the best product performance at the lowest cost. In this case, TSMC has two crucial advantages over SMIC. The first is that because TSMC has been manufacturing 16nm-class technologies for about four years, the company should be a master of building those chips. What that means is that TSMC's yield rates -- that is, the percentage of the chips manufactured that are salable -- should be extremely high. For SMIC, 14nm is a brand-new technology, and it's very likely that the company still isn't enjoying yield rates anywhere close to what TSMC does. A much higher yield rate for TSMC could mean that it can match SMIC on cost while maintaining substantially higher gross margin, or TSMC could match SMIC on gross margin while dramatically undercutting it on wafer price. Now, SMIC's trailing 12-month gross margin percentage -- at 22% -- is substantially lower than TSMC's -- at 49% -- so TSMC is going to want to price its 16nm/12nm wafers in a way that allows it to maintain high market share while also preserving its gross margin profile. The second advantage for TSMC is that it has had years to improve and tune the performance of its competing technology. Although I don't have access to detailed performance information for TSMC's 16nm/12nm technologies or SMIC's upcoming 14nm technology, I'd be willing to bet that TSMC's technology offers better power and performance characteristics, which should make TSMC's technology more attractive to customers whose products value power and performance. Check out the latest TSMC earnings call transcript. TSMC has successfully defended itself in the past TSMC investors should also keep in mind that the contract chip-manufacturing giant has successfully defended its business against the likes of SMIC at older technology generations. For example, although SMIC is currently mass-producing chips on its 28nm technology, TSMC's business at 28nm is still robust, making up 20% of the company's revenue in 2018. For some perspective, TSMC generated $34.2 billion in revenue in 2018, meaning that the company's 28nm revenue alone was $6.84 billion -- more than twice SMIC's 2018 revenue of $3.36 billion. And, to provide some additional color, 28nm revenue as a percentage of SMIC's total ranged from 3.2% to 8.6% over the course of 2018, exiting the year at 5.4%. SMIC's 28nm revenue in 2018 was, at best, a rounding error compared with TSMC's. My guess is that the situation will be no different for TSMC's 16nm-class technologies even once SMIC's 14nm technology is in full production. Put simply, TSMC shareholders don't have much to fear from the latest news around SMIC's 14nm technology. The Pentagon's Humvee replacement has been deemed "not operationally suitable" due to a wide range of deficiencies, a setback for the $30 billion program and a fresh challenge for vehicle manufacturer Oshkosh (NYSE:OSK). The first Oshkosh-made Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) were fielded at Fort Stewart in Georgia in mid-January, a major milestone for one of the Army's priority replacement programs. But according to an annual report prepared by the Pentagon's Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, those vehicles suffer from a range of issues in areas including "reliability, maintainability, training, manuals, crew situational awareness, and safety." The vehicle will likely require more maintenance than the Humvee, the audit warns, with a greater reliance on contractors to perform that maintenance due to its "poor manuals, and the challenges with troubleshooting the vehicle." The close-combat version is "not operationally effective for use in combat and tactical missions" at this time, the audit warns, because the missile reload process "is slow and difficult for crews," and the JLTV provides poor visibility for crews. The vehicle is also at a greater risk of being detected on the battlefield because of its larger size and greater noise signature, the report found. Trade-offs, teething, and training The report is a black eye for the JLTV, but some of the complaints are issues typical for a new program, and they can be addressed in later manufacturing batches. The vehicles have engine wiring issues and brake system faults that need to be redesigned, and in some cases, the doors would jam and prevent a quick exit from the vehicle. Other issues are tied to design choices made by the Pentagon. The JLTV from the beginning was meant to improve upon the Humvee's shaky record in the Middle East, where it was susceptible to ambushes and improvised explosive devices. The response was to create a larger vehicle with better body armor and more high-tech electronics. The armor and extra battery power for the electronics require a bigger, heavier vehicle with a more powerful, and louder, engine. The decreased visibility is another trade-off of loading the vehicle with more armor so it is better able to withstand an enemy attack. Much of the Pentagon's plan to address the identified shortcomings is classified, implying that the Army is willing to live with the issues and adjust tactics instead of demand wholesale changes to the design. As Oshkosh gains experience manufacturing the vehicle and the military gains experience maintaining it, some of the issues should resolve themselves. Others are design trade-offs that the Pentagon recognized going into the procurement process. Importantly, the audit did conclude that the JLTV is "operationally effective" to be used in combat and tactical missions, so despite the issues, the government has concluded the vehicle is able to do what it is supposed to do. Check out the latest Oshkosh earnings call transcript. This is still a win Although perhaps best known as a maker of lifts and fire equipment, Oshkosh has built an impressive defense business. The JLTV might be under fire for now, but the military momentum should continue to grow for the foreseeable future. Oshkosh's August 2015 victory over Lockheed Martin and a General Dynamics/AM General pairing to produce the JLTV was a big win in part due to the sheer volume of orders expected for the versatile vehicle. In the years to come, the Pentagon could purchase up to 60,000 JLTVs at a total procurement cost of more than $30 billion. That number should grow once foreign sales are factored in, with the United Kingdom, Slovenia, and Lithuania all early potential buyers and a slew of other U.S. allies expected to come on board over time. To get an idea of the potential market size, today there are more than 240,000 Humvees in service in 60 countries. Defense is expected to account for about one-quarter of Oshkosh's projected $8.05 billion to $8.25 billion in fiscal 2019 revenue. While defense margins, at 9.75%, trail access equipment and fire and emergency, the defense business should become more profitable as the vehicles move to full production. Defense is also the most predictable of Oshkosh's segments, with a backlog of $3.2 billion that is nearly double the backlog of any other unit and a delivery schedule stretching well into the next decade. Oshkosh, even after a nice share-price jump late last year, still trades at an affordable 11 times earnings. Given its ties to the construction cycle, a discount to more defense-focused General Dynamics' 15 times multiple makes sense, but the market is underestimating the ability of the defense business to pad a downturn in the construction or industrial segments. Thanks to defense, Oshkosh is a winner even in a slow-growth industrial world. What happened Southwest Airlines ( LUV 2.89% ) stock is -- what else? -- taking off today on a pair of news items, one confirmed and one not so much. What's confirmed is that yesterday, after close of trading, it was announced that the Federal Aviation Administration has officially cleared Southwest to begin carrying passengers between the West Coast and Hawaii. Of course, we knew Southwest was seeking this authorization already and would probably get it -- but now it's official. And unconfirmed: Bloomberg is apparently reporting that Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway ( BRK.A 1.80% ) ( BRK.B 1.42% ) is considering acquiring Southwest in its entirety. So what If you ask me, while the Hawaii news is the more important for Southwest's business, it's the Buffett rumor that's more likely moving the stock. Bloomberg noted that @StockTradersNET tweeted out this latter rumor earlier today, positing a $75 purchase price that Buffett might pay to acquire Southwest. That price, nearly $20 above where Southwest trades today, was bound to attract notice. For the record, Southwest's response goes like this: There has been speculation circulating that Warren Buffett might be looking to acquire an airline for some time and that Southwest might be a good fit. As a policy, we do not comment on speculation, but appreciate Berkshire's continued support of Southwest Airlines. Check out the latest earnings call transcript for Southwest. Now what As nondenying denials go, that actually sounds pretty propitious to me. Southwest isn't saying the rumor's true, exactly, but it seems to be very happy to not say the rumor is untrue, either. One might even call the company's response...encouraging. Oxi Fresh Is Cleaning Up Covington February 28, 2019 // Franchising.com // LAKEWOOD, Colo. - Oxi Fresh, one of the nation's greenest and fastest growing carpet cleaning franchises, has announced the launch of its Covington carpet cleaning locations. The Oxi Fresh businesses serves Covington, Renton, North Bend, Issaquah, and Cascade-Fairwood, and is led by local entrepreneur Justin Willard. "Oxi Fresh is different from any other carpet cleaning service out there. We have a unique cleaning method that can rescue even the worst carpets - and customers love that about us. What they also love is that we can do that while using products and methods that are safe for kids, pets, and the planet," said Willard. "You see, Oxi Fresh is about more than just carpet cleaning in King County - it's about caring for our environment. Oxi Fresh's green process conserves water, uses safe carpet products, and is the perfect service for this community." Prior to Oxi Fresh, Willard served in the Army in Special Operations for 11 years before moving into civilian life. Willard first worked with his father at their own construction company before opening an auto body shop. Now, Willard is franchising with Oxi Fresh, a new opportunity that will make the most of both the systems-driven training and individual initiative of his military background. The Colorado-based franchise, which today has more than 370 locations throughout the United States and Canada, prides itself on offering oxygen-powered, green cleanings that dry in just about one hour. The company achieves this via a cleaning method that requires only two gallons of water per home - as opposed to the 40-60 gallons that other carpet cleaners use. This enables both the rapid one hour dry time and also saves the planet dozens of gallons of water. In addition to carpet cleaning, Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning of Covington will also offer rugs, upholstery and tile and grout cleaning services. To contact Oxi Fresh of Covington, call (206) 607-4988 or visithttps://www.oxifresh.com/locations/wa/covington-carpet-cleaning-wa/. About Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning Through innovative products and modern technology, Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning offers green cleanings and incredible results through a unique, low-moisture process. Oxi Fresh has been ranked in Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500, featured in Inc. magazine's Inc. 500|5000, and has been recognized as one of "America's Best Franchises to Buy," by Forbes magazine. Oxi Fresh has more than 370 locations throughout the United States and Canada with more locations currently in development. For more information, visit: www.oxifresh.com. ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021. Abashidze-Karasin talks: The Russian side concerns over NATO's relations with Tbilisi - GeorgianJournal Xiaomi Mi 9 latest firmware update makes its notch less intruding News oi-Sandeep Sarkar Xiaomi has started pushing out the MIUI 10.2.11.0 update for the Mi 9 smartphone and it weighs a total of 2.4GB in size. Xiaomi introduced its latest premium smartphone, the Mi 9 for the masses in its hometown China on February 20th. The Chinese tech giant unveiled its flagship smartphone the same day when Samsung announced its premium Galaxy S10 series. Later, Xiaomi showcased the Mi 9 smartphone at the MWC 2019 event as well. The Mi 9 smartphone lineup comprises of two other models besides the standard variant, which is, the 9 SE and the Mi 9 Explorer edition. It has been only a few days since Xiaomi officially announced the smartphone and it already has dished out a new firmware update which brings improvements to the notch of the smartphone. The latest firmware update released for the Mi 9 smartphone modifies the u-shape notch design of the device. Apparently, the actual notch on the smartphone did not look as good as the notch which the leaked renders displayed. Due to which a number of users took it to the online forums to share their disappointment with the notch. Acting on the user's feedback, Xiaomi swiftly released a firmware update to improve the notch of the display. In addition to bringing a fix for notch design, the update also brings some other enhancements in the mix. The update modifies the notch of the Mi 9 smartphone similar to the OnePlus 6T giving it an appealing look than the previous notch. Xiaomi has started pushing out the MIUI 10.2.11.0 update for the Mi 9 smartphone and it weighs a total of 2.4GB in size. As for the other feature, the latest update brings a new feature called shoot-on-motion function which will be used while recording videos and also enhanced the AI capabilities of the camera. The update notification should be available for the smartphones, however, the update can also be checked manually by visiting the Software update section under the settings menu. Notably, the update will be rolled out to the Xiaomi Mi 9 smartphones with no Google Play Services support in the Chinese market. We can expect the update to be available on the Mi 9 global variant's following the launch in the respective markets Via Best Mobiles in India BlackBerry drags Twitter to court over patent infringement: Reports News oi-Karan Sharma Blackberry once again filed a lawsuit against another social media platform for patent infringement. This time its Twitter. All you need to know. BlackBerry in an aggressive move sued popular social media platform Twitter for patent infringement. The smartphone maker has accused Twitter of using its mobile messaging technology illegally. CNET reported the news first, and according to its report, the lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for Central California. In the lawsuit, BlackBerry is seeking compensation for lost revenue and unspecified damages. BlackBerry sued Twitter for violating six of its patents which includes push notifications, silencing notification and mobile advertising techniques. "The lawsuit accuses the micro-blogging site of co-opting BlackBerry's technology for use in several services, including the main Twitter app and Twitter Ads," according to the report. However, Twitter is yet to comment on the lawsuit. This is not the first time BlackBerry is suing the social media website. Back in 2018, the company has also filed a lawsuit against Facebook and its subsidiaries -Instagram and WhatsApp for violating BlackBerry's patent which includes, mobile notification, security feature and more. "Blackberry's suit sadly reflects the current state of its messaging business. Having abandoned its efforts to innovate, Blackberry is now looking to tax the innovation of others. We intend to fight," Facebook had replied. Once, BlackBerry was the world's largest smartphone maker with the best security system. BlackBerry Messenger was the most secure way to exchange text messages with an end to end encryption. But later the BBM services were replaced by competitors like WhatsApp and other social media texting services. Let's see how Twitter is going to tackle this lawsuit. Best Mobiles in India Airtel offers double data benefits for Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 buyers News oi-Priyanka Dua Chinese smartphone maker Xioami has finally announced the launch of its much-awaited smartphone series in India. India's second largest telecom operator Bharti Airtel has announced special offers with data bundles and other benefits for customers upgrading to the new Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 series. Under this new offer, customers will get 100 percent more data on select Airtel prepaid recharge packs. The Rs. 249 pack, users will now get a total of 4 GB data instead of 2 GB data. While Rs. 349 pack, is now offering 6 GB data per day where the company was giving 3 GB data earlier. Customers can get data benefits of up to 1120GB along with its Thanks benefits like free data secure (Norton antivirus), free access to Airtel TV premium and much more. Shashwat Sharma, Chief Brand Officer, and Chief Marketing Officer, Bharti Airtel said, "This exclusive offer in partnership with Xiaomi is in line with our commitment to offer greater value to customers backed by best-in-class network experience. With this offer, our customers will be able to unlock the true potential of their favorite smartphone without worrying about data costs." Besides this customers can enjoy the additional data benefit on the first 10 recharges on the new smartphone or the first 10 months whichever is earlier. For the unaware, Chinese smartphone maker Xioami has finally announced the launch of its much-awaited smartphone series in India. The newly launched smartphone comes with the 48-megapixel camera. It supports 6P lens and 1.6um and equipped with the 5-megapixel secondary. It has a 6.3-inch FHD+ display with 19.5:9 aspect ratio and 2.5D curved glass. It is powered by Qualcomm's mid-range focused Snapdragon 660 processor. On the connectivity front, it has a USB Type-C port, 3.5mm headphone jack, VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. Best Mobiles in India Vodafone offers 1.5GB data for 28 days at Rs. 129: Report News oi-Priyanka Dua Vodafone also has another plan of Rs 169 in which the company is providing 1GB daily data, free unlimited calling and 100 SMS per day for the same period. With an aim to give a tough fight to other operators, Vodafone has now launched a new plan of Rs. 129 for its prepaid customers, Telecomtalk reported. Under this new plan users will get the benefit of unlimited calling within India, 1.5GB 3G/4G data and 100 SMS per day for the period of 28 days. However, there is a catch as this plan is available in key circles of the company. Besides the telco also has Rs. 119 plan which offers 1 GB 3G or 4G data along with unlimited calling for 28 days. Vodafone has another plan of Rs 169 in which the company is providing 1GB daily data, free unlimited calling and 100 SMS per day for the same period. Meanwhile, Vodafone launches iPhone Forever Program which would enable its customers to continue using their iPhones without worrying about repair costs in case of any damage. In addition, they can also upgrade to the latest iPhone at the lowest price* as part of this program. The offer covers all the Vodafone Idea enterprise customers as well. To activate this offer, customers have to simply opt for the Vodafone RED iPhone Forever Plan or Idea Nirvana iPhone Forever Plan at just Rs 649 monthly rental and download the iForever app from the App Store to register for the free iPhone Forever service. The telco also deploying new technologies such as Massive MIMO, Small Cells, TDD sites to enhance coverage and network capacity in the national capital region. The new installations will not only enhance the 4G experience of customers in the adjoining areas, including densely populated areas but is also 5G ready. Giving due importance to the connectivity needs of its millions of customers in the Delhi NCR region, Vodafone Idea has already deployed more than 4,000 Massive MIMO, small cells and TDD sites across the region. 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 India foils Pakistan's attempt to target its military installations: MEA Feb 27, 2019 India on Wednesday foiled Pakistan's attempt to target its military installations and shot down one Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft. Briefing media in New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, after India's air strikes on Tuesday, Pakistan has responded this morning by using its Air Force but due to India's high state of readiness and ness, the neighbouring country's attempts were foiled successfully. He said, the Pakistani aircraft was seen by ground forces falling from the sky on the Pakistan side. The spokesman said, in this engagement, the country has unfortunately lost one MiG 21 and one Indian Air Force pilot is in Pakistan's custody. New Delhi summoned the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan and demanded the immediate and safe return of an Indian Air Force pilot who is in the custody of Pakistan following an aerial engagement by air forces of the two countries. In a statement, the External Affairs Ministry said, it has been made clear to Pakistan that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel. It also conveyed its strong objection to the vulgar display of the injured personnel, which is in the violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. New Delhi also lodged a strong protest with Islamabad at the unprovoked act of aggression including violation of its air space by Pakistan Air Force and targeting of Indian military posts earlier today. The Ministry said, this is in contrast to India's non-military anti-terror pre-emptive strike at a JeM terrorist camp in Balakot. It said, it is unfortunate that instead of fulfilling its international obligation and bilateral commitment to take credible action against terrorist entities and individuals operating from its soil, Pakistan has acted with aggression. The Ministry said, a dossier was handed over to Pakistan side with specific details of JeM complicity in Pulwama terror attack and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan. It was conveyed that India expects Pakistan to take immediate and verifiable action against terrorism emanating from territories under its control. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Feb. 27, 2019 News Release Press Operations Release No. NR-041-19 Navy to Commission Littoral Combat Ship Charleston The Navy will commission its newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Charleston (LCS 18), during a 10 a.m. ceremony Saturday, March 2, at Columbus Street Terminal in Charleston, South Carolina. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina will deliver the commissioning ceremony's principal address. Charlotte Riley, wife of former Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, is the ship's sponsor. The ceremony will be highlighted by a time-honored Navy tradition when Mrs. Riley gives the first order to "man our ship and bring her to life!" "The future USS Charleston is proof of what the teamwork of all of our people civilian, contractor and military can accomplish together," said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. "This ship will extend the maneuverability and lethality of our fleet to confront the many challenges of a complex world, from maintaining the sea lanes to countering instability to maintaining our edge against renewed great power competition." The name Charleston has a long and storied history in the U.S. Navy. The first Navy ship to bear the name Charleston was a row galley that defended the coast of South Carolina during the Quasi-War with France. The second Charleston (C-2) was a protected cruiser that received the surrender of Guam during the Spanish-American War. The third Charleston (C-22) was a St. Louis-class protected cruiser that performed escort and troop transport duties in World War I. The next Charleston (PG-51) was an Erie-class patrol gunboat that earned the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one battle star for her service in the northern Pacific during World War II. The fifth Charleston (AKA-113/LKA-113) was an amphibious cargo ship that served during the Vietnam War. The future USS Charleston is a fast, agile, focused-mission platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric "anti-access" threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. The ship will be homeported in San Diego, Calif. The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom variant and the Independence variant, designed and built by two industry teams. The Freedom variant team is led by Lockheed Martin, Marinette, Wis., (for the odd-numbered hulls). The Independence variant team is led by Austal USA, Mobile, Ala., (for LCS 6 and the subsequent even-numbered hulls). The ceremony, using hashtag #USSCharleston, can be viewed on the Navy Live blog at http://navylive.dodlive.mil. Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at (703) 697-5342. For more information about the Littoral Combat Ship Program: http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=1650&ct=4 Additional information about the future USS Charleston (LCS 18) can be found at: https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/w/wichita-iii--lcs-13-.html https://dod.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1769473/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemen shoots down Saudi spy drone IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Feb 27, IRNA -- The Yemeni forces have shot down a Saudi spy drone in Al Hudaydah western Yemen. According to Yemeni Ansarallah website, air defense systems of Yemen targeted the Saudi spy drone since they had violated the Sweden truce agreement. Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched a devastating military campaign against Yemen in March 2015, with the aim of bringing back the government of Mansour Hadi back to power. The fourth round of Yemen peace talks kicked off in Stockholm, Sweden on December 6 with the attendance of the UN special envoy Martin Griffith and the government representatives. It agreed to establish truce in Yemeni ports of al-Hudaydah, al-Salif and Ayn Issa. Some 20,000 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. Earlier, Mark Lowcock, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator called on all organizations and countries to increase their efforts to prevent the catastrophe that is looming in Yemen and the hunger that is threatening more than 20 million people. He warned against the rise of malnutrition as well as the unaffordable cost of milk, food and medicine in Yemen. He noted 'out of a total of 20 million people who need help securing food, nearly 10 million are just a step away from famine. This includes almost 240,000 people who are facing catastrophic levels of hunger and barely surviving. Only half of the health facilities in the country are fully functioning.' 9376**1424 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemen accuses Saudis of violating Al Hudaydah truce 283 times IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Feb 27, IRNA -- Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman has accused the Saudi-led coalition of repeatedly breaching ceasefire agreement in Al Hudaydah, Yemen, saying that it has breached the truce 283 times over the last 72 hours. According to the Yemeni media 'Al-Masirah', Brigadier General Yahya Saree said despite the fact that Yemenis are committed to implement the first phase of Al Hudaydah peace agreement, enemies do not comply and try to sabotage it. He added that the Saudi coalition have targeted various parts of Al Hudaydah with missile and mortar shell. He went on to say that Saudi jetfighters bombarded Sanaa, Al Bayda', Saada and border areas with Najran 49 times. The United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2451 to support the Stockholm Agreement on deployment of a team in order to facilitate monitoring and implementing the Agreement and establishing truce in important Yemeni ports. The resolution mainly focuses on sending essential commodities to the Yemeni people, supporting the Stockholm Agreement, assigning the Secretary-General of the United Nations to implement it and observing the ceasefire. The fourth round of Yemen peace talks kicked off in Stockholm, Sweden on December 6 with the attendance of the UN special envoy Martin Griffith and the government representatives. It agreed to establish truce in Yemeni ports of al-Hudaydah, al-Salif and Ayn Issa. Saudi Arabia and its regional allies attacked Yemen in March 2015 to bring back to power the deposed president of Yemen Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. Since then, the invaders have committed horrible war crimes against Yemeni civilians. Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said Iran has given no commitments to any party or country over Yemen. He added that Tehran believes in establishment of a ceasefire in Yemen and is trying to pave the way for sending humanitarian aid there and holding intra-Yemeni talks. The Islamic Republic of Iran will spare no efforts in line with finding a peaceful solution to Yemen crisis and preventing continuation of humanitarian disaster in this country, Qasemi reiterated. 9376**1771 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tension between Pakistan, India rises to alarming level IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Islamabad, Feb 27, IRNA -- Tensions between Pakistan and India have increased to an alarming level prompting the international community to ask both countries to exercise restraint and make efforts to de-escalate tensions. Earlier Indian media quoted the country's officials as saying that between 200 and 300 were killed in the Indian air strikes on an alleged camp of militias across the border between India and Pakistan in the disputed Kashmir region, however Pakistan rejected the claim. Meanwhile Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi had called on both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint. Both countries exchanged heavy shelling across the Line of Control the defecto border between Pakistan and India in Kashmir region leaving at least four Pakistani civilians dead and 11 others wounded. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had a telephone contact with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and apprised him about the the sentiments of Pakistani government, parliament and the people on the current tension with India. He said Indian aggression can disturb joint efforts to establish peace in Afghanistan. Qureshi has also written a letter to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres inviting his attention towards the deteriorating security situation in the region. Pakistani Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi has spread Pakistan's key message at the United Nations saying that Pakistan will respond to India at a time and place of its choosing. China has also called for restraint from both Pakistan and India saying that a sound relationship and cooperation between the two nations serves the interests of the international community as well as peace and stability in South Asia. Relations between Pakistan and India have been tense since a suicide bombing in Indian-Kashmir killed over 40 Indian soldiers, with New Delhi blaming Pakistan of being complicit in the attack, a charge Islamabad has denied vehemently. The tensions soared even more after the LoC violation by Indian jets for which Major General Asif Ghafoor, the director general of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), has warned New Delhi to 'wait for our response'. 272**1424 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address With 10 million Yemeni's 'one step away from famine', donors pledge $2.6 billion IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency New York, Feb 27, IRNA -- Donors have pledged $2.6 billion to provide urgently needed support to millions of Yemeni civilians facing an "overwhelming humanitarian calamity" after nearly four years of brutal war, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday. Speaking on the sidelines of a pledging conference in Geneva, Mr. Guterres welcomed the generosity of Member States, who pledged 30 percent more than during last year's conference to raise life-saving funds for Yemen, UN website reprted. The UN chief also announced that the World Food Programme (WFP) has been able to reach the so-called Red Sea Mills food stores in the key port city of Hudaydah, where more than 50,000 tons of wheat--enough to feed 3.7 million people for a month--has been trapped for months, due to fighting between coalition forces backing the Government, and Houthi rebels who control the city and port. The UN emergency food assistance agency confirmed the information, but has yet to announce if its stocks are fit to eat, after months without access. "The donors have pledged 30 percent more than last year to help address the dramatic humanitarian situation in Yemen," the UN Secretary-General said. "From $2 billion in the pledging conference of 2018, to U$2.6 billion in the pledging conference of 2019. Nearly four years since fighting escalated in Yemen, civilians continue to suffer most. "Tens of thousands of people have been killed or injured since the conflict escalated, many of them civilians," Mr. Guterres said. "Many more have died from preventable diseases, exacerbated by malnutrition." He noted that around 20 million are unable to "reliably feed themselves or their families", adding that "almost 10 million are just one step away from famine." Highlighting the impact on the youngest Yemenis, the UN chief noted that "children did not start the war in Yemen, but they are paying the highest price. Some 360,000 children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, fighting for their lives every day. One credible report puts the number of children under-five who have died of starvation, at more than 80,000." 8072**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran calls for restraint as India-Pakistan tension heightens ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Wed / 27 February 2019 / 12:52 Tehran (ISNA) - Iran's Foreign Ministry has called on India and Pakistan to show restraint amid reports of heightened tension between the two sides. The ministry's spokesman, Bahram Qassemi said that the Islamic Republic of Iran calls on the two countries to do more to reduce tension and resolve disputes and problems peacefully through dialogue. He added that the Islamic Republic of Iran, as one of the victims of terrorism in the world, believes that the only way to fight terrorism and extremism is all-out and unbiased cooperation between all countries of the world. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USS Chief visits Jakarta Navy News Service Story Number: NNS190227-05 Release Date: 2/27/2019 10:21:00 AM By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Crouch, USS Chief (MCM 14) Public Affairs JAKARTA, Indonesia (NNS) -- The Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship USS Chief (MCM 14) arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia, Feb. 26, for a port visit. Chief is visiting Jakarta while operating in U.S. 7th Fleet to work with their Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) counterparts to strengthen regional security and stability, and enhance interoperability. "Partnerships, especially persistent partnerships, enhance our ability to maintain peace and maritime stability in the Indo-Pacific region," said Lt. Cmdr. Fred Crayton, commanding officer of Chief. "As such, the U.S. Navy is committed to continuing to engage and work side-by-side with our Indonesian Navy partners who are equally devoted to forging strength through solidarity." Upon arriving, the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) hosted a welcoming ceremony that included a sample of their culture with a traditional Indonesian dance. After the ceremony Crayton provided a tour of the ship to the Indonesian sailors that hosted the ceremony. "The welcoming we received was very touching," said Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Thomas Patterson. "It makes me very excited to get out and explore the country." Chief is also in the region to honor the 77th anniversary of the World War II Battle of Sunda Strait, where the crews of USS Houston (CA 30) and HMAS Perth (D 29) lost their lives in battle. Chief, part of Mine Countermeasures Squadron 7, is operating in the Indo-Pacific region to enhance interoperability with partners and serve as a ready-response platform for contingency operations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USS Donald Cook Departs Odessa, Ukraine Navy News Service Story Number: NNS190227-14 Release Date: 2/27/2019 1:39:00 PM By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ford Williams, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs ODESSA, Ukraine (NNS) -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) departed Odessa, Ukraine Feb. 27 after completing a scheduled port visit as part of continued Black Sea presence and support to NATO allies and regional partners. While in port, the ship hosted senior-level government discussions between U.S., Ukrainian, and other European representatives, including Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Ambassador Kurt Volker, U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, and U.S. European Command Civilian Deputy to the Commander Ambassador Philip Reeker. During a Feb. 26 press conference on the pier adjacent to the ship, Ambassador Volker emphasized the importance of Donald Cook's presence in the Black Sea. "This magnificent ship is a symbol of U.S. determination to contribute to security and stability, obviously for the United States globally, but also for our friends and allies around the world, including here on the Black Sea," Volker said. "And this visit to Odessa, in particular, is a strong symbol of the United States' commitment to the people of Ukraine." In his remarks, Donald Cook Commanding Officer Cmdr. Matthew Powel shared a personal anecdote about his great grandparents emigrating from Ukraine nearly a century ago. He said that it was a great personal privilege to visit a country that was a part of his heritage. Powel went on to summarize the ship's two trips to the Black Sea this year. "Donald Cook's port visit to Odessa served as the third opportunity for our ship to engage with our Black Sea allies and partners in 2019," Powel said. "Last month, we conducted a maritime exercise with our counterparts in the Georgian Coast Guard. Just a few days ago, we conducted training at sea with a Turkish frigate, and today we concluded a short, but significant visit to Odessa that allowed us to strengthen the U.S.-Ukrainian maritime relationship. These valuable engagements allow us to learn from each other, and I look forward to any future opportunities to return to the Black Sea." The ship also hosted a reception Feb. 26. Leading up to the port visit, the ship conducted maritime interoperability training with the Turkish navy, aimed at enhancing regional maritime stability, combined readiness and naval capability with our NATO allies and partners. Donald Cook entered the Black Sea Feb. 19, to strengthen interoperability with NATO allies and partners, and demonstrate collective resolve in the Black Sea. Donald Cook is the third U.S. naval vessel to conduct operations in the Black Sea in 2019, marking the fourth U.S. ship to visit Odessa since January 2018. In January, Donald Cook and Fort McHenry conducted port visits to Georgia and Romania, respectively. The U.S. Navy routinely operates in the Black Sea consistent with international law, including the Montreux Convention. After departing Odessa Feb. 27, Donald Cook will depart the Black Sea March 1, as scheduled. It will then continue its eighth forward-deployed naval forces patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India shuts down airports in Indian-controlled Kashmir, Amritsar amid escalating tension with Pakistan People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 17:40, February 27, 2019 NEW DELHI, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Indian authorities Wednesday ordered closure of airports for civilian aeroplanes in Indian-controlled Kashmir and Amritsar of Punjab state in wake of the growing tension with neighboring Pakistan, officials said. "The air traffic of civilian flights in all the airports here including Srinagar and Jammu have been suspended," an official in Srinagar said, adding that "the civilian aeroplanes that are parked here will not be allowed to take off until further orders." Earlier on Wednesday a pilot and a co-pilot of Indian Air Force (IAF) were reported to be killed after an Mi-17 jet crashed in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan army said its air force shot down two Indian fighter jets inside Pakistani airspace, adding one of the aircraft fell inside Pakistan-administered Kashmir while the other fell inside Indian-controlled Kashmir. On Tuesday, Pakistani army said Indian fighter jets violated the Line of Control (LoC) and released payloads in the Pakistani side. India claimed that its air force had targeted a camp of Jaish-e-Muhammad group in Tuesday's attack. The group was blamed for the Feb. 14 suicide bombing in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed some 40 Indian paramilitary troopers. Private airlines have issued statements about cancellation of flights after the decision to shutdown the airports. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India says 2 air force pilots killed as aircraft crashes in Indian-controlled Kashmir People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 16:44, February 27, 2019 NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- A pilot and a co-pilot of Indian Air Force (IAF) were killed after a Mi-17 jet crashed Wednesday in Indian-controlled Kashmir, Indian officials said. The jet crashed at village Garend Kalan of Budgam, about 34 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. "The IAF aircraft crashed here today in an open field. Two bodies have been found at crash site and most probably they are pilot and co-pilot," senior local government official Sehrish Asgar told Xinhua over phone, adding that "the aircraft was on a routine sortie in the area." According to officials, police and IAF teams have rushed to the spot to ascertain the cause of the crash. Locals said the aircraft broke into two and caught fire after it crashed. A large crowd of people gathered at the spot following the crash, eyewitnesses said. "We heard an huge explosion and suddenly flames and smoke rose from an open field," said a local, Muddasir Ahmad, adding that "when we rushed to the spot, we found the fighter jet broken and in flames." Meanwhile, Pakistan army said on Wednesday the Pakistan Air Force has shot down two Indian fighter jets inside Pakistani airspace and ground troops arrested one pilot of the destroyed jet, according to a military statement. Director General of Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army's media wing, Major General Asif Ghafoor said one of the aircraft fell inside Pakistan-administered Kashmir while the other fell inside Indian-controlled Kashmir. The military said the Indian fighter jets were intercepted and destroyed by the Pakistani side when they entered into Pakistani airspace on Wednesday morning, after "Pakistan Air Force undertook strikes across Line of Control (LoC) from within Pakistani airspace." The incident came a day after the Pakistani army said Indian fighter jets violated the LoC on Tuesday and released payloads in the Pakistani side. India claimed that its air force had targeted a camp of Jaish-e-Muhammad group in Tuesday's attack. The group was blamed for the Feb. 14 suicide bombing in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed some 40 Indian paramilitary troopers. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman said "we have no intention of escalation, but are fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm. That is why we undertook the action with a clear warning and in broad daylight." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zarif urges restraint as India, Pakistan come to blows Iran Press TV Wed Feb 27, 2019 06:08PM Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has called on both Pakistan and India to exercise restraint, following recent tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Zarif told his Pakistani counterpart, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in a phone conversation on Wednesday that Tehran was ready to work with Islamabad and New Delhi to help resolve their differences through dialogue. The Iranian FM was scheduled to talk to Indian Foreign Minister Vijay Keshav Gokhale over the phone later in the day. Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated dramatically since February 14, when Indian paramilitary forces on the New Delhi-controlled side of Kashmir were hit by a deadly bomb attack orchestrated by Pakistan-based militants. The tensions reached a peak on Tuesday, when India's Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said his country had conducted "preemptive" airstrikes against what it described as a militant training camp in Balakot near Kashmir, shortly after the Pakistani military accused New Delhi of violating its territory in the Kashmir region. According to an Indian government source, some 300 militants, were killed in the strikes. Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistan said it had shot down two Indian military jets and captured two of their pilots after the aircraft breached its airspace. Iran, which has extensive diplomatic and trade ties with both countries, has advised them against escalating the situation. Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said Tuesday that, as a victim of terror, Iran views bolstering full cooperation among nations without discrimination as the only way to tackle terrorism and extremism around the world. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan military says it shot down 2 Indian jets after airspace violation Iran Press TV Wed Feb 27, 2019 07:12AM Pakistan says it has shot down two Indian military jets, which violated its airspace, and captured two pilots amid escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors over the recent developments in disputed Kashmir. The Pakistani military's spokesman, Major General Asif Ghafoor, said in a Twitter message that two Indian Air Force planes had been targeted in the airspace over the Islamabad-administered side of Kashmir. Ghafoor said one of the aircraft fell on India's side of Kashmir, while the second came down in Pakistani-held territory with two pilots captured, he added. One of the captured pilots was in custody and the other was in hospital, he said. The Pakistan government's official Twitter account released a video of what it said was one of the Indian pilots. Reuters cited an Indian official as saying that New Delhi's jets also intercepted at least three Pakistani warplanes and forced them back after they crossed into Indian territory on Wednesday. The Pakistani jets intruded over the Bimber Gali- Noushera sector at the Line of Control, said the unnamed official. Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Rajeesh Kumar confirmed that India had lost a warplane in Wednesday's battles. He also claimed that India had shot down a Pakistani fighter jet. "The Pakistani aircraft was seen by ground forces falling from the sky on the Pakistan side," Kumar noted. But Ghafoor denied those reports, and explained that accounts an F-16 had been lost were incorrect because none were used in the operation. The reported airspace intrusion prompted India to close at least four airports in the northern part of the country. Citing an Indian government official, Reuters said the airports are at Pathankot, Leh, Srinagar and Jammu. The main airport in Srinagar had been shut down for three hours, according to police. Pakistani airspace was also officially closed for commercial flights, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced. In a separate incident, police officials in Indian-controlled Kashmir said that two Indian pilots and a civilian had died after an Indian aircraft crashed in Kashmir. The craft was initially reported by officials to be a plane, but a partial tail number from the craft seen by a Reuters witness showed it to be an Mi17 military helicopter. The cause of the crash was unknown. Overnight, the two sides traded heavy fire along their border in the Kashmir region. Islamabad pledged to surprise India with its retaliatory strikes after India pounded a purported militant training camp on Pakistan soil on Tuesday morning. Pakistan began shelling the India-controlled side of Kashmir from across the border known as the Line of Control (LoC) on Tuesday evening, a spokesman for the Indian defense forces said on Wednesday. "The Indian Army retaliated for effect and our focused fire resulted in severe destruction to five posts and a number of casualties," said the spokesman. He said that five Indian troops suffered minor wounds in the shelling that ended on Wednesday morning. "So far there are no (civilian) casualties but there is panic among people," said Rahul Yadav, the deputy commissioner of the Poonch district. "We have an evacuation plan in place and if need arises we will evacuate people to safer areas." On the other side of the border, Pakistan's local officials said at least four people had been killed and seven others wounded in the exchange of fire. They did not clarify if the casualties were civilian or military. Indian police also said they had killed two militants in a gunbattle on Wednesday Imran Khan urges talks Meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has offered talks with India and said better sense should prevail in relations between the two countries. "Let us open the corridor of negotiations and settle all outstanding issues," Imran Khan said in an address to the nation on Wednesday. "We offered India every possible support into the investigation into the Pulwama attack. That's not in Pakistan's interest to promote terrorism. It is not in the interest of Pakistan that its soil should be used for exporting terror. Similarly, Pakistani soil cannot be subjected to terror," Imran Khan said. The premier further said, "No sovereign country can allow another country to become judge, jury and executioners. Therefore, I prompted India in case of aggression, we would have no option but to respond." "All wars in world history have been miscalculated. Those who started the wars did not know where it will end. So, I want to ask India, with the weapons you and we have, can we afford miscalculation?" 'India not seeking further escalation' Earlier, India said that it sought no "further escalation of the situation," arguing that it had only conducted "pre-emptive" airstrikes against what it called a militant camp on in the Pakistani town of Balakot near Kashmir. Indian military sources said some 300 militants were killed in the operation, a claim rejected by Islamabad as outright "lying." New Delhi said the targeted camp belonged to the so-called Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant group, which had claimed responsibility for an attack on an Indian security convoy in Pulwama, in Indian-administered Kashmir, on February 14. That attack killed more than 40 Indian troops. Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Wednesday that the government in New Delhi carried out the air raids "in the light of the continuing refusal of Pakistan to acknowledge and act against terror groups on its territory." "India does not wish to see further escalation of this situation," she said. "India will continue to act with responsibility and restraint." The Indian diplomat also said that "based on credible information Jaish-e-Mohammed was planning other attacks in... (India)." "The limited objective of that pre-emptive strike was to act decisively against the terrorist infrastructure of Jaish-e-Mohammed in order to pre-empt another terror attack in India," Swaraj added. Swaraj also stressed that "no military installations were targeted" in the raids, and that the target was selected to avoid civilian casualties. Soon after the bomb attack on Indian security convoy in Pulwama, New Delhi said it "was being controlled from across" the frontier by Pakistan's main spy agency, and JeM commanders. Prime Minster Narendra Modi also warned that those behind the bombing "have to pay a heavy price." 'Nobody killed, no damage' Pakistan, which keeps denying the allegations of having a hand in the mid-February bomb attack, disputed India's account and dismissed its claim of heavy militant casualties as "self-serving, reckless and fictitious." "There is not even a single brick in the debris," said Pakistani military spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor on Wednesday. "If there was any infrastructure there, then there would be some debris. They say [hundreds of] people were killed - I say that if there were even 10 people, there would be some bodies there," he added. He invited foreign diplomats and media to visit the scene of the air raids to verify his country's account. Some witnesses in the area also gave their own versions of the incident, saying, "The payload was dropped near the forest in Batrasi, it is totally uninhabited." This is believed to be the first time India's Air Force has crossed into Pakistan since 1971. Soon after the attack on Pakistan soil, Prime Minister Imran Khan convened a meeting of the National Security Committee, which vowed to "respond at the time and place of its choosing" in a statement. The prime minister also called a special meeting of the National Command Authority Pakistan's top nuclear decision-making body on Wednesday. 'Pakistan knows how to defend motherland' In the meantime, President Arif Alvi said that Pakistan had no aggressive intention against any nation, but it knew how to defend the motherland from any kind of misadventure. Addressing an international conference on "Media and Conflict," on Tuesday, he said, "We know how to defend ourselves," without mentioning the Indian strikes. He accused India of pursuing "an irrational approach" toward Islamabad, saying that whenever any terror incident occurred in India, New Delhi blamed Pakistan. World urges calm In the meantime, more governments across the world are joining the chorus of warnings, calling on both India and Pakistan to avoid further escalation. China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang reiterated Beijing's call for both sides to exercise restraint on Wednesday. She had said a day earlier that "India and Pakistan are both important countries in South Asia." "A sound relationship and cooperation between the two serves the interests of both the countries and peace and stability in South Asia," the Chinese official said, calling on them to "exercise restraint and do more to improve their bilateral relations." The European Union has also reacted to the situation, calling for "maximum restraint" from both sides. France, in turn, urged restraint and said it "recognizes India's legitimacy to ensure its security against cross-border terrorism." France's Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs asked "Pakistan to put an end to the operations of terrorist groups established on its territory." The Australian government also urged Pakistan to take "urgent and meaningful action against terrorist groups in its territory," and likewise called on both sides to exercise restraint. "Pakistan must do everything possible to implement its own proscription of Jaish-e-Mohammed," the government said in a statement. Iran also called "on the two countries of India and Pakistan to [exercise] restraint and make more efforts to reduce tensions and peacefully settle the existing differences and problems through dialog." US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also spoke separately with the foreign ministers of both countries and called on them to avoid "further military activity." "I expressed to both Ministers that we encourage India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, and avoid escalation at any cost," Pompeo said in a statement issued on Tuesday. "I also encouraged both Ministers to prioritize direct communication and avoid further military activity." Taliban warns against prolongation of conflict The Afghan Taliban militant group also reacted to the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan, saying, "The continuation of such conflict will affect the Afghanistan peace process." "India should not carry any further violence in Pakistan because its continuation will affect regional security also the continuation of such conflict will cost a lot to India," Taliban Spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement on Wednesday. The group is engaged in a new round of talks with US representatives in Doha, the Qatari capital, to find a solution to the 17-year-old conflict in Afghanistan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Venezuelan FM urges UN Security Council to reject use of force Iran Press TV Wed Feb 27, 2019 03:12AM Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza has accused the US of trying to intervene in the Latin American country militarily, urging the UN Security Council to reject any use of force against the country. Addressing a UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday, Arreaza said the US-led campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro had failed. "That was the last chapter in the coup on Saturday," he said. "Read my lips - it failed. Now is the time for us to return to sanity." In the same meeting, Russia's Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia accused Washington of seeking to topple President Maduro through military intervention, adding that the US' policy toward Venezuela is tantamount to violating international law. He supported Arreaza and questioned what other countries would have done if confronted with "an attempted illegal state border crossing for the delivery of unknown cargo." Turning to the US, he pointedly noted, "One country even wants to build a huge wall on the border of another country to prevent an illegal border crossing." Trump surrounded by bad people Maduro on Tuesday said US President Donald Trump is surrounded by "bad" officials who are advising him during the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis in the country. "I fear the people that are around him," Maduro told ABC News in an exclusive interview. "I think these people surrounding President Trump and advising him on Venezuelan policies are bad, and I think that at one point, President Trump will have to say 'stop, stop, we have to see what happens with Venezuela,' and change his politics." The comments come a day after the Trump administration ramped up sanctions to pressure Maduro to leave office and allow Juan Guaido, an opposition leader the US and other world powers recognize as Venezuela's interim president, to take power. Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido, 35, who is also the head of Venezuela's defunct National Assembly, plunged the country into political chaos on January 23, when he proclaimed himself as the "interim president" of Venezuela, a bizarre move that drew US President Donald Trump's immediate support and prompted the White House to call on other countries to follow suit in recognizing Guaido as such. The US-backed opposition figure has also planned to bring in foreign humanitarian aid, including those from the US through the Colombian border, to allegedly alleviate the country's economic crisis. Maduro has said the real incentive behind Guaido's "relief" effort is to undermine his government in a Washington-orchestrated bid to oust him, stressing that Caracas would not allow the entry of the so-called aid to Venezuela, which has the world's largest proven oil reserves. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Four Pakistani nationals killed in India shelling of Kashmir Iran Press TV Wed Feb 27, 2019 12:42AM Pakistani officials say four civilians have been killed in India's shelling of the disputed Kashmir region amid growing tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Pakistani officials say three members of a family were among the dead after an Indian mortar shell hit a house along the line of control. New Delhi and Islamabad regularly accuse each other of firing across the heavily-militarized de facto border in the Himalayan region. The shelling comes hours after India launched airstrikes inside Pakistan under the pretext of targeting the camp of a militant group that was behind a recent suicide attack on Indian forces. The camp is believed to belong to the Pakistan-based militant group, the so-called Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), which claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 44 Indian forces in Pulwama, in Indian-administered Kashmir, on February 14. Pakistan has denied India's claim that the aerial attack had inflicted casualties on militants. Islamabad has also warned that it will respond to the Indian aggression in due course. Tensions between the two neighbors have drawn international attention. China and the European Union have called for both sides to show restraint. Iran's foreign ministry also called on the two sides to exercise restraint and resolve tensions peacefully. Tehran "calls on the two countries of India and Pakistan to [exercise] restraint and make more efforts to reduce tensions and peacefully settle the existing differences and problems through dialog," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Tuesday. As a victim of terror, Iran believes that the only way to fight terrorism and extremism is bolstering all-out cooperation among all countries in the world without any discrimination, the Iranian spokesperson pointed out. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan, India Claim Downing Of Each Other's Warplanes In Kashmir Escalation By RFE/RL February 27, 2019 Pakistan and India say they have shot down each other's warplanes in a dramatic escalation of their conflict over the disputed region of Kashmir. The Pakistani military initially said on February 27 that the country's air force had downed two India Air Force jets in its airspace and captured two pilots on the ground in the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir. But a spokesman later tweeted that there was "only one pilot under Pakistan Army's custody." India confirmed the loss of one of its fighter jets and said a pilot was missing while it foiled an attack by Pakistan jets over the Himalayan region. It also said that it had shot down a Pakistani jet. Amid the escalation, Pakistan closed its airspace to commercial flights "until further notice," while airports were shut in India and a vast area of airspace north of New Delhi was closed to civilian flights. The developments come a day after Indian warplanes carried out an air strike in northeastern Pakistan on what New Delhi said was a militant training camp. The aerial attack was the first launched across the Line of Control (LoC) that serves as a de facto border in Kashmir since a war between the two neighbors in 1971. Tensions have been high between Islamabad and New Delhi since a February 14 suicide attack that killed at least 41 Indian troops in Muslim-majority Kashmir, which is claimed by both countries. In an address to the nation, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on February 27 called for talks with India and expressed hope that "better sense" will prevail to deescalate the situation. "History tells us that wars are full of miscalculation. My question is that given the weapons we have, can we afford miscalculation?" Khan said. "We should sit down and talk." Earlier in the day, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said that his country "does not wish to see further escalation." "India will continue to act with responsibility and restraint," Swaraj said during a visit to China. Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have fought two of their three full-fledged wars over the Himalayan territory since their partition during independence from Britain in 1947. In a separate incident on February 27, a helicopter crashed and exploded into flames outside the main city of Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir, killing three people, local officials said. The cause of the crash was unknown. The day also saw shelling across the LoC that killed six civilians on the Pakistani side, authorities said. India said its air strike early on February 26 killed "a very large number" of militants. Pakistan denied there had been casualties but warned that it would respond to what it called Indian "aggression." The Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant group claimed responsibility for the February 14 attack on Indian security forces. India said its neighbor had a "direct hand" in the attack and accused it of providing sanctuary to the militants. Islamabad denies involvement. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement on February 27 that India and Pakistan should show the "utmost restraint." "This has the potential to lead to serious and dangerous consequences for the two countries and the wider region," Mogherini said. "We expect both countries to now exercise utmost restraint and avoid any further escalation of the situation," she added, urging the two sides to resume diplomatic contacts to defuse the crisis. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called on India and Pakistan to avoid further military activity. In a February 26 statement, Pompeo said he had spoken with his Indian and Pakistani counterparts. "I expressed to both ministers that we encourage India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, and avoid escalation at any cost. I also encouraged both ministers to prioritize direct communication and avoid further military activity," he said. Russia and China, a Pakistan ally, have also urged calm. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa, and RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-india-pakistan- tensions/29793102.html Copyright (c) 2019. 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 Longtime Lawyer Accuses Trump Of Being A 'Conman'; Says President Knew About Moscow Skyscraper Talks By Mike Eckel February 27, 2019 WASHINGTON -- Michael Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trump's longtime personal lawyer, has told a congressional hearing that Trump was "a conman" and "a cheat," and he said that Trump knew about negotiations during the 2016 election campaign to build a Trump-branded skyscraper in Moscow. In a televised hearing on February 27, Cohen also suggested that federal prosecutors were investigating other unspecified criminal allegations regarding Trump that have not been made public. The remarks were part of series of explosive allegations that Cohen made under oath during an extraordinary public hearing before the House of Representatives' Oversight and Reform Committee. "I regret the day I said 'yes' to Mr. Trump," Cohen said, reading from prepared remarks. "I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump's illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat," Cohen said. The televised hearing, which riveted Washington, came as Trump was half-a-world away, attending a major summit in Vietnam with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Ahead of the hearing, Trump lashed out at Cohen, who was fired by Trump in May 2018, accusing him in a Twitter post of "lying to reduce his prison time." While Democrats on the committee peppered Cohen with questions about his legal and business work for Trump, Republican members ripped into him, calling him a liar and trying to undermine his credibility. "You have a history of lying over and over and over again," Representative Jim Jordan, the top Republican on the committee, told Cohen. "How on earth is this witness credible?" Representative Mark Green (republican-Tennessee) asked. Trump has denied any collusion between himself, his 2016 election campaign, or his associates and Moscow. He has repeatedly called the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller a "witch hunt." Cohen, who once emphasized his loyalty by saying he would "take a bullet" for Trump, has pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance violations that involved so-called "hush money" paid to two women who say they had affairs with Trump. Cohen has also pleaded guilty to lying to Congress in a separate case, where he revealed more extensive negotiations between the Trump organization and Russian developers, to build a skyscraper in Moscow, than had been previously thought. He is scheduled to begin a three-year prison sentence in May, based on his earlier guilty pleas. Russia Questions Trump's ties to Russia were not expected to be directly discussed at the committee meeting. However, Cohen explicitly raised them in his comments, and they were a recurring theme, particularly among Democratic questioning. Reading from prepared remarks that were released ahead of time, Cohen said Trump directed negotiations for the Moscow project during the presidential campaign despite stating that he had no business interests in Russia. "When it came to the Trump Tower Moscow project, it was worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and we never expected to win the election," he said. "There were at least a half-dozen times between...January 2016 and the end of June when he would ask me, 'How's it going in Russia' -- referring to the Moscow Tower project," Cohen said, adding: "To be clear: Mr. Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it." Cohen said that lawyers for Trump "reviewed and edited" the statement in which Cohen falsely said a proposal for a Trump Tower in Moscow had been scrapped in January 2016. Cohen has since said that he continued pursuing the project for months after that. Asked about the reported involvement of other Trump family members in the talks, Cohen confirmed that he briefed Trump's daughter, Ivanka, and Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., about the Moscow project. He said there were about "10 total" briefings. A key figure in Trump's efforts to build a tower in Moscow was Felix Sater, a Russian-born real estate developer who is also a convicted mobster. Sater was reportedly in contact with Russian developers as Cohen sought to push the effort forward. In a 2013 lawsuit, Trump said under oath that he did not know Sater. However, Cohen testified that Sater had an office in Trump Tower in New York, on the same floor as Trump, and that he did not pay rent. Under questioning from Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, Cohen said that the last time he had spoken with Trump was in June 2018, about two months after the FBI had raided his home and law office in Manhattan. When Krishnamoorthi asked about the details of the conversation, Cohen responded: "Unfortunately, this topic is actually something that is being investigated right now by [federal prosecutors], and I've been asked by them not to discuss, and not to talk about these issues." Wikileaks In the 2016 election campaign, Trump defeated Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for the presidency. The campaign was thrown into turmoil on July 22, 2016, when WikiLeaks released hundreds of stolen e-mails from the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Those e-mails stoked animus between supporters of Clinton and her rival for the Democratic nomination, Senator Bernie Sanders, and weakened her chances of winning the presidential election. Trump has denied knowing ahead of time about the Wikileaks e-mail dump. But Cohen told the committee he was in Trump's office in July 2016 when Trump received a phone call from Roger Stone, a longtime political adviser.. Cohen said Stone told Trump he had just been speaking with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who told him there would be a massive release of e-mails within a couple of days that would damage Clinton's campaign. "A lot of people have asked me whether Mr. Trump knew about the release of the hacked [DNC] e-mails ahead of time," he says. "The answer is yes." Cohen told the committee that Trump did not directly tell him to lie but that "he would look me in the eye and tell me there's no business in Russia and then go out and lie to the American people by saying the same thing." Trump dismissed Cohen's allegations in a tweet from Vietnam, where he is meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on February 27-28, accusing his former lawyer of lying. "Michael Cohen was one of many lawyers who represented me (unfortunately). He had other clients also.... He did bad things unrelated to Trump. He is lying to reduce his prison time," Trump tweeted. Cohen repeated earlier comments that he was involved in arranging hush money payments for the women who said they had affairs with Trump, something Trump has denied. Under U.S. law, if Trump's money was used to pay the women who say they had affairs with him, or if he directed that to happen during an election cycle, it could be considered a campaign contribution that must be disclosed. Not disclosing it would be a felony. On the Moscow Tower issue, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman seemed to provide indirect support for Trump in remarks to reporters on February 27, saying that a January 2016 e-mail from Cohen to the Kremlin did not mention that Trump was interested in the matter. "That was never mentioned," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked whether the e-mail stated that Trump was personally interested in the tower deal taking place. "On the contrary, the e-mail was about how the project was not working out." 'Steele Dossier' Putin's administration has previously confirmed receiving the e-mail, in which Cohen sought help in advancing the stalled development project, but said it neither replied nor discussed the matter with Putin. Cohen's testimony also touched on another unresolved issue, involving the question of whether the Trump campaign sought to collude with Russian officials to sway U.S. voters. During the 2016 campaign, a former British spy authored a series of damning and salacious memos about Trump when he was a businessman, which came to be known as the "Steele Dossier." One section of the report asserted that Cohen traveled to Prague in late summer 2016 for discussions with Russian officials. But asked by Republican Representative Ralph Norman about such a trip, Cohen again denied it. When Norman asked: "Have you ever been to Prague?" Cohen said, "I've never been to the Czech Republic." Cohen's appearance is one of three before congressional panels this week, but the only one that will be open to the public. Ties between Russia and Trump are expected to be more central to the hearings of the House Intelligence hearing on February 28, and were also likely to be the focus of a Senate hearing held behind closed doors on February 26. With reporting by Reuters and AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-lawyer-michael- cohen-testimony/29793098.html Copyright (c) 2019. 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 UN Urges India, Pakistan to De-Escalate Tensions in Disputed Kashmir Region Sputnik News 23:49 27.02.2019 UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is monitoring the Indian-Pakistani conflict with deep concern and has urged both sides to take steps to reduce tensions, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a press briefing on Wednesday. "The United Nations' message both publicly and privately to both sides is to urgently take steps to lower tensions through meaningful, mutual engagement and meet their responsibilities to maintain peace and security in the region", the spokesman said. "[Guterres] is, obviously, following the situation that we see even today with deep concern". Earlier in the day, India and Pakistan engaged in an air battle, with both sides losing downed jets, a day after the Indian Air Force carried out an airstrike against a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist group camp located across the Line of Control in the Kashmir region. The Pakistani Army has arrested two Indian pilots whose jets were shot down earlier on Wednesday after entering the Pakistani airspace. Guterres, Dujarric added, received a call yesterday from the Foreign Minister of Pakistan and has been in contact with both sides at various levels. Tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad escalated on 14 February when a car carrying over 100 pounds of explosives detonated next to a security convoy, killing 45 Indian paramilitary officers. India named Maulana Masood Azhar, the leader of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist group residing in Pakistan, as the person responsible for ordering the attack and accused Pakistan of harboring and protecting terrorists. Pakistan has rejected the allegations of its involvement in the attack and in return has accused India of being responsible for human rights violations taking place in the disputed Kashmir region. The Russian Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, Konstantin Kosachev, said Wednesday that Moscow stands ready to contribute to peaceful settlement of all disputes between India and Pakistan as well as to be a mediator between the two nuclear powers. The Kashmir region has been a center of dispute between India and Pakistan for decades. After gaining independence from British rule in 1947, Kashmir was partitioned between India and Pakistan. Since then, the Muslim-majority population in the Indian Jammu and Kashmir region has been conducting separatist militant operations in order to gain independence or join Pakistan. According to the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, there was a 176 percent rise in the number of terrorist incidents in the state between 2014 and 2018. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India Submits Data on Terrorists They Targeted in Kashmir to Pakistan Reports Sputnik News 21:43 27.02.2019 MOSCOW (Sputnik) India has submitted information about the complicity of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist group in the recent terror attack in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan, Times of India reported on Wednesday. According to the Times of India newspaper, the dossier with details about the group's camps in Pakistan was handed over to Pakistan's acting High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah. The Pakistani official was also told that New Delhi was waiting for immediate and verifiable actions against terrorism that purportedly spreads out from Pakistani territory. The deadly attack took place in the Pulwama district of the Jammu and Kashmir state on February 14, killing 45 Indian officers. This was the biggest terrorist attack in India since 2008, when over 150 people were killed in Mumbai. India has named Maulana Masood Azhar, the leader of the Jaish-e-Mohammed residing in Pakistan, as the person responsible for ordering the attack. After the attack, India blamed Pakistan for harbouring and protecting terrorists, accusing the country of having a "direct hand" in the incident. As a punitive measure, India withdrew Pakistan's most-favoured nation status and raised customs duties on goods imported from Pakistan to 200 percent. Pakistan has rejected the allegations of its involvement in the attack and said that this was New Delhi's strategy to divert international attention from human rights violations taking place in the Kashmir region. The escalation of tensions has already resulted in Indian airstrikes on the Pakistani-controlled part of the Kashmir region as well as air fights between the two countries. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India Urges Pakistan to Immediately Release Pilot Arrested Over Kashmir Incident Sputnik News 19:04 27.02.2019(updated 19:15 27.02.2019) NEW DELHI (Sputnik) - New Delhi calls on Islamabad to immediately release and return to homeland the Indian pilot arrested by the Pakistani Army following the aerial incident over the disputed Kashmir region, the Indian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. "India also strongly objected to Pakistan's vulgar display of injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. It was made clear that Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return," the statement said. Earlier in the day, the Indian Foreign Ministry said a Pakistani jet was shot down in the aerial incident over the disputed Kashmir region, adding that India also lost one Mig-21 aircraft. The Pakistani army said it had downed two Indian jets that crossed the so-called Line of Control (LoC) separating the Indian-and Pakistani-controlled parts of Jammu and Kashmir and arrested two pilots. The injured one was sent to a hospital and receiving necessary medical help, while the other pilot is in custody, according to the Pakistani military. The day before, the Indian Air Force carried out an airstrike against what they claimed was a camp of Jaish-e-Mohammad group, considered terrorist by India, which was located across the LoC. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry has slammed the airstrike as a violation of its territorial integrity and sovereignty. This incident followed the February 14 attack, in which a car carrying over 100 pounds of explosives was detonated on a highway next to a security convoy in the Pulwama district of the Jammu and Kashmir state, killing 45 Indian paramilitary officers. This was the biggest terrorist attack in India since 2008, when over 150 people were killed in Mumbai. India has named Maulana Masood Azhar, the leader of the Jaish-e-Mohammed residing in Pakistan, as the person responsible for ordering the attack. Pakistan has rejected the allegations of its involvement in the attack and said that this was New Delhi's strategy to divert international attention from human rights violations taking place in the Kashmir region. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India Summons Pakistan Envoy Over Recent Escalation, Targeting of Military Posts Sputnik News 18:22 27.02.2019(updated 18:26 27.02.2019) India's Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday summoned Pakistan's acting high commissioner and condemned the violation of the Indian air space by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), which targeted Indian military posts. He also hit out at the "vulgar" display of an injured Indian Air Force pilot which Pakistan claims was caught in action. New Delhi (Sputnik) Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan Syed Haider Shah was summoned on Wednesday afternoon to lodge a strong protest at the "unprovoked act of aggression" by Pakistan against India earlier in the day, including by "violation of the Indian air space" by the Pakistan Air Force and the targeting of Indian military posts, an Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson informed via a statement. "It was clearly conveyed that India reserves the right to take firm and decisive action to protect its national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity against any act of aggression or cross-border terrorism," the MEA statement read. The ministry said that instead of fulfilling its international obligations and bilateral commitments to take credible action against terrorist entities and individuals operating from its soil, Pakistan has acted with aggression against India. India also strongly objected to Pakistan's "vulgar display" of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. "It was made clear that Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return," the MEA spokesperson notes. India also handed over a dossier to the Pakistani acting high commissioner regarding the terror attack in Pulwama in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir which the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit was behind. "A dossier was handed over to Pakistan side with specific details of JeM's complicity in Pulwama terror attack and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan. It was conveyed that India expects Pakistan to take immediate and verifiable action against terrorism emanating from territories under its control," the MEA added. On Wednesday, Pakistan Air Force warplanes crossed into Indian territory and one Pakistani fighter plane was allegedly shot down by an Indian Air Force jet in an aerial engagement, according to media reports. Pakistan also claimed to have shot down two Indian Air Force aircraft, capturing two Indian pilots in the process. India has admitted that one Indian Air Force pilot is missing in the action which happened along the border. Earlier on Tuesday, India claimed that the IAF killed more than 200 terrorists and their sympathisers in a non-military anti-terror pre-emptive strike on a JeM terrorist camp in Balakot, situated in the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistani PM Says Country Ready to Cooperate With India on Kashmir Attack Sputnik News 13:24 27.02.2019(updated 16:19 27.02.2019) The Pakistani military earlier announced that two Indian pilots have been captured. The downing of the Indian jets came a day after Indian warplanes struck a military training camp in Pakistani-controlled parts of Kashmir. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that his country should "sit down and talk" to resolve the crisis with India which broke out on Wednesday after the Pakistani Air Force downed two Indian warplanes and captured two pilots. "We didn't take action earlier without assessing our own damage from Indian airstrikes because we wanted a justified response. Two Indian MiGs that entered Pakistani airspace today after our retaliation were shot down," Khan said in a televised address on Wednesday. "My question to the Indian government is: taking into account what kind of weapons you and we have, can we afford miscalculations? Where will this tension lead?" he asked. "It will get out of control mine or Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's. I once again invite you to sit down to the negotiating table. Let me reiterate that common sense should prevail. We must solve our problems through dialogue." Earlier in the day, the Pakistani Army said it had downed two Indian jets that crossed the Line of Control over the disputed Kashmir Region and entered Pakistan's airspace. This contradicts the account of India's Foreign Ministry, which maintained that India lost one MiG-21 aircraft in the aerial incident and that a Pakistani jet was also shot down. It comes a day after the Indian Air Force conducted an airstrike against a military training camp in Pakistan, killing "a very large number of people". The camp, according to New Delhi, belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammad, the terror group responsible for a suicide car bomb attack on a paramilitary convoy in the Indian-controlled Kashmir on 14 February. The Indian Foreign Ministry said that the attack was carried out due to Islamabad's alleged "inability to act in order to destroy terrorist infrastructure," while the Pakistani Foreign Ministry slammed the airstrike as a violation of its territorial integrity and sovereignty. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Moscow Urges India, Pakistan to Show Restraint Amid Escalated Tensions Sputnik News 11:36 27.02.2019(updated 14:32 27.02.2019) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Moscow is closely following the recent escalation of the Indian-Pakistani tensions and calls for the relevant parties to show restraint, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday. "We are deeply concerned over the coming news, follow the situation and, of course, urge the parties to show restraint," the spokesman said. Commenting on the recent exchange of airstrikes between India and Pakistan, Zamir Kabulov, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Second Asian Department and presidential envoy for Afghanistan, said that Moscow was hoping for the de-escalation of tensions between the two states in the near future. "We are seriously concerned about this situation. India and Pakistan are states friendly to Russia. We very much hope that the tension will be eliminated as soon as possible," Kabulov said. He noted that this situation shows the importance of the relationship between these two states for the stability of the region, but expressed doubt that this situation will have an impact on the Afghan peace process. "I do not think that this may affect the Afghan settlement. India, of course, is an important player, but it is difficult for me to imagine how this will affect [the Afghan settlement]. There are concrete talks between Taliban and the United States, and the future of Afghanistan must be discussed by the Afghans themselves," Kabulov said. Earlier in the day, Pakistan's army press service stated that its combat jets shot down two Indian Air Force aircraft that had allegedly violated Pakistani airspace over Kashmir. Representatives of the Indian authorities have not yet commented on this information. On Tuesday, the Indian Air Force carried out an airstrike against a camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist group, which claimed responsibility for the deadly terrorist attack against the Indian security convoy on February 14. The camp was situated in the Pakistani-controlled part of the Kashmir region. The Indian Foreign Ministry said that the attack was necessary. However, the Pakistani National Security Council reportedly rejected the claims that the airstrike targeted terrorists. After February's terrorist attack, which left over 40 Indian paramilitary troops dead, the already-strained relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated even further. India blamed Pakistan for harbouring the terrorists responsible for the attack,and accused Islamabad of having a "direct hand" in the incident. Pakistan in turn, rejected the allegations of its involvement in the attack and said that this was India's strategy to divert international attention from human rights violations in the Kashmir region. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India Closes Northern Airspace Amid Escalation of Tensions With Pakistan Sputnik News 10:58 27.02.2019 The Indian government has suspended air traffic in the northern part of the country after an Indian Air Force jet crashed in the Budgam area of Central Kashmir amid reports of Pakistan shooting down Indian fighter jets. New Delhi (Sputnik): A government official told Sputnik that the Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar and Chandigarh airports were being closed to civilian air traffic amid an escalation of cross-border attacks between the land and air forces of India and Pakistan. "Air traffic has been suspended until further notice in light of the emergency," an Airport Authority of India official told Sputnik. Early Wednesday morning, Pakistan Air Force fighter jets crossed the LoC (de facto border with India) and dropped bombs on Indian Territory. However, the Indian government did not provide further details of the incursion. Pakistan also claimed that their air force had shot down two Indian aircraft from inside Pakistani airspace. Director General ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor of the ISPR (the Pakistani army's information agency) said one of the aircraft fell inside Pakistani-controlled Jammu and Kashmir while the other one fell inside Indian-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan's Air Force on Wednesday conducted strikes across the Line of Control from within Pakistani airspace. The Foreign Office Spokesperson of Pakistan said that Pakistan has no intention of escalation, but are fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India Shoots Down Pakistan's Jet Over Kashmir, Lost 1 MiG-21 - Foreign Ministry Sputnik News 08:51 27.02.2019(updated 13:08 27.02.2019) On Tuesday, India bombed a terrorist camp in the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir, violating the neighbouring country's airspace. Already-tense bilateral relations have been escalating between the two Asian nuclear powers after mid-February's suicide attack, which left over 40 Indian paramilitary troops dead. The spokesperson of the Indian Foreign Ministry stated that Pakistan's jet was shot down in the air incident over Kashmir, while New Delhi lost one MiG-21. "The Pakistan Air Force was detected and the Indian Air Force responded instantly. In that aerial engagement, one Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft was shot down by a MiG 21 Bison of the Indian Air Force. The Pakistani aircraft was seen by ground forces falling from the sky on the Pakistan side. In this engagement, we have unfortunately lost one MiG 21," the statement says. The Indian official has confirmed that one pilot "is missing in action," adding that "Pakistan has claimed that he is in their custody. We are ascertaining the facts." Earlier in the day, Pakistan's army press service stated that its combat jets shot down two Indian Air Force aircraft that had allegedly violated Pakistani airspace over Kashmir, ANI reported. The strikes were carried out from the Indian-controlled state of Jammu and Kashmir; there has been no information on casualties resulting from the incident so far. Two Indian pilots have been captured, with one of them needing medical assistance, the Pakistani military added. Pakistan's fighter jets were forced to return to their side of the de facto border of the disputed territory after responding to the violation of Pakistani airspace, AFP reported, citing sources and local media. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that the airstrikes on the Indian jets were conducted in attempt to demonstrate a readiness to engage in self-defence. "Today, Pakistan Air Force undertook strikes across the Line of Control from within Pakistani airspace. This was not a retaliation to continued Indian belligerence. Pakistan has therefore, taken strikes at non military target, avoiding human loss and collateral damage, the sole purpose being to demonstrate our right, will and capability for self defence," the ministry said in a statement. Air services have been temporarily halted in several districts of India's Jammu and Kashmir state, a representative of the Srinagar airport told Sputnik Wednesday. The crisis comes just a day after India carried out an aerial operation, targeting a Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist group camp, which claimed responsibility for the deadly terrorist attack against the Indian security convoy on February 14. The camp was situated in the Pakistani-controlled part of the Kashmir region, while Islamabad accused New Delhi of violating its airspace. While India stressed that it conducted the raid due to "Pakistan's inability to take action to destroy terrorist infrastructure," the Pakistani National Security Council reportedly rejected the claims that the airstrike targeted terrorists. At the same time, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry stated that it considers the Indian move an "act of aggression," which threatens regional security and vowed a response. After February's terrorist attack, which left over 40 Indian paramilitary troops dead, the already-strained relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated even further. India blamed Pakistan for harbouring the terrorists responsible for the attack,and accused Islamabad of having a "direct hand" in the incident. Pakistan in turn, rejected the allegations of its involvement in the attack and said that this was India's strategy to divert international attention from alleged human rights violations in the Kashmir region. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India FM Says Kashmir Strike Targeted Terrorists, Refutes Military Attack Claims Sputnik News 07:26 27.02.2019 WUZHEN (China) (Sputnik) - India's airstrike against a terrorist camp in the disputed Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of Jammu and Kashmir region was not a military attack because the Indian jets were targeting terrorists, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Indian Air Force carried out an airstrike against a camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist group, which claimed responsibility for the deadly terrorist attack against the Indian security convoy on 14 February. The camp was situated in the Pakistani-controlled part of the Kashmir region. The Indian Foreign Ministry said that the attack was necessary. However, the Pakistani National Security Council reportedly rejected the claims that the airstrike targeted terrorists. According to Swaraj, Pakistani authorities have denied that they were aware of the fact that the group was located on the Pakistani territory. The minister added that India located the terrorists' camp before the airstrike in order to prevent civilian casualties. Swaraj is participating in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi in China. After February's terrorist attack, which killed 45 Indian paramilitary officers, the traditionally strained relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated even further as India blamed Pakistan for harboring the terrorists responsible for the attack and accused Islamabad of having a "direct hand" in the incident. Pakistan in turn, rejected the allegations of its involvement in the attack and said that this was India's strategy to divert international attention from human rights violations in the Kashmir region. Both India and Pakistan along with China have been contesting Kashmir since 1947. The state is currently divided between the three sides, with Line of Control serving as a de facto border between the Indian and the Pakistani-controlled parts of Kashmir. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemen: 'A great first step' UN declares as aid team accesses grain silo which can feed millions 27 February 2019 - The first assessment of a major UN aid storage facility in war-torn Yemen has been carried out since it was cut off by fighting last September, the Organization reported on Wednesday, hailing it as "a great first step". Briefing journalists in Geneva, the World Food Programme (WFP) confirmed that a team had reached the Red Sea Mills near the key port of Hudaydah on Tuesday. It has appealed for sustained access to the site, which contains enough wheat to feed 3.7 million people for a month. "The silos show evidence of damage by the fighting, but no apparent structural damage except the silo affected by a hit in late January, which basically resulted in serious fire damage to that specific silo," said senior Spokesperson Herve Verhoosel. "We have now a first assessment, we'll probably need additional technical assessments," he added. In addition to fire damage to one silo, the assessment team found evidence of weevil infestation, but no water infiltration. "Tuesday's visit was a great first step," Mr. Verhoosel said, noting that Yemen imports around 70 per cent of its daily food, fuel and medicines via Hudaydah port, which has been the focus of clashes between Government forces and Houthi opposition fighters, although a UN-backed ceasefire and troop-withdrawal negotiations are on-going. 'Sustained access' now needed "We need now sustain access every day as much as possible for WFP's staff," he explained. "But also later for the mill's staff to access the facilities. That will be necessary before we can start again milling the wheat." Samples of the grain have been sent for testing to check whether it is still edible. If so, the 51,000 tonnes of wheat can be processed at the facility, where equipment is largely untouched and the generators "appear to be in good condition", Mr. Verhoosel said, adding that more than 30,000 litres of diesel was still available. The positive development is dependent on continued access being granted by the warring parties, who signed a UN-led partial ceasefire agreement in Sweden last December. It follows a UN-led appeal for more than $4 billion from international donors this year, to save millions in Yemen from starvation. At the pledging conference in Geneva on Tuesday, when $2.6 billion was promised, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of an "overwhelming humanitarian calamity", as a result of almost four years of fighting between supporters of Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and Houthi opposition groups. Some 360,000 children are now suffering from severe acute malnutrition, Mr. Guterres said, before citing one credible report that more than 80,000 children under-five have died of starvation. Echoing the dire needs in Yemen, WFP's Herve Verhoosel expressed hope that UN-led efforts to secure a political solution to the conflict proved successful. "We hope that both parties will basically keep this dialogue and we will be able to see the results of this dialogue on the ground," he said. "Access is very important and it's time to put as a priority, the civilians." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Keep Africa's guns 'from firing in the first place', UN political chief urges 27 February 2019 - Arms control, the illegal exploitation of natural resources, and the United Nations' role in "silencing the guns in Africa" were the focus of a Security Council's debate on Wednesday, aimed at conflict prevention across the continent. Noting that two years of joint UN-African Union (AU) efforts have strengthened the continent's ability to detect and defuse crises before they escalate, Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said that while "silencing the guns for good requires the participation of all", it also means "keeping them from firing in the first place". Adding that resilient societies were key to the objective, she argued the need for building strong institutions, good governance and encouraging inclusive politics. While acknowledging that the continent has, in recent years, made "great strides" in deepening democracy and democratic institutions, she pointed out that numerous challenges remained, such as the "marginalization of certain groups from political processes, the prevalence of a 'winner-take-all' approach, corruption, and the mismanagement of natural resources". Ms. DiCarlo noted that "progress has slowed" in efforts to increase women's leadership and meaningful participation in political processes, stressing: "We must redouble our efforts in this critical pursuit". She maintained that in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union's own Agenda 2063, the UN continues to work with the AU and the Regional Economic Communities to help build strong national institutions and address the root causes of armed conflict. "Across the continent, entrepreneurship is up, access to education has increased and child mortality has declined", she observed, recalling the Secretary-General's declaration that "a wind of hope is blowing in Africa". African countries themselves "have a central role to play" in silencing the guns at home, but "it is vital that the international community lend its support", she said. African countries 'trapped in a vicious cycle' Ramtane Lamamra, AU High Representative for Silencing the Guns in Africa by 2020, told the Chamber that the tremendous efforts "to make peace a viable and lasting reality across the continent" has resulted in "notable progress" in preventing, managing and resolving conflicts in Africa. He said joint initiatives in recent months steering countries away from crisis, were responsible for "generating optimism about a Continent emerging from the shadows and moving steadily to restore peace and stability." However, many countries remain "trapped in a vicious cycle of violent conflict and its deadly consequences" owing to transnational crime, terrorism, and the proliferation of Small Arms and Lights Weapons", he stated, adding that ungoverned spaces; corruption and illicit financial flows; and illegally exploiting natural resources, further exacerbated the situation. Mr. Lamamra emphasized that to prevent and resolve conflicts in Africa, the gap between political and military efforts must be bridged and there needs to be an investment in economic and social development. Simeon Oyono Esono Angue, Foreign Minister of Equatorial Guinea - which is chairing the Council this month chaired the debate and said that to effectively, verifiably and transparently silence Africa's weapons, international support, especially within the Security Council, was imperative. But he also stressed the "vital importance" of involving African citizens themselves, who are those bearing the brunt of conflict. It is the "collective responsibility" of all African countries to prioritize its citizens' participation in political and economic processes to promote equity and prevent violence "at all levels" he spelled out. As Africa must address both "the symptoms and the root causes of conflicts" he asserted that it was vital that continent's capacity to accelerate development and reduce poverty to eliminate the space for conflict and violent extremism be strengthened. "Our lives depend on it", he stated. At the onset of the meeting, the Council passed a new resolution expressing concern that while the continent faces a challenging security environment, to create an Africa without conflict, it is essentially the responsibility of the AU, its member states and their people and institutions. It also takes note of AU efforts to counter transnational terrorism and, with sub-regional organizations, to conduct peace support operations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tensions Escalate as Indian, Pakistani Fighter Jets Take Military Action By Ayesha Tanzeem, Anjana Pasricha February 27, 2019 Tensions escalated Wednesday between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan amid claims and counter claims of shooting down each other's fighter planes. Pakistan said it downed two Indian planes after they crossed over to its side of the Line of Control, the de-facto border in the disputed Kashmir region, following Pakistan's airstrikes into an "open space" on the Indian side designed to send a message. Pakistan said it captured one Indian pilot. "We planned it such that there would be no collateral damage, no casualties, but only to let India know that if you can come into our territory, we can also carry out strikes on your territory," Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said in an address to the nation Wednesday afternoon. 'Unprovoked act of aggression' India said it shot down a Pakistani fighter plane, a claim denied by Islamabad, and New Delhi protested what it called Pakistan's "unprovoked act of aggression" in targeting Indian military posts and violating its air space. India acknowledged it lost a plane and the Indian pilot was with Pakistan. "Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defense personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return," an Indian external affairs ministry statement read. The Pakistani military's media wing released pictures of the wreckage and a video of the pilot who described himself as Wing Commander Abhinandan. India called the release of the video, and some leaked videos on social media, a violation of the Geneva Convention outlining the international rules of warfare. Growing tension Tension in the region has been steadily growing since a suicide attack earlier this month in Pulwama, in Indian Kashmir, that killed more than 40 security personnel. India accused Pakistan of sheltering the militant group Jaish e Mohammad that claimed the attack and promised a "befitting response." Indian jets entered Pakistani airspace Tuesday, for the first time since 1971 when the two countries went to war, to destroy what they said were JeM's training camps near Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Social media videos by locals from the area showed the strike hit a sparsely populated wooded area. Prime Minister Khan had earlier warned that if India struck, Pakistan would be forced to respond. Analysts fear public pressure may force the two sides into a cycle of retaliation despite both claiming that they do not want the situation to escalate. The two sides have fought three full-scale wars along with a limited-scale conflict. Khan offered India dialogue again Wednesday, promising to discuss all issues including terrorism. "With the weapons (nuclear) that we own and you own, can we afford a miscalculation?" Khan said, addressing India, then adding, "If the situation escalates, it will be neither in my control nor Narendra Modi's control," he said, referring to India's prime minister. Earlier in the morning, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj told her Chinese and Russian counterparts that the Indian action was conducted in the light of the "continuing refusal of Pakistan to acknowledge and act against terror groups on its territory" but that her country would act with "responsibility and restraint." The night before, the two sides exchanged heavy fire at several points in Kashmir. Gul Hasan, a teacher fleeing the shelling in Chakothi at the Line of Control on the Pakistani side, said he was forced to leave his home with his children in the middle of the night. "People were running from Chakothi. We also ran on foot," he said, saying most of the population in the area also fled. The two countries have had thousands of incidents of cross-border firing in Kashmir in the last few years. Pakistan closed its airspace to commercial traffic Wednesday, restoring it only partially by the evening. India shut down airports in the north of the country for several hours but later resumed operations. Calls for restraint In light of Wednesday's developments, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang reiterated calls for India and Pakistan to exercise restraint. The U.S. has also expressed concern about the situation. "The United States is deeply concerned about rising tensions between India and Pakistan and calls on both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation. The potential risks associated with further military action by either side are unacceptably high for both countries, their neighbors, and the international community," a National Security Council official said. A day earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had talked to both the Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers to "encourage India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, and avoid escalation at any cost." Earlier this week, Federica Mogherini, the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, talked to Pakistan's foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and "stressed the urgency to de-escalate the situation." Meanwhile, peace activists in both countries have become active on social media. By Wednesday evening, #SayNoToWar was trending in both India and Pakistan. Steve Herman contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Thousands of Nigerians Flee Boko Haram Violence, Head to Cameroon By Moki Edwin Kindzeka February 27, 2019 The governor of Cameroon's Far North region is denying a report that tens of thousands of Nigerian refugees who fled Boko Haram-related violence will be forced to return home. Aid agency Medicins Sans Frontieres, also called Doctors Without Borders, said Wednesday that Cameroonian and Nigerian authorities have ordered 40,000 refugees to return to northeastern Nigeria. The statement, reported by the Reuters news agency, said MSF had seen people packing their belongings and heading toward the Nigerian city of Rann, which Islamist militant group Boko Haram attacked and burned to the ground in January. Midjiyawa Bakari, governor of the Far North region, told VOA that any returns to Nigeria are voluntary. "We would not want them to settle in unsafe places where they may still be attacked by Boko Haram. I want also to state that Cameroon is a state of law and respects its international commitments and will not force any of the refugees to return, but they must seek refuge in safer localities. Those who agree to voluntarily return will be accompanied back to their country," Bakari said. Some 35,000 Nigerians have crossed into Cameroon over the past two months, fleeing attacks by Boko Haram or fighting between the group and government troops. They add to a refugee population in the region that now tops a quarter million. Many of the refugees are children in need of medical care, says refugee spokesperson Elvis Aseto. "We have a population of over 20,000 children here. We are in need of help. The items that were distributed are now [completely used up]. ... We need UNHCR for that support and we are now appealing for help in the name of the Lord," Aseto said. Xavier Bourgois, spokesperson of the U.N. refugee agency in Cameroon, says the agency and its partners have been providing humanitarian aid to the refugees who come in critical condition. Bourgois says because the refugees need urgent assistance, a team of UNHCR staff and its partners, including NGOs, have been paying regular visits to the sites to provide food, water, and health and sanitary needs, and to protect and register the Nigerians flooding into Cameroon. Nigeria has claimed the upper hand in its 10-year fight against Boko Haram, but 2.5 million people remain displaced across the Lake Chad region, including more than 1.8 million inside Nigeria. U.N. agencies appealed for $135 million last month to help the displaced. Similar appeals in the past two years have been funded at 42 percent and 56 percent. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Leadership Pick Threatens Stability of Philippine Autonomous Region for Muslims By Ralph Jennings February 27, 2019 The Philippine government's pick of transitional leadership for a newly formed Muslim autonomous region shows early signs of isolating armed rebel groups that hoped to share power, threatening the region's long-term stability. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte late last week named the chairman of the Muslim rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front as interim chief minister of a transition authority for the region, which will cover about 4.3 million people and get special government funding as well as control over some natural resources. The pick for chairman and the front's majority of seats in the new agency give it a lead over 20 other armed groups that have advocated Muslim autonomy on the southern island of Mindanao. Rebel violence has left about 121,000 people dead in Mindanao since the 1960's, giving the island a bad reputation among tourists and investors.. But analysts fear the exclusion of other groups could lead to rebel-vs-rebel struggles that eventually could hobble the government's goal of using the autonomous region to keep peace. The Moro National Liberation Front -- an organization unrelated to the other front -- complained Sunday when it got just five of the 80 transition authority seats, domestic media reported. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front got 41. "With Muslim groups, the main issue is that they're not necessarily speaking for everyone, and so you now have a situation where you need to deal with complaints about being excluded from the process," said Herman Kraft, political science professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman. "I think it goes beyond the idea of what the groups are actually fighting for," Kraft said. "It's really more a question of who claims to represent the interests of the Muslims in the Philippines." Presidential mandate Duterte told the chairman, Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, to use "democratic values" in building up the autonomous zone, called the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front signed a 2014 peace deal with the government, agreed to disarm and helped officials set up the new region. "Always work for the best interest and welfare, not only of the Bangsamoro people but every Filipino who lives in that region," Duterte said, as quoted on the presidential website. In July, Duterte signed a law authorizing the region's formation on 12,536 square kilometers of land. Officials hope the region will offer some of the self-rule that Muslims have sought for some 500 years in the majority Catholic country. That outcome could in turn ease fighting and let Mindanao develop economically via new infrastructure and investment. "The key word is 'build and they will come,'" said Jonathan Ravelas, chief market strategist with Banco de Oro UniBank in Metro Manila. "If you build infrastructure, businesses will come and eventually you'll get to see interested investors." Insiders, outsiders Multiple rebel groups would hope to help steer the autonomous region so they get access to resources and legitimacy for their own stakeholders, who include specific southern Philippine ethnic groups and large families. The Maute Group, for example, drew support from an influential family as it fought a five-month war with troops in 2017. Groups excluded from the autonomous region's leadership will stay intact as new ones form, said Enrico Cau, associate researcher at the Taiwan Center for International Strategic Studies. "You will have instability in the region from new splinter groups that are nothing but ammunition of the bigger groups trying to get their things done," Cau said. Mindanao's most internationally known rebel group, Abu Sayyaf, has built connections with the Middle Eastern terrorist sponsor Islamic State since 2016. Abu Sayyaf periodically kidnaps and beheads foreign tourists. It took credit in January for two deadly church bombings in Sulu province, where voters had just rejected joining the autonomous region. Some scholars saw the bombings as an Abu Sayyaf protest against the region's formation. Duterte responded by commanding troops to "crush" Abu Sayyaf, his office website says. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front will need to reach out effectively to other rebels as well as indigenous populations and Mindanao's Christians who live in the autonomous region, Cau said. "The MILF leadership should be expected given that it has been the negotiating party with the government throughout the peace process," said Carl Baker, director of programs with think tank Pacific Forum CSIS in Honolulu. "The major problem with MILF leadership will be the lack of experience with governing a diverse region." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Erdogan, Kushner Discuss Middle East Peace Efforts By Dorian Jones February 27, 2019 White House adviser Jared Kushner and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the Trump administration's Israeli-Palestinian peace plan at a meeting Wednesday in Ankara. Kushner has special responsibility for Israeli-Palestine policy and is touring the region to build support for what he reportedly calls "the deal of the century." Erdogan is a critical player in the region because of his strong backing of the Palestinian cause and Hamas. Hamas is working closely with Ankara, says international relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara's Middle East Technical University. "Under Erdogan, Turkey supported Hamas from the very beginning financially," he added, "Turkey supported Hamas in every conflict with Israel. Erdogan is critical of U.S. policy (toward the Palestinians), and the rhetoric will remain very critical." Erdogan was in the forefront of condemning U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Turkish president called an emergency summit of the Organization of Islamic Conference in Istanbul to condemn Trump's move and rally support for the Palestinians. Analysts suggest Erdogan could prove to be more flexible to Kushner's efforts than his rhetoric suggests. "It will depend on what the Israeli and American side offers to Turkey," said Bagci, "technically, Turkey is on the side of the Palestinians. If Turkey is to play a role (in supporting the peace plan), then there will have to be concessions from Israel and America." Kushner's Ankara visit comes amid broader strained bilateral relations. In January, Erdogan snubbed Trump's national security advisor John Bolton, refusing to meet him during his visit to Ankara. Instead, Erdogan chose to deliver a speech to parliament sharply criticizing Bolton. Ankara blames Trump's ministers and advisers rather than the president himself for the current tensions. Despite ongoing pressures, Erdogan continues to describe his relationship with Trump as positive. Analysts say Kushner, being Trump's son-in-law, offers an inside track to Erdogan. "We can call it the second-track diplomacy," said Bagci. "If they (Erdogan and Trump) don't trust those around them, they use their sons-in-law if the presidents can't meet. It's always been like this here. It's nothing new in the region." Erdogan's son-in-law, economy tsar Berat Albayrak, also attended Kushner's meeting with Erdogan. The U.S.-educated Albayrak is believed to have built a strong working relationship with Kushner that reportedly saw them arrange the last meeting between the U.S. and Turkish presidents. No official statement was released after Kushner's three-hour meeting with Erdogan. However, bilateral issues were also reportedly discussed, including Syria. Erdogan is demanding the creation of a 30-kilometer-deep safe zone in Syria to protect the Turkish frontier from the YPG Kurdish militia, deemed as terrorists by Ankara. "What is important to us is that Turkey will control the secure zone," Erdogan said on Tuesday. "We cannot leave the control to Germany or France or America. I clearly told this to them." Trump initially proposed the secure zone as a means to ease Ankara's security concerns, but also to protect the YPG from Turkish attack. The Kurdish militia is a crucial ally in America's war against the Islamic State. U.S. military support of the YPG has soured ties, with Ankara accusing Washington of allying itself with terrorists. Erdogan Tuesday called U.S. generals' commitment to recover weapons given to the YPG as "insincere." Such mistrust, analysts say, is compounded with lack of clarity of White House policy over Syria "The Turks will expect their counterparts to make more concrete proposals (on safe zones) so that the two sides can engage in negotiations involving alternative plans," wrote columnist Burhanettin Duran in the Daily Sabah. Duran also heads SETA, a Turkish research group with close ties to the government. While Turkish forces continue to mass on the Syrian border, analysts suggest it remains unlikely Ankara will act unilaterally in Syria. Erdogan claimed he would probably meet with Trump in April. The timing of the meeting is an issue believed to have been raised by Erdogan during his talks with Kushner. Turkey's imminent purchase of Russia's S-400 missile system, analysts say, is likely to have been on the agenda of Kushner's talks. The missiles are due to be delivered later this year in the face of warnings of sanctions by Washington. The White House claims the missiles pose a security threat to NATO weapon systems. Erdogan on Tuesday again reiterated the missile sale would "definitely" be completed. With missile deliveries slated to begin as early as July, time is limited for the NATO partners to avoid a crisis. However, given lack of trust between the sides, analysts say, Erdogan will be looking for a face-to-face meeting with Trump to find a compromise. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, Others Boycott Venezuela Speech at UN Disarmament Conference By Lisa Schlein February 27, 2019 The United States and a number of other nations staged a walkout Wednesday at the United Nations Conference on Disarmament as a Venezuelan representative of President Nicolas Maduro was about to speak. They boycotted his presence to protest what they term the immoral policies of Maduro's illegitimate regime. U.S. Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament Robert Wood says the walkout has sent a very powerful message to both the international community and to Venezuelans that what he calls the "former Maduro regime," has no moral or political legitimacy. "The Maduro regime is unacceptable," he said. "We do not recognize it, and therefore, we could not be in that hall sitting in our seats with a representative of that former regime speaking to the chamber. It was a disgrace to the chamber for that representative to be there." The 65-member Conference on Disarmament includes the five nuclear powers. The presidency of the body rotates on a monthly basis in alphabetical order. The United Kingdom currently holds the post until March 15, to be followed by the United States. After the U.S. steps down, it will be Venezuela's turn to assume the presidency. Wood says it would be a travesty to allow the dictatorial former regime of Maduro to hold that chair. "That chair, as I mentioned today, belongs to the people of Venezuela obviously, but specifically to the government of Juan Guaido, the interim president of Venezuela," he said. The work of the Conference on Disarmament has been stalled for more than a decade because of strained relations among key nations. Prior to that time, however, the U.N.body had drafted numerous arms-control agreements. Some of the most important include the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Biological Weapons Convention, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PAF shot down two Indian fighter planes, pilot arrested February 28, 2019 Director General ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor says Pakistan Air Force shot down two Indian aircraft inside Pakistani airspace on Wednesday. Addressing a media briefing, he said Pakistan Air Force engaged six targets from across the Line of Control in Occupied Kashmir this morning. He said we selected six targets but we hit the areas close to them while keeping a safe distance, in order to demonstrate our capability. He said this action was purely in self-defense and with no aggressive designs. Major General Asif Ghafoor said after taking the targets, two aircraft of Indian Air Force violated LoC and entered into Pakistani territory. He said PAF engaged them and both of these were shot down, with debris of one falling inside our territory and the other in Indian Occupied Kashmir. Two Indian pilots were taken into custody one of whom is injured and is being provided proper medical care. DG ISPR rejected the Indian claim of shooting down Pakistan's F-16 aircraft as no F-16 was engaged in this action. He said Pakistan today showed that it has the capability and will respond to any aggression but it will exercise restraint to avoid escalating the situation. Major General Asif Ghafoor said Pakistan armed forces and PAF had no option but to give response to Indian aggression committed by it yesterday. Major General Asif Ghafoor said we wanted to show to Indians that we are capable of doing all things, but not at the cost of regional peace. He said we are a peaceful country and do not want to go to war. He said we always conveyed peace to India and way to it passes through dialogue. Major General Asif Ghafoor said as our Prime Minister has already made it clear that it is easy to start war but difficult to conclude it and we do not want to escalate and are pursuing path of peace. He said it is also the responsibility of the international community to come forward and play its role as the war will cause irreparable damage to both the countries as well as the region. Major General Asif Ghafoor further said that people of both countries as well as the region need to live in peace. Responding to a question, he said if aggression was imposed on us we will definitely give a response under compulsion. DG ISPR says there is only one pilot under Pakistan Army's custody DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor has said there is only one pilot under Pakistan Army's custody. In a tweet today, he said Wing Commander Abhinandan is being treated as per norms of military ethics. Indian pilot, who was taken into custody, lauds professionalism of Pakistan Army Indian pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan, who was taken into custody by Pakistani forces, has lauded the professionalism of Pakistan Army. In a video message, Abhinandan is holding a cup of tea thanked Pakistan Army Captain and his team for rescuing him from mob. He said that he is very impressed by the attitude of Pakistan Army. He said this is what i would expect from my Army. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DoD Urges India, Pakistan to Cease Military Actions After Kashmir Air Skirmishes Sputnik News 03:32 28.02.2019 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan is urging India and Pakistan to avoid further military actions after the two countries engaged in an air battle, Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Dave Eastburn said in a statement. "Acting Secretary Shanahan's focus is on de-escalating tensions and urging both of the nations to avoid further military action", the statement said on Wednesday. Shanahan has discussed the India-Pakistan row with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joseph Dunford, US Central Command Commander Gen. Joseph Votel, and US Indo-Pacific Command Commander Admiral Philip Davidson, according to the statement. Tensions between the two nuclear powers escalated on Wednesday as both countries said they had shot down each other's fighter jets over the disputed Kashmir region. Pakistan said it shot down two Indian jets and captured a pilot, while India said it lost one plane and shot down a Pakistani jet. Relations between the two nuclear powers have been steadily deteriorating since a deadly terrorist attack against the Indian army on 14 February in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir state that killed 45 Indian officers. After the attack, India accused Pakistan of having a "direct hand" in the incident and blamed the neighboring nation for harboring and protecting terrorists. Pakistan has rejected the allegations of its involvement in the attack and in return has accused India of being responsible for human rights violations taking place in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir is a region that has been disputed by India and Pakistan since 1947 when both countries gained independence from the British Empire. The two countries have gone through three wars over the region, but the conflict has not been resolved. The unstable situation in the region has led to the emergence of extremist groups. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Introduces Venezuela Resolution at UN Security Council Sputnik News 00:14 28.02.2019(updated 00:40 28.02.2019) Russian diplomatic mission to the United Nation introduced Wednesday its own resolution on Venezuela at the UN Security Council that proposes to back the country's sovereignty and solve the political crisis within the framework of "the Montevideo mechanism". In particular, the Montevideo mechanism envisages four stages: the immediate launch of a dialogue on the situation in Venezuela, the negotiation process, the drafting of an agreement and its implementation. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council at the request of the United States on Thursday will vote on a draft resolution calling for new presidential election in Venezuela, a diplomatic source told Sputnik. The US resolution requests that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres implement UN mitigation efforts to ensure "free, fair, and credible presidential elections", the text of the document says. "The voting is planned to take place tomorrow [Thursday]", the source said on Wednesday. The US-sponsored draft document calls for holding presidential elections under international observation, as well as facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to Venezuela. On 23 February, the Venezuelan opposition tried to forcefully bring the US-sponsored aid into Venezuela from Brazil and Colombia. The failed attempt resulted in clashes between the Venezuelan National Guard officers, who prevented trucks with aid from crossing the country's border without permission, and pro-aid protesters, who tried to help force the aid into Venezuela. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said that international law provided for deliveries of foreign humanitarian aid only in cases of natural disasters and armed conflicts and denied the allegations of humanitarian crisis in the country. The United Nations and the Red Cross have also urged Washington not to politicize humanitarian assistance and not to deliver aid without the consent of the Venezuelan government. This past month has seen Venezuela going through a political crisis. It started on 5 January, when lawmaker Juan Guaido was elected as the president of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, which all other branches of power have been refusing to recognized since 2016. On 23 January, shortly after the Venezuelan Supreme Court annulled his election, Guaido declared himself the country's "interim president." Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was sworn in for his second term on 10 January after winning the May election, which part of the opposition boycotted, qualified Guaido's move as an attempted coup and accused Washington of staging it. The United States immediately recognized Guaido, after which around 50 other countries followed suit. Russia, China, Cuba, Bolivia and a number of other states have, in the meantime, voiced their support the legitimate government of constitutionally elected Maduro. Mexico and Uruguay have refused to recognize Guaido, declaring themselves neutral and promoting crisis settlement via dialogue. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kashmir An offensive launched in January 2020 by Indian forces in Kashmir had killed at least 116 rebels by June 2020, handing a blow to the armed rebellion that broke out nearly 30 years ago against Indian rule. At least 42 rebels were killed in June alone, according to an official tally. The security forces have pledged to wipe out armed rebellion from the region, but a slow trickle of youth continue to join the rebel ranks. Rebels enjoy popular support and those killed in gun battle are considered martyrs and were accorded mass funerals. But Indian authorities now confiscate bodies of slain rebels and transport them to remote mountainous locations where they are quietly buried. By 2020 the current active rebel strength is between 165 and 180 - a considerable drop from the early 1990s when armed fighters ran in thousands. The numbers slowed down drastically in the early 2000s, after which street protests became more commonplace. Kashmir's security situation has gradually worsened since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power in 2014, data show, raising a question mark over his hard-line Kashmiri policy. In August 2019, India revoked a 70-year-old constitutional provision, Article 370, which guaranteed a limited autonomy to the disputed region - home to about 12 million people. India's Hindu nationalist government also rushed thousands of additional troops to the region, which is already believed to host more than half a million Indian forces, making it one of the world's most militarised zones in the world. New Delhi's decision to disband the local legislative body has also alienated sections of politicians who were previously loyal to New Delhi. A rights group said 229 people have been killed during military operations in the Indian-administered Kashmir in the first half of 2020. The Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) said in its biannual report published on 02 July 2020 that the region witnessed the extrajudicial executions of at least 32 civilians, besides killings of 143 militants and 54 armed forces personnel from January 1 to June 30, 2020. At least 57 gunfights took place between government forces and the militants following search operations, the report added. The Kashmir conflict dates back to 1947 when India and Pakistan gained independence from British colonial rule. Both countries claim the Himalayan region in its entirety. The dispute is blamed for causing two of their three wars and in 1999 again brought the nuclear-armed rivals to the brink of war. Since the late 1980s, a widespread armed insurgency against the Indian army had been underway in India-administered Kashmir. Today, at least 250,000 Indian and over 100,000 Pakistani soldiers are stationed along the 1,000 kilometer Line of Control which divides Kashmir into Indian and Pakistani controlled parts. Over the decades, Pakistan's civlian leaders have sought a political resolution of the Kashmir problem, while Pakistan's military leaders have sought to resolve matters by the force of arms. By 2016 Pakistan's sivlian government had lost control of security policy, whch was firmly in the hands of the military. The militant uprising and subsequent Indian military crackdown since 1989 killed nearly 70,000 people. Many Kashmiri favor independence from both India and Pakistan. The Coalition of Civil Society, a local human rights group, reported and drew attention to thousands of mass graves in remote parts of Kashmir and demanded that the government investigate them to make clear who the dead were and how they were killed. The organization also wrote scathing reports on cases of brutality involving some of the hundreds of thousands of Indian troops in the region and highlighted the widespread powers granted to troops posted in the area, which led to a culture of impunity and widespread rights abuses. The Public Safety Act, which applies only in Jammu and Kashmir, permits state authorities to detain persons without charge or judicial review for up to two years without visitation from family members. Police in Jammu and Kashmir allegedly routinely employed arbitrary detention and denied detainees access to lawyers and medical attention. Pakistans powerful military does not want war with India, but it surely is not interested in better relations with India. Real peace would mean an end to the armys elite status as saviors of the country and possible reductions in its substantial economic power. In twenty years of fighting, Kashmir lost seventy to eighty thousand people, and politically achieved nothing. In 2019, neither India nor Pakistan wanted a large war. Both understand that the other's nuclear stockpile is sufficient to reduce their country to a "smoking radiating ruin". A small war is another matter. Pakistan's military is always vigilant against the danger that peace might break out, that the mad momentum of negotiations might reduce the intensity of conflict, and hence the political influence of the military. A new Pakistani Prime Minister, a political outsider elected with the support of the military, must be brought to heal lest he get too big for his britches. India's Naredra Modi faced general elections on 01 April 2019, and a splendid little war with Pakistan would mobilize his base and cause the country to rally around the flag. By April 2020 Indian and Pakistani troops in disputed Kashmir were engaged in their most frequent cross-border fighting for at least two years, official data shows, even as the nuclear-armed rivals battle surging coronavirus outbreaks. Indian Army data showed 411 ceasefire violations by Pakistan's military in March, the highest number in a single month since at least 2018. That compares with 267 violations in March last year recorded by the Indian Army. Pakistan's military had recorded 705 ceasefire violations by the Indian Army since the beginning of the year. The Indian Army data showed 1,197 Pakistani violations during the same period. As summer approaches, infiltration into Kashmir typically picks up. An Indian security official said between 250 and 300 fighters were estimated to be ready to cross over from Pakistan, citing intelligence reports. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kim, Trump meet, dine in Hanoi Global Times By Yang Sheng in Hanoi and Xie Wenting in Beijing Source:Global Times Published: 2019/2/27 23:38:40 North Korea won't become anyone's puppet: expert North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump dined in Hanoi on Wednesday and Trump continued to urge Kim to denuclearize his country and so seize the chance for economic development just like Vietnam. Before a one-on-one meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole in Hanoi and the dinner, the two leaders exchanged handshakes and brief words with groups of reporters. Trump told reporters at the meeting, "We look forward to it, we both do." Asked whether he might formally declare an end to the Korean War, he responded "We'll see." Trump earlier made the case that North Korea could thrive economically like Vietnam if the North ends its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Trump said "We'll see what happens, but he [Kim] wants to do something great." Trump met General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President Nguyen Phu Trong and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Wednesday before he met Kim at the luxury hotel with a rich history in the heart of Vietnam's capital city. There was no information released about any formal meeting by Kim with any Vietnamese leader at press time. The only reported activity for Kim involving Vietnam was a visit to the North Korean Embassy in Hanoi on Tuesday. Trump tweeted Wednesday that "Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize. The potential is awesome, a great opportunity, like almost none other in history, for my friend Kim Jong-un." Vietnam is a country that has been mentioned frequently when US senior officials talk about North Korea, and so some observers have opined that following China and South Korea, Vietnam has the potential to become a new mediator between North Korea and the US. However, Chinese experts suggested that Vietnam's influence should not be overestimated simply because it was picked as a venue for a meeting. "Although to some extent Vietnam plays a role as a mediator between the US and North Korea, its role will fade after the summit as Vietnam has no interest in getting involved too deep in the Korean Peninsula issue," Cheng Xiaohe, an associate professor at the Renmin University of China's School of International Studies in Beijing, told the Global Times on Wednesday. "Vietnam is much more interested in using this summit to promote its country and boost its ties with the US and North Korea," he said. Vietnam can become a partner with North Korea to share its experience and lessons of opening-up and attracting foreign investment, but it can't enhance cooperation with North Korea immediately as the relevant UN sanctions have not yet been removed, Cheng said. The reason why the US wants North Korea to become "another Vietnam" is based on its own Asia-Pacific strategy, and they even think they can include North Korea in their strategy some day, said Lu Chao, a research fellow at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences. Economic powerhouse Later the same day, Trump said in another tweet that Kim "and I will try very hard to work something out on denuclearization and then make North Korea an economic powerhouse. I believe that China, Russia, Japan and South Korea will be very helpful!" If the two leaders achieve breakthroughs, such as removing sanctions or concrete plans for denuclearization, then North Korea would have a much safer external environment and of course the whole region would welcome it as an opportunity for investment, Lu said. Kim Joon-hyung, a professor at the Handong University in South Korea, said it would be "a big change" if North Korea started opening up, meaning, for instance, Japan would have to make big adjustments to its foreign policy. "Right now Japanese policy, or Abe's policy, is trying to upgrade its military and trying to encircle China" by using North Korea "as an excuse," Kim Joon-hyung said. If North Korea and the US improve their relationship, then Japan would lose that excuse and would try to start up some form of cooperation. North Korea has economic potential, but it won't become anyone's puppet, Lu said. "North Korea has always been an independent sovereign country and always will be." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kim, Trump set to kick off summit in Vietnam People's Daily Online (China Daily) 08:09, February 27, 2019 Democratic People's Republic of Korea top leader Kim Jong-un and United States President Donald Trump have arrived in Hanoi one day ahead of their second summit, with high expectations that the two leaders can flesh out specific steps both sides will take to achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Kim's train, green and adorned with yellow stripes, made a stop at Dong Dang Station near the Vietnamese border with China on Tuesday morning. A welcoming ceremony was held at the station. Kim waved and smiled as he was greeted by Vietnamese officials and residents. Trump arrived at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport on Tuesday evening. He has expressed optimism about his upcoming talks with Kim, and tweeted aboard Air Force One, "Heading over to Vietnam Looking forward to a very productive Summit!" According to the White House, the two leaders are scheduled to kick off the two-day event with a brief one-on-one conversation and a social dinner on Wednesday. The Hanoi talks come eight months after their historic summit in Singapore, the first between a sitting US president and a DPRK leader. No schedule for the second day has been released yet, but experts believed that Kim and Trump will have follow-up talks in a bid to realize the details of their June 12 declaration in Singapore, in which they agreed to work together for "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula, a transformation of DPRK-US ties, and peace on the peninsula. Whether the two will hold a joint news conference after the talkswhich experts believe will occur if the two leaders reach a satisfactory dealis a possibility being keenly monitored by international media outlets. On Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China welcomes the second Kim-Trump summit and hopes substantive outcomes will be achieved. China is a keen promoter of a denuclearized, peaceful and stable Korean Peninsula, but the goals cannot be achieved without joint efforts from the DPRK and the US, he said. Shi Yuanhua, a professor of Korean Peninsula Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said holding a second summit is a positive signal that US-DPRK ties have improved. Although the two countries' relations have not always been smooth, the overall trend has been upward since the two leaders' first summit, he said. "And what comes next after those ice-breaking gestures will be the real bargaining process between the two." The second summit should be a suitable time for the two to discuss how to reach a consensus on a phased, synchronized approach to denuclearization, and to formulate a comprehensive and detailed road map within a short time frame will be challenging for the two sides, he said. Koo Kab-woo, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said he did not anticipate the Hanoi summit to end with a deal that sees the DPRK immediately abandon its nuclear weapons, but he urged Washington to be open to taking interim steps for any agreement to be possible. Koo said the talks in Hanoi will see Washington give Pyongyang some concessions on the political, military and economic fronts, but he also warned against ending the summit in the same "vague" manner as the Singapore summit. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Denies He Has Backtracked on N. Korean Denuclearization By Steve Herman February 27, 2019 In front of a backdrop of American and North Korean flags as he shook hands with Kim Jong Un at the start of their second summit, U.S. President Donald Trump denied that he has walked back his pledge to denuclearize the Korean peninsula. Asked by a reporter if they would declare a formal end to the Korean War, which was halted with an armistice in 1953, Trump replied: "We'll see." The North Korean leader and Trump prior to dinner -- immediately went into an adjacent room at Hanoi's Metropole Hotel for a brief meeting with only their interpreters present. A small group of reporters, in the room for the opening moment of the discussion, heard Kim praise Trump for his "courageous decision" to begin their dialogue, which started last year in Singapore. "We made a lot of progress and I think the biggest progress was our relationship which is really a good one," Trump said to Kim, noting that Vietnam had "really rolled out the red carpet" for their follow-up encounter, adding he hopes this one is equal or greater. Economic potential Trump, elaborating on comments he had made earlier in the day to their Vietnamese hosts, told Kim that North Korea has unbelievable and unlimited economic potential. "I look forward to watching it happen and to helping it to happen and we will help it to happen," said Trump. Joining Trump for the dinner were Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. At the round table with Kim for the meal were Kim Yong Chol, who is vice chairman of the powerful central committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and North Korea's foreign minister, Ri Yong Ho. "We'll have a very interesting dialogue," said the North Korean leader. "Our relationship is a very special relationship," Trump said at the start of the dinner, noting the special chemistry he says exists between him and Kim. Trump later tweeted that he had "Great meetings and dinner" with the North Korean leader. Thursday meeting More extensive discussions between the two leaders are expected on Thursday. Trump indicated just prior to the Wednesday evening dinner that he would hold a news conference the next day to discuss the outcome of his talks with the North Korean leader. For the second time in two days the White House press corps found its coverage affected by restrictions apparently demanded by the North Koreas. A day ahead of the summit, the journalists accredited to the White House found themselves evicted from their press filing center at the Melia Hotel where Kim is staying. They were forced to move to an international media center run by the Vietnamese government in the Cultural Friendship Palace, joining more than 3,000 other journalists. The White House offered no explanation for the last-minute change of venue beyond saying there were "technical issues." International wire service reporters, who are core members of the pooling coverage, were excluded at the last minute from observing the start of Wednesday's Trump-Kim dinner. Only the newspaper pooler, Vivian Salama of the Wall Street Journal, was permitted to join the photographers along with the CBS TV crew and the designated radio pool reporter from National Public Radio. "Originally Sarah Sanders informed us that no print reporters would be allowed in due to sensitivities over shouted questions in the previous sprays. But when our photo colleagues joined us in protest, they decided to allow one print reporter in," noted Salama in a pool report. "Due to the sensitive nature of the meetings we have limited the pool for the dinner to a smaller group, but ensured that representation of photographers, TV, radio and print poolers are all in the room," said White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. "We are continuing to negotiate aspects of this historic summit and will always work to make sure the U.S. media has as much access as possible." The White House Correspondents' Association "strenuously" objected to "the capricious decision to exclude some journalists from a press encounter with President Trump and Chairman Kim." "We call on the White House to not allow a diminution of the previously agreed-to press complement for the remainder of the summit," said WHCA President Oliver Knox. Expectations While some U.S. officials have attempted to lower expectations for the outcome of the second summit, Trump is under pressure to extract something beyond the vague commitment made by Kim last June in Singapore on pledging to give up his nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in exchange for a lifting of crushing international sanctions on the impoverished country. The Singapore summit was hailed as a historical event as Washington and Pyongyang have never had diplomatic relations. When Trump took office there were fears of a renewed war with North Korea as the U.S. president threatened to unleash "fire and fury like the world has never seen" on the northeast Asian country in response to its threats against the United States and its allies. U.S. intelligence officials remain skeptical that Pyongyang intends to follow through on Kim's Singapore pledge to denuclearize. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told a congressional panel last month that North Korea "has halted its provocative behavior" by refraining from missile tests and nuclear tests for more than a year. "As well, Kim Jong Un continues to demonstrate openness to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." Despite the end to testing, Coats cautioned that "we currently assess that North Korea will seek to retain its (weapons of mass destruction) capabilities and is unlikely to completely give up its nuclear weapons and production capabilities." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Remarks by President Trump and President Nguyen Phu Trong of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Before Expanded Bilateral Meeting February 27, 2019 Presidential Palace Hanoi, Vietnam February 27, 2019 11:09 A.M. ICT PRESIDENT TRONG: (As interpreted.) Please, may I call our meeting to order, please. Let me begin by warmly welcome President Donald Trump and the American delegation to Vietnam for the second DPRK-U.S. Summit. I would like to thank the United States and DPRK for choosing Vietnam as a venue for the event of great significance. Though the time was quite short, but we've made every efforts. And our relevant agencies in Vietnam have been making all necessary preparations to ensure the best conditions for the success of this very special meeting. I wonder whether, Mr. President, since you arrived in Vietnam, can you feel about the atmosphere in Vietnam, can you tell us about that? PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, Mr. President, thank you very much. This is great, great honor. And I send our warmest regards from all Americans. Our country, like your country, is doing very, very well. Our economy is probably as good as it's ever been; maybe the best it's been. And unemployment and all of the numbers that you would look at are at historically positive numbers. And so I just see what you've done, and I've I'm very proud of what you've done. And I'm very proud to have left here last year we had a great meeting. We had a meeting with a lot of the representatives. Some of them are right here that I recognize so well. And since that meeting, we've done a lot of trade. And I know today, whether it's Boeing and a couple of others, we're going to be signing some very big trade deals where you're buying a lot of different products from the United States, which we greatly appreciate. We're reducing the deficit very substantially, as are many countries. But I very much appreciate the hospitality. It was really something special. We got off Air Force One last night and I drove down the boulevards, and I saw all of the buildings under construction and how Vietnam is thriving. And very importantly, we have a very big dinner tonight, as you know, and meetings with North Korea and Chairman Kim. And we both felt very good about having this very important summit in Vietnam because you really are an example as to what can happen with good thinking. And on behalf of the United States, I want to thank you very much for hosting, and hopefully great things will happen later on with our meeting. But a lot of good things are happening before, and that's the signing of trade deals with the United States. And we appreciate it very much. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. END 11:12 A.M. ICT NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address France to Send Updated Charles de Gaulle Carrier to Indian Ocean Next Month Sputnik News 02:30 28.02.2019 France's only aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle, will soon deploy to the Indian Ocean, the French Ministry of Defense announced Friday. Paris hopes the move will solidify its influence in the region, although the waterway is very much France's stomping ground, the country having numerous territories and bases in the area. Beginning next month, the newly modernized Charles de Gaulle will deploy for five months to Reunion Island, off the east coast of Madagascar, with its battle group of three destroyers, a submarine and a supply ship, the Marine Nationale announced on Friday. De Gaulle returned to the seas in November after an 18-month, $1.4 billion retrofit. The Direction Generale de l'Armement upgraded the vessel's combat systems, aircraft maintenance facilities and platform, radar and communications and navigation systems, Sputnik reported. The 42,000-ton de Gaulle might be dwarfed by the United States' supercarriers, but it more resembles them than it does any other flattop on the seas. It's the only carrier not in use by the US to have a steam catapult system for launching aircraft and the only non-US carrier powered by nuclear reactors. The French Navy plans to interact with several allies while at sea, including with ships from the Royal Navy, the Royal Danish Navy and the Portuguese navy, according to the Defense Ministry. "American and Australian ships will also strengthen the carrier group throughout its mission," the Defense Ministry said. "This international dimension of the [Charles de Gaulle strike group] thus testifies to the high level of cooperation and trust between the Allied navies and our Navy." "They still aspire to be a major player," Michael Shurkin, an analyst with the RAND think tank, told The National Interest. "Having a nuclear carrier really supports that ambition." The deployment aims to "reaffirm France's presence in these areas" and "reinforce [its] assessment of the situation" in the Indo-Pacific region; "intervene to address regional security issues as appropriate"; develop its ability to cooperate with other militaries; and "strengthen strategic partnerships," according to a Friday statement by the Defense Ministry. France "has always stood in the front line in defence of the inalienable right of freedom of navigation in international waters," French Defense Minister Florence Parly told La Provence newspaper in October. "Whenever there are infringements of this fundamental principle of international law, as is currently the case in southern China, we shall make a show of our freedom to act and sail in such waters." Further, last May, French President Emmanuel Macron said during a trip to Australia that no one country could be allowed to dominate the region and called upon Australia and India to help France protect the region from Chinese "hegemony," AFP reported. But France has done no less, solidifying its grasp of the Indian Ocean with a network of 16 military bases situated on its various overseas departments and territories in the region. Its Exclusive Economic Zone encompasses 2.6 million square kilometers, Asia Times noted. "France is the most aggressive player in the Indian Ocean, and gets a free pass because everybody views the French as a sort of has-been, whether it's in Africa or in the Indian Ocean," historian Vijay Prashad told Sputnik last October. The Charles de Gaulle launched in 1994 and is named after French General Charles de Gaulle, who led the Free French Forces during World War II and later served as the country's president following a 1958 coup d'etat. He gave birth to a philosophy of French nationalism, autonomy and realpolitik called "Gaullism." The United Kingdom has also announced that it will send its newly minted aircraft carrier, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, to the Pacific Ocean in 2021. Further, China's two aircraft carriers, Liaoning and the as-yet-unnamed Type 001A, still in trials, will be performing joint training exercises next week in the Yellow Sea. Also, the US Navy announced Wednesday it would be retiring the Nimitz-class carrier USS Harry Truman 25 years ahead of schedule, dropping the ship from the fleet in 2024. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Kurds Seek Other Legal Avenues to Try IS Militants By Sirwan Kajjo February 26, 2019 In an effort to reduce the burden of Islamic State foreign fighters, U.S.-backed Syrian forces have recently handed over more than 300 IS militants, who have been captured in Syria, to the Iraqi government, which will reportedly try them for their actions against Iraqi civilians and security forces. Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) officials have indicated that the move has been made to seek legal avenues outside Syria to try the militants for the crimes they have committed, since the territory under the SDF control is not recognized internationally nor does it have a functioning judicial system in place. Iraqi President Barham Salih, who is currently visiting France, said that his country is acting within the framework of international law in this respect. "They are accused of having commanded operations against Iraqis and Iraqi installations in Iraq, and they will be tried according to Iraqi law," Salih said on Monday. Iraqi officials said they have taken custody of 13 IS fighters from the SDF, all of which were of French origin. Contacted by VOA, SDF officials refused to comment on the details of the recent transfer of IS foreign fighters to Iraq. Since the beginning of war against IS in 2014, Iraqi authorities have been trying detained suspects inside the country where hundreds of convicted militants have been executed or given long prison terms. There are more than 800 IS militants of foreign origin in the custody of the Kurdish-led SDF, according to local SDF officials. There are also about 2,700 IS family members, including women and children, who have been settled in two heavily guarded refugee camps in northeast Syria, the same sources said. "These people are from 49 countries," said Abdulkarim Omar, co-chair of foreign relations in the Kurdish-led region in Syria. "Iraq, Kazakhstan and Indonesia are the only countries that have so far taken their citizens. But the rest of the world seems indifferent about this issue, which is really disappointing," Omar told VOA. As SDF fighters are closing in on IS in its last stronghold in eastern Syria, more foreign fighters are expected to be captured. There are an estimated 300 IS fighters trapped inside the town of Baghuz, mostly foreigners. Iraq has been actively seeking to take in an increasing number of IS fighters captured in Syria because of its proximity to areas where IS used to operate in the neighboring country, experts say. "In the Iraq case, it is easy to take Iraqi nationals and others who have committed crimes because Iraq was directly involved in the war on IS," said Khaled Ibrahim, a Kurdish lawyer who closely follows cases of IS foreign fighters in Syria. He said Iraq has proven to be effective in terms of taking in and trying IS fighters. Deal with the regime? For the SDF, however, to appropriately address the issue of IS foreign fighters, some experts like Joshua Landis, the director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, offers a different approach. "The SDF could make a deal with the Syrian government to try the ISIS members for killing Syrians, just as the SDF has done by turning them over to the Iraqi government, which will try them for killing Iraqis," he told VOA. Kurdish authorities, however, said they have no intention of bringing up this issue with the Syrian regime. "The regime has shown no interest or seriousness in dealing with this matter," Kurdish official Omar said. Washington considers the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as illegitimate for its atrocities against its own people. "It is hard for the U.S. to argue that the Syrian courts would be less just than Iraqi courts," Landis said. "The U.S. knows perfectly well how Iraqi justice is meted out to those that have tried to overthrow the state, especially suspected members of ISIS." While there aren't any official statistics on IS foreign fighters held in Syria, most of them are believed to have come from France, Britain, Germany and other European and Arab countries. U.S. President Donald Trump recently has urged European countries to take back their citizens who have fought with IS in Syria. "The Caliphate is ready to fall," Trump said in a tweet. "The alternative is not a good one in that we will be forced to release them." Risks Local Kurdish officials ruled out taking such a measure, but stressed that keeping suspected IS foreign fighters in a volatile region for a long time with no prospect of repatriating them is risky. "Our region is still unstable, so any major turmoil could offer an opportunity for these dangerous individuals to escape prison and pose yet another threat to the entire world," said Omar of the local Kurdish administration. VOA's Kurdish service reporter Saleh Damiger contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian President Assad invites Iran's FM Zarif to visit Damascus Iran Press TV Wed Feb 27, 2019 04:11PM Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has invited Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to visit Damascus. The Syrian ambassador to Tehran conveyed the invitation to Zarif during a telephone conversation on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, Zarif held a telephone conversation with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem to discuss the latest developments in bilateral ties and exchange views following Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's visit to Iran on Monday. During his trip, Assad held talks with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani. Ayatollah Khamenei said in the meeting that the Islamic Republic was honored to support Syria, which he said was equal to supporting the entire resistance front. Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that the triumph of the resistance front in Syria had made Americans angry and prompted them to hatch new plots, adding, "The issue of the buffer zone, which Americans seek to establish in Syria, is among those dangerous plots that must be categorically rejected and stood against." The Leader reiterated that the Islamic Republic of Iran would continue to stand by the Syrian nation, adding, "Through resistance and cooperation of its people, Syria managed to stand fast against a big coalition consisting of America, Europe and their allies in the region and emerge triumphant from this crisis." The Syrian president, for his part, lauded Iran's unwavering support for his country, saying that the Syria war was similar to the eight-year Iraqi imposed war against Iran during the 1980s. Rouhani said in his meeting with Assad that the Islamic Republic was ready to help Syria with its reconstruction plans and restore stability to the war-ravaged country. Pointing to "highly valuable and important" achievements gained by the Syrian government and army in their battle against terrorists, Rouhani said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran has always stood by the Syrian nation and government in the fight against terrorism in Syria and has spared no efforts in this regard." Assad, for his part, said the Syrian government and nation were always thankful for Iran's support for Damascus in the campaign against terrorists while lauding Tehran's efforts to restore security to Syria and the entire Middle East region. Over the past years, Iran has been lending military advisory support to the Syrian military in its battle against militants and Takfiri terrorists. The foreign-backed groups started a campaign of bloodshed and destruction against the Arab country in 2011. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Moscow, Damascus want American troops out of Syria Iran Press TV Wed Feb 27, 2019 10:21AM Moscow and Damascus have jointly called on Washington to end its military presence on Syrian soil and let Syrian government forces and allied Russian troops evacuate civilians from a refugee camp near Jordan. A joint statement released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Wednesday urged "the United States, whose military units are on Syrian territory illegally, to leave the country." It also demanded that the American forces allow the evacuation of the people based in the Rukban refugee camp in southeastern Syria near Jordan's border. Russian and Syrian forces have prepared buses to relocate the refugees in Rukban and would guarantee them safe passage, the statement noted. The United States maintains a military base in the nearby al-Tanf area at the intersection of the Syrian, Iraqi, and Jordanian borders. Washington strictly monitors movements in and around the area, whose geographical location has lent it special strategic significance. The US led scores of its allies in an invasion of Syria in 2014 under the pretext of confronting the terror group of Daesh. Damascus objects to Washington's military presence on its soil and has repeatedly brought its stated goal into question, amid recurrent reports of the US-led coalition's attempts to help relocate terrorists around and out of Syria. Last December, President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from the country. Earlier in February, however, Washington said it would keep about 400 troops split between two different regions of Syria in a reversal that could prompt US allies to likewise extend the mandates of their forces. Russia began bombing targets belonging to Daesh and other terrorist groups in Syria at Damascus' request in September 2015. Damascus, backed by Russia and Iran, has managed to liberate almost the entire country from Daesh, whose presence is now confined to the village of Baghouz in the eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Netanyahu, Putin Discuss Iran's Role In Syria February 27, 2019 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Moscow on February 27 in a bid to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin that Iran must not be allowed to establish a presence in Syria. "The greatest threat to stability and security in the region comes from Iran and its proxies," Netanyahu said before his talks with Putin. "We are determined to continue with our aggressive action against the efforts of Iran, which calls for our destruction, and against its attempt to entrench militarily in Syria." It was Netanyahu's first trip to Moscow since an incident in September when 15 Russian servicemen were killed when Syrian forces accidentally shot down their plane while responding to an Israeli air strike. The Israeli leader tried to bolster relations by emphasizing that he has met with Putin 11 times since September 2015 and praising "the direct, open, and true way in which we maintain the relationship between Russia and Israel." Russia is the main international ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and also has close relations with Iran. In mid-2018, Moscow brokered a deal under which Tehran pledged to keep its fighters out of Syria's Golan Heights region as an accommodation to Israel. Putin told journalists before his meeting with Netanyahu that it was "very important to discuss the situation in the region and security issues." Putin accepted an invitation to visit Jerusalem at an unspecified date to participate in the dedication of a memorial marking the World War II siege of Leningrad, during which around 1 million Soviet civilians died. Based on reporting by AP, dpa, and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/netanyahu-to-meet-putin- in-moscow-amid-strained-ties/29793202.html Copyright (c) 2019. 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 Moscow, Damascus Jointly Urge US Troops to Leave Syria Sputnik News 10:51 27.02.2019(updated 11:22 27.02.2019) Russia and Syria urge the United States to implement its decision to disengage from the Middle East state, a joint statement issued by the Russian and Syrian general staffs said. "We urge the United States, whose military units are illegally located in Syria, to leave the country," the statement said. Syria will start forming convoys in cooperation with Russia to bring Rukban refugees to the places of their permanent residence on March 1, the statement said. "Guided by the highest human principles, the Syrian government, in coordination with the Russian side, will form humanitarian convoys for the voluntary unimpeded return of Rukban residents to their permanent residence starting March 1, 2019," the statement said, adding that the entry of the convoy into the "US-occupied zone around At Tanf for the evacuation of refugees from the Rukban camp will be carried out in coordination with the UN." According to the statement, about 95 percent of the Rukban refugees want to leave the camp, but the United States "prevents their exit, misleads the refugees by saying that it is impossible to leave the camp and disseminating rumors that they will face devastation, forced conscription and arrests on the territory controlled by the Syrian government." Meanwhile, everything is ready to receive refugees in the places of their permanent residence, the statement said. US President Donald Trump announced the US troops pull-out from Syria in December 2018, promising to bring around 3,000 American soldiers home. The reason for the move, according to him, was the defeat of the Daesh* terrorist group in the Arab Republic. *Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Erdogan: Only Turkey Could Control Future Buffer Zone in Northern Syria Sputnik News 06:47 27.02.2019 ANKARA (Sputnik) - Turkey cannot trust anybody to control the planned buffer zone in northern Syria because the region may pose a threat to the country's national security, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. "We cannot entrust the control over the zone, from where a threat may be posed to us, to others. We will be the ones to do it", Erdogan told the NTV television channel. According to the Turkish leader, Syrians hope that Ankara would help them resolve the situation in the north of the country. "Syrians have so much trust in Turkey that local tribes are urging us to take measures in [the northern Syrian city] of Manbij", Edogan said. The plans to create a 30-kilometer (19-mile) buffer zone in the north of Syria was announced by the Turkish leader in January after his phone conversation with US President Donald Trump. Ankara insists that the future security zone must be controlled by the Turkish military. Ankara claims that Kurdish militia operating in the north of Syria pose a threat to Turkey's security. In January 2018, Turkey launched a military operation in the northwestern Syrian city of Afrin against the US-backed Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which is regarded by Turkey as an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, listed as a terrorist organization by Ankara. Last December, Erdogan announced that Ankara was ready to launch another offensive against the Kurdish militia, in then Kurdish-controlled Manbij, however, the Turkish leader later said that the operation had been postponed following his phone conversation with Trump, who announced the withdrawal of US troops from Syria after the call. Damascus categorically opposes the presence of either the Turkish or US military on Syrian territories to the east of the Euphrates River. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Calls for Immediate Evacuation of Syria's Rukban Refugee Camp - Envoy Sputnik News 03:08 27.02.2019 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Russia is calling on all parties to allow for the immediate evacuation of anyone who wants to leave the Syrian refugee camp of Rukban, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council on Tuesday. "We are suggesting a solution to the current situation and a lasting solution to the problem of Rukban: this is the evacuation of all those in the camp who express the wish to go wherever they want. All those who express that wish, of course, is the key word here", Nebenzia said, calling on all sides to "urgently start implementing this idea". The Russian ambassador criticized a plan floated by US Deputy Representative to the UN Jonathan Cohen, who earlier in the council's session called on Russia and Syria to allow another humanitarian aid convoy to access Rukban. Nebenzia urged all parties to stop wasting time and instead reach a long-term solution for Rukban, adding that Washington's calls for more aid convoys underscore its disregard for international law. Aid deliveries to Rukban have been severely limited in recent years because the camp is situated within the US-controlled zone surrounding its military base in At-Tanf. Nebenzia said the problems in Rukban stem from the illegal US occupation of Syrian territory, a situation that has left the camp completely closed off in a military zone. He noted that refugees in Rukban have been prevented from leaving, and thereby forced to reside in squalid conditions, suffering from severe food and medicine shortages and dire, unsanitary conditions. "The United States is an occupying power and in accordance with the Geneva Convention bears full responsibility for the situation in Rukban", Nebenzia said. US envoy Cohen denied that the United States has impeded voluntary departures from the camp. "The United States insists that any process to arrange for departures be coordinated with the UN and reflect humanitarian principles", Cohen said. Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the United States and militants under its control had forbidden internally displaced persons from leaving the Rukban camp. On 19 February, Damascus, under a Russian initiative, opened two humanitarian corridors for internally displaced persons to leave the Rukban refugee camp if they choose to do so. On 15 February, the UN and Syrian Arab Red Crescent delivered aid to the Rukban refugee camp for the first time in months. The Russian and Syrian Joint Coordination Committees on repatriation of Syrian refugees said that most of the aid was likely to be diverted to US-backed militants in the area. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PORSCHE Cars Australia (PCA)s updated Macan mid-size SUV is expected to continue its strong sales success, despite the discontinuation of diesel powertrains and a slight rise in price. Speaking to GoAuto at the launch of the new Macan this week, PCA head of public relations Chris Jordan said the diesel-powered option was the third most-popular variant, but he expected oil-burning buyers to migrate to other grades. (The cessation of diesel will have a) smaller (impact) in Macan versus Cayenne, he said. Wed like to think wed get existing Macan diesel owners into an S or, later down the track, another variant. For Panamera and Macan, losing diesel out of that range will only have a very small effect in our eyes wed like to think we can keep almost everyone. Last year, PCA found 1874 new homes for its Macan, a 24.4 per cent drop over 2017, but still representing around 48 per cent of its overall 3909 volume. Mr Jordan said the dip in sales was a result of stock of the outgoing Macan drying up quickly in the lead-up to the new version changeover, which broke cover in July last year. At the point that we unveiled the new Macan and announced pricing, really the only thing we had left was the S Diesel, he said. January 2018, I think it was roughly 280 Macan sales; Macan sales January 2019, about 40. So, the order intake is still strong because people are ordering new Macan, but in terms of delivering cars both us and the dealers have been eagerly awaiting the new car. As the entry model in the Porsche line-up, Mr Jordan said the Macan plays a crucial role in drawing new customers to the premium brand, but other models such as the 911 which was outsold by the Macan last year nearly four to one are still vital for success. It does a really important job for us in that more than half of Macan buyers, this is their first Porsche, he said. Another nice thing is that were seeing a lot of Macan buyers upgrade, so a lot of Macan buyers go up to a GTS or a Turbo, which is fantastic because customer retention is a big focus. I wouldnt promote Macan by diminishing other models as well such as Cayenne and 911, which is obviously an iconic product for us. Mr Jordan would not be drawn on sales expectations of the new Macan and whether it would top the 2478 high watermark of 2017, but said the brand is now ready to meet local demand after wait times of the previous version blew out to nearly 12 months. As previously reported, the refreshed Macan will kick off at $81,400 before on-road costs for the four-cylinder version and $97,500 for the V6-powered S, a respective $1300 and $2000 more expensive than before. Propelled by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that, despite revisions to combustion geometry, outputs an unchanged 185kW/370Nm, the base Macan can accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 6.7 seconds. Fuel economy in the 1795kg four-pot Macan is rated at 8.9 litres per 100km, while carbon dioxide emissions are pegged at 204 grams per kilometre. While the 190kW/580Nm diesel-powered S priced at $95,300 was the next rung on the Macan ladder, the second-cheapest variant is now the petrol S that makes use of a Porsche-developed twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine, which outputs 260kW/480Nm. Compared with the outgoing version that was propelled by a twin-turbo bent-six from Audi, the new Macan S produces 10kW/20Nm more thanks to the fitment of the turbocharger within the cylinder bank for a shorter exhaust gas pathway. Sending drive to the all four wheels via a seven-speed PDK, the 1865kg Macan S will blitz the 0-100km/h sprint in a hot hatch-scaring 5.1s a 0.3s improvement while sipping 9.6L/100km and emitting 223g/km of CO2. While yet to be revealed, the new-look Macan range is expected to be bolstered by a GTS and Turbo flagship in future, while electrification will not come to the mid-size SUV until the new-generation model lobs in 2021. Aside from the new exterior look that includes updated headlights, tweaked front fascia, fresh wheel designs and tail-light-connecting LED strip, the 2019 Macan also gains revisions to its suspension componentry, improvements in noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels, and for the S grade larger brakes. Inside, the infotainment system is upgraded to an 11.0-inch touchscreen PCM unit with Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connectivity, digital radio and satellite navigation, replacing the 7.0-inch version in the outgoing model. As a result, the centre stack has been reworked to incorporate the central air vents underneath the screen, keeping the interior of the Macan in line with its Panamera, 911 and Cayenne siblings. Standard equipment includes an off-road driving mode, automatic engine start-stop, 19-inch wheels, LED lighting signature front and rear, three-zone climate control, power-adjustable front pews, 40:20:40 split-fold rear seats, 10-speaker sound system and power-operated tailgate. Safety gear includes a tyre pressure monitoring system, hill hold assist, automatic headlights, reversing camera, surround-view monitor, lane departure warning and cruise control. Buyers opting for the S variant will gain Porsche Active Suspension management, 20-inch wheels, aluminium-finished side window trim, quad exhaust outlet, silver-coloured rev counter and gloss-black interior highlights. Notably, autonomous emergency braking is not included as standard on either variant, with buyers needing to opt for the $2410 Porsche Active Safe package that also includes adaptive cruise control. 2019 Porsche Macan pricing* Macan (a) $81,400 Macan S (a) $97,500 *Excludes on-road costs The Road to Recovery podcast series Goldman Sachs engineers and recruiters recently returned from Ghana and Nigeria where they met budding engineers and inspired them to pursue careers in the field in our third annual Africa Recruiting Initiative trip. The 2019 Africa Recruiting Initiative cohort consisted of 60 students from eight schools in Ghana and 73 students from fifteen schools in Nigeria. Participants engaged in programming heavily focused on fostering technical skills around engineering. They were presented with project implementation tips from Goldman Sachs experts and then given a chance to test their skills via coding challenges through HackerRank. In addition to the technical side of things, students had a chance to hone their interview skills in workshops and by interviewing with our recruitment team. Aside from the business aspect of the initiativeto recruit future Engineering talent for the firmour professionals who participate each year say the best part is getting to meet and interact with the best and brightest students from around the continent. Our recruiters had the opportunity to learn more about them during networking sessions outside of workshop hours, as well as by sharing the experience of local culture and food. For more on the African Recruiting Initiative, read personal testimonials from program alumni. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada / TheNewswire / Feb 28, 2019 - Global Li-Ion Graphite Corp. ("Global Li-Ion" or, the "Company") (CSE: LION) is pleased to announce that Swiss EMX has notified LION it will proceed with the launch of its ground-breaking Graphite Token. The news follows Swiss EMX's agreement to make its good faith payment following the proposed offtake agreement to supply Graphite from the Ambato-Arana graphite project in Madagascar Swiss EMX plans to launch pre-sales of its Commodity backed Graphite Token in the coming weeks. Bernino Lind of Swiss EMX comments "In 2017 both the United States President and European Commission deemed Graphite, Lithium and Cobalt amongst others as strategic resources critical for national security - when we saw that these e-minerals are not accessible for retail investors and for the most part do not trade on a transparent spot price it was evident that a new transparent mechanism was needed to quote, trade and deliver the energy Metals." The rise of electric vehicles and alternative energy is expected to spark a renaissance in the energy storage sector. This will greatly increase the demand for essential e-minerals underlining the importance of increased liquidity in an essential market. Swiss EMX plans to solve this looming liquidity crisis before it begins. It will utilize cutting edge blockchain technology to facilitate the trading of e-metals using smart contracts. These contracts allow for faster and cheaper settlement between the buyer and seller and will ultimately be used to streamline the physical delivery of the underlying commodity between producers and consumers. About Swiss-eMX.com Swiss-eMX.com is pioneering the tokenization of energy metals using a three-stage approach. First, by offering commodity backed tokens followed by secondary trading of the tokens on regulated exchanges, this will allow for speculation and liquidity in otherwise illiquid commodities and finally the token will facilitate the delivery of the physical underlying commodity via smart contracts using cutting edge blockchain technology. Ambato-Arana Graphite Mine, Madagascar The Company continues to make very significant progress in its understanding and knowledge of the past producing Ambato-Arana Graphite Project in Madagascar. The Company completed the purchase and transfer of a 100% interest in the Ambato Project and is focused on working with Pascal Marchand M.Sc. P. Geol to complete the updated environmental study and prepare the detailed license development plan which is needed to put the project back into economic production. The Company has acquired and verified a substantial amount of historical data including recently recovered historic data on over 400 auger drill holes on the project that indicates the presence of substantial graphite mineralization, which will be instrumental in the implementation of the upcoming confirmation work program and mine plan completion. Pascal is a Franco-Canadian geologist based in Madagascar with over 25 year's highly relevant experience including the exploration and appraisal of mineralisation of graphite. He is a member of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec. Mr. Marchand holds degrees in geology including MSc's from Laval University and from the University of Nancy and a BSc from the University of Besancon. He has worked throughout Madagascar and, in addition to geological expertise, is fully conversant with Malagasy mining law, and environmental and social regulations. Further information about Global Li-Ion is available under its profile on the SEDAR website, www.sedar.com, on the CSE website, www.thecse.com, and the Company's website, www.globalli-iongraphite.com. For Further information about the Company, please contact: Jason Walsh Director & Officer Global Li-Ion Graphite Corp. Telephone 604.608.6314 Email: info@liongraphite.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider have reviewed or accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Forward-Looking Information: This press release contains forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "intend", "believe" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements in this release may include, without limitation, the decision of Company and Swiss EMX to sign a definitive offtake agreement, project economics, permitting, the development timeline, the Company's objective to produce graphite. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Such factors include, among other things, the interpretation and actual results of current exploration activities; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; future prices of graphite; possible variations in grade or recovery rates; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; the failure of contracted parties to perform; labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks discussed in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. While the Company may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time. Copyright (c) 2019 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Toronto, February 28, 2019 - Savary Gold Corp. (TSX-V: SCA) ("Savary" or the "Company") announces the start of a drill program, as part of an ~US$2 million exploration program on the Karankasso JV Project, Burkina Faso, West Africa. The 2019 exploration program consists predominantly of the following: - Auger Drilling: 798 holes totalling 7,365 metres completed in 2019 with numerous, good quality, gold-in-auger anomalies to 3,065 ppb gold (see Figure 1 for summary results) - Reverse Circulation Drilling: Approximately 15,700 metres of reverse circulation drilling budgeted, with approximately 120 holes totalling 9,000 metres planned, in the first phase program, that commenced on February 23 (see Figure 2 for currently planned hole locations) - Drill testing to continue to extend zones, with current estimated mineral resources and, - Drill testing to systematically test the extent of nine zones that have not been subject to resource estimation - Drilling to test numerous, new, strong, gold-in auger anomalies - Metallurgical Testing: 26 metallurgical samples, representing the bulk of the current estimated mineral resources, are undergoing test work with results expected in several months Don Dudek, President and CEO states "This exploration program represents a continuation of our work on the Karankasso project where we are focussed on adding value with work on the ground. During this program, we are systematically adding to, and defining, more than 10 mineralized zones, one hole at a time, with new holes planned as results come in. As well, we continue to develop, new, good quality targets with the auger data and refined geological interpretations." Don Dudek, further states "this program is being carried out even as we work towards a binding agreement to formalize Semafo's expressed interest in acquiring Savary, in order to fulfill previous commitments with regards to the drill program and its timing, as approved by the Karankasso JV." The field portion of this program commenced in the middle of January and is expected to continue through to the end of June, 2019. Assay results from the completed auger drilling, returned 41 sites with weathered rock samples (saprolite) returning >100 ppb gold to a maximum of 3,065 ppb gold, and an additional 30 sites containing from 50 to 100 ppb gold. Sites with >100 ppb Au are generally considered first pass exploration drill targets. Previous auger surveys, have led to the identification of nine new gold zones that are being further delineated in the current program. UPDATE ON SEMAFO TRANSACTION Savary has entered into a non-binding letter of intent pursuant to which Semafo Inc. has expressed an interest to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Savary (see joint news release dated February 11, 2019). Savary and SEMAFO remain committed to completing the proposed transaction and continue to work towards entering into a binding agreement by March 11, 2019. QA/QC Comments Savary's procedure for handling auger chip samples comprises random sampling of one metre drill length return into approximately 1.5 to 3.0-kilogram samples, as well as description and logging into a database. Representative samples of each metre of the auger hole are also preserved in chip trays for future reference. An assay blank or standard was inserted sequentially every 22-26 samples This sampling procedure was periodically reviewed by Savary's President and CEO, and the Company QP, Don Dudek, P. Geo. All assay samples were delivered to Savary staff who then arranged delivery to BIGS laboratory in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso where sample preparation and analysis were performed. Auger samples, would be sorted, weighed and placed on stainless trays and dried at 90?C until dry. The samples would then be jaw crushed to <2mm using a Boyd Crusher, if necessary, and the crushed material will then be split using a riffle splitter unit to create 2 samples of approximately 1 kg of mass, each. One of the two samples would then be pulverised using an LM2 pulveriser system to give a product of 90% passing 75um. This pulverised product will then be weighed for Fire Assay determination of the Au content using an Aqua Regia digestion followed by a Flame AAS finish. The samples would be treated in batches of 50, consisting of (from the lab) 1 Blank, 2 QC Standards and 2 repeats. Under normal conditions, a repeat portion will be selected at a 1:20 ratio, and these "preparation" repeats would be included in the sample batch of 50 as discussed earlier. Thus, each batch of samples would include 1 blank, 2 QC standards and 4 repeats (including the 2 preparation repeats). Each sample would be subjected to a process using the "Leachwell" is based on a typical digest for a 12-hour leach with fluid analysed for gold after 12 hours. Most standards and blank control samples returned results within expected ranges. Those batches that returned standard values outside an approved range are being re-assayed. None of the re-assayed batches impacted the results presented here-in. About Savary Gold Corp. Savary is a Canadian exploration company focused on exploring and developing the Karankasso Gold Project in Burkina Faso. The Company holds an approximate 75.2% deemed joint venture ownership at year end 2018 and is the operator of the joint venture. The project is located within the Hounde Greenstone Belt, which hosts SEMAFO's Mana mine, Roxgold's Yaramoko Mine and Endeavor's Hounde Mine. The project contains an inferred mineral resource estimate (November 2, 2017) of 12.3 million tonnes (Mt) grading 2.03 g/t gold for 805,000 ounces. For additional information please visit www.savarygold.com. Don Dudek, P.Geo., President and CEO of the Company and a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release. Savary Gold Corp. On behalf of the Board "Don Dudek" President & Chief Executive Officer For more information, please contact: Don Dudek, President and CEO T: 647-259-2097 E: info@savarygold.com; www.savarygold.com Click Image To View Full Size Figure 1 - Summary 2019 Auger Results Click Image To View Full Size Figure 2 - Currently planned 2019 Phase 1 drill holes Cautionary Notes Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements include statements regarding the timing and amount of estimated future exploration; costs of future activities; success of exploration activities; the likelihood that the SEMAFO transaction will progress to a binding commitment on the timeline estimated or at all; the details of the potential value growth of the JV, the upside of the property, and our expectations with respect to lower costs, cross marketing and funding synergies resulting from the JV, the drill program, the company's exploration plans, the focus on existing drill targets and new targets. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statements or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. Copyright (c) 2019 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. VANCOUVER, Feb. 28, 2019 - Tinka Resources Limited ("Tinka" or the "Company") (TSXV & BVL: TK) (OTCPK: TKRFF) is pleased to announce details of its upcoming exploration drill program and provide an update on the Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for the Ayawilca zinc project, Peru. Key Highlights An exploration drill program of up to 10,000 metres is anticipated to commence in April 2019. Exploration drilling will target structural repeats of the mineralized limestone beneath the current high-grade zinc resources at West, South, and Central Ayawilca. Drilling during 2018 confirmed that a deeper limestone unit exists and can host exceptional grade (including 10.4 m at 44% Zn in A18-129). The Company's PEA is progressing well and is expected to be completed by mid 2019. The PEA, which is managed by Wood (Peru) as lead consultant, will not be impacted by the upcoming exploration drill program. Metallurgical test work on samples containing tin is currently being conducted as part of the PEA. This week, the Company filed an EIA modification for Ayawilca, which will extend the drill permit for an additional 2 years until the end of 2022. Once granted, the permit will allow sufficient drill platforms for a future Prefeasibility-stage infill drill program. The EIA modification is not required for the 2019 drill program, and is expected to be granted Q4 2019. Tinka will be represented by its senior management and geological team at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada ("PDAC") annual conference in Toronto from March 3 6 at booth 2937 in the Investors Exchange. Tinka will provide a brief corporate presentation in room 803 in the South Building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre ("MTCC") at 10:30am EST on Tuesday, March 5, and a technical presentation as part of the New Discoveries and Developments Session in room 716 of the MTCC at 9:10am EST on Wednesday, March 6. Dr. Graham Carman, Tinka's President and CEO, stated: "The Zinc Zone resources at Ayawilca have quadrupled since the initial resource estimate in 2015 (see news release dated Nov. 26, 2018). While the Ayawilca Zinc Zone resource is already large and high grade, we believe there is still more potential for growth. The upcoming exploration drill program will test for zinc mineralization in repetitions of the favourable limestone beneath the high-grade zinc resources, as well as provide valuable infill drill information within the existing shallow resources. Six drill holes, each to a depth of 600 metres, are currently planned at West, South, and Central Ayawilca. If successful, this deep drill program could add significant upside to the project." "The Ayawilca PEA is advancing as planned, with a top group of consultants managing engineering and metallurgical test work on behalf of Tinka. The PEA will provide a preliminary gauge of the economic value of the current resource at Ayawilca, and we believe this study will be an excellent first step towards the ultimate development of the project." Drill program to commence at Ayawilca in April 2019 A drill program is planned to test the potential for deeper, repeated zones of high-grade zinc mineralization hosted by limestone beneath the current Ayawilca zinc resources (see news release Nov. 26, 2018). Tinka has begun preparations for drilling to commence in April 2019, despite an unusually wet summer in the Andes mountains of central Peru. Repetitions of the limestone host have already been identified at West Ayawilca and Camp zones, often hosting very high-grade mineralization such as hole A18-129 (10.4 metres grading 44% Zn). A drill program of up to 10,000 metres is fully budgeted for 2019. At least six holes, each to an average depth of approximately 600 metres, are planned to test for deep limestone-hosted zinc mineralization beneath the current resources at West, South, and Central Ayawilca (see targets highlighted in Figures 1 and 2). The drill program is not expected to have any impact on the timing of the PEA, which will be based on the mineral resources as at November 26, 2018. In 2018, two deep holes drilled at South Ayawilca improved our geological understanding in an important way. Hole A18-152, drilled to a depth of 509 metres, intersected over 100 metres of limestone in a repeated unit beneath more than 100 metres of overlying phyllite (see cross-section, Figure 1). Although no significant zinc mineralization was found in this hole, the Company believes that this limestone has the potential to be mineralized elsewhere at South Ayawilca, as it is at West Ayawilca (e.g. in hole A18-129). Hole A18-133, drilled to a depth of 655 metres, did not intersect a repeated limestone but did intersect significant mineralization within a shear zone hosted by phyllite (0.3 m grading 28% Zn & 405 g/t Ag from 506.2 m depth), now interpreted to be the structural position of the repeated limestone in A18-152. This hole is not included in the current resource. PEA update As announced by the Company on November 28, 2018, the PEA on the Ayawilca project is well underway. Wood (formerly Amec Foster Wheeler) of Lima, Peru, is engaged as lead consultant. Mr Ken Engquist, an experienced engineer with very relevant recent experience for Tinka (including at Arizona Mining's Hermosa project) has been retained to manage the PEA on behalf of the owner's team. Engineering studies are advancing as planned. Metallurgical work is also underway on the tin mineralization, together with more detailed variability tests on the zinc mineralization. The PEA is expected to be completed by mid-year 2019. PDAC Convention, Toronto, March 3-6, 2019 Tinka will be participating in the upcoming PDAC annual conference in Toronto, Canada. PDAC is the leading convention for people, companies and organizations in or connected with mineral exploration with over 1,000 exhibitors, 3,500 investors and 25,600 attendees from 135 countries expected to attend. We invite investors to come and meet Tinka's team at PDAC, including its CEO, VP Exploration, and other members of its geological and investor relations teams. The Company's booth in the Investors Exchange is 2937. Tinka's CEO will provide a brief corporate presentation in room 803 in the South Building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre ("MTCC") at 10:30am EST on Tuesday, March 5, as part of the Zinc Session. In addition, Alvaro Fernandez-Baca, Tinka's VP Exploration, will deliver a technical presentation as part of the New Discoveries and Developments Session in room 716 of the MTCC at 9:10am on Wednesday, March 6. The Qualified Person, Dr. Graham Carman, Tinka's President and CEO, and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, has reviewed and verified the technical contents of this release. About Tinka Resources Limited Tinka is an exploration and development company with its flagship property being the 100%-owned Ayawilca carbonate replacement deposit (CRD) in the zinc-lead-silver belt of central Peru, 200 kilometres northeast of Lima. The Ayawilca Zinc Zone contains 11.7 Mt of Indicated Resources grading 6.9% zinc, 0.2% lead, 15 g/t silver and 84 g/t indium and 45.0 Mt Inferred Resources grading 5.6% zinc, 0.2% lead, 17 g/t silver and 67 g/t indium. The Ayawilca Tin Zone contains an Inferred Mineral Resource of 14.5 Mt at 0.63% tin, 0.21% copper & 18 g/t silver (November 26, 2018 release). A maiden PEA is underway, with results anticipated in the first half of 2019. On behalf of the Board, "Graham Carman" Dr. Graham Carman, President & CEO Forward Looking Statements: Certain information in this news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively "forward-looking statements"). All statements, other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs and expectations of Tinka as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Tinka's management. Such statements reflect the current risks, uncertainties and assumptions related to certain factors including, without limitations, drilling results, the Company's expectations regarding the Ayawilca Project PEA, timing of planned drill programs, capital and other costs varying significantly from estimates, production rates varying from estimates, changes in world metal markets, changes in equity markets, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, equipment failure, unexpected geological conditions, imprecision in resource estimates or metal recoveries, success of future development initiatives, competition, operating performance, environmental and safety risks, delays in obtaining or failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from local authorities, community agreements and relations, and other development and operating risks. Should any one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein. Although Tinka believes that assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Tinka disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tinka-announces-upcoming-exploration-drill-program-at-ayawilca-and-status-of-pea-300803887.html SOURCE Tinka Resources Ltd. Halifax, February 28, 2019 - Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSXV: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF) ("Ucore" or the "Company") announces that on Monday February 25, 2019 it filed a Request for Emergency Motion for Interim Injunction to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (the "Court") in response to IBC Advanced Technologies, Inc.'s ("IBC") February 19, 2019, Notice of Termination of the Option Agreement. The Court agreed to hear this request yesterday, February 27, 2019. The Company is pleased to announce the Court has granted an interim injunction (the "Injunction") pending the hearing of an interlocutory injunction on March 20, 2019. Until this hearing, the Court has ordered that: 1) IBC is prohibited from: a) taking any further steps to issue additional notices to terminate the Option Agreement or taking steps in reliance upon (or further to) the Notice of Termination; b) taking any steps, or conducting any business, or transacting with any third parties in such a manner as to prevent or preclude (or effectively prevent or preclude) Ucore from fully or effectively exercising its asserted and disputed rights under the Option Agreement. 2) IBC is permitted to: a) carry on and market its business in the ordinary course of business, so long as such is in compliance with the terms of the Option Agreement. Under the terms of the Injunction, Ucore shall refrain from enforcing its asserted and disputed rights under the Option Agreement, and any such rights shall be suspended on the understanding that Ucore's rights under the Option Agreement shall be preserved during such time as this Injunction remains in place. "We are very grateful to the Court for hearing our concerns regarding our asserted rights to lawfully acquire IBC," stated Jim McKenzie, President & CEO of Ucore. "This injunction allows a cooling off period while we continue to extend an offer to discuss a business solution to the other side. Conversely, it also provides Ucore with the right to preserve the status quo that existed on February 18, 2019, until the issues are resolved utilizing all of the remedies available to us under law." About Ucore Ucore Rare Metals is a development-phase company focused on rare metals resources, extraction and beneficiation technologies with near term potential for production, growth and scalability. The Company has a 100% ownership stake in the Bokan-Dotson Ridge Rare Earth Project. On March 31, 2014, Ucore announced the unanimous support of the Alaska State Legislature for Senate Bill 99 (2014), which authorized the AIDEA to issue up to USD $145 Million in bonds for the infrastructure and construction costs of the Bokan-Dotson Ridge Rare Earth Project. Ucore's vision and plan is to transition as a leading nanotechnology company that provides mineral separation products and services to the mining and mineral extraction industry. This vision includes the development of a Strategic Metals Complex (initially announced on Nov. 15, 2016) in Ketchikan, Alaska and the development of the Company's rare earth minerals property located at Bokan Mountain in Alaska (technical report filed on SEDAR on March 14, 2013). For further information, please contact Mr. Jim McKenzie, President & CEO of Ucore Rare Metals Inc. at: +1 (902) 482-5214 or visit . Cautionary Notes This press release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future business acquisition activities (including related required financings), timelines, litigation outcomes, events or developments that the Company expects, are forward looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Ucore has assumed that it will in the near future be able to obtain interim financing and sufficient additional financing to acquire IBC in compliance with the terms contemplated in the existing agreements with IBC and its shareholders holding a majority of its shares. Ucore has also assumed that there will be no material adverse findings in its upcoming expected comprehensive due diligence review of IBC. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include: Ucore not being able to raise sufficient funds to acquire IBC (including the non-acquisition payments owed under the previous and existing agreements); adverse capital market conditions; unexpected due diligence findings; unexpected or adverse outcomes in the currently outstanding litigation matters between Ucore and IBC; resistance to or noncompliance by IBC or its key shareholders with the existing agreements; the emergence of alternative superior metallurgy and mineral separation technologies; the inability of IBC to retain its key staff members and clients; the inability of IBC to protect its intellectual property; unexpected transaction costs or other deal completion setbacks; the availability and procurement of any required interim financing that may be required; and general economic, market or business conditions. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined by the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43123 BOISE, ID / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / Thunder Mountain Gold Inc. (OTCQB: THMG; TSX-V: THM), (Company or THMG) is pleased to announce that It has entered into an option agreement (the "Option Agreement") with BeMetals Corp. (TSXV: BMET) ("BeMetals" or the "Company") and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, to acquire up to a 100% interest in the South Mountain Project ("South Mountain" or the "Project" or the "Property") in southwest Idaho, U.S.A. (see Principal Terms of the Option Agreement below). South Mountain is a high-grade zinc-silver-gold focused polymetallic development project largely located on private property. The mine operated from the mid-1800s until the 1960s with most of production during World War II for strategic minerals for the war effort. Option Agreement Benefits to Thunder Mountain Shareholders: Unlocks immediate value while retaining exposure to the upside of South Mountain's advancement towards production Reduces shareholder risk and dilution Creates upside for THMG with exposure to work with a world-class development and operations team that has proven ability to raise capital and expedite the advancement of South Mountain Leverage to results driven news flow for South Mountain, BeMetals' Zambian exploration project, as well as potential future acquisitions through the BeMetals consideration shares Access to higher trading liquidity and improved capital markets exposure Eric T. Jones, President and CEO of Thunder Mountain, stated, "Given the current market interest in high grade zinc, and base metal deposits, we are very pleased to be partnering with a strong group of mining professionals that have the technical and financial capabilities to immediately begin advancing the South Mountain Project. We look forward to working with the BeMetals team to unlock the true value of this high-grade asset." The South Mountain Project South Mountain is a polymetallic zinc-silver-gold development project, located approximately 70 miles southwest of Boise, Idaho (see Figure 1). The Project was intermittently mined from the late 1800s to the late 1960's and its existing underground workings remain intact and well maintained. Historic production at the Project has largely come from skarn-hosted, high-grade massive sulfide ore bodies that remain open at depth and along strike (see Figure 2). These high-grade massive sulfide zones comprise South Mountain's current mineral resource (see Table 1 below). According to historical smelter records approximately 53,642 tons of ore have been mined to date. These records also indicate average grades; 14.5% Zn, 10.6 o.p.t Ag, 0.058 o.p.t Au, 2.4% Pb, and 1.4% Cu were realised. Since 2008, Thunder Mountain has completed 27 drill holes for a total of 5,500 metres on the Property. Thus far, drill results have been encouraging and significant potential exists to increase the known mineral resource with additional drilling, as well as to expand the existing measured and indicated mineral resource classifications with in-fill drilling. Last year a technical report for the South Mountain Project was completed by Hard Rock Consulting, LLC, entitled, "National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report: Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the South Mountain Project Owyhee County, Idaho USA". Since the Project is largely on and surrounded by private surface land, the permitting and environmental aspects of the Project are expected to be straightforward. Based on the existing Project permits, coupled with the associated work completed to date, including a long and successful history of mineral exploration in the region, BeMetals does not anticipate barriers to proposed exploration or development at the Project. Figure 1. South Mountain Project Location Map Image: https://www.accesswire.com/users/newswire/images/537402/ThunderImg102282019.jpg Figure 2. South Mountain Project Long Section (Showing mine levels and high-grade massive sulfide zones) Image: https://www.accesswire.com/users/newswire/images/537402/ThunderImg202282019.jpg Table 1: South Mountain Mineral Resource Estimate Image: https://www.accesswire.com/users/newswire/images/537402/Thundertable102282019.png Notes: The effective date of the mineral resource estimate is April 7, 2018. The QP for the estimate is Mr. Randall K. Martin, SME-RM, of Hard Rock Consulting, LLC, who is independent of Thunder Mountain. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Inferred mineral resources are that part of the mineral resource for which quantity and grade or quality are estimated on the basis of limited geologic evidence and sampling, which is sufficient to imply but not verify grade or quality continuity. Inferred mineral resources may not be converted to mineral reserves. It is reasonably expected, though not guaranteed, that the majority of Inferred mineral resources could be upgraded to Indicated mineral resources with continued exploration. The mineral resource is reported at an underground mining cutoff of 6.04% ZnEq within coherent wireframe models. The ZnEq calculation and cutoff is based on the following assumptions: an Au price of $1,231/oz, Ag price of $16.62/oz, Pb price of $0.93/lb., Zn price of $1.10/lb. and Cu price of $2.54/lb.; metallurgical recoveries of 75% for Au, 70% for Ag, 87% for Pb, 96% for Zn and 56% for Cu, assumed mining cost of $70/ton, process costs of $25/ton, general and administrative costs of $7.5/ton, smelting and refining costs of $25/ton. Based on the stated prices and recoveries the ZnEq formula is calculated as follows; ZnEq = (Au grade * 43.71) + (Ag grade * 0.55) + (Pb grade * 0.77) + (Cu grade * 1.35) + (Zn grade). Rounding may result in apparent differences when summing tons, grade and contained metal content. Tonnage and grade measurements are in imperial units. Principal Terms of the Option Agreement The transaction structure was designed to minimize near-term share dilution for THMG shareholders, while allowing sufficient time for additional exploration and reserve definition to maximize the value of the Project prior to its acquisition by BeMetals. Under the terms of the Option Agreement, a subsidiary of BeMetals has the right to acquire all of Thunder Mountain's interest in the South Mountain Project by way of acquiring 100% of the outstanding shares of South Mountain Mines Inc. ("SMMI"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Thunder Mountain (the "Acquisition"). SMMI currently holds a 75% interest in the Project and has the right to acquire the remaining 25% subject to a 5% Net Returns Royalty capped at US$5 million on or before November 3, 2026. In order to complete the Acquisition, BeMetals must: Make an initial cash payment of US$100,000 upon Thunder Mountain delivering voting support agreements from shareholders controlling over 50% of outstanding Thunder Mountain shares; Upon satisfaction of certain conditions precedent, including receipt of TSX Venture Exchange acceptance and all requisite THMG shareholder approvals: a. purchase 2.5 million shares of common stock of Thunder Mountain at US$0.10 per share, for gross proceeds of US$250,000, by way of private placement; and b. issue 10 million common shares of BeMetals to Thunder Mountain Gold Inc. Make four cash payments of US$250,000 each on or before the 6, 12, 18 and 24-month anniversary dates, respectively, from when Thunder Mountain has satisfied certain conditions precedent and items 1 and 2 above have been completed; Complete a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for the Project; and Make a final value payment to Thunder Mountain consisting of cash, common shares of BeMetals, or a combination of both at the discretion of BeMetals. The final payment will be the greater of either US$10 million or 20% of the after-tax net present value of the Property as calculated in a PEA study completed by an independent engineer that is agreed to by both parties. The final payment will be decreased by US$850,000 to account for certain cash payments previously made under items 1 and 2 above, the value of the 10 million BeMetals shares issued under item 2 above, as well as certain liabilities of SMMI to be assumed on Acquisition. The final value payment shall be capped at a maximum of 50% of the market capitalization of BeMetals as of the completion date of the Acquisition. Pursuant to the Option Agreement, BeMetals will have two years to complete the Acquisition (subject to a potential 12-month extension under certain limited circumstances). BeMetals' wholly owned subsidiary will become the operator of the Project upon the completion of certain conditions precedent and will solely fund the exploration programs and completion of the PEA at South Mountain. A technical management committee will be formed that will be comprised of two representatives from THMG, and two representatives from BMET USA effective as of the Tranche 2 completion date. The role of the committee is to oversee the work program and budget prepared and proposed by the Operator, review all exploration data obtained as a result of the work program, and direct the PEA author. Advisors and Counsel McMillan LLP and Hawley Troxell acted as legal counsel for Thunder Mountain, Evans and Evans Inc. of Vancouver, B.C. provided the independent fairness evaluation. Qualified/Competent Persons The Technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Larry D. Kornze, P. Eng., Qualified Person, and Director of Thunder Mountain Gold Inc., and Edward D. Fields, P.G., technical advisor to the board of Thunder Mountain, and a "Qualified Person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 standards. About Thunder Mountain GOLD INC. Thunder Mountain Gold Inc. is a junior exploration company founded in 1935 and owns interests in base and precious metals projects in the western U.S. Thunder Mountain's principal asset is The South Mountain Mine, an historic former producer of zinc, silver, gold, lead, and copper, located on private land in southern Idaho, just north of the Nevada border. The Company also owns 100% of the Trout Creek Project a grass roots gold target in the Eureka-Battle Mountain trend of central Nevada. For more information on Thunder Mountain, visit www.thundermountaingold.com. About BEMETALS CORP. BeMetals' founding Directors include Clive Johnson, Roger Richer, Tom Garagan and John Wilton. BeMetals is a new base metal mining company focused on becoming a significant base metal producer through the acquisition of quality exploration, development and production stage base metals projects. The Company's growth strategy is led by a strong Board, key members of which have an extensive proven record of accomplishment in delivering considerable value in the mining sector through the discovery, construction and operation of mines around the world. The Board, its Advisors, and senior management also provide outstanding deal flow of projects to BeMetals based upon their extensive network of contacts in the international minerals business. You can find more on BeMetals at www.Bemetalscorp.com ON BEHALF OF THUNDER MOUNTAIN GOLD INC. "Eric T. Jones" Eric T. Jones President & CEO For further information please contact: Eric T. Jones President and Chief Executive Officer eric@thundermountaingold.com Tel: (208) 658-1037 Jim Collord Vice President and Chief Operating Officer jim@thundermountaingold.com Tel: (208) 658-1037 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the beliefs of management and reflect the Company's current expectations. The forward-looking statements in this press release include statements with respect to the terms and use of proceeds of the Private Placement, the ability of the Company to complete the Private Placement and the impact of the Private Placement on the Company. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. The forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions, which could change materially in the future, including the assumption that the Private Placement will be completed. By their nature, forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include the risk of completion of the Private Placement and uncertainties affecting the expected use of proceeds. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is provided as of the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required in accordance with applicable laws. Cautionary note to United States investors concerning estimates of measured, indicated and inferred resources. This news release contains certain disclosure that has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Canadian securities laws, including Canadian National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"), which differ from the current requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") set out in Industry Guide 7. In particular, this news release refers to "mineral resources," "measured mineral resources," "indicated mineral resources," and "inferred mineral resources." While these categories of mineralization are recognized and required by Canadian securities laws, they are not recognized by Industry Guide 7 and are not normally permitted to be disclosed in SEC filings. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any of measured, indicated or inferred mineral resources will ever be converted into mineral reserves. Under Industry Guide 7, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the mineralization can be economically or legally extracted at the time the "reserve" determination is made. "Inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Disclosure of "contained ounces" in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian reporting standards; however, Industry Guide 7 normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by Industry Guide 7 standards as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. Accordingly, information contained in this news release containing descriptions of South Mountain's mineral deposits may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of Industry Guide 7. SOURCE: Thunder Mountain Gold Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/537402/Thunder-Mountain-Gold-Inc-Signs-Agreement-with-BeMetals-on-the-South-Mountain-Project Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump ended their second summit without a deal in the Vietnamese capital on Thursday. President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. [Photo via AP/Evan Vucci] "No agreement was reached" between Kim and Trump on the second day of their second summit in Hanoi, according to the White House. It added that the leaders of the two countries looked forward to meeting in the future. Though the two leaders ended their meeting without any agreement, Kim and Trump had "very good and constructive meetings" and discussed various ways to "advance denuclearization and economic driven concepts," the statement from the White House said. Kim and Trump were originally scheduled to attend a working lunch and a signing ceremony for a possible joint statement at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, but the events were cancelled for an unidentified reason. Trump's press conference was brought forward by two hours to 2 p.m. local time (0700 GMT). At the press conference, Trump said a gap remained between what the DPRK and the United States wanted. Trump told reporters he and Kim each had certain visions that were not aligned but got "much closer" than a year ago. "We have to walk ... There is a gap," Trump said. Trump and Kim started the two-day summit Wednesday night with a brief one-on-one chat and a dinner and continued their discussions the following day on concrete ways for peace and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. After returning to the J.W. Marriott Hotel, Trump hinted at the press conference that talks between Pyongyang and Washington would continue though the two leaders failed to reach an agreement during their second meeting. However, Trump noted that his next summit with Kim "might not be for a long time," hinting at a possible hiatus in the summit diplomacy. Trump said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo felt during the meeting that it was "not a good thing" to sign off on anything, though they had some options on the negotiating table. Following the one-on-one discussion between Kim and Trump with only translators being present earlier in the day, the two leaders had an extended meeting joined by their senior aides, including Pompeo. "It wasn't appropriate to sign the agreement ... Actually, we already had paper today to sign," said Trump. Trump said there was "a gap" in what the DPRK and the United States were pursuing. Kim demanded relief from sanctions against Pyongyang "in their entirety" in exchange for denuclearizing a "large portion" of the DPRK's nuclear program, something the United States could not agree to, according to Trump. Despite the meeting that had resulted in no deal, Trump said he would "continue to work on that" with the DPRK leader to narrow the gap between the two countries. Kim and Trump agreed at their Singapore summit in June to a lasting peace on and the complete denuclearization of the peninsula, as well as the start of new relations between their countries. Pompeo told the press conference that the two sides made "even more progress" than at the Singapore summit, saying negotiators from the two sides would meet again "in the days and weeks ahead." The top U.S. diplomat reiterated that it "will take time" to come to an agreement for the complete denuclearization of the peninsula. Trump also stressed that he was "in no rush," saying he wanted to make the "right deal." Calling his relationship with the DPRK leader "very strong," Trump said he ended up becoming a "very good friend" of Kim. The U.S. president said he would like to maintain relations with Kim, noting that he trusted Kim's promise not to conduct any nuclear and rocket tests. Trump left Hanoi after the press conference. Kim is scheduled to stay here for two more days for his official goodwill visit to the Southeast Asian country. April 3, 1927 February 14, 2019 Surrounded by family, Sonja Everett, our beloved mother, grandma, great-grandma, great-great-grandma and friend, peacefully entered into her new life in God's care on Thursday, February 14, 2019. Sonja's life was characterized by resilience, perseverance and a tireless love for everyone in her family. Born and raised in Nurnberg, Germany, Sonja was the only child of her mother and stepfather, Hans and Erna Wild. She spent her teen years in Chojnice, Poland. As WWII was ending, Sonja and her mother left Poland just in time to evade the advancing Soviet army. They spent several months in a refugee camp near Copenhagen, Denmark, before returning to Nurnberg. In 1947, while working for the U.S. counter-intelligence corps in Germany, Sonja married Cliff Avey, a U.S. soldier who was stationed there at the time. Upon returning to the U.S., they settled in Peshastin, WA. Sonja and Cliff had three children: Richard, Barbara and John. Sonja and Dr. Jack Everett were married on February 14, 1960, in Coulee Dam, WA (59 years to the day when she passed) and began the journey of raising their new blended family of Rich, Dave, Barb, John, Jane, Dan, Jill and Jim. Coincidentally, February 14 was also Jack's birthday. Sonja was a busy woman, volunteering her time and talents as a room mother at Central Elementary School, Cub Scout den mother, leader of Brownie and Girl Scout troops, Coulee Dam tourist information volunteer, and Sunday School teacher at the Coulee Dam Community Church, where she was a member for most of her years in Coulee Dam. Sonja and daughter Barb operated the concession stand at Spring Canyon for several summers. For many years, Sonja was an active member of the Grand Coulee Dam Lions Club and P.E.O. P.E.O. is a philanthropic organization, and Sonja served as the Washington State chapter president for the 1986-1987 term. She truly valued the experiences and friendships she gained during the course of all her civic involvements. And as if that wasn't enough to keep her busy, Sonja owned and operated a family clothing store in Coulee Dam, the Coulee Closet, from 1973 to 1987. When the store closed, she went to work as Jack's receptionist in the dental office until they both retired in November of 1993. In her spare time, Sonja enjoyed reading, knitting, and crocheting, and was usually always up for a game of Scrabble. Sonja thoroughly enjoyed the annual family summer vacation to go crabbing in the San Juan Islands and liked to search for agates on the beach. In 2016, Sonja, along with daughter Barb, moved to an assisted living apartment in Spokane. While it was a good place with new friendships and many activities, she always missed Coulee Dam, her home of 65 years. Sonja is survived by her sons and daughters: Rich Avey (Dena), Dave Everett (Sandi), Barb Ries, John Avey (Jan), Jane Lynch (Dennis), Dan Everett (Karen), Jill Jordan (Andrew), Jim Everett (Marilyn). Sonja was blessed with 19 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. Sonja was preceded in death by her husband, Jack (2006), and grandson, Richie Avey (1991). A memorial service will be held at the Coulee Dam Community Church on May 4, 2019, at 1 p.m. Contributions in Sonja's memory may be made to P.E.O. Chapter DG, attn: Charlene Tracy, 301 Ferry, Coulee Dam 99116. DG, attn: Charlene Tracy, 301 Ferry, Coulee Dam 99116. Emerging Fuels Technology, Inc (EFT) has amended its license agreement with Red Rock Biofuels LLC (RRB) under which EFT will provide its TL8a Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology to provide additional FT capacity for RRBs Bio-Refinery in Lakeview, Oregon. The amendment doubles the FT capacity to be provided by EFT. The new capacity will be incorporated immediately in the plant which is currently under construction. Emerging Fuels Technology (EFT) is a technology company focused on methods for producing synthetic fuels and specialty products from a variety of feedstocks such as natural gas, biomass, municipal solid waste (MSW) and bio-derived oils. EFT licenses Fischer-Tropsch (FT) and related synthesis technologies and upgrade packages for 500 to 10,000 BPD applications. In September 2018, Volkswagen and Microsoft announced a strategic partnership to develop the Volkswagen Automotive Cloud, one of the largest dedicated automotive industry clouds for all future Volkswagen digital services and mobility offerings. (Earlier post.) During a joint visit to the Volkswagen Digital Lab in Berlin, Dr. Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen AG, and Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, provided an update on the partnership. Among the coming developments, the Volkswagen Automotive Cloud will be extended step-by-step to further regions of the world and to be available in Europe, China and the USAthe core markets for the future full-electric, fully connected ID. model family. Volkswagen and Microsoft are also working together on first lighthouse projects for connected vehicle services, and progress has been made in the set-up of Volkswagens new Development Center in North America. Our strategic partnership with Microsoft is a key element in our efforts to develop Volkswagen into a software-driven mobility provider. With the Volkswagen Automotive Cloud, we are working on a unique solution for our customers. Our upscaling capabilities give us a huge competitive advantage in this area. Dr. Herbert Diess Digital technology is rapidly changing every aspect of the auto industryfrom the manufacturing process to the car itself. Our partnership will enable Volkswagen to deliver new Azure-based connected vehicle services that accelerate the companys transformation into a software-driven mobility provider and define the future of mobility for people everywhere. Satya Nadella Volkswagen intends to expand the global footprint of its Automotive Cloud, which has previously been developed mainly for the European market, to China and the United States. Microsoft Azure with its comprehensive cloud, edge, AI and IoT capabilities will continue to form the basis of the growing digital ecosystem. Volkswagen will use its Automotive Cloud as the core of its vehicle and service data operations. The digital ecosystem is being developed by the Volkswagen brand together with partners as the lead brand within the Group. The Volkswagen Automotive Cloud will be the global technological backbone of our digital ecosystem. At the same time, we will be launching a new, high-performance software architecture in our vehicles. This will lay all the foundations required for the full networking of our vehicle fleet and for the development of digital added-value services for our customers. Our goal is the customer experience for customers in their own vehicles and beyond. Christian Senger, who will be responsible for the Volkswagen Automotive Cloud as Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen brand for Digital Car & Services and Head of Digital Car & Services within the Volkswagen Group Volkswagen is preparing its digital ecosystem for the core markets of the future ID. model family. The ID. will be the first vehicle to use the Automotive Cloud and is to be launched in Europe in 2020. Production is to start in China the same year and a member of the ID. family will roll off the production line in the USA from 2022 onwards. Volkswagen and Microsoft are also working on first lighthouse projects for connected vehicles. They are concentrating on communication and navigation solutions as well as personalized services: These will leverage self-learning algorithms facilitating the use of services in the vehicle and offering occupants extended functions. Automated linking into telephone conferences and the transfer of prepared navigation destinations will only be the first steps, which will also include the integration of Microsoft Skype and Microsoft Office. Progress is also being made with the establishment of the new Development Center in Seattle. Volkswagen had established this location for the development of the Automotive Cloud at the end of 2018. The idea of the Development Center is to learn from Microsofts highly developed culture of agile collaboration and digital leadership and transferring this culture to the centers own organization. At the center, first developer teams are now starting on project work. Microsoft is providing support for the development of the new center in areas including the recruitment of specialists and project management. Area industries not included A group seeking input for the states proposed computer-science standards for K-12 received criticism for not including local industry in conversations to create the standards. The State Board of Education will host five meetings this week, with meetings in Green River, Buffalo, Meeteese and Douglas already taken place. The meetings are aimed to generate public input about the proposed 2019 Wyoming Computer Science Content and Performance Standards. In 2018, the Wyoming Legislature passed Senate Enrolled Act 48, which requires districts to offer computer science in K-12 by the 2022-2023 school year. It also removed technology form the common core of knowledge July 1, 2018, and replaced it with keyboarding with computational thinking. Students will have the opportunity to take computer science-related courses, but will not be required to take the courses. While speaking about the role private business has had in helping draft the standards, representatives showed a map of Wyoming with stars signifying where members of the 40-person committee came from and the groups they represent. With business representatives coming from Apple, Microsoft, First Interstate Bank, as well as other businesses based in Wyoming, a few educators quickly noticed industry in Southwestern Wyoming wasnt represented on the committee. Im a little concerned theres no representation from Exxon, ... the trona mines, the coal mines, Jennifer Nielson, a high school math teacher from Kemmerer said. We have no representation. Nielson said the she contacted employers near Kemmerer to ask if they had been contacted to provide input for the standards. Each company told her they hadnt. Nielson also noticed Gillettes industries lacked representation on the committee. Nielson said the feedback shes received from area employers focuses on a desire for students to have some understanding of the C++ programming language. Donna Little-Kaumo, superintendent of Sweetwater County School District No. 2, also shared concerns about the lack of representation. Little-Kaumo said her written comments to the committee reflected her concern about local industry not receiving representation. Little-Kaumo believes its important for the district to create computer science courses that can teach abilities which can transfer to high paying jobs in the areas trona mines. However, without that representation from area industries, Little-Kaumo fears that transferability between coursework and job skills will not occur. She said she hopes the committee will take those comments and invite input from area industries. Public comments for the standards will be accepted until 11:59 p.m., March 5. A complete breakdown of the proposed standards can be found at the Wyoming Department of Educations website, edu.wyoming.gov. Sweetwater County is requesting about $5.3 million in impact funds for the TransWest transmission-line project, which will run through portions of the county. During a recent Sweetwater County Commissioners meeting, the commissioners unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding between Sweetwater County, Carbon County, Baggs, Dixon, Sinclair, Saratoga, Rawlins and Wamsutter for the impact funding request. According to information in the MOU, a high-voltage transmission system will extend about 730 miles across four states from south central Wyoming to southern Nevada. This project is capable of transmitting 3,000 megawatts of electric energy, enough to power more than 1.8 million homes, that will incorporate both direct current and high-voltage alternating current technology. Chairman Wally Johnson said representatives from the Sweetwater County Sheriffs Office, Sweetwater County Fire Department and Wamsutter met to decide how much impact funding they should request from the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council. Once that group determined a number for all parties impacted, they meet with Carbon County representatives and the other towns impacted before signing the MOU between all entities involved. Planning and Zoning director Eric Bingham said the county is requesting a total of $5.32 million. Of that, $2.56 million will go to the sheriffs and fire departments, while $2.76 will go to Wamsutter. Even though all entities involved have requested a total of $13 million, which is way below what was anticipated, Johnson believes it will still be struggle to get what was requested. The real battle with come with the Industrial Siting Council, Johnson said. What they dont give out, they get to keep. In my opinion, they have a tremendous conflict of interest. Johnson said Baggs and Dixon didnt even put in a request, which he believes was a mistake. Commissioner Randy Wendling said if the council really does get to keep the money it doesnt give out in impact funding, that could be a substantial amount. With both Carbon and Sweetwater counties in agreement on the request, all they can do now is wait. Margie Lee Smith, 78, of Rock Springs, passed away Feb. 22, 2019, in Salt Lake City. A longtime resident of Rock Springs, Margie died following a lengthy illness. She was born Sept. 5, 1940, in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Arthur T. and Mary Agnes Sanborn. Margie attended school in Tripoli, North Africa and was a 1958 graduate of Wheelus High School. She also attended college in Washington, D.C. and earned a degree in nursing. Later, she attended and graduated from Adams State College in Alamosa, Colo., where she earned a degree in biology and chemistry and continued on to get a teaching certificate. It was at Adam State where she met the love of her life, Kale W Smith. Margie eventually became a realtor and broker and opened her own business, Rock Springs Realty. Margie married Kale W. Smith Aug. 22, 1969, in Alamosa, Colo. They were married 49 years. She was a member of First Assembly of God where she served on the board, also a board member of Commerce Bank and Sweetwater County Board of Realtors. Margie lived life to the fullest. Margie has been quoted to say "if you don't have fun, what's the use of living." She was the life of every party and celebrated life in all that she did. Margie never met a stranger and happily gave to those she knew, those she just met and those in need. She enjoyed traveling, shopping, working and having coffee with friends and family. She loved real estate and all the people she was blessed to work with. Survivors include her husband Kale W. Smith of Rock Springs; two sons, Brian Smith and wife Annika of Rock Springs and Darin Smith and wife Alicia of Cheyenne; two daughters, Cindy Johnson and husband Theros of West Jordan, Utah, and Diana Mercer and husband Gentry of Colorado Springs, Colo .; one brother, Arthur Sanborn and wife Ellen of Webster, Fla; 15 grandchildren; one great-granddaughter and two more great-grandchildren on the way. She was preceded in death by her parents. Funeral services will take place March 2, at the Freight Depot in downtown Rock Springs. The viewing will be at 11 a.m. Services at noon, followed by a celebration of life at 2 p.m. Graveside services and interment will be conducted at 11 a.m. March 4, at the Pinedale Cemetery in Pinedale. The family of Margie Lee Smith respectfully suggests that donations in her memory be made to the Margie Lee Smith Memorial Fund, in care of Trona Valley Federal Credit Union, 2640 Foothill Blvd., Rock Springs, WY, 82901. Condolences may be left at http://www.vasefuneralhomes.com. If youve been wondering why theres been so much talk of budget negotiations in the Legislature this year a supposedly non-budget year youre not alone. During my 12 years of service in the House, I sensed that the most difficult aspect of state government for the general public to get a good grasp on was the state budget. The same was true for many legislators. Typical citizens perhaps know the Legislature meets annually. They may also realize every other year is a budget session. The 2019 session, as in all odd-numbered years, is referred to as a general session. As the names suggest, all matters within the purview of the Legislature are fair game within a general session, while budget sessions are primarily focused on building the states two-year income and spending plan. Or at least thats the idea. In practice legislators also spend considerable time debating and arguing budgetary matters during general sessions. The final product of that general session legislating is a supplementary budget not to be confused with the biennial budget produced in even-numbered year budget sessions. The biennial budget appropriates funds for two consecutive years of state government based on expectations of agency needs. But precise planning for such an extended window of time is extremely unlikely. A lot can and does change in two years, giving rise to the need for tweaks, changes and updates thus the supplemental budget. Early residents of Wyoming had it much simpler. For the first 81 years of statehood, a legislative session was called only once every two years to complete all legislative duties including general bills and the biennial budget. Except for a few special sessions, only two instances over these 81 years did the Legislature schedule a second session. In 1971, a joint resolution calling for a legislative session every year was enacted. A vote of the citizens ratified this resolution as an amendment to the Wyoming Constitution in 1972. Further language made it specific that the new second session of the two-year cycle be devoted to the biennial budget. The idea at that time was even-number year sessions prioritize budgeting nearly to the exclusion of all other matters. Specifically, Article 3 of the Constitution requires any non-budget bills receive a two-thirds majority introductory vote just to be considered in a budget session. Time, however, has proven this screening measure isnt very effective in preventing an excessive number of general bills from creeping into budget sessions. The result is often a lack of adequate time to prepare the budget. During the first two or three decades, the supplementary budget mirrored the intent of the 1972 constitutional change. Long-time retired legislators have shared their recollections that some supplementary budgets were often no more than $100,000 in those years. Compared to a biennium budget well over one $1 billion, typical supplementary budgets used to be very minimal. Thats no longer the case thanks to a number of structural changes in the Wyoming fiscal system. Revenues have become more volatile. Expenditures have evolved somewhat beyond the control of the Legislature. For example, court decisions concerning equity between school districts require uniform funding over the years. Similar factors have occurred with regard to health services and incarceration standards and in other areas. A review of the supplementary budgets since 2003 confirms lawmakers are now necessarily reacting to a more complex fiscal arena. Over these years the combined General Fund and school biennial budgets have ranged between approximately $3.7 billion to $4.9 billion. The relative scale of supplementary budgets have grown in that same time span, ranging all the way from $805 million in 2005 down to negative $206 million in 2017. The negative appropriation in 2017 reflects the very substantial reductions in mineral-related income witnessed in late 2015 and 2016. Because anticipated revenue fell so far from projections, the Legislature was forced to actually de-appropriate funding that was granted the previous year during the 2016 budget session. This de-appropriation would have even been $105 million higher if money from the rainy day account had not been used. The largest supplementary budget reflected in 2005 included about $150 million of appropriations into savings as well as appropriations for improved school salaries and a large increase in school construction allocations. Other supplementary budgets since 2003 were also quite large, but a significant amount of those appropriations merely directed excess funds to saving accounts. It is important to recognize the growing reliance on such off-year budget adjustments are driven largely by the increasing instability of revenue flows through time. For some years, high supplementary budgets can be traced to realized capital gains in various accounts. These gains show up in supplementary budgets as either appropriations to savings or to spending. They can be substantial some years. For example, in the case of the nearly $8 billion permanent Wyoming Mineral Trust fund, a capital gain of only three percentage points amounts to nearly $250 million. So how does this years impending supplementary budget compare? If the status of appropriation bills remain as they were at the end of last week, the supplementary budget will be approximately $160 million. However, this amount is subject to change depending on the final disposition of other bills that contain appropriations and on the separate capital construction appropriation that is sure to require conference committee negotiations. All things considered, thats pretty unremarkable compared to the extremes weve seen in the last two decades. Its important to consider Wyoming has seen several budgetary phases since statehood. In the first 80 years, there were no supplementary budgets because they only met once every two years. Agency budgets were administered under the assumption the appropriation needed to last two years. Next, for the two or three decades extending from 1972 when the Wyoming Legislature began meeting yearly, the opportunity for supplementary budgets became reality. However the dominant purpose of this exercise in these early years was to rectify the relatively minor unexpected budgetary needs that cropped up between budget sessions. In a few instances, limited funds were reallocated from agency to agency. This was the purpose envisioned by those who initiated the constitutional change. Now, it is apparent that over the last 20 years, were increasingly dependent upon supplementary budgets to keep state government operating smoothly primarily because of enormous revenue fluctuations. When revenue falls short of earlier forecasts, any available reserve funds need to be appropriated. In more extreme cases, supplementary budgets are needed to cut appropriated funds from the biennial budgets as we saw in 2017. In contrast, when revenues are higher than expected, supplementary budgets move the found money into savings accounts or appropriate them for other unmet state needs. Quite simply, the volatility of revenue coupled with the need for uniformity in delivering government services produces the need for supplementary budgets during general sessions in todays environment. Which begs the question: Is the biennial budgeting process still the best approach for Wyoming or is it an outdated relic of the pioneer days? It is hard to predict when, or even if, a new phase in budgeting will happen in Wyoming. It is apparent to some that perhaps the convenience of a biennial process has worn out its usefulness in Wyoming. During the first several years of statehood, a biennial budget made practical sense. Transportation was difficult. The ability for legislators to take time from their personal lives was also more challenging than now. These constraints have been eased over time. One potential solution is to phase out the biennial budgeting process. Interestingly, Speaker Steve Harshman (R-Casper) drafted a resolution this year, HJ6-Legislative sessions, that would have removed the distinction between general and budget sessions. The resolution also provided for the possibility of enacting a state budget annually as is practiced in the vast majority of the states. The resolution necessarily called for a citizen vote for amending language in the Constitution. The resolution passed handily in the House, but failed in the Senate. It is a new idea and will take some time for some to accept. But it is one that can be expected to arise in the future as long as Wyoming revenue streams remain volatile and undiversified. Michael Madden served 12 years in the Wyoming House as a Republican representative from Buffalo, including seven years as chairman of the House Revenue Committee. He is an economist and holds a doctorate in economics from Iowa State University. WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy. WASHINGTON - Something curious happened about 90 minutes into the Michael Cohen testimony which transfixed much of Washington Wednesday: a woman rose behind Congressman Mark Meadows as the North Carolina Republican grilled President Donald Trump's former fixer on his characterization of the president as a racist. The woman - sunglasses affixed to her head, white cape draped over her shoulders - was Lynne Patton, longtime Trump family aide and an official at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Most importantly, for the cameras, she is African-American. "I asked Lynne to come today in her personal capacity to actually shed some light," Meadows said. Cohen acknowledged his longtime friendship with Patton, saying that he was responsible for her joining the Trump Organization as well as for her current job as the HUD official overseeing New York and New Jersey. Meadows got to his point: "You made some very demeaning comments about the president that Ms. Patton doesn't agree with. In fact, it has to do with your claim of racism. She says that as a daughter of a man born in Birmingham, Alabama that there is no way that she would work for an individual who was racist. How do you reconcile the two of those?" "As neither should I, as the son of a Holocaust survivor," Cohen replied. Patton remained standing for less than a minute, before Meadow's chief of staff whispered to her to sit down "so the camera could see my face," Patton told The Washington Post. Patton, in an interview via text message during the hearing, said that she happened to be in Washington for HUD meetings when Meadows invited her late Tuesday night to attend the Cohen hearing as his "special guest." She would sit behind him, in the seats normally reserved for Congressional staffers. Meadows had seen an Instagram post by Patton, a prolific social media user, of an old photo of herself and Cohen, someone she considered "one of my very best friends for the past 10 + years - virtually inseparable during our tenure at the Trump Organization (and even before.)" Patton's lengthy post went on to say she was "sad to have wasted so much time and energy caring, supporting and loving" Cohen and refuted his "unsubstantiated claims" of "bigotry and racism" against Trump. "As the daughter of a man born in Birmingham, Alabama, there is no amount of money in the world that would make me work for a man who I thought harbored bigoted or racist ideologies," she wrote Tuesday. During Trump's presidential campaign, Patton had released a personal 5-minute video countering charges that her boss's immigration platform was aligned with racist, hate mongering groups. Cohen, in his opening testimony, had called Trump a racist. "The country has seen Mr. Trump court white supremacists and bigots. You have heard him call poorer countries 'shitholes.' In private, he is even worse," Cohen said. "He once asked me if I could name a country run by a black person that wasn't a 'shithole.' This was when Barack Obama was President of the United States. While we were once driving through a struggling neighborhood in Chicago, he commented that only black people could live that way. And, he told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid." Cohen later told Meadows to ask Patton "how many people who are black are executives at the Trump organization, and the answer is zero." Patton's unusual appearance during the hearing was immediately panned by black politicians and journalists. "So . . . you bring out the president's black employee. And say, see, how could he be racist? This is something," tweeted Lena Tillett, a reporter at WRAL in Raleigh. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Mich., said during the hearing that she, as a black person, has "endured the public comments of racism from the sitting president." "To prop up one member of our entire race of black people and say that that nullifies that is totally insulting," Lawrence said. "He brought out a black woman who is loyal to President Trump to prove that President Trump is not racist," tweeted Yamiche Alcindor, White House correspondent for PBS NewsHour. "It was like show and tell. Incredible." Patton dismissed criticism that she's being used because of her race. "Everyone keeps spinning it as 'tokenism' but in my mind, it's just two people who know the President well and disagree," she said. "Just one person's word against another." Patton's appearance during the hearing confused HUD employees, who were expecting her to show up to work Wednesday. Patton said she took an official leave and will partially reimburse the government for her travel costs. She interrupted her highly publicized month-long stay in New York public housing complexes to be in Washington this week. Her stay, chronicled by the New York media as well as Patton herself, is supposed to highlight the troubled condition -- mold, rodents, lead, lack of heat and hot water -- of low-income apartments run by the nation's largest housing authority. Already Patton has been rescued from a stuck elevator and fielded a call from Trump angry about what she characterized as "the inhumane conditions of his fellow New Yorkers." Patton, who revels in the limelight, has drawn criticism for her quick rise in the administration, culminating in a $160,000-a-year post despite having no housing expertise. She's also made tabloid headlines for public spats, including with Omarosa Manigault Newman, former reality TV star and White House staffer who called Trump a racist after she was fired. Patton, in her Tuesday Instagram post, wrote, "The bottom line is that, much like Omarosa Manigault Newman, it does not take someone 15 years to figure out someone is a racist. Unless, of course, they're not one." STAMFORD Chemicals and minerals maker Tronox reported this week growing returns for the past year, as it presses on with its protracted efforts to close the $1.7 billion acquisition of the titanium dioxide business of Saudi Arabian firm Cristal. For all of 2018, Stamford-based Tronox finished with about $1.8 billion in sales, up 7 percent over 2017. The company incurred a $7 million loss for the year, which reflected expenses of the same amount tied to the Cristal deal. Tronox officials said they are aiming for the Federal Trade Commissions approval of the Cristal transaction by the end of March. The FTC last year sued to block the purchase, arguing that it would reduce competition in the titanium dioxide market. Originally announced in February 2017, the deal focuses on a white pigment used in products, including paint, industrial coatings, plastic and paper. To help secure the FTCs backing, Tronox is proposing to sell Cristals titanium dioxide plant in Ashtabula, Ohio its largest such facility and one that accounts for 30 percent of its total production. The buyer wold be London-based chemicals firm INEOS Enterprises. Tronox had previously explored a sale of the Ohio property, for a possible price between $900 million and $1.1 billion, to titanium dioxide manufacturer Venator Materials. But the two firms could not agree to terms. Venator was also the buyer of Tronoxs Rotterdam, Netherlands-supplied paper-laminate line. That deal was completed earlier this year to secure the European Commissions support of the titanium dioxide acquisition. In addition to the ECs support, Tronox has received regulatory approvals in Australia, China, New Zealand, Turkey, South Korea, Colombia and Saudi Arabia. But securing FTC approval has proved much more challenging. The American context is very different where the two firms (Tronox and Cristal) are very major competitors, given the FTCs definition of the product and geographic market and the long history of (industrywide) tacit or express price fixing, Peter Carstensen, a professor emeritus of law at the University of Wisconsin, said in a recent interview. Tronox shares closed Thursday at $11.83, down 1.6 percent from their Wednesday finish. pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; Twitter: @paulschott John Simon, the legendary record producer, is a musician first. For much of the year, he plays a standing Thursday night gig at a restaurant near his Ulster County, N.Y., home. As a piano player I keep wanting to get better, Simon, 77, says. I do the Great American Songbook Gershwin, Cole Porter. Its a seemingly odd repertoire for someone with Simons rock n roll bona fides. Onstage, hes roughly 40 miles from the salmon-hued home upstate where, more than 50 years ago, he produced the Bands debut album, Music from the Big Pink, one of the genres most influential pieces of music, made in an era on which Simon had a profound impact. Simon also worked with Janis Joplin; Leonard Cohen; Simon & Garfunkel; Mama Cass; Blood, Sweat & Tears and Gordon Lightfoot. And yet, he speaks measuredly about his experience acknowledging the excitement of others about his collaborators while not quite matching their enthusiasm. Im not a big fan of rock n roll, the Norwalk native says, via telephone from a Florida beach, where he spends winters escaping the cold. I appreciate it, but its not what I go to. Jazz and international music Brazilian, in particular are more Simons taste. But although the music he helped create does not often play on his home speakers, the experiences he had making it loom large in his mind. Many are recounted in Truth, Lies & Hearsay: A Memoir of a Musical Life In and Out of Rock And Roll, published in September. Im generally not a self-promoting person, says Simon. But Ive had this life with all these interesting people. Friends and family have been saying, You ought to write a book. I said, Well, Ill give it a shot. As I did, more things came to mind and it got to be fun. The book begins with his childhood in Connecticut. Simons father was a physician at Norwalk Hospital a plaque still hangs honoring him as the hospitals first intern as well as a violinist who co-founded the Norwalk Symphony. Simon began classical piano lessons at 4, but was predisposed to jazz. He changed instructors and learned stride piano, boogie-woogie and how to read a lead sheet. At Norwalk High School he was a marching band leader and formed his own trio, The Blue Knights. He studied music at Princeton University and, upon graduation, was recruited to Columbia Records as a producer-in-training a career path that proved not entirely fulfilling. All my life Ive been a creative person, writing my own songs. Producing all these famous acts was a day job for me, Simon says. It was frustrating sometimes to be working on other peoples stuff. Because of Simons musicianship, he was mostly an arranger. For some artists, like Cohen, his responsibility was primarily to facilitate the artists goals. For others, the job was partly that of a wrangler. A lot of kids were thrown into the studio who really didnt have it together. The job of a rock n roll producer was to educate them a little bit. It was a much more hands-on thing, it required a lot more specific help. That was appealing to me, Simon says. One studio photograph from the period shows Simon seated next to Joplin. Simons hand is frozen in a throwing motion, a paper airplane suspended over his head, and Joplin is smiling, smoking a cigarette and balancing a bottle of Southern Comfort on her leg. Janis used to coat her outside with patchouli oil and her inside with Southern Comfort, Simon says. But she was the boss. In addition to those musicians he worked with personally, Simon writes about his interactions with other legends, including Bob Dylan, the Beatles and Elizabeth Taylor. He recounts his post-production years, scoring ballets for the choreographer Twyla Tharp, touring with the blues musician Taj Mahal and releasing eight solo albums, often featuring sparse arrangements highlighting Simons songwriting and piano playing. And on many Thursday nights, hes playing the joint upstate an eminent musician collecting his next experience and finding new sounds. I just like notes. I love the way notes relate to each other and what comes out of it. You can take a chord on the guitar and move one finger, one string, one fret, and the chord changes its character completely. It changes the listeners response and it can influence hoards of people. You can create anthems that motivate people, or move people to compassion or warmth, Simon says. Thats where my passion is. Justin Papp is a staff writer. Email: justin.papp@scni.com; Twitter: @justinjpapp1 GREENWICH In the early 1900s, Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes had a vision. An architect from a wealthy old New York family, as well as social reformer who sought to improve housing conditions for the poor, Stokes saw the landscape around Round Hill Road in Greenwich as an ideal location for gracious homes and the epitome of country life. Stokes bought the original W. A. Husted farm in backcountry Greenwich, then contracted with the Olmsted Brothers landscape design firm to create the layout for a residential development that came to be known as Khakum Wood. The firm was founded by the co-designer of Central Park, Frederick Law Olmsted, and maintained his design concepts. For the first house in the development, at 76 Khakum Wood Road, architect Julius Gregory created a model home in 1928, which was intended to show off the gently rolling woodlands centered around a lake. Fashioned in the Tudor style, the house was a called a trendsetter at the time, and was featured in the pages of a 1930 edition of Country Life magazine. It was heralded as the height of stylish accommodations in a rural setting. The house is significant to the local heritage. Both the house and the entire district of Khakum Wood are significant to the history of Greenwich, the Greenwich Historical Society wrote of the residence when it was given a plaque for historical significance in 2006. The house has been well preserved by its current owner, Paula Timmerman, who recently put it on the market. Throughout the interior, original detailing, including slate flooring, carved stone fireplaces, paneling and intricate brass window and door hardware are intact, the historical society wrote when it profiled the home. The views are impressive from virtually every corner of the residence. The Olmsted firm accentuated the views of natural rock outcroppings and circular roadways. The site was planted with mountain laurel, dogwood, azaleas and evergreens, with the lake as the centerpiece of the development, another Olmsted touch. Visitors to the house say they would happily wash dishes in the pantry of the home, which has a stunning view of the lake, said the agent for the property, Sabine Schoenberg. The house was designed so that every room has a view of the lake, said Schoenberg. It was designed to show what life in the country was all about. ... And nothings been changed. Good design lasts through the ages. The house exudes a certain 1920s-era glamour, including dormer windows, hand-hewn timber trim, a dramatic staircase lined with oak and a cozy library. There are also some eccentricities, such as the installation of 15 bathrooms, an oddity that no one seems able to explain. One of the most glamorous pools in Greenwich is also on the property. Built on a stone foundation and lined with local flagstones, it looks like the pool where Jay Gatsby may have swam his final lap. Theres also a little guest cottage adjoining the home, ideal for visitors or live-in help. Schoenberg and other residents of the Khakum Wood association are hoping a buyer steps forward who will cherish the homes unique history. Were hoping its a trendsetter for the next 100 years, she said. The $6.595 million listing is being handled through PrimeSitesCT. GREENWICH When Interim Superintendent Ralph Mayo walked into his new office last July 15, his chief operating officer told him point-blank that the school district has few systems in place to manage capital projects. That was because earlier that month, members of the towns finance department discovered that work had started to replace the roof at Julian Curtiss School without the funding in place to pay for it. An interim appropriation for $617,000 was rushed through the Board of Education, the Board of Estimate and Taxation and the Representative Town Meeting. As the request made its way through the process, town officials asked how such a misstep could have occurred. Together, the BOE and the BET asked blumshapiro, a consulting firm, to investigate how the district manages maintenance work and capital projects. The boards got their answer Tuesday night. The school district has no policies outlining to staff how to open, manage and close projects; no checklists to hold them accountable; no software to keep track of progress; and little understanding of their financial management software, MUNIS, the consultants said. We had hoped to see policies, procedures and a protocol manual, blumshapiro partner Jeff Ziplow said. That does not exist. The way things are tracked right now manual notebooks, Excel spreadsheets there is nothing centralized. There is no consistency across all projects. There are no governing standards in place. Ziplow said other town departments also lack procedures and software knowledge, and he told board members the current staff is not to blame. You have a team before you that inherited these problems, he said. Ziplow explained to school and finance officials what Chief Operating Officer Lorianne ODonnell sees every day. At the close of the meeting, she said she was eager to fix the problems so that the town does not have to worry about missing roofs and unpaid contractors. We have a long way to come, ODonnell said. I would like to get started immediately. Bungled bundling The root of the problem at Julian Curtiss was that the project was lumped with other roof projects. The initial cost of the project was too high, so staff split the project into two phases, appropriated enough money for the first phase and banked on finishing other roofing projects under budget so money could be internally transferred to cover the second phase. But that money was not sufficient, and because all the subprojects were filed under one project, the staff did not know the funds had not been secured for phase two. I think bundling is OK, but I think we need to put better standards in place to track the bundling, Ziplow said. Ultimately, we need to understand the impact on transfers. We need to be deliberate and transparent. This needs to be disseminated within the BOE, the BET and the RTM. Shallow use of technology Ziplow and his partner Lindsey Donato interviewed 20 people, and he said no one was 95 percent sure how to use MUNIS, the financial management system in place. MUNIS has a more robust project management solution than what youre using right now. You have a module, but youre just scratching the surface as to what you can do, he said. Lets get them up to speed. The software company provides free educational programs, which he said will improve the efficiency of the current staff enough to postpone the need to hire a project manager which Ziplow recommended would supplement the recent hiring of Eric Haaga in the short-term. The school board should not have sole responsibility to oversee MUNIS training, and any financing that may require, BET member Michael Mason said. Why would we not want to have this training for the whole town? he asked. First steps ODonnell said the responsibility of reforming the departments processes falls to three administrators: herself, the Director of Facilities Dan Watson and a Elisa Gonzalez, a part-time administrator who also provides IT support for the phone system in the district. The firm recommended the district hire a consultant to help implement some initial changes, such as writing policies and documenting projects that are underway. The estimated cost would be $25,000. The boards do not have much time to decide on a consultant, BET Chair Jill Oberlander reminded the room. We are in the midst of our budget process, Oberlander said. If there are additional requests for the fiscal year 2020 budget, the BET would need to receive it as soon as possible. With the staffing headcount finalized and the administration onboarding superintendent Toni Jones, of Fairfield Public Schools, the district needs a plan, school board chair Peter Bernstein said. What I dont want to end up doing is saying, Were not ready, he said. We need to keep moving. We need to get an outside consultant to help develop policies, procedures and protocols. ... If you want to start quickly, thats what you need to do. jo.kroeker@hearstmediact.com WASHINGTON Michael Cohens day-long testimony Wednesday on Capitol Hill had riveting moments, maybe the most explosive finger-pointing at a sitting president since John Dean uttered the famous words about cancer growing on the presidency at the Watergate hearings of 1973. But on Thursday, it will be the House intelligence committees turn to question Cohen this time behind closed doors. One of the questioners will be Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn. At my request, I got a late-afternoon phone call from Himes to ask whether any of the many bombs Cohen dropped over the Trump White House on Wednesday will inform his questioning on Thursday. It was obviously quite a show, he said, he of the Cohen Q&A before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The testimony definitely will guide us. House intel will focus on the Russia-collusion side of the equation, unlike the oversight committee, which on Wednesday focused more on pre-election payments to two women claiming affairs with Trump. (Cohen had canceled checks, so lots of smoking gun right there.) But Cohen also testified about Trump operative Roger Stone informing the Republican nominee in advance that Wikileaks was about to dump hacked DNC emails that would damage Hillary Clinton. That will be high on the list of things we ask about, Himes said. So where are things headed in terms of President Donald Trump and the collusion that he categorically denies? What are the range of possibilities? The best-case scenario is the president inappropriately conducted personal business (in Russia) while running for president, Himes said, referring to Trump misstatements about the timeline of negotiations with Russia to build a tower in Moscow. At a minimum, thats beyond the pale of previous presidents. Or what about dismissed FBI official Andrew McCabes suggestion the bureau considered investigating Trump as a pawn of Russian President Vladimir Putin? Himes half-laughed, not wanting to go there. But the president has bizarrely acted in the interest of Putin for a long time, Himes said, citing Trumps defense of Putin against conclusions of U.S. intelligence that Putin directed online interference in the 2016 election, and efforts to soften Ukraine-related language in the 2016 GOP platform. So how do you say stay tuned in Russian? ================= JAHANA HAYES, UNVARNISHED When Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., approached Teacher-of-the-Year Jahana Hayes last year about running for the House seat soon to be vacated by Rep. Elizabeth Esty, her response was: Absolutely not. I dont know how to raise the money. I dont even know what running would look like. That and other revelations are part of a Rolling Stone interview with Hayes on her improbable road to Congress. Eventually Hayes accepted the challenge and hit the road to parlay her teaching success in Waterbury into a House seat. But to get there, she had to overcome a fair number of inner and outer demons some of which she details in the interview. Hayes has talked before about her difficult upbringing in Waterbury public housing, an up-by-the-bootstraps tale that is by turns saddening and redeeming. But unlike most of her House colleagues, Hayes is able to make a connection between the liberal social programs she supports in health care, education and other areas, and her own life story. Her mother was a drug addict and Hayes remembers coming home in sixth-grade to see authorities piling their furniture outside after eviction. The funny thing is, my mom was a really good mom until she was not, so I understand the thief that is addiction, she said. Her pregnancy at age 16 was no big deal to her or any of her neighborhood friends. It wasnt until I left my neighborhood that I realized its a big deal, she said. Gun violence was commonplace in her youth. Once, she said, there was a shooting in the common area of our building and someone got killed. The next morning, I remember my grandmother pouring water and sweeping the blood out so that we could play there. With a lot of help, she managed to finish school and start a career that led to teaching history at John F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury and the 2016 Teacher-of-the-year award. The up-by-the-bootstraps narrative may apply to her, but she finds it irksome nonetheless. You cannot pull yourself up by the bootstraps if you do not have any boots, she said in the interview. That creates this idea that `all you have to do is work harder, almost like its your fault. And thats not always true. dan@hearstdc.com GREENWICH A proposed northwest fire station will be one of the top items on the agenda as a month of hearings comes to a head and the Board of Estimate and Taxations Budget Committee takes its votes Friday on the 2018-19 municipal budget. The budget, as proposed last month by First Selectman Peter Tesei, currently totals $442.3 million. The four-member Budget Committee will hold votes throughout Friday, and into Monday if necessary, on the budgets for every town department as well as all capital and operating allocations. But the committees votes will not be the final word; they are only recommendations to the full BET, which will vote on the budget March 28. The Budget Committee can vote to recommend the elimination of a project, changes in it or adding to it. The committee can also recommend to place conditions on budget items which would require the town to meet certain requirements before money could be spent. Several major capital projects will be considered Friday, including work on Greenwich High Schools Cardinal Stadium, a new municipal ice rink in Byram, development of a new Eastern Greenwich Civic Center and a possible new fire station for Northwest Greenwich. The Budget Committee has discussed the fire station twice, most recently on Monday, when Tesei and Fire Chief Peter Siecienski pushed for the project, calling it a life safety issue and citing concerns about emergency response times in that corner of town. The budget proposal includes $100,000 to evaluate possible sites for the fire station, which would serve both the Greenwich Fire Department and Greenwich Emergency Medical Services. On Friday, Budget Committee member Michael Mason indicated he was willing to support the allocation but added a wrinkle. I still see a lack of continuity in all the presentations we have gotten about the fire station, Mason said. I voted against a fire study years ago because I thought we had studied it to death. ... I think we can do two things. I think I can support the $100,000 to look at the properties and at the same time we can do an outside look at fire coverage. It may take a third party to wrap our minds around this. During a break in Wednesdays budget meeting, Mason said the towns finance department could pay for a study of fire coverage; he is also looking to do studies of cybersecurity for the town and capital management for school projects. When this goes before the RTM, I want to make sure it has all the tools to approve what could be a multistep project here, Mason said. Weve heard that response time answer change depending on whats asked. Is response time measured by when the first engine arrives? Or is it when theres four firefighters on scene? We need every tool now to make progress on this. Explaining that he was not looking for a delay, Mason said the study could be done simultaneously with the evaluation of potential sites. Under the current plan, the $100,000, if approved, would be spent during the 2019-20 fiscal year, leading to a location for a new station. Architecture and engineering work would be in the 2020-21 fiscal year. The construction, at a projected cost of $5.4 million, would be in 2021-22. But the fire station project has failed to get both BET and Representative Town Meeting support in the past. The RTM voted down funding for a station in 2016 and rejected a study of town fire coverage in 2017. But after a fire destroyed a home in Northwest Greenwich last summer, the RTMs District 10, which covers that area, was able to successfully pass a sense of the meeting resolution, which called for the project to be reconsidered to get the station into the 2019-20 budget. Mason, a Republican candidate for first selectman, said he was trying to be responsive to the sense of the meeting resolution. However, BET Budget Committee member Jeff Ramer, one of the boards more vocal proponents of the Northwest fire station, said he was not looking to support another study when the vote was taken on Friday. I dont think we need a study, Ramer said. I think we know the facts very well. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com GREENWICH Greenwich students with an eye on a future in the law have a chance to catch the eye of the Fairfield County Bar Association by showing how off their creativity. The local bar association is accepting entries for its annual Law Day Art and Essay contest. The contest is open to public and private school students throughout Fairfield County. Students in kindergarten through 12th grade are eligible to enter. Submissions must center around the theme Free speech, free press, free society. Students can create an original essay or artwork that expresses their interpretation of the meaning of this theme. The topic was chosen because a full discussion can be held around it, bar association member Lauren Mashe said. These topics are discussed regularly and litigated often, Mashe said. This theme raises many questions. Should all speech be free? Should speech or the press ever be constrained? Can we have a free society without free speech and free press? Mashe noted how Thomas Jefferson once said, Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost. The Law Day theme give students an opportunity to explore those individual liberties and research their history while contemplating their future. The artwork can be in the medium of the students choice. All the entries must be received by April 5. The winning entries will be displayed at Superior Court in Stamford. The winners and their families will be invited to a ceremony at the court to mark Law Day, which is held May 1 across the country. The contest will allow local students to explore the issues and express themselves in unique ways, Mashe said. She also said it would provide an exciting opportunity for the students to get a look at and learn about the court system. For many, this is their first exposure to the courts and they have the unique opportunity to meet a judge which may spark an interest in continuing to learn about the law and the judicial system, Mashe said. More information on the contest is available at www.americanbar.org, including further discussion about the theme that organizers said can help inspire students. For more information, call Lauren Mashe at 203-357-1330. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com GREENWICH Members of the Korean Club brought a sample of South Korean music and dance to the student center at Greenwich High School on Thursday morning with a lively and energetic K-pop dance routine. GHS freshmen Esther Sha, Alicia Tang, Sophia Huaman, and Phebe Fabacher performed under the name Carbon Dioxide Crush for event, which was part of Diversity Awareness Week at GHS. GREENWICH Coastal communities must start acting to prepare for a coming rise in sea levels, or Long Island Sound will cause significant infrastructure damage in the decades ahead. That is the message Patricia Sesto is urging residents and officials to accept. Citing data supplied by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the town director of Environmental Affairs warns that climate change could cause seas levels along the states shoreline to rise drastically by 2050, putting coastal communities such as Greenwich at risk. This is very important, Sesto sad. It would be a shame to sit back and wait. Its much harder to fix something after the fact than do it as a pre-emptive effort. Government and residents need to change their thinking, she said. The Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation, a joint effort of the University of Connecticut and state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, is calling on coastal communities to plan for a rise in the Sound of 20 inches over the next 30 years. The institute is not predicting the Sound actually will rise by that amount, but it is among the possibilities based on a range of factors in a report CIRCA Executive Director James ODonnell presented to the Legislatures Environment Committee. Its on the upper end of the likely range, ODonnell said. Sesto recalled strong opposition from residents last year that helped scuttle a Department of Public Works proposal to raise Sound Beach Avenue in front of the Perrot Memorial Library. The DPW said the project was needed to deal with flooding, but residents spoke out so strongly against it that the project was shelved for redesigns. The public isnt embracing whats coming, Sesto said. This is a concept that many towns struggle with dedicating a good amount of money to. As for Sound Beach Avenue, thats an important road to access a lot of residents and its needed for emergency services and yet they said they didnt like the way it was going to look, she said. Public Works Commissioner Amy Siebert said another part of the project that focuses on the Sound Beach Avenue bridge will proceed alone, with a completion goal of the 2021-22 fiscal year. Greenwich has already made some preparations for an increase in flooding, such as elevating pump stations on Heusted Drive and Ballwood Road, she said, and taken steps to address flooding vulnerability at Grass Island. Determining what infrastructure should be addressed and when is all part of long-term capital planning, Siebert said. It is also important for property owners to be self-aware of their circumstances and their relation to the shore and sea level rise. Post-Superstorm Sandy, federal agencies including HUD and FEMA focused on protecting housing on the coasts. The emphasis now has to be on infrastructure, town Emergency Management Director Dan Warzoha said. We need to harden our infrastructure in case of what could happen if we get a lot more flooding, Warzoha said, pointing to protection of the wastewater management facility at Grass Island as a priority. He praised the work on the pump stations but said more has to be done to protect the towns nuts and bolts infrastructure, which would require allocation of more resources from the town, state and federal governments. The biggest area of concern is low-lying Old Greenwich. Other areas of town see flooding, including Byram, but those problems are largely driven by storms. The bigger danger posed by a rising sea level is frequent, even permanent, saturation, not just flooding after a storm. The most immediate goal, Sesto said, is to fully understand the potential effects of the anticipated rise in sea level on the towns infrastructure and tidal ponds. Areas that flood occasionally are going to flood more often, she said. We need to have an understanding of what roads will be impacted by that, and how is our storm and sewer water management impacted, and what it will mean for our fire stations and pump houses and lower elevation structures. Town government approved $75,000 for a study to support a climate change strategy last year; an additional $75,000 has been proposed for a second study as part of the 2019-20 municipal budget. The first study will look at what the projected rise in sea level will mean for town infrastructure. The second will examine the effect on tidal ponds, including Binney Pond, Bruce Park Pond, Mill Pond and Eagle Pond at Greenwich Point. Look at Binney Pond. Thats a freshwater system that occasionally has saltwater intrusions during real high tides, Sesto said. If you add sea level rise to that, wheres the tipping point where its no longer a freshwater system and its going to transition into a brackish or saltwater system? How do we retain the aesthetics of our parks? Our use of our parks? Are we going to be more vulnerable to invasive species and that means aquatic invasives as well as plants? The two studies will be done together so both $75,000 allocations have to be passed before the work can commence. Sesto said she is optimistic the Board of Estimate and Taxation will approve the pond study; its chair, Jill Oberlander, said the issue is a priority. It is important for the town to plan and prepare for future conditions, such as the impact of climate change, Oberlander said. In making budget decisions, the BET considers the concerns of the residents. We encourage the interested public to communicate their viewpoints to us. First Selectman Peter Tesei, who put the allocations in the proposed budget, is not running for a new term but said he hopes future leaders will continue to prepare for the effects of climate change. The towns resiliency and preparation to deal with rising sea levels is evidenced by the work that has been done since superstorms Irene and Sandy, Tesei said. It is my hope that the next administration will continue that work with appropriate financial commitments needed to effectuate protection of the towns assets. What comes after those studies could be the tricky part. Sesto noted they are just the first step and the cheap step. She said she hopes the results of the studies change attitudes such as the ones that stopped the Sound Beach project, and help people realize what needs to be done to protect the future of the town. I cant predict what the costs are going to be, thats part of what the study is going to do, Sesto said. We have to look at what the issues are and suggest actions to minimize or alleviate the stress on our infrastructure. For sure there will be things we just cant fix. Were not raising all the roads. Were not raising all of the storm drainage. The report will help people assess how all of this will affect them. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com / GPD GREENWICH A suspected burglar who came to the Byram section of Greenwich in 2016 found that law-enforcement has a long memory. Darren Simpson, 53, of Hudson Street, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., was accused of breaking into a business on North Water Street on the night of Oct. 18, 2016. After forcing entry, according to police, Simpson pried open a cash register and took the money. NORWALK State engineers are thinking outside of the box to solve traffic congestion issues at the Interstate 95 interchange in East Norwalk and their solution is a diamond. The state Department of Transportation is considering an innovative road design for the Donald F. Reid Memorial Bridge, the home of the Exit 16 interchange, called the diverging diamond. The diverging diamond interchangewould involve both directions of traffic briefly crossing over to the opposite side of the road between the on- and off-ramps. It requires traffic on East Avenue to briefly drive on the opposite side of the road from what is customary, DOT spokesman Judd Everhart said. Traffic lights would control the junctures on East Avenue where traffic switches sides, Everhart added. The proposed design would eliminate the need for drivers to cross oncoming traffic, theoretically resulting in less bottlenecking at the intersection. The change would also decrease the amount of dangerous T-bone accidents and limit time spent at traffic lights, according to Matthew Vail, a principal engineer of state highway design for the DOT. Its kind of an ingenious intersection that changes things up and redirects traffic patterns to allow less phasing for traffic signals, so there are less turn maneuvers that have to cross traffic and cars need to stop to let them go. This changes how that operates and its more efficient, Vail said. Diverging diamond interchanges first became popular in France during the 1970s and, since the early 2000s, have begun to catch on in American heartland. While common in the Midwest, Norwalks would be the first such road in Connecticut, if approved. The plan to institute the new design, however, is still in the conceptual phase. Norwalk officials were receptive when the idea was first introduced in 2018, according to Lisa Burns, the principal engineer for the citys Department of Public Works. The citys position on the DDI (diverging diamond interchange) could change should the public come out and say its not something they want, but it certainly does seem to have a lot of advantages, Burns said. One problem the design could face, according to Everhart, is two nearby side streets Olmstead Place and Hendricks Avenue. We are in the process of performing detailed capacity analysis to see if it will operate as efficiently as expected given the close proximity of the Olmstead Place and Hendricks Ave intersections, Everhart said. In the event the location is found to be incompatible with the design, the DOT would consider alternative solutions to alleviate the congestion. If we dont have this as a solution, then were back to widening the bridge for left-turn lanes and doing more conventional intersection improvements to try and get the traffic signals to work a little better, Vail said. The concept was scheduled for an information session last summer, but it was canceled as the state collected more data. The city hopes to reschedule the session for this spring or summer, Burns said. There will be a bid for freedom this spring by a Northern Kentucky man who killed his whole family in 1994. Clay Shrout, who is now 41, is scheduled for his first parole hearing next month. A quarter-century ago, he pleaded guilty but mentally ill to four murders. On May 26, 1994, Shrout -- who was 17 at the time -- held classmates hostage for about 30 minutes after killing his mother, father and sisters in their home. "First thing he said to me was, 'I've had a bad day today,'" recalled Jeff Martin, a retired police captain who was the second officer to arrive at Ryle High School that day. "So I said 'Oh, yeah?' And he said, 'Yeah, I've killed my whole family.'" Martin related how he arrived at the school that morning right behind Pete Schierloh, who had heard the call "student in class with a gun." He was right around the corner at the time. Schierloh explained how he saw Assistant Principal Steve Sorrell snatch a gun from Shrout's hand. Schierloh said the door to the classroom was open as he walked by it toward a group of administrators in the hallway. He doubled back to the door with his gun drawn and saw Shrout sitting in the teacher's chair and Sorrell sitting on the desk. Students who had been held in the class for about 30 minutes were no longer there. Sorrell had substituted himself for them as a hostage. Schierloh had barked, "Hand over that gun right now." It was only years later that Schierloh learned Sorrell never heard him, never even knew Schierloh was there. He was intensely focused on getting the weapon away from Shrout. "Mr. Sorrell was able to talk to him and able to get the kids out of the classroom," explained Martin. "Amazing the bravery that he showed trying to get the gun," a Colt Mustang .380. Schierloh recalled handcuffing Shrout and taking note that the gun looked like it had been freshly fired. "You could have knocked me over with a feather," said Schierloh when Shrout stated in a matter-of-fact fashion that he had killed his family. The investigation found the first time Shrout pulled the trigger, the chamber was empty. So, he went into a bathroom, checked the gun and loaded it a second time. Police said he shot his father, Harvey, then his mother, Rebecca. He shot his sisters, Kristen and Lauren, then returned to shoot his father a second time because he was not yet dead. According to those who interrogated him, Shrout told the whole story in exacting detail all the way through, twice. His lead attorney, Ed Drennen, submitted psychiatric records to try to substantiate the contention that Shrout was mentally ill. Those records were ordered sealed by the court. An effort to reach Drennen for comment Wednesday was not successful. Shrout is held at the Kentucky State Penitentiary. A quarter-century later, the motivation for the crimes he admitted to continues to haunt. "He had been found with a stun gun a couple of weeks prior to this at the school and was being disciplined for that and he was upset about that," Martin said. Shrout's parents had taken his driving privileges away. Police said Shrout set his alarm the night before so that he would have enough time to get his father's gun out of the glove box and execute his family. "The reason he said he killed his sisters is that he didn't want them to grow up without parents," said Martin. "He was 17 at the time. He was an extremely intelligent kid. His IQ was 161. I think he, he felt somewhat inadequate. He wanted to compensate by his slight nerdiness by wearing black and carrying death stars, his nunchucks and that kind of thing. And I think that is probably what led up to him doing what he did." Martin has written to the parole board objecting to any consideration of releasing Shrout. Schierloh indicated he was in the process of doing the same. Both said they are convinced that Shrout would likely be violent again if released. Almost a third of American adults are engaging in some form of gig work, according to recent Federal Reserve stats. This includes everything from freelance accounting to driving for Uber. While many gig workers serve people directly by delivering food or providing transportation, an increasing number of freelancers target their services toward businesses. Companies are outsourcing work at historic rates, and independent contractors have the skills, experience and availability to meet any company need at the drop of a hat. Its a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, working with freelancers isnt always straightforward. Some business owners expect freelancers to jump in and fix their problems immediately, but they fail to provide the context, information and documentation necessary to facilitate such improvements. To make the most of freelancer agreements, business leaders must provide their contract workers with the resources they need and the respect they deserve. Busting the freelancers aren't meeting company expectations myth. In my experience, the myth that freelancers don't meet companies' expectations is only prevalent in companies that haven't yet given freelancers a shot. Freelancers essentially run their own businesses, and those businesses rely on repeat clients. That means freelancers tend to strive to do their very best work in order to maintain relationships with clients. To maximize this potential, though, there are a few things to understand from the start. Too often, freelancers take the blame for not meeting expectations. In reality, companies and employers can take action to bust this myth. Related: 6 Tips for Getting the Most Value From Your Freelancer It's critical to have a complete process during which employers and freelancers can set expectations and exchange information before working together. Business owners who assume that freelancers understand their unique needs force those freelancers to make assumptions of their own, many of which might not be accurate. Gathering the necessary data to make the most of a freelancers work might seem inconvenient now, but the better the foundation, the better the results. Some business owners claim to have solved the problem by giving freelancers access to information. However, having access to something is not the same as actually possessing it. Freelancers dont know the context or history of the company or its operations -- thats why they need their clients to be as specific as possible during the beginning stages of the relationship. Communication expectations can put a damper on freelancer relations, too. Some companies want daily updates. Others dont want to hear about a project until its complete. Different communication frequencies are to be expected, but companies must communicate those preferences if they want to be good partners. Freelancers are not mind readers. Communication rules also include the format. Should freelancers email progress reports? Plan for weekly calls? Message in Slack? In a study from The Economist, 34 percent of respondents named unclear responsibilities as a cause of poor communication. Clearer expectations lead to better results. The idea that a person who needs information should find it alone doesn't hold water when freelancers join the team. Related: 5 Ways to Effectively Communicate With Employees Its not them. Its you. Sadly, many companies dont even know what they need from their contract workers. By asking freelancers to discover both the need and the solution, businesses frustrate these workers and hamstring potential gains. HR and legal departments often throw unnecessary wrenches into the works, too. These functions exist to protect businesses, but that responsibility can blind them to the potential benefits of partnerships. In a freelance economy, where speed is of the essence, bottlenecks can cause communication breakdowns and pushed -- or even missed -- deadlines. Don't spend too much time finalizing contracts or making freelancers jump through hoops before projects can begin. These departments know that freelancers are the future, though. Research from PwC found that 46 percent of HR professionals expect the workforces at their companies to be made up of at least 20 percent freelancers or temp workers by 2022. If companies want to be ready for the future, they must reevaluate what it means to work with outside talent. Take these four steps to make the most of freelancer partnerships: 1. Give the right people a heads up. When freelancers will soon be joining the team, notify all the people who might need to work with them both in person and in writing. Dynamic Signal found that 33 percent of workers have considered quitting because of poor communication. Talk about upcoming partnerships to reduce that concern. Clearly communicate why the company needs freelancers, how internal employees should expect to collaborate with them and what the desired outcome of projects should be. This eliminates countless hours that would otherwise be wasted on misunderstandings and duplicated efforts. 2. Host a kickoff meeting with all stakeholders. Emails arent enough. Hold an initial meeting dedicated solely to the establishment of communication preferences, logistics and expectations. This shows all parties the importance of communication and forces stakeholders to talk through their needs. One of our freelancers suggested holding this short meeting separately to ensure we weren't trying to squeeze it in at the end of a strategy session, and it has revolutionized our efficiency when working with outside parties. And we're not alone in this experience. Research from Vanessa Bohns and Mahdi Roghanizad, discussed in Harvard Business Review, found that in-person communication is 34 times more successful than email. And if your team is distributed across the globe, Chess.com co-founder Erik Allebest has discovered that introducing freelancers to the team via video chat is integral to fostering connections among team members. 3. Prepare a road map to gather information. Ask freelancers about what kind of information they will need, and then connect them with the names and contact information of the people who can provide it. A cheat sheet of go-to experts can dramatically reduce processing time. Remember to give these people notice that a freelancer might call upon them. Current employees are just as frustrated by failed onboarding as freelancers. Only 12 percent of respondents to a Gallup poll strongly agreed that their companies did a great job of onboarding. Great onboarding includes connections, not just data, so dont skimp on the introductions. Related: The How-To: Managing Freelancers Effectively 4. Give and solicit feedback on a recurring schedule. Regular employees receive regular feedback. Why shouldnt freelancers? Even if they only work on projects for short periods of time, they are valuable members of the team and are in a prime position to help the business learn and grow. Great partnerships require input from both parties. Encourage freelancers to ask questions and be open with their answers. When freelancers submit work, be specific about criticisms and praises. Show contract workers that they belong on the squad to make the most of their talents. The above Gallup report found that only 20 percent of employees believe that they receive performance management that encourages outstanding work. Break the cycle by treating freelancers with respect, and they will respond with higher-quality work. Onboarding freelancers doesnt need to be a complex, challenging process. By making simple preparations and treating freelancers like a part of the team, businesses can get more from contract workers and help both sides maximize the value of the partnership. Use these tips with your next freelance hire to see just how impactful the relationship can be. Related: Onboarding Freelancers Is Tough -- Here's How to Do It Right the First Time 5 Ways to Make a Steady Freelance Income How to Build Your Own Career as a Freelancer Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved TORRINGTON Employees at the Social Security Office at 147 Litchfield St. who alerted authorities Tuesday about the discovery of a suspicious substance in an envelope did a good job of reporting the potentially hazardous situation, Torrington police spokesman Lt. Bart Barown said Wednesday. One employee saw the letter, Barown said. He said that federal agents secured the scene, adding, there was no contamination. Connecticut State Police spokeswoman Trooper Tanya Compagnone said in an email Wednesday that the suspicious letter was sent through the U.S mail. She said the state polices Emergency Services Unit and employees of the state Department of Energy and Environment screened the letter for hazards and none were detected. The letter and substance were taken to the state Department of Public Health Lab in Rocky Hill for further testing, Compagnone said. The emergency call was made about 7:50 a.m. Barown said in his statement on Tuesday. The employees were evacuated to the Civic Center at Coe Memorial Park, where investigators could interview them so they werent out in the cold, he said. Barown said the Police Department hadnt responded to an emergency at a federally owned building during his tenure on the force. The State Police Bomb Squad entered the room where the letter was and secured it. The fire department provided decontamination for responders who entered the building. Because the building is owned by the federal government, agencies that responded to the emergency were the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Connecticut State Police, Torrington Area Health Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Social Security Administrations Office of the Inspector General, DHS Federal Protective Services and the FBI. No timeline was given as to how long it will take to determine what substance was in the envelope. Joe Cuba is going to need a bigger mailbox. Birthday cards from around the world have been pouring into Brookdale Midwestern retirement community in Wichita Falls, Texas all for the WWII veteran pushing the century mark. Last week, Cuba had a photo taken and posted to social media holding a sign from his wheelchair saying he wanted to receive 100 birthday cards for his 100th birthday on March 2. Since then, staff members said more than 10,000 cards have been delivered to the home, as well as gifts that Cuba will soon open. Cassandra Gore, the resident programs coordinator at the home, said Cuba has received gifts from countries including Australia, Italy, Germany, Poland and Ireland. "Joe continues to be amazed with everyone's generosity," read a recent post on the home's Facebook page. "Keep the cards coming as we celebrate a 100 years with GI Joe." Stephanie Veitenheimer, the sales manager for Brookdale Midwestern who took the photo, told the Wichita Falls Times Record News that she's been handling calls from Fox News, military organizations and teachers asking how they can help Cuba celebrate. Medical equipment companies have also reached out to Cuba to see if he needs any equipment for his birthday, according to the Record News. Anyone interested in sending Cuba a birthday card can use this address: Joe Cuba 918 Midwestern Parkway Wichita Falls, Texas 76302 Peace, prosperity and character are usually the main ingredients that affect whether a U.S. president will be re-elected. So far, prosperity has proceeded nicely for President Donald Trump. That said, GDP growth falling to 2.6 percent, worrisome data and some bad omens could mean fresh doubt about the durability of the Trump economy. And as for peace, the American people have always been impatient and had a "what have you done for me lately?" attitude. With Syria and Afghanistan receding from view, the measure of "peace" could become all about the status of North Korea. After the failed summit in Vietnam, if Kim Jung Un gets back on the warpath with weapons tests and bellicose threats, North Korea could become the focal point of Trump's foreign policy and weigh on the president's re-election prospects. Meanwhile, the character issue took a blow Wednesday with Michael Cohen's testimony before the House Oversight and Reform Committee. It was mostly filled with the same old charges that Cohen and others have made against the president, but some new elements were sprinkled in. Republicans looked rattled and foolish. Rather than try to be the adults in the room, they did the opposite. The low point had to be a large poster displayed alongside the committee members that read: "liar liar pants on fire!" I guess that was meant to gratuitously taunt Cohen. Really? The man is about to go to prison, and this poster was meant to intimidate him? Would any parent have permitted their child to do such a thing at a middle school student government meeting? Of course not. Cohen is the one who seemed measured and in command. Sigh. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 27) It's not just about physical beauty after all. Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray on Wednesday said young people who aspire to become beauty queens should prioritize their studies before embarking into the world of pageantry. "Sa mga bata who want to pursue being a beauty queen, dapat 'yung schooling muna diba? Kasi you need to enrich 'yung utak mo, so that you can speak well and have confidence in yourself before going on stage," Gray told the children beneficiaries of charity group Young Focus Philippines during her visit to the organization. [Translation:To the kids who want to pursue being a beauty queen, you should prioritize schooling first, right? Because you need to enrich your mind, so you can speak well and have confidence in yourself before going on stage.] "Study hard. You listen to your teachers, and you keep dreaming, okay?" she added. Young Focus, which provides free education to children of Tondo, Manila, is among the organizations that the 25-year-old Filipino-Australian beauty supports. Prior to her victory at the Miss Universe 2018, Gray, a children's rights advocate, volunteered as teacher's assistant to the group. In her winning answer during the pageant last December 23 in Bangkok, Thailand, Gray shared her experience working with the group which drew thunderous cheers from the audience. "I work a lot in the slums of Tondo, Manila, and the life there is poor and it's very sad. I've always taught myself to look for the beauty in it, to look for the beauty in the faces of the children and to be grateful. I would bring this aspect as a Miss Universe to see situations with a silver lining. To assess where I could give something, where I could provide something," she said. READ: Catriona Gray wins PH's 4th Miss Universe crown Gray expressed her joy for being able to visit the children again. She also showed the children her now iconic "lava" walk. "Sana po (I hope) I made you guys proud 'nung (last) December. And you know it will always be in my heart to always be involved to the Young Focus family, so this is not the only visit but hopefully many of this year. So you'll be seeing me a lot. Okay lang ba (Is that okay)?" she said. Gray also visited Smile Train, an organization that provides free surgery to children with cleft lip and palate, as well as LoveYourself PH that promotes HIV/AIDS awareness. READ: NGO founder refutes criticism Catriona Gray just used poverty to win Miss Universe title She is the fourth Filipino to bring home the coveted title, joining Gloria Diaz, Margie Moran, and Pia Wurtzbach who won in 1969, 1973, and 2015 respectively. CNN Philippines' Jelene Fule and Robert Vergara contributed to this report. Promised and delivered. Samsung is rolling out an update for Bixby that lets you remap the button summoning the voice assistant. The update comes in the form of a Bixby app update so don't expect a full-fledged firmware OTA upgrade. The cool thing is that you can assign not only a certain pre-installed or a third-party app but also a command sequence. However, Bixby should be assigned at either single or double press - whatever suits you better. You can do that by going to in the Settings and then Advanced features > Bixby key. Also, keep in mind that a long press will always launch Bixby Voice. Speaking of which, the Chinese version of the Galaxy S10-series has the option of swapping the "Hi Bixby" hotword for a one to your choosing. It's still unconfirmed whether the option will be made available for the global market, though. Via HATTIESBURG, Miss. In 2013, Rep. Jeramey Anderson made history when he became the youngest person elected to the Mississippi Legislature when he won the District 110 seat at age 21. Univ. of Southern Mississippi student Brandon Rue is up-to-bat and is looking to become the youngest elected official in the states history as he is seeking to represent House District 102 in Hattiesburg. So exciting to see amazing young democrats running for office. Young fresh candidates like @rue_brandon. It was also a pleasure to see Secretary @MikeEspyMS, my colleagues @SenDavidBlount and @Jay4Mississippi. All making exceptional strides to move #Mississippi forward. pic.twitter.com/hV39DfODs5 Rep. Jeramey Anderson (@jerameyanderson) February 23, 2019 Rue, 21, delivered an impassioned speech Jan. 31 at the Thad Cochran Center at USM to a room filled with his peers and adults eager to hear from a fresh face looking to tackle problems in District 102 and the state. Rickey Cole, former chairman of the State Democratic Party from 2001-2004 was on hand at Rues formal announcement kickoff and said Mississippis older generation has had its chance at righting the ship. It is my hope that your generation, led by young men like Brandon Rue, our next State Representative will make it possible for my children to call this place, our Mississippi, the place that I love home, Cole said. Like most homegrown Mississippians, Rues story isnt one where all has gone his way and in the words of famed poem written by activist and novelist Langston Hughes, life for most Mississippians aint been no crystal stair. As the youngest of eight children, he is only one of two of his eight siblings to graduate from high school. Rue is also a first-generation college student. While overcoming these obstacles, Rue refuses to allow these things to define him or how far he can go in life. Im stepping out on faith, not being afraid to fail, Rue said. Benjamin Franklin is noted as saying, dont put off until tomorrow what you can do today? Why wait to take part in finding solutions to problems we have in Hattiesburg and the State of Mississippi? The answer is simple according to Rue. We all know that Mississippi cant wait her citizens cant wait we are tired of waiting, our time is now, he said. We rank 46 in education, 50 in healthcare and 49 in economic opportunity. How much longer can we wait? The states brain drain, providing corporations with tax breaks and the lack of promotion of small businesses are problem areas Rue says the state could improve. According to The Clarion Ledger, legislators are looking at ways to move the needle in keeping its best in Mississippi. How? By offering tax breaks to those who commit to growing where they were planted as Gov. Phil Bryant told students at Mississippi College in 2016. We need to rebuild our small business system we need to show our fellow Mississippians that we believe in them and their ability to be successful, Rue said. When we do that, we will boost our economy. On Friday, Feb. 22, former U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy traveled to Hattiesburg to endorse Rue for House District 102 and said it is time for young people to step up for a better Mississippi. While Espy was on the campaign trail, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker traveled to USM to stomp for Espy. Rue for months rallied students on campus to register to vote. By the registration deadline, Rue helped more than 1,000 students register to vote. Today, I was in Hattiesburg to proudly endorse @rue_brandon for HD 102. We need young, capable, thoughtful and energetic people in politics and Brandon Rue is all of that. #YoungPols #RiseAbove pic.twitter.com/cYdxouW25a Mike Espy (@MikeEspyMS) February 23, 2019 We have a young person who is running for the right reasons who has already served the people so me being here is a no-brainer, Espy said. He is a brand -- I know him and I know he will do very well should he be elected. Espy also provided Rue a check, along with data and metrics, relevant to District 102 and what Espy says his campaign compiled over the course of his run, aiding Rue so he wont have to start from scratch. Rue is seeking to unseat current District 102 Rep. Missy McGee (R-Hattiesburg), someone he says most students at USM and people in the community dont know. We need our representatives to be true representatives and she is only visible to the elite and people she calls her friend, Rue said. It is time out for that it is time out for representatives who put the party over the people. Rue knows he faces an uphill climb and the most important factor people judge him by age. This race is so much bigger than just me, this race is for all of you, he said. I am running for college students who have sizable loan debt but cant find employment after college. I am running for the small business owner who has a dream but cant pursue that dream because of a complicated process in the loan and grant system. I am running for my LGBTQ friends who may be scared to vote because of discriminatory laws of our state Im running for military veterans who cant seem to find a job or place to live after they get out of the military and that has to stop. As a member of a demographic Rue says society can sometimes write off, he said he wants to show black boys there are other ways to be successful without turning to the wrong things or sports. I am running for those young, black male high school students who society has already written off, he said. Im running just so they know you dont have pick up a ball just to make it out. Most importantly, I am running for you, he said. The State of Mississippi deserves better and we have been doing the same old same old forever and it has gotten us nowhere. It can only get better. We can no longer wait for anyone to do what ourselves can do. Rue has already qualified for the March 1 deadline to challenge McGee. PASCAGOULA, Miss. -- Mayor Dane Maxwell announced his intentions to seek the Southern Districts Public Service Commission seat in January. Recently, Moss Points John Mosley Jr., said he was considering a run at the position, but confirmed to The Mississippi Press on Monday he will not run for the position at this time. Initially, it seemed as if Maxwell would run opposed, however, a fellow Republican challenger has arisen to challenge Maxwell -- Perry Parker. Parker resides in Seminary, Miss., and describes himself as an investor and cattle farmer. With degrees from Pearl River Junior College, University of Southern Miss and an MBA from the University of Chicago, he recently ran to replace Gregg Harper in Mississippis 3rd U.S. Congressional District last year, but lost to Michael Guest. The announcement was made via the Paul Gallo Show where Parker touted his 30 years of financial experience and how his involvement economically in South Mississippi makes him the best candidate for the job. Agriculture is also what Parker hangs his hat on as it landed him prominent positions on Wall Street with Goldman Sachs, Duetsche Bank, and he is also a member of the founding group for The First, A National Banking Association in Mississippi (FBMS). My career has been all about growing jobs, creating jobs, frankly, creating wealth and stability in the Mississippi economy and I think I am absolutely a good fit for this position, Parker said. Utilities and broadband internet were two issues Parker discussed in speaking to the importance of having a successful economy not only in the southern district, but the entire state. We have to have broadband to compete, he said. Without utilities that are stable and growing, we cant bring jobs to the State of Mississippi and this office is all about creating that stability and environment for growth of jobs. Deadline for those seeking this position is March 1 on or before 5 p.m. Haiti - Army : The Minister of Defense honors 15 new professionals of FAd'H Enold Joseph, the Minister of Defense, accompanied by his Director General, Lieutenant General Jodel Lessage and members of the General Staff, participated this week in a ceremony of certificates in honor of the 15 new professional executives (engineers, doctors and agronomists, 8 men and 7 women) of the Haitian Armed Forces (FAd'H) who returned to Haiti Friday, February 22 after six weeks of training of non-commissioned officer at the military base of Temamatla (State of Mexico). In his speech, Minister Joseph paid a heartfelt tribute to these young professionals for having risen to a higher dimension during their training in Mexico and did not fail to praise the merits of future military executives saying "You have makes a good choice," promising to make every effort to ensure the success of their careers. The Minister announced that these 15 young future officers will now complete the second phase of their military training "From now on you enter a new stage in your military training" inviting them to continue on the path of excellence. This second phase of training will take place at the Anacaona Military Center in Leogane with Haitian instructors, who for 6 weeks will teach them the basic principles, regulations and values of the Armed Forces of Haiti. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26831-haiti-army-15-young-professionals-in-military-training-in-mexico.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26689-haiti-army-250-aspiring-soldiers-of-the-fad-h-in-training.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25768-haiti-army-the-minister-of-defense-signs-a-military-cooperation-agreement-with-mexico.html HL/ HaitiLibre By Vasia Orion | Published on 2019/02/27 The Dramagods... They listen... Or at least I hope that they do, because I need Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Ryeo-won to grace us with their presence in jTBC's upcoming legal slice-of-life drama, "Diary of a Prosecutor". The story sounds very "Miss Hammurabi"-ish, and that frankly sounds lovely. Advertisement "Diary of a Prosecutor" is based on a collection of essays published last January, authored by incumbent prosecutor Kim Woong. It's a mixture of unique episodes depicting the lives of criminal prosecutors, inspired by Kim Woong's 18-year long career. Unlike typical dramas of this type, which portray investigations of high-ranking officials and big corporations, these stories reportedly capture the mundane daily routine of overworked prosecutors staying up all night to tackle all the different cases handed over by the police. The news mentions jTBC's recent love for legal dramas, from the aforementioned "Miss Hammurabi" to the currently airing "Legal High". "Diary of a Prosecutor" will be premiering in November, and with the two actors currently courted, I'm feeling really good about this one. Now give me a solid writer-PD duo, and I'll feel truly blessed. Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings' Sources (1) (2) Published on 2019/02/27 | Source "Liver or Die" was the only drama that went on air during the Nouth Korean and American Summit. Advertisement According to Nielsen Korea nationwide, the KBS 2TV drama rated 14.2% and 17.5%. The episodes' ratings have gone up by 1.5% and 3.1%. SBS drama "The Last Empress" ended last week and MBC and SBS broadcast the North Korea/USA Summit, making "Liver or Die" the only drama that was broadcasted. SBS and MBC rated 2.3% and 2.2%. Press release Independence Bank announced that Andy Kueffler has been promoted to the position of ag/commercial loan officer. Kueffler joined the Independence Bank team as a lender in May 2018. Kueffler is a familiar face around the Golden Triangle, as he has spent the last 18 years in the agricultural equipment business, with 10 years in Havre at Tilleman Equipment. In his new position, Kueffler said, he looks forward to the opportunity to continue working with the agricultural producers and business owners throughout the area. "We are very pleased to see Andy move into the Loan Officer position," said Matt Wertheimer, vice president of lLending at Independence Bank. "His knowledge of the issues and concerns facing our customers along the Hi-Line, along with his work experience, make him a great addition to our team." Kueffler graduated from Valier High School. He then attended Montana State University-Northern in Havre and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in business with a minor in agricultural technology. He said he, his wife, Jodi, and the couple's two sons spend their free time hunting, hiking and enjoying all that rural Montana has to offer. Pardee donates CPR training kits to WHHS Susan Odom, Administrative Director for Cardiology Services, Pardee UNC Health Care, speaks to a Health II class at West Henderson High School. Pardee UNC Health Care delivered four hands-only CPR training kits to West Henderson High School on Wednesday, providing a critical tool for the state-required CPR training for high school students. The kits included mannequins and replacement supplies for student CPR training. Since the 2014-2015 school year, North Carolina has mandated that all students complete first aid and CPR training before graduating from high school. The training is provided through the schools' health education program. In partnership with the American Heart Association, Pardee supports this initiative in Henderson County Public Schools by providing training equipment necessary for students to gain this lifesaving skill. The schools teach teens how to perform hands-only CPR on mannequins, so they feel confident with CPR should they ever need to administer it. Pardee met with Henderson County Public Schools officials to determine how to best distribute the CPR supplies this year. West Henderson had the greatest need. Most middle schools already teach the course, but a few high school health classes provide the training if students were unable to complete the training in middle school. Knowing hands-only CPR can save a life, which is why Pardee provides training supplies to our local schools, said Susan Odom, administrative director of cardiovascular services at Pardee. When someone is in cardiac arrest, receiving hands-only CPR can double or triple their chance of survival. Pardee UNC Health Care is a not-for-profit community hospital founded in 1953 and is managed by UNC Health Care. The hospital is licensed for 222 acute care beds. Pardee has several locations separate from the main campus, including a comprehensive physician practice network, a cancer center, three urgent care locations and five orthopedic clinics. For more information or to find a physician, visit www.pardeehospital.org. Celebrating 50th birthday, BRCC unveils rebrand In celebration of its 50th anniversary, Blue Ridge Community College unveiled a new brand, Education Elevated, during a presentation to more than 200 faculty and staff today. Backed by months of research, the new brand provides an opportunity to tell the depth and breadth of our story as we enrich students lives and meet the workforce needs of Henderson and Transylvania Counties, said Laura B. Leatherwood, Ed.D., president of Blue Ridge Community College. For instance, a recent economic impact study commissioned by the College revealed that we added $187.6 million in income to our region and supported one out of every 19 jobs in our community last fiscal year. The College partnered with Formation PR + Brand to develop the new brand. Beginning in the summer of 2018, the Formation team conducted brand research, which included both primary and secondary research, as well as digital marketing analysis. Primary research consisted of brand perception surveys sent to faculty and staff, students, parents, community members, and high school guidance counselors. More than 500 survey responses were received during the primary research phase, including a large percentage from Blue Ridge faculty, staff, and students. Education Elevated is in alignment with our statewide marketing efforts, which highlight increased awareness about the life-changing opportunities available through community colleges, said North Carolina Community College System President Peter Hans. Im so proud of my hometown college and all they do for the people of Henderson and Transylvania Counties. Following the brand research, Blue Ridge and Formation created a Brand Council comprised of nearly 20 faculty, staff, and students at the College to provide feedback on the initial brand logos, concept, and messaging. I enjoyed participating in the brands creative process, and appreciate being asked for input before the final brand was created, said Lilly Blankenship, member of the Brand Council and student of Blue Ridge Community College. In the Colleges new logo, there are three summits in the visual mark that represent both its core student programs Job Training, College Transfer, and Continuing Education and its brand pillars Quality, Affordability, and Access. The color scheme represents a sunrise over the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, which envelop the Hendersonville and Brevard campuses, and the angles of the font also represent the silhouette of a mountain range. Education Elevated was developed from the valued feedback of our community, and it reflects how we are growing and evolving on our path forward to prepare students for 21stcentury success in the workforce or at four-year colleges and universities, remarked Lee Anna Haney, director, marketing and communications at Blue Ridge Community College. According to a recent Gallup/myFutureNC survey, North Carolinians believe that education beyond high school, including a college degree or professional certificate, is a path to a better life for their families, but there are concerns about the overall cost and, therefore, access to college. Additionally, nearly 90 percent of North Carolina employers value a community college degree. Leatherwood added, Blue Ridge Community College can help students overcome obstacles and pursue their future, today. We focused our brand pillars on our ability to offer a real-life, affordable, and accessible education with more than 100 degrees, diplomas, and certificates; more than 200 online courses; fast-tracked job training; hundreds of scholarship opportunities; and low-cost tuition. In the months ahead, marketing activations reflecting the new brand will be visible in the community, and Blue Ridge Community College encourages community members to join the brand conversation at #BlueRidgeElevates. To learn more about the brand, visit blueridge.edu/Education-Elevated. THE lift at the d:two centre in Henley is set to be repaired thanks to a grant from the town council. The centre in Upper Market Place, where the Henley food bank is based, is one of eight charities and community groups that are set to receive grants totalling more than 6,500. The sums were approved by members of the finance strategy and management committee but have to be ratified by the full council. The lift repair work will cost about 1,500 but the centre successfully applied for a grant of 2,000 to cover ongoing maintenance and the servicing contract. The lift was installed at the three-storey centre when it was redeveloped 10 years ago to improve access for vulnerable and disabled people. Since it broke down in December, mothers with children in prams, people with reduced mobility and the food bank staff have had to use the stairs. Donations to the food bank often arrive in large quantities and have to be carried up the stairs. In the run-up to Christmas, staff had to carry 300 parcels of food up and down two flights. Roger Cole, pastor of Henley Baptist Church, which is also based at the centre, said: It is getting increasingly expensive to run the centre. We hope to repair the lift because it is essential. Use of the food bank has gone up by 34 per cent. We also have people coming in for mental health services and the elderly for other health services. For them, the lift is essential. Councillor Jane Smewing, who chairs the committee, said: It is well worth having the lift mended. They have vulnerable and disabled clients who really need the lift access and services on the upper floors. The Borama Friendship Association received 200 towards its Borama Comes to Henley event on Saturday, July 13 which more than 150 Somalis are expected to attend. The money will go towards the cost of insurance and hiring audio equipment. Borama, which is on the western boundary of the former British protectorate of Somaliland, now the unofficial republic of Somaliland, has a friendship link with Henley. Henley in Transition, an environmental campaign group, received 111.72. The money will go towards the cost of insurance for its work parties carrying out work with the Henley Wildlife Group in places such as 40 Acre Field, off Tilebarn Close. The Henley Regatta for the Disabled, which will take place at Phyllis Court in August, will receive 600. Over the last nine years the event has provided more than 3,000 trips for disabled people and their families on the River Thames. The South Oxfordshire Mencap Society, which provides opportunities for adults with learning disabilities to engage with the community, was awarded 600. The money will support the four discos that the society runs for its members. Henley Town and Visitors Regatta received 1,500 towards the cost of hiring umpire lunches for this years event, which will take place on Saturday, August 3. The Henley branch of Walkers are Welcome, a national organisation that promotes walking as an activity, was awarded 500. It will use the money to create a website and prepare literature outlining good walking routes. The Oxfordshire Volunteer Befriending Society received 1,000. The organisation provides unpaid family carers with free breaks. The committee rejected an application by Enrych Oxfordshire for 1,500. The charity supports adults with learning disabilities across Oxfordshire by connecting them with volunteers who help them access leisure and learning activities. The committee said it needed to provide more details of help it gave people in Henley. Cllr Smewing said: The grants budget is about helping local organisations to carry out their work. It is very pleasing to help, in particular d:two, which does such a lot for the town. A 44-year-old Dubliner has been granted bail after being charged over a botched armed raid at a takeaway on New Year's Day in which two staff members were shot. Ionut Dateu (38) and cook Vasile Bitica (28) were shot as they worked at Mizzoni's Pizza at Edenmore Shopping Centre, Raheny, in the early hours of January 1. Both were hospitalised with chest and stomach wounds. Joseph Behan, of Edenmore Park, Raheny, was arrested on Sunday following directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions. He was charged with unlawful possession of a gun and ammunition under the Firearms Act, as well as attempted robbery and reckless discharge of a firearm. Det Sgt Eoin Colbert told Judge David McHugh at Dublin District Court that Mr Behan replied "I want to know what type of gun it was meant to be" to one charge. He made no response to the other three charges. Judge McHugh noted a garda objection but held that despite the alleged offences being serious there were no grounds to refuse bail. Fled Mr Behan, who was also granted legal aid, was ordered to abide by a number of strict conditions and told he had to return to court on May 8 to be served with a book of evidence. Det Sgt Colbert told Judge McHugh it was alleged that a person on a bicycle approached the takeaway at 00.19am. It was alleged the raider had his face covered, wore gloves and threw a carrier bag across the counter and demanded staff fill it, the court was told. Judge McHugh was told staff threw a number of objects at the raider, who fired two shots, hitting one employee in the chest and the other in the abdomen. It was alleged that the raider then fled on a bicycle. Det Sgt Colbert agreed with defence solicitor Eoin Lysaght that the defendant had the presumption of innocence. He also said gardai knew where Mr Behan lived, but raised concerns that there was "still a firearm outstanding". The DPP has directed that Mr Behan is to face trial on indictment. Granting bail, Judge McHugh said it would be in his own bond of 100 and subject to strict terms. Mr Behan was ordered to sign on daily at Coolock Garda Station, provide gardai with a contact phone number, obey a midnight to 7am curfew, stay away from Mizzoni's takeaway and have no contact with witnesses. The judge also ordered him to surrender his passport. The defendant addressed the court once during his hearing to tell the judge he had lost his passport, but would hand it over to gardai once it was found. Mr Behan, who was supported in court by family members, has not yet indicated how he will plead. Ronnie Wilde is also charged with having a 12-inch knife A garda sergeant was headbutted in the face by a teenager who tried to escape from a Dublin courtroom, it has been alleged. Ronnie Wilde (18) allegedly left Sgt John O'Donovan with an injury to his lip following the incident. Judge Paula Murphy ordered the disclosure of any statements and adjourned the matter to a date next month. The accused, of Clanbrassil Terrace, Dublin 8, is charged with criminal damage to a door and seriously assaulting Sgt John O'Donovan. The incident allegedly took place at the High Court, Cloverhill courthouse, on November 22, 2016. Mr Wilde is also charged with assaulting two other gardai at the same time and place. Blanchardstown District Court heard the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed summary trial on the case in the district court. Outlining the allegation, Sgt Maria Callaghan told the court Mr Wilde was at Cloverhill courthouse when he tried to escape. Cracking Sgt Callaghan alleged that the accused kicked the door to the courtroom, cracking the glass in it. Sgt Callaghan said Sgt O'Don-ovan came to the assistance of a number of his garda colleagues, and it was alleged he suffered a headbutt to the face. Sgt Callaghan claimed Sgt O'Donovan sustained an injury to his lip, but had since recovered fully. Judge Murphy said she would accept jurisdiction to deal with the matter in the district court. In a separate incident, Mr Wilde is further charged with possession of a 12-inch chopping knife and the broken handle of a hurley at Chesterfield Avenue in the Phoenix Park last November 19. In that matter, Sgt Callaghan alleged Mr Wilde was found with the knife and hurley handle after gardai stopped a car. Judge Murphy also said she would accept jurisdiction of that matter. Defence solicitor Simon Fleming requested the disclosure of any documents relating to both allegations. Mr Wilde has not yet indicated a plea to the charges. An uneasy holiday season began here in 1941. Then the war crashed in. Xem them ... Tin bai cuoi cung Khong con du lieu e load Manila (CNN Philippines Life) What started out as an RPG exercise to crowdsource stories set in a fantasy Manila turned into a trending movement on Twitter over the past few days. Mixing the busy, urban setting of Metro Manila with the lore of Filipino mythology, as well as our abundance of urban legends, superstitions, pop culture, and strange beliefs, users turned the hashtag #ManilaEncounters into a speculative fiction writing prompt that birthed a ton of short form gems ranging from funny to downright horrifying. Think of it as the NoSleep Reddit thread, only set in such a familiar setting that one or two tweets are bound to send chills down your spine. Weve compiled our favorite #ManilaEncounters tweets below, which are best enjoyed reading late at night, perhaps on your commute home as you speculate whether the creatures beside you are real or not. On February 13, the Supreme Court (SC) asked 17 state governments to evict an estimated one million tribal and other households living in forests after their claims of individual forest rights like agricultural encroachments were rejected under The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA). The SC said the evictions must be carried out by July 12, and also directed the Dehradun-based Forest Survey of India (FSI) to submit a satellite image based report once the encroachments are removed. After the order was passed, several FRA activists and politicians alleged that the petitioners are hand in glove with the NDA government and that millions of tribals will be displaced after the SC ruling. These allegations are untrue and facts of the case must be made public. The petition was filed in 2008 when the Congress-led UPA I was in power at the Centre. So the hand in glove allegation is baseless. This order is an outcome of the consistent stand taken by the apex court in the case since 2016 (see orders of January 29, 2016, and March 7, 2018) that encroachers should be evicted from forest land after due process. Many FRA activists admit that tribals will not become homeless as feared. This is because FRA deals with pre-existing rights; it is not a land distribution law. Senior FRA activist, Mohan Hirabai Hiralal, who works in Maharashtras Vidarbha region, says that the bogus claims made after the legal cutoff date of FRA (December 13, 2005) should not be allowed. Dilip Gode of the Vidarbha Nature Conservation Society, who works in 450 villages in the region to protect community rights, also wants the eviction of post-2005 encroachers. He says that many gram sabhas (village councils), the most powerful decision-making body at the grassroots level, have also evicted encroachers. According to the affidavits filed by the states in the apex court, about 11,72,931 (1.17 million) land ownership claims made by scheduled tribes and other traditional forest dwellers under the FRA have been rejected on various grounds, including absence of proof that the land was in their possession for at least three generations. Of these rejected claims, over 14.70 lakh have been weeded out at the gram sabha level. When an entire village has community rights over a forest land around it, how can they allow a few people to encroach upon the community forest land and thereby lose control over vital forest resources? We must remember that landless forest dwelling families depend on forests for grazing their cattle, fuelwood and forest produce. But the Union ministry of tribal affairs (MoTA) data show that forest dwellers are more interested in claiming individual forest rights (IFR) than community rights. Despite the support of political parties, many claimants could not gather even the minimum of evidence, such as a supporting statement from a village elder; proof of village residence/occupation before cutoff date to bolster their case. Hence their cases were rejected. In fact, the requirement of a statement from a village elder has been extensively abused in respect of claims by Other Traditional Forest Dwellers in cases in which proof of 75 years (three generations) of continuous occupation had to be established. According to the FRA, claimants have two levels of appeal to ensure natural justice. Several advisories were issued by the tribal ministry from 2006 onwards asking for effective and lenient (pro-tribal) implementation of the FRA. The ministry even repeatedly wrote to states to reconsider rejected claims. The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) examined this issue in Maharashtra. The institute provided satellite images of 1748.45 hectare of forest area where forest cover existed prior to 2005 but appeared to have vanished after that. It also reveals an increasing tendency at the village level to claim more than the 4 hectare maximum limit of the FRA. A Gujarat government report revealed that 80% of IFR claims in the state were bogus. The Forests Survey Institutes State of the Forest Report has showed that 67,900 hectares of forests have been lost in the 188 tribal districts in the country between 2009 and 2011 due to encroachments. The FRA was designed to undo historical injustice to those who have primarily resided in and who depend on the forest or forests land for bona fide livelihood needs prior to December 2005. But since there is no cutoff date for receiving new claims, and gram sabhas are empowered to extend the 90-day window, this process has continued for 13 years and seems to be a never ending one. Kishor Rithe is a former member of the standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife. He has been working in the tribal development and wildlife conservation sectors in central India for 30 years. The views expressed are personal After working with late actor Sridevi in her last film Mom, child actor Riva Arora is all set to work with her daughter Janhvi Kapoor as well. Riva shared a picture with Janhvi on Instagram on Wednesday, talking about their collaboration. Riva will play the young Gunjan Saxena in her upcoming biopic, which stars Janhvi in the lead. In her post, Riva said how she met Janhvi on the sets of Mom as well and that the actor is still as sweet and lovely as she was before making her big Bollywood debut last year. With Janhvi kapoor. Lovely personality. Same i met her during MOM movie shoot. And today shooting with her or as her childhood. time changes but some people never change/ Same love same sweetness full of life. Proud working with amazing personalities. Dharma production. Thank u sonal di for recommending me and thank u casting director jogi sir for casting me, Riva captioned her pic. In the photo, both Riva and Janhvi are seen wearing white outfits. Riva has most recently worked in Uri with Vicky Kaushal and will now be seen in Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota. Also read: Priyanka Chopra welcomes sis-in-law to the family with pics Riva played Sridevis younger daughter in Mom. The film also starred Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Akshaye Khanna. It was about a mothers revenge on her daughters rapists. Sridevi was honoured with a posthumous National Award for the film. The film will be screened in China on March 22.The announcement comes just two days after Sridevis death anniversary (February 24). Sridevi died at the age of 54 last year due to accidental drowning in the bathtub of her hotel room in Dubai. Janhvi began shooting for the Gunjan Saxena biopic earlier this week. Saxena is Indias first woman combat pilot who actively took part in the Kargil War in 1999. Janhvi was spotted shooting with Pankaj Tripathi in Lucknow. He plays her father in the film. This is Janhvis second film after Dhadak and she will also be seen in Karan Johars Takht with Kareena Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar and Anil Kapoor. Follow @htshowbiz for more Bipasha Basus younger sister Vijayeta got married on February 25 to long-time boyfriend Karan Talreja. The couple went in for a court wedding and threw a lavish wedding later. From the new pictures shared by Bipasha as Instagram stories, looks like Vijayeta also had a simple Bengali wedding. In a video clip shared as stories, Bipashas mother can be seen doing an aarti (Hindu ritual of welcoming) of her son-in-law Karan, who is dressed like a Bengali groom in dhoti and kurta. Bipashas husband Karan Singh Grover can be seen in the photo too. Bipasha Basu shared new images from her sister Vijayetas wedding. In another picture shared by the actor, Vijayeta, her husband Karan pose with Bipashas parents for a group photo and, in another picture, Bipasha poses with her brother-in-law. She has also shared a video capturing the best moments from the wedding; at one point, Bipasha is almost seen choking even as she smiles seeing her kid sister get married. She also shared pictures from the reception -- in one, the couple look lovingly at one another with a huge birthday cake in front and, in the second one, they both are holding placards which says: I am her Mr. I am his Mrs. It is titled Celebrating Puppy Love. Bipasha and Karan too decided to pose by the cake. Bipasha had, four days back, also shared pictures from pre-wedding festivities; in fact in a picture, she and Karan can be seen put a Bengali topor (wedding headgear) on Vijayeta. Also read: Priyanka Chopra welcomes sis-in-law to the family with pics from brother Siddharths roka ceremony The couple, meanwhile, had shared a picture, soon after their court wedding with both showing their inked thumbs to the camera. They seem to have opted for a thumb impression and not sign their wedding documents. Meanwhile, on her work front, Bipasha is shooting for Vikram Bhatt-written film Aadat, said to be a thriller and is being directed by Bhushan Patel. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In the midst of heightened tension between India and Pakistan, a few Bollywood celebs have spoken up for peace. Those who tweeted for peace included Soni Razdan, Swara Bhaskar and Pooja Bhatt. Actor Soni Razdan, who recently starred in Raazi as Sahmats mother who marries her daughter to a Pakistani army major, put a post on Instagram saying how it was the job of artists to look where others dont. She shared a quote by Oscar winning director Alfonso Cuaron which read: As artists it is our job to look where others dont. This responsibility becomes much more important in times when we are being encouraged to look away - Alfonso Cuaron. Swara Bhaskar, Soni Razdan and Pooja Bhatt have all spoken against war. Championing the cause of peace and brotherhood, actor Swara Bhaskar blasted Pakistani actor and Bigg Boss 4 participant Veena Malik for her deplorable comment of captured IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Reacting to Veena, Swara said: Veena ji.. Shame on you & ur sick mindset. Your glee is just gross! Our officer is a hero- brave, gracious & dignified in the face of capture. At least some decency from that major in you army who was questioning #WingCommanderAbhinandan or the many Pakistanis suing 4 peace #sick. Also read: Akshay Kumar donates 15 lakh to kin of jawan killed in Pulwama attack Mahesh Bhatts elder daughter Pooja put up a poignant note of what war does to children. She wrote: You cant hug your kids with nuclear arms. She also wrote about meeting a Vietnamese and what he had to say about India and Pakistan and the possibility of war between them. She wrote: I was talking to someone from Vietnam and telling them about the situation back home. He looked at me with sadness and wisdom in his eyes and said does India & Pakistan realise nobody wins a war? Who would know that more than Vietnam? Follow @htshowbiz for more Actor Priyanka Chopra and husband Nick Jonas have been having the time of their lives ever since they tied the knot in December. After a series of receptions and parties, Priyanka is back into work mode and has been promoting her new Hollywood movie Isnt It Romantic. Even Nick is getting busy with work and recently revealed the cover of his new single, Sucker. The single will mark the reunion of Nicks boy band, the Jonas Brothers Nick, Kevin and Joe. Welcoming the band back to the music scene, Priyanka shared a picture of the song cover and captioned it, And yes theyre backand may I say hotter than ever. So proud of the family #Sucker#JonasBrothers #MidnightET. Priyanka had commented on Nicks original post, Yesss baby! Its time! So proud. Nick also shared a promo video of their appearance on The Late Late Show. The promo shows host James Corden driving his car through Los Angeles and picking up Joe Jonas on the way. The two are later joined by Nick and then Kevin Jonas and thats when Corden asks if this means something. The Jonas Brothers finally announce that theyre back. Also read: Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas spotted gazing into each others eyes at her brothers roka. See pics The talk show will mark their return in a series of episodes throughout the week and will also show a glimpse of their Carpool Karaoke. Nick and Priyanka recently visited Delhi to attend the roka ceremony of her brother Siddharth Chopra. The latter got engaged to his girlfriend Ishita Kumar in the capital. Priyanka was later spotted arriving at the Mumbai airport. Follow @htshowbiz for more After Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra made a successful debut with Student of the Year 2, a lot is expected from its sequel Student of the Year 2. The film will mark the Bollywood debut of Chunky Pandeys daughter Ananya Pandey and Tara Sutaria opposite the already established star kid Tiger Shroff. Now a Mumbai Mirror report suggests that the original batch of students will be making a special appearance in the film. While Alia will be seen dancing alongside Tiger in a starry dance number, Sidharth and Varun will also be seen making their presence felt in the love triangle. A source has told Mumbai Mirror, Farah Khan will be choreographing the song which only features Alia and the films team is figuring out ways to incorporate her co-stars from the first film, Varun and Sidharth, in the sequel. Both the actors are expected to shoot their portions in the coming weeks too. Alia and Tigers song will be shot over one week on a grand set that is being put up at a suburban studio. Alias hit dance number Radha Teri Chunri in the orginal flick went on to become a huge hit. The actor is herself counted among the most successful A-listers in Bollywood and recently delivered one of her biggest hit Gully Boy opposite Ranveer Singh. Varun and Sidharth are also doing well in their respective careers. Varun and Alia will now be seen together again in Kalank whereas Sidharth will be seen alongside Tara in the film Marjaavaan. The SOTY 2 cast recently appeared on the chat show Koffee With Karan and made quite a few revelations. Ananya even left host Karan surprised by saying on record, I agree with this section because I havent done anything. I dont deserve to be here. There are so many people out there who are talented...I am just lucky that my dad was an actor and this is what I had wanted to do. Also read: At Akash Ambani pre-wedding bash, Shah Rukh Khan grooves to Coldplay, Alia Bhatt shines in a golden dress. Watch While the first part was directed by Karan himself, the sequel is being directed by Punit Malhotra, who assisted him on Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. Student of the Year 2 is set to hit the theatres on May 10 this year. Follow @htshowbiz for more The Haryana assembly on Wednesday passed an amendment to the Punjab Land Preservation Act 1900 (PLPA), opening thousands of acres of land under the Aravallis and Shivalik ranges for real estate development and mining, which could be a major threat to the environment and ecology in Delhi-NCR. The amended law will exclude tracts of land included in the final development plans or town improvement plans from the ambit of the PLPA. The amendment will be applicable with retrospective as well prospective effect. The amended law will also grant legitimacy to Kant Enclave in Faridabad, which was built on PLPA notified land and was ordered to be demolished by the Supreme Court. The apex court had then said, Kant Enclave is a forest or is a forest land or is required to be treated as a forest or forest land and absolutely no construction activity could have been permitted on it with effect from August 18, 1992. Any and all construction activity in Kant Enclave since that date is illegal and impermissible in law. The amendment was passed amid uproar in the House with the opposition Congress and Indian National Lok Dal demanding that the bill be sent to an assembly committee for re-examination. However, finance minister Capt Abhimanyu said the Congress MLAs were levelling false and baseless allegations against the government. Can you specify the provision in the amendment bill to which you are objecting to? I would like to know which provisions of the bill will affect the biodiversity and reduce the forest cover, the finance minister asked. Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the PLPA was framed in 1900 and needed modifications in view of the changed situations. As soon as the amendment bill was introduced by the forests minister Rao Narbir Singh in the House, INLD MLA Parminder Dhull questioned the intention of the state government. What is the hidden agenda behind bringing this amendment bill. And why is this law being amended from retrospective affect? This is quite bizarre. It is a sure way to destroy the Aravallis, Dhull said. The MLA said the Supreme Court orders barred de-notification of forest areas. The chief minister, however, assured the House that there was no wrong intention behind the amendment bill. And if one believes there is any wrong intent, then one can challenge it in a court of law, Khattar said. The Delhi High Court on Wednesday ordered the expeditious trial of the 2008 murder case of TV journalist Soumya Vishwanathan. Soumya was shot dead on September 30, 2008 while she was returning home in her car from office. Justice Mukta Gupta directed the trial court to hear the case at least twice every week. The trial court is directed to expedite the trial for speedy disposal of the case, the high court said. The court passed the order on a plea by one of the accused, Baljeet Malik, seeking to expedite and conclude the trial in a fixed time frame on day-to-day basis. Malik along with two others Ravi Kapoor and Amit Shukla were earlier convicted in the 2009 IT executive Jigisha Ghosh murder case also. The deputy commissioner of police (south) was also directed to assign the task of monitoring to additional DCP to ensure the presence of prosecution witnesses on every date of hearing. Advocate Amit Kumar, appearing for Malik, submitted that the accused was in custody since 2009 and the prosecution has cited 88 witnesses of which approximately 45 to 46 have been examined till now. The high court was informed by the trial court that the delay in the case was primarily due to non-presence of prosecution witnesses and time taken for the appointment of a special public prosecutor. The high court, however, rejected Maliks plea seeking direction to authorities to compensate him with 1 crore for delay in trial of the case. In the wake of heightened tension between India and Pakistan, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation(DMRC) on Wednesday evening declared a red alert across its network, calling for more vigilance and security checks. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) the paramilitary force that provides Metro security will frisk passengers twice before allowing entry to the network. It has also deployed officers in plain clothes at station premises. The CISF said that they have stepped up the vigil at areas surrounding metro stations near to VVIP areas and at stations such as Chandni Chowk, New Delhi railway station and Kashmiri Gate, which witness a heavy footfall. We are repeatedly sanitising the metro stations with the help of our dog squads and bomb detection teams. CCTV operators have been asked to keep eye on any suspicious activity and inform the armed quick reaction teams as and when required, said a CISF officer not authorised to speak to media. A senior metro official, who did not wish to be named, said that though this is not the first instance when a red alert has been sounded, but the intensity of security checks this time is unprecedented. Security at the airport has also been stepped up.Our anti-terror teams are on alert and quick reaction teams are patrolling the air side as well as the city side. Additional pickets have been raised and every vehicle in the vicinity of the airport is being thoroughly checked, said another CISF officer from the airport. Sudhir Kumar, inspector general NCR, of the CISF said that the force keeps high security round the year. We would not like to comment on the security matter, he said. The DMRC said that all station controllers have been directed to inspect for any suspicious activity or items inside the station and train, around the platform or even around the exits of the stations. The entire city is under security alert and we have been advised by security agencies to take these precautions for the safety of all the passengers and employees. Safety of passengers is of utmost importance to us, a DMRC spokesperson said. A group of 28 Chinese tourists, a couple from Afghanistan, a family from Baramulla in Kashmir and a bunch of travellers from Delhi were among the scores of passengers stranded at Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) Wednesday due to airspace restrictions. Lily, a manager at a private company in Beijing, said her group had planned to go to Lahore on vacation after their India trip. Our flight PK 271 was scheduled to depart at 3.30 pm. When we arrived at Terminal 3, we found the flight was cancelled. We checked out from our hotel and now would need to get another hotel for a day, she said. Her friend Duj said the group was now thinking of going to Sri Lanka and board a flight to Lahore from there. Around 8.30 am on Wednesday, a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) was issued, conveying that flights to Amritsar, Pathankot, Srinagar, Jammu, Shimla, Dharamshala, Kullu and Leh stood cancelled. Six hours later, this was lifted. The closure forced 47 flight cancellations, including 25 departures and 22 arrivals. The Delhi airport operator DIAL (Delhi International Airport Ltd) said four flights destined for other airports were also diverted to Delhi, two of them domestic and two international. A couple from Kabul was among the affected. My flight RQ 916 to Kabul was cancelled. I was here to visit Delhi with my wife and children. We were staying at Bhogal with a friend. I will book tickets by another flight now, said Mohammad Ishaq, a 34-year-old garment businessman from Kabul. Jayant Chandra, who was flying to Srinagar from Delhi with his mother, said there was no prior information. The cancellation was at the last moment. It was a waste of time and now we are looking forward to get the refund, said Chandra, a college student. For a country to develop nuclear weapons, it has to invest a substantial amount of resources and overcome a number of international hurdles. This means that there is always a set of clear objectives security or political behind the pursuit of these deadly bombs. For North Korea and its dictator, Kim Jong un, the first objective is regime survival. The second is to rupture the American alliances with Japan and South Korea. And the distant third one is to achieve Korean unification on its own terms. The US President Donald Trump hoped that he could sell a dream of prosperous North Korea to convince Mr Kim about the merits of denuclearisation. The move did not work in Hanoi where Mr Trump and Mr Kim met for two days after their first summit in Singapore in June 2018. In a press conference that followed the abrupt ending of the summit, Mr Trump informed that Mr Kim demanded the lifting of economic sanctions in their entirety. In return, North Korea did not agree to a comprehensive, verifiable, irreversible denuclearisation. All it could offer was selectively giving up a few nuclear facilities (and not even the most important ones). There was also a problem with sequencing. Mr Kim wants sanctions to be lifted before he makes any substantial progress on denuclearisation. This clearly did not cut any ice with the Americans. It is unclear why the agreement did not come to pass. Did Mr Kim agree to completely dismantle the Yongbyon nuclear complex but the US wanted to see other facilities being dismantled too? Or did Mr Kim resist giving up Yongbyon in the first place? North Korea uses the Yongbyon complex to produce plutonium and enrich uranium but it has other facilities as well to enrich uranium. After the Singapore summit, Mr Trump had announced a sudden suspension of joint military exercises with South Korea. He called those exercises expensive and provocative. He once again confirmed on Thursday that the exercises will remain suspended for cost reasons. So North Korean nukes have already been successful in weakening the US-South Korea alliance. The regime in North Korea is not just surviving but now negotiating as equals with the US government. If the nukes have done so much for Mr Kim, why would he give them up? But Mr Trump still is hopeful despite the failed Hanoi summit. Sara Ali Khan is always lovely to look at be it her style quotient or her pleasant demeanour. The actor was trolled recently for first ever magazine cover with Filmfare on account of cultural appropriation and racism where she shoots with a Kenyan tribesman. Even though social media doesnt seem quite happy with the concept, she did look stunning on the cover in block colours, textured separates, boho accessories and it was all about welcoming summers. The Simbaa actor was spotted at Sonchiriya screening last night with Vicky Kaushal and Ananya Pandey. Sara was truly a vision in a textured white separates ensemble with intricate motifs. The outfit was understated yet a perfect choice for a glamorous evening. Watch: Sara Ali Khan, Kartik Aaryan head to Delhi to begin film shoot The actor was also seen sporting vibrant highlights in blue and green on her brown tresses and it complemented her overall look. This year, highlights seem to be one of the most significant hair trends. Take cue from Sara if you dont want to go for another global look and just get a few strands highlighted with your choicest colour. Sara Ali Khans style is yet to be defined as to what is her signature but we are loving the experiments she has done so far be it her traditional looks or her contemporary choices of apparels, accessories and make-up. Her perfect balance between glamour and simplicity has the audiences hooked on to her and we cant wait to see her next film where she gets to explore the dimensions of acting and storytelling. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Isnt It Romantic Director - Todd Strauss-Schulson Cast - Rebel Wilson, Adam DeVine, Liam Hemsworth, Priyanka Chopra, Betty Gilpin Rating - 3.5/5 Isnt It Romantic is the best thing Priyanka Chopra has done in her brief stint in Hollywood, and shes barely even in it. Such is the mediocrity of the projects that she has been a part of - and this includes the little seen A Kid Like Jake - that a glorified cameo here is better than her entire grating performance in Baywatch. Shes in, like, two-and-a-half scenes, generously speaking. But in a stroke of good fortune, she spends the rest of the film on a billboard that is often in the background of more important scenes. So even when shes not speaking and the spotlight, so to speak, is on the films lead (Rebel Wilson), her presence often looms large - like an airbrushed reminder of the sort of film that Isnt It Romantic is satirising. Watch the Isnt It Romantic trailer here Its just the sort of movie she should have pursued when she first moved out west, instead of indulging far-fetched notions of becoming a leading TV star or some sort of exotic import - sort of like Sofia Vergara. It has that unmistakable cynicism of modern-day romantic comedies that weve all learnt to accept, and yet, it has no qualms about embracing some of the more outdated aspects of the genre. It provides her with an excuse to crack that lopsided smile of hers, to speak in that culturally ambiguous accent that she enjoys putting on, and also be a part of a (rather well done) song-and-dance number. But unlike some of the similar Bollywood (or even Hollywood) movies that it takes inspiration from, Isnt It Romantic gives its female characters agency. And even though it takes Natalie - thats Rebel Wilsons character - the entire movie to come to some valuable realisations about herself, the films 88 minute run-time barely allows you to contemplate its flaws. Like Natalie, weve been conditioned by classic romantic comedies (and movies in general) to have certain unattainable expectations from life. After watching The Dark Knight, I was convinced my life would be incomplete without at least 35 Batman action figures. But unless youre a complete idiot, you know better than to expect to live like a Julia Roberts or Drew Barrymore character. Its a valuable lesson that Natalies mother teaches her when shes a kid. But a knock on the head many years later sends her into just the sort of saccharine fantasia that she has come to despise as an adult, complete with a gay best friend to learn from, a mortal enemy to battle and a husky heartthrob to pursue. Its the second Netflix project in as many months that traps its female protagonist in a make-believe world against their will. But while Russian Doll had other ideas on its mind, Isnt It Romantic is most concerned with the portrayal of women in films such as itself. It takes the Bechdel Test and passes it with flying colours, all the while maintaining its non-confrontational facade and a PG-13 morality. Also read: Little Things season 2 review: Netflix takes Mithila Palkar, Dhruv Sehgals delightful show to the big time Director Todd Strauss-Schulson knows a thing or two about genre tropes - he previously skewered teen horror movies with his last film, Final Girls. His approach here is to shoot the reality portions like a grimy workplace dramedy and the fantasy segments like a Karan Johar movie with a bigger budget. Handheld cameras are discarded for sweeping aerial shots and visuals that look like theyve been slapped with an Instagram filter. Starbucks cups magically appear in characters hands and cross-city commutes that would normally have been interrupted by traffic jams every couple of minutes are erased in favour of gorgeous driving montages that last (precisely) 18 seconds. Rebel Wilson is particularly charming in the lead role. She has just the right amount of vulnerability and sass, and her scruffy optimism fits perfectly with the tone the movie is going for. Not once - and I consider this a minor victory - is Natalies weight ever mentioned, or made fun of in any way. Isnt It Romantic isnt the kind of film youd want to introduce to your parents, but its a perfectly acceptable fling - the sort of movie that bumps into you on a busy street, offers a sheepish apology, asks you out for coffee and promptly disappears from your life the next day. Follow @htshowbiz for more The author tweets @RohanNaahar Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday played a gambit for de-escalating tensions with India, announcing the release of a captured Indian pilot against the backdrop of pressure from New Delhi and other countries to act against terror emanating from his countrys soil. Addressing a joint session of Parliament in Islamabad, Khan said Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, taken into custody when his MiG-21 jet was downed during an engagement along the Line of Control (LoC) on Wednesday, would be freed on Friday as a peace gesture. Tensions between the two sides have spiralled after Pakistan used combat jets to target Indian military facilities on Wednesday, a day after India conducted an air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) facility within Pakistan. The banned group claimed responsibility for the February 14 terror attack in Pulwama that left 40 paramilitary personnel dead and triggered the latest stand-off. Khan reiterated recent remarks about Pakistan being forced to retaliate if there were any further strikes by India, though his measured speech was largely devoted to the need to de-escalate tensions between the two countries. We have captured an Indian pilot. As a peace gesture, we will release him tomorrow and send him back to India, Khan said to the thumping of desks by lawmakers. I say today to India from this platform, dont take this any further. Whatever you do, Pakistan will be forced to retaliate. These two countries, with the weapons we have, we shouldnt even think in this way. The Indian government is happy the IAF pilot is being released though things can move forward only if Pakistan creates the environment by taking immediate, credible and verifiable action terrorists and anti-India proxies operating from its soil, people familiar with developments in New Delhi said. Before Khan announced the release of Varthaman, the Indian side made it clear that Pakistan would not be allowed to use the captured Indian pilot as a bargaining tool, people familiar with developments said. A demarche or formal diplomatic representation handed over to Pakistan on Wednesday had clearly stated the pilot must be treated humanely and immediately returned, they said. The government was keen to avert any attempt by Pakistan to use the pilot to influence the mood of the Indian people, as had happened in the case of passengers of the Indian airliner hijacked from Kathmandu to Kandahar in December 1999, the people said. They said there would have been no question of a deal over Varthaman as India had demanded his unconditional return. The people said it was Pakistan that had escalated the situation by targeting Indian military facilities, whereas New Delhi had specifically targeted a JeM base to pre-empt planned suicide attacks. Indias stance had been accepted by major Western powers and countries across the world, many of whom had called on Pakistan to eliminate terrorist infrastructure in their official statements, they said. Referring to Khans pledges to act if actionable intelligence is provided, they referred to a dossier with extensive evidence on JeM, its camps, leadership and links to attacks that was handed over on Wednesday, and said it was time for Khan to walk the talk. Khan said he tried to call his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the phone on Wednesday because we wanted to make it clear we didnt want any type of escalation. He didnt say why the call didnt go through, but added he hadnt taken the step to release the pilot out of fear or worry. There was no official word from the Indian government on Khans remarks about the call. The Indian Air Force welcomed the release of its pilot, with Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor saying, We are happy our pilot who had fallen across the LoC and was in custody of Pakistan is being released... We only see it as a gesture which is in consonance with all Geneva Conventions. The conventions apply to the treatment of captured military personnel. Kapoor said a MiG-21 Bison flown by Varthaman shot down a Pakistani F-16 jet in the aerial engagement on Wednesday. Pakistan has denied any F-16 jets took part in the dogfight. The IAF presented parts of a US-made AMRAAM missile, not used by other jets in the Pakistani fleet, as proof of their deployment on Wednesday. In the aerial combat that ensued, one F-16 of the Pakistan Air Force was shot down by Indian Air Force MiG 21 Bison aircraft. The F-16 crashed and fell across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The IAF lost one MiG 21 aircraft, Kapoor told a news conference. Before Khans speech, US President Donald Trump said in Hanoi: We have been involved in trying to help them (India and Pakistan) stop and we have some reasonably decent news. In his opening statement at a news conference at the end of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trump added: I think hopefully that [tensions] could be coming to an end, it has been going on for a long time. Ahead of the air strike on Balakot, Trump had said that India was looking at something very strong in response to the loss of 40 troops in the Pulwama terror attack. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called PM Modi to express his deep condolences over the Pulwama terrorist attack and conveyed the solidarity of his country with India in its fight against terror. Modi thanked Putin for Russias steadfast support for Indias efforts to protect its interests against cross-border terror attacks, a statement from the PMO said. In the call, Putin conveyed that he hopes for a quick settlement of the standoff between India and Pakistan, the Kremlin said in a statement on Thursday. On Thursday evening, the official Twitter account of Abu Dhabis Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said he spoke on the phone to the prime ministers of India and Pakistan and called for dialogue and communication to deal with the tensions. Mohamed bin Zayed makes telephone calls to Indian and Pakistani prime ministers, stresses importance of dealing wisely with recent developments and giving priority to dialogue and communication, the tweet said. Khans announcement was welcomed by politicians in Jammu and Kashmir. Good news, whole nation will be relieved. I hope our leadership will also reciprocate this peace gesture. I hope Imran Khan will stand by his word and take steps on Indian dossier on Pulwama attack. Imran Khan has acted like a statesman, Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti tweeted. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah expressed happiness and tweeted, Very glad to know that #WingCommandarAbhinandan will be heading home. Ill wait for him to be back on Indian soil before I welcome him back but Im greatly relieved that PM @ImranKhanPTI has announced the imminent release of our pilot. Varthaman, a fighter pilot with 16 years of experience and a father of two children, hails from Tamil Nadus Tiruvannamalai district and is the son of retired Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthaman, who played a significant role during the 1999 Kargil conflict when as a Group Captain. Varthamans father on Thursday said in a statement that his son behaved like a true soldier, thanking citizens for their support and good wishes. I am sure all your hands and blessings are on his head...prayers for his safe return. I pray that he does not get tortured and comes home safe and sound in body and mind, the veteran IAF officer said. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval spoke to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over the phone on Wednesday night amid tensions between India and Pakistan, news agency ANI reported. Mike Pompeo told Ajit Doval that the US supported Indias decision to take target terror group Jaish-e-Mohammeds biggest training camp at Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Indian Air Force jets flew across the Line of Control on Tuesday morning to blow up the terror camp. This comes on a day when Pakistan violated Indian airspace and attempted to target military establishments on Indian side of the Line of Control. Indian Air Force foiled the Pakistan Air Forces attempt and shot down one F-16 jet of Pakistan. The IAF also lost one fighter plane. Follow live updates here One Indian pilot, who landed on the other side of the LoC after his plane crashed, was taken in custody by Pakistan Army. India issued a strongly worded demarche to Pakistan seeking immediate safe return of the IAF pilot. Pompeo had spoken over phone on Tuesday with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi urging the two countries to de-escalate tensions. In a statement, Pompeo later said, Following Indian counter-terrorism actions on February 26, I spoke with Indian Minister of External Affairs Swaraj to emphasise our close security partnership and shared goal of maintaining peace and security in the region. Also Read | US, UK, France push for terrorist tag for Jaish chief Masood Azhar that China blocked I also spoke to Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi to underscore the priority of de-escalating current tensions by avoiding military action, and the urgency of Pakistan taking meaningful action against terrorist groups operating on its soil, Pompeo said. Earlier, US National Security Adviser John Bolton had in a telephonic conversation with Doval last week said that America supports Indias right to self-defence in the wake of Pulwama terror attack, for which Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility. At least 40 CRPF soldiers were killed in the terror attack on February 14 in Jammu and Kashmir. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cemented a pre-poll alliance with its long-time ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab for the 2019 general elections, with the two parties deciding to stick to their 2014 seat-sharing formula, BJP chief Amit Shah said on Thursday. Of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the SAD will field candidates in 10 and the BJP, the remaining three, Shah announced shortly after a meeting with SAD leaders Sukhbir Badal and Naresh Gujral at his residence in New Delhi. The SAD won four out of the 10 seats it contested five years ago, while the BJP won two out of the three. The BJP lost the Gurdaspur seat to the Congress in a by-election last year. The alliance between the BJP and the SAD is more than two decades old, but there was some tension between them earlier this year after the Akali Dal accused the BJP government in Maharashtra, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of interfering in the religious affairs of the Sikh community over a leadership dispute surrounding gurudwara Hazur Sahib in Nanded. Hazur Sahib is one of the five holy takhts (thrones) in Sikhism and is recognised as the place where the 10th Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh, breathed his last. The SAD, which stayed away from a meeting of National Democratic Alliances constituents on January 31, also said that the Maharashtra government was not taking enough measures to provide relief to debt-ridden farmers. But the two sides resolved their differences over the last few weeks after Shah reached out to Sukhbir Badal and assured him that the dispute related to Hazur Sahib would be resolved. There was an agreement between the two sides that they remain together in the larger interest of Punjab and the country, said a BJP leader familiar with the negotiations who asked not to be named. The BJP also accepted the status of the Akali Dal (as the dominant party in the state) to finalise a seat-sharing agreement amicably. The alliance with the Akali Dal in Punjab comes within days of the BJP announcing a pact with the Shiv Sena in the Maharashtra and the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu. Thug-bandhan Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Sherrill said the BJP-Akali Dal alliance is classic case of 0+0 = 0 (zero plus zero = zero). The BJP-Akali thug-bandhan stands already rejected by people of Punjab as evident from state assembly elections and now they will witness worst defeat in 2019 polls. The BJP ship is sinking at a fast pace and now no political arithmetic, permutation and combination can rescue from the tsunami of peoples anger. Voter of Punjab will punish this alliance through ballot as they now want freedom from BJP-Akali anti-Punjabi, anti-farmer, anti-youth, anti-women , anti-trader mindset, he said. Bhagwan Lal Sahni, from Muzaffarpur in Bihar, who once contested Lok Sabha polls against former defence minister George Fernandes and has links with the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) is expected to be the chairperson of the National Commission for Backward Classes, according to people aware of the developments. The Nishad community leader had fought against Fernandes on an Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ticket in 2004. According to a person aware of the developments, the formal announcement of the appointment is expected on Thursday. While no name has been selected for the post of vice-president, former MP Sudha Yadav and Kaushlender Singh, former Mayor of Varanasi will be the two members of the constitutional body. The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) was set up after the bill to grant it constitutional status secured Parliaments approval last year. The Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill 2017 was passed after heated exchanges in Parliament during which several members urged the Centre to make public the findings of the caste census and implement reservation accordingly. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on August 2, superseding the amendments earlier carried out by the Rajya Sabha. The bill was passed after the House repealed the National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Union cabinet on Thursday rolled out 10% reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) in educational institutions and government jobs in Jammu and Kashmir and approved the benefit of promotion in service to the Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribes. The new reservations will come in addition to existing quotas in the state. The Centre also announced an ordinance will be promulgated to bring people residing in areas adjoining the international border within the ambit of reservation on a par with those living in areas adjoining the Actual Line of Control, in a move aimed at reaching out to the Jammu region. The Union home ministry said there had been no change in respect of Article 370 or 35A. National Conference vice-president and former J&K CM Omar Abdullah appealed for a cautious approach and not to cause panic. Why is social media linking this order to 35A? Its about extending reservation. My lawyers tell me from the initial reading of it that it has no bearing on 35A at all. Please take a deep breath & ask experts before jumping to conclusions, he tweeted. In another tweet, he said, Please dont rush to tweet without verifying what has been amended. From this tweet it is very clear you are not sure. I understand the amendment is about giving people near IB same reservations as people near LoC/ALC. Please check & hold back tweets till then. Dont cause panic. There was widespread apprehension that the government might tweak Article 35A, the constitutional provision that allows the state assembly to define permanent residents of J&K. The Union cabinet, which cleared a host of proposals ahead of the imminent announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule, approved the proposal of Jammu & Kashmir Government regarding amendment to the Constitution (Application to Jammu & Kashmir) 0rder, 1954 by way of the Constitution (Application to Jammu & Kashmir) Amendment Order, 2019, finance minister Arun Jaitley told a press conference. It will serve the purpose of application of relevant provisions of the Constitution of India, as amended through the Constitution (Seventy Seventh Amendment) Act, 1995 and Constitution (One Hundred arid third Amendment) Act, 2019 for Jammu and Kashmir, by issuing the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Amendment Order, 2019 by the President under clause (1) of Article 370, a government release later added. The government had brought a new constitutional amendment in the winter session of Parliament to benefit the poor section of the population not covered under any of the existing quotas. The legislation had received widespread political support and was applied across the country except in J&K. Now, with the extension of the rule to J&K, the states poor people will be eligible for the quota. The Centres new ordinance, to bring people residing near the international border on a par with those living close to the Actual Line of Control (ALoC) for the benefit of reservation, will amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004. The move is aimed to help people from the Jammu region, a key vote bank for the BJP in the state. Due to cross border tensions, people living alongside International Border suffer from socio-economic and educational backwardness. Shelling from across the border often compels these residents to move to safer places and is adversely impacting their education as schools Educational Institutions remain closed for long periods, a government release said. Jaitley maintained that because of the provisioning of Article 370, all laws passed by the Centre including constitutional changes have to be approved by the assembly so that they could be applied in the state. Provisions with regard to reservations for the SCs, STs and OBCs which were brought in 1993 through the 97th amendment have not been made applicable to the state till today. With the consent of the governor, the same has been made applicable by amending the 1954 constitutional order. State BJP president Ravinder Raina hailed the Union government for extending the new quota to J&K. Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government of bias against Andhra Pradesh and called for protests over it during Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Visakhapatnam on Friday. In a teleconference with ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) workers, Naidu accused the Centre of betrayal and treachery over the formation of a new railway zone in Visakhapatnam. He said a lucrative cargo section under the zone has been allocated to the neighbouring Odisha and insisted that it would lead to a revenue loss to his state. BJP lawmaker P V N Madhav called Naidus call for protests ridiculous and meaningless and questioned how would the allocation lead to revenue losses to Andhra Pradesh. The revenue in form of freight charges and passenger fares will obviously go to the railways. How will Andhra Pradesh lose revenue with the merger of three railway lines in Odisha? Madhav asked. TDP leaders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the revenue aspect defies logic. Naidu has asked TDP workers to hold torches during protests, carry out bike rallies wearing black shirts and release black balloons to protest against the injustice during Modis visit to address an election rally in Visakhapatnam. Railway minister Piyush Goyal announced the formation of the new railway zone on Wednesday. The TDP held Modi-go-back protests when the Prime Minister addressed an election rally in Andhra Pradeshs Guntur on February 11 over the denial of the special status for the state. Naidu has taken a leading role in stitching together an alliance of Opposition parties since he quit BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over the special status denial. The Centre pays 90% of funds required in centrally-sponsored schemes under the status as against 60% in case of other states. The BJP has been trying to make inroads into states like Andhra Pradesh. (With agency inputs) The closure of Pakistani airspace for more than 24 hours and Indian airspace for about six hours threw the flight plans of several airlines out of gear, leading to changes in routes, increased flying times, additional refueling stops, and deployment of additional crewmembers on Wednesday and Thursday, according to multiple officials familiar with the matter. While all airports in Pakistan were shut for take-offs and landings from Wednesday morning to Friday afternoon (barring a few take-offs on Thursday afternoon), nine airports in north India -- Jammu, Srinagar, Amritsar, Pathankot, Leh, Shimla, Kangra, Pithoragarh and Kullu -- were shut from 8.30am to 2.30pm as tensions escalated between the two sides after the first air raids in 48 years by fighter jets deep across the Line of Control (LoC). Many international airlines, such as Air Canada and Emirates, cancelled their flights from Delhi and low-cost Indian carriers, IndiGo and Spicejet, were forced to factor in extra costs to operate longer route. Air India spent about 15 lakh extra per flight to the US and Europe due to extra flying time, said people familiar with the development. On Wednesday, there were a total of 47 cancellations. Four other flights destined for other airports that were diverted to Delhi . On Thursday, due to the closure of Pakistani airspace, 12 arrivals and 12 departures were cancelled from Delhi airport , said an airport official. Consequent to Wednesdays airspace and airports closure, Airports Authority of India (AAI) introduced contingency procedures/routes to facilitate transit of overflying flights across the Indian Peninsula. On Wednesday night, air traffic was significantly heavy in Mumbai Flight Information Region (FIR), as all flights were entering/exiting Indian airspace over Arabian Sea to/from Muscat (FIR), due to total closure of Pakistan airspace, said a spokesperson for AAI . Flights departing from Delhi and bound for the Gulf or Europe were forced to take a detour to avoid Pakistan airspace. Emirates can confirm that due to the airspace closure over Pakistan on 27th and 28th February, flight EK510 on 28th February Dubai to Delhi had to be re-routed, extending the total flight time outside of the crews maximum working hours. A replacement crew was arranged to comply with crew working legalities and the aircraft will depart with a delay of 4 hours, a spokesperson for Emirates said. A similar statement was issued by Lufthansa. In addition to our routes to India, connections to Bangkok and Singapore are also affected. We are already preparing adjusted routings and will increase the amount of additional fuel in the event of delays. , said a spokesperson . In a statement, Qatar Airways said due to the ongoing situation on the India-Pakistan border its flights airports in Pakistan were temporarily suspended and passengers travelling to and from Pakistan or India are advised to check the status of their flights British Airways said it was monitoring the situation closely. On the domestic travel front, GoAir announced schedule changes and fee adjustments for some flights operating to or from Chandigarh, Srinagar, Jammu and Leh, and Jat Airways said its flight schedules were being moderately affected. Passengers were stranded in Jammu and Srinagar but airlines said the backlog was cleared on Thursday. Airlines have also announced a waiver in cancellation and date changes charge. Those who have already booked have not cancelled the booking but if the situation prevails, we might see cancellation from tourists, said Subhash Goyal, secretary of federation of associations in Indian tourism and hospitality, adding the worst may be over. President Donald Trump Thursday voiced confidence that the hostilities between India and Pakistan would end soon, saying he has some reasonably decent news with the US involved in trying to help reduce tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. In his opening statement at a press conference at the end of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un here, Trump said the US has some reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India. We have been involved in trying to help them (India and Pakistan) stop and we have some reasonably decent news, he told the reporters. I think hopefully that (tensions) could be coming to an end, it has been going on for a long time, Trump said. Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Also read:Enemy trying to destabilise us, says PM Modi amid flare up with Pakistan The US president said that there is a lot of dislike (between India and Pakistan). India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. Pakistan on Wednesday claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot. Forty CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on February 14 in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a JeM suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. Also read: Must respect sovereignty, territorial integrity of nations: China to Pakistan Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hit out at Pakistan saying it is trying to destablise India using terrorism as a tool to stop our growth. PM Modi said it is time to stand united and alert like soldiers who fight the enemies at the border. Without taking name of Pakistan, PM Modi said, The enemy tries to destabilise us, carries out terror attacks. They want to stop our growth. We all countrymen are standing like a rock to counter their evil designs. In apparent reference to the strike by Indian Air Force on Jaish-e-Mohammeds terror camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan in the aftermath of Pulwama terror attack, PM Modi said, The brave soldiers have displayed their courage on the border and beyond the bordersThe world is witnessing our will power. Follow latest on India-Pakistan developments here India will live as one, India will work as one, India will grow as one, India will fight as one, and India will win as one, said in his interaction with the BJP party workers through video-conferencing. The prime minister said it is necessary to ensure that nothing is done to dent the morale of the security forces. PM Modis comments come a day after Pakistan violated Indian airspace and attempted to target military establishments. Also Read | IAF pilot captured by Pakistan is the son of a retired air marshal The Indian Air Force foiled the Pakistani attempt and also shot down one F-16 fighter jet, whose wreckage fell on the other side of the Line of Control (LoC). In the aerial dogfight, the IAF lost one MiG-21 Bison and one pilot went missing in action. The pilot is custody of the Pakistan Army. India has sought immediate release of the IAF pilot. PM Modi was interacting with, the BJP has claimed, about one crore BJP workers at around 15,000 locations from across the country. (Follow PM Modis interaction with BJP workers here) The BJP went ahead with Modis political engagement with the BJP workers despite severe criticism by the opposition parties, which urged the prime minister to put off the video-conferencing programme in the backdrop of heightened tension between India and Pakistan, which has an IAF pilot in its custody. During his interaction with the BJP workers, PM Modi targeted the opposition parties trying to put up a united front against the ruling coalition in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Author Fatima Bhutto, the grand daughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Wednesday asked the Imran Khan government to release an Indian Air Force pilot captured after an air combat. Pilot Abhinandan Varthaman was captured on Wednesday after he ejected safely from his MiG 21 Bison aircraft but landed across the Line of Control. India has demanded immediate and safe return of the Wing Commander Varthaman, who was and was taken into custody by Pakistani army following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control. I and many other young Pakistanis have called upon our country to release the captured Indian pilot as a gesture of our commitment to peace, humanity and dignity, Bhutto, 36, wrote in an op-ed in the New York Times. We have spent a lifetime at war. I do not want to see Pakistani soldiers die. I do not want to see Indian soldiers die. We cannot be a subcontinent of orphans, said Bhutto, a writer who is also niece of Pakistans former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. My generation of Pakistanis have fought for the right to speak, and we are not afraid to lend our voices to that most righteous cause: peace, said daughter of Murtaza Bhutto, son of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. She said Pakistans recent history was bloody and no one has suffered more violence than its own citizens. But our long history with military dictatorships and experience of terrorism and uncertainty means that my generation of Pakistanis have no tolerance, no appetite, for jingoism or war, she said. Bhutto said like her, a large section of the population was against the escalation of tensions. I have never seen my country at peace with its neighbour. But never before have I seen a war played out between two nuclear-armed states with Twitter accounts, Bhutto said. In the afternoon on Wednesday, #saynotowar hashtag began to trend in Pakistan, before hitting the worldwide number 1 spot on Twitter. Tensions between India and Pakistan rose following the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama district in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack. Following the incident, India bombed and destroyed JeMs biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistans restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early Tuesday, killing a very large number of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. On Wednesday, Pakistan claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested the pilot. India shot down a US made F-16 fighter of the Pakistan Air Force on Wednesday, and an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter pilot, part of the Combat Air Patrol (CAP) that engaged the in-coming Pakistani fighters, was captured after being shot down in Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK) . The air battle lasted for about 10 minutes and began at around 10 am Wednesday morning. The engagement over the skies of Nowshera in Rajouri district of Jammu Province is the first aerial dogfight between the two air forces since the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. The US made F-16 was shot down by the Russian made MiG-21, a senior official who didnt want to named to said. It is a huge achievement, because the F-16 is considered to be hugely superior, he added. Pakistan has denied US made F-16 fighters were part of the strike. The US prohibits the use of fighters in offensive operations, the senior official added, explaining why Islamabad denied the presence of F-16 in the strike force. India is expected to provide evidence of having shot down the Pakistani fighter in the next few days, a second senior official in the government said on condition of anonymity The incoming Pakistani fighters were engaged within two minutes, a third senior security official said on condition of anonymity, adding that the Pakistani fighters turned back as soon as they were challenged. Also read: IAF pilot captured by Pakistan is the son of a retired air marshal One Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft was shot down by a Bison MiG-21 of the Indian Air Force. The Pakistan aircraft was seen by ground forces falling from the sky on the Pakistan side, a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi when briefing reporters. Islamabad retaliated to the Indian jets bombing the Balakot based Jaish-e-Mohammed camp by sending the fighters to bomb Indian targets on Wednesday. A strike group comprising 12 Pakistan fighters including four F-16 and four Mirage fighters struck through the Kalal area in Nowshera sector of Rajouri. The Pakistani fighters took-off from NurKhan and Sargoda air bases. Even as these fighters took off, Indian radars picked them up, the third official said. The Indian Air Force scrambled a force of Su-30Mki and MiG21 to intercept the attackers. The Pakistani fighters targeted a military installation in the Nangi Tekri area and a forward ammunition depot at the Naria area. Pakistani fighters missed the target. Pakistan, however, said it deliberately did not hit Indian military targets. Because we are a responsible state and want peace, PAF this morning decided there would be no military targets, no human casualties or collateral damage. While remaining within our own boundaries, we locked on six selected targets and then carried out strikes on open spaces at a distance from them. This was done to demonstrate we have the capability, will and resolve but dont want to do anything that proves we are irresponsible, Director General of Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Gafoor said in Islamabad. Pictures of the Pakistan Air Forces fighter jets wreckage shot down by the Indian Air Force on Wednesday have confirmed Indias stand that one F-16 was brought down by Indias border air patrol team. In the photos that have emerged, Pakistan Army soldiers are seen inspecting a cowling of the F-16 engine. In the hours after Pakistani fighter jets entered Indian airspace on Wednesday to retaliate for Indias strike at a Jaish-e-Mohammed camp deep across the Line of Control, Islamabad had claimed to have shot down two Indian jets and claimed to have taken two IAF pilots into custody. By evening, it retracted its claim about arresting two pilots and announced that only one was in custody. But it had steadfastly denied that F-16 fighters were part of the package that hit Jammu yesterday. It also claimed to have carried out strikes at Indian military targets without entering Indian airspace, claims that New Delhi has contested. Watch | India will fight as one, win as one: PM Modi in mega video conference Foreign Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had yesterday said one Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft, was seen by ground forces falling from the sky on the Pakistan side during the aerial engagement by the IAF. Sources said Islamabads denial is partly driven by the fact that the US doesnt allow these platforms to be used in an offensive posture. And, partly because an F -16 fighter jet being brought down by the vintage Russian made MiG-21 reflects on the skills or the lack of the PAF. Importantly, the time stamp on the picture shows that it was taken at 10.47 am on Wednesday morning. Sources said this matches the time of the dogfight between Indian and Pakistani fighters over the skies of Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri sector. Also Read | The last time Pakistan captured an Indian pilot was in 1999 Pakistan justified violation of Indian airspace saying it a demonstration of its will and capabilities to strike back following IAF strike at a terror camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The IAF had carried a strike on the terror camp that belonged to terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed, which claimed responsibility for Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. The terror camp destroyed in the IAF strike was located in the hilly forested area of Balakot and was said to be the biggest training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed. The Indian Air Force Thursday said it is very happy that captured pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman is returning home but dismissed suggestions that it was a goodwill gesture, insisting that gesture in consonance with Geneva Convention. We are very happy Abhinandan will be freed tomorrow and look forward to his return, Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor, assistant chief of Air Staff, said at the joint defence briefing. Wing Commander Varthamans MiG 21 was shot as he bailed out after bringing down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet during the ariel dogfight on Wednesday morning, Air Vice Marshal said. He has been in Pakistan since then. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in Parliament on Thursday that Varthaman would be released on Friday as a peace gesture. Also Watch: Opinion I Why IAF pilots release may not immediately de-escalate tensions Asked if the IAF sees it as a goodwill move, he said, We see it as a gesture in consonance with the Geneva Conventions. He was addressing the media along with the representatives of the Army and the Navy, who both said the armed forces are on high alert and ready to meet any security challenge on land and sea. Tensions between the two countries escalated after Indian fighters bombed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammeds biggest training camp near Balakot deep inside Pakistan early Tuesday. It came 12 days after the JeM claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Kashmir, killing 40 soldiers. Air Vice Marshal said it was up to the political leadership to decide when and how to release evidence of the Balakot strikes success. He was responding to a question that there was some scepticism about whether IAF fighters had hit the intended targets. The Haryana assembly on Wednesday passed an amendment to the Punjab Land Preservation Act 1900 (PLPA), opening thousands of acres of land under the Aravallis and Shivalik ranges for real estate development and mining which could be a major threat to the environment and ecology in Delhi-NCR. The amended law will exclude tracts of land included in the final development plans or town improvement plans from the ambit of the PLPA. The amendment will be applicable with retrospective as well prospective effect. The amended law will also grant legitimacy to Kant Enclave in Faridabad, which was built on PLPA notified land and was ordered to be demolished by the Supreme Court. The apex court had then said, Kant Enclave is a forest or is a forest land or is required to be treated as a forest or forest land and absolutely no construction activity could have been permitted on it with effect from August 18, 1992. Any and all construction activity in Kant Enclave since that date is illegal and impermissible in law. The amendment was passed amid uproar in the House with the opposition Congress and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) legislators demanding that the bill be sent to an assembly committee for re-examination. Members of the opposition said that the new law will only help real estate developers and mining companies. However, finance minister Capt Abhimanyu said the Congress MLAs were levelling false and baseless allegations against the government. Can you specify the provision in the amendment bill to which you are objecting to? I would like to know which provisions of the bill will affect the biodiversity and reduce the forest cover, the finance minister asked. Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the PLPA was framed in 1900 and needed modifications in view of the changed situations. The bill was passed even as the Congress MLAs entered the well of the House raising anti-government slogans and walking out in protest. As soon as the amendment bill was introduced by the forests minister Rao Narbir Singh in the House, INLD MLA Parminder Dhull questioned the intention of the state government. What is the hidden agenda behind bringing this amendment bill. And why is this law being amended from retrospective affect? This is quite bizarre. It is a sure way to destroy the Aravallis, Dhull said. The MLA said the Supreme Court orders barred de-notification of forest areas. Is this being done at the instance of builders and mining companies? This amendment bill should be withdrawn and referred to a committee of the Vidhan Sabha, Dhull said. Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader in the assembly, Kiran Choudhry, said that amendment in the PLPA would allow the realtors to intrude into adversely affecting the ecology and environment. It is an anti-environment move and will only help the real estate developers. The forest cover in the state is very less. Tinkering with the Aravallis will only bring destruction. De-notification of green areas and the amendment in the PLPA will lead to desertification and increased mining activity, Choudhry said. CM defends amendment Coming to the defence of the PLPA amendment Bill, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar told the House that many urban estates of Haryana Urban Development Authority colonised areas faced uncertainty on account of PLPA notifications. Colonisation licenses given over the years will be rendered invalid if the Supreme Court gives a direction similar to the one given in the Kant Enclave matter. The existence of large number of developed areas will be under cloud, Khattar said. The CM said difficulties were being faced by the state government due to the decisions of various courts and green tribunal on the issue. Khattar assured the House there was no wrong intention behind the amendment Bill. And if one believes there is any wrong intent, then one can challenge it in a court of law, Khattar said. And no one can question my integrity since the intentions behind bringing the amendment Bill were good, he added. BJPs Karnataka unit chief BS Yeddyurappa has landed in yet another controversy after suggesting on Wednesday that the pre-emptive strikes launched by India against Jaish-e-Mohammed camp would help net his party more than 22 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the upcoming general election. Yeddyurappa, who has begun campaigning for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state, was speaking to reporters in Chitradurga when he made the statement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said he would avenge the killings [in the Pulwama terror attack]. The whole country has welcomed this and so have the opposition parties. Youth are dancing and celebrating. The result of this is that it is easy for us to now win more than 22 Lok Sabha seats here, the former chief minister said. Yeddyurappas remarks came in for sharp criticism from Congress leaders, who took to Twitter to condemn the statement. Congresss Karnataka unit president Dinesh Gundu Rao said the BJP leaders statement was disgusting. Most disgusting shameful irresponsible statement made by @BSYBJP. Using the #J&K situation for political benefit. Is winning elections becoming the criteria for BJP & not the security of India. Is going to war a electoral strategy for the BJP, he tweeted. Siddaramaiah, former chief minister and chairman of the coordination committee of the Congress and Janata Dal(Secular) alliance that is in power in the state, also condemned the remarks. I condemn the [Yeddyurappas] statement, where he has used the martyrdom of our soldiers to dream of electoral gains, that reeks of political greed. The tears of the soldiers families have not dried up and already [there are] calculations on the number of seats! Disgusting. Siddaramaiah later said, tweeting in Kannada, that Yeddyurappas statements had raised suspicions on the intentions of the central government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi must clarify on this, he wrote on the micro-blogging site. Yeddyurappas comments will add to the opposition parties criticism of the ruling partys blatant politicisation of the sacrifices made by Indian armed forces. The tension between India and Pakistan has ratcheted after Indian Air Forces jets bombed the Balakot based Jaish-e-Mohammed camp on Tuesday. The strike on the terror camp came 12 days after the Pulwama suicide attack in which killed 40 CRPF soldiers as a Jaish terrorist rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into their convoy on Jammu-Srinagar highway on February 14. And on Wednesday, India shot down a US-made F-16 fighter of the Pakistan Air Force and an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter pilot, part of the Combat Air Patrol (CAP) that engaged the in-coming Pakistani fighters, was captured after being shot down in Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa has said he was misconstrued after being criticised for his statement that the IAFs airstrike on Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Balakot of Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would help the BJP get more than 22 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the upcoming general election. The former chief minister of Karnataka had made the comments on Wednesday while speaking to reporters in Chitradurga. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said he would avenge the killings [in the Pulwama terror attack]. The whole country has welcomed this and so have the opposition parties. Youth are dancing and celebrating. The result of this is that it is easy for us to now win more than 22 Lok Sabha seats here, the former chief minister had said. And on Thursday, BS Yeddyurappa tweeted in his defence. My statement is being reported out of context. I said that situation favourable for BJP which i am saying for last couple of months. This is not first time that i said BJP in Karnataka will win minimum 22 seats under the able leadership of Modi ji (sic), he posted. Apart from the opposition onslaught, the senior BJP leader also was taken task by his party colleague and Union minister VK Singh. .@BSYBJP ji, I beg to differ. We stand as one nation, action taken by our government is to safeguard our nation & ensure safety of our citizens, not to win a few extra seats. Singh said in a tweet. This speech by Atal ji highlights our position, he said as he posted a speech by late Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Parliament. Congress leaders took to Twitter to condemn the statement. Congresss Karnataka unit president Dinesh Gundu Rao said the BJP leaders statement was disgusting. Most disgusting shameful irresponsible statement made by @BSYBJP. Using the #J&K situation for political benefit. Is winning elections becoming the criteria for BJP & not the security of India. Is going to war a electoral strategy for the BJP (sic), he tweeted. Siddaramaiah, former chief minister and chairman of the coordination committee of the Congress and Janata Dal(Secular) alliance that is in power in the state, also condemned the remarks. I condemn the [Yeddyurappas] statement, where he has used the martyrdom of our soldiers to dream of electoral gains, that reeks of political greed. The tears of the soldiers families have not dried up and already [there are] calculations on the number of seats! Disgusting. Siddaramaiah later said, tweeting in Kannada, that Yeddyurappas statements had raised suspicions on the intentions of the central government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi must clarify on this, he wrote on the micro-blogging site. Yeddyurappas comments will add to the opposition parties criticism of the ruling partys blatant politicisationof the sacrifices made by Indian armed forces. The tension between India and Pakistan has ratcheted after Indian Air Forces jets bombed the Balakot based Jaish-e-Mohammed camp on Tuesday. The strike on the terror camp came 12 days after the Pulwama suicide attack in which killed 40 CRPF soldiers as a Jaish terrorist rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into their convoy on Jammu-Srinagar highway on February 14. India shot down a US-made F-16 fighter of the Pakistan Air Force on Wednesday and an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter pilot, part of the Combat Air Patrol (CAP) that engaged the in-coming Pakistani fighters, was captured after being shot down in Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK). The Indian military on Thursday warned Pakistan that it was prepared to respond swiftly and strongly to any misadventure or provocation, and contended that Islamabad peddled falsehoods about what happened during the aerial skirmish between the two air forces a day earlier, in a rare media briefing by two-star officers from the three services. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has fairly credible evidence to prove that the Mirage 2000 strikes against the Balakot terror camp on Tuesday met their objective and IAF caused the intended damage and destruction during the unprecedented, peace-time cross-border strike, said IAF assistant chief of air staff (operations) Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor. He said it was premature to comment on the number of casualties and it was for the government to decide if it wanted to share the evidence. Pakistani fighter jets made failed attempts to bomb Indian military installations on Wednesday in retaliation for the Balakot strike by the IAF, Kapoor said. Both air forces lost one fighter each in the engagement, he added. In the briefing held a couple of hours after Pakistan announced its decision to release Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, Major General SS Mahal, an additional director general in the armys military operations directorate, said the army was in a heightened state of readiness to respond to any provocation. Our ground-based air defence weapon systems have been put on high alert. Mechanised formations too have been placed on standby. I wish to assure the nation that we are fully prepared, said Mahal in the late evening briefing on the South Block lawns. Rear Admiral DS Gujral, the officiating director general of naval operations, said the navy was prepared to respond swiftly, resolutely and strongly to any Pakistani misadventure. The IAF picked holes in the Pakistan version of Wednesdays chain of events, asserting that it spread blatant disinformation on three counts the number of Indian fighters shot down and pilots in its custody, denying that it targeted military installations, and that it did not use F-16 fighter jets. Kapoor said Pakistan claimed that two Indian jets were shot and three pilots were down before admitting in the evening that only one MiG-21 Bison was downed and its pilot was in their custody. He said the Bison shot down an F-16 and Indian soldiers reported sighting two Pakistani pilots parachuting into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. There were two pilots in the F-16 aircraft. He also denied the Pakistani claim that they intentionally dropped weapons in open areas. The fact is the Pakistan Air Force jets targeted military installations. However, IAF fighters intercepted them and thwarted their plans. He said Pakistani jets dropped bombs on army compounds but couldnt cause any significant damage due to swift IAF response. The army said the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets tried to target a brigade headquarters, a battalion headquarters, a logistics base and forward defences. There is enough evidence to show that F-16s were used and Pakistan is trying to hide this fact. Parts of AMRAAM missile that is carried only on the F-16s in PAF were recovered east of Rajauri. The fact remains that an F-16 was shot down by a MiG-21 Bison, said Kapoor. Air Vice Marshal (retired) Manmohan Bahadur, additional director general of the Centre for Air Power Studies, said, This is perhaps the first ever kill of an F-16 by a MiG-21 bison, fighter jets of two different generation, he said. The IAF displayed remnants of an AIM-120 advanced medium range air-to-air missile (Amraam) that the IAF said was fired by the F-16s on Wednesday. Kapoor said IAF radars detected a large package of PAF aircraft heading towards Indian territory at 10am on Wednesday and the jets breached Indian air space west of Rajauri in Sunderbani area. Kapoor said MiG-21 Bisons, Sukhoi-30s and Mirage 2000s were tasked to intercept the hostile jets. He said Varthaman ejected safely but his parachute drifted to PoK where he was taken into custody by the Pakistan army. Asked whether the air force saw the proposed release of the wing commander as a goodwill gesture, he said it was in consonance with the Geneva Convention and the IAF was extremely happy that he was coming back. India has asked Pakistan to ensure immediate release and safe return of the IAF pilot who was missing in action after he engaged with Pakistani jets that violated Indian airspace on Wednesday morning. Pakistan Army released a video that shows a blindfolded man, identifying himself as a Wing Commander-rank IAF officer and his service number. India has strongly objected to Islamabad putting out photographs and videos of the pilot. A statement by the ministry of external affairs said the video was a vulgar displayof an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. Watch: Pakistan will release IAF pilot tomorrow: Pak PM Imran Khan Follow live updates here: India is ready to go ahead with the March 14 meeting with Pakistan to finalise the modalities of the Kartarpur corridor, sources said on Thursday amid tense bilateral ties between the two neighbours. India and Pakistan were scheduled to meet on March 14 to finalise the modalities of the much-awaited corridor, particularly its coordinates, but the Pulwama terror attack and the escalating tensions in the last few days raised serious doubts about the possibility of the meet. Sources said India is still ready for the discussion on the Kartarpur issue as it affects a sizeable number of Indians. The proposal for talks came from the Pakistani side and was accepted by India, they added. The proposed corridor will provide easy access to Sikh pilgrims to Guru Nanaks final resting place Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur in Pakistans Punjab province. India and Pakistan agreed to give access to Sikh pilgrims from the Indian side to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib. Both laid foundation stones for the project in November last year. The work on the project continued as usual on both sides of the border even though relations between India and Pakistan have soured. Pakistani officials overseeing the project said work was not stopped and there was no communication from their government in this regard. Pakistan had suspended the Samjhauta Express train service to India on Thursday morning. The biweekly train service between India and Pakistan was scheduled to depart from Lahore with 16 passengers. It embarked on its journey from Karachi but the passengers are stuck at Lahore railway station. India had also revoked the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to Pakistan after the Pulwama attack. MFN status offered Pakistan certain trade privileges. India had also raised customs duty on all imports from Pakistan to 200%. Pakistan on Thursday resorted to firing four times along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch and Rajouri districts as it violated the ceasefire agreement for the seventh consecutive day with India saying it retaliated strongly and effectively. The firing by shelling with mortars and firing of small arms along LoC started at 6am and the latest came at 4pm, Defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said, as tension between the neighbouring countries escalated to the worst in years. Pakistan continues with its nefarious designs in continuous unprovoked ceasefire violation along the LoC since 0600 hours (6am) in the morning. Now again at about 1500 hours (3pm), it resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation by heavy shelling with mortars and firing of small arms along LoC in Sunderbani, Mankote, Khari Karmara, Degwar Sectors, Lt Col Anand said. Sunderbani is in Rajouri district and the other three are in Poonch. A soldier, Zakir Hussain, of the 3rd Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, who had come home on leave, was injured around 3.15pm on Thursday at Balnoi Sagra of Mankote sector in Poonch. The 35-year-old was cutting wood near his house when the shell exploded near his house. He is being evacuated to a hospital. Earlier in the day, Pakistan fired along the LoC in the Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch at 6am, drawing strong retaliation from the Indian Army. The firing continued till 7am, Lt Col Anand had said. The firing started again at 1pm in Krishna Ghati sector and then at 2:15pm in Nowshera sector of Rajouri, he had said. The firings by Pakistan came a day after the air forces of both the neighbours claimed to have downed each others fighter jets. Pakistan also captured Indian Air Forces Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Also read: First aerial dogfight in 48 years escalates India-Pakistan tensions Pakistan has been violating the 2003 ceasefire agreement and had at least five Indian soldiers were injured on Tuesday as its troops fired across the LoC at several areas in Jammu and Kashmir. The tension between India and Pakistan has escalated after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed rammed his explosive-laden car and blew up a bus killing 40 CRPF troopers on February 14. India has accused Pakistan of using its air force to target Indian military installations on Wednesday morning in response to pre-dawn counter-terror strikes of Tuesday against Jaish-e-Mohammad camps in Pakistan. India and Pakistan summoned each others envoys on Wednesday over the tension. Pakistans deputy high commissioner Syed Haider Shah, who was summoned to the South Block in New Delhi, told Indian officials about capturing of an Indian pilot by Pakistani authorities. In Islamabad, Pakistans foreign office also summoned Indias acting high commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia and condemned what it called unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian forces along the Line of Control resulting in the killing of four of its civilians. Villagers along the 744-km long Line of Control and 198-km International Border in Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts in Jammu region and in Baramulla district in Kashmir Valley say they have been living in fear following the firings. Authorities have ordered all government and private schools within a range five km from International Border in Samba, Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch to remain closed on Thursday. They said the situation is tense but no one has migrated so far from Jammu, Samba and Rajouri districts but some families from Chajala Pathri, a village close to the LoC in Poonch, have shifted to safer areas. However, district commissioners of Rajouri and Poonch said there has been no migration as yet. A report by news agency PTI has said that 2018 witnessed the highest number of ceasefire violations 2,936 by Pakistani troops in the last 15 years along the India-Pakistan border. Pakistan continues to violate the ceasefire understanding of 2003 despite repeated calls for restraint and adherence to the agreement during flag meetings between the border guarding forces of the two countries. World powers have urged restraint as tensions escalated this week after the February 14 suicide car bombing in Pulwama. US president Donald Trump said on Thursday he hoped the conflict between India and Pakistan will be coming to an end. Pakistans ambassador to the United States, however, voiced regret that America has not condemned Indias air incursion, saying the stance emboldened New Delhi. Asad Majeed Khan said the US should have pinned blame on India. It is construed and understood as an endorsement of the Indian position and that is what emboldened them even more, Khan told reporters when asked about the US statement. Accusing the Centre of insincerity, several Naga bodies boycotted consultative meetings with interlocutor RN Ravi to take forward long-standing peace talks. Three prominent Naga groups, Naga Hoho, Naga Students Federation and Naga Mothers Association stayed away from meetings with Ravi in Nagaland capital Kohima on Tuesday. In a statement, the Naga Hogo said they were boycotting the meet to show resentment towards the Government of India for its insincerity and lack of political will towards solving the Indo-Nagaland political problem. The NDA government had signed a framework agreement with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) in 2015, with the aim of finding a final solution to the Naga issue that has been simmering inconclusively for nearly two decades. The Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) facility at Balakot in Pakistan, which was targeted by an Indian air strike on Tuesday, was the venue for a gathering last year during which top JeM leaders extolled the role of the local madrasa in producing jihadi fighters sent to Jammu and Kashmir. JeM chief Masood Azhars younger brother Abdul Rauf Asghar and his brother-in-law Yusuf Azhar alias Ustad Ghauri were among jihadi leaders and clerics who attended the annual conference at Madrassa Teleemul-Quran at Jaba Top in April 2018, according to a report in JeMs journal al-Qalam, published around the time. Asghar, the deputy chief of JeM, accused of playing a key role in planning the 2016 attack on Pathankot airbase, was quoted by the journal as telling the gathering: The youth who rise from this madrassa have broken the arrogance of the mountains of Kashmir and lit the torch of jihad there, and they will, God willing, continue to keep it alight. He talked about the importance of jihad in his address and mentioned how jihad had helped repulse those fighting against Islam. Mujahideen across the world, he said, are a living example of the importance of jihad and their efforts to overcome obstacles as big as the mountains shows their love for the religion. The conference was also attended by Mufti Asghar Khan Kashmiri, considered to be one of Masood Azhars most trusted aides, and Mufti Mansoor Ahmad. After the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the JeM had moved its training camps to Balakot area of Pakistans KhyberPakhtunkhwa province, located about 40 km by road from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistanoccupied Kashmir. The JeM facility at Jaba Top near Balakot is believed to be one of the largest and oldest run by the group that has been banned by the US and the UN. A secret US department of defence document on Guantanamo detainee Hafez K Rahman, leaked by WikiLeaks, said he was moved to the detention camp in Cuba in February 2002 because of his knowledge of the Moaskar training camp in Balakot, (Pakistan). This is an apparent reference to the same JeM facility that was targeted in the strike on Tuesday. Rahman, a Pakistani national, was trained at JeM camps and then fought alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan before he was captured by the Northern Alliance, the document said. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath on Thursday unveiled a slew of development projects in his pocket borough Chhindwara, from where he will be contesting the upcoming assembly bypoll. Nath, a nine-time member of Parliament from Chhindwara, who was named the states chief minister in December, will have to win an assembly seat within six months of assuming office. On Thursday, the CM inaugurated a medical college and the new building of the district hospital. He also laid the foundation stones of several projects worth about 2,000 crore and launched the states farm loan waiver scheme, officials said. . Within two hours of taking over as chief minister of of Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath, on December 17, issued his first official order to waive farm loans up to 2 lakh per head. Deepak Saxena, a legislator has already vacated the Chhindwara assembly seat by resigning from the state assembly. The by-poll is likely to be announced along with the notification for LS elections, Congress leaders said. As chief minister, he is capable of winning from any of the constituencies in Chhindwara district, his trusted lieutenant Deepak Saxenas resignation has put all speculation to rest regarding the constituency he has decided to contest from, a Congress leader said on condition of anonymity. Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said: It doesnt matter for the BJP which constituency chief minister Kamal Nath contests from. Its an internal matter of Congress. Whenever the by-poll is announced, the BJP will field its best candidate to win it. Congress spokesperson J P Dhanopia said: The CM is going to win the by-poll with a record margin given massive support to him from public due to his mass appeal, the welfare programmes launched by him, and the farm loan waiver he announced. The CPI(M)-led Kerala government is planning to move the high court against the Airports Authority of India and Adani Enterprises questioning some of the provisions of the agreement after losing the bid to operate the international airport in Thiruvananthapuram. The government-owned Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) had participated in the bid till the last minute but Adani Enterprises quoted the highest and won it on Tuesday. Adani had quoted a 168 per passenger fee, KSIDC at 135 followed by GMR at 63. When the move to privatise the airport surfaced the state government mooted a Cochin International Airport Limited, a model private-public participation, and sought some concessions to the KSIDC. We will move the court in a couple of days. We will not sign the state support agreement. The state had invested heavily on land and we will not allow a private firm to get away with it, a government spokesperson said. Last time when the Kolkata airport was put on sale, the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government made it clear it will not sign the agreement forcing the civil aviation ministry to drop the airport from the list. The state has to provide power, water and other basic amenities to the airport. We doubt the Centre staged a drama in the name of bidding to select Adani. The group has no experience in running the airport either. The entire bid process sounds mysterious. How can a single group win all five bids? We suspect some foul play, said Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The CPI(M) said it will launch an agitation from Thursday to block what it called a complete sellout. The Centre first agreed to the right of first refusal to the state government but later it was limited it to 10 per cent only. It was aimed at helping Adani. Our proposal was watered down at the eleventh hour to help the group, the partys state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said. However, the opposition Congress criticised the governments decision to participate in the bidding. The government should not have participated in the bid. After losing it how can you complain now? The government deliberately made it case weak, said Congress leader VM Sudheeran. Similarly, a section of the airport employees said the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) should have participated in the bid instead of KSIDC. CIAL was in the bid for Mangaluru airport and came second. Other than Thiruvananthapuram, four other airports Lucknow, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, and Mangaluru were up for bidding. Among the five, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru quoted the lowest, 168 and 115 respectively. Adani Enterprises was not available for its comments. A senior Indian Air Force officer on Thursday confirmed that it was the MiG-21 Bison flown by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman that shot down the F-16 Pakistan Air Force jet in the aerial engagement with Pakistan on Wednesday morning. In the aerial combat that ensued one F-16 of the Pakistan Air Force was shot down by Indian Air Force MiG 21 Bison aircraft. The F-16 crashed and fell across the Line of Control in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Air Force lost one MiG 21 aircraft. Though the pilot ejected safely, his parachute drifted into PoJ&K, where he was taken into custody by Pakistan Army, Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor said at a press conference in New Delhi. The aerial dogfight referred to by the Air Vice Marshal took place after PAF violated Indian airspace and attempted to target military installations following strike by IAF at a terror camp at Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The terror camp was said to be the biggest run by Jaish-e-Mohammed. Also read: Parts of Paks AMRAAM missile found in J&K: Proof shown at defence briefing On 27th of February, at around 1000 hours, Indian radars detected a large package of Pakistan Air Force aircrafts heading towards Indian territories, towards general area of Jhangar. They breached the Indian airspace west of Rajouri in the Sundarbani area, said Air Vice Marshal Kapoor providing details of the aerial dogfight. The invading aircraft were engaged at various levels. The IAF aircraft including MiG-21 Bison were tasked to intercept the intruding PAF aircraft. The Pakistan Air Force aircraft attempting to target military installations were intercepted by the Indian Air Force aircraft, which foiled their attempt, he said. He also said that although Pakistan Air Force bombs fell in the compound of Indias military installation, it failed to cause any damage. Also read: Pak to release captured IAF pilot tomorrow as peace gesture: Imran Khan Pakistan has announced Wing commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released tomorrow as a gesture of peace. The IAF welcomed the release of its pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman . We are happy that our pilot who had fallen across the Line of Control and was in custody of Pakistan is being released. We are extremely happy to have him back. We only see it as a gesture which is in consonance with all Geneva conventions, Air Vice Marshal Kapoor said. Pakistan has not admitted to either having crossed the LoC on Wednesday or using F-16 jets in the aerial dogfight. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his statements, has maintained that PAF jets remained on the Pakistani side of the LoC. He did not refer to the use of F-16 jets. Also read: Happy officer will return, Pak gesture in line with Geneva Convention, says IAF However, Air Vice Marshal Kapoor said, There is enough evidence to show that F-16s were used in this mission through their electronic signatures. Parts of AMRAAM, air to air missile which is carried only on the Pakistani F-16s was recovered east of Rajouri within the Indian territory. On the question of assessment of the damage done by the IAF strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Pakistan, Air Vice Marshal Kapoor said, We have evidence to show that whatever we wanted to do and targets we wanted to destroy, we have done that. Decision to show the evidence is on senior leadership. The IAF targeted the Jaish terror camp in a pre-dawn operation on Tuesday. The operation, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had said, was carried out on the basis of credible intelligence inputs that Jaish-e-Mohammed was planning to carry out more terror attacks in India. Jaish-e-Mohammed had claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack, in which a CRPf convoy was targeted by a suicide bomber on February 14 killing 40 soldiers. Also Watch: Opinion I Why IAF pilots release may not immediately de-escalate tensions North India continues to be in the grips of seasonal flu, with H1N1 (swine flu) cases likely to cross 15,000 by the end of February, which is more than the 14,992 cases confirmed in the entire year in 2018. The National Centre for Disease Control has reported 14,803 confirmed cases across states till February 24, with 448 deaths. This is less than half the 1,103 deaths confirmed in all of 2018. There has been no change in the strain of the H1N1 virus in circulation. The number of cases reported this year is higher mainly because of two reasons: prolonged winters; and more people getting tested because of higher awareness, said Dr Ekta Gupta, additional professor of virology, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS). With 3,964 cases and 137 deaths, Rajasthan reported the most cases and deaths, followed by Delhi with 2,738 cases and seven deaths. In Delhi, 460 of the total cases were reported this week, which is lower than the 609 cases that were reported last week. While Gujarat is a close third in terms of number of cases with 2,726, in the number of deaths, 88, it is the second highest after Rajasthan. Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have higher death rates, with 43 of the 199 people who tested positive for H1N1 dying in MP, and HP recording 256 cases and 32 deaths. H1N1 is the predominant strain that is causing 70%-90% of seasonal flu infections. Usually, there is an increase in the number of cases reported when the structure of the virus changes and people have no immunity against it. We havent observed that. The other reason could be an increase in the pool of un-immunised people, due to migrations and new births, said Dr Nivedita Gupta, senior scientist, Indian Council of Medical Research. India experiences a second peak of seasonal flu infections during the monsoons. In India, especially north India, seasonal influenza peaks during the monsoons and in the winter months. But it has been observed that if the numbers are high during the one peak, the numbers are lower in the next. This is because most of the population gains immunity when there is a spurt in infections, said Dr Nivedita Gupta. In case of a fever, doctors suggest taking rest at home as seasonal influenza is a self-limiting disease. However, kids aged below five, old people above the age of 65, pregnant women and people with other conditions like diabetes, hypertension, or chronic lung, liver or kidney should consult a doctor and take oseltamivir if needed. Very small percentage of people with H1N1 need to be hospitalised. One should look out for red flags such as difficulty breathing, sputum with blood, or discolouration of skin, lips and nails. Flu vaccine has to be administered annually, so cannot be made a part of the national programme. But people who can afford it should get vaccinated as it only protects you against the flu and makes symptoms milder but also lowers risk of outbreaks, Gupta said. Prime Minister Narendra Modis interaction with party workers left many opposition parties angry, with leaders saying it was badly timed given the stand-off with Pakistan following an air strike by India on a Jaish-e-Mohammed camp and a subsequent incursion by Pakistani jets that was repulsed. An Indian pilot was also captured, although later on Thursday, Pakistan PM Imran Khan said the pilot will be released as a a goodwill gesture. Opposition parties said that, given this, the PM has misplaced priorities and is desperate only for getting re-elected. The Congress accused BJP leaders of politicising the bravery of the armed forces, while referring to former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappas comment that Indias pre-emptive strike in Pakistan will help his party win over 22 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in the southern state. Glaring case of misplaced priorities! 132 Cr Indians pray for safe & immediate return of Indias brave-heart Wing Comm, Abhinandan but Modiji desperate only for re-election. Congress cancelled its imp CWC & Rally today. Pradhan Sevak hell-bent on creating a Video Conf. record! Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati also hit out at the BJP. Yadav said, Today, when the entire country is rising above politics and standing as one, the BJP is busy making a record of contacting maximum number of booth workers. Mayawati said, At a time when the country is facing hostility and country needs firm leadership, instead of concentrating on the matter of national security, the PM is trying to serve political interest by addressing BJP workers. A BJP leader, who refused to be named, said the PM already gave the message that the country should move forward. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said that captured Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released on Friday as a gesture of peace. Khan made the announcement in his address to the joint session of the National Assembly of Pakistan expressing hope that the move will help de-escalate tension between India and Pakistan. In our desire for peace, I announce that tomorrow, and as a first step to open negotiations, we are releasing the Indian pilot tomorrow as a gesture of peace, said Khan in the Pakistans parliament. Wing Commander Abhinandan is in Pakistan Armys custody since Wednesday morning. He had landed on the other side of the Line of Control after his aircraft fell down during aerial dogfight between India and Pakistan. (Follow live updates here) Also read: First photo of F-16 engine part recovered in PoK contradicts Pakistan claim During his address in the joint session of Pakistani parliament, Khan said he is ready to have dialogue with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said, I tried to speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as I want to de-escalate prevailing tension between the two countries. Watch | Opinion I Why IAF pilots release may not immediately de-escalate tensions I appeal to India and Narendra Modi not to escalate the situation further. It would not be in favour of either India or Pakistan given the kind of weapons the two countries have, said Khan. He defended violation of Indian airspace by Pakistan Air Force saying the country was forced to retaliate following action by India. Also read: India wants Pakistan to walk the talk on terror for de-escalation: Sources Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshis offered a deal to India on the IAF pilot. He said Pakistan was ready to release the pilot if it meant de-escalation of the current tension between the two countries. On Thursday, India rejected the deal offer saying it wanted immediate release of the IAF pilot. New Delhi also rejected the proposal for dialogue with Pakistan until it takes concrete steps against terror outfits. Pakistan would be prepared to return the captured Indian Air Force pilot if it helped ease the crisis with India, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told in an interview to Geo TV on Thursday. If there is de-escalation with the return of this [Indian] pilot, Pakistan is willing to consider this. We are ready for all positive engagement, Qureshi said in the interview. He said Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to talk to Indian PM Narendra Modi over telephone and extend an invitation of peace. (Follow live updates) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was detained by Pakistani authorities following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control in which a Pakistani jet was downed. IAF also lost a MiG 21 aircraft. Read: Pak trying to divide us, India will fight as one, win as one, says PM India has asked Pakistan to ensure safe return of the IAF pilot and strongly strongly objected to Islamabad putting out photographs and videos of the pilot, calling it a vulgar display of an injured personnel. The ministry of external affairs had on Wednesday summoned Pakistans Deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah to lodge a protest against Paksitan Air Forces attempt to attack military installations. Tensions have been elevated since a suicide car bombing by Pakistan-based terrorists killed at least 40 CRPF jawans on February 14 in Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama. Also Read | No deal on IAF pilot captured by Pak, return him immediately: Govt India has handed over to Pakistan a dossier on specific details of involvement of Jaish-e-Mohammad in the Pulwama terror attack on CRPF and the presence of camps of the terror outfit in Pakistan. Qureshi on Thursday said Pakistan will evaluate with an open heart the dossier handed over by India. Will evaluate Indian dossier with an open heart. I wish India would have sent this dossier earlier, Qureshi told Geo News. The Foreign Office in a statement said the dossier will be reviewed by it following which any and all legal evidence will be probed. Islamabad will take action against credible evidence provided by India, it said. The Indian government believes the ball is in Pakistans court to de-escalate tensions by taking immediate, credible and verifiable action against terrorists and proxies operating from its soil, government sources said on Thursday. Tensions have spiked after the two countries said on Wednesday they had shot down each others warplanes and Islamabad confirmed the capture of Indian fighter pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Relations have been on edge since India conducted an air strike within Pakistan on a facility of the Jaish-e-Mohammed, which claimed the Pulwama terror attack. The Indian government believes none of its actions have led to an escalation, and it has focused on the main issue of the need for counter-terrorism initiatives by Pakistan in its engagement with the world community, the sources said. Also read: Pak to release captured IAF pilot tomorrow as peace gesture: Imran Khan The Indian side is also clear that Pakistan will not be allowed to use the captured Indian Air Force pilot as a bargaining tool, the sources said. A demarche or formal diplomatic representation handed over to Pakistan on Wednesday clearly stated that the pilot must be treated humanely and immediately returned, the sources added. The government is keen to avert any attempt by Pakistan to use the pilot to influence the mood of the Indian people, as had happened in the case of the passengers of the Indian airliner hijacked from Kathmandu to Kandahar in December 1999, the sources said. The Indian government has also signalled to the world community that the country is not creating a war psychosis or shutting down its airspace or suspending a cross-border train, the sources noted. All such steps had been taken by Pakistan with an eye on the world community, they pointed out. Also read: Must respect territorial integrity of all: China to Pak in late night call The government has reached out to countries across the world, with officials in New Delhi and missions abroad briefing interlocutors on the action taken so far and Pakistans refusal to take action against terror groups operating from its soil, the sources said. Most countries had expressed their understanding for Indias position and called on Pakistan to crack down on terrorists even while calling for restraint, they added. One of the outcomes of these engagements was the fresh move by the US, the UK and France on Wednesday to list JeM chief Masood Azhar by the UNs 1267 Committee. The sources said the Indian government has told interlocutors from other countries that it considered sharing actionable intelligence on JeM with Pakistan after the Pulwama Attack but decided not to do so because of Islamabads failure to act after the sharing of information on the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the 2016 terrorist assault on Pathankot airbase, the sources said. Also read: First photo of F-16 engine part recovered in PoK contradicts Pakistan claim Indias air strike on Tuesday targeted a JeM facility and was aimed at pre-empting further terror attacks, whereas Pakistans air strikes on Wednesday were an act of aggression as they were aimed at Indian military facilities, the sources said. They questioned whether Pakistan was trying to target Indias military to protect its terrorist proxies. India is still ready for talks with Pakistan on March 14 for modalities for opening the Kartarpur Corridor to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistani Punjab as the issue affects the sizeable Sikh community and the proposal for the talks had come from Islamabad, the sources said. Also read: We have reasonably decent news from India and Pak, says Trump On Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshis remarks that Prime Minister Imran Khan was ready to talk to his Indian counterpart, the sources said Khan should walk the talk and take immediate and verifiable action against terrorists as India had already shared information on JeM through a dossier provided on Wednesday. The Indian government was unclear about US President Donald Trumps remarks about good news in ending India-Pakistan tensions, the sources said. The US has shown no ambiguity on Indias counter-terror actions, and India and Pakistan have a number of channels to talk and no third party mediation is needed, they added. Also Watch: Opinion I Why IAF pilots release may not immediately de-escalate tensions India said Pakistan violated the 2003 ceasefire agreement thrice on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch and Rajouri districts, for the seventh consecutive day, as tension between the neighbouring countries escalated to the worst in years. Defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said the latest firing came at 2:15pm in Rajouris Nowshera sector. Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling with mortars and firing of small arms along LoC in Nowshera Sector. The Indian Army is retaliating effectively, Lt Col Anand said. Earlier in the day, Pakistan fired along the LoC in the Krishna Ghati sector at 6am, drawing strong retaliation from the Indian Army. The firing continued till 7am, Lt Col Anand had said. The firing started again at 1pm in Krishna Ghati Sector of Poonch, he had said. The firings by Pakistan came a day after the air forces of both the neighbours claimed to have downed each others fighter jets. Pakistan also captured Indian Air Forces Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Also read: First aerial dogfight in 48 years escalates India-Pakistan tensions Pakistan has been violating the 2003 ceasefire agreement and had at least five Indian soldiers were injured on Tuesday as its troops fired across the LoC at several areas in Jammu and Kashmir. The tension between India and Pakistan has escalated after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed rammed his explosive-laden car and blew up a bus killing 40 CRPF troopers on February 14. India has accused Pakistan of using its air force to target Indian military installations on Wednesday morning in response to pre-dawn counter-terror strikes of Tuesday against Jaish-e-Mohammad camps in Pakistan. India and Pakistan summoned each others envoys on Wednesday over the tension. Pakistans deputy high commissioner Syed Haider Shah, who was summoned to the South Block in New Delhi, told Indian officials about capturing of an Indian pilot by Pakistani authorities. In Islamabad, Pakistans foreign office also summoned Indias acting high commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia and condemned what it called unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian forces along the Line of Control resulting in the killing of four of its civilians. Villagers along the 744-km long Line of Control and 198-km International Border in Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts in Jammu region and in Baramulla district in Kashmir Valley say they have been living in fear following the firings. Authorities have ordered all government and private schools within a range five km from International Border in Samba, Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch to remain closed on Thursday. They said the situation is tense but no one has migrated so far from Jammu, Samba and Rajouri districts but some families from Chajala Pathri, a village close to the LoC in Poonch, have shifted to safer areas. However, district commissioners of Rajouri and Poonch said there has been no migration as yet. A report by news agency PTI has said that 2018 witnessed the highest number of ceasefire violations 2,936 by Pakistani troops in the last 15 years along the India-Pakistan border. Pakistan continues to violate the ceasefire understanding of 2003 despite repeated calls for restraint and adherence to the agreement during flag meetings between the border guarding forces of the two countries. World powers have urged restraint as tensions escalated this week after the February 14 suicide car bombing in Pulwama. US president Donald Trump said on Thursday he hoped the conflict between India and Pakistan will be coming to an end. Also read: We have reasonably decent news from India and Pak, says Trump Pakistans ambassador to the United States, however, voiced regret that America has not condemned Indias air incursion, saying the stance emboldened New Delhi. Asad Majeed Khan said the US should have pinned blame on India. It is construed and understood as an endorsement of the Indian position and that is what emboldened them even more, Khan told reporters when asked about the US statement. India presented at a joint briefing on Thursday parts of an AMRAAM missile fired by Pakistani F-16 jets at military installations in Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri to contradict Islamabads claim that it had not used F-16 jets in its aerial strike yesterday. The evidence is crucial to establishing use of the F-16 jets in the offensive since the US, which sold the jets to Islamabad, doesnt allow these platforms to be used in an offensive posture. The unusual briefing, conducted against the backdrop of the Defence Ministry at Raisina Hill, was addressed by senior officers of the three services, Army, Navy and Air Force. The briefing was as much of an effort to call out Pakistan on its retaliatory strike as it was to assure the country that the defence forces were prepared to meet any eventuality. Also read: MiG 21 pilot took out Paks F16 before capture, says IAF at joint briefing In between, they also packed in a sharp message for Pakistan.If they provoke us any further, we are prepared for exigencies, said Army Maj Gen SS Mahal. There is enough evidence to show that F-16s were used in this mission and Pakistan is trying to hide this fact. Also, parts of AMRAAM Air to Air Missile which is carried only on the F-16s in PAF were recovered East of Rajouri within the Indian territory, the IAF said. Also read:Pak to release captured IAF pilot tomorrow as peace gesture, says Imran Khan The air force said this was one of the several factually incorrect statements that emerged from Pakistan after its fighter jets violated Indian airspace in an effort to target military installations. Pakistan claimed that they intentionally dropped weapons in open space where there was no human presence or military posts. The fact is that the PAF aircraft targeted military installations, the IAF said. Also Watch: Opinion I Why IAF pilots release may not immediately de-escalate tensions Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday chaired a high-level meeting on security amid the heightened tensions with Pakistan and after Imran Khan announced the release of an Indian Air Force pilot captured by his country. Officials sources said the meeting was attended by chiefs of the three Services, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Several other senior officials also attended the meeting held at the prime ministers residence here. Also Watch: Opinion I Why IAF pilots release may not immediately de-escalate tensions An IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat on Wednesday during which the two sides said they shot down each others warplanes that followed an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes that sparked fears of war. Khan Thursday announced that IAFs captured pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, will be released on Friday as a gesture of peace and the first step to open negotiations with India. France, the UK and the US have launched a fresh bid at the UN to list Masood Azhar, founder of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) that took responsibility for the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, as a global terrorist though China remained non-committal on backing the move. Paris is leading the latest and fourth attempt to put Azhar on the blacklist of UNs 1267 Committee that already includes the JeM, which he founded after being freed by India in 1999 in exchange for passengers of an Air India flight hijacked to Kandahar. Three previous attempts were blocked by China, which cited the rules under the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 and lack of evidence and consensus. Resolution 1267 allows for the listing of individuals and groups with links to al-Qaeda or the Islamic State. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson was non-committal when asked whether Beijing will block the latest move to list Azhar. We have said many times that the UN Security Council 1267 Committee has clear regulations on the listing and related procedures of terrorist organisations or individuals. China will continue to participate in discussions in the Council on sanctions committees and other subsidiary bodies in a responsible manner, the spokesperson said. Chinas repeated blocking of the move has been an irritant in bilateral ties, which have improved markedly since last years informal summit in Wuhan between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Beijing adopted a more nuanced approach after the Pulwama attack and backed a strongly-worded statement by the Security Council that named JeM. Indian officials are cautiously optimistic of the prospects of the new move in the backdrop of the Pulwama attack on that killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers. There is a direct link between the Pulwama attack carried out by Azhars Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Balakot camp that was run by his brother-in-law Yusuf Azhar, one of the five hijackers of Indian Airlines flight IC-814, who is on CBIs listed of wanted criminals, an Indian counter-terrorism official said. People familiar with developments in New Delhi said Chinas ambiguous position was not unexpected. They said every effort is being made to convince China that there are reasonable grounds for sanctioning Azhar, and other countries too have information that they are using to persuade Beijing. India has given specific information about JeM and its leaders to all members of Security Council and will continue to lobby them, the people said. Listing Azhar is not the endgame, and the move is aimed at sending a message to Pakistan that no one is on its side on the issue of terrorism, they added. The process of putting together a case for the UN sanctions committee is technical, painstaking and confidential. Contents of previous proposals for Azhars designation remain confidential, as do reasons for their failure. In an age where informed publics increasingly demand transparency from public institutions, the sanctions committees are the most egregious examples known to multilateralism in terms of their opacity and lack of accountability, Indias permanent representative to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin, said during a debate at the UN on multilateralism last November. Azhar has been the best-known beneficiary of this opaque process that has been deployed only by China in support of Pakistan, which hosts JeM, Lashkar-e-Taiba and other terror groups. JeM has been on this UN list since 2001, along with LeT, which carried out the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL) issued a red alert across all the 12 stations in the Maharashtra capital on Thursday, a day after Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) declared a similar alert for its network. The move comes in a wake of escalating tension between India and Pakistan for the last two days. Basis the inputs received from security agencies, Mumbai Metro One has imposed Red Alert on all 12 stations with immediate effect. We seek cooperation and support from our esteemed commuters, Mumbai Metro One tweeted. The Reliance Infrastructure-led MMOPL operates the 11.5km Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro-1 corridor. On Tuesday, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said in the state legislature that security has been stepped up across the city. More details are awaited. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the paramilitary force that provides Metro security, had said will frisk passengers twice before allowing entry to the network in Delhi. It has also deployed officers in plain clothes at station premises. Also read: Delhi Metro sounds red alert, security stepped up at IGI Airport CISF officials said they have stepped up the vigil at areas surrounding Metro stations near VVIP areas and at stations such as Chandni Chowk, New Delhi Railway Station and Kashmiri Gate, which witness a heavy footfall. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi has told his Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Responding to an urgent late night phone call from Qureshi, Wang stressed that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, Chinas foreign ministry said in a statement in Chinese. The statement quoted Wang, who is also a state councillor, as saying China is unwilling to see acts that violate the norms of international relations. The conversation took place against the backdrop of Pakistan violating Indian airspace on Wednesday morning. New Delhi has described the violation as an unsuccessful attempt to target military installations. A combat air patrol team of the Indian Air Force had foiled the attempt and shot down a Pak F-16. One IAF fighter, a MiG 21 Bison, was also shot down. The IAF pilot is in the custody of Pakistani authorities. A day earlier, India had carried out precision strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp across the Line of Control with Pakistan in Balakot. Also read: US, UK, France push for terrorist tag for Masood Azhar that China blocked Wang and Qureshi spoke hours after foreign minister Sushma Swaraj left China after the day-long meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, India, and China. In the joint statement issued after the meet, the three countries strongly condemned terrorism and said the three sides stressed that terrorist groups cannot be supported and used in political and geopolitical goals. They said those committing, orchestrating, inciting or supporting terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice in accordance with existing international commitments on countering terrorism, including the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, Security Council resolutions and FATF standards. This action should be taken on the principle extradite or prosecute, they added. Also read: Opinion| Keep up the pressure on Pakistan Swaraj made a strong pitch for concerted international efforts to combat terror. She said she raised the Pulwama attack during meetings with her Russian and Chinese counterparts. She said, We need a global strategy, global cooperation to counter terrorism. I am happy to tell you today we discussed the establishment of a UN-led global counter-terrorism mechanism and finalising CCIT (Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism) proposed by India. During the phone conversation with Wang on Wednesday night, Qureshi said he hoped that China would continue to play a constructive role in easing the current tension, the MFA statement said. Also read: In Pakistans custody, IAF pilot is all about dignity, courage Wang Yi expressed deep concern about the escalation of tension between Pakistan and India, it added. He briefed Qureshi on Chinas efforts to persuade and facilitate talks, and reiterated his hope that both sides would exercise restraint and earnestly fulfill their commitments to prevent the situation from escalating, the statement added. The last time an officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was taken into custody by Pakistan was on May 27, 1999. Flight lieutenant K Nachiketa was carrying out strikes against enemy posts from his MiG 27 fighter aircraft during the short, sharp Kargil war. He had just locked on to a target and fired the powerful 30mm cannon of his bomber when his engine flamed out. He was forced to eject and when he did, he found himself in enemy territory. While it is not clear how Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, flying a MIG 21, landed in Pakistani territory, what is clear, from official statements from Pakistan and Indian officials who asked not to be named, is that he is in Pakistans custody. Nachiketa said in interviews after his release that he was tortured in Pakistan. In an NDTV interview in 2016, the pilot said, The torture was quite bad. There comes a point where you think death is simpler, but fortunately for me, the third-degree part, which is the last part, didnt start for me. Nachiketa spent eight days in custody before he was handed over to the then Indian high commissioner, G Parthasarathy. Nawaz Sharif was the Prime Minister at the time. Recalling the time when he was called to take charge of the prisoner of war who ought not to have been tortured under the Geneva Convention Parthasarathy said on Wednesday he saw red when he was told that the media would be present at the time of the handover. I told them, I will not allow and officer of the Indian Air Force to be made a media monkey out of, the former high commissioner said. Nachiketa was handed over to the representatives of the International Committee of Red Cross, who in turn drove him to the Indian high commission in Islamabad. He was driven across the India-Pakistan border by an air attache. The then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and then air chief, Air Chief Marshal Anil Tipnis spoke to him before he left Islamabad. This time around, Pakistan has said it was left with no option but to hit back after Indias air strike on Tuesday but that it wanted peace, and released two clips of Vardhaman. India condemned Pakistans treatment of the pilot, calling it vulgar display and demanded his immediate return. Samples of the illicit liquor that killed 156 people in the Golaghat and Jorhat districts of Assam last week have tested positive for methyl alcohol or methanol, a toxic chemical, police officers probing the case said on Thursday. We collected samples from several places. Some of them have tested positive for methyl alcohol, something the doctors as well as we have been suspecting all along. An official report is awaited though, said one of the officers, asking not to be named as he is not authorised to speak to media. Methanol poisoning has been behind most of the hooch tragedies in India, including the one in which more than 100 people were killed in parts of western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the second week of February. In 2011, as many as 172 people lost their lives after consuming methanol laced liquor in West Bengal. Illegal distillers make the mistake of using methanol instead of ethyl alcohol or ethanol, which is not toxic. Dr Uttam Prasad Dutta, superintendent at the civil hospital in Golaghat where multiple deaths were reported, said: Methanol is poisonous. In this incident, many patients who came here complained of blurry vision, vomiting, abdominal pain, delirium and restlessness which made us suspect methanol may have been mixed with the liquor they consumed. If the patients get to the hospital immediately it is possible to treat them but in this case, many came only after their condition worsened. According to the Assam Police, on February 21, a group of four women from Halmira Tea Estate in Golaghat first reported sick. Police said Pranjal Sharma, the doctor at the tea estate hospital, collected a sample of the illicit liquor from the house of one of the four, and handed it over to the police. Droupadi Urang and her son Sanju Urang, both of whom later died, distributed the liquor, the police added. A total of 44 people have been arrested so far in Golaghat and Jorhat districts. Pushpraj Singh, superintendent of police, Golaghat, said the probe has exposed the entire network of manufacturers and distributors of the illicit liquor. Two individuals are yet to be arrested, including the one who supplied methyl alcohol, added Singh. Singh said that the police arrested these people based on dying declarations of some of the victims. Dilip Kumar De, deputy inspector general of police, said there seem to be two parallel chains involved in the distribution and manufacturing of the illicit liquor one in Golaghat and the other in Jorhat. To cut costs and make more profits, it is likely that they were mixing spirit and water and passing it on to consumers, said Mukesh Agarwal, additional director general of police (law and order). He explained how, usually, the distillers would steal ethyl alcohol from trucks carrying it from distilleries in the neighbouring Karbi Anglong or other places. Ethanol is used in making alcoholic beverages. In this case, instead of ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol seemed to have been stolen, mixed with water and sold, Singh added. Shantanu Hazarika, superintendent of excise department, Golaghat, said a raid conducted in November 2017 led to the seizure of 227 litres of methyl alcohol. In December 2018, two people from Jugibari village in Golaghat were arrested. It is this village that supplied hooch to Halmira and adjoining areas where maximum deaths were reported. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said that the partys alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was revived to keep the Opposition out of power. The Sena president, while speaking at an event organised by the partys Sthaniya Lokadhikar Samiti (SLS), said that with the alliance, he has given another chance to the BJP. The Sena chiefs comments come against the backdrop of the flak the party has been receiving for deciding to ally with the BJP after it had resolved to contest the elections on its own. At the event on Wednesday, Thackeray also saluted the bravery of the officers of the Indian Air Force (IAF) who conducted counter-terrorist strikes on Tuesday. However, he cautioned that politicians and political parties need to exercise restraint while addressing the issue. Nobody should take credit for the bravery of soldiers. At the same time, their morale should not be brought down by raising any kind of doubts, he said. The Sena chief also expressed concern about IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who went missing during cross-border clashes on Wednesday. The SLS is a key body of the Shiv Sena with representations in various central and state government organisations, nationalised banks, insurance sector, oil companies, railways, port, etc. It was started as a movement to seek employment for sons of the soil in the state, but it also aides the Sena in electioneering before polls. Last month, Thackeray had addressed a gathering of SLS members, directing them to prepare to contest solo. On Wednesday, however, the Sena chief said the atmosphere has changed from what it was in 2014, and that the BJP has realised the mistakes it committed. We were together for 25 years; there were issues for five years. We gave Congress 50 years; now lets give them [the BJP] another five years. If the country had gone into Congresss hands, many things, including Hindutva, would have lagged behind, he said. Thackeray added that in the current political scenario, all political partiesnational or regionalare going forth in the elections in an alliance. I am confident that if we had decided to fight alone, we would have won. But if you see the scenario today, there is no political party that has gone solonot even the Congress and the BJP. If we had contested alone, we would have won definitely, but there was a possibility of a hung House. In that case, could we have gone with the Congress, he asked. Thackeray asked SLS members to not look at the criticism [about the alliance] and said, Now there are news stories that party workers are upset with alliance, and that Uddhav Thackeray made a U-turn. I will make C-turn, Z-Turn; I will run my party as I want with the support of the sainiks, he said. The post-mortem report of Pakistani prisoner Shakir Ullah (45), who was allegedly killed by four other inmates in the Jaipur Central Jail on February 20, reveals that he was hit by a blunt weapon leading to ante-mortem head injuries. HT has a copy of the post-mortem report. According to the post-mortem report, many tissue injuries, including abrasions and lacerated wounds, were found on the right frontal temporal region of Shakirs brain. Diffused swelling on left frontal region of the face was also found. When dissection of scalp tissue was done, beneath injuries there is sub scalp hematoma on both sides of frontal temporal to occipital region with fracture of both frontal, both temporal, both parietal, both occipital bones into multiple fragments. It was also found that dural membrane was torn at left and right frontal temporal region with sub-dural hemorrhage, the report reads. Injuries on left ear, right wrist and right thumbs prior to death were also found, the report adds. The post-mortem was conducted by a panel of three doctors at the Sawai Man Singh hospital on February 21. The viscus of the deceased has been taken for chemical examination. According to the doctors who conducted the post-mortem, the cause of death is coma as a result of the head injuries caused by a blunt weapon. The FIR in the case states that around 1.25pm on February 20 warden Ramswaroop heard a loud voice of someone shouting from the cell number 10, where nine inmates Shakir Ullah alias Mohammad Hanif, Ajeet, Manoj Pratap Singh, Bhajan Meena, Kulwinder Singh alias Kullu, Hazi Khan, Mahesh Lota, Nandlal and Mallaki were watching TV. A few minutes later warden Ramswaroop reached the door of the cell where four inmates Hazi Khan, Mahesh, Mallaki and Nandlal told him that Ajeet, Manoj Pratap Singh, Kulwinder Gurjar and Bhajan Meena had a brawl with Shakir Ullah over watching television. Ullah was hit by a marble slab, following which he felt unconscious and died within minutes. The marble slab was kept on a raised platform made up of bricks where earlier an old model TV was placed. But recently, the old model was removed and a wall-mounted TV was placed inside the cell, said Anand Srivastava, commissioner of police, Jaipur. Meanwhile, the four accused Ajeet, Manoj Pratap Singh, Kulwinder Gurjar and Bhajan Meena were arrested under a production warrant on Wednesday. According to a jail official, the prisoners body would soon be handed over to Pakistan from Wagah or Atari border. We have been informed that Pakistani government will be taking the body of the deceased. The date and timing would be decided by the home officials after coordinating with the Pakistani embassy, said NRK Reddy, director general, prisons. Ullah, also known as Mohammad Hanif, hailed from Sialkot in Pakistan. He was brought to Jaipur by the anti-terror squad (ATS) from a jail in Ferozpur. The ATS had intercepted his phone calls to some locals in Jhalawar in south-east Rajasthan while coordinating the LeT terror activities in the region, an officer of the ATS said, requesting anonymity. On December 6, 2017, he was found guilty of recruiting for the LeT, sending the recruits for training to Pakistan and arranging funds for terror activities. Seven other persons were also convicted with him. Two of those convicted, Asgar Ali and Mohammad Iqbal, are Pakistani nationals and lodged in the Jaipur Central Jail. The other convicted in the case are all Indians. There were six Pakistanis in the jail, including Ullah, said prison officials. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON France, UK and the US launched a fresh bid Wednesday to name Masood Azhar, the founder of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed that carried out the Pulwama attack and others, as a UN-designated terrorist, as calls mounted for India and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions and exercise restraint. The United States, separately, called for restraint by both India and Pakistan in view of the Pakistani retaliatory action in response to an Indian airstrike on a Jaish training camp in Balakot, Pakistan. But it also told Pakistan, keeping the focus on terrorism, to abide by its UN commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. France leads the new, and fourth, attempt to put Azhar on a UN blacklist that already includes the outfit he founded after his release by India in 1999 in exchange for passengers of an Indian Airlines flight hijacked by five people including one who would go on to run Jaishs Balakot camp hit by India on Tuesday. Watch | Six IAF personnel, one civilian killed after Mi-17 chopper crashes in Budgam district (Follow live updates) All three previous attempts were blocked by China, which has cited rules, lack of sufficient evidence connecting Azhar to al Qaeda or the Islamic State, under the rules for designation by a sanctions committee set up by a UN Security Council resolution known popularly by the number assigned to it, 1267. A response was awaited from the French permanent mission to the UN to a question if it feels the fresh attempt, that it is shepherding, has a better chance of succeeding than the previous moves. A response was also awaited from the United States, which was involved in two of the three previous attempts. Indian officials were cautiously optimistic of the prospect of the new move, in the backdrop, they said, of the Pulwama terrorist attack on February 14 in which at least 40 personnel of the CRPF were killed by a suicide bomber in an attack for which Azhars Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility. Also read: US supports IAF strike on Jaish camp in Pak, Mike Pompeo tells Ajit Doval: Report There is a direct link between the Pulwama attack carried out by Azhars Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Balakot camp that was run by his brother-in-law Yusuf Azhar, one of the five hijackers of the Indian Airlines flight IC-814, who is on the CBIs listed of wanted criminals, said an Indian counter-terrorism official. The process of putting together a case for the UN sanctions committee is technical, painstaking and confidential. Contents of the three previous proposals moved for Azhars designation remain confidential, as do the reasons for their failure, to mounting frustration of experts and Indian diplomats, some of whom have been outspoken critics of the secretive committee and the opacity of its proceedings. In an age where informed publics increasingly demand transparency from public institutions, the Sanctions Committees are the most egregious examples known to multilateralism in terms of their opacity and lack of accountability, Indian permanent representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin said during an open debate at the UN on multilateralism and the role of the world body last November. He did not name the 15-member 1267 committee, which votes in secret and unanimously to add to its list of sanctioned terrorists. Referring to that process, without naming it once again, Akbaruddin had said, They do not inform us that due to a negative vote cast by any of their 15 members, they have decided not to sanction an entity or individual proposed by any Member State. Also read: IAF pilot captured by Pakistan is the son of a retired air marshal Azhar has been the best-known beneficiary of this opaque process that has been deployed so far, according to available information, only by China in support of its support for Pakistan, which hosts Jaish, Lashkar and countless other terrorist groups, unmindful of its own burgeoning terrorism problem. JeM, the outfit founded by Azhar, has been on this UN list since 2001, along with Lashkar-e-Toiba, which carried out the 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai that killed over 160 people. Observers and experts are intrigued by Chinas opposition to Azhars designation because it does not really change much for the targeted individual, though UN member nations are required to throw out proscribed individual, not allow them to travel or buy arms. Lashkar-e-Toiba founder Hafiz, Saeed, they said, was a good example of the limited impact of UN designation. He was blacklisted in 2008 but remains free in Pakistan many years hence despite $10 million US bounty for his arrest and prosecution. He has addressed and participated in large public rallies, some which have been attended also by members of Prime Minister Imran Khans cabinet. An official assessment of the impact of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union without an agreement says the countrys economy will be 6.3 to 9 per cent smaller over 15 years. Its impact will also be serious on many Indian companies based in the UK. The bleak assessment, released by the Theresa May government on Tuesday under pressure from Parliament, sets out a series of situations in which production lines, food shortages, impact on financial institutions and movement of people will be adversely affected. A no-deal Bexit is widely considered the worst-case scenario called catastrophic by ministers and MPs but is one of three options before the country; others being leaving with an agreement on March 29 and not leaving the EU by revoking Article 50. As May revised her approach by promising new votes in the House of Commons in mid-March, there is growing realisation of the adverse impact of a no-deal Brexit on nearly 700 Indian companies that have offices in the UK. Pratik Dattani of the Economic Policy Group said: Many of the largest Indian employers operate in the services sector, which will be seriously impacted. UK businesses would be treated as third-country service providers by the EU, with potential loss of market access and increase in non-tariff barriers. For example, there have been several Indian-owned fintech businesses investing in the UK over the last few years, which could lose their regulatory permissions and suffer interruptions of cross-border data flows. Dattani added: Manufacturing companies like Jaguar have already said just-in-time production models will be several hampered, and they forecast higher tariffs of up to ten percent. Under a no-deal Brexit, the British economy will be smaller, and the merits of Indian companies locating in the UK, rather than rising European hubs such as Duesseldorf will be much lower. Departments have been planning for a no-deal Brexit, but the assessment says most British companies are not yet prepared to deal with the impact of easy rules and regulations put in place over decades of the UKs membership of the EU not in force in such a situation. The assessment says flow of goods through Dover would be very significantly reduced for months. The UK imports 30% of food from the EU, whose prices are likely to increase and there is a risk that panic buying might create shortages. The note says: In a no-deal scenario, both the UK and EU would need to apply customs and excise rules and VAT to goods moving between the UK and EU, as they are currently applied to goods traded in the rest of the world. Every consignment would require a customs declaration, and so around 240,000 UK businesses that currently only trade with the EU would need to interact with customs processes for the first time, should they continue to trade with the EU. Tax and revenue officials have estimated that the administrative burden on businesses from customs declarations alone, on current (2016) UK-EU trade in goods could be around 13 billion per year. The note concludes: (The) short time remaining before 29 March 2019 does not allow Government to unilaterally mitigate the effects of no deal. Even where it can take unilateral action, the lack of preparation by businesses and individuals is likely to add to the disruption experienced in a no-deal scenario. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that he has been on phone with Indian and Pakistan leaders to take down the tension there, at least for the time being, so they can begin to have conversations. Pompeo said he spent a good deal of time on the phone with Indian and Pakistani leader to make sure there was good information exchanged, encouraging each country to not take any action that would escalate and create increased risk. The secretary of state spoke to reporters about his efforts to de-escalate tensions on his way home from Hanoi. I had good conversations (with leaders of India and Pakistan), and I am hopeful that we can take down the tension there, at least for the time being, so they can begin to have conversations that dont portend risk of escalation to either of the two countries So were working hard on that, he added. The secretary offered no other details. Earlier in the day in Hanoi, President Donald Trump had addressed the tensions and had hinted at some reasonably decent news regarding Indian and Pakistan and that the tensions were going to be coming to an end. Shortly after, Pakistan announced the release of Indian Air Force pilot in their custody. Response was awaited from US authorities to questions if they had intervened with Pakistan to release the Indian pilot. Pompeo had spoken to his Indian and Pakistani counterparts Sushma Swaraj and Shah Mehmood Qureshi also on Tuesday, after Indias counter-terrorism action in Balakot, Pakistan. While urging both side to exercise restraint, he had expressly asked Pakistan to avoid taking military action and take meaningful action against terrorist groups operating on its soil The US state department followed up with another statement on Wednesday, after Pakistan sought to retaliate to the Balakot air-strike. It had asked both sides to cease all cross-border military activity and for a return to stability. And, citing the Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed, it reiterated its appeal to Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. A close examination of the historical record reveals that ground-attack aircraft in World War II were not as successful against armor as many believe. The effectiveness of anti-tank aircraft in World War II is taken for granted by most writers on the subject, offering a technophile orthodoxy that can be seamlessly woven together with accounts of later developments up to and including the Iraq wars. Luftwaffe legend Hans-Ulrich Rudel claimed to have destroyed 519 Soviet tanks, most of them while piloting a cannon-armed Junkers Ju-87G Panzerknacker, or tankbuster. Aleksandr Yefimov, said to have destroyed 126 German tanks while flying the Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik, was twice made a Hero of the Soviet Union. Tales of their exploits helped to firmly establish a positive image of anti-tank aviation in histories of the conflict. But that image has little relation to the realities of close air support during the war. The French Armee de lAir made limited use of armor-piercing 20mm ammunition for Morane-Saulnier MS.406 fighters engaged in ground strafing during the May-June 1940 campaign in France, but little is known about the results of those operations. At that early stage of the war, the only air force much interested in the use of cannon-armed airplanes against vehicles was the Soviet Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily (VVS), which in response to favorable reports regarding ground strafing in the Spanish Civil War was developing the heavily armored Sturmovik (ground-attack) aircraft, equipped with two 23mm cannons. However, since the Red Army was then also developing the exceptionally well-protected KV-1 and T-34 tanks, against which 23mm ammunition would have been useless, it is questionable whether a specific anti-tank role was seriously considered. In Britain, the Royal Air Force began thinking of specialist anti-tank aviation in the spring of 1941, after Erwin Rommels first successes in Libya. Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal, the chief of air staff, wrote to Lord Beaverbrook, minister of aircraft production, on April 14, 1941: If the Army cannot stop the German armored fighting vehicles, we must. I believe we may do this, especially in open country, by attacking their supply vehicles and the armored fighting vehicles themselves. For this we require armor piercing ammunition. Portals opinion was not shared by all his subordinates. It is not the job of the Air Force to stop deployed tanks, wrote Air Vice Marshal John Slessor. That is the job of the anti-tank weapon on the ground, of the sapper with his tank-traps and mines, of our own tanks, and of the properly trained infantryman.The job of the air is to make it impossible for the tank to go on owing to shortage of fuel, food and ammunition. Despite being slowed by its two wing-mounted 40mm Vickers cannons, the Hawker Hurricane IID proved potent against Axis tanks in North Africa. (IWM CM4954) Despite being slowed by its two wing-mounted 40mm Vickers cannons, the Hawker Hurricane IID proved potent against Axis tanks in North Africa. (IWM CM4954) Nevertheless, the RAF was the first air force to field a dedicated anti-tank airplane, the Hawker Hurricane Mark IID, armed with two Vickers S 40mm cannons firing tungsten-tipped rounds. First in action at Bir Hakim in June 1942, No. 6 Squadrons pilots quickly discovered one of the key disadvantages of going into combat with weaponry for which their aircraft were not specifically designed. On 6 Squadrons second encounter with suitable ground targets, two German trucks were shot up (one flamer), but groundfire brought down one of the three attacking Hurricanes, the pilot escaping by parachute. Another had to make a forced landing. The bulky wing-mounted 40mm armament reduced the aircrafts speed to 210 mph, making it very vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire and aerial interception. Later, the addition of 350 pounds of extra armor in the Hurricane IVD slowed the plane down even more. Despite these difficulties, the anti-tank Hurricane seemed to do well at El Alamein: By October 1942, there were five Hurricane IID squadrons in North Africa, and the most proficient of these, the by-then veteran 6 Squadron, claimed 43 German tanks destroyed for the loss of nine aircraft by the end of that month. Thus, for October 26, the Squadron Operation Record Book announced (using Allied equivalents for Axis armor): Another most successful operation, the Squadron being credited with two Honeys [light tanks], two Crusaders [medium tanks], one unidentified tank, five armored cars, one semi-tracked vehicle and one lorry. A very good show! But a couple of weeks later, Advanced Air Headquarters Western Desert was complaining that there was now nothing for the Hurricane IIDs to shoot atthe inherent weakness of a specialist force. There is no confirmation from the German side of the effectiveness of the Hurricane IID and IVD. The cannon mountings could be replaced by rails for rockets in a few hours, and during 1943 these planes were more often used, both in Italy and on the French coast, in rocket attacks. In Burma, they were supplied with 40mm explosive ammunition for use against soft-skinned targets because the Japanese had relatively few tanks. The whole design concept was, of course, no more than a stopgap. But it does seem that it was the potential of the rocket ammunition, rather than the 40mm cannon, that most impressed the RAF. The Typhoon, Hawkers intended fighter successor to the Hurricane, became the RAFs choice to supersede the Hurricane IID and IVD in the ground-attack role. Seventy percent more powerful than the Hurricane IID and 50 percent heavier, the Typhoon was faster than fighter versions of the Hurricane II, even when carrying an underwing payload of eight rockets. By September 1944, the Second Tactical Air Force was operating no fewer than 20 squadrons of Typhoons for ground attack in northwest Europe, alongside 33 squadrons of fighters and 12 squadrons of twin-engine light bombers. Their finest hour came on August 7, 1944, when German armor counterattacked at Mortain, Normandy. In the course of 294 missions, 2,088 rockets were fired, 84 German tanks were claimed destroyed, 35 probably destroyed and 21 damaged. Wing Commander Charles Green of 121 Wing told his pilots that evening, You know, chaps, this has been the day of the Typhoon and no bastard can take that away from us. Armorers install 3-inch rockets on a No. 247 Squadron Typhoon Mark IB at Bazenville, France. (IWM CL157) Armorers install 3-inch rockets on a No. 247 Squadron Typhoon Mark IB at Bazenville, France. (IWM CL157) The Operations Record Book of No. 245 Squadron individually claimed the following results: (tanks) 15 flamers, seven smokers and four damaged; (armored fighting vehicles) four flamers, four smokers and three damaged. It also noted, Today saw a major defeat of tank forces by rocket firing Typhoons in which this squadron played a leading part. Subsequent investigation of the battlefield by operational research teams, however, showed that of the 43 tanks and three self-propelled guns not removed by German recovery teams and left where they had been put out of action, only seven showed signs of having been hit by a rocket projectile. There is of course uncertainty about how many vehicles were removed by the Germans as they retreated, but it appears that seven of the unrecovered tanks were completely undamaged, suggesting that the recovery teams were not very thorough. Moreover, whereas the Typhoon pilots had claimed 54 unarmored vehicles destroyed and 58 probably destroyed or damaged, the operational research teams found only 30. Since a motor vehicle can be destroyed by machine-gun or mortar fire as well as by rockets, and would hardly be worth the trouble of recovering if hit by a rocket, it seems likely that the British pilots claims regarding unarmored vehicles destroyed were greatly exaggerated. This in turn casts doubts on their claims regarding tanks. In reality, rockets were very difficult to aim and very inaccurate once launched. When fired, the rocket dribbled off its rail, dropped appreciably before it gained its maximum speed of more than 1,000 mph and began dropping again when it burned out after flying 500 yards under power. Coastal Command found that a 60-pound rocket launched at 600 yards from an aircraft flying at 250 mph in a 10-degree dive dropped 77 feet, as compared to a 20mm cannon shell that dropped 7 feet. Whereas Coastal Command de Havilland Mosquitos attacked throttled back in a shallow dive, the Typhoons came down in a 60-degree diveat about 400 mph. In the early days of the Normandy invasion they fired their rockets at about a thousand yards distance, but at Mortain it was supposed that it was more like a thousand feet. The steepness of the dive, and the fact that at a thousand-foot range the rocket would still be under power when it struck, reduced the amount of drop in the rockets trajectory. On the other hand, tanks are much smaller targets than the ships Coastal Command attacked, and the Typhoon pilots would only have had about five seconds to check their dive angle and aim. No doubt some pilots could get the knack of it with a little practice, but one recalled, The training, the practice, was nonexistent. Id never fired a rocket till I went to Bognor, fired some rockets into the Channel twice and then I was back on ops. German Tiger tank commander Otto Carius said, Whenever I saw Typhoons I really was not worried. Their rockets only hit with luck. The Air Staff in London received a number of reports about the inaccuracy of rockets. Attacks on unarmored vehicles with bombs were claimed to be 60 percent more effective than attacks with rockets; attacks utilizing the Typhoons 20mm cannons as well as rockets were found to be only slightly more effective than attacks with cannons alone. The Air Staff persisted, nevertheless, in giving preference to rocket-armed Typhoons over bomb-armed ones. U.S. Ninth Air Force units flying the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt were equipped with rockets in August 1944, but the experiment was abandoned after a few weeks, despite American pilots claiming a further 112 tanks and armored vehicles destroyed on August 7 (for a combined Allied total of 196, which was 19 more than the 177 tanks and self-propelled guns the Germans actually deployed, some of which were undoubtedly destroyed by ground forces). This was evidently not because American fliers lacked the over-optimism of their RAF counterparts: Some of them claimed to have knocked out German Tiger tanks simply by firing their .50-caliber machine guns at the road surface adjacent to the tank so that the rounds ricocheted up beneath the tanks supposedly vulnerable underside. In fact, the Tiger had one-inch armored plate on its underside, which would barely have been scratched by a machine-gun bullet striking at an obtuse angle. A cannon-armed Soviet Ilyushin Il-2m3 embarks on a strafing mission. (Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy) A cannon-armed Soviet Ilyushin Il-2m3 embarks on a strafing mission. (Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy) The VVS employed rockets too, though mainly against soft-skinned targets. But the Soviets also tried out a version of the Il-2 ground-attack aircraft that carried two 37mm Nudelman guns. Extraordinary results were claimed for 37mm-armed Il-2s at the 1943 Battle of Kursk, including knocking out 70 tanks from the 9th Panzer Division in only 20 minutes. German figures show that tank losses at Kursk were much fewer than the VVS claimed, however, and the Soviets ceased production of 37mm-armed Il-2s after 1943, suggesting that they thought it was rather a failure. Eight Soviet pilots claimed to have destroyed 63 or more German tanks on the Eastern Front, mainly while flying unmodified Il-2s. These claims are at odds with the considered verdict of German commanders: Soviet leaders also lagged in producing anti-tank aircraft, presumably because they were slow in learning the procedures for attacking armored equipment. This failure permitted German tanks to operate in relative safety from air attacks throughout most of the war. That judgment is given additional weight by the attention the Germans gave to developing their own anti-tank aircraft. The Henschel Hs-129B-1/R2, a small, heavily armored single-seat twin with a 30mm gun, was introduced on the Eastern Front in late 1942. A handsome, strongly built airplane with unreliable French engines and the flying characteristics of a penguin, the Hs-129 was not popular with pilots. But at least two men, Rudolf-Heinz Ruffer and Hans-Hermann Steinkamp, claimed to have destroyed 70 or more Soviet tanks flying the type during the next two years. A Junkers Ju-87G-1 with 37mm cannons, flown by Hans-Ulrich Rudel, gets cranked up for takeoff. (Bundesarchiv B145 Bild F016221-0016, photo O. Ang) A Junkers Ju-87G-1 with 37mm cannons, flown by Hans-Ulrich Rudel, gets cranked up for takeoff. (Bundesarchiv B145 Bild F016221-0016, photo O. Ang) The Luftwaffes Ju-87G, mounting two 37mm guns, was technically a far inferior modification compared to the Soviet 37mm-armed Il-2. Its guns were housed in pods attached to a pylon under each wingabout three feet below the airplanes center of gravityand had 12 rounds in a clip projecting from the side of the breech, whereas the Il-2 had its guns in fairings close under the wings, with 50 rounds of ammunition per gun on a belt inside the wing. The Ju-87Gs pod-mounted guns not only affected its already poor speed and handling characteristics, but also jerked the nose of the aircraft down violently when fired. Putting those cannon under the wings was like placing an elephant on roller skates, said Stuka pilot Franz Kieslich. The damned Stuka was already so slow our fighter escorts would weave and climb so as to not leave us.I hardly ever brought back an undamaged 87. Just over 200 Ju-87Gs were built. There were never more than five squadronsfielding eight to 10 aircraft eachoperating on Germanys Eastern Front, with each squadron part of a regular ground-attack wing, representing about a tenth of its frontline strength. Josef Blumel was credited with destroying 60 Soviet tanks from April to September 1944 while flying a Ju-87G; other pilots who were successful with the Panzerknacker seem to have made more use of other Stuka variants. Hans-Ulrich Rudel, for example, is said to have fired off 5,000 rounds of 37mm ammunition in Ju-87Gs by June 1, 1944, as compared to 150,000 rounds of 20mm ammunition while flying a Ju-87D. Assuming he used up all his ammunition each time he encountered the enemy, this would suggest just over 200 engagements in Ju-87Gs and more than 400 in Ju-87Ds. As is clear from the course of the fighting on the Eastern Front, the Germans never had enough Ju-87Gs to stop or even slow the overwhelming tide of Soviet armor. One reason the Luftwaffe did not produce more of the typeapart from the main problem of over-stretched resourceswas that it was extremely difficult to fly effectively. While the 37mm cannon was far more accurate than rockets, the much smaller projectile could only penetrate the thinner part of a tanks armor, i.e., the horizontal surfaces, especially the top of the turret and the armor above the tanks engines. This meant that the pilot had to attack in a dive, preferably from directly behind to maximize the number of strikes above the engine, and pull out in the same split second as the recoil of the guns caused the plane to wobble in the air and jerk the nose downward. Inexperienced pilots found this almost impossible, and in many cases they did not survive long enough to learn the trick of it. A Henschel Hs-129B-3 shows off its 75mm BK cannon, equipped with a 12-round rotating drum. (Courtesy of Wolfgang Muehlbauer) A Henschel Hs-129B-3 shows off its 75mm BK cannon, equipped with a 12-round rotating drum. (Courtesy of Wolfgang Muehlbauer) The Henschel Hs-129B-3 with a 75mm cannon, introduced in October 1944, was even more unmanageable. The weight and bulk of the gun made the aircraft difficult to handle, and the weapons recoil caused an instant deceleration of 10 mph. Some success was claimed with the Hs-129B-3, though the reduced charge that had to be used in each round produced only three-quarters of the muzzle velocity of the same gun when fitted in a tank. At any rate, only about 25 of these would-be giant killers were ever built. Even leaving the question of numbers aside, the anti-tank airplane, whether it was a Typhoon with rockets or a Hurricane IID or Ju-87G with guns, was simply too difficult to operate to be a really practicable weapon of mass warfare. This is not to say that these special-purpose aircraft were completely useless during WWII. Even in the case of an ineffective hit or near miss by an attacking aircraft, the crews of armored vehicles might be left shaken and disoriented. The sense that they were never safe, even when not in contact with enemy ground units, added to the stress and exhaustion of combat. One additional aspect of battlefield close support is worth mentioning: the potential of weaponry capable of neutralizing enemy units at a particular tactical juncture. For example, the initial advance of the British XXX Corps at Arnhem in September 1944 was accompanied by Typhoon attacks that seem to have paralyzed German opposition. Two hundred and fifty German troops, many trembling with fright, were taken prisoner in the first hour, a self-propelled gun was found abandoned with its engine still running and an entire battery of 88mm flak guns was captured intact. Unfortunately, neither the British nor the Americans usually managed to coordinate air and ground operations closely enough for troops to benefit from the immediate aftermath of an airstrike. In most instances, the enemy was given a respite in which to pull itself together, and to take account of how little physical damage the air attack had actually inflicted. It might even be that the theoretical possibility of completely destroying a tank from the air distracted attention from the tactical utility of merely shaking up the tank crew so thoroughly that they functioned well below par for the remainder of the battle. A.D. Harvey taught at the Universities of Cambridge, Salerno, La Reunion and Leipzig before becoming a full-time writer. His books include Arnhem and Testament of War: Literature, Art and the First World War. Further reading: Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, by Manfred Griehl; Typhoon Attack: The Legendary British Fighter in Combat in World War II, by Norman Franks; and Strike From the Sky: The History of Battlefield Air Attack, 1911-1945, by Richard P. Hallion. This feature originally appeared in the March 2019 issue of Aviation History. Subscribe here! Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here. Pipeline 28 February 2019 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world's largest hotel franchisor and a leading provider of hotel management services, has revealed plans to launch its flagship Wyndham brand in Malaysia with the signing of a new landmark hotel in the Royal Town of Klang, just 30 minutes from Kuala Lumpur. Wyndham Acmar Klang will become the first international upscale hotel in this strategically important city, and is expected to be the leading choice for business travellers, meeting planners and leisure guests upon opening in the third quarter of 2019. Located close to three major national highways, the hotel is just 30 minutes from Kuala Lumpur and 40 minutes from KLIA. The hotel is owned by the Acmar Group of Companies and will be managed by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Wyndham Acmar Klang will offer guests a wealth of international amenities in addition to its hallmark welcoming hospitality. The upscale hotel will offer 488 guestrooms across two wings - from Deluxe Rooms with plush furnishings and working areas to 188 stylish suites offering added space for guests to unwind in luxury. Guests staying in the suites can also make use of the Executive Lounge which provides an array of exclusive amenities including private check-in, daily breakfast and all-day drinks and snacks. This new-build hotel will become a major hub for meetings and events, with a luxurious Grand Ballroom capable of hosting the most impressive occasions including corporate conferences, award ceremonies and lavish weddings seating up to 2,200 guests. A selection of 11 other flexible spaces provides options for every type of event, including business meetings, exhibitions and product launches. The onsite business centre also offers extensive professional support. When they are not working, guests can plunge into the designer outdoor pool, soothe their senses in the spa, work out in the fitness centre, shop in a choice of retail outlets or enjoy world-class cuisine in a selection of dining venues. These include specialty Japanese and Chinese restaurants; an all-day dining outlet serving authentic Malaysian favourites and Western cuisine; a sophisticated lobby lounge; relaxing pool bar; and a dramatic top-floor sky lounge, perched on the 23rd floor and offers 360-degree views as far as Kuala Lumpur. The Klang Valley, which includes Kuala Lumpur, is home to approximately eight million people - about a quarter of Malaysia's entire population. Housing KLIA, Malaysia's main international air gateway, and Port Klang, one of the world's busiest container ports and Kuala Lumpur's main cruise hub, this dynamic region is at the very heart of Malaysia's national economy. Appointment 28 February 2019 Aimbridge Hospitality, the largest and most recognized hotel investment and management firm in the United States, announces the appointment of Ian McAuley as President, Canada. McAuley joins Aimbridge with more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry in both Canada and the United States. Most recently, McAuley served as the President of American Hotel Income Properties REIT LP, Canada's largest publicly-traded hotel company with 112 hotels located throughout the United States. In his new position, McAuley will play a key role in fostering new international joint venture opportunities, as well as working in tandem with capital partners, lenders, brokers and brands. He will also be responsible for identifying all acquisition, management and development activities for Aimbridge Hospitality's Canadian portfolio. Prior to his position with American Hotel Income Properties, McAuley served as the President and CEO of Continuum Health Care Holdings for four years. During his time with Continuum Health Care, he led the transformation of the company by establishing and implementing a new strategic direction, including the improvement of operational performance and the enhancement of shareholder value. In 2000, McAuley co-founded Superior Lodging Corp, one of Canada's largest hotel developers of more than 135 limited and select-service hotels. McAuley served as the former Director of the Hotel Association of Canada. He has been a multi-time finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur award, as well as the co-recipient of the Canadian Hotel Industry Entrepreneur of The Year. Appointment 28 February 2019 Following his robust success at the company's flagship hotel, The Langham, London, Bob van den Oord will take on a new leadership role on behalf of Langham Hospitality Group as Regional Vice President, Operations - Europe, Middle East and the U.S. Mr. van den Oord will continue to be Managing Director of The Langham, London, a hotel he has led to the recent success of being awarded Five Stars by Forbes Travel Guide after spearheading a historic three-year renovation. In his newly expanded role, Mr. van den Oord will now also be responsible for maximizing both brand awareness and long-term financial growth of current and future hotels in his regions, as well as providing effective leadership for the individual hotel teams and ensuring that they are aligned with Langham brand standards, culture and values. In addition to The Langham, London, that existing portfolio consists of The Langham, Chicago; The Langham, New York, Fifth Avenue; The Langham Huntington, Pasadena and The Langham, Boston, which will undergo a multi-million dollar renovation, resulting in a newly re-positioned hotel in 2020. As part of the brand's expansion within the U.S., van den Oord will also be instrumental in the opening of The Langham, San Francisco, planned to debut in the burgeoning SoMA district of San Francisco, in a new building designed by the legendary Renzo Piano, before 2023. Born in The Netherlands, Mr. van den Oord has enjoyed an exceptional track record in senior hotel management positions for luxury hotels in various regions. Prior to his current roles, van den Oord was previously Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Langham Hospitality Group, after which he held a dual position of Managing Director at The Langham, Hong Kong and Vice President Brands (Global) for Langham Hospitality Group. His more than 20 years of experience has been earned building and driving brand awareness for hospitality brands on three continents (North America, Europe and Asia). Under his leadership, The Langham, Hong Kong was also named a five star hotel by Forbes Travel Guide after an extensive multi-million dollar refurbishment program and the signature Chinese restaurant T'ang Court attained three Michelin stars. Mr. van den Oord will continue to be based in London, but will travel frequently to the regions in which he will oversee operations. Press Release 28 February 2019 Frankfurt - Never change a winning team: Union Investment, the owner of the property, and Steigenberger Hotels AG have extended the lease for the hotel on Hamburg's Fleetinsel for another 25 years. The two parties have also agreed to carry out a comprehensive refurbishment of the hotel, which was built in 1992. Beginning with the underground garage and followed by the 8th floor, the hotel will be gradually updated, remaining open during refurbishment. The works are scheduled to start in spring 2019. Union Investment is investing around EUR 50 million in the upgrading programme. Advertisements "Our guests are accustomed to first-class service. This remodelling of the Steigenberger Hotel Hamburg will enable us to continue meeting their expectations," said Thomas Willms, CEO, Deutsche Hospitality. "A rooftop bar, presidential suite, new dining concept and the transformation of the property into a smart building all underline our commitment to being one of the leading hotels in the city." "By carrying out this comprehensive modernisation programme, we are ensuring that the hotel on Fleetinsel is well positioned for the future. We are delighted to have agreed a range of forward-looking solutions with our partner Steigenberger," said Martin Schaller, head of Asset Management Hospitality at Union Investment Real Estate GmbH. "The makeover will enable the hotel to leverage the benefits of its exceptional location to even greater effect, thus securing valuable returns for the private investors in UniImmo: Europa." In addition to remodelling and refurbishment works covering all the rooms and public areas, the plans include constructing a new presidential suite and a rooftop bar. The bar will have unrestricted views of the landmark St Michael's Church and Elbphilharmonie concert hall. A new dining concept is also planned for the ground floor. Intelligent control technology will transform the Steigenberger Hotel Hamburg into a smart building. Because the upgrading work will be carried out in stages without closing the hotel, Union Investment estimates that the entire building project will take around two years to complete. The hotel has been held in open-ended real estate fund Unilmmo: Europa since 1996. Following the signing of the new contract, the Steigenberger Hotel Hamburg has become one of the first properties in Union Investment's German hotel portfolio to have a green lease and adopt the sustainability recommendations of the German Property Federation (ZIA). About Union Investment Union Investment stands for forward-looking real estate investment worldwide. We provide private and institutional property investors with a comprehensive investment platform. Union Investment currently has assets under management totalling around EUR 40 billion in its open-ended retail real estate funds, special funds and via service and pooling mandates. We invest in the office, retail, hotel, logistics and residential sectors and hold some 400 properties across 23 countries in our actively managed portfolio. In Hamburg, Union Investment holds 10 hotel properties worth a total of around EUR 500 million in its actively managed real estate funds. Worldwide, the figure is 75 hotel properties across 9 countries. www.union-investment.com/realestate Press Release 28 February 2019 TORONTO -- Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the world's leading luxury hospitality company, today announced its first Envoy by Four Seasons collaboration for 2019. Launched in November 2018, Envoy by Four Seasons is a pioneering program reimagining the influencer space through a creative and distinctive approach to storytelling. Since the program's launch, more than one thousand world-class artists, storytellers and content creators across a variety of mediums including photography, filmmaking, music, poetry, visual art and dance have applied for the coveted title of 'Envoy', and the opportunity to use their storytelling craft to connect Four Seasons guests, and the world, to the experiences Four Seasons can create. Advertisements Four Seasons carefully narrowed down the list of applicants focusing on content quality as a measure of value, placing original storytelling at the forefront ahead of online follower count. Only storytellers who demonstrated a deep connection to their craft were considered, those who were curious travellers with a passion for exploration and discovery through travel, and who could bring destinations to life in imaginative and artful ways. Ultimately, American artist and illustrator Missy Dunaway was selected for the maiden Envoy experience. Missy's emotive portfolio features journals and sketchbooks laden with colourful scenes and thoughtful poetry inspired by her global travels. "Transcending follower-count, geography, culture and language, the diverse range of Envoy applicants demonstrates the appetite for a program rooted in authentic storytelling," says Peter Nowlan , Chief Marketing Officer, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. "Envoy is an opportunity to disrupt the status quo of influencer marketing and immerse audiences in the Four Seasons guest experience, all through the unique global perspectives of an untapped pool of storytellers personified by the rich and varied group of Envoys who will be announced throughout 2019." Drawn to her craftsmanship, visual narrative style and passion for travel, Four Seasons has invited Missy to be the first Envoy in a series of collaborations rolling out this year. Earning a Fulbright Fellowship in 2013, Missy has been awarded six artist-in-residence fellowships, travelling the globe and filling journals with handcrafted memories while visiting each new destination. Based in Portland, Maine, Missy will travel to Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An, Vietnam in March 2019, immersing herself in the hospitality and people of Four Seasons while exploring Vietnam's culture and celebrated traditions. Missy's experience and resulting works of art will be spotlighted across the brand's social media channels and owned content platforms following her stay. "I am thrilled to be working with Four Seasons as part of such a collaborative program focused on the influence of storytelling through craft," says inaugural Four Seasons Envoy, Missy Dunaway. "My Envoy journey with Four Seasons celebrates a mutual appreciation for being in the moment and bringing memories and experiences to life in unique, resonant and personal ways, inspiring others to explore and discover the world around them." Read more about Envoy by Four Seasons at fourseasons.com/envoy and see the brand's launch collaboration with spoken word artist Marshall Davis Jones, who created a spoken word piece inspired by a stay at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Hawaii. Prospective Envoys are invited to apply using the Envoy application form. The application form will remain live throughout the year for ongoing submissions. Follow the hashtag #FSEnvoy on social media for the latest news and updates about the program, and to experience the creative journeys of selected Envoys. About Missy Dunaway Missy H. Dunaway is an artist and illustrator based in Portland, Maine. She received her Bachelor's degree in Humanities and Arts from Carnegie Mellon University in 2010. In 2013 she traveled to Turkey on a Fulbright Fellowship to study Anatolian textiles. Since then she has been awarded six artist-in-residence fellowships to travel abroad for months out of the year. Missy's paintings exhibit internationally and have been acquired into public collections including Carnegie Mellon University, the Folger Shakespeare Library of Washington DC, and the South Molton Museum in England. Missy's artwork is also featured by Penguin Random House, Travel + Leisure, and Mashable. In 2018 she was awarded the Educator Award from 1,400 exhibiting artists at the ArtPrize Competition of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Instagram: @missydunaway Website: missydunaway.com Supplier News 28 February 2019 DALLAS - OpenKey announced today that five hotels throughout China, which include the MiniMax Premier Hotel Shanghai Hongqiao, Yunnan Mekong King Lang Hotel, Foshan Ceramik Hotel, Beijing ZMAX Hotel and Shanghai Ruby Hotel, have all integrated their Universal BLE Upgrade Module. The innovative technology from OpenKey adds mobile keyless entry capability to any hotel guestroom lock while maintaining the plastic keycard functionality. Founded in 2014, OpenKey has become the industry standard for universal mobile key technology in hotels. The upgrade module completes a keyless entry platform offered by the company that includes a cloud-based key management platform for hotels and the popular OpenKey mobile keyless entry app for guestroom access. "Hotels and guests in China are keen to adopt mobile key for all the benefits it offers," stated Lawrence Chen, Managing Director of OpenKey China. "The Universal BLE Upgrade Module allows hotel guests to access their room securely using their smartphone and the popular WeChat social media platform which means there's no app download required which is a must in China." These premier hotels have all integrated the upgrade module to extend the useful life of their magstripe guestroom locks, allowing guests the option of mobile key or plastic keycard for room access. "Guests of MiniMax Premiere hotels expect the latest in hotel technology, it's part of our branding positioning and the promise we deliver on for our loyal patrons," said MiniMax Premier Hotel GM Kerry Li. "Partnering with OpenKey China was the simple choice for us to improve the guest experience and deliver the most secure and convenient guestroom access in the market." "The upgrade module fills a gap in the hotel market by allowing owners and operators to instantly add secure mobile key capability to their hotels using their existing locks," commented Brian Shedd, VP Global Sales and Marketing for OpenKey. "OpenKey now offers the most universal of solutions for mobile keyless entry that partners perfectly with our existing integrations with every major global lock company. OpenKey provides hotels with every possible option for mobile key." Supplier News 28 February 2019 Attendees at this year's ITB Berlin will be introduced to the latest cutting-edge innovations from Nor1, the global leader in hospitality upgrade, upsell, and merchandising technology. The company will unveil eStandby NG the enhanced version of their flagship eStandby product that currently services over 1 million rooms in more than 3,500 hotels globally and has generated more than half a billion upsell offers. ITB Berlin attendees and media are invited to come by Hall 8.1 booth 120a to meet with the Nor1 team and learn more about this innovation. ITB Berlin, which takes place from March 6th to 10th, is recognized as the global travel industry's leading trade show and convention attracting over 10,000 companies from 187 countries and 180,000 visitors. "ITB Berlin provides us with the ideal opportunity to share the important upsell solutions we're developing," said Jason G. Bryant, Nor1's Founder and CEO. " We have always provided a personalized and effective approach to help hotels drive revenue. But with the launch of our new generation of machine learning, embodied by eStandby NG, we are raising the bar by applying machine learning to maximize revenue, and drive real operational efficiencies so we can provide hotels with the highest ROI on upsell technology in the industry." Nor1 delivers real-time, data-driven, personalized pricing and merchandising solutions at every stage of a guest's stay. Their team is transforming the category with their machine learning and AI technology, powered by Nor1's patented upsell pricing and merchandising engine, PRiME, which uses predictive analytics to make dynamic, personalized, upsell offers. eStandby NG is Nor1's signature post-confirmation/pre-arrival upsell solution and the highlights of the enhanced version include: eXpress Upgrade product (two products for the price of one): Instantly confirmed upgrades, delivered via desktop or mobile, based on real-time inventory. Auto-Awarding: eStandby NG, following your rules, will automatically upgrade guests to optimize revenue yield and reduce operational overhead. Enhanced user-facing analytical tools: New tools that drive performance by providing hotels with real-time insights and recommendations. Free upgrade: Existing clients using eStandby will be upgraded to eStandby NG automatically and at no cost. "Nor1's extension of our AI capabilities to our entire platform means our customers who optimize their use of our products can see a guest interested rate of 40% in upsell offers, and an acceptance rate of 15%, resulting in incremental revenues up to $120 per room," says Bryant. "We are leading the hospitality industry in applying machine learning to upsell revenue generation and providing the benefits of this technology to our customers." To book a private meeting with Nor1, please click here or visit Hall 8.1 booth 120a to see eStandby NG in action. For more information, please visit nor1.com. Opinion Article 28 February 2019 It's almost impossible to read through a hospitality or travel publication these days and not find the latest jaw-dropping statistic on the Chinese traveller market. Here's one: according to The China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI), the number of overseas trips made within a year by Chinese tourists will exceed 400 million by 2030. And, another: in 2017, China led the world in its investments toward travel abroad, investing a total of US$258,000 million, according to the UNWTO. The list is endless. Indeed, a lot is said about the Chinese traveller market, perhaps so much so that those of us who operate within the hospitality and travel scene have become somewhat indifferent to the value those travellers now bring to our economies. This couldn't be truer than in Europe and especially in France, the third-most popular destination in the EU for Chinese travellers, and a country renowned for offering one thing many Chinese travellers enjoy - luxury. In 2016, almost 15% of overnight stays by Chinese tourists in Europe were in French hotels. It's hardly surprising, then, that in our list this year of the top 12 hotel booking revenue makers in France, China's largest OTA, Ctrip, ranks among the top ten. It begs the question: just how many business opportunities are French hotels missing by not tapping into the lucrative Chinese traveller market? Chinese OTAs are key The question of missed opportunities, it seems, is one finally being asked by politicians across the country. In June last year, the president of Ile-de-France, Valerie Pecresse, made a monumental visit to Beijing and Hangzhou to sign a partnership agreement with Fliggy, part of the Alibaba Group, to improve the visibility of France on the Chinese booking website through the creation of a Paris region portal. Speaking on the fact that of the 135 million Chinese who have travelled the world in 2017, only 2 million came to France, Pecresse said, "The reception of Chinese tourists is under potential." Pecresse's trip signals a positive future for France's hotels, which have arguably overlooked the importance of being seen on Chinese booking channels such as Fliggy, Ctrip and Qunar, and settled merely for visibility on the Chinese language websites of global giants such as TripAdvisor and Booking.com. Of course, a hotel listing on these channels is of great value, but is it value matched by visibility on some of the most widely-used apps by Chinese travellers, such as Mafengwo or Qyer? As a hotel, it's crucial to be seen where your guests are - and, according to EyeforTravel, seven out of 10 Chinese travel consumers booking through OTAs. They aren't your typical OTAs either; they are websites literally built for mobile. As Lee McCabe, VP, North America for Alibaba Group, puts it: "In the U.S., we went from bricks and mortar to desktop to laptop to mobile. In China, they went from undeveloped bricks-and-mortar landscape straight to mobile. For most Chinese consumers, mobile is the internet, and the internet is mobile to them." In less than 20 years, China has overtaken the U.S. to become the world's most powerful outbound market. How well does your hotel lend itself to attracting, reaching and converting this unstoppable and highly-profitable group? Have you highlighted, through your chosen hotel marketing channels, the incredible food, sightseeing and shopping options around you? Just as you've looked to showcase your hotel property on Facebook and Instagram, have you thought to make it visible, too, on WeChat and Weibo? Perhaps, like France's leaders, it's time your hotel begins considering which booking channels are key to getting one of the many million Chinese tourists through your front door. Opinion Article 28 February 2019 Backlinks are incoming links to your website from other websites. These links to your website are viewed as votes of confidence to search engines. It means your property's website is important and relevant enough for other websites to link to and associate themselves with. Quality vs. Quantity of Backlinks: In the past, backlinks were a major factor for how well a website ranked. It was more of a numbers game: the more backlinks a site had, the better the search rankings were. As Google got smarter and updated their algorithms, it became more about the quality of backlinks over the quantity. Rather than rewarding sites that paid for a few thousand links from irrelevant, low-quality sites, Google started paying attention to the quality of sites linking back to your site. For example, say you want your property's website to rank for the convention center located down the street. Does the convention center have a list of nearby hotels? Is your property mentioned on that list with a link back to the website? If the convention center thinks you're important, then Google thinks your property is important for people looking for hotels near the convention center. This carries much more weight than 30 backlinks from sites that have nothing to do with travel or the property's location. Acquiring More Backlinks: Finding quality link targets takes a lot of time and research. Reaching out to quality targets and asking for inclusion doesn't always yield a link, but it's important to ask and reach out to make connections. If your property does get quality links from a nearby business, it's good practice to reciprocate and link to their site from yours as well if relevant. It's important not to get hung up on the number of links as a measure of a good backlink profile. A small bed and breakfast in Iowa won't have as many backlinks as a resort hotel in a big city. No backlink profile will look the same, it's unique to the business or property. There is no measurable quantity that equals success. Protecting Your Backlink Profile: Link management is more than just acquiring links from local businesses and travel directories. Unfortunately, you can't help who links to you, which means you could get useless low-quality backlinks. With clients in the past, we've seen shady tactics from their competitors who hired an SEO agency to send bad links to the client's website in hopes they'd get penalized or de-ranked. For reasons such as this, it's important to protect your backlink profile. If you notice poor quality or spammy links, disavow them and let Google know you do not want to be associated with those sites linking to you. Monitoring Quality Links: Along with monitoring unwanted links, it's also important to make sure the links that you do want are still working and making a difference. If you change a page's URL that other sites were linking to, all those links would be broken. If the page is redirected, majority of links will still carry over but it's best if the link goes directly to the intended destination page without sending the search engine through a redirect. Stay on top of your well-earned links to make sure they remain live and accurate. High-quality links will help the property's site domain authority. Think of the saying, 'you are judged by the company you keep'. The same applies with a site's backlink profile. If a website that search engines consider important and reputable links to the property's website, it passes some of that authority over to your site. The higher your domain authority, the better your rankings will be. For more tips on how to rank higher on Google, download our Search Engine Optimization Fundamentals Guide here. JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You should upgrade or use an You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser Overall, the pulse of each area within the Southeast region was positive, with some expecting some softening in occupancy this year, which mirrors our overall national sentiment. ADR growth should keep overall RevPAR change in the positive column. I recently checked in with my five Directors that oversee our five offices in the Southeast to see how their hotel markets were holding up as we head further into 2019. Overall, the pulse of each area was positive, with some expecting some softening in occupancy this year, which mirrors our overall national sentiment. However, ADR growth should keep overall RevPAR change in the positive column. Here's what each Director had to say. Mallory White, Director of the Tampa St. Petersburg HVS Office A record-breaking spring season in 2018 allowed for strong rate growth; however, the toxic algae bloom known as "red tide" invaded St. Petersburg-area beaches in September 2018 and lingered for nearly three months, causing a softening in overall occupancy for the year. Going forward, the Super Bowl in 2021 is anticipated to induce demand and draw international recognition to the Tampa Bay area, and the multi-phase Water Street development, which includes Sparkman Wharf, is expected to deliver nearly 1,200 new hotel rooms to the Tampa market by 2025. Thus far in 2019, market participants report strengthening market conditions; however, the large influx of new supply in the greater market area is likely to soften overall occupancy, while average rate is expected to increase steadily as this high-rated new supply ramps up toward stabilization. Overall, the market outlook is positive. Don Stephens, Director of the Orlando HVS Office Orlando's 2018 hotel inventory increased 1.5% over 2017 and now offers 486 hotels with a total of 124,866 guestrooms. Deliverables in 2019 will introduce 2,798 rooms within twelve new hotels and increase supply by 2.2%. Orlando's occupancy level finished 2018 at 77.5%, down 1.8 percentage points over the prior year, while ADR increased 4.8% to reach an all-time high of $127.32. After 108 consecutive months of positive RevPAR growth, market participants appear confident that RevPAR increases going forward will be in the form of modest ADR gains through aggressive yield-management amid steady growth in room-night demand levels and a minimal amount of new supply entering the market. We expect the Metro Orlando hotel market to breach the $100 aggregate RevPAR level for the first time in early 2019 and enter unfamiliar territory. Janet Snyder, Director of the Atlanta HVS Office The Atlanta hospitality market continues to thrive, with RevPAR gains in 2018 driven by ADR improvement; demand growth kept up with the pace of new supply, resulting in a stable occupancy level for the year. While RevPAR gains have slowed in recent years, Super Bowl LIII (held in Atlanta in February) is anticipated to contribute to further growth for the market in 2019. Increasing revenues and a strong local economy should bode well for another year of healthy sales activity in 2019, although the average price per key may stabilize as expense levels keep pace with NOI growth. John Lancet, Director of the HVS Miami Office In 2018, transaction volume of individual hotels (non-portfolio) for Miami-Dade County totaled $768 million, with 84.0% of the volume ($645 million) attributed to full-service hotels and 16.0% of the volume ($123 million) to limited-service hotels. Hotels located in Miami Beach drove 83.0% of the transaction volume, with slightly over 9.0% of the volume driven by hotel assets located in the CBD. For year-end 2018, the top three submarkets for RevPAR growth were Miami Beach, Surfside/Bal Harbour, and North Dade, with increases of 11.8%, 11.7%, and 11.5%, respectively. Overall, Miami's RevPAR increased by 6.3% last year, influenced by ADR growth of 6.1%. The outlook for 2019 suggests that occupancy declines related to the absorption of new supply will likely erode ADR gains, resulting in a slight decrease in RevPAR. Heidi Nielsen, Director of the Charleston Office The Charleston market remained strong in 2018, with the sale of the dual-branded Hyatt House/Hyatt Place Charleston Historic District being the largest transaction at $121 million in 2018. The buyer was a German-based company, which illustrates that international interest is growing in the market, as Charleston continues to be ranked the number one U.S. tourist destination by Conde Nast Traveler magazine readers. Despite, a significant amount of new supply entering the greater Charleston market, occupancy and ADR levels remain strong. The January 2019 opening of the Hotel Bennett will allow Charleston to further compete with larger markets in the luxury segment. HVS spans 40 locations across the Americas with experts ready to help you tackle any challenge you may be facing with your hospitality investment. From site selection to disposition, we are the leader in hospitality advisory services and can assist you through the entire life cycle of your asset. Call on our consultants and brokers to help you. If you aren't sure who to call, please reach out to me. Rod Clough, MAI, President - Americas, oversees strategy execution throughout 40 Americas locations. He recently brought together all US Valuation Consulting offices under common ownership, and has revolutionized the way the company is led and managed. This group of offices represents over 120 hotel industry professionals and executes over 4,000 assignments a year. Rod has been working in the hospitality industry for 30 years and is a graduate of Cornell's School of Hotel Administration. He is a Designated Member of the Appraisal Institute (MAI) and a state-certified general appraiser. Contact Rod at (214) 629-1136 or rclough@hvs.com. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource The new partnership enables the Louvre Hotels Group, a major player in the global hospitality industry, to optimize quality management and benefit from the award-winning guest feedback platform TrustYou announces a significant addition to its global portfolio of clients by revealing its new partnership with Louvre Hotels Group. The French hotel group offers a full range of hotels, spanning from 1 star to 5 stars, with powerful brands such as Golden Tulip, Campanile, Kyriad, and Premiere Classe, but also recently Metropolo, Kyriad Direct, Sarovar, Jin Jiang Inn, and Hotels & Preference. TrustYous feedback management solution will support the plan of Louvre Hotels Group to answer guest's needs and expectations while ensuring the highest quality. Louvre Hotels Group will leverage the incoming guest feedback for all of its operating hotels through the TrustYou platform, which allows users to oversee, manage, analyze, and market guest reviews. With sophisticated data analytics, Louvre Hotels Groups hotels will gather feedback from a multitude of online channels and get an insightful and detailed overview of their performance. Furthermore, the group will utilize the solution to send out personalized guest surveys in order to collect valuable information regarding the guest experience. We believe that TrustYou is currently providing the best-in-class solution, offering actionable and goal-oriented approach to our online reputation management project said Sandrine Gosse, Quality and Customer Service Director of Louvre Hotels Group. We highly value our guests feedback and we want to be able to properly leverage it for their future comfort and satisfaction, which is the reason why we have a dedicated department for Customer Experience. TrustYous Co-Founder and CEO, Benjamin Jost, emphasizes the companys excitement of working with Louvre Hotels Group. It comes as a great success and honor to receive the trust of the Louvre Hotels Group. We look forward to establish a long and fruitful partnership and will elevate the guest experience together on a large scale worldwide. Louvre Hotels Group are set on an impressive, global expansion and we are more than happy to join them on their journey of providing quality services that fit the exact needs and expectations of their guests. In this regard, we are committed to providing Louvre Hotels Group with all the necessary support while onboarding their global portfolio of hotels in a standardized and market-specific way. In 2018, we invested in a dedicated TrustYou support team, which will now be deployed to help every single hotel from the group to achieve its goals, through the proper management of guest feedback. About Louvre Hotels Group Louvre Hotels Group is a major player in the global hospitality industry, with a portfolio that now includes more than 1,500 hotels in 54 countries. It has a full hotel offering, spanning 1 star to 5 stars, with the Louvre Hotels Groups historic brands (Premiere Classe, Kyriad, Kyriad Direct, Campanile, Tulip Inn, Golden Tulip, Royal Tulip), the 5 brands of the Sarovar network in India, the French Group Hotels and Preference and Chinese brand Metropolo. Louvre Hotels Group is a subsidiary of Jin Jiang International Holdings Co., Ltd, a leading player in the travel and hospitality sector. About TrustYou TrustYou helps companies win through the power of listening and provides a guest feedback platform that makes listening to customers easy, powerful, and actionable. The platform unlocks the potential of guest feedback and helps to: Create unlimited opportunities to listen and respond to guests needs. Understand all reviews across the web and make better business decisions. Publish hotel reviews on the website and on Google and allow positive feedback to influence bookings. TrustYou empowers companies to earn trust, make better decisions, and ultimately, win. Find more information on TrustYou and our feedback platform on www.trustyou.com. Press contact Katharina (Sickora) Heitmann katharina.heitmann@trustyou.com +49 89 55 27 35 - 116 Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) today announced the development of a new InterContinental Hotels & Resorts property in Bellevue, Washington, located in the Seattle metropolitan area. InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) today announced the development of a new InterContinental Hotels & Resorts property in Bellevue, Washington, located in the Seattle metropolitan area. Developed by Bellevue-based Fortress Development, the new-build hotel is expected to open in Q4 2021 and will be part of a luxury, two-tower mixed-use development known as Avenue Bellevue. Located at the epicenter of downtown Bellevue on the northwest corner of Bellevue Way and NE 8th Street, the InterContinental Bellevue at The Avenue hotel will feature 252 elegantly appointed guest rooms, and two bars and a restaurant from the team behind Buddakan NYC. Additional property features will include 14,250 square feet of meeting space including a grand ballroom and a junior ballroom, a business center, a full-service spa, and a fitness center. This will be the first InterContinental hotel in the Pacific Northwest and continues IHG's expansion on the West Coast, following recent hotel openings in downtown Los Angeles and San Diego. The hotel will bring a new wave of sophistication and luxury to Bellevue's thriving downtown neighborhood.Joel Eisemann, Chief Development Officer, Americas, IHG said: "This stunning new project from Fortress Development will be a beacon of luxury and elegance and will be an outstanding addition to our luxury portfolio as we grow the InterContinental brand in the Americas. We look forward to working with Amin Lakha and his team at Fortress on this project and making Bellevue the next destination for the world's largest luxury hotel brand." Avenue Bellevue will be a one-of-a-kind project, utilizing the finest luxury materials and refined details from designers assembled from across the globe. The project will include 332 luxury residences and will feature 85,000 square feet of high-end retail, food and nightlife including the sealife-focused restaurant, Angler, from three-Michelin-star chef Joshua Skenes. Fortress is designing the new project in partnership with Weber Thompson, CollinsWoerman and HBA. The hotel will occupy the first 11 floors of the 26-story south tower, with 98 luxury "Estate Homes" above it. A second, 25-story west tower will be located across from the hotel and will include the remaining luxury residences. With its unique location across Lake Washington, picturesque lake and mountain views, and proximity to a world-class airport and multiple business and cultural attractions, Bellevue is an ideal market to host business and leisure travelers from around the globe who are seeking sophisticated, luxury hotel accommodations and a high-end, personalized guest experience. Fortress Development CEO and Principal Amin "Andy" Lakha said: "As a Bellevue resident for 20 years, I am deeply committed to the future success of the community and Avenue Bellevue is the biggest and most important project of my life. We are creating something that will set a new standard for architecture, residential design and amenities and luxury hospitality in a mixed-use environment, not just for Bellevue but for the entire Pacific Northwest. Growing up in Pakistan, my entire world view of luxury was shaped by the InterContinental Hotel in Karachi, which at the time was the country's only five-star hotel. I am delighted to be able to introduce this revered luxury brand to the Pacific Northwest for the first time." Construction is anticipated to begin in mid-2019. InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, the largest luxury hotel brand in the world, is experiencing exciting growth in the United States, with recent openings in Houston, San Diego, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis. The brand also recently celebrated the opening of the 200th InterContinental hotel, the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland, an 18-story resort built in an abandoned quarry. With more than 200 InterContinental hotels open worldwide and 60 in the global development pipeline, IHG continues to expand the brand's portfolio in the most sought-after destinations around the world. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) today announced the opening of the newly-built 175-room Holiday Inn Express Lima San Isidro hotel located in the heart of Peru's capital city. IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) today announced the opening of the newly-built 175-room Holiday Inn Express Lima San Isidro hotel located in the heart of Peru's capital city. Located at Calle Coronel Andres Reyes No. 492 in the vibrant San Isidro neighborhood, travelers can enjoy the hotel's proximity to the Jockey Plaza shopping mall, the Huaca Pucllana ancient archaeological site in nearby Miraflores district, and top restaurants and shopping areas surrounding the hotel. Holiday Inn Express Lima San Isidro is less than 10 minutes away from renowned international companies and one of the city's most important business districts. Gerardo Murray, Regional Vice President Marketing, Commercial and Revenue Strategy, Mexico, Latin America and Caribbean, IHG, said: "We are thrilled to bring the fresh and modern Holiday Inn Express brand to the remarkable city of Lima. An ideal hotel for travelers who appreciate good value, the Holiday Inn Express Lima San Isidro is a smart and comfortable option for those wanting to enjoy one of South America's greatest historical and gastronomical capitals." As Peru continues to grow, IHG, which currently has two properties in the capital city Crowne Plaza Lima hotel and Holiday Inn Lima Airport hotel will have a greater presence in the area with six hotels that will be opening across Peru over the next few years. Owned by Corporacion Hotelera Lima S.A.C. and managed by Grupo Agrisal, Division Hotelera, Holiday Inn Express Lima San Isidro is franchised by an affiliate of IHG. The hotel is part of IHG's diverse family of brands in nearly 100 countries and territories. Designed to provide guests with everything they need and nothing they don't, Holiday Inn Express Lima San Isidro offers a complimentary Express Start breakfast buffet with a full range of breakfast items, including a rotation of fresh egg and meat selections, pastries, yogurt, fruit, coffee, juices and regional dishes. The hotel also provides guests with a 24-hour fitness center, an indoor heated swimming pool and a business center with two modern meeting rooms. Guest rooms have a modern design, comfortable king-sized or two twin-sized high-quality beds with a choice of firm or soft pillows for a restful night's sleep, flat screen TV, iron and ironing board, mini refrigerator and coffee machine with complimentary coffee. The hotel also participates in IHG Green Engage and offers unique programs to ensure sustainability. Holiday Inn Express Lima San Isidro opens with IHG Connect, which delivers enhanced Wi-Fi with the fastest speeds in the industry, as well as an auto recognition feature for IHG Rewards Club members, so guests only need to sign in once to access hotel Wi-Fi at all IHG Connect-enabled hotels. IHG currently has 82 Holiday Inn Express properties located throughout Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean and 232 hotels across all brands and more than 39,317 rooms throughout Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource Revenue per available room down 0.3 Percent to CAD88.57 The Canadian hotel industry recorded mixed year-over-year results in the three key performance metrics during the week of 17-23 February 2019, according to data from STR. In comparison with the week of 18-24 February 2018, the industry reported the following: Occupancy: -1.1% to 59.9% Average daily rate (ADR): +0.8% to CAD149.85 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -0.3% to CAD89.81 Among the provinces and territories, Prince Edward Island experienced the highest rise in occupancy (+4.5% to 46.1%), which drove the largest jump in RevPAR (+7.7% to CAD54.28). British Columbia posted the highest jump in ADR (+5.2% to CAD190.64). Newfoundland and Labrador registered the largest declines in each of the three key performance metrics: occupancy (-15.6% to 37.8%), ADR (-7.8% to CAD120.32) and RevPAR (-22.3% to CAD45.50). The Northwest Territories reported the only other double-digit drops in occupancy (-11.2% to 81.2%) and RevPAR (-12.2% to CAD134.41). STR provides clients from multiple market sectors with premium, global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 10 countries around the world with a corporate North American headquarters in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and an international headquarters in London, England. For more information, please visit str.com. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource The 150 Room DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral opened yesterday. The hotel is located in the heart of Dorals business district. In addition to being located just nine miles from Miami International Airport, DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral is the closest hotel to Miami International Mall and offers convenient access to CityPlace Doral, Miami Beach Convention Center, Downtown Miami, South Beach, the Art Deco District and Port of Miami. The 150 Room DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral opened yesterday. The hotel is located in the heart of Dorals business district. In addition to being located just nine miles from Miami International Airport, DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral is the closest hotel to Miami International Mall and offers convenient access to CityPlace Doral, Miami Beach Convention Center, Downtown Miami, South Beach, the Art Deco District and Port of Miami. After a day of exploration at the variety of nearby attractions or to conclude a day of meetings, business and leisure travelers can relax at the outdoor pool and terrace with bar and savor in an array of dining options. Miami is one of the worlds most popular destinations, offering beautiful beaches, a vibrant culture and unparalleled attractions year-round for business and leisure travelers alike, said Shawn McAteer, global head and senior vice president, DoubleTree by Hilton. DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral welcomes guests with a refreshingly accessible retreat, where they can take in all Miami has to offer while also enjoying our service and amenities, all starting with our signature, warm DoubleTree Cookie. Inspired by its colorful surroundings, DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral offers guests a wealth of amenities, including: Outstanding Services & Amenities Guests will feel right at home in one of DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Dorals 150 comfortable guest rooms and suites, featuring complimentary Wi-Fi, satellite TV, a mini-fridge and an ergonomic workspace. As the only branded full-service hotel in the area, DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral was designed with modern comforts today's traveler expects, such as a state-of-the-art fitness center and an outdoor pool and terrace with bar. For guests convenience, the hotel offers a complimentary local shuttle within a five-mile radius. Delicious Dining Rocio Restaurant offers a diverse menu to please any palate. The restaurant also provides room service from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. offers a diverse menu to please any palate. The restaurant also provides room service from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Antojitos Lounge features a selection of craft cocktails, premium liquor and Latin-infused small bites offering the perfect combination to wow guests taste buds. features a selection of craft cocktails, premium liquor and Latin-infused small bites offering the perfect combination to wow guests taste buds. DoubleTree Made Market offers grab-and-go options, including snacks, sandwiches and other fresh selections. Meetings & Events Space for Every Occasion DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral offers more than 1,700 square feet of meeting space with both indoor flexible meeting space and an outdoor terrace with dedicated banquet service bars that can accommodate up to 200 people. With our fun and friendly environment, amazing service, and our trendy, fresh restaurant and lounge, we are confident that we will be a leader in the market, said Cristina Rivera, general manager, DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral. American Opportunity Regional Center joined its long-standing partner, Driftwood Hospitality Management, to assist with the development of the new EB-5 property. The EB-5 investment program allows American Opportunity and Driftwood to build and operate new hotels in some of the hottest up-and-coming markets across the country, while creating a network of international investment partners who are interested in developing or acquiring hotels in the United States. Owned by American Opportunity Regional Center and managed by Driftwood Hospitality Management, DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral is located at 10250 NW 19th Street, Doral, Florida, 33172. For more information or to make a reservation, travelers may visit DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral or call +1-305-639-9555. DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral will be the brands fifth hotel in Miami, joining The Gates Hotel South Beach a DoubleTree by Hilton, DoubleTree Resort & Spa by Hilton Hotel Ocean Point North Miami Beach, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Miami Airport & Convention Center and DoubleTree by Hilton Grand Hotel Biscayne Bay. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource Accor maintains the top room count among parent companies in Europe, and Ibis is the continents largest hotel brand, according to the STR 500. Accor maintains the top room count among parent companies in Europe, and Ibis is the continents largest hotel brand, according to the STR 500. As part of the STR 500 launch, the company will release the top 100 companies and brands in Europe during the 22nd International Hotel Investment Forum next week in Berlin. Accors 330,863 hotel rooms as of 31 January ranked well ahead the next two largest parent companies with a room presence in EuropeJin Jiang International (147,416) and InterContinental Hotels Group (118,025). Ibis (83,303) is one of four brands with more than 50,000 rooms in the region. Global companies have seen continued performance growth in Europe as added incentive to expand their portfolios in the region, said Alexander Robinson, STRs senior manager of industry partners. Looking at the supply offerings across Europe, we see a range of chain-scale segments representedmost notably Economy, Midscale, Upper Midscale and Upper Upscalebut the expansion of the economy product is quite evident with the presence of Premier Inn and Ibis Budget, both in existing supply and in the development pipeline. We expect Europe to remain a top focus in the global development scene. Top 10 (ranked by room count in Europe) Parent Company Parent Company Rooms Brand Brand Rooms Accor 330,863 Ibis 83,303 Jin Jiang International 147,416 Premier Inn 73,003 InterContinental Hotels Group 118,025 Mercure 66,165 Marriott International 114,844 Best Western 50,574 Hilton 87,243 Scandic Hotels 49,608 Best Western Hotels & Resorts 85,110 Radisson Blu 48,383 Whitbread 74,966 Ibis Budget 46,546 Choice Hotels International 54,035 Holiday Inn 46,234 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts 50,581 Novotel 45,229 Scandic Hotels 49,608 Travelodge 43,735 Source: STR 500 Robinson will be one of several STR executives included in the IHIF lineup next week: 4 March (14:30-14:50) Robin Rossmann (managing director) Past, Present and Future: A Global Hotel Market Overview 5 March (12:00-13:00) Thomas Emanuel (director) Brace Yourself. Brexit is Happening, or is it? 6 March (11:30-12:30) Dennis Spitra (director of business development) DACH: Hospitality Investment In Germany and Neighbouring Markets 6 March (12:40-13:30) Robinson A Place in the Sun: Is Greece Ready for More Investment? 6 March (12:40-13:30) Sophie Colvin (senior business development manager) Is Spain Europes Most Attractive Growth Market? 6 March (12:40-13:30) Nele Magi (senior account manager) Off-Med Southern Europe: Investing in Portugal In addition to the initial STR 500 launch at IHIF, the company will release top 100 lists for additional world regions during major conferences over the next several months: Middle East (AHIC), North America (NYU Conference), Latin America (SAHIC) and Asia Pacific (HICAP). STR provides clients from multiple market sectors with premium, global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 10 countries around the world with a corporate North American headquarters in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and an international headquarters in London, England. For more information, please visit str.com. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource With all signs pointing to a break-up between Big Sean and Jhene Aiko, Sean may be looking to re-spark a few flames from the past. The Detroit rapper was one of Ariana Grande's most famous boyfriends and when they broke up, it felt like she kept trying to chase the love that they once shared. She hooked up with Mac Miller, Pete Davidson, and others and now, she's enjoying life as a single woman. Last night, the first step of a reunion between Grande and Sean took place with the two sharing a car outside of a Los Angeles studio. https://twitter.com/_/status/1101162873038884864 Ariana Grande was at the studio last night when Big Sean pulled up. When she found out that her ex-boyfriend had arrived, she met up with him in the parking lot, spending a few moments in the car. They played with one of her dogs and got pretty close with TMZ reporting that they were "cozied up." When it was all said and done, the two actually left together in Sean's whip. Where they went from there is unknown. When Ari released the video to "thank u, next" her diary included references to her famous exes, including one for Big Sean. The page read that he "could still get it." Maybe that's exactly what happened last night. Do you think they're considering getting back together? Jason Merritt/Getty Images Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) have called for a National Educational Pitso to address issues that lead to poor final examination results in the country. BOSETU blames the declining performance results of Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) on government and the ministry of Basic Education. For more than five years now, BGCSE and Junior Certificate (JC) results have been registering poor performance. BGCSE results released last week show St Josephs College as the only school that has scored above 40 percent of candidates attaining 5Cs or better for the past two years. It performed better among other schools in 2018 exams with the top record of 47.75 percent, while the lowest performing school is Goodhope Senior Secondary School with a pass mark of 10.92 percent which places it as the last performing school of the 34 senior secondary schools in Botswana. Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) Executive Secretary, said at the media briefing that a total number of 32 470 candidates wrote the 2018 examination showing a decrease of 12.8 percent in candidature compared to the 2017 cohort of 37251. He said that the results marked a very slight improvement of 0.5 percent based on 5Cs or better pass rate. In 2017 it was 24.1 percent while this year, it is 24.6 percent. Deputy President of BOSETU, Mogomotsi Motshegwe says the declining results for the past years are not healthy for a country that aspires to become a knowledge-based economy. He says while the budget allocates a large share of funds to the education ministry, the results do not correspond. The union blames this on misplaced priorities. He cites the imbalance in teacher-student ratio as one factor that impinges on the teachers ability to observe all the students and give them attention to help them excel. A class of students can be occupied by up to 52 students!This further hinders the opportunity for tutorials and remedial teaching that could help improve students results. During practical subjects like Home Economics and Design and Technology, where students are expected to be hands-on to learn the skills, even the time can just pass out without all the students doing their practicals due to the larger number in class because it is just too much for the teacher to demonstrate for each of them, said Motshegwe. Automatic promotion of students to another level is another factor leading to poor final exams results. This causes such situations like those in which students are at junior school yet they cannot write their own names. Standard four attainment tests used to be taken into consideration but nowadays students just proceed despite their pass mark, he said. He also mentioned lack of resources in schools as a cause of poor performance because students cannot learn efficiently. There are no books in schools and this forces students to share at school which means they cant carry textbooks home where their parents can also take part in their school work, Motshegwe said emphasising that this compromises the quality of education in the country. There is no way students can be ready for work when our education system is mostly based on theory than practicality. This is why graduates cant get jobs. This should be worked on from primary level to tertiary level, he said. He also lamented the absence of syllabus for brigade institutions where a lot of students apply to when they do not do well in BGCSE. The Ministry should scrutinise issues like this one, he said. BOSETU suggests that there should be a National Educational Pitso to enable all relevant stakeholders to help with research and serious recommendations. With charges looming present, R. Kelly could be facing ulterior charges, as Joycelyn Savage's parents are legitimately meeting with the Feds. According to TMZ, her parents traveled to New York City to present "damning" physical evidence to the U.S. Attorney's Office: two members in total. The physical evidence will be forwarded to an Eastern District Federal building in NY, before being passed over to the Southern District. Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images TMZ has learned that Joycelyn's parents hope the physical evidence will help bolster the individual testimonies that passed before a Grand Jury in the month of February. They will also help the Feds pinpoint potential key witnesses to R. Kelly's alleged transgressions, once the case goes to trial. According to reports emanating from Chicago, the Federal investigation into R. Kelly's transgressions is "progressing very quickly" thanks to cooperation from individuals like Joycelyn Savage's parents, and the beguiling efforts of attorney Michael Avenatti, who has on the record stated that he feels as though Kelly is up against the odds. Insiders believe the "Mann Act" will play a primary role in Kelly's takedown. For those who aren't privy to the legal code, the "Mann Act" is a piece of legislation that prohibits the transportation of underage persons across state lines for the purpose of sexual favors, a law R. Kelly stands accused of violating with Azriel Clary if you'll recall. Tory Lanez' peers have learned to keep away, following a series of non-contests, where the Canadian rapper proved himself lethal in a battle sequence. Just as relative calm settles upon the Center-East of Canada, Tory Lanez looks prepared to resume his regular curriculum. Without further adieu, Tory opened the war chest today by announcing his quarterly plans on Twitter. With the memory of Toronto's Honest Ed's close in check, Tory grouped together all the half-completed projects in his war chest, at once, bidding them adieu, and willing them into existence, like a good old clearance sale. https://twitter.com/_/status/1101239003146264577 Tory issued two tweets, the second a near-miss inclusion. In the first Tweet, Tory promised to deliver his Spanish language project El Agua, and the hotly anticipated Chixtape 5 mixtape, all within the time constraints permitted in 2019 - and we all know him to be a proud, keep-busy type of guy. After listing El Aqua and Chixtape 5 in sequential order, Tory administered two hashtags: #Cause and #LoveMeNowReloaded, the 2nd an obvious allusion to a revamped deluxe edition to his 2018 Love Me Now project, while the other hashtag remains something of a riddle to the general observer. https://twitter.com/_/status/1101239344965341194 As I mentioned before, Tory Lanez forgot to include one final project in the initial roundup, a third installment in The New Toronto series, last published in January of 2017. Those who think Tory Lanez is "doing too much" may be lacking in stamina, but that's not for me to decide. The onslaught of new material kicks off in the month of March - keep it locked. WASHINGTON - Can President Donald Trump actually control the oil market? What might have sounded like a fools question a couple months ago looked less so on Monday when oil prices dropped more than 3 percent after Trump again directed his Twitter fire at OPEC. Oil prices getting too high. OPEC, please relax and take it easy. World cannot take a price hike - fragile! he wrote. Without any other clear reason for the drop - the largest one-day decline this year - analysts quickly pointed the finger at the White House. Investors have been getting a clear reminder of the sway U.S. President Trump still holds; how a comment or tweet on a key economic issue can really swing sentiment, Colin Cieszynski, an analyst at SIA Wealth Management told MarketWatch, the business news website. Collective eye-roll That was a stark shift from what many analysts were saying when Trump took credit for low gasoline prices earlier this year. After he tweeted in January, Do you think its just luck that gas prices are low, there was a collective eye-roll worldwide. An analyst at the firm Stratas Advisors told the news outlet Vox, No one person can take full credit for that unless theyre directly controlling their countrys gasoline prices. Its set by the free market. Its long been a cardinal law of the oil market that no one can control the oil market, based on the logic that so many variables and inputs determine the price of a barrel of crude that its far beyond the power of a single entity - even the president of the United States to do much about it. But over the last two years, investors have watched Trump repeatedly heckle Saudi Arabia and the rest of OPEC nations every time oil prices start creeping up. Now, some are wondering whether they might very well bend, pulling back from what were expected to be further production cuts when OPEC meets in April. A Swiss analyst with UBS told Bloomberg that pressure from Trumps might lead to a less aggressive stance on supply cuts from the Saudis -- this might stop them from cutting deeper. Power of the pen Part of the logic might be the growing support in Congress for the so-called NOPEC Act as in No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels - which would allow the Justice Department to bring charges against OPEC nations claiming they are violating the same U.S. antitrust laws used to break up John D. Rockefellers Standard Oil empire a century ago. In a 2011, book Trump expressed support for the legislation, which has kicked around Capitol Hill for close to a decade. Now hes in the White House, he could theoretically use his veto power as leverage in getting Saudi Arabia and the rest of OPEC to back off. Sounds crazy, right? Two years ago, so did the thought of OPEC determining its production quotas based on the presidents tweets. james.osborne@chron.com Twitter: @osborneja Matthew Broderick and Geza Rohrig in 'To Dust' Photo: Good Deed Entertainment The Hungarian actor Geza Rohrig, who made a splash in the Oscar-winning Son of Saul a few years ago, is back but not as you remember him. In that shattering Holocaust drama, Rohrig played a Jewish prisoner/laborer at Auschwitz-Birkenau whose job it is to dispose of the remains of gas chamber victims. In his new film, the darkly comic dramedy To Dust, Rohrig plays a slightly clownish, slightly morose contemporary Hasidic cantor named Shmuel at a synagogue in upstate New York. And yet there are similarities. FOR HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM SUBSCRIBERS: New films - 'Apollo 11,' 'Greta' When Shmuel's wife dies the inciting incident that opens the film, with the handling of her naked corpse Shmuel becomes fixated on the question of what happens to her body. In his belief system, a part of the soul in Hebrew, the neshama "remains with the remains," as Shmuel explains it, until she no longer physically remains. The idea that a piece of his wife's consciousness might still exist and be suffering torments him. In the course of Shmuels search for closure and solace, he talks to various people he considers experts: a mortician, a coffin salesman, a rabbi. (If that sounds like the opening of a joke, it kind of is, albeit one whose humor is of a very gentle and philosophical bent.) To Dust Rated R: for strong language, brief nudity and some disturbing images Running time: 105 minutes Where: Regal Edwards Greenway Grand Palace 24, Houston *** (out of 5) Eventually, this search leads him to Albert (Matthew Broderick), a recently divorced science teacher at the local community college who offers to help Shmuel understand decomposition through science. In this case, that involves burying the carcass of a pig and periodically checking the progress of its decay. Sound ghoulish? It is. But the macabre premise is mostly a pretext for Albert and Shmuel to talk and to get to know each other, in a meditation on human mortality and loss that while slight and only mildly provocative ends up being surprisingly touching. In this quirky buddy flick, which follows our heroes on a road trip to the University of Tennessees Forensic Anthropology Center a real place that is colloquially known as the Body Farm for its outdoor laboratory featuring decomposing corpses Albert is less of a consultant than an extraordinarily patient therapist, with a touch of friend thrown in. "BREWSTER McCLOUD": Film brought '70s-era Houston to the big screen The last part, the friendship, is debatable. Despite his obvious affection for his late wife, the character of Shmuel is an emotionally distant one. But theres something in the relationship between these two partnerless men their yearning for connection that feels, beneath the jokes, very real and very recognizable. PREVIEW: Find fun things to do and see around Houston in our weekly Preview newsletter. Subscribe here. Sad to say, but Houston lacks a major film that has cohesively captured its essence onscreen, something the city can proudly point to the way L.A. can with Chinatown, Chicago with Ferris Buellers Day Off, or even Seattle with Singles. Of those that come the closest, Urban Cowboy strikes a sour note of misogyny; Rushmore can be insufferably smug; and Ethan Hawkes off-putting soul patch clouds Reality Bites. Instead, we have Brewster McCloud. Its a decent trade-off. Filmed in the spring of 1970, Robert Altmans bird-brained followup to his brilliant Korean War satire M*A*S*H landed with a thud that December. The new boss at MGM, a ruthless executive nicknamed the The Smiling Cobra, was not amused with the maverick directors zany and convoluted spin on the Icarus myth. The film came and went from theaters unceremoniously. Many critics were confounded. Audiences never quite warmed to Brewster after its world premiere at the Astrodome, where the bulk of it was shot, went awry. The crowd set a new record for most people to ever watch a movie indoors, but most of them couldnt hear a thing. Brewster McCloud When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday Where: Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra, 2707 Commercial Center Blvd. Suite K-100, Katy Details: $5; 281-492-6900, drafthouse.com See More Collapse Dont be fooled, though. Brewster, screening at the Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra in Katy on Tuesday, is still a hoot. I understand why this movie didnt find a huge audience, says Robert Saucedo, programming director for Alamo Drafthouses Houston, Lubbock, and El Paso locations. Its certainly not a movie that makes itself easy to be loved universally. But I feel like every Houstonian owes themself to watch the film. Altmans favorite film Eventually the distribution rights for Brewster wound up with Warner Bros, which anticipating the Netflix-like service it plans to launch later this year has begun transmuting many titles in its vast library into streaming-compatible content. A happy byproduct of this development is the Alamo screening. I think its a movie that has been criminally forgotten, in the nation but also in our community, Saucedo explains. I love Rushmore and I love Reality Bites, but I feel like whenever somebody in Houston does an outdoor screening of a Houston movie, those are the two they go toward. I want people to start spotlighting some of the weirder films that that have come out of Houston, too. Interestingly, Altman often cited Brewster as his favorite among the nearly three dozen feature films including The Player, Short Cuts and The Long Goodbye that he directed. (He passed away at age 81 in November 2006.) The elements of his distinctive style are all front and center here: a sardonic tone leavened by a keen sense of the absurd; a sprawling cast, including native Houstonian Shelley Duvall in her debut role; and an equally rambling, episodic plot often advanced through unorthodox narration in this case, KILTs radio-news bulletins and an ornithological lecturer who, little by little, comes to resemble one of the birds he is describing. Guano-a-go-go Brewster also allows Altman to slyly explore several of the nonconformist themes that made him a countercultural icon in the late 60s and into the 70s. Before the opening credits are even over, he announces where his sympathies lie with a newspaper headline, covered in bird droppings, quoting Nixons first vice-president: Agnew: Society should discard some U.S. people. That headline doesnt say hippies, but it might as well have. Although he makes his share of serious points, its unlikely Altman meant for his audiences to take Brewster all that seriously. Among the abundance of avian allusions on license plates, the names of several nursing homes, a souped-up Plymouth Roadrunner in a key supporting role lies a simple murder mystery: prominent citizens among the so-called Establishment (a hypocritical politico, a bigoted cop) keep turning up dead, strangled and covered in an avalanche of more bird doo-doo. I read this description from somebody, and it struck home with me I think he was literally trying to make a cinematic equivalent of an issue of Mad magazine, Saucedo offers. The movie has a lot of satire in it, but its all over the place. To wit, the preening detective tasked with solving the murders is a note-perfect parody of Steve McQueens character in Bullitt and a convenient way for Altman to criticize the consumptive vanity of Hollywoods studio system. Elsewhere, a marching bands abrupt segue from a stiffly rendered Star-Spangled Banner to a rousing Lift Every Voice and Sing, also known as the Black National Anthem, makes a pointed rejoinder to the prejudiced socialite played by Margaret Hamilton a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. Soon enough shes buried under bird refuse, too. Its not hard to believe that many critics who would have otherwise been beguiled by Brewster were simply recoiling at the sheer amount of guano here. Astrodome as a character At the center of Altmans tangled web is Brewster McCloud himself, played by future Harold and Maude star Bud Cort. This introverted young man has set up a makeshift apartment/workshop in the Astrodomes fallout shelter, where he painstakingly labors to build a fully functioning pair of wings so he can fly away. (He doesnt say where, just away.) Tellingly, Altman changed the characters last name from McLeod in screenwriter Doran William Cannons original script to McCloud. Brewster was the first big Hollywood movie to shoot on location at the erstwhile Eighth Wonder of the World, and more than one observer has remarked on how the Dome functions as a de facto character in the film. I feel like its the perfect time capsule of everything that was and still is remarkable about this city, says Saucedo. The movie captures Houston at a time where it was reveling in its status of a jewel of the South, he adds. Houston was proud of its stadium as it should have been and the movie captures that pride and desire to be a champion of progress and bravado. Altman does all that without mentioning the oil industry at all; the space program and Houstons rising profile as a medical-research center only come up in passing. Extended scenes feature the Houston Zoo and Astroworlds Lost World River Adventure, and the quick dip by Sally Kellerman, who plays Brewsters guardian angel of sorts, in Hermann Parks Mecom Fountain Altmans intentional callback to a famous scene in M*A*S*H, where Kellerman played Hot Lips Houlihan has left a lasting impression. Once you watch that movie youll never look at that fountain the same way again, says Saucedo. H-town landmarks Look closely and you can also spot the old M&M Building, currently UH-Downtown; long-gone Rice-area restaurant Ye Old College Inn; and the Astros shooting star uniforms. A passing bus displays an ad for KBNO-FM, whose call letters once reportedly stood for Keep Beatle Noise Off. As Brewster chauffeurs his loathsome boss Abraham Wright (an unrecognizable Stacy Keach) to his weekly nursing-home rent collections at places like the Feathered Nest Sanitarium and Blue Bird of Happiness Rest Home he listens to Hudson and Harrigan. Altman certainly got how important driving is in Houston. The roads are strewn with gasoline signs for Gulf and Exxon precursor Enco. During the climactic car chase, Altman does his best to one-up Bullitt by zooming across town from the Dome to Memorial Drive, by Westpark and South Rice Boulevard near the under-construction Galleria, and all the way up to Ardmore and MacGregor behind TSU. The whole procession ultimately splashes to a halt in Buffalo Bayou Park. Ultimately, its unlikely the film would exist as is, or would have existed at all, without the Astrodome. Duvall, cast after she met a couple of Altmans associates at a party, plays a tour guide, allowing her to relay all sorts of useful information about it. (Astute film scholars have pointed out that for Brewster, the Dome is the ultimate birdcage.) Then less than five years old, the stadium appears on an island of concrete surrounded by green cow pastures, a shocking amount of open land considering what the area looks like today. Its equally shocking how clean the Dome looks. Brewster even gave Judge Roy Hofheinz, the Houston bigwig who oversaw the Astrodome from idea to local landmark, a chance to plug the Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus; he was a part-owner at the time. In Hofheinz biographer Edgar W. Rays 1980 book The Grand Huckster, onetime Hofheinz PR man Paul Haney remembered the way the colorful judges eyes lit up upon hearing the rental fee Altmans production company was willing to pay. In addition to all the free publicity about the Dome, we earned $100,000-plus for the effort, Haney said. I doubt if MGM did as well. Chris Gray is a Houston-based writer. Alex Padilla got the call as he was driving to work on Loop 610 on Wednesday morning and almost stopped his car in the middle of traffic. I woke up feeling like a thousand dollars, now I feel like a million, said the executive chef at the Original Ninfas on Navigation, who had just learned that the classic Tex-Mex spot was named Wednesday on the semifinals list for Outstanding Restaurant in the James Beard Foundations 2019 national chef and restaurant awards. And he wasnt alone in feeling euphoric. Ninfas on Navigation is among 11 Houston restaurants, chefs and beverage professionals in the running for what is considered the Oscars of the food world, across a wide variety of categories. Its a heady showing for the city, although in a first round of voting by Beard Foundation panels from around the country, including industry professionals and past winners, the semifinalist slates will be whittled down to five finalists in each category. Still, whatever the results announced here March 27 the first time the foundation has staged such an event in Houston the semifinalist nods are a big deal. The long list has come to function as a sort of national honor roll of whos doing exciting work across the country. And savvy travelers use it as a guide to restaurants and bars they may wish to visit. Chris Shepherd, who won a James Beard Award as Best Chef Southwest five years ago, found himself on the semifinals list in the national Outstanding Chef category for his newbie Georgia James steakhouse backed up by his entire body of Houston work over the years, including at the late Underbelly and the current One Fifth and UB Preserv. Shepherd who has been one of the most nationally visible cheerleaders for the Houston restaurant industry was thrilled with Wednesdays list. He pointed to the citys strong showing, and its hosting of the upcoming finalist announcement, as further proof that our food scene has arrived, and in its own way. This is something weve been talking about for a long time. In Houston its not just about the high-end restaurants, its about everybody. To see a small Pakistani restaurant make it, or Crawfish & Noodles, or Indigo, is exciting, he said, referring to other local restaurants earning 2019 nods from Beard. Its such a great time to be here in Houston. Broadened categories For Ninfas, it was an especially heartfelt triumph the first Beard recognition for the restaurant founded in 1973 on a shoestring budget by the enterprising Mexican-American self-taught chef Ninfa Rodriguez Laurenzo. Its a testament not only to chef Alexs cooking but also the entire staff who make such great experiences for Houston diners, said Jonathan Horowitz, CEO of Legacy Restaurants, which owns Ninfas on Navigation. The Outstanding Restaurant nomination points toward a recent broadening of that category to include restaurants outside the fine-dining mold. The Beard Foundations Restaurant & Chefs Awards committee has, over the past couple of years, made a concerted effort to include more women and more chefs from diverse backgrounds on its semifinalist rosters. That initiative landed Ninfas on the list along with other restaurants in the same vein, including Tucsons family-owned El Charro, a Sonoran-influenced Mexican restaurant run by a dynasty of women chefs since 1922; Parks BBQ in Los Angeles Koreatown, founded by immigrant chef Jenee Kim in 2003; and Queens, N.Y.,borough favorite SripaiPhai, founded by chef Sripaphai Tipmanee in 1990. These are establishments with cultural importance that runs deep. Only a few years back, such restaurants might have been consigned to the more informal Americas Classics category, which honors longtime regional favorites from barbecue joints, clam shacks and sandwich shops. The Outstanding Restaurant category honors standard-setting excellence and consistency over a decade or more, and Ninfas on Navigation certainly vaults that bar. Although the restaurant has passed out of family hands since its founding, under the ownership of Legacy and the sure hand of Padilla, its standards have remained intact. The restaurant is known for some classics particularly the stirring red and green table salsas and the grilled skirt-steak fajitas Laurenzo pioneered in Texas. Her Norteno-influenced preparation has since gone on to conquer the known universe. (These days you can find fajitas from Copenhagen to Barcelona, and beyond.) Yet the admirable thing is that under Padilla who won his spurs in upscale restaurant kitchens in San Francisco before returning to the restaurant where his mother once worked new classics have been born. His cabrito flautas, served with an intoxicating broth on the side, qualify as one of the citys best dishes. Mama Ninfas family in Houston should feel the love today, too, Horowitz said. I really hope they are proud and that they understand this is not only a testament to the way the restaurant is run now but the way it has always been, he said. I hope they are proud to see Ninfas recognized on a national level like this. Star chefs Three local chefs are in contention for Best Chef Southwest, a category Houston has fairly dominated in recent years with wins by Shepherd in 2014, Justin Yu for Oxheart in 2016 and Hugo Ortega in 2017 for his eponymous Hugos. Both Ronnie Killen of Killens Steakhouse in Pearland and Trong Nguyen of Crawfish & Noodles are repeat semifinalists. Kaiser Lashkari, chef-owner of Himalaya restaurant, made the cut for the first time. Im speechless, said the usually loquacious Lashkari, who runs Himalaya with his wife, Azra. It feels very good. Weve worked so hard, and God has given us this day and this nomination. Lashkari got the news from Yu, who called to congratulate him. It symbolizes all the years of work weve put in, said Lashkari, a graduate of the University of Houstons Hilton School who has made his modest Little India restaurant a mecca for chefs and connoisseurs of Indo-Pakistani cooking. Hes got a gift for multidimensional curries and for the grilled, braised or pan-fried meats so vital to his native Pakistani cuisine. And in recent years, Lashkari has given his menu a uniquely Houston identity by folding in Southern, Cajun and Texas ideas, putting his own spin on dishes from fried chicken to chicken-fried steak to shrimp and grits. Another first-timer, Jonathan (Jonny) Rhodes, was nominated in the Rising Star Chef of the Year category, which recognizes chefs under the age of 30. Rhodes is the chef-owner of the 13-seat, neo-soul, tasting-menu-only restaurant Indigo on Houstons north side, which opened last year to critical acclaim. Tough to win Tracy Vaught, who along with her husband Hugo Ortega operates H-Town Restaurant Group that includes restaurants such as Hugos, Caracol and Xochi, made the semis for Outstanding Restaurateur. In the category of Outstanding Service, both Hugos and Tony Vallones fine-dining stalwart Tonys are in the running. The Outstanding Wine Program list includes another nod for Pappas Bros. Steakhouse. Anvil Bar & Refuge, headed by bartending wiz Bobby Heugel, is once again in the bidding for Outstanding Bar Program. Despite the citys 12 semifinalist nods, Anvil was Houstons lone finalist in 2018. Making it to the finals can be tough for Houston candidates because foundation rules specify that judges must have eaten at a restaurant or sampled a drinking establishment in order to vote for them. With Houston not yet a prime tourist destination and without a big national-caliber food festival located here, its often difficult for local candidates to draw votes. But for his part, Padilla, who has been the chef at Ninfas on Navigation for 13 years, is enjoying the moment. He said he couldnt help but think about Mama Ninfa Laurenzo, who created a Houston legacy with almost nothing but sheer will and an ability to cook. Mama Ninfa is watching from heaven, he said. She would be very proud that her name is out there, and shes finally made it to the grand prize. greg.morago@chron.com alison.cook@chron.com GALVESTON A judge has ordered the forthcoming trial of the teenager charged in the Santa Fe High School shooting moved outside Galveston County, ruling for the defense, which argued that pretrial publicity and inflammatory social media comments precluded a fair trial locally. State District Judge John Ellisor granted a change of venue motion filed by the defense attorney for Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 18, charged with capital murder in the shooting that killed 10 people and wounded 13 last May. The decision means a jury will be selected from a county of Ellisor's choosing. Now Playing: Galveston County District Attorney Jack Roady explains why withholding publicly available information related to the Santa Fe High School shooting protects the integrity of the criminal case and investigation. Roady reasons that potential witness testimony could be influenced by a publicly available surveillance video of the shooting and also says that it is important for potential jurors to have as little knowledge as possible about the details of a case to ensure impartiality. Video: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle Galveston County District Attorney Jack Roady, who had argued against a change of venue, said the judge would issue a written ruling later in the week. "We believe the case could be tried here in Galveston County, but we absolutely respect the judge's ruling and we are ready to try the case wherever it needs to be tried," said Roady, the lead prosecutor. Read more: Accused Santa Fe High School shooter makes first public appearance since his arrest Nick Poehl, Pagourtzis' attorney, argued during a hearing Monday that a fair trial in Galveston County would be unlikely due to "intrusive publicity" generated by rampant media coverage and comments county residents posted on Facebook that indicated a strong bias against the defendant. Poehl said he was "very pleased" with Ellisor's decision. Poehl said Ellisor would weigh logistical concerns about a new venue for the trial, including whether a different courthouse could handle what is expected to be a large crowd of victims' family members, survivors and others traveling to watch the proceedings. The trial should be held as close to Galveston as possible, but far enough away to "get away from the problems of the personal connections," Poehl said. The trial could be moved to a county contiguous to Galveston, though Poehl has indicated Harris County would be unlikely. Wherever it is held, Roady still has jurisdiction to prosecute the case and Ellisor will remain the presiding judge. Family members of the shooting victims have previously expressed their hope that the trial would stay in Galveston County, reasoning that the national attention the shooting attracted negates any claim that it was a local crime. Scot Rice, whose wife, substitute teacher Flo Rice, was wounded during the shooting, told the Houston Chronicle on Monday that the jury pool would be tainted wherever the case is moved "because we're not gonna let it go." Rice's comment was cited by Poehl in a court filing on Tuesday as a "threat." But distance won't keep families from attending the trial. Sonia Lopez, whose daughter, Sarah Salazar, was shot and injured, said she, Sarah, and her other daughter, Suzannah, will travel wherever the proceedings take place. "We were a little disappointed because of course we wanted it to stay here," Lopez said ."But we support the judge's decision, because he's looked at all the evidence presented and made what he thought was the best decision for us." Others said they understood the decision would guard against any claim that the jurors' proximity to the case would influence their a verdict. "I think if (Ellisor) hadn't granted (the change of venue), it just would've allowed (the defense) to claim foul, and I think it's very important that he pulls whatever rugs out from under their feet to give them that ability," said Steve Perkins, whose wife, Ann Perkins, was a substitute teacher at the high school killed in the shooting. The trial of Pagourtzis, who faces life in prison if convicted, is expected to be delayed through the end of the year, as the state is still sorting through evidence from federal agencies investigating the case. Staff writer Shelby Webb contributed reporting. nick.powell@chron.com Nick Powell covers Galveston County for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and send him tips at nick.powell@chron.com Botswana and Zimbabwe signed an Extradition Treaty that will facilitate the serving of justice for the people of both countries. President Dr. Mokgweetsi Masisi and his Zimbabwe dean counterart, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa signed the Treaty today (Thursday 28 February 2919) during the inaugural meeting of the Botswana-Zimbabwe Bi-National Commission that was held in Harare. The Treaty accords both countries to fight cross-border crime through exchange of information and will enable either country to extradite a suspect wanted for prosecution in the other country. Other decisions made during the bi-national commission include the commitment to fastrack the establishment of an international trade route, linking Botswana and Zimbabwe to the Eastern markets, through Mozambique known as the Ponta Techobanine Project. According to President Dr Masisi in his closing remarks, Ponta Techobanine Project is a vital trade corridor that will unlock the economic potential of the three countries, and also contribute towards greater regional integration. He called for the development of robust work programmes that will ensure these commitments become tangible. In particular he urged senior officials of both countries to take advantage of the existing mechanisms, such as the Mid-Term Review to monitor and evaluate progress on the implementation of all the decisions made at BNC. Masisi said the success of Botswana/Zimbabwe bilateral cooperation is not only important for the SADC Regional Integration Agenda, but also for the realisation of the Continental Agenda as espoused in Agenda 2063. This is because, as Africans, our socio-political systems and economies remain inter-woven, he said. In conclusion Dr. Masisi invited President Mnangagwa to the next Bi-National Commission that will be held in Botswana in early 2020 at dates still to be mutually agreed. A suspected getaway driver has been arrested in a rooftop shooting that killed two brothers in east Houston last week, police said. Rene Moreno, 20, faces capital murder charges alongside 18-year-old Marlon Brandon Valdez, who was booked in jail on Saturday. Police said that the two men are responsible for the deaths of Josue Aguilar, 18, and Maximo Aguilar, 20. They were shot from a rooftop in what Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo called an ambush. COLD CASE: La Porte man arrested in 1983 murder of Conroe woman The brothers arrived on Feb. 21 at the 12700 block of Eastbrook Drive, where theyd agreed to meet to settle a feud with a fistfight. Valdez opened fire with a high-powered semi-automatic rifle from the roof of a flooded-out home, police said. The Aguilar brothers were in a car full of people. Jose was killed at the scene, and Maximo died at a hospital. A 23-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman were wounded and hospitalized in stable condition. At least two people were believed to have fled the scene, heading southbound on Maxey in a black Chevrolet. Police identified Valdez as the shooter, and he was arrested at a home in the 600 block of Maxey Road on Saturday. Moreno has since been identified as the getaway driver and was arrested today, police said. NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. UPDATE: Eleticia Martinez was a 52-year-old Hispanic woman who died February 27 from multiple gunshot wounds at 815 Harbor St., Houston. ORIGINAL STORY: A woman was shot to death during a drive-by attack Wednesday night in east Houston, according to police. The shooter opened fire on the woman around 9:30 p.m. in the 800 block of Harbor, police said. She was shot three times and died at the scene. A description of the suspect and the vehicle used in the slaying was not available. NORTHWEST HARRIS COUNTY: Burglary suspects shooting out car windows caught on cam A half hour later, two people were injured during a separate drive-by shooting in the 10200 block of West Bellfort Boulevard in southwest Houston. A woman was shot in the back while a man was shot in the leg at an apartment complex around 10 p.m., officials said. Both are expected to survive, authorities said on Thursday. The two were sitting on a staircase of an apartment complex when a man in a red Jeep opened fire on them, authorities said. NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. U.S. operations on the International Space Station would continue until 2030 under a bill filed Wednesday by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas. "The only way to continue learning about the universe around us is to aim high and dream big," Cornyn said in a statement Wednesday. "I'm grateful for the continued work of and input from Houston's space community as we drafted this bill, which sets the stage for a new era of space exploration and to reassert American leadership in space discovery." Currently, operations on the space station are scheduled to end in 2024, but Congress has the ability to extend that date. Experts have said the space station can operate safely until at least 2030. Cornyn isn't the only Congressman who wants to extend the life of the orbiting laboratory in the stars. Last year, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, filed a similar measure in Congress, a response to President Donald Trump's proposal to end federal funding for the space station in 2024, allowing commercial entities to take over its operation by 2025. Cruz, a Republican from Texas, and many other congressional leaders were against Trump's plan, questioning whether commercial companies could step up to fill the government's funding role. Just in fiscal year 2017, NASA spent $1.45 billion on the space station and that doesn't count costs to transport astronauts and supplies there. Cruz's bill also would have extended U.S. operation of the space station to 2030. The measure was approved unanimously by the Senate in December, but failed to pass in the House. Cornyn discussed the measure with the Houston Chronicle on Friday after a tour of Space Center Houston, the museum side of NASA's Johnson Space Center, and a round-table discussion with local technology and space companies. He said he hopes this measure, when passed, will provide some stability for the space program. The bill also would require NASA to create a strategy to retire the space station "to ensure that there is a smooth transition to an eventual successor platform," according to a one-page summary of the measure, and would direct the agency to create next generation spacesuits for future exploration endeavors. Additionally, it would make human settlements in space a national goal. Alex Stuckey writes about NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey. He is a racist. He is a con man. He is a cheat. Thus spoke President Donald Trumps former consigliere Michael Cohen during Wednesdays highly anticipated hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives. Given Cohens blemished background, many supporters of President Trump quickly rejoined: Is Cohen talking about the president or himself? Fair point. Cohen is a convicted liar. Count us among those who have seen his road-to-Damascus conversion when it comes to his former boss as, well, convenient. He spent a decade doing Trumps dirty work and now he says hes ready to speak with the sound of angels. Soon, hell be singing that tune from prison, where he belongs. But the president and his loyalists in and out of Congress are making a big mistake when they rush to name all the reasons Cohen cant be trusted when it comes to Trump. They seemingly forget that nearly all that Cohen did including lying previously to Congress was done in service to Trump himself. If a man may be known by the company he keeps, what about the lawyers and fixers he hires? Not since Watergate has a president surrounded himself with so many discredited felons and frauds. Cohen told the committee that Trump was mesmerizing at times, and he had gone to work for him because he wanted to, not because he needed to. And that he had stayed even as his job required him to lie to first lady Melania Trump about her husbands affair, and even when Trump spewed racist comments, such as saying black people wouldnt vote for him because they were too stupid. And now, Ive lost it all, Cohen told the committee. How did that happen? By degrees, he said in comments that read more like a warning than a confession. But in the mix, lying for Mr. Trump was normalized, Cohen recalled. And no one around him questioned it. In fairness, no one around him today questions it, either. Will Republicans in Congress hear the warning in those words? Will they see in Cohen a latter-day Cassandra, come back to warn of impending moral and political peril? One can hope. After all, Cohen did more in his testimony than repeat what so many others have said about Trump. He brought evidence and details to buttress widely help assumptions. Cohen presented a check signed by President Trump in 2017 that Cohen says was one of many installments paid to reimburse him for hush money he paid to keep the Trumps affair with pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels secret. Cohen also told Congress that he was in the room when Roger Stone, another former Trump aide who has been indicted, called to tell Trump of his conversations with WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange. Put on speaker, Stone told Trump to expect something big to drop, Cohen testified. Soon after, WikiLeaks dropped thousands of emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee. All were used to damage the Clinton campaign and all, we later learned, were initially hacked by Russians who were working overtime to help Trump win. Importantly, though, Cohen testified he never saw direct evidence of Trump colluding with Russia. He suspects Trump knew in advance about the campaigns meeting with Russia intermediaries in Trump Tower, but has no physical proof or firsthand knowledge. He also said that Trump never explicitly told him to lie to Congress about efforts to win Kremlin approval for a Trump hotel in Moscow. Thats not how he operates, Cohen told the committee. In conversations we had during the campaign, at the same time I was actively negotiating in Russia for him, he would look me in the eye and tell me theres no business in Russia and then go out and lie to the American people by saying the same thing. In his way, he was telling me to lie. Cohen said Trump frequently asked him about those negotiations in 2016 before and after he cinched the GOP nomination for president. Mr. Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it, he said. He lied about it because he never expected to win the election. He also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions of dollars on the Moscow real estate project. Cohens testimony continues Thursday, though behind closed doors. House committees are ramping up their own investigations. Special counsel Robert Muellers report to the attorney general is expected before long. Other prosecutors, especially federal and state officials in New York, continue to turn over the stones that paved Trumps path to the White House and built his wealth. We cant yet know whether future testimony and new proof will support Cohens portrait of our president as a man with an insatiable habit of self-aggrandizement and brazen self-interest. But who among us, at this late date, would be surprised if they do? Furious Democrats demand that I stop complaining and learn to love The Beto. My criticism of a Texas-sized cultural enigma who changes his schtick like other people change cellphone companies has enraged both white liberals and Latino lefties. Beware the Beto Bots. The white liberals prefer that Mexican-Americans serve up chips and not opinions. And theyre miffed that I rejected their choice for the preferred Latino 2020 presidential hopeful, after they went to the trouble of choosing him for me. The Latino lefties have such low self-esteem and deep insecurities that theyre flattered that a handsome Irish-American who grew up on the soft side of town and studied in the Ivy League wants to be one of them. Robert Francis ORourke is likely to announce soon that he is joining the 2020 Democratic presidential field. After leaving Congress and losing a Senate race, ORourke hit the open road in search of America. What he found was that Beto really loves Beto. Which makes him the perfect foil for Donald Trump, who really loves Donald Trump. I dont feel the love. I think the Texas Democrat is a phony, an opportunist and an underachiever whose thought process is stuck in the shallow end. And what really bothers me is how the media, liberals and the rest of the Beto Bots deify him and demonize critics. As a Mexican-American who fell in love with the Irish when I went to college and graduate school across the Charles River from Boston, the fact that this Irishman is hellbent on impersonating a Mexican-American or at least doesnt mind if you think hes one drives me loco. Here are 10 reasons why Beto-mania bugs me. It has always bothered me when Hollywood casts non-Latinos as Latinos. In the film West Side Story, few of the actors besides Rita Moreno were Latino. In a planned remake, producers are making the effort to cast Latinos. ORourke talks about the importance of taking courageous stances. But, as The Washington Post pointed out recently after interviewing him, he avoids taking firm positions on controversial issues. Thats not courage. As a Mexican-American, Ive learned not to fluster white people who often get squeamish easily because of demographics. But ORourke can go all radical and talk about knocking down walls on the U.S.-Mexico border. When the Post asked about immigration and what to do about visa overstayers, ORourke said: I dont know. He lives in El Paso, not Des Moines. He cant say: I dont know. An actual Mexican-American would be toast if he said that. ORourke doesnt do homework. He is the Democratic Partys version of Sarah Palin, telegenic and charismatic but afraid to open a book because he thinks it might explode in his face. The son of a county commissioner and county judge, the Democrat is now the husband of Amy ORourke and the son-in-law of William D. Sanders, a real-estate tycoon who has been called a billionaire but who Forbes insists is worth a measly $500 million. With an estimated net worth of $5-10 million, Beto never learned accountability. Not even after getting arrested in his 20s for drunk driving and breaking into the University of Texas in El Paso. ORourkes father, Pat, was the one who gave him the nickname Beto. Pat told reporters he thought it would help his son if he entered politics in El Paso. But first, Beto went to Columbia University in New York, where he conveniently reverted to Robert. Beto may be a serious candidate but he does not seem to be a serious person. Everything is a show, a joke, a missed test he didnt study for anyway. What do you expect when you come up short and still fall backward into an interview with Oprah Winfrey? ORourke may be the only Latino in the country who missed out on racism, so he probably lacks empathy for those who endured it. Everyone says ORourke is vying for the Latino vote against Julian Castro, the former secretary of Housing and Urban Development who is running for president. But ORourke isnt Latino. They might as well pit him against Sen. Elizabeth Warren for the female vote. I bet ORourke can really rock a pantsuit. Its not just me. Every day, I hear from other Latinos who for their own reasons are not feeling The Beto. Just in case youre interested. Or do we not get a say in who represents us? If thats true, then, well, good to know. Navarrette is a Washington Post columnist. When attackers want to gain access to the network of a big target online, they typically target smaller companies that provide services to the larger business. Once inside the supporting players computers, they can use that as a pipeline to break into the the bigger prize. To help small and medium businesses in Houston prevent such an attack, a group of cybersecurity leaders on Wednesday unveiled a free, web-based tool that lets any company assess its cyber readiness. Available at assess.cyberhouston.org, the tool was the result of a years worth of work by Cyber Houston, a coalition of local cybersecurity experts and corporate officers, said Umesh Verma, groups founder and the chief executive of Blue Lance, a Houston-based cybersecurity company. VULNERABLE: CEOs are the top cybersecurity targets The interactive tool was unveiled during a panel at the Houston Cyber Summit, a cybersecurity conference held Wednesday at the George R. Brown Convention Center. It walks users through 11 categories of cybersecurity readiness, including security policies and compliance, physical security, incident response, business continuity and disaster recovery and vendor management. Chronicle screenshot The latter has become an increasingly important part of so-called cyber hygiene, panelists said, because vendors are often granted access to a companys network to streamline their contributions. But if that vendor is compromised, then the client is also at risk, said panelist Andy Sawyer, director of security at the law firm of Locke Lord. You need to determine first what is the thing you need to protect the most, Sawyer said. You dont know what to protect if you dont know what youve got. For now, the tool only provides users with a score. Future iterations will make recommendations for actions to improve that score, and may offer a list of security firms who can help. HACKED: Energy industry an alluring target for hackers The panelists urged companies to make sure they know that vendors with access to their network have cybersecurity practices that are as strong as those of the host business. Attacks happen all the time, they stressed, and complacency is often a business downfall. As we know, its not just a matter of if, but when, said panelist Gary Spurger, who heads up the High Tech Crime Office at the Harris County Sheriffs Office. Dwight Silverman is the technology editor for the Houston Chronicle and the grillmaster for the TechBurger tech news site. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. 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. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. If we do not change, then we will be hitting a dead end and changes later on will be that much harder, he said during a visit to ST Engineerings aerospace facility. It is far better for us to take the more difficult road today so that we will reach the destination. The minister said companies will need to upskill the local workforce and tap on technology like automation to address the shortage of skilled manpower. We will need to continue to work closely together with our trade associations, with our unions, so that we can make this major transition, he said. He added that precisely because it is not easy is why companies should devote even more time and effort into easing any changes, reported The Straits Times. Moreover, this wasnt the first time the North Island wood processing company has been in trouble in relation to OHS. In fact, Juken New Zealand Limited has 20 previous health and safety convictions over the last two decades. Indeed, the WorkSafe investigation found that Juken had inadequate health and safety systems in place, and failed to provide appropriate controls to ensure the press was prevented from start-up while work was being carried out inside of it. It also failed to provide information, training and instructions to protect workers from risks associated with the press. Juken New Zealand Limited was fined $365,000 and ordered to pay reparation of $60,000. The maximum penalty is a fine not exceeding $1,500,000. Head of Specialist Interventions, Simon Humphries, said despite having 20 previous health and safety convictions, Juken New Zealand Limited has still fallen below the standard of health and safety. Its almost impossible to read through a hospitality or travel publication these days and not find the latest jaw-dropping statistic on the Chinese traveller market. Heres one: according to The China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI), the number of overseas trips made within a year by Chinese tourists will exceed 400 million by 2030. And, another: in 2017, China led the world in its investments toward travel abroad, investing a total of US$258,000 million, according to the UNWTO. Its almost impossible to read through a hospitality or travel publication these days and not find the latest jaw-dropping statistic on the Chinese traveller market. Heres one: according to The China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI), the number of overseas trips made within a year by Chinese tourists will exceed 400 million by 2030. And, another: in 2017, China led the world in its investments toward travel abroad, investing a total of US$258,000 million, according to the UNWTO. The list is endless. Indeed, a lot is said about the Chinese traveller market, perhaps so much so that those of us who operate within the hospitality and travel scene have become somewhat indifferent to the value those travellers now bring to our economies. This couldnt be truer than in Europe and especially in France, the third-most popular destination in the EU for Chinese travellers, and a country renowned for offering one thing many Chinese travellers enjoy luxury. In 2016, almost 15% of overnight stays by Chinese tourists in Europe were in French hotels. Its hardly surprising, then, that in our list this year of the top 12 hotel booking revenue makers in France, Chinas largest OTA, Ctrip, ranks among the top ten. It begs the question: just how many business opportunities are French hotels missing by not tapping into the lucrative Chinese traveller market? Chinese OTAs are key The question of missed opportunities, it seems, is one finally being asked by politicians across the country. In June last year, the president of Ile-de-France, Valerie Pecresse, made a monumental visit to Beijing and Hangzhou to sign a partnership agreement with Fliggy, part of the Alibaba Group, to improve the visibility of France on the Chinese booking website through the creation of a Paris region portal. Speaking on the fact that of the 135 million Chinese who have travelled the world in 2017, only 2 million came to France, Pecresse said, The reception of Chinese tourists is under potential. Pecresses trip signals a positive future for Frances hotels, which have arguably overlooked the importance of being seen on Chinese booking channels such as Fliggy, Ctrip and Qunar, and settled merely for visibility on the Chinese language websites of global giants such as TripAdvisor and Booking.com. Of course, a hotel listing on these channels is of great value, but is it value matched by visibility on some of the most widely-used apps by Chinese travellers, such as Mafengwo or Qyer? As a hotel, its crucial to be seen where your guests are and, according to EyeforTravel, seven out of 10 Chinese travel consumers booking through OTAs. They arent your typical OTAs either; they are websites literally built for mobile. As Lee McCabe, VP, North America for Alibaba Group, puts it: In the U.S., we went from bricks and mortar to desktop to laptop to mobile. In China, they went from undeveloped bricks-and-mortar landscape straight to mobile. For most Chinese consumers, mobile is the internet, and the internet is mobile to them. In less than 20 years, China has overtaken the U.S. to become the worlds most powerful outbound market. How well does your hotel lend itself to attracting, reaching and converting this unstoppable and highly-profitable group? Have you highlighted, through your chosen hotel marketing channels, the incredible food, sightseeing and shopping options around you? Just as youve looked to showcase your hotel property on Facebook and Instagram, have you thought to make it visible, too, on WeChat and Weibo? Perhaps, like Frances leaders, its time your hotel begins considering which booking channels are key to getting one of the many million Chinese tourists through your front door. About Antoine Aubrun Having spent many years in sales and business development, Bordeaux-native Antoine Aubrun prides himself on understanding the intimate, often-complex needs of his customers. Combined with a passion for travel and the power of technology, it is this understanding that has enabled Antoine to continually find success for Frances hotels, and support them in capitalising on the disruption of Software-as-a-Service and the global reach afforded by online distribution. Today Antoine leads France for SiteMinder, the global hotel industrys leading guest acquisition platform. He is a graduate from Lycee Danton and today works with both groups and independents operating in the dynamic French hotel market. Media contact Maria Cricchiola +61 410 233 735 media@siteminder.com Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest all industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hospitality Trends CD Baby Announces Global Expansion plus UK, Canada, Columbia, Singapore Hires CD Baby is continuing to expand globally with hires in Canada, Latin America, East Asia/Pacific, and the UK and EU. CD Baby is also adding local Artist Support Centers around the world, starting with the UK in the coming months. These centers will give specific advice in local languages tailored to the needs of artists in those locales. CD Baby is committed to becoming a global leader and to serving independent artists around the world. We need to be present where the artists are, and to provide artists everywhere the ability to get support and access to our services the way our US artists do, says Heli Del Moral, CD Babys VP for International Development. We feel it is very important to be physically present in these regions. To this end, we are expanding our global team with industry professionals who believe deeply in our vision and share our passion for indie artists. New CD Baby Regional Hires Henriette Heimdal will be joining CD Babys London office as Market Development Coordinator. Heimdal brings with her strong relationships across the European industry, having worked in recent years for trade association Worldwide Independent Network (WIN), representing the global independent sector. Darryl Hurs is CD Babys new Canadian representative, based in Toronto. Hurs started Indie Week Canada almost two decades ago as a hobby, only to transform it into a flagship event for the independent music scene, with thousands of bands applying each year. Johanna Rivera will join CD Baby representative Juan Pena in Colombia. Based in Bogota, her work will support artists from other South American and Spanish-speaking countries as well as Colombia, including parts of the Caribbean like the Dominican Republic. She worked for two years as Head of Customer Operations for a digital distribution company where she learned how to work with the artists to understand their goals and kickstart their careers. Keith Tan has devoted years in Singapore to a wide range of music-related projects. Tan will be founding the first Asian office for CD Baby, a significant move into a increasingly important market. One of CD Babys true differentiators is that we are very focused on customer service. You should be able to pick up the phone and talk to a person, or get an email back promptly with an informed reply. We need people to answer in a local timezone who know the intricacies of the region and who can relate on a very local level, reflects Del Moral. We have built the team with this in mind, and the people who care most for artists will help us have our best business. We see this less as internationalisation, and more as regionalisation. Share on: Translation: IATA sugiere un dialogo abierto entre el gobierno y la industria en Mexico (pdf) Mexico City - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on the government of Mexico to work closely with the air transport industry as it develops airport infrastructure to meet growing demand for air connectivity in the country's main gateway of Mexico City. Mexico City International Airport was designed for 32 million passengers annually but handled 48 million in 2018. The new Mexican government cancelled the New Mexico City International Airport (NAIM) project which was under construction with a design capacity of 120 million. With passenger traffic set to grow by 3.6% annually over the next two decades, Mexico faces a capacity crisis in its capital. The government is now proposing a three-airport system for the city: continued operation of the current Mexico City International Airport, increased use of Toluca Airport and conversion of the Santa Lucia Airbase for civilian use. "The industry is disappointed in the decision to cancel the NAIM project. But the decision has been made. Safe and efficient air connectivity is critical to the Mexican economy and national development. Implementing a three airport solution presents major technical and commercial challenges. It is imperative that the government and industry stakeholders work together to find the best way forward," said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA's Director General and CEO at the opening of the Aviation Summit Mexico hosted by IATA with the support of Canaero, ALTA and ACI-LAC. Aviation is critical to Mexico economic and social development. The industry contributes some US$38 billion to the Mexican economy and supports 1.4 million Mexican jobs. "The decision to cancel NAIM puts at risk 200,000 future jobs and an economic boost of US$20 billion annually by 2035," said de Juniac. While the government is developing details of its NAIM alternative plans, IATA laid out some key considerations: Basic airline needs must be met. The goal to deliver sufficient infrastructure to meet demand must be made available, matched to user needs, and at costs that are affordable. The goal to deliver sufficient infrastructure to meet demand must be made available, matched to user needs, and at costs that are affordable. Airline experience must be taken into consideration. Airlines have vast experience in understanding both passenger and market needs. So they are also in the best position to make decisions on which airport to serve in light of commercial realities. Airlines have vast experience in understanding both passenger and market needs. So they are also in the best position to make decisions on which airport to serve in light of commercial realities. Air Traffic Management must support safe and efficient operations. "The three airports are in very close proximity, in mountainous terrain and at high altitude. Delivering safe and efficient operations will be challenging. I cannot over-emphasize the need for technical coordination with operators to carefully manage these parameters. Safety must never be compromised. And we don't want to find that investments in these three airports are compromised by air traffic management requirements that ultimately limit their utilization. Getting air traffic management right is mission-critical," said de Juniac. "The three airports are in very close proximity, in mountainous terrain and at high altitude. Delivering safe and efficient operations will be challenging. I cannot over-emphasize the need for technical coordination with operators to carefully manage these parameters. Safety must never be compromised. And we don't want to find that investments in these three airports are compromised by air traffic management requirements that ultimately limit their utilization. Getting air traffic management right is mission-critical," said de Juniac. Scarce slot capacity must be allocated in full compliance with IATA Worldwide Slot Guidelines (WSG). The WSG is a fair, transparent and global system that works on accepted global standards at over 200 airports. "It is good to see that the present Mexico City Airport is already progressively moving to align to WSG. But it is a global system, so full compliance is critical," said de Juniac. "There is a capacity crisis in Mexico City and there is no time to lose in finding a solution. Airlines urgently need to know what infrastructure will be available and when. Then we can start a dialogue with the government that is focused on the best way to use it. If the decisions are politically motivated or bureaucratically assigned, the results are likely to be sub-optimal," said de Juniac. Read Alexandre de Juniacs speech. View the value of air transport report for Mexico: English (pdf) Spanish (pdf) For more information, please contact: Corporate Communications Tel: +41 22 770 2967 Email: corpcomms@iata.org Notes for Editors: IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 290 airlines comprising 82% of global air traffic. You can follow us at http://twitter.com/iata for announcements, policy positions, and other useful industry information. Clarksburg Police Chief Michael Williams presents his case to the Select Board on hiring a full-time police officer. Clarksburg Officials Ponder Adding Full-Time Officer CLARKSBURG, Mass. The Select Board is weighing whether to recommend a Police Department budget that would include a second full-time officer. Police Chief Michael Williams presented his case to add the post at Wednesday's meeting, citing the need for more stable coverage, to address an increase in certain types of calls and to have a consistent backup for investigative and administrative services. "I believe this would expand department services," Williams explained to board members Chairman Ronald Boucher and Karin Robert. "The benefit is we would increase the hours of that shift so instead of having an officer on four hours, they would be on for eight hours." The department has between four and six part-timers, and currently, there are four part-time officers. Shifts are 12 hours and split between patrol and on-call hours. Williams is on from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays with four hours each day considered "on call." Part-time officers pick up the overnight from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. but only four of those hours are on patrol and eight hours are on call. They are paid for patrol time and any calls made during their on-call hours. The weekend split is slightly different. When Williams joined the force in 1985 it was made up solely of part-timers, seven in all. But as societal changes began to manifest in more criminal and nuisance calls, a full-time police chief was installed in the late 1990s. This also provided for more administrative and court services. "The job of the Police Department was traffic enforcement. The department didn't receive a lot of other calls besides that," said the chief of when he joined. "Through the years the calls were increased due to the demographics and different laws. Domestic violence became a criminal charge, which became more calls. The residential changes ... we were getting new residents coming in, we were getting calls for property line disputes and other things with new neighbors. ... "Then you have the societal changes in the town and the surrounding area, the increases in drugs and stuff like that, which created more calls." Robert questioned the need for a full-time post when many businesses are moving to part-time personnel to save on benefits and to have more flexibility. "For those extra four hours of that evening shift, that's what I need to see," she said. "Are there enough calls in that four hours where they're not out that can justify paying a full-time person and giving them benefits." Williams didn't have a breakdown of night calls but said yearly numbers fluctuated during the period from 2010 to 2017. The initiated calls -- either to the office, 911 or vehicle stop -- were more than 600 annually in 2010 and 2017, although 2015 dropped to 303. The town is also covered by Massachusetts State Police and Williams said he had asked the agency for the number of calls to which state police had responded. North Adams provides backup through mutual aid on request. Williams said part-time turnover had been an issue as officers must invest more training so tend to seek full-time posts in neighboring communities. Plus most no longer work a regular weekday job. "A lot of people who want to be police officers are working in emergency service fields," he said. "They are working as dispatchers or EMTs or whatever. They're working rotating shifts. ... Sometimes I can't get somebody to work a shift." Robert asked if would be better to hire part-timers at 24 hours or 32 hours. Williams and Town Administrator Carl McKinney said they would have to pay full benefits at 20 hours, so it might as well be a full-time person. A full-time officer would reduce the dependency on part-timers and if paid comparable to other departments, he or she would not be as likely to leave, Williams said. The chief said he also ends up doing all the investigations because of the difficulty in training and keeping informed a rotating force of officers who only patrol four hours a night. A full-time officer, he said, could help in picking up investigations, assist in training, be of immediate aid during major incidents and their aftermath, and take on some administrative work like doing the license to carry or firearms identification cards. "It can help me offset some stuff and give me a little bit of time to get out of the office," he said. Williams also submitted a budget with the full-time post added in and a 6 percent salary increase for his upcoming contract as a starting point for negotiations. The board postponed more discussion on the position until it received more data. In other business: Finance Committee member Mark Denault brought up a bylaw pointed out to the committee by the town clerk that states the budget is presented to the Finance Committee dating from 1972. That has not been the case in many years, he noted, and asked if the board would want the Finance Committee to continue developing the budget. The board voted to charge the Finance Committee to continue its work and to present an amended bylaw to town meeting. Town Moderator Bryan Tanner, who was in attendance, suggested the board review the entire bylaw to see if further changes might be needed. The board approved Verizon's request to shift the location of its planned cell tower by about 10 feet. Boucher had asked to postpone the issue at the last meeting in an effort to have the landowner appear. He did not. The board appointed Jeanne Moulthrop to the Historical Commission. A bid of $14,377.34 for changing out Town Hall's lighting to LED was awarded to Electrical and Lighting Resources Inc. of North Adams. McKinney said the replacements should reduce the building's energy use by 8,000 kWh. That would leave about $40,000 from the Green Communities grant for insulation; McKinney said he would develop that invitation to bid. The board entered into executive session to discuss a matter of real estate and a personnel issue. iciHaiti - Security : Arrest of the #2 of Gang of Ti Je On Wednesday, Carrefour police arrested "Baron", the number 2 of the dangerous "Ti Je" gang leader, who has been terrorizing Savane Pistache for several months. The arrest was carried out at the Adventist Hospital in Diquini where "Baron" was being treated for a gunshot wound in his arm. Baron's wife and the driver of a taxi-motorcycle taht transported them, were also arrested according to Carrefour Police Commissioner Charles Maunaude, adding that the arrest of the Lieutenant of "Ti Je" will allow to know more about the activities and structure of the Gang. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27028-haiti-flash-at-carrefour-feuilles-individuals-open-fire-on-innocent-citizens.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26489-haiti-flash-terror-in-savane-pistache-houses-of-police-officers-burned.html IH/ iciHaiti iciHaiti - USA : Undersecretary David Hale expected in Haiti Friday, March 1st, 2019,, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale will travel to Port-au-Prince, Haiti where he will meet with Haitian President Jovenel Moise, Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant, and other political, economic, and civic leaders. Under Secretary Hale will encourage an inclusive national dialogue that addresses the current economic and political challenges facing Haiti. His visit will reaffirm the United States commitment to working with all Haitians towards a more secure, prosperous, and democratic future. IH/ iciHaiti Sierra Leone: Execution of fisheries policy may be troubled by limited resources by Zainab Iyamide Joaque February 25,2019 | Source: Awoko According to the recently launched National AGOA Response Strategy of Sierra Leone, the new Fisheries Policy which seeks to address all the key issues related to fishing and fishery, risks being hampered in its implementation by limited resources. The associated strategy, the document states, makes a good attempt to narrow the focus, establish priorities, and identify next steps. One of the key recommendations relating to institutional responsibility is the creation of a National Fisheries Forum that will bring together the public and private sector together with other stakeholders. This will be critical for defining and monitoring the implementation of the new policy and strategy. The Strategy also discusses compliance with standards, which it says is an important aspect of fishery exports due to the highly perishable nature of the product. Exports to the European Union countries have not materialised because of failure to meet their stringent standards. An important step is the enactment of Food Safety Act in late 2017 with the primary objective to regulate food safety activities within Sierra Leone. The policy issues pertaining to dried and smoked fish are broadly the same as those for the fishing sector in general. The policy framework has recently improved with the adoption of a new fisheries policy and an associated strategy document in 2016. They also identified some policy challenges key among them is the control of fishing effort, as it is evident that there is illegal fishing by foreign trawlers that then trans-ship or export directly to Asia. This is the most pressing problem because of the high risk of over-fishing in the coastal waters. It involves government action to prevent over-fishing, and the application of measures for a sustainable fishing industry. This requires policies and actions to regulate and control illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and supervision of legal fishing. The number of licensed fishermen and their aggregate fishing capacity must be consistent with the allowable annual catch. This applies to both the industrial fleet and the smaller artisanal boats. But controlling the fishing fleet is a challenge everywhere and nowhere more so than in a country with the limited financial resources like Sierra Leone. The estimated loss from IUU is about US$30 million per year. Several projects are underway to tackle this problem, including the West Africa Regional Fisheries Program. Illegal trawlers have been kept out of the inner six-mile zone, with the help of a fast fisheries patrol boat. Management of the sector is receiving greater attention, and more responsibility is shifting to the local level, with surveillance being decentralized to four marine-protected areas and 31 community management associations. These associations have now been given the authority to limit the number of licenses issued within their areas, and to monitor fishing activity. Though there are still problems, the regional program also facilitates monitoring by promoting cooperation between countries. Much of the legal industrial catch is trans-shipped on the high seas to the final destination without coming to port while 30 percent is required to be landed and sold locally. This is partly explained by the limited capacity of the existing port infrastructure and local processing capacity. However, every fishing nation aspires to value addition through local processing. It is true that no specialized fishing port exists in Sierra Leone as at the time of preparing this strategy (in 2017/2018), but some fishing companies still manage to land their catch and conduct on-shore operations for export. Increasing exports of dried and smoked fish will eventually require greater supply of the raw material. Otherwise, exports will come at the expense of local consumption. A robust policy supported by investments will be needed to raise gradually the share of the catch which is landed. At the same time, plans for on-shore processing and marketing should be designed and implemented as early as possible. Awoko Newspaper Copyright 2019-2020 Theme(s): Fisheries Development and Aquaculture. Scrap all reclamation projects: Malaysian green group February 28,2019 | Source: The Star Environmental NGO Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) is urging the government to scrap all proposed coastal reclamation projects in the country. Its president S.M. Mohamed Idris said based on findings from research and field surveys, the coastal communities and marine ecosystem had been adversely affected by such reclamations. The reclamation projects have reduced the fishermen and communities access to coastal and marine resources. Dredging and extractions of marine sand from the benthic zone (sea bottom) also destroys organisms and habitats, and it deeply affects the composition of biodiversity, he told a press conference at the seafront in Persiaran Bayan Indah in Bayan Lepas yesterday. Under the PSR, the state has proposed to reclaim land on the southern part of the Penang island to build three man-made islands to finance the RM46bil Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP). Mohamed said there was no need for Penang to rival Singapore and create its own Marina Bay here through the PSR project. Penang should not compete with Singapore or Dubai by having a theme park and hotels on reclaimed islands, he added. At the event, SAM launched a new 20-page publication titled Impacts Of Coastal Reclamation in Malaysia, detailing the biological, physical, socio-economic, socio-cultural and other impacts of reclamation. The publication will be submitted to members of the National Physical Planning Council, urging the council to cancel all proposed reclamation projects in the country, in particular the PSR project. 1995-2019 Star Media Group Berhad Theme(s): Others. Why are the Japanese fearing another tsunami soon? by Garima Bora February 28,2019 | Source: NewsBytes More than 12 rare oarfish were caught in different islands of Japan this year. Now that's a worrying news, especially for Japan. That is because, according to Japanese folklore, the oarfish are rare and known to be the harbinger of natural disasters. To give a perspective, before the 2011 tsunami in Japan, dozens of oarfish were seen just a year earlier. Oarfish have large bodies and red fins like a dragon. Notably, oarfish reside 200-1,000 meters below the surface of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. The oarfish have serpentine silvery bodies and are large and elongated in size. Their fins are red in color, giving them a dragon-like appearance. It's said that they shift to shallower seas ahead of underwater earthquakes, possibly because of electromagnetic changes which are caused by tectonic activity. Two oarfish were caught last month, both died subsequently. The oarfish are known as 'Ryugu no tsukai' or 'Messenger from the Sea God's Palace' in Japanese. On January 28, two oarfish of 3.6 and 4 meters were caught in a net alive near the Okinawa island. Unfortunately, the fishes died while they were on their way to an aquarium. One of them was found torn in half when it was being unloaded. The dead fishes' remains will be preserved as specimens. Now, their discovery, along with the other oarfish, has sparked a new fear on social media, which feels a disaster is about to hit Japan. "I had only ever heard stories about this fish. When I saw them at the port, I was quite shocked," Takashi Yamauchi, the Yomitan Fisheries Cooperative Association, told media. However, experts have quashed the theories. Also, no scientific relationship has been found between oarfish sightings and natural disasters. Satomi Higa of the Yomitan Fisheries Cooperative Association said, "They look mysterious and beautiful," probably that's how the myth started. Kasuza Saiba, Uozu Aquarium keeper, reasons changes in Earth's crust or global warming could "cause the current to stir and push creatures to the surface." Theme(s): Communities and Organisations. South Africa: Zinc mine to change the face of the Northern Cape President Cyril Ramaphosa is confident that Vedanta Resources Limited's investment at its Gamsberg zinc mine is a step in the right direction towards changing the fortunes of the Northern Cape. Speaking at the opening of the mine, located near Aggeneys in the Northern Cape, President Ramaphosa said Vedanta has heeded South Africas call at the inaugural South Africa Investment Conference, in October, calling for investment. We are here to say thank you to Vedanta for the enthusiasm with which you have embraced our ambitious investment drive. It is gratifying to see the commitments made at the Investment Conference taking form and shape across our country, said the President on Thursday. The President thanked the company for its investment in one of the most sparsely populated provinces in the country. The Northern Cape contributes just 2% of South Africas GDP and has an expanded unemployment rate of around 39%. Mining offers an opportunity to fundamentally change this, he said of the province that is rich in manganese, iron ore and diamonds. Yet, this province remains underdeveloped, he said, adding that mining in the area can greatly improve employment prospects in the province. He said it is important to increase investment in mineral beneficiation. In this regard, the proposed creation of a smelter-refinery complex in Gamsberg will create opportunities for value-adding zinc beneficiation in the Khai-Ma municipality and beyond, he said. The President, who earlier in the day toured the US$400 million facility, together with Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe and Northern Cape Premier Sylvia Lucas, among others -- said he was impressed with the levels of skills on display at the mine. The investments that have already been made here, when taken together with the anticipated investments in further phases, will improve South Africas position as a global player in zinc production. Changing the economic landscape Most importantly, this investment will change the economic landscape of this region and will contribute to much-needed social development, he said. Last year, Vedanta spent RR44 million on training and social projects aimed at skills development, health, enterprise development and municipal infrastructure support. Braving the hot sun, the President engaged miners at the site and also explored the digitalised mines laboratory which sported more than one robot. The President urged that while technological advancements are necessary, technology cannot replace what human hands can do. Confidence in the mining sector and investing in communities The President said the sun has yet to set on the mining sector. The operation that we are opening today gives us confidence that the future of mining is bright. It gives us confidence that we can develop an industry that benefits communities as much as it produces returns for shareholders, he said, while adding that government is committed to working with investors to ensure the growth of the sector. Dean Ramabuya, a process chief superintendent at Vendata, says working at the mine has allowed him to stay with his family, as the company provides housing. Its very comfortable for me and my family. I have no worries for my little one, that she will be in an unsafe environment. The area is very calm. I love it. This is one of the biggest, unexplored zinc [mines] in the world. Its quite exciting. The technology inside this plant is amazing I would like to stay with the company for as long as I can Aggeneys is also a beautiful place to stay in. The crime rate is very low, said Ramabuya. Altus van Zyl, the process superintendent at the mine, said it was one of the most advanced mines he has worked at. It gave me a new perspective of all the technology out there and the possibilities thats out there to enable us to produce more with less energy - so its a good thing for the mining industry and South Africa, he said. Van Zyl said nearly half of the staff complement is young and from the local community. So we are growing the community as well. His job entails ensuring the production targets are met and the production is of good quality. Its a very nice career. Its very exciting. Its a thrill... I enjoy coming here every day, I like challenges and I think most of the people working here love challenges. An employee of Van Wyks bus service, which operates in the mining area, says the opening of the mine has been good for business. This has changed my life. I can now provide for my family Maybe opportunities can open for me at another big company or the mine itself, said the man, who is a Gamsberg local. Embracing technology The Presidents comments were echoed by Minister Mantashe who said all technologies are anchored on mining. Mining must take pride in that and position itself as part of it. This investment is quite important, zinc and copper are found here. That means that we have a number of minerals that are basically industrial minerals that can contribute to the development of the country, Mantashe told SAnews. Ease of doing business Meanwhile, Chairman of Vedanta, Anil Argawal, spoke highly of the ease of doing business in the South African mining sector. People say it is difficult to do business in South Africa. My own experience was that we never had problems. Everything was done in a proficient manner and delivered on time, he said. Empowering women, skills The company is targeting to include 30% of women in its operations at the mine in the next three years. At the last stop of his tour of the facility, the President, who founded the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) with James Motlatsi and Elijah Barayi in the 80s, asked workers at the cafeteria whether they had joined a union - to which workers replied with a "yes." Through the course of his tour, the President said he was thoroughly impressed with the skills set and advancements at the facility. Premier Lucas said the province has a lot of potential for investment and development. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-02-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. WASHINGTON DC Dr Fatih Birol, the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, met bilaterally with US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry today before testifying before the United States Senate on the IEAs latest findings on global energy markets. Dr Birol and Secretary Perry discussed how the United States is playing a growing role in oil and gas markets across the world, deploying solar and wind power domestically, and pushing clean technology deployment including CCUS. Their meeting was followed by a joint press conference on US and international energy markets. Dr Fatih Birol (left) and US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry On Capitol Hill, Dr Birol testified before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources under the chairmanship of Senator Lisa Murkowski and with ranking member Senator Joe Manchin. The hearing focused on prospects for global energy markets, and the role of the United States. This is the third year in a row that Dr Birol has testified in front of the committee. [His testimony can be found here.] Dr Birol then gave a speech at the US Department of State on the IEAs modernization and developments in global energy markets to members of the diplomatic community. The event, which was attended by representatives from members of the IEA family, took place in the Loy Henderson Auditorium. The room was the historic site of the Washington Energy Conference, held in February 1974, which was a first key step in establishing the International Energy Agency later that year. The International Energy Conference, in Washington, held on 11 February 1974, prior to establishing the IEA in Paris. (Photograph: OECD) Journalists Moon Moon Pan and Ah Je were detained and assaulted by employees of a mining company in Waingmaw in Kachin in Myanmar on February 26. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Myanmar Journalists Association (MJA) condemn the attack on the two journalists and demand an immediate investigation. According to The Irrawaddy the two Myitkyina News Journal journalists were detained by staff from the Tha Khin Sit Mining, Import and Export Company, and forced from the newsroom to the companys site. They were detained for over two hours in separate rooms and allegedly abused. They were ordered to take down an article about the company. The two journalists were released when colleagues alerted police and went to the site. The Myanmar Journalists Association, in its statement, said that there is no justification to bully be violent towards journalists. The two journalists are doing their job ethically in accordance with the media law, which is informing the public for the right to the information of all the citizens. Myanmar Journalists Association is also concerned on the abuse towards the journalists for writing news that is of public concern and strongly calls on the government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to protect the right to information of the public and rights of journalists, MJA said. The IFJ said: The attack on Moon Moon Pan and Ah Je is a violent attempt to intimidate and silence critical voices. Swift and decisive action needs to be taken to ensure these types of attacks do not continue against journalists who were simply doing their job. Journalists must be able to operate with fear or intimidation. Imperial Valley News Center East Bay Residents Charged In Firebombing Conspiracy of Attorneys San Francisco, California - David Jah and Kristopher Alexis-Clark were charged with conspiracy to commit arson, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson, United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Rayfield Roundtree, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John Bennett. Alexis-Clark also was charged with attempted arson and possession of a destructive device. The defendants were charged in a federal criminal complaint filed on February 22, 2019, and unsealed Tuesday. According to the affidavit filed in support of the complaint, Jah, 45, of Concord, and Alexis-Clark, 24, of Vallejo, conspired to use Molotov cocktails to firebomb two residences in Contra Costa County. The targeted residences, one in Danville and the other in Lafayette, belong to attorneys who previously had been involved in civil litigation involving real estate in which Jah claimed to have an interest. Both residences were hit with Molotov cocktails in the early morning hours of November 3, 2018, and the Danville residence was the target of another Molotov cocktail in March 2016. Although there was property damage at the two residences, no physical injuries were reported. The affidavit further alleges Jah and Alexis-Clark began coordinating and discussing the attacks in October 2018 and that Alexis-Clark used his own vehicle to travel to the two residences that were firebombed. Alexis-Clark allegedly agreed to participate in the firebombings in exchange for financial compensation from Jah. The criminal complaint charges Jah and Alexis-Clark with conspiring to commit arson, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 844(n). Alexis-Clark also is charged with attempted arson, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 844(i), and possession of a destructive device, in violation of 26 U.S.C. 5861(c). Alexis-Clark appeared in San Francisco before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero this morning. Magistrate Judge Spero scheduled his next appearance for February 27, 2019, at 9:30 a.m., for identification of counsel. Jah is currently in federal custody on unrelated charges. His next scheduled appearance in this case is before the Honorable William H. Alsup, U.S. District Judge, on March 5, 2019, for a status hearing. A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 20 years, as well as a fine of $250,000 for the conspiracy charge. Alexis-Clark also faces an additional five year minimum and 20 years maximum in prison and $250,000 for the attempted arson charge as well as an additional 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000 for the possession of an illegal destructive device charge. Further, the court may order additional periods of supervised release, fines, and restitution; however, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Rodriguez is prosecuting this case with assistance from Kimberly Richardson. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the ATF and FBI with assistance from the police departments of San Francisco, Vallejo, Lafayette, and Danville. Imperial Valley News Center Multi-agency Partnership Launches $1.55M Challenge for New Solutions to Detect Opioids Washington, DC - Today, the Opioid Detection Challenge, a $1.55 million USD global prize competition, was launched by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). The Challenge calls upon innovators to submit novel plans for rapid, nonintrusive detection tools that will help find illicit opioids being trafficked into the United States through international mail. CBP is excited to partner with DHS S&T to identify the next generation of interdiction tools, CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said. The technologies that emerge from this innovation challenge will be important elements of our multi-layered approach to combat the flow of opioids and other dangerous illicit drugs. The abuse of opioids such as fentanyl has created an unprecedented public health crisis across the United States. In 2017, approximately 50,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses. Large-scale drug trafficking of fentanyl can occur via small packages sent in the mail as well as through other avenues like ports of entry, making detection a significant challenge. Stopping the flow of illicit drugs from coming into the United States is a crucial part of addressing the addiction crisis. This competition will bring together innovators, experts, and technology leaders to help meet the challenges we face head on and accomplish our ultimate goal saving lives, ONDCP Director Jim Carroll said. This competition is part of the comprehensive government effort to address the opioid crisis that is devastating too many American communities, said DHS Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary for Science and Technology William N. Bryan said. New tools and technologies offer a critical opportunity to more quickly and accurately detect opioids before they enter the United States. Postal Inspectors have always made it their mission to protect the public and the U.S. Postal Service from the dangers of illegal narcotics, Chief Postal Inspector Gary R. Barksdale said. This challenge and the partnerships involved will provide better mechanisms and technologies to identify and stop the flow of opioids into the country. The Challenge calls on innovators in a wide range of fields, from forensic science to industrial quality assurance to artificial intelligence, to help disrupt the flow of opioids into the United States. Submissions should be well-developed plans for automated, user-friendly tools and technologies that have the potential to quickly and accurately detect opioids in parcels, without disrupting the flow of mail. The Challenge is open to international and domestic participants, as defined in the Rules, Terms and Conditions. Those interested in participating in the Challenge should submit their plans by 4:59 PM ET, April 24, 2019. The judges will evaluate the submissions and select up to eight finalists to advance to Stage 2 of the competition. Each finalist is expected to be awarded an equal share of the $800,000 Stage 1 prize pool. In Stage 2, finalists will participate in a 14-week prototyping accelerator, during which they will develop their plans into testable prototypes and compete for an additional $750,000 in cash prizes. Stage 2 will culminate in a live test event hosted by DHS, where finalists will convene for on-site testing of their prototypes. One grand prize winner is expected to be awarded $500,000 and one runner-up is expected to be awarded $250,000. Imperial Valley News Center President Donald J. Trump Hails Vietnams Commitment to Expanding Commercial Partnerships with American Companies Washington, DC - "Moving forward as partners, we will achieve great prosperity and success for the American people and for the Vietnamese people." ~ President Donald J. Trump BIG-TICKET PURCHASES: President Donald J. Trump is pleased that Vietnamese airlines have agreed to purchase new planes, engines, and services from American companies. President Donald J. Trump, alongside President Trong of Vietnam, participated in the signing of commercial trade deals between leading Vietnamese airlines and American companies. These agreements reflect the deep economic partnership enjoyed by the United States and Vietnam. These agreements are worth over $21 billion and include the following: VietJet will buy 100 American-made Boeing 737-MAX jets and 215 General Electric-developed LEAP engines. Bamboo Airways will purchase 10 Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Vietnam Airlines pledges to acquire a minimum of $50 million in reservation systems and other services from Sabre Corporation. These purchases will support more than 83,000 American jobs and improve safety and reliability for Vietnamese and international travelers. STRENGTHENING TIES: President Trump is committed to deepening economic ties and advancing the partnership between the United States and Vietnam. These deals are a reflection of the work President Trump has undertaken to strengthen the partnership between the United States and Vietnam. In May 2017, President Trump and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc pledged to enhance the comprehensive partnership between the United States and Vietnam. Among other commitments, both sides pledged to promote and grow mutually beneficial economic ties between their two countries. In November 2017, during President Trumps first historic visit, Vietnamese companies announced agreements to purchase $12 billion in American goods and services. Vietnam also committed to eliminate trade barriers on United States agricultural exports, opening up new markets for American farmers. EXPANDING ACCESS: President Trump is expanding markets for American goods and services abroad. Imperial Valley News Center Alexa, why dont you laugh at my jokes? West Lafayette, Indiana - Ask any smart virtual assistant to tell you a joke and the response is, well, lackluster. A flat, robotic voice drones out some simplistic humor. No laughter, no tone and no concern if you are even listening. Todays technology has reached a level where interaction between humans and computers is vital in everyday life. Unfortunately, natural communication between both sides has lagged far behind many other advances. Julia Rayz is conducting artificial intelligence research involving humor, among other areas, to determine what is necessary through computational algorithms to create computer-human interaction that rivals a common conversation between people. I dont try to teach computers to tell funny jokes; I want to use artificial intelligence to get computers to a point where they understand why we think something is funny or not, said Rayz, an associate professor in Purdue Universitys Department of Computer and Information Technology. That goal, however, is easier said than done. Current artificial intelligence systems perform well at working inside the box, finding the correct rules and relationships in decision-making when the logic involved is pretty black and white. But when there are no clear rules and there are no clear rules in human communication what are we going to tell the computer to do, find rules that dont exist? Rayz said. Whenever the box doesnt have clear outlines, its turning into a royal mess. You cant find enough examples that are going to describe every possible communication scenario. Advances allowing artificial intelligence to communicate in a natural way with humans can help people work better, increasing potential performance in the business world and allowing for human-computer collaborations that take on more complex challenges and devices. Rayz research involves trying to provide artificial intelligence with understandings of what makes a joke a joke, looking at facets such as delivery, context and emotion. To reach comprehension, the computer also needs to have a lot of background knowledge about the situation that the joke describes. Finally, the artificial intelligence must have a perfect understanding of every single meaning that is used in that joke and be able combine it together and interpret the meaning behind what is being said. The work is second nature for people, but a huge hurdle for artificial intelligence to overcome. The research isnt confined to computers, with linguistics, psychology, sociology and anthropology experts also taking on the task. Rayz has humor comprehension projects ongoing as part of Purdues Applied Knowledge Representation and Natural Language Understanding Lab, which she directs. But, she said, research doesnt have to focus on just humor in order to make progress toward humor processing. However, the facets involved in humor make it a perfect litmus test for computer-human interaction. If the system can identify a joke, it can understand the nuances that accompany other text and conversation, such as sarcasm and irony. Artificial intelligence should be able to handle more natural conversation and understand when you are joking and when you are serious, she said. If you are giving a command in a sarcastic manner, the computer needs to know it does not need to follow that command. Not all of Rayz research is in the lab. She truly appreciates a good joke and is always thinking about how she can make the transition to artificial intelligence. You can just sit at a cafe with coffee and observe people and their reactions and modify your algorithms in your mind, she said. There are some types of humor I hear and think, Really? You can do better than that. But, in conversations especially, you hear a response or hear someone say something, you think Oh wow, thats complex. I need to incorporate that. Rayz research aligns with Purdues Giant Leaps celebration, acknowledging the universitys global advancements made toward artificial intelligence as part of Purdues 150th anniversary. This is one of the four themes of the yearlong celebrations Ideas Festival, designed to showcase Purdue as an intellectual center solving real-world issues. Imperial Valley News Center FTCs Bureau of Competition Launches Task Force to Monitor Technology Markets Washington, DC - The Federal Trade Commissions Bureau of Competition announced the creation of a task force dedicated to monitoring competition in U.S. technology markets, investigating any potential anticompetitive conduct in those markets, and taking enforcement actions when warranted. To create the Technology Task Force, the Bureau of Competition will draw upon existing staff and expertise to enhance the Bureaus focus on technology-related sectors of the economy, including markets in which online platforms compete. The creation of this task force is modeled on the FTCs successful Merger Litigation Task Force, launched in 2002 by then-Bureau of Competition Director Joe Simons. The 2002 task force reinvigorated the Commissions hospital merger review program, and also sharpened the agencys focus on merger enforcement in retail industries, particularly regarding matters involving food, beverages, and supermarkets. The role of technology in the economy and in our lives grows more important every day, said FTC Chairman Joe Simons. As Ive noted in the past, it makes sense for us to closely examine technology markets to ensure consumers benefit from free and fair competition. Our ongoing Hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century are a crucial step to deepen our understanding of these markets and potential competitive issues. The Technology Task Force is the next step in that effort. The new task force team will include approximately 17 staff attorneys. Task force members, who will join the task force from divisions within the Bureau, will include attorneys with unique expertise in complex product and service markets and ecosystems, including markets for online advertising, social networking, mobile operating systems and apps, and platform businesses. The task force will also include a Technology Fellow, who will provide important technical assistance and expertise to support the task forces investigations. The new task force will be led by Patricia Galvan, currently the Deputy Assistant Director of the Mergers III Division, and Krisha Cerilli, currently Counsel to the Director. The task force will be overseen by Director Bruce Hoffman, Deputy Director Gail Levine, and Associate Director for Digital Markets Daniel Francis. The Technology Task Force will work closely with economists from the FTCs Bureau of Economics. In addition, task force members will coordinate with their counterparts in the FTCs Bureau of Consumer Protection who also focus on technology platforms. Technology markets, which are rapidly evolving and touch so many other sectors of the economy, raise distinct challenges for antitrust enforcement, said Bureau Director Bruce Hoffman. By centralizing our expertise and attention, the new task force will be able to focus on these markets exclusively ensuring they are operating pursuant to the antitrust laws, and taking action where they are not. In addition to examining industry practices and conducting law enforcement investigations, the Technology Task Force will, among other things, coordinate and consult with staff throughout the FTC on technology-related matters, including prospective merger reviews in the technology sector and reviews of consummated technology mergers. USS Constitution to Participate in Mobile Navy Week Boston, Massachusetts - Sailors assigned to USS Constitution will participate in a Navy Office of Community Outreach Navy Week in Mobile, Alabama February 27-March 4. The primary purpose of the Navy Week program is to increase the publics awareness of the Navy by presenting the Navy to Americans who live in cities that normally do not have a significant naval presence. Mobile Navy Week will showcase the mission, capabilities and achievements of the U.S. Navy and provide residents the opportunity to meet with Sailors firsthand. Constitution Sailors will kick off their participation with a historical discussion of Old Ironsides at Gulf Quest Maritime Museum Navy Day, Boys and Girls Club Kiwanis Branch, Theodore High School Navy Day, Boys and Girls Club Semmes Branch, Kate Shepard Elementary, and Boys and Girls Club Gillard Elementary Branch. Additionally, Sailors will present the colors during the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams' (DDG 95) arrival ceremony, Saraland Mardi Gras Parade, Joe Cain Parade, and Order of Doves parade. Later in the week, Constitution Sailors will spend time interacting with Mobiles children at the USA Childrens & Womens Hospital. "Navy Weeks represent a tremendous opportunity for our Sailors to engage with thousands of Americans across the country to generate support for the Navys mission," said Nathaniel R. Shick, 75th Commanding Officer of USS Constitution. "It gives them an opportunity to take what they've learned aboard Constitution and share that history and enthusiasm with our citizens." This is the first of 13 Navy Weeks Constitution Sailors will participate in this year. Constitution, Americas Ship of State, actively defended sea lanes against global threats from 1797-1855. The Worlds Oldest Commissioned Warship Afloat, Constitution embodies 221 years of maritime heritage and unwavering service to her country. Now a featured destination on Bostons Freedom Trail, Constitution and her crew of active duty U.S. Navy Sailors offer community outreach and education about the ship's history and the importance of naval sea power to more than 500,000 visitors each year. Constitution is berthed at Pier One in Charlestown Navy Yard. For more information on Constitution, visit www.history.navy.mil/ussconstitution or www.facebook.com/ussconstitutionofficial. Carderock Researchers Contribute to Book on Ship Stability West Bethesda, Maryland - To say this book is a collection of research would be an understatement. Contemporary Ideas on Ship Stability: Risk of Capsizing is more like a preservation of knowledge covering the last nine years. Dr. Vadim Belenky, a naval architect in the Simulations and Analysis Branch at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, was the editor in chief for the book, the chapters of which are papers from engineers, naval architects and professors from around the world. Belenky himself co-authored four of the papers, along with 15 other current or former Carderock employees who authored these papers. Carderocks Dr. Art Reed was a co-author on the first chapter of the book, TEMPESTA New Computationally Efficient Dynamic Stability Prediction Tool. His co-author was Bill Belknap, a former Carderock employee and now a technical warrant holder at Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). The abstract for chapter one says, TEMPEST is designed to be computationally efficient to support real-time training simulators, as well as high-resolution evaluation of surface-ship, dynamic-stability performance across a wide range of possible environmental conditions. TEMPEST aims to improve the state of the art for real-time computations through the inclusion of nonlinear (body-exact) hydrodynamic perturbation forces and physics-based, viscosity-influenced lift and cross-flow drag forces. Reed, the Navys senior research scientist and technical consultant for high-speed ship hydrodynamics, said TEMPEST has been very important software in the field of dynamic stability research, and it was a multi-million-dollar investment for the U.S. Navy. Reed said that having this chapter start the book just showcases the important contribution Carderock has to the world in the realm of fluid mechanics. He said basing stability assessments solely on previous experience doesnt allow for novel, unconventional design. This book provides an avenue by which the international community concerned with the stability of ships can learn of and be informed about the work on ship stability that we here at Carderock have performed, Reed said. Belenky said that while the research in the book, much of it experimental in nature, was not published in peer-reviewed journals, it deserved to be preserved in the form of this book, which seeks to highlight contemporary research that results in products like TEMPEST. Dr. Jack Price, Carderocks director of research, said having this research in a one-volume piece of referable materials is very helpful to anybody in the field. It really is a compilation of the knowledge of the field as it is right now, Price said. He said that within the Navy, theres a tendency to focus on the advanced engineering and engineering integration that Carderock does, without the understanding that theres a lot of comprehensive research and foundational research done at Carderock that only Carderock can do. We are the only Navy entity that has this understanding and they (the Navy) rely upon us, even if they dont realize they do, to maintain that research capability, Price said. Because if we didnt do it, for the naval applications that we do, there wouldnt be anybody in the world that could do that for usanybody we would trust. While the book does include research from laboratories and universities worldwide, the Carderock contribution contains the necessary research specific to the Navy as the seaborne branch of the U.S. military. Reed said the research presented in this book has been and is being used in support of several ship design efforts. The statistical methods are being used to provide quantitative metrics as to the bounds of Carderocks seakeeping experimental results; the statistical-extrapolation methods are being used to develop operator guidance and safe-operating envelopes for use onboard ship; and the more fundamental techniques for assessing stability are being investigated for use to provide dynamic stability assessments during early stage design. It serves as a resource that anyone needing to assess ship stability can use to develop their own methodologies. This includes intact stability; damaged stability; stability in waves; the verification, validation and accreditation of assessment tools; etc., Reed said. This is becoming critical with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) planning to issue its Second Generation Intact Stability guidance in the next year. According to Reed, the book serves as a mechanism to showcase the valuable work being done at Carderock to their sponsors, both internal and external, who can then show their superiors the significance of supporting this important work. These papers would not have been chosen by the international editorial board if the work did not constitute a valuable contribution to the literature, Reed said. The book contains material from two International Ship Stability Workshops and one International Conference on Stability of Shops and Ocean Vehicles: the 2010 workshop at Wageningen, Netherlands; the 2011 workshop in Washington, D.C.; and the 2012 conference in Athens, Greece. Belenky worked with four other editors to make the selections for the book: Dr. Kostas Spyrou from the National Technical University of Athens in Greece; Dr. Frans van Walree from the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands; Dr. Marcelo Almeida Santos Neves from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil; and Dr. Naoya Umeda from Osaka University in Japan. We pick the most important contributions that were not published in journals, and that will make into the book, Belenky said. The book has four major parts: Part A: Mathematical model of ship motions in waves (15 chapters) Part B: Dynamics of large motions (12 chapters) Part C: Experimental research (11 chapters) Part D: Requirements, regulation and operation (17 chapters) Belenky said that each chapter had two independent reviewers, mostly authors looking at other chapters. The reviewers were able to send the authors their comments, thus giving them an opportunity to make adjustments to their research. They could significantly change their paper, or update it since it was happening over the course of a few years. This allowed them to improve the content, make it modern, Belenky said, adding that this is the point of the book, to accumulate relevant knowledge in ship stability and preserve it. Cuba's So-Called Referendum Washington, DC - Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo: "On February 24, the Cuban communist regime held what it called a national referendum on revisions to its constitution. No one should be fooled by this exercise, which achieves little beyond perpetuating the pretext for regimes one-party dictatorship. The entire process has been marked by carefully managed political theater and repression of public debate. "The new constitution primarily affirms the Communist Partys role as the only legal political party and decrees the socialist system irrevocable, blocking the possibility of desperately needed economic reform. This document also fails to guarantee the Cuban people their fundamental freedoms. "While the regime claims Sundays vote was democratic, Cuban authorities harassed and detained dozens of observers and peaceful protestors, confiscating phones and devices. Earlier this month more than 120 activists initiated a hunger strike to send a message to the regime that the Cuban people reject these oppressive tactics. We strongly condemn these attempts to silence peaceful protests, which show that Cubas leaders fear the Cuban people. "The United States continues to stand with Cubans who have suffered for 60 years the revolutions failed political system and economic mismanagement. We believe that history is on the side of the brave Cuban people, and that this hemisphere is a region where democracy, freedom, and human dignity reign supreme. We urge the democracies of the world to join us in standing with the people of Cuba and their peaceful calls for democratic reform." Former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov Washington, DC - Four years ago, former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, a leading figure in Russias democratic movement, was gunned down outside the walls of the Kremlin. Although five men were convicted for carrying out his assassination, the United States continues to call on Russian authorities to identify publicly those who organized and ordered the crime, and hold them accountable. Boris Nemtsov remains an inspiration to all those in Russia and around the world who strive for justice, democracy, and a government accountable to the people. We honor his memory by renewing our call for the Government of Russia to allow journalists, civil society activists, and political opposition members to exercise their universal human rights of freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly without fear of violence or other forms of reprisal. United States Announces Additional Humanitarian Assistance to the People of Yemen Washington, DC - Today, the United States announced nearly $24 million in additional emergency aid to the people of Yemen, who face the world's largest humanitarian crisis. This funding brings the total humanitarian assistance provided by the U.S. Government for the Yemen response to nearly $721 million since October 2017. More than 24 million people in Yemen nearly 80 percent of the population are in need of humanitarian assistance. The new funding will purchase emergency shelter and relief items, among other supplies, for displaced Yemenis and refugees who are living in Yemen, and support critical coordination and logistics services to ensure aid continues to reach the most vulnerable. This funding complements ongoing U.S.-funded humanitarian assistance activities that reach nearly eight million people each month with health care, safe drinking water, treatment for malnourished children, food, shelter, hygiene kits, and medical supplies to fight the spread of disease. Nearly 20 million Yemenis do not have access to basic health care, and more than five million are one step removed from famine. Without continuing large-scale international humanitarian efforts, many more would face life-threatening hunger, and could die from preventable disease. It is critical that humanitarian supplies and commercial imports especially food, fuel, and medicine flow into and throughout Yemen freely, and without delay, and that humanitarian actors can deliver these goods safely to those in need. On February 26, 2019, donors met in Geneva to pledge additional funding of $2.6 billion to assist vulnerable Yemenis. The United States is one of the largest donors of humanitarian assistance to the Yemen response and remains committed to helping the people of Yemen. The United States thanks all countries that announced major contributions today, including the significant contributions of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait, and calls on other donors around the world to respond to this urgent crisis and its rapidly growing needs. However, no amount of humanitarian or development assistance will end this conflict and the suffering of millions. An enduring solution will only come through a comprehensive political agreement that allows the people of Yemen to determine a secure and prosperous future. Ray Liotta has entered talks to join the cast of The Sopranos prequel, The Many Saints Of Newark. The Goodfellas actor was initially series creator David Chases preferred choice to play Tony Soprano, a role that eventually went to the late James Gandolfini. Although not confirmed to be part of director Alan Taylors cast, Liotta said: I am thrilled to be working with David Chase and Alan Taylor on The Many Saints of Newark. Davids talent is unmatched and the directing of Alan Taylor makes this even more exciting. I respect them both immensely and look forward to making this special project with New Line. A representative for Liotta said the casting was still under negotiation. 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Show all 47 1 /47 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination American Psycho (2000) Starring future Oscar-winner Christian Bale, Mary Harrons adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel in which the Vice star plays the psychopathic Patrick Bateman - didnt receive a single nomination. Rex Features 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Before Sunrise (1995) While the final two chapters of Richard Linklaters Before trilogy earned screenplay nominations, the film that introduced the world to future married couple Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) was criminally overlooked. Columbia Pictures 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Big Heat (1953) Fritz Lang had a number of films overlooked by the Academy; this noir, starring Glenn Ford, Lee Marvin and and Gloria Grahame, was one of them. Columbia Pictures 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Big Lebowski (1998) The Academys generosity to the Coen brothers peaked when No Country for Old Men beat There Will Be Blood in one of the ceremonys closest Best Picture races of all time. It remains surprising that one of their few films to evade any nominations is this endlessly quotable mistaken identity comedy starring Jeff Bridges as The Dude. PolyGram Filmed Entertainment 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Blow Out (1981) Brian De Palma doesnt exactly make films in the hope of winning award, but his political thriller - based on Michelangelo Antonionis Blow Up would have deserved any Oscar it was nominated for. Filmways Pictures 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Breathless (1960) Breathless' failure to receive a nomination is proof that the Oscars cant be trusted. Despite being one of the most studied films in the world, Jean Luc-Godards French masterpiece has an Academy Award tally of zero. Films Around The World 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Bringing Up Baby (1938) The Academy rewarded many notable screwball comedies, though this Howard Hawks-directed standout starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn - whod go on to hold the record for most wins - wasn't one of them. Courtesy of BFI 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Don't Look Now (1973) Nicolas Roeg, who directed this Venice-set chiller, is one of the most unfairly overlooked directors in Oscars history. Rex Features 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Donnie Darko (2004) Richard Kellys science-fiction mind-bender, which made a star of Jake Gyllenhaal, was a festival favourite upon its debut in 2004. Many expected a screenplay nomination to manifest. Rex Features 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) It wouldnt be until the 1990s that western films found favour with the Academy. It was ironically thanks to Unforgiven, a film directed by Clint Eastwood whose career flourished after starring in this Sergio Leone film that many consider to be the genres peak. 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination La haine (1995) Mathieu Kassovitzs black-and-white drama translated in English as Hate follows three young friends and their struggles living in the suburbs of Paris. 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Halloween (1978) The Academy may not be frothing at the mouth to nominate horror films, but do have previous (see: The Exorcist and The Silence of the Lamb), which makes the absence of John Carpenters influential Halloween a glaring oversight. Aquarius Releasing 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Harold and Maude (1971) This offbeat romantic drama was a critical and commercial flop at the time of release, which probably accounts for its lack of Oscar nominations. Today, though, its cult following ensures it remains in good favour with film fans. Paramount Pictures 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Heat (1995) On paper, the big screen union of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in Michael Manns cop drama was a shoo-in for awards, but no Oscar nominations manifested. Warner Bros 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination His Girl Friday (1940) Yet another Howard Hawks screwball comedy starring Cary Grant that criminally failed to secure a single Oscar nomination. L/Columbia/Koba/Rex/Shutterstock 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Insomnia (2002) While falling short of Christopher Nolans best, modest drama Insomnia made years before Batman Begins had enough strong performances (Al Pacino, Robin Wiliams, Hilary Swank) to warrant acting nominations. Alas, it received none. Warner Bros Pictures 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Local Hero (1983) Bill Forsyths beloved comedy-drama follows the mishaps of an American man sent to buy up a Scottish village where the oil company he works for wants to build a refinery. Forsyth won the Bafta for Best Director, but the film received no such love from the Academy. 20th Century Fox 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination M (1931) Youd be mistaken for thinking the M stands for masterpiece in Fritz Langs German drama that follows the manhunt for a serial killer - not that the Academy agreed. 20th Century Fox 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination A Man Escaped (1956) Robert Bressons adaptation of Andre Devignys memoirs charts the French Resistance members time as prisoner of the Germans during World War II, and is even more enthralling considering Bresson himself was held captive years before. Gaumont Film Company 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Margaret (2011) Kenneth Lonergan would go on to win an Oscar for Manchester but he Sea, but Margaret - his three-hour plus drama featuring a searing performance from Anna Paquin - failed to secure a single nomination. Fox Searchlight Pictures 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination In the Mood for Love (2000) Wong Kar-wai set the benchmark for romance in film with his acclaimed Hong Kong drama following a man and woman (Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung) who develop feelings for one another after suspecting their respective spouses of having an affair together. defd Deutscher Fernsehdienst 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The King of Comedy (1982) It may have taken him decades to win an Oscar, but the Academy has rarely balked at nominating Martin Scorsese films especially for films starring Robert De Niro. The King of Comedy was an exception. 20th Century Fox 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Long Goodbye (1973) Robert Altmans superior thriller stars Elliott Gould as Raymond Chandlers private investigator Philip Marlowe in one of the directors most entertaining films. The director would go on to be the recipient of the Honorary Award in 2006. 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Man With Two Brains (1983) He may have hosted several times, but Steve Martin has never been nominated for an Oscar. One film he deserved recognition for was Carl Reiner's 1983 sci-fi comedy, The Man with Two Brains. Warner Bros. 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination A Matter of Life and Death (1946) The Academy Film Archive may have preserved A Matter of Life and Death in 1999, but voters failed to recognise the Powell & Pressburgers fantasy-romance at the time of its release in 1946. Eagle-Lion Films 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Mean Streets (1973) It may not be credited as his debut, but Mean Streets is very much the first true Martin Scorsese film. The director would go on to win a belated Oscar for The Departed in 2007, but hed have to wait until 1975 for his first nomination (Alice Doesnt Live Here Anymore). Warner Bros 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Melancholia (2011) No Lars von Trier film has ever been nominated for Best Picture, though Dancer in the Dark came close (it settled for a Best Original Song nomination). He came close with Melancholia, but ultimately, the drama didn't get Canal+ 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Miller's Crossing (1990) Despite being revered as a Coen brothers favourite, not to mention its notable performances from Gabriel Byrne and Albert Finney, Millers Crossing is one of few Coen brother films not to receive a single Oscar nomination. 20th Century Fox 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Once Upon a Time in America (1984) Though it's by no means a masterpiece, its staggering to think that Sergio Leones gangster epic - starring Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci - didnt acquire any Oscar nominations (the film's music was disqualified from consideration after Warner Bros accidentally omitted the composer's name from the opening credits when trimming the films lengthy running time for its American release). Warner Bros 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Paterson (2016) Critics assumed Jim Jarmuschs Paterson would have been a shoo-in for awards recognition - most notably in the Best Actor category, thanks to a quietly fantastic performance from Adam Driver - but no such luck. Amazon Studios 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Paths of Glory (1957) Stanley Kubrick never won Best Director despite being nominated four times. One of his films that didnt make the Oscars cut in any category was his black-and-white anti-war film, Paths of Glory. United Artists 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Play Misty for Me (1971) Clint Eastwood would go onto become something of an Oscar darling thanks to Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby and Mystic River, but his directorial debut was ignored by the Academy. Univeral Pictures/Courtesy of Getty Images 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Reservoir Dogs (1992) Reservoir Dogs may not touch Quentin Tarantinos best, but it remains a surprise that the filmmakers debut didnt get recognised in the screenplay category, at least. Miramax Films 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Rider (2018) Of all the 2018 films to be snubbed at this years Oscars, Chloe Zhaos drama - which stars a real-life rodeo cowboy and his family - smacks as the most unfair. Sony Pictures Classics 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Searchers (1956) The role of Civil War veteran Ethan Edwards might be considered John Waynes best role, but the Academy didnt agree: he would win his sole Oscar for True Grit in 1970. Warner Bros 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Shining (1980) Another Kubrick film that was completely ignored by the Academy is the directors Stephen King adaptation, The Shining. Today, its considered one of his finest works as well as being one of the most revered horror films of all time. Warner Bros 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Shop Around the Corner (1953) It may have endured as one of the best loved romcoms of all time, but it has zero Oscar nominations to its name. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Still Walking (2008) Japanese director Hirokazo Kore-eda's portrait of a family over roughly 24 hours as they commemorate the death of the eldest son was a glaring oversight by the Academy. IFC Films 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Swingers Before he became Disney's go to, Jon Favreau (Iron Man, The Jungle Book and the forthcoming live-action Lion King) wrote this independent film about the lives of single, unemployed actors living in Hollywood, California during the 1990s swing revival. Rex Features 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination This Is England (2006 The 2007 ceremony would have been far better had Shane Meadows' coming-of-drama been in contention for awards. Optimum Releasing 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Three Kings (1999) The Academy deemed Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle worthy of nominations, but not David O Russells Three Kings, which remains one of his greatest films to this day. Warner Bros Pictures 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Tokyo Story (1953) Tokyo Story is deemed Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu's masterpiece and was named Sight & Sound's best film of all time in 2012. Rex Features 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Touch of Evil (1958) Orson Welles' classic noir wasn't as well loved at the time of release as it is today. BFI 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Tyrannosaur (2011) Olivia Colman may be in contention for Best Actress at this years ceremony, but the fact she failed to earn a nomination (or Bafta, for that matter) for her role in Paddy Considines hard-hitting drama Tyrannosaur is one of the biggest oversights in awards history. StudioCanal UK 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Walkabout (1971) Another exceptional achievement in filmmaking from Nicolas Roeg that somehow failed to receive any Oscar nominations. 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination You Were Never Really Here (2018) Notch it down to bad timing, but Lynne Ramsays You Were Never Really Here - starring Joaquin Phoenix - is a sensational piece of work worthy of reward. Amazon Studio 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Zodiac (2007) Three years later, David Fincher would go head-to-head with The King Speech's Tom Hooper for The Social Network. In truth, serial killer drama Zodiac is every bit as good as the Facebook drama. Warner Bros Pictures Liotta looks set to join an already star-studded cast, with Alessandro Nivola, Vera Farmiga, Jon Bernthal, Billy Magnussen, Corey Stoll, and Gandolfinis son, Michael, already on board the project. Recommended 37 of the best cliffhangers in TV history The Many Saints Of Newark is set during the citys race riots of the 1960s, which saw African Americans and Italian Americans clash. Liotta, whose portrayal of Henry Hill in Goodfellas is widely regarded as a classic of the genre, grew up in 1960s Newark. No release date for The Many Saints Of Newark has been announced. Find out everything we know so far about the prequel film here. Luke Perry has suffered a major stroke and is currently hospitalised, TMZ reports. Paramedics responded to Perry's home in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, at around 9.40am on Wednesday, 28 February. Perry was transported to a nearby hospital. There has been no further update on his condition. The 52-year-old actor rose to fame thanks to his role as Dylan McKayon the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210, which ran from 1990 to 1995, then again from 1998 to 2000. He currently stars as Fred Andrews, father of Archie Andrews, on the CW series Riverdale. The show had recently been shooting new episodes on the Warner Bros lot in LA. It was renewed for a fourth season last month. 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 He also has a role in Quentin Tarantino's upcoming film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, playing Wayne Maunder, an actor was best known for his role on the western television series Lancer. A representative for the star has said: "Mr Perry is currently under observation at the hospital." Following the highest temperatures ever recorded in winter, complete with wildfires erupting across the country, Britains apocalyptic weather bender is apparently continuing with blood rain as we enter spring. No, Slayer havent taken over the Met Office, and no actual blood will be bleeding from a lacerated sky, but one of the reasons for the intempestive hot weather is southern winds coming from Africa over the past fortnight. As well as delivering warm air, the winds have whipped Saharan dust high into the sky, which can then tinge clouds red, make the rain itself turn red, and when it dries, leave an orange crusty deposit - not unlike dried blood. On Thursday this meteorological mayhem was detected in satellite imagery moving towards remote parts of Scotland, Met Office forecaster Becky Mitchell told The Independent. But despite some media reports of a massive 500-mile wide Saharan sand cloud set to bring blood rain to Britain, Ms Mitchell said the UK was highly unlikely to see blood rain proper. Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures Show all 17 1 /17 Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures A moorland fire burns on Saddleworth Moor near Marsden on February 26. Picture taken with permission from the Instagram feed of Nick Lawton PA Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue reported last night that the fire covers approximately 1.5 square kilometres Reuters Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures The heather and grass fire comes after the UK recorded its warmest ever February day Reuters Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue reported last night that the fire covers approximately 1.5 square kilometres Getty Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures Firefighters are still tackling the blaze this morning Getty Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures A photo taken by the roadside on the moor PA Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures A moorland fire burns on Saddleworth Moor near Marsden on February 26 Getty Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures The fire seen near the moor town of Diggle Reuters Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures A firefighter is seen tackling the blaze near the moor town of Diggle Reuters Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures Response units nearby Dovestone Reservoir on Saddleworth Moor Getty Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures The fire seen near the moor town of Diggle Reuters Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures A firefighter is seen tackling the blaze near the moor town of Diggle Reuters Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures The fire seen near the moor town of Diggle Reuters Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures Firefighters tackle the blaze AFP/Getty Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures Damage caused by the fire. An area of around 1.5 square kilometres was burning after Britain saw its hottest winter day on record on Tuesday PA Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures Damage caused by the fire. An area of around 1.5 square kilometres was burning after Britain saw its hottest winter day on record on Tuesday PA Fire rages on Saddleworth Moor: in pictures Damage caused by the fire. An area of around 1.5 square kilometres was burning after Britain saw its hottest winter day on record on Tuesday Getty You could see some Saharan dust across Scotland earlier, but that was about it, Ms Mitchell said. Blood rain doesnt really happen in this country as such. Its not necessarily a meteorological term either, she said. Its mostly in other countries when you get red dust particles in the air, it can rain out and the rain can appear red. But we can get dust settling on cars and things like that. Thats really it. It has come from the Sahara. The southerly winds from Africa picked up that dust and brought it further north. But the forecast is now for westerly winds to hit the UK which are expected to blow remaining dust further east. Recommended Wildfires burn across UK amid highest recorded winter temperatures Blood rain has been documented numerous times since ancient history, with the first mention of the phenomenon in Homers Iliad, in which Zeus causes blood rain to fall as an omen of a bloody battle. In the 14th Century, a blood rain supposedly heralded the arrival of the black death in Germany. By the late 18th century scientists began trying to work out the causes for blood rain, and attributed red-coloured rainfall to dust, spores or aurora affecting light conditions. A London council has been accused of covering up the boroughs air pollution crisis and putting citizens lives at risk by failing to monitor levels of poisonous particles in the air. Last year air pollution on Brixton Road in Lambeth was so severe it broke its annual legal limit by 30 January - a major improvement on previous year when it was broken in just six days. This year there is no reading. Air pollution has gone unchecked in Brixton Road for six months after the streets monitor broke in August 2018. Despite repeated requests to Lambeth council to both fix the monitor and install a temporary one until the permanent one until it is repaired, a new device is yet to be fitted. NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks Show all 15 1 /15 NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-14.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-2.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstadt/Sean Doran NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-8.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-6.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstadt/Sean Doran NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-10.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Matt Brealey/Gustavo B C NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-15-0.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-9.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Rick Lundh NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-1.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-5.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Jason Major NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-3.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstad/Sean Doran NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-13.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstad/Sean Doran NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-12.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstad/Sean Doran NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-11.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstad/Sean Doran NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-4.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-7.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/ Gerald Eichstadt /Sean Doran Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has previously said the pollution monitor would be fixed by the end of January 2019, but almost a month beyond this deadline, no discernable action has been taken. Green Party councillor Pete Elliott said he had repeatedly raised the issue, but had not been provided a timeline for repairs or interim measures. His partys co-leader and leader of the Green opposition on Lambeth Council Jonathan Bartley said they had been fobbed off every time they raised the issue. Lambeth Labour is covering up a deadly air pollution crisis, he said. The council is choking its citizens and putting lives at risk by leaving air pollution in one of Britains dirtiest streets unchecked. It is unforgivable that pollution levels arent being measured, with no temporary systems in place pending repair of the permanent system. Greens in Lambeth have continuously raised this with the council and have been fobbed off every time. Everyone has the right to breathe clean air, but we simply cant tackle air pollution effectively if we fail to measure it. Lambeth Council must install a temporary air pollution monitor in Brixton Road immediately, and fix the permanent one as a matter of urgency. He added: There are basic steps Lambeth Council can take to clean up our air and make the borough a healthier place to live and work. As a start we need to see tougher measures on vehicle engine idling, an end to waste incineration, incentives for businesses to use environmentally friendly methods, and proper no-drop off zones around schools. Nationally we desperately need the Government to back a new Clean Air Act fit for the 21st century. Councillor Claire Holland, Lambeth Council cabinet member for environment and clean air, told The Independent: Lambeth Council takes air quality extremely seriously, it is undoubtedly a silent killer and affects our most vulnerable residents the most. To suggest the council is covering up the seriousness of the issue ignores the huge amount of work being done to improve air quality in the borough and the vociferous lobbying the council has done around our toxic air. Wild accusations and conspiracy theories only act to trivialise the seriousness of the situation. The air quality in central London, and along Brixton Road in particular, is quite simply disgraceful. We have been badly let down by contractors in our efforts to get the air quality monitoring station in Brixton Road back up and running, but work is finally near completion. Diffusion tubes are also installed all over the borough, including three on the site of the Brixton monitoring station, which help us monitor air quality. She added: Lambeth Council have done huge amounts of work in monitoring and reporting air pollution, raising awareness and knowledge, lobbying for improvements, and putting measures in place to both reduce pollution and mitigate its effects. The owner of the UKs biggest gay magazine has waded into a row over race and aid work in Africa by telling a prominent MP to go f*** yourself. Darren Styles attacked David Lammy after the latter accused broadcast journalist Stacey Dooley of encouraging a white saviour complex during a recent Comic Relief trip to Uganda. The Labour MP for Tottenham suggested certain aspects of such work perpetuate tired and unhelpful stereotypes. The Attitude magazine owner tweeted in response to Lammys remark: As a white man who has raised more than 350k for an AIDS charity to spend in Africa you can go f*** yourself. Ill spend my life and my time how I see fit, and do what good I can wherever I can based on need, rather than your poisonous view of my (or anyones) colour. Ive raised a ton of money to fight AIDS in Africa over years, Styles tweeted in response to someone else who called Lammys original comments unfair. Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London A young boy holds a placard reading 'migration is beautiful' during the march against racism demonstration in London. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Warsaw Protesters rally in Warsaw under the slogan 'Tired of racism and fascism'. AFP/Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London An anti-racism demostrators chants with chains around his neck during a march against racism. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Vienna People getting ready to march against racism in Vienna. Twitter/Wriseup Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Glasgow Anti-racism demonstrators take part in a rally through the city centre of Glasgow. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London An anti-racism demostrator holds a placard readin 'Laundry is the only thing that should be seperated by colour'. Getty Images Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Paris Thousand of protesters demonstrate against police brutality and in defense of migrants and those without papers in Paris. EPA Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London Anti-racism demostrators hold placards and chant during a march organised by the group Stand Up to Racism as an expression of unity against racism, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Athens A girl poses for a photo during a rally against the EU-Turkey deal blocking mass migration into Europe in Athens. AP Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Glasgow Aamer Anwar a prominent Scottish lawyer joins an Anti-racism rally through Glasgow city centre. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London Anti-racism demostrators hold placards and chant in London's march against racism. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Glasgow A man in Glasgow holds a banner reading 'refugees welcome'. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London Anti-racism demostrators let off flares during the march against racism in London. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Paris A protester in a grim reaper disguise holds a shield reading 'State racism, no impunity for police brutality against those without papers' in Paris. EPA Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Athens Migrants who live in Greece chant slogans during a rally against the EU-Turkey deal blocking mass migration into Europe, in Athens. AP Styles added, I dont see myself or anyone who has helped me as a saviour, let alone a white one. What a dreadful man, and what a horrible outlook on life. Sorry for him. In a subsequent tweet, Styles denounced the phrase white saviour as polarising, deliberately inflammatory and downright dangerous. I understand exactly what he means but his choice of language is poor and debasing, he added. Lammys original remark came in response to claims Dooley was being trolled on social media for posting images of herself with a black child during the Uganda trip. One group, named No White Saviours, led the way in terms of criticism. Speaking to The Independent, Styles described Lammys comments as peculiar, adding that he finds the the term white saviour very dangerous. It suggests theres a racial power game at play, he explained. When you see a phrase like that, it carries such weight and has damaging implications. It makes me angry. To suggest the people who go to Africa and that [those involved in] Comic Relief are white saviours is madness. I think the reaction to the term, when used in relation to the charity, demonstrates that its offensive to a broader range of people than just someone who is white. Dooley, who won Strictly Come Dancing last year, responded to the MPs comments, tweeting: David, is the issue with me being white? (Genuine question)... because if thats the case, you could always go over there and try raise awareness? He responded by clarifying that his comments were not personal, writing: My problem with British celebrities being flown out by Comic Relief to make these films is that it sends a distorted image of Africa which perpetuates an old idea from the colonial era. Comic Relief has since published a response to the controversies surrounding Dooleys work, which was for its annual Red Nose Day fundraiser. We are really grateful that Stacey Dooley, an award-winning and internationally acclaimed documentary maker, agreed to go to Uganda to discover more about the projects thee British people have generously funded and make no apologies for this. The statement goes on to explain that the charity has asked Lammy if he would like to work together and he has not responded. It added that the offer still stands. Lammy has denied these claims.Its simply not true to say I did not respond: we had two meetings in my office, he tweeted. I had hoped and still hope your coverage would improve but Staceys post was more of the same tried tropes. As I told you before, Im not prepared to become part of a PR exercise. In a subsequent tweet, he added that his role as a politician is to raise the issue, writing: The people of Africa do not need a British politician to make a film. I want African people to speak for themselves, not UK celebs acting as tour guides. The Independent has contacted David Lammy for comment. A Nasa robot being tested in the most Mars-like environment on Earth has found samples that could help humanity find alien life, scientists say. The rover pulled up soil samples from beneath the Earth that contained strange and highly specialised microbes that were spread out in patches. The unusual discoveries appear to have developed to deal with the very limited amounts of water and nutrients in the soil, as well as its chemistry. The discovery not only shows that the lander will successfully be able to search for any potential life on Mars or elsewhere, but also shows the first time these particular hardy microbes which could be similar to any currently living on the red planet have been discovered. The findings have been published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology and scientists say they will help the search for signs of life when future missions head to Mars. The very fact that subsurface soil of this kind could be found in the Atacama Desert in Chile is a breakthrough that will drive future discoveries, scientists said. Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427 more commonly known as WR 124 and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region "We have shown that a robotic rover can recover subsurface soil in the most Mars-like desert on Earth," says Stephen Pointing, a Professor at Yale-NUS College, Singapore, who led the microbial research said in a statement. "This is important because most scientists agree that any life on Mars would have to occur below the surface to escape the harsh surface conditions where high radiation, low temperature and lack of water make life unlikely. "We found microbes adapted to high salt levels, similar to what may be expected in the Martian subsurface. These microbes are very different from those previously known to occur on the surface of deserts." Recommended Nasa finds new form of DNA in search for alien life Both Nasa and the European Space Agency are preparing to send rovers to Mars in 2020. Those will roam over the surface and look for evidence of life, either in the past or the present, as well as drilling under the surface in an attempt to pull up any microbial life that might be hiding beneath there. Testing of this kind helps ensure that the missions succeed and shows that rovers should be able to deal with the harsh environment on Mars. "The core of the Atacama Desert in Chile is extremely dry, experiencing decades without rainfall. It has high surface UV radiation exposure and is comprised of very salty soil. It's the closest match we have on Earth to Mars, which makes it good for testing simulated missions to this planet," said Pointing in a statement. The rover was put into the Atacama Desert to see if it would be able to pull up sediment samples as deep as 80cm beneath the surface. The samples it did gather were then compared with those taken by hand and researchers found they were similar, suggesting that the rover was a success. The same test also found the microbes were living in patches across the surface, related to the difficult environment in which it was living. "These results confirm a basic ecological rule that microbial life is patchy in Earth's most extreme habitats, which hints that past or present life on other planets may also exhibit patchiness," explain study co-authors Nathalie Cabrol and Kim Warren-Rhodes of The SETI Institute. "While this will make detection more challenging, our findings provide possible signposts to guide the exploration for life on Mars, demonstrating that it is possible to detect life with smart robotic search and sampling strategies." Scientists now hope they can drill even further into the surface and see how deep microbial life might be able to thrive. "Mars missions hope to drill to approximately 2m and so having an Earth-based comparison will help identify potential problems and the interpretation of results once rovers are deployed there," said Pointing. "Ecological studies that help us predict the habitable areas for microbial communities in Earth's most extreme environments will also be critical to finding life on other planets." This week, people around the world will celebrate the Hindu festival of Holi, also known as the Festival of Colours. Observed for centuries, the festival is a jubilant occasion that sees Hindus create bonfires and cover each other in rainbow-hued powder to commemorate the beginning of spring. From the festivals significance to how it is celebrated, heres everything you need to know about Holi: What is Holi? In addition to marking the arrival of spring, Holi also celebrates fertility, colour, love, and the triumph of good over evil. The origins of the festival can be found in various legends in Hindu mythology, one of which tells the story of a demon, Holika, and her brother, King Hiranyakashipu. Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours Show all 20 1 /20 Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours Hindu devotees raise their hands in prayer as they are sprayed with colour by a priest during Holi celebrations in Ahmedabad, India Reuters Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours A girl smears her friend in colour during Holi festival celebrations at Durgiana Temple in Armristar, India EPA Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours Hindu devotees celebrate Holi inside a temple in Uttar Pradesh, India Reuters Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours Hindu devotees are sprayed with colour by a priest during Holi celebrations in Ahmedabad, India AP Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours College girls pose during Holi festival celebrations in Bhopal, India EPA Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours A college girl takes part in the Holi festival celebrations in Bhopal, India EPA Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours A young girl smeared with colour during Holi festival celebrations at Durgiana Temple in Armristar, India EPA Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours Colour fills the air during Holi celebrations in Ahmedabad, India Reuters Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours An Indian man is splattered with colour during Holi celebrations in Allahabad, India AP Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours Hindu devotees celebrate Holi inside a temple in Uttar Pradesh, India Reuters Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours A vendor sells coloured powder known as gulal prior to Holi celebrations in Siliguru, India AFP/Getty Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours An Indian man is splattered with colour during Holi celebrations in Allahabad, India AP Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours A hindu priest is smeared with colour during Holi festival celebrations at Durgiana Temple in Armristar, India EPA Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours A student is covered in colour on a campus in Chandigarh, India Reuters Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours Colour is sprayed from a temple during Holi celebrations in Ahmedabad, India Reuters Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours Students smeared in colour dance during Holi celebrations in Chandigarh, India Reuters Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours Hindu devotees are sprayed with colour by a priest during Holi celebrations in Ahmedabad, India Reuters Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours Hindu devotees are sprayed with colour by a priest during Holi celebrations in Ahmedabad, India Reuters Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours A young man is smeared in colour by his friend during Holi festival celebrations at Durgiana Temple in Armristar, India EPA Holi 2019 in pictures: Hindus celebrate Indian Festival of Colours Women play with powdered colours Holi festival celebrations at Durgiana Temple in Armristar, India EPA According to the legend, King Hiranyakashipu believed that everyone should worship him as a god. His son, Prahlada, refused to do so, opting to worship the Hindu god Vishnu instead. Spurred by his sons disobedience, the king and his sister Holika plotted to kill Prahlada. As part of their plans, Holika lured Prahlada onto a pyre in an attempt to burn him to death. While sitting on the pyre with Prahlada, Holika donned a magical shawl that protected her from the fire. However, as the pyre burned, the shawl flew from Holikas shoulders onto Prahladas, resulting in the demon perishing in the flames. Vishnu, the god who Prahlada had chosen to worship instead of his father, then appeared. Taking the form of a half man and half lion, the god killed the treacherous king. Recommended Hindu women are proving religion and equality can go hand in hand On the night before Holi, bonfires are lit to signify the burning of Holika and the victory of good over evil. Some Hindus who observe the festival will also smear themselves with ashes from the fire, as a symbol of purification. One of the other legends pertaining to Holi tells the tale of the love shared between the Hindu deities Radha and Krishna, who is frequently depicted with blue skin. The ancient legend tells how Krishna fell in love with Radha, but was concerned their difference in skin colour would keep them apart. After voicing his concerns, Krishna's mother encouraged him to smear a brightly coloured powder on Radha's face. After doing so, Radha then returned Krishna's love and the pair were married. It is said that lovers have continued this tradition ever since, painting their faces the same colour in celebration of Holi and their love. When does it take place? This year, Holi begins on Monday 9 March and ends on Tuesday 10 March. The timing of Holi depends on the moon, meaning that the date of the event can vary, although it usually occurs in March to mark the end of winter. The festival is split into two events, beginning with Holika Dahan on the night before the main festivities and culminating with Rangwali Holi on the next day. How is it celebrated? The oldest accounts of Holi being commemorated date as far back as the 4th century. Its celebrated around the world, although the festivities predominantly occur in India and Nepal. The festival begins with Holika Dahan, the ritual burning of pyres that take place the night before. This tradition is mostly followed in regions including North India, Nepal and South India. Wood and the other materials burnt in the bonfires are collected days in advance, while an effigy of Holika is also typically placed on top of the pyre. Recommended Pharrell Williams and Adidas accused of cultural appropriation On the day of Holi, the main portion of the festival, Rangwali Holi, is observed. Those taking part in the festivities cover each other in gulal, a fine powder that comes in many different colours, while also being drenched in water. The colours of the rainbow are all symbolic in Hinduism. For example, red represents sensuality, while green symbolises life and happiness, Sanskriti magazine outlines. Yellow is believed to represent knowledge, white signifies purity, and blue symbolises determination. Before joining in the fun of the Festival of Colours, people are advised to take appropriate precautions to take care of their skin and hair. According to Times of India, one should apply oil to their face, exposed skin and hair to protect against staining colours. Once the celebrations are over, its recommended that those who took part shower as soon as possible to remove the colours. They should use lukewarm water to wash the colours from their face, and refrain from rubbing their skin too roughly. Stacey Dooley has hit back after being accused of encouraging a white saviour complex over her Comic Relief trip to Africa. The Strictly Come Dancing star took part in a campaign for the childrens charity this week, which saw her meet local residents in Uganda. However, following the trip Dooley received criticism from Labour MP David Lammy who said she was perpetuating tired and unhelpful stereotypes. The world does not need any more white saviours, he wrote on Twitter. As Ive said before, this just perpetuates tired and unhelpful stereotypes. Lets instead promote voices from across the continent of Africa and have serious debate. Africa Rising - in pictures Show all 12 1 /12 Africa Rising - in pictures Africa Rising - in pictures Men using the natural Bogolan dyeing technique, which is an ancient craft tradition in the Niger River, particularly Mali. By Le Ndomo / Boubacar Doumbia. Photography by Adriaan Louw / Design Network Africa Gestalten 2016 Africa Rising - in pictures An art piece by South African-born artists Athi-Patra Ruga. Photography by Adam McConnachie, Courtesy of Athi-Patra Ruga and WHATIFTHEWORLD Gestalten 2016 Africa Rising - in pictures An image from C-Stunners by Nairobi-based artist Cyrus Kabiru. The phrames were made using scraps of disused technology. Photography by SMAC Gallery, South Africa Gestalten 2016 Africa Rising - in pictures Photography by Flurina Rothenberger published in the magazine 'I love to dress like I am coming from somewhere and I have a place to go'. Gestalten 2016 Africa Rising - in pictures From the photographic series Proud Women of Africa: Rainbow Girls, which captures the lesbians of South African townships of Gugulethu and Khayelitsha who have been disowned by their families. Photography by : Magic Group Media, Amsterdam, NL Gestalten 2016 Africa Rising - in pictures Babylonstoren, where guests partake in curated dining experiences. Most of the food is planted and cultivated on the farm. Photography by Babylonstoren Gestalten 2016 Africa Rising - in pictures Work by The Nest Collective which spans film, music, fashion and visual arts. Photography by Phyllis Galembo Gestalten 2016 Africa Rising - in pictures Photography by Phyllis Galembo, who documented the clothing of people across Nigeria, Benin, and Burkina Faso. Gestalten 2016 Africa Rising - in pictures Architecture by Kunle Adeyemi / NLE Photography by Reze Bonna. In collaboration with Makoko Waterfront Community, Blok Kats van Veen architecten, Dykstra Naval Architects, Thieu Besselink, Roel Bosch architecten, Urhahn + Borra, Pieters Bouwtechniek, Ikeyi & Arifayan, Matrix Design & Works Nig Ltd., Solarmate Engineering Nig Ltd. Gestalten 2016 Africa Rising - in pictures A collaboration between Amandine David and Marie Douel, inspired by Burkina Faso. Photography by Emile Barret / Hors Pistes Gestalten 2016 Africa Rising - in pictures Photography by Hector Mediavilla, whose photo series the SAPE Society of Ambianceurs and Elegant People captures the dandies of Congo. Gestalten 2016 Africa Rising - in pictures Fantasma, a 'superband' formed in 2014 by producer and rapper Spoek Mathambo who recruited members from acros South Africa. Photography by Fantasma Gestalten 2016 Dooley hit back at the comments in a tweet, replying: David, is the issue with me being white? (Genuine question) ...because if thats the case, you could always go over there and try raise awareness? Recommended Thandie Newton reveals she faced hair discrimination at school Comic relief have raised over 1 billion pounds since they started. I saw projects that were saving lives with the money. Kids lives. In response, Lammy explained that his comments were not personal to the investigative reporter and that he does not question her good motives. Instead, he said he took issue with the fact that British celebrities are flown out by Comic Relief to make these films which then send a distorted image of Africa which perpetuates an old idea from the colonial era. Lammy wasnt the only person to criticise Dooley. This week, the reporter posted a picture on Instagram of her holding a young child during her trip to Africa alongside the caption OB.SESSSSSSSSSSED. Many users slammed her for using the child as an accessory and for playing on the white saviour trend. Would you pick up random white children in Europe and force them to be in your selfies, too? I feel like that wouldnt happen, one person commented. Another agreed, adding: Stacey I love you but obsessed? They are not a fashion accessory. Maybe take a look at @nowhitesaviors I know it isnt intentional but education is key. Dooley responded to the backlash on Instagram writing: Ive had numerous photos with children from Europe. Last year I was with Roma kids in Hungary and no one had any issue with these photos. Similarly, theres pics of me on here with Iraqi kids living in a refugee camp. Again, no one seemed to mind these. We have verbal and written consent from their guardians to use their images and only if weve spent time filming with them do we ask. The Ugandan families also asked to take pictures with us. The reporter went on to say that the suggestion she would approach a child she did not have an existing relationship with and ask them to have a selfie was ridiculous. Ive been working in Africa for nearly 12 years, I ask the locals and NGOs how I should behave. None of them here are upset with this photo, she added. The little lad was perfectly happy. His grandad joked hes often grumpy. This is not the first time Comic Relief has been accused of perpetuating the white saviour stereotype. In March 2018 the charity announced that it would be using less celebrities in its appeals after they were described as poverty tourism by an aid watchdog. The Independent has contacted Comic Relief for comment. Female police officers have attended the London premiere of Marvel blockbuster Captain Marvel to celebrate 100 years of women in the Metropolitan Police. The European premiere for the film, which is the first female-led superhero adventure to have been released by Marvel Studios, took place at the Curzon cinema in Mayfair on Wednesday 27 February. The film's stars, including lead actor Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson, were photographed on the blue carpet with female members of the British armed forces, police officers, scientists and athletes in celebration of the momentous occasion. "As the first female hero in the Marvel Universe, [Captain Marvel] is a strong leader and relentless protector - like many of our own past and present female officers. We are #100YearsStrong," the Met Police tweeted. The event was particularly poignant for the female members of the Met Police in attendance, as it marked exactly 100 years since a woman joined the London police force for the first time. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 Show all 34 1 /34 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 1. Captain America: Civil War Release date: 6 May 2016. Iron Man and Captain America are set to face off in this superhero blockbuster that will feature nearly all the Avengers but wont be an Avengers film. It will also mark the first time Spider-Man will feature in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Sony having made a deal with Marvel Studios. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 2. X-Men: Apocalypse Release date: 27 May 2016. Following the success of Days of Future Past, Apocalypse will follow the young X-Men team as the battle against Oscar Isaacs titular villain as he gathers his four horsemen; Magneto (Fassbender), Angel (Hardy), Storm (Shipp), and Psylocke (Munn). Expect carnage and no Wolverine. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 3. Suicide Squad Release date: 5 August 2016. The first supervillain film, Suicide Squad is also based in the DCEU (DC Extended Universe, where Batman and Superman live) and will introduce the world to Margot Robbies Harley Quinn and Jared Letos Joker. One of the more exciting upcoming DC films thats for sure. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 4. Doctor Strange Release date: 4 November 2016. Benedict Cumberbatch will debut in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe, where Captain America and Iron Man live) as the Sorcerer Supreme. The film already has an incredible cast, including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachael McAdams and Tilda Swinton. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 5. Untitled Lego Batman film Release date: 20 February 2017. Kicking off 2017 is the Lego version of Batman, who will lead his own spin-off, having already featured in the amazing Lego Movie. Will Arnett voices the titular character, while Zach Garfianakis - from the Hangover - will voice The Joker. But will he better than Leto? 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 6. Untitled Wolverine film Release date: 3 March 2017. Having not starred in X-Men: Apocalypse, Wolverine will return to the big screen in a solo film which was recently made R-Rated following the success of Deadpool. It is expected to be Hugh Jackmans last outing as the titular character. Fox 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 7. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Release date: 5 May 2017. Chris Pratt and the crew are returning to space in the sequel to the surprisingly successful Guardians of the Galaxy. According to director James Gunn, the film will not feature Thanos, even though he will to play a major role in phase MCU Phase 3. Cast includes newcomers Kurt Russell and Pom Klementieff, as well as, rumour has it, Sylvester Stallone. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 8. Wonder Woman Release date: 23 June 2017. Gal Gadot is returning to the DCEU in her very own film, marking the first female-led superhero film on this list. Chris Pine is on board to play Wonder Womans love interest. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 9. Untitled Spider-Man reboot Release date: 7 July 2017. Yes, it is another Spider-Man reboot, having previously been redone with Andrew Garfield as the lead. However, this time it is part of the MCU, with Tom Holland as the titular character, and a heavily rumoured cameo by Iron Man could be in the pipeline. We can dream. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 10. Untitled Fox film Release date: 6 October 2017. In a strange announcement, Fox decided to withhold the release of Gambit until a future, as-yet unannounced date, which could be here, or this could be a completely separate project. Many suspect Deadpool 2 could nicely fit here, Fox capitalising on the success of the first film. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 11. Thor: Ragnarok Release date: 3 November 2017. Chris Hemsworth will be returning as the Norse God in his third solo MCU film. Flight of the Conchords Taika Waititi is on board to direct, and promises a fun adventure that will likely lead into Marvels next project, Infinity War. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 12. Justice League Part One Release date: 17 November 2017. Hot on the heals of Thor comes Justice League Part One, the first DCEU team-up flick which will see Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg work together to fight bad guys. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 13: Untitled Fox film Release date: 12 January 2018. Kicking off 2018 will likely be the second Deadpool film, but then again, this could very well be another X-Men team-up. Theres also talk of an X-Force film, with Deadpool and other mutants teaming up to fight evil. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 14. Black Panther Release date: 16 February 2018. The first non-white male-led superhero film in the MCU comes in the form of Black Panther, with Chadwick Boseman reprising the titular role, having also starred as the Panther in Civil War. Creeds Ryan Coogler is on to direct what could be a very exciting film. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 15. The Flash Release date: 16 March 2018. The Flash will be the first DCEU film since Justice League, and sees Ezra Miller take the lead. Phil Lord and Chris Miller were supposed to pen the film before Disney snapped them up for the Han Solo-film, leaving Seth Grahame-Smith to take charge. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 16. Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 Release date: 4 May 2018. And so, we finally get to the point of all these Infinity Stones! Thanos will be the big bad, with the Avengers needing to team up to defeat their biggest foe yet. It has previously been described as the end of the Avengers as we know it. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 17. Ant-Man and The Wasp Release date: 6 July 2018. Peyton Reed will be back to direct this surprise sequel to one of the better received MCU films. While the name is ridiculous, at least Marvel are finally having a leading female superhero. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 18. Untitled Fox film Release date: 13 July 2018. Again, not much word on this one except it is thought to be X-Men spin-off New Mutants, something Josh Boone has been hit up to write. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 19. Animated Spider-Man Film Release date: 20 July 2018. Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, and Amy Pascal - the team behind the live-action Spider-Man films - are producing this unrelated animated adaptation of the hero. Because you can never have too much Spider-Man, right? 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 20. Aquaman Release date: 27 July 2018. Another Justice League spin-off, Jason Momoa plays the leading man. Furious 7s James Wan is on to direct, but little else is known about the film. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 21. Captain Marvel Release date: 8 March 2019. Weve hit 2019, and the first confirmed superhero film will be the first proper female-led MCU film. No-one is confirmed to be in the titular role of Carol Danvers just yet. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 22. Shazam Release date: 5 April 2019. Dwayne Johnson stars as the villain in this DCEU film which will be somewhat separate to the other DC films. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 23. Avengers: Infinity War Part 2. Release date: 3 May 2019. The conclusion to the long drawn MCU saga. Expect a big finish with at least a few planets being destroyed. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 24. Justice League Part Two Release date: 14 June 2019. Soon after the Infinity War story reaches its conclusion, so will the Justice Leagues. Not much is known, except Darkseid will likely be the villain for at least one of the parts. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 25. Inhumans Release date: 12 July 2019. The concept of Inhumans (or Marvels mutants) has already been introduced in TV, through Marvels Agents of Shield, yet the film is expected to introduce the Royal Family who have yet to be seen in the show. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 26. Cyborg Release date: 3 April 2020. Having debuted in Justice League Part One three years previously, Cyborg will finally be making his own outing, with Ray Fisher as the titular character. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 27. Untitled MCU film Release date: 1 May 2020. The first of three untitled Marvel films. There are a couple of contenders, the first is a likely sequel to Spider-Man with Sony, or a third Guardians of the Galaxy film, thus finishing the trilogy. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 28. Green Lantern Corps. Release date: 19 June 2020. Before you start to worry, this has nothing to do with the Ryan Reynolds-starring flick that hit cinemas a little while ago. Instead, this will be another DCEU film that will likely spin-off from Justice League after the Green Lantern Corps cameo in one of the parts. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 29. Untitled MCU film Release date: 10 July 2020. As well as Spider-Man or Guardians of the Galaxy sequels, a Doctor Strange or Black Panther one could fit in nicely here. Or perhaps Black Widow may finally get the solo-film she deserves. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 30. Untitled MCU film Release date: 6 November 2020. Some speculators also think a Blade film could fit in here, marking over 20 years since the first Blade. But many believe the character may be better suited to a Netflix series, as with Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Theres also talk of a Runaways film reaching cinemas at some stage. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 31. Untitled Ben Affleck Batman film Release date: TBA. Now were onto the TBA release dates, the first of which is a Batman solo film, written and directed by Ben Affleck. When this is due, no one is quite sure but expect it sooner rather than later if Batman v Superman is a success. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 32. Suicide Squad 2 Release date: TBA (rumoured 2017). A sequel to Suicide Squad is expected to come in 2017 according to recent reports, but nothing has been confirmed. If the first is successful, it should come as no surprise for Warner Bros to rearrange their schedule to fit in this surefire hit. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 33. Venom Release date: TBA. This is an odd one, as it has been confirmed Sony are wanting to release a Venom film completely unrelated to the upcoming Spider-Man reboot. Venom, as you may know, is a Spider-Man villain, intrinsically linked to Spider-Man, so it seems odd they would release a film unrelated to the rebooted project and not linked to the MCU. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 Anything else? Well, now you mention it, theres also that sequel to Fantastic Four that has seemingly been dropped by Fox. Plus, theres the Gambit film which has been put on hold (but will likely fill an untitled Fox slot so we havent added it extra). Then again, it could be shoehorned in somehow Marvel In 1919, Sofia Stanley became the first female police officer enrolled in the Met Police. Stanley also designed the first women's police uniform, which became known as the Stanley uniform. The female police officers in attendance at the premiere were in high spirits as they rubbed shoulders with Hollywood A-Listers, including Crazy Rich Asians star Gemma Chan. "I'm honoured to represent female officers at this monumental event," said police officer Lucy D'Orsi, in a tweet shared by the Met Police. Recommended The first reactions to Captain Marvel are finally here "We owe it to the pioneering women of our past for securing female heroes within the Met." Guests in attendance at the premiere watched a short video created in commemoration of women being a part of the Met Police for a century. In the video, footage of female police officers in shown in the background while a narrator discusses the significance of the police force being "100 years strong". In 1915, four years before Stanley joined the Met Police, Edith Smith became the first woman to be appointed a police constable in England. Smith, whose work involved focussing on woman-related cases, was given full power of arrest in accordance with her role. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The Women's Police Service, a voluntary female-led police force, was founded in 1914 by Nina Boyle and Margaret Damer Dawson. By 1920, the Women's Police Service had evolved to become the Women's Auxiliary Service. Early reactions to Captain Marvel have been extremely positive, with one journalist tweeting that the film has made the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe "even brighter". Given its travails, the natural reaction of many to a set of results from the Co-operative Bank would be to say what, its still here? Yes it is. Its a lot smaller, with just 68 branches, down from over 300, and the Co-operative Group no longer has any shareholding in it. Ownership is mostly in the hands of hedge funds after it almost went under. But despite it all, the Co-op Bank in still trading, has stuck to its ethical creed and today reported a significant achievement. Last year it made money. Sort of. The business recorded an operating profit of just under 15m in 2018, compared with a loss of 84m the previous year. That represents the first such profit in half a decade. But the key word is operating. Chuck in everything else - one off costs, investments etc - and the bank still spent the year in the red overall, recording a pre tax loss of just under 141m, similar to the number posted in 2017. Thats where the challenge comes in. The bank is likely to remain under water for some time at the headline level. CEO Andrew Bester, the latest in through what has been something of a revolving door at the top, has been notably vague about when that might change, talking only about being back in black at the conclusion of a five year transformation programme. Faced with operating in an economy beset with uncertainty thanks to Britains dismal government, the business is far from out of the woods. But it is just possible to see some green shoots peeping through the hard ground. In addition to that all important operating profit, mortgage completions were at their highest level since 2010. The net interest margin - the difference between what borrowers pay and depositors are paid - was above 2 per cent. Business areas the bank had pulled out of are now being looked at again. As application is in for the second tranche of funding RBS has had to put up for small business banks as a consequence of its enormous bailout. CEO Andrew Bester, a veteran of Lloyds and Standard Chartered, can point to things happening. The Co-operative Bank is a very different organisation to what hes been used to. Hes gone from being part of the team running an ocean liner to skippering a sailing dinghy. The business he runs is small and niche and always will be. But despite all that it has been through, the brand, and its stance, are still attractive to a certain kind of organisation, those for which profit isnt the prime motivation. It is also still attractive to a certain kind of person. You wouldnt expect to find Co-op investing in oil sands or other projects that will exacerbate climate change, for example, by contrast to some of Britains bigger banks. Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year. Bester needs to pay regard to the standards of service to those customers. If youre a niche player thats another means by which you can differentiate yourself and Co-op is not doing that in the way it should at the moment. But its still here, still in business, still making an offer. If Bester can keep it that way, and pull off a sustainable return to profits, it would represent quite the achievement. It would suggest his former employers might have missed a trick in letting him go. Well see. The collapse of Wonga.com looks set to leave a lot of people out of wonga and out of pocket. When the internet payday lender went into administration last August there were 10,500 consumers with complaints open with the Financial Ombudsman Service. Their status is now very much up in the air, a fact underlined by a flurry of correspondence between the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), administrator Grant Thornton and the Treasury Committee that was published today. Nicky Morgan, the chair of the Committee, wrote to the administrator to raise the stricken borrowers plight and request information as to how their compensation claims are being dealt with following a to and fro with the regulator. Its hard to feel hopeful. If Wonga had the money to pay them it wouldnt be in administration. Now it is in that situation there are others who also have claims upon its assets, claims that may take priority over those of the aggrieved customers. Were this a savings company of some description that wouldn't be the case. There would be compensation available to anyone losing out through the savings industry funded Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Trouble is it doesnt cover lenders even though the FCA has been regulating them since 2014. Andrew Bailey, the boss of the FCA, says consideration has been given to including them but in the event of the failure of a lender customers generally dont suffer losses. Loan customers are more likely to owe money to the lend rather than the other way round. In most cases thats true, but not in this one because of the way Wonga was carrying on. As a result thousands of people look set to be left out of pocket, calling that decision into question. So what next? Bailey makes the point that it would be a bit rum if the savings companies that pay into the FSCS were now called upon to bail out the past misconduct of a lender. While some of them also are lenders, thats by no means true of all them and so youd be robbing Peter to pay for the misdeeds of Paul. His point is valid. Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year. However, his letter to Morgan does rather have the feel of the FCA holding open its hands and saying, yes we know its awful but what can you do? Perhaps he and his people need to think harder, and perhaps so too do Ms Morgans colleagues on the government benches. Perhaps they could exert some pressure on lenders to collectively act to make good the misdeeds of one of their own. There may be other ideas. They need to be explored. Hard up borrowers being left out in the cold while better off savers are protected is not a good look in a society as fractured as Britains currently is. The owner of British Airways reported a jump in sales and profits for 2018, despite challenges including higher fuel costs and the negative impact of foreign exchange rates. International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) posted a 6.7 per cent increase in revenue, from 22.9bn (19.6bn) to 24.4bn, while pre-tax profit increased by 11.2 per cent, rising from 2bn to 2.9bn. The company said the improved numbers came in spite of a jump in fuel costs, which were up 30 per cent over the year. IAG was also hit by a net foreign exchange impact of 129m in 2018. The group said it was continuing to evaluate and prepare for the potential changes following the UKs decision to leave the EU. As we move into 2019, there is continued political uncertainty, fuel-price volatility and the ongoing risk of impact to our operations and reputation as the frequency, nature and sophistication of cyberattacks increases, IAG said. In pictures: British Airways disruptions Show all 17 1 /17 In pictures: British Airways disruptions In pictures: British Airways disruptions A passenger looks at a British Airway plane at John F. Kennedy (JFK) international airport in New York Getty Images In pictures: British Airways disruptions British Airways planes are seen at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions Passengers stand at the British Airways check-in desk after the London's Gatwick and Heathrow airports suffered an IT systems failure, at the 'Leonardo da Vinci' airport in Fiumicino, near Rome, Italy EPA In pictures: British Airways disruptions Arrivals notice boards are displayed at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions People wait with their luggage at the British Airways check in desks at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions Thousands of passengers face a second day of travel disruption after a British Airways IT failure caused the airline to cancel most of its services Getty Images In pictures: British Airways disruptions A woman covered in a blanket sleeps in Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 Getty Images In pictures: British Airways disruptions People sleep next to their luggage at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions People sleep at Heathrow Terminal 5 in London Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions A woman sleeps on a luggage trolley at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions People queue to enter the terminal at Gatwick Airport Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions People wait with their luggage at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 Getty In pictures: British Airways disruptions Thousands of passengers face a second day of travel disruption after a British Airways IT failure caused the airline to cancel most of its services Getty In pictures: British Airways disruptions People queue with their luggage outside Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 Getty Images In pictures: British Airways disruptions People queue for check-in at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5. Thousands of passengers face a second day of travel disruption after a British Airways IT failure caused the airline to cancel most of its services Getty Images In pictures: British Airways disruptions People sleep next to their luggage at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions People wait with their luggage at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters Chief executive Willie Walsh told the BBC on Thursday: There are issues from Brexit that we need to address, but these are issues that the industry at large and certainly IAG can address without too much concern. He added: We remain confident that there will be a comprehensive air transport agreement between the EU and the UK. If you go back a year, people were saying, will we be able to fly at all? I dismissed all of that and I think Ive been proven correct. Earlier this month, IAG placed a limit on non-EU shareholders, but said UK residents would be treated in the same way as those from the EU even after Brexit. Mr Walsh said: This is nothing to do with Brexit. Its actually been in our articles since we created IAG back in 2011. It was in all of the merger documentation that we issued to shareholders and was approved by shareholders. Shares in IAG rose 2.4 per cent in early trading. Rolls-Royce hailed a breakthrough year despite suffering a 2.9bn loss last year partly thanks to technical problems with its engines. The British aerospace and defence firm cheered 71 per cent growth in underlying earnings to 633m, up from 317m reported the previous year. Technical issues with its Trent 1000 engines cost 790m in 2018, helping to drag Rolls-Royce to a statutory loss of 2.9bn against profits of 3.9bn in the previous year. The company has slashed its workforce by around 1,300 as part of a 400m cost-cutting drive, with 4,600 staff to be lost in total by 2021. Last year the firm warned over costs linked to the discovery of technical issues with Trent 1000 engines. Large numbers of Trent 1000-powered aircraft have been grounded, generating a significant repair bill, and the group has dropped out of the bidding to supply engines for Boeings new midsize planes. Chief executive Warren East said: Despite the challenges we faced on Trent 1000 in-service issues, solid progress has been made realising our ambition to make 2018 a breakthrough year, both strategically and financially. Underlying financial results are ahead of expectations, with good growth in profit and cash flow. Following the restructuring we announced in June last year, we are starting to see the crucial behavioural changes needed to sustain our momentum. George Salmon, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said their were some bright spots for Rolls such as 611m of net cash. But there are asterisks attached to the progress, he said. While Rolls deserves credit for freeing up cash by changing its supplier terms, much of the improvement is being driven by extra upfront payments and 70m of restructuring costs have been excluded. While these results look strong, the multitude of adjustments and mitigating factors mean we think the champagne will have to stay on ice for now. UK car exports have slumped by one-fifth and production has fallen for an eighth successive month, prompting industry figures to warn of a clear and present danger from a no-deal Brexit. The number of cars leaving UK factories slumped 18.2 per cent to 120,600 in January compared to the same month a year ago, the industrys trade body said. The decline was driven by a 21.4 per cent decline in exports, which account for most of production. Output destined for the EU was down by one-fifth while car exports to China collapsed 72 per cent, the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed. Manufacturing for the UK market fell by a more modest 4.8 per cent. It comes after Honda announced it would shut its Swindon factory in 2021 with 3,500 jobs to go. Nissan, Jaguar Land Rover and Ford have all laid out plans to cut jobs or shift production overseas in recent months, citing a variety of reasons from Brexit to falling demand for diesel cars. Car manufacturers cutting UK jobs Show all 5 1 /5 Car manufacturers cutting UK jobs Car manufacturers cutting UK jobs Jaguar Land Rover Britain's largest automotive manufacturer announced in January that it plans to cut 4500 jobs from its 40,000 workforce Getty Car manufacturers cutting UK jobs Nissan The Japanese car company announced early in February that it would no longer be making the new X-trail model at its Sunderland factory Getty Car manufacturers cutting UK jobs Honda Honda has announced that it is planning to close its Swindon plant with the loss of 3,500 jobs PA Car manufacturers cutting UK jobs Michelin Michelin announced in November that it will close its Dundee tyre factory which employs over 800 people by 2020 PA Car manufacturers cutting UK jobs Schaeffler Shchaeffler's Llanelli plant is to close by the end of 2019. The company provides automotive and and industrial parts worldwide and the Llanelli plant employs over 200 people. Juergen Ziegler, chief executive for Europe, said that while Brexit was not the only factor, it has "brought forward" the decision to relocate Google Another month of decline is a serious concern, said Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive. The industry faces myriad challenges, from falling demand in key markets, to escalating global trade tensions and the need to stay at the forefront of future technology. But, the clear and present danger remains the threat of a no-deal Brexit, which is monopolising time and resources, undermining competitiveness. Every day a no-deal Brexit remains a possibility is another day automotive companies pay the price in additional and potentially pointless costs. No-deal must be taken off the table immediately and permanently. Almost one-third of automotive companies responding to a recent SMMT survey said they had postponed or cancelled UK investment decisions because of Brexit, with one in five having already lost business as a direct consequence. Around one in eight were relocating operations overseas and the same proportion cutting jobs. Rebecca Long-Bailey, shadow business secretary, said the figures highlighted the uncertainty caused the Theresa Mays shambolic Brexit negotiations. The government must end this chaos and back Labours credible alternative plan, including a comprehensive customs union, before it is too late for car manufacturing, the companies in its supply chain and all those who work in it, Ms Long-Bailey said. Stuart Apperley, director and head of UK automotive at Lloyds Bank said there were some positives for the car industry, despite the poor production figures. While its easy to be downbeat, its important to remember it isnt all doom and gloom and the sector has proven resilient in the past. Indeed out of the gloom of 2008, the UKs automotive sector emerged with some real winners to be found. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Manufacturers will be looking to repeat the trick this time around with a renewed focus on growth areas such as electric vehicles, Mr Apperley said. The US formally suspended tariff rises on $200bn (150bn) of Chinese goods but hopes of resolving a trade war between the two nations faded, sending global stock markets down for the third day straight on Thursday. US trade representative Robert Lighthizer pushed back higher import duties which had been due to come in on Friday until further notice. A costly trade war between the two nations, and fears about the rise of protectionism round the world has been casting a shadow over the world economy for months. Mr Lighthizer warned that Washington will need to maintain the threat of imposing tariffs on Chinese goods for years even if a deal is reached. The reality is this is a challenge that will go on for a long, long time. In accordance with the presidents direction, the office of the United States trade representative will publish a notice in the federal register this week to suspend the scheduled tariff increase until further notice, he said China cancels Christmas Show all 7 1 /7 China cancels Christmas China cancels Christmas A man sells Christmas decorations on a street of Zhangjiakou in northern China's Hebei province (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) China cancels Christmas a promoter dressed as a teddy bear rest along a retail street in Zhangjiakou in northern China's Hebei province (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) China cancels Christmas A family walk past images of Santa Claus in Zhangjiakou in northern China's Hebei province. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) China cancels Christmas A worker guards the entrance of a shop decorated with images of Santa Claus in Zhangjiakou in northern China's Hebei province. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) China cancels Christmas Sales staff from an apparel shop dance wearing Christmas themed costumes to promote a year end sales in Zhangjiakou in northern China's Hebei province. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) China cancels Christmas Sales staff from an apparel shop dance wearing Christmas themed costumes to promote a year end sales in Zhangjiakou in northern China's Hebei province. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) China cancels Christmas a sales person waits for customers near a Christmas tree decoration in Zhangjiakou in northern China's Hebei province. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) He also warned that promises from Beijing to purchase more US goods must include a way to ensure they are met. An early end to a summit between Mr Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this week also dented confidence in the future of the global economy. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The FTSE 100 fell 0.6 per cent and the pan-European Stoxx 600 was down 0.4 per cent while the Japanese yen and Swiss franc both safe-haven currencies gained. Oil prices fell on Thursday amid weakening factory output in China and Japan and record US crude output. I never thought it was possible to get better. After spending 18 years trapped within a dark, repeating cycle of relapse and enforced hospitalisation, with acute episodes of anorexia, my new recovery is often named miraculous, remarkable or extraordinary. At my lowest weight, less than 5 stone (half my current body weight), I was teetering on the threshold between life and death. I had no reflex, I was vacant, hardly there. But here I am, now, flourishing and nourishing the brand new life I have created for myself. My eating disorder began after a severe traumatic brain injury, which occurred when I was 18 years old. At the time, I was a jockey, and I fell off a racehorse. When a bandage became untied from the horses leg, he tripped and rotated. I was dislodged, and landed on my head. Bang. I stopped breathing, everyone thought I was dead. My father revived me, and I was airlifted to hospital. I fell into a coma. When I eventually woke up, I had total amnesia, and I could not remember anything about my life. A blank canvas, ready to be coloured and created anew. But I couldnt do anything. I did not recognise anyone. I did not know how to put shoes or socks on. I cant remember any of this, since my amnesia continued. All I know about my history comes from other peoples testimony. The brain damage meant I could not retain memories. Eventually, after a while, and still very unwell, I was discharged home. My minds reaction to the brains injury was to develop neurotic and psychotic symptoms. I couldnt control anything, I couldnt do anything. The secret to a happy marriage may lie hidden in the DNA, according to a new study. Yale researchers identified a gene in certain people linked with reports of successful relationships. While long-term bonds result from a complex blend of physical attraction, shared interests and values, the scientists say their results are evidence for a genetic role in marital bliss. Based on their study of nearly 200 married couples, the scientists estimated roughly 4 per cent of the variation in peoples marriage satisfaction could be attributed to the presence of this gene. The gene variation they identified was in a receptor for oxytocin the love hormone known to play a role in social bonding and the ties between and mother and baby. Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands Clay Bolt Science news in pictures New mammal species found inside crocodile Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science news in pictures Fabric that changes according to temperature created Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold Faye Levine, University of Maryland Science news in pictures Baby mice tears could be used in pest control A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males Getty Science news in pictures Final warning to limit "climate catastrophe" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase Getty Science news in pictures Nobel prize for evolution chemists The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins Getty Science news in pictures Previously unknown society lived in Amazon rainforest before Europeans arrived, say archaeologists Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs Jose Iriarte Science news in pictures One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on fingerprints, study finds More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test. Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly. Getty Science news in pictures Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary People with this gene variant known as the GG genotype are already known to show greater empathy, sociability and emotional stability. Given the kind of characteristics that might contribute to a happy and successful marriage, it is perhaps unsurprising that this was the stretch of DNA found frequently in content spouses. Recommended Genetic code that turns animals monogamous identified by scientists Each participant in the study, which included couples ranging in age from 37 to 90 years old, had to complete a survey about their feelings of security and satisfaction in their marriages. They then had to provide a saliva sample that the researchers could test for the presence of the relevant genes. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The results, published in the journal PLOS ONE, mark the first link between the GG genotype and marital success, and the scientists said they now planned to investigate its effects in a larger group of people. This study shows that how we feel in our close relationships is influenced by more than just our shared experiences with our partners over time, said Dr Joan Monin from the Yale School of Public Health, who led the research. In marriage, people are also influenced by their own and their partners genetic predispositions. Humans could one day be given the power of super vision which would allow them to see in the dark, scientists have said. Nanoparticles inserted into the eyes of mice boosted their natural abilities beyond the normal range of colours and enabled the rodents to see infrared light. Using the new procedure the research team at the University of Science and Technology of China said they could actually modify someones vision to detect a wider spectrum of colours, with potential military applications. We could give humans night vision abilities, without the night vision goggles, lead researcher Dr Tian Xue told The Independent. Along with extending natural vision, Dr Xue and his team think the technique could even be adapted as a treatment for people who are colour-blind and unable to perceive red. Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands Clay Bolt Science news in pictures New mammal species found inside crocodile Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science news in pictures Fabric that changes according to temperature created Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold Faye Levine, University of Maryland Science news in pictures Baby mice tears could be used in pest control A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males Getty Science news in pictures Final warning to limit "climate catastrophe" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase Getty Science news in pictures Nobel prize for evolution chemists The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins Getty Science news in pictures Previously unknown society lived in Amazon rainforest before Europeans arrived, say archaeologists Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs Jose Iriarte Science news in pictures One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on fingerprints, study finds More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test. Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly. Getty Science news in pictures Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary The colours that people can normally see are just a small fraction of the entire electromagnetic spectrum, which also includes extreme shades like infrared and ultraviolet. These signals, which have either much longer or shorter wavelengths than the rainbow spectrum we are familiar with, are constantly bouncing around us. Human and mouse eyes both contain rods and cones cells that absorb light and convert it into electrical impulses that are sent to our brains. Infrared wavelengths are too long for these cells to absorb. Publishing their findings in the journal Cell, the scientists said that they used tiny particles that functioned as accessories to these cells, anchoring tightly onto them and capturing the larger wavelengths. The nanoparticles then convert these signals into shorter wavelengths and funnel them into the cells so they can be transmitted to the brain as green light. Scientists injected this substance into the rodents eyes, before carrying out a series of tests to determine what effect they had on mouse vision. When infrared was shone into the eye of a treated mouse, its pupil contracted in a clear signal it was detecting the light. Further tests conducted in mazes revealed the mice could see infrared patterns shone onto a surface even during the daylight. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The injection produced minimal side effects, and the mice retained their infrared abilities for over two months. We believe this technology will also work in human eyes, not only for generating super-vision but also for therapeutic solutions in human red-colour vision deficits, said Dr Xue. The scientists also speculated about possible future applications in which nanotechnology-enhanced humans might have roles in security and military settings. But first, Dr Xue said, the team will have to test the safety of the procedure in experiments using other primates. The boyfriend of Louella Fletcher-Michie has been found guilty of manslaughter after he filmed the daughter of Holby City actor John Michie dying from the effects of the drugs he gave her. The Winchester Crown Court jury took just over nine hours to find Ceon Broughton guilty of manslaughter and guilty of supplying a Class A drug. After a case described by the Crown Prosecution Service as every parents worst nightmare, Mr Michie emerged from court and said: Regardless of the outcome of this harrowing trial, there were never going to be any winners. We began our life sentence on what would have been Louellas 25th birthday. Ceons life sentence is knowing he didnt help Louella to live. The Independent understands that Broughtons defence team plan to appeal against his conviction, which was secured with a unanimous jury decision. Broughton, who will be sentenced on Friday morning, made no show of emotion as the guilty verdicts were delivered, but moments later he called a lawyer to his side and told him: Text my mum. It can now be revealed that the suspended prison sentence he was under when he filmed Louella dying was for two counts of knife possession. In pictures: Manslaughter trial into Louella Michie's death Show all 6 1 /6 In pictures: Manslaughter trial into Louella Michie's death In pictures: Manslaughter trial into Louella Michie's death Ceon Broughton leaves Poole Magistrates' Court on 23 March, 2018. PA Archive/PA Images In pictures: Manslaughter trial into Louella Michie's death Family picture of Louella Fletcher-Michie, the daughter of Holby City actor John Michie, who was found dead after taking a party drug at Bestival on 11 September, 2017. Zoe Barling In pictures: Manslaughter trial into Louella Michie's death Louella Fletcher-Michie and Ceon Broughton were said to have been in an on-off relationship for a number of years. Instagram In pictures: Manslaughter trial into Louella Michie's death Ceon Broughton in the music video for his track 'Duracell'. CEONRPG In pictures: Manslaughter trial into Louella Michie's death John Michie attends the Inside Soap Awards, at Ministry Of Sound, in London, 21 October, 2013. Getty Images/Gareth Cattermole In pictures: Manslaughter trial into Louella Michie's death Ceon Broughton, 29, arrives at Winchester Crown Court on 4 February, 2019, where he is charged in connection with the death of Holby City actor John Michie's daughter Louella Fletcher-Michie. PA It can also be reported that there was an explosive exchange between John Michie and Broughton during a break in trial proceedings on 21 February. As he walked with his family towards an exit, Mr Michie was heard by a BBC reporter to say evil, evil, and not even sorry in Broughtons direction. Broughton was seen to react by grabbing a small wooden table and hurling it against a wall, smashing it to pieces. He then stormed into another area of the court building and damaged a water cooler before being restrained by members of his defence team and some of the police officers who had investigated Louellas death. The judge, The Honourable Mr Justice Goose, banned reporting of the incident until after the trial was over. Broughton, 29, of Enfield, north London, had denied the manslaughter and drugs supply charges in connection with Louellas death, but he declined to enter the witness box in his defence. The court heard that Louella described by police who investigated her death as a free spirit died from the worlds first known fatal overdose of 2C-P at the Bestival music festival on 10 September 2017, the night before her 25th birthday. She was just 400 metres from the festivals medical tent, but the prosecution said that instead of taking effective action to help, Broughton watched and filmed her enduring a gradual demise over six hours, during which she screamed like a wild animal before collapsing. Recommended Jury considering verdict on man who filmed girlfriend dying from drugs After the trial was over, senior investigating officer Neil Devoto, of Dorset Police, summed up Broughtons actions by saying: Even when she lay motionless, struggling for breath and dying, he continued to take photos and videos and message friends. All he needed to do was walk a few hundred metres to an on-site hospital. His actions were selfish and shameful. The court heard that as Louellas condition deteriorated, Broughton had been worried about getting in trouble with the police because a month earlier, he had received the 24-week suspended sentence, which could be activated if he broke the law again. When a friend told him to call an ambulance, the jury was told, Broughton messaged back: I cant get bagged [arrested]. Ceon Broughton has been found guilty of manslaughter and Class A drug supply after filming Louella Fletcher-Michie overdosing on the drugs he gave her (PA) Prosecutor William Mousley QC said the real reason Broughton let Louella down so badly, was to save himself and perhaps even to collect souvenirs of the fatal evening on his phone. That, said Mr Mousley, is shocking and despicable negligence of the highest order. Louella, he added, had fallen victim to the consequences of a fatal attraction for her boyfriend. Her attraction to Ceon Broughton, said Mr Mousley, her feelings towards Ceon Broughton, turned out to be a fatal attraction. Medical expert Professor Charles Deakin said Louella would have had a 90 per cent chance of survival had she received early medical help. Instead, Prof Deakin said, Louella was in all probability dead in the last video that Broughton took. Holby City actor John Michie pays tribute to late daughter Louella with mural As Louellas parents raced from London to Dorset having heard Louella screaming in the background during a phone call with Broughton, her older brother Sam sent the boyfriend a message: Please take Louella to the medical tent, please. Nine seconds later Sam followed up with another message: She needs to be with professionals. Later that night, he sent a third message: Did you get her there, bro? Louella was found dead in a wooded area of the Bestival site that was supposed to be off-limits to festival goers at 1am on 11 September 2017. Police release drone footage showing site of Louella Fletcher-Michie's death The court also heard that when Sam spoke to Broughton over the phone and asked what he had given his sister, he received the reply I bumped it up a bit, suggesting a bigger dose. Mr Mousley said Broughton had given an excessive dose to someone who had a very careful attitude towards drugs. Any reasonable person, said Mr Mousley, being prudent and careful having given Louella drugs, would have appreciated the risk in seeing her reaction and deterioration and that her life was in danger. And by taking reasonable steps, quite simply her life could have been saved. Mr Mousley added that Broughton had lied and lied in order to dodge responsibility. For the defence, Stephen Kamlish QC had urged the jury to consider the possibility that Broughton acted as he did because he thought his girlfriend was just having a bad trip, not dying. In a police interview, Broughton had denied supplying Louella with the drugs that killed her, telling investigating officers: I didnt think it would be such a life and death situation, I didnt think it would be serious like this. In court Mr Kamlish had argued that the act of filming his girlfriend actually showed Broughtons innocence. He told the jury: The act of the filming assists you in seeing he didnt realise the seriousness, however stupid that may be. Mr Kamlish reminded the jury that as Broughton filmed Louella he told her: When this is all over, you will want to show it to your mum. That, the defence barrister said, is how ironic and tragic this case is. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The offence of gross negligence manslaughter, added Mr Kamlish, is unique in UK law. It makes criminals of people, in this case, Ceon, who desired the opposite of the death of the deceased. You will ask why he filmed and filmed to the end, Mr Kamlish said. None of us condone this [but] people who live certain lives spend their lives filming everything they do for the Instagram and the Snapchat. This is not a court of morals. The jury, however, decided that in the eyes of the criminal as well as moral law, Broughton was guilty. Outside court, Mr Devoto effectively questioned whether Broughton felt remorse for his actions. He is very saddened by the loss of Louella, he said, But as far as showing remorse I wouldnt be able to comment. But Mr Devoto paid tribute to the Michie family for the way they had conducted themselves throughout the investigation and trial. Theyve been very helpful, very transparent in the evidence theyve given, and very honourable throughout, he said. They are a very loving, grounded family, whose lives have been completely and utterly torn apart by this terrible news that theyve lost their daughter. The investigating team, Mr Devoto added, were dealing with a family who have lost a very cherished member of their family. It was a very emotional investigation, a very difficult and a complex case, but Im glad that the result is as it is. It is a reflection of the hard work that has gone into bringing Ceon Broughton to justice. And the senior detective paid tribute to Louella. She was a free spirit. She was very buoyant, very friendly, very happy and shed had a fantastic childhood. The family will say that she was into all types of art and she loved festivals. She was like many festival-goers: there to enjoy herself and have a great time. Unfortunately she found herself reliant on someone that she cared for, who failed to act and failed to raise the alarm and failed to get her medical help when she really needed it. EU net migration has plummeted to the lowest level since 2009, as citizens from central and eastern European countries leave Britain ahead of Brexit. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said net migration from outside the EU had risen to the highest level in 15 years in the same period. Overall, around 283,000 more people planning to live in Britain long-term arrived than left in the 12 months to September 2018. Jay Lindop, director for the ONS centre for international migration, said: Decisions to migrate are complex and a persons decision to move to or from the UK will always be influenced by a range of factors, including work, study and family reasons. Different patterns for EU and non-EU migration have emerged since mid-2016, when the EU referendum vote took place. Due to increasing numbers arriving for work and study, non-EU net migration is now at the highest level since 2004. Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Show all 20 1 /20 Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Brexit supporters outside parliament PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An anti-Brexit protester adjusts her pro-EU wig AFP/Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A message to Jeremy Corbyn in support of a peoples vote Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A mock Titanic captained by Theresa May heads towards an iceberg in a stunt by campaigning group Avaaz AP Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Anti-Brexit protesters outside parliament PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Protesters of opposing sides are in close contact outside of parliament PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Paintings of Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media at the protests outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A pro-Brexit protester in Parliament Square Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Opposing protesters share the space outside parliament Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An anti-Brexit protester holds EU balloons outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Anti-Brexit protesters stand on Westminster Bridge PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media at the protests outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament EPA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A pro-Brexit protester sets up outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An Avaaz campaigner holds a Peoples Vote life float Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A demonstrator holds a sign advocating a no-deal Brexit outside parliament AFP/Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An anti-Brexit protester waves an EU flag on Westminster Bridge PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Protesters of opposing sides demonstrate outside parliament AFP/Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Protesters of opposing sides stand near parliament Reuters In contrast, EU net migration, while still adding to the population as a whole, has fallen to a level last seen in 2009. We are also now seeing more EU8 citizens those from central and eastern European countries, for example Poland leaving the UK than arriving. The statistics were released after Sajid Javid pledged the government would back a move to protect the rights of EU citizens living in Britain in the event of a no-deal Brexit. ONS figures show that 121,000 British people left the UK in the year to September, compared to only 85,000 returning, leaving a deficit of 35,000 people. Overall EU net migration stood at 57,000 after 145,000 European citizens left and 202,000 arrived. People from EU8 countries, including Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania and Hungary, left in the highest numbers, with 53,000 departing in the year. Net migration from outside the EU was 261,000. The ONS said that there were fewer people arriving for work overall, but more for study, with non-EU student immigration at its highest level since 2011. The decrease in work-related immigration over the last two years can be largely accounted for by the recent fall in the number of EU citizens arriving with a definite job and the previous fall in the number of EU citizens looking for work, the ONS added. Tej Parikh, a senior economist at the Institute of Directors, said large companies were recruiting workers from outside the EU to compensate for a loss of EU employees. Theresa May apologies for previously saying EU citizens had 'jumped the queue' under current immigration rules With job vacancies at record highs, recruiting from abroad has never been more crucial for British businesses, he added. Already, firms across the retail, hospitality and construction sectors are facing obstacles as some EU workers are returning home, while its also becoming harder to attract labour from Europe amidst the uncertain political climate. The UK granted asylum, alternative forms of protection and resettlement to almost 15,900 people in the year ending December 2018, with rises in grants for Turks and Libyans, but falls for Iranian, Eritrean and Sudanese nationals. Diane Abbott MP, Labours shadow home secretary, said: Once again the number of migrants coming here vastly outstrips the governments unworkable 100,000 net migration target. Its policy is not really about reducing numbers, but allows it to maintain a constant campaign against migration and migrants. Caroline Nokes, the immigration minister, said: The UK is continuing to attract and retain highly skilled workers, including more doctors and nurses, while talented international students are benefiting from our world leading universities and boosting our economy. However, we are committed to controlled and sustainable migration. As we leave the EU, our new immigration system will give us full control over who comes here for the first time in decades, while enabling employers to have access to the skills they need from around the world. Weve always been clear that we want EU citizens to stay here, and the EU Settlement Scheme is making it simple and straightforward for EU citizens to get the status they need. A British climber, whose mother died on K2 shortly after becoming the first woman to climb Everest unaided, has gone missing on Killer Mountain in Pakistan. Tom Ballard, from the Peak District, has been attempting to climb the notoriously dangerous Nanga Parbat with Italian Daniele Nardi but the pair have not been heard from since Sunday. The 30-year-old and his climbing partner last made contact after reaching a height of about 6,300m (20,670ft) on the 8,126m (26,660ft) mountain. The mountain is the ninth highest in the world and is nicknamed Killer Mountain because of the high number of deaths of people attempting to conquer it. Plans for a search and rescue attempt were postponed on Wednesday after Pakistan closed its airspace amid tensions with India, Mr Nardis team said in a statement on Facebook. Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Show all 28 1 /28 Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Activists of Al-Badr Mujahideen, an islamic militant group, burn an effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an anti-India protest in Peshawar, Pakistan AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures A Pakistani girl holds a light candle during a vigil for peace in Lahore on March 3 AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures School children react as they celebrate the release of Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman by Pakistan at a school in Ahmedabad Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan, stands under armed escort near Pakistan-India border in Wagah Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian Border Security Force soldiers patrol along the border with Pakistan EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures A videograb allegedly shows the captured Indian Air Force pilot in the custody of Pakistani military SWNS Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani civil society activists hold anti-war signs during a peace rally in Islamabad AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani civil society activists hold anti-war signs during a peace rally in Islamabad AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Activists of Al-Badr Mujahideen, an islamic militant group, burn an effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an anti-India protest in Peshawar, Pakistan Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri onlookers stand look on as an Indian army helicopter lands near the site where an Indian Air Force jet was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures An Indian soldier gestures near the wreckage of an Indian Air Force fighter jet that was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Supporters of a Pakistani religious group Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba brand Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a terrorist at a rally to condemn Indian aggression AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures India's Border Security Force soldiers patrol along the fenced border with Pakistan on February 26 Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Protesters in Pakistan march against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Supporters of India's ruling Bhartiya Janta Party workers hold Indian flags as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Protesters in Pakistan march against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures People in India burn an effigy that represents Pakistan as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Bhartiya Janta Party workers hold Indian flags as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Kashmiris in the border town of Chakoti walk past India-bound cargo trucks that are parked as the road to India is closed AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Workers enter a concrete bunker that they have built in a residential area near the border Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani soldiers and journalists gather at the site where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani soldiers and journalists gather at the site where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace AFP/Getty It is hoped that permission to fly will be granted on Thursday. Mr Ballard had been posting updates on his progress on Instagram before he went missing. British climber Tom Ballard (pictured) and Italian Daniele Nardi have been missing on Pakistan's notoriously dangerous mountain Nanga Parbat, nicknamed Killer Mountain, since 24 February 2019. (Tom Ballard/Instagram) His last post on 19 February showed him on skis about to go down a narrow chute with the caption: This should be fun! Mr Ballard previously posted about bad weather, including heavy snowfall, high winds and an avalanche the pair managed to avoid. The accomplished climber has been following in the footsteps of his mother, Alison Hargreaves, by attempting some of the toughest mountains in the world since her death in August 1995. A view of Nanga Parbat, Pakistan's second-highest mountain. (Gohar Abbas/AFP/Getty Images) She was 33 when she went missing on K2, which stands on the border of China and Pakistan, and her body was never recovered. Earlier that year, the mother of two had made history by becoming the first woman to climb Mount Everest the only mountain peak higher than K2 unaided. Mr Ballard has been living in Italy's Dolomites mountain range with his father for the last few years. The Foreign Office has confirmed it is in contact with Pakistani authorities about Mr Ballard, who set out on his venture in December. He and Mr Nardi reached the first camp at 4,700m (15,400ft) on 7 January and the second camp at 5,200m (17,000ft) just over three weeks later. They last made contact with base camp on 22 February and the final word from Mr Ballard came on Sunday, when he spoke to his wife over a satellite phone. The European Commission has delivered a blow to a plan to protect EU citizens rights in the event of a no-deal Brexit warning that it will not negotiate mini-deals. The House of Commons voted on Wednesday for the ring-fencing of protections for EU nationals in the UK and British nationals in the EU27 effectively saying that the part of the withdrawal agreement that concerns them should come into effect no matter what. The so-called Costa amendment, named after the MP who tabled it, instructed the UK Government to try and secure this outcome in the negotiations dependent on cooperation from the EU. But a spokesperson for the European Commission told reporters in Brussels on Thursday after the vote: The best way to protect the rights of these 4.5 million people concerned is through the withdrawal agreement. We will not negotiate mini-deals because negotiating such mini-deal outside the withdrawal agreement would imply that the negotiations have failed. The spokesperson added: Its not for the Commission to comment on amendments voted in the House of Commons where the debate is still on-going, but what I can tell you more generally on citizens rights is that the Commission has consistently made clear that the rights of EU citizens in the United Kingdom and UK nationals in the EU are our top priority. They should not pay the price for Brexit, and the Commission has called on member states to take a generous process to UK nationals that are already in their territory. The European Commission also already outlined a number of ways it would deal with British citizens rights in the event of a no-deal covering social security cooperation, the Erasmus programme, and making sure British nationals do not need short-term visits to visit the continent. Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Show all 11 1 /11 Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray (left) and a pro-Brexit protester argue as they demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament A pro-Brexit protester argues Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police surround the pro-Brexit protester after he confronted Steve Bray, a pro-European protester Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament A leave supporter is spoken to by a police officer as he argues with a remain supporter, Steve Bray, outside Parliament PA Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament MPs in Parliament are to vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal next week after her December vote was called off in the face of a major defeat Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament A leave supporter is spoken to by a police officer PA Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police look on as anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament. Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police hold back a leave supporter PA Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament A police officer speaks with anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police surround a pro-Brexit protester after he confronted a pro-European protester Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Conservative MP David Davies, wearing a gopro camera, speaks to anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray Getty Images Citizens rights groups have said that these proposals are not enough, however, and that there would still be disruption to their lives under a no-deal. Activists told the Independent that they were expecting the Commissions response because EU member states would have to change their negotiating guidelines before it could act. Such a change would have to come at a European Council summit planned for March just a week before the UK leaves. Close Countdown to Brexit: How many days left until Britain leaves the EU? Theresa May faced fresh pressure over her Brexit strategy after farming minister George Eustice resigned from government to oppose any delay to Britain's exit day next month. Mr Eustice said he had backed the prime minister through "a series of rather undignified retreats" but he was afraid that the prospect of a vote on extending article 50 would lead to the "final humiliation of our country". His resignation came after MPs overwhelmingly voted to lock in the prime ministers promise to give parliament a veto over a no-deal Brexit, while Ms May opened the door to a "limited" delay to Brexit. In a letter to Ms May, Mr Eustice wrote: Developments this week will lead to a sequence of events culminating in the EU dictating the terms of any extension requested and the final humiliation of our country. He continued: If the position of parliament is now that we will refuse to leave without an agreement then we are somewhat stuck, he wrote. This is uncomfortable for everyone, but we cannot negotiate a successful Brexit unless we are prepared to walk through the door. Meanwhile, Labour confirmed it will table bid for second referendum - and shadow chancellor John McDonnell said there was a chance of the vote could be won. He told ITV: "We are still going to argue that we want a general election, we are still going to argue we think our deal that we have put up was the best option. But we realise... we have got to break this deadlock. It came as the row over antisemitism in Labour rumbled on, with Tom Watson, the party's deputy leader, saying Liverpool Wavertree MP Luciana Berger's decision to quit Labour over anti-Jewish abuse was the "worst day of shame" in the party's history. As it happened... A big leap in immigration from outside the EU is evidence of the strength of the UK economy, Theresa May says. The prime minister appeared relaxed about the increase to its highest level for 15 years while insisting she remained committed to slashing numbers to the tens of thousands. The latest figures show 283,000 more people moved to the UK than left the country in the year to last September almost three times the government target of 100,000. The rise was fuelled by 261,000 non-EU arrivals, the highest figure since 2004, outweighing a fall in EU net migration to the lowest level since 2009. Ms May has fought almost a lone battle in cabinet to keep the long-missed target, having made cutting the numbers of migrants her priority as home secretary. However, asked for a response, her official spokesman said: What the figures show you is that the UK is continuing to attract and retain highly-skilled workers, including more doctors and nurses, while talented international students are benefiting from our world-leading universities and boosting our economy. The relaxed comments come despite the pressure group Migration Watch, long an influence on Tory policy, describing the increase as a real concern. Cameron backs his immigration stand Show all 2 1 /2 Cameron backs his immigration stand Cameron backs his immigration stand 597281.bin PA Cameron backs his immigration stand 280645.bin Getty Images The spokesman added: We will continue to reform routes from outside Europe as we build a new immigration system that works in the best interests of the country And, as you know, we are committed to reducing immigration to sustainable levels and that means the tens of thousands. Meanwhile, Diane Abbott, Labours shadow home secretary, condemned the governments failure to drop the target, saying: Its policy is not really about reducing numbers, but allows it to maintain a constant campaign against migration and migrants. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said fewer people were arriving for work, but more for study with non-EU student immigration at its highest level since 2011. However, the prime ministers spokesman said it was partly explained by a decision to recruit badly-needed NHS staff. There was a decision taken last year to address particular concerns around the health service to allow in more skilled doctors and nurses, and you obviously can see aspects of that in the figures published today, he said. On the increase in foreign students, the spokesman said: It's always been the case that there is no cap on the number of students who can come to the UK. We have very successful universities which are renowned internationally. Students are coming to attend those universities, but obviously they go home at the end of those courses in the vast majority of cases. He insisted Ms May had always argued it would take time to achieve the target of net migration below 100,000, adding: We are taking steps to deliver upon that. Meanwhile, overall EU net migration stood at 57,000 after 145,000 European citizens left and 202,000 arrived. People from EU8 countries, including Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania and Hungary, left in the highest numbers, with 53,000 departing during the year. Matthew Fell, the CBIs chief UK policy director, said: Fewer EU workers are coming to the UK, exacerbating labour and skills shortages across many sectors, from farm labourers to engineers. Businesses cannot succeed without access to skills and labour. Police are reportedly hunting for a 70-year-old German national in Uganda who is facing fresh allegations of child sex tourism. Bernhard Bery Glasers home set up as a rehabilitation centre says it houses children who are survivors of sexual violence and at risk of child abuse. We care for girls who have been used, abused, eventually discarded, without hope, without options, often without access to a worthwhile life, the centre explains on its website. Located in Mwena Village on Bugala Island, it says it houses children between the ages of three and 22. A detective, who chose to remain anonymous, told Ugandan English language newspaper New Vision they had collected several recorded sex tapes, sex tools and erotic material. 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 A girl who alleges she is a victim of sexual abuse told detectives Mr Glaser would seduce them to have sex there and also pledged to help their education. She claimed those who rebuffed his sexual advances would be thrown out of the house. Mr Glaser, it is alleged, would invite his colleagues from different countries to have sex with the girls while they filmed it. Authorities are believed to have raided Mr Glasers home on Sunday, but he was out at the time. At least 15 children aged between five and 20 were found in the house during the raid and have also been taken in for questioning. His wife Ingrid Hehns was arrested for questioning. Detectives at Kalanga Police Station, in central Uganda, suspect that someone had told him to flee his centre. Community members have long vented their frustrations about the actions of Mr Glaser triggering a whistleblower to log a complaint. The Kalanga district probation officer, Willy Nkumbi, claimed Mr Glasers organisation had been running illegally without a registration certificate. In December 2013, Mr Glaser was arrested and arraigned in High Court in Masaka over similar allegations, but was acquitted because of a lack of evidence. Naitore Nayamu, of Equality Now, a non-government organisation which aims to promote the rights of women and girls, said: People managing homes and shelters have a duty of care for the children residing there. If the charges in this case are true, it is extremely unfortunate that vulnerable girls have experienced sexual abuse in a place that ought to have been a safe space and where they had sought protection. The human rights lawyer called for the government of Uganda to make sure anyone operating shelters or safe spaces for children is carefully and thoroughly vetted. Authorities must also conduct regular checks in these homes to ensure that they are being run properly, she said. Additionally there ought to be stiffer penalties for perpetrators of sexual abuse as this will work as a deterrent to would be perpetrators. Equality Now calls upon the Ugandan police to fast-track the investigations and ensure all culprits are brought to book. Ms Nayamu said children who have experienced abuse should be given legal representation in the course of trial. These girls require protection, she said, as there might be efforts to influence their testimonies and interfere with the evidence. Ms Nayamu, who advocates for the rights for women and girls, urged the government to carry out an inquiry into all the other shelters and rescue homes that operate in Uganda to ensure none of these rescue centres are being used for purposes of abusing children. It is upon the state to protect all girls and boys from sex predators, she added. An 11-year-old girl has given birth to her rapists baby after authorities in Argentina delayed her request for an abortion. The girl had become pregnant after her grandmothers 65-year-old partner raped her. She underwent a caesarean section on Tuesday after 23 weeks of pregnancy and her baby is unlikely to survive. The girl had been adamant she wanted to terminate the pregnancy from the beginning. I want this thing the old man put inside me taken out, she told officials after she was admitted to hospital following two suicide attempts, The Guardian reports. 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 Even though abortion is legal in Argentina in cases of rape or when a mothers life is in danger, her case was delayed over uncertainty about her legal guardian. Her mother agreed with her daughters request, but because she had been placed in her grandmothers care her mothers consent was deemed insufficient. However, her grandmother had been stripped of her guardianship for living with the rapist, so she could not give consent either. The girl was placed in her grandmothers care in 2015, after her two older sisters were reportedly abused by her mothers partner. Her case faced a further hurdle as several doctors refused to carry out the procedure because of personal beliefs. She underwent the C-section on Tuesday after health authorities in the state of Tucuman instructed the hospital director to follow a family judges decision to carry out the necessary procedures to attempt to save both lives. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events But the family court quoted in the statement has since said it made no mention of saving two lives, according to the BBC. The girls plight has reignited debate around abortion in Argentina, a predominantly Catholic country and the home of Pope Francis. Historic floods across northern California have turned the states wine country communities and an entire town into islands as emergency crews journeyed by boat to save residents from their destroyed homes and businesses. An estimated 2,000 buildings were inundated by flooding from the Russian River in wine country north of San Francisco, which crested at more than 46 feet (14 meters) on Wednesday night, according to Sonoma County officials. The water is not expected to return to the rivers banks until late Thursday. The river frequently floods in rainy weather but it had not reached that level in 25 years. The estimated 2,000 inundated buildings were mainly in and around the community of Guerneville, said Briana Khan, a Sonoma County spokeswoman. Guerneville has essentially become an island, Ms Khan said. The towns sweets became seas of muddy brown water. The nearby town of Monte Rio also was isolated when roads leading to it were swamped. The river was one of several in Northern California that was engorged by days of rain from western US storms that also dumped heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada, throughout the Pacific Northwest and into Montana, where Governor Steve Bullock issued an emergency order to help keep up the supply of heating fuel amid frigid temperatures. California storms Show all 14 1 /14 California storms California storms (AP Photo/Michael Short) California storms Cars and a large tree are seen in a debris trail in the aftermath of a mudslide that destroyed three homes on a hillside in Sausalito, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. The National Weather Service says the atmospheric river sagged southward from Northern California overnight and is pointed at the southwestern corner of the state early Thursday. (AP Photo/Michael Short) California storms (AP Photo/Michael Short) California storms (AP Photo/Michael Short) California storms (AP Photo/Michael Short) California storms Southern Marin Fire Department members search a crushed house in the aftermath of a mudslide that destroyed three homes on a hillside in Sausalito, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Waves of heavy rain pounded California on Thursday, filling normally dry creeks and rivers with muddy torrents, flooding roadways and forcing residents to flee their homes in communities scorched by wildfires. (AP Photo/Michael Short) California storms Southern Marin Fire Department members search a crushed house in the aftermath of a mudslide that destroyed three homes on a hillside in Sausalito, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Waves of heavy rain pounded California on Thursday, filling normally dry creeks and rivers with muddy torrents, flooding roadways and forcing residents to flee their homes in communities scorched by wildfires. (AP Photo/Michael Short) California storms A truck drives over a flooded freeway underpass in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. The National Weather Service says the atmospheric river sagged southward from Northern California overnight and is pointed at the southwestern corner of the state early Thursday. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) California storms A Caltrans work crew removes debris near a flooded lane from under a freeway in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. The National Weather Service says the atmospheric river sagged southward from Northern California overnight and is pointed at the southwestern corner of the state early Thursday. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) California storms A Caltrans work crew removes debris near a flooded lane from under a freeway in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. The National Weather Service says the atmospheric river sagged southward from Northern California overnight and is pointed at the southwestern corner of the state early Thursday. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) California storms Water from recent heavy rain storms breeches a levee in Novato, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Waves of heavy rain pounded California on Thursday, flooding streets, triggering a mudslide that destroyed homes and forcing residents to flee communities scorched by wildfires last year. (AP Photo/Terry Chea) California storms Water from recent heavy rain storms breech a levee and flows under railroad tracks in Novato, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Waves of heavy rain pounded California on Thursday, flooding streets, triggering a mudslide that destroyed homes and forcing residents to flee communities scorched by wildfires last year. (AP Photo/Michael Short) California storms Stormy Daniels (C), the porn star who claims to have slept with US President Donald Trump over a decade ago, opens Berlin erotic fair "Venus" in Berlin on October 11, 2018. TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP/Getty Images) California storms A truck drives over a flooded freeway underpass in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. The National Weather Service says the atmospheric river sagged southward from Northern California overnight and is pointed at the southwestern corner of the state early Thursday. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Still, the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office said in a statement that officials received no calls for help overnight from hundreds of people who stayed in their homes instead of heeding evacuation orders. No injuries were reported in the Guerneville area and by Wednesday night the rain had eased but about 3,500 people in two dozen river communities remained under evacuation orders. Recommended Thousands evacuated in California amid floods and mudslides Several areas in California set record-high rainfall totals, including nearby Santa Rosa, which had nearly 8 inches (20 centimetres) of rain in one day. The often-waterlogged Venado weather station 5 miles (8 kilometres) from Guerneville recorded more than 20 inches (50 centimetres) of rain in 48 hours. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Dozens of people were rescued from cars that became stranded after drivers tried to cross flooded roads. The Associated Press contributed to this report A woman in Florida has been indicted after allegedly taking more than $800,000 from a federal hurricane relief program through phoney invoices. Juli Campbell has been accused of fraud after allegedly taking $840,000 from a Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) program set up to help victims of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria in 2017. Ms Campbell, who owns Campbell Development, oversaw an alleged fraud where her company submitted fraudulent documents for work repairing homes in St Croix and the US Virgin Islands. Some of those documents mentioned workers who were not even present on the islands at the time of the work, according to court filings. The court filings also claims that Ms Campbell instructed workers to leave time sheet blank, or to fill in false information. The alleged crimes were carried out in August and October of last year. Some works, like James Blankenberg, have said that they never received payment from Ms Campbell. Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US Show all 16 1 /16 Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A damaged store in Panama City, Florida Getty Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US Waves crash into houses on the shore at Alligator Point in Franklin County, Florida Reuters Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US Haley Nelson of Panama City stands by her father's destroyed trailer home Getty Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A damaged store in downtown Panama City, Florida Getty Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A woman and her children wait in Panama City, Florida AFP/Getty Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A stores windows are shattered by Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Florida Getty Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A damaged apartment building in Panama City, Florida Getty Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A damaged liquor store in Panama City Beach, Florida Reuters Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A helicopter hovers over a damaged neighbourhood EPA Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A man wades through a flooded street in Panama City, Florida EPA Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A boathouse is damaged in the storm EPA Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US Charles Swaney of Panama City sits in the office of a damaged motel in Panama City, Florida AFP/Getty Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A market is flooded in St. Marks, Florida Getty Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A high-rise apartment building is damaged in Panama City Beach, Florida Reuters Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US Lenora Adams of Panacea, Florida evacuates a motel with her dog Reuters Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US Haley Nelson of Panama City stands by her father's destroyed trailer home Getty All she did was take advantage of the government, Mr Blankenberg told an ABC News affiliate, claiming she owes him $40,000. My lights got turned off, my water got turned off, my insurance elapsed ... we deserve what's owed to us. Hurricane Irma made landfall in the United States in September 2017 as a Category 4 hurricane, smashing through the Florida Keys and up into Naples before losing force as it travelled further north into the US. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Hurricane Maria travelled through the Caribbean in 2017 as well, and made headlines for the widespread devastation it caused after hitting Puerto Rico as a Category 5 hurricane. Irma and Maria caused $50bn and $90bn worth of damages, respectively, and contributed to the costliest year in US history for weather related damages. All told, weather caused $306.2bn in damages in 2017 according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A doctor was shot in the neck when a patient in a wheelchair opened fire in the emergency room of a veterans hospital in Florida, authorities said. The suspect, Lawrence Bon, 59, had been at West Palm Beach VA Medical Centre since Wednesday morning and had been combative with employees all day, an FBI spokesman said. Mr Bon began shooting a pistol at about 6.20 pm on Wednesday, while he was undergoing a psychological evaluation, special agent Michael Leverock said. The injured doctor, whose named was not released, was shot while trying to subdue Mr Bon, who is a double amputee. Another hospital employee was grazed by a bullet, Mr Leverock said. The employees injuries were not life-threatening. Mr Bon spent a very short time in the military in the mid-1970s, Mr Leverock said, and his amputations were unrelated. 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 doctor who was shot was taken to another hospital for treatment, said Mary Kay Rutan, a spokeswoman for the medical centres network. The facility was secure and would be operational on Thursday, she said. The FBI took over the investigation of the shooting because it occurred in a federal building, Mr Leverock said. Mr Bon was scheduled to appear in federal court on Thursday. The West Palm Beach VA Medical Centre, about 75 miles north of Miami on Floridas eastern coast, is a general medical, psychiatric and surgical facility, according to its website. The 153-bed facility opened in 1995 and provides health services to veterans throughout South Florida, both at the main facility in West Palm Beach and six contractor-operated outpatient clinics, a 2017 report said. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The facility also operates a 108-bed community living centre and a 13-bed blind rehabilitation service, according to the report. During the 2017 fiscal year, the facility served about 60,000 veterans, the report said. The West Palm Beach VA Medical Centre is one of about 170 medical centres and nearly 1,000 clinics run by the department of veterans affairs. Together, they treat about 9 million veteran patients each year. New York Times The deadly and untreatable measles virus that was previously eradicated from the United States and many other parts of the world has returned in spreading outbreaks amid a growing anti-vaccination movement but at least one Republican lawmaker in Texas doesnt see any cause for concern. Bill Zedler, a state representative and outspoken anti-vaxxer, has thrown his support behind new legislation that would effectively allow Texas residents to opt out of childhood vaccinations for their children. Mr Zedller has an A++ rating from Texans for Vaccine Choice the only lawmaker with that high of a rating and has long promoted misleading claims surrounding vaccinations and childhood illnesses. When I grew up, I had a lot of these illnesses, the Republican told Texas Observer in a report published earlier this week, going on to list illnesses like chickenpox, measles and mumps. They wanted me to stay at home. But as far as being sick in bed, it wasnt anything like that. They want to say people are dying of measles, he continued. Yeah, in third-world countries theyre dying of measles today, with antibiotics and that kind of stuff, theyre not dying in America. His comments arrived as measles outbreaks have spread across Texas and four other states in the US, and cases of the mumps virus reportedly reached a 20-year-high in the Lone Star state. Despite growing support for the anti-vaxxing movement, research has repeatedly debunked a slate of conspiracy theories surrounding childhood vaccinations. 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 World Health Organisation listed vaccine hesitancy, meaning the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines, as one of the top global threats in its annual report released in January. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported figures of unvaccinated children in the US having quadrupled from 2001 to 2015. In defending his opposition to mandatory vaccination which effectively eliminated measles from the US by 200 after a vaccine was discovered in 1963 Mr Zedler added, This is not the Soviet Union, you know. Recommended Measles returned to Costa Rica by unvaccinated French tourist family His comments echoed similar controversial statements made by Darla Shine, the wife of White House communications director Bill Shine, who tweeted the false claim that illnesses like measles, mumps and chickenpox keep you healthy & fight cancer. I had the #Measles #Mumps #ChickenPox as a child and so did every kid I knew Sadly my kids had #MMR so they will never have the life long natural immunity I have. Come breathe on me! Ms Shine wrote, adding, Bring back our #ChildhoodDiseases. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Despite growing support for anti-vaxxing movements and claims made by influential voices and politicians, there is no evidence to suggest vaccinations are highly dangerous for children or that viruses like measles keep people healthy. There is also no evidence to suggest illnesses like measles or mumps prevent cancer. Children did die as a result of measles infections, Len Lichtenfeld of the American Cancer Society told the Washington Post earlier this month. I think over time, it becomes part of our past, and it tends to become less relevant and less important as we move along in time, and we forget how serious a problem it was for those who grew up in that generation. The US government has received more than 4,500 complaints in four years about the sexual abuse of immigrant children who were being held at government-funded detention facilities, the Justice Department revealed this week. The number of complaints increased while the Trump administrations policy of separating migrant families at the border was in place, the data reveals. The records, which involve children who had entered the country alone or had been separated from their parents, detailed allegations that adult staff members had harassed and assaulted children. These allegations involved fondling and kissing minors, watching them as they showered, and raping them. They also included cases of suspected abuse of children by other minors. From October 2014 to July 2018, the Office of Refugee Resettlement, a part of the Health and Human Services Department that cares for unaccompanied minors, received 4,556 allegations of sexual abuse or sexual harassment, 1,303 of which were referred to the Justice Department. Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Show all 14 1 /14 Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Immigrant children, many of whom are separated form their parents, are housed in Texas' tent city Reuters Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border A two-year-old Honduran asylum seeker cries as her mother is searched and detained near the US-Mexico border Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Undocumented migrants ride on the top of a freight train referred to as the beast, or La Bestia Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border A cage inside a US Customs and Border Protection detention facility in Texas Reuters Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US Border Patrol Academy All new agents must complete a months-long training course at the New Mexico facility before assuming their posts at Border Patrol stations, mostly along the US-Mexico border Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US-Mexico border fence A group of young men walk along the Mexican side of the US-Mexico border fence in a remote area of the Sonoran Desert Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US-Mexico border fence in the US Man looks through US-Mexico border fence into the US in Tijuana, Mexico Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US-Mexico border fence US Border Patrol agent Sal De Leon stands near a section of the US-Mexico border fence while stopping on patrol on in La Joya, Texas Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US Border Patrol Academy US Border Patrol instructor yells at trainees after their initial arrival to the academy Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Memorial service in Guatemala Families attend a memorial service for two boys who were kidnapped and killed in San Juan Sacatepequez, Guatemala. Crime drives emigration from Guatemala to the United States, as families seek refuge from the danger Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Arrests on the border Undocumented immigrants comfort each other after being caught by Border Patrol agents near the US-Mexico border Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Detention holding facility A boy from Honduras watches a movie at a detention facility run by the US Border Patrol Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Mexican farm workers Mexican migrant workers harvest organic parsley at Grant Family Farms in Wellington, Colorado Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Mexican family in Arizona A Mexican immigrant family sits in the living room of their rented home in Tuscon, Arizona. The family that Arizona's new tough immigrant law had created a climate of fear in the immigrant community. Getty Of those 1,303 cases deemed the most serious, 178 were accusations that adult staff members had sexually assaulted immigrant children, while the rest were allegations of minors assaulting other minors, the report said. The safety of minors is our top concern when administering the UAC program, Jonathan H Hayes, acting director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, said in a statement, using an abbreviation for unaccompanied children. None of the allegations involved ORR federal staff. These allegations were all fully investigated, and remedial action was taken where appropriate. The records do not detail the outcome of every complaint, but they indicate that some accusations were determined to be unfounded or lacking enough evidence to prosecute. In one case, a staff member at a Chicago detention facility was accused in April 2015 of fondling and kissing a child and was later charged with a crime. The report did not state whether that person had been found guilty. Recommended Trump administration planned to deny children legal asylum rights The documents, first reported by Axios, were made public by Representative Ted Deutch, the night before a House Judiciary Committee hearing about the Trump administrations policy of family separations at the southern border. That policy, which was put in place last spring, resulted in more than 2,700 children being separated from their parents under Donald Trumps zero tolerance policy of prosecuting anyone caught crossing the border illegally. This included families seeking asylum on humanitarian grounds. For most of the four years covered by the report, the number of allegations made to the Office of Refugee Resettlement stayed about the same from month to month. But the number of complaints rose after the Trump administration enacted its separation policy. From March 2018 to July 2018, the agency received 859 complaints, the largest number of reports during any five-month span in the previous four years. Of those, 342 allegations were referred to the Justice Department, the report showed. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events During the hearing earlier this week, a discussion of the records sparked a heated exchange between Mr Deutch and Commander Jonathan White of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Last year, Mr White repeatedly warned a top official in Health and Human Services that the family separation policy could permanently traumatise young children. As Mr Deutch read some of the report, Mr White interjected, That is false! He later apologised, claiming that a vast majority of allegations proved to be unfounded. He said he was unaware of any accusations against staff members that were found to have merit. The New York Times Almost 2,000 human bones from ancient Native American burial sites have been discovered among tens of thousands of rare cultural artefacts by FBI art crime detectives at an Indiana home. An FBI investigation determined that Don Miller, who died in 2015 aged 90, collected the objects in violation of several treaties and federal state statutes. To the best of our knowledge right now, those 2,000 bones represent about 500 human beings, Tim Carpenter, who heads the FBI's art theft unit, told CBS News. Mr Miller who died in 2015, aged 90, collected artefacts from around the world including pre-Columbian pottery, Ming Dynasty jade, an Egyptian sarcophagus and a dugout canoe that had travelled down the Amazon River. Talking on Tuesday to CBS This Morning, Mr Carpenter said that, before his death, Mr Miller admitted that he had come by many of the items illegally. He said that he had gone on unsanctioned archaeological digs all over the country and the world. 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 He also came to agree that the artefacts should be returned to their proper homes. But since he did not live long enough to see the investigation run its course, many aspects of his life and the artefacts he left behind are a mystery. The crime of digging up long-dormant graves has been an ongoing source of frustration for Native-American communities. Towards the end of the 19th century, amateur and professional archaeologists alike began running roughshod over tribal burial grounds, excavating the skeletons of indigenous people who had died hundreds of years before. Some bone fragments were displayed in museums while others were closely analysed by anthropologists looking to test since-debunked theories of race science, such as the belief that intelligence was directly correlated with skull size. It took nearly 100 years before the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act was signed into law in 1990, making it illegal to buy or sell Native American remains. Recommended How American colonisation killed so many it caused climate change All too often here we have been treated as curiosities rather than a people, Pete Coffey, a tribal official with North Dakota's Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, told CBS. They could very well be my own great-great-great-great grandfather, or grandmother... I characterise it as being ripped out of the earth. Mr Coffey is one of the tribal leaders now working with the FBI to return the misappropriated remains to their original resting places, CBS reported. Experts say they believe most of the bones that were found in Mr Miller's home were removed from burial sites in North Dakota, and that many belonged to the Arikara tribe. It's unclear whether Mr Miller had shown off the remains to people who visited his home, or whether he had dug them up himself or purchased them from someone else who did. Until Tuesday, the FBI had remained circumspect about the 2014 raid, which did not result in Miller's arrest or any charges being brought against him. At the time, officials said that they had received tips about his cache of artefacts and were investigating to see whether any of the items were illegal for private citizens to possess. In addition to Native American artefacts, Miller had reportedly collected priceless relics from countries including China, Russia, Peru, Haiti and Australia, and stored them in outbuildings scattered around his home. Robert A Jones, the FBI special agent in charge of the case, told reporters at the time that Mr Miller's methods for procuring some of those objects had violated multiple laws and treaties, but also undercut that claim by acknowledging that the relevant statutes might not have been in place yet. Mr Miller had started his collection eight decades before, when he first found arrowheads on his family's farm as a child. Advocates for criminal justice reform and libertarian groups such as the Cato Institute were quick to criticise what they saw as an overly aggressive approach from the FBI, arguing that the government had offered no evidence that Mr Miller had done anything illegal. Nearly five years later, the investigation is ongoing, and experts anticipate it could take decades to sort through the thousands of objects that the FBI seized, since determining their legality means first figuring out where and when each was purchased. Recommended Evidence of first ever humans to colonise North America found Some artefacts have already been repatriated. Bogota's City Paper reported last October that 40 pieces of pre-Columbian pottery, some dating to 1,500 BC, had been ceremonially returned by the US State Department after the FBI determined that Miller had smuggled them out of the country. Other artefacts have been sent back to countries such as Canada, Ecuador, New Zealand and Spain, the FBI's Indianapolis bureau said in a tweet on Tuesday. An additional 361 items from Mr Miller's collection will be returned to China this week. Speaking to the Star in 1998, Mr Miller said that he had been stationed in New Mexico during the Second World War and assigned to the top-secret Manhattan Project, where he claimed to have witnessed the detonation of the first atomic bomb. When the war ended, he went on to spend 30 years working as an electrical engineer for the Naval Avionics Centre in Indianapolis, while simultaneously making trips to build churches in Haiti and Colombia. After retiring at 60, he said he and wife Sue, a former high school teacher, regularly travelled to impoverished countries to do missionary work. 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 All the while, he filled up their home with historical curios, including a Second World War-era Nazi helmet and a shrunken head whose provenance he did not fully explain. A former co-worker told the Star in 2014 that Miller had used his ample vacation time at Naval Avionics to conduct amateur archaeological expeditions across the world. They said that he often came back with wild tales about his misadventures, from winding up in a Mexican jail to being interrogated by Libyan soldiers who thought he had been sent by the CIA. While those stories proved impossible to confirm, Mohr, his friend from church, recalled that Mr Miller had tried to leave Haiti with a few cannonballs, and ended up getting stopped at the airport at the end of their mission trip. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events In the months before his death, Mr Miller had retreated from public life, residents told the Star. When a news crew from CBS showed up at the sprawling two-story house before Tuesday's broadcast, his wife said that she was unable to comment on the FBI's discoveries. A Chinese terra-cotta warrior statue was still standing outside the door. Washington Post The US Senate has voted to confirm former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler as the next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in a vote largely along party lines. Mr Wheeler has been serving as the acting administrator for the EPA since his predecessor, Scott Pruitt, resigned in July amid multiple ethics enquiries. The incoming administrator has been praised by Republicans for his deregulation agenda, while Democrats have protested the installation of a former energy lobbyist who has refused to take action on climate change as the head of America's main environmental protector. The Senate confirmed Mr Wheeler's nomination with a vote of 52-47, illustrating the sharp partisan differences in Congress, especially in terms of Donald Trump's environmental policy agenda since becoming president. Senator Susan Collins, the only Republican to vote against Mr Wheeler, said that she voted against Mr Trump's nominee out of concern for the nation's health and climate. The policies he has supported as acting administrator are not in the best interest of our environment and public health, particularly given the threat of climate change to our nation, she said. Lisa Murray's climate change photography Show all 12 1 /12 Lisa Murray's climate change photography Lisa Murray's climate change photography Dinka cattle herders starting their migration in South Sudan Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography A Dinka woman fetches water in South Sudan Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Veronica in South Sudan preparing tea outside her home, recently ravaged by heavy flooding Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Children playing in Vietnam. When it floods, transport to and from school is a major challenge Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Sugeng, a fish and crab farmer from Indonesia who suffers financially every time the area floods Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Tan, a vegetable farmer, learning new methods through Oxfam in Vietnam Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Maluk, a 19-year-old from Tonj South, South Sudan Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Normally this farmer in South Sudan would be harvesting sorghum, but rains are late so the hunger season continues Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Herders bringing home their cattle in Afar, Ethiopia Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Farmers harvesting chilli in Ethiopia Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography A woman in Tigray, Ethiopia, scares birds away from her crops with a slingshot Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Irula tribe woman in Tamil Nadu Lisa Murray Mr Wheeler whose career started at the EPA in the 1990s before he went on to work as a staffer for a Republican senator and then as an energy industry lobbyist has largely stayed the course set by his predecessor to cut back on energy regulations implemented during the Obama administration. That has included a stated intention to eliminate environmental protections that were intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which drive climate change and threaten the planet. During his congressional hearing ahead of his confirmation, Mr Wheeler said that climate change is not one of the greatest threats to the world, in his opinion. I would not call it the greatest crisis, Mr Wheeler said when asked if climate change is a major concern. However, he added that was an "issue that has to be addressed globally. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events When pressed by Senators Ed Markey and Bernie Sanders, Mr Wheeler said that he thought the issue was important, but that other concerns had higher priority. You are putting up a smokescreen to ensure there is an advancement of Donald Trumps dirty policies, Mr Markey said. Thats why it is relevant that you are a former coal industry lobbyist. Mr Wheelers career actually started at the EPA, where he served from 1991 until 1995 during the administrations of George HW Bush and Bill Clinton. He then spent more than a decade working for Republican Senator Jim Inhofe mostly as a chief council and staff director for the senator on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Mr Inhofe is a well-known climate change denier, and has advocated for reduced environmental regulations. Mr Wheeler then left public service to become a lobbyist for the law firm Faegre Baker Daniels, according to Senate lobbying disclosure records. During that time, he represented Murray Energy, a coal company that paid Mr Wheelers firm between $166,000 and $599,000 each year from 2009 until 2017, according to a data analysis from the Centre for Responsive Politics (CRP). Notably, Murray Energy was a top revenue source for Mr Wheelers firm, and donated handsomely to Donald Trumps inauguration fund. Just after Mr Trump's election, the chief executive of Murray Energy which paid Mr Wheeler to lobby against climate change mitigation policies and regulations on greenhouse gas emissions gave that fund $300,000, according to CRP. That executive, Robert Murray, also reportedly gave the president a wish list of coal industry regulations he would like to see repealed. Republican representative Mark Meadows defended himself from allegations of racism this week, one day after his testy argument over race erupted during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing for former Trump campaign fixer Michael Cohen. The day after Mr Meadows was accused of committing a racist act during Cohens testimony, an unearthed video from 2012 features the North Carolina Republican saying he wanted then-President Barack Obama to go back home to Kenya. Anyone who knows me knows that there is not a racial bone in my body, Mr Meadows told CNN, in defence of the documented racist remarks.It was early on in a primary and certainly didnt indicate any personal malice that I would have toward any president. In the resurfaced video, Mr Meadows is seen speaking to a crowd while campaigning for his congressional seat. He told his supporters he wanted to take back our country. What were going to do is take back our country; 2012 is the time that were going to send Mr. Obama home to Kenya or wherever it is, Mr Meadows said in the video. Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Show all 7 1 /7 Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump made me threaten his high school Cohen disclosed letters that Trump directed him to send to the President's former schools, threatening them never to release his grades and SAT scores EPA Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump reimbursed me for the hush money Cohen disclosed a cheque from the President that paid him back for the money he paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels to ensure her silence about her affair with Trump during his presidential campaign Getty Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump directed the Trump Moscow negotiations Referring to the controversial business dealings with Russia that were ongoing during Trump's presidential campaign, Cohen stated "Mr Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations" Reuters Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump is a racist Cohen noted a number of racist remarks that Trump had made, including saying while driving through a poor neighbourhood of Chicago that "only black people could live that way" Reuters Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump knew about the Wikileaks hacks Cohen says Mr Trump knew Roger Stone was talking to Julian Assange about Wikileaks drops of emails from the Hillary Clinton campaign. AFP/Getty Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Nothing went on that Trump wasn't aware of Cohen stated that "nothing went on in Trump world" of the campaign without the President being aware of it AFP/Getty Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump did not provide evidence for why he avoided the Vietnam draft Having long said that he was not drafted to Vietnam due to a medical issue, Cohen claimed that Trump could not provide evidence of this. Mr Trump claimed it was because of a bone spur, but when I asked for medical records, he gave me none and said there was no surgery," Cohen told the hearing, he also stated that he told me not to answer the specific questions by reporters but rather offer simply the fact that he received a medical deferment" Sky President Donald Trump was one of the most vocal and prominent proponents of the birther movement, which falsely accused Mr Obama, a natural born citizen from Hawaii, is not an an American citizen. The video was widely-circulated on social media after Mr Meadows heated exchange with Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib during Cohens bombshell congressional testimony. In the hearing, Mr Meadows argued the president is not a racist since he has an African-American woman, Lynne Patton, a high-ranking official in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, supporting and working in his administration. Ms Tlaib said the GOP lawmakers use of Ms Patton, a woman of colour, as proof or propthat the president is not racist is alone racist in itself. Recommended The explosive racism allegations Michael Cohen is making against Trump Just because someone has a person of colour, a black person working for them does not mean that they arent racist, Ms Tlaib said at the hearing. And it is insensitive [...] the fact that someone would actually use a prop, a black woman in this chamber, in this committee, is alone racist in itself. The Michigan Democrats comments struck a nerve with Mr Meadows, who had asked her statement be stricken from the record. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events To indicate that I asked someone who is a personal friend of the Trump family, who has worked for him, who has worked for this particulate individual thats shes coming in to be a prop, its racist to suggest that I asked her to come in for that reason, Mr Meadows said. It should be noted that having friends or family members who identify as a person of colour does not prevent anyone from being racist or committing racist acts. Michael Cohen, the man who infamously said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump, has raised the spectre of political chaos and even violence if the man he once served failed to win re-election in 2020, telling Congress he feared there would never be a peaceful transition of power. In testimony on Capitol Hill that was part payback, part self-defence, and part attempted atonement, the former lawyer laid bare the danger of becoming intoxicated by the lure of powerful people. I did things and I acted improperly, at times at Mr Trumps behest. I blindly followed his demands. My loyalty to Mr Trump has cost me everything: my familys happiness, friendships, my law licence, my company, my livelihood, my honour, my reputation and soon my freedom, said the 52-year-old. And I will not sit back, say nothing, and allow him to do the same to the country. Cohen, who for a dozen years worked as Mr Trumps legal fixer and enforcer, is the latest in a number of former associates of the president who have publicly rued the day they worked for him. Yet his testimony before the House of Representatives oversight committee carried particular weight because for those 12 years he was up close and personal to whatever action the president was involved in. Over the course of around six hours of testimony, he made several revelations or claims that the president, his eldest son and the CFO of Trump Organisation, Allen Weisselberg, were involved in a criminal conspiracy still under investigation; that Mr Trump spoke to Roger Stone about an imminent dump of hacked documents by WikiLeaks; and that Mr Trump probably knew in advance about a June 2016 meeting Donald Trump Jr was having in Trump Tower with a Kremlin-linked lawyer. Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Show all 20 1 /20 Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Donald Trump's Cabinet Donald Trump's Cabinet is one the richest in American history, filled with billionaires, conservatives and several career politicians. AFP/Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Mike Pence US Vice President Mike Pence has defended Donald Trump throughout his presidency while walking a fine line to avoid any public involvement in major scandals. AFP/Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Mike Pompeo Secretary of State Mike Pompeo replaced Donald Trump's previous appointment to the post, Rex Tillerson, and has led talks with North Korea in establishing high-profile summits between the president and Kim Jong Un. Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Wilbur Ross Secretary of Commerce Wibur Ross raised controversy when he was accused of falsely claiming to have sold stock in a bank and violated a government ethics agreement. AFP/Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Robert Lighthizer US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has been a fixture in Donald Trump's ongoing trade spat with China. AFP/Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet William Barr Attorney General William Barr replaced Jeff Sessions as the nation's top cop in early 2019 and has refused to commit to recusing himself from the Russia probe despite an unsolicited memo he sent to the Justice Department decrying the investigation. EPA Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Rick Perry Energy Secretary Rick Perry has held his post throughout Donald Trump's presidency despite previously undermining the need for the agency he now leads in past public statements. Ken Shipp / United States Department of Energy Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Betsy DeVos Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has also held her post throughout the presidency, despite major backlash to her apparent undermining of the nationwide public school system and advocacy for charter programmes. Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Steven Mnuchin Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has faced numerous controversies throughout his tenure as the head of Treasury, including costing taxpayers at least a million dollars in travel expenses. AP Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Robert Wilkie Veterans Affairs secretary Robert Wilkie was appointed after Donald Trump's White House doctor Ronny Jackson withdrew over allegations he provided prescription drugs to patients without prescriptions. AFP/Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet David Bernhardt Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt took office in January 2019 after the resignation of Ryan Zinke after previously serving as Zinke's deputy. Before taking office Bernhardt worked for many years as a solicitor for the Department of the Interior. Tami Heilemann / United States Department of the Interior Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Elaine Chao Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has held her post throughout the presidency and has mostly avoided controversy, despite a report claiming her office has been in frequent coordination with her husband's, Mitch McConnell. AFP/Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Kevin McAleenan Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan took over from Kirstjen Nielsen after she resigned in April 2019. He previously worked as the executive director of the executive director of the Office of Anti Terrorism in the Customs and Border Protection agency United States Customs and Border Protection Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Ben Carson Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson was appointed shortly after Donald Trump took office and raised controversy over an exorbitant furnishing bill for his office. Reuters Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Gina Haspel CIA Director Gina Haspel was appointed in 2018 and faced backlash surrounding her oversight of Guantanamo Bay. Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Dan Coats Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats could be the next person to leave Donald Trump's administration over his refuting the president's claims surrounding ISIS. Reuters Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Sonny Perdue Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has been dogged by ethics questions throughout his tenure and faced controversy when emails showed the agency appeared willing to eagerly work with lobbyists under his leadership. Reuters Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Alex Azar Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar is a former pharmaceutical lobbyist and former drug company executive. Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Mick Mulvaney Acting Chief of Staff and Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney has described himself as one of the most conservative officials in the White House. EPA Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Robert Wilkie Secretary of State for Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie has spent his career on Capitol Hill serving in various roles in foreign affairs and defence. He holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force Reserve. Gene Russell / United States Department of Veterans Affairs I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr Trumps illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience, he said . I am ashamed because I know what Mr Trump is. He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat. While some of Cohens remarks his comments blunt and his accent a thick Long Island burr made have sounded damning, it remains unclear whether any of what he presented on Wednesday contained either a smoking gun or an accusation so damaging it could at this point harm the president. He said he had no evidence Mr Trump colluded with the Russian government during the 2016 election, only suspicions. I wouldnt use the word colluding. Was there something odd about the back-and-forth praise with President Putin? Yes, but Im not really sure I can answer the question about collusion, he said. Also, somewhat cushioning any sting, was the fact that much of what Cohen said about Mr Trump was not new. Indeed, for some observers, the most worrying aspect of testimony of Cohen was his claim Mr Trumps supporters would not go quietly if he was defeated in his re-election effort. Given my experience working for Mr Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, there will never be a peaceful transition of power, Cohen said during his closing remarks. He said it was that concern that led him to appear before the members of congress. Democratic congressman Elijah Cummings, chair of the committee, told reporters he believed, based on what he had heard, it appeared Mr Trump had committed a crime. I believe he told the truth, Mr Cummings said of Cohen at the end of the hearing. Asked if he believed the president had committed a crime while in office, he replied: Based on what looking at the text and listening to Mr Cohen, it appears that he did. Michael Cohen says he cannot discuss that last contact he had with Trump, as it is being investigated by the Southern District of New York Cohen is scheduled to go to jail in May to serve a three-year sentence after he last year pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion, bank fraud, and campaign finance violations in relation to hush money payments made to two women, Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, on the eve of the election. He also pleaded guilty to a separate charge brought by Robert Muellers office that he lied to Congress about discussions over the construction of a proposed Trump Organisation skyscraper in Moscow. As such, Mr Trump, the White House and Republicans on the committee sought to project him as desperate man with a record of lying who had done a deal with prosecutors. Republican congressman Paul Gosar put up a sign that read Liar, Liar Pants on Fire and called Cohen a pathological liar, according to the Associated Press. Cohen hit back, accusing the Republicans of protecting the president as he had once done. I am not protecting Mr Trump anymore. Mr Trump, who is in Vietnam for peace talks with North Koreas Kim Jong-un, got in his defence before his former lawyer had even spoken. Michael Cohen was one of many lawyers who represented me (unfortunately). He had other clients also, he tweeted from Hanoi. He was just disbarred by the state supreme court for lying & fraud. He did bad things unrelated to Trump. He is lying in order to reduce his prison time. Donald Trump and several of his family members could soon find themselves testifying before Congress about the presidents alleged lies and criminal conduct, if the Democratic-controlled House Oversight Committee gets its way. Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the committee tasked with investigating Mr Trumps financial dealings, ties to Russia and a slate of other scandals plaguing the White House since his 2016 election, warned the first family and others close to the president they can expect to hear from Congress about details revealed in Michael Cohens explosive public testimony on Wednesday. The chairmans comments to reporters on Thursday arrived after Cohen told the House Oversight committee a day prior that Mr Trump had committed crimes throughout his entire career as a real estate developer in New York and even after he assumed the Oval Office. Mr Trumps former attorney supplied lawmakers with a check the president signed to reimburse him for hush money payments sent along the campaign trail to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had an affair with Mr Trump. He also detailed specific accusations of criminal conduct by Mr Trump and his associates, claiming the Trump Organisation kept documents that would reveal he had inflated the values of his real estate holdings and other assets, while naming the presidents son and other key figures who may have helped him commit those crimes. Speaking to reporters in Washington on Thursday, Mr Cummings reportedly said if Michael Cohen mentioned their names in the hearing yesterday, chances are they will be called in to testify, too. Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Show all 7 1 /7 Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump made me threaten his high school Cohen disclosed letters that Trump directed him to send to the President's former schools, threatening them never to release his grades and SAT scores EPA Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump reimbursed me for the hush money Cohen disclosed a cheque from the President that paid him back for the money he paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels to ensure her silence about her affair with Trump during his presidential campaign Getty Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump directed the Trump Moscow negotiations Referring to the controversial business dealings with Russia that were ongoing during Trump's presidential campaign, Cohen stated "Mr Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations" Reuters Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump is a racist Cohen noted a number of racist remarks that Trump had made, including saying while driving through a poor neighbourhood of Chicago that "only black people could live that way" Reuters Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump knew about the Wikileaks hacks Cohen says Mr Trump knew Roger Stone was talking to Julian Assange about Wikileaks drops of emails from the Hillary Clinton campaign. AFP/Getty Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Nothing went on that Trump wasn't aware of Cohen stated that "nothing went on in Trump world" of the campaign without the President being aware of it AFP/Getty Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump did not provide evidence for why he avoided the Vietnam draft Having long said that he was not drafted to Vietnam due to a medical issue, Cohen claimed that Trump could not provide evidence of this. Mr Trump claimed it was because of a bone spur, but when I asked for medical records, he gave me none and said there was no surgery," Cohen told the hearing, he also stated that he told me not to answer the specific questions by reporters but rather offer simply the fact that he received a medical deferment" Sky Washington Posts Rachel Bade, who tweeted the statement from Mr Cummings on Thursday, added: Heads up [Donald Trump Jr], Allen Weisselberg, maybe Ivanka & Jared. Cohen claimed he gave approximately 10 briefings on a potential Trump-branded property in Moscow to Mr Trump Jr, Ivanka Trump or both, despite the first son previously telling the Senate Intelligence Committee he was only peripherally aware of the project. The presidents children and close associates were named on a multitude of occasions by Cohen as he outlined wrongdoings spanning the course of decades. However, perhaps one of the most alarming revelations surrounding Russian interference in the 2016 election arrived when he described an unusual encounter between the president and his eldest son. Cohen told lawmakers on Wednesday he was sitting in a meeting with the president the summer before his election when Mr Trump Jr came into the room and walked behind his fathers desk. I recalled Don Jr leaning over to his father and speaking in a low voice, which I could clearly hear, and saying: The meeting is all set. I remember Mr Trump saying, Ok good let me know, Cohen said. What struck me as I looked back and thought about that exchange between Don Jr. and his father was, first, that Mr Trump had frequently told me and others that his son Don Jr had the worst judgment of anyone in the world. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events And also, he added, that Don Jr. would never set up any meeting of any significance alone and certainly not without checking with his father. The presidents son rebuked Cohens claims on Twitter, writing: Only Democrats could hate someone so much that they would try to disrupt nuclear peace talks with testimony from a convicted felon. Donald Trump has used a press conference at his North Korea summit in Vietnam to accuse Michael Cohen of lying almost 95 per cent in his testimony to congress. The Hanoi summit intended to address North Koreas nuclear ambitions was cut short on Thursday afternoon after the Trump administration and Kim Jong-un failed to reach an agreement. In a hastily convened news conference by the White House, the US president was asked what he thought of Cohens evidence to the House oversight committee on Wednesday, in which he branded his former boss a racist, conman, and cheat. I tried to watch as much as I could, I wasnt able to watch too much because Ive been a little bit busy, Mr Trump said. But I think having a fake hearing like that and having it in the middle of this very important summit is a terrible thing. They could have made it two days later or next week and it would have been even better, they would have had more time. But having during this very important summit is incredible. Mr Trump next wrongly claimed Cohen had told lawmakers there had been no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Mr Cohen in fact said he had no direct evidence bu that, I have my suspicions. Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Show all 7 1 /7 Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump made me threaten his high school Cohen disclosed letters that Trump directed him to send to the President's former schools, threatening them never to release his grades and SAT scores EPA Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump reimbursed me for the hush money Cohen disclosed a cheque from the President that paid him back for the money he paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels to ensure her silence about her affair with Trump during his presidential campaign Getty Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump directed the Trump Moscow negotiations Referring to the controversial business dealings with Russia that were ongoing during Trump's presidential campaign, Cohen stated "Mr Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations" Reuters Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump is a racist Cohen noted a number of racist remarks that Trump had made, including saying while driving through a poor neighbourhood of Chicago that "only black people could live that way" Reuters Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump knew about the Wikileaks hacks Cohen says Mr Trump knew Roger Stone was talking to Julian Assange about Wikileaks drops of emails from the Hillary Clinton campaign. AFP/Getty Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Nothing went on that Trump wasn't aware of Cohen stated that "nothing went on in Trump world" of the campaign without the President being aware of it AFP/Getty Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump did not provide evidence for why he avoided the Vietnam draft Having long said that he was not drafted to Vietnam due to a medical issue, Cohen claimed that Trump could not provide evidence of this. Mr Trump claimed it was because of a bone spur, but when I asked for medical records, he gave me none and said there was no surgery," Cohen told the hearing, he also stated that he told me not to answer the specific questions by reporters but rather offer simply the fact that he received a medical deferment" Sky Mr Trump said: He lied a lot, but it was very interesting, because he didnt lie about one thing. He said No collusion with the Russian hoax, and I said, I wonder why he didnt lie about that too like he did about everything else. He lied about so many things. I was actually impressed that he didnt say, Well I think there was collusion for this reason or that. He didnt say that. He said, No collusion, and I was a little impressed by that frankly, he could have gone all out. He went about 95 per cent instead of 100 per cent. But the fact is is there is no collusion and I call it the witch hunt. This should never happen to another president, this is so bad for our country, so bad, and you look at this whole hoax, I call it the Russian witch hunt, I now add the word hoax. He concluded: The most important question up there was the one on collusion and he said he saw no collusion. So well see what happens, but it was pretty shameful I think. Cohens explosive public testimony on Wednesday, in which he presented evidence Mr Trump was aware of illegal hush money payments and that he personally reimbursed his former fixer, will be followed on Thursday by a behind closed doors grilling by a congressional panel investigating Russias interference in the 2016 election. Michael Cohen: 'I fear that if Trump loses the election in 2020 there will never be a peaceful transition of power' In his third and final Capitol Hill session this week, Cohen will testify to the House Intelligence Committee, which has been probing Russian election meddling and any collusion with the Trump campaign. An Alabama man was set to be executed this year - despite suffering from dementia and claiming he no longer remember the crimes he committed. But, on Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled that the state of Alabama cannot execute Vernon Madison if his dementia prevents him from rationally understanding why he is being put to death. Madison, who has been on death row for killing a police officer in 1985, and his attorneys argued that his death sentence is in violation of the Eighth amendments ban on cruel and unusual punishment since he has vascular dementia and no longer remembers committing the murder he was convicted guilty for decades ago. Chief Justice John Roberts sided with liberal justices in a 5-3 decision ruling in favour of Madison, citing the US Constitution limits the execution of people with mental illnesses. Adding that the Eighth Amendment bans executing any mentally ill person unable to understand the societal judgment underlying his sentence, regardless of the cause or mental disorder. Activists protest the death penalty in Texas Show all 6 1 /6 Activists protest the death penalty in Texas Activists protest the death penalty in Texas Family and friends of Jeff Wood and anti-death penalty activists march from the Texas State Capitol to the Office of Governor Greg Abbott to deliver a petition with over 10,000 signatures asking the governor and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to commute Wood's sentence on August 18, 2016 in Austin, Texas. Jeff Wood is scheduled to be executed by the state of Texas on August 24, 2016 under what is referred to as the "law of parties" for a criminal act he committed on January 2, 1996. The Texas law says that if a person, " acting with intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, he solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit the offense;" then they are criminally responsible for the conduct of another, as well. Tamir Kalifa/AFP/Getty Images Activists protest the death penalty in Texas Carla Harvey adds her name to a petition with over 10,000 signatures asking Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to commute Jeff Wood's sentence, during a demonstration outside of the Texas State Capitol on August 18, 2016 in Austin, Texas. Family and friends of Jeff Wood and anti-death penalty activists delivered the petition to the Office of the Governor after the demonstration. Jeff Wood is scheduled to be executed by the state of Texas on August 24, 2016 under what is referred to as the "law of parties" for a criminal act he committed on January 2, 1996. The Texas law says that if a person, " acting with intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, he solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit the offense;" then they are criminally responsible for the conduct of another, as well. Tamir Kalifa/AFP/Getty Images Activists protest the death penalty in Texas A massive explosion guts Mexico's biggest fireworks market in Mexico City, on December 20, 2016. The explosion killed at least 31 people and injured 72, authorities said. The conflagration in the Mexico City suburb of Tultepec set off a quick-fire series of multicolored blasts that sent a vast cloud of smoke billowing over the capital. Tamir Kalifa/AFP/Getty Images Activists protest the death penalty in Texas Darius Broussard adds his name to a petition with over 10,000 signatures asking Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to commute Jeff Wood's sentence, during a demonstration outside of the Texas State Capitol on August 18, 2016 in Austin, Texas. Family and friends of Jeff Wood and anti-death penalty activists delivered the petition to the Office of the Governor after the demonstration. Jeff Wood is scheduled to be executed by the state of Texas on August 24, 2016 under what is referred to as the "law of parties" for a criminal act he committed on January 2, 1996. The Texas law says that if a person, " acting with intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, he solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit the offense;" then they are criminally responsible for the conduct of another, as well. Tamir Kalifa/AFP/Getty Images Activists protest the death penalty in Texas Family and friends of Jeff Wood and anti-death penalty activists march from the Texas State Capitol to the Office of Governor Greg Abbott to deliver a petition with over 10,000 signatures asking the governor and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to commute Wood's sentence on August 18, 2016 in Austin, Texas. Jeff Wood is scheduled to be executed by the state of Texas on August 24, 2016 under what is referred to as the "law of parties" for a criminal act he committed on January 2, 1996. The Texas law says that if a person, " acting with intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, he solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit the offense;" then they are criminally responsible for the conduct of another, as well. Tamir Kalifa/AFP/Getty Images Activists protest the death penalty in Texas Mark Clements (L), who was imprisoned for 28 years before being released and exonerated, encourages passersby to sign a petition with over 10,000 signatures asking Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to commute Jeff Wood's sentence, during a demonstration outside of the Texas State Capitol on August 18, 2016 in Austin, Texas. Clements joined family and friends of Jeff Wood and anti-death penalty activists to deliver the petition to the Office of the Governor after the demonstration. Jeff Wood is scheduled to be executed by the state of Texas on August 24, 2016 under what is referred to as the "law of parties" for a criminal act he committed on January 2, 1996. The Texas law says that if a person, " acting with intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, he solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit the offense;" then they are criminally responsible for the conduct of another, as well. Tamir Kalifa/AFP/Getty Images In court, Madisons attorney argued that the Alabama court only considered whether their clients delusionand not their dementia conditionwarranted a halt on his execution. Justice Elena Kagan, who announced the courts ruling from her bench, said the Eighth Amendment does not care for the specifics or diagnosis of the mentally ill inmate when halting their execution. The Eighth Amendment doesnt care about the particular diagnosis schizophrenia, dementia, or something else entirely, Ms Kagan said. If a person suffering from any mental disorder dementia included is unable to rationally understand why the state wants to execute him, then the Eighth Amendment doesnt allow the execution. Recommended Trump phoned Pittsburgh mayor to advocate death penalty The high court also ordered the Alabama court to reconsider Madisons case, citing that it is uncertain if the state court recognised his dementia renders him unable to rationally understand the reasoning for his punishment. The state court, we have little doubt, can evaluate such matters better than we, Ms Kagan wrote in the majority opinion. It must do so as the first step in assessing Madisons competencyand ensuring that if he is to be executed, he understands why. Those opposed are Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events In a vitriolic dissent, Mr Alito said the court the Supreme Court took on the case to determine the specific question of whether the Eighth Amendment prevents the execution of an a murder who can no longer remember the murder he committed. He also said Madisons attorneys deceived the court by shifting their argument that the state court rejected their claim that their clients dementia made his execution unconstitutional. Counsels tactics flagrantly flouted our rules, Alito said. Fixated on the protocols and procedures of the courts system of review, Mr Alito said the Supreme Court would become chaotic if the justices allowed attorneys to switch the question of their review to an entirely different one after it agreed to take their case. Justice Brett Kavanaugh did not have a hand in the ruling since the case was heard before his confirmation to the court. At least eight tons of gold were reportedly removed from the Venezuelan central banks vaults by government officials last week, as President Nicolas Maduro seeks to raise capital amid tightening sanctions. The gold was removed in government vehicles between Wednesday and Friday last week, when there were no regular security guards present at the bank, according to a report by Reuters. The news agency said the information came from economist and National Assembly representative Angel Alvarado as well as three government sources. They plan to sell it abroad illegally, Mr Alvarado said in an interview. Mr Alvarado and the government sources, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, did not say where the central bank was sending the gold. But they said the removal happened while Calixto Ortega, the central bank head, was abroad on a trip. Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value Show all 13 1 /13 Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-3.jpg AP Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-1.jpg AP Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-2.jpg AP Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-5.jpg AFP/Getty Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-4.jpg AFP/Getty Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-6.jpg AFP/Getty Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-8.jpg AFP/Getty Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-9.jpg Getty Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-7.jpg Getty Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-10.jpg Getty Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-15.jpg AFP/Getty Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-14.jpg AFP/Getty Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-11.jpg AFP/Getty Mr Maduro is struggling to raise funds, as production of Venezuelas biggest export - oil - has collapsed in recent years, plunging the country into a deep economic crisis. Furthermore the US has implemented tough sanctions on the countrys oil industry to put pressure on Mr Maduro to stand down. The US is backing opposition leader Juan Guaido who has declared himself interim president amid the crisis. Mr Guaido arrived in Brazil on Wednesday night to meet with new right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro as part of a tour of several countries aimed at ratcheting up international pressure on Mr Maduro. According to the Venezuelan central banks data, there are 140 tons of gold remaining - the lowest level in 75 years. Some 20 tons of gold were removed from the vaults in 2018. And on 1 February, Abu Dhabi investment firm Noor Capital announced it had purchased three tons of gold from the Venezuelan central bank days earlier. But the firm said it would not buy any more until the situation in Venezuela stabilised. Noor Capital said its purchase was in accordance with international standards and laws in place as of that date. Mr Maduros government has also been trying to repatriate some 31 tons of gold in the Bank of Englands vaults due to fears it could be caught up in further international sanctions on the country. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said on Wednesday, during a United Nations meeting in Geneva, the Bank of England had blocked the governments assets. Turkey, which supports Mr Maduros government, came under international pressure earlier this month to stop buying Venezuelan gold. Close Indian pilots captured after being shot down by Pakistan forces Pakistan has said it will release the Indian pilot that was captured yesterday as a gesture of peace, prime minister Imran Khan announced. The pilot, who is currently in custody, will be allowed to leave on Friday as efforts to cool the crisis between the two nuclear-armed neighbours continues. Locals were forced to flee from their homes in Kashmir as India and Pakistan exchanged gunfire through the night. Jet fighters were seen over the mountainous region one day after the two nuclear-armed nations had claimed to have shot down each others warplanes. There were no immediate reports of casualties but those living in the disputed region were seen fleeing the area with no imminent ceasefire in sight. Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Show all 28 1 /28 Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Activists of Al-Badr Mujahideen, an islamic militant group, burn an effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an anti-India protest in Peshawar, Pakistan AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures A Pakistani girl holds a light candle during a vigil for peace in Lahore on March 3 AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures School children react as they celebrate the release of Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman by Pakistan at a school in Ahmedabad Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan, stands under armed escort near Pakistan-India border in Wagah Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian Border Security Force soldiers patrol along the border with Pakistan EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures A videograb allegedly shows the captured Indian Air Force pilot in the custody of Pakistani military SWNS Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani civil society activists hold anti-war signs during a peace rally in Islamabad AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani civil society activists hold anti-war signs during a peace rally in Islamabad AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Activists of Al-Badr Mujahideen, an islamic militant group, burn an effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an anti-India protest in Peshawar, Pakistan Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri onlookers stand look on as an Indian army helicopter lands near the site where an Indian Air Force jet was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures An Indian soldier gestures near the wreckage of an Indian Air Force fighter jet that was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Supporters of a Pakistani religious group Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba brand Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a terrorist at a rally to condemn Indian aggression AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures India's Border Security Force soldiers patrol along the fenced border with Pakistan on February 26 Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Protesters in Pakistan march against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Supporters of India's ruling Bhartiya Janta Party workers hold Indian flags as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Protesters in Pakistan march against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures People in India burn an effigy that represents Pakistan as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Bhartiya Janta Party workers hold Indian flags as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Kashmiris in the border town of Chakoti walk past India-bound cargo trucks that are parked as the road to India is closed AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Workers enter a concrete bunker that they have built in a residential area near the border Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani soldiers and journalists gather at the site where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani soldiers and journalists gather at the site where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace AFP/Getty Members of Indian prime minister Narendra Modis Bharitiya Janata Party (BJP) called for more military action, suggesting the conflict could worsen. An Indian government source told The Independent that relations with Pakistan would not return to normal, even with the return of their pilot. World powers have called on the nations to de-escalate the tensions which started after a suicide car bombing on 14 February killed more than 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. But the risk of conflict rose dramatically on Tuesday when India launched an air strike into Pakistani territory on what it said was a militant training base the first such raid since the two nations 1971 war over territory that later became Bangladesh. New Delhi claimed at least 300 militants were killed in the strike, while Pakistan said no one was killed. The situation escalated further yesterday when Pakistan said it had shot down an Indian aircraft and captured a pilot. India acknowledged one of its jets was lost and that its pilot was missing in action. India also said it shot down a Pakistani plane, something Islamabad denied. Here is how we covered the day's events North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has answered what is believed to have been his first question from a Western reporter declaring he was not pessimistic about the chances of the peace talks with the US. Sitting with Donald Trump at Hanois Hotel Metropole for their second day of talks, Mr Kim said he realised that for people watching around the world, the two leaders sitting side by side must resemble a fantasy movie. For his part, Mr Trump sought to again temper any expectations of any substantial or rapid agreement between the two countries. Ive been saying very much from the beginning that speed is not that important to me. Speed is not important to me. What is important is that we do the right deal, he said. If anything, Mr Kim appeared more optimistic. In what was believed to be his first interaction with a Western journalist, the 35-year-old was asked if he was confident about securing a deal with Mr Trump. North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Show all 18 1 /18 North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants wave flowers AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (R) waves with China's Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Li Zhanshu (L) from a balcony AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Airplanes forming the number 70 fly in formation and fire flares AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean performers dance EPA North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean military officers applaud near portraits of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean tanks roll past AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers take part AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers march AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants march during a mass rally on Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary A girl reacts during a parade AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, reacts as he chats with China's third highest ranking official, Li Zhanshu AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary People carry flags in front of statues of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung (L) and late leader Kim Jong Il Reuters North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Performers take part in a concert at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean artillery roll past AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Students perform Reuters North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Soldiers march during a military parade Reuters North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants wave flowers AFP/Getty Speaking through a translator, he replied Its too early to say. I would not say Im pessimistic. While Mr Trump held a press conference at the conclusion of last June summit in Singapore at which he claimed the agreement with Mr Kim modest, with few details and vague on timings was a genuine breakthrough, his counterpart did not. 'Speed is not that important to me' Kim Jong Un listens as Trump says he's in 'no rush' over North Korea denuclearisation deal The fact he was willing to engage with the foreign media, and his positive, relaxed body language, was taken by some as a positive sign of what the two men might secure from the meeting. Mr Trump told reporters that a lot of great ideas were being thrown about. According to CNN, he said: When you have a good relationship, a lot of good things happen. He said while the two sides were going to have fantastic success, he could not speak to what the results of Thursdays summit might be. He said: Im sure over the years well be together a lot. Pakistan has said it will release an Indian fighter pilot whose jet came down over the disputed region of Kashmir during a dogfight between the two countries, in what prime minister Imran Khan referred to as a peace gesture. International observers have urged the two nuclear powers to show restraint after they exchanged airstrikes and shot down one aircraft each this week, in their most heated exchange for two decades. Addressing his parliament, the Pakistani prime minister said he had attempted to speak to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the phone, and stressed that peace was good for both sides. India welcomed the promise to return Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who has become a hero back home after Pakistan released video footage of him in captivity. A spokesperson said the Indian air force was extremely happy and look[ed] forward to the return of the Indian pilot. Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Show all 28 1 /28 Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Activists of Al-Badr Mujahideen, an islamic militant group, burn an effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an anti-India protest in Peshawar, Pakistan AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures A Pakistani girl holds a light candle during a vigil for peace in Lahore on March 3 AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures School children react as they celebrate the release of Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman by Pakistan at a school in Ahmedabad Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan, stands under armed escort near Pakistan-India border in Wagah Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian Border Security Force soldiers patrol along the border with Pakistan EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures A videograb allegedly shows the captured Indian Air Force pilot in the custody of Pakistani military SWNS Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani civil society activists hold anti-war signs during a peace rally in Islamabad AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani civil society activists hold anti-war signs during a peace rally in Islamabad AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Activists of Al-Badr Mujahideen, an islamic militant group, burn an effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an anti-India protest in Peshawar, Pakistan Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri onlookers stand look on as an Indian army helicopter lands near the site where an Indian Air Force jet was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures An Indian soldier gestures near the wreckage of an Indian Air Force fighter jet that was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Supporters of a Pakistani religious group Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba brand Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a terrorist at a rally to condemn Indian aggression AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures India's Border Security Force soldiers patrol along the fenced border with Pakistan on February 26 Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Protesters in Pakistan march against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Supporters of India's ruling Bhartiya Janta Party workers hold Indian flags as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Protesters in Pakistan march against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures People in India burn an effigy that represents Pakistan as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Bhartiya Janta Party workers hold Indian flags as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Kashmiris in the border town of Chakoti walk past India-bound cargo trucks that are parked as the road to India is closed AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Workers enter a concrete bunker that they have built in a residential area near the border Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani soldiers and journalists gather at the site where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani soldiers and journalists gather at the site where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace AFP/Getty In the videos, which India described as a vulgar display, an injured Abhinandan was shown confirming his identity, drinking tea and thanking his captors for treating him well. But speaking to reporters in Delhi earlier, a senior Indian government official said that even if Pakistan releases Abhinandan, India reserves the right to conduct further airstrikes against militant groups operating out of Pakistan. The officials words were in reference to Tuesday mornings pre-dawn raid by Indian jets targeting the Pakistani region of Balakot, where India says a training camp was being operated by the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) group. A total of 300 militants were reportedly killed in Tuesdays airstrikes. The group has claimed responsibility for the deadly car bombing in Pulwama, Kashmir, earlier this month that killed 40 Indian paramilitary officers and led Mr Modi to promise a jaw-breaking response. The Indian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, provided greater detail regarding Indias account of the events leading up to Wing Commander Abhinandans capture. He told The Independent that upwards of 10-15 Pakistani aircraft approached the line of control in Kashmir and targeted Indian military outposts, before either missing or aiming away. The official said that, contrary to Pakistans account, the Indian jets which scrambled to respond did not cross over the line of control into Pakistani airspace. Abhinandans jet was the only exception, he said, when its forward trajectory after taking fire meant it came down on Pakistans side. That would tally with the claims of villagers in Pakistan who said the pilot, after ejecting and parachuting to the ground, seemed not to know whether he had landed in India or Pakistan. In a dramatic account of the events that followed, a local village chief alleges the pilot fired into the air and tried to flee before he was shot in the leg, caught and beaten by a group of local men and boys. The chief told the BBC he personally intervened to stop the mob killing Abhinandan before Pakistani army officials arrived on the scene to take him into custody. With the pilots safe return, Pakistan is inviting India to revert to diplomatic relations before a week that has seen Pakistani airspace shut to commercial air traffic and words of caution issued by the US, UK, China, Russia and others. Pakistan wants peace, but it should not be treated as our weakness, Mr Khan said in parliament. The region will prosper if there is peace and stability. India, however, accuses Pakistan of deliberately manufacturing what it called war hysteria in order to distract from Indias core demand that Pakistan join it in taking action against the militant groups promoting separatism in Kashmir. Mr Modi, in his first public comments since the downing of the planes, accused his countrys enemies of trying to destabilise us, and vowed that India would fight, live, work and win as one, though he did not refer to Pakistan by name. The prime minister suggested the world is observing Indias response to the rising tensions between the two countries. At the same time, he said it was crucial nothing be allowed to undermine faith in Indias armed forces that our enemies dont get the chance to question us. The two countries ground forces continued to exchange fire across their de facto frontier in Kashmir on Thursday, though the ceasefire violations were significantly reduced compared to the day before and are in any case not uncommon. Lt Col Devender Anand, an Indian army spokesperson, said Pakistani soldiers were targeting nearly two dozen Indian forward points with mortar and gunfire, and that Indian soldiers were responding to the ongoing attacks. Amid the rising tensions, Pakistan did accept and agree to investigate a dossier of intelligence provided by India to the Pakistani envoy in Delhi. Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan extends offer to Modi for talks amid tension India said it included both information regarding militant camps in Pakistan and specific details of JeM complicity in the Pulwama terror attack. The violence this week marked the most serious escalation of the long-simmering conflict since 1999, when Pakistans military sent a ground force into Indian-controlled Kashmir at Kargil. That year also saw an Indian fighter jet shoot down a Pakistani naval aircraft, killing all 16 on board. World leaders have weighed in, including US president Donald Trump who began a news conference on his talks with Kim Jong-un in Vietnam by referring to the India-Pakistan conflict, saying he thought hopefully thats going to be coming to an end. Mr Trump sparked confusion by saying he believed there was a reasonably decent development coming. An Indian official said it was unclear what the president meant but he may have been referencing the pilots release. Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said the UK was engaged in round-the-clock diplomacy to try to defuse the extremely dangerous situation. And Russia and China, which held trilateral talks with India on Wednesday, both called for calm. The three countries all reaffirmed their opposition to terrorism, said Chinas top diplomat Wang Yi, who said his country would would continue to play a constructive role in easing tensions. BUCKINGHAM TOWNSHIP >> A Lackawanna County man has been charged with setting a fire at a Buckingham Township home early Sunday morning, Dec. 5 that killed an 81-year-old man inside and sent his wife fleeing from the home. Christopher George Gillie, 61, of Scranton, was charged with criminal homicide, attempted criminal homicide, theft by unlawful taking, aggravated arson, criminal mischief,... Narendra Modi has accused his countrys enemies of trying to destabilise us and vowed that India would fight, live, work and win as one in his first remarks since the downing of aircraft over Kashmir on Wednesday morning. Though he did not mention Pakistan by name, the prime minister suggested the world is observing Indias response to the rising tensions between the two countries. Mr Modi said it was crucial that nothing be allowed to undermine faith in Indias armed forces - that our enemies don't get the chance to question us. The prime minister was addressing a large rally of supporters for his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) via video conference from Delhi. All eyes are on Indias response after a dogfight in the skies over disputed Kashmir in which India says one Pakistani and one Indian fighter jet were shot down. Pakistan says it shot down two Indian planes and denies any losses. Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Show all 28 1 /28 Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Activists of Al-Badr Mujahideen, an islamic militant group, burn an effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an anti-India protest in Peshawar, Pakistan AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures A Pakistani girl holds a light candle during a vigil for peace in Lahore on March 3 AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures School children react as they celebrate the release of Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman by Pakistan at a school in Ahmedabad Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan, stands under armed escort near Pakistan-India border in Wagah Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian Border Security Force soldiers patrol along the border with Pakistan EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures A videograb allegedly shows the captured Indian Air Force pilot in the custody of Pakistani military SWNS Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani civil society activists hold anti-war signs during a peace rally in Islamabad AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani civil society activists hold anti-war signs during a peace rally in Islamabad AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Activists of Al-Badr Mujahideen, an islamic militant group, burn an effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an anti-India protest in Peshawar, Pakistan Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri onlookers stand look on as an Indian army helicopter lands near the site where an Indian Air Force jet was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures An Indian soldier gestures near the wreckage of an Indian Air Force fighter jet that was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Supporters of a Pakistani religious group Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba brand Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a terrorist at a rally to condemn Indian aggression AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures India's Border Security Force soldiers patrol along the fenced border with Pakistan on February 26 Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Protesters in Pakistan march against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Supporters of India's ruling Bhartiya Janta Party workers hold Indian flags as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Protesters in Pakistan march against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures People in India burn an effigy that represents Pakistan as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Bhartiya Janta Party workers hold Indian flags as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Kashmiris in the border town of Chakoti walk past India-bound cargo trucks that are parked as the road to India is closed AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Workers enter a concrete bunker that they have built in a residential area near the border Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani soldiers and journalists gather at the site where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani soldiers and journalists gather at the site where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace AFP/Getty The Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan has urged calm and invited Mr Modi to engage in talks, saying that better sense must prevail between the two nuclear-armed countries. In his video address, Mr Modi praised the armed forces and said Indias brave soldiers are showing their valour at the border and beyond. That appeared to be a reference to heavy gunfire across the Kashmir line of control, the de facto border in the disputed region, since Wednesdays aerial engagement and the preceding Indian airstrikes on what it described as a militant training camp in Pakistan. On Thursday morning troops from the two countries briefly exchanged fire in Poonch, a district in Indian-administered Kashmir, according to a statement from the Indian army. "The Indian army retaliated strongly and effectively," said Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand, a defence ministry spokesman. The firing, that India claims was initiated by Pakistan and lasted for a little over an hour beginning at 6am local time (12.30am GMT), was nonetheless significantly less fierce than the artillery fire exchanged by the two sides on Wednesday. International powers, including the US and China, have urged the two countries to exercise caution and deescalate tensions, which have been rising since the bombing of an Indian paramilitary convoy in Kashmir on 14 February caused the heaviest casualties in the regions 30-year insurgency. At a news conference in Hanoi regarding his failed nuclear talks with Kim Jong-un, the USs Donald Trump said American diplomats had been mediating between the two sides. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events "They have been going at it and we have been involved in trying to have them stop," Mr Trump said. "We have been in the middle trying to help them both out. A Russian cargo ship with a drunk captain on board smashed into a motorway bridge in South Korea as cars drove along it. Video footage caught the moment the 6,000-ton vessel Seagrand crashed into the side of Gwangan Bridge in the port of Busan at about 4.20pm local time on Thursday. The ship, which authorities say should have been heading in the opposite direction to the bridge, then turned around and sailed off the other way, according to Korea Coast Guard (KCG). A gaping five-metre wide hole was torn into the lower part of the bi-level bridge, according to Russian news website RBC, but there were no injuries reported. The KCG questioned the crew on board and discovered the ships Russian captain was allegedly over the legal alcohol limit for driving the vessel. Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Show all 32 1 /32 Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Activists of opposition parties burn flares during a rally demanding to break an agreement with Russia on the use of the Azov Sea and the Kerch Strait, in front of the parliament building in Kiev Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Volunteers with the right-wing paramilitary Azov National Corps light flares during a rally on the snowy streets in front of the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev after Russia seized two of their armored artillery vessels and a tug boat in the Black Sea AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Ukrainian Nationalists demand to break the diplomatic relations with Russia and nationalization of Russian property in Ukraine EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Ukrainian activists burn flares during their rally in front of Russian Consulate in Kharkiv EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Seized Ukrainian ships, small armoured artillery ships and a tug boat, are seen anchored in a port of Kerch Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 The President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, announced, on 25 November, at a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council that they will introduce martial law in Ukraine for a period of 60 days and appeal to the Parliament to consider the move Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Russia seized two small-sized 'Berdiansk' and 'Nikopol' armored artillery boats. The 'Yany Kapu' tugboat has forcibly been stopped Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Children from an orphanage volunteer to help the city defenders strengthen trenches on Ukraine's Army positions near the village of Rybatske 25 km from Mariupol AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Policemen guard at Russian consulate during a protest action in the Black Sea Ukrainian city of Odessa AFP/Getty Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 AFP/Getty Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 With relations still raw after Russias annexation of Crimea and its backing for a pro-Moscow insurgency in eastern Ukraine, the capture of three Ukrainian naval vessels risks pushing the two countries towards a wider conflict. Graphic explains how the naval incident unfolded on a map Graphic News Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Activists of far-right parties burn flares in front of the parliament building in Kiev during a rally to support the Ukrainian navy Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 A Ukraine army APC moves toward on position at an undisclosed location in eastern Ukraine AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Ukrainian Nationalists sign a banner with a slogan reading like 'Not retreat and not surrendering!' EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 AFP/Getty Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Activists glue Ukrainian flag on the fence of Russian consulate AFP/Getty Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 A volunteer with the right-wing paramilitary Azov National Corps during a rally on the snowy streets in front of the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 A National Guard serviceman extinguishes a torch thrown by a protester during a rally against the seizure by Russian special forces of three of the Ukrainian navy ships Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 A protester throws a smoke grenade during a rally in front of the embassy of Russia in Kiev AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Protestors set up paper ships on the tires during their rally near of Russian embassy building in Kiev EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 A man extinguishes a burning car of the embassy of Russia Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Paper boats are seen placed during a protest Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 EPA It is not illegal for a person to consume alcohol on board a ship but they cannot steer it while over the limit. The coastguard said it was not yet clear whether the captain had been at the helm at the time of the crash. The Russian cargo ship Seagrand bumps into the side of the Gwangan Bridge in Busan, South Korea, 28 February 2019. The ship is believed to have arrived in Busan, South Koreas largest port, at about 9am on Wednesday where it unloaded 1,495 tons of iron pipes. It then set out for Vladivostok, in Russia, on Thursday with a load of steel coils. According to Yonhap News Agency, authorities reported the Seagrand had also hit a cruise ship moored at the same port about 40 minutes before bumping into the bridge. All the whales kept inside what campaigners called a whale prison in Russia must be freed, authorities have said after they brought charged against a number of companies behind the facility. Environmental activists have spent months pushing for the release of about 100 whales kept in cramped pools near the Pacific port city of Nakhodka, near Vladivostok in Russia's far east. Now authorities have charged the firms thought to be controlling the facility and ordered the belugas and orcas be released back into the wild. The companies, which appear to be affiliated, have previously been fined for illegal capture and have a history of selling the animals to amusement parks abroad. Russias federal security service, the FSB, which announced the charges, appeared to have taken its cue from Vladimir Putin. 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 presidents spokesman revealed last week that Mr Putin was concerned by the case and wanted the whales freed. Expertise showed that the animals were kept in unsatisfactory conditions, and must be released into their natural habitat, the FSB was cited as saying by the TASS news agency. Orcas and other large marine mammals are worth huge sums on money on the black market, reportedly up to $1m (754,000) per animal. The Kremlin has said the 11 orcas and 87 beluga whales were held in cruel conditions and were intended for sale to aquariums and Chinese buyers. Russias ecology minister, Dmitry Kobylkin, told TASS the government was working hard to try and free the whales. We are doing everything we can. No one objects to releasing the orcas, but the most important thing is to release them properly. Conservation groups including Greenpeace and celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Pamela Anderson have backed a global campaign to close down the facility. In the wild, orcas can travel up to 100 miles a day, whereas the pools and containers holding them in Russias far east are as small as 10m across. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Greenpeace has previously said it amounted to torture to keep the whales in the facility. Russian law only allows the capture of whales for scientific purposes. In 2017 one the companies behind the facility unsuccessfully sued the countrys fishing agency after it refused to issue it such a quota for capturing the mammals. The ruling also revealed the company had a contract with a company in Chinas northeast but was unable to prove the whales would be kept in good conditions and used for educational purposes. The whales are kept at one location off the Pacific coast but are owned by four separate companies. Company records and court filings, however, indicate that they are connected. In an interview with Russian state TV last year, a representative for the facility rejected reports of poor treatment of the animals. Additional reporting by agencies Hopes of a swift breakthrough between North Korea and the US on denuclearisation have been dashed, as talks between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un broke up early and the White House said no deal had been reached. Just hours after Mr Kim had smiled for the cameras and instead he would not be there if his county were not prepared to scrap its nuclear arsenal, word broke that talks were ending hours early. There was various speculation as to what had caused the discussions, but no official word from either side. The two leaders discussed various ways to advance denuclearisation and economic driven concepts, said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future. As Ms Sanders made her announcement and Mr Trump prepared to hold a press conference to explain what had happened, the motorcades of the two leaders sped away from the Hotel Metropole where the two sides had been meeting. The news came as a shock, especially given the positive body language between the two men and the positive statements from the 35-year-old North Korean leader. Asked if he was ready to denuclearise his country, he said: If Im not willing to do that I wont be here right now. North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits Show all 16 1 /16 North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, portraits of former supreme leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are required by law to be hung in the home, the classroom, the factory and all manner of other private and public places Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the classroom AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the living room AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the maternity ward of the hospital Alamy North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On board the ship Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the ballot box Mannen av bord North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the office AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On the bridegroom Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On the Pyongyang subway Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On a government building Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the teacher training facility AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the home AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the military parade Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the hall Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the Chinese border AFP/Getty Mr Kim also said he was keen for the US to open a liaison office in the North, something Mr Trump also backed. Earlier, in what is believed to have been his first response to a question from a foreign reporter, Mr Kim was asked if he was hopeful of doing a deal with the US. Its too early to say. I would not say Im pessimistic, he said. For his part, Mr Trump sought to again temper any expectations of any substantial or rapid agreement between the two countries. Kim Jong Un says 'it's too early to tell' when asked about denuclearisation deal but 'does have a feeling good results will come out' Ive been saying very much from the beginning that speed is not that important to me. Speed is not important to me. What is important is that we do the right deal, he said. Ahead of the meeting, analysts warned not to expect any major breakthrough, suggesting that persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal would likely take years and require a number of commitments and assurances from from the US and the international. The experience of Saddam Hussein, who had long given up his nations nuclear arsenal and Muammar Gaddafi, who voluntarily gave up Libya, might suggest North Koreas leverage comes by holding onto its weapons. Experts said Mr Kim would want to see an easing of sanctions before he country went as far as to shut down a reactor or something as concrete. For his part, Mr Trump, desperate for a victory overseas as headlines back home are dominated by harmful allegations leveled by his former lawyer Michael Cohen, was oddly temperate. Close 'Speed is not that important to me' Kim Jong Un listens as Trump says he's in 'no rush' over North Korea denuclearisation deal Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have cut short their talks in Hanoi, Vietnam and skipped a scheduled lunch event. The White House confirmed the summit had ended with no agreement reached as the leaders headed back to their respective hotels. The US president talks broke down over North Koreas demands on US-led sanctions. Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, but we couldnt do that, he told reporters. Sometimes you have to walk. Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, said negotiations would continue at a future date. Made in North Korea - In pictures Show all 6 1 /6 Made in North Korea - In pictures Made in North Korea - In pictures Made in North Korea - In pictures Made in North Korea - In pictures Made in North Korea - In pictures Made in North Korea - In pictures Made in North Korea - In pictures Several Democrats came out acknowledging Mr Trumps decision to walk away without a deal was the right move in this situation. Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff said walking away with no deal was better than agreeing to a bad deal, before adding that it was the result of a poorly planned strategy. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer echoed similar statements, citing his concerns about the likelihood of a bad deal forming out of the summit. A deal that fell short of complete denuclearization would have only made North Korea stronger & the world less safe, Mr Schumer said. After the summit, Mr Trump also defended Mr Kim over the tragic death of American college student Otto Warmbier, who was jailed in North Korea in December 2015 for attempting to steal propaganda material during an organised tour.The president said he does not believe the autocratic leader was aware of Mr Warmbiers condition in the North Korean hard labour prison camp. "He tells me he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word, Mr Trump said. After two years of imprisonment, North Korean authorities returned Mr Warbier to the US in a coma in July 2017. A few days later, the 22-year-old died in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman criticised the American presidents defense of Mr Kim. Im very concerned that the President didnt seem to be all that concerned about the murder of Otto Warmbier from Cincinnati, Mr Brown told reporters on Thursday. I dont know how he says he likes the dictator of NK so much. Mr Portman insists that Mr Trump and the American people must remember Mr Warmbier and that we should never let North Korea off the hook for what they did to him." Follow live updates below Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load Donald Trump has claimed talks with Kim Jong-un broke down because the North Korean leader wanted all sanctions lifted something the US could not agree to. Trying desperately to put a positive spin on a humiliating turn of events one that appeared to shock observers and participants alike the US president said he was not prepared to make a deal for the sake of it. Sometimes you have to walk, said the man who had bragged on the presidential campaign trail of his skills as a deal maker. He said the sticking point had been the North Korean leaders demand to have lifted all of the US and international sanctions imposed on it. Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldnt do that. He insisted that the two sides would talk again and that his relationship with the 35-year-old North Korean leader was very warm. He insisted that the meeting did not end contentiously but with a very friendly walk. Id much rather do it right than do it fast. Were in position to do something very special. In recent days, Mr Trump had sounded cautious about the prospect of securing a rapid breakthrough with North Korea, with which the US had been at loggerheads for seven decades. After last Junes meeting in Singapore made history, he travelled to Vietnam insisting to reporters he was in no rush. North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits Show all 16 1 /16 North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, portraits of former supreme leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are required by law to be hung in the home, the classroom, the factory and all manner of other private and public places Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the classroom AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the living room AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the maternity ward of the hospital Alamy North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On board the ship Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the ballot box Mannen av bord North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the office AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On the bridegroom Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On the Pyongyang subway Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On a government building Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the teacher training facility AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the home AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the military parade Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the hall Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the Chinese border AFP/Getty All of this led experts to ask why he was apparently so keen for a second summit without the ground work to edge the two countries closer being completed by officials. Summits that are scheduled to involve a ceremony to sign an agreement almost invariably follow months of negotiations and discussions. The two leaders discussed various ways to advance denuclearisation and economic driven concepts, said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future. Yet as he prepared to fly back to Washington empty handed and three hours ahead of schedule - his former lawyer Michael Cohen and his allegations of presidential wrongdoing dominating the headlines Mr Trump admitted there was no plan yet for a third summit. The president said Mr Kim had been prepared to move some way towards denuclearisation. President Trump and Kim Jong Un chat outside the Sofitel Metropole before extended meeting at summit in Hanoi He wants to denuke, he just wants to do areas that are less important than what we want, he said. He has a certain vision and its not exactly our vision, but its a lot closer than it was a year ago and I think eventually well get there. For this particular visit we decided that we had to walk. He added: We havent given up anything. They have tremendous potential, unbelievable. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo, part of Mr Trumps negotiating team, said Mr Kim was unprepared to meet US demands. Earlier, the North Korean leader told reporters his country is willing to denuclearise or else he would not be here. We didnt get to something that made sense for the United States of America. I think Chairman Kim was hopeful that we would. We asked him to do more. He was unprepared to do that. But Im still optimistic, said Mr Pompeo. There was no immediate response from Mr Kim or North Korean leader. He is due to stay in Vietnam for another two days. Analysts had pointed out Mr Kim would want major concessions before he was willing to give up his status as a nuclear weapons nation. It is little wonder these negotiations broke down after Trump has spent more time in office blowing up nuclear treaties than building them, Akira Kawasaki of the International Committee to Abolish Nuclear Weapons International Steering Group, told CNN. We need a real plan rooted in the international community and treaties like the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which the Koreas could join tomorrow and begin the disarmament process with legitimacy. Responding to a question about whether South Korean President Moon Jae-in had hit a glass ceiling when it came to pursuing peace on the Korean Peninsula, Mr Trump said he would speak to the South Korean leader on Thursday. Well be calling President Moon very soon, as soon as I get on the plane, Mr Trump said. Hes been working very hard, hed love to see a deal. North Korea has disputed Donald Trumps explanation for the breakdown of talks in Hanoi, saying it only wanted a partial lifting of sanctions in exchange for the dismantlement of its main nuclear facility. A day after the US president left Vietnam empty-handed, having claimed Pyongyang had demanded the lifting of all US and international sanctions in exchange for moving forward, North Korea hit back with its own version of events. Foreign minister Ri Yong Ho told an impromptu news conference at the Hanoi hotel that North Koreas offer had been entirely reasonable. He said Pyongyang has been prepared to begin the dismantling of the main nuclear facility in Yongbyon, if there was a partial lifting of sanctions. He said the US had insisted the North go one more step beyond the dismantlement of its main nuclear facility, and that as a result the talks broke down. He added that North Koreas position would not change even if the US sought further talks, the Sonhap news agency reported. Choe Son Hui, North Koreas vice minister of foreign affairs and a senior diplomat, added: I cannot guarantee that this opportunity will be offered to the US once more. North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits Show all 16 1 /16 North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, portraits of former supreme leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are required by law to be hung in the home, the classroom, the factory and all manner of other private and public places Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the classroom AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the living room AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the maternity ward of the hospital Alamy North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On board the ship Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the ballot box Mannen av bord North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the office AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On the bridegroom Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On the Pyongyang subway Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On a government building Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the teacher training facility AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the home AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the military parade Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the hall Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the Chinese border AFP/Getty The battle to control the narrative of what happened in Vietnam is hardly surprising given that both sides were hoping to reach some sort of agreement, however modest. A day after last Junes first summit in Singapore, North Korean state media claimed the US had agreed to the lifting of sanctions something that had not been signed off on. Three weeks later, it accused Washington of mobster like behaviour. In his own press conference, Mr Trump claimed Mr Kim had asked for the lifting of all sanctions, something the US was both not capable of doing some sanctions against the North are UN sanctions and unwilling to do, even if it could. Sometimes you have to walk, said Mr Trump. Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldnt do that. Trump and Kim Jong-un greet each other before Hanoi summit He added: He wants to denuke, he just wants to do areas that are less important than what we want. He has a certain vision and its not exactly our vision, but its a lot closer than it was a year ago and I think eventually well get there. For this particular visit we decided that we had to walk. KCNA, Pyongyangs state media outlet, later reported that the two leaders would continue to pursue productive talks to discuss denuclearisation, the Agence France-Press news agency reported. Whichever version of events proves to be true, analysts said the talks had probably been doomed from the start. Many said for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons programme was a process that could take years to achieve, and would require major concessions and guarantees from the west. Jon Wolfsthal, director of the Nuclear Crisis Group, an international task force of top former diplomats, said that while the breakdown in talks was a disappointment, it must not be the end of efforts to negotiate an agreement with North Korea, given that Pyongyangs nuclear and missile programmes continue to represented a major challenge to global security. Contrary to official statements issued in Hanoi, it appears President Trump at the urging of national security advisor John Bolton moved the goalposts and blew up the meeting with last minute demands North Korea was not prepared to accept, he said in a statement. While its right to say you must be willing to walk away from a bad deal, the administration should not walk away from the negotiating process. Progress will take time. Kevin Martin, president of Peace Action, a Washington DC-based think tank, said failure to reach an agreement should not be taken as a sign that diplomacy is not working. He added: Diplomacy has done far more to advance the security of the US and the Korean Peninsula than economic coercion and threats of military force. Diplomacy takes time and obviously much more work remains to be done. Anwita Basu, an analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, said: The risk of a breakdown in talks between the US and North Korea, had always been high particularly because ... The two sides have not agreed on the definition of denuclearisation. Some analysts praised Mr Trumps stance. Paul Haenle, director of the Beijing-based Carnegie-Tsinghua Centre, said: The priority for the US and its allies should be on dismantling North Koreas nuclear programme. The fact that President Trump did not make unnecessary concessions that undermine allies and partners as he did in Singapore can be viewed as a positive. The Associated Press said secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who was among the small group of top US officials present doing the talks, claimed negotiations with North Korea would resume quickly. Talking to reporters as the president returned to Washington, he said his team would get back to work tomorrow although no new meetings have yet been scheduled. He claimed progress was made during the talks, although not enough to warrant signing an agreement. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said his country is willing to denuclearise or else he would not be here at a second round of talks with Donald Trump in Hanoi. In remarks that will give heart to those hoping genuine progress can emerge from the summit between the US and North Korean leaders, Mr Kim also said he would welcome the idea of opening a US liaison office in his country. Speaking to reporters as he and Mr Trump and their teams of top advisors sat for their second session of detailed talks - for the US, that included secretary of state Mike Pompeo and national security advisor John Bolton Mr Kim appeared reluctant to answer while the media was in the room. But Mr Trump reportedly said he wanted to hear his counterparts answer, and praised it when he heard it, saying it was something he agreed with. I actually think its a good idea, said the US president. North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits Show all 16 1 /16 North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, portraits of former supreme leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are required by law to be hung in the home, the classroom, the factory and all manner of other private and public places Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the classroom AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the living room AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the maternity ward of the hospital Alamy North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On board the ship Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the ballot box Mannen av bord North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the office AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On the bridegroom Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On the Pyongyang subway Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On a government building Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the teacher training facility AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the home AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the military parade Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the hall Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the Chinese border AFP/Getty When he was asked if North Korea was prepared to give up its nuclear arsenal, Mr Kim said: If Im not willing to do that, I wouldnt be here right now. CNN said the North Korean leaders comment could also be translated as I wouldnt have come here, if I didnt have the will. After hearing Mr Kims reply, the US president responded: Thats a good answer. Wow. That might be the best answer youve ever heard. Kim Jong Un says a diplomatic US office in Pyongyang would be 'welcomable' While Mr Kim has said his country is wiling to denuclearise, it has taken few steps in that direction since the two countries had their historic first meeting last June in Singapore. Most experts believe it will require many years, and many concessions and assurances from the US and the international community, for Pyongyang to agree to such a step. Western reporters also asked Mr Kim if he and Mr Trump were going to discuss the human rights situation in his country. Earlier this week, Human Rights Watch said North Korea was arguably the worst human rights abusing government in the world today. Deputy Asia director Phil Robertson, added: Any dialogue with Kim Jong-un should not leave rights off the table. Pyongyang wants to be brought in from the cold by the international community but there can be no glossing over the DPRKs widespread use of forced and child labour, systemic suppression of free expression and civil society, and gulags holding tens of thousands in the mountains. As it was, it was Mr Trump who answered the question. Were discussing everything, he said. Donald Trump has said he believes Kim Jong-un over claims he knew nothing about the really bad things that happened to Otto Warmbier, an American who suffered severe brain damage while detained in North Korea. The US president was asked about the case in a hastily arranged press conference following a summit in Vietnam which was cut short on Thursday after the two leaders failed to find agreement over limiting North Koreas nuclear ambitions. Warmbier, a US college student, was imprisoned by Pyongyang in 2016 after being convicted of the theft of a propaganda poster. The US government secured his release the following year, but he died days after arriving back on American soil in a coma. I really dont think it was in his interests at all, Mr Trump told reporters, referring to Mr Kim, who has been described by the president as a friend and a great leader. Taking credit for the return of three US hostages from North Korea in May last year, Mr Trump continued: What happened is horrible, I really believe something very bad happened to him and I dont think that the top leadership knew about it, and when they had to send him home by the way I got the prisoners back, I got the hostages back, and Otto was one of the hostages, but Otto came back in a shape that was not even to be talked about. Trump and Kim: leaders arrive in Vietnam for talks Show all 7 1 /7 Trump and Kim: leaders arrive in Vietnam for talks Trump and Kim: leaders arrive in Vietnam for talks Donald Trump and Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong make their way to a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi Reuters Trump and Kim: leaders arrive in Vietnam for talks Donald Trump waves a Vietnamese flag as Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc looks on AFP/Getty Trump and Kim: leaders arrive in Vietnam for talks Donald Trump waves as he leaves the Presidential Palace in Hanoi AFP/Getty Trump and Kim: leaders arrive in Vietnam for talks North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, is welcomed on his arrival at the Melia Hotel in Hanoi AP Trump and Kim: leaders arrive in Vietnam for talks Kim Jong-un waves as he arrives by train in the Vietnamese border town of Dong Dang AP Trump and Kim: leaders arrive in Vietnam for talks North Korean leader Kim Jong-un receiving a situation report before the summit with Trump AFP/Getty Trump and Kim: leaders arrive in Vietnam for talks The motorcade carrying U.S President Donald Trump drives past Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum AP I find it I thought it was horrible. Now the others came back extremely healthy, but Otto came back in a condition that was just terrible, and I did speak about it, and I dont believe that he would have allowed that to happen, just wasnt to his advantage to allow that to happen. Those prisons are rough, theyre rough places, and bad things happened, but I really dont believe that he was I dont believe he knew about it. Warmbier returned to the US in June 2017 in a vegetative state, which, according to North Korean officials, he went into after contracting botulism shortly after his conviction more than a year earlier. Doctors said Warmbier likely suffered a cardiac arrest, which led to brain damage, but were unable to work out the cause. They said there was no definitive evidence of torture. Asked if Mr Kim told him directly he was unaware of Warmbiers plight, Mr Trump said: He felt badly about it. I did speak to him, he felt very badly. He knew the case very well, but he knew it later and youve got a lot of people big country a lot of people, and in those prisons and those camps you have a lot of people, and some really bad things happened to Otto, some really, really bad things, but he tells me that he didnt know about it, and I will take him at his word. 'Sometimes you have to walk' President Trump addresses media as talks with Kim Jong Un break down with no deal Mr Trumps defence of Mr Kim echoed his defence of other autocratic rulers, including most infamously his siding with Vladimir Putin over his own US intelligence community. Mr Trump said he believed the Russian leaders claims of innocence over Russias hacking of the 2016 US election. Saudi Arabias de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman also received support from Mr Trump in the wake of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The president has refused to comment on whether Mr Bin Salman was complicit in Khashoggis slaying, despite a reported CIA assessment concluding he was. A lawyer who tried to argue a paedophile cardinals abuse of two choirboys was just plain vanilla sexual penetration has apologised. Former Vatican treasurer George Pell has been convicted of sexually abusing two 13-year-old boys in the 1990s while he was Archbishop of Melbourne, in Australia. The judge overseeing the case described the five offences the 77-year-old was found guilty of as serious, and they each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. But in an attempt to get a more lenient sentence for the cardinal, lawyer Robert Richter claimed the crimes were on the low end of offending, and described them as no more than a plain vanilla sexual penetration case where a child is not volunteering or actively participating. His argument was quickly dismissed by the judge, Peter Kidd, who told Melbournes county court: I see this as a serious example of this kind of offending. George Pell convicted of sex abuse Show all 5 1 /5 George Pell convicted of sex abuse George Pell convicted of sex abuse Cardinal George Pell makes his way to the court in Melbourne on 27 February Getty Images George Pell convicted of sex abuse Lawyer Robert Richter QC leaves the County court during a break in Cardinal Pell's trial EPA George Pell convicted of sex abuse The front pages of Australia's major newspapers reporting the conviction Getty Images George Pell convicted of sex abuse A Police van is seen as it leaves Melbourne County Court after Cardinal George Pell was remanded in custody Getty Images George Pell convicted of sex abuse A statue stands on the grounds of St Patrick's College, where Cardinal George Pell attended school, in Ballarat, Australia Reuters There was an element of brutality to this assault. Mr Richter issued an apology on Thursday, after a sleepless night reflecting on his comments. Pell arrives at Melbournes county court on Wednesday (Getty) (Getty Images) He said in a statement: In seeking to mitigate sentence I used a wholly inappropriate phrase for which I apologise profusely to all who interpreted it in a way it was never intended: it was in no way meant to belittle or minimise the suffering and hurt of victims of sex abuse, and in retrospect I can see why it caused great offence to many. I hope my apology is accepted as sincerely as it is meant and I will never repeat such carelessness in my choice of words which might offend. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The details of the case emerged this week after a court order banning reporting of the trial was lifted. During the trial one victim described how Pell had exposed himself to them, fondled their genitals and masturbated, and forced one boy to perform a sex act on him. Pell was back in court on Wednesday for his sentence plea hearing, where his bail was revoked and he was taken into custody ahead of his final sentence being determined on 13 March. His legal team has appealed his conviction and he has maintained his innocence. The Vatican has opened its own investigation into accusations against Pell following his conviction, which was made public just two days after the end of a major meeting of church leaders on how to better tackle the abuse of children by clergy. A group of men entered North Korea's embassy in Madrid, bound and gagged staff, before driving off with stolen mobile phones and computers, Spanish media has reported. The Interior Ministry said no one had filed a complaint, despite the fact a North Korean citizen was injured in the incident last week. Nevertheless Spanish police are investigating after El Confidencial reported a woman escaped the embassy last Friday screaming in Korean, prompting residents nearby to call police. After she reportedly revealed staff were tied up and gagged, officers knocked on the door to investigate, but were met by a man who told them everything was fine. Soon after, two cars left the compound at high speed, one of them carrying the man who had answered the door. Police did not enter the building, but staff walked out soon after the incident. North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits Show all 16 1 /16 North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, portraits of former supreme leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are required by law to be hung in the home, the classroom, the factory and all manner of other private and public places Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the classroom AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the living room AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the maternity ward of the hospital Alamy North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On board the ship Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the ballot box Mannen av bord North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the office AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On the bridegroom Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On the Pyongyang subway Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On a government building Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the teacher training facility AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the home AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the military parade Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the hall Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the Chinese border AFP/Getty El Confidencial said the assailants removed computers belonging to various staff members, and that police were trying to find out what information they might have contained, and what else might be missing. A National Police spokesman confirmed that its officers assisted a North Korean woman with unspecified injuries. The spokesman, who wasn't authorised to be named in media reports, declined to comment further. An Interior Ministry official who was also bound by customary rules of anonymity said the incident was "under investigation" and noted North Korean authorities had not filed any official complaint. Alejandro Cao de Benos, an aide to the North Korean government who takes media, business and other visitors to the secluded country, said he had spoken to embassy staff who had told him the assailants had taken computers and cellphones before escaping. "What I can say, the part of it that I'm sure about, is that this was a robbery," said Mr Cao de Benos, who also heads the Korean Friendship Association based out of Spain. "I don't have any other detailed information at the moment on what could have been the motive." Kim Jong-un's sister forced to hold crystal ashtray whil North Korean dictator smokes in Vietnam An official with Spain's foreign ministry said the government had no comment, and that the issue was a police matter. The official, speaking anonymously in line with internal rules, said authorities had been in touch over the incident with the only diplomat of North Korea's embassy, Charge d'Affaires So Yun Sok. Kim Hyok Chol was ambassador to Spain until September 2017, when the Spanish government expelled him and another diplomat following Pyongyang's round of nuclear tests and missile launches over neighbouring Japan. Mr Kim has since become a close aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Additional reporting by agencies The nephew of a key player in Russian state propaganda has been convicted in Germany for state security offences relating to eastern Ukraine three years after his uncle unwittingly boasted about his participation in the conflict there. Sergei Kiselyov, a German resident and the nephew of Russian state news anchor Dmitry Kiselyov, was Thursday sentenced to 2 years and 3 months imprisonment by a court in Munich. The verdict was made in relation to two narrow allegations: that Sergei Kiselyov violated arms laws; and that he underwent military training in St Petersburg in August 2014 ahead of travelling to Ukraine. Mr Kiselyov, who was pictured holding rifles and other weapons in eastern Ukraine, says he travelled to Ukraine to "defend Russian-speaking populations" there. He insists he did not kill anyone. On announcing his verdict, the judge noted that the prosecution had not managed to prove conclusively that the defendant underwent military training though there was "much" that suggested so. The sentence, which was reduced from a maximum of 10 years, came as the result of a bargain between defence and prosecution. 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 Mr Kiselyov was arrested in Bulgaria in 2018, three years after his famous uncle revealed he fought for Russian-backed separatists near Horlivka, the site of one of the war's bloodiest exchanges. The senior Kiselyov is the host of Vesti Nedeli, a weekly news programme noted for jingoistic propaganda content. He came to prominence in 2013 with homophobic comments suggesting gay men and women should have their hearts burned after dying in car crashes. But his big break came a year later, when Vladimir Putin appointed him head of Russia's most prominent state news agency, just in time for the start of the Ukrainian crisis. More woe may be in store for the younger Kiselyov. Thursday's verdict was explicit in not relating to crimes committed while fighting in Ukraine itself. If Mr Kiselyov is accused of such crimes, the case will be transferred to a federal court. A court in Belgium has opened the way for the country to separate children of Isis members from their mothers in order to bring them back home. A judge ruled last year that the country had to bring back two women who went to Syria to join Isis if it wanted to repatriate their six children, because separating them would be a violation of their rights. Tatiana Wielandt, 26, Bouchra Abouallal, 25, were convicted in absentia of joining Isis and sentenced to five years in prison, and are currently detained in al-Hol camp, in northern Syria, by Kurdish forces. After the government challenged last years ruling, an appeals court said Wednesday that it will not be forced to undertake any act of repatriation. In response, the justice ministry has said it will seek to bring back all children under 10 years old, and deal with older children on a case-by-case basis, while leaving the mothers behind. The Belgian government will continue to work to bring children under the age of 10 back to Belgium. Children must not be punished for the deeds of their parents, said Justice minister Koen Geens. The children of the two women in question are all believed to be under 10 years old. Both Wielandt and Abouallal have said they would accept sending their children back, and that they regret joining Isis. Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Show all 14 1 /14 Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Trucks full of women and children arrive from the last Isis-held areas in Deir ez-Zor, Syria Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Zikia Ibrahim, 28, with her two-year-old son and 8-month-old daughter, after fleeing the Isis caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Men who fled the last Isis-held area of Syria line up to be questioned by American and Kurdish intelligence officials Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate A young girl pulls her belongings after arriving Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate An SDF fighter hands out bread to women and children after they arrive Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Sita Ghazzar, 70, after fleeing from the last Isis-held territory in Syria Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate A family from Russia who recently fled the last Isis-held area of Syria Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent The news comes as the UK and other European countries debate how to deal with its citizens who were captured abroad on suspicion of being members of Isis. Thousands of men and women left Europe to join the Isis caliphate when it was declared in 2014. At that time, it stretched across two countries over thousands of miles, but over the past few months its territory has been reduced to a tiny pocket in eastern Syria. All but a few hundred of its former members have been killed or ended up in the custody of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, as have their families. More than 800 Europeans are currently being detained in northern Syria, but so far their respective governments are refusing to repatriate them over fears they would present a security risk. UK can't make runaway Isis bride Shamima Begum 'stateless' says justice secretary David Gauke The fate of British Isis suspects held in Syria has been thrown into the spotlight in recent weeks following the discovery of Shamima Begum, a 19-year-old British woman who left the UK to join Isis four years ago, in al-Hol camp. Unlike Belgium, the UK has not indicated that it will seek to repatriate the children of Isis members like Ms Begum, who recently gave birth. The home secretary, Sajid Javid, has previously said that he would move to block any British citizen suspected of joining Isis from returning. Mr Javid said of her case: My message is clear: if you have supported terrorist organisations abroad I will not hesitate to prevent your return. While neither the UK or Belgium could legally stop them returning, the evacuation of those citizens from Syria would require the respective governments cooperation. Ikea is being sued for publishing a special furniture catalogue for the local ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Israel that left out images of women and girls. The complaints demand the Swedish furniture company pay $4m compensation for damage caused to ultra-Orthodox women. The lawsuit, which is the first of its kind, said: The total exclusion of women and girls from the catalogue sends a serious and difficult message that women have no value and there is something wrong with their presence, even in the family-home space depicted in the catalogue. The catalogue, which was released in small quantities, was taken out of circulation after a number of complaints were received. A later catalogue distributed in Israel which was also aimed at the ultra-Orthodox population had no photographs of people in it at all. 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 This discrimination and exclusion has severely insulted, angered and traumatised those who received the catalogue, the lawsuit said. The damage caused by this exclusion affects much larger circles and has the potential to harm the status of women in society in general and in ultra-Orthodox society in particular. Israel is the only country in the world in which an Ikea catalogue was published without any images of women - with a similar publication halted in Saudi Arabia. Jerusalem District Court was asked on Tuesday to approve the multimillion-dollar lawsuit as a class action as the first step in the legal fight. According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the case against the worlds largest furniture retailer was filed by Hannah Katsman, a modern Orthodox woman from the central Israeli town of Petah Tikva, and the Israel Religious Action Center, which is the advocacy wing of the Reform movement in the country. The main headquarters of Ikea in Sweden were unaware of the special catalogue and apologised instantly. A spokesperson for Ikea said: "In 2017, the local Ikea retailer in Israel produced a customised brochure which was distributed to a specific community. "The Ikea brand stands for equality and respect for differences. It is very important for Inter Ikea Systems, owner of the IKEA brand, that all trademark users act in a way that reflects the Ikea values." They noted Ikea Israel immediately apologised two years ago, adding that they have since then "safeguarded that all publications are in line with what the Ikea brand stands for." Yazidi tribal leaders and organisations have called on the international community to do more to investigate the fate of thousands of women and children still missing after being kidnapped by Isis. Dozens from the small religious minority have been rescued over the last few months as the Isis caliphate has been reduced to a small patch of land in the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz. But more than 3,000 are still unaccounted for, and with the battle nearly over, time is running out to find answers. The discovery of a mass grave on the edge of the village this week, in an area recently recaptured from Isis, has raised fears that many of the missing may not have not survived their captivity. An investigation is currently under way into who the victims were. We call on the coalition forces, namely the US and all other troops that fight Isis under the leadership of the coalition, to discover the destiny of victims and help to return the prisoners soon, said a statement from the Yazidi leaders, according to the news website Kurdistan 24. We also call on the Foreign Ministry of Iraq to shoulder the responsibility it has on its citizens to search for the Yazidi girls and return the bodies of the martyrs or their remains through their relations with the concerned governments, it added. The mass grave found a few days ago contains the remains of men and women, but the total number of victims is unclear. "Investigation is still underway to determine their nationality and the manner of killing," said Adnan Afrin, a spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces. He added that they were looking into reports that they may be Yazidis or Isis fighters. For years now, Yazidi groups have called for more efforts to be made to rescue their missing. "It is outrageous that thousands of our women and girls have been missing since 2014 and it has not been a priority or main area of discussion with the Global Coalition and the international community," said Pari Ibrahim, founder of the Free Yazidi Foundation. "We can understand that this is a war zone situation, and because of that, maybe locating and rescuing the women is very difficult. So we understand and appreciate that," she told The Independent. "But we still feel that this should have been considered important and necessary. Instead, our women and girls were being tortured in excruciating agony, month after month, year after year." In the summer of 2014, shortly after Isis declared its caliphate, the group carried out a murderous rampage against the Yazidi people in their traditional homeland in northern Iraq. The attackers killed thousands, and took more than 6,000 women and children as slaves. The UN would later declare the attack on Sinar, and the ongoing enslavement of Yazidi women, a genocide. Images of thousands fleeing to the top of Mount Sinjar prompted the US to launch its first airstrikes against Isis, paving the way for the creation of an international coalition to destroy the groups caliphate. Nearly five years later, that battle is almost over. The caliphate is now little more than a field of tents, where only the most hardened fighters remain. Over the past two months, tens of thousands of civilians have fled the shrinking territory. Yazidi captives, who had been unable to flee for years, have been leaving with civilians. Earlier this week, Reuters reported two young Yazidi girls leaving Baghouz on a truck with phone numbers written on their arms. And a group of 11 Yazidi boys left the territory and taken back to Iraq after years in captivity. Israeli security forces may have committed war crimes in their crackdown on Palestinian protests last year that left nearly 200 dead, the United Nations has said. The Israeli security forces killed and maimed Palestinian demonstrators who did not pose an imminent threat of death or serious injury to others when they were shot, nor were they directly participating in hostilities, an inquiry by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) found. Some 189 Palestinians were killed and more than 6,100 wounded during clashes in Gaza in 2018. Protesters used the demonstrations to call for the easing of an Israeli blockade of the territory and recognition of the right of Palestinian refugees there to return to homes in Israel. Santiago Canton, chair of the UN commission of inquiry into the protests, said it had reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli soldiers committed violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Show all 23 1 /23 Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures A ball of fire above the building housing the Hamas-run television station al-Aqsa TV in the Gaza Strip during an Israeli air strike AFP/Getty Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Israeli Iron Dome anti-missile systems firing toward missiles fired from the Gaza Strip near the southern city of Sderot, Israel. Israeli army report that approximately 300 missile launches were identified from the Gaza strip toward Israel. Dozens of launches were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system EPA Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Israeli soldiers take cover near the Israel Gaza border AP Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures A bus set ablaze after it was hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip. Israel's military said it was carrying out air strikes "throughout the Gaza Strip" on Monday after rocket fire from the Palestinian enclave towards its territory AFP/Getty Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Palestinians inspect a rubble of a destroyed internal security building of Hamas interior ministry after Israeli air strike in Gaza City EPA Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures A Palestinian girl walks up the stairs of her family house that was damaged in an Israeli air strike REUTERS Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Fire and smoke billow following Israeli air strikes targeting Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, near the border with Egypt AFP/Getty Images Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Missiles from Israel's Iron Dome air defence system in the south of Israel destroy incoming missiles AFP/Getty Images Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Israeli security forces and firefighters gather near abuilding set ablaze after it was hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in the southern Israeli town of Sderot AFP/Getty Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures EPA Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures AFP/Getty Images Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures A ruble of a destroyed building of Al-Aqsa channel belonging to Hamas movement EPA Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Israeli security forces and firefighters gather near a bus set ablaze after it was hit by a rocket fired from the Palestinian enclave AFP Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Relatives of Mohammed Ouda, killed in an Israeli air stike the previous day, mourn during his funeral in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP/Getty Images Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Missiles from Israel's Iron Dome air defence system in the south of Israel destroy incoming missiles fired at Israel from the Palestinian enclave AFP/Getty Images Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Israeli soldiers sit atop a Merkava tank stationed along the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip AFP/Getty Images Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Black smoke rises as an Israeli airstrike hits a residential building in Gaza City AP Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Palestinians look out of their house that was damaged in an Israeli air strike REUTERS Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Palestinians hold placards and the Palestinian flag during a protest in solidarity with Gaza, in the West Bank city of Hebron EPA Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures An Israeli policeman inspects the damage in a building caused a day earlier by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in the southern Israeli town of Ashkelon AFP/Getty Images Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures A Palestinian boy inspects the rubble of a destroyed residential building after Israeli air strike in Gaza City EPA Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures REUTERS Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures AP He added: Some of those violations may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity, and must be immediately investigated by Israel. Israel, which claimed the protests were used to mask terror activities by Palestinian armed groups, dismissed the report and branded the UNHRC as a theatre of the absurd. The countrys acting foreign minister, Israel Katz, said the UN had produced another hostile, mendacious and slanted report against the State of Israel. However the commission said Israeli authorities ignored repeated requests for information and access to both Israel and Gaza. Palestinian protesters demonstrate near the border with Israel in the northern Gaza Strip last October (Getty) The investigation focused specifically on demonstrations in the Gaza Strip referred to as the Great March of Return which began on 30 March last year. It found that of the 189 Palestinian deaths, 183 were attributable to Israeli Security Forces. Recommended Israel shoots dead two Palestinian teenagers on Gaza border Thirty-five of these fatalities were said to be children, three were clearly marked paramedics and two were clearly marked journalists. While those injured by live ammunition numbered 6,106, the commission said a further 3,098 were wounded by bullet fragmentation, rubber-coated metal bullets or by hits from teargas canisters. The commission said it had reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli snipers shot at journalists, health workers, children and persons with disabilities despite knowing they were clearly recognisable as not being directly involved in the protest. But it also blamed Hamas for encouraging or defending use of indiscriminate incendiary kites and balloons, causing fear among civilians and significant damage to property in southern Israel. Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Show all 10 1 /10 Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters burn tires during a demonstration on the Israel border on February 22 2019 AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters run through smoke from tear gas and burning tires during a demonstration near the fence along the border with Israel on February 22 2019 AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters climb the fence along the border with Israel during a demonstration AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters holding national flags walk past burning tires during a demonstration on the Israel border AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border A Palestinian protester wears a head band as he takes part in a demonstration near the fence along the border with Israel, east of Gaza City on February 22 2019 AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters and a medic run to pick up a child during a demonstration near the fence along the border with Israel on February 22 2019 AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters run through smoke from tear gas and burning tires during a demonstration near the fence along the border with Israel on February 22 2019 AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border A man carries the Palestinian flag during a demonstration near the border fence with Israel AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border A Palestinian protester wears a mask painted in the colours of the national flag during a demonstration on the Israel border AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border A Palestinian protester returns a tear gas canister thrown by Israeli troops during a demonstration on the border AFP/Getty Israel has consistently defended its use of force as a means of self-defence, pointing to rocket attacks on its citizens in towns close to the Gaza border. Yet despite some acts of significant violence and Israeli claims of terrorism, the commission found that the demonstrations were civilian in nature and did not constitute military campaigns. Recommended Toddler dies from wounds in Gaza as Israeli baby killed after shooting The onus is now on Israel to investigate every protest-related killing and injury, promptly, impartially and independently in accordance with international standards, to determine whether war crimes or crimes against humanity were committed, with a view to holding accountable those found responsible, Mr Canton said. We also urge the organisers, the demonstrators, and the de facto authorities in Gaza, to ensure that the Great March of Return is entirely peaceful, as it is intended to be. Michelle Bachelet, the UN high commissioner for human rights, should share the findings with the International Criminal Court, investigators said. The Hague-based court opened a preliminary investigation into allegations of Israeli human rights abuses on Palestinian territory in 2015. The new UN reports findings were based on interviews with more than 300 victims and witnesses and 8,000 pieces of evidence, including drone footage. The Gaza Strip is home to two million Palestinians, the majority of them stateless descendants of people who fled or were driven out of Israel on its founding in 1948. Benjamin Netanyahu has lashed out at graft allegations against him calling them a politically motivated witch hunt, after Israels attorney general said he planned to indict him in three corruption cases. In an impassioned speech, the right-wing prime minister dismissed the charges as a ridiculous plot saying it was an attempt by the left to force out his right-wing administration ahead of elections due on 9 April. Avichai Mandelblit, Israels top prosecutor, said on Thursday he planned to charge the embattled leader pending a hearing, which would mark the first time in Israeli history that a serving prime minister has been indicted. The long-awaited announcement dealt a devastating blow to Mr Netanyahu, and will likely damage his chances in the elections he had hoped would lead him to a fourth consecutive term in office. The left knows it cannot beat us at the polling booth, so for the past three years they have been carrying out an unprecedented witch hunt which has one aim, to topple the right-wing government which I lead, Mr Netanyahu said in a televised speech. Every citizen understands that. This is scandalous and is meant to topple the right and bring the left to power. There is no other explanation, he added. 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 He called on people to not be confused by what he called a witch hunt and said he would continue to serve the country as prime minister for many more years to come. Shortly after the speech Mr Netanyahus chief election rival, Benny Gantz, the countrys ex-army chief, called for him to resign. Lt General Gantz, who last week formed the Blue and White Party with opposition leader Yair Lapid, called Mr Netanyahu a half-time prime minister and the announcement of the possible inducement against the prime minister a sad day for Israel. I wont sit [in a government] with Benjamin Netanyahu. Benjamin Netanyahu, I appeal to you from here tonight show national responsibility and resign from your position. If and when you can prove your innocence, you can return to public service with your head held high, he said from Tel Aviv. Photo tweeted by centrist politician Yair Lapid to announce a new coalition with ex-army chiefs Benny Gantz, Moshe Yaalon and Gabi Ashkenazi Mr Netanyahu could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of bribery and a maximum three-year term for fraud and breach of trust, if found guilty. He still has to face a pre-trial hearing where he is able to defend his case in front of attorney-general who will then issue his final decision on the three cases. In his statement on Thursday, the prime minister touted what he has achieved for the country including a strong economy and ties with world powers. Recommended Netanyahu in Moscow turns to a friend for help with Iran He was hoping to secure a fourth consecutive term in office, making him the longest-serving prime minister in Israelis history. His Likud Party dismissed Thursdays announcement as political persecution, after submitting a last-minute petition to the High Court that morning to delay the decision. There are no legal ramifications if Mr Netanyahu runs in the election with an indictment over him, but several coalition partners have balked at the idea of forming a coalition under those circumstances. He is facing trial in three cases. In case 4000, police have alleged that Mr Netanyahu granted regulatory favours to Israels leading telecommunications company, Bezeq, in return for more positive coverage on Walla, a news website belonging to the firms owner. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Case 2000 focuses on suspicions Mr Netanyahu negotiated a deal with the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper for better coverage in return for promises to limit the circulation of a rival. In the third investigation, case 1000, police argue that he received expensive gifts from wealthy friends. Mr Netanyahu has denied wrong-doing. Israels attorney general has said he plans to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on graft charges, dealing a damning blow to the premier ahead of general elections. Avichai Mandelblit is set to charge the embattled leader in three corruption cases, dubbed 1000, 2000 and 4000, pending a hearing, which would mark the first time in Israeli history that a serving prime minister is indicted. Mr Netanyahu, 69, who is hoping to secure a fourth consecutive term in office, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. His Likud Party dismissed Thursdays announcement as political persecution, after submitting a last-minute petition to the High Court that morning to delay the decision. The release of the long-awaited statement is a dramatic game changer in the upcoming Israeli elections on 9 April, in which Mr Netanyahu is facing a powerful centrist alliance. With a potential trial hanging above his head, it is unclear if his right-wing coalition partners will stick by his side through the polls. 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 Under Israeli law Mr Netanyahu will attend a pre-trial hearing in the coming months to put forward his defence, after which the attorney general will issue his final decision. The actual filing of the reported charges, which include bribery, fraud and breach of trust, will depend on the outcome of that hearing which will probably take place after the elections. But analysts predict there is little doubt that the trial will go ahead. The corruption case was filed by police last year after a 16-month intense investigation. The Likud Party said it came after three years of tremendous pressure exerted on [the attorney general] by the media, the left and the legal officials. The hunt against the prime minister began with an attempt to frame him with four bribery cases. Even before the hearing, three of them had collapsed. The rest of the claims will also collapse like a house of cards when the prime minister confronts the states witnesses, the statement read. Recommended Ikea sued for catalogue solely featuring men and boys in Israel The party concluded by saying it was an attempt to topple a right-wing government under Mr Netanyahu in place of a left-wing administration. Just hours before the announcement, President Donald Trump deemed to be Mr Netanyahus most loyal ally defended the leader, saying he had done a done a great job as prime minister. I can say this, hes done a great job as prime minister, the US leader said speaking from the Hanoi summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Hes tough, smart, and strong. Hes very defensive, his military has been built up a lot, Mr Trump said. In Case 4000, police allege that Mr Netanyahu granted regulatory favours to Israels leading telecommunications company, Bezeq, in return for more positive coverage on Walla, a news website belonging to Bezeqs owner Shaul Elovitch. Mr Netanyahus wife Sara was also embroiled in the accusations. In Case 1000 he is set to be charged with allegedly receiving gifts from Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and Australian businessman James Packer, in return for political favours. In Case 2000, Mr Netanyahu is accused of negotiating a deal with the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper to limit the coverage of rival newspaper Israel Hayom, in return for better coverage. Mr Netanyahus lawyers unsuccessfully pleaded with the top prosecutor to delay his decision until after the elections, saying it will unfairly impact the results. The night before the attorney generals announcement Mr Netanyahu had dismissed the accusations as ridiculous saying it was legally unprecedented to be indicted for two-and-a-half articles on the internet. The house of cards will soon collapse, he added. There are no legal ramifications if Mr Netanyahu runs in the election with an indictment over him, but several coalition partners have baulked at the idea of forming a coalition under those circumstances. Mr Netanyahu had hoped he would be re-elected to serve a fourth consecutive term, making him the longest serving prime minister in Israels history. Benjamin Netanyahu stands by his wife Sara on the day Israel Securities Authority recommended indicting them both on bribery and other corruption charges (Photo by Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images) The popularity of his right-wing Likud party has plummeted in the polls, particularly after the creation of Blue and White Party, an alliance of popular ex-army chief Benny Gantz, and one of Israels main opposition leaders, Yair Lapid. In the latest poll released by Times of Israel on Thursday it showed the Likud party would lose four seats securing just 25 places in the 120-seat Knesset if charges are announced. The Blue and White party, Mr Netanyahus chief rival, meanwhile would soar dramatically from 36 to 44 seats, giving them the clear lead. But the key as to whether the premier can stay in office is over his ability to form a coalition. Until very recently Mr Netanyahus right-wing coalition was still larger and more powerful than a potential centrist one sculpted by Blue and White. Nevertheless, the Times of Israels polls showed that future criminal charges resulting from the indictment would blast Netanyahus ability to form a right-wing Ultra Orthodox bloc big enough to form a majority coalition. Coalition partners will have to decide in the coming weeks whether they would be happy to pair up with Mr Netanyahu ahead of the pre-trial hearing which will probably take place after the elections. Benjamin Netanyahu shortened an already delayed visit to Russia as problems mount ahead of April general elections (Getty Images) Mr Netanyahus defence has argued in Case 4000 that there was no connection between his actions with Bezeq and what occurred in Wallas editorial offices, and his decisions were reasonable as he was communications minister at the time. He defended himself in Case 1000 saying its permissible to accept gifts from friends. Alan Dershowitz, a prominent US lawyer, has come to Mr Netanyahus defence, publishing an open letter to attorney general Mr Mandelblit in which he warns that an indictment against the prime minister ahead of elections would undermine the democratic process. Im very worried for freedom of the press and freedom of government in Israel if they start indicting people for trying to get good coverage from the media, he told Israels Army Radio. I dont know of any other country that has criminalised trying to get good coverage and make that a basis of bribery or any other corruption investigation. President Donald Trump told American troops this week the United States backed forces in Syria took back 100 per cent of the territory once run by the Islamic State, a claim that conflicts with the allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander. We just took over, you know, you kept hearing it was 90 percent, 92 percent, the caliphate in Syria. Now its 100 per cent we just took over, 100 per cent caliphate, Mr Trump said on Thursday, while speaking to soldiers at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska during during a refuelling stop for Air Force One. However, SDF commander Mazloum Kobani said it might be too early to celebrate. He announced that the complete victory over Daesh (Islamic State) in a week, in a video released to the press on Thursday. Mr Trump was at the Alaskan joint base while travelling his way back to Washington from his summit meeting in Vietnam with North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un. During his visit, he told the troops about the progress the Trump administration made in Afghanistan and the greater Middle East since the beginning of his term. Mr Trumps comments on regaining complete control of ISIS territory comes a few months after the president announced his decision to withdraw US troops from Syria in December. He claimed that the US succeeded in their mission to defeat ISIS. Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Show all 14 1 /14 Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Trucks full of women and children arrive from the last Isis-held areas in Deir ez-Zor, Syria Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Zikia Ibrahim, 28, with her two-year-old son and 8-month-old daughter, after fleeing the Isis caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Men who fled the last Isis-held area of Syria line up to be questioned by American and Kurdish intelligence officials Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate A young girl pulls her belongings after arriving Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate An SDF fighter hands out bread to women and children after they arrive Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Sita Ghazzar, 70, after fleeing from the last Isis-held territory in Syria Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate A family from Russia who recently fled the last Isis-held area of Syria Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent His troop withdrawal announcement was met with swift backlash. Mr Trump responded with by leaving behind 400 US troops in Syria for a long-term plan: About 200 troops will stay in the northeast part of the multinational force and another 200 to stay in the southeast to fend off counter Iranian influences. On February 6, Mr Trump said he would be making a formal announcement to the American people the following week declaring that coalition forces recaptured all territory formerly held by ISIS in Syria. He has not made that announcement yet. At least half a dozen European journalists were barred from a press conference and signing ceremony on Thursday announcing 275 million in European Union money for Turkish rail projects. The grant will help fund the construction of a railway line between the southeast edge of the EU border in Bulgaria and the Turkish commercial capital, Istanbul. EU Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen told reporters at the televised appearance in Istanbul that he deeply regretted the barring of the journalists, and insisted that the EU was working with Turkish authorities to make sure "freedom of the press is respected." Berat Albayrak, Turkeys minister of energy, acknowledged some journalists seeking to enter the press conference were barred because they have not yet their press cards renewed. As you see, the ones whose accreditations were renewed are here, and they are free and at ease to ask their questions, he said. The signing of the deal comes weeks before closely watched 31 March municipal elections in which President Recep Tayyip Erdogans Justice and Development Party (AKP) faces voters for the first time since a financial meltdown last year. Insiders say the partys success hinges on the economy, with supporters of the AKP complaining about a loss of lucrative government building contracts. 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 Turkey has had fraught relations with the EU despite deep economic ties. Turkey has sought to enter the EU since 2005, but talks have stalled over issues pertaining to Ankaras commitment to democracy and freedom of speech. Europes contribution to the 1 billion Halkali-Kapikule Railway line project has been described as its largest ever investment in Turkey, linking central Istanbul to the EU border. The railway link have a 200 km/hour maximum speed capacity and state-of-the-art signalling systems. "With the signing of this flagship railway project, EU and Turkey show once more that they can work hand in hand for the benefit of their peoples, and for a joint and sustainable future, EU Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said in a statement. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 28) Former Senator Jinggoy Estrada wants the court to stop his plunder trial in connection with the pork barrel scam. In a motion filed at the Sandiganbayan, Estrada asked permission to file a demurrer to evidence which essentially seeks the dismissal of a case. This comes after the prosecution finished their presentation of evidence in his plunder case. "Sen. Estrada begs leave of this Honorable Court to file a Demurrer to Evidence and to move for the dismissal of the indictment against him for failure of the prosecution to prove the charge in the Information with evidence showing guilt beyond reasonable doubt," his motion received by the anti-graft court's Fifth Division on February 22 reads. An accused files a demurrer to evidence when he wants the court to decide on a case halfway through the trial, based solely on evidence presented by the prosecution. An example is the plunder case of former president, now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Her demurrer to evidence was denied at the Sandiganbayan, but granted at the Supreme Court. In challenging the prosecution's evidence mid-trial, Estrada is waiving his right to present his own evidence to prove his innocence. "An accused need not even attempt to prove his innocence and should not be made to wait until the entirety of trial is completed to assert his right to be presumed innocent," Estrada said. Estrada is accused of pocketing at least P183 million by funneling his pork barrel to fake nongovernment organizations owned by businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles. Campus News Davis speaks on Kings legacy, current social justice landscape By ROBBY JOHNSON We stand in solidarity with struggling peoples all over the word. That is the message that Dr. King left us regarding the end of visibility of justice. Political activist Angela Davis celebrated the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and spoke about social justice issues throughout the world before a large audience in Alumni Arena Wednesday night during an appearance as part of UBs Distinguished Speakers Series. Throughout her talk, Davis touched on many social justice issues, among them Palestinian independence, the plight of the Rohingya people and the political landscape regarding immigration in the U.S. She began by acknowledging the indigenous people who lived in the Buffalo area long before UB and the city of Buffalo existed. I understand that the university and the city are situated on the land of the Haudenosaunee, Davis said. I think its important to begin any formal gathering by acknowledging the fact that we are on colonized land and that we have not yet adequately addressed the consequences of the original genocidal violence inflicted on the first people of this continent. After her opening remarks, Davis, UBs 43rd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration keynote speaker, talked about Kings legacy. We celebrate Dr. King each year, not only because we are determined to keep his dream of justice, equality and freedom alive, but because it is essential to our own collective health that we recognize that Dr. King symbolizes the contributions of untold numbers of people, without whom the freedom movement would not have occurred, Davis said. She said King was special because he relied on the help of those around him to create social and political change. He was not a man above anyone else, she said, and instead served merely as a prominent figurehead for the American civil rights movement. Everyone has the potential to become an agent of change, Davis said. Let us not look up to Dr. King as a man who towered so far above us that we cannot imagine achieving his heights; he was who he was because there were many standing with him who organized the movement while he served as its public face. (Dr. Kings) greatness resided precisely in his capacity to recognize the contributions of masses of people. Davis also spoke of her upbringing in Birmingham, Alabama, and her efforts as a leading figure in the civil rights movement. At one point, she painted a picture of her childhood by telling how she resisted with her friends from the Dynamite Hill neighborhood on Center Street, which was racially segregated on each side. We knew that we were not allowed as black children to be on the other side of the street, so we developed a whole series of games where we would dare each other to run across the street, knowing full well that our actions were literally against the law, she said. Those of us who were feeling bold would run across the street, run up the steps of a white persons house, ring their doorbell and try to run back across the street before they answered the door. We learned early on that resistance can be fun. Jeremy Hunt is on his way to the Middle East to hold talks on trying to end the four year-long war in Yemen. The foreign secretary is due to arrive in Oman on Friday and will then travel on to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. He has meetings lined up with key figures on both sides of the seemingly intractable conflict. Mr Hunt will speak to senior members of the Yemeni government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, and the Houthi rebel group which has been trying to overthrow them since 2015. He said he would urge all parties to resume diplomacy and take steps to ease the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn nation. Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Show all 17 1 /17 Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Doctors take some blood of Yemeni Yousef Abdullah Bakhit Ali, 13, suffering from severe acute malnutrition. With ongoing and unending conflict in Yemen, humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate across the country Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen A doctor weighs Yemeni baby Yahya Hamoud Ali Al Huzef, 9 months suffering from malnutrition Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Ali Mohammed Ahmed Jamal,12 years old and suffering from severe acute malnutrition. He arrives with his family at a Unicef supported treatment centre in a hospital in Sanaa Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen A doctor measures the arm of Yemeni Ali Mohammed Ahmed Jamal, 12, who is suffering from malnutrition at a treatment centre in a hospital in Sanaa Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen There are over 400,000 severely malnourished children in need urgent lifesaving assistance in Yemen Unicef/Abdulhaleem Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Ali Mohammed Ahmed Jamal is weighed Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen A doctor measures the arm of baby Yahya Hamoud Ali Al Huzef Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Unicef are currently working to reach 275,000 malnourished children with critical life-saving supplies and care for over 5 million people with safe and clean water to stop the spread of life-threatening diseases Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Yahya Hamoud Ali Al Huzef with his family in his house in the outskirts of the capital Sanaa Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen The country is on the brink of famine and children's chances of survival are becoming slimmer by the day Unicef/Abdulhaleem Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Ali Mohammed Ahmed Jamal has his arm measured Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Unicef are currently working to provide nearly 1 million children with vaccines and healthcare Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Unicef are working with partners around-the clock to save children suffering from malnutrition and disease Unicef/Abdulhaleem Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Unicef are currently working to provide 9 million people with emergency cash assistance to help families buy basic commodities so they can survive Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Ali Mohammed Ahmed Jamal is suffering from malnutrition Unicef Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Unicef/Abdulhaleem A key aim will be ensuring aid can be brought in, including through the crucial Red Sea port Hodeidah. My aim is to build on the UN-backed agreement reached in Stockholm in December, Mr Hunt said. The peace process has allowed a sustained reduction in fighting in Hodeidah. But more needs to be done. In my discussions with the Houthis and the government of Yemen I will urge all sides to accelerate the redeployments they agreed at Stockholm and ensure the flow of humanitarian relief. Recommended Yemen factions agree on first phase of withdrawal from Hodeidah Mr Hunt is under pressure domestically to raise the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October during his visit to Riyadh - and to reveal the result of the UK government's investigation into it. The also trip comes after Mr Hunt failed to persuade Germany to re-start arms sales to Saudi Arabia after Berlin halted the trade over human rights fears. At least 10 million Yemenis are on the brink of starvation but 50,000 tonnes of grain from the World Food Programme enough to feed 3.7 million people for a month has been stuck in inaccessible mills since September because of fighting. Moving these forces away from the ports is necessary to prevent a return to fighting, prepare the road for the next round of peace talks and ensure desperately needed humanitarian aid is able to reach those who need it most, Mr Hunt added. The senior Conservative will also use meetings with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to reinforce the UKs continued commitment to regional security, prosperity and human rights issues, the Foreign Office said. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Amnesty International UKs Oliver Feeley-Sprague said: The foreign secretarys role as a peacemaker in Yemen is deeply compromised by the role the UK is playing in arming key members of the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen. The coalitions bombing of hospitals, homes, weddings and even bus-loads of children has been one of the biggest causes of misery in the Yemen conflict, and the UK needs to finally accept this and stop the flow of these British arms to Riyadh and its allies. Additional reporting by PA Thai Airways has resumed flights to Europe amid the ongoing closure of Pakistans airspace. The national carrier yesterday cancelled a rash of Europe flights, stranding thousands of passengers at Bangkoks main airport Suvarnabhumi. Some flights were also forced to turn back. Europe-bound flights will be routed instead through Chinese airspace, Thai Airways said today. Pakistan shut its airspace yesterday as tensions continued to grow with India. The two Thai flights from Bangkok to London will depart as normal today. The carrier flies from Bangkok to 13 destinations in Europe including Frankfurt, Stockholm, Munich and Paris. All flights have resumed, the airline said, although it advised passengers booked onto a Europe-bound flight that they should check with the airline first. Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Show all 28 1 /28 Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Activists of Al-Badr Mujahideen, an islamic militant group, burn an effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an anti-India protest in Peshawar, Pakistan AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures A Pakistani girl holds a light candle during a vigil for peace in Lahore on March 3 AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures School children react as they celebrate the release of Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman by Pakistan at a school in Ahmedabad Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan, stands under armed escort near Pakistan-India border in Wagah Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian Border Security Force soldiers patrol along the border with Pakistan EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures A videograb allegedly shows the captured Indian Air Force pilot in the custody of Pakistani military SWNS Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani civil society activists hold anti-war signs during a peace rally in Islamabad AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani civil society activists hold anti-war signs during a peace rally in Islamabad AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Activists of Al-Badr Mujahideen, an islamic militant group, burn an effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an anti-India protest in Peshawar, Pakistan Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri onlookers stand look on as an Indian army helicopter lands near the site where an Indian Air Force jet was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures An Indian soldier gestures near the wreckage of an Indian Air Force fighter jet that was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Supporters of a Pakistani religious group Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba brand Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a terrorist at a rally to condemn Indian aggression AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures India's Border Security Force soldiers patrol along the fenced border with Pakistan on February 26 Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Protesters in Pakistan march against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Supporters of India's ruling Bhartiya Janta Party workers hold Indian flags as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Protesters in Pakistan march against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures People in India burn an effigy that represents Pakistan as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Bhartiya Janta Party workers hold Indian flags as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Kashmiris in the border town of Chakoti walk past India-bound cargo trucks that are parked as the road to India is closed AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Workers enter a concrete bunker that they have built in a residential area near the border Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani soldiers and journalists gather at the site where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani soldiers and journalists gather at the site where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace AFP/Getty Meanwhile, the closure of Pakistan airspace has meant airlines have been forced to fly longer routes around it. A flight from Tashkent in Uzbekistan to Amritsar in India would usually take 2.5 hours but due to overfly restrictions in Pakistan, it took over six hours, according to FlightRadar24. Other international carriers including British Airways and Singapore Airlines have also had to re-route flights between Europe and Asia. The UK foreign office warned of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, and advised travellers to check with their airline before travel. Thai Airways cancelled all flights to Europe on Wednesday 27 February, leaving thousands of visitors stranded. Thailands national carrier made the decision in response to Pakistan closing its airspace after it claimed two Indian military jets were shot down while crossing the border dividing Kashmir. Flights have since resumed. The airline said it was waiting for permission to use other routes to fly into Europe that dont cross Pakistans airspace. All its Europe-bound flights were suspended, and one flight that had already taken off earlier in the day had to turn back. Hundreds of travellers were waiting at Thailands Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok following the cancellations. Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Show all 28 1 /28 Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Activists of Al-Badr Mujahideen, an islamic militant group, burn an effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an anti-India protest in Peshawar, Pakistan AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures A Pakistani girl holds a light candle during a vigil for peace in Lahore on March 3 AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures School children react as they celebrate the release of Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman by Pakistan at a school in Ahmedabad Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan, stands under armed escort near Pakistan-India border in Wagah Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian Border Security Force soldiers patrol along the border with Pakistan EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures A videograb allegedly shows the captured Indian Air Force pilot in the custody of Pakistani military SWNS Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani civil society activists hold anti-war signs during a peace rally in Islamabad AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani civil society activists hold anti-war signs during a peace rally in Islamabad AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Activists of Al-Badr Mujahideen, an islamic militant group, burn an effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an anti-India protest in Peshawar, Pakistan Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri onlookers stand look on as an Indian army helicopter lands near the site where an Indian Air Force jet was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures An Indian soldier gestures near the wreckage of an Indian Air Force fighter jet that was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Supporters of a Pakistani religious group Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba brand Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a terrorist at a rally to condemn Indian aggression AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures India's Border Security Force soldiers patrol along the fenced border with Pakistan on February 26 Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Protesters in Pakistan march against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Supporters of India's ruling Bhartiya Janta Party workers hold Indian flags as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Protesters in Pakistan march against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures People in India burn an effigy that represents Pakistan as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Bhartiya Janta Party workers hold Indian flags as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Kashmiris in the border town of Chakoti walk past India-bound cargo trucks that are parked as the road to India is closed AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Workers enter a concrete bunker that they have built in a residential area near the border Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani soldiers and journalists gather at the site where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani soldiers and journalists gather at the site where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace AFP/Getty Backpacker Nicolle Paisley, who was on the flight which had to return, told the Daily Mail passengers were in the dark about when their flights would be rescheduled and said theyd been given no food or drink while they wait. Thai Airways flights from Bangkok to Europe are all cancelled (bangkokairportonline.com) The conflict situation between Pakistan and India has affected Thai Airways flights, said Thai Airways president Sumeth Damrongchaitham. Flights also had to turn back to Bangkok, including the London and Frankfurt flights. By closing the airspace, every flight from Thailand to Europe has been affected. For flights that are going to depart this evening we will call an urgent meeting to consider the impact of such events. The airline flies to 13 European destinations: the UK, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, France, Russia, Frankfurt and Munich in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Rome and Milan in Italy and Austria. Other airlines have also been affected. Air Canada has cancelled all flights to India, with flight tracking site FlightRadar24 showing that one service from Toronto to Delhi was forced to turn back while flying over Sweden. Passengers will have spent 13 hours onboard to end up back where they started. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Qatar Airways temporarily suspended flights to eight cities in India and Pakistan; Qatar flights that normally cross India-Pakistan airspace may be delayed due to rerouting. Gulf Air has suspended all flights to and from Pakistan, while Emirates, Etihad and SriLankan Airlines have also cancelled some services. Q We are heading to the south of mainland Italy and Sicily in late April. Should we purchase euros in advance of the UK leaving the European Union on 29 March? Martin C A In the short term (and certainly covering your impending holiday) any significant movement of the pound will depend largely on the manner of Britains departure from the EU. More than 30 months have elapsed since the vote to leave the European Union, and with only 30 days left until the date chosen by the prime minister for the UK to exit the EU, there is still no certainty about what will happen. This is having a serious impact on the travel planning by millions of people such as you. This week the Defence Committee blasted failed veterans mental health provision. As a veteran and PTSD sufferer and former defence journalist well acquainted with the limits of MPs scrutiny committees this is refreshing. Yet their report does not go deep enough. It looks at what happens to us after service, but less so at what happens at the start of the military production line. Once again truly critical commentary has been left to those outside government. A new report entitled Selling the Military, launched yesterday, says what neither committee nor government will say. It slams military recruitment advertising for targeting groups, particularly disadvantaged young people, who are likeliest to suffer precisely the kind of adverse outcomes detailed in the committee report. Written by military watchdog ForcesWatch, health charity Medact and with contributions from academics and veterans, the report calls for greater scrutiny and regulation of military recruitment marketing on health and ethical grounds. The potential health and wellbeing impacts of a military career, heightened for those who enlist youngest and from disadvantaged backgrounds, are also highlighted in a British Medical Journal piece published this week, and in a 2016 report by Medact. These risks include long-term mental issues such as a 64 per cent increased risk of suicide among men under 20 in the Army when compared to the general population, and among young veterans when compared to the general population. Other potential impacts range from poorer educational outcomes to having an inferior legal system in place to protect them. Army recruitment posters target millenials Show all 6 1 /6 Army recruitment posters target millenials Army recruitment posters target millenials Me Me Me Millennials MoD / Crown Copyright / PA Wire Army recruitment posters target millenials Selfie Addicts PA Army recruitment posters target millenials Binge Gamers PA Army recruitment posters target millenials Snowflakes PA Army recruitment posters target millenials Class Clowns PA Army recruitment posters target millenials Phone Zombies PA The latter is a crucial point young people should be made aware that there are high levels of bullying and sexual harassment in the military, especially for female and BAME personnel. Human rights group Liberty recently detailed disturbing case studies of this abuse and also how the armed forces are ill-equipped to deal with it. They even launched their own Human Rights Helpline because the militarys justice system is way below the civilian standard. This is a striking contrast to the recruitment adverts that promise not only equality that but the armed forces offer a far more equal, respectful and welcoming environment than civilian employers. Working age veterans are also twice as likely to be unemployed as working age non-veterans, and many veterans say they struggle in civilian life due to a lack of transferable skills. The incredible sense of belonging sold by the military is enticing to young people in particular but it does not speak to the high levels of loneliness and isolation, faced particularly by veterans but also personnel who cite causes like a culture of self-reliance and pride. Yet the militarys expensive and complex campaigns whitewash over these things and sell falsehoods to vulnerable young people. The Selling the Military report details how marketing briefings and maps targeting cities against multiple deprivation indicators, prove that the army targets young people from the most deprived areas in the UK, and that they view these young people as impressionable. Watching the armys This is Belonging, Made in the Royal Navy and the RAFs No Ordinary Job adverts, one could be fooled into thinking an exciting, fulfilling career awaits young people in the military. But in fact military surveys show levels of satisfaction among personnel are shockingly low with only four in ten of non-officers satisfied with service life in general. Levels of morale are reported as even lower; and roughly half of recruits dont feel they had an accurate picture of services life before joining. Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts has commented on the Selling the Military Report, saying: It is unacceptable that the armed forces target vulnerable people as a recruitment strategy. When those vulnerable people are also under the age of 18, such targeted marketing must be called out as a cynical, calculated ploy to manipulate young peoples behaviour. Advertising alcohol and other legal drugs is regulated by law with the intention of safeguarding under 18 year olds. Surely the age restrictions and marketing methods of military recruitment must be restrained by law too. The report concludes with recommendations for what policymakers could do to provide oversight and regulation on how the uniquely risky careers of the armed forces are promoted to often vulnerable young people. Unfortunately, while the Defence Committee have previously recommended that there is a review of the young age of recruitment that the UK insists on maintaining a measure that would safeguard the well-being of the youngest recruits in todays recruitment crisis climate, it seems unlikely that they will put the interests of the young before defence interests. As understanding grows of the pressured marketing tactics used by the armed forces and the health impacts of young recruitment as well as the wider issue of how adolescence is an extended window of vulnerability to sophisticated marketing that requires regulation more generally we hope that defence interests will take second place. Joe Glenton is an Afghanistan veteran, journalist and the author of Soldier Box When a car bomb killed 46 Indian paramilitary police in Kashmir a fortnight ago, the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, promised a jaw-breaking response. He was as good as his word, and it has now been delivered, breaking plenty of bones. India claims to have killed a very large number of Islamist militants in a training camp in the Pakistan-ruled part of Kashmir, a territory that has been disputed since the British left the subcontinent in 1947. The group, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility for the attack on the Indian troops, and have now found themselves losing some of their own. It marks the first aerial bombing in the region since the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. It may not be the last of the violence in this region, newly agitated by a rise in Islamist activity, which has overlain ancient religious, national jealousies and superpower rivalries. It marks a new front in the war on terror. The danger of escalation is obvious, and Pakistan has said it has scrambled fighter planes in response to the Indian attack. If the Indians choose not to make further bombing raids and they have no immediate justification or take other direct military action against the insurgents, then the tensions may subside, for now. If not, then a gradual slide into low-level warfare seems inevitable. Even that might not develop into an escalation, but, as ever in the relationship between India and Pakistan, there are other agendas at work, with China, Russia and America all interested parties in the scramble for regional influence. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has historically been close to the US and, more recently, China; the Hindu/nationalistic India was always inclined towards friendship with Russia, and once fought a brief border war with China. Like the Middle East, then, the scope for an accidental proxy war breaking out is apparent. However, volatile as the situation is, it is not a perfect parallel, and that should give the world some cause for hope. First, another conflict between India and Pakistan would be a vastly larger affair than any of the proxy wars that have raged across the Middle East in recent years, simply because the Indian subcontinent is a more significant and valuable territory in the great game of geopolitics, and just as it was when the British and the Russian czars rattled their sabres across the northwest frontier a century and a half ago. There is more chance, in other words, of one or other sides, and their allies, losing a great deal in any regional war, compared with, say Syria. The stakes being greater, there is probably more chance that the superpowers will restrain rather than egg on their regional clients. Sovereignty over the beautiful but poor region of Kashmir is a passionate business for the Pakistanis and the Indians, but it is of no interest to Washington, Beijing or Moscow. Second, and by the same token, the authorities in Islamabad know how much they have to lose by picking a fight with their more populous and economically powerful neighbour. The rise of the Indian economy is the biggest single change of circumstance since the 1971 war, and the balance of power between the two states has altered greatly to Indias advantage. India is, still, a democracy, and realises too how much is at stake with a war over the marginal territory of Kashmir, which has been de facto portioned for three-quarters of a century. War, in other words, is not worth it, and the Indians have obviously been careful to make sure that they attacked terrorists, not Pakistani installations on some pretext. Still, the existence of another band of determined and murderous Islamist terrorists on Pakistani-controlled territory hardly inspires confidence in the future stability of the region. Pakistans relationship with the Taliban and their successors has been a complicated one, and subject to the very real limits of the Pakistani governments authority in tribal regions. Whatever the Indians have done, and whatever the detail about the attacks on Indian forces, the Pakistani military would be well advised to move to contain or, preferably, eliminate JeM. It is quite simply in the best interests of the fragile stability of their state. Given that both India and Pakistan possess nuclear weaponry, it is also a matter of vital concern to the whole world. When I heard the first news report, I assumed it was an Israeli air raid on Gaza. Or Syria. Airstrikes on a terrorist camp were the first words. A command and control centre destroyed, many terrorists killed. The military was retaliating for a terrorist attack on its troops, we were told. An Islamist jihadi base had been eliminated. Then I heard the name Balakot and realised that it was neither in Gaza, nor in Syria not even in Lebanon but in Pakistan. Strange thing, that. How could anyone mix up Israel and India? Well, dont let the idea fade away. Two thousand five hundred miles separate the Israeli ministry of defence in Tel Aviv from the Indian ministry of defence in New Delhi, but theres a reason why the usual cliche-stricken agency dispatches sound so similar. For months, Israel has been assiduously lining itself up alongside Indias nationalist BJP government in an unspoken and politically dangerous anti-Islamist coalition, an unofficial, unacknowledged alliance, while India itself has now become the largest weapons market for the Israeli arms trade. Not by chance, therefore, has the Indian press just trumpeted the fact that Israeli-made Rafael Spice-2000 smart bombs were used by the Indian air force in its strike against Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists inside Pakistan. Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Show all 28 1 /28 Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Activists of Al-Badr Mujahideen, an islamic militant group, burn an effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an anti-India protest in Peshawar, Pakistan AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures A Pakistani girl holds a light candle during a vigil for peace in Lahore on March 3 AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures School children react as they celebrate the release of Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman by Pakistan at a school in Ahmedabad Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan, stands under armed escort near Pakistan-India border in Wagah Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian Border Security Force soldiers patrol along the border with Pakistan EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures A videograb allegedly shows the captured Indian Air Force pilot in the custody of Pakistani military SWNS Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani civil society activists hold anti-war signs during a peace rally in Islamabad AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani civil society activists hold anti-war signs during a peace rally in Islamabad AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Activists of Al-Badr Mujahideen, an islamic militant group, burn an effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an anti-India protest in Peshawar, Pakistan Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri onlookers stand look on as an Indian army helicopter lands near the site where an Indian Air Force jet was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures An Indian soldier gestures near the wreckage of an Indian Air Force fighter jet that was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Supporters of a Pakistani religious group Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba brand Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a terrorist at a rally to condemn Indian aggression AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures India's Border Security Force soldiers patrol along the fenced border with Pakistan on February 26 Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Protesters in Pakistan march against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Supporters of India's ruling Bhartiya Janta Party workers hold Indian flags as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Protesters in Pakistan march against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures People in India burn an effigy that represents Pakistan as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Indian soldiers and Kashmiri villagers look on at the smouldering wreckage of an Indian fighter jet after it was shot down by the Pakistani military AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Bhartiya Janta Party workers hold Indian flags as they celebrate the Indian airstrike on allege Pakistan terrorist camp EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Kashmiris in the border town of Chakoti walk past India-bound cargo trucks that are parked as the road to India is closed AP Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani Army soldiers escort journalists to the scene where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace EPA Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Workers enter a concrete bunker that they have built in a residential area near the border Reuters Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani soldiers and journalists gather at the site where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace AFP/Getty Pakistan shoots down Indian fighter jets: Reaction in pictures Pakistani soldiers and journalists gather at the site where Indian fighter jets struck in a violation of Pakistani airspace AFP/Getty Like many Israeli boasts of hitting similar targets, the Indian adventure into Pakistan might owe more to the imagination than military success. The 300-400 terrorists supposedly eliminated by the Israeli-manufactured and Israeli-supplied GPS-guided bombs may turn out to be little more than rocks and trees. But there was nothing unreal about the savage ambush of Indian troops in Kashmir on 14 February which the JeM claimed, and which left 40 Indian soldiers dead. Nor the shooting down of at least one Indian jet this week. India was Israels largest arms client in 2017, paying 530m for Israeli air defence, radar systems and ammunition, including air-to-ground missiles most of them tested during Israels military offensives against Palestinians and targets in Syria. Israel itself is trying to explain away its continued sales of tanks, weapons and boats to the Myanmar military dictatorship while western nations impose sanctions on the government which has attempted to destroy its minority and largely Muslim Rohingya people. But Israels arms trade with India is legal, above-board and much advertised by both sides. The Israelis have filmed joint exercises between their own special commando units and those sent by India to be trained in the Negev desert, again with all the expertise supposedly learned by Israel in Gaza and other civilian-thronged battlefronts. At least 16 Indian Garud commandos part of a 45-strong Indian military delegation were for a time based at the Nevatim and Palmachim air bases in Israel. In his first visit to India last year preceded by a trip to Israel by nationalist Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu recalled the 2008 Islamist attacks on Mumbai in which almost 170 civilians were killed. Indians and Israelis know too well the pain of terrorist attacks, he told Modi. We remember the horrific savagery of Mumbai. We grit our teeth, we fight back, we never give in. This was also BJP-speak. Several Indian commentators, however, have warned that right-wing Zionism and right-wing nationalism under Modi should not become the foundation stone of the relationship between the two countries, both of which in rather different ways fought the British empire. Brussels researcher Shairee Malhotra, whose work has appeared in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, has pointed out that India has the worlds third largest Muslim population after Indonesia and Pakistan upward of 180 million people. The India-Israel relationship is also commonly being framed in terms of a natural convergence of ideas between their ruling BJP and Likud parties, she wrote last year. Hindu nationalists had constructed a narrative of Hindus as historically victims at the hands of Muslims, an attractive idea to those Hindus who recall partition and the continuing turbulent relationship with Pakistan. In fact, as Malhotra pointed out in Haaretz, Israels biggest fans in India appear to be the internet Hindus who primarily love Israel for how it deals with Palestine and fights Muslims. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Malhotra has condemned Carleton University professor Vivek Dehejia for demanding a tripartite alliance between India, Israel and the US since they have all suffered from the scourge of Islamic terrorism. In fact, by the end of 2016, only 23 men from India had left to fight for Isis in the Arab world, although Belgium, with a population of only half a million Muslims, produced nearly 500 fighters. Malhotras argument is that the Indian-Israeli relationship should be pragmatic rather than ideological. But it is difficult to see how Zionist nationalism will not leach into Hindu nationalism when Israel is supplying so many weapons to India the latest of which India, which has enjoyed diplomatic relations with Israel since 1992, has already used against Islamists inside Pakistan. Signing up to the war on terror especially Islamist terror may seem natural for two states built on colonial partition whose security is threatened by Muslim neighbours. In both cases, their struggle is over the right to own or occupy territory. Israel, India and Pakistan all possess nuclear weapons. Another good reason not to let Palestine and Kashmir get tangled up together. And to leave Indias 180 million Muslims alone. When I first heard that the second United States and North Korea summit was scheduled to take place in Hanoi, I thought Vietnam was the perfect place for it. The country makes for a good example of what the future of North Korea might look like. Vietnam used to be the isolated communist country bordering China, with their guns pointed at the United States and their economy on a constant downturn. Now it has a 6 per cent annual GDP growth rate and retains control over its politics. It is, from all perspectives, a success story. By now, however, we know that something went wrong with the summit. Both leaders ended the talks early not even stopping to sample the expensive dinner that was being prepared for them and Trump almost immediately departed the country. A signing ceremony which had been planned for a historic new agreement was abandoned. As a South Korean living in America and working in government policy, I felt a moment of realisation when the talks failed: our country should have done more. President Moon Jae-in said in a presidential meeting, The owner of the fate of the Korean peninsula is us and to see the owner out of the picture in such a historical summit left me with deep reservations. Trump thought that he could negotiate the future of the Korean Peninsula without the South Koreans; he imagined we werent needed. No doubt hes learning from that mistake now. Some might argue that the US was delivering messages on behalf of South Korea, but the truth is that proper discussions and consultations with the South Korean administration did not take place prior to the summit. Date and venue selection dominated almost all of the short conversations that were had. Trump had set a timezone which rendered nuanced discussion impossible. To be in the picture and to see some proper progress after this disappointing failure of a summit South Korea needs to stop playing the good cop. Its clear to see now that gestures like walking across the border together, holding hands and sharing noodles only entrenched the Norths idea that they can get what they want without giving anything up. We left discussions about denuclearization to the US, and it didnt work. In retrospect, it was probably never going to work without our input. What we learnt from this summit is how stubborn Kim Jong-un can be even when hes clearly desperate to have international sanctions lifted. And since Kim failed in such a strategy with the US, he will need to turn to either China or South Korea next. I hope we dont lend him a hand. Trump and Kim: leaders arrive in Vietnam for talks Show all 7 1 /7 Trump and Kim: leaders arrive in Vietnam for talks Trump and Kim: leaders arrive in Vietnam for talks Donald Trump and Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong make their way to a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi Reuters Trump and Kim: leaders arrive in Vietnam for talks Donald Trump waves a Vietnamese flag as Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc looks on AFP/Getty Trump and Kim: leaders arrive in Vietnam for talks Donald Trump waves as he leaves the Presidential Palace in Hanoi AFP/Getty Trump and Kim: leaders arrive in Vietnam for talks North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, is welcomed on his arrival at the Melia Hotel in Hanoi AP Trump and Kim: leaders arrive in Vietnam for talks Kim Jong-un waves as he arrives by train in the Vietnamese border town of Dong Dang AP Trump and Kim: leaders arrive in Vietnam for talks North Korean leader Kim Jong-un receiving a situation report before the summit with Trump AFP/Getty Trump and Kim: leaders arrive in Vietnam for talks The motorcade carrying U.S President Donald Trump drives past Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum AP I watched this summit unfold with a huge amount of optimism, despite my reservations; and I still hope that this is the first step in bringing changes to North Korea and human rights back to the North Korean people. Perhaps the haste with which this is all planned partly explains the lack of a deal. We could have waited another year or two after 70 years of constant threat. But that was never going to be a convenient timescale for Donald Trump. The US presidents bluster may work as a rhetorical strategy (or perhaps even as a ploy for the Nobel Peace Prize) but weve allowed ourselves to believe it will make any meaningful change for far too long. One of the United States main blunders in Singapore was to sign a joint statement to, among other things, promote the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. American negotiators apparently took this to mean the denuclearization of North Korea, when for North Korea, it meant getting South Korea out from under Americas nuclear umbrella. For Trump, this was a bit of smiling showmanship but it was far from a joke for the South Korean people. Its now led to a huge amount of misunderstanding. Whether it was strategy or a look of thought that led to South Korea being kept away from the summit, I dont believe well see proper progress until there are three-country talks. Hanoi was about Trumps intention of getting re-elected and Kims desire to be seen on the world stage. Lets hope that next time the Korean Peninsula comes under discussion, the leaders involved are interested in more than their own reputations. Lee Onyou is the pseudonym of a South Korean intergovernmental staff member in New York An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (left) and Tanaiste Simon Coveney during the Governments launch of Irelands new Policy for International Development, A Better World, at UCD, Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA Wire) Ireland has pledged to double its foreign aid funding to more than two billion euro by 2030. The announcement was made by the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste at the launch of A Better World, the Governments new policy for international development, at an event in University College Dublin on Thursday. Speaking @ucddublin at the launch of #ABetterWorld, Irelands new policy for overseas development aid, Taoiseach @campaignforleo said it is not just about money, it is about outcomes @PA pic.twitter.com/CsvZvL4j9D Michelle Devane (@michelledevane) February 28, 2019 The government plans to increase international aid to 0.7% of gross national income by 2030. Ireland current spends more than 800 million euro per annum on foreign aid. Climate change, terrorism, inequality and migration are worldwide challenges. We cannot solve them on our own. We need to take global action. Its the right thing to do but its also in our interest to do it #ABetterWorld pic.twitter.com/Yv1FmRAKmb Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) February 28, 2019 Leo Varadkar described the new policy as an eloquent statement of what the Government wants to achieve in the area of international development in the 21st century. He said he was very conscious that, before the economic crisis, Ireland was moving towards reaching the 0.7% goal but it had dropped to about 0.3% since then. Weve a long distance to go yet but were determined to do it and reach that target by 2030, he said. Mr Varadkar added: At its heart is a focused pledge in relation to the sustainable development goals to leave nobody behind and reach the furthest behind first. The funds will go towards issues such as gender equality, climate action and governance. The new plan aims to builds on Governments Global Ireland initiative to double the scope and impact of Irelands global footprint by 2025. Today the Government launched #ABetterWorld, Ireland's International Development Programme It builds on #GlobalIreland to double the scope of Ireland's global footprint Read more https://t.co/o6WbkKK5sM pic.twitter.com/r1e6YR7zcr Irish Foreign Ministry (@dfatirl) February 28, 2019 Simon Coveney said the new plans were about making the world a better place to live. At a time of change and uncertainty its important that Ireland plays its part not only at home but also abroad, he said. Mr Coveney said the government did not make the commitment lightly and that it would involve difficult choices for future governments. The financial commitment effectively is to take our development aid from just over 800 million a year to well over two billion euro a year over the next 10 years, he said. For me this is part of a measure of who we should be and who we want to be as a global citizen. Its a real commitment that involves choices and indeed sacrifices of what otherwise could be achieve by this money at home should we chose not to spend it abroad. Two Northern Ireland registered vessels fishing boats seized by the Irish Navy moored in the port of Clogherhead in Co Louth. Photo; Niall Carson/PA Wire Two UK fishing boats have been seized by the Irish Navy amid an ongoing impasse over their right to fish in Ireland's waters. The Northern Ireland-registered vessels were detained by the Irish Naval Service in Dundalk bay and have been impounded at nearby Clogherhead port. However, a UK Government spokesman said the UK cannot continue to accept the unequal application of a deal with the Republic of Ireland over fishing rights. The move by Irish authorities comes amid an ongoing fishing dispute caused by the demise of an informal deal between the UK and Irish governments. The Voisinage agreement, which collapsed months after the Brexit referendum, was a reciprocal understanding between the UK and Irish Republic dating back to the mid-1960s that allowed vessels from Northern Ireland to fish in Irish inshore waters (zero to six nautical miles from shore) and vice versa. But the agreement hit the rocks in late 2016 when a number of Irish fishermen brought a case to the state's Supreme Court, challenging the right of Northern Ireland vessels to fish in their waters. The court ruled Voisinage was an informal agreement of insufficient legal standing to formally grant access to foreign registered boats. That decision effectively banned Northern Ireland boats from fishing in Irish inshore waters - a move that impacted fishermen north of the border who traded in species such as lobsters, crabs, mussels and whelks. The UK has continued to recognise the Voisinage agreement so Irish vessels remain free to fish inshore waters around Northern Ireland. After the Supreme Court decision, the Dublin government pledged to introduce legislation to give legal effect to Voisinage. But two years on, the law change has not yet materialised, with many politicians south of the border opposed to draft proposals forwarded by the government. Fishermen in Northern Ireland have accused the Irish authorities of stalling, claiming the issue has become caught up in Brexit and is potentially being used as a bargaining chip for future negotiations on how Irish vessels would access UK waters once it leaves the EU. A spokesman for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: "The UK Government wants to see continued co-operation between Northern Ireland and Ireland over fisheries matters. "However, we cannot accept the current unequal application of this arrangement indefinitely and continue to explore solutions to reinstate a level playing field as quickly as possible for the benefit of all our fishermen." A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in Dublin highlighted that an independent body - the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) - enforces sea fisheries law in Ireland. He stressed Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed has no role in the execution of SFPA's functions. The spokesman said it is important to note the Supreme Court had ruled the Voisinage arrangements are not invalid, only that there is currently insufficient provision for them in domestic Irish law. "The Supreme Court in fact noted that the arrangements were a sensible recognition at official level of practice and tradition, where fishing boats traditionally fished neighbouring waters," he said. "The Government approved the publication of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill to address issues raised by the Supreme Court judgment, in so far as it relates to access for Northern Irish vessels. "If enacted and commenced, the Bill will give the Voisinage arrangements a proper legal footing. The Bill was published in February 2017, commenced debate in the Seanad shortly thereafter and remains before the Oireachtas." Jim Allister, leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice party, said it is time to "stand up for Northern Ireland's fishermen". He said: "The reciprocal basis of the Voisinage agreement has been breached, so why are we still pretending it exists and operating it to the disadvantage of local fishermen?" He called on the authorities to ban Irish boats from Northern Ireland waters, adding: "Doing nothing is no longer an option." A Garda spokesman said on Thursday: "An Irish naval vessel the LE Orla detained two UK-registered boats fishing in Dundalk bay. "They were escorted to port in Clogherhead where they were detained by Gardai under the 2006 Fisheries Act on February 27, 2019. "An order was issued at Dundalk district court for 48 hours in respect of both vessels. They remain at Clogherhead." Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, speaking in the House of Commons, said it appeared the crews had been seized "without a huge amount of justification". DUP MP Jim Shannon added he had lodged a request for an urgent question on the matter, noting: "I am also appalled at the actions of the Republic of Ireland Government - seizing boats which belong to this great nation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland." Your colleagues Bangs named fellow of American Society of Microbiology For more than 35 years, James "Jay" Bangs has conducted research on the parasite that causes African sleeping sickness in humans. Photo: Sandra Kicman By ELLEN GOLDBAUM James Jay D. Bangs, Grant T. Fisher Professor and Chair of Microbiology and Immunology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB, has been named a fellow of the American Society of Microbiology. ASM fellows, recognized for their excellence, originality and leadership in the microbiological sciences, are elected annually through a highly selective, peer-review process, based on their records of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology. Bangs will be officially inducted into the ASM fellowship at the organizations annual meeting in June in San Francisco. For more than 35 years, Bangs has conducted research on African trypanosomes, single-celled parasites transmitted by the tsetse fly, which cause African sleeping sickness in humans, a fatal, re-emerging disease throughout sub-Saharan Africa. His pioneering research specializes in the biochemistry and cell biology of African trypanosomes and their secretory processes; it has illuminated the biosynthesis and trafficking of key virulence factors in this important human and veterinary parasite. Bangs explains that because trypanosomes are eukaryotic cells, organized similarly to every cell in the human body, treatment of infection is not unlike cancer treatment in that chemotherapy against the parasite has harsh consequences for the patient. However, since infection is invariably fatal without intervention, new, more specific drugs are desperately needed. The goal of Bangs research is to define aspects of trypanosomal secretory processes that may provide novel pathways to new drugs to treat African sleeping sickness. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health since 1994. Bangs has organized the premier international meeting in his discipline the Molecular Parasitology Meeting at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Mass. and mentored many microbiology students in his laboratory, and hundreds more globally as lecturer, instructor and director of the Biology of Parasitism course at the MBL. He also served as an ad hoc and permanent member of the NIH Pathogenic Eukaryotes Study Section. He has served on the editorial boards of two of the fields main journals, Eukaryotic Cell and Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology. A UB faculty member since 2013, he was previously on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin, where he was a trainer for its microbiological doctoral training program and a member of its Center for Research and Training in Parasitic Diseases. A native of Vineyard Haven, Mass., Bangs received his undergraduate degree in biology from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. He received his PhD in biochemical, cellular and molecular biology from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and completed postdoctoral training in cell biology at Yale University School of Medicine and in microbiology at Stanford University School of Medicine. A Hard Brexit on March 29 will push the State into a budget deficit once again, although extra spending to offset the shock would be justified, according to Central Bank sources. A 4pc reduction in economic growth here, which is the Central Bank's projection in the event of the UK leaving without a deal, would result in the budget swinging from a small surplus to a deficit of around 2pc of gross domestic product. Despite this, the Central Bank is taking the view that the Government would need to respond to the economic shock and should not abandon its plans for investment in infrastructure which are in the budget for this year. Even though regulators have worked to minimise risks in the financial system from any Brexit shock, there is still a large market risk that has been amplified by a recent rise in the value of the pound on moves to try and prevent a no-deal exit, Those gains could be reversed unless there is a deal or an extension in negotiations within the next 29 days. While Brexit is still the major risk to the economy on the Central Bank's horizon, it is also keeping an eye on legislation affecting the mortgage market. One of the reasons for Ireland carrying the highest mortgage rates in the euro area is legislation favouring borrowers in the event of default, which has limited the appetite of new lenders to enter the market. The Central Bank is also believed to be sceptical about the value of proposals to end cashbacks, a measure proposed by Fianna Fail's Michael McGrath. It thinks there are more serious issues to be addressed, saying that cashbacks should remain on the menu of mortgage options and that they were suitable for some classes of borrower. Challenge: Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan played down fears of an influx of asylum seekers after Brexit Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has sought to play down suggestions Brexit could lead to a large influx of asylum seekers who would otherwise travel to the UK. But Mr Flanagan also said the potential issue was receiving consideration within the Justice Department. His comments at the Oireachtas Justice Committee came as new figures detail how applications for those seeking asylum in Ireland have grown steadily since the UK's June 2016 Brexit vote. Applications jumped 30pc to 2,926 between 2016 and 2017. This figure increased 25pc to 3,673 last year. Almost half of all applications last year came from just five countries - Albania, Georgia, Syria, Zimbabwe and Nigeria. The increase is thought to be partly due to fears UK immigration laws will tighten after Brexit. The influx is placing pressure on the direct provision system, with recent reports of overcrowding in accommodation centres. The situation has been exacerbated by the housing crisis as hundreds of successful asylum applicants have been unable to leave direct provision centres due to a lack of alternative accommodation. Questioned by Fianna Fail justice spokesman Jim O'Callaghan as to whether officials believed asylum applications would increase after the UK's March 29 exit date, Mr Flanagan said: "There is no evidence of that. However, it is something that we are giving consideration towards." The minister said the department's "anxiety" would be "to mitigate any adverse consequence that might give rise to a large number of applications". Brian Merriman, a principal officer at the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, said the number of applications had been increasing steadily in recent years. But he said he was "not planning for a major difference". Mr Merriman said he was not sure there would be a particular advantage to an asylum seeker choosing Ireland over the UK in the immediate future. He said UK authorities would have "a lot of order to put on their new systems". Mr Flanagan and officials were appearing at the committee to discuss the Government's mammoth Brexit omnibus bill, which will kick in should the UK depart the EU without a deal. He also discussed other fall back legislation and international conventions which will have to be used once EU instruments no longer apply to the UK. In the area of child abduction disputes, Mr Flanagan said he was satisfied there were a number of existing international conventions which would form a basis for continued cooperation. In another family law area, he said once EU regulations fall it would be possible to recognise UK divorces under existing legislation, the Domicile and Recognition of Foreign Divorces Act 1986. However, one area where he does foresee difficulty is in relation to the ability of Irish-based people to sue a British citizen or company in the Irish courts, something currently facilitated by EU regulations. Asked if there were any proposals for reciprocal arrangements to permit this arrangement to continue, Mr Flanagan said: "That is potentially challenging. It would depend on the circumstances of each case. But the likelihood will be that the action may have to be taken in the UK." One of the country's best-known and most successful entrepreneurs, John Teeling, has said European Union regulations have stymied the ability to establish and grow businesses. "That's why I don't like Europe. I'm not pro-European at all, I'd be a Brexiter big time - absolute ridiculous regulations," he said in an interview with the Irish Independent. "And all these people have to do is create more, more and more bureaucrats and their job is to create more regulation, and regulation stifles enterprise. And yet nobody does anything about it," Mr Teeling said. The Dubliner, whose interests range from diamonds and oil to whiskey, added that US President Donald Trump "tried to do things, and has done some things that are good". "Leave [entrepreneurs] as free as you possibly can," he added. "Don't get me wrong, a lot of regulation is right." But, an over-regulated "nanny state is terrible" for businesses, he said. Today Mr Teeling, who serves as chairman of Great Northern Distillery, a company he founded in 2012, says entrepreneurship has become "sexy". "When I first started teaching in UCD you asked first-years how many wanted to start their own business and you might have got 10 out of 300. Now you probably get 280, so it has changed - entrepreneurship is sexy in the world now," Mr Teeling said. He added that all entrepreneurs want is opportunities. "I don't think the State can provide real opportunities, you have to see those yourself, it's your vision. What I would love them to do is to leave us alone, do not regulate us, and certainly leave us with as much of the profits as they can. Don't over-tax us - incentivise us that way." "Make the [business] environment positive, you are only competing against yourself. With entrepreneurs it's for themselves, and you know what it is, it's the hunt, it's not the win at all. "It's the idea, somewhere along the line 'Jesus, I think I could do that', and then you see a product on the shelf in a strange country or your hear it on the news and that's it. I mean that's huge for your confidence, that's more important." Room to improve: While 21 Lower Leeson St (middle) sold for 1.065m, its potential is reflected by 22 Lower Leeson St (left) which is for sale with a 1.8m guide price Mortgage owners PTSB and Promontoria sold 62 individual, tenanted properties at BidX1 auctions in the last eight days, some at discounts to market prices. As many as 23 tenanted sales took place in Dublin, 11 in Cork City and county with the remaining 28 in the rest of the country. The discounted prices contrast with another recent trend which has seen larger investors paying premiums for some multi-unit tenanted properties, such as apartment blocks and pre '63 Dublin bedsit properties. Traditionally individual dwellings are offered for sale with vacant possession as this helps to attract, not just investors but also first-time buyers and other bidders. As the latter may also secure mortgages to help them to buy, the dwellings can attract more bidders and stronger prices than individual tenanted properties. Tenanted properties are mainly of interest to investors, so there are fewer bidders and hence properties can sell at discounts to market prices. Indeed, because of the reluctance of the main banks to lend for the purchase of tenanted properties, many of the tenants in these properties may not be able to buy their current dwellings. Due to the number of buy-to-let tenanted properties on the books of PTSB and Promontoria, an offshoot of Cerberus, these two businesses have been selling flats and houses with tenants in place. BidX1 has also marked down reserves especially on those in rent pressure zones where rent increases are curtailed by law. Contrasts between bids for vacant and tenanted units were seen at Phoenix View, James Street, Dublin 8. Apartment 8, a first floor, vacant one-bedroom unit extending to about 37 sq m (398 sq ft) sold for 175,000 or 15,000 over its 160,000 reserve. This equates to 4,730 per square metre. Its tenanted two-bedroom neighbouring unit, Apartment 1, sold for only 4,091 per square metre suggesting a 13.5 per cent discount compared to the smaller unit. This unit also attracted only one bid at its 180,000 reserve. Located on the ground floor, it extends to about 44 sq m (474 sq ft) and is let at 1,100 per month, way below two-bedroom apartment rents in Dublin 8, which Daft.ie shows average 1,882 per month. Nevertheless its price equates to a gross yield of 7.33pc. A patient investor bought a Shankill, Co Dublin apartment for 175,000 or 25,000 less than the 200,000 sought for it last autumn. Apartment 1 Glenbrae House, is a ground floor, two-bedroom unit extending to 74 sq m (796 sq ft). In 2017, two vacant apartments in the same block sold for more than 211,000 each. Another example is a semi-detached three-bedroom house, 7 The Vale, Whitefield Manor, Bettystown, Co Meath, which sold for its 190,000 reserve last week. Extending to 122 sq m (1,313 sq ft), it generates 900 per month. Last year all the houses that sold at Whitefield Manor, Bettystown ranged between 224,670 and 339,200. Gillian Earley of BidX1 says that the proximity of the rents to current market levels was reflected in prices and sales. In Cork all 11 units sold and rents were closer to market levels with yields ranging between 6.5 and 7pc gross. In Dublin a number were under-rented and yields varied between 5.5pc and 11.25pc. Two apartments which sold at Smithfield generate rents below the 1,547 average for one-bedroom units in Dublin 7 and their guide prices were both 180,000. Apartment 94, Smithfield Village, is a first floor unit extending to 44 sq m (474 sq ft) with a current gross rent of only 850 per month. It sold for its 180,000 guide equating to 5.67pc gross yield and 4,091 per sq m. While its neighbour, Apartment 115, The Old Distillery, sold for a higher price of 182,000, it benefits from a higher rent of 1,150 per month which pushes the gross yield to 7.58pc. It was also a bigger second-floor apartment at 47 sq m (5,506 sq ft), so on an area basis it was cheaper at 3,872 per sq m. One of the highest prices for a tenanted house was the 316,000 paid for 14 Larkfield Grove, Lucan, Co Dublin. An end-of-terrace, three-bedroom house, it extends to 125 sq m (1,345 sq ft) equating to 2,528 per sq m. It also generates above average monthly rent of 1,800 and yields 6.84pc. In contrast, another three-bedroom Lucan house, 1B, 6 Castlegate Heath, Adamstown Castle, sold for 242,000. While its 1,600 monthly rent is below Daft's average of 1,700 for three-beds in west Dublin, it seems better value based on floor area as its 109 sq m (1,173 sq ft) equates to 2,220 per sq m. An interesting comparison between prices in upmarket Greystones and middle market Blanchardstown was seen with two tenanted properties which both sold for their 220,000 reserves and as both generate 1,250 per month, each yields 6.8pc gross. The Blanchardstown semi-detached house, 41 Warrenstown Drive, Dublin 15, accommodates three bedrooms. While its rent is below the Daft average of 1,753 per month, as it extends to 88 sq m (947 sq ft) its price equates to 2,500 per sq m. On the other hand, the Greystones apartment, 74 Blacklion Manor, Co Wicklow, was smaller with two bedrooms and extending to 70 sq m (753 sq ft), so at 3,143 per sq m it is almost 26pc more expensive. A Georgian house with a number of tenants but where the vendor doesn't receive rent, sold for 1.065m. Three bidders competed to push the price well over its 800,000 guide. Located at 21 Leeson Street Lower, Dublin 2, near the corner with Hatch Street, the five-storey terraced property extends to 264.77 sq m (2,850 sq ft) and comprises 10 flats and two mews houses to the rear. While all units are subject to tenancies, the vendor advised the auctioneer that no rent is currently being received. Also unusually for flats, the leases run until 2037. This property's potential could be reflected by its next door neighbour at 22 Lower Leeson Street which is currently for sale with a 1.8m guide price. Knight Frank is handling No 22's private treaty sale and describe the 332.47 sq m (3,579 sq ft) office property as being in excellent condition. Hot spot: The Abbottstown Business Park lands are located between the N2 and N3 corridors and have the benefit of 600 metres of frontage on to Dublins M50 motorway With just over four weeks to go to the UKs scheduled departure from the European Union, the interest of both developers and investors in securing a foothold in Irelands logistics sector is expected to be piqued by a major M50 landbank which has just been brought to the market. Philip Harvey of industrial property specialists, HARVEY, is quoting a price of 11.9m for the 67.71 acre portfolio. Located between the N2 and N3 corridors, the lands which are known as Abbottstown Business Park enjoy the benefit of 600 metres of frontage on to Dublins M50 motorway. The portfolio comes for sale with a proven planning history, and with a live planning permission for a mixed-use industrial/warehouse/office park and associated facilities with a total gross floor area of 76,115 sq m (819,294 sq ft). While the planning permission was originally granted in 2006, it has since been extended up to April 2022. The subject lands are located within an acknowledged hot spot in terms of the annual take-up of industrial and logistics space. They are also situated in the Dublin Enterprise Zone (DEZ), a proven world-class business location. The DEZ falls within the administrative area of Fingal County Council, an area with a population of approximately 100,000 people and the home of over 800 businesses including IBM, Alexion, Mallinckrodt, PayPal, Symantec, and Westpharma. Fingal County Council employs a specialist Economic Development Team (EDT) to assist companies locating in the area. Philip Harvey, managing director of HARVEY says: The lands are very attractively priced. A significant opportunity exists to apply for a revised and greatly-improved planning permission that reflects the change in end-user requirements towards larger-sized industrial and logistics buildings, whilst also substantially reducing the cost of internal park infrastructure. Dublins industrial and logistics property market has seen a recovery in capital and rental values with a new development cycle underway. The timing of the Abbottstown portfolios arrival on the market would certainly appear to be opportune. Quite apart from the potential opportunities Brexit may deliver for the logistics sector, industrial property proved itself to be the top performer in 2018 according to the most recent MSCI index. According to it, north Dublin properties in the vicinity of Dublin Airport posted the strongest total returns at 14.4pc in 2018 more than 500 basis points above the market average of 9.1pc for the 12 months. The Abbottstown Business Park lands are being offered for sale by private treaty with an asking price of 11.9m. VAT is not applicable to the sale. Traditional bricks-and-mortar retailing is continuing to take a hammering worldwide, and my instinct is that we are nowhere near the bottom yet. The main reason is the huge ongoing shift to online retailing, but there are other factors too. The problem seems to have visibly worsened over the last six months, and I am noticing vacant units and more temporary trading in shopping centres, increasing vacancy in town centres, while shops off Grafton Street seem to be taking longer to re-let. But what are the effects on the retail property market, and can retailers and town centres fight back? Globally, retail spending is growing, as are most economies, so retailers should be booming. The issue for the property market though is the fast rebalancing between the proportion of sales done through traditional shops, versus online. Retailers, many of whom own premises, or who lease portfolios of shops on long leases, are seeing their online sales becoming increasingly profitable, whilst bricks-and-mortar becomes disproportionately more costly to operate. Where retail groups have been sold, those with a higher proportion of online sales are attracting higher valuations. Rates payable to local authorities are approximately 50pc of annual rent in the UK, which is causing carnage there. Here, rates should be between 15-20pc of your annual rent. Some retailers will have benefited from the recent revisions of rateable valuations in Irish cities, but others will have increased, due to local infrastructural improvements. But overall, whilst the abolition of upward-only rent reviews here has kept many retailers in business, rates have not fallen as quickly as rents, and are a disproportionate burden for struggling retailers. Locally, 'anti-car' strategies, the proximity of the border, and Brexit fears are adding to the problems. The conversion of sales to online continues apace and in some sectors, for example, fashion, that rate of conversion is increasing. A slew of household-name retailers have disappeared from the British High Street, with knock-on effects here, and technology is also seeing businesses such as banks, post offices and travel agents, closing. In the UK, retailers realise they are in a battle to simply survive. As regards property, they have adopted the attitude that 'nothing is sacred' and even the best locations can be closed. The impact has been felt in particular among the traditional department stores, and the view is that Primark (Penneys) is arguably the only active anchor around. For institutional investors, there is concern about retailing and yields have moved out. But, whilst there has been some selling, retailing is still seen as a major asset class and represents approximately 25pc of the global property market. Landlords will have to fight even harder for good tenants and one effect has been a shortening of lease terms, to 10 years, with a five-year break option, which of itself reduces the investment value. But even that brings us more in line with mainland European and US leases, and the market will adjust. Retailers are fighting back by enhancing their online platforms, but there is even a cannibalistic angle to that; the more sales done online, the more damage done to the shops. Google, too, is rebalancing, having bought some traditional retailers and it recently instructed agents to acquire a string of 'click-and-collect' shops across southern England. Local authorities should help by reducing the rates for town centre properties, and increasing them for 'edge-of-town' retail parks and large shopping centres, and/or levying their cheap or free car parking. The opportunity for town centres is to create the social experience, with a focus on convenience shops, restaurants, coffee shops, bookshops, craft shops, beauty salons and galleries. Retailers need to transform their performance on the customer experience - and should do their own disrupting by randomly offering lower prices in the shops. The rebalancing act will continue, and it has a long way to go yet. The musical history of the original Dublin docklands location of Windmill Lane Recording Studios has been recognised with the unveiling yesterday, by Moya Brennan of Clannad, of an installation featuring the sleeves of 21 of the most famous albums for which recording work was done at the studio. The sleeves have been embedded into the pavement of Hibernia Reit's redeveloped Windmill Lane, in Dublin's South Docks, to create a 'Vinyl Walkway'. As well as being where U2's first three albums - Boy, October, and War - were recorded in full, the band also did much of the work on The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby in the original studio on Windmill Lane. It also served as the recording location for albums by international best-selling artists, including Clannad, Van Morrison, The Waterboys and Kate Bush. Two special installations were made public: one dedicated to the six U2 albums; the other to 15 albums that were picked to reflect the breadth of material created there, over the studio's 14 years at the location. The selection of album covers are embedded beneath perspex glass, set into the pavement, and will be lit so they can be viewed at night. During the construction of the Windmill Quarter, Hibernia Reit took steps to preserve large portions of the graffiti wall on Windmill Lane. Part of the wall is now installed in the museum at the Teeling Distillery in Dublin 8, whilst men's health charity Movember has raised funds through selling pieces of the wall, some of which can be seen as part of the EPIC exhibition in CHQ. The Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) now has 10 statutory inquiries into Facebook, representing over a fifth of all such inquiries and two thirds of its probes into multinational firms. The watchdogs latest annual report shows a slew of complaints and breach notifications concerning Facebook and its subsidiaries of Instagram and WhatsApp. These include last Septembers so-called token breach, where up to five million Irish and European users were affected with some 30m accounts worldwide put at risk to hackers. Dublin DataSec 2019, Irelands data protection conference, takes place on April 30. For further information and tickets click here. Under the EU's new GDPR rules, Facebook faces a fine of over 2bn in a worst-case scenario. Under European GDPR privacy law, offences come with a potential fine of up to 4pc of annual turnover or 20m. The regulation also facilitates the Irish DPC as Facebooks European regulator. The DPC report says that some of the investigations were commenced in response to a large number of breaches notified to the DPC during the period since May 25th. Were in close contact with the DPC and are working with them to answer their questions, a spokeswoman for Facebook said. Other DPC investigations into multinational firms include two inquiries into Twitter, also being probed in response to a large number of breaches notified to the DPC and one inquiry into Linkedin. Commissioner Helen Dixons office also has 31 separate statutory inquiries underway into local authorities around CCTV and the surveillance of citizens. The rise in the number of complaints and queries to data protection authorities across the EU since 25 May 2018 demonstrates a new level of mobilisation to action on the part of individuals to tackle what they see as misuse or failure to adequately explain what is being done with their data, said the Data Protection Comissioner. in 2018 the DPC opened inquiries into data-processing activities of Facebook, Apple, Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp and Instagram, looking at issues ranging from large-scale data breaches to legal bases for processing to transparent presentation to users. All of these inquiries should reach the decision and adjudication stage later this year and its our intention that the analysis and conclusions in the context of those inquiries will provide precedents for better implementation of the principles of the GDPR across key aspects of internet and ad tech services. The DPCs funding now stands at 11.7 million, compared to 1.7 million in 2013. It has increased its staffing to 135. We will recruit an additional 30 staff this year in order to meet the demands of the tasks assigned under the GDPR and to deliver public value in what is an area of critical importance to society, said Ms Dixon. In all, the DPC recorded 4,740 data breach notifications in 2018 compared to 2,795 in 2017 and 1,407 in 2013. Of the 3,542 data breaches recorded since the end of May 2018, 38 of the data breaches related to 11 multinational tech companies. Five entities were prosecuted for electronic direct marketing including Viking Direct and Vodafone. The mobile operator was prosecuted for calling him every day for marketing purposes, despite him telling the company that he was not interested in the services being pitched. A separate investigation has been opened into Tusla inquiring into the large volume of data breaches which occurred many of which involved special categories of personal data. And the DPC has also opened an inquiry into The data watchdog also noted that its investigation of Independent News and Media under in relation to the possible unlawful disclosure of data held on company servers to third parties and other potential contraventions of the Data Protection Acts was ongoing as at December 31st 2018. The effect of GDPRs introduction was apparent, the DPC said, with over 1,000 data protection officers appointed in Ireland. 1A recently formed Special Investigations Unit at the DPC opened 31 own-volition inquiries under the into the surveillance of citizens by the state sector for law-enforcement purposes through the use of technologies such as CCTV, body-worn cameras, automatic number-plate recognition enabled systems, drones and other technologies. Your typical Irish beef farmer must feel a bit like a front-row in a scrum at the moment: head down, driving forward, apparently oblivious to life outside his immediate concerns and surroundings. As with a prop, you cant really see where youre going but until the whole thing collapses or gets completely turned, you just keep pushing in the direction you think is the right one. And push on is exactly what happened on the bullock table last week, with the exception of the 300-399kg section. The heifer, on the other hand was more up and down, with only the heavier 600kg+ animal showing consistency, putting on 4-5/kg across all her subdivisions. With the bullocks, there was a considerable push from buyers for both Angus and Hereford types, which helps explain why the overall average price of Angus was just 12c/kg behind the combined average of all breeds last week in both the 300-399kg and 400-499kg weight divisions. That gap narrowed to 7c/kg or 35-42/hd in the 500-599kg division before widening to 13c/kg in the 600kg+ section. Overall last week bullock prices from 400-600kg+ rose within their various quality sections by 1-9c/kg, leaving overall averages up by 1-5c/kg. The 300-399kg bullock slipped 2c/kg overall to 2.07/kg as the numbers of lesser-quality animals presented not only dragged their own average back by 9c/kg but also nullified any positive moves among the better animal at this weight. With grass growing unseasonally well and farmers keen to move on stock and with feedlot buyers active, this spring is turning into a perfect storm for sellers. Mystery Given that Brexit is looming and with factory prices well below those of 12 months ago, the strength of the mart trade is a bit of a mystery. The mart managers I surveyed agreed that trade was good, and John OHanlon of Ballymahon offered a good explanation. Trade was swift and keen all the way through. I suppose with a lot of cattle killed in the last few months farmers want to have the stock bought in ahead of possibly even more uncertain times, he said. Gerry Finnerty of Ennis added: Lads are probably banking on good weather continuing and that Brexit will be a transition with anything bought now being gone before it really bites. Marts Kanturk Numbers here were strong but overall the trade stayed steady. Among the better prices on the heifer side were were five 485kg Angus who sold for 925/hd, with three others, possibly a shade better, at 470kg making 920/hd. However, the batch of the day was the ten 515kg Angus bullocks who clicked 1,025/hd. Any sellers with better Angus could expect to hit 1.85-2.00/kg for both heifers and bullocks. Macroom John OMahony said the trade is generally in a good place considering all the variables. Again, better Angus types in the 470-550kg bracket hit 2.00/kg. Samples included four 520kg Angus bullocks at 1,120/hd, with two at 505kg making 1,060/hd. The better Hereford also performed well with three at 400kg making 815/hd. On the heifer side a nice batch of nine 510kg Angus sold for 1,045/hd. Ballinakill While bulls and anything that might be out of spec was a difficult trade, the in-spec good bullock and heifer had no fears. Heavy bullocks sold from 1.85-2.35/kg with forward stores making 1.95-2.50/kg, and lighter stores 2.00-2.90/kg. On the heifer side beef lots made 2.00-2.40/kg with store heifers making up to 2.85/kg. Weanling bulls made 2.05-2.70/kg while weanling heifers sold from 2.00-3.00/kg. Dry cows made 1.00-2.00/kg. Ennis A big sale, with the better bullocks and heifers dominating stronger prices. Examples among the bullocks included a number of lots of Charolais from 445-576kg who sold from 2.45-2.54/kg, with one exceptional 515kg Charolais making 2.71/kg. On the heifer side your better 370-450kg Charolais or Limousin typically made 2.40-2.80/kg, with many of the better heavier lots at 2.10-2.30/kg. Castleisland The good weather was also encouraging buyers in Kerry, with prices improving across all categories. Sample prices included on the bullock side included two 540kg Belgian Blues who sold for 2.36/kg, while three 570kg Charolais clicked 2.34/kg. Giving a broader indication that a rising tide lifts all boats were the six 475kg Hereford X bullocks who romped to 2.17/kg. On the heifer side you had three 385kg Charolais who sold for 2.56/kg, while two 460kg Limousins who saw 2.26/kg were followed by a further two at 380kg that saw the hammer at 2.39/kg. New Ross The better-quality store was also much in demand here, with beef bullocks selling from 540-945/hd over the /kg. Continental stores made 480-780/hd over the /kg, with Hereford and Angus making 355-555/hd over the /kg. Heavy Friesian bullocks made from 355-560/hd over their weight, with lighter Friesian stores making 180-400/hd over their weight. Beef heifers sold from 500-845/hd over the weight with continental stores making 400-655/hd over the /kg. Hereford and Angus heifers made 300-480/hd over their weight. Beef cows made 280-600/hd over the /kg, with stores 100-280/hd over their weight. Parlour cows sold from 70/hd under the /kg to 90/hd over the /kg. Ballymahon John OHanlon, reckoned that farmers were not yet full of the joys of spring especially as Brexit weighs heavy this close to the border but were swift and keen once his sale started last week. At one end of the bullock table you had a 640kg Charolais at 1,350, while at the other end three 330kg Charolais were making 970/hd. In the heifer ring there was a 695kg Charolais who sold for 1,540, while among the weanling heifers, various Charolais from 350-365kg sold from 1,000-1,020/hd. IFA Animal Health Chairman Pat Farrell has reacted angrily to the claims by Professor Simon Moore that cattle from Irish farms that meet the EU Trade Directive criteria for TB are not safe to trade. Simon Moore was talking at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture this week and said a risk-based approach would be the only way to successfully eradicate the disease and said that it will be a huge ask for Ireland will be TB free by 2030. Pat Farrell said Irish farmers, at enormous cost, meet the very strict criteria laid down in trade directives based on tests approved by the OIE to access our vital export markets. He said it is irresponsible and potentially very damaging for Irish farmers and the agri-sector to question the effectiveness of these controls. The IFA Chairman said the responsibility rests with the Department of Agriculture to ensure all sources of the disease are removed from and surrounding TB breakdown farms during the restriction period, allowing these farms return to unhindered market access when derestricted. As pointed out by Professor Moore, the ongoing risks in these herds are issues outside the control of farmers and include wildlife and residual infection. Pat Farrell said IFA have put detailed proposals to the Department of Agriculture which reduces these risks and would allow animals from these herds trade as normal following de-restriction. However, he said the Department of Agriculture seem intent on passing the responsibility and costs for their failure to adequately address these issues to farmers. The IFA Chairman said farmers are already at breaking point with the costs and impact of controls on their farms with the TB programme. They will not accept any additional costs or controls until the deficiencies in the current compensation schemes are fully addressed. He said farmers are willing to embrace scientifically-proven controls that are practical to implement and that will contribute to eradication of TB, provided there is a full compensation package to offset the enormous impact of TB on our farms. Talks: Tanaiste Simon Coveney with British Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington at a meeting of the British-Irish Inter- Governmental Conference in Dublin. PHOTO: JULIEN BEHAL It emerged in the Dail yesterday that British Prime Minister Theresa Mays deputy David Lidington has moved to reassure the Irish government that the UK isn't planning a trade war with Ireland over beef. Last week the Irish Independent reported that British ministers planned to use the threat of tariffs on Irish farmers as leverage as the UK seeks a favourable Brexit deal. Tanaiste Simon Coveney told the Dail there were unfortunate headlines about trade wars over beef and using the sector to put pressure on Ireland to make concessions on the backstop to avoid a hard border with the North. He said it prompted Cabinet Office minister Mr Lidington to call him to make it clear that the headlines werent coming from the British government. Mr Coveney said that is not to say that there are not elements within the Westminster system that are frustrated that they cannot get over this issue of the backstop and want to see some pressure being applied to Ireland. He added: That is the nature of politics when there is an impasse, but trying to put Ireland under pressure in terms of beef is not a tactic or official position being adopted by the British Government. Beef farmers are continuing to count their losses as it emerged Irish finishers received 85 a head less than British farmers in recent weeks amid mounting Brexit uncertainty. The crisis in the beef trade continues as prices remain on the floor, while expectations grow that Brexit may be delayed. However, farm organisations have warned beef finishers are already suffering from low prices at the most expensive time of the year. ICSA beef chairman Edmund Graham said: "The reality is that Irish farmers are being hit much harder by Brexit than British farmers, even though Ireland did not cause Brexit." Irish finishers received 85/hd less than their British counterparts for fat heifers this month, compared to a 55/hd difference in January. The price differential between Irish and British fat cattle increased by more than 50pc over the last month. John Teeling says the whiskey industry has been a labour of love but there is nothing like the excitement of a mining discovery. Photo: Damien Eagers / INM By the time we get to our 70s most of us are ready to retire - not John Teeling. He's looking at his latest radical departure. "I want to keep a very close eye on the whole cannabis sector, simply because it interferes with alcohol and it will and it's coming, it can't not come," the 73-year-old veteran investor says. "I would like to be in that space somewhere, and note the 'somewhere' that I want to get into it. And I think I probably will," he adds. The father of three, who played rugby till the age of 68, also has further plans for work in the two industries he is most known in - mining and distilling. "I will do some studies on so-called synthetic diamonds," he says. "These are natural diamonds, you grow them in a pressure cooker, it has some major technical issues. Will they ever replace natural diamonds? No, they won't." While when it comes to distilling he says there is "more development to come in whiskey" and that the firm has to grow Great Northern Distillery - the whiskey distillery he founded in Co Louth in 2012 on the site of the Great Northern Brewery. "That's enough to keep me going." Mr Teeling's career started early, impacted by the death of his father when he was just 14 years old. "I was the eldest and I was working from the age of 14. There was no choice. My mother was 37, had come from the country with no education. It was terrible at the time, but a great education." Blessed with what he describes as the ability to concentrate "fantastically well", Mr Teeling thrived in school. What followed was a scholarship to UCD, where he studied commerce. This would lead to a further scholarship to Wharton School, part of Pennsylvania University, and shortly after his return to Dublin, Mr Teeling - alongside teaching in UCD - started working as a mining consultant. Fifty years on and he is still in the same spartan office he rents in Dublin. It contains little more than a filing cabinet and some whiskey bottles. "I was put in there 50 years ago and I never left it, why would I want to? I'm not big into 'things'," he says. He'd already been trading in shares when teaching. He follows the Benjamin Graham model. "If you have followed it explicitly you will just make money, none of us do. You buy undervalued shares, it's very simple, you don't need anything - your Leaving Cert would be far too good for it. You buy at a certain price and you see if it goes to the price you think it's worth and you sell them," Mr Teeling says. Known as the man who brought about a revival of Irish whiskey - a tradition his sons Jack and Stephen also carry on with Teelings Whiskey Distillery in Dublin's Liberties - his move into the sector was almost accidental. While undertaking a doctorate of Business Administration at Harvard University in the 1970s he had to write a number of case studies. "My adviser at the time liked whiskey and said 'Why don't you do it on Irish whiskey?' So I did." "I knew nothing about it, [and] was shocked at how badly it had been marketed, so I wrote a background note on the decline of Irish whiskey - a failure beyond belief. In terms of value-add it's the best industry you can possibly get." In 1987, back in Ireland full-time, Mr Teeling set up Cooley Distillery, tapping Business Expansion Scheme (BES) tax breaks. He would go on to sell the distillery to American bourbon whiskey giant Beam in 2012 for just over 70m. However, he admits the industry is "a labour of love". "The risk premium attaching to something like whiskey was 30pc per annum. No venture capital company ever came in and supported me, even to this day, no, too risky. VCs have three to five years, the world is not three to five years," Mr Teeling says. "A very big weakness in the modern world for entrepreneurs is they underestimate the time it will take them to get to positive cash flow. "The whiskey was an absolute disaster. It was 11 years before we made a profit and 15 years for payback. The best you would get from a VC is five years. Now I look like a guru in whiskey, but it isn't me at all. What happened is, it's you. Young people started to drink brown spirits about 20 years ago and it's gone all over the world. Do you know who drinks Irish whiskey? 22-39 -year-olds - it's fantastic." Famously, he has never listed any of his companies in Ireland, the reasons for which he is not shy about expressing. "Institutions never supported me in Ireland - the big investment companies, the insurance companies, the pension funds, things like that. They didn't support what I did, possibly because I never tried to develop a very serious working relationship with them and I always preferred to deal with the London Stock Exchange. So AIM would be where all our 15 companies would be. I never listed one in Ireland. It was expensive and they applied different, stricter regulations." "I would imagine [the sale of the Irish Stock Exchange to Euronext] will make it more startup-friendly. The future for AIM is not good in London because they are putting more and more regulation on it," he adds. "If you stifle entrepreneurs nothing will happen." The other great business love of his life is mining, though he admits "it's very high-risk". "All my guys say: "You are still doing it in your 70s or 80s, so you know what you are doing." I haven't a bloody clue! Do you think I know what's three miles under the ground? Sure it won't go where it's supposed to go anyway," Mr Teeling says, gesturing with this hand, "[it] might even come back up again. It's high-risk and high-risk means you have a high risk of loss, not of gain." "In the resource companies the critical thing is the geology never changes, but you go to high-risk countries because the politicians do. I went to Zimbabwe because [former Zimbabwean leader Robert] Mugabe had to die in 1986, its now 2019 and he hasn't died yet so that wasn't clever," Mr Teeling says. Adding, "We went to Bolivia which worked brilliantly from 1988 to about 2006, but then we were nationalised and thrown out on our heads, but the geology was very good." In addition, he says mining and oil is industry that is "seriously bad PR". "When the share goes up it's because we made a good investment decision, when it goes down it's because I'm a crook." He cites the example of the claim made in Ireland that exploration companies are "stealing our resources". "What effing resources if you haven't found them? You can't steal something you haven't got, I mean some eejit - and it is an eejit - is going to put $200m to drill a hole in the deep Atlantic." "Why doesn't the Government put its money into doing it? It's all so self-evident. You have no idea what's underneath the ground, and the only real lie detector is a drill hole, all the other fancy stuff in the world, magic bullets my ass! So it's very exciting," Mr Teeling says. Why do it then? Why not look at a different sector? Such as property? (Mr Teeling famously has never invested in property down through the years, owning only his house). "Because one of the greatest experiences is: on the 19th of November 2004 I got a phone call, you don't get this phone call too often, from the worldwide head of exploration for DeBeers," Mr Teeling says. "He said 'John, they have drilled a good hole in Botswana. I think we might have something there' - there is nothing in the world like that. Nothing in the world like finding something in a drill hole, absolutely, in all the other things I have done. "That became the Lucara mine. It was taken off us eventually in the end, but one of the very best mines in the world. "We live in hope of the one big hit, [I've had] maybe four hits in 50 years." The man with business plans for cannabis sector continues to live for that one big hit. Denis O'Brien's Digicel Group has reported $554m (487m) of revenue for the third fiscal quarter, down 4pc year-over-year, according to sources. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (ebitda) was $241m - down 2pc from a year earlier. Separately, Digicel yesterday announced a partnership agreement with Turkey-based Turkcell's Lifecell unit to launch a suite of apps and digital content across its 31 markets. Speaking at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona yesterday, Denis O'Brien described the agreement as a "quantum leap" for his business into mobile data. "This is about being more than just an infrastructure provider; today we're starting our journey to becoming our customers' digital lifestyle partner," he said. Digicel does not publish quarterly financial results; however, it is understood the company has scheduled a call with investors today at 9am New York time. In January, Digicel secured bondholder acceptance for the final element of a financing deal structured around swapping $3bn of bonds originally due to be repaid in 2020 in 2022 for new bonds with later maturities. Its total debt pile is around $6.8bn. The latest Digicel results show a net leverage to ebitda ratio of 6.8 times. That suggest a slower pace of debt reduction than forecast, which is understood to reflect a slower pace of disposals. Additional reporting Bloomberg Eir chief executive Carolan Lennon said tackling a poor reputation for customer service, which she blamed in part on temporary disruptions, was now a "key priority" for the telecoms operator. "Four months ago, we announced that we would bring this back in-house... which includes recruiting 750 customer care roles within our new regional hubs in Cork, Limerick, and Sligo. "During this time of change, customers have experienced longer wait times than usual or acceptable. "We are doing everything we can to minimise the disruption," she said. Eir has hired and trained 300 new staff across its three new care hubs, she said. "We firmly believe that these changes will result in a better experience for Eir's customers in the long term." Eir has 222m in cash sitting on its balance sheet, up 64pc in a year, the company said yesterday. Financial results for the three months to the end of December show revenue was 322m, stable compared to the same time in 2017. In April last year French billionaire Xavier Niel completed a 3.5bn acquisition of the former State monopoly. The latest results show earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortisation increased 15pc to 141m at Eir in the three months to December 31. Operating costs of 105m were down 15pc or 19m year-on-year. Eir reported "solid" broadband growth, with 936,000 customers. It had 1,045,000 mobile customers. Huawei said it will aid plans to start commercialising 5G technology for the sector in the second half of this year. Photo: Reuters Huawei's Irish chief executive says that his company would reject any requests from Chinese state authorities for 'backdoor entry' into 5G mobile networks that the company is building in Ireland and Europe. Jijay Shen made the remarks at Mobile World Congress, the global telecoms conference under way in Barcelona this week. Asked about the possibility of Chinese authorities insisting on access to Huawei's telecoms networks in western countries, as US authorities allege might happen, Mr Shen said that the telecom giant has ruled out such a course of action. "Our founder, Mr Ren [Zhengfei] already said we will not provide such a service if it's requested from the government," said Mr Shen, speaking to the Irish Independent. "Secondly, we always comply with local law in different countries. In Ireland, we will follow Irish law, 100pc." Huawei, which employs 170 people in Ireland and is involved in the phone network rollouts of most major Irish telecoms operators, has been at the centre of a row with US authorities over whether its 'next generation' 5G mobile infrastructure represents a security risk for western countries. But while US commentators have argued that the company's ties with Chinese authorities are too tight, most EU countries have rejected those fears. The High Court has ordered construction industry giant Roadstone to permit inspections of three of its quarries in Dublin to search for evidence as to whether they were the source of material which caused damage to new homes. Ballymore Residential Ltd and Crosswinds Cottage Ltd are suing Roadstone Ltd along with its parent CRH, Murphy Concrete (Manufacturing) Ltd and William Miley Ltd over the supply of allegedly defective stone material used in 145 houses built between 2001 and 2007 at Drumnigh Wood, Portmarnock, Co Dublin. The defendants deny the claims. In 2010, homeowners began to complain about structural defects, including cracking in walls. It is alleged these were due to pyrite in stone used in construction. In July 2017, Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy ordered Murphy Concrete to allow an expert for Ballymore and Crosswinds access to its quarry at Hollywood, Co Wicklow, for the purpose of preparing their High Court action. A similar application was brought against Roadstone in relation to seven of its quarries. Roadstone resisted the inspections, claiming the application was premature and unnecessarily invasive. It also suggested damage might be the result of misuse of its products by the two plaintiff companies. In particular, the two companies used muddy limestone in the foundations which was not suitable for that purpose, it was claimed. Roadstone also argued inspections of working quarries would constitute an unwarranted interference with its business and cause reputational damage. Ms Justice Murphy adjourned the application in relation to Roadstone until after the Murphy Concrete inspection was complete. It was carried out in October 2017, and following further court hearings and correspondence, Ballymore and Crosswinds applied for orders permitting inspections of three Roadstone Dublin quarries at Feltrim, Hunstown and Belgard. Roadstone again resisted the application. Ms Justice Murphy ruled the interests of justice required the inspections of the three quarries be permitted. She directed Roadstone to identify locations in its quarries from which stone supplied for the Portmarnock estate was extracted. There should be a "focused single inspection" at which all parties could attend, she said. At the root of this case are the people who bought their homes in good faith, some of which are affected by pyritic heave, she said. Some party is responsible for that, she said. It was in the interests of homeowners that liability for it be established and the inspection proceedings are the means by which those ultimately liable can be most readily and efficiently identified, she said. Tullow Oil has appointed Sheila Khama and Genevieve Sangudi to its board as non-executive directors. Ms Khama is a policy adviser on the mineral, oil and gas industries at the World Bank in Washington, focusing on host government relations with commercial companies. She also represents the bank as an observer on the International Board of the EITI. Ms Kkama took up her position at the World Bank in 2016 having worked in a similar role for three years at the African Development Bank. Earlier in her career, Ms Khama spent eight years with Anglo-American in Botswana as their corporate secretary before joining De Beers as their CEO in Botswana for five years until 2010. Ms Khama was educated in Botswana before obtaining an MBA from Edinburgh University. Upon appointment, she will join the environment, health and safety committee. Meanwhile Genevieve Sangudi is a managing director for The Carlyle Group based in South Africa. She has over 15 years of investment experience in Africa in the healthcare, financial services, oil & gas, petrochemicals, agribusiness and telecommunications sectors. Ms Sangudi joined Carlyle in 2011 and played a lead role in launching Carlyle's maiden Sub-Saharan Africa fund, including fundraising, strategy, origination and execution. Prior to joining Carlyle, she was a partner and managing director with Emerging Capital Partners where she established and managed the firm's Nigeria operations. Ms Sangudi started her career in business development at Procter & Gamble in Boston. She received an MBA from Columbia Business School, a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs and a B.A. from Macalester College. Upon appointment, Ms Sangudi will join the remuneration and audit committees. Elsewhere and after almost nine years on the board, Tutu Agyare will resign as a non-executive director, with effect from the conclusion of the 2019 annual general meeting. Mr Agyare joined Tullow in 2010 as a non-executive director and has provided significant support and insight to Tullow, particularly with regards to Ghana, during his time as a director and has been a member of several board committees, including chair of the remuneration committee for the past two years, the group said. Following Mr Agyares retirement, Jeremy Wilson will chair the remuneration committee. Dorothy Thompson, chair of Tullow Oil, said: "All of the board join me in thanking Tutu Agyare for his contribution to Tullow over the past nine years. He has been a constant source of wise counsel with his strong financial and commercial expertise and his deep knowledge and understanding of Ghana. I am also delighted to welcome Sheila and Genevieve to the board of Tullow where their wide experience of both Africa and the resources sector will be invaluable. I look forward to working with them closely over the years to come." Virgin Media Ireland revenues increase by 7pc last year to 446m. At year end the group had 1,080,000 cable and mobile subscriptions, an overall organic increase of just over 2pc. The groups growth was broadly based across mobile, business to business, Virgin Media television and cable broadband through its ongoing network expansion investment, the company said in a statement. In its mobile division, subscribers grew by 63pc to 81,500 customers. Virgin Media Ireland group CEO, Tony Hanway, said: "Our strategy of focusing relentlessly on customer service and quality has seen us post excellent year-on-year growth as the Virgin Media brand continues to go from strength to strength in Ireland." "At Virgin Media Television we also saw very strong revenue performance helped by audience growth across both traditional channels and on demand services. Major event programming such as the Six Nations, Irelands Got Talent and new Irish drama 'Blood' ensure we broadcast more original Irish content than ever before," Mr Hanway added. Virgin Media Ireland is owed by US cable pioneer John Malones telecom group Liberty Global, which also had results out today. Income from continuing operations at the group increased 10pc to $839m (737m) for the year. Elsewhere and Liberty announced the sale of UPC Switzerland to Sunrise Communications Group for a total enterprise value of CHF 6.3bn (5.5bn). Sunrise will pay Liberty Global CHF 2.6bn (2.3bn) in cash, and assume 3.6bn Swiss francs (3.2bn) of UPC's debt. Liberty, which is listed in the US, is also awaiting European Union approval for its sale of its assets in Germany and eastern Europe to Vodafone for $21.8bn. (Additional reporting Reuters) Q - I run a cafe in Dublin. I am really struggling to get staff and seem to be constantly short-handed. A - This is a really common challenge for most businesses in the hospitality sector especially in the urban areas. There simply are not enough people of the right standard to fill the roles that are available. That means you need to be creative. I have seen a number of businesses taking an innovative approach. First of all you need to focus on retention so you can minimise the problem occurring in the first instance. Look at the structures and benefits you have in place for staff. Can they be improved? Would you rate it as 'a great place to work'? Have you sat down with staff for their input on this topic? On recruitment itself, I have seen several businesses harnessing social media, which has yielded results. I have seen other businesses offering a bonus to staff if they identify new recruits who join, and remain beyond three months. There is also a lively debate at the moment about employing people well into their 60s and beyond traditional retirement age. This group have a wealth of experience and if you are willing to be flexible with working hours, could bring a whole new dimension. Q - I was talking to another retailer recently who said that text marketing was a really effective tool for them. I would view this as a slightly old fashioned and expensive tool, when compared to social media. Do you have any comments? A - It is all about value for money and the hit-rate from any marketing tool that you use. I am a big fan of text marketing, if used properly. We all have had the experience of giving your phone number to some business (perhaps not even knowingly giving it to them), and then being bombarded with weekly texts about some special offer or other. That is not what I am referring to. GDPR has tightened up the rules on gathering and storage of contact details which is a good thing. Start by creating a database that is robust, and legally compliant. Many businesses segment the database so that they can send different messages to relevant groups. Think about how you are going to use text and get the maximum return as you were right to point out that you are paying for each message individually. While price can sometimes be the message, I wouldn't advocate that you use it solely for this. It could, for example, be used to invite customers to events like a sale preview, or to remind people of some upcoming special occasion that they need to place an order for etc. The difference between text and social media is that the rate of return can be quite high, even though you are spending a little bit more money. Social media is no longer free and to use it successfully you also need to target your customers. It's a combination of marketing tools that work best and not one alone. Q - I am bringing out a new product and have checked with the Companies Registration Office that the name is available. Does this mean that no one else can use this brand name once I commence? A - This is probably a question that you need to take legal advice on to ensure you get the correct answer. However, based on what you have said, you probably have no protection. Lots of business owners make the mistake that when they find nobody else has the domain name the same as their business, they believe that they are entitled to use the name. The reality is somebody else could have trademarked the name but not yet have a website in place. They would still be fully entitled to use the name and claim it as their own. I know of a startup who took the steps you have already taken, and believing they were fine, launched. Within three days they got a 'cease and desist' solicitor's letter from the US saying that they had protected the name in the Irish market. They were forced to destroy all their branding and restart the process. There are really two things you are trying to do. The first is to ensure that by doing a trademark search nobody else has the rights to the name already, and the second is that by trademarking it you are preventing anyone else from using it. Being registered as a company is entirely different and offers no protection to the brand name. Nor does owning the domain name. Talk to your solicitor about protecting your brand properly as it could be a costly mistake. Send your small business questions to himself@feargalquinn.ie Senior members of the German government are again eyeing a bid to have Bundesbank chief Jens Weidmann succeed Mario Draghi as head of the European Central Bank (ECB), German's 'Die Zeit' reported on Wednesday, without naming sources. It reflects doubts in Berlin that German conservative Manfred Weber will succeed in his bid to become European Commission president. Decisions on top EU jobs - including the presidencies of the ECB, European Commission and European Council - are expected after European parliamentary elections in May. No German has held the ECB's top job, in part due to fears elsewhere of handing it to the country already seen to have very significant influence because of its size. However, if Germany's government thinks it will lose out on the top Brussels jobs in the wider horse-trading now under way, it may seek support for the top job in Frankfurt. Irish Central Bank governor Philip Lane is set to become the ECB's chief economist and a member of the bank's full-time executive board in May, after he emerged unopposed from the nomination process. Reports last year had indicated German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government was supportive of Ireland's pitch to get Professor Lane onto the ECB executive. If so, Germany will expect backing for its own strategy as EU posts become vacant. Mr Weidmann is seen by some in the EU as a policy hardliner, opposed to loose money policies that are popular in southern Europe in particular. Chancellor Merkel's cabinet agreed yesterday to extend his term as head of the Bundesbank by eight years from May as he waits to see if he is picked for the top ECB job. John Malone is shrinking his empire and giving himself some options. Shareholders in the cable tycoon's Liberty Global need to be alert to the risk that this is in preparation for another splurge of buying. The latest part of the portfolio to be pruned is in Switzerland. On Wednesday, cable operator Sunrise Communications Group said it was in talks to buy Malone's UPC Switzerland in a deal valuing the company at about 6.3bn Swiss francs ($5.5bn) on a debt-free basis. This comes as Liberty awaits clearance to sell a collection of European assets to Vodafone, a transaction from which it expects to reap $12.7bn in cash. An exit from Switzerland would reinforce Liberty's balance sheet. It's not clear whether Sunrise, whose enterprise value is 4.9bn Swiss francs, can afford an outright purchase. With net leverage of just twice Ebitda, the group has plenty of borrowing capacity. Still, it looks like it needs to raise at least 1bn Swiss francs of equity to buy 100pc of the company, as Bloomberg Intelligence points out. Or it will have to settle on keeping Liberty as a partner for a while. Either way, Mr Malone and Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries seem to be in active management mode. The question is whether the moves are simply opportunistic, or part of a grander vision. There is some logic to the reshuffle. The assets being sold to Vodafone are arguably worth more to the UK buyer, which is building out a pan-European platform of converged mobile, fixed-line and TV assets. In Switzerland, UPC has struggled amid increasing competition. Unless it splurges on M&A, its path to becoming the dominant converged player there isn't clear. So it makes sense for Liberty to sell up if Sunrise is offering the chance to do so at a good price. The mooted valuation equates to 9.4 times UPC's Ebitda for 2019 as estimated by analysts at UBS - a modest premium to Sunrise's own eight-times valuation. Bloomberg Intelligence estimates the synergies from a deal could be worth as much as 2.3 million Swiss francs, so Sunrise can well afford the premium. So it has the potential to be a slightly better deal for Sunrise than Mr Malone. Even without the synergies, UPC could probably make an acceptable return if the price tag doesn't rise. Mr Malone isn't in wholesale shrinkage mode, though. He tried and failed last month to buy emerging-market focused Millicom International Cellular SA, which has a valuation of about $5.8bn. The talks collapsed when Mr Malone walked away over the price. Liberty shareholders will have to hope that his discipline as a buyer is maintained even as his financial capacity continues to improve. Bloomberg Opinion Revenue at Aer Lingus owner IAG increased 6.7pc to 24.4bn in 2018. Operating profit before exceptional items increased 9.5pc to 3.2bn, according to annual results from the group. Last year IAG increased capacity by 6.1pc. The increase partially reflects new long haul routes at British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus, and the full year impact of routes launched in 2017. In its short haul division, new routes were launched by Level in Vienna, and frequencies in domestic and European routes were added by Iberia and Vueling. Looking at Aer Lingus specifically, and operating profit was 305m, a record performance and an improvement of 37m over 2017. Capacity at Aer Lingus increased 10pc from additional flying to new routes such as Philadelphia and Seattle. Aer Lingus adjusted operating margin rose 0.6 points to 16.8pc. Passenger unit revenues decreased from lower yields, while non-fuel unit costs improved. The airline also achieved significant cost savings, the group added. Willie Walsh, IAG chief executive, said: This was a very good performance despite three significant challenges: fuel prices increasing 30pc, considerable air traffic control disruption and an adverse foreign exchange impact of 129m. At current fuel prices and exchange rates, IAG expects its 2019 operating profit before exceptional items and impacts of IFRS16 to be in line with 3.2bn reported in 2018, Mr Walsh added. Passenger unit revenue is expected to improve at constant currency and non-fuel unit cost is expected to be flat at constant currency. Separately and IAG is ordering 18 Boeing 777-9 aircraft for British Airways. They will be used to replace 14 Boeing 747-400 and four Boeing 777-200 between 2022 and 2025. Comic Relief offered to collaborate with Labour MP David Lammy on a charity film in Africa but the politician snubbed it, according to the charity. The organisation told Lammy the offer is still open after he criticised Stacey Dooley on Wednesday over her work on a film ahead of Red Nose Day. Lammy accused the Strictly Come Dancing star of perpetuating tired and unhelpful stereotypes after she travelled to Africa for an upcoming documentary. The world does not need any more white saviours. As I've said before, this just perpetuates tired and unhelpful stereotypes. Let's instead promote voices from across the continent of Africa and have serious debate.https://t.co/LySa0BXeyi David Lammy (@DavidLammy) February 27, 2019 Dooley shared pictures on her social media from Uganda, with one snap showing her posing with a young child. Responding on Thursday, a spokesperson for Comic Relief made no apologies, thanking Dooley for helping people working with or supported by Comic Relief projects tell their own stories in their own words. It said: We are really grateful that Stacey Dooley, an award-winning and internationally acclaimed documentary maker, agreed to go to Uganda to discover more about projects the British people have funded there and make no apologies for this. She has filmed and reported on challenging issues all over the world, helping to put a much-needed spotlight on issues that affect peoples lives daily. In her film, people working with or supported by Comic Relief projects tell their own stories in their own words. Video of the Day We have previously asked David Lammy if he would like to work with us to make a film in Africa and he has not responded. The offer is still open. Mr Lammy, who has been the MP for Tottenham since 2010, said on Twitter that the 31-year-old investigative reporter was reinforcing unhelpful stereotypes about Africa. He said: The world does not need any more white saviours. As Ive said before, this just perpetuates tired and unhelpful stereotypes. Lets instead promote voices from across the continent of Africa and have serious debate. Comic Relief has a huge platform and privilege and it is the first and major way children learn about Africa. If they only show Africans as helpless victims to be pitied, children miss the broader picture of huge progress in Africa. https://t.co/Ei7JLGyTQ2 David Lammy (@DavidLammy) February 27, 2019 Mr Lammy said his issue was not personal with Dooley and he does not question her good motives. Instead, he said he had a problem with British celebrities being flown out to Africa by Comic Relief to make films that send a distorted image of the continent and perpetuate an old idea from the colonial era. Dooley replied and invited Mr Lammy to travel to Africa himself. She said: David, is the issue with me being white? (Genuine question) because if thats the case, you could always go over there and try raise awareness? Comic relief have raised over 1 billion pounds since they started. I saw projects that were saving lives with the money. Kids lives. Mr Lammy, who is of Guyanese descent, replied saying many black Britons are deeply uncomfortable with Comic Reliefs poverty porn. Expand Close Shadow justice secretary David Lammy has said that Munira Mirza's involvement in the the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities undermines it / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Shadow justice secretary David Lammy has said that Munira Mirza's involvement in the the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities undermines it This is not the first time Comic Relief has been accused of perpetuating the white saviour trope. In March last year, the charity said celebrities would take a backseat on on-location appeals following complaints about poverty tourism. Ed Sheeran was previously criticised for reinforcing white saviour stereotypes during a visit to Liberia. Red Nose Day takes place on March 15. Horror, a much maligned genre, can achieve moments of pure cinema, and while its aims are simple, their ripples can run deep. As there are only so many ways to scare the sh*t out of people, a certain amount of plagiarism is inevitable, but in Hole In The Ground, writer/director Lee Cronin wears his influences proudly. The 37-year-old's debut feature went down very well at the Sundance Film Festival and is being simultaneously released on Friday in the UK, US and other territories. It's an assured beginning, full of promise. Not so promising are the prospects of Sarah O'Neill (Seana Kerslake) and her young son, Chris (James Quinn Markey) when they move into a creepy old house on the edge of a forest in the depths of the Irish countryside. When we first see them, it's from far above, as their car inches through a rugged landscape to the soaring strains of a bombastically ominous soundtrack. It reminds one of the opening sequence in The Shining: their rural relocation, one suspects, will not go swimmingly. Though we're given few details, they're clearly on the run from someone violent: Sarah has a recent scar on her forehead, and prevaricates whenever the boy inquires after his dad. Initially, though, things don't seem so bad in the countryside. Here, at least, they will be safe, Sarah reckons (LoL), as she gives the old place a lick of paint and heroically strips away half a century's worth of dodgy wallpaper. Though he's nervous about starting in a new school, Chris quickly makes friends and seems content. The neighbours are pretty friendly in the main, but Sarah is troubled by a dishevelled old woman who wanders the back roads muttering to herself and screaming at passing children. Worrying, too, is the discovery of a massive hole in the forest floor just a few hundred metres from the house, which seems to suck in all the air around it and is mired in an ominous silence. Then Sarah begins to notice that her son is acting differently. Though she can't put her finger on it, she becomes convinced that something has changed. Chris no longer responds to a joke rhyme she's played with him since he was a baby: he stares at her in a funny way and seems emotionally aloof. At first she thinks she's imagining things, but soon Sarah has installed a hidden camera in the boy's room and watches for something that might confirm her worst fears. The sure way to ruin a horror film is to explain too much, because no matter how clever your supernatural scenario, it will sound silly if you break it down. Cronin does not make that mistake, and spends most of his time establishing and maintaining an atmosphere of dread. He uses light and the lack of it, sparse dialogue, stillness, silence, magnified sound effects and, most especially, music to construct his paranoiac mood. Video of the Day That music can be overbearing, promising more than any lowish budget horror could ever deliver, but Stephen McKeon's soundtrack is stylishly effective at times, and its overt style is thoroughly deliberate, a reference perhaps to the stylised soundscapes of classic 70s films like The Exorcist. Hole In The Ground's biggest asset, though, is Kerslake. Since breaking through in spectacular fashion in Darren Thornton's 2016 tragicomedy A Date For Mad Mary, and showcasing her talents in Stefanie Preissner's Can't Cope, Won't Cope, Kerslake has established herself as one of the most exciting actors of her generation. She has charisma, presence, stillness that belies her years, a face the camera loves, and Cronin has recently said that he pared back his dialogue once Seana came on board, because he knew she'd be able to convey most of what he needed without words. Her character's dilemma is a parental nightmare: she's convinced her son is somehow no longer himself, but who on earth is going to believe her? As long as the story's mystery is maintained, Cronin's film purrs along very nicely, but as is so often the case with horror films, it loses some lustre once the source of all the dread becomes clear. But for the most part, Hole In The Ground is a clever, lean, well-made and nicely photographed chiller, its tone and direction remarkably assured. Cronin is ambitious, no question about it, and his vision will surely find a larger canvas. Also releasing this week: Labour MP David Lammy criticised Stacey Dooley after she travelled to Africa for an upcoming Comic Relief documentary (David Mirzoeff/PA) Labour MP David Lammy accused Stacey Dooley of perpetuating tired and unhelpful stereotypes after she travelled to Africa for an upcoming Comic Relief documentary. The Strictly Come Dancing winner shared pictures on her social media from Uganda, with one snap showing her posing with a young child while another showed her during filming ahead of Red Nose Day. The world does not need any more white saviours. As I've said before, this just perpetuates tired and unhelpful stereotypes. Let's instead promote voices from across the continent of Africa and have serious debate.https://t.co/LySa0BXeyi David Lammy (@DavidLammy) February 27, 2019 Mr Lammy, who has been the MP for Tottenham since 2010, said on Twitter the 31-year-old investigative reporter was reinforcing unhelpful stereotypes about Africa. He said: The world does not need any more white saviours. As Ive said before, this just perpetuates tired and unhelpful stereotypes. Lets instead promote voices from across the continent of Africa and have serious debate. Mr Lammy said his issue was not personal with Dooley and that he does not question her good motives. Instead, he said he had a problem with British celebrities being flown out to Africa by Comic Relief to make films which send a distorted image of the continent and perpetuate an old idea from the colonial era. Dooley replied and invited Mr Lammy to travel to Africa himself. She said: David, is the issue with me being white? (Genuine question) because if thats the case, you could always go over there and try raise awareness? Comic relief have raised over 1 billion pounds since they started. I saw projects that were saving lives with the money. Kids lives. Video of the Day Mr Lammy, who is of Guyanese descent, said many black Britons are deeply uncomfortable with Comic Reliefs poverty porn. Comic Relief has a huge platform and privilege and it is the first and major way children learn about Africa. If they only show Africans as helpless victims to be pitied, children miss the broader picture of huge progress in Africa. https://t.co/Ei7JLGyTQ2 David Lammy (@DavidLammy) February 27, 2019 He said: Comic Relief has a huge platform and privilege and it is the first and major way children learn about Africa. If they only show Africans as helpless victims to be pitied, children miss the broader picture of huge progress in Africa. Comic Relief should be helping to establish an image of African people as equals to be respected rather than helpless victims to be pitied. It would therefore be better for people who actually live there to speak about the continent they know. Many black Brits feel deeply uncomfortable with Comic Reliefs poverty porn. Its my job to represent their views however uncomfortable. They want their children to have rounded views about Africa and these types of campaign woefully fail to do that. Expand Close David Lammy has criticised Stacey Dooley for her work in Africa for Comic Relief (Stefan Rousseau/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp David Lammy has criticised Stacey Dooley for her work in Africa for Comic Relief (Stefan Rousseau/PA) This is not the first time Comic Relief has been accused of perpetuating the white saviour trope. In March last year the charity said celebrities would take a backseat on on-location appeals following complaints about poverty tourism. Ed Sheeran had previously been criticised for reinforcing white saviour stereotypes during a visit to Liberia. Comic Relief has been contacted for comment. Red Nose Day takes place on March 15. BBC show McMafia could also feature on the service (Nick Wall/BBC) The new streaming service planned by British broadcasters BBC and ITV to rival behemoths Netflix and Amazon will not be available in the Republic of Ireland. BritBox would feature British boxsets like Broadchurch and McMafia as well as new shows commissioned for the service. Talks are ongoing and Channel 4 and Channel 5 are reportedly also in talks about joining the venture, which would launch later this year. While it will be available across the UK, including Northern Ireland, it will not be available in the Republic. However, this may change as while there are no plans to launch in Ireland right now, BritBox already operates outside the UK in the US and Canada. A BBC spokesperson told Independent.ie that they "do make commercial decisions on extending to other markets on a case by case basis." Speaking to the media this week, ITV chief executive Carolyn McCall said BritBox would not be competing directly with Netflix, but would be complementary. Netflix is global when were creating content, were creating it for the UK Were not a substitute to Netflix were complementary to Netflix, she said. The service would be very good for British creative industries, because we are putting more money into the British creative industry, she added. A similar service was proposed ten years ago but was rejected by the Competition Commission which ruled that British viewers did "not regard other content as a good substitute". Video of the Day The rise in popularity of Netfli, Amazon and Sky's Now TV, however, have changed the landscape unimaginably in the past decade and have been affecting the viewing figures for traditional TV and in turn advertising revenues. Last year in the UK TV streaming services subscriptions surpassed pay TV services for the first time. BBC and ITV confirm proposals for BritBox - a new transformational streaming service: https://t.co/LAPQhbfiyc pic.twitter.com/z4qgqKmy7Q BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) February 27, 2019 BBC Director-General Tony Hall said, "The service will have everything from old favourites to recent shows and brand new commissions. Its an exciting time for the viewing public. The subscription price has not yet been revealed, but reports suggest it could cost 5 a month. Visit: The Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, emerges from the crypt of St Michans. Photo: Colin O'Riordan A leading cleric has called on Dubliners to "keep their eyes open" in case the head of a Crusader stolen from the crypt of St Michan's Church has been dumped. The Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, Michael Jackson, joined Catholic counterpart Dr Diarmuid Martin to tour the crypt yesterday, with both men appealing for the head's return. "On its own, the head is useless. But it will mean so much to the people of Dublin to have it restored to its resting place," said Dr Jackson. "I want to assure people that I will return here to reconsecrate the crypt. It is right to reconsecrate an area that has been desecrated." Dr Martin also appealed for the 800-year-old mummified head to be returned and said the desecration of the crypt was "an offence against the city" of Dublin. Gardai investigating the desecration are working to determine whether graffiti on one of the coffins was an attempt to misdirect them. One man broke into the tomb at around 11.30pm on Saturday. Gardai reviewing CCTV footage confirmed he did not have help and was not disguised. Graffiti scrawled on the inside of a coffin has proved "difficult to decipher", according to a senior source. Officers are keeping an open mind about the value of the markings as a clue. "It could be an attempt to misdirect the investigation," a source said. A murder accused told gardai he "fought back" after a 90-year-old retired farmer, who was found beaten to death in his own home, had hit him with a walking stick and shovel. The jury also heard that Ross Outram told gardai he did not intend to murder Paddy Lyons or cause him serious harm when he went to his home looking for money. Mr Outram's garda interviews were read to the Central Criminal Court yesterday. Mr Outram (28), of Ferryland, Waterford Road, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Lyons at Loughleagh, Ballysaggart, Lismore, Co Waterford, at a time unknown between February 23 and 26, 2017. A pathologist has given evidence that Mr Lyons suffered multiple blows to his head and neck from a blunt weapon, before his blood-smeared body was found slumped in his armchair at his home. The jury has heard medical evidence that Mr Lyons suffered a "stiffness or fusion" of a shoulder during childbirth and could only keep it in one position. Detective Garda Martin Keohane told prosecuting counsel John O'Kelly SC that he conducted the first four memos of interview with Mr Outram at Dungarvan garda station on February 27. Mr Outram initially told gardai he was at home watching television on the evening of February 23 and went to a bookmakers the following day. He said he lived with his alcoholic mother. In his second interview, Mr Outram said he neither knew Mr Lyons nor where he lived. The accused also denied his maternal grandmother had a friend called Paddy from west Co Waterford and he would go to Ballysaggart when he was a child. The accused told gardai in his seventh interview that he could not remember what happened on the night as he was "back on drugs", but said Mr Lyons was not dead when he left his home. Mr Outram said he "figured" that if he went to Ballysaggart and took Mr Lyons' money, then his mother would no longer be able to get money off him [the deceased] for drink. "I knew that man a long time, my grandmother use to look after him. I was trying to do good as my mother kept wrecking my head, she keeps getting worse," he said. Mr Outram said he had taken 100 Xanax when he knocked on Mr Lyons's door on the night of February 24. The accused said he explained to Mr Lyons who he was and asked him for money but the deceased said he did not have any. Mr Outram said the pensioner started to hit him with his walking stick and shovel but he had fought back. Mr Lyons told him to go outside and locked him out. However, Mr Outram insisted Mr Lyons was not dead when he left his house. Mr Outram said the incident happened on a Friday night and he could not believe Mr Lyons was dead when it came on the news on the Sunday. The accused later told gardai that he hit Mr Lyons with his walking stick which was "bendy" and had a "hook" on top of it. Gardai put it to the accused that Mr Lyons had a lot of injuries to his head and asked him if he had any idea of how many times he had hit him. "No idea, I didn't kill him in the house, he was alive when I was leaving. He put on his grey hat and locked me out," replied Mr Outram. The trial continues. A garda tasked with cataloguing the exhibits found in the Bobby Ryan murder investigation has said he cannot remember whether he was told about a ladies' hair clip found in the run-off tank where the body was recovered. Detective Garda Ciaran Keane told the trial that he was appointed as exhibits officer in 2011 following Mr Ryan's disappearance. It was his responsibility to maintain the exhibits chart, and keep items in secure storage. Patrick Quirke (50) has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Ryan (52), a part-time DJ known as Mr Moonlight, on a date between June 3, 2011, and April 2013. Det Gda Keane told Michael Bowman SC, for the prosecution, that his chart for this case referred initially to a bag containing cable ties and pipe covers that were recovered from the tank. His contemporaneous notes did not contain a reference to a hair clip, he said. Expand Close Veterinary surgeon Ciaran OMahony. Photo: Colin O'Riordan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Veterinary surgeon Ciaran OMahony. Photo: Colin O'Riordan Asked if anything changed over time in terms of the documents, Det Gda Keane agreed that as items were examined, the chart was updated. Following an examination by a forensic scientist in January of this year, the chart was updated to include the ladies' tortoiseshell hair clip. Put to him by Lorcan Staines SC, for the defence, that it was highly likely he had not been told that the bag contained a hair clip, Det Garda Keane said he could not recall. Earlier, Garda Larry Stapleton had told the trial that he was certain that he had told his colleague about the woman's hair clip being found in the tank. Gda Stapleton said he had placed a number of items from the tank in four separate tamper-evident bags, before handing them to the exhibits officer in May 2013. In his notes, he listed one bag as containing cable ties, buttons and a hair clip. He told the trial that while he had not written the contents on the outside of the bag, a photograph had been taken of the contents. Mr Staines said the exhibits officer had not written hair clip on the exhibits chart, and the photograph was not made available to the prosecution or the defence until November 2018. Mr Staines asked the witness how he could be certain that he had told the exhibits officer in 2013 of its contents when he had not made a statement until five and a half years later. Gda Stapleton said that he would have read from his notes at the time and was certain he would have mentioned the item. Gda Stapleton said he would have told Gda Keane about the hair clip because that is what is in his notes from the time, adding: "I know from the way I wrote it that's what I told to Gda Keane." Mr Staines said there was absolutely no suggestion that Gda Keane had done anything wrong in keeping the exhibits chart at any stage in the investigation. Veterinary surgeon Ciaran O'Mahony, of Tipperary town, told the trial that Mr Quirke had been a client of the Glen Veterinary Clinic since he began to work there in 1998 and after he had bought the practice in 2007. In 2010, bovine viral diarrhoea was diagnosed on Mr Quirke's farm. The disease affects overall herd immunity, he told the court. In subsequent tests, one animal tested positive and the tag number revealed that it had originally not come from Mr Quirke's herd. Put to him later by Bernard Condon SC, for the defence, that he had presumed the cow had originated from Martin Lowry's herd, Dr O'Mahony replied that he "did not presume anything but the discussion was had". Veterinary surgeon Kevin Lenihan told the trial that he was to call to Mr Quirke's farm on April 30, 2013 - the day Mr Ryan's body was discovered - to dehorn an animal but clarified that he had subsequently cancelled Mr Quirke's appointment as he was not in the area. The trial continues before Judge Eileen Creedon. A CENTRAL Criminal Court jury was discharged after failing to reach a verdict in the case of a 15 year old boy who denied raping a young woman at a Kerry B&B during St Patrick's Day celebrations. The defendant, who is now 17, denied raping the 19 year old woman at an address in Killarney on March 17 2017. The jury earlier found him not guilty on a count of attempted anal rape following a week long trial. The defendant said the complainant accompanied him back to his B&B from a pub and nightclub. He insisted the sexual contact in the B&B that evening was entirely consensual. However, the young woman said that five other people were in the B&B bedroom - and that she was assaulted by a number of them after she refused to get into bed with the 15 year old. The assault - which the defendant took no part in - involved the young woman being bitten, punched, kicked and having her hair pulled. She said she was initially attacked by another young woman who had told her to get into bed with the 15 year old. The defendant insisted he tried to protect the young woman during the assault - but said it occurred after they had consensual sex and because the complainant had refused to quit a bed in the B&B which another individual had booked and paid for. Mr Justice Paul McDermott was informed by the jury foreperson that, after six hours and 44 minutes of deliberation over two days, the jury of seven women and five men were unable to agree a verdict. The judge discharged the jury and said it was "a very difficult trial with very difficult issues arising." The defendant - who remained emotionless as the jury confirmed they could not reach a verdict - was remanded on bail to appear before the Central Criminal Court in Dublin next month. The trial heard that the young woman only agreed to go back to the teen's B&B - after meeting him in a Killarney nightclub while out celebrating St Patrick's Day - when assured that other young women would be present. She said she thought she was attending a house party. "I did not consent to have sex," she insisted. The defendant maintained that while sex did occur that evening, it was entirely consensual. Det Garda Padraig Doyle told the trial he conducted a forensic examination of a mobile phone belonging to the complainant. It was found, within the phone's 'sent' folder, that there were a number of messages apparently pleading for help. The texts found included: 'Help me,' 'I am hurt badly,' 'I need ye,' 'Girlss' and 'I am hurt.' In a voluntary statement to Gardai on March 22 2017, the boy maintained the sex was entirely consensual. He went to Killarney Garda Station, accompanied by his mother, immediately he became aware of the allegation against him. The teen and his mother told Gardai he had been linked to the alleged incident via social media. He told Gardai what happened was entirely consensual. "She was flirting with me (in the nightclub). She was all over me. We went out into the toilets and we were kissing," the defendant told Gardai in a statement. The teen had paid for both himself and the young woman to get into a nightclub - and had then bought her a drink in the club. After returning to his B&B along with another young woman and a man, the defendant insisted the complainant consented to sex. The trial heard that another young woman and man had gotten into another bed in the bedroom. Three other individuals later arrived into the B&B room. "(She/complainant) pulled the blanket over (our) heads. (She) reversed herself into me and whispered: 'Put it into me'. I did it. She was happy with it. She wanted it. It was her will as well," the defendant, who is now 19, told Gardai. "She got her groove on - she was mad for it." The defendant insisted that at one point the complainant was moaning in pleasure - but she said the sound was actually a cry for aid that no-one responded to. Giving evidence by video-link, the complainant rejected defence suggestions the sex was consensual and rejected the defendant's account to Gardai of what happened that night. "That is incorrect. We did not have sex - he raped me," she said. The complainant disputed his version of events and claimed that, at one point, the defendant had placed his hand over her mouth. She said she was physically assaulted by others in the B&B bedroom - but not the defendant who took no part in the assault - because she had refused to get into bed with him. The defendant insisted the row was triggered by her refusal to surrender a bed to the person who had booked it in the B&B. "You were told: 'get out of the bed.' But you starting calling (another young man) names and said 'No'. (You said): 'F*** off, you bugger - I will be getting out of no bed," defence counsel Colman Cody SC said his client will maintain. "That is incorrect," the complainant said. "I was raped." The defendant said he tried to protect the young woman throughout the assault incident. "(He) told them to stop but they did not stop," Mr Cody SC said. Eventually, the defendant got out of bed and tried to stop the assault. The complainant said she had her hair pulled, was bitten on the arm by the other young woman, was punched in the face and stomach and then kicked while lying on the ground. She claimed she was later lying on the floor between two beds in the B&B bedroom when the defendant stood over her. She said he unzipped her white pants-type suit, pulled down her underwear and tried but failed to have anal sex with her. He then had vaginal intercourse with her. The complainant was assessed at Cork's South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH) specialist sexual assault unit because no such facility is in Kerry. Semen was found in her vagina. The trial has already heard the defendant voluntarily submitted a DNA sample which matched the semen found. The jury also viewed extensive CCTV footage from the Killarney nightclub in which the complainant and defendant met. Merseyside Police undated handout photo of Simone Mastrelli, 30, who has been jailed at Preston Crown Court for three-and-a-half years for the assault of Sean Cox Photo: Police/PA Wire Simone Mastrelli, 30, has been jailed for three-and-a-half years for the assault of Sean Cox, 53, outside Anfield ahead of a Champions League tie between Liverpool and Roma last April. Earlier, the Italian national pleaded guilty to assaulting Liverpool FC supporter Sean Cox outside Anfield stadium. Father-of-three Mr Cox (53) from Dunboyne in Co Meath, suffered catastrophic head injuries in the attack ahead of the Champions League semi-final first leg tie between Liverpool and AS Roma on April 24 last year. He has been recovering at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire after he spent four-and-a-half weeks at the Walton Centre in Liverpool, a specialist neurological unit for brain injuries, following the incident. Expand Close Sean Cox: Attacked on trip to Liverpool / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sean Cox: Attacked on trip to Liverpool On Thursday, Simone Mastrelli (30) from Rome appeared from custody at Preston Crown Court and entered a guilty plea to unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Cox. A separate count of violent disorder was allowed to lie on file by the Crown Prosecution Service after it accepted his not guilty plea to the charge. Mr Cox's wife, Martina, was in court for the hearing. Mastrelli was extradited to the UK last month after being arrested on a European Arrest Warrant in his home country. Another Roma fan, Filippo Lombardi (21) was cleared of inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Cox in October, though he was jailed for three years for violent disorder. A third man, Daniele Sciusco, 29, from Rome, admitted violent disorder ahead of the match and was jailed for two-and-a-half years in August 2018. The court heard the Mr Cox was knocked to the ground, unconscious, by a single punch from Mastrelli after he and his brother, Martin, had "sadly by pure coincidence" entered the path of a group of Roma's "Ultra" fans including the defendant. Footage of the incident in Walton Breck Road, near The Albert pub, was played in court and shows Mastrelli initially aggressively confronting Mr Cox with his arms raised. Lombardi then comes to the fore and raises a belt as Mastrelli moves back and then, from Mr Cox's right-hand side, he forcibly punches him to the face. A witness described the incident as a "sudden and unprovoked attack" and a "sickening sight". Keith Sutton, prosecuting, said Mastrelli immediately moved away as Mr Cox lay motionless on the ground, and checked that his face covering was in place as he blended in with a group of Roma fans. Mastrelli left the scene but later returned to Walton Breck Road and had taken steps to change his appearance by removing his face covering, his hood and the jacket he had been wearing. He then entered the ground to watch the match. Patients should be able to seek the removal of crucifixes or other religious symbols from hospital wards run by the Catholic Church, according to a Government report. The independent review of voluntary organisations insists health services run by religious orders should be "cognisant of the impact of decor" on patients and "strive to ensure" their personal preferences are met to the "greatest extent possible". The report also raises serious questions over whether the State should continue to fund faith-based hospital services if they refuse to provide abortions or prescribe contraceptives. It also says there should be an onus on all organisations that refuse to provide certain services based on ethos to tell patients where they can receive such services, even if it is against their ethos. The independent review of State-funded services also calls for a major overhaul of the structures governing charities providing health services. The review group, chaired by former secretary-general of the European Commission Catherine Day, was asked to examine the relationship between the State and Church-run hospitals. There are currently seven voluntary hospitals owned by faith-based organisations and a further five with some degree of religious order involvement in their governance arrangements. The 12 hospitals receive 1.34bn in State funding and are responsible for operating 26pc of publicly funded inpatient beds. The report found there was no difference in the quality of care provided by hospitals with religious ethos and those with none. However, some people felt religious ethos did affect the types of care provided. A number of people who were interviewed for the report said they felt the religious ethos of an organisation was apparent in its decor, through the presence of chapels, religious icons, logos and posters. "While not directly related to the range or delivery of services, we recommend that organisations should be cognisant of the impact of decor on patients/service users and strive to ensure that their personal preferences in this regard are met to the greatest extent possible," the report states. In emergency situations, the report says the life and well-being of patients must always take precedence over the ethos of the religious organisation. Safely This means Church-run hospitals will have to ensure all legally permitted treatment is made available safely to the greatest extent possible within the capabilities available to the organisation. Ms Day's report says the introduction of abortion raises questions over whether the State should give funding to hospitals refusing to provide the "full range of lawful services by reference to their religious ethos". She said clarity on the constitutional rights of independently owned faith-based organisations to manage their own affairs has not yet been determined in the healthcare context by the Supreme Court. Ms Day said it was the State's right not to fund Church-run health organisations not providing services. But she said this would cause a "serious and prolonged disruption" to health services. She said the decision to stop funding these health facilities was a "political rather than a legal one" due to the significant level of services provided by Catholic hospitals in Dublin, Cork and Limerick. The report recommends the drafting of a list of essential health services which need to be provided by the voluntary or private sector or directly through the public healthcare system. This would allow the Government move away from a provider-focused service to a system where the State commissions or buys health services it requires from organisations based on regional needs. "This would of course not preclude any organisation, whether voluntary, public or private, from providing additional services but these would not automatically be funded by the State," Ms Day said. Breakdown She said there was currently a "breakdown in mutual trust and respect" between the HSE and voluntary organisations which "must be restored in order to maintain this essential relationship in a healthier way for the benefit of all our citizens". The report recommends the drafting of a new charter which would help develop a "transparent and collaborative relationship" between the State and the voluntary health sector. The charter would recognise the legal status and important role played by the voluntary sector. It also recommends the introduction of three year multi-annual budgets for voluntary organisations to allow better planning and says the levels of bureaucracy surrounding HSE compliance should be addressed. Clear signs: Paul Gordon volunteers to have his skin checked through a special scanner, showing the damage sun has on your face (the freckles) and the protective benefit of sun cream (the stripes). Photo: Andres Poveda The Irish Cancer Society (ICS) is calling for a clampdown on rogue sunbed operators, as a new survey revealed that one in three did not refuse to book in minors for a tanning session. The society yesterday unveiled the results of its "mystery shopper survey" that was carried out across 40 salons offering sunbed services in Dublin. The research was carried out by Ipsos MRBI, and the society said that it was "shocking to see that two out of five sunbed operators are not complying with the requirement to ask customers their age, and many are making bookings for under 18s". This is despite the fact that sunbed businesses are legally prohibited from allowing under-18s to use sunbeds. Hannah Nolan, a research consultant with Ipsos MRBI, said that as part of the survey, male and female 'mystery' shoppers aged between 16 and 17 were tasked with trying to buy a sunbed session. Among the research objectives was to see whether minors were being asked their age, and if they being refused once their age was established. "They were to go as far through the interaction with the employee as possible, but they were not allowed make any booking. If they were asked for their age, they were to be completely truthful," she said. One of the things they looked at was whether the mandatory signage saying under-18s could not use sunbeds was visible in the salon. Two in five tanning salons did not display the statutory signage. Meanwhile, more than half of salons (55pc) were offering some form of promotion on the day, with the top one being "free sunbed minutes", followed by a "happy hour". Figures show there is a 75pc increased risk of melanoma when people begin tanning regularly before the age of 35. "The main message from this research is that the State must crack down on rogue operators who think that they can get away with disobeying the law, with ignoring their responsibilities and literally scarring young people for life," said Averil Power, CEO of the Irish Cancer Society. She urged that greater resources must be made available to ensure more inspections can be carried out by environmental health officers all over the country. Ms Power said the Department of Health was expected to publish a skin cancer prevention plan in May, and the society looked forward to working with it on that. She said "ensuring tougher penalties for those who breach the current legislation is something that must be looked at as part of that process". Ms Power said levels of non-compliance found in the survey indicated operators were not afraid that they would be caught or that they would be punished, "or maybe the level of punishment isn't enough to deter them from seeking profits from teenagers". She said the legislation provided for fines of up to 5,000. The Peter McVerry Trust has unveiled the first housing units paid for through members of the public donating their water charges refunds. It opened its newest social housing development in Ravenswood, in Fingal today. Its the charitys first greenfield development, and comprises of eight one-bedroom homes together with a small community building at a total cost of around 1.6m. While it was funded primarily through Rebuildng Ireland, it was also supported by money raised in 2018 through the Refund Project, an initiative that encouraged people to donate their refunds from Irish Water, after the charges were scrapped. The Refund Project was an initiative by the Peter McVerry Trust, the Simon Community and Focus Ireland. A spokesperson for the Trust said today that each charity had received 361,000 as a result of the appeal. Expand Close The Peter McVerry Trusts new social housing development in Fingal, Dublin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Peter McVerry Trusts new social housing development in Fingal, Dublin "The two units in Ravenswood delivered through the funding of the Refund Project cost 236,000 (118,000 each). "The remaining 125,000 will deliver a new home in Athy, Co Kildare," she said. Pat Doyle, CEO of the Peter McVerry Trust said at the launch of the new scheme today: "Last night in our services, we had over 900 people in Dublin in homeless beds. And one in every 100 of them will have exceptional care needs." Meanwhile, Liam Coughlan (41) originally from Dublins city centre, who is going to be one of the first tenants to move into the Fingal development described getting his new home as "overwhelming". Today was the first time he saw his new home and he said it was "nice and spacious." On Wednesday, it emerged that the number of people homeless and living in emergency accommodation across the State had reached a record high and now stands just below 10,000. Fr Peter McVerry who was at the launch of the new scheme told Independent.ie: "Every single month almost for the last two and a half years, the figures for the numbers of homeless people has gone up and up. Read More "So clearly I think we have to say the Governments policy simply isnt working. "It is not that they are not doing anything, but what they are doing is not reducing the figures, so we have to say well, you have either got to do more, or you have got to do something differently. "I think the Government have to do something very differently if they want to address this problem. "They have got to start building social housing on a much, much bigger scale than they are doing at the moment. They have to bring back into use all the empty buildings that we see around every street almost, in every city and town, and they have to do more to prevent people coming into homelessness from the private rental sector. "So I think there is a lot not being done and as a result of that, the figures just keep going up and up." Fingal County Council's Director of Housing and Community Margaret Geraghty said: "Fingal County Council's development of social housing is very strong. In order to meet the Rebuilding Ireland targets, we will need to continue to provide housing solutions through various mechanisms." A 32-year-old man has been jailed for six years for dangerous driving that caused the deaths of three women on their way home from a summer holiday. The court heard how Jason Rowntree of Plantation House, Kingscourt, Co Louth collided head on with a Toyota Auris car on July 21. Margaret McGonagle (69) from Bruckless, Co Donegal along with her daughter, Mairead ONeill Mundy (37), and their neighbour Rachel Battles (39) died as a result of the accident at Aclint Bridge, Ardee, County Louth on July 21, 2017. They were travelling home from Dublin Airport at around 12.30am after a family holiday in Turkey. Expand Close Accident victims pictured (l-r); Margaret McGonagle, Racheal Cassidy Battles and Mairead Mundy / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Accident victims pictured (l-r); Margaret McGonagle, Racheal Cassidy Battles and Mairead Mundy The accused had consumed between three and five pints of Guinness in a pub prior to the accident. Rowntree, who had no recollection of the accident, was seriously injured. Mairead's husband Padraig Mundy, who was driving behind the car in which his wife was fatally injured, described when he was told the news, saying: "it was like somebody reached into my body and pulled my heart out." He described her bubbly personality and told of the love he never felt before when he met her in 2014 and they had so much plans. Gayle McGonagle said the deaths of her mother-in-law and sister-in-law left a "gaping hole" in her life. Rowntree pleaded guilty to the dangerous driving charge before Christmas at Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court and today Judge Patrick Quinn handed down sentence. He sentenced Rowntree to six years with the final two years suspended on conditions that including the accused attend alcohol awareness and counselling programmes. The Judge said the accused crossed a continuous white line onto the opposite side of the road and collided with the Toyota Auris car. The Judge however, remarked he couldnt ignore the statement of a lorry driver who told Gardai a Black Volkswagen Passat pulled out in front of him from a side road and then pulled up onto the hard shoulder. The Judge said it was not a case of a momentary lack of attention, while accepting the accused didnt intend the damage that he caused. The accused had accepted responsibility for the accident and had a clear record. He accepted his remorse was genuine. The accused, who it was stated had not driven since the accident, was disqualified from driving for 15 years. Monica Lewinsky has spoken about how she was subjected to "slut shaming" which caused her to consider taking her own life. More than 20 years since she was reluctantly catapulted to fame after an affair with then US president Bill Clinton which began when she was 22, Ms Lewinsky, now 45, spoke in Dublin about being one of the world's first victims of cyber bullying. Describing her experience as "a mistake in which I fell in love with my boss", she spoke at length about the "slut shaming, body shaming and public humiliation" she suffered globally after the publication of the Starr investigation of January 1998, which catalogued "without context or compassion" the details of her affair with the 42nd president. "My mother sat by my bed every night and made me shower with the door open in fear that I would be finally humiliated to death," Ms Lewinsky said. Expand Close Guest speaker Monica Lewinsky pictured in conversation with Robert Mac Giolla Phadraig, Founder, Talent Summit / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Guest speaker Monica Lewinsky pictured in conversation with Robert Mac Giolla Phadraig, Founder, Talent Summit "I couldn't imagine showing my face again, when I read the Starr Report online, the mantra that continually went through my head was, 'I wanna die, I wanna die'. "There were two Monicas, the real me and the public Monica, the Monica in headlines. "She was created with not a lot of fact and a lot of fiction - I didn't recognise her. "It was easy to forget that that woman had a soul." Now an anti-bullying advocate, Ms Lewinsky adds that her parents and family suffered with her, and knew every detail of her pain, unlike many parents today who know nothing of their children's experience with online bullying until it is too late. "We are in a world of online harassment," she added. "The practice of cyber bullying has mushroomed, and the power of humiliation is amplified and uncontained. "Now we traffic in shame and desensitisation, and it's a market industry we pay for and curate with our clicks. "We need a cultural revolution, we need to remedy the compassion deficit and empathy crisis. "I have seen some dark days and empathy has saved my life at times. "We must consume and click with compassion, and walk a mile in someone else's headline." Adding that she too falls foul of gossip websites, she said: "I've done that too, I've read three articles about a celebrity divorce and thought, 'OK, stop, you don't need to read a fourth'. "We as a data driven society need to drive that change, clicks generate content and we need to be more empathetic with our clicks." Ms Lewinsky, who underwent a self-imposed media silence for decades, said she felt it was time to reclaim her narrative. "I felt it was time to stop tiptoeing around my past," she said. "You can survive it and you can insist on a different ending to your story. "Resilience is something that can be learned, it's a muscle that we can grow. "I wasn't always resilient, but I was a pretty stubborn child and that comes connected to tenacity, it can be a pain in the ass quality, but you can see things through." On her hopes for the future, Ms Lewinsky said she can be some kind of inspiration to others. "I hope I end up being a poster child for people going through shame and humiliation, who survive and create a different story, and that sharing your experience can help someone else." If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article please contact Samaritans helpline 116 123 or Aware helpline 1800 80 48 48 or Pieta House on 1800 247 247. A proposed injecting booth in the basement at the Riverbank Centre at Merchants Quay Pic Steve Humphreys The exit gate at the Riverbank Centre at Merchants Quay where the proposed medically supervised injecting facility will be situated Pic Steve Humphreys The basement at the Riverbank Centre at Merchants Quay where the proposed medically supervised injecting facility will be situated Pic Steve Humphreys The Riverbank Centre at Merchants Quay where the proposed medically supervised injecting facility was to be situated Pic Steve Humphreys THE company planning to open the countrys first supervised injection facility said most of the issues raised in 99 objections actually highlight the need for the facility. Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) said the observations by hotels, bars and tourism services have pointed out current issues in Dublins inner city which they said the facility would address. The current Merchants Quay premises is used for homeless and drugs services, with MQI intending to install the injection facility in a large basement. No decision on planning permission has yet been made by the council after it requested more information from MQI. This must be provided by a May 30 deadline. The council is asking for information on MQIs operational plan, and for it to show the need for the service and if there is an over-concentration of such services in the vicinity. It also wants to know about the policing plan. Many objections focused on the location of the facility being inappropriate. Expand Close A proposed injecting booth in the basement at the Riverbank Centre at Merchants Quay Pic Steve Humphreys / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A proposed injecting booth in the basement at the Riverbank Centre at Merchants Quay Pic Steve Humphreys However, MQI day manager Derek Parker, a psychiatric nurse, said that as part of the tendering process initiated by the HSE, a location in the inner city was needed. Mr Parker said if it was located on the outskirts of the city, those who could avail of it would not go there. He said MQI had to make the case to locate it at its premises. He explained that while he was not dismissing the concerns raised in the objection letters to the council, he was disappointed, saying supervised injecting would prevent people from being exposed to drug abuse and paraphernalia. Expand Close The basement at the Riverbank Centre at Merchants Quay where the proposed medically supervised injecting facility will be situated Pic Steve Humphreys / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The basement at the Riverbank Centre at Merchants Quay where the proposed medically supervised injecting facility will be situated Pic Steve Humphreys Mr Parker said children going to school and being exposed to this was unacceptable. We understand the concerns people have. However, we look at the international evidence, theres over 100 of these facilities worldwide, he said. Id say we were disappointed. When you mention an injecting facility, theres an anxiety around the unknown and when people hear that phrase, they get anxious. Describing injection centres elsewhere, he said: Theyre in city centres, such as this one. Expand Close The Riverbank Centre at Merchants Quay where the proposed medically supervised injecting facility was to be situated Pic Steve Humphreys / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Riverbank Centre at Merchants Quay where the proposed medically supervised injecting facility was to be situated Pic Steve Humphreys Like most inner cities, Dublin has a problem with public injecting, it has a problem with anti-social behaviour. These facilities take drug injecting off the streets into a healthcare environment. A lot of the observations and objections highlight the current state and it actually highlights the need for this facility. When we hear of bars, tourist services and hotels, theyre struggling because theres public injecting going on in and around the area. Its happening in our alleyways, in our toilets, in our courtyards wouldnt it be better if the people who are carrying out this behaviour had a clean, supervised and compassionate space to do that? Among those to object were Failte Ireland, which said it was concerned about the effects on tourist attractions in the area, such as Dublin Castle, Christ Church Cathedral, St Patricks Cathedral and the Guinness Storehouse, which are all nearby. However, Mr Parker said evidence in other countries showed there was no rise in crime or anti-social behaviour. The location was specified in the tender, and as part of the consultation process, it identified that it has to be in this part of the city, he said. The majority of these facilities are in inner cities, theyre where the problem is. The people who are going to use this facility are already here, theyre already injecting in Dublin 8. Evidence again shows that people dont travel long distances to use these facilities. They use these facilities because of the location, so if we put this out in Santry, nobodys going to go out there to use it other than the people who are around there. He said Barcelonas supervised injecting facility was located in the tourist trap Las Ramblas, and they had seen an 80pc decrease in discarded needles. An armed garda operation continued last night at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, where two criminal brothers are being treated for gunshot injuries. Brendan Maguire was shot three times while sitting in a car in a retail park close to the M1 in the Co Louth town on Tuesday afternoon. His young brother, Owen Maguire, was left paralysed after he was shot in Drogheda last July. Both shootings are linked to an ongoing feud in the area. The brothers are described as being "at very different stages" in their treatment at the hospital, where an armed garda operation is in place to keep members of the public and staff safe. "Brendan Maguire is expected to live. He has come through complex surgery after he was shot three times in the neck and upper body as well as receiving a related facial injury," one source close to the investigation said. "The big fear now, as always in this Drogheda feud, is revenge attacks." A massive investigation is ongoing into the attempted murder of Brendan Maguire, and gardai have established that the black VW Passat used in the drive-by shooting had been stolen from a north Co Dublin suburb. The Passat is suspected of being "hidden offside" while Maguire's rivals planned the attack. After the shooting, the hit team sped off in the Passat, which was later found burnt out at the car park at Seapoint, Co Louth, at 7.15pm on Tuesday. Gardai have spoken to the two men who were in the white Vauxhall Astra when Maguire was shot as he sat in the passenger seat after leaving a gym. THE mother of an Irishman who was missing in Malaysia for almost two months has said the family's prayers have been answered after he was found safe and well. Tourist Stephen Warde (32) from Kinvara, Co Galway arrived in Malaysia alone on November 15 last and rented a unit along Jalan Sultan Ismail in Kuala Lumpar. He last made contact with his family on January 1st. A Facebook page set up by friends and family to 'help find Stephen Warde in Malaysia' has confirmed that he has since been found. In a statement released this afternoon, his mother Mary Morrissey thanked all who helped in the search for Stephen. "I would like personally to thank everyone that was involved in so many ways in the search for Stephen, including the Staff of the Irish Embassy in Malaysia, and the local Police," she said. "The recent Fundraising efforts of so many in Kinvara and my home parish of Clarinbridge has been a real assistance to help us defray costs and I am indebted to you all for your loving support "Any balance in the fundraising activities will be donated to other worthy causes and we will advise on this presently. "On a personal note I want to thank Stephens brothers and sisters who proved to be so supportive to me in recent weeks, in travelling to Malaysia, searching for Stephen and thank God our prayers have been answered. "At this time we will not be giving any further statements or media interviews and we ask for privacy so that we can deal emotionally with this wonderful development and enjoy the reunion with our son and brother Stephen." His relatives previously said that it was "very out of character" for him to disappear, as he is described as a "placid and quiet" man. Over 19,000 was raised by the public to finance the search for Stephen, to cover "potential medical expenses when he is found, accommodation for his family while in Kuala Lumpur, the cost of a private investigator and a reward for any information leading to his whereabouts." Members of his family, including his mother, had flown out to Malaysia to search for him. "We are extremely worried and concerned for his safety and well-being as this is out of character for Stephen," Ms Morrissey had said. A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs previously said they were aware of the case and providing consular assistance. THE Department of Housing has been criticised for using an official Twitter account to share posts by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister Eoghan Murphy that included Fine Gael's logo. Fianna Fail TD Shane Cassells raised the issue with Housing Department boss John McCarthy at the Dail's Public Accounts Committee (PAC). He said the posts re-tweeted by the Rebuilding Ireland account weren't about a minister "turning a sod", they were posts by Mr Varadkar and Mr Murphy which featured housing statistics and the Fine Gael emblem. Mr Cassells said: "This was a Fine Gael graphic indicating a particular message and I have a huge, huge difficulty with that because these guys are as cute as foxes and theyre trying to get that imagery out". More than 8,400 Social Homes were added to stock of social housing in 2018. 706 of these were delivered in Fingal. Good progress under @RebuildingIRL but more to be done #dubw pic.twitter.com/nelDdBhmUR Leo Varadkar (@campaignforleo) February 20, 2019 He argued: "a Department retweeting that for me has major ethical issues." Mr Cassells said that in order to get the "fullness of the picture", the Rebuilding Ireland account would surely also be retweeting posts by party colleague and housing spokesman Darragh O'Brien that carry the Fianna Fail logo pointing out failures in the area. He raised the issue at the Dail's Public Accounts Committee which is examining housing today. Mr McCarthy said he wasn't familiar with the retweets which date from last week and said there was no directive from minister Murphy to the Department about such posts. He said: "Well certainly I think in terms of content or statistics anything that we would tweet or retweet is designed to focus on facts." But he told Mr Cassells: "I take your point fully. If something in a particular graphic that has a party political element attached to it I will certainly look into it." Mr Cassells said the Fine Gael logo is "clearly evident". Mr McCarthy said: "I will look at that". Earlier the Department was accused of "spin" in how it presented figures on the number of social homes being built. The PAC had heard from Mr McCarthy that roughly one in four homes constructed last year was social housing and the new-build figure was 85pc up on 2017. Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy asked for new-build figures and was told they were 626 in 2017 and around 1,200 in 2018. She claimed that given the numbers presenting the increase in 2018 as being 85pc was "spin" due to "the extent of the housing lists and the challenge ahead of us". Ms Murphy added: "it gives impression that were really getting ahead of a crisis thats there. "I think we could do without presenting it in that particular type of way because I don't think it's a fair reflection on the extent of the crisis and how that crisis is being tackled." She asked Mr McCarthy: "Do you accept that?" Mr McCarthy said: "No I absolutely wouldnt accept at all that theres any element of spin involved here." He said the governments Rebuilding Ireland plan had put in place clear targets for built, acquisition and support in the private rental sector including Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) and for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). He said the build figures are published quarterly and "every one of those houses is a new build local authority or AHB [Approved Housing Body] house." A SECURITY alert was sparked at the Leinster House complex today when a TD was followed inside and confronted by a protester. Fine Gaels Noel Rock was warned in recent days that he may be a target for militant campaigners. Gardai had already carried out a security assessment at his north Dublin home in the wake of demonstrations at properties belonging to ministers Simon Harris and Richard Bruton. It has now emerged the first-time TD was approached as he left Leinster House and made his way to Kildare House across the street in Dublin city centre. Mr Rock told Independent.ie a man with a threatening attitude followed him into the building, filming him on a mobile phone. During the incident at around 3pm , the protester told the Dublin North West representative we know where you live. Ushers who control access to the Leinster House complex immediately contacted gardai who attended the scene. The TD said gardai dealt with the situation quickly and effectively, but that sort of quick preventative action simply is not possible outside someones home. I spoke with a woman last week who cited these protests outside family homes as being a reason why she wouldnt go into politics: thats the effect it has. Read More People are afraid of their families suffering as a consequence of choosing to go into public service. I have no issue with legitimate protests, but targeting somebodys home is wrong, he said. Mr Rock thanked Gardai for carrying out a safety assessment at his home but said it was personally sad that this had to happen. Gardai declined to comment on the incident. Bank customers have been hit by a new technology glitch. Thousands of consumers who withdrew money from Bank of Ireland ATMs have ended up having double the amount they took out debited from their accounts. The issue affects customers of other banks who have used Bank of Ireland ATM machines in the past few days. Bank of Ireland customers were not impacted. A spokesperson for the bank said: A number of non-Bank of Ireland customers who made a cash withdrawal at Bank of Ireland ATMs experienced a duplicate debit on their account. The issue that caused the error has been resolved. The bank said it was working to rectify the duplication for those impacted so that their account balances are corrected as soon as possible. We would like to apologise for the inconvenience, the bank said. There have been a string of systems breakdowns impacting customers in the last while. This time last year Bank of Ireland customers were concerned when money went missing from their bank accounts. The bank insisted the issue was a result of a technical processing issue and not a cyberattack. The lender rushed to correct the fault which caused panic and distress to a number of customers and disrupted payments. A number of agitated Bank of Ireland customers claimed money paid into their accounts had disappeared. And a glitch last year meant Ulster Bank customers were unable to view their transactions. A number of people were accidentally overdrawn after money disappeared from some accounts. In the past AIB customers have been hit when the bank suffered IT problems, with customers unable to withdraw money from their accounts in branches. The online banking services have also been affected. Sister of victim: Maria Byrne has forfeited her Dublin home to the Criminal Assets Bureau and had 26,760 in a deposit account seized Maria Byrne was a vital cog in the network of extended family members and associates who were used by her brother, Liam, to launder the vast profits gleaned from his drug trafficking activities. From the south city neighbourhood of Crumlin, Liam Byrne was the leader of the Dublin branch of the international crime cartel, run by the Kinahans, until he also was forced to follow his bosses and move overseas. The jewel in his property portfolio was his home in the modest Dublin Corporation estate of Raleigh Square in the area where he was reared. Its outward appearance gave little indication of the huge sums that Byrne had lavished on a massive refurbishment project that he undertook behind the front door. Expand Close Gardai and CAB officers outside the Crumlin home of Liam Byrne in 2016 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Gardai and CAB officers outside the Crumlin home of Liam Byrne in 2016 An architect estimated that the total cost of the renovations amounted to almost 750,000. Liam Byrne is now living in a gated mansion in Birmingham. His Raleigh Square home was bought by his sister, Maria, who had purchased a number of properties in the area. In the High Court on Wednesday she consented to her brother's pride and joy being handed over to the Criminal Assets Bureau along with 27,000 in cash. Around the same time, coincidentally, Maria Byrne also reached a settlement in a separate High Court damages action in which a cyclist claimed he had suffered severe injuries to his foot after he was struck by a Nissan Qashqai driven by her at Meath Street in Dublin in May 2011. A rare insight into the luxury lifestyles of top criminals and their associates was revealed in a case brought by the Criminal Assets Bureau before the High Court last August. Among the eleven people named in the CAB affidavit were Liam Byrne, his partner, Simoan McEnroe, his cousin, Liam Roe, close associate Sean McGovern, parents James and Sadie Byrne and his sister, Maria. Ms Justice Carmel Stewart in August approved the CAB confiscation of 31 vehicles, 8 pieces of jewellery, 4 sums of cash and two houses and found that the evidence clearly established that Liam Byrne and Sean McGovern had "engaged in criminal activities" for the purpose of laundering the proceeds of crime, transferring wealth between the members of various organised crime groups, providing a fleet of high end luxury cars to members of the Byrne group and hiding the beneficial ownership of the vehicles seized. Liam Byrne was named as the leader of the Byrne "organised crime group" and he was described as a career criminal heavily involved in drug trafficking and firearms in Ireland, with close connections to the Kinihans and using a number of businesses as a cover for the laundering of funds. Evidence was also given of movements of cash between Maria Byrne's bank account and one held by her brother, Liam, including a lodgment of almost 50,000. It also emerged that she was making 2,000 withdrawals from her account on the same date each month that her brother was making 2,000 lodgments on his mortgage. This week, 'Claire Byrne Live' interviewed Jacqueline Connolly and her mother Mary Coll on the murders of Clodagh Hawe and her three boys, Liam, Niall and Ryan, by Alan Hawe. It made for harrowing viewing but it raised questions that need to be answered. The answers can help us to prevent such murders occurring in the future. I have sat with and spoken with Jacqueline and Mary in their community and I have witnessed their immense grief and their incredible courage at the disaster that has befallen their beautiful family. They are wonderful women - honest and full of integrity. They are also gentle and incredibly private people. They never in a million years thought they would be telling their family's tragic story to the nation on a primetime television programme. What family ever would? But they have been forced, against their beautiful natures, to be public, because they have not been listened to in any other way. Since that day when Mary had to walk away from the back door of her daughter's house, knowing that something beyond awful had happened, and through the horror of the days and nights that followed and the inquest that took place just before Christmas 2017, these two women have been effectively left to carry this burden alone. Left with the loss and a haunting silence that bore no answers. As a nation, as we watched them on their couch and listened to their appalling story, we have serious questions to answer. Because, as a society, we simply do not know how to place victims of crime at the centre of our responses and we do not know how to care for people like Mary and Jacqueline at times of loss and at times of such immense trauma. Our Government left them with their struggles and left a whole community in grief without any proper support or trauma intervention. What we needed to do - as a country - was to put a blanket of care around Jacqueline and Mary. We needed to meet their support needs, including their need for more information about why this happened in the first place. Not expect them to bare their broken hearts on television. This is what a compassionate community would do. Anything less weakens our humanity. Instead, Jacqueline and Mary have had to endure this loss in silence and without answers. Unimaginably, they have had to deal with the brutal reality of their loved ones' deaths and then be expected to deal with all the legal and financial complications of the murders. And through it all, they have never asked for anything for themselves. They are singularly focused on the truth because they believe this will protect other women and children and make Ireland safer for all. Believe me, after 20 years working with Safe Ireland, I know there are many other women and children living in the same omnipresent danger that Clodagh and her boys lived with. We can try to dress it up if we wish, but, from my long experience working with women and children throughout the country, Alan Hawe coercively controlled his family at all times. He was not mentally ill. He ensured that his family's lives revolved around what he wanted them to do. He rarely let them out of his sight. Clodagh rang him every time she arrived at school. Her sister told the story on television of Alan arriving to pick out the bridesmaids' dresses. All planned, all calculated and all considered. Far from being mental derangement, this was mental arrangement. This is control. This is bullying. This is isolation. This is living as a hostage. This makes women and children's lives smaller, deliberately, over time. And this is what is at the heart of domestic violence. Yet, horrific case after horrific case, we fail to comprehend and accept this reality. Instead, what we rush to do is normalise, mitigate, excuse and disguise it, most often under the blanket of mental illness. In some isolated cases mental illness may well be at the root of family violence, I understand this. But, in my 20 years of working with women and children, I can say, with authority and experience, that mental illness has not been present in the majority of the stories of the hundreds of women I have sat with. Control and more accurately, the fear of losing that control, has been the issue. It's time to stop pretending otherwise. We have a great opportunity to do things right by women in Ireland. Unlike many other jurisdictions, coercive control is now a criminal offence under the new Domestic Violence Bill 2018. It is ground-breaking that it is now an offence to coercively control your partner and your family. But this ambition for Ireland needs to move beyond being words on paper. What we urgently need is specialist training to educate all State agencies and civic society to recognise and respond to coercive control so that we don't rush to disguise it as something else. And, as Jacqueline and Mary have looked for, we need to have comprehensive investigations into all domestic homicides so that we can learn, track and respond, and prevent further horrific family annihilations. If we continue as a society to look for bruises and broken bones we will miss about 90pc of domestic violence. We need to change the conversation about domestic violence, starting with naming it for what it is - coercive, pernicious, calculated control. Sharon O'Halloran is CEO Safe Ireland Childhood memories, both good and bad, tend to be for life. The vast majority of those who went on scouting trips will remember the untrammelled freedom of being away from home, over-night camps and fireside sing-songs with mugs of tea. The joy of being alone with friends telling ghost stories late into the night... What made any and all of this possible was trust that those who were in charge would make sure all were safe. Sadly, that trust has been shattered and rebuilding it demands we do better. The news Scouting Ireland has been ordered to reconsider organising overnight trips and review how children in its care are supervised in the wake of sex abuse allegations may not be surprising, but it is deeply disturbing. To date, 313 alleged complaints in relation to historic abuse at Scouting Ireland have been made, relating to 237 people suspected of alleged abuse. Children's Minister Katherine Zappone has revealed Tusla - the child and family agency - has written to Scouting Ireland chiefs recommending changes to how children are supervised. A review of how it manages disclosures about child protection concerns is also advised. The minister has also promised "very robust action". Many will be astounded such measures were not already in place. For those who had happy experiences, the remembering is always easy. Unfortunately, for those who may have been hurt, abused or preyed upon, it can often be more about forgetting. A raft of disclosures has raised enormous questions for all concerned. Parents and volunteers will have grave reservations about getting involved with the organisation unless they know the safeguarding and protection of children is at its core. It is impossible to understand how anything but the most stringent supervisory standards could not already be in place. Childhood, they say, is a kingdom where nobody dies; it would be tragic if the innocent joy of overnight trips away was killed off because adults could no longer be relied upon to keep children safe. It ought not be too much to ask of us to establish the necessary vetting procedures and controls to keep children from harm. Whatever changes are required, they have to be enforced. They say to grow up is to wonder about things, but to be grown up too often means to lose the connection with that sense of wonder. Yet that sense is more precious than we know, and should be nurtured and cherished. As JM Barrie wrote: "On these magic shores children at play are for ever beaching their coracles. We too have been there; we can still hear the sound of the surf, though we shall land no more." If the organisation is to recover and find its way back, then nothing less than total co-operation with all of Ms Zappone's demands will suffice. Baden-Powell believed scouting should be nothing less than applied Christianity. If that was the ideal, we seem to have strayed a long way from it. 'Rugby is psychological warfare. Do not underestimate its effect, not only on the Irish team but also on the Irish nation' Photo: Reuters The commentators behave like lemmings: running headlong into a sea of oblivion because of some poor performances by the Irish rugby team. This is fixable: revert to Irelands dynamic carrying, as against the All Blacks last November and in their demolition of England at Twickenham to win the Grand Slam last year. Rugby is psychological warfare. Do not underestimate its effect, not only on the Irish team but also on the Irish nation. So, front up against the French at Lansdowne Road on Saturday week. Play in their faces, as against the All Blacks. It is not about skill. Ireland have that in abundance. Johnny, forget the wrap-around for awhile and kick to the corners. You are becoming predictable when as a great world player you dont need to be. Liberate your outstanding runners Earls, Stockdale and Ringrose. You are a world-class team, notwithstanding the hopeless dirge Irelands Call which, as I predicted in the Irish Independent last year, does you no favours, confers no dignity, inspires no passion. Your war cry should be Eireann Abu. The Welsh understand this with their sublime Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. The All Blacks understand that with the haka. Nothing is achieved without passion! Ar aghaidh! Maurice OCallaghan Stillorgan, Co Dublin Full employment a myth and the media should give us facts Would the media please stop saying we have full employment in this country? Full employment is a myth; the media are supposed to give us the facts, not myths. There are still approximately 200,000 unemployed in this country, 79,010 of whom are suffering through long-term unemployment. It may be statistically true but in terms of raw human suffering to say we are near full employment is a blatant lie. Unemployed people who participate in (so-called) training and activation schemes are counted as employed in the monthly employment statistics, even though they are not employed in any real sense. Activation has traditionally been a great way for successive governments to massage the figures and that continues to be the practice of the current Government. This approach is obviously wrong and dishonest. It is long past time the CSO, Government, economists and media took note of whats happening in the real world. Tim Buckley White Street, Cork city SSIA savings scheme looks like a con to help wealthy At a time when many are worried at growing distributive injustice and inequity, Ibec proposes an instrument that acts as a conduit to redistribute the national wealth upwards, thus exacerbating the already vulgar and dangerous situation (Employers back calls for new SSIA savings scheme in a bid to stop economy overheating, Irish Independent, February 27). But where is the surprise in that? After all, all they are doing is looking after the interests of their own, and as usual, under the pretence that they are concerned for the common good. Jim OSullivan Rathedmond, Sligo Pope Francis cannot blame Satan for sins of the Church While Pope Francis warned before the Vatican meeting on clerical sex abuse not to have high expectations as to its outcome the result, unfortunately for the future credibility of the Church, was most disappointing. Pope Francis cannot conveniently blame an outside agency like Satan as being the malignant force responsible for this global Church evil. This is an outdated, theologically dubious way of avoiding moral responsibility adopted by successive Catholic leaders to shift responsibility away from their own failure in not confronting this criminal behaviour which has been festering and known about at the top level for many years. There is an urgent need now to explain in human and scientific terms how and why clerical sex abuse has become so endemic; scapegoating Satan is not acceptable. Brendan Butler Malahide, Co Dublin Does an ancient Roman have the answer for Brexit worries? The Roman philosopher Seneca said: We all suffer more from imagination than reality, its always worse in your head than it is in real life. Will we awake on April 1 with a smile and wonder what all the worry was about when it comes to Brexit? Damien Carroll Kingswood, Dublin 24 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visits the National theatre in central London on January 30, 2019 after it was announced that she would be Patron of the theatre. (Photo by Niklas HALLEN / AFP) There's no getting around it - beige doesn't have the best reputation. It's not as exciting as a bright blue or green, it's harder to wear than a basic black, and it's a lot less sexy than red. But this season, boring, bland beige is having a makeover. Fashion is working overtime to rebrand the neutral shade as sleek, sophisticated and even a bit sultry. At Burberry, new creative director Riccardo Tisci dedicated the majority of his debut collection to the classic shades of the house's iconic trench coats. Along with new variations on that famous staple, there were pleated skirts, high-waisted trousers, silk blouses and blazers in 50 shades of beige. The look was polished and very grown-up, as Tisci positioned himself as an increasingly rare designer interested in catering to mature customers as well as Insta-savvy millennials. Beige outerwear also played a starring role at Max Mara, long-time proponents of a neutral palette. Here, it was layered over strong-shouldered trouser suits, vinyl pencil skirts and one-shoulder draped dresses with cinched waists. The variety of nudes was notably diverse, as designers expand the shade range to suit multiple skin tones. Beige reigned on the Paris catwalks, too, as Dior paid tribute to the ballerina, pairing graceful gowns, full skirts and fitted tops with ballet pumps and ribbon headbands. The mood at Chloe, meanwhile, was bohemian chic: hippie scarf prints were given a modern twist when teamed with beige dresses, long skirts and tailored blazers. It was cool and contemporary, crying out for summer sun. The fashion crowd have been quick to embrace the look, and beige has proved to be the dominant street style-trend this fashion month, while the renaissance continues in the autumn-winter collections. But beyond the influencer set, beige has a number of high-profile celebrity fans, the most ardent of which is arguably Meghan Markle. Since becoming a royal, the former actress has seized on the neutral tone as her hero hue. We've seen her in a variety of trench coats (including one by Burberry), formalwear, maternity dresses and smart tailoring (left), all in shades of beige. During her trip to Morocco last weekend, she opted for a bespoke Dior gown in her signature colour for an evening reception. With crystal embellishment along the sleeves, the subdued kaftan-style dress was quietly dazzling. It's a testament to the versatility of the shade in 2019, whether you're at the office, out for brunch or on the red carpet. Looking at Naomi Campbell (right) and Celine Dion (far right) in their striking tonal looks, you may wonder how it could translate to real life. A floor-length beige skirt or wide trousers may not be suitable for dodging puddles on a rainy day, but there are clever, simple and stylish ways to wear it. First of all, you don't need all your neutrals to match precisely, as Naomi and Celine demonstrate. Ideally, they should all vary slightly, but remain in the same colour family. The effect is very luxe and expensive-looking, but it can be easily achieved on a high-street budget. Don't be afraid to mix textures: tuck a silk blouse into high-waisted trousers, with COS's tactile wool gilet on top. And if head-to-toe beige sounds too tricky, mix in darker neutrals like olive green, chocolate brown and rich burgundy. Video of the Day Still not gone on the tonal shades? Break it up with contrasting pastels or a vivid piece like Zara's blue shirt. It's good news for animal print lovers, too: beige makes a perfect partner for a pair of snakeskin boots or a leopard belt. It was a warmer experience for another bather yesterday. Photo: Kyran O'Brien Keeping cool: One year ago a brave Liam Mulcahy took a dip at the Forty Foot, Sandycove, Dublin. Photo: Collins What a difference a year makes. As the country basks in the hottest February in nearly 60 years, today marks the first anniversary of the arrival of the infamous 'Beast from the East'. One year to this day, supermarket shelves had been cleared of bread and milk as we braced ourselves for the Arctic blast that brought snow up to a metre deep and a cold snap of -10C. "It is very exceptional. It's not normal," Met Eireann's Evelyn Cusack said at the time as a mass of black clouds made their way across the Irish Sea. There was an unusual calm in the hours before the freak storm hit, but the Government made no attempts to downplay the seriousness of its potential destruction. "Our message is very clear - this storm is coming. Do not be out there," they warned. Expand Expand Previous Next Close Weather change: It was freezing at the Forty Foot, Dublin this time last year. Photo: Collins It was a good deal balmier yesterday. Photo: Kyran O'Brien / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Weather change: It was freezing at the Forty Foot, Dublin this time last year. Photo: Collins Not since 1982 has the country been struck with such force. Met Eireann's Status Red warning brought Ireland to a standstill, schools were closed, electricity lines were downed, aircraft were grounded and there was a spike in injuries and illnesses. But while the country impatiently waited for the 'Beast from the East' to release its sub-zero grip and for bread deliveries to resume, few people could imagine that a year later we would be sharing similar temperatures to Athens and Rome. According to Met Eireann, this week's mercury levels hit an almost record high of 17.4C in the Midlands. It's the hottest February since 1960 - the only time it was warmer was over 100 years ago when 18.1C was recorded in Dublin's Phoenix Park. And on Valentia Island in Co Kerry, highs of 17.2C were recorded, which is a new record for the 151-year-old weather station. "It really is amazing," forecaster John Eagleton told the Irish Independent. "Next week we'll be back to normal temperatures, but it's truly remarkable how warm it is compared to last year. "The reason for this unseasonable weather is due to a high pressure over the continent and warm air coming up from the south. "Temperatures won't be as high [today] and there will be a bit more cloud, but it'll still be very pleasant out," he added. Sunseekers are now being urged to make the most of this unseasonable heat as the forecaster said it will gradually become more unsettled and cooler as the week progresses. It will be business as usual for early March with Saturday expected to see gale-force winds, squally showers and hail. The early days of next week will see unsettled weather and night frosts. India is building more than 14,000 bunkers for families living along its border with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir state, hoping to keep them safe near their homes instead of evacuating them as artillery shells scream overhead. On Tuesday, Pakistan used heavy calibre weapons to shell 12 to 15 places along the Indian side of the de-facto border known as the Line of Control which divides the disputed Kashmir region, a spokesman for the Indian defence forces said. The Indian army retaliated with its own shelling of the Pakistani side, he said. That created "panic among people", said Rahul Yadav, deputy commissioner of the Poonch district, a remote area of the Indian state which faced some of the attacks. The new shelters, planned before this week's spike in tensions, are supposed to reduce that fear and prevent people from having to flee when the shelling begins. There have been frequent exchanges of fire along the actual and de-facto borders in recent months, but Tuesday's was a major escalation after India carried out an air strike on what it said was a training camp run by an Islamist militant group in Pakistan. India was responding to a suicide car bombing claimed by a member of the group, which killed 40 Indian paramilitary police in Kashmir almost two weeks ago. As well as the shelling, Pakistan retaliated yesterday by carrying out air strikes on the Indian side of the border and, according to officials in Islamabad, shot down two Indian jets over Pakistan. India accuses Pakistan of sponsoring militancy in Kashmir, India's only Muslim-dominated region. ( Reuters) Pakistan has pledged to release a captured Indian fighter pilot in a bid to ease tensions between the two countries over the disputed region of Kashmir. Prime Minister Imran Khan made the announcement in an address to both houses of Parliament, saying he tried to reach his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Wednesday with a message that he wants to de-escalate tension. There was no immediate reaction from India, though Mr Modi earlier in the day warned that "India's enemies are conspiring to create instability in the country through terror attacks". "We are releasing the Indian pilot as a goodwill gesture tomorrow," Mr Khan said. He did not say whether the release was conditional. The Pakistan premier also said that he had feared on Wednesday night that India might launch a missile attack, but the situation was later defused. He did not elaborate. World powers have called on the nations to de-escalate the tensions gripping the contested region since a February 14 suicide bombing killed more than 40 Indian paramilitary troops in Kashmir in territory it controls. India responded with a pre-dawn airstrike on Tuesday inside Pakistan, the first such raid since the two nations' 1971 war over territory that later became Bangladesh. The situation then escalated further with Wednesday's aerial skirmish, which saw Pakistan say it shot down two Indian aircraft, one of which crashed in Pakistan-held part of Kashmir and the other in India-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan later aired a video of a man it identified as the Indian pilot. India acknowledged one of its MiG-21s, a Soviet-era fighter jet, was "lost" in skirmishes with Pakistan. India's Ministry of External Affairs said late on Wednesday that it "strongly objected to Pakistan's vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force", and that it expects his immediate and safe return. India also said it shot down a Pakistan warplane, something Islamabad denied. Kashmir has been divided but claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan since almost immediately after the two countries' creation in 1947. They have fought three wars against each other, two directly dealing with the disputed region. Both Indian and Pakistani officials reported small-arms fire and shelling along the Kashmir region into Thursday morning. There were no reported casualties. India and Pakistan both said they shot down each other's fighter jets yesterday, with Pakistan capturing an Indian pilot a day after Indian warplanes struck inside Pakistan for the first time since a 1971 war, prompting world powers to urge restraint. Both countries have ordered air strikes over the last two days, the first time in history two nuclear-armed powers have done so, while ground forces have exchanged fire in more than a dozen locations. Tension has been running high since a suicide car bombing by Pakistan-based militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police two weeks ago, but the risk of conflict rose dramatically on Tuesday when India launched an air strike on what it said was a militant training base. A senior Indian government source said 300 militants were killed in Tuesday's strike. Pakistan says no one was killed. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan called for talks with India and hoped "better sense" would prevail so both sides could de-escalate. "History tells us that wars are full of miscalculation. My question is that, given the weapons we have, can we afford miscalculation," Mr Khan said during a brief broadcast to the nation. "We should sit down and talk." The Pakistan government's official Twitter account released a video of what it claimed was an Indian pilot who had been shot down. The man, who Pakistan named as Wing Commander Abhi Nandan, whose face was bloodied and blindfolded, gives his name and service number, before telling a man questioning him: "I'm sorry sir, that's all I'm supposed to tell you." A statement from India's foreign ministry said the pilot's treatment was a "vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention", demanding his immediate release. In a second video on social media, a screenshot of which was shared by the same Pakistan government account, the pilot was seen sipping tea while praising his treatment by Pakistani military. Pakistan and India have fought three wars since independence from British colonial rule in 1947, two over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, and went to the brink a fourth in 2002 after a Pakistani militant attack on India's parliament. The escalation marks a sudden turnaround in relations between the two countries, which both claim Kashmir in full but rule in part. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with the foreign ministers of both countries, urging them to avoid "further military activity" after the air strike. ( Reuters) North Koreas leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump speak during the second US-North Korea summit North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump met in Vietnam yesterday for a second summit which the United States hopes will persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for promises of peace and development. Mr Kim and Mr Trump shook hands and smiled briefly in front of a row of their national flags at the Metropole Hotel in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, before heading to dinner together. Mr Trump said he thought the talks would be very successful, and asked if he was "walking back" on denuclearisation, said "no". At their historic first summit in Singapore last June, Mr Trump and Mr Kim pledged to work toward denuclearisation and permanent peace on the Korean peninsula, but little progress has been made. Mr Kim said they had overcome obstacles to hold their second summit and praised Mr Trump for his "courageous decision" to begin a dialogue. "Now that we're meeting here again like this, I'm confident there will be an excellent outcome that everyone welcomes, and I'll do my best to make it happen," Mr Kim said. Mr Trump and Mr Kim held a 20-minute one-on-one chat before sitting down to dinner. Today, the two leaders will hold a series of meetings, the White House said. The venue has not been announced. Experts said the pair were at pains to show their relationship had improved since their first meeting. Mr Trump said late last year he and Mr Kim "fell in love", but whether the bonhomie can move them beyond summit pageantry to substantive progress on eliminating Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal which threatens the US is the question which will dominate talks. The Singapore summit, the first meeting between a sitting US president and North Korean leader, ended with great fanfare but little substance over how to dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. In the run-up to this summit, Mr Trump has indicated a more flexible stance, saying he was in no rush to secure North Korea's denuclearisation. Asked if he would declare a formal end to the Korean War, which North Korea has long called for, he said: "We'll see." He has also said he would be happy as long as North Korea, which has not tested a nuclear weapon or intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017, maintained that freeze. Evans Revere, a former US negotiator with North Korea, said Mr Trump was under pressure, given the criticism and other domestic problems, and Mr Kim might try to use that. "Kim may be tempted to push Trump even harder for concessions, knowing how much the president wants and needs that testing pause." Bovis Homes is to partner with more housing associations through its new division (PA) Bovis has posted record annual profits as the housebuilder continues to move on from a scandal over shoddy homes. The group saw pre-tax profits jump by 47.4% to 168.1 million during 2018, while revenue was up 3.2% to 1.06 billion, as the number of completions reached 3,759. Chief executive Greg Fitzgerald said: The group has made substantial progress operationally over the past 18 months, delivering record profits and a step change in our operating margin. We have transformed the quality of our product and customer service and are delighted this is reflected in our 4 star housebuilder status for 2018. Bovis' results highlight that the self-help actions introduced by the new management have led to strong returnsNumis Bovis, which had been dogged by complaints over unfinished homes with electrical and plumbing faults, also said it had seen a significant improvement in customer satisfaction. The company announced the creation of a Partnership Housing division, which will be dedicated to working with housing associations. It follows moves by the Government to support the creation of more affordable housing. The move represents an avenue for higher sales for Bovis, which said in November that uncertainty surrounding Britains departure from the EU was driving a slowdown in buyers of larger homes. The company said in its most recent update that improving relationships with housing associations had helped to increase its sales. In an update on current trading, the group said there was good demand in the first eight weeks of the financial year with average sales per site per week up 15.7%. Bovis said it was on track to reach its medium-term targets, which include 4,000 completions a year by 2020 and further improvements to margins. Analysts at Numis said: Bovis results highlight that the self-help actions introduced by the new management have led to strong returns which have been delivered in a controlled manner. Shares were up nearly 1% in afternoon trade at 1,074p. Undated handout file photo issued by Newscast of of cigarettes in a British American Tobacco workers shirt pocket. British American Tobaccos shares fell on lower revenue )Jason Alden/Newscast/PA) British American Tobacco (BAT) shares fell after the company reported a drop in annual sales due to foreign exchange headwinds. The maker of Lucky Strike and Camel cigarettes said revenue fell 2.3% to 24.3 billion in 2018 but, stripping out currency effects, revenue increased 25% to 24.5 billion. BAT made a profit of just 8.35 billion last year compared with 29.53 billion in 2017 which was bolstered by a one-off gain from the acquisition of rival Reynolds American. On an adjusted basis, pre-tax profit increased to about 9 billion from 7 billion. Shares were down 2.9% to 2,713.5p. Outgoing chief executive Nicandro Durante said: BAT performed well in 2018, exceeding our target of high single-figure adjusted constant currency EPS (earnings per share) growth, whilst continuing to invest in long-term sustainable returns. He said the full-year effect of the Reynolds American acquisition and foreign exchange headwind distorted the groups results, but on an adjusted, constant currency, representative basis, this was a strong performance across the business. Mr Durante acknowledged that proposed potential regulatory changes in the US over vaping products has created some investor uncertainty, but said that BAT has a long experience of managing regulatory developments, a track record of delivering strong growth while investing for the future, and an established multi-category approach. Looking into 2019, we are confident of another year of high single-figure adjusted constant currency earnings growth and this confidence is reflected in our boards proposal to increase the dividend by 4%. Mr Durante is to retire in April after nearly 37 years with the company and eight years at the helm. He will be succeeded by Jack Bowles, who is currently chief operating officer of BATs international business. The company also announced on Thursday the departure of finance director Ben Stevens, who will retire from the board on August 5 after three decades with BAT. Mr Stevens will be replaced by Tadeu Marroco, who is currently director for group transformation at the company. Matt Pasciuto places an icicle at the top of a wall at Ice Castles (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Thousands of people are flocking to a winter wonderland constructed from ice in New Hampshire. Ice Castles in North Woodstock features a collection of ice tunnels, caverns and a 97ft ice slide that cover an acre of farmland. The scene one of six in North America starts small in December when a team sets up icicle farms: metal racks sprayed with water to allow icicles to grow overnight. The team then harvests the icicles and continually sprays them with water. Expand Close In this Monday, Jan. 28, 2019 photo, a sprinkler sprays a fine mist over a metal rack to grow icicles at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. Ice artists will harvest the icicles and use them to grow the castles walls. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In this Monday, Jan. 28, 2019 photo, a sprinkler sprays a fine mist over a metal rack to grow icicles at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. Ice artists will harvest the icicles and use them to grow the castles walls. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Expand Close In this Monday, Jan. 28, 2019 photo, icicles are harvested for use in growing the walls at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. The winter wonderland is one of six in North America. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In this Monday, Jan. 28, 2019 photo, icicles are harvested for use in growing the walls at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. The winter wonderland is one of six in North America. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Expand Close In this Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 photo, a couple heads towards an entrance to a cavern at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. A team starts building massive walls in December to create a spectacular winter experience. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In this Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 photo, a couple heads towards an entrance to a cavern at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. A team starts building massive walls in December to create a spectacular winter experience. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Expand Close In this Friday, Jan. 25, 2019 photo, visitors race down the side-by-side tunnels of a 97-foot ice slide at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. The winter wonderland is one of six in North America. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In this Friday, Jan. 25, 2019 photo, visitors race down the side-by-side tunnels of a 97-foot ice slide at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. The winter wonderland is one of six in North America. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Expand Close In this Friday, Jan. 25, 2019 photo, fire dancers perform at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. The winter wonderland is one of six in North America. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In this Friday, Jan. 25, 2019 photo, fire dancers perform at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. The winter wonderland is one of six in North America. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Expand Close In this Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 photo, a man zooms down a 97-foot ice slide at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In this Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 photo, a man zooms down a 97-foot ice slide at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Expand Close In this Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 photo, visitors pose for a photo in a tunnel at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. With a seemingly endless variety of photo-ops, most visitors have a hard time putting their cameras down. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In this Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 photo, visitors pose for a photo in a tunnel at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. With a seemingly endless variety of photo-ops, most visitors have a hard time putting their cameras down. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Expand Close In this Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 photo, Bruce McCafferty and his son, Dougie, pause while exploring the ice formations growing at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In this Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 photo, Bruce McCafferty and his son, Dougie, pause while exploring the ice formations growing at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) U.S. President Donald Trump reacts during a news conference after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at the JW Marriott Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam February 28, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva US President Donald Trump criticized his former attorney Michael Cohen on Thursday for lying in testimony to Congress but found reason to praise him, too, for not alleging Trumps campaign colluded with Russia in 2016. Trump, speaking at a news conference in Vietnam after failing to achieve a peace deal with North Koreas Kim Jong Un, called the blockbuster hearing back in Washington fake and said it should not have been scheduled during his trip. "He lied a lot," Trump said. "He didn't lie about one thing, he said 'no collusion'." Cohen testified on Wednesday, calling Trump a "conman" who knew in advance about the release of stolen emails aimed at hurting his Democratic rival in the 2016 election campaign. Expand Close Michael Cohen, the former personal attorney of U.S. President Donald Trump, testifies before a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 27, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Michael Cohen, the former personal attorney of U.S. President Donald Trump, testifies before a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 27, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst Trump criticised the timing of the hearing saying it should not have been happened while he was on an important overseas trip, and it could easily have been postponed for a few days. "Having a hearing like that, really was a terrible thing," he said. Trump has called an investigation into possible collusion between Moscow and his presidential campaign a witch hunt. Cohen, 52, was a close aide of Trump for years and his testimony could increase the legal and political pressure on the Republican president. But Cohen did not appear to disclose a "smoking gun" that could sink his former boss. Cohen said he had no direct evidence that Trump or his campaign colluded with Moscow during the election campaign. Possible collusion is a key theme of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, which has dogged the president during his two years in office. Trump has repeatedly denied the allegation as has the Kremlin Cohen will talk behind closed doors on Thursday to a congressional panel investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. election, capping an explosive week of testimony in which he leveled new allegations of wrongdoing at his former boss. In his third and final Capitol Hill session this week, Cohen will testify, starting at 9.30 am ET (2.30pm GMT) and going all day, to the House Intelligence Committee. It has been probing Russian election meddling and any collusion with the Trump campaign. It will follow dramatic public testimony by Cohen on Wednesday before the House Oversight Committee, in which the one-time "fixer" for Trump accused the president of breaking the law while in office and said for the first time that Trump knew in advance about a WikiLeaks dump of stolen emails that hurt his 2016 election rival Hillary Clinton. As he did before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, Cohen is expected to apologize for lying to Congress in 2017. That was when he submitted a statement saying efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow had ceased by January 2016. In fact, the talks stretched to June 2016. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for that lie and other crimes. Democratic House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said in a tweet on Wednesday that he planned to dig into the Trump Moscow project, the revelations about Wikileaks and any White House role in Cohen's prior false statements. "Today Cohen provided the American public with a first-hand account of serious misconduct by Trump & those around him," Schiff said. "Tomorrow we'll examine in depth many of those topics." At Wednesday's hearing Cohen said Trump never explicitly told him to lie to Congress about the Moscow skyscraper negotiations. But Cohen said he believed he was following implicit directions to minimize their efforts on the tower. Cohen told the House Oversight Committee he had no direct evidence that Trump or his campaign colluded with Moscow during the election campaign, but that he had suspicions that something untoward had occurred. Possible collusion is a key theme of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, which has dogged the president during his first two years in office. Trump has repeatedly denied the allegation, as has the Kremlin. Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, has unleashed a torrent of devastating claims against Mr Trump at the House Oversight and Reform Committee. Below is a selective account of his remarks. "I am here under oath to correct the record, to answer the Committee's questions truthfully, and to offer the American people what I know about President Trump. I recognize that some of you may doubt and attack me on my credibility. It is for this reason that I have incorporated into this opening statement documents that are irrefutable, and demonstrate that the information you will hear is accurate and truthful. Never in a million years did I imagine, when I accepted a job in 2007 to work for Donald Trump, that he would one day run for president, launch a campaign on a platform of hate and intolerance, and actually win. I regret the day I said 'yes' to Mr Trump. I regret all the help and support I gave him along the way. I am ashamed of my own failings, and I publicly accepted responsibility for them by pleading guilty in the Southern District of New York. Expand Close US President Donald Trump. Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp US President Donald Trump. Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo I am ashamed of my weakness and misplaced loyalty - of the things I did for Mr Trump in an effort to protect and promote him. I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr Trump's illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. I am ashamed because I know what Mr Trump is. He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat. He was a presidential candidate who knew that Roger Stone was talking with Julian Assange about a WikiLeaks drop of Democratic National Committee emails. I will explain each in a few moments. I am providing the Committee today with several documents. These include: :: A copy of a cheque Mr Trump wrote from his personal bank account - after he became president - to reimburse me for the hush money payments I made to cover up his affair with an adult film star and prevent damage to his campaign; Expand Close US First Lady Melania Trump. Photo: Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp US First Lady Melania Trump. Photo: Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty :: Copies of financial statements for 2011-2013 that he gave to such institutions as Deutsche Bank; :: A copy of an article with Mr Trump's handwriting on it that reported on the auction of a portrait of himself - he arranged for the bidder ahead of time and then reimbursed the bidder from the account of his non-profit charitable foundation, with the picture now hanging in one of his country clubs; and :: Copies of letters I wrote at Mr Trump's direction that threatened his high school, colleges, and the College Board not to release his grades or SAT scores. I hope my appearance here today, my guilty plea, and my work with law enforcement agencies are steps along a path of redemption that will restore faith in me and help this country understand our president better. Before going further, I want to apologise to each of you and to Congress as a whole. The last time I appeared before Congress, I came to protect Mr Trump. Today, I'm here to tell the truth about Mr Trump. I lied to Congress about when Mr Trump stopped negotiating the Moscow Tower project in Russia. I stated that we stopped negotiating in January 2016. That was false - our negotiations continued for months later during the campaign. Mr Trump did not directly tell me to lie to Congress. That's not how he operates. In conversations we had during the campaign, at the same time I was actively negotiating in Russia for him, he would look me in the eye and tell me there's no business in Russia and then go out and lie to the American people by saying the same thing. In his way, he was telling me to lie. There were at least a half-dozen times between the Iowa Caucus in January 2016 and the end of June when he would ask me "How's it going in Russia?" - referring to the Moscow Tower project. You need to know that Mr Trump's personal lawyers reviewed and edited my statement to Congress about the timing of the Moscow Tower negotiations before I gave it. To be clear: Mr Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it. He lied about it because he never expected to win the election. He also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions of dollars on the Moscow real estate project. And so I lied about it, too -because Mr Trump had made clear to me, through his personal statements to me that we both knew were false and through his lies to the country, that he wanted me to lie. And he made it clear to me because his personal attorneys reviewed my statement before I gave it to Congress. Over the past two years, I have been smeared as "a rat" by the president of the United States. The truth is much different, and let me take a brief moment to introduce myself. I have come here to apologise to my family, to the government, and to the American people. Mr Trump is an enigma. He is complicated, as am I. He has both good and bad, as do we all. But the bad far outweighs the good, and since taking office, he has become the worst version of himself. Donald Trump is a man who ran for office to make his brand great, not to make our country great. He had no desire or intention to lead this nation - only to market himself and to build his wealth and power. Mr Trump would often say, this campaign was going to be the "greatest infomercial in political history". He never expected to win the primary. He never expected to win the general election. The campaign was always a marketing opportunity. Mr. Trump is a racist. The country has seen Mr Trump court white supremacists and bigots. You have heard him call poorer countries "shitholes". In private, he is even worse. He once asked me if I could name a country run by a black person that wasn't a "shithole". This was when Barack Obama was President of the US. While we were once driving through a struggling neighbourhood in Chicago, he commented that only black people could live that way. And, he told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid. He asked me to pay off an adult film star with whom he had an affair, and to lie to his wife about it, which I did. Lying to the First Lady is one of my biggest regrets. She is a kind, good person. I respect her - and she did not deserve that. I am giving the Committee today a copy of the $130,000 wire transfer from me to Ms Clifford's attorney during the closing days of the presidential campaign that was demanded by Ms Clifford to maintain her silence about her affair with Mr. Trump. This is Exhibit 4 to my testimony. Mr Trump directed me to use my own personal funds to avoid any money being traced back to him that could negatively impact his campaign. I did that, too. I am going to jail in part because of my decision to help Mr Trump hide that payment from the American people before they voted. As Exhibit 5 to my testimony shows, I am providing a copy of a $35,000 cheque that President Trump personally signed from his personal bank account on August 1, 2017 - when he was President of the United States -pursuant to the cover-up, which was the basis of my guilty plea, to reimburse me - the word used by Mr Trump's TV lawyer - for the illegal hush money I paid on his behalf. This $35,000 cheque was one of 11 check instalments that was paid throughout the year - while he was president. The president of the United States thus wrote a personal cheque for the payment of hush money as part of a criminal scheme to violate campaign finance laws. So picture this scene - in February 2017, one month into his presidency, I'm visiting President Trump in the Oval Office for the first time. It's truly awe-inspiring, he's showing me around and pointing to different paintings, and he says to me something to the effect of 'Don't worry, Michael, your January and February reimbursement cheques are coming'. As he promised, I received the first check for the reimbursement of $70,000 not long thereafter. When I say conman, I'm talking about a man who declares himself brilliant but directed me to threaten his high school, his colleges, and the College Board to never release his grades or SAT scores. During the campaign, Mr Trump said he did not consider Vietnam veteran and prisoner of war Senator John McCain to be "a hero" because he likes people who weren't captured. At the same time, Mr. Trump tasked me to handle the negative press surrounding his medical deferment from the Vietnam draft. Mr Trump claimed it was because of a bone spur, but when I asked for medical records, he gave me none and said there was no surgery. He told me not to answer the specific questions by reporters but rather offer the fact that he received a medical deferment. He finished the conversation with the following comment. "You think I'm stupid, I wasn't going to Vietnam." Questions have been raised about whether I know of direct evidence that Mr Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia. I do not. I want to be clear. But, I have my suspicions. Sometime in the summer of 2017, I read all over the media that there had been a meeting in Trump Tower in June 2016 involving Don Jr and others from the campaign with Russians, including a representative of the Russian government, and an email setting up the meeting with the subject line, "Dirt on Hillary Clinton". Something clicked in my mind. I remember being in the room with Mr Trump, probably in early June 2016, when something peculiar happened. Don Jr came into the room and walked behind his father's desk - which in itself was unusual. People didn't just walk behind Mr Trump's desk to talk to him. I recalled Don Jr leaning over to his father and speaking in a low voice, which I could clearly hear, and saying: "The meeting is all set." I remember Mr Trump saying, "OK good, let me know." What struck me as I looked back and thought about that exchange between Don Jr and his father was, first, that Mr Trump had frequently told me and others that his son Don Jr had the worst judgment of anyone in the world. And also, that Don Jr would never set up any meeting of any significance alone - and certainly not without checking with his father." ( Daily Telegraph London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] Merlin Entertainments booked a rise in sales and profits last year as the firm bounced back from the London terror attacks that hit its performance in 2017 (Anthony Devlin/PA) Alton Towers owner Merlin Entertainments booked a rise in sales and profits last year as the firm bounced back from the string of London terror attacks that had hit its performance in 2017. Figures out on Thursday showed the theme park and tourist attraction operator booked a 4.9% rise in pre-tax profits to 285 million in 2018, while sales grew 5.9% to 1.69 billion. Merlin, which is also behind Madame Tussauds and Thorpe Park, said it was boosted by new attractions, good weather and the roll-out of 644 hotel rooms in Legoland. In the capital, where the firm operates the London Eye and London Dungeons, Merlin returned to growth in the second half of the year after being hit in 2017 by a wave of terror attacks. A record 67 million visitors walked through its doors last year, an increase of 1.4%. Chief executive Nick Varney said: 2018 saw improved momentum across most of our businesses, reflecting the strength of our diversified portfolio and geographic spread. Resort theme parks benefited from successful product investment such as Wicker Man at Alton Towers; Legoland parks growth was driven by record levels of accommodation openings; and, in addition to the contribution of seven new attractions, Midway saw improving trends in London. Shares were up 2.5% in morning trade at 361p. However, the firm also flagged significant cost pressures it has faced, including having to fork out for the National Living Wage and rising utility and business rates bills. It also bemoaned tighter labour markets in California, Bavaria and the South East of England, and Merlin is looking to make to 35 million of annual cost savings by 2022 as part of a productivity agenda. Mr Varney added: Not only will this help underpin our financial outlook, it will better enable our people to deliver what matters most to our guests: fantastic memorable experiences. Send to Email Address Your Name Your Email Address Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Email check failed, please try again Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Veteran lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar says he does not understand the agenda of Pakistan to sponsor terrorist activities in India. "I don't understand what is their (Pakistan) agenda and what will they get out of it by constantly sponsoring terrorism. It's an open truth that they support terrorist organizations but they are constantly denying it," Akhtar said on the sidelines of an event here. "Masood Azhar (the founder and leader of the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed) was released from Indian prison when they (Jaish-e-Mohammed) hijacked an Indian aircraft and then, how he reached Pakistan from Kandahar (Afghanistan)... And why is Pakistan not arresting him if they have an honest establishment over there," he questioned. The comment comes amidst escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. Akhtar and his actress-wife Shabana Azmi decided not to attend an event in Pakistan which was being organized by the Karachi Art Council days after a suicide bomber killed 40 CRPF troopers in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. He added: "I feel this situation is actually being forced upon us (India). It was not our choice but if things go beyond your control, then till when and how many times should we be quiet about this? So, we have to react to it someday or the other," Akhtar said. "I think repercussions of the current developments are really dangerous and banning Pakistani actors and artists are minor things but whatever is happening on our borders should be stopped. We should ban terrorism. It's an unfortunate thing." | BY Ricki Green | 19 Crimes, the wine that bought you the first talking wine label via the AR Living Wine Labels app, has launched a unique campaign via J. Walter Thompson Melbourne, that brings to life the rich and authentic story of the convicts turned colonists who feature on the brands labels. In the 18th and 19th centuries, British rogues found guilty of at least one of 19 Crimes were sentenced to live in Australia as punishment, where they were forced to forge a new country and new lives for themselves. Today 19 Crimes, a $13m brand in Australia experiencing triple digit growth, celebrates the rules they broke and the culture they built. Over the next month, 19 Crimes will take over two of Australias busiest train stations Bondi Junction and Sydney Central Station. This criminally good station domination, will be seen by over 2.3 million commuters each week. Heavily focused on out-of-home channels across the eastern seaboard, this campaign also features some very cool and disruptive hand painted murals with light projections, as well as multiple street posters with jail cell bars covering the prisoners mug shots. Currently the third favourite red wine brand in Australia, 19 Crimes will also be unmissable in-store with almost 250 large in store displays mimicking a jail cell, POS and customer exclusive activations. In addition, the campaign supports a national in-store promotion, where consumers can win flight vouchers if they find the 19th Crime under the cap. Says Clive Coleman, brand director, 19 Crimes: Following the phenomenal success 19 Crimes has had in the US, its an exciting time to be launching a campaign for a brand that has already gained traction quickly and organically here in Australia. We are thrilled to be bringing the 19 Crimes story to life in a non-conventional and disruptive way. This campaign is a great way to educate consumers on a story rich in history, whilst also highlighting a strong portfolio of quality, affordable wines. It would be a crime not to drink it. After the Balkot preemptive strike, yesterday, another air-to-air engagement happened where an Indian Air Force Pilot, Abhinandan earlier went missing. And later on it was confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs that he is indeed in the captivation of the Pakistan Army. A number of videos were leaked where the IAF pilot was seen appreciating the hospitality of the army and revealing his name, service number and when counter questioned about further details he denied by saying, "I am not supposed to tell you that." While the pilot was fighting his own struggle and the nation waited eagerly for his safe return, some media houses went on the length to reveal all the details that the pilot himself denied to give to Pakistan. And this obviously should be criticised. Hina Khan raised her voice against it and took to Twitter to share it. She wrote, "Apparently we did not learn a lesson after the great tragedy of 26/11 where the handlers were getting minute to minute details by our media. We should be more responsible towards such sensitive and issues of national integrity. #LetsGrowUp #BringBackWingCommanderAbhinandan"[sic] Featured Video Hina is aptly right on her point and media should work a little sensibly. Don't you think? Let us know in the comments below... The indigenous Mexican actor Yalitza Aparicio has made history twice in less than two months time first by being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and then for appearing on the cover of Vogue Mexico. It's a first for a country where light-skinned people dominate the media landscape despite an overwhelmingly Mestizo and Indigenous population. She represents an important minority community that isn't always highlighted in the mainstream. The praise north of the U.S.-Mexico border among fans of Mexican descent comes as Aparicio, who is from the Mexican state of Oaxaca, faces racist attacks online in her homeland and scorn from some Mexican actors. After she appeared on the cover of Vogue Mexico last year, Aparicio was hit with a tirade of online racist comments that criticized her physical appearance. "I am proud to be an Oaxacan indigenous woman and it saddens me that there are people who do not know the correct meaning of words," Aparicio, who is of Mixtec descent, said in a statement earlier this month. In "Roma," Aparicio plays Cleo, a domestic worker for a Mexico City middle-class family in the turbulent early 1970s. In the film, Aparicio speaks in an indigenous dialect and in Spanish and works to navigate the different worlds for her own survival. Aparicio, a 25-year-old primary school teacher, was nominated alongside Glenn Close, Lady Gaga, Olivia Colman and Melissa McCarthy at Sunday's Oscars, with Colman winning the prestigious award. According to Astrid Silva, an immigrant rights activist in Las Vegas whose parents are from Mexico, many Mexican-American women and Mexican immigrants in the U.S. see themselves in Aparicio for many reasons. Artist Ernesto Yerena Montejano's interpretation of Yalitza Aparicio. "She's a dark-skinned woman (who) comes from a poor region in Mexico like many of our families," Silva said. "She's not only challenging old notions of beauty that always involved blond hair and light skin. She's threatening them." Aparicio's popularity is especially strong in California where many Mexican-Americans can trace their roots to Oaxaca, Michoacan and Guerrero. Those states have vibrant, diverse indigenous populations that historically faced discrimination in Mexico. "We've been working to rediscover our indigenous roots and Aparicio's presence is showing that we matter," said Lilia Soto, an American Studies professor at the University of Wyoming, who grew up in Napa, California. "The racism she's facing in Mexico also is an attack against us." Soto said Aparicio also is popular among Mexican immigrants in New York City who largely come from Puebla - another Mexican state with an indigenous population. An art piece by Jim Yellow Hawk was used over the weekend at an event at the Journey Museum in Rapid City to bring awareness and education of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Image courtesy Jim Yellow Hawk Anna Mae Pictou Aquash: One of the murdered and missing women By Richie RichardsNative Sun News Today Correspondent PIERRE As tribal members from across the nation and Canada rally around the MMIW movement, this past weekend marked the date when one of the original missing and murdered indigenous women was found executed on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation On February 24, 1976, the lifeless body of Anna Mae Pictou Aquash was found in the Badlands on State Road 73 by rancher, Roger Amiotte, while he was out checking fences on his land. Missing for two months, Aquash was found after it was rumored she was last seen on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in December, 1975. Immediately following the death of Aquash, rumors began to swirl of the Mikmaq womans untimely death which was later determined to be at the hands of members of the American Indian Movement . During this period of pre-investigation by authorities, stories were being told by tribal members who had heard various versions of how she had met her demise. These rumors created a hysteria around the young First Nations womans murder, which included everything from being an informant, to victim blaming and victim shaming, to being promiscuous and irresponsible, and a pawn in a game which was much larger than her single life. She was tortured before her murder as a result of the knowledge she may have had in her possession. Anna Mae Pictou Aquash was a Mi'kmaq activist who was murdered in 1975 by members of the American Indian Movement. Photo: Canadian National Film Board Anna Mae Pictou Aquash was one of the original missing and murdered indigenous women whose life and death helped to begin the current mission of the MMIW movement. Her story is common in Indian Country, as it reflects on the rumors and gossip told around stories of missing and murdered tribal members. Missing from this movement, up until very recently, is the formation of accurate records of individuals lives who have been murdered or have gone missing. This accurate record keeping of MMIW and others from Indian Country, has begun in very recent years. South Dakota has begun a campaign which will reach a national audience through the collaboration of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmans Association, Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council and the Global Indigenous Council. This collaborative effort began in Jan. 2019 with a billboard campaign and other forms of reaching out to the public. These billboards began to appear in Rapid City before spreading to other areas of the United States. The isolated areas of tribal territories which are located near interstate corridors which connect major cities along their route are perfect place for human traffickers to choose their victims. In mid-February, 2019, a bill which would require the Division of Criminal Investigation to begin setting guidelines for data collection of possible MMIW cases had advanced in the South Dakota senate committee. Senator Lynn DiSanto was the prime sponsor of the bill and State Representative Tamara St. John has supported the bill throughout. House Bill 1237 sponsors included; Representatives Pourier, Bordeaux, Duba, Healy, Smith, St. John, and Sullivan and Senators Foster, Blare, Heinert, Kennedy, Maher, Nesiba and Wismer. The purpose of HB 1237 was to establish the duty to collect data and share information on missing and murdered indigenous persons. House Bill 1238 included the same sponsors from HB 1237 and its purpose was to revise provisions regarding training on missing and murdered indigenous persons. This is a major step forward for families seeking justice and help from the state in finding their loved ones and bringing perpetrators to justice. Several individuals testified during the senate hearing, including members of the MMIW He Sapa (Black Hills) . This group had organized the MMIW March on February 14, 2019. This march was attended by dozens of people who support the movement, but several attendees had family members who were among the MMIW in recent history. The efforts of the grassroots community members and legislators is working to improve the information available to the public and investigators, in hopes that it will help to solve some of the cases of the past and in recent memory. Most recently, the Journey Museum in Rapid City held an event Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Children on February 24, 2019. This awareness campaign helped to kick off the WHY Campaign . This is a collaboration between the Journey Museum and the Red Ribbon Skirt Society of the Black Hills. Contact Native Sun News Today Correspondent Richie Richards at richie4175@gmail.com Copyright permission Native Sun News Today Join the Conversation After Indian Air Forces (IAF) air strike at terrorist camps in Pakistans Balakot, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) intruded into Indian air force targeting military installations. Pakistan said that it carried out "strikes across Line of Control from within Pakistani airspace", but it was not retaliation or escalation. They just wanted to demonstrate that they are fully prepared. When Indian airforce also retaliated to this, in the battle, Pakistani F-16 was downed by an IAF Mig 21 Bis aircraft, but IAF also lost a Mig-21. The Indian government confirmed that an Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander piloting a MiG-21 fighter jet has not returned after Pakistan claimed that it had arrested IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan. amazonaws.com The entire nation is praying for the pilots safe return, including Bollywood celebrities. Celebrities from the film world on Wednesday took to social media to pray for the Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan who according to Pakistan is in their custody. We are all praying for the safe return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman #IAF gratitude from the daughter of a retired Indian Airforce officer @fbhutto for choosing humanity first & a way to peace Dugga Dugga & God bless https://t.co/6ztsyV5Dss sushmita sen (@thesushmitasen) February 27, 2019 Thoughts with #WingCommanderAbhinandan and his family. Hoping for his early and safe return. #IndianAirForce Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) February 27, 2019 Such courage, dignity , honor and grace under pressure. My thoughts are with you #WingCommanderAbhinandan #respect Hrithik Roshan (@iHrithik) February 27, 2019 Thoughts and strength to #WingCommandarAbhinandan amd his familly....India stands tall and proud with you.... Karan Johar (@karanjohar) February 27, 2019 As an Indian & as a concerned citizen I hope better sense prevails & sanity prevails human lives remain at stake... https://t.co/HwuIkCUt1y Arjun Kapoor (@arjunk26) February 27, 2019 Heartbreaking yet thought provoking the images of our #WingCommanderAbhinandan captured by Pakistani army. Yes emotions run high, yet all one can wonder, Is war really the road to peace here? Just pray that Abhinandan returns home peacefully and safe. arjun rampal (@rampalarjun) February 27, 2019 The right thing to do Pakistan! Treating soldiers with respect is the humanitarian thing to do ... https://t.co/nzvsLglost Huma Qureshi (@humasqureshi) February 27, 2019 My thoughts are with the family and colleagues of #WingCommanderAbhinandan Here's hoping he's back soon. And that our soldiers remain safe - because ultimately, it's their families that are affected and have to deal with the pain- the public moves on. Gul Panag (@GulPanag) February 27, 2019 The video to be shared with the underlying message loud and clear. Immense respect for #WingCommanderAbhinandans exemplary valour and balance. What a true soldier. So proud. #RealHero https://t.co/MQWX7rokwI Nimrat Kaur (@NimratOfficial) February 27, 2019 We are all praying for the safe return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman #IAF gratitude from the daughter of a retired Indian Airforce officer @fbhutto for choosing humanity first & a way to peace Dugga Dugga & God bless https://t.co/6ztsyV5Dss sushmita sen (@thesushmitasen) February 27, 2019 The confrontation between Indian and Pakistani fighter jets have escalated the tensions between the two countries. In the wake of the current situation, Javed Akhtar says the situation is forced upon us and its not a choice. He added that he doesnt understand the Pakistans agenda to sponsor terrorist orgnisations. Twitter I don't understand what is their (Pakistan) agenda and what will they get out of it by constantly sponsoring terrorism. It's an open truth that they support terrorist organisations but they are constantly denying it, he was quoted as saying by IANS. Masood Azhar (the founder and leader of the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed) was released from Indian prison when they (Jaish-e-Mohammed) hijacked an Indian aircraft and then, how he reached Pakistan from Kandahar (Afghanistan)... And why is Pakistan not arresting him if they have an honest establishment over there, he questioned. He says the situation is being forced upon India and questioned as to how many times we shall remain silent. I feel this situation is actually being forced upon us (India). It was not our choice but if things go beyond your control, then till when and how many times should we be quiet about this? So, we have to react to it some day or the other. I think repercussions of the current developments are really dangerous and banning Pakistani actors and artistes are minor things but whatever is happening on our borders should be stopped. We should ban terrorism. It's an unfortunate thing. After the Pulwama attack which killed 40 Indian Jawans in Kashmir, Javed Akhtar and wife Shabana Azmi had decided to not attend an event scheduled in Karachi Pakistan. Read More: Javed Akhtar And Shabana Azmi Cancel Karachi Arts Council Event After Pulwama Terror Attack Amid the escalations over the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 which killed over 40 CRPF personnel, India's efforts to bring the perpetrator of the attack, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar to justice is getting global support. The US, UK and France, three permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) have moved a fresh proposal to designate Azhar as a global terrorist. AFP/ FILE If passed it will be a huge success to India's efforts for many years to reign in the dreaded terrorists, who is a darling of the Pakistani Army and government and enjoys a free run in the country, despite global pressure. Getting Azhar designated as a global terrorist will effectively lead to a crackdown on his activities as it will be followed by the freezing of his assets and an arms embargo him and a global travel ban. While the global community has been marching with India when it come to JeM and Masood Azhar, Pakistan has been backed by its 'all weather friend' and only ally in the region - China which also has a veto power in the UNSC. Time and again Beijing has twatted various attempts by India and other countries to get Azhar sanctioned by the UNSC. AFP Even after the Pulwama terror attack China has refused to acknowledge the role of JeM. The UNSC had last week condemned the Pulwama terror attack in "strongest terms" and named the Pakistan-based terror group. China was quick to defend JeM claiming that it was named only in "general terms" and "does not represent a judgment". BCCL/ FILE Given the recent escalations and China urging both India and Pakistan to follow restrain it will be interesting to see if Beijing has changed its previous position on supporting the Pakistani terrorist. | BY Ricki Green | frank Health Insurance has launched Australias first voice app via whiteGREY, for the Private Health Industry (PHI) category, built for the Google Assistant. The frank insurance app provides easy answers to the complicated PHI questions that plague the industry. To get access, users simply ask any google assistant to speak to frank insurance. The app has been developed as an extension of franks easy as frank brand platform. whiteGREY head of technology Juan Garcia said the voice app is designed for members and non-members alike, as both a customer utility and demonstration of franks brand ethos. Says Garcia: With the cross-channel voice era now well and truly here, service categories like private health insurance are looking for innovative ways to keep up with public expectations of simplicity and convenience. frank found themselves uniquely suited to lead the PHI industry into voice technology, not only because of the brands role as a digital insurer but because of a mission to set the standard in ease. With imminent changes to the category in the near future, an app for consumers to easily get the right answers was a great opportunity to set the brand apart. We knew immediately what was needed and what would make it unnecessarily complicated. Says Diane Pavlicevic, who holds duals roles as the head of frank Health Insurance as well as marketing head of parent company GMHBA: As a digital health insurer that lives to simplify a complicated category, building Australias first health insurance voice app was a natural decision. Not only is it a clear demonstration of the easy as proposition that defines frank so well, it sets up the brand to continue innovating into the future. The frank insurance voice app will be promoted through a media partnership with Spotify and accompanied by an awareness campaign encouraging consumers to not direct their PHI questions to the wrong people. This will run purely on digital channels (display and social). Client: frank Health Insurance Pakistan captured one of the Indian Air Force Pilots yesterday and released a worrisome video of the combat fighter whose face was covered with blood, yet he maintained poise and dignity and failed to give any confidential information to the Pakistan armed forces. As the video of a handcuffed Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman went viral on social media, Pakistan was accused of violating the Geneva conventions according to which Prisoners of War (POW) must be treated humanely in all circumstances. They are protected against any act of violence, as well as against intimidation, insults, and public curiosity. Spokesperson of the Pakistan armed forces Asif Ghafoor even posted a picture of Varthaman a while later in which he can be seen holding a cup of tea. Pakistan claimed that he was being treated as per norms of military ethics. Photo: AP/This still image taken from video circulated by Pakistans military Soon, citizens started demanding that the Wing Commander should be brought back to India. Reportedly, Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told Geo News on Thursday, If there is de-escalation with the return of this [Indian] pilot, Pakistan is willing to consider this. "I have just received the [Indian] dossier and have not gotten the chance to examine it. We briefed parliamentary leaders last night, there was a meeting of the cabinet. There is the joint session. I will still say that we will see and examine the dossier with an open heart, he had told the Pakistani news channel. AFP However, a little while later, PTI reported that India has not asked for any consular access to the IAF pilot and is insisting on his unconditional and immediate return. The government sources further said that there was no question of any deal on the return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman who has been a part of the IAF since 2004. "The IAF pilot has to be repatriated unconditionally and immediately. There is no question of any deal," the source said. The sources also questioned Khan's statement on Wednesday that two Indian jets were downed in an air combat and asked, "was he not briefed or did he say an untruth". The source even said that while Indias strike was strictly targeted at JeM terror camps Pakistan specifically targeted Indian military facilities. The report said that it was imperative for Pakistan Prime Minister to walk the talk on conducting an investigation into the Pulwama attack. India wants immediate, credible and verifiable action against terrorists and their proxies, the government sources added. Amidst heightening border tensions between India and Pakistan after suicide attack on CRPF convoy that killed 40 personnel on February 14, nations across the world have urged India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and resolve differences through dialogue. The United States favoured India post Balakot airstrikes carried out by Indian Air Force and subsequent escalation of tension. US has asked Pakistan to adhere to UN Security Council commitments and deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. Lawmakers and officials advised Pakistan to take meaningful action. "The United States calls on India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and for a return to stability," the spokesperson said. "We urge both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation, including through direct communication. Further military activity will exacerbate the situation," a White House spokesperson said. The UK described the two countries as, "Important and long-standing friends of the United Kingdom." Reuters "It isn't for the UK to prescribe, to intervene or to interfere with a solution or to act as a mediator," UK Foreign Office minister Mark Field said. During a Commons session, Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry called on the government to urge both countries to think, "first and foremost of the innocent people in Kashmir, literally caught in the middle of this cross-fire." France came forth with a solid support for India by recognising the countrys need to ensure its security. A statement issued by France's Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs said, "France recognises India's legitimacy to ensure its security against cross-border terrorism and asks Pakistan to put an end to the operations of terrorist groups established on its territory." The country urged both the nations to avoid further intensification of border hostilities. Russia, however took a neutral stand on both the countries. "We call on both sides to show restraint and step up efforts to resolve existing problems by political and diplomatic means," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia said in a statement. Reuters Russia also offered to mediate between India and Pakistan to thaw tension. At the Russia-India-China trilateral meet in Zhejiang on February 27, Russia supported India "strongly condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations". China, Pakistans close ally, tool the predictable concern expressing route urging both countries to uphold peace and stability in the region. Husain Haqqani, the former Pakistani Ambassador to the US told PTI, "It is telling that no country has spoken out in Pakistan's favour after the Indian air strike. Even China called for restraint on both sides instead of supporting Pakistan in protesting India's violation of Pakistan's air space." Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan today announced in parliament that they will release Wing Commander Abhinandad Varthaman tomorrow as a gesture of peace. Abhinandan had been detained following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control (LoC) in which a Pakistani jet and an Indian jet were downed. Read More. Here's More Top News For The Day: 1) Declare JeM Chief Masood Azhar As Global Terrorist, US, UK And France Ask UNSC As India Unites International Community Amid the escalations over the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 which killed over 40 CRPF personnel, India's efforts to bring the perpetrator of the attack, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar to justice is getting global support. The US, UK and France, three permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) have moved a fresh proposal to designate Azhar as a global terrorist. Read More. 2) India-Pakistan Border Tension: World Powers Urge To End Escalation, Tell Islamabad To Stop Terror Amidst heightening border tensions between India and Pakistan after suicide attack on CRPF convoy that killed 40 personnel on February 14, nations across the world have urged India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and resolve differences through dialogue. The United States favoured India post Balakot airstrikes carried out by Indian Air Force and subsequent escalation of tension. US has asked Pakistan to adhere to UN Security Council commitments and deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. Read More. 3) LPG Cylinder Blasts Could Soon Be A Thing Of The Past, India's First 'Blast-Proof' LPG Cylinders Are Here A solution to the long standing issue of cylinder blasts could be just around the corner. A private firm has introduced what the company claim is a 100 per cent blast proof LPG cylinders. The GoGas Elite LPG cylinders were launched by Confidence Petroleum India Limited in association Time Technoplast Limited, a technology-based innovative polymer product company in Mumbai on Tuesday. Read More. 4) Forest Department Left Baffled As Cannibal Tiger Kills And Eats Two Tigers In Kanha National Park A Cannibal tiger inside Kanha National Park has aroused curiosity of wildlife experts to study cannibalistic nature among the big cats. Two tigers were killed and eaten by another tiger on Tuesday which has prompted Madhya Pradesh officials to study into this behaviour. A tigress was also killed and eaten by the same tiger on January 19 earlier this year. Officials informed Times of India that tigers killing tigers is natural but it is strange for a tiger to kill and eat only tigers. Read More. 5) Pakistani Women Are Sending A Message Of Peace To Indian Women And Urging To 'Say No To War' Women and feminist organisations from Pakistan are reaching out to Indian women with a message of peace. Women Democratic Front, a Pakistan-based, independent socialist-feminist political organisation, shared a video on their Facebook page. The women, holding placards that read Women to women across border, women for peace and #SayNoToWar, urged Indian women to call for peace. Read More. Riding from Mamallapuram in Chennai to Hamburg in Germany, athlete Naresh Kumar began a mission Freedom Seat. On the morning of February 27, the 35-year-old started his journey on a bicycle all the way to Hamburg, Germany in an attempt to raise awareness and money for survivors of human trafficking and child abuse. Chennai: 35-year-old Naresh Kumar yesterday began a mission 'Freedom Seat' to ride 8500+km from Chennai to Hamburg in Germany in 90 days on a cycle to raise awareness about human trafficking&child abuse. He also aims to raise charity for survivors of human trafficking&child abuse pic.twitter.com/ZabGkOXSfW ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2019 But this is not the first time that Kumar is doing it, in 2017 he cycled the entire stretch of New Zealand. But for the first time, he will be biking across continents. The idea of the project is to pick up strangers on the way and educate and entertain them with his stories, according to The Hindu. The reason for this cause is to end human slavery. I am very self-sustained on this journey. I will be going through 12 different borders through the Middle East & Europe. I have done similar missions in New Zealand & Australia, & all for the same cause, Naresh Kumar told ANI. Naresh Kumar: The reason for this cause is to end human slavery. I am very self-sustained on this journey. I will be going through 12 different borders through Middle East & Europe. I have done similar missions in New Zealand & Australia, & all for the same cause." (27.02.2019) pic.twitter.com/wnl9foyvwF ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2019 The mission is supported by Dr MGR Educational And Research Institute. Kumar will ride more than 8,500 km in 90 days on a cycle. He also aims to raise money for survivors of human trafficking and child abuse. We've heard a number of ways in which thieves have successfully stolen money from ATMs, but this conman's method is the mother of all tricks. This Gujarat con artist literally struck his fingers inside the ATM withdrawal slot to get extra cash out. And the money that he caught hold of was never really debited from his account. According to a TOI report, the man named Harsh Patel hails from Surat and was finally caught by the Union bank manager who cracked the code of his trick. The Chandkheda Police told TOI that the manager, Anup Singh, matched the ATM withdrawal tally with the total cash deposited in the ATM and the end of the day, the numbers never matched. And this went on for a while. Picture For Representation VR Desai, a sub-inspector at Chandkheda police station, said that the accused would block the cash dispenser tray and would put his fingers into it. He withdrew Rs 1.54 lakh cash without it being debited from his bank account. However, as the money was already in the tray, Patel would stick his fingers in and get the notes out. He added that the sums withdrawn from July to November 2018 were deliberately kept small - between Rs 9,800 and Rs 15,000 in order to avoid detection. The accused has been arrested and is being probed. When a 34-year-old engineer read the Wi-Fi network name as Join Hizbul Mujahideen,' he was left shell-shocked. The man again checked the Wi-Fi list to be double sure about it and then made a PCR call, informing the cops about the weird network name. Unsplash After the police came they checked for the possible addresses in his neighbourhood in Delhi but when the police couldnt trace the address, the local cybercrime unit was roped in, according to a TOI report. Through a list of addresses, the local cybercrime managed to contact a telecom shop owner, Gulshan Tiwari who later confirmed that he had a Wi-Fi connection but didnt know much about it due to lack of technological knowledge. After the investigation by the police, Tiwari told that his elder son had set up the Wi-Fi. After the police talked to his son, he admitted to doing this and also explained why: he was fed up of people connecting to their Wi-Fi for free and thought setting up a scary name would deter freeloaders. Well, one can't say it didn't work. Indiatimes/Image for representation DCP (Dwarka) Anto Alphonse said that no case was registered as no suspicious activities were found running on the said Wi-Fi network and they just asked the family to change the username. Inflight meals aren't always the greatest and some unfortunate folks have found rather strange things in their food. Case in point: this passenger who allegedly found a human tooth in his meal. And it's hands-down the most revolting things you'll hear about today. Australian passenger Bradley Button was eating a rice meal during his flight when he bit on something hard. We can only imagine the shock that Button would've felt after discovering that it was a HUMAN tooth of all the things. Singapore Airlines has apologised to Mr Button for the experience and the object will be tested in Melbourne, reports The Independent. "We are currently investigating this incident and have sent the object for analysis. Once the results of the analysis are known, we will determine what the most appropriate course of action to take is," a spokesman said in a statement. "We expect all of our meals to meet a consistently high standard and we are disappointed in this discovery." In this file photo, Seema Verma looks on before being sworn in as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in Washington, D.C., March 14, 2017. Verma has been recognized by Modern Healthcare on its 2019 Top 25 Women Leaders list. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 28) Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad will have an official visit to the country on March 6 and 7. An announcement from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Thursday stated President Rodrigo Duterte invited Mahathir. The Malaysian leader will meet with Duterte in Malacanang. "President Duterte will officially welcome Prime Minister Mahathir at ceremonies in Malacanang Palace on 07 March 2019, after which the two leaders will hold a bilateral meeting to survey and discuss cooperation in the political, economic, and people-to-people spheres, and exchange views on the topics of mutual importance," the DFA said. Mahathir is also scheduled to meet Senate President Vicente Sotto III and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. This will be Mahathir's first visit to the country since his return to power in 2018, said the DFA. It added the 93-year-old leader had official visits in 1987 and 1994. Malaysia brokered the peace talks between the government and Moro National Liberation Front. These have led to a peace deal resulting in the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. | BY Ricki Green | Interbrand has launched a major rebrand for Australias Daydream Island that includes a new brand identity and premium positioning as it prepares to reopen on 10 April. The brand consultancy agency was appointed to Daydream Island last year to reposition Daydream Island after it sustained significant damage when Cyclone Debbie struck. After an extensive two-year redevelopment, the new brand signals the revitalised premium offering guests will experience; from the relaxed dining concepts and vibrant bars to the modern rooms and suites with waterfront views. The new brand identity was born out of research into the Islands past, its people and the vision for the future, calling on the Resorts loyal Facebook community to help share their memories adding colour and depth to the new brand story. The renewed logo incorporates two of the Islands most iconic residents, the beloved mermaids and the Islands very own Living Reef residents the stingrays. The new look and feel for the brand has focused on immersive photography that aims to inspire guests to imagine their first steps onto the Island. Custom abstract illustrations inspired by the landscapes, flora and fauna surrounding Daydream Island will also become synonymous with the brand. Daydream Island director of sales and marketing Jayson Heron said the rebrand was an important step for the Islands transformation to a premium holiday destination. Says Heron: The Island has undergone a huge journey from the devastation caused in 2017 by Cyclone Debbie and we wanted the new brand to signal the evolution of the Island. The new brand gives a nod the Islands heritage whilst also looking to the future. Its been great working with a trusted partner like Interbrand. They did extensive research, engaged the team and delivered a brand identity that is truly represented of what Daydream is and aims to be. The team have been fantastic to work with, always supportive and able to work through a range of projects from the Brand Identity to merchandise and menus. Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, has launched her own policy group, Stand for America, a nonprofit policy advocacy group dedicated to supporting public policies that strengthen Americas economy, culture and national security. She has also been nominated for a seat on the board of directors at Boeing Co.(Twitter/standforamerica photo) The andalusite prices have risen once again for contracts signed for 2019 supply, but market participants see tightness easing and expect fundamentals to progress towards stabilization. Prices from all main origins have been contracted at a few percentage points above last years bulk of contract prices, as strong demand from the refractories sector continues to drive consumption. This is the second consecutive year prices have increased. Fastmarkets IM assessed the 2019 contract prices for andalusite, mininum 57% Al2O3, at 270-340 per tonne ($307-387) per tonne) fob South Africa on February 21. This compares with 260-320 per tonne for 2018 contracts. As for the delivered Europe market, Fastmarkets IM assessed the 2019 contracts for andalusite, minimum 57% Al2O3, at 340-450 per tonne cif Europe, on February 21, compared with 390-430 per tonne cif Europe for 2018 contracts. Andalusite prices can vary significantly depending on the volumes contracted, with large-volume buyers (taking anywhere between 4,000-6,000 tonnes per year) normally commanding prices that can be meaningfully lower than those achieved by buyers of smaller tonnages (1,000 tonnes or less). For both price assessments, the low end of the range tends to represent larger-volume buyers, while the top end represents smaller-volume consumers. Fastmarkets has a minimum tonnage of 1,000 tonnes for these price assessments, with no maximum. As regards the cif Europe prices specifically, while the previous range - which for 2018 was 390-430 per tonne cif Europe - was mostly representative of mid- and small-sized volume trading, the current range has been expanded at both ends to additionally capture large volumes, with a view to better represent the bulk of international andalusite trading. Prices tick upwards, improved output The majority of market participants contacted by Fastmarkets agreed the market has appreciated by 4-5% at the low end up to 8-9% on the high end, this year, depending on specific trades and previous prices. This has been confirmed by Fastmarkets IMs fob South Africa price assessment, which marks an average 5.2% increase on previous levels. The latest top end of the cif Europe range, at 450 per tonne, has appreciated by 5% on last year. According to some sources, in a number of cases prices have risen by 15-20%, depending on previous levels. And while assessments have not shown such a hike, it is possible some specific contracts may have moved upwards by that amount and remained within the wider assessed range. Supply conditions improved across the board during 2018, after a severe shortage seen in 2017. That year - owing to weather-related problems cutting output in both South Africa and Peru - the global market ended up short of material. Some estimates put the deficit at up to 30,000 tonnes, sources told Fastmarkets IM at the time. No such issues were seen last year, which instead generated "close to record" production output across the main origins, sources told Fastmarkets IM. According a pool of more than 10 market participants, global production in 2018 between South Africa, France and Peru is estimated at 300,000-310,000 tonnes. This volume (especially the low end) excludes any additional output from China, which is reputed to produce 10,000-15,000 tonnes, according to the most conservative estimates. Chinese production is normally aimed at serving the domestic market only, however, with the country relying on imported material to fill any demand gaps. On the demand side, the tightness apparent in the market in 2017 eased somewhat last year - although not fully, due to some 2018 volumes being booked to cover outstanding 2017 contracts. "Everyone oversold in 2017, and hardly anyone could meet the orders," a market participant said, "so those outstanding volumes were covered with last years production." This overlap has gone some way to redressing the market imbalance, although prices did pick up again on strong demand from the refractories sector. And because andalusite is often sourced as alternative to Chinese bauxite, the ongoing supply issues with that material have contributed to maintaining the trend. Despite the price upticks this year, market participants are cautiously optimistic about the supply demand balance. "The market could stabilize between supply and demand this year if no production issues occur," one source said, largely echoing comments from others. Fastmarkets IM is proposing to change the frequency of its andalusite price assessments from yearly to quarterly, to capture any mid-year movements in the market. A separate pricing notice will be published detailing the proposal. Insurance fraud seems like it might be an easy thing to do. Insurance companies are often so huge, one wonders how they might not even notic... Ex-LA utility head admits taking bribes in billing scandal AP - Mon Dec 6, 8:43PM CST LOS ANGELES (AP) The former head of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power the nations largest public utility has agreed to plead guilty to taking bribes in a corruption scandal that... $SPX : 4,591.67 (+1.17%) $DOWI : 35,227.03 (+1.87%) $IUXX : 15,846.16 (+0.85%) Shootin' the Bull Swift Trading Company - Mon Dec 6, 5:03PM CST With the advent of ethanol into a major market, corn had only seen above $5.00 one time in 1996 due to primarily drought. When ethanol became a mandated energy source, it rose sharply to over $8.00,... Corn Firms for Close Barchart - Mon Dec 6, 4:49PM CST After a weak start to the week, corn futures firmed into the close. December was still 2 1/2 cents in the red at the bell, while the other nearbys were fractionally mixed. New crop futures closed fractionally... ZCZ21 : 586-4 (+0.51%) ZCPAUS.CM : 5.7019 (-0.05%) ZCH22 : 585-4 (+0.34%) ZCZ21 : 586-4 (+0.51%) ZCPZ21US.CM : 5.7019 (-0.05%) | BY Ricki Green | The Story Lab and Powerball have partnered with youth media company, VICE, to throw the Biggest Party Ever. The Story Labs collaboration with VICE was crafted to elevate brand awareness, social shareability, and favourability of Powerball amongst the millennial audience bringing to life the brands new, rebellious positioning Play by your own rules. Says Claire Booth, senior content partnerships manager, The Story Lab: Millennials are increasingly becoming less focused on material possessions and, instead, seek experiences that make their life more interesting and well rounded. With this in mind, weve crafted a campaign for Australias biggest jackpotting game that creates an emotional connection with the audience, and actively encourages them to think about the limitless possibilities that come with winning Powerball. The Biggest Party Ever has given VICEs audience the ability to shape a special, one-off event, through a competition call-out that ran across its channels. Featuring influential creative talent spanning music (Woodes), food (Mitch Orr), travel (Jarrad Seng) and fashion (Emma Mulholland) revealing their ideas for the biggest party ever, readers were encouraged to dream big and submit their own. Winning entries were then brought to life as interactive activations at the Biggest Party Ever event, including a giant ball pit, a micro infinity room, the Future Club, and chillout space centred around a massive waterbed. Held at Australian Technology Park in Sydney, the people-powered, multi-sensory event attended by 500 people was headlined by The Avalanches and featured performances by Sophiegrophy, Ben Fester, and Shantan Wantan Ichiban. Says Jen Lyons, senior marketing manager, Powerball: Partnering with VICE through The Story Lab has given us a chance to put Powerball in front of a hard-to-reach audience. Our new brand platform, Play by your own rules, encourages the audience to think about how winning Powerball could allow them to live the life that they have always wanted. The Biggest Party Ever, has given VICEs audience the chance to experience that feeling for one larger-than-life night. | BY Ricki Green | After just over a year in the Melbourne market, post-production house The Editors are already changing things up, hiring Leila Gaabi to complete its all-female line-up. The boutique post house is committed to sourcing unique and original talent, with Gaabi joining Grace Eyre who was shortlisted for a Cannes Glass Lion in 2018 and selected craft judge for this years CLIO awards at their southern branch. Says Charlotte Griffiths, boss-lady at The Editors Melbourne: Leila brings so much energy to the place, as well as original style, shes the perfect fit for us, really exciting. Says Gaabi, who honed her skills at Final Cut in the UK: The main draw was the team; its a diverse crew in terms of personalities and editing styles, and everyone is really supportive rather than competitive. There was also the appeal of working with high calibre clients; for her first Editors project, Gaabi was partnered with Finchs Alex Roberts to cut the new Suzuki campaign For Fun Sake, shortly followed up by the Bag Raiders new music video Lightning for Lachlan Dickie at Rabbit. Her latest spots are a fitting addition to her reel, which includes YouTubes Neighbourhood Sounds campaign with JUMP director Jeff Johnson, and the ASOS Go Play spot, helmed by Somesuchs Raine Allen-Miller. Says Griffiths: Its important to be bold as an editor, and Leila always takes it to another level. Cutting campaigns for Nike, Revele, Ted Baker and Valentino during her time in London, Gaabis inspirations include The Editors own Bernard Garry: Not only is he talented, he also keeps the whole room entertained at the same time! she laughs. The new hire caps off a remarkable first year for The Editors Melbourne, with Griffiths explaining: Each of our editors is best in class. The Melbourne market is small, and The Editors is unique because were so specific; its all about the cut. Two of our three founders are still editing, and our clients always come first. Theres thought put into every detail. You can view Gaabis reel here, and for all enquiries contact Charlotte Griffiths (charlotte@theeditors.com.au) or Nicoletta Rousianos (nicoletta@theeditors.com.au) Ashok Nair, chief data officer at QBE, took to the stage this morning to discuss how the incumbent is leveraging insurtech to drive business value and improve internal capabilities. One of his key messages was to question the theory that insurtechs are necessarily disrupters. That term, disrupter, has done a lot of damage, he told the audience. Why cant insurtech be collaborative? While Nair urged those gathered to pursue collaborative insurtech opportunities he did also have a warning for those exploring the area New tech does not equal great results collaboration does, he warned. I dont have to tell you this, Im sure everyone knows, but thats hard to do. Its like strategy, its easy to come up with but execution is key. More coverage of the 2019 Insurtech Summit will be available on Insurance Business tomorrow. Tasked with leading the integration and transition of the Suncorp Australian life insurance business is Andrew Howard. He was appointed to the newly created role of chief commercial officer and will be responsible for the performance of the (former) Suncorp Australian life business as well as supporting employees as they transition to TAL. Howard has a strong track record of leading growth and transformation programs, and engaging people through times of change, said Brett Clark, TAL Group CEO and managing director. Clark said the integration of Suncorps Australian life business will commence immediately and expressed confidence that the team will deliver an efficient transition, alongside strong business performance, and customer and partner outcomes during the integration period. We are very excited to bring the TAL and Suncorp life businesses together, Clark said. This acquisition provides us with a strong base for continued growth and reflects our ongoing commitment to offering Australians a range of life insurance options to meet their diverse needs. The deal will also expand TALs distribution footprint via a 20-year strategic alliance agreement to sell life insurance products through Suncorps network. All of Suncorps Australian life insurance products, including term life, income protection, and funeral insurance will be added to TALs current product offerings. We are excited to welcome Matt to IOA and our Las Vegas office, said IOA regional president John Tenuto. Not only is he an experienced insurance and risk management professional, but he also possesses a deep knowledge of the insurance needs surrounding the evolving cannabis industry, which will keep IOA and its clients at the forefront of the emerging related risks. Engle has more than 15 years of insurance experience, with a broad background working in the construction, technology, gaming, healthcare, non-profit, and cannabis industries. He was previously serving as a broker for Cragin & Pike. He received his bachelors degree in business administration from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and is a graduate of the Leadership Las Vegas program, via the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce. Engle was honored as one of the Rising Stars of Business in 2012 by Las Vegas Business Press. On top of his insurance career, Engle was a former president of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Alumni Association. He is also a former chairman of the Las Vegas Natural History Museum. Agents and brokers who have completed this rigorous program have demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of the cyber risks facing businesses and organizations of all sizes and industries, said Chubb senior vice-president of North America financial lines Bobbie Goldie. By being better educated about current cyber exposures, CCIC agents are better positioned to educate their clients on how to improve their cyber security protocols and manage their cyber risks. We are pleased to offer the prestigious CCIC designation to these outstanding graduates, said Heinz College senior director of executive education programs David Ulicne. This designation shows their incredible dedication to the insurance industry, as well as their ongoing commitment to educating themselves and their clients on the current cyber security risk challenges and mitigation practices. Insurance professionals must attend two virtual sessions each year to keep the CCIC designation. The fire started in a storage room, but there were no accidental ignition sources near the ignition point, the Herald reported. However, video surveillance allegedly showed Devore leaving the storage room just one minute before heavy smoke began pouring from it. No-one else was near the room for more than a half an hour before the fire began, authorities said. Devore allegedly filed an insurance claim for more than $35,000 following the blaze. If convicted, Devore could face up to 20 years in prison for each charge, the Herald reported. European insurers Allianz and Generali are vying with U.S. rival Liberty Mutual to invest in the bancassurance business of Spanish lender BBVA, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The sale, led by Bank of America, kicked off towards the end of last year and will be structured as a joint venture agreement within a network of insurers across Spain, Mexico and Latin America, the sources said. The entire network is valued at about 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion) and provides products from life to health, home and car insurance. BBVAs insurance unit in Spain reported a 4.8 percent profit rise to 311 million euros in 2018. The bidders will be able to acquire at least 50 percent in each of BBVAs insurers across the world, with the biggest businesses based in Spain and Mexico, the sources said. However, BBVAs life insurance network in Spain remains a core part of the Spanish lender and will not be included in the sale, two of the sources added. BBVA, Allianz, Generali and Liberty Mutual declined to comment. BBVA, Spains second largest bank after Santander, is in no rush to finalize a deal, the sources said, and wants to ensure the final buyer has a solid plan to develop its client network across Spain and South America. Financial investors have not been invited to the process as they would have lacked industry focus and existing operations, they said. This is a slow-moving process as bidders need time to finalize their business plans and BBVA wants to be actively involved in drafting the industrial strategy, one source said. Allianz, Generali and Liberty Mutual are in the process of submitting non-binding proposals, one of the sources said, and final bidders will be shortlisted towards the end of March. Allianzs finance chief said earlier this month the company had earmarked about 1 billion euros for smaller acquisitions this year. The German insurer is seen as a possible front-runner for the deal, the sources said, as it intends to revive its Spanish distribution network after an agreement with Banco Popular ended in 2017 after Populars emergency sale to Santander. Italys Generali is also on the acquisition trail and is actively scouting targets in Europe and Asia after cleaning up its portfolio and raising about 1.5 billion euros from a series of divestments, several sources familiar with its strategy said. Madrid-based insurer Mapfre, which initially looked at the BBVAs unit, has now switched its focus on buying Spanish rival Caser Seguros and no other Spanish buyer has voiced interest in the business, the sources said. ($1 = 0.8780 euros) (Additional reporting by Andres Gonzalez and Jesus Aguado in Madrid and Giulio Piovaccari in Milan; editing by David Evans) Topics Allianz Generali Life Assurance (Thailand) Plc. Financial markets are still at risk of disruption if there is a no-deal Brexit, Britains Financial Conduct Authority said on Wednesday. FCA Chief Executive Andrew Bailey told a House of Lords committee that despite a number of measures being taken, he could give no assurance there would not be disruption if Britain crashes out of the European Union next month without a deal. Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29 but has so far not reached an agreement with Brussels that would include a business-as-usual transition period. Britain and the EU have taken steps to avert dislocation in markets, but Bailey said work remained to be done to mitigate risks to financial stability from uncleared cross-border derivatives and exchange of data. But unlike Britain, Brussels does not view disruption to uncleared derivatives as being a threat to financial stability in a no-deal Brexit. It decided there was no need for EU-wide action, leaving it to individual states to introduce what Bailey called a patchwork of measures. Those measures are not the same. Some are more robust than others Its helpful in term of reducing the cliff edge, Bailey told a House of Lords committee on EU affairs. Brussels was unwilling to go as far as Britain in taking steps to avoid disruption to markets from any hard Brexit partly because it wanted to see a transfer of financial services activity from Britain to the continent, he added. A hard Brexit also risk disrupting the flow of data between financial firms in Britain and the EU, he said. The FCA has told financial-services firms in the past 24 hours they need to put in place contingency measures, such as clauses in contracts, as a workaround to avoid disruption in data flows, Bailey said. Norway Model Problematic The EUs system of financial market access, known as equivalence, is the likely basis for future UK trading relations in finance, Brussels has said. EU grants access to a foreign financial firm if it deems its home rules to be aligned closely enough with those in the bloc. But Brussels is tightening the equivalence conditions for derivatives clearing and investment firms ahead of Brexit. This raised the question of whether Brussels would have stricter market access conditions for financial firms from Britain compared with those from smaller, far away countries, Bailey said. This would contrast with the pact announced by British and U.S. regulators on Monday to allow long-term two-way trading and clearing of derivatives contracts across the Atlantic irrespective of the form Brexit takes, he said. Many banks, insurers and trading platforms in London are opening EU hubs to avoid depending on patchy equivalence. Some lawmakers say Britain should replicate Norways ties with the EU in the longer term, which means following its rules in return for better market access. Bailey said the Norway model is problematic, given Britain would have no say over the EU rules it would have to implement. (Reporting by Huw Jones; editing by Toby Chopra) Topics InsurTech Tech Europe Uk Sequoia Capital has backed a London-based cyber-security startup founded by a trio of former banking analysts, who were surprised how often documents such as deal-term sheets were accidentally emailed to the wrong person. Tessian Ltd. has received $40 million to fund its growth, according to a statement Wednesday. U.S.-based Sequoia is leading the new funding round. Existing investors Balderton Capital, Accel Partners and LocalGlobe are also participating, the company said. Valuation terms of the new financing were not disclosed but Tim Sadler, Tessians 30-year old co-founder and chief executive officer, said in an interview that the funding valued the company at well over $100 million. Originally called CheckRecipient, Tessian was founded in 2013 by three graduates from Imperial College in London who had initially joined banks including HSBC Bank Plc and Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc. At these financial institutions, Sadler said, the three realized how often market-sensitive information was accidentally emailed to incorrect recipients. The trio developed software that uses machine learning to predict whether an employee might be accidentally sending an email to an incorrect recipient. Tessian launched its first product in 2015 and now employs more than 100 people, Sadler said. The company will use the money from the new funding round to expand in the U.S., where it recently opened an office in New York, as well as to enhance its research and development, Sadler said. Matthew Miller, a Sequoia partner, is joining Tessians board. TechCrunch originally reported the investment from Sequoia. Miller said in an interview he was impressed with Tessians emphasis on humans, rather than computer networks. Most of the security companies have been focused on software to protect systems, he said. The thing that is distinctively different about Tessian is that they are saying, we are going to help you protect your people. Sadler said that current cyber-security training for employees is not fit for purpose, and that it is extremely difficult to train out human error or people being tricked. He noted that many companies dont train employees to filter their own spam emails instead they rely on software that automatically screens out spam and that this is the way companies should address spear-phishing too. Europes new data privacy law, which went into effect in May 2018 and which carries hefty penalties for data security breaches, has boosted Tessians business, he said. The company cited figures from the U.K. Information Commissioners Office that 86 percent of data incidents reported to the regulator between 2017 and 2018 were caused by human error. [Editors note: Tessian said in a press release that it has raised $42 million in a Series B funding round led by Menlo Park, Calif.-based Sequoia Capital to accelerate its expansion in the U.S. and other global markets.] | BY Ricki Green | After nine years with the agency, VMLY&R Brisbane has announced that executive creative director, Brendan Greaney is departing the agency to spend more time with his family and focus on his own creative consultancy, Exactly Different. Since joining from Leo Burnett Melbourne in 2010, Greaney has helped shaped the agencys creative reputation, with success at Cannes Lions, Effies, D&AD, Spikes Asia, New York Festivals, Clios and AWARD as well as winning Best of Show five years in a row at Brisbanes BADC awards. He has also been instrumental in VMLY&R Brisbanes business success, helping win and grow long-running client relationships such as Tatts Lotteries, UBET, QSuper, Queensland Government as well as most recent wins Amart Furniture and TerryWhite Chemmart. Says Greaney: Nine years ago, we set about creating a world class agency that just happens to be based in Brisbane. Im incredibly proud of the team here and what weve achieved. Now its time to move onto other things, like focussing on my consultancy and seeing my family during daylight hours. Paul Nagy, chief creative officer VMLY&R AUNZ thanked Greaney for his contribution to the business and its creative success. Says Nagy: Brendan specifically asked me to say something nice about him especially how talented and handsome he is So I can confirm hes definitely a talented bugger whos been one of the cornerstones of the agencys success over a long period of time. In the looks department however, Id go with vintage and gangly. But hes bloody funny, and a personality like that goes a long way. Regardless, I will miss him heaps and wish him every success in his new adventure. Greaneys final day at VMLY&R will be Friday March 1, and after he sobers up, can be reached via brendan@exactlydifferent.com.au. Randall & Quilter Investment Holdings Ltd. announced that its wholly owned European subsidiary, Accredited Insurance (Europe) Ltd., has signed a new program underwriting partnership with Stabilis MGA Ltd., a UK managing general agent (MGA) that sells private motor insurance. Colin Johnson, CEO of European Program Management, said: We are delighted to confirm this transaction and to add Stabilis to our high-quality MGA European program offering. We also continue to have a strong pipeline which will enable us in 2019 to partner with a number of impressive MGAs across the UK and Europe over multiple insurance classes. Having built a strong infrastructure in both Malta and London we are now seeing the fruits of that hard work, said Ken Randall, R&Q CEO and chairman. Accredited Europe, which is licensed to write all non-life insurance classes in all EU member states, provides a ready-made distribution channel for reinsurers and can provide a ready-made Brexit solution for European and UK-based MGAs. Related: Topics Mergers Europe Insurance Wholesale At least 28 priests are credibly accused of having sexually abused more than 100 boys and girls while working for a Roman Catholic diocese in Iowa, church officials announced. The Diocese of Sioux City identified those 28 priests as it published a long-awaited list of those who have been the subject of credible allegations of sexual abuse involving minors. The list included about 5 percent of the priests who have worked for the diocese at some point since its inception in 1902. A 29th priest has been accused but his name is being withheld pending an appeal to the Vatican. Publishing this list is the beginning of a new chapter in the history of our diocese, said Bishop R. Walker Nickless, who released the list at a news conference. We want it to usher in a climate of openness and transparency, resulting in the protection of our youth and accountability for clergy and church leaders. He said releasing information about the churchs shameful history might help some victims heal while reopening old wounds for others. Advocates for abuse victims had long urged the diocese to release such a list, as two of Iowas three other Roman Catholic dioceses have done. The diocese had promised to do so in November after an investigation by The Associated Press exposed its 32-year cover-up of the Rev. Jerome Coyle, who had allegedly confessed to abusing more than 50 boys over a 20-year period. The diocese, which operates churches and schools throughout northwestern Iowa, urged victims to come forward at that time. Its review board has spent recent weeks reviewing files and weighing the credibility of allegations. The diocese said the alleged abuse took place between 1948 and 1995 and involved 106 individuals who have come forward to make claims. Additional complaints of abuse have been made more recently, but none have been deemed credible by police or a church review board, the diocese said. Attorney Levi Monagle, whose New Mexico law firm represents clergy abuse victims, said the release of such lists is an important gesture that usually helps some victims heal and inspires others to come forward. He praised Albuquerque resident Reuben Ortiz, who became aware of Coyles abuse last year while the priest was living with Ortizs family and made it public. Ortizs disclosure prompted the diocese to move Coyle out of an Iowa retirement home where he was quietly living next to a Catholic school, and provided the jolt to the status quo that the diocese needed to finalize and release the long-discussed list, Monagle said. Its tragic that it took so long for this information to come out, said Monagle, whose firm represents one man who was allegedly abused by Coyle decades ago. All but six of the priests on the list have died. Those who are still living are not involved in the ministry or active with youth, and have been stripped of their ability to celebrate mass or represent themselves as priests, the diocese said. One of the accused, John Perdue, 71, told the AP that his inclusion on the list was embarrassing but that he denies the allegation of abusing a boy in the 1980s. The Iowa Court of Appeals in 2011 dismissed lawsuits filed against Perdue and another priest by two alleged victims, ruling that the statute of limitations had expired. Diocese officials acknowledged the list is likely incomplete because additional victims have not come forward. For instance, the diocese said that it was aware of 13 victims of Coyle even though he allegedly confessed to abusing dozens more. The list included 39 victims of the Rev. George McFadden, whose abuse has long been documented and spawned an array of civil lawsuits, and 11 victims of the Rev. Peter Murphy. More than half of the identified priests, however, only have one known accuser. The list does not include former Sioux City Bishop Lawrence Soens even though he allegedly abused boys while he was a priest and principal. Soens, who retired as bishop in 1998, is not included on the list because the allegations date to when he worked for a different diocese. The list also did not include a priest who was removed from the ministry in 2017 after being accused of improperly touching a girls leg during confession, or an active priest who chased after an adult parishioner in 2013 while naked and yelling about raping her. Those cases didnt meet the criteria used by the review board, a spokeswoman said. Still, the list represents a more comprehensive accounting than statistics that were released by now-Cardinal Daniel DiNardo when he was Sioux City bishop in 2004. DiNardo, who is now archbishop of Galveston-Houston and leads the churchs response to the sexual abuse crisis, told Sioux City parishioners in 2004 that it was aware of 33 allegations against 10 priests since 1950. The diocese says it had paid $4.7 million in legal settlements to 58 individuals since 2002. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Iowa Authorities say an 82-year-old church bus driver is charged with driving while intoxicated after five people were injured when a bus returning from a Chicago Bulls game went off the road in northwestern Indiana. Indiana State Police say the bus carrying nearly 50 people went onto an embankment late Monday along the Indiana Toll Road and passengers were tossed from seats. Police say a 49-year-old man and four children ages 10-14 were taken to hospitals for injuries including head and neck pain. Police say driver Wilton B. Carr of Gary was arrested. The Associated Press sent a message to police seeking information on whether he has a lawyer. Police say the bus is owned by Garys Jesus Saves Missionary Baptist Church and was returning to Gary from the United Center. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Abuse Molestation Personal Auto Law Enforcement Indiana Veo Robotics Inc., a startup developing sensor technology that lets industrial robots work safely side-by-side with humans, closed a funding round as it prepares to roll out the product in May. The company raised $15 million late last month, bringing total financing to around $28 million, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Patrick Sobalvarro said in an interview. Veos proprietary technology uses lidar sensors to create real-time maps of factory work spaces, so that robots can slow or stop completely when human workers get too close. There are more than 2 million industrial robots in operation worldwide, mostly toiling inside metal safety cages. The seclusion is fine for repetitive tasks that can be done entirely by machines, such as arc welding, but the majority of work even in the most automated factories requires involvement of people. Embedding force sensors into industrial limbs is one way to prevent them from plowing through obstacles, but the same technology that makes the arms safe also makes them weak. Most so-called cobots cannot handle weights heavier than 10 kilograms (22 pounds). Computer vision offers a way to get robots into more complex environments, without compromising their strength. Where you see a lot of robots, thats just the beginning of assembly, Sobalvarro said. Those welding robots make for flashy pictures, but what you dont see is another 250 to 500 process steps that are entirely manual. 2018 Was Big Year for Robot Employment Another obstacle is that manufacturers increasingly have to make multiple products on the same assembly line and are constantly retooling their production to accommodate shifting consumer tastes. An automotive line worker might handle an SUV, followed by a minivan and a sedan at a pace of one a minute, the kind of variety that robots dont handle well, Sobalvarro said. It just doesnt make any sense to automate further because of mass customization, he said. We let manufacturing be more flexible and adopt to increasingly tighter product cycles. There are also not enough workers to do the job. About half a million jobs were left open in manufacturing in the U.S. last year, and the shortage may widen to 2.4 million over the next decade, according to a report by Deloitte Consulting LLP and the Manufacturing Institute. Anywhere you can find a place to introduce robots, it helps, Sobalvarro said. Veo, based in Waltham, Massachusetts, is working closely with the worlds biggest robot makers Fanuc Corp., Yaskawa Electric Corp. and Kuka AG. But Veos first customers are likely to be car companies, manufacturers of durable goods such as household appliances and oil and gas equipment makers, where the shale revolution created demand for more customization. The technology could be used to get machines to present parts to human workers, for loading and unloading fixtures and in palletizing. The companys existing shareholders Google Ventures, Lux Capital Management, and Next47, a venture firm started by Siemens AG, contributed to the latest funding round. They were joined by new investors Nikon-SBI Innovation Fund, SBI AI & Blockchain Fund, and Baidu Ventures. Saman Farid, a partner at Baidu Ventures, joined Veos board. While Veo does not disclose its valuation, it could be worth tens of billions of dollars, according to Bilal Zuberi, a partner at Lux Capital. To get to that level, the company would have to scale their technology so that it can watch over an entire factory floor, Zuberi said. Veo could take an industrial environment, fuse all of that data and diagnose the health of the whole factory on a real-time basis, Zuberi said. Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics Tech Manufacturing School officials say a subcontractor fell at a new school construction site in Louisiana and later died. News outlets report that the subcontractor fell around 14 feet while working at the Bullion Primary School construction site in Ascension Parish. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. School system spokeswoman Jackie Tisdell said Tuesday that work has been suspended at the site while an investigation is ongoing. Tisdell says the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration was on-site Tuesday. The spokeswoman says she could not provide the workers identity or whether he was wearing a safety harness at the time of the fall. Bullion Primary is a two-story, elementary school thats expected to be opened in the fall of 2019. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Louisiana Training Development Construction A Texas state representative has filed a bill that would require proof of citizenship in order to purchase personal auto insurance. Rep. Bill Zedler, a Republican from Arlington (District 96), has filed HB 2648, which would require an auto insurance purchaser to show proof of citizenship before a policy could be issued. An unexpired passport, a birth certificate or United States citizenship papers could be used as proof of citizenship under the bill. If passed, it would go into effect on Sept. 1, 2019, and affect personal auto insurance policies issued on or after Jan. 1, 2020. Topics Texas Auto Heavy rainfall and extensive flooding have prompted Kentuckys Republican governor to declare a state of emergency. Gov. Matt Bevin issued the executive order on Monday. The governors office says the order will enable state resources to help local governments as needed. Severe storms over the weekend increased water levels at dams in central and western Kentucky, resulting in record water releases at Wolf Creek Dam in Jamestown that have caused flooding. The Kentucky Division of Emergency Management has received state of emergency declarations from 36 counties and 11 cities. State officials are working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to mitigate damage. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Windstorm Kentucky The push for assignment of benefits (AOB) reform in the 2019 Florida legislative session is in full swing, and the insurance industry and consumer advocates have pulled out all the stops to emphasize their contention that abuse of a policyholder benefit has led to a full-blown insurance crisis in the state. Whether their efforts will be enough this year after six years of failed reform attempts remains to be seen. Lawmakers are weighing legislative options, but a bill backed by the industry has already stalled in the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee. The industry isnt giving up on what is its top issue in the 2019 session. We remain hopeful of the process and that members of the [Florida] Senate and House will work through the various issues that have been raised and will land on a piece of legislation that will be helpful for consumers and that actually address these issues, said Michael Carlson, president of the Personal Insurance Federation of Florida (PIFF), which represents personal lines insurers in the state. The AOB problem in Florida stems from unlicensed water remediation and roofing contractors who have homeowners sign over their insurance policy rights in exchange for repairs to their homes. The contractors, typically working with an attorney, file inflated or fake claims, and then pursue lawsuits against insurers when those claims are disputed or denied. Floridas one-way attorney fee statute, which the insurance industry, consumer advocates and the states insurance regulator agree is driving the AOB abuse, leaves insurers footing the bill for the inflated claims and the attorney fees if the insurer is found to have underpaid the claim by any amount. After six or seven years of this campaign to make changes and having looked at this issue from several different vantage points and a lot of data the industry has concluded this is an attorney fee-driven cottage industry, said Carlson. The current remedy supported by the industry and Floridas insurance regulator was introduced by Florida Senator Doug Broxson, who chairs the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee. Senate Bill 122 would continue to allow policyholders and beneficiaries to recover attorney fees under Floridas one-way attorney fee statute but would prohibit assignees from obtaining attorney fees. In several meetings of the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee before the start of session, lawmakers saw AOB litigation and rate data from Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier and heard stories from homeowners who were victimized by AOB scammers. They also listened to testimony by contractors who maintain that there is no pressing need for AOBs. The explanation that contractors have to obtain an AOB [and] they have to sue the insurance company in order to get paid does not seem to be reflected in the insurance complaint information we have available to us, Altmaier told the committee on Jan. 22. Altmaier said he supports SB 122 to control attorney fees that are the number one driver of AOB abuse, which in turn is driving up rates and reducing coverage for consumers. Many people will tell you this is an issue between insurance companies and trial attorneys [but] at the end of the day this is really an issue that impacts Floridas insurance consumers and at the moment its impacting Floridas insurance consumers in adverse ways, he said. He noted 70 percent of the litigated claims Citizens Property Insurance Corp. experienced in 2018 had an AOB associated with them. It appears based on this information that the purpose of obtaining an AOB is for certain individuals in our marketplace is to obtain the benefit of one-way attorney fees and enter into litigation with our insurance companies, he said. Citizens, the state-run insurer of last resort, has borne the brunt of the AOB abuse. CEO Barry Gilway warned the committee that the issue is worsening statewide. It was primarily a south Florida problem until 2015 to 2016, but now its exploding across the state, he said. Gilway said the 8.2 percent rate increase Citizens requested for 2019 is far below what the insurers actual rate indication is because of costly AOB litigation. The insurer cannot request rate increases of more than 10 percent statewide because of the statutorily required glide path. Whats extremely important to understand is that while the increase we filed was 8.2 percent, the actual rate need all driven by litigation is 25.2 percent thats what we need, he said. Altmaier underscored the ramifications of the problem if it continues to be left unchecked. Rate increases are the best-case scenario consumers can hope for without resolution to this issue. We are hearing from many insurance company executives who claim the rate increases they receive are not enough to continue offering their products in our state, Altmaier said. Bill Status Despite the testimony and agreement by lawmakers that something needs to be done, SB122 was tabled at the Feb. 11 committee meeting after several committee members expressed concern over the bill, with one referring to it as a nuclear option. Sen. Jeff Brandes, a committee member who supports the legislation, successfully moved to postpone the bill with the hope that lawmakers could come to a consensus on how to move forward. There is no perfect bill to resolve [AOB] this is a great attempt. We should support this bill. We should continue to hone and refine and work on this bill, he said. He emphasized to his fellow lawmakers that he believes something has to be done this year. What we are hearing is this is a pandemic that is slowly spreading across this state. This is not sustainable, he said. Broxson said SB122 was the 18th bill filed since 2013 with 15 different banking and insurance chairs hearing the issue and zero legislation addressing the issue passed to date. We are going to deal with this issue this session if we have to spend every committee meeting to vet this problem were not going to hurry through this, he told the committee at its first meeting Jan. 22. We have got to own this issue once and for all. SB122 was not heard by the Senate Banking & Insurance committees meeting on Feb. 19 but was added to its March 4 agenda. So, Will 2019 be the Year? The industry says it is not giving up on reform. Despite the setback in [the Senate Banking & Insurance] committee, I think we have still have a better than even chance in getting meaningful reform passed this year, said Carlson. Logan McFaddin, Southeast regional manager of industry trade group APCIA, said there is frustration among the industry about what exactly lawmakers need to hear to make reform happen because the clear data from the states regulator, victim stories and contractor expertise are just not resonating with current legislators. For some reason its falling on deaf ears for certain legislators. I think thats the most frustrating thing its like what else can we bring to the table thats really going to be telling enough to change their mind? Its hard to put your finger on it to try to come to some sort of solution and strategy, she said. However, she said there is plenty of time during the 60-day session to find a compromise. Im not ready to throw in the towel yet. And I dont think the majority of the insurance industry is either, she said. Theres the possibility that reform options that have been considered during past sessions could be again this year, but the consensus among all stakeholders is that any reform must address the one-way attorney fee statute. The current one-way attorney fee statute incentivizes abuse and excessive litigation. OIR recommends narrowing the current one-way attorney fees statute relating to litigation involving an AOB agreement to disincentivize AOB abuse, while maintaining consumer protections, Commissioner Altmaier said in an e-mail to Insurance Journal. Altmaier said OIR will remain a vocal proponent of measures that increase consumer protection within the use of AOB agreements, monitor any legislation aimed at curbing AOB abuse and continue the fight to hold consumers harmless. We greatly appreciate Senator Broxsons leadership on this issue and believe that the one-way attorney fee provision addressed in SB 122 should remain a central part of ongoing discussions, he said. Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis, who oversees the Department of Financial Services, will also continue the fight, telling lawmakers Jan. 22 that doing nothing this year is not an option. My job is to make sure we keep attention and pressure on this issue and that something gets done this legislative session because doing nothing is disrespectful, dishonorable to the citizens we serve because ultimately all that is going to do is drive up rates right now if we do nothing its going to drive up rates, he said. In the meantime, Altmaier said agent communication with OIR, carriers and their customers is essential to stemming the abuse, particularly in the aftermath of major catastrophes like Hurricane Michael. We ask that agents continue communicating with OIR and DFS to express any concerns they may have so those concerns can be addressed as soon as possible, he said. Through our combined efforts, communication lines can be strengthened, and consumers can be better served and protected. Related: Topics Lawsuits Carriers Legislation Florida Market Contractors Attorneys in the Mississippi House are sharply divided over a bill that could limit the liability of landowners or property managers who are sued by people harmed on their property. The House voted 74-39 Monday to pass Senate Bill 2901, named the Landowners Protection Act. The vote was largely along party lines, with most Republicans supporting it and most Democrats opposing it. After the vote, the bill was held for the possibility of another round of House debate another day. Republican Rep. Mark Baker of Brandon, who is an attorney, argued for the bill, saying it would bring clarity to business owners. Democratic Rep. Ed Blackmon, who is also an attorney, argued against the bill, saying it would create problems for people who are harmed. Senators passed a version of the bill in early February. The House made some changes, and the two chambers must agree on a single version before the bill could go to the governor. Baker said the Mississippi Supreme Court has found in one case that a business owner is not an insurer for all things that may occur on the property. He said the court has also held that the relationship between a perpetrator and a victim may be relevant in premises liability cases. Respectfully, this bill simply pulls together a wide area of case law to put it in one line, in one place, clarity for business owners so they know that the risk is when they do business in your community, said Baker, who is running for attorney general this year. Blackmon said he has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in premises liability cases. Theyre expensive and theyre hard to win, Blackmon said of such cases, adding that the state Supreme Court already puts a heavy burden on plaintiffs to prove their claims. Blackmon said that under the bill Baker is pushing, property owners would rarely be liable for damages if people are harmed. As long as they havent gone and shook hands with the criminal and said, `Youre invited to do whatever you want on my property, they have immunity, Blackmon said. They cant be sued, they cant be held accountable, under this bill. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Property Mississippi A Florida company has issued a voluntary recall of Marketside brand green beans and butternut squash because of a possible Listeria contamination. Southern Specialties Inc. of Pompano Beach, Florida, announced the recall Monday, warning that the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Even healthy adults can suffer symptoms like high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. The company says it shipped the recalled product to one retail distribution center. Most of the product was retrieved, but some product shipped earlier this month might have reached stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Florida | BY Kim Shaw | FF Shanghai has been appointed by Turner as the promotional agency to introduce the global megahit comedy Rick and Morty in China. It will also be the consulting partner in charge of strategy and creative solutions for other popular Turner franchises in China, including: Tuzki, We Bare Bears and The Powerpuff Girls. Rick and Morty is an ambitious, half-hour animated sci-fi comedy and the flagship original franchise for Turners Adult Swim programming block. The show follows Rick, a reckless, hyper-intelligent scientist, and his grandson, Morty, a typical 14-year-old high school freshman. Grizz, Panda, and Ice Bear are just three outsiders trying to find their way in, and if they can get some ice cream (or fat free frozen yogurt, if possible) on the way there, all the better. Each episode deals with the Bears everyday misadventures finding food, goofing around, and dealing with each other and the world around them. Whatever the situation, its obvious that being a bear in the civilized, modern world is not easy. We Bare Bears is already well known in China, and is quickly becoming a trend icon for the Chinese millennial. Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup arent your average little girls from Townsville: together, they form the superhero team known to the city as The Powerpuff Girls! When theyre not scrapbooking, working on homework or hanging out at home, the girls serve as the defenders of Townsville. The Powerpuff Girls is an animated comedy produced by Cartoon Network Studios, and is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary. The show and its characters have become global icons for women empowerment and are the original ambassadors of girl power. The city of Simi Valley, Calif., has reached a $21 million settlement with a man wrongly imprisoned for nearly 40 years in the killing of his girlfriend and her 4-year-old son. Some of that settlement is being paid by insurance. Craig Coley was released in 2017 after he was pardoned by then-Gov. Jerry Brown, who said DNA evidence and re-investigation proved Coleys innocence. Simi Valley officials said Saturday that the agreement would mitigate long, costly and unnecessary legal proceedings, the Los Angeles Times reported. While no amount of money can make up for what happened to Mr. Coley, settling this case is the right thing to do for Mr. Coley and our community, City Manager Eric Levitt said in a statement. The city will pay about $4.9 million and the rest is expected to be paid by insurance and other sources. The state last year approved a separate, nearly $2 million payment for Coley. He is now 71. Coley spent 39 years behind bars after he was wrongly convicted of killing 24-year-old Rhonda Wicht of Simi Valley and her son in 1978. The citys police chief and Ventura Countys district attorney asked Brown to pardon him because forensic tests showed Coleys DNA was not on the victims bedsheet, which contained DNA from an unknown man. Coley had an alibi for the time of the slayings and investigators later disproved testimony from an eyewitness who placed him at the scene. His parents died while he was in prison after mortgaging their home to pay his legal bills. Soon after Coley was pardoned, a judge declared him factually innocent. Simi Valley police have not arrested anyone else in the killings. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics California February 28, 2019 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Blockchain microgrids have become a pivotal theme in the rapidly developing energy sector and Amit Sharma, Power Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view on this development and what we can expect from blockchain microgrids in the future: "The global microgrid market size is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15% between 2018 and 2022 and is expected to reach $30bn by 2022. As the market liberalises and renewable energy grows, blockchain offers an effective way to handle the increasingly complex and decentralised transactions between users, large and small-scale producers, retailers, traders and utilities. "There are more than 150 companies reportedly developing blockchain energy tools and most participants in the nascent market are developing tools for peer-to-peer energy transactions. Other types of transactions for blockchain may include trading renewable energy credits or wholesale energy. There are now over 100 demonstration projects deployed or planned around the world in the electricity industry alone. Energy-focused blockchain startups raised over $300m between Q2 2017 and Q1 2018, and industry experts expect that blockchain investment in the energy sector will reach more than $5.8bn by 2025. "LO3 Energy, based in New York, along with Siemens Digital Grid and Siemens' startup financier, next47, is working on the Brooklyn Microgrid project. Another firm, Electron, is leveraging blockchain technology to help enable partnerships on the grid in collaboration with French energy giant, EDF. Blockchain plays a key role when companies have shared infrastructure. Power Ledger, an Australian startup which raised AUD34m ($26m) in an ICO, is building platforms to enable commercial operation of microgrids in Thailand and India and two commercial buildings in West Australia. "Energi Mine, a UK-based startup, has created a blockchain-based platform to reward energy-saving users with tokens they can use to pay their energy bills or charge their electric vehicles. A Singapore company, Electrify, has been running a price comparison marketplace as the country liberalises its electricity market. Grid+, a US startup, will launch its first retail device next year in Texas, using the Ethereum blockchain to allow users, whether they are traditional consumers or owners of solar panels and batteries, to buy and sell electricity at wholesale prices." Notes to Editors Information based on GlobalData's reports: For more information To gain access to our latest press releases: GlobalData Media Centre Analysts available for comment. Please contact the GlobalData Press Office: EMEA & Americas: +44 (0)207 832 4399 Asia-Pacific: +91 40 6616 6809 About GlobalData 4,000 of the world's largest companies, including over 70% of FTSE 100 and 60% of Fortune 100 companies, make more timely and better business decisions thanks to GlobalData's unique data, expert analysis and innovative solutions, all in one platform. GlobalData's mission is to help our clients decode the future to be more successful and innovative across a range of industries, including the healthcare, consumer, retail, financial, technology and professional services sectors. More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Vancouver, British Columbia - February 28, 2019 (Newsfile Corp.) (Investorideas.com Newswire) Contact Gold Corp. (TSXV: C) (the "Company" or "Contact Gold") is pleased to report drill results from the final three holes of the 2018 drill program at the Pony Creek gold property ("Pony Creek"). These step out and confirmation holes demonstrate Contact's ability to continue to expand the gold footprint of the Bowl Zone. Drill Highlights: 0.56 g/t Au over 21.34 metres from 51.67 metres, including 1.53 g/t Au over 4.57 metres from 62.48 metres in hole PC18-47 0.44 g/t Au over 33.53 metres from 67.06 metres in drill hole PC18-46 0.25 g/t Au over 27.40 metres from 51.82 metres in drill hole PC18-45 "These results from the Bowl Zone mark the end of a very successful 2018 drill season and continue to validate our team's systematic exploration approach of targeting specific structures which host better gold grades, and shows gold mineralization is present over significant widths to the south of the main bowl zone gold discovery. These drill holes confirm and extend gold mineralization a further 250 metres south and remain open for expansion in that direction. Combined with the gold-in-soil footprint of the newly defined Palomino Target to the northwest, and the high grade oxide results from West Bowl target, we have a clear path to substantially increasing the gold mineralization footprint of the Bowl Zone." stated Matt Lennox-King, CEO of Contact Gold. Bowl Zone Hole 47, a 100 metre confirmation step-out south of the historical mineral resource estimate area, intersected significant gold mineralization where previous historical and 2017 drilling failed to reach gold mineralization. Hole 46, which returned broad intervals of gold mineralization, is a further 60 metre south of drill hole 47 and was drilled to the west extending the area of known gold mineralization in the southern and westward directions along the primary north-south structural corridor that hosts gold mineralization at the Bowl Zone. Hole 45 was a pure step out hole, extending known gold mineralization a further 90 metres south of drill hole 46, encountering a broad interval of lower-grade gold at a similar depth to the previous step-out holes to the north. The Bowl Zone remains open for further expansion to the north, south and west, with these step-out drill holes demonstrating continuity of gold mineralization 250 metres south of the historical resource area. Contact Gold completed 10,800 metres in 2018 with half of the meterage devoted to drilling new discoveries (West Zone) and successfully growing the gold mineralization foot print at the Bowl Zone. For a map of the Pony Creek target areas and drill collar locations, please click: http://www.contactgold.com/_resources/news/Pony-Creek-Drilling.jpg For a detailed plan map of the Bowl Zone, please click: http://www.contactgold.com/_resources/news/Bowl-Zone.jpg For a section view of PC18-47, please click: http://www.contactgold.com/_resources/news/PC18-47-Section.jpg Table of 2018 Bowl Zone Drilling Highlights: 1 Previously released result, see news release dated June 21, 2018. 2 Previously released result, see news release dated August 14, 2018. 3 Previously released result, see news release dated September 20, 2018. Pony Creek is an early stage exploration property and does not contain any mineral resource estimates as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource estimate at Pony Creek. Additional information about Pony Creek is summarized in a technical report entitled "Technical Report on the Pony Creek Gold Project, Elko County, Nevada, USA" dated April 18, 2017, and effective March 15, 2017), prepared by Michael M. Gustin, C.P.G. of Mine Development Associates of Reno, Nevada (the "Technical Report"), which can be viewed under Contact Gold's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Vance Spalding, CPG, VP Exploration, Contact Gold, who is a "qualified person" within the meaning of NI 43-101. Drill intercepts were calculated using a minimum thickness of 3.05 metres averaging 0.14 ppm gold and allowing inclusion of up to 4.57 metres of material averaging less than 0.14 ppm gold for low grade intervals and higher grade intervals were calculated using a minimum thickness of 3.05 metres averaging 1.00 ppm gold and allowing inclusion of up to 4.57 metres of assays averaging less than 1.00 ppm gold. Gravimetric assays are used for all Fire Assays above 4.00 ppm gold. True width of drilled mineralization is unknown, but owing to the apparent flat lying nature of mineralization, is estimated to generally be at least 70% of drilled thickness Quality Assurance / Quality Control consists of regular insertion of certified reference standards, blanks, and duplicates. All failures are followed up and resolved whenever possible with additional investigation whenever such an event occurs. Multi element geochemical assays are completed on composites using the MEMS 61 method. All assays are completed at ALS Chemex; an ISO 17025:2005 accredited lab. Check assays are completed at a second, reputable assay lab after the program is complete. About Contact Gold Corp. Contact Gold is an exploration company focused on producing district scale gold discoveries in Nevada. Contact Gold's extensive land holdings are on the prolific Carlin, Independence and Northern Nevada Rift gold trends which host numerous gold deposits and mines. Contact Gold's land position comprises approximately 212 km2 of target rich mineral tenure hosting numerous known gold occurrences, ranging from early- to advanced-exploration and resource definition stage. Additional information about the Company is available at www.contactgold.com. For more information, please contact: +1 (604) 449-3361 John Glanville - Director Investor Relations Chris Pennimpede - Corporate Development E-mail: info@ContactGold.com Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to the anticipated exploration activities of the Company on the Pony Creek property. These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include; business integration risks; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to United States dollar exchange rate); change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Vancouver, British Columbia - February 28, 2019 (Newsfile Corp.) (Investorideas.com Newswire) ALX Uranium Corp. (TSXV: AL) (FSE: 6LLN) (OTC: ALXEF) ("ALX" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that ALX has signed a non-binding letter agreement (the "LOI") with Orano Canada Inc. ("Orano") a subsidiary of Orano Group, France, a world leader in the nuclear marketplace, whereby ALX can earn up to a 51% participating interest in the Close Lake Uranium Project ("Close Lake", or the "Project") located in the eastern Athabasca Basin area of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The LOI outlines a five (5) year deal with ALX funding exploration expenditures for a total amount of $12.0 million and issuing 10,000,000 common shares of ALX to Orano. Close Lake consists of 21 mineral claims totaling 38,679 hectares located in the heart of one of the most prolific uranium districts in the world. The eastern boundary of the Project adjoins the Cigar Lake uranium mine property ("Cigar Lake") and its southern boundary adjoins the McArthur River uranium mine property. Numerous uranium and base metals showings have been discovered from drilling at Close Lake by a joint venture first established in 1978. Close Lake is accessible by winter trail from Cigar Lake and Points North Landing, each of which has all-weather road access and nearby infrastructure, including airports. Click here to view a map of the Project. "We are very fortunate to have this opportunity to work with Orano at Close Lake, which is a hidden gem strategically located between the Cigar Lake and McArthur River uranium mines, the two richest of their kind in the world," said Warren Stanyer, CEO and Chairman of the Company. "With that address, and considering the known mineralized trends in the Wollaston Belt, the addition of Close Lake to its portfolio gives ALX a stellar chance to be involved in a new uranium discovery in the eastern Athabasca Basin." About Close Lake Close Lake is currently the subject of a joint venture in which Orano, as operator, holds a 74.40% interest, with Cameco Corporation ("Cameco) (TSX: CCO) holding a 14.99% interest, and JCU (Canada) Company Ltd. ("JCU") holding the remaining 10.61% interest. ALX can earn up to a 51% interest from Orano, subject to a back-in right to be retained by Orano. Historical drilling at the Project totals approximately 110,049 metres in 170 drill holes. Uranium mineralization has been intersected at or near the unconformity between the Athabasca sandstone and basement rock units, often graphitic, with associated base metals values and rare gold occurrences at downhole depths ranging between 463 metres and 682 metres. Table 1. Close Lake Historical Mineralized Intersections The grades, widths and lithologies encountered in the drilling to date provide compelling evidence that Close Lake could host a mineralizing system similar to those previously found within the Wollaston Belt, which has produced over 900 million pounds of U3O8 during the past four decades. 2019 Exploration Plan An exploration program will be planned with Orano in 2019 to initiate the proposed terms of the LOI and Option Agreement that will consist of a diamond drilling program. In 1985, a predecessor company of Orano, encountered a significant intersection of uranium mineralization in drill hole CL-11 (1.52% U3O8 over 23.0 metres) on the Tucker Lake C-5 Trend in the northeastern portion of the Project. Follow-up drilling that year on section with CL-11 intersected 0.06% U3O8 over 1.5 metres in hole CL-12 and 1.21% U3O8 over 2.0 metres in hole CL-13. Drilling in 1997 on the C-1 East Trend in the southern portion of the Project intersected a wide interval of uranium mineralization in drill hole CL-90 (0.34% U3O8 over 107.3 metres including 2.86% U3O8 over 8.5 metres and 2.00% U3O8 over 1.5 metres). Subsequent follow-up drilling in 1998 along strike of drill hole CL-90 encountered 0.28% U3O8 over 0.5 metres in hole CL-106 and 0.06% U3O8 over 3.5 metres in hole CL-109. In its initial evaluation of the Project, ALX has determined that certain target areas at Close Lake that have only been explored with widely-spaced drill holes still exhibit high potential to host significant high-grade uranium deposits. Terms of the LOI and the Option Agreement ALX shall have a 60-day period following execution of the LOI to further evaluate the Project and if satisfied, can proceed to a definitive agreement for the transaction (the "Option Agreement"), which when signed by ALX and Orano will establish the effective date of the Option Agreement (the "Effective Date"). In order for ALX to earn an option to acquire a 51% interest in the Project, ALX would be required to issue to Orano a total of 10,000,000 common shares of ALX and fund a total of $12.0 million towards exploration expenditures for the Project for a period of five (5) years. Subject to prior written approval by Orano, ALX would be able to accelerate any of the expenditure payments. Any common shares that ALX issues to Orano in connection with the Proposed Acquisition would be subject to a 4-month statutory hold period. The purchase terms of the LOI are subject to acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange, and to the waiver of respective rights of first refusal by Cameco and JCU. Joint Venture Participation Upon having exercised any portion of its Options ALX will be required to become a party to the Joint Venture Agreement among Orano, Cameco, and JCU. Orano will remain operator of the Project during ALX's option period. Orano's Back-in Rights Orano would have two options (the "Back-in Options") to re-acquire a 51% interest in the Project from ALX (the "Back-in Interest") following its exercise of the Back-in Options by giving written notices to ALX (the "Back-in Notices") and paying ALX in the case of the first Back-In Option, an amount based on ALX's expenditures to date, and in the case of the second Back-In Option an amount of $24.0 million through a combination of cash payments and carrying ALX's share of expenditures required to maintain ALX's share in the Project, with regards to future approved exploration programs. The Back-in Options are exercisable for a period of up to three (3) years from the date of ALX earning either a 35% or a 51% participating interest, at Orano's discretion. Reimbursement of Orano's Exploration Expenses If ALX obtains a 51% interest in the Project and (i) Orano does not exercise the Back-in Options; and (ii) ALX, or a successor company, produces at least 1,000,000 pounds of uranium from the Project Assets ("Initial Production") ALX would notify Orano of the date that ALX or a successor company achieved Initial Production (the "Initial Production Date") and pay Orano $25.0 million over a 5-year period. Orano will receive a 2.0% net smelter return production royalty on any uranium produced from the Project, and any other milled mineral and/or product, except from Project claims subject to previously established net profits royalties. NI 43-101 Disclosure The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Sierd Eriks, P. Geo., President and Chief Geologist of the Company, who is a Qualified Person in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101. Readers are cautioned that some of the technical information described in this news release is historical in nature; however, the information is deemed credible and was produced by professional geologists of the eras discussed. ALX further cautions investors it has reviewed but has not verified the Close Lake exploration data, and that mineralization located on adjacent properties by historical exploration may not be present at Close Lake. About ALX ALX's mandate is to provide shareholders with multiple opportunities for discovery by exploring a portfolio of prospective mineral properties in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The Company executes well-designed exploration programs using the latest technologies and has interests in over 200,000 hectares in Saskatchewan, a Province which hosts the richest uranium deposits in the world, a producing gold mine, and demonstrates potential for base metals deposits. ALX is based in Vancouver, BC, Canada and its common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "AL", on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol "6LLN" and in the United States OTC market under the symbol "ALXEF". Technical reports are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com for several of the Company's active properties. For more information about the Company, please visit the ALX corporate website at www.alxuranium.com or contact Roger Leschuk, Manager, Corporate Communications at PH: 604.629.0293 or Toll-Free: 866.629.8368, or by email: rleschuk@alxuranium.com On Behalf of the Board of Directors of ALX Uranium Corp. "Warren Stanyer" Warren Stanyer, CEO and Chairman FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Statements in this document which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Forward looking statements in this news release include the Company's plans to sign an agreement to undertake exploration activities at the Close Lake Project ("Close Lake"), and expend funds on Close Lake. It is important to note that the Company's actual business outcomes and exploration results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include that our due diligence may result in our not deciding to pursue Close Lake; we may not get regulatory approval to complete an agreement on Close Lake; we may not be able to finance our intended participation at Close Lake; we may not be able to come to agreements with the Close Lake JV partners; our other projects in the Athabasca Basin may prove to be unworthy of further expenditure; and economic, competitive, governmental, environmental and technological factors may affect the Company's operations, markets, products and prices. Additional risk factors are discussed in the section entitled "Risk and uncertainties" in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the Nine Months ended September 30, 2018, which is available under Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Except as required by law, we will not update these forward looking statement risk factors. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. 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Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Here are all the latest headlines this lunchtime... GET INFORMED ... IRELAND: A Galway man who has been missing in Malaysia for two months has been found "safe and well", a Facebook support has confirmed. IRELAND: Scouting Irelands child protection consultant Ian Elliot says the organisation is baffled by the letter from Tusla to the Minister for Children and said the organisation is not trying to hide anything". IRELAND: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has admitted that it is scandalous that the Government and its agents got it so wrong in terms of the cost of the national childrens hospital. IRELAND: The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government have been accused of 'spinning' housing figures at a hearing of the Public Accounts Committee this morning/ IRELAND: The Taoiseach has said the ethos of a publicly funded hospital should reflect the public as a whole and not just one religion, following a report that recommends catholic statues and crucifixes should be removed if a patient asks. WORLD: Monica Lewinsky speaks out after a life of 'exile' at the Talent Summit in Dublin, yesterday, where she began her speech by saying the word thanks minus the H, to a warm and universal laughter. BUSINESS: Business groups have called for clarity on the long-mooted event centre for Cork which they say is impeding the citys growth and will impact several industries if not started immediately. ANALYSIS: Adoption law changes - Good, but not good enough. Congratulations are due to the civil rights activists who have persuaded Childrens Minister Katherine Zappone to look again at her Adoption and Information Tracing Bill and cut from it at least one of its more obnoxious and quite unrealistic proposals. SPORT: Global stars including England captain Owen Farrell and Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton have warned of serious player welfare and integrity concerns over World Rugbys proposed new competition structure. ... SOME DISTRACTION DISCOVER: Ireland's most popular baby names for 2018 have been revealed, with seven new entrants to the top 100 for both boys and girls. SHOWBIZ: Lady Gaga addresses Bradley Cooper romance rumours after the pair set tongues wagging when they performed an intense version of their song 'Shallow' at this year's Oscar ceremony. LIFESTYLE: Speaking up: Anna Geary on finding your voice in a crowded room, and making sure that our purpose in life is our own. So thats Wednesday nearly wrapped up. Here are some of the stories we published on irishexaminer.com today which we hope will help you make sense of it all this evening. TO INFORM Scouting Ireland: Tusla has written to Scouting Ireland calling for an urgent review of how the organisation manages current child protection concerns. Love triangle trial: A garda officer in charge of exhibits in the Patrick Quirke trial said he does not remember being told about a lady's hair clip taken from the tank where DJ Bobby "Mr Moonlight" Ryan's body was found. Angela Kerins: Former Rehab CEO Angela Kerins has won key elements of her Supreme Court appeal concerning her treatment before the Dail Public Accounts Committee. Brexit: The British House of Commons has emphatically rejected Jeremy Corbyns Brexit vision by a margin of 240 votes to 323. Michael Cohen: Donald Trump's former lawyer has made explosive claims about the US President, including that he told him to pay hush money to an adult film star. FAI tickets: FAI chief John Delaney says that lessons have been learned from the collapse of the Vantage Club ticket scheme just over a decade ago and described the latest edition of their Club Ireland package, which has been launched at the Aviva Stadium, as the best value premium level scheme in Irish sport. TO ENGAGE Brigid McCole: Two words that haunted Fine Gael for many years were uttered in the Dail yesterday by Solidary TD Ruth Coppinger. Brigid McCole. Brexit analysis: Irish and British General Elections could yet run in parallel before the end game, most likely a Customs Union deal, writes Eddie Hobbs TO ENTERTAIN Winning photos: Our Readers' Photography Competition for 2019 is well underway and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all our readers who took part in our 2018 competition. Hero shopkeeper: Amy Huberman has crowned her local shopkeeper Paul the G.O.A.T of Goatstown in a series of emotional posts about moving house. MOST READ SO FAR TODAY 'Reputational damage': Croke Park stadium director Peter McKenna has been accused of causing unforgivable reputational damage to high-ranking Cork GAA officials after Pairc Ui Chaoimh board member Michael OFlynn last night said there was no basis to the 110m figure put out by McKenna in relation to the cost of redeveloping the stadium. A "chronic" lack of investment in infrastructure outside Dublin is putting the economy at risk and stalling future projects. That is according to president of the Irish chapter of the Project Management Institute, Pat Lucey. Speaking at the business group's annual conference in Cork, Mr Lucey said: "Chronic under-investment in regional infrastructure is placing our economy, and future projects, at risk. There is a huge opportunity for economic growth in Ireland over the next 20 years. However, over-reliance on the Dublin region is jeopardising this growth as it struggles to meet demand." Mr Lucey said there was "a disproportionate focus" on Dublin that was detrimental to Irish competitiveness internationally, and that the Republic should be the "default location" for firms looking to leave the EU after Brexit. "With the capital feeling the worst effects of the housing crisis -- rents there are 8.8% higher than just a year ago -- this is negatively impacting desired international investment," he said. Efficient project management will be needed to ensure the Government delivers on its regional investment pledges under Project Ireland 2040. Cities outside Dublin should be viable options for international investments, Mr Lucey said. The conference, which was held outside of Dublin for the first time, also heard calls for the long-awaited National Broadband Plan, and high-speed road and rail links between all Irish major cities, including Cork, Limerick, Galway, and Dublin. Included in the Government's plan for 2040 are Cork projects such as the M20 motorway between Limerick and Cork, which is expected to cost in the region of 1bn. It was a u-turn from the previous Government, when then Taoiseach Enda Kenny poured cold water on the idea in 2016, saying it was too costly. Investment in the Cork-Limerick road was first raised in 1998, but the economic crash of 2008 put paid to the project. The city's northside is said by business and political leaders to be hamstrung by the lack of a northern ring road. The eastern half of the northern ring road was included in the 116bn national development plan last year, which will connect the M8 Cork to Dublin motorway with the M20. Meanwhile, tourism chiefs in Cork have said they will target the French market to boost numbers visiting the region. Tourism brand for the region, Pure Cork outlined the strategy at an industry day, which said it was teaming with Tourism Ireland to target French visitors. With regular Cork flights from Paris operated by Aer Lingus and Air France, Pure Cork said France was one of the biggest opportunities for growth, especially from Paris and its surrounds. The tourism body said it was also targeting regional UK locations outside of London, the northeast of the US, domestic tourists and visitors from Germany. Southern Europe manager for Tourism Ireland, Monica Mac Laverty said French visitors average more than 10 nights in the Republic. There is an extremely strong opportunity to develop tourism from France for the Cork region, especially with direct access from Cork airport, which is key," she said. Head of Visit Cork, Seamus Heaney said tourism currently supports almost 22,500 jobs in Cork. Shares in Marks & Spencer tumbled the most in two-and-a-half years yesterday after the retailer said it will finance a nearly 870m investment in online retailer Ocado with new shares and cut its dividend. M&S plans to offer as much as 600m (696m) in new stock to help pay 750m for a 50% stake in the partnership, diluting existing investments. Its shares fell up to 11.5%, the most since June 2016, while Ocado rose up to 6%. The agreement raises questions about the strategy of M&S, which will unseat John Lewis Partnerships Waitrose as the tech startups main grocery supply source as of September 2020. Until now, M&S has focused on selling small baskets of premium-price grocery items, while large orders are more viable in low-margin e-commerce. M&S still havent proved that they can generate a high enough shopping basket to make online grocery pay, so this seems a huge leap in the dark for them, independent retail analyst Nick Bubb wrote in a note to clients. The deal combines M&Ss branded food and beverage range, currently sold in the companys food halls and convenience stores, with Ocados own-label and third-party branded products. It allows Ocado to focus on its business that licenses automated warehouse technology to super- markets, which has grown faster than the UK grocery operation. This is a transformative deal in the UK grocery market which brings together two iconic and much loved British retail businesses, Ocado chief executive Tim Steiner said. UK stores have been struggling to compete with the rise of online shopping, as the Brexit-induced weakness of the pound squeezes profit margins, contributing to the growth of empty shopfronts throughout the countrys town and city centres. Discounters Lidl and Aldi are adding to the pressure, prompting market leader Tesco to create its own cut-price store brand and Sainsbury to seek a purchase of Walmarts Asda that now faces growing regulatory opposition. The M&S venture with Ocado would have had sales of 1.5bn and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation of 34.2m for the 52 weeks to December 2, the companies said. Waitrose products, which have been delivered by Ocado for about a decade, will become exclusively available via the grocers own e-commerce service and in its stores when the partnership ends in September 2020. Waitrose aims to double its online platform within five years and will be able to service thousands more online customers from the end of this year, it said. It also plans to build a second fulfillment center to support growing order volumes in London. M&S chose to raise equity for the deal as its net debt stands at 1.8bn. Bondholders were cheered by the decision. However, M&S plans to cut its dividend to shareholders by 40%. Ocado used a breakup clause in its contract with Waitrose to walk away from that contract before the expiry date in a year and a half. The agreement with M&S is the latest for Ocado, which has struck technology licensing deals with US grocer Kroger, Frances Casino Guichard-Perrachon, and others. M&S has been slower to move into home delivery than other British grocers. Its food business has waned as of late, following a slump in the clothing arm, pushing management into a cost-cutting initiative thats scheduled to eliminate 100 stores in the next three years. The Ocado partnership could enable it to reach a wider customer base and offer more product lines in stores as well as online. Its a game-changing step forward in shaping the future of M&S and becoming a digital-first retailer, with at least a third of the business online, CEO Steve Rowe said. Meanwhile, shares in Ted Baker, the fashion chain rocked by an investigation of its founders behaviour, plunged after it said profit for the year was hurt by adverse currency movements and other factors. Pre-tax profit for the year ended January 26 will now be about 63m. The shares fell up to 17%. - Bloomberg | BY Kim Shaw | Over the last two decades IdeateLabs has established itself as one of Indias biggest independently funded end-to-end digital media companies. With offices in Mumbai, Dubai and Singapore, IdeateLabs has catered to some of Indias biggest brands such as Future Group, HT Media, Hiranandani Communities, Tata Teleservices amongst others. In line with the ever-transforming media landscape and varied consumer needs, IdeateLabs is set to introduce a series of new IPs each designed to cater to a unique consumer base, the first of which is Alcohowl Indias one and only platform for fine drinking experiences. Alcohowl follows the philosophy that fine drinking isnt just about whats in the bottle, but the story and soul behind every sip. Alcohowl aims at creating the perfect blend of alcohol related events, reviews, tastings and trends to give alcohol connoisseurs a different outlook on the art of fine drinking. Vrutika Dawda, Director, IdeateLabs (pictured) calls it a dynamic futuristic direction, adding At IdeateLabs we pride in our ability to combine content and consumer experience to deliver strong results, Alcohowl is one such example of that. It is a wholly niche space, but one that is far too overlooked. Were in the midst of a cultural shift and as ones exposure to global culture and hospitality increases, the demand for unique avenues that provide such experiences will increase as well. Alcohowl is the first of its kind in this sunrise sector that is soon to witness a boom. Were thrilled with the potential it offers and excited to see where we can take this. Dawda added, We are committed towards creating communities led by strong content. As a company we intend to focus on community led marketing. Taking that into account we dipped into the fabulous talent pool at IdeateLabs, Pallavi Naidu, one of our own will be fronting Alcohowl as the CEO. With her intrinsic knowledge of the space and the consumer base were targeting as well as her exceptional instinct for success, Pallavi is sure to take Alcohowl to great heights. Pallavi Naidu, CEO, Alcohowl, said, Alcohowl is all about the experience of fine drinking. We understand that while there are platforms that focus on food and beverage, none of them exclusively cater to alcohol connoisseurs. With Alcohowl, we not only intend to present them with a unique perspective, but also weave a story around their experience. It is about shifting away from the mundane and diving into a world of niche spirits and drinks. As a brand, Alcohowl will be present at two levels, as a digital platform creating custom content for the consumers in the form of our upcoming E-Magazine and branded videos and as an on-ground experiential platform providing curated experiences through special events and activities RTE's latest series of Operation Transformation came to an end tonight and it is safe to say that it has been a memorable journey. We have followed leaders Cathal Gallagher, Pamela Swayne, Siobhan O'Brien, Paul Murphy and Jean Tierney through all of the ups and downs of the past two months. After weeks spent cheering them all through the challenges of the series, tonight we watched as they strutted their stuff on the catwalk and looked back at how far they have come. In the two months spent following the Operation Transformation food and exercise plan, the leaders have between them lost over ten stone. Returning for the series finale was Jean Tierney who stole the nation's hearts while on the show. Jean's OT journey came to an end in week six as she Read More: The Limerick woman became an inspiration for many when she spoke about her previous heartbreak - in 2015, she had an ectopic pregnancy; in January 2018, she gave birth to a baby girl named Sloane who sadly died five days after being born and last September, Jean had a miscarriage. It's the final countdown!! Tune in tonight as our fab five leaders take on the 5K and conquer the catwalk! #OperationTransformation Grand Finale, tonight at 9.35pm on @RTEOne pic.twitter.com/81NbbjlRiw OT RTE (@OpTranRTE) February 27, 2019 Viewers were delighted to see her return for the finale and join the four other leaders whom she has said are like her brothers and sisters now. There were heartwarming scenes as the five took part in a 5k run with Siobhan battling her way through despite being injured. Presenter Kathryn Thomas commented ahead of the finale, I have so enjoyed this 12th series of Operation Transformation alongside old friends and new. Our five leaders have been an inspiration to viewers right across the country, with Jeans story particularly touching hearts, not least my own! I wish them all health and happiness in the future. While the group have shed over 10 stone in the last two months, they have gained plenty of confidence and friendships that will last a lifetime. Congratulations to them all! [gallery]63[/gallery] Final weigh-in: Paul Murphy Paul's target this week 2lb (0.9kg) Paul's Loss 5.5lb (2.5kg) Paul's weight now 17st 1lb (108.4kg) Total loss: 2st 12lb (18.1kg) Cathal Gallagher Cathal's target 2lb (0.9kg) Cathal's loss 6lb (2.7kg) Cathal's weight now 23st (146kg) Total loss: 3st 10lb (23.6kg) Pamela Swayne Pam's target 1lb (0.45kg) Pam's loss 2lb (0.9kg) Pam's weight now 12st 13lb (82.1kg) Total loss: 15lb (6.8kg) Siobhan OBrien Siobhan's target 1lb (0.45kg) Siobhan's loss 4lb (1,8kg) Siobhan's weight now 15st 7lb (98.4kg) Total loss: 1st 13lb (12.2kg) Jean Tierney Jean lost 12lb (5.44kg) up to when she had to leave the programme at week 6 The Supreme Court judgment in the Angela Kerins case could lead to a serious restriction on the scope of Oireachtas committees, a top legal expert has warned. Trinity College Dublin law professor David Kenny said the likely impact on the freedoms of Oireachtas committees is potentially very significant. He was speaking after the former Rehab boss won a provisional victory against the Dail Public Accounts Committee (PAC) over her treatment at the hands of committee members at a hearing in 2014. I think potentially very significant implications could arise from this, he said. But what is really significant here is the courts have taken a big step in terms of oversight of the Oireachtas committee. They have said that if committees exceed its brief, if it goes beyond its terms of reference, then the courts can review statements to see if they are unlawful if they violate someones rights and to see if they can offer that person a remedy. That is really significant because before today we would have thought that was not possible because of Oireachtas privilege. Politicians from across the Dail have warned that the judgment, if carried through, will have a chilling effect on their ability to hold people to account. One senior politician described the potential impact of the judgment as dangerous for the ability of committees, including the Public Accounts Committee to do their business without the fear of legal challenge. The Oireachtas officially declined to comment in the wake of the partial judgment delivered by the countrys top court other than to say it is considering the decision. However, there was considerable disappointment amongst senior officials at the decision. Given the case has not formally concluded, TDs and senators have been requested by Oireachtas legal advisors to resist from commenting on the judgment publicly. John McGuinness, Fianna Fail TD and chair of the Oireachtas Finance Committee, who was PAC chair at the time of Ms Kerins appearance, said he would refrain from comment in order to consider the judgment when contacted by the Irish Examiner. Speaking privately, many expressed grave concern at the provisional verdict. Members of the commission said the verdict if carried through by the Supreme Court would be very serious, but that they would await direction from their legal team before making a substantive comment. It is a dangerous development, said one senior TD and former minister. The principle of absolute privilege has been around since time immemorial. But this is scary, because rightly or wrongly it opens the door to us being legally challenged. That will have a chilling effect, the TD said. Irish Examiner A competent screener could have interpreted the smear taken in 2009 from Ruth Morrissey, who now has terminal cervical cancer, as negative, a US expert told the High Court. Dr Robert Marshall Austin who was giving evidence on behalf of US laboratory, Quest Diagnostics told the court he believed as a matter of probability cancer was not there in 2009. He is the Medical Director of Cytopathology at Magee Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Asked by Michael Cush SC could a competent cytotechnologist treat the 2009 Quest Diagnostics slide for Ruth Morrissey as negative, Dr Austin replied yes. Asked if the cancer was there as matter of probability in 2009, Dr Austin said he believed it was not there. It is the third week of the action by Ruth Morrisey who is terminally ill with cervical cancer against the HSE and two US laboratories over the alleged misreading of her cervical smear slides in 2009 and 2012, which were taken under the CervicalCheck screening programme. Cross examined by Patrick Treacy SC for Ms Morrissey Dr Austin agreed he had taken part in a major study by Quest Diagnostics which involved him analyzing data and helping write a report in relation to smear tests taken from over 8million women. He said he was not remunerated for the work. Asked by Mr Treacy if he still regarded himself as an independent expert, Dr Austin said yes he did, in general terms. Asked why the court was not going to hear from a Quest Diagnostics cytotechnologist, Dr Austin said that was not up to him.Yesterday, the court heard that US laboratory Quest Diagnostics is withdrawing three of its witnesses including two medical experts who had prepared reports for the case. Counsel for Ms Morrisey, Jeremy Maher SC said his side had been informed by letter from the solicitors representing Quest Diagnostics yesterday morning. He told the court they were reserving their position on the matter. Ruth Morrissey and her husband Paul Morrissey of Kylemore, Schoolhouse Road, Monaleen, Co Limerick have sued the HSE and the US laboratory Quest Diagnostics Ireland Ltd with offices at Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin along with Medlab Pathology Ltd with offices at Sandyford Business Park, Dublin 18. It is claimed there was an alleged failure to correctly report and diagnose and there was an alleged misinterpretation of her smear samples taken in 2009 and 2012.A situation it is claimed allegedly developed where Ms Morrisseys cancer spread unidentified, unmonitored and untreated until she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in June 2014. It is further claimed a review of the 2009 and 2012 smears took place in 2014 and 2015 with the results sent to Ms Morrissey's treating gynaecologist in 2016, but she was not told until May 2018 of those review results which showed her smears were reported incorrectly. The Morrisseys further contend that if Ms Morrissey had been told the results of the smear test audits in late 2014 or early 2015, she would have insisted on an MRI and other scans. The HSE the court has already heard admitted it owed a duty of care to Ms Morrissey but not to her husband. The laboratories deny all claims. The case before Mr Justice Kevin Cross continues. A convicted Dublin sex offender who was jailed for groping two teenage concert goers on a Luas tram has received a five-year sentence for acts of gross indecency with a mentally impaired male. John Daly (58) served a partially suspended four-year sentence for sexually assaulting two teenage girls on their way to a Rihanna concert by Luas in 2011. He received a six-year sentence from the Court of Criminal Appeal in 2000 for other sexual crimes, including indecent assault, aggravated sexual assault and rape. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard these dated from the 1980s and 1990s and involved females. Daly, with addresses at Cabra Park, Phibsboro and Leinster Road, Rathmines, Dublin, pleaded guilty to five acts of gross indecency with a mentally impaired person on unknown dates between 2016 and 2017. Garda Niall Freaney said the complainant later revealed that Daly had threatened to kill him on one occasion and to burn him to death on another, if he didn't comply with the acts. The court heard these acts included Daly rubbing his penis over the male and performing oral sex on him. Today Judge Melanie Greally said she had no doubt the offences had a profound effect on the male's self-esteem and ability to trust others. This is undoubtedly an episode of his life which has considerably set him back and from which recovery will be a slow and difficulty process, she said. Judge Greally noted that the maximum sentence for these offences is two years imprisonment. In my view, limiting the court to a maximum two years does not address either the culpability of the offender or reflect the serious harm caused by his actions. The judge said it was in her discretion to impose consecutive sentences and that failure to do so would not meet the justice of the case. She imposed five years in consecutive sentences with the final 12 months suspended for five years. Judge Greally ordered that Daly undergo three years probation supervision, comply with all directions and complete any sex offender treatment programme if deemed appropriate. Gda Freaney told Lisa Dempsey BL, prosecuting, that Daly was later arrested for the offences and claimed during interview that the behaviour had been consensual. The garda agreed with Luigi Rea BL, defending, that Daly's guilty plea was valuable to the investigation. Mr Rea submitted to Judge Greally that his client had an intellectual disability himself, which was not picked up by people coming in contact with him. He said Daly made efforts to deal with his demons. Judge Greally gave Daly credit for his admissions and guilty plea and accepted the abusive way in which he was raised could in some ways have explained his sexual misconduct. A suspended three-year sentence has been imposed on a 28-year-old Kanturk man who was convicted by a jury of the manslaughter of a 65-year-old local at a bar in the town in 2016. Judge Sean O Donnabhain said, The verdict, rather than the sentence, is the important thing in this case. It is the verdict of 12 objective people as to what happened. The judge disagreed with part of the victim impact statement read out by a family member of the deceased, questioning Jonathan O'Sullivan's remorse. I have to disagree with the view that the defendant showed no remorse. I do believe that the remorse shown by OSullivan was genuine, Judge O Donnabhain said. Jonathan OSullivan from Kanturk but now living at Birchfield Park, Goatstown, Dublin, wept in Cork Circuit Criminal Court as he was given the three-year suspended sentence. Catherine Lehane, a daughter of the deceased, read a victim impact statement on behalf of the family. We have lost a husband, a dad, a granddad and a friend in the most traumatic and distressing manner. Tormented by the unanswered questions we will have to carry with us for the rest of our lives. Our dad was a fun-loving character and took each day as it came. He had great faith which we hope gave him comfort in his final day. He was not a violent or aggressive man. The road to justice has been a long, painful, heartbreaking journey in which there are no winners and in our case no answers. It saddens us that we feel there has been no remorse shown for this tragedy. His sentence is little consolation to us as we have to visit our dads grave, Ms Lehane said. Judge O Donnabhain said there was no preparation by the accused in advance of this assault and it was not severe or particularly vicious but he said it was completely unprovoked and the late Mr Lehane was taken completely unawares. He was uptumbled, struck his head and died a short period later. It is the suddenness rather than the seriousness which caused the ultimate tumbling over and the injury. The jury absolutely 100% correctly rejected his assertions that he was only guilty of assault and they found him guilty of manslaughter, the judge said. Detective Garda Padraig Reddington reminded the judge that staff at the bar saw the defendant behaving in a hostile manner to the deceased and told him to stop and that this was before the defendant struck the single blow, which resulted in Mr Lehanes death in hospital two weeks' later. Defence senior counsel Mary Rose Gearty said the 29-year-old defendant works as a building services engineer in Kildare and shares a house in Dublin. She said the defendant offered to meet with the Lehane family yesterday morning but she said, They declined that offer, understandably. Ms Gearty said that with the exception of this case, the defendant was otherwise of exemplary character. Imelda Kelly prosecution barrister said in her opening of the case at the beginning of February, the defendant and the deceased were both out socialising in that bar in Kanturk and into the early hours of the morning. She said both of them had consumed a large amount of alcohol and she said, Alcohol is certainly a feature of this case. She said there was a single punch to the face and the late Mr Lehane fell backwards, hit the ground and lost consciousness. He died 14 days later in hospital. Liz Angland who was working in the bar that night told gardai, He hit the ground with an unmerciful crack. The accused man, Jonathan OSullivan told gardai that the deceased had been talking Ramesh into his ear at the counter of the bar". I decided to go out the back. I dont know what happened. I just drew a punch, the accused said when interviewed later by Detective Garda Anthony Daly. In another interview he said the deceased was talking shite. Ms Gearty SC said the accused was weeping throughout the interview with gardai and that this was only a day after the incident and a long time before Mr Lehane died in hospital. Ms Kelly said before the jury deliberated, that, It is an objectively dangerous act to strike a blow to the face of another person without warning. Mr Lehane was immediately felled by that blow. It was unprovoked and without warning. Ms Kelly said it was clear from the evidence of state pathologist Margaret Bolster that the cause of death was complicated but Ms Kelly added, I am not under obligation to prove the punch was the sole cause of death, I must show it was a real and substantial cause. Mary Rose Gearty defence senior counsel reminded the jury of how upset the accused was when he gave brief evidence where he stated that what happened had horrendous consequences for everybody. Ms Gearty SC said that obviously the most terrible consequences were for the late Mr Lehane and his relatives. Ms Gearty said to the jury that the issue they had to decide was whether the blow struck by OSullivan was objectively dangerous. The single most important factor is, do you have a doubt about whether it was objectively dangerous? What force was used to strike the blow? "He left him without a mark. That must leave you at least with a reasonable doubt, Ms Gearty SC said. Dr Bolster agreed under cross-examination by Ms Gearty that she did not find a single mark to the face of the deceased when she examined it a fortnight after the incident in the bar. Dr Bolster also confirmed that medical notes on the late Mr Lehanes admission on the night made no reference to any mark on his face. A mother pleaded with politicians from all parties in the Dail to fund a potentially life-changing therapy for her young son. Harry Bulman, 5, from Youghal, Co Cork, has spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and Spinraza is the first drug to treat this rare neuromuscular disorder. The little boy is one of 25 or so children in Ireland affected by SMA and without treatment many will deteriorate and die. Rebecca said they were told that Harry would only live until his late teens or early 20s. Spinraza would greatly benefit not only Harry's life but the lives of his entire family, said Rebecca. The tearful mother said she did not want to watch her son waste away and die when there was a life-saving treatment available. I beg you not to allow this go on any longer, she said. A number of SMA families marched to the Dail to present a petition with almost 100,000 signatures asking the Government to fund the Spinraza for their loved ones. Calls have been made in the Dail to provide a life-changing drug to children suffering with a rare genetic condition. Marking World Rare Disease Day, Fianna Fail's deputy leader Dara Calleary raised the plight of a those who have Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and who are calling for the HSE to fund the drug Spinraza. Dara Calleary Tanaiste Simon Coveney said he would speak to Health Minister Simon Harris about funding Spinraza but he said the drug manufacturer Biogen have not offered the drug at a reasonable or affordable price. "We want our children and the families that love them to get the support of the State," said Mr Coveney but he added that value for money must be achieved or else other patients could miss out on treatments. But Mr Calleary questioned the figures provided by Mr Coveney after he claimed it would cost 600,000 per patient for the first year and 380,000 thereafter to make the drug available. The Fianna Fail TD said the prices quoted "are way out" and told the Dail: "It strikes me that the HSE are deliberately misleading people about the cost of the drug." Sinn Fein Spokesperson on Disability Rights Caoimhghin O Caolain joined protesters outside Leinster House today to call on the Govt to provide #Spinraza, crucial medication for those with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Sinn Fein will continue our support of all those with SMA! pic.twitter.com/w7jG2y0T3D Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) February 28, 2019 Sinn Fein health spokesman, Caoimhghin O Caolain said only Ireland, the UK and Estonia are refusing authorisation of the drug which could help around 25 children who suffer with SMA in this country. Mr O Caolain said he is "sick and tired" of appealing to the Government the issue. Mr Coveney told the Dail that the Government is "very keen" to find a middle ground on the price of the medication but they cannot ignore HSE recommendation to ensure that they are spending appropriate money on drugs for rare conditions. Additional reporting by Elaine Loughlin. New homeless figures are the worst ever in the 50 years of the Simon Community according to the director of the Cork Simon Community. Dermot Kavanagh described the figures released today as very disappointing and a huge crisis and huge trauma for the families and individuals involved. He told RTEs Morning Ireland that the figures dont include rough sleepers, women and children in domestic violence shelters or people couch surfing. Dermot Kavanagh The figures released today indicate there are 9,987 people registered as homeless in Ireland, the majority of them in Dublin. Mr Kavanagh said that the number of homeless families had more than tripled in the South West region in the past three years, rising from 30 to 109. There are now 514 registered homeless individuals in the region, most in Cork city. There is a huge crisis in the private rental sector. Rent increases have been relentless for the past five years. Quite a lot of people simply cannot afford rent. However, Mr Kavanagh is hopeful that the forthcoming Residential Tenancies Bill will bring about some changes and mean more security for tenants. It is a move in the right direction to help prevent peoples homes from being sold from under them. It also includes measures to include security of tenure and greater enforcement of rent pressure zones. The Cork Simon Community operates a 47-bed shelter along with a night shelter that sleeps 15. We are full all the time, said Mr Kavanagh. A former inmate of Mountjoy Prison lost his head shortly after his partner died by suicide and caused over 1,700 worth of damage to his cell, a court has heard. Keith McDonnell (29) pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to criminal damage of his prison cell on May 21, 2013. At his sentence hearing today, the court heard that McDonnell, of Glenshane Green, Tallaght, Dublin, had been serving a separate sentence for criminal damage at the time of the offence. Sarah-Jane OCallaghan BL, defending, said McDonnells former partner died of suicide and that after going to visit her in the mortuary he returned to prison and lost his head. He literally went to pieces, she said, adding that McDonnell was very ashamed of his behaviour and of the damage he had caused to his cell. A prosecuting garda told Lisa Dempsey BL, prosecuting, that on the day in question, a prison officer heard a commotion coming from the accuseds cell. Prison Officer Jason Kinch was working in the Challenging Behaviour Unit and saw McDonnell in an agitated state, shouting and roaring aggressively at other staff. McDonnell threw a cup of tea at a staff member and threatened to smash up his cell, whereupon Prison Officer Kinch entered the cell to try and remove the television, which is standard procedure in such incidents. The court heard that McDonnell reacted angrily and pushed the television onto the ground, so the prison officer left the cell and locked it behind him. The prison officer could hear the noise of damage being done inside McDonnells cell but he was called to respond to an incident elsewhere. Mr Kinch and several other prison officers later put on their control and restraint attire and went into McDonnells cell, removed him and placed him in a special observation cell. The washbasin had been smashed in his cell and waste pipes and fittings had been damaged, along with a 22-metre glass viewing panel and a modesty screen door. A laminated mirror and a spyhole were also damaged and the cell had to be redecorated and plasterwork repaired, the court heard. The total cost of the damage done was 1,750. McDonnell has 68 previous convictions including five for criminal damage, multiple assaults and thefts. The court heard he took a bench warrant in 2014 and fled to the UK for a number of years but decided to come back to Ireland last year and sort out his outstanding warrants. Ms OCallaghan presented letters to the court from McDonnells step-father and sister, explaining how the death of his former partner had had devastating effects. She said McDonnell had a child with his current partner and that they currently have twins on the way. Judge Melanie Greally accepted that McDonnell had not re-offended in Ireland since 2015, which she said suggested he was maturing and trying to get his life together. The judge said McDonnell still had issues with alcohol and anger and she ordered a probation report to be prepared to assess whether he was truly committed to living a crime-free life. McDonnell is due for sentence on May 22, next. The desecration of an 800-year-old mummified body at a church in Dublin has been described as 'an offence to the city'. Thieves broke into a crypt at St Michan's Church and stole the head of one mummy called The Crusader, while damaging a number of others. The Archbishops of Dublin from both the Church of Ireland and the Catholic Church visited the site this morning to observe the damage. It is not clear if the crypt at the church will reopen to the public again. Catholic Archbishop Diarmuid Martin is urging anyone with information to contact gardai. "You can there's a lot of damage and they've broken open the coffins," he said. "As a Dubliner, I feel this is an offence to the city, and it's a sad thing to see." The head of the mummified body which was stolen would have started to deteriorate once it was taken. Church of Ireland Archbishop for Dublin Michael Jackson says the temperature in the crypt is kept consistent to prevent the bodies from disintegrating. "It is of no help to us for an irreplaceable piece of humanity to be separated from the place it is safe in its rest," he said. The weakening and wasting of his muscles will not stop five-year-old Harry Bulman travelling almost 500km by minibus today to join a protest calling on the State to fund a potentially life-changing therapy. Harry, who has spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare neuromuscular disorder, will travel with family and friends from Youghal, Co Cork, to Leinster House, where parents of the 25 or so children in Ireland affected by SMA will plea for access to Spinraza, the first drug approved for treating the disorder. Approximately 25 European countries have already approved the drug for reimbursement, but not Ireland, where last week the HSE said it was too expensive. An evaluation by the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics found the Year 1 reimbursement price for Spinraza, including Vat, was estimated at 641,466 per patient. The reimbursement price for subsequent years, Vat included, was 321,105. The HSE said the five-year budget impact was an estimated 20m. Harrys mum, Rebecca Bulman, is among a number of parents who will give a presentation to politicians in Leinster House at 10am today where they will argue the drug is essential for their children. They will then join a protest outside the gates at 11am, where a petition of over 100,000 signatures demanding access to Spinraza will be handed in to the Government. Harry was diagnosed with SMA at 18 months of age. Regular visits to hospital and to Enable Ireland are part of his life. He is confined to a wheelchair and the amount of time he can spend sitting on the floor playing is gradually reducing. He attends school with the help of a special needs assistant, but is finding it increasingly challenging to do his homework because of difficulties holding a pencil. Due to muscle wastage, he is developing scoliosis, a curvature of the spine. We are all just heartbroken that they have said they are not going to fund the drug, Rebecca said. Spinrazas effectiveness has been established in two pivotal clinical trials and supported by multiple clinical studies. The HSE said in a statement that it regrets not being able to reach agreement with the manufacturer of Spinraza, Biogen, for reimbursement at a price that is viable. The statement said the HSE is obligated... to ensure that expenditure of this scale must represent evidence of clinical and cost effectiveness. In comparison, for example, the HSEs total expenditure for complex paediatric homecare packages in 2018 was 23.8m, the statement said. The HSE wrote to Biogen on February 21 informing them of our proposal to refuse reimbursement at the current price offering. Under the requirements of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the company has 28 days to respond or make representations to the HSEs proposed decision. Todays protest coincides with World Rare Disease Day. Currently, drugs are approved for only approximately 5% of 6,000-plus rare diseases. The Government has no answer as to what happens to the border with the North if there is a no-deal Brexit, with its emergency plans coming extremely late, Fianna Fail has warned. Party leader Micheal Martin called on Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to put aside his snarkiness after he complained earlier this week that Fianna Fail was always sniping on the sidelines. With four weeks to go before Britain leaves the EU, both party leaders set out their latest positions on Brexit, focusing on emergency laws and contingency plans to protect jobs and services. Mr Martin pointed out that other European countries had released their own detailed plans months ago, while Ireland is one of the last to do so. The Netherlands released its Brexit legislation in November, France did so in October, while Germany published its plans last month, said Mr Martin. Irelands Brexit legislation was only released a week ago and explanations around the impact were short and the proposals were extremely late, he said. Nobody could claim that businesses and communities were prepared for a no-deal, he added. Mr Martin said the Government had also not answered questions about what would happen to the border area if there is no deal. It was just not credible that the Government had not studied options about what might happen to the border, said the Fianna Fail leader. Mr Martin also criticised Mr Varadkars claim made earlier this week that Fianna Fail was always sniping from the sidelines. I dont think anyone should have to put up with the ridiculous and self- serving claims we have been hearing from the Governments TDs that this bill is a great achievement showing that Ireland is ready, he said. The only thing we know for certain today is that this legislation is extremely late and there is effectively no time for it to be properly reviewed by the Oireachtas. Mr Varadkar, in his own speech on the emergency no-deal Brexit legislation, said the Government had been working in general since 2016 in preparing for Britains EU divorce. The focus was on ratifying the withdrawal agreement and measures to protect the Norths peace process, said the Taoiseach. If there is a no-deal, both Britain and Ireland would still have obligations to maintain peace there, TDs were told. Mr Varadkar urged businesses to step up their own no-deal preparations. This legislation enables us to mitigate against some of the worst effects of no-deal by protecting citizens rights, security, and facilitating extra supports for vulnerable businesses and employers, he said. This omnibus bill is the result of more than a years background work starting with a root and branch review of our legislation. He said all nine relevant Government ministers have appeared before Oireachtas committees to discuss the contents. Parents must decide for themselves if it is safe to send their children to Scouting Ireland events, Childrens Minister Katherine Zappone has advised. The stark admission comes amid fresh and continuing serious child protection failures in the group. Tusla has written to Scouting Ireland calling for an urgent review of how it manages current child protection concerns and has suggested overnight trips be stopped. Scouting Ireland faces the threat of having its funding cut after Ms Zappone said she would have no hesitation in removing financial support if Scouting Ireland fails to immediately address child protection issues. While funding has been cut twice over the organisations poor handling of historical abuse cases, the minister confirmed the latest revelations relate to current and live cases of abuse which were identified following a sampling of ongoing child protection cases that were reported to Tusla as well as the handling of disclosures from children. The letter sent this week cites poor practice in a number of live cases which Tusla said has left children exposed to risk of harm. One case reported to Tusla found that a girl on a camping trip was questioned after a sexual assault and asked Did you tell him to stop?; Did you say no to him?; Was she sore and in pain?. The report said the boy involved was approached by a Scouting Ireland member and interviewed about what happened in the presence of his scout leaders. The agency warned that the children should not have been interviewed by anyone other than the gardai or Tusla, and said confidentiality should always be maintained in such situations. Ms Zappone last night published the letter sent to Scouting Ireland as she said parents have the right to know about the issues raised and asked them to seek assurances that no overnight trips take place without adequate numbers of trained supervisors. Highlighting fundamental deficits in how Scouting Ireland protects children, Ms Zappone said: If parents have children scheduled for overnight activities with Scouting Ireland it is up to them, thats one of the reasons that I am putting the letter out that Tusla has sent to Scouting Ireland, so they can consider these issues. But if they feel that the scouts have been good to their kids then I am going to encourage parents to ask the scouts who are in charge of their children to assure them that volunteers have had the proper training to supervise their children. Katherine Zappone Those are the kind of things that parents need to consider and I want encourage them to do that, she said. In the letter sent to Scouting Ireland chief executive John Lawlor, Tusla highlighted serious concerns around its failure to implement the Children First national guidelines for the protection and welfare of children and made eight recommendations: It is imperative that a proposed meeting between Scouting Ireland board of management is progressed without delay; The actions of key personnel holding a role in safeguarding within Scouting Ireland may have been compromised; Consideration should be given to nominate the CEO of Scouting Ireland to be the principal liaison in relation to work on Children First; A sub-committee should be put in place to review the child safeguarding statement and procedures throughout the organisation; An urgent review of the manner in which Scouting Ireland manage current child protection concerns and disclosures from children should commence; There should be an immediate review of the supervision of children involved in scouting; Scouting Ireland should consider the viability of continuing with overnight trips; Consideration should be given to ensure the personnel manning the helpline set up to deal with historical abuse issues are independent of Scouting Ireland. In a statement, Scouting Ireland last night reassured parents and volunteers, in the strongest possible terms, that safeguarding is front and centre of all their operations. Update 4.27pm: The Tanaiste has said the Government still has concerns about the safety of children at Scouting Ireland. The child and family agency Tusla has called for a review of child safety and supervision at the organisation. It comes amid concerns over the handling of the reporting of sexual abuse. Tanaiste Simon Coveney says they are working to make sure things are safe for scouts. He said: "There are still remaining concerns in terms of the need for Scouting Ireland to put procedures in place to make sure that they are fully consistent with Tusla recommendations on child protection. "Because we know that there has been real concerns and cases of concern in the past. "And so that is an ongoing process where Tusla now going to work directly with Scouting Ireland. Update 11:07am; Scouting Ireland 'baffled' by Tusla letter to minister, says organisation 'not trying to hide anything' By Elaine Loughlin, Political Correspondent Scouting Irelands child protection consultant Ian Elliot says the organisation is baffled by the letter from Tusla to the Minister for Children and said the organisation is not trying to hide anything. He was responding to comments by the Minister for Children Katherine Zappone in the Dail yesterday when she expressed concern about the viability of overnight scout trips following a recommendation from Tusla. Mr Elliot said it came as a very great surprise to us when the minister raised the content of the letter in the Dail. Katherine Zappone said Scouting Ireland must act on eight recommendations made by Tusla (Niall Carson/PA) In the letter sent to Scouting Ireland chief executive John Lawlor on February 18, Tusla highlighted serious concerns around its failure to implement the Children First national guidelines for the protection and welfare of children and made eight recommendations: It is imperative that a proposed meeting between Scouting Ireland board of management is progressed without delay; The actions of key personnel holding a role in safeguarding within Scouting Ireland may have been compromised; Consideration should be given to nominate the CEO of Scouting Ireland to be the principal liaison in relation to work on Children First; A sub-committee should be put in place to review the child safeguarding statement and procedures throughout the organisation; An urgent review of the manner in which Scouting Ireland manage current child protection concerns and disclosures from children should commence; There should be an immediate review of the supervision of children involved in scouting; Scouting Ireland should consider the viability of continuing with overnight trips; Consideration should be given to ensure the personnel manning the helpline set up to deal with historical abuse issues are independent of Scouting Ireland. Mr Elliott told RTEs Today with Sean ORourkes show the position taken by Scouting Ireland over several months was one of daily cooperation with statutory organisations such as Tusla and an Garda Siochana. We have worked closely with them at inter-agency meetings. We had a meeting last Monday and asked if there were any concerns and we were told no, so we are confused by this. We want to discuss the evidence mentioned in this letter. We have stringent and robust policies now in place that I believe are best practice. Mr Elliot acknowledged that this had not been the case in the past. Where we are today is a safe place. Scouting Irelands child protection consultant Ian Elliot He said it was Scouting Ireland that had brought this issue to the attention of the Minister and her officials, but he was unaware of any evidence. It is important for us to understand where it (evidence) came from so we can address it. We are wholeheartedly committed to the safety and welfare of children. He addressed the complaint that the operation of a helpline by Scouting Ireland compromised the organisation. I was one of the people who answered the phone. I supervised the work directly. I can stand over it. Mr Elliot said that every single safeguarding issue that arises in Scouting Ireland is reviewed by him. He admitted that he had spoken to children who made complaints so we can confirm and gather the minimum level of information. But we do not investigate. The letter to the Minister from Tusla had come out of the blue, he said. Were not trying to hide anything here. We have cooperated. Im baffled, we dont know where it (evidence) came from. He said he is seeking an urgent meeting with Tusla. Mr Elliot was adamant that overnight trips are entirely safe. I am saying clearly to parents that it is as safe as it can be and it is getting safer. There are 17 robust policies and procedures in place about over night trips, he said. We provide detailed training that is constantly refreshed. With regard to the three helplines operated by Scouting Ireland, Tusla and an Garda Siochana, Mr Elliot pointed out that Scouting Ireland received 175 calls, Tusla dealt with 49 and an Garda Siochana received five calls. The suggestion that it was a compromising situation for Scouting Ireland to have a helpine came from the belief that someone within Scouting Ireland would be reluctant to make a complaint, he explained. If someone felt that being listened to by personnel from Scouting Ireland would be compromising they could have gone to an Garda Siochana or Tusla. One in Four director said she would not allow her child go on an overnight trip The director of the abuse survivor support organisation One in Four has said that if she had a child involved in the scouts she would not be comfortable allowing that child go on an overnight camping trip this weekend. Maeve Lewis, told RTEs Today with Sean ORourke show: Reading that letter from child protection experts in Tusla, if I had a child involved in scouts this weekend I don't think I would be comfortable allowing that child to go off on an overnight camping trip until all these various issues have been addressed. Children have received enormous benefits from being involved in scouting, children have enjoyed camping trips and jamborees, and so on. I think it would be a terrible shame if Scouting Ireland were to collapse, but at the moment I would be waiting. Tusla's view is that things are still being mishandled, so that is something that Scouting Ireland needs to take very seriously. I am alarmed that there now seems to be a conflict and that Scouting Ireland are not accepting the issues raised in the letter from Tusla. Maeve Lewis Ms Lewis said she was somewhat taken aback by the conflict which now seems to be emerging between Tusla's intervention and the concerns they raised and Scouting Ireland apparently not accepting those. Anybody reading the letter published yesterday will be aghast at the live cases that are outlined and the very inappropriate ways that it appears Scouting Ireland personnel interrogated children about what happened and so on and so forth. I think we have to take very seriously that there are a number of areas of poor practice, this has left children exposed to the risk of harm, for any parent reading that letter that surely must cause great alarm. From the point of view of the historic survivors, again, I was always uneasy that Scouting Ireland was itself providing a helpline. We know from our experience of working with survivors from other organisations for example, the Church, that generally survivors would not be at all comfortable seeking support from the organisation in which they were sexually abused. Again Tusla highlighted problems in how the helpline was operated. They for example say there was a significant conflict of interest and they talk about one caller making an allegation and the person taking the call disputed with the caller the accuracy of the timeframes, and was really questioning the credibility of what the person was saying. That's the last thing a traumatise abuse survivor needs when they seek support on a helpline. I take the point that there were a number of helplines, but I think there was a great deal of confusion and I don't think the general public were aware that Tusla was also operating a helpline and I'm very glad that number is now being advertised on the Minister's website. I am left very, very concerned despite what Ian (Elliot) has said this morning. A judge has ordered gardai to release audio of a 999 call in a family law case and has also stressed that under new domestic violence legislation put in place last month any communication between partners where a court has banned it should be treated as a matter of seriousness. The matter emerged at a recent sitting of the District Court in West Cork when the case of a woman and a man against whom she has a safety order was discussed in court. While the substantive matters were discussed in chambers, Judge James McNulty addressed gardai in court on two aspects of the case, raised by each of the parties. He ordered gardai to release audio and/or a transcript of a 999 call made by the woman but requested by the solicitor for the man. Separately, the solicitor for the woman alleged that the man had breached an interim order that had been put in place banning all communication between them, now covered in the new Act. Among the provisions of the newly instituted Domestic Violence Act 2018 is that where a Protection Order, Safety Order or Barring Order is made, it can now include, where necessary, a ban on a person following or communicating with the other person, including by electronic means. On the 999 call Judge McNulty told gardai in court: Gardai are required to assist [the solicitor] so that she has the opportunity to listen to that recording and if there is a written transcript of it, better again. He requested that the call and its contents be made available within seven days. As for the electronic communication alleged by the man, the judge said he had been told gardai were uncertain whether the communication was in itself an offence. The second issue is that [another solicitor] represents the young woman and an interim order has been made some days ago and it contained a direction that the respondent was not to communicate with the young woman, Judge McNulty said. It has been alleged that he has done so and I have been told that the gardai to whom these complaints have been reported seem unsure as to whether these communications constitute criminal offences. I know the gardai are dealing with a new law, the Domestic Violence Act that has been in place since January, so we are all in new territory, but I want to make it clear that it is a clear direction that he is not to communicate [with the woman] and I have to inform officers that if there is a breach of that direction it should be treated as a matter of seriousness that requires attention. A breach of a court order would be prosecutable and can be done at short notice, Judge McNulty added. A judge has told a south Galway farmer not to hold any grudge against his neighbouring farmer in a Trump-style wall dispute. At Gort District Court, Judge Patrick Durcan told farmer, Brian Gill, 37: Hold no grudge in your heart against your neighbour because if you do hold a grudge, your heart is the one that will be damaged and your relationships will be damaged the deeper you hold your grudge. Judge Durcan made his comment after hearing that there is only one hours work left for Mr Gill to do in tidying up his work on his section of wall that divides land between himself and neighbouring farmer, Brian Murphy. In court last month, Judge Durcan compared the row between one-time friends, Mr Gill of Cahermore, Kinvara and Brian Murphy, 38, to the ongoing row over the Trump Wall in the US. Judge Durcan said that President Trump is dividing the world all over a wall and we now have this Great Wall of Cahermore that Im sure is dividing a village. Last month, accompanied by solicitors for the two men and four gardai, Judge Durcan borrowed Garda-issue wellies to inspect progress on the wall in a mucky field at Cahermore after making the 10 mile journey from Gort District Court. Last year, Judge Durcan warned Mr Gill that he faced jail if he didnt finish his part of the wall and both farmers have completed their part of the 3km long wall dividing their lands. Mr Gill made the undertaking to complete the wall arising from the State charging him with the assault of his neighbour, Brian Murphy on November 22 2016. In court today, Judge Durcan struck out the assault charge against Mr Gill stating I am not convicting anyone of anything. Judge Durcan appealed to all parties to get over this. Get on with life. Sections of the wall built by Mr Brian Gill following a court order aimed at resolving the dispute with his neighbour The court has already heard that there is bad-blood between the neighbours and solicitor for Mr Murphy, Olivia Lynch told the court today: Going forward it is hoped that all parties would stay from each other and whatever work they have to do on their own lands is done without interference. Mr Murphy wasnt in court today and addressing Mr Gill, Judge Durcan said: I hope when the two Brians grow into the old age that the one who becomes infirm first would be assisted by the one who becomes infirm later." He added: I hope that when one of the parties wins the Lottery or enjoys good fortune that the other would be open enough to congratulate him. Judge Durcan said: You need your neighbours. Everyone needs one another in a rural community. It is all about getting on with people. I think the parties have recently behaved well in this case. He added: I expect Mr Gill that you will rise to the standard that I am trying to bring this to. Get this job done and move on with it." In December at Ennis District Court, Mr Gill pleaded guilty to a separate public order charge involving Mr Murphy on November 24 last. The court was told that Mr Murphy alleged that Brian Gill shouted abuse at him on November 24th and shouted at him come over here, you f**kin tinker. Judge Durcan said today that he would adjourn this case generally with the liberty to re-enter. A man who admitted dangerous driving causing the deaths of three women has been jailed for four years and banned from driving for 15 years. Jason Rowntree of Kingscourt in Cavan collided with the women's car on the N2 in Louth in 2017. A motorcyclist has died after being involved in a collision with a truck in Kilkenny this morning. The man, believed to be in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene following the collision at Clashduff which occurred at around 11am this morning. Ferocious tides and violent storms have literally rolled back the sands of time to disclose evidence of a vast forest floor dating thousands of years beneath a Youghal beach. In recent weeks, the receding waters at Claycastle have delivered an enthralling glimpse of the ancient terrain before the rolling sea restored sands and secrecy to the subaquatic wonder. Such unveilings are not uncommon to Irelands coastline and historical records have frequently referenced the East Cork towns submerged forest. This springs exposure, however, has been particularly apparent with the gnarled trunks rising through the Claycastle sand and branch and leaf patterns clearly outlined from underneath. Local media outlet Youghalonline has spawned tens of thousands of hits when hosting footage of what has been termed the drowned forest. Some viewers posted their own footage, including Cork woman Jessica Burke who visited the area with her 14-year-old daughter Kiera. Ms Burke likened the experience to being in the presence of something magical. Jessica Burke likened the experience of seeing the remnants of the vast forest floor to being in the presence of something magical. Picture: Jessica Burke She describes the woods texture as quite soft, and says seeing the patterns of twigs and leaves on the sand gave me goosebumps and a feeling of utter gratitude it was incredible. Youghal derives its name from the Gaelic Eochaill, meaning yew wood in reference to the areas historically predominant forestry. Yew wood strong, flexible and toxic was favoured by druids for wand making. It remains unclear if yew trees alone lie beneath Claycastle but history suggests not. In 1774, The Ancient and Present State of the County and City (Volume 1 Book 2), by Charles Smith refers to the strand having been entirely divested of all its sand and gravel by violent high winds that exposed quantities of roots of various trees, including fir and hazel. On a visit to Youghal in 1903, the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland recorded that an immense submerged forest lies underneath the strand, which extends from Clay Castle towards Knocadoon. Ferocious tides disclosed evidence of a forest floor dating back thousands of years beneath Claycastle beach. Picture: Jessica Burke The Irish Historic Towns Atlas/Youghal by chartered engineer David Kelly and professor of archaeology Tadhg OKeefe, reflects that yew trees may have dominated the higher reaches of Youghal even up to the Middle Ages, but concludes that earlier evidence of pre-glacial sea levels in the Youghal estuary would suggest that exposed roots date from a pre-glacial forest. French archaeologist Aurelien Burlot, now living in nearby Killeagh, explains that the forest actually lies beneath a bog that submerged it in more recent times, archaeologically speaking. Indeed, The Origin and History of Irish Names of Places, published in 1910 by P W Joyce, refers to an ancient bog that was sometimes swept away to expose roots and other parts of trees. Joyce suggests the forest was probably submerged during a slight submergence of the south of Ireland during the Mesolithic period (7,000-4,000 BC). His observation was included in the archaeological impact assessment report conducted for the site of recovery/transfer and sludge drying facility at Youghal in 2004. In recent weeks the receding waters at Claycastle beach have delivered an enthralling glimpse of the ancient terrain beneath the sand. Picture: Jessica Burke Historians also recall curious artifacts including flint tools having occasionally been delivered by the exposed landscape. They included weapons, rings, bracelets and, on at least one occasion, what was described as a pure gold dress fastener, from the late Bronze Age (1100-700 BC) that was discovered in 1800. The object comprised two bell-shaped hollow cups connected by a curved shank measuring about 15cm, though. The purpose of the artefact is unknown, as are its whereabouts, but an illustration is documented in the National Library of Ireland. Mr Burlot believes further such items probably lie hidden in the bog below the sands. They may have been buried in the bog for different reasons he attests, but particularly for safekeeping or as part of rituals. Claycastle beach represents a small section of what may be two miles or more of subaquatic forests stretching to Knockadoon Head. Nowadays, there is a curious counter-balance at play on the beach. On the one hand, there is a lot more sand and higher water levels than in past centuries, as Mr Burlot remarks. On the other, the submergence of wooden groynes means the sand and shingle is more easily displaced. In keeping with history, nature has again restored its camouflage, until the next perfect storm of wind and tide resurrects the past. Mr Burlot harbours a particular hope for that eventuality: I dont know if it has ever been done, but it would be interesting to have some tree stumps scientifically dated to see how much history is down there. The Governments chief procurement officer has confirmed that he did not inform Minister Paschal Donohoe or his secretary general about the cost escalations at the National Childrens Hospital project, even though he sat on its board. Paul Quinns letter to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) comes after the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) earlier this month said that Mr Quinn was obliged to pass on such information. In his letter to the PAC, Mr Quinn said he is fully aware of his obligations under the code of practice for the governance of state bodies. He confirmed, as chief procurement officer, that he did not personally inform the minister or his top official, secretary general Robert Watt, as to the cost escalations. I did not inform either the minister or the secretary general of that department as I was satisfied that the National Pediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) was addressing the matters and reporting to both the HSE and the Department of Health, he wrote to PAC members. He said he did not tell Mr Donohoe because he was and is satisfied that the cost issues which developed over the summer and autumn of last year were being appropriately addressed by the board and its chairman. In his letter, dated February 25 and seen by the Irish Examiner, Mr Quinn said he was satisfied the HSE and the Department of Health, as the funder of the hospital, were aware of the issues given their integration into the committee structure of the hospital. He said he was also satisfied that the issues were being communicated on an ongoing basis both to the HSE and the Department of Health through the reporting and governance arrangements established. Mr Quinn also said he accepts he should have disclosed that he sat on the board of the hospital in a letter to the committee in January. I accept in hindsight that I should have advised that I was a member of the NPHDB having been appointed in a personal capacity by the minister for health in 2013. My work on the board is separate and distinct from the Office of Government Procurements role in the project, he wrote. Earlier this month, C&AG Seamus McCarthy said Mr Quinn was obliged to pass on concerns about the project to Government ministers if he felt they were not being addressed. The Government has been dogged by controversy as to how the cost of the hospital rose from an estimated 800m in 2014 to the current figure of 1.73bn. The Government only became aware of the final figure last November, despite concerns being flagged months earlier by the hospital board. Labour TD Alan Kelly, speaking at the PAC, said Mr Quinn should have been reporting the ongoing issues with the cost overruns to ministers or senior civil servants. A not guilty verdict was reached by the jury in the case against a teenager on a charge of attempted anal rape of a woman in Killarney at a B&B after St Patricks Day celebrations in 2017. The five men and seven women gave that verdict after just over six hours of deliberation which commenced on Wednesday. They then retired to their jury room to resume their deliberations on the second charge of raping the woman by allegedly having vaginal intercourse with her without her consent. They also asked for the statement of complaint to be read to them again, which was a lengthy process. However, they came back into Courtroom 6 at the courthouse on Anglesea St, Cork, at 3.40pm yesterday to indicate that they were unable to reach a verdict on the rape charge after six hours and 44 minutes of deliberation. Mr Justice Paul McDermott asked them if any more time would be useful in deliberating on the matter. The jury foreman indicated that no further time would be useful. The judge then said they should formally note their disagreement. Mr Justice McDermott thanked them for the attention they had given to the case. The accused was told the case was now being adjourned so that a date could be set for a new trial on single charge of rape. When the trial commenced last week, the defendant, aged 17, pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and attempted anal rape at the Central Criminal Court in Cork. An Air Corps whistleblower, leaving the Defence Forces, feels left out on a limb by the minister to whom he appealed for help, the Dail has heard. Last month, the Irish Examiner revealed that the serving member Read More: Last November, the whistleblower wrote to Paul Kehoe, the junior defence minister, complaining of the unwarranted treatment he had received after submitting a protected disclosure on health and safety issues. The whistleblower is one of a number who has raised concerns over Air Corps staff exposure to cancer-causing chemicals while servicing and maintaining aircraft. The State is fighting seven personal injury cases being taken by former Air Corps members suffering chronic illnesses they say were caused by exposure suffered during their service. The whistleblowers early retirement was raised in the Dail by Sinn Fein TD Pat Buckley, who asked Mr Kehoe what action, if any, he had taken on receiving correspondence from the member last November. Mr Buckley said: No action was taken on foot of a letter dated 28 November 2018 appealing for the Minister of States intervention and asking what protection he was giving to this serving member at the time. What actions were taken on foot of the original protected disclosure? Unfortunately, this person has left the service because of the way he has been treated. He believes he has been let down. He has served his country with distinction. He thought he was doing the right thing by disclosing what was going on but he is now in a position where he cannot keep his job which will affect him in many other ways. Mr Kehoe said he will not stand over any person being penalised for making a protected disclosure but that the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces was the statutory mechanism for investigation available to the complainant. Mr Buckley said it was disingenuous to suggest the whistleblower should go to the Ombudsman. I appreciate the Minister of State mentioning that there are certain avenues he can take. However, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, in terms of the letter dated 28 November 2018 which explained everything that happened regarding the misinformation and where the bullying was being perpetrated, yet he relied on the last line of defence, if the minister of state will pardon the pun, that he is the minister with responsibility for defence. The buck stops with him yet this person has been left out on a limb and we are now being told that he has to go to another department. Mr Kehoe said he would leave the matter in the hands of the Ombudsman. I will not stand over anybody being wronged. I encourage the person to whom the deputy is referring to go to the Defence Forces Ombudsman. He or she may have done so but I assure the deputy the case will be dealt with in an independent and fair way. The ombudsman provides that facility in an independent way. CORK poet Sean O Riordain was one of the most important thinkers of the modern age whose existentialist philosophies were on a par with those of Jean-Paul Sartre and Friedrich Nietzsche, writes Pet OConnell. According to its co-editor, a recently-published collection of essays is the first book to examine in depth the significance of O Riordain as a thinker, and may help to further international recognition of the Irish language writer. UCC lecturer Dr Triona Ni Shiochain, who with Dr Riona Ni Churtain of the University of Limerick edited the book, Ni insint dan ach bheith: Aisti ar Smaointeoireacht an Riordanaigh, says the extent of O Riordains legacy is only now beginning to be understood, 42 years after his death. Baile-Mhuirne-born O Riordain, whose works include Fill Aris and Cul an Ti, has an unassailable reputation as a poet in his own country, she says. The greatest 20th Century poet in Irish is unquestionably Sean O Riordain, asserts Dr Ni Shiochain. His recognition as a poet among the Irish-speaking community and among Irish scholars is unparalleled. He has been totally canonised. The Irish language lent O Riordain an alternative perspective outside that of writers in mainland Europe, but may have been a factor in the paucity of international recognition for his work. He wouldnt be known so well internationally and its only recently that his work has been translated and that people can now read it in English, she says. Because he was a speaker of a minority language hes an extremely important thinker conceptually, but he isnt as well known all around the world as he should be. Were hoping that through this book, in which his importance as a thinker is highlighted, it will inspire more scholarships, and maybe it will have an international reach, that people will look to Sean O Riordain in the way they look to Jean Paul Sartre and Nietzsche eventually. Sean O Riordain is one of the most important thinkers of the modern age and his poetry and his prose encapsulated an incredible understanding of the modern condition, adds Dr Ni Shiochain. But he was quite different from the existentialist thinkers on the continent, people like Sartre, because he was from a very different sort of community. He was a post- colonial subject; a native speaker of a minority language, and that meant that he had a unique perspective. His outlook on the world was defined by this experience of being always in-between, neither here nor there. Thats common in lots of post-colonial countries, that theres this feeling of huge trauma of the colonial past, and even after independence, somehow we can never get back to the way we were before. The essay-writers in the collection are drawn from the speakers at a 2016 conference, Comoradh an Riordanaigh, held in Baile Mhuirne on the centenary of his birth. They include Gearoid Denvir, Sean O Briain, Tadhg O Dushlaine, and Maire Ni Annrachain, while poets Colm Breathnach, Dairena Ni Chinneide, and Caitriona Ni Chleirchin examine in essays the influence of O Riordain on their work. O Riordains biographer, Sean O Coileain, explores the poets complex relationship with Baile Mhuirne, the Gaeltacht village he left following the death from TB of his father, a native Irish speaker. O Riordains own health was blighted by TB, and both stigmatisation as a result of the disease and separation from the Irish language of his youth profoundly influenced his thinking. There was a huge sense of being in-between in his poems. He never knew whether his poetry belonged to English language culture or Irish language culture there was this tension, Dr Ni Shiochain says. As a dweller on the threshold, O Riordain was ahead of his time among European thinkers, she adds: Social theorists have begun to explain the modern condition in terms of what they would call permanent liminality, or being in a constant state of in-between, but Sean O Riordain in the 1950s was communicating that which social theorists finally started talking about in the 1990s. Ni insint dan ach bheith is out now, published by An Sagart Last week I pressed send to an email, before immediately regretting it as I walked into my kitchen. Id just arranged a meeting with someone whod never been to my house and my messy kitchen didnt strike me as visitor friendly, writes Tric Kearney With 24 hours to go, I made a half-hearted attempt at remedying the situation, clearing away the two weeks of newspapers lying around and moving to new locations various items littering the dresser. Rising the following morning I wondered was I a character in the movie Groundhog Day. My previous days efforts had been erased by yer man and my children who, noting the cleared surfaces, had felt the need to re-fill them. Was this the first impression I wished to give my visitor? I glanced at the clock, relieved to note there were a few hours left to remedy the situation. As I began to tidy, I was struck by how many items were things Ive been putting away for years, but which reappear almost immediately. This morning there were no less than three phone chargers on the counter which told me yer man had, once again, mislaid his working charger and in desperation pulled these three out of the junk drawer. Two dont work and the other one pretends its doing the job but never fully charges a phone, even if left plugged in for days. Instead of accepting they dont work and immediately binning them, I returned them to our junk drawer. This is a drawer, full to the brim, of anything and everything no one wants to dump or find a proper home for. I wondered what Marie Kondo would think of such a drawer. In case youre the one person in the country whos never heard of Marie Kondo, shes a Japanese woman who loves tidying and decluttering and is making a fortune doing just that. She says we should throw out anything which doesnt spark joy. Thats all well and good but I suspect top of my daughters list would be her school uniform and books and Id happily chuck out anything to do with cooking. Looking at our bulging junk drawer I decided it was time for action, but unlike Marie Kondo wondering if its contents sparked joy, I asked myself, were they of any use? First out was a rechargeable battery charger, stored in there for years. Dump or keep? Well, if we ever have batteries in need of recharging (which we dont) wed certainly need it. So, I began a keep pile. What about the ancient digital camera sitting beside the hairbrush no one knows is in there? It was a good camera in its day. Maybe it still works? Best err on the side of caution. So, it too landed in the keep pile. Within minutes my keep pile covered the entire table. There were not one but two screwdrivers, both different colours but otherwise identical, numerous candles and cables, a tape measure, keys of all sizes and a cassette tape. Scattered throughout the drawer was a fortune in foreign money and right at the back sat a tin whistle, lost six years ago after a particularly painful homework music lesson. Did any of it spark joy? Should I bite the bullet and dump everything? But what if I needed those candles? Or we decided to return to Vietnam one day? And what about the worry of yer man having a heart attack when I showed him the empty drawer? I returned each item and, well behind time, abandoned all thoughts of Marie Kondos clearing in favour of the Tric Kearney method of decluttering by hiding things. Im happy to report, the resultant, superficially tidy kitchen, did indeed spark joy. I think I might need an agent. Saturday marks the completion of a two-year rollout of national standards to ensure that parents who lose a baby are cared for with compassion, writes Catherine Shanahan. ANNA Maria Verling, bereavement clinical midwife specialist in Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH), says there was a time, many moons ago, when babies who died during or after childbirth were taken away from parents and buried in the darkness. Women went home and were told to get on with it, she says. Losing a baby was slightly shameful, an inconvenient tragedy, not up for discussion, and not a public health issue. Thankfully, things have moved on substantially, with added impetus in the last few years, albeit on the back of a series of high-profile major failures within our maternity services. The death in 2012 at Galway University Hospital of Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar, due to the complications of a septic miscarriage at 17 weeks gestation, and the deaths of babies at Portlaoise Hospital, over a number of years, five due to lack of oxygen, were key drivers of change. We now have: a) National Standards for Safer, Better Maternity Services; b) National Standards for Bereavement Care Following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death. The latter, published two years ago, provide the template for maternity units to develop a compassionate, caring service for parents who lose a baby due to miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal death. On Saturday, midwives, doctors, parents and others involved in developing and driving those standards will gather at University College Cork for a Bereavement Forum, marking the completion of a two-year implementation programme. Rachel Rice, who experienced three miscarriages between 2010 and 2011, will chair the first session. She and a number of other parents who went through the pregnancy loss service at CUMH were invited by the implementation team to become members of a parent forum that had substantial input into what care pathways should look like for parents dealing with similar devastation. Often we cant do anything to prevent a pregnancy loss such as miscarriage or fatal fetal abnormality, but what we can influence is the response, care and support that parents receive from the time of diagnosis, through to delivery and aftercare, Rachel says. Those leading the national implementation programme include Keelin ODonoghue, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at CUMH, and specialist in high risk pregnancies, and programme manager Riona Cotter. Keelin ODonoghue, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at CUMH, is one of those leading the national implementation programme. They wanted to ensure the development of care pathways were informed not only by experts and clinicians, but by parents who had lived experience of pregnancy loss and bereavement care. As a group, we represented the full range of pregnancy loss miscarriage, stillbirth, fatal fetal abnormalities, early and late neonatal death, Rachel says. There were mothers and fathers in the group and we met a number of times at CUMH where the implementation team brought us up to speed on the work they were doing and asked for our views. They sent us draft care pathways for review and asked for our feedback. There was great openness to hear what we had to say, what was important for us, what worked well and what perhaps needed to be improved upon. I hope that our input helped those developing care pathways to think carefully about what was needed and perhaps question practices that may have been in place that need to be improved upon, Rachel says. Diane Magee, from Tower, Co Cork, had an heartbreaking level of contact with bereavement care services at CUMH. In 2015, her son Christopher was diagnosed with a fatal fetal abnormality 32 weeks into the pregnancy. I was not feeling any movements so I went to CUMH. The heartbeat was not good. The doctor told me my babys head was only measuring at about 25 weeks, Diane says. In the event, Christopher had to be delivered. My husband David had to tell me when I came around from the anaesthetic that our baby was very sick and he wasnt sure how long he was going to live, Diane says. Christopher, a fully formed baby, lived for just over an hour. More heartbreak followed. In a subsequent pregnancy, Diane suffered a miscarriage. Then, in April 2017, she was delighted to discover she was pregnant again. Tragically, this pregnancy also ended in devastation. Her babys heartbeat could not be detected during a visit to her GP at 16 weeks. Diane was dispatched to the emergency department at CUMH where consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Moya McMenamin found a heartbeat but also discovered the babys head was measuring at 14 weeks. A period of monitoring the babys development followed as Diane readied herself for an anomaly scan at 24 weeks, the day before her brothers wedding. Her husband was in Dublin on the day of the scan so she attended with her mother, who was all excited at the prospect of becoming a grandmother again (Diane has a daughter Masy). There was no cause for celebration. The first time around David had to tell me our baby was not going to live. This time I had to ring him and say I am very sorry. Our little baby is gone to heaven. Diane, her husband, mother and father kept the news to themselves as the wedding went ahead. She subsequently returned to CUMH where five days later, on September 12, 2017, a baby girl, Andie Moya was delivered. Diane chose the name because they had been unsure of the babys sex up to the point of birth, and Moya was inspired by the consultant she describes as a complete lady, who went above and beyond what she needed to do, and who was with us for Christopher, the miscarriage and Andie Moya. Diane Magee with baby Freddy, who is now six months old, and Nilema, who has been with Diane for all four of her babies. Dr McMenamin was also present when Diane gave birth to her beautiful son Freddy, now six months old. It is of some consolation to Diane that she gave birth naturally to Andie Moya. She is also thankful for the treatment she received at CUMH. They organised the coffin each time, they organised the priests. The priest that came in for Andie Moya renewed our marriage vows for us, as we were six years married. Renewing our vows was to make Andie Moyas birthday and anniversary more special. The hospital did so many special things. A midwife brought a custard slice. Another midwife nurse went to the coffee dock and brought me coffee and just sat with me and talked normally, while holding Andie Moya. Photographs were organised. Feileacan, the Stillborn and Neonatal Death Association of Ireland, organised a memory box, which included a hand knitted baby blanket, teddies, a keepsake box for identification bracelet. Diane appreciated each and every gesture, including the sensitive manner in which bad news was communicated to her and how generous doctors and midwives were with their time. These positive elements of her experience are reflected in whats expected under the new bereavement care standards. Moya McMenamin, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, and bereavement midwife Orla OConnell with baby Freddy. The standards are very strong on the need for good communications, with an emphasis on timely, clear and sensitive communication with the babys parents and their families on all matters relating to dying, death and bereavement care. At time of diagnosis, all relevant hospital staff are expected to sensitively communicate bad news to parents in a quiet and private environment and with special consideration of individual needs and preparedness for the emotional and physical management of their diagnosis. In preparation for birth, parents are sensitively advised verbally and in writing of what to expect before, during and immediately after birth and are invited to meet with a member of the bereavement support team. A care pathway that takes into consideration the cultural, religious and secular preferences of the parents is designed with the parents. Rachel and Anna Maria say there was a time when pregnancy loss was not naturally part of the pregnancy story. People who have never experienced pregnancy loss dont go to the possibility of loss in their heads when they see a positive pregnancy test, Rachel says. They go straight to positive outcomes, having a healthy baby in their arms, and how that will play itself out in their lives going forward. Therefore, when it happens, its shocking, devastating and parents are parachuted into a world that is very unknown to them. As a result, parents are utterly dependent on health care providers and maternity services to help and guide and support them when they receive bad news. Thats why its so essential that bereavement care becomes an integral part of our maternity services, Rachel says, and it needs to be available in all 19 maternity units. Rachel, from Midleton, Co Cork, did have a high risk success in the wake of her recurrent miscarriages, when she gave birth to James, who is now six. She also has two daughters, Grace (12) and Evie (9). There have been tangible improvements in services in the past few years. Anna Maria says she was one of just two midwife bereavement care specialists at the time she was appointed to the role 13 years ago. The post was created in the wake of the amalgamation of three maternity hospitals into one, CUMH, and there was quite a bit of insight in planning for the new hospital, Anna Maria says. Her role has evolved over the years and the number of posts has grown. Only six hospitals had people in posts when the standards were launched in 2016. By the end of March this year, all of the 19 units will have a bereavement clinical midwife specialist. A national website pregnancyandinfantloss.ie is also expected to go live at the end of March. Anna Maria says she sees herself as the voice of parents within the hospital, rather than the voice of her employer and thats something new. Rachel says the vision of the standards is that no matter what maternity hospital or services women engage with, they should be able to expect the best standards of care both for themselves and for their babies. The standards provide a framework to ensure this happens and the implementation process over the last two years has been integral to this being realised in practice, she says. All thats required now is for training and education of relevant staff to be prioritised and resources made available. We need commitments and resources from those at senior levels of the health service to continue the work and progress made during the two-year implementation process, so a comprehensive service can be available to women. As parents, we all remember the devastation of our losses, but we also all remember the quality of care we received at the time, Rachel says. When parents lose a baby, their instinct to care for their baby does not diminish. In many respects it is heightened its often their only chance to parent their baby. Its really important to them how their baby is cared for as they die, or if they have already died. So it matters really matters, how this is managed within our maternity services. Perinatal deaths Stillbirth: A child born weighing 500g or more or having a gestational age of 24 weeks or more who shows no sign of life. A child born weighing 500g or more or having a gestational age of 24 weeks or more who shows no sign of life. Early neonatal death: Death of a live born baby occurring within 7 completed days of birth. Death of a live born baby occurring within 7 completed days of birth. Late neonatal death: Death of a live born baby occurring after the 7th day and within 28 completed days of birth. Baby deaths in the Republic of Ireland in 2016 407 perinatal deaths during pregnancy or shortly after birth among 64,133 births; Stillbirths, early neonatal and late neonatal deaths accounted for 250 (61.4%), 124 (30.5%) and 33 (8.1%) of the 407 deaths, respectively; The perinatal mortality rate was 1 in 172 births; One in five pregnancies ends in miscarriage. * Figures from the National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre - The National Bereavement Forum takes place Saturday, in Devere Hall, UCC, from 10am-5pm. By Sojin Lim, University of Central Lancashire The summit talks between North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, and US president, Donald Trump, began in a climate of surprise and expectation in Singapore in June 2018. They have now ended (for the time being) in disappointment in Hanoi, Vietnam, with Trump walking out. The US president said: It was all about the the sanctions. They wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldnt do that Sometimes you have to walk and this was one of those times. But is this the full story? Time will tell. Either way, when Kim and Trump first met last year in Singapore, it was viewed as a victory for Kims gesture politics and a ray of hope for stability in the region. But as the latest round of talks ends prematurely without agreement, it seems Vietnam, the host, is the only winner thanks to the summit drawing attention to the recent success of that countrys impressive economic development. But while the US, North Korea and Vietnam have been dominating headlines, where has South Korea the other principal stakeholder been? So far, it seems to have been conspicuously absent. Is this because South Korea was not a part of the armistice agreement (between North Korea, the US, China and the UN) that halted the Korean War? Or is it because South Korea ultimately wouldnt benefit from any North Korea-US agreement? Certainly, South Korea is an immediate victim of the failed Hanoi summit. As soon as Trump abandoned the talks, the South Korean stock market fell dramatically. If Kim now resumes missile tests, South Korea would be the nation most at threat. Indeed, even if Trump agrees eventually to lift the sanctions on North Korea, it would likely be South Korea that would have to provide most of the financial support to North Korea. The only immediate benefit for South Korea, if future negotiations between Kim and Trump go well, would be a diminished threat of war. Not all doom and gloom But South Korea could also benefit economically at least in the long term in a post-sanction environment. It could, for example, reopen the joint Kaesong Industrial Complex, which would benefit some small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South Korea. South Korea could also expect a rising employment rate, due to more business opportunities with North Korea and beyond, and market expansion through the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund (IKCF). The IKCF was established in 1990 under the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund Act to promote mutual understanding and socioeconomic cooperation between the Koreas. Anticipating a lifting of sanctions, South Korea increased its IKCF budget to US$890.7m in 2019, a 15% increase on 2018. With sanctions lifted, South Korea could also expect increased trade and tourism profits by linking railways between the two Koreas. Indeed, one of the main reasons why Kim took the train from North Korea to Vietnam was to send a message to South Korea: if South Korea pushes for an end to sanctions, it could run its railways through the north and connect with trade routes in China, Russia and Vietnam. But these benefits rely on one key caveat: they will only happen if either North Korea or the US gives way to the other. And until that happens, this chicken-or-egg dilemma will worsen relations between the two Koreas. Will he or wont he? It seems unlikely that Kim will surrender his nuclear programme. As the second summit was staged, on February 27, news broke of another well-known nuclear state, Pakistan, reportedly shooting down Indian military aircraft over Kashmir. The Pakistani prime minister, Imran Khan, immediately called a meeting of Pakistans National Command Authority and ordered a no fly zone over the country, later commenting that given the weapons they (India) have and we have, can we afford a miscalculation? The two events may seem unconnected, but it is highly likely that this has reaffirmed to Kim why he needs nuclear weapons. Remaining a de facto nuclear state is key to Kim ensuring his regimes survival. Nuclear capability is certainly not something he will readily concede. It is also doubtful whether Trump truly wants to pay too much attention to North Koreas denuclearisation and economic development. Its more likely that Trump is using his summits with Kim to strengthen his own domestic standing. Trump announced he was shelving an earlier second summit last year so he could focus on the mid-term elections a ploy, perhaps, to attract more votes. And its perfectly possible now that hes using the Hanoi summit to distract people from his ongoing scandals at home. Again, on the day Trump met Kim, Trumps former lawyer, Michael Cohen, was giving highly critical testimony to Congress about his dealings with Trump. And so South Korean president Moon Jae-in seems stuck between North Korea and the US neither of whom seem entirely committed to their summits success. Meanwhile, Moon will face growing domestic criticism from conservatives at home over his growing IKCF budget and the ongoing lack of results. There is still hope for the Korean pensinsula, but it is dwindling. And if Moon is to survive, and South Korea is to benefit, he will have to find novel ways of getting Kim and Trump back to the negotiating table. It will be no easy task. This article was written by Sojin Lim, Senior Lecturer in Korean Studies, North Korean Studies MA & Asia Pacific Studies MA Courses Leader, Deputy Director of the International Institute of Korean Studies, University of Central Lancashire and is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. A deadly train crash at Cairo's main station which left 25 people dead was triggered by a brawl between two conductors. Prosecutor General Nabil Sadek said the conductor of the train that rammed into a station barrier Wednesday and caused a huge explosion and fire had left the vehicle without putting on its brakes. He said the driver left to fight with another conductor who had blocked his way with the train he was driving. "The driver left the railcar without taking any measures to brake it," Sadek said in a statement. Health officials said at least 25 people were killed and dozens more injured in the crash and ensuing fire. Mohammed Said, the head of the Cairo Railway hospital, said there were concerns the death toll could rise further. Photographs from the station showed charred bodies lying on the platforms at the Ramsis station in central Cairo as firefighters struggled to get the flames under control. Heavy black smoke rose into the sky as ambulances rushed to the scene. The Ramsis district is among the busiest and most crowded areas of the Egyptian capital. The state railway agency briefly halted all train traffic and ordered the evacuation of the station. Videos from surveillance cameras inside the station showed flames ravaging the station. A video that surfaced on social media showed men and women carrying bags and personal belonging and walking on the rail platforms as the train crashed and exploded. Another video showed men and women running, searching for exits after the explosion. A man runs back and forth, his shirt on fire, until another man rushes to pour water on him. Egypt's prime minister Mustafa Madbouli said authorities must determine "who caused the accident and hold that person accountable". He promised "harsh punishment" for the culprits. Egypt's transport minister Hisham Arafat later resigned. Egypt's railway system has a poor safety record, mostly blamed on decades of badly maintained equipment and poor management. Official figures show that 1,793 train accidents took place in 2017 across the country. In March last year, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said the government lacks about 250 billion Egyptian pounds to overhaul the run-down railway system. Mr el-Sissi spoke a day after a passenger train collided with a cargo train, killing at least 12 people, including a child. And in August 2017, two passenger trains collided just outside the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, killing 43 people. In 2016, at least 51 people were killed when two commuter trains collided near Cairo. PA Monica Lewinsky has a keen sense of humour. Ms Lewinsky, patient zero of losing a personal reputation on a global scale, is also understandably private and self-protecting. Speaking in Dublin yesterday, there was to be no recording or reporting of her speech to a crowded room of around 1,000 people. For an hour, you couldnt see a phone. Ms Lewinsky was the keynote speaker at the Talent Summit where she began her speech by saying the word thanks minus the H, to a warm and universal laughter. The theme of her speech was compassion and resilience in the digital age. She wound the clock back to 1998, when her relationship with then US president Bill Clinton became public knowledge, to a time when she was publicly humiliated, slut-shamed, and body shamed. There was no word for what was happening to her now we would call it cyberbullying or online harassment, said Ms Lewinsky. Her name is now in some 125 rap songs. The original count had been somewhere around 40, she said. She discussed needing therapy in order to overcome the highly traumatic experience and why she decided, after almost a decade of silence, to come out from exile. She is asked why she came out a lot. It was time to stop living a life of opprobrium, she told the audience of HR professionals in Dublin yesterday. She gave a TED talk called the Price of Shame and wrote an essay on the same theme for Vanity Fair. She has also recently featured in a docuseries called the Clinton Affair. Discussing the ability to be resilient, she described how her parents were interviewed separately for the and how they both told the same story about her. It was of a young Monica standing with her hands on her hips saying that no one was the boss of her. It was this innate stubbornness that gave her the tenacity to recover and reclaim her own narrative after a decade of silence. A photograph showing former White House intern Monica Lewinksy meeting president Bill Clinton at a White House function. Ms Lewinsky, who has worked with a counsellor specialising in trauma, said people are born with varying levels of resilience but it is a muscle which can be built. In a question-and-answer session after her speech, Ms Lewinsky was asked whether, in all her time being publicly humiliated from 1998 on, anyone ever stood up for her publicly. Im not really sure I had a public upstander, she answered, while being able to refer to one empathetic piece written about her back then. Instead, the love of her family was what kept her alive and their ability to reflect back her true self. Speaking more broadly on the digital age we now live in, the social activist talked about being mindful online. Be mindful of what you click on, said Ms Lewinsky, emphasising this by explaining that peoples attention is monetised, and that salacious stories garner more clicks and more ad dollars than a story of a young Muslim woman winning a Noble prize. Online media is revenue-based, she reminded people. Before receiving a standing ovation, Ms Lewinksy was asked one final question: In 30 years time what would she hope people would learn from her experience of being publicly shamed on a global scale? For people who are going through personal or private shame or humiliation, you can move on, you can move forward, she replied. Like she has done, she said people can take those experiences and help someone else with them. Asia Trump Touts Rapport with North Korea's Kim at Summit, 'Satisfied' with Talks U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shake hands before their one-on-one chat during the second U.S.-North Korea summit at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam on February 27, 2019. / / REUTERS HANOIU.S. President Donald Trump hailed a very special relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as they met in Vietnam for a second summit on Wednesday and said he was satisfied with the pace of denuclearization talks despite some criticism they were not moving quickly enough. The U.S. president appeared upbeat with Kim even as on the other side of the world in Washington his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen called Trump a conman who knew in advance about the release of stolen emails aimed at hurting his Democratic rival in the 2016 election campaign. Great meetings and a Very good dialogue, Trump said on Twitter after dinner with Kim at Hanois French-colonial-era Metropole hotel while the White House said the two planned to sign a joint agreement after further talks on Thursday. Facing increasing political and legal pressure at home over investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, Trump has devoted significant time and effort to trying to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for promises of peace and development, a foreign policy goal that has confounded multiple predecessors. The Hanoi meeting was Trumps second meeting with Kim in eight months and he appeared to reiterate recent statements that he was in no rush. We had a very successful first summit, he told Kim. I felt it was very successful, and some people would like to see it go quicker; Im satisfied; youre satisfied, we want to be happy with what were doing. Asked by a reporter if he was walking back on denuclearization demands, Trump said no. Trump and Kim held a 20-minute, one-on-one chat before they sat down to dinner with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trumps acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Kims top envoy Kim Yong Chol and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho. On Thursday, the two leaders are scheduled for a series of meetings at the Metropole, beginning with another one-on-one session lasting 45 minutes, the White House said. The two leaders would hold a joint agreement signing ceremony, at the end of the meetings, which would be followed by a news conference by Trump at 3:50 p.m. Hanoi time. The White House has given no indication as to what the signing ceremony might involve, although the two sides have held discussions that have included the possibility of a political statement to declare the 1950-53 Korean War over, which some critics say would be premature. Asked if he would declare a formal end to the Korean War, which concluded with an armistice, not a peace treaty that North Korea has long sought, Trump said: Well see. Their summit in Singapore in June was the first meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader and ended with fanfare but little substance. Trump and Kim pledged to work toward denuclearization and permanent peace on the Korean peninsula, but there has been little progress since. Kim said they had overcome obstacles to meet a second time and praised Trump for his courageous decision to begin a dialogue. Now that were meeting here again like this, Im confident that there will be an excellent outcome that everyone welcomes, and Ill do my best to make it happen, Kim said. Were going to have a very busy day tomorrow, a smiling, relaxed-looking Trump, said seated beside Kim at a round dinner table with the other four officials and two interpreters. Our relationship is a very special relationship. Observers said the pair were at pains to show their relationship had improved since June, with their body language closely mirroring each other. Leverage Trump said late last year he and Kim fell in love, but whether the bonhomie can move them beyond summit pageantry to substantive progress on eliminating a North Korean nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States is the big question. Trump indicated a more flexible stance in the run-up to Hanoi, saying he was in no rush on denuclearization as long as North Korea, which has not tested a nuclear weapon or intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017, maintained that freeze. Trump risks squandering vital leverage if he gives away too much, too quickly, critics said. Evans Revere, a former U.S. negotiator with North Korea, said Trump was under pressure given his domestic problems and Kim may be tempted to push Trump even harder for concessions, knowing how much the president wants and needs that testing pause. Daniel Russel, who served as the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia until early in Trumps presidency, said telling Kim that he could take his time was anything but strategically wise. The yardstick for assessing results is not whether Trump proclaims himself happy, but whether the outcome takes North Korea measurably closer to revealing and dismantling its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. U.S. intelligence officials have said there is no sign North Korea will give up its entire arsenal of nuclear weapons, which Kims ruling family sees as vital to its survival, and analysts say Pyongyang is unlikely to commit to significant steps without an easing of punishing U.S.-led sanctions. The two sides have discussed partial denuclearization measures, such as allowing inspectors to observe the dismantlement of North Koreas Yongbyon nuclear reactor, U.S. and South Korean officials say. U.S. concessions could include opening liaison offices or clearing the way for inter-Korean projects. Trump has appeared to be betting on his personal relationship with Kim, and the economic incentive after 70 years of hostility between their countries. Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize, Trump said on Twitter ahead of the meeting. Burma Ex-Army Officer Shot Dead in Northern Shan The location in downtown Kyaukme where a retired military captain was shot and killed on the evening of Feb. 27, 2019 / Supplied A retired Myanmar Army captain was killed in northern Shan States Kyaukme Township on Wednesday evening, according to local sources. An unknown armed man on a motorbike shot Yan Lin Aung, 34, who died at around 7 p.m. in the evening, according to local sources. Someone shot him in the town as he was on his way back from buying necessities, said Police Lieutenant-Colonel San Win of the Shan State Police Force. Security forces, including police and Army personnel, and local people are working together to investigate the crime. We are trying to identify a suspect in the killing, he said. Yan Lin Aung retired from the Myanmar Army, or Tatmadaw, about six years ago, according to Sai Tun Nyan, a state lawmaker from Kyaukme Township who was a friend of the victim. He was a good man, and friendly, Sai Tun Nyan said. Yan Lin Aung operated several businesses in the town, including selling property and renting out rooms. He also operated a KTV karaoke parlor. Some locals suspected he was killed because he refused to pay taxes to an ethnic armed group in the area. However, others said his military background may have made him a target, speculating that he was providing information to the Tatmadaw about rebel troop movements in the township, Sai Tun Nyan said. Several ethnic armed groups are active in Kyaukme Township, including the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) and Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSSS). Fighting often breaks out between the ethnic armed groups and the Myanmar Army. The rival ethnic armed groups also occasionally fight each other. A senior Buddhist monk who was influential in the Shan community was killed in Kyaukme in October last year. No one has yet been arrested for his killing. Sai Tun Nyan said it was difficult to investigate such crimes, as Myanmar authorities do not have a strong influence on residents of the township. Burma Parliament Abolishes Legal Affairs Commission Thura U Shwe Mann (right) in Naypyitaw / Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy NAYPYITAWMyanmars Union Parliament on Thursday voted against extending the term of the Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission headed by ex-general and former Lower House speaker U Shwe Mann. Only 20 lawmakers voted in favor of extending the commission, while 555 voted against with 10 abstentions. The commission was formed on March 1, 2016 for a term of one year. Military-appointed lawmakers have repeatedly raised objections to extending the panels term, saying its work was unconstitutional. This time, a majority of lawmakers agreed with their call to abolish the commission, mainly because of U Shwe Manns recent re-entry into politics. On Feb. 5, U Shwe Mann applied to the Union Election Commission to register a new political party, the Union Betterment Party. Our party has helped him along, [asking him] to serve as a referee. As he will be participating in politics, he can no longer act as referee. Thats why, said a Lower House lawmaker of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) who asked not to be named. Retired General U Ko Ko Naing, a member of the commission, told The Irrawaddy that U Shwe Mann was still working at the commissions office and would continue to do so until Parliament formally informs him of the commissions abolition. In an interview with One News Myanmar, U Shwe Mann said in early February that the future of the commission would depend on negotiations between him and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, as it was formed with their bilateral agreement. On his Facebook page, U Shwe Mann said his party will work towards building a democratic federal union; developing the economy; systematic development of education, healthcare and culture; and establishing rule of law, stability, equality and peace. He added that the new party would work to establish a constitution that is suitable for the country. U Shwe Mann was considered the third-most-powerful man in the military regime that came to power in a coup in 1988. He graduated from the No. 11 Intake of the Defense Services Academy in 1965. He was promoted to the rank of general in 2010 and appointed Chief of the General Staff (Army, Navy and Air). He retired from the military (or Tatmadaw) along with then President U Thein Sein and other generals to join the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). He was voted into Parliament in 2010 and elected Lower House Speaker. U Shwe Mann was purged from the USDPs top position in August 2015 during a power struggle with U Thein Sein. He was called a turncoat by USDP supporters due to political maneuvering that led him to ally with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy leader, ahead of the 2015 election. Though he lost to an NLD candidate in the 2015 election, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi appointed U Shwe Mann to head the Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission of Myanmars Parliament in 2016. Burma Police Convoy Attacked in Northern Rakhine; Locals Say Officers Killed A car that was attacked on Wednesday night in Ponnagyun Township, Rakhine State, sits on the side of the road at the scene of the attack on Thursday. / Supplied SITTWE, Rakhine State At least two police officers were among those killed in an attack on a police convoy on the main road through northern Rakhine States Ponnagyun Township on Wednesday night, according to police, local residents and photos on Facebook. Residents of Pan Nilar Village said they heard a loud explosion followed by multiple rounds of gunfire that night and that they visited the site this morning. One villager, who asked not to be named, said he saw six dead bodies four of them badly burned inside a total of four vehicles. Other local residents also said they saw dead bodies at the scene, as well as a damaged police van that appeared to have caught fire and civilian car. They said they saw two more damaged police vans about a mile south down the road. They said the vehicles were travelling from Kyauktaw Township toward Sittwe, the state capital. Photos of the scene circulated on Facebook show a white sedan with multiple bullet holes and the bodies of two men in police uniforms. Ponnagyun Township police Maj. Nyein Chan confirmed that the convoy was hit by an explosive device but declined to comment further because the attack was still under investigation. Rakhine State police chief Col. Kyi Lin also declined to comment. Locals said some Pan Nilar residents have left the village for fear of being arrested on suspicion of collaborating with local rebel groups. They said soldiers and police were at the scene of the attack and searching the area with landmine detectors. U Min Aung, a state lawmaker representing Taungup Township, denied rumors spreading on Facebook that Rakhine State Chief Minister U Nyi Pu was in the convoy and killed in the attack. He said the chief minister was safe and not part of the convoy. Burma Rakhine State Man Files Police Complaint Accusing Soldiers of Assaulting Son Maung Zaw Naing Naing Htay at Sittwe Hospital on Tuesday. / The Irrawaddy SITTWE, Rakhine State The father of a high school student has filed a police complaint accusing a Myanmar military battalion in Rakhine States Kyauktaw Township of assaulting his son. U Shwe Sein Oo told The Irrawaddy that his son, Maung Zaw Naing Naing Htay, was riding his motorbike on Feb. 21 when a group of soldiers in a car blocked his path. He said his son showed them his student ID card, but the soldiers hit him in the temple of his head with a gun barrel and took him to the Battalion 539 barracks nearby before releasing him later the same day. U Shwe Sein Oo said his son spent that night at a friends house, but the next day began to feel faint and behave strangely. In the morning he told me about what happened to him, he said. Then in the evening he said his temples and his body hurt, and he almost lost consciousness and cried hysterically that soldiers were coming. Then we sent him to Kyauktaw Hospital. He said he filed a complaint against the battalion on Monday with the Kyauktaw Township police under four sections of the Penal Code 114, 325, 342 and 352 for assault, causing grievous hurt, wrongful confinement, and aiding and abetting. I am so sad that this happened when my son is about to sit for the matriculation exam. I filed the complaint because my son has not recovered, U Shwe Sein Oo said. The exam, the most important in Myanmar for admission to university, is usually held in the first and second weeks of March. Maung Zaw Naing Naing Htay was later transferred to Sittwe Peoples Hospital, where an Irrawaddy reporter visited him on Tuesday. He appeared to not recognize his family members and to need assistance to drink. His family took him out of Sittwe Peoples Hospital on Wednesday to send him to Yangon for further medical care. The head of the Kyauktaw Township police station confirmed receipt of the complaint. We have received a complaint and we will investigate in response, Capt. Soe Lwin told The Irrawaddy. Rakhine State Security and Border Affairs Minister Col. Phone Tint said he was not familiar with the details of the case but would investigate once police finished their report. If the police report to us, we will check if it is true or not, he said. A military spokesman said the people who allegedly attacked Maung Zaw Naing Naing Htay were probably members of the Arakan Army (AA) an ethnic armed group the military is currently fighting in northern Rakhine dressed as Myanmar military soldiers. They accused the Tatmadaw [military] of abducting him and said online that the student could not even speak. But the reality is that he was abducted by the AA, said Brig. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, a member of the militarys True News Information Team. The military has also retaliated against the family. Battalion 375, whose barracks are near where Maung Zaw Naing Naing Htay was allegedly stopped and attacked, has filed a complaint with the Kyauktaw Township Court accusing U Shwe Sein Oo and another man, U Kyaw Hla Myint, of defamation. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. News Myanmar Court Hands Frenchman One Month in Prison For Flying Drone Over Parliament French national Arthur Desclaux YANGON A Myanmar court has sentenced a French national to one month in prison for violating an import-export law by bringing a drone into the country and flying it above Parliament, Frances embassy said on Wednesday. Police arrested Arthur Desclaux, 27, on Feb. 7 with an unmanned aerial vehicle in Naypyitaw Myanmars purpose-built capital known for its oversized official buildings and wide, empty roads. A judge in the capital convicted Desclaux under Myanmars law on imports and exports and handed him a one-month sentence on Wednesday afternoon, a French embassy official said. The law allows for penalties of up to three years in prison for breaches on import rules. We understand that the judge has taken into account his good faith, the embassy official said, explaining that Desclaux said he was not aware that importing or flying the drone was prohibited in Myanmar. Myanmar officials say certain areas, such as Parliament, are off-limits to drone flying, but tourists are not explicitly warned about the restrictions. In 2017, two foreign journalists for Turkish state TV station TRT World and their interpreter spent two months in a Myanmar jail for attempting to fly a drone near the legislature. The three pleaded guilty to breaching the colonial-era Aircraft Act. Analysis USDP Finds Its Not Easy Shedding Its Reputation as Party of Thieves Supporters of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party hold signs at a by-election campaign rally in Yangon on Oct. 29, 2018. / REUTERS YANGONTaking to Facebook Live to broadcast a press conference at which they insisted they are not opposed to constitutional reform, officials from Myanmars formerly ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) discovered to their irritation last week that viewers werent all that interested in what they had to say. To the partys embarrassment, many viewers appeared far more interested in posting unkind commentslike Thieves! or The party of kleptocrats!during the live broadcast. The USDP evolved out of the Union Solidarity and Development Association, an organization established by the military regime in the 1990s. In 2010 many generals resigned and joined the USDP to contest that years elections, which it won. The party ruled the country until March 2016, before handing over power to the incoming NLD government. During its time in office, the party rarely enjoyed popular support; in many peoples eyes, its members, including those serving in the government, were nothing but military officials in business suits. People complained about their misuse of power, funds and state assets, including the shadowy leasing of 66 plots of landincluding factories, fish ponds and farmsowned by the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Rural Development by the state-owned Myanmar International Cooperation Agency. The agency was run by former Union ministers U Soe Thane and U Ohn Myint. At Saturdays press conference, one of the partys spokespersons, U Thein Tun Oo, hit back at the accusations of kleptocracy, saying the claim did not originate with the public but was started by an unnamed organization. But where theres smoke, theres fire. Here are some fresh examples: When the USDP left office in 2016, more than 15 billion kyats (nearly US$10 million at the current rate) in regional development funds handled by the governments of Magwe, Mandalay and Irrawaddy regions from 2012 to 2016 were unaccounted for. In Magwe Region in upper Myanmar, the Bureau of Special Investigations found that ex-Chief Minister U Phone Maw Shwe was responsible for 7.5 billion kyats that had gone missing from the regions development funds while he was in office (including over 1.7 billion kyats that had been designated for the USDP itself). Until the issue was raised in the regional parliament in May 2016, the chief minister was also the chairman of the Magwe Regions USDP branch. In Mandalay, the regional auditor generals office discovered in 2017 that more than 3 billion kyats (US$2.1 million) from the regional development fund under the previous government had gone missing. The then chief minister was U Ye Myint, who was also Mandalays USDP regional chairman. In Irrawaddy Region, meanwhile, then Chief Minister U Thein Aung, who was also the chair of the regional USDP, failed to hand over regional development funds to the new NLD government in 2016, according to the Auditor-Generals Office. Rather, he transferred the funds to a new foundation of which he was the patron. In all of these cases, its evident that the former chief ministers failed to transfer regional funds to the incoming NLD government before they left office. The three former USDP chiefs of Magwe, Mandalay and Irrawaddy eventually agreed to pay the money back in separate payments, but only after their embezzlement was brought to light of the day, bringing lawsuit threats from the current government. U Kyee Myint of the Myanmar Lawyers Network told The Irrawaddy that people called the USDP thieves for a valid reason. They used or squirrelled away development funds. Thats why people say this. You cant say their claims are baseless, the lawyer said. On Thursday, spokesperson U Thein Tun Oo, who had denied the USDP was a party of thieves, was not available for comment. Meanwhile, the three former chief ministers of Magwe, Mandalay and Irrawaddy are no longer the leaders of their respective local chapters and no longer active in the partys current activities, another USDP spokesperson, U Aung Cho Oo, told The Irrawaddy. But they have been central advisers to the USDP since the party convention in August 2016, and they are still party members, the spokesperson added. On This Day Daw Saw Hsa, Myanmars First Female Surgeon and Lawmaker -- Today marks the 57th anniversary of the death of Daw Saw Hsa, Myanmars first female surgeon and lawmaker. She received her F.R.C.S from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 1912, when doctors were rare in Myanmar, and completed a diploma course in public health at the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland. Born in 1884, she was also the first female lawmaker in the Upper House of Parliament, appointed by the governor of British Burma, and the first female member of the Yangon municipal committee. She was named a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Daw Saw Hsa was known for her hospital for the poor in Yangons Sanchang Township from 1922 to 1940, and for the health care services she provided leprosy patients in Minbu in central Myanmar and war victims in Bago Region during World War II. Her book Manual for Midwives became a seminal contribution to the field. Before and after independence, she worked with several committees and organizations serving leprosy patients, orphans and women. Daw Saw Hsa was very patient. She treated patients more with love and kindness than medicines, said one relative. Never married, Daw Saw Hsa died on Feb. 28, 1962, at the age of 78. by Wei Yan Aung Thursday, February 28th, 2019 (6:38 am) - Score 32,025 Cable ISP Virgin Media UK (Liberty Global) has published their latest results to the end of 2018 (calendar Q4), which saw their network extend to cover another 144,000 premises and their broadband base grow to total 5,224,600 (up by 21.7K in the quarter vs 36.4K in Q3). But theyre also boosting top speeds from 350Mbps to 500Mbps! Since the last set of results Virgin Media has had to contend with some naughty contractors in Wrexham (here) and theyve teamed-up with a graphic design firm (Shutter Media) to test out some new camouflage wraps for their street cabinets (here). On top of that we also recently reported on the possibility that their Virgin Media Business division could be about to launch a new 500Mbps broadband tier (here). The big news today is that theyve confirmed their plan to launch a 500Mbps (35Mbps upload) service this spring, although the results dont clarify whether this will be coming to the residential or business side of their network first (were checking). The new tier, so far as were aware, will continue to use their existing EuroDOCSIS 3 network and not the forthcoming DOCSIS 3.1 upgrade (3.1 also requires a new router). Elsewhere we note that the pace of their 3bn Project Lightning network expansion appears to have dramatically increased during the final three months of 2018. Virgins FTTP and Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) based EuroDOCSIS cable broadband and TV network has now reached an additional 1.6 million UK premises since it began in 2015/16. The original aim of this roll-out was to cover 4 million extra premises (17 million total or c.60%+ of the UK) by the end of 2020 (later revised to 2019 before it was discovered that theyd overstated progress), but c.3 million now seems to be a safer bet (here). However it remains to be seen whether they continue the roll-out beyond that completion date. Quarterly (Calendar) Project Lightning Rollout Q4 2018 = 144,000 Premises Q3 2018 = 109,000 Premises Q2 2018 = 118,000 Premises Q1 2018 = 111,000 Premises (likely impacted by heavy snow) Q4 2017 = 159,000 Premises Q3 2017 = 147,000 Premises Q2 2017 = 127,000 Premises Q1 2017 = 102,000 Premises On particularly interesting thing to note is that out of the c.481,000 premises they covered during 2018, some 60% of those were done using Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) technology. This represents the first time that Virgin Media has given us any clear indication of the live FTTP vs HFC deployment split under Project Lightning (the original plan was to do 2 million via HFC and 2 million via FTTP). Mike Fries, CEO of Liberty Global, said: The past fourteen months have been transformational for Liberty Global. After two decades of buying, building and growing world-class cable operations in Europe, we have announced or completed transactions in six of our twelve markets at premium valuations. Together these deals represent an aggregate enterprise value of $31 billion and net cash proceeds to the company, when completed, of $16 billion6. It has long been our ambition to create or enable national champions, and we couldnt be more proud of these fixed-mobile combinations, which will challenge incumbents, accelerate innovation and benefit customers for years to come. After these transactions, in addition to a significant cash balance, a $2 billion strategic investment portfolio and over $2 billion in net tax assets, we will continue to be the largest cable operator in the U.K., Ireland, Belgium, Poland and Slovakia. Together our operations serve 23 million RGUs and generate $11 billion of annual revenue. We also serve another 10 million RGUs and generate over $4 billion of annual revenue in The Netherlands through our 50/50 JV with Vodafone. Each of these businesses is entering a new period of reduced capital intensity and meaningful operating free cash flow (OFCF) growth. Also, in connection with the changing scope of our business, we initiated a broader reorganization plan in January, which will result in a leaner operating structure. As we move through the year, we will have further updates on this initiative. Meanwhile the operator also confirmed that they had a total Mobile (EE MVNO) customer base of 3,039,500 (up from 3,031,200 in the last quarter) and 78% of their broadband base is now on an ultrafast (100Mbps+) capable package (up from 77%). We should also add that they have 4,571,200 telephone customers in the UK (up from 4,540,700) and 3,872,000 video / TV users (down from 3,901,400). On top of that 72% of their broadband base is using the Hub 3.0 (SuperHub v3) router (up from 68%) and 57% of their video/TV base uses their V6 set-top-box. We also note that Voice-over-IP (VoIP) services are now available to 42% of their UK cable footprint. We will update this article again once Virgin Media has provided some additional information about their new 500Mbps service. Mind you we really think they need to launch a better router (likely to be a variant of Liberty Globals Gigabit Connect Box device) in order to make the most of such a plan, since the Hub 3.0 just isnt up to the task; not least due to its WiFi performance. At this stage we believe that the new 500Mbps plan is likely to be launched as a speed boost to their existing 350Mbps package, but we have not yet had this confirmed. UPDATE 7:17am After speaking to Virgin Media we can confirm that the upload speed will indeed be 35Mbps and by Spring they mean the April/May 2019 window. We did ask some additional questions about whether it would be made available to business and residential customers at the same time, as well as how the upgrade would be implemented and if other packages would benefit from a speed boost, but no further details will be revealed until launch. NOTE: The downstream config rate for the new 500Mbps speed appears to be over-provisioned (Virgin always does this) at 575,000,000 (575Mbps), while for upstream its a similar story on 38,520,000 (38.5Mbps). Hence why their average advertised speeds often go above the stated plan speed, capacity allowing. UPDATE 11:20am Virgin has also hinted in a surprisingly low-key way about their plan to launch two gigabit cities this year, which is likely to reflect Liberty Globals DOCSIS 3.1 upgrade (here). Weve done a separate story for this as its quite a big development for a mere update. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 28) PLDT Inc. Chairman Manny Pangilinan on Thursday said he does not know how the telecommunications firm owes 8 billion as stated by President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday. "I don't know. I checked internally, ano ba utang natin [what do we owe]? We don't know," Pangilinan said at the groundbreaking ceremony for the NLEX (North Luzon Expressway) -SLEX (South Luzon Expressway) Connector Road Project. "As far as we know, wala kaming utang [we don't have debts]. We pay our taxes regularly, on a quarterly basis - in fact in advance - so I don't know what he's referring to." Duterte had threatened to shut down the telco giant if it did not set up more trunklines for '8888,' the Citizen's Complaint Hotline used to report government malpractices such as red tape, graft and corruption. Pangilinan said they are already addressing the problem. "Our people are talking with the people of Malacanang, tapos na 'yung [we're done with the] additional 20 lines then we have to talk to them about the number of agents." February 27, 2019 POCATELLO Idaho State Universitys College of Education will host an Education Career Fair on March 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Wood River Room in the Pond Student Union. This event is designed for teachers and candidates seeking a teaching placement for the 2019-2020 academic year. Information will also be available for individuals who do not have a teaching degree but may want to become a teacher through one of ISUs routes to Alternate Certification, including the Master of Arts in Teaching Program. Though teaching is such a vital job, there is a major teacher shortage in Idaho. ISUs College of Education has made it a priority to help address this teacher shortage by preparing and supporting teachers for Idaho classrooms. We are hoping to help the shortage by providing an opportunity for school districts looking for teachers and those in search of a teaching position to come together, Amy Bytof, outreach and marketing coordinator for the College of Education, said. The College of Education is actively engaged in teacher recruitment, retention, and preparation. ISU offers graduate degrees to support certified teachers and recently completed a major program revisions process that will allow teacher candidates to complete their teaching degree much quicker and at a reduced cost. Education forms the basis of all other careers, so being a teacher is such an important and meaningful career, Bytof said. Teachers are so important because everyone, at some point in their life, will have a teacher that believes in them, inspires them, and helps to shape them into a contributing citizen of our state. The Education Career Fair will include more than 20 school districts across southern and eastern Idaho. All those searching for a career in education are invited. For more information on the Education Career Fair, contact Amy Bytof at bytoamy@isu.edu. Australian Foreign Minister Senator Marise Payne does not think there will be in any change in the decision to ban the Chinese telecommunications equipment firm Huawei Technologies from playing a role in the country's 5G networks. Asked during a doorstop while on a one-day visit to London on Wednesday whether any change was possible in view of the US appearing to somewhat change its view on the matter, Senator Payne said: "I think that is a hypothetical, but I have no reason to think that Australia will be changing our position." In recent days, US President Donald Trump has tweeted saying, "I want 5G, and even 6G, technology in the United States as soon as possible. It is far more powerful, faster, and smarter than the current standard. American companies must step up their efforts, or get left behind. "There is no reason that we should be lagging behind on something that is so obviously the future. I want the United States to win through competition, not by blocking out currently more advanced technologies. We must always be the leader in everything we do, especially when it comes to the very exciting world of technology!" Senator Payne was asked whether "the noises coming out of the US" were any reason for the Australian Government to have any pause for thought on the matter. She replied: "I think that is a matter for the United States. Australia remains committed to the decision we made and announced last year. "To protect Australia's national security, we would ensure that the development of our 5G network, those who participate in the 5G network, must have no other - we don't want anyone in our communications networks that have an a obligation to any other government." I want 5G, and even 6G, technology in the United States as soon as possible. It is far more powerful, faster, and smarter than the current standard. American companies must step up their efforts, or get left behind. There is no reason that we should be lagging behind on......... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 21, 2019 ....something that is so obviously the future. I want the United States to win through competition, not by blocking out currently more advanced technologies. We must always be the leader in everything we do, especially when it comes to the very exciting world of technology! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 21, 2019 Australia announced a ban on Huawei and another Chinese firm, ZTE Corporation, in August last year. Britain, which has had a long association with Huawei, said recently that any risk posed by the Chinese company was manageable. "Because of our 15 years of dealings with the company and 10 years of a formally agreed mitigation strategy which involves detailed provision of information, we have a wealth of understanding of the company," Ciaran Martin, the chief executive of the UK National Cyber Security Centre, told a conference in Brussels last week. And Jeremy Fleming, the head of Britain's main spy agency, Government Communications Headquarters, has voiced similar sentiments. When asked whether she would have any message about Huawei for her British counterpart, Jeremy Hunt, Senator Payne responded: "Australia has made our decision in relation to 5G. It is a decision we made in the context of protecting Australia's national security from using the strong advice of intelligence agencies on that matter." "The decision of other countries is a sovereign one for them. But I am always happy to share with appropriate counterparts that sort of information that is appropriate, and that I am able to share, in terms of Australia's decision." Apart from the US which has led the way in banning Huawei, only New Zealand has said it would block a move by telco Spark to use Huawei gear in its 5G rollout. But Wellington has now indicated that this is not the end of the matter. Australian Signals Directorate-certified Protected cloud provider Vault has announced a collaboration with the University of Technology Sydney and the CSIRO SME Connect office to give a boost to artificial intelligence and machine learning. Research carried out as part of the collaboration will offer Vault's customers a high-performance cloud that can provide diverse AI, machine learning, deep learning, high-performance computing and accelerated computing workloads, while offering an ASD-certified cloud service. Dr Maruf Ahmed of Vault and Dr Farookh Khadeer Hussain, a cloud computing expert from UTS School of Software, UTS Faculty of Engineering and IT, will head the research effort. Vault uses the open-source OpenStack architecture and any enhancements developed will be built into the company's cloud offering. The CSIRO, UTS and Vault will together contribute more than $500,000 to pay for the research grant and additional hardware over the three-year duration of the research. As the government invests in cloud migration, there will be significant value in being able to analyse data stored in the cloud. Vault is committed to to do this securely, efficiently and while ensuring citizen privacy expectations are met, said Rupert Taylor-Price, the founder and chief executive of Vault. Many Australians dont realise that most advanced AI capability of large cloud providers is hosted overseas and can be subject to foreign law. This announcement is a major step towards enhancing Australias sovereign capability and protecting Australians. Dr Ahmed will work with the software layers that provide access to this accelerated hardware. Cloud technology and data security have always been a fascination of mine. As more data moves to a cloud environment, privacy, security, and sovereignty should become a major focal point, he said. My research here at Vault seeks to uncover new ways of maximising software, like OpenStack, to provide quicker data analytics and solutions than previously possible on an ASD-certified Protected cloud." The collaboration also aims to engineer a fully automated deployment of the Vault architecture in a virtualised environment. The challenge Dr Ahmed faces will be to use advanced bypass mechanisms in the Linux kernel to remove software layers and provide more direct access to the storage, network and computer hardware. Last year, Vault worked with NVIDIA to release the beta of its latest generation AI-capable hardware, which included Tesla V100 GPUs an Australian cloud first. Vault customers get access to the full performance of NVIDIAs latest platform for machine learning workloads, said Christoph Dwertmann, chief technology officer at Vault Cloud. Jason Barkla of CSIRO said: Investing in new technologies and leading-edge translational research is vital if Australia wants to be at the forefront of global innovation. While private organisations are constantly looking at ways to speed up the way data can be analysed on the cloud, the research conducted by Dr Ahmed and Vault with the support of a Science and Industry Endowment Fund STEMBusiness Fellowship grant will be integral to achieving this. Dr Ahmed will work out of the Vault Canberra office and Customer Experience Centre, which was opened on 5 November 2018. Vault is one of six cloud providers certified to store Australian Government data which is classified at the highest level. Chinese companies dominate venture capital funded companies in the global tech space, according to worldwide data and analytics vendor GlobalData. Four of the top five venture capital-funded tech companies raised a combined disclosed VC funding of US$20.5 billion while Singapore-based Grab, which is into digital business space, is the only non-Chinese company to make it to the list of top five VC-funded companies with a total disclosed funding of $2.5 billion in 2018, the firm said. China-based Ant Financial, which is in the payment technologies space, raised US$14 billion, the highest VC funding among all companies. Other Chinese companies to make it to the list of top five VC-funded emerging tech companies include Pinduoduo, SenseTime and Shanghai Lujiazui International Financial Asset Exchange (Lufax) with the total disclosed funding of US$3 billion, US$2.2 billion and US$1.3 billion, respectively in 2018. While Pinduoduo and Lufax are into digital business, SenseTime is active in the artificial intelligence space. Aurojyoti Bose, Financial Deals analyst at GlobalData, said, Chinese companies are making their presence felt in a big way. There has been a surge in fundraising by Chinese companies, which is a testimony to the fact that Chinas presence is rapidly growing in the emerging tech space." And with respect to technology, GlobalData says payment tech companies working in the areas of digital wallets, mobile payments, digital transactions and cryptocurrency have been able to better attract investors interest in 2018. Companies with advanced AI or machine learning capabilities were also on investors radar during the year. In the last few years, digital business/e-commerce segment attracted higher investors interest among others, GlobalData said. Rod Sims: "We have not yet reached a view as to whether the existing arrangements on the major digital platforms are sufficient to address the issue." ACCC chair Rod Sims is seeking more data from the advertising industry about the preliminary conclusions reached by the competition watchdog's inquiry into digital platforms. He told the Australian Association of National Advertisers and a ThinkTV audience of marketing and television advertising executives in Sydney on Wednesday night that a company was allowed to be be big and exert substantial market power. It has been estimated that more than two-thirds of every digital advertising dollar spent in Australia goes to either Google or Facebook. Pricing of intermediary services, such as the cut of the amount paid by the advertiser for the ad impression, is being examined by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission as it can often be quite opaque. The total "cut" taken by intermediaries is between 30% and 75% of an ad's price and the ACCC is examining whether the process is transparent. It is important that we better understand the issues with the ad tech supply chain because a lack of transparency means that advertisers do not know what they are paying for, where their advertisements are being displayed, and to whom, Sims said. Higher advertising prices ultimately translate to higher prices for consumers for products and services. He said Australian competition law did not prohibit a business from having substantial market power or using efficiencies or skills to go one better than its rivals. "But the dominance held by Google and Facebook in certain markets, plus the incentives they face, does mean their conduct should be subject to particular scrutiny to identify whether it is creating competitive or consumer harm," he added. Also under examination is whether advertisers can verify if ads they buy are actually shown to their target audience. Both the AANA and Free TV have pointed out that Facebook and Google monitor advertisement delivery on their own platforms and keep score, despite being players themselves. TV broadcasters, on the other hand, are subject to third-party verification of their audiences. The ACCC said both Google and Facebook had rejected claims that advertisements on their platforms were not verifiable. Both claim they have internal processes for this function and also allow third parties to check metrics on behalf of advertisers. We have not yet reached a view as to whether the existing arrangements on the major digital platforms are sufficient to address the issue. This is an issue we hope to achieve clarity on before our final report in June, Sims said. Each month, about 19 million Australians use Google, 17 million access Facebook, 17 million watch YouTube and 11 million use Instagram. Said Sims: With an audience of this size, digital platforms are a primary channel for businesses looking to reach Australian eyeballs and, more importantly, their wallets. This is why this inquiry is important for Australian advertisers, and we welcome feedback from everyone with an interest. A preliminary report on digital platforms was issued in December. Taking notes is serious business, and having the right note-taking app for your Android device can make a world of difference in your ability to stay organized. That's because a good note-taking app doesn't just help you take notes; it also makes it easy to find what you've saved later, regardless of where you are or what type of device you're using at that point. But figuring out which note-taking app makes the most sense for you isn't always easy. The Google Play Store has an endless array of similar-seeming options, and what's ideal for one person may not be optimal for another. I've spent a lot of time exploring the most prominent contenders for note-taking on Android, and I've identified the apps that rise to the top in three core categories: a "best for most people" tier, with a happy-medium balance of features and usability; a "best fully featured" division, with a focus on apps that provide a more robust set of functions for those who need it; and a "best no-frills" class that offers a recommendation for those seeking the utmost in simplicity. I'm also including a bonus category to highlight a relatively new up-and-coming app that isn't quite fleshed out enough yet to earn a full recommendation but that's worth checking out and keeping on your radar. Here, section by section, are the best note-taking apps for Android. The best Android note-taking app for most people Google's note-taking app has come a long way since its awkward 2013 debut. These days, Keep is a well-rounded yet exceptionally intuitive offering with many compelling elements, particularly for anyone invested in the Google ecosystem (as many Android users tend to be). Simplicity is a key part of Keep's appeal because the reality is that most folks don't need a complex, multilayered note-taking tool with oodles of superfluous features. Most of us just want a simple and effective place to jot down thoughts, ideas, and lists in a way that'll make them effortless to access at a moment's notice. And that's precisely where Keep excels: Open the app and tap the circular plus icon in its lower-right corner or set up Keep's excellent Android widget on your home screen (by long-pressing any blank area of your home screen and selecting the "Widgets" option that appears) and you're off to the races. You can type using your onscreen keyboard, write using your finger or a stylus, speak (and then save both an audio file and a plain-text transcription of your ramblings), or snap a photo of a document or anything else and let Google pull the text out of the picture for you. Keep's main screen is a delightfully manageable collection of your most recent notes. Changing a note's position is as easy as dragging and dropping it or tapping a pin icon to ensure it stays at the top. You can color-code notes, if you want, and give them labels for subject-specific browsing. And, of course, you can use the search box at the top to quickly find notes by keywords both those included in your own text and those visible in any attached documents or images. JR Raphael/IDG Google Keep is easy to manage and easy on the eyes. Everything within Keep syncs automatically, without any configuration or manual action required. And you can get to your notes from pretty much anywhere, since Google provides near-identical interfaces for Keep on iOS and on the web. As far as ecosystem, Keep integrates intelligently with Google's cross-platform reminder system which means you can create a reminder on any device and then have it pop up on your phone at a specific date and time or even when you venture into a particular geographical location. JR Raphael/IDG Keep's time- and location-based reminders make sure you never forget an important note. And Keep works hand in hand with Google Docs as well: With a couple quick taps, you can send any note from Keep to Docs for more involved editing. The Docs website, meanwhile, lets you pull up your notes in its sidebar and send content in either direction. Factor in Keep's multiuser collaboration feature, which lets you share notes with others so they can edit them, and this simple-seeming app is actually chock-full of functionality. It may not have all the bells and whistles other products offer, but as long as it has everything you actually need in a note-taking app, its lack of clutter and complication can be a critical productivity feature. The best fully-featured Android note-taking app For some people, a note-taking app is more than just a searchable virtual notepad; it's a finely organized system with mountains of features and intricate options. Well, if you're someone who needs a little extra oomph in your note-taking hub, Microsoft OneNote is the Android note-taking app for you. OneNote does almost everything Keep can do and then some. In addition to the above-mentioned basics, the app features a notebook-based system for categorizing and organizing your memos. It lets you easily export any note as a PDF or plain text file so you can share it with someone else without requiring them to sign into the service. And it makes it easy to add both emails and web pages into your notebooks via a unique address for forwarding messages and a desktop-based browser Web Clipper extension for capturing content on your computer. Speaking of content, in addition to providing an account-wide search function, OneNote allows you to search within individual notes as you're editing them. And unlike Keep, it has a bevy of advanced text-formatting tools for making your notes look any way your structure-loving heart desires. You can even combine regular typed-in text with finger- or stylus-made writing and markups in practically any arrangement imaginable. JR Raphael/IDG OneNote uses an unusual "canvas" system that lets you add bits of text and other visual elements into a note and then move them all around in any way you like. If you want to switch to something simpler, OneNote includes a separate Sticky Notes section that's almost like a miniature, scaled-down version of Keep within the app. It allows you to make quick Post-It-like notes without any frills or complications and then later find them in that same section. JR Raphael/IDG OneNote's Sticky Notes section is almost like a miniature, scaled-down version of Google Keep. OneNote is fully capable of working offline, and everything you do in the app automatically syncs with OneNote on the web, on iOS, or in the dedicated Windows or Mac apps. And all of those apps, of course, integrate nicely with the rest of the Microsoft ecosystem a major plus if you're already invested in that universe. For all of its positives, the OneNote Android app does have some noteworthy downsides. First, given the service's complexity, it's just not as intuitive as Keep. Navigating through the app's layers of menus can get rather confusing, and its "canvas" system for formatting notes which lets you place text and other elements in individual, moveable boxes all throughout the screen can be a little overwhelming to wrap your head around. The phone app, rather surprisingly, also lacks some basic-seeming elements such as a built-in reminders system, support for searching handwritten notes, and perhaps most vexing of all, access to OneNote's multiuser collaboration system and note-tagging system (both of which are available in OneNote's other editions). Still, if you can live with those compromises and want the extra bells and whistles Keep doesn't provide, OneNote offers an exceptional set of features and a polished experience along with a level of ecosystem integration you won't find in any other fully featured Android note-taking app. Most other serious contenders have even more compromises along with weaker ecosystems and a fair amount of clutter-creating and efficiency-reducing bloat and they often come at a not-insignificant cost, too, compared to OneNote's completely free nature. The best no-frills Android note-taking app The last official recommendation in our list is for anyone who wants a clean and minimalist space to take notes without any extras or unnecessary distractions. Simplenote lives up to its name and offers a refreshingly pared-down environment for writing and thought collection. The app, made by Automattic, the same company behind WordPress, presents you with a sparse list of text-based notes and a blank page for editing them no image or audio attaching, no formatting, no fuss whatsoever. JR Raphael/IDG From viewing notes to editing, Simplenote is as simple as it gets. Simplenote does have a handful of features beyond the absolute basics, including a simple system for tagging notes; an option for publishing notes to shareable URLs; and a slider for viewing a note's history and restoring old versions. And the app keeps your data synced and accessible across multiple platforms and devices, with versions available for Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, and the web. Other than that, though, there's really not much to say about Simplenote and that, notably, is kinda the point. An up-and-comer worth watching Bundled Notes (limited free version; $2 a month or $18 a year for a Pro-level plan) This final app is packed with promise but it isn't quite far enough along in its development just yet to earn a formal spot in this list. It's called Bundled Notes, and it's a rapidly evolving, refreshingly different take on Android note-taking. Bundled Notes is the effort of a single independent developer, and it's consequently improving at a much faster pace than what you typically see with apps made by Google, Microsoft, and other tech titans. The best way to think of it is like Keep on steroids: The app emulates Keep's default grid-like view and even brings to mind the Keep's general interface, but it injects tons of potentially useful tools, options, and areas of customization into that basic framework. Instead of just showing individual notes on its main screen, for instance, Bundled Notes displays bundles (get it?!) which are basically like folders to keep your notes organized into thematic collections. Within each bundle, you then have a more traditional individual note view. JR Raphael/IDG Bundled Notes organizes your notes into collection-like bundles that hold any number of individual items. Within any note, you can format text, create lists that live alongside regular text, and attach any number of color-customizable tags. You can share any note as a plain-text or HTML document with a couple quick taps. And beyond that, you can create your own custom swipe gestures for performing actions on notes; you can pin a note to your notification panel for easy, ongoing access; and you can set super-customizable reminders for any note controlling exactly how and when they appear and even how aggressively they alert you. Bundled Notes has lots of other interesting features, including an optional Kanban-style system for organizing bundles into Trello-like boards of lists and oodles of other options for controlling how your notes are sorted and displayed. Bundled Notes offers a web interface, too, which is accessible if you pay for the app's Pro-level subscription. Doing so also removes a limit of six bundles and 300 notes and unlocks the ability to set recurring and persistent reminders. Some areas of the app, however, still seem like a work in progress. Currently, for instance, the app lacks any way to attach images or files into a note, which seems like something that's table stakes for any more fully featured note-taking app. It also doesn't offer any form of collaboration within any of its interfaces. (Its developer says those features and others including a level of end-to-end encryption most of the big-name note-takers still don't provide are in the works.) For now, Bundled Notes is an impressive early effort that has the potential to blossom into a scrappy, nimble competitor to the mobile note-taking behemoths. It's well worth checking out and keeping an eye on so, y'know, be sure to make yourself a note to remember. This story was originally published in December 2017 and most recently updated in December 2020. February 28, 2019 / TheNewswire / Vancouver, Canada - Guyana Goldstrike Inc. (the "Company" or "Guyana Goldstrike") (TSXV:GYA, OTC:GYNAF, FSE:1ZT) is pleased to announce it has received the report on geophysical interpretation of the airborne magnetic and radiometric surveys on its Marudi Gold Project ("Marudi" or the "Property") located in the Guiana Gold Belt, Guyana, South America. REPORT HIGHLIGHTS Direct measurement on drill core from previous campaigns correlates strongest magnetic susceptibility from quartzite-metachert, the primary host rock for mineralization 3D magnetic inversion confirms direct spatial association of known Au mineralization at Mazoa Hill and Marudi North with strong magnetic responses Brownfields targets identified adjacent to and at depth at Mazoa Hill which could add to current mineral resource Less than 10% of the strike length of the Mazoa Hill magnetic horizon has been drilled, the remaining ~5km strike length is considered underexplored Magnetic anomalies along Toucan Ridge correlate to anomalous Au from surface trenching and offer additional drill targets Numerous greenfield targets based on magnetic responses exist, recommended for surface trenching or shallow drilling to upgrade Mr. Peter Berdusco, President and CEO states, "The geophysics interpretation has greatly advanced our understanding of the controls on gold mineralization on the Marudi Gold Project and identifies priority targets to both expand the known mineral resource and discover new occurrences." MAGNETICS AS FUNDAMENTAL EXPLORATION TECNIQUE Magnetic and radiometric surveys are the norm in mineral exploration for basic geological mapping and drill target identification. Recent advances in interpretation include NASVD processing of radiometrics and calibration to elemental abundances, and most significantly 3D inversion of magnetics. 3D inversion of magnetics involves iteratively changing the physical properties (magnetic susceptibility) of each cell in a 3D matrix until the computed result matched the observed data. 3D inversion is computationally intensive, given the large number of matrix elements and the number of parameters, which was time consuming and limited by the power of PCs, but is now available commercially from offsite Cloud computing technology. The results of 3D magnetic inversion is a complete image of the subsurface distribution of magnetic susceptibility, which by measurement on representative rock samples can be directly related to the geology. The 3D picture is critical in understanding the geological controls on mineralization, especially in structurally complex areas. On Marudi, it is well known from previous drilling the primary host rock for gold mineralization is quartzite-metachert. Thick vegetation cover and deep tropical weathering profile made surface geological mapping of limited value. The 3D inversion results have correlated mineralization in the Mazoa Hill and Marudi North occurrences directly to rock with high magnetic susceptibility, that are correlated by the physical property measurements on core to the quartzite-metachert host rock. DIRECT CORRELATION OF MINERALIZATION WITH MAGNETICS The geophysical survey confirms the direct correlation at large scale of mineralization at Mazoa Hill with a band of strong magnetic susceptibility. EXPLORATION GOING FORWARD Three types of geophysical targets have been identified for further investigation: along strike and deeper than the known mineralization (Mazoa Hill and Marudi North), to expand the known mineral resource; under the anomalous Au assay results from trenching at the Toucan Ridge exploration area; and numerous magnetic anomalies of similar character across the Property. The targets near the known mineralization from previous drilling and trenching are ready for the next stage of detailed modelling to optimize logistics and trajectories for drilling, whereas targets farther afield would require trenching or shallow drilling to rank prospective targets. The geophysical interpretation report also recommends further analysis of multi-element ICP analyses on core as a vector to mineralization, relogging of core to differentiate banded iron formation (BIF) within the quartzite-metachert, and additional physical property measurements (density, radiometrics) on core, all to refine the exploration model. MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE AT MAZOA HILL ZONE The Mazoa Hill Zone contains the Company's current mineral resource estimate. The Toucan Ridge area is located approximately one kilometre north of the Mazoa Hill zone. Data analyzed suggests that the mineralized zone is open at depth and to the southeast. Mazoa Hill zone mineral resource estimates: 259,100 indicated gold ounces within 4,428,000 tonnes grading 1.80 g/t; 86,200 inferred gold ounces within 1,653,000 tonnes grading 1.60 g/t For further information regarding the resource estimates, readers are encouraged to review the technical report "Marudi Property Mazoa Hill Mineral Resource Estimate", available under the Company's profile on SEDAR. QUALIFIED PERSONS The independent Qualified Person responsible for preparing the report "Interpretation Report, Airborne Geophysics, Marudi Gold Project, Guyana for Guyana Goldstrike Inc" is Mr. S.R. McMullan, P.Geo. Mr. McMullan is a Qualified Person under the terms of National Instrument 43-101 for the purposes of this report and is independent of the Issuer. Other scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Locke B Goldsmith, M.Sc, P.Eng, P.Geo., Chief Geologist and Exploration Manager of Guyana Goldstrike Inc, a Qualified Person under the terms of National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Goldsmith is not independent of Guyana Goldstrike. ABOUT MARUDI GOLD PROJECT The Company is developing the Marudi Gold Project located in Guyana, South America. The project has 18-year mining license in good standing, all-season road access, infrastructure in place, with an established camp serviced by employees, service buildings, and a full-time camp manager. The Property has three known gold bearing areas: the alluvial areas, the saprolite, and the underlying hard-rock. There has been 42,000 metres of historic diamond drilling (141 holes) completed on the project by prior operators that have delineated two zones of mineralization: Mazoa Hill and Marudi North zones. The Company has recently completed a mineral resource estimate on the Mazoa Hill zone and discovered a third mineralized zone: Toucan Ridge. This zone was the current focus of the Company's 2018 trenching program. There exists excellent exploration upside for the further discovery of mineralized zones through the development of previously and newly identified mineralized bedrock targets on the project. For information concerning the mineral resource estimate and the project, readers are encouraged to review "Technical Report: Marudi Property Mazoa Hill Mineral Resource Estimate", a technical report prepared for the Company by Global Mineral Resource Services and is available at (Click Here) and under the Company's profile on SEDAR www.sedar.com. ABOUT GUYANA The Republic of Guyana is located in South America adjacent to Suriname. The country is English speaking and under British Common Law with a democratically-elected government. It has an established mining act and a rich history of gold production. In 2016, 690,000 ounces of gold was produced by operators mining in the country. The Fraser Institute's 2016 Annual Survey of Mining listed Guyana as the third best mining jurisdiction with regards to investment attractiveness in the Latin America and Caribbean Basin sub-group. The Guiana Shield is the geographic gold-hosting region, and is world-recognized as a premier gold region that is highly prospective, under-explored and has geological continuity with West Africa.* In 2016, two mines in Guyana declared the commencement of commercial production: the Aurora deposit (Guyana Goldfields) and the Karouni deposit (Troy Resources). * Independent Technical and Environmental Review Karouni Gold Project - Guyana, Behre Dolbear Australia Pty Ltd, April 29, 2016 On behalf of the Board of Directors of GUYANA GOLDSTRIKE INC. Peter Berdusco President and Chief Executive Officer Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, fluctuations in the market for gold, changes in exploration costs and government regulation in Guyana, status of artisanal mining activities and associated rights, and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affections such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Database integrity Measures taken to ensure that data has not been corrupted by, for example, transcription or keying errors, between its initial collection and its use for Mineral Resource estimation purposes. Data validation procedures used. The database is managed using Micromine Geobank software. Data is logged directly into an Excel spread sheet logging system with drop down field lists. Validation checks are written into the importing program ensures all data is of high quality. Digital assay data is obtained from the Laboratory, QA/QC checked and imported. Geobank exported to CSV TEXT and imported directly to the Micromine software used for the MRE. The combined database was provided for the MRE. Validation of the data import include checks for the following: Duplicate drill hole or trench names, One or more drill hole collar or trench coordinates missing in the collar file, FROM or TO missing or absent in the assay file, FROM > TO in the assay file, Sample intervals overlap in the assay file, First sample is not equal to 0 m in the assay file, First depth is not equal to 0 m in the survey file, Several downhole survey records exist for the same depth, Azimuth is not between 0 and 360 in the survey file, Dip is not between 0 and 90 in the survey file, Azimuth or dip is missing in survey file, Total depth of the holes is less than the depth of the last sample, Total length of trenches is less than the total length of all samples. Negative sample grades. No logical errors were identified in the analytical data. Site visits Comment on any site visits undertaken by the Competent Person and the outcome of those visits. If no site visits have been undertaken indicate why this is the case. Warren Potma, an employee of CSA Global, visited the Kharmagtai project, located in Mongolia, over 4 days from 18th to 22nd September 2018. The site visit was required for the purposes of inspection, ground truthing, review of activities, and collection of information and data. Geological interpretation Confidence in (or conversely, the uncertainty of) the geological interpretation of the mineral deposit. Nature of the data used and of any assumptions made. The effect, if any, of alternative interpretations on Mineral Resource estimation. The use of geology in guiding and controlling Mineral Resource estimation. The factors affecting continuity both of grade and geology. Geological data has been collected in a consistent manner that has allowed the development of geological models to support the Mineral Resource estimate. Copper and gold mineralisation is controlled by porphyry phases, oxidation zone, level of veining, breccia, country rocks and barren dykes. Full geological models of all major geological formations were developed for each deposit, and the block models were domained accordingly. Domaining of the deposit mineralisation was based on the current understanding of the deposits geology. All major geological formations were wireframed by Xanadu geologists using Leapfrog software, including porphyry phases, country rocks, barren dyke, base of oxidation surface and breccia bodies. All geological formations were domained by the level of development of stockwork - <0.5% veining, 0.5-1.5% veining and >1.5% veining. All provided wireframe models were imported into Micromine software and validated by CSA Global. Geological interpretation and wireframing were based on sampling results of drill holes and trenches, which were logged at 2 m intervals (average). No alternative interpretations were adopted. Lithological logging was mainly used to interpret and to wireframe the geological formations. Geological logging of veining was used to wireframe the stockwork and breccia domains. Dimensions The extent and variability of the Mineral Resource expressed as length (along strike or otherwise), plan width, and depth below surface to the upper and lower limits of the Mineral Resource. Altan Tolgoi: The strike length of the mineralised zone is about 1,200 m. Width is up to 800 m, no plunging, traced down dip to 1,030 m. Mineralisation is outcropped at the surface. Tsagaan Sudal: The strike length of the mineralised zone is about 1,200 m. Width is up to 730 m, no plunging, traced down dip to 1,080 m. Mineralisation is outcropped at the surface. Zesen Uul: The strike length of the mineralised zone is about 630 m. Width is up to 150 m with apparent plunging to SW at about 40 degrees. traced down dip to 420 m dipping 70 degrees to SE. Mineralisation is outcropped at the surface. Estimation and modelling techniques The nature and appropriateness of the estimation technique(s) applied and key assumptions, including treatment of extreme grade values, domaining, interpolation parameters and maximum distance of extrapolation from data points. If a computer assisted estimation method was chosen include a description of computer software and parameters used. The availability of check estimates, previous estimates and/or mine production records and whether the Mineral Resource estimate takes appropriate account of such data. The assumptions made regarding recovery of by-products. Estimation of deleterious elements or other non-grade variables of economic significance (e.g. sulphur for acid mine drainage characterisation). In the case of block model interpolation, the block size in relation to the average sample spacing and the search employed. Any assumptions behind modelling of selective mining units. Any assumptions about correlation between variables. Description of how the geological interpretation was used to control the resource estimates. Discussion of basis for using or not using grade cutting or capping. The process of validation, the checking process used, the comparison of model data to drill hole data, and use of reconciliation data if available. The MRE is based on surface drilling and trenching results using Ordinary Kriging (OK) to inform 20 m x 20 m x 20 m blocks. The block model was constrained by wireframes modelled for the geological formations of the deposits and coded and domained by the level of oxidation and level of veining. The OK interpolation was carried out separately for each geological domain of each deposit. Hard boundaries were used between the interpreted geological domains. The drill hole and trench data were composited to a target length of 2 m based on the length analysis of raw intercepts. Top-cuts were estimated separately for gold and coper grades for each modelled domain and applied to sampled intervals before length compositing. Interpolation parameters were as follows: Image removed and available in the link below http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/ee64305b-ef38-4f37-80e7-fbec61790afe Interpolation parameters were as follows: Image removed and available in the link below Previous JORC-compliant Mineral Resources were estimated by Mining Associates, and the estimate was available for review. No current mining is occurring at the Kharmagtai project. No by-products are assumed at this stage. Estimated molybdenum and silver grades appear to be sub-economic to extract at this stage of the project evaluation. Sulphur grades were interpolated into the models to establish their potential affect to metallurgical processing. The optimal parent cell size was selected in the course of block modelling. The linear parent cell dimensions along X- and Y-axes were 20 m x 20 m. The vertical parent cell dimension was 20 m. Block grades were interpolated using parent cell estimation. Nominal drill spacing was about 40 m x 40 m at the central parts of the deposits. It was assumed that a 20 m x 20 m x 20 m parent cell approximately reflects SMU for large scale open pit mining. No assumptions about correlation between variables were made. Geological interpretation was based on the results of detailed geological logging, which resulted in the development of wireframe models for all major geological formations for each deposit, which control copper and gold mineralisation (country rocks, porphyry phases, barren dyke. Logging of the level of veining and level of oxidation was used to develop wireframe models for the stockwork development (<0.5% veining, 0.5-1.5% veining and >1.5% veining) and also for breccia pipe and surface for the base of oxidation surface. The wireframe models for stockwork, breccia and oxidation were used to sub-domain the main geological formations of each deposit. All wireframe models were developed by Xanadu geologists using Leapfrog software. Top-cutting was applied separately for each geological domain and sub-domain based on the results of the classical statistical analysis. Grade estimation was validated using visual inspection of interpolated block grades vs. sample data, alternative interpolation methods and swath plots. Moisture Whether the tonnages are estimated on a dry basis or with natural moisture, and the method of determination of the moisture content. Moisture was not considered in the density assignment and all tonnage estimates are based on dry tonnes. Cut-off parameters The basis of the adopted cut-off grade(s) or quality parameters applied. A cut-off grade of 0.3% CuEq was used to report the Mineral Resources for open pit mining within the limits of ultimate undiscounted pit shell, and a cut-off of 0.5% CuEq was used to report the Mineral Resources for underground mining below the ultimate undiscounted pit shell. Mining factors or assumptions Assumptions made regarding possible mining methods, minimum mining dimensions and internal (or, if applicable, external) mining dilution. It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider potential mining methods, but the assumptions made regarding mining methods and parameters when estimating Mineral Resources may not always be rigorous. Where this is the case, this should be reported with an explanation of the basis of the mining assumptions made. No mining factors have been applied to the in-situ grade estimates for mining dilution or loss as a result of the grade control or mining process. The deposit is amenable to large scale bulk mining. The Mineral Resource is reported above and outside of an optimised ultimate pit shell (Lerch Grossman algorithm), mineralisation below the pit shell is reported at a higher cut-off to reflect the increased costs associated with block cave underground mining. Metallurgical factors or assumptions The basis for assumptions or predictions regarding metallurgical amenability. It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider potential metallurgical methods, but the assumptions regarding metallurgical treatment processes and parameters made when reporting Mineral Resources may not always be rigorous. Where this is the case, this should be reported with an explanation of the basis of the metallurgical assumptions made. No metallurgical factors have been applied to the in-situ grade estimates. Metallurgical recoveries were used when copper equivalent grades were calculated in the model. The applied recoveries were 85% for copper and 70% for gold. Relative gold to copper recovery was 82%. Environmental factors or assumptions Assumptions made regarding possible waste and process residue disposal options. It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider the potential environmental impacts of the mining and processing operation. While at this stage the determination of potential environmental impacts, particularly for a greenfields project, may not always be well advanced, the status of early consideration of these potential environmental impacts should be reported. Where these aspects have not been considered this should be reported with an explanation of the environmental assumptions made. An environmental baseline study was completed in 2003 by Eco Trade Co. Ltd. of Mongolia in cooperation with Sustainability Pty Ltd of Australia. The baseline study report was produced to meet the requirements for screening under the Mongolian Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Procedures administered by the Mongolian Ministry for Nature and Environment (MNE). Bulk density Whether assumed or determined. If assumed, the basis for the assumptions. If determined, the method used, whether wet or dry, the frequency of the measurements, the nature, size and representativeness of the samples. The bulk density for bulk material must have been measured by methods that adequately account for void spaces (vugs, porosity, etc.), moisture and differences between rock and alteration zones within the deposit. Discuss assumptions for bulk density estimates used in the evaluation process of the different materials. A total of 4428 measurements for bulk density are recorded in the database, all of which were determined by the water immersion method. The average density of all samples is approximately 2.75 t/m 3 . In detail there are some differences in density between different rock types. Therefore, since the model includes all major geological domains, density values were applied separately for each domain: Image removed and available in the link below http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/f88410f9-1055-4df6-bd86-6a10290b1304 . In detail there are some differences in density between different rock types. Therefore, since the model includes all major geological domains, density values were applied separately for each domain: Image removed and available in the link below Average bulk density values were applied for each geological domain, though there could be variations in density values due to presence of sulphides or level of alteration. Classification The basis for the classification of the Mineral Resources into varying confidence categories. Whether appropriate account has been taken of all relevant factors (i.e. relative confidence in tonnage/grade estimations, reliability of input data, confidence in continuity of geology and metal values, quality, quantity and distribution of the data). Whether the result appropriately reflects the Competent Persons view of the deposit. The Mineral Resource has been classified based on the guidelines specified in the JORC Code. The classification level is based upon an assessment of geological understanding of the deposit, geological and mineralization continuity, drill hole spacing, QC results, search and interpolation parameters and an analysis of available density information. The following approach was adopted: Measured Resources: Not reported. Indicated Resources: It was decided that Indicated Mineral Resources be assigned to blocks which were explored with the drill density not exceeding approximately 65 m x 65 m with at least two mineralization intersections on exploration lines. Geological structures are relatively well understood and interpreted. Inferred Resources: Inferred Mineral Resources are model blocks lying outside the Indicated wireframes, which still display reasonable strike continuity and down dip extension, based on the current drill hole and trench intersections. The following approach was adopted: Data quality, grade continuity, structural continuity and drill spacing were assessed by CSA Global to form an opinion regarding resource confidence. The classification reflects the Competent Persons view of the deposit. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of Mineral Resource estimates. The Mineral Resource block model was peer reviewed internally by a Principal Resource Geologist employed by CSA Global and the conclusion was made that the procedures used to estimate and classify the Mineral Resource are appropriate. MONTREAL, Feb. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd (the Company or Osisko) (TSX & NYSE: OR) is pleased to announce the closing of its previously announced (see press release of June 18, 2018) senior secured silver stream facility (Silver Stream) with reference to up to 100% of the future silver produced from the Horne 5 property (Horne 5 or the Project) located in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec from Falco Resources Ltd. (Falco) (TSXV: FPC). Pursuant to the silver purchase agreement entered into between Osisko and Falco on February 27, 2019, Osisko will purchase up to 100% of the refined silver from the Project. As consideration for the Silver Stream, Osisko will pay to Falco staged upfront cash deposits of up to C$180 million plus ongoing payments equal to 20% of the spot price of silver on the day that refined silver is delivered, to a maximum of US$6 per ounce of refined silver. On closing of the Silver Stream, Osisko has funded the first deposit of C$25,000,000, net of C$23,390,733 representing the C$20,000,000 principal amount of loans from Osisko to Falco entered into in May 2016 and September 2018 and accounts payable by Falco to Osisko, resulting in a cash outlay of C$1,609,267 to Falco. The Silver Stream is secured by the assets of Falco. We are pleased to conclude this important financing with Falco to continue the development of the Horne 5 project. The addition of the silver stream on Horne 5 brings in a new generation of assets that have the potential to become anchor assets within Osiskos royalty and stream portfolio. commented Sean Roosen, Chair and CEO of Osisko. Falco and Osisko have also reached an agreement to settle interest owed under each of the May 2016 and September 2018 loans through the issuance of 5,353,791 common shares of Falco (Falco Common Shares) at a deemed price of C$0.34 per share (the Shares for Debt Settlement). Completion of the Shares for Debt Settlement is subject to Falco obtaining necessary regulatory approvals, including acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Horne 5 Project Horne 5 is a development-stage project located in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. Horne 5 is located in the former Horne mine that was operated by Noranda from 1927 to 1976 and produced 11.6 million ounces of gold and 2.5 billion pounds of copper. Falco completed a feasibility study for the Project in 2017 that demonstrated positive economics, and estimated annual payable gold production of 219,000 ounces at US$399 per gold ounce over a 15 year life of mine. Falco is currently in the permitting process and working on obtaining all third-party approvals to advance project construction. Early Warning Disclosure Immediately prior to the Shares for Debt Settlement, Osisko had beneficial ownership of, or control and direction over, (i) 36,031,449 Falco Common Shares, representing approximately 17.8% of the issued and outstanding Falco Common Shares, and (ii) 6,052,222 warrants each entitling the holder to purchase one Falco Common Share (the Falco Warrants). Immediately following the Shares for Debt Settlement, Osisko will have beneficial ownership of, or control and direction over, 41,385,240 Falco Common Shares, representing approximately 19.9% of the issued and outstanding Falco Common Shares, and (ii) 6,052,222 Falco Warrants. Assuming the exercise of the Falco Warrants, Osisko would have beneficial ownership of, or control and direction over, 47,437,462 Falco Common Shares, representing approximately 22.2% of the Falco Common Shares issued and outstanding. Osisko will acquire the Falco Common Shares issued under the Shares for Debt Settlement for investment purposes and in accordance with applicable securities laws, Osisko may, from time to time and at any time, acquire additional Falco Common Shares and/or other equity, debt or other securities or instruments (collectively, Securities) of Falco in the open market or otherwise, and reserves the right to dispose of any or all of its Securities in the open market or otherwise at any time and from time to time, and to engage in similar transactions with respect to the Securities, the whole depending on market conditions, the business and prospects of Falco and other relevant factors. This news release is issued under the early warning provisions of the Canadian securities legislation. A copy of the early warning report to be filed by Osisko in connection with the Shares for Debt Settlement described above will be available on SEDAR under Falcos profile. To obtain a copy of the early warning report, you may also contact Joseph de la Plante, Vice President, Corporate Development of Osisko at (514) 9400670. Falcos head office is located at 1100 avenue des Canadiens-de-Montreal, Suite 300, Montreal, Quebec, H3B 2S2. Related Party Transactions The Silver Stream is considered a related party transaction for Falco under Regulation 61-101 respecting Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (Regulation 61-101). Osisko understands that Falco is exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation in connection with the Silver Stream, as the shares of Falco are not listed on any of the specified markets. The Silver Stream was subject to receipt of the Disinterested Shareholder Approval of Falco which was obtained on November 29, 2018. The Shares for Debt Settlement is considered to be a "related party transaction" for Falco under Regulation 61101 but Osisko understands that Falco is exempted from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation and to obtain minority approval, as the fair market value of the consideration for the Shares for Debt Settlement does not exceed 25% of Falcos market capitalization. Mr. Guy Desharnais, Ph.D., P.Geo, is the qualified person for this release as defined by Regulation 43101 respecting Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and has reviewed and verified the technical information contained herein. Mr. Guy Desharnais is an employee of Osisko and is non-independent. About Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd is an intermediate precious metal royalty company focused on the Americas. Osisko holds a North American focused portfolio of over 130 royalties, streams and precious metal offtakes. Osiskos portfolio is anchored by its 5% net smelter return royalty on the Canadian Malartic mine, which is the largest gold mine in Canada. Osisko also owns a portfolio of publicly held resource companies, including a 16.7% interest in Osisko Mining Inc., a 32.2% interest in Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd. and a 15.4% interest in Victoria Gold Corp. Osiskos head office is located at 1100 Avenue des Canadiens-de Montreal, Suite 300, Montreal, Quebec, H3B 2S2. For further information please contact, please contact Osisko Gold Royalties: Joseph de la Plante Vice President, Corporate Development Tel. (514) 940-0670 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Forward-looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release may be deemed forwardlooking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. These forwardlooking statements, by their nature, require Osisko to make certain assumptions and necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forwardlooking statements. Forwardlooking statements are not guarantees of performance. These forwardlooking statements, may involve, but are not limited to the terms and conditions of the Silver Stream facility and the amount and terms of deposit payments to be made by Osisko under the Silver Stream facility, the anticipated benefits deriving from the investment and transaction between Osisko and Falco, the receipt of third party consents, TSX Venture Exchange approvals and other regulatory approvals. Words such as may, will, would, could, expect, believe, plan, anticipate, intend, estimate, continue, or the negative or comparable terminology, as well as terms usually used in the future and the conditional, are intended to identify forwardlooking statements. Information contained in forwardlooking statements is based upon certain material assumptions that were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection, including the receipt of regulatory approvals, managements perceptions of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other considerations that are believed to be appropriate in the circumstances. Osisko considers its assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, but cautions the reader that their assumptions regarding future events, many of which are beyond the control of Osisko, may ultimately prove to be incorrect since they are subject to risks and uncertainties that affect Osisko and its business. For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forwardlooking statements made in this press release, see the section entitled Risk Factors in the most recent Annual Information Form of Osisko which is filed with the Canadian securities commissions and available electronically under Osiskos issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and available electronically under Osiskos issuer profile on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. The forward looking information set forth herein reflects Osiskos expectations as at the date of this press release and is subject to change after such date. Osisko disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forwardlooking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. Israel rejected the findings of a UN probe released Thursday into its soldiers response to Gaza unrest that began in March last year, calling it hostile, deceitful and biased. Israel rejects the report outright, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement after the probe alleged soldiers may have committed crimes against humanity. No institution can negate Israels right to self-defence and its duty to defend its residents and borders from violent attacks. There is evidence that Israel committed crimes against humanity in responding to 2018 protests in Gaza, as snipers targeted people clearly identifiable as children, health workers and journalists, a UN probe said Thursday. Israeli soldiers committed violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Some of those violations may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity, the chair of the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Santiago Canton, said in a statement. The inquiry, set up by the UN Human Rights Council, investigated possible violations from the start of the protests on March 30, 2018 through to December 31. More than 6,000 unarmed demonstrators were shot by military snipers, week after week at the protest sites, it said. The Commission found reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli snipers shot at journalists, health workers, children and persons with disabilities, knowing they were clearly recognisable as such, it said. The investigators specified that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli troops killed and injured Palestinians who were neither directly participating in hostilities, nor posing an imminent threat. The UN team also dismissed claims by Israel that the protests were aimed to conceal acts of terrorism. The demonstrations were civilian in nature, with clearly stated political aims, the statement said. Despite some acts of significant violence, the Commission found that the demonstrations did not constitute combat or military campaigns. The commission said it conducted 325 interviews with victims, witnesses and other sources, while reviewing more than 8,000 documents. Investigators looked at drone footage and other audiovisual material, the commission said. The Israeli authorities did not respond to repeated requests by the Commission for information and access to Israel and to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the report said. College of Veterinary Medicine student from Wichita receives veterinary leadership award Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019 MANHATTAN Sara Wilkes, a third-year student in the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, is one of 37 recipients of the Dr. Jack Walther Leadership Award, which recognizes veterinary student leaders and promotes lifelong professional service to the industry. Wilkes, Wichita, received the honor at the Western Veterinary Conference, Feb. 17-20, in Las Vegas. One student each is selected from all of the veterinary colleges in the U.S., Canada and Caribbean Islands on the basis of accomplishments, scholastic excellence and long-term leadership potential. Recipients receive a $1,000 award and complimentary registration, lodging, airfare and a $525 travel allowance to attend the 2019 conference. "I am honored to be a recipient of the Jack Walther Leadership Award," Wilkes said. "I am deeply indebted to the wonderful mentors and instructors that I have had here at Kansas State University who have inspired me to go above and beyond the veterinary curriculum. Both meeting other students from veterinary schools around the country and experiencing the Western Veterinary Conference have been invaluable experiences as I consider my future beyond veterinary school. I am proud to be counted among those students and look forward to working with and getting to know many other incredible veterinarians over the course of my career." DRAIN, Ore. A 73-year-old man stranded on a remote forested hill near the little Douglas County town of Drain is being treated after a Coast Guard crew flew in for the rescue. Lloyd Cline had reportedly been staying at a logging site, working as a watchman tasked with "looking after equipment" when a major snowstorm swept in, standing him in the Elk Creek area off Upper Smith River Road. After several days staying alive with whatever supplies he had on hand, the man ran out of propane to heat his trailer and started running low on food and water. He called 911 for assistance. "With ground access blocked due to road conditions and another winter weather advisory in effect OEM organized rescue efforts," USCG said. Over Monday and Tuesday, search and rescue teams attempted to reach him, but were slowed by downed trees and ongoing severe weather, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO). Finally, Wednesday saw a break in the weather. That's when rescuers called in air support. At 1:20 p.m. on Wednesday, the Oregon Office of Emergency Management contacted watchstanders at the Sector North Bend command center. In less than an hour, the Coast Guard had an aircrew aboard an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter at the scene. The crew was able to hoist the stranded man to safety, then transported him to Sacred Heart Hospital in Eugene "where he received medical care related to the treatment of hypothermia," USCG said. Cline was in the hospital by 3:05 p.m. the same day, according to USCG. His condition is unknown at this time. ROSEBURG, Ore. While the southernmost Oregon counties have seen, at most, an unusual amount of rain and snow this week, Douglas County has taken the brunt of a series of storms with heavy snow bringing down trees and power lines, restricting travel and leaving thousands without electricity. On Wednesday, the Douglas County Boar of Commissioners declared a state of emergency, according to a joint statement issued by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO). "The order was recorded and forwarded onto our Emergency Manager for processing, and submission to the State and Governor Browns office requesting an official emergency declaration for Douglas County," DCSO said. "The order cited severe winter storms, heavy snowfall, widespread power outages and road closures from downed trees and power lines." An emergency declaration from the Governor's office would allow "increased flexibility," DCSO said, in how services are managed making sure that the safety of residents is assured. "The Governors emergency declaration will also authorize state agencies to expedite additional resources services management tools to users who would not otherwise have access," DCSO said. Meanwhile, Pacific Power said that crews had been working throughout the day on snowy roads amid "a massive amount of damage," restoring power to about 6,000 people between the Willamette Valley and Roseburg areas. We are getting close to restoring the last of the customers in the Willamette Valley communities such as Cottage Grove and Lebanon where fewer than 650 customers remain without power, said David Lucas, vice president of operations. Overnight, we will be moving additional crews and resources to Douglas County to concentrate on this area of widespread damage. By Thursday afternoon, the utility estimated that it would have 200 crew members working in Douglas county alone removing trees, repairing power lines, and fixing other damaged equipment. But Pacific Power said that the ongoing weather conditions would make for "slow going." The patience and support our crews have seen in the community have been great, said Sam Carter, regional business manager for Douglas County. It has been a lot to endure, but as I talk with people from around the county, it looks like neighbors are helping each other get through it. In the meantime, and Emergency Operations Center has been set up at the Sheriff's Office to get emergency services where they are needed, plus providing updates to locals. "Do not call 9-1-1 to determine when your power will be turned back on," DCSO said. "The emergency dispatchers do not have access to this information. Contact your power company directly to determine an estimated time of restoration." Shelters and warming centers have been set up at several locations in Douglas County: - American Red Cross Shelter - Winston Foursquare Church, 540 SE Main St, Winston, OR - Dream Center - 813 SE Lane Street, Roseburg, OR (Open 7p 7a) - (541) 673-5918 - Yoncalla Elementary Gym - 400 First Street, Yoncalla, OR - Sutherlin Community Center - 150 Willamette Street, Sutherlin, OR "We continue to encourage residents travel with caution," DCSO said. "If driving is required, motorists should be prepared for potential hazards and plan accordingly. If traveling ensure you have sufficient emergency supplies including food, water, medications, winter clothing, flashlights and blankets. Give yourself extra time to get to your destination and reduce your speed." Photo: Contributed Spring isnt here quite yet. Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for the Okanagan Valley, advising of an estimated 10 centimetres by early Thursday afternoon. A developing weather system approaching southern BC will bring snow to the region beginning tonight, the advisory reads. Snowfall is expected to be heavier closer to the US - Canada border and diminish further northwards. The Allison Pass on Highway 3 is expected to get upwards of 15 cm. Southernmost portions of the Fraser Canyon, Nicola and Central Okanagan regions, including Boston Bar, Tulameen, parts of Highway 5A and areas near Peachland, should see 10 cm. Lesser accumulations are expected further north near Merritt and Kelowna. Alanna Kelly An Alberta pilot who crashed his aircraft was flying in deteriorating weather and did not have enough experience to be flying in the difficult mountainous conditions, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. The TSB released its investigation report Wednesday into the fatal plane crash in Glacier National Park, east of Revelstoke. The single-engine M20D aircraft was privately registered to 28-year-old Dominic Neron. The plane disappeared after leaving Penticton Regional Airport on Nov. 25, 2017. Neron and his girlfriend Ashley Bourgeault, 31, left the airport at 2:30 p.m. and were reported missing at 10:40 p.m. after they failed to arrive at their final destination of Edmonton. Almost 10 months after they went missing, the wreckage from the small plane was found by a B.C. Ambulance Service Helicopter crew, just 500 feet off the Trans-Canada Highway. Regional senior investigator Chris Johnston says the plane left Penticton and headed straight to Revelstoke. About 3:10 p.m., it was over Revelstoke Airport and made four 360-degree left turns while descending. The aircraft then flew along the Trans-Canada Highway, heading east towards Rogers Pass, states Johnston in his report. At approximately 3:27 p.m., the aircraft passed Jack McDonald Snowshed at 5,200 feet above sea level travelling at 131 knots. The aircrafts airspeed slowed from 147 to 82 knots and it climbed 840 feet to 2,550 feet above ground level in 11 seconds. Johnston reports this occurred very close to the accident site. TSB regional manager of investigations Ewan Tasker says the risk is very high for pilots with Neron's level of experience who end up finding themselves flying into bad weather. The real risk of flying in clouds is if you are not experienced in flying in clouds or trained it is very difficult, he said. A man of this experience level who didnt have an instrument rating and also not a night rating that could be very hard for him to just maintain control of the aircraft. Neron was flying in low ceilings, fog, and limited visibility. Cloud layers often in the mountains arent just one solid flat layer, they can dip into valleys or may change slightly in altitude depending on surroundings, said Tasker. Examination of the wreckage indicated the aircraft struck the terrain in a steep, nose-down attitude. The flaps were found in the fully retreated up position, the landing gear was found in the partially extended position. That type of attitude, nose down attitude, that shows us that this was likely out of control. The engine was deemed capable of producing power at the time of impact, states the report. No flight plan was filed by Neron, and he did not obtain a weather briefing from NAV Canada prior to departure. Neron was certified and qualified for the flight based on regulations and had his private pilots licence for two years and five days. At the time of the occurrence, the pilot did not hold a night rating or an instrument rating and he would have been flying near dusk as the sunset for the Revelstoke area on Nov. 25 was at 3:54. Johnston says according to the logbook, which only had data up to May 2017, Neron had 122.2 total flights hours. The last entry in the pilots personal logbook was made May 28 the aircrafts journey logbook was not recovered, said Johnston. Data collected by TSB between 2000 and 2014 states accidents involving flights that depart under visual meteorological conditions and continue to a point where pilots lose visual reference with the ground have a high fatality rate. Over the 14-year period, these types of accidents resulted in 74 fatalities. We dont know exactly what happened in the end, but we do know how the aircraft hit the ground and we do know the weather in that area was getting lower and lower, said Tasker. The board says it has previously issued recommendations on emergency locator transmitters that it is highlighting again in this report. "This older version is not tracked by the satellite and even if it went off, which it didnt, it would be very difficult to find, said Tasker. But the second real concern we have, is the survivability of the unit itself. Neron's ELT broke in the accident and the batteries came out and it broke free of its antenna. The recommendations include that Transport Canada establish rigorous survivability requirements for the transmitters, reducing the likelihood that they will be rendered inoperative after a crash. A pilot of qualified but limited experience flying into some weather that was unsuitable and that ELT was the big thing here it took so long to find and that points back at the ELT, said Tasker. 396 Shares Share The Brazilian butt lift (BBL) is a procedure that enhances the buttocks through fat transfer. Excess fat is harvested from other areas of the body including the abdomen, hips, lower back and thighs through liposuction. BBL is a popular procedure for those seeking to enhance their bodies. However, with the recent reports of patient deaths from undergoing BBL, many have now labeled it as the most dangerous cosmetic procedure. Dangers of a Brazilian butt lift The postmortem findings from the deceased patients showed two common causes of death following a BBL: 1) fat within and beneath the gluteal muscles, and 2) massive fat emboli. The findings were consistent with the typical risks associated with the intramuscular fat grafting technique. Intramuscular fat injection is one method that plastic surgeons employ along with the superficial administration of fat during BBL. While it is mostly done to ensure that there is a higher chance of fat survival, it requires a precise and careful application. Anatomically, important nerves and blood vessels pass through the gluteal region. Thus, injecting the cannula deep into the muscles can hit these major structures and cause injury and complication. It can even lead to a heart or pulmonary fat embolism (PFE) that can become deadly if not treated immediately. Fat embolism results when the grafted fat is injected into the bloodstream, obstructing the major blood vessels of the heart or the lungs. Causes of risks and complications following a BBL What gives rise to these dangers after a Brazilian butt lift? We have listed a few of the more common dangers below: 1. When it is performed by an unlicensed practitioner. Training and experience are important when handling and performing cosmetic procedures like BBL. This is what unlicensed practitioners lack. While they may be familiar with the anatomy of the body, they may not have received proper training in actually doing the procedure. This makes BBL, and other cosmetic procedures, unsafe as one miscalculated move could lead to irreparable mistakes that may become fatal. 2. Using injectables like silicone and fillers instead of fat. Silicone and fillers are both FDA-approved for their use to enhance breasts and improve signs of aging. They are not approved for use for a Brazilian butt lift. Because BBL is not a low-cost procedure itself, patients are turning to these fat alternatives to enhance their buttocks. This is not advisable because these alternatives are not made to be used for a BBL procedure. The final results may be unsatisfactory and may require revision surgery or may become a deadly complication if not treated right away. 3. Unsterile operating area and surgical instruments. Failure to sterilize the operating area and the surgical tools to be used can put the patient in danger. It exposes them to agents of infection that can cause complications to arise. Likewise, it may lead to a poor outcome that may need a second surgery to correct. 4. Intramuscular injection of the grafted fat. Intramuscular fat grafting is a common technique for BBL. However, it imposes danger to patients, especially when the cannula is injected deep into the muscle where nerves and blood vessels lie. Hitting a blood vessel can cause massive fat emboli, which can be fatal. Preventing dangers of BBL from arising Because of the increasing malpractices and rising deaths due to BBL, plastic surgeons from across the world through an Inter-Society Gluteal Fat Grafting Task (BBL Task Force) have taken the initiative to advise fellow doctors to assess their techniques in conducting the Brazilian butt lift. Likewise, they encourage patients worldwide to know more about BBL before deciding to undergo surgery. The BBL Task Force also proposes the following measures to plastic surgeons to prevent the increasing occurrence of problems and deaths during surgery: 1. Be familiar with the patients body. While we are familiar with the human anatomy, the body is different from one patient to another. Thus, it is important also to be well-acquainted with the patients body. It will enable us to develop a technique that is best for our patient and avoid incurring any injury to internal structures in the gluteal region. 2. Avoid using the intramuscular-fat-injection technique. Injecting fat into the muscles and beyond increases the chances of injuring the underlying nerves and blood vessels in the buttocks. Keep fat injections within the superficial planes of the buttocks, with the subcutaneous space being the safest location to place the grafted fat. Doing so lowers the possibility of causing complications from the procedure significantly. 3. Use a blunt and pressure-controlled cannula. Controlling the movement of the cannula as well as limiting the area where fat will be injected prevents unintended deep passes into the muscles where vital structures lie. Likewise, blunt cannulas lessen the chance of puncturing blood vessels and injecting fat into the bloodstream. 4. Have access incisions to ensure that the cannula is kept at a superficial trajectory. This technique allows us to keep the angulation of the cannula at the subcutaneous level. External palpation can also help ensure that the cannula is not angled too deeply while injecting the fat into the buttocks. 5. Injecting fat must be done while moving the cannula. This technique prevents high-pressure bolus injections, which can be deadly when it causes a blockage in the major veins of the heart and lungs. 6. Thoroughly explain the risks and complications that undergoing a BBL procedure entails to patients. It is recommended to not only inform but to educate our patients about the BBL procedure. It helps them re-evaluate and make the right decisions about undertaking the cosmetic procedure. Safety while achieving aesthetic goals Achieving aesthetic goals is essential for any patient considering BBL. As a plastic surgeon myself, I would want nothing more than to help my patients attain these goals. But above this, their safety is paramount, especially since the Brazilian butt lift can be a complicated procedure that requires accurate and careful execution. As a plastic surgeon experienced in performing the Brazilian butt lift, here are two pieces of advice I can offer patients who are considering the procedure: 1. Consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Board-certified plastic surgeons went through years of study and training in performing intricate surgeries like the BBL. Our experience and training have enabled us to properly educate patients about such cosmetic procedures, guide them through the whole process, and expertly care for them before, during and after the surgery. 2. Do not trade your health, or life for low-rate BBL alternatives. Above your aesthetic goals, your safety comes first when undertaking any cosmetic surgery. The Brazilian butt lift is not a low-cost procedure, but plastic surgery facilities are offering financing options that patients can consider to have a safe and well-guided BBL surgery. When it comes to procedures like the BBL, do not short-change yourself just to achieve your aesthetic goals. Seek advice and take the initiative to educate yourself about the surgery. Doing so will enable you to make a sound decision about undertaking the Brazilian butt lift or any other cosmetic procedure in the future. Patrick Hsu is a plastic surgeon. Image credit: Shutterstock.com 158K Shares Share In hindsight, I should have never accepted a Xanax prescription from my doctor. What followed was catastrophic rapidly developing tolerance and physical dependence on the drug and a prolonged illness. Three-and-a-half years later, I am still slowly tapering off Valium (having transitioned to a longer-acting benzodiazepine to aid in tapering) and experiencing debilitating symptoms daily. I was unprepared for what happened to me by my medical training, my physician, and the drug sheet I was given at the pharmacy. Later I would find that some of the most serious risks are not mentioned in the FDA Label specifically that patients can suffer disabling neurological damage from benzodiazepines, which in some cases may be permanent. Had I known about this possibility, I would have never filled the prescription. But because I was never truly informed of the risks, my health and life as I knew it have been destroyed. My experience is far from unique. The unfortunate truth is that patients prescribed benzodiazepines are not receiving true informed consent. While many were cautioned about the risk of addiction, the overwhelming majority of patients in online support groups for benzodiazepine withdrawal report having never been warned about the possibility of physical dependence, severe withdrawal, and neurological injury. In fact, in a 2013 survey of the largest online forum, Benzobuddies, almost 60 percent of the respondents reported receiving no warning at all from their provider about the potential side effects and risks of benzodiazepines. Ive been asked many times how this could have happened to me. After all, Im a doctor I should have known. The truth is, physicians are not adequately trained about the possible adverse effects of benzodiazepines. As a medical student and internal medicine resident, I was taught about benzodiazepines potential for addiction and abuse, their increased risk of overdose in combination with alcohol and opioids, to prescribe them only short term (which I now know is <2- 4 weeks), and to use caution in the elderly. But what happened to me, and so many others, was never mentioned as a possibility. As I found out the hard way, the medical profession is grossly uneducated about the potential harms of this drug class. Unfortunately, in the past few years, Ive been forced to learn what could fill volumes about benzodiazepines through my research, participation in online support forums, and my advocacy work. While not a comprehensive list of the risks, here are the things I wish I had known before ever accepting a prescription for a benzodiazepine: Physical dependence on benzodiazepines can develop in a matter of days or weeks. This can, and often does, occur in the absence of abuse or addiction. Physical dependence and addiction are two distinct entities. Being warned only about the addictive nature of benzodiazepines gave me a false sense of security, since I took my medication only as prescribed. Withdrawal symptoms can be intolerable and disabling in spite of a very slow taper over the course of years. The worst cases may become bedridden (or suffer severe symptoms such as akathisia), unable to do basic self-care tasks most people take for granted such as showering or cooking. Not everyone will experience symptoms to this extreme, but currently there is no research to predict which patients will have problems. Even commonly prescribed or low doses of benzodiazepines can be problematic. I took the lowest dose of Xanax possible (even lower than my prescribed dose), but I developed major problems nonetheless. The bottom line is, there is no such thing as a safe dose of any benzodiazepine. Benzodiazepine adverse effects, tolerance, and withdrawal can create a myriad of symptoms which are often confused with many chronic health conditions. Many patients, myself included, visit numerous doctors in search of an answer to the their problems, only to later discover the cause is their prescribed benzodiazepine. Perhaps the most disturbing thing is that these drugs can cause long-term brain damage, resulting in a protracted withdrawal syndrome that can persist years and may even be permanent. How many people would sign up for a benzodiazepine prescription if they understood this risk? Fully informed consent regarding benzodiazepines is not happening in current practice, and that needs to change. The first step in solving the problem is ensuring that prescribers are fully aware of the risks. To start, all prescribers of benzodiazepines should educate themselves by reading the Ashton Manual, which contains information about benzodiazepine withdrawal and safe taper protocols. They should also read the prescribing guidelines for benzodiazepines (such as Pennsylvania and New York City), as well as websites containing educational material on benzodiazepines (such as Benzodiazepine Information Coalition, World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day, and the Alliance for Benzodiazepine Best Practices). Once educated, prescribers have a responsibility to fully inform their patients of the risks of benzodiazepinesits simply not enough to expect a patient to read the drug sheet handed to them at the pharmacy. These drugs are so dangerous that written consent administered by the prescriber should be required before patients receive a prescription. This is currently not mandatory, but as more patients are recognizing they have been harmed by benzodiazepines, the push for this is growing. Informed consent bills initiated by benzodiazepine-injured patients are currently in progress in several states including Massachusetts, New Jersey and Connecticut. Patients deserve to be given all the information needed to make the best decisions regarding their health: Anything less is unacceptable. Knowing that lack of adequate informed consent about these drugs is a gaping hole in current medical practice, I authored a consent form for benzodiazepine prescription, which contains everything I wish Id been told before being given that Xanax prescription. Using this form has the potential to reduce patient suffering and save lives, so I am urging all prescribers to integrate this tool into their clinical practice. Christy Huff is a cardiologist and co-director, Benzodiazepine Information Coalition. She can be reached on Twitter @christyhuffMD. Image credit: Shutterstock.com 632 Shares Share In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or step back into safety. Abraham Maslow. The New York Times recently published the op-ed Dr. Google is a Liar, written by cardiologist Haider Warraich, MD. Dr. Warraich describes the rise of fake medical news and the adverse consequences of a population who gets their medical information from social media. He shares that when countering these cultural memes of medical misinformation, which stir up strong emotions in our patients, stating dry medical jargon is not effective. He found that his patient was more open to his advice when he also shared about his own fathers heart attack. Dr. Warraich wisely argues for physicians to take back control of medical news by harnessing the power of humanism and narrative medicine to become effective storytellers. I wholeheartedly agree with him. Lets stop burying our heads in the sand and pretending we can convince our patients to resist Dr. Google. Lets put ourselves back in the drivers seat. I believe that the next generation of great doctors will be those who communicate on the Internet effectively and in a compelling enough way to sustain an audience and engender trust. In a time when trust in doctors is eroding, our patients want to see that we are human too and to do that we need to overcome our fears of showing our humanity. We know that when doctors and nurses are burnt out, patient outcomes decline. Literature also supports that when doctors display more empathy for their patients, outcomes improve. Humanism in medicine works best when it is a two-way street, wherein our health care system treats both patients and health care workers as human beings. I believe theres a natural link between humanism in medicine and social media. While there has been a core group of physicians on social media for the past decade, we are now seeing it become mainstream. Through this increased visibility, physicians are using social media mobilization to organize and to advocate for better patient care and better work conditions. Last November, as a criticism to the American College of Physicians position paper describing a public health approach to tackling gun-related deaths, the National Rifle Association tweeted that self-important anti-gun doctors should stay in their lane. The medical community swiftly responded with the #ThisIsMyLane campaign, rallying around their first-person, often harrowing accounts, of caring for the gunshot victims in ERs and operating rooms. Dr. Dave Morris, MD, a trauma surgeon in Utah posted a photo of his blood-soaked scrubs and said Cant post a patient photo, so this is a selfie. This is what it looks like to #stayinmylane. The tweets and hashtags went viral, garnering national media attention, and physicians effectively steered the conversation. Leo Eisenstein, a Harvard Medical Student, wrote about this in a New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst piece. He reminds us that the term burnout was coined by a psychologist who was caring for marginalized patients. In todays broken health care system, clinicians are burdened by the reality that their patients are fighting socioeconomic and structural barriers that no medicines can touch. If both physicians and patients feel powerless against these forces, its not a big leap to envision physician advocacy as part of the antidote. Part of makes what makes social media appealing is that it allows unheard voices to become public. This is crucial particularly for physicians, with many of us working long hours providing direct face to face patient care, and thus not having the time for community engagement. Social media platforms have become a watering hole of sorts, where its okay to share your perspective as a physician. Every Sunday night, @womeninmedchat (run by Dr. Petra Dolman, MD) hosts an hour-long Twitter chat, with guest moderators facilitating conversations ranging from how to negotiate pay, navigating residency interviews, and countering burn out, all searchable under the hashtag #womeninmedicine. The Facebook group SoMeDocs (Social Media Docs), founded by Dr. Dana Corriel, MD, has provided an engaging forum for physicians to discuss a variety of issues related to social media. #SoMeDocs is branching out to in-person live meetups aimed at building community, and advancing shared goals. For example, when Dr. Monique Tello, MD, MPH spoke out in support of vaccinations, she was targeted by anti-vaxxers online. Through the support of #SoMeDocs, Dr. Tello wrote a widely circulated blog post about online harassment and intimidation against doctors and successfully had the fake one-star online reviews removed. With all of this momentum, it is important to remember that social media is a public space, and it should not be used to share protected health information or sensitive personal material. Some physicians argue that these risks mean we physicians should stay away from social media. However, with the next generation of doctors spending at least a decade of their life on Instagram and Snapchat before medical school, we cannot simply ignore the fact the social media has its own place in health care. Universities have been taking notice and creating positions to legitimize social media. My alma mater, Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia has named Dr. Austin Chiang MD, MPH as their Chief Social Media Officer. Likewise, the newly established Association for Healthcare Social Media aims to create best practices by which all health care professionals can be guided and protected in this emerging field. Ive met quite a few physicians who are even just one generation older than I am that are suspicious of social media. To them, its extra, and its dangerous. I cant help but wonder if there is an underlying fear that the next generation is going about things differently? It seems there is denial and wishful thinking; as if we can turn back the clock in time and go back to the good old days when physicians could practice medicine without the burdens of out of control billing and EMR demands. My generation has inherited the reigns, and in my opinion, we got into this mess by physicians keeping themselves separate from other industries. Insurance companies took over medicine, and meanwhile, physicians were seeing patients, writing notes and faxing orders. We assumed that if we were providing excellent patient care, the rest would fall in line, and the work would speak for itself. Fast forward, and here we are. Part of whats gotten us off track in medicine is the dehumanization of patients and doctors. By sharing our stories, we remind the public that we are human too. We have successes and failures, tragedies and triumphs. We are human. I believe that doctors can serve patients, be professional, and make our opinions known. In fact, its our duty, and our profession depends on it. Pooja Lakshmin is a psychiatrist and can be reached at her self-titled site, Pooja Lakshmin, and on Twitter @poojalakshmin. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Photo: Naramata Centre Moving into its fourth year of operation following a two-year closure, Naramata Centre is humming along and seeing growing interest in its programs. The centre recently launched this years programming schedule and says business is up about 10 per cent over last year. We are reconnecting with folks who used to come to us pre-closure, said interim managing director Jim Simpson. The centre has offered a variety of programming on its 23-acre campus for more than 70 years. Visitors travel from across Western Canada to attend the centre in the summer, while spring and fall programs prove popular with Okanagan locals. It's been really helpful for us to be of use to the community and engage with folks and see the centre become successful," Simpson said. The centre announced last year it would be entering talks with developers to sell off some of its property to reach a more sustainable footing. Simpson says those conversations continue. Big moves like that with development, nothing happens quickly, he said. We still need to find the right size for this place for its operation, it's not the 23 acres that we own. But we want to do it mindfully. New programming this year includes Circus and Acro Discovery, which uses circus performance and acro movement to facilitate conscious growth, health and well being. A S.O.U.L. camp weekend retreat to help youth explore leadership is also being offered, as well as a Sacred Space Retreat Day a once-a-month single day retreat for creative expression, silent contemplation and guided time together. More information on this years schedule can be found online. WASHINGTON (AP) Shaking off criticism from House Republicans, President Donald Trumps former personal lawyer declared under oath Wednesday that Trump knew ahead of time and embraced the news when told that WikiLeaks had emails damaging to Hillary Clintons presidential campaign. Michael Cohen also testified that Trump is a racist, a conman and a cheat. Cohen, called to testify by Democrats over the objections of Republicans, suggested that Trump also implicitly told him to lie about a Moscow real estate project. Cohen has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the project, which he says Trump knew about as Cohen was negotiating with Russia during the 2016 election campaign. The hearing was producing the most damning depiction to date of Trumps campaign and business operations from a onetime member of his inner circle. It was the latest step in Cohens evolution from legal fixer for the president he once boasted hed take a bullet for Trump to a foe who has implicated him in federal campaign finance violations. I am ashamed of my weakness and misplaced loyalty, of the things I did for Mr. Trump in an effort to protect and promote him, Cohen said. I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trumps illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. Democrats asked Cohen about details of his accusations against Trump, while Republicans on the House Oversight and Reform Committee focused on assailing him and his credibility. Accused at length by one GOP lawmaker of being a pathological liar, Cohen responded, Sir, are you referring to me or the president? On a more substantive matter, Cohen said at one point that prosecutors in New York are investigating conversations Trump or his advisers had with him after his hotel room was raided for documents by the FBI. He was asked by a Democratic congressman about the last contact he had had with Trump or any agent representing the president. Cohen said that happened about two months after his hotel room was raided by the FBI in April 2018. But he declined to provide more specific details and said the matter was being investigated by federal prosecutors. As for the Clinton emails, Cohens claims that Trump had advance knowledge about the WikiLeaks release contradict the presidents assertions that he was in the dark, but it was not clear what evidence Cohen had to support the allegation or even how legally problematic it would be for Trump. Special counsel Robert Mueller has not suggested that mere awareness of WikiLeaks plans, as Trump confidant Roger Stone is purported to have had, is by itself a crime. Underscoring the deeply partisan nature of the proceedings, Democrats on the committee lifted an earlier restriction that the hearing not delve into Russia, while Republicans tried unsuccessfully to block the hearing as it got underway, on grounds that Cohen had not provided his opening statement long enough in advance. The committees top Republican, Rep. Jim Jordan, of Ohio, sought early on to undermine Cohens credibility by calling him a fraudster, cheat and a convicted felon. Certainly its the first time a convicted perjurer has been brought back to be a star witness at a hearing, Jordan said. Cohen said Trump did not directly tell him to lie, but he would look me in the eye and tell me theres no business in Russia and then go out and lie to the American people by saying the same thing. Cohen said that in his way, he was telling me to lie. He added that lawyers for Trump had reviewed and edited the statement in which Cohen falsely said a proposal for a Trump Tower in Moscow had been abandoned in January 2016. Cohen has since said he continued pursuing the project for Trump for months after that. Trump, at a Vietnam hotel before a planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and unable to ignore the drama playing out thousands of miles away, lashed out at Cohen on Twitter, saying his lawyer did bad things unrelated to Trump and is lying in order to reduce his prison time. A judge already has set Cohens sentence, and Cohens cooperation will have no bearing on that term. Cohen, ahead of his appearance, said Tuesday that the American people could decide exactly who is telling the truth when he testified before the House committee. On WikiLeaks, Cohen said in the prepared testimony that he was in Trumps office in July 2016 when longtime adviser Roger Stone telephoned Trump. Trump put Stone on speakerphone and Stone told him that he had communicated with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clintons campaign, according to Cohen. Trump responded by saying wouldnt that be great, Cohen said. That month, WikiLeaks released thousands of emails hacked from the Democratic National Committees server. A lot of people have asked me about whether Mr. Trump knew about the release of the hacked Democratic National Committee emails ahead of time, Cohen said in the prepared testimony. The answer is yes. Cohen said he does not have direct evidence that Trump colluded with the Russian government during the election, but that he has suspicions. Of a meeting in Trump Tower between campaign advisers, including Trumps oldest son, and a Russian lawyer, Cohen said that Trump had frequently told him that Donald Trump Jr. had the worst judgment of anyone in the world and he would never set up any meeting of any significance alone and certainly not without checking with his father. Cohen, once Trumps loyal attorney, has turned on his former boss and cooperated with Muellers Russia investigation. He begins a three-year prison sentence in May after pleading guilty to lying to Congress in 2017 and committing campaign finance violations while working for Trump. He met with the Senate intelligence committee for more than nine hours behind closed doors on Tuesday. Cohen said afterward that he appreciated the opportunity to clear the record and tell the truth to the panel after acknowledging he lied to the committee in 2017. It was the first of three days of congressional appearances for Cohen. After the public hearing, he will appear privately before the House intelligence panel Thursday. Republicans were expected to aggressively attempt to discredit Cohen, given that he has acknowledged lying previously. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Tuesday it was laughable that anyone would take a convicted liar like Cohen at his word, and pathetic to see him given yet another opportunity to spread his lies. One Republican House member did more than just question Cohens credibility. Florida Republican Matt Gaetz tweeted Tuesday that the world is about to learn a lot about Cohen and suggested he knew of disparaging information that could come out during the hearing. Gaetz later apologized and said he was deleting the tweet. Gaetz, a Trump ally who talks to the president frequently, is not a member of the committee that was questioning Cohen. Democrats have been alternately suspicious of Cohen and eager to hear what he has to say. Sen. Mark Warner, the intelligence panels top Democrat, suggested after Tuesdays interview that Cohen had provided important information. Two years ago when this investigation started I said it may be the most important thing I am involved in in my public life in the Senate, and nothing Ive heard today dissuades me from that view, Warner said. In addition to lying to Congress, Cohen pleaded guilty last year to campaign finance violations for his involvement in payments to two women who allege they had affairs with Trump. Federal prosecutors in New York have said Trump directed Cohen to arrange the payments to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in the run-up to the 2016 campaign. Cohen told a judge that he agreed to cover up Trumps dirty deeds out of blind loyalty. Cohen also said he will present the committee with a copy of the check Trump wrote from his personal bank account after he became president to reimburse him for the hush money payments. He claimed he has other exhibits as well, including some financial statements. On the matter of racism, Cohen said the president made racist comments disparaging African-Americans, saying at one point that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid. Photo: The Canadian Press Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer holds a press conference in reaction to Jody Wilson-Raybould's appearance at the House of Commons Justice Committee on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick Justin Trudeau has lost the moral authority to govern and must resign ahead of a police investigation of his government, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer says. Scheer spoke immediately after former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould testified to the House of Commons justice committee Wednesday, on pressure she felt from Trudeau and others to head off a criminal prosecution of Montreal engineering firm SNC-Lavalin. Wilson-Raybould testified that she withstood four months of attempts to get her to reverse a decision not to make a plea-bargain-type deal with the company. Scheer said the Mounties need to open a criminal investigation into what the Liberal government did to help SNC-Lavalin, which faces criminal charges related to allegedly corrupt dealings in Libya. He said that given what Wilson-Raybould laid out in her testimony, Trudeau can no longer lead the nation. "As Ms. Wilson-Raybould has so clearly articulated, the people Canadians entrusted to protect the integrity of our very nation, were instead only protecting themselves and their friends," Scheer said. "As we enter a critical budget debate, and with other pressing matters of public interest in need of action, Mr. Trudeau's cabinet must now find a way forward without him. I urge them to do so. They have a duty to govern this nation, not help a disgraced prime minister hang onto power." Speaking in Montreal, Trudeau said Canadians will be able to choose who they want as prime minister in this fall's general election. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh suggested Trudeau might have to step down, but said there needs to be a public inquiry to get the truth. Singh said Wilson-Raybould's testimony paints a picture of a prime minister and his office willing to disregard the law and more interested in helping powerful friends than average Canadians. "At this point, Canadians demand some answers to the questions that they have and the only way to get to the bottom of this is a public inquiry that would have independence to assess the truth," Singh said. ST. PAUL, Minn. The State Senate Education Committee has approved a bill to help school districts deal with an avalanche of snow days. The Snow Day Relief Act would allow Minnesota school boards to count snow days taken during the 2018-2019 school year as regular school days, allowing the school districts to avoid possible funding cuts for not meeting the state requirement of 165 school days. Across our state, extraordinary winter weather circumstances have prevented students from safely attending school, says Senator Carla Nelson, Rochester Republican and Chair of the Senate E-12 Education Finance and Policy Committee. In keeping our students safe, school districts face a struggle to meet Minnesotas calendar requirement. This bill gives local school boards the option to forgive days to ensure stable funding and avoid unreasonable scheduling disruptions for students and families. The legislation, which now heads to the floor of the Minnesota Senate, would also encourage school districts who fail to reach the 165 days requirement to adopt an e-learning day plan for the future. School districts across Minnesota have the option of e-learning days in meeting our states instruction requirements, says Nelson. Many districts have already adopted plans that have allowed students to learn from the safety of their own homes on dangerous weather days. While this should not be a one-size-fits-all approach, local school boards should examine if e-learning days are a fit for them in dealing with snow days in the future. FRANKFORD TOWNSHIP, Minn. Five people are hurt in a two-vehicle collision in Mower County. It took place around 1:46 pm Wednesday at the intersection of Highway 16 and Highway 63, south of Racine. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, Herbert John Barnhart, 91 of Spring Valley, was driving south when he stopped at the stop sign and then tried to turn left. Roger Bernard Reller, 88 of Austin, was driving west and the State Patrol says he could not avoid crashing into Barnhart. Both drivers, as well as three passengers in Rellers vehicle - Gordon Douglas Briggs, 75 of Austin, Roland Edward Hanson, 73 of Austin, and Lanny Frank Krachmer, 79 of Austin - suffered what are described as non-life threatening injuries and were taken to Mayo Clinic Health System for treatment. The State Patrol says all involved were wearing their seatbelts. The Mower and Fillmore county sheriffs offices, Gold Cross and Spring Valley ambulances, and Grand Meadow fire and ambulance all assisted at the scene. NORTHWOOD, Iowa - A new trial date has been set in a Worth County case of attempted murder. Trapp Leroy Trotter Jr., 32 of Northwood, is accused of stabbing Andrew Nodtvedt multiple times on June 2, 2018, in Northwood. Authorities say Trapp chased Nodtvedt down the street saying Youre going to die tonight, white boy, and then stabbed and slashed him inside an apartment. The trial was moved to Bremer County due to media coverage of the case and the start of it has been delayed several times as Trotter has repeatedly challenged the process of selecting his jury. He is now scheduled to stand trial beginning April 16 on charges of attempted murder, 1st degree burglary, and 4th degree criminal mischief-hate crime. As Paul Volcker, the federal reserve chairman for eight years, beginning in 1979 used to say, Baume wachsen nicht in den Himmel. This German proverb translates to, Trees dont grow to the sky, they never have, and never will. It suggests that there are natural limits to growth. And in the case of financial professionals is a common phrase used to express that all markets have natural limits. In the case of lower gold pricing today, it refers to the possibility that the recent top at $1350 is in fact the level of critical resistance that gold is unable to breach, at least on this run. That beckons the question will gold prices experience a rational and reasonable correction. The validity of this question exists because recent price action has seen gold advance in price and only experience extremely shallow and limited corrections, well outside of the normal percentage that is given back following a bull run. Investors typically look to see whether a correction is a shallow or deep correction. We define those points as percentages given back from the most recent price gains. A 23%, and a 38% correction are considered to be shallow retracements. Whereas a deep retracement will give back anywhere between 50% and 61.8% before finding support. While a 78% retracement is still within the confines of a correction rather than a key reversal, it is a rare occurrence. A major line in the sand that is rarely reached. Currently gold prices are roughly $30 below the recent high of $1350 per ounce. This most recent rally began at just about $1200, resulting in a very respectable price gain of $150. If gold moves lower and confirms that a correction is currently in play the first level to look at would be the .23% Fibonacci retracement which sits at $1314. For the next level below that we would look at a .38% retracement of the most recent rally. Which if gold were to fall to would take pricing to $1291 per ounce. A deep correction could result in gold giving back anywhere between .50% and .618%. If this current correction is substantial gold prices could move as low as $1273, which is the .50% retracement, to as low as $1255, the net result of a .618% retracement. Regardless of how deep or shallow this current correction is, it is occurring after a sizable and respectable upside gain. It is also quite feasible that following this correction the next rally could challenge the major resistance which has existed for the last couple of years at $1370 per ounce. So although trees will never grow to the sky, in the case of gold I believe there still to be room to stretch its limbs even if it must shed its leaves for the winter. For those who would like more information, simply use this link. Wishing you as always, good trading, (Kitco News) - India-Pakistan tensions have caught the markets off guard this week, but the reaction has been muted so far, with analysts keeping a close eye on the conflict between the two nuclear-armed countries that can quickly escalate. Whats Happening On Wednesday, India and Pakistan both stated that they shot down each others fighter jets. Later on, it became known that Pakistan also captured an Indian pilot in response to India launching airstrikes in Pakistan territory for the first time since the India-Pakistan war of 1971. What came after was both countries ordering more air strikes and ground troops periodically exchanging fire. In response to PAF strikes this morning as released by MoFA, IAF crossed LOC. PAF shot down two Indian aircrafts inside Pakistani airspace. One of the aircraft fell inside AJ&K while other fell inside IOK. One Indian pilot arrested by troops on ground while two in area: DG ISPR Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) February 27, 2019 Many international flights to India and Pakistan were cancelled and rerouted on Wednesday after Pakistan closed its airspace, including airlines such as Emirates, Air Canada and Qatar Airways. AFP reported that Pakistans Civil Aviation Authority informed all airlines to suspend their operations in Pakistan until further notice. Meanwhile, in India, six airports were temporarily closed. Tensions between India and Pakistan began to first escalate this year following a suicide car bombing carried out by Pakistan-based militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir on February 14, which killed at least 40 members of Indian paramilitary police. Actual importance of news today: 1. India-Pakistan conflict 2. US-N Korea summit 3. Cohen testimony ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) February 27, 2019 Quick escalation has forced many countries to speak out and urge restraint, with the White House asking both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he spoke with Indian and Pakistan foreign ministries in both India and Pakistan and encouraged both to prioritize direct communication and avoid further military activity. U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May also called for de-escalation, stating that U.K. is deeply concerned about rising tensions between India and Pakistan and urgently calls for restraint on both sides to avoid further escalation. We're in regular contact with both countries, urging dialogue and diplomatic solutions to ensure regional stability. Market Reaction Asian stocks edged down on Thursday, following a similar trend on Wednesday. In the meantime, spot gold on Kitco.com was trading at $1,318.30, down 0.06% on the day. Its been incredibly muted. Weve seen the story coming up before, perhaps not to this scale, and the markets have never really shown a huge reaction to them. Im very much in the camp that if this becomes an issue, it wont be a one-day affair, Pepperston head of research Chris Weston told Kitco News on Wednesday. India-Pakistan tensions spread from Asia to European markets https://t.co/yq2O9E0AKd pic.twitter.com/8nLUDTgMv0 Reuters Top News (@Reuters) February 27, 2019 Australian stocks were down 0.1%, Japans Nikkei edged down 0.5%, South Koreas KOSPI retreated 0.5%, and MSCIs broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.1%. If India and Pakistans relationship continues to deteriorate and there is a risk of war, markets will speak up, added Weston. The more developed markets will start becoming more sensitive to that and well start seeing a big move down in Treasury yields or a big strength in the yen and volatility in other FX markets, and the S&P index, he said. But, so far traders are just watching the conflict develop, while trying to read up on the issue. Yesterday, when the news was breaking about planes coming down in Kashmir, we didnt really see much of a reaction in the S&P. Ive got my eye on it, but I am not putting any money to work on it until the market shows that it sees it as a bigger issue, Weston noted. That market is telling you right now that it doesnt see a nuclear threat. Gold is potentially very sensitive to any further escalation, with prices likely to go higher, according to Kitcos technical analyst Jim Wyckoff. The news has Asian stock and financial markets on edge. Any escalation of this situation would prompt safe-haven demand for gold and silver, Wyckoff said. More Statements From India And Pakistan Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been calling for dialogue, stating that he hopes that better sense prevails and both sides are able to de-escalate. History tells us that wars are full of miscalculation. My question is that, given the weapons we have, can we afford miscalculation, Khan said during a televised state address. We should sit down and talk. Prime Minister Imran Khan offers India to settle issues through dialogue. (Part-3) pic.twitter.com/FmZWj4mDmH Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) February 27, 2019 The Pakistan governments official Twitter account also published two videos of a man that it claims to be the captured Indian pilot. The first showed a bloodied and blindfolded man stating his name and service number. And the second reportedly shows the same pilot cleaned up and drinking tea. There is only one pilot under Pakistan Armys custody. Wing Comd Abhi Nandan is being treated as per norms of military ethics: DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor#PakistanArmyZindabad #PakistanAirForceOurPride #PakistanZindabad ???? pic.twitter.com/NwfKELb2Tv Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) February 27, 2019 Indias foreign ministry released a statement saying that Pakistans treatment of the pilot was a vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention. India also demanded that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in [Pakistans] custody. Reaction On Social Media A response to escalating tensions has been overwhelming on social media, with hashtag #SayNoToWar trending on Twitter. Posts from activists and citizens alike showed people pleading for de-escalation and asking for peace. Dear @narendramodi and @ImranKhanPTI kindly stop the war. India and Pakistan both are suffering from thousands issues like poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, castism, untouchability, income inequality & many others. We should fight against the issues not each other.#SayNoToWar pic.twitter.com/PRIhbNXQSY Kevalsinh Rathod (@KevalsinhRathod) February 27, 2019 More than ever, it is now critical that both India and Pakistan show restraint, and heed all those calling for mature diplomacy rather than provocation and aggression. The right to life starts here. #SayNoToWar Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (@HRCP87) February 27, 2019 If war between India and Pakistan happen, destruction would be so huge neither side would be able to ascertain who has won but humanity will lose.#SayNoToWar Shubham Sahu (@SahuMeh) February 27, 2019 Photo: The Canadian Press North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves upon arrival by train in Dong Dang in Vietnamese border town Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, ahead of his second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un dove into the details of nuclear negotiations Thursday against a backdrop of swirling questions about what Kim was willing to give up and what Trump may demand in the face of rising domestic turmoil. Tempering expectations, Trump opened by declaring he was in "no rush. We just want to do the right deal." The two men continued offering hopeful words as talks began anew at their second summit on curbing Pyongyang's pursuit of nuclear weapons, a problem that has bedeviled generations of leaders. In a sharp break from his rhetoric a year ago, when he painted the threat from Pyongyang as so grave that "fire and fury" may need to be rained down on North Korea, Trump made clear he was willing to accept a slower timetable for denuclearization. "Speed is not important," Trump said. "What's important is that we do the right deal." Kim, who answered a question from a Western journalist for perhaps the first time, said "I believe by intuition that good results will be produced." Trump, who made little mention of denuclearization in his opening remarks, ramped down expectations further, saying "I can't speak necessarily for today but I can say that this ... a little bit longer term and over a period of time I know we're going to have a fantastic success with respect to Chairman Kim and North Korea." Accompanied only by translators, the unlikely pair a 72-year-old billionaire and a 35-year-old reclusive autocrat displayed a familiarity with one another as they began the day's negotiations. After a 40-minute private meeting, the leaders went for a stroll on the Hotel Metropole's lush grounds, chatting as they walked by a swimming pool before being joined by aides to continue talks. "The relationship is just very strong and when you have a good relationship a lot of good things happen," said Trump. He added that "a lot of great ideas were being thrown about" at their opulent dinner the night before. He offered no specifics. "I believe that starting from yesterday, the whole world is looking at this spot right now," Kim said via his translator. "I'm sure that all of them will be watching the moment that we are sitting together side by side as if they are watching a fantasy movie." Possible outcomes could include a peace declaration for the Korean War that the North could use to eventually push for the reduction of U.S. troops in South Korea, or sanctions relief that could allow Pyongyang to pursue lucrative economic projects with the South. Skeptics say such agreements would leave in place a significant portion of North Korea's nuclear-tipped missiles while robbing the United States of its negotiating leverage going forward. Asked if this summit would yield a political declaration to end the Korean War, Trump told reporters on Wednesday: "We'll see." The president's schedule Thursday promised a "joint agreement signing ceremony" after the meeting. But as has happened before for Trump, the effort to achieve a grand foreign policy achievement unfolded against a backdrop of tumult and investigations at home. (Kitco News) - Gold prices are moderately higher in early U.S. trading Thursday, lifted in part by some safe-haven demand for the metal amid keener risk aversion in the marketplace late this week. April gold futures were last up $4.00 an ounce at $1,325.20. May Comex silver was last up $0.038 at $15.71 an ounce. The just-released fourth-quarter U.S. GDP report showed a slightly stronger-than-expected rise of 2.6%, on an annual basis. That compares to trade expectations of a rise of 2.2%. Gold prices down-ticked just a bit after the report. Risk aversion is back in the marketplace Thursday, as Asian and European stock markets were lower overnight. U.S. stock indexes are also pointed toward weaker openings when the New York day session begins. Gold prices are moderately higher. The U.S.-North Korea nuclear summit in Vietnam has ended abruptly with no agreement after North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un demanded an end to sanctions on his country and would not agree to U.S. President Trumps demands to de-nuclearize. There is another geopolitical development that has the attention of the world marketplace late this week. India and Pakistan this week exchanged military strikes on each other. India bombed what it said was a terrorist camp in Pakistan, with Pakistan retaliating by shooting down two Indian aircraft. This news has Asian stock and financial markets jittery. Any escalation of this situation will prompt more safe-haven demand for gold and silver. There was weak manufacturing data coming out of China today, as its official purchasing managers index fell to 49.2 in February, down from 49.5 in January. A reading below 50.0 shows contraction in the sector. U.S. trade sanctions on China have hurt its economy. On an upbeat note, U.S. Trade Representative Lighthizer told a congressional committee on Wednesday that the U.S. and China are moving closer to a trade deal and that any new U.S. tariffs on China would be delayed from the March 1 original implementation. The key outside markets today see the U.S. dollar index lower. The greenback bulls are fading a bit this week. Nymex crude oil prices are weaker and trading around $56.50 a barrel. U.S. economic reports due for release Thursday include the weekly jobless claims report, fourth-quarter gross domestic product, the ISM Chicago business survey, and the Kansas City Fed manufacturing survey. Technically, the April gold bulls have the firm overall near-term technical advantage. A 3.5-month-old price uptrend is still in place on the daily bar chart. Bulls next upside price objective is to produce a close in April futures above solid resistance at $1,350.00. Bears' next near-term downside price breakout objective is pushing prices below solid technical support at the February low of $1,304.70. First resistance is seen at this weeks high of $1,334.90 and then at $1,340.00. First support is seen at this weeks low of $1,318.40 and then at $1,310.00. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 6.5 May silver futures bulls have the overall near-term technical advantage. A 3.5-month-old uptrend is still in place on the daily bar chart. Silver bulls' next upside price breakout objective is closing prices above solid technical resistance at the February high of $16.295 an ounce. The next downside price breakout objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at the February low of $15.545. First resistance is seen at $16.00 and then at this weeks high of $16.06. Next support is seen at the overnight low of $15.73 and then at $15.545. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 6.5. Analysts at the U.S. investment bank on Thursday raised the chances of an extension to Article 50 to 55 percent from 50 percent, while keeping unchanged at 35 percent the probability of a "no Brexit" scenario. "We continue to see the most likely outcome of the current impasse as eventual ratification of the Prime Minister's Brexit deal, with a three-month extension of Article 50," they wrote in a note on Thursday. Theresa May won a two week reprieve on Wednesday from British lawmakers, who postponed a threatened rebellion aimed at blocking a no-deal Brexit after she agreed to a possible delay to Britain's departure from the EU. (Reporting by Danilo Masoni Editing by Shri Navaratnam) * Lead hits seven month peak after stocks fall* GRAPHIC-2019 asset returns: (Adds lead high, updates with official prices) By Peter Hobson LONDON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Copper prices fell on Thursday on concerns over demand from number one consumer China, but held on track for their best month since December 2017 as stocks of the metal in London Metal Exchange warehouses languished near record lows. Prices lost ground as Chinese factory data and a U.S. warning that it was too early to predict the outcome of trade talks with Beijing raised concerns over the demand outlook. Benchmark copper on the LME traded down 0.2 percent at $6,494 a tonne in official open outcry activity, but was up 5.2 percent in February, its second consecutive monthly gain. The metal used in power and construction had plunged to a 1-1/2-year low of $5,725 in early January as the U.S.-China trade dispute threatened to accelerate an economic slowdown in China. Hopes of a trade deal had helped to pull prices higher, said Capital Economics analyst Ross Strachan. "But it would appear that we are not quite as close as we might have thought," he said. "Chinese (manufacturing) PMI data was also weak. It's a bit surprising that metals haven't dropped harder." CHINA FACTORIES: Factory activity in China contracted to a three-year low in February as export orders fell at the fastest pace since the global financial crisis, highlighting deepening cracks in the economy. The gloomy findings are likely to reinforce views that the world's second-largest economy is still losing steam, after growth last year cooled to a near 30-year low. Growth in disposable income also slowed in China last year. TRADE TALKS: The United States will need to maintain the threat of tariffs on Chinese goods for years even if Washington and Beijing strike a deal to end a costly tariff war, President Donald Trump's chief trade negotiator said. Robert Lighthizer cautioned that much work was still needed to nail down a U.S.-China trade agreement, including working out how it will be enforced. COPPER STOCKS: Supply of copper looked tight after on-warrant stocks available to the market in LME-registered warehouses fell to 21,600 tonnes from around 300,000 tonnes a year ago. They are now the lowest since 2005. COPPER SPREAD: Cash copper has also risen to a premium of $39.50 a tonne over the three-month contract from a discount around $20 a tonne earlier in February. LEAD: Battery metal lead was the top LME performer, rising 1.2 percent to trade at $2,163 in official rings, the highest since late July 2018 after on-warrant LME inventories slid 42 percent this week to 44,150 tonnes. OTHER METALS: LME aluminium , untraded in rings, was bid down 0.4 percent at $1,915 a tonne, zinc was bid 0.3 percent higher at $2,754, the highest since Feb. 5, tin was bid up 0.7 percent at $21,675 and nickel traded 0.6 percent firmer at $13,130. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Top Base and Precious Metals Analysis - GFMS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Additional reporting by Tom Daly in Beijing and Eric Onstad in London; Editing by Jan Harvey and Mark Potter) LME price overview COMEX copper futures Base metals news All metals news All commodities news Foreign exchange rates SPEED GUIDES )) OXON HILL, Md (Reuters) - The chairwoman of the Republican National Committee said on Thursday that any Republican primary challenge to President Donald Trump in next years presidential election is doomed to fail. They have the right to jump in and lose, thats fine, Ronna McDaniel said at the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual political gathering of Republicans near Washington, D.C. They will lose horribly. Former Ohio Governor John Kasich, who ran against Trump for the Republican nomination in 2016, and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan have been mentioned as possible challengers to Trump, who has already announced he is running for a second term. Earlier this month, former Massachusetts Governor William Weld said he was considering mounting a primary fight. McDaniel, who was named to her position by Trump, has made the RNC a staunch ally of the president and a partner in his 2020 campaign effort. She noted Trump enjoys a 93 percent approval rating among Republicans. Have at it. Go ahead. Waste your money. Waste your time. And go ahead and lose, she said of potential Republican competitors. Some RNC members have called for rule changes to thwart any primary challenge, but McDaniel seemed to suggest that will not occur. Trump will address the conference on Saturday following his return from Vietnam where he held a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled an ambitious proposal on Tuesday to move all Americans into the governments Medicare health insurance program, tapping into public frustration over the rising cost of healthcare that has become a key issue for the party as it seeks to gain control of Congress and the White House in 2020. The bill, unveiled by Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal from Washington state, would transition the U.S. healthcare system to a single-payer Medicare for All program funded by the government in two years. The legislation is the partys most high-profile and ambitious single-payer proposal in the new Congress and has more than 100 co-sponsors, many from the partys progressive flank. It is unlikely to gain the support of any Republicans in the House or the Senate, who have derided single-payer healthcare as a socialist policy and oppose government interference in healthcare. It also remains unclear whether Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will bring the legislation up for a vote. Americans are literally dying because they cant afford insulin or they cant get the cancer treatment they need, Jayapal said on a call with reporters on Tuesday. There are some things that should not be provided through the for-profit market. Medicare currently serves about 60 million Americans who are age 65 or older, or disabled. Jayapals legislation would eliminate the age threshold. The new Medicare would not require any beneficiaries to pay premiums or deductibles and would not charge patients co-pays or out-of-pocket costs after receiving care. It does not include new or increased taxes or other additional revenues to pay for the healthcare overhaul. Jayapal said possible ways to pay for the bill include a tax on millionaires and billionaires, employer premiums and closing tax loopholes for the wealthy. The idea of Medicare for All was first proposed by Independent Bernie Sanders in 2017 as a single-payer system that would largely replace private insurance. It gained traction among Democrats running for congressional office in 2018, and is now a central campaign issue for party members vying for the 2020 presidential nomination. A Reuters/IPSOS poll in August found that 70 percent of Americans support some sort of single-payer system. The health industry has opposed single-payer proposals, saying they would ultimately lead to less access to care. Critics include the American Hospital Association and Americas Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the health insurance industrys biggest trade group. This bill will hurt patients, consumers, and taxpayers: Americans will pay more, to wait longer, for worse care, AHIP said in a statement. Lets focus on real solutions that deliver real results, not a one-size-fits-all government system. The House proposal unveiled on Tuesday would not eliminate private health insurance entirely, as it would allow patients to purchase supplemental coverage. Many Americans under the age of 65 rely on private insurance provided by their employer. A single-payer system is variously understood as one in which the government pays for healthcare for more people, or one where the governments owns health services providers and manages all aspects of care, such as in the United Kingdom. Several U.S. Democratic lawmakers have introduced different versions of expanded Medicare, such as allowing people aged 50 and older to buy into the program. The new House proposal would cover most aspects of patients care, including primary care, hospital and outpatient services, prescription drugs, dental, vision, audiology, womens reproductive health services, maternity and newborn care. By Terje Solsvik OSLO, Feb 28 (Reuters) - The Norwegian central bank maintains its plan to gradually and cautiously raise interest rates if the economy develops as expected, Governor Oeystein Olsen said on Thursday. "As we said in December, we aim for a gradual, cautious increase in rates," Olsen said in a question-and-answer session with academics and students. Olsen's speech at the University of Oslo was his last scheduled public appearance ahead of a March 21 board meeting, at which the central bank is expected to hike its key policy rate. Norges Bank last year tightened monetary policy for the first time since 2011, lifting its rate to 0.75 percent from a record-low 0.5 percent as growth and industry capacity utilisation hit four-year highs. The central bank has said it aims to raise rates another five times by the end of 2021. (Editing by Gwladys Fouche) JOHANNESBURG, Feb 28 (Reuters) - South Africa's Impala Platinum (Implats) swung into first-half profit, boosted by increased output, higher metals' basket price and a weaker rand, the miner said on Thursday. Headline earnings per share (HEPS) came in at 310 cents in the six months ended December 2018, from a loss of 21 cents per share in the year-ago period, Implats said. HEPS is the main profit gauge in South Africa, which strips out certain one-off items. Revenue surged 36 percent to 23.52 billion rand ($1.69 billion) from the previous year. Company's revenue soared on the back of upbeat sales, which increased by 3.02 billion rand, and higher rhodium, palladium, ruthenium, nickel and iridium prices that partially offset a lower platinum rate, the firm said. Implats, which announced last year that it would slash about a third of its workforce at its Rustenburg operations over two years as the firm looks to restructure, said it hopes to complete the process by the end of 2021 financial year. "The group continues to make strides towards eliminating loss-making production, which culminated in the decision to restructure Impala Rustenburg," said Chief Executive Nico Muller in a statement. The mining company expects full-year refined platinum production to be between 1.5 million ounces and 1.6 million ounces. ($1 = 13.9369 rand) (Reporting by Tanisha Heiberg; Editing by Shreejay Sinha and Sherry Jacob-Phillips) * May wins two weeks' breathing space* Goldman sees a deal approved after delay* Aston Martin: Brexit delay prolongs uncertainty* Lawmaker Letwin: May might just squeak a deal through (Adds PM May's spokesman, EU migration) By Guy Faulconbridge and Kylie MacLellan LONDON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party will back a new referendum on Brexit after parliament defeated its alternative plan for leaving the European Union, its eurosceptic leader Jeremy Corbyn said. With 29 days left until the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union, both Prime Minister Theresa May and Corbyn have been forced into making changes to their approaches to the divorce. Corbyn, who voted against membership in 1975 and gave only reluctant backing to the 2016 campaign to remain in the EU, on Wednesday gave ambiguous backing for another referendum, saying he would push for one alongside a British parliamentary election. It is the first time since Britons voted in 2016 to leave the EU that one of its two major political parties has thrown its weight behind giving voters a chance to change their minds. But it was unclear what the exact question might be. "After tonight's votes in parliament, we'll continue to push for a close economic relationship based on our credible alternative plan or a general election," Corbyn said. "We'll also back a public vote in order to prevent a damaging Tory Brexit or disastrous no deal." John McDonnell, the second most powerful man in the Labour Party, said it would put down an amendment calling for a second referendum as soon as May brought a deal back to parliament. Britain's Brexit minister, Steve Barclay, said there was no consensus in parliament for another referendum or even on what question might be asked. After months of saying that Britain must leave the EU on time on March 29, May opened up the possibility on Tuesday of a short extension to the exit date. She is hoping to bring back a tweaked divorce accord for a parliamentary vote, which could come as early as next week but may not take place until March 12. Talks with the EU have moved forward in the last week, but there is a significant amount of work to do, May's spokesman said. BREXIT MAZE If her deal is voted down, May has promised that lawmakers will get a chance to vote the day after on whether to leave with no deal and then on March 14 to vote on asking the EU to delay the deadline. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday the EU would agree to extend the Brexit deadline beyond March 29 only if Britain justified such a request with a clear objective. Lawmakers on Wednesday voted 502-20 in support of an amendment proposed by opposition Labour lawmaker Yvette Cooper that spelled out May's proposed timetable. The government backed the amendment though 20 lawmakers in May's Conservative Party voted against and 80 abstained. After enduring more than 2-1/2 years of uncertainty since the 2016 referendum, some business chiefs are relieved the threat of a no-deal exit has been pushed back to June though others said the delay merely prolonged the lack of clarity. "I would categorise it as a further annoyance," Aston Martin Chief Executive Andy Palmer told Reuters. "You're holding that contingency stock for longer which means that your working capital is tied up for longer." Aston Martin, which has authorised up to 30 million pounds ($40 million) worth of contingencies, is stocking more components and could fly in parts if ports are clogged up. British business confidence slid in February to its lowest level since June 2016, adding to other signs that Brexit uncertainty is hurting companies. Net migration to Britain from the European Union fell to the lowest since 2009. GOLDMAN'S GUESS Goldman Sachs said it expected many Brexit-supporting Conservative lawmakers to accept a revised deal, partly because the Labour Party was tilting towards a second referendum. "We continue to see the most likely outcome of the current impasse as eventual ratification of the prime ministers Brexit deal, with a three-month extension of Article 50," Goldman said. Goldman Sachs raised the probability of that outcome to 55 percent from 50 percent while cutting its view of no-deal Brexit to 10 percent from 15. It kept the probability of no Brexit at 35 percent. One Brexit-supporting lawmaker in May's party said May would have to achieve legally binding treaty change to get support for her deal. "If the prime minister brings back something different then of course we will look at that very seriously," Theresa Villiers told the BBC. "But it would have to be legally binding, treaty change." May has a serious chance of getting a deal approved by parliament in the next few weeks, Conservative Party lawmaker Oliver Letwin said. "She might just squeak it," Letwin told Sky. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Theresa May gains two weeks' Brexit reprieve from British lawmakers For a menu of Brexit stories ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Additional reporting by Costas Pitas and William James; Editing by Alistair Smout and Kate Holton; Editing by Janet Lawrence) (Kitco News) - After last years unprecedented central-bank demand for gold, another nation is jumping into the marketplace to build its gold reserves over the next five years. According to international media reports, Uzbekistan expects to increase its gold reserves to 430 tonnes between 2020 and 2024 as the country looks to develop its domestic gold deposits. The reports said that purchase could start this year as the central bank plans to buy 81.37 tonnes of gold. The increase in gold reserves is part of the plan announced by the State Committee on Geology and Mineral Resources in its draft concept of the development of the geological industry of Uzbekistan for 2020-2024. According to the development plan, the country will spend $230 million in exploration and development of new gold deposits. According to production numbers from 2017, Uzbekistan is the worlds ninth-largest gold producer and has the eighth-largest gold reserves. The governments geology department has identified 97 gold and silver deposits. The governments long-term plan would be a significant increase in its gold reserves. In its latest report, as of Jan. 1, the Central Bank of Uzbekistan said that is current gold reserves are valued at $14.64 billion. Uzbekistans plan comes after central banks bought gold at the fastest pace since in 50 years, according to the 2018 data from the World Gold Council. According to the WGC, last year central banks bought 651.5 tonnes of gold. If Uzbekistan meets its five-year target, the central banks reserves would be the twelfth largest in the world, just behind the European Central Banks official reserves of 504 tonnes. The Herald reports: The Labour Party has refused to renew the party membership of Auckland mayoral candidate and former Cabinet minister John Tamihere. Tamihere said he is considering a legal challenge to the decision because he had been given no just cause for it. He sent in his application from the Labour Party website in December with a $100 donation. It was returned to him this week after a decision by the partys ruling New Zealand Council at the weekend to reject his membership. Ive been ex-communicated, said Tamihere. I feel like I have been thrown out of my church. I havent been a member of any other political movement in my life. Labour Party president Nigel Haworth declined to make any comment, saying a process was in train. Photo: District of Summerland An affordable housing project proposed by the Summerland Alliance Church has been approved by council. The church is planning on building 24 units of housing on the empty lot adjacent to the church on Victoria Road North. A public hearing for the project was held Monday, with nearby residents voicing support for affordable housing in general, but concerns about traffic and parking. As most households have at least one vehicle, we are worried our narrow road, Victoria North, will be unsafely congested with overflow parking, wrote Tara Albas in a letter to council. Church representative Harry Harker explained that the church moved onto the too-big lot years ago with the plan of putting the property to use one day. Interest has coalesced over the past few years towards an affordable housing project, he said, calling the development a real asset for Summerland. The housing units would be built in clusters, with a variety of unit types within the neighbourhood. This is less about maximizing density and more about creating an environment where people can begin to own their own lives again, said project support Paul Durst. Coun. Doug Holmes was hesitant to grant the institutionally-zoned property a zoning amendment to allow residential development, worried it would set a bad precedent and open to door to inappropriate developments. He was assured that council would ultimately have the final say on similar proposals in the future. The project received both its zoning and Official Community Plan amendments with unanimous votes. The church has said in the past it hopes a philanthropic partner like Habitat for Humanity or Axiom Homes will handle the construction of the development. Those partnerships that will now be explored deeper with the rezoning complete. Photo: CTV News A Langley business owner has pulled blackface dolls off their shelves after accusations of racism blew up online. Black Pudding Imports Ltd. has been selling the golliwog dolls intermittently for about 20 years, reports CTV News. "We're not trying to offend anybody but we were justpeople ask for them," owner Greg Bowles said. But the dolls caught the eye of Taylor Walker during a visit to the British import store, leading her to contact the business in a private Facebook message. "For someone like from my standpoint who grew up with my dad who's African-American, you know those images of like blackface and the racism behind it," Walker told CTV. She says the complaint was completely rejected by the store. "They just instantly respond just saying like it's not racist, it's a children's book. All of our customers think that it brings back childhood memories." The Golliwog character first appeared in an English childrens book in 1895, but has since been characterized by some as racist since the 1980s due to its likeness to blackface and minstrel shows. Bowles says while his shop has been getting some support since the story spread online, hes also heard from the unhappy. "Some of it's been sort of threatening. Just like 'your shop's gonna go out of business' and 'you're racist' and 'you're ignorant; and that sort of thing," he said. He says the dolls are no longer on display and he will not order anymore unless a customer makes a request. with files from CTV Vancouver Photo: DriveBC UPDATE 10:32 a.m. Weather may have played a part in a collision on Highway 33 near Philpott Road. The incident happened around 10 a.m. and reports indicate the vehicle left the road and hit a tree, coming to rest in the ditch, Engine 51 is on scene and Engine 52 is taking care of traffic control in the area as of 10:20 a.m. BC Ambulance attended the scene but there is no word on injuries at this time. ORIGINAL 6:00 a.m. Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for the Central Okanagan, including Kelowna. Snowfall is expected right into the afternoon, with total amounts of about 10 cm expected. Periods of snow will continue this morning as bands move up from the south. The snow will end this afternoon as the system moves to the east. Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions and check Castanet's camera's for the latest live pictures. Photo: The Canadian Press UPDATE: 3:20 p.m. Premier John Horgan is keeping his hands behind his back as the City of Victoria mulls where to pass the political "hot potato" of its Sir John A. Macdonald statue. City council discussed the possibility of donating the statue to the provincial government at a recent budget meeting and directed staff to identify any prohibition on donating it to another entity. The statue of Canada's first prime minister and member of Parliament for Victoria from 1878 to 1882 was removed from the steps of Victoria City Hall last August. Critics said Macdonald's role, as the head of a government that created the Indian Act, established the residential school system and his racist comments about Indigenous Peoples, made the statue inappropriate. "I haven't played hot potato since elementary school," Horgan joked with reporters on Thursday. "I haven't had any conversations with the mayor about Sir John A. Macdonald and if I see her coming I may well run the other way." Horgan said the statue is Victoria's problem to deal with but the province would be happy to help and he's prepared to speak with Mayor Lisa Helps if she approaches him. Helps said politicians, Coast Salish First Nations in the area and the public have to consider how the statue could be placed with more context, ensuring history is expanded, not erased. "What we heard very clearly from (the Songhees and Esquimalt) Nations is that a broader story of John A. Macdonald needs to be told," she said. The Canadian Press ORIGINAL: 6:45 a.m. A statue of Canada's first prime minister that was removed from outside Victoria City Hall last year may stay in the community. A committee of city and Indigenous representatives wants the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald to remain within city limits, CTV News reports. Its removal last summer sparked protests and counter-protests, but the reconciliation group consisting of council members and First Nations representatives says the statue should stay in Victoria. For now, the statue remains in storage. Mayor Lisa Helps, who sits on the committee, said the group wants the statue to remain in the city "so that history is not erased." What happens next is a community dialogue ... about where is the best place to put the statue, and what do we need to do (to) learn more about reconciliation in Victoria. Ontario Premier Doug Ford offered to take the statue, but Helps told CTV: I dont imagine the statue will go to Toronto ... This is a conversation for our community to have. It was a gift to the City of Victoria. with files from CTV Vancouver Island Photo: The Canadian Press CF-18 Hornets fly in formation on their the departure for Operation IMPACT, in Cold Lake, Alberta on Tuesday October 21, 2014. The parliamentary budget officer is poking holes in the Defence Department's cost estimates for buying and operating second-hand fighter jets from Australia, saying its own figures put the cost 22 per cent higher than reported. Budget watchdog Yves Giroux says the federal government will pay nearly $1.1 billion to buy, upgrade and fly the 18 aircraft alongside Canada's existing CF-18s over the next decade. Giroux says that's $200 million more than the Defence Department's own estimate because he believes it will cost more to extend the lives of the 30-year-old Australian planes than officials have said. Giroux's study comes less than two weeks after the Royal Canadian Air Force officially received the first of two Australian planes at Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake in Alberta. The Trudeau government is buying the 18 Australian planes and up to seven spares to bolster Canada's aging CF-18s until the entire fleet can be replaced with brand-new jets in the coming decade. The purchase is going ahead despite the federal auditor general last fall saying the air force did not have enough pilots and mechanics to operate the 76 CF-18s it has now. Photo: The Canadian Press Whenever a current, or former high-ranking political figure rolls through the Okanagan, it's a big deal. Former U.S. presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton have spoken in Penticton and Kelowna respectively. Numerous prime ministers have also hit the valley, either on campaign stops or during times of disaster. On most occasions, media members were allowed to either capture the moment or ask questions. Neither will be the case when former Prime Minister Stephen Harper comes to Kelowna to speak at a Kelowna Chamber of Commerce luncheon March 12. The luncheon, which was moved to the Delta Grand ballroom to accommodate the many ticket requests, is a closed event, for chamber members and guests only - no media. Harper is criss-crossing the country, promoting his book, 'Right Here, Right Now: Politics and Leadership in the Age of Disruption.' Caroline Miller, in charge of media relations for the chamber, says Harper has been speaking across the country since October. None of those events have been open to the media. Harper is expected to speak, and take questions, on international topics. He will not be speaking on national affairs. Photo: Contributed Remember when it was impolite to talk politics or religion in mixed company? Today, it feels like thats changed to health care and food choices. We need to stop being so polite. We were faced with that problem very recently when a birthday party attended by my six-year-old Betty included a child with chickenpox. Shudder! Remember when your parents invited kids with chickenpox to your house, so you could get them, too? Then our parents were done with it and we were immunized for life. Today, immunizations offered to parents of newborns, infants and toddlers includes a chicken pox vaccine. You get it at 12 months and then five-years-old. Its why, when this child arrived at the birthday party, small red scars visible from the neck up, mild panic set into some parents. At first, I thought, Oh good lord, were all being exposed to The Plague! Run, run for your lives! I have three children, and this is the first sign of chickenpox Ive seen in seven years. By the time I was seven years old, the vast majority of my friends had contracted and beaten the illness. It was so out of place to see this child with blisters, that it was easy to overreact. All the kids had fun, theyve all been home for about a week now, and nobody has shown any adverse effects from the experience. However Now, I never got the chance to ask questions. I would have liked to have asked if this child lets use the name Drue was vaccinated. Maybe Drue had been vaccinated, and the chickenpox was a 1 in a million fluke. Perhaps Drue has an allergy to vaccines, or another underlying health condition that makes vaccination impossible. That would make Drue the poster child for herd immunity. If we all get our children vaccinated, theres less chance poor, little Drue is exposed to pathogens more harmful than chickenpox. I would have also liked to have known if Drue was still contagious. Im sure Drue was past that stage, because Drue was absent for a couple of days, and then returned to school midweek (just in time for the party). Plus, Drue showed no signs of the incessant scratching or lethargy that I remember from having chickenpox. That tells me, hopefully, that Drues parents kept Drue from school long enough to recover. Besides, the schools reaction would have likely been much stronger if Drue was contagious. As it was, the principal took a rather strong position. Drues chickenpox was so alarming, the school sent out an email blast to all parents alerting them to the situation. Can you imagine your school doing that in the 1980s? It might sound as if Im against the chickenpox vaccine, but thats not true at all. All my kids have been immunized, and Im a believer in the flu shot, too. But I was surprised when roughly six years ago, now the nurse explained that our oldest daughter would get a chickenpox vaccine. Really? I remember asking. You vaccinate for that, too? It felt like a laundry list of diseases were now included in childhood immunizations, and I didnt think chickenpox necessitated another jab in our babys arm. The nurse explained it this way: if we can eliminate it, why wouldnt we? But the dangers of chickenpox must be small? Well, yes and no. Its not a pandemic, but it can cause pneumonia, encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and bacterial infections of the skin, Healthlink BCs website says. Encephalitis can lead to seizures, deafness or brain damage. About 1 in 3,000 adults will die from the infection, the website says. Thats why it wouldve been polite for Drues parents to give the birthday party hosts the heads-up that Drue would still like to come, and wouldnt infect anyone else. My biggest concern was, what if Drue came into contact with someone say, a grandparent or a sick relative who couldve been placed at risk? Yes, I know, a sick, elderly relative is at risk from the common cold, but it still feels like an important consideration. It shouldve been up to the hosts to say, OK, we trust you. Drue is still welcome. Or to politely ask that Drue stay home. Heck, if we are headed to someone elses house, we regularly tell our friends if the kids are sick, and give them the option of rescheduling the playdate or dinner party. Thats where that too polite to talk about idea comes back to me. I was too polite to ask if Drue was well enough to be at school or the party. I was too polite to ask if Drue had some underlying condition that prevented immunization. If the other parents had known the answers to those questions, it would have made the site of chickenpox a lot less jarring. Instead, were left to think that if Drue isnt immunized for something like chickenpox, perhaps Drue is also at risk of measles, mumps and rubella and we can't ignore that in British Columbia today. Cancer patients at the University of Kansas Health Systems will soon be getting a new kind of therapy that can change and extend their lives. The hospital will be the first in the region to provide what is called proton therapy. Experts say this type of therapy provides more pinpointed treatment for cancer patients. "Proton therapy is one of the most advanced forms of therapy for cancer patients," said University of Kansas Health Systems President & CEO Bob Page. Until now, patients needed to travel a good distance to get the therapy. The University of Kansas Health Systems is now one of only 29 centers nationwide offering the proton treatment. "There are times when patients have to leave Kansas City for some of the most advanced treatments such as proton. We don't want that to happen," said Executive Vice President Tammy Peterman. Proton therapy is a pencil-sized beam and differs from regular radiation treatment by killing cancer without harming nearby healthy tissue. "It is delivered to the patient and when it hits the cancer, all of its energy is dissipated in killing that cancer. Other kinds of radiation can go beyond that cancer and damage normal tissue," said Vice President & Physician In-Chief Dr. Terry Tsue. The good news about this therapy is that it is fda approved covered by medicare/medicaid and most insurance companies. And hospital leaders say bringing photon therapy here helps put patients in charge of their care. "It puts the patient in the center of their decision making," said Page. "You put all your efforts around what's the right thing to do for the patient, then you put the technology around that and the resources around that, it's just another step in that process." The proton therapy will be available to both adult and pediatric patients. Photo: CTV News The Chinese tech giant Huawei has pleaded not guilty to U.S. charges that it stole trade secrets from T-Mobile. A company representative entered the pleas Thursday in federal court in Seattle, where a 10-count indictment was unsealed in January. Charges include conspiracy to steal trade secrets, attempted theft of trade secrets, wire fraud and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors say Huawei stole the technology behind a robotic device that Bellevue, Washington-based T-Mobile used to test smartphones. Huawei has also been charged in New York with bank fraud and sanctions violations. The allegations feature in a major trade dispute between the world's two largest economies. The U.S. has accused China of using predatory tactics to turn Chinese companies into leaders in tech fields such as robotics and electric vehicles. Photo: Bombardier South Okanagan-West Kootenay MP Richard Cannings isnt happy with the newly announced Air Canada schedule at the Penticton airport. The airline announced earlier this month it is deploying larger, more modern Q400 aircraft on its Vancouver to Penticton route a move universally applauded due to increased route capacity and fewer expected cancellations. It was later disclosed, however, that change would come at the expense of a seasonal fourth flight between the cities. To my dismay, they chose to drop the late-night flight, which arrives in Penticton around 11 p.m. departs the following morning around 6 a.m., said Cannings. These flights are always full and are essential to many travellers, including business people travelling to Vancouver for meetings and vacation travellers connecting to flights in Vancouver. Under the new schedule, as of May 1 travellers will not be able to leave for Vancouver until 9:35 a.m. and must return from Vancouver no later than 6 p.m. I am concerned that this change will result in a decrease in passenger traffic to and from Penticton rather than the increase forecast in the Q400 announcement. I believe that many people in the South Okanagan will be forced to use the Kelowna airport instead of Penticton to make their Vancouver connections and meetings. I have expressed my concerns to Air Canada and hope that they will reverse this decision, said Cannings. Air Canada has said the reorganized schedule will allow connections through the Vancouver hub. Photo: CTV News The British Columbia government has stepped into a police funding feud in Victoria and ordered two local councils to hire six new officers. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says he's using provincial powers to force Victoria and Esquimalt to hire the officers even though Esquimalt council voted against the plan. Farnworth says the government's Police Services Division sent a letter to the mayors of Esquimalt and Victoria saying that policing in the two cities will suffer without the extra officers. Victoria council voted in favour spending the money on new officers but Esquimalt rejected the cost increase, saying police calls and crime rates are dropping. Farnworth says the government stepped in because "sometimes the kids can't play in the sandbox and dad has to come in and say, 'this is how it's going to be.' " The minister says the government is using the provincial police framework agreement that permits the province to intervene if local governments can't resolve disputes. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 28) The Philippine National Police (PNP) said they will improve their anti-drug operations based on the President's increased estimate of drug users in Metro Manila. PNP Spokesman Bernard Banac said Thursday they will focus their attention on going after illegal drug syndicates instead of drug users to "contain the supply side." President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday pegged the number of drug users in the National Capital Region to be about seven or eight million. Banac said they stand by the President's estimate since he has "wide access to information." However, they have yet to verify the numbers. "It remains to be verified but we'll take it as a good decision-making tool," Banac said during the Real Numbers press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City. Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director Derrick Carreon and National Bureau of Investigation Spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin, who were present in the briefing, said they will also abide by the President's figure. They said since the number of arrests and anti-drug operations have increased, this has led to more information on the whereabouts and identities of other users. "Drug operations are improving. There are more arrests and the arrests will come (with) additional informationarrested addicts that provide information kaya nagdadagdag ng estimates (that's why estimates increase)," Lavin said. The new estimate doubled the initial figure presented by Duterte in 2017 as a rationale for his rigorous anti-drug campaign. After a year in his position, Duterte said there were about four million drug users in the country. However, then-Dangerous Drugs Board Chair Benjamin Reyes instead abided by a figure of 1.8 million from research. Duterte later fired Reyes for "contradicting" the government. Banac maintained that police operations against illegal drugs have been "effective" despite the rise of the number of users. He cited the recent national survey showing majority of Filipinos believe the number of drug addicts has decreased. PDEA also reported that 170,689 drug personalities have been arrested from July 1, 2016 to January 31, this year. Meanwhile, a total of 11,080 barangays have been declared "cleared" of illegal drugs out of more than 40,000. The police said they have yet to clear 21,974 barangays in the country from illegal drugs. On the other hand, police data showed 5,176 drug personalities have died in anti-drug operations. The President also promised a "bloodier" drug war in the remaining years of his term, implying more arrests. Banac assured that PNP personnel will uphold the rights of the public as they continue with their efforts. "We assure the public the PNP subscribes to the rule of law. All anti-drug operations are done with utmost respect for human rights and human life," he said. However, as prescribed by law, the police have the right to use force to defend themselves should armed conflict arise, Banac clarified. "We know that drug syndicates are well-armed, they will not allow themselves to be arrested or caught and put behind bars, and there is always that possibility that they would put a high level of risk against our law enforcersIf there is a risk of life and his (law enforcer's) life is in danger then he has all the right to use the force necessary to contain the risk," he explained. - EFCC has re-arraigned former Niger state governor, Babangida Aliyu, over alleged N2 billion fraud - The anti-graft agency also re-arraigned two of Aliyu's former aides over the fraud - Tony Orilade, the EFCC spokesman, was quoted to have said that Aliyu and his aide pleaded not guilty over the allegation Former governor of Niger state, Babangida Aliyu, was on Thursday, February 14, re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside his former aides, Umar Nasko and Tanko Beji, before Justice Mikailu Abdullahi of a Niger state high court sitting in Minna. Premium Times reports that the trio are facing a seven-count charge of fraud to the tune of over N2 billion. Legit.ng gathered that a statement by the spokesperson to the EFCC, Tony Orilade, said they pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda One of the charges reads in part: That you, Tanko Beji, sometime between 1st January, 2011 and 31st May, 2011 in Minna within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, abetted the commission of criminal breach of trust by intentionally aiding Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, the former governor (also known as chief servant) of Niger state to dishonestly convert to his own use the sum of N937,110,500 which was withdrawn from Niger state government House security account." The counsel to Aliyu, Ayodele Olajide, thereafter applied for the bail of his client, urging the trial judge to allow the politician continue with the bail previously granted him by the former judge. The earlier bail should stay since the defendants have not contravened the bail conditions, he argued. Counsel for Messrs Nasko, Mamman Osumam aligned with the arguments of Olajide that the bail should subsist. Justice Abdullahi granted their prayers and adjourned to February 21 and 22, 2019 for 'mention.' It would be recalled that the EFCC initially arraigned Aliyu, his then chief of staff, Nasko and Beji, a former deputy chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), before Justice Aliyu Maiyaki in 2017 for the charges. 2019 election: PDP has perfected plans to induce major actors with money - APC alleges Legit.ng had previously reported that Aliyu, following an application filed by the EFCC, was ordered by a Federal High Court to forfeit some of his properties temporarily to the federal government. The assets include houses, cars, and the sum of N57 million. The presiding judge, Justice Yellim Bogoro, ruled that the assets would remain temporarily in the custody of the federal government until after the trial of Aliyu and his co-defendant, Umar Nasko. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better. Nigeria Latest News: Federal High Court Grants Fayose Bail | - on Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - The APC in Rivers have exonerated the party from the violence that rocked some parts of the state during the just concluded elections - The party also rejected statements and comments attributed to the Rivers state government that senior APC chieftains were responsible for the violence - The party said the result of the just concluded elections in Rivers is an indication of a new beginning in the state The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers have exonerated the party from the violence that rocked some parts of the state during the just concluded elections. The APC made the clarification during a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, February 27. The briefing was addressed by the Rivers APC governorship candidate, Arc. Tonye Cole with the Director General of Tonye Cole Campaign Organisation, Hon. Chidi Lloyd and Hon Victoria Nyeche. The party also rejected statements and comments attributed to the Rivers state government that senior APC chieftains were responsible for the violence. READ ALSO: Presidential election: I was not sure of who would emerge winner - Oshiomhole Cole said: Over the past few days, Rivers state has once again been in the headlines globally for all the wrong reasons. In a nationwide election that sought to elect a president for the Federal Republic of Nigeria and members of the National Assembly, our dear state was characterized with armed conflict which unfortunately led to the death of innocent Nigerians that had simply sought to exercise their civic duty of participating in an electoral process. At this juncture allow me to express my most profound and sincere condolences to the families who lost loved ones last weekend. In particular, we reach out to the family of Miss Ibisaki Amachree who was shot while on duty. One death is one too many and no one has the right to kill in the name of power and politics. May the souls of all those who died this weekend rest in peace and the families be rest assured that the federal government will seek justice for them, no matter how long it takes. It has been my personal plea and mantra as well as that of the APC that the violence meted out on our members and citizens of the state in 2015 and immediately thereafter has no place in any modern society, especially one that desperately needs to grow economically and develop for the betterment of her people. We have called for peace and peaceful elections at every stage, but it is unfortunate that there are people hellbent to cling on to power at any cost, even to the taking of human lives. I have been shocked and saddened by statements and comments attributed to the Rivers state governor that Prof. Charles Dokubo-Quakers, Prince Tonye Princewill and I are responsible for the carnage and deaths in Abonnema last weekend. These malicious and unfounded allegations are being investigated and our lawyers will advise on possible libel suits to take against those who have peddled these wicked falsehoods. The party, however, said the result of the just concluded elections in Rivers is an indication of a new beginning in the state. The result of the just concluded presidential elections is an indication of a new beginning and trajectory with respect to elections in Rivers state. Gone are the days when political thugs would hijack electoral materials and allocate hundreds of thousands of imaginary votes to their party. The results from the various units, wards and local government areas confirms this and further highlights the depth of rigging and manipulation of the 2015 elections that APC as a party had complained about. All that is required of anyone desirous of the truth is to compare the 2015 electoral figures where total votes cast was 1,584,768 with APC getting 69,238 while PDP got 1,487,075; to that of 2019 where total votes cast was 666,585 with APC getting 150,710 (even after 72,000 votes in Emohua was unconstitutionally removed) and PDP getting 473,971 and the story would clearly unfold, Cole said. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news updates Meanwhile, the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies for their dedication and professionalism during the course of Saturday's Presidential and National Assembly elections. The mission in a statement signed by Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf; former Liberian president and leader of the ECOWAS observation mission, noted that the voting process went on smoothly despite the widespread delays witnessed at the commencement of the polls. ECOWAS also applauded the effective presence of security agencies at various polling units for maintaining peaceful order and curtailing outbreak of violence experienced in some places. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better. 2019 Election: Nigerians react to Saraki's loss as INEC releases more results| Legit TV Source: Legit.ng It has often been said that the gift of a person makes a way. This belief has always proven to be true in many situations and the case of Eli Waduba is no different. Eli is a young, talented Nigerian who hails from Kaduna. This youth specialises in the art of drawing hyper-realistic paintings which have been regarded over time as world class. With all his talent and prowess in making exquisite paintings, Eli has never so much been recognised but all this changed when he drew a hyper-realistic portrait of American actor and comedian Kevin Hart. Like he would normally have done, the young Eli shared the beautiful painting of the actor across his social media platforms. Then he asked others to help retweet so that the Hollywood act could see it and probably appreciate his handiwork. Seeing the artistic beauty for what it was, many people took to sharing the portrait and calling the actor's attention to it till finally he saw it. After seeing it, Kevin Hart did not just acknowledge the portrait with a slight nod, he was totally wowed by the work of art. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda See Eli Maduba and his painting of Kevin Hart in this post: Given the fact that he was totally impressed by Eli's hyper-realistic painting of him, Kevin took to his Twitter page to gush over the portrait in several tweets. See them below: READ ALSO: SS1 student builds moving car using bathroom slippers and broom sticks in Oyo PAY ATTENTION: Get your daily relationship tips and advice on Africa Love Aid group But he did more than gush over the painting, he decided to reward Eli for it. In a tweet to the young artist from Kaduna, Kevin promised to pay for the portrait once it was delivered to him. Then he also said he would contract the boy with a job to draw three other celebrities which he would be paid for! See his tweet below: PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigeria's #1 news app In truth and in deed, hard work pays! Recently, a talented Nigerian man named Kingsley Ayogu went viral after sharing his work of art on social media. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We keep evolving to serve our readers better Faces Of Nigeria: Tolu Aliki: Talented Self-trained Figurative Artist From Nigeria | Legit TV Source: Legit Newspaper A popular Nigerian celebrity recently took to social media with a humorous post that has elicited different reactions from her fans and followers. Nollywood actress Omoni Oboli posted on popular micro blogging platform, Twitter, making her intentions to sleep in her car known to her fans. The reason according to the screen diva was because her power generating set had developed a fault and as such the heat in the house had been unbearable. To cool off, Oboli decided to spend the night inside her car. She accompanied her tweet with a photo in which she was spotted at the entrance of her automobile. She tweeted saying: "About to go spend the night in my car! Generator just packed up and heat wants to kill my enemy #Help #Nepa #Phcn #PowerOutage " READ ALSO: 2019: Ill provide nationwide electricity 24/7 - Ezekwesili Many of her fans instantly took to the comment section to react to the post. See some comments below: PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigeria's #1 news app PAY ATTENTION: Get your daily relationship tips and advice on Africa Love Aid group The actress, however, went on to reveal in her comment section that the generator repairer was already on his way to fix the machine. When a particular follower suggested that she should consider an alternative source of power supply, she made it known that she had solar panels but the inverter batteries have stopped working. See the exchange below: READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously gathered a report about how the screen diva had taken to her Instagram page to school an online beggar. Oboli charged social media beggars to desist from the act and should find gainful employments. She said they should stop trying to take advantage of citizens that worked hard for their money. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better Can Nigeria solve its power problems? Top engineers offer solutions | Legit TV Source: Legit - The INEC REC in Plateau, Alhaji Halilu Pai, has been accused by the state chapter of the PDP, of manipulating the electoral process and being biased - The accusation followed INECs delay in declaring some results of the National Assembly elections in the state - The party leaders later staged a peaceful protest at the INEC office in the state The Plateau chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the states resident electoral commissioner, Alhaji Halilu Pai, of compromising his position and manipulating the electoral process. Chief Damishi Sango, the chairman of the party, while addressing a press conference on Wednesday, February 27 in Jos, particularly alleged that Pai was biased and had glaringly taken sides, NAN reports. READ ALSO: Trump is a racist, con man, cheat - US presidents former lawyer says Legit.ng gathers that the accusation followed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)s delay in declaring some results of the National Assembly elections in the state, five days after the conduct of the polls. According to Sango, the inability of INEC to declare some of the results has thrown Plateau into serious confusion. He also alleged that some of the results declared so far were done under duress with heavy security presence. It is glaring to everyone that Mallam Halilu Pai, the REC in this state, has compromised his position as an impartial umpire. His inability to announce and declare winners of some of the National Assembly results has caused a lot of anxiety. If you know Plateau well, this is a recipe for monumental crisis. So, we are alerting the nation and the whole world to hold the REC responsible for any breakdown of law and order, he said Sango appealed to the REC to tread the path of justice and fairness, and declare the actual winners of the polls without further delay. The party leaders, led by Lt Gen Jeremiah Useni (rtd), the PDP governorship candidate, later staged a peaceful protest at the INEC office in the state, demanding the immediate declaration of winners of the polls. When contacted, Pai said that the allegations were not true. I am on my way to Abuja for a meeting and I will call you later, but what I can say is that the allegations are not true, he said. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Recall that Legit.ng previously reported that Matau Bernard-Malau, the returning officer of Plateau Central senatorial district, on Monday night, February 25, declared the National Assembly election in Kanam local government area inconclusive. Addressing party agents, observers and INEC officials at the Pankshin collation centre, the returning officer said that the decision became imperative due to the problems encountered while receiving the results from the area. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: Same great journalism, upgraded for better service! Nigerians react as INEC releases results - on Legit TV: Source: Legit A total of 42 guests were privileged to witness the nuptial ceremony of arguably Kenya's youngest PhD holder Purity Ngina at Kenyatta University church on Sunday, February 24. This included two camera men and three priests who blessed the wedding as she vowed to live with her husband Germano Richter Mugambi till death do them part. All the two lovers needed on their big day was KSh 350,000 (N1,263,5000) and additional KSh 40,000 (N144,400) for the white gown. According to the 28-year-old born and bred in Mbiriri village in Nyeri county, what mattered most was God's blessing and not how glamorous the event was. Purity Ngina and guests celebrates her wedding. Photo: Purity Ngina/Facebook. READ ALSO: Nigerian man celebrates wife's birthday in special way (photo, video) "The full team that witnessed our wedding. You can do a small wedding and be happy. What matters is the blessing. Live within your means. We had a total of 42 guests. This included two camera men and three priests." Newly weds enjoy a moment after exchanging vows. Photo: Purity Ngina/Facebook. PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigeria's #1 news app Ngina's story is that of sheer determination and resilience to achieve that which she desires to change her environment in whatever way. In many poor families, children barely know what it feels to put on shoes or any footwear and she was not an exception. PAY ATTENTION: Get your daily relationship tips and advice on Africa Love Aid group Her plight was further aggravated by the fact that she was brought up by a single parent. Despite these hurdles, Ngina went on to receive her doctorate degree in Bio-mathematics from Strathmore University, making her the youngest in the said field. God's blessings to the lovely couple. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier published a story on the hilarious video of a beautiful bride at her wedding. The bride was heard cautioning one of her bridesmaids not to dance more than her on her big day. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better Will you be okay with your friend dating your ex? - on Legit TV Source: Legit The presidency has stated that President Muhammadu Buhari would likely dissolve his cabinet before his inauguration for a second term in office on May 29. Legit.ng had reported that Buhari won his re-election, polling over 15 million votes to defeat his main challenger and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Femi Adesina, the spokesman to President Buhari, in an interview on Arise TV, said the president is expected to officially dissolve his cabinet at the expiration of the first tenure on May 29, Daily Trust reports. READ ALSO: Harassment of Igbos: Bode George tells Buhari to call Tinubu to order He said: That mandate lapses on May 29, and shortly before May 29, the president is likely going to officially dissolve his government. That is the way it is usually done. He says thank you to everybody that he has called to work with him and then he dissolves that government officially. Then when he is inaugurated for a second time, he now reconstitutes a government; he appoints his personal aides, he forms his cabinet, he appoints other people to fill other positions." Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the UK government congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on securing a second term as president. A statement from the British High Commission in Abuja on Wednesday, February 27, quoted the minister of state for Africa, Harriett Baldwin, as saying, I offer my congratulations to President Buhari on securing a second term as the Nigerian president. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app "The UK is a long-standing friend and partner of Nigeria and the Nigerian people and a stable and prosperous Nigeria benefits Africa and the world." Baldwin commended Nigerians for their resilience and commitment to democracy. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng Same great journalism, upgraded for better service! INEC announces Buhari as 2019 election winner, Nigerians react | - on Legit TV Source: Legit A Salisbury Township man allegedly pulled a handgun and threatened to kill his wife during a domestic dispute around midnight Tuesday. Todd Miller, 68, of the 1200 block of South 24th Street in Salisbury Township, was arrested and charged with simple assault, terroristic threats and harassment. He was released on $50,000 bail and is due in court for a preliminary hearing March 6. Township police said they responded about 12:09 a.m. to Miller's home for a reported disturbance. The victim told police she and her husband, whom she identified as Miller, had been arguing and that he went to leave the residence, police said in a news release. "She then told police officers that her husband then 'pulled a handgun from the right side of his pants' and told her that he would '(expletive) kill her,'" police Detective Kevin Kress wrote in the release. "The victim reports that he then grabbed her by the arm and pushed her out of the way and left the residence." Allentown police assisted Salisbury Township police in apprehending Miller about 6:30 a.m. Kress confirmed Miller was apprehended at 611 N. 19th St. in Allentown, the address of Todd S. Miller & Associates law office. Miller's attorney listing with the Disciplinary Board of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has the same phone number listed for Miller's home in the 1200 block of South 24th Street in Salisbury Township. His status was listed as active as of Wednesday afternoon. Miller was admitted to the bar in October 1975, according to the listing. A call to Miller's home was immediately disconnected. Another call for comment on the arrest, placed to Miller's law firm, was not immediately returned. The Morning Call, citing court records, identifies Miller as an attorney. Township police asked anyone with information on the incident to call the department at 610-797-1447 or via the Lehigh County 911 non-emergency number at 610-437-5252. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Over the objections of the Easton firefighters union, the city can now hire part-time firefighters to fill an unexpected shift vacancy. The change comes under a binding arbitration order to resolve a contract stalemate that is more than two years old. Easton firefighters have been working under an expired contract since Jan. 1, 2017. City council unanimously adopted the new contract Wednesday night, and the city's International Association of Firefighters Local 713 is required to accept the terms, as well. Mayor Sal Panto Jr. said he was unaware of any other Pennsylvania city approved to hire part-time firefighters. The ruling is aimed at reducing firefighter overtime from $800,000 a year to a "more reasonable" cost, Panto said. "We don't want to use that unless we have to," he said. City Administrator Luis Campos said he will work with new Fire Chief Mike Krill, who was sworn-in to the post Wednesday night, over the next 30 days to find ways to cut firefighter overtime. The city has no plans to hire part-time firefighters immediately, Campos said. Under the new contract, the city has 30 days to pay firefighters' back pay that Councilman James Edinger said totals $460,000. The contract runs from January 2017 through 2020 and includes annual 3 percent raises over the first three years and a 3.5 percent wage increase in 2020. In addition, as of 2018, the firefighters' wage scale is adjusted to increase base salaries by a range of $363 for a bottom-level recruit on up to $825 for a captain. The contract makes no changes to firefighters' pensions. On health care, the contract gives firefighters the option of a new high deductible health plan effective Jan. 1, 2019. This plan gives each firefighter and spouse the opportunity to meet wellness guidelines to avoid a salary co-share of $30 per pay -- or $50 per pay with one or more dependents -- for health care. Giving the city an option of hiring part-time firefighters drew a protest from the union against the arbitration award. At issue is a 1997 arbitration award that set a minimum number of firefighters required on each fire call. The union accuses the city of trying to run the department at times with 39 firefighters instead of its "long-standing contingent" of 43 firefighters. The arbitration panel "by permitting the use of part-time firefighters has ignored the union's arguments that should part-timers be allowed, they at least have the same training as firefighters currently on the department," the union's letter of dissent states. "Local 713 has provided the panel with a list of requisite qualifications for part-timers, but it has refused to include these requirements in this award. This places both the citizens of the City of Easton as well as those that serve to protect them in grave danger. Under the new contract, part-timers would need to possess a Pennsylvania State Fire Academy Voluntary Certification for Firefighter II; be certified as an emergency medical technician; be certified in Emergency Vehicle Operations; and "maintain proper and adequate qualifications and abilities to the satisfaction of the fire chief and deputy chief." As an example of its concerns, the union says part-time firefighters could be hired without training in water rescue or vehicle accident extrication. "Easton's response in these circumstances is thus greatly diminished, leaving citizens entrapped in these perils left to receive woefully less than they should expect, namely firefighters properly trained to respond to their emergency," the union's letter of dissent continues. Firefighters union President Jorge Rivera was not immediately available for further comment Wednesday. In its response, the city administration argues the salary increase and permission to hire part-timers resulted from "the give and take of bargaining." "Those part-time firefighters will provide the city with a fully trained and qualified complement of part-time firefighters who will enhance the city's ability to provide fire service in a more sustainable, cost effective and efficient manner," the administration wrote in its response. "The part-time firefighters will also help reduce the overtime costs created by maintaining the artificial and unnecessary minimum manning provisions contained in the collective bargaining agreement." The part-timer provision gives the city flexibility, particularly when it comes to filling vacancies, Panto said. He cited a "large number" of firefighters eligible for retirement. Though the chief's position is filled, following the retirement of former Chief John Bast last August, the Easton Fire Department is now without a deputy chief and a lieutenant, Campos said. Deputy Chief Kevin Arnold has been using up vacation days ahead of his retirement, official Monday, March 4. The city is looking to schedule a new civil service test for firefighters to have a stable of potential recruits ready to begin training. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. When hundreds of Easton Area High School students walked out to support school safety, Andrew Oliviera walked out for gun owners rights. Now the 19-year-old from Forks Township wants to walk into the Northampton County Government Center as the youngest member of county council. He announced Wednesday he plans to run for a seat in District Two. Im excited, the Republican candidate said. I want to show that running for county politics is a huge deal. He organized a counter-walkout on April 20, 2018, the date that hundreds of Easton Area High School students left school for 17 minutes to raise awareness of the need for school safety after 17 people died from gunshots at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Oliviera said he supports school safety but opposes stricter gun laws as a means to make schools safer. He said Wednesday he values fiscal conservatism and wants to make sure the county spends every dollar wisely. $30 for some is the difference between eating a meal in a day and not eating a meal in a day, he said. Oliviera graduated from high school last year and attends Penn State Lehigh Valley, where he majors in political science. Last years walkout reinforced the idea for Oliviera that America is a great place because we can discuss our political differences openly and honestly. In other countries, a discussion of politics is not as cordial and not as civil as it is here, he said. He enjoys discussing politics on social media and meeting other candidates. He said he looks forward to discussing politics with voters. District Two covers Forks and Palmer Townships; Easton, Glendon, Stockertown, Tatamy, West Easton and Wilson Borough. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. The airline JetBlue has apologized for a Black History Month display at John F. Kennedy International Airport that included Joanne Chesimard, the woman convicted of killing a New Jersey state trooper, among photos of black dignitaries. Images of the display began circulating among pro-police websites last week, sparking outrage. The airline said in a statement that unnamed crew members came together to celebrate Black History Month with a display in Terminal 5 featuring prominent individuals in history. When we learned of concerns regarding one individual, we immediately removed the poster, the airline told News 12 New Jersey, apologizing for the incident. Chesimard, who has long gone by the name Assata Shakur, escaped prison after she was convicted in the 1973 killing of State Trooper Werner Foerster. Supporters have long maintained that she was framed for the killing and she remains an icon among some in the black liberation movement. She now lives under political asylum in Cuba. Shakur is listed as one of the FBIs most wanted terrorists, and her escape remains a sore subject among law enforcement, who have urged political leaders to pressure Cuban officials to return her to the U.S. In 2017, the organizers of the Womens March faced backlash for wishing Shakur a happy birthday. That same year, a black state trooper claimed in a lawsuit he was drummed out of the division for promoting a T-shirt bearing her image on social media, claiming he did not know who she was. We appreciate Jet Blue removing the portrait of Chesimard out of respect for the Foerster family, the men and women of the New Jersey State Police, and all of the men and women in law enforcement who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, said Col. Patrick Callahan, the acting head of the State Police, in a statement released Thursday afternoon. "Joanne Chesimard is a fugitive who was tried and convicted of the murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster. ... Posted by New Jersey State Police on Thursday, February 28, 2019 S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Editors note: This story has been updated to correct the name of the airport at which the sign was displayed. UPDATE: Victim run over in Mansfield Township now charged, with 2 others, police say A driver was taken into custody late Wednesday morning after a witness said a man was run over in a Mansfield Township parking lot, police say. Officers were called at 9:45 a.m. to the Mansfield Village Apartments when a female complained two males were harassing her boyfriend, township police Chief Michael Reilly said in a news release. The girlfriend advised her boyfriend was run over by their vehicle, Reilly said. The injured person was found bleeding from the head and taken by the township rescue squad to Morristown Medical Center, Reilly said. Working from a description provided by the girlfriend, a township detective located the vehicle at 11:30 a.m. near the 1800 block of Route 57, Reilly said. After stopping the vehicle, police took township resident Jordan D. Cannon into custody, Reilly said. Cannon, 19, was charged with assault by auto, failure to render aid, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident with injury and failure to report and accident, Reilly said. He was sent to Warren County Jail pending a court appearance, Reilly said. The Warren County Prosecutors Office Crime Scene Team assisted in the probe and the investigation is ongoing as detectives work to interview witnesses, Reilly said. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. An animal rights activist who admitted to helping free a bear from a trap in Vernon has been sentenced to 15 days in jail. Catherine McCartney, 50, of Vernon, is appealing the sentence imposed Tuesday by Municipal Court Judge James Devine and says she stands by her actions. These animals are innocent and so I made the moral decision to let the bear go so he could run back to his mother, and it was the right thing to do, McCartney said in a statement she read in court, and provided Wednesday to NJ Advance Media. She remains free pending the outcome of her appeal. McCartney was arrested at bear hunt protests in 2016, 2017 and 2018, the New Jersey Herald reported. She was sentenced to 15 days in jail last fall, but the same judge let her enroll in the Sheriffs Labor Assistance Program (SLAP) program as an alternative, though she also is appealing that sentence, her attorney said. McCartney and a second defendant in court Tuesday - Mark Nagelhout, 43, of Park Ridge - were each hit with three summonses in October after helping a young bear escape from a culvert trap at the Great Gorge Village condominium complex. The New Jersey DEP set up two barrel-shaped culvert traps inside the condominium complex after two residents reported being charged at - but not injured - by a bear in separate incidents. However, the freed bear was younger and not believed to have been involved in either incident, DEP spokesman Larry Hajna said at the time. Animal rights activists dubbed the animal Momma Bear. McCartney and Nagelhout pled guilty to the same two charges - obstructing the administration of law, and prevention of lawful taking of wildlife - according to the municipal courts deputy administrator, Lindsay Miller. In her statement to the court, McCartney charged that dumpsters in the area were not bear-proof, and that was the source of the problem. Both were hit with fines totaling $1,316, Miller said, but Nagelhout - a first-time offender - was not given a jail sentence. Doris Lin, a attorney for the anti-hunt BEAR Group, represented both in court. We believe the penalties are extremely high and will be appealing, Lin told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday. This bear cub was crying, and I think a lot of compassionate people would have done the same thing. Culvert traps are about 3 feet in diameter and are triggered when the animal pulls at a bait bag, causing a door to close behind it. Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Two college students are dedicated to stamping out hunger on their well-to-do Muhlenberg College campus in Allentown. Freshman Natalie David and junior Gabriela Solomon are the driving forces behind a campaign to help students who are struggling with food insecurity not knowing where their next meal will come from find access to free or inexpensive food in the area. David and Solomon are part of the Muhlenberg College chapter of Challah for Hunger, an international organization committed to fighting hunger and other social injustices. Many students dont know food insecurity is an issue, says David. Theyre shocked by the numbers, especially at Muhlenberg, where people assume there are no financial hardships. Solomon calls that ignorance the Muhlenbubble. Everyone on campus thinks everyone has the same means, that theyre upper middle class, she says. The numbers David refers to are shocking. Half of community college students and 40 percent of students at four-year universities experience food insecurity, according to a recent report from Temple Universitys Hope Center, supported by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. In this country, in this day and age, theres no reason anyone should be hungry, says David. Its appalling that anyone has to worry about where their next meal is coming from. As part of David and Solomons push to educate their community about hunger on campus and available resources, theyre working with Challah for Hunger and Muhlenbergs Hillel to organize monthly educational and community events. The first was Feb. 19 at the Jewish Family Service of Lehigh Valleys Food Bank, which is the local partner for Muhlenbergs Challah for Hunger chapter. About 10 students volunteered their time to help restock and organize the pantry, says Solomon. The food bank is really in line with Jewish values, she says. Theres no limit for how much food you can take, which is very unique (to food banks). According to the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, 75,000 people in the area rely on monthly visits to food banks to make sure they and their families have enough to eat. Looking ahead, Solomon and David want to bring Swipe Out Hunger to the dining halls at Muhlenberg College. The program allows students with extra meal swipes your ticket into a dining hall to donate them to students who need swipes and would otherwise go without a meal. There are students who go into the dining hall for meals and get turned away because they dont have any swipes left, says David. The college has a team in place that is designed to help students address both short-term and long-term financial hardships, says Allison Gulati, vice president of student affairs at Muhlenberg. One of the short-term solutions is providing emergency meal swipes to students who need them. But our students want to be part of the solution, says Gulati. So if we move toward the Swipe Out Hunger program, students can support one another, rather than the dining service providing extra swipes. Were very excited that the students are engaged. It tells us theyre thinking critically about the issues affecting the world around them and those that directly impact their peers. In addition to support services provided by the college, the religious communities the campus chapel and Hillel house have weekly free dinners open to everyone, and the Hillel house has a food pantry. The administration at Muhlenberg is truly dedicated to helping students, but there is a disconnect between administration and students, and many people dont know what services are available if they need help, says David. "We want to help bridge this gap and build a stronger, more connected community. Water flowing in the Lehigh Canal in Easton could become a clean and renewable energy source. Northampton County Council voted Thursday to back a proposed hydroelectric power generator in the Lehigh Canal near Hugh Moore Park. Council voted 7-2 Monday to commit up to $1.5 million in matching funds should the New England Hydropower Company receive a grant from the Pennsylvania Alternative and Clean Energy Program. The hydropower company needed a committed municipal partner to be eligible for the grant. If a lower amount is awarded, the county would only have to match that dollar amount. If the grant is not awarded, the county would not provide any money, according to Thursday's resolution. Plans call for a small-scale "Archimedes screw" hydro turbine. Typically the spinning screw design has been used to pump water from lower elevations to higher elevations, often for irrigation purposes. The proposed design would do the reverse with water flowing downward that would turn the screw and generate power. There are about three hundred of these types of generators in Europe and only one in the United States, according to New England Hydropower representative Chris Conover. New England Hydropower operates the existing system in Connecticut. Conover said the system would be in the canal but would not block the canal completely or damage any existing canal lock mechanisms. Fish and other creatures would still have access downstream, he said. "It is a small system but it would be a start in renewable energy in the Lehigh Valley," Conover said. The company has been talking with Easton officials and would still need to come to an agreement about using the site. The power generated could eventually be sold to government or private entities, according to Conover. Conover said the grant application is the first of many steps to make this project happen. The project also needs federal permits. Delaware Canal 21 Deputy Director Douglas Dolan said his group--a nonprofit organization created to support the Delaware Canal--endorses the project. Dolan said, if this project is a success there may be opportunities to create similar projects in the Delaware Canal. "It can be a way to think about using our historic 19th century infrastructure in a way to have new life in the 21st century," Dolan said. The county money is slated for the 2019 budget. Council members John Cusick and Peg Ferraro voted against the resolution. "From a science and engineering standpoint, this is terrific," Cusick said. "From a dollars and cents standpoint, it is not." Others on council disagreed and said this is an important project. "I can't wait to see this thing up and running," Council President Ken Kraft said. John Best is a freelance writer. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A Laois institution has kicked off its 50th birthday celebrations on February 28, with a big cake and a coffee morning for customers. People First Credit Union in Portlaoise began in 1969 in a small rented room above Gowings Butchers on the Main Street. Since then it has helped countless members celebrate Christmasses, communions and weddings, and buy cars, holidays and home improvements. Phil Coughlan spent 40 years as a board member, joining in 1978. "When I look round now, from when we started, it is incredible. Back then people thought we were the poor man's bank, it was difficult to shake that off and really get going. Everything had to be handwritten in ledgers," she said. Dick Sydes spent 37 years as a board member. "We used to have people come in just at Christmas, and they would pay back that loan rigidly to be clear for the next Christmas. As honest as the day is long, but poor," he said. Now with 38,000 members and four branches, with Ballinakill reopening this Saturday morning, CEO Manager Sean Dunne says he is delighted to mark the big birthday. "It is great to be able to show the progress of an institution that was built by its founding members. We look forward to the next 50 years. We have moved with the times, we have gone digital and engage with customers on digital platforms, but we will always have the counter and the personal touch. That is the key difference to banking institutions. Our members have been very loyal to us in good times and bad and we will remain loyal to them," he said. The credit union will hold events for customers throughout the year, with no further detail as yet. People First Credit Union has branches in Portlaoise, Athy, Abbeyleix and Stradbally, with Ballinakill to reopen on Saturday March 2. Retired board members Dick Sydes and Phil Coughlan at Portlaoise Credit Union on the day of its 50th anniversary. Churches are normally quiet places of reflection but you should be able to hear a pin drop in a Laois place of prayer this weekend. That's because the Church of Ireland congregation is holding a sponsored silence at St Fintan's Church located in the heart of the picturesque village. On Sunday, March 3 from 2 pm to 5 pm 'sitters' will gather in the landmark church and remain silent for one, two or three hours depending on the time they've been sponsored for. They may read or walk quietly around the church. Sponsorship forms have been circulated amongst the congregation. Canon Patrick Harvey appealed to the wider community to support what is a fundraiser towards the refurbishment of the building. He said the work on the church, which overlooks the village green, will be a substantial project. "The tower is to be reroofed and work will also be done on internal floors," he said. Canon Harvey thanked all in advance for their support. Apart from sponsorship, he said donations can be made on the day. The closing date for applications for Irelands Best Young Entrepreneur is fast approaching and Kildare applicants are being encouraged to apply for 50,000 prize fund. Now is the time for you to visit www.ibye.ie to enter, said Jacqui McNabb, Head of Enterprise at Local Enterprise Office Kildare County Council. Now in its fifth year, this dynamic competition is open to 18 to 35-year-olds who have an idea for starting a business or who are already running their own business. We have a 50,000 prize fund to give away here in Kildare and we are looking for young entrepreneurs to enter in the three categories: Best New Idea, Best Start Up and Best Established Business. All entrants are invited to an Enterprise Day with brilliant business advice and mentoring on offer. From there, a shortlist will be invited to an intensive Boot Camp and will move forward to the #IBYE County Final. The 2018 IBYE finalist Noel Dykes of Frankli had this to say about his IBYE experience. IBYE gave us the confidence and validation we needed to press on with our business. It also opened up a valuable network of customers and investors. The application process is quick, free and simple but applications close on March 15, 2019 so time is running out. Just visit www.ibye.ie and take 15 minutes to complete your application. If you have any difficulties at all give our IBYE Coordinator Doreen Heavey a call on 045 980354. Were just a call away and we are happy to help. Jacqui McNabb concluded Wed love to see a young entrepreneur from #TeamKildare making it to the National Finals of Irelands Best Young Entrepreneur 2019 in Google this year. Come on, enter the competition today and who knows it could be you! SEE ALSO: One town signs up to be poster free in Kildare this election time The case of a man who was before Athy District Court on allegations of sexual assault during a charity buskathon in Athy was adjourned for the preparation of a book of evidence on Tuesday, February 28, last. The defendant, who has a Dublin address, came to the attention of gardai on February 9, 2018, at 6.45pm in Emily Square. The court heard that the injured party was attending a buskathon, with several children. The defendant joined her company and he played with the children. The court heard he was very drunk at the time. It was then alleged that he tried to kiss the injured party and then put his hands between her legs and touched her genitals. Judge Desmond Zaidan asked if the children were present at the time of the alleged assault and he was told that they were. I am going to refuse jurisdiction, Judge Zaidan said. He remanded the defendant on continued station bail until July 9 next for the book of evidence. Life size horse sculptors will be appearing all over Kildare in the coming months. Read also: A new boutique just opened in Naas town centre The Curragh Racecourse along with Irish Injured Jockeys and Sensational Kids launched their under stARTers orders creative public arts fundraising initiative today. The Curragh wanted to create a unique fundraising drive for the charities to tie in with the launch of the new Curragh Racecourse. Today they launch an exciting public arts project which involves top Irish artists with all proceeds going to racing charity Irish Injured Jockeys and Kildare based childrens charity Sensational Kids. Twenty of Irelands most distinguished artists have been commissioned to take part and each artist received a life-size resin horse sculpture that is primed and ready to paint in their own unique style. On completion, all works will be sold and the proceeds will be shared equally between the two charities. The public will have the chance to visit and view these spectacular works while on public display at various locations from April to June of this year. This is an opportunity for corporates, host locations, galleries, shopping malls, airports, tourist attractions and event sites to work with the charities in a meaningful way providing display spaces for the public to gaze as the horses graze during this period. It also offers a unique platform to the artists involved to showcase their work to anyone who loves horse racing and art both here in Ireland and around the world. The horse sculptures are currently with each of the artists and some have started work on them already. The deadline for completion on all creatives is the end of March, this is to allow ample time for the public and prospective buyers to view them. The sales aspect of this project is also in full swing with many parties showing a keen interest in getting their hands on one of these exclusive works of art. A guide price of 10,000 has been put on each piece with many of the sculptures expected to be sold over the coming weeks as the artists progress and interest in the project peaks. A selection of works will be chosen by an independent panel of experts to go forward to auction on Friday, June 28 at The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh. This coincides with the launch of the new Curragh after the recent redevelopments which will showcase The Curraghs new world-class facilities on a par with the best in the world including a major new grandstand which incorporates five star corporate facilities, restaurants, bars and viewing facilities. For further information visit www.startersorders.ie or follow this project as it progresses and as the individual works evolve live on social media @understartersorders. A woman did not carry out a severe knife attack on another woman because of delusional impulses but rather because of anger and a sense of entitlement, a consultant psychiatrist has told the Central Criminal Court. Laura Kenna (37), of no fixed abode, is charged with attempting to murder Fionnuala Burke on Lower Drumcondra Road, in Dublin, on January 3, 2017 and assault causing serious harm on the same occasion. Ms Kenna has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to both counts. Called to give evidence by prosecution counsel, Mr Anthony Sammon SC, Dr Harry Kennedy said it is his professional opinion that Ms Kennas attack on Ms Burke would not come under the definition of insanity. Reading from his psychiatric evaluation of Ms Kenna, Dr Kennedy told the Central Criminal Court that Ms Kenna had the ability to fabricate for her own interests by refusing to answer certain questions when being interviewed by gardai in the days following the attack. Dr Kennedy said that Ms Kenna was making flippant and misleading replies for her own benefit, such as saying she had walked to Belfast following the attack. Dr Kennedy also pointed out that after carrying out the attack, Ms Kenna had the ability to argue with a worker at Drumcondra railway station regarding purchasing a train ticket. Dr Kennedy referred to Ms Kenna as an inconsistent historian and that she possesses callous and unemotional personality traits. Dr Kennedy pointed out that in his assessment of Ms Kenna, she said that on the night of her attack on Ms Burke she followed another woman but let her go which he said indicated that Ms Kenna knew what she was doing in selecting her victim. Dr Kennedy told the court that there was no evidence in his evaluation of the accused that she could "not refrain from the attack". He said that rather it was done in "anger" and involved a "sense of entitlement" as Ms Kenna later mentioned to the gardai on numerous occasions that she "needed money". He also told the court that Ms Kenna said at one point she was "disappointed she didn't kill the victim" and that in his opinion she did not seem to be operating under "delusional" impulses. Dr Kennedy agreed that Ms Kenna meets the criteria for schizoaffective disorder but explained that this is a condition that involves lapsing and relapsing. He explained that Ms Kenna is more mentally well when she is on medication for her illness and abstaining from taking toxicants. Dr Kennedy referred to a previous occasion when Ms Kenna attacked at woman at a LUAS stop by stabbing her in the face with a pen. He stated that he believed Ms Kenna was hearing voices at this time as she appeared to believe she had been insulted by the victim. Dr Kennedy pointed out how in regards to the current offence against Ms Burke, Ms Kenna was talking about stealing the victims handbag and did not appear to be suffering from a schizoaffective episode. When being cross-examined by Ms Kennas barrister Mr Barry White SC, Dr Kennedy was asked if he was here to carry a shield for the prosecution. Referring to Dr Kennedys analysis of Ms Kennas mental state during the previous attack at a LUAS stop, Mr White asked if it was likely Ms Kenna would go from being mad to bad to mad [again]. Dr Kennedy responded by saying that the natural history of schizoaffective disorder varies rapidly from day to day. The court heard evidence today, Wednesday, February 27, from another consultant psychiatrist, Dr Stephen Monks who had opposing views to Dr Kennedy, saying that he believed Ms Kenna was not aware of the nature of her actions during the attack. The trial continues tomorrow before Ms Justice Tara Burns The 38th Ballinamore Drama Festival opens in the Community Centre on this Friday night, March 1 with Ray Cooneys hilarious comedy Out Of Order. The play, performed by Pomeroy Players from Co Tyrone, portrays how things go disastrously wrong when a junior minister plans to spend the night with one of the oppositions junior secretaries. The festival runs for eight nights and closes on Friday March 8. Groups from eight different counties compete, in the confined and open sections. Caroline Williams, who grew up in Ballinamore, will perform the official opening. Caroline went to London in 1985 and has remained there since. Her career in the business side of the media industry now spans 30 years, working in Londons West End, LA and more recently in Dublin. On Saturday night the open winners from last year, Wexford Drama Group, stage Rabbit Hole written by David Lindsay-Abaire. The play, winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize, deals with the ways family members survive a major loss, and includes comedy as well as tragedy. Butt Drama Circle, from Ballybofey, perform Frank McGuinness play Someone Wholl Watch Over Me on Sunday night. An Irishman, an Englishman and an American are locked up together in a cell in the Middle East. On Monday, March 4, Clann Machua Drama Group from Mayo stage Brian Friels play The Loves of Cass Maguire. This is the sad, delusional and comical story of Cass, a tired and tipsy woman, who after 52 years of romping as a saloon waitress in America returns home. On Tuesday 5, the 2017 All- Ireland winners, Dalkey Players from Dublin, give their production of The Mill On The Floss. Adapted by Helen Edmundson it is an intensely moving dramatisation of George Eliots novel. It is a work of startling sadness and one of the most affecting stories of family loss, tragedy and the sheer meanness of fate. This is the first staging of this play in Ireland. The Knocks Drama Group from Fermanagh perform another comedy on Wednesday night, The Quare Land. This was written by John McManus from Ballyconnell and tells the story of Hugh Pugh, a west Cavan mountain farmer, who is taking a bath for the first time in four years when a so-called developer arrives in the middle of his bathing experience with a fairly straight forward proposition. Except, Hugh Pugh is far from straight forward. On Thursday 7, Corn Mill Theatre Group from Carrigallen stage Dermot Healys play On Broken Wings. The play takes its title from a popular song of the 1930s, a period in which some of the scenes are set. It portrays the life of Timothy Lavell from his childhood to working in Scotland and America and his return home. On the closing night, March 8 Cloonacool Players from Sligo take on Bernard Farrells dark comedy I Do Not Like Thee Dr Fell. A group therapy session goes awry when one of its participants sets out to destroy it. Michael Poynor, ADA, GODA, from Co Derry will adjudicate the festival. Michael, who is president of the Association of Drama Adjudicators, will be making his first visit to Ballinamore. Season tickets, costing 55 for the eight nights are on sale in Murphys shop, St Brigid Street. Admission is 10 nightly with a 6 concession rate for OAPs and students. The performances start each night at 8pm. WATCH| Ballinamore Community Hall redevelopment plans A farmer has brought High Court proceedings against several parties including KBC Bank over an attempt to evict him, along with his two siblings, from their Co Roscommon home last December. In proceedings recently lodged in the High Court farmer David McGann, from Falsk, near Strokestown is seeking various orders and declarations from the court including an order preventing any party from taking possession of or interfering with the Co Roscommon property. The eviction, gained national media attention, particularly after private security operatives were forced from the property by a group of masked men. The incident, which resulted in an alleged attack on the security personnel who left the property, vehicles being burnt and the death of a dog, is the subject of an ongoing Garda investigation. The eviction was conducted on foot of possession orders alleged obtained against Mr Anthony McGann, Mr David McGann's brother. The McGanns subsequently returned to the property. As well as suing KBC Bank Mr David McGann's action is against parties including related firms Trinity Asset Managerial Services Ltd, GS Agencies Ltd and Local Authority Services Ltd and Mr Aidan Devlin with an address in Summerhill Co Meath, who the plaintiff alleges are agents of the bank. The action is also against the County Registrar of Roscommon. Mr McGann, who is represented by solicitor Donnacha Anhold of Carter Anhold & Co Solicitors, along with Eanna Mulloy SC and David Browne Bl seeks several declarations from the court including that the defendants actions on December 11th last at the property were unlawful, and breached his constitutional rights, and rights under Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights ECHR. He seeks a declaration that the agents acted without lawful authority and in breach of the 1926 Enforcement of Court Orders Act in attempting to access and gain entry to the property on foot of execution orders for possession dated August 8th and September 4th 2018 last. He also seeks declarations that the county registrar had not lawfully delegated his power to a designated court messenger when the defendants attempted to access and gain entry to the property at Falsk. Another declaration sought is that rules of the Superior and Circuit Courts relation to possession orders breaches his rights because they enable an order for possession to be executed against the occupier of a property without the occupier being named in the proceedings. He further seeks a declaration that the defendants have committed slander of title by attempting to take possession of the property in circumstances where they had no lawful authority to do so. If necessary he seeks a declaration that the 1926 Enforcement of Court Orders Act breaches provisions of the Irish Constitution and Article 8 of the ECHR. He further seeks damages and aggravated and exemplary damages for alleged trespass, breach of his constitutional right to private property and defamation. LIMERICK-based civil engineering company Roadbridge has secured the contract for the N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin construction project. It is now gearing up to begin work on the extensive 150 million development scheme, which is expected to last for a period of two years and will open up in excess of 100 jobs during peak times for the local community and beyond. The company was also recently awarded the contract for the redevelopment of the Alexandra Basin at Dublin Port. Speaking following the attainment of the N4 contract, Conor Gilligan, Roadbridge MD, said: After over 50 years in business, its a wonderful feeling to see the company grow from strength to strength, with 2019 already shaping up to be one of our best and busiest years yet. We were over the moon to secure the North Runway Phase 2 construction project last year and now that were throwing ourselves into the N4 contract its full steam ahead for the foreseeable future. He continued: While its obviously a great coup for us as a Limerick-based company to align ourselves with such prestigious development projects on a national scale, were also extremely enthusiastic over the ample employment opportunities that will be created as a result. Awarded to Roadbridge by Sligo County Council, the contract involves the realignment of approximately 14.71km of the N4 in Co. Sligo, 13.82km of which consists of a Type 2 Dual Carriageway commencing at the existing N4/N17 roundabout in the townland of Collooney/Toberbride and extending to a roundabout in the townland of Castlebaldwin. With several fatalities over the last number of years, this stretch of road has earned the reputation as notoriously dangerous, so this project has been warmly welcomed by motorists. The scheme will then tie back into the existing N4 to the south of this roundabout with a Standard Single Carriageway alignment measuring approximately 0.89km in length, before its conclusion in Cloghoge Lower Townland. Roadbridge is also working on Phase 2 of construction at Dublin Airports North Runway. The high-profile project, which is a joint venture by Roadbridge and Spanish infrastructure company FCC Consortium, kicked off in January and will be ongoing for two years. Roadbridge was also recently awarded the contract for the redevelopment of the Alexandra Basin at Dublin Port. Another joint venture, this project will see the company team up with building, civil and marine engineering contractors L&M Keating as they work to construct a new quay wall and pavement structure at Berth 35. Works are due to begin in June 2019. SENATOR Kieran ODonnell has revealed Limerick homes secured more than 3m in energy efficiency grants last year. Hundreds of homes in Limerick benefited from measures designed to help people adapt to a more climate sensitive lifestyle, Mr ODonnell added. More than 548 homes benefited from a 20% to 30% discount for better energy efficiency in their homes. Some 160 Limerick homes availed of the Warmer Homes initiative, which is confined to home owners who qualify for the Fuel Scheme. This covers the entire cost for eligible families. Outside the home, 40 Limerick drivers purchased an electric vehicle and qualified for 5,000 grant, up to 5,000 off VRT and cheaper tolls, Mr ODonnell added. Senator O Donnell said: Climate change is the existential challenge of our generation. We must protect our planet. Fine Gaels guiding principle is that we intend to hand over guardianship and stewardship of our planet to future generations in a much better state than we inherited it. Range anxiety is a problem for Electric Vehicle (EV) drivers, but the government has just awarded a 10m grant to the ESB. As a community we need to think more about choices like these. I am seeking to develop momentum for Climate Action in a plan which is now in preparation, he said, Many of our homes have very poor building energy ratings. Big savings in energy, in greenhouse gases and in comfort can be achieved by taking up these schemes. Even though a Home Charger Grant of 600 is available, it was only taken up by 17 people in Limerick last year, this is disappointing which is why we need to get the word out on these progressive initiatives. Furthermore, there are over 250 community energy schemes in operation. These are Government funded SEAI community grants, the Senator concluded. A MAN described as the controlling mind behind a 20 million tax scam is to seek a Supreme Court appeal over his pending extradition to the UK for failing to pay a confiscation order amounting to almost 13 million. Daniel OConnell, 65, with an address at Ballybrack, Clonlara, Co Clare and Roseneath, Corbally, Co Limerick, had opposed his extradition on several grounds including delay. He also argued that to imprison him would breach his fundamental rights under the European Convention of Human Rights. It was also submitted that as O'Connell is currently indigent, or poor, he should not be surrendered to serve a penalty where a rich person would not have to do so. However, Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly rejected all of Mr OConnells grounds and ordered his extradition to the UK last Friday. Ms Justice Donnelly refused leave to appeal her judgment this Wednesday but put a stay on her order pending an application to the Supreme Court for leave to appeal. In a 47-page written judgement last week, Ms Justice Donnelly said the High Court was satisfied that there is no basis for refusing his surrender or referring his case further to the Court of Justice of the European Union. She said the High Court can only refuse to surrender someone where there is a real risk that his rights cannot be protected or were not protected in the issuing state because of a defect in the system of justice there such that it would be egregious to surrender him. No such evidence has been put forward, she added. Mr OConnell was convicted in Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court on August 9, 2000, for five offences of VAT evasion between August 1, 1996 and March 25, 1999. He was subsequently jailed for eight years but released in March 2003 on licence. In addition, in January 2003, Mr OConnell was also made subject to a confiscation order for almost 6 million to be paid by May 2004 - for which an additional sentence of seven years imprisonment would be imposed in default of payment. The court previously heard that, to date, 354,407.41 has been paid towards Mr O'Connell's confiscation order. It also heard that, by September 2016, this confiscation order had a balance outstanding of nearly 6 million plus accrued interest of over 5.8 million. Mr OConnell was subsequently arrested in 2017 on foot of a European Arrest Warrant issued by the UK authorities. The warrant, the High Court heard, stated that because Mr OConnell failed to pay the confiscation order in full by May 2004, his default sentence was activated and his extradition was being sought so that he could be returned to prison in order to serve this part of the overall sentence. The warrant, issued by Westminister Magistrates Court in London in 2016, outlined Mr OConnell's involvement with five companies all of which became missing traders and for all of which he was acting as the controlling mind. It stated that the five companies all failed to submit a VAT return and/or failed to account for any VAT to Her Majestys Customs & Excise during periods when their respective trading was substantial. The five missing trader companies made sales of over 119 million on which the VAT due would have been approximately 20 million from 1997 to 1999. However, the companies accounted for only 17,086.00 in VAT during the relevant period. LERO, the Irish Software Research Centre which is headquartered at the University of Limerick, has been selected to take part in a 15m cybersecurity research project. Dr Liliana Pasquale of University College Dublin and Professor Bashar Nuseibeh of UL will head the Irish team for the CyberSec4Europe, a 42-month project which was launched in Brussels this Friday. Cybersecurity has become one of the key challenges of our time, Professor Nuseibeh said. The EU wishes to ensure that it retains and develops essential capacities to secure its digital economy, infrastructures, society and democracy. This Horizon 2020 initiative will establish and operate a pilot for a Cybersecurity Competence Network and develop and implement a common cybersecurity research and innovation roadmap. This development will give researchers in Ireland the chance to be part for the first time in a major international research programme in cybersecurity, Dr Liliana Pasquale added. It will help to place Ireland as one of the leading EU countries in cybersecurity research. The EU has recognised that cybersecurity research, competences and investments are spread across Europe with too little alignment. There is an urgent need to step up investment in technological advancements that could make the Digital Single Market more cyber secure and overcome the fragmentation of EU research capacities. CyberSec4Europe will connect 43 research centres and facilities, bringing together cybersecurity expertise from across Europe while developing a governance model for the future European Cybersecurity Competence Network. The CyberSec4Europe contract will run until July 2022. LUFTHANSA has announced a second weekly service to Frankfurt from Shannon Airport. The announcement means Shannons first ever scheduled Lufthansa service is to have its capacity doubled this year. The service will now operate to Frankfurt on Thursdays as well as Saturdays, with the outbound leg on Thursdays arriving in Frankfurt in time to meet onward connections at one of Europes largest and most important airport hubs. Andreas Koester, Senior Director Sales UK, Ireland and Iceland, said: Testament to the demand for our services in this important market, we are delighted to be able to double our capacity on the Shannon-Frankfurt route. At Lufthansa, we pride ourselves on delivering high levels of customer satisfaction. This additional capacity enables us to offer even greater options for onward outbound connections through Europe and long haul destinations to Asia, Sao Paulo and Johannesburg, with the inbound flight offering a more seamless journey from the North Atlantic. We look forward to building on this success to further expand our footprint in Ireland. Shannon Airport said it was delighted to welcome Lufthansas doubling of capacity on the Frankfurt service. This is very positive news for us as it reaffirms the market that there is for Shannon for services into European hub airports, said Andrew Murphy, managing director at Shannon Airport. Lufthansa, which is one of Europes biggest airlines, came on board with this service in 2017 and would not be doubling frequency unless the demand was there. Having Lufthansa commit with this second weekly service across the summer season is very encouraging from that perspective. We have worked very hard on this, as we do with all our services, and are really pleased to be making this gain, he said. In addition to the outbound opportunities for onward connections and, indeed, the opportunity this gives eastern markets to fly with one-stop connectivity into Shannon, the German market is the third largest tourism market for Ireland. As the gateway airport to the Wild Atlantic Way, we offer direct access for that market to the part of the country that resonates the most with them. We look forward to working with Lufthansa and growing this service further in the future. Denis Doyle, VP of Manufacturing, Analog Devices Inc, explains how Analogs Limerick site has built a formidable presence on the Irish and global technology scene and how their technology and solutions are having a profound impact on peoples lives Analog Devices International (ADI) was one of the first US high-tech companies to establish a presence in Ireland. Now employing 1,200 people at its original and main Irish hub, Analog Devices in Limerick is home to ADIs European based Research and Development center and Ireland global operations manufacturing facility. A global leader in high-performance semiconductors for signal processing applications, Analog Devices has pivoted from being purely a component company to providing complete high-performance solutions that sense, measure, interpret, power and connect across a wide variety of applications for industrial, healthcare, consumer, communications infrastructure and automotive electronics markets. Lives are saved every day because our technology solutions are being deployed to help doctors get clearer pictures, improve safety in cars, enable faster data across the mobile network and build more efficient manufacturing processes. Ultimately, we develop and deliver next generation solutions which help our customers solve the most complex and valuable challenges in improving the human experience, said Mr Doyle. Benefiting from having R&D and manufacturing divisions on one site, the Irish operation holds a formidable presence on the Irish and global technology scene for inventing technologies for the future. It also boasts a well-established record for engineering innovation and discovery with over 800 global patents granted to Analogs inventors based in Ireland. Investing in Ireland ADIs arrival in Ireland over 40 years ago paved the way for other multinationals to locate here, helped by factors such as; access to third level collaboration, the strong graduate talent pool, an international airport and the States supportive approach towards business. Leo McHugh, VP of Instrumentation & Precision Technology noted: The connectivity provided by Shannon Airport remains a major ingredient for multinational industry in the Mid-West. Allied to an advanced telecommunications infrastructure, this gateway to global markets from Ireland is vitally important to future investment. Investing in Education Investing in education across the Mid-West region since 1976, Analog Devices has earned a reputation for long-term retention of graduates and nurturing top talent many of whom have gone to other parts of the company in the US and around the world. Attracting the best engineers is central to ADIs ability to stay ahead of whats possible, so the company has developed strong links with most third level institutions in Ireland and in particular with University of Limerick and Limerick Institute of Technology. Indeed, the recently constructed innovative science and engineering building at UL is called the Analog Devices Building due to the ongoing support and collaboration between the two organisations. The company plays a significant role in promoting awareness and engagement with science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) amongst school going children. It is a gold partner of the BT Young Scientist Exhibition, is a key promoter of Limerick for Engineering and hosts various science and technology events including a Robotics day for primary schools as well as sponsoring scholarships at UL and LIT. Its through partnerships like this that we will inspire the coming generations of engineers and innovators who will keep us ahead of whats possible, said Leo McHugh. Over 1,000 people visited Analog Devices Inc during a special Family Open Day at their plant in Raheen Business Park recently Investing in the community With a 1,200 strong workforce, Analog Devices is deeply embedded in the community and recognises this through a number of initiatives. Each year, the company supports numerous schools, charities and social enterprises across the Mid-West through its Community Awards scheme where employees nominate the beneficiaries. Employees are encouraged to partake in volunteering activities on an ongoing basis and in recent times participated in the Great Limerick Run to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society, gathered food parcels for the Redemptorist food appeal, volunteered to help out with the Special Olympics and participated in the Time to Read programme in local Primary schools and much more. ADI won several industry awards last year in recognition of their achievements. We are very proud of how our technology and our people are making a difference, concluded Mr Doyle. TO celebrate the first birthday of our quality free paper The Leader, we have 12 pairs of flights from Shannon Airport to giveaway. Shannon Airport is delighted to be associated with the Limerick Leader in celebrating its first birthday. The Leader has and continues to be a great supporter of Shannon Airport and we are offering its loyal readers a great opportunity to celebrate this first birthday with the chance to win a prize of airline tickets to one of 12 destinations from Limericks favourite airport, said Declan Power, head of aviation at Shannon Airport. The birthday bonanza prize includes return tickets for two people, including priority boarding and checked luggage, to the following destinations direct from Shannon: Ibiza, Tenerife, East Midlands, Malaga, Alicante, Bristol, Lanzarote, London, Manchester, Krakow, Palma and Fuerteventura. To be in with a chance to win, just answer the following question: What birthday is The Leader celebrating? A: Two years B: One year C: Three years Text ICONIC, followed by your answer, name and address and the month for the appropriate flight to 57199. Lines close this Saturday, March 2. Text January for flights to Alicante Text February for flights to Malaga Text March for flights to Ibiza Text April for flights to Fuerteventura Text May for flights to Lanzarote Text June for flights to Krakow Text July for flights to London Stansted Text August for flights to Manchester Text September for flights to Bristol Text October for flights to East Midlands Text November for flights to Tenerife Text December for flights to Palma (Texts cost 1 plus standard network charges. SP Premium 081-8220818. You may receive promotional messages in the future) Outside of the capital, Shannon is now Irelands fastest growing airport with 33% growth over the last six years. At Shannon Airport we are committed to making it easy for our customers from the moment they arrive right up to when the flight departs. We are developing new routes and services for our customers and It is our intention to sustain and expand the range of routes available. We recognise that a priority for customers choosing Shannon is efficient and convenient access to global air services and of course a relaxing and friendly environment when leaving and returning to Shannon Airport, added Declan Power. LIMERICK people love a home-grown success story just witness their support for Munster in their quest for the European Cup or, more recently, the Limerick hurlers stunning All-Ireland victory. A local home grown legal success story is Limerick-headquartered law firm Holmes OMalley Sexton. Located in the heart of the city at Henry Street, the firm is thriving in both national and international terms. Through sustained growth, the practice employs almost 150 staff across four locations in Ireland and the UK between Limerick, London, Dublin and, most recently, Cork. Established 50 years ago the firm combines the renowned local passion with an international outlook and ambition. The basis for the firms success mirrors those of their sporting counterparts: the firm bucks the trend by acting as an essential regional counterbalance to the Dublin-focused legal market. With the benefit of inspirational leadership and through the support of the resurgent Mid-West business community, the practice has grown exponentially. In doing so, Holmes OMalley Sexton relies on a skilful balance of bringing through home grown stars alongside key strategic hires. The comparisons with Munster Rugby run deep for a firm that prides itself on standing up and fighting for its clients and their interests. Holmes OMalley Sexton is also a market leader in creating a great place to work for its growing team. The firm prides itself on its excellent staff retention rates. Working in conjunction with its strategic partners, the firm offers a lifelong opportunity for career development alongside an effective work-life balance. The firm runs an award-winning wellness and talent development programme, and has recently launched a best in class employee assistance programme with health checks and assessments, mindfulness, nutrition advice, ongoing fitness activities and a variety of educational opportunities. The firms staff come together to participate in the Great Limerick Run and fundraising events such as Pieta House, Darkness into Light walk, the Pieta House 100km cycle, Dress for Success and Dancing with the Stars. By recognising that its staff is its most important asset and investing in its people accordingly, Holmes OMalley Sexton can assure clients of sustained quality, knowledge, experience and value. The recent appointment of six partners across the various locations, three in Dublin, two in Limerick and one in Cork, demonstrates the extent of the firms ongoing growth and the depth of its specialised service offering for clients. The firm also recently announced 12 new jobs and is seeking to fill a range of positions, including legal secretaries, interns, a solicitor and IT professionals. Speaking to the Limerick Leader, Holmes OMalley Sexton Managing Partner Harry Fehily said: At our firm, we are focused on results; winning cases for our clients, problem solving and delivering commercial solutions to their issues that add value to their business. Our clients success is built on our people and our Holmes OMalley Sexton community, which we value enormously. Our people and our culture differentiate us from other firms. Being a great place to work for our team is vital to our success and is at the core of our business as a leading law firm. We are always striving to add like-minded, ambitious people to our firm to join us on this journey. To see a number of opportunities at Holmes OMalley Sexton please visit www.homs.ie/careers. A FOUNDING academic of University of Limerick, who acted as an advisory to the Government to introduce free education, has been laid to rest. Prof Noel William Mulcahy served as vice-president of the former National Institute of Higher Education (NIHE) in Limericknow University of Limerickas well as serving as the institutes dean of Engineering and Science in the 1980s. Prof Mulcahy, 89, died at St Vincents Private Hospital this Thursday, and is survived by his wife Caroline, his children Daragh, Colm, Aisling, Garech and eleven grandchildren. Prof Mulcahy was selected to Seanad Eireann in 1977 by then-Taoiseach Jack Lynch, and served as senator until 1981. A spokesperon said: Throughout his long and distinguished career, he was a prolific analyst and contributor to the debate on national strategy and advised former Education Minister Donagh OMalley on the introduction of free second level education. He also advised Governments in the 1970s and 1980s. Through his relationship with Minister OMalley in the 1960s, he was tasked with finding a way to establish a university of Limerick. Prof Mulcahy previously worked for Raidio Eireann (now RTE) where he helped set up Irelands first television system. He had previously researched the area of television transmitters in London, according to an oral history project at UL. His expertise was noted when he was appointed to the 14th Seanad in 1977. In a debate on capital funding for telephone development in November 1977, Labour senator Justin Keating particularly wanted Prof Mulcahys input in the discussion. I hope he will give us his mind on it because he brings to the Oireachtas a very useful knowledge of what management is and how it can be applied, the senator said. Education Minister John Wilson once commended Prof Mulcahy for the development of the technology part of our education system. Prof Mulcahy was buried at Kilquade Cemetery. THE TEENAGER stabbed in a vicious attack in the city has been discharged from hospital and is making a considerable recovery, it is understood. The 17-year-old, who received multiple stab wounds in the back, is a refugee who fled war-torn Syria to start a new life in Limerick as part of the national resettlement programme. The teenager was left in a critical condition following the brutal assault in the early hours of Thursday morning. Gardai at Roxboro Road have been leading the investigation, and are now following a definite line of enquiry after speaking to witnesses, a spokesperson said. Gardai have confirmed that no arrests have been made so far, but they are encouraging more people to come forward as their probe into the stabbing progresses. The Leader can confirm that the stabbing was not race-related, and that the teenager is not on the garda radar for criminal activity. It is understood that the teenager and the individuals became embroiled in a fight when he was stabbed multiple times in the back. The seriously injured teenager walked along Fr Russell Road in a bid to get help from members of the public, as his health quickly deteriorated. A local resident near Gouldavoher estate could hear the teenager screaming for help, and rushed out to assist him and call an ambulance. The 17-year-old collapsed when the ambulance arrived and was immediately rushed to University Hospital Limerick. His condition was later pronounced stable, but serious. It is understood the young male was discharged at the weekend. A friend described him as a good boy who never done anything bad to anyone. On Tuesday afternoon gardai said: Gardai from Roxboro are following definite lines of enquiry and would like to thank any witnesses that have come forward already and have helped them. However, gardai believe that there are many more people who saw or heard this assault. Anyone with information can contact Roxboro Road garda station at 061 214340 or the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111. MEMBERS of the National Ambulance Service (NAS) in Limerick have indicated again that they will return to the picket lines for an additional two days if their union is not recognised by the Government and management. This Thursday, more than 30 members of the Mid-West National Ambulance Service Representatives Association (Nasra), which is affiliated to the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA), staged phase three of strike action at their base on St Nessans Road. Unless there is positive movement from the Government, they have said, they will be returning to the same picket line this Friday morning. The dispute surrounds an ongoing disagreement between the PNA Nasra and the Government over the recognition of the union. While there have been positive comments made by the Government, there has been little action on resolving the issue, it has been claimed. The Minister for Health [Simon Harris] is taking the same comments he made on the previous strike, he has approached his department and has asked that they find a resolution to the dispute, said PNA Nasra member Derek OBrien. Branch secretary Liam Moore said that there has been no negativity surrounding their dispute. Its not backgrounds we are going; its forwards. There is some forward momentum at the moment, Mr Moore said. Mr OBrien said there appears to be more political movement on the matter. They said that no member of the public needs to be worried as the crew are covering all emergency calls, a decision made by the union. Nobody is going to be left out, Mr OBrien said. Mr Moore said there are another two days of proposed strike action, though the dates have yet to be confirmed. We wont be going anywhere until we get sorted out. THE plight of two female employees of the University of Limerick, who have spent the last number of years on half pay and in receipt of social welfare payments was raised in the Dail by Fianna Fail deputy Willie ODea. These are dedicated, hard-working and courageous women who performed their duties in an exemplary manner, he said. One might well ask what nefarious crime they committed to find themselves in this unfortunate situation? he said. They blew the whistle on blatant wrongdoing and exposed wasteful, wrongful and wanton expenditure of taxpayers' money. Deputy ODea said the women have been vindicated by a number of independent reports, they have been vindicated by the Comptroller and Auditor General and, importantly and perhaps astonishingly, they have been vindicated by their employer. On 23 November 2017 and on 15 March 2018, the University of Limerick acknowledged that their suspension between 2015 and 2017 was wrong, he said. It went on to apologise for describing their complaint as malicious. Last year the university wrote to these employees thanking them for bringing important matters to the attention of the university and recognising their courage in doing so, courage which it said was greatly valued. Despite this, they are still suspended. He said it makes a mockery of the whistleblowing process for which the Government claims so much kudos for introducing. In response, the Minister for Education & Skills, Joe McHugh said arising from a report into the matter, the university embarked on a process of mediation, led by Mr. Kieran Mulvey, former head of the Workplace Relations Commission, with a number of the individuals referenced in the report in an effort to reach a satisfactory resolution of their issues. The two staff members referred to by the Deputy were included in this mediation process, during which the university engaged with them to facilitate their return to work, he said. However, my understanding is that mutually acceptable employment positions could not be agreed to between the parties. The mediation process in respect of the two staff members was unable to reach a satisfactory outcome and has now ended. Minister McHugh said the issue was most recently discussed at a meeting between the president of the University of Limerick and the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills. At the meeting the president outlined the position on the steps that had been taken to facilitate the return to work of the two persons referred to by the Deputy. The president also outlined the universitys desire to ensure the issue would be resolved as quickly as possible and requested the assistance of the Department in that regard, he said. It is the view of the HEA and the Department that the issues raised by both persons have been fully investigated at this point. The one issue that remains to be resolved is the return to work of the two individuals concerned. It is primarily an employee-employer issue and I hope the university and the two individuals can agree on a mutually satisfactory outcome that will see these staff members return to the workplace as soon as possible. Assurance given on 60 modular beds for UHL Recent scaremongering about new beds for University Hospital Limerick was raised in the Upper House by Senator Maria Byrne. She said the Minister for Health indicated that he realises that University Hospital Limerick has been neglected for quite a while with regard to the need for additional beds and the issues colouring his visit. He acknowledged the issues there, she said. He has committed to providing 60 modular beds, which are to start this year and not in 2020 as has been suggested. The Minister has been quite clear in his message that the 60 beds are going to be mentioned in the capital plan, even though the capital plan has not yet come forward to be signed off on, she said. It will happen in two phases, with enabling works and then building works, she said. The process may take anything up to ten months. The delay was because there was an objection to An Bord Pleanala during the planning process but this has now been resolved. I am glad to say that there is planning permission in place but it is important to get the message out that the 60 modular beds will be delivered. The work will start this year and will be completed either before the end of this year or early in 2020. This was most important, she said, because some Deputies were speaking about this on many local radio stations in the Mid-West. It caused major upset to people living in the area, she said. I had many calls to my office. I heard from one lady who was very distraught. Bengaluru: Bruised, battered and bleeding from his face as he gave his name and service code to his Pakistani captors, Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, stood out by his calmness in the midst of an escalating India-Pakistan conflict . The cool composure and politeness of the blindfolded IAF pilot was all the more astonishing as it came after he had been beaten up by villagers just after his MiG-21 crashed in Pakistani territory on Wednesday morning. Rescued by a Pakistani Army captain (Varthaman thanked him with unfailing courtesy), the 38-year-old Indian with a handlebar moustache resurfaced in a second video later in the day, looking relaxed as he sat and sipped tea from a mug, his blindfold removed and face cleaned up by now. Asked by an off-screen Pakistani Army officer if he had been treated well, Abhinandan replied: Yes, I have and Id like to put this on record. And I will not change my statement if I go back to my country also: the officers of the Pakistani Army have looked after me very welltheyre thorough gentlemen, starting from the captain who rescued me from the mob, and from his soldiers and thereafter the officers in the unit that I was taken into. This is what I would expect my army to behave as." None of this came as a surprise to Satish Gopalan, an IT employee in Bengaluru, who had been shocked hours earlier to see images of his junior at school injured and bleeding. Like millions of people across India, he takes consolation in the belief that the IAF pilot will return to India before long. The first video clip, which started circulating on Twitter after being shared by handles such as Radio Pakistan as evidence of the Pakistani governments claim to have captured an Indian pilot, prompted a cry for the soldiers safe return home. Mint spoke to two people, who studied at the Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) near the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Bengaluru, where Abhinandan went to school. Gopalan recalls that Abhinandanthe son of a highly decorated officer, Air Marshal (Retd.) Simhakutty Varthaman, according to The New Indian Expresswas a real calm guy" in school. Another person, who did not want to be named, said that he was a batchmate. The two people said Abhinandan studied in Bengalurus DRDO KV until Class X and then went to the Kendriya Vidyalaya near the National Aeronautics Laboratory in Bengaluru, where he met and fell in love with the woman who was to become his wife, also an IAF pilot. We had heard that his father got posted to France, probably after retirement. His one sister was also in France," said Gopalan. The second person met Abhinandan sometime in the late 2000s for his wedding", but has little knowledge of where the family is located currently. Some of that coolness that his batchmates spoke about was evident as the ex-Surya Kiran pilot fielded questions from his Pakistani captors. Surya Kiran is the aerobatics demonstration team of the Indian Air Force. He clearly knew his rules too. Asked where in India he hailed from, he replied: Am I supposed to tell you this? Major, Im sorry." And then as an afterthought of consideration, Im from down South." Are you married? Yes, I am." Theres also the tiniest hint of wit. When asked which aircraft he was flying, Varthaman said: Im sorry major, Im not supposed to tell you this, but Im sure youve found the wreckage." I hope you like the tea," said a Pakistani officer. The tea is fantastic, thank you," replied the wing commander, who has won his nations heart. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics A team of Polish archaeologists diving in a possibly sacred lake in northern Guatemala has recovered hundreds of Mayan artifacts, including ceremonial bowls and obsidian blades that may have been used in ancient animal sacrifices. Scientists in Guatemala are examining the artifacts to learn more about the material culture of the Mayan people at different times. Researchers also want to learn how the objects may relate to Mayan religious practices. The researchers recovered more than 800 artifacts from Lake Peten Itza, which once surrounded the ancient Mayan city of Nojpeten, according to the team leader, Magdalena Krzemien, an archaeologist at Jagiellonian University in Poland. The island that was once the site of the ancient Mayan city, linked by a causeway to the shore, is now the site of the modern town of Flores in Guatemala's northernmost province of Peten a landlocked region famous for its rugged mountains and jungles. A Mayan ceramic pot on the floor of Guatemala's Lake Peten Itza. (Image credit: Peten Itza Project) Sacrificial finds Many of the artifacts found in the lake were small pieces of ceramic, with a few dating to the Mayan proto-classic period between 150 B.C. and A.D. 250 while most dated to the Mayan post-classic period, from A.D. 1000 to A.D. 1697. Krzemien said the largest objects found in the lake included three ceramic bowls, one inside the other, and an obsidian knife blade. This was similar to those used in ancient rituals, suggesting it could have been used for human or animal sacrifices, she said. This obsidian knife blade found in Lake Peten Itza could have been used for sacrifices, the researchers say. (Image credit: Peten Itza Project) Small animal bones were found inside some of the bowls, which may indicate that the vessels were used for sacrifices, Krzemien said. However, it's also possible that some small animals entered and died there later, she said. The lake surrounding the ancient city of Nojpeten likely played an important part in ancient Mayan rituals. "Water had very special and symbolic meaning in ancient Mayans beliefs," Krzemien said. "It was thought to be the medium [or] door to the underground world, [the] world of death," where the gods lived, she said. As a result of these beliefs, the ancient Mayans sacrificed animals and sometimes humans to their gods in lakes and in flooded limestone sinkholes known as cenotes, which are common in the region. Krzemien said that the latest expedition did not establish that the whole of Lake Peten Itza was a holy place, but some of the ritual objects they found in place underwater showed that at least part of the lake was considered "sacred" by the people who lived there. Mayan lake The ancient city of Nojpeten was a center of Mayan civilization in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica a civilization that extended across modern southeast Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and parts of Honduras and El Salvador. Among the most famous Mayan archaeological sites is the ancient city of Chichen Itza, in the Yucatan Peninsula of modern Mexico. The Mayans made advances including an intricate astronomical calendar and the culture's distinctive pictorial writing in a civilization that lasted more than 2,000 years before the arrival of Europeans in the Americas. Mayan culture also influenced other Mesoamerican civilizations, such as the Aztec culture of central Mexico. The six-member Polish diving team of the recent study included archaeologists from Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun and the University of Warsaw. The researchers spent a month at the lake in August and September last year, taking a total of about 90 dives at various depths. The diving team worked with six archaeologists from Guatemala, led by Bernard Hermes, and with two Polish divers who had sponsored the expedition, Sebastian Lambert and Iga Snopek. Krzemien, a doctoral student, is now studying Mayan archaeology during an international exchange with a Mexican university. She said the Polish and Guatemalan archaeologists plan to reunite for one month a year to further explore Lake Peten Itza underwater. They are already planning their next expedition for August. Original article on Live Science. The baby boy before he was taken home from the hospital. In August 2018, a baby boy was born in Tokyo weighing only 9.45 ounces (268 grams) about the weight of a bag of potato chips. The boy had stopped growing in his mother's womb, doctors at Keio University Hospital told Reuters, and had to be delivered by an emergency Caesarean section 24 weeks into the mother's pregnancy to avoid a stillbirth. But the baby was smaller and less developed than he should have been at 24 weeks, which is the youngest age most doctors consider "viable," meaning the child can survive outside the womb. He could not breath or eat on his own, and his entire body fit inside his parents' cupped hands. But last week, on Feb. 20, after five months of treatment, that baby boy was finally discharged from Keio University Hospital and allowed to go home with his family. Though he now weighs a healthy 7 pounds (3.2 kilograms), he leaves the hospital with the distinction of being the world's smallest surviving male baby born in recorded history. [7 Baby Myths Debunked] "There are only four babies this small [that survived] that we know of in the history of mankind," said Dr. Edward Bell, a professor of neonatal pediatrics at the University of Iowa's Carver College of Medicine. "It's exceedingly rare. And for boys, as far as I can tell, it's unique." Bell is the founder and webmaster of the Tiniest Babies Registry, the University of Iowa's database of the world's smallest surviving babies born since 1936. The baby boy born in Tokyo last August ranks as the fourth-smallest child on Bell's registry, and is surpassed by three baby girls from Tokyo, Illinois and Germany, all born at 25 weeks and weighing 9.34, 9.17 and 8.88 ounces (265, 260 and 252 g), respectively. The baby boy at five days old, in one of his parent's hands. (Image credit: Keio University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics) Of the registry's 210 babies (all weighing under 14 ounces, or 400 grams, at birth), Bell told Live Science that roughly 75 percent are female. This is because males develop more slowly than females, both in the womb and in adolescence. "In these cases of extremely early [birth] or extremely small children, girls are a little more developed than boys," Bell said, and that gives baby girls a slight survival advantage. "More boys are born, but more girls survive." Often, Bell said, babies born so small stop developing in the womb because their mother's placenta is not properly delivering the oxygen and nutrients they need to grow. The boy from Tokyo had "unusually well developed" heart, lungs, brain and kidneys for a baby of his size, Bell said (the boy's physician had to provide these details to get the baby listed on Bell's registry), but chances are he will never catch up to the average height of other kids. "Even if his parents are of average size, he is more likely to be one of the shorter kids in his class picture, for example," Bell said. Babies born so small also face heightened risks of developing learning disabilities and health problems than children born at full term however, Bell said, the outcomes truly seem to differ baby-to-baby. "Some of the babies on the registry are severely handicapped," Bell said. "Some of them are having good lives, are college graduates and very talented individuals. You see the whole spectrum." Originally published on Live Science. A large truck was observed on the access road between the Guard Barracks and Southern Support Area on May 15, 2018, at the Punggye-ri site in North Korea. Negotiations over denuclearization of North Korea collapsed this morning after North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un insisted the United States lift all economic sanctions in return for any nuclear disarmament. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that talks with North Korea will soon resume, according to the Associated Press. However, before the Trump administration announced the lack of agreement, U.S. negotiators had already backed off the demand that Kim and his government allow access and transparency to the international community concerning their nuclear weapons program. North Korea, like all countries with a nuclear program, is quite secretive about its research and testing. No one knows exactly how much nuclear material North Korea has or even exactly what kinds of warheads they've developed. [North Korea: A Hermit Country from Above (Photos)] But North Korea won't necessarily have to let the entire world poke around its nuclear facilities to show that they've slowed or stopped their pursuit of nuclear arms. According to nuclear security experts, there are many ways to monitor the situation remotely but they can provide only limited information without North Korea's cooperation. "There is a whole panoply of technologies," said Sharon Squassoni, a professor and nuclear security expert at The George Washington University. Testing, testing North Korea has been claiming to be on the verge of shutting down its nuclear weapons program for as long as the country has admitted to having nuclear weapons. In 2005, then-leader Kim Jong Il admitted the country had nukes, and then signed an international statement promising to abandon its nuclear weapons program. In 2006, the country tested its first nuclear bomb. That history of failed negotiations has security experts cautious about any potential for progress to be made between Trump and Kim, particularly since neither side has been very clear on what they consider "denuclearization," Squassoni said. Still, the meeting did represent an opportunity to bring North Korea back into a dialogue, said Alexander Glaser, the director of the Nuclear Futures lab at Princeton University. Even if North Korea refuses to share full information about its program, Glaser said, it might be possible to create a phased approach involving some remote monitoring and some onsite inspections that could prove whether the country is really meeting its promises. The easiest aspect of the program to track is whether North Korea is actively testing nuclear bombs. North Korea's cooperation is not required. Nuclear explosions are pretty obvious, and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) already runs a commission to monitor the atmosphere, oceans and subsurface for any testing. Infrasound monitors are capable of detecting aboveground explosions, and underwater microphones can detect undersea testing (both of which were banned under the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963). Underground nuclear tests show up on seismometers that are designed to detect earthquakes. There are many such arrays, run by research organizations, governments and even private entities, and quite a few of those upload all their data online, said Jeffrey Park, a geophysicist at Yale University. That means that anyone with an internet connection can detect an underground nuclear test, as long as they know what to look for. [The 22 Weirdest Military Weapons] "We ordinarily have fairly good ideas about where nuclear testing is going on," Park said, "So any kind of tremor near a nuclear test site attracts a lot of attention." Nuclear tests create a lot of what geophysicists call "p-waves," which are compressional waves created by the big blast pushing everything outward, all at once. These waves look quite different from the signals created by earthquakes, Park said. Earthquakes are caused by faults sliding side-by-side, so their seismic signals are dominated by shear-wave energy. Knowns and unknowns Thanks to remote seismic monitoring, the international community can tell within seconds to minutes if Kim's regime has denoted something at its underground testing site, Punggye-ri. By triangulating the source of waves detected at different seismic stations, scientists can even tell exactly where at the site the explosions occurred, even if they were as close as a kilometer apart from one another. North Korea detonated bombs at Punggye-ri in 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016 and 2017. The first two tests are widely considered to be failures, Park said. The 2013 and 2016 tests, he said, were indicative of a first-generation plutonium fission bomb, not unlike the bomb dropped on Nagasaki in 1945. North Korea claims that the 2016 and 2017 bombs were both thermonuclear, or hydrogen bombs, which generate explosions via nuclear fusion rather than fission. Some outside experts think the North Korean government really does have a thermonuclear bomb, though others, including Park, are skeptical. For the purpose of gaining recognition on the world stage, Pyongyang would like everyone to believe its nuclear program is strong, Park said, but it's not clear that the testing done so far indicates the existence of a thermonuclear bomb. "There's a lot we don't know," Squassoni said. Many of those unknowns are challenging to fill in without cooperation from Kim's regime. For example, Squassoni said, North Korea has only one plutonium reactor, so outside experts could make an educated guess as to how much plutonium the country had to work with. But intelligence operations and one 2010 tour given to Stanford University experts have revealed that North Korea can also enrich uranium, which is done in facilities that are far easier to hide than a huge reactor. There is at least one uranium-enrichment facility in the country, Glaser said, and probably at least one more at an unknown location. (Either uranium or plutonium can be used to make nuclear weapons.) "There may even be a third site that we are not aware of," he said. Another easy-to-conceal facet of the nuclear program is the development of delivery systems. It does North Korea little good to have a 1945-style bomb, Park said; those require delivery by enormous bombers. What the country needs to be truly threatening is a warhead that can be delivered by missile. North Korea suspended missile launches in 2018, and maintaining that moratorium was almost certainly part of the negotiations in Hanoi, Glaser said. Remote cooperation Learning about what's going on inside nuclear facilities is a tough challenge, said Squassoni, who once worked in the U.S. State Department and who is now on the board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (the group responsible for the Doomsday Clock). Informants on the inside are hard to come by. And North Korea is not likely to hand over a list off all their facilities to the international community. [Doomsday: 9 Real Ways Earth Could End] "We have a ballpark sense of the nuclear program, but I'm sure there would be some surprises if we got access," Squassoni said. If the North Korean government were willing to let out even a little information at a time, the world could monitor much of their activity from afar, Glaser said. Satellite reconnaissance can be used to ensure that there is no activity at plutonium- or uranium- production facilities; the same can be true for missile-launch sites (which are still being maintained despite the moratorium on launches). Air monitoring and soil or vegetation samples could show any hint of production of radioactive materials. With enough information and enough time, scientists could conduct a sort of "nuclear archaeology," Glaser said, by figuring out how much uranium had been mined in North Korea and then comparing that to the number of warheads the country claims. That accounting could make it clear whether the country was hiding anything. Even in a best-case scenario, confirmation of denuclearization couldn't happen overnight, Glaser said. "It will take years to confirm the completeness of the declaration, or to have high confidence in the absence of undeclared items," he said. "There is no way around this." Originally published on Live Science. 3 1 of 3 Leslie Plaza Johnson, Freelancer / Contributor Show More Show Less 2 of 3 ML Harris/Getty Images Show More Show Less 3 of 3 A resident in the East Texas town of Mabank has sued British-owned Direct Energy, the third biggest seller of electricity in Texas, for allegedly making repeated calls to her cell phone to collect debt she does not owe in violation of the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Brittany Burk filed the lawsuit in federal court in Houston earlier this week on behalf of herself and thousands of others across the country who have also allegedly received unauthorized calls to their cell phones from Direct Energy that use a prerecorded voice and automatic telephone dialing system. Under the federal consumer protection law, recipients of such calls to cell phones must give express prior consent. There is more than just a lone star in the Lone Star State; many celebrities call Texas home. Some are Texas-born stars who decided not to leave the state for good, while others, like Sandra Bullock flock to the Lone Star State. A man has been arrested for leading authorities on a vehicle pursuit, according to Laredo police. Carlos Ramiro Obeso-Medina, 41, was charged with reckless driving, fleeing from a police officer and resisting arrest. A man was arrested Sunday for using his vehicle to strike another person, according to Laredo police. Ahmed Ashfaq, 24, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. WASHINGTON - The man who once derived his identity from making President Donald Trump's problems go away turned on his former boss in stunning fashion Wednesday, alleging to Congress that Trump manipulated financial records, paid to cover up extramarital affairs and reacted with glee upon learning the WikiLeaks anti-secrecy organization would release emails damaging to his political opponent. Michael Cohen, Trump's former fixer and personal lawyer, cast the president as a mendacious and petty racist who enlisted those around him to propagate a culture of deceit, in business, during his campaign and after winning the White House. In testimony before the House Oversight Committee, Cohen revealed how, in his view, Trump broke the law even as president, and he suggested ominously that federal prosecutors remain interested in a case involving the president. "Is there any other wrongdoing or illegal act that you are aware of regarding Donald Trump that we haven't yet discussed today?" Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., asked. "Yes, and again, those are part of the investigation that's currently being looked at by the Southern District of New York," Cohen responded. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan declined to comment. Cohen hinted repeatedly at possible legal jeopardy for the president, saying he was willing to tell all now out of fear that if Trump were to lose the 2020 election, "there will never be a peaceful transition of power." "My loyalty to Mr. Trump has cost me everything," Cohen said. "I will not sit back, say nothing and allow him to do the same to the country." Some of Cohen's claims were backed by evidence, while others will hinge on his admittedly poor track record for reliability. Cohen is facing a three-year prison sentence that is scheduled to begin in May, in part for having lied previously to Congress. The president and his Republican allies sought to portray Cohen as a fabulist, disgruntled because Trump wouldn't give him a job in the White House and now hoping to get rich with a possible movie or book deal arising from specious claims about the president and those closest to him. "You're a pathological liar. You don't know truth from falsehood," said Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., who also jeered Cohen with the schoolyard chant "liar, liar pants on fire." "No one should ever listen to you and give you credibility," he added. Trump, who is in Vietnam for a highly anticipated summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, tweeted before Cohen's testimony began that his one-time confidant was "lying in order to reduce his prison time," though the White House was largely quiet otherwise. In a calm, measured tone, Cohen alleged that Trump inflated his assets so he'd be known as a wealthy man and deflated them for tax purposes, and offered records he said proved his point. Former U.S. attorney Barbara McQuade, who watched the hearing, said she believed Cohen "shared some evidence of bank and tax fraud." Cohen alleged Trump was a "racist" who once declared that "black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid." He also asserted that Trump knew in advance that WikiLeaks planned in July 2016 to release a batch of emails damaging to Hillary Clinton. Cohen testified that he overheard a phone call from Trump's longtime friend Roger Stone in which Stone allegedly informed Trump he had spoken by telephone with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and learned that the anti-secrecy group would be publishing a "massive dump" of Clinton emails within days. Cohen said he could hear the conversation because Trump had put Stone on speaker phone - a common practice of Trump's, he said - and estimated that the call took place on July 18 or 19, 2016. Trump, Cohen alleged, responded, "Wouldn't that be great." Prosecutors have said that on July 18, WikiLeaks confirmed to an online persona operated by Russian military intelligence officers that it had received the stolen material and would make the documents public that week. On July 22, WikiLeaks published thousands of internal emails from the Democratic Party, documents that prosecutors have said were provided to the group by Russian operatives. The allegation, which has never before been aired publicly, goes to the heart of special counsel Robert Mueller III's investigation of Russian interference in the election and contradicts repeated claims by both Stone and Trump, who have said they had no advance knowledge of WikiLeaks' plans. Trump has said, too, that he never discussed WikiLeaks with Stone. WikiLeaks wrote on Twitter that Assange "never had a telephone call with Roger Stone." Likewise, in a text message, Stone said, "Mr. Cohen's statement is not true." He has previously told The Washington Post that the two "never discussed WikiLeaks." Stone was indicted in January as part of the special counsel investigation, charged with seven counts of lying to Congress and obstruction of justice. The special counsel did not allege that Stone spoke to Assange or that he gave Trump advance knowledge of WikiLeaks' plans. Cohen said he was not sure how to corroborate his allegation, and he stopped short of accusing Trump of conspiring with Russia to influence the election - though he noted Trump was "all about winning and will do what is necessary to win." "No single thing Cohen said about Trump related to Russia is a smoking gun," said Robert Weisberg, a professor of criminal law at Stanford University. "But, pulled together, they could become a thread used to charge someone with being a co-conspirator." Recognizing his credibility would be called into question, Cohen came to the hearing with records he hoped would support his explosive assertions. Most notable, he provided lawmakers with two checks - one dated Aug. 1, 2017, which he said was signed by the president; the other from March 17, 2017, which he said was signed by Donald Trump Jr., the president's son, and Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization's chief financial officer. Cohen said the checks - which lawmakers flashed on screen in the committee room - were used to reimburse him because he had paid adult film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about an alleged extramarital affair with Trump. Cohen has claimed he made the payment, and helped arrange a similar one to another woman alleging an affair, at Trump's direction. He has admitted that doing so violated campaign finance laws. On Wednesday, Cohen emphasized that the "coverup" of that crime continued when Trump was president, and he alleged that Trump asked him to lie not just publicly about the matter, but to Trump's wife. He alleged Trump even once called him and handed the phone to first lady Melania Trump so that Cohen would deny the allegations. "Not only did I lie to the American people, I lied to the first lady," Cohen said. Cohen testified that he spent years fixing or averting problems for Trump - threatening, allegedly at Trump's direction, the president's high school, his colleges and the college board if his grades or SAT scores were ever released, and lying even when Trump did not outright tell him to do so. Cohen said, notably, that Trump did not tell him to lie to Congress about a possible Trump Tower project in Moscow that Cohen pursued into the heart of the campaign. Cohen pleaded guilty last year to misleading lawmakers about the timing of the project - claiming discussions about it ended earlier than they actually did. BuzzFeed News reported in January that Trump had "personally instructed" him to lie, prompting an unprecedented statement from Mueller's office disputing the report. But Cohen said that he knew the message Trump wanted to send generally on his dealings with Russia, because Trump had allegedly told him things including, "Michael, there's no Russia, there's no collusion, there's no involvement, there's no interference." He recalled a May 2017 meeting with Trump and his lawyer, Jay Sekulow, in which the president allegedly said, "It's all a witch hunt. . . . This stuff has to end." Sekulow, Cohen alleged, was involved in editing what would turn out to be Cohen's false congressional testimony - though his precise role was not immediately clear. At one point, Cohen said, the changes had to do with "the length of time that the Trump Tower Moscow project stayed and remained alive," though later he said he would have to look at the document he submitted to describe Sekulow's precise edits. In response, Sekulow said, "Today's testimony by Michael Cohen that attorneys for the President edited or changed his statement to Congress to alter the duration of the Trump Tower Moscow negotiations is completely false." The document was shared with Sekulow and Abbe Lowell, the lawyer for Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump, as part of a joint defense agreement, Cohen said. "At the end of the day," Cohen said of Trump, "I knew exactly what he wanted me to say." Cohen accused the president of lying about negotiations over the Trump Tower Moscow project, saying he briefed Trump on the deal's progress, even as the president claimed publicly to have no business interests in Russia. Cohen said he also briefed two of Trump's children, Donald Jr. and Ivanka, about the project's status, and that he talked with then-Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski about possible business travel to Russia. The project was never undertaken. Cohen hinted - but provided no conclusive evidence - that Trump might have known in advance about his son Donald's June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer, another focus of Mueller's investigation. Trump and Donald Trump Jr. have repeatedly denied that the then-candidate knew about the meeting, which Trump's son accepted after he was told the lawyer would bring incriminating information about Clinton. Cohen said he witnessed Trump Jr. enter his father's office sometime in early June 2016 and tell him in a low voice, "The meeting is all set." But Cohen acknowledged he did not know for certain the cryptic comment's meaning. In other moments, Cohen shot down dark allegations that have long circulated about Trump. He said he had no knowledge of any compromising salacious material held by the Russians, as alleged in a dossier written before the election by a former British spy. Cohen also said he has never been to Prague, knocking down another allegation in the dossier that he visited the European city to meet with Russian operatives in the fall of 2016. (Cohen told The Post in January 2017 that he had been to Prague once - around 2002, when he drove through the city but did not stop.) He said he did not believe there is a rumored video of Trump striking his wife in an elevator, and that he was confident Trump would not hurt his wife. Cohen closed his remarks with a lengthy statement aimed directly at the president, criticizing Trump for insulting veterans, kowtowing to American adversaries, alienating U.S. allies, bullying dissenters and disrespecting Gold Star families. "I am not protecting Mr. Trump anymore," he told the committee. - - - The Washington Post's David A. Fahrenthold, Jonathan O'Connell, Tom Hamburger, Shane Harris, Carol D. Leonnig and Manuel Roig-Franzia contributed to this report. WASHINGTON - Attorney Eric Miller was confirmed as a judge on the country's most liberal appeals court this week, and for the first time in the Senate's history, the confirmation took place without the consent of either home-state senator, a break from tradition that Democrats say Republicans will come to regret. The appointment is the latest by President Donald Trump, who came into the presidency with an uncommon number of vacancies for judges on federal appeals courts. Miller's lifetime appointment followed a brief hearing, which took place during a congressional recess and with two Republican senators present. Miller was confirmed on Tuesday on a 53-46 vote, allowing Trump to continue to move toward a more conservative federal judiciary, one of his key campaign promises. Historically, senators from the state where a federal judiciary nominee lives may submit opinions, known as "blue slips," or choose not to return them. Before Tuesday, a nominee had never been confirmed without the support of at least one home-state senator, the Congressional Research Service told The Washington Post. Neither Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., nor Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., returned blue slips on Miller's nomination. Murray called the confirmation "a dangerous first." "Abandoning the blue slip process and instead, bending to the will of a president who has demonstrated time and time again his ignorance and disdain for the Constitution and the rule of law is a mistake," she said on the Senate floor. Cantwell similarly called the decision "a damaging precedent" and, among other things, opposed Miller's opposition to Native American interests and sovereignty. In July, Oregonian Ryan Bound's nomination to the 9th Circuit proved equally controversial. Neither of his home-state senators - Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both Democrats - returned a slip in support of the Oregon assistant United States attorney. The White House ultimately withdrew the nomination after Bounds, 45, faced widespread criticism over not telling the judicial review committee about articles he wrote in the Stanford Review, where he ridiculed multiculturalism, The Post's Karoun Demirjian reported. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has pledged to transform the judiciary and praised Trump for successfully pushing a record-breaking number of federal judges through the Senate. "Confirmation is a political decision based on who controls the Senate," McConnell told hundreds of conservative and libertarian attorneys at a November Federalist Society gathering. "My goal is to confirm as many circuit judges as possible." Under President Barack Obama, Republicans used the blue slip prerogative to veto nominees. But a Republican-controlled Senate and changes in congressional rules, which now allow a simple majority for confirmation of judges instead of the 60 votes required earlier, have enabled Trump to push through nominees. Miller, a former clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, will be Trump's 31st confirmed federal appeals court nominee. He will fill the seat vacated by Clinton-appointed Judge Richard Tallman on the court Trump has regularly criticized as being too liberal and having "Obama" judges. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the ranking Democrat on the judiciary committee, said in a statement to The Post on Wednesday: "It is regrettable and likely will result in more ideological nominees who don't reflect the values of their home states. It's hard to not see this action coming back to bite Republicans when they're no longer in power in the Senate." WASHINGTON - The Trump administration will back a federal tax credit for donations to private-school scholarship programs, people familiar with the planning said, as Education Secretary Betsy DeVos works to jump-start a moribund push for her signature issue of school choice. The announcement is planned for Thursday and will include DeVos as well as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Ala. The idea for a similar federal tax credit was pushed in the first year of the administration as part of the broader overhaul of the tax code. But some conservatives opposed the idea, saying it could lead to increased federal control over private-school scholarship programs. At the same time, the overall thrust of the tax bill was simplifying the tax code, and this measure would do the opposite. Meantime, many liberals regard the idea as a backdoor voucher and say available tax dollars should be used to support public schools. The White House left this idea out of its tax blueprint for Congress, but President Donald Trump is expected to include it in his budget plan for next year. The tax credits are meant to advance school choice without directly sending tax dollars to private schools. Already, more than a dozen states give residents tax breaks for making private donations to nonprofit scholarship programs. A federal program would mirror those state efforts by giving a federal tax break for similar contributions. The people who described the proposal spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss it before the formal announcement. Details of the program, including its cost, were not immediately available. DeVos has promoted school choice - an idea that includes private-school vouchers, home schooling and public charter schools - for many years. As education secretary, she has traveled the country to promote her views but has had little success winning support for new federal initiatives even with a Republican Congress. It seems unlikely the new proposal will fare better in Congress now, with the House controlled by Democrats. The White House considered including a mention of the proposal in the president's State of the Union speech, people familiar with the planning said. But he wound up making just a passing reference to the matter. Trump said the time had come to embrace school choice for American children. The official White House transcript of the speech, however, suggested that Trump may have been referring to a specific proposal, by capitalizing certain words. The official transcript of his remarks read: "To help support working parents, the time has come to pass School Choice for Americans' children." Huawei Technologies Co. pleaded not guilty to U.S. charges of trade-secret theft, a day before the company learns if Canada will start extradition proceedings for its chief financial officer in a pivotal week that could see diplomatic tensions flare. China's biggest smartphone maker and its U.S. affiliate appeared in federal court in Seattle Thursday morning to answer to charges that they engaged in a scheme to steal trade secrets from T-Mobile US Inc. and also committed wire fraud and obstruction of justice. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez and a trial was scheduled for March 2, 2020. The arraignment comes just a day before Canada's deadline to decide whether to officially order the start of extradition hearings against Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, who is wanted in the U.S. on fraud charges. In a separate indictment filed in Brooklyn, U.S. prosecutors allege she lied to banks to trick them into processing transactions for Huawei that potentially violated Iran trade sanctions. The two cases have intensified the spotlight on Huawei, which has come to symbolize China's economic rise and challenge to the U.S.'s status as the world's top superpower. In particular, the decision to prosecute Meng -- daughter of billionaire Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei -- has sparked an unprecedented diplomatic dispute, with Canada trapped in the middle. If history is any guide, Canada will probably start extradition proceedings, which will set in motion a process that promises to be long and politically explosive. China has demanded that Canada release Meng and, since her December arrest in Vancouver, has detained two Canadians on national security grounds and sentenced a third with a death sentence for drug trafficking in China. Meng is next scheduled to appear in court on March 6. If extradition proceedings begin, the process is likely to drag on for months, possibly years. However long they take, she's likely to be extradited in the end. In the trade-secrets case, prosecutors said in a January indictment that from 2012 to 2014 Huawei stole information from T-Mobile's Bellevue, Washington, headquarters contained in "Tappy," a robotic phone-testing system. The U.S. says it uncovered Huawei email messages showing it offered bonuses to employees for information stolen from companies worldwide. Huawei faces fines of more than $5 million, or three times the value of T-Mobile's secrets, according to the government. The company has denied any wrongdoing and said it expects to be found innocent in court. Judge Martinez reviewed the 10 counts of the indictment aloud, while prosecutors explained the penalties the company faces. Robert H. Westinghouse, James F. Hibey and Brian M. Heberlig are representing Huawei. Lawyers for both sides declined to comment after the hearing. Prosecutor Todd Greenberg told Martinez that the government proposed the 2020 trial date because "this is a complex case, more complex than many cases that come before the court." Greenberg said he expects significant pretrial information sharing. A federal judge has ordered Texas election officials to halt a planned purge of electoral rolls, calling their effort "ham-handed" and "threatening" and saying there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the state. The Wednesday ruling, a relief for voting rights activists, puts a temporary stop to the Secretary of State's search for noncitizens who may have voted illegally - a probe that proved deeply flawed just days after it began. In late January, Texas Secretary of State David Whitley made the startling announcement that nearly 60,000 noncitizens over two decades may have voted in state elections. In response to this finding, Whitley said, counties must conduct "list maintenance activity," a bureaucratic euphemism for canceling the registrations of fraud suspects. Whitley's statement galvanized lawmakers - nearly all Republicans - who claim that tens of thousands of noncitizens are committing large scale voter fraud. Even President Donald Trump weighed in. But there was a catch: As U.S. District Judge Fred Biery said this week, the secretary of state's numbers were wrong. "It appears this is a solution looking for a problem," Biery wrote in his ruling, saying the policy "exemplifies the power of government to strike fear and anxiety and to intimidate the least powerful among us." Within days of Whitley's claim, it became clear that thousands on his list were U.S. citizens, eligible to vote. Whitley, saying he still supported a citizenship review, nonetheless apologized for the bungled way his office rolled it out. The episode, and resulting court battle, made Texas the latest state to incorrectly assert that large numbers of noncitizens have cast ballots in U.S. elections. Lawmakers in North Carolina, Florida, Colorado, Indiana and Kansas have launched similar efforts in recent years. Advocates in Texas cheered the ruling. "This was a blatant attempt by state officials - who should be protecting the vote - to suppress the voice of Texas residents, and to target immigrants and people of color," said Stuart Naifeh, a senior counsel with the think tank Demos, which was one of the organizations that sued the state to block the purge. Thomas Saenz, head of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, another plaintiff in the case, said the judge's decision shows the state needs to "clean up its act." "Over-the-top pronouncements of widespread voter fraud without a shred of evidence only serve to broadly deter voter participation," Saenz said. "Texans can and should expect far better of statewide officials, elected and appointed, whose job involves upholding, and not undermining, constitutional democracy." Attorney General Ken Paxton, however, argued Biery's ruling represented federal judicial overreach and said a state should be allowed to "maintain the integrity of its voter rolls." "There is no need for a federal court takeover of state activities," Paxton said in a statement. "We are weighing our options to address this ruling and to continue making our case that ineligible voters should not vote and counties are free to continue to follow the law and keep their voter rolls clean." While the litigation continues, Biery ordered, counties may proceed with investigations into whether particular voters are citizens, but officials are not allowed to communicate directly with those people. Biery wrote that no county may remove a voter from registration "without prior approval of the Court with a conclusive showing that the person is ineligible to vote." The ongoing imbroglio may also have political consequences for Whitley, who the Texas Senate has not yet confirmed. The chamber's 12 Democrats have spoken out against his confirmation and their opposition would stop Whitley from winning the two-third majority he needs. In the last paragraph of Biery's ruling, he laid the blame squarely at Whitley's feet, writing that the secretary of state "created this mess" and invoking Robert Fulghum's book, "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten," to tell him off: "Always put things back where we found them," he wrote, "and clean up our own messes." BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The first time Jeny Amador fled Honduras for the United States, she tried to enter the country legally: She presented herself at an El Paso, Texas, border checkpoint in early 2018 and asked for asylum. Amador instead was separated from her 10-year-old son. Authorities accused her of being a smuggler. She was detained for months until she agreed to be deported - without her boy, who went to live with relatives in the Midwest. When Amador tried to enter the country again in February, she found a shocking about-face. She was turned away from the same checkpoint at the Mexico-Texas line. When she and a teenage daughter then crossed the border illegally, they were taken into custody, spent five days in a U.S. immigration jail, and were suddenly released into the United States, setting up a reunion with her son, Isaac. "I missed you so much," Amador whispered to him on Feb. 16, shortly after stepping off a bus here in central Illinois, a few hours' drive from Chicago. She kissed his neck and head and tightly clutched her boy, now a year older and a few inches taller than the last time she saw him. Eight months after President Donald Trump's retreat from a "zero tolerance" approach at the border, asylum-seeking families like Amador's are being released into the United States in growing numbers. Though Trump wanted to end a policy he says has been a failure - a policy he calls "catch and release" - the administration has reverted to that very approach, favored under President Barack Obama, as record numbers of migrant families are crossing the border. Amador experienced both ends of this policy whiplash. "I prayed that the Lord would give people here knowledge to fix the mistake they made with me," Amador said. "This second time, it was corrected." Experts say Amador's two interactions with U.S. border policy are emblematic of the confusion and contradictions that have emerged over the past year in the United States, as federal officials have been trying to implement tighter controls over illegal immigration while also pursuing hundreds of miles of border barriers aimed at stemming the flow. Sarah Pierce, an analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington think tank, said Amador's experience shows how inconsistent the policies have been: "This is a great case to show this administration's really chaotic approach to the southern border." Jessica Vaughan, of the Center for Immigration Studies, which has pushed for strict immigration policies, drew a different lesson from Amador's situation. "It shows that as long as the catch-and-release policies are still in place for people bringing children with them, people will keep trying to cross illegally, and the criminal smuggling organizations will continue to have a booming business," she said. "It's the catch-and-release policies, together with lax interior enforcement, that are providing the incentive, and that's why they must be changed. Border barriers will help, but the overall enforcement paralysis is a bigger issue." Isaac was one of several thousand migrant children taken from their parents at the border during the Trump administration, according to a report issued in January by the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services. More than 2,700 children were separated from their families under the administration's now-abandoned "zero tolerance" prosecution initiative. After months of court orders and administrative chaos, the majority of these children were reunited with their parents - some in Central America but most in the United States. Katie Waldman, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said Amador was not separated from her son because of "zero tolerance," but rather because of the smuggling charge. The American Civil Liberties Union has asked a federal judge in California to force the government to reveal the location of all children who were separated from their parents, including those who remained with relatives or sponsors in the United States, something the government has argued in court will be a monumental task. In more than 200 cases, deported parents made the painful decision to leave behind their separated sons or daughters in the hope that they will have a better life in America. Amador is one of the few to then return to the United States, according to immigration advocates and attorneys. Once stripped of her son, Amador now finds herself reunited with him in Illinois. She also was able to bring a daughter with her. "Here is a case of a woman who suffered the worst form of deterrence we've ever implemented at our southern border, and yet she still came back," Pierce said. "If we're talking about legitimate asylum seekers, they are not going to be deterred by even the worst we throw at them." - - - 'Be patient. I'll see you soon.' When Amador and her son crossed the Paseo del Norte Bridge connecting Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and El Paso on Jan. 13, 2018, it was three months before then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions would announce a "zero tolerance" policy. A pilot project for the policy had ended a few months earlier in El Paso. Amador asked for asylum, citing death threats from a gang in Honduras because of her political support of the nation's president. But Border Patrol agents suspected her of being a smuggler and suggested that she wasn't Isaac's mother, she said. Isaac was sent to a children's shelter in Arizona while Amador was taken to jail and then federal court, where she was charged with "bringing in and harboring aliens," a felony. Though charges were dropped six weeks later, she sat in a federal jail, awaiting possible deportation. While she waited, the number of Central American family members apprehended at the southwestern border began to rise. On April 6, Sessions issued a memo ordering federal prosecutors along the border to "adopt immediately a zero-tolerance policy." "If you are smuggling a child, then we will prosecute you and that child will be separated from you as required by law," he said in a May 7 news conference. "If you don't like that, then don't smuggle children over our border." By then, Isaac was in Illinois, where his uncle had agreed to take him in. Amador was back in an immigration jail, where an asylum officer had found her credible but an immigration judge had refused to give her parole. On May 9, with no money for an attorney and no faith she would ever be released, she agreed to be deported. She arrived in Honduras on June 6, just as the public furor over family separation was peaking. Amid intense scrutiny, Trump signed an executive order ending the policy on June 20. Six days later, a federal judge ordered the U.S. government to reunite the families it had separated. But the order came too late for Amador. She watched from Central America as her son struggled on his own in Illinois, where he lived in a sparsely furnished apartment and often retreated from his loneliness into video games. "I'm one of the many mothers separated from her child," she wrote in an Oct. 13 message to Adriana Zambrano, an immigrant advocate in Pennsylvania. Amador added that she was "dying bit by bit of sadness and pain from being far" from her son. Zambrano didn't know how to help. "I feel like the parents who were separated and deported kind of took a back seat," Zambrano said. "For those parents, there was even more uncertainty and even less of a path to correct that injustice. That's why Jeny kind of had to go ahead and help herself." Amador is separated from the father of her five children, three of whom are grown. Amador's year in Honduras, exiled from her son, was full of confusion and turmoil. When several thousand Hondurans formed a migrant caravan bound for the U.S.-Mexico border, Amador considered joining, but she decided to wait to see whether the migrants would be allowed into the United States. They languished at the border and were told to wait months to apply for asylum. In November, shortly after the midterm elections, Trump signed an executive order denying asylum to migrants who enter the country illegally, but days later, a federal judge struck down the order, again enabling their asylum claims. Amador began saving for another trip north. The U.S. government shut down for more than a month as Congress and Trump hit a stalemate over funding for a border wall, and on Jan. 25, the day the shutdown ended, Amador and her 14-year-old daughter, Ashly, boarded the first of many buses back to the southern edge of the United States. They arrived at the Paso del Norte Bridge on Feb. 7, more than a year after Border Patrol agents there had separated Amador and her son. This time, she and her daughter weren't allowed to approach because of the U.S. government's practice of "metering," or capping, the number of people allowed to claim asylum each day at many ports of entry. So they crossed illegally, wading through the Rio Grande before turning themselves in to Border Patrol -- part of what the DHS says is a record number of apprehensions of Central American families in February. Again, Amador asked for asylum. And again, her child was taken from her. For a few hours, Amador and Ashly stared at each other through the windows of their cells in a Border Patrol holding facility. "I was afraid they were separating us, too," Ashly said. That fear subsided when they were reunited and sent to another jail for a few days before returning on Feb. 11 to the El Paso holding facility, where a Border Patrol agent processing her arrival told Amador to hurry up because the president was coming to town. "I thought he was joking or trying to scare me," she said. Trump was, in fact, just a few miles away, making his case for a border wall. The next morning, Amador and her daughter were released. At a shelter for migrants in El Paso, she searched through donated clothes for pants baggy enough to hide her GPS ankle bracelet. That night, she borrowed another migrant's phone to call Isaac. She had kept secret her journey to the border so as not to worry him. And she decided to keep up the charade. "I'm in Tegucigalpa, my love," she told her son. "But be patient. I'll see you soon." - - - 'Surprise' Four days later, Amador stepped off a bus and into the icy wind whipping through Bloomington. Dressed in a donated hoodie with a broken zipper, she darted inside the station, only to find it empty. As her daughter paced nervously, Amador sat in a waiting room, staring straight ahead. Ten minutes later, she jumped up to hug two of Isaac's cousins. But her son was nowhere to be seen. Amador rubbed her face and shuffled her ill-fitting shoes. "Surprise!" someone yelled in Spanish, and suddenly Isaac was in her arms. Several immigrant attorneys and advocates said they were unaware of similar cases. But experts on all sides of the immigration debate said Amador's example speaks volumes about the current immigration system. "This is yet another demonstration of the administration's failed efforts to deter Central American refugees from seeking the protection they and their families need," said Wendy Young, president of Kids in Need of Defense. Amador's saga also raises questions about how, even after the end of "zero tolerance," authorities continue to decide to separate families, according to Pierce, the policy analyst. "The first time, Border Patrol seemed to think there was a problem with her. But not the second time," she said of Amador. "We need something more standard in place." Zambrano said she knows of one other case in which a parent was separated from a child and deported but later returned to the United States. That parent also was released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and then reunited with her children. But she said the mother was recently detained a third time during an ICE check-in and remains in jail. As Amador sat on a couch with her son hours after arriving in Bloomington, her own check-in five days later was never far from her mind. When Amador's nephew asked about her ankle bracelet, Isaac silently stared at the device. And when her son's pastor, David Santana, came over for dinner, he delivered both a welcome and a warning. "You've arrived to a beautiful country with lots of freedom and abundance," he said. "But also with a lot of temptations. You have to be very careful, right, Isaac?" Then they sat down for Amador's first meal with her son in more than a year: roasted chicken with Honduran rice. "Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for the miracle you have just achieved," Santana said. "We thank you for this blessing for Isaac." "Amen," Amador said when the pastor had finished. "Amen," added her son, and they began to eat. SAO PAULO, Brazil - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido vowed to return to Venezuela "in the next few days," even as he said he and his family had been the target of threats from the government of President Nicolas Maduro. Guaido visited Brazil on Thursday as he prepared for one of the most momentous decisions of his career - how to return to his country without being arrested and risking the collapse of his campaign to oust the government. On Tuesday, the opposition said he would be back in Venezuela within 72 hours. That now seems highly unlikely. Guaido, whose claim on the Venezuelan presidency has been recognized by the United States and more than 50 other nations, traveled to Colombia last Friday, defying a court order prohibiting him from leaving the country. Opposition leaders had hoped that day would be a turning point in Venezuela's political crisis, with the military forced to allow in tons of international humanitarian aid stationed at the borders. Instead, the armed forces largely stayed loyal to Maduro. Guaido, during a Bogota meeting with Vice President Pence and leaders of neighboring countries on Monday, broached the possibility of enlisting outside military help to oust the sitting Venezuelan president. Maduro, in turn, suggested that Guaido will be arrested if he returns to Venezuela. "He will have to face justice, and justice prohibited him from leaving the country," he said in an interview with ABC News aired on Wednesday. Guaido's visit to Brazil comes as the Venezuelan opposition is at a crossroads. In the weeks after Guaido declared himself president on Jan. 23, citing massive fraud in Maduro's reelection, the former National Assembly president appeared to steadily gain momentum in his bid to replace Maduro. Scores of countries recognized him as the Venezuelan leader, and the Trump administration announced crippling sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports, the economic lifeblood of the South American country. But the opposition's inability to crack the military's support for Maduro - vividly demonstrated on Saturday - has left them struggling to find a way forward. On Thursday, Guaido met with Brazil's Bolsonaro, who has been a strong supporter. Guaido had floated the idea of international military intervention in recent days, but the idea has not been embraced by Brazil, the United States or other allies - although the Trump administration has said all options remain on the table. If Guaido returns home only to be arrested, the opposition's campaign - which has brought thousands of Venezuelans into the streets in recent weeks - could be stopped in its tracks. But if he remains abroad, the effort could also falter. Antonio Ledezma, an exiled opposition leader who is helping to formulate Guaido 's strategy, said that his approach would be to continue building bridges with military leaders and organizing demonstrations. Maduro also faced a dilemma, he said. "If Maduro stops him [Guaido ], detains him or doesn't let him in, he will have to attend to the domestic and international consequences," he said in a telephone interview from Madrid. But if Maduro allows Guaido back, "what is he going to tell his base after voicing so many threats? It's a lose-lose." "The possibility of a government in exile is something we have discussed but it's a chapter we closed because Guaido has been clear that a government in exile is not what he is envisioning," he said. Venezuela has sealed off border crossings with its neighboring countries, and broke relations with Colombia after last weekend's international-aid effort. On Thursday, Colombia released images of Venezuelan bulldozers pouring dirt into shipping containers that Venezuelan authorities had used to block one border bridge. Additional barricades appeared on other bridges, including one where two burned-out trucks remained. They were destroyed while trying to carry aid across the border during explosive protests last Saturday. The blocked border hasn't stopped the exodus of Venezuelans from a country suffering a severe economic breakdown. "Everyone just goes through the trochas," said Luisiris Moren, a 22-year-old Venezuelan as she hiked a highway into Colombia with her husband, two small children and several suitcases, referring to the hundreds of illicit paths that cross the border here. After she and her family from the Venezuelan city of Valencia arrived by bus Wednesday evening in San Antonio, on the border, they followed a stream of people down a dirt path and crossed a shallow river into Colombian territory. The huge flow of people that once crossed these bridges daily has been diverted to a multitude of unofficial paths, challenging Colombia's efforts to document the thousands of Venezuelans who migrate each day. Christian Kruger, director of Colombia's migration authority, said in an interview that in the days before the border closure, Colombian authorities tallied about 40,000 people crossing into Colombia each day and 35,000 crossing out, suggesting that 5,000 people each day stay in Colombia. With the official border crossings closed, there will be no good way to tally the migration. - - - Krygier and Sheridan reported from Caracas. Dylan Baddour contributed to this report from Cucuta, Colombia. Benjamin Netanyahu has had a long career in Israeli politics. On Thursday, however, his political future was thrown into doubt as Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit recommended that the prime minister be indicted on charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust. The announcement comes just weeks ahead of Israel's April 9 election. If Netanyahu wins re-election, he will become Israel's longest-serving premier - besting even the country's founder, David Ben-Gurion. But Netanyahu has been dogged by scandals for much of his career. In Israel, the details of the investigations against him and his allies are so well known that they are known by their case numbers: 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000. The details of these cases - whether they involved pink champagne or American casino magnate Sheldon Adelson - have been splashed across Israeli newspapers for years. Mandelblit outlined the case against the prime minister in a letter to Netanyahu's attorneys, which stated that the indictment would relate to three of the four cases: 1000, 2000 and 4000. Here's what we know: Case 1000: Cigars, pink champagne and tickets to see Mariah Carey This investigation centers on illegal gifts allegedly received by the Netanyahu family - including pink champagne, jewelry, Cuban cigars and even tickets to a Mariah Carey concert - in exchange for political favors to billionaires. In total, Netanyahu, wife Sara and son Yair are accused of receiving gifts worth more than $280,000 in return for the prime minister promoting policies that benefited powerful allies. Police say these allies - including Israeli-born Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian investor James Packer - received Netanyahu's political backing on key issues. For example, the prime minister pushed for a law, which the media labeled the "Milchan law," that cut taxes for Israelis returning to their homeland after living abroad. Netanyahu has denied the allegations, while the billionaires have said their gifts were not intended as bribes. Police have said there is enough evidence to build a case against Milchan, the producer of films such as "The Revenant," "Fight Club" and "Pretty Woman," for bribery. In his letter, Mandelblit said Netanyahu should be charged with fraud and breach of trust in connection with Case 1000. Case 2000: A newspaper rivalry involving Adelson Netanyahu is also accused of using his connections to Adelson, the U.S. casino magnate and an ally of the Israeli leader, to push a newspaper owner for more favorable coverage of his government. A quid pro quo agreement was allegedly negotiated with Arnon Mozes, publisher of Yedioth Ahronoth, a major Israeli daily newspaper. Under the alleged deal, Mozes would have eased off his paper's critical coverage of the Israeli prime minister in return for Netanyahu pushing Adelson to limit the circulation of Israel Hayom, a free newspaper owned by the American billionaire. A leaked transcript of Netanyahu's conversation with Mozes was picked up by Israeli media in 2017. "Every day I have somebody who is killing me," the prime minister complains, according to media reports, before asking Mozes "to lower the level of hostility toward me from 9.5 to 7.5." Netanyahu later said that his offer to Mozes wasn't serious. Adelson told investigators that he was not aware of any agreement between Netanyahu and Mozes and was angered by the idea. Case 4000: A favor for a telecom giant Netanyahu is accused of offering regulatory favors to one of Israel's largest telecommunications companies in return for positive coverage of the prime minister and his wife on a popular news site owned by the company. Netanyahu, who served as Israel's communications minister between 2014 and 2017 in addition to being prime minister, is alleged to have used his influence to help the Bezeq group and its owner, Shaul Elovitch. Elovitch, a close friend of the Israeli leader, is alleged to have ordered the Walla news site to provide more favorable coverage of the Netanyahus in return. "Netanyahu and his associates intervened in a blatant and ongoing manner, sometimes even daily, in the content published by the Walla News website and sought to influence the appointment of senior employees (editors and reporters)," police said in a statement released in December. Netanyahu has denied the allegations. In June 2017, American college student Otto Warmbier died shortly after being released from North Korean captivity. He had arrived home in Ohio in a coma, and his family believes he was "brutally tortured" during his time in prison. But North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says he knew nothing about Warmbier's treatment - and President Donald Trump believes him. "I don't believe he would have allowed that to happen," Trump said in Hanoi on Thursday. "It just wasn't to his advantage to allow that to happen." It was yet another instance in which Trump took an autocrat at his word, a habit the president has developed even in cases where evidence suggests that foreign leaders aren't telling the whole truth. It is especially notable when compared to the icy treatment Trump has dished out to the leaders of traditional democratic allies, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron. Here are some other instances of Trump's willingness to believe authoritarian leaders: 1. Russia In July 2018, after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Finland, Trump shocked both Republicans and Democrats when he said he "doesn't see any reason" for Russia to have meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Throughout a news conference with Putin, Trump failed to challenge Putin's claims that Russia had not interfered in the election - just days after the Justice Department charged a dozen Russian intelligence officers with stealing Democratic Party emails. "I have great confidence in my intelligence people," he said at the time. "But I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today." Trump also called the Russia investigation "a total witch hunt" and claimed it had damaged relations between the two countries. 2. North Korea On Thursday, Trump said he did not believe that the North Korean leader was responsible for Warmbier's medical condition and that Kim "feels badly" about his death. "He tells me he didn't know about it, and I take him at his word," Trump said, choosing to believe Kim even as he walked away from a nuclear deal at their summit in Vietnam. After the news conference, Nikki Haley, who recently stepped down as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, tweeted that "Americans know the cruelty that was placed on Otto Warmbier by the North Korean regime." "Our hearts are with the Warmbier family for their strength and courage," she wrote. "We will never forget Otto." 3. Saudi Arabia Last year, Saudi journalist and Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul and never walked out. A month after his disappearance, the CIA determined that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered his killing. "The accepted position is that there is no way this happened without him being aware or involved," a U.S. official familiar with the CIA's conclusions told The Post last November. But Trump was not convinced. He suggested that Khashoggi may have disappeared at the hands of "rogue killers" and stood by the crown prince even as the CIA concluded he was responsible for Khashoggi's death. Asked in an interview with The Post in November about whether the crown prince had any role in Khashoggi's killing, Trump said that "maybe he did and maybe he didn't." He added: "But he denies it. And people around him deny it. And the CIA did not say affirmatively he did it, either, by the way. I'm not saying that they're saying he didn't do it, but they didn't say it affirmatively." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 28) President Rodrigo Duterte has vetoed the bill banning corporal punishment for children. In his message dated February 23, Duterte said he worries that the bill would ban all forms of corporal punishment, when he views some forms of it as acceptable. "I am of the firm conviction that responsible parents can and have administered corporal punishment in a self-restrained manner, such that the children remember if not as an act of hate or abuse, but a loving act of discipline that desires only to uphold their welfare," Duterte said. He added that the country should resist the "growing trend" in Western countries that looks down on corporal punishment, saying that the "cultural trends of other countries are not necessarily healthy for our own nation." The President said he favors a "more balanced and nuanced approach," which would both protect the child and recognize the rights of parents who believe in corporal punishment. He added the measure would allow the government to cross the privacy, sanctity and autonomy of families. With the veto, corporal punishment will remain allowed, countrary to the recommendations of the UN Commission on Human Rights to prohibit corporal punishment in all settings. A two-thirds vote in each of the two chambers of Congress can override Duterte's veto and would enact the bill into a law. However, the bill's principal author, Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy, doubts that Congress would be able to override Duterte's veto as it is currently on break and would only return to work after the elections. Nonetheless, Herrera-Dy said she will ask for a meeting with Duterte to learn straight from him why he rejected the measure and will ask him to reconsider his position. Speaking to CNN Philippines' Balitaan, Herrera-Dy said she would meet with positive discipline advocates so that they can think of how to resolve "gray areas" in the proposed law. But Herrera-Dy admitted that they would have to rack their brains on how to further define the forms of punishment which would be banned, especially since that they believe that they could not classify corporal punishment by its severity. "We cannot say naman konting palo is allowed. Hindi mo mame-measure. Basta ang mahalaga kasi dito marami rin namang ibang paraan [para pangaralan ang mga bata.] We don't want to expose children to a culture of violence," she said. [Translation: We cannot say that light spanking is allowed. You can't measure that. What's important here is for people to realize that there are many other ways to discipline children. We don't want to expose children to a culture of violence.] She said after her meeting with advocates against corporal punishment, they would seek an audience with Duterte in a bid to change his mind. "I understand that it could be political suicide for a member of Congress to push for a veto at this time," she said in a statement yesterday. "This is why I will try to make both an emotional and a well-reasoned appeal to ask President Duterte to reconsider." If her bid fails, she said she will refile the bill in the next Congress if her party-list is re-elected. The House passed in November 2018 House Bill No. 8239 or the the Positive and Nonviolent Discipline of Children Bill which seeks to protect children from physical, humiliating or degrading acts as a form of punishment. The Senate passed its version in October. The bill sought to shield children from corporal punishment in homes, schools, institutions, alternative care systems, the juvenile welfare system, places of religious worship and in all other settings where there is direct contact with children. There are no additional penalties imposed for harming children, instead the bill mandated that the barangay (village) chairman refers the offender and the offended party to mediation and reconciliation or recommend temporary restraining orders. Barangay chairmen would recommend repeat offenders to undergo seminars on positive discipline, anger management and children's rights, counselling or therapy, or other rehabilitative services. The UN International Children's Emergency Fund earlier hailed Congress' move to ban corporal punishment, calling it a "great step forward." This story has been updated to include statements from Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy. CNN Philippines Correspondent Xianne Arcangel and CNN Philippines Multi-platform Writer Xave Gregorio contributed to this report. North Korea's foreign minister is disputing President Donald Trump's account of why the summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un collapsed, saying the North demanded only partial sanctions relief in exchange for shutting down its main nuclear complex. Trump, who was on his way back to Washington on Thursday, said before leaving Hanoi that the talks broke down because Kim insisted that all the punishing sanctions the U.S. has imposed on Pyongyang be lifted without the North committing to eliminate its nuclear arsenal. Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho commented during an abruptly scheduled middle-of-the-night news conference. Earlier on Thursday, Trump had told reporters the North had demanded a full removal of sanctions in exchange for shutting the Yongbyon nuclear facility. Ri said the North was also ready to offer in writing a permanent halt of the country's nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and that Washington wasted an opportunity that "may not come again." He said the North's position wouldn't change even if the United States offers to resume another round of dialogue Trump had said in Hanoi that there had been a proposed agreement "ready to be signed." However, he said after the summit was cut short, "Sometimes you have to walk." Mere hours after both nations had seemed hopeful of a deal, the two leaders' motorcades roared away from the downtown Hanoi summit site within minutes of each other, their lunch canceled and a signing ceremony scuttled. The president's closing news conference was hurriedly moved up, and he departed for Washington more than two hours ahead of schedule. The disintegration of talks came after Trump and Kim had appeared to be ready to inch toward normalizing relations between their still technically warring nations and as the American leader dampened expectations that their negotiations would yield an agreement by North Korea to take concrete steps toward ending a nuclear program that Pyongyang likely sees as its strongest security guarantee. In something of a role reversal, Trump had deliberately ratcheted down some of the pressure on North Korea, abandoning his fiery rhetoric and declaring that he wanted the "right deal" over a rushed agreement. For his part, Kim, when asked whether he was ready to denuclearize, had said, "If I'm not willing to do that I won't be here right now." The breakdown denied Trump a much-needed triumph amid growing domestic turmoil back home, including congressional testimony this week by his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, who called Trump a "racist" and "con man" and claimed prior knowledge that WikiLeaks would release emails that would damage Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016. Trump insisted his relations with Kim remained warm, but he did not commit to having a third summit with the North Korean leader, saying a possible next meeting "may not be for a long time." Though both he and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said significant progress had been made in Hanoi, the two sides appeared to be galaxies apart on an agreement that would live up to U.S. stated goals. "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that," Trump told reporters. Kim, he explained, appeared willing to close his country's main nuclear facility, the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center, if the sanctions were lifted. But that would leave him with missiles, warheads and weapon systems, Pompeo said. There are also suspected hidden nuclear fuel production sites around the country. "We couldn't quite get there today," Pompeo said, minimizing what seemed to be a chasm between the two sides. Longstanding U.S. policy has insisted that U.S. sanctions on North Korea would not be lifted until that country committed to, if not concluded, complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization. Trump declined to restate that goal Thursday, insisting he wanted flexibility in talks with Kim. "I don't want to put myself in that position from the standpoint of negotiation," he said. White House aides stressed that Trump stood strong, and some observers evoked the 1987 Reykjavik summit between Ronald Reagan and the Soviet Union's Mikhail Gorbachev, a meeting over nuclear weapons that ended without a deal but laid the groundwork for a future agreement. The failure in Hanoi laid bare a risk in Trump's unpredictable negotiating style: Preferring one-on-one meetings with his foreign counterparts, his administration often eschews the staff-level work done in advance to assure a deal and envisions summits more as messaging opportunities than venues for hardline negotiation. There was disappointment and alarm in South Korea, whose liberal leader has been a leading orchestrator of the nuclear diplomacy and who needs a breakthrough to restart lucrative engagement projects with the impoverished North. Yonhap news agency said that the clock on the Korean Peninsula's security situation has "turned back to zero" and diplomacy is now "at a crossroads." The collapse was a dramatic turnaround from the optimism that surrounded the talks after the leaders' dinner Wednesday and that had prompted the White House to list a signing ceremony on Trump's official schedule for Thursday. The two leaders had seemed to find a point of agreement when Kim, who fielded questions from American journalists for the first time, was asked if the U.S. may open a liaison office in North Korea. Trump declared it "not a bad idea," and Kim called it "welcomable." Such an office would mark the first U.S. presence in North Korea and a significant grant to a country that has long been deliberately starved of international recognition. But questions persisted throughout the summit, including whether Kim was willing to make valuable concessions, what Trump would demand in the face of rising domestic turmoil and whether the meeting could yield far more concrete results than the leaders' first summit, a meeting in Singapore less than a year ago that was long on dramatic imagery but short on tangible results. There had long been skepticism that Kim would be willing to give away the weapons his nation had spent decades developing and Pyongyang felt ensured its survival. But even after the summit ended, Trump praised Kim's commitment to continue a moratorium on missile testing. If the first Trump-Kim summit gave the reclusive nation's leader entree onto the international stage, the second appeared to grant him the legitimacy his family has long desired. Kim, for the first time, affably parried with the international press without having to account for his government's long history of oppression. He secured Trump's support for the opening of a liaison office in Pyongyang, without offering any concessions of his own. Even without an agreement, Trump's backing for the step toward normalization provided the sort of recognition the international community has long denied Kim's government. Experts worried that the darker side of Kim's leadership was being brushed aside in the rush to address the North's nuclear weapons program: the charges of massive human rights abuses; the prison camps filled with dissidents; a near complete absence of media, religious and speech freedoms; the famine in the 1990s that killed hundreds of thousands; and the executions of a slew of government and military officials, including his uncle and the alleged assassination order of his half-brother in a Malaysian airport. Trump also has a history of cutting short foreign trips and walking out of meetings when he feels no progress is being made. That includes a notable episode this year when he walked out of a White House meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer over a government shutdown, calling the negotiation "a total waste of time." ___ Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and Jill Colvin, Zeke Miller and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report. SAN DIEGO (AP) The government is demolishing eight prototypes of Donald Trump's prized border wall that instantly became powerful symbols of his presidency when they were built nine months after he took office. The Trump administration says elements of the prototypes have been melded into current border fence designs and they have served their purpose. The four concrete and four steel panels, spaced closely together steps from an existing barrier separating San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico, were one of Trump's top priorities, and he visited the location a year ago to see the installations firsthand. For Trump's allies, the towering models were a show of his commitment to border security and fulfilling a core campaign promise. For detractors, they were monuments to wasted taxpayer dollars and a misguided display of aggression toward Mexico and immigrants seeking a new home in the United States. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Texas lawmakers in spotlight as House rebukes Trump on border emergency Less than two hours after crews began Wednesday, seven of the barriers were destroyed. A large hydraulic jackhammer attached to an excavator pounded the walls repeatedly as slabs fell into small clouds of dust. An owl flew out of a steel tube on top of one model just as the jackhammer started to knock it down. A panel made of steel poles was also dismantled. Public access to the prototypes was blocked from the San Diego side, turning an impoverished Tijuana neighborhood into a popular spot for journalists, demonstrators and curious observers. Artists displayed light shows on the walls with messages such as "Refugees Welcome Here" next to an image of the Statue of Liberty. People climbed piles of trash against a short border fence that has since been replaced to get a clear view from Mexico. Some asylum-seekers hoisted their children over the fence in front of construction crews to turn themselves in to agents. Their removal makes way to extend a second layer of barrier with steel bollards, similar to slats, topped by a metal plate rising 30 feet (9.1 meters) from the ground, the same design being used elsewhere on the border. The new barrier vaguely resembles some of the steel prototypes but looks nothing like the solid concrete panels, which were widely panned because border agents can't see what's happening on the other side. The nearly $3 billion that Congress has provided for barriers during the first half of Trump's term requires that money be spent on designs that were in place before May 2017, effectively prohibiting the prototypes from being used and denying Trump bragging rights to say he built his wall. It's unclear if the restriction would apply to the billions of dollars that Trump wants to spend by declaring a national emergency on the nation's southern border. The prototypes are coming down during the same week that the House voted to block Trump's emergency declaration. 'PEOPLE ARE BECOMING DESPERATE': Advocates call Trumps policies at border ports a wall for asylum seekers, according to HoustonChronicle.com The eight prototypes, which cost $300,000 to $500,000 each to build, vary by slopes, thickness and curves. Bidding guidelines called from them to withstand at least an hour of punishment from a sledgehammer, pickaxe, torch, chisel or battery-operated tools and to prevent use of climbing aids such as grappling hooks. The guidelines also required they be "aesthetically pleasing" from the U.S. side. One has two shades of blue with white trim. The others are gray, tan or brown in sync with the desert. The Department of Homeland Security redirected $20 million from its budget in February 2017, a month after Trump took office, to pay for the prototypes and smaller mock-ups built farther from the border that have already been dismantled. The open bidding generated a wide range of ideas, some of them whimsical or far-fetched. One bidder wanted a wall large enough for a deck that would offer tourists scenic views of the desert. Bidders met fierce criticism from wall opponents. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico said any Mexican companies who expressed interest were betraying their country. The government rigorously tested the designs and, according to a summary from the Government Accountability Office, found that the concrete walls posed "extensive" construction challenges and the others posed "substantial" or "moderate" challenges. Six of the eight would require extensive changes to accommodate drainage. Border Patrol spokesman Ross Wilkin said testing also exposed several design flaws. A steel model with vertical U-shaped indentations could be jammed with small pieces of wood that could be climbed like a ladder. Prototypes with any exposed fasteners like screws or bolts could be broken with the right tools. Wilkin noted that authorities never claimed the prototypes would be impenetrable and that they simply wanted to know how much time it took to crack each one. The appeal to private industry for ideas was a new approach to building barriers and provided many lessons to guide construction, he said. That includes learning that certain materials were unsuitable for quick repairs and that combining different surfaces, like bollards topped by plates, were more effective. The new barrier replaces a steel-mesh fence that runs more than 12 miles (19 kilometers) from the Pacific Ocean, which worked like a fortress when it was built a decade ago but is now regularly breached with powerful battery-operated saws recently made available in home improvement stores. It will then extend another mile or so over the prototype site. SLSCO Ltd. of Galveston, Texas, won the $101 million contract in December and started work last week. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Dan Crenshaw defends President Trump and border wall in first-floor speech in Congress Work on replacing the first-layer barrier, also with steel bollards and metal plates up to 30 feet high, runs the same length as the second layer and is nearly finished. The previous first-layer barrier was a short fence. The prototypes and new construction continue a long presence of border activity in the adjoining Tijuana neighborhood, initially occupied by squatters who later bought the land. Guillermina Fernandez, who sells plants out of her home and at a public market, said smugglers once brought large groups of migrants and dug small holes under the old fence. About 15 years ago, Fernandez, 54, briefly turned her patio into a dining area for migrants. Campfires kept people warm while waiting for an opening to dart past Border Patrol agents. "It looked like a party here," she said. Illegal crossings in San Diego have fallen dramatically since barriers were installed in the 1990s and mid-2000s, but some migrants go around them and others go over them. Residents complain that outsiders illegally dump trash on their dirt roads that lack street lights. They say the new wall has produced one benefit: The bollards allow the Border Patrol's bright lights to seep in and provide some visibility at night. ___ AP writer Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this report. Google Maps A teacher at Houston ISD's Northline Elementary School has been removed from the classroom amid an investigation into allegations of "inappropriate behavior." In a letter sent Wednesday to Northline parents, the school's principal said the teacher has been re-assigned to a "non-teaching role pending the outcome of a thorough investigation." The letter did not specify the nature of allegations or the individual accused of misconduct. HISD officials said the teacher is not working on Northline's campus during the re-assignment. Spring Break will be in high gear in a couple of weeks, just as voters are summoned back to the polls for a runoff election to determine who will represent District 125 in the Texas House of Representatives. Spring Break notwithstanding, voting needs to take a priority on their to-do list. Gov. Greg Abbott has scheduled the runoff in the House race for March 12. Early voting runs starts Monday and runs through March 8. The Texas 86th Legislature will be about half over by the time someone is finally sworn in, but that should not be used as an excuse to sit out this very important election. The term of office for a state representative is two years. The victor in this race will serve an unexpired term that ends in December 2020, before the Legislature meets again, but that does not mean the candidate elected to this post will just be a place holder. Much work gets done after the Legislature adjourns. Often, issues tackled between legislative sessions set the agenda for the following biennial meeting. Voter apathy is always a big issue in all elections, but it is more so in special elections, especially runoffs. The voter turnout for this race, held Feb. 12 with five candidates, was a pitiful 6 percent. It is likely the runoff between the two top vote-getters Republican businessman Fred Rangel and Democrat Ray Lopez, a former San Antonio city councilman will attract even fewer voters. We urge the 101,146 registered voters in this district to go to the polls. Only 6,140 of them cast ballots in February. Rangel, the top vote-getter, garnered only 2,323 votes. The vote difference between the second- and third-place candidates was only 22 votes. This runoff is the kind of race in which the final outcome could be determined by a single vote. The 125th District House seat was left vacant by Justin Rodriguez in December when he was appointed as Bexar County Precinct 2 commissioner following the death of Paul Elizondo, who had held the post for decades. The governor has been moving the process along at an expedited pace because the Legislature, which only meets every two years, is in session. Even so, Bexar Countys newest freshman state representative will only have a few weeks on the job before the regular session is over. The timing on this election may be awkward and inconvenient for some Texas House District 125 voters and election fatigue may be setting in, but it important to cast a ballot in this one. There was a great 'buzz' and 'positive atmosphere' at the Longford Government Offices' 25th-anniversary celebrations on Friday afternoon as staff past and present gathered to celebrate the big birthday. Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, TD, who attended the celebrations, noted the excitement in the room during her speech at the Government Buildings earlier today. To mark the 25th anniversary of the offices, the Minister unveiled a plaque in memory of deceased colleagues and friends who worked in the offices. Just over 160 staff from this Department first moved to these offices in November 1993 and the building was officially opened by the late Taoiseach, Albert Reynolds TD on February 25, 1994, outlined Minister Doherty as she addressed the large crowd. Since then the number of staff in the building has increased and there are currently just over 400 Department staff working in the building, in both the Centralised Schemes Office and in the local Intreo Centre. The Departments staff working in this building provide essential assistance and supports to our citizens on both a national and a local scale and it is very important that we recognise today all that has been done in this office over the last 25 years, and look to the future with confidence in our ability and determination to continue to do so in the coming years. WATCH | Longford Government Offices celebrates 25th birthday with Minister Regina Doherty Minister Doherty added that it is important to recognise that the building itself is more than just a place of work, with people from different parts of the country coming together as more than just work colleagues. It is a place where friendships - and more serious relationships - have been made and those bonds of friendship and collegiality extend beyond the walls of the building itself as can be seen from the number of former staff who have come here today, said the Minister. Those bonds of friendship are important in good times and in bad. As friends, we celebrate the happy occasions and are there for each other when we are needed. I think it is very fitting that on a day like today we also remember friends and colleagues who have passed away. I would like to acknowledge the valuable work and dedication you have shown over the last 25 years and recognise the contribution and the difference this Office has made, not just to the thousands of customers you serve on a local and a national basis, but to the towns and communities in which you have set up homes, raised families and contributed in a deep and meaningful way to the social fabric of this country. Also read: Minister Regina Doherty attending Longford Government Offices 25th anniversary celebration From the time we're born, our sisters are our collaborators and co-conspirators; our role models and our cautionary tales. They are our scolds, protectors, goads, tormentors, playmates, counsellors, sources of envy and objects of pride. In fact, sisterhood was the very inspiration for local artist, Maria Cribben, and fine art photographer Shelley Corcoran in their ongoing exhibition, 'Blood Sisters', which is currently on display in the Atrium Gallery at the Backstage Theatre. The exhibition is a beautiful and colourful celebration of women and the relationships that form the building blocks of their lives. Our sisters help us to learn how to resolve conflicts and how not to; how to conduct relationships and when to walk away from them. Our sisters can be biological, or they can be women we're close to: an aunt, friend, cousin, niece or mother. They are the important women with whom we surround ourselves. Blood Sisters can refer to biological sisters or the urban slang for very close friends, Shelley explained at the launch of the exhibition last Tuesday night, February 19. Myself and Maria wanted to explore the relationship between women; the complicated, strange, wonderful rituals that exist between women; the bond, the influence, the time spent together and the disagreements that make up the relationship. I dont have any biological sisters myself. My aunt, Bridget was my inspiration for my work She was like a second mother, friend and sister to me, she added, referring to her late aunt, Bridget Mollaghan, who sadly passed away in November. I know Maria has actual sisters, who she credits with seeing through the layers and constructs of her personas as they know her so well. As a fine art photographer, Shelley has used her subjective influence in her work to expose the dialects between privacy, presentation and intimacy in photography. This perfectly compliments Maria's mult-layered paintings. Maria's art showcases her own perception of sisters, including their layers, vibrancy, boldness and complexities through the medium of acrylic paint, which allows her to work quickly and expressively onto the surface of the canvass. For Maria, each layer is important to the overall effect of the portrait and, by using acrylic paint, each layer remains visible. (Through this exhibition) we have explored the construction of identity through relationships of blood sisters and we would like to thank all the wonderful models that have taken part in our exhibition, Shelley concluded, adding the artists' thanks to Longford Arts Office and the Backstage Theatre. The Atrium Gallery was filled with people last Tuesday night as people from across the county turned out to support the artists. Sisterhood is a unique and powerful force, said Cllr Joe Flaherty, who launched the exhibition at the Backstage Theatre. We dont see enough women front and centre in public life. We dont see enough women in the biggest jobs in Ireland. We dont see enough women in politics. We dont see enough women leading in education and we dont see them enough leading in the big businesses. Weve so many young people here today and, particularly to the young girls here: never be afraid to be inspired; never be afraid to look at the pictures on the wall and see what you can be. Theres nobody in this room that cant be something special. 'Blood Sisters' is on display at the Backstage Theatre until International Women's Day on March 8 and can be viewed during the Backstage Theatre opening hours (Monday to Friday 10am - 5pm) or evenings when there is a performance in the theatre. For more information, see www.backstagetheatre.ie. Also read: Laura Woods art exhibition set for official Longford Library opening Algeria, the largest Arab, African and Mediterranean country, has so far avoided the unrest that swept across the Middle East and North Africa during the Arab Spring. The countrys ruling class used the memory of the 1990s, known as the black decade, to drum up fear about the potential consequences of protesting and disbursed oil and gas revenues to ward off unrest. In 2014, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika easily won re-election to a fourth term, despite a few dissenting voices. One year earlier, he suffered a stroke. He has not given a single public speech and has rarely appeared in public throughout his fourth term. Unprecedented protests recently erupted in Algeria following the announcement that Bouteflika would seek a fifth term in office. The largest protest yet took place on Friday, Feb. 22. The Algerian newspaper El-Watan reported that hundreds of thousands, and maybe even millions, of people participated. AFP put the number at tens of thousands. Defying a ban that has been in place since 2001, the protests took place in several major Algerian cities, including in the heart of the capital, Algiers. Last Tuesday, university students demonstrated across the country. Unlike other Arab countries shaken by protests, Algerians are not calling for the downfall of the regime. Instead, they are voicing their opposition to Bouteflikas quest for a fifth term. Makache el-khamissa ya Bouteflika, djibou el-biyari, w zidou el-sa3iqa" (Bouteflika, there will be no fifth term, even if you mobilize the secret police, anti-riot brigades and special forces), the peaceful protesters have chanted so far. Bouteflika the powerless? Despite being the focal point of the protests, by all indications, Bouteflika no longer holds real power in Algeria. At 81 years old, he has been weakened since his stroke. Instead of attending official occasions, a giant portrait usually stands in his place. The countrys official news agency and Bouteflikas associates, ministers or deputies issue statements and declarations on his behalf. The situation reflects the lack of transparency in Algerias political system. Bouteflika is not seen as a tyrant, and he is not hated by Algerians. Instead, he is a front for the political actors that hold power behind the scenes and who have not yet agreed on Bouteflikas successor, despite the risk of fueling popular discontent. The forces actually governing Algeria are often referred to simply as the power, clans in power or clans of power. These terms, reminiscent of Soviet-style governments, hide the true division of authority and decision making process that takes place behind the scenes. The most common theory is that the Peoples National Army (Armee nationale populaire, ANP), heir to the National Liberation Army (Armee de liberation nationale, ALN) that led the War for Independence, is running the country. The fact that all of Algerias leaders since independence have come from the ANP or/and ANL reinforces this view. The ANP also helped restore order at the end of the Black Decade. Echoing Voltaires statement on the Prussian kingdom and army, proponents of this theory say that Algeria is not a country with an army. It is rather an army with a country. A second theory suggests that power is concentrated in the Presidents entourage and based on a system of regional loyalties centered around the northwestern Algerian city of Tlemcen, where Bouteflikas family is from. Proponents of this theory point to the number of officers purged from the military in the past few years and argue that power has slipped from the army into the hands of the presidency. "Bouteflika's second presidential term marked a loss of power for the army," Mohammed Benaissa, an Algerian youth activist, told LOrient-Le Jour (OLJ). Benaissa said that Bouteflika was able to take advantage of a wave of popularity stemming from his involvement in reconciliation efforts after the Black Decade and his introduction of social reforms. The restructuring of the intelligence services in 2014 put the shift in power in the spotlight, according to Benaissa. Three poles of power The reality of power in Algeria, however, appears to be complex convergence that combines several theories. Three sources of power can be recognized: the economic, political and military powers that are mutually supportive, John Entelis, professor of political science at Fordham University, told OLJ. Government-owned hydrocarbon companies, such a Sonatrach, produce wealth, political parties, including the National Liberation Front (FLN) and the Democratic National Rally (RND) ensure political power while spearheading the presidential alliance and the army fights instability and terrorism, according to Entelis. The circle includes the president's brother, Said, the prime minister, Ahmed Ouyahia, powerful businessmen, oil and gas leads and powerful military and security figures who are loyal to Bouteflika's term in office, Yasmina Allouche, a researcher focusing on Algeria, told OLJ. Abdelaziz Bouteflika is currently the keystone of this system, and he has two characteristics: he is not hated by the people, and he is willing to not open up the system," Entelis added. The institutions behind the three poles of power Entelis identified are more important than the individuals who are part of them. This is why the system has been able to function with continuity. The arrangement is self-sustaining and its endurance leaves young Algerians seeking a better future with few options. The choices they face are either to participate in the system by working for a meager salary, launch entrepreneurial ventures in some economic sector without disturbing already established businesses with connection to those in power or simply emigrate. The first scenario is easier for people who have connections in one of the institutions forming the three poles of power. "The lack of reforms to revise the old system in order to prioritise interests of the power elites is also why little has changed economically and politically and for a population where 30% is under the age of 30, their prospects are either to try getting a visa, emigrate illegally, or to simply labour on if they are not lucky enough to have a foot in the bureaucratic system", Allouche said. Ultimately, this "military-industrial" complex, supported by political forces, aims to avoid three scenarios at all costs: the opening of the system, democratic elections and an Arab Spring. How it reacts to the current outbreak of protests will determine the shape of Algerias future in the coming years. (This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour on the 26th of February) The state has awarded $68 million in funding to nine rental housing projects across Massachusetts with the goal of creating more mixed-income units. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito announced the awards at the former Worcester County Courthouse Thursday morning, saying the funding will help support the construction of 643 new apartments from Lowell to Springfield. The awards represent an investment by the administration through more than $45 million in direct subsidy and the allocation of more than $22 million in state and federal low-income housing tax credits. As we are all appreciating the robustness of our economy throughout all parts of our commonwealth, we all recognize that we clearly are not meeting our responsibilities to create more housing within the commonwealth, Polito said. On Wednesday, Gov. Charlie Bakers administration announced the refiling of the Housing Choice Bill, aimed at making the construction of new housing easier by loosening zoning requirements in cities and towns across the state. While the preservation of affordable housing and the creation of it is really important, its also critically important that we create new housing, Polito said. New housing stock is what we are celebrating today. The announcement was made at the former Worcester County Courthouse, which is being transformed into 117 units of housing. The $55 million project received Federal and State Low Income Housing Tax Credits and subsidy funds. Thursdays awards were given to projects in Arlington, Boston, Lowell, Holyoke, Revere and Springfield. Polito said the funding will help the state reach its goal of creating 135,000 new units of housing by 2025. Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy added that creating affordable housing is a critical part of economic development in the state. If we do our job and create the workforce, those folks need a place to live, he said. Update, 4 p.m., Thursday: Louis D. Coleman III taken into custody in connection with kidnapping of Jassy Correia Boston police are searching for a 23-year-old woman who was last seen leaving a nightclub in the Theater District early Sunday morning. Authorities have issued a missing person alert for Jassy Correia, who was seen around 12:15 a.m. in the area of 255 Tremont St. with an unknown man after leaving the Venu Nightclub. Police said Correia was last seen entering a car, believed to be a red Nissan Altima, with the same male in the area of Tremont and Herald streets. The department has released surveillance footage of the man theyre hoping to identify. Correia, who is 5 feet 7 inches tall, was wearing large hoop earrings, an orange jumpsuit and a jean jacket with an image of red lips and pink wings on the back at the time of her disappearance, according to Boston police. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Correia, the identity of the unknown male or vehicle is asked to call detectives at 617-343-4275. Community members wishing to assist this search anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463). The man suspected of kidnapping 23-year-old Jassy Correia has been arrested in Delaware and a body has been recovered, Boston police said. Louis D. Coleman III has been located and placed under arrest in Delaware, police said in a statement Thursday afternoon. Earlier in the day, police identified Coleman, 32 of Providence, Rhode Island, as the suspect wanted in connection with the kidnapping. A body has been recovered and we are awaiting a positive identification at this time, Boston police said. The cause and manner of death are pending. This remains an active and ongoing, multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional investigation. Additional information will be provided when available. Correias brother told Boston 25 News that the 23-year-old was found dead after the man suspected in her kidnapping was arrested in Delaware. Correia was last seen Sunday outside the Venu nightclub, Boston police said. She was last seen in the area of area of 255 Tremont St., getting into a red car with a man believed to be Coleman near Tremont and Herald streets. WCVB News reported that Correias body was found in the trunk of Colemans car. #BREAKING The family of Jassy Correia tells #wcvb that she has been found dead in the trunk of the suspect's car. That car and suspect found in Delaware this afternoon. Emily Riemer (@EmilyWCVB) February 28, 2019 Delaware Online reported that a police chase on I-95 in Stanton, Delaware led to Colemans arrest. He was driving a red car and was pulled over because of the missing person case in Boston, according to the report. A medical examiners truck arrived at the scene at 3:45 p.m., according to Delaware Online. Providence police have been investigating in the area of Colemans residence, around 95 Chestnut St., since 6:30 a.m. Thursday. Providence Chief of Police Col. Hugh T. Clements said in a press conference Thursday evening that the department is treating the investigation as a homicide. A search warrant was executed at Colemans residence, Clements said, but he did not elaborate on the evidence recovered. Clements also said police relied on surveillance video in the investigation and Coleman was seen on video in Providence Thursday morning. The chief would not elaborate on what else was captured by surveillance video. Because the incident is multi-jurisdictional, federal authorities could bring charges. Boston police on Thursday morning identified a suspect wanted in connection with the kidnapping of 23-year-old Jassy Correia. Police released a photo of the suspect, 32-year-old Louis D. Coleman III of Providence, Rhode Island. Authorities are also looking for a red car Coleman is believed to be driving, police said in a statement. Coleman was last seen in the Providence area on Thursday. Correia was last seen in the area of 255 Tremont St. in Boston in the company of a man after leaving the Venu Nightclub around 12:15 a.m. Sunday, police said. She was seen getting into a red car with the man in the area of Tremont and Herald Streets, police said. Meanwhile, police in Providence are assisting with the investigation. Providence Police Maj. David Lapatin said he is working closely with Boston police on the missing person. He confirmed Providence police are investigating near Johnson & Wales, but said there is no active crime scene. Were trying to help figure this out, Lapatin said. Correia is 5 feet 7 inches tall and was wearing an orange jumpsuit, a jean jacket an image of red lips and pink wings on the back of it, and big hoop earrings when she was kidnapped. Boston police ask anyone with information about the location about Correia or Coleman to call 911 immediately. MassLive reporter Jacqueline Tempera contributed to this story. Upset over being banned from the online dating website OkCupid, a Beverly man is now accused of sending letters to the company and letters threatening the powder inside the packages contained anthrax. Liam MacLeod, 47, will appear in a Boston federal court Thursday on charges of mailing threatening communications and conveying false information and hoaxes. According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, MacLeod began sending letters to OkCupid.coms corporate headquarters in Dallas between September and December 2017. The company received nine letters. All of them were addressed to OkCupids chief executive officer. One letter sent to the company on Sept. 12, 2017, contained a white powder with a handwritten letter. The letter read: Greeting from Beverly. Ban me will ya. Welcome to the wonderful world of ANTHRAX. Expect a package within the next couple of days. It wont be ticking but it should be interesting! Another letter arrived at the company days later. The handwritten letter asked if the company liked the first letter and threatened more were on the way, according to authorities. The second letter ended: I can go on like this for years. How long can you last? The letters threatened that the senders father was part of a motorcycle biker gang. A federal affidavit said the company began an internal investigation after receiving the first letter. The company believed the sender was a current or former account holder for OkCupid. The company focused on banned accounts based on the text of one of the letters, the affidavit said. The company searched for account users living in Beverly. MacLeods account was blacklisted by the company on Sept. 11, 2017, one day before the first letter was postmarked in Boston. The account user had repeatedly violated terms of use, the company found. Law enforcement received information from OkCupid in October and was able to identify MacLeod as the person who used the banned account. A third envelope sent to the company on Sept. 20, 2017. The envelope and its contents, a single piece of white paper, each contained significant red-brown staining consistent with blood, authorities said. A follow-up letter said the previous letter contained blood infected with the AIDS virus, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. Authorities accuse MacLeod of sending five more letters between Oct. 4, 2017 and Dec. 21, 2017. The letters contained threats. Each of these mailings generated a hazmat response by federal law enforcement in order to rule out the presence of active biological or chemical agents, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. Laboratory testing later confirmed that the substances contained in the envelopes mailed by MacLeod, including the white powdery substance, did not contain hazardous materials. A Massachusetts Department of Transportation worker was hit by a suspected drugged driver operating a stolen vehicle in Revere overnight, authorities said. State police said the MassDOT worker was struck while exiting his pickup truck shortly after midnight Thursday. Authorities said the truck had its arrow board activated and was stopped at the scene of an accident on Route 1 north near the Sargent Street exit in Revere. Troopers who responded to the scene placed the driver of the car that hit the worker under arrest for operating a stolen motor vehicle and driving under the influence. The MassDOT worker suffered injuries that are not expected to be life threatening. He was brought to Melrose-Wakefield Hospital via ambulance. No further information was available Thursday morning. A 29-year-old East Boston man has been charged with carjacking and drugged driving-related offenses after police say he hit a MassDOT worker with a stolen car in Revere early Thursday morning. State Police said Matthew Ricco Tyre carjacked an Uber drivers vehicle while riding in the car in Revere just after midnight. While driving the mans Honda Civic on Route 1, authorities said Tyre hit a MassDOT worker. Police said the state employee was exiting his truck at the scene of a crash when he was hit. Tyre tried to run from the scene after striking the employee, authorities said, but was caught by a trooper. The MassDOT worker suffered injuries that are not believed to be life threatening. He was identified as a 52-year-old Revere man. Tyre is scheduled to be arraigned in Chelsea District Court Thursday on charges of carjacking, operating under the influence of drugs and numerous assault-related offenses. During heated testimony before the Housing Oversight Committee Wednesday, Rep. Ayanna Pressley saved a fiery question directed for President Trumps former personal lawyer Michael Cohen for last. Would you agree that someone who has denied rentals to black people, referred to the African diaspora as s---hole countries, and called white nationalists very nice people could have a black friend and still be racist? Pressley, a Boston Democrat, asked. Cohen responded: Yes. Pressley said: I think so too. Pressley, who took office in January, is new to the committee. She is Massachusetts first black congresswoman. During her allotted time she spoke to Cohen about Trumps alleged misuse of funds meant for his charity. Cohen testified before the committee for roughly six hours on Wednesday. He has been sentenced to three years in prison after he lied to Congress about Trumps business dealings in Moscow. Cohen returned to the committee to set the record straight, he said. He told members that the president repeatedly ordered him to lie and threaten people who went against Trump. UPDATE: Jassy Correia has been found dead. ______________________ A Providence man wanted in connection with the kidnapping of a 23-year-old Boston woman has been taken into custody, sources told MassLive. Louis D. Coleman III, 32 of Providence, was wanted in connection with the possible kidnapping of Jassy Correia, who was last seen in the area of 255 Tremont St. in Boston after leaving the Venu Nightclub in early Sunday. She was last seen getting into a red car with a man believed to be Coleman near Tremont and Herald streets, Boston police said. Providence Police have been assisting with the investigation. Delaware Online reports that a police chase on I-95 in Stanton, Delaware led to Colemans arrest. He was driving a red car and was pulled over because of the missing person case in Boston, according to the report. A medical examiners truck arrived at the scene at 3:45 p.m., according to Delaware Online. SPRINGFIELD MGM Springfield has named Bishop Talbert W. Swan II, pastor of Spring of Hope Church of God in Christ and president of the Greater Springfield NAACP; and two of its executives to a community advisory committee. Swan; Seth Stratton, a city native and vice president and legal counsel at MGM Springfield; and downtown resident Arlen Carballo, director of financial planning and analysis at the casino, are MGM Springfields three appointees to the 11-member community advisory committee. The MGM Springfield Community Advisory Committee as required under the host community agreement has members appointed by the casino, mayor, city council, affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, and the Massachusetts Latino Chamber of Commerce. Swan was vocal in the run-up to MGM Springfields opening in August 2018, asking that the casino hire local people of color. The casino in a statement described Swan as a well-respected community leader in Western Massachusetts and strong advocate for community responsibility in the city. Stratton is on boards for the the Springfield YMCA, World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts, DevelopSpringfield, Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council and the former Springfield Performing Arts Development Corporation. In recognition of his work, Stratton was listed as a member of BusinessWests 40 Under Forty in 2014. Carballo joined MGM Springfield in 2018 with more than 10 years of experience in the gambling and hospitality industry. She is responsible for the overall strategic direction and management oversight of the nearly $1 billion downtown Springfield resort. SPRINGFIELD UFCW Local 1459, which represents 1,300 Western Massachusetts Stop & Shop employees, told its members Thursday that they will either vote Sunday, March 10, on a new contract or a strike authorization. The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1459 meeting is set for 10 a.m. at the Chicopee Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Drive. The announcement means that union leadership will either have a deal to present or, if one is not there, will go to strike. The announcement came about a week after the UFCW's three-year contract with 31,500 unionized New England employees expired at midnight Saturday. There are five UFCW locals representing Stop & Shop workers across New England. A Boston-area UFCW local has already voted to authorize a strike, although no date has been set. All five New England Locals continued negotiating with the Stop & Shop this week. In a separate negotiation, New York UFCW Local 342 went on strike against Stop & Shop Wednesday after 15 months without a contract. In Springfield, Local 1459 President Tyrone C. Housey posted a video over the weekend to the local's Facebook page in which he said Stop & Shop's wage-and-benefit proposals are lacking. "What the company has on the table, in my opinion, are complete takeaways," he said in the video. "Very low, in my opinion." Housey told members they would lose time-and-a-half pay on Sundays but get a smaller Sunday wage premium. He said the current proposal from the company include cuts to pension and health-and-welfare benefits and to sick and vacation time. In a prepared statement, Stop & Shop said its working with the locals to reach an agreement. "A fair, new agreement also must reflect the rapid changes and increasing competition that are reshaping our industry," Stop & Shop said. "Any new contract must ensure that Stop & Shop can continue to offer customers the service, selection and value they expect. And it must enable us to continue investing in our people, stores and business as well as in critical technological innovations to ensure our long-term success." One such new technical innovation is driverless grocery delivery vehicles in the Greater Boston area beginning in spring 2019. Stop & Shop is also rolling out "Marty" a robot that roams store aisles looking for spills and messes. Parent Ahold Delhaize USA plans to use Marty robots in nearly 500 Giant Food Stores, Martin's and Stop & Shop locations beginning over the next few months. The Unions have also been negotiating over work rules and job assignments, according to previous posts on the its Facebook pages. The 23-year-old man who said a woman harassed him and knocked off his Make America Great Again hat a Cape Cod restaurant responded to news of her being arrested by immigration officials. Rosiane Santos was arrested in Falmouth on Feb. 15 after she allegedly harassed Bryton Turner. Turner filmed some of the incident and shared it in a now viral Facebook video. Turner told MassLive he went to the Casa Vallarta Mexican Restaurant with two friends when Santos totally unprovoked," began to touch his hat and verbally harass him. Turner was wearing a red hat bearing President Donald Trumps campaign slogan: Make America Great Again. Santos, 41, was arrested on one count of disorderly conduct and assault and battery, to which she pleaded not guilty last week, according to the Cape Cod Times. On Tuesday she was arrested in Falmouth by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Santos is currently facing local charges for assault and other offenses. She has since been released from ICE custody after being entered into removal proceedings in the federal immigration courts and provided a Notice to Appear at a future date before an immigration judge, John Mohan, a spokesman for ICE Boston, said in a statement. Turner said he felt indifferent about her arrest and possible deportation. I never planned on pressing charges, Turner said in a Facebook message. I give people the benefit of the doubt so I never wouldve assumed she was illegal. But this country has laws in place to protect its citizens and those laws have to be obeyed. Thats what makes this country great. She broke the law for a long time and now she has to suffer the consequences. Mohan said Santos is a Brazilian national who is living in the United States without permission. Attorney Katarina Kozakova, who is representing Santos, told Boston.com her client has a pending green card application and is married to a U.S. citizen. SPRINGFIELD The Massachusetts Gaming Commission granted MGM Springfield a 30-day extension Thursday to continue working with the city and developers as its considers investing in a market-rate housing project at the historic, long-vacant Elm Street block at Court Square. MGM Springfield was supposed to decide by this Friday if it would invest in the estimated $55 million project at 13-31 Elm St., as sought by the city, or reveal some other plan for meeting its obligations to provide market rate housing in the downtown area. The casino is required by the city and the Gaming Commission to provide at least 54 units of market rate housing, and has proposed contributing $11 million toward the Court Square project to help meet that obligation. The building is across the street from MGM Springfield. The commission voted unanimously to grant the extension just days after developer WinnCompanies of Boston announced that the company along with co-developer Opal Real Estate Group of Springfield, were at the brink of securing the final funds needed to make the renovation-restoration project a reality. If successful, the project could begin before the end of the year and take 18 months to complete, officials said. City officials say that the restoration is of critical importance to the downtown district, with the building sitting mostly vacant and deteriorating for the past 30 years. The city requested the 30-day extension. Commission members stressed that while deadlines are important, they realize the importance of the Elm Street project, and that the city was asking for the additional time to let the city, the developers and MGM Springfield pursue the Court Square project. The city really values the prospect of this project," said commission member Enrique Zuniga, adding that the city has made it clear that it is "really a worthy economic development project. Commission member Bruce Stebbins said the project is also very important from a historic perspective. The funding for the historic preservation and renovation project consists of public and private funding, including state and federal historic tax credits. The developers are proposing to convert the site for 60 market-rate apartments, and 14 apartments that wold be restricted to tenants earning up to 80 percent of the area median income. There is also 12,000 square feet on the first floor slated for commercial use. MGM Springfield Vice President and General Counsel Seth Stratton, said that the casino will be able to reveal its Plan B for meeting its housing commitment in 30 days, if the Elm Street project is deemed not viable. At the end of 30 days, we would be able to tell you about Plan B, and the expected timeline to get that done. Stratton said. NORTHAMPTON - Amy Goodman, host of the independent international news hour, "Democracy Now!," will speak at Smith College on Thursday, March 21, in an event honoring long-time peace activist Frances Crowe. Goodman's talk on activism and democracy at 7 p.m. in John M. Greene Hall honors Crowe's 100th birthday, and recalls how a number of years ago Crowe's actions as a private citizens helped "Democracy Now!" be broadcast in the area. A well-known name and figure in the Pioneer Valley and beyond for her years of activism and civil disobedience for peace, nuclear disarmament and alternative energy as well as civil rights, Crowe organized vigils that took place for many years in downtown Northampton against military action in the Persian Gulf and the United Nations sanctions that barred food and medicine to Iraq. The Missouri-born Crowe, who was awarded an honorary doctorate from Smith in 2015, traced her anti-war work back to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and when she spoke about war her focus included its toll on civilian casualties. A co-founder of the Traprock Peace Center in Deerfield in 1979 and author of the memoir, "Finding My Radical Soul," Crowe founded the Western Massachusetts chapter of the American Friends Service Committee in the basement of her Northampton home and served as its area representative for 26 years. "The most important question we have to ask ourselves today is, can we maintain this lifestyle and should we do so at the expense of other people in the world and if not, what kind of sustainable development strategies can we use so we don't destroy the world," she told a reporter at the time of her retirement in 1994. Last year, she wrote about protesting the war in Vietnam at Chicopee's Westover Air Force on International Women's Day on March 8, 1972 during a time when she counseled "some 2,000 potential U.S. soldiers in their applications for status as conscientious objectors" out of their belief, "War is not the answer." "Let us build a new society in the shell of the old," she wrote in her piece published Oct. 11 in the Daily Northampton Gazette. Crowe was arrested for the first time during that 1972 protest and given community service as her sentence; served a month in federal prison for spray-painting "Thou Shalt Not Kill" on the casings of missile tubes at a nuclear submarine base in Connecticut in 1983 during a protest organized by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, and was arrested a total of nine times for trespassing near the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station during protests in 2011 and 2014 when it closed. More recently, the grandmother of five and graduate of Syracuse and Columbia universities, was arrested in her wheelchair during a protest against the now operational Kinder Morgan natural gas pipeline in Otis State Forest in the southern Berkshire County town Sandisfield in 2017. The Sophia Smith Collection of Women's History, which has an archive of Crowe's papers, is sponsoring the talk that is free to the public. Goodman hosts "Democracy Now!" with Juan Gonzalez. The audience-supported program dates to 1996 and is now broadcasts on radio, and over the internet Goodman is author of a number of books include "Breaking the Sound Barrier" and "The Silenced Majority: Stories of Uprisings, Occupations, Resistance, and Hope." Her awards including the Robert F. Kennedy Prize for International Reporting, and the George Polk Award. AMHERST -- A 35-year-old New Salem man who fired a gun into a crowded apartment stairwell, killing a friend and seriously injuring another man, will serve 22-25 years in jail. Soknang Chham pleaded guilty Wednesday to a variety of charges, including manslaughter, in the October 2016 death of Jose Rodriguez, 31, said Mary Carey, spokeswoman for Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan. Judge Richard Carey sentenced Chham shortly after he entered a guilty plea in Hampshire Superior Court. He is to serve 18-20 years for manslaughter and an additional 4-5 years for assault and battery by discharging a firearm. He was also sentenced to 5-7 years for unlawful possession of a firearm, second offense and 10-15 years for unlawful possession of a firearm with two prior convictions for violent crimes. The sentences for firearms charges will be served concurrently to the manslaughter and assault and battery charges, she said. Chham fired a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun into a crowded stairwell at the Southpoint apartments for no apparent reason, killing Rodriguez and seriously injuring another victim. The second man did survive, according to Prosecutor Matthew Thomas. Rodriguez, who was better known as Joselito, and Chham were friends at the time, relatives said at previous court hearings. After the shooting, Chham and his brother hopped a bus and fled to Arizona. They were arrested about 10 days after the Oct. 15 crime and were later returned to Massachusetts. Chhams brother was initially charged with being an accessory after the fact but those charges were dropped four months later. I would like thank the Rodriguez family for their patience and thank the investigators for the hard work they put into this case, Thomas said. Its a meaningful punishment for a significant crime. Chham, who is Cambodian, could be deported after serving his sentence but it is unclear if that would be possible. Chham was born in a Red Cross refugee camp in Thailand and it is not clear which country would accept him were he to be deported, said William ONeil, his lawyer. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission on Thursday took the necessary steps to finalize an agreement intended to end the lawsuit Steve Wynn filed against the commission last year and expects the suit to be dismissed in the coming days, Chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein said. The commission met in executive session for almost three hours and then provided an update in what has been a months-long legal saga. After significant and thoughtful deliberation, the commission executed this action after receiving advice from our legal counsel, and the necessary assurances from investigators that this commission will receive all material and substantive information required to make a fully-informed decision, new chair Judd-Stein said. This step also brings to a close the uncertainty of prolonged litigation and allows this important process to now advance. The agreement Judd-Stein pushed back against references to a settlement and instead described it as a resolution agreement itself was not available Thursday and Judd-Stein declined to describe it in broad terms to reporters. She said Executive Director Edward Bedrosian will prepare the agreement and the minutes of executive sessions in which the commission discussed the agreement for public release as soon as practicable. After months of legal wrangling, the Gaming Commission voted last week to direct its lawyers to begin finalizing an agreement that could resolve the lawsuit former casino magnate Steve Wynn filed against the commission in November seeking to keep certain documents out of the commissions investigative report. The commission had previously ordered an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against Steve Wynn and whether those allegations were shielded from the commission during the casino licensing process. The commissions report will be the foundation upon which regulators decide whether to revoke the Greater Boston area casino license awarded to Wynn Resorts in 2014. The report has been on hold for months pending the outcome of Steve Wynns lawsuit, but Wynn Resorts roughly $2.6 billion Encore Boston Harbor casino in Everett is 90 percent complete and plans to open this summer. Bedrosian said Thursday that the commissions Investigations and Enforcement Bureau will give the commission a new list of board members and executives at Wynn Resorts who must be deemed suitable for the company to hold a casino license and that the IEBs investigative report will follow soon after that. He said he hopes to schedule meetings to consider pre-hearing motions, if any are necessary, in March and that a full and possibly multi-day adjudicatory hearing will follow once the commissioners are ready. He said the investigative report will be made public at the start of the first day of that hearing. Earlier this week, Attorney General Maura Healey said she is anxious to read the commissions findings and is not foreclosing upon the possibility of her office becoming involved in the ongoing quarrel. I want to see what the report says and Im going to leave our options open in terms of what should happen next, she said Tuesday on WGBH Radio. I think were going to see the report in a very short time and well have a better opportunity to assess there. SPRINGFIELD -- Police raided a Bay Street home and found more than 38 grams of cocaine, additional crack cocaine and a stolen gun Wednesday afternoon. Albert Morales, 26, of 155 Bay St., was arrested as part of the search and charged with cocaine trafficking, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm without a license, possession of a large capacity firearm in the commission of a felony, receiving stolen property less than $1,200, reckless endangerment of a child and other firearms charges, said Ryan Walsh, police spokesman. As part of a narcotics investigation, members of the Police's Strategic Impact Unit, led by Lt. Scott Richard and Sgt. James Mazza, received a search warrant for the Bay Street apartment. Police then stopped Morales, who was driving near Leete Street and Fort Pleasant Avenue, at about 4 p.m. detained him and explained they would be searching his apartment, he said. During the search, police found 38.8 grams of cocaine, two chunks and 15 individually wrapped rocks of crack cocaine and a high capacity handgun with a magazine with 17 rounds of ammunition and an additional 55 rounds of ammunition. The gun had been reported stolen in Connecticut, Walsh said. A woman who was home at the time will also face charges through a criminal complaint. Two children were also in the apartment when police entered it for the search, he said. A Worcester man was charged with trafficking drugs after police found more than 1.5 kilograms of cocaine and two unlawful guns in his home and car on Wednesday. Walter Estrada, 32, was charged with trafficking cocaine and is expected to face additional charges in connection to the discovery of the drugs and firearms, said Meghan Kelly, director of communications for Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. As part of an ongoing investigation into suspected drug trafficking, Massachusetts State Police stopped Estrada while he was getting on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Framingham. Troopers then found 112 grams of cocaine in the driver's side door of his Infiniti G37, she said. Police, who had a second warrant to search Estrada's home in Worcester, found the 1.5 kilograms of cocaine which was packaged for a suspected sale and two 9 mm pistols, she said. By focusing our resources on individuals running distribution operations we are looking to stop the supply of dangerous narcotics before they get into our cities and towns, Ryan said in writing. Every time we are able to take illegally possessed firearms off our streets we make our communities a little safer, Ryan added. Estrada is being held on $250,000 bail after being arraigned in Framingham District Court following his arrest, Kelly said. The investigation into the trafficking is continuing and being conducted by the Middlesex District Attorneys Office, Massachusetts State Police Detective Units assigned to Middlesex County and Worcester County, Massachusetts State Police Air Wing, Massachusetts State Police Gang Unit, Massachusetts State Police K-9 Unit, Worcester Police Department and Framingham Police Department, she said. Voters in the small town of Heath will decide at a Special Town Meeting March 5 whether to sell the shuttered elementary school to marijuana growers. Heath Elementary School closed in 2017 due to dwindling enrollment. The Franklin County hilltown -- with its population of around 700 -- put out a request for proposals, and received a $250,000 bid from a Boston-based LLC affiliated with marijuana cultivators. Local officials have been in talks with Derek Ross, CEO of Bristol County Wellness Center, minutes show. The entity, known as BCWC, Inc., has financial backing from Future Farm Technologies, a Canadian firm. The partners are currently building a 24,700-square-foot medical marijuana facility in Attleboro. The Heath Elementary School has about 25,400 square feet of space. It was built 25 years ago, when the town saw momentary population growth. When the school closed two years ago, it only had 30 students. Heath's Finance Committee has noted that the town is now paying $60,000 per year to maintain the empty building, which will soon need a $250,000 roof. BCWC, Inc., is promising around $10,000 in tax revenue, revenue sharing through a host community agreement, and the creation of around 20 jobs. Still, the issue has been controversial, and many local residents are sad to see the school go, the Greenfield Recorder reports. Heath now pays tuition to send its children to the Hawlemont Regional School District. "People have high feelings on both sides of this, and we need to respect each other's opinions," Selectboard Chairman Brian DeVriese told the newspaper. Ross couldn't be reached for comment Monday. But if voters approve the building sale, and he decides to move forward, his team will need state and local approvals. Offshore wind energy planned for federal waters 14 miles off Martha's Vineyard gained traction Wednesday when Rhode Island coastal regulators approved a $2 billion project planned by the New Bedford-based Vineyard Wind. The Coastal Resources Management Council, meeting in Narragansett, ruled that the 800-megawatt offshore wind plant is consistent with Rhode Island state policy. Now the 84-turbine project needs a similar OK from Massachusetts coastal regulators. The project would sell its energy to Massachusetts utilities, but the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management requires certificates from state coastal management agencies impacted by proposed activities off their shores. The Rhode Island vote "puts Vineyard Wind one step closer to building the nation's first utility scale offshore wind project and delivering up to 800 megawatts of clean, renewable, cost-competitive energy for over 400,000 New England homes and businesses," the company said. The Massachusetts-Rhode Island Offshore Wind Lease Area Wednesday's vote followed a bitter dispute with Rhode Island fishermen, who say the wind farm's layout will prevent them from accessing fishing grounds. But Saturday, the Fishermen's Advisory Board, which advises the coastal council, accepted a $16.7 million compensation package from Vineyard Wind, allowing the vote to go forward. The financial package didn't do it for many present at the meeting, according to the Providence Journal. "We don't want the money," one fisherman said. "We want the fishing grounds that we've fished in for generations." Some said they felt backed into a corner. Vineyard Wind CEO Lars Pederson said it's a "difficult topic" and expressed hope that fishing could continue in the project area, the Providence newspaper reported. In a press statement, Vineyard Wind said it is confident that the vote, combined with the negotiated funding package, "will allow the Ocean State's fishing industry to safely operate and grow side-by-side with our project and future offshore wind developments." Under the agreement, future turbine development must be configured in a way that keeps fishing lanes more open. Project supporters have included the Natural Resources Defense Council, Conservation Law Center, and National Wildlife Federation. The partners in January reached an agreement with Vineyard Wind to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales and other marine life during construction. Trade unions and renewable energy advocates also expressed support. An underwater transmission cable would carry electricity from Vineyard Wind, with its 160,000 offshore acres, to a New England grid connection on Cape Cod. The company has committed to stage its project from the Marine Commerce Terminal in New Bedford. Vineyard Wind is a 50-50 partnership between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Avangrid Renewables. The proponents hope to begin construction late this year for a 2020 in-service date. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management started evaluating the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf for its offshore wind potential a full decade ago. Now projects are planned up and down the East Coast. Patriots owner Robert Kraft has pleaded not guilty to two first-degree misdemeanor charges of soliciting another to commit prostitution and requested a non-jury trial, according to Palm Beach County court records. The date of Krafts arraignment is March 27 at 8:30 a.m. According to Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg, Krafts lawyer may appear on his behalf at the arraignment. Charges against the 77-year-old billionaire were first announced by police in Jupiter, Florida, last Friday. Within hours of the announcement, the Patriots categorically denied any illegal activity on Krafts part. A summons for Krafts arrest was issued to his lawyer on Monday. Details of Krafts alleged crimes were released Monday inside probable cause affidavits. Police say video shows Kraft paying cash upon entering the Orchids of Asia Spa in Jupiter on Jan. 19 and Jan. 20, receiving a massage and a sex act on the 19th, then only a sex act on the 20th. The same records indicate Kraft was pulled over by police following his first visit so his identity could be verified. The maximum penalty for Kraft is one year in jail, a $5,000 fine and 100 hours of community service per charge, plus enrolling in an educational course on the dangers of prostitution and sex trafficking. However, according to local legal experts, first-time offenders like Kraft are unlikely to receive jail time. Kraft was ensnared during a larger sex sting operation executed by authorities over several months and Florida counties. He was one of 25 men charged by Jupiter police. More than 200 arrest warrants have been issued as a result of the operation. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren praised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week for announcing that it will study chemical exposure in areas surrounding Westfields Barnes Air National Guard Base, as well as locations near other military installations across the country. The Massachusetts Democrat, who has worked in Congress to address exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, lauded the CDC and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry for including Western Massachusetts in its newly expanded assessment. Warren offered that although there is still work to be done when it comes to addressing contamination caused by PFAS -- which are found in some firefighting foam used by civilians and military personnel -- shes "pleased that Hampden County and the Barnes Air Reserve Base surrounding area will be included in a PFAS study. In addition to Westfield, which has filed a federal lawsuit against three manufacturers of firefighting foam over contamination, the agencies will also look at PFAS exposure near: Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base in West Virginia; Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado; Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska; Reese Technology Center in Texas; Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York; New Castle Air National Guard Base in Delaware; and Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington. The CDC and ATSDR, which announced the assessments last week, said the study will look at human exposure to PFAS, man-made chemicals that have been used in a variety of industry and consumer products since the 1950s. Officials noted that the assessments are expected to begin in 2019 and continue through 2020. They will help lay the groundwork for a future multi-site health study looking at the relationship between PFAS exposure and health outcomes. The 2019 assessments will specifically seek to provide information to communities about levels of PFAS in their bodies and the extent of their environmental exposure to the substances by examining PFAS levels in randomly selected participants, the CDC said. Warrens office noted that the senator previously filed amendments to improve data collection and research on health and occupational safety concerns facing firefighters, police officers and other first responders in Massachusetts. She also joined a December 2018 letter to CDC and ATSDR requesting that the agencies take additional steps to study occupational exposures to PFAS, as well as backed an amendment to the 2019 defense spending bill to allow the Air National Guard to reimburse state and local water authorities for PFAS remediation, officials noted President Donald Trumps campaign condemned a U.S. House panel Tuesday for inviting Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to lying to Congress in 2017, to testify publicly about his work as the GOP leaders personal lawyer. Kayleigh McEnany, the campaigns national press secretary, questioned why the U.S. House Committee on Oversight wanted to hear from someone who is a felon, a disbarred lawyer and a convicted perjurer. Arguing that Cohen, lied to both Congress and the Special Counsel in a deliberate and premeditated fashion, McEnany offered that his alleged new evidence against Trump only supports his own testimony, which has proven before to be worthless. As noted by the Southern District of New York, Cohens wide array of crimes were marked by a pattern of deception that permeated his professional life and his instinct to blame others is strong,' she said in a statement. "Prosecutors said his actions were to ensure that he would profit personally, build his own power and enhance his level of influence. This is the same Michael Cohen who has admitted that he lied to Congress previously. Why did they even bother to swear him in this time? Cohen, who was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to lying to Congress, used his morning testimony to accuse Trump of knowing about alleged conversations regarding WikiLeaks release of Democratic National Committee emails in 2016 and directing negotiations over a Trump Tower Moscow project. The presidents former lawyer also provided documents to the panel, including a copy of a check which he said Trump wrote to reimburse him for covering up an affair; copies of letters he allegedly wrote on the presidents behalf; and other financial statements. He, however, told lawmakers that he does not have any direct evidence that Trump or his 2016 campaign colluded with Russia. The Trump campaigns remarks on Cohens testimony echoed criticism Republican committee members lobbed at Democratic leaders throughout the hearing. U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, R-Georgia, argued that the hearing was convened as part of Democrats effort to bring the president down. Hice and other GOP lawmakers further criticized Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, for allowing a convicted liar to testify before the committee. "This is the first time in the history of Congress we have someone testifying here who has already been convicted of lying to Congress -- so congratulations for being the first in Congress to do that and Mr. Cummings, as well, Hice said. I cannot believe weve brought the committee to its knees in terms of losing its credibility. Its a shameful mockery of what our purpose is. U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, a South Boston Democrat and member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, in turn, accused GOP panel members of working to protect the president. Your side ran away from the truth and were trying to bring it to the American people," he said. Cohen, who became a subject of Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, pleaded guilty in August to federal charges involving his taxi businesses, bank fraud and campaign finance work. In late-November, he pleaded guilty to making false statements in 2017 testimony before the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. U.S. Sen. Ed Markey called on the Trump administration Thursday to immediately resume strong and direct working-level talks with North Korea after a summit between the countrys two leaders came to an abrupt end. The Massachusetts Democrat, who is an outspoken champion of nuclear non-proliferation, expressed disappointment in the Vietnam summits early end and President Donald Trumps failure to codify any agreement in writing with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un. Unfortunately, the summits abrupt end means that President Trump was not able to codify in writing North Korean missile and nuclear testing freezes, verifiably halt production of all fissile materials or secure a roadmap detailing the steps each country would take over the course of negotiations, he said in a statement. Markey, who argued that the lack of working-level talks ahead of the Hanoi sit down likely undermined the chances of reaching a successful deal, added that there is much work to be done to achieve real progress towards North Korean denuclearization. I urge both sides to immediately continue their engagement so that we can reach an agreement that halts and rolls back North Koreas nuclear weapons programs, he said. The senator further criticized Trump for not speaking immediately with leaders from South Korea and Japan, as well as called on the White House to brief Congress on the summits outcome. Ahead of Trump and Kims second summit, Markey outlined several steps he believes the president should take to make progress toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. They included: codifying North Korean missile and nuclear testing freezes in writing; getting North Korea to verifiably halt production of all fissile materials and opening its nuclear facilities to inspectors; and securing a detailed roadmap with steps each country will take during the negotiations. Trump and Kim cut their second summit short on Thursday after both leaders left their meeting early and canceled a planned signing ceremony, the Associated Press reported. The breakdown in talks came shortly after the two leaders appeared to work toward normalizing relations between their countries, according to the AP. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump and Kim had constructive meetings on ways to advance denuclearization and economic driven concepts," but did not reach an agreement. Their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future," she added. SPRINGFIELD Jason Venne, a former member of the 104th Fighter Wing, on Wednesday admitted putting a camera in the womens locker room at Barnes Air National Guard base in Westfield and taking explicit photos. His actions took place on various dates between 2011 and 2013 when Venne was working as a mechanic at the base, Assistant District Attorney Eileen Sears said. Venne, 37, of Chicopee, pleaded guilty to six counts of photographing an unsuspecting person in the nude and seven counts of unlawful wiretap. Seven other counts were dropped as part of the plea negotiations. Hampden Superior Court Judge Daniel A. Ford sentenced Venne to two to three years in state prison plus three years probation. At the request of defense lawyer Bernard T. OConnor Jr., Ford said he would recommend Venne serve his sentence at the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow. Judges can make that recommendation to the state Department of Corrections, but there is no guarantee the department will follow the request. Sears did not object to the recommendation. Venne has 445 days credit on his sentence for days spent in jail awaiting trial. Some of the photos were taken at the base, where Venne was a technical sergeant, and others were taken in a bathroom at the home Venne shared with his wife and children, Sears said. Sears said in November of 2017 the Chicopee Police Department was contacted by Vennes wife at the time, who is divorcing him now. She said she discovered images on his phone of her getting into the shower at their home. She also found explicit photos and videos on a laptop of people he worked with, some of whom had visited their home. Chicopee and state police got warrants and found more images from Vennes home and from the base and identified the people in the photos. When contacted, each person said they had no idea they were being photographed and gave no permission for it. The camera in Vennes home was hidden in a bathroom tissue container, Sears said. The camera in the locker room at the base was disguised in something that would be found in a locker room, she said. Sears asked for the two- to three-year state prison sentence and five years probation. They had no idea that this was happening, Sears said of the victims. She read victim impact statements from four women, two of whom are currently deployed. All said Vennes actions affected their day-to-day life and they expect that will continue. They said they thought Venne was a friend. Some of the women said they fear using bathrooms outside their homes, wondering if there are hidden cameras. Words used by the women were humiliated, angry and shamed. One said she was afraid she was being viewed as a victim of Venne first and as a skilled worker at the base second. Im happy that he was caught, said one of the women who is deployed. She said she was sorry she could not be in the courtroom to look Venne in the eye so he can see how much he hurt me. Another woman said she always thought being in the military created a special bond, but Venne violated that. One woman said, I cannot be sure what Jason did with that footage. Sears said there was no indication Venne sold or shared the photos and videos. OConnor said Venne only looked at them himself and did not share them. Vennes estranged wife gave a victim impact statement saying her instincts told her to look at her husbands phone that day in November 2017. She said people have treated her and her children badly, thinking she was complicit even though she was the one who turned him in. She said she believes he has an addiction. Venne always treated his children well and continues to support his family in whatever way he can, she said. OConnor said Venne realizes his conduct was reprehensible and is sorry. Venne stopped the behavior in 2013, coinciding with the birth of his child, his lawyer said. OConnor asked that Venne be sentenced to the time he has already served plus a years probation. He said a doctor he consulted in the case said Venne had a sexual or voyeuristic disorder, but was at low risk to reoffend. Because of his actions Venne has lost his wife, his job, and was dishonorably discharged from the service, OConnor said. Venne served his country for 15 years, his lawyer said. Ford said to OConnor, One thing I agree with you on is the conduct is reprehensible. More than 120 years ago, cyclist Marshall Walter Major Taylor trained and competed on the streets of Worcester, going on to break seven world records and becoming the second black world champion athlete in history. Today, a statue, street name and parking garage are among the memorials honoring the famed cyclist in Worcester. On Thursday, the city announced another addition to that list a public museum dedicated to Major Taylors life and legacy that will be built inside the former Worcester County Courthouse. Worcester is awfully proud of our connection to Major Taylor, City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. said during the announcement. Were so excited about this museum that honors him, and its a further opportunity to tell the story of the African-American community here in Worcester. The 175-year-old courthouse is being transformed into 117 apartments, with construction expected to begin in March. The museum will be located in the former Registry of Probate space and will be open to the public. Major Taylors great-granddaughter, Karen Brown Donovan, flew in from Hawaii for the announcement. She recalled how her grandparents often spoke fondly of their life in Worcester. Today, Im very proud to walk where they once did, she said, adding the exhibit hall will have lasting historic and educational value. Patrick Lee, principal of developer Trinity Financial, said when he was first discussing the $55 million courthouse project with Augustus, the city manager said the development should include some type of public component. That led to Mayor Taylor, Lee said. It was an easy step to see we wanted to build on the great legacy he has here. In addition to the exhibit hall, Augustus said a kiosk will be installed on nearby George Street, the steep, two-block area where Mayor Taylor trained. Today, the street is home to the annual George Street Bike Challenge, during which cyclists race against the clock to ride up the 500-foot, 18 percent grade incline. (CNN) Twenty people were killed and 40 others injured Wednesday morning in a fire at Egypt's busiest railway station, the country's health ministry said, according to state TV. The Ramses station in central Cairo was set ablaze after a train collided with the platform and its fuel tank exploded, state-run news site Al-Ahram reported, citing security sources. "People were screaming, and there were calls on the station's microphone for people to evacuate," eyewitness Ahmed Ibrahim told CNN, saying he rescued an injured girl. "They told us not to approach the dead. Their bodies were in a pile on the other side." Another eyewitness, Sami Rafaat, told CNN: "I saw the train speeding as if it were not entering the station but was in a race. Then there were bodies on the platform and on the tracks. They were completely burnt." Images posted on social media showed charred bodies at the busy station in the heart of the capital. Other online photos revealed a blackened platform and smoke billowing from the station. More than an hour after the collision, body parts were still scattered around a restroom near the site of the collision, and marks left by charred bodies stained the platform. Egypt has a history of deadly train accidents. The country's most lethal rail accident occurred in 2002 when a fire on a passenger train killed more than 320 people. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Cairo railway station fire kills 20 after train's fuel tank explodes." Intel has developed a suite of AI technologies and has been collaborating with numerous medtech providers to create new healthcare solutions based on data-driven strategies. AI has come on in leaps and bounds, and is beginning to make an impact in various healthcare fields. Intel aims to be at the forefront of this AI revolution. For instance, Intel has collaborated with Novartis to perform high content drug screening. The company uses Intel neural network technology to analyze thousands of images of cells to identify promising drug candidates. Previously, technicians analyzed these images manually, which was tedious and time consuming, so the new technology is very helpful. It is also much faster, reducing the screening process from 11 hours to just 31 minutes. AI systems are proving to be very adept at image analysis. In another application, Intel worked with an AI company called MaxQ AI to create AI technology that can analyze CT images of stroke and head trauma patients. At present, there is an enormous error rate in CT image analysis for intracranial hemorrhage, and about 30% of all diagnoses are incorrect. So far, MaxQ has tested the technology in a preclinical trial, and demonstrated an impressive 97% sensitivity and 90% specificity. In another application, Intel helped AccuHealth, a chronic care management company based in Chile, to develop an AI monitoring system. Data from biometric sensors that patients wear at home are collected and analyzed by the AI software. The system can anticipate health problems that could lead to an emergency room visit. Since the company has begun using the system in Chile, it has reported that emergency room visits have decreased by 42% in monitored patients while reducing costs to insurers by up to 50% per patient. See a video about Intel AI in a hospital context which describes another example of how the company helped Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx predict who was at risk for respiratory failure, and prevent it from happening, below: Medgadget had the opportunity to ask Chris Gough, GM of Health and Life Sciences Group at Intel some questions about Intels AI technology. Conn Hastings, Medgadget: Intel is best known for its computer chips. How and when did the company get involved in AI and healthcare? Chris Gough, Intel: Intels work in healthcare is not new and has been an important focus for decades. Our technologies are widely used throughout the industry to help unlock new possibilities with a comprehensive stack of products designed for AI. These products get deployed across the data center and the cloud through to the network and within embedded systems at the edge. We feel that AI will find patterns in data that the human eye just cant see, finally enabling the healthcare industry to drive insights from the massive amount of data that largely goes unused today. It is transformational and is already helping the industry address their biggest challenges, and Intel is at the forefront of technology innovation that is making this happen. Medgadget: Please give us an overview of the various healthcare applications in which Intel AI has been applied. Chris Gough: AI is already delivering measurable results for clinical, operational and financial use cases. Weve also seen a lot of focus on using AI to drastically improve drug discovery, medical imaging and risk stratification as three examples. Medgadget: How has AI helped in these contexts? Chris Gough: On the clinical side, GE Healthcares 510(k) FDA pending Critical Care Suite will help radiologists cut through the clutter to find the truly urgent cases that if not read immediately could negatively impact patient care. Today x-ray exams are 60% of all images performed and the majority are routed as STAT even though we know its impossible for radiologists to prioritize everything as urgent. Pneumothorax is one of those high priority cases when air leaks into the space between the lung and chest wall pushing on the outside of the lung and making it collapse. Patients who present with symptoms associated with this condition receive a chest X-Ray, which can take anywhere between two to eight hours to read, and that delay can be fatal for somebody battling this. New algorithms will identify this potentially life-threatening condition with high accuracy within seconds at the point of care. On the operational side, a great example is our work with Sharp HealthCare, who established specialized rapid response teams (RRT) that respond to medical emergencies in the hospital. As time permits, these teams may manually review charts to spot a potential crisis. Sharp wanted to see if predictive analytics techniques, including artificial intelligence methods such as machine learning, could automate that analysis and help the hospital deliver more proactive, efficient interventions. When Sharp tested the model against historical data, the model was 80 percent accurate in predicting the likelihood of an RRT event within an hour, demonstrating the potential to drive real-time clinical interventions, improve outcomes, and enhance resource utilization which is an operational efficiency goal of theirs. Finally on the financial side, we helped Chilean-based chronic care management company AccuHealth use predictive AI to identify warning signals captured from biometric sensors worn by chronic care patients. This way, AccuHealth could catch health problems before patients have to rush to emergency rooms. According to AccuHealth, the companys services in Chile have decreased emergency room visits by 42% while saving six of the largest insurers an average of 50% per patient. Medgadget: What has been your experience in using AI to predict serious illnesses, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome or sepsis? Has the Intel AI system met with success in this sphere? Chris Gough: Absolutely. Montefiores PALM platform (Patient-centered Analytics Learning Machine) which is powered by Intel technology is a great example and is proving itself out in the Intensive Care Unit helping doctors save lives. PALM flags patients headed toward respiratory failure. We know that there are medical breakthroughs that remain elusive because those insights are trapped within data silos. These disparate databases with different nomenclatures or other structural incompatibilities prevent them from being pulled together. PALM doesnt care if the data are in traditional databases or in newer unstructured data stores that might contain voice, images and sensor inputs. PALM is able to do this through a semantic data lake architecture that combines Montefiores multiple stores of medical data with various ontological databases that define over 2.5 million terms and their relationships to one another. Additionally, PALM integrates an Analytic Tapestry that detects and connects algorithms doing similar work (for example, reducing hospital readmissions) in order to improve algorithm performance. Finally, PALM is ready for what may come next it can quickly and easily integrate new data and ontologies, including information like voice, images, and sensor inputs from internet-of-things (IoT) devices. PALM will help Montefiore predict and prevent a variety of costly life-threatening conditions, ranging from sepsis to heart failure, to improving operations by predicting appointment no-shows, or to guiding walk-in traffic to urgent care clinics and emergency rooms with better availability. Medgadget: Do you think that much of the data that is collected about patients are wasted unless analyzed using an AI system? Chris Gough: Yes. 80% of all healthcare data are unstructured data today (i.e. clinical notes, socio-economic data, X-Rays, etc.) and an even larger percentage of healthcare data goes unused. Its just too hard to wrangle it and make sense of it without AI. AI is the prescription the healthcare industry needs to start finding life-saving patterns in these data. Medgadget: What are your future plans for this technology? Do you envisage that AI will drastically change the way patients are cared for? Chris Gough: We envision a future era of precision health where the healthcare industry can become significantly more proactive vs. reactive. In the future, the healthcare organizations that use AI and leverage their data sets to predict, preempt and prevent problems before they become acute will have a significant advantage over their technology lagging competitors. AI will enable leaders in the industry to provide the right intervention to the right patient at the right time. Were excited to be accelerating this transition to lower costs, improved access, and better outcomes in the health and life sciences sector. Link: Intel AI in Healthcare Assisted Reproductive Technology Market Overview Market Research Future (MRFR) has announced a new release on the global assisted reproductive technology market. The report takes a close look at the historical and present trends in the global assisted reproductive technology market and provides readers with an accurate picture of the probable growth trajectory of the market over the forecast period. The segmentation and competitive landscape of the global assisted reproductive technology market are also assessed in the report to help readers understand the granular structure of the market. According to the report, the global assisted reproductive technologies market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of around 10% over the forecast period. Assisted reproductive technology includes fertility medication, in vitro fertilization, and other processes used to counter infertility in women and men and bring about fertilization. Causes of infertility among women may range from ovulation disorders and uterine or cervical abnormalities to cancer and endometriosis. GET EXCLUSIVE SAMPLE REPORT @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/6359 Lifestyle factors such as excessive smoking and obesity also play a part in the causation of infertility. The rising prevalence of infertility conditions around the world is set to be the prime driver for the assisted reproductive technology market, as the prevalence of the lifestyle factors contributing to infertility has risen spectacularly over the last few decades. On the other hand, the risks of assisted reproductive technology and the relatively low chances of success are likely to count against the assisted reproductive technology market over the forecast period. Assisted reproductive treatments are highly expensive, eliminating a large share of the population from availing them, particularly in developing countries. They also carry a risk of premature births and low birth weight in the newborns. The underlying factors responsible for the infertility may also have an effect on the assisted pregnancy, leading to birth defects in the child. Such factors are likely to hold back the assisted reproductive technology market over the forecast period. Competitive Analysis Leading players in the global assisted reproductive technology market include Cosmos Biomedical Limited, Bloom IVF Centre, Parallabs, Anecova, Microm Ltd., Cooper Surgical Inc., European Sperm Bank, Hamilton Throne Ltd., Irvine Scientific, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Merck KGaA, Origio, OvaScience, Cryolab Ltd., and California Cryobank. Assisted Reproductive Technology Market Segmentation The global assisted reproductive technology market is segmented by diagnosis, type, end user, and region. By diagnosis, the global assisted reproductive technology market is segmented into ovulation testing and hysterosalpingography. By type, the assisted reproductive technology market is segmented into ovulation induction, artificial insemination, and surrogacy. By end use, the assisted reproductive technology market is segmented into hospitals & clinics and IVF centers. Detailed Regional Analysis On the basis of region, the global assisted reproductive technology market is segmented into the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. Europe is expected to remain the leading contributor to the global assisted reproductive technology market over the forecast period due to the relative economic freedom of new mothers in the region, which means they can avail a number of assisted reproductive technologies with ease. The increasing research and innovation in assisted reproductive technologies in Europe is also likely to be a major driver for the assisted reproductive technology market in Europe over the forecast period. The increasing access to infertility treatments in this region is likely to be a major driver for the assisted reproductive technology market in the region. North America is likely to follow Europe in the global assisted reproductive technology market due to the growing prevalence of infertility in the region. Lifestyle factors contributing to infertility, such as obesity, drinking, and smoking, are highly prevalent among North American men and women, especially in the U.S., leading to a steady growth in the rate of infertility. Obesity, in particular, is rampant among both men and women in North America, leading to a growing prevalence of infertility. This is likely to drive the assisted reproductive technology market in the Americas region over the forecast period. Asia Pacific is also likely to be a key contributor to the global assisted reproductive technology market over the forecast period due to the growing awareness about fertility treatments. It is expected to emerge as the fastest growing regional market for assisted reproductive technologies over the forecast period. BROWSE PREMIUM RESEARCH REPORT DETAILS @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/assisted-reproductive-technology-market-6359 Market Insight and Industry Trend Merck launches two new products QBOX IVF, and the new Geri Assess 2.0, to increase fertility opportunities for patients. With an intention to become the choicest treatment partner for IVF stakeholders and assisted reproductive treatment (ART) clinics, the company has been innovating and improvising their products for a better result. Merger, acquisition, collaboration, partnership, and other methods are some tactical moves that the companies employ to sustain and grow. This, as a consequence, also helps the market in its growth. For instance, California Cryobank and Cord Blood Registry have entered into a definitive agreement that will work as a new entity under California Cryobank Life Sciences platform to bring in the best of domestic and international opportunities for expansion and better the research & development sector of donor reproductive tissue and newborn stem cell industries. About Us: Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact Us: Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Europe Dental Software Market report offers a proficient picture of the segment by way of synthesis, study, and summary of information originated from several sources. The specialists have provided the different sides of the sector with a specific goal of classifying the major manipulators of the sector. Key Players for Europe Dental Software Market Market Research Future (MRFR) recognizes the following companies as the key players in Europe Dental Software Market: There are plenty of large and small market players which operate in this market all over the globe. Some of the key players in this market are: Carestream Health, Inc (US), Dentsply Sirona (US), Elite Computer Italia (OrisLine Group) (italy), Henry Schein, Inc (US), KaVo Dental GmbH (Germany), PLANMECA OY (Finland) To Get Sample Report visit https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3263 Europe Dental Software Market Overview The Europe Dental Software market is expected to witness high growth in the coming years. The demand for dental software is dignified by improving process quality, patient satisfaction and speeding up the process for the treatments provided by dental organizations, and dental institutes. The growing availability of electronic data offers practitioners increased opportunities for reusing clinical data for research and quality improvement. Considering the scenario of the Europe Dental Software market, the total market was US$ 488.6 million in 2016 and expected to reach US$ 861.0 million by 2023. In 2016, Germany accounted for the largest market in Europe Dental Software market. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2016, in Europe 5%20% of middle-aged (3544 years) adults and up to 40% of older people (6574 years) are suffering from severe periodontal disease. Thus, presence of large population suffering from dental problems and continuously growing aging population has boosted the growth of the market. Furthermore, Europe government is continuously encouraging the manufacturers for research & development. They have minimize the barriers for the entry in the market and thus become one of the most open market in the world. Segments for Europe Dental Software Market Europe Dental Software Market has been segmented on the basis of type which comprise Practice Management Software, Patient Communication Software, Treatment Planning Software, Patient Education Software, and Dental Imaging Software. Patient management segment was holding largest market share. On the basis of application, it is segmented into Clinical Application, Administrative. Clinical application segment is dominating The European dental software market by application. On the basis of deployment, it is segmented into On-Premise Model, and Web-Based/ Cloud-Based Model. On-premise model is leading in this segment. On the basis of End User it is segmented into Hospitals & Clinics, Academics & Research Institutes. Hospitals and clinics was holding largest market share in 2016. Europe Dental Software Market Competitive Analysis Key strategic approaches undertaken by the major players in the market are merger, acquisition, partnership, collaborations, new product launches. This strategies determine the growth of the companies, thus strengthening their position in the market. Other strategies are geographical expansion, help the key players to enhance their geographical presence, and serve customers across the globe. Dentsply Sirona Established in 1899 and headquartered in United States, Dentsply Sirona is one of the global leaders in manufacturing professional dental products and technologies, helping dental professionals to provide quality and efficient dental care. The products and solutions manufactured by the company embrace leading platforms and positions across consumables, technology, equipment, and specialty solutions. KaVo Dental GmbH: March, 2015: KaVo Dental GmbH successfully launched MASTERsurg surgical unit and the SURGmatic instruments into the market. KaVo MASTERsurg makes it real a customizable surgical unit which fulfils the dentists and dental surgeons individual requirements and the new INTRA LUX S600 LED, one of the lightest and smallest surgical motors in the world. This new product makes KaVo a main player in the dental surgery field. To Get Complete Access of Report visit https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/europe-dental-software-industry-3263 Regional Analysis for Europe Dental Software Market Considering the scenario of Europe Dental Software market, Germany was holding largest market share of 20.6% in 2016 and is expected to reach 165.9 million by 2023. France is second largest country in Europe Dental Software market. UK is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.6% during 2017-2023. On the other hand. Eastern Europe Dental Software market is growing significantly and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% during the forecast period. About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact Us: Market Research Future Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Herbal supplements and remedies, sometimes called botanicals, have many active constituents, which are natural way of providing support for overall health and well-being. Also they can have drug-like effects.Echinacea is used to prevent cold. Ginkgo is used to improve memory. Flaxseed is used to lower cholesterol level. The list of herbal supplements and remedies goes on and on. Herbal supplements and remedies including health care products and finished herbal products which extracted from herbs. Herbal supplements and remedies are sold in many different forms dried leaves for teas, powdered, as capsules or tablets, or in solution. Herbal supplements and remedies are mainly extracted from plants, which have many active constituents, and are natural way of providing support for overall health and well-being. Also they can have drug-like effects. In China, herbal has been used as medicine to cure people since thousands years ago and they are good at curing chronic disease in comparison with the western medicine. Especially in recent years, resistance to drugs, toxic and side effects and other weaknesses of western medicine are more and more obvious, however herbal can solve these problems very well. But in Europe and North America, especially in USA, herbal is not allowed to be sold as medicine but as health care products. However, it is researched that one in five people eat herbal supplements and remedies in past five years in USA. Consequently, the market of herbal supplements and remedies is promising and will have fast development in the following years. According to this study, over the next five years the Herbal Supplements and Remedies market will register a 4.7% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach US$ 8780 million by 2024, from US$ 6670 million in 2019. In particular, this report presents the global market share (sales and revenue) of key companies in Herbal Supplements and Remedies business, shared in Chapter 3. Request a sample of this report@ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/2657858?utm_source=Mohit This study considers the Herbal Supplements and Remedies value and volume generated from the sales of the following segments: Segmentation by product type: breakdown data from 2014 to 2019, in Section 2.3; and forecast to 2024 in section 11.7. Mono Herb Type Multi Herb Type Segmentation by application: breakdown data from 2014 to 2019, in Section 2.4; and forecast to 2024 in section 11.8. Pharmaceutical Industry Health Care Industry Others Browse the complete report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/reports/index/global-herbal-supplements-and-remedies-market-growth-2019-2024?utm_source=Mohit The report also presents the market competition landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the major vendor/manufacturers in the market. The key manufacturers covered in this report: Breakdown data in in Chapter 3. 3M Littmann SUZUKEN Welch Allyn Yuwell Omron American Diagnostics Rudolf Riester Thinklabs GF Health Folee MDF Instruments Cardionics EmsiG HD Medical This report also splits the market by region: Breakdown data in Chapter 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Americas United States Canada Mexico Brazil APAC China Japan Korea Southeast Asia India Australia Europe Germany France UK Italy Russia Spain Middle East & Africa Egypt South Africa Israel Turkey GCC Countries Some Points from TOC: 1 Scope of the Report 2 Executive Summary 3 Global Herbal Supplements and Remedies by Players 4 Herbal Supplements and Remedies by Regions 5 Americas 9 Market Drivers, Challenges and Trends 10 Marketing, Distributors and Customer 11 Key Players Analysis .Continued If you have any Enquiry@ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/2657858?utm_source=Mohit About Us: Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients. Contact Us: Hector Costello Senior Manager Client Engagements 4144N Central Expressway, Suite 600, Dallas, Texas 75204, U.S.A. Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +912064101019 Email ID: sales@orbisresearch.com Verily, the life sciences research arm of Alphabet, and Google, the original part of the now giant company, are launching in India a screening program to identify people with diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME). The program relies on an automated machine learning algorithm, developed over the past few years by Verily and that just receive the European CE mark, that doesnt require an ophthalmologist to interpret the results. As a matter of fact, according to the company, the algorithm is at least as good as general ophthalmologists and retinal specialists at diagnosing DR and DME. The new screening program is being initiated at the Aravind Eye Hospital in Madurai, India. It is hoped that this development will allow Verily and Google to verify that their offering can be used effectively and consistently to perform screenings on large groups of people, hopefully leading to more people being able to take advantage of it. Previously from Google AI Blog: Deep Learning for Detection of Diabetic Eye Disease Via: Verily Alphatec, out of Carsbad, California, won FDA clearance for the SafeOp automated neuromonitoring system for use in real-time intraoperative nerve location and assessment. The system relies on somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) and and electromyography (EMG) as the two complementary modalities, one for evaluating the functionality of nerves and the other their location and conductivity. Physicians can use the technology to identify and prevent injuries to the nerves and to monitor nerve activity during surgery, particularly on the spine. Neuromonitoring technology is critical for a safe and reproducible lateral surgery, said Luiz Pimenta, MD, PhD, Alphatecs Chief Medical Officer. The SafeOp system has not only improved the EMG capability to find nerves, but now surgeons will be able to monitor the health of nerves in the lumbar plexus throughout the entire procedure. This technology will provide more surgeons with the confidence to perform lateral surgeries and will improve patient care. The SafeOp system is slated to be released in the United States in the coming months. Of note, Alphatec purchased SafeOp, the company, about a year ago. Some features of the SafeOp system, according to Alphatec: An EMG algorithm that provides high-speed, validated response feedback unlike other solutions on the market that are more susceptible to electrical noise in the operating room A SSEP processing that incorporates unique signal-to-noise ratio technology and rapid processing, allowing SafeOp to reproducibly monitor small nerves every 3 seconds, while other systems on the market have up to 5 minutes of latency A solution that is uniquely equipped to address the L4/L5 spinal level in minimally invasive lateral surgical procedures, the level most difficult to safely access but most commonly treated Technology that is designed to integrate into ATECs broader suite of solutions for unprecedented predictability and improved spine outcomes Product page: SafeOp neuromonitoring solution Via: Alphatec by Sara Guaglione , February 27, 2019 The content monetization platform Piano has introduced a new service for content providers. It uses artificial intelligence to offer personalized content recommendations in newsletters and email, helping to drive publishers' business. Called Piano ESP, the tool uses machine learning to analyze user behavior across multiple devices and services, such as email, mobile and desktop, to determine what articles a user would likely read. In beta, Piano ESP works by looking at a users content streams to gauge their interests. For example, it could find that a user prefers to check work email and reads political news from Bloomberg on mobile during a morning commute. Piano ESP would track these trends to automatically curate and email out political news from Bloomberg to the users phone at 8 a.m. "Our ultimate goal is to create value for our clients by getting the right content in front of the right people at the right time, driving subscriptions and shedding light on users' journey," stated Trevor Kaufman, Piano CEO. "Our objective is to provide a clear, all-in-one interface that delivers messages, manages effectiveness, tracks impact and generates revenue." advertisement advertisement Piano believes this can drive business for content providers and publishers. Results in beta showed a 50% increase in revenue, according to the company. Average reported results include a 150% increase in open rate, a 120% increase in page views and 80% longer visit durations. Piano ESP has been in beta since the company acquired content marketing cloud Newzmate in November. Since then, the company has seen strong customer growth and revenue around the product. Piano announced last month it raised $22 million in a Series B funding round, led by Updata Partners. Piano offers a suite of tools for content providers, such as Piano VX, a subscription commerce engine; Piano Composer, a customer experience toolkit; and Piano ID, a user-management system. Piano powers over 200,000 digital media subscriptions. Its clients include 1,300+ media brands, including Business Insider, Bloomberg, Oath, Gatehouse Media, The Economist, Hearst, Bonnier and Conde Nast. by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, February 28, 2019 The courage of journalists has come into sharp focus this week with the detentions of TV news people in Venezuela. The incidents remind us once again that the contribution that such people make to our world is incalculable. Univision anchor Jorge Ramos had the guts to ask the Venezuelan dictator, Nicolas Maduro, some blunt questions. By Ramos estimation, the interview Monday evening in Caracas lasted 17 minutes before Maduro abruptly ended it. Ramos and at least one other Univision colleague, producer Maria Martinez, were then detained in a room for two hours. During this time, Ramos and Martinez had cause to wonder if they would be killed. They were eventually released and kicked out of Venezuela after they were searched and their equipment confiscated -- cameras, iPads and cell phones. These items were not returned. Therefore, they were stolen. Ramos is one of the best-known and best-respected newsmen in all of television in any language. After his release, he wasted no time seeking ways to spread his personal story in as many media, and to as wide an audience, as possible. As an unbiased journalist interested only in the truth, he chose these media without regard to their own political leanings. On CNN, he was interviewed by Anderson Cooper. On Fox News, he went on the Sean Hannity show. On Wednesday morning, The New York Times published Ramos first-person account of what happened on its op-ed page. The headline: Jorge Ramos: The Dictator of Venezuela Earns His Title. According to Ramos, the interview went south from the start when the anchorman asked the strong man if he should address him as presidente or dictador. The interview ended 17 minutes later when Ramos showed Maduro video footage Ramos and his crew had captured the day before of young men eating food out of the back of a garbage truck. Ramos had already asked Maduro to comment on his country's failed economy, and on reports that his government imprisoned political dissidents and tortured them. He also asked him to comment on the widespread impression around the world that he stole the two elections he won to become president. Asking powerful people uncomfortable questions such as this is the very pinnacle of bravery. It is not easy to do, except for a very select group of top journalists who are committed to their craft, and also fearless. On Tuesday came word that a correspondent for Telemundo -- Daniel Garrido -- was taken into custody early in the morning at the hotel where he was staying in Caracas. He was spirited away from the hotel in a vehicle at 6 a.m. with a hood over his head, according to Telemundo. His equipment was confiscated and not returned. Like the theft of Ramos equipment, the aim seemed to be to prevent the footage and interviews that were recorded and stored on various pads, phones and other recording equipment from ever leaving Venezuela. Garrido happened to be covering the Ramos story for Telemundo, which is Univisions chief competitor. According to Telemundo, Garrido was held and questioned for six hours before being released. Moreover, Telemundo said, the men who abducted him never identified who they were. Nor did they ever tell him why he had been abducted. These are stories of great courage that remind us of the great risks scores of journalists take to report on stories in places that are hot spots around the world. The journalists who go to these extreme efforts to find the truth do a great service to the rest of us in this endeavor. In addition, they serve as great examples for other journalists and would-be journalists. Their work goes against a consensus that seems to be growing today that the practice of real journalism is dead or dying. This is apparently not the case. by Ray Schultz , February 27, 2019 B2B marketers should take pause over a new survey showing that 66% of all technology leaders believe they could live with a ban on after-work at their companies. However, only 41% of office workers believe their managers would follow that rule, and 46% say they couldnt resist checking their emails in their off hours, according to a study by Robert Half Technology. The study also found that workers in San Diego, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles would be most likely to check their emails after work. In contrast, IT leaders in Charlotte, Los Angeles and Miami were most likely to feel they could resist the urge. As for managers, those in large companies with 1,000 or more employees are least likely to adhere to an alter-hours ban. Those at small firms are more likely. Workers in Philadelphia, Seattle, St. Louis and Houston say their managers wouldn't honor a ban. Many B2B prospects open their emails in the evening, studies have shown. Its not clear whether the same numbers would do so with company bans, but there probably would be at least a small, chilling effect on response. advertisement advertisement The issue takes on a new urgency as some countries pass right-to-disconnect legislation, and U.S. jurisdictions look into it. "Whether it's a self-inflicted attachment to work or feeling pressure to provide immediate responses to leaders, time away from our jobs is not only healthy, but necessary to do our best work," states Ryan Sutton, district president for Robert Half Technology. Sutton adds, "With or without legislation, managers should be respectful of their employees' personal time, as well as their own, to avoid burnout." Robert Half Technology surveyed 2,800 workers and over 2,800 decision makers in 28 major U.S. markets. by Sara Guaglione , February 28, 2019 Dennis Publishing, publisher of The Week, has acquired Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc., which owns finance publications like the monthly Kiplingers Personal Finance. It is the first acquisition made by Dennis in the U.S. since it was acquired by UK-based private-equity firm Exponent in October 2018. We see a significant opportunity to continue to grow our business through expanding our reach and reputation globally, stated Jack Griffin, Dennis chairman. The Kiplinger acquisition marks the beginning of our focus on expansion through launch and acquisition in the U.S. Dennis owns over 30 brands in the U.S. and U.K., reaching over 50 million unique users and selling more than 2.5 million magazines every month, according to the company. The Week, a news magazine based in New York, has more than 550,000 print subscribers and 5.8 million monthly unique users to its website. advertisement advertisement Buying Kiplinger expands our presence into the finance category, an area we already have an impressive footprint in with the The Week and MoneyWeek, stated James Tye, Group CEO, Dennis. It is also a business with strong, recurring, subscription revenues. Kiplinger publishes Kiplinger Letter, Kiplinger Tax Letter, Kiplingers Retirement Report and Kiplingers Investing for Income. Kiplingers Personal Finance has a 600,000 circulation, and Kiplinger.com has 4 million unique visitors and over 30 million monthly page views, according to the company. Founded in 1920 in Washington, D.C., Kiplinger has been run by three generations of the Kiplinger family. Denise Elliott, senior vice president-COO, Kiplinger, will now become Kiplingers CEO and part of the Dennis leadership team. Knight Kiplinger will remain chairman of Kiplingers former parent, Outlook, Inc., as well as serve as editor emeritus and advise on editorial. Outlooks real estate holdings in Maryland and Florida will continue to be owned and managed by the Kiplinger family. Separately, Bauer Media Group has acquired CrediMarket, a Spanish ecommerce platform for financial products. This acquisition is Bauers first move into the Spanish OCP (Online Comparison Platform) market. Bauer Media Group owns OCPs in Finland, Norway and Sweden (Zmarta), the Czech Republic, Slovakia (NetBrokers Holding) and Poland (Rankomat). Our goal is to further strengthen our position and ultimately become a market leader wherever we operate. The acquisition of CrediMarket is an excellent opportunity to expand our footprint, stated Bjorn Lander, global business area head for OCP at Bauer Media Group. Last year, the U.S. arm of the German-based Bauer Media Group sold its 13 celebrity and teen titles to American Media Inc. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, February 28, 2019 A karate school owner who advertises on Google wants a federal appellate court to allow him to proceed with a class-action complaint accusing the company of mishandling paid search campaigns. Mark Trudeau, an Oakland County, Michigan resident who co-owns Troy Martial Arts, alleged in a lawsuit filed in February of 2018 that Google displayed pay-per-click ads for his karate studio when users typed queries containing negative keywords -- meaning terms that were supposed to prevent ads from appearing. Last year, U.S. District Court Judge Beth Labson Freeman in San Jose, California granted Google's motion to send the matter to arbitration. Freeman ruled that Google's contract with search advertisers required arbitration of all disputes. Trudeau is now asking the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse that ruling and reinstate the case. He argues that Google didn't add an arbitration clause to its advertiser contract until September of 2017 -- after the company allegedly mishandled his search campaign. advertisement advertisement He contends that Google's arbitration provision doesn't apply to activity that occurred before September 2017. Google did not have the right to add an arbitration clause that would apply retroactively to already-accrued claims, he argues in papers filed this week with the 9th Circuit. He adds that before September of 2017, Google had promised to avoid retroactive changes to its terms of service. The very notion that Google can unilaterally and retroactively eliminate a term promising no retroactivity would run afoul of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, he argues. Trudeau alleged that he began advertising with Google in 2012, and agreed to pay between 50 cents and $5 per click. He also said he attempted to use negative keywords to block ads from being displayed when people's search queries suggested they lived far from Oakland County. For instance, he said, he wanted to block ads from being displayed to people who used the word Southfield in their queries, because he didn't believe people in Southfield would travel to Troy for martial arts training. Despite his attempts to block those ads, Google sometimes served ads when the queries contained negative keywords like Southfield, he alleged. For example, he alleged, if search users misspelled Southfield as Douthfield, Google sometimes showed ads for his studio in Troy. The order compelling arbitration should be reversed, and Google should be held to account for the tens of millions of dollars that it over-billed its contractual counterparties, he says in his newest court papers. GroupM's MediaCom and independent Horizon Media were the winningest new biz media shops in the U.S. in 2018, according to estimates from Comvergence's just-released New Business Barometer, 2018. While MediaCom dominates in total new business, Horizon had better net new business results after factoring for losses and retentions. Among the by Ray Schultz , February 28, 2019 Email sextortion scams are the fastest-growing phishing threat, judging by a study released on Thursday by Barracuda. Employees are twice as likely to be targeted by sextortion emails than BEC attacks, the study reports. Sextortion threats now make up 11% of all spear phishing attacks, and BECs constitute 6%. Overall, 83% are brand impersonation attacks. In the sextortion scams, the bad actors typically use harvested email addresses to reach people and threaten them the release of compromising videos that they claim to have accessed on the victims computers. Few people report these scams out of embarrassment. However, the attackers have no such videos. Most of these emails are sent as part of larger spam campaigns, so few get through spam filters, but the fraud artists are continually evolving their email-fraud techniques, including using social-engineering tactics to bypass traditional email-security gateways, Barracuda notes. advertisement advertisement These include social engineering tactics that help them bypass traditional email security gateways, the company says. In addition, some personalize the messages, making it easer to get through. Few contain malware. The subject lines do not usually mention sex videos, however the top ones are Security Alert (54%), Change Password and Other (12%). But some take on a threatening tone, such as: You are my victim Better listen to me You dont have much time You can avoid problems This is my lastwarning name@emailaddress.com. The education field is most likely to be targeted by sextortion emails it receives 54% of the attacks followed by government (14%) and the business services sector (11%). The overwhelming focus on education is a calculated move by attackers, the study states. It continues: Educational organizations usually have a lot of users, some with a very diverse and young user base that may be less informed about security awareness and that may be less aware of where to seek help and advice. The study ads that, Given their lack of training and experience with the nature of these types of threats, students and young people can be more likely to fall victim in these attack scenarios. To fight such attacks, Barracuda recommends AI-based protection and security-awareness training. Eye discharge is common in newborns and is commonly due to a blocked tear duct. A person can often treat an infant with a blocked tear duct at home. However, discharge that occurs alongside other symptoms in the eye area, such as redness, swelling, or tenderness, may be a sign of an infection or another eye problem. A newborn with these symptoms will need to see a doctor. In this article, we discuss whether eye discharge is normal and explain how to treat it at home. We also cover medical treatment, other causes, complications, and when to see a doctor. Is it normal? Share on Pinterest Eye discharge is a common occurrence in newborns and young babies. Eye discharge in newborns is common and rarely a cause for concern. A common cause of eye discharge is a blocked tear duct. Doctors sometimes refer to this condition as dacryostenosis or nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Tears form in the lacrimal gland, which sits just above the eye. Tear fluid helps clean and lubricate the surface of the eye. The tear duct, or nasolacrimal duct, is a small channel that sits in the corner of the eye near the nose. When a person blinks, the eyelids sweep the tear fluid into these ducts, which drain it into the nose. If the tear duct becomes blocked, tear fluid may no longer be able to drain away from the surface of the eye. Blockages can cause very watery eyes, and sticky discharge may form in the corners. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, almost 20 percent of newborns have a blocked tear duct. This condition can occur because the end of the tear duct does not open properly when the baby is born. A blocked tear duct can affect one or both of the infants eyes. Home treatment If the eye discharge is due to a blocked tear duct, it will usually resolve without treatment within 4 to 6 months. A parent or caregiver can often treat a newborn with a blocked tear duct at home. Before touching the area close to the childs eyes, it is essential to wash the hands with soap and warm water to prevent infections. Take care to rinse the hands thoroughly after cleaning them to avoid getting soap in the babys eye. To clear away discharge, dip a clean piece of gauze or soft cloth in some lukewarm water then gently wipe the corner of the eye. If a blocked tear duct affects both eyes, always use a new area of the cloth or gauze to clean the other eye. Wind, cold weather, and strong sunlight can all make symptoms worse, so it may help to protect a newborns eyes from these elements. A doctor may also recommend gently massaging the blocked tear duct to help it open, and they will demonstrate how to do this safely. To massage the tear duct: Lightly press the tip of the index finger against the inside bridge of the newborns nose, on the side of the blocked tear duct. Make 2 or 3 short downward strokes with the finger along the side of the nose. These should be gentle but firm. Perform the massage twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. If the side of the newborns nose becomes red or swollen, stop the massage immediately and contact a doctor. Medical treatment Share on Pinterest A doctor may use anesthetic eye drops before treating chronically blocked tear ducts. In newborns, blocked tear ducts tend to open up on their own within several months of the birth. However, if the blockage has not resolved by 1 year of age, a doctor may recommend a medical treatment called a nasolacrimal duct probing. This procedure involves inserting a small probe into the infants tear duct. By using probes that gradually increase in size, a doctor will be able to open up the tear duct. They will then use a saline solution to flush out any remaining debris. Sometimes, the doctor may also insert a small tube, or stent, into the duct to keep it open. Before carrying out this procedure, the doctor may give the infant anesthetic eye drops or place them under a light general anesthetic. Doing this will prevent the toddler from feeling any pain or distress. Probing is usually successful in opening the tear duct. For children with a severe blockage, a doctor may recommend a more complicated surgical procedure called a dacryocystorhinostomy to clear out and open the tear duct. Other causes Eye discharge in newborns can also be a sign of conjunctivitis, or pinkeye. Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is a thin membrane that protects the front of the eye. Unlike a blocked tear duct, conjunctivitis often causes the white part of the eye to become red. Symptoms of conjunctivitis in newborns can include : drainage or discharge that develops between 1 and 14 days after birth puffy, red, or tender eyelids red, irritated eyes Conjunctivitis in newborns can sometimes occur alongside a blocked tear duct. However, a pregnant woman can also pass on a bacterial or viral infection to the baby when giving birth, which can lead to conjunctivitis. If conjunctivitis is due to an infection, it can be serious, and the newborn will need to see a doctor straight away. If an infection is causing the eye discharge, a doctor may prescribe topical, oral, or intravenous antibiotics. Applying a warm cloth to the infected eye can help soothe irritation and reduce swelling. Chemical irritation can also cause conjunctivitis in newborns. Healthcare professionals often give antibacterial eye drops to newborns to prevent infections. These eye drops can sometimes cause irritation that can result in symptoms of conjunctivitis. Complications Blocked tear ducts can sometimes lead to an infection called dacryocystitis. Symptoms of dacryocystitis may include: excessive thick discharge from the eye redness in the corner of the eye a tender bump or swelling at the side of the nose fever If a newborn has any of these symptoms, a parent or caregiver should take them to see a doctor. When to see a doctor Share on Pinterest A person should see a pediatrician if a childs tear ducts do not clear after several months. Newborns with eye discharge or very watery eyes should see a pediatrician or an eye doctor who specializes in children, called a pediatric ophthalmologist. These healthcare professionals can diagnose the cause of the discharge and check for signs of infection. It is also important to seek medical advice for an infant if their tear duct remains blocked after 6 to 8 months. Newborns with signs of an eye infection should see a doctor immediately. Signs of an eye infection can include: red, sore, or puffy eyes swollen eyelids yellow or green pus or discharge a bump or swelling on the inside corner of the eye Engineers design plants using genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, to be tougher, more nutritious, or taste better. However, people have concerns over their safety, and there is much debate about the pros and cons of using GMOs. A manufacturer creates GMOs by introducing genetic material, or DNA, from a different organism through a process called genetic engineering. Most currently available GMO foods are plants, such as fruit and vegetables. All foods from genetically engineered plants on sale in the United States are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They must meet the same safety requirements as traditional foods. There is some controversy over the benefits and risks of GMO foods. In this article, we discuss the pros and cons of GMO crops, taking into account their potential effects on human health and the environment. Pros Share on Pinterest kyonntra/Getty Images Manufacturers use genetic modification to give foods desirable traits. For example, they have designed two new varieties of apple that turn less brown when cut or bruised. The reasoning usually involves making crops more resistant to diseases as they grow. Manufacturers also engineer produce to be more nutritious or tolerant of herbicides. Crop protection is the main rationale behind this type of genetic modification. Plants that are more resistant to diseases spread by insects or viruses result in higher yields for farmers and a more attractive product. Genetically modification can also increase nutritional value or enhance flavor. All of these factors contribute to lower costs for the consumer. They can also ensure that more people have access to quality food. Cons Because genetically engineering foods is a relatively new practice, little is known about the long-term effects and safety. There are many purported downsides, but the evidence varies, and the main health issues associated with GMO foods are hotly debated. Research is ongoing. This section discusses the evidence for a range of drawbacks that people often associate with GMO foods. Allergic reactions Some people believe that GMO foods have more potential to trigger allergic reactions. This is because they may contain genes from an allergen a food that prompts an allergic reaction. The World Health Organization (WHO) discourage genetic engineers from using DNA from allergens unless they can prove that the gene itself does not cause the problem. It is worth noting that there have been no reports of allergic effects of any GMO foods currently on the market. Cancer Some researchers believe that eating GMO foods can contribute to the development of cancer. They argue that because the disease is caused by mutations in DNA, it is dangerous to introduce new genes into the body. The American Cancer Society (ACS) have said that there is no evidence for this. However, they note that no evidence of harm is not the same as proof of safety and that reaching a conclusion will require more research. Antibacterial resistance There is concern that genetic modification, which can boost a crops resistance to disease or make it more tolerant to herbicides, could affect the ability of people to defend against illness. There is a small chance that the genes in food can transfer to cells the body or bacteria in the gut. Some GMO plants contain genes that make them resistant to certain antibiotics. This resistance could pass on to humans. There is growing concern globally that people are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. There is a chance that GMO foods could be contributing to this crisis. The WHO have said that the risk of gene transfer is low. As a precaution, however, it has set guidelines for the manufacturers of GMO foods. Outcrossing Outcrossing refers to the risk of genes from certain GMO plants mixing with those of conventional crops. There have been reports of low levels of GMO crops approved as animal feed or for industrial use being found in food meant for human consumption. How to identify GMO foods Share on Pinterest Manufacturers should clearly label GMO food if it is materially different to its conventional counterpart. In the U.S., no regulations mandate that foods derived from GMOs are labeled. This is because these foods must meet the same safety standards that apply to all FDA-regulated products, and there should be no need for additional regulation. The FDA have determined that a GMO food should be labeled as such if it is materially different to its conventional counterpart. For example: a GMO canola oil with more lauric acid than traditional canola oil will be labeled laurate canola oil a GMO soybean oil with more oleic acid than non-GMO soybean oil must be labeled high-oleic soybean oil a GMO soybean oil with a high level of stearidonic acid, which does not naturally occur in the oil, must be labeled stearidonate soybean oil The new National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard will come into force on January 1, 2020. Under the new rules, all foods containing genetically engineered ingredients will be labeled as derived from bioengineering or bioengineered. How to find non-GMO food Until the new regulations come into effect, there is no clear way to know whether foods contain GMO ingredients. GMO foods have been available in the U.S. since the 1990s. The most common GMO crops grown in the country are cotton, corn, and soybeans. Herbicide-tolerant crops allow for a more effective use of pesticides. The U.S. Department of Agriculture have reported that 94 percent of soybean and 91 percent of cotton crops were genetically modified by 2014. Currently, up to 90 percent of domestic corn acres are made from herbicide-tolerant seeds. Seeds from genetically modified, insect-resistant crops account for 82 percent of all domestic corn planted and 85 percent of all cotton planted in the U.S. Potatoes, squash, apples, and papayas are also commonly modified. Most GMO crops become ingredients in other foods. These include: corn starch in soups and sauces corn syrup used as a sweetener corn, canola, and soybean oils in mayonnaise, dressings, and breads sugar derived from sugar beets New research in the journal Learning and Memory explores the impact of environmental cues on addiction. The findings could enhance the process of recovering from addiction. Share on Pinterest Walking down the same street a person used to smoke on can trigger memories that could make them want to light up. When we enter a restaurant, exposure to food cues such as seeing and smelling it can boost our appetite and make us crave it, even if we are already full. In addiction, such cues trigger reward pathways in the brain, which makes it very hard to resist cravings. These reward pathways involve the release of the hormone dopamine. This is also known as the sex, drugs, and rock n roll neurotransmitter because our brains release it during pleasurable activities. Dopamine, however, also plays a crucial role in learning and motivation. Older studies have shown that in the absence of dopamine, mice find it more difficult to learn and remember new things. So, what happens with learning and memory formation in addiction, during which the brain is used to getting overexcited in anticipation of receiving a drug? Scientists from the Department of Psychology and Collaborative Program in Neuroscience at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, set out to investigate. Prof. Francesco Leri is the last and corresponding author of the new study. AURORA, Colo. Feb. 28, 2019 Idaho Jan. 24 Boise Aurora, Colo. Ryan Shore Idaho Hubbard, Ore. Colorado Ronald E. Bush Idaho Idaho Idaho Dorothy Moon Stanley Caroline Nilsson Troy Genesee Idaho Ryan Shore /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Big Sky Scientific says it has been granted a hearing before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as it seeks the release of nearly 7,000 pounds of industrial hemp that was seized byauthorities during a routine safety inspection onnearThe Circuit Court appeal (Case No. 19-35138) was granted Thursday after a federal district judge on Tuesday declined to order the shipment released to its owner, Big Sky Scientific of"We are encouraged that our appeal will be heard on an expedited schedule," said, CEO of Big Sky Scientific. The company purchases hemp crops from farmers and sells it to processors who refine it into cannabidiol (CBD) and to manufacturers who make legal CBD products sold at pharmacies and major retailers across the U.S."We were disappointed that the district judge denied our request for a preliminary injunction, but we're hopeful the Circuit Court will order the release of our property," Shore said. "We are confident thatauthorities violated several provisions of federal law in arresting the owner-operator of the truck and seizing our cargo."Big Sky Scientific purchased the hemp from Boones Ferry Berry Farms in, and was shipping it towhen it was seized on Interstate 84.Though Chief Magistrate Judgedenied the request for a preliminary injunction releasing the hemp, he did note that additional testing of the shipment byauthorities showed "there is no evidence in the record that the seized load does not meet the definition of industrial hemp (having a ?-9 THC concentration level of 0.3 percent or less . No testing has reported a greater than 0.3% concentration level of ?-9 THC.)" The exact results from the tests conducted byauthorities remain under seal.Shore said farmers see great opportunities in raising hemp as a cash crop. His company is working with farmers across America to increase their efficiency and lower costs. Big Sky Scientific is also developing new processing methods and custom distillation equipment to streamline the process that helps bring the health benefits of CBD products to more people."We are blessed to operate in an industry that has the ability to greatly increase the profitability and living standards of American farmers," Shore said. "It is further gratifying that the health products made from industrialized hemp provides great comfort to millions of people in this country." CBD is used in EPIDIOLEX, an antiepileptic seizure medicine prescribed to patients 2 years of age and older.is one of only two Western states where the growing and processing of industrialized hemp remains illegal. Idaho State Reps., R-, and, R-, have introduced legislation this term to legalize industrial hemp inas part of an effort to improve the profitability of local farmers.For more information, contact Big Sky Scientific CEOat 702-682-5400.SOURCE Big Sky Scientific MONTCLAIR, N.J. Feb. 28, 2019 March 30 Indiana Indiana January 1 Erin Houchin Courtney Kominek $129 September 3-7 Las Vegas $200 Littleton, Colo. /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- PAINWeekEnd onat the Indianapolis Marriott North, 3645 River Crossing Parkway in, will be a timely full-day program providing busy clinicians and allied healthcare practitioners with 6.0 hours of relevant, practical instruction in the management of chronic pain.All healthcare providers holding a controlled substance registration (CSR) inwere required to be registered with INSPECT, the state's prescription drug monitoring program, as ofof this year. Over the next 2 years, mandatory consultation of INSPECT will be phased in for all prescribers of opioids and benzodiazepines each time a prescription is issued. State senator, author of the enabling legislation, stated at its signing last summer, "By requiring mandatory INSPECT registration and searches, we will combat opiate addiction at the sourcethe prescription pad." In light of these new requirements, clinician skills in opioid tapering are increasingly important, and the topic will be addressed at PAINWeekEnd Indianapolis by, PharmD, BCPS, CPE, in her course Walking the Line: Opioid Dose De-Escalation. "Now, more than ever, prescribers are under the microscope regarding selection of opioid and dose as well as clinical documentation and appropriate action based on findings during the patient visit," Dr. Kominek observed. "This course will review different patient situations and discuss when to taper or discontinue opioids and how to implement the change in opioid therapy."Other courses to be presented at PAINWeekEnd Indianapolis include Unveiling the Mask: The Relationship of Chronic Pain and Psychopathology; Pain Pathways Made Simple; Precise Prescribing: Applying the Science of Pain to Treatment Decisons; Clinical Pearls: Unraveling the Secrets of Imaging Studies; and What's All the "GABA" About? Pregabalin and Gabapentin Abuse. Commercially supported activitiesaddressing a range of product, disease state, and medical information topicswill also be presented.For more information about this or other regional conferences, and to register for, click here or go to the https://www.painweek.org/conferences/painweekend/indianapolis-in-2019-conference website. BONUS: PAINWeekEnd registrants may register for the 2019 PAINWeek National Conference,, in, foroff the regular online published price.PAINWeekEnd is provided by Global Education Group. About Global Education Group:Global Education Group focuses on producing partnership-based CME for healthcare practitioners. The Global team works with a select group of medical education companies, associations, academic institutions and healthcare facilities to develop and accredit live healthcare conferences and workshops as well as online activities. With each partnership or joint providership, Global brings accreditation expertise, project management excellence and grant funding intelligence. Based in, Global has accreditation with commendationSOURCE Tarsus Cardio, dba PAINWeek BOSTON Feb. 28, 2019 North America's Durham, North Carolina Europe's London Durham Leslie Loveless North America Boston San Francisco Los Angeles San Diego Austin Research Triangle Park NC Washington DC /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Slone Partners,leading executive search firm for life sciences and diagnostics companies, announces the placement of G Paul Evans, PhD, as President and Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Clinical Research. Based at the company's headquarters in, Dr. Evans will be responsible for setting the strategic vision, scaling teams and research sites, and delivering high-quality study data to clients while growing patient recruitment.Over the past 20 years, Velocity Clinical Research's numerous clinical research sites have completed over 1,700 studies in a wide range of therapeutic areas, including allergy and immunology, Alzheimer's, biologic therapies, cardiovascular, dermatology, endocrinology and metabolism, gerontology, infectious disease, musculoskeletal disorders, neurology, neurodegenerative disorders, pain management, Parkinson's, psychiatry, respiratory, rheumatology, sleep disorders, and vaccines. With 75 direct employees at multiple sites, Velocity Clinical Research controls its own data, patient care, and outcomes - from study feasibility to patient recruitment, and from study management to database lock. The company is strategically located near target client biopharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations (CROs) in the heart of the scientific healthcare community which comprises Research Triangle.Immediately prior to joining Velocity Clinical Research, Dr. Evans served as Corporate Vice President, Global Site Solutions at PAREXEL, the international life sciences CRO and consultancy. Prior to that, he served as Vice President, Global Site Management at IQVIA (formerly Quintiles and IMS Health), the world's largest life sciences CRO and healthcare IT company. He also served as Founder and Executive Director of Synexus Limited,largest site management organization (SMO). He holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University ofand immediately thereafter completed a 3-year research fellowship, managing major collaborative research projects between the university and industry. He relocated tofrom the UK upon accepting the CEO position with Velocity Clinical Research.Says Slone Partners CEO, "Dr. Evans' UK-based executive career in life sciences exemplifies Slone Partners' global reach and access to top executive talent. As Velocity Clinical Research grows its business in, Dr. Evans' experience should prove invaluable to companies seeking high quality data and to patients contributing to the approval of next generation therapies."ABOUT SLONE PARTNERS Slone Partners delivers the leaders who build amazing healthcare organizations - People Are Our Science. Since 2000, Slone Partners specializes in delivering world-class C-suite leadership, executive, and upper management talent to the most promising and established life sciences, research, diagnostics, precision medicine and laboratory services companies. With coast-to-coast presence in the most active healthcare industry hubs of, and, Slone Partners uniquely and precisely provides an array of executive search and advisory services to exceptional clients. Our full suite of services includes identifying, negotiating with, onboarding, and relocating talent, in addition to post-placement mentoring, success monitoring, and culture fit services. To learn more about Slone Partners' value proposition and processes, visit http://www.slonepartners.com or call 888.784.3422.SOURCE Slone Partners Amidst the building uncertainties around an impending possibility of war between India and Pakistan, as well as growing political-military pressure owing to India's stern action against Pakistan's indolence towards terrorism breeding on their home ground, the situation has now gone even murkier with IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman being held in Pakistan's captivity. After India's early morning airstrike on three terror camps located in Pakistan and PoK on 26th February, which eliminated the terrorist camps in Balakot, Muzaffarabad and Chakothi, Pakistan retaliated yesterday with aerial combat by trespassing and infiltrating the LoC. Wing Commander Abhinandan had been one of the officers who was facing Pakistan's onslaught and defending the country, when his aircraft was attacked, and he crash landed across the LoC. #WATCH Raveesh Kumar, MEA: One Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft was shot down by Indian Air Force. In this engagement, we have lost one MiG 21. Pilot is missing in action. Pakistan claims he is in their custody. We are ascertaining the facts. pic.twitter.com/Bm0nVChuzF ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2019 Soon after, a video showing a bloodied officer surfaced on social media, wherein the person stated that he was Wing Commander Abhinandan and his service number was 27981. Following this, in an official media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar confirmed the infiltration and also that a MiG 21 aircraft was lost during the engagement and that the pilot was missing in action. Later, another video showed that the Indian pilot's wounds had been treated and he was heard saying that the Pakistani army officers were thorough gentlemen and are looking after him well. However, that did little to bring a calm over the nation's shared anxiety over the officer's captivity. Social media immediately exploded with demands for the quick and safe return of Abhinandan, and #BringBackAbhinandan hashtag began to trend. Read what people from all over the country are saying: I'm getting calls from well meaning friends saying that let the savarna men argue it out...a Muslim name should keep low. That too a woman. I have no intention if curbing speech and nor will I be sharing tales of threats and abuse.. I'm angry today. #BringBackAbhinandan Saba Naqvi (@_sabanaqvi) February 27, 2019 These are turbulent times, and in the wake of the engagement with F-16 and his capture, we salute Wing Commander Abhinandan who has been very calm under duress. We do hope there is a rescue operation currently underway to bring him home safe. #BringBackAbhinandan Adya Mishra (@Adya_04) February 27, 2019 The only thing that matters is the safe return of our Air Force pilot. All efforts should be directed at de-escalation and ensuring his release from Pakistani custody. #BringBackAbhinandan Akshay Marathe (@AkshayMarathe) February 27, 2019 We struck they struck. Let's end this now. #SayNoToWar Let's put our might together to #bringBackAbhinandan. Meanwhile, do not forget this entire tragedy where we have lost 4 lives is because of one man's failures in all depts, including Kashmir. This is squarely Modi's failure. Sanjukta Basu (@sanjukta) February 27, 2019 I really hope the geneva convention is followed. I really pray and hope we get our man back. I urge the leadership of my country to please think through each and every move while Abhinandan breathes behind enemy lines #Maytheforcebewithyou #BringBackAbhinandan @adgpi @PMOIndia Vibhor Mohla (@Vibhormohla) February 27, 2019 At this point , our attention should completely shift to Wing Commander #Abhinandan We want him back to the country he represents , to the country he has given his everything , to the country that is praying for him. @PMOIndia@MEAIndia#BringBackAbhinandan Roshan Rai (@RoshanKrRai) February 27, 2019 We hope Wing Commander Abhinandan comes back home soon, safe and sound. With the tensions increasing between India and Pakistan, we are trying to find respite in the situation for our Armed Forces, who're either in captivity or battling the current scenario to give us peaceful nights. In the midst of these screaming tensions though, a newborn baby in Rajasthan's Nagaur region has been named 'Mirage', after the Mirage 2000 fighter jets, used by the Indian Air Force, in the 26th February's air strikes against Pakistan-based terror camps. Twitter The baby has officially been christened 'Mirage Singh Rathore' and his father, SS Rathore hopes that his son joins the nations' security forces when he grows up, someday. We named our child Mirage Rathore to commemorate the strike on Pakistan by the Mirage jets. We hope he will join the security forces when he grows up," He told a local news agency while in conversation with them. Twitter The boy, obviously born on Tuesday when India went ahead with the air strikes, was named the same to commemorate a memorable day, according to his family. His uncle, who is in the Air Force said he received news of two good developments on Tuesday. One was India's attack on Pakistan territory and the other was the birth of his nephew. Well, this does lean on some solid shreds of patriotism and when Mirage does grow up, we're sure he's going to consider joining the security forces after he finds out the back-story to his name. Well, if you thought the name 'Stalin' was a bit too idealistically communist for little boys growing up in Kerala, then Mirage is definitely going to one-up them with this historic memory that reeks of patriotism. Reuters In the wee hours of the 26th morning, 12 Mirage-2000 jets entered the Pakistan air space and dropped 1,000 kg laser-guided bombs on Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist camp-site, in Balakot. The Mirage-2000, developed by a French company, Dassault Aviation is one of the deadliest aircrafts in existence and it was first commissioned in 1985. It was first recognised when it was used in the Kargil warfare in 1999, following which the Government placed additional orders for 10 more Mirage-2000 jets in 2004, making it a total of 50 jets. Reuters We're sure it would be an honour for baby Mirage to grow up with a name like that, but without actually flying a Mirage-2000 jet into war, when he does decide to join the forces! Amid the growing tensions between India and Pakistan, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that his government will release captured Indian Air Force pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, tomorrow as a 'gesture of peace'. Reuters Varthaman was kept in the custody of the Pakistan Army since Wednesday, after his aircraft crashed on the other side of the Line of Control, during combat between Indian and Pakistani fighter planes. "We have an Indian pilot. As a peace gesture, we will release him tomorrow," Khan said in his address to the joint session of Pakistan Parliament. Twitter During his speech he also said, "Yesterday I tried to call (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi to say that we don't want escalation. Our push for de-escalation doesn't mean we are afraid." Even since the announcement was made, Twitter is being flooded with thank you messages for Imran Khan. @ImranKhanPTI you have again demonstrated a player attitude. Great job sir Ji. You will remain as hero. Netaji (@AritraAmi) February 28, 2019 A gesture of peace, @ImranKhanPTI and a moral one. Well done https://t.co/YJbQW98gEg Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) February 28, 2019 Great News- @ImranKhanPTI says the Indian Pilot #AbhiNandan will be released tomorrow as a goodwill gesture Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) February 28, 2019 Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan after an engagement with Indian forces on February 27, will be released by Islamabad on March 1, Prime Minister Imran Khan has confirmed. Welcom home brother we are waiting #Abhinandan pic.twitter.com/KGcJViGkv5 Romil Squad (David Osehal) (@DavidOsehal) February 28, 2019 #SaluteOurForces Pakistan PM Imran Khan finally announces the release of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman by tomorrow. Pakistan finally listens to the voice of millions of Indians.What a great news! #WelcomeBackAbhinandan!#AbhinandanVartaman pic.twitter.com/RyIWLbzjje Monu Singh (@smonu5820) February 28, 2019 Not just India, but people from Pakistan too are reacting to their PM's peace gesture and thanking him for releasing Varthaman. @ImranKhanPTI We warmly welcome to your decision. pic.twitter.com/ZyeVgLyjKC Shafin Baig (@shafinbaigINC) February 28, 2019 Impressive speech by PM @ImranKhanPTI good peace gesture to return indian piolet #pakistanstandforpeace Jawad butt (@Jawadsh12376337) February 28, 2019 and that by no means is One Country's victory over the other. It is a peace gesture. Great step indeed long live humanity Yasir Bhat (@YasirBashir86) February 28, 2019 Our Hero is Tippu Sultan. @ImranKhanPTI You're a great Leader. #SayNoToWar Affaf Inayat (@InayatAffaf) February 28, 2019 #WelcomeBackAbhinandan @ImranKhanPTI Comes up with good decision on releasing abinadan on peace gesture and also ready to support pulwama attack investigation if india shows evidence @narendramodi Consider pak peace gesture and start peace negotiation to short out issues.. sheik abdullah (@sheik_king) February 28, 2019 Huge respect for this man @ImranKhanPTI And yes thats us we want peace #SayNoToWaar pic.twitter.com/D5xvc2JQX1 Shahrukhmagsi (@Shahrukhmagsi5) February 28, 2019 These reactions and the hashtag #SayNoToWar that people have flooded the social media with, proves that people in both countries stand united for peace and are against war and the common enemy- terrorism. There's probably not a single person in the country right now who doesn't know the simmering tensions between India and Pakistan, which are at an all-time high right now. The recent turbulence started with the deadly Pulwama terror attack on 14th February and then escalated after India's air strike on a JeM terror camp in Pakistan on 26th February. Amid all this turbulence and rash cries for a possible confrontation, a lot of people from both countries have come together to call for peace and got the hashtag #SayNoToWar trending on Twitter. This hashtag started yesterday, but right now, it's much more important after Pakistan announced that it is releasing captured IAF Pilot Abhinandan Varthaman tomorrow as a 'gesture of peace'. #SayNoToWar is not cowardice. The father of the nation was opposed to any war and he certainly was no coward. In fact he was one of the bravest that humanity has ever seen. Social media jingoism and mindless warmongering should not be mistaken for bravery!! Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) February 28, 2019 It's great! Imran Khan just announced that Pakistan is freeing Wing Commander Abhinandan tomorrow as a peace gesture. Now it's Modi's turn. #SayNoToWar Jeremy McLellan (@JeremyMcLellan) February 28, 2019 People need to think about the realities of war. Being an army kid I can say confidently that the only war India & Pakistan should fight is against terrorism, poverty and illiteracy . Full stop. #SayNoToWar #SayNoToTerrorism #Jaihind #SaluteOurForces Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) February 28, 2019 Fight for peace. #SayNoToWar .Let's pray for peace.We don't want war & stay away from paid media. Indian media Anchors while sitting on studios are talking about war bcoz they knw they are not gonna fight it Its army & innocents of both sides who will loose their lives & other channels make money pic.twitter.com/UPKrdPA1Mc Aafaq Ganaie (@aafaq_ganaie) February 28, 2019 Welcome back! We need to focus on more important things. 2 nuclear powers ready to blast each other,#SayNoToWar pic.twitter.com/QbSQ1m0kB2 Wajih Ul Hassan (@wajihulhassan57) February 28, 2019 Yep. War will do nothing. Those who fight war don't want war, those who want war don't fight. Those cheering for war are often the one's sitting farthest from the battle ground if you support this war send your own children's please #SayNoToWar Teheeemee.( Pak Army ) (@Cheerrryy_) February 28, 2019 So stupid. We need peace. It never is. this is what a war will look like in the end. truly heartbreaking. war is not an option #SayNoToWar pic.twitter.com/aeBoU2Oi7K avni (@avni21333489) February 28, 2019 Yes. True. This is horrible. Sanghi shit heads doesn't even care about fellow human being, not even their Bros. They just want war. These jingoists are sickening. This guy is followed by our PM! #Abhinandan #SayNoToWar #NoToWar pic.twitter.com/8S49XsUFzA Pishu Mon | (@PishuMon) February 28, 2019 Peace, please. Mothers of soldiers of both #india and #pakistan. Any difference in their grieving? If you feel the pain then propagate #peace not #war #SayNoToWar pic.twitter.com/89MWgDv6sz Asif Ali Shah (@oshikhandassi) February 28, 2019 Exactly. Say no to war! My mom still remembers having to undergo war drills in Punjab as an elementary school student in the 1970s, practicing hiding in bunkers in case bombs were dropped. Wars are between India and Pakistan, but its Punjabis and Kashmiris that suffer the most. #SayNoToWar Roop (@renegaderoop) February 28, 2019 A good quote. Every nation stands tall and remains unbreakable courtesy to the knights in uniforms who stand guard at our borders, shores and skies 24X7. These fearless (and needless to say, selfless) men and women hold the country's defences, laying down their lives in the line of fire to ensure that their countrymen get to lead a life that's not threatened by fear or uncertainty. Their job description is special for more than one reason. We find them setting up their homes in the most remote areas of the country, or someplace with adverse climatic conditions, marking their territories and standing guard over it, should its borders be threatened. The Indian subcontinent boasts of such mighty knights of its own, who put on such a display of bravado in the face of challenge, which is matched only by a few others. (c) Twitter Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman is one such Indian officer who wears the uniform with pride and stands by its ideals to the hilt. Abhinandan is a National Defence Academy (NDA) Khadakwasla alumnus, who is an officer with 51 Squadron of the Indian Air Force, which is known as Sword Arms and is based in Srinagar. Hailing from Chennai, Abhinandan has been a fighter pilot with the IAF for the last 16 years and was an established Sukhoi-30 fighter pilot before he joined the 51 Squadron. An Air Force kid himself, Abhinandan was brought up respecting the principles of the armed forces, since his father is also an Air Force veteran. (c) Twitter Born to noted Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthaman, who retired as the Air-Officer-Commanding of the Eastern Command in Shillong in 2012, Abhinandan appeared in an episode of 'Jai Hind' in 2011, which was telecasted on NDTV Good Times. Holding a title of Flight Lieutenant at the time, he had said that it takes bad attitude to be a good Sukhoi pilot. He further added that there were no two ways about blind faith and trust that officers place on their co-pilots and the training they receive when they join the force. Cut to 2019, and Abhinandan is not just an officer in the Air Force, but also a husband to retired Squandron Leader Tanvi Marwaha, and father to a proud young boy Tavish. He not only bears a strong history with the armed forces, but he has also built his present and future around it. Surrounding himself with people who love the country above all else, not just at work, but also at home. Just a week back Wing Cdr #AbhinandanVarthaman was at funeral of Wg Cdr Sunil Gandhi in Hisar who died in Surya Kiran crash during AeroIndia and today he was chasing Pak aircraft away... This is reality of war and a soldier !! May he come out flying of tough times. #BringBackAbhi pic.twitter.com/rwo0Uocsb8 (@amit_oldmonk) February 27, 2019 Moreover, his upbringing and further professional training ensured that Abhinandan turned out to be an individual who stayed true to the values and ideologies of our Forces, who are not afraid of facing life's biggest challenges when it comes in the way of their country's welfare and security. The 34-year-old Wing Commander, who currently flies a MiG-21 Bison, was captured by the Pakistan Armed Forces after he crash-landed across the LoC after an aerial dogfight with his Pakistani counterparts who had infiltrated the Indian airspace early morning yesterday, in retaliation to India's airstrike on terror camps in Pakistan and PoK. The videos of his captivity began doing the rounds of social media. The first one showed the fighter pilot being beaten by an angry mob comprising of Pakistani locals until the Pakistani army intervened and brought Abhinandan to safety. The second video clip showed a wounded and blindfolded Abhinandan enquiring about his whereabouts, and calmly giving his name and service number when enquired by the Pakistani officers. The third and final video showed him in a better space of mind, sipping on a cup of tea and informing the world that the Pakistani Army has treated him very well, and assuring that they have been thorough gentlemen in their behaviour. However, for most Indians, the series of videos did more than just the obvious. (c) Twitter Sure, we saw the Pakistani Army's graciousness in keeping up with the ideals and ethics of combat, and hold up the principles of humanity but it was also Abhinandan's grit and strength in the face of adversity that stirred the spirit of every Indian who saw the man hold his chin up even when he realised he was in Pakistan's captivity. In a tweet earlier today, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh hailed Abhinandan an as embodiment of a mentally tough, selfless and courageous soldier and hoped for his safe return at the earliest. #WingCommanderAbhinandan is an embodiment of a mentally tough, selfless & courageous soldier. During these testing times the country stands, as one, behind him & his family. Our efforts are on & under the #GenevaConvention we hope that the brave pilot would return home soon. Vijay Kumar Singh (@Gen_VKSingh) February 28, 2019 But it isn't just the minister who feels that way. Several young people across the country have come to find a different kind of hero in Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. They have seen Abhinandan prove that his nerves are made of steel, whose display of quiet strength and composure took away the power from his captors and allowed the world to behold the true spirit of a soldier. Abhinandan faced the Pakistani Army officers with the kind of attitude and demeanour befitting an officer of the Indian Armed Forces. Not only did he display immense strength of will, but he also didn't step away from the ideals an officer of the Forces must abide by, and followed protocol by displaying dignity of character and respect towards the officers of the Pakistani army. (c) Twitter He quickly became a prime example of the kind of hero people wish to look up to, since Abhinandan's calm during such a moment of duress inspired respect not only from his fellow countrymen, but also from Pakistani citizens, who praised his bravado and show of dignity. But if you thought the video was all, hold your thoughts. Did you know, that according to a report published in Pakistan's 'Dawn' newspaper, Abhinandan swallowed all the confidential documents and maps he had on himself to ensure they don't end up with the Pakistani army after he gets captured? Abhinandan's father also shared in a statement that he was proud of of his son and the bravery he displayed under the circumstances: Thank you my friends for your concern and wishes. I thank God for his blessings, Abhi is alive, not injured, sound in mind, just look at the way he talked so bravely... a true soldier... we are so proud of him. I am sure all your hands n blessings are on his head , prayers for his safe return, I pray that he does not get tortured, and comes home safe n sound in body and mind. Thank you all for being with us in this hour of need. We draw our strengths from your support and energy (sic). Here is what 20-somethings are saying about their new-found hero in Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman: MensXP Even though he was captured, Abhinandan maintained the dignity of being a representative of our Forces as well as our country, and stood by demands of protocol he might have been given the training for. MensXP We agree to what Aditya pointed out right there. Being a soldier Abhinandan ensured that none of confidential documents or information he possessed could be accessed by the Pakistani army officers. He stood his ground and displayed integrity. MensXP Not only as an officer in the Indian Armed Forces, but also as a fellow human being, Abhinandan was respectful to the Pakistani officers in the video, and acknowledged their graciousness and hospitality after his captivity. /MensXP Abhinandan's calmness and display of respect towards Pakistani officers has touched the hearts of million! MensXP Abhinandan made numerous young men and women in the country and around the world, stop and take note of the bravado and do or die spirit thriving in the heart of every soldier around this world. Now that Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has gone on record to state that Abhinandan will be released on 1st March, as a sign of de-escalation and peace treaty between the two countries, we positively hope that the growing tension will recede and both nations can give peace a chance. Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sia Anagnostopoulou, received in her office, on Wednesday 27 February, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Jens Plotner, in the context of a courtesy meeting on the occasion of assumption of her duties. During the meeting, the excellent relations between the two countries were confirmed, and Mr Plotner handed the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs a congratulatory letter by her German counterpart, Michael Roth, on the assumption of her duties, whereby he invited her to visit Berlin in the near future. Ms Anagnostopoulou accepted the invitation, stressing the will of the Greek side for further deepening of Greek-German relations. The ratings are valuable consumer tools that provide helpful and important information, said Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, in a news release. She said that the agency is always working to improve the system and we are confident this latest update of Hospital Compare data further strengthens this data. The agency is also seeking comment on more possible changes meant to improve the methodology. Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sia Anagnostopoulou, received in her office, on Wednesday 27 February, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom in Athens, Kate Smith. During the meeting, issues of bilateral interest were discussed, while emphasis was placed on the issue of the UK's withdrawal from the EU, and specifically to the measures being taken by the two countries to tackle the effects of potential withdrawal without an agreement. The Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs briefed Ms Smith on the measures that our country will take to protect the rights of British subjects living in Greece in the event of non-orderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU. For her part, the British Ambassador expressed the British Government's gratitude for the immediate response by Greek Authorities in terms of handling the issue at hand, and reiterated that the UK, in the context of reciprocity, will fully safeguard the rights of approximately 100,000 Greek citizens who live and work there. Nevertheless, both sides agreed that, in any event, the withdrawal agreement ensures, in the best possible way, a smooth and predictable withdrawal of the UK from the EU, and that the everybody's main objective continues to be the ratification of the Agreement before the formal withdrawal date (29/03/2019) Mr. Douzinas, SYRIZA MP and President of Parliament's Standing Committee on National Defence and Foreign Affairs also participated in the meeting. On Thursday 28 February and Friday 1 March, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is organising a two-day conference on the Policy Principles and proposals on mapping out a Strategy for the exercise of Religious and Ecclesiastical Diplomacy. More than 40 speakers from religious/ecclesiastical organisations active in Greece are due to participate in the event. The first days sessions will focus on inter-orthodox relations, with speakers/representatives of the Orthodox Church. The second days sessions will revolve around issues of interfaith diplomacy, with speakers/representatives of other dogmas and religions which are present in Greece. Upon commencement of the proceedings of the two-day conference, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will give an opening address, as well as His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Katrougalos, the Associate General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Fr. Prof. Ioan Sauca and the General Secretary of the Conference of European Churches, Heikki Huttunen. The event will be held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kranidiotis Amphitheatre, 1 Akadimias Street) Admittance shall be reserved to guests with an invitation. The rules supporters, however, say its an improvement on requirements surrounding Title X funding, which already cannot be used to pay for abortion. They say it could allow more providers who are opposed to abortion to accept the money because they would no longer be required make abortion referrals or discuss abortion as an option. On Thursday, YouTube said it had accelerated its work on new software that could spot and remove predatory comments more effectively, adding it had terminated additional channels that put children at risk. The company said it would grant an exception to its new comment ban for a "small number of channels that actively moderate their comments and take additional steps to protect children." Jordan, who directed Mona Lisa, The Crying Game and The End of the Affair earlier in his career, hits this bit fast and effectively. Its hilariously sudden and were quickly rolling into the next revelation of Gretas true character. Im not telling you anything the trailers dont tell you. Greta doesnt depend on midpoint (or later) revelations, though in the later sequences we learn all about the devastated depths of the woman who sees Frances as her latest project, in the worst way. Allegations of money laundering against Sweden's oldest bank grew this week to draw in some of the former Soviet Union's most notorious individuals. Viktor Yanukovych, the president of Ukraine until 2014, used an account at the Baltic unit of Swedbank AB to transfer money out of the country, Sweden's main broadcaster, SVT, reported on Wednesday. Pressure on Swedbank is growing as Sweden's state prosecutor said on Wednesday it will investigate insider information allegations against the bank, after it reportedly told its 15 biggest shareholders that SVT was planning a broadcast two days before it was aired. Swedbank has denied wrongdoing. The most recent report by SVT, which the broadcaster says is based on thousands of pages of documents that link Swedbank to the $230 billion dirty money scandal engulfing Danske Bank, appears to contradict previous statements by the Swedish lender. Chief Executive Officer Birgitte Bonnesen had repeatedly denied any link to the Danske scandal, arguing that Swedbank is a local bank servicing local clients. The allegations point to a broader network of banks that were allegedly used by criminals in the former Soviet Union to funnel vast sums of money into the West until as recently as 2015. Bill Browder, who has brought a criminal complaint against Danske and says he's planning to do the same with Swedbank, says he has evidence pointing to banks in the Nordic and Baltic regions as a hub in Europe for money launderers. Joakim Bornold, a savings adviser at Soderberg & Partners in Stockholm, said the latest development points to what he described as "catastrophic communication management from Swedbank, more than anything else." He said the content of the new report is "very vague" making it hard to draw conclusions. Since allegations of handling suspicious transactions were leveled against the bank last week, its share price has slumped more than 20 percent, wiping almost $6 billion off its market value. The SVT report shows that, via a company called Vega Holding Limited which had an account with Swedbank in Lithuania, Yanukovych transferred 3.7 million euros ($4.2 million) through the Swedish lender in 2011. According to Ukrainian prosecutor Andriy Radionov, the money came from a suspected bribe that was disguised as a book deal, SVT said. Yanukovych, who was Ukraine's president until early 2014 when he was ousted in a revolution, is currently hiding in Russia to escape prosecution in his home country. A Kiev court in January found Yanukovych guilty in absentia of treason, sentencing him to 13 years in prison. A separate report in Baltic publication Postimees said that Swedbank was also used by Russian oligarch Iskandar Makhmudov, who transferred at least 1.4 billion euros through a network of at least 20 accounts at Swedbank. Postimees said the transfers were made by Carbo One, which is registered in Cyprus and alleged to be linked to Makhmudov. Carbo One was one of Swedbank Estonia's largest corporate clients at the time of the transfers between 2007 and 2015, Postimees said. Makhmudov's representatives, contacted by SVT, rejected any links to Carbo One and to any illicit activities, Postimees wrote. Investigations Since SVT started reporting on the Swedbank story last week, the bank has admitted that it handled suspicious transactions, which it says have been reported to the police. Swedbank is now being investigated by the financial supervisory authorities of Sweden and Estonia. According to SVT, Swedbank has known about the Yanukovych transfer since 2017, when Ukrainian authorities sent a request to the bank for information about that specific account. Asked by SVT whether he knew that Yanukovych had done business through Swedbank, spokesman Gabriel Francke Rodau said, "I didn't know, and if I had I wouldn't have been able to comment on it, because of bank confidentiality." Still, CEO Bonnesen has in recent months repeatedly claimed that the bank has found no link to the Danske Bank money-laundering scandal, stressing that Swedbank's business model is entirely different from Danske's and not focused on so-called non-resident clients. SVT said that in addition to the suspected 3.7 million-euro transfer, another 12.6 million euros and $5.6 million were funneled via the company that Yanukovych used in Swedbank between 2007 and 2014. The selloff in Swedbank shares suggests that investors have panicked that the lender might be facing the same value-destroying future that Danske experienced after its scandal exploded last year. Denmark's biggest bank admitted in September that much of about $230 billion that flowed through its Estonian unit was probably suspicious in origin. Danske is now being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as numerous prosecutors across the European Union. Its share price has slumped by about 50 percent over the past year, wiping roughly $18 billion off its market value. - - - Bloomberg's Veronica Ek contributed. WASHINGTON Leticia Colon de Mejias, the founder of a weatherization and home-energy efficiency business in Windsor, threw her support behind legislation to increase green energy job training opportunities during testimony Wednesday on Capitol Hill. When we enhance the ability of our businesses to invest in employees, and when we as a nation invest in our youth in a way that prepares them to meaningfully contribute to the energy economy of the future, we all win, she told members of the House Commerce and Energy Committee. Colon de Mejias testified before the Energy Subcommittee along with a panel of other witnesses who generally agreed that Congress should pass legislation to increase job training resources in the growing green energy field particularly for women, minorities, and the military. Under consideration is HR 1315, the Blue Collar to Green Collar Jobs Development Act of 2019, which was introduced last week by Energy Subcommittee Chairman Bobby Rush of Illinois. Rush, a Democrat, has promoted similar legislation in previous years including a bill that cleared the House last year by voice vote but was not taken up in the Senate. His newly drafted bill, however, is drawing Republican opposition this year because it excludes the fossil fuel and nuclear energy industries from participating unlike the previous legislation. I was disappointed to learn Republicans were cut out of the process, said Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C. It is not all-the-above. It excludes fossil, nuclear and manufacturing and falls well short of the agreement we had in the last Congress. Rush said he introduced the new bill last week with the objective of putting as many Americans to work in good paying green energy jobs as possible. He noted that low-income individuals, minorities, women, and returning veterans often find it difficult to take advantage of current training programs. His bill, HR 1315, would set aside $1 billion over 10 years for the Department of Energy to establish and carry out a comprehensive, nationwide energy-related industries jobs program focused on solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan, the ranking Republican on the panel, said he has serious concerns that the bill picks winners and losers and has potential to waste taxpayer dollars. Colon de Mejias, who testified in her role as policy chair for the Connecticut Energy Workforce Consortium, said she has heard countless energy business owners explain the difficulties they have in hiring staff that have the proper credentials and training required to work in the energy industry. Many of these businesses are small, including her own, which employs 22 people. Rushs bill she said would address that by providing assistance to businesses that are seeking to educate and train new hires and existing employees in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries, she said. Colon de Mejias, CEO and owner of Energy Efficiencies Solutions and founder/co-chair of Efficiency For All (EFA), said she was also pleased the bill gives priority to businesses that recruit employees from local communities, minorities, women, and veterans. These are often the hardest working people in our society, who already have a vested interest in bettering their communities. With the proper training, they can excel at positions in the clean energy economy, improving not just their own community, but the nation more broadly, she said. In her prepared testimony that submitted to the panel, Colon de Mejias highlighted a number of priorities: We should strengthen and more fully engage the Department of Energy programs and national labs in carrying out the Departments Minorities in Energy Initiative. We should implement direct assistance (including financial assistance awards, technical expertise, and internships) to educational institutions, local workforce development boards, State workforce development boards, nonprofit organizations, labor organizations, and apprenticeship programs. We should establish a clearinghouse to maintain and update information and resources on training and workforce development programs for energy-related jobs; Develop a comprehensive understanding of the workforce needs of energy-related industries and job opportunities by State and by region and publish an annual report on job creation in the energy-related industries. We should solicit input from the Secretaries of Education, Commerce, Labor, the National Science Foundation, and energy-related industries to develop best practices and grade-specific guidelines for teaching energy efficiency and conservation initiatives to educate students and families. We should take special care to engage underserved populations and give special consideration to increasing outreach to minority-serving institutions and training providers and make resources available with the objective of increasing the number of skilled minorities and women trained for jobs in energy-related industries; Encourage additional opportunities for MSI students to participate in industry internships and cooperative work-study programs; Partner with the national laboratories to increase underrepresented groups participation in internships, fellowships, traineeships, and employment opportunities. We should give special consideration to increasing outreach to employers and job trainers preparing displaced and unemployed energy workers for emerging energy-related jobs; make resources available to institutions serving displaced and unemployed energy workers with the objective of increasing the number of individuals trained for jobs in energy-related industries. Among others on the panel, Gilbert Campbell of Volt Energy, a clean energy development, said he is a strong supporter of the bill saying that all Americans should benefit from the growth of clean energy by making critical investments in workforce training in underrepresented and rural communities. Vien Truong, president of Dream Corps in Oakland, Calif., told the panel that it is time for bold leadership to help transition to a new green economy. She noted that jobs in the solar industry are expanding creating a need for a skilled workforce. NEW HAVEN A former Middletown mayor was sentenced to 46 months in prison Wednesday for embezzling more than $500,000 from his former employer and stealing nearly $400,000 from his brother to pay back his employer. Stephen T. Gionfriddo, 68, of Middletown, was also sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorneys office. According to court documents and statements made in court, Gionfriddo was hired by a Rocky Hill law firm as a paralegal in August 2013. Beginning in approximately December 2013, Gionfriddo caused the firms bookkeeper to prepare checks payable to various of Gionfriddos creditors by misrepresenting that the funds were needed to pay client expenses. Gionfriddo also intercepted numerous checks payable to the law firm or to the firms clients, endorsed the checks over to himself, and then deposited the checks into his personal bank account for his own use. In July 2017, Gionfriddo forged the signature of one of the firms partners on a Notice of Certificate Maturity in order to cancel a certificate of deposit in the name of one of the firms clients, and then mailed the form. When the $112,748.21 distribution check representing the proceeds of the clients CD was mailed to the firm, Gionfriddo intercepted it, forged the signature of the payee, and converted it to his own use. Through this scheme, Gionfriddo stole $543,372.21 from the law firm and its clients, officials said. In late September 2017, the principals at the law firm confronted Gionfriddo about the theft of funds, and Gionfriddo promised to repay the firm. On Oct. 3, 2017, Gionfriddo called the Thrift Savings Plan, a defined contribution plan for federal employees, and impersonated his brother, who had worked for the federal government, maintains a TSP account, and suffers from a debilitating medical condition. During the call, Gionfriddo obtained information about how to effect a hardship withdrawal of money from the account and have it sent to a bank account he controlled. Gionfriddo also was advised on that call that TSP would issue a Form 1099 in January as a result of the hardship withdrawal. On Oct. 4, 2017, Gionfriddo faxed a form requesting a withdrawal of $195,000 from his brothers TSP account for medical expenses. Gionfriddo directed the TSP to deposit the funds into a bank account that he controlled, officials said. In an effort to conceal this scheme from his brother, Gionfriddo contacted the U.S. Postal Service and had his brothers mail held for the entire month of January 2018. Gionfriddo also stole from his brothers bank and investment accounts in the total amount of $201,518. Judge Meyer ordered Gionfriddo to pay restitution of $446,111.67, most of which is owed to Gionfriddos brother. Gionfriddo was arrested on a criminal complaint on June 12, 2018. On Nov. 20, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud. Gionfriddo, who is released on bond, was ordered to report to prison on April 1. In 2006, Gionfriddo was convicted of federal wire fraud and mail fraud offenses for embezzling more than $633,000 from clients while acting as their attorney. In October 2006, he was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 30 months of imprisonment. To date, he has paid $44,910.66 in restitution to victims of this previous crime. The 68-year-old served on Middletowns Common Council from 1979 through October 2005, and was mayor for six months after Sebastian Garafalo stepped down to assume duties as tax collector in 1993. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan L. Wines. Are there flat-Earthers in Connecticut? Sure they're around. An astronomical society Facebook post about a lecture series devolved into an argument over the shape of the Earth. We had a flat-Earther respond to one of our Facebook posts last week, said Westport Astronomical Society president Shannon Calvert. It did not go well for him. The society was simply trying to promote a lecture by Yale Physicist Meg Urry called Black Holes and the Galaxies They Grow In. Instead, Facebook user Marcos Obed Echevarria decided to start a debate on basic science. Everything is just a theory from black holes to the roundness of the Earth, he wrote. Stop lying. Echevarria said observable experiments proving the existence of black holes and the round Earth dont exist. You won't find any ... you just overreacting. Calvert attempted to be a voice of reason. Addressing Echavarria directly he wrote, Scientific theories describe processes, not objects. Black holes and the shape of the Earth are not theories, but specific facts confirmed by observation and experiment. Notably, the black hole at the center of our own galaxy was confirmed last fall by direct observations of a star whipping around the event horizon, and pretty much everyone in North America could directly observe the shape of the Earth as its shadow crossed the moon late last month, he wrote. Echevarria wasnt having any of it. He agreed that black holes are observable, but only by cgi and compositions As for the roundness of the Earth, he argued that the straightness of the horizon is proof that the planet is flat. A curve ball doesn't have a line you understand? You can do any experiments related to the curve and trust me you won't find anything sir and by the way water doesn't blend, he wrote. You can do any observable experiment if you want to. Calvert responded, Yes, the curve of a ball will appear to be a straight line if the ball is large enough. Look closely at a marble and you'll see that it's a very tight curve. Look closely at a large beach ball and you'll see that it's a much more gentle, shallow curve. If that beach ball was 7,900 miles in diameter, the curve would be so shallow that it would look like a perfectly straight line. So-called flat-Earthers are not so few and far-between. In 2017, the first-ever Flat Earth International Conference drew 500 attendees. A documentary now on Netflix called Behind the Curve follows the best known advocates of the Flat Earth movement, primarily YouTuber Mark Sargent. Last year, a local meetup was held in Uncasville, though the total number of attendees was not immediately available. Remember that nearly half the people on Earth have below average intelligence, Calvert said. The height of Aileys career in the 1960s and 70s informed the majority of his work; like Harris, he used dance to unpack and lay bare the socio-political atmosphere in the United States, and to speak truth to power. What [Ailey] did was use those tools to tell his story, said Harris. So, my task was to tell my story and how it was relative to me, not only to me but to all of black folk. For me, it was about acknowledging where [Ailey] came from, i.e. where we came from, and our history here in the U.S., and then where is it going after that. "The Baby-Sitters Club" centers around four characters, Kristy Thomas, Mary Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi, Stacey McGill and Dawn Schafer, who will all return to the small-town setting of Stoneybrook, Connecticut for the Netflix adaptation. Martin's series, first published in 1986, has over 200 books licensed in over 20 territories with more than 180 million copies sold to date. HARTFORD The State Elections Enforcement Commission will be investigating numerous alleged election issues, including three in Hamden. Secretary of the State Denise Merrill recently referred 18 election problems in many Connecticut towns, and the commission voted last week to look into them. In Hamden, SEEC investigators will probe a long-standing ballot error that caused residents of a section of Paradise Avenue to cast ballots in the wrong state Senate district during four election cycles. They will also investigate whether the towns voter registrars failed to properly staff Election Day registration; and failed to process all applications for voter registration. For the latest political updates, sign up for the CT Politics newsletter. The SEEC will also look into whether the New Haven registrars failed to properly staff Election Day Registration, prompting massive lines, frustration and a court case in Connecticuts second largest city. New Haven alders will discuss the voting issues in their city Thursday. The agency will also examine similar Election Day registration staffing problems in Groton and Mansfield. It will also investigate a redistricting error that caused Derby residents to cast ballots in the wrong House district during multiple state elections. Finally, SEEC will look into whether 10 towns failed to set up voting equipment accessible for the hearing impaired. emunson@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson HARTFORD About 4,600 people on parole and thousands more who are held pre-trial may gain the right to vote if legislation to expand ballot rights passes the General Assembly. Currently, ex-offenders on probation may vote, but not those in prison or on parole. For up-to-date information on public policy issues, sign up for the CT Politics newsletter. A real problem we often face when we try to get every eligible voter to register and every registered voter to vote is in getting people to know at what point in the process of leaving the criminal justice system they get their vote back, said Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, during a public hearing Wednesday. This bill would remove some of that confusion. In 2012, Tiheba Bain, 49, was excited to vote for the first time since her release from prison. But after the Bridgeport resident cast her ballot, her vote would not count because she was on parole. I was angered and hated the system but I kept the faith and decided to do what I could to help change laws and policy that restrict formerly incarcerated people from achieving their best life now, she told members of the legislative Government Administration & Elections Committee. Sixteen other states and the District of Columbia offer parolees voter rights. Vermont and Maine never remove such rights from incarcerated individuals. Proposed legislation would also give people who have not been convicted, but are held in jail before a trial, access to the ballot. The impact of this injustice is shouldered unequally by communities of color, said Juan Hernandez, Connecticut State Director of the Service Employees International Union 32BJ. Expanding voting rights to parolees was backed by the state Sentencing Commission in December. With strong support from the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, the bill was brought to the House floor for discussion last year, but never received a vote. Democratic Sens. Gary Winfield, of New Haven, and Marilyn Moore, of Bridgeport, and Reps. David Michel, of Stamford, and Josh Elliott, of Hamden, co-sponsored a 2019 bill, which would next head to the Senate if it passes the committee. I think this would be much better for our political system where we are trying to say that all people ought to belong, said Elliott. Seventeen Yale University students also submitted testimony in favor of the legislation. There was no testimony filed in opposition. emunson@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson No matter where President Donald Trump's latest combatant command ends up headquartered, a part of its mission will remain with STRATCOM, said the head of U.S. Strategic Command. "We are going to continue to perform a lot of the mission for Space Command in the STRATCOM headquarters," Gen. John Hyten told lawmakers Tuesday at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. He said it will be called Space Command East or West, depending on where the official U.S. Space Command is based. STRATCOM "will be Space Command East. Omaha is East if [the new headquarters is] in Colorado," Hyten said. "If it's in Florida, it will be Space Command West. If it's in Alabama, it will be Space Command West." Related content: Currently, U.S. Air Force Space Command is located at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs. Space policy and budget experts have previously said it would be wise to streamline operations at Peterson because it already hosts a robust space mission. STRATCOM is scheduled to move into a new $1.3 billion building at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, this summer. Pentagon auditors are looking into the program, which has fallen 20 months behind schedule and sustained substantial cost overruns, the Omaha World-Herald reported this week. Hyten's comments come as Florida lawmakers have begun petitioning Trump to place part of the newly minted U.S. Space Force in their state. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, said Feb. 19 he intends to formally ask the president to locate the unified combatant command for space at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. He is one of nearly a dozen elected officials vying to have Space Command located in Florida. Both the Army and Missile Defense Agency have a large presence in Huntsville, Alabama, and are involved in commercial and military space operations. It's also the home state of Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Alabama, who pushed for a "Space Corps" within the Air Force in the months preceding Trump's Space Force announcement. If approved by Congress, the Space Force will fall within the Department of the Air Force. But a unified combatant command -- what officials say is the stepping stone to creating a U.S. Space Force -- does not need congressional approval to be established. Hyten said he, like Air Force, is on board with the current proposal being put forth to lawmakers. "I support the concept of the Space Force inside the Air Force that the president is now pushing," he said Tuesday. "The legislative proposal should come to you shortly." -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. WASHINGTON -- Supreme Court justices Wednesday questioned whether the historic and commemorative significance of a 40-foot cross should allow it to remain on public land in Bladensburg, Md., where it has stood for 94 years. The Supreme Court is expected to decide whether the cross, a memorial dedicated to 49 local men killed in World War I, is in keeping with the Constitution's First Amendment and the separation of church and state. The outcome of the case could affect other veterans memorials nationwide. While hearing from the cross's challengers and supporters, at least one of the court's liberal justices appeared willing to consider the cross a WWI symbol, in addition to its religious meaning. That secular symbolism would make the monument constitutional, argued Neal Katyal, a Washington lawyer representing Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, which owns the land where the cross sits. "World War I does have this history that this is how soldiers were memorialized," said Justice Nancy Kagan, President Barack Obama's former solicitor general. "Because of the battlefields where there were just rows and rows and rows of crosses, the cross became -- in peoples' minds -- the pre-eminent symbol of how to memorialize WWI dead." Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, also in the court's liberal wing, were less willing to separate the cross from its meaning as a symbol of Christianity. "Does the cross really have a dual meaning, Mr. Katyal?" Ginsburg asked. "It is the pre-eminent symbol of Christianity. People wear crosses to show their devotion to the Christian faith." In 2014, three local residents and the American Humanist Association, which promotes ethics and the well being of humanity without religion, filed suit against the planning commission to move or alter the monument, arguing that it violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." The American Legion joined with the park and planning commission to defend the cross. The memorial, called the Peace Cross, was erected in 1925 with funds partly raised by the Legion, and its symbol is emblazoned on it. The words "courage," "valor," "devotion" and "endurance" are also etched into the cross. A plaque on the bottom lists 49 names and has a quote from President Woodrow Wilson: "The right is more precious than the peace; we shall fight for the things we have always carried nearest our hearts; to such a task we dedicate ourselves." A federal district court determined in 2015 that the monument served a secular purpose -- to honor veterans, rather than promote Christianity. However, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit thought differently, ruling later the cross was unconstitutional. The American Legion petitioned for the Supreme Court review. "Families and the Legion built it ... to commemorate 49 brave souls who gave their lives in World War I, and it has stood since that time without challenge," Katyal said. "This case, because of its 93-year tradition, is an easy one." While the cross's supporters venerate the Peace Cross as a historical tribute to the war fallen, its opponents argue it promotes Christianity and excludes non-Christians. "I don't think that you can say this is just some sort of passive display that people don't take note of," said Monica Miller, representing the American Humanist Association. "How people are processing a monument like this is sort of like a billboard. It kind of engrains in your mind that there is this association between being Christian and having valor, having courage, and what message that sends to the religious minorities." Miller noted the monument's size multiple times during her argument. The 40-foot cross dominates other memorials in that area, she said. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, appointed to the bench by Obama, also took issue with its size. "I have pictures of this cross," she said. "It's the only thing that's that high. It dwarfs buildings. It dwarfs people. You can barely see them in the pictures." Mliler said the preferred outcome for the cross's challengers was to have the cross moved to private land -- something Katyal said couldn't be accomplished because of its condition. "Because of cracks in this cross, it very well may be destroyed," he said. In an amicus brief filed with the Supreme Court, the Veterans of Foreign Wars warned the outcome of this case could threaten "countless" memorials across the country. The U.S. Air Force is hopeful it could have its first female battlefield airman this spring. In written testimony before the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on personnel, Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, said one woman is making her way through the grueling challenges of Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) training. "Currently, we have one female in Tactical Air Control Party training with a potential graduation date later this spring," he said. "To date, 10 female airmen have entered into special warfare training, but none have yet to qualify and graduate," Kelly added. Related content: Attrition is high in this elite training pipeline, ranging between 40 and 90 percent across the specialties. "Consequently, we do not foresee large numbers of females in operational units in the near term," Kelly said. Since the Defense Department opened combat career fields to women in December 2015, few female airmen have qualified for Air Force special warfare training. Some have self-eliminated or sustained an injury; others have not met the standards of a particular program. Recently, a female candidate entered the pararescue (PJ) training pipeline, but was injured during the first week of training and had to drop out, Air Education and Training Command (AETC) officials told Military.com in January. The woman is expected "to return at a later date to try again," AETC spokeswoman Jennifer Gonzalez said last month. "We are fully committed to the integration of women into combat positions, [and] have increased targeted marketing to further attract female recruits," Kelly said. The service has placed a female cadre within these training units, he added. The Air Force has had a tough time attracting candidates for special operations, particularly in the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and survival, evasion, resistance and escape (SERE) pipelines. Kelly said the service missed its recruiting goals for these specialties in three of the last four months. While the service missed those goals, Kelly said special warfare overall has seen early successes through its new recruiting squadron. The service established its first Special Operations Recruiting Squadron last year to find next-generation combat airmen. "This past year, we established a new training group and new recruiting squadrons focused on critical warfighting career fields, such as special warfare airmen," Kelly said. Recruiters and mentors train the candidates in a step-by-step, streamlined program to get a better sense of what type of airmen are needed for the next dynamic conflict. "The Air Force is committed to improving how we recruit and prepare airmen to succeed," Kelly said. This story will be updated. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. A gun-wielding double amputee believed to be an Army veteran fired at least six shots in a Florida VA emergency room Wednesday night and set off a violent struggle with two doctors, who eventually pinned him to a wall with a chair as he crawled after them, the FBI said Thursday. One of the doctors, who has yet to be identified, was wounded in the neck in a struggle for the gun with the suspect, but was treated and released following the melee at the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center in Riviera Beach, Florida, the FBI and hospital officials said. Another VA employee was wounded in the buttocks in the burst of gunfire by suspect Larry Ray Bon, 59, of Michigan, who was "screaming for cigarettes" before opening fire, the FBI said in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Bon, who is believed to have served briefly in the Army and lost his legs later in civilian life, entered the hospital at about 8:30 a.m. and was in the emergency room for a psychiatric exam at 6:30 p.m. when he pulled a handgun that may have been hidden in the "scooter" he used, the FBI and hospital officials said. FBI Special Agent Blake Crotty said in an affidavit accompanying the criminal complaint that the two doctors, identified only by the initials "B.G." and "E.A.," were at their desks in the emergency room when a technician shouted that there was someone with a gun. At least three shots were fired, and B.G. immediately put out notice that the hospital was in an active shooter situation. He then saw "a white male, double amputee on a scooter" approaching, Crotty said. The suspect was complaining about cigarettes, and B.G. told him that there were cigarettes behind him in an attempt at distraction, Crotty said. "At this point, 'B.G.' rushed towards Bon in an attempt to disarm him," and "the two began to struggle with one another when Bon fired approximately three more shots," wounding the doctor in the neck, Crotty said in the complaint. B.G. managed to wrest the gun away from Bon, and it ended up in the hands of E.A., who held it over her head and used a chair to fend off Bon as he crawled after her in an attempt to get it back, Crotty said. B.G., fearing that Bon might get the gun again, shouted at E.A. to throw it to him, Crotty said. She did, and it fell to the floor. B.G. picked it up and handed it to a nurse, as a patient came to E.A.'s aid. The two of them used the chair to pin the alleged gunman to a wall until law enforcement arrived, Crotty said. Bon was to appear in U.S. District Court later Thursday on charges that he "forcibly assaulted and inflicted bodily injury on a federal employee" engaged in the performance of official duties, Crotty said in the affidavit. Outside the hospital Wednesday night, according to a Florida Sun-Sentinel report, FBI Special Agent Justin Fleck told reporters, "In between shots, a doctor saw an opportunity to jump on the subject and disarmed him and, while doing that, sustained a gunshot wound to his neck -- so pretty heroic." In a statement Thursday, Mary Kay Rutan, a medical center spokeswoman, said the wounded doctor "has been released from the hospital and is doing well. We thank him for his efforts to subdue the suspect." Rutan credited security procedures and training for preventing the incident from escalating. " The West Palm Beach VA medical center continuously conducts safety training and exercises to help ensure appropriate responses to active threat situations, and that training was put to great use yesterday," she said in the statement. In a statement, the AMVETS veterans service organization expressed hope that the doctor will make a full recovery and also stressed the importance that "the veteran's reasons for his actions are uncovered immediately." "The reasoning behind why this veteran committed this heinous act is vital to preventing events like this from happening again," AMVETS said. The FBI's criminal complaint said that Bon had been admitted to the medical center for mental health treatment under Florida's Baker Act, which allows for a patient to be hospitalized involuntarily if they are considered unstable or a danger to themselves or others. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Deliberately paced and lacking in conventional dramatic turns, "The Border" can sometimes seem like a long haul. But thanks in part to its biting humor, the pages keep turning. The Al Pacino of "Scarface" seems to have been supplanted as a role model for certain narcos by the Al Pacino of "The Godfather." Upon hearing that two cartels are going to go after each other, Keller thinks of "Groundhog Day." One faceless massacre gives way to another. The names and places change, but the outcomes all look alike. The president of the United States reserved an announcement he had been teasing for weeks for a small group of U.S. troops on a stopover at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. During a 20-minute speech Thursday, he declared the self-described Islamic State caliphate in Syria had been completely defeated. "You were hearing 90, 92 percent, caliphate in Syria," President Donald Trump told the group as his aircraft refueled in Anchorage en route to Washington, D.C., from a visit to Hanoi, Vietnam. "Now it's 100 percent; we just took over 100 percent caliphate. That means the area of land. ... We did that in a much shorter period of time than it was supposed to be." Trump told a meeting of the Ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS on Feb. 6 that he expected a formal announcement that the caliphate was 100 percent defeated as soon as the following week. This is his first public announcement that the goal has been met. The significance of this announcement has yet to be seen. The Associated Press reported Feb. 23 that hundreds or thousands of Syrians remain in hiding in Baghouz, the last pocket of the ISIS caliphate, with an estimated 300 militants under siege. At the start of 2017 ISIS controlled more than 17,000 square miles in Iraq and Syria, with the capital of its so-called caliphate in Raqqa, Syria. In December 2017, Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi declared ISIS defeated in his country. By the end of 2018, the militant groups territory was reduced to less than 200 square miles. CNN reported in early February that the groups remaining footprint in Syria was just 1.5 square miles. And while the once-sprawling caliphate has been reduced to nothing, or close to that, ISIS militants still maintain a presence in Syria, and the ideology is spreading to other corners of the globe. After Trump announced a complete withdrawal of the roughly 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria in December, Pentagon officials confirmed this month that a small presence of reportedly 400 troops would stay in the country to assist with security and prevent an ISIS resurgence. In testimony earlier this month on Capitol Hill, Army Gen. Joseph Votel, commander of U.S. Central Command, told lawmakers that in Syria The fight against ISIS and violent extremists is not over and our mission has not changed. He added that U.S. troops would only depart the country entirely after the extremists had been completely defeated. -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck. Nearly 9,000 Marines Didn't Get Vaccinated By the Deadline. Many Risk Getting Kicked Out of the Corps. The Marine Corps reported that 5% of the force had not gotten even one shot before the deadline passed. The Defense Department plans to "defer" spending on some military construction projects to fund a wall on the southern border of the United States and then ask Congress to give the money back in next year's budget, a top Pentagon official testified Wednesday. "I want to assure you that no currently authorized military construction projects will be canceled to fund military construction projects supporting use of the armed forces at the southern border," said Robert McMahon, assistant secretary of defense for sustainment. "Further, while some current military construction projects may be deferred, the fiscal year 2020 president's budget request will include a request for funds to replenish funding for these [deferred] projects," he said at a hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies. McMahon, a retired Air Force major general, also sought to assure the subcommittee that no military construction projects for military family housing would be canceled or have their funding rolled over to next year to fund the wall. Related content: Democrats on the subcommittee said they were in disbelief that the DoD and White House are asking Congress to provide money in the request for the fiscal 2020 budget, which is expected to be submitted next month, for projects that Congress already authorized and appropriated money for this year. "I'm flabbergasted with this whole enterprise," said Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio. If former Presidents Barack Obama or Bill Clinton had made such a proposal, "people would be running around this town with their hair on fire," he said. "I'm still confused" as to how President Donald Trump could take money already appropriated by Congress and then come back to ask it to "appropriate those funds all over again," said Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii. Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the subcommittee's chairwoman, said McMahon is suggesting a "backdoor" way to get money for a border wall. She called the wall unnecessary, despite Trump's Feb. 15 declaration of a national emergency at the border due to an "invasion" of undocumented immigrants. Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr., D-Georgia, said Congress is under no obligation to replenish the funds. "The president's budget request is not law," he said. McMahon replied, "You are correct, and we look forward to advocating for what it is we would push for" in the next budget cycle. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, the ranking member of the subcommittee, said she backs Trump on the wall and border security, but added that funding should be allocated in a way that "does not impact on our military readiness." McMahon stressed that Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has yet to decide which military construction projects might be targeted for wall funding and is awaiting guidance from the Department of Homeland Security. He also said that the DoD has been told by the White House that the potential sources of wall funding will be used "sequentially." In declaring the national emergency, Trump and White House officials said that up to $8.1 billion would be spent on new construction for the wall. The sources are $1.375 billion included in the bill to end the 35-day partial government shutdown; $600 million from Treasury Department forfeitures; $2.5 billion from military counter-drug operations; and $3.6 billion from military construction projects. The $1.375 billion approved by Congress would be spent first, then the total of $3.1 billion from counter-drug funds and Treasury Department forfeitures, and then the $3.6 billion from military construction projects, McMahon said. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. About 5,000 sailors and Marines will return to California this week after spending seven busy months at sea, during which the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter carried out its first-ever combat missions. The Essex Amphibious Ready Group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit just wrapped up a deployment through Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. The sailors and Marines were prepared to respond to crises that broke out in all three of the regions while supporting combat operations in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. "This is the most dynamic MEU that I've seen in a long time," Col. Chandler Nelms, the MEU's commanding officer, told Military.com last week. "We've been postured for crisis response every single day of the deployment. We've been watching what's been going on around the world and had forces trained and ready to respond." The three-ship ARG included the amphibious assault ship Essex, amphibious transport dock Anchorage and dock landing ship Rushmore. The MEU was made up of the F-35 detachment from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211; Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines; Combat Logistics Battalion 13; Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 166; and a command element. Related content: Throughout the deployment, the sailors and Marines trained with troops from Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India and Italy, and coalition forces operating in the Middle East. Nelms said they launched aircraft from the ship daily. Marines flew a CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopter into Iraq, and an artillery battery pushed into Syria with M777 howitzers. "It has just been a really dynamic deployment, and the Marines and sailors performed exceptionally well," Nelms said. While in the Persian Gulf, the team encountered Iranian fast-attack craft, said Navy Capt. Gerald Olin, the ARG/MEU's commodore and commander of Amphibious Squadron 1. In October, a pair of fast boats got within about 300 yards of the Essex when Army Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, was aboard the ship. There were no signs of hostile intent during any of the encounters, according to Olin, who said the run-ins are not uncommon. "The danger in that is that you have to be alert and not become complacent or get too used to it," he said. "You need to keep your guard up." Shortly after the ARG/MEU got underway in July, Cpl. Jonathan Currier, a CH-53E crew chief, was reported missing near the Philippines. A massive search-and-rescue mission that covered about 13,000 miles was eventually called off. The Marines and sailors held a memorial service for Currier on the Essex earlier this month. "It's always sad to lose one of our own on a deployment," Nelms told Military.com in September. "It's extremely hard for the team and our hearts are going out to the Curriers as we've gone through this really sad tragedy." -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. A proposed Pentagon policy on transgender troops and potential recruits is discriminatory and would diminish military readiness and lethality if implemented, a panel of transgender service members told a congressional subcommittee Wednesday. Testifying before Congress in civilian clothing because they were restricted under a Defense Department policy that limits uniform wear for non-military functions, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Blake Dremann and Hospitalman 3rd Class Akira Wyatt, Army Staff Sgt. Patricia King and Army Capts. Alivia Stehlik and Jennifer Peace told House Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee members they have encountered little pushback from their units since transitioning and consider themselves highly effective leaders and members. They said arguments against transgender troops serving, which include a perceived negative impact on unit cohesion and increased costs to the military health system, are specious. Stehlik, a physical therapist who graduated from West Point in 2008 and served six years as an infantry officer, said her unit would not have deployed with a physical therapist to Afghanistan if she hadn't been serving. Related content: The officer, who earned a Ranger tab and transitioned to being a woman in 2016, said the unit's assigned physical therapist had become non-deployable, so she volunteered to go. She treated more than 1,700 people during a nine-month deployment with 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. "My transition, as well as those of others, has dramatically increased the readiness and lethality of every branch of the armed forces," Stehlik said. "Has my transition made soldiers uncomfortable? Absolutely not. [On deployment], they opened up to me. ... I asked them why, and they said they valued my authenticity, my courage in being myself. It allowed them to do the same." Peace, an intelligence officer who enlisted in the Army at age 19 and later was encouraged to attend Officer Candidate School, said transgender personnel simply want to serve their country. "Readiness and morale were two of my primary concerns as a company commander. I would be the first person to kick out a transgender service member if they are not able to meet the standards," she said. "There should absolutely be no adjustment of standards for trans people. All we are asking for is the opportunity to meet and be held to those exact same standards." The hearing, called by subcommittee chairwoman Rep. Jackie Speier, D-California, came as a Pentagon policy on transgender service has been placed on hold pending injunctions related to litigation over the proposal. The policy, drafted in February 2018 by then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, effectively would overturn one instituted in 2016 that allowed transgender troops to transition to the opposite gender while in the military and serve openly. While the Pentagon argues that the proposed policy does not bar transgender members from serving, its restrictions effectively would keep individuals who want to serve as anything but their birth gender out of the armed forces. Panel members also said it would reduce opportunities for individuals who are currently serving. They would be allowed to remain, but advancement opportunities would close, they said. According to the proposed policy, those with a history of gender dysphoria -- a medical diagnosis for those who experience significant distress or difficulty with their biological gender -- would be disqualified from serving unless they have been stable in their birth gender for three years before joining the military. Individuals who require or have undergone gender transition also would be disqualified from service, according to the proposal. Retired Air Force Gen. James Stewart, acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, and Navy Vice Adm. Raquel Bono, director of the Defense Health Agency, told the subcommittee that the policy is needed because gender dysphoria is a medical condition incompatible with military service. They added that it can lead to other medical problems, such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse and suicidal ideation, which also are harmful to readiness. "The department has concluded, based on its best military judgment, that sustaining the 2016 policy for the long term would degrade military effectiveness," Stewart said. "With our transgender service members, their behavioral health visits are 22 per person, as opposed to two [visits] for non-gender dysphoric service members. We also see higher rates of suicidal ideation. We take these things into consideration as we are looking at the data," Bono said. Military leaders, including members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, went on record last year as saying they had not seen any negative impact on morale or readiness following implementation of the 2016 policy. Reports vary on the number of transgender individuals currently serving in the armed services, but a 2016 Defense Department survey found that 8,900 active-duty troops identified as transgender. According to Stewart, 937 service members have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria. The DoD has spent roughly $8 million on transgender care since the 2016 policy was instituted, including $2 million for surgeries, such as breast reduction, hysterectomies and testicle removal. Speier called the transgender service members who testified "courageous" and said she would work to ensure that they can continue serving. "I feel strongly that any transgender person who can meet occupational standards should be allowed to serve in the armed forces. I believe that the transgender policy is discriminatory, unconstitutional and self-defeating," she said. Rep. Trent Kelly of Mississippi, the ranking Republican on the subcommittee, also thanked the troops for their service, praising them for their work and for meeting or exceeding military standards. He said that not everyone who wants to serve in the military can "meet the stringent medical and behavioral health standards needed to maintain a ready and resilient force." However, he added, "it only makes sense that any individual who can meet these standards and is otherwise qualified should be allowed to serve." -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @patriciakime. A double amputee in a wheelchair, believed to be an Army veteran, allegedly shot and wounded a doctor Wednesday night and fired at others at the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center in Riviera Beach, Florida, the FBI said. The doctor, who was wounded in the neck, then subdued the alleged shooter, the FBI said. The doctor was taken to St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, where he reportedly was treated and released. An FBI spokesman told Florida news outlets that others in the medical center came under fire, and at least one VA employee was grazed by a bullet. Citing the FBI, the Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that the alleged shooter was identified as 59-year-old Larry Bon, who is believed to have served in the Army. In a statement, the AMVETS veterans service organization expressed hope that the doctor will make a full recovery and stressed the importance that "the veteran's reasons for his actions are uncovered immediately." "The reasoning behind why this veteran committed this heinous act is vital to preventing events like this from happening again," AMVETS staff said. The Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that the alleged shooter entered the medical center at about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. He was described as being "combative" throughout the day. He was being taken for a psychiatric examination at about 6:20 p.m., the Sun-Sentinel reported, when he allegedly pulled a handgun that may have been hidden beneath his wheelchair and began firing in the VA center's emergency room. Outside the hospital Wednesday night, according to the Sun-Sentinel report, FBI Special Agent Justin Fleck told reporters, "In between shots, a doctor saw an opportunity to jump on the subject and disarmed him. And while doing that, sustained a gunshot wound to his neck -- so pretty heroic." In a statement, Donna Katen-Bahensky, director of the medical center, said, "An incident has occurred this evening at the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center. There is no danger to patients or staff at this time, and the area has been secured. We are working with local law enforcement, and the investigation remains ongoing." The alleged shooter is in custody, but there is no immediate word on whether charges have been filed. The 153-bed West Palm Beach VA Medical Center, about 75 miles north of Miami on Florida's east coast, serves about 60,000 patients annually at the medical center itself and its outpatient clinics, according to its website. A statement Thursday from Mary Kay Rutan, a medical center spokeswoman, said that the wounded doctor "has been released from the hospital and is doing well. We thank him for his efforts to subdue the suspect." Rutan credited security procedures and training for preventing the incident from escalating. "The West Palm Beach VA medical center continuously conducts safety training and exercises to help ensure appropriate responses to active threat situations, and that training was put to great use yesterday," she said in the statement. "Security measures at the West Palm Beach VAMC are consistent with health care industry standards." -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. An aircraft from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, crashed Wednesday afternoon in a training accident, injuring two people, according to a base press release. The incident occurred at 4:40 p.m. over a training area, Robert Jenkins, a spokesman for Fort Campbell, told Military.com. Many details are unknown at this time, while the accident is under investigation, he said. "The aircraft went down, and the two people on it were recovered and transferred to the hospital," Jenkins said. "We don't know what all happened, but it did crash." The email containing the press release listed "MH-6 training incident" in the subject line, but was quickly recalled. MH-6 Little Birds are helicopters used by special operations forces to deliver operators into combat, especially during raids. Jenkins would not confirm the type of aircraft involved in the crash. He also would not say whether the individuals were soldiers, members of another service or civilians. They were transported to Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, but their names and the nature of their injuries are not releasable at this time, the release states. -- Matthew Cox can be released at matthew.cox@military.com. It was an image that moved millions, both patriots and pet owners alike. The photo, which was posted on Twitter shortly after the death of President George H.W. Bush, showed Sully, his yellow Labrador and service dog, lying beside the late president's flag-draped casket at the US Capitol. The caption read, simply, "Mission complete." However, nearly three months later, it turns out Sully's mission was far from over. Feb. 27 Sully joined the ranks of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center's facility dogs, which are tasked with reducing stress and improving the well-being of patients and staff at the hospital. Although they are trained as typical service dogs, these canines focus, instead, on providing emotional support to service members as they rest and recuperate from visible and invisible wounds at the hospital. "I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes, the transformative impact these dogs have on service members," said John Miller, president and chief executive officer of America's VetDogs, the nonprofit organization that trained Sully, and many other service dogs. Surrounded by a crowd of service members, hospital staff, USO volunteers, and fellow facility dogs, Sully was appointed to the rank of petty officer, hospital corpsman second class. He traded his America's VetDogs vest for his new military uniform vest, officially marking him a member of the Walter Reed Bethesda Facility Dog Program, and even received a personalized oath of enlistment: "Do you affirm ... or pant ... as a hospital corpsman in the United States Navy that you will support, comfort and cure warriors and their families, active duty and retired? That you embrace our staff and bear unconditional love and solace, especially on busy days? That you take this obligation freely, without any promise of treats or tummy rubs and that you will faithfully discharge the duties to provide joy, love and nurturing for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and their families?" At the end of the ceremony, Sully was given a quick paw shake before scurrying off to join his team of fellow facility dogs and carry on the legacy of his first owner. "This is exactly where Sully needs to be," said Evan Sisley, the former personal aide and senior medic to Bush. "Continuing his mission." As Bush was a Navy veteran and a staunch supporter of the military, there was no question as to where Sully should go after the president's passing. According to Sisley, "Sully came to the Bush family during a very difficult time ... and he brought a light and levity" to Bush and the entire family in the final months of the former president's life. Bush wanted Sully to continue to support as many service members and veterans as possible, and the decision was made for Sully to join the Walter Reed team. Sully's ceremony was hosted at the USO Warrior and Family Center in Bethesda, which was especially poignant, considering the location has served hundreds of thousands of wounded warriors and was originally dedicated to Prescott Bush, George H.W. Bush's father. We talked about all of this, and she had a really clear, overwhelming sense of what happened to her, Sfondeles told me. I went straight home that night and took out my computer and just wrote it that night. I looked at it every single day for a week. I feel like I have it memorized. Its the hottest ticket in town. You could actually purchase tickets to see Hamilton in Detroit for just $10 each. Heres how the Detroit ticket lottery works. Hamilton will be at the Fisher Theatre from March 12 through April 21, 2019. Season ticket holders purchased tickets through their membership package. Individual tickets went on sale on January 25 through Ticketmasters Verified Fan service, but sold out fast. The ticket lottery: 40 tickets will be sold for every performance for $10 each, beginning with the March 12th show. The digital lottery for that show, for example, will open at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 10. Subsequent digital lotteries will begin two days prior to each performance. How to enter: Download and use the official app for Hamilton, now available for IOS and Android devices in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. If you dont have the app, you can also register here. The lottery will open at 11:00 a.m. ET two days prior to the each performance date and will close for entry at 9:00 a.m. ET the day prior to the performance. Winner and non-winner notifications will be sent at approximately 11:00 a.m. the day before the performance via email and SMS (if mobile number is provided). No purchase or payment is necessary to enter or participate in the lottery. Each winning entrant may purchase up to two tickets for $10 each. Only one lottery entry per person is allowed per show. Tickets must be purchased online with a credit card by 4:00 p.m. the day prior to the performance using the purchase link and code in a customized notification email. Tickets not claimed by that time the day prior to the performance are forfeited. Lottery tickets may be picked up at Will Call beginning 2 hours prior to the performance with a valid photo ID. Lottery tickets will be void if they are resold. Patrons must be 18 years or older and have a valid, non-expired photo ID that matches the name used to enter. Tickets are non-transferable. Tickets for Hamilton are still possible to get outside of the lottery. Broadway in Detroit suggests people check Ticketmaster frequently for late release seats which may become available at short notice. MORE HAMILTON FROM MLIVE: When Hamilton will be in Grand Rapids in 2020 for nearly a month Many Hamilton fans livid with Ticketmaster after failing to get Detroit tickets YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP, MI -- A 17-year-old girl was robbed at gunpoint while walking home from a friends house in Ypsilanti Township about 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, according to the Washtenaw County Sheriffs office. A 15-year-old boy suspect was later arrested by deputies, sheriffs spokesman Derrick Jackson said. Hes believed to have committed the armed robbery with an unidentified accomplice, who remained at large Wednesday afternoon. No injuries were reported and officials havent announced any charges against the juvenile suspect. MLive was awaiting response from the sheriffs office on whether a gun was recovered. A double amputee Army veteran from Michigan allegedly shot and wounded a doctor at a Florida hospital, according to the Associated Press. Larry Ray Bon, 59, has been arrested in the incident, which occurred just before a mental health evaluation at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Riviera Beach on Wednesday morning. The Associated Press reports that Bon had been taken to an emergency room where he allegedly pulled out a gun and shot the doctor in the neck. The doctor was eventually able to disarm him, according to the FBI. Bon, who has had both his legs amputated and uses an electric wheelchair, served in the Army in the 1970s, the Associated Press reported. The doctor was treated at a West Palm Beach hospital. His name was not released. MESICK, MI An alleged drunken driver crashed into a Northern Michigan bar on Wednesday night. Troopers from the Michigan State Police Cadillac Post responded to the Bucksnort Saloon in Mesick around 11 p.m. after a man rammed his truck into the building, damaging one of the walls. Upon arriving, troopers identified the driver as 35-year-old Adam Durga of Interlochen. The troopers suspected Durga had been drinking and was intoxicated, which led to a thorough investigation at the scene. After finding evidence which supported the suspicions, Durga was arrested for Operating While Intoxicated and lodged in the Wexford County Jail. Upon reviewing the investigation and Durgas driving record, a felony warrant was issued charging him with Operating While Intoxicated 3rd or Subsequent Offense. Durga was arraigned in the 84th District Court on Thursday. Anyone with additional information should to contact the MSP Cadillac Post at 231-779-6040. About 500 Michigan residents wrongly accused of unemployment fraud by a state computer system from 2013 to 2015 are still owed money by the state. Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel made a public appeal Thursday for help in finding the people who havent yet claimed their refunds from a scandal at the Unemployment Insurance Administration, uncovered through an audit. We are making sure we explore every avenue to return funds to each person owed monies resulting from unemployment insurance fraud determinations between 2013 and 2015, Whitmer said in a statement. And that means reaching out to our fellow Michiganders to help us in this statewide search for those who have not yet claimed their refund. The audit overturned 70 percent of the computer systems findings of intentional misrepresentation by unemployment recipients. So far, the state has refunded more than $20.8 million to 40,000 residents. Officials are asking anyone who is owed a refund from a claim made in 2013-2015 from the Unemployment Insurance Agency to fill out a form on this website. People can also check to see if they have a refund pending and to update their contact information in the online MiWAM -- Michigan Web Account Manager. We would like to reach these approximately 500 individuals and hope that anyone who believes they are due a refund contacts us as soon as possible, said Michelle Beebe, senior deputy director of the Unemployment Insurance Agency, in a statement. Kia and Hynudai have issued recalls for more than 500,000 SUVs in the United States due to issues that could damage the engine, thus increasing the risk of fire. Included in the recalls are 2012-2016 Kia Soul SUVs, and 2011-2013 Hyundai Tuscon SUVs. In affected Soul models, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that high temperatures in the exhaust can damage the catalytic converter which could damage pistons in the engine and lead to rod failure. Kia says in NHTSA documents that once notified dealers will upgrade the catalytic overheating protection engine control unit to prevent potential overheating. Under certain conditions, the catalytic converter may become damaged due to overheating caused by an excessive increase of exhaust gas temperatures, Kia reports in federal documents. "If the catalytic converter is damaged, substrate particles can enter the engine combustion chamber and cause abnormal engine combustion. Continuous abnormal engine combustion can result in damage to one or more of the engines pistons which can cause piston rod breakage, potentially puncturing the engine block allowing engine oil to escape. Engine oil that contacts a hot exhaust surface may result in a fire. As for Tuscon models with a safety recall, the automaker says in federal documents that the oil pan could leak and could result in engine damage. A remedy to fix this potential issue has not been found or disclosed, yet. The automaker will send owners an interim letter tipping them off to the defect on March 29. Once a remedy is found and available, Hyundai says it will send affected owners a second letter through the mail. To search active recalls, use the NHTSAs website to search your 17-character VIN at this link. VIN numbers are typically located under the drivers side windshield, or along the inside of the doors behind the seat or under the steering wheel. To sign up for NHTSA safety alerts for a specific vehicle, sign up at this link. LANSING, MI The new director of the states environmental department has been briefed on the Nestle water withdrawal, she told a panel of lawmakers Thursday, but she declined to offer an opinion or recommendations for any changes. Department Environmental Quality Director Liesl Eichler Clark appeared before the Senate Advice and Consent Committee, fielding questions from lawmakers and laying out the role of the department, including as it transitions from the Department of Environmental Quality to the new Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy under an executive order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Committee chair Sen. Peter Lucido, R-Shelby Township, commented that there seems to be a lot of water taken out of our state and asked if she thought it was reasonable in light of the water infrastructure problems Michigan was facing. But Clark didnt offer an opinion, instead referencing current law on water withdrawals and saying the department implemented statutes. Questioned by reporters after the hearing, Clark did not rule out making policy recommendations in the future. I can make recommendations, but it would be unfortunate to make a recommendation where you hadnt had a whole lot of different input in order to come to a conclusion and I dont feel like Ive got that right now, Clark told reporters after the hearing. Part of the reason she did not say much about the Nestle withdrawal, she said, is because the case is contested and shes still working to understand what she can talk about within that legal structure. Nestle pays a fee of $200 per year for each facility to withdraw millions of gallons of Michigan groundwater from wells in Osceola and Mecosta counties under a permit issued by the DEQ under the former Gov. Rick Snyder administration, a fact that rankles some Michigan residents. Last session, Lucido introduced legislation that would have charged entities like Nestle more for such withdrawals, but it didnt make it into law. Clark also faced questions from lawmakers on things like energy, agriculture, redeveloping brownfield sites and pollution monitoring and harmful water contaminants like per- and poly-fluorinated compounds. Weve heard from EPA that they plan to move forward, but maybe not as fast as I think many folks were interested, particularly from a Michigan perspective, she told Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, who asked how the department could regulate something that isnt well-defined yet. She said she was impressed with the employees and scientists at the department and is confident the restructuring and re-naming will be a pretty smooth transition." Clark said after the hearing she was glad to get an idea of what senators were thinking about. I think communication is really critical. Its internal to the department, its external to stakeholders, its absolutely with the legislature... its also the citizens of the state of Michigan. So theres a lot of different interests and you cant balance that if you dont have open and regular communications, Clark said. The Senate is holding advise and consent hearings for Whitmers appointees to lead state departments. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel used a private message on Facebook to serve a court judgment to a 23-year-old man convicted of violating the Michigan Consumer Protection Act, officials said Wednesday. After Christopher Carr, formerly of Troy, fled Michigan and stopped responding to traditional channels for court communications, Nessel obtained a judges permission to serve Carr a judgment ordering him to pay $784,328. Carr formerly ran Fan Authentics and Printrageous, both online businesses -- but failed to deliver to customers after taking their credit card payments. Thousands of consumers were robbed of their money by Christopher Carrs deceitful online business practices, Nessel said in a statement. I want this action to send a clear message that even if you leave the state, we will pursue you. This office will go after those who uses the internet to exploit consumers. A Better Business Bureau page for Fan Authentics in Michigan, lists 33 complaints against the company in the last three years. A similar Better Business page for the company in Flordia lists 303 complaints about them in the last three years. The websites for both businesses -- fanauthentics.com and printrageous.com -- are no longer active. Carr is no longer in Michigan -- but continues to use Facebook, according to the attorney general's office. Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Clinton Canady II allowed Nessel to serve Carr the judgment through Facebook. It was sent via private message, said spokeswoman Kelly Rossman-McKinney. "Im willing to use all resources available to my office," Nessel wrote in a Facebook post of her own about the story. Im willing to use all resources available to my office. Posted by Dana Nessel on Wednesday, February 27, 2019 Carrs businesses in Michigan will now be dissolved, and Carr is no longer allowed to sell goods or services to Michigan consumers online or through any other medium, per Judge Canadys order. Consumers can report suspicious activity on websites to the attorney generals office by using the online from at mi.gov/agcomplaints. ANN ARBOR, MI - Police are searching for a suspect who stole a vehicle with two children and an adult inside before taking them on a 100-mph police chase overnight. Investigators were executing a search warrant about 10:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27 in the 3500 block of S. State St. in Ann Arbor when someone attempted to enter the home, saw law enforcement and fled, according to Ann Arbor police. The person ran to a Mobil gas station parking lot in the 3200 block of S. State St. and got into a running vehicle with a man and two children, ages 2 and 4, inside, police said. The person then drove off, reaching speeds faster than 100 mph, with police in pursuit on eastbound I-94, police said. Police lost sight of the vehicle, but the driver later got off the highway, stopped in a neighborhood east of Ann Arbor and fled on foot, police said. Police continue to seek the suspect, but declined to release a suspect description. Further details on the search warrant were not immediately available, but police said Michigan State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Michigan Department of Corrections were all involved. The two children and man inside the vehicle were not harmed. Anyone with information on the incident are asked to contact Ann Arbor police through their tip line at 734-794-6939 or email at tips@a2gov.org. Editors note: This story has been updated to reflect that the car stopped in a neighborhood east of Ann Arbor. ANN ARBOR, MI - Police hope to answer questions and calm nerves in an east Ann Arbor neighborhood where a homicide and a SWAT response occurred within the last week. Police will meet with residents 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, at Pittsfield Elementary School, 2543 Pittsfield Blvd., to discuss community concerns following the discovery of the body of Richard Dick Fortune last week and a standoff days later in the same neighborhood, said Ann Arbor police Lt. Earle Fox. The retired postal worker was found dead about 5:15 p.m. Feb. 20 at his home in the 2600 block of Lillian Road. Police have declined to released details of the death but have called it a homicide. Then, after midnight Feb. 25, a parole absconder barricaded himself in a home around the corner from the homicide scene, in the 3600 block of Eli Road, police said. He surrendered after an hours-long standoff. Police say the two incidents are unrelated but hope to address some community questions on Thursday about safety, Fox said. However, they'll be somewhat limited in what they can release about the homicide, as they seek to protect the investigation, he said. Police won't release when or how Fortune died. No one has been arrested and the information may be information only the killer would know, Fox said. "We're not at the point where we can definitely say and release to the public how the events transpired inside the house," he said. Police continue to investigate multiple leads, obtained through calls to the police tip line and interviews, Fox said. Theyre also awaiting forensic laboratory results, and reviewing video and electronics. Multiple search warrants have been executed and police are piecing together Fortune's movements in the days before he was found, Fox said. They don't yet have a complete picture. Were not focused on one person, he said. We have multiple leads that involve different individuals and were taking a hard look at all of them. CPS sexual abuse investigations were previously managed within the district's Law Department, which also defended the district if abused students filed lawsuits. Child welfare experts have said it was a conflict of interest for the department to both question students and represent the district's interests in court. FLINT TWP, MI -- A pair of upcoming job fairs are scheduled to help a new Flint Township business find employees to fill 200 positions. Lansing-based Peckham Inc. is set to hold the job fairs from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6 and Wednesday, March 13 at Genesee Valley Center, 3341 S. Linden Road. The Lansing-based company will occupy a vacant 41,000-square-foot space inside the former Furniture Row building, 3080 S. Linden Road, in Flint Township that will feature approximately 30,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 8,000 square feet of office and classroom space. Industrial sewing, office space, an internet cafe, on-site wellness center and job training rooms in the space will come along with 200 sewing machine jobs over the course of the next 12 to 18 months for people with disabilities. The sewing jobs come through Peckham Manufacturing, a business line of Peckham Inc., which provides high-performance fleece and extreme cold weather clothing for the Armed Forces and commercial market. Peckham Inc. is a nonprofit vocational rehabilitation organization that provides paid job training opportunities for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment with businesses in Michigan, Arizona and Kentucky. Tracey Tucker, the townships economic enhancement director, recently said there were talks with Peckham in November and they worked with the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce. Furniture Row closed its Linden Road store in January 2014 to, according to Flint Journal records. The planning commission voted earlier this month to approve a special land use -- due to the industrial sewing -- and site plan. Karyn Miller, Flint Township supervisor, called the plan very exciting, good news." Especially exciting is the opportunity for people with a variety of disabilities to secure a good paying job with benefits and excellent training resources, she said. The job opportunities are full-time with health benefits and start at $10 per hour, but pay runs up to $20.25 per hour based on experience. A benefits package is also available including health insurance, as well as the chance to earn monthly and annual bonuses, paid training, on-site support services and the opportunity for overtime hours. Additional job opportunities are also available for individuals without disabilities. To view available jobs and fill out an application visit www.peckham.org. UPDATE: FLINT, MI -- A 25-year-old man is dead following a shooting Wednesday evening in Flint. Flint police and Michigan State Police responded around 6 p.m. Feb. 27 to the 900 block of West Moore Street, between Milbourne Avenue and Donnelly Street, for a shooting. The man, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Michigan State Police. Flint firefighters assisted police at the scene. Police say a female at the residence admitted to them shed shot and killed the man. She was detained by police. Yellow police tape circled the single-story home that officers and troopers went in and out of as onlookers gathered in the area. Anyone with information on the fatal shooting is asked to contact Detective Tpr. Matt Kalakay at 810-237-6963 or report a tip anonymously with Crime Stoppers of Flint & Genesee County at 1-800-422-JAIL (5245), on the P3 Tips app, or online at P3Tips.com. BURTON, MI His friends knew him as Chum. Its a nickname that stuck for Chalmer Eugene Morse throughout his life. The World War II vet, 92, died Feb. 5 from health complications following a fire at his Burton home. Morse was initially found by firefighters on the living room floor and hospitalized for smoke inhalation. Now hes being remembered for his service to family and country. He was known for always smiling, said Barbara Scott, Morses daughter. He was the kind of person whod hand out mints to everybody. She remembers her father striking up random conversations with waiters and waitresses and other strangers who became friends, getting to know their stories. Hed end up remodeling their bathroom, chuckled Scott. Morse would put his craftsman skills, particularly in woodworking, to help anyone that needed a hand, Scott added. A Flint native, Morse was born July 28, 1926 at Hurley Hospital and raised up in the familys Oklahoma Street home that was torn down by the city this year. He was one of Lionel and Ethels 14 children -- seven boys, seven girls. Morse graduated from Flint Central High School where Scott said her father tutored fellow students in math before volunteering for the U.S. Army as World War II raged in several theaters across the globe. He served as a Technician 5th Grade Corporal in the 7th Armored Division in General George Pattons 3rd Army. Morse was deployed to Germany in the final year of the war, according to his daughter. Beyond that, not many other details are known about his wartime exploits. Morse didnt often share memories about his time overseas -- unless he was drinking adult beverages while reminiscing with friends. In one of the stories, Morse talked about getting separated from his battalion. It took him three days of traveling at night, hiding during the day, digging up potatoes and eating them out of the ground to survive and get back to his troop, said Scott. Morse was at one point put in charge of a POW camp. He was only 18 years old when he went overseas. He was to keep (the prisoners) in the fenced-in area, recalled Scott. There was a young boy that kept trying to escape." With orders to shoot to kill, Morse would fire shots into the ground as a warning, but the young boy persisted in his attempts. (The young boy) said he made a promise to his mother that he would meet (her) at a designated area," Scott said. "He drove that young boy to the designated area where they would meet up. His mother had made a temporary makeshift shelter out of bricks. He let them spend a little time together before he had to take them back. Scott believes her father had post-traumatic stress disorder and dealt with nightmares. He began to share more about his experiences after reading the Tom Brokaw book The Greatest Generation that offered a profile on those growing up in the Depression era and World War II. She attributes her position as president and CEO of Aspire Indiana, Inc, a community mental health center, to her parents upbringings. Chum and Betty, both babies of the Depression, grew up in families that had all the social ills of the time, noted Scott, including poverty, domestic violence, abuse and addiction. In one generation, they stopped this from occurring with their own children. It wasnt until she was older and became a social worker that she realized part of her success was due to my parents influence and love they had for their children. Betty met Chalmer at Hurley where she was taking part in the nursing school at the time. The couple were married for 46 years. Morse worked 31 years for Michigan Bell, retiring on the same day as his brother, Jacob, in 1980. He also took back to helping and mentoring young people in the community. He taught them a lot and all of them, even to this day, will say he is the strongest man they have ever met, said Scott. Morse also maintained the same role within his family, serving in different capacities at his grandchildrens wedding ceremonies and doing work on family homes, including raising a barn at Scotts residence. Those same capable hands were also put to work in constructing a cabin from 100-year-old logs pulled out of a lake on the familys St. Helen property. He loved to find a broken-down chair or table hidden in the back of someones barn or along the roadside, said Scott. Hed pick it up and make it into something new. Morse also built the modest single-story Burton home along Lippincott Road with his own hands where he and Betty moved into after they were married and raised the couples three children for more than 40 years until she died in November 2002. Scott shared a photo of her family gathered at the home to help him chop some wood, a pastime he enjoyed, a memory she now holds close to her heart. He was sitting outside in the backyard with the sun coming through the streets and was happy, she said. Its really just him. Chalmer Eugene Morse is survived by his children, Richard (Sebastian) Morse, Karen (Steven) Sweezea, and Barbara (Dennis) Scott; grandchildren, Nathan (Amanda) Sweezea, Orea (Emily) Sweezea, Jesse (Rebecca) Sweezea, and Jaimie (Marcus) Smith; and great-grandchildren, Weston Chalmer, Walker, Breckin, Stone, Cayden, Sawyer, Ellerie, Roya, and Camden. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Betty Glee, and his great-grandson, Chase. The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to the medical staff at Hurley Burn Unit. The cause of the fire has not been determined by state fire investigators. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A senior command member of the Grand Rapids Police Department has been placed on paid administrative leave while the citys labor relations office looks further into an incident from late last year. Earlier this week, a group of community members and the American Civil Liberties Union accused Capt. Curt VanderKooi of racial profiling in November 2018 when he contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to check the status of a man arrested by local police. VanderKooi was off-duty on Nov. 21 when he emailed an ICE agent after seeing news reports of the arrest of Jilmar Ramos-Gomez, who is a Grand Rapids native, U.S. citizen and Marine veteran. After 24 days in the Kent County Jail, Ramos-Gomez was released from the jail and then detained by ICE for three additional days, until an immigration-law attorney provided ICE with documents showing his citizenship. A Grand Rapids Police Department Internal Affairs Unit review found that VanderKooi was justified in contacting ICE, based on his determination that the incident resulting in Ramos-Gomezs arrest met the criteria for a potential act of terrorism. The review also found that VanderKooi violated department policy against using prejudiced words concerning race or national origin, when he used the term loco in his communications with ICE agents. Interim Police Chief David Kiddle said VanderKooi was reprimanded for using unprofessional language, but didnt specify what that entailed. On Thursday, Feb. 28, City Manager Mark Washington announced that Kiddle had placed VanderKooi on paid administrative leave while the Internal Affairs Unit and the citys Labor Relations Office review the captains discipline. Washington said his concern was not with the officers involved in the response on the day of the incident, but the way a senior command member handled the matter after the officers initial response. I have asked the Labor Relations Office of our Administrative Services Department to review the discipline related to the investigation to ensure the senior member of the command staff was properly held accountable for the Internal Affairs sustained findings of his discourtesy based on unprofessional conduct, Washington wrote in his statement. I also have asked the Labor Relations Office to work with Internal Affairs on other related matters to this incident involving the senior member of the command staff, Captain Curt VanderKooi. Additionally, Washington said the police department is conducting a review of department policies and protocols related to contacting federal authorities. This review affirms my commitment to safety over status and following impartial policing protocols, Washington wrote. I will receive the outcome of that work in the coming weeks and will share it with the city commission and community once it is completed by the police department. Ramos-Gomez suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to his family. On Nov. 21, he was arrested by Grand Rapids police after he allegedly set a small fire inside Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital and then stood on the rooftop helipad. He was booked into the Kent County Jail from Nov. 21 until he entered a trespassing plea on Dec. 14. He was set to be released that day but instead was picked up by ICE officers and taken to a detention center. ICE officials later said Ramos-Gomez claimed to be a foreign national during a jail interview. But hes a U.S. citizen and Marine veteran born in Grand Rapids, who police said was in possession of his passport and military dog tags when he was arrested. Capt. VanderKooi was off-duty when Ramos-Gomez was arrested, according to police. But after seeing media reports that evening and without contacting his departments investigating officers, he contacted an ICE agent to have Ramos-Gomezs status checked. The ICE agent determined that Ramos-Gomez was a foreign national illegally in the U.S. Grand Rapids police have said, its unknown how ICE got to that conclusion. On Tuesday, residents and community activists filled City Halls ninth-floor commission chambers to demand VanderKoois firing, and an end to all cooperation with ICE by Grand Rapids police. Attempts by MLive/The Grand Rapids Press to contact VanderKooi, or representatives of the Grand Rapids police unions, this week have not been successful. Below is Washingtons full statement: MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI A father broke down in sobs while talking about the loss of his precious baby girl before the man who killed her was sentenced to at least seven years in prison. Donald Davis grief for his daughter, 6-year-old Taylor Davis, was, in the judges words, part of the excruciatingly difficult process of meting out justice to Dakota Welch. Welch, who was not to be driving, struck Taylor with his car and then fled the scene. Taylor was riding her bicycle when she was struck on June 10, 2018, at the corner of Sixth Street and Maplewood Avenue in Muskegon Heights. Muskegon County Circuit Judge Timothy Hicks earlier agreed to a 70-month minimum sentence, but withdrew it when he learned that Welch has a substantial driving record. Because the judge backed out of the Cobbs Agreement in December 2018, Welch could have withdrawn his no-contest plea he had entered two months earlier. He did not. For driving with a suspended license resulting in death, Hicks sentenced Welch to a minimum of 88 months seven years and four months and a maximum of 22 years. For leaving the scene of an accident causing injury or death, Hicks sentenced Welch to four years to 7 years. That sentence will be served at the same time as the longer sentence. These are truly horrible circumstances, Hicks said. He read the description of the victim written in a Muskegon Heights Police report, describing her as laying in a fetal position with blood on her body and labored breathing. I hope we never forget, especially Mr. Welch, those haunting, haunting words, Hicks said. Welch, 20, has eight prior convictions for driving without a license. Matt Roberts, chief trial attorney for the Muskegon County Prosecutors Office, told Hicks that there was an entry on Welchs driving record that he had never seen before. The entry from the Secretary of States Office essentially states that Welch was deemed unsafe to operate a motor vehicle, Roberts said. This occurred simply because Mr. Welch should not have been driving a motor vehicle, Roberts said, adding later this is truly, truly senseless. Donald Davis was the only member of Taylors family to address Welch prior to sentencing. Davis told Welch he treated his daughter like she was an animal. The fact you were driving without an operators license, ran over our precious baby girl and killed her doesnt sit well with us, Davis said, before breaking down in sobs. After a few moments, Davis continued. We are a God-fearing family, so no matter how much time you get, God will have the last say-so. Davis attorney, R.J. Winter, said his client feels very sorry for his actions, including his behavior at his arraignment when he said some things that were upsetting to people. They were spoken out of confusion about the process, Winter said. At his arraignment, Welch appeared to downplay the seriousness of what had happened, saying he hit a bike but not the little girl riding it. Welch also addressed his behavior when given a chance to speak. He apologized for his actions, saying he behaved very arrogantly, very cocky and very childishly. Im also very sorry for the loss of Taylor Davis, Welch said. After striking Taylor, Welch drove from the scene. A relative of Taylors followed him and tipped police about his location at the Mona Lake Mobile Home Park where he was arrested. KENT COUNTY, MI Quinn James was convicted Thursday, Feb. 28, of first-degree murder in the killing of Mujey Dumbuya, the East Kentwood High sophomore who accused him of rape. He was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder, felony murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. He faces mandatory life in prison without parole at his March 25 sentencing. The verdict came after a Kent County Circuit Court jury deliberated about five hours over the course of two days. The rape allegations proven despite the victims death provided the obvious motive. James, 43, was also heard on recordings wishing she met a tragic end so that she could not testify against him. Dumbuya, 16, was found dead Jan. 28, 2018, in a wooded area off North Prairie Avenue in Kalamazoo. Police think she was killed Jan. 24, 2018, after she failed to show up for school. James, a Wyoming resident, and another man, Gerald Bennett, 59, of Detroit, had scoped out the victims apartment and bus stop the night before, based on cell phone and Google Maps data, the prosecution said. Assistant Kent County Prosecutor Kellee Koncki said that the two drove her to Kalamazoo and dumped her body. She said its uncertain which suspect allegedly strangled or suffocated the victim but if they acted together, both are guilty. Tests showed that the victims blood was found in the loaner car James was driving. His DNA was found on her pants. Koncki told jurors that James took her innocence first, then took her life to avoid a potential life sentence for sexual assault. He is serving 20 to 30 years in prison after he was convicted of raping the teen. Defense attorney Jonathan Schildgen admitted that his client would be the obvious suspect a reason he wouldnt have committed the crime. He said police had tunnel vision in suspecting Quinn, while the prosecutions circumstantial case was based on speculation, not evidence. Police told his client: Who else could it be but you? He said the prosecution twisted evidence to point the finger at James. Circuit Judge George Quist said the jurors did not want to be interviewed by media. Kent County sheriffs deputies provided an escort once they left the courtroom. GRAND RAPIDS, MI Saugatuck Public Schools $39.9 million bond on the May election ballot aims to modernize learning environments, upgrade aging infrastructure, and renovate and refresh schools, according to Superintendent Tim Travis. This proposal would create a better overall learning environment, he said, about providing up-to-date classrooms. Our teaching is already changing to focus more on project-based learning and we want to have more flexible spaces for collaborative learning groups. While educational design and instructional methods have evolved over the decades, he said most of Saugatucks learning environments have not changed. The district is inviting the community to learn more about the proposal and ask questions at the first of three scheduled informational community forums 6 p.m. Thursday, March 7, at Douglas Elementary School, 261 Randolph Street. A building tour will begin at 5:30 p.m. The other two forums are: Wednesday, March 13 at 6 p.m. at Saugatuck Middle School / High School, 401 Elizabeth St. Tuesday, March 26 at 6 p.m. at Saugatuck Middle School / High School Travis said there has been a lot of engagement with the district community since the districts $50.7 million bond request failed last May, including a survey. He said $50 million was than what community felt it could invest and they responded to their families by reducing the proposal by 21 percent. The owner of a $100,000 home would pay $68.07 if they support the proposal, according to Travis. The estimated net millage increase for the 27-year proposal over the prior years levy is 1.36 mills. The millage expected to be levied in 2019 for the proposed bonds is 2.25 mills. A tax calculator will be available on the district website for taxpayers to determine the impact. The approximately 1.36 mills equals approximately an additional $5.67 per month for every $100,000 market value home, officials say. School leaders were able to reduce the cost, in part, by eliminating unpopular items such as making the Middle/High School a two-story building and scaling back other projects. The district reports an enrollment of 839 students. Travis said there was community support for constructing a new music and band suite to accommodate the growing program in which one in four students participate. "The original band room was built in 1974 but not much has been done to it since then but the band has seen an explosion of growth,'' he said. "We need more space for storing instruments and larger practice rooms to accommodate the growth.'' Other plans for the Middle/High School include: Updating technology/devices, modernizing science, art, and technology classrooms, transforming the outdated media center into a learning commons, and creating collaborative spaces for students, staff and the community. The district would also pump dollars into Douglas Elementary. Officials say some classrooms have not seen major renovations in decades. Some things planned to re-imagine the learning environment include: Creating a new science and technology lab with direct access to an outdoor learning space. Updating instructional technology and student devices. Replacing the outdated library with a modern learning commons. Enlarging lower elementary classrooms. Creating more collaborative learning spaces. Travis said they also plan to reconfigure the parking lot to improve the loop for buses and student pick up and drop off plus add parking spaces. He said relocated the districts central office to the Middle/High School will free up space on the site for those changes. The district is also looking create more secure buildings by changing the entrances to direct visitors into the main office to check in, preventing their direct access to classroom areas. If approved, the bond proposal would also provide renovations to aging building systems such as mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and roof systems. Infrastructure renovations would include new LED lighting throughout the buildings, heating and cooling systems, fire suppression, and safety and ADA-accessibility improvements. The bond proposal would refresh other portions of our buildings by updating aging finishes such as flooring, cabinetry, paint, and furniture as needed. The election is Tuesday, May 7. For more specifics about the whats planned for each school building, visit the districts website. UPDATE: Grand Rapids police captain placed on leave over ICE incident GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Community demands for the firing of a Grand Rapids police captain and the end of all cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents by local police took over this weeks city commission meeting -- and convinced at least one city official. The group of more than 30 residents and community activists filled the commission chambers Tuesday, Feb. 26, in response to what police have called an allegedly improper ICE detainment of U.S. citizen and Marine veteran Jilmar Ramos-Gomez late last year in Grand Rapids. Specifically, the group called for the firing of Capt. Curt VanderKooi, who they accuse of racially profiling Ramos-Gomez when he contacted ICE agents to check the mans immigration status following his arrest for an alleged arson and trespassing incident at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital. A day after hearing the calls for VanderKoois firing and the end of cooperation with ICE agents by Grand Rapids police, Third Ward Commissioner Nathaniel Moody said, the people have spoken. The community has made it clear what their demands are, Moody said. Right now, its in (Interim Police) Chief (David) Kiddles hands to do the right thing. The right thing in my mind is what the people asked for. Endless chants of Cops and ICE go hand-in-hand led city leaders to adjourn their bi-monthly 7 p.m. meeting around 8:45 p.m. Tuesday before all attendants were able to voice their concerns, and before Moody and the rest of the commission had the chance to respond to the groups demands. On Wednesday, Feb. 27, Moody said he wasnt satisfied by the interim chiefs most recent statement regarding the handling of Ramos-Gomezs case. I dont think we have the whole story, theres more to it, Moody said. This incident brings a bad light on our police department, which also consists of good officers. Im not saying Mr. VanderKooi isnt a good man; Im saying sometimes when we make mistakes we have to own up to them. Second Ward Commissioner Ruth Kelly said her heart goes out to Ramos-Gomez and his mother for what they went through when he was detained by ICE for three days in December. Ramos-Gomez suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to his family. Kelly said the handling of the incident by Grand Rapids police was unfortunate because it could undercut efforts being made to build community trust in law enforcement and improve community-police relations. Weve been working so hard to develop trust and to build healthy bridges between our community and our public services departments, particularly our police, she said. When something like this happens, its a cancer that can spread throughout the community and police department. Im eager to see how the chief and city manager decide to handle it. City Manager Mark Washington was not made available for interview Wednesday. Interview requests made to Kiddle were directed to Washington and the citys communications office. Attempts by MLive/The Grand Rapids Press to contact police union personnel were not successful. Ramos-Gomez was arrested by Grand Rapids police Nov. 21 after he allegedly set a small fire inside Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital and then stood on the rooftop helipad. He was booked into the Kent County Jail from Nov. 21 until he entered a trespassing plea on Dec. 14. He was set to be released that day but instead was picked up by ICE officers and taken to a detention center. ICE officials later said Ramos-Gomez claimed to be a foreign national during a jail interview. But hes a U.S. citizen and Marine veteran born in Grand Rapids, who police said was in possession of his passport and military dog tags when he was arrested. Capt. VanderKooi was off-duty when Ramos-Gomez was arrested, according to police. But after seeing media reports that evening and without contacting his departments investigating officers, he contacted an ICE agent to have Ramos-Gomezs status checked. The ICE agent determined that Ramos-Gomez was a foreign national illegally in the U.S. Grand Rapids police have said, its unknown how ICE got to that conclusion. A Grand Rapids Police Department Internal Affairs Unit review found that VanderKooi was justified in making the call, which led to Ramos-Gomezs detainment by ICE agents weeks later. Kiddle said VanderKooi and the Federal Bureau of Investigation determined that the Butterworth Hospital incident met the criteria for a potential act of terrorism. The chief said VanderKooi was concerned Ramos-Gomez would bond out of jail during the extended holiday weekend, which played a role in his decision to reach out to ICE. Based on the information Captain VanderKooi had when making the decision to forward Ramos-Gomezs name to ICE, it was reasonable to do so," reads the IAU report, in part. "Had Captain VanderKooi known Ramos-Gomez was a United States citizen, he would still have been justified in sending his name to ICE, to investigate ties to terrorism. "Ramos-Gomezs behavior at the hospital showed several characteristics of a terrorist event and it was prudent to not only have ICE check his citizenship, but also any travel to foreign countries or affiliates with terrorist organizations, which DHS/ICE is tasked with doing. Kiddle did say during Tuesdays meeting that VanderKooi was reprimanded for his unprofessional language" during his interaction with ICE. Commissioner Kelly said she hopes the police chief will evaluate what he heard from the community during Tuesdays meeting, and reconsider some of his own statements and possibly his decisions. Hes a public servant and we heard from the public loud and clear the impact this has had on this community, Kelly said. I know its tough, these are colleagues. But to me, this is a civil rights issue. Kelly stopped short of saying she would approve a tougher punishment for VanderKooi. She said she respects due process and the rule of law, but said shes concerned that this incident could threaten public trust in due process. Mayor Rosalynn Bliss said Wednesday that she was disappointed she had to adjourn Tuesday evenings meeting early. She acknowledged that doing so prevented a number of individuals from being heard during the public comment period. We strive to provide a space where all voices are heard and respected, Bliss said. "I appreciate the communitys concerns about this incident and the findings of the internal affairs report. I take these concerns very seriously. City commissioners and I are working closely with our city manager to follow up on this critical matter. I am deeply sorry that this happened to Mr. Ramos- Gomez and his family. The American Civil Liberties Union, which filed the original complaint with the police department, has 14 days after the IAUs report was finalized to appeal the decision to the citys Civilian Appeals Board. GRAND RAPIDS, MI The Trump administration defended the ban on bump stocks, saying the device, used on semi-automatic firearms, allows it to fire like a machine gun. The defense came in response to a gun-rights groups lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids alleging Second Amendment violations for making the bump stocks illegal. A gunman used bump stocks when he opened fire from a Las Vegas hotel onto a crowd at a country music concert, killing 58 and injuring about 500 in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, had earlier determined that bump stocks were not considered machine guns thus, not illegal. After the Las Vegas shooting, members of Congress and the public asked ATF to re-examine its past classification decisions for bump stocks to determine whether those decisions had been correct. In addition, President Trump instructed the Attorney General to dedicate all available resources to propose for notice and comment a rule banning all devices that turn legal weapons into machine guns, U.S. Department of Justice attorney Eric Soskin wrote in court documents. The filing in U.S. District Court came in response to a lawsuit and request for preliminary injunction filed by Gun Owners of America Inc. and others against the Department of Justice, ATF and government officials. The request for a preliminary injunction said the ATF has concluded for over a decade that bump fire stocks do not meet the federal statutory definition as to what constitutes a machine gun, and thus are outside the purview of the (ATF) to ban, attorney Kerry Morgan wrote. Nevertheless, defendants have now departed from their past adherence to the statutory definition, switched their bump stock classification 180 degrees, and abandoned prior administrative rulings, all for one simple reason earlier (last year), President Trump ordered that bump stocks be banned. Under the new regulation, guns owners would have to destroy or turn in bump stocks by March 29. Bump stocks would fall under prohibitions of possessing machine guns. The gun owners organization said the rule change is arbitrary and capricious. It is arbitrary, because it is founded on political pressure and demonstrably false factual assumptions, rather than on fixed rules, procedures, or law. It contends that the bump stock helps a shooter fire quicker, but not automatically with a single trigger pull like a machine gun. Gun Owners of America say there are 520,000 bump stocks in the United States. They contend that the president and ATF do not have the power to change the legal definition of a machine gun to now include bump stocks. A bump stock replaces the standard stock on a gun. The ATF says it harnesses and directs the firearms recoil energy to slide the firearm back and forth so that the trigger automatically re-engages by bumping the shooters stationary finger. Morgan, the attorney for Gun Owners of America, said: That statement is patently false to the point of being absurd. Morgan said that bump stocks are firearm accessories that the government cannot regulate. He said firearms with bump stocks still require a trigger pull for each shot rather than a single pull for automatic firing. The fact that Congress did not clearly exclude bump stocks from the statute does not mean bureaucrats are free to expand the definition as they see fit, he wrote documents filed this week. Rather, ATF may only interpret the statute as written. He said the government alleged - but did not prove - that bump stocks were used in the Las Vegas shootings. The governments attorney said that by acting on a presidential instruction, the Department of Justice has corrected a confusing and erroneous agency interpretation to the expected benefit of public safety. Here is a link in The New York Times demonstrating how a bump stock works. Erich Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, based in Springfield, Virginia, said the lawsuit was filed in Michigan because it is within the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which he contends is not only very pro-gun, but also has been more skeptical of illegal government regulatory actions than many other circuits in the country. Next month, U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney in Kalamazoo will hear oral arguments on the request for a preliminary injunction. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A Kentwood man who police say left an expletive-laced voicemail that threatened harm to U.S. Senator Cory Booker has pleaded guilty to a crime carrying a potential five-year prison sentence. Rick Lynn Simmons, 52, pleaded guilty to making an interstate threat. An indictment says Simmons left a expletive-laced, threatening voicemail at the senators Camden, New Jersey, office on Oct. 26 from a cellphone in Kent County. According to the indictment, the message included threats with words to the effect: Im just doing my guns a blazin pal. I got a nine millimeter Ill put in your f----- face, you m-----------. You wanna, you wanna challenge me? The indictment said Simmons also used the N-word. Simmons is to be sentenced June 5. Assistant States Attorney Grace Donovan told the jury that Scheau angered Mrdjenovich and the man who ran the business. Donovan said the man, who is from Dallas and has not been charged in the case, forbid his massage employees to start their own services if they left his. JACKSON, MI A service outage thats leaving Verizon Wireless customers in the Jackson and Lansing areas unable to use their phones is being caused by a cut fiber optic cable, company officials said. The disruption in service began shortly before 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 27, for customers in parts of mid-Michigan. The cut fiber optic cable goes to one of Verizons third-party vendor networks, said Andy Choi, Verizon Wireless public relations manager. Our engineers are aware of the issue and are working with our vendors to resolve it, Choi said. Affected customers are encouraged to enable WiFi calling to make and receive calls at no additional charge. It should be noted when a cell site experiences interruption, mobile 911 calls will automatically connect to any available network regardless of carrier to complete the emergency call. At this point there is no estimated time when service will be back up and running, Choi said. Every cellular site is connected to the network via fiber optic cable, Choi said. When fiber optic cable is already present, Verizon sometimes partners with that provider to carry calls text and data over their network to Verizons network. The outage occurred 45 minutes before Verizon was scheduled to testify in front of the House Communications and Technology Committee in Lansing, according to a report from MIRS News. Committee Chairwoman Michele Hoitenga, R-Manton, said the timing of the outage was purely coincidence, adding that other service providers had some fun at Verizons expense, the report said. KALAMAZOO, MI -- Smooching his wife is more difficult with the long beard and fluffy mustache, but for Spanky Doom the world of competitive bearding makes the fuzz worth it. Doom, 37, is one of a growing number of people in Kalamazoo who meet Sundays for beers and some grub at the Old Dog Tavern in downtown Kalamazoo. In addition to the communal love for Kalamazoo beer, the men in the group also share another thing in common--award-winning facial hair. The Old Dog Whisker Club is a group of men who grow their beards and mustaches for national competitions. Club founder, Andy Miller, 56, started the group in 2017 after watching the documentary Whisker Wars and was enlightened to the world of competitive bearding. But the message of his group goes deeper than beauty pageant-type competitions and perfectly styled facial hair, Miller said. As a member of the North American Competitive Beard and Mustache Alliance, the group joins others across the country to raise money for nonprofits. Whisker Club chose The Grey Muzzle Organization, which aids elderly dogs, he said. No old dog should die alone or afraid, Miller said, quoting the organizations motto. The groups other purpose is to destigmatize facial hair, he said. People think were all bikers and bad asses, Miller said. But big whiskers go hand-in-hand with big hearts. Miller himself works as a business consultant, he said. His self-consciousness of his own beard is a motivator to help other men feel comfortable expressing themselves in their workplaces, he said. The group also includes a special education teacher at WoodsEdge Learning Center, a mechanic for the Michigan Department of Transportation, a body piercer and a former bank teller. Having a long beard affects daily life, James Roth, 48, said. Sitting in the tavern showing off his beard, which extends at least a foot off of his chin, Roth said daily activities like eating and sleeping can be difficult because of the beard. "Soup is the worst, Roth said. But, growing a long beard for competition is one of the best ways to learn patience, he said. As a barber who specializes in facial hair, Roth said he helps his clients fight the urge to chop the beard off during awkward stages of growth, like early on when it itches or curls. Bearding is a sport, Roth said. Another life skill the beard has taught him was that its OK to be different or on the fringes of society, he said. Im going to say this, I am part of the LGBT community," Roth said. You probably wouldnt look at me and guess that I am gay. What I love about the beard community is that its open and accepting to everyone, he said. The club as a whole promotes community, it promotes beard growth, acceptance, fundraising, camaraderie, brotherhood and sisterhood." Inclusiveness is a point of pride for the group, Miller said. Unlike how people might stereotype the men with large beards, Miller said the group is LGBT friendly and keeps a focus on social justice. People can associate whiskers with negative stereotypes, but the group is not prejudicial, he said. We support the underdog, Miller said. The group plans to host their first competition this summer, he said. The Parade of Whiskers will hopefully be a part of Kalamazoos Do-Dah Parade in June, he said. The group sat together under a stuffed caribou in Old Dog Tavern munching on their food and sipping beers while they discussed which trophy best represents the city. Competition trophies are themed and are meant to show off an individual citys culture, he said. The hand-made mounted kazoos, a trophy option for the groups competition, are spread out in front of the group. At a nearby table, the belt-shaped trophies from Whisker Mania the group won at a prior competition are on display. Doom, a body piercer who lives in Portage, stroked the red curls cascading from his chin. The long beard contrasts with his bald head thats covered in colorful tattoos. Shes about two and half years at this point, Doom said of his beard. Doom first started shaving on his 15th birthday, he said. Now in his 30s and married, he is proud of the facial hair hes capable of growing, he said. Though smooching is a little more difficult, Doom said. SOUTH HAVEN TOWNSHIP, MI Less than a mile from the shores of Lake Michigan, a bar and grill that has been a local staple for years is adding a new attraction. Curve Inn, 10336 Blue Star Highway, is allowing marijuana use during private events on Saturday nights that began in January, according to owner Pat Clausen. A self-described child of the 60s and 70s, Clausen said she smoked marijuana back in the day but quit when she went to work as a police dispatcher. Because you dont take money to enforce laws and then break them, she said. Clausen worked for law enforcement agencies in Michigan and in Hawaii, she said, declining to give specifics of the departments, and dispatched plenty of calls for violence related to alcohol and other drugs during her 14 years as a dispatcher. She said she didnt hear about the same types of incidents involving marijuana. Clausen, who is in her 60s, said she believes it will be hard for some people to change their opinions about marijuana. It was breaking the law then, now its not, she said. The bar began hosting cannabis club events in late January on Saturday nights beginning at 9 p.m. During one event on Feb. 23, smoke hung in the air and most tables were filled with people as a slow reggae beat washed over the socializing crowd. Patrons played pool and ordered drinks like the green colored liquid marijuana (which contains no actual marijuana) on special while they puffed on joints, glass pipes and vaporizer devices. It feels kind of weird but it feels good, James Buckley of South Haven said. I feel potheads or pot has been pushed to the back. He has attended a couple cannabis events at the bar and said it has been a laid-back and friendly atmosphere. Ive seen nothing but smiling faces, he said. Bags containing marijuana and rolling papers sat on the table nearby on top of Keno sheets and a basket of fried food from the bar, as he ashed off the ember of the joint into a pie tin used as an ash tray. He went outside to have a cigarette where the wind was blowing and a few people were seated on a covered patio, warming themselves by a brick pizza oven and sharing marijuana. I never thought the day would come when I could come to the bar and smoke weed with my friends, Jessica Scherer said. Its a very awesome place. We love Pat. The business has been around in some form for 79 years, Clausen said. She bought it 12 years ago with her sister, and has since bought her sister out, she said. The tobacco smoking ban, which prohibited tobacco smoking in Michigan bars starting in 2010, changed the bar industry, she said. Competition from brewpubs and wineries is increasing. Every time you add something like that, the pie gets smaller, Clausen said. People coming to bars after smoking pot is nothing new, she said. Now that it is allowed inside, customers from age 21 to 80 have joined in, she said. Many are locals and some are new faces, she said. Our Saturday nights have been pretty quiet, so when we saw this, we saw an opportunity, Clausen said. The bar charges $5 at the door for a membership to the cannabis club, and does not allow sales of marijuana or any other illegal activities, she said. The move comes in the months after Michigan voters passed a measure to legalize the recreational use and possession of marijuana for adults age 21 and older. The business is part of a wave of others embracing the loosening climate in Michigan. Clausen said she heard about a cannabis club opening at Ruperts Brew House in Kalamazoo and spoke to South Haven Township officials and law enforcement officials before deciding to host the marijuana events. Many people have thanked her for providing a welcoming space, she said, though others have expressed they will not be back because she allows marijuana use. Sales of marijuana used for recreational purposes are currently illegal in Michigan, because no businesses are currently licensed to sell recreational marijuana. Sales of marijuana for recreational use are currently not allowed in Michigan, because no businesses have been licensed by the state to sell marijuana at this time. Sales of marijuana are not allowed at Curve Inn, Clausen said. South Haven Chief of Police Natalie Thompson said Clausen asked for her input about how to hold the events legally, so Thompson began her own research to see what was allowed and not allowed under the new law and conferred with the Van Buren County Prosecutors Office about it. The city police department also provides policing for South Haven Township. I think its a bit of a gray area, Van Buren County Prosecutor Michael Bedford said. He said no specific violations related to cannabis clubs had been brought to his attention as of Feb. 19. Until somebody investigates and determines a state law is violated, one we can prosecute, theres not much we can do, he said. Thompson said the bar closing its doors means it is a private event, noting a conversation she had with the prosecutor. The chief also reached out the the Michigan Liquor Control Commission and the Attorney Generals Office to ask for clarification, she said. A representative at the MLCC told her the agency is investigating the possibility that a businesses could be in violation for using a liquor license during private hours, Thompson said. In Kalamazoo, Ruperts Brew House, meanwhile, has expanded its marijuana events to several nights per week. The club has hosted live jazz, stand-up comedy, video game night, and a Super Bowl party, all allowing marijuana use, owner Mark Rupert said. Police officers came to check out one of the gatherings on Jan. 13, and Rupert walked a police officer through the establishment. Several people were drinking beer and smoking marijuana, a police report written by Sgt. Kristie Hofer states. She wrote she did not see anyone smoking cigarettes. She and another officer said they smelled marijuana upon approaching the bar. The cannabis club events have helped the business maintain revenue during the Polar Vortex, sometimes drawing hundreds of paying club members per night, Rupert said. He said he thinks they will draw more people once the weather is nice. However, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Spokesman David Harns said a business operating like Ruperts Brew House could face a violation for using its public liquor license to hold private events and could face a liquor control commission hearing. No public violation had been filed against Ruperts as of Feb. 28, he said. A brewery may not act as a private club unless they surrender their liquor license to the Commission or put it into escrow, Harns told MLive in January. A licensee could face penalties including fines, suspension or revocation depending on the situation, Harns has said. Another Van Buren County establishment, Harleys Gentlemens Club, 105 North Phelps St., in Decatur, is advertising cannabis culture night on Feb. 23. The BYOBud event is advertised as private, with $10 entry, and for ages 21 plus. BYOBud, selling of cannabis on premises is prohibited, an advertisement for the event reads, in part. Decatur Chief of Police Tom VanDerWoude said the department was very aware of the advertised event planned at Harleys Gentlemens Club. He said he would not answer specific questions about the the event being advertised. We fully expect all of our liquor license holders to follow all the rules set forth by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission, Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, and to follow the Public Health Act / Code. We regularly do liquor inspections in our community and we will continue to do so, he said in an email message. We also fully expect everyone to follow the law in the state of Michigan, he said. After Michigan voters approved a measure to legalize the adult use of marijuana in Michigan, the Michigan State Police said the states criminal justice community would need to implement new policies and procedures that account for the legal use and possession of marijuana by persons age 21 and older, and will consult with the Michigan Attorney Generals Office to determine specific impact on existing department policies and procedures, and will then train our members to ensure the new law is applied appropriately. The Michigan Attorney Generals Office said a determination about the legality of the activities in question, specifically with reference to marijuana use, will likely depend on the facts of each case. We are working with our clients, including the Liquor Control Commission and LARA, on several issues related to marijuana use, Michigan Attorney Generals Office Communications Director Kelly Rossman-McKinney said, after speaking with division chiefs that head up the licensing and regulation division and alcohol and gambling enforcement division. We have not provided advice on this issue to other law enforcement and prosecutors," she said. The social clubs are among several businesses across the state embracing loosening pot regulations. While marijuana is now legal for adults to possess and use on private property, there are currently no legal ways to buy it. Businesses across the state are working to fulfill requirements to obtain a state licence to grow, process, sell, transport or test medical marijuana, though none of those businesses will be allowed to sell to the recreational market at this time. The state is working to draft rules for recreational marijuana businesses now. Clausen said her business decision is also a statement and people will have to accept the new reality about pot in Michigan. It was Americas second prohibition, she said. At one of the private Saturday events, Clausen said she smoked a few puffs for the first time in years after a recent 17-hour shift. Its legal," she said. PAW PAW, MI Paw Paw Brewing Co. has more space to grow in its new brewpub. Its a big deal, Paw Paw Brewing Founder Ryan Sylvester said of the brewerys move into a 22,000-square-foot former factory space. The new brewpub, which opened Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 780 S. Gremps St. in Paw Paw, is the former home of the Warren Frank canning factory. Todays the day we all finally get together and my whole staffs in one spot," Sylvester said. "Its a pretty good day for us. Paw Paw shut the doors at its 1,000-square-foot pub at 929 E. Michigan to move into the new pub, which will give the company four times the amount of room to use for a full kitchen and seating. Paw Paw Brewing has been brewing beer at the new location since August 2017, moving production from its facility nearby at Sylvester said. Sylvester, who has worked as a general contractor, said he has done much of the remodeling and moving work himself since March 2018. its just a big building, Sylvester said of the 22,000-square-foot space. Its a lot to do. The new space allows Paw Paw to have beer on 30 taps instead of the 15 taps offered at the old pub. The pub will feature a game room with a pool table and 80s-era pinball games. Sylvester said the new space has room to reserve for hosting parties. Sylvester said he plans to offer a large amount of open air and partially covered outdoor space for people to gather, including a dog-friendly patio. Sylvester said the move will allow Paw Paw to can its beers again this spring, which it hasnt done in four years. He said he expects production to increase from just shy of 2,000 barrels of beer a year to 2,500 to 3,000 barrels of beer a year. Were ready for it, Sylvester said. "We have the staff, capabilities, equipment. Sylvester said the new location allows Paw Paw to have a full kitchen of equipment, including a char broiler for burgers, allowing them to expand from the paninis and quesadillas they offered at the smaller pub. Thats going to be our biggest change in the company, is transitioning a little bit more to half restaurant, half brewery than three-quarters brewery, a quarter restaurant, Sylvester said. I think thats the way a lot of breweries are evolving or at least starting that way now. SAGINAW, MI A patient who caused an active shooter alert in a Saginaw hospital when he drew a handgun and fired a round has received a probationary sentence. Saginaw County Circuit Judge Andre R. Borrello on Wednesday, Feb. 27, sentenced 80-year-old Arthur H. Kickland to one year of probation. The judge also ordered Kickland to pay $405 in court fines and costs. Two months prior, Kickland pleaded no contest to two counts of aggravated assault and one count of reckless discharge of a firearm, all three misdemeanors. In exchange for the Sanford residents pleas, the prosecution dismissed six felonies, including a 10-year count of discharging a firearm in a building. Kickland on the night of Oct. 14, 2017, was a patient at Covenant HealthCare on 700 Cooper Ave. At some point, Kickland became disruptive with hospital staff while they were assisting him, police previously said. He pulled a small-caliber firearm from his personal belongings and pointed it at them, police said. Staff retreated from the room, taking another patient with them, and Kickland fired one round after they left, police have said. No one was injured in the incident. Police were called to the hospital just before midnight on reports of an active shooter. Two Saginaw police officers who are members of the Saginaw Emergency Services Team used ballistic shields to enter Kicklands room. Kickland failed to comply with several orders to drop his weapon and one officer deployed a department-issued stun gun on him , after which Kickland dropped his gun. After the incident was over, Kickland remained in the hospital for continued treatment and was monitored by hospital security. The Detroit Pistons will look to extend their winning streak to four games and reach .500 for the first time since Dec. 26 when they face the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center tonight at 8:30. The Pistons (29-30) are 7-1 in their past eight games. The Spurs (33-29) have lost three in a row and seven of their past eight. Follow this link to join us in the discussion: https://www.mlive.com/pistons/c1fe00-detroit-pistons-at-san-antonio-spurs-live-score-updates.html As the tensions continue rising between India and Pakistan, activists and celebrities have called for calm, but one Bollywood star has incurred Twitters wrath with her post. 33-year-old actor Sonam Kapoor shared a post promoting the idea that Hindu and Islamic fundamentalists have a lot in common and that the ordinary citizens of both India and Pakistan should oppose any potential armed conflict between the two nations. The original post was made by a satirical account called Humans of Hindutva which typically posts inflammatory, often trolling comments, directed at right wingers and nationalists in India. Laughter, empathy, fun and friendship are not part of our culture. If you don't like it then go to Pakistan you sickular piece of liberal, the pages about section reads. Sonam Kapoor began trending on Twitter for a brief period in the immediate aftermath of her Instagram post, as citizens directed their ire at the star for her ill-judged repost. Some criticized her repost as a plea for attention to garner more fame and boost her career while others called for a FIR, or a police investigation. Others called for a boycott of her films or even (jokingly or otherwise) for surgical strikes against the young actress. There were even conspiracy theories that such posts by Indian celebrities were paid for, or were plots perpetrated by Pakistan. Both Indian and Pakistan celebrities and thought-leaders have shared pro- and anti-war sentiments since the recent flare-up in tensions of the disputed Kashmir region. The hashtag #SayNoToWar became a trending topic on Twitter Wednesday as citizens of both countries called for de-escalation. Also on rt.com #SayNoToWar trends on Twitter as India, Pakistan teeter on the brink of armed conflict Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! The downing of Indian and Pakistani planes has prompted the world to brace for a potential further escalation of an air conflict between the two arch-rivals. A military analyst elaborates on what options they have. India has recently said it shot down a Pakistani plane while losing its own MiG in action. The Indian MiG-21 appears to be a pretty old aircraft while the Pakistani one, although not officially identified, is considered to be F-16 one of the world's most numerous fixed-wing aircraft in current military service. Also on rt.com On the verge of disaster: How an India-Pakistan armed confrontation could impact the region RT has asked a retired colonel and a military analyst, Mikhail Khodarenok, what else the two old foes might have up their sleeves in case of a full-scale aerial combat. In any potential air battle, India has to mostly rely on the Soviet Mig-29, which was developed in the late 1970s to counter US fighter jets such as F-15 and F-16, Khodarenok said. Initially designed as an air superiority fighter, MiG-29 was later furnished as a multirole aircraft that can be equipped with a range of air-to-air and air-to-surface armaments and precision munitions. Another of Indias option involves Su-30MKI a twinjet multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russia's Sukhoi in late 1990s and introduced only in 2002. Produced locally by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), it is one of Indias most modern military planes, which characteristics are close to those of Russias Su-35, distinguished by its high maneuverability. Additionally, New Delhi might rely on its French-made Dassault Mirage 2000 fourth-generation fighters, which are relatively similar to MiG-29s. The list of aircraft Pakistan can possibly set against its rival mostly includes older versions of the French Dassault Mirage aircraft series, such as Mirage 4 and Mirage 5. Developed back in 1960s, these aircraft were traditionally equipped mostly with various air-to-surface armaments, Khodarenok said. Apart from F-16s, which remain Pakistans most modern western-produced fighters, Islamabad also wields a large number of Chinese-made aircraft, although their types and characteristics are unknown. When it comes to air defense, both sides have little to boast about, the military analyst believes. Their air defense systems are relatively few in number and are far from the most-advanced weapons of our time. Islamabad possesses a Chinese equivalent of an old Soviet S-75 high-altitude air defense system, which is also known under its NATO reporting name SA-2 Guideline. Although, the exact specifications of the Chinese system are not known, its Soviet-made analogue was first produced back in 1957. In addition, it also has a French all-weather short-range anti-air missile, Crotale, produced since the late 1970s and still operated by France as well. New Delhi has its domestically produced Akash medium-range mobile surface-to-air missile defense system, which might fall short of Pakistans S-75 equivalent when it comes to range and flight ceiling. However, it also possess the Soviet-made S-125 Neva/Pechora (NATO reporting name SA-3 Goa), which has significantly longer range and higher flight ceiling than the French Crotale. However, both sides are unlikely to unleash their arsenals as neither are interested in escalating the conflict to an all-out war, Khodarenok said. New Delhi and Islamabad would likely limit themselves to some belligerent statements followed by an effort to ease the tensions, he concluded. If you like this story, share it with a friend! Recalling the 2011 US operation to kill Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, an Indian minister said New Delhi is able to carry out a similar raid. The statement comes amid a simmering conflict that saw tit-for-tat action over Kashmir. I remember when US Navy Seals went to Abbottabad [Pakistan] to kill [Al-Qaeda leader] Osama bin Laden, then why cant India? Arun Jaitley, Indias finance minister was quoted as saying by local media. He said such a raid used to be only an imagination, a wish, a frustration and disappointment,adding, but its possible today. Jaitley, who was defense minister until late 2017, was speaking just a day after a series of artillery shellings and air encounters over contested Kashmir. New Delhi said its Air Force engaged and shot down a Pakistani aircraft (presumably an F-16) but lost their own MiG-21 fighter as well. Pakistan, in turn captured an ejected MiG pilot, posting a photo of him in custody. The fighting came after India conducted air raids against terrorist in Pakistan, some 50km (32 miles) from the UN-mandated Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, which serves as the de facto border in the disputed region. India hasnt launched incursions that deep into Pakistani territory since the war of 1971. New Delhi claimed it was a response to the Pakistan-based militants attacking and killing dozens of its police officers in mid-February. India also accused Pakistan of turning a blind eye to terrorists on its soil, while Islamabad vehemently denies the claim. The CIA-led 2011 raid on bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, was launched from Afghanistan, involving SEAL Team Six and other participating units. The US military said bin Ladens body was brought to Afghanistan for identification and then buried at sea, within 24 hours of his death in accordance with Islamic tradition. Also on rt.com Down the rabbit hole: Bin Laden raid was staged after extensive Pakistan-US negotiations - report Initial reports claimed the Pakistani military was unaware of the raid as Washington allegedly refused to share information about it until it was over. However, bin Laden was not located through tracking of his couriers but through a walk-in, according to award-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, citing a retired senior intelligence official, along with a handful of anonymous others. Like this story? Share it with a friend! US President Donald Trumps advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met Saudi Arabia's king and crown prince to discuss building up cooperation while the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was apparently not even mentioned. Accompanied by the US Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt and US special representative for Iran, Brian Hook, Kushner met with King Salman all as part of his trip to the Gulf nations in support for a yet-to-be-unveiled Israeli-Palestinian peace proposal. Also on rt.com Saudis say forget Khashoggi & let's do business RT's Boom Bust checks if anyone's interested "Building on previous conversations, they discussed increasing cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia, and the Trump administrations efforts to facilitate peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, the White House said following the talks. The chilling murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which gripped the worlds attention for months in late 2018, was never mentioned in the statement, though. After all, why would US officials spoil the lovely atmosphere of cooperation with their major Middle Eastern ally and arms trade partner with such grim details? Khashoggi was brutally killed in the Saudi consulate in Turkey in early October 2018, with his body allegedly being dismembered afterwards. Riyadh has repeatedly changed its story about the journalists disappearance and death. So far eleven individuals have been charged by Saudi prosecutors in the journalists killing with five suspects facing the death penalty. The tragic event, which put relations between Washington and Riyadh to a severe test, seems to be finally a thing of the past as international clamor around it wanes. Also on rt.com House says US is waging war in Yemen, votes for 30-day deadline to end assistance to Saudis The White House was arguably the last and most adamant champion of the House of Saud in the tumultuous times that followed the grisly assassination, which was largely blamed on the crown prince himself. The CIAconcluded with high confidence that Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing and the US Senate passed a resolution blaming the prince for the journalists death. The shocking event even prompted US lawmakers to finally notice the bloody Saudi campaign in Yemen, which has been blatantly disregarded by the Western establishment for years. In mid-February, the House even voted for a 30-day deadline to end assistance to the Saudis in the war-torn Middle Eastern state. Washington eventually limited itself to imposing economic sanctions on 17 Saudi officials in November for their role in the Khashoggi killing. Despite all the diplomatic fallout, Trump refused to halt weapon sales to Riyadh, describing Saudi arms purchases as vital to the US economy. The US ally, Germany, went even further and halted all arms sales to the Kingdom. However, the harshest statement the White House managed to produce over this period was one issued by Trump, in which he admitted that the crown prince could very well have known about the murder but said that this fact does not diminishes Riyadhs role as a great ally. Also on rt.com White House 'strongly opposes' halting support of bloody Saudi-led campaign in Yemen US official On all other occasions, the Trump administration did not admit so much as a thought that their dear allies should be punished. Most recently, Trump outright refused to comply with a law seeking a report to Congress on who is responsible for Khashoggis killing. The only ally that the White House seems to have in this unequal battle is the Pentagon, which also believes that Riyadh is just too important to whip. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! On Wednesday, another alleged victim of Hazleys sex trafficking operation, a 20-year-old woman from Ohio, testified that she worked for him for about four months in 2016, going on as many as six dates a day at Chicago-area hotels and other locations. Hazley drove her to the appointments and usually stayed outside, waiting for a text from her to make sure I was still alive, she said. Moscow would be ready to host negotiations between New Delhi and Islamabad, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said as tensions flare in the contested region of Kashmir. The top diplomat made it clear that the Kremlin will not hesitate to help ease hostilities between the perennial rivals amid the latest escalation. If they [India and Pakistan] wish to, then certainly yes, Russian FM said, after being asked whether Russia is ready to provide a place for talks. Lavrovs words were elaborated by Russian FM spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who said the standoff involving two nuclear-armed nations needs a political and diplomatical solution. The Russian FM representative also urged both parties to show restraint. India launched an air raid on the Pakistani-controlled territory on Tuesday. New Delhi said the strikes targeted a terrorist camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed militant group, which claimed responsibility for the February 14 suicide bombings that killed over 40 Indian police officers. On Wednesday, Pakistan claimed to have downed two Indian warplanes over the contested Kashmir region. New Delhi acknowledged the loss of one fighter but said they also shot down a Pakistani aircraft. The latest tit-for-tat skirmishes between Islamabad and New Delhi raised fears of a full-fledged military conflict in the region. Turkey and Iran have already volunteered to mediate between the two arch-rivals in southern Asia. If you like this story, share it with a friend! The US Senate has released a draft law on extending penalties against Russia. The bill threatens to target multiple sectors of the Russian economy, including operations with sovereign debt and investing in LNG projects abroad. If passed, the bill, titled Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act of 2019 (DASKAA), will ban US nationals from engaging in transactions with, providing financing for, or otherwise dealing in Russias state debt, including bonds issued by the Central Bank, the National Wealth Fund, or the Federal Treasury of the Russian Federation, or agents or affiliates of any of these entities. The document, which is set to be approved by the US Congress and signed by the president, was introduced by Senators Lindsey Graham and Bob Menendez earlier this year, marking the second attempt by the lawmakers to impose additional sanctions against Moscow. The previous version was defeated last year. The new package of penalties will also include restrictive measures against the Russian shipbuilding sector along with 24 senior officers of the countrys Federal Security Service. The step is reportedly connected to Russias alleged aggression against Ukraine during the standoff near the Crimean coast in the Kerch Strait. The fresh sanctions will also target Russian banks and financial institutions that support alleged Kremlin interference in democratic processes or elections in other states. Investment in Russian energy projects focused on liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities located outside Russia will also be banned under the terms of the latest bill, if approved. At the same time, the latest version of the bill lacks measures on freezing operations and assets of Russian state-run financial institutions, such as Sberbank and VTB, which had been included in the previous draft. The bill retains sanctions against political figures and oligarchs, as well as their family members over alleged support of illicit and corrupt activities on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin. It also includes sanctions against the countrys cyber technology sector and developing of crude oil resources located in Russia. Moreover, the draft bill requires the director of US National Intelligence to submit a detailed report on the personal net worth and assets of the Russian president not later than 180 days after the date of enactment. For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section Europe will pay half as much for liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia than what US energy companies offer, according to independent Russian gas producer Novatek. Washington has been pushing its own LNG on the European market, while criticizing Russian projects, including the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which is to be completed by the end of this year. However, falling for US rhetoric may affect European customers given that the price for American LNG is much higher, according to Novatek. Also on rt.com Russias share of European gas market surges to almost 37%, dwarfing LNG imports The company says it has been able to deliver LNG to Europe for $3.15 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) while US producers were offering it for $7-$8, Novateks Chief Financial Officer Mark Gyetvay told the International Petroleum week (IP week) conference as cited by Reuters. The Russian energy giant says it has much lower production costs than its American rivals, extracting gas at a cost of 10 cents per mmBtu against $3 in the US, and liquefying gas for 50 cents compared to America's $3. Russian gas will be very competitive versus the US Gulf coast, Gyetvay told the gathering in London. He added that the energy company plans to extend annual production of sea-borne LNG by around 15 million tons to 70 million tons by 2030. Earlier this year, Novateks Chairman Leonid Mikhelson vowed to cut production costs up to $750 per ton to solidify his company's advantage on the world gas market. Also on rt.com Proposed US sanctions target Russias sovereign debt, banks, shipbuilding & LNG projects While the US is mulling more sanctions targeting Russia, including against the country's LNG projects, Novatek says that it will not allow Washington to hold it hostage to its policy. In order to protect itself, the company pledged to build all equipment and technology in Russia. In December 2018, the firm announced that its Yamal LNG plant in the Arctic reached full capacity of 16.5 million tons per annum. Novatek is also developing another ambitious facility for liquefying gas in the Arctic region, Arctic LNG 2. For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section Russia and China vetoed a U.S. resolution at the the United Nations Security Council expressing concerns over interference in affairs of a sovereign state. Russian draft also failed. Russias envoy to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia slammed the US resolution as the culmination of the American spectacle of double standards regarding Venezuela. He insisted that the US knew from the start the document had no chance of passing and was only put together to justify further complains that access of humanitarian aid is being denied into Venezuela. We have serious concerns that the todays [UNSC] meeting may be used as stage of an actual, not humanitarian, intervention into Venezuela, the envoy said. The resolutions called for new presidential elections in the country shaken by political turmoil for more than a month and unhindered access of aid. Draft resolution before us "seriously inconsistent" with China's position, Beijing's envoy said. "Venezuelan affairs should be decided by the Venezuelan people," Wu Haitao explained the decision. "China opposes external forces interfering in Venezuelan internal affairs and opposes military intervention in Venezuela." The draft resolution garnered the minimum nine votes, while Russia, China and South Africa voted against the text and Indonesia, Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast abstained. The council then voted on the Russian draft that expresses support for a political solution that failed with seven votes against it. DETAILS TO FOLLOW South Africas stagnating economy and exponential government spending mean that 2024 could be the year its cash reserves run dry, according to independent agricultural economist Fanie Brink. Government spending increases every year uncontrollably, but it does so at an exponential rate. That will also increase the debt burden to the same extent in the near future, Brink was quoted as saying by the South African news website. He added that The only solution to these problems is a total return to a capitalist economic system, which encourages healthy growth. Also on rt.com South Africa oil discovery could be a game-changer According to the economist, with more than 40 years of experience in the agricultural industry in South Africa, The chance that the ANC government, as well as the politicians and the economic specialists will ever understand and accept it, is clearly not a strong possibility. That is why the ANC government will only need at most another five years to destroy the economy and the country, he said. Brink also criticized suggestions by Wits University Professor Janie Rossouw that the country would run out of money by 2042. Rossouw was being too optimistic, he said, adding it would actually be a luxury for South Africa to make it to 2042. Such a projection provides the ANC with a comfort zone and actually gives a better perception of the economy than what he believes to be true. Also on rt.com Land confiscation plans will hurt South Africa's economic growth, IMF warns Rossouw earlier told the countrys Standing Committee on Finance that Mzansi (an informal name for South Africa) has 23 years left before it all goes to hell in a hand basket. The professor explained that the exorbitant cost of ministries is one of the most punishing features of the national budget. South Africas leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EEF) party has also been calling for the government to eliminate deputy minister positions. It pointed out that a total of 35 people in those positions make up a wage bill of R68,950,000 a year (almost $5 million). Over a five-year term, that would amount to almost R345 million ($25 million) which is just under the total amount President Cyril Ramaphosa released for a stimulus package last September. Scrapping deputies could end up saving the country the near-equivalent of a domestic bailout, the EEF said. Also on rt.com Back on track: South Africa pulls out of recession as economy surges For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section Dramatic footage posted on Youtube shows a train battling through a wall of fire and smoke in Russias Far East as wildfires reduced the region to a hellscape. In the terrifying video captured by passengers, the flames are seen coming close to the train while the railway completely disappears in a cloud of smoke. The inferno is rapidly extending across the region and threatening to paralyze railway traffic, including the legendary Trans-Siberia railway connecting Moscow to Vladivostok. Emergency authorities announced a special firefighting regime north of the Russian Far East after the wildfires started earlier this year. The historically warm winter and lack of snow turned the region into a tinderbox. A personnel of more than 13,000 has been deployed for fire-fighting operations. Also on rt.com Paradise lost: Terrifying bodycam VIDEO shows desperate escape from deadly Camp Fire An area the size of Maui, the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands, has been burned by massive wildfire in the last two months, according to the Federal Forestry Agency. Meanwhile, strong winds and dry weather are compounding matters by bringing smoke from the neighboring northern regions of China, which are also battling with wildfires. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! President Donald Trump has told reporters that he called Chinese leader Xi Jinping to say hey, and see what he could do to help with North Korea, a surprising admission in light of US-Chinese tensions. Trump was speaking at a media conference with Mike Pompeo in Hanoi, Vietnam at the end of his talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday. A reporter from Global Times China asked what Trump expects China to do to mediate the US relationship with North Korea. Also on rt.com We thought it wasnt a good thing to be signing anything Trump on Hanoi summit with Kim China has been very helpful. Pres. Xi is a great leader, Trump said. Hes a highly respected leader all over the world and especially in Asia and hes helped us, Mike, I would say, that hes helped us a lot, right? I actually called him just recently to say hey, you know, whatever you can do on this. But hes been very helpful at the border, and hes been very, very helpful, I think, with North Korea generally. Could he be a little more helpful? Probably, but but hes been very helpful. The Trump-Kim summit ended early on Wednesday with no deal made between the two countries. Relations between the US and China have been tense, with both countries placing billions of dollars of tariffs on each others products. The US has accused Chinese phone manufacturer Huawei of being a national security threat, with the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in December further straining relations. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Despite ending talks with Kim Jong-un without a clinched deal, Trump still had praise for the North Korean leader. He even claimed the cornered state can become a major economic power. North Korea could be one of the most successful countries on Earth once Pyongyang gets rid of the nukes, Trump said speaking about possible denuclearization options. He made the statement after his second summit with Kim (this time in Vietnam) unexpectedly wrapped up after two hours. Nevertheless, the US president commended North Korea as an incredible country with an incredible location emphasizing its proximity to China, Russia, and South Korea, as well as its access to water. The US leader also gave an optimistic forecast about the countrys economic perspective. There is tremendous potential in North Korea and I think he [Kim] is going to lead it to a very important thing economically. I think its going to be an absolute economic power. Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un met in Hanoi, Vietnam on Wednesday and Thursday to mark the second historic meeting between US and North Korea leaders. No formal deal was reached but the US president preferred not to cast the outcome as a disappointment. Also on rt.com We thought it wasnt a good thing to be signing anything Trump on Hanoi summit with Kim Like this story? Share it with a friend! The Trump administration reportedly won't demand that North Korea discloses all particulars of its nuclear program for now, having dropped the request ahead of the second US-North Korea summit that kicked off in Vietnam. The move, which some have argued robs President Donald Trump's push for the "complete and irreversible" de-nuclearization of any merit, was reported by NBC News, which cited current and former US officials. The officials said that it does not mean that Washington would not seek the full disclosure of all alleged ballistic missiles sites and nuclear polygons in the future, but that it has decided to shelve the demand for now. Also on rt.com Peace at last? US Democrats introduce bill demanding roadmap to formally end Korean War With the second summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in full swing, little is known about the agenda of the talks. It has been speculated profusely that the negotiations would focus on the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center, considered to be the main pillar of the North Korean nuclear program. According to the officials cited by NBC, Washington is pinning its hopes on "significant concessions" on the issue of the Yongbyon nuclear reactor, responsible for churning out all of the reclusive nation's plutonium stockpile, as well as highly enriched uranium and tritium. READ MORE: Surf, turf and... lava: Trump and Kim's mouth-watering Hanoi menu revealed (PHOTOS) Previously, the North Korean leader hinted that he is willing to use a potential scaling back of operations at Yongbyon as a bargaining chip to ease the burden of economic and financial sanctions. At an intra-Korean summit with his South Korean counterpart President Moon Jae-in in September, Kim signed a declaration stating that the North is willing to dismantle the site "as [long as] the United States takes corresponding measures" in accordance with the "spirit" of the first Trump-Kim meeting in Singapore. However, so far Washington has been reluctant to offer any sanctions relief, drawing anger from Pyongyang and stalling any further progress towards a nuclear-free Korean peninsula. There is little hope for breakthrough this time, with the US officials having reportedly warned Trump against offering anything substantial in return. Last week, the State Department reaffirmed Washington's stance on the North Korea sanctions, saying that they would remain in place "until we've achieved our final result of fully, finally verified denuclearization." While the Trump administration credits its campaign of "maximum pressure" for its rapprochement with Pyongyang, South Korea, a US ally in the region, has been calling on Washington to do its part in solving the Korean deadlock. Moon said in January that "bold action" from Pyongyang should coincide with the US partially lifting sanctions if the denuclearization efforts are to bear fruit. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Russia regularly faces a vast number of attacks staged by US hackers, the Kremlins spokesman Dmitry Peskov said while questioning a recent report about an alleged US cyber assault on a St. Petersburg-based company. Various Russian entities and individuals are constantly subjected to a vast number of cyber-attacks staged from the US soil, Peskov told Russian journalists, answering a question about a recent report by the Wall Street Journal, which delved into one such assault reportedly staged by the US military against a Russian firm. At the same time, the presidents spokesman casted a doubt on the report itself, which stated that the US Cyber Command successfully shut down what Washington calls a Russian troll factory behind the perceived interference into the US elections. The article is based almost entirely on unnamed sources and is thus difficult to verify, the spokesman noted. One has to treat this data with caution, he said. '), link: "https://ift.tt/2tDGDlC" }, events: { onReady: function () { if(ga) { ga('send', 'event', 'JWPLAYER-GA', 'CLICK PLAY', location.href); ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Article', 'Ready', location.href); // } }, onPlay: function () { myStreamingTag.playVideoContentPart(metadata); if (ga) { ga('send', 'event', 'JWPLAYER-GA', 'CLICK PLAY', location.href); ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Article', 'Play', location.href); } var playingVideoId = 'js-mediaplayer-5c7700e7fc7e935f228b462e'; // id pauseMedia(playingVideoId); // if (recomedationBlock5c7700e7fc7e935f228b462e) { recomedationBlock5c7700e7fc7e935f228b462e.classList.remove('recomendation_active'); } if (mediaplayerContainer5c7700e7fc7e935f228b462e) { mediaplayerContainer5c7700e7fc7e935f228b462e.classList.add('mediaplayer_played'); } }, onPause: function () { myStreamingTag.stop(); if (ga) ga('send', 'event', 'JWPLAYER-GA', 'CLICK PAUSE', location.href); if (recomedationBlock5c7700e7fc7e935f228b462e) { recomedationBlock5c7700e7fc7e935f228b462e.classList.add('recomendation_active'); } }, onComplete: function () { myStreamingTag.stop(); if (ga) { ga('send', 'event', 'JWPLAYER-GA', 'COMPLETE', location.href); ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Article', 'Complete', location.href); } if (recomedationBlock5c7700e7fc7e935f228b462e) { recomedationBlock5c7700e7fc7e935f228b462e.classList.add('recomendation_active'); } } } }); jwplayer("js-mediaplayer-5c7700e7fc7e935f228b462e").addButton( "https://ift.tt/2fI6r7G", "Download", function () { window.location.href = "https://ift.tt/2tG83as"; }, "download" ); function pauseMedia(playingMediaId) { var players = document.querySelectorAll('.jwplayer, object'); for (var i = 0, max = players.length; i The company in question is the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency (IRA) a firm, which Washington say allegedly has some links to the Kremlin and is supposedly responsible for almost every Western woe ranging from the perceived Russian meddling into the 2016 US presidential elections to eroding public consensus on vaccinations, which was partially responsible for a recent measles outbreak in Europe. Some unnamed US officials quoted by the WSJ boasted that "they basically took the IRA offline and shut them down. The US analysts, however, were less prone to praise the US military effort as they said that the operation was eventually more annoying than deterring in the long run. The operation, which required cooperation between the US Cyber Command and the notorious NSA intelligence agency, known for its insatiable appetite for mass surveillance, eventually resulted in the Russian company being deprived of internet access for a couple of days. Also on rt.com Internet part of western establishment now: London ex-mayor on Facebook blocking RT-linked pages Anyway, no one seems to have heard about it on the Russian side. Instead, Peskov said that Russian government websites, including the official page of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, are permanently subjected to an enormous number of cyber-attacks from Europe and North America. This is the reality we are living in. The presidents spokesman also expressed his concern over the fact that the US might at some point go further and try and cut Russia off the world wide web as the framework administration of the internet is managed by de-facto just several companies. He also said that Moscow is well aware of such threats and Russian lawmakers are now working on the so-called sovereign internet bill. Also on rt.com Who knows what they have in mind? Putin says Russia could be cut off from global internet The new legislation would allow Russia to create a special mechanism that would prevent any foreign power from depriving it of access to the World Wide Web. It would particularly require operators of the basic infrastructure of the internet to prepare for a possible switch to operating independently from other nations. Earlier, similar concerns were voiced by Putin himself. The more sovereignty we have, including in the digital sphere, the better, he said at that time. If you like this story, share it with a friend! Vast number of attacks staged from US soil Kremlin about cyber op on Russia Vast number of attacks staged from US soil Kremlin about cyber op on Russia Source : RT - Daily news The credibility of the allegations is not based on any one accusation or accuser but on the collective testimony and context of the allegations, the council report stated in its list of conclusions, according to a copy provided to the Tribune by the church. The credibility of the allegations would have been sufficient for Willow Creek Community Church to initiate disciplinary action if Bill Hybels had continued as pastor of the church. With tension reignited by the flare-up in Kashmir, increased odds of a full-out war between nuclear powers India and Pakistan got the rest of the world watching. RT spoke to both Indian and Pakistani experts about what comes next. Also on rt.com Pakistan-India showdown: What youre not being told New Delhi and Islamabad have long been at loggerheads over the disputed Kashmir, having fought three wars over its territory. The smoldering conflict escalated on Tuesday, when the Indian military launched an airstrike, claimit it bombed out terrorist camps on a Pakistani-controlled area of Kashmir to avenge an earlier suicide blast that had killed 42 paramilitary troopers. Islamabad then announced that it downed two Indian aircraft and captured one pilot. On Wednesday, India in turn claimed that it shot down a Pakistani fighter jet and lost one of its own aircraft while repelling an attack. RT spoke to Rajiv Sikri, Former Secretary of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, and Yasir Masood, Pakistani political analyst, about the underlying causes of the conflict and what to expect as it unfolds. The issue of 'terrorist camps' The exchange of fire started with India carrying out an airstrike at a remote valley in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, claiming it killed "a very large number" of fighters with the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist group that had assumed responsibility for the suicide bombing. Sikri called the attack "a preemptive action" based on intelligence gathered by the Indian military. He said India wasn't aiming to foment the conflict with Pakistan, since the strike did not target either military or civilian infrastructure. READ MORE: Domestic posturing or true escalation? Analyst fears new Kashmir incident prelude to global conflict "Countering terror is an international obligation of all states," Sikri said. He argued Islamabad is to blame for the flare-up, as it targeted Indian servicemen in response. He accused the Pakistani government of being reluctant to uproot the terrorist group and said India should be allowed to do it on its own. One thing is clear India will reserve the right to take action against terrorist camps and activities that Pakistan is encouraging Masood, on the other hand, doubted the Indian army's claims about the dozens of terrorist casualties, telling RT it was a far-fetched pretext for incursion. "We do not have these kinds of militant camps in this valley or elsewhere in Pakistan. As for Indian claims that they've killed 300 people, there is nothing of that sort. I can assure you that I've seen this valley myself." According to the Palestinian expert, the only things the airstrike hit were "around ten trees." Waiting for international community to step in The overwhelming message from the international community to the parties so far has been to exercise restraint and not to let the skirmish spiral into all-out war. The analysts told RT that both Islamabad and New Delhi want to see the international community step up and rein in the other side. "International influence and the international community, they need to come up and bring this message to India loud and clear that it is at the moment creating more tension," Masood said, calling on "diplomatic elites" to step in. Doors are open for diplomacy Sikri echoed the call, but urged the international community to apply more pressure on Pakistan instead. According to the former Indian diplomat, Islamabad "is playing a dangerous game by not taking any action against terrorist camps." Such pressure might include economic and diplomatic measures, he said. China, Russia and Turkey have expressed their concerns over the crisis and called on the parties to show restraint. The European Union has also urged both countries "to exercise utmost restraint," with the block's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini warning on Wednesday that the spat might lead "to serious and dangerous consequences for the wider region." Also on rt.com No Indian movie will be released: Pakistan bans Bollywood films & ads after air raid Neither side wants war, but neither will back down A major showdown between the two states risks bringing the world on the brink of a destructive nuclear war, a dire perspective even if limited to the densely populated South Asia. Understandably, both sides want each other to show restraint, but neither is willing to make the first move. "Pakistan doesn't have a desire for war, but when it is imposed there is no choice left for the Muslims," Masood said, arguing that it is India's call to diffuse the tensions. Sikri said that India, which is a far superior power militarily, does not want war either, but said that he believes Islamabad should take the first step to resolving the dispute in the form of the "immediate return" of the captured Indian pilot. "India's response has been restrained but if provocations continue I think it may become difficult," Sikri admitted, noting that while he hopes that "cooler heads will prevail" the situation can as well "go out of hand." Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Weve always been about political empowerment. Weve always been about a progressive agenda and about coalition politics, Garcia said. The efforts you see on the Southwest Side dont get dictated from the top down. We dont have a mechanism to enforce it like patronage, like large sums of money. We have to scrape for everything that we raise. RTHK: North Korea disputes Trump's view on sanctions North Korea said on Friday it had offered to dismantle its Yongbyon nuclear plant in exchange for partial sanctions relief at Kim Jong Un's summit with Donald Trump, after the meeting ended without agreement. In a highly unusual late-night statement at the North Korean delegation's hotel, foreign minister Ri Yong Ho said Pyongyang had made a "realistic proposal" at the summit in Hanoi. He denied Trump's assertion that Pyongyang had demanded the lifting of all sanctions imposed on it over its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes. "If the US releases partial sanctions namely... those that hamper the civilian economy and the livelihood of our people, we will permanently and completely dismantle all the nuclear production facilities in the Yongbyon area, in the presence of US experts," Ri told reporters. The minister was reading a statement after the two-day Trump-Kim talks closed with no final deal and the US president gave a press conference before flying out of Vietnam. The much-anticipated second summit between the two leaders ended with no agreement reached and a scheduled signing ceremony was dropped. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2019-02-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. (CNN) The US State Department rejected more than 37,000 visa applications in 2018 because of President Donald Trump's so-called "travel ban," according to new data released by the agency on Tuesday. A State Department spokesperson confirmed that the applicants listed as "2017 E.O. on Immigration Subject to 2017 Executive Order on Immigration" were refused under Presidential Proclamation 9645 the third iteration of the President's controversial executive order that placed varying levels of restrictions on foreign nationals from eight countries: Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Somalia and Yemen. The Supreme Court in December 2017 allowed that version of the order to take full effect pending appeal after lower courts in two separate challenges had partially blocked it. The court upheld the ban in June 2018. "Since December 8, 2017, the Department has fully implemented Presidential Proclamation 9645, consistent with the December 4, 2017 Supreme Court order," the State Department spokesperson said. The number of visas rejected in 2018 represents a significant increase from the year prior, when less than 1,000 applications were turned down under the same category. The figure released by State on Tuesday does not break down the denied applicants by country. However, previous data indicates that the amount of visas issued to individuals from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen the countries consistently listed throughout the ban's various iterations has dropped nearly 80% since 2016, the last year before the policy was implemented. According to Tuesday's data, 15,384 of the applications refused under the travel ban were for immigrant visas, which are issued to individuals wishing to live in the United States. The data showed 21,645 were for nonimmigrant visas, which are given to those who are planning to reside temporarily in the United States. The State Department spokesperson noted that if a visa applicant is "otherwise eligible for a visa and does not qualify for an exception," consular officers are permitted to grant waivers "on a case by case basis" if the applicant could prove that "denying entry during the suspension period would cause undue hardship; his or her entry would not pose a threat to national security or public safety of the United States; and his or her entry would be in the national interest." The spokesperson said 2,673 applicants had been cleared for waivers under this criteria as of the end of January 2019 and "many of those applicants already have received their visas." This story was first published on CNN.com, "State Department rejects more than 37,000 visas under Trump's travel ban." The four wards Joyce won the 13th, 19th and 23rd on the Southwest Side, and the 41st on the Northwest Side cut significantly into a historic constituency of the Daley family. Had Joyce not been on the ballot, Daley possibly could have made up the difference of about 7,000 votes that separated him from Preckwinkle and even the 14,400 votes that separated him from Lightfoot. But, he continued: "In conversations we had during the campaign, at the same time I was actively negotiating in Russia for him, he would look me in the eye and tell me, 'There's no business in Russia,' and then go out and lie to the American people by saying the same thing. In his way, he was telling me to lie. There were at least a half-dozen times between the Iowa caucuses in January 2016 and the end of June when he would ask me 'How's it going in Russia?' - referring to the Moscow Tower project." The support-animal incidents have not been limited to dog bites. One service dog, a golden retriever named Eleanor Rigby, gave birth to puppies at a terminal in Tampa in June, though people didn't complain very much about that. In sad news, an emotional-support hamster named Pebbles was flushed down the toilet by its owner in February 2018 after Spirit Airlines informed the student she could not take the pet with her on the flight from Baltimore. Another man got angry at United Airlines for denying Dexter, his Instagram-famous emotional-support peacock, a seat on the plane from Newark, even though he had purchased a ticket for the bird. In the police report, officers said Santos used an expletive to characterize how she felt about the man's support of Trump. The officers wrote that her speech was slurred and she was clearly intoxicated. As one officer tried to escort her from the restaurant, the police report said, Santos "began walking but stopped behind the male wearing the red hat, grabbed his hat and moved it around in a circular motion while violently pushing his head down toward the bar." live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The Cabinet Thursday cleared an FDI proposal of telecom operator Vodafone Idea Ltd ahead of its proposed up to Rs 25,000 crore rights issue. "The Cabinet has approved the proposal of Vodafone Idea Ltd, which had proposed foreign direct investment of more than Rs 5,000 crore which may extend up to Rs 25,000 crore," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said. Last month, the board of directors of Vodafone Idea Ltd had approved Rs 25,000 crore fundraising plan by way of rights issue to the existing eligible equity shareholders. The promoter shareholders Vodafone Group and Aditya Birla Group have told the board that they intend to contribute up to Rs 11,000 crore and up to Rs 7,250 crore, respectively, as part of such rights issue. The promoter shareholders have also said that in case the rights issue is under-subscribed, each of the promoter shareholders reserves the right to take up part or whole of the unsubscribed portion, subject to stipulated law. Vodafone Idea's board has authorised the Capital Raising Committee to decide the nuances of the rights issue, issue price, rights entitlement ratio, record date, timing of the issue and other matters. The proposed rights issue will arm Vodafone Idea Ltd with ammo to take on market competition intensified by Reliance Jio. Also, Vodafone Idea has recently approached the the telecom department seeking two-year moratorium on its annual spectrum payment of about Rs 10,000 crore, citing high debt levels and stress on the balance sheet. British telecom major Vodafone holds 45.1 stake in the combined entity, while Kumar Mangalam Birla-led Aditya Birla Group controls 26 per cent and Idea shareholders own 28.9 per cent. The mega merger was announced a few months after the entry of the deep-pocketed Reliance Jio, whose aggressive pricing and freebies impacted the financials of the entire industry, which has even seen bankruptcies and asset sell-offs. The Cabinet nod comes on a day when another telecom operator Bharti Airtel's Board has approved fundraising plans of up to Rs 32,000 crore through a mix of rights issue and bond. Asia's crude oil imports from Iran dipped in January to the lowest in two months after top buyers China and India slowed down purchases and as Japan recorded zero imports for a third month, government and trade data showed. Asia's top four buyers of Iranian crude - China, India, Japan and South Korea - imported a total 710,699 barrels per day of crude from Iran in January, 49 percent lower than the same month in 2018, the data collated by Thomson Reuters showed. US sanctions on Iran that took effect last November have severely reduced its exports to Asia even though Washington gave waivers to eight countries allowing them to import lower volumes of Iranian oil for six months. Buyers had to overcome shipping and payment issues which delayed the resumption of Iranian oil imports in Japan and South Korea. Iran is the fourth-largest oil producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. In January, Japan lifted its first Iranian oil cargo since the sanctions and the shipment is expected to arrive in February. South Korea resumed imports of Iranian oil in January after a four-month hiatus, but its shipments were down 75 percent from the same month last year, data from the Korea National Oil Corp showed. The third-largest buyer of Iranian oil in Asia has restricted its purchases to only condensate, an ultra light oil used in producing naphtha for petrochemical production. Imports by Japan and South Korea are set to pick up in the months up to May as buyers maximize the volume of oil they can lift during the waiver, trade sources said. February imports into Asia are expected to nearly double to 1.38 million bpd, Refinitiv data showed. Iran's biggest customer China imported 377,038 bpd in January, down from more than 500,000 bpd in December. Still China's January imports remained above the 360,000 bpd that Beijing can import under the waiver. India also scaled back imports in January to 270,500 bpd, below the 300,000 bpd that Iran's second largest client is allowed to import. Malaysian budget airlines group AirAsia on February 28 announced the launch of a new technology centre in Bengaluru to help it design and create custom-built solutions for the group's airline and digital businesses. The move is a part of the global initiatives that the company is exploring to drive its digital transformation, a release said. India is a source for innovation and cutting-edge technology, and offers us tremendous growth potential when it comes to our mission to develop an all-encompassing travel technology ecosystem," said Aireen Omar, AirAsia deputy group deputy chief executive officer for technology and digital, at the launch of the new facility. The centre will deploy a team of around 35 AirAsias software engineering and technology (AASET) experts, who would work to streamline the airlines digital assets such as its website and mobile app along with creating and implementing new products and enhancements such as the new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot, among others, for a seamless journey. "We look forward to further developing our team of specialist software engineers, analysts and product development teams in the region," Omar added. The opening of AirAsias new technology centre demonstrates the airlines commitment to building world-class technology in the country, said Sunil Bhaskaran, managing director and chief executive officer AirAsia India. Indias skilled manpower can address the requirements of the global market - at the same time adding value to the Indian ICT industry and helping to strengthen the industry ecosystem," he added. The Bengaluru-based low cost AirAsia India is a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons and AirAsia group. Beverage major Coca-Cola India on February 28 announced appointment of Nishi Kulshreshtha Chaturvedi as Vice President, Human Resources, India and South West Asia. Chaturvedi will lead talent recruitment and advancement, performance enablement, and leadership development functions for the company in India and South West Asia, the company said in a statement. Coca-Cola said Chaturvedi, who joined the company in 2012 as National Head - Human Resources as part of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd (HCCB), has risen through the ranks within the Coca-Cola system. "We at Coca-Cola are committed to developing and nurturing internal talent. Nishi has extensive experience and a natural flair for working with people in bringing out the best in them. We are looking forward to her leadership in developing resilient leaders for the company who can withstand the rapidly-evolving external environment and serve as role models for the next generation," Coca-Cola India and South West Asia President T Krishnakumar said. Nishi has over 20 years' experience in human resources across FMCG, healthcare, oil and gas and energy sectors working with Schneider Electric, Cairn Energy and Baxter Healthcare prior to Coca-Cola. Multinational companies operating in India are looking for political risk covers for their manufacturing facilities in the wake of the India-Pakistan standoff. Global insurance brokers told Moneycontrol that there has been a rise in enquiries for this product. "A generic insurance product does not protect companies from the perils of political instability. Hence, a specialised cover that offers insurance against damage to property and causes loss of production is a must for MNCs," said the head of a mid-size insurance broking firm. Among the companies seeking cover, are large manufacturing and consumer goods firms operating in India. These firms have large manufacturing facilities including plants and factories in several areas of North India, including Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi-NCR. Tensions between India and Pakistan have been rising following the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRFP jawans were killed. Terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) had claimed responsibility for the attack, following which India retaliated with an airstrike on its training camp in Balakot on February 26. The later developments include an aerial confrontation between India and Pakistan in which one Pakistani F-16 jet and an IAF MiG-21 Bison were shot down. The Pakistan Army said it has arrested an Indian pilot whom it identified as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Taking cover While individuals are not covered in a war, manufacturing facilities and commercial offices can be insured by companies. Premium vary from 0.1 percent to 0.5 percent of the insured value. For the shipping and aviation industries though, any damage to their properties due to war is only covered by the government. Officially, this is called the marine hull war insurance, which the government pays. A political risk cover covers violence and impact on business due to civil disobedience or government decisions. Some of the incidents cover include expropriation, currency inconvertibility, political violence, sovereign default and other specific events. Under security risk, kidnapping and ransom, terrorism, civil war, riots, property damage and business interruption are included. Expropriation is when a private property is taken over by the government for use during a war. Indian companies operating abroad also take such covers if they operate in political volatile regions like Yemen, Syria or specific regions in the Middle-East. Initially there was a dearth of reinsurance capacity to cover large political risks. However, there are more than 50 specialist reinsurers in this segment now. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday assured government funding support to public sector banks and hoped that the 6 lenders which remain under the RBI's prompt corrective action framework will soon come out of it. He said that the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) has been a success story and the government has maintained arm's length distance from the processes being followed. "The government has lived up to its word of continuing to fund you in terms of capital. I am glad that several banks have recently come out of the PCA norms and I'm sure the others who remain within will also try and improve their measures with the government commitment of support to them so that we can see much healthier banking in years to come," Jaitley said. Of the total 21 state-owned banks, 11 were put under the PCA framework by the RBI last year. Five banks -- Allahabad Bank, Corporation Bank, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra and Oriental Bank of Commerce -- have been removed from the framework this month. The 6 PSBs which remain in the PCA list are United Bank of India, IDBI Bank, UCO Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank and Dena Bank. Speaking at the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) event, Jaitley said the norms of banking have changed and now decisions are based on merit and professionalism. "I'm conscious of the fact that you (public sector banks) are working in a competitive environment and you are still bound by certain restriction. Your public and social responsibility is much higher than your private sector competitors. "In matters of hiring talent you don't enjoy the same level of freedom that they do. Private sector banks go for campus recruitment and you can't... And despite these obvious restraints, (you remain) competitive, large, and occupy a lion's share of lending," he said. He also asked the public sector lenders to consider themselves "independent" while discharging their professional and commercial functions. "It's a discipline which both government and banks have to now accept. The Prime Minister in January 2015 had said that you (banks) won't get any pressure from the government as far your functional independence with regard to commercial decisions. The government has lived up to its words and in this changed environment, I can see the difference in functioning," Jaitley said. Talking about the IBC, the minister said any instance of interference from the government in the process would discredit the whole process and bring a bad name to the wonderful reform. "IBC everybody concedes has been a success story and it helped bring back Rs 2.85 lakh crore into the banking system ... In an evolving society there is desire to become more ethical. Of course, the carrot part also worked that you can't be a fugitive and get away with it. There is a law dealing with them. "The black money law made life very difficult. It is no longer safe to keep assets outside the country and now that more and more countries in 2019 are coming into the transparency and disclosure norms, I think many sins of the past are going to be disclosed," Jaitley said. Stating that the worst is behind us with regard to the problems faced by the banking sector, he said the last 5 years will go down in history as the "turning point" in the evolution of India as a ethical society. "Therefore, the earlier regime, if I would say was a great earning experience and for all of them this one is a great learning experience. So, each one of them will have to adjust to these new norms," Jaitley said. He said the government had to follow the "carrot and stick" policy to bring those who thought can live in violations in perpetuity into a discipline. "In the banking sector the whole idea that if you don't pay back you can get away with it, then it is banker's headache and when you get money from banks you manufacture your own equity out of that money, round-trip it and base your investment on that basis -- this cant be the new normal and that's why you have to breakaway from system," Jaitley added. Since 2014-15, the government has infused nearly Rs 2.5 lakh crore in PSBs till February 2019. During the period these banks have mobilised Rs 66,000 crore by raising fresh equity capital and through monetisation of non-core assets. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More RN Bhaskar In the coming years, businessmen will witness the emergence of Agartala as the hub for transportation to the Northeast, and of Chittagong as the biggest trans-shipment hub in the Bay of Bengal. It remains to be seen if Agartala will be able to capitalise on this geo-political advantage. In some ways, Tripura has been luckier than most other North Eastern states. Its decadal population growth has been quite close to the national decadal growth of population of 17.7% especially since the 1990s. There has been little influx of migrants since then. Moreover, with the state being bordered by Bangladesh on three sides the fourth side is connected to India), the normalising of relations between Bangladesh and India has meant a great deal of peace for this state. That is one reason why the state government now wants Tripura to notch up plans to become a big exporter of goods and services. Hitherto, it has largely been an importer. It imports rice, vegetables, clothes and building material. Even milk (often in the form of powder). Much of this is paid for by oil and gas (more on this later) and by the rubber industry. Tripura remains the second largest producer of rubber in India (after Kerala) though the state has done nothing to put this distinction on the map of this country. Even the rubber board makes a passing reference to Tripura. But go through the annual report of the Rubber Board, under the ministry of commerce and you will discover that Tripura does have major R&D centres for rubber (pg 67 of the report). But its contribution remains unknown and the private sector is also to be blamed. True, Tripura has the second largest number of licensed dealers in India for rubber Kerala has 6,686, but Tripura trails at 529 (country total 8,252 -- pg 81 of the report), And when it comes to applying for additional licences in 2016-17, there were 734 applications from Kerala, and only 4 from Tripura. The state accounts for around 60,000-80,000 tonnes out of the 690,000 tonnes of rubber produced annually (the state website does not provide any information on this). Information has to be obtained from secondary sources. More details about rubber production can be obtained from here. Yet the Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb is optimistic about improving the quality of production as well as the yield. He points to the fact that Tripura has lots of natural gas. Oil India and ONGC have their presence in this state and Vedanta is trying to have a presence here. Deb is trying to lure investors to use natural gas to extract carbon black which can be used with natural rubber for tyre production. "We are trying to persuade investors to come here and use our resources, he told this correspondent. The fact remains that India is a booming market. It is the fourth largest tyre market in the world. The industry itself accounted for an annual turnover of $ 12,700 million in the year 2015-16, with the tyre sector contributing to $7,600 million, non-tyre sector $ 5,100 million and export $ 2,300 million. India is the sixth largest producer of natural rubber, and the second largest consumer of natural rubber (for industries as diverse as balls to balloons) Another industry Tripura is focussed on is milk. It believes it could be a major player in the dairy farming and livestock rearing business. In December 2018, a team from Amul (actually Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation) flew into Agartala to work out ways with the state to develop dairy farming there. The North East holds out the biggest promise of dairy development. It has lots of water, foliage and chaff. NDDB is already promoting a milk collection centre and cooperative farms in Guwahati while Amul could be setting up its centre in Tripura. The North East imports milk (usually milk powder) worth around Rs.18,000 crore each year, with Tripura accounts for Rs 1,100 crore). Tripura will now be connected through Chittagong to almost all the other South East Asian countries which are also milk-deficient. Thus, Tripura could have two major markets North East India, and south east Asia. Of course, this will also make it a hub for meat and leather-goods as well. Another focus area is travel and tourism. Tripura has some of the most picturesque spots lake palaces, sanctuaries and places of exquisite natural beauty. But the chief ministers primary focus is on spiritual tourism. His reasoning is simple. Some of the holiest of shrines especially those related to Shiva and Devi can be found here. Pilgrims are less fussy about accommodation and travel comforts. So that could be a good place to start. The improvement in accessibility by air, road, river and rail will only help the state bring in more tourists. "Today, we do not have a single four-star or five-star hotel. We will improve our lodges in our places of tourism, and then begin advertising them as well," he says. Travel and tourism is indeed a great way to make money, increase visibility and create employment. There are other markets as well. Tripura imports around 20,000 tonnes of fish annually (from Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Bangladesh). It has already created nurseries for fish fingerlings for farmers as every rural household has a backyard pond. The government wants to boost fisheries both for local consumption as well as for exports. But a big ambitious plan is medical tourism. Almost 85,000 Bangladeshis come to India each year, spending almost Rs 4 lakh each, for medical needs. Deb wants to change this. He has already offered the two biggest hospitals in Agartala to the largest hospital chains in India. We are in discussions. Once we clinch the deal, it will benefit both Tripura and the Bangladeshis. We will develop the medical tourism business, while the Bangladesh patients will save at least Rs 1 lakh on travel, because we are next door," he says. New varieties of rice and fish feed are being developed. So is cattle feed for the cows. The state has already given away some 1,000 cows, and wants to increase the population by 10,000 more within a couple of years. All this could be good news to investors and businessmen. But there is a fly in the ointment. Such plans are not backed up with data. The states websites have little or no information. Even figures sent to the government are missing. Take the Economic survey for instance (see table). Data for Tripura is missing. Unless you have reliable data, you cannot plan reliably. Money does not come easily into places where there is uncertainty. Data lends credibility and certainty. If only the state could do that, it is quite possible that investors will begin to flock there. The government on February 28 said that banking sector witnessed a recovery of Rs 2.98 lakh crore between 2015 and 2018. Of this, Rs 98,000 crore was recovered during the two quarters of 2018-19. Rajeev Kumar, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, said that banks have improved recovery every year with Rs 98,493 crore being recovered in FY 19 (Apr-Dec), Rs 77,563 crore being recovered during FY18, Rs 61,930 crore being recovered during FY17 and Rs 48,999 crore being recovered during FY16. Speaking at the Indian Banks Association event in Delhi, Kumar said that the provisioning coverage ratio has also improved over the years, from 3.9 percent in FY17 to 6.1 percent in FY19 (Apr-Dec). He said that the recovery from accounts of small and medium enterprises was Rs 21,000 crore during the period. For the last two-three quarters, NPA curve has gone down We have recovered close to Rs 3 lakh crore over the years, Arun Jaitley, union finance minister, said. He said that the reason why NPAs were not going up was due to truthful disclosure of asset quality by all the banks. It (fall in NPA) was because of the RBI which had asked for truthful provisioning of the assets, no matter how bitter or painful it was, he said. The Reserve Bank of India had started asset quality review (AQR) in 2015 to assess various loan assets in the books of banks. During 2015 (August-November), the RBI inspected books of various banks to check the classification of asset quality. The focus of the RBI was much larger borrowers in this review. The review has been done ever since to check the asset quality of the banks which led to spurt in the number of NPA accounts. The RBI had also asked for timely classification of bad loans under it contentious February 12 (2018) circular, where it asked banks to start resolution process of assets, within a day, in case the account defaults on payment. The government, banks and corporates had strongly lobbied against the order as it could lead to increased bad loans in the books and more provisioning. Jaitley lauded Insolvency and bankruptcy Code (IBC) specifically that led to resolution of many large scale NPA cases. IBC has been a success story All the institutions have played a great role. While the parliament helped to clear the Bill on time, NCLT and NCALT have been trying to do their best the finance minister said. State Bank of India chairman, Rajnish Kumar, too said that resolution of cases through NCLT and IBC helped to make huge recoveries. There are many cases under NCLT, and as soon as the cases under adjudication are over, we will get more recovery, he said. The NPAs were close to Rs 10 lakh crore at the end of March 2018, of these over Rs 9.62 lakh crore were in PSBs. NPAs, however, have shown negative trend in FY19 and have reduced by Rs 23,860 crore between April-September 2018. Going online to create a resume may have hidden charges. But a new startup in this space, MyResumeFormat, aims to provide professional resume creation services without hidden charges. The basic resume creation will be free while there will be a charge for the Pro (professional) features. In an interaction with Moneycontrol, Ningning Niumai, Co-Founder of MyResumeFormat said, while there are several resume building websites, these other portals have a model of charging users for downloading the CV in a PDF format. In these resume-building websites, users are allowed to create the resume online but have to pay a fee to download it. MyResumeFormat, on the other hand, does not charge any fee for creating and downloading a basic resume. This startup is promoted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi alumni. Niumai said the startup follows the 'freemium' model where most of the features are free, but some niche functions are paid. Most of these websites advertise it as free but they actually arent. For individuals, it is a challenge to present their years of experience coherently in a resume. We use artificial intelligence to offer resume building, he added. Niumai said the company has differents set of templates to design the CV in a set style. Individuals can choose the appropriate template for the resume. The website gets about 250-300 unique visitors on a daily basis. We will always offer free services for basic resume creation. If an individual wants premium features, say changing the resume colour, changing to pro templates or adding a border, a fee will be payable, he added. There are three free templates currently for creating a resume. Niumai said the company will add all sector-based niche resume formats in the near future. Here, the artificial intelligence tool assists in suggesting responsibilities and duties, inspired by the said professional role. One is required to simply choose the template and add his/her personal information to create a resume. The company is also in talks with educational institutes so that the services can be offered to individuals from these colleges looking for a job. The generated resume is also readable by Applicant Tracking System (ATS) used by most HRs and employers. The Maharashtra Assembly on February 28 approved the vote-on-account, which has budgetary provisions for four months of the next financial year (April to July this year), without any debate. Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and NCP members Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil said they were tabling their respective speeches on the interim budgetary provisions on the floor of the House. The appropriation bill and vote-on-account were subsequently passed by a voice vote and without any debate. Reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) were also tabled. The House was then adjourned for an hour. State Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on February 27 presented an interim budget for 2019-20 having an estimated revenue deficit of Rs 19,784 crore and provision of special fund for farm loan waiver. Earlier, as soon as the House assembled for the day on February 28, NCP legislator Jitendra Awhadurged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to move a motion that the state along with rest of the country stood firmly behind the armed forces and Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan after an air combat on February 27. He said the state should lead by example and a one-line resolution about this should be sent to Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, to be forwarded to President Ram Nath Kovind. Before the session, Awhad told reporters that the state's ongoing budget session should not be curtailed due to threat perception amid rising Indo-Pak tensions. "We need to show courage and poise by carrying out our daily functioning here. Winding up of the session in the name of security (threat) would give a wrong message," he said. On an average, 800 cases of stealing of property at residential premises are reported in India every day, or 2,92,176 cases in 2019 Any theft or break-ins into a bank branch would mean that your jewellery and other valuables in the locker are at risk. To protect against that, non-life insurance company IFFCO Tokio General Insurance has launched a bank locker protector policy. This is the first such cover in the industry specifically for bank lockers. At present, a list of home insurance covers offer protection for contents of the bank locker as well. However, these have sub-limits of around Rs 1-2 lakh. This means that claims only up to that amount will be payable. Bankers also take liability policies that cover any potential thefts that may occur in the bank, including loss of cash and contents. But since locker contents are not declared to bank officials by individuals prior to being deposited, it is difficult to fix a liability on the jewellery or precious items kept in the lockers. IFFCO Tokio Generals offers a cover against various risks including fire, earthquake, burglary, infidelity by a bank staff or any act of terrorism. Apart from jewellery and valuables, one can also insure important documents kept in a locker as an add-on cover. The policy can be sold both as a retail and a group policy for banks. Warendra Sinha, MD and CEO, IFFCO Tokio General Insurance, said, "In view of the demand from several of our customers, we have launched this innovative standalone product for people, who do not want to club the items in the bank locker along with any other conventional insurance product." The process to buy is simple and easy as it just needs a self-declaration up to a specified limit. Valuation report from government approved valuers is required only where value of an individual item is more than Rs 10 lakh and where the total sum insured exceeds Rs 40 lakh for an individual. For filing a claim, they only require basic documents like the claim form along with supporting documents such as invoices and proof. The policy offers seven options of sum insured ranging from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 40 lakh and above. The premium rate is affordable, with a cover of Rs 3 lakh available at Rs 300. IFFCO-Tokio General Insurance is a 51:49 joint venture between the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative (IFFCO) and Japans Tokio Marine Group. Highlights: Second summit of US and North Korea has been cut short on the second day- While denuclearisation remains on cards, transparency and sanctions are the key issue- On risk events elsewhere, Brexit assumes importance key date March 12------------------------------------------------- While the India-Pakistan border tensions have emerged as key geo-political risk, investors should not take their eyes off another one on the other side of Asia denuclearisation of North Korea. Second summit of the US President Donald Trump and North Korean head Kim Jong Un has been cut short on day two of the summit. In interactions to mediapersons earlier, Kim has expressed his commitment to denuclearisation. However, a time bound plan doesnt appear to be in place. This is also corroborated by Trumps statement that "speed is not that important to me". Further, there were an earlier indication that North Korea would allow a US office in Pyongyang, which may be instrumental in monitoring and following up on its commitments. However, as the meet has been cut short, there appears to disappointment on a time-bound denuclearisation and transparency with respect to the same. Further, Trump in a short media briefing updated that N.Korea was looking for a complete removal of sanctions which led to no agreement. Asian markets, at the time of writing have turned negative and KOSPI is trading 1.8 percent lower. To provide context, progress includes freeze on missile tests by North Korea and partial dismantlement of a nuclear test site. Trump had suspended joint military exercise with South Korea. As a follow-up, there has been multiple rounds of talks between senior representatives. Major issues of engagement appears to revolve around how to ensure transparency and irreversible process of denuclearisation. Further, North Korea expects easing of sanctions. Talking about other global risk events, it may not be out of place to mention that Brexit deal continues to a major an event risk, given that it is running through the deadline wall (March 29). UKs premier Theresa May has signalled that if her March 12 deal is voted down, then she would ask for a two-month extension. As a result, the pound has appreciated in the last couple of days. However, this option doesnt appears to be easy as Spain and France have indicated that mere request for extension would not be entertained unless accompanied with a newer proposal. Read: Key risk to monitor The global equity markets trajectory continues to be dictated by risk events. Back home, border tensions are keeping the risk premium high in the Indian market. Follow @anubhavsays Kishore Biyani Kishore Biyani's Future Group on February 28 signed a pact to open the first store of Japanese-owned convenience chain 7-Eleven in India, the company said in a BSE filing. This will mark the company's entry into the country. The first 7-Eleven convenience store in India is expected to open in 2019, as per the BSE notification. 7-Eleven is the world's largest convenience store chain, starting in the US in 1927, and operates 66,000 stores in 17 countries. It was purchased by a Japanese firm in 2005. Future Retail plans to build 7-Eleven stores as well as convert some of its existing locations to the 7-Eleven brand. "7-Eleven is among the most iconic global brands in the food retail landscape. We are proud to bring this globally trusted convenience store to India and build new pathways together that will offer Indian customers greater convenience and choices, within their own neighbourhood," said Kishore Biyani, Founder & Group CEO, Future Group. The entry of 7-Eleven's is expected to modernize the small-retail environment and bring greater convenience to shoppers. Globally, 7-Eleven is believed to be a go-to convenience store for food, snacks, hot and cold beverages, gas, immediately consumable fresh foods and more. Many of the stores are 24 hours a day, though the brand takes its name from the operating hours that they usually had: 7 am to 11 pm. As a part of the agreement, 7-Eleven will support Future Retail to implement and localize the unique 7- Eleven business model. "This strategic relationship offers an excellent opportunity to bring 7-Eleven's brand of convenience and its iconic products to the Indian consumer," 7-Eleven, SVP and Head of International Ken Wakabayashi is quoted as saying in the BSE filing. 7-Eleven's store will be the latest addition to the Future Retail store network. As of now, Retail has chains such as Easyday, Heritage Retail, and Nilgiris, which contribute about 15 percent to sales. India will be the newest country or region where 7-Eleven stores would operate. Currently, it has stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, The Philippines, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Viet Nam, United Arab Emirates, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Eversource Capital along with National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) of India have partnered with the UK government's CDC Group to invest a cumulative $330 million in CDC's Ayana Renewable Power platform, the three said in a joint statement on Thursday. Ayana was launched to develop utility scale solar and wind generation projects across growth states in India. It is currently constructing 500 megawatt of solar generation capacity with a strong future pipeline of renewable energy opportunities, the statement said. "This investment demonstrates our commitment to invest a further $1.7 billion in India and neighboring countries over the next three years," CDC's head of Asia, Srini Nagarajan, said. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Financial creditors and home buyers of Jaypee Infratech will meet Friday to discuss the bids submitted by state-owned NBCC and Mumbai-based Suraksha group to take over the bankruptcy-bound realty firm and complete stalled projects comprising over 20,000 housing units. A meeting of the Committee of Creditors (CoC) will be held on March 1, said Anuj Jain, the Insolvency Resolution Professional (IRP) of Jaypee Infratech, in a regulatory filing. In a separate filing, Jain said the lenders have rejected a resolution to "conduct the addition forensic audit of corporate debtor (Jaypee Infratech) from Date of Incorporation till March 2014" after voting process. The filing did not disclose the agenda of Friday's meeting, but sources said it has been called to further discuss the resolution plans submitted by NBCC and Suraksha group. Sources said the settlement proposal of promoter Jaypee group will not be discussed in the CoC meet, but lenders could deliberate on it separately. In the last meeting on February 18, NBCC and Suraksha made presentations before the CoC. Jaypee group promoters were also present at the meeting. Jaypee group's flagship firm Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL) has once again submitted a proposal to the lenders of its subsidiary firm Jaypee Infratech for settling dues worth Rs 10,000 crore. This is the second time in less than a year that JAL has sought to retain control of its cash-strapped subsidiary. The latest offer is almost similar to what JAL offered last year to lenders and home buyers. In April last year, JAL had made an unsolicited offer of about Rs 10,000 crore to settle the dues of Jaypee Infratech. It had also offered 2,000 equity shares each to buyers. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in 2017 had admitted the application by an IDBI Bank-led consortium seeking resolution of Jaypee Infratech and appointed Jain as IRP to manage the company's business and invite bids from investors. In the first attempt to complete the insolvency process, lenders had rejected the Rs 7,350 crore bid of Lakshdeep, part of Suraksha group, as it found it to be substantially lower than the company's net worth and assets. Therefore, the IRP in October 2018 started a fresh initiative to revive Jaypee Infratech on the NCLT's direction. In this round, NBCC has promised to deliver flats to home buyers in four years. It has also offered 1,400 acre land worth Rs 6,000 crore as well as Yamuna Expressway highway to lenders. NBCC has suggested that banks should raise about Rs 2,000 crore against the expressway and provide half of the amount (Rs 1,000 crore) to the PSU, which will utilise this fund as an upfront payment. NBCC will also fund the gap of about Rs 1,500 crore between estimated construction cost and receivables from customers. In contrast, Suraksha group has made an offer of about Rs 20 crore as upfront payment and land worth Rs 5,000 crore, sources said. The Mumbai-based group has promised to complete pending projects in three years. The realty firm has an outstanding debt of nearly Rs 9,800 crore, of which Rs 4,334 crore pertains to IDBI Bank. Other lenders are IIFCL, LIC, SBI, Corporation Bank, Syndicate Bank, Bank Of Maharashtra, ICICI Bank, Union Bank, IFCI, J&K Bank, Axis Bank and Srei Equipment Finance. Jaypee Infratech is developing about 32,000 flats, of which it has delivered 9,500 units. JAL had submitted Rs 750 crore in the registry of the Supreme Court for refund to buyers. However, this amount was transferred to NCLT as per an order of the apex court. What started off as a roaring Thursday ended up as a volatile one as both Sensex and Nifty shed gains and closed below their respective support levels. The S&P BSE Sensex gave up 36,000 while the Nifty50 closed below 10800 towards the close of the trade. The Nifty50 index closed 0.35 percent lower in February series with rollovers seen at 58 percent (provisional) at 4 PM. The Nifty Future 3-month average rollover stands at 68 percent, data showed. The good news is that foreign institutional investors (FIIs) net cash flow remained positive for February which was negative 7 out of last 12 months, but Indo-Pak tension is likely to keep the market volatile in March series as well. Indian market started the day on a positive note despite negative global cues but shed most of its gains in the last hour of the trading sessions. The final tally on D-Street the S&P BSE Sensex closed 37.99 points lower at 35,867 while the Nifty50 ended at 10,792, down 14 points. Asian markets remained under pressure as a dent in the recent optimism between US-Sino relations, talks between Trump-Kim at the Vietnam summit ended abruptly with no agreement along with domestic tensions with Pakistan weighed on the sentiment of investors. At the same time, we are also looking at the resilience of Indian markets which is a positive sign. But, one big trend which is emerging is that interest is slowly moving out of HRITHIK stocks which stands for HDFC, RIL, Infosys, TCS, HUL IndusInd Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank, suggest experts. There is a clear shift from HRITHIK stocks ti names where we have seen massive destruction of up to 40-50 percent within the large-cap basket which include names like Ashok Leyland, BEL, LIC Housing Finance or Motherson Sumi. We are seeing meaningful recovery coming in these stocks, Ashish Chaturmohta, Head of Technical and Derivatives at Sanctum Wealth Management told Moneycontrol. It looks like the trend is slowly shifting towards Nifty Junior or Nifty Next 50. If Nifty has to witness a breakout then we need contribution from RIL, HDFC twins and IT. But, the trend is slowly shifting to non-Nifty names where investors now have the option to create alpha, he said. India VIX fell down by 3.29 percent at 18.27 levels. VIX has to cool down below 16-15 zones to get the smooth ride in the market else restricted upside could continue to keep the pressure on the market. Since it is the beginning of a new series Option data is scattered at various strikes. However, maximum Put OI is placed at 10600 followed by 10700 strikes while maximum Call OI is seen at 11000 followed by 10900 strikes. Options band signifies a broader trading range of the March series in between 10585 to 11118 zones and requires a range breakout to start the next leg of the rally, suggest experts. Stocks in news Sugar stocks gained after Iran decided to buy raw sugar for the first time in the last five years. ARSS Infrastructure Projects rose 5 percent on bagging work order worth Rs 429 crore from National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation. Odisha Cement shares plunged 4 percent after illegal transfer of MF units worth Rs 344 crore by Depository Participant (DP) from the demat account held by its subsidiaries, OCL India and Dalmia Cement East. Vascon Engineers gained more than 9 percent after the company received order worth Rs 83.52 crore. Ramco System shares rallied nearly 4 percent after the beginning of a seven-year deal with Canadian logistics services provider. Global Updates European indices were mostly lower on Thursday, as US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un in Hanoi ended their talk without an agreement. Asian markets also ended lower post-Trump-Kim summit is cut short without agreement. Kospi was down 1.76 percent to close at 2,195.44, while Shanghai Composite declined 0.44 percent to close at 2,940.95 Hang Seng index was down 0.4 percent to end at 28633.18 and Nikkei declined 0.79 percent to 21,385.16. : The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on moneycontrol.com are his own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. File image live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Automobile companies will announce their sales data for the month of February on March 1. Analysts expect the volumes to continue to be mixed due to weak retail demand in wedding season. Rising ownership cost, deferred purchases during elections and selective financing by NBFCs are also constraining volume performances across the automotive segments in the near term, Emkay said. Overall, sales data has been either mixed or weak since September 2018 when the IL&FS-led liquidity crisis emerged along with rising ownership cost and tepid festival season. "Our channel checks suggest that the volume performance in February 2019 is expected to be a mixed bag in the domestic market with growth in passenger vehicles (PVs)/tractors and a muted show in other segments," Emkay said. Motilal Oswal said after interaction with leading PV/2-wheeler (2W)/commercial vehicle (CV) channel partners indicated continued weak demand momentum in key markets in February 2019. "Inventories in PVs and CVs remained stable at around 15-20 days, while 2W inventory was still high at around 40-45 days." According to brokerages, passenger vehicle sales despite new products launch may remain mixed or marginally higher compared to year-ago. "PV demand trend remains mixed across major markets with inquiries to sales conversion continuing to remain weak for existing models. However, new product launch such as XUV3OO, Marazzo, Ertiga, and WagonR helped bring footfalls to the dealerships," Motilal Oswal said. The average inventory level for MSIL stood at around 15-20 days, while for M&M, it was higher at around 25-30 days. Emkay expects PV volumes to be positive in the domestic market with growth for M&M (+10 percent YoY), Tata Motors (+4 percent) and Maruti Suzuki (+1 percent). "Dispatches have been marginally affected at Maruti Suzuki owing to temporary quality issues amid harder weather conditions (hailstorms in Delhi caused dents on vehicles in the company stockyards). Discounts increased MoM across most models," the research house said. In addition, Emkay said medium & heavy commercial vehicle (MHCV) volumes are likely to be negative due to high base, surplus capacity and purchase deferrals during elections. According to the brokerage, the domestic MHCV volumes are expected to decrease for M&M (-9 percent), Eicher Motors (-7 percent), Tata Motors (-4 percent) and Ashok Leyland (-3 percent). Motilal Oswal said overall commercial vehicle demand was mixed with key markets of Maharashtra, Delhi and Gujarat indicating a decline in retail as demand from all major end user segments, except white goods remained weak. Hence, average discount per unit was high. In the tractor segment, volumes are expected to be positive with growth of Escorts (6 percent) and M&M (1 percent), Emkay said. The retail demand in two-wheeler segment may continue to be weak with Hero MotoCorp showing a fall in sales, experts suggest. Post weak retail in Q3FY19 and January 2019, key channel partners still suggest weak retail across key markets (average decline of 8-10 percent) except the South (flat-to-positive), Motilal Oswal said. Emkay said Hero MotoCorp sales may decline 6 percent and Eicher Motors (Royal Enfield) down 4 percent, but Bajaj Auto sales may increase 16 percent and TVS Motor Company 1 percent. The research house expects PV and 2W segments to see a gradual improvement in volumes in the coming months, driven by new products, continuing uptrend in rural sales, volume pick-up in the state of Kerala, and the pre-buying impact before the BS6 transition. In common, their top stock picks among auto stocks are Maruti Suzuki, Motherson Sumi and Exide Industries. : The above report is compiled from information available on public platforms. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More GAIL India gained 1.6 percent to close at Rs 340.55 on Thursday after Reliance Securities initiated coverage with a buy recommendation and an SOTP-based target price of Rs 382, implying 12 percent upside. The brokerage expects the state-owned natural gas distributor to witness 9 percent earning CAGR through FY19-21E backed by swing in gas volume from HVJ (Hazira - Vijaypur -Jagdishpur) (low tariff) to DVPL (Dahej-Vijaipur pipeline) (higher tariff), as the company will continue to swing in gas volume from HVJ to DVPL. Further the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) is likely to upwardly revise HVJ and DVPL tariff in next 6-8 months, it said, adding post simulating the impact of final orders for HVJ and DVPL, model suggests that the tariff for DVPL can increase by Rs 11.5/MMbtu, while HVJ can witness rise by Rs 31.1/MMbtu. In order to reduce higher cost to the last consumer, the government proposed single tariff (unification) across pipelines. Reliance Securities expects the final decision in this regard after 6-8 months (post General Elections). GAIL pleads for a flat tariff of Rs 57/MMbtu for its major pipelines versus existing average of Rs 39/MMbtu. In case unified tariff is approved, GAIL's EBITDA could rise by Rs 2,390 crore in FY20, said the brokerage house. Based on company guidance, Reliance Securities said GAIL will be able to bring up the utilisation level of its polyethylene (PE) plant from 74 percent in FY19 to 90 percent in FY20 and 98 percent in FY21. Over FY15-18, PE margins have been very high. Despite addition of new PE production, petrochemical margins of 9MFY19 were higher on YoY basis. GAIL has introduced Metallocene a value-added product, which will improve the overall petrochemical realisation and expected to contribute 15 percent to the total sales volume, said the brokerage which expects petrochemical EBITDA to grow by 20 /27 /30 percent in FY19/FY20/FY21. It expects GAIL to witness a strong free cash flow generation of Rs 8,000 crore over FY19-FY21. : The above report is compiled from information available on public platforms. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. File image The RBI and Bank of Japan have completed signing of the bilateral currency swap agreement for $75 billion that will help in bringing greater stability in foreign exchange and capital markets in the country. The Bilateral Swap Arrangement (BSA) was negotiated between India and Japan during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Tokyo on October 29, 2018. "This BSA provides for India to access 75 billion in US dollars whereas the earlier BSA had provided for $50 billion. The agreement for the BSA has become effective from today i.e. February 28, 2019," the finance ministry said in a statement. With this, India can access the agreed amount of $75 billion for its domestic currency, for the purpose of maintaining an appropriate level of balance of payments or short-term liquidity. "A part of the BSA can be accessed at the discretion of India. India has comfortable level of foreign exchange reserves presently," the ministry added. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Here are stocks that are in the news today: Wipro: Company to sell Workday & Cornerstone On Demand operations to Alight for $110 million. Bharti Airtel: Board meeting is scheduled on February 28 to consider (i) the recommendations of 'Special Committee of Directors for Fund Raising' and; (ii) the proposal for raising of funds by issue of equity shares, bonds/debentures or other securities including through qualified institutions placement, rights issue, preferential issue or through any other permissible mode or a combination thereof Punjab National Bank: Bank reduced marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) by 10 bps. Vascon Engineers: Company received work order amounting to Rs 83.52 crore from Airport Authority of India. GE T&D has voluntarily delisted the equity shares of the company from The Calcutta Stock Exchange Limited w.e.f. February 21, 2019 Allahabad Bank: Board approved raising equity capital of the bank by an amount aggregating upto around Rs 6,896 crore through preferential issue of equity shares to the Government against their capital infusion. Nitin Fire Protection Q3: Loss at Rs 87.5 crore versus loss Rs 85.6 crore; revenue falls to Rs 3.43 crore versus Rs 11.63 crore YoY. Quess Corp: ICRA upgraded rating on company's long term fund based limits to AA/Stable from AA-/Positive and non-convertible debentures to AA/Stable from AA-/Positive. Shipping Corporation of India: Company has given physical delivery of its 1 container vessel "M V Lal Bahadur Shashtri to its buyer. Lakshmi Vilas Bank revised MCLR w.e.f. March 1 Varroc Engineering: Phase I of plant set-up by Varroc Lighting Systems S.A. Morocco (a wholly owned step down subsidiary company) has commenced commercial operations from February 26. Plant has been set up in Maroc with an aim to manufacture and supply automotive lighting parts. KSB Ltd Q4CY18: Standalone profit dips to Rs 25.3 crore versus Rs 27.4 crore; revenue rises to Rs 346.6 crore versus Rs 328.2 crore; CY18 consolidated profit rises to Rs 71.6 crore versus Rs 70.9 crore, revenue increases to Rs 1,093.1 crore versus Rs 969.2 crore YoY. Board recommended Rs 6 per share of Rs 10 each (60 percent) as dividend for the year ended December 2018. Vesuvius India: Board recommended a dividend at the rate of Rs 7 per share (70 percent). Odisha Cement - certain mutual fund units, valued at approximately Rs 344 crore have been illegally and unauthorisedly transferred by the Depository Participant (DP) from the demat account held by our subsidiaries, OCL India and Dalmia Cement East. Tata Metaliks in its board meeting reviewed and discussed the opportunities for growth through capacity expansion at its existing plant in Kharagpur and consequent funding options Meghmani Organics: National Company Law Tribunal approved the Scheme of Arrangement amongst subsidiaries of company. PNB Housing Finance has submitted to the Exchange term sheet for NCD Series XLIX PNB reduces MCLR from 8.15% to 8.05% w.e.f. March 1 ARSS Infrastructure Projects: Joint venture NPCC-ARSS received a work order of Rs 429 crore from National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation. HAL clarified that during the Aero India 2019 held in Bengaluru the company has signed a MoU with CPWD for execution of stage wise infrastructure development of its Helicopter Factory, near Tumakur Circuit Filter Revision: BSE revised circuit filter price band to 10 percent for Technofab Engineering and Adhunik Industries; to 5 percent for E-Land Apparel, Ind-Swift, and Veto Switchgears & Cables; and to 2 percent for Shree Global Tradefin. Mangalam Seeds: Migration of equity shares of company from BSE SME Platform to BSE Mainboard Platform with effect from March 1. IndusInd Bank - Credit ratings for debt securities issued by IndusInd Bank reaffirmed by CRISIL Rane Madras - ICRA has withdrawn their rating of [ICRA] A (Stable) and [ICRA] A1 assigned to Rs 356.70 crore banking facilities and rating of [ICRA] A1 assigned to Rs 40 crore commercial paper Out of F&O ban: IDBI Bank and Jet Airways. Bulk Deals on February 27 GSS Infotech: Vicky Rajesh Jhaveri bought 1,64,486 shares of the company at Rs 117.24 per share on the NSE. Shashijit Infraprojects: Rajiv Ishwarbhai Mistry bought 96,000 shares of the company at Rs 30 per share on the BSE. (For more bulk deals, click here) Analyst or Board Meet/Briefings Metalyst Forgings: Board meeting is scheduled on February 28 to consider and approve and take on record the unaudited financial results for the quarter and nine months ended December 2018. ACC: Company's officials will meet investors on February 28. Shanthi Gears: Company's officials will meet investors February 28. Wockhardt: Meeting of Capital Raising Committee of the company will be held on March 19 to consider and approve alteration/ extension of the date of redemption of 16,00,00,000 0.01% non-convertible cumulative preference shares of face value of Rs 51 each held by Khorakiwala Holdings & Investments Private Limited (Promoter Group Entity) to such date as may be decided at the said meeting. Container Corporation of India: Company's officials will meet analysts/investors on March 4, 7 and 12, will attend UBS India Midcap Conference 2019 on June 6. Mahindra & Mahindra: Company's officials will meet analysts/investors on February 28, March 5, 8, 11, 12 and 14. CESC: Company's officials will attend Daiwa Investment Conference during March 4-5 in Japan. : Board meeting is scheduled on March 5 to consider a proposal for buy-back of the fully paid up equity shares of the company. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Sugar stocks gained between 1-8 percent in morning on Thursday after Iran bought raw sugar for first time in last five years. Dalmia Bharat Sugar, Uttam Sugar, Rajshree Sugars, Dwarikesh Sugar, Mawana Sugars, Ponni Sugar Erode, Triveni Engineering, Dhampur Sugar, Shree Renuka Sugars, Balrampur Chini etc were prominent gainers. Indian traders will export raw sugar to Iran for March and April delivery, PTI said quoting five trade sources. It would be the first Indian sugar sales to Tehran in at least five years as Iran struggles to secure food supplies under sanctions imposed by the United States. Sharekhan said this is sentimentally positive for sugar companies but momentum in sugar prices will depend upon the estimates of sugar production for next season. Iran is buying the sugar from India to use up the rupees it has received for oil sales to India, the world's third-largest oil user. Iran is blocked from the global financial system, including using US dollars to transact its oil sales, by sanctions imposed by the United States. Trading houses have contracted to export 1.5 lakh tonnes of raw sugar for shipments arriving in March and April at $305 to $310 per tonne on a free-on-board basis, Reuters said quoting trade sources this week. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Thursday directed the NCLT Ahmedabad bench to take a decision on the Rs 42,000-crore resolution plan submitted by ArcelorMittal for debt-ridden Essar Steel by March 8. A two-member NCLAT bench, headed by Justice S J Mukhopadhaya, said that if the Ahmedabad bench of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) fails to pass an order by this deadline, it would call records and pass an order. "Adjudicating authority (NCLT) has to pass final order by March 8, failing which this appellate tribunal may call all records including resolution plan approved by committee of creditors (CoC)," said NCLAT. The appellate tribunal has directed to list the matter on March 13 for next hearing. It has also directed the registry of NCLT to communicate this order to the Ahmedabad-based bench and its members. The NCLAT directive came while hearing an application filed by ArcelorMittal whose Rs 42,000-crore takeover proposal of Essar Steel has been approved by the CoC, and is pending before the NCLT for approval. Earlier, on January 29, NCLT Ahmedabad had rejected the debt settlement proposal put forth by the shareholders of Essar Steel saying the offer violates Section 12A of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. The NCLT had said that Rs 54,389-crore offer by Essar Steel Asia Holding, which is much higher than the ArcelorMittal's Rs 42,000 crore bid, is not maintainable as the only way to make a proposal is through Section 12A. Essar Steel owns a 10-million-tonne steel mill in Gujarat. The Reserve Bank of India on Thursday said it has approved the amalgamation of 'DBS Bank, India' with 'DBS Bank India', the entity which has been granted permission to operate as a wholly owned subsidiary (WOS) of the Singaporean lender. It can be noted that DBS used to operate in the 'branch model' and is among the first foreign lenders to come forward and operate as a WOS. In a press release, the RBI said the scheme of amalgamation between the two entities has been sanctioned under the provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. The scheme will come into force with effect from March 01 and all the branches of DBS Bank in India will function as branches of DBS Bank India, it added. DBS has 12 branches in the country at present and has drawn up plans to take it to 50 branches in 30 cities. Representative Image The Supreme Court on February 28 allowed Delhi Police to arrest and interrogate embattled firm Amrapali Groups CMD Anil Sharma and two other directors in a case of cheating lodged with its Economic Offence Wing (EOW). It also directed their personal properties to be attached. The next date of hearing has been fixed for March 26. The top court said the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police can also arrest Amrapali directors Shiv Priya and Ajay Kumar in the case. The three, currently in judicial custody following petitions by home buyers awaiting possession of their flats totalling 42,000, will now be moved to custody under Delhi Police. A bench of Arun Mishra and UU Lalit said, We had never stopped any agency from arresting the directors, who are currently housed in a Noida hotel under the detention of UP Police. The Supreme Court had in October last year ordered the Amrapali Group officials to be kept at a Noida hotel under police surveillance. In December, the Supreme Court had ordered the seizure of assets of the company, asking why criminal proceedings should not be initiated. It even called the company the "worst kind of cheater in the world" and "a perfect liar" for not complying with its direction. It has already ordered the seizure of the company's 100-bed multi-speciality hospital, bank accounts, the building which houses its office, certain firms and a benami villa in Goa. On Thursday, the apex court also ordered forensic auditors to complete their audit and submit the final report by March 22 and listed the matter for compliance on March 26 and kept aside three days April 2, April 3 and April 4 for final hearing of the matter, Supreme Court lawyer representing Amrapali buyers Kumar Mihir told Moneycontrol. At the last hearing, the court had appointed a valuer to ascertain the exact value of 5,229 unsold flats including those booked by Amrapali for just Rs 1, Rs 11 and Rs 12. NBCC on Thursday filed a status report on the work that was currently on in the Castle and Eden Park projects in Noida and expressed its inability to sell the unsold flats. At the last hearing, the court had allowed the NBCC to issue advertisement for the unsold flats of two Amrapali projects -- Eden Park and Castle -- being constructed by it so as funds could be raised. In January 2019, the forensic auditors pointed out there are some discrepancies in the investment made by JP Morgan in Amrapali Zodiac which they would like to further investigate. According to the auditors, peons bought a share of companies worth crore and were probably involved in the transaction with JP Morgan. The apex court said they were awaiting the final report of the forensic auditors to find out how many unsold flats were there. The CFO on Thursday deposited Rs 2 crore more and has sought time until March 10 to deposit the balance amount. The Supreme Court on February 14 had grilled Amrapali Group CMD Anil Kumar Sharma for Rs 94 crore of homebuyers' money being shown in his bank account and also warned that it would send him to jail for his "reluctance" in disclosing the identity of a person, who had bought company's shares worth Rs 140 crore from the multi-national firm JP Morgan. The top court gave Sharma one last opportunity to return Rs 6.55 crore of homebuyers' money, which he had transferred to his daughter, by February 28 and sought an explanation of Rs 94 crore shown in his bank account. The company on Thursday filed an affidavit that said they do not have the money, legal sources said. On February 11, the apex court had taken strong exception to two prime properties of Amrapali, including a five-star hotel, finding no bidders in an auction and said that prima facie it looks like "cartelisation is at work". The top court said that it is "shocking and disturbing" that bankers are not coming forward to finance the properties. A five-star hotel 'Amrapali Holiday Inn Tech Park' constructed in Greater Noida and prime land in Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh were put up for auction on January 31 by the DRT but no bidder had come forward to bid. vandana.ramannai@nw18.com Representative image Indian Air Force (IAF)'s Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, in Pakistani custody after his plane was shot down on February 27, will be governed under the Geneva Convention of 1929. "There is only one pilot under Pakistan Army's custody. Wing Comd Abhi Nandan is being treated as per norms of military ethics," Pakistani military spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor said on Twitter as tension between the two countries escalated. The rules protecting prisoners of war (POWs) are specific. They were first detailed in the 1929 Geneva Convention and later amended in the third 1949 Geneva Convention following the lessons of World War II. Also read: How Geneva Conventions can be invoked to bring our IAF pilot back According to the rules, the status of POW only applies in international armed conflict. "POWs are usually members of the armed forces of one of the parties to a conflict who fall into the hands of the adverse party," the Convention states. It says POWs cannot be prosecuted for taking a direct part in hostilities. "Their detention is not a form of punishment, but only aims to prevent further participation in the conflict. They must be released and repatriated without delay after the end of hostilities. The detaining power may prosecute them for possible war crimes, but not for acts of violence that are lawful under International Humantarian Law," it says. The rules specify that POWs must be treated humanely in all circumstances. "They are protected against any act of violence, as well as against intimidation, insults, and public curiosity," the Geneva Convention states. RN Bhaskar India-Russia business relations have already crossed $30 billion a year and expected to hit $50 billion mark by 2025. There was near unanimity on this statement, as both India and Russia met at a public forum organised by the Confederation of India Industry in Mumbai on February 21. Business relationship has accelerated during the last four years. The two-way investment has already reached $30 billionalmost seven years earlier than the target. CR Chaudhary, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Government of India, stated that the government has now revised its target to $50 billion for 2025. In some ways, this was expected. As this author has said before, it is inevitable that the gravity of world commerce will shift to the East if India, China and Russia work together. Take a look at the table. Among the countries surveyed, China has the least water as a percentage of its land mass. Typically, as the nation industrialises, the share of water used by agriculture comes down, driven by efficiencies and the growing importance of the industry. As China began to build factories, its planners realised that they would be short of water. This could be one of the reasons why India-China border cries became shrill. India feared that China would draw away water of Brahmaputra. In 2004, studies on water flow showed that although two-thirds of the Brahmaputra flowed in China, its territory accounted for just 20 percent of the rivers waters. Almost 60 percent of the water came from Arunachal Pradesh. It might be coincidental, but cries over Arunachal Pradesh became shriller thereafter. However, it got muted by 2013 for three reasons. First, China itself began to realise the significance of India as a big market. Second, China discovered that falling solar energy prices could allow it to get fresh water through the desalination process. Third, as this author argued in 2009, China started building a canal from Russia, which has the worlds largest reservoir of fresh water. Russia has 13 percent of its land mass under water. The inevitability of water being sourced from Russia was obvious to any student of geopolitics. In some way, the US allowed Russia and China to come closer. When the US tried to wean the EU away from Russian gas during the Ukraine crisis, Russia negotiated a deal with China to build a gas pipeline at a competitive price. Hitherto, much of its energy came from the Middle East, through Malacca Straits, passing through Korea and Japan. These were encircled by the US Navy and military establishment (see John Pilger's documentary: The Coming War on China). Its need to find another route was urgent (which is another reason why it needs Pakistan). Now, water, too, becomes a critical supply from Russia. Take a look at Russia. It has the largest land mass. It also has the worlds largest reserves of oil & gas and gold. However, its population density is among the lowest in the world. It does not have people to exploit its national resources and this is where China could help. But, as Chanakya remarked in Arthashastra, the next door neighbour may be a friend, but he can also be your worst enemy. Russia, therefore, needs India. Negotiations are already underway to work out ways in which Indians could help Russia exploit its natural resources. The partnership between OVL (ONGCs subsidiary) and Russia is a major step. The plan to rope in Tata Power to exploit its coal mines should be seen in this context. Expect more such steps. With rising tension between the US and China, the latter will need India for making its 5G telecommunication solutions the global standard. If India and China adopt this technology, the latters 5G automatically becomes the new global standard. In the defence sector, China is unlikely to get the latest technology from Russiait would not like to further strengthen its neighbour. This explains why Russia is willing to give its best and latest technologies to India, and not to China. Expect many more such instances of confluence among the three countries. The $30 billion investment is just for starters. It could swell phenomenally, as Russia remains one of the closest defence allies for India. India needs Russia as it is one of the very few countries, which has transferred defence technology to India. Additional synergies are now being discovered. For instance, as Denis Manturov, Minister of Industry and Trade, Russia, said that Russia's goal is to have 40 percent of GDP contribution from the SME sector and India- Russia collaboration can play a major role in this area. Further, sectors like information technology, healthcare, biotech and waste management are areas of interest to both countries. President Donald Trump on Thursday voiced confidence that the hostilities between India and Pakistan would end soon, saying he has some "reasonably decent" news with the US involved in trying to help reduce tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. In his opening statement at a press conference at the end of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un here, Trump said the US has some "reasonably attractive news" from Pakistan and India. "We have been involved in trying to help them (India and Pakistan) stop and we have some reasonably decent news," he told the reporters. "I think hopefully that (tensions) could be coming to an end, it has been going on for a long time," Trump said. Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The US president said that there is a lot of "dislike" (between India and Pakistan). India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. Pakistan on Wednesday claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot. Forty CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on February 14 in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a JeM suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. Similar to what happened after the February 14 Pulwama attack, the internet was flooded with fake news after Indian Air Force strikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed camps. Such videos spreading misinformation were also picked up by multiple news channels too. Here are some of such news items that went viral in the past two days: 1. According to a report by ALT News, one such clip doing the rounds on social media claimed to be of the IAF airstrikes. One particular regional news outlet went to the extent of posting the video as exclusive. A journalist working for a major Hindi news channel also shared the video, but with a caption stating something similar might have happened. The clip has gone viral both on Twitter and Facebook after right-leaning pages such as Narendra Modi fans, Yogi Adityanath Fans and Mission Modi 2019 shared it. Proud of our #IndianAirForce. Salutes to the brave soldier of IAF #IndiaStrikesBack pic.twitter.com/ctN9GmiPfT Ayansh Sah (@AyanshSah) February 26, 2019 If we take a close look at the video, it becomes obvious that it is not genuine and looks like that of a video game. A faint commentary in English is audible too. Turns out, the clip is of a 2015 clip of video game Arma 2. 2. Another unrelated and old video was shared as a clip of the IAF strike on JeM camps. This one was dubbed as the first visual of the IAF cross-border attack, conducted at around 3:30 am on Feb 26. Several news channels broadcasted the same. In the video, one can see a jet with flares. The video went viral on social media. One post of the video shared by Facebook page The India Eye, garnering over 225,000 views alone. The original footage, however, dates back to 2017 and was shared by a YouTube channel. It goes by the title Flares at night, Paf F-16, implying it to be the footage of Pakistan Air Force training in their F-16 fighter jets. The fact check news outlet Alt News found that the video went viral in the first place after a Pakistani Twitter user posted it early on February 26, stating the video to be of PAF retaliating to Indias attack. Supreme Court banned Pataki on Deepawali but Indian army celebratedit in a majestic way. #Surgicalstrike2 pic.twitter.com/zEaR5Op6dS Chakravarty Sulibele (@astitvam) February 26, 2019 3. The next video that went viral for the wrong reasons showed a group of jubilant defence personnel dancing. The post that shared the footage claimed the soldiers in question were celebrating the success of the Balakot airstrikes. A boomlive.in report found that the said video is a year old. The 30-second footage shows three soldiers shaking their legs to Punjabi dance tracks, only to be joined by more. The news outlet found the same video on YouTube, but it dates back to almost a year ago. This means, though the video is authentic, it is in no way related to the recent Balakot strikes. 4. Another fake news item that went viral was that of a female IAF pilot named Urvashi Jariwala carrying out Tuesdays strikes. It also claimed that she was a student of Bhulka Bhavan School in Surat. Boomlive.in quoted Defence analyst Nitin Gokhale saying it is unlikely for female pilots to take part in such sensitive missions as of now since they have only been recently commissioned into the force. Proud to inform you that the pilot of today's air strike is a girl Urvisha jariwala from Bhulka Bhavan school of Surat blitz (@blitz1101) February 26, 2019 So, who is Urvashi Jariwala? No one, none that we know of at least. The picture used was that of Sneha Shekhawat, the countrys first female fighter pilot to lead an Indian Air Force squadron on Republic Day Parade. Representative image Family members of Pankaj Nauhar, the IAF personnel killed in a chopper crash in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district on February 27, were grieving after news of his death reached them. Nauhar's father, retired Subedar Nobhat Singh, said he was informed about the crash and the death of his elder son on phone this evening. Singh said his son belonged to whole of Mathura. A resident of Sarang Vihar in the city, Nauhar got married in 2015. The couple has an 18-month-old son, Rudra. Nauhar joined joined the Air Force in 2012, his father said adding his younger son, Ajai, is a student. Singh said Nauhar visited them in Mathura a month ago. Proud of his son's sacrifice, Singh said he still favoured teaching Pakistan a lesson. Mourners, well-wishers and district administration officials have been visiting the family home. senior commanders were eliminated# Political leaders in India, including Congress President Rahul Gandhi, have praised the strikes# PM Modi held a high-level security meeting and has briefed the President and the Vice President# Pakistan has claimed that the IAF jets violated the Line of Control (LoC)# It is violation of ceasefire. We will give a befitting reply: Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi # Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, currently held captive by Pakistan, will be released tomorrow. The announcement was made by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and other top officials of the government are meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Multiple Indian Air Force (IAF) jets on the night of February 25-26 crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and carried out limited strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist camp. A ceasefire violation by Pakistan Army was also reported in the Gulpur sector of Poonch late night on February 25. The Indian Army also reportedly retaliated. The firing started at around midnight and stopped at around 2.00 am. No casualties were reported. However, it is unclear if the incidents are related. File image The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) today asked banks with large currency chests to have separate storage space for coins and notes to beef the security. In October 2016, RBI had set up a committee on currency movement (CCM), under the chairmanship of its executive director D K Mohanty to review the entire gamut of security of treasure in transit. The committee recommended the steps for relating to standardisation of storage facilities in currency chests. RBI has examined the recommendations and have asked banks to implement them. "The currency chests (CCs) having large vault space shall consider segregation of storage of coins inside the vault duly segregated by mesh structure or barricades without obstructing clear view and CCTV coverage," RBI said in a notification. Those currency chests that do not have sufficient storage space inside the vault to segregate storage of coins, may continue to store the coins under CCTV coverage, in a manner so that notes and coin spaces are clearly identifiable. The central bank asked banks colour code their bins for identification of denomination details and clear segregation of fresh, re-issuable and soiled notes. The bins containing notes that are yet to be processed on note sorting machines (NSMs) shall also be colour coded separately, it said. Ali Ahmed At the end of three rounds in the current crisis, it would appear that the two sides, India and Pakistan, are about even. While in round one, on February 14, a Pakistan-sponsored Kashmiri terrorist of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) detonated a car bomb killing over 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel at Pulwama, in Kashmir, in round two the Government of India said that 12 Indian Air Force (IAF) Mirage 2000 jets killing a very large number of JeM terrorists at a camp in Balakot, in Pakistan, on February 26. On February 27, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) targeted military installations in the Rajouri sector, dropping bombs randomly when challenged and chased away by the IAF. In the dogfight, both sides lost a plane each, with the Pakistanis capturing an IAF pilot. The Indian military actions on February 26 and the Pakistani counter on February 27 received widespread appreciation in respective countries. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in a televised address expressed a desire for peace through talks, reiterating his message of the previous day to give peace a chance. This is potentially a juncture at which the two sides, both having drawn blood, can step back from the brink. Both militaries have displayed their professionalism and the public pressures stand assuaged to a degree. There are constituencies on both sides that are not averse to peace at this stage. There is little political impulse on either side to escalate. Both sides have in their official statements kept the possibility of peace open. In the Indian statement by its foreign secretary, India reminded Pakistan of its obligation under the Islamabad joint declaration, implicitly signalling that the joint statement of January 2004 between Vajpayee and Musharraf could serve as a possible start point. Pakistan for its part offered to investigate the Pulwama terror attack but not without receipt of proof from India. At the time of writing, its deputy high commissioner had been summoned by the Indian foreign ministry and handed over the dossier on JeM. India could hold Pakistan to its word, buying time for de-escalation to kick-in. The process of return of the captured pilot through Red Cross channels can reduce the current tension. As for the option of maintaining the level of hostilities at its current level, neither state may prefer this. Both sides have employed air power, universally regarded as escalatory, and have incurred losses. Escalation would remain inherent if continued at this level. Besides, the consequences of friction the concept that has it that even the simplest activity is rendered difficult in war would increase tensions; witness the crash of a helicopter at a Budgam airfield in Kashmir unrelated to the aerial skirmish south of the Pir Panjal. There is a lower level of action available along the Line of Control. Both have upped the temperatures there, which they can persist with to keep their martial ardour ventilated, even as they step off the higher threshold of hostilities. De-escalation can be found appealing only if the escalation ladder is seen as sufficiently daunting and the probability of ascent high. Khan in his address alluded to imponderables of war making escalation control problematic. This is true in his case since decision-making in Pakistan is with the military. In Indias case, it bears considering if escalation, though feasible in light of Indian conventional advantages, is desirable. Strategically, the prompt Pakistani counter stemming from the Pakistan Army holding the national security cards is a message on its readiness to match step with India. India, the stronger power, would require to up-the-ante to subdue Pakistan, which can only be by resort to conventional power. Even if the nuclear level is discounted, the contest would be tough, could prove a long haul and will have an unpredictable escalation dynamic, which could later bring the nuclear dimension to the table. Politically, India is at the cusp of national elections. It can do without being buffeted and distracted by terrorist action. Since there is no immediacy for sterner action, India can await the formation of a new government and revert, with a fresh democratic mandate behind it, to any long-term harsh measures or take up the talks offer of Pakistan. Besides, the opposition parties in a meeting on February 27 disapproved of the ruling party seemingly cornering credit for the militarys professional showing. Finally, the side that takes any further step militarily is likely to lose international support since there is consensus globally on both sides stepping back. Internal political fissures imply lowering of hostilities threshold is necessary. Of the two options hardline or talks the hardline option of compelling Pakistan to wrap up the JeM is the more difficult one. India can settle for deterrence, based on default retaliation for higher order terrorist strikes, which is now the new line in the sand drawn by surgical strikes and the aerial strike. As for talks, India is not averse to talks to end terrorism. A gear shift to hold Pakistan to its word in Islamabad of January 2004 to discontinue terror requires de-escalation as next step. Ali Ahmed, a former UN official, is a strategic analyst and blogger. Views are personal. For more Opinion pieces, click here United States Secretary of State Michael (Mike) Pompeo spoke to National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on February 27 and extended full support to India, according to a report by News18. The Pompeo-Doval call lasted for around 25 minutes in which Pompeo reportedly said that cross-border terrorism such as the attack on Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, poses a grave threat to the security of the area. Pompeo also reiterate United States call for Pakistan to abide by United Nations Security Council (UNSC) commitments to deny terrorist safe havens and block their access to funds. According to a report by CNBC-TV18, Doval shared inputs on the choice of targets for Indias pre-emptive, non-military strike. Also read: India, Pakistan should avoid further military action: Pentagon US had earlier urged Pakistan to abide by its UNSC commitments. The US statement had come after India on February 28 handed over to Pakistan a dossier on specific details of involvement of the Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) in the Pulwama terror as also the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror outfit in that country. Cross-border terrorism, such as the recent attack on India's CRPF on February 14, poses a grave threat to the security of the region. We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds, a State Department spokesperson said. Pompeo had on February 27 spoken to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as well as Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Delhi High Court A Delhi court on February 28 directed Rajeev Saxena, who had moved a plea to become an approver in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland money-laundering case, to record his statement before a magistrate court. Special judge Arvind Kumar marked Saxena's plea before the court of the CMM on March 2 for recording of his disclosure statement (disclose intentions for becoming an approver), after he told the court that he had no intention not to cooperate and that it was logical at this stage to complete his testimony in a fair way. The judge asked him, "Are you aware that you may not be absolved of punishment by becoming an approver?". To this Saxena replied in the affirmative. "I have thought long and hard and I am confident that my exposure to the case is minimal... I have no intention not to cooperate. At this stage it is logical to complete my testimony in a fair way," he told the court. He further asserted that he decided to be an approver on his own free will and with a complete understanding of the case and he was neither given any assurances nor has he taken any. The ED was on February 27 asked by the court to file its response by February 28 but Special Public Prosecutor D P Singh argued that the agency will file its reply after Saxena's disclosure statement was recorded before a different court. Saxena had moved an application to be an approver in the case, saying it was "out of free will" and "without any coercion" and prayed that he "will make a full disclosure subject to the grant of pardon". "The applicant humbly prays, without prejudice to his defence, that he may be granted pardon approver under Section 306 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 subject to the condition that he will make a full disclosure, to the extent, the facts are within his knowledge of which he will make a true and proper disclosure subject to the grant of pardon," his application had said. Saxena had said that he has cooperated with the investigation throughout and has made known entire facts regarding the case. "The applicant cooperated with the investigation during the entire period of remand before the Directorate of Enforcement. "The applicant has made a clean breast of the entire facts as known to the applicant with regard to the complaint pertaining to the AgustaWestland helicopters filed by the Directorate of Enforcement to the extent known to him," the application had said. Saxena was earlier granted bail by the court on medical grounds after perusing reports submitted by AIIMS. The court had said that it was clear from the medical record submitted by AIIMS that Saxena was suffering from a number of serious ailments including blood cancer and needs constant medical checkups. Saxena, who is in custody since January 31 after his deportation from Dubai, said in his bail plea that when all the other accused in the case, including Gautam Khaitan, Ritu Khaitan and S P Tyagi were out on bail, there could be "no justification" to deny him the same relief. Saxena, a director of two Dubai-based firms - UHY Saxena and Matrix Holdings - is one of the accused named in the charge sheet filed by ED in the AgustaWestland case. Christian Michel, former AgustaWestland and Finmeccanica directors Giuseppe Orsi and Bruno Spagnolini, former Air Force chief SP Tyagi and Saxena's wife Shivani have also been named by the agency in the chargesheet. The ED had alleged that in connivance with Khaitan, Saxena provided a global corporate structure for laundering illegal proceeds of the crime for payment to various political persons, bureaucrats and Air Force officials to influence the contract to supply 12 VIP helicopters in favour of AgustaWestland. Saxena was residing in Palm Jumeriah, Dubai and has been living in the UAE for last 26 years. Maintaining that AgustaWestland had paid Euro 58 million as kickbacks through two Tunisia-based firms, the ED has alleged that "these companies further siphoned off the said money in the name of consultancy contracts to M/s Interstellar Technologies Limited, Mauritius and others which were further transferred to M/s UHY Saxena and M/s Matrix Holdings Ltd, Dubai and others". It was alleged by the probe agency that the two Dubai-based firms were the entities "through which the proceeds of crime have been routed and further layered and integrated in buying the immovable properties/ shares, among others" in this case. On January 1, 2014, India had scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of kickbacks of Rs 423 crore paid by it to secure the deal. Representative image Indian Air Forces Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistani forces in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after his MIG-21 Bison was shot down in an air combat, may be released soon, CNN-News18 reported quoting sources. Sources told the channel that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had a long conversation with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last evening for nearly half an hour. The US made supported India's stand amid tensions with its neighbour. Doval made it clear that Pakistan should take serious action against Jaish E Mohammad and its chief Masood Azhar, the perpetrator behind the Pulwama attack on February 14, if it is serious about de-escalation. The channel further said, quoting government sources, that the release of Wing Commander Varthaman has been made an immediate priority by India as part of any de-escalation activities. Varthaman was captured earlier yesterday after he ejected but landed on the PoK side following an air combat. IAF planes also downed a Pakistani F-16 during the combat. After Pakistani social media and official Twitter channels put up videos showing Varthaman in custody, the Indian government admitted that the IAF pilot had indeed been captured and called for his immediate release under the Geneva Convention. The government also objected to the vulgar display of the injured personnel, saying it flouted the convention norms. O As per the Geneva Convention, which applies to all cases of declared war or of any other armed conflict which may arise between two or more of the signatories, even if the state of war is not recognized by one of them, prisoners of war shall be released and repatriated without delay after the cessation of active hostilities and unjustifiable delay in the repatriation of prisoners of war or civilians is a grave breach of the protocol. This morning, Pakistani newspaper The Nation quoted Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi as saying that the country is willing to negotiate over Varthaman's return "with an open heart". Moneycontrol Contributors This much is certain now - a dozen planes of the Indian Air Force flew over Pakistani airspace all the way to Balakot in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of our neighbour and dropped bombs on terrorist camps. The governments official statement said, In an intelligence-led operation in the early hours of (26 February), India struck the biggest training camp of JeM (Jaish-e-Mohammed) in Balakot. In this operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated. This facility at Balakot was headed by Maulana Yousuf Azhar (alias Ustad Ghouri), the brother-in-law of Masood Azhar, Chief of JeM. J-e-M was, of course, the militant outfit that claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack in Pulwama in Jammu & Kashmir that killed over 40 CRPF soldiers on February 14. Foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale, who presented the statement, further said, The Government of India is firmly and resolutely committed to taking all necessary measures to fight the menace of terrorism. Hence this non-military preemptive action was specifically targeted at the JeM camp. The selection of the target was also conditioned by our desire to avoid civilian casualties. The facility is located in thick forest on a hilltop far away from any civilian presence. Indias war against terrorism goes airborne Its an tiresome cliche now, one we could laugh away if the cost of human lives wasnt already so high. The India-Pakistan conflict is one that sees a solider or two succumb to violence in the Kashmir region every few days. Given the duration of this war-by-proxy that is conducted by Islamic radicals, we in India are now inured to such losses as a price we pay for our countrys tenuous hold on the Kashmir valley. Im not going to get into the Pulwama bombing by the Masood Azhar-led Jaish-e-Mohammed - it has been discussed ad nauseam, and threadbare, by every Indian with a mobile phone. The public wanted vengeance for such an act, with some even crying war. Well, its beginning to look like they may have got the war they wanted. The 26 February airstrike penetrated deep into Pakistani territory, well into KPK. That province lies beyond the LoC (which separates the two Kashmirs) and the International Border that marks Pakistan proper. An India Today report claims, The pre-dawn airstrike that India carried out )was)...in the works for 11 days, sources say...the government cleared Air Force chief BS Dhanoa's presentation the day after the (Pulwama) bombing Sometime after 3AM on Tuesday, twelve Mirage 2000 fighter jets belonging to the IAF took off from Ambala airbase in Punjab and struck joint training camps of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. The terror camp is said to be located some 20 kilometres from Balakot town. A Livemint report noted that hundreds of Fidayeen (an Arabic word for a soldier who gives his life for a chosen cause) and their trainers were shifted from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to a five-star, resort style camp in a hilltop forest in Balakot after the Pulwama attack, providing Indian forces with "a sitting duck. That report mentions that up to 350 terrorists were eliminated - at least 325 terrorists and 25 to 27 trainers. Fighter and other aircraft took off from several air bases across Western and Central IAF commands around the same time, which could have left Pakistani defence officials confused as to their heading. A small group of aircraft broke away from the swarm and headed to Balakot where the sleeping terrorists were sitting ducks According to official claims, the strike completely destroyed the camps by shelling 1,000 kg bombs. The entire operation lasted 19 minutes. According to a report in The Economic Times, the Mirages hit Balakot at 3:45 AM and the strike went on till 3:53 AM. Hitting Balakot is seen as a big change for the IAF - it had not only crossed the LoC (Line of Control), but also flew across all of PoK, or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and to target terrorist camps inside Khyber Pakhtukhwa. Some reports claim that it was also the biggest J-e-M camp, while the official claim is that around 300 people were killed in the aerial bombardment. The IAF reportedly deployed an elaborate support system for this operation. Surveillance was heightened, and drones as well as early-warning systems were used to keep an eye on any action emanating from Pakistan. Interestingly, mid-air refuellers were also deployed in case of an emergency. Some Pakistani aircraft did attempt to retaliate but, according to an ANI report, turned back due to the unexpected size of the Indian formation. The Indian Air Force claimed that all Indian aircraft returned safely after dropping bombs on three locations - Balakot in KPK, and Chakothi and Muzaffarabad in PoK. As Elizabeth Roche wrote in Livemint, The Balakot air strike illustrated a new will on the part of India to shed its reservations and target terrorist camps wherever they may be. Whats interesting is that Indian fighter jets crossed into Pakistani territory despite a large number of radars deployed on Pakistans eastern border to thwart any such action. Pakistan confirmed that Indian fighter jets had indeed flown into their country saying "four bombs" were dropped during an operation on Tuesday but downplayed its significance, claiming the Indian planes were repulsed. The spokesperson said that the fleeing Indian aircraft "jettisoned their payload." While India described its action as a non-military pre-emptive strike" against JeM, a UN-proscribed terrorist group. This marks a transition in anti-terrorism in India from a defensive posture to an offensive one. Pakistan Army spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor also said that Pakistan will "surprise" India with its response that will be in all domains including "diplomatic, political and military." He asserted that there was no strike but only the payload fell. Pakistans foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, after chairing an emergency meeting at the Pakistan foreign office, suggested that escalation could be on the cards. He said, India has violated the Line of Control and committed grave aggression against Pakistan. We reserve the right of a suitable response and right of self defence. Brahma Chellaney, a strategic analyst with the think tank, Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi, tweeted, ...a chilling message for Pakistans terrorism sponsors: the ISI (Inter Services Intelligence) headquarters in Islamabad and GHQ (general headquarters) in Rawalpindi are much closer than Balakot to the Ambala airbase, from where Indian warplanes carried out the air strikes with impunity. And major world powers may have been in the know. Asked about Indias right to self-defence, American President Donald Trump told the media last week, India is looking at something very strong. And, I mean, India just lost almost 50 people and... with an attack, so I can understand that also. US national security adviser John Bolton had also told reporters that he had conveyed to his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval during a phone call that we support Indias right to self-defence. Reuters reported that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had spoken with the foreign ministers of both countries and urged them to avoid further military activity following Tuesdays air strike. He said, I expressed to both ministers that we encourage India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, and avoid escalation at any cost. Pompeo added, I also encouraged both ministers to prioritize direct communication and avoid further military activity. France and Australia released statements asking Pakistan to essentially curb terrorism that emanates from its territory while, surprisingly, China, an all-weather friend of Pakistan, urged restraint from both countries. Then, of course, social media took over and it was a meme war on Twitter and Facebook. Day one of this new direction in the India-Pakistan saga belonged to India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi played it cool, taking a ride in the Delhi Metro, then speaking at an ISCKON temple. Many opposition luminaries congratulated the Indian Air Force for the attacks, including Mamata Bannerjee! It was news to the rest of the country, of course, that the Indian Air Force had decided to attack J-e-M camps of its own accord. Was there a policy shift we werent told about? Pakistan retaliates On day two of the conflict, Pakistan kept its word on retaliation. Pakistan Air Force jets flew across the LoC into Kashmir and dropped four bombs in remote locations in the Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district. Pakistan also claimed to have shot down two Indian jets as well as having arrested two IAF pilots. Pakistan claimed it launched its own strikes to demonstrate its capability, will and resolve to respond to Indian strikes on its territory a day earlier. The Pakistani action, according to its foreign office statement, was not a retaliation to continued Indian belligerence. Pakistan has therefore, taken strikes at non military target, avoiding human loss and collateral damage. Asif Ghafoor said Pakistani jets were chased by Indian Air Force aircraft and when they violated Pakistan space, two aircraft were shot down. Wreckage of one of the aircraft fell on the Pakistani side and local authorities arrested one of the pilots while another, who was injured, was admitted to a hospital. Ghafoor produced photographs of weapons and identity documents he said were carried by Indian pilots. Reuters reported that the Pakistan governments official Twitter account released a video of what it claimed was one of the Indian pilots who had been shot down. The man, whose face is bloodied and blindfolded, identified himself as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, and also revealed his service number and, curiously, his religion, before telling a man questioning him: Im sorry sir, thats all Im supposed to tell you. Raveesh Kumar, a spokesman for Indias foreign ministry, told a news briefing that Pakistans airstrikes on military targets had been foiled. He said India had shot down one Pakistani plane that landed in Pakistani territory, and that it had lost one of its own planes, not two, with the pilot missing in action. Kumar said, One Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft was shot down by Indian Air Force. In this engagement, we have lost one MiG 21. The pilot is missing in action. Pakistan claims he is in their custody. We are ascertaining the facts.. India shut down nine airports in the morning in anticipation of just such an attack. Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Pathankot, Amritsar, Shimla, Kangra, Kullu Manali and Pithoragarh airports were closed to civilian air traffic amid the escalating tension after Pakistani jets violated Indian airspace and bombed the Poonch and Rajouri sectors along the Line of Control (LoC). In Srinagar, the Airports Authority of India said, Civilian air traffic has been suspended temporarily in view of the emergency." However, as of 330 pm, India reversed the shutdown hours after airports and airspace north of New Delhi. Political fallout Well, this ones easy. With a show of intent via the airstrike, Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks to be on very solid ground as far as the May 2019 elections are concerned. Domestically, the Indian action, coming before the elections, helps Modi. He was under immense pressure to act given Indias stated position that talks and terrorism cant go together. The IAF air strikes seemed to unite the opposition behind the government, albeit temporarily. An all-party meeting in New Delhi was briefed by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. Fresh inputs The Indian stock market was down around 0.5 percent, but the nervousness was evident in Mumbai, according to a Reuters report. There was a visible increase in security levels in Indias financial capital, which has suffered numerous militant attacks in the past. Meanwhile, a small-scale war of words has erupted between the two governments. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on threatened to boycott a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) scheduled for this week in the UAE if India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj participates in the event. India has been invited to the event by the UAE, with Swaraj as the guest of honour. He said, I have no reservations with the OIC or any other Islamic country. My reservations are with Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj's attendance at the OIC meeting. If Swaraj attends the meeting then I will not participate in it. The OIC on Tuesday "condemned" India's "incursion and aerial violation" in Pakistan. Earlier today, Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan said in a televised speech, "History tells us that wars are full of miscalculation. My question is that given the weapons we have can we afford miscalculation. We should sit down and talk. There was also the attendant bluster of India-Pak altercations. Khan said, I ask India: with the weapons you have and the weapons we have, can we really afford a miscalculation? If this (situation) escalates, it will no longer be in my control or in (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi's...where do we go from here? As of 7PM, Indias Ministry of External Affairs released a statement that said, It was made clear that Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return. ANI reported that India also strongly objected to Pakistans vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. With India reiterating its right to go after terrorists, the conflict could see more escalation before it winds down. In such a scenario, unless, you are a keyboard warrior and meme wars are your thing, might I suggest sticking to reports from official sources, and not paying too much attention to hysterical forwards on WhatsApp family groups? After all, we may be on the brink of a major conflict. File image Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on February 27 appealed to opposition parties to introspect their statement on "blatant politicisation" of the sacrifices of the armed forces, saying it is being used by Pakistan to bolster their case, drawing a sharp retort from the Congress that it is the ruling party "leadership who require real introspection". Jaitley hit out at the Opposition, saying why it is alleging that the government is politicising the anti-terror operation when the whole nation is speaking in one voice. "My appeal to India's opposition - 'Let the country speak in one voice'. Please introspect - 'Your ill-advised statement is being used by Pakistan to bolster its case'." "The Cross Border terror attack in Pulwama was a reality. The Balakot Operation was India's Anti-Terror preemptive strike to defend its Sovereignty," he said in a series of tweets. Countering Jaitley, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted, "Mr. Jaitley, It's BJP & its leadership who require real introspection. Entire opposition stood as one backing the armed forces & the Govt. Still, Amit Shah & entire BJP resorted to credit seeking for the sacrifice of our martyrs & indulged in blaming the Congress provocatively." The 21 opposition parties after their meeting earlier in the day issued a joint statement expressing "deep anguish" over what they alleged was "blatant politicisation" of the sacrifices of armed forces. They urged the government to take the nation into confidence on all measures to protect India's sovereignty, unity and integrity. The statement said, "National security must transcend narrow political considerations... The leaders observed that the prime minister has, regrettably, not convened an all-party meeting as per established practice in our democracy." The RJD and other opposition parties in Bihar on February 28 charged the BJP with trying to derive political mileage out of escalated tension with Pakistan and expressed dismay over Prime Narendra Modi's interaction with booth-level workers in the midst of a national crisis. They also deplored senior BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa for having said that the pre-emptive strikes at Balakot will help the party sweep the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka. The leaders of the proposed Mahagathbandhan in the state questioned the decision of the NDA to hold a rally in the Bihar capital on March 03 at a time when we should be more concerned about the release of IAF officer Abhinandan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union minister Ramvilas Paswan would address the rally in Patna on Sunday to kickstart the ruling coalition's campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in the politically crucial Bihar having 40 Parliamentary constituencies. The Honourable Prime Minister must learn from the opposition parties which have put on hold their political programmes. While the entire nation is collectively praying for the safe return of our brave pilot, the Prime Minister is engaged in 'mera booth sabse mazboot'. This is unfortunate and tragic, RJD national spokesman and Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha said in a statement. Jhas statement was in reference to cancellation of a public meeting at Jehanabad by Tejashwi Yadav and, its ally, the Congress cancelling the meeting of its apex body the CWC scheduled in Gujarat. The BJP leaderships decision to continue with their political rallies and other programmes in spite of the prevailing security situation unambiguously conveys that their ultimate aim is to pile up their political stock at the cost of our brave armed forces, which Yeddyurappa has gleefully expressed, Jha added. The Prime Minister should realize that when it comes to national security concerns, narrow political concerns should be jettisoned. I appeal to him and his party to cancel all programmes including the rally scheduled at Patna on March 03, the RJD leader said. Echoing similar sentiments, Bihar Congress working president Kaukab Qadri said at a time when opposition parties are cancelling programmes in solidarity with the armed forces, the ruling party must act with a sense of responsibility. The Prime Minister should concentrate on securing the release of Wing Commander Abhinandan instead of BJP programmes aimed at electoral success. Statements to this effect were also issued by RLSP national general secretary Madhaw Anand and Hindustani Awam Morcha leader Santosh Kumar Manjhi. The CPI(ML) Liberation also issued a strongly-worded statement condemning the BJP leadership for reaping political dividends out of tension with Pakistan. Yeddyurappa has blatantly said the BJP would get electoral benefit from the IAF operations. Amit Shah is urging people to vote for Modi because responses were possible only under his leadership. And the Prime Minister is himself whiling away time on Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot, the ultra-Left outfits state secretary Kunal said in a statement. We urge the people, the political leadership and the media of both the countries to exercise restraint and act thoughtfully. The competitive war-mongering does not augur well for either India or Pakistan, he added. President Donald Trump sought to discredit his former lawyer Michael Cohen on February 28 after the ex-aide's bombshell congressional testimony in which he essentially called Trump a criminal. "He lied a lot," Trump told a press conference in Vietnam after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump insisted that Cohen's testimony on February 27 had provided no evidence of collusion by the Trump campaign with Russia in the 2016 US election. Cohen told the lawmakers he had no direct knowledge of collusion but that he had suspicions. The president complained that the testimony took place during the summit with Kim. "I think having a fake hearing like that and having it in the middle of this very important summit is really a terrible thing," Trump said. Trump again insisted the probe into Russian collusion is a "hoax" and a "witchhunt." File image Facing flak for linking India's air strike on terror camps in Pakistan with BJP's prospects in Lok Sabha polls, party Karnataka chief B S Yeddyurappa on February 28 said there was no question of seeking electoral gains and the nation came first to him. Yeddyurappa's remarks amid escalating tension between India and Pakistan drew criticism from political leaders in Karnataka and disapproval from his own party colleague and Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh. I would like to clarify that my yesterdays statement has been completely misinterpreted. I have highest regard for our armed forces. I salute the bravery of our men in fighting for the countrys safety. 1/2 B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) February 28, 2019 He had on February 27 said India's pre-emptive strikes on terror camps in Pakistan has created a wave in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will help the party win over 22 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka. The Pakistan media and the ruling party there Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf too latched on to Yeddyurappa's statement to question India whether war was an election option. My statement is being reported out of context. I said that situation favourable for BJP which i am saying for last couple of months. This is not first time that i said BJP in Karnataka will win minimum 22 seats under the able leadership of Modi ji. B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) February 28, 2019 Speaking to reporters, he said there was no question of using the situation arising out of the IAF strike for electoral gains. Noting that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had informed about the developments at an all-party meeting, he said all political parties, including Congress President Rahul Gandhi, have welcomed India's action. "Where is the question of using it for politics? Whole country has welcomed it. There is no question of using it for political gains," he added. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah slammed Yeddyurappa for looking at political gains on an issue involving national security and interest. Singh, a former Army chief, expressed his difference with Yeddyurappa on the issue. "@BSYBJPji, I beg to differ. We stand as one nation, action taken by our government is to safeguard our nation & ensure safety of our citizens, not to win a few extra seats," Singh tweeted. He tagged a video link of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's speech in the parliament stressing on unity among parties at times of national distress. In a tweet tagging a news report about Yeddyurappa's statement, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's party said "Air Force excursions, war mongering, soldiers in captivity and the lives of so many people in danger all equate to 22 seats in the eyes of representatives on India's ruling party. Is war an election option? #SayNoToWar." Hitting out at Yeddyurappa, Kumaraswamy termed his comments as "shameful." "The entire nation is united in supporting the central govt&our armed forces to fight terrorism, while #Bjp leader @BSYBJP is busy calculating how many extra LS seats the terrorattack&Pak war can bring to his party. The entire nation is united in supporting the central govt&our armed forces to fight terrorism,while #Bjp leader @BSYBJP is busy calculating howmany extra LS seats the terror attack&Pak war can bring to his party. It's shameful to exploit our jawans' sacrifice for electoral gains H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) February 28, 2019 Questioning BJP's intention, former Chief Minister and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah demanded clarification from the prime minister. "Shocking & disgusting to understand #BJPsPlot4Vote. It is unfortunate that @BJP4India is calculating electoral gains even before the dust has settled," he said in a tweet. He also said: "No patriot shall derive such sadistic gains over soldiers' death, only a anti-nationalist can. What will RSS say about this?" Siddaramaiah asked. State Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao also slammed Yeddyurappa, asking whether going to war an electoral strategy for the BJP. Shenzhen-based smartphone manufacturer Nubia has launched a unique smartwatch at the Mobile World Conference (MWC). The smartwatch is named as Nubia Alpha which is more of a smartphone on a wrist. The Nubia Alpha is a wearable device and has a foldable display which looks like a smartphone. Although the company calls it a smartphone, it is based on the platform of a smartwatch. It features 4-inch flexible OLED display with a resolution of 960 x 192 pixels and an aspect ratio of 49:9. The Alpha is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 chipset paired with 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal storage. It also has a 5 MP camera sensor for capturing photos and to record videos. The device has a 500 mAh battery which the company claims can last up to two days. The Alpha runs on Nubias custom operating system which is based on Android. It comes with fitness-related features like sleep-tracking and health-assistance apps. It also features motion gestures and Air Interaction Mechanics (AIR) along with 4G voice calls. Nubia stated that upon launch, the company would be launching two models of the smartphone-cum-wearable device that would be available in two colour options Black and Gold. The base model would have Bluetooth connectivity whereas the premium model would offer eSIM connectivity. The Alpha would have a price tag of 450 Euros for the Bluetooth model which would be available only in Black colour. The eSIM variant would start at 550 Euros for the black colour variant, whereas the gold variant would cost 650 Euros. The devices would go on sale starting April in China, followed by Europe in Q3, 2019 and North America in Q4 of 2019. Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo has confirmed the launch of the F11 Pro in India. The company would be launching the mid-range smartphone on March 5. However, before the official launch the specifications have surfaced online. Oppo has already revealed that the F11 Pro would feature a dual camera setup which would comprise of a 48MP camera. Other specifications have been spotted online on Geekbench and spotted by DroidShout. The Geekbench listings reveal that the F11 Pro would be running one Android v9.0 over the companys Color OS 6 skin. The phone would feature a 6GB RAM that would be paired with a MediaTek Helio P70 SoC. The Geekbench listings also reveal the single-core scores at 1,573 and multi-core scores at 5,844. Oppo has also confirmed that the F11 Pro would feature a 4,000 mAh battery and would support VOOC 3.0 the companys fast charging technique. Other features confirmed by Oppo include a pop-up front camera and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. Apart from this, the device is expected to sport a 6.5-inch Full HD LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2340 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The screen to body ratio is said to be 90.9 percent. It is speculated that the confirmed 48MP camera would have an f/1.7 aperture along with a 5MP sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. The front camera is said to be a 16MP lens with f/2.0 aperture. The phone is said to be available in 64GB and 128GB storage options. Further, popular leakster Ishan Agarwal has stated that the company would be launching the F11 Pro in Thunder Black while other leaks suggest the phone would be made available in Aurora Green colour options. OPPO F11 Pro Thunder Black exclusive official render... I do like this phone! Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) February 26, 2019 oppo F11 Pro pic.twitter.com/W6k1Er9uDF Boby o (@Boby25846908) February 20, 2019 A hands-on video was uploaded online showed the phone in Purple gradient.Connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.2, BeiDou, GPS with A-GPS, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual-band and GLONASS. Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi is all set to launch the companys next Note series smartphone- Redmi Note 7. Along with the budget smartphone, the company is also expected to launch the Pro variant. Xiaomi had launched the Redmi Note 7 in China last month. The company during its event announced that Redmi would be a sub-brand of the company, just like Poco, and would be focusing on the budget smartphone devices. While we have all the specifications of the Redmi Note 7, the price is still unknown. The Note 7 features a 6.3-inch FULL HD+ display which has a resolution of 1080x2340 pixels. Under the hood, the Redmi Note 7 has a Snapdragon 660 SoC paired with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB onboard storage which can be increased to up to 256 GB via microSD. The Note 7 has a dual camera setup that includes a 48 MP f/1.8and 5 MP sensors at the back. However, the Indian variant of the Redmi Note 7 may not have the 48 MP sensor like its Chinese variant, according to a leak by tipster Ishan Agarwal. Instead, the 48 MP sensor would be available in the Pro variant of the Redmi Note 7. The Note 7 would have a 13 MP front camera inside the water-drop style notch. Talking about battery backup, the device would house a 4,000 mAh Li-ion battery and would support Quick-charge 4. The device has a lot of connectivity options that include 4G with VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Mobile Hotspot, Type-C port, Bluetooth and GPS. The device would be priced near Rs 10,500 for the 3GB + 32 GB variant and would be available in Black, Blue and Red colour options in India. According to Agarwal, Xiaomi would also release the Pro variant of the Redmi Note 7. Xiaomi hasnt revealed any specifications of the device. But Agarwal stated that the Note 7 Pro would have the same design as its standard variant, which means that it would have a 6.3-inch Full HD+ screen with Gorilla Glass 5 on top. The selling point of the device, according to the tipster, would be the 48 MP f/1.8 sensor on the back with a 5 MP depth sensor. Further, Agarwal stated that the Redmi Note 7 Pro would have a Snapdragon 675 SoC instead of the Snapdragon 660 on the standard variant and would be paired with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage. However, Redmi CEO Lu Weibing confirmed that the smartphone would be launched in 6GB + 128GB variant. The phone is expected to be priced somewhere near the Rs 15,000 mark and would be available in Black, Gradient Blue and Gradient Red colour options.Both the devices would be launched today at 11.30 IST in an event held in New Delhi. The company would also live stream the launch through its official YouTube channel and website. After the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that an Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured by Pakistan during the standoff on February 27, memories of the last time the neighbouring country captured an Indian pilot rushed back. During the Kargil War, Flight Lieutenant Kambampati Nachiketa was captured after his MiG-27 suffered a flameout while destroying enemy positions in the Batalik subsector. Nachiketa, now the Group Captain, ejected at 18,000 ft while his plane started spiralling down but he had landed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He was saved from Pakistani fire by a senior military officer and was taken into custody. Indo-Pak Conflict | How Geneva Conventions can be invoked to bring our IAF pilot back India also lost another pilot squadron leader Ajay Ahuja, who was looking for Nachiketa after he saw the Flight Lieutenant eject from the flight. Ahuja was struck by a Pakistani missile. The Flight Lieutenant ,then 26, was the first and only prisoner of war of the 1999 Kargil war. Nachiketa was captured by Pakistan on May 27, 1999, and was repatriated to India on June 3 of that year. While video footage of Abhinandan "being treated well" by the Pakistani army has been doing the rounds on social media, Nachiketa's eight-day stay in Pakistani custody was different filled with "severe mental and physical torture". Catch LIVE updates of developments after IAF struck JeM's terror camp in Balakot on Feb 26 "It was very tough. I can't describe that experience in words. That time I thought maybe death is a simpler solution. But I am thankful to God that destiny was on my side. I underwent severe mental and physical torture there for three-four days," Nachiketa told Hindustan Times during an interview in 2016. While Nachiketa thought that he would never return, he said: "There comes a point where you think death is simpler, but fortunately for me, the third-degree part, which is the last part, didnt start for me." Meanwhile, India, as well as international media, had started mounting pressure on Pakistan for the release of K Nachiketa. Bowing to scrutiny media and other nations, Pakistan finally handed over Kambampati Nachiketa to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Pakistan. He was then returned home via the Wagah border. Indian pilot Flight Lieutenant K Nachiketa (C) being escorted by his air force colleagues at Wagah border after he crossed over to the Indian side from Pakistan on June 4. (Image: Reuters) Nachiketa's return, however, was not without its perils. He was medically downgraded and given ground duties for the first three years as he had suffered a compression fracture, caused by ejecting out of MiG-27. The IAF pilot resumed flying only in 2003. "It was a life-shattering experience," Nachiketa had said recalling his time in captivity. Nachiketa was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal for his bravery in 2000. US President Donald Trump said on February 28 he hoped the conflict between India and Pakistan will be coming to an end, after the two nuclear powers clashed across a contested border in the disputed Kashmir region. Speaking at a news conference in Vietnam after a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trump said he had some "reasonably decent" news from India and Pakistan. He did not elaborate. World powers have urged restraint as tensions escalate following tit-for-tat air strikes this week after a suicide car bombing that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police in Indian-controlled Kashmir on February 14. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un failed to reach a deal on denuclearisation on Thursday because Kim had made unacceptable demands on lifting US-led sanctions, Trump said. The United Nations and the United States ratcheted up sanctions on North Korea when it undertook a series of nuclear and ballistic missile tests in 2017. North Korea has been pursuing its weapons programmes for years in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. What does the failure to reach a deal in Hanoi mean for North Korea's neighbours and others trying to end the standoff? In Pics | Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un meet at the Hanoi Summit A setback for Trump, a self-styled dealmaker under pressure at home over his ties to Russia and testimony from Michael Cohen, his former personal lawyer who accused him of breaking the law while in office. But no deal is better than a bad deal. Trump's domestic critics and security hawks like National Security Adviser John Bolton had been wary of a half-baked deal and called for full, verified North Korean denuclearisation first. And Boeing Co bagged a $15 billion deal from Vietnam, with carriers VietJet and Bamboo Airways ordering 110 planes from the US aerospace giant. NORTH KOREA Kim failed to win sanctions relief after shifting his focus last year to building a "self-sufficient" economy, abandoning the parallel pursuit of nuclear and economic development, for which he had to work hard to persuade some military hardliners, according to defectors and observers. North Korea had long promoted its nuclear arsenal as key to its survival and avoiding a US invasion. Now Kim is saying his top priority is boosting the economy, but without sanctions relief there is not much he can do. SOUTH KOREA A blow for President Moon Jae-in, who is keen to see the lifting of sanctions that have hampered his ambitions to reopen an inter-Korean factory park and tourism zone. Moon wants to build an inter-Korean economic community, under a multibillion-dollar initiative dubbed "New Korean Peninsula Economic Map", which he said could be a new growth driver amid a moribund economy and the worst job market in a decade. A nuclear deal could have included a peace treaty that would have formally ended the 1950-53 Korean War and prompted the North to demand a withdrawal of some 28,500 US troops from the South. Trump said last week that drawing down US troops was not on the table. JAPAN Japan fears an eventual deal could mean US security concessions to North Korea, which has test-fired missiles over Japanese territory and threatened Japan's destruction. Tokyo maintains there should be no easing of sanctions until North Korea takes concrete, irreversible and verifiable steps to abandon nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles that could reach its soil. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has stuck close to Trump in his dealings with North Korea in part to ensure the emotive matter of abductees is not forgotten or left out of any agreement. In 2002, North Korea admitted it had kidnapped 13 Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s to train as spies. Five of them returned to Japan but Tokyo suspects that hundreds more may have been taken. Abe said he "fully supported" Trump's decision against a deal. CHINA China is North Korea's sole major ally and hosted years of on-again-off-again "six-party talks" aimed at reining in North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. It has urged the United States to relieve sanctions to expedite denuclearisation. The failure to produce a deal will underscore the perception of Trump's unpredictability as a negotiator after he cancelled what Beijing had thought was a deal last year to resolve their trade dispute, both countries now being in the final stages of reaching an agreement. China, which views North Korea as a useful buffer to keep US forces in South Korea and Japan in check, would be adamant that any deal between Kim and Trump does not negatively affect its own security. VIETNAM As host of the summit, Vietnam had sought to relish its role as a promoter of peace, having emerged as a responsible member of the international community that has forged peace with old enemies. Kim begins a two-day official friendship visit on Friday. "This is not the end, as we all know that this issue is complicated can't be dealt with in a short period of time," said Pham Tien Van, a former Vietnamese ambassador to South Korea who also served in North Korea. After the summit ended, the Vietnamese Communist Party's propaganda department sent a message to local reporters, urging them not to criticise Trump or Kim. "Do not put out titles with 'Hanoi failure', do not blame either side and do not use any negative comments that could affect the two leaders," the message read. Representative Image Taliban and American officials holding talks in Qatar on ways to end the war in Afghanistan have held extensive discussions on how foreign troops could be withdrawn and on how to guarantee the country would not be used again by outside forces to attack other countries, the Taliban said in a statement on February 28. The US special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said in a tweet that the meetings in Doha were productive. "We continue to take slow, steady steps toward understanding and eventually peace," Khalilzad adding that the talks would be continued on Saturday after a two day break. After Wednesday's session, the two sides decided to adjourn in order to hold consultations and prepare for their next session, according to the statement issued by Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid. The two sides had resumed talks this week after making significant progress in an earlier round of discussions, also held in Doha, in January. While the United States and other powers has long maintained that the peace process should ultimately be Afghan-led, the Taliban this week reiterated opposition to direct talks with President Ashraf Ghani's administration in Kabul, which it regards as an illegitimate government. The Taliban said their newly-appointed political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar met with Khalilzad, and General Scott Miller, the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, as well as senior members of the Qatari government this week. Baradar, a co-founder of the hardline Islamist group, was released from a Pakistani jail last year to participate in the talks, and his presence at the negotiating table demonstrated Taliban's readiness to engage at a more senior level. US President Donald Trump said he intended to reduce US forces in Afghanistan. And in his annual State of the Union address to Congress this month, Trump said: "Great nations do not fight endless wars." The United States intervened in Afghanistan in 2001 to help opposition forces topple a Taliban government which had sheltered the al Qaeda militants responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. Washington and its allies later sent troops to prevent the Taliban from returning to power, and have been locked in a war with the insurgents ever since. A senior Taliban commander informed on the content of the talks told Reuters that the two sides could soon reach an agreement assuring the United States that Afghanistan would not be used against them or their allies in the future. He said the Taliban had resisted pressure from the US delegation to declare a ceasefire before the onset of warmer spring weather, which usually flags off an escalation in the insurgency. "They repeatedly ask for a ceasefire. But the answer is no from our side," the commander said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Last year, almost 4,000 civilians were killed in the conflict, including a record number of children, making it the single deadliest year for Afghan civilians since the United Nations began documenting casualties a decade ago. Representative image A senior judge of Pakistan's Peshawar High Court has been battling for his life after being ambushed on his way to court by some bike-borne gunmen on February 28, police said. The assailants opened indiscriminate fire at the vehicle of Justice Muhammad Ayub Marwat in the upscale Hayatabad area when he was going to the court, senior police officer Wasim Riaz said. The judge and his driver, who was also injured in the incident, were rushed to hospital in a critical condition, he said. Lawyers in Peshawar staged a demonstration against the attack and called for a strike. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, police added. Last week, the Adani group won rights to operate, manage and develop airports of Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangalore by offering highest per-passenger fee (PPF), which is paid by the developer to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) of the relevant state. Moreover, unlike the Delhi and Mumbai airports, wherein the GMR and the GVK groups have entered into a 74:26 joint venture (JV) with AAI and have to share profits, the Adani group will be handed over the airports completely for itself for 50 years under the public- private partnership (PPP) model. This, once again, brings up the question of transparency of the PPP projects wherein any private agency should be counted as a government agency once it enters PPP venture and, hence, comes under the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. This is because the Section 2 (h) of the RTI Act states that any private body that is `substantially financed by the government is considered as 'public authority' under the RTI Act. In most of the PPP projects, the private agency is leased out sprawling land spread over hundreds of acres of government land and also enjoys various exemptions and concessions. Hence, RTI activists have been continuously fighting against the secrecy maintained by the PPPs. The homepage of the website www.ppp.gov.in , quoting the World Bank states that presently India has close to 1,500 PPP projects in various stages of implementation! However, PPPs have refused to reply RTI queries. A pertinent case in point is that of the Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) which has continuously stone-walled queries under the RTI Act, since 2011. Pune-based RTI activist, Sanjay Shirodkar, is giving a relentless fight since 2008 and achieved a brief success when the then chief information commissioner (CIC) Shailesh Gandhi gave an order stating that the Central government has a large stake in MIAL. Not only does the AAI own 26% of the paid-up share capital of MIAL (which can never be reduced but only be increased) but MIAL also has to give 38.7% of its gross revenue (quite apart from the down payment made by way of consideration for the grant of lease) to the AAI. Hence, the CIC order of 30 May 2011 declared MIAL as public authority under the RTI Act, as also other such PPP projects that are substantially funded. Thereafter, MIAL went to the Delhi High Court in 2011 and the matter is still pending. Mr Shirodkar, continuing his battle to get answers to some pertinent information sought by him from MIAL (Mumbai Airport), DIAL (Delhi Airport), BIAL (Bangaluru Airport), HIAL (Hyderabad Airport) and CIAL (Cochin Airport), filed another RTI application addressed to the AAI head quarters, New Delhi on 29 September 2018 but is yet to get a reply. His requisition in the RTI application was as follows: Please provide a true copy for a till date list of assets of AAI demolished / disposed of by MIAL, DIAL, BIAL, HIAL and CIAL in connection with modernisation of all the said airports. Please provide list of assets with valuation. Please provide a true copy for a till date list of fixed assets of AAI sold off by MIAL, DIAL, BIAL, HIAL and CIAL in connection with modernisation of all the said airports. Please provide list of assets with valuation. Please provide a true copy for a till date list of various income/revenue shared by MIAL, DIAL, BIAL, HIAL and CIAL to AAI. Please provide a true copy for a till date list of various payments given to MIAL, DIAL, BIAL, HIAL and CIAL by AAI. Please provide a true copy for a till date list of pay and allowances, retirement and voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) cost for employees who have not opted for absorption, in terms of agreement paid by MIAL, DIAL, BIAL, HIAL and CIAL to AAI. Please provide a true copy for a till date list of amounts to be received from sundry debtors from MIAL, DIAL, BIAL, HIAL and CIAL to AAI. Please provide a true copy for a till date list of amounts to be given towards sundry creditors to MIAL, DIAL, BIAL, HIAL and CIAL by AAI. Please provide a true copy of till date year wise development fees collected by MIAL, DIAL, BIAL, HIAL and CIAL. Please provide a true copy of till date year wise marketing fund, property tax and electricity revenue generated by MIAL, DIAL, BIAL, HIAL and CIAL. Please provide a true copy of latest demand cum show cause notice issued by service tax department to MIAL, DIAL, BIAL, HIAL and CIAL. Please provide a true copy of till date cost expended on the said project. Please provide a true copy of estimate abstract summary. Please provide a true copy of till date details on infra loan/ financial assistance taken to execute the said project. Please provide a true copy of final completion certificate issued by respective special planning authority for the said project. Please provide a true copy on details of till date amount / charges to be paid to slum rehabilitation authority, GoM. Please provide a true copy of details on till date foreign direct investments pumped in and through which route? Please provide a true copy for list of audits done by AAI or MoCA or AERA or accountant general or CAG or any competent authority for the said project. Mr Shirodkar says, There is no definition mentioned anywhere in the Right to Information Act, 2005 about substantial funding. Since MIAL is saying that 51% is their definition of substantial funding then stamp duty worth Rs.250 crore waived off by the government of Maharashtra, land and infrastructure of 2002 acres worth more than one lakh crore of rupees given on Rs100/year (lease premium) is our definition of substantial funding to this MIAL PPP. As a result RTI is applicable. Moreover, Mumbai International Airport Private Limited is now appearing as Mumbai International Airport Limited (this name is mentioned in their submission)." This 'LIMITED' word itself suggests that they are no more a Private entity. He further says, ``AAI being the 26% active partner in this JV, also shirked the responsibility of answering public questions under RTI. In the last many years I have seen AAI, despite being the owner of Mumbai Airport property, always passed the buck to its lessee (MIAL) on information relating to owners land and infrastructure. In one of the seminars conducted by Monyelife Foundation, a Mumbai-based not-for-profit organisation, on the effective use of RTI, a CIC revealed that to avoid disclosure of information, sought under the RTI Act, PPPs have even gone to the length of stating that their documents were lost. Such statements amount to giving away national property or tax payers money for ever. It also reveals how PPPs deliberately want to stonewall the information. In the interest of the nation and complete transparency in the dealing of such PPP project, we demand complete disclosure of information by them under the RTI Act. Public Auditing Guidelines on Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in Infrastructure Project published by C&AG in 2009 and Shirodkars analysis: Definition of PPP: 1.2.1 United Nations defines public private partnerships as, innovative methods used by the public sector to contract with the private sector who bring their capital and their ability to deliver projects on time and to budget, while the public sector retains the responsibility to provide these services to the public in a way that benefits the public and delivers economic development and improvement in the quality of life. Shirodkar: So, when it is all meant for the public then where is the question of hiding it from the Right to Information Act, 2005 or not disclosing any information to the public/citizen? 1.2.2 According to the secretariat for the committee on infrastructure, government of India, a Public Private Partnership (PPP) Project means a project based on a contract or concession agreement between a government or statutory entity on the one side and a private sector company on the other side, for delivering an infrastructure service on payment of user charges. Shirodkar:: MIAL is the perfect project based on this definition. When everything is owned by the govt of India and MIAL is just acting on behalf of the govt of India then where is the question of hiding from Right to Information Act, 2005 or not disclosing any information to the public and the taxpayer? 1.2.7 PPP infrastructure projects typically involve transfer of public assets, delegation of government authority for recovery of user charges, private control of monopolistic services and sharing of risks and contingent liabilities by the government. Protection of user interests and the need to secure value for public money, as such, demand a more rigorous treatment of these projects. Shirodkar: So, if everything is in the public Interest then where is the question of hiding from Right to Information Act, 2005 or not disclosing any information to the public and the taxpayer? In a startling development, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) has discovered that a second depository participant (DP), which is also a brokerage firm, has helped itself to the shares and funds kept in safe custody. This time, the amount is a whopping Rs366 crore and includes the shares of a large listed entity like Odisha Cement. The broker in question is Allied Financial Services Pvt Ltd. An interim order from market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in the matter, which has been issued without a proper warming to all investors to check their account, is so obtuse that it hides the gravity of NSEs findings. We learn from the interim order issued by SEBI on 27 February 2019 that NSE has ordered a forensic audit. Odisha Cement has separately informed stock exchanges about the loss of shares, which in its case alone amounts to Rs344 crore and it has also filed a criminal complaint. However, it is not clear how the money will be recovered if the broker has already made huge losses in the market. SEBI also received a complaint from Novjoy Emporium Pvt Ltd alleging unauthorised transfer of its mutual fund units worth Rs21.70 crore by Allied Financial Services. Last month, a Kolkata brokerage called Guiness Securities Ltd (GSL) similarly collapsed after having fraudulently helped itself to client funds. As per a report from Business Standard, SEBI banned GSL and 35 entities from securities market 'till further directions' in a case related to non-settlement of client funds and misappropriation of securities. These 35 entities also include GSL's present and former directors. On receipt of the NSE report, which prima facie indicated misuse of client securities worth Rs212.17 crore across 1,139 scrips by Guiness Securities, SEBI carried out a preliminary analysis. It is not clear how many more brokerage firms will be found to have illegally used shares or money kept in their safe custody in DP accounts. Ironically, SEBI has forced all investors to dematerialise shares and is working at ending physical paper, while offering no protection from broker-fraud or DP fraud it is important for all investors to note that these are not covered by investor protection funds or any trade guarantee or insurance. Everyone who suffers a loss, for no fault of theirs, will have to fight it out individually. SEBI's orders also have little significance if the regulator does not do anything to help recover funds. In any case, there are no solutions if the broker has lost money in the market and there is nothing to recover. This is the first time that investors are being exposed to a implications and dangers of this fraud after stock exchanges and trading systems were automated and modernised, over two decades ago. In SEBIs order in the Allied Financial Services case, it has listed few sets of players involved. This includes clients of Allied Financial Services, unregistered or third-party entities or client of its clients, and entities related with its directors. As per NSE's forensic report, three clients, Money Mishra Financial Services, Awanish Kumar Mishra and Money Mishra Overseas Pvt Ltd, collectively hold 89% of holdings as registrar of securities (ROS) allegedly includes mutual funds, which has been transferred in an unauthorised manner from third party and clients. Awanish Kumar Mishra along with Jitender Kumar Tiwari are directors of Money Mishra Financial, Money Mishra Overseas as well as Allied Financial Services. The report also outlined several frauds committed by the broker, including misuse of client funds. Allied Financial Services transferred funds of about Rs13.61 crore from client's bank to own bank account, which then were used for investment in property through own bank account. It also made a donation of Rs50 lakh from these funds. The NSE report says, "The member has transferred the Mutual Funds Units belonging to unregistered entities or client to its client beneficiary account through its three associated concerns viz. Money Mishra Financial Services, Awanish Kumar Mishra and Money Mishra Overseas Pvt. Ltd. It is further observed that these transferred mutual fund units have been used as collateral for futures & options (F&O) margin with its clearing member IL&FS Securities Services Ltd (ISSL) towards trade obligations of these three associated concerns." The report also find out non-availability of funds payable to clients in the bank accounts of Allied Financial Services. As on 31 January 2019, the broker was supposed to pay Rs138.78 crore to clients. However, total funds available with it, including deposits of Rs42.42 crore with ISSL, amount of Rs1.1 crore with exchanges, and bank balance of Rs84 lakh, were only Rs44.36 crore. There was a shortfall of Rs94.42 crore. Allied Financial Services also failed to settle accounts of its inactive members. After verifying trial balance and register of securities, NSE found that, as on 30 November 2018, the broker had not settled funds and securities worth Rs37.48 crore of 102 inactive clients, who have not traded in preceding three months. NSE also found 44 instances where Allied Financial Services was found transferring funds from client's bank account to own account and vice versa. It says, An amount of Rs19.72 crore has been transferred from client to own bank account and Rs3.89 lakh has been transferred from own to client bank account resulting in net transfer of Rs19.68 crore from client to own bank account. Allied Financial Services was also found using client funds to meet its proprietary (PRO) obligation. On verification of PRO mark-to-market (MTM) of the member, it has been observed that on all five sample dates client funds were used to meet the PRO obligation amounting to Rs88.29 crore, the report says. The broker paid Rs26.42 crore in excess to the balances of its clients. In addition, five out of its top 10 clients were unregistered entities and were found to have indulged in the practice of receiving and returning securities or mutual funds from other clients into their DP accounts. Besides Allied Financial Services, SEBI had banned Rajeev Kumar Asopa, Lalit Agarwal, Rajendra Prasad Basia, Awanish Kumar Mishra, Jitendra Kumar Tiwari, Money Mishra Financial Services, Money Mishra Overseas Pvt Ltd, Pankaj Garg and Jitender Malhotra from accessing the securities market. Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu on Wednesday released a "passenger charter" that lays out the rights of air travellers in the country. The new charter amended the norms for charges incurred by travellers on cancellation and rescheduling of air travel, among others. But the new compensation structure will apply only if it is found that the flight delay or cancellation was caused by the airline concerned. According to the charter, if a flight is expected to be delayed by more than six hours, the airline would have to arrange for an alternate flight within that time or refund the ticket. In case of over six-hour delay, the airline would have to inform passengers 24 hours in advance of the original departure time, it said. "The airlines must inform about flight cancellation at least two weeks before the scheduled time of departure and arrange alternate flights or refund," said the charter, released at the Aviation Conclave 2019. In case of overbooking, the airline must provide an alternate flight scheduled to depart within one hour of the original flight's departure time. If the airline is unable to do so, it would have to pay compensation, the charter said. August 25, 2018 Trump Ties North Korea Talks To Trade Deal With China Yesterday U.S. President Trump threw another hissy fit on the negotiations with North Korea: Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump - 17:36 utc - 24 Aug 2018 I have asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo not to go to North Korea, at this time, because I feel we are not making sufficient progress with respect to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula ... ... Additionally, because of our much tougher Trading stance with China, I do not believe they are helping with the process of denuclearization as they once were (despite the UN Sanctions which are in place) ... ... Secretary Pompeo looks forward to going to North Korea in the near future, most likely after our Trading relationship with China is resolved. In the meantime I would like to send my warmest regards and respect to Chairman Kim. I look forward to seeing him soon! Pompeo was in Trump's office when Trump tweeted the above. Staff in the State Department was briefing foreign ambassadors on Pompeo's upcoming talks, planned for next week, when Trump stepped in. The decision was clearly a surprise. Trump is suddenly binding the continuation of Korea talks to a trade deal with China. Such a deal is unlikely to happen anytime soon as China is convinced that it can win a tariff war, while the Trump administration overestimates the economic pressure it can create. That Trump now connects these two issues might mean that he has given up the "denuclearization" game. Peter Lee, aka Chinahand, sees a larger plan behind the latest Trumping: to demonstrate to Kim Jong-un that China is hindering Kim's plans for a peace agreement and for economic development; then, when China will finally be pushed into open adversary status to the U.S., Kim Jong-un will have to chose and will end up in the U.S. camp. If that is really Trump's plan, which I doubt, then it is clearly bound to fail. North Korea would never end the relations with its long-term strategic partner for the dangerous vagueness of a nuclear treaty relations with the U.S. (see Iran, Libya). It is more likely that Trump is punting here because there is no way he can get North Korea to denuclearize before signing an official peace agreement with it. Signing a peace agreement is not what the U.S. wants. With Korea at peace and on the way to re-unification, the U.S. would lose the justification for keeping U.S.troops in South Korea, its only major foothold on the east-Asian continent. This position - denuclearization as precondition for talks about a peace agreement - has long been held by Secretary of State Pompeo. It is in contradiction to the Singapore Statement Trump and Kim Jong-un signed. The Statement included (twice) a sequence of three steps: President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un state the following: The United States and the DPRK commit to establish new US-DPRK relations in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity. The United States and DPRK will join their efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. Reaffirming the April 27, 2018 Panmunjom Declaration, the DPRK commits to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula Even hawkish Korea analysts agree that this sequencing was the new, unprecedented core of the agreement: For the first time in the history of negotiations, Washington essentially accepted, whether blindly or wittingly, Pyongyangs wish list on sequencing: 1) normalization of bilateral relations, 2) establishment of a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, and then 3) complete denuclearization. The "complete denuclearization" is not an agreed upon item. North Korea only committed to aspirational "work towards it". This is similar to Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in which the nuclear powers committed to "undertake to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to [..] nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament." That treaty was first signed in July 1968. 50 years on the nuclear powers who signed the NPT have still not fulfilled their commitment. Despite the evident agreement in the Statement to follow a sequence of several steps, the Trump administration has been deceptive about it. After the Singapore Statement it again demanded from North Korea to take step 3 before the U.S. takes step 1 and 2. The administration also continues to falsely claim that North Korea agreed to "denuclearization". On August 28, when Secretary of State introduced a new special representative for North Korea, he said: Steve [Biegun] will direct U.S. policy towards North Korea and lead our efforts to achieve President Trumps goal of the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea, as agreed to by Chairman Kim Jong-un. Chairman Kim Jong-un never agreed to such a thing. (Interestingly Trump's tweet diverts from Pomeo's formulation by speaking of "the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula", not just "of North Korea".) The U.S. media, even those outlets which oppose the Trump regime, support the falsehoods the administration is spreading. They fail to point out the obvious sequencing agreed to in the Singapore Statement and they fail to point out the aspirational character of the disarmament point. Instead of holding Trump's feet to the fire for breaking an agreement he himself signed just a few month ago, the New York Times, Washington Post and others seem to support his stand. The Trump negotiations with North Korea were in the end probably just an attempt to get some fast success before the big clash with China over global supremacy finally enters a more serious stage. Left hanging then are the Korean people and President Moon Jae-in of South Korea who had pushed for a final peace agreement with his norther brethren. Moon has plans for a new meeting with Kim and he wants to take some serious steps towards economic cooperation with the north. He will now surely come under U.S. pressure to stay away from such negotiations. The NYT rather blatantly declares: How far Mr. Moon can go in pushing ahead with the many projects he has envisioned with the North, like reconnecting the two Koreas railways, depends on whether Washington and Pyongyang can agree on how to denuclearize the North. Is Moon really locked in, as the Times assumes, or does he have his people backing and the courage to independently push on with his peace plans? If he does and succeeds, the Trump gambit with North Korea could end with a big loss for the U.S. position in South Korea. Peter Lee is right when he sets the Korea talks into the big picture of the U.S. on its way to declare China an official adversary. There are small and big signs that a deeper conflict is developing. This week the U.S. berated El Salvador for its decision to follow a One-China policy and for opening diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China in Beijing while ending them with the Republic of China in Taiwan. The U.S. even threatens with economic consequences. But the U.S. itself took the same step in 1979 and as been holding on to the One-China policy ever since. That though may soon change. Over the last few years Washington upgraded its relations with Taiwan. It built a gigantic new unofficial diplomatic outlet, the American Institute, in Taipei for a cool $250 million. While it is officially neither a consulate nor an embassy it is guarded by U.S. Marines and it will surely become the later when the U.S. finally pushes Taiwan to declare its independence from China. Beijing knows what is coming. China's industry currently depends on many computer chips produced in Taiwan. It launched a major program to become independent of those imports. If Taiwan declares independence and invites the U.S. military to protect it, Beijing will have a serious problem. The move would be an attack on its sovereignty over all of China. It could try to invade Taiwan, a difficult endeavor, or at least to snatch away the islands next to China's mainland which are currently under Taipei's control. A recent Pentagon report to Congress discusses (pdf page 107) these options. The fight would then move into the diplomatic realm with Beijing pressing other countries to continue a One-China policy and to not accept Taiwan's independence, while the U.S. would press other countries to recognize an independent Taiwan. El Salvador is the first casualty in this fight. Who in the White House is making these policies? Trump's tweets yesterday seem spontaneous, but are carefully formulated and obviously part of some larger plans. Are these Trump's plans? Or have the hawks -Bolton, Mattis, Pompeo- written these up to push Trump along their lines? Posted by b on August 25, 2018 at 17:59 UTC | Permalink Comments February 28, 2019 Trump Sticks To Sanctions - U.S., North Korea Summit Fails - Updated Updated below --- The second summit between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un of North Korea was held in Hanoi, Vietnam yesterday and today. It failed. The meetings on the last day were cut short. Nothing was agreed upon and signed. No common statement was issued. Trump held a press conference and gave his side of the talks (transcript). The issue seems to have been the sequencing of abolishing sanctions by the U.S. side versus the destruction of the Yongbyon nuclear reactor complex on the North Korean side. The U.S. demanded the destruction of Yongbyon and of other complexes before any change in the sanction regime. North Korea insisted on following the sequencing that was agreed upon during the first summit. The joint statement by the two leaders signed in June 2018 defined four clearly sequenced steps: President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un state the following: The United States and the DPRK commit to establish new US-DPRK relations in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity. The United States and DPRK will join their efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. Reaffirming the April 27, 2018 Panmunjom Declaration, the DPRK commits to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula The United States and the DPRK commit to recovering POW/MIA remains, including the immediate repatriation of those already identified. Eight month later new relations in form of the opening of embassies or a lifting of sanctions were not established. No peace treaty was signed. North Korea destroyed nuclear testing tunnels and a missile test stand. Some POW/MIA remains have been repatriated. But the U.S. side has taken no steps that could be seen as fulfilling its commitments. Since the first summit Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. media have done their best to ignore the sequencing. North Korea on the other side has insisted on it again and again. It made absolutely clear that it would not budge on the issue. In his New Year speech the chairman emphasized: If the US responds to our proactive, prior efforts with trustworthy measures and corresponding practical actions, bilateral relations will develop wonderfully at a fast pace through the process of taking more definite and epochal measures. We have no intention to be obsessed with and keep up the unsavoury past relationship between the two countries, but are ready to fix it as early as possible and work to forge a new relationship in line with the aspirations of the two peoples and the requirements of the developing times. ... I am ready to meet the US president again anytime, and will make efforts to obtain without fail results which can be welcomed by the international community. But if the United States does not keep the promise it made in the eyes of the world, and out of miscalculation of our peoples patience, it attempts to unilaterally enforce something upon us and persists in imposing sanctions and pressure against our Republic, we may be compelled to find a new way for defending the sovereignty of the country and the supreme interests of the state and for achieving peace and stability of the Korean peninsula. The "corresponding measures" the U.S. promised will have to come first before North Korea gives up more of its nuclear infrastructure. As Trump tells it the U.S. insisted on nuclear dismantling first: Trump: Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldnt do that. They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted, but we couldnt give up all of the sanctions for that, so well continue to work and well see. But we had to walk away from that particular suggestion. We had to walk away from that. Q: Will all the sanctions that are currently in existence remain, sir? Trump: Theyre in place. I was watching as a lot of you folks over the weeks have said, oh, weve given up -- we havent given up anything. And I think frankly well be good friends with chairman Kim and North Korea, and I think they have tremendous potential. Ive been telling everybody they have tremendous potential, unbelievable potential, and were going to see. But it was about sanctions. They wanted sanctions lifted but they werent willing to do an area we wanted. They were willing to give us areas but not the ones we wanted. That the sanctions stay in place is a great disappointment for South Korea. Its president Moon Jae-in had hoped to announce new economic agreements with North Korea. The U.S. will not allow him to proceed. That Trump came to the summit with the delusion that he could get more out of North Korea before lifting sanctions is a failure of the policy process in the State Department and the National Security Council. They held the preparatory talks and knew what North Korea demanded before it was willing to go any further. Trump says that even as he "walked away" the meeting ended in a friendly way and without bad words. North Korea, Trump says, will stay committed to the freeze of nuclear and missile testing while the U.S. will stay committed to the freeze of large scale maneuvers around North Korea. Both sides are open to further talks but no dates have been set for them. If Trump hopes that North Korea will come back and offer more he will be disappointed. Neither will North Korea sit just back and do nothing while the U.S. keeps sticking to its sanction regime. The New Year speech quoted above said that North Korea will "be compelled to find a new way for defending the sovereignty of the country" if the U.S. is unwilling to budge. History shows that North Korea has always gamed out such talks. It is always prepared to let them fail and it is ready to take the next step whenever that happens. The "new way" may well allude to some new weapon that North Korea is ready to test. Cruise missiles are a possible candidate. We do not know yet the North Korean view of the talks. Their version is usually published in the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper a day or two after such talks. It will likely contain hints of how North Korea is going to proceed. Kim Jong-un came to Vietnam by train. He will travel back through China and will likely coordinate the next steps with the Chinese government. When and how he will take his "new way" will probably depend on the trade talks between China and the United States. If those too fail then all bets are again off. Update Feb 28 13:00 PM The North Koreans were not happy with the statement that Trump gave of the end of the talks. They improvised a press conference to give their version. Below is the report by the South Korean Yonhap news agency: N.K. seeks partial lifting of sanctions: foreign minister HANOI, March 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is seeking partial relief of sanctions from the United States, not complete relief, in exchange for the dismantlement of its main nuclear facility and other actions, Pyongyang's top diplomat said Friday. Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho made the remark at an impromptu press conference at his hotel in Hanoi, hours after a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump failed to produce an agreement. Ri said the North is specifically seeking the lifting of sanctions under five United Nations Security Council resolutions adopted in 2016 and 2017. He said those measures were particularly damaging to the North Korean people's livelihoods. At the summit, according to Ri, the North Koreans also offered to permanently halt their testing of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles. But the U.S., he said, insisted that the North go "one more" step beyond the dismantlement of its main nuclear facility in Yongbyon. Pyongyang's position won't change even if the U.S. seeks further talks, he added. A Bloomberg correspondent in Hanoi tweeted from the press conference: Shannon Pettypiece @spettypi - 7:21 utc - 28 Feb 2019 BREAKING: North Koreans in press conference disputed Trump's account that North Korean asked for removal of ALL sanctions. Said they asked for partial removal of sanctions BREAKING: North Korean official said they asked for 5 of 11 sanctions to be lifted in exchange for partial denuclearization. Trump's comments made it seem like North Koreans had asked for ALL sanctions to be canceled. BREAKING: In rare press conference, North Korean official says Chairman Kim got the feeling that he didn't understand the way Americans calculate says Kim may have "lost the will" for further negotiations. North Koreans said "it became crystal clear the United States wasn't ready to accept our proposal" during rare press conference An unofficial translation of the full North Korean statement is here. North Korea again uses the phrase "corresponding measures". Ri also said that "it became crystal clear that the U.S. was not ready to accept our proposal." Thoughts: What was the "one more step" Trump demanded. Did it come from John Bolton? It seems likely that Kim Jong-un, not Trump, was the one who ended the negotiations. Giving the wrong impression about the sanction lifting request will came back to haunt the U.S. when (if?) the negotiations continue. Trump reportedly asked the South Korean President Moon to mediate with North Korea about step towards a new round of negotiations. End-Update Posted by b on February 28, 2019 at 12:19 UTC | Permalink Comments next page next page As part of the federal National Housing Strategy (NHS), the governments of Canada and Alberta announced that they are providing $20 million in funding for an affordable senior housing project in southeast Edmonton. Through the Investment in Affordable Housing Agreement, over 100 seniors have a new affordable home in Sakaw Terrace, which offers 158 housing units of which, 70 are lodge units and 88 are affordable seniors apartments. Read more: Construction starts on new seniors lodge in Alberta Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul. Anonymous If youre reading this, you know the best way to travel, to experience a country, its sights, its food, culture and people, is by motorcycle. And there might not be a better part of the world to experience by motorcycle than Croatia, the most amazing moto-destination youve (maybe) never heard of. A small nation nestled up to the Adriatic Sea (and close to Italy), its packed with amazing geography: white sand beaches; stunning cliffs and mountains; warm, sunny islands, and of course, thousands of miles of winding, well-maintained roads. Croatia presents an affordable and unforgettable moto-vacation opportunity, and Moto Tours Croatia wants to take you there. Moto Tours Croatias Feel Croatia tour is the best way to experience this amazing country. Its a 1,700-mile, 13-day odyssey where almost everything you need from motorcycle to meals is included. Wherever the route takes you, be it through one of Croatias eight national parks, along the sea, through the mountainous hinterlands, or cobblestone streets of historic cities like Zadar and Dubrovnik, you will feel the charm, history, warmth and hospitality of Croatia. 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All Moto Tours Croatia guided tours include: BMW & KTM latest model motorcycles with lockable hard luggage and tank bags, plus a third-party liability insurance and comprehensive vehicle insurance Experienced guide on a motorcycle. Support van for luggage and 1 or 2 passengers All nights accommodation in high quality, mostly four-star hotels and apartments All buffet breakfasts in hotels or apartments All dinners, mostly in traditional local restaurants (also on rest days) All ferry rides and tolls (according to tour program) All gasoline during the tour All entrance fees for national parks and museums (according to tour program) Airport transfers on arrival day or one day before and on departure day All maps with marked routes for the region being toured Extensive tour booklet GPS with all the routes uploaded (CNN) Michael Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trump's one-time personal attorney and fixer, is testifying before the House Oversight Committee Wednesday likely the only chance the public will have to hear from him before he is sent to jail in May for a series of tax and campaign finance charges. Cohen's testimony is one of the biggest moments of Trump's time in office and among the most high-profile hearings on Capitol Hill in modern political memory. I watched Cohen's testimony throughout the day, plucked out key lines from him and added context and analysis. These lines are in the chronological order in which Cohen said them. 1. "I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat." These lines, from Cohen's opening statement, set the tone for the day. And the tone is this: Cohen is not going to be pulling any punches on Trump. A man who spent a decade at the right hand of the current President of the United States is now saying on the record that that man is a "racist," a "conman" and a "cheat." We've grown used to the abnormal in Trump's White House, but even by that standard, this is a "whoa" moment. 2. "He was a presidential candidate who knew that Roger Stone was talking with Julian Assange about a WikiLeaks drop of Democratic National Committee emails." And boom goes the dynamite. This is a Very Big Deal. Remember that Trump told The New York Times earlier this year that he had never spoken to Stone who has been indicted on charges that he lied to Congress about the nature and extent of his dealing with WikiLeaks about the DNC emails hacked by the Russians and then released to do maximum damage to Hillary Clinton's campaign. "No, I didn't. I never did," Trump said when asked whether he talked to Stone about the stolen emails. The Times also pressed on whether Trump told anyone, including Stone, to get in touch with WikiLeaks to see when they were planning to drop the emails. "Never did," Trump responded. 3. "A copy of a check Mr. Trump wrote from his personal bank account after he became president to reimburse me for the hush money payments I made to cover up his affair with an adult film star and prevent damage to his campaign." Cohen has the receipts literally! The check for $35,000 is dated August 1, 2017, and signed in Trump's very distinctive script. That date is, obviously, after Trump became president. And if Cohen is to be believed, it also directly contradicts Trump's assertions in April 2018that he knew nothing about where Cohen got the money to keep porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal both of whom alleged affairs with Trump quiet during the 2016 campaign. Of course, a check signed to Cohen is not proof that the money was a reimbursement for the hush payments although the check is consistent with Cohen's version of events and the version of events that prosecutors in the Southern District of New York seem to believe: That Trump played a role in coordinating and orchestrating the payments to Daniels and McDougal in a clear end-run of campaign finance laws. 4. "Mr. Trump did not directly tell me to lie to Congress. That's not how he operates." This from Cohen directly disputes reporting from BuzzFeed News that Cohen was instructed to lie by the President. Special counsel Robert Mueller's office released a statement that took issue with the BuzzFeed reporting shortly after it published. 5. "There were at least a half-dozen times between the Iowa Caucus in January 2016 and the end of June when he would ask me 'How's it going in Russia?' referring to the Moscow Tower project." This sheds light on the breadth of Trump's interest in and conversations about Trump Tower Moscow. What we knew prior to today is that Cohen lied to Congress when he told them that all conversations with the Russians about the development had stopped by January 2016. Cohen later admitted that he had lied about that because he was concerned it might hurt Trump's presidential chances if people knew that the conversations had continued all the way into the summer of 2016. 6. "Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it. He lied about it because he never expected to win the election. He also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions of dollars on the Moscow real estate project." A few things here are relevant. First, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said in January that Trump was involved in discussions about the possible Trump Tower Moscow project all the way through the election. (Giuliani later said he was speaking only hypothetically about what Trump knew when.) Second, both that admission from Giuliani and Cohen's claim seem to directly dispute Trump's repeated insistence during the campaign that "I have nothing to do with Russia. I don't have any jobs in Russia. I'm all over the world but we're not involved in Russia." 7. "Mr. Trump would often say, this campaign was going to be the 'greatest infomercial in political history.'" No matter how Trump tries to rewrite history, it is a fact that he never, ever thought he would be the Republican nominee much less the president. He had walked up to the edge of running a few times before and knew that if he didn't do it this time then people wouldn't cover him when he thought about it in the future. You can dispute Cohen's assertion that Trump's entire campaign was solely to further brand awareness, but you cannot dispute that the billionaire businessman never thought he would win. 8. "Mr. Stone told Mr. Trump that he had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange and that Mr. Assange told Mr. Stone that, within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clinton's campaign. Mr. Trump responded by stating to the effect of 'wouldn't that be great.'" These lines are probably the most important in all of Cohen's opening statement and maybe in his broader daylong testimony. Per No. 2 above, Cohen's assertion that he was in the room when Trump talked to Stone about WikiLeaks and its plans to release stolen emails runs directly counter to Trump's public insistence that he had never talked to Stone about WikiLeaks. Directly counter. The timing of all of this is very interesting too. Cohen says in his testimony that the call occurred between Stone and Trump about WikiLeaks in July 2016. Later that month, Trump held a news conference in which he said: "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press." Either on or right around that day, according to an indictment of a number of Russian officials by Mueller, Russia sent phishing attempts to Clinton staffers. Ahem. 9. "He once asked me if I could name a country run by a black person that wasn't a 'shithole.' This was when Barack Obama was President of the United States." Impossible to corroborate what Cohen is saying here unless there were other people in the room but this is consistent with reporting from CNN and others in January 2018 that Trump referred to immigrants coming into the U.S. from "shithole" countries. 10. "He told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid." Again, virtually impossible to corroborate this. While Trump never said anything like what Cohen alleges in the 2016 campaign, his pitch to black voters was hugely stereotypical suggesting that they didn't have much, so why not take a chance on voting for him. "What do you have to lose by trying something new, like Trump," Trump would often ask. "What the hell do you have to lose?" 11. "He asked me to pay off an adult film star with whom he had an affair, and to lie to his wife about it, which I did." This runs directly counter to Trump's insistence that he a) knew nothing about the payment to Stormy Daniels and b) never spoke with Cohen about how to handle that situation. It is also runs counter to Trump's repeated denials that he ever engaged in extramarital acts with Daniels. 12. "This $35,000 check was one of 11 check installments that was paid throughout the year while he was President. The President of the United States thus wrote a personal check for the payment of hush money as part of a criminal scheme to violate campaign finance laws." The check Cohen is referencing from No. 3 above could be damning evidence. The problem, of course, is that nowhere on the check does it say that Trump is reimbursing Cohen for the $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels. Which gives Trump plausible deniability. Still, it doesn't look good. At all. 13. "I'm talking about a man who declares himself brilliant but directed me to threaten his high school, his colleges, and the College Board to never release his grades or SAT scores." If you don't think Cohen is telling the truth here, then you have missed the entirety of Trump's professional and political life all of which make Cohen's claim wholly credible. 14. "He finished the conversation with the following comment. 'You think I'm stupid, I wasn't going to Vietnam.'" Trump received a series of deferments that kept him out of the Vietnam war. He claimed he had a medical condition bone spurs that would make him unable to serve. Two daughters of the podiatrist who diagnosed Trump with those bone spurs told The New York Timesthat their father did so as a "favor" to Trump's father, Fred. 15. "Questions have been raised about whether I know of direct evidence that Mr. Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia. I do not." NO COLLUSION! 16. "Don Jr. came into the room and walked behind his father's desk which in itself was unusual. People didn't just walk behind Mr. Trump's desk to talk to him. I recalled Don Jr. leaning over to his father and speaking in a low voice, which I could clearly hear, and saying: 'The meeting is all set.' I remember Mr. Trump saying, 'OK good...let me know.'" This conversation, which Cohen said happened in early June 2016, is what he believes is a sign that President Trump knew about the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Don Jr, Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort and a group of Russians promising dirt on Clinton. Trump and Trump Jr. have denied that the President ever knew about the meeting. And in their defense, Cohen's memory is pure conjecture here; Don Jr. could have been talking about any number of meetings and Cohen has no proof that the President's eldest son was actually looping his father in on the meeting with the Russians. 17. "I have never asked for, nor would I accept, a pardon from President Trump." This clears up one question I had coming into this hearing. But Cohen's statement doesn't make clear whether a pardon was ever offered or even floated by Trump or his allies. 18. "I did not want to go to the White House. I was offered jobs." Cohen pushed back hard on the idea that Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan put forward that Cohen's willingness to attack Trump was entirely born of his anger that he had not been asked to serve in the White House. Cohen said that Trump wanted him to work in the White House but that he believed it would invalidate their attorney-client privilege and therefore make it impossible to do his other work on behalf of Trump. Donald Trump Jr. disagreed with Cohen's version of events, tweeting: "Hahahaha Michael Cohen begged to work at the White House and everyone knows it." 19. "[Stone] frequently reached out to Mr. Trump and Mr. Trump was very happy to take his calls. It was free service." This is important. Cohen made clear here that Roger Stone was not an operative of the Trump campaign but rather a sort-of friend who flitted in and out of Trump world. There was, according to Cohen, no codified relationship between the two although Cohen did say Trump was more than happy to take Stone's call and any information he offered. 20. "Mr. Trump's desire to win would have him work with anyone." This was Cohen's response to Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's question as to whether the President was capable of working with the Russians to help him win an election. This is entirely speculative, of course, but it is worth noting that Cohen did know Trump better than almost anyone for more than a decade. 21. "Everything was done with the knowledge of, and at the direction of, Mr. Trump." Cohen is speaking specifically here about his allegation that he worked on Trump's behalf to make him look wealthier in order to boost him on Forbes' list of the richest people in the country. For what it's worth, Trump dropped 220 slots on Forbes' list in 2017. 22. "It wasn't our responsibility to be the fact checker for a news agency." Jordan wanted to know why Cohen's lawyer, Lanny Davis, had not denied the BuzzFeed News story last month which, citing informed sources, said that Cohen had told the special counsel's office that Trump had asked him to lie to Congress. The special counsel's office did dispute the story in broad terms although BuzzFeed did not retract it. Earlier in his testimony (see No. 5 above) Cohen said under oath that Trump had never directly asked him to lie to Congress. 23. "They want to know what I know about Mr. Trump ... and not one question has been asked about Mr. Trump." After two hours of questioning and a brief break, Cohen used a question from Jordan to lecture Republicans. Cohen noted that Republicans on the Oversight Committee had spent hours forcing him to confess wrongs he had committed, which he had already admitted, rather than asking questions about his dealings with Trump as it related to either the hush payments to Daniels and McDougal or the President's involvement in the conversations about the Trump Tower Moscow development. The two sparred several times on Wednesday. In another key moment of the hearing, Cohen said, "shame on you, Mr. Jordan," when arguing that the congressman had mischaracterized his testimony. 24. "I have no reason to believe that tape exists." Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland kind of, sort of asked Cohen about whether he was aware or had ever seen what has been called the "pee tape," a rumored video of Trump watching prostitutes urinating at a hotel in Russia. (The allegation was made as part of a broader dossier compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele.) According to former FBI Director James Comey, Trump brought up the tape allegation and asked him to dispute it publicly if he could. 25. "He speaks in a code. And I understand the code because I've been around him for a decade." One of Cohen's core arguments in his testimony is that Trump never directly told him to, say, lie to Congress because he didn't have to: Cohen, like others who had spent years with Trump, knew exactly what Trump wanted done. Whether you believe Cohen truly understands the "code" that Trump is speaking in or whether he is actually speaking in any code at all depends on how you view Trump (and Cohen). Regardless, it seems clear that Trump did not expressly tell Cohen to break the law, although Cohen has clearly stated in his testimony that Trump sought to end-run campaign finance laws in paying off two women who alleged affairs with Trump in the mid-2000s. 26. "I have never been to Prague." Well, that settles that. The Steele dossier alleged that Cohen traveled to Prague to meet with a Russian official during the 2016 campaign. Cohen denied he went to Prague, and said he instead went to Europe in 2016 but was in London to visit his daughter, who was studying abroad. 27. "I don't believe Mr. Trump ever struck Mrs. Trump, ever." Cohen made this comment in response to questioning by Democratic California Rep. Jackie Speier about the possible existence of an elevator tape from Trump Tower in which Donald Trump is allegedly seen hitting his wife, Melania Trump. "Comedian" Tom Arnold has spread the idea that such an elevator tape exists, while offering no proof of that fact. Cohen said he believes no tape like that exists and that Trump was never violent with his wife. 28. "What he didn't want was to have an entire group of thinks tanks run through his tax return ... and then he'll end up in an audit and eventually have taxable consequences." Asked by California Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D) what Trump had told Cohen about why he didn't want to release his tax returns, Cohen offered up this answer which is FAR different from the White House's official line that he cannot release the returns because he is under audit. According to Cohen, Trump was worried about being under audit if his returns were released and picked through. Which would suggest that he is not currently under audit, and that the real reason Trump is afraid of releasing his taxes is because he doesn't want to pay tax fines. 29. "I fear that if he loses the presidential election in 2020, there will never be a peaceful transition of power." In Cohen's closing statement, he offered this ominous warning about what might happen if Trump loses a bid for a second term in 2020. It's not an idle threat, either. Remember that Trump has argued with no evidence that 3 to 5 million votes had been cast illegally in the 2016 election. And that was an election he won! Imagine what it would be like if he lost. This story was first published on CNN.com "The 29 most consequential lines from Michael Cohen's congressional testimony" A California man will spend nearly eight years in prison for his role in a wide-ranging mortgage scam that victimized homeowners throughout the state. Prakashumar Kash Bhakta was sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $256,000 for operating a scam that bilked homeowners facing foreclosure out of $4 million, according to the California Attorney Generals Office. Five other members of the fraud ring have also pleaded guilty and received prison sentences ranging from four years to seven years and four months. We have zero tolerance for scam artists who cheat vulnerable families by stealing their life savings and shattering their dreams of owning a home, said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra. Todays sentence should serve as a reminder: If you prey on hardworking Americans and betray their trust, my office will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law. The University of California has picked Applied Business Softwares (ABS) The Mortgage Office as its servicing platform to manage its growing portfolio of employee mortgage loans. Lending software systems provider ABS said that the University of California was looking for a more flexible, cloud-based loan servicing platform to manage their loan portfolio. It needed additional features including comprehensive data security, compliance with the latest state and federal regulations, as well as on-demand, flexible reporting. "The Mortgage Office stood out for its reliability, ease of use, and its ability to integrate with our existing systems. The Mortgage Office allows us to streamline our internal processes, increase financial controls, and user security," said Ruth Assily, director of loan programs at the University of California. Cohen provided no evidence that Trump knew about the infamous Trump Tower meeting. Last July, CNN breathlessly reported that Cohen had told Mueller that Trump knew in advance about the June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower in which Russians were expected to offer his campaign dirt on Hillary Clinton and that he was present, along with several others, when Trump was informed of the Russians offer by (Donald) Trump Jr. That's not what Cohen told Congress on Wednesday. He testified that he didnt know about the Trump Tower meeting in advance he read all over the media about it but that in retrospect he thought that Trump Jr. might have been telling Trump about the Russia meeting when he walked into Trumps office and whispered into Trumps ear in front of Cohen the meeting is all set. Big difference. Research furthering the development of the residual oil zones driving horizontal San Andres drilling in six Permian Basin counties could result in improved water management. That was the message of Steve Melzer, founder of Melzer Consulting, as he provided new insights on transmissive fractures and water production from the horizontal well revolution. "If we get smarter about transmission fractures, we can get smarter about induced seismicity, we can get smarter about produced water volumes, we can get smarter about water disposal," he said during the final session of the recent Permian Basin Water in Energy Conference. OIL REPORT: Texas Mutual encourages business leaders can influence worker safety His presentation focused on what he called two plays. "The play you know about: source-bed basinal formation (shales) and unconventional rocks and conventional oil the Wolfcamp and Bone Spring. Then there's the play only some are following: most often carbonates, on a shelf formation and oil-wet rock with unconventional (residual) oils, the residual oil zones in the San Andres and, in New Mexico, the Yeso and Hunton." The Horizontal San Andres play on the Northwest Shelf covers six Permian Basin counties: Andrews, Cochran, Ector, Gaines and Yoakum in Texas and Lea County, New Mexico. The play now hosts 433 wells and produces 37,500 barrels a day, a 137 percent growth rate in the last 18 months, according to Melzer. Applying what is learned in the ROZ plays to shale plays -- which can occasionally produce sour oil along with sweet oil -- can help identify higher-risk areas, he told the audience. Knowing those higher-risk areas can help operators minimize drilling new sour oil and gas wells and higher water-cut shale wells, apply more careful composition engineering in those areas and take more regionally based care in disposal well permitting. OIL REPORT: Multiple efforts underway to expand knowledge of produced water A greater understanding of the transmissive fractures can not only reduce the drilling of high water-cut wells but also reduce water disposal volumes, he said. It can also help cut the percentage of sour oil-shale wells drilled and rate areas targeted for saltwater disposal well drilling as low risk or high risk for induced seismicity. In water management, Melzer said, "the pipelines, the water processors, the water transmitters need to all work together. They need to break out of those silos. Don't be afraid to jump in and learn a new subject; that's part of the process." A 39-year-old Odessa man pleaded guilty Wednesday in connection with the death of Sean Michael Lamb in 2014, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Texas. Noe Garcia Galan appeared before U.S. District Judge David Counts and pleaded guilty to one count of murder resulting from the use and discharge of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, according to the release. Redistricting Town Hall Explores Gerrymandering in Pennsylvania Panelists discussed the Commonwealth's troubled history as home to some of the nation's most obviously partisan-drawn districts and offered hope for future change. By: Bill Keller Wednesday, February 27, 2019 08:30 AM Muhlenberg student Benjamin Lieberman 19 joins Congresswoman Susan Wild and Cedar Crest student Rubi Garcia during the College's recent Redistricting Town Hall. For decades, Pennsylvania has ranked as one of the least fair states in terms of legislative district maps. Biased districting practices, known as gerrymandering, are the result of partisan politics and point to a lack of accountability for the politicians who draw district borders. So who was to blame? Historically, offenders spanned both Republican and Democratic party lines. Rather than relying on statistical data, lawmakers repeatedly engaged in "sweetheart gerrymandering" that resulted in districts that remained relatively safe for incumbent officials, providing stability and protection for both major parties. The result was that few races could truly be contested, and close elections became exceedingly unlikely over the years. On February 21, a series of panels in Miller Forum explored the impact redistricting has had in Pennsylvania. The event, broadcast live, included participants from more than a dozen colleges and universities across the state, who explored how redistricting impacted their own regions. In Pennsylvania, legislators have the power to design district maps, based on census data, every 10 years. A majority in the state congress (often coinciding with a governor aligned with the majority party) meant that few obstacles prevented the design of maps that favored the party in power. Because legislative regions could be designed without significant oversight, districts were often designed in such a way that the outcome of electionsnotwithstanding an unusually overwhelming voter turnoutcould be considered a surety. The most recently drawn map, created after the 2010 census, skewed heavily Republican. Pennsylvania has such a beautiful history in the fabric of American history and politicsbut our voting experience by any metric is subpar, said Chris Borick, professor of political science and one of the events panelists. The juxtaposition is particularly problematic and troubling in a place that is often considered the birthplace of American democracy. Until 2018, maps showed districts that stretched across portions of several counties, occasionally even resulting in non-contiguous district lines, meaning districts would sometimes span non-adjacent regionsan illegal practice in violation of the state constitution. Borick was joined on the first panel by Carol Kuniholm, Fair Districts Pennsylvania Chair, Jill Greene, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania League of Women Voters and Amanda Holt, a Lehigh County Commissioner who now sits on Governor Tom Wolf's Redistricting Reform Commission. Holt made headlines in 2012 when she brought suit against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the district maps designed in 2011. After researching the state's constitution, she successfully argued that a provision was being ignorednamely that no counties, towns, boroughs or wards should be divided among legislative districts unless absolutely necessary. But lawmakers efforts to redraw the districts to meet Pennsylvania Supreme Court standards fell short in the eyes of Holt and others, who argued that not enough was being done to adhere to a measurable standard of fairness. Holt argued without that measurable standard, legislators cant be held accountable for the districts they design. And so 2018 brought yet another round of redistricting, resulting in a much simpler and contiguous map for the nations midterm elections. Pennsylvania is far from the only state that allows legislators to draw district maps, but a recent study by the Electoral Integrity Project, a joint effort by Harvard and Sydney Universities, placed the Commonwealth among the worst offenders in the nation in terms of the lopsided results of the drawing process. Gerrymandering is often presented as red against blue, one against another. But political parties are the least important factor, said Carol Kuniholm. Gerrymandering is about people and about policy. If your legislator is in a safe district, he can ignore you completely. The second panel brought together Congresswoman Susan Wild, the newly elected representative of Pennsylvanias seventh district, Muhlenberg student Benjamin Lieberman 19 and Rubi Garcia, a senior political science and global studies major at neighboring Cedar Crest College. Lieberman, a finance and mathematics major, conducted research in 2017 with James Russell, assistant professor of mathematics. Using census and voter registration data, they explored Pennsylvania's districts and used math to randomly draw new district lines that met the state constitution's standards. Their computer model, run thousands of times, continued to suggest the previous map was partisan and flawed. Wild experienced the redistricting process perhaps more directly than any other federal legislator. She had initially announced her intent to run for the then-15th district before the 2018 maps were announced. When they were, she also entered the race for the newly drawn 7th district. The 2018 election results saw her briefly represent the misshapen and irregular 15th before assuming her current position as representative for the more contiguous 7th. The midterm election results, according to Wild, at eight Democrats and eight Republicans, more accurately portrays the political makeup of Pennsylvania's swing electorate. (Previously, Republicans controlled 13 of 18 districts.) "I welcome the idea of redrawing these maps. I think we need to do it by way of independent commission," said Wild. "I don't think anybody with political aspirations or somebody in politics now should have anything to do with how those districts are drawn." Student panelist Rubi Garcia of Cedar Crest College recently participated in a simulation while abroad in Moscow. When discussing how voting districts are structured with scholars from Bahrain, Romania and Spain, the other students expressed disbelief at the district-drawing process in the United States. Both Garcia and Lieberman acknowledged that, for their peers, resolving issues around unfair districts could go a long way towards helping young voters feel that their vote can actually make a difference. In closing remarks, the panelists acknowledged that a step in the right direction doesnt mean the work is done. After all, the 2020 census means that legislators will debut new maps in 2021. Redistricting reform is not a magic bullet, said Greene. It's the first thing we need to do to get to the other things that we need to fix. We need a lot of reform to make Pennsylvania more of this democratic promise that we all think it should be. It will also require reverting to a much more traditional diplomatic process of intense negotiations conducted by real experts and raised to higher levels only intermittently. Any deal can only be finalized at a summit-level meeting when all but the most difficult issues have been resolved. Trumps idea that these issues could be settled at the highest level without any real prior negotiations and preparations was and is illusory. Nuclear negotiations require painstaking, detailed work over many months of direct engagement. It cant be done over breakfast or lunch. It is unlikely that Illinois will become the third state to change how it allocates its electoral votes for president, but that isnt stopping some state lawmakers from trying. House Bill 3109, recently introduced by Springfield Republican Rep. Tim Butler, would change the states winner-take-all electoral system to one that is more representative of downstate Illinois. A single state now has a multitude of differing regional interests within it. It makes sense that we update how we award our electoral votes for president, Butler said in a news release last week. He couldnt be reached for further comment Monday. As with all states, Illinois has one electoral college vote for each of its congressional representatives (18) and senators (2), for a total of 20. In presidential elections, the candidate who wins the statewide popular vote gets all 20 electoral college votes. Butlers bill would change this so that electoral votes are awarded based on which candidate wins in each congressional district, with two of those electoral votes those for the senators based on the statewide popular vote. The rural areas could potentially be represented in a much more fair fashion under the model in this bill, said Republican Rep. Darren Bailey of Louisville, the chief co-sponsor of Butlers bill. Butlers proposal would have changed Illinois allocation in the 2016 presidential election, when Hillary Clinton won all of the states 20 electoral votes. If Butlers plan were in place, Clinton would have won 13 electoral votes, and Donald Trump seven. As election-tracking website 270 to Win notes, most state electoral college reforms are proposed when the party of the losing presidential candidate differs from the party controlling the state Legislature. Whether proposed reforms would help the minority party candidate in a particular state is unclear, however. After Mitt Romney lost the 2012 president election, and Pennsylvanias 20 electoral votes, a Republican state senator proposed a shift similar to what Butler has put forth in Illinois. But in 2016, Trump, the Republican candidate, would have received nine fewer electoral votes from Pennsylvania under a split allotment than he actually won. Currently, only Maine and Nebraska have adopted the congressional district method of allocating electoral votes. With Democrats in firm control of the Legislature and the governors office, however, it is unlikely that Illinois will become the third state to join them, Bailey said. Right now under this current environment, I think its very unlikely that this will go through, Bailey said. But, as with all things, you plant a seed, and you get people talking and thinking for when theyre ready to hear it again. Illinois has given all its electoral votes to a Democratic presidential candidate since 1988. That streak certainly would end under Butlers bill, which awaits further assignment out of committee. A political outsider who campaigned on reforming Chicagos police department after a white officers fatal shooting of a black teenager said Wednesday that voters likely had the high-profile case on their minds when they advanced her to an April runoff for mayor, assuring for the first time a black woman will lead the nations third-largest city. Former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoots first-place finish in Tuesdays opening round of voting was somewhat surprising considering the 14-candidate field featured prominent state and local leaders and a member of the Daley family that had dominated Chicago politics for more than half a century. But former Commerce Secretary and White House chief of staff William Daley, whose father and brother both served two-decade stints as mayor, didnt even make it to the runoff to succeed Rahm Emanuel, who isnt seeking a third term. Instead, Lightfoots outsider candidacy will be matched up against the ultimate insider, Toni Preckwinkle a longtime member of the City Council who now holds the top job in Cook County. They are both black women who campaigned as progressives, but thats largely where the similarities end. Lightfoot rose to prominence after she was appointed to lead the Police Accountability Task Force in the wake of the death of Laquan McDonald. The black teenager was shot 16 times and killed by white police officer Jason Van Dyke, who was convicted and sentenced to about seven years in prison. To do honor to Laquan McDonalds short and tragic life we have to make significant changes in the way our police department, in particular, addresses communities of color, Lightfoot told The Associated Press. Currently, black women serve as mayor of seven major cities. New Orleans; Charlotte, North Carolina; San Francisco; and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, have all elected black women leaders for the first time in recent years. Atlanta, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., are also led by black women. Welcome to the Sisterhood!! Two African-American Women Are Headed for Runoff in Chicagos Mayor Race, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms tweeted Tuesday night. Black women have had successful mayoral races in smaller cities, too. Karen Weaver was elected Flint, Michigans mayor as the city reeled from a lead-tainted water crisis while under state control. The issue galvanized black voters behind a reform candidacy much in the same way the McDonald shooting helped promote Lightfoots campaign. We lift each other up and share a common bond, Weaver said of fellow black female mayors. But Marcus Pohlmann, a political science professor at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, says the fact two black women finished on top in a crowded race doesnt necessarily mean the racially divided city has suddenly undergone a progressive breakthrough. Combined, the two candidates barely topped a third of the vote 17.5 percent for Lightfoot and 16 percent for Preckwinkle. A third black candidate, Willie Wilson, finished fourth in the race with 10 percent. I call it a historic opportunity, Pohlmann said. Once the city recognizes that a black woman can do the job it does break some ice, it does break that glass ceiling and opens the door for more women to seriously be considered. Blacks make up about a third of Chicagos population. The city has only elected one black mayor, Harold Washington Jr., who was elected in 1983 and died months into his second term. Washingtons predecessor, Jane Byrne, is the only woman to serve in the job. Organizers campaigned around issues of education, racial economic equity, police accountability, and really young black women have largely been at the forefront of those community organizing efforts, said Elizabeth Todd-Breland, assistant professor of history at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Days of testimony from convicted liar Michael Cohen: What did we learn? We heard that Donald Trump is no choir boy and is a tough and sometimes ruthless businessman who uses crude language. Voters knew these things in 2016 when they elected him. What did we learn about the Russian collusion theory? Nothing. All we have seen is political posturing and a further attempt to diminish Trumps legitimacy. Congress has some tough issues to deal with such as immigration, government debt and health care. So, instead of wasting time on these political sideshows, how about debating those real issues? The media can also do a public service by calling out Congress on this point. This is the same Toni Preckwinkle who stood loyally by former Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios one of the more arrogant members of the power elite, an official who proudly hired his relatives and stubbornly refused to reveal exactly how his office calculated the value of property when Berrios was being roundly criticized for overseeing an assessment system that disadvantaged low-income people. But with Emanuel bent on locking in the academy before he leaves office and Ald. Emma Mitts strongly backing it as an economic boost for her struggling West Side ward, Cappleman went ahead with the vote. The Zoning Committee passed the ordinance on a voice vote. It is on track to head to the full City Council in late March. The Budget Committee also must approve a construction contract for the project. The union also is behind efforts to push a new state public works bill to pay for road and bridge improvements across the state. Pritzker is supportive of an infrastructure bill as are lawmakers in both parties, but no specific list of projects has been developed and no way to pay for the work has been floated. A task force has been convened to look at the issue. San Antonio residents had plenty of drinks in the first month of 2019, according to data provided by the state comptroller's office. Bexar County restaurants and bars racked up $49,110,914 in alcohol sales in January, the data showed. Note: This is an abbreviated version of the full Taste Test review, with a star rating based on multiple visits. See the complete version on our subscriber site ExpressNews.com. With food as their letters and knives as their quills, chefs are writers as much as cooks, crafting their stories on deadline night after night. And since 2013, the chefs at the modernist Mexican experiment called Mixtli have been reshaping the narrative of San Antonios evolving restaurant culture with their work. What at first looked like a Quixotic vision Mexican food in multiple complex courses for almost $100 a head in a converted Olmos Park boxcar has matured into a smooth blend of travelogue, history lesson and small-plate kitchen craft at the highest level. Chefs and owners Rico Torres and Diego Galicia have become magazine and festival circuit celebrities, representing not just Mixtli but the evolving restaurant culture of San Antonio. Every dish of every eight or 10-course dinner tells a story, like chapters in a book. And a new book gets written every few months as Mixtli changes menus to concentrate on another Mexican state. Or region. Or period in history. Or cultural touchstone. The library grows. This review evolved over nine months as new volumes rolled out. Last summer brought food and stories from the Mexican Trans-Volcanic Belt. Mixtli **** 5251 McCullough Ave., 210-338-0746, restaurantmixtli.com Quick hit: Multicourse modernist Mexican cuisine in a converted Olmos Park boxcar Hit: Wagyu short rib with carrot mole, clam ravioli, pork belly al pastor Miss: None Hours: Tuesday-Saturday with seatings at 5:30, 7 or 8 p.m. depending on the night Price range: $110 per person plus tax and gratuity Alcohol: Complimentary wine and cocktails with dinner; selection varies **** Superior. Can compete nationally. *** Excellent. One of the best restaurants in the city. ** Very good. A standout restaurant of its kind. * Good. A restaurant that we recommend. (no stars) We cannot recommend this restaurant at this time. Express-News dining critics pay for all meals. See More Collapse In the fall, Mixtli celebrated five years in business with a Greatest Hits menu that brought back favorites from more than 30 previous menus. The best chapter from the current Festivales menu spoke eloquently about mole, with a thick, sweet version from Michoacan made with carrots, casting a sunset blush beside Wagyu short rib. On ExpressNews.com: Review: La Frite Belgian Bistro a romantic slice of Europe in San Antonios Southtown Its a sweeping novel of Mexican cuisine, written and rewritten throughout the year by chefs who create the setting, the service, the backstory and the food of a true four-star restaurant experience. To read the full review, please visit our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. Mike Sutter is a food and drink reporter and restaurant critic in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | msutter@express-news.net | Twitter: @fedmanwalking Due to its popularity, The Promontory is bringing back its A Different Vibe pop-up experience, which paints the town (neon)-red with the music, fashion and energy of the early 1990s and borrows its inspiration from the sitcom A Different World. The restaurant turns into the Hillman College cafeteria, featuring themed decor, a curated 90s soundtrack, special drink menu and food menu grab a tray, get in line, tell the lunch-person your order, etc. and even dynamic lighting to up the 90s ante. Plus the patio will be open with games, IG photo spots and fire pits for those who dont mind the cold. 11 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturdays through April 4. The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. West. Tickets: Free with RSVP. $250 bottle service for up to six people. facebook.com/ThePromontory/events HANOI, Vietnam - President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un abruptly cut short their two-day summit Thursday, with talks collapsing amid differing accounts of why both leaders walked away without an agreement or a clear plan on how to keep the dialogue alive. The fundamental disagreements rested on the trade-offs between the United States providing relief from sanctions and North Korea's steps to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. The two leaders and their delegations left the meeting site in Vietnam's capital without sitting for a planned lunch or participating in a scheduled signing ceremony. The breakdown raised serious doubts about whether the two sides can keep the diplomatic outreach moving forward. A possible U.S.-North Korea chill could also have wider spillover into the groundbreaking exchanges between the North and U.S. ally South Korea. Trump said the main impediment to a deal was Kim's requirement that the United States lift all economic sanctions on North Korea in exchange for the closure of one nuclear facility, which still would have left Pyongyang with a large arsenal of missiles and warheads. But Trump also raised concerns about North Korea's concealment of parts of its nuclear industry. Hours later, North Korea's foreign minister, Ri Yong Ho, offered a slightly different take at a rare news conference, arguing that Kim's regime sought only "partial" sanctions relief in return for dismantling the North's main enrichment capabilities for fissile material. In a separate news conference, North Korea's vice foreign minister, Choe Son Hui, suggested that Kim had "lost the will to engage in dealmaking" as the talks unraveled. The United States, she said, was missing a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," and she said no future meetings between the two sides were planned. "We had some options, but at this time we decided not to do any of the options," Trump said. He added, "Sometimes you have to walk, and this was just one of those times." White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters that Trump was aware of the North Korean statements about what happened at the summit. She made no other comments. For Trump, the surprising turn of events amounted to a significant diplomatic setback. The president flew 20 hours to Vietnam with hopes of producing demonstrable progress toward North Korea's denuclearization, building upon his first summit with Kim, last summer in Singapore. The breakdown sent shivers through financial markets in Asia, with South Korea's stock market falling sharply just before the close of trading to end down 1.8 percent. The South Korean won also slipped, and Japan's main Nikkei 225 index ended down 0.8 percent. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average was down. At a news conference before he left Vietnam to return to Washington, Trump said he and Kim did not commit to holding a third summit. Still, he said, they parted ways on positive terms. "This wasn't a walkaway like you get up and walk out," Trump told reporters. "No, this was very friendly. We shook hands. . . . There's a warmth that we have, and I hope that stays. I think it will. But we're positioned to do something very special." Choe, North Korea's vice foreign minister, was less optimistic. "The impression I got observing this summit from the side was that our chairman seems to have difficulty understanding the U.S. way of reckoning," she said. "I felt that our chairman has lost the will to engage in dealmaking, with the U.S. saying that even a partial lifting of sanctions for the civilian economy is hard." The United States says U.N. sanctions cannot be unwound until North Korea fully denuclearizes. But it had left open the door to some marginal relief of unilateral U.S. sanctions if North Korea took steps in the right direction. North Korea's foreign minister said the North had sought an end to "sanctions that hamper the civilian economy, and the livelihood of all people in particular," citing five out of 11 sanctions packages imposed by the U.N. Security Council. While not total sanctions relief, that would have amounted to a significant easing of the pressure on North Korea. Trump said Kim promised he would not conduct missile launches or test nuclear weapons. In return for sanctions relief, he said, Kim was willing to close the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center, the site of North Korea's main nuclear reactor and its only source of plutonium to make bombs. But Trump said Kim did not offer to close other, covert facilities to enrich uranium. "I think they were surprised we knew," he said. "We know the country very well, believe it or not. We know every inch of that country, and we have to get what we have to get." Ri, North Korea's foreign minister, later confirmed that the North would be willing to "permanently dismantle all the nuclear material production facilities" at the main Yongbyon nuclear site and allow U.S. nuclear experts to observe. He did not mention uranium enrichment facilities at other sites, leaving doubts about the North's sincerity in the talks. "It is difficult to say whether there might be a better agreement than the one based on our proposal at current stage," Ri said. "Our principal stance will remain invariable, and our proposal will never be changed, even though U.S. proposes negotiation again in the future." Trump zeroed in on sanctions as the key sticking point. "It was about the sanctions," he said. "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that. They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted, but we couldn't give up all of the sanctions for that." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hopes negotiators from the two countries will be able to narrow differences in the future, but he did not announce any firm plans to continue talking. "We were certainly closer today than 36 hours ago, and we're closer than we were a month or two before that. So real progress was made," he said. "I think everybody hoped we could do this better, but the departure was with an agreement we continue to work on what has been an incredibly difficult problem. Everyone walked away in that spirit." It was clear that the two sides remain far apart on some key issues, including a fundamental one - what denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula would actually mean. It is still not clear what demands Kim would place on U.S. forces in South Korea and in the region for him to be willing to surrender his nuclear arsenal. "He has a certain vision," Trump said. "It's not exactly our vision, but it's a lot closer than it was a year ago." In the run-up to the talks, the United States had been offering to declare an end to the 1950-1953 Korean War and open liaison offices in each other's capitals, while demanding that North Korea at least agree to end its production of fissile material to make bombs. But it was clear that the North Korean counteroffer left a large gap between the two sides. Still, after two days of meetings with Kim at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel, Trump continued to praise Kim. He called him a great leader and boasted about the warmth of their friendship. Trump did not publicly address Kim's record of brutality and human rights atrocities during his Vietnam trip. Asked by a reporter whether he had discussed with Kim the case of Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia student who was detained in North Korea for 17 months for allegedly stealing a propaganda poster, Trump said he had. Warmbier was in a coma through most of his imprisonment and died at age 22, shortly after being sent home to Cincinnati. Kim rules a totalitarian state, and his government has insisted that Warmbier was nothing but a "criminal." Trump said Kim denied to him any knowledge of or role in his treatment. "He tells me that he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word," Trump said. "Those prisons are rough. They're rough places, and bad things happen. But I don't believe he knew about it." Analysts have said Trump's strategy of engaging Kim was risky, given that U.S. intelligence officials have said the North Korean leader is unlikely to surrender an arsenal that is thought to include 20 to 65 nuclear warheads. But Bruce Klingner at the Heritage Foundation conservative think tank said no deal was better than a bad deal at this summit, commending Trump for walking away. Although Trump has pointed to a moratorium on testing that has been in place since November 2017, U.S. intelligence officials say North Korea has continued to develop its weapons programs while publicly engaging with the United States and South Korea in denuclearization talks. - - - The Washington Post's John Hudson and Min Joo Kim contributed to this report. A woman accused of assaulting a man wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat in a Massachusetts restaurant now faces possible deportation after being detained by federal agents. Rosiane Santos faces charges including assault after the confrontation in the Mexican restaurant. Video from the event was posted to Facebook on Feb. 15 by Bryton Turner, the man who was wearing the red cap. A Houston woman is behind bars after allegedly offering an undercover officer unlicensed Botox injections, police said. Gabriella Gonzalez, 47, was the target of a proactive investigation by undercover Houston Police Department detectives targeting unlicensed medical practices in Houston, according to Houston Police Department spokesperson Jodi Silva. Gonzalez allegedly offered to inject Botox into an undercover officer for a payment, according to court documents and Silva. SIMILAR CASE: Klein-area nurse accused of injecting fillers without a license She's facing a felony charge of practicing medicine without a license. Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message Authorities are searching for a prisoner who escaped custody from a downtown Houston courthouse Thursday afternoon. Efrain Gutierrez, 38, was last seen in a red pickup truck near 1200 Congress, where he was in court, deputies said. Gutierrez is 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs about 180 pounds. He was last seen wearing a multi-colored shirt. BREAKING NEWS UPDATES: Get your Houston breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is urged to call the Harris County Sheriff's Office at 713-221-6000. Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message At the local Baptist Child and Family Services shelter for migrant children, a staff member gave pages from a pornographic magazine to a child in January 2016. It was reported to the governments Office of Refugee Resettlement, or ORR, and the Department of Justice. The unidentified staff member was investigated and fired. That was one of 23 allegations of sexual abuse against migrant children between 2014 and 2018 reported to the DOJ by BCFS facilities. St. Peter-St. Joseph Childrens Home, a Catholic Charities shelter on San Antonios South Side also contracted by the ORR, reported five allegations during the same period. Federal data made public by Florida Congressman Ted Deutch revealed more than 4,000 allegations of sexual misconduct or abuse at ORR facilities across the country over the four years. This data set does not show where the incidents allegedly occurred, so the total number of allegations reported by local shelters remains unknown. A second document shows that 1,303 allegations were considered more serious cases of sexual abuse and were reported to the Department of Justice. Unlike the other document, this one listed the shelters where the allegations were reported. HHS only documented descriptions of the incidents, and the outcome of the subsequent investigations, for fewer than 100 of the sex-abuse allegations. Since the end of 2016, the documents began excluding details of the allegations and only listing the dates, the care provider(s), and whether or not the allegation was also reported to the FBI. Only eight of the incidents that occurred in San Antonio facilities were described in detail because they were reported before the end of 2016. Neither HHS nor Catholic Charities of San Antonio responded to requests for comment. BCFS said in a statement it is required to report allegations within four hours. Some allegations rise to the level of FBI and DOJ notification if deemed serious enough, it said. ORR reporting criteria is extremely broad and contributes to the high number of reports, some being innocent and/or accidental contact or horse play are incidents we are required report as a Sexual Incident Report, BCFS said in the statement. The government contracted agency operates 1,049 licensed shelter beds and employs 1,384 staff members, according to the statement. Though the data shows a 2016 allegation against a staff member who was fired for showing porn to a minor, BCFS said it has never had an employee charged with sexual abuse of a child in our care. None of the sexual-abuse allegations were made against federal employees, according to a Health and Human Services statement, though 178 were made against staff at the facilities. The majority of the accused were other unaccompanied minors. With the number of allegations each year roughly breaking down to one sexual assault per week for the last three years, clearly this Administration is not equipped to keep these children safe inside their facilities, Deutch said in a statement. Congress and the public demand answers. Jonathan Hayes, acting director of the ORR, said Deutchs mischaracterization of the data and his impugning of the ORR federal staff was an immoral and indecent insult to ORR employees. HHS spokeswoman Caitlin Oakley said employees must adhere to rigorous standards. The ORR is part of the Health and Human Services Department. These are vulnerable children in difficult circumstances, and ORR fully understands its responsibility to ensure that each child is treated with the utmost care. When any allegations of abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect are made, they are taken seriously and ORR acts swiftly to investigate and respond, Oakley said. Between fiscal years 2015 to 2018, the most allegations were reported in 2018, at 1,261. Last July, St. PJs housed 22 migrant children under 17 who were separated from their parents at the border. They were housing a total of 82 children at the time. In December, the Office of Inspector General, the governments internal watchdog, found that BCFS did not fully comply with federal health and safety requirements. It said BCFS failed to properly account for 13.7 percent of the children released to sponsors, or 501 children, which threw into question whether BCFS had implemented the proper background checks, care and notifications to other government departments as required. I can understand how there are cases of sex abuse, said Sister Norma Pimentel, director of the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley who rose to prominence during the height of migrant family separations last summer. She said during her tour of Casa Padre, a Southwest Key Programs facility that houses children in a former Brownsville Walmart, she raised questions about their practice of putting older unaccompanied minors with younger ones. They didnt have an answer. So because of that I can see how so many cases of abuse have been happening, she said. I think they try their best to address everything and protect the children as best they can. Its very organized and they have cameras, Pimentel said. But somebody who wants to do something bad to children theres room for that. Silvia Foster-Frau covers immigration news in the San Antonio, Bexar County and South Texas area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | sfosterfrau@express-news.net | Twitter: @SilviaElenaFF A federal judge Wednesday ordered that no Texan be removed from the voter rolls unless they have conclusively been shown to be ineligible. The order by U.S District Judge Fred Biery denied a motion from the state to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the League of United Latin American Citizens, which alleges the voter purge program is unconstitutional and suppresses the minority vote. The order said the evidence heard in a three-day hearing has shown there is no widespread voter fraud as state officials allege, and that the secretary of state created this mess. On ExpressNews.com: Confusion, fear, voter suppression cited in San Antonio court over controversial purge program The order instructs state officials to inform all 254 Texas counties to stand down and to not purge any of the tens of thousands of people on a list that the Texas secretary of state provided of registered voters it suspects of being noncitizens. The counties also cannot send any notices requesting that voters on the list provide proof of citizenship. However, the local election officials can continue to investigate their eligibility without contacting them through notices, the order said. Keith Ingram, director of elections in the Texas Secretary of States Office, sent out an advisory Jan. 25 warning county election officials that more than 95,000 to 98,000 registered voters were believed to be noncitizens and that 58,000 of them had cast ballots in elections. But he testified Monday that more than 25,000 people on the list were on there erroneously and are in fact U.S. citizens. On ExpressNews.com: The official leading Texas effort to scrub non-citizens from voter rolls says he learned early on that numbers were overstated Ingram and his staff worked with Department of Public Safety to identify people on the voter rolls who were noncitizens at the time they obtained or renewed Texas driver licenses. But the process failed to take into account that many of those people subsequently became naturalized. As a result, thousands of U.S. citizens were mistakenly flagged for scrutiny. Some county election officials had been sending out notices seeking proof of citizenship within 30 days. Those who did not comply or respond to the notices would face getting kicked off the rolls. The judges order, among other things, also asked the state and the plaintiffs for a list of facts and conclusion of laws that he will use in his decision later on whether the program is constitutional and conforms to federal voting laws. This is a developing story. Guillermo Contreras covers federal courts in San Antonio and international legal issues. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | gcontreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland The former Illinois State Police Merit Board official at the center of a case that began when she was accused of falsifying overtime is under renewed scrutiny after collecting more than $71,000 in workers compensation and disability benefits tied to her unsubstantiated allegations of sexual assault. A suspected conman was arrested on Wednesday after authorities said he scammed a San Antonio resident out of more than $300,000. Jonathan Keith Yost, 34, was taken into custody on suspicion of theft, Bexar County Jail records showed. Yost's scam began in January 2018, when he met the victim on the set of movie called "Angry Men" that was being filmed in San Antonio, according to his arrest affidavit. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Yost, an extra in the film, identified himself to the victim as "Dr. Jay Lopez" and "presented himself as a Hollywood insider with connections to well-known actors," according to the affidavit. Because Yost's social media pages had "tons of followers," according to the affidavit, the victim didn't question his credentials. Yost told the victim his company was bringing a comedy tour to San Antonio as well as an acting workshop, and presented the victim with a chance to invest in the opportunity, police said. The victim invested a total of $377,500, according to the affidavit. Soon after, Yost began avoiding the victim, changing his number and blocking the person from his social media accounts, authorities said. RELATED: Where SAPD picked up 14 credit card skimmers in January Investigators began looking into Yost and discovered he opened several bank accounts with fraudulent social security numbers, according to the affidavit. They also found a Facebook post from Yost's "Dr. Jay Lopez" alias that read "wondering if I should pay the people that I owe," the affidavit says. The affidavit also mentions Yost has a history of conning people across the country. In October 2018, Yost allegedly scammed a Houston resident out of $5,000 by making similar promises using his alleged Hollywood connections, according to a KPRC news story. The story also mentions Yost was wanted in North Carolina after he allegedly defrauded a church out of $9,000. Yost was released from jail on Wednesday after posting his $35,000 bail, jail records showed. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSA San Antonio police on Wednesday identified the woman who was arrested after animal care investigators seized nearly two dozen dogs from her home Tuesday. Monique Smith, 30, is charged with cruelty to a non livestock animal. Seven months after a video appearing to depict three gunman firing shots at a group of teenagers that had caught the suspects hiding outside their home went viral, Converse police said they've made two arrests in the case. Carlos Romero Jr., 21, and Dimitri Lavalais, 24, were charged Thursday morning with aggravated assault of a deadly weapon, according to Converse police. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Lavalais was served the warrant in Bexar County Jail, where he is in custody on an unrelated drug conviction. Romero was taken into custody at 8 a.m. Thursday morning at the Bexar County Adult Probation Office, police said. Police are still searching for the third gunman, Converse Police Lt. Jeff Shook said, and investigators have identified a person of interest. "I truly believe it'll be a matter of time until we announce the third individual was ultimately arrested as well," Shook said. The teenagers had just arrived home in the 6800 block of Jaybrook Drive around 4 a.m. on July 28 when they found the suspects hiding among the bushes and next to a fence. READ MORE: Video: Suspects fire shots at car full of teens who catch them hiding outside Converse home The driver kept their headlights on the suspects as one of the teens began recording video on her cell phone. In the video, a voice says "oh, they have a gun," shortly before the suspects fire at least a dozen gunshots toward the teenagers. The people in the car can be heard in the video praying for safety and relaying the information to police. It took seven months for police to obtain enough evidence to make the arrests, evidence that Shook did not want to disclose due to the ongoing investigation. "This case was extremely violent and we knew these guys were people that needed to be arrested," Shook said. "It was a priority case and always has been a priority case." Shook credited outside law enforcement agencies for their help, including the U.S. Secret Service, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Romero and Lavalais did not cooperate with police following their arrest, Shook said, but he believes they have enough evidence to wrap the case up soon. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSA Canada on Thursday became the first country to partner with NASA on its planned moon space station -- the foundation of NASAs objective for a sustainable return to the moon as a stepping stone for a mission to Mars. The space station, called the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, would allow astronauts to live and work while orbiting the moon. Canada is going to the moon, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a Thursday news conference at the Canadian Space Agency headquarters near Montreal. Were stepping up. Canada, already a partner with NASA on the International Space Station, will build a robotic arm for the gateway. Called Canadarm3, it will be the successor to the one now in use on the space station. Canadarm was essential to the Space Shuttle, Canadarm2 built the International Space Station, so its only fitting and right that the arm that will repair and maintain the lunar gateway will yet again be made in Canada by Canadians, Trudeau said. He pledged to invest $2 billion Canadian dollars (about $1.5 billion in the U.S.) over 24 years to grow Canadas space program. NASA officials hope to have the gateway ready for human habitation by 2023 and Administrator Jim Bridenstine said he is thrilled that Canada agreed to be a partner on the project. Our new collaboration on the gateway will enable our broader international partnership to get to the moon and eventually to Mars, Bridenstine said in a statement. NASAs reliance on international partnerships has now expanded to include more than 700 agreements with more than 120 nations. Returning to the moon with help President Donald Trumps fiscal year 2019 budget for NASA, signed in February, sets into motion several initiatives to return humans to the moon for the first time since 1972 including funds to develop the foundation for the gateway. When completed, the gateway will allow crews to live and work in the moons orbit for 30 to 60 days at a time, as well as act as a stop-over for astronauts eventually traveling to Mars. NASA officials have said that international and commercial partnerships are crucial to the gateways success. Additionally, the agency announced just last week the first round of 12 experiments that will head to the moon on lunar landers built by commercial companies, including Houston-based Intuitive Machines. Agency officials say they hope to begin launching the landers as early as this year but no later than Dec. 31, 2021. Officials also hope to begin testing landers that would carry humans to the moon beginning in 2024, in the hopes that a crew could be sent to the lunar surface by 2028. We want to go fast. Its important we get back to the moon as fast as possible, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said during a Valentines Day media roundtable in Washington, D.C. An announcement from the Trump administration this week may complicate that plan, however. Russ Vought, acting head of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote an article Monday stating that Trump intended to propose a 5 percent cut to all non-defense discretionary spending in next year's budget. That, of course, would include NASA. Canadas space presence Canada has been active in space exploration since the early 1960s, as the space race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union raged. In 1962, it became the third country to launch a satellite, Alouette 1, into Earths orbit, which it did with the help of the U.S. The robotic arm, Canadarm, which was attached to the Space Shuttles, flew for the first time in November 1981 and operated for 30 years. Canadians then built Canadarm2, attached to the Space Station, which performs maintenance, moves supplies and equipment and attaches visiting vehicles to the station. Canadarm2 conducted critical repairs on Hubble Space Telescope, credited with altering humankind's understanding of the solar system during its almost three decades orbiting Earth. And the country also is working on the James Webb Space Telescope, Hubble's successor. But the nations human spaceflight program has been less robust. The first Canadian to fly in space, Marc Garneau, went up on the October 1984 Space Shuttle Challenger. He is one of only 14 astronauts the country has had since 1983, according to the Canadian Space Agency. Canadas David Saint-Jacques currently is living on the International Space Station. He is the seventh Canadian astronaut to live on the space station, according to the countrys agency. But the countrys involvement in the gateway is hugely important for its space program. Our participation in the lunar gateway ushers in a new era of Canadian excellence in space and it is the cornerstone of the next phase of Canadas space program, Trudeau said Thursday. Alex Stuckey writes about NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey. Texas would be closer to a toss-up in the 2020 presidential campaign if either Joe Biden or Beto ORourke were the Democratic nominee against President Donald Trump, a new poll of Texas voters shows. In a hypothetical matchup, Trump is ahead of ORourke by a single percentage point, 47 to 46, the survey of 1,222 voters polled by Quinnipiac University shows. Trump would also have a 47 to 46 percent advantage over Biden. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders is not far behind. Trump leads Sanders in a potential matchup 47 percent to 45 percent. RELATED: Beto O'Rourke teases presidential speculation The poll's margin of error is 3.4 percent and there are 4 to 5 percent undecideds in all three matchups, all of which suggests Texas is essentially a toss up in 2020, according to this one super- early poll. A Democrat has not won Texas in the presidential election since Jimmy Carter in 1976. Neither Biden nor ORourke has announced whether he will seek the White House yet. ORourke said on Wednesday that he has made a decision but did not announce if he will run. While the poll showed Trump with a narrow lead, ORourke does well among independent voters. According to the poll, 48 percent would go with ORourke, versus 41 percent going with Trump. TEXAS TAKE: Get updates on trending headlines in Texas politics delivered to you. Former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro doesnt fare as well in a potential head-to-head match up with Trump in the poll that was conducted from Feb. 20 to Feb. 25. Castro would win 41 percent of the vote, compared to 46 percent for Trump, the poll found. If ORourke ran for Senate instead, the poll shows it would also be a dead heat. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and ORourke would both win 46 percent of the vote in such a matchup in 2020, with 6 percent saying they do not know who they would pick. NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. Scarborough Leader Funding for the project would come from a bond and through a capital campaign. If you want to look like you know what youre talking about when mixing with St. Patricks Day revelers, here are a few phrases to throw around. Slainte means good health. May the road rise to meet you means may success be with you, and Erin go bragh means Ireland forever! The temperature in San Antonio will remain in the 50s Thursday due to a cold front that moved into the area late Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service. The cold front pushed cloudy skies into the area, making for an overcast day in the Alamo City. There were also moderate showers in San Antonio throughout the morning. The chances of rain will stay at 30 percent through most of the day, the forecast showed, until the evening when rain chances drop to 10 percent. In the Hill Country, around Fredericksburg and Kerville, the National Weather Service issued a significant weather advisory for possible strong thunderstorms and pea-size hail. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox The weather should bounce back in the next two days, with high temperatures reaching the 70s, but residents should keep their jackets handy for a stronger cold front that is expected on Sunday. That front will send temperatures falling to the low 30s overnight across the region on Monday and Tuesday and lead to a possible freeze in the area, meteorologists said. Highs those days are predicted to be in the 40s or lower 50s. Tuesday morning is expected to be the coldest time, according to the National Weather Service, when the low temperature in San Antonio may reach 32 degrees. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSA Pope Franciss closing address to the Vatican Summit on Child Protection was a disgraceful display of excuses and evasions. He began with extended meditation on how a great number of abuse cases are committed within families. He urged the assembled bishops to focus on other forms of abuse experienced by child soldiers, starving children, child victims of war and refugee children. He laid out an agenda that, bizarrely, focused on matters have nothing to do with clerical abuse (such as combating sexual tourism). And, most shamefully of all, he lashed out at those demanding that bishops who covered up abuse and silenced victims be held to account, declaring that the church must rise above those who exploit, for various interests, the very tragedy experienced by the little ones. Sorry, Holy Father, thats not good enough. While Francis did declare that no abuse should ever be covered up (as was often the case in the past), he still refuses to tell us which bishops and cardinals did the covering up. Its true that, just days before the summit, he removed disgraced former Archbishop Theodore McCarrick from the priesthood. But Francis still refuses to explain: What took so long? Who knew about McCarricks alleged serial predations and did nothing? When did Francis know? And why did he not punish McCarrick until his crimes which were repeatedly reported to the Vatican were publicly exposed by the media? Indeed, Francis decision to focus the summit exclusively on the protection of minors was a cynical ploy to avoid addressing questions of accountability or the rampant sexual abuse of vulnerable adults by their religious superiors. The accusations against McCarrick were not limited to his horrific abuse of children. He allegedly forced countless young priests and seminarians, whose careers he could make or break, to have sex with him. Last week, the Washington Post reported on the Rev. Lauro Sedlmayer, who says he was sexually abused as a young priest by McCarrick during the 1990s. The priest says he told three bishops and nothing was done. How was McCarrick able to advance through the hierarchy, and even become a trusted adviser to Francis on international diplomacy and the selection of cardinals, when his predatory behavior was well known? Simple. A network of corrupt bishops and cardinals, many of whom owed their positions to McCarrick, protected him. It is not enough for Pope Francis to remove McCarrick from the priesthood. The patronage network that enabled him must be rooted out as well. There are documents in the Vatican archives that would definitively show who knew what, and when they knew it. But Francis has refused to release them, much less hold McCarricks many enablers to account. Quite the opposite, the pope has squelched efforts to expose and punish those responsible for covering up abuses by McCarrick and others. The Wall Street Journal reports that in 2015, Boston Cardinal Sean OMalley whom Francis put in charge of handling the abuse crisis recommended the creation of a special tribunal to try bishops who ignore or cover up abuse. The pope rejected his proposal. Last year, OMalley met with Francis in Rome where, the Journal reports, the pope made it clear he would not authorize a full-fledged investigation into the McCarrick affair. He then stunned the cardinal by recommending that the U.S. bishops cancel a meeting at which they were to vote on penalties for bishops who neglect or cover up abuse suggesting they hold a spiritual retreat instead. When they held the meeting anyway last November, Francis forbade them from voting on the measures. And OMalley ostensibly the popes point man on sex abuse for the past five years was omitted from the speakers list at the popes sex abuse summit. Until Francis addresses the corruption of the episcopacy, he has zero credibility to lead a fight against sex tourism. No one wants to hear lectures on morality from bishops who refuse to rid their ranks of those who enable sex predators. They seem to be more concerned with preserving their worldly privilege and power than restoring the churchs moral integrity. How many souls have been lost, how many have left the sacraments, because of their scandalous inaction? Francis called the summit an opportunity for purification. It was a missed opportunity. Purification requires two things: confession and penance. Until the bishops repent of their sins, and accept the temporal consequences of their actions, there will be no forgiveness from the laity. @marcthiessen Bexar County and city of San Antonio officials agree: One intake and detention center is better than two. That was the gist of a recent news conference at Plaza de Armas where city and county officials stood side by side and pledged an agreement is in the works to make Bexar Countys new Justice Intake and Assessment Center work. But they didnt announce an agreement, and until that happens, nothing will change. The city will continue to book people at its outdated Frank Wing Municipal Court building, which one expert has labeled a dungeon. The county will continue to book people at its new center, which follows best practices, but has some design flaws. This pledge to work together on a solution is still good news. The city and county are committed to together finding a way forward. This is real progress. Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the plan is to enter into an agreement in late spring, with implementation by the end of the year, or perhaps a bit later, depending on renovation work at the countys new building. In some ways, the biggest obstacle has been political, but this news conference clears that hurdle. What are the obstacles to an agreement? The next step is for the county to assure city police officers can quickly return to their beats after dropping off arrested subjects. The public is served by as many officers as possible on the streets at all times. The new building needs a property room to store backpacks and other belongings of arrested people. The building needs dedicated space to process Class C misdemeanors, people with warrants for unpaid tickets. The building would also benefit from larger entry space, an expanded DWI center and larger courtrooms for bail hearings. This may sound like a lot, and it is, but its also within the realm of the possible. Its also far superior to a prolonged impasse and continued use of two buildings. That is a waste of tax dollars. Two intake centers means two sets of detention officers and two sets of judges. It means having public defenders and prosecutors present at two buildings for bail hearings. Such redundancy is untenable. Police Chief William McManus and Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said they have had incredibly productive meetings to address the citys design concerns. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said in some instances officers are exiting the building in about 10 minutes. New City Manager Erik Walsh attended the news conference, and he has an opportunity to reset city-county relations on this and other issues. In short, the news conference struck a markedly different tone than past city and county comments about the Justice Intake and Assessment Center. Officials were showing the public a willingness to work together. All city residents are county residents, and most county residents are city residents. The public is best served when the city and county can work together. Hopefully, the next news conference on this issue is to announce a formal agreement. MEMBERS of the MDC Alliance linked to the partys acting president Engineer Elias Mudzuri are crying foul and breathing fire, demanding that the party holds an extraordinary Congress as a matter of urgency and threatening to ensure the proposed 24 May Congress does not succeed. We, as bona fide MDC members, are demanding an extraordinary congress in line with the party constitution. Not the bogus May Congress published by the Chamisa cabal. It is a dictatorship and unconstitutional, said the partys official, speaking exclusively to ZOOMZimbabwe. It is only the position of the president that needs to be filled, and we demand that Secretary-General Douglas Mwonzora calls an extra-ordinary congress in line with the party constitution so that we fill the position of the president. That is the only vacancy that needs to be filled in the party at the moment, the source said. But Mwonzora, on his party, will not budge. If he calls for an extraordinary Congress, that would mean he stays in the same position he is now, as only the president would be contested. Mwonzora is understood to be aiming for the presidency, and it suits him better if the party goes for the May Congress where all positions will be open for contests instead of an extraordinary Congress. The Mudzuri camp has petitions going around canvassing for signatures to force Mwonzora to act and call for an extraordinary Congress. The source continued: It is the extraordinary congress that is due now, not the May one. Theres nowhere in the constitution where it calls for the May congress. We already have a petition circulating , with MDC members demanding the Secretary-General to call for an extraordinary Congress immediately. An urgent court application is on the way if Mwonzora refuses to act. The camp plans to hold a press conference mid-next week when would have gathered enough signatures for their petition. ZOOMZimbabwe saw the online petition and the number of signatures building up. Another petition is going around on printed copies, the source said. A second source linked to the same camp weighed in: We have 100 signatures already. The MDC extraordinary Congress cannot be avoided; it is a constitutional requirement. All we need is approach the courts if the Secretary-General refuses to entertain our petition, and a simple reading of our party constitution will throw this Chamisas so-called May Congress into the litter bin. However, we have been trying to use internal processes as much as possible to settle this glaring error of omission and commission by our colleagues. Listen Mwonzora is no bothered with the May Congress even though its illegal and unconstitutional because they are calling for an ordinary congress with all positions contested. If he calls for an extraordinary congress he wont be able to contests because it is one position that will be available and as Secretary-General he is not able to contest. The structures are so angry with Mwonzora because he is showing that he likes power too much and he has no respect for the party constitution. The congress delegates feel betrayed by him. Its both very interesting and shocking to note that Douglas Mwonzora has now come in full force preparing for the illegal Chamisas congress of 24 26 May. That squarely confirms some people everydays fears of having these lawyers as our leaders as a nation a total disaster. Lawyers in Zimbabwe are the same. The group warned Mwonzora against participating in the May Congress, as the terrain has been tilted to favour Nelson Chamisa. The camp further accuses ZANU-PF rejects of funding Chamisa in desperate bid to save Mugabes legacy, citing the massive support Chamisa now receives from former hardcore Mugabe apologists such as Jonathan Moyo as an indication that Chamisa was a Mugabe project. Instead of defending the Constitution, and Secretary-General of the party, Douglas Mwonzora thinks everything is now set for him to repeat a 2014 thumbing of Chamisa in the Secretary-General congress contest. What Mwonzora is failing to understand is that the whole terrain has changed and is presently pointing at Chamisas outstanding advantages. Facts now have it that Chamisa is receiving massive support from G40 who are using him to fight to reverse the November 2017 coup. Look at how Jonathan Moyo, Shadreck Mashayamombe, Jealousy Mawarire and Agrippa Bopela Masiyakurima are all now acting as if they are more MDC than all of us. They all hope to propel Chamisa to power so as to save Robert Mugabes legacy. Last week, the Chamisa camp, who last year announced the Congress would be held in October 2019 in line with the Constitution as the last Congress had been held in October 2014, suddenly made a u-turn and agreed for a May 2019 Congress. While this looked like a climb-down by Chamisa, the Mudzuri camp thinks otherwise. Whilst the announcement of the illegal May congress may seem to be a climb-down by Chamisa who initially wanted an October one, the facts point to the contrary. If the Secretary-General chooses to abrogate the law and derelict his duty, history is not going to be lenient with him. So he needs to do the right thing and call for an extraordinary Congress now. Section 9.21.1 of the MDC Constitution should be Mwonzoras guideline for now. As it stands now, Douglas Mwonzora and Nelson Chamisa are different sides of the same coin. The two are two faction leaders who are egocentric and enemies of constitutionalism. Party leader Nelson Chamisa is out of the country on a diplomatic offensive. He left Eng. Mudzuri, one of his deputies, as the acting president. Efforts to get a comment from Mudzuri himself were not successful. ZOOMZimbabwe Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has received an early boost ahead of what could turn out to be a bruising contest when the MDC congress gets underway in three months time after several party structures moved to endorse his candidature at the weekend. This comes as speculation is growing that respected MDC secretary-general, Douglas Mwonzora as well as one of Chamisas two deputies, Elias Mudzuri could also throw their hats into the ring when the countrys main opposition party holds its eagerly-awaited elective congress in May. The charismatic Chamisa took over the partys reins under hotly-disputed circumstances in February last year, following the death of the MDCs revered founding president Morgan Tsvangirai who lost his valiant battle against colon cancer on Valentines Day, and soon after he had elevated the youthful politician to the partys presidium. With behind-the-scenes campaigning gathering steam ahead of the partys congress, many MDC structures are already marking the territory for their favoured leaders with a number of them moving to make it clear at the weekend that Chamisa would receive their backing when this highly-anticipated gathering gets underway in May. We met as a provincial executive council on Sunday and unanimously agreed to stand by the president (Chamisa), so that he takes us to 2023. It was not a difficult decision to reach because what he has done so far is there for all to see It is clear that nobody in the party at present can match that, Mashonaland West provincial secretary Edson Ndirayire told the Daily News yesterday. Mashonaland East provincial chairperson Piniel Denga also said while they had not met as a province to nominate their candidate, the executive had earlier agreed at its provincial assembly meeting that Chamisa should remain at the partys helm. As the chairman, I made that proposal and it was agreed to by all so when the nomination day comes, we are simply going to refer to that agreement, and so our position is already clear that we are going with Chamisa, Denga said. On her part, womens assembly chairperson Lynnet Karenyi-Kore said the fact that Chamisa had emerged leader at short notice following the death of Tsvangirai while also going on to perform well in the July 30, 2018 presidential election was enough proof that he was a solid leader. As women, we are confident that only Chamisa has what it takes now. He managed to get us over two million votes despite the handicap of having to be thrown at the deep end at the last minute. We still want him to continue and see where he takes us because the road we have travelled with him so far is promising and so come congress he is our man, Karenyi-Kore said emphatically. And speaking to the Daily News separately, MDC youth assembly secretary-general Lovemore Chinoputsa also said they were already lobbying other structures to rally behind Chamisa. Our support for Chamisa is premised on the principle that young people should be promoted into positions of leadership hence for purposes of this congress we have taken a decision to work towards convincing all other structures in this regard, Chinoputsa said. However, other party insiders said it was not yet cast in stone that Chamisa will roll over his opponents in May. This was particularly so if Mwonzora decided to contest him. These elections are far from decided because it is early days yet. Anyone, particularly Dougie (Mwonzora) has a chance of winning this post because he is respected and loved by many in the party who see him as mature and level-headed. Remember too that five years ago, Chamisa lost to Mwonzora hands down despite him thinking that he had the support of 11 of the partys 12 provinces. As you also know, a day is too long in politics and indeed, only time will tell when we get to May how the exact picture will look like, as well as who is likely to win, one of the insiders told the Daily News. The well-placed sources sentiments come after Chamisa was defeated by Mwonzora in 2014 for the secretary-generals post who was, at the time, considered a rank outsider in those elections. Chamisa then held the powerful post of MDC organising secretary, a position which was said to have given him the opportunity to revamp party structures in his favour and which structures were expected to give him an overwhelming victory against Mwonzora, who was the party spokesperson at the time. Mwonzora scored a shock and unexpected crushing victory over Chamisa which saw him getting 2 464 votes against his rivals 1 756. This subsequently left Chamisa as an ordinary card-carrying member, before he was rescued by Tsvangirai who appointed him to the MDC national executive as secretary for policy and research. There were even unconfirmed suggestions at the time that a stunned Chamisa, unwilling to stomach the results of those internal polls, was even contemplating resigning from the MDC altogether which never happened. In an ironic turn of fate, Chamisa was to later assume the reins of the countrys main opposition party ahead of his rivals following the death of Tsvangirai last year albeit, under controversial circumstances. The 41-year-old was accused of having allegedly used his then assumed closeness to Tsvangirais widow, Elizabeth, to torpedo the ambitions of the likes of Mudzuri and Thokozani Khupe. A titanic leadership battle subsequently ensued in the party, which eventually led to Khupe forming a breakaway faction which went on to perform dismally in last years elections. Chamisa ultimately prevailed over his party competitors after a consultative meeting of the MDC, which was held at its Harare headquarters and which was attended by 639 delegates from 210 party districts endorsed him as Tsvangirais successor and the partys presidential candidate in the 2018 polls. DailyNews Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Many people view Vice President Constantino Chiwenga as next in line to succeed President Emmerson Mnangagwa the other vice president, Kembo Mohadi has shown keen interest for the top job, saying his history was as illustrious as his boss. Mohadi said he believed fate was on his side, claiming the road travelled by President Mnangagwa and the obstacles he faced were similar to his own experience. Asked to introduce President Mnangagwa before thousands of Zanu PF supporters in Mwenezi last Saturday, Mohadi gave a tale of the road travelled by his boss saying there were many parallels to be drawn between their two stories. I also travelled the same road as that of President Mnangagwa. I was arrested and stayed in prison till 1980. I came from prison and joined politics full time just like President Mnangagwa. The irony of the whole story is that President Mnangagwa became Minister of State Security, I also became Minister of State Security. He became Minister of Defence and I also became Minister of Defence. He became Vice President and I also became Vice President so munongoona kuti gwara racho ndiro rimwe. But I am not going to push him out of it, achandisiira, said Mohadi. Mohadi said President Mnangagwa told him there were some rigours he still needed to go through for him to qualify to be President among them surviving interface rallies, taking poison and border jumping. President Mnangagwa says I do not qualify to be President because I have never been poisoned or subjected to nine interface rallies or become a border jumper. I dont know how I can be a border jumper but I would love to be poisoned and go through interface rallies, said Mohadi. Mohadi said while many people fear Mnangagwa, he is not afraid of him and he saw him as a brother and mentor. Mohadis declaration of interest could put him on a collision course with Chiwenga who is believed to harbour his own presidential ambition. Chiwenga led a military coup which ousted long-time ruler Robert Mugabe in November 2017 but handed over the levers of power to President Mnangagwa reportedly after striking a deal that would see him being the successor. There are, however, now claims of power struggles between Chiwenga and Mnangagwa with reports saying the retired general now wants the latter to run for one term and leave him in charge. Zanu PF has denied any friction between the two and has since went on to endorse President Mnangagwa for the 2023 harmonised elections. TellZim Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News We decided to do a special needs class because those individuals tended to be older, Michelle Helwig said. We wanted to hit some of the younger kids who may have ADHD or are on the autism spectrum who could benefit from the structure of archery. UNITED Family International Church (UFIC) leader Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa has been implicated in a case in which five men were reportedly kidnapped and tortured for allegedly stealing gold ore from Havilah Gold Mine in Mutoko, which is believed to be owned by the clergyman. Lloyd Sande (24), Godknows Mhungu (21), Bornface Mudzonga (29), Julius Mudzonga (age not given) and Clever Masango (20) reside in villages around Mutawatawa Shopping Centre and were employed at the mine, which is commonly known as KwaMakandiwa. They were reportedly subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment involving battery, immersion in water and electrocution. They were also allegedly beaten with rifle butts, batons and other objects. The assailants also issued death threats, extracted confessions and confiscated property from the victims. The assailants in the matter led by the mines security officer Garikai Murambidzi claimed to be members of the Zimbabwe Republic Polices Serious Frauds Section and later Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), according to lawyers representing the five. They purported to be acting on behalf of Prophet Makandiwa to recover the gold ore following a heist that allegedly took place on or around December 17 last year. The victims later made reports to Mutawatawa Police Station, but the assailants were not arrested. In a letter to Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga dated February 14, 2019, the victims legal team from Harare firm, Chinawa Law Chambers, outlined the grave circumstances of the matter detailing how the assaults had taken place between January 24 and 25 this year. Our clients were warned that the assault would not stop and they would not be released but would be killed instead unless if they admitted that they were the ones who had stolen Makandiwas gold, reads the letter. The lawyers says that the five, fearing for their lives, made confessions to their accusers but the case fell through after it went for due process. Our clients were detained at the police station from January 25-27. They were arraigned before the Mutawatawa Magistrates Court whereupon the state declined to prosecute the matter due to insufficient evidence, said the lawyers. Our clients managed to identify one of the four men as Joseph Dzomba, a retired police officer who is now a personal bodyguard and security personnel for prophet Makandiwa, said the lawyers. They are demanding an investigation into how police handled the matter. Our clients also consider it appropriate to demand an investigation into the manner in which Mr Mafumbate the Officer in-charge has acted as it amounts to connivance with accused persons and shielding them from arrest and interference with investigations and due process of law. Our clients now live in fear and still receive suspicious anonymous calls from the perpetrators victimizing them Contacted for comment UFIC spokesperson Pastor Prime Kufakunesu dismissed the allegations as unfounded. He said Makandiwa does not own any gold mine as being alleged. I am actually surprised to hear about this because in as far as I know Prophet Makandiwa does not own a gold mine, he said. Pastor Kufakunesu went on saying he was also surprised where these people were getting all those falsehoods from. The Herald could not independently ascertain the ownership of the mine at the going to print last night. Herald Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Top world labour unions yesterday came out guns blazing against President Emmerson Mnangagwas regime over the arrest of International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) general-secretary for Africa Kwasi Adu-Amankwah. Amankwah was picked up on Tuesday just after checking into a Harare hotel just after his arrival at the Robert Mugabe International Airport. Africas foremost trade union leader was set to meet with leaders of Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), president Peter Mutasa and secretary-general Japhet Moyo who are out on bail after being arrested for calling for the January national stay-away against a 150 percent hike in fuel prices. Mutasa and Moyo have both been granted $2 000 bail and are reporting three times a week to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Law and Order. They are facing charges of attempting to subvert a constitutionally-elected government. Adu-Amankwa, a veteran Ghanaian trade unionist, was freed late on Tuesday after being held incommunicado since his morning arrest, and denied access to a lawyer. He was held by the Department of Immigration at the airport and was later released after international pressure was brought to bear on Mnangagwa. South Africas main trade union federation, Cosatu part of an official, three-way governing alliance that also includes the African National Congress (ANC) and the Communist Party said the behaviour of the Zimbabwe government was the utmost violation of the freedom of association and infringes on the overall rights and trade union rights. Cosatu condemns in the strongest terms the detention of the ITUC-Africa general-secretary, Comrade Adu-Amankwah. We are not so surprised by this action of the security forces in Zimbabwe; we know too well it is in the DNA of the Zimbabwean regime to behave in this manner, Cosatu said in a damning statement yesterday. The problems of Zimbabwe will never be resolved with the approach of the current Zimbabwe regime. This will serve to only worsen the situation. This strengthens the case that Zimbabwe remains a country at risk and must be treated as such. This behaviour violates not only human and trade union rights but international labour standards and laws. Cosatu said Mnangagwa must stop interfering with trade unions as well as the persecution of trade union leaders and labelling of ZCTU a dissident organisation, and anyone associating with it an enemy of the regime. Kwasi must be allowed to finish his mission and we are all keen to hear the missions findings although it is clearer now. Sadc cannot be silent when obvious disregard for freedoms and rights are so blatantly clear. We challenge Sadc to intervene meaningfully with sustainable solutions in that country. Switzerland-based UNI Global Workers Union said the Zimbabwe government is not genuine about re-engagement. Labour is an important stakeholder and organ of civil society which always seeks to be part of the solution in difficult conditions. The arrest of the ITUC-Africa general-secretary brings into question how genuine the Zimbabwean government is about resolving the current impasse through dialogue. UNI Africa is calling upon the Zimbabwean government to do the right thing and to allow Kwasi to continue with his mission free from intimidation, the union said. The United States of America embassy in Harare wrote on its Twitter account that the arrest of civil society leaders further damage Zimbabwes image. Harassment and targeted arrests of civil society leaders damage Zimbabwes reputation & economic future. We call on the Zimbabwean government to uphold its Constitution, protect human rights, and foster an environment where all can contribute to the nations progress. The Federation of Somali Unions (FESTU) strongly condemned the arrest of the top trade unionist. FESTU deplores the forceful nature in which the government of Zimbabwe is responding to the legitimate work and demands of trade unions.We reiterate our unequivocal condemnation of the systemic abuse of power and repression against leaders and members of the trade union movement led by the Zimbabwe Congress of trade Unions (ZCTU), FESTU secretary-general Omar Faruk Osman said, adding the Zimbabwe government was declaring war against trade unions in Africa. DailyNews Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has described as malicious fake news the reports circulating on social media that a major fuel price hike is imminent. A message has been circulating on social media saying there will be major fuel price hikes to $5.50 and $5.15 for petrol and diesel respectively. Fake news, said the statement released jointly by the central bank and the information ministry. The social media article is aimed at causing panic buying of fuel and should be treated with the contempt it deserves. For starters the alleged meeting at the RBZ with fuel suppliers never took place, said the RBZ. The Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting weighed in: Most Fake News is not just a prank or messing about. There is a real damage to the economy and livelihoods. Real lives are affected when panic is injected into the market and distorts supply and demand. There is no fuel price hike on the way. Let us act and interact responsibly. In a televised address in early January, President Mnangagwa announced prices of petrol and diesel which were more than double to tackle a shortfall caused by increased demand and rampant illegal trading. Petrol prices were raised from $1.24 a litre to $3.31 (2.89 euros) and diesel from $1.36 a litre to $3.11. The presidents announcement came after fuel shortages which began in October last year worsened with motorists sometimes spending nights in fuel pump queues that stretch for kilometres. The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) then called for a three-day stay away from work and school, which became violent and saw about 17 people dead and property worth millions of dollars destroyed. ZOOMZimbabwe Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News The Zanu PF Womens League has condemned as regrettable utterances attributed to former President Cde Robert Mugabe attacking President Emmerson Mnangagwa for allegedly brutalising people saying the nonagenarian is out of touch with reality and must enjoy his pension and leave his predecessor to sort out the mess he left during his four decades of rule. The sentiments by the Womens League came during the first meeting for the national executive held at the onset of the year to map out programmes and projects to benefit women and the girl child. Cde Mugabe was responsible for destroying the country during his reign and also instilling fear and this has been reversed by President Mnangagwa in a short time and Cde Mugabe must be warned to let the country move on, said the Zanu PF Deputy Secretary for Womens Affairs Cde Angeline Masuku. The partys Womens League Secretary for Administration Cde Monica Mutsvangwa weighed in commending the leagues bosses for setting the record straight. Cde Marble Chinomona who is the Zanu PF Secretary for Womens Affairs concluded by encouraging the national executive members to encourage women in the grassroots to take up government sponsored programmes and projects to uplift themselves from the claws of poverty and to remain united. The Womens League executive also held closed door deliberations to set out their plan of action for the year which they will share with their support base countrywide. The meeting was also a platform for the Womens League top brass to keep the executive abreast of developments on the economic and political fronts in the country. ZBC Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Yves here. Those of you who know and love Door County (a peninsula in Wisconsin with Lake Michigan on one side and Green Bay on the other) may be offended at it being called a secondary tourist area. But it almost entirely a regional holiday destination, laid back, outdoorsy, with lots of hiking and biking trails, sailboating and canoeing, camping, three summer theaters (one which gave Harvey Korman of Blazing Saddles and Carol Burnett Show fame his start), some small and pleasant beaches, and Al Johnsons in Sister Bay, famed for goats on its roof. I visited Door County for the first time last summer and was struck by how middle class it seemed. Even more so than Maine (which depends heavily on tourism but also has fishing and higher education as important sectors, and still some manufacturing, from the famed Bath Iron Works to smaller operations, such as mattress and furniture makers), it was exceedingly tidy and twee. But I didnt see any borderline top 10% vendors, like Whole Foods or Ralph Lauren. Maybe I missed them, but their absence or scarcity made it seem particularly family friendly. Recall also that Door County (again arguably like Maine) hasnt been a prime target for retirement due to the winters. Dealing with snow is a nuisance, and runs the risk of falls and heart attacks, plus it requires a more extensive wardrobe and also shortens the life of cars (salt on the undercarriage). With that as background, consider this reader report. And remember: if retirees of modest means are having a hard time finding small houses to buy, how are less well situated older people and on the whole financially disadvantaged young people going to get on? By Jerry B Over the weekend my wife and I were talking to a real estate agent up in Door County Wisconsin. If you are not familiar with Door County it is a peninsula in upper Wisconsin with the literal Green Bay on one side and Lake Michigan on the other side. It is a very popular summer destination for families as they have a lot of campgrounds and cabins. The main city of Door County is Sturgeon Bay, WI. Sturgeon Bay has a large shipbuilding company that does mostly cargo ships. Sturgeon Bay also used to be the home of Palmer Johnson yachts/ships but Palmer Johnson was sold a couple of years ago. My wife and I at least once a year rent a cabin near Sturgeon Bay. One recent time up there when Palmer Johnson was still there, we were driving across the bay bridge and parked in the water was a beautiful ship. It was Palmer Johnsons DB9. If you have ever seen the movie Overboard it is that kind of ship and has a crew of 12. It listed for $60 million. It was waiting to go to the Mediterranean as a charter company bought it for its charter business. To charter the DB9 for one week is $100,000. Given its location between Green Bay and Lake Michigan you can imagine that Sturgeon Bay and Door County are heavy boating areas with a lot of yachts parked in the bay during spring and summer. When I was in high school I knew quite a few families that went up to Door County for vacation and camping. Due to the many campgrounds in Door County it was an inexpensive vacation for families. That is still very much the case today but as with the rest of society things are changing. When my wife and I were up in Door County last year while driving around we noticed a lot of new and expensive housing being built especially on the Lake Michigan side. My wife and I are looking at Door County as one place to live during our retirement. So we wanted to get a sense of the market for people on a limited budget. We had seen some areas that had small affordable houses. The real estate agent said the small affordable houses do not last long on the market. The agent also mentioned that like many areas around the country and the world, the vacation areas are becoming expensive as many people with money to burn are buying houses and property in these area. There are many pricey homes being built in Door County. The agent mentioned one home that is only 1400 square feet and it is listed for $250K. She also mentioned that builders are not building apartment complexes or affordable homes but are going after the higher end homes. Here comes the moral or lack of morals of my story. The real estate agent mentioned that she had one couple who cashed out some of their financial assets and bought a $500,000 house with all CASH. Like a lot of people I think we need a wealth tax or some means of leveling the scales. The MSM focuses too much on income inequality and not enough on wealth inequality. I think many people do not realize how much wealth there is in the US and the world so I wanted to give one example. IMO nobody should being buying or paying cash for a $500,000 when there is poverty and homelessness in the US. Nature has manufactured the perfect machines. Only the fastest, toughest, and most cunning creatures have endured. We examine how animals have evolved and how we can benefit from their evolution. Sundays from 8:30pm AEDT. The NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg will travel to Sofia on Friday, 1 March 2019. Mr. Stoltenberg will have meetings with the President of the Republic, Mr. Rumen Radev, the Prime Minister, Mr. Boyko Borissov and other representatives of the Government. Media Advisory Local timing 10:00 Secretary General joint press statements with the Prime Minister The press statements will be streamed live on the NATO website. Still and video images will be available on the website after the event. Professional-quality videos and b-roll will be available for download from www.natomultimedia.tv. Please register for access. Contact: content@natomultimedia.tv Follow us on Twitter (@NATOPress and @jensstoltenberg). Visiting Kosice on Thursday (28 February) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with President Andrej Kiska for an exchange of views on regional issues and thanked him for his countrys continued commitment to the Alliance. Mr Stoltenberg joined the meeting of the Bucharest-9 presidents. He stressed that this will be a year of celebrations for NATO, noting that the Alliance will celebrate its 70thanniversary. In addition, this year also marks the anniversary of twenty years since the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland became members of NATO, as well as fifteen years since Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovakia joined the NATO family. We have cause for celebration. But at the same time, we cannot afford to be complacent. The world is more complex and unpredictable than ever before, Mr Stoltenberg said. He stressed that the only way to deal with a more unpredictable world is to stay strong, stay united, and keep adapting." Together with the presidents from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia present at the event, he discussed NATO's continued adaptation to current security challenges and the need to ensure fair burden-sharing within the Alliance. He welcomed that all 9 countries are either spending 2 % of their GDP on defence, or have clear plans to achieve that goal in the next years. In Kosice, the NATO Secretary General also addressed students at a GLOBSEC event called "NATO Engages - the 2019 Kosice Dialogue," together with Slovakia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Miroslav Lajcak. NATO created conditions for unprecedented peace and prosperity for 70 years. NATO's aim is to preserve the peace and prevent conflict." In the 21st century, this means that NATO needs to maintain effective defence and deterrence and become more agile, more responsive, and even more effective. Robert Vass [President, GLOBSEC / Moderator]: Mr Secretary General, the floor is yours. Jens Stoltenberg [NATO Secretary General] Thank you so much. Thank you, Miroslav, and many thanks to GLOBSEC and to you Robert for hosting us here today. Its great to see you all. Its great to be here. And its actually great to be back in Kosice, because I was here briefly in July 1991. And thats many years ago, and so much has changed since then. Because that was just a bit more than a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union still existed. And this was not Slovakia, this was Czechoslovakia, and it was a very different Europe. Many things have changed. One thing that really has transformed Europe, and this part of Europe, is, of course, the enlargement of the European Union and the enlargement of NATO. And this year we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the foundation of NATO. But also the 15th anniversary of Slovakia joining NATO. And there are many reasons to celebrate and to be proud of that. But at the same time, it is extremely important to remember that we should not be complacent. We should not think that the fact that many things have moved in the right direction so far is a guarantee that we will continue to move in the right direction. It is a great achievement that NATO has been able to enlarge with new members. You are one of them. And you are then part of the most successful Alliance in history and NATO is the most successful Alliance in history for two reasons. One is that we have been able to be united, to stand together; and the other reason why NATO has been a successful Alliance, a military and political alliance, is that we have been able to change, to adapt when the world is changing. I will briefly reflect on those two main reasons why NATO has managed what we have managed all these years. And then we will have time for some questions and comments afterwards. First on the unity. NATO is an alliance based on the principle, one for all and all for one and as long as we stand together and as long as we also convey a clear message that if one Ally, one member is attacked, that is regarded as an attack on all Allies, then we are safe, then we are secure and we prevent conflict. Because we have to remember that the main reason for NATO, the main task for NATO, is to prevent war, is to prevent conflict, is to preserve the peace. And by sending that message to any potential adversary, that if one Ally is under attack, the whole Alliance will respond, then we are deterring any attack against any NATO Ally. I myself, I come from a small NATO Ally of five million Norwegians, up in the High North, bordering Russia. But we have always felt safe, because we know that we are part of this Alliance. And NATO has been key to preserve the peace in Europe for 70 years. It is hard to find any period in the history of Europe with such a long peace period. Its a unprecedented time of peace in this part of the world. And, therefore, I think it is important to remind people of the fact that war and conflict was the kind of normal situation in Europe for centuries. And after the end of the Second World War we were able to create institutions: the European Union, NATO, and other institutions, which have helped to preserve the peace since then. So, we are a defensive Alliance. Our aim is to preserve peace. But, as the old Romans said, If you want peace you have to plan for war, meaning that as long as we are strong, as long as we are together, we are able to preserve peace and avoid conflict. So, thats the main reason why NATO has been able to deliver what we have delivered for seven decades. The other main reason is our ability to change, to adapt when the world is changing. And for 40 years since NATO was established back in 1949, until the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, NATO did actually only one thing: and that was to deter the Soviet Union. That was the only thing we did. And we were able then to end the Cold War without one single shot being fired on European soil. And after the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, people started to ask whether we still needed NATO. And it was said by some experts that either NATO had to go out of business or out of area. And we then did something we hadnt done before. As we moved into the 1990s we started to go beyond NATO territory. We helped to end two wars in the Balkans, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia-Kosovo. We started to also address the global fight against terrorism with our mission in Afghanistan. And for approximately 25 years, the main focus of NATO was not to deter the Soviet Union, because it didnt exist anymore and Russia was actually becoming more and more a partner of NATO, but our focus was beyond NATO territory, beyond Europe, fighting terrorism, managing crises beyond our borders. Then after Crimea in 2014, the illegal annexation of Crimea, we had to turn back again and again focus on Europe, a more assertive Russia using force against the neighbour Ukraine, but at the same time, we need to continue to be part of the fight against terrorism. We saw the caliphate of ISIS, they controlled, you know, a territory in Syria and Iraq, equal to the size of the United Kingdom, 8 million people. So we then, since 2014 actually, the task of NATO has been both to fight terrorism, manage crises beyond our borders Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan but also to focus again on collective defence deterrence in Europe. We dont have the luxury of either fighting terrorism or focusing on collective defence in Europe, we have to do both things at the same time. And I am actually quite impressed by NATO, by the way we have been able to then again adapt - again, to respond to a changing and more unpredictable security environment. We are then now faced with another kind of security environment than in the first years after the end of the Cold War. We see Russia using force against neighbours as they have done in Ukraine. But what really is also of concern now is that Russia is violating a cornerstone arms control agreement, the INF Treaty. For decades the INF Treaty, which is a treaty not limiting, but actually banning, all intermediate-range weapons, has served us all well. It has helped to reduce tensions, to ban a whole category of weapons. Now Russia is again developing and fielding - or deploying these intermediate-range weapons in Europe. We continue to call on Russia to come back into compliance with this treaty. We dont want a new arms race. We dont want a new Cold War. We actually want dialogue with Russia, because Russia is our neighbour, Russia is here to stay. But at the same time we need to make sure that we continue to deliver credible deterrence and defence, also in a world without the INF Treaty and with more Russian missiles in Europe. This is just one example of how NATO has to respond to new security challenges. The fact that there are now more Russian missiles being deployed, nuclear-capable, that are able to reach targets in Europe. The last thing I will say to you before I sit down and answer questions is that I know that many people ask the question, Why . . . how can NATO continue, because you disagree on so many issues? And then my answer to that is that, yes, there are differences between NATO Allies. We see differences on trade issues, on climate change, on issues like, for instance, the Iran nuclear deal. We have seen internal discussions in NATO about burden-sharing, defence investments. But the lesson we have learned is that, despite these differences, NATO has always been able to overcome them and to unite and stand together, again, around our core task, to defend and protect each other. Because we know that we are stronger together than alone, and by preserving peace we create a foundation for stability. Stability is a precondition for economic prosperity and development. So therefore it is in our national interests to stand together, despite that we are different in some ways, we are joined by the common idea of that we protect each other and thereby preserving the peace. So thank you so much for being here today and then Im looking forward to answer your questions. Thank you. MODERATOR: Thank you very much, Jens, for your excellent remarks and for your leadership in steering NATO in very difficult times. Now we have around half an hour and I will be opening the debate, so you can ask questions, physically, so catch my eye, raise your hand, and I will try to distribute the questions. You can also use the online app Slidou, where you can post questions and I will be going back and forth here. But in the meantime, before I give you the floor, give you some time for thinking about the questions, let me use the opportunity that Im the Moderator and ask the first question. And that comes from President Donald Trump. He has several times said that NATO is obsolete, and he is pushing European Allies to invest more. You met several times with Donald Trump. You have met with Mike Pompeo and other US leaders and Donald Trump as well, what was your answer to him? JENS STOLTENBERG [NATO Secretary General]: He gave me, actually, the answer to that question at our first press conference, because I visited the White House, I think it was a couple of months after he became President in 2017 and then we had a joint press conference, President Trump and I. You can look it up on YouTube, or you can watch it yourself. He says at that press conference, in the press statement, that, I used to say that NATO is obsolete, but NATO is not [sic] longer obsolete. So he was very clear about that; he thought that NATO has been able to change and especially in two areas. We have stepped up our efforts in the fight against terrorism, NATO Allies and NATO are a member of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. And we have made, all of us together, have made enormous progress in defeating ISIS. This is extremely important for our security, for all of us, and NATO has been part of that. The other reason why the President recognises the progress we have made is, of course, that he sees that NATO Allies - European NATO Allies and Canada - are now investing more. We all have to agree that we need fairer burden-sharing. When we stand together, protect each other, then we have to all carry our part of the burden. And the reality is that the GDP, the national income of the United States is almost exactly as big as the GDP of all European NATO Allies and Canada together. So in theory we should pay approximately the same. But, but the United States has defence expenditure which are more than twice as big as the total defence expenditure of all other NATO Allies and Canada. So, therefore, NATO Allies agreed in 2014 that we need to do something with that. We cannot continue with such an imbalanced burden-sharing and the good news is that over the last years we have seen a significant increase in defence spending from European Allies and Canada. Just since 2016, and by the end of next year 2020, they will have added hundred, one hundred billion extra US dollars for their defence spending. So thats also a reason why President Trump is now clear about that NATO is not [sic] longer obsolete. NATO is important. NATOs important for Europe, but its also extremely important for the United States. So we just have to continue to make sure that we have a fairer burden-sharing in the Alliance. MODERATOR: Thank you very much. Do you want to react on this? MIROSLAV LAJCAK [Slovakian Minister of Foreign Affairs]: I can add, well, I met with Secretary Pompeo twice, and in both meetings he expressed very strong support and obviously understanding of the role and importance of NATO. In my meeting with President Trump, he did not raise the NATO as an issue, as a problem, but the fact is, as Secretary General just referred to, that it was difficult and it has been difficult to explain to President Trump why the United States should pay for, like, 75 percent of the overall budget of NATO. And the fact is that this has been a voluntary commitment, unwritten rule, that the Allies, the members of NATO should contribute, like, 2 percent of their GDP to investing in defence. And we have never done that before and we were not the only ones. And therefore this issue was, was put on the agenda of a NATO summit in Wales, so long before the arrival of Donald Trump in 2014 and President Obama said that this is no longer serious, that actually the defence spending is declining rather than increasing. Slovakia for all these years was investing around 1 percent of our GDP to NATO. But its like free ride. So you want to be part of the collective defence, but you dont want to . . . to do your share. Thats not fair. I mean if you order a taxi, you pay your bill, so . . . President Trump used his style and his language to remind us all of our commitments, and at the same time its not President Trump or the United States ordering us to do it this is the commitment we were . . . we were well aware of and we have accepted voluntarily, 15 years ago. And Im glad that we are now doing what we were supposed to do. So in 2014 our defence spending was 1.1 percent [of] GDP, this year its 1.73, and as I said, we adopted a commitment, or made a commitment to reach 2 percent by 2024. But we are going to do it two years ahead of the time 2022, Slovakia will reach the 2 percent of defence spending and I really believe that its only fair. MODERATOR: Excellent, thank you very much. So I would like to open the floor for your questions. Its always very difficult to be the first ice-breaker, in the meantime . . . MIROSLAV LAJCAK: I have to say, its only in Slovakia . . . MODERATOR: [laughs] MIROSLAV LAJCAK: Im attending many discussions like these in many countries all over the world and people are eagerly waiting for their chance to ask questions. And there are so many hands raised already. But in Slovakia we are so shy. No one wants to be first, no wants to be . . . no one wants to be special. So go ahead, dont be shy! MODERATOR: Ah, there is the first. But I have to tell you that I have plenty of questions already on Slidou, so there are a lot of questions in the meantime, I see already, so, so now youve provoked the two hands. Please, on this side, on the left side. QUESTION: But Im happy to pass the question to somebody from the . . . from the audience because Im not . . . Im not important here, so I was just wanting to break the ice, so go ahead. MODERATOR: You are a great journalist. Okay. QUESTION: So I have rather a philosophical . . . philosophical question for Mr Secretary General. JENS STOLTENBERG: Could you please stand up so we can see you. QUESTION: So, Mr Secretary General. Democracy, freedom and the sanctity of the individual are core Western values and the foundation of our societies. Do you believe they are also universal? Thank you. JENS STOLTENBERG: Thank you very much. Yes, I believe those values are universal values and theyre also core values for NATO. Its actually in our founding treaty that NATO is based on democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law. So, yes. MODERATOR: Okay. I . . . let me, let me pose you the question that came from from Mikhail at Slidou: in light of recent developments in Syria, and the US back and forth on troops withdrawals, how much of a threat does NATO perceive ISIS to remain in the future, Mr Secretary General? JENS STOLTENBERG: So ISIS have lost control over the territory they controlled just a few years ago. And as I said, a territory that was big, the same size as United Kingdom, eight million people and they were actually able to threaten Baghdad. So, if NATO Allies, the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh or ISIS, and NATO, if we hadnt acted, then we would have seen a very, very dangerous and difficult situation in the whole region, Iraq and Syria. Because of our military efforts, we have been able to degrade and make sure that they dont control territory. That doesnt mean that ISIS is not [sic] longer a threat, because they are going underground, they are responsible for terrorist attacks, they are trying to operate in other ways, both in Syria and Iraq, but also other places in the world. They have different, you know, organisations and cells and so on in other countries. For instance, in Afghanistan, we see ISIS there, ISIS Khorasan. We have seen them in Africa and so on. So this fight is a generational fight. It is not over, but we have achieved something which is very important: we have deprived them from the territory they controlled. And also the income they had from that territory. NATO is not on the ground in Syria, some NATO Allies are. We are focusing on the fight against terrorism in different ways. But I think one of the main lessons we have learned from Iraq, from Afghanistan and elsewhere is that sometimes NATO has to be able to deploy a big number of combat troops in big combat operations. But in the long run, its better if we are able to train local forces to stabilise their own country. And, therefore, we are now more and more focused on how can we help the Afghans to stabilise their own country. How can we help the Iraqis to stabilise their own country and fight terrorism themselves. Because we will always be foreigners, we will always be foreign troops in a foreign country. Sometimes we need to do that, but in the long run its much better if you can train local forces. Thats the reason why our mission in Afghanistan, now its not [sic] longer a combat mission, but a train, assist and advise mission to train Afghans, to stabilise their own country. And thats the reason why we are now actually in the process of building up a new training mission in Iraq, to help them train and develop local capacity to fight Daesh or ISIS themselves. So that battle is not over, but we have achieved something that was very important: we have taken away the territory from Daesh that they controlled until recently. MODERATOR: Thank you very much. Unless I see some, some hands here, let me go to Slidou, to the second question I see here. And let me pose this to you, Mr Minister. There is a question: how do you perceive the rise of pro-Russian sentiments in the CEE region, is that a real threat? MIROSLAV LAJCAK: Well, there is a real threat, not in a security sense or military sense, but in a sense of confusion. There is an alternative truth to everything. And it is growing. It is more and more present here. People are confused so therefore its so important to communicate and to be transparent in our actions and to be able to explain what we do and how we do it. And yes, we are partly responsible for that. I mean, I never start by blaming the other party. We should start from ourselves and the fact that our communication has become too complicated, too technical for people to understand. And its particularly the case for the European Union, so people lost the feeling that the EU, the institutions are there to deal with their problems, to protect them. It looked like the institutions locked themselves into their own world, using very complicated language and addressing issues that people would not feel as their problems. So that was immediately used and cleverly used. So therefore we need communication. We need clarity, we need credibility and we need transparency. MODERATOR: Thank you. This is also connected to the spread of misinformation and also that is causing, in many times, erosion of trust in Western institutions. Because the goal of misinformation is not to win the argument, but to decrease the trust in the system. How is NATO dealing with it? Is it a threat that we can lose trust of the people from inside? JENS STOLTENBERG: The purpose of disinformation is, of course, to undermine trust in our democratic institutions and we have seen examples of efforts to meddle in the democratic processes in several NATO Allied countries with different means, with cyber, with disinformation, with using social media. And we are very much aware of that. NATO helps to counter that in different ways, partly by, you know, countering disinformation when we see it online, on paper, in the air, in different media platforms. And we strongly believe that the answer to propaganda is not . . . or disinformation, is not more propaganda or more disinformation. But the answer to propaganda, from NATOs side, is facts. Its the truth. Because we are confident that in the long run the truth will prevail. Then we also strongly believe that this is not only a responsibility for NATO. We work together with the European Union and, of course, at the end of the day, its very much also a responsibility for each and every member state. Of course, NATO can help Slovakia to address disinformation in Slovakia, but the best people to address disinformation in Slovakia are people in Slovakia, Slovaks themselves. We can help, we can assist, we can share experiences, we can learn from each other. But at the end of the day this is something you have to deal with here. The last thing I would say about this is that, I think the best way to deal with disinformation, propaganda, misuse of social media, is to have a free, independent press. To have journalists that ask the difficult questions. Journalists and media which are able to check their sources, because then, in the long run, this will be exposed to as what it is: attempts to meddle, attempt to mislead. So we need open, transparent discussions. We need free and independent media. In that kind of society disinformation will never survive. MIROSLAV LAJCAK: If I may? MODERATOR: Please. MIROSLAV LAJCAK: Because I feel very strongly about this, because, unfortunately, we hear voices in Slovakia questioning NATO and the European Union and our membership in that. So my suggestion to you is every time someone approaches you with this criticism, ask them, Whats the alternative? Tell me what is the better alternative. With NATO, we have guarantees of security and peace. With the European Union, we have guarantees of prosperity and protection of our human rights. And, there is . . . if someone says, We . . . well, we dont need NATO because we are se . . . secure. Isnt it the other way around? We are secure, because we are members of NATO? If people say, Why arent we neutral? My question is: who would guarantee our neutrality? Why? What for? So we, country like Slovakia, with our size, population and geographical location, can only be strong when we are part of a wider environment, which is based on principles of values. And there is no other alternative, no better alternative. I mean, there are other alternatives, but they are bad alternatives. There is no better alternative for this country than to be a trustworthy and credible member of the European Union and NATO. MODERATOR: Thank you very much. This is a very strong message. So in the meantime, just catch my eye or just raise your hands as we go in the discussion. But there is another question that I very much like, because both of you have mentioned the 2 percent. And it has become a buzzword from the US President, but also in Europe. This is a never-ending story. You said, Mr Secretary General that money matters, but what we do with that money is even more important. And there might be a gap between US and Europe on the level of spending, but also how we spend the money. Do we spend the money in Europe efficiently enough? Or what should we do better? JENS STOLTENBERG: Well first, I think you have to remember that the 2 percent, the guideline or the goal which has been established by NATO, to spend 2 percent of Gross Domestic Product on defence, is not something which is invented by the United States. Its something which is agreed by 29 Allies. And we reiterated that pledge at the summit where all NATO leaders were together, as late as at our summit in Brussels in July last year. And I have been a politician in Norway for many years and I understand very well that most politicians, or, actually, all politicians, they prefer to spend money on something else than defence. They would like to spend money on education, on health, on infrastructure, instead of spending money on defence. And, therefore, also, all European Allies they reduced defence spending after the end of the Cold War, in the 1990s and the beginning of 2000. Defence spending was going down in Norway, my own country, in Slovakia and most other countries because we felt more safe, we saw tensions were going down and then we spent more money on health and education instead of defence. But my message is that when we reduce defence spending when tensions are going down, we have to be able to increase defence spending when tensions are going up, as they are now; to make sure that we still deliver credible deterrence to preserve the peace. Then, last thing I will say, because now obviously there are some questions, is that I think that one of the challenges in Europe is that we have a very fragmented way of spending money. In United States they have one main battle tank. And, of course, then they have the economy of scale: the cost of producing one, if you have a large number is smaller than if you have a smaller number of units you produce. Maintenance, training and so on also becomes much cheaper. In Europe there are seven different types of main battle tanks. So, its a much more fragmentation. This is the case for all different weapon platforms. So, the cost of maintaining the European defence is much higher than the United States. So that actually adds to the imbalance when it comes burden-sharing. MODERATOR: Thank you very much. And I see a question at the back on the left side. And then another question here in the front. QUESTION: Thank you very much, Mr General Secretary, I would like to ask a question regarding the Enhanced Forward Presence units of NATO in the Baltic States, as the Slovak troops are also part of this mission. How well do you think are the units of these . . . of this mission prepared in case of Russia decides to undertake some military action against Baltic countries? And also that leads to the second part of my question: if it has more of a practical value, or it is a political statement to let the Russians know that we are here and we are prepared to undertake any . . . we are ready to use any means necessary in order to secure the security of those Baltic States? Thank you very much. JENS STOLTENBERG: What you refer to, just to explain to those who dont know the details is that NATO has deployed four battlegroups, four battalions in the three Baltic States and Poland. We did that in 2016, I think it was, and before that we didnt have any combat-ready presence in the Eastern part of the Alliance. This is very important, because we have to make sure that nothing like what we have seen in Georgia, where Russia used force against Georgia in 2008, or like we have seen, for instance, in Crimea or Donbass, can happen to any NATO Ally. And to just make sure that there is no doubt about that, we have deployed these four battlegroups, roughly a thousand in each of them, a bit more, so the total is close to five thousand soldiers. We have deployed these battlegroups and also have some presence in Romania and the Black Sea region. These battlegroups are combat-ready. They are extremely important because they send a clear message that any kind of aggression against one of these countries will trigger a whole response from the whole Alliance, because the whole Alliance is already there. Theres no way, anyway, you can do something . . . to be responsible for aggression against Latvia or Lithuania without meeting NATO because we are, NATO is already there. Then, of course, I agree that a thousand soldiers is not that much. Well, theyre well-trained, well-equipped, but second, they represent the whole Alliance. And we have the battlegroups, we have, of course, the national forces of the different Baltic countries, and then we have the ability to reinforce. And the way NATO functions is that if we see a need, we will reinforce quickly to make sure that we can defend any Ally. But again, the message is that we want to prevent the conflict and the best way to prevent a conflict is to avoid any misunderstanding, any power vacuum. As long as there is no reason for miscalculations, then there will be no war, no conflict and we can still live in peace. MIROSLAV LAJCAK: I would add one sentence which is important also for Slovak public: that NATO is present in the Baltic States because they requested the presence. So its not that NATO enforced itself upon those countries, because Im now being currently accused by some people of negotiating behind the back of our Republic, a creation of a NATO base in . . . or a US base in Slovakia. Its not true. We are not negotiating. We are not preparing to set up any base and there will be no base unless we ask for it. NATO . . . we are partners in NATO, so NATO does not make decision without consulting with us. So this is very important to understand. MODERATOR: And maybe I would just add that, that as we are members of NATO, all our troops are NATO troops, and all our bases are NATO bases. Our bases are NATO bases as . . . everyone else. So . . . but Ive seen a question here at, in the front. QUESTION: Im from Bratislava. Thank you very much for coming here. I have a question about the topic that was briefly mentioned already today, but could you please elaborate a little bit more about the role of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence for security? Is it something that doesnt let you sleep at night, or not yet, particularly knowing that countries like China or Russia dont have any problems striving to integrate it into the security domain? And maybe Minister Lajcak, in the similar vein, could you please help us understand, because were very worried that, for example, Americans are much more advanced than us Europeans in this area, and were just concerned that we are going to become not able . . . we, we will not be able to work together, what a country, a small country like Slovakia, can do to stay relevant? Thank you. MODERATOR: Thank you very much for the very excellent question on artificial intelligence. JENS STOLTENBERG: Historically, NATO has always been in the lead when it comes to technology. We have always had a technological edge, meaning that the most advanced technologies, the most advanced weapon systems, have always been developed by NATO and NATO Allies, and, of course, the United States has been key, because of their size. Now we see that we are challenged, for instance by China, when it comes to the use of artificial intelligence. For me, that requires two sets of responses. One is that we also are investing in technology, artificial intelligence for instance. Thats one of the reasons why we believe it is important to also increase defence spending, because this is not only about increasing more, spending more, but also about making sure that 20 percent of the defence budget is used for investments and research and technology, because we need research and development, because we need new technologies. And there is enormous potential when it comes to, for instance, artificial intelligence, big data and many other kinds of technologies. So we need to maintain the technological edge. The other challenge is to try to develop mechanisms to avoid an arms race with these new technologies. Thats not so easy. But we were able to develop, you know, even during the coldest period of the Cold War. At least in the 60s and the 70s, the two superpowers the Soviet Union and United States, the Warsaw Pact and NATO were able to agree on ways to limit the number of nuclear weapons and actually gradually start to reduce the number of nuclear weapons, which were the most advanced weapons at that time. And that was a great achievement, partly because we then prevented a very, very costly arms race to become even more costly, and partly because when you reduce the number of nuclear weapons, we reduce the risk of any nuclear weapons being used. Now we need to look into how can we develop systems, agreements, regimes which are controlling these new technologies, to try to limit or reduce the potential for a new arms race. Im saying we dont have all the answers to this now, but at least we need to discuss, look into it, because its a totally different world where we use that kind of technologies as part of our new weapons systems. QUESTION: Thank you very much, Mr Minister. MIROSLAV LAJCAK: The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Gutierrez, says there are three most important global challenges of today, and . . . that will shape our future. First one is climate change and our ability to deal with it. The second one is massive movement of people and our ability to manage it. And the third one is what is called Digital Revolution or, or utilisation of new technologies, artificial intelligence. And this will decide who will be the winner and the loser of the 21st Century. And you are absolutely right. The Americans are way more advanced than we Europeans, and Slovakia as part of the European Union. There is no chance for us to compete on our own. So its like the hard defence - we have to be part of the wider endeavour, a wider effort. And we have to contribute our fair share to this effort. Europe is competitive. What we need and the Secretary General spoke about it, referring to the defence, to the hard defence, but it also goes when it comes to science, technology, research. We are too fragmented. So we have the Germans, we have the French, we have the others. We need to join forces and to . . . to do more European research and European projects, for which Slovakia has to be part of it. We must not let the train leave the station without us. And then we can benefit from, from the, from the results, from the outcomes. And its really important that everybody understands that these are the issues that will define our future. MODERATOR: Thank you very much. There are plenty of questions here, but Id prefer if there are hands in the room. So I see a question at the back of the room. QUESTION: Dear Mr Secretary General, my name is Sergei, Im from Russia, Moscow. Im studying here in Slovakia. First of all, Im very pleased to be here and thank you for this opportunity. My question is: as you mentioned before, that Russia is waging war in Ukraine, but the only evidence of this is Mr Poroshenkos, Ukrainian President, show at United Nation Congress, where he showed Russian passports of Russian troops, but we all understand its . . . we cant take it as an evidence. And the second part of my question is: if NATO has all the army and resources to stop war in Ukraine, why cant NATO come to Ukraine and help Ukrainian troops to stop this war, because they are fighting like the regular separatists from Donbass? Thank you. JENS STOLTENBERG: First, I think we have to remember that we have many, many different treaties which Russia, NATO Allies have signed onto, which guarantee the international recognised borders of every nation in Europe, but especially Ukraine. We have, for instance, the Budapest Agreement. I think it was back in 1994, where it explicitly recognised Ukraine within its international recognised borders, which includes Crimea. Now Crimea is annexed by Russia. So, there is no doubt that Russia has used aggression against Crimea. We saw what was then called Little Green Men, but that was actually Russian soldiers, special operations soldiers and later on Crimea was annexed by Russia violating the international recognised borders of an independent country. Its not only Petro Poroshenko, President Petro Poroshenko, but we have from open media sources, we have from intelligence, we have from many different sources that Russia is present and supporting the separatists in Donbass in eastern Ukraine. So, theres no doubt about that. And at least what they could help us to do was to control the border between Russia and eastern Ukraine. They dont want to help us to do that. And I think one of the reasons is that they then will not be able to operate as freely as they do between Russia and eastern Ukraine. NATO . . . then I didnt follow, I didnt fully understand the last part of your question, but we are working for a peaceful solution. We want the full implementation of the Minsk Agreements: ceasefire, withdrawal of heavy weapons, and also allow the international monitors, representing an organisation called OSCE, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, to allow them to operate freely and safely in eastern Ukraine, or Donbass. This is the only way to a peaceful solution, and NATO strongly supports those efforts. We also help and support Ukraine with some capacity-building, with some help with cyber, with logistics, with the command structure. But, the main message is that we need a peaceful, negotiated solution to the conflict in Ukraine. MODERATOR: Let me just add, because there is a question here: is it possible for Ukraine to join NATO? And if, when? JENS STOLTENBERG: The main message there is that it is for the 29 Allies and the applicant country to decide if and when to join. No-one else has a say. Because very often I hear that, you know, if Ukraine joins or if North Macedonia joins, or if Georgia joins thats a provocation against Russia, its an aggressive action against Russia. Just that concept is totally wrong. Because I strongly believe that every nation has the right to decide its own path. And NATO totally respects that, regardless of whether they work for membership of NATO or they say, we are neutral. We have, for instance, Sweden and Finland, close partners, or Austria, close partners of NATO. They have decided to be neutral. We respect that, a hundred and ten percent. No problem. If they want to be neutral, be neutral. But, you also respect when nations, through democratic processes, decide that they want to join NATO. Like, for instance, Montenegro did recently, or North Macedonia now are in the process of doing. Then we respect that decision. Its not a provocation against a neighbour. The whole idea that this is a provocation against a neighbour is that big states, big nations, big powers have the right to decide what small neighbours do. Thats very dangerous and especially, again, coming from not a very big country like Slovakia, or not a very big country like Norway. If we start to just talk and respect the idea of sphere of influence, that big powers can decide what small neighbours do, then we are in a very, very dangerous world. That is the world we tried to leave behind. And, again, speaking on behalf of the country Im coming from, Norway joined NATO in 1949, Joseph Stalin was very much against that. He didnt like that. But Im very glad that the United States, United Kingdom and the other NATO Allies in 49 said, Norway is a small country. They want to join. Welcome. Despite the fact that Joseph Stalin didnt like it. So, the answer is that . . . well, these countries will join, when the 29 Allies, the members of today, and that country decide on that, and no-one else has the right to interfere. MIROSLAV LAJCAK: And I would add one sentence. You mentioned the spheres of influence, and we know something about it, because 50 years ago, 1968 when Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia, the West didnt care. Why? Because it all happened within the Soviet sphere of influence. So it was like, They can do whatever they want, as long as it is within their sphere of influence. I am profoundly against spheres of influence, because that means that the big ones decide about the fate of the small ones. We will never be the big country. So what we need is a system which is based on rules, and the rules must be respected by everyone. Otherwise we will always be . . . I mean, not free. And our, our fate our, our future will be decided by . . . by others. So thats why we really have to insist on a system which is based on international law and on rules that apply universally. MODERATOR: Thank you very much for both of you. There are a lot of questions on . . . on cybersecurity, India-Pakistan conflict, Kosovo and many others that we received in the meantime. We are unable to answer them, because we are out of time. I see another hand here. We are very sorry, unless you say that we can take one more question? JENS STOLTENBERG: We can take him. MODERATOR: Okay. JENS STOLTENBERG: It has to be an easy question now! QUESTION: Sure. And I have a question regarding China. [inaudible] from everywhere, we can hear the Chinese companies are trying to buy out European and North American companies. In your opinion, Secretary General, can it lead to a security breach, and if so does NATO have a plan to prevent these breaches? JENS STOLTENBERG: No, I think that we see a great potential for cooperation with China. China is a rising power, a strong economy. And there is a potential to work with China in many different areas. At the same time we see some challenges. For instance, when it comes to critical infrastructure. I think the reality is that we now have to analyse how to deal with that. NATO Allies are, for instance, addressing the issue related to 5G networks and Huawei. They are not concluded, but in one way or another, NATO Allies need to address that challenge. So, I dont have the final answer, but we are very much aware of both the potential for working with China, but also some of the challenges related to, for instance, on critical infrastructure and advanced technologies. MODERATOR: Thank you very much. Thank you for the last question. Thank you for all of you who joined our debate today and for both, you Jens and Miroslav for joining us here in Kosice. I wish you safe travel home, or back to Brussels and to Bratislava, and thank you for your great leadership in NATO and in Slovakia, because leaders like you are making us more secure and we can sleep a little bit better in this very dangerous world. Thank you very much. (Natural News) Earlier this week James OKeefes Project Veritas released a report proving what most of us who work in conservative media have known for months now: Left-wing speech Nazis at Facebook are purposely censoring and downgrading our content for political reasons. According to a lengthy report published by the group online, a former high-level Facebook employee-turned-whistleblower and provided damning evidence in the form of documents that show how the social media behemoth, through its technology and algorithms, purposely limits exposure of written and video content posted by conservative figures and news organizations. Project Veritas began its report this way: Project Veritas has obtained and published documents and presentation materials from a former Facebook insider. This information describes how Facebook engineers plan and go about policing political speech. Screenshots from a Facebook workstation show the specific technical actions taken against political figures, as well as [e]xisting strategies taken to combat political speech. Project Veritas founder James OKeefe said that to expose dishonesty and censorship in big tech companies, he will be relying upon more insiders, informants and leakers in the future: Our future depends on those who are willing to give up everything for what they believe. The information provided by the former insider describes how Facebook engineers plan and go about policing political speech, Project Veritas said in a press release. Screenshots from a Facebook workstation show the specific technical sections taken against political figures, as well as [e]xisting strategies taken to combat political speech. Some of the strategies include suspending or deleting bad accounts, deleting bad content, and demoting bad content. The so-called special features of censorship are triggered at various times including leading up to important elections, according to documents the undercover journalism group obtained. (Related: Heres how DEMS plan to shut out all conservative voices from social media like the Nazis burned books.) Project Veritas noted further: According to the insider, the documents revealed a routine suppression of the distribution of conservative Facebook pages. The technical action she repeatedly saw, and for which Project Veritas was provided documentation, was labeled ActionDeboostLiveDistribution. Said the insider, I would see [this term] appear on several different conservative pages. I first noticed it with an account that I cant remember, but I remember once I started looking at it, I also saw it on Mike Cernovichs page, saw it on Steven Crowders page, as well as the Daily Callers page. Class-action lawsuits are the only way to stop the abuse The whistleblower provided documents providing details about algorithms and other technologies that Facebook employs to downgrade conservative content and censor conservative figures. All in all, the evidence is a treasure trove of proof that could very easily be used in a class-action lawsuit against the social media behemoth. One group is committed to battling exactly this kind of blatantly political and legally questionable censorship: Online Civil Rights. In a Statement of Online Universal Civil Rights, the group notes that freedom of speech is vital to the maintenance of a free society and that everyone has the right to exist online if they so choose. In addition, the group says, people should be free to participate in online speech again, if they choose to do so, but of course, they cant participate if the content they wish to engage is being censored and thus denying people access to it. Also, OCR notes, there should be freedom of online commerce as well. The targeting of independent media journalists, bloggers, publishers or websites for advertising blacklisting or other forms of economic sabotage is torturous interference in their right to engage in commerce, says the group. The censorship by Facebook and, according to independent studies other social media giants too, not only violates users trust but it also could be a violation of antitrust laws, especially if conservative media sites have purchased advertising or marketed their page to Facebook audiences to boost their likes. In fact, one antitrust suit was filed last fall against Google, Twitter, Facebook, and Apple over censorship of conservatives. After Project Veritas findings, its time for a new one to be filed. Read more about how social media censorship is a major violation of the First Amendment at FirstAmendment.news. Sources include: ProjectVeritas.com WesternJournal.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) We can now be warned in advance when a potentially deadly virus makes the transition from its usual animal carriers to its new human victims, thanks to a model developed by American researchers. The model predicts which of these zoonotic pathogens could eventually evolve into a form that can spread from human to human. Zoonotic diseases (zoonoses for short) start out in one species before transferring to a different, often unrelated species. Ebola, HIV, and influenza are some of the most well-known examples of zoonoses that target humans. Researchers at the University of Georgia (UGA) identified a number of animal viruses that are probably going to make the jump to humans as well. They urged public health officials and workers to keep an eye out for these potential problems, especially if they are preventable. Furthermore, they pushed for new studies targeted at these viruses. By understanding the nature of a pathogen before it turns into a full-fledged zoonose, virologists could possibly find ways to stop a virus from turning into the next regional epidemic. (Related: How to stay ahead of the Ebola virus.) Beware of viruses with these three deadly features UGA professor John Drake noted that the pathogens responsible for most newly-identified human diseases came from animals. He theorized that there must be something causing these viruses to leave their carriers and move to humans. To figure out the possible root of these transitions, his team gathered a lot of data on viruses that targeted humans. They also compiled the biological traits of those disease-causing agents and determined which characteristics were the most common among the pathogens. We were looking to identify the features of viruses that are associated with transmissibility between humans, said Drakes subordinate Joseph Walker, who served as the primary author of the study. Drake and Walker found a number of traits that often appeared in the viruses that caused human diseases. Three of the most recurring characteristics are as follows: The virus is able to infect apes, monkeys, and primates aside from humans. It does not have a layer of lipids enveloping its body. When it appears in humans, it can be found in the central nervous system, liver, or respiratory system. These features are shared by 84 percent of the viruses that can spread between humans. A virus with these traits can survive in various environments. Furthermore, it can evolve. These seven animal viruses are the likeliest to infect humans in the future From there, the UGA researchers investigated animal viruses that are currently non-transmittable to humans. They compared the traits of these microorganisms with the most common features of human disease-causing viruses. They identified 47 potential zoonoses that could one day threaten humans. The top seven are listed below: Carnivore amdoparvovirus 1, which is found in mustelids, skunk, and raccoons; Hendra virus, borne by large fruit bats and capable of spreading to horses; Cardiovirus A, found in many mammals but especially prevalent in pigs; Rosavirus A, spread by rats through their feces; Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus-3 and -4, currently restricted to primates; and Simian Foamy virus, which is also seen in primates. The researchers restricted themselves to the species level of a virus. They did not cover the sub-types of the pathogen, which could be more or less prone to infecting humans. Furthermore, they noted that the model failed to include several viruses that are known to infect humans. These exceptions are found in five huge families of viruses. Public health workers could use our model as a tool to prioritize disease surveillance and inform their response to emerging pathogens, suggested Walkers co-author Barbara Han of the Cary Institute. Our data-driven framework was 84 percent accurate in identifying virus species with potential for human-to-human transmission. Sources include: Newswise.com Journals.PLOS.org (Natural News) The political Left in America today now openly advocates the murder of living human babies, even after theyre born. This is part of the new abortion legislation that has been passed and signed into law in both New York and Vermont and the entire idea of killing human babies in the name of womens rights is spreading to more states, much to the applause of Democrats who cheer the new right to kill babies with your bare hands. One abortionist recently told a former patient they would, break the babys neck if it survived an abortion attempt, reports LifeSiteNews: The woman said she asked the two abortionists, If you guys were to take him out right now while hes still, his heart rate is still, you know, going, what would you guys do? She said one of the abortionists looked at the other one, then looked back at her, and she told me that we dont tell women this, and a lot of women dont even ask this question, but if we was to proceed with the abortion and the baby was to come out still alive and active, most likely we would break the babys neck. The very same people who are gleeful about breaking the raw necks of newborn human babies in the name of womens health also claim they care about all your other children that you didnt, for some reason, decide to murder immediately after birth. In fact, according to Democrats, they are so concerned about the health of your children that they demand to come to your private home with a team of armed vaccine enforcers and violate your childs body with a dangerous, toxic medical intervention that is documented by the U.S. government itself to harm, maim and kill over a thousand U.S. children every year. (Source: VAERS data, HHS) As reported by Natural News in an article entitled Vaccine Industry to partner with police, come after home school students in Iowa for mandated quarterly health and wellness checks : Iowa State Representative Mary Mascher has proposed a piece of legislation that would target them in their homes, to enforce compliance. Iowas HF 272 would require home school families to submit proof of their childs vaccination record to the state, while requiring the families to submit to quarterly health and wellness safety checks, which may be conducted by officials from the Health and Human Services Department and accompanied by local law enforcement. If the parent does not consent, then the district can obtain probable cause from the juvenile court to forcefully enter the home and conduct the observation and the interview. The superintendent of the school district shall designate a person to carry out the duties. This person is designated as the mandatory reporter. Most sickening, the school district may collaborate with the department of human services and local, county and service area officers to enter the home and conduct the checkup. This means the vaccine industry is about to recruit gun-toting police to enforce mandatory medical interventions against people who are rationally refusing to give consent to the procedure. There are a huge number of rational reasons to say no to vaccines, including the fact that many vaccine insert sheets openly admit they cause atrocious reactions which may include seizures, comas and even death in certain cases. Read the language in the following photo of the FLULAVAL vaccine insert sheet. It says: FLULAVAL is a vaccine indicated for active immunization against influenza disease but doesnt ever claim the vaccine actually works. In the very next bullet point, the vaccine insert admits: there have been no controlled trials adequately demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with FLULAVAL. In other words, GlaxoSmithKline confirms there is no evidence to back this flu shot. Theres even more. If you keep reading the FLULAVAL insert, it says in black and white text, Safety and effectiveness of FLULAVAL in pediatric patients have not been established. The same insert also says, FLULAVAL has not been evaluated for carcinogenic or mutagenic potential, or for impairment of fertility. As you can also see, this same insert also explains that when youre being injected with a flu shot, youre also being injected with mercury, formaldehyde and other toxic ingredients: Thimerosal, a mercury derivative, is added as a preservative. Each dose contains 50 mcg thimerosal. Each dose may also contain residual amounts of ovalbumin, formaldehyde, and sodium deoxycholate from the manufacturing process. Just some of the adverse effects experienced after flu shot vaccines include: Eye pain and chest pain Arthritis Dizziness, tremors and losing consciousness (syncope) Convulsions and seizures Gullain-Barre Syndrome Cranial nerve paralysis or limb paralysis Swelling of the brain Partial facial paralysis and much more. See the text yourself: Heres a more complete list of some of the adverse effects typically listed on flu shot vaccine insert sheets: Blood and Lymphatic System Disorders: Lymphadenopathy. Eye Disorders: Eye pain, photophobia. Gastrointestinal Disorders: Dysphagia. General Disorders and Administration Site Conditions: Chest pain, injection site inflammation, asthenia, injection site rash, abnormal gait, injection site bruising, injection site sterile abscess. Immune System Disorders: Allergic reactions including anaphylaxis, angioedema. Infections and Infestations: Rhinitis, laryngitis, cellulitis. Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue Disorders: Muscle weakness, arthritis. Nervous System Disorders: Dizziness, paresthesia, hypoesthesia, hypokinesia, tremor, somnolence, syncope, Guillain-Barre syndrome, convulsions/seizures, facial or cranial nerve paralysis, encephalopathy, limb paralysis. Psychiatric Disorders: Insomnia. Respiratory, Thoracic, and Mediastinal Disorders: Dyspnea, dysphonia, bronchospasm, throat tightness. Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders: Urticaria, pruritus, sweating. Vascular Disorders: Flushing, pallor. Knowing all this, imagine a local vaccine enforcer holding down a screaming child by force, jabbing it with an autism-causing toxic brew of aluminum, mercury, formaldehyde and squalene (all ingredients in modern vaccines) while a police officer holds the mother at gunpoint. This scenario is about to become a reality in America. The vaccine industry is about to unleash death squads across the nation, and if you resist, you may be arrested or shot. Do parents have the right to protect their children from violent assaults carried out in the name of medicine? The right of a parent to protect her child from a violent assault is inherently understood across America, and that right is enshrined both in common law and specific state law almost everywhere. If a unscrupulous person attempts to stab your child with a knife, or penetrate your child in an act of pedophilia rape, or harm your child by kidnapping or assaulting them, you as the parent have every right to deploy all means of self-defense, including, where legal, firearms. This right to protect children from violent assaults is not nullified by the false authority of the vaccine deep state, which is steeped in felony crimes, scientific fraud, the abuse of children as human guinea pigs for medical experiments, and a long history of cover-ups to bury the truth about vaccine injuries. Regardless of the false claims of safety by the vaccine industry, such claims do not overrule the basic human right of self-defense. Even if vaccines had a perfect safety record and killed no children at all, no medical intervention is justified without informed consent. This fundamental principle of western medicine is enshrined by the American Medical Association, which insists that doctors must inform potential patients about both the possible benefits and risks of any given intervention, then allow the patient (or the parent) to decide whether to consent to the intervention. The AMA plainly states in its section entitled Code of Medical Ethics Opinion 2.1.1: Informed consent to medical treatment is fundamental in both ethics and law. Patients have the right to receive information and ask questions about recommended treatments so that they can make well-considered decisions about care. In seeking a patients informed consent physicians should Present relevant information accurately and sensitively, in keeping with the patients preferences for receiving medical information. The physician should include information about: 1. The diagnosis (when known) 2. The nature and purpose of recommended interventions 3. The burdens, risks, and expected benefits of all options, including forgoing treatment While exceptions are made for cases in which the patient is unconscious from a serious injury and therefore unable to consent to a lifesaving procedure, there is no medical ethics argument that says children and mothers should be held at gunpoint while they are injected with substances that are known to carry significant risks of harm and even death. Yet this is exactly what is now being proposed in Iowa and California, all under the guise of public health by the very same people who claim executing living human babies is not an act of violence against children. Forced immunization with a potentially deadly substance is a felony assault To force an immunization jab onto a person without their consent is, by any sensible definition, a felony assault. There is no getting around this. To invade, pierce and contaminate the body of another human being against their wishes or consent is an act of violence (or medical rape), even when carried out by so-called authorities. The very idea of such vaccine enforcer teams holding mothers at gunpoint while their children are violated in the name of Big Pharmas false promises is abhorrent to every last pillar of a free society. No civil society can allow the mandatory vaccine injections of children who are essentially kidnapped at gunpoint by state authorities. And any vaccine enforcer attempting to carry out such an act of medical kidnapping and felony assault against a child may be forcefully resisted and stopped using every legal means available. In Texas and many other states, it is within the legal right of any gun owner to deploy a firearm to stop the commission of a felony crime, including crimes of violence against children. Thus, in Texas, if a vaccine enforcement team trespasses on your property, invades your home, attempts to kidnap and assault your child, any reasonable parent would seem to be both morally and legally within their rights to engage those vaccine enforcers with lethal force in order to stop them carrying out a crime of violence against innocent children. Im not calling for violence, by the way: Im calling for an end to medical violence against children. Im also not an attorney, so I cannot advise you on particular actions you might take in your own circumstances, so do your homework first (and get competent legal advice). Always act within your local laws, of course, and try to avoid violence wherever possible. Do not initiate violence against anyone, but always be ready to stop violence when it is imminent. A medical assault of a child with a potentially deadly substance is a form of felony assault by any reasonable definition. Concealed carry permits are granted to adults precisely for the purpose of allowing those adults to deploy such tools to halt violence and protect the lives of the innocent. Thats also why the pro-vaccine zealots are also the anti-gun whackos who want all parents to be disarmed. It makes it so much easier to medically assault and penetrate your children when you have no means to stop such acts of violence from being carried out in your own home while you are being held at gunpoint by a pharma-controlled coercive government thug who works for the medical police state. Gun control is the first step to mandatory vaccines, forced euthanasia, eugenics and depopulation injections carried out by the state. The minute you give up your guns, you and your children will be assaulted and forcefully penetrated by the armed narco-pharma state, probably with the help of the same armed FBI thugs who raided the home of Roger Stone. Even at the federal level, the right of self-defense against a violent assault of an innocent child is widely recognized. Thats why Im seriously asking at what point the tyranny and medical fascism of the vaccine industry collides with the basic human right of self-defense. Sooner or later, it seems, one of these vaccine enforcers is going to encounter a parent who knows her rights and isnt afraid to assert them, even in the face of outright vaccine tyranny by the state itself. And can you blame her? Parents have an obligation to protect their children from violence, including medical violence and chemical violence Just because intruders and trespassers are carrying vaccines does not grant them some supreme power to override the individual right of self-defense. Although I do not have children, if I did have children, and if a vaccine enforcer were attempting to commit a crime of felony assault against my child, I would of course defend my child without hesitation. Any loving parent would do the same thing. Thats because all parents have an obligation to protect their children from all forms of violence, including medical violence and chemical violence. Mandatory vaccines encompass both forms of violence at the same time, subjecting children to an unsafe piercing of their skin and the injection of foreign RNA, foreign chemicals and foreign substances into their body. By any definition, this is a felony assault. If you dont believe me, try running around your local town with a needle and jabbing people with it to see what happens. I say this in jest, of course, because if you were stupid enough to carry out such an act of lunacy, you would be immediately arrested and charged with felony assault. So why is it somehow okay when a corrupt, paid-off shill of the vaccine industry orders health workers or the local police to do the very same thing? Health workers are not granted immunity from all other laws in society, and if a health worker assaults you with a potentially harmful or deadly substance which is exactly what vaccines are you have the right to defend yourself against such an assault using every legal means available. Good parents, it might be stated, stop bad people who attempt to harm their children. And if the vaccine jihadis are running around society trying to assault homeschooled children, it seems to be only a matter of time before some of them are engaged and stopped by parents who decide to stand their ground. The Vaccine Jihadis are part of a fanatical cult that sacrifices children to appease the pharma gods Thats why I encourage all the vaccine zealots and vaccine jihadis I use the term Jihadi because the vaccine cult is carrying out a kind of religious fanaticism war against humanity to think very carefully about what they may encounter across America if they attempt to force risky medical inventions onto children and parents who do not consent to the procedure. No person has any right to force another person to undergo a potentially deadly medical intervention without their consent this is true even if those carrying out the assault claim to be acting for the greater good. Remember, it was under Nazi Germany that mass euthanasia, eugenics and depopulation programs were carried out for the greater good, too. Six million Jews were exterminated under that dogma, and the only way that crime against humanity was stopped was through the use of (Allied) rifles, bullets and bombs. In other words, what the Allies learned in World War II is that the only way to stop an insane, deranged national cult of violent authoritarians is to shoot them dead. You cannot reason with them or negotiate a settlement that respects human life. You simply have to exterminate them at gunpoint, which is exactly what America, France and Russia achieved during that horrific war that saw tens of millions of human exterminated in the name of the greater good. Now the vaccine industry is at war with humanity. In particular, it is at war with human children, much like the abortion industry which is now steeped in infanticide. The vaccine industry cannot be reasoned with, because they censor and block all opposing views. They cannot be negotiated with, because they claim supremacy in the name of science while rejecting all evidence that contradicts their cult-like religion of vaccinism. They cannot be made to respect medical ethics, since they believe that their cause supersedes all ethics. They actually tell themselves that they must save you against yourself, even if that means injecting you at gunpoint or kidnapping your children in the name of medical science. No, the vaccine jihadis cannot be reasoned with. They are not operating in good faith and they are not swayed by scientific evidence or even the exploding cases of autism across America, many of which occur mere hours after vaccines are injected into children. The vaccine jihadis must be defeated and stopped using all available legal means, including lawsuits and criminal indictments leveled against them by local prosecutors. When they come for your children, call the police and report a felony assault and kidnapping in progress When they come for your children, will you protect your children against medical violence, or will you surrender them to the tyranny of the medical police state that demands you sacrifice your children to the will of the pharma cartels in order to appease your government god controllers? My advice is that when they come for your children in your own home, you call the police, report a felony assault and medical kidnapping in progress, demand the criminal prosecution of those carrying it out, and prepare to defend the lives of your children using every legally available tool at your disposal. Then again, Im not an attorney, so I cant officially give you legal advice. Do your own research based on local laws and make your own best decision considering your capabilities, finances and circumstances. Personally, if I had children, any person who invaded my home and attempted to commit felony violence against my child would be engaged and halted. At some point, I might even call 911 and report the resulting mess to the local sheriff. This seems to be the only reasonable response when living in a world ruled by unreasonable vaccine zealots who have never been told, No! Sooner or later, someone is going to stop these perpetrators of medical violence and felony assault against children. It might happen soon in Iowa. Stay informed on this issue and be ready to defend your children, because the vaccine police state is quite literally coming for you. Read John W. Whiteheads excellent book, Battleground America, and visit his website, the Rutherford Institute, at Rutherford.org. Read Tyranny.news and Vaccines.news to stay informed on the important issues. See vaccine videos at Brighteon.com, which is rapidly becoming the go-to video site for vaccine truth. See the Vaxxed channel there, which now features over 800 vaccine videos, including heartbreaking testimony from parents whose children have been permanently maimed (and even killed, in some cases) by vaccines. Also, check out the upcoming documentary film Vaxxed2 at Vaxxed2.com, where you can even donate to the production costs and help this film get finished in 2019. (Natural News) Theyre done hiding. The no plan Democrats are all getting behind the insane Green New Deal plan to abort all human babies, tax the working class at 90 percent, and eliminate all the fuel used to farm and harvest crops in America. Theyve decided that an insane plan is better than having no plan, since their plan the last three years has been nothing but do the opposite of whatever Trump wants. Now the deranged DDC (Democrat Death Cult) is rallying behind a bartender who wants to build train tracks across the 30,000-foot-deep Pacific Ocean, demolish every single building in America (including skyscrapers, schools, and nuclear plants), and make obsolete every tractor in the country so we all starve to death. Who else wants to incinerate the American dream and hop aboard the genocide train to Venezuela-land? Next: Sterilization of all Americans using vaccines, all food becomes GMO, and the Government seizes all private businesses The insidious Bill Gates has begun the new Nazi-style revolution with his plan to exterminate a few billion people using vaccines and the sheeple are easily controlled with fake news filters on all smart devices and computers such as NewsGuard. The filter actually promotes all fake news and labels all real news as fake. Heres Bill Genocide Gates outright saying how vaccines will be used to kill off billions of people. You cant make this stuff up. The sophomoric extremist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (a.k.a. AOC) has seized control of the demented, deranged Demoncrats with a 10-year plan to turn the USA into Venezuela. Certainly, Bayer (who now owns Monsanto) will monopolize all food production and make sure even higher levels of chemical pesticides corrupt all food, while eliminating all small-to-mid-sized organic farms, so nobody will be able to think critically or rebel against the new tyranny. Hitler used fluoride in the water at the concentration camps to weaken the captives and drain their nutrients so they couldnt rebel. We already have over 70 percent of all U.S. tap water containing this horrid drug and insecticide that dentists lie through their teeth about, claiming it helps fight cavities (even though they all know better than to drink it). Al Gores recycled lie that the Earth is going to BURN UP in 10 years if we dont give all our money to the government At the core of the Green Moron Deal is the same tell-tale lie that humans and cows are causing the Earth to heat up super fast, and were all going to be living in the movie Water World (watch preview clip below) inside of a decade if we dont reverse it by giving all of our hard-earned money to the person who says it a thousand times into a microphone, all while flying around the world in a Lear jet, burning up the very fuel theyre saying is the cause. Now its the like socialist-communist AOC regurgitating the same crappy lie that never came to be, with the backing of some fudged NASA data and a pool of 100 scientists who never did any research, but all have the same world-consensus tsunami-style opinion. AOC wants to get rid of the fuel that all farm tractors run on and big rigs use that deliver food, so we can all starve to death inside of 10 years. Get out your wallets everyone and hand over your money to the dictators who want to save you from yourself, by taking your guns, force-vaccinating you with chemicals and mercury, and seizing your business and your land. Yes, all the Democrat front-runners for 2020 POTUS, including Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, and Cory Booker all just voted NO against medical care for living, breathing human babies who survive abortion. The DDC is all in for executing babies after birth in order to stop the fake global warming. The Democratic Party is dead folks. It no longer exists. There is only a cabal of ancient politicians suffering from dementia and Mexican cartel cash syndrome. Heres the sanity, safety, health plan every informed American must engage right now. Buy and store organic seeds. Get a top-of-the-line home water filtration system. Have plenty of self-defense weapons and ammunition for the Zombie apocalypse. Tune into Preparedness.news for updates on the best ways to plan for the nightmare scenario of the DDC taking over America. Sources for this article include: Breitbart.com FoxNews.com Preparedness.news NaturalNews.com DailyCaller.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) There is little doubt that obesity is a growing problem in the United States. The problem with Americans expanding waistlines only seems to be getting worse as time trudges on; a report from the Centers for Disease Control has shown that nearly 40 percent of Americas adults are obese and some 20 percent of American teens are obese now, too. Overall, approximately 70 percent of all Americans are overweight or obese. Dr. Frank Hu, chair of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health told NBC News that its become difficult to be optimistic regarding the obesity epidemic. He added, The trend of obesity has been steadily increasing in both children and adults despite many public health efforts to improve nutrition and physical activity. But the rising rates of obesity among the young people of the United States is especially concerning, for a wide variety of reasons. In addition to the grievous health concerns that come with obesity, a staggering number of American teens are too unfit to even serve in the military or other critical services, like law enforcement or firefighting. In the most fit U.S. state, Colorado, a concerning 26.5 percent of teenagers would be deemed ineligible to serve in the armed forces due to their weight. In total, an astonishing 70 percent of young people in Colorado, between the ages of 17 and 24, would be ineligible for military service, either because of their weight, criminal record or lack of education. To make matters worse, Colorado is considered to be the fittest state in the U.S., which raises the question: How bad off is the rest of the country? Across the nation, 71 percent of young people from the same age group are estimated to be unfit to serve under the same conditions. According to the CDC, normal weight Americans, or those with a BMI of 25 or less, are now a minority making up just under 30 percent of the population, according to their latest estimates. Data collected by the agency in 2015 suggested that some 14 percent of American high school students were obese but its expected that number will continue to climb, as unfortunate as that may be. In areas like military service, law enforcement and firefighting, it is easy to see why weight and overall health status are a major concern. Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Terrance McWilliam told the Colorado Springs Gazette, It gets extremely dangerous when you cant keep up with the rest of the pack. In 2016, the military revealed that 7.8 percent of troops were overweight and that number has been rising over the last several years. While each branch of the military has its own weight or body fat percentage standards, all have a cut-off point that will result in disqualification. In firefighting and law enforcement, there may not be an exact weight requirement but, physical fitness tests still rule. While many people may argue that weight isnt everything, the fact remains that being obese or overweight can increase your risk for many health conditions, including diabetes and heart disease. These conditions can affect productivity and can slow a service member down, possibly rendering them unable to do their job at some point as well. Two of the biggest factors driving up obesity in the United States are, of course, food and a lack of physical activity. As NBC News reports, physical activity rates in the U.S. are dropping across the board whether that be in the workplace or at home, people are just not moving around as much. Combined with the prevalence of high-calorie, low-nutrient food, and its a recipe for disaster. As obesity becomes more prevalent in younger children, it becomes a lifelong issue that could one day cripple the country, as too few people will be fit to serve in important service roles. Sources for this article include: DailyMail.co.uk NBCNews.com (Natural News) A few of the videos, which were uncovered or re-shared by The Reagan Battalion, showed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) praising Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and stating it is a good thing when people are forced to line up in the streets for food. (Article by Kyle Morris republished from Breitbart.com) While he spoke at the University of Vermont in 1986, Sanders recalled his excitement as Castro led the Cuban Revolution. I remember, for some reason or another, being very excited when Fidel Castro made the revolution in Cuba. I was a kid and I remember that. It just seemed right and appropriate that poor people were rising up against the rich ugly people. Video: @BernieSanders, University of Vermont, 1986, recalls his excitement watching Castros revolution rising up against the ugly rich people. & his sick feeling watching JFK speak out against communism in Cuba. Also bashes the @nytimes for lying about communism. pic.twitter.com/OUqzLFbsvz The Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) February 21, 2019 Sanders defended Nicaraguas communist dictator Daniel Ortega in 1985 when he chose to humiliate a reporter because he referred to Ortega as a communist and a Marxist. Daniel Ortega was elected president of Nicaragua in an election. Why dont we use the phrase Daniel Ortega, democratically elected president of Nicaragua? This video is absolutely frightening: 1985: @BernieSanders bashes a reporter for referring to the brutal communist dictator of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega as a Communist and Marxist, and not as the Democratically elected President of Nicaragua, demands that he praise the regime. pic.twitter.com/Dtpr6Jmh3D Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) February 20, 2019 After a trip to the Soviet Union in 1988, Sanders praised Moscows effective public transportation system, youth programs, and cultural programs, which he claimed go far beyond what we do in America. I think its also fair to point out that when we were in Moscow, for example, I think most of the people here also were extremely impressed by the public transportation system. The stations themselves were absolutely beautiful, including many works of art, chandeliers that were beautiful. It was a very effective system. Also, I was impressed by the youth programs that they have. Their palaces of culture for the young people, a whole variety of programs for young people, and cultural programs, which go far beyond what we do in this country. Video 2. After his 1988 trip to the Soviet Union, @BernieSanders praises their (communist) youth programs and his wife Jane praises their (communist) system of not separating personal life and work. pic.twitter.com/Le8c87gG7f The Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) February 20, 2019 During a 1985 interview, Sanders praised Castro as he claimed Castro educated the kids, gave them healthcare, [and] totally transformed the society. During the interview, Sanders also claimed Ortega was an impressive guy and admitted to giving him advice on how to improve communications with the average American. One of the things that I think I learned on my trip, you know, as a socialist, the word socialism does not frighten me, Sanders said. I think its probably fair to say that the Nicaraguan government is primarily a socialist government. In 1961 they invaded Cuba and everybody was totally convinced that Castro was the worst guy in the world. All the Cuban people were gonna rise up in rebellion against Fidel Castro. They had forgot that he had educated the kids, give them healthcare, totally transformed the society. The point that I try to make to many of the people that I spoke to is theyre getting killed in the American media, Sanders stated. My point to Ortega is they are not getting their message of what theyre trying to do out to the American people. Theres just no question about that. Uncovered video@BernieSanders in 1985 praising the Communist Castro regime in Cuba and admitting on camera that he traveled to Nicaragua to advise the Ortega regime on how to successfully fight the United States. pic.twitter.com/qYtpvbVvCS Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) February 20, 2019 A clip that made the rounds when Sanders sought the Democratic nomination for president in 2016 also resurfaced as Sanders claimed it is a good thing when people line up to wait for food due to starvation. Its funny, sometimes American journalists talk about how bad a country is, that people are lining up for food. That is a good thing, Sanders exclaimed. In other countries people dont line up for food: the rich get the food and the poor starve to death. Bernie2020 Make America Venezuela. Today we promise to do everything we can to protect the United States from the scourge of Socialism that has destroyed millions of lives throughout the years. Democrats, reject the demise of your party and country, say no to @BernieSanders. pic.twitter.com/t7GkcPQWwQ The Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) February 19, 2019 Last week, Sanders, a self-described socialist who recently announced his bid for the 2020 presidential election, faced scrutiny from his Democratic colleagues after he refused to label Venezuelas Nicolas Maduro a dictator, or Juan Guaido as the nations interim president. After one video surfaced of Sanders praising the Soviet system, Donald Trump Jr. reacted by mocking the Vermont senators sentiments. Breadline Bernie would like for everyone to know that, sure, Communism may have killed millions of people in the USSR, but dont worry because their childrens puppetry was amazing! (Seriously, just watch!) #BreadlineBernie https://t.co/cEtq5vlaSt Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 23, 2019 Breadline Bernie would like for everyone to know that, sure, Communism may have killed millions of people in the USSR, but dont worry because their childrens puppetry was amazing! (Seriously, just watch!) #BreadlineBernie, Donald Trump Jr. said in a tweet. Read more at: Breitbart.com A winter storm warning that has been in effect for four days in the Sierra Nevada has finally expired and U.S. Interstate 80 has reopened but the relief from the winter weather will be short-lived. The warning that had been in place since Monday expired at 4 a.m. Thursday. Up to 5 feet of new snow fell the last three days in the mountains around Lake Tahoe where more than 40 feet has fallen this winter, 20 feet in February alone. The National Weather Service forecasts windy but clear conditions Thursday and Friday. Another storm should make its way into the region Saturday with snow possible on the valley floors around Reno and Carson City. The heaviest snowfall is expected in the mountains south of Lake Tahoe and west of the California-Nevada line. A man suspected of fatally shooting a senior citizen in Danville on Sunday afternoon has died of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound in St. Charles, Illinois, according to the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office. Mark Allen Sypien, 51, allegedly shot and killed 76-year-old John Moore in a parking lot on Fostoria Way around 2:25 p.m. Sunday, according to Danville police. Moore died at the scene. Investigators identified Sypien as a suspect and obtained a warrant for his arrest. A three-day manhunt ensued, but he apparently fled the state. Sypien was found outside his parents home in Illinois on Wednesday, injured, and died from those injuries. "While we regret the further loss of life, we are pleased that we were able to resolve the case," Danville Police Chief Allan Shields said in a statement. The case remains under investigation, according to the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office, and local detectives are working with their counterparts in the Kane County Sheriff's Office. Anyone with information relevant to that investigation is asked to call (925) 313-2600. California is drenched and its mountains are piled high with snow amid a still-unfolding winter of storms that was unimaginable just a few months ago. The U.S. Drought Monitor reports Thursday that more than 87 percent of California is free of drought conditions or unusual dryness and just over 2 percent remains in the drought category. State water resources officials say the vital Sierra Nevada snowpack is now at 153 percent of average to date. With all the rain the state has been receiving, it should come as no surprise that the latest @USDA drought map shows little to no dry areas. https://t.co/EhCBrTXa9z pic.twitter.com/Tp3bvz84ym Kiki Intarasuwan (@kintarasu) February 28, 2019 A measurement taken Thursday at Phillips Station near Sierra-at-Tahoe found 113 inches of snow depth compared to just 13 inches a year ago. The Sierra snowpack supplies about 30 percent of California's water when it melts in spring and summer. Forecasters expect stormy weather to continue. A winter storm warning that has been in effect for four days in the Sierra Nevada has finally expired and U.S. Interstate 80 has reopened but the relief from the winter weather will be short-lived. The United States is calling for a vote on a U.N. resolution urging "the peaceful restoration of democracy" in Venezuela, free and fair presidential elections, unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to all people in need and making clear its support for opposition leader Juan Guaido. The draft resolution is expected to be put to a vote Thursday afternoon, a council diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of an expected announcement. But it is likely to face a veto from Russia, which backs Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the May 20 election that kept him in power. The proposed resolution, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, also expresses "deep concern" at "the violence and excessive use of force by Venezuelan security forces against unarmed, peaceful protesters" and "recent attempts to block the delivery of humanitarian aid." At a Security Council meeting Tuesday, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called the weekend attempt by the Venezuelan opposition to carry in aid shipments from Colombia nothing but a "humanitarian show" created by the United States. He said the Trump administration's sole aim is "regime change, including with threats to do so via foreign intervention" in violation of the U.N. Charter's principle of noninterference in the affairs of another country. Elliott Abrams, the U.S. envoy for Venezuela, shot back: "I reject from start to finish, I reject from top to bottom, accusations of military interventions from a country that is occupying the territory of Georgia and Ukraine." Before the council meeting, Abrams told reporters that U.S. policy "is to use as much diplomatic and economic and political pressure as we can" along with the dozens of countries backing Guaido "to support the Venezuelan people's desire for democracy." The U.S. draft resolution to be voted on makes some significant changes from the administration's initial draft, in what one diplomat called an attempt to address Russian concerns. Russia had circulated a rival draft resolution "expressing concern over the threats to use force" against Venezuela and "to intervene" in its domestic matters. Its draft reaffirmed that international disputes should be settled peacefully and urged that the Venezuelan situation to be settled "through peaceful means." The initial U.S. draft's only mention of "peace" was to recognize "the disruption to peace and security in the region caused by the actions of a regime that have caused an economic collapse." More than 3 million Venezuelans have fled their homeland in recent years in search of food, medicine and opportunities elsewhere in the region. The final U.S. draft doesn't mention the use or threatened use of force but it does make several references to peace. It "calls for the start of a peaceful political process leading to free, fair and credible presidential elections." It "supports the peaceful restoration of democracy and rule of law in Venezuela." And it asks U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "to help ensure free, fair, and credible presidential elections, and encourages subsequent peaceful, inclusive, and credible initiatives to address the prolonged crisis in the country." The Russians, however, are likely to object to another statement in the new U.S. text. It notes "the constitutional authority of the democratically elected National Assembly," which Guaido heads, and commends its efforts to release political prisoners, fight corruption and provide amnesties to civilian and military officials who support "the restoration of democracy." As for aid, the Trump administration's initial draft expressed "deep concern" at "recent attempts to block the delivery of humanitarian aid" and stressed the need to facilitate access and delivery of aid to all Venezuelans in need similar language to the final draft, which added a call for "unhindered access." If Lori Lightfoot wins Chicagos mayoral runoff in April, the longtime attorney and political outsider will make history as the first black woman and openly gay person to serve in the citys top spot. Brian Johnson is the CEO of Equality Illinois--whose political action committee put its support behind Lightfoot in her race for mayor. "I just keep thinking this is a night we are going to remember going down in history," he said. Johnson says if Lightfoot ends up being elected, it will demonstrate a greater acceptance of the LGBTQ community. For the LGBT the idea that we can look at who is the chief executive officer and see ourselves represented there," he said. "To see how welcomed and affirmed as we are part of the fabric of this city." During her speech last night, Lightfoot spoke her connection to the LGBTQ community and shared the stage with her wife and daughter. I thought about running for mayor when no other LGBTQ-plus person had every made the ballot of this city, she said. During her speech last night, Lightfoot spoke her connection to the LGBTQ community. Mariah Emerson works for the Center on Halsted. The organization serves the LGBTQ community in Chicago. "We are paying attention to the work women in the LGBT space are doing," she said. The center has not endorsed Lightfoot or her opponent Toni Preckwinkle, but the center recognizes the significance if Lightfoot wins. When you see the Lori Lightfoot, it is okay to be part of the LGBT community, its okay to be black," Emerson said. "Its okay to be all of those things together." A 17-year-old boy was charged with first-degree murder Thursday in connection to the slaying of a Northside College Prep student this week on the Northwest Side, police said. The teen, whose identity was not released because he is a minor, was handed the felony charge after allegedly gunning down Emanuel Gallegos, also 17, Monday evening in the Old Irving Park neighborhood, according to Chicago police. At 5:36 p.m., the Northside College Prep student was fatally wounded as he rode in a vehicle heading west in the 4400 block of West Addison Street, police said. The shots came from a male standing on a corner near Schurz High School, a Chicago Public Schools campus at 3601 N. Milwaukee. Two other males were with the shooter and joined him in yelling gang slogans at Gallegos before opening fire, police said. Gallegos was struck in the neck and rushed to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, the police and the Cook County medical examiners office said. He lived in Belmont Cragin. On Wednesday, Chicago police circulated a picture of one of the suspects a teenager they said was named Luis. It was not immediately known whether that male was the boy who was charged Thursday. The 17-year-old was arrested about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 2400 Block of West Belmont in Lake View following an investigation that identified him as Gallegos shooter, police said. He is scheduled to appear in bond court on Thursday. Police in central Indiana say a man has confessed to killing a woman in Illinois when he lived there more than four years ago. Danville police say 24-year-old Connor Warren Scott of Danville walked into the police station Sunday night and confessed to killing 20-year-old Kaylyn Whitaker of Terre Haute at Scott's home in Martinsville, Illinois, on Oct. 31, 2014. Martinsville is located about 30 miles southwest of Terre Haute. Her shooting death was originally considered a suicide, but it was ruled a homicide about 10 months later. Scott is being held in the Hendricks County Jail awaiting extradition to Illinois. Police say Scott had been living in Danville for about six months after moving there from Noblesville, Indiana. A federal judge has rejected an Indiana city's attempt to force a newspaper to turn over records of its reporting on a Chicago man who was imprisoned for a decade and is suing for wrongful conviction. U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Michael Gotsch ruled this week that the City of Elkhart's subpoena against the South Bend Tribune was "misplaced." The subpoena sought records of communications between Tribune journalists, 51-year-old Keith Cooper and Cooper's lawyer. Cooper was convicted in a 1996 robbery in Elkhart but pardoned by Gov. Eric Holcomb in February 2017. The city alleged that the newspaper was biased and working with Cooper to further his lawsuit against the city. The Tribune reports that Gotsch says the city's suspicions about a conspiracy aren't supported by evidence. "Making a Murderer" subject Steven Avery will have his case re-examined by a Wisconsin court, his lawyer announced this week. Avery, who is serving a life sentence for the 2005 murder of photographer Teresa Halbach, won a motion to appeal, sending his case back to a circuit court. There, the court can either grant a new trial or send the case back to the appellate court, which could potentially reverse his conviction or grant a new trial, his lawyer Kathleen Zellner told Newsweek. Zellner noted the appeal centered on a collection of possible human bones, which she said were never tested for DNA before they were returned to Halbachs family. "We Won!!!!!!" Zellner tweeted Monday. "Back to the circuit court." Avery was the subject of the Netflix documentary series "Making a Murderer" series, which recently released its second season. The series follows Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey, both convicted of murdering Halbach and both serving life sentences, as they try to overturn their convictions. Avery had argued that his conviction was based on planted evidence and false testimony. The series spawned conjecture about the pair's innocence, but those who worked on the cases accused the filmmakers of leaving out key pieces of evidence and presenting a biased view of what happened. "[Steven Averys] DREAM OF FREEDOM is a NEW REALITY as [Court of Appeals] lets us reveal all the States BAD FAITH, DESTRUCTION & SUPPRESSION of evidence-misdeeds cannot be undone," Zellner tweeted Tuesday. "States old way of doing business is OVER." She noted that the court of appeals "is letting us create an avalanche of evidence in this record" and called the courts ruling a "very good sign." Should his conviction be overturned, it would mark the second time Avery has been imprisoned for a crime he says he didn't commit. Zellner's office did not respond to NBC Chicago's multiple requests for comment. Monica McHaskell had gone to her front window when she heard a baby crying and saw a woman dangling a toddler over the upstairs rail. She then saw something she never thought would happen. She says the baby was thrown over the edge. She immediately scooped the toddler boy up, went inside her apartment and closed the door, fearing the woman would follow. "I'm holding him, patting him, hoping he stops crying. Hoping he knows this doesn't happen all the time," she said, her voice strained. She called 911, and when police arrived, they saw an Upland mother hurl herself down the apartment stairs. Tierra Rose Ortega was taken into custody on suspicion of being the one who threw her toddler son over the balcony. But there was an even more disturbing scene inside the apartment where 7-month-old Ezlynn was found. Ezlynn had skull fractures. She was rushed to a southern California hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Ortega, 24, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of killing her daughter and attempting to kill her son Jerricho. She was expected to face arraignment Thursday. Jerricho would not let go of McHaskell, and so she carried him to the ambulance. She did not realize authorities had found another child in the apartment until she saw paramedics attempting to resuscitate her. "I didn't know there was a second child," sobbed McHaskell, 51, herself a mother and grandmother. "I would have went and got her." Jerricho, 19 months, remains hospitalized with a broken foot and other injuries. He was listed in fair but stable condition, according to Upland Police. McHaskell took some comfort from hearing that the boy is expected to recover from his injuries, and to be well enough for his father to take him home Thursday. Upland police said they have interviewed Tierra Ortega, but declined to reveal what she said. Investigators have also spoken at length with her husband, who was at work when the incident occurred, and was clearly distraught when he returned home. "Based on the nature of investigation, we're not comfortable releasing a definite motive," Capt. Marcelo Blanco said. At the apartment complex Wednesday, groups of neighbors could be seen hugging, some still in tears. McHaskell had been so shaken by the incident that shortly afterwards she was transported to a hospital, and was not able to return home until early Wednesdy morning. The Ortega family was described as "nice Christian people" by one neighbor, and many said they had no previous inkling there was any problem in the household. But one tenant in the complex, Michelle Furlong, said she often heard crying when she passed in the hallway outside the Ortega apartment. The neighbor in the apartment next door, Geraldine Jimerson, said she had heard prolonged crying for the past several months, and especially during early morning hours. The past week, when she has been home most of the time on medical leave from work, she has heard other disturbing sounds from her neighbors' apartment, she said. Tuesday morning, about an hour before police arrived, she recalled hearing a "thud--like somebody threw something against a wall." It was so loud she heard it over the sound of the television she was watching. She often saw Ortega's husband around the complex, coming home from work, doing laundry, but rarely saw the wife, and was suprised never to see her take a stroller to the nearby park, Jimerson said. She knew of the infant girl, but was not aware of the brother. What police say Ortega did Tuesday stunned Jimerson. "I just never thought she would do something like that," she said. Stunned as well were police officers who responded, and detectives who have been conducting the investigation and speaking with grieving family members. After a discussion Wednesday morning, Upland police decided to set up fundraising for the Ortega family, said Capt. Blanco. On March 6, Mod Pizza in Upland and Sycamore Hills has agreed to dontate 30 percent of all bills to the Ortega family, and the Upland Police Officers Association is setting up an online account to accept monetary donations, Blanco said. America is still sending millions of pounds of lobster to China, but members of the seafood industry remain on edge about the future of the United States' relationship with one of its most important customers. The U.S. exported more than 17.6 million pounds of lobster to China last year, according to figures from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The U.S. has nudged beyond that figure through November of this year, even with December's numbers not yet included, the agency reports. China is one of the biggest buyers of American lobster, which is hauled to the shore mostly in New England and maritime Canada. But China placed heavy tariffs on lobsters from the U.S. in July in a development that sent shockwaves through the seafood industry. Members of the industry caution that the U.S. benefited from strong sales early in 2018, and that exports were off by 30 to 50 percent from previous years after the tariffs took effect. But the lobster business has shown an ability to weather a difficult time, said John Sackton, a seafood industry analyst with SeafoodNews.com. "The overall exports did not fall off a cliff, as I thought they might," Sackton said. "There was a big push in the first six months to sell product into China." There were other positive signs in the lobster industry, too. Lobsters have been readily available to U.S. consumers, and prices have been strong for retails. Wholesale prices in February were also higher than the previous year. But the tariffs from China have hurt some individual exporters more than others, said Annie Tselikis, executive director of the Maine Lobster Dealers' Association. The industry as a whole will also "never know how strong those exports" could have been if the tariffs hadn't been enacted at all. That reflects what Bill Bruns, operations manager of The Lobster Co. in Arundel, Maine, has seen in his own export business. The tariffs, he said, have shifted export business to Canada, where fishermen catch the same species of lobster. "With the Chinese tariff, that business trickled," Bruns said. "They paid sometimes, but not very often." Trade hostilities between the U.S. and China have continued since China slapped tariffs on many U.S. products last year. The countries have been attempting to negotiate an end to the trade fight in recent days. The future of the tariffs, and how long they could last, remains unclear for both countries. Maine's four-member congressional delegation released a statement Wednesday that it has asked U.S. Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer to prioritize the lobster industry in upcoming negotiations. The delegation said it "cannot allow the future viability of this critical industry to be threatened by prolonged and unpredictable trade negotiations with China." In the meantime, the U.S. has offset some of the loss by making some progress in opening up other Asian markets, such as Thailand and Taiwan, for American lobster, said Jeff Bennett, senior trade specialist at the Maine International Trade Center in Portland. However, it's imperative to keep China as a customer, he said. The country approaches consuming 10 percent of all the lobster brought to shore in the U.S. in some years, including 2016. "We need to get China back on line," Bennett said. "Anybody in the industry is going to tell you that." In a damning depiction of Donald Trump, the president's former lawyer on Wednesday cast him as a racist and a con man who used his inner circle to cover up politically damaging allegations about sex, and who lied throughout the 2016 election campaign about his business interests in Russia. Michael Cohen, who previously pleaded guilty to lying to Congress, told lawmakers that Trump had advance knowledge and embraced the news that emails damaging to Hillary Clinton would be released during the campaign. But he also said he had no "direct evidence" that Trump or his aides colluded with Russia to get him elected, the primary question of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Cohen, shaking off incessant criticism from Republicans anxious to paint him as a felon and liar, became the first Trump insider to pull back the curtain on a version of the inner workings of Trump's political and business operations. He likened the president to a "mobster" who demanded blind loyalty from underlings and expected them to lie on his behalf to conceal information and protect him even if it meant breaking the law. "I am not protecting Mr. Trump anymore," Cohen declared. "My loyalty to Mr. Trump has cost me everything: my family's happiness, friendships, my law license, my company, my livelihood, my honor, my reputation, and soon my freedom," Cohen said. "I will not sit back say nothing and allow him to do the same to the country." Cohen's matter-of-fact testimony about secret payments and lies unfolded as Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. At a Vietnam hotel and unable to ignore the drama thousands of miles away, Trump lashed out on Twitter, saying Cohen "did bad things unrelated to Trump" and "is lying in order to reduce his prison time." In testimony that cut to the heart of federal investigations encircling the White House, Cohen said he arranged a hush money payment to porn actress at the president's behest and agreed to lie about it to the public and the First Lady. He said Trump was "not knowledgeable" about the transactions even though the president directly arranged for his reimbursement. He said he was left with the unmistakable impression Trump wanted him to lie to Congress about a Moscow real estate project, though the president never directly told him so. In one revelation, Cohen said prosecutors in New York were investigating conversations Trump or his advisers had with him after his office and hotel room were raided by the FBI last April. Cohen said he could not discuss that conversation, the last contact he said he has had with the president or anyone acting on his behalf, because it remains under investigation. The appearance marked the latest step in Cohen's evolution from legal fixer for the president he once boasted he'd "take a bullet" for Trump to a foe who has implicated him in federal campaign finance violations. The hearing proceeded along parallel tracks, with Democrats focusing on allegations against Trump while Republicans sought to undermine Cohen's credibility and the proceeding itself. As Republicans blasted him as a convicted liar, a mostly unrattled Cohen sought to blunt the attacks by repeatedly acknowledging his own failings. He called himself a "fool," warned lawmakers of the perils of blind loyalty to a leader undeserving of it and pronounced himself ashamed of what he'd done to protect Trump. Cohen is due to begin a three-year prison sentence in May, and described himself as cooperative with multiple investigations in hopes of reducing his time behind bars. He is seen as a vital witness for federal prosecutors because of his proximity to the president during key episodes under investigation and their decade-long professional relationship. The first of six Trump aides charged in the Trump-Russia investigation to testify publicly about crimes committed during the 2016 campaign and in the months that followed, Cohen also delivered biting personal commentary on a president he said never expected to win in the first place. "He never expected to win the primary. He never expected to win the general election," Cohen said. "The campaign for him was always a marketing opportunity." He recounted how Trump made him threaten schools he attended to not release his grades and SAT scores and denigrated blacks as "too stupid" to vote for him. He said Trump once confided to him that, despite his public explanation of a medical deferment from the Vietnam War because of bone spurs, he never had any intention of fighting there. "I find it ironic, President Trump, that you are in Vietnam right now," Cohen said. Cohen gave lawmakers his first-person account of how he arranged to buy the silence of a porn actress and a Playboy model who said they had sex with Trump. He described a February 2017 conversation with Trump in the Oval Office in which the president reassured him that reimbursement checks sent through Federal Express were coming but would take some time to get through the White House system. He said the president spoke to him a year later to discuss the public messaging around the transaction, and had even once put his wife, Melania, on the phone so that Cohen could lie to her. "Lying to the first lady is one of my biggest regrets," Cohen said. "She is a kind, good person. I respect her greatly, and she did not deserve that." In an allegation relating to Mueller's probe, Cohen said he overheard Trump confidant Roger Stone telling the candidate in the summer of 2016 that WikiLeaks would dump damaging information about Clinton. Trump put Stone on speakerphone as Stone relayed that he had communicated with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that "within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clinton's campaign," Cohen said. Damaging emails U.S. officials say were hacked by Russia were later released by WikiLeaks. Trump responded by saying "wouldn't that be great," Cohen said. Stone disputed that account Wednesday, and Barry Pollack, a lawyer for Assange, said Stone and Assange did not have the telephone call that Cohen described. Cohen's claims that Trump had advance knowledge of the emails contradict the president's assertions that he was in the dark, and it is not clear how legally problematic that could be for Trump anyway. Mueller has not suggested that mere awareness of WikiLeaks' plans, as Stone is purported to have had, is by itself a crime. Cohen also suggested Trump implicitly told him to lie about a Moscow real estate project. Cohen has admitted lying about the project, which he says Trump knew about as Cohen was negotiating with Russia during the campaign. Cohen said Trump did not directly tell him to lie, but "he would look me in the eye and tell me there's no business in Russia and then go out and lie to the American people by saying the same thing." Cohen said he does not have direct evidence that Trump colluded with the Russian government during the election, but that he has "suspicions," including after a June 2016 meeting between the president's oldest son and a Kremlin-connected lawyer. "I wouldn't use the word 'colluding.' Was there something odd about the back-and-forth praise with President Putin?" Cohen said. "Yes, but I'm not really sure I can answer that question in terms of collusion." Federal prosecutors in New York have said Trump directed Cohen to arrange payments to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in the run-up to the 2016 campaign. Cohen has said he acted out of "blind loyalty." He said he was presenting the committee with a copy of a check Trump wrote from his personal bank account after he became president to reimburse Cohen for the hush money payments. He offered up other exhibits as well, including examples of financial statements he said Trump had drawn up to show he was wealthier than he really was. A new police radio system for your town or city costs a fortune, to the tune of millions of dollars. In the past year an alternative has been offered by the state that can get departments up and running with a new system thats much faster, often at a third of the cost. Connecticut State Police just spent $30 million upgrading and updating its network. It has so much bandwidth, that it can provide space to broadcast on the network for free, according to Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner James Rovella. This is great, for a lot of these towns. And the bigger picture is the ability to communicate with anyone and everyone that is on the system on a bad day in the state of Connecticut, Rovella said. Communities including the towns of Groton, Stonington, Coventry, and Norwich, told NBC Connecticut Investigates that joining the State Police network will save them millions of dollars, affording them a brand new, state of the art police radio system at a third of the cost, or less. The municipalities still must purchase new handheld and car radios, additional dispatch software, and radio tower enhancements. For something that was going to cost us in the neighborhood of three, three and a half million dollars, weve found a system that gets it, to the same capabilities and then some for less than a million dollars, for around $800,000, said Groton Town Police Chief L.J. Fusaro. Fusaro, a retired state trooper with experience using the state police network, sees no downsides to this new relationship. He said joining the regional system means better service at a lower cost his department, as well as fewer towers and equipment to maintain. Given those benefits, he said hes OK giving up that local control, something that has often been a roadblock to regional efforts like this in the past in Connecticut. I dont want to manage a radio system, to the extent that I dont need to. So having collaboration with an organization, an agency that has some very skillful people and some very knowledgeable people when it comes to radio communications is huge for me as a municipal police chief. Not every Connecticut town sees it this way. Avon taxpayers recently voted to spend more than $4 million on a police radio network serving their town only. At a recent town meeting Avon town manager Brandon Robertson, a member of the states E911 commission, told residents we just didnt think it was wise to throw our lot in with the state of Connecticutthe initial savings on a $4.1 million project was estimated to be about $500,000, and we thought for the $500,000, we would rather retain control. Neither Robertson nor the Avon Police Department granted an on camera interview for this story. In a statement the chief said: The Town of Avon conducted a comprehensive study concerning its proposal to replace the towns existing conventional analog communications system, meeting the Project (25) Standard. The Town has selected a vendor and voters have accepted the proposal through a referendum this past December. At this time, the Town of Avon feels it is in the best interest of the community to maintain our own core to meet our public safety needs. This system is a town-wide radio system to include Police, Fire, Public Works and Board of Education. While we recognize that we may realize initial cost savings in the short-term, our long-term investment in a core owned by Avon will not only meet our needs, but those of the region, should they wish to join. Additionally, this will give us the ability to plan our budget needs without any unanticipated State increases. NBC Connecticut Investigates has requested a copy of the study Avon conducted on replacing its communications system, but has not received it to date. Residents in one Glastonbury neighborhood hope their persistence pays off in their quest to put a sidewalk on their street. The concrete stops and starts along Neipsic Road. Neighbors say its hard to walk or run in the street without worrying about the vehicle traffic on that road. I have to drive up downtown or up over in East Glastonbury to go for a walk because Im afraid to get hit by a car, explained Thomas Schreindorfer. Schreindorfer said hes complained about the lack of sidewalks on his street since he moved in a decade ago. His neighbor has started a petition to put sidewalks in just over a half mile of Neipsic Road from Karen Lee Road to Wickham Road, areas where the streets sidewalks end. Most people here walk on the grass, you know. Its not safe, Schreindorfer said. There are 10 criteria the town looks at for projects like this, including access to a school, heavy pedestrian use, access to parks and other public facilities, and a high traffic area. Town Manager Richard Johnson considers Neipsic Road a high priority project because a sidewalk would give people better access to schools and a park. It's also a high traffic area. It is a high priority but theres a few others that are equally as highly rated, said Johnson. In fact, Johnson said there are 50 other projects in the queue for the council to consider and usually only $200,000 to $300,000 allocated to the towns sidewalks each year. The Neipsic Road sidewalk carries an estimated price tag of $290,000. What we try to do is look at how much money can reasonably be made available to us and whats the biggest bang for the buck we can get, Johnson said. This year, the town is working on a $1 million project to connect Main Street to South Glastonbury. They have plenty of sidewalks there. I dont have any, said Schreindorfer. Michelle Bowden has lived in her home on narrow Neipsic Road for almost 30 years, but shes not too concerned about not having a sidewalk. Theres lots of things that we really need to pay for in town like people who need help with food and fuel and school upgrades. Bowden says shes more concerned with the safety of her street. The police are always out here monitoring the speed because come down that hill at like 45-50 miles per hour, said Bowden. I think I would be worried about the safety of the people walking on the sidewalk because the road is so narrow and people tend to drive kind of fast. Glastonbury police said they regularly monitor the traffic in the area. With very few stop signs, Lt. Corey Davis said drivers tend to speed down Neipsic Road. However, he said there have not been any pedestrian accidents according to recent data. In the last six months, there have been two car accidents, both in November. One involved two vehicles at an intersection, and the other a car and a mailbox. Im really afraid when I go out to get my mail because everybodys trees sticking out and when I step out to get the mail Im afraid because people come so fast and theyre really close to you, said Bowden. If the town council does approve the project, the earliest construction would start is the summer of 2020. Many Connecticut residents head to Rhode Island beaches in the summer and a R.I. state official is looking to keep parking fees the same as they are now. R.I. House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello says he's looking to freeze beach parking fees rather than increase them as the governor requested. The Democrat told WPRO-AM on Thursday the budget will likely maintain the current rates for two or three years. Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo wants fee increases at state beaches and campsites to add staffing in the state parks system. The R.I. Department of Environmental Management proposed that residents pay $2 more for daily beach parking or $10 more for a season pass. Non-residents would pay $4 more for daily parking or $20 more for a season pass. The General Assembly cut the fees in 2016. The former owner of a child care center in Connecticut where a 2-month girl died in 2016 has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison. Police said 36-year-old Nydia Carrillo-Maldonado was taking care of Bella Redondo in July 2016 at her Wardell Street daycare called Little Bears Beginnings. Authorities said Redondo was rushed to the hospital on July 12 after she had trouble breathing. The infant died after hours of resuscitation attempts. Detectives discovered Redondo had suffered from blunt force trauma to the head and later arrested the daycare owner. Carrillo-Maldonado pleaded guilty under the Alford doctrine in December to manslaughter in the death of Bella Redondo. That means while she disagreed with the state's case, she acknowledges there's enough evidence for a conviction. The death was ruled a homicide caused by blunt-force trauma to the head. Would the fear of getting a parking ticket while visiting a favorite store or restaurant stop you from going there? Thats what business owners in Storrs Center say is happening. When you work real hard and you do everything right and (customers) leave and tell you, It was great we cant wait to come back, and then they come back in 5 minutes and say, Were never coming back, its pretty disheartening, said Steve Smith, co-owner of the Dog Lane Cafe in Storrs Center. But Steve Smith and his co-owner Brian Jessurun said that has happened many times and a $30 parking ticket is to blame. The extremely strict enforcement of street parking in downtown Storrs makes it tough for Storrs Center business to do business, according to Smith. Ive spoken to the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, Ive spoken to the mayor, Ive spoken to the town manager, and every time I think, well maybe were getting somewhere, I drive in here and I see somebody in a blue shirt writing a ticket on a Sunday and I get frustrated, Smith said. Hes been open for over six years and thinks LAZ Parking, a company that enforces parking on behalf of the town of Mansfield, needs to ease off, especially during non-peak hours or times of the year when students arent in school. Someone can grab a coffee, make a run to the nearby CVS and slightly miss the timeslot back to the car and face a fine. Its hurting business, Jessurun said. And businesses in Storrs Center pay taxes and contribute to the community and neighboring University of Connecticut. On weekends therell be no cars and theyre out there ticketing like crazy. Last Sunday I got a ticket, said Kim Cash, who owns Bliss. The boutique owner said shes losing customers especially elderly ones who dont want to walk from the garage or the one parking lot for Storrs Center. On a Wednesday, maybe 50 to 100 (customers), thats a realistic number. And weve just watched it drop, drop, drop, Cash said. She has another store in nearby Willimantic and said customers will just go there because theres a better parking situation. Cash said shes even had moms and daughters who are looking at prom dresses leave the store because they were afraid of getting a ticket. Since 2016, there has been 30 minute and one hour street parking in the area of Storrs Center, according to the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, a non-profit created by the town and UConn to foster continued development, management and promotion of Downtown Storrs. There is also the Dog Lane Lot, a free parking lot limited to two hours, and a parking garage where the first two hours are free and $1 per hour afterward. On its website, the Partnership writes, There has been no direction to LAZ to enforce parking more strictly. In fact, the Partnership has asked LAZ to be lenient during times when school is not in session Mansfield Downtown Partnership Executive Director Cynthia van Zelm said the Partnership speaks with the businesses in Storrs Center and is always looking at ways to enhance and better the experience in downtown Storrs. NBC Connecticut called and emailed LAZ Parking. They referred us to the Parking in Downtown Storrs post on the Mansfield Downtown Partnership website. Ive been ticketed literally more times than I can count, said UConn Junior Reilee Barron. She uses Select Physical Therapy in Storrs Center. The parking on the street is only 30 minutes so I have to usually rush through my appointment or leave and move my car, Barron said. Actor Luke Perry has been hospitalized after the Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to his Sherman Oaks home Wednesday morning for an unspecified medical request. The Beverly Hills: 90210 star, who played Dylan McKay in the 1990s teen drama, was treated by paramedics and is currently under observation at the hospital," his spokesperson confirmed. It was not immediately clear what the medical emergency was and his spokesperson did not provide any additional information on Perry's condition. Perry, who currently stars on The CW drama series "Riverdale," is not slated to join the rest of his former "Beverly Hills, 90210" co-stars in the Fox revival of the soap opera. The network announced plans Wednesday to reunite Tori Spelling, Jason Priestly, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Carteris and Brian Austin Green for a six-episode event series. Actress Shannon Doherty, who famously played Dylan's love interest Brenda Walsh in the show, has also not yet signed on to join the lineup. The father of two 21-year-old Jack Perry and 18-year-old Sophie Perry with ex-wife Rachel Sharp revealed during a "Today" show appearance in 2017 that he would jump at the change to play Dylan again, especially if he could style his hair in Dylan's famously retro pompadour. "I'm gonna see if I can get that hair standing," he said, raking his fingers through his mane to fluff it up. "Yes, if I get the hair back up." As news of Perry's hospitalization spread, celebrity friends of the star shared their concerns on social media. Praying hard for Luke Perry today. May he have a full and fast recovery. Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain) February 28, 2019 Perry has had roles in a handful of films, including "The Fifth Element," ''8 Seconds" and "American Strays." He appeared in HBO's prison drama "Oz" and voiced cartoons like "The Incredible Hulk" and "Mortal Kombat." In recent years he starred in the series "Ties That Bind" and "Body of Proof." The mother's trembling voice conveyed her horror. "Oh! Oh my God!" She was pleading for help in a 911 call, on a rain-soaked street in Southlake, as fast-escaping gas enveloped her car, and her twins inside it. "I'm trying to get my kids out of the car ... oh my God!" Michelle Gilmartin told the police dispatcher. Fearing an explosion, she cried: "I'm getting away from it. It smells horribly." Gilmartin told NBC 5 Investigates she was on her way home when she said another car stopped suddenly in front of her, causing her to veer into a grassy area and strike an above-ground gas meter. "You could just hear the shhhhh' of the gas immediately," she said. Gilmartin and her son escaped injury in the 2017 crash, which led to the gas company moving the meter back from the road, behind a fence. But other gas meters remain close to roads some closer than the one Gilmartin hit in Southlake and Keller, NBC 5 Investigates has found. "Why aren't we moving them? Why aren't we protecting more people," Gilmartin said, adding: "Because not everybody is going to be as lucky as I was with my boys." It happens more often that one might expect, according to a joint investigation by NBC 5 Investigates and The Dallas Morning News. Crash data from the Texas Department of Transportation showed throughout the state vehicles ran into gas meters more than 3,600 times during an eight-year period, from 2010 to 2018. While it's not reflected in the TxDOT crash data, experts said such collisions often cause the release of explosive gas, endangering not only the people in the vehicle, but also bystanders. "I could just instantly smell gas everywhere," said Brenda Claborn, who was stopped for a light in Southlake when another driver veered several feet off the road, shearing off a gas meter. "I felt very fortunate that nothing happened to me or anyone else around there," Claborn said. That incident in 2016 also resulted in the gas meter being moved further away from the road, but NBC 5 Investigates found other meters nearby, still placed close to ongoing traffic. "These absolutely need to be moved. This is silly," said Brigham McCown, former administrator of the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. "At some point you have to say we have an issue here, we have a problem," McCown said. He said he's also concerned about gas meters NBC 5 saw in communities like Plano, Richardson and Rockwall that are located next to alleys and driveways often in the "blind spot" for someone behind the steering wheel. In 2006, a woman was killed in Central Texas in an explosion triggered by her accidentally backing over a gas meter near the edge of a driveway. McCown said he believes state and federal rules already exist in Texas that would require many meters to be moved, or protected by barriers. Such regulations say in part that each meter must be "... protected from corrosion and other damage, including ... vehicular damage that may be anticipated." Rich Parsons, spokesman for the Railroad Commission of Texas, said the agency has in the past ordered gas companies to move their meters, and will order others to be relocated if found to be a potential risk. "If we identify one in an unsafe location, if we identify one that may have been struck at some point by a vehicle, then we will take action," Parsons said. But he added that gas meters, no matter how close to a road, are not a threat to drivers who "obey the traffic laws of this state." "As long as you can maintain control of your vehicle, as you are required to by law, you will be safe," Parsons said. Asked whether he felt it was reasonable to expect all Texans to drive flawlessly at all times, he said, "It's reasonable to expect Texans behind the wheel of a car to obey the traffic laws of this state." McCown questioned such logic, equating it with the notion that, "If everybody drove carefully, we wouldn't need airbags." "Things happen sometimes," McCown said, "even when you are trying to be careful." According to TxDOT crash reports, more than 600 of the gas meter crashes, from 2010 to 2018, involved a speeding vehicle; more than 400 involved driver inattention. But NBC 5 Investigates found that some crashes involving gas meters are not even reported to state regulators at the railroad commission. Currently, gas companies only have to report a collision with a meter if it involves a death or injury from the release of the gas, damage exceeding $50,000, or the release of a large amount of gas. Any move to change those reporting requirements would have to come through the Texas Legislature, according to the commission. The gas meters studied by NBC 5 Investigates belong to Atmos Energy, the largest gas company in North Texas. "We take these types of safety matters very seriously," and "when installing meters, we follow all applicable regulations," an Atmos spokesperson said, adding that many meters near roadways and alleys "are not protected because of the low probability of anticipated damage." As for the meter struck by Michelle Gilmartin, the spokesperson said that even though the gas leak "... appears to have occurred from vehicle damage that could not have been anticipated under normal driving conditions, we did move the meter." The police report said Gilmartin was following too closely to the vehicle in front of her, and was a contributing factor to the crash. She disputed that claim and was not given a ticket. It was a day Gilmartin said neither she nor her children will forget. "My kids still talk about it. To this day, they are still scared by it. They point out meters all the time," she said, adding that her twins point out, "Mommy, look how close that one is to the road." Online: If you have concerns about a gas meter located near a roadway, the Texas Railroad Commission encourages you to contact your local gas comany first. If your concerns are not addressed you can contact the Railroad Commission to make a formal complaint using the contact information in this link: The Texas Railroad Commission Concerned About a Gas Meter?: If you have a gas meter near a roadway that you're concerned about, email us a photo, the location and your contact information to iSee@nbcdfw.com. Half of all firefighters' injuries in 2017 were strains, sprains and muscles pains, according to the National Fire Protection Association. In Addison, firefighters are participating in a new workout regimen meant to strengthen their bodies and prevent injuries on and off the job. Two times a week, 18 Addison firefighters go REACT Neuro Rehab after their shift, where Ryan Bachik runs them through exercises meant to boost their strength, stamina and mobility. The gym, normally reserved for rehabbing patients with brain or spinal injuries, is now part of a new program with one goal: injury prevention for first responders. "What happens if they get into a building and half the stairs are gone and they have to hurdle up something, or when they get on their rigs weighing 50 to 70 pounds heavier with their gear, and then they get off on a call, they're probably not stepping off on the right way and then their knee caves in," said Bachik about how quickly and injury could occur. He came up with the idea after he learned about the frequency at which firefighters are injured. Addison Fire Chief David Jones said he didn't hesitate to join the effort, which is free to his firefighters. "A lot of times, people in public safety, they spend a lot of time and energy trying to help other people, but they neglect helping themselves sometimes and what Ryan is teaching us to do is focus on ourselves and what we need physically to be able to last for a long time in the career," Jones said. The training will last a year and is part of a clinical study with the Texas Woman's University kinesiology department. "We hope to see that they're more physically fit and see if they're more aerobically fit. We want to see if their power has increased, if their flexibility has increased because all these things are very crucial to their job performance," TWU assistant professor Rhett Rigby said. According to the city of Addison, the Addison Fire Department has been familiar with Bachik and his wife, REACT founder, Kendell Bachik, for the past five years when they called the station looking for used fire hoses to use for training at REACT. Kendell was paralyzed in a car accident on Halloween nightly nearly 10 years ago and opened REHAB to continue her recovery and help others. The tactical strength and conditioning program is designed to identify habits, as well as assess and train individuals to decrease the number of injuries and promote a healthy lifestyle with certified trainers and a wellness team. Twenty-seven Addison firefighters and 11 Addison police officers volunteered to participate in the first round of the program. Southern Baptist Convention officials cleared two of the three North Texas churches that the convention's president singled out last week for scrutiny in the wake of a sex abuse scandal. President J.D. Greear targeted 10 churches in a speech last week, saying the denomination should kick out churches that show a "wanton disregard for sexual abuse and for caring for the survivors." The three North Texas churches Greear listed were First Baptist Church in Bedford, Bolivar Baptist Church in Sanger and Arapaho Road Baptist Church in Garland. You can read the full story from our media partners at The Dallas Morning News by clicking here. Texas' highest criminal court has struck down a key provision of the state's open meeting laws as "unconstitutionally vague." The decision Wednesday by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals was swiftly criticized by open government advocates as a move that could weaken transparency in the state. The ruling strikes at part of the law aimed at preventing officials from discussing government business outside view of the public. In a 7-2 decision, the all-Republican court struck down criminal penalties that officials could face for knowingly trying to circumvent a quorum for the purpose of taking part in "secret deliberations." James Hemphill is president of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. He says the ruling removes an effective enforcement tool of the Texas Opens Meetings Act. Saying there is no evidence of widespread election fraud in Texas, a federal judge Wednesday blocked the removal of any registered voter after state Republican leaders loudly but wrongly questioned the U.S. citizenship of tens of thousands of people. The decision by U.S. District Judge Fred Biery of San Antonio temporarily halts a bungled search for illegal voters in Texas, which began in January with the release of a deeply flawed list of 98,000 voters who were flagged as possibly not being citizens. Those names were immediately referred to prosecutors, and Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton amplified the announcement as a "VOTER FRAUD ALERT." Within days, however, it emerged that the list wasn't vetted and included scores of U.S. citizens. Biery called the search a "a solution looking for a problem" and barred elections officials from asking anyone on the list to affirm their citizenship. "Notwithstanding good intentions, the road to a solution was inherently paved with flawed results, meaning perfectly legal naturalized Americans were burdened with what the Court finds to be ham-handed and threatening correspondence from the state which did not politely ask for information but rather exemplifies the power of government to strike fear and anxiety and to intimidate the least powerful among us," Biery wrote. Paxton said after the decision that the state is weighing its options. "Today's ruling involves a federal district court improperly assuming control over key aspects of the State's obligation under federal and state law to maintain the integrity of its voter rolls," he said. The decision is a victory for civil rights groups that swiftly sued after Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's new elections chief, Secretary of State David Whitley, announced that his office had compared voter rolls against a database of legal U.S. residents with state IDs. Whitley has defended the effort as "list maintenance" of the voter rolls required by law. His office said in a statement it appreciated the judge's "acknowledgment that the list maintenance process was performed in good faith." It added that Whitley met Wednesday with plaintiffs in the lawsuit to solicit feedback and make clear "that every option is on the table." The state originally claimed that 58,000 names on the list had voted in at least one election since 1996, prompting President Donald Trump to take to Twitter and renew his unsubstantiated claims of rampant voter fraud. But significantly, the Texas list failed to exclude voters who legally cast ballots only after becoming naturalized citizens. "This is an extremely important ruling to help prevent eligible voters in Texas from getting kicked off the voter rolls," said Thomas Buser-Clancy, a staff attorney for the ACLU of Texas. The fallout has jeopardized Whitley's nomination in the Texas Senate, where all 12 Democrats have come out against his confirmation. That means Whitley, a former Abbott aide who was appointed in December, likely can't get through the Republican-controlled Senate because he would need some Democrats to reach a two-third margin on the day of his confirmation vote. Biery said Whitley's office "created this mess." Only 80 of the original 98,000 names on the list have been identified as being ineligible to vote, according to his ruling. "The evidence has shown in a hearing before this Court that there is no widespread voter fraud," Biery wrote. Abbott has stood by Whitley even as Democrats last week lined up to effectively block his confirmation. Whitley can serve until the end of May without a vote. The nomination of Texas' embattled secretary of state is advancing a day after a federal judge blamed him for wrongly questioning the U.S. citizenship of tens of thousands of voters. A Senate committee voted 4-3 along party lines Thursday to send Secretary of State David Whitley's nomination to the full chamber. But Democrats have signaled they have enough to votes to ultimately reject Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's choice for chief elections officer. Whitley's future has been in jeopardy since his office released a deeply flawed list of 98,000 registered voters identified as potential non-citizens. The list stoked Republican claims of potential voter fraud but failed to exclude scores of naturalized U.S. citizens. A federal judge Wednesday ruled that Whitley "created this mess" and blocked the removal of any registered voters. Kim Jong Un was not responsible for horrific injuries sustained by American student Otto Warmbier, who died shortly after being released from 17 months of detention in North Korea, President Donald Trump said Thursday at a press conference after the nuclear summit in Hanoi collapsed, according to NBC News. "Some really bad things happened to Otto some really really bad things. But he tells me that he didn't know about it and I will take him at his word," Trump said, referring to the North Korean dictator. Warmbier, 22, was arrested for taking a propaganda banner from a hotel while on a visit to Pyongyang in January 2016. The University of Virginia student from Ohio was later sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. Warmbier's father Fred described his son being returned to them on a stretcher blind, deaf and "jerking violently making these inhuman sounds." Otto died days after his release. North Korea is one of the world's worst rights abusers and most repressive governments. California's 1,300 charter schools will soon face stricter transparency requirements under legislation pushed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. State lawmakers sent Newsom, a Democrat, the bill Thursday, on the sixth day of a teachers strike in Oakland, the second major teachers strike for California this year. California law has until now been unclear on whether charter schools must hold public meetings, respond to public records requests and adopt conflict-of-interest policies. Teachers unions have demanded more transparency and argued charter schools drain money that should go to traditional public schools. "More transparency and higher ethical standards for charters is certainly needed, but the charter schools transparency bill doesn't go far enough," said Ismael Armendariz, 1st vice president of the Oakland Education Association, in a statement. Charter schools groups are split on the measure. The California Charter Schools Association doesn't have a formal position, while the Charter School Development Center said the bill sets onerous restrictions designed to "cripple" the state's charter schools. California passed its charter school law in 1992, calling public charter schools a way to increase student opportunity, promote innovative teaching methods and provide "vigorous competition" for public schools. Beyond California, a debate has raged nationally over whether charter schools enhance student opportunities or diminish the overall quality of public schools. Beyond holding open meetings, the bill would require charter schools to adopt conflict-of-interest policies aimed at preventing board members from profiting. It says teachers can still serve on charter school boards, as many do, but may not vote on anything that would directly affect their employment. Carlos Marquez, senior vice president of the California Charter Schools Association, told The Sacramento Bee that many charter schools already open their meetings and that he hoped the law would end "falsehoods" that people who run charters are "looking to line their pockets." He praised Newsom for finding compromise. But the Charter School Development Center, another charter lobbying group, said the bill sets onerous restrictions that in some cases go beyond what's required of public schools. The conflict of interest requirements, in particular, may be difficult for charter schools to navigate, the group said on its website. A representative from the group did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment. Whether or not charter schools are subject the same transparency laws as public schools is a yearslong debate. Attorney General Xavier Becerra issued an opinion saying they were in December -- seven years after Lassen County's district attorney requested a ruling on the matter. Robert Burns, a former district attorney, didn't immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment about what prompted the question. Newsom's spokesman, Nathan Click, said the governor plans to sign the law. Similar efforts in the past died in the Legislature or were vetoed by former Gov. Jerry Brown. "The governor took a leadership role in helping get this bill to the finish line," Click said in an email. "He is pleased that this effort has received support from a broad coalition of teachers, parents, charter school supporters and open government advocates." Democratic State Sen. Connie Leyva, the bill's author, said it will provide communities and parents "fair and open access to participate in the decisions and collective missions of their charter schools." Fifteen-month-old Liam was being pushed in a stroller by his aunt in a crosswalk in Hawthorne when a 72-year-old drunken driver plowed into the two. The crash ripped through the South Bay community, and the lives of Liam's parents. Since his death, the couple has pushed to change the laws around drunken driving. Last Friday, an Inglewood assemblywoman introduced Liam's Law, pushing to lower the blood alcohol level from .08 to .05. Liam's parents, former MMA fighter Marcus Kowal and his wife Mishel Eder, fully support AB 1713. They've previously said they are hoping to eventually lower the legal blood alcohol content to 0.02 percent, like in Sweden. Assemblywoman Autumn Burke, D-Inglewood, introduced the bill Friday, citing that it could save as many as 1,500 lives each year if the national blood alcohol level was .05. Similar legislation has been passed in other states, with Utah being the first to officially lower the blood alcohol level to .05 Jan. 1. On Sept. 3, 2016, Liam's 15-year-old aunt was pushing him in a stroller when 72-year-old Donna Marie Higgins' SUV struck them, and did not stop, police said. Witnesses followed her and stopped her from running until police arrived. Liam sustained internal injuries as a result of the crash, and he was pronounced brain dead. His parents made the unbearable decision to take Liam off life support. They also donated his organs. Higgins was immediately sentenced to six years in state prison after pleading guilty to one felony count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Kowal and his wife have since been trying to change the drinking culture in the U.S., saying that in his home country of Sweden, DUI's are taken much more seriously. "I grew up in a society where drinking and driving was very looked down on," Kowal said in a previous interview with NBC4. "Here in the U.S. it is very common; many people have one, sometimes two, three, four DUI's." He and his wife have workd on a soon-to-be released documentary called "Letters to Liam" as they aim to end drunken driving. "Our fight is not with the alcohol industry; it is just about not getting behind the wheel when you've been drinking," Kowal said. The couple previously met with Gavin Newsom's chief-of-staff to help them navigate the legislative process as they try to draft a bill to lower the legal blood alcohol content in the United States from 0.08 percent to 0.04 percent. Sweden is the country with the second-fewest road traffic deaths, with a rate of 2.8 deaths per 100,000 people in 2015, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization. In 2012, the Fatality Analysis Reporting System reported that 31 percent of road traffic deaths in the United States involved alcohol. Meanwhile, the Swedish Transport Administration reported 19 percent of road traffic deaths involved alcohol in Sweden in 2013. Since the death of their first-born, Kowal and his wife have welcomed another son named Nico. For more information on the family's petition or Liam's story, visit LiamsLife.org. A Tennessee man was jailed on felony charges after appearing to dip his testicles into a container of salsa that a customer had ordered online. The delivery driver allegedly recorded it and posted a video online, "This is what you get when you give an 89 cents tip for an almost 30-minute drive." News outlets report that the passenger, 31-year-old Howard Matthew Webb, was arrested last week and charged with adulteration of food. Dinner Delivered said the food service has fired the driver and forwarded information about him to authorities as well. Webb remains behind bars pending a March 12 hearing. His arrest warrant says they picked up the food for delivery from a local Mexican restaurant. The company issued a refund for the tainted food. Torrance Police arrested three people Monday they believe may be responsible for scamming more than a dozen unsuspecting victims by slashing their tires and then offering to help them. Once the victim is distracted with one of the accused scammers, an accomplice reaches into the victims purse, often stealing cash. The elaborate shakedown involving slashing tires is targeting drivers from Glendale to the South Bay. Torrance detectives believe the man and two women they have in custody may be behind similar crimes in El Segundo, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, Beverly Hills, Glendale, Pasadena, and Los Angeles. In one of the cases in El Segundo, a woman said she was inside a bank on the 800 block of Pacific Coast Highway withdrawing money when she was targeted on Feb. 5. While driving away from the bank, she said, a man driving alongside her flagged her down, alerting her to her flat tire. When the woman pulled into a gas station to check her tire, she says that seeming good Samaritan, or someone working with him, approached her and offered to help her. While distracted, the person got into her purse and stole the thousands of dollars in cash she had just withdrawn, according to El Segundo Police. The scammers had slashed her tire while she was inside the bank and proceeded to follow her, posing as people just trying to help. Bri Haydis is another victim who spoke with NBC4. The Manhattan Beach mother found a one-inch gash on her tire when she discovered her flat tire after a recent trip to The Plaza El Segundo. She said as soon as she saw the flat, she knew it was not an accident, recalling the two men who approached her car in the parking lot. "As I got in my car, I got my seat belt and went to buckle it," Haydis said. "[I] happened to glance in the mirror and could see this man bending down behind my car." Police believe the men who tried to target Haydis are part of a crew committing this "distraction scheme" across Southern California. NBC4 obtained security footage that caught a couple in action at a Glendale shopping mall on the 200 block of N. Glendale Avenue on Feb 11. The video shows the scheme happening quickly. You see one one person run up to the victims car and slash her rear passenger tire. As the victim is knelt down checking her tire, the man goes in and steals her cash. Another person stands nearby, seemingly available to help in case the victim needs distracting. Most of the victims are women, and police are warning the public to stay alert. Police in Manhattan Beach are investigating one case where more than $10,000 were stolen using the scheme. Michael Cohen, President Donald Trumps former personal lawyer and fixer, said of the president Wednesday, He is a racist. He is a con man. And he is a cheat. Cohen testified in public before the House Oversight Committee, that Trump told him to lie about hush money paid to the pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels, said he had only suspicions but no evidence about collusion with Russia and hinted at another undisclosed investigation related to the president underway in the federal Southern District of New York. Trump dismissed Cohen in a tweet sent hours ahead of the hearing by claiming he "is lying in order to reduce his prison time." Here are a few takeaways from the testimony. Look below at how the hearing unfolded as it was covered in real time: A South Florida gymnastics instructor is behind bars on charges of possessing and compiling child pornography, and authorities are concerned there may be other victims. Hassan Jawad, 27, of Deerfield Beach, was arrested Thursday after a month-long investigation that a computer had been advertising or sharing images of child pornography since January, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office. Detectives discovered videos or images of young boys engaged in sex acts with other boys or men, authorities said. Jawad worked at Twister Gymnastics in Boca Raton at the time of his arrest. He previously worked at New England Academy of Gymnastics in Marlborough, Massachusetts, from 2015 to 2017. Detectives do not have any evidence pointing to physical victims beyond the suspect's disturbing internet searches, but because of his position and access to children, authorities want to hear from any victims or anyone who believes they are victims. "All the time that he's been here, we've never had, we've never had any indication, we've never had a parent complaint, we've never had a report of anything, I myself never suspected anything, none of the coaches ever suspected anything, so today has been really devastating and we're angry about it," said Sara Shugars, director of operations at Twister Gymnastics. Anyone with further information about the suspect should contact Det. Jennifer Mongomery at 954-888-5239. Anonymous tips can go through Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477). What to Know The family of Jassy Correia who was last seen at a Boston nightclub on Saturday night says she has been found dead in a car trunk. Thirty-two-year-old Providence resident Louis D. Coleman III had been wanted in connection with the kidnapping of Correia. Correia was seen leaving Venu Nightclub in Boston just after midnight on Sunday, getting into a red car with a man, believed to be Coleman. Family members say the body of a Massachusetts woman who was last seen at a Boston nightclub on Saturday night has been found in the trunk of a car in Delaware, where her alleged kidnapper was captured on Thursday. "We received some devastating news today and Jassy is no longer with us," Katia Depina, the cousin of Jassy Correia said on Thursday night. A Rhode Island man wanted in connection with the kidnapping of 23-year-old Jassy Correia of Lynn was taken into custody Thursday in Delaware, according to law enforcement sources. Boston Police said a body had been recovered and they were awaiting positive identification. Thirty-two-year-old Providence resident Louis D. Coleman III had been wanted in connection with the kidnapping of Correia. Providence Police said that Coleman was apprehended in Delaware and that a body was found in the trunk of his vehicle. Earlier in the day, Joel Correia told NBC10 Boston that his sister Jassy was dead. Depina said she received news from police on Thursday that the body was identified as Correia. "She was a mother, she was brave, she was strong. She did not deserve this. She went out to celebrate her birthday and never returned home. She did not deserve this," she said. "We want justice for her death." "Women should have the right to go to any nightclub and wear what they want and not worry about being kidnapped and murdered at the end of their night," said family friend Joao Depina. Family and friends say they've never heard of Coleman and don't think Correia knew him, either. Authorities said Coleman had previously been seen in the Providence area on Thursday. A search warrant was conducted at his Chestnut Street apartment, but Providence Police Chief Hugh Clements said he could not give details on what was found. Clements said the case was being treated as a homicide investigation. He said police in Providence and Boston are investigating in collaboration with the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office and the U.S. Attorney General's Office, as well as local offices of the FBI. "We don't know right now whether it will be Boston, Providence or a federal agency who eventually takes the case," Clements said. Correia, the mother of a 2-year-old girl, told her family she was going out on Saturday night and didn't respond to messages on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, which is when her family began to fear the worst. She was last seen leaving Venu Nightclub in Boston just after midnight on Sunday, getting into a red car with a man, believed to be Coleman, near Tremont Street and Herald Street. The family could not reach her on her birthday on Tuesday, and she was reported missing Wednesday. What to Know Family and friends gathered Thursday to say their final goodbyes to the pregnant mother of six who was run down in front of her family Police said a driver intentionally rammed into the family of Melissa DeLoatch after an argument last week in Garnerville DeLoatch's mother told News 4 that her only daughter had thrown herself in front of the car to shield her children and called her a 'hero' Family and friends gathered Thursday to say their final goodbyes to the pregnant 32-year-old mother of six who was run down last week in front of her family outside a New York 7-Eleven. The funeral for Melissa DeLoatch followed her wake at St. Ann's Church in Nyack Thursday morning. Loved ones, some carrying flowers, were seen crying and hugging outside the church. DeLoatch was killed when an enraged driver plowed into her and her family. DeLoatch's mother, Joan Christopher, told News 4 that her only daughter had thrown herself in front of the car to shield her children, who were all hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries along with their father. Outside the church, Brent Newbury, who lives next door to DeLoactch's parents, said what DeLoatch did to save her children was a selfless act. "Melissa and her parents would come over frequently. We would see them in the backyard playing, young kids," Newbury said. "Very happy family and it is just a shame that some minor incident in front of a convenience store would cause someone to get into a car and run a family over. It's disastrous. It really is." The man who allegedly deliberately rammed into the family outside the convenience store on Central Highway in Garnerville last Wednesday afternoon, 35-year-old Jason Mendez, has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and other crimes. Witnesses said he plowed into the family, then reversed and ran over them again, after the father asked him not to blow cigarette smoke in the kids' direction. He was arrested at gunpoint when he refused to drop a knife. A vacate order was posted on the store following the deadly wreck, and people were stopping by to leave flowers and candles. Christopher said the support is much needed as the DeLoatch children try to pick up the pieces and move in with their lives without their mother. Mendez's attorney said in court that his client had just lost his cellphone repair job a week ago. Mendez, himself, said nothing to reporters as he was led from a police car into the courthouse in handcuffs. What to Know A New Jersey resident was driving his car in East Rutherford when he hit a guardrail, flew off the road and sank into a creek The man got out of his car, swam to shore and broke into a nearby business, where he took off his wet clothing and fell asleep An employee called police after he noticed two broken windows and discovered the man inside the business A driver whose car plunged into a creek in New Jersey swam back to shore and broke into a nearby business before taking off his clothes and falling asleep, police said. Doruk Demirtas, of Palisades Park, was driving his Ford Fusion east on East Union Avenue in East Rutherford around 1:15 a.m. on Thursday when he hit a guardrail at the end of the dead-end street, East Rutherford police said. The car flew off the road and into Berrys Creek, where it sank into the water, according to police. Demirtas managed to get out of the car, swam to shore and walked west on East Union Avenue until he reached a nearby business, police said. After breaking in, Demirtas took off his wet clothing and fell asleep, according to police. An employee called police after he noticed two broken windows and discovered the man inside the business. Demirtas has been charged with fourth-degree criminal trespass. It wasnt immediately clear if he was treated for any injuries after the incident and his attorney information wasnt immediately available. Emergency responders called to the scene of the car crash confirmed that no other passengers had been in the car with Demirtas, according to police. Gerber says its newest spokesbaby is a spunky 1-year-old with "the look of wonder in her eyes," born to a Hmong immigrant family in North Carolina. The company announced Tuesday that the winner of its ninth annual photo search is 1-year-old Kairi Yang, a little girl from Hickory who sometimes makes a cute "growling" sound when she gets excited. Her parents explained on NBC's "Today Show" that she's part of an extended family that emigrated from southeast Asia. Kairi will play a key role in Gerber's social media campaign as the face of the year. Her family will also receive $50,000. Gerber's contest made headlines last year when 2-year-old Lucas Warren became the first spokesbaby with Down syndrome. This year's contest attracted a record 544,000 entries. You've probably seen the terrifying nightmare fuel: a woman's face elongated into a beak, with bug eyes and stringy black hair. You might have seen it shared on Facebook with a warning from parents or local police, accompanied by the scary story that some kids have been sent the image with a challenge to take drugs, hurt or even kill themselves. And you've seen coverage of those police warnings on NBC10 and other local news stations. But is the Momo Challenge real? And is it something you need to be concerned about? Under all the hype, it's hard to find any proof that the "challenge" is more than an urban legend. But that image has gotten plenty of attention, and it has frightened some kids. In the latest round of coverage, some parents claimed on social media that Momo messages were being inserted into children's videos on YouTube, including Peppa Pig and Fortnite videos. This led Kim Kardashian West to take to her Instagram story Tuesday with a plea asking YouTube to help. "Parents please be aware and very cautious of what your child watches on YouTube and KIDS YOUTUBE," she said. Kardashian West's Instagram has more than 129 million followers. It didn't take long for YouTube to issue a response. The company said they had seen no evidence of the challenge on its site. YouTube also noted that anything that encourages self-harm violates the platform's policies and "would be removed immediately." We want to clear something up regarding the Momo Challenge: Weve seen no recent evidence of videos promoting the Momo Challenge on YouTube. Videos encouraging harmful and dangerous challenges are against our policies. YouTube (@YouTube) February 27, 2019 The Atlantic and fact-checking website Snopes have both looked into the Momo challenge. They found no evidence that Momo pops up in Peppa Pig and found no evidence the Momo challenge has led anyone to harm themselves or to kill themselves. Despite reports of suicides, the Today show reported that so far, no law enforcement officials have reported any injuries or deaths related to the so-called challenge. But here's where things get complicated, especially for parents. Just as scary urban legends have spread at sleepovers long before the internet began (Bloody Mary, anyone?), the "Momo" image is something that many kids have heard about -- and may have seen. A guidance counselor at Central Bucks West High School is under fire for allegedly threatening protesters outside Lincoln Financial Field via a Facebook post that said she would shoot anyone who got in the way of her child attending the Eagles game. NBC10s Doug Shimell is in Doylestown with the latest. NBC10 spoke to a young New Jersey boy who was sent the photo by a classmate. The Cape May Police Department had enough concerned parents reaching out that they posted a Facebook message to parents warning, "This 'game' is believed to be a way for people to hack accounts and is psychologically manipulative towards kids and teens." Local police in Gloucester, Massachusetts posted a similar warning Tuesday. A mom in Lowell told the local NBC station that her 10-year-old had seen the image. "I said, 'Evan, do you know who this is?'" the mom said. "And he said, 'Dont show me. Dont show me.' He knew exactly who it was. He had seen it before." Just this week, Today interviewed a mom who said her three-year-old knew that Momo was the "scary lady" with "big eyes, long black hair and a white face." The Momo image is actually a cropped photo of a sculpture created by the artist Keisuke Aisawa for Japanese special-effects company Link Factory, the Atlantic reported. It's called "Mother Bird" and was displayed at a Tokyo gallery that specializes in horror art in 2016. Someone snapped photos for Instagram, a Reddit called "Creepy" picked them up -- and Momo was born, ready to alarm parents and get shared around by teens. Even if Momo is more viral than vicious, the picture can be scary. Meghan Walls, a pediatric psychologist, told NBC10 that parents should take preemptive action and gently ask their younger children if they know about the image. "Say something like, 'There's some scary things that pop up on phones and tablets, and if you ever see something like that, come get me,'" Walls said. House Democrats have ignored a veto threat and passed legislation that would stymie President Donald Trump's bid for billions of extra dollars for a U.S.-Mexico border wall. The move has escalated a clash over whether he has abused his powers to advance the signature pledge of his 2016 campaign. The House's 245-182 vote Tuesday to block Trump's national emergency declaration fell well below the two-thirds majority that would be needed to override what would be the first veto of Trump's presidency. Thirteen Republican backed the Democrats' measure as top Republicans worked to keep defections as low as possible, wanting to avoid a tally suggesting that Trump's hold on lawmakers was weakening. The issue is now before the Republican-run Senate, where there already were enough GOP defections to edge the resolution to the brink of passage. Vice President Mike Pence used a lunch with Republican senators at the Capitol to try keeping them aboard, citing a crisis at the border, but there were no signs he had succeeded. "I personally couldn't handicap the outcome at this point," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who plans a vote within the next three weeks. He even said Republicans remained uncertain about the legality of Trump's move. The showdown was forcing Republicans to cast uncomfortable votes pitting their support for a president popular with GOP voters against fears that his use of emergency powers would invite future Democratic presidents to do likewise. House Republicans who joined all voting Democrats to support the resolution included moderates from competitive districts such as Fred Upton of Michigan and libertarian-leaning conservatives like Thomas Massie from Kentucky. The White House, in a letter to lawmakers threatening a veto, said blocking the declaration would "undermine the administration's ability to respond effectively to the ongoing crisis" at the border. Republicans said Democrats were driven by politics and a desire to oppose Trump at every turn. They said Trump had authority to declare an emergency to protect the country and they defended his claims of a crisis. "We are at war on the southern border with the drug cartels," said Rep. Pete Olson, R-Texas. Trump has asserted that barriers would stop drugs from Mexico from entering the U.S. In fact, government figures show that 90 percent of drugs intercepted from Mexico are caught at ports of entry, not remote areas where barriers would be constructed. Democrats said Republicans repeatedly accused former President Barack Obama of flouting the Constitution, which gives Congress control over spending, but are ignoring Trump's effort to do the same. "Is your oath of office to Donald Trump, or is your oath of office to the Constitution?" House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., asked Republicans. Trump's push for the wall reflected a continuation of the anti-immigrant views that helped fuel his election, some Democrats said. "Since when do we call human beings in need a national emergency?" said Mexican-born Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, D-Ill. "Is he running out of insults for people like me?" Democrats said the crisis is a fiction manufactured by Trump to evade Congress' vote this month to provide less than $1.4 billion for barrier construction. That was well below the $5.7 billion Trump demanded as he forced a record-setting 35-day federal shutdown. "The president does not get to override Congress in a raucous temper tantrum over his inability to broker a deal" with lawmakers for more money, said Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, sponsor of the one-sentence measure blocking the declaration, called Trump's move "constitutional vandalism." Trump used a 1976 law to declare a national emergency and ordered the shift of $3.6 billion from military construction projects to wall building. Citing other powers, he intends to shift an additional $3.1 billion from Defense Department anti-drug efforts and a fund that collects seized assets. The money would be used to build steel barriers up to 30 feet tall and other barriers and for "law enforcement efforts," said a White House statement. In the Senate, three Republicans have said they will back Democrats' drive to block the emergency declaration: Maine's Susan Collins, Alaska's Lisa Murkowski and North Carolina's Thom Tillis. One more GOP defection would provide enough votes to approve the Democratic measure, assuming all Democrats and their independent allies back it. Republicans said senators asked Pence numerous questions about which projects Trump would divert to pay for the wall, with Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., saying the discussion was "hearty." Shelby, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which controls spending. said the committee would quickly "backfill" money for military construction with other funds he did not identify. "That issue won't stay alive long," Shelby told reporters. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the chief GOP vote counter, said there may be GOP attempts to amend the House measure, saying Republicans "think they have amendments that would improve it." That suggests that McConnell may try finding a way to add language that could sink the Democratic resolution or, perhaps, make it more palatable for Republicans. The law requires the Senate to vote on a measure within 18 days of receiving it from the House. Though presidents have declared 58 emergencies under the law, this is the first aimed at acquiring money for an item Congress has explicitly refused to finance, according to Elizabeth Goitein, co-director for national security at New York University Law School's Brennan Center for Justice. This is also the first time Congress has cast votes on whether to annul an emergency declaration, she said. Several lawsuits have been filed aimed at blocking the money, including by Democratic state attorneys general, and progressive and environmental groups. Those suits are likely to delay access to those funds for months or years. AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro and Associated Press writer Colleen Long contributed. Senate opponents of President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the Mexican border moved within a hair Thursday of having enough votes to prevail, and one Republican suggested he could face a rejection by the GOP-led chamber if he doesn't change course. Trump's move would "turn a border crisis into a constitutional crisis," veteran Sen. Lamar Alexander said on the Senate floor. But he stopped just short of saying he'd support a resolution blocking the president's move. Had Alexander pledged his vote, it would probably be enough for the Senate to pass a measure repealing the emergency declaration. Speaking later to reporters, Alexander, R-Tenn., warned about what might happen if Trump doesn't settle for using other money he can access without declaring an emergency. "He can build a wall and avoid a dangerous precedent and I hope he'll do that," Alexander said. "So that would change the voting situation if he would agree to do that." The Democratic-led House voted Tuesday to upend Trump's move, which if left standing would let him circumvent Congress and funnel billions of extra dollars to build his proposed wall. The Senate is considering the measure. Exactly what the Senate will vote on remains unclear. Several Republicans said that behind closed doors, they were considering several options for alternative language, including making it harder for future presidents to divert federal dollars to projects of their choosing by declaring emergencies. Republicans say a Senate vote is likely in two weeks. Trump has promised to veto the House-passed resolution. He confirmed that Thursday. Congress appears all but certain to lack the two-thirds majorities in each chamber that would be needed to override his veto, but the showdown carries risks for GOP lawmakers. Underscoring that, Trump warned Republicans against challenging him. While the wall and other Trump moves curbing immigration elicit wide public opposition, he remains wildly popular with hard-right voters and GOP lawmakers cross him at their peril. "I really think that Republicans that vote against border security and the wall, I think you know, I've been OK at predicting things, I think they put themselves at great jeopardy," Trump said in excerpts of an interview with Fox News Channel's "Hannity" show released Thursday. While congressional Republican are reluctant to challenge Trump, many say his move tramples Congress constitutional power to control spending. They also say it would set a precedent for future Democratic presidents to declare emergencies for their own purposes, and they worry that he would siphon money to barrier construction from home-state projects. Alexander, a three-term senator who will retire in 2021 and is known for reaching across the aisle, has no re-election worries. "I support what the president wants to do on border security, but not the way he has been advised to do it," said Alexander, 78. "It is unnecessary and unwise to turn a border crisis into a constitutional crisis about separation of powers." Presidents have declared 58 national emergencies under a 1976 law. But never has one declared an emergency after Congress had explicitly denied the money in question. GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have said they will vote to derail the emergency declaration. Just four would be needed to send the measure to Trump for his promised veto, assuming that all 47 Democrats and their independent allies vote as expected to confront the president. By law, the resolution cannot be filibustered and would need just a majority of 51 votes to pass the Senate. Congress has voted to limit spending for barriers to just under $1.4 billion. Trump featured the wall as a central plank of his presidential campaign and repeatedly said Mexico would pay for it, which hasn't happened. Trump has said he needs additional barriers to halt drugs, human traffickers and unauthorized immigrants from slipping into the U.S. Opponents say there is no crisis. The emergency declaration would let Trump divert $3.6 billion from military construction to erect more border barriers. He's invoking other authorities to transfer an additional $3.1 billion to construction. Lawsuits have been filed aimed at derailing the declaration, which could at least prevent Trump from getting the extra money for months or more. Meanwhile, Collins and three other moderate senators introduced their own resolution blocking the emergency. The proposal is identical to the one-sentence, House-approved measure. The new legislation gives the Senate and the four centrist sponsors two Republicans and two Democrats a chance to put their stamp on congressional opposition to Trump's move. The other sponsors are Sens. Tom Udall, D-N.M., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. Only Murkowski does not face re-election next year. A glass meth pipe and thong underwear found in a locked closet, a blindfold found inside a nightstand drawer, and sex toys found behind a mirror on the floor. Those are just a few of the items Livermore police detectives removed from the living quarters of Father Van Dinh inside the rectory of St. Michael Catholic Church as they investigated the priest for rape in 2017, according to a police report viewed recently by NBC Bay Areas Investigative Unit. Days before detectives served that search warrant at the church, Dinhs accuser said the priest blindfolded and raped him inside the priests bedroom. The former seminarians accusations, equal parts horrific and bizarre, were detailed in the police report. On Monday, Dinhs accuser filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of Oakland and Bishop Michael C. Barber. The plaintiff, a 26-year-old immigrant from Mexico, listed as John Doe in the lawsuit, said hes wanted to be a priest since he was a child praying the rosary every day with his family. He spoke to NBC Bay Area and asked to have his identity concealed for fear of retaliation. I did not want to be in this legal matter, Doe said. I wanted justice done. I wanted them to acknowledge that there was a crime. Dinhs case briefly made headlines in November 2017, when the Diocese announced it was placing Dinh on administrative leave after an allegation of clergy misconduct. However, the Diocese never disclosed the specific allegations against Dinh. The Livermore Police Department and the Alameda County District Attorneys Office also declined to provide those details to NBC Bay Area, only saying that no criminal charges were ever brought against Dinh. But last week, NBC Bay Areas Investigative Unit viewed records from the 2017 Livermore police investigation, which reveal the startling details leading to Dinhs suspension and ultimate resignation as pastor of St. Michael Catholic Church. New Details Emerge Doe said his troubles in the church began when he was dismissed from the Mount Angel Seminary in Oregon, run by the Diocese of Oakland, after a night out with seven other seminarians at a Portland gay bar. Doe says he was accused by another seminarian of inappropriately touching him at the bar, an allegation he denies. Doe says he was dismissed from the seminary in 2016, and given the option to reapply in two years if he continued his studies. Doe came back to the Bay Area, where he began working in two local parishes, one as a volunteer, and another as paid employee. However, Doe said he was soon dismissed from those jobs once Bishop Barber learned of his employment there. Even after they had asked me to continue to volunteer and help out in my community and parishes, I was pushed away by the very thing I wanted to be, by the leader of Diocese, Doe said. Doe told NBC Bay Area that Dinh, who he considered a trusted spiritual adviser at the time, offered to set him up with a job as a receptionist at a friends office. But before going to meet with Dinhs friend, the priest invited him for breakfast at the rectory of St. Michael, Doe said. Doe says he was lured there under false pretenses. He sat me down in a chair and gave me a gift bag, Doe said. In the gift bag he had oils, and chocolate, and underwear. He grabbed me and he said, I want to give you a massage. I was frozen. I was in shock. Doe says Dinh pushed him down on a mattress, took his clothes off, and began massaging his body with baby oil against his will. Dinh was breathing fast and started to say, Woody, Woody, whats your fantasy? the civil complaint stated. "In the past, Dinh had told Plaintiff he resembled the character Woody from the movie Toy Story. In vivid detail, Doe recounted being blindfolded, having his hands tied in front of him, and raped. I was frozen, I couldnt move, Doe said. After the ordeal was over, Doe says Dinh told him to rest in bed while he made breakfast. Thats when Doe said he ran from the rectory. Immediately after escaping Dinhs residence, Plaintiff drove to the residence of another priest and told him that Dinh had sexually abused him against his will, the civil complaint stated. The priest immediately reported the incident to Gloria Espinoza, a representative for the Diocese. According to the Livermore police report, four days would pass before the Diocese reported the alleged sexual assault to authorities. According to the report, by the time detectives attempted a pretext phone call between Doe and Dinh on November 21, the Diocese had already informed Dinh of the allegations. On 11/21/17, Doe agreed to do a pretext phone call with Father Van Dinh as I monitored the phone call, a Livermore police detective wrote in the report. Father Van Dinh told him that the Diocese had already called him and told him what [redacted] had reported to the Diocese. Father Van Dinh told Doe that he needed to call the Diocese and tell them that I didnt attack you. Father Van Dinh then told Doe that he was trying to be a good friend to him, and that Doe had asked for the massage. Father Van Dinh told Doe, I want to serve the people of the church. Please call the Diocese and [redacted] and say its not true. Sandra Ribera Speed, Does attorney, said the Diocese should have immediately reported the alleged sexual assault to police. Just because theyre over the age of consent does not mean that they consented, Ribera Speed said. Thats the issue here. There was no consent. On November 21, 2017, Livermore police served the search warrant on Dinhs residence. According to the police report, the Diocese hired an attorney for Dinh, and detectives were unable able to interview him. In December, police concluded their investigation and forwarded the case to the District Attorneys office, recommending Dinh be charged with two felonies: Sodomy by force, violence, or fear and oral copulation by force or fear. However, the Alameda County District Attorneys Office declined to file criminal charges against Dinh. Livermore PD did an amazing job, Ribera Speed said. I dont know why charges were not brought. In a statement to NBC Bay Area, the District Attorneys Office defended the decision not to charge Dinh. There are different standards of proof for a criminal prosecution and a civil lawsuit, District Attorney Spokesperson Teresa Drenick said in a written statement. In making a charging decision, the DAs Office must be able to prove that sexual contact between the two adults occurred, and that the contact was non-consensual. In this case, the charging decision was made solely on the evidence that was presented to the office. After an exhaustive review, it was determined that we could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime was committed. Dinh did not respond to NBC Bay Areas calls and texts for comment. The Diocese of Oakland sent a statement Tuesday to NBC Bay Area saying in part: The Diocese cooperated fully with the police investigation. After reviewing the results of the police investigation and the recommendation of the Diocesan Review Board, Bishop Michael Barber, SJ, asked for Father Dinhs resignation as pastor of St. Michael Parish. The resignation was accepted on June 19, 2018. Father Dinh is still on administrative leave and restricted from public ministry or presenting himself in public as a Roman Catholic priest. A Tumultuous Month for the Diocese The details of Dinhs case are surfacing during a tumultuous month for the Diocese of Oakland. The Diocese placed Father Alexander Castillo on leave at the end of January following an allegation he sexually abused a minor. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) is also calling for an investigation into whether the Diocese, which waited several days to report the Castillo allegation to police, violated Californias mandated reporter laws. And just last week, the Diocese released the names of more than 40 priests who have credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors. SNAP, which compiled its own list of priests accused of sexual assault, said the list should be about three times as long. Conspicuously absent from the Dioceses list was Father Dinh. A spokesperson for the Diocese told NBC Bay Area the list only contained the names of priests accused of abusing minors, and Dinhs accuser was an adult. The Diocese said it does not have plans to release a list of priests credibly accused of sexually abusing adults. I believe that the release of that list was pure damage control, said Tim Stier, a former priest within the Diocese of Oakland and vocal opponent of how the Catholic Church handles sexual abuse claims. Priests and bishops are taught to avoid scandal at any cost, and often, as in this case probably, it leads to the truth being muted or covered up. As the Catholic Church tries to repair its public image, Stier says there needs to be accountability for those in the upper echelon of the church. Unfortunately, I have no trust in bishops and dioceses in terms of being honest about this stuff, Stier said. Doe, who said he can no longer envision a life in the church for himself, echoed Stiers sentiment. The Diocese needs to be held accountable, he said. A lieutenant at U.S. Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C., is under arrest for weapons violations and stands accused of plotting a major attack and creating a list of targets who are Democrats and media personalities. In charging documents first posted by George Washington Universitys Seamus Hughes and the News4 I-Team, federal prosecutors say 49-year-old Christopher Paul Hasson, of Silver Spring, Maryland, had illegal weapons and was collecting a list of names when he was arrested Friday. Prosecutors wrote Hasson is a domestic terrorist who intends to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country and must be detained. The feds shared images of a firearms stockpile in Hassons basement apartment. They say internet searches show he was targeting top Democrats and created an Excel spreadsheet list of names, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sens. Tim Kaine, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Richard Blumenthal, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former Rep. Beto ORourke. The list also included top names in media, like MSNBCs Chris Hayes and Joe Scarborough and CNNs Don Lemon. Law enforcement sources told NBC News the feds caught on to Hasson because of searches made on his work computer. He is accused of searching the following phrases on Google the morning of Jan. 17: what if trump illegally impeached, best place in dc to see congress people, where in dc to congress people live, civil war if trump impeached and social democrats usa. His search history also included searches for pro-Russian and neo-fascist literature. Hasson routinely read portions of a manifesto written by Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik that prosecutors said instructs would-be assailants to collect firearms, food, disguises and survival tools, court papers said. Breivik, a right-wing extremist, is serving a 21-year sentence for killing 77 people in a 2011 bomb-and-shooting rampage. Prosecutors allege that Hasson visited thousands of websites that sold guns and researched military tactical manuals on improvised munitions. In a deleted email subfolder, authorities found a draft by Hasson saying, I am dreaming of killing almost every last person on the earth. I think a plague would be most successful Start with biological attacks followed by attack on food supply. In a draft of a letter apparently intended for a known white supremacist leader, Hasson identified himself as a white nationalist for more than 30 years who advocated focused violence to create a white homeland, according to charging documents. The chief at the federal defender's office in Maryland, which is representing Hasson, declined to comment on the allegations. The Coast Guard did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Hasson's arrest. No one answered the door Wednesday at the home address for Hasson listed in public records. Hasson also is charged with possession of a controlled substance. He appeared to be a chronic user of the opioid painkiller Tramadol and had purchased a flask filled with four ounces of "synthetic urine" online, prosecutors said. Authorities suspect Hasson had purchased fake urine to use in case he was randomly selected for a drug test. He is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt Thursday afternoon. Wall sections built more than a year ago as examples of a border wall between U.S. and Mexico were in the process of being removed Wednesday. SkyRanger7 captured aerial video of a construction crew dismantling a third prototype while two others lay in pieces. On Tuesday, one worker was drilling into one of the border wall prototypes standing just north of the current border fence and east of the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Last week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said the prototypes will need to be removed to make way for fencing that will replace existing fencing along the border. Crews are working to replace about 12-and-a-half miles of the secondary fencing and add an additional one-and-a-half mile of brand new secondary fencing at a cost of $131 million. The steel bollard fence will stand 30 feet high, double the size of the fencing that's been in place since 1997. Construction of the border wall prototypes was completed in late October 2017 and President Trump visited the area to view the designs in person the following March. A report released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in September suggested the prototypes were able to be breached when tested. They also found there would be "extensive" or "substantial" challenges building the prototypes on the type of terrain found along the southwest border. For the two years that the prototypes were up, we've done a lot of testing," Justin Casterjon, Public Information Officer with the CBP, said. "A lot of information was collected so what we've collected and learned from these prototypes, we're now applying to the secondary border wall that is being put in place. While no single prototype was selected as the best design for a border wall, Department of Homeland Security officials told NBC 7 there were features of several prototypes that may be incorporated into future fencing or border barriers. The existing barriers along the southwest border of the U.S. vary between bollard-style fencing on the ground or on top of a levee wall as well as bollards spaced to be a barrier for vehicle traffic and wire mesh-style fencing. The most important design aspect, according to Casterjon, is that the barrier should be one that CBP can see through. They determined they needed a stronger type of material so that the secondary fence could not be breached as easily as the current fence using cordless power tools. CBP also found that the most effective height is 30 feet, which will "allow agents more time to assess a threat or a breach and be able to respond to that area accordingly," according to Casterjon. A report released in July by the U.S. Government Accountability Office stated that CBP awarded six companies orders to design and construct eight barrier prototypes. The cost of those orders was a total value of over $3 million. Four were made from reinforced concrete while four included other materials. The cost of the demolition was factored into the original $5 million budget for President Trumps prototype walls. NBC 7 Investigates reported the breakdown of the costs of the prototype project to the region. Local law enforcement officials were concerned about potential disruptions or protests in the area while construction companies were building prototypes. The bulk of the costs to both the city and the county was for overtime pay of law enforcement officers used to secure the area near the border while the prototypes were being built. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department reported $700,000 in overtime costs in connection with the border wall prototype project. NBC 7 obtained records showing the city of San Diego spent $278,000 to protect the prototypes during construction. A man accused of purposefully flooding an entire eight-story apartment complex in Little Italy Monday now faces dozens of charges for assault and destruction of property. Francisco Morales faces 45 counts of vandalism and eight counts of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, according to court documents. The vandalism charges account for instances where the damages exceeded $400. I thought it was a terrorist act at first, honestly. It was that crazy. It seemed like someone was trying to kill everybody in there. Yeah, it could have been way worse than it was, said Ryan Lange, a resident at the Eighteen Ten State St. apartment complex. The total damage was estimated to cost $800,000 to $1 million, according to prosecutors. The presiding judge called Morales an extreme danger given the callousness of his alleged conduct. A man was arrested after police accused him of flooding a Little Italy apartment complex. NBC 7's Artie Ojeda has more. Morales, 37, denied that he had mental health issues after his attorney said his family suggested he might. Police did not provide a possible motive for the reported vandalism, according to Billy Hernandez with the San Diego Police Department. No residents who spoke with NBC 7 were familiar with Morales. They couldn't think of a reason anyone would want to flood the building, and they also questioned how Morales got into the complex because residents use a security badge. Morales has no previous criminal record, according to SDPD. Prosecutors did not give out any details about possible injuries to any of the tenants in the flooding, but they did say at least 45 units were impacted and 200 people were forced to move out. Residents at the apartment complex, located near the corner of State Street and Elm Street, were surprised to find, at times, waist-high water. https://www.instagram.com/p/BuZ93a7D8 Shocking video obtained by NBC 7 showed the buildings stairwell filled with water rushing from seemingly every direction. Water also covered the floor of the parking area underneath the building. Some hallways were seen with pooling water that rose to the middle of residents shoes, while another hallway was seen with several feet of water. Lange told NBC 7 he had to swim through ice-cold water to evacuate the apartment complex. Multiple fans were placed around the building after most of the water was drained to begin drying out the apartments. Some tenants have been wondering if theyll be compensated for their damaged property. McMillin Little Italy LLC said it is consulting with its insurance company and will continue to assess the damages and come up with a plan for repairs. Property Manager Alliance Residential released the following statement: Thank you to everyone for following the appropriate procedures to quickly vacate your homes in the aftermath of the flooding that occurred in the early morning hours on Monday. We are grateful that, due to your quick response and the immediate actions of the firefighters and police officers who responded to the emergency call, no injuries were reported. The incident is under investigation and we are cooperating fully with the local authorities. Once they have completed their investigation, we will contact residents should any information need to be shared. Overall, the safety and wellbeing of our residents is our top priority and we are keeping in close contact with our remediation team so that we can provide updates as we have them directly to each of you regarding your individual homes. We thank you for your patience and understanding at this time. Morales bail was set at $1 million. President Donald Trump said he walked away from his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un because Kim demanded the U.S. lift all of its sanctions, a claim that North Korea's delegation called a rare news conference in the middle of the night to deny. So who's telling the truth? In this case, it seems that the North Koreans are. And it's a demand they have been pushing for weeks in lower-level talks. Trump's much-anticipated meeting with Kim, held in the Vietnamese capital Wednesday and Thursday, ended abruptly and without the two leaders signing any agreements. Trump spoke with reporters soon after the talks broke down and said the dispute over sanctions was the deal breaker. "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that," he said. "We had to walk away from that." Hours later, two senior members of the North's delegation told reporters that was not what Kim had demanded. They insisted Kim had asked only for partial sanctions relief in exchange for shutting down the North's main nuclear complex. Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said the North was also ready to offer in writing a permanent halt of the country's nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests. Vice Foreign Minister Choe Sun Hui said Trump's reaction puzzled Kim and added that Kim "may have lost his will (to continue) North Korea-U.S. dealings." The State Department then clarified the U.S. position. According to a senior official who briefed the media on condition he not be named because he was not authorized to discuss the negotiations publicly, the North Koreans "basically asked for the lifting of all sanctions." But he acknowledged the North's demand was only for Washington to back the lifting of United Nations Security Council sanctions imposed since March 2016 and didn't include the other resolutions going back a decade more. What Pyongyang was seeking, he said, was the lifting of sanctions that impede the civilian economy and the people's livelihood as Ri had claimed. The U.N. Security Council has imposed nearly a dozen resolutions targeting North Korea, making it one of the most heavily sanctioned countries in the world. So Kim was indeed seeking a lot of relief including the lifting of bans on everything from trade in metals, raw materials, luxury goods, seafood, coal exports, refined petroleum imports, raw petroleum imports. But Kim wasn't looking for the lifting of sanctions on armaments. Those were imposed earlier, from 2006, when the North conducted its first nuclear test. For Pyongyang, that's a key difference. While it claims that its nuclear weapons are needed for self-defense, it was offering to at least for the time being accept sanctions directly related to nuclear weapons and missile technology. But the North has always considered the imposition of sanctions on other areas of trade even more nefarious and was singling them out as their negotiation point. The State Department official said Trump and his negotiators deemed that to be a bridge too far because they had already determined that lifting the post-2016 sanctions would be worth "many, many billions of dollars" for the North and could essentially be used to fund their continued nuclear and missile programs. So it was definitely a robust demand. But it wasn't, as Trump claimed, all the sanctions. It also didn't come as a surprise. He said the North had been pushing that demand for weeks in lower-level talks. Even so, both sides seemed determined to put a good face on the summit, which Trump said was generally friendly and constructive. In a much softer tone than the officials at the late-night news conference, the North's state-run media made no mention of Trump's decision to walk away without any agreements and indicated that the North was looking ahead to more talks. "The top leaders of the two countries appreciated that the second meeting in Hanoi offered an important occasion for deepening mutual respect and trust and putting the relations between the two countries on a new stage," it said. "They agreed to keep in close touch with each other for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the epochal development of the DPRK-U.S. relations in the future." It said Kim expressed his thanks to Trump for making positive efforts for the successful meeting and talks "while making a long journey and said goodbye, promising the next meeting." A Massachusetts woman who allegedly assaulted a man wearing a Make America Great Again hat at a restaurant in Falmouth is in custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and due to be deported. Authorities said Rosiane Santos, 41, is "an unlawfully present citizen of Brazil." "Santos is currently facing local charges for assault and other offenses. She is presently in ICE custody and has been entered into removal proceedings before the federal immigration courts," read a statement from John Mohan, a public affairs officer for ICE's Boston office. Santos pleaded not guilty last week in Falmouth District Court to charges of assault and battery and disorderly conduct for an incident the evening of Feb. 15. Police said they were called to the Casa Vallarta on Davis Straits Road, where Bryton Turner had been minding his own business when Santos began to verbally assault him due to the MAGA hat he was wearing. Turner began to record the incident with his phone saying, "Ignorant people like this. I'm just trying to sit here, eat a nice meal." In the video, Santos can be seen walking up behind him and pulling the hat off his head. Court documents show when police asked Santos why she did it, she said it was because he supports President Donald Trump and she allegedly called Turner an expletive. "That's the problem with America these days. People are just ignorant. They want to lash out on people who are educated," Turner said in the video. Police said when Santos was arrested, her eyes were "bloodshot and glassy". While walking her out of the bar, she allegedly hit Turner in the head. Santos had been released on her own recognizance but was then taken into ICE custody Tuesday. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is skewing facts when it comes to Republican congressional efforts to stem the type of election malfeasance recently seen in North Carolina. The Kentucky Republican on Tuesday accused Democrats of resisting GOP efforts over the years to address "voter fraud." That's misleading. The GOP efforts McConnell refers to have focused on requiring voter ID, which has no effect in stopping the alleged mail-in ballot fraud seen in North Carolina. A look at the claim: McCONNELL: "Now, for years and years, every Republican who dared to call for commonsense safeguards for Americans' ballots was demonized by Democrats and their allies. We were hit with left-wing talking points insisting that voter fraud wasn't real. That fraud just didn't happen. That modest efforts to ensure that voters are who they say they are and are voting in the proper place were really some sinister right-wing plot. As you might expect, now that an incident of very real voter fraud has become national news and the Republican candidate seems to have benefited, these long-standing Democrat talking points have quieted. ...I've been focused for decades on protecting the integrity of our elections." remarks in the Senate on Tuesday. THE FACTS: McConnell suggested the election debacle in North Carolina could have been prevented by Republican efforts, including his own, to fight "voter fraud" with voter ID laws, and he blamed Democrats for inaction on the issue. But the longtime Republican drive to require people to show identification when they show up to vote is not on point to what happened in North Carolina. The case of malfeasance involving Republican Mark Harris' congressional campaign in November focused on absentee mail-in ballot fraud, not voter impersonation at the ballot box. Voter IDs are powerless to stop mail-in ballot fraud; North Carolina already has a voter ID law in place and the ballot issues involving Harris happened anyway. The North Carolina State Board of Elections last week ordered a new election in the district, citing the voting improprieties. According to testimony during a state elections board hearing, Harris hired political operative Leslie McCrae Dowless Jr., who collected absentee ballots from voters by offering to put them in the mail. Some of Dowless' associates testified they collected blank or incomplete ballots, then forged signatures and filled in votes for local candidates. Dowless was arrested Wednesday on criminal charges over his collection of absentee ballots. McConnell is correct that Republicans and Democrats in Congress have debated election security for years. The Republican efforts in Congress have centered on voter ID laws, including an amendment McConnell unsuccessfully offered in 2007 to require ID to help prevent noncitizens from voting at the ballot box. Democrats have opposed voter-ID laws as unnecessarily restrictive for nonwhites, the poor and young people, who tend to vote Democratic. President Donald Trump himself typically points to a need for voter ID when addressing voter fraud. Last month he cited alleged problems in Texas as the "tip of the iceberg," and tweeted, "Must be stopped. Strong voter ID!" He also inaccurately asserted last November that photo ID is required "if you do anything" such as buying a box of cereal, but not for voting. A spokeswoman for McConnell, Stephanie Penn, said the Senate majority leader was seeking to make a broader point about voting fraud. She said Democrats have been hesitant about addressing "ballot harvesting" the type of fraud alleged to have happened in North Carolina in a voting rights bill in the House. The actual number of election fraud cases is very small, and the type that voter IDs is designed to prevent voter impersonation at the ballot box is virtually nonexistent. A 2012 report by News21, a reporting project affiliated with Arizona State University, found 2,068 cases of election fraud in the United States since 2000. Ten of those cases involved voter impersonation, or 1 out of every 15 million prospective voters. Mail-in absentee fraud was more common, with 491 cases. None of those instances affected the outcome of an election. In court cases that have invalidated some ID laws as having discriminatory effects, election officials could barely cite a case in which a person was charged with in-person voting fraud. President Donald Trump cut his losses at his second summit with North Korean despot Kim Jong Un on Thursday, leaving the negotiating table with nothing more than he arrived with, NBC News reported. What Trump may have sacrificed in prestige and effort is dwarfed by what he and the country might have lost if he made the concessions that Kim was seeking in order to strike a deal. Trump said the sticking points were that North Korea wanted all U.S. sanctions lifted, too high an asking price for denuclearizing "a large portion of the areas that we wanted." The summit was "an outright failure," tweeted Victor Cha, the Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. But "Trump made the right decision to push for more than minimal steps and take no deal over a bad deal." Fifty years ago, Glendell Hill became the first black police officer for the predominately white Manassas City Police Department. Since then, he's served his community, breaking barriers and inspiring a new generation of police officers. "There were no black employees that worked for the town at all," Hill said. He said because of his race he couldn't find a place to live in Manassas City, Virginia, when he began as a police officer in 1969. "There was still segregation at the time and I could only live a couple places in Manassas," Hill said. Decades later, Hill has served as the sheriff for Prince William County for 15 years. In addition to being the first black officer and sheriff for the area, he is the first black person elected to a county-wide position. Cpt. Tina Laguna credits him for opening doors for a new generation of police officers, including herself. "Hearing about this man and the things he did, and knowing the barriers he had to break, and the path he had to go through," she said. "And then, so many years later, I come through and I'm at the same police department." Laguna is the first assistant chief of the Manassas Police Department and the first black woman to rise to the second highest position in the department. The same position Hill started 50 years ago. Hill said in order to break racial barriers, he had to be the best police officer he could be. "When you help people, they will never forget you," Hill said. "They don't care about what color you are or where you come from." Virginia's first lady apologized Wednesday after a state employee reportedly told lawmakers and the governor's office that Pam Northam handed out cotton to the woman's daughter and another black child during a recent tour of the governor's mansion, NBC News reported. "I regret that I have upset anyone," Northam said. "I am still committed to chronicling the important history of the Historic Kitchen, and will continue to engage historians and experts on the best way to do so in the future." Northam had asked the children to imagine picking cotton as enslaved Africans, according to The Washington Post. Leah Dozier Walker wrote that Northam's actions "do not lead me to believe that this Governors office has taken seriously the harm and hurt they have caused African Americans in Virginia." Gov. Ralph Northam's office said the two students were not singled out, which was verified by another parent of a student present. The incident comes in the wake of the governor's own blackface scandal. A mother left her baby unattended in an SUV as she went inside a Maryland gas station Tuesday afternoon, and the vehicle was stolen seconds later with the baby inside. The child was found abandoned but safe about a half-mile away in D.C., but the hunt for two suspects and the stolen vehicle is ongoing, police said. Police are searching for a dark gray 2013 Chevrolet Traverse with the Maryland license plate 4CM8301. It has a "baby on board" sign. The SUV was taken from the Valero station in the 5600 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Highway, on the D.C.-Maryland border. Police were called at about 2:45 p.m. The child's mother got out to go into the gas station's store, leaving the little girl in the SUV with the engine running. While she did, two strangers jumped into the unattended vehicle and drove off, Seat Pleasant Police Chief Devan Martin said in an update. A gas station worker said he saw it happen. "The guy, he just jumped into the car and run the car," he said. He asked News4 not to reveal his identity. The mother was horrified, the worker said. "She cried a lot. She was like, mad. She was not able to talk," he said. Seat Pleasant police were about to put out an Amber Alert, and notified Prince George's County police and D.C. police of the search. But then they got a call about a baby found in a car seat. Two women who work at a funeral home about a half-mile northwest, at 57th and Eads streets in Northeast D.C., saw the baby. Brianna Dunne and Grace Murray said they went to the window because they heard loud music. They said they saw the SUV stop, someone take out the car seat and drive off. They raced downstairs to help. "We jumped over everything," Murray said. "Flew down the steps. I probably missed five or six steps." "She did. I thought she was Superwoman," Dunne said. They called police, and officers rushed to the child to reunite her with her mother. She and the child were evaluated by medics. Anyone who sees the SUV is asked to call police. Stay with News4 for more details on this developing story. A New Hampshire heating oil company says someone stole one of their delivery trucks, just about two weeks after a service van was also stolen. When Manchester police located ABSCO Heating's oil truck Thursday morning in a parking lot on South Willow Street, owner Elaine Cady told authorities there did not appear to be any damage to the vehicle. Cady said the 2,000 gallons of heating oil appeared to be untouched but a few hand tools inside the truck were missing. Two weeks ago, Cady said a company van was stolen, but it was brought back and parked in the area of where the truck was stolen. She says the thief tried to paint over the van's company logo. ABSCO Heating officials say they are now looking to install cameras for its truck and vehicle storage. Winter weather advisories are expiring early Thursday morning. A bit of less cold air is coming in for the next couple of days. A general 2-to-5 inches of snow fell overnight, some higher amounts at a few of the ski resorts. And for a change, there was no mix with sleet or freezing rain. Also for a change, central and northern Maine did not get the snow. It was western and southern New England, including much of New Hampshire and parts of southern Maine that got the nice dry snow. Its pretty and fairly easy to deal with, thanks to the low density and lack of wind. The weak low-pressure system is moving out to sea Thursday with increasing sunshine for western and northern New England. However, snow showers and flurries may continue, especially in eastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod in the Islands. High temperatures Thursday in the 20s to low 30s from north to south with light variable wind. Another weak low-pressure system should mostly miss to our south Friday. That should leave us with fair skies Thursday night and a good amount of sunshine, especially north Friday. Low temperatures overnight once again in the single numbers and teens. High temperatures Friday near 30 degrees north, and closer to 40 degrees south. The weather pattern remains incredibly active with one storm system after another crossing the nation. The trick to getting the forecast right is trying to time and place each individual low pressure system along the east coast. On Saturday, were going to a strengthening storm moving into Ontario, and also a storm developing over the ocean south of New England. The two bay bridge the gap between, resulting in sunshine giving way to the possibility of snow, or rain near the coast, by late in the day. Temperatures similar, near 30 degrees north, and 40 degrees south. We may get a period of snow, or a wintry mix changing to snow, Saturday night into early Sunday. A few inches seem likely for the ski areas, and maybe a coating right to the coast. [NATL] Extreme Weather Photos: Record Heat Threatens Europe We should have slow clearing Sunday, with colder air in the 30s, falling to the 20s late. Yet another low pressure system moves off the coast south of New England Sunday night and Monday. That means another chance for snow, or a wintry mix near the coast. Timing looks to be Sunday night and Monday. This one could be a little bit more significant perhaps resulting in some cancellations and delays due to snow cover Monday morning. Temperatures are going to be pretty cold next week, likely in the 20s to low 30s, with the threat of additional snow every other day or so. Stay ahead of it with our First Alert 10-Day Forecast. A community and fire station are in mourning after a 45-year veteran of the Marion Fire Department died less than 24 hours after battling a fire Tuesday. Officials say firefighter Thomas Nye, 72, helped extinguish a chimney fire on Point Road shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday and then returned to his Massachusetts home. He suffered what is believed to be a cardiac incident and collapsed early Wednesday morning. He was transported to Tobey Hospital in Wareham where he was pronounced dead. Chief Brian Jackvony said the very same firefighters that worked with Nye at the chimney fire were the ones to respond to his house Wednesday for a man down. Nye lived less than two minutes away from the fire station, and his nephew Christopher says he always gave his heart and soul. "He was here at six o clock at night, at two o clock in the morning. He was always the first guy in the engine, start it up, wait for us to get here," said Nye's nephew, who serves as a captain on the department. Nye, who was set to head to Florida with his wife on Thursday for a couple of months, had served as a call firefighter since his appointment on Jan. 14, 1974. "Firefighter Nye was a proud firefighter who served our community with distinction. We are a call fire department, and Firefighter Nye anchored our Station 2 during the day. While many of our younger firefighters are working their private jobs, he was always available when people needed help," Chief Jackvony said. "We are all feeling the loss of our friend and brother firefighter today." Firefighter Nye was a Vietnam veteran and worked as an automotive mechanic in his private and military careers. The fire department says he was always helping with station maintenance and could be counted on to swing a hammer or paintbrush whenever necessary. Nye leaves behind his wife of 53 years, two sons, five grandchildren and a great-granddaughter. His wife, Patricia, and sons, Thomas Jr. and Andrew, issued a statement, saying, "Tom lived a full, active and proud life. He loved his family endlessly and adored his five grandchildren, Christopher, Hailey, Camryn, Lily and Piper and his great granddaughter Madison. Tom was a gentle soul who would have done anything for those he cared about. He was born and raised in Marion and was part of a proud firefighting tradition in his family. He also served in the Vietnam War and regarded his military service with tremendous pride. We are heartbroken for the loss of a great husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother and friend whose memory will remain forever in our hearts." The extended Nye family has a long and proud history of service in the Marion Fire Department and in the town government, boards and committees, including his nephew. "You would be hard pressed to find a Marion resident who has not heard of or know a member of the Nye family," Town Administrator Paul Dawson said. "On behalf of the entire community, I wish to offer my heartfelt sympathy to Firefighter Nye's family and I extend my unending gratitude to the Nye family for their tireless service to Marion." The Nye family has requested privacy but offers their "heartfelt gratitude to everyone at the Marion Fire Department and all of Tom's friends and colleagues in the Marion community and beyond who have offered their condolences and support during this difficult time." Nye's body will be brought Thursday to the medical examiner's office in Sandwich for an autopsy. Arrangements are still being made at this time, but a funeral with full fire department and military honors is anticipated. A 52-year-old MassDOT employee was injured early Thursday after he was hit by a stolen car driven by an alleged OUI driver in Revere, Massachusetts. The incident happened shortly after midnight near Route 1's Sargent Street exit, according to authorities. The employee was assisting state police at an earlier OUI crash when he was hit by a stolen car. The victim's pickup truck had its arrow board lit at the time of the crash, according to officials. He was taken to Melrose-Wakefield Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The suspect, Matthew Ricco Tyre, 29, of East Boston, allegedly tried to flee the scene on foot after the crash but was caught by a state trooper. Tyre is accused of carjacking a 2017 Honda Civic from an Uber driver when he was a passenger in the rideshare. The carjacking happened in the area of Route 1 at Route 16 in Revere, state police said. Tyre was arrested and was arraigned later in the day on charges of carjacking, OUI drugs, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery on a police officer and negligent operation. Prosecutors say the whole ordeal started when Tyre began drinking from his bottle of Johnny Walker Whisky. "The defendant offered the Uber driver a drink," said Assistant District Attorney Breanna Arsenault. When the driver refused, Tyre allegedly splashed whiskey on him. "The defendant began yelling that he was the son of a law enforcement officer and could do whatever he wanted," said Arsenault. Sitting in court was Tyre's father, a retired Chelsea Police lieutenant. He had nothing to say about the charges against his son. "While he was trying to be secured in the cruiser, the defendant kicked the trooper multiple times," said Arsenault. Investigators say Tyre had bloodshot and glassy eyes, blurred thick-tongued speech and dilated pupils. He allegedly admitted to having four drinks in one hour and some Adderall. "This is an absolute oboration. This man has never been in any trouble at all," said Tyre's attorney who said his client is under psychiatric care. Bail was set at $20,000. It's unclear when his next court date is. Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage says elimination of the electoral college would hurt "white people." LePage told WVOM-AM that replacing the electoral college with a popular vote for president would give minorities more power and "white people will not have anything to say." The Republican made the remark during a wide-ranging discussion. LePage said elimination of the electoral college would mean there's never another presidential candidate from small states "Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Wyoming, Montana, Rhode Island." "Why dont we just adopt the constitution of Venezuela and be done with it? Lets have a dictator because that's really what you're gonna boil down to," LePage said. "What would happen if they do what they say they're gonna do, white people will not have anything to say. Its only going to be the minorities who would elect. It would be California, Texas, Florida." This isn't the first time LePage has injected race into a discussion. While governor, he blamed out-of-state, minority dealers for bringing drugs into Maine and added that those out-of-staters often impregnate "young, white" girls while in Maine. Procession plans have been announced for a Massachusetts firefighter who died less than 24 hours after battling a blaze. Officials say Marion firefighter Thomas Nye, 72, helped extinguish a chimney fire on Point Road shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday and then returned to his home. He suffered what is believed to be a cardiac incident and collapsed early Wednesday morning. He was taken to Tobey Hospital in Wareham, where he was pronounced dead. Nye's body was transported from the hospital Thursday morning to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Mashpee to undergo an autopsy. A procession of firefighters and fire engines accompanied his body. Fire Chief Brian Jackvony said following the autopsy, Nye's body will be taken in a procession from the medical examiner's office to Saunders-Dwyer Funeral Home in Mattapoisett Thursday afternoon. Funeral plans have not been announced. Nye, who was set to head to Florida with his wife on Thursday for a couple of months, had served as a call firefighter since his appointment in January of 1974. "Firefighter Nye was a proud firefighter who served our community with distinction. We are a call fire department, and Firefighter Nye anchored our Station 2 during the day. While many of our younger firefighters are working their private jobs, he was always available when people needed help," Chief Jackvony said. "We are all feeling the loss of our friend and brother firefighter today." Nye leaves behind his wife of 53 years, two sons, five grandchildren and a great-granddaughter. The Nye family has requested privacy but offers their "heartfelt gratitude to everyone at the Marion Fire Department and all of Tom's friends and colleagues in the Marion community and beyond who have offered their condolences and support during this difficult time." The Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is trying to track down the suspect they say is responsible for sexually assaulting a dog in Woonsocket. Animal cruelty investigator Joe Warzycha said the RISPCA received a call from Ocean State Veterinary Specialists in East Greenwich on Feb. 16 when a Corgi-Labrador mix was brought to them with "pretty significant" injuries. "(the) dog is still being treated and monitored at one of the local hospitals," said Warzycha. He told WJAR-TV the person who brought in the 4-year-old female dog identified a potential suspect in a Woonsocket apartment. The RISPCA was able to get a search warrant to enter the apartment and obtain DNA evidence of one suspect but according to WJAR-TV, that suspect told authorities his roommate was likely to blame for the assault. Warzycha said the second suspect later left for New York and is now refusing to submit DNA. The RISPCA is using forensic technology and working with Green County sheriff's department in New York as part of their investigation. "It's still ongoing, it will be unfortunately a few weeks before we have any answers," said Warzycha. Vodafone, AWE and Gamma recognised for achievement Vodafone UK human resources director Adam Parsons TWO of West Berkshires largest employers have been featured on the Sunday Times 25 Best Big Companies to work for list, while a third is among the Top 100 Best Mid-Sized Companies to work for. Vodafone, which has its UK headquarters in Newbury, jumped from 18th place to seventh on the list, while AWE, in Aldermaston and Burghfield, entered the list at number 24. The Best Big Companies award is open to companies with 3,000-plus full-time employees, with those achieving the highest Best Companies Index (BCI) scores featuring in the top 25. Last month, Vodafone announced that it intends to commit 10m investment to its Newbury campus, as well as a net gain of 600 staff, creating a technology and digital nerve centre of the future in the area. AWE, which designs and manufactures warheads for the UKs nuclear deterrent, made the list due to its commitment to flexible working, an innovative working environment and world-class apprenticeship opportunities. Vodafone UK human resources director Adam Parsons said: It is thanks to the commitment, hard work and motivation of our Vodafone UK team that we are now among the top 10 best big companies in the Sunday Times 25 Best Big Companies to Work For in the UK. To be recognised for giving something back and the most improved big company is also great news: AWE chief executive Iain Coucher said: We have put a great deal of time and effort into driving leadership development and general engagement throughout the company. We are really seeing the benefits of this work and our ongoing focus on employee engagement. We have seen significant improvements, not only in survey sentiment but in the level of response 77 per cent in our most recent survey. Building an effective and high-performing organisation requires a huge investment in time and resource. It takes time, but quietly, steadily and systematically we are seeing change happen. We want people to feel engaged because then they are connected to each other and to the business. It means that people understand how they are contributing, the part they play in successes and achievements and this builds stronger working cultures. It engenders pride, excellence and trust all fundamental to our way of working. We have a unique and responsible mission to fulfil and having an engaged workforce is key in its delivery. Also making the list of the Top 100 Best Mid-Sized Companies to work for is Newbury-based Gamma. The company, whose offices are in Kings Road West, provides telecommunications services for the business market. Gamma human resources director Pam Williams said: Its quite amazing to be recognised for the seventh year now. We really take pride in our employee engagement here at Gamma, making sure were hiring the best talent in telecoms and looking after our people. Being in the Top 100 Best Companies to Work For is an achievement to be so proud of its a real stamp of quality. West Berkshire Councils executive member for economic development James Fredrickson (Con, Victoria) said: Were thrilled to see West Berkshires businesses on this prestigious list. As a council, we are working hard to create a fantastic environment in which to do business, which will be a focus of our new Economic Development Strategy. Weve currently got 9,000 businesses in West Berkshire, from creative independents to world leading innovators, and its our priority to help them to grow and succeed. People are clearly proud to work for the companies that made this list, which is a key part of a happy, inclusive workplace. This is yet another reason why West Berkshire is a great place to live, work and learn. BETHEL Downes Construction Company sent a contractor Wednesday to examine the water leaking in the firing range at the towns new police station. The leak potentially caused by water trapped in the panels of a wall isnt the only problem at the $14.4 million building, which opened in October. Its trim boards are already cracking and a handful of items are unfinished. Members of the Public Site and Building Committee said this week they are frustrated with Downes slow progress at finishing the remaining work, which range from the lights that illuminate the flagpole to a critical railing for a retaining wall. Josh Adams, chairman of the building committee, said they have held off paying Downes for the last three months, but it was ineffective. Its still not helping the situation, he said at a committee meeting Tuesday night. Were at a point where we maybe need to pass it along to the town attorney and look at what leverage we have. Downes has come to the headquarters little by little over the past few months to complete the work, Adams said. The whole momentum of the project has significantly fallen to the wayside, he said. Its slowed right down getting this final pass completed. The committee had hoped Downes would come to its Tuesday evening meeting, but a representative from the construction company was only available by phone. Downes did not return requests for comment from Hearst Connecticut Media. The new police headquarters has long been controversial, with voters initially narrowly rejecting a 2014 proposal to build a new station and then a year later approving a less expensive, $13.5 million plan. But last year the building ran about $889,000 over its budget, leaving residents to approve additional money so the headquarters could be completed. Officers moved in a couple months later than the goal. First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker said the leaking in the range is his biggest worry, but he is not as concerned about the other problems. Its kind of an annoying end-of-project thing, but Downes is a good company, he said. The building committee is working very diligently and were trying to wrap it up. Well get this taken care of. Im not particularly worried. He said it is normal for items to be incomplete long after a building is opened. This happened with the high school project, while the contractor for the renovations to the South Street firehouse had to be dismissed because of problems at the end of the project, Knickerbocker said. He said he does not expect the latter would happen with the police station and that the town will not need to spend any more money. Im confident the building committee and the builder will be able to work it out successfully, Knickerbocker said. Meanwhile, the trim boards in some parts of the building are cracking, with gaps forming between the boards. Adams said he suspects Downes installed the material improperly. But the railing is the most important piece because it is needed for the building to earn its full certificate of occupancy. The headquarters has a temporary certificate of occupancy and is allowed to stay open, Adams said. These other items, they are not a safety issue, Adams said at Tuesdays meeting. This is a safety issue. The manufacturer who was supposed to build this railing is out ofmbusiness, so the construction company has ordered a new railing, which is expected to arrive in four weeks. Dave Patrick, of Downes, said he would send the committee written confirmation of when the railing will arrive. Lets get that thing installed and lets be done with it, he said to the committee. The committee considered Tuesday night delaying paying Downes about $31,000 to pressure the company. But the majority of this money would have gone to contractors who have completed their work, so members said that would not be fair. Selectmen will consider whether to approve this invoice. Lighting in the training room and a drainage problem near the radio tower need to be fixed, while a camera needs to be installed to monitor the impound lot. Some landscaping work is unfinished, but the plan was always to do that in the spring. Meanwhile, the firing range cannot be used because it lacks a specialized HVAC unit and other equipment. These features were not part of the project voters approved, but the town aims to purchase this equipment once the building is fully complete, Knickerbocker said. At one point, the equipment was estimated at $600,000, but that figure was expected to change. DANBURY The Uncle Sam statue is on the move again this time to Litchfield County for restoration. The Danbury Public Works Department posted photos and video to Instagram Wednesday, showing the 38-foot-tall statue being loaded onto a trailer and driven to Harwinton. Mayor Mark Boughton said an enthusiastic vendor is refurbishing the entire statue, and the project is expected to take about a month. The vendor already started restoring Uncle Sam and has discovered the statue once had a different face. His old face was built over a whole bunch of newspaper from 1975, DPW posted on Instagram, adding that Uncle Sams old face has some crazy eyes. On Dec. 20, Uncle Sam returned home to Danbury after more than 35 years at the Magic Forest Amusement Park in Lake George, N.Y., which took in more than 600 figures from the Great Danbury State Fair after it closed in 1981. After returning two months ago, Uncle Sam was stored in a hanger at the Danbury Airport so it could be restored. Boughton said the cost of the restoration is not yet known, but a limit has been set at $25,000. We raised money through corporate partners and service organizations, Boughton said. Boughton said the city has not identified a new location for Uncle Sam. Theres state land that we want to put it on, but were also looking at city and local property we have options, the mayor said. Boughton said he wants the statue to be visible from Interstate 84, and there are a couple areas near Exit 1 and 2 that are also being considered. Regardless of where Uncle Sam winds up, Boughton said, he wants the statue to be easily accessible to the public so that people can drive up and take selfies and pictures with the giant figure. kendra.baker@hearst.com A few years ago, I couldnt even fake a smile. I was physically and mentally exhausted from not feeling well for several years and having had unsuccessful treatment for my ongoing symptoms. Then, finally, everything changed. The diagnosis of a rare autoimmune disorder shook me to the core, but I was relieved I finally had an answer as to what had been plaguing my body. I still couldnt smile for months processing the news and getting eventual treatment was taxing, as I expect it is for those who receive news of other life-threatening illnesses but I had an answer. So, in recognition of Rare Disease Day today (Thursday, Feb. 28), I am wearing my stripes (the zebra is the official symbol of rare diseases in the U.S.). Julias Wings Foundation in Sherman will do its part in the coming days to educate the community about aplastic anemia, a rare bone marrow failure disease that affects just one in 250,000 per year, through its Wear Red Campaign (see story, Page S11). The campaign held in memory of Julia Malsin, 13, who died in 2012 is held in conjunction with Rare Disease Day, which raises awareness about the 7,000 rare diseases, including mine, and their impact on patients lives. While the number of rare diseases is relatively small, the number of people affected is much larger. An estimated 25 to 30 million Americans are living with a rare disease. Congress, through the Orphan Drug Act in 1983, defined a rare disease as a condition that affects less than 200,000 people The special day was first launched as a European campaign by EURODIS and its Council of National Alliances in 2008. It spread to the U.S. the following year and has drawn participation in nearly 100 countries the past two years. The hope of the day is to harness the creativity and energy of the millions of people around the world with rare diseases and the millions who care about and assist them to raise awareness and generate action, according to RareDiseaseDay.org. Those of us who live with a rare disease may not appear as if we are ill just as those who suffer from some life-threatening illnesses and chronic conditions might not have visible symptoms all the time but that doesnt mean we dont have bad days and wonder on a good day when a bad day will strike again. Some of us have been fortunate enough to be treated and/or be in remission meaning living with no active symptoms but are at risk of flares and need to be regularly monitored. Coming off the heels of Rare Disease Day and heading into Wear Red Campaign this week, I encourage you to reflect on the lives of individuals you know and dont know who have a rare disease. We never know what troubles others face on a daily basis. Its important to be kind and thoughtful. Check out the website for the National Organization for Rare Diseases (www.rarediseases.org), whose national headquarters is in Danbury. It is an amazing resource, with a searchable database, for patients, caregivers and medical professionals who are interested in learning more about rare diseases, where to seek help and how to become an advocate. After all, as the saying goes in the rare disease community, Alone we are rare, together we are strong. Deborah Rose; 860-355-7324; drose@newstimes.com BOUQUETS>> To Lakeland Community College and Laketran on their expanding partnership. Laketran is building an intermodal transit center on the colleges Kirtland campus. The new structure will serve the 65,000 annual passengers using Laketrans Local Routes, Park-n-Ride service to Cleveland and the recently added Campus Loop Route 7 shuttle service at Lakeland. The center is scheduled to open in spring 2020. The transit center will be located adjacent to Route 306 in the Campus West Lot, where the current Laketran Park-n-Ride area is located. The new location will relieve traffic congestion at the Clocktower Circle, which over the years has become the primary pick-up and drop-off location for Laketran buses, shuttles and private vehicles. The 2,200-square-foot transit center will provide an indoor, climate-controlled waiting area with public restrooms, outdoor shaded waiting areas and bike racks. Laketran and Lakeland have been working on the project since 2015 with most of the time spent securing grant funds to pay for 80 percent of the project, the release stated. Lakeland President Morris W. Beverage Jr. said many current and prospective students rely on public transportation to attend college. This partnership is a great example of two Lake County institutions joining forces to improve access to higher education and job training in our community, Beverage added. We couldnt agree more. BOUQUETS>> To University Hospitals for offering no-cost cardiac calcium scoring. The Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute at UH Richmond Medical Center is among nearly 20 UH locations across Northeast Ohio offering the tests. The non-invasive diagnostic procedure helps predict a persons risk of heart attack in the next 10 years by measuring the amount of calcium present in the heart arteries, said Dr. Indiresha Iyer. Coronary artery disease, also known as coronary atherosclerosis, is the most common cause of heart attack, Iyer said. Atherosclerosis is the buildup of fatty deposits, or plaque, in the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. Plaque can build up in the blood vessels and explode, causing a sudden narrowing that blocks blood flow to the heart and causes a heart attack. Heart disease, Iyer added, remains the No. 1 leading cause of death in the United States, in men and women. Preventative care is critical and really is the focus, he said, adding the test is easy and fast. A physician order is required for scheduling. Take steps now to keep your heart healthy and reduce your risk of heart disease. No excuses: The test is quick and it wont cost you anything. BRICKBATS>> To the area drivers who are failing to obey safety laws and stop for buses. Mentor School District has reported 24 violators to Mentor police, Mentor-on-the-Lake police and the Lake County Sheriffs Office since it installed cameras on its buses in January. About six other violators were seen, the district said, but bus drivers were unable to give descriptions of those violating drivers. As far as an impact resulting from the cameras, they show the violator vehicle very clearly, Mentor Police Capt. Andrew Lehner stated, which helps confirm the vehicle description and plate. We investigate each and issue citations as applicable. If convicted of a violation, the penalty is up to a $500 fine and a potential license suspension, Lehner said. Lehner reminded drivers: If youre traveling the same direction as the bus, you must stop when the reds (lights and stop sign) come on, Lehner said. If youre traveling in the opposite direction of the bus on roads of less than four lanes, so two- or three-lane roads, the opposite direction must also stop. If its four or more lanes, the opposite direction does not have to stop. Pay attention, drivers, our childrens lives depend on it. BRICKBATS>> To anyone who would make a shooting threat. A Willoughby Middle School student is learning the tough lesson that such language can land you in hot water. The 14-year-old told law enforcement that they didnt mean anything by the threat, but now he faces charges in Lake County Juvenile Court. Teens and adults say things they dont mean all the time. Unfortunately in todays world, police must treat all threats as if they are meant. CASUAL runners could knock chunks off their 10K times by improving their bounce, say scientists in the UK. A new study published in the European Journal of Sport Science says a springy running style is a key feature of higher performing runners, while a flatter style with longer ground contact time is associated with slower running. It also questions current thinking that improved times are associated with striding out, concluding that longer stride may be better achieved by longer 'fight time' rather than by conscious extension of the lead leg. In the first study to compare the biomechanics of two groups - elite and recreational - running at the same speeds, the researchers from the University of Salford found the main difference in technique was not stride or leg cadence but vertical bounce. "Normally such tests are done in a race but the elite are always going faster so you cannot compare like-for-like," explained senior research fellow Dr Steve Preece. "By controlling the speed, it allowed us to see exactly what the elite do differently when they run." The team compared recreational runners with a 10k personal best not better than 38 minutes (male) and 42 minutes (female) with elite runners with PBs of under 32 minutes (male) and 36 minutes (female) over a track at speeds of 3.3, 3.9, 4.8 and 5.6 metres per second. What they found was the elite runners achieved an 11% longer 'flight time' - when neither foot is in contact with the ground - than their recreational counterparts. This is achieved by an increased vertical impulse on take-off which pushes the runner higher and creates the 'bouncy' style. "The elite are in the air more, and as soon as you're in the air, it's a free ride," remarked Dr Preece. "We now need to understand how the elite runners can maintain this bouncy style without using extra energy. This is most likely related to their ability to store energy in their Achilles tendon with every step." Preece and his colleagues Chris Bramah and Duncan Mason also noted a more bent knee 'landing position' in the elite group of runners. The front knee, they observed, is more flexed in the elite group and this runs contrary to much current thinking that runners should lengthen their stride by pointing their ankle downwards to achieve what is called 'forefoot strike' ie. landing on your toes. "You can only increase speed by increased cadence or lengthening your stride, but our observations here suggest that you shouldn't lengthen it too much because then you might lose the bounce," added Dr Preece. "As our research shows, the elite don't try to stride out too much, they just get that extra bit of air." Berlin is the host city of the 11th IAS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2021), the International AIDS Society (IAS) announced today. The city hosted the 9th International AIDS Conference in 1993, but this is the first time that it will host the IAS Conference on HIV Science. IAS 2021 will take place at Messe Berlin on 18-21 July 2021. It is expected to convene 6,000 scientists, clinicians, public health experts and community leaders from over 140 countries. HIV remains an important issue on our national and international agenda, Germanys Federal Minister of Health, Jens Spahn, said. To further reduce the spread of HIV, we have made HIV self-testing widely available in Germany and will pass a bill to provide PrEP prescriptions free of charge for people with substantial risk of infection. Further research, concerted efforts and innovations are needed to end AIDS by 2030. We will therefore continue to invest in HIV research to find a vaccination and cure for HIV, and we are delighted that the IAS Conference on HIV Science in 2021 will bring together the renowned scientific community in Berlin to share state-of-the-art knowledge that contributes to preventing new HIV infections and to improving the lives of people living with HIV. Germany is highly regarded for its leadership in HIV research and its capital is also home to the first and only reported case of a sterilizing cure for HIV, commonly known as the Berlin patient. German doctor Gero Hutter from the Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin treated Timothy Ray Brown, an HIV-positive man, with acute myeloid leukaemia. Hutter led the process of a bone marrow transplant of haematopoietic stem cells from a naturally HIV-resistant donor, and Brown has continued to be free of readily detectable virus in the absence of therapy for 12 years. This case continues to serve as a scientific landmark suggesting that HIV infection might one day be curable. It is the evidence-based approaches that help us tackle the most complicated health challenges, IAS President-Elect Adeeba Kamarulzaman, who will be the IAS President in 2021, said. The innovative research that is presented at the IAS Conference on HIV Science provides the insight and data we need to tackle the most critical barriers facing our world today. This science is key to understanding how to address issues such as ending the epidemic among people who inject drugs and other vulnerable populations, developing a safe and effective HIV vaccine, and new prevention and treatment tools. There is no better role model than Berlin to help us focus on these challenges. Harm reduction is a pillar of the German national drug strategy; it has more needle and syringe vending machines than any other country 160 at last count. Additionally, Germany recently made HIV self-testing kits easily available for sale throughout the country with the aim of supporting more people to learn their HIV status as early as possible and seek out early treatment. The lack of these harm reduction interventions in Russia in particular has made the bordering Eastern Europe and Central Asia region home to the fastest growing HIV and AIDS epidemic in the world, with new infections rising by 57% a year from 2010 to 2015. The epidemic in the region is concentrated mostly in key populations, such as men who have sex with men, LGBT communities, sex workers and migrants. It is especially prevalent among people who inject drugs, who made up 39% of new HIV cases in 2017. We are very proud to host the worlds most influential meeting on HIV research, the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Michael Muller, said. It represents Berlins commitment to investing in cutting-edge and evidence-based approaches to ensure quality of life and equal access to treatment and prevention services. We look forward to working with the IAS to advance science and research needed for the global fight against HIV/AIDS. Berlin joins a diverse line-up of cities that have hosted the IAS Conference on HIV Science, including Cape Town, Kuala Lumpur, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Sydney and Vancouver. Chromosomes, each containing hundreds or thousands of genes, act like a detailed instruction manual for how cells should develop and behave. The human genome is made up of 23 chromosome pairs containing more than 3 billion base pairs of DNA, but even the smallest mutation or variation in the structure of a chromosome can have an enormous impact on human development and disease. To fully understand the range of diseases linked to errors in cell division, scientists must be able to examine in detail both healthy and diseased chromosomes. Better imaging and understanding of chromosomal mechanisms will increase knowledge of the causes of human diseases and aid drug discovery. The EU-funded CHROMAVISION project is addressing this challenge. The projects researchers have developed a breakthrough imaging and manipulation platform that enables molecular biologists to zoom in on minuscule details of chromosomes in all their complexity. It will allow scientists to automatically isolate individual chromosomes from small tissue or cell samples and have them delivered to a super-resolution microscope. Chromosomal abnormalities are characteristic of many disorders such as cancer, impaired fertility due to maternal aging, and neurological disorders such as fragile X syndrome, says CHROMAVISION project coordinator Gijs Wuite at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. We are therefore aiming to greatly improve images of chromosomes in order to understand these abnormalities and the many important diseases that arise from faulty chromosome segregation. Single-molecule manipulation Chromosomal abnormalities are usually most clearly revealed during the metaphase stage of the cell life cycle, when chromosomes are thickened and condensed just before cell division. The CHROMAVISION researchers therefore focused on developing novel solutions to automatically isolate individual metaphase chromosomes from tissue and cell samples. The approach makes use of a number of cutting-edge single-molecule manipulation techniques. These include an innovative opto-fluidic chip a lab-on-a-chip device capable of isolating chromosomes from other cellular material and optical tweezers to capture and manipulate the individual chromosomes. Isolated chromosomes can then be imaged in 3D via super-resolution fluorescent microscopy. Combined, these tools form the Super-Resolution Correlative Tweezers Fluorescence Microscope, a device for chromosomal imaging commercialized by industrial project partner Lumicks, a spin-off from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam which supplies dynamic single-molecule analysis instruments to researchers. High-resolution 3D images will enable researchers to study chromosomes in extraordinary detail, addressing key challenges in clinical and fundamental research and potentially resulting in breakthrough discoveries through the identification of abnormalities that could be associated with disease. 3D, super-resolution, real-time images This instrument will, for the first time, enable 3D, super-resolution, real-time metaphase chromosome observation and manipulation studies under near-physiological conditions, says Wuite. The tools and workflow for imaging metaphase chromosomes are now more or less finished and we are actively working on demonstration projects to illustrate the power of the combination of techniques. The platform will also have significant clinical value, allowing the identification and monitoring of cancer heterogeneity, the genomic instability and diversity of tumors that can make them resistant to treatment. Better imaging and understanding of the chromosomal mechanisms will greatly expand our knowledge of the causes and origins of human diseases and will assist in drug discovery and the development of new treatments, Wuite says. Staff members at immigration detention centers in California delayed medical appointments for patients complaining of shortness of breath. They inadequately supervised suicidal youths. And in one case, they failed to refer a patient with dangerously low blood pressure to a physician. These and other health and safety problems were detailed in two reports released Tuesday. The reports, produced by state Attorney General Xavier Becerra and California State Auditor Elaine Howle, found that the inadequate medical care, along with other health and safety risks, posed a serious danger to immigration detainees. Becerra and Howle blamed the federal and local governments for failing to oversee the detention centers, allowing the health and safety violations to persist. "Everyone in this country has constitutional rights, and everyone at the end of the day, child and adult, deserves to be treated in a humane way," Becerra said at a news conference in San Francisco where he announced his findings. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is committed to "ensuring all detainees are treated in a humane and professional manner," spokeswoman Lori Haley countered in a written statement. "The safety, rights and health of detainees in ICE's care are of paramount concern and all ICE detention facilities are subject to stringent, regular inspections." Haley's statement didn't discuss the specific findings in the reports. Becerra described his report as an initial look at conditions in the 10 California centers that housed immigration detainees in 2017, when his review began. The centers, overseen by ICE, hold people awaiting immigration hearings or deportation. The federal centers have come under increased scrutiny as President Donald Trump has stepped up immigration enforcement, with reports of deaths, abuse and substandard medical care. The reports landed on the same day as a congressional hearing on the detention of immigrants and family separation. During the hearing, Democrats questioned White House officials about the policy of taking children from their parents at the Mexican border. Over the past three years, nearly 75,000 immigrant detainees were housed in the 10 California facilities. The immigrants, who stayed an average of more than 50 days, were held in civil, not criminal, detention. The federal Office of Inspector General also examined detention facilities and revealed health and safety problems such as nooses in cells and "improper and overly restrictive segregation." The inspector general also found that the federal immigration agency's own inspections are not consistent or thorough. "The standards are so low for these detention centers, and they are not regulated the way that they should be," said Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights. In addition to one-day visits to all of the facilities, Becerra's Department of Justice conducted more comprehensive investigations of three: the Yolo County Juvenile Detention Facility, Theo Lacey Facility in Orange County and the West County Detention Facility in Contra Costa County. Contra Costa County decided last year no longer to house immigrant detainees in the West County facility. The department found a number of health and safety problems in the centers: Staff at the Yolo facility did not adequately address the mental health needs of detainees and overused psychotropic medications. One youth had been cutting himself but wasn't put under a special watch. Providers conducted superficial medical examinations that failed to rule out serious injuries or health conditions, including one case in which a detainee complained of testicular pain. A shortage of bilingual medical staff compromised the confidentiality of medical care and made it more difficult to access care. Unqualified personnel, including detention officers, deputies and licensed vocational nurses, made medical decisions. Dental services were often delayed, including one case in which a detainee needed urgent care for a probable "tooth eruption." Other detainees were denied fillings and root canal procedures. Noheli Sandoval, 32, entered the U.S. in March from Venezuela seeking asylum, and spent four months at the West County Detention Facility in Richmond. It wasn't easy accessing medical services there, said Sandoval, who lives in Berkeley. "You have to be practically dying for them to treat you." To get dental care, you had to be in pain, and the waiting list for mental health help was months long, she added. Becerra said the federal government is not ensuring its own standards are met. And while some of the facilities already have made changes, he said he will continue monitoring them to ensure they adequately address their shortcomings. He didn't rule out legal action. "Our work is not done," Becerra said. "We are prepared to do whatever we must to make sure that the laws of this country and this state are not only protected but enforced." A separate but equally damning report by the state auditor concluded that California cities that contract with ICE to house immigration detainees are not providing adequate oversight, putting the detainees' health and safety at risk. The report highlights health care at three detention centers: Adelanto Detention Facility in Adelanto, Mesa Verde Detention Facility in McFarland and Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Holtville. Those cities subcontract with private businesses to manage and operate the detention facilities, but they provided "little or no oversight of the private operators and simply passed federal payments from ICE to these subcontractors," Howle wrote in a letter to the legislature. Most of the health concerns raised in her report occurred during an unannounced federal inspection in May at the Adelanto Detention Facility, where inspectors found that detainees had hung bedsheets, which could be used to attempt suicide. In 2017, a detainee died after staff found him hanging from his sheets. The report said there had been three other suicide attempts by hanging as well. The inspection also revealed that medical providers at the Adelanto facility did not conduct face-to-face medical assessments of detainees in segregation, but instead performed "cursory walk-throughs." Nor did the facility provide proper interpretation services for people seeking care, or adequate dental services. No detainees had received fillings in the last four years, the report said. The city of Adelanto declined to comment. The city of McFarland recently announced it will not renew its contract with ICE. During the five-year period covered by the auditor, the cities did not review complaints or inspection reports, the report said. These cities have done little "to ensure that they are living up to their responsibilities in ensuring the safety and well-being of the detainees there," said Michael Kaufman, senior staff attorney of the ACLU of Southern California. This KHN story first published on California Healthline, a service of the California Health Care Foundation. Micronic is pleased to introduce a novel tool to help researchers perfectly seal their screw cap tubes. Micronic developed the new Micronic Screw Cap Recapper CS100 to guarantee that screw caps are tightened securely and uniformly on sample storage tubes. The tool is only available at Micronic but can be used to cap, decap or recap screw caps from various tube suppliers. When a cap is not properly secured, sample evaporation occurs. Tightening a cap too tight or too loose will compromise sealing performance. The unique Micronic Recapper is set to a precise torque value to ensure that screw caps are optimally tightened onto tubes. The Micronic tool stops turning when the perfect seal is established, eliminating the risk of overturning the cap. This mechanism reduces human errors and safeguards sample integrity for long-term sample storage. Developed with leading laboratories, the Screw Cap Recapper also improves the efficiency of (de)capping tubes. Because the lightweight tool is easy to carry along, the CS100 can be used by researchers in various studies. The handheld tool enables users to perfectly cap, decap or recap tubes in the laboratory or in the field. Overall, the space efficient recapper allows researchers to properly seal tubes in any circumstance. The CS100 is an ideal economical and efficient alternative to large and automated capping equipment. The manual tool needs no batteries, is made from stainless steel and provides an ergonomic solution for left and right handed use. Because no batteries are needed, the recapper is quick, easy and always ready to use. The tool can be used for 96-, 48- or 24-well format tubes with internal or external thread. Additionally, the tool can be used to easily pick individual tubes from a storage rack. The Micronic Screw Cap Recappers are designed and assembled in-house in the Netherlands and the United States. Researchers at Okayama University report in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology that monitoring a particular antigen can be used for predicting relapse of the vascular disease AAV. Antibodies are molecules produced by a humans immune system to counteract bacteria and viruses. When a bacterial or viral pathogenic molecule (a so-called antigen) is detected, an antibody neutralizes it by binding to it. However, autoantibodies are sometimes produced against our own protein and cause autoimmune diseases. For the autoantibody known as ANCA (antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody) cause ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), at least two antigens exist: proteinase 3 and myeloperoxidase (abbreviated as PR3 and MPO, respectively). Characteristics of patients involved in the MPO-ANCA biomarker study. Assistant Professor Haruki Watanabe and Associate Professor Ken-Ei Sada from Okayama University and colleagues have now investigated whether MPO-ANCA can be used as a biomarker for the relapse of AAV, a blood-vessel inflammation disease. The researchers findings suggest that monitoring MPO-ANCA is useful for predicting relapse in patients with AAV. The scientists looked at data for 271 MPO-ANCA-positive patients who had achieved remission (disappearance of the signs and symptoms) of AAV during 6 months after therapy was started. Levels of MPO-ANCA were measured at several times in a 2-year period. Assistant Professor Haruki Watanabe and Associate Professor Ken-Ei Sada from Okayama University and colleagues found that for 72% of the patients, MPO-ANCA levels decreased to normal within 6 months after therapy began. MPO-ANCA reappeared for 40% of the patients for which there were complete follow-up data; this reappearance was associated with a relapse occurring simultaneously or later. The researchers therefore concluded that reappearance of MPO-ANCA is a promising marker for AAV relapse. Assistant Professor Haruki Watanabe and Associate Professor Ken-Ei Sada from Okayama University and colleagues found indications that MPO-ANCA reappearance could be particularly useful as a biomarker for relapse of AAV with kidney involvement (renal AAV). Since only 4 patients without renal involvement experienced relapse, a larger study would be necessary to establish any link between MPO-ANCA reappearance and relapse of non-renal AAV. The researchers point out that their study has some limitations: the data were obtained earlier, in the context of other investigations, and different participating institutions used different analytic procedures for qualitatively assessing ANCA content. Nevertheless, the study was the largest so far, and also the first with casecontrol analysis (based on comparisons of patients with and without the disease relapse). Watanabe and colleagues conclude that for patients recovered from MPO-AAV, routine MPO-ANCA monitoring should be implemented [to predict possible relapse]. Background Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) refers to a set of diseases (granulomatosis with polyangiitis, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis), the characteristics of which are destruction and inflammation of small blood vessels. Clinical signs vary, and different organs can be affected, including kidneys, stomach, and lungs. A study by Assistant Professor Haruki Watanabe and Associate Professor Ken-Ei Sada from Okayama University and colleagues has now shown that for patients having had AAV, monitoring the presence of an antigen known as MPO-ANCA should help to predict AAV relapse. Osaka University researchers clarify part of mechanism behind the development of steroid diabetes Steroids are used for treating various diseases such as allergic disorders, but they occasionally cause adverse effects, such as steroid diabetes and other metabolic disturbances. Since steroids act throughout the body, how these adverse effects are caused and by which organ are not well understood. Researchers at Osaka University focused on glucocorticoid receptors (GRs), the receptors for the body's endogenous steroids, clarifying part of the mechanism behind metabolic disturbances caused by steroids. The results of this research were published in Endocrinology. The researchers administered steroids to adipocyte-specific GR knockout (AGRKO) mice and found that healthy adipose expansion was induced because lipid accumulation in the liver decreased and insulin sensitivity improved. Next, they examined how healthy adipose expansion was induced using AGRKO mice and found that adipocyte GRs inhibited lipid accumulation in adipose cells, preadipocyte proliferation, and glucose uptake, as well as lipolysis. That is, activation of adipocyte GRs restricted healthy adipose expansion, causing metabolic disturbances such as insulin resistance, liver steatosis, and eventually diabetes. Corresponding author Yosuke Okuno says, "Our study elucidated how steroids activated adipocytes. Further development of the results of our study will clarify how steroids act on organs, leading to the development of drugs for treating steroid diabetes." The Indian Army, Air Force and Navy, meanwhile, will address a joint press conference at 7pm. The Ministry of External Affairs will also join them. Khans surprise announcement during a joint session of Parliament came barely an hour after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Prime Minister Khan is ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions. As opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif took the floor of the House, Prime Minister Khan apologised for interrupting him and said he wishes to announce that the Indian pilot captured by Pakistan Air Force on Wednesday will be released Friday as a peace gesture. "In our desire for peace, I announce that tomorrow (Friday), and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody," Khan said. The announcement was greeted by thumping of desks by Pakistani lawmakers. India on Thursday made it clear that IAF pilot Abhinandan cannot be a bargaining chip and New Delhi will not strike any deal with Islamabad for his release. The joint session of Parliament was held on Thursday to discuss rising tension with India. The Pakistani Air Force on Wednesday carried out a retaliatory strike, a day after Indian struck inside Pakistan, destroying the biggest terrorist training camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Addressing the House, Khan said, "The only purpose of our strike was to demonstrate our capability and will." "We did not want to inflict any casualty on India as we wanted to act in a responsible manner." He warned if India moved ahead with the "aggression", Pakistan will be forced to retaliate and urged the Indian leadership not to push for escalation as war is not solution to any problem. Warning that "any miscalculation" from India would result in "disaster", he said, Countries are ruined because of miscalculation. War is not a solution. If India takes any action, we will have to retaliate." Khan, however, said that Pakistan's "desire for de-escalation" should not be misconstrued as its weakness. "Our armed forces are battle-hardened and they are fully prepared to respond to any aggression, he said. He said "Pakistan is a peace loving country" and desires peace and stability in the region. Prime Minister Khan said he "tried to call" the Indian Prime Minister on the phone Wednesday because "escalation is not in our interests nor in India's". The prime minister urged the international community to play its role in de-escalation for peace and stability in the region. Pakistan detained the IAF pilot following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control when his MiG 21 fighter jet was downed. Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) said that the Indian Air Force pilot was safe and sound. "The armed forces rescued him from the mob that went after him after his plane crashed in Kashmir," the FO said. India Wednesday summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan and demanded immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot who was detained by Pakistan following an aerial engagement by air forces of the two countries. It has also been made clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, the External Affairs Ministry said in New Delhi, adding that it has conveyed strong objection to the neighbouring country at the "vulgar display" of an injured personnel in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. Robin gets Batman (and Alfred) the perfect Christmas gift in DC's Tis the Season to be Freezin' preview DC heroes and villains celebrate the holidays in Tis the Season to be Freezin' special Sorry! This content is not available in your region New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the police to arrest Amrapali Group CMD Anil Sharma over a criminal complaint. Supreme Court also directed the attachment of Sharma's personal properties, including his bungalow in South Delhi. It also made it clear that the properties of the other two directors of Amrapali will also be attached. Earlier, the Supreme Court ordered the government-owned National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) to complete the two stalled projects by the embattled Amrapali Group. The order spelt huge relief for the Amrapali investors also. On December 5, 2018, the Supreme Court had directed attachment of Amrapali Builder's five-star hotel, corporate office and other properties. The top court also directed the Debt Recovery Tribunal to sell the properties of the embattled real estate firm. A bench of Justices comprising Arun Mishra, UU Lalit and DY Chandrachud have been dealing with a batch of petitions filed by home buyers who are seeking possession of around 42,000 flats, booked in projects of Amrapali Group. The company is responsible for diversion of home-buyers' money. Earlier on November 13, in a massive crackdown on Amrapali Group for "wilful disobedience" of its orders, the top court had attached the company's 100-bed multi-speciality hospital, bank accounts, the building which houses its office, certain firms and a "benami" Villa in Goa. Post that, the Supreme Court asked the realty firm to reveal the details of all its properties in the name of directors, their family members, relatives, Chief Financial Officers and statutory auditors in India and abroad by December 3. The court gave one last opportunity to Amrapali Group and its directors and promoters to comply with each and every direction passed by the court since May last year. The Amrapali Group has been also restrained from alienating its companies through which it had transactions and ordered attachment of such firms. The top court has also ordered the firm not to create any third party rights for 86 luxury cars and SUVs purchased from the company's funds. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Cuttack: The Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Odisha Tuesday decided to cancel the ongoing Matriculation (class 10) examination held on Monday in three centers as the examination was held in these centers in "most unfair and disruptive manner." The three centres are located in the districts of Balangir, Dhenkanal and Cuttack, said an official. The students wrote their second language English paper on Monday."Based on the preliminary reports submitted by the respective district education officers (DEOs) and center superintendents, the examination committee of the Board has decided to cancel the Monday's paper of all the students who are writing their examinations at these centers, informed BSE president Jahan Ara Begum. She said the committee will take a final call on this after the examinations are over on March 8.The reports said that students of these centers resorted to mass copying when guardians and teachers gathered around these centers forcefully entered into the examination halls and provided and helped the students with books and chits to write the answers. "Although, policemen were deployed at these centers,they were outnumbered by the intruders," the BSE president said quoting available reports. The Board, however, made it clear that the remaining papers of ongoing examination will be held at these Centers as per the schedule with adequate police arrangements and promulgating prohibitory measures under Section 144 of CrPC. Sources said since the Monday's examination has been cancelled, the examination committee may either "withheld" the results of these students for malpractice or declare them as"fail" in English. New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Manish Tiwari on Thursday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for holding mega video conference with BJP workers. At this point in time when the nation is looking towards its leadership, when the nation wants its leadership to speak to it, the Prime Minister chose to address the booth workers of the BJP rather than address the nation, Tiwari said. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also took to Twitter and denounced PM Modi for holding the conference. Kejriwal said that when the whole nation is busy strengthening forces and country, our prime minister is making his booth strong. When the country will become strong the booth the booth will automatically become strong, he added. Earlier, Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh took a dig at the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his mega-video conference, amid heightened tensions with Pakistan. "Entire Opposition is concerned over national security. (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal postponed his hunger strike over full-statehood issue. Congress cancelled its CWC and the Opposition is worrying about the unity of the nation. Modi-ji is getting down to strengthen polling booths and the BJP is busy with election rallies," Singh tweeted. BSP chief Mayawati also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his proposed address to BJP workers through a mega video-conference, terming it "ridiculous and betrayal of national "At a time when India is facing hostility of war and country needs firm leadership, PM Narendra Modi instead of concentrating on the matters of national security trying to serve political interest by addressing his BJP workers is ridiculous besides betrayal of national sentiments (sic), Mayawati wrote on Twitter. "Indian forces foiled Pakistani attack yesterday it is a matter of big relief but an IAF pilot is under Pak custody is a matter of great concern. India should try to do its best at all levels to ensure safe return of the pilot only then the country will feel relief (sic)," she added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his mega video conferencing said that it is necessary to ensure that nothing is done to dent the morale of the security forces. PM Modi's remarks came a day after the Opposition accused the BJP of politicising the sacrifices of the armed forces, prompting the ruling party to claim that Pakistan is using its statement to project that India's political leadership is not united in the fight against terror. "We have trust in the capability of our armed forces. So, it is very necessary that anything that dents their morale or allows our enemy to point a finger at us is not done," the prime minister said during a video interaction with BJP workers from across the country. One of the goals of the "enemy trying to destabilise us and carrying out terror strikes is to stall our growth", Modi said, asking people to do their work at a faster pace as India marches ahead on the path to progress. "India will live as one. India will work as one. India will grow as one. India will fight as one. India will win as one," he said, adding that the country is brimming with self-confidence. Amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan with the former launching air strikes on a terrorist camp in the neighbouring country, Modi said the nation's sentiments are at a different level. An Indian Air Force pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat Wednesday. Both sides said they shot down each other's warplanes. "Our country's soldiers are displaying their bravery at border and outside it as well. The country is standing with its soldiers," he said. New Delhi: Two of B-town longest reigning stars, Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, though, have never shared the big screen together makes up with an envious bond offscreen. Aamir Khan who attended Nasscoms annual technology and leadership summit in Mumbai last week conjured his side as a storyteller when he unfolded an anecdote of him with SRK. Turning back the hands of the clock back to 1996, Aamir much to the audiences delight narrated a story that involved the King of Romance, Shah Rukh Khan and how he had gifted him a laptop unbeknownst to SRK that he is a tech novice. Comparing his weakness in technological flaw to that of Shah Rukh Khans flair in technological know-how, Aamir narrates, "Technology and me are so far remote. I will tell you one joke. Shah Rukh Khan and I were in 1996, we were doing a show together in the USA and UK and Shah Rukh was very into technology, even at that time, he was up-to-date and all that. Woh time par ek naya computer aaya tha Toshiba and he told me ki mein le raha hu and it's a latest computer. He said I think you should also take this computer and I had never used a computer in my life toh I said mujhe kya zaroorat hai computer ki toh he said nahi, tu samaj nahi raha hai, ismein tu office daal, yeh daal woh daalmereko buhut samjhaya usne toh I said jo tu lega apne liye, wahi tu mere liye lele. (Whatever you are buying, you will buy the best, buy it for me), he explained. So, poor chap, he went and bought two computers, laptop naya naya aaya tha woh time par. He got his laptop and my laptop and I came back to India. That laptop I did not open even one day and I m not joking. Uss laptop ko 5 saal ke baad mera ek naya manager aaya toh usne bola that sir aapka ek laptop mein dekhta hu hamesha pada rehta hai, can I use it and I said please use it and he opened it and woh on hee nahi hua, he added as he laughed. Although the two Bollywood moguls have never been seen in a movie together, they are often spotted sharing pictures of the two together quashing all rumours that there could be some squabble between the two. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar had recently turned down the invite to a literature conference event in Pakistan, organised by Karachi Art Council after the terror attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Kashmir's Pulwama district. Javed Akhtar had said, ''Karachi art council had invited. Shabana and me for a two day lit conference about Kaifi Azmi and his poetry. We have cancelled that. In 1965 during the indo Pak war Kaifi saheb had written a poem. Aur Phir Krishan Ne Arjun Se Kaha.'' Now, in a recent interview with IANS, the veteran screenwriter said that he does not understand the agenda of Pakistan to sponsor terrorist activities in India. "I don't understand what is their (Pakistan) agenda and what will they get out of it by constantly sponsoring terrorism. It's an open truth that they support terrorist organisations but they are constantly denying it," Akhtar said. Also Read: Javed Akhtar slams Pakistan PM Imran Khan, says he has thrown a no ball "Masood Azhar (the founder and leader of the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed) was released from Indian prison when they (Jaish-e-Mohammed) hijacked an Indian aircraft and then, how he reached Pakistan from Kandahar (Afghanistan)... And why is Pakistan not arresting him if they have an honest establishment over there," he questioned. The comment comes in the wake of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. He further said, ''I feel this situation is actually being forced upon us (India). It was not our choice but if things go beyond your control, then till when and how many times, should we be quiet about this? So, we have to react to it some day or the other.''"I think repercussions of the current developments are really dangerous and banning Pakistani actors and artistes are minor things but whatever is happening on our borders should be stopped. We should ban terrorism. It's an unfortunate thing," he added. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Wont it be a sight to see the author of one of the most popular tv series Game of Thrones in his own creation? Creator George RR Martin revealed that showrunners of the hit HBO show offered him a cameo in the much-anticipated season finale of GOT. The author although admitted that he was tempted to take up the offer, decided to go against his wish. Marin revealed that as much as he was tempted for a mention in the final season thought that he did not have time to fly to Belfast from his home in New Mexico as he was focused on writing his next book, the long-awaited "The Winds of Winter". "David Benioff and Dan B Weiss invited me to a cameo in one of the final episodes, which I was tempted to do. But I didn't think just for the sake of a cameo I could take the time to return to Belfast," Martin told EW. He also added that he previously did a cameo in the show during Danerys Targaryen's wedding with Khal Drogo in the first Game of Thrones pilot, which was subsequently reshot. "There was a cameo in the original pilot that was cut," he noted. "I was a guest at Dany's wedding. But that was when she was played by Tamzin Merchant so all that footage got thrown out when we recast with Emilia Clarke," Martin said. The author is also on board for GOT prequel series with HBO, which will reportedly be called The Long Night. He has also written a lengthy history of the Targaryen dynasty called "Fire and Blood". GOT returns for one last time on April 14. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Hollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Canada's flag carrier Air Canada Wednesday temporarily suspended its flights to India due to the closure of Pakistani airspace, amid escalating tensions between the two countries. Pakistan on Wednesday closed its airspace for commercial flights and suspended flight operations across major airports. Pakistan has shut down all its airport after India shot down Pakistan Air Forces F-16 fighter jet after an airspace violation in Jammu and Kashmirs Nowshera sector on Wednesday morning. "All Pakistan airports have been shut down. Flight operations have been suspended in Multan, Islamabad, Lahore, Sialkot, and Faisalabad, news agency ANI reported. The Indian government has closed several airports close to the Line of Control (LoC) for commercial traffic. According to government sources, flights to Jammu, Srinagar, Chandigarh, Leh, Amritsar, Pathankot, Dehradun and Dharamshala have been suspended till further notice. "The civilian air traffic has been suspended temporarily in view of the emergency," an official of the Airport Authority of India told news agency PTI. Official sources said that the entire airspace north of Delhi has been vacated. ALSO READ | Four Indian passengers stranded at Lahore airport after Pakistan closes airspace The move came amid escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan after Indian Air Force carried out a pre-dawn air strike on terror bases in Pakistan on Tuesday. India said Pakistan jets intruded into Indian air space in the Rajouri and Poonch sectors. "One flight en route to Delhi from Toronto was turned back over the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday night and returned to Toronto Wednesday, while a second flight from Vancouver to Delhi that was scheduled to depart Tuesday night was also been cancelled," Air Canada said. "Air Canada's flight from Toronto to Mumbai is planned to operate tonight as it takes a different routing, and we are evaluating the routing options for both Toronto-Delhi and Vancouver-Delhi flights scheduled to operate later tonight," it said in a statement. "We are monitoring the situation in order to resume service once the situation normalises and we determine it is safe to do so," it said. Air Canada and Jet Airways operate 18 flights weekly to India from Toronto Pearson. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Two days after the Indian Air Force's aerial strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed camps across LoC and a day after Pakistan claimed that one of the Indian Air Force's pilots is in its custody, a Defence Ministry Official on Thursday finally said that they 'believe that the Indian Air Force Pilot will-treated by the Pakistan Army in violation of the Geneva convention.' The official said as quoted by ANI,A "We believe that the Pakistan air intrusion was an attack on military installations. We believe that the Indian Air Force Pilot will-treated by the Pakistan Army in violation of the Geneva convention.A We believe that the Pakistan Army is actively supporting the Jaish-e-Mohammed and is harbouring the leaders including Masood Azhar in its facilities." On Wednesday, hours after Pakistan's airspace violation in Jammu and Kashmir, India has confirmed that an Indian Air Force pilot is 'missing in action.' In a brief press conference addressed by Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, it was also established that a MiG-21 was lost in the aerial retaliation. Amid reports about a Wing Commander in Pakistan's captivity, Kumar said that the facts are being ascertained. "One Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft was shot down by Indian Air Force. In this engagement, we have lost one MiG 21.A PilotA is missing in action. Pakistan claims he is in their custody. We are ascertaining the facts," Kumar said in a short statement. Earlier reports had said that the Indian Air Force pilot of the Mig-21 Bison has not returned after usual sortie. An unverified video has gone viral in which the air force pilot is seen telling his name, his batch number to the Pakistani captors. There has been no official confirmation either from the government or the Indian Air Force. News Nation can't independently verify the authenticity of the video, which has been shared widely by many media outlets in Pakistan. A Statement by Official Spokesperson todayA aziA https://t.co/OEUNq7z5iYA pic.twitter.com/nVkxqqjl2b a Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia)A February 27, 2019 If this is proven correct, it would be the second time that an Indian Air Force pilot was held in Pakistan's captivity. During the Kargil War in 1999, Kambampati Nachiketa was a 26-year-old fighter pilot assigned the task of hitting Pakistani posts in Kargil. On that fateful day, Nachiketa, then a flight lieutenant, took off in a 'Hayena' formation led by Sqn Ldr A Mandhokot to bomb enemy positions with 80 mm canons. Flying Mig-27, he ejected from the bomber but fell into the Pakistan territory. But after an intense diplomatic tussle, Nachiketa survived the torture of Pakistanis as a Prisoner of War (PoW), returned to India, got the Vayusena medal, and kept doing what he does best - flying planes for the Indian Air Force (IAF). "I then eased out of theA dive,A but felt a backward jerk due to sudden deceleration. The speed dropped to 500A kmphA andA realisedA the engine had flamed out. I immediately jettisoned the rocket pods and attempted aA relight. Informing my leader Sqn Ldr Mandhokot, I further lowered the altitude to maintain the speed which had fallen to 450A kmph," the decorated pilot had said in a 2008 interview. "It is an experience which is difficult to be described in words. Sometimes I felt that death would have been aA bettersolution," he had added. Earlier in the day, there were reports that four Pakistan Air Force jet violated Indian airspace in Jammu and Kashmiras Nowshera sector. In the brute retaliation, the Indian Air Force had shot down PAF F-16 fighter plane.A For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Hours after Pakistan's airspace violation in Jammu and Kashmirs Nowshera sector, India on Wednesday confirmed that an Indian Air Force pilot is 'missing in action.' Indian Air Force pilot was captured by Pakistan after his Mi-21 fighter aircraft was shot down in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The government said that it expects the "immediate and safe return" of an Indian Air Force pilot. India said it "strongly objects to Pakistan's vulgar display of injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention of 1929. What are the Geneva Conventions? The Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties with three protocols added on since 1949 based on international law for humanitarian treatment in war. There are 196 state parties to the Convention. Geneva Conventions are basically the rules protecting prisoners of war from either side. The treatment of prisoners of war is dealt with by the third Geneva convention. It defines humanitarian protections for prisoners of war. The status of prisoner of war only applies in international armed conflict. the International Committee of the Red Cross monitors whether Geneva Conventions are being followed. Article 13 of the Convention: Any unlawful act or omission by the Detaining Power causing death or seriously endangering the health of a prisoner of war in its custody is prohibited and will be regarded as a serious breach of the present Convention. In particular, no prisoner of war may be subjected to physical mutilation or to medical or scientific experiments of any kind which are not justified by the medical, dental or hospital treatment of the prisoner concerned and carried out in his interest. Likewise, prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity. Measures of reprisal against prisoners of war are prohibited. "No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion". It dictates what private property a prisoner of war may keep and that the prisoner of war must be evacuated from the combat zone as soon as possible," says Article 17 Article 20. How can Geneva conventions be invoked to bring back the IAF pilot from Pakistan Article 118 and 119 of the Geneva Convention states that prisoners of war shall be released and repatriated without delay after the cessation of active hostilities. Parties to the conflict shall communicate to each other the names of any prisoners of war who are detained until the end of the proceedings or until the punishment has been completed. By agreement between the Parties to the conflict, commissions shall be established for the purpose of searching for dispersed prisoners of war and of assuring their repatriation with the least possible delay. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: "Imran Khan is ready to hold a telephonic conversation with PM Modi," Pakistan media reported on Thursday. However, India said there is no question of any deal. "If Pakistan thinks they have a card to negotiate with then they are mistaken. India expects the airforce pilot to be treated in a humane manner," as per sources. The sources also said, "Pakistan is trying to create a Kandahar type pressure but India will not give in, there will be no deal or talks." This is a breaking news story. More details will be added soon. Please refresh the page for the updated version. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday said Pakistan is willing to consider returning the Indian pilot if it means de-escalation of ties between the two countries. "India handed over a dossier to the acting High Commissioner of Pakistan a day earlier and we will examine it. I will evaluate the dossier with an open heart and then see if talks will be held on that," Geo News quoted Shah as saying. "Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to hold a telephonic conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said. India cannot sol ve the Kashmir issue through strength. We are ready to talk on the issues of Kashmir and terrorism with India. They can come and sit down and we will have a dialogue," he said. The foreign minister also thanked US President Donald Trump for his statement on the Pakistan-India tension. "They have been going at it and we have been involved in trying to have them stop and we have some reasonably decent news hopefully that will be coming to an end. Its been going on for a long time for decades and decades. There is a lot of dislikes unfortunately so we have been in the middle trying to help them both out, see if we can get some organisation and some peace. And I think that is probably going to be happening, the US president said. While addressing the nation which was telecast live, Khan said: "When India stuck yesterday morning, the army chief and I spoke. We did not respond in haste we did not have a complete assessment of the damage cause and it would have been irresponsible on our part as it may have resulted in casualties on their side. Once we assessed the damage caused, we were ready to take action. "The sole purpose of our action was to convey that if you can come into our country, we can do the same. That was the only purpose of what we did," he said. His comments came minutes after the External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi said that Pakistan Air Force targeted military installations in India in response to Indian counter-terrorism operations but their attempts were foiled successfully though one Indian pilot is "missing in action". For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: With a sharp spike in tensions between India and Pakistan following an airspace violation across LoC, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met service chiefs and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval at his residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, to discuss the prevailing situation at the border areas in Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting came hours after Pakistan on Wednesday intruded into Indian airspace in Jammu and Kashmir's Nowshera and Poonch sectors of Rajouri district and captured one of its pilots. PMA Modi gave the Indian military a "free hand" to actA regarding the time, place and how they want to move forward. In the meantime, the Pentagon has asked both India and Pakistan to avoid further military action. Here are the LIVE updates: 20.51 pm: Wing Commander Abhinandan's parents to leave Chennai at 10.30 pm today for New Delhi: Reports. 19.40 pm:A Delhi: Visuals from the high level meeting on security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg pic.twitter.com/y9DDv8UA04 a ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 19.23 pm:A Delhi: Visuals from outside 7, Lok Kalyan Marg where the CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security) meeting has now concluded. pic.twitter.com/gTVCWwdbL1 a ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 19.02 pm:A The CCS meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins. PM Modi will take stock of the situation as tension escalated between India and Pakistan. 18.47 pm: The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to start shortly. PM Modi will take stock of the situation as tension escalated between India and Pakistan. 17.25 pm:A Joint press briefing by Army, Navy and Air Force in New Delhi that was scheduled for 5 pm today has been postponed to 7 pm. 16.46 pm:A Pakistan to release Indian Air Force pilot tomorrow as big peace gesture says Imran Khan in Pakistan Parliament. 15:10 pm:A Pakistan to partially restore its airspace for commercial aviation. 14.25 pm:A Pakistan's Geo News: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday said Pakistan is willing to consider returning the Indian pilot if it means de-escalation of ties between the two countries. 1.25 pm:A We believe that the Pakistan air intrusion was an attack on military installations. We believe that the Indian Air Force Pilot was ill-treated by the Pakistan Army in violation of the Geneva convention, saysA Defence Ministry Officials. 1.15 pm:A There will be a joint press briefing by Army and Air Force in New Delhi at 5 pm today. 1.10 pm:A Pakistan violated ceasefire at 1 pm today along the Line of Control in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district. Indian Army retaliated effectively. 12.30 pm:A Meeting of Army Chief General Bipin Rawat with delegates from panchayat members and ex-servicemen from Jammu and Kashmir scheduled for today has been cancelled. 12 pm: Protests outside Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. Demonstrators cover sign board wih Tricolour. 11.18 am:A All service chiefs to meet Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman shortly. 10.32 am:A Concerned about deteriorating situation in Kashmir. Strongly condemn terrorist attack on 14Feb for which Islamic extremist group aJaish-e-Mohammada claimed responsibility; urge Pakistan to take stronger measures to counter terrorism.A In response to the mounting tension due to the operations since 26 February between the Indian Air Force and the Pakistan Air Force, Japan strongly urges India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and stabilise the situation through dialogue, saysA A Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono. 10.30 am:A India builds bunkers to protect families along Pakistan border. 9.45 am: Amid escalating tension, Modi Cabinet to meet at 7,LKM today. 9.30 am:A Indian High Commission in Pakistan last evening gave a demarche to Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the immediate and safe return of Wing Commander. Similar Demarche was given to Pakistan's acting High Commissioner in New Delhi yesterday, reports ANI citing sources. 9.20 am:A NSA Ajit Doval and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a telephonic conversation late last night. Pompeo said that the US supported Indiaas decision to take action against JeM terror camp on Pakistani soil, reports ANI. 9 am:A Visuals of security from Manjakote sector of Rajouri District: 8.30 am:A The United States State Department called on India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and return to stability.A 8.15 am:A Jet Airways pilots call off theA protest over salary dues in wake of escalating tension. 8.05 am:A Thai Airways cancels Europe flights due to Pakistani airspace closure. 8 am:A Pakistan violated ceasefire at 6 am today in Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control in Poonch district. Indian Army retaliated effectively. Firing stopped around 7 am. 7.45 am:A A senior Chinese diplomat expressed adeep concerna over the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan. China Foreign Minister Wang Yi (File Photo) 7.31 am:A We, as Air Indians take pride and feel duty bound towards national interest and pledge our support to the Nation and as pilots we consider ourselves as the second line of defense after the armed forces to serve our country, saysA ICPA. 7.30 am:A ICPA being a patriotic and responsible union would like to extend complete support and co-operation in all operations as the situation demands. We will support the government and the PMO in this fight against terrorism,A Indian Commercial Pilots Association. 7.01 am:A China expresses 'deep concern' over India-Pakistan conflict, reports Reuters. 7 am:A External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to leave for UAE today to take part in Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting as the Guest of Honor. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Quereshi had on Wednesday said that he wouldn't attend the OIC if Swaraj attends the event. 6.49 am:A US, UK & France have asked the 15-member United Nations Security Council sanctions committee to subject Maulana Masood Azhar, the head of Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad, to an arms embargo, global travel ban and asset freeze, as per Reuters. 6.48 am:A The United States, Britain and France proposed on Wednesday that the United Nations Security Council blacklist the head of Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad, which said it attacked an Indian paramilitary convoy in Kashmir, reports news agency Reuters. 6.32 am:A The manager of Karachi Bakery's Bengaluru outlet claimed to have received a call threatening to 'blast the store' if the word 'Karachi' was not removed from the name board 6.30 am: TheA Pakistan airspace will remain closed today.A Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced complete closure of flight operations for all domestic and international airlines across Pakistan till further orders. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The intense aerial engagement between India and Pakistan for the first time since the 1971 war led to a dramatic escalation of confrontation in the last two days. While India claimed to shoot down a F-16 warplane of Pakistan, the Indian Air Force (IAF) lost a MiG-21 Bison during the fierce engagement between the air forces of the two countries along the Line of Control (LoC). Pakistan's retaliation came a day after India on February 26 struck several Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) training camps in Balakot in response to the cowardice JeM attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14. During the airstrikes, an IAF pilot was also captured by Pakistan and is yet to return to India. Meanwhile, the burning question which is doing rounds all over is - why India decided to send MiG-21, which is technically inferior to that of Pakistan's F-16. Moreover, this is not the first time that IAF's MiG-21 has crashed during a Combat Air Patrol (CAP) and is infamously known as 'flying coffin' due to its record of frequent crashes in the last two decades. However, there are reports that the Indian Air Force (IAF) have defended its decision to send the MiG-21, saying at that time of emergency it was one of the fighters available in the inventory and all the aircraft are rotated based on operations, time and threat level. Furthermore, various other powerful aircraft, including SU-30 MKI and MiG-29 were also put on CAP duty in view of high alert post-Pulwama attack. Pakistan's F-16 warplane which was shot down by India's MiG-21 Bison on Wednesday. (File photo) Being asked about India's decision to send MiG-21 on Wednesday, one of the IAF officers said, "The MiG-21 is something that we have in our inventory and it would be used for operations. We have had a mixture of aircraft doing CAP, and at the time when the Pakistan Air Force jets came in, the MiG-21s were in the air, and hence, they challenged the F-16s". So how did the India's ancient MiG-21 managed to shoot down Pakistan's technically superior F-16 on Wednesday's gun battle across LoC? Here is an insight- MiG-21, the Russian aircraft, which was inducted by India 56 years ago, was a masterpiece of its time. Just like Pakistan's F-16 fighter jet, MiG-21 has been continuously upgraded and witnessed extensive combat use by nations that purchased them from the US and the USSR, later Russia. In order to make it capable of competing with modern fighter jets, India had in 2016 upgraded it with powerful multi-mode radar, better avionics and communications systems, offering better speed and manoeuvrability. The MiG-21's air-to-air combat effectiveness was also given a boost with the help of visual range missiles in a bid to increase its munition capacity. Therefore, the addition of the R-73 Archer short range and R-77 medium range anti-aircraft missiles allowed the IAF pilot to lock on to Pakistani F-16s from a distance to bring it down. Since this was a close encounter across LoC on Wednesday, the F-16 s advantage was nullified due to the upgrade provided to MiG-21 Bison with a wraparound windscreen, which gace it a similar view of the enemy. The MiG-21 also has a helmet-mounted sighting system for its pilot to provide with situational awareness due to a bad rear-view. It's basic design with a delta wing makes it an agile aircraft while the increased fuel capacity has made it a powerful opponent for defending the Indian airspace. Apart from LoC, the MiG-21 has played a significant role in wars across the world, including in the Middle East and Vietnam. Hence, the MiG-21's classic design accompanied with continuous upgrades has managed to defeat the US made F-16 of Pakistan. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said Pakistan will release the captured Indian Air Force pilot tomorrow as a goodwill gesture. This came after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Prime Minister Khan is ready to talk to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions and US President Donald Trump hinted at a 'good news'. "In our desire of peace, I announce that, and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will release the Indian Air Force officer in our custody tomorrow," Imran Khan announced this in Pakistan Parliament. Addressing the joint session of Parliament, Imran Khan, however, said our de-escalation efforts should not be seen as a weak gesture. Soon after the announcement, political leaders across parties took to Twitter and welcomed the decision. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, aAlong with his family members and all our countrymen, we are anxiously waiting for the safe return of our pilot.a Along with his family members and all our countrymen, we are anxiously waiting for the safe return of our pilot #Abhinandhan a Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) February 28, 2019 Former Jammu and Kashmir CM and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti also lauded the decision and said that the decision to hand the Indian Air Force pilot is a great gesture & shouldnat be seen in isolation. It also comes at a time when Pakistan couldave chosen to further escalate an already tensed situation. I see it as a mark of reconciliation. Our leadership should reciprocate. The decision to hand over Wing Commander Abhinandan is a great gesture & shouldnt be seen in isolation. It also comes at a time when Pak couldave chosen to further escalate an already tensed situation. I see it as a mark of reconciliation . Our leadership should reciprocate. https://t.co/i2RZINyIbk a Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 28, 2019 Pak PM has exhibited real statesmanship today. It is time for our political leadership to step up & take measures to de escalate the current situation. People of J&K are living under unimaginable duress. How much longer will we suffer for? a Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 28, 2019 aPak PM has exhibited real statesmanship today. It is time for our political leadership to step up & take measures to de-escalate the current situation. People of J&K are living under unimaginable duress. How much longer will we suffer for,a she twitted. YYYY...Indian IAF Fighter Pilot #Abhinandan held captive comes back home tom. Y for Indiaas firm stand and international glare. a Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) February 28, 2019 Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi took to Twitter and said that Indiaas firm stand and global glare resulted into the return of the Indian Air Force pilot. I pray and hope brave son of India Wing Commander Abhinandan will be reunited with his family tomorrow. The country is proud of his courage. a Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 28, 2019 Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the country is product of the courage of Indian Air Force pilot.A For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal has agreed to step down as chairman of the board of directors, as per some sources. On February, as per a report by Business Standard which says that the cash-strapped domestic carrier, has reportedly accepted the much-needed bailout package by the Etihad Airways. Under the bailout package, the two airlines are likely to sign a memorandum of agreement in coming days. Though several media outlets are reporting about the deal, no official confirmation has been made by either Jet or Etihad Airways. Interestingly, just a day before on Thursday, Jet Airways CEO Vinay Dube had told its employees that the situation of the crisis-ridden airline might get tougher and asked them to be patient. In an email to the employees, Dube said, "It might get tougher before it gets better, and our ascendancy will be gradual, but collectively, with your unstinted support and commitment, we will come out of this a stronger airline." Recently, the company also cancelled 15 of its flights following grounding of six Boeing 737 planes due to non-payment of lease rentals. Dube said that the company's chairman, board of directors and the management team are working hard on a balance sheet transaction that will help in eliminating its "current challenges". Also read | Indias GDP growth rate slips to 6.6 per cent in third quarter Jet Airways' operations are likely to be hit from next month with its pilots union NAG deciding to adhere to the duty roster from March 1 over non-payment of salaries, union sources said Monday. Members of the National Aviator's Guild (NAG) will not fly over and above roster hours from March 1, they said. The Jet Airways management was not immediately available for a comment on the development. In a communique sent to pilots, NAG said 25 per cent of November salary along with 12.5 per cent of December salary will be processed on February 26. "Since the management was unable to give any further payout commitment, a flight safety period along with black band protest will begin from March 1. A detailed mail will be sent soon by NAG," the communique said. Earlier in the day, Jet Airways, a listed entity, told the stock exchanges it is working out a "mutually acceptable" arrangement to ensure it becomes current on salary overdues. The airline has been delaying salaries to its pilots along with engineers and senior management since last August. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The three service chiefs (the Indian Navy, Army and Air Force) have postponed their joint press conference to 7 pm. The press briefing was earlier scheduled for 5 PM. "Joint press briefing by Army, Navy and Air Force in New Delhi that was scheduled for 5 pm today has been postponed to 7 pm," tweeted ANI. The development comes immediately after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that they would release captive Indian Air Force pilot on Friday as a 'peace gesture'. He was speaking in Pakistan Parliament. The announcement during a joint session of Parliament came barely an hour after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Prime Minister Khan is ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions. As the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif took the floor of the House, Prime Minister Khan apologised for interrupting and said he wishes to announce that the Indian pilot captured by Pakistan Air Force on Wednesday will be released Friday as a "peace gesture". The announcement was greeted by thumping of desks by Pakistani lawmakers. Earlier, Qureshi said that Pakistan is willing to consider returning the captured IAF pilot if it leads to "de-escalation" of tensions with India. Pakistan detained IAF pilot following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control when his MiG 21 fighter jet was downed. Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) said that the Indian Air Force pilot was safe and sound. India Wednesday summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan and demanded immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot who was detained by Pakistan following an aerial engagement by air forces of the two countries. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF), Army and Navy on Thursday held a joint press conference at Delhias South Block and said that they were on high alert and ready to deal with any misadventure of Pakistan amid rising tensions between the two nuclear-powered nations. Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor told the media at a tri-service press conference that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) breached the Indian airspace west of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. The Pakistani attempt was to target Indian military installations but the Pakistani jets were forced to retreat by Indian MiG, Sukhoi and Mirage aircraft. Major General Surendra Singh Mahal said that PAF's targets on Wednesday included a Brigade Headquarters, a Battalion Headquarters and logistics installations in Jammu and Kashmir. He said Indian weapons systems had been put on high alert and mechanized forces had been placed on standby. "As long as Pakistan continues to harbour terrorists, we will continue to target the terror camps," Major General SS Mahal added. Rear Admiral DS Gujral said: "The Indian Navy is deployed in a high state of readiness and remains poised in three dimensions - surface, under the sea and in the air to deter, prevent and defeat any misadventure by Pakistan in the maritime domain. "I can assure you of a resolute, swift and strong response by the Navy whenever needed," he said. Tensions between the two countries escalated after Indian fighters bombed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp near Balakot deep inside Pakistan early on Tuesday. It came 12 days after the Jaish claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Kashmir, killing 40 soldiers. Here are all the updates here: 7: 26 pm:A We have evidence to show that whatever we wanted to do and targets we wanted to destroy, we have done that. The decision to show the evidence is on senior leadership: Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor 7: 25 pm:A Visuals of cover of AARAM missile fired from Pakistani F-16 aircraft found near the LoC in India Visuals of cover of AARAM missile fired from Pakistani F-16 aircraft found near the LoC in India pic.twitter.com/qHdOm5cDqN a ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 7: 20 pm:A Premature to say number of casualties on the camp, whatever we intended to destroy we got that result: Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor 7: 18 pm:A As long as Pakistan continues to harbour terrorists, we will continue to target the terror camps: Major General Surendra Singh Mahal 7: 16 pm:A We are ready for any misadventure by Pakistan and we are ready for resolute action. We want to ensure safety and security of our citizens: Navy Rear Admiral DS Gujral 7:16 pm:A Indian Army remains poised in all three surfaces to deter and defeat any misadventure by Pakistan. We stand as one with the Army and Air Force: Rear Admiral Dalbir Singh Gujral 7: 15 pm:A The Indian Army is committed to maintain peace and stability in the region: Maj Gen Surender Singh 7: 15 pm:A IAF is happy that Wing Commander Abhinandan is returning tomorrow: Air Vice Marshall RGK Kapoor 7: 14 pm:A There is enough evidence to show that F-16s were used in this mission through their electronic signatures. Parts of AMRAAM, air to air missile which is carried only on the Pakistani F-16s was recovered east of Rajouri within the Indian territory. 7: 13 pm:A One Pakistani F-16 was shot down by an IAF MiG 21 Bison Aircraft. East of Rajouri, parts of F-16 have been recovered, inside Indian territory: Air Vice Marshall RGK Kapoor 7: 12 pm:A 2 PAF pilots were seen ejecting from the F-16 that was hit with a missile by our MiG-21 Bison. Pak says no F-16s used in the operation. We have evidence in the form of AMRAAM parts found east of Rajouri & electronic signatures captured. 7: 12 pm:A "IAF fighters were tasked to intercept the intruding Pakistani aircraft and managed to thwart them. Although PAF jets dropped bombs, they were not able to cause any damage": Air Vice Marshal RGK KapoorA 7: 11 pm:A The IAF aircraft foiled their attack. They were unable to cause any damage to our military installations: IAFA 7: 10 pm:A Pakistan aircraft were targeting military installations, like the Brigade HQ. But due to the alertness of IAF, their efforts were foiled 7: 10 pm:A On Feb 27, IAF radars detected a Pakistan aircraft heading towards Indian territory. IAF fighters were tasked to intercept Pakistan's aircraft: Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor 7:10 pm: IAF fighters were tasked to intercept the intruding Pakistani aircraft and managed to thwart them. Although PAF jets dropped bombs, they were not able to cause any damage:A Air Vice Marshall RGK Kapoor 7:10 pm:A Pakistan claimed that they intentionally dropped weapons on open areas, but the fact is Pakistan targeted military assets: Air Vice Marshall RGK Kapoor 7:08 pm: They were intercepted by IAF aircraft.A 7:05 pm: Pakistan air force breached the air territory.A 7:00 pm: Air Vice MarshalA RGKA KapoorA to be present at the conferenceA For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with over 1 crore BJP workers and volunteers from 15,000 locations across the country. The Patiala House Court will hear the JNU sedition case against Umar Khalid, Kanhaiya Kumar, Anirban Bhattacharya. A confident India will look to complete a whitewash when they take on a beleaguered England in the third and final womens One-day International on Thursday. Kim, Trump get down to business over N Korean nukes. Stay tuned for all the news from around the world: 15:12 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Amrapali case: Supreme Court directs the arrest of Amrapali Group CMD, Anil Sharma and two other directors in a criminal complaint filed against them. Amrapali case: Supreme Court directs the arrest of Amrapali Group CMD, Anil Sharma and two other directors in a criminal complaint filed against them. pic.twitter.com/uBSbt3zBoQ ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 12:59 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In FM Arun Jaitley: Message has gone home loud&clear that people had to break away from what was normal&live with new normal, thats why in the banking sector. The whole idea that if you dont pay a bank, you get away with, then it's a banker's headache, this cant be the new normal. 12:52 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Trump says after North Korea summit: 'sometimes you have to walk'. 12:33 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In White House confirms US, North Korea have failed to reach a deal during Hanoi Summit: Strait Times 12:10 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In 2016 JNU sedition case: Next date of hearing is March 11. Delhi's Patiala House Court says it wants to see the video footage. 12:10 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders including Sukhbir Singh Badal met BJP President Amit Shah today at the latter's residence in Delhi. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders including Sukhbir Singh Badal met BJP President Amit Shah today at the latter's residence in Delhi pic.twitter.com/ETRzGbhELP ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 12:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy on his statement "if you bless Congress & JD(S) with at least 20-22 seats in Karnataka once again, a Kannadiga can be in that place (Prime Minister)": In this country anything can happen. Why can't it happen? 11:39 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Sunil Mehta, Managing Director of Punjab National Bank: PNB to reduce interest rate by 10 basis point by today evening. The new rate will be effective from March 1. 11:21 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The three service chiefs to meet Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman shortly: ANI. 10:39 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The Court has not clarified on the time in which Associated Journals Limited has to evict the Herald building. 10:37 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Delhi High Court upholds eviction of Associated Journals Limited from Herald House. 10:31 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In AgustaWestland case accused Rajiv Saxena: I have thought long and hard. Confident that my exposure to the case is very minimal. No intention to not cooperate. Logical consequence to give testimony in the case. No pressure. No assurance given & none sought by me. 09:06 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Kolkata: Anti-Fake Indian Currency Note (FICN) team of Special Task Force (STF) arrested two persons yesterday in possession of FICN in Rs 2,000 denomination with face value of Rs 7 lakh. 08:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Wall prototypes on the US-Mexico border in California are dismantled, reports AFP. 08:50 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In US House passes first major gun safety bill in over 20 years. If it becomes law, background checks will be applied to virtually all firearm sales. 07:59 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In One more body of an unidentified miner was recovered from the mine at Ksan near Lytein river in the East Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya. 07:32 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to leave for UAE today to take part in Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting as the Guest of Honor. 07:02 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In United Kingdom MPs back UK PM Theresa May's revised Brexit plan which could delay EU exit. 07:01 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In IMD: Earthquake of magnitude 4.8 on the Richter scale hit Nicobar Islands at 05:30 am today. 07:00 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In No peaceful transition of power if Trump loses 2020 elections, said Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen. Given my experience working for Mr. Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, there will never be a peaceful transition of power, Cohen said during his closing remarks before the House of Representatives Oversight Committee. 06:59 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In North Korea has 'tremendous economic potential': US President Donald Trump tells North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday demanded evidence of the pre-emptive strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed training camps by the Indian Air Force (IAF). She also said that the opposition parties want to know the details of the operation. We want to know details of the operation. Where the bomb was dropped, how many people died, she said. I was reading foreign media and they said that none died and some media houses said one died. We want to know the details, Mamata added. In an interaction with the media persons, Mamata Banerjee asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi didnt hold any all-party meet after the attack. "Some media is reporting 300 people died, we want to know the actual truth. Where did they drop the bomb? Was it dropped at the right target? International media is reporting that no such thing happened, that the bomb missed its target and no one died! So what is the truth?" the Trinamool Congress chief asked. Interestingly, a few days ago, Mamata Banerjee hailed the Indian Air Force (IAF) for carrying out air strikes in Pakistan. "IAF also means India's Amazing Fighters. Jai Hind," Banerjee tweeted. India conducted a major preemptive strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers, and senior commanders, Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said. He said the "intelligence-led operation" on the Pakistan-based terror group's biggest training camp in Balakot became "absolutely necessary" as it was planning more suicide attacks in India. JeM claimed responsibility for the February 14 Pulwama attack on a CRPF convoy in which 40 soldiers were killed. Sources told PTI that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has briefed President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu about Tuesday's strike. It was not clear if the strike was on Balakote in Pakistan occupied Kashmir or Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Gokhale also did not give details of how the attacks were carried out or confirm earlier reports by sources that Mirage aircraft were used to drop bombs in the operation. "Credible intelligence was received that JeM was attempting another suicide terror attack in various parts of the country, and the fidayeen jihadis were being trained for this purpose," Gokhale told the media. In the face of imminent danger, a preemptive strike became "absolutely necessary", the foreign secretary said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said that they would release captive Indian Air Force pilot on Friday as a 'big peace gesture'. He was speaking in Pakistan Parliament. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday said Pakistan is willing to consider returning the Indian pilot if it means de-escalation of ties between the two countries. "India handed over a dossier to the acting High Commissioner of Pakistan a day earlier and we will examine it. I will evaluate the dossier with an open heart and then see if talks will be held on that," Geo News quoted Shah as saying. "Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to hold a telephonic conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said. A aIndia cannot solve the Kashmir issue through strength. We are ready to talk on the issues of Kashmir and terrorism with India. They can come and sit down and we will have a dialogue," he said. "In our desire of peace, I announce that tomorrow, and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody." - Prime Minister Imran Khan @ImranKhanPTI pic.twitter.com/NdZ7juJebG a Prime Minister's Office, Pakistan (@PakPMO) February 28, 2019 The foreign minister also thanked US President Donald Trump for his statement on the Pakistan-India tension. "They have been going at it and we have been involved in trying to have them stop and we have some reasonably decent news hopefully that will be coming to an end. Itas been going on for a long time for decades and decades. There is a lot of dislikes unfortunately so we have been in the middle trying to help them both out, see if we can get some organisation and some peace. And I think that is probably going to be happening,a the US president said. A While addressing the nation which was telecast live, Khan said: "When India stuck yesterday morning, the army chief and I spoke. We did not respond in haste a we did not have a complete assessment of the damage cause and it would have been irresponsible on our part as it may have resulted in casualties on their side. Once we assessed the damage caused, we were ready to take action. "The sole purpose of our action was to convey that if you can come into our country, we can do the same. That was the only purpose of what we did," he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In a move that can ratchet the tension in the Indian Subcontinent at much higher level, Pakistan violated the Indian airspace in Jammu and Kashmirs Pooch area on Thursday. According to multiple media reports, twofighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force were intercepted over Poonch and Krishna Ghati sector. While there are no reports of any aerial combat, news agency ANI has reported that the Pakistan also violated the ceasefire in the area and unprovoked firing was reported at around 1 pm. This is the second time in less than 24 hours that the PAF has crossed into the Indian airspace. On Wednesday, Pakistans F-16 fighter jet was shot down in Indian retaliatory fire 3 KM within Pakistan territory in Lam valley, Nowshera sector, news agency ANI. The latest development comes amid reports of Pakistan violating airspace in the Rajouri district. According to news agency PTI, "The jets entered into Indian air space over Nowshera sector this morning." The Pakistani jet was immediately pushed back by Indian planes on air patrol but not before dropping bombs. Nowshera is a border town in Jammu. The tension is at all time since 1999 Kargil War. An Indian Air Force pilot of the Mig-21 Bison that reportedly shot down the PAFs F-16 is in Pakistans captivity, the MEA confirmed in a statement on Wednesday. An unverified video has gone viral in which the air force pilot is seen telling his name, his batch number to the Pakistani captors. News Nation can't independently verify the authenticity of the video, which has been shared widely by many media outlets in Pakistan. India also demanded immediate and safe return of an IAF pilot who was detained by Pakistan following an aerial engagement by air forces of the two countries. "It was clearly conveyed that India reserves the right to take firm and decisive action to protect its national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity against any act of aggression or cross-border terrorism," said the MEA. It has also been made clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, the External Affairs Ministry said, adding it has conveyed strong objection to the neighbouring country at the "vulgar display" of an injured personnel in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. Earlier, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had said India committed uncalled for aggression to which Pakistan shall respond at time and place of its choosing. More than 10 bombs were dropped by the Indian multi-role fighter jet Mirage 2000 at around 3:30 am on Tuesday. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi over phone and expressed his deep condolences on the Pulwama terror attack. President Putin also conveyed solidarity of the people of the Russian Federation with the people of India in the fight of terrorism. PM Modi thanked President Putin for steadfast support for Indias efforts to protect its interests against cross-border terror attacks and renewed Indias commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in countering terrorism as a pillar of privileged and special strategic partnership. Both the leaders also agreed that the growing cooperation between the two countries will take their Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership from strength to strength. According to news agency ANI, President Putin reiterated the invitation to PM Modi to attend the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok later this year. PM Modi welcomed the invitation and underscored the significance of growing economic cooperation, including in the Russian Far East, between the two countries. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Two days after the surprise air strike in Pakistans Balakot, top commanders of the Indian armed forces are set to address the media at South Block on Thursday. Contrary to earlier reports, service chiefs will not address the reporters. Briefing will be conducted by 2-star officers. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019, said Union Minister Arun Jaitley.A Once the Ordinance is issued, it would pave the way for bringing persons residing in the areas adjoining International Border within the ambit of reservation at par with persons living in areas adjoining Actual Line of Control. The Ordinance provides for amendments in the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004 to bring persons residing in the area adjoining International Border within the ambit of reservation at par with persons living in areas adjoining Actual Line of Control (ALoC). Finance Minister Arun Jaitley: Union Cabinet approves the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019. pic.twitter.com/cK9Blb7W6J a ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2019 This will also pave the way for giving benefit of promotion in service to the Scheduled Castes (SC), the Scheduled Tribes (ST) and also extend the reservation of up to 10 per cent for 'economically weaker sections' in educational institutions and public employment in addition to the existing reservation in Jammu andA Kashmir. "It will serve the purpose of application of relevant provisions of the Constitution of India, as amended through the Constitution (Seventy Seventh Amendment) Act, 1995 and Constitution (One Hundred and third Amendment) Act, 2019 for Jammu and Kashmir, by issuing the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Amendment Order, 2019 by the President under clause (1) of Article 370," Jaitley said. With Agency Inputs For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The United States has reiterated its support for Indias action against Jaish-e-Mohammed that saw the Indian Air Force fighter planes destroying Balakot terror camp in pre-dawn attack. According to news agency ANI, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a telephonic conversation with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Thursday. In the late-night call, Pompeo said that the US supported Indias decision to take action against Jaish terror camp on Pakistani soil. Day earlier, Pompeo had spoken to Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj. Pompeo emphasized on close security partnership between India and the US. He shared goal of maintaining peace and security in the region. He has also spoken to Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi to underscore the priority of de-escalating current tensions by avoiding military action, and the urgency of Pakistan taking meaningful action against terrorist groups operating on its soil. Pompeo said that the US will encourage India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, and avoid escalation at any cost. He also encouraged both Ministers to prioritise direct communication and avoid further military activity. Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday made an urgent late-night call to his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi and said that Beijing is ready to help in easing out the current border tension in Indian Subcontinent. Wang said that he hoped China could continue to play a constructive role in easing the current tensions." The Chinese Foreign Ministry in the statement added that China does not want to see the acts that violate the norms of international relations. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that India and Pakistan should de-escalate the tensions between them. "I think reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India, they have been going at it and we have been involved and have them stop, we have some reasonably decent news, hopefully, its going to be coming to an end, going on for a long time, decades and decades, he said. Earlier, the United States reiterated its support for Indias action against Jaish-e-Mohammed that saw the Indian Air Force fighter planes destroying Balakot terror camp in pre-dawn attack. According to news agency ANI, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a telephonic conversation with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Thursday. In the late-night call, Pompeo said that the US supported Indias decision to take action against Jaish terror camp on Pakistani soil. On Wednesday, Pompeo had spoken to Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj. Pompeo emphasized on close security partnership between India and the US. He shared goal of maintaining peace and security in the region. He has also spoken to Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi to underscore the priority of de-escalating current tensions by avoiding military action, and the urgency of Pakistan taking meaningful action against terrorist groups operating on its soil. Pompeo said that the US will encourage India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, and avoid escalation at any cost. He also encouraged both Ministers to prioritise direct communication and avoid further military activity. The US has asked Pakistan to abide by its UN Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. This US statement came after India on Wednesday handed over to Pakistan a dossier on specific details of involvement of the Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) in the Pulwama terror attack on Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) as also the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror outfit in that country. Cross-border terrorism, such as the recent attack on India's CRPF on February 14, poses a grave threat to the security of the region. We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds, a State Department spokesperson said. The Ministry of External Affairs handed over the dossier Pakistan's Acting High Commissioner on Wednesday. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that India has just completed a pilot project and the real one is yet to be done. Though PM Modi made this remark without making any reference to ongoing tension between India and Pakistan, it assumes significance as he said this in the backdrop of India targeting Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp across Line of Control (LoC). You are those people who spend their lives in laboratories. You follow a practice of first doing pilot projects. After the pilot project is completed, then the project is made scalable. We have just completed one pilot project. The real is yet to be done, only the practice has been done so far, PM Modi said while addressing a gathering at Vigyan Bhavan during the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology for 2018. The surprise announcement also came on the heels of India sending a strong message to Pakistan rejecting the possibility of any deal for securing the release of the pilot and demanding his unconditional and immediate repatriation. Indian government sources also emphatically said the pilot cannot be a bargaining chip. "In our desire for peace, I announce that tomorrow (Friday), and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody," Khan said. The announcement during a joint session of Parliament was greeted by thumping of desks by lawmakers. The pilot bailed out and landed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) after his MiG 21 was brought down during a fierce aerial engagement on Wednesday with Pakistan Air Force(PAF) fighters on the Line of Control(LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. As international pressure mounted on India and Pakistan to show restraint and deescalate tensions, American President Donald Trump said the US has some "reasonably attractive news" from the two countries. "We have been involved in trying to help them (India and Pakistan) stop and we have some reasonably decent news," he said in his opening statement at a press conference at the end of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Electronics giant Samsung said it aims to garner US dollar 4 billion (around Rs 28,000 crore) in revenue from its Galaxy A series of smartphones in India this year, as it expands the range aimed at millennials. The company, which is locked in a battle for leadership in the hyper-competitive Indian smartphone market with Chinese player Xiaomi, will line-up new devices between March-June, priced between Rs 10,000-50,000. "Last year, our mobile chief DJ Koh had announced that we will bring innovation across our smartphone range to mass and mid-price phones and not limit them to premium flagships. This year, we will have a strong lineup under our Galaxy A series to offer the features that millennials are looking for," Samsung India Senior VP (Mobile Marketing) Ranjiv Singh told PTI. He added that the company will launch a new device every month between March and June - priced between Rs 10,000-50,000. "Previous Galaxy A devices have done extremely well in the Indian market and with the new line-up, we are confident of getting USD 4 billion in revenue from the series (Galaxy A) this year in India," Singh said. According to reports, Samsung India saw its net revenues growing by 10 per cent to about Rs 60,000 crore in FY18. Of this, the mobile business accounted for over Rs 37,000 crore. Last month, Samsung has launched its new online-only 'Galaxy M' series of smartphones in India and said the series would play a key role in helping the company clock double-digit growth in 2019. Citing GfK data, Singh said Samsung had 42 per cent share in the Rs 20,000-30,000 category, and 76 per cent share in the Rs 30,000-40,000 segment in value terms in December. However, reports from other research organisations like IDC and Counterpoint have positioned Xiaomi to be ahead of Samsung (in terms of units shipped) for many quarters now. Xiaomi has a dominant position in online smartphone sales and has been aggressively expanding its offline presence over the last many months. New Delhi: While addressing the joint session of Pakistani parliament, Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid on Thursday admitted that '14 Indian fighter jets' had entered Pakistan's air space and destroyed madrasa's run by Azhar Sahab (JeM chief Masood Azhar). Earlier, Pakistan had dismissed India's claims about a successful IAF raid on JeM terror camp in Balakot on February 26. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said that he is ready for talks with India on all issues including terrorism, maintaining that dialogue is the "only way" for peace and stability in the region. Chairing a Cabinet meeting, Khan briefed the members about the latest developments in the Indo-Pak relations following the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 and subsequent aerial engagement by the two countries' fighter jets. "Dialogue is the only way for peace and stability in the region," Khan said. "I had made an offer to India to investigate the Pulwama attack and hold dialogue on bilateral issues. "Pakistan is ready for talks with India on all issues including terrorism," Geo news quoted Khan as telling Cabinet members. India on Thursday told Pakistan that it has to take concrete steps against the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group before they could engage in talks. A 12-point agenda, including the current security situation, was discussed during the meeting and the ministers of foreign affairs and defence briefed the Cabinet on the Indian "aggression", sources said. The report quoted Khan as saying that he "tried to call Modi last night" (Wednesday). Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Prime Minister Khan is ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Modi over the telephone to offer him peace. Qureshi told Geo News that if India gives priority to peace, Pakistan is ready for peace. "Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to talk to Narendra Modi on the telephone and ready to extend an invitation of peace. Is Modi ready?" he asked. "We are ready for every eventuality. If they give priority to peace, we are ready for peace. If they prioritise dialogue, we are ready for dialogue," the Foreign Minister said. Qureshi also confirmed the receipt of India's dossier on the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed in an attack claimed by Pakistan-based terror group JeM. "Let's talk together on the basis of the dossier. I am ready to talk. You want to talk about terrorism, I am ready. You want to talk about peace, I am ready. You want to make it a common challenge, I am ready," he said. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. Pakistan on Wednesday claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot. Later, Prime Minister Khan said that Pakistan will release the pilot as a goodwill gesture. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he cut short his nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un because the two sides could not agree on sanctions. It wasnt a good thing to be signing anything, Trump said during a post-summit news conference. We had some options, and at this time we decided not to do any of the options. Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldnt do that, Trump said. ALSO READ | US House passes first major gun safety bill in over 20 years The two leaders discussed various ways to advance denuclearization and economic driven concepts, White House press secretary Sarah Sander said. No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future. Sarah Sanders did not tell reporters why the schedule had changed and she declined to say whether there would be a signing ceremony. As the two leaders sat down for Thursdays formal discussions in Hanoi, Trump said success would come over a longer period of time. Multiple sanctions have been imposed on the North because of its weapons programmes and tensions soared in 2017 before a wave of detente. Earlier, US President Donald Trump said he was in no rush to secure a deal over Pyongyangs nuclear programme as he kicked off formal talks. The two men who once traded personal insults and threats of destruction are holding their second meeting in eight months, with analysts warning it needs to produce more concrete progress than their initial historic get-together in Singapore. The Singapore summit resulted in cozy images, but only a vague commitment from Kim to work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. Diplomacy has since stalled amid disagreements on what that actually means. Earlier Kim said he would be willing to denuclearise, speaking on the second day of his summit with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam. The two leaders held more one-on-one talks and roundtable discussions hoping to improve relations and reach a deal on denuclearisation. If Im not willing to do that, I wont be here right now, Kim told reporters through an interpreter when asked if he was ready to give up his nuclear weapons. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer told Congress on Wednesday that Trump knew ahead of time that WikiLeaks had emails damaging to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, and he testified that Trump is a "racist," a "conman" and a "cheat." Michael Cohen suggested in prepared testimony obtained by The Associated Press that Trump also implicitly told him to lie about a Moscow real estate project. Cohen has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the project, which he says Trump knew about as Cohen was negotiating with Russia during the 2016 election campaign. The hearing was expected to provide the most damning depiction to date of Trump's campaign and business operations from a onetime member of the president's inner circle. It is the latest step in Cohen's evolution from legal fixer for the president ? he once boasted that he'd "take a bullet" for Trump ? to a foe who has implicated him in federal campaign finance violations. Cohen's claims that Trump had advance knowledge of the emails contradict the president's assertions that he was in the dark, but it was not clear what evidence Cohen had to support the allegation or even how legally problematic it would be for Trump. Special counsel Robert Mueller has not suggested that mere awareness of WikiLeaks' plans, as Trump confidant Roger Stone is purported to have had, is by itself a crime. Cohen arrived in the hearing room just before the session was to start. An earlier restriction that the hearing was not to delve into Russia would not be followed, said House Reform and Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings of Maryland. Republicans on the committee tried to block the hearing as it got underway, on grounds that Cohen had not provided his opening statement long enough in advance. Democrats rejected the effort to postpone the proceedings. Cohen said Trump did not directly tell him to lie, but "he would look me in the eye and tell me there's no business in Russia and then go out and lie to the American people by saying the same thing." Cohen said that "in his way, he was telling me to lie." He added that lawyers for Trump had "reviewed and edited" the statement in which Cohen falsely said a proposal for a Trump Tower in Moscow had been abandoned in January 2016. Cohen has since said he continued pursuing the project for Trump for months after that. In the prepared testimony, Cohen apologised for his actions. "I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr Trump's illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience," he said. Trump, at a Vietnam hotel before a planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and unable to ignore the drama playing out thousands of miles away, lashed out at Cohen on Twitter, saying that his lawyer "did bad things unrelated to Trump" and "is lying in order to reduce his prison time." A judge already has set Cohen's sentence, and Cohen's cooperation before Congress will have no bearing on that term. Cohen, ahead of his appearance, said Tuesday that the American people could decide "exactly who is telling the truth" when he testified before the House committee, setting the stage for an explosive public hearing that threatened to overshadow Trump's summit in Vietnam with Kim. On WikiLeaks, Cohen said in the prepared testimony that he was in Trump's office in July 2016 when longtime adviser Roger Stone telephoned Trump. Trump put Stone on speakerphone and Stone told him that he had communicated with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that "within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clinton's campaign," according to Cohen. Trump responded by saying "wouldn't that be great," Cohen said. That month, WikiLeaks released thousands of emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee's server. "A lot of people have asked me about whether Mr Trump knew about the release of the hacked Democratic National Committee emails ahead of time," Cohen said in the prepared testimony. "The answer is yes." Cohen said he does not have direct evidence that Trump colluded with the Russian government during the election, but that he has "suspicions." Of a meeting in Trump Tower between campaign advisers, including Trump's oldest son, and a Russian lawyer, Cohen said that Trump had frequently told him that Donald Trump Jr "had the worst judgment of anyone in the world" and he "would never set up any meeting of any significance alone and certainly not without checking with his father." Cohen, once Trump's loyal attorney, has turned on his former boss and cooperated with special counsel Mueller's Russia investigation. He begins a three-year prison sentence in May after pleading guilty to lying to Congress in 2017 and committing campaign finance violations while he was working for Trump. He met with the Senate intelligence committee for more than nine hours behind closed doors on Tuesday. Cohen said in brief remarks afterward that he appreciated the opportunity to "clear the record and tell the truth" to the panel after acknowledging he lied to the committee in 2017. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The US has asked Pakistan to abide by its UN Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. This US statement came after India on Wednesday handed over to Pakistan a dossier on specific details of involvement of the Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) in the Pulwama terror attack on Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) as also the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror outfit in that country. Cross-border terrorism, such as the recent attack on India's CRPF on February 14, poses a grave threat to the security of the region. We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds, a State Department spokesperson said. The Ministry of External Affairs handed over the dossier Pakistan's Acting High Commissioner on Wednesday. ALSO READ | Amid Indo-Pak tensions, Islamabad threatens to boycott OIC meet if Sushma Swaraj attends event It was conveyed that India expects Pakistan to take immediate and verifiable action? against terrorism emanating from territories under its control. Responding to reporter questions over the current situation between India and Pakistan, the spokesperson joined the White House and the Pentagon in urging the two countries to de-escalate their tension and avoid military to resolve their differences. The United States calls on India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and for a return to stability, the spokesperson said. We urge both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation, including through direct communication. Further military activity will exacerbate the situation, the spokesperson said. India shot down Pakistan Air Forces F-16 fighter jet after an airspace violation in Jammu and Kashmirs Nowshera sector on Wednesday morning. The fighter jet was shot down in Indian retaliatory fire 3 KM within Pakistan territory in Lam valley, Nowshera sector, news agency ANI. The latest development comes amid reports of Pakistan violating airspace in the Rajouri district. According to news agency PTI, "The jets entered into Indian air space over Nowshera sector this morning." The Pakistani jet was immediately pushed back by Indian planes on air patrol but not before dropping bombs. Nowshera is a border town in Jammu. While details of this retaliation are yet be ascertained by either the Indian Air Force or the Ministry of Defence, contrary claims are being made by the officials across the border. Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, spokesperson Pakistan armed forces, claimed that PAF shot down two Indian aircraft inside Pakistani airspace. Another starling claim Maj Gen Ghafoor said that, One Indian pilot arrested by troops on the ground while two in the area. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Amid tension between India and Pakistan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday made an urgent late-night call to his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi and said that Beijing is ready to help in easing out the current border tension in Indian Subcontinent. Wang said that he hoped China could continue to play a constructive role in easing the current tensions." The Chinese Foreign Ministry in the statement added that China does not want to see the acts that violate the norms of international relations. The statement comes after Chinas trilateral talks with India and Russia, which was attended by Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj in Wuzhen. In the meeting, Swaraj raised Pulwama terror attack issue. She had said that the Pulwama terror attack is a grim reminder that there should be zero tolerance against terrorism and decisive action is need of the hour. The meeting gained significance in the backdrop of the Indian Air Forces air strike in Pakistans Balakot, in which major terror camp run by the Jaish-e-Mohammed was completely destroyed. Swaraj extensively spoke about the surprise mission and said that, It wasn't a military op, no military installation targeted. Objective was to act against terrorist infrastructure of JeM to pre-empt another terror attack in India. India doesn't wish to see further escalation of situation. It'll continue to act with responsibility and restraint. In the light of continuing refusal of Pak to acknowledge and act against terror groups on its territory and based on credible info that JeM was planning other attacks in parts of India, Government of India decided to take pre-emptive action and target was selected in order to avoid civilian casualties, Swaraj added. Hitting out at Islamabad over non-action against terror groups operating on its soil, Swaraj said that, Following the Pulwama terrorist attack instead of taking seriously the calls by international community to act against Jaish-e-Mohammed and other terror groups based in Pakistan, it denied any knowledge of the attack and outrightly dismissed claims by Jaish-e-Mohammed. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The United States, Britain and France on Wednesday proposed that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) blacklist Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar. They have asked the 15-member Security Council sanctions committee to subject Azhar to an arms embargo, global travel ban and asset freeze. The United States State Department also called on India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and return to stability. It has urged both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation, including direct communication. Further military activity will exacerbate situation, reports news agency ANI. Cross-border terrorism, such as recent attack on Indias CRPF, poses grave threat to security of the area. We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven & block their access to funds, the US State Department said. However, the move is likely to be opposed by China, which previously prevented the Security Councils Islamic State and al Qaeda sanctions committee from sanctioning JeM leader Masood Azhar in 2016 and 2017, as reported by Reuters. Chinas UN mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new proposal. The Security Council condemned the February 14 attack in a statement last week, which was agreed after several days of negotiation. Diplomats said China had been opposed to a reference of JeM, however, the agreed statement did eventually note that JeM has claimed responsibility for the attack. On February 14, the Azhar Mehmood-led Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the attack on a CRPF convoy that killed 40 personnel at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir. India launched a major diplomatic pressure on Pakistan. The government slammed Pakistan for using terrorism as an instrument of state policy. India has also asked Pakistan to take immediate and verifiable action against terrorists and terror groups operating from territories under its control. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Fatima Bhutto, the granddaughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and niece of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, said the Indian pilot should be released from Pakistans custody as a gesture of commitment to peace. In an op-ed in the New York Times, Bhutto wrote, "I and many other young Pakistanis have called upon our country to release the captured Indian pilot as a gesture of our commitment to peace, humanity and dignity." "We have spent a lifetime at war. I do not want to see Pakistani soldiers die. I do not want to see Indian soldiers die. We cannot be a subcontinent of orphans," said Bhutto. "My generation of Pakistanis have fought for the right to speak, and we are not afraid to lend our voices to that most righteous cause: peace," said the 36-year old daughter. Daughter of Murtaza Bhutto, the son of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Fatima said, "But our long history with military dictatorships and experience of terrorism and uncertainty means that my generation of Pakistanis have no tolerance, no appetite, for jingoism or war," she said. "I have never seen my country at peace with its neighbour. But never before have I seen a war played out between two nuclear-armed states with Twitter accounts," Bhutto said. Bilawal Bhutto, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief and former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhuttos son tweeted, It is the youth of the subcontinent who will pay in blood and coin for generations to come for the shortsighted decisions of a few today. Pakistans Prime Ministers call for dialogue must be reciprocated, time to deescalate before its too late (sic). Tensions between India and Pakistan have been running high since the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack. Following the incident, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot, around 80 km from the Line of Control early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media BROOKFIELD The library will celebrate Read Across America Day on Saturday with story time and other activities. The library will host a Brookfield police officer, fire fighter, family physician and veterinarian, who will each read stories to children, and participate in a brief Q&A about their professions. There will also be a craft project and snacks. The event is from 10 to 11:30 a.m. DARIEN A Noroton church has recently been pulled into controversy after a mailer of an article falsely accused it of harboring a virulent anti-Semite under the guise of Evangelism. As first reported in the CT Jewish Ledger, a fake article that attacked the Noroton Presbyterian Church and two of its pastors was placed in mailboxes the night on Feb. 8. The article, regarding Hanna Massad, said the church was offering Massad a safe base of operations and called him a virulent racist and anti-Semitic Palestinian agitator. The author of the fake article was listed as Dexter Van Zile, a Christian Media Analyst for the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA). When Van Zile and CAMERA were contacted regarding the article, they denounced it as fake. The Ledger reporter that Van Zile said I was sent an email about the hoax article by the churchs pastor. He wrote he really hoped I didnt write it because it was untrue and unkind. Whoever wrote the article used my name to pursue a personal vendetta against a local church, Van Zile. To say Im upset and angry is, well, an understatement, shall we say. I never wrote the absurd article nor did the Jerusalem Post ever publish it, Van Zile said. The whole things a hoax, from beginning to end. Van Zile pointed out that the Jerusalem Post is an internationally influential newspaper with a reputation for covering stories of global significance. The notion that theyd publish a long attack piece on a church in Darien, Connecticut is ludicrous, he said. My hope is that nobody in Darien was harmed by this malicious article, Van Zile said. If I can discover who penned it, I will see what legal actions are available to me. Van Zile said the creator and distributer of the fake article and mailer was likely someone angry about Hanna Massads involvement with the church. Van Zile said he had been critical of Massad in the past but that the accusations in the fake article were false and disgusting. Van Ziles criticism of Massad has centered around what he says is his lack of forthcoming and honest criticism of Hamas because he is from and still has family and friends in the Gaza strip. He cannot tell the truth because he or the people he loves could get hurt, he said. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Hamas is a Palestinian militant movement that also serves as one of the territories two major political parties. A nationalist-Islamist spinoff of Egypts Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas was founded in 1987, during the first intifada, and later emerged at the forefront of armed resistance to Israel. The United States and the European Union consider Hamas a terrorist organization. According to CFR, Hamas is the main Palestinian armed resistance group, but the Islamist movement has struggled with governance since assuming control of Gaza. On the Noroton Presbyterian Church website, Hanna Massad is listed under the Christian Mission to Gaza page. Massad and his family are listed as living in Amman, Jordan, where he ministers to a church of over 200 Iraqi refugee families. He also helps to arrange short term mission trips for U.S. doctors to come and help provide trauma and crisis counseling and other medical needs. The website also says Massad regularly travels to Gaza to serve the poor and needy (Christians and Muslims) providing food, medicine and support and encouragement. He also pastors the Gaza Baptist Church and ministers to hundreds of Iraqi and Syrian refugees who have fled the persecution of Isis. It is unclear from the site where Massad currently lives, but the website reports he and his family are spending June 2016/2016 on sabbatical living locally in Wilton. In a Jan. 3 article on The Jerusalem Post, Van Zile criticizes Massad for being outspoken about Isis yet not as aggressively critical of Hamas. Its not as if Massad cant call out evil for what it is, he wrote. He describes how one father fled Aleppo, fearing that his daughters would be kidnapped and raped by ISIS militants. He explicitly described ISIS members as torturers and terrorists who, among other things, slaughtered children of Egyptian families on the beaches of Libya. Hamas has, thankfully enough, not reached the level of violence that ISIS has. But it has perpetrated great acts of violence that Massad just cant seem to bring himself to describe with the same specificity, Van Zile wrote. Why? The answer is obvious. Massad operates under the thumb of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and has to watch what he says about life in the Strip. In other words, he has to lie by omission about Hamas and then blame Israels occupation for the suffering Palestinians endure. By way of comparison, Massad has little to fear by helping Christian refugees in Jordan, so he can speak freely about ISIS, he wrote. Van Zile said he knows Palestinian Christians that exhibit anti-Semitic behavior, but Massad is not of them. The leaders of Noroton Presbyterian released a statement, but declined to address the specific accusations. The leadership and staff of Noroton Presbyterian Church are always committed to serving and caring for others in the name of Jesus Christ. We are troubled by recent articles in the media concerning our church and are working through the appropriate channels to get matters corrected, the statement read. Van Zile forwarded emails that he sent to the Rev. Greg Doll, pastor of Noroton Presbyterian, after he discovered the false article had used his name. It is a glimpse into the abyss. There are times when people church people even are in conflict. And given the brokenness of the world, the best we can hope for is that God is somehow able to use these conflicts to His good purposes, he wrote. Ive been pretty clear in my criticism of how people in the Christian world deal with issues related to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The letter distributed to your community was a dirty trick. I condemn it unreservedly. I am disgusted by it. In the long run, the person who wrote this article did more harm to themselves than to the community, he wrote. In another email, Van Zile wrote, I have been very critical of Hanna Massad but he at least signs his own name to what he writes and says publicly. He has come forward, said his piece and taken his lumps. Whoever wrote this article lacks the courage Rev. Massad has shown. Van Zile said he has a suspicion as to who was behind the fake article mailer but would not offer the name. He said he feels that the church wants to put the matter behind him and providing the name would do the opposite. However, Van Zile did say that putting material in peoples mailboxes is a crime, and if he was asked by a postal authority, he would provide the appropriate information. In an email to Hearst Connecticut Media, Van Zile said Hanna Massad does not strike me as an anti-Semite. He has friends and relatives who live in the shadow of Hamas and as a result, he cannot speak publicly about the things it does wrong for if he does, people will get hurt. I have written about other Palestinian Christians who traffic in antisemitic rhetoric. Hanna Massad is not one of them. I have concluded he tells a distorted narrative about the Arab-Israeli conflict but he does not do so out of animus, but fear, he wrote. DANBURY A new state budget could provide more breathing room for Danbury Public Schools leaders who for years have argued theyve gotten short shrift from the state, which put the financial squeeze on the only district that has grown consistently while most others shrank. Gov. Ned Lamonts new biennial budget proposal, unveiled last week, includes a nearly $5 million increase in state funding for Danbury schools over the next two years from nearly $32.3 million to a proposed $37.1 million. Those increases are proposed to continue throughout Lamonts tenure, but they come with the caveat that the state is facing down multibillion-dollar deficits and plans to force municipalities and districts to pay more into teacher pension plans. Even taken together, though, Danbury leaders are cautiously optimistic the new budget season could be a boon for the cash-strapped district. These things like the retirement are still such a jump ball and none of it will be settled until June, district finance director Joe Martino said. Im not going to say Danbury shouldnt get more or doesnt need more, but we need to support this phase-in over the next few years and we need the support. Danbury school officials endorsed a $139.5 million budget this month a $7.3 million increase over its current spending plan to address growing enrollment and the expansion of its campuses with the opening of additions at Danbury High School and Westside Middle School Academy. But that proposal estimated state funding would remain flat in next years budget. Instead, Lamont has proposed increasing Danburys alliance grant funding which is given to more than 30 of the states neediest districts to more than $11.8 million next year and nearly $14.3 million in 2021. Those are among the largest cash funding increases proposed across the state alongside other urban districts in the Bridgeport, Hartford and New Haven areas. The net increase could be much lower for Danbury, however, depending on how lawmakers sort out Lamonts proposal to pass more of the contributions to the states teacher retirement system to local districts and cities, Martino said. Under Lamonts initial proposal, Danbury would have to account for almost $480,000 in new teacher pension costs next year and nearly $1 million in 2021. That could cut a large chunk out of the proposed increase, depending on how Superintendent Sal Pascarella and Mayor Mark Boughton decided to split the costs between their two budgets or incorporate them specifically into the schools budget. No matter where you come down on this thing, the state has not stood up to the contribution, Pascarella said. It is what it is and theyre moving through making new requirements. Boughton is still crafting his budget proposal and said earlier this week that his staff is still weighing all of its possibilities before he officially presents the next city budget at the beginning of April. District leaders will host an informational budget workshop for parents and community members at 6 p.m. March 20 at Rogers Park Middle School. Board members have said they hope the session could help drum up more support for their proposal as the district grapples with continued growth and the myriad costs that follow. Even as the city flourishes with remarkably low unemployment and a red-hot real estate market, district leaders still need to sell the community on the need invest in schools, school board member Emanuela Palmares said. Danbury has two stories to tell ... We know there are people in the community who are struggling, but the fact of the matter is we are doing better than most other cities in the state, if not much much better, Palmares said. But that the same time we have a different reality when it comes to whats happening our schools. zach.murdock @hearstmediact.com The FBI says a 59-year-old U.S. Army veteran has shot and wounded a doctor just before a mental health evaluation at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Riviera Beach, Florida. The FBI told news outlets Wednesday night that Larry Ray Bon, of Michigan, arrived at the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center that morning and was combative for hours. They say he was about to undergo the evaluation that evening when he pulled out the gun and shot the doctor in the neck. Authorities in southwest Florida are trying to find the person who taped a dogs mouth shut with electrical tape. The Lee County Sheriffs Office said that when the dog was found Tuesday it was dehydrated, appeared malnourished and was bleeding from wounds on his leg and chest. WASHINGTON - From the earliest days of his administration, President Donald Trump has been at war with his own government over climate change. He upbraided his first economic adviser by telling him that he didn't care that American executives backed the Paris climate agreement because "my voters don't live on Park Avenue." He has told aides that he thinks the Earth's climate will begin cooling again, so there is no need to act forcefully before then. And he was enraged by a recent National Climate Assessment released by more than a dozen federal agencies showing climate impacts are 'intensifying across the country" and only aggressive action will avoid "substantial damages" in the future. The report spurred the White House to make plans for an internal working group to counter the scientific consensus that climate change represents a major threat to the United States and the globe. For a president who has yet to receive an extensive scientific briefing on climate change, the topic amounts to a political litmus test ahead of the 2020 elections. Rather than accept the conclusions espoused by elites and loathed by many of his voters, Trump has opted to question the premise that global warming represents a major problem or, at times, if it even exists at all. And now through its new working group, his National Security Council is working to muster ammunition for his arguments. Meade Krosby, senior scientist at the University of Washington's Climate Impacts Group, said the initiative showed a disconnect with reality. The world has already warmed more than 1 degree Celsius since preindustrial levels, and a recent U.N. scientific report concluded the world will have to cut its carbon output 45 percent by 2030 to avert some of the most catastrophic consequences of climate change. "The idea that what we really need is to revisit the basic science of climate change when we are already feeling its impacts is absurd," she said. "There is no meaningful scientific disagreement on the facts." But Steven Milloy, a climate change skeptic who served on Trump's transition team at the Environmental Protection Agency andquestioned humans' contribution to climate change, said Trump is simply keeping his promise to millions of voters who backed him in 2016 after he campaigned on the energy policies he is now pursuing. "I don't have a problem with people having different points of view. It's the president that gets elected," said Milloy, who previously ran a group that received funding from the oil industry. "In the end it's the president agenda and he gets to decide." The White House's push against climate science has exposed a modest rift within the Republican Party, as some are edging toward a more centrist position. And it has provided a potential political opportunity for Democrats, who have been grappling with their own intraparty fight over how ambitious to be when it comes to cutting carbon. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., announced this week that all 47 senators in the Democratic caucus had signed onto a resolution saying that climate change is real, caused by humans and that Congress needs to take immediate action on it. On Tuesday, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican who ran against Trump in 2016, said recent federal reports have settled the debate over climate science. "The government is giving us reports saying this is [a] problem," Kasich said at a University of British Columbia' lecture. "And the Defense Department and America's preparing for climate change, global warming and the implications of it all. So there are very little questions anymore." Trump sees the climate debate as a political messaging war, according to several current and former administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk frankly. Convinced that the scientific literature on climate change is funded and directed by liberals, he has said on repeated occasions that he expects the climate to change back to colder average temperatures. It amounts to an endorsement of the "global cooling" forecast some researchers made in the 1970s. When Trump and his aides discussed whether to remain in the Paris climate agreement two years ago, he emphasized the impact low-carbon policies could have on average Americans. Under the accord, the U.S. pledged to cut its greenhouse gas emissions between 26 and 28 percent by 2025. While Trump occasionally asks aides for their opinions on climate change, he has been unwavering in his denial that human activity bears the brunt of the blame. "When you talk to him about it, he's openly skeptical," George David Banks, who served as special assistant to the president for international energy and environment during the start of Trump's term, said in an interview. "The reason he's skeptical is he sees it as being detrimental to U.S. manufacturing." White House officials did not respond to requests for comment. Deputies who have sought to make the case for climate action to Trump have not fared well. During a meeting just weeks before the president announced the U.S. would exit the Paris agreement, then-National Economic Council director Gary Cohn noted that several major chief executives had just published a joint letter urging him to stay within the deal. "Gary, my voters don't live on Park Avenue," Trump responded, according to one participant who requested anonymity to discuss a private meeting. "They don't care about the same things you care about." Since Trump announced a withdrawal from the Paris deal in 2017, climate change has rarely come up as a priority inside the White House, according to current and former officials. "He knows his voters see it as bunk," a White House official said. Trump's views have been largely consistent for the better part of a decade, as he has railed against renewable energy and claimed that environmentalism puts U.S. industry at a disadvantage. Trump's rejection of climate science stretches back to at least 2010. Shortly after signing a letter calling for U.S. action to combat climate change, Trump changed course and began calling the whole concept "a con," voicing many of the same arguments he uses today. In a February 2010 interview on Fox News, Trump noted the "freezing" temperatures at the time, and claimed that the U.S. was "scrubbing" its coal while China, Japan and India pursued dirtier energy, putting American companies "at a competitive disadvantage." "It's probably getting a little bit warmer," Trump said. "And then, in a number of years or decades, it will get a little bit cooler." In 2012, he tweeted that "the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese to make U.S. manufacturing noncompetitive." And in the years leading up to his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump continued to opine about global warming, seizing on cold snaps to argue that the science showing rising temperatures and sea levels amounted to a "hoax." The anti-science views espoused by Trump allow the him to cast aside inconvenient facts and shape an argument that aligns with his political goals and his other long-held views, said Tim O'Brien, author of "TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald." "It's performance art," he said. "I don't think he authentically believes climate change was authored in Beijing. He just knows that it dovetails neatly with his anti-China, anti-free-trade, anti-climate-change mantra. And he can put that to political use." Trump has already begun targeting his potential 2020 opponents over their environmental positions. The president also touted January's frigid temperatures in much of the United States, but ignored his government's announcement two weeks later that 2018 was the fourth-warmest year on record. "Amy Klobuchar announced that she is running for President, talking proudly of fighting global warming while standing in a virtual blizzard of snow, ice and freezing temperatures," Trump tweeted after the Democratic senator from Minnesota made her presidential announcement in a snowstorm. Some federal officials in top scientific posts offer a more nuanced view on climate change, but choose their words carefully. "Certainly, the climate is changing, it has been changing. It's a combination of natural variability and human influence," Kelvin Droegemeier, the head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said in an interview last week. "Over the past 70 years or so, human influence has played a significant role." In 2013, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a report saying global warming is "unequivocal" and that it is "extremely likely" that humans are the "dominant" cause of climate change over the past century. Trump own military leaders and intelligence heads have said in public reports that climate change poses a national security threat to the U.S. But as president, Trump's views on environmental science have drifted further from the mainstream even as he has had access to the world's greatest scientists and data. In a November interview with The Washington Post, Trump claimed that dirty air from Asia "blows over" toward the U.S. He also rejected calls for climate action by claiming that U.S. air and water is already "record clean." He has claimed that California's record wildfires in 2018 were caused because the state failed to properly "rake" its forests. Democrats are convinced that Trump's position on climate change could prove a liability for congressional Republicans, most of whom have raised questions about climate science and worked to reverse Obama-era regulations aimed at curbing carbon emissions. Earlier this month Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he would force a vote on House Democrats' Green New Deal, a sweeping measure that would spend trillions to wean the U.S. off fossil fuels. The NSC is pressing ahead with its plan to convene federal researchers to decide how the White House might reassess the government's climate findings, and has asked agencies to find outside experts who endorse the idea. Kasich, who called on lawmakers Tuesday to impose either a tax on carbon or a nationwide cap on emissions, said that eventually voters would pressure his party to act. "Do you know why politicians will finally get off the dime?" Kasich said. "Because they'll have no choice." - - - The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey and Tony Romm contributed to this report. Germany is making progress to 100-kilowatt military lasers. There were successful tests shooting down drones and mortar rounds. The next step will be to integrate a 20-kilowatt laser on an armored vehicle. Germany is about two years behind the US military laser program. US Army Has Been Tested 2 and 5 Kilowatt Lasers and is Working on 50-kilowatt and 100-kilowatt The US has been shooting down drones and mortars for a few years with 2 and 5-kilowatt lasers on large military trucks and Stryker armored vehicles. The US Army wants to start fielding a 50-kilowatt laser on an armored vehicle around 2021-2023. The US Army is developing a 100 kW laser mounted on a larger but less mobile vehicle, the Oshkosh FMTV truck. The heavier laser weapon would be part of the second line of defense. In the 2025-2030 timeframe, there will be 300-kilowatt and megawatt lasers for missile defense. SOURCES- Rheinmetall, Breaking Defense Written By Brian Wang SpaceX and Tesla are no track for a Saturday, March 2nd unmanned crewed dragon test flight. New Flight Planning Dates SpaceX Demo-1 (uncrewed): March 2, 2019 Boeing Orbital Flight Test (uncrewed): NET April 2019 Boeing Pad Abort Test: NET May 2019 SpaceX In-Flight Abort Test: June 2019 SpaceX Demo-2 (crewed): July 2019 Boeing Crew Flight Test (crewed): NET August 2019 Crew Dragon Capabilities, Specs and Engines The SpaceX Dragon 2 will be partly reusable. SpaceX expects ten flights are possible before significant vehicle refurbishing is needed. It will have a payload capacity of 3,307 kilograms (7,291 lb) Cargo Dragon 2. It will be able to carry seven astronauts. It will use four main parachutes for water landing when returning from space. SpaceX could develop propulsive landing using the SuperDraco engines. However, propulsive landing capability has not been funded and there is no current plan to use rockets on the return. The Dragon 2 has a SpaceX-developed SPAM backshell and an updated third-generation PICA-X heat shield. Weather continues to look good for the first #CrewDragon launch on Saturday with #SpaceX https://t.co/fvJgEakbNN pic.twitter.com/j3O69nCJ1o NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) February 27, 2019 Preparing to return human spaceflight capabilities to the United States, Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 went vertical at historic Launch Complex 39A in Florida. pic.twitter.com/igggZdCU9k SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 5, 2019 SOURCES- NASA, Twitter, SpaceX, Wikipedia Written By Brian Wang Infosys, a major information technology firm that already has pledged to create 1,000 new jobs in the Hartford area, will be doubling its commitment in the near future, Gov. Ned Lamont told a business audience Thursday. But the governor may have been overly enthusiastic. An administration spokeswoman quickly clarified, saying that Infosys was in productive talks about expansion. The company had no immediate comment. Lamont made his remarks about the India-based technology firm during an appearance before the MetroHartford Alliance at which he also urged business leaders to help him convince legislators to support a lean budget that limits borrowing, establishes tolls and positions Connecticut for future growth. Infosys is going to be doubling their commitment to the Greater Hartford area, Lamont told nearly 400 members of the MetroHartford Alliance gathered at the Hartford Marriott. Well be able to announce that in the next few weeks. While a gubernatorial candidate, Lamont played a role in attracting Infosys an India-based information technology company to select Hartford to host one of its new training centers in 2018. Infosys, which opened the Hartford center in December, predicted the firm would hire about 1,000 employees over the next four years. It has developed a relationship with Trinity College and others to create a hiring pipeline. They are very positive on the Hartford market, Lamont told reporters Thursday after his address. Theyve had a great response from a lot of folks in that room today, and theyve got a great relationship now with Trinity and they are looking to train even more people than they committed to just a year ago. Lamont offered no specifics on what what he meant by the company doubling its commitment, nor did he offer a timetable for its expansion. A spokesman for Infosys could not be reached for comment Thursday morning. I think within a few months, well be able to say something definitive, Lamont said. In his address to business leaders, Lamont said they would play a crucial role in helping him bring long-term stability and a pro-growth environment to Connecticut. I made a deal with the taxpayers, Lamont said. I said, Im not interested in raising any tax rates. Im not raising the income tax rate. For me to do that, Ive got to have you as my emissaries. Connecticut governors and legislatures frequently shortchanged contributions to pensions and retirement healthcare programs between 1939 and 2010. As a result, these costs are projected to rise dramatically over the next decade-and-a-half. These unfunded obligations, coupled with payments on Connecticuts hefty bonded debt, consume nearly one-third of the budgets General Fund, Lamont said, adding they are closer to 10 percent in many other states. Legislators need to realize this is not some iceberg over the horizon, the governor added. Its something we have to deal with now. Nobody wants to deal with the elephant in the room. Lamonts solutions include repealing sales-tax exemptions to raise hundreds of millions of dollars and restructuring pension payments to shift hundreds of millions of dollars billions of dollars in costs onto a future generation of taxpayers. The governor said this, coupled with lean spending and borrowing now, will position Connecticuts economy to grow. Lamont also has proposed tolling on all vehicles to accelerate a long-deferred rebuild of Connecticuts aging, overcrowded transportation infrastructure. The soonest tolls could be implemented is in 2023. I cannot think of another way that I have the wherewithal to make the investments we need to transform our transportation system, he said. And I need the help from the business community and I need the help from the labor community as we try to get this over the finish line, because its pretty contentious. Its Oh my God, its another tax. We cant get this state growing if we cant get this state moving, Lamont added, noting that the economy in Fairfield County where congestion is among the worst already is paying a steep price. In Stamford you dont show real estate during rush hour. And while while tolls likely would raise $800 million per year, Lamont estimated 40 percent of those receipts would come from out-of-state motorists. The governor also urged businesses to assist in other ways besides lobbying lawmakers. Because Connecticut must tighten spending on many programs if it hopes to pay its surging pension costs while keeping tax rates stable, Lamont said, that means he must lean more on the private sector. When Amanda Jolly, program director for the World Affairs Council of CT, urged Lamont to market Connecticut to more international businesses, the governor said he is prepared to visit other countries to do so. But Lamont also said Connecticut corporations should be doing that outreach as well, because under his administration the state will move away from the losers strategy of the past 20 years. That strategy, he added, has been to pay companies costly incentives to overlook the states weaknesses rather than simply marketing Connecticuts strengths. At the end of January, more than 89 food establishments in Branford, North Branford and East Haven had gone a year or more without regular health inspections, according to data obtained by the Register from the East Shore District Health Department. Fifty of the eateries that were not inspected are designated class three and four food establishments, which should be inspected three and four times per year, respectively, according to Director of Health Michael Pascucilla. In all, the department has approximately 422 food establishments in its jurisdiction, said Office Administrator Marsha Davis. That number fluctuates as businesses open and close. According to the ESDHDs latest annual report, they had around 355 establishments to inspect during the 2017-2018 fiscal year. Class three and four establishments represent the highest-risk categories of food providers, and generally include restaurants, delis, senior living facilities and grocery stores that serve prepared food. Because they serve at-risk populations such as hospital patients or the elderly, class four eateries are considered highest priority. Of the 50 eateries that went uninspected, most were designated class three. Among the restaurants in question was a Subway that went some two-and-a-half years without a health inspection. Based on the data, it represents one of the most extreme cases, with many establishments going closer to a single year between inspections. According to the data about 12 of the 50 class three and four establishments, most of which are local restaurants, received an inspection in early 2018. During the 2017-2018 fiscal year, the ESDHD conducted 612 routine food inspections, said Davis. Because of the structure of the department database, Davis said, it is difficult to determine the number of inspections conducted during the 2018 calendar year. Related: 3 restaurants fail East Haven food service inspections The data obtained by the Register shows at least 39 class one and two establishments that did not undergo any routine inspections in 2018. The recommended inspection frequency for these lower-risk establishments, which include retailers, churches, coffee shops and caterers, is once or twice a year, Pascucilla said. Some establishments have been inspected in recent weeks after a Register reporter made inquiries as to their latest inspection dates. Though the new guidelines have not yet officially taken hold, health departments across Connecticut are in the process of switching from state health codes to FDA regulations. Over the past year or so, the East Shore District Health Department has spent a lot of time facilitating a transition to FDA codes, Pascucilla said. The time investment formed a significant factor in inspection lapses as the district had to prioritize responsibilities, he said . In a normal year, the approximately 1,000 routine restaurant inspections the inspectors are meant to conduct should be feasible, Pascucilla said. Related: Food temperatures top reasons for failed health inspections at Branford restaurants However, Pascucilla estimated that health districts two sanitarians spent every bit of 100 hours each, hands down working on the transition to new regulations. As well as holding eight educational sessions for restaurants in their jurisdiction, sanitarians were required to attend around 60 hours of training themselves, Pascucilla said. Moreover, sanitarians helped re-configure the departments database according to the new regulations, Pascucilla said, a process that involved evaluating food establishment menus and hours to determine whether their classifications would change. The department also had to field calls from restaurant owners asking about the changes and prepare for adjustments to fee policies, he added. While we welcome [the change], its been a considerable investment, Pascucilla said. It was pretty intensive. Luciano Rossitto, owner of Rossittos restaurant in Branford, said he was impressed by the health districts informational sessions on FDA guidelines. Theres no doubt in my mind that its beneficial for everyone, he said. With changes in restaurant classification, however, FDA codes recommend fewer inspections than the state codes, Pascucilla added. According to Pascucilla, the department must prioritize its work when unexpected obligations arise, which may mean inspections of food establishments whose health standards have historically excelled become lower priorities. Fiscal constraints In addition to performing food inspections, ESDHD sanitarians have a number of other duties that run the gamut from inspecting septic systems to investigating complaints, Pascucilla said. Overall, the health department, like many [other health departments] others across Connecticut, struggles with funding, Pascucilla said. Though cuts have varied year to year, since 2016, the state has consistently provided less than the $1.85 per capita rate to eligible departments, according to an email from Department of Public Health spokeswoman Elizabeth Conklin. However, the DPH also supports local public health departments through other federal funding sources, Conklins email added. For the 2019-20 fiscal year, the East Shore District Health Department is anticipating a cut of 20 percent to the $1.85 rate, Pascucilla said. Its worth noting that many smaller health departments do not receive any per capita aid from the state, he added. Branford and East Haven both have about 28,000 residents, and North Branford has about 14,200 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. As shown in its 2017-18 annual report, the East Shore district gets money from other sources, such as grants, fees and local per capita funding. Based on budget numbers provided in that report, state per capita aid made up less than 8 percent of department revenues for the respective fiscal year. Only around a quarter of the health departments work is devoted to environmental health, an area that includes restaurant inspections, Pascucilla said. Among other things, the department is involved in disease management, maternal health programs and emergency preparedness, he added. According to a document provided by the ESDHD for the 2018-19 fiscal year, the department has an adopted budget of just over $950,000 for staff salaries. The department, which currently has 14 full-time staff members two of whom are sanitarians employs about 20 people in an average year, including part-time workers and interns, Pascucilla said. A third sanitarian worked for the ESDHD until about a year ago, when that employee retired, Pascucilla said. Because it can be difficult to find an experienced sanitarian, and because of budget cuts, the ESDHD has had trouble hiring a new, full-time sanitarian, Pascucilla said, and it is investigating the possibility of creating a part-time position. The lack of a third sanitarian could also account for gaps between inspection, Pascucilla said, though he maintained that the intensive transition represented the lions share of the problem. State Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-86, serves on the Public Health Committee and is involved with the licensed food establishment Connecticut Sportsplex in North Branford, according to past Register reporting. Candelora noted that while he was aware health departments had been using resources to transition to the FDA codes, he had not heard about funding problems from anyone at the East Shore District Health Department. If that was the case, Id be happy to have that conversation, Candelora said. Though the health department may prioritize its programs because it provides more diverse services than many local departments, food inspections mark a critical function, Candelora said. They should be focusing on providing that base service that they need to provide, he added. Candelora worried sanitarians at regionalized departments may be less accessible to restaurant owners than those at smaller, municipal departments. We need to make sure that they are accountable to the taxpayers, Candelora said of regional departments. Money that comes directly from towns like North Branford should go toward critical services like restaurant inspections, he added. On the other hand, the email sent by Conklin of DPH mentioned benefits to regionalization: DPH has been promoting the integration of LHDs (local health department) because evidence-based research on local public health infrastructure demonstrates that the most robust and cost-effective public health services are provided through district or county-based health departments. According to the same email, the Connecticuts Food Protection Program recommends that when health departments are not meeting required inspection frequency, the departments in question evaluate if health department activities are being prioritized so that food service inspections are given preference over non-mandated activities. When inadequate staffing is the cause of the problem, the email went on, a request for new employees should be made to the relevant authorities, such as local governing bodies. The department should prioritize high-risk establishments until such staffing is acquired. If warranted, DPH may conduct an investigation and work with the LHD to resolve the issue or take other action if necessary, Conklins email said. meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com EAST HAVEN The Board of Education voted to deny the grievance brought by Catherine Finkle, former director of the Little Jackets preschool program, according to Chairwoman Michele DeLucia. Finkle was seeking to be restored to the position, arguing that she had not been fired for just cause, DeLucia said. DeLucia said the board voted 6-2 late Wednesday to deny the grievance, with Thomas Hennessey and Lisa Geraci-Anastasio in the minority. Board member John Finkle III, Catherine Finkles husband, was not in attendance. The hearing was held in open session, DeLucia noted. Superintendent of Schools Erica Forti fired Catherine Finkle in a letter dated Nov. 8, 2018, according to past Register reporting. Also according to past reporting, Forti said in the letter that she found Finkle to be not fully forthcoming, and her responses inconsistent or inaccurate, during an October pre-disciplinary meeting when the findings of an external audit were discussed. The superintendent also alleged that Finkle filled out timesheets for her daughters, who both worked for the Little Jackets program, and forged their signatures, in violation of policies and protocols. In her termination letter, Forti accused Finkle of failing to satisfy her responsibilities to manage the programs finances. The forensic accountants found that, under your leadership, a shortfall of $31,786 existed in a two-year period between payments received and deposits made, Forti wrote. You could not explain this shortfall. The Federal Bureau of Investigation launched a probe into the shortfall and subpoenaed records of the East Haven Public Schools Little Jackets program and emails from both Finkles and former schools Business Manager James N. Farrell. John Finkle was arrested and charged earlier this month in a separate case. Along with two other men, he allegedly defrauded an Illinois company of $1.5 million, according to the Connecticut U.S. attorneys office. Catherine Finkle could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday; the line to her and her husbands home was repeatedly busy. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com HAMDEN A middle school student and teacher stepped up to teach others about Black History Month. When the beginning of February came around, Hamden Middle School math specialist Tegan Willis saw the school hadnt announced any events or messages to recognize Black History Month. I noticed there was nothing going on in the school about Black History Month, Willis said, so she went on the air on the schools morning announcement system, challenging staff to read a fact or quote related to Black History Month every day in the morning announcements. The following week, Principal Michelle Coogan introduced Willis to 7th seventh-grader Dene Whitaker, who had her own idea about how to recognize black history. Dene wanted to challenge students and staff at the school to research a historical black figure and post it on a piece of paper to a bulletin board in the main hallway. The effort was first reported by the New Haven Independent. Dene was at Friendlys with her parents when she told her parents about the idea. Dene said her family has taught her about her history and roots, but she noticed it wasnt something she was learning in school. She took her idea to Coogan. When I came up with the idea I wanted to make it interesting to my friends, and my friends really appreciated I did because its for everyone to learn, Dene said. Once Willis and Dene formatted the bulletin board and designed the challenge cards together to hand out to teachers and students, the rest was history. Students and staff began to fill the board with quotes or facts about black people throughout history that impacted the world in some way. Willis posted about inventor Lonnie Johnson, who holds 120 patents, includong for the Super Soaker water gun. About 60 students contributed to the board, Willis said. Denes teacher handed out challenge cards in class and even changed the history unit for the month from studying China to studying West Africa before slavery, Dene said. Its positive and helps bring the school together, because we dont have many schoolwide efforts like this, Willis said. Dene then took her idea further by creating another display with her friends in the main school hallway to showcase black figures. The students researched black figures, beginning before slavery in West Africa when people were kings and queens. She was moved by activist Malcom X Our history doesnt begin in chains and wanted to show the school people in black history who contributed to the world, especially those that arent typically recognized. I wanted everybody to learn about the successful people they didnt already know, Dene said. While Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks did incredible things, she said, so did many other black figures in areas such as music and science. Im really proud of myself but Im very humble, Dene said. I thought it would go unnoticed. She said she was nervous to make the announcement, fearing nobody would participate, but her mother said even if they didnt, Dene could fill the bulletin board for herself. Im really proud and glad everyones learning, Dene said. She said in school she and her classmates learn a lot about slavery, segregation, the civil rights movement and other milestones of black history, but the project has given her and others the opportunity to dig deeper into the lives of black figures who have made valuable contributions. Willis said shes proud of Dene and really happy she met a student who jumped on board with showcasing black history. There cant just be two of us, Willis said, adding she had big ideas for next year. Dene said she hopes her idea can spread across cultures and that students of different backgrounds are encouraged to share their cultures and histories like she has shared hers. I want everyone to step up and share their history, she said. mdignan@hearstmediact.com HAMDEN Councilman Justin Farmer isnt sure why a North Haven police officer was called to monitor his visit to the animal control facility on Terminal Drive. In his mind, it could have been ageism, an example of institutional racism, or a purposeful attempt to intimidate him from doing his job. No matter the issue, the optics are terrible, said Farmer, who is black. Either it was a direction to use the police to intimidate me ... or it was a lack of cultural competency. Farmer, who detailed the visit in a recent column for the New Haven Independent that was published by the Register Tuesday, said he went to the facility to aid his constituent, Kim Miller, and visit her dogs, Kato and Kleo, in December 2018 . The dogs have been held there since an October 2012 incident in which they either attacked a Hamden resident or were attacked themselves and fought back in self-defense. Miller has campaigned for their release for years. Farmer said he worked to set up the visit beforehand, working with town officials to ensure that the visit wouldnt be a problem. But when Miller called just before going, Animal Control Officer Christopher Smith reacted with alarm, he said. When he arrived, Smith barred him from going inside the facility to visit the dogs. A few minutes later, a North Haven police officer arrived, came over and explained that he would oversee the visit to make sure no issues occurred. Smith and his sergeant had decided to call police and inform them about his visit, Farmer said. But other members of the council had been allowed to visit the dogs without such restrictions. Somehow, they ended up calling the police on me, said Farmer. I dont see why that would happen. Farmer wants the department to create a standard policy for visits to the animal control facility. The rules and regulations need to be clear, he said they cant change on a case-by-case basis. He also would like a more robust procedure to handle complaints. His attempts to understand the decison-making at play had not been fruitful, he said. In a statement, Police Chief John Cappiello and Mayor Curt B. Leng said interaction with quarantined animals at the shelter is forbidden, although the policy has not always been enforced. They said ACO Smiths call to police was prompted by a recent incident concerning an individual who entered the cage. The animal control officers have now been required to wear body cameras, according to the statement, and the departments approach to visitors to the shelter is under review. Implications that the Town, the Office of the Mayor, or Hamden Police have not taken Councilor Farmers inquiries and complaints seriously is simply not accurate. Implications that police were called as a method of intimidation, on the basis of race/ethnicity is not consistent with the history of the Shelter, the statement from Leng and Cappiello said. Visitors of all races and ethnicities regularly visit the facility. Throughout our mutual careers in public service, we have dedicated ourselves as advocates for all members of our community and hold equality as a core value. There is no question that racial injustice exists. Acting Chief Cappiello and I remain actively committed to doing everything within our power to ensure equitable treatment of all members of the community. Farmer said later Thursday he did not understand why Cappiello and Leng could not have told him that a police presence would be required before he made the visit, as he sought to set it up. But that was not mentioned, he said. He is unsure what he could have done to avoid it. In his police report about the incident, Smith said he called for a North Haven officer to prevent a breach of peace or a trespass and make sure that Farmer was not allowed into the cage. In the past, Miller had brought people inside, potentially putting them at risk, he said. Farmer said he had been mild-mannered and soft-spoken when dealing with the officer from North Haven and planned to follow the rules. But Smith called the officer to the scene before he arrived. I think theres a perception problem on what danger is and what would warrant the police to be there, said Farmer. Smith did not return messages seeking comment. Farmer said his attempts to communicate about the matter had been strained, as well. His written questions were not answered directly; Leng declined to talk over the phone, insisting on text or email. His concerns regarding the Police Department go beyond this incident, he said. He said he plans to hold a community hearing in March to allow residents to discuss their concerns and hopes about the future of town police. There have been issues in recent months, he noted officers arrested and cited for steroid use; an investigation concerning overtime abuse; the assault of an individual in custody in another community. His constituents in southern Hamden regularly say they feel unsafe. We cant have community policing if people dont trust the police, said Farmer. There needs to be a baseline of trust and there needs to be accountability. Editors note: This story has been updated to make clear that Farmers visit to the shelter was in Dec. 2018, not 2017. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com NEW HAVEN There is no tax increase and no layoffs in the proposed $556.6 million 2019-20 budget announced by Mayor Toni Harp on Thursday. The document, expected to be on the citys website this evening or by Friday afternoon, represents a 1.75 percent increase over the current year when Harp raised the tax rate by 11 percent after anticipated state funding came up short. The budget increases spending $9.6 million over this years budget, $4.5 million of which will be additional funding to the citys two employee pension funds. The tax rate will remain at 42.98 mills, a point city officials reiterated three times. Harp said there would be a slight increase, $750,000, to the Board of Educations budget. The school board had asked for a $30 million increase. The mayor said Superintendent of Schools Carol Birks was looking at three budget options and got the lowest down to a $10 million increase, or $9.25 million less than the mayor has recommended. The mayor said she supports Birks lobbying for a boost in the Education Cost Sharing grant, which has been cut by $250,000 for New Haven, while the superintendent will continue to look for additional cuts. There are so many things that can happen at the state Capitol during budget discussions, Harp said. She said Birks was in Hartford Wednesday and Thursday making the case for increased funding. The mayor began her budget address by noting a great number of positive developments in New Haven. She pointed to a drop in crime, improved high school graduation rates, higher college enrollment and retention rates and fewer high school suspensions and expulsions. Harp said construction growth continues and businesses are growing. Blessed with a prime location, world-class institutions and partners, and an historic tradition of creativity and innovation, New Haven remains a sure bet and is proud to be, Harp said. Acting Budget Director Michael Gormany said the budget is based on the proposed state aid level for New Haven as submitted by Gov. Ned Lamont, which remains relatively flat. There are an estimated 13 new full-time positions for the Department of Parks, Recreation and Trees; Transportation, Traffic and Parking; and other departments. No additional inspectors for the Livable City Initiative, as recommended in a recent housing study, are included in the budget. Harp said she asked the departments to hold constant. She said they are looking at combining some of the inspection work that the city does. Harp said she believes we will have excess capacity if we do that. Controller Daryl Jones said they started the budget process early this year and held a series of meetings at the Community Management Teams to key the public into the process, as the mayor seeks a fourth term in office. On the revenue side for next year, the Parking Authority annually gives the city a payment in lieu of taxes. Preliminarily, it plans to give an additional $1.6 million from its unrestricted revenues from garages the city owns, as it watches revenues over the next two months. This is in addition to the payment from the Air Rights Garage of $1.5 million. Jones said for the first time they will fund a two-year capital budget this year, which will save money on borrowing next year. It costs money to borrow money, Jones said. He said the two-year budget lets them look at things such as trees or IT computers in schools to help get them up to a state of good repair. Jones said the cost of borrowing can be up to $500,000 a year. The two-year capital plan is estimated at $70 million, which is lower than the department requests for this fiscal year, Gormany said. The Police Department, as it already had proposed, is budgeted for 429 positions down from 490. As for police overtime, that is projected at $6.5 million, down from the $8 million needed this year, but only budgeted at $4 million. A large transfer recently was approved to cover the overtime and there was a recommendation to be more realistic about overtime costs. As for the Fire Department, personnel was cut by about nine positions, but $435,000 was added for overtime, some $46,000 per week. Gormany said both chiefs have made significant strides in cutting overtime. The cost of health care for the citys workers and retirees has been costly, with alders adding $5 million to the recommendation by the administration last year. Gormany said this year they added $1 million to the budget in this area. Jones said there are three health care initiatives and he talked about one of them. He said they have switched to Medicare Advantage plans for retirees, which he hopes will save potentially $1 million to $2 million. Our goal is to try to bend the curve in terms of health care costs, Jones said. He said they know the costs go up annually. We recognize that so we are not going to be overly aggressive, but we are going to be strategic about how to bend that curve, Jones said. He said there will be more details when they go to the Board of Alders. Harp, in answer to a question, said they are in the process of doing a 5-year budget plan which, by and large, is finished and will be presented to alders after they are sent the fiscal budget for 2019-20. The mayor was asked whether there was money in the budget to deal with drug issues. Harp said the police, fire and health departments interact in that area, but treatment is within the nonprofit realm. She did say that a task force the city organized has been working with the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services since last August when there was an epidemic of overdoses on the Green. Harp said funding has been approved for recovery coaches for the hospitals and a street psychiatrist who can prescribe for people who are duly diagnosed with an addiction and a mental health condition. She said the $2 million in funding will be distributed around the state. Harp in her budget message referred to a workforce innovation plan. She said this better utilizes IT to support our workers. Harp said a contract with Municity will allow everyone out in the field doing inspections to work from the same platform, which will cut duplication, save time and maximize work that can be done in the neighborhoods. The departments are preparing for that now by digitizing all city records. She said the city hopes to become paperless by 2020. mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577 WEST HAVEN The popular annual fireworks show should be canceled until the citys financial house is in order, community activist and Planning and Zoning Commissioner Steven R. Mullins told the City Council this week. But Mayor Nancy Rossi indicated shes not about to snuff out the tradition, as the city is on an upswing. Mullins said he grew up with the tradition of fireworks for Independence Day. However, if I am behind on my mortgage, if my car is about to be repossessed, if I owe my brother, my mother and everybody else, I am not going to take my family to ... Disneyworld, he said. Mullins was referring to the citys dire financial condition. West Haven is under the advisement of the state Municipal Accountability Review Board. At recent forums held by Rossi, high taxes were among the major complaints of residents, especially in the Allingtown area where fire personnel pensions are underfunded. The fireworks are under a two-year contract and are paid for through donations and fundraisers by the West Haven Savin Rock Fireworks group, but there are significant costs to the city for police, fire and public works personnel, officials said. In response at the meeting to Mullins remarks, Rossi said the two-year contract for the fireworks was entered into by the oprevious administration and if the city were to try to get out of it, there would be legal fees. Rossi also quickly said she hopes the city can raise enough money or nearly enough to offset the costs that accompany the show through charging for parking, a sponsorship, an ad book and bringing in food trucks. The show is estimated to draw 100,000 people to the citys shoreline. When asked about the issue a day after the council meeting, Rossi responded with a release saying residents deserve the show. We have asked for many sacrifices over the past year and we have finally turned the corner and are projecting positive budget results for the first time in many years, Rossi wrote. I believe we owe it to our community to have the firework display, honor our veterans and celebrate Americas birthday. Rossi was asked for the cost of the fireworks event to the city, but she directed the Register to submit a Freedom of Information request to the city attorney, who said in an email the city was working on fulfilling the request. Rossi said she didnt have the number immediately available. According to an email from city official Beth Sabo to 3rd District council member Aaron Charney regarding last years approximate costs, the cost for police is about $24,000 and public works is from $22,000 to $24,000. The police incur their expense the night of the fireworks, the email explained. The PW is a crew in on the fireworks and the lion share of the cost is the cleanup on the 4th (Holiday Pay). Mullins said during the public speaking portion of the meeting that with West Havens finances the way they are, the city should put fireworks on the back burner. Mullins asked council members how they can look at him and other taxpayers in the room and say, Yes, we can afford the fireworks. Mullins said the city is putting on a magnificent and wonderful show, for many people who dont live there. Out of the 70,000-100,000 people who might attend, many arent from West Haven as its population is only about 54,000, he said. Fireworks are an unnecessary expense, he said. Rossi said the fireworks committee does a great job with fundraisers and she attended a recent chili fest to that end. The mayor also said she was among those volunteering to collect parking money last year, and the city hopes to charge in more areas this year. Were going to do our best to collect enough money to pay for it (the event), she said the night of the meeting. Rossi said in the statement, As with any spending, I will ensure that the event is run effectively and in the most cost-efficient manner possible. The mayor said she is open to ideas from the community on how to improve the event. A 40-year-old New Jersey man was arrested Tuesday evening after masturbating in front of a woman and her young son in the parking lot of a Camden County shopping center, authorities said. Michael Hebrans, 40, of the Blackwood section of Gloucester Township, was charged with sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child, Gloucester Township police said Wednesday. Hebrans was arrested a short distance away while walking along Black Horse Pike near Lakeland Road a few minutes after the 7:45 p.m. incident, according to police. He was sent to the Camden County jail. Anyone with additional information is asked to call Gloucester Township police at 856-228-4500 or the departments crime tip line at 856-842-5560. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. State investigators have found probable cause against the operators of a South Jersey nursing home they accuse of firing an employee because she was pregnant. South Jersey Extended Care, a privately operated rehabilitation and long-term nursing care facility in Bridgeton, violated the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination by firing Taishan J. Smith, the state Attorney Generals office alleged in a statement Wednesday. In a complaint filed with the states Division of Civil Rights, Smith claimed she lost her job on her second day of work as an activity aide in July 2017 when she told management she was pregnant. Smith claimed her supervisor told her it would be a liability for her to work at the facility and that she should go home. Smith said she then used Snapchat to contact the employee who gave her a work schedule for her first two days and the co-worker responded that he was told Smith should not return and that shed been let go because of her pregnancy, according to the statement. Smith also provided investigators with a chain of text messages with another South Jersey Extended Care employee who claimed she was also told she would be fired for being pregnant. Officials with the facility claimed Smith was fired for failing to show up for work, but in the finding of probable cause, Rachel Wainer Apter, director of the state Division of Civil Rights, wrote that operators could not back up that explanation. It provided no evidence that it scheduled complainant to work on any day on which she failed to report and no evidence that it contacted complainant to ask about her whereabouts or to fire her on any day on which she allegedly failed to report to work, Apter wrote. An official at South Jersey Extended Care declined to comment and referred questions to the facility administrator, who was not available Wednesday afternoon. The finding of probable does not resolve the civil rights complaint, but means the state has wrapped up its preliminary investigation and found reasonable suspicion that the state law against discrimination was violated, according to the attorney generals announcement. The division will next schedule a conciliation conference between the parties to see if the matter can be settled. If they cannot reach an agreement, the case would be heard in a non-jury trial. A judge would issue a written initial decision which the director of the civil rights division can accept, reject or modify. The director will then issue a final decision. The director can, among other actions, order employers to cease discriminatory conduct, reinstate an employee to a position, compensate for back pay and pay damages. The state can also assess penalties of $10,000 for a first offense, $25,000 for a second violation and $50,000 for a third case. Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal called the allegations in this case particularly troubling, since the state anti-discrimination law was amended in 2014 to specifically protect pregnant workers. All employers in New Jersey need to make certain their policies, as well as their handling of situations involving pregnant employees, reflect a clear understanding of the rights of those workers under New Jersey law," he said in a statement. Apter spoke about the dangers of stereotypes. Stereotypes about what pregnant women can and cannot do harm womens ability to participate as equals in the workforce, she said in a statement. Under the LAD, employers cannot make assumptions about a pregnant womans ability to perform her job duties or her commitment to her job. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. JERSEY CITY Authorities say a 22-year-old was shot in the foot on the New Jersey City University campus early Saturday morning, leading to a new policy that bars visitors from the universitys three dorms. It's not clear yet whether the victim shot himself in the foot or was shot by one of two people he was with, according to city spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione. It appears the investigation began with what authorities believe now was a false report by the victim that he was shot during an armed robbery attempt. Evidence recovered at the scene indicates the victim was accidentally shot in the foot in a room in the West Campus Village dorm, according to NJCU spokeswoman Sherrie A. Madia. Madia said the incident led the campus to issue the change in policy on dorm visitors. Until further notice, no visitors will be allowed in the Co-Op, Vodra and West Campus Village dorms and any student violating that policy will be removed from campus for the rest of the semester, Madia said. NJCU student Analisse Ortiz criticized the new policy to The Gothic Times, NJCUs student newspaper. I pay over $5,000 to dorm and I cant even have a fellow NJCU student over, Ortiz told the paper. And we were promised the safest campus in New Jersey. If its so safe, why cant I have another student over [in] my room? NJCUs enrollment is roughly 8,200 students. Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. WASHINGTON As an increasing number of states, including New Jersey, move toward legalizing marijuana, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker wants to eliminate the federal ban on the drug. Booker on Thursday reintroduced his Marijuana Justice Act, first proposed in the last Congress. And hes got the support of his rivals for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination: U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.; Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; and Kamala Harris, D-Calif.; along with two Democratic senators considering entering the race, Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Michael Bennet of Colorado. On the Senate floor and on the presidential campaign trail, Booker has pointed out that African-Americans are disproportionately arrested for drug crimes even though their use of marijuana is no different than whites. The War on Drugs has not been a war on drugs, its been a war on people, and disproportionately people of color and low-income individuals, said Booker, D-N.J. The Marijuana Justice Act seeks to reverse decades of this unfair, unjust, and failed policy by removing marijuana from the list of controlled substances and making it legal at the federal level. In the House, the bill again is sponsored by two California Democratic representatives, Barbara Lee, D-Calif., who recently became a co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, and Ro Khanna. Justin Strekal, political director of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, called the measure "the most comprehensive piece of federal legislation ever introduced to end the failed policy of marijuana prohibition and to address the egregious harms that this policy has wrought on already marginalized communities. The measure would remove marijuana from the federal list of controlled substances, where it has been since 1970, alongside heroin, ecstasy and LSD. That move would end federal prohibition and leave it up to states to forge their own marijuana policies. The bill would expunge the records of those convicted of low-level marijuana possession, and create a community reinvestment fund where residents have been adversely impacted by the current drug laws. That money would go for programs like job training, efforts to help former prisoners re-enter society and community centers. States would be encouraged to change those marijuana laws shown to have disproportionately affected minorities and low-income individuals. We must also repair the damage caused by reinvesting in those communities that have been most harmed by the War on Drugs, Booker said. "And we must expunge the records of those who have served their time. The end we seek is not just legalization, its justice. New Jersey leaders are seeking to legalize marijuana. But state efforts to legalize marijuana for either medical or personal use are complicated by the fact that it remains illegal under federal law. That has prevented most financial institutions from offering checking accounts, credit cards and other banking services to legal cannabis businesses. Regulating cannabis is working in the states and were pleased to see that this Congress appears to be making federal reform a higher priority than in previous years, said Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association. Are you interested in the N.J. cannabis industry? Subscribe here for exclusive insider information from NJ Cannabis Insider. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. It was a million-dollar mess, and now it could send a man to prison for half of a decade. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced Thursday the indictment of Abdullah Bryant, a 40-year-old Newark man who allegedly spent more than a year illegally dumping huge amounts of solid waste underneath highways in the city. Bryant allegedly collected, transported and dumped more than 100 cubic yards of solid waste at a site owned by the New Jersey Department of Transportation underneath the I-78 and Route 22 overpasses between Frelinghuysen Avenue and the Northeast Corridor Rail Line in Newarks East Ward. Its the exact location where on August 8, 1989, a previous illegal dump caught fire and caused the I-78 overpass to collapse. Bryant is also accused of running a smaller dumping operation underneath the Route 21 overpass near Poinier Street. For the two alleged dumping sites, Bryant faces six different third-degree offenses: Illegal collection of solid waste, illegal transportation of solid waste, illegal disposal of solid waste, vandalizing railroad property and two counts of criminal mischief. Third-degree offenses carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $15,000. If convicted and sentenced to prison, Bryant would likely serve the punishment for each charge concurrently. Far too frequently polluters will dump waste and hazardous materials in disadvantaged areas, where they believe they can violate the law with impunity, Grewal said. Today we send a clear message to illegal dumpers: if you pollute our communities, not only will we pursue you with civil actions, we will prosecute you criminally." The dumping allegedly occurred between January 2016 and April 2017. According to Grewal, Bryant conducted the dumping under various business names, including International Rubbish Removal, without the proper licenses for handling solid waste. The dump field under I-78 and Route 22 was about 1,000-feet long and 500 feet wide, while the dump under Route 21 was about 1,200-feet long and up to 150-feet wide. The solid waste at both sites included asbestos, lead paint, flammables and construction materials among other trash. Grewal said the charges against Bryant were the result of a nearly two-year-long investigation. The Attorney Generals Division of Criminal Justice was first made aware of the I-78 dump by the NJDOTs Inspector General in March 2017. NJ Transit police reported the Route 21 site later that month. Once the sites had been found, Grewal said state investigators spent time going piece-by-piece through the trash piles to identify what made-up the solid waste, and where that solid waste came from. Grewal said that Bryant advertised his business online and brought in waste from various towns across the state. It is unclear at this point how much money Bryant made from this operation. Both sites have been cleaned up for a combined estimated cost of $1.7 million. News of Bryants indictment comes as Grewals office is pursuing civil action against Joseph Wallace, a Sussex County man who that state has found to have spent recent years operating an 75-foot-tall illegal dump at his personal property in Vernon Township. Grewal said the state is open to pursuing criminal charges against Wallace if appropriate evidence is found. The state action came after NJ Advance Media published an in-depth report on Wallaces activities. Illegal dumping is a statewide problem, according to Grewal. He said that his office is committed to prosecuting environmental crimes, particularly through county prosecutors. We care about the people in Vernon and we care about our inner cities, where dumping has been ignored for far too long, Grewal said. Last year, Grewals enforcement of environmental crimes focused on civil action. In August, the Attorney General filed the states first lawsuits related to natural resource damages in a decade. In December, Grewals office announced the creation of a new environmental justice unit. An earlier version of this story said that Bryant faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted. The story has been updated to reflect that if convicted, Bryant would likely serve the punishment for each charge concurrently, meaning that his punishment could be between three to five years in prison. Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MSolDub. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. For the first time, undocumented immigrants in New Jersey are getting some help from taxpayers in paying their college tuition. A total of 513 immigrants living in the country illegally received $1.6 million last fall through a new state program that offers them the same college financial aid offered to U.S. citizens living in New Jersey, according to statistics released by the state Higher Education Assistance Authority. The program is the result of a new law signed by Gov. Phil Murphy last year that makes New Jersey one of less than a dozen states in the nation offering college aid to so-called Dreamers, who have been living in the U.S. illegally since they were children. The successes of these first 513 students, who are now attending county colleges, state colleges and universities and independent institutions around the state, will have a positive impact on countless additional lives, said David Socolow, HESAAs executive director. More than 1,500 applications were submitted for the fall semester, but only 1,209 came in before the deadline and were considered complete, according to the state. Of the 655 unauthorized immigrants who were approved for state aid, 513 actually enrolled in New Jersey colleges and received their grants. The average student received about $3,168 in financial aid during the fall semester under the new program, state officials said. The majority received Tuition Aid Grants and other aid designed for low-income students. Where are they going to college? New data released by HESSA shows the undocumented students are spread around the state -- though one university enrolls far more than any other school. N.J. colleges enrolling the most undocumented immigrant students receiving state financial aid 25. (tie) Rowan College at Burlington County Number of students: 5 Total aid awarded: $4,308 25. (tie) Berkeley College Number of students: 5 Total aid awarded: $26,057 24. Seton Hall University Number of students: 6 Total aid awarded: $27,338 22. (tie) Camden County College Number of students: 7 Total aid awarded: $6,924 22. (tie) William Paterson University Number of students: 7 Total aid awarded: $21,635 20. (tie) Ocean County College Number of students: 8 Total aid awarded: $7,722 20. (tie) Cumberland County College Number of students: 8 Total aid awarded: $8,629 16. (tie) Rowan University Number of students: 9 Total aid awarded: $26,902 16. (tie) Middlesex County College Number of students: 9 Total aid awarded: $9,571 16. (tie) Mercer County Community College Number of students: 9 Total aid awarded: $7,693 16. (tie) Hudson County Community College Number of students: 9 Total aid awarded: $11,061 14. (tie) Bloomfield College Number of students: 11 Total aid awarded: $64,345 14. (tie) Atlantic Cape Community College Number of students: 11 Total aid awarded: $10,269 13. Kean University Number of students: 13 Total aid awarded: $36,344 11. (tie) County College of Morris Number of students: 15 Total aid awarded: $17,953 11. (tie) Brookdale Community College Number of students: 15 Total aid awarded: $17,317 10. Union County College Number of students: 18 Total aid awarded: $20,917 9. Raritan Valley Community College Number of students: 20 Total aid awarded: $23,034 7. (tie) New Jersey City University Number of students: 22 Total aid awarded: $64,865 7. (tie) Saint Peters University Number of students: 22 Total aid awarded: $132,601 6. New Jersey Institute of Technology Number of students: 23 Total aid awarded: $106,602 5. Passaic County Community College Number of students: 29 Total aid awarded: $28,160 4. Montclair State University Number of students: 30 Total aid awarded: $97,975 3. Essex County College Number of students: 33 Total aid awarded: $36,049 2. Bergen Community College Number of students: 35 Total aid awarded: $40,031 1. Rutgers University Number of students: 150 Total aid awarded: $623,109 What about New Jerseys other colleges? Fourteen other colleges each enrolled less than five undocumented students receiving state financial aid under the new program: Fairleigh Dickinson-Metropolitan campus (4 students); Felician University (4); The College of New Jersey (4); Warren County Community College (3); Georgian Court University (3); Rider University (3); Rowan College at Gloucester (2); Caldwell University (2); Fairleigh Dickinson University- Florham campus (2); Stockton University (2); College of Saint Elizabeth (1); Eastwick College-Hackensack (1); Monmouth University (1); and Ramapo College (1). Several other colleges, including Princeton University, had no undocumented students receiving aid in the first semester of the new program, according to the state data. Whats next? The state is currently reviewing applications for aid for the spring semester. Students also have until April 15 to apply for aid for the Fall 2019 semester. Undocumented students can apply by filling out the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application. Who is eligible? The program allows New Jersey students living in the country illegally to apply for college financial aid if they meet the following criteria: Attended a New Jersey high school for at least three years Graduated from a New Jersey high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma in New Jersey Male students have registered for the Selective Service The student signs an affidavit stating they will file an application to legalize their immigration status if and when they are eligible Under federal law, undocumented immigrant children can already attend public K-12 schools. In 2013, Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation allowing unauthorized immigrants to pay in-state tuition at New Jerseys public colleges. Is New Jersey reporting the names of the undocumented immigrant students to ICE? No, state officials said they will not release names to federal officials or Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. New Jerseys financial aid databases are separate from any federal databases, HESAA officials said. Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter@KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. With an Orthodox Jewish community making up most of Lakewoods rapidly growing population, the township has hired its first-ever Orthodox police cadet, officials said. Im excited about it, Lakewood Mayor Ray Coles said Thursday. I think its significant for any community to see one of your own patrolling the streets, making sure everyone is safe, said Coles. Its a very positive thing, especially for the young people in town. Lakewood Police Chief Gregory Meyer said the Orthodox officer and other members of the cadet class who graduate from the six-month academy program could hit the streets in about 10 months, or sometime around the end of 2019 or start of 2020, following additional departmental training. Coles and Meyer said the 13-member cadet class is among the most diverse ever in the departments history. The Orthodox cadets hiring was first reported by The Lakewood Scoop, but the report was quickly picked up by Jewish publications well beyond New Jersey, including Baltimore Jewish Life and The Jerusalem Post, thanks to Lakewoods status as one of the nations fastest-growing Orthodox communities. The rapid influx of Orthodox residents from Brooklyn and around the world to the Ocean County township has presented challenges. They include funding issues for the local public school system, thanks to transportation and special education costs associated with Orthodox children, who overwhelming attend private yeshivas. But tensions have also arisen related to rapid residential development in Lakewood and, more recently, to surrounding communities, to accommodate the new arrivals. Meyer provided a list of the new recruits that identified them by name, but not religion. Apart from an Orthodox Jewish community that makes up about two-thirds of the townships 100,000-plus residents, Lakewood also has a substantial Hispanic population, and the list of cadets included several with Hispanic surnames. Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. A New Jersey rabbi who ran a private Lakewood school for children with developmental disabilities was found guilty Wednesday of using $200,000 in school funds in a money laundering scheme. Osher Eisemann, 61, the founder and director of the School for Children with Hidden Intelligence, was found guilty of second-degree charges of money laundering and misconduct by a corporate official following a four-week trial, according to a release from the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office. A jury acquitted Eisemann of charges of first-degree corruption of public resources, second-degree theft by unlawful taking, and second-degree misapplication of entrusted property, officials said. The private schools fundraising foundation, Services for Hidden Intelligence, LLC, was also acquitted of all charges against it, authorities said. Eisemann was indicted in 2017 on theft, money laundering, corporate misconduct and misuse of government funds charges. The mission of our Office of Public Integrity and Accountability is to ensure that persons who hold positions of public trust are held accountable if they betray that trust and engage in misconduct, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in the release. Eisemann stepped down from his role from the school in August 2017, though he continued to deny the charges and took the case to a trial. The rabbi used $200,000 in school funds in a money laundering scheme designed to make it appear that he used personal funds to repay debts he owed to the School for Children with Hidden Intelligence, the attorney generals office said. Eisemann was found guilty of the second charge, misconduct by a corporate official, because he used the foundation to facilitate criminal activity, the release stated. Authorities accused Eisemann of using school funds to invest in a clothing business he was involved with on the side, but jurors acquitted him of that charge. The money laundering and misconduct by a corporate official carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison, officials said. Eisemanns sentencing was was scheduled for April 29. Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter@By_paigegross. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip?Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. On Tuesday, the governor of New York and the mayor of New York City finally agreed on a plan for congestion pricing in lower Manhattan. As a lifelong defender of all things Jersey, I took it as my responsibility to analyze the plan by the only meaningful criterion: Is it good for the Jersey driver? The short answer is yes. Most of us who drive into the city wont pay any more than the current tolls. Yet we will have the advantage of driving in a New York City that has fewer of the worst drivers on Earth, otherwise known as New York drivers. For years they have had the privilege of driving into Manhattan on toll-free routes. But that wont be the case once the new plan goes into effect. They will have to cough up a congestion fee if they want to enter Manhattan south of Central Park. Those fees will be used to fund long-overdue repairs on the New York subway system according to the deal worked out between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio. The deal represented a political victory for Cuomo. De Blasio wanted to get the money where he always wants to get money: Taxing the rich. But Cuomo countered with the argument that income-tax revenues for the year are down $2.3 billion. The New York governor further argued that the congestion fees would have the added benefit of discouraging commuters from driving into Manhattan. And it would. But not Jersey drivers. Under the current plan, those paying tolls in excess of the congestion fee will not be charged any extra fee. The current $12.50 EZ-Pass, $15 cash tolls are higher than the projected congestion fees. So drivers using the Lincoln and Holland tunnels would not see any increase. The only possible hang-up for Jersey drivers concerns the George Washington Bridge. It enters the city north of the congestion-pricing zone, so any credit for the toll would not be automatic, as it is on the Holland and Lincoln tunnels. But the plans call for the fee to be collected through some sort of cash-free tolling system using cameras, so any credit could be applied instantly if the New Yorkers so desire. When I asked Phil Murphy at a press conference Tuesday what he thought of the congestion-pricing plan, he said his initial impression was I dont like it. He added, The notion theoretically has appeal but the devil is in the details. One detail would be those GWB tolls. The 10-point plan released by Cuomos office says The electronic tolling system will account for tolls previously paid by drivers entering Manhattan from designated crossings. But will the GWB be among those designated crossings? If not, a whole lot of drivers will jam the tunnel entrances instead. So thats a devil that Murphy will have to exorcise from his fellow Democrats details. But other than that, this plan looks to be really good for us. Our bridge-and-tunnel tolls would keep going to the Port Authority, which uses them to fund the PATH trains so many Jersey commuters use. Meanwhile when we go to New York and take the subways we will have better service paid for by New Yorkers. Who can argue with that? The scheme has other advantages as well when compared to similar schemes in other cities. When London implemented congestion pricing in 2004, it was in an-eight-square mile downtown that had more than a hundred access roads. That was a mess. A friend of mine who lived there at the time recalled that many of the streets were simply barricaded to avoid the expense of collecting the fee on them. In Manhattan, however, there are only about 10 streets where the fees would be collected from southbound drivers. The rest enter through bridges and tunnels where tolls can easily be collected. Once this system is in place, now projected to be 2021, traffic would be greatly reduced. London traffic was cut 15 percent under congestion pricing, according to the Regional Plan Association. Meanwhile the very nature of transportation is changing with the advent of such innovations as self-driving cars. I suspect that in the long term we will see the Manhattan streets restricted to autonomous vehicles, on the thoroughly sound principle that even a mindless robot can drive better than the typical New Yorker. But that will be in the distant future. In the near term, this is perhaps the first-ever plan put forth by New Yorkers that is actually good for those of us who live on the civilized side of the Hudson. All I can say is: Thank God they dont pay attention to Jersey guys like me. If they did, theyd find a way to screw this up too. By Martha Rudolph Too few people in New Jersey realize what affordable housing looks like and how important it is for families like mine. My daughter, who is 48, has special needs and is unable to live on her own without support. Yet she still lives with me a retired teacher and single parent because I dont have the financial means to support a private placement for her. As I get older, I lie awake every night worrying what will happen to my daughter if something happens to me. We need to address the severe shortage of affordable housing in New Jersey so that people like my daughter have the opportunity to move into a permanent, supportive environment. Supportive housing environments for people with intellectual and physical disabilities can take many forms. Certain people thrive in a group home setting, where supportive services can be provided within a small community setting. Others require more intensive help with essentials like cooking, bathing and cleaning. Yet regardless of where they fall on this continuum of care, there is an acute shortage of quality affordable housing options in New Jersey for people with disabilities. While the state provides many services to people with disabilities from social work support to physical and occupational therapy it does not provide direct housing assistance. Instead, people with disabilities, who generally report very low incomes and rely on Social Security Disability payments, must apply separately for the opportunity to live in an affordable home. The waiting list for these homes can stretch into decades. For my own daughter, Im hoping that I will be around long enough to see her reach the age where an assisted living community is an appropriate option. Until then, I pray that I remain well enough to care for her at home. Towns that oppose affordable housing cite all sort of flawed rationales. They say an influx of new residents will herald more traffic, cause school overcrowding and could even increase crime. What they ignore are the impacts their intransigence has on people like my daughter people who have lived in these communities their whole lives and want the opportunity to find a permanent home close to their friends, families and social networks. Most supportive housing in the state is developed in conjunction with local nonprofits that have deep ties to the community and know the people they serve. And more and more people are turning to innovative solutions that provide people with disabilities the sense of community every person in our state deserves. But these projects still need the support of local towns to succeed and the states ongoing affordable housing process is crucial to addressing the extreme shortage throughout New Jersey. More than 250 towns across New Jersey now have affordable housing agreements in place with advocates and local non-profits. These agreements pave the way for the construction of more affordable, supportive housing opportunities for people with intellectual and physical disabilities. They ensure that local governments will work with advocates to secure land for group homes or enter into payments in lieu of taxes agreements to reduce the burden on cash-strapped non-profits. And they allow projects to compete for federal and state financing needed to get shovels in the ground. Thanks to the current affordable housing process, were finally making progress in building new homes across the state for people like my daughter. This new construction is coming at an important moment in time. Sustained pressure from disability rights advocates has prompted Trenton to free up additional funding dedicated for services for people who want to live in the community which means those who move into these new homes to remain close to their friends and families will have the services they need to remain independent. We need to double down on the progress were making and reject calls to weaken our states fair housing laws, known as the Mount Laurel doctrine. We cant stop until every person in New Jersey with disabilities, including my daughter, has the opportunity to live close to their friends and family in a supportive and caring environment. Martha Rudolph is a supportive housing advocate who lives in Washington Township, Gloucester County. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Gov. Murphy says he has been trying to figure out whats going on at the Schools Development Authority, and when his team gets a handle on it, hell get back to us. Well, thats a relief. This is the agency that hired Al Alvarez despite the governors staff being aware of a rape allegation. Now we have learned that its top executive has spent 7 months turning it into a bloated crony cabal. It was easy to conclude that Murphys interest in popping the hood at the SDA is indifferent at best. But here is something that the governor should be able to see, thanks to a report in USA Today Network-New Jersey: The CEO of the agency a powerful former union leader named Lizette Delgado-Polanco, who is also the vice-chairwoman of the Democratic State Committee fired dozens of qualified veteran state employees and replaced them with union pals and family members, many of them ill-equipped for jobs at an agency responsible for $11 billion in school building projects. This might seem justifiable, if you regard Delgado-Polanco as being a magnet for gifted people. The governor seems to think so: He hired Delgado-Polancos 25-year-old daughter as his director of public engagement a job that pays $110,000 and handed her husband a $95,000 gig in the Department of Education. That sounds like patronage to the rest of us, but if the governor sees something more high-minded, maybe he fill us in. But wed prefer to see the Legislature to step in and figure out whats happening at an agency with a history of corruption, because Murphys point person is taking it to Jersey-grade depths. Northjersey.com posted a list of 11 employees hired by the Delgado-Polanco regime on its website, and its not exactly a roster of school construction superstars. The most newsworthy hire was her second cousin, Kenia Nunez-Acuna, who was given a $110,000 job as deputy director of grants despite multiple sexual harassment complaints against her on her previous public job. She resigned after that became public earlier this month. Another $110,000 hire was the mother of Delgado-Polancos grandchild, Laury Ann Diaz, who is a former New Jersey Democratic Committee official. Then there was a senior branch manager for a janitorial company, Frank DiBartolo, who was handed a $110,000 gig as Deputy Director of Contract Management. There are also at least four other six-figure hires who have connections to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the 40,000-member labor behemoth which Delgado-Polanco served as Executive Director for seven years. If any of them have any experience with school construction projects, they were very modest about their qualifications. The SDA claims that all these employees are "highly qualified" and "are experienced professionals with the skillset and decades of experience needed to succeed in their roles at the SDA." Right. They said that Alvarez aced his background check as well. Now the SDA has earned another gold star, so much that Senate President Steve Sweeney has introduced a bill that will abolish the SDA. It might come to that, but for now, Delgado-Polanco merits a thorough investigation from some inquiring minds in the Legislature. And if the governor ever gets around to figuring it out, he should support it. Because in a state known for its rogues gallery of double dippers and patronage purveyors, someone has to save Murphys administration from jumping the shark. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Drivers could be ticketed for FaceTiming or watching video-streaming devices behind the wheel if a new bill in Trenton gains approval. Assemblyman Nicholas Chiaravalloti, D-31st District, is seeking to tighten the state law that allows motorists to use hands-free cell phones and electronic communications devices, two months after a widely-reported incident involving a school van driver focused attention on the issue. I think you have to respond when you see people doing things that endanger the health of those around them, not just themselves, Chiaravalloti, from Bayonne, said of his bill. First-time offenders would face a minimum $200 fine, the same penalty for a motorist caught using a hand-held cell phone. His bill, A.5117, is co-sponsored by Assemblyman Adam J. Taliaferro, D-3rd District. It seeks to bar drivers from streaming or otherwise viewing video content or engaging in video conferencing while operating the moving motor vehicle regardless of whether the operator is holding the telephone or device," according to the bill summary, but does not single out FaceTime, YouTube or other services. It clarifies that drivers may continue using GPS devices and voice-based communication" that converts speech to text messages. Chiaravalloti unsuccessfully sought a more comprehensive distracted-driving crackdown in 2016. He said he decided to target video-streaming after a contracted driver working for High Point Regional High School was recorded in January, apparently having a conversation via FaceTime or another video application, by the lone student aboard the minivan. The high school quickly cut ties with the driver, it was previously reported. While using a cell phone in any manner, except during emergencies, already is prohibited for school bus or van drivers, the incident highlighted a omission in New Jersey law for regular drivers. Although we think it would be common sense, that you shouldnt be watching video, it doesnt appear to be against the law, Chiaravalloti said. The bill was introduced several days ago and referred to the Assembly Transportation Commission, which Chiaravalloti is a member of. Steve Carrellas, director of government and public affairs for the New Jersey chapter of the National Motorists Association, countered that the proposed video-streaming ban sounds unenforceable. Carrellas said he has his cell phone mounted to his dashboard, as allowed by law, and questioned how a police officer would be able to distinguish between the photo displayed on his phone and video-streaming via the FaceTime app. How is that an additional distraction, given that theyre allowing the use of a telephone call with hands-free devices? Carrellas asked. Chiaravalloti said that he does not expect that police will be excessively handing out tickets. I would imagine that the only people that would get pulled over are the egregious cases, or when other people are reporting the incident, he said. In New Jersey, distracted driving was a factor in 217 of the 570 fatal crashes occurring in 2016, the most recent state figures that are available, though it is not clear how many were attributed to cell phone usage. Distracted driving is a killer. Its an issue Im passionate about, Chiaravalloti said. Most of our laws on distracted driving were written 11 years ago, 12 years ago, 13 years ago. The state law banning hand-held cell phones while driving took effect in 2008. The bill Chiaravalloti co-sponsored in 2016 would have prohibited drivers from engaging in any activity, not related to the operation of the vehicle, in a manner that interferes with the safe operation of the vehicle." Though the bill did not mention specific distractions, such as video apps, it was widely mocked for potentially making it illegal to drive while drinking coffee. It never went to a vote. A phone call to Taliaferro, the current bills co-sponsor, was not immediately returned. Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. The owners of an aging coal-fired power plant in southern New Jersey have abandoned plans to convert it to a natural gas facility amid a contentious legal fight over the pipeline that would feed it. Now Gov. Phil Murphy is throwing his support behind efforts to convert the B.L. England power plant into a wind energy facility as state regulators are preparing to increase wind capacity along the Jersey Shore, according to a senior administration official with knowledge of the governors intentions. Three developers have already submitted applications to the state seeking subsidies for major offshore wind projects. Converting one of the states oldest power plants into a wind power facility would be a symbolic step in harnessing New Jerseys wind to power homes and businesses inland, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plans publicly. The coal plants closure is a victory for environmentalists in New Jersey, who vehemently opposed plans to lay a pipeline through the environmentally sensitive Pinelands region to provide natural gas to B.L. England, a project approved under Gov. Chris Christies administration. It could also be a win for Murphy, who ran on a pro-environment platform but has frustrated environmental advocates, who want the governor to halt projects approved by Christie and place a moratorium on all fossil fuel development in the state. The owner of B.L. England, RC Cape May Holdings, signaled in legal filings on Wednesday that the company had "decided not to repower the plant, which had been the center of several lawsuits challenging state regulators approval of the pipeline project. Known as the Cape Atlantic Reliability Project, the proposed 22-mile pipeline would have carried natural gas across Cumberland and Cape May counties to B.L. England. The power plants pivot from coal to natural gas was a major reason for the pipeline development. But with that reason now gone, South Jersey Gas, the pipeline developer, will have to convince state regulators that the project is still needed. They will face an uphill battle. A letter from state Attorney General Gurbir Grewals office filed on Thursday asks the court to halt the proceedings in the legal disputes. The letter, a copy of which was obtained by NJ Advance Media, says the B.L. England news undermines the basis under which the Pinelands Commission approved the pipeline project. A spokeswoman for South Jersey Industries, which plans to construct the pipeline, said there was always two parts to this project. The spokeswoman, Marissa Travaline, said the pipeline is still needed as a secondary supply line for gas customers in the Pinelands. We still have 142,000 NJ residents vulnerable to a natural gas supply disruption that could cripple their households and businesses for an extended period of time if their primary supply line for natural gas is compromised, she said in an e-mail. Jeff Tittel, the director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, said Thursday the plants closure was a one-two punch to the pipeline proposal. The purpose of this pipeline was to build a natural gas plant in Cape May," he said. "Now that purpose is hot air. The senior administration official told NJ Advance Media that the governor is waiting for the state Board of Public Utilities to choose which wind developers will get the states support, but that Murphy sees an opportunity to repurpose old sites around the state to support the still-young solar and wind industries. It was not clear how, exactly, the B.L. England site would be used as part of the states wind infrastructure. The official said the details would depend on which developers get the green light from the state. Responding to questions regarding Murphys position on the pipeline project, a spokesman for the governor, Dan Bryan, said only that Murphy has directed his team to take a hard look at energy infrastructure projects as part of an updated Energy Master Plan, which will focus on renewable energy and shift away from outdated energy sources. The governor looks forward to working with the relevant state agencies and stakeholders to determine appropriate next steps" for the pipeline, Bryan said. B.L. Englands coal-fired unit has remained online, but only in standby, in recent years. It was scheduled to be completely shut down this year pending the natural gas conversion. The facility was one of several aging coal plants to be shut down in recent years amid a shift toward natural gas and greener energy sources. In January, PSE&G announced that it had sold retired coal plants in Mercer and Hudson Counties to a redeveloper, which plans to turn the plants into warehouse complexes. Two other coal-fired power plants remain operational in New Jersey: The Logan Generating Plant in Gloucester County and Carneys Point Cogen in Salem County. Both plants are owned by North American Energy Services. S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MSolDub. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. A top official in Gov. Phil Murphys administration whos under scrutiny over hiring practices at the New Jersey Schools Development Authority defended herself Wednesday against claims she provided state jobs for family and friends. At the same time, New Jerseys top state lawmaker, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, called the hirings disgusting and said the agency that builds and maintains schools in the states poorest areas should be disbanded altogether. Lizette Delgado-Polanco swung back at reports showing nearly three-dozen new jobs at the Schools Development Authority were filled by people with close ties to her. First and foremost, those are all distractions, Delgado-Polanco, the authoritys chief executive officer, told NJ Advance Media. I dont know of anyone that doesnt come into a position of leadership that doesnt bring a proven team with them, she said. The people that Ive hired here are people who are qualified to do the work I need them to do in these communities and have a proven track record. Delgado-Polanco reacted to multiple reports this week that about a month after she was tapped to run the agency in August, 26 staffers, many of whom had worked at the SDA under Democratic and Republican governors, were fired. By October, 33 new hires, including many people with ties to Delgado-Polanco, were brought on to fill some of the positions opened by the firings and a host of new jobs titles that were created under the new CEO. Fourteen of the new hires were brought on at salaries that top six figures and reach as high as $170,000. At least 10 of those top earners either worked with Delgado-Polanco in the past or at companies represented by unions Delgado-Polanco worked for, or had other close ties to the new CEO. One of the new hires is the mother of Delgado-Polancos grandson and another, who resigned after a sexual harassment claim from a previous job surfaced, is her second cousin. The authority also attempted to hire one of Delgado-Polancos nephews, but the person was never paid by the state and left after a day because of nepotism rules, which restrict hiring and oversight over direct family members. I didnt come in and clean house (of) experienced people thats not what I did, Delgado-Polanco said. Instead, she argued people terminated under her leadership were ousted because either they had issues or they were bringing down the morale here. Also, the list of who to let go were compiled before she started the job, Delgado-Polanco said. The new positions she filled were created to fill in gaps where the SDA didnt have staffing, she said. When I walked in here, communications had two people in it, Delgado-Polanco said. How can that be when were serving the most underprivileged communities? We should be telling their stories. We should be talking about the work that were doing. She added: We are up for (funding) reauthorization. We should be contacting elected officials in those areas to support us. We should be talking to mayors. We should be talking to freeholders. None of that was happening. Sweeney, meanwhile, expressed his outrage over the reports and called for the groups funding not to be reauthorized after it expires this year. Its disgusting, Sweeney, D-Gloucester, said. Its disgraceful they did this. It just shows me this is an agency that no ones paying attention to. Im not blaming Gov. Murphy for this, he added. He entrusted these people. Sweeney said the SDA isnt needed anymore and should be abolished. We need $4 or $5 billion, he said. Were completely out of money. We dont have the ability to borrow that kind of money now. Sweeney has repeatedly feuded with Murphy, a fellow Democrat, and the chair of the State Democratic Committee, John Currie. But he dismissed criticism that hes targeting Delgado-Polanco because she is vice chair of the state party. Oh, no, Sweeney said. Am I the one who hired how many family members and friends? They can say that all they want, but tell me what they did was right. What they did was wrong. Delgado-Polanco argued the stories and attempts to dismantle the agency and fold it into another state authority are misguided and distractions. I dont think that the focus needs to be taken away from where it needs to be, which, at the end of the day, is the children, she said. I dont think politics has a place in this conversation. These children deserve the same education that any other kid in the state of New Jersey is getting. The SDA manages about $11 billion in construction projects for schools across the state. Delgado-Polanco earns $225,000 $50,000 a year more than the governor. Her hires included Laury-Ann Diaz, who is the mother of Delgado-Polancos grandson. Diaz earns $110,000 as a deputy director. Delgado-Polancos second cousin, Kenia Nunez, was also hired at the authority to fill a deputy director role earning $110,000 a year. It is common for new administrations to make political hires. But Murphy said Tuesday hes trying to figure out what went on inside in the authority. NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. TAMPA Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton has been following some of the nonstop rumors on free agent Bryce Harper and doesnt know what to believe. Once he signs, Ill get all the real information, Stanton said Thursday before the Yankees-Pittsburgh Pirates Grapefruit League game at Steinbrenner Field. All this whole going here, going there thats all (the medias) job. The latest reports indicate its San Francisco Giants may be on the verge of becoming the second team to make an offer in the neighborhood of $300 million for 10 years, joining the Philadelphia Phillies. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who are believed to be a preferred land spot for Harper, reportedly have serious interest, too, but only on a shorter-deal term, perhaps $180 million for five years. Theres contracts there, Stanton added, so its he doesnt have the number that he wants, and he can do exactly what he wants as long as he wants to find what he needs. Stanton has never been a free agent, but hes twice had to go through something similar to what Harper is going through now when making tough decisions about his future. In November 2014, Stanton opted for a lifetime of security to commit long-term to the small-market/perennial loser Miami Marlins by signing a $325-million extension over 13 seasons. Three winters later, a Marlins offseason fire sale led to a change of scenery for Stanton. This time, he took advantage of the no-trade clause in his contract to force a trade to a destination of his choice, and he vetoed deals the Marlins made with the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals before the Yankees swept in late to get him in a trade. Stanton was asked if his decisions were ever based solely for money. Not for me, he said. For some people is it. But thats your preference and if you want it to be just about that, you can. But thats between you and the team thats going to give you the money. Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Three of the five bystanders who were shot during a violent confrontation in New Orleans Central Business District Feb. 17 may have been shot by police officers, according to New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Shaun Ferguson. Ferguson was providing an update on the case Thursday (Feb. 28), as police released video in the case. Ferguson said the case is still under investigation and it cant yet be said for certain who shot the bystanders, but it is possible that three of those individuals may have been struck by bullets fired by our officers attempting to defend themselves and others while being repeatedly fired at." However, Ferguson squarely placed the blame for the shootout on 32-year-old Reginald Bursey, a person of interest in an armed robbery who police have said opened fire on officers after they approached him on Canal Street, around the corner from an RTA bus stop on Elk Place. Bursey was killed during the confrontation. At no point were our officers firing unless being fired at, Ferguson said. The gunfire initially broke out about 6:45 p.m. Feb. 17. According to NOPD, Bursey immediately pulled a weapon and began firing at two NOPD officers after they approached him on Canal Street, near the intersection with Elk Place. Bursey turned left on Elk Place, and the officers were forced to return fire and the shootout continued down Elk Place toward Tulane Avenue, police said. New Orleans Police Department officers were dealing with a very dangerous and desperate individual willing to do whatever it took to avoid capture, Ferguson said. Within seconds he started firing at our fully uniformed officers without hesitation." Ferguson emphasized that NOPD officers at no time fired their weapons unless they were first being fired upon. Bursey initiated the exchange of gunfire that started on Canal Street, then continued down Elk Place, he said. Bursey also initiated a second round of gunfire, one that proved fatal for him, while hiding in bushes outside Tulane Medical Center, on Tulane Avenue, police said. The NOPD officers who fired their guns that evening were identified Thursday as 26-year-old Senior Officer Amit Bidichandani, hired in December 2015, and 31-year-old Officer Brandon Anderson, hired in May 2016. Bidichandani is one of two plainclothes detectives who was in that area that day to investigate Bursey in connection to an armed robbery and a carjacking. Anderson and another uniformed officer were working an off-duty detail when they were called to assist the detectives in stopping Bursey for questioning. A Louisiana State Police trooper who officials have said shot Bursey has not yet been identified. Bidichandani, Anderson and the trooper all participated in the gunfire exchange with Bursey on Tulane Avenue that ended in Burseys death, Ferguson said. Ballistic evidence has not yet been processed to confirm whose gunfire struck which bystanders, Ferguson said. But based on video evidence, NOPD believes the first person shot, a 17-year-old girl who was struck in the leg, was shot by Bursey. She was shot while walking on Canal Street, lake-bound, the same direction as Bursey. The uniformed officers approached Bursey from behind, and video shows Bursey turning his head toward them and within about three seconds, firing his gun before taking off on foot toward Elk Place. One of the bullets from those initial shots may have struck the teen, police said. Three people were shot on the downtown-side of Elk Place, shortly after Bursey turned down that street from Canal, according to video and an explanation by an NOPD Public Integrity Bureau supervisor about what it shows. Those three people, police believe, were possibly struck by NOPD officers gunfire, based on what the video shows. The group includes a 34-year-old man who had gunshot wounds in the left arm and upper abdomen; a 32-year-old man shot in the right hip; and a 33-year-old man who was sitting at the bus stop when he was shot in the right elbow. 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 Police are not sure who might have shot the fifth wounded bystander, a 37-year-old man with a graze wound to his left shoulder, or where he was when he was shot, the PIB supervisor said. Prior to the fatal encounter with police, Bursey was being probed by Bidichandani and the other plainclothes detectives at the scene of the shootout in connection to a Feb. 16 carjacking in the 1700 block of Josephine Street, and a Feb. 8 armed robbery in the 1700 block of Clio Street, both in the Central City area. Ferguson said Thursday that with days of the shootout in the CBD, and after Bursey had been identified, the victim of the Feb. 16 carjacking contacted NOPD to confirm Bursey was the person who robbed her. The victims gun, which was in her car, was stolen with the vehicle and other items. The video footage was released under an NOPD policy adopted in February 2016 that gives police department leaders and investigators a total of nine days to review and decide when and how to release footage in officer-involved shootings. The city attorney, district attorneys office and U.S. Attorneys office play a role in the decision. No body camera footage is available, as the uniformed officers involved were working a paid detail at the time of the shooting and were not required to wear them. NOPDs Use of Force Review Board will probe the Feb. 17 shootout, Ferguson said. The scope of the review will include both the gunfire exchange and the attempted stop of Bursey that led up to it, he said. The Office of the Independent Police Monitor, an independent agency tasked with reviewing the NOPDs actions, said in a Thursday statement that the agency is continuing to look into the shootout as well as the NOPDs investigation of Bursey leading up to the shootout. While the released footage does show the exchange of gunfire, it does not encompass the totality of investigation, the agency said in the statement. The monitors office said the NOPD has not provided sufficient evidence supporting the decision to stop Bursey at this highly populated location or to have the stop made by a non-specialized NOPD unit. The officers who approached Bursey did not know his name or that he was also a fugitive wanted in Texas for a different armed robbery, according to Donovan Livaccari, a lawyer representing both officers who returned fire. Police in Columbus, Texas had called him a confirmed gang member of Houstons 59 Piru street gang," though Burseys ex-girlfriend told NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune that was not true. Man killed in CBD shootout with police didnt see any hope for himself, family says Correction: An earlier version of this post initially stated incorrect information that officers approached Reginald Bursey at a bus stop on Elk Place near Canal Street. The officers approached him on Canal Street, around the corner from the bus stop. Note: This story was updated Friday (March 1) to add a statement from the Independent Police Monitor. A former Marrero justice of the peace was found guilty Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 27) of using his role to commit financial fraud, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Louisiana. A federal jury in New Orleans convicted Patrick Hale DeJean, 40, of 13 counts of mail fraud and three counts of making false statements to a bank. The jury deliberated for about three hours before returning its verdict, capping a nine-day trial that began Feb. 19. DeJean faces up to 20 years in prison for each mail and wire fraud count and up to 30 years in prison for each count related to making a false statement to a bank. He is set for sentencing May 23 before U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon. Jefferson Parish justice temporarily disqualified from duties Federal prosecutors say that for about seven years, DeJean used various tactics to steal money through Jefferson Parishs 2nd Justice Court, a small-claims office that, among other things, resolves civil disputes involving $5,000 or less. Investigators with the FBI and the Louisiana Legislative Auditor found that he used the stolen money on personal expenses, including gambling. Prosecutors say DeJean, from May 2009 through August 2016: signed garnishment orders and directed employers of some debtors to pay the court, instead of sending the money directly to the creditors as required by state law. charged litigants fees not allowed by law. garnished more money than was owed by debtors and kept the excess for himself. borrowed as much as $52,840 in the name of 2nd Justice Court from First Bank and Trust and used some of it for himself, primarily gambling at local casinos. Dejean knew that the court is prohibited by Louisiana law from borrowing money. 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 arranged a $10,000 payment from Jefferson Parish government for the court but used most of the money for his own purposes. DeJean also embezzled $70,000 from his mother-in-laws estate, according to prosecutors, who said last year they planned to introduce evidence of the theft during DeJeans trial, but not charge him with it. At the time, DeJeans attorney, Michael Fawer, said he would move to exclude the allegation from trial because it was not relevant to the actual charges against DeJean. It was not immediately clear Wednesday night if the embezzlement accusation was included in the trial. West Bank judge stole $70,000 from mother-in-law's estate, prosecutors say DeJeans wife, Shantelle DeJean works for the administrative section of the U.S. attorneys office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, which led to the recusal of that office from the case. The matter is instead being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and David J. Ayo of the Western District of Louisiana, based in Lafayette. A booking photo of Patrick Hale DeJean was not immediately available. Laura McKnight covers crime and breaking news for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. NOLA.com | The Times-Picayunes Drew Broach contributed to this report. The defense attorney for a former Louisiana State University student accused in the 2017 alcohol-related hazing death of Max Gruver portrayed the freshman in court filings Tuesday (Feb. 26) as a party animal who used alcohol and smoked marijuana excessively, The Advocate reports. Matthew Alexander Naquin, 21, of Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas, faces a negligent homicide charge in Gruvers Sept. 14, 2017, death. Naquin faces up to five years in prison. Autopsy findings stated Gruver, from Roswell, Georgia, died by acute alcohol intoxication with aspiration. He had a blood alcohol level of .495, which is more than six times the legal limit for those 21 and older to drive. Baton Rouge Police said Gruver, 18, was involved in a hazing event at Phi Delta Theta fraternity in September 2017 where members forced him to drink during a ritual testing their fraternity knowledge. Gruver was made to take at least 10 to 12 pulls of 190-Diesel as other pledges drunk lesser amounts of the liquor, authorities stated. The Advocate stated Naquins lead attorney, John McLindon, filed a motion Tuesday that quotes Gruvers roommate, who stated Gruver was sober for maybe five out of the 30 days he was on LSUs campus. Max Gruver's parents file $25 million lawsuit against LSU after son's death The Prosecution points the finger at Matthew Naquin claiming that he killed Max Gruver by forcing him to drink alcohol. A review of the pretrial discovery reveals that this simply is not true," McLindon writes in his motion, according to the newspaper. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up In a post earlier Tuesday on the Fly High Max Facebook page, Gruvers parents said the defense is resorting to a cruel ploy of victim blaming for the benefit of those they find responsible for his death. His parents also pointed out the fraternity had numerous hazing and other violations with LSU, with the most recent occurring two semesters before Gruver died. Mr. Naquins defense is well aware that the interviews they cite in their motion are hearsay and given by fraternity members who have an interest in painting Max in negative light, the post stated Three other fraternity members have agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Naquin's former roommate, Ryan Matthew Isto, 19, of Butte, Montana, and ex-LSU student Sean-Paul Gott, 22, of Lafayette, pleaded "no contest" last fall to misdemeanor hazing in the Gruver case. A decision will be made by prosecutors later on Patrick Andrew Forde, 21, of Westwood, Massachusetts. Read The Advocates full story. Correction: An earlier version of this storys headline did not properly attribute the claims to a defense attorney. Wilborn P. Nobles III is an education reporter based in New Orleans. He can be reached at wnobles@nola.com or on Twitter at @WilNobles. A man in an electric wheelchair was fatally injured Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 27) when he was struck by a car while traveling along a Lafourche Parish highway, according to Louisiana State Police. Carl Guidry, 54, of Thibodaux was killed in the crash, reported shortly after 2 p.m. on Choctaw Road, just east of Tabor Lane (map) in the Choctaw area outside of Thibodaux. A preliminary investigation shows Guidry was heading west in the westbound lane of Choctaw Road, near the fog line, and had just steered further into the travel lane when the crash occurred. He was struck by a 77-year-old Thibodaux man in a Jeep Cherokee, which approached Guidry from behind while negotiating a left curve in the roadway. Guidry was pronounced dead on the scene by the Lafourche Parish Coroners Office. The Jeeps driver was properly restrained during the crash and was not injured, state police said. He submitted to a breath test, which showed no alcohol present. Impairment is not suspected to be a factor in the crash, but a standard toxicology report is pending for Guidry through the Lafourche Parish Coroners Office. Laura McKnight covers crime and breaking news for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Kenneth Johnston has never participated in an election before, but hes hoping by the time he arrives at his 70th birthday Saturday (March 2), hell be registered to vote for the first time in his life. Johnston, who is jokingly called Biggy because he is such a small guy, is one of approximately 36,000 people on parole and probation in Louisiana expected to get their voting rights restored Friday. After 26 years out of prison and on parole, he said hes not going to waste any time signing up before the next election. Louisiana will be ready for felon voting rights change, officials say Johnston plans to go to his local parole office first thing when it opens Friday at 8 a.m. to pick up the form he needs to get his voting rights reinstated. He wants to be at the New Orleans registrar of voters by noon, leaving his application plenty of time to be processed by the end of the day. People actually died for that right to vote. I fought for the right to vote, said Johnston, a Vietnam veteran, in an interview Thursday. I was an infantry soldier. I wasnt behind a desk. I saw people die in combat - people dying for the right to vote. Johnston said his military service set him on a path that almost derailed the rest of his life. He was drafted in 1969 at 20 years old. He returned from the war with a heroin addiction and, by 1972, he was in prison for killing someone over a drug debt. Most people convicted of murder in Louisiana stay in prison for life, but Johnston became what was known as a jailhouse lawyer -- essentially an inmate that acts as a paralegal for themselves and other prisoners. He successfully argued that new, more stringent laws passed after he was convicted shouldnt apply to his sentence. That allowed him to go before the parole board earlier than most other people convicted of murder, and in 1993, he was granted his release. Along the way, Johnston earned some accolades from the legal community. During his incarceration, Johnston was described by then-state Attorney General William Guste as a legal genius because of his work on his own case, according to an article published in The Times-Picayune in 2000. U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan, who is now semi-retired, wrote a letter to the parole board on Johstons behalf in 1992, calling him a trusted friend as well as a very intelligent, competent and well-educated paralegal. Berrigan, according to The Times-Picayune article from 2000, and a handful of other attorneys used Johnston as a paralegal after he was released. He said he continues to do that work, primarily for local attorney Benny George, and still takes on pro bono the cases of people who are incarcerated. People are still going to jail and people are still being falsely accused. Why should I retire? he said this week. For a few Louisiana lifers, a new chance at parole The severity of Johnstons crime means that he remains on parole indefinitely, though, unless the parole board and a governor decide to shorten his sentence. Hes applied to the parole board and Gov. John Bel Edwards to have his sentence commuted, but his case hasnt come up for deliberation yet. As a parolee, he hasnt been able to vote for the past 26 years. Louisiana didnt allow people on supervision -- either on parole or probation -- to vote, though thats about to change. Under the new law taking effect Friday (March 1), almost all people on probation and people who have been on parole for five years after being released from prison will be able to get their voting rights restored. 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 Johnston was so eager to vote that he was the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the state filed by people on parole and probation who were prohibited from voting. That lawsuit was declared moot by the courts last year, once the governor and Legislature passed the new law that goes into effect Friday. I wanted to vote for Obama and I wanted to vote against Trump and didnt have that opportunity, Johnston said. Also, I want to vote in several local elections. Ive been a paralegal since prison. I have a passion for my legal work. You vote to elect the judges and the DAs. Most of the people who will be newly eligible to vote Friday were not convicted of as serious a crime as Johnstons. About 30,000 of the 36,000 people getting their voting rights back are those on probation. Probationers have been convicted of a felony, but almost never go to prison. Their community supervision is usually considered an alternative to incarceration, often because their crime isnt as serious and they arent deemed to be dangerous. Johnston is also an exception because he has been on community supervision -- in his case parole -- for much longer than most people are. Most people are only on parole and probation for three to five years, particularly after Louisianas criminal sentencing overhaul that was approved in 2017. Johnstons indefinite parole sentence is rare, partly because its unusual for a person convicted of murder to get parole at all. Ive been out 26 years. I believe I have been on parole longer than anyone else in the state of Louisiana, Johnston said this week. Its been fairly common across the United States for people convicted of felonies to face voting restrictions, but thats changing. Eight states, including Louisiana, have loosened restrictions on formerly incarcerated people seeking the right to vote since 2013, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Many of those new policies have been aimed specifically at giving more flexibility to people on probation and parole. Theres been a fair amount of confusion around who gets to vote and how voting rights will actually be restored in the lead up to Louisianas change. The Department of Corrections didnt distribute the form to parole and probation offices that people need to get their voting rights restored until this week. That form also wont be available to the public until Friday morning, the first day that voter registration will be available to thousands of parolees and probationers. The timeline could cause a scramble for people hoping to register to vote as soon as possible. Sometimes its not easy to track down a probation or parole officer on short notice, said Bruce Reilly, with Voice of The Experienced, an advocacy group for the formerly incarcerated. Many probation and parole officers were not familiar with the form when people eager to register to vote called them earlier this week, Reilly said. Louisiana lawmakers say felon voting rights law needs adjustments Louisianas registrars of voters finalized the process to restoring voting rights with Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin and Attorney General Jeff Landrys office in a meeting this week, said Dwayne Wall, the St. Tammany Registrar of Voters. Wall, who is the head of the Louisiana Registrars of Voters Association, said he believes his colleagues will be prepared Friday, now that some technical questions about the process have been worked out. I think initially there will be a good rush of people, Wall said. Were pretty confident now in what we need to do. Almost all states make felons ineligible to vote while they are in prison. Vermont and Maine are the exceptions, where even people who are incarcerated can still cast a ballot in an election. In 14 other states, people get their right to vote back automatically when they leave prison. In 22 states, including Louisiana, people get their right to vote back after a cooling-off period that typically coincides with their time on probation and parole, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In 12 states that the National Conference of State Legislatures deem the most restrictive, people lose their voting rights permanently for some crimes, or need a governors pardon to get their voting rights restored, or have an additional waiting period even after they have completed probation and parole. These states include Alabama and Mississippi. The client had plea agreements with "appeal waivers," but the Court said the lawyer provided ineffective assistance of counsel by failing to begin an appeal. In Garza v. Idaho, the U.S. Supreme Court established that a lawyer provides ineffective assistance of counsel by failing to file an appeal that a client has requested even if the client has a plea agreement with an appeal waiver. (586 U.S. ___ (2019).) In the Garza case, the defendant had signed two plea agreements, each of which had language saying that he "waive[d] his right to appeal." After his plea and sentencing, he told his lawyer that he wanted to appeal. The lawyer never filed the appeal, and the deadline for doing so passed. The Supreme Court explained that appeals are sometimes possible even after a defendant has signed an appeal waiver. It stated that it's ineffective assistance of counsel for a lawyer to, through objectively poor representation, lose a chance to appeal that the defendant would have taken. The Court further explained that that rule is true even if the defendant has signed an appeal waiver. For more on the case, see our article on conditional appeals and appealing after pleading guilty. Effective date: February 27, 2019 Although Motorola has not introduced its foldable phone at MWC, the company's VP of Global Product has just confirmed that the upcoming handset rumored to bring back the legendary RAZR family has been in development for a long time and will hit the market about the same time as the other such devices that have been recently unveiled by Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, and others. 4 Reviews , News , CPU , GPU , Articles , Columns , Other "or" search relation. 3D Printing , 5G , Accessory , AI , Alder Lake , AMD , Android , Apple , ARM , Audio , Business , Camera , Cannon Lake , Cezanne (Zen 3) , Charts , Chinese Tech , Chromebook , Coffee Lake , Comet Lake , Console , Convertible / 2-in-1 , Cryptocurrency , Cyberlaw , Deal , Desktop , E-Mobility , Education , Exclusive , Fail , Foldable , Gadget , Galaxy Note , Galaxy S , Gamecheck , Gaming , Geforce , Google Pixel , GPU , How To , Human 2.0 , Ice Lake , Intel Evo / Project Athena , Internet of Things (IoT) , iOS , iPad Pro , iPhone , Jasper Lake , Lakefield , Laptop , Launch , Linux / Unix , Lucienne (Zen 2) , MacBook , Mini PC , Monitor , MSI , OnePlus , Opinion , Phablet , Radeon , Renoir , Review Snippet , Rocket Lake , Rumor , Ryzen (Zen) , Science , Security , Single-Board Computer (SBC) , Smart Home , Smartphone , Smartwatch , Software , Storage , Tablet , ThinkPad , Thunderbolt , Tiger Lake , Touchscreen , Ultrabook , Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) , Wearable , Windows , Workstation , XPS , Zen 3 (Vermeer) Ticker While the Samsung Galaxy Fold X and Huawei's Mate X are both official and should hit the market later this year, it seems that Motorola will bring its foldable handset to the market by the end of 2019 as well. The Huawei Mate X also comes with 5G connectivity, while Samsung's foldable does not feature this high-end spec (many people simply have no access to 5G networks yet, so it shouldn't be considered that much of a drawback). However, the Motorola foldable remains a mystery. Last month, the patent for Motorola's RAZR foldable was officially granted. Sadly, the Lenovo-owned brand failed to bring the device to the market as a Verizon-exclusive by the end of February (well, they can do it today, but that's very unlikely to happen). The good part is that Motorola's VP of Global Product, Dan Dery, confirmed that work on the device started "a long time ago" and the company's engineers were able to put this design through "a lot of iteration" so we should expect a thoroughly refined device. Since the new RAZR missed MWC, now it seems that Motorola will unleash it at the company's annual conference, which is scheduled to take place in August. The name is not official yet, but according to what most unofficial reports have been claiming recently we should get ready for a Motorola RAZR 2019 (maybe with an additional name such as "Flex" or "Foldable") with a price tag that reads around US$1,500. If the price mentioned above seems high, you should think about the Galaxy Fold's US$2,000 or the US$2,600 price tag of the Huawei Mate X none of them is gold-coated, of course. Amanda Knox, the Washington woman who spent four years in an Italian prison following her 2007 conviction of the murder of a fellow college student before she was acquitted, made a joke about the case. Knox, 31, posted on Instagram that she was playing a murder mystery party with friends, saying that again, she was falsely accused as the killer. She was given the role of Countess of Lovelace, a Victorian-era woman who was accused of killing the owner of an art gallery, Fox News reported. Knox suggested that the fictitious story was similar to her own. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amanda Knox (@amamaknox) on Feb 24, 2019 at 4:32pm PST Victorian London: A priceless painting goes missing and the owner is found both poisoned and stabbed. And would you believe it, I, the Countess of Lovelace, am accused, she said on Instagram. Also acquitted, all in 4 hours. Better than 4 years, she then said, sharing to photos of the event. Knox is seen sitting on a couch with her arms crossed, and her friends are nearby. Some people slammed the joke as distasteful. You have no shame, one Instagram user wrote. Anything for attention, another said. Murder, your favourite subject! a third person said. In the case, she was accused of killing Meredith Kercher, a fellow exchange student who shared her apartment. The body of Kercher, who was from the United Kingdom, was found the Perugia apartment in November 2007. The American woman and her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were found guilty, but their convictions were later overturned. Knoxs conviction was overturned by the Italian Supreme Court of Cassation in 2011, and she returned to the United States that same year. In 2014, she was sentenced to prison in absentia until the Italian high court overturned that decision in 2015. The European Human Rights Court ordered Italy to pay her $20,000 in damages in January 2019, saying she wasnt provided proper legal aid. Ms. Knox had been particularly vulnerable, being a foreign young woman, 20 at the time, not having been in Italy for very long and not being fluent in Italian, the court said, Fox reported. It is impossible to compensate Amanda for four years in prison for a mistake. There will be no amount. We are not looking for compensation of damages. We are doing this on principle, Dalla Vedova, Knoxs attorney in Italy, was quoted by the news outlet as saying. Knox began working as a freelance journalist after her acquittal and is working with the Innocence Project. This group was built by [lawyers], scientists and intellectuals who are trying to prove facts and understand how things get blown out of proportion. They are emotionally and intellectually there for me. They understand that we already had to pay for our lives with the things we didnt do, Knox told Rolling Stone in 2017, adding that it was crazy she had to prove her innocence. An immigrant from Ivory Coast, Rudy Guede, was convicted in the death of Kercher. Hes serving a 16-year jail term for the case. A survivor of the Parkland school shooting confronted the school resource officer accused of hiding outside as the massacre took place inside the school. A video posted to Kyle Kashuvs Twitter account shows him talking to the deputy in an elevator about during the tragedy, and getting back silence in return. All the other occupants of the elevator remained silent as well. Deputy Scot Peterson hid outside while 17 of my classmates and teachers were massacred at Stoneman Douglas. Today I confronted him, face to face, for his crimes. Watch this coward for yourself. pic.twitter.com/d5WQuohXfL Kyle Kashuv (@KyleKashuv) February 27, 2019 Why did you let those kids die? Its disgusting. Its despicable. And I hope it lives with you for the rest of your life, Kashuv said in the video. I was there that day. I was a student there in the building right next to it. Fourteen of my classmates never coming back because you didnt act. The man Kashuv directed his comments at in the elevator was Scot Petersonthe man standing closest to Kashuv in the elevator. Peterson was working as a school resource officer on the day of the tragedy. After the mass shooting, in which 17 students and staff died, Peterson was nicknamed the coward of Broward for his inaction and widely condemned. Peterson was also criticized by his superior at the time, former Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel. This Coward knew exactly where the shooter was and opted to cower behind a wall while everyone else was defenseless. Three unarmed staff members died trying to stop the shooter. He swore to protect and serve. Now after letting 17 people be murdered, he gets paid 104k a year. pic.twitter.com/lOtxuwjOTq Kyle Kashuv (@KyleKashuv) February 27, 2019 In Petersons interview with Today, he admitted he was wrong. He was the only armed officer on duty at the school that day. He said he ran out of his office but he took an outside position, saying that he thought the shooter might be outside. Peterson told Today that there were also issues with communication equipment, and so he wasnt getting information to let him know what was going on. Emergency calls from the school campus were being routed to the adjacent county. 2 of 2 His duty was to protect them, and he willfully chose not to do so. In the military, this is punishable by death, but in Florida we award a six-figure pension. This is wrong.https://t.co/isovDSrdhW SpencerRoach (@SpencerRoachFL) February 27, 2019 But those who lost loved ones in the tragedy say that there has to be some accountability for Petersons actions so that the same situation is not allowed to happen again in the future. Kashuv captioned the video post with his view of what had happened. Deputy Scot Peterson hid outside while 17 of my classmates and teachers were massacred at Stoneman Douglas. Today I confronted him, face to face, for his crimes. Watch this coward for yourself. Kashuv thanked Kenneth Preston for recording the encounter, in the Twitter comments. Preston is a journalist who hounded Browards school district officials for answers after the shooting. The Daily Signal, as well as Prestons Twitter account, reveal some of his attempts to hold school district officials accountable. Our leaders are ignoring the Parkland families. My friend Hunters sister was killed at Stoneman Douglas. Officials have ignored him for months, so I decided to demand answers publicly. Watch them cut my mic and have security remove me. pic.twitter.com/gPldIdyxBL Kenneth Preston (@kennethrpreston) September 12, 2018 Hunter Pollack, whose sister Meadow was killed in the Parkland shooting, responded to the video, via Twitter. Deputy Scot Petersons only job was to protect the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas. That was his ONLY job! On the day of the Parkland shooting, he ran and hid while students were being killed. This guy is a pathetic excuse of a police officer and a human being. Scum! Hunter and Meadow Pollacks father, Andrew Pollack, is suing both Peterson and former campus monitor Andrew Medina. In order to get accountability, this is what I have to do so that something like this doesnt happen again. Even to this day, [Medina] still hasnt accepted responsibility and hes still lying through his teeth. Hes not telling the truth and it will all come out in the trial. Its what its about for me, accountability, Andrew Pollack said, at the deposition for Medina, via CBS Miami. Full text of Florida House bill to strip retired deputy Scot Peterson of retirement benefits https://t.co/rql3GPN1Vo pic.twitter.com/xXjaowh3UW South Florida Sun Sentinel (@SunSentinel) February 27, 2019 Peterson retired after the shooting. Lawmakers are trying to pass a bill that would withhold his retirement benefits, CBS Miami reported. You are clearly a super-user of NUVO.net. Thats a good thing. It means you depend on independent and local news sources to keep you informed. You are a smart person. Coincidentally, independent and local news sources depend on you too. Youve read 25 articles this month and now, wed like you to be join our mission and become a NUVO Supporter. For as little as $4 a month, you can keep us alive and fighting -- and can have unlimited access to the independent news that cant be found anywhere else. Argosy University, a chain of vocationally focused schools with nearly two dozen campuses nationwide, teetered on the edge of collapse on Wednesday after the Education Department accused it of improperly taking as much as $16 million in aid money that should have gone to students. The department revoked the eligibility of Argosy, which is owned by Dream Center Education Holdings, to receive federal student loan funds, worsening the financial problems of a chain already in dire financial shape. Last month, a federal judge in Ohio placed Argosy and several other Dream Center campuses under federal receivership, appointing an outside official to handle the chains finances. Taken together, those campuses enroll about 10,000 students. Soon after the receivership began, the Education Department began hearing complaints that Argosy had failed to make payments owed to students, according to a letter the agency sent on Wednesday to Dream Center and its receiver. Students often borrow more federal aid money than they need for tuition and have the rest refunded to them by their school to cover living expenses like rent and groceries. But Dream Center improperly withheld some of those so-called credit-balance payments and appears to have used them to cover its own operating expenses, according to court filings by Mark Dottore, Dream Centers receiver. Differences in funding translate to the classroom, where underfunded communities often use older, worn textbooks and have less access to computers, said Francesca Lopez, associate dean of the College of Education at the University of Arizona. I can tell you as a parent and as a researcher, when I walk into a school district that is in one of these low-funded areas, it is a stark contrast, Dr. Lopez said. They are basic rights to education, but look like amenities in comparison. Its dramatic. The report identified certain states, like New Jersey, as among the worst offenders. In New Jersey, which divides students up into more than 500 districts, predominantly nonwhite districts received about $3,400 less per student than mostly white districts, the report said. A spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Education said he had not seen the report and could not immediately comment. Arizona also had one of the most drastic differences in funding among states listed in the report. Dr. Lopez said that in her state, boundary lines are a huge contributor because of gerrymandering, segregation and zoning. But she said the situation in Arizona was exacerbated by a new kind of white flight because of the popularity of charter schools and open enrollment, a policy that allows parents to request that their children attend schools outside the district. In Arizona, funding generally follows the student, rather than staying in the district. Its depleting even more funding from these districts that were already at a disadvantage to begin with, Dr. Lopez said. Cohen claimed that in all his years of serving as Trumps hatchet man he never once heard his boss say anything in private that led me to believe that he loved our nation or wanted to make it better. That could have been a cue for Republicans to offer up a multitude of examples to the contrary. But for the most part, all we got was one white male representative after another announcing that Cohen had to be ignored because hes due to go to prison for lying. Almost everybody who knows Donald Trump appears to be going to prison for lying. Or is awaiting sentencing for lying. Or is facing charges of lying. If you are a Donald Trump intimate and the federal authorities come calling, be careful to tell the truth. Or move to Papua New Guinea. Even for the most jaded Trump watcher, there were parts of the Cohen testimony worth discussing. For instance, he said Trump threatened legal action to make sure his old high school, colleges and the College Board kept his grades and SAT score secret. Certainly not a surprise that Trump doesnt want to publicize the details of his academic career. But still a great question to keep harping on, if only because it will drive him completely nuts. Maybe every day the House Democrats could make a speech about it on the floor. And introduce a C student with a sense of humor who could announce hes proud to be following in the presidential footsteps of intellectual mediocrity. Cohen testified that Trump had him going back and forth with Forbes magazine in an attempt to get a good spot on the Wealthiest list. While simultaneously trying to push down the income he reported for tax purposes. Lets hope the Democrats use it as another lever to get their hands on those tax returns. Truly that would be a development even better than calling Donald Jr. to testify about his role in the Cohen payments and his fathers assessment of his judgment. We certainly know that Cohen is not perfect. After all, he spent 12 years as Trumps lawyer. Representative Jim Jordan, the top Republican on the committee, even brought up Women for Cohen, an account put up to promote his little-known role as a sex symbol. Liar, liar, pants on fire! It was Representative Paul Gosar, Republican of Arizona, who burst forth with this playground taunt of Michael Cohen, the longtime fixer and personal lawyer for President Trump who appeared Wednesday before the House Oversight and Reform Committee to talk about his former boss. But Mr. Gosars observation was more than an isolated zinger; it was an encapsulation of his partys overarching approach to Mr. Cohens testimony. It also provides a pretty good sense of how few minds the hearing is likely to change in this era of bitter polarization and how tough it can be to bring any clarity to the swirl of controversies engulfing this president. As that spectacle was opening in Washington, 12 time zones away, in Hanoi, the president was wrapping up a friendly dinner with Kim Jong-un, the tyrannical leader of North Korea. Mr. Trump hopes that the pageantry of peacemaking in Asia will overshadow the damaging testimony of the former confidant he has written off as a lying rat. We await the results of Mr. Trumps and Mr. Kims negotiations. We hope that they are more edifying than the House hearings. For those who have closely followed every twist and turn of the investigations of President Donald J. Trump, there were new developments during Michael D. Cohens congressional hearing on Wednesday in front of the House Oversight and Reform Committee. But for many watching, the standout moments came in the fiery, and occasionally puerile, exchanges between Mr. Cohen, President Donald J. Trumps longtime lawyer, and Republican committee members set on impugning his credibility. [Follow the hearing live with commentary from our reporters.] Liar, Liar Paul Gosar, a Republican representative from Arizona, reflected the tone of many of the Republican members exchanges with a sign set up behind his chair, displayed from the beginning of the hearing. The sign showed a picture of Mr. Cohen superimposed on flames, emblazoned with the words LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE! Following Mr. Gosars questioning (in which he mocked Mr. Cohens apparent desire to be seen as a sex symbol), Mr. Cohen said that he was the one responsible for the congressmans tactics. I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trumps illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a con man. And he is a cheat. Questions have been raised about whether I know of direct evidence that Mr. Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia. I do not. And I want to be clear. But I have my suspicions. A lot of people have asked me about whether Mr. Trump knew about the release of the hacked documents, the Democratic National Committee emails, ahead of time. And the answer is yes. Mr. Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it. He lied about it because he never expected to win. He also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions of dollars on the Moscow real estate project. Mr. Trump is a racist. While we were once driving through a struggling neighborhood in Chicago, he commented that only black people could live that way. And he told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid. Mr. Trump is a con man. He asked me to pay off an adult film star with whom he had an affair and to lie about it to his wife, which I did. And I am going to jail in part because of my decision to help Mr. Trump hide that payment from the American people before they voted a few days later. Did the president call you to coordinate on public messaging about the payments to Ms. Clifford in or around February 2018? Yes. What did the president ask or suggest that you say about the payments or reimbursements? He was not knowledgeable of these reimbursements, and he wasnt knowledgeable of my actions. He asked you to say that? Yes, maam. Mr. Cohen, How long did you how long did you work in the White House? I never worked in the White House. Thats the point, isnt it, Mr. Cohen? No, sir. Yes, it is. No, its not, sir. You wanted to work in the White House. No, sir. You didnt get brought to the dance. Did Mr. Trump ask you to threaten an individual or entity on his behalf? Quite a few times. Fifty times? More. A hundred times? More. Two hundred times? More. Five hundred times? Probably, over the 10 years. Is there a book deal coming, or anything like that? I have no book deal right now in the process. I have been contacted by many, including for television, the movie if you want to tell me who you would like to play you, Im more than happy to write the name down. Can you please describe for us to the best of your recollection you were present exactly what Mr. Stone said to Mr. Trump? It was a short conversation and he said, Mr. Trump, I just want to let you know that I just got off the phone with Julian Assange, and in a couple of days, theres going to be a massive dump of emails thats going to severely hurt the Clinton campaign. To your knowledge, did the president or his company ever inflate assets or revenues? Yes. And was that done with the presidents knowledge or direction? Everything was done with the knowledge and at the direction of Mr. Trump. Youre a pathological liar. You dont know truth from from falsehood. Sir, Im, sorry, are you referring to me or the president? Hey, hey! This is my time. Are you referring to me, sir, or the president? When I ask you a question, Ill ask for an answer. Sure. Over and over again, you know, we want to have trust its built on the premise that were truthful, that we come forward, but there is no truth with you whatsoever. Thats why thats important, to look up here and look at the old adage that our moms taught us: Liar liar, pants on fire. Hm. No one should ever listen to you and give you credibility. Putting up silly things like this, really unbecoming of Congress. Its that sort of behavior that Im responsible for Im responsible for your silliness, because I did the same thing that youre doing now, for 10 years. I protected Mr. Trump for 10 years. michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. Today: Michael Cohen is headed to prison for lying on behalf of Donald Trump. Yesterday, he told Congress hes done protecting the president. Its Thursday, February 28. Maggie Haberman, how does this hearing actually begin on Wednesday morning? maggie haberman The hearing began in very dramatic fashion with Elijah Cummings, who chairs the committee, a Democrat, holding the gavel. Michael Cohen walking in through this crush of photographers and reporters, trailed by Lanny Davis, his attorney and sometimes spokesman, trailed by another of his attorneys, not by any member of his family, who I believe he was worried about attending this hearing. He sat down. His face was wan. His eyes were puffy. He looked exhausted, and defeated, and beaten down. And you could hear a pin drop as he sat down. archived recording (elijah cummings) The committee will come to order. maggie haberman So Cummings out of the gate archived recording (elijah cummings) I now recognize myself for five minutes to give an opening statement. maggie haberman addressed the issue of Michael Cohens credibility. archived recording (elijah cummings) He admitted to lying about his actions to protect the president. Some will certainly ask, if Mr. Cohen was lying then, why should we believe him now? archived recording Good question. archived recording (elijah cummings) This is a legitimate question. maggie haberman It was very clear that Republicans were going to go right at Cohen, accusing him of being a liar, somebody who has admitted to lying, including admitting to lying to Congress when he gave testimony before them in 2017. So Cummings was hoping to put that to bed at the outset. archived recording (elijah cummings) This is an important factor we need to weigh. But we must weigh it, and we must hear from him. michael barbaro And Maggie, I found it fascinating what Cummings did at the close of this opening statement. He delivers this message straight to Cohen. archived recording (elijah cummings) Martin Luther King, Mr. Cohen, said some words that I leave with you today before you testify. He said, faith is taking the first step, even when you cant see the whole staircase. There comes a time when silence becomes betrayal. Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that truly matter. In the end, he says, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. maggie haberman And with that quote, hes trying to set up Michael Cohens testimony why hes being truthful, that what he said before is a lie, and what he is saying now is the truth. And this was important for him to set this out as a way forward as the hearing began. archived recording (elijah cummings) Raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm that the testimony that you are about to give is the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Let the record show that the witness answered in the affirmative. And thank you, and you may be seated. maggie haberman So then Michael Cohen begins his opening statement. And it was long. archived recording (michael cohen) I hope my appearance here today, my guilty plea and my work with law enforcement agencies are steps along a path of redemption that will restore faith in me and help this country understand our president better. maggie haberman And he began again by apologizing for lying to Congress. archived recording (michael cohen) I am here under oath to correct the record, to answer the committees questions truthfully and to offer the American people what I know about President Trump. maggie haberman And then he turned to Donald Trump. archived recording (michael cohen) I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trumps illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. maggie haberman And he depicted Donald Trump as a unsavory, unethical, immoral character. archived recording (michael cohen) Mr. Trump is a racist. The country has seen Mr. Trump court white supremacists and bigots. You have heard him call poorer countries [expletive]. In private, he is even worse. He once asked me if I can name a country run by a black person that wasnt a [expletive]. This was when Barack Obama was president of the United States. And while we were once driving through a struggling neighborhood in Chicago, he commented that only black people could live that way. And he told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid. maggie haberman Somebody who told him from the Oval Office, in an Oval Office meeting, that he would be sending him a reimbursement for hush money payments. archived recording (michael cohen) Trump is a con man. He asked me to pay off an adult film star with whom he had an affair and to lie about it to his wife, which I did. And lying to the first lady is one of my biggest regrets. maggie haberman He portrayed Donald Trump as a cheat. archived recording (michael cohen) And it should come as no surprise that one of my more common responsibilities was that Mr. Trump directed me to call business owners, many of whom are small businesses, that were owed money for their services, and told them that no payment or a reduced payment would be coming. When I told Mr. Trump of my success, he actually reveled in it. maggie haberman As a schemer, who would inflate his net worth or devalue it, depending on what was useful for him at various points. archived recording (michael cohen) It was my experience that Mr. Trump inflated his total assets when it served his purposes, such as trying to be listed amongst the wealthiest people in Forbes, and deflated his assets to reduce his real estate taxes. maggie haberman At one point, Michael Cohen told a very detailed story of Donald Trumps relationship to the Vietnam War. Remember that Donald Trump has said that he had a deferment from the draft because he had, quote, unquote, bone spurs. archived recording (michael cohen) But when I asked for medical records, he gave me none, and said that there was no surgery. He told me not to answer the specific questions by reporters, but rather, offer simply the fact that he received a medical deferment. He finished the conversation with the following comment: Do you think Im stupid? Im not going to Vietnam. maggie haberman And at that moment, Michael Cohen looked directly into the camera. archived recording (michael cohen) And I find it ironic, Mr. President, that you are in Vietnam right now. michael barbaro Right. maggie haberman It was damning stuff. archived recording (michael cohen) A lot of people have asked me about whether Mr. Trump knew about the release of the hacked documents, the Democratic National Committee emails, ahead of time. And the answer is yes. In July of 2016, days before the Democratic Convention, I was in Mr. Trumps office when his secretary announced that Roger Stone was on the phone. Mr. Trump put Mr. Stone on the speakerphone. Mr. Stone told Mr. Trump that he had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange, and that Mr. Assange told Mr. Stone that within a couple of days there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clintons campaign. Mr. Trump responded by stating to the effect, wouldnt that be great. michael barbaro And then he brings up, of course, the now-infamous Moscow project. maggie haberman Right. archived recording (michael cohen) I lied to Congress when Mr. Trump stopped negotiating the Moscow tower project in Russia. I stated that we stopped negotiating in January of 2016. That was false. Our negotiations continued for months later during the campaign. maggie haberman He says that there were, you know, a handful of these conversations that went on into 2016, when it was clear that Donald Trump was going to be the Republican nominee. archived recording (michael cohen) Mr. Trump did not directly tell me to lie to Congress. Thats not how he operates. In conversations we had during the campaign, at the same time I was actively negotiating in Russia for him, he would look me in the eye and tell me, Theres no Russian business, and then go on to lie to the American people by saying the same thing. In his way, he was telling me to lie. So to be clear, Mr. Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it. michael barbaro Cohens almost describing, in this moment, a code, where, if Trump is saying to him, there is no Russia project, its almost like saying, theres no Russia project, right? Youre never going to say theres a Russia project. Its like hes trying to explain a foreign language in which Donald Trump is communicating to him, you should probably lie about this, without having to say it. maggie haberman Thats exactly right. And he said that in his testimony, made very clear that this is how Donald Trump talks. He sort of knows where the line is, and he doesnt speak overtly. It is what former federal prosecutors have described as mob speak, the style that mafia bosses speak in to avoid crossing a legal line. And while Michael Cohen did not explicitly say that part, he did say that Donald Trump spoke in a code and that Michael Cohen understood that code. archived recording (michael cohen) He doesnt give you questions. He doesnt give you orders. He speaks in a code. And I understand the code, because Ive been around him for a decade. michael barbaro Maggie, did it come as a surprise to you to hear Michael Cohen saying any of this? Youve known both of these men for years. And youve known them as a unit. What was it like to hear Cohen saying these things about Donald Trump? maggie haberman Even knowing that this was coming, it was mind-blowing hearing Michael Cohen saying this in public. No one who has worked for Trump in recent years has gone on the record to say things like this. And it was staggering. And it was so at odds with the portrait of fealty that Michael Cohen had presented with reporters, with everyone, toward Donald Trump over a decade. michael barbaro Mm-hmm. maggie haberman And remember, Donald Trump creates an eagerness in people around him to get something of a head pat from him, to get an encouragement, to get an attaboy. Cohen got very skilled at trying for that attaboy. michael barbaro And seemed to be kind of addicted to it. maggie haberman And seemed to be addicted to it, seemed to revel in it, clearly reveled in his proximity. archived recording (michael cohen) Over the past year or so, I have done some real soul-searching. And I see now that my ambition and the intoxication of Trump power had much to do with the bad decisions, in part, that I made. maggie haberman He was involved in taking care of messes that Donald Trump wanted taken care of. He was willing to do those things. One of them was payoffs to women. And the notion that somebody who was so closely involved in that would be willing to discuss it publicly, not just behind closed doors with investigators, not just as prosecutors were bearing down on him, but freely, in public, in a hearing, under oath, was just breathtaking. michael barbaro Theres a moment where Cohen says to the members of the committee archived recording (michael cohen) The last time I appeared before Congress, I came to protect Mr. Trump. Today michael barbaro Today, Im here to tell you the truth archived recording (michael cohen) I am here to tell the truth about Mr. Trump. michael barbaro about Mr. Trump. As if to say, the spell has been broken. Im out of that world now. And I kind of wonder if thats really possible, but also how it happened. maggie haberman Well, I think it is really possible, because I think their break has been so incredibly clean, given what has happened to Michael Cohen. Remember, when the F.B.I. raided his hotel and apartment and office in April of 2018, he was still standing by Trump. That clearly has changed. We saw Republicans argue that the reason that changed for Michael Cohen was because he was facing charges of his own. And the president has certainly suggested that. Cohen has been utterly stripped of everything that he valued, his business, his law license. He has been humiliated publicly. He has been abandoned by a lot of friends, and by the president, and by the presidents circle. And so I do think that it is certainly a real split. I think that people are going to have to assess, looking at his testimony, whether they think its a real conversion, but its definitely a real break. archived recording (michael cohen) I am not a perfect man. I have done things I am not proud of. And I will live with the consequences of my actions for the rest of my life. But today, I get to decide the example that I set for my children and how I attempt to change how history will remember me. I may not be able to change the past, but I can do right by the American people here today. And I thank you for your attention. And Im happy to answer the committees questions. archived recording (elijah cummings) Thank you very much, Mr. Cohen. I now recognize myself. michael barbaro So then the questions begin from the committee members. maggie haberman Right. archived recording (elijah cummings) You said you brought some checks, is that right? archived recording (michael cohen) Yes, sir. maggie haberman And first we have Cummings asking Cohen to elaborate on the details of these reimbursement checks that he got, that he brought with him. archived recording (elijah cummings) So let me make sure I understand. Donald Trump wrote you a check out of his personal account while he was serving as president of the United States of America to reimburse you for hush money payments to Ms. Clifford, is that what you are telling the American people today? archived recording (michael cohen) Yes, Mr. Chairman. maggie haberman And it was among the more dramatic moments that we saw. Because Cummings is getting to the fact that the sitting president was part of this scheme that was, at minimum, sleazy and illicit, and at maximum could have some criminal exposure. And they were leaving nothing to doubt as to what Cohen was saying took place. archived recording (elijah cummings) Is there any doubt in your mind that President Trump knew exactly what he was paying for? archived recording (michael cohen) There is no doubt in my mind. And I truly believe there is no doubt in the minds of the people of the United States of America. archived recording (elijah cummings) With that Ill yield to maggie haberman Jim Jordan, another ally of the president, quoted something that Michael Cohen once said to a reporter from The Daily Beast. archived recording (jim jordan) I will make sure that you and I meet one day while were in the courthouse and I will take you for every penny you still dont have. maggie haberman And this has now become a famous anecdote, where he threatened a reporter who was pursuing a story about an old court claim from the divorce filing between Ivana Trump and Donald Trump, where she had alleged marital rape. And Cohen said archived recording (jim jordan) And I will come after your Daily Beast and everybody else that you possibly know. So Im warning you maggie haberman So Im warning you, tread very f-ing lightly it wasnt f-ing. archived recording (jim jordan) Because what Im going to do to you is going to be f-ing disgusting, you understand me? maggie haberman And he was then asked by Jim Jordan, Mr. Cohen, who said that? archived recording (jim jordan) Mr. Cohen, who said that? archived recording (michael cohen) I did. maggie haberman And its an incident that I think he would say that he really was doing for Trump and not for himself. But it was a way to sully his character and create a portrait of thuggishness. archived recording (jim jordan) And did you say that, Mr. Cohen, was that statement that I just read that you admitted to saying, did you do that to protect Donald Trump? archived recording (michael cohen) I did it to protect Mr. Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump. michael barbaro But I wonder, who does it look worse for, the person who did it, or the person on whose behalf it was done? maggie haberman Right. I understand that Jim Jordan is trying to muddy Michael Cohen with that. But I think for most people, they are going to look at that, and especially after the president takes to Twitter and suggests that people ought to be looking into Michael Cohens family, I think most people are still going to see that as looking worse for Trump, because Michael Cohen was doing this as Trumps lawyer. michael barbaro So while Republicans are largely avoiding talking about the president at all costs in this hearing, in focusing on sullying Cohens character and reputation, they may be actually sullying President Trumps. maggie haberman Correct. They were essentially trying to peel Cohen off from Trump. And what became clear as their efforts went on throughout the hearing is that that is impossible to do. When you have had somebody serve as a lawyer for Donald Trump, so identified with him publicly over 10 years, you cant take a shot at Cohen and not end up having it ricochet onto Trump too. archived recording So weve established that you lie on your taxes, you lie to banks, and you have been convicted of lying to Congress. It seems to me that theres not much that you wont lie about when you stand to gain from it. michael barbaro And where do the questions go from here? maggie haberman So archived recording Everythings been made of your lies in the past. Im concerned about your lies today. maggie haberman After that it became a, you know archived recording But theres no truth with you whatsoever. maggie haberman one by one, down the line, Republicans suggesting that Michael Cohen was archived recording Liar, liar, pants on fire. maggie haberman Really in it for the fame. archived recording Is your appearance here today motivated by your desire to remain in the spotlight for your personal benefit? archived recording (michael cohen) No, maam. maggie haberman Or he was really in it for the money. They asked him archived recording Is there a book deal coming or anything like that? archived recording (michael cohen) I have no book deal right now. maggie haberman One after the other about prospective book deals or movie deals. archived recording Isnt it true you tried to sell a book about your time with President Trump, entitled Trump Revolution: From the Tower to the White House, Understanding Donald J. Trump? archived recording (michael cohen) Yes, that happened maggie haberman Or had he pitched a book of his own? michael barbaro And what did he say? maggie haberman He said yes. archived recording (michael cohen) I have been contacted by many, including for television, a movie. If you want to tell me who you would like to play you, Im more than happy to write the name down. michael barbaro And what about the Democrats? archived recording (elijah cummings) Mr. Raskin. archived recording (jamie raskin) Mr. Cohen, thank you for your composure today. Our colleagues are not upset because you lied to Congress for the president. Theyre upset because youve stopped lying to Congress for the president. maggie haberman The Democrats tried to keep it really mostly on Trump and the things that Michael Cohen did for Trump. archived recording And nothing at the Trump Organization was ever done unless it was run through President Donald Trump, correct? archived recording (michael cohen) Thats 100 percent certain. archived recording O.K. maggie haberman He described, and it was really interesting, he described everybody as being solely devoted to protecting the brand and reputation of one man, Donald Trump. He said that nothing happened at the company unless Donald Trump was aware of it or signed off on it. He argued that Trump was a demanding and exacting and punishing boss. He described the entire effort as being about maximizing the gold-plated version of Donald Trump that we have all become very familiar with. archived recording Theres a recurring refrain in your testimony that says, and yet, I continued to work for him. But at some point you changed. What was the breaking point at which you decided to start telling the truth? archived recording (michael cohen) There are several factors Helsinki, Charlottesville. maggie haberman He went on this litany of moments that he said disgusted him. There were the presidents comments after Charlottesville, that it was, you know, various instance of discourteous behavior by the president, of untoward behavior toward citizens. archived recording (michael cohen) Watching the daily destruction of our civility to one another, putting up silly things like this. archived recording Oh, thats silly. archived recording (michael cohen) Really unbecoming of Congress. maggie haberman He clearly got angry. And then he sort of turned it back on Republicans and said to them, essentially archived recording (michael cohen) Its that sort of behavior that Im responsible for. Im responsible for your silliness. Because I did the same thing that youre doing now, for 10 years. I protected Mr. Trump for 10 years. maggie haberman You are what I was. You are all blindly following him. And there is a real risk to doing that, because you could end up like me someday. archived recording (michael cohen) And I can only warn people, the more people that follow Mr. Trump, as I did blindly, are going to suffer the same consequences that Im suffering. maggie haberman It was a gripping and captivating moment. michael barbaro Right, it was a sort of surprising level of self-awareness, and I guess also self-loathing too. maggie haberman It was both. It was self-effacing. It was clearly uncomfortable. It was acknowledging that he is a deeply imperfect person who did imperfect things that he is not proud of, and he said a version of that earlier in the hearing. But it was really striking, because this is a comment that Republicans who opposed Donald Trump, and theyre not very many of them who are that vocal anymore, but that they have said repeatedly that the Republican Party has become a cult of personality, or just a cult. And that people just blindly follow along with what Donald Trump wants, whether it is wise or not, whether it is safe or not, and whether he is telling the truth or not. And that is what Cohen was getting at. archived recording What do you want your children to know? archived recording (michael cohen) That Im sorry for everything. And Im sorry for the pain that Ive caused them. And um I wish I could go back in time. archived recording Thank you, I yield back. archived recording (elijah cummings) The gentleladys time has expired. michael barbaro Maggie, I wonder if you feel like you understand whats motivating Michael Cohen throughout this hours-long hearing, to say what hes saying, to concede what hes conceding, to kind of humble himself the way he did. Hes been convicted of a crime. Hes headed to prison. He has been disbarred. What exactly is animating him at this point? maggie haberman I think a number of things are animating him. But I think among them is that he doesnt want to be the leper of this story forever. He said months ago that he does not want to be the villain in the Trump story. And I think thats how he feels. I think that he does not want to be remembered as this footnote in history. I think hes going to prison. And I think he doesnt have a whole lot left to lose. And I think that he would like to try to make people remember other things about him and tell a more nuanced tale. michael barbaro And so, what did this hearing, in your mind, achieve? How will this hearing be remembered in this larger story? maggie haberman I think this hearing is either going to be, on its own, just a breathtaking historical moment, the likes of which I dont know if well ever see again. But it was pretty striking to see. Or it is going to be the initial phases of a much broader, deeper governmental investigation by House Democrats into the Trump presidency, not just his own personal activities, but the activities of his government. And allowing Michael Cohen to have a setting where he talks about these things, and where he can be questioned, and where he is a key starting witness could be the first step in paving the way toward an impeachment process, if that is where Democrats go. If that ends up leading to something bigger, then Democrats will feel as if this was a key foundation for it. But its too early to say, I think. archived recording (michael cohen) I have some closing remarks I would like to say myself. Is this an appropriate time? archived recording (elijah cummings) You can do it now. archived recording (michael cohen) Thank you. michael barbaro Maggie, how does this one of hearing finally come to an end? maggie haberman Seven and a half hours after Michael Cohen first entered this room, sitting pretty patiently through all of these questions, not losing his temper, he was given an opportunity to speak not just to the committee members, but to the president. archived recording (michael cohen) In closing, Id like to say directly to the president, we honor our veterans, even in the rain. You tell the truth, even when it doesnt aggrandize you. maggie haberman And he used that opportunity to send a message to his former boss, saying, you dont need to be this person. archived recording (michael cohen) You take responsibility for your own dirty deeds. You dont use your power of your bully pulpit to destroy the credibility of those who speak out against you. You dont separate families from one another or demonize those looking to America for a better life. You dont vilify people based on the God they pray to. And you dont cuddle up to our adversaries at the expense of our allies. maggie haberman And what he was saying to the president, you and I both know who you are, and he was saying to the members of the committee, you should believe me when I say that I understand this man. archived recording (michael cohen) So to those who support the president and his rhetoric, as I once did, I pray the country doesnt make the same mistakes that I have made or pay the heavy price that my family and I are paying. And I thank you very much for this additional time, Chairman. archived recording (elijah cummings) Thank you very much. maggie haberman And when Michael Cohen was done, Elijah Cummings closed with this note of grace toward Michael Cohen. archived recording (elijah cummings) So you wonder whether people believe you. I dont know. I dont know whether they believe you. But the fact is that youve come, you have your head down. And this has got to be one of the hardest things that you could do. maggie haberman That was the moment when Michael Cohen started crying. And he really hadnt done that. He was clearly weeping. archived recording (elijah cummings) I know that you face a lot. I know that you are worried about your family. But this is a part of your destiny. maggie haberman And Cummings basically told Cohen, you are doing what you should be doing. You are heading toward the light in this moment. archived recording (elijah cummings) And hopefully, this portion of your destiny will lead to a better a better Michael Cohen, a better Donald Trump, a better United States of America and a better world. michael barbaro Maggie, thank you very, very much. We appreciate it. maggie haberman Michael, thanks for having me. archived recording (elijah cummings) And we have got to get back to normal. With that, this meeting is adjourned. [MUSIC PLAYING] michael barbaro Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. On Wednesday, Pakistan said it had shot down two Indian fighter jets and captured a pilot from one of them in the latest escalation of hostilities between the two countries. The attack is heightening fears that the decades-old animosities between India and Pakistan could spiral into war. The latest episode began on February 14th, when jihadis operating out of Pakistan killed 40 Indian soldiers, prompting airstrikes from India, and now, a military response from Pakistan. archived recording [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] Bomb blast victims in [INAUDIBLE]. michael barbaro In a speech on Wednesday, the prime minister of Pakistan urged restraint, citing the two countries arsenals of nuclear weapons, saying quote, All big wars have been due to miscalculation. My question to India is that given the weapons we have, can we afford miscalculation? archived recording [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] michael barbaro What Was Said This might be the first time someone convicted of lying to Congress has appeared again so quickly in front of Congress. Representative Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio This is misleading. This carefully worded statement is true, but could give a misleading impression. There is little precedent for someone convicted of the specific crime of lying to Congress to again appear before Congress shortly afterward. But people who were found to have lied to Congress have returned before the body to testify, and lawmakers occasionally hear from convicted criminals. Very few people six from the 1940s to the 2000s, according to one estimate have been convicted of lying to Congress. Others were indicted but acquitted (for example, Roger Clemens, the baseball pitcher) or received presidential pardons (like officials in the Reagan administration involved in the Iran-contra affair). Among this small group, at least two have testified to Congress after being charged. Elliott Abrams, the former assistant secretary of state under President Ronald Reagan and current envoy to Venezuela under President Trump, pleaded guilty in 1991 to withholding information from Congress, but testified to Congress this month. Robert McFarlane, Mr. Reagans national security adviser, also pleaded guilty in 1988 to withholding information from Congress but testified before the Senate in 2002. Both men were pardoned by President George Bush. Other people who committed crimes other than lying to Congress and have testified before the body include Frank Costello, the mafia boss, in 1951; Joseph Michael Valachi, a mobster, in 1963; and Frank Abagnale, the former con artist and subject of Steven Spielbergs Catch Me If You Can, in 2017. WASHINGTON Denouncing the profit motive in health care, more than 100 House Democrats rallied on Wednesday around a bill to replace most private health insurance with a national single-payer system, Medicare for all. The chief sponsor of the bill, Representative Pramila Jayapal, Democrat of Washington, said it would cure a deep sickness within our for-profit system of health care. But the bill highlights Democrats split over health policy going into the 2020 elections. Supporters of the bill, under which health care would be available to all Americans without premiums, co-payments, deductibles or similar charges, did not say how much it would cost or how they would pay for it. They said their proposal could save huge sums by cutting administrative costs and the bill-paying bureaucracy that works for insurance companies and health care providers. And Ms. Jayapal mentioned the possibility of levying a wealth tax on the wealthiest Americans. But only two hours after she introduced the bill, leaders of a more centrist group known as the New Democrat Coalition said Congress should initially focus on shoring up the Affordable Care Act, stabilizing insurance marketplaces and holding down prescription drug costs. WASHINGTON As a political appointee at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Lynne Patton has become one of the most prominent African-American officials in the Trump administration, and it was the color of her skin and her relationship with President Trump that led to her appearance during Michael D. Cohens congressional testimony on Wednesday. [Update: Trump names Mark Meadows chief of staff, ousting Mick Mulvaney.] Before getting her job at HUD, Ms. Patton was an event planner in New York, and worked for the Trump Organization and for the Eric Trump Foundation. Anticipating Mr. Cohens accusation that President Trump was a racist, Representative Mark Meadows, Republican of North Carolina, invited Ms. Patton to appear as a rebuttal to the charge. You made some very demeaning comments about the president that Ms. Patton doesnt agree with, Mr. Meadows said, after Mr. Cohen called his former boss a racist and noted that, among other comments, he told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid. As Ms. Patton, 46, stood silently behind him, Mr. Meadows argued that Ms. Pattons loyalty to Mr. Trump proved that could not be true. Seeing Xue Qiaoping wearing a short jacket, a leather beret and a pink scarf, it is hard to imagine how she would look on stage with 10 tusks protruding from her mouth. Xue is an exponent of shuaya, meaning "teeth play", a highly unusual performance that is part of pingdiao (flat tone), a local folk opera of Ningbo, Zhejiang province. Before going on stage, actors insert tusks-which are about 6 to 8 centimeters long and taken from a male wild boar-into their mouths. The tusks are moved in and out using the mouth and tongue to reflect characters' changes of emotions, as songs are sung and lines spoken. "Teeth play" and face-changing in Sichuan Opera is together known as xiliandongya ("face in the West and teeth in the East"). Shuaya is just a part of pingdiao, which dates back to the 17th century and has about 400 tunes in its repertoire, and lyrics are sung in the local dialect. Traditionally, the music is played with drums and bronze gongs, meaning a loud, noisy performance, but contemporary recitals include stringed instruments such as the erhu, violin and cello. The themes of the plays usually revolve around social ethics and family relationships. Xue, 37, joined Ninghai Xiaobaihua Yueju Opera Troupe when she was 16, being taken on with nine other apprentices by Ye Quanmin, a fifth-generation exponent of the art. "It was very hard at first," Xue says. "I started practicing with two teeth, and wore them almost all the time, except when I was eating or sleeping." Michael D. Cohen, President Trumps former lawyer and fixer, told Congress on Wednesday that Mr. Trump had instructed him to send threatening letters to his alma maters, warning of jail time for anyone who released his transcripts. Im talking about a man who declares himself brilliant but directed me to threaten his high school, his colleges and the College Board to never release his grades or SAT scores, Mr. Cohen said, part of broad testimony he gave before the House Oversight Committee. One of those letters was sent to Fordham University in May 2015, a month before Mr. Trump declared that he was running for president. Mr. Trump attended the university for two years before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Lighthizer said the Chinese want the United States to lift tariffs it has imposed on $250 billion worth of goods, but he made no promises that would happen without a tough deal. The trade adviser also played down the idea that Mr. Trump is growing impatient and wants to strike an agreement. He said the president wants a deal, but only if it resolves the big concerns that prompted the United States to start a trade war. His instructions to me are: You have to get a great agreement. If we have no agreement, well just wait until we can get a great agreement, Mr. Lighthizer said. But he acknowledged the difficulty of ensuring that China would adhere to any agreement in the coming years, calling that a challenge that goes on for a long, long time. Mr. Lighthizer described a complex enforcement mechanism the two nations are discussing to ensure that China would not renege on its commitments. Under the evolving pact, the Chinese have agreed to periodic meetings at the levels of office director, vice minister and minister that would allow the United States to keep tabs on Chinas behavior and air complaints from companies about unfair business practices. If China fails to keep its agreement, the United States would respond proportionally but unilaterally, he said. Politicians of both parties, academics and the business community have gradually formed a consensus in recent years that China has failed to keep the commitments it made when joining the World Trade Organization in 2001, and that practices like subsidizing its own companies and blocking foreign competitors from its market have unfairly damaged American industries and workers. But those critics have been divided over the presidents choice of tariffs as his favored weapon. In a report released by the American Chamber of Commerce in China this week, companies reported declining optimism about their ability to operate in China and cited bilateral tensions as a top challenge. On Wednesday, both Democrats and Republicans shared concerns about the damaging effects of Mr. Trumps tariffs and Chinas retaliatory levies on products made and purchased in their districts, including cribs, robot vacuums, soybeans, Hollywood films and rice. A doctor with the Department of Veterans Affairs was shot in the neck when a patient in a wheelchair opened fire Wednesday evening in the emergency room of a V.A. hospital in West Palm Beach, Fla., the authorities said. The suspect, Lawrence Bon, 59, had been at West Palm Beach V.A. Medical Center since early in the morning and had been combative with employees all day, Special Agent Michael D. Leverock, an F.B.I. spokesman, said in a phone interview. Mr. Bon began shooting a pistol at about 6:20 p.m., while he was undergoing a psychological evaluation, Agent Leverock said. The injured doctor, whose named was not released, was shot in the neck while trying to subdue Mr. Bon, who is a double amputee. Another hospital employee was grazed by a bullet, Agent Leverock said. The employees injuries were not life-threatening. Mr. Bon spent a very short amount of time in the military in the mid-1970s, Agent Leverock said, and his amputations were unrelated. He tells me that he didnt know about it, and I will take him at his word, Mr. Trump said on Thursday. Mr. Warmbier, a student at the University of Virginia, was arrested while on a trip to North Korea for stealing a propaganda poster. In 2016 he was sentenced to 15 years hard labor. More than a year later he was released and returned to the United States gravely ill, with doctors saying he suffered a catastrophic brain injury. He died in June 2017. Mr. Trump has taken credit for the return of Mr. Warmbier and a handful of other Americans held in North Korea. In the past, the president has pointed to Mr. Warmbiers injuries as an example of the Kim regimes brutality. But on Thursday, Mr. Trump refused to place any blame on Mr. Kim. I dont believe that he would have allowed that to happen, it just wasnt to his advantage to happen, Mr. Trump said. Those prisons are rough, theyre rough places, and bad things happened. But I really dont believe that he, I dont believe that he knew about it. Austin Ramzy A cheerful start gave no hint of trouble Thursday began without any outward sign that talks were about to break down. President Trump and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, complimented each other in opening remarks at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi. Neither predicted any imminent breakthroughs, but their comments did not suggest a summit meeting that would end early, abruptly, and without anything to show for it. I cant speak necessarily for today, but I can say a little bit longer term and over a period of time I know we are going to have a fantastic success with respect to chairman Kim and North Korea, Mr. he said. OTTAWA Breaking weeks of silence, the former cabinet minister now at the center of a growing political crisis in Canada testified that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, members of his staff and senior officials used political interference and veiled threats in a campaign to get her to drop a criminal case against a major corporation. In testimony to a House of Commons committee examining the prime ministers actions, Jody Wilson-Raybould, the former justice minister and attorney general, recalled asking Mr. Trudeau: Are you politically interfering with my role, my decision as the A.G.? I would strongly advise against it. As she described 10 meetings, 10 conversations and a series of emails about the criminal case with senior government officials, Ms. Wilson-Raybould said that during one particularly fractious session she had thoughts of the Saturday Night Massacre, a reference to President Richard Nixons orders to Elliot Richardson, his attorney general, to fire Archibold Cox, an independent prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal. The often inflammatory and defiant testimony from Ms. Wilson-Raybould, who remains a Liberal member of Parliament, is likely to provide ample fuel for opposition politicians as campaigning for the general election in October gears up. LONDON Michelangelo Merisi, better known as Caravaggio (1571-1610), is the most famous Italian painter of the baroque period, and the art trade is always looking for lost works by this fiercely original and timeless artist. But new attributions provoke fierce debates. On Thursday, the art dealer Eric Turquin unveiled a spectacularly well-preserved 17th-century canvas of Judith and Holofernes that Marc Labarbe, an auctioneer based in Toulouse, France, found in the attic of a house there in 2014. Mr. Turquin has spent the past five years researching this unsigned painting. He is convinced it is a long-lost masterpiece by Caravaggio. Our guide to new art shows and some that will be closing soon. HILMA AF KLINT: PAINTINGS FOR THE FUTURE at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (through April 23). This rapturous exhibition upends Modernisms holiest genesis tale that the male trinity of Kandinsky, Malevich and Mondrian invented abstract painting starting in 1913. It demonstrates that a female Swedish artist got there first (1906-7), in great style and a radically bold scale with paintings that feel startlingly contemporary. The mother of all revisionist shows regarding Modernism. (Roberta Smith) 212-423-3500, guggenheim.org LUCIO FONTANA: ON THE THRESHOLD at the Met Breuer (through April 14). The art of this Argentine-Italian modernist looks a bit like it comes from another planet, and it might as well, given how seldom we see it in New York. The Met Breuer show, with single environments at the Met Fifth Avenue and El Museo del Barrio, is the artists first museum survey here in over 40 years. This wouldnt be especially notable plenty of his Latin American peers never get seen at all were Fontana, who died in 1968, not so influential a figure. The threshold in the title refers not only to the early phase of his career, which the Met Breuer exhibition highlights, but also to his position as a forebear of contemporary art as we know it. Things we take for granted installation, new media and the poly-disciplinary impulse that defines so many 21st-century careers Fontana pioneered in the 1950s. (Holland Cotter) 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org THE JIM HENSON EXHIBITION at the Museum of the Moving Image. The rainbow connection has been established in Astoria, Queens, where this museum has opened a new permanent wing devoted to the career of Americas great puppeteer, who was born in Mississippi in 1936 and died, too young, in 1990. Henson began presenting the short TV program Sam and Friends before he was out of his teens; one of its characters, the soft-faced Kermit, was fashioned from his mothers old coat and would not mature into a frog for more than a decade. The influence of early variety television, with its succession of skits and songs, runs through Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, though Henson also spent the late 1960s crafting peace-and-love documentaries and prototyping a psychedelic nightclub. Young visitors will delight in seeing Big Bird, Elmo, Miss Piggy and the Swedish Chef; adults can dig deep into sketches and storyboards and rediscover some old friends. (Jason Farago) 718-784-0077, movingimage.us FRIDA KAHLO: APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEIVING at the Brooklyn Museum (through May 12). This is not exactly an exhibition of Kahlos art it contains just 11 paintings, from compelling self-portraits to ghastly New Age kitsch but an evocation of an artistic life through her elegant Oaxacan blouses and skirts, not to mention the corsets and spinal braces she wore after a crippling traffic accident. Do her outfits have the weight of art, or are they just so much biographical flimflam? Your answer may vary depending on your degree of Fridamania, but the woven shawls and color-saturated long skirts here, as well as gripping photographs of the artist by Carl Van Vechten, Imogen Cunningham, Manuel Alvarez Bravo and other great shutterbugs, suggest Kahlos real accomplishment was a Duchampian extension of her art far beyond the easel, into her home, her fashion and her public relationships. (Farago) 718-638-5000, brooklynmuseum.org The generosity of Stephen A. Schwarzman, the Wall Street financier and philanthropist, is evident in many places at the New York Public Librarys flagship building on Fifth Avenue. Some of them are the five spots on the landmark buildings floor and stone exterior where Mr. Schwarzmans name is inscribed, courtesy of his $100 million gift to the library system in 2008. Now the library plans to carve his name onto the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building for a sixth time. It will go next to a new entrance on West 40th Street, which is in keeping with an agreement the library made at the time of that gift. Still, when it comes to Mr. Schwarzman and his donations, its never quite as simple as just etching in the name. Lang Lang returns with new piano album after three years, Chen Nan reports. In April 2017, Chinese pianist Lang Lang, one of the most well-known pianists in the world, hurt his left hand and had to cancel his concerts for more than a year due to the severe inflammation. "It was very depressing when I had to cancel one concert after another. I had no idea when I could return to the stage," recalls the pianist. But during the hiatus, he worked on a new album, titled Piano Book, which is scheduled to be released on March 29. Appearing in Beijing on Monday, the pianist, wearing a white suit and a pair of golden sneakers, talked about his new album, a double CD, in which he performs 41 pieces. He couldn't wait to play for the audience some of the pieces from the album that had inspired him to play the piano as a child and led to international stardom in his adult life. "Here is Mozart Piano Sonata, which I performed when I made my debut show at the age of 5. I had heavy makeup onstage then," he said, laughing and then played the piece. After that he played Carl Czerny's The School of Velocity, and said "there are some music pieces that my neighbors complain about because of the loud sound. This is one of them because it is pretty fast and improves finger technique". Other pieces, including Beethoven's Bagatelle No 25 in A minor; Debussy's Clair de lune and Frederic Chopin's the Prelude Op 28, No 15, also known as Raindrop, are included in the album. The pianist wowed tourists on Valentine's Day as he gave a concert in Paris, performing pieces from his new album on a boat cruising along the Seine. The concert came just a day after he became the first Chinese artist to win an award at Paris' Victoires de la Musique Classique ceremony. "When I couldn't perform due to my hand injury, I had a lot of time to think. I wanted to make an album to remind myself of my first encounter with the piano. So I chose the pieces that I had performed as a child," says the pianist. "I want to inspire other young pianists with this new recording." In Beijing, Lang also spoke about the concert of Ukrainian-born, American classical pianist Vladimir Horowitz in Moscow that he watched at his teacher, Zhu Yafen's home, in 1986. "The great pianist played some pieces, which are technically demanding. But what touched me the most was Robert Schumann's Traumerei, which is simple yet beautiful," he says. "Some of the pieces I chose for the new album are short and simple but they are artistic." Piano Book is his new album in three years and his first since returning to Deutsche Grammophon and Universal Music. He recorded the album at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing in July just two weeks after his opening performance at the Tanglewood Music Festival, with Mozart's Piano Concerto No 24 in C minor, with conductor Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony, in Massachusetts, United States, which was his first major performance since his injury. "I've performed at the NCPA many times but recording an album there was a first time for me," says the pianist. "It was raining outside and I was excited. It is a habit since childhood. When it rains, I cannot go anywhere but play the piano at home." He also recorded the album at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London in August. "Some of the pieces in Lang Lang's new album are the great music we listened to as children. It's rare and meaningful for an established pianist to play and record such pieces," says Christopher Alder, Grammy-winning producer, who produced the album. Lang adds that earlier he used to have a busy schedule at about 150 concerts every year. Now, he has slowed down and does about 75 concerts a year, which allows him to do other things, such as music education. The 36-year-old, who was born in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province, studied the piano from age 5, and says he was inspired to take up music after watching the Tom and Jerry film The Cat Concerto, which features Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No 2. Lang, who is a role model for millions of young Chinese learning classical music, launched his Shenzhen-based music school, Lang Lang Music World, in 2011. In 2008, he founded Lang Lang International Music Foundation to educate, inspire and motivate music lovers and performers. "I enjoy talking with students and sharing music with them. They also inspire me," he says. He will launch his tour of Spain and Australia, as well as play with international orchestras, including a concert with Berliner Philharmoniker under the baton of Kirill Petrenko on April 21. He will record an album of the Goldberg Variations next year. Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous nights highlights that lets you sleep and lets us get paid to watch comedy. If youre interested in hearing from The Times regularly about great TV, sign up for our Watching newsletter and get recommendations straight to your inbox. The Cohen Craze The testimony of Michael Cohen, President Trumps former lawyer, before a House committee on Wednesday was almost the only thing the late-night TV hosts could talk about. In his willingness to lay blame directly at Mr. Trumps feet, and to categorically denounce the president as a racist and a con man, Cohen delivered a wealth of head-turning sound bites, and the hosts pounced on them. I was 19 when I took hookss classes, and I was just becoming a young feminist myself. I had begun my study of feminism with Mary Wollstonecraft, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Virginia Woolf, Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem, among other white women, and perhaps, because I was foreign-born rightly or wrongly I had not expected that people like me would be included in their vision of feminist liberation. Women and men of Asian ethnicities are so often neglected, excluded and marginalized in the Western academy, so as a college student Id no doubt internalized my alleged insignificance. bell hooks changed my limited perception. Image Her book of theory taught me to ask for more from art, literature, media, politics and history and for me, a Korean girl who had been born in a divided nation once led by kings, colonizers, then a succession of presidents who were more or less dictators, and for millenniums, that had enforced rigid class systems with slaves and serfs until the early 20th century, and where women of all classes were deeply oppressed and brutalized, I needed to see that the movement had a space for me. In fostering a feminist movement, which can include and empower women from all different races and classes, hooks calls for an honest reckoning of its history. She indicts the origins of the white feminist movement for its racist and classist treatment of African-American women and repudiates its goals of imitating the power structure of white patriarchy. That said, she does not support a separate black womens movement, and in fact, sees that as counterproductive to the greater power a well-organized collective womens movement can have. hooks wrote in Aint I A Woman: Without a doubt, the false sense of power black women are encouraged to feel allows us to think that we are not in need of social movements like a womens movement that would liberate us from sexist oppression. The sad irony is of course that black women are often most victimized by the very sexism we refuse to collectively identify as an oppressive force. I am 50 years old now, and I worry when I hear that feminism is anything a woman chooses, because I dont think thats true. If a woman chooses to hurt another person or herself in the guise of feminism, surely that cannot eradicate sexism. bell hooks asserts that freedom as positive social equality that grants all humans the opportunity to shape their destinies in the most healthy and communally productive way can only be a complete reality when our world is no longer racist and sexist. This is very true, I think, and I wonder if today we are considering what is most healthy and communally productive for all of us, not just for some of us. In college, I did not imagine that I could be a fiction writer. The wish to make art seemed like some incredibly expensive store I could never enter. Nevertheless, no matter what I would do with my life after graduation, Aint I A Woman allowed me to recognize the dignity and power of living privately and publicly as an immigrant feminist of color. At the time, I did not yet know of Kimberle Crenshaws brilliant term intersectionality, or Claudia Rankines vital concept racial imaginary complementary and significant theories for understanding present day lives, but as a young woman, through hookss work, I was just beginning to see that everyone needs theory, and we need it like water. bell hooks: A Starter Kit Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center (1984) Considered a follow-up to Aint I A Woman. A smart analysis of the future of the womens movement. Talking Back: Thinking, Thinking Black (1989) Anthology of essays about feminism and finding her material and voice as a writer, including to Gloria, who is she: on using a pseudonym and Aint I A Woman: looking back. In Sharmans account, the dominance of the West (note Europes easy baton-pass to the United States), roughly from the Enlightenment to World War II, represents a historical blip in the last millennium. And, perhaps more important, today we seem to be on the cusp of a return to a more regular state of affairs, where the large states of Asia will again be the globes hegemons. To make this provocative argument, Sharman finds the early modern period, conventionally dated from 1500 to 1800, the most fruitful for thinking about where we are headed. In those centuries, the enormous empires of the East the Qing, the Ottomans and the Mughals were the most formidable states on earth. Territory equaled power, and those states held the most land. Image Much of this book turns on Sharmans critique of what historians term the military revolution thesis the idea that advanced military technologies led to Europes domination of the world beginning around 1500. Sharman shows this not to be true. For example, he dismantles the notion that the period of Western overseas expansion led to the rise of Europe, either militarily or politically. Asias enormous land-based empires didnt much care about their coastlines and tolerated more than they succumbed to the Europeans nibbling on their shores in what were desperate, highly risky and ultimately temporary ventures. Until approximately 1750, Europeans even in Europe, thanks to the Ottomans held no military advantage over other powers. But how then to explain the undeniable fact that Europeans dominated the globe from the turn of the 19th century to World War I? Sharman reasons that it was a combination of internal fractures within the Qing and Ottoman Empires, as well as the inclination of Europeans to think that empire building was the route to national sovereignty: in other words, almost a kind of vanity project. He might have said more about how exactly Europe achieved temporary global pre-eminence, especially as it would bolster his argument that this was a deviation from the norm of the last millennium. Employees were rebuked when a report mentioned Falun Gong, the religious group that Beijing considers a cult, they said. Images of the flag of Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims, are banned from broadcasts. CGTN made the filing under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA, at the urging of the Justice Department. FARA requires those doing publicity work for foreign-controlled groups to submit government disclosures. American officials have stepped up their requests that foreign-controlled groups make FARA filings in response to Russian interference in the 2016 election. Two years ago RT America, a Russian-backed broadcaster, made a similar filing at the urging of the Justice Department. Chinese companies and organizations in general have come under greater scrutiny as the trade war has intensified, including the deals they strike to buy up American firms and technology. Some American officials contend the companies can pose a security risk. As part of its demands that CGTN America make a filing under FARA, the Justice Department in a December letter to the broadcaster said it put Mr. Xi in a positive light and had attempted to influence the American public during the recent trade dispute. Reporting Chinas policy positions and presenting them in a positive light are primary reasons for CGTNs existence, the letter said. Both Mr. Ingram and Michael Sheehan, a dealer-broker of vintage Ferraris in Southern California, acknowledged the perception among top collectors that now might be the time to hold the best of the best. When those cars do sell, they often do so off the radar and at still very robust prices, they said. Private sales have always taken place among elite collectors, but now comparatively few big private sales are the exception to the general rule that the top of the market is cooling off. Demographics, too, are influencing this market. Every day, I get the same calls: Guy dies, his kids dont want the cars, and they want me to sell them. Or its knee surgery, hip surgery or prostate cancer and the owner simply cant enjoy the car anymore, Mr. Sheehan said. What Mr. Sheehan describes is most likely the vanguard of a wave of baby boomers getting out of the market, and nobody seems to have a clear idea of what comes next. When the classic-car market rebounded after the recession, it was still boomer-driven, and the very top end came back first, in 2011, according to Hagerty data. The stock market was still in a slump, and cars were being talked about as one of the few asset classes where good returns could be had, Mr. Ingram said. By the next year, the middle of the market (cars costing between $250,000 and $1 million) returned to health, and the year after that, the entry level got active again. If there is a shift now, its still in its early days, and the market may be mirroring its resurgence from 2011 to 2013. The broad entry level continues to be robust, according to Mr. Ingram and Mr. Rabold, while the top end is sluggish, a possible leading indicator of a general slump. The United States economy is in its longest period of growth on record, and most observers predict a downturn reasonably soon. That would certainly affect the classic-car market. But its the demographic shift, combined with the potential for another 2008-like crash, that seems to worry the keenest market-watchers the most. WASHINGTON The Senate on Thursday confirmed Andrew R. Wheeler to be the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, giving oversight of the nations air and water to a former coal lobbyist and seasoned Washington insider. The confirmation formalized a role Mr. Wheeler has held in an acting capacity since the summer when President Trumps first administrator, Scott Pruitt, resigned amid multiple ethics inquiries. The vote, 52-47, went mostly along party lines and underscored partisan divisions over the Trump administrations continued commitment to repealing environmental regulations under Mr. Wheeler. Senator Susan Collins of Maine was the only Republican to vote against Mr. Wheeler. The policies he has supported as acting administrator are not in the best interest of our environment and public health, particularly given the threat of climate change to our nation, Senator Collins said. WASHINGTON New efforts by President Trump and his staff to question or undermine the established science of climate change have created a widening rift between the White House on one side, and scientific facts, government agencies, and some leading figures in the presidents own party on the other. The presidents senior advisers are exploring the idea of creating a panel aimed at questioning the National Climate Assessment. According to a White House memo, the group would include William Happer, a Princeton physicist who has asserted that carbon dioxide a greenhouse gas that scientists say is trapping heat and warming the planet is beneficial to humanity. The climate assessment, a sweeping report issued by the White House itself in November, concluded decisively that the burning of fossil fuels was warming the atmosphere, leading to a raft of harmful effects across the United States and the world. And Mr. Trump announced last week on Twitter that he would nominate Kelly Knight Craft to be his ambassador to the United Nations. Ms. Craft said in a 2017 television interview that, on the issue of climate change, she believes there are scientists on both sides that are accurate. Want climate news in your inbox? Sign up here for Climate Fwd:, our email newsletter. Through his research, he discovered that cultivating only one crop stripped the land of its nutrients and yielded less bountiful harvests. By introducing peanuts and soybeans to the nutrient-deprived soil, crops could thrive again a discovery that also could feed Southerners. Once farmers integrated crop rotation into their fields, the South became a strong new supplier of agricultural products. You may have heard Carvers name associated with peanuts (boy, did he love them). Contrary to popular belief, Carver did not invent peanut butter. But he did develop more than 300 other food, industrial and commercial items with peanuts , such as plastics, dyes, soap, milk and cosmetics. He also invented 118 products from sweet potatoes, including molasses and postage-stamp glue. After Carver died, in 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had a national monument built for him, an honor that before then had been reserved only for presidents. Zephyr Wright Personal chef for President Lyndon B. Johnson Told her firsthand stories about discrimination to Johnson, which is thought to have influenced his signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Zephyr Wright drew in crowds with her comfort food. But the one person who may have benefited the most was Lyndon B. Johnson. Wright was born and raised in Marshall, Tex. In 1942, she started working for the Johnsons as a maid and cook to help pay her way through college; she ended up staying with the family until 1969 , through the duration of Johnsons presidency. While Johnson was in Congress, his home quickly became known for its food, as other politicians visited regularly and built relationships over Wrights chile con queso and peach cobbler. Lady Bird Johnson once wrote, I have yet to find a great chef whose desserts I like as well as Zephyrs. Wright was known to have told Johnson of her experiences with discrimination. Leonard H. Marks, the director of the United States Information Agency at the time of Johnsons presidency, was one witness to this. When Sammy and I drive to Texas and I have to go to the bathroom, like Lady Bird or the girls, I am not allowed to go to the bathroom, Mr. Marks recounted Wright telling Johnson. (Her husband, Sammy, was Johnsons driver.) I have to find a bush and squat. When it comes time to eat, we cant go into restaurants. We have to eat out of a brown bag. When Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Wright was there. After he finished, he gave her a pen he used and said, You deserve this more than anybody else. LINDENOW, Australia Along the crest of a ridge overlooking the wide Mitchell River valley in East Gippsland, Victoria, theres a small town. Its like many communities in this part of the world: a handful of houses, a general store, a pub and more than a few empty storefronts. But the view from that ridge a panorama of produce fields stretching off into the green distance is breathtaking. Lindenow is also home to a restaurant called the Long Paddock, which has caught the attention of food enthusiasts and journalists from Melbourne (a three-and-a-half-hour drive west). It is no longer surprising to find very good food in the small towns of Australia, as enterprising young chefs escape the cities for lower rents and more direct access to ingredients, but to find the Long Paddock in a town as tiny as Lindenow is unusual. To me, it borders on shocking. I was born in East Gippsland, in a town called Club Terrace, which lies a farther three-hour drive into the increasingly wild countryside that eventually becomes temperate rain forest. Even when espresso machines began popping up in seaside cafes along Victorias coastline, when tourism and upscale restaurants moved into the old gold-mining towns, Gippsland remained primarily a farming and logging community. Like much of regional Australia, Gippsland is a place where people are intensely practical, where nothing is easily discarded and where preserving and using every last scrap of food (and water) are still the way of life. Like the rest of the country, Gippsland is increasingly looking to tourism to bolster its economy. And as elsewhere, this creates an interesting friction: How do you deliver the amenities that tourists crave while retaining the character of the place? The sign says Millie Peartree Fish Fry & Soul Food, which is both a name and a promise. A fish fry is an event, whether held on a riverbank down South on a Saturday afternoon or in a church basement after Sunday worship, or any day of the week at this small storefront with just two stools, next to a funeral home in Fordham Manor, in the Bronx. There might be a short wait, because everything is fried to order: supple fillets of whiting, ready to flake, and firmer catfish, along with generous bulges of shrimp. All are buried in cornmeal and plunged in seething oil, to emerge with a shrug of gold. The cooking sounds straightforward, and Millie Peartree, the Bronx-born chef and owner, insists that it is. Make sure the fish is fresh, she said she gets hers delivered daily from a purveyor in Hunts Point so the batter will cling. Oil at the right temperature. Its not rocket science. So of all the fish-fry joints in the city, why walk into this one? For the improbable lightness of those golden coats, with just enough salt and crunch before they give way to delicate flesh. Each variety of seafood (along with chicken wingettes, the lone representative of turf) is seasoned to fit its character, with more (and secret) spices going into the cornmeal, uniting them in verve. China's top securities regulator on Wednesday unveiled more details about the new science and technology innovation board designed to boost financial reform and development of the high-tech sector. The tech board will ease the listing criteria, such as allowing firms that have yet to make a profit to list, but will also adopt higher requirements for information disclosure, Fang Xinghai, vice chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), told a press conference. Fang said the new board would follow a market-based approach to determine the prices, scale, market value and pace of new initial public offerings (IPO). Institutional investors will be allowed to participate in the inquiry and price fixing of new IPOs, he said. The new board will be launched on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) and experiment with registration-based IPOs. First proposed in November 2018 and approved in late January, it has since been pushed forward at full speed. The establishment of the board is of great significance in promoting technological innovation, high-quality development of the economy and market-oriented reform of the capital market, Yi Huiman, newly-appointed chairman of the CSRC, said at the conference. It will also help accelerate the initiative to build Shanghai into an international financial center, Yi said. Preparation work for the new board has been in full swing, and the regulator will continue efforts to improve relevant supporting measures and risk response plans to ensure the steady launch of the board, Yi said. The new board will have strict IPO standards and certain procedures and will not be flooded by listed firms, Li Chao, also CSRC vice chairman, said at the conference. Huang Hongyuan, chairman of the SSE, said there are "a proper quantity" of companies eligible for listing on the tech board. Most of the potential firms are located in regions with clusters of technology firms, including Beijing, the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta, and are in such industries as new-generation information technology, biopharmaceuticals, high-end manufacturing and new materials, according to Huang. "These companies all make relatively large investments in research and development and have relatively good prospects of future growth," he said. The officials did not provide a timetable for the launch of the board. Previously, Shi Donghui, head of the capital market research center with SSE, said the new board is likely to be rolled out as soon as the first half of this year. For the Brussels-born Ms. von Furstenberg, who previously helped raise money for the High Line park in Manhattan, a trip to Paris was important for the new museum. After all, the copper statue, a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States in 1886, was designed by the French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel (hence the presence of his relatives at the party). Lady Liberty, Ms. von Furstenberg said in her speech at the party, is a Frenchwoman who came to America and presented a nation with ideas around true freedom. Im so grateful to the French people for bringing the Statue of Liberty into Americans lives. The designer, added that she had long felt a connection to the statue because her mother, a Holocaust survivor, had often called Ms. von Furstenberg her torch of freedom. The statue is not only a magnificent monument and a unique symbol of the history of immigration and the values of tolerance, Ms. von Furstenberg said. Lady Liberty is the symbol of everything America is about: freedom, hope, possibility and resilience. And, as the fashion folks applauded, she made a beeline for Mr. Mnuchin. The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said a major Canadian drug distributor was selling unapproved and mislabeled medicines to unsuspecting Americans looking to save money on prescriptions, and warned it to stop. The company, CanaRx, sells many common prescription medicines at a lower cost to hundreds of public and private employer programs in the United States. Many of its buyers are city and county governments seeking to save money, among them: Albany, N.Y. and Duluth, Minn. CanaRx says the medications it sells are high-quality, from Canada, Australia and Britain, but the F.D.A. said this is not always the case. Operations like CanaRx use their names to imply that patients are receiving medicines approved in Canada, when its likely that some of those drugs are from other countries with lax standards, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the F.D.A. commissioner, said in an interview. Such operations take advantage of unsuspecting Americans, by purporting to distribute safe and effective imported drugs, at least some of which are instead expired, mislabeled, subject to recalls or potentially counterfeit. A statement posted on the agencys website urged consumers not to use any medicines obtained from CanaRx. In the past, Ive both given and received digital apologize, as most people nowadays have. It is not right and not just to call these apologies wrong, or worse than any other form like a face to face one. At the end of the day, its all just preference and overthinking whether or not someone is going to think that you are scared of facing your wrong and apologizing. But you are not, youve done it, and got the same message across in a more convenient way for the both of you, or at least thats what most people believe in today, and do every single day. A good apology needs to face the wrong that you have done, and state how you are going to improve from here on out, becoming a better person each day. Bogdan Taran, Northbrook, IL The best apologies are heartfelt and well thought out such as the ones in the article. These noticeably took time, editing and most importantly sincerity. More people should write apology letters in a Notes app. This is a great starting place for developing apologies, creating more well-defined and concise messages due to the revision process. Like mentioned in the article, Taylor Swift, Drake, and Pete Davidson are the celebrities that use Notes app but didnt screenshot a picture. They used the app as a starting point and then created the apology with clear thoughts and intentions. Kathryn Meehan, Hoggard High School, Wilmington, NC Hiding behind a screen Like so many listed, I have to admit that I am guilty of this. I think that most apologies that are delivered digitally arent done so because they arent genuine, but because its so much easier to ask for forgiveness from the comfort of your couch, hiding behind a screen. When youre face-to-face with that person, you either get too embarrassed to admit your mistake, or youre too scared that it wont be accepted. Somehow, whether it be to an offer of forgiveness or a dating request, people fear a corporal rejection more than a digital one, which encourages them to send these messages from a screen. Diya Jain, New Jersey Sorry. Receiving that from a bubble over text has never relieved me from whatever situation led to it. Ive always preferred an in-person apology, but I VERY rarely get those now. Living in the social media age has taken such a toll on the quality of our conversations that many are uncomfortable having in-person conversations. These awkward feelings towards face-to-face convos cause us to resort to typed characters on a screen to let out our thoughts and feelings. However, this method of communication is very dangerous Our minds receiving that text can pick apart every detail. Why did he capitalize that? She put a period shes obviously mad! While the person on the other end may have had no intentions to send off negative vibes. Then, the argument begins: Why are you mad at me?So many arguments can be prevented with a phone call. Talking face-to-face allows for optimum communication. If I ever got into a situation with a person that ended in them having to apologize, I would 100% prefer a phone call or to be apologized to in person because one, its way more personal, and two, it gives me the peace of mind that they are being genuine. Emma Coleman, Hoggard High School, Wilmington, NC The only struggle with apologizing face to face is sometimes it can be very nerve racking, and for some people who are not very social it can seem almost impossible to do. I think that is why so many apologies are sent through text. But I also think that for some people it is tough to face the truth. Most of the kids in our generation now do everything through their phone so that they can hide. They dont want to feel the agony of being wrong so they apologize through text or phone call. But like I said earlier, the most genuine and most heartfelt way to apologize in my opinion is in person, and then after just shoot them a text just to tell them how sorry you are. Trey Clucas, Hoggard High School The dos and donts of saying youre sorry I think admitting that you made a mistake and then explaining what you are going to do to not make it again, really leaves no room for the apologizee (forgive my phrasing) to be mad, at least at the apology.In short, if you want an effective apology, start by acknowledging what you did wrong, explain what you will do to NEVER do this again, and finish by passive-aggressively insulting the one you are apologizing to for being so sensitive. The last part has mixed results. Justin Pfeifer, Hoggard Highschool Wilmington, NC Im Neil Jordan. Im the director of Greta. Frances, played by Chloe Moretz, is a waitress in this New York restaurant, and shes being pursued by this woman, played by Isabelle Huppert, called Greta. She becomes this clingy friend/monster. One of the final straws of Gretas attempts to invade Francess life is when she books a table at the restaurant she works. Is there a problem? Yes. This woman has been harassing me and you need to ask her to leave. Im afraid she has a reservation. What kind of service is this? So we designed the restaurant specifically around this scene the shape of it, the table lights, the pools of light from above, and the mirrors. We wanted an environment where the traffic of the waiters to and fro the tables was fluid. We would allow for these long, fluid kind of shots. Everything was designed to kind of ratchet up the humiliation of the central character, Frances. [music] Ill start with the crab bisque and a small green salad. Why are you doing this? Because we have to talk. I have nothing to say to you. The clothes that the central character, Greta, wears was extremely important. We had a lot of discussion about the costume the sophistication, the Frenchness of it. We managed to get a great costume from Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel. Those elements really were the scene, you know? I mean, Isabelles sophistication, her Frenchness. If you say so. Cherie Do not call me that. [speaking french]. Its what you are, my darling. And the fact that, at a certain point, she reveals herself to be Hungarian. - [speaking hungarian]. Because she is a character with about four different layers to her, and I suppose this is a scene where all those layers are expressed. She knows how to order a wine. She knows how to hold a table in a restaurant. She knows how to embarrass a maitre d. At a certain point, she kind of reveals herself to be an absolute monster, which is the fun of the scene, which is the center of the character, really. You know, this monster that sits behind this Frenchness, this sophistication, this kind of politesse. [music] The Chablis. May I? Mm, a bit like you. Promises a lot, then disappoints. O.K. I deserve better. [glass shattering] [gasping] Its also a very physical scene. And in scenes like this, people can get hurt. to us. Are you a child? No. Youre the child. You need to mature. You need a mother to hold you. You lost someone, and you are afraid to love. We both know its true. Dont you dare talk to me about my mother. Darling, dont you understand? She had to die. (SHOUTING) She had to die for us to meet! So I had to set up an environment and a context whereby she could express herself physically, throw things around, struggle with grown men. So, I mean, in this scene, the fact that she felt physically safe was tremendously important to her and to the scene itself, I suppose. [music] Leave me alone! Much of Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People is devoted to explaining how the pioneering newspaperman redefined American journalism. He pushed for language that the masses could understand. He devised visual presentations that accounted for how readers eyes might skip around to different parts of a page. And his papers engaged in a sensationalist style that, as described, was only slightly more responsible than that of William Randolph Hearst, with whom Pulitzer competed during the buildup to the Spanish-American War. None of these skills, except perhaps a flair for direct, comprehensible explanations, apply to the movie, a standard biographical primer from Oren Rudavsky. Notwithstanding the dynamic layouts from Pulitzers New York World, the film hasnt found the material to make this subject pop visually. Historians and other experts describe Pulitzers life and ethos accompanied by the usual archival photographs. Adam Driver narrates, while Liev Schreiber speaks Pulitzers words, appropriately if distractingly mimicking a Hungarian accent. Graduating from fists to lead pipes, then to dynamite, Raymond and his partner Nails Markey (Warner Richmond) sell protection, corrupt unions, buy judges, shake down developers and even threaten the citys food supply. But as Raymond ascends, he falls for a debutante. The gang thinks youre putting on the high hat, Markey warns him anticipating the movies kiss-off image of a topper flung from a car. Quick Millions is largely forgotten today, but it was critically well received in the 1930s. Although cinema patrons may be surfeited with underworld tales, this particular effusion has the distinct advantage of being endowed with originality and suspense and also of being exceedingly well directed, Mordaunt Hall wrote in The New York Times. While not a hit, the movie did contribute a number of ideas to Howard Hawkss 1932 Scarface. Outrageous gestures abound: A hooker strikes a match off a cops badge, and Raymond gets a quick $12,000 in petty cash out of a gang members pocket. George Raft, anticipating his role in Scarface, appears as Raymonds enforcer, so smooth he picks out a revolver to match his evening clothes. (Raft, a professional tango dancer before he entered movies, here enlivens a gangster party with a suave soft-shoe shimmy.) Theres no shortage of attitude. One hoodlum sneers at laws made by lawyers for other lawyers to break. The movie stops dead for an irate district attorney to launch into a long rant regarding millionaire racketeers and big-business crime, attacking his audience, Chamber of Commerce types playing footsie with the mob, as yellow cowards. Fox promoted Brown as an expert on crime who has had frequent contact with gangster types and concededly knows more about them than any other person in motion pictures. True or not, he was an obviously talented filmmaker who apparently rubbed his bosses the wrong way. Characterized by the film historian Carlos Clarens as a pugnacious leftist, Brown would only direct two other movies, Hells Highway (1932) and Blood Money (1933), both in the hard-boiled crime territory he staked out with Quick Millions. The Wedding Guest soon reveals that it has one of the most misleading titles of the year. Its a thriller, not a light comedy of manners but exactly what sort of thriller it will be is something that the director, Michael Winterbottom, keeps tantalizingly at bay. When we meet Jay (Dev Patel), a stoic, handsome man of mystery, he is departing London for Pakistan. He rents a car and, on what appears to be a lengthy, less-than-straightforward route, stops at a gun shop. We eventually learn hes looking for a woman named Samira (Radhika Apte). And when he finds her, he ties her up and puts her in the trunk. Winterbottom, the globe-trotting, genre-hopping British filmmaker, has done well with dark territory before (the 2010 Jim Thompson adaptation The Killer Inside Me). And if in the past hes come across like a dabbler a director more interested in trying different styles than engaging with any one of them here, his restless, touristic tendencies suit what might otherwise have been a rote on-the-lam scenario. The filmmaker wrote the script himself, and read no further to keep the surprises fresh. Samira was indeed about to attend a wedding her own, to a groom not of her choosing. Jay was hired by Deepesh (Jim Sarbh), the boyfriend the Pakistani-born Samira, who spent part of her upbringing in Britain, has kept secret from her traditional parents. She can go back and get married if she wants, Jay tells her. But if she goes with Deepesh, shell never stop running. (It might have been easier to pose this choice before the abduction and before Jay killed a man during the getaway but this is a movie that places pacing above sense.) The past and present are a terrifying blur in Transit, a brilliant allegory set in France that opens amid wailing police sirens. The solitary man in a cafe sipping espresso doesnt flinch. He is soon joined by a second man who gives him a name: Georg. Why are you still here, the second man asks, Paris is being sealed off. In urgent tones, they discuss visas, danger, money. Georg agrees to deliver two letters and then steps into streets filled with jackboots and terror, a world in which time seems to have folded in on itself. An existential thriller about loss, trauma, statelessness and historical amnesia, Transit is the latest from the German director Christian Petzold, an electrifying, original filmmaker. Petzold is likely best known in the United States for Barbara, a slow-burning drama about an East German doctor who, after a failed attempt to go to the West, decides to stay. In Barbara, to voluntarily remain in a totalitarian dictatorship is an ethical choice, a form of resistance. There are no valorous choices in Transit, where leaving is a high-stakes necessity for Georg and the desperate, panicked refugees around him. To stay is to die. To remain is also to exist in a time-space puzzle perhaps another dimension, or a Philip K. Dick-style dystopia in which German forces are flooding into present-day Paris. When Georg (a transfixing Franz Rogowski) leaves the cafe, the city he steps into looks familiar but different. He is meant to deliver the letters to a writer who turns out to have committed suicide, leaving behind a manual typewriter, a manuscript and a room washed in blood. He caused me more trouble than the occupation, a hotel worker grouses. Before long, Georg is dodging shock troops in a heart-thumping chase, and the conventional sense of historical time, with its reassuring sense of progress, has been undone. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] It has been more than 17 years since the World Trade Center collapsed in the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, and since 2011, a rededicated fund has compensated emergency personnel and others who responded to the scene and have since gotten sick, as well as the families of the deceased. But with medical claims on the rise, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund is running out of money: Already, more than $5 billion of the $7.375 billion it was allotted in 2015 to give away over five years has been spent. The funds special master announced in mid-February that it would be necessary to slash in half the payouts for those already waiting in line; new claimants could see payments cut by as much as 70 percent. The severe reductions have sparked a renewed push in Congress to press for more money to replenish the depleted fund resurrecting fears of another protracted battle with Senate Republicans, who nearly quashed the fund in 2011. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who was staggered by Amazons decision to pull out of its plans to come to New York City, is working intensely behind the scenes to lure the company back, even connecting with Jeff Bezos, Amazons founder, to make a personal pitch. The governor has had multiple phone conversations with Amazon executives, including Mr. Bezos, over the past two weeks, according to two people with knowledge of the efforts. In those calls, Mr. Cuomo said he would navigate the company through the byzantine governmental process. Mr. Cuomo did not offer a new location but rather guarantees of support for the project, one person said. Amazon executives gave no sense the company would reconsider. The governor on Friday confirmed his efforts during a radio interview, and suggested, without elaborating, that he told Amazon that there were other ways that the state can get it done that might bypass some of the deals more vocal opponents. You are here: Business Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba created about 40.82 million jobs last year via its expansive retail ecosystem, up 10.9 percent year on year, a recent report showed. The company's various e-commerce platforms, including Taobao and Tmall, provided about 15.58 million jobs for online retailers in 2018, according to a report from Renmin University of China. Apparel and textiles, daily necessities and home appliances were the top three retail items that offered the most jobs. Alibaba's booming online retail service also helped boost demand for professionals in upstream and downstream sectors like R&D, design, manufacturing and logistics, totaling about 25.24 million jobs. In a bid to help disadvantaged groups find jobs, the company provided training programs through its learning platform "Taobao University." Yang Weiguo, a professor with Renmin University who led the research, said e-commerce platforms including Alibaba have played an important role in stabilizing and boosting employment. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] The horseman of Central Park stopped on a grassy plateau to survey the terrain, from the North Meadow to his left, the Great Lawn ahead and Strawberry Fields due south. As cyclists and joggers plied the winding park drives, a nonstop stream of tourists approached the hard-to-miss horseman. They sought directions or a photograph of him and Trooper, his stately horse. The horsemans name is Detective John Reilly and for the past decade he and Trooper have had the rare distinction of being the New York Police Departments only mounted team dedicated to patrolling Central Park. When people ask me, How come you dont have a partner? I say, I do hes right here, he said, gesturing toward Trooper and the oversize police shield strapped to his broad chest. When Bob and Sally Silberberg opened the Clay Pot in Park Slope, Brooklyn, in 1969, Seventh Avenue was dotted with bars. Some had been there for decades, when the neighborhood was home to dock workers living in single-room occupancies. It was an unlikely location for a hippie pottery store. We had a teapot show, Mr. Silberberg, now 76, recently recalled. And this guy came in and stole an elephant teapot. My manager ran to the nearest bar, the Stack of Barley, and said, Someone just stole a teapot! The guys at the bar chased him down the block. The cops apprehended him and the teapot was held for evidence. A year and a half later, I went to Queens to get it, and the man at the desk shouted, Heres the guy for the elephant teapot! Park Slope has changed a great deal since the Stack of Barley days. Today nearly all of Seventh Avenues 1960s-era shops have been replaced by chains like Chipotle, and a distressing number of nail salons and real-estate brokers. A few weeks ago the Clay Pots owner, Tara Silberberg, the Silberbergs older daughter, announced that she was closing the Park Slope location to focus on online sales and a recently opened NoLIta branch. Since then customers have been coming in to the Slope store to weep. Four years ago, Lucy Dathan moved to New Canaan, Conn., where she enrolled her three children in public elementary school. They met new classmates. Their teachers were attentive. But something was amiss: Recess was limited to a 20-minute break after lunch, or about half the time as at their previous school, in California. Ms. Dathan said a shift in her childrens mood was palpable. They found it difficult to focus on homework. They were restless and sometimes cranky after school, which she attributed to pent-up energy. With so little time for schoolyard play, she worried they were losing the ability to navigate personal relationships. It was hard for them to adjust to only one recess, she said in an interview. So Ms. Dathan, who was elected to the Connecticut legislature in November, agreed to support a state bill that would require schools to provide at least 50 minutes of daily undirected play for students enrolled in preschool through fifth grade. I havent had one person ask, Why are you doing this? she said of parents, students and teachers who have contacted her. I think playtime fosters the creativity that we need to solve crazy world problems, like global warming, or other issues we need to face as a planet. Ms. Dathan is not alone in her observation. Last April, Arizona legislators passed a law that provided two daily recesses for the states elementary school students. Teachers have already seen encouraging results, reporting fewer disciplinary actions, enhanced test scores and improvement in childrens overall health. And just last week, youngsters from Arkansas, where a similar move is also being considered, sent letters to state legislators asking they be given a longer recess break. Outrage ensued. Then Governor Cuomo intervened, saying that paying more money for this transit service was a bad idea, humiliating the cash-strapped agency he said he did not control. Naturally, there was more outrage this time from people who said Mr. Cuomo does, indeed, control the agency. More wrangling occurred, but the need for a fare increase never went away. Yesterday, it arrived. The M.T.A.s board voted to increase the cost of weekly and monthly MetroCards, as well as most rides on the commuter rails, as well as tolls for its bridges and tunnels. [Read the full story about the fare increases.] The takeaway: Even with the $336 million that the fare increase is expected to bring, the M.T.A. needs more money. Thats where congestion pricing becomes a factor. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] ALBANY New York lawmakers on Thursday passed a bill to outlaw revenge porn, a practice that victims say can alter their lives as drastically as any other form of abuse, but from which there are few of the same protections. The bills passage was long awaited, and for many victims, long overdue. In an era of social media ubiquity and the permanence of the internet, revenge porn, the nonconsensual sharing of sexually explicit photos or videos, has emerged as an increasingly potent weapon. The images can follow victims for years, turning up when employers or romantic partners search for their names on the internet. Forty-one states have already outlawed revenge porn, as have Washington, D.C., New York City and several counties, including Nassau County. But in New York, victims told of years of helplessness. Prosecutors could not charge offenders for a practice that was not illegal, and judges turned down appeals for help on the grounds of free speech, even as other states moved to shore up protections. Edward C. Nixon, the youngest and last surviving brother of former President Richard M. Nixon and a faithful guardian of his White House legacy, died on Wednesday in Bothell, Wash., near Seattle. He was 88. His death, in a nursing home, was announced by the Richard Nixon Foundation. Mr. Nixon, a geologist and energy consultant by profession, was 17 years younger than his brother Richard. He worked on his brothers 1968 presidential campaign and was co-chairman of his re-election committee in 1972. Id have to say Dick was more than a brother, Mr. Nixon recalled in The Nixons: A Family Portrait (2009), which he wrote with Karen L. Olson. Because we never shared a boyhood, he assumed the role of assistant father and mentor. A few months after President Nixons inauguration in 1969, Edward was offered the chairmanship of the Federal Field Committee for Development Planning in Alaska by Commerce Secretary Maurice H. Stans. But he decided not to accept the post after questions were raised about nepotism and a possible conflict of interest. John ONeal, who co-founded a groundbreaking troupe that brought theater to black audiences in the South during the civil rights era, and who encouraged people to tell their own stories as well as listen to his, died on Feb. 14 at his home in New Orleans. He was 78. His daughter, Wendi Moore-ONeal, said the cause was vascular disease. Mr. ONeal was still in his early 20s in 1963 when he, Doris Derby and Gilbert Moses founded the Free Southern Theater, which presented free productions throughout the South. The troupe often performed in small towns to largely black audiences with little access to the theater. Some of its productions emphasized black themes and characters; in one of the troupes first shows, Ossie Daviss Purlie Victorious, about a black preacher, Mr. ONeal played the title character. But the company also performed works like Waiting for Godot. The idea, Mr. ONeal explained in a 1964 interview with The New York Times, wasnt merely to expose black audiences to theater; it was also to get them thinking about their own stories. The jolt to Labour seems to have galvanized the party to confront the seeping infiltration of anti-Semitism. Tom Watson, the deputy leader, has called on Corbyn to expel Labour members accused of anti-Semitism. Theyve tended to face mild reprimands, if that. John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, said thered been a lot of listening but not enough action. Jon Lansman, a founder of the Momentum organization that has supported Corbyn, now says there is a major problem with hard-core anti-Semitic opinion. Where have these guys been in recent years during what Pat McFadden, another Labour M.P., described to me as open season for the abuse of my Jewish colleagues? In a typical incident this week, a Labour M.P. who is a Corbyn ally, Chris Williamson, tried to express regret for saying the party had been too apologetic about anti-Semitism, only to claim in his apology that it is often forgotten how few cases of anti-Semitism there are. He has been suspended. Under Corbyn, actions have usually lagged words. The party decided in 2016 that Zio, an insult used by the Ku Klux Klan, was unacceptable. Its use persists as an abbreviation of Zionist, itself turned into a dirty word. I am very proud and very relaxed about the fact that I openly support the creation of the State of Israel and the right for the Jewish people to have a homeland, Berger said, noting that shes a Zionist but others have sought to hijack the word and we know what language can inspire and what actions it can result in. We do. This month, Yellow Vest protesters in Paris accosted Alain Finkielkraut, a leading French essayist and the son of an Auschwitz survivor. Their abuse included cries of Back to Tel Aviv and France belongs to us. A Jewish cemetery was desecrated. Anti-Semitic incidents rose 74 percent in France in 2018. The eternal Jewish ogre resurfaces a convenient scapegoat for economic resentments, precariousness, fear, frustration or Israels oppression of Palestinians. Corbyn, wittingly or not, has fed this poison, as his party is now realizing. He has made an irrefutable case for Israel through Labours abetting of revived European Jew hatred. The fundamental link between European anti-Semitism, annihilationist at its apogee, and the decision of Jews to embrace Zionism in the conviction that only a Jewish homeland could keep them safe is something contemporary European theorists of a demonic Israel prefer to forget. This amnesia is an additional reason that I, too, like Berger, am a proud Zionist. Over the next few weeks, the State of New York has perhaps its best opportunity in a half-century to pass important criminal justice reforms that would bring more fairness to the system. But the reform effort in Albany could still fall apart because of forces arrayed against it chief among them, prosecutors. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed reforms that would end cash bail, which needlessly sends poor people convicted of nothing to jail, and that would require prosecutors to share evidence with the defense early in a case, so defendants know what the state can prove as they weigh whether to choose a plea deal or a trial. Various legislators have offered their own reform bills. The last time New York lawmakers passed major procedural reforms to bail, discovery and speedy trial rules was the 1970s. The District Attorneys Association of the State of New York, which represents 62 elected county district attorneys, opposes the proposals. The groups president, David Soares, the district attorney in Albany County, says the reforms would impose additional costs on the courts an argument that can be made against any effort to strengthen due process, the bedrock of our judicial system. Mr. Soares also says some district attorney offices cant handle the additional work that would be required to turn over evidence early to the defense, even though early discovery is the rule, and runs smoothly, in many states. He blew up only when Ms. Tlaib said his use of Ms. Patton was a racist act: Just because a person has a person of color, a black person, working for them does not mean they arent racist, she said, referring to Mr. Trump. And it is insensitive, and some would even say the fact that someone would actually use a prop, a black woman, in this chamber, in this committee, is alone racist in itself, Ms. Tlaib concluded, meaning Mr. Meadows. Thats when Mr. Meadows lost it, insisting that Ms. Tlaibs comments about him be stricken from the record and whipping out the some of my best friends are black defense. You and I, he said to Representative Elijah Cummings, the Oversight Committee chairman, who is black, have a personal relationship that isnt based on color. He insisted that he couldnt be racist because he had nieces and nephews of color. It was a performance that hes clearly hoping will win him one of next years Oscars. He defended his record on race, so we should cast aside that time in 2012 when he embraced the racist birtherism theory to his supporters by saying that 2012 is the time were going to send Mr. Obama back home to Kenya or wherever it is. Mr. Meadows threw a fit during a hearing where Mr. Cohen claimed the president had said black people were too stupid to vote for him and had called African nations shithole countries. There was actual proof of Mr. Trumps racism on offer, and Mr. Meadows chose to flip out about an accusation instead. It appears that to him, accusations of racism are more dangerous than racist acts themselves. You are here: Business China Southern Airlines (China Southern) announced Wednesday that it had successfully completed its first intercontinental flight with aviation biofuel. The newly delivered Airbus A320neo single-aisle airplane was delivered from Toulouse in France to Guangzhou in southern China's Guangdong Province through ferry flight, using aviation fuel with 10 percent biofuel made from sugarcane, said China Southern. The Guangzhou-based air carrier has a fleet of about 840 airplanes, ranking the first in Asia and third worldwide. It is China's largest air carrier with the biggest passenger volume and air route network. To date, the company operates more than 3,000 flights to 224 destinations in more than 40 countries and regions. Pursuing green development, China Southern pays close attention to the global aviation biofuel research and commercial application, particularly the aviation biofuel-tech in China. The air carrier has been exploring ways to raise energy use efficiency by measures including introducing new engine models and optimizing the air route network. Its hard to say whats a bigger taboo in American politics: being a racist, or calling someone one. Sure, the Republican Party will occasionally try to distance itself from one of its more egregiously hateful members, like Representative Steve King of Iowa, who lost committee assignments after seeming to defend white nationalism. But mostly, right-wing politicians and their media allies pretend, to the point of farce, that the primary racial injustice in America involves white people unfairly accused of racism. This makes talking openly about the evident racism of our president harder than it should be. To see how this works in microcosm, consider the House Oversight Committee hearing at which Donald Trumps former consigliere Michael Cohen testified on Wednesday. Cohen said, in his opening statement, that, in addition to being a con man and a cheat, Trump is a racist. This should be clear to all people of good faith, given that Trump was a leading figure in the birther movement, defended white supremacist marchers in Charlottesville, and claimed he couldnt get a fair hearing from a judge of Mexican heritage, to mention just a few examples. [Listen to The Argument podcast every Thursday morning, with Ross Douthat, Michelle Goldberg and David Leonhardt.] Even before Michael Cohen appeared before the House Oversight Committee to begin testifying Wednesday, he delivered explosive new information. Several days before WikiLeaks published Democratic National Committee emails on July 22, 2016, Roger Stone called Donald Trump and on a speaker phone that permitted Mr. Cohen to hear told the presidential candidate that he had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange, who told him that within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clintons campaign. According to Mr. Cohen, the president expressed happiness about the prospect to the effect of Wouldnt that be great. The detail is remarkable not just because it undercuts the presidents claims that Mr. Stone never provided him such details. Its also a testament to how much critical information the special counsel, Robert Mueller, has kept hidden even in the most provocative of his speaking indictments. Even after months of investigation and voluminous indictments and sentencing memos, hes still hiding events that lie at the core of his investigative mandate events that involve the president directly. With virtually every charging document in the Russia investigation, Mr. Muellers team has provided far more detail than necessary and, in the process, sketched out the framework of what the investigators found. The description of the lies of a former campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos, disclosed that the campaign first learned Russians were planning to dump emails from Mrs. Clinton in April 2016, before the Democrats figured out they had been hacked. Even as Russians were dangling those emails, another filing from Mr. Mueller shows, other Russians were pitching a ridiculously lucrative real estate deal that depended on the involvement of President Vladimir Putin. Indeed, that same filing revealed that Mr. Cohen took steps to travel to St. Petersburg, possibly to meet with Mr. Putin, around the same time that Donald Trump Jr. met with Russians asking for sanctions relief. Mr. Muellers description of Michael Flynns lies explained how Mr. Flynn persuaded the Russians to hold off on any response to President Barack Obamas imposition of sanctions in retaliation for Russias election interference. Each of those documents nods to Mr. Trumps involvement. The document charging Mr. Papadopoulos, the foreign policy adviser, describes how he announced he was trying to set up a meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin. The Flynn document explains how his deputy, K.T. McFarland, closely orchestrated what Mr. Flynn would say in his calls with Russias ambassador at a time Ms. McFarland was reported to be at the presidents Mar-a-Lago resort. Mr. Cohens charging document even describes the president himself as Individual-1, the kind of language often used to describe co-conspirators. This article is part of David Leonhardts newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it each weekday. The Michael Cohen hearing wasnt pretty. It was often, as my colleague Michelle Cottle writes, a dreary spectacle. The behavior of many Republican House members who acted like public-relations flacks for President Trump was especially untoward. And Cohen is no hero. Yet the hearing was what the country needed. I hope we see many more such hearings in the coming months. In particular, I hope we see House Democrats use their majority to try to get at the truth of Trumps behavior. Hearings like yesterdays move us closer to understanding that truth. Having participated in nuclear negotiations with North Korea, I know what failure smells like. The truncated Hanoi summit, which concluded abruptly without an agreement between President Trump and Kim Jong-un, carried an awful stench. There were high expectations for this second meeting of American and North Korean leaders after the lack of progress on denuclearization commitments made at their first summit, in Singapore last summer. And yet, not only did Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim fail to offer more empty promises, they even dispensed with signing a joint statement, canceled their planned ceremonial lunch, and skipped the joint news conference. This outcome shouldnt necessarily be a surprise. Presidential summits are supposed to be painstakingly manufactured for success by working-level diplomats. This one wasnt. Mr. Trumps eagerness to have the top-level meeting early perhaps to draw headlines away from domestic turmoil contravened the advice of his best advisers to do the necessary work before putting the president in front of the North Korean leader again. The pre-summit speculation was that Pyongyang might turn over a few of its nuclear facilities for international inspection and offer a freeze on operations at others; in return the United States might consider the partial lifting of economic sanctions, the establishment of liaison offices as a first step to diplomatic normalization, and maybe even declare an official end to the Korean War. These are a lot of moving parts, which speaks to the fact that negotiating with North Korea is or at least involves rocket science. Mr. Trump, whatever he thinks of his deal-making skills, cannot simply wing it. For instance, in establishing that the two men who brought the case against the male-only draft registration had standing that they actually suffered harm from the fact that they had to register while women dont Judge Miller quoted a line from a 1984 Supreme Court decision, Heckler v. Mathews: Discrimination itself, by perpetuating archaic and stereotypic notions, can cause serious noneconomic injuries to those persons who are personally denied equal treatment solely because of their membership in a disfavored group. Heckler v. Mathews was not one of Ruth Ginsburgs cases; she was by that time a federal appeals court judge. But the case is in a direct Ginsburg line of descent. The phrase archaic and stereotypic notions comes from a 1982 opinion by Justice Sandra Day OConnor, Mississippi University for Women v. Hogan. One of Justice OConnors first opinions she had been on the Supreme Court for less than a year this important sex discrimination decision found unconstitutional the exclusion of men from a state-run nursing program. Any gender-based classification, Justice OConnor wrote, must be applied free of any fixed notions concerning the roles and abilities of males and females. For this proposition, Justice OConnor cited a 1973 Supreme Court decision, Frontiero v. Richardson. This decision, invalidating a military benefits programs built-in assumption that husbands could not be considered their wives dependents. The case was Ruth Ginsburgs first Supreme Court argument. I found much to admire in Judge Millers opinion, particularly the way he dealt with the governments request to delay any decision in order to give time for a federal commission to come up with a recommendation to Congress on what to do about draft registration. Judge Miller responded that Congress has been debating the subject for decades with no definite end in sight. He said that the courts time and effort is likely best spent on the case at this stage, rather than at some indefinite time in the future. I dont know what will happen next with draft registration. Its not true that women now have to register, as the lead plaintiff, the National Coalition for Men, proclaims on its website, Judge Miller did not issue an injunction or dictate a remedy. The remedy for an equal-protection violation is to correct the inequality, either by placing the burden on both classes in this instance, requiring women to register or by eliminating registration for everyone. Judges faced with such a choice try to figure out what Congress would have intended. The Supreme Court explained this approach most recently in an opinion two years ago by Justice Ginsburg in an immigration case concerning a statute that favored unwed mothers over unwed fathers in their ability to confer American citizenship on a child born overseas. The courts remedy for the constitutional violation it found was to achieve equality between parents by increasing the burden on mothers rather than reducing it for fathers. Of course, the Trump administration might decide to appeal in the draft registration case. An appeal would go to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, one of the most government-friendly of the federal appeals courts. Where the governments interest actually lies, though, is far from clear. The military has no appetite for reinstating a draft, which ended in 1973. Women now make up 16 percent of the enlisted forces and 18 percent of the officer corps. The culture wars have moved on to other targets. The courts might save Congress from itself. Its happened before. Still, its hardly out of the question that the issue would reach the Supreme Court. Id like to think that its an easy case by now, even for the most conservative justices. But even if it proves possible to get a good debate going, the argument would inevitably take place on Ruth Ginsburgs ground. Young women these days may tattoo her image on their biceps, and mothers may dress little girls in R.B.G. costumes for Halloween. But at the end of the day, as this case shows us, its the law that matters, the law that Ruth Ginsburg made and is making still. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania proposed popular election. If the people should elect, Morris said, they will never fail to prefer some man of distinguished character, or services; some man, if he might so speak, of continental reputation. Objections came from George Mason of Virginia, who thought the extent of the Country renders it impossible that the people can have the requisite capacity to judge of the respective pretensions of the Candidates and other Southern delegates who feared domination by the largest states. The most populous States by combining in favor of the same individual will be able to carry their points, said Charles Pinckney of South Carolina. Southern opposition came with obvious subtext. By population, South Carolina was the seventh largest of 13 states. Maryland was the sixth. North Carolina was the third. And Virginia was a colossus the largest state in the incipient union. But large minorities of their residents were enslaved. In Virginia, it was roughly 40 percent, giving the state a smaller voting population than its more populous neighbors to the north. Hugh Williamson of North Carolina made this point explicit in his objection: Because there wont always be distinguished characters with national recognition who could win a majority of votes, the people will be sure to vote for some man in their own State, and the largest State will be sure to succeed. But this will not be Virginia, since her slaves will have no suffrage. James Madison, another Virginian, actually favored popular election of the president but saw the writing on the wall. The right of suffrage was much more diffusive in the Northern than the Southern states, he said a few days later as discussion continued, and the latter could have no influence in the election on the score of the Negroes. Debate over executive election began in mid-July. It resumed in late August, and the framers settled on a solution in early September, less than two weeks before the convention would adjourn. Their compromise centered on an idea introduced at the start of the discussion: Instead of direct election or election by legislature, states would choose electors who would then elect the president and vice president from a group of candidates. To preserve an element of popular election, each state would receive electors equal to its congressional delegation, which would also account for states with large enslaved populations, since the convention had already reached agreement on how to count slaves for legislative apportionment. If no candidate received a majority, the election would go to Congress. The historian Jack Rakove notes how few of the framers expected the electors to do anything more than nominate candidates. They would winnow the field, and then elected representatives would actually choose the president. President Trump was right to walk away from his summit with Kim Jong-un rather than accept a bad nuclear agreement, but the outcome underscores that he was bamboozled last year at his first summit with Kim. Whatever genius Trump sees in the mirror, the art of the deal is not his thing. At this meeting, Kim apparently sought a full end to sanctions on North Korea in exchange for closing only some nuclear sites. That was not a good deal, and Trump was right to walk rather than accept it. Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, but we couldnt do that, Trump said, adding: Sometimes you have to walk. President Reagan famously marched out of a 1986 summit in Reykjavik, Iceland, rather than accept an arms control agreement with Russia that he regarded as flawed. A year later the Russians returned with better terms and a deal was made and we can all hope that something similar will happen this time. Yongbyon, which is used for making nuclear fuel and many other activities, is central to the countrys nuclear program, which includes 10 to 20 assembled warheads, fissile material for as many as 60 warheads and the missiles to deliver them. In a September 2018 declaration with South Korea, Mr. Kim said he was willing to permanently dismantle the complex if the United States takes unspecified corresponding measures. In advance of the Hanoi talks, there were reports that the administration might agree to more economic interaction between North Korea and South Korea, a declaration acknowledging the end of Korean War hostilities, expansion of people-to-people exchanges and liaison offices in each others capitals. But Mr. Trump has invested a lot in tightening sanctions on North Korea, his biggest leverage, and beyond Mr. Kims agreement to dismantling Yongbyon, Americans would want a full declaration of his countrys mostly hidden nuclear facilities, materials and weapons; dismantling of his nuclear stockpile and other nuclear facilities scattered around the country; and a verifiable halt of the production of ballistic missiles. The administration still insists North Korea must give up its entire nuclear program, even though the American intelligence community has said that will never happen. Even if complete denuclearization is elusive, persuading North Korea to sharply limit its program is vital for Asian stability. But that is best achieved through a step-by-step process by which both sides agree to take corresponding actions. So what happens now? It was a good sign that the president discussed the outcome in calm and measured tones. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who leads the negotiating effort, spoke of making real progress, without defining it, and expressed hope that the two sides will get back together in the days and weeks ahead and continue to work out whats a very complex problem. That suggests a willingness on the American side, at least, to continue working-level negotiations, which are the only way to achieve an agreement on complex issues. For that to have a chance, North Korea must concur and continue its 400-plus-day self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and ballistic missile testing. Mr. Trump said Mr. Kim planned to do that. Even if he does, the situation is far from stable, since the North continues to produce nuclear fuel and missiles. Using her statistical expertise, programming chops, an artistic flair and classic reporting skills, Ms. Cox has created or had a hand in some of the most innovative, thought-provoking and delightful projects The Times has leveraged data to produce. Among them are interactive charts that let users see a Democratic, Republican or nonpartisan view of jobs report data; election night coverage that includes a forecast of how the race will most likely go as votes come in something election-watching mortals have historically had to rely on live experts to interpret for them; and a first-of-its-kind polling project that published polling data in real time, helping demystify where such numbers come from. For Ms. Cox, working with data hands on, puzzling over the questions that it raises and the best and most creative way to present it, is fun. Its work she can lose time to, she said so engrossing that she can work for eight hours in a row and look up and its dark outside. (Thats not the case for the conceptual stuff, like theoretical proofs about when properties will hold, she said she realized after her first year of grad school. I respect the people who can do it, but like, I dont get excited about the epsilons.) Over the past decade or so, as The Times got serious about data visualization, Ms. Cox played a central role, Mr. Duenes said, continually imagining new ways to inform and delight readers of The Times with data. Shan Carter, a former colleague of Ms. Coxs on the graphics desk who now works for Google, drew a comparison between her and the kind of great writer who knows when to follow rules about grammar and when to bend them. When visualizing data, theres making a basic bar graph or line chart, and theres blowing people away with flashy design that may not actually help them learn. I feel like the best stuff we did threaded the needle between the two, he said. It was maybe a new form, it was something you hadnt seen before, but it made perfect sense in context. Ms. Cox thinks of it as finding the right way to present the specific data she is working with. She digitally sketches different versions of charts over and over before landing on the right one . Her work has drawn attention from the wider data visualization community as well. It has been cited in academic papers and used in classrooms. In 2013, she was asked to give the keynote address at the inaugural meeting of OpenVis, a conference that focuses on open-source data visualization tools and techniques and attracts people from a variety of fields. (She spoke there again in 2017 and 2018.) Lynn Cherny, a data scientist and a chairwoman of the conference, said Ms. Cox was always a hit. She brings a statistical rigor that some data visualization people dont have, and shes also interested in being creative in the visualization domain, she said. The Times has had something like a data editor at points in the past (Rich Meislin, for one, had various roles in a similar spirit during his nearly 40-year tenure at The Times, including the title editor of statistical news), but Ms. Cox is not stepping into anyone elses shoes. The Democrats fight Trump by lowering themselves to his level. But you cant fight Trump with Trump. He is the master of this, you will always lose this way. You need to find HARD, irrefutable evidence. And I have to give Trump credit on this one. He knows how to not leave such evidence. He knows his craft well. Christoph H., Vancouver Will anything change? Donald Trump once proclaimed that he could shoot somebody in broad daylight on Fifth Avenue and not lose any support. Since then, he has been given ample reason to believe he was right. His behavior and comportment as president have steadily deteriorated, his belief that he is bound by neither law nor constitution has been reinforced by his enablers in the Republican Party, and he has suffered not a single consequence for any of this. Now comes Michael Cohen, basically saying he was an eyewitness to the hypothetical shooting on Fifth Avenue. He has documents and firsthand experiences dealing with Trump, and hes laying it all out on the table. Is this enough? Did he actually witness the shooting, or did he just hear the gun go off? Is he credible as Trumps accuser when he admits that for 10 years he was his accomplice? We have developed a tolerance for Trump in the same way the Dread Pirate Roberts developed a tolerance for Iocane, a little bit at a time over a long period. If Michael Cohens opening statement is truly the beginning of his testimony, with more to come from Robert Mueller, then perhaps, at last, well be able to regain our political health and sanity by not having to continue sipping the poison that is the Trump presidency. Jim Castrone, Placitas, N.M. Will anything change? No past revelations about Mr. Trump have done anything to convince the Republican Party that they should distance themselves from this man. There have been no mass resignations from the administration. He himself has shown no remorse or shame. Mr. Trump will stay in office with the support of his party. They will support his re-election campaign. And he will continue to behave in the same manner. M.H., Minneapolis The purpose of these hearings isnt to change minds or solidify opinions, but rather to have a small amount of transparency for the people in the U.S., as over the course of these investigations, there hasnt been much whatsoever. This information needs to be heard so it doesnt get swept under the rug. Hannah Elise, Tennessee Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei on Wednesday unveiled its next generation data center interconnect (DCI) solution at MWC 2019 (formerly Mobile World Congress), which is being held until Thursday. The company explains that the solution aims to build an ultra-broadband, simplified and intelligent DCI network by leveraging a single-wavelength 600G network, optical cross-connect all-optical switching and Network Cloud Engine technologies. Huawei said it expects to lead "DCI networks into an ultra-broadband, simplified, and intelligent AI (artificial intelligence) era," and that "single-wavelength 600G will enable ultra high-speed cloud interconnection to activate the value of ultra-broadband connection." Chen Wenbo, vice president of Huawei Enterprise Transmission Product Line, explained that "Huawei attaches paramount importance to DCI in next-generation networks and continuously accelerates technological innovation." "We will work with customers and partners, such as cloud service providers, MTDCs (multi-tenant data centers) and IXPs (internet exchange points) to continuously build an ultra-broadband, non-blocking, and flexible DCI network," he said at the presentation. Winning big at MWC 2019 awards Wednesday's presentation came after Tuesday saw an excellent night for Huawei at the annual Glomo Awards (GSMA's Global Mobile Awards), presented at the annual MWC events. The company won five separate awards, including for Best Mobile Technology Breakthrough (awarded to companies with an annual global revenue exceeding 10 million U.S. dollars) for its 5G radio access network innovation. The Breakthrough was awarded to companies with an annual global revenue exceeding 10 million U.S. dollars. "It is a great honor for Huawei to win this award. How to improve the coverage at the early stage of 5G deployment is a common problem for the industry. To promote industry development, to improve consumer experience and to help carriers better deploy network and services is the driving force behind Huawei's continuous innovation in wireless technologies, especially 5G technologies," said Zhou Yuefeng, chief marketing officer for Huawei Wireless Solution, at the ceremony. Huawei and Swiss telecommunications company Sunrise jointly received the Best Mobile Operator Service for Consumers Award for their 5G fixed wireless access service, while the Gaoqing government and Huawei jointly won the award for Best Mobile Innovation for Smart Cities. Huawei also claimed the Best Mobile Innovation for Automotive Award for its C-V2X (cellular vehicle-to-everything) solution. The prestigious Judges Choice -- Best Smartphone Award went to the Huawei Mate 20 Pro. Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, an organization that represents taxi and ride-hail drivers, called the efforts by Lyft and Uber a slap in the face, especially since the companies are going to go public on the sweat of the drivers. The issue is galling to many drivers because the public offerings of Uber and Lyft are set to mint a new class of billionaires out of an elite group of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and investors. Uber is estimated to go public at a valuation of as much as $120 billion, and one of its founders, Travis Kalanick, has already become a billionaire by selling some of his company stock to private investors. Lyft, which is likely to unveil its initial public offering prospectus on Friday, was last valued in the private market at just over $15 billion. Drivers, who have long been at the heart of the ride-hailing business, have made attempts to change their status with Uber and Lyft so that they can be classified as full-time employees. Becoming full-time employees would also give them access to health care benefits and other perks. But the companies have successfully beaten back these efforts. In California, Uber and Lyft have fended off lawsuits that aimed to win employee status for drivers. In New York, Lyft recently sued to overturn new legislation that would give drivers a minimum hourly wage of about $17. Uber and Lyft declined to comment on drivers reception of the programs. The cash programs were earlier reported by The Wall Street Journal. Uber has tried to improve its relationship with drivers over the past 18 months, allowing them to accept tips for the first time starting in 2017. In October, Uber asked in a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission to be allowed to grant equity to drivers even though they are not employees. Uber did not hear back from the S.E.C., one of the people said. Ultimately, the cash programs would not give drivers the opportunity to earn money from stock in the same way that employees do, said Mary Russell, a lawyer and founder of Stock Option Counsel, a firm that consults with employees on stock compensation. It doesnt seem like a meaningful change to their compensation, in my view, she said. Its more a thank-you for the past and a one-time event. Our guide to plays and musicals coming to New York stages and a few last-chance picks of shows that are about to close. Our reviews of open shows are at nytimes.com/reviews/theater. Previews & Openings THE CAKE at City Center Stage I (in previews; opens on March 5). The playwright and television writer Bekah Brunstetter (American Gods, This Is Us) whisks up a play loosely inspired by bakers refusals to create cakes for gay weddings. For Manhattan Theater Club, Debra Jo Rupp portrays a woman with confectionary conflicts. Lynne Meadow directs. 212-581-1212, nycitycenter.org DADDY at Pershing Square Signature Center (in previews; opens on March 5). A production from the New Group and Vineyard Theater, Jeremy O. Harriss poolside play cannonballs into the Signature Center. Under Danya Taymors direction, Ronald Peet stars as a young black artist, with Charlayne Woodard as his mother and Alan Cumming as his lover and father figure. Theres a gospel choir, too. 212-279-4200, thenewgroup.org FLEABAG at SoHo Playhouse (in previews; opens on March 7). A very dark comedy about sexual liberation and emotional cataclysm, this Phoebe Waller-Bridge monologue, which birthed the Amazon series, arrives in New York. (Her other show, Killing Eve, did not begin onstage, though it would make a killer musical.) Under Vicky Joness direction, Waller-Bridge stars as a nameless woman negotiating identity and grief in contemporary London. fleabagnyc.com 6) 1 p.m. Daily bread Holy Food Market another deconsecrated church that now houses a bar and more than a dozen food counters provides your daily bread, as well as your daily sushi, curry, pizza and bacalhau. Japanese, Indian, Italian, Portuguese and other cuisines provide one-stop global roaming, while French and Belgian specialties are on offer at Bubba (including crunchy croquettes of Emmental cheese and local Ganda ham; 4 euros) and Sea Me (notably, classic moules frites; 9 euros). The stylish central bar even serves (and sells) the markets own house gin, distilled with Ghents famous Tierenteyn-Verlent mustard. 7) 3 p.m. Salmon and steel If youve ever fantasized about lounging in a bright red armchair made from corrugated cardboard while sporting a salmon-skin bikini, head to Design Museum Gent (adults, 8 euros), where those innovative objects (designed by Frank Gehry and Birgit Kraner, respectively) and hundreds of others are on view. Housed in an 18th-century townhouse, the museum uses period rooms of parquet floors, painted wallpaper and chandeliers for its temporary exhibitions, and more modern spaces for Object Stories, its permanent collection of (mostly) 20th-century design icons and iconoclasts. Classics like an Art Deco silver set by Philippe Woolfers, an S-shaped chair from Verner Panton, and a red plastic Olivetti typewriter by Ettore Sottsass shine alongside fabulously freaky items like Shiro Kuramatas steel mesh love seat and Kraners fishy fashions. 8) 5 p.m. Creative corridors With their street murals and independent designers, the narrow lanes of the medieval Patershol neighborhood showcase Ghents creative side. Highlights include huge black and white rabbits by the local artist ROA (along Tempelhof), and two adjacent buildings (in Sleepstraat) sporting multistory scenes both eerie and dreamlike by A Squid Called Sebastian and Violant. For local goods, the street whose name shifts from Sluizeken to Oudberg to Kraanlei turns up elaborate womens hats by Ria Dewilde (Sjapoo), minimalist leather handbags by Mayenne Nelen (Mayenne. Shop) and wild sculptural lighting made from musical instruments and cookware (Blue Poodle Gallery). Heres what else were following (We often link to sites that limit access for nonsubscribers. We appreciate your reading Times stories, but wed also encourage you to support local news if you can.) The Oakland school board canceled its meeting yesterday, citing safety concerns about teachers picketing outside. Tensions have been rising as educators strike and the board faces a decision about whether to cut from the districts budget. [The East Bay Times] Students in Los Angeles must navigate paths to school as gunshots sound in the air, past aggressive dogs and other dangers. Journalists walked with them for this interactive piece. [The Los Angeles Times] Conservative news media have complained that the U.C. Berkeley police were slow to investigate an assault on an organizer who was recruiting on campus when he was punched in the face. A week later, the police said they were preparing to apprehend a suspect, who was not a student. [The Washington Post] Protesters in Little Saigon called for President Trump to use his visit to Hanoi for a summit meeting with Kim Jong-un as an opportunity to push for human rights in Vietnam. [The Los Angeles Times] Newcomers from the Democratic Republic of Congo make up the biggest part of an 85 percent increase in refugees who were settled in San Diego County between October 2018 and January 2019. Sacramento County surpassed San Diego as the one receiving the most refugees. [The San Diego Union-Tribune] E-scooters are angering cities and injuring riders across the country. An investigation found 1,500 injuries but many hospitals dont track them. [Consumer Reports] The tour guide handed raw, prickly cotton to some young black students who were part of a group visiting the oldest operating governors mansion in the country, one that was built with slave labor. She asked them to imagine what it would be like to be a slave picking the crop. What made the request only more shocking, a mother of one of the children said, was who was asking it: Pam Northam, the wife of Ralph S. Northam, the embattled governor of Virginia, who is trying to repair his relationship with African-Americans after a scandal over a racist yearbook photo and an admission of wearing blackface. The students, aged 13 and 14, were on the tour last Thursday as part of a get-together for State Senate pages as the legislative session closes. The governors office said that Ms. Northam did not single out the black students, but handed the cotton to those nearest to her so that they could pass it around and everyone could feel the sharpness of the stems and leaves, and consider handling the rough materials all day, every day. It is part of her standard procedure, and she had done the same with white visitors. [For more coverage of race, sign up here to have our Race/Related newsletter delivered weekly to your inbox.] The country is 337 days away from the Iowa caucuses and 611 days from the general election for president. But thats not stopping Democrats from debating the politics of entering the race really, really early or just, well, plain old-fashioned early. A dozen candidates, half of whom are women, rushed into the contest in the first two months of 2019, creating the most diverse primary field in history. Now, the party is on the cusp of a second round of announcements: A wave of white men, most of whom have targeted March as their do-or-die moment. Amy and I have made a decision about how we can best serve our country, former Representative Beto ORourke of Texas aid in a brief statement on Wednesday. We are excited to share it with everyone soon. Michael R. Bloomberg gave himself a timeline of three more weeks to decide two and a half weeks ago. Good afternoon. On my orders, the United States military has begun strikes against Al Qaeda terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. That was the start of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. We need the freedom to operate on the ground and in the air. Its now Americas longest war. About 18 years. Yet few battles or notable events from Afghanistan have taken root in Americas collective memory. And that means fewer signposts to mark the long passage of time. But if we look at how long it took to reach seminal moments in other wars, it might bring Americas 17-year presence in Afghanistan into clear view. Well start with the Battle of Gettysburg. This bar represents the number of days the U.S. has been fighting in Afghanistan. The fighting at Gettysburg began 811 days into the Civil War. Many consider this the most important battle of the conflict. And it took place after half the war was fought. Now apply it to Afghanistan time. It would bring us to just Dec. 27, 2003. There were about 13,000 American troops in Afghanistan back then. That number would eventually peak at 100,000. In England, General Dwight D. Eisenhower and his deputy commanders chart the liberation of a lost continent. Then theres the Allied D-Day invasion at Normandy. One of the most iconic moments of World War II. The culmination of extensive planning in years of fighting in Northern Africa, Italy and elsewhere. That invasion began 913 days after America entered the war. In Afghanistan time, that brings us to just April 4, 2004. Hamid Karzai hadnt even been elected as president of Afghanistan yet. And when World War II neared its end with the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, that came after 1,339 days of battle. In Afghanistan time, that would reach to June 2005. Not even a quarter of the way through. Vietnam was Americas second-longest war. And the final pivotal moment was the fall of Saigon in April 1975. That occurred 3,706 days after U.S. Marines landed in Da Nang in 1965. And in a final comparison to Afghanistan time, that would bring us to Nov. 30, 2011. Osama bin Laden was killed about six months earlier. And President Obama had already announced plans to completely withdraw U.S. troops. He would later reverse that decision. The Obama and Trump administrations would unveil new strategies continuing the fight, which goes on to this day. WASHINGTON Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Thursday pitched a $5 billion federal tax credit that would fund scholarships to private schools and other educational programs, throwing her weight behind what will be a difficult legislative undertaking to fund the Trump administrations signature education initiative. Ms. DeVos will join Republican lawmakers in championing legislation that would allow states to opt into a program that provides individual and corporate donors dollar-for-dollar tax credits for contributing to scholarship programs that help families pay private-school tuition and other educational expenses. The federal program mirrors those already operating in more than a dozen states, like Arizona and Florida, where money flows to nonprofit organizations that fund private-school vouchers for low-income students. But the program would also allow states the flexibility to fund other programs, like apprenticeship, dual enrollment, after-school and remedial programs. In an announcement Thursday, Ms. DeVos called it a bold proposal that gives hundreds of thousands of students across the country the power to find the right fit for their education. The biggest winners will be Americas forgotten children, who will finally have choices previously available only for the rich, the powerful and the well-connected, she said. Vote no, just vote no, because the fact is a vote yes is to give leverage to the other side and surrender leverage on the floor of the House, Ms. Pelosi told reporters on Thursday. At a meeting of House Democrats before the vote, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York implored moderates to vote against the Republican-led motions and, in an implicit threat, added that she would make it clear to liberal activists which members supported the Republican measures, according to officials in the room. But some moderate freshmen, including Representative Xochitl Torres Small of New Mexico, stood up and explained how difficult the votes have been for them. House Republicans have sought to weaponize the procedural motion, using politically fraught measures to test the new Democrats resolve. The measures rarely hold the force of law, but a no vote even on a procedural motion could show up in a 30-second attack ad next year. Republicans succeeded in attaching a resolution condemning anti-Semitism and the boycott-Israel movement to a bill designed to halt American aid to Saudi Arabias war in Yemen after even Democratic leaders gave up on opposing it. All they want to do is feed red meat to their base, Representative Veronica Escobar, Democrat of Texas, said of House Republicans. Im hoping that colleagues of mine will see it that way and understand that these procedural motions even the best-worded procedural motion has not had the chance to go through the process of committee consideration. Amid concern that some Democrats will continue to break away on tough votes, some House leaders are weighing revising the rules to require Republicans to give them more notice on the content of procedural motions. Representative Joe Cunningham, Democrat of South Carolina, who has voted for Republican-backed motions, played down their importance on Thursday. The findings of the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, will significantly influence how they proceed, top House Democrats cautioned, but at the moment their preparations for battle are focused almost exclusively on unearthing new facts and challenging the Justice Department for access to the evidence that Mr. Mueller has gathered, not on meting out punishment. Democratic pollsters who once helped assemble guidance for talking about the importance of the special counsel investigation are developing new polling to help lawmakers reframe the debate on presidential wrongdoing around Mr. Muellers possible conclusion, to lay the groundwork for continued investigations and to push back against the attempts by the presidents allies to play down the significance of wrongdoing. It should be the last thing on members minds, Representative Mike Quigley, an Illinois Democrat who sits on the Intelligence Committee, said about impeachment. You have to be patient and you have to be practical. You dont stop a criminal investigation when you have enough. You stop when you have learned everything there is to be learned. The resistance to impeachment puts the leadership at odds with some rank-and-file Democratic lawmakers, liberal activists and a significant portion of Democratic voters who believe that sufficient evidence already exists to start the process of ousting the president. As House inquiries proceed, pressure will mount on Ms. Pelosi and other top Democrats to take action against Mr. Trump. There are only two questions left: How deep is the corruption and what do you want to do about it? said Tom Steyer, the California billionaire who has crusaded for Mr. Trumps impeachment and poured millions into organizing for town halls and national advertising to pressure Democratic lawmakers. The full scope of intelligence officials concerns about Mr. Kushner is not known. But the clearance had been held up in part over questions from the F.B.I. and the C.I.A. about his foreign and business contacts, including those related to Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Russia, according to multiple people familiar with the events. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Mr. Kushner was part of a group that met with a Russian lawyer who went to Trump Tower claiming to have political dirt on Hillary Clinton. And during the presidential transition, Mr. Kushner had a meeting with the Russian ambassador at the time, Sergey I. Kislyak, and the head of a Russian state-owned bank. When he applied for a security clearance, he did not reveal those meetings. He later made several amendments to that section of his application, known as an SF86. His aides at the time insisted he had omitted those meetings inadvertently. Mr. Kushner initially operated with a provisional clearance as his background check proceeded. In an entry to Mr. Kushners personnel file on Sept. 15, 2017, the head of the personnel security division, Carl Kline, wrote, Per conversation with WH Counsel the clearance was changed to interim Top Secret until we can confirm that the DOJ or someone else actually granted a final clearance. This action is out of an abundance of caution because the background investigation has not been completed. In a statement to The Times when Mr. Kushner received the clearance last year, Mr. Lowell said that his application was properly submitted, reviewed by numerous career officials and underwent the normal process. During a review of security clearances in February 2018 that was prompted by the controversy surrounding Rob Porter, then the White House staff secretary, who had been accused of domestic abuse, Mr. Kushners clearance was downgraded from interim top secret to secret, limiting his access to classified information. At the time, Mr. Kelly wrote a five-page memo, revoking temporary clearances that had been in place since June 1, 2017. That affected both Mr. Kushner and Ms. Trump, who told friends and advisers that they believed that Mr. Kelly and Mr. McGahn were targeting them for petty reasons instead of legitimate concerns flagged by officials. The gathering took place in late January at a cigar bar in Annapolis, the state capital. Several legislators who were there told Darryl Barnes, the chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, that Ms. Lisanti had used the slur, he said in an interview on Wednesday. The 57-member caucus is calling for her resignation, he added. Ms. Lisantis language was totally offensive, Mr. Barnes said, adding that it is just not doable for her to remain in office. Mr. Barnes praised the censure vote and said it had strengthened calls for her resignation from the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland and the Maryland Legislative Latino Caucus. Michael E. Busch, the Democratic speaker of the states House of Delegates, said in a statement on Tuesday that Ms. Lisanti had been stripped of her position as chairwoman of the Unemployment Insurance Subcommittee. After the censure vote, he said he also removed her from the House Economic Matters Committee. As speaker, I will not allow this House to be torn apart by hurtful and divisive slurs, he said in a statement Thursday night. I demand that every member treat each other with the respect and dignity that they deserve and treat the citizens of Maryland that way. Ms. Lisanti apologized earlier this week, saying that she was ashamed, would not repeat the word and had agreed to step down from her leadership position and participate in sensitivity training. [For more coverage of race, sign up here for the Race/Related newsletter.] When The Post initially questioned her about the episode, she said she did not recall using the slur. But she also said she was sure she had used it in the past. Im sure everyone has used it, she told The Post in an article published Monday. Ive used the F-word. I used the Lords name in vain. WASHINGTON President Trump and his top economic advisers have sent a series of conflicting messages about the status of trade talks with China: A deal is either imminent, still out of reach or somewhere in between. Or, as Mr. Trump suggested on Thursday, We are well on our way to doing something special with China or the United States could decide to walk from a deal. The Trump administration this week halted plans to raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports as the two countries try to agree on terms that would end a monthslong trade war between the worlds two largest economies. The move was seen as a good-will gesture by Mr. Trump, who is eager to reach an agreement and has begun talking about a signing meeting with President Xi Jinping of China, perhaps in late March, at the presidents Florida resort. I think were heading for a historic deal, Larry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council, said in an interview on CNBC on Thursday. The outlook for a deal is very positive. A federal judge has halted an effort to purge voter rolls in Texas, saying that the secretary of state there had created a mess in questioning the citizenship of nearly 100,000 voters, few of whom have been confirmed as ineligible to vote. David Whitley, the secretary of state, began a good faith effort last year to identify noncitizens on the voter rolls, according to the judge, Fred Biery, of the United States District Court in San Antonio. But what followed, the judge said, was plagued by missteps. Notwithstanding good intentions, the road to a solution was inherently paved with flawed results, meaning perfectly legal naturalized Americans were burdened with what the Court finds to be ham-handed and threatening correspondence from the state, Judge Biery said in a ruling on Wednesday. Despite alarms repeatedly raised by Republicans like Mr. Whitley, academic and government studies carried out over years have repeatedly found scant evidence of widespread voter fraud. Two attacks on Ebola treatment centers in the Democratic Republic of Congo have forced the international aid group Doctors Without Borders to close the facilities, it said on Thursday, warning that the outbreak was not under control. In the first attack, on Sunday night, unidentified assailants threw stones at a treatment center in Katwa, in northeastern Congo, and set fire to the structure. They destroyed much of the building, equipment and patient wards, and the brother of a patient died, though the circumstances were unclear. Doctors Without Borders said that its staff members were safe and that patients had been transferred to other facilities, but it called the attack a debilitating blow to efforts to contain the outbreak, which has killed 553 people so far. It is the second-worst Ebola epidemic in history, after the crisis that left 11,310 people dead in West Africa from 2014 through mid-2016. This attack has crippled our ability to respond to what is now the epicenter of the outbreak, Emmanuel Massart, the emergency coordinator for Doctors Without Borders in Katwa, said in a statement on Tuesday. DAKAR, Senegal President Macky Sall of Senegal looked set to win a second term in office, according to preliminary election results announced on Thursday, a victory that would come as no surprise after the leader used his power to make sure he faced little competition. In a strong performance, Mr. Sall appeared to have taken 58 percent of the vote, the West African nations electoral commission announced, five days after votes were cast on Sunday. The election runner-up, Idrissa Seck, joined three other opposition candidates in a joint statement that said they would not appeal the election results. We strongly and unreservedly reject this result, the statement said. We will not make any appeal to the Constitutional Council. It is clear that the incumbent has confiscated the will of the sovereign people and will be alone in assuming the consequences in front of the people and in the face of history. BUENOS AIRES A court in Argentina on Thursday convicted two former senior government officials for obstructing the investigation into the deadly 1994 terrorist attack against a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, the first time any top officials have been held criminally accountable in the case. The suicide bombing, the worst terrorist assault in the countrys history and one of the deadliest anti-Semitic attacks since World War II, left 85 people dead and more than 300 wounded. In all, the court sentenced eight people accused of a cover-up, among them a former federal judge and a former head of the intelligence services, but it acquitted five others, including the highest-profile defendant: former President Carlos Menem. KABUL, Afghanistan It was a rare sight, even after 18 years of progress in Afghanistan: more than 700 women from across the country, gathered to send an unequivocal message to the men now negotiating with the Taliban. We want peace, the women said, but not at the cost of our rights. The conference in Kabul, six months in the making, represented a watershed moment at a time when Afghans are struggling to comprehend what peace with the Taliban would bring, even as the war with the militant group is as deadly as ever. American diplomats are holding talks with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, but the Afghan government is not involved. Several women expressed fears that a peace deal could bring the Taliban back into the government, leaving women and girls vulnerable to a new wave of the sort of edicts that constrained their lives until the groups overthrow in 2001. Women were routinely beaten for violating Taliban codes. One woman at the conference, held inside an enormous tent-like structure, spoke sharply to President Ashraf Ghani shortly before he delivered a speech emphasizing his support for womens rights. HANOI, Vietnam It was an unlikely bromance that began last summer in Singapore. The relationship seemed ready to blossom even more this week in Vietnam until, suddenly, the date went sour. President Trump, who prides himself on his negotiating skills, began his second summit meeting with Kim Jong-un the North Korean dictator who is believed to have ordered the killings of both his own uncle and half brother with ardent wooing. I think very importantly, the relationship is, you know, just very strong, Mr. Trump said on Thursday morning as he sat with Mr. Kim before a phalanx of cameras at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital. And when you have a good relationship, a lot of good things happen. Mr. Kim, for his part, was equally gushing as he said that nearly all of the world was watching and was probably thinking that they are seeing a scene from a fantasy movie now that they are seeing us spending wonderful time together facing each other. HANOI, Vietnam The United States and North Korea offered conflicting accounts and traded blame on Thursday after a second summit meeting between President Trump and the Norths leader, Kim Jong-un, ended abruptly without any agreement on nuclear disarmament or easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Sometimes you have to walk, Mr. Trump said at an afternoon news conference in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. He said Mr. Kim had offered to dismantle the Norths most important nuclear facility if the United States lifted the harsh sanctions imposed on his nation but would not commit to do the same for other elements of its weapons program. That, Mr. Trump said, was a dealbreaker. It was about the sanctions, Mr. Trump said. Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, but we couldnt do that. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. With the official opening of several 5G sites, Tian'anmen Square has officially entered the 5G era, taking the lead in upgrading to become a 5G intelligent square, Beijing Youth Daily reported on Tuesday. China Unicom took the lead in realizing the full coverage of the square's 5G signal, and these 5G stations will also serve the China Media Group 5G and high-definition news coverage of the two sessions for the first time. The Beijing branch of China Unicom said the Tian'anmen Square is not only historically and politically significant, but also a venue for the country to hold major celebrations, grand gatherings and foreign affairs activities to welcome guests. Therefore, after the Central Economic Work Conference proposed to accelerate the pace of 5G commercialization, the Square area was selected by the Beijing branch of China Unicom. As per tests, the current uplink speed and the downlink speed can reach 200Mbps and 2.6gbps, respectively, fully meeting the transmission requirements of 5G and HD news report of the China Media Group. The opening of 5G stations also means the Tian'anmen Square will become a "5G smart square". According to the report, 5G networks not only have better signals and faster download speeds, but also have a far-reaching impact on large tourist attractions such as Tian'anmen Square and the Palace Museum. In addition to meeting the needs of high-speed internet access and mobile payment, 5G network can also support 4K HD video calling, ultra-high-definition (UHD) multi-channel video transmission and other services, so as to bring better experiences for the general public and tourists. The Beijing branch of China Unicom has jointly carried out 4K HD image transmission of some famous scenic spots in Beijing with the China Media Group. As a famous scenic spot in Beijing, the transmission work of Tian'anmen Square has been carried out through the 5G network. During the two sessions, the company will also meet the media's demand for 5G and HD coverage of the two sessions through the 5G network in the Square and "the ministerial corridor" the interview area in the Great Hall of the People. In the future, the Beijing branch of China Unicom will cooperate with relevant government departments to deploy smart applications such as HD video monitoring and inspection robots through the 5G network. HANOI, Vietnam Over the past quarter-century, three American presidents have tried cajoling, threatening and sabotaging North Korea in its efforts to build a nuclear arsenal. Eventually each turned to negotiations, convinced that an isolated, broken country would surely choose economic benefits for its starving populace over the bomb. President Trump was the fourth to test that proposition, but with a twist: Engaging in the sort of direct talks that his predecessors shunned, the president traveled 8,000 miles for his second summit meeting in less than a year with Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, betting that his self-described skills as a master negotiator would make all the difference. As it turned out, they didnt. The meeting in Vietnam ended in shambles on Thursday when Mr. Kim insisted on a full lifting of sanctions, according to Mr. Trump, and would not agree to dismantle enough of his nuclear program to satisfy American demands. The North Koreans later contradicted Mr. Trump, saying they had demanded only a partial lifting of sanctions, but they confirmed that they had offered to dismantle their main nuclear site, at Yongbyon. The split underscored the risk of leader-to-leader diplomacy: When it fails, there are few places to go, no higher-up to step in and cut a compromise that saves the deal. The family of Otto Warmbier, the American student who died in 2017 after being imprisoned in North Korea, spoke out on Friday about President Trumps refusal to blame Kim Jong-un for the death of their son, saying the North Korean leader was responsible. The statement was the first reaction from Mr. Warmbiers parents, Fred and Cindy Warmbier, to the presidents comments during a summit meeting with Mr. Kim in Vietnam this week that he would take him at his word that he did not know about Mr. Warmbiers treatment while in prison. We have been respectful during this summit process, the Warmbiers said. Now we must speak out. Kim and his evil regime are responsible for the death of our son Otto, they said. Kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity. No excuses or lavish praise can change that. Mr. Trumps remarks had set off anger and sympathy for the young mans family among political leaders in the United States on Thursday, as he abruptly wrapped up his meeting with Mr. Kim. A British climber whose mother was the first woman to reach the peak of Mount Everest in a solo climb has disappeared with his Italian counterpart while climbing Nanga Parbat in Pakistan, the ninth-highest mountain in the world. The last time the Briton, Tom Ballard, and the Italian, Daniele Nardi, were heard from was on Sunday morning, when they had reached about 6,300 meters, or more than 20,600 feet, Mr. Nardis team wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday. Every hypothesis and possibility is not overlooked, the post said. An aerial search-and-rescue operation for the two men was delayed after tensions between Pakistan and India flared into a military confrontation and Pakistani airspace was closed. But the Pakistani Army eventually sent a helicopter to the mens last-known location on a reconnaissance flight on Thursday. Rescuers found no trace of either climber, Mr. Nardis team said. A helicopter was expected to undertake a second reconnaissance flight later on Thursday. Mr. Ballard and Mr. Nardi are both experienced mountaineers. Mr. Ballard was dubbed King of the Alps by the British news media after he became the first person to climb the notoriously perilous six great north faces of Europes highest mountain range solo in a single season. OTTAWA If Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had any thought that a burgeoning political scandal could be quietly contained, that hope vanished on Thursday, as Canadians dissected the explosive testimony from his former justice minister before a parliamentary committee. I dont think Ive ever seen a minister strafe her own government like this, said Andrew MacDougall, who was the spokesman for Stephen Harper, the Conservative prime minister Mr. Trudeau replaced in 2015. It just reinforces peoples perception that all politicians are kind of bent. During nearly four hours of testimony before the House of Commons justice committee on Wednesday evening, the former minister, Jody Wilson-Raybould, repeatedly contradicted and undermined Mr. Trudeaus assertions that neither he nor his staff acted improperly in trying to settle a criminal case against SNC-Lavalin, a multinational construction and engineering company based in Montreal. [Latest update: Trudeau promised a fresh approach to politics. Now hes embroiled in scandal.] Ms. Wilson-Rayboulds description of 10 meetings, 10 conversations and a series of emails about the criminal case from senior government officials dominated social media and news coverage in Canada on Thursday, as Andrew Scheer, the Conservative opposition leader in Parliament, asked the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to open a criminal investigation of the matter. BERLIN When a debt collector came calling on a family in a northwestern German city about unpaid bills, including a dog tax, the official was looking to seize the familys most valuable asset. The collector considered other items, but finally settled on a prized female pug named Edda and seized the dog which the city then sold on eBay for 750 euros roughly $850. A city spokesman on Thursday called it a pragmatic solution to an outstanding debt. But the case has prompted outrage from animal rights activists and others in the city of Ahlen, raised questions about the cruelty of the seizure and spurred debate about whether any German laws had been broken. I didnt know what was more outrageous: the fact that they seized the dog or the fact that they put it on eBay, said Birgitt Thiesmann, an activist at Vier Pfoten, a German animal protection charity. PARIS A high-profile French jihadist and Islamic State propagandist, Fabien Clain, who is believed to have recorded the Islamic States claim of responsibility for the November 2015 attacks in Paris, was killed by an airstrike in southeastern Syria, the American-led coalition said on Thursday. A Coalition strike killed an active Daesh media official named Abu Anas al Faransi, also known as Fabien Clain, in Baghouz, the coalition said in a Twitter posting, using the Arabic name for the Islamic State. Baghouz, also spelled Baghuz, is a village in the last bit of territory in Syria still held by the militant group. It was unclear when Mr. Clain was killed, but he and his brother, Jean-Michel, were believed to have been targeted by an airstrike on Feb. 20. The defense minister of France, part of the coalition, called his death possible the next day. The fate of the brother remains unclear. JERUSALEM After an investigation of more than two years, Israels attorney general, Avichai Mandelblit, announced Thursday that he planned to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Mr. Netanyahu, who denies any wrongdoing and says he is being persecuted by Israels left, is entitled to a hearing before an indictment is formally issued. But if he fails to persuade Mr. Mandelblit to back down, he would become the first sitting prime minister in Israel to face criminal prosecution. michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. Today, Israels prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, faces indictments over an alleged scheme involving brazen acts of bribery and fraud. So why are so many Israelis ready to re-elect him? Its Wednesday, March 27. david halbfinger I think the only way people would vote for someone under indictment is if they cant live without him, if they think hes indispensable. michael barbaro David Halbfinger is the Jerusalem bureau chief for The Times. david halbfinger And if you really want to understand how Benjamin Netanyahu developed this idea that hes the indispensable Israeli leader, youve got to go all the way back to the early 1990s, when he first arrived on the scene. archived recording Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Arafat, chairman of the executive council of the Palestine Liberation Organization, his excellency Yitzhak Rabin, prime minister of Israel, the president of the United States. david halbfinger When the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians is getting going the first time, really, ever archived recording (bill clinton) Prime Minister Rabin, Chairman Arafat, Foreign Minister Peres david halbfinger There is this breakthrough moment of the Oslo Accords. archived recording (bill clinton) Today, we bear witness to an extraordinary act in one of historys defining dramas. david halbfinger And those accords, as we know, provided for Israel to begin to start pulling out from the occupied territories in Gaza and the West Bank, and the goal was this would eventually lead to a Palestinian state. michael barbaro Right. I remember watching this historic moment at the White House, and I think everyone who watched it and processed it in the days and weeks later thought this is truly a turning point in the history of the Middle East, Israel and the Palestinians. david halbfinger Thats right, but Netanyahu didnt see it that way. To him, Oslo was dangerous, a risk, a big mistake. archived recording The government has gone too far, too fast, and most people say, hold it. david halbfinger Its right at this time that Netanyahu emerges on the Israeli political scene, taking over the Likud party, warning against how unwise and foolhardy these Oslo Accords would prove for Israelis. archived recording [CHANTING] david halbfinger He gets into a really closely contested race in 1996. archived recording With just days to go before the Israeli elections, campaign fever is sweeping the country. Netanyahu, who is against Peress peace agreement with the Palestinians, is selling his own vision of a secure future for Israel. david halbfinger And archived recording It took a split second and 22 pounds of TNT to transform a packed commuter bus in rush-hour traffic into a pile of twisted metal and blood. The attack, the bloodiest in Israel in nearly 20 years, came just three months before an Israeli general election. david halbfinger There were suicide bombings by Palestinians that were leaving scores of Israelis dead. It was bloody. It was awful. archived recording 1 After the latest bombing Israels opposition leader urged Israelis to be restrained. archived recording 2 Dont give up. Theyre trying to break us, these terrorists. They wont break us. david halbfinger And he was the guy who had been warning against precisely this kind of thing. He goes to sleep one night thinking that he has lost the race, and he wakes up the next prime minister of Israel. archived recording 1 Benjamin Bibi Netanyahu, 46, thrice-married, father of three, right-wing politician and, now, Israeli prime minister. archived recording 2 This is the victory of the Jewish people. This is the victory of Israel. This is the victory of Jerusalem. And we say, hey, thank God! Thank God! michael barbaro And is it the view, David, that Netanyahu won precisely because of his skepticism about making peace with the Palestinians, that he was giving voice to something that maybe many Israelis privately agreed with? david halbfinger I think thats right. I think that as much as people want to embrace optimism and hope and did then, I think he figured out a way to tap into that visceral, you know, gut-level fear. I mean, violence does happen here. This is a very small country. Its the size of New Jersey, roughly, in area and in population, and its been fighting wars, you know, as long as its been around. And everybody here knows somebody who lost somebody. You know, every time one of those buses blew up in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, or a cafe exploded, everybody knows somebody who didnt survive. So with that kind of a populace, with that kind of an audience, Netanyahus message is very powerful. michael barbaro And what happens to the peace talks once Netanyahu is elected in 96? archived recording For four days, the world has wondered what will happen to the Mideast peace process now that the right wing is back in power. david halbfinger So he gets in, and having made these warnings, he now is the leader of the state of Israel, which depends very heavily on the United States, whose administration under Bill Clinton was very much interested in pursuing peace. So where does that leave Netanyahu? He basically slow-walks. archived recording (benjamin netanyahu) I can tell you that were negotiating earnestly, but I cannot at this time predict an end. I hope that the other side shows goodwill. We certainly have showed it. david halbfinger He resists. He slows things down. He expresses reservations. archived recording (benjamin netanyahu) I would be very careful. david halbfinger But ultimately, because Israel is so dependent on the United States at that point archived recording (benjamin netanyahu) Our position is to not only move on the peace process, but also improve the prosperity and economic conditions of the Palestinian population. david halbfinger He does get pressured into shaking Arafats hand, into striking a deal in Hebron. archived recording (benjamin netanyahu) And I believe that we can advance to achieve both goals for the benefit of both peoples. david halbfinger And ultimately, its those concessions, which inflame his own base, the right wing of Israel, against him. And when it comes time for him to get re-elected in 1999 archived recording I think that Barak will take the elections. Israel is disappointed with Netanyahu. david halbfinger A lot of them desert him, and he goes down. archived recording Bibi Netanyahu lost the elections, and his own coalition actually turned against him. david halbfinger Hes bounced out of office, and hes sent into the wilderness. It seems like it could be the end of his political life. michael barbaro So Netanyahu, having run on a campaign of skepticism about the peace process, is kind of strong-armed into engaging in it a small way and experiences a huge blowback that costs him politically. What is the lesson for him? david halbfinger Well, the lesson is you dont get anywhere by participating in a process you dont believe in. I think thats the lesson that he carries with him to this day. michael barbaro So what happens next? archived recording (bill clinton) The objective now is to put the peace process back on all its tracks. david halbfinger Israel tries again for peace talks under President Clinton, with Ehud Barak. archived recording (ehud barak) A strong Israeli-American relationship must be the cornerstone on which to build a peaceful Middle East. Mr. President, the road ahead may be long and arduous, but together with our peace partners, we can and will make it happen. david halbfinger Theres this historic deal on the table in 2000, but the talks collapse. archived recording We have received five casualties so far. One of the casualties is a young girl who has suffered multiple burns. She is now on a mechanical ventilator and is undergoing extensive tests. We have one patient with hand burns, and we have three other patients who have been only lightly injured. david halbfinger And later that year, the Palestinians resume their terror attacks against Israel. archived recording A car bomb went off in a narrow, lightly-traveled side street in a working-class area of West Jerusalem. david halbfinger The Second Intifada begins. archived recording More deaths and suffering on Jerusalems streets, inevitably more fear and hatred. Bodies were carried out on stretchers and in black plastic bags. david halbfinger And thats really three years of carnage inside Israel. archived recording 1 The explosion ripped through the crowded bus, throwing bodies and wreckage across the road. archived recording 2 The bombing was probably carried out as yet another act in the violent tit-for-tat killings that have overwhelmed peoples lives here for so long. david halbfinger This is what led the Israelis ultimately to build the barrier wall separating Israel from much of the West Bank. All this time, Netanyahu is watching, sort of once again seeing his philosophy, his beliefs about the Palestinians and the prospects for peace essentially being vindicated. archived recording (benjamin netanyahu) When I left office, I had time to kill. So I went around the world, and I saw what everybody was doing. And when I was offered this opportunity, I said, O.K. david halbfinger So he returns to the scene as the finance minister. archived recording (benjamin netanyahu) But I need to run the economic cabinet because that gives me the ability to actually make the decisions. david halbfinger You know, its a kind of a thankless job, youd think. This is the guy who has to raise taxes. But actually, Netanyahu comes into the finance ministry. archived recording (benjamin netanyahu) We cut spending. david halbfinger He cuts taxes. archived recording (benjamin netanyahu) Cut welfare. david halbfinger He cuts the bloated bureaucracy. archived recording (benjamin netanyahu) Took over the pension funds of the unions which were in actual bankruptcy. david halbfinger He privatizes industries. archived recording (benjamin netanyahu) Raised the retirement age for men and women. david halbfinger And he really lays the groundwork for what would be widely praised across the spectrum here as an economic miracle for Israel. archived recording (benjamin netanyahu) The economy last quarter grew 5.5 percent. Stock market has more than doubled. Its grown 100 percent in 12 months. And money is flowing in, and investment is coming in. Israel is a very, very good deal. david halbfinger He develops this new kind of gravitas and regains the leadership of the right-wing party, Likud. archived recording At this ceremony Wednesday, Benjamin Netanyahu took over as prime minister of the Middle Eastern nation. david halbfinger And in 2009, hes able to win the job, and he was the next prime minister. michael barbaro And David, what does Netanyahu do once hes back in power as prime minister? I have to imagine that given his vindication from the 90s with the peace process and once again in the mid-2000s, hes kind of hardened in this unwillingness to engage in negotiations with the Palestinians. david halbfinger Yeah. I mean, its in this time when he really kind of masters the art of his form of politics. archived recording (benjamin netanyahu) You see, at stake is not merely the future of my country. At stake is the future of the world. And nothing could imperil our common future more than the arming of Iran with nuclear weapons. david halbfinger Hes got this incredible ability to stir the fears of Israelis, their basic existential fears. archived recording (benjamin netanyahu) To understand what the world would be like with a nuclear-armed Iran, just imagine the world with a nuclear armed Al Qaeda. david halbfinger He is masterly in his management of the Israeli economy. archived recording Israel is the fastest-growing, one of the most dynamic entrepreneurial and innovation-based economies on the planet. david halbfinger And he starts getting re-elected again and again with relative ease. archived recording And its election day in Israel, and it appears prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will get another term in office. david halbfinger And its also in this period that Netanyahu really cements the idea that he is truly indispensable to Israel. archived recording (benjamin netanyahu) My friends, I have come here today because as prime minister of Israel, I feel a profound obligation to speak to you about an issue that could well threaten the survival of my country and the future of my people. david halbfinger He picks a fight with the Obama administration over the Iran nuclear deal. archived recording (benjamin netanyahu) It doesnt block Irans path to the bomb. It paves Irans path to the bomb. So why would anyone make this deal? david halbfinger He goes so far as to go to Congress and to challenge Obama publicly. archived recording (benjamin netanyahu) Weve been told that no deal is better than a bad deal. Well, this is a bad deal. Its a very bad deal. Were better off without it. david halbfinger And ultimately, what happens he wins. You know, Obama leaves office. archived recording (donald trump) My number one priority is to dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran. david halbfinger Trump comes in. Trump basically echoes everything that Netanyahu has been saying. archived recording (donald trump) In just a short period of time, the worlds leading state sponsor of terror will be on the cusp of acquiring the worlds most dangerous weapons. david halbfinger And lo and behold archived recording (donald trump) Therefore, I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. david halbfinger The United States exit from the nuclear deal. And in 2016, Donald Trump promised at his convention speech archived recording (donald trump) I alone can fix it. david halbfinger Only I can fix it. A year later, Netanyahu can say to Israelis, only I could have pulled this off. Only I could have stood up to an American president on his signature issue and been vindicated, you know, because I know the Americans so well. They get me. Only I could have done it. And there he is again, the indispensable man. michael barbaro And when Netanyahu says that, it feels true, right? david halbfinger Yeah, and I have to say yes. Earlier this year, Netanyahu put these giant billboards up for his campaign showing him alongside Trump. You know, theyre like six or eight stories high, each of them. And I think when many Israelis think about what he accomplished, pushing back against the Iran deal I think, you know, he is that large in their minds. No prime minister could have done that except Bibi. archived recording 1 Israels prime minister, Benjamin Bibi Netanyahu. Hes held the post for nine years, but now his political future seems, at best, uncertain. archived recording 2 Investigators say there is now sufficient evidence to charge Netanyahu for bribery, fraud and breach of public trust. archived recording 3 The next step now will be for the attorney general here to either reject or accept the police recommendation calling for an indictment. archived recording 4 Huge breaking news out of Israel. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to be indicted. michael barbaro David, all of this sounds like the story of a prime minister who is experiencing tremendous success and who is delivering very well on this message of indispensability thats at the center of his political life. So what exactly goes wrong? david halbfinger I think, in hindsight, somewhere along the way as hes growing in stature really fast and really big in the eyes of his people, in the eyes of the rest of the world, you know, he starts to believe exactly how indispensable he is trying to convince Israelis he is. He starts to really identify himself with Israel, and thats not just taking personally what happens to Israel. Thats thinking that, you know, whats good for you is good for the country, and there is an arrogance to that as well. archived recording For six weeks now, Israelis have been demonstrating against the prime minister crime minister, as theyve affectionately nicknamed him. david halbfinger You know, theres two things that start to get him into trouble, according to what weve been learning in the recent months. For one thing, he develops a taste for the trappings of power. Theres the sense that he and members of his family they feel that somebody who is as exalted a leader on the world stage should be treated accordingly. Theres a steady stream of gifts that hes accused of accepting from billionaires and Hollywood moguls who hes friends with and so on. archived recording Luxurious champagne for the lady and fine cigars for the gentleman. david halbfinger You know, theres jewelry arriving in the prime ministers residence for his wife. Theres tens of thousands of dollars worth of cigars. Theres champagne. And then archived recording Case number two Netanyahu reportedly struck a deal with a major newspaper where, in return for more favorable coverage, he would weaken a rival newspaper. david halbfinger The second thing is, if youre the indispensable man, but you see impediments to your continuing to lead, and those impediments might be in the form of a critical, fractious news media, well, how do you get around that? Maybe you want to bend the news media to your will, and youll look for ways to do that. michael barbaro How did that work, exactly? david halbfinger So there are just countless examples of this, but one that really stands out for me goes back to Election Day, the last time, in 2015. He put up a video on Election Day itself archived recording (benjamin netanyahu) [SPEAKING HEBREW] david halbfinger where he speaks to camera and says, youve got to come out. archived recording (benjamin netanyahu) [SPEAKING HEBREW] david halbfinger The Arabs are being bussed to the polls in droves. You know, theyre not allowed to advertise in the last number of days of an Israeli election, but Walla News, this news website over which Netanyahu is wielding enormous influence and control, Walla News is prevailed upon to run this Facebook video on its home page prominently all day long. michael barbaro Wow. david halbfinger And who knows how many people saw that and got right out and voted. michael barbaro So no other candidate can advertise at this point, but this video kind of serves as a kind of advertisement for Netanyahu through a media organization that hes got this, essentially, bribery arrangement with. david halbfinger Thats right. Thats the allegation. michael barbaro And what do we know about how this was coordinated by Netanyahu or people around him? david halbfinger So, much of this has been reported because the prosecutors have turned state witnesses out of some of Netanyahus closest aides his media adviser, his deputy in the communications ministry, the guy who is running him back and forth, allegedly, between the family and the newsrooms. You know, there are conversations where the prime ministers wiretapped talking to some of these guys. Theres just apparently a massive trove of evidence that were not going to see until after the election, but I think from the way its been reported up till now, its going to be pretty damning. michael barbaro David, how do you think about these two things existing side by side, these extremely damning allegations of corruption, bribery, fraud, and an Israeli electorate that may very well still be poised to re-elect the man who allegedly committed those acts? david halbfinger So I think that Israelis are just having a very difficult time imagining the next thing. Netanyahus been in office for 10 years. Hes done really well by the average Israeli. And Netanyahu himself has become this huge, towering figure. I mean, there is nobody else on the scene. You know, the man challenging him, this former army chief hes got lots of stature. Hes very tall. But Netanyahus image just dwarfs the guy. And so for Israelis, I mean, they take these charges seriously. But it is very, very hard for them to think about anybody else in that job. And that, really, for many people, I think, when they go into the ballot box, its going to be hard for them to get past that, that idea. Up against Netanyahu is this new party. Its led by a bunch of generals who are promising Israeli voters that they know how to keep them safe, that their security is in good hands. But Netanyahu is telling people, you know, I know you. I know your fears. Trust your fears, and you can only trust me to keep you safe. michael barbaro And it seems to be working. david halbfinger Its worked for him so many times, and it just might one more. michael barbaro David, thank you very much. david halbfinger Michael, its great to be with you. michael barbaro Polling shows that the Israeli election scheduled for April 9 remains extremely close. In the days leading up to the election, Netanyahu has received political assistance from President Trump, who broke with decades of U.S. foreign policy by recognizing Israels authority over the Golan Heights, long a source of international controversy, during a ceremony at the White House this week. If Netanyahu is re-elected, he could become Israels first sitting prime minister to face criminal prosecution. Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. In an unexpected move, the Trump administration is waging a new attack on the Affordable Care Act, telling a federal court that it now believes the entire law should be invalidated. In the past, the administration has asked courts to strike down individual elements of the A.C.A., but to leave the rest of the law in place. archived recording (nancy pelosi) Last night, in federal court, the Justice Department of the Trump administration youd think theyd have more to do decided not only to try to destroy protections for pre-existing conditions, but to tear down every last benefit and protection the A.C.A. affords. michael barbaro The timing could benefit Democrats, who were already planning to campaign for the presidency on a message of saving the A.C.A., and it could hurt Republicans, who fear the decision may anger constituents who have come to rely on the A.C.A. If the court agrees with the administrations request, millions of Americans could lose their health insurance, a possibility that House speaker Nancy Pelosi was quick to highlight. archived recording (nancy pelosi) And the Department of Justice becomes the Department of Injustice when it wants to tear down health care benefits. michael barbaro You are here: Business A worker is seen at a workshop of a spinning factory in Xingtai City, north China's Hebei Province, Dec. 20, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua] China's manufacturing sector expanded at a slower pace in February, official data showed Thursday. The country's manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) came in at 49.2 in February, narrowing from 49.5 in January, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below reflects contraction. NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe attributed the monthly decline in the manufacturing PMI to seasonal factors including production halts around the Chinese Lunar New Year. The sub-index for production, a major factor used in calculating PMI, edged down 1.4 percentage points to 49.5 in February. While the production temporarily weakened, market demand has displayed growing momentum with the sub-index for new orders rising to 50.6, an indication of expansion. NBS data also pointed to the upbeat mood among enterprises, with a four-month high reading of the production and operation expectations index of 56.2, a marked rise of 3.7 percentage points from January. You are here: Business Chinese e-commerce giant Suning.com Thursday announced that the company registered a net profit increase of 216.2 percent in 2018 thanks to soaring online consumption. The net profits attributable to its shareholders totalled 13.3 billion yuan (about 2 billion U.S. dollars), the Nanjing-based company said in its preliminary financial results for 2018 filed to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. The company's revenues rose 30.5 percent to 245.3 billion yuan, it said. Suning.com's boasted 407 million online users by the end of 2018. The company said its orders by mobile phone accounted for 94.9 percent of its total online orders. In addition, the company has opened 8,881 stores by end of 2018 and aims to tap the markets in China's third- and fourth-tier cities as well as the neiborhood markets in 2019. Shares of Suning.com rose 0.65 percent by 10:50 a.m. Thursday in Shenzhen. A Chinese mainland spokesperson Wednesday denounced the practices by some politicians in Taiwan to instigate hostility between the mainland and Taiwan to build up cross-Strait tensions for their own election interests. An Fengshan, a spokesperson with the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, criticized recent provocative statements made by some "big shots" on the island. "They are grifting for their own pathetic election interests, periling the cross-Strait peace and the welfare of Taiwan compatriots," An said. The spokesperson said the mainland is always firm in maintaining and promoting the welfare of Taiwan compatriots and helping them achieve greater and better development, while the Democratic Progressive Party authority is doing exactly the opposite. "We resolutely oppose and deter 'Taiwan independence' forces, in a bid to safeguard the common interests of all Chinese people, including the 23 million Taiwan compatriots," he said, noting that "Taiwan independence" is the biggest threat to cross-Strait peace and stability and the biggest detriment to the interests of the people on both sides of the Strait. Slide 1 of 19, Ruth Adler, the longtime editor of the internal newsletter Times Talk, got her first job at The Times in 1934, after impersonating a secretary. By the time she retired from the paper 46 years later, she had become known as a living encyclopedia of its recent history, in part thanks to her book A Day in the Life of The New York Times. It chronicled Feb. 28, 1969, a date chosen at random. He said that there are "material differences" between the Australian and New Zealand markets, and the operations need to be run locally. He also praised Church for her role in establishing Resimacs New Zealand presence, saying that her departure will be a loss to the business and that she was "a great operator". McWilliam said Church set up a strong team around her, and that her departure has created opportunities for the business. He says the role of non-banks has significant opportunity within the New Zealand market, as main bank lending criteria remains stringent and inaccessible for many potential homebuyers. McWilliam says he is confident that Resimac can continue to grow its book in New Zealand. McWilliam attended a session with some of Resimac's top writers while he was in New Zealand, and said that this gave him further confidence the business can grow within this market. Authorities in northeast China's Liaoning Province have unveiled an academy dedicated to Lei Feng, a soldier renowned in China for his generosity and altruism. The Lei Feng Academy, unveiled Wednesday at the Lei Feng Memorial in Fushun City, will combine cultural resources about Lei Feng to create a variety of courses to spread the "Lei Feng spirit." The academy covers an area of more than 12 hectares, and construction is currently under way. "Fushun has many resources related to Lei Feng, who served in the army in Fushun before he died," said Xiao Yu, an official with the local publicity department. "Over the past 60 years, art work and research about Lei Feng have developed very well here, which will contribute to the education content in the academy." Xiao said that the establishment of the academy would play an important part in spreading communist culture, and the academy would serve as an important base for practicing core socialist values. Liaoning will roll out a variety of projects to pass on the Lei Feng spirit, including developing multi-media products and holding international seminars. As a male calf born on a small cattle farm in France, Aston was originally destined to be slaughtered for meat, but after forming a bond with a horse trainer he became a showjumping bull instead. Five years ago, Sabine Rouas, a horse trainer from Strasbourg, France, had just lost a horse that she had spent 20 years of her life with and felt that she couldnt get attached to a horse anymore. Instead, she became interested in a family of cows living on a nearby organic milk farm. One of the cows she spent time with was pregnant at the time, and Sabine believes that the calf may have gotten used to her voice while still in its mothers womb, because soon after it was born, it started following her around whenever she came by. Unfortunately, the farmer wasnt interested in keeping a bull on a milk farm, so he planned to have the calf, named M309 at the time, slaughtered at only three months. But Sabine wasnt going to let that happen. Photo: Aston Le Taureau/Facebook The horse trainer had to fight with the farmer to keep him from selling the male calf to the slaughterhouse, and when he turned one year old, she adopted both him and his mother and relocated them to her own stables. At around the same time, Rouas took in Sammy, a pony, and started training him as a showjumping horse. The calf, who she renamed Aston, spent most of his time with Sammy, and the two became really close. But one thing Sabine wasnt expecting was for the bovine to pay close attention to her training routine with the pony and actually pick up some of the tricks. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aston le Taureau (@astontaureau) on Nov 11, 2018 at 5:45am PST I was teaching Sammy some basic tricks, and Aston was taking notice, Sabine told SWNS. I tried to teach tricks to Aston. It wasnt riding him then, but tricks like following my voice, and walking him. Thats when I had the idea of trying to ride him when he was bigger. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aston le Taureau (@astontaureau) on Mar 15, 2018 at 12:41pm PDT Getting a 1.3-tonne bull used to being ridden was a bit complicated, but Aston was quite receptive and Sabine was very patient with him. She started by getting him used to a thin rope around his breast and a thin blanket on his back, and then used an elastic around his thick neck. It took a year for Aston to really become comfortable with Sabine on his back, but he has since picked up some showjumping tricks as well. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aston le Taureau (@astontaureau) on Oct 17, 2018 at 3:15am PDT Aston and Sabine started performing at local fares about three years ago, and news of the massive showjumping bull spread like wildfire. Today, the pair travel to showjumping and dressage exhibitions all around Europe, and even though Aston sometimes gets a bit nervous, because he doesnt like being away from Sammy the pony for too long, Sabine says hes very happy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aston le Taureau (@astontaureau) on Feb 16, 2019 at 10:46pm PST Hes very proud when he feels that hes made me happy, Rouas told Storytrender. Although he still has a lot to learn, Aston has already mastered dressage tricks like trotting, galloping, stopping, going backwards and turning around on command, and despite his massive frame, he can leap over 1-meter-high obstacles with Sabine on his back. Apart from the fans cheering for him at showjumping events, Aston also has an impressive online following, with over 11,000 Facebook fans and 3,400 followers on Instagram. I have a feeling Aston would get along great with Lilac, the showjumping cow we wrote about a couple of years ago. Romanie-Jade Tulloch, a 20-year-old self-taught makeup artist from Nottingham, in the UK, combines her love of makeup and art to create mind-blowing optical illusions on her face. Romanie has always been into makeup, but she only started focusing on it two years ago, in the hopes of becoming a freelance makeup artist. She never studied professional makeup, preferring instead to hone her skills by watching online tutorials and experimenting with various cosmetics. Having studied fine arts for two years in college, she naturally drifted from conventional makeup to painting artistic optical illusions on her face and posting her best work on Instagram. Before she knew it, she had hundreds of thousands of followers on the popular social network. Photo: @cakefacerj/Instagram I didnt study makeup, but I was home educated by my mum, and then I studied for a fine art extended diploma at NCN college, Romanie-Jade Tulloch told English newspaper Metro, last year. I feel like these things really helped me focus on growing my art and different techniques, which funnily enough still helps me when Im doing my makeup illusions. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Romanie-Jade Tulloch (@cakefacerj) on Feb 21, 2019 at 12:10pm PST The self-taught artist mostly relies on small paintbrushes and professional makeup products you can find in pretty much any cosmetics store, and spends between three and five hours on a single artwork. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Romanie-Jade Tulloch (@cakefacerj) on Jan 8, 2019 at 12:58pm PST Romanies impressive makeup art has blown up on Instagram, and in less than two years, she has amassed a following of over 300,000 people. She also posts makeup tutorials on her YouTube channel. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Romanie-Jade Tulloch (@cakefacerj) on Sep 18, 2018 at 9:06am PDT Romanie-Jade Tulloch is just one of the expert makeup artist who use Instagram to share their mind-blowing optical illusions with the world. In the past, weve featured many other such talented individuals, like Mimi Choi, Luca Luce, Dain Yoon or Monika Falcik. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Romanie-Jade Tulloch (@cakefacerj) on Sep 14, 2018 at 10:01am PDT View this post on Instagram A post shared by Romanie-Jade Tulloch (@cakefacerj) on Aug 24, 2018 at 8:57am PDT View this post on Instagram A post shared by Romanie-Jade Tulloch (@cakefacerj) on Aug 21, 2018 at 10:01am PDT View this post on Instagram A post shared by Romanie-Jade Tulloch (@cakefacerj) on Jun 7, 2018 at 9:00am PDT View this post on Instagram A post shared by Romanie-Jade Tulloch (@cakefacerj) on May 25, 2018 at 11:08am PDT View this post on Instagram A post shared by Romanie-Jade Tulloch (@cakefacerj) on May 15, 2018 at 10:48am PDT Dave Oxner Dave Oxner, who heads government relations at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Assn., will join Washington PA firm Cogent Strategies on March 18. At SIFMA since 2012, Oxner led advocacy on behalf of its more than 300 representatives of the banking, broker-dealer, asset manager and insurance businesses. Earlier, he spent a decade on Capitol Hill as senior policy advisor to Republican Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas, and as staffer on the House Financial Services Committee dealing with key measures such as the Dodd-Frank Act and Troubled Asset Relief Program. Cogent CEO Kimberley Fritts, who previously helmed the imploded Podesta Group, said Oxners unique understanding of banking, tax, cybersecurity and business issues" will prove to be invaluable to her firms clients. Joe Hulihan Finn Partners has named Joe Hulihan, MD, who had headed Johnson & Johnsons Janssen Neuroscience medical affairs team, as its medical advisor.. The 15-year J&J veteran handled drug development and post-approval medical support for numerous therapeutic areas. At Finn, he will provide day-to-day guidance to ensure content is medically sound, compliant with regulatory requirements and valuable to patients. Hulihan also will provide staff training and insights into disease education, product/scientific communications strategies, clinical research programs and medical expert engagement. Science is a foundational element of health marketing communication, permitting us to express brand value and build anticipation in the marketplace, Gil Bashe, managing partner of Finns global health practice, told ODwyers. Appointing experts like Dr. Joe enables Finn to translate science into compelling call-to-action that aligns a fragmented healthcare systeman environment where each sector has distinct needs. Finn also added Ann Hemingway, a veteran of Edelman, Ogilvy and Havas, as a partner in its New York health group. It promoted Michael Heinley, who manages teams involved with biopharma, medical devices, diagnostics and advocacy clients, to senior partner. Tributes have been flooding in today following the death of former Edenderry teacher, Phil O'Callaghan. Mrs O'Callaghan, a Clare native, worked for many years in St. Mary's Secondary School and is fondly remembered by numerous generations of former students as a kind-hearted and mild-mannered Home Economics teacher. Phil is sadly missed by her loving husband Brendan, son Paul, daughters Aine and Claire, brothers Padraig and Michael-John, sisters Mary-Agnes and Bernie, grandson Aidan, sons-in-law, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, relatives, extended family and many friends. Following her death on Wednesday, many friends and indeed former students have paid glowing tributes. John Quinlan said: "Very sorry to hear this sad news. David Kelly and myself were, I think, her first male Home Economics students, God bless her patience." Alison McLoughlin said: "I'm so sorry for your loss, what an amazing lady and such an amazing kind-hearted teacher we all loved." Martha Dalton wrote: "May she rest in peace. Such a beautiful lady whom I have treasured memories of in secondary school." Edel Kelly described Mrs O'Callaghan as "a true lady" and "the kindest of all teachers with a heart of pure gold." Ellen McCloskey said: "Mrs O Callaghan was a lovely teacher who always gave great help in class and always remembered me after my school days were finished and stopped for a chat." Funeral Arrangements: Reposing at her home on Carrick Road this Friday from 4pm - 8pm with Rosary at 8pm. Funeral Mass on Saturday at 11am in St. Mary's Church Edenderry followed by burial in St. Mary's Cemetery. House Private except for times mentioned above. You are here: China Five officials are under investigation after a deadly mine accident killed 22 people in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, authorities said Wednesday. The officials allegedly "seriously violated laws and regulations," according to the disciplinary authorities of Xilingol League. The accident occurred on Feb. 23 when a shuttle vehicle lost control and crashed into the side of a tunnel in a lead, zinc and silver mine under Yinman Mining Company in Xilingol League's West Ujimqin Banner. A preliminary investigation showed the vehicle involved in the accident was illegally purchased online and was overloaded. The investigation team announced Tuesday that the company illegally bought the vehicle online, suggesting it did not undergo safety checks, and the company used the vehicle, which was meant for ground transport, underground instead. The vehicle was designed to carry 30 people at most, but it was overloaded with 50 people when the accident occurred. Ten suspects have been detained. Inner Mongolia has sent 12 work teams to different mining companies across the region for safety checks. 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China Unicom took the lead in realizing the full coverage of the square's 5G signal, and these 5G stations will also serve the China Media Group 5G and high-definition news coverage of the two sessions for the first time. The Beijing branch of China Unicom said the Tian'anmen Square is not only historically and politically significant, but also a venue for the country to hold major celebrations, grand gatherings and foreign affairs activities to welcome guests. Therefore, after the Central Economic Work Conference proposed to accelerate the pace of 5G commercialization, the Square area was selected by the Beijing branch of China Unicom. As per tests, the current uplink speed and the downlink speed can reach 200Mbps and 2.6gbps, respectively, fully meeting the transmission requirements of 5G and HD news report of the China Media Group. The opening of 5G stations also means the Tian'anmen Square will become a "5G smart square". According to the report, 5G networks not only have better signals and faster download speeds, but also have a far-reaching impact on large tourist attractions such as Tian'anmen Square and the Palace Museum. In addition to meeting the needs of high-speed internet access and mobile payment, 5G network can also support 4K HD video calling, ultra-high-definition (UHD) multi-channel video transmission and other services, so as to bring better experiences for the general public and tourists. The Beijing branch of China Unicom has jointly carried out 4K HD image transmission of some famous scenic spots in Beijing with the China Media Group. As a famous scenic spot in Beijing, the transmission work of Tian'anmen Square has been carried out through the 5G network. During the two sessions, the company will also meet the media's demand for 5G and HD coverage of the two sessions through the 5G network in the Square and "the ministerial corridor" the interview area in the Great Hall of the People. In the future, the Beijing branch of China Unicom will cooperate with relevant government departments to deploy smart applications such as HD video monitoring and inspection robots through the 5G network. Be present in Lok Sabha, RS says BJP in 3 line whip to its MPs Election expenditure: How much did BJP, Congress, DMK, CPI, TMC, AIADMK receive funds and spent during polls? Air strike will help us win 22 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, says Yeddyurappa India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Bengaluru, Feb 28: Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa on Wednesday said India's 'preemptive' strikes on terror camps in Pakistan have created a wave in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will help the party win over 22 of 28 seats in Karnataka in the coming Lok Sabha elections. "Yesterday we entered Pakistan territory and destroyed three camps of terrorists. This has brought a pro-Modi wave all through the country. The effect of this will be seen in the Lok Sabha elections," Yeddyurappa told reporters in Chitradurga. India objects to Pakistan's display of injured IAF pilot, demands safe and immediate release India on Tuesday carried out air strikes against a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror training camp in Pakistan's Balakot, in which a "large number of terrorists" were killed, according to Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale. At present, the BJP holds 16 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, while the Congress has 10 and the JD(S) two. The ruling alliance Congress and JD(S), who have decided to contest the Lok Sabha polls together have begun discussions about seat sharing. (With agency inputs) All channels opened up at highest levels to secure release of IAF pilot from Pak custody India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 28: The government is currently working on the next steps in the wake of a face-off with Pakistan. However the more crucial aspect for the government now is to bring back the Indian Air Force Pilot, Wing Commander, Abhinandan Varthaman safe from Pakistan custody. Pakistan had in fact released a video of the pilot having a cup of tea only after India conveyed in strong terms that no harm should come to the pilot. The big question is when can we expect the release of the pilot. The Geneva Convention does not put a time frame on when a return should happen. However the normal convention between India and Pakistan is that it should be done in reasonable time. India's MiG-21 shot down Pak's F-16, IAF pilot missing: MEA confirms Sources say that India has asked for the immediate release. In the case of IAF pilot K Nachiketa, Pakistan returned him in 8 days. The source also added that all channels have been opened to secure the release of Abhinandan. Pakistan could take up to ten days to release the pilot. Considering the tensions at the moment, Pakistan could drag the issue for longer, the source also added. An official added that all diplomatic channels are working round the clock to ensure the release. India is also viewing the speech by Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan closely. During the speech, Khan did try and score some brownie points by taking a high moral ground. In such an event, Pakistan would look to score some brownie points, which in turn would lead to the early release of the pilot, the source further added. As Imran Khan gets set to dial Modi, India to seek verifiable action against terrorists India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 28: India is set to ask Pakistan for credible and verifiable action that Pakistan has taken against the terrorists and proxies that operate on its soil. The information would be sought during a phone call that Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan is set to make to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. All modalities are being worked out in Pakistan for this dialogue. During the conversation, Pakistan may offer to send back the Indian Air Force pilot, who is currently in Pakistan's custody. Earlier, during the day, Pakistan's foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Islamabad was willing to consider the return of the pilot if it led to de-escalation of tensions. How can Imran Khan even expect dialogue when JeM and Lashkar bosses sit pretty in his backyard Meanwhile the United States has stepped into de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan. US President, Donald Trump has said that he is hopeful that the tensions will end soon. We have reasonably attractive news from India and Pakistan. They have been going at it and we have been involved trying to have stop them. We have reasonably decent news, he also added. India on the other hand has said that it has demanded the unconditional release of its IAF pilot who is in Pakistan's custody. Sources also said that there is no deal on to secure the release of the pilot. We demand that he be unconditionally released, the source also added. Cabinet approves 10 pc reservation for general category poor in J-K India pti-PTI New Delhi, Feb 28: The Centre on Thursday approved an order for giving reservation benefits to economically weaker sections and for promotion in government jobs to SCs and STs in Jammu and Kashmir. The decision has been taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said at a press conference. The cabinet "approved the proposal of Jammu & Kashmir Government regarding amendment to the Constitution (Application to Jammu & Kashmir) Order, 1954 by way of the Constitution (Application to Jammu & Kashmir) Amendment Order, 2019," according to an official release. "It will serve the purpose of application of relevant provisions of the Constitution of India, as amended through the Constitution (Seventy Seventh Amendment) Act, 1995 and Constitution (One Hundred and third Amendment) Act, 2019 for Jammu and Kashmir, by issuing the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Amendment Order, 2019 by the President under clause (1) of Article 370," it said. The Constitution (Seventy Seventh Amendment) Act, 1995 provides for reservation in promotion for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, while the Constitution (One Hundred and third Amendment) Act, 2019 provides for 10 per cent reservation in education and government jobs to economically weaker sections. The government had enacted a law last month to provide 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education for the general category poor. The Union Cabinet also decided to promulgate an ordinance -- The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 -- to give reservation benefits to the people living along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir, who often face shelling from across the border. "It provides for amendments in the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004 to bring persons residing in the areas adjoining International Border within the ambit of reservation at par with persons living in areas adjoining Actual Line of Control (ALoC)," Jaitley said. This facility was so far available to the people living along the Actual Line of Control in the state who also face similar living condition. This proposal was moved by the Jammu and Kashmir government, which is under the President's rule. PTI Ahead of Winter Session, Congress issues whip to party MPs to ensure their presence in Parliament What Congress demanded when farm laws were being repealed? Mamata, Pawar want to keep Congress at bay: Devendra Fadnavis Election expenditure: How much did BJP, Congress, DMK, CPI, TMC, AIADMK receive funds and spent during polls? #CongressPakistanUnited top trend on Twitter India oi-Hardeep Singh Bedi New Delhi, Feb 28: A day after Congress President Rahul Gandhi's statement after the joint meeting of the 21 Opposition parties, hashtag #CongressPakistanUnited was trending at number one on Twitter at the time of filing this report. On Wednesday, the Congress and other 20 opposition parties' joint statement condemned the Pulwama terror attack, and lauded the courage of Indian Air Force pilots who destroyed a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp situated in Pakistan. However, the statement, read out by Congress President Rahul Gandhi, alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was looking at the political mileage over the situation. "The meeting of 21 parties expressed their deep anguish over the blatant politicization of the sacrifices made by our Armed Forces by leaders of the ruling party," said Rahul. He added: "National security must transcend narrow political considerations. The leaders observed that the Prime Minister has, regrettably, not convened an-all party meeting as per the established practice in our democracy." However, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj had called an all-party meeting on Tuesday evening to discuss the security situation after Indian Air Force (IAF) had carried out an attack in Pakistan's Balakote against the terror camps of Jaish-e-Mohammed, responsible for Pulwama terror attack in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans were killed on February 14. Pakistani media was quick to pick up this political development as it suited them. Radio Pakistan ran a story titled "India: 21 Opposition parties express deep anguish over Modi's blatant politicization of prevailing security situation". Pakistan's national radio channel also conveniently distorted the joint statement and said: "Speakers in the meeting said opposition should build pressure on the government to not escalate the situation any further." As soon as Radio Pakistan tweeted the story, the Congress and its President Rahul Gandhi came in the firing line of Twitterers, and #CongressPakistanUnited started trending. #India: 21 Opposition parties express deep anguish over #Modi's blatant politicization of prevailing security situation https://t.co/zZTimuRovj Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) February28, 2019 Journalist @madhavmishre retweeted Radio Pakistan's tweet and commented: "@RahulGandhi and the rest of opposition leaders... shame .. this is what happens when you can't stand untied in such grave times... much shame ... it is very depressing ..." A surgeon @amitsurg tweeted: "Presence of Pakis in Cong SM team; Pakis retweeting cong SM Handles; Hafiz Saeed praising Congress; Paki media praising opposition; Under these circumstances, Rahul Gandhi asking for more information from govt is sounding more and more suspicious. #CongressPakistanUnited (sic)." A psychologist @Seems3r said: "US, UK & France with India & Indian opposition parties with Pakistan. Sad but true!! #CongressPakistanUnited." @yogashar99 tweeted photos of Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu garlanding Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and hugging Pakistan Army Chief during Khan's swearing-in ceremony, and said, "#CongressPakistanUnited Who on earth wants to hug Chiefs of Pakistan to spread terror into India. Shame on Congress." There were many other who also criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but mostly such tweets came from those accounts whose real identity is not revealed. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 11:23 [IST] Enough evidence to show F-16 was used by Pakistan, says IAF at joint defence briefing India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Feb 28: after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced the release of IAF pilot Abhinandan on Thursday, 28 February, the Army, Air Force and the Navy addressed a joint press conference. Addressing the press conference, Vice Air Marshal RGK Kapoor says, "On Feb 27 at 10 am IAF radars detected Pakistan Air Force which breached the Indian air space. The Pakistan aircraft was intercepted by IAF. One F-16 of Pakistan Air Force was shot down by MiG 21 Bison. We lost one MiG 21 Bison but pilot landed in Pakistan territory." Joining him are Major Genral Surendra Singh Mahal, Navy Rear Admiral Dalbir Singh Gujral. Signalling peace with India, Imran Khan says IAF pilot will be released tomorrow He also said,''Pakistan aircraft were targeting military installations, like the Brigade HQ. But due to alertness of IAF, their efforts were foiled. There have been many factually incorrect information spread by Pakistan in wake of the air strike. At first (after aerial engagement) they said two IAF aircraft were shot down and three pilots were captured. Later they changed to two aircraft and two pilots. Then finally they said one pilot had been captured and one plane had been downed.'' Navy Rear Admiral DS Gujral said,''We are ready for any misadventure by Pakistan and we are ready for resolute action. We want to ensure safety and security of our citizens." Major-General Surendra Singh Mahal said,''Pakistan also claimed they intentionally targeted empty area but we know they targeted our military installations. They dropped the bombs on our military formations, but were unable to cause any significant damage due to the swift response of our forces. We have also received the news that Pakistan is releasing captured IAF pilot tomorrow. We are happy he is being released and we welcome him''. Vice Air Marshal RGK Kapoor said, "Premature to say what the number casualties are. We achieved our intended target. But we have evidence that proves that IAF MiG 21 bison downed an F-16 and the F-16 crashed on PoK side. We found AMRAM debris East of Rajouri. AMRAM is only found on Pakistani F-16. We also registered F-16's electronic signature on our equipment. In response to counter terror strike, Maj Gen Surendra Singh Mahal said that Pakistan Army first resorted to unprovoked cross border firing in Sunderbani, Bimber, Nowshera and Krishna Ghati, and this was responded to by Indian Army in fitting manner. Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor: "We have evidence to show that whatever we wanted to do and targets we wanted to destroy, we have done that. Decision to show the evidence is on senior leadership." Navy Rear Admiral Dalbir Singh Gujral: "Navy deployed in high state of readiness and remains poised in all three dimensions, surface, under sea, to deter, prevent and defeat, in maritime domain. Assure you of a resolute, swift and strong response by Navy when needed, we stand one with army and air force to assure security." Indo-Pak updates: India prepared for any eventuality, we on alert say Services Pakistan PM Imran Khan had announced that IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released on Friday. Khan made the announcement during an address to Pakistani parliament, saying it was the first step to open negotiations. Earlier, India has asked Pakistan to ensure immediate release and safe return of the IAF pilot who was missing in action after he engaged with Pakistani jets that violated Indian airspace on Wednesday morning. J&K downgraded to UT from state, like a CM demoting to MLA: Ghulam Nabi Azad If normalcy to be brought in Kashmir, Article 370 has to be reinstated: Farooq Abdullah Government imposes ban on Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu And Kashmir India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Feb 28: Separatist group Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir was banned Thursday under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for alleged anti-national and subversive activities, officials said. [Cabinet approves 10 pc reservation for general category poor in J-K] A notification on the ban was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) after a high-level meeting on security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The separatist group is alleged to be involved in anti-national and subversive activities in the country and is in close touch with militant outfits. Security forces launched a crackdown on separatist forces and arrested many leaders and cadres of the Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir after the February 14 terrorist attack in Pulwama, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. (with PTI inputs) How can Imran Khan even expect dialogue when JeM and Lashkar bosses sit pretty in his backyard India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 28: India has handed over a dossier to Pakistan on the specific role played by the Jaish-e-Mohammad in the Pulwama attack. One of the key aspects of the dossier was that the outfit still continues to enjoy the patronage of Pakistan. Senior officials tells OneIndia that unless and until Pakistan acts against the Jaish-e-Mohammad, the war on terror can never be won. One one hand, Pakistan seeks dialogue and on the other there is no assurance given on any sort of action that would be taken against its proxies which wage war on India. Pakistan has sought for proof on the Pulwama attack, following which it has assured to cooperate. Officials say that this has been a standard line by Pakistan after every major attack. We have given them concrete proof after the 26/11 attack, the Pathankot strike and also the attack at Uri. The trial in the 26/11 has come to a standstill with many witnesses turning hostile out of fear. There has been no action against the Lashkar-e-Tayiba top brass and Hafiz Saeed its boss continuers to get away scot free. Imran Khan warns against escalation, says ready for dialogue The case is similar with that of the JeM chief, Maulana Masood Azhar. He has been kept in a safe house. Forget action, nothing against him has been moved by Pakistan. The ISI continues to shelter him and he is allowed to operate freely along with the others, officials also say.The dossier was handed over to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan, who was summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs to lodge a strong protest over Pakistan Air Force targeting Indian military installations, a day after the Indian counter-terror action against the JeM. Government sources have claimed that over 350 JeM terrorists were killed in the pre-dawn strike on the terror camps in Pakistan on Tuesday. The JeM had taken the responsibility of the terror strike in Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. "Regret was expressed at continuing denial by Pakistan's political and military leadership at the presence of terrorist infrastructure in territories under its control," the MEA said. "A dossier was handed over to Pakistani side with specific details of JeM complicity in Pulwama terror attack and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan," it said. The MEA said Pakistan was conveyed that India expects Pakistan to take immediate and verifiable action against terrorism emanating from territories under its control. In response to the Indian counter-terror operation, Pakistan air force tried to target certain locations in Jammu and Kashmir Wednesday morning which was countered by IAF jets. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 7:20 [IST] How IAF shot down Pakistans F-16 in an aerial dogfight India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 28: In an aerial dogfight over the skies of Nowshera in Rajouri district of the Jammu province, India shot down a US made F-16 fighter of the Pakistan Air Force on Wednesday. The air battle that began at 10 am on Wednesday lasted for around 10 minutes. Officials say that the incoming Pakistani fighters were engaged within a few minutes. The Pakistani fighters turned back the moment they were engaged. In New Delhi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs said that one Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft was shot down by a Bison MiF-21 of the Indian Air Force. The Pakistan aircraft was seen by the ground forces falling from the sky on the Pakistan side, the spokesperson also added. All channels opened up at highest levels to secure release of IAF pilot from Pak custody While Pakistan has denied the use of an F-16, India says that it would provide proof in the next few days. Pakistan denied the use of the aircraft as the US prevents the use of the aircraft in offensive operations. The evidence that we will provide will prove that an F-16 was used by Pakistan and was also shot down by us, the officer further stated. Pakistan targeted a military installation in the Nangi Tekri area and the Naria area. The Pakistani fighters however missed the target. Pakistan however claimed that they deliberately missed the target as the intention was not to hit military targets. Following the incident, tensions have escalated between the two countries. The international community has called for restraint in the wake of these developments. India has also sought the immediate release of an Indian Air Force pilot who was captured. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 7:01 [IST] IAF pilot Abhinandans father prays for the return of his brave son India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 28: While praying for his safe return, the father of IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman said that his son spoke like a brave soldier. Veteran Air Marshal, Varthaman said in a message, " thank you my friends, for your concern and wishes. I thank God for his blessings, Abhi is alive, not injured, sound in mind, just look at the way he talked so bravely, a true soldier. We are so proud of him. I am sure all your Hans and blessings are on his head, prayers for his safe return. I pray that he does not tortured, and comes home safe and sound in body and mind. Thank you all for being with us in this hour of need. We draw our strengths from your support and energy." IAF pilot captured by Pakistan is son of a decorated officer The Indian government on Wednesday summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan, Syed Haider Shah and demanded the immediate and safe return of the pilot. The government also made it clear that no harm should be caused to the pilot and also objected to the vulgar display of an injured personnel in violation of the norms laid down by the Geneva Convention. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 11:15 [IST] IAF pilot captured by Pakistan is son of a decorated officer India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 28: The son of a decorated officer of the Indian Air Force was captured by Pakistan. A day after the IAF hit a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror facility, Pakistan claimed that it had shot down an Indian plane and also captured Wing Commander, Abhinandan Varthaman. Varthaman's aircraft, the MiG-21 was shot down by Pakistan on Wednesday morning, following which he was captured by the Pakistan armed forces. Pakistan then released a video in which he was blindfolded and is heard saying his name and service number. He did not divulge any further information. After Indian objected to Pakistan's vulgar display and said that it expected the pilot to be released immediately, another video showing the pilot sipping tea was released. He says that he was being treated well and also added that the Pakistan armed forces are 'thorough gentlemen.' All channels opened up at highest levels to secure release of IAF pilot from Pak custody This is what I would expect my army to behave and I am thoroughly impressed. When he was asked about where he hailed from and what his squadron was, he refused to divulge any details. He only said that he was from down south. An alumnus of the Khadwasla based National Defence Academy, he was an accomplished Sukhoi-30 fighter pilot. He was then assigned to the MiG-21 Bison squadron. Varthaman is the son of distinguished fighter pilot, Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthaman and played a key role in the 1999 Kargil War. As a Group Captain, he was the chief operations officer at the Gwalior airbase. He retired as the Air Officer Commanding in Chief of the Shillong based Eastern Air Command. In 2017, the government constituted a committee under the Air Marshal to assess the viability of building stealth fighters jointly with Russia. "As an Air warrior, Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman served the nation by defending it with total disregard to his personal safety. As a nation we pray for his continuous well being and early return," Union Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore tweeted. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 6:43 [IST] Didnt think twice before getting into bed with Shiv Sena: Captain hits out at Congress IAF pilot likely to return via Wagah border today, Amarinder Singh offers to receive him India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Mar 1: With Pakistan all set to hand over Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman from its captivity on Friday, the officer is likely to be brought back to India through the Wagah -Attari joint check-post on Friday. [How IAF shot down Pakistan's F-16 in an aerial dogfight ] Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has appealed to the Modi government that he would like to receive Abhinandan upon his return at the 'Wagah border'. "Yes, he (the chief minister) is going to be there. We do not have any more details at this stage, but it is being worked out," one person aware of developments said, requesting anonymity. "Dear @narendramodi ji , I'm touring the border areas of Punjab & I'm presently in Amritsar. Came to know that @pid_gov has decided to release #AbhinandanVarthaman from Wagha. It will be an honour for me to go and receive him, as he and his father are alumnus of the NDA as I am," the chief minister wrote on Twitter. The IAF officer was captured on Wednesday after his MiG-21 Bison fighter jet was hit during an air combat with Pakistan Air Force jets near the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir and he landed on the other side of the LoC. Earlier, CM Amarinder Singh welcomed Imran Khan's announcement on the release of the IAF pilot, terming it a goodwill gesture that would help ease the prevailing tensions at the border. [Signalling peace with India, Imran Khan says IAF pilot will be released tomorrow] During his tour of the Tarn Taran region to assess the ground situation, the CM interacted with residents of at least 15 border area villages, including Shaheed Baba Tara Singh Wala, Rajoke, Kalia Shatara, Dholan, Lakhna and Kals. During his interaction with the residents, he urged them to remain calm and not to be swayed by rumours. Amarinder also interacted with BSF personnel at the Khalra observation post during his visit to boost the confidence among locals amid tension between India and Pakistan. List of 28 agreements/MoUs signed during the 21st India-Russia Annual Summit in New Delhi Highlights: Nirmala Sitharaman meets IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa New Delhi, Mar 02: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday met IAF Pilot Wing Commander, Abhinandan Varthaman in Delhi and conveyed to him that the entire nation is proud of his courage and determination, officials said. During the meeting at a medical facility of the Indian Air Force, Varthaman is understood to have explained to Sitharaman details about his nearly 60 hour stay in Pakistan. After a tense wait, IAF Pilot Wing Commander, Abhinandan Varthaman was finally handed over to India by Pakistan. He returned home via the Wagah border after spending nearly 60 hours in captivity. There are several procedures that would have to be followed, which includes a medical test to gauge his fitnesses levels and also a de-briefing session. The IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman spent nearly 60 hours in captivity. Abhinandan, dressed in a suit, walked across the Zero Line at the Attari-Wagah border at 9.20 pm, about four hours later he was reportedly scheduled to return. He was accompanied by Group Captain J T Kurien, Air Advisor in the Indian High Commission, and Fareeha Bugti, Director (India) in the Pakistan Foreign Office. The release came a day after Pakistan PM Imran Khan, addressing a joint session of parliament, in a "gesture of peace" aimed at de-escalating tensions between the two nations announced the Indian pilot's return. Here are the Highlights: Newest First Oldest First J&K: General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, Army Commander, Northern Command visited White Knight Corps to review the operational preparedness of the forces in the Corps Zone in view of the current situation along LoC and International Border. pic.twitter.com/WCwbyAnFI7 ANI (@ANI) March 2, 2019 Meanwhile, in Jammu and Kashmir, General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, Army Commander, Northern Command visited White Knight Corps to review the operational preparedness of the forces in the Corps Zone in view of the current situation along LoC and International Border. The government on Saturday issued an "alert" for all airports and airlines in the country, asking them to "enhance the existing security measures", as it has received intelligence inputs in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack and subsequent developments. Pakistan will not allow its soil to be used for terrorism against any state, including India, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Saturday as claimed that the "nerve centre" of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group has been taken over by the government. ANI quoted Sources saysing that after returning from Pakistan, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has informed that though he was not physically tortured by the Pakistanis but went through a lot of mental harassment. Pakistan was not under "pressure" or "any compulsion" to release Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said today. The Wing Commander will stay at Air Force Officer's Mess. India will keep up the pressure on Pakistan to crack down on terrorism infrastructure and the masterminds of terrorist attacks despite the release of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman following backchannel diplomacy and public messaging by global powers. Acoording to reports, Pakistan said Abhinandan Varthman was handed over along with his belongings, however, all that he came back in civilian clothes, without his service pistol. In the taking over certificate, Pakistan has mentioned returning his watch, ring and spectacles. It was earlier learnt that upon ejecting out of his crashed MiG 21 Bison, Abhinandan still had his pistol with him, which he used to allegedly fire on locals in Pakistani territory who were chasing him. Meanwhile, the chiefs of the Indian Air Force and Navy will get Z-plus security cover after a fresh assessment of their threat perception by the security agencies, officials said. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthman in a hospital today. Courtesy: ANI Samjhauta Express services to resume from India from March 3. Congress President Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Ranchi, Jharkhand: Indian Air Force protects the country, Air force pilots sacrifice their lives but our Prime Minister steals money from the Air Force, and puts it in Anil Ambani's pockets, it is a shame. According to IAF officials, Wing Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman met IAF Chief BS Dhanoa today morning and explained his detention in Pakistan. The Wing Commander will stay at Air Force Officer's Mess. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh: Entire world stands together against terrorism. No representative of India used to be invited to Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) but India's image has become such, that OIC invited India for the first time. It is a diplomatic victory. Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM, says, "Pak PM talked of Tipu Sultan and Bahadur Shah Zafar in his assembly,Tipu Sultan wasn't enemy of Hindus but adversary of the enemies of his sultanate.He talks about atom bomb, it's weird..we've it too.Handle your Lashkar-e-Shaitaan & Jaish-e-Shaitaan. Pakistan violated ceasefire in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district at 12:30 pm today. Indian Army is retaliating. When our Air Force reached Balakot in KPK before we could get any information some people started saying Balakot is along LoC.Some people whom I call compulsive contrarians found a new Balakot and didn't check that, that Bala Kote is in our Poonch.Why'd our forces attack our territory?: Arun Jaitley Mehbooba Mufti and PDP workers protest in Srinagar against the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami (Jammu & Kashmir) by the Central Government. BSP Chief Mayawati said, " Hearty welcome safe return of IAF pilot Abhinandan from Pak custody. Big relief and ease of tension is natural but sensing a sea change in security scenario around, India must have a long, lasting & credible policy for its security-honour besides a good policy to deal with neighbours." Referring to IAF Pilot's bravery, PM Modi said, " India has the ability to change the meaning of words. Abhinandan was till now ' Congratulations' in English, now the meaning will change." Addressing a meet at Construction Technology India in Delhi, Prime Minister Modi said, " The world will notice whatever India does." IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman is at the central medical establishment, he spent the night there, underwent a medical test, met his family briefly, according to News 18. Three members of family killed due to heavy shelling by Pakistan troops in Solatri village of border district of Poonch. Meanwhile, shelling by Pakistan forces across LoC in Jammu continues, People in border areas of Rajouri, Poonch districts move to safer places; Schools closed, according to All India Radio News. India has dug up contract details between the USA and Pakistan on the AMRAAM missile fired from an F-16 aircraft and is learnt to have shared the information with American interlocutors to bolster its case about misuse of the fighter aircraft against India, according to Indian Express report. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was released by Pakistan after Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned the neighbouring country of dire consequences, former Karnataka chief minister and state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa said on Friday. He would also have to undergo several phycological tests as he had been captured by the enemy and underwent a traumatic situation. The IAF Pilot will be subject to a medical test today. He will be taken for a detained medical checkup. The officer had to eject from a plane, which would have put his body under immense strain, AVM RGK Kapoor said following the release. Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman landed in Delhi on Friday night, hours after he was handed over to India by Pakistan after being in captivity for nearly three days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweets, "Welcome Home Wing Commander #Abhinandan! The nation is proud of your exemplary courage. Our armed forces are an inspiration for 130 crore Indians. Vande Mataram!" The SSP of Budgam said that some aircraft has fallen. As of now were are ascertaining the situation. We have found two bodies and have evacuated them. The technical team is here and is currently assessing the situation, he also added. Meanwhile a high level meeting has been convened to assess the situation. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has arrived at the meeting at the Home Ministry and is assessing the situation. India however rubbished the claim. Sources tell Oneindia that no aircraft has been shot by Pakistan. The claim of a pilot being arrested os also not true. All our pilots have been accounted for the source also added. The Pakistan Foreign Office in a statement said that this was not a retaliation to continued Indian belligerence. Pakistan has therefore taken strikes at non-military targets avoiding human loss and collateral damage. The statement further read, sole purpose being to demonstrate our right, will and capability for self defence. We have no intention of escalation, but are fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm. That is why we took the action with clear warning and in broad daylight. Sources say that the PAF dropped bombs at Laam, Kerri and Nadian in Rajouri district at around 10 am. The Indian jets are still flying in the area. Locals have said that they saw a Pakistani ket in flames across the Line of Control. Meanwhile officials confirm that they have seen the F-16 pilot paradropping. Pakistani jets violated Indian air space, but were pushed back by Indian aircaft, the report said while quoting top officials. The jets entered into Indian air space over Nowshera sector this morning, but were immediately pushed back by Indian jets on air patrol. This comes in the wake of Pakistan claiming that it had shot down two Indian aircraft. Indian officials however said that the jets violated Indian air space by entering the border areas of Nowshera sector in Jammu and Kashmir;s Rajouri district. A Sukhoi 30 MKI was seen chasing the Pakistan F-16 fighter on the Line of Control at the Nowshera sector. Maj General Ghafoor while addressing a press conference said that two pilots have been taken into custody. He had earlier said in a tweet that the PAF shot down two Indian aircrafts inside Pakistan airspace. He had also said that one Indian pilot had been arrested. India should not carry any further violence in Pakistan because its continuation will affect regional security. Also the continuation of such conflict will cost a lot to India, he also said. Meanwhile the Taliban has warned India and said that the ongoing tension would affect the Afghanistan peace process. In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said, the continuation of such conflict will affect the Afghanistan peace process. DG ISPR, Pakistan Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor has said that there are reports of a crash of an Indian aircraft on the Indian side. We had no engagement with that aircraft, he also added. Pakistan has released a video showing a blindfolded man saying that he is Wing Commander, Abhinandan. He says that his service number is 27981. He asks if he is with the Pakistan Army as he has a right to know. India is yet to officially respond to the video. Ghafoor also said that the ground forces arrested two pilots, once of them was injured and has been shifted to the Combined Military Hospital. God willing, he will be taken care of, he also said. Todays action was in self defence. We dont want to claim any victory, he further said. A high level meeting of the civil and police officials has been called in Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting was called to discuss the measures to be taken in the backdrop of the tensions with Pakistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been briefed about the situation. Amidst the claims made by Pakistan that it had shot down two IAF jets, India has said that it shot down a F-16 jet. Entire airspace of North Delhi vacated amidst escalated tensions with Pakistan. After Pakistan released a video of an Indian pilot being captured, India says it is verifying further details. A joint media briefing of the Indian Air Force and Ministry for External Affairs is underway at New Delhi. MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar says India shot down by Pakistan F-16 jet. In the engagement we have lost one pilot. The whereabouts are unknown. We are ascertaining more details he added. Pakistan targeted military installations. We lost one MIG-21. Pilot missing in action says MEA spokesperson. Pakistan is yet to formally inform India about the missing IAF pilot. Pakistan claimed that it has captured an Indian pilot Abhinandan. We were able to foil Pakistans efforts due our high state of alertness says MEA. Pakistan responded to out counter terror operation by targeting our military installations says MEA. Imran Khan in a televised address warns against escalation. He says Pakistan is ready for dialogue. He also said that better sense should prevail. Read the full MEA statement here: India had informed about counter-terrorism (CT) action it took yesterday against a training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Pakistan based on credible evidence that JeM intended to launch more attacks. Against this counter-trrorism action, Pakistan has responded this morning by using its Air Force to target military installations on the Indian side. Due to our high state of readiness and alertness, Pakistans attempts were foiled successfully. The Pakistan Air Force was detected and the Indian Air Force responded instantly. In that aerial engagement, one Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft was shot down by a MiG 21 Bison of the Indian Air Force. The Pakistani aircraft was seen by ground forces falling from the sky on the Pakistan side. In this engagement, we have unfortunately lost one MiG 21. The pilot is missing in action. Pakistan has claimed that he is in their custody. We are ascertaining the facts." The weapons that you and we have, can we afford miscalculation. If it escalates from where, where will it go. Neither will it be in my control nor Modis control. Better sense should prevail, let us sit and resolve issues, Imran Khan also said. Hours after Pakistan claimed that it had an IAF pilot in its custody, sources said that India has not been informed officially about the same. The whereabouts of IAF Wing Commander, Abhinandan is not known as yet. Pakistan claimed that it had arrested two pilots. While one is in custody, the other is at hospital, Pakistan also said. After Pakistan claimed that it had one IAF pilot in its custody, India has summoned Pakistan deputy high commissioner Syed Haider Shah. India is treating todays action by the Pakistan Air Force as an act of military aggression. On captured IAF pilot, India says no deal with Pak, only wants unconditional return India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 28: Pakistan made a clear attempt to fire at Indian military targets, sources say. Disputing Pakistan's version of an aerial confrontation, the source also added that nearly 20 Pakistani aircraft approached the Indian airspace at around 9.45 am on Wednesday. The breach was 10 kilometres inside and the aircraft fired a laser guided missile at the Indian military targets, but missed narrowly. How IAF shot down Pakistan's F-16 in an aerial dogfight On the Indian pilot captured by Pakistan, India has made it clear that he should be released and returned unconditionally. There is no deal in this regard and we demand he be returned unconditionally, the source further informed. The source further informed that there has been no consular access that has been sought and the only demand is that the pilot be returned unconditionally. Meanwhile more clarity on the pilot would be provided at a press conference that would be jointly addressed by the three service chiefs. A joint military briefing is scheduled for 5 pm today, in which several aspects regarding the situation would be made clear. The United States on the other hand has stepped into de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan. US President, Donald Trump has said that he is hopeful that the tensions will end soon. We have reasonably attractive news from India and Pakistan. All channels opened up at highest levels to secure release of IAF pilot from Pak custody They have been going at it and we have been involved trying to have stop them. We have reasonably decent news, he also added. Meanwhile India has explained to the US over phone its stand on the issue. Minister for External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj has told US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo the reasons behind the air strike and also added that the action was not military in nature, but aimed at destroying a terror camp. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 15:17 [IST] CBSE Class 12 Results 2021: Not satisfied with your exam marks? Here's what you can do NEET 2021 to be held on Sunday: Check out timings, dress code, guidelines and other details Rajasthan JET 2019: When will the application form be out; Exam date, syllabus; Find out here India oi-Vikas SV Jaipur, Feb 28: Rajasthan JET 2019 application form for JET Agriculture 2019 exam would be made available from the first week of March 2019 on official website www.mpuat.ac.in. The last date to fill up the JET Agriculture 2019 application form is likely to be sometime in the second week of April 2019. The JET Agriculture 2019 application form or the application for Rajasthan JET 2019 will only be accepted through online mode. Rajasthan Joint Entrance test (JET) or JET Agriculture 2019 is conducted by the Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, for admission into Food Technology, Dairy Technology, Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry professional courses. JET Agriculture is also known as Rajasthan JET and is a state level entrance exam. Rajasthan JET 2019 application form or JET Agriculture 2019 application form would be available here. List of colleges and courses that candidate can apply for through JET Agriculture 2019 exam: Click here Rajasthan JET 2019 or JET Agriculture 2019 exam date; Admit card: JET Agriculture 2019 exam is likely to be held on May 20, 2019. JET Agriculture 2019 Entrance exam will be conducted in offline mode . The Rajasthan JET 2019 admit card would be released on official website in the third week of May, 2019. The JET Agriculture result will be uploaded on the website in the last week of May 2019. JET Agriculture 2019 exam pattern and syllabus: JET Agriculture exam will contain questions from Physics, Biology, Agriculture, Chemistry and Mathematics subjects of class 11th and 12th. The exam will be conducted through offline mode. There will be a total of 40 questions in the examination. The JET Agriculture 2019 exam question paper will be comprise questions from of Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics subjects. Candidates only have to attempt 3 subjects. Four marks will be provided for each correct answer. One mark will be deducted for each wrong answer. Steps to fill up JET Agriculture 2019 application form: Go to the official website www.mpuat.ac.in . . Scroll down a bit and on the right side you will find a link just below "News and Event" which says "Application Forms" or Click Here . . Once the JET Agriculture 2019 is out, a link will appear saying "'Application Form for 2019". Click on it. Read the instruction carefully and click on "Continue" button Fill in Name, Father Name, Mobile Number, Email ID, Date of Birth, Gender, etc. and register. You will get a password and registration number. Login using registration number and password. Pay Online Application Form Fee Fill your personal, academic, educational details and upload images. Check all entries carefully and click on 'Submit' button. Save the final acknowledgement for future reference For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 13:34 [IST] PM Modi to host President Putin: What to expect from the bilateral Hurdles cleared for AK 203 rifles deal with Russia; likely to be sealed next month during Putin's visit Russias Putin calls up Modi, supports India in fight against terror India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Feb 28: Russia President Vladimir V. Putin called Prime Minister Narendra Modi over phone on Friday. He expressed his deep condolences on the Pulwama terrorist attack. He also conveyed solidarity of the people of the Russian Federation with the people of India in the fight against terrorism. [Signalling peace with India, Imran Khan says IAF pilot will be released tomorrow] PM Modi also thanked Putin for steadfast support for India's efforts to protect its interests against cross-border terror attacks, & renewed India's commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in countering terrorism as a pillar of privileged & special strategic partnership Both the leaders also agreed that the growing cooperation between the two countries will take their Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership from strength to strength. President Putin reiterated the invitation to PM Modi to attend the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok later this year. PM welcomed the invitation and underscored the significance of growing economic cooperation, including in the Russian Far East, between the two countries. Setback for Dinakaran faction, OPS-EPS faction gets 'Two-leave symbol' India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Bengaluru, Feb 28: The Delhi High Court Thursday dismissed the petition of TTV Dinakaran and VK Sasikala in connection with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (AIADMK) "two leaves" election symbol case. The High Court upheld the decision of Election Commission of allotting the two-leaves symbol to the Panneerselvam-Palaniswami faction. The High Court Bench had said it would deliver the judgement within four weeks in view of the February 7 Supreme Court order that the EC can decide Dhinakaran's plea for an interim poll symbol, if the high court's decision does not come within four weeks. VK Singh rebukes Yeddyurappa for politicizing IAF strike The Supreme Court on February 7 had also vacated its order of abeyance on the high court's interim decision of March 9, 2018 directing the EC to allot a common symbol, preferably that of a 'pressure cooker', and a name to the then AIADMK (Amma) faction led by Diinakaran. Dinakaran had floated Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) after he and Sasikala were expelled from the Palaniswami-led AIADMK. The EC in March 2017 had given the 'hat' symbol to the Sasikala-Dhinakaran group after it froze the use of the 'two-leaves' symbol to which the group led by Palaniswami and Panneerselvam had also staked claim. The Palaniswami-Panneerselvam faction had at the same time been granted the 'electric pole' symbol. However, on November 23, 2017, the poll panel had ruled in favour of the Palaniswami-Panneerselvam faction by allotting the 'two-leaves' symbol to them. The symbol issue had been lingering since April 2017 in the aftermath of the announcement of the by-poll to Radha Krishnan Nagar constituency in Tamil Nadu following the death of AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa in December 2016. (With PTI inputs) The pro-peace era with Pakistan is over: Former R&AW official India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 28: Amidst the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, there has been a section that has demanded for talks. India on Tuesday struck at a terror facility of the Jaish-e-Mohammadd at Balakot. This was followed by retaliation by Pakistan and while India waded that threat, an Indian Air Force pilot was captured. The question now is what is the way forward. Amar Bhushan, former officer with the Research and Analysis Wing says that the pro-peace era with Pakistan is gone. On one hand, they continue to harbour terrorists that attack our soil and on the other they ask for dialogue, he tells OneIndia. How IAF shot down Pakistan's F-16 in an aerial dogfight What next: I do not see any more strikes taking place. We have made a very strong statement by striking at Balakot. India would have retaliated immediately yesterday had a military target been hit, Bhushan says. It is apparent that yesterday, our boys chased them and it is also clear that Pakistan did not come deep. The area in question is a tricky one. It is very difficult to say when one is in India and when one is in Pakistan. The area is such and it is not a straight line. Many times, I would fly in these areas while on the job. The pilot would tell me we are in Pakistan and second later, we would be in India. Apparently the dogfight has taken place inside the Pakistan territory. I don't see anything more happening now. But, of course our pilot is there and his release must be the priority. Pakistan declared him captured as they could not hide it. They could not conceal it as today everything is mapped unlike in the olden days. The peace-era is over: With demands for more action against Pakistan growing, Amar Bhushan says that this is because our hatred for Pakistan is so deep. The pro-peace era with Pakistan is gone. On one hand, they shield terrorists and on the other they ask for dialogue. It has been said over and over again that talks and terror cannot go hand in hand. Imran Khan, in fact has been making a joke of himself. In contrast the response of our administration has been reserved. I am in fact impressed that there have been no statements from the Army. India's consistent position is against the terror points in Pakistan. Although I do not see any action coming now, the fact is that it would have been a whole other story had an Indian military point been hit yesterday. The action by Pakistan yesterday was only to pacify their population, Bhushan further adds. How Pakistan clearly violated Article 13 of Geneva Convention Balakot: Balakot was a known terrorist camp. It is not now, but 15 years back itself, we had mapped it out. Since then there have been many times that we wanted to hit the camp. These targets were on the radar of the Indian establishment for long. I am sure that in 2016, before the surgical strikes were carried out, this option on Balakot would have been considered. However it appears that the decision to test the waters before going for a strike at Balakot would have been weighed in. With regard to the number of terrorists killed in the operation, Amar Bhushan says that the numbers really dont matter. The fact is that an identified camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammad has been hit. It was a regular structured base, where terrorists were trained. I would say that by hitting the camp, India has conveyed a very strong message. The other message that we have conveyed is that we know where they are are and what support they are getting. I am sure that the loses have been great in number. I cannot believe it when someone says that the terror camps would have been emptied. Pakistan earlier would hold a prayer meeting and name them. Now they have completely stopped publishing the names. Back in the day, we would codify the names of those who died in the Kashmir conflict and issue it. That is when they started believing us. Don't worry about the numbers for now, the names and figures will be out soon, says Amar Bhushan. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 11:06 [IST] To escape a US clause, Pak lies about the use of an F-16 India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 28: Even as images of the Pakistan Air Force fighter jets wreckage is making the rounds, the nation continues to remain in denial. The stand by India that the F-16 of the Pakistan Air Force has been confirmed by India's border air patrol team. A day after the air strikes at Balakot, Pakistan claimed that it had shot down two Indian jets and also said that it had taken two pilots into custody. However by Wednesday evening Pakistan retracted and said that only one pilot was in custody. Officials say that Pakistan vehemently denies the use of an F-16 is largely because of a clause by the United States. Pakistan denied the use of the aircraft as the US prevents the use of the aircraft in offensive operations. Moreover it also raises questions about the capability of the PAF after its F-16 was brought down by the vintage Russian made MiG-21. How IAF shot down Pakistan's F-16 in an aerial dogfight Pakistan targeted a military installation in the Nangi Tekri area and the Naria area. The Pakistani fighters however missed the target. Pakistan however claimed that they deliberately missed the target as the intention was not to hit military targets. Meanwhile, India has said that Pakistan made a clear attempt to fire at Indian military targets. Disputing Pakistan's version of an aerial confrontation, the source also added that nearly 20 Pakistani aircraft approached the Indian airspace at around 9.45 am on Wednesday. The breach was 10 kilometres inside and the aircraft fired a laser guided missile at the Indian military targets, but missed narrowly. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 16:11 [IST] Unfolding the mystery over Pakistans F-16 pilot India oi-Hardeep Singh Bedi New Delhi, Feb 28: New Delhi on Wednesday claimed to destroy a Pakistani fighter F-16 in an aerial engagement when Islamabad tried to target Indian military installations. Addressing a press conference, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "In that aerial engagement, one Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft was shot down by a MiG 21 Bison of the Indian Air Force. The Pakistani aircraft was seen by ground forces falling from the sky on the Pakistan side. In this engagement, we have unfortunately lost one MiG 21. The pilot is missing in action. Pakistan has claimed that he is in their custody. We are ascertaining the facts." News Agency ANI reported: "Pakistan Air Force's F-16 that violated Indian air space shot down in Indian retaliatory fire 3KM within Pakistan territory in Lam valley, Nowshera sector. Parachute seen as Pakistan Air Force's F-16 was going down, condition of the pilot is unknown". How IAF shot down Pakistan's F-16 in an aerial dogfight Pakistani Army, however, refuted India's claim by saying that Pakistan didn't use F-16 fighter jets in the operation against India. Pakistan also claimed its Air Force shot down two Indian aircraft inside Pakistani airspace and captured two Indian pilots. In a tweet, Director General ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor said, "In response to PAF strikes this morning as released by MoFA, IAF crossed LOC. PAF shot down two Indian aircrafts inside Pakistani airspace. One of the aircraft fell inside AJ&K while other fell inside IOK. One Indian pilot arrested by troops on ground while two (2nd) in the area. In response to PAF strikes this morning as released by MoFA, IAF crossed LOC. PAF shot down two Indian aircrafts inside Pakistani airspace. One of the aircraft fell inside AJ&K while other fell inside IOK. One Indian pilot arrested by troops on ground while two in the area. Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 27, 2019 Impeccable sources tell One India that the hospitalised pilot was not an Indian pilot but the pilot of Pakistan's F-16, which was shot down by India's MiG 21 fighter jet. Sources say that Pakistani F-16 pilot was severely injured and his uniform was torn when he landed on the ground. "To make the matters worse, the locals considered him of being an Indian pilot and beat him up very badly till he fell unconscious. Local police took him to the hospital, and the army was informed that an Indian pilot has been captured. Probably, this is the reason that without ascertaining the fact the Pakistani army claimed capturing two Indian pilots in order to address the emotions of Pakistanis," said the source. When the Pakistani Army realised its mistake then in the evening it said that only one Indian Pilot was in its custody. Indo-Pak: Willing to return Indian pilot if de-escalation happens, says Pak Major General Asif Ghafoor at 6:19 PM on Wednesday tweeted: "There is only one pilot under Pakistan Army's custody. Wing Comd Abhi Nandan is being treated as per norms of military ethics." Pakistan Army also released a video in which a man was purportedly seen as saying that "I am Wing Commander Abhinandan, I am IAF officer. My service No is 27 981". It is notable that Wing Commander Abhinandan was also beaten up by the locals before being captured by the Pakistani military. Another tale of Wing Commander Abhinandan's patriotism and Courage Pakistani newspaper Dawn has published a story which shows the presence of mind, patriotism, and exemplary courage of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. When he landed on the ground with the help of a parachute then a mob circled him. As per the story, the Wing Commander first asked the mob whether he was in India or Pakistan. When a clever Pakistani boy told him that it was India then "Wing Commander Abhinandan shouted some slogan (Bharat Mata ki Jai) and asked which place exactly it was in India. Then some emotional youth, who could not digest Wing Commander Abhinandan's slogans, shouted Pakistani army zindabad". Realising that he had landed in the Pakistani territory, Wing Commander Abhinandan pulled up his pistol to threaten the mob that was chasing him and jumped into a pond and "took out some documents and maps from his pockets, some of which he tried to swallow and soaked others in water". It was Wing Commander Abhinandan's courage that saved his life otherwise he might have been killed or would have landed in a hospital like the pilot of Pakistani F-16. IAF pilot Abhinandan's father prays for the return of his brave son He was rescued by Pakistani Army. Later Pakistani media played a video in which Wing Commander Abhinandan was blindfolded and injured, but his trademark courage was intact in an enemy country. When he was being interrogated then he gave only his name, service number and identified himself as a Hindu. When more information was sought, Wing Commander Abhinandan replied coolly: "I'm sorry sir...that's all I'm supposed to tell you." India has registered strong protest the way Pakistan violated the Geneva Convention in the case of Wing Commander Abhinandan. According to the Geneva Convention, no captured soldier should be paraded, photographed or filmed. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 14:44 [IST] Welcome back home ''Singam'' Wing Commander Abhinandan India oi-Vicky Nanjappa This week we bore witness to a spectacle that constantly ensues in the cinematic realm but is barely evident in a real-life scenario. A "Top Gun" moment that has stirred the vivid imagination of every boy/girl in the '80s came to life for Commander Abhinandan Varthaman when he decided to chase the F-16 of PAK into the PoK. "You don't have time to think up there. If you think, you're dead." Those words uttered by Maverick in "Top gun" brim with resonation to the true grit and fortitude that Abhinandan displayed to avoid crucial military targets being hit by Pakistan. "What does it take to become a good fighter pilot? ''bad attitude''.. said Commander Abhinandan Varthaman in a 2011 television documentary. Back then, he couldn't have portended his "bad attitude" would be on a full-fledged trial where the whole nation rooted for his safe return. The entire nation ardently hoped that he persists with his "bad attitude" just a little bit longer, until we can get him back home, where he rightly belongs. Signalling peace with India, Imran Khan says IAF pilot will be released tomorrow Commander Abhinandan Varthaman is a father of two children, who graduated from National Defense Academy in Kadakvasla. Prior to his foray into national defense, he was a student in Sainik Welfare school in Amaravathi Nagar, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after air combat on Wednesday. The aerial combat that led to his capture was a testament to the commanders Moxey who stuck to his guns and remained undeterred in his duty to protect the Indian air Space from invasion. This is how it went down... The borders were on high alert and by around 9.45 am on Wednesday, the radars picked up blips of a possible intrusion. At around 10.00 hours, three F-16s of the Pakistan Air Force violated Indian air space and entered into the Nowshera sector and dropped bombs. The IAF got into action and scrambled its MiG 21s squadron. ''We are all set, Sir'' said Wing Commander Abhinandan who took off in one of the MiG 21 Bisons. The operation was not going to be an easy one as Abhinandan was flying a vintage MiG Bison in comparison to the advanced F-16s. It's akin to bringing a knife to a gun fight but it's the knife that he had and he had to wield it to the best of his ability. Pakistan's target was to engage the Indian Brigade HQ and Army Installations. The Indian Air Force scrambled jets to take on the incoming fighters. Two MiG 21s were sent from Srinagar and the Sukhoi 30 MKI went airborne. The MiG 21 flown by Abhinandan managed to reach the spot in time to intercept one F-16 D Wing Commander Abhinandan remained steadfast in his mission, stayed in hot pursuit of a Pakistani F-16 jet, which he eventually engaged with an R-73 air to air missile. The Pakistani Air Force strike package also had four Mirage-3 aircraft and four Chinese made JF-17 Thunder fighters to escort the F-16s. It was clearly a risky proposition, he could have turned away at any given moment. However, the Commander had a job to do, a country he had sworn to protect, and he wasn't about to quit. He valiantly pursued the Pakistani aircraft, despite, the dire warning issued by another aircraft part of the Indian formation about the presence of Pakistani fighters. He continued the hot pursuit and locked the F-16 on his radar. He pushed home the attack and fired an R-73 air to air missile. While this brought the F-16 down, it also exposed Abhinandan's wing to PAF missile, following which he was forced to eject and land into the Pakistan side of the Line of Control where he was captured. How IAF shot down Pakistan's F-16 in an aerial dogfight Pakistan was clearly looking to hit Indian military installations, but due to the heroic feat by Wing Commander Abhinandan and the presence of the Indian Air Force, Pakistan missed all the targets. Before being captured the brave-heart displayed the utmost courage, resilience and did not give in easily. He fought his captors, fired in the air, swallowed important documents before it could get into the enemy's hands. He did all this while he was profusely bleeding after the incident. He was surrounded by the locals who were threatening to attack him. He fired some gunshots but to no avail. He then jumped into a pond where he pulled out the documents and maps. He swallowed some and the rest he soaked into the water, ensuring that the enemy got nothing from him. Abhinandan who has been around the air force block for 16 years, is from Chennai. He is the son of a decorated former fighter pilot, Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthaman. Abhinandan joined the National Defence Academy in 2000 and was commissioned as a fighter pilot in 2004. He was as a Su30MKI pilot before he started flying the MiG21s. Abhinandan always drew inspiration from his father, who was commissioned as a fighter pilot in 1973. He has to his credit nearly 4,000 flying hours. Varthaman senior commanded the Western Sector during Operation Parakrama in 2001, the military buildup after the Parliament attack. Inside JeM Balakot camp: Religious fanaticism, hard core training by Pak officials Abhinandan's mother, who is a doctor has visited some of the worst conflict-ridden areas across the world and has provided medical treatment. Abhinandan's wife Tanvi Marwah has also served in the IAF as a squadron leader and has been honored several times for her bravery. His colleagues rightly refer to him as Singam (The lion) and we concur the reference. The whole nation had front row seats to the fateful events that transpired in the past two weeks. We had to bear witness to one of the most heart-wrenching tragedies that ensued Kashmir when dozens of soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack. We witnessed the anger, the grief, the escalating tensions between two nations culminating in an air raid and the capture of our soldier. So in the midst of the horrific events, it's a matter of great comfort and happiness to see the safe return of our pilot. This, we hope is the beginning of good tidings. Welcome back home Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, you are truly India's hero. COVID-19: Will stop schools in Karnataka if need be says minister With 20 MP seats 'a Kannadiga can be PM again': Kumaraswamy India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Bengaluru, Feb 28: In a bid to evoke regional sentiment ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said if Congress-JDS alliance is blessed with 20-22 seats 'a Kannadiga can became Prime Minister' once again. Speaking at an event, CM Kumaraswamy said, "In 1996, a Kannadiga HD Devegowda became PM after you (Karnataka) blessed us with 16 Lok Sabha seats. If you bless Congress and JD(S) with at least 20-22 seats in Karnataka once again, a Kannadiga can be in that place (Prime Minister)." Asked about possibility of his statement, he said, "In this country anything can happen. Why can't it happen?" Air strike will help us win 22 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, says Yeddyurappa CM Kumaraswamy's father, HD Deve Gowda, served as the 11th Prime Minister from 1 June 1996 to 21 April 1997. He was previously the 14th Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1994 to 1996. When the United Front (a conglomeration of non-Congress and non-BJP regional parties) decided to form the Government at the Centre with the support of the Congress, Deve Gowda was chosen to head the government and became the 11th Prime Minister of India. Currently, HD Deve Gowda is a member of the 16th Lok Sabha, representing the Hassan constituency of Karnataka, and is the National President of the Janata Dal (Secular) party. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 12:29 [IST] Collapse of Kabul will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history: Donald Trump Thousands of terrorists might have been airlifted out of Kabul: Trump slams Biden Never in history has withdrawal from war been handled so badly: Trump Cohen: Just when Trump is busy for peace in Korean Peninsula, disaster strikes at home International oi-Shubham Ghosh Hanoi, Feb 28: Just when US President Donald Trump was thinking of bringing a major reform to his image by sitting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for the second summit since June last year, he faced a major distraction back home. His former personal attorney Michael Cohen testified before the Congress that his former boss was a "conman" and "racist" who also lied about having advanced knowledge of Wikileaks plans to release the stolen emails of an opponent leader. This was a major embarrassment for the American president who is in the pursuit of accomplishing a major foreign policy goal of establishing peace in the Korean Peninsula. Trump met Kim for a one-on-one chat on Wednesday, February 27, followed by a dinner and then early on Thursday, February 28, the second and concluding day of the event. Past US administrations took India-Pakistan conflicts seriously; not any more Trump attacked Cohen even before the hearing began at Capitol Hill on Wednesday, saying in a tweet that the latter was lying to reduce his prison term. Cohen has pleaded guilty to lying to the Congress and finance violations and has been handed a three-year sentence. Michael Cohen was one of many lawyers who represented me (unfortunately). He had other clients also. He was just disbarred by the State Supreme Court for lying & fraud. He did bad things unrelated to Trump. He is lying in order to reduce his prison time. Using Crookeds lawyer! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 27, 2019 Trump even faced uncomfortable questions from the media about Cohen in Hanoi following which the White House barred four American journalists, including one from The Associated Press, to attend the Trump-Kim dinner meeting citing "sensitivities", AP reported. Cohen is considered a high-profile witness by the Democrats as they pursue Trump over his business practices, presidential campaign and charitable foundation. Cohen was earlier set to appear at Capitol Hill earlier in February but it was later delayed. President Trump's son Donald Junior accused the Opposition of timing the hearing purportedly to disrupt Trump's foreign trip. Cohen even revealed that Trump did not serve the Vietnam War because of medical reasons and even told him: "You think I'm stupid, I wasn't going to Vietnam", AP reported. Cohen said it was ironic to see Trump was in Vietnam at the moment. "The hearing began just before midnight in Hanoi. It was not clear whether Trump stayed up late to watch. The president did spend some of the downtime at his hotel before his dinner with Kim watching the coverage of Cohen's prepared testimony, which was released the evening before his Capitol Hill appearance," the AP report said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 10:22 [IST] Collapse of Kabul will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history: Donald Trump Thousands of terrorists might have been airlifted out of Kabul: Trump slams Biden Never in history has withdrawal from war been handled so badly: Trump Day 2 of Trump-Kim summit: Leaders to sign joint agreement today International oi-Shubham Ghosh Hanoi, Feb 28: US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un were looking forward to their next round of meeting in the ongoing two-day summit in Hanoi that kicked off on Wednesday, February 27. Kim, who arrived in the Vietnam capital in a train from Pyongyang, said he was waiting for a "wonderful dialogue" with the American president on the second and concluding day of the mega event. The two leaders met for a one-on-one chat and over dinner on Wednesday. The more serious part of the talks on denuclearisation is set to take place on Thursday. Both leaders met the press before their next meeting where Trump also expressed hope that the meeting will result in productive talks. The two met for a one-on-one meeting again at 9 am local time (7:30 am IST) and then there was an expanded bilateral meeting. At 12.35 pm IST, the two leaders will take part in a joint agreement-signing ceremony. Trump-Kim summit: US president doesn't rule out peace treaty with N Korea "I've been saying very much from the beginning that speed is not that important to me," he said with an indication of the progress of the denuclearisation process which for many has lacked intensity and definitiveness. "Speed is not important to me. What is important is that we do the right deal." Kim, who spoke through a translator, said he will do his best to bring out "wonderful results" on Thursday. Answering a reporter who asked whether he felt confident of arriving at a deal with the American side, Kim said it was too early to remark on that but he stopped short of saying that he is pessimistic, Viet Nam News reported. Meanwhile, the White House said that President Trump and Kim will sign a joint agreement on Thursday. Observers are though expecting that it would be more precise than the vague document they had signed in Singapore last year. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 9:52 [IST] Fatima Bhutto seeks release of Indian Air Force pilot captured by Pakistan International oi-PTI Washington, Feb 28: Author Fatima Bhutto, the grand daughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Wednesday asked the Imran Khan government to release an Indian Air Force pilot captured after an air combat. The Indian Air Force pilot was captured on Wednesday after he ejected safely from his MiG 21 Bison aircraft but landed across the Line of Control. India has demanded "immediate and safe return" of the pilot who was taken into custody by Pakistani army following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control. "I and many other young Pakistanis have called upon our country to release the captured Indian pilot as a gesture of our commitment to peace, humanity and dignity," Ms Bhutto, 36, wrote in an op-ed in the New York Times. "We have spent a lifetime at war. I do not want to see Pakistani soldiers die. I do not want to see Indian soldiers die. We cannot be a subcontinent of orphans," said Ms Bhutto, a writer who is also niece of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. India objects to Pakistan's display of injured IAF pilot, demands safe and immediate release "My generation of Pakistanis have fought for the right to speak, and we are not afraid to lend our voices to that most righteous cause: peace," said daughter of Murtaza Bhutto, son of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. "But our long history with military dictatorships and experience of terrorism and uncertainty means that my generation of Pakistanis have no tolerance, no appetite, for jingoism or war," she said. Ms Bhutto said like her, a large section of the population was against the escalation of tensions. "I have never seen my country at peace with its neighbour. But never before have I seen a war played out between two nuclear-armed states with Twitter accounts," Ms Bhutto said. In the afternoon on Wednesday, #saynotowar hashtag began to trend in Pakistan, before hitting the worldwide number 1 spot on Twitter. Tensions between India and Pakistan have been running high since the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack. Following the incident, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot, around 80 km from the Line of Control early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. On Wednesday, Pakistan claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested the pilot. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 11:16 [IST] His summit with Trump may be over but Kim Jong-Un will stay in Vietnam for a few more days International oi-Shubham Ghosh Hanoi, Feb 28: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who took a 60-plus hour journey to Vietnam by train to reach Hanoi for a two-day summit with US President Donald Trump, is scheduled to stay in the Southeast Asian nation till Saturday, March 2, North Korean state media KCNA (Korean Central News Agency) reported on Wednesday, February 27. The much-publicised summit between the two leaders - their second in eight months - had a premature conclusion on Thursday and there was no joint agreement signing ceremony. Trump-Kim summit: No deal reached as US couldn't meet N Korea's demand to lift sanctions Trump, who addressed a solo press conference much earlier than scheduled after his working lunch and joint agreement signing ceremony got cancelled, said Kim had insisted on the US lifting the sanctions imposed on his country in their entirety which was not possible for the American side to agree to. Trump though said it was not disappointing and kept faith on a long procedure to convince Kim about giving up his nuclear aspiration. Meanwhile, Kim's stay in Vietnam will be the longest foreign trip he has made since taking over after the death of his father Kim Jong-Il in December 2011. His longest so far has been a four-day stay in China, the country which he went by train for the first time in March last year. It is rare for leaders in North Korea, a country ruled by dictatorship, to stay out of their country for long since conspiracy plots are always in the play. It is very rare for a North Korean leader to be absent from his country for such a long period, as some analysts say fears are lingering about a potential plot against his rule. According to KCNA, Kim will "pay an official goodwill visit" to Vietnam on Friday and Saturday after the summit with Trump ended. His train arrived in Vietnam via China on Tuesday, February 26, and from the border town of Dong Dang, he took a luxury car to reach Hanoi. Kim though is not the first North Korean leader to visit Vietnam. In 1964, his grandfather and the country's founder Kim Il-Sung had travelled to Hanoi via China to meet the then North Vietnam's leader Ho Chi Minh. Both North Korea and Vietnam have been theatres of serious Cold War conflicts and were divided. Yet, while Vietnam saw a reunification, the two Koreas haven't. Trump-Kim working lunch cancelled; joint signing ceremony might be off as well: Reports Kim took a tour of Singapore ahead of first summit as well Kim is expected to see how the Vietnam model of economy has flourished despite being a staunch communist country once (it is still ruled by a communist party). Last year, the 35-year-old leader was seen taking a tour of Singapore - the host of the first summit with Trump - on the eve of the meeting to get a taste of the life there. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 15:55 [IST] Attractive, decent news coming from India and Pakistan: Donald Trump International oi-Deepika S Washington, Feb 28: US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that there is some"reasonably attractive" news coming from Indian and Pakistan. He indicated that the news may be about an end to the ongoing hostilities. "We have I think reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India. We have been going out and we have been involved in trying to have them stop...we have some reasonably decent news and I think it is going to end...it has been going on for a long time," Donald Trump said. Tensions between India and Pakistan rose following the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack. India, Pakistan should avoid further military action: Pentagon" title=" India, Pakistan should avoid further military action: Pentagon" /> India, Pakistan should avoid further military action: Pentagon Earlier, the US had called on India and Pakistan to "cease all cross-border military activity" and "take immediate steps to deescalate the situation, including through direct communication". Urging the neighbours to make efforts for a "return to stability", the US also repeated that Pakistan must abide by its UN Security Council commitments to deny terrorists a safe haven and block their access to funds. Past US administrations took India-Pakistan conflicts seriously; not any more International oi-Shubham Ghosh New Delhi, Feb 28: US President Donald Trump is currently at around 3,000 kilometres from Kashmir, sitting in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, for his historic second summit with North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un. The most powerful man on earth is in Asia where two nuclear-armed neighbours - India and Pakistan -- are witnessing an escalation at the border with the air power of both trying to cow down each other to score points. However, Trump has yet not felt concerned to tweet anything on the matter though he targeted his domestic rivals in Vietnam. This is a sharp departure from the past. Though top US officials - be it Secretary of State Mike Pompeo or National Security Adviser John Bolton - have sought peace to prevail but it seems Washington hasn't really tried to handle the situation to defuse the tension it has done in the past. Welcome to a truly multipolar world. Trump-Kim summit: US president doesn't rule out peace treaty with N Korea It is not the first time that India and Pakistan have inched closer to war. War rhetoric has poured in from both countries but every time, it's Washington which has taken efforts to cool down the tempers. Bill Clinton cooled things down in 1999 For example, in 1999 when the Kargil conflict (it was a non-international armed conflict) broke out after Pakistani intruders tried to reclaim parts of the Valley, India warned of dire consequences. The two countries were on a collision course on that occasion also and the United Nations was not much able to control things. It was the then US president Bill Clinton who stepped in and put to use his diplomatic skills to push the foes off the collision course. The then Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif was called to Washington and Clinton had reminded him of the danger that the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 had posed to the world while explaining the threat that India-Pakistan tussle gave to the subcontinent, something the then secretary of state Strobe Talbott revealed in his memoirs. "unlike Kennedy and Khrushchev in 1962, (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee (then the Indian Prime Minister) and Sharif did not realize how close they were to the brink, so there was an even greater risk that they would blindly stumble across it," Talbott had said. The US's interference saw the subcontinent avert a major danger then. Not something of Clinton's calibre is being seen with Trump who has remained largely silent with the escalating tension apart from uttering obvious remarks like: "It would be wonderful if India and Pakistan were to get along." Being in Asia, Trump did not feel Indo-Pak tension important enough to tweet Though a few gentlemen in the US ranks have spoken to officials in India and Pakistan but there is certainly no solid initiative on Washington's behalf to make the two neighbours sit and talk. The US has no designated ambassador to Pakistan but a charge d'affaires which means there is not much high-level diplomatic mechanism to manage the complex problem. Richard Armitage took to the initiative to give peace a chance in 2002 In 2002, months after a terror attack on the Indian Parliament, New Delhi and Islamabad had almost plunged into a war as troop mobilisation occurred along the border. It was again Washington which had stepped in and the credit this time went to the then deputy secretary of state of George W Bush administration Richard Armitage. "Armitage, who admitted he had no doubt that Pakistani generals would deploy nuclear weapons, shuttled between the two countries to ensure that neither they nor the Indians actually did so," Rafia Zakaria wrote in an opinion piece on CNN. Zakaria said that no Armitage-like figure is seen in the current administration. The current NSA though made an initial remark of supporting India's right to self-defence, he hasn't backed it up showing more interest on the issue. For the current Trump administration, it's the happenings in North Korea and Venezuela that matter more than a probable India-Pakistan clash. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 6:14 [IST] List of 28 agreements/MoUs signed during the 21st India-Russia Annual Summit in New Delhi Qureshi makes 'urgent' phone call to Chinese FM, briefs him on Indo-Pak tensions International pti-PTI Islamabad, Feb 28: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi made an "urgent" phone call to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to update him about the tensions between Pakistan and India, Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. During the phone call, Wang briefed Qureshi on China's efforts to promote peace talks and reiterated his hope that Pakistan and India would exercise restraint and "earnestly fulfil" their commitment to prevent the escalation of the situation, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Qureshi's phone call came as tensions between India and Pakistan rose Wednesday after Pakistan claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot in response to Indian counter-terrorism in Balakot. Sushma Swaraj to leave for OIC meet today; Pak may skip key meet "Late at night on February 27, 2019, Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi made an urgent call to State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi to update him on the situation between Pakistan and India," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Qureshi made the phone call after Wang held extensive talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Russia, India, China (RIC) Foreign Ministers meeting in the Chinese city of Wuzhen. Swaraj forcefully raised the terror strike issue with her Chinese counterpart and said the Pulwama attack is the direct result of the "impunity and cover" provided to the Jaish-e-Muhammed terror group by Pakistan. China backs India, asks Pakistan to end terror activities Swaraj's meeting with Wang came a day after India destroyed a major Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) terror training camp in Pakistan. China, a close ally of Pakistan has repeatedly foiled India's attempts to brand JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN. The JeM, founded by Azhar, has already been in the UN's list of banned terror outfits. Wang told Qureshi that China will continue to play a "constructive role" in easing the current tension. He expressed deep concern over the escalation of tension between Pakistan and India and briefed Qureshi on China's efforts to promote peace talks and reiterated his hope that Pakistan and India would exercise restraint and earnestly fulfil their commitment to prevent the escalation of the situation, the statement said. Wang also stressed that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be truly respected. China does not want to see any behaviour that goes against the norms governing international relations," it said. At the RIC Ministers meeting, India won the support of China and Russia in the fight against terrorism as China and Russia agreed to step up policy coordination. Briefing the media after the RIC Ministers talks, Wang said, We agreed to jointly combat all forms terrorism through closer policy coordination and practical cooperation. Especially important is to eradicate the breeding grounds of terrorism and extremism." But at the same Wang tried to cautiously tread a fine line, highlighting that Pakistan, which is its close ally, is also opposed to terrorism. China, Russia and India have reaffirmed our strong opposition to terrorism in various forms and manifestations. At the same time, we believe that Pakistan has always been opposed to terrorism," he said at the joint press conference with Swaraj and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Elaborating on China's stand, Wang said, "on the recent developments between India and Pakistan, China appreciates the statements from Indian and Pakistani friends saying that they will exercise and avoid escalation of the situation." He said China for its part is playing a "constructive role as a mutual friend." As a mutual friend to both India and Pakistan, we do hope that they can conduct dialogue to establish facts through investigation to keep things under control, maintain peace and stability in the region. In this process, China is playing a constructive role not the opposite," he said. Signalling peace with India, Imran Khan says IAF pilot will be released tomorrow International oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa Islamabad, Feb 28: Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan has said that Indian Air Force Pilot, Wing Commander, Abhinandan will be released tomorrow. Addressing a joint session of Parliament, Khan said that the pilot will be released tomorrow as a peace gesture. Khan said that in our desire for peace, I announce that tomorrow, and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the indian Air Force Officer in our custody. The gesture was greeted with unanimous support in the Parliament. Earlier Khan said that he is afraid that there may be a miscalculation, while referring to a war hysteria. Countries are ruined because of miscalculation. War is not a solution. If India takes action, we will have to retaliate, he also said. He also said that the situation should not get out of hand, otherwise Pakistan will have to retaliate. Khan also said that he had tried calling Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on the phone on Wednesday. He said that he tried making the call to inform Modi that escalation is not in their interest. He also said that Pakistan acted with restraint following the Balakot incident because it wanted to be absolutely sure that it did not cause any damage beyond what had been inflicted on itself. The only purpose of the strike was to demonstrate our capability and will. We had no intention of inflicting any casualty on India as we wanted to act in a responsible manner, he also said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 17:13 [IST] Centre renames 2 prominent institutes after Sushma Swaraj on the eve of her birth anniversary The joy of our lives: Sushma Swaraj's husband warm birthday wishes for late leader Remembering Sushma Swaraj on her death anniversary: Facts about Iron Lady of India Sushma Swaraj to leave for OIC meet today; Pak may skip key meet International oi-Deepika S Islamabad, Dubai, Feb 28: Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj will leave for United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday to take part in the inaugural session of the foreign ministers' conclave of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Abu Dhabi. It is yet not clear if Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi will attend OIC meeting after he threatened to boycott the meet over invitation to Sushma Swaraj. "I have no reservations with the OIC or any other Islamic country. My reservations are with Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj's attendance at the OIC meeting," Qureshi told Geo News. "If Swaraj attends the meeting then I will not participate in it," Qureshi said. His statement came amid the heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after the former claimed to have struck terror launch pads in Balakot. China backs India, asks Pakistan to end terror activities Swaraj has been invited as a "guest of honour" at the inaugural session of the foreign ministers' conclave in Abu Dhabi on March 1-2. On Tuesday night, Qureshi had spoken with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to express his reservations over the invite to Swaraj. "Under the current circumstances, it will not be possible for me to attend OIC meeting where Swaraj is present," he said. Opposition parties in Pakistan have also called for a boycott of the OIC meeting for inviting India as "guest of honour". "Pakistan should boycott the OIC meeting. It is an insult that our enemies are being invited as a guest of honour when Kashmiris are facing bloodshed," Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif said on the National Assembly floor. Central route of water diversion project concludes water transfer in freezing period On Feb. 28, the central route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project concluded its water transfer during this winter's freezing period, having successfully transferred 1.263 billion cubic meters of water in total. The Construction and Administration Bureau of the central route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project ensured safe and stable transfer of water during winter, keeping a rescue team and equipment on call at all times and implementing strong emergency measures. The water transfer project along the central route was expanded during the freezing period to ensure adequate water supply to Tianjin. Workers used specialized devices to block the formation of ice, and to melt and drain ice in weaker sections of the water transfer. The Xihei Mountain check gate of the Tianjin main line transferred 27 cubic meters of water per second during the winter months to maintain water stores for Tianjin residents. The General Management Center of the Construction and Administration Bureau served as the hub for the project, including preparations and ongoing monitoring of the operation. The 2018-2019 water delivery plan was created in advance, outlining and anticipating important factors. Once the transfer began, the team strictly controlled water levels and the flow of transfer, and kept a close watch on the weather, monitoring changes in water temperature and ice formation. Information was shared among management centers at all levels, thus creating a network to exchange ice impact data daily. "Our work load was heavier than those offices without winter water transfer duties," said Zhu Yunzhi, director of the Xihei Mountain Management Office of the central route. During the freezing season, he said, project inspection increased in frequency, and ice information was updated regularly, including monitoring of shore ice and floating ice, and the time and location of any melting. Equipment and machinery was examined and maintained intensively, including the diesel generators and ice melting devices used for the project. Emergency readiness was made a high priority during the project's running, with ropes installed at the entrances of aqueducts to prevent ice from flowing into them. In danger-prone areas, ice breaking and ice draining machines were kept on hand. "We requested that every management office hold training classes on winter water delivery," said Tian Yong of the Hebei branch of the Construction and Administration Bureau. The training provided staff with instruction about the particular challenges and dangers of managing water transfer in freezing temperatures, and improved their emergency response preparedness. The Construction and Administration Bureau of the project listed three high-risk points along the route: Gangtou gate station, Xihei Mountain gate station and Beijuma gate station. At those points, inspection for drifting ice at the tunnels and gate entrances was conducted continuously. According to Zhu Yunzhi of the Xihei Mountain Management Office, the emergency team on the worksite conducted rescue drills every day and kept the machines running and available at all times in case of an emergency. Workers conduct a safety inspection along the Caohe aqueduct, part of the central route, in northern China's Hebei province. Collapse of Kabul will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history: Donald Trump Thousands of terrorists might have been airlifted out of Kabul: Trump slams Biden Never in history has withdrawal from war been handled so badly: Trump Trump-Kim summit: US president doesn't rule out peace treaty with N Korea International oi-Shubham Ghosh Hanoi, Feb 28: US President Donald Trump had his second summit with North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, on Wednesday, February 27, and on the occasion, he did not rule out the possibility of Washington and Pyongyang signing a peace treaty to formally conclude the Korean War (1950-53) on the outcomes of the summit, Russia's TASS news agency reported. "We'll see," Trump replied when asked about the same. The two leaders met for a one-on-one chat followed by dinner and there, both had pleasing words about the other. While Kim said together, Pyongyang and Washington overcome problems and distrust, Trump called the former "a great leader". Being in Asia, Trump did not feel Indo-Pak tension important enough to tweet During the Korean War that took place at the height of the Cold War, the US supported South Korea and its forces took part in combat activities as part of the United Nations' troops. The hostilities ended in July 1953 with a peace treaty signed between North Korea and the UN coalition headed by the US. However, no peace treaty was signed ever between the direct participants of the hostilities and hence the two Koreas remain technically at war even today. The first summit between Trump and Kim took place in Singapore in June last year where the two parties signed a joint document in which North Korea showed commitment towards denuclearising the Korean Peninsula. On Wednesday, Trump called the first meeting as a "success". For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 6:06 [IST] Get out of Venezuela, Trump warns Russia; says all options open to make it happen US pushes for fresh elections in Venezuela in UN; Russia, China may veto International pti-PTI United Nations (United States), Feb 28: The United States has requested a vote on Thursday at the UN Security Council on a draft resolution calling for presidential elections in Venezuela and unimpeded deliveries of humanitarian aid, diplomats said. Russia and China, who support President Nicolas Maduro, are likely to veto the measure that "expresses deep concern about the actions of a regime that have caused an economic collapse," diplomats said. The draft resolution, seen by AFP, calls for "free, fair and credible presidential elections," with the presence of international observers, and describes the May vote in which Maduro was declared the winner as "neither free nor fair." The US-drafted measure expresses support for "the peaceful restoration of democracy and rule of law in Venezuela" and requests that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres broker a deal on holding fresh elections. Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has declared himself acting president, is locked in a political battle against Maduro, whom he blames for an economic meltdown that has sent millions fleeing across borders. The United States is leading a push for recognition of Guaido, who heads the National Assembly, backed by about 50 countries including Britain, France, Germany and several Latin American nations such as Brazil, Argentina and Colombia. Four people died in clashes over the weekend on Venezuela's borders during a bid by Guaido to defy Maduro and bring in humanitarian aid to help Venezuelans enduring a dire economic crisis. [Explained: The ongoing crisis in Venezuela] Maduro has accused the United States of using aid as a political tool aimed at overthrowing him, and blames US sanctions for the economic turmoil in his country. The proposed measure stresses the importance of ensuring the security of opposition members, but a reference in a previous draft expressing "full support" for the National Assembly was dropped. [Venezuela: Crisis worsens as security forces fire at protesters; 2 killed] Diplomats said they expected the proposed measure to win at least nine votes in the council, forcing a veto to block its adoption. Resolutions at the Security Council, which are legally binding, must garner nine votes and no vetoes from the five permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- to be adopted. he ongoing crisis in Venezuela turned worse on Friday, February 22, when the security forces opened fire on a group of protesters who tried to prevent them from blocking the border with its biggest neighbour Brazil to the South. PTI Flash China, Russia and India on Wednesday agreed to enhance coordination and cooperation, firmly uphold multilateralism and jointly fight against terrorism. The agreement came as Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held the 16th meeting of the foreign ministers of China, Russia and India in Wuzhen, eastern China's Zhejiang Province. Noting that the world today is undergoing unprecedented changes that have not been seen in the past 100 years, Wang said China, Russia and India, as influential major powers and important emerging economies, should enhance coordination, converge consensus, cement cooperation and jointly promote world peace and stability. Wang said leaders of the three countries successfully held a meeting in Argentina last November, which pointed out the direction for and provided a strong impetus to trilateral cooperation. He suggested that the three countries should firmly safeguard the international system with the United Nations (UN) as the core, and adhere to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and deepen counter-terrorism and security cooperation. It is necessary to resolutely oppose unilateralism and protectionism, continually push forward the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment and promote the construction of an open world economy, said Wang, adding that all of the three countries have proposed their initiatives of connectivity, and they should cooperate with each other and jointly promote the process of regional integration. Lavrov and Swaraj said the international community should observe the principle of the UN Charter and comply with the norms of international laws and relations. They called on the three countries to give full play of multilateral platforms including the UN to further strengthen coordination and cooperation and make joint contributions to properly handle international and regional hotspot issues and tackle challenges facing humanity. After the meeting, the three countries released a joint communique. The three foreign ministers also attended a joint press conference and conducted in-depth exchanges of views regarding the current international situation and trilateral cooperation. The three sides agreed to jointly combat all forms of terrorism, enhance communication over counter-terrorism policy and practical cooperation and will especially make efforts to eradicate terrorism and extremism. On the Venezuela issue, they said it should be settled by Venezuelan people through constructive dialogue rather than resorting to violence, and military intervention is opposed. The three sides also agreed to constantly consolidate and expand trilateral practical cooperation, and work on setting up a meeting mechanism among their defense ministers in an appropriate time. China also proposed to discuss "China, Russia, India plus" cooperation, so as to improve global influence of the trilateral cooperation. The next meeting between three foreign ministers will be held in Russia, Wang said. Flash Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday invited India for dialogue to counter terrorism and reduce tensions between the two neighbors. The Pakistani prime minister was addressing the nation amid tensions between the two countries following a recent suicide attack on the Indian police in the Indian-controlled Kashmir. "Both countries cannot afford miscalculation because of the weapons we have. Pakistan is ready for dialogue to counter terrorism. Let's sit on the table to find out solution to the problems," Khan said after Pakistan army said its air force shot down two Indian fighter jets along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir region. Confirming downing of the Indian fighter jets, the prime minister said, "Pakistan responded in compulsion" after the Indian aircraft had entered the Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. "We hold two Indian pilots," said Prime Minister Khan who reminded India that there had been miscalculations in the previous wars so there was a need to use logic and sagacity. Pakistan denied any involvement in the suicide attack and the prime minister promised investigation if India shared any actionable and credible evidence. Khan again offered cooperation to help India investigate the tragedy and hoped "better sense" will prevail and both countries need to resolve issues through talks. On the same day, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said Indian forces fired along the LoC on Tuesday in Nikial and Khuiratta sectors in Pakistani side of the LoC, leaving four civilians dead. Meanwhile, the Indian acting High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to lodge a formal protest and condemn the "unprovoked ceasefire violations" by the Indian forces. The Pakistan military said on Wednesday that it did not want to escalate the tension with India and urged New Delhi to accept its "offer of peace." Tensions grew between the two neighbors after India claimed to have carried out air strikes in the Pakistani side of LoC on Tuesday, and Pakistan said it shot down two Indian fighter jets inside Pakistani airspace earlier on Wednesday. India confirmed that Pakistan shot down one of its fighter jets MiG-21 and the pilot had gone missing, which Pakistan claimed that he was in its custody. "India should accept our offer of peace," Major General Asif Ghafoor, director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan army's media wing, told a press conference. He urged the international community to play its role to defuse the current soaring situation to save peace in the region as Pakistan did not want to push the region towards war. Ghafoor was briefing the media about Wednesday's situation in which Pakistan army said its air force shot down two Indian fighter jets inside the Pakistani airspace and ground troops arrested two pilots of the destroyed aircraft. Earlier Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said in a statement that "Pakistan has, therefore, taken strikes at the non-military target, avoiding human loss and collateral damage. Sole purpose (is) being to demonstrate our right, will and capability for self-defense." Pakistan's military also denied Indian media's reports that Indian forces shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet. India claimed that its air force targeted a camp of the Jaish-e-Muhammad group in Tuesday's airstrikes, which was blamed for the Feb. 14 suicide bombing on Indian paramilitary troopers in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed some 40 people. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman said, "We have no intention of escalation, but are fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm. That is why we undertook the action with a clear warning and in broad daylight." Yggdrasil Games Going Live at 888 Casino Published February 28, 2019 by Ivan P As the result of the latest deal, 888 Casino players in the UK and Denmark now have access to full Yggdrasil's gaming portfolio, with Sweden set to follow shortly. Yggdrasil Gaming, a developer of video slots, table games, and other online gaming solutions, will be going live with their entire portfolio at 888 Casino. The company already has a very strong presence in the iGaming sector through partnership with numerous operators and the deal with 888 will further improve their position and provide even more visibility for their titles. 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As for 888 Casino, this partnership will provide them with access to in-game promotional tools developed by Yggdrasil. Aptly named BOOST, this range of products helps increase the player engagement and retention through creation of tournaments, cash races, and missions players can participate in. Additionally, players can share their big wins via various social media channels thanks to the unique BRAG feature. Thus, the latest partnership deal between Yggdrasil and 888 Holdings will be beneficial to all parties. Players will gain access to a truly versatile and innovative portfolio of games from the Swedish developer, while both companies will experience significant benefits for their business operations. 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The report contains basic, secondary and advanced information pertaining to the Scuba Diving Fins Market global status and trend, market size, share, growth, trends analysis, segment and forecasts from 2019 2025.The scope of the report extends from market scenarios to comparative pricing between major players, cost and profit of the specified market regions. The numerical data is backed up by statistical tools such as SWOT analysis, BCG matrix, SCOT analysis, PESTLE analysis and so on. The statistics are represented in graphical format for a clear understanding on facts and figures.The generated report is firmly based on primary research, interviews with top executives, news sources and information insiders. 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Top trends driving the Pressure Sensitive Tapes & Labels Market demand By top key innovators: Constantia Flexibles, Avery Dennison Corporation, 3M, Scapa, Berry Global Inc., CCL Industries, Coveris Group, UPM Raflatac Pressure Sensitive Tapes & Labels Market https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/383 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/pressure-sensitive-tapes-and-labels-market https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/383 www.gminsights.com The product domain of pressure sensitive tapes & labels market is divided into labels and tapes. Among these, tapes will generate a revenue of more than USD 100 billion with the annual growth rate of over 6.6% by 2024. Excessive use of the product in myriad end-user domains include food & beverage, logistics, automotive & transportation and others.The major end-user segments include food & beverage, logistics, automotive & transportation, healthcare, construction and general manufacturing. Other minor end-users in pressure sensitive tapes & labels market comprise household (Do it Yourself), office, etc. Among these domains, food & beverage and logistics collectively will hold more than 50% share of the entire segment by the end of forecast timeframe. This is due to the usage of the product for packaging and displaying the information of food, beverage, cosmetics, and other items.Request for a Sample copy of this report @Pressure Sensitive Tapes & Labels Market will surpass USD 150 billion by 2024; according to a new research report. Growth in the packaging sector in developing economies will boost the pressure sensitive tapes & labels market demand through the forecast period. Adoption of innovative marketing techniques in retail sector, growth in online market and change in consumer food preference are the crucial factors behind the packaging sector growth.These products are widely used for packaging and labelling the edible items, consumer goods, cosmetics, beer labels. Increasing demand for ready-to-eat food, beverages and other edible products in developed countries such as the U.S., Germany, UK, is expected to create huge opportunities for the pressure sensitive tapes & labels market growth by 2024.Excessive energy consumption, environmental protocols related to solid waste disposal are the key restraining factors for the pressure sensitive tapes & labels market growth in forecast spell. Additionally, volatile organic compound-based adhesives which affects the environment, high temperature required at the time of application is another hindering factor for the industry growth over the forecast period.Company profiled in this report based on Business overview, Financial data, Product landscape, Strategic outlook & SWOT analysis:1. Avery Dennison Corporation2. 3M3. Scapa Group plc4. Berry Global Inc.5. American Biltrite Inc.6. DeWAL7. Gaska Tape Inc.8. LINTEC Corporation9. MACtac, LLC10. CCL Industries11. Constantia Flexibles12. COVERIS13. Inland14. Fuji Seal International, Inc.15. UPM RaflatacBrowse report summery @Pressure sensitive tapes & labels market is bifurcated by backing material, adhesion tapes, product and end-user. The four major backing materials include polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), paper and cloth. Other minor backing materials include polyethylene, foam, metal foil, etc. Among these materials, paper and polypropylene collectively will account for over 65% of the entire market share by the end of the forecast spell.Based on adhesion type, the pressure sensitive tapes & labels market is segregated into double sided, adhesive transfer and single sided. Single sided segment is expected to surpass USD 100 billion by the end of 2024, growing at an annual growth rate of over 6.5% in coming years. Low cost and ease of use are some of the key factors for the segment demand in pressure sensitive tapes & labels market.- Pressure Sensitive Tapes & Labels Market by End-user Food & beverage Healthcare Logistics Automotive & transportation General manufacturing Others- Pressure Sensitive Tapes & Labels Market by Backing Material Polypropylene Polyvinyl chloride Paper Cloth Others- Pressure Sensitive Tapes & Labels Market by Adhesion Type Single sided Double sided Adhesive transferMake an inquiry for purchasing this report @Asia Pacific led by India and China held over 40% share of the entire pressure sensitive tapes & labels market with a CAGR of more than 7% by the end of forecast period. Growth in regional packaging sector, online retailing, coupled with rising demand for packaged food, beverages, and other edible products will be key driving factors behind the colossal share of Asia Pacific region.The list of key manufacturers in pressure sensitive tapes & labels market comprises 3M, Avery Dennison, Coveris, Gaska Tape, Scapa Group, LINTEC Corporation, American Biltrite, Fuji Seal International, CCL Industries and others.About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Contact Person: Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone:1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb: Ottawa Orthodontic Clinic Receives Major Consumer Choice Award Ottawa, ON February 28 - Staff at a popular orthodontist clinic, Braces Haven, are all smiles having landed a regional award. Local businesses and consumers selected their clinic in Ontario's Ottawa & Gatineau region as the 2019 recipient of the Consumer Choice Award in the Orthodontist category. Braces Haven was selected due to five-star reviews from its patients, and the fact that it is a modern family-friendly clinic providing a host of services which aims to put smiles on the faces of their patients. "We have a dedicated team that inspires confidence in our patients during their treatment," commented Dr. Charles Cohen, founder and Orthodontist at Braces Haven in Barrhaven. "We always consider the best treatment options for our patients," he added. Patients are guaranteed a warm welcome to the Barrhaven clinic where the staff are deeply committed to excellence and providing a first-class experience. The clinic provides all kinds of metal and traditional braces, Invisalign (invisible braces), ceramic and clear braces, as well as, lingual braces which sit behind the teeth. Braces Haven also offers digital X-rays, digital no goop, no gag impressions, early preventative orthodontics, retainers, surgical orthodontics and emergency care. Evening and weekend appointments are available, while the clinic offers affordable and flexible payment plans. As well as providing the exceptional service our patients deserve, we are keen to educate and make everyone aware of the treatment process and objectives," he added. Dr. Cohen and his family, who live in Barrhaven, said his career in orthodontics was driven by his own childhood experience with braces and the positive lifelong impact of orthodontic treatment. "Aside from our free consultation for a complete examination, we believe in trust, transparency and technique. We have flexible scheduling, as we know children and parents have busy schedules between school and work," said Gabriela, office manager at Braces Haven. The Braces Haven team discusses various ways they can achieve the perfect smile by using visual aids, videos and virtual simulations to explain the treatment options and desired results. Seeing your own teeth up on a screen straighten out has been a great tool for our patients, it's really quite impressive, said Sindy, treatment coordinator at Braces Haven. "Above everything, we treat all patients with kindness and respect, and show that we really care about them. We are always with them along the journey and guide them through treatment process, remarked Dr. Cohen. To book an appointment and to discover why patients are leaving Braces Haven with a smile, contact them at (613) 440-6116, email them at info@braceshaven.com or view their website at www.braceshaven.com A modern, family-friendly Ottawa Orthodontic clinic located in Barrhaven, Nepean providing Braces (Metal / Traditional Braces), Invisalign (Invisible Braces), Clear Braces (Ceramic Braces), Lingual Braces (Behind-the-Teeth Braces by brand names such as Incognito Braces and Harmony Braces), Self-Ligating Braces, Digital X-Rays, Digital Impressions (Itero Scanner), Acceledent, Dentofacial Orthopedics, Retainers, Surgical Orthodontics & Emergency Care. Evening and Weekend appointments available. Affordable and Flexible payment plans. Contact: Dr. Charles Cohen, Braces Haven 240 Kennevale Drive, Suite 204 Ottawa, ON Canada K2J 6B6 (613) 440-6116 info@braceshaven.com www.braceshaven.com This release was published on openPR. Permanent link to this press release: Copy Please set a link in the press area of your homepage to this press release on openPR. openPR disclaims liability for any content contained in this release. Luxe Medical Spa A Premier Cosmetic & Aesthetic Center Opens in Thousand Oaks Dr. Haimesh Shah, Medical Director of Luxe Medical Spa https://www.LuxeMediSpa.com/ https://www.luxemedispa.com https://www.centerforveinwellness.com/ Luxe Medical Spa, led by Dr. Haimesh Shah, now steps into Thousand Oaks, a beautiful park city in California to cater to the cosmetic needs and beauty consultation all under one roof.For details about Luxe Medical Spa treatments, services and locations visit:Thousand Oaks, California Luxe Medical Spa takes a step forward after its success story at Ventura, Oxnard and Camarillo cosmetic centers in California. The entire team is delighted to open up Luxe Medical Spa at Thousand Oaks, CA, USA.Residents of Thousand Oaks are equally delighted to welcome Luxe Medical Spa, A Cosmetic and Aesthetic Medical Center, under supervision of Dr. Shah. Residents are happy because top-class cosmetic treatment facilities, staff and physicians are now right at their doorstep.From laser hair removal to anti-aging treatments, Liposuction to High Definition Body SculptingLuxe Medical Spa is the answer to all your skin and body concerns.Luxe Medical Spa has everything to make you look and feel good. As Dr. Shah, the Medical Director of Luxe Medical Spa, puts it we are committed to providing our patients with the latest treatment methods that are safe and minimally-invasive, to deliver the best possible care and the most natural result.Dr. Shahs success story began when he started his practice as a Phlebologists, with a passion for cosmetic and laser surgeries. He received long and intensive training from internationally acknowledged surgeons. He is the leading physician in California in innovative medical techniques and bio-cellular therapies.Dr. Shah is supported by a professional team comprising Office Manager (also a Certified Makeup Artist), Registered Nurse, Aesthetician, and highly qualified staff. He says that we focus on making our patients feel comfortable and relaxed during skin and body treatments. He also adds that Luxe Medical Spa aims at improving clients self-esteem so they can look and feel beautiful inside and out.About Luxe Medical SpaLuxe Medical Spa is the one-stop destination for all your cosmetic needs under the medical directorship of Dr. Haimesh Shah. He is a triple board certified medical practitioner specializing in Cosmetic and Laser surgeries.He takes an individualistic approach to offer wholesome aesthetic treatments to his patients. He has a successful practice in other premium California locations (Oxnard, Camarillo and Ventura) with his expertise in minimally-invasive non-surgical facelifts, liposuction, body contouring, fat grafting and cosmetic vein procedures.USP of Luxe Medical Spa Aesthetics at its best care in safe hands of medical staff.ContactLuxe Medical SpaThousand Oaks3180 Willow Lane, Suite 210Thousand Oaks, CA, 91361Phone: (805) 500-6589 All-terrain Service Robots Market Growing CAGR and Owing high demand by Analyzing Industry Leaders Profile (Boston Dynamics, Endeavor Robotics, QinetiQ, Roboteam) All-terrain Service Robots Market https://www.orianresearch.com/request-sample/822415 https://www.orianresearch.com/enquiry-before-buying/822415 https://www.orianresearch.com/checkout/822415 www.orianresearch.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/13281002/ All-terrain Service Robots Market provides Industry overview, segmentation by types, potential applications and production analysis.it analyses the important factors of the All-terrain Service Robots market based on present industry, market demands, business strategies utilized market players and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Get Sample Copy of this Report -The Global All-terrain Service Robots market 2019 research provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Global All-terrain Service Robots market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status. Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.Global All-terrain Service Robots Industry 2019 Market Research Report is spread across 96 pages and provides exclusive vital statistics, data, information, trends and competitive landscape details in this niche sector.Inquire more or share questions if any before the purchase on this report @Global All-terrain Service Robots market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the TOP PLAYERS including Boston Dynamics Clearpath Robotics ENDEAVOR ROBOTICS QinetiQ Roboteam The report provides insights on the following pointers:Product Analysis and Development: Detailed insights on upcoming technologies, research and development activities, and new product launches in the global All-terrain Service Robots market.Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative emerging markets is provided. The report also analyzes the markets for All-terrain Service Robots across various regions, exploits new distribution channels, new clientele base, and different pricing policies.Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new products, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investment decisions in the global All-terrain Service Robots market. Detailed description regarding the related and unrelated diversification pertaining to this market is also provided.Competitive Assessment: An in-depth assessment of market shares and company share analysis of the key players, which is forecast till 2025 is provided. The business strategies and manufacturing capabilities of leading players are offered for the major companies in the All-terrain Service Robots market.Order a copy of Global All-terrain Service Robots Market Report 2019 @All-terrain Service Robots Breakdown Data by Type Passenger Cars Light Commercial Vehicles Heavy Commercial Vehicles Two-WheelersAll-terrain Service Robots Breakdown Data by Application Regular Maintenance Engine OthersScope of the Report: To analyze global All-terrain Service Robots status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. To present the All-terrain Service Robots development in United States, Europe and China. To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their development plan and strategies. To define, describe and forecast the market by product type, market and key regions.About Us:Orian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on the World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products. We also specialize in custom research in situations where our syndicate research offerings do not meet the specific requirements of our esteemed clients.Contact Us:Ruwin MendezVice President Global Sales & Partner RelationsOrian Research ConsultantsUS: +1 (415) 830-3727 | UK: +44 020 8144-71-27Email: info@orianresearch.comWebsite:Follow Us on LinkedIn: You are here: World Flash Russia on Wednesday urged India and Pakistan to exercise restraint following fighter downing over the Kashmir region. "We call on both sides to show restraint and step up efforts to resolve existing problems by political and diplomatic means," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. The ministry said it is ready to further assist in strengthening the counterterrorism potential of New Delhi and Islamabad. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the Kremlin was closely monitoring the situation and expected the parties to exercise restraint. Earlier in the day, Pakistan said its air force had shot down two Indian fighter jets inside its airspace and captured an Indian pilot. India confirmed that Pakistan destroyed one of its MiG-21 aircraft and that the pilot is missing. Meanwhile, India added it had downed one Pakistani fighter, which Islamabad denied. Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. Enditem What's driving the Non-Dairy Ice Cream market trends? Key Company Profiled - General Mills, Trader Joe's, Danone Dairy, NadaMoo!, Booja-Booja, Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream, Tofutti Brands Inc. Non-Dairy Ice Cream Market https://www.gminsights.com/request-toc/upcoming/1786 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/non-dairy-ice-cream-market https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/1786 https://www.gminsights.com http://algosonline.com/news Non-Dairy Ice Cream Market is estimated to surpass USD 1 billion by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. Growing vegan population along with inclination towards healthy lifestyles are among key factors propelling the non-dairy ice cream market growth. Increasing consumer spending on desserts, confectionery and other functional food items will support the industry demand. Rising awareness regarding lactose intolerance will further fuel the business development.Request Sample Copy of This Report @Company Profiles1. Unilever2. General Mills3. Trader Joe's4. Danone Dairy5. NadaMoo!6. Booja-Booja7. Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream8. Tofutti Brands Inc.9. HAPPY COW DAIRY COMPANY PRIVATE LIMITED10. Bliss Unlimited11. Over The Moon12. Eden Creamery LLC.13. Swedish Glace14. DreamShifting consumer preference towards innovative products and flavors due to changing social trends will drive the non-dairy ice cream market size. Technological advancements in machineries and product innovations using avocado and hemp milk will augment the product adoption. Increasing raw material availability along with convenient production process are among major factors supporting the industry growth.Coconut milk accounted for over 30% of the global non-dairy ice cream market share in 2017. Significant health benefits, ease in production along with texture compatibility are among key factors driving the product demand. Rising count of brands offering coconut-based products has enhanced the industry demand. However, almond milk is expected to witness higher CAGR owing to changing taste preferences and increasing number of product launches.Rising penetration of renowned brands in non-dairy ice cream segment to gain competitive advantage will propel the industry demand. Innovative fruit-based flavor offerings through new product launches to improve consumer base are among key trends among manufacturers. Expanding distribution networks coupled with attractive packaging will boost the product penetration during the forecast timeframe. However, changing raw material costs along with relatively high product prices may hinder the industry growth.Browse key industry insights spread across 300 pages with 373 market data tables & 13 figures & charts from the report, Non-Dairy Ice Cream Market Size By Source (Coconut Milk, Almond Milk, Cashew Milk, Soy Milk), By Flavor (Vanilla, Chocolate, Butter Pecan, Strawberry, Neapolitan, Cookies & Cream, Mint Choco Chip, Caramel), By Product (Impulse, Artisanal, Take Home), By Form (Singles, Blends), By Distribution Channel (Supermarkets, Convenience Stores, Food & Drink Specialists, Restaurants, Online Stores) Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa, UAE, Saudi Arabia), Growth Potential, Price Trend, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018 2024 in detail along with the table of contents:Chocolate flavor is projected to witness CAGR at over 14.5% from 2018 to 2024. Extensive product offerings with multiple chocolate flavor variants including dark chocolate and chocolate chips is proliferating the non-dairy ice cream market. However, flavor portfolio largely varies on country level, due to changing taste preferences. For instance, lemon-based flavors are highly prevalent in specific European countries.Artisanal products are expected to witness significant growth rate during the forecast timeframe. Growing disposable incomes coupled with increasing number of artisanal franchisees particularly in emerging economies is fueling the segment growth. Whereas take home segment dominates the non-dairy ice cream market due to shifting preference for off-premise consumption. High product availability through supermarkets particularly in developed regions along with penetration of online stores will support the industry growth.Blended flavors are anticipated to register over 20 million liters demand by 2024. Flavor innovations along with rising consumer spending on premium flavors majorly in North America and Europe will supplement the business revenue. Increasing consumer preference for mint choco chip, cookies & cream, neapolitan, and mocha chocolate has stimulated the non-dairy ice cream demand.Supermarkets will register sales at over USD 400 million by 2024. Changing shopping trends along with inclination towards one stop shopping has stimulated the supermarket counts globally. Rising demand for take home products is significant factor supporting the segment share. Multiple brand availability along with competitive costs are among key factors positively influencing the industry demand.Europe non-dairy ice cream market is expected to witness CAGR at over 14% from 2018 to 2024. Higher vegan products demand owing to rising health consciousness and growing vegan population are primary factors driving the regional industry growth. Large number of products launches among European as well as global brands mainly including Ben & Jerrys, Swedish Glace, and Booja Booja will support the industry demand.Global non-dairy ice cream market share is highly fragmented with presence of both regional and global companies. Notable players include Unilever, General Mills, Trader Joe's, Danone Dairy, NadaMoo!, Booja-Booja, Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream, Tofutti Brands Inc., HAPPY COW DAIRY COMPANY PRIVATE LIMITED, Bliss Unlimited, Over The Moon, Eden Creamery LLC., Swedish Glace, Dream along with product innovations are among key strategies adopted by manufacturers. For instance, in April 2017, Danone completed acquisition of WhiteWave Foods, an American packaged food manufacturer to expand its industry share.Inquiry before buying @CONTINUE..About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Explore Our Blog @ Position and Proximity Sensors Market Advance Technology 2017-2026: MTS Systems Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Qualcomm Technologies Inc., Renishaw PLC, Stmicroelectronics N.V. https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1647972 https://www.researchmoz.us/position-and-proximity-sensors-market-global-industry-analysis-size-growth-trends-share-and-forecast-2017-2026-report.html/toc https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=1647972 http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG https://marketreportandanalysis.blogspot.com Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Position and Proximity Sensors Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Growth, Trends, Share and Forecast 2017 - 2026" to its huge collection of research reports.A new report on position and proximity sensors provides perceptive insights on the chronological growth flight of the market along with the future prospects and present scenario of the market. The report offers an exclusive analysis of the global market and also presents insights on regional and other segments.Get Free PDF Brochure For More Technical Insights@Position and Proximity Sensors Market: OverviewThe report offers a complete summation of the market including an official abstract that draws out the centre examples progressing in the market. It also discusses on a couple of facets, for example, drivers, obstacles, and predictions that have been found in the global market. It also acquaints readers with figures related to volume, value, and development rate of the market from a growth point of view. With reverence to market breakdown, each segment is analysed and presented in the report. It also gives an assessment in light of the market condition, and moreover presents a value chain analysis of the products and applications in concern. A year to year evolution of the market has likewise been offered in the report for the reader to be predominantly aware of the altering scenario of the market.Position and Proximity Sensors Market: Research ProcedureThe report is the end result of the cautious research work of the market analysts employing reliable sources. The information introduced has been studied carefully by industry experts of TMR. The data that has been presented here has been assembled from various tried and tested sources. The figures have also been checked by the analysts and can be used to settle on key decisions and formulate strategies.View Complete TOC with tables & Figures @Position and Proximity Sensors Market: Competitive DashboardThe market study conveys a structural outlook on the engaged scene of the overall Position and proximity sensors market. It features the rivalry prevalent among the present vendors in the market and also puts weight on the future circumstance of the market. The profile of the players is based on a SWOT examination sought down by company angle, product portfolio, strategies, finance related information, and year-to-year projections. The organizations have been explored minutely covering their key developments, innovations as well as mergers and acquisitions and agreements with other prominent establishments.Why to invest in our report?The reports made by our industry analysts are credible and have been researched and validated from several primary and secondary resources. What makes us unique is the fact that along with presenting an analysis of the markets historical and present scenario, we also present a forecast review of the market for the benefit of our reader. The presentation is exclusive in the form of various charts, tables, and diagrams. Every bit of information present in the market research report is unique. Expert opinions are also present in the study that can be directly used by the readers to make future decisions.Make An Enquiry @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact:ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow us on Blogger at : Global Somatropin Market Historic Revenue and Forecast Till 2027: Top Key Players Sandoz, F. Hoffmann-La Roche A https://bit.ly/2HcM439 https://bit.ly/2HcM439 https://bit.ly/2tBXsgS https://bit.ly/2H9jnDZ Growth hormone is naturally hormone secreted by pituitary gland of human body. It regulated various complex physiological process of the body which mainly includes growth and metabolism. It plays a role in achieving normal growth in children and is also help to regulate lipid, carbohydrate, and protein metabolism in all age groups (childhood & adulthood). The synthetic form of human growth hormone is known as somatropin. Until 1985, the growth hormone is obtained through extraction from cadaveric pituitary glands due to its side effect it was discontinued and the first synthetic growth hormone was approved by the U.S. Food Drug Administration in 1985 for the treatment of growth hormone deficiency. It is also approved for the treatment of chronic renal insufficiency, adult growth hormone deficiency, truners syndrome, prader-willi syndrome, idiopathic short stature and Noona syndrome. It is also as anti-aging therapy yet is not approved for this indication. Many synthetic human growth hormone is now available in the market which include Humatrope (Lilly), Nutropin (Genentech), Norditropin (Novo), Genotropin (Pfizer), and Saizen (Merck Serono). As of 2006, the recombinant version of somatroin was lauched a Omnitrope by Sandoz. Growing demand for somatropin, led by rising growth hormone deficiency cases and advancement in rDNA technology have boosted the growth of global somatropin market in forecast period. Moreover, ongoing clinical trials of somatropin in various therapeutic areas further drive the growth of the market. However, stringent regulatory process and complicated manufacturing process are the factors restrain the growth of the global somatropin market.The global somatropin market is segmented on the basis of application, distribution channel and geography. On the basis of application the global somatropin market is further sub-segmented into chronic renal insufficiency, growth hormone deficiency, turners syndrome, prader-willi syndrome, idiopathic short stature and Noona syndrome. Growth hormone deficiency followed turners syndrome segment is expected to hold the significant share of the market due to increase in number of patients suffering from pitutary dysfunction, and effectivity of the somatropin to treat turners syndrome. Based on distribution channel the global somatropin market is segmented into online pharmacy, hospital pharmacy and retail pharmacy. Hospital pharmacy is major contributor in terms of revenue to the market as somatropin available on prescription and increase number of hospital visits.Request For Sample:At regional level, the global Somatropin market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa. In terms of revenue, North America followed by Europe is major contributor for the global somatropin market. This is partly because of increased government initiatives for cost effective treatment and rising number of pituitary dysfunction cases. Furthermore, strong clinical pipeline and increasing research and drug development activities propels the growth of the market in these regions. Asia Pacific is third promising revenue contributor which is expected to grow at rapid pace in upcoming year. Countries such as Japan, India and China are major contributors for this market and are identified as most lucrative for this market. Emerging and huge population base countries such as China and India offers tremendous market opportunities.Request For Table Of Content (TOC):Some of the market players leading the global somatropin market include Sandoz, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk, Merck co. and many moreAbout Us:InsightAce Analytic is a market research and consulting firm that enables clients to make strategic decisions. Our qualitative and quantitative market intelligence solutions inform the need for market and competitive intelligence to expand businesses. We help clients gain competitive advantage by identifying untapped markets, exploring new and competing technologies, segmenting potential markets and repositioning products.Contact Us:Mr. Kedar SupekarBaner Road, Pune,Maharashtra, IndiaTel.: +1 718 593 4405Email: john@insightaceanalytic.comFollow Us on LinkedIn @Follow Us On Facebook @ Network Traffic Analytics Market Trends Analysis Report By Top Key Players: Nokia, Accenture, Palo Alto Networks, Huawei Technologies, SolarWinds, Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, Symantec, Juniper Networks Network Traffic Analytics Market www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2818 www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2818 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/network-traffic-analytics-market https://www.openpr.com/news/1601988/Embedded-Software-Market-2019-2024-Trends-Analysis-by-Top-Key-Players-IBM-Intel-Corporation-Microsoft-Advantech-Microchip-Technology-Inc-Mitsubishi-Corporation-STMicroelectronics-LG-CNS-Co-Ltd-Mentor-Graphics-National-Ins.html www.gminsights.com www.industry-source.org Network Traffic Analytics Market to be propelled by demand for network traffic monitoring in BFSI segment, advent of AI-based solutions to boost the industry progression. Network traffic analytics market to register a CAGR of 20% over 2018-2024, surging deployment of digital technology trends to augment the industry expansion. Network Traffic Analytics Market in network security solution is growing at the fastest rate with a CAGR of 24.1% over the forecast timeline. Due to the rising advent of digitalization and the adoption of technologies, such as IoT and cloud computing, the amount of data generated grew tremendously. This growth in big data requires effective monitoring and storage as they fall prey to various malicious attacks. Therefore, network security solutions are used to detect and block malicious attacks throughout the network. The governments worldwide are investing funds and implementing rules and regulations to enhance the cybersecurity offerings of their country.Request for a sample of this research report @The solutions segment dominates the network traffic analytics market and held around 71% of the market share in 2017. Due to an enormous rise in the network traffic, the companies face inadequacy in providing network-wide visibility. Hence, there is a rise in the installation of network traffic analytics solutions. The network traffic monitoring leads the solution segment as it ensures the smooth functioning of the computer network by incorporating packet recapturing and network sniffing techniques and review every incoming and outgoing packet. The services segment is increasing at the fastest rate and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 24.4 percent over the forecast timeline. These services assist customers to ensure that their products run efficiently, remain available, and take advantage of the application software and up-to-date systems.Company profiled in this report based on Business overview, Financial data, Product landscape, Strategic outlook & SWOT analysis:1. Cisco2. Microsoft3. IBM4. Symantec5. Juniper Networks6. Nokia7. Accenture8. Palo Alto Networks9. Huawei Technologies10. SolarWindsNetwork Traffic Analytics Market in the network security solution is growing at the fastest rate with a CAGR of 24.1% over the forecast timeline. Due to the rising advent of digitalization and the adoption of technologies, such as IoT and cloud computing, the amount of data generated grew tremendously. This growth in big data requires effective monitoring and storage as they fall prey to various malicious attacks. Therefore, network security solutions are used to detect and block malicious attacks throughout the network. The governments worldwide are investing funds and implementing rules and regulations to enhance the cybersecurity offerings of their country.Make an inquiry for buying this report @North America held around 52% of the market share in 2017 and is anticipated to remain the network traffic analytics market leader over the forecast timeframe. The major factors contributing to the growth of the region include the early adoption of the network traffic analytics solutions along with the presence of the leading industry players including Cisco, IBM, and Microsoft. The companies operating in this region are also entering into strategic partnerships to expand their businesses offerings.The European network traffic analytics market held around 26% of the industry share in 2017. The region has the presence of some of the leading telecom companies in the world, such as Vodafone, SoftBank Group, and Telefonica S.A., fueling the market demand. Furthermore, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) implemented by the government in May 2018 has laid down effective data privacy and security guidelines. This will prevent the companies from sharing the customer personal data without their consent and boosting the network traffic analytics market growth.The Asia Pacific network traffic analytics market is growing at the fastest rate due to an increase in disposable income, rising penetration of smartphones & internet users, and an increment in the usage of advanced technologies such as IoT, connected devices, and cloud computing. More than 70% of the enterprises operating in this region are projected to adopt cloud computing technology, resulting the cloud traffic to reach 2.3 ZB by 2019. Furthermore, there is a rapid increase in cyberattacks in this region as the enterprises are easily vulnerable due to weak cybersecurity investments and greater exposure to information critical systems to cyber risks. Therefore, the organizations are readily adopting the traffic analytics solutions to ensure their safety against cyber attacks.Speaking along the same line, in UK, high-speed network recording, traffic analytics hosting and playback specialist, Endace and renowned network and security operations service provider, Gigamon, have signed on a technology partnership recently. Through this strategic collaboration, they are planning to enhance visibility into network traffic for NetOps, DevOps, and SecOps teams. In line with the futuristic approach to improve network traffic visibility, both the companies will combine their analytics and security delivery platforms that would investigate security threats and resolve application & network performance issues. The development of high performance hosting for performance analytics and network security will have a positive influence on the service based network traffic analytics industry. Reportedly, with increasing popularity, the service based network traffic market will grow at an annual growth rate of nearly 24.4% over 2018-2024.Browse key industry insights spread across 230 pages with 399 market data tables & 38 figures & charts from the report, Network Traffic Analytics Market in detail along with the table of contents:The development of SaaS enabled network traffic analytics solutions has accelerated the overall market growth. Due to the growing technological advancements and market consolidation, enterprises are offering SaaS enabled solutions to their customers. They offer multiple advantages such as enhanced scalability and administration, improved productivity, data storage convenience, and delivery of new services with optimum resilience and security. They also automatically update products empowering them to prevent the growing cyber-security threats.The fastest growing segment in the network traffic analytics market comprises cloud service providers. These service providers are highly prone to cyber attacks due to the rise in the malware attacks including ransomware, banking malware, and scareware. Moreover, around 400,000 new malware attacks that target public clouds and SaaS providers and damage the critical data daily have been recognized. Hence, it is necessary for the cloud service providers to monitor network traffic, data movement, and application activity at all stages of the cloud environment, boosting the network traffic analytics market growth.The on-premise deployment model held around 85% of the market share in 2017. This deployment model offers a reliable platform for storing information as they would send critical customer information directly from their web apps and mobile phones to the network traffic analytics service providers. However, the adoption of a cloud platform is projected to grow at a CAGR of 32% by 2024 due to the rapid increase in the number of data centers, generating a huge volume of information.The IT & telecom enterprises are anticipated to dominate the network traffic analytics market by 2024. The increased worldwide adoption rate of the internet with an enhanced usage of social networking platform and the rise in smartphone penetration rate are the major factors driving the network traffic analytics market demand. Telecommunication companies are investing millions of dollars and entering into strategic partnerships to boost their network traffic management platform, enhancing their service offerings and gaining a competitive edge in the market. For instance, in July 2017, KDDI Corporation, a Japanese telecom operator entered into a partnership with Kentik, a leading network traffic intelligence firm. This will allow KDDI to deploy the companys Kentik Detect solution for real-time network monitoring and planning efficiencies.Some of the major vendors operating in the network traffic analytics market are Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, Symantec, Juniper Networks, Nokia, Kentik, Flowmon Networks, Plixer, SolarWinds, Allot Communication, Accenture, Bradford Networks, Ascom Holding, Palo Alto Networks, Huawei Technologies, Netreo, Inc., Genie Networks, and Zenoss.Browse Related Reports:About Global Market InsightsGlobal Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact UsArun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Blog: Home Retailing in Finland, Market Sales grow at a CAGR of 1.1% during the forecast period https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=2100159 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/home-retailing-in-finland-market-shares-summary-and-forecasts-to-2022-report.html This research report titled Home Retailing in Finland, Market Shares, Summary, and Forecasts to 2022 has been added to the wide online database managed by Market Research Hub (MRH). The study discusses the prime market growth factors along with future projections expected to impact the Home Retailing in Finland Market during the period between 2017 and 2022. The concerned sector is analyzed based on different market factors including drivers, restraints and opportunities in order to enlighten the readers about the actual scenario prevailing in the Home Retailing in Finland Market.Request for sample copy of this report@Home Retailing in Finland, Market Shares, Summary, and Forecasts to 2022Summary"Home Retailing in Finland, Market Shares, Summary, and Forecasts to 2022", provides data for historic and forecast retail sales, and also includes information on the business environment and country risk related to Finland retail environment. In addition, it analyzes the key consumer trends influencing Finland home industry.An improving housing market in Finland creates business opportunities for retailers operating in the home sector. Increasing employment opportunities, a rise in the number of smaller families, and growing interest in urban lifestyles are the key factors driving people to cities, which is boosting demand for residential properties in urban areas.What else does this report offer?- In-depth analysis of the latest trends in consumer shopping, covering the factors driving shopping, consumer insights, market dynamics- The report also details major retailers in home category group with their product proposition analysis and market positioning in 2017 along with recent key developments- Market insights based on consumer trends, changing economic and demographic factors, technology innovations, and other macroeconomic factors- Retail sales and the fastest-growing product categories in home sector- Qualitative and quantitative insights of changing retail dynamics in home sector.Scope- Finland retail market is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 1.9% during 2017-2022- Home sales recovered supported by a positive economic scenario in the country- Category sales are estimated to grow the fastest in the home sector- Sales are projected to grow at a CAGR of 1.1% during the forecast period- Non-specialists extending ranges widening choice and value- Home specialists is losing market share to online retail- Growing internet penetration is estimated to boost online sales by 2022- Hankkija is the market leader, due to its omni-channel strategy.Reasons to buy- Gain a comprehensive knowledge on home sector in the Finland retail market and develop a competitive advantage from the start of your supply chain- Investigate current and forecast behavior trends in home category to identify the best opportunities to exploit- Analysis of key international and domestic players operating in the food and grocery market- Explore novel opportunities that will allow you to align your product offerings and strategies to meet demand by analyzing the vital economic and population trends, key consumer and technology trends influencing the home market- Analyze the recommended actions to align your marketing strategies with the crucial trends influencing consumer behavior- Analysis of key international and domestic players operating in Finland retail market - including store counts and revenues that give you a competitive edge and identify opportunities to improve your market share.Browse Full Report with TOC@@Table of ContentsKey findingsThe state of the nationThe state of retailHomeDefinitionsMethodologyTo be continue.About Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports of different sector like retail market research and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of industry reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.com District Cooling Market 2029 | Top Key Players: Fortum, ADC Energy System, Vattenfall, Veolia, Empower, ENGIE, Alfa Laval Shinryo Corporation, Ramboll, Siemens District Cooling Market https://www.reportconsultant.com/request_sample.php?id=9974 https://www.reportconsultant.com/ask_for_discount.php?id=9974 https://www.reportconsultant.com/enquiry_before_buying.php?id=9974 www.reportconsultant.com A new analytical research report titled a Global District Cooling Market has newly published by Report Consultant to its extensive database. It has been employed through data exploratory techniques such as qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.District Cooling provides chilled water for indoor cooling purposes to industrial, commercial and residential buildings through a closed loop pipe network. It can be run on electricity or natural gas, and can use either regular water or seawater. Along with electricity and water, constitute a new form of energy service.District Cooling Market share is predicted to surpass USD 140 billion by 2024. Escalating demand for space cooling coupled with growing concerns toward carbon emissions will stimulate the market. Ongoing adoption of sustainable solutions along with rising penetration of renewable technologies will foster the business landscape. Tab reed in 2016, reported elimination of carbon emissions up to 570,000 tons from 66 DC plants deployed across GCC countries.Sample Copy of this Report@Top Key Players:Tabreed, Keppel Dhcs, Singapore District Cooling, SNC Lavalin, Emicool, ADC Energy, Fortum, Vattenfall, Veolia, Shinryo Corporation, Sellar Energy, Ramboll, Alfa Laval, Siemens, Qatar Cool, Empower, Goteborg Energi, Helen, Logstor, Wien Energi and Engie.It gives the broad elaboration of the market by analyzing the global District Cooling Market into several regions such as North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. They also throw light on prominent players in the global market. Additionally, it presents a comparative study of key players operating in global regions.It also offers a comparative study of the global market to understand the difference in performance among global competitors. Also, it represents how those competitors competing against each others to drive the businesses rapidly.Ask For Discount@District Cooling Market by Production Technique: Free Cooling Absorption Cooling Heat Pumps Electric Chillers OthersDistrict Cooling Market by Application: Residential Commercial College/University Office Buildings Government Buildings IndustrialThis publication includes market segmentation such as applications, end-users, and geography. Researchers present informative data in a clear and professional manner. Historical growth rate, as well as forecasted rate, is also mentioned in the report.Ask our expert, before buying this report@The Global District Cooling Market has been analyzed through industry analysis techniques such as SWOT and Porters five-technique. The notable feature of this research report is, it offers proper insights into the businesses by explaining drivers, restraints, and opportunities in front of the businesses.About Report Consultant:Report Consultant A global leader in analytics, research and advisory that can assist you to renovate your business and modify your approach. With us, you will learn to take decisions intrepidly. We make sense of drawbacks, opportunities, circumstances, estimations and information using our experienced skills and verified methodologies.Our research reports will give you an exceptional experience of innovative solutions and outcomes. We have effectively steered businesses all over the world with our market research reports and are outstandingly positioned to lead digital transformations. Thus, we craft greater value for clients by presenting advanced opportunities in the global market.Contact us:Rebecca Parker(Report Consultant)Akasaka biz tower,5-3-1 akasaka minato-ku,Tokyo, JapanContact No: +81-368444299sales@reportconsultant.com Electric Energy Management System Market 2019-2023: Geographical Segmentation, Growth Opportunities, Challenges & Top Key Players | Emerson Electric Co., IBM Corporation, Eaton Corporation PLC, Cisco Systems Inc. and ABB Ltd. Electric Energy Management System Market https://www.orianresearch.com/request-sample/821880 https://www.orianresearch.com/enquiry-before-buying/821880 https://www.orianresearch.com/checkout/821880 Electric Energy Management System Report by Material, Application, and Geography Global Forecast to 2023 is a professional and in-depth research report on the worlds major regional market conditions, focusing on the main regions (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific) and the main countries (United States, Germany, united Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and China).Get Sample Copy atElectric Energy Management System Market Global Industry Research Report 2019 provides a detailed analysis of market size, share, growth, trends, industry overview and 2023 forecast. Then it analyzes the world's main region Electric Energy Management System market conditions, including the product price, revenue factors, sales distribution and regional segmentation. In the Electric Energy Management System report introduces new project SWOT analysis and investment return analysis.Development policies, investment plans, cost structures, capacity are discussed as well as growth rate, manufacturing processes, economic growth are analyzed. This Electric Energy Management System research report also states import/export data, industry supply and consumption figures as well as cost structure, price, industry revenue (Million USD) and gross margin.The report firstly introduced the Electric Energy Management System basics: definitions, classifications, applications and market overview; product specifications; manufacturing processes; cost structures, raw materials and so on. Then it analyzed the worlds main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, supply, demand and market growth rate and forecast etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.The information for each competitor includes: Electric Energy Management System Company Profile Electric Energy Management System Main Business Information Electric Energy Management System SWOT Analysis Electric Energy Management System Market ShareElectric Energy Management System Industry research report is a meticulous investigation of the current scenario of the Electric Energy Management System global and regional market, which covers several industry dynamics. The Electric Energy Management System market research report is a resource, which provides current as well as upcoming technical and financial details with market risk, growing demand and raw materials. The thorough analysis in this Electric Energy Management System report enables investors, CEOs, regional traders, suppliers, top vendors to understand the market in a better way and based on that knowledge make well-informed decisions.Inquire more or share questions if any before the purchase on this report @The Report Includes Six Parts, Dealing With:1.) Basic Information;2.) Asia Electric Energy Management System Market;3.) North American Electric Energy Management System Market;4.) European Electric Energy Management System Market;5.) Market Entry and Investment Feasibility;6.) Report Conclusion.Electric Energy Management System Market Important Factors: Electric Energy Management System Market Environment: Government Policies, Technological Changes, Market Risks. Electric Energy Management System Market Drivers: Growing Demand, Reduction in Cost, Market Opportunities and Challenges. Electric Energy Management System Industry Trends: United States and Other Regions Revenue, Status and Outlook. Electric Energy Management System Competitive Landscape: By Manufacturers, Development Trends, Marketing Area Electric Energy Management System Product Revenue for Top Players: Market Share, Growth Rate, Current Market Situation Analysis. Electric Energy Management System Market Segment: By Types, By Applications, By Regions/ Geography. Electric Energy Management System Sales Revenue: Market Share, Growth Rate, Current Market Analysis.Place a Direct Order of this Report @Electric Energy Management System Market Report Table of Contents:Part I Electric Energy Management System Industry OverviewChapter 1. Electric Energy Management System Industry OverviewChapter 2. Electric Energy Management System Up and Down Stream Industry AnalysisPart II Asia Electric Energy Management System Industry (The Report Company Including the Below Listed But Not All)Chapter 3. Asia Electric Energy Management System Market AnalysisChapter 4. 2014-2019 Asia Electric Energy Management System Productions Supply Sales Demand Market Status and ForecastChapter 5. Asia Electric Energy Management System Key Manufacturers AnalysisChapter 6. Asia Electric Energy Management System Industry Development TrendPart III North American Electric Energy Management System Industry (The Report Company Including the Below Listed But Not All)Chapter 7. North American Electric Energy Management System Market AnalysisChapter 8. 2014-2019 North American Electric Energy Management System Productions Supply Sales Demand Market Status and ForecastChapter 9. North American Electric Energy Management System Key Manufacturers AnalysisChapter 10. North American Electric Energy Management System Industry Development TrendPart IV Europe Electric Energy Management System Industry Analysis (The Report Company Including the Below Listed But Not All)Chapter 11. Europe Electric Energy Management System Market AnalysisChapter 12. 2014-2019 Europe Electric Energy Management System Productions Supply Sales Demand Market Status and ForecastChapter 13. Europe Electric Energy Management System Key Manufacturers AnalysisChapter 14. Europe Electric Energy Management System Industry Development TrendPart V Electric Energy Management System Marketing Channels and Investment FeasibilityChapter 15. Electric Energy Management System Marketing Channels Development Proposals AnalysisChapter 16. Development Environmental AnalysisChapter 17. Electric Energy Management System New Project Investment Feasibility AnalysisPart VI Global Electric Energy Management System Industry ConclusionsChapter 18. 2014-2019 Global Electric Energy Management System Productions Supply Sales Demand Market Status and ForecastChapter 19. Global Electric Energy Management System Industry Development TrendChapter 20. Global Electric Energy Management System Industry Research ConclusionsNote: If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.About UsOrian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on the World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products. We also specialize in custom research in situations where our syndicate research offerings do not meet the specific requirements of our esteemed clients.Contact UsRuwin MendezVice President Global Sales & Partner RelationsOrian Research ConsultantsUS: +1 (832) 380-8827 | UK: +44 0161-818-8027Email: info@orianresearch.com Clothing & Footwear Retailing in Argentina, Market Shares, Category, Type, growth trend during 2017-2022 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=2100160 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/clothing-and-footwear-retailing-in-argentina-market-shares-summary-and-forecasts-to-2022-report.html Market Research Hub (MRH) has actively included a new research study titled Clothing & Footwear Retailing in Argentina, Market Shares, Summary and Forecasts to 2022 to its wide online repository. The concerned market is discoursed based on a variety of market influential factors such as drivers, opportunities and restraints. This study tends to inform the readers about the current as well as future market scenarios extending up to the period until 2022. In addition, a deep analysis of the competitive landscape, including prime market players is also enclosed in this report.Request for sample copy of this report@Clothing & Footwear Retailing in Argentina, Market Shares, Summary and Forecasts to 2022Summary"Clothing & Footwear Retailing in Argentina, Market Shares, Summary and Forecasts to 2022", provides data for historic and forecast retail sales, and also includes information on the business environment and country risk related to Argentina retail environment. In addition, it analyzes the key consumer trends influencing Argentina clothing and footwear industry.The clothing and footwear sector registered healthy growth over the past five years with sales reaching ARS194.1 billion in 2017 and is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 15.7% between 2017 and 2022 to reach ARS403.0 billion by 2022. Womens categories (womenswear & womens footwear) dominate the sector and accounted for 45.8% of the overall sector sales in 2017.What else does this report offer?- In-depth analysis of the latest trends in consumer shopping, covering the factors driving shopping, consumer insights, market dynamics- The report also details major retailers in clothing and footwear category group with their product proposition analysis and market positioning in 2017 along with recent key developments- Market insights based on consumer trends, changing economic and demographic factors, technology innovations, and other macroeconomic factors- Retail sales and the fastest-growing product categories in clothing and footwear sector- Qualitative and quantitative insights of changing retail dynamics in clothing and footwear sector.Scope- Clothing & footwear sales improve, however growth slows along with inflation- Clothing category contributes a major share to the overall sector sales- Womenswear is the largest segment within clothing- Menswear sales increase with improving real wages- Replacement needs will drive childrenswear category sales- Footwear category to register a declining growth trend during 2017-2022- Womens footwear dominates overall footwear category- Specialist retailers are losing share to online channel- Local retailers Falabella and Grimoldi lead the clothing and footwear market.Reasons to buy- Gain a comprehensive knowledge on clothing and footwear sector in the Argentina retail market and develop a competitive advantage from the start of your supply chain- Investigate current and forecast behavior trends in clothing and footwear category to identify the best opportunities to exploit- Understand the fastest growing categories including menswear, womenswear, childrenswear, mens footwear, womens footwear and childrens footwear in the market- Analysis of key international and domestic players operating in the clothing and footwear market- Analyze the recommended actions to align your marketing strategies with the crucial trends influencing consumer behavior- Explore novel opportunities that will allow you to align your product offerings and strategies to meet demand by analyzing the vital economic and population trends, key consumer and technology trends influencing the clothing and footwear market.Browse Full Report with TOC@@Table of ContentsKey FindingsThe State of the NationThe State of RetailClothing & footwearDefinitionsMethodologyTo be continue.About Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports of different sector like retail market research and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of industry reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.com Body Contouring Market Growth Boosting Strategies by Top Industry Players like Alma Lasers, Meridian, Cynosure, Syneron Medical, Lumenis, Palomar Medical Technologies https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/970 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/blood-coagulation-testing-market-970 This Market report Global Body Contouring Market Research Report provides detailed insight covering all important parameters including Development Trends, Challenges, Opportunities, Key Manufacturers and Competitive Analysis.Body Contouring Market - HighlightBody contouring market is gaining traction due to the growing awareness among the people regarding their look. Body contouring involves removal of excess body fat to improve appearance.The segment has many procedures such as body lift, bra line back lift, body fat transfer, implants and abdominal etching that can effectively bring back the body in shape.The global body contouring market can expect a hike by 9.8% CAGR during the forecast period (2017-2023) expresses Market Research Future (MRFR) in a detailed study that also includes possible body contouring market drivers and segmental analysis for a better understanding of the market in the near future. Among the major reasons, obesity is one of the major factors, along with technological advances and improved surgical treatment. The success rate of surgeries has gone up which can further cement the segments foothold.However, the body contouring market has its loopholes as well. The surgical process incurs a high cost which can pull back the market growth during the forecast period.GET PREMIUM SAMPLE COPY @Due to increasing prevalence of obesity across the globe many of the companies are in the race to introduce better treatment for obesity. Companies are using a trend of strategic alliance and acquisition to gain the market and minimize the competition in the market.Non-invasive and minimally invasive body contouring treatments are on the rise continuously. In the US alone, revenue from body contouring treatments was more than $361 million in 2014 and demand for the product is projected to grow 15.4% per year through 2019.The revenue of company was $277.9 million in 2015, compared to $255.8 million in 2014 with the growth of 9%.Key AcquisitionsThe body contouring market is intensely competitive as the trend is hitting a home run among the populace. Companies are bringing in strategies that include merger, acquisition, collaboration and other methods to stay afloat in the market. For instance, CVC Capital Partners is planning to buy Lumenis.Prominent players in the global body contouring market are Alma Lasers (Israel), Meridian (Michigan), Cynosure (US), Syneron Medical (Israel), Lumenis (Israel), Palomar Medical Technologies (US), Valeant (Canada), GlobalMed Technologies (US), Asclepion Laser Technologies (Germany), Andrew Technologies (Canada), BTL Industries (US), Cutera (US), Fotona (Slovenia), GlobalMed Technologies (US), Chromogenex (UK), Human Med (Germany), InMode (US), Invasix Aesthetic Solutions (US), Erchonia (US), Wells Johnson Company (US), and others.Body Contouring Market - Segment AnalysisThe global body contouring market is segmented by type of devices into invasive devices, minimally invasive devices & non-invasive devices.Non-Invasive devices segment is further sub-segmented into radio frequency lipoplasty devices, and high intensity focused ultrasound lipoplasty devices.Minimally invasive devices are sub-segmented into laser-assisted lipolysis devices, and radio frequency assisted liposuction devices, and invasive devices are sub-segmented into ultrasound assisted liposuction devices and other.Detailed Regional AnalysisRegion-specific analysis of the global body contouring market includes North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), and Middle East & Africa (MEA).North America has the largest market share, and its position is going to remain the same in the coming years as well. The region gets the upper-hand as it is technologically superior and provides excellent medical facility to its customers. Furthermore, the spending capacity of the region is quite high which can provide the necessary boost to the regional market.Europe holds the second position. First-rate medical infrastructure is something that can significantly impact the regional market growth. The APAC market is to catch up soon as the market has the potential to become the fastest growing one during the forecast period.BROWSE REPORT DETAILS AND IN-DEPTH TOC @Major Points from Table of ContentChapter 1. Report PrologueChapter 2. Market Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 LimitationsChapter 3. Research Methodology3.1 Introduction3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size EstimationChapter 4. Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restrains4.3 Opportunities4.4 ChallengesTOC ContinuedAbout Us:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Office No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Clinical Laboratory Services Market Size Overview by Worlds Top 10 Players till 2023 - Spectra Laboratories Inc, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, Eurofins Scientific, Unilabs, etc Clinical Laboratory Services Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/7145 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/clinical-laboratory-services-market-7145 According to Market Research Future (MRFR)s analysis, the global clinical laboratory services market is set to touch a valuation of USD 274450 Mn during the forecast period 2018 to 2023. The rising burden of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, etc. is poised to dictate the growth trajectory of the global market in the forthcoming years.Rising awareness about diseases has fueled demand for early diagnosis. This, in turn, has led to a drastic increase in expenditures for preventive healthcare. It is projected to catalyze the growth of the clinical laboratory services market across the projection period.Investments are anticipated to flow towards the development of advanced tests with higher precision and accuracy. The rapid developments in the healthcare sector coupled with extensive research & development is presumed to encourage the proliferation of the market in the foreseeable future. Innovation is the key focus for the market participants. They are strategizing mergers & acquisitions, collaborations, etc. for the acceleration of revenue creation. The market has been predicted to remain lucrative through the projection period.To Get Sample Report visitSegmentsThis MRFR report offers a detailed segmental analysis of the global clinical laboratory services market based on type and application. By type, the market is segmented into biochemistry, endocrinology, microbiology, hematology, histopathology, cytology, genetic testing, and others. Among these, the hematology segment held 25.6% market share in 2017. It is estimated to retain its dominant position through the forecast period. The growth of the segment can be ascribed to the large-scale prevalence of blood cancer. As per the 2018 statistics revealed by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, around 60,300 people are projected to be diagnosed with leukemia, whereas, 24,370 people are expected to succumb to the disease.By application, the global clinical laboratory services market has been segmented into independent laboratory, reference laboratory, and hospital laboratory. Among these, the hospital laboratory segment is likely to dominate the global market over the assessment period. The valuation of the segment has been predicted to grow from USD 152,574 Mn in 2017 to USD 185,982 Mn by 2023-end. Factors such as the availability of different tests and favorable reimbursement policies for tests in the region are presumed to drive the growth of the clinical laboratory services market in the foreseeable future.Competitive TrackingMarket Research Future (MRFR) recognizes the following companies as the key players in Clinical Laboratory Services Market: There are plenty of large and small market players which operate in this market all over the globe.Some of the prominent players operating in the global clinical laboratory services market are Mayo Medical Laboratories, Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, Spectra Laboratories Inc, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, Eurofins Scientific, Unilabs, Bio-Reference Laboratories, Synlab International, Sonic Healthcare, ACM Medical Laboratory, Cerba Healthcare, Clinical Reference Laboratory, Amedes Holdings, Adicon Clinical Laboratory, and Lifelabs Medicals Laboratories.Geographical AnalysisBy region, the global clinical laboratory services market has been segmented into Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. Americas accounted for the maximum share of the market in 2017 and is forecasted to grow significantly over the next couple of years. The factors that are poised to aid the proliferation of the clinical laboratory services market in the region include favorable reimbursement policies, growth of clinical laboratories, and increasing count of lab technicians. It has been estimated that the valuation of the market will touch USD 108,913 Mn by the end of 2023.Europe is an important growth pocket forecasted to hold the second spot in the global marketplace. The competitive landscape of the market is growth inducive owing to the presence of major prominent key players, rising healthcare expenditure, rising count of clinical tests, etc. The Middle East & Africa is expected to reach a valuation of USD 14,067 Mn by 2023-end from USD 11,252 Mn in 2017.To Browse Complete Report visitAsia Pacific is expected to emerge as the fastest growing regional market over the projection period. The region signifies strong growth opportunities for the expansion of the market. It is estimated to thrive at a CAGR of 5% during the forecast period. The rising burden of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, etc. is the driving force of market growth in the region.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureHadapsar, Pune 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Flash The Egyptian cabinet accepted on Wednesday the resignation of Transport Minister Hesham Arafat over the deadly train fire that killed at least 20 people, the Egyptian state TV reported. Cabinet spokesman Nader Saad said that Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly accepted Arafat's resignation, according to the report. Earlier on Wednesday, a train locomotive crashed into the buffer stop at the end of rail tracks at the main railway station near Ramses square downtown the capital Cairo, causing a massive fire and leaving numerous casualties, according to the Egyptian railway authority. A security source said that the heavy crash caused explosion of the train fuel tank and led to the blaze. Doctors told Xinhua that most of the wounded are in critical conditions, sustaining second-or third-degree burns, while eyewitnesses at a hospital said the bodies were completely charred by the fire. Madbouly went earlier to the crash scene accompanied by the then transport minister, as well as Health Minister Hala Zayed and Social Solidarity Minister Ghada Wali. "There will be no leniency or complacency in holding those responsible for the accident accountable," Madbouly said at the station, stressing that "the era of keeping silent on those who fail to do their duties toward the Egyptian citizens is over." The cabinet also ordered financial compensation of 80,000 Egyptian pounds (about 4,570 U.S. dollars) for each family of dead passengers and 25,000 pounds for each seriously wounded passenger with a consequent disability. Global Neodymium Magnets Market is Estimated to Mask a CAGR of 8.3% by 2023| Top Key Players Adams Magnetic Products Co., Delta Magnets, Hitachi Metals, Ltd., Magma Magnetic Technologies Ltd. https://www.kdmarketinsights.com/sample/3324 https://www.kdmarketinsights.com/product/neodymium-magnets-market https://www.kdmarketinsights.com/discount/3324 www.kdmarketinsights.com A recent report by KD market insights titled as "Neodymium Magnets Market - By Application (Automobile, Electronics, Power Generators, Medical Industry, Wind Power, Others) & Global Region - Market Size, Share, Trends and Forecast 2018-2023" provides the key trends, opportunities and challenges market will face in the forecasted period of 6 years i.e. 2018-2023. The study also provides the Neodymium Magnets Market competitors share and region wise analysis around the globe.Neodymium magnets, also known as NIB magnet, is a form of rare earth metal Neodymium. Neodymium Magnets are known as strongest magnets in the world and are being used in a vast range of applications such as an electrical motor, medical science, and others. The market for Neodymium Magnets is growing constantly over the years and was totaled at a value of USD XXX Million in 2018. The global Neodymium Magnets market is expected to thrive at a CAGR of 8.3% during the forecast period to reach a valuation of USD XXX Million by 2023.Request for Sample @Growth Drivers & Restraints:Neodymium magnets are a permanent type of rare-earth magnet. These magnets acquire the strongest magnetic force which makes them capable of lifting in excess of 1,000 times their own weight. These neodymium magnets are enriched with super-strong adhesive force, and suitable for small spaces, this makes them more suitable for application where the strongest magnetic force is required from the smallest possible volume of magnet material.Furthermore, growing energy efficiency concerns across the globe are augmenting the demand for smaller, lighter and more energy dense devices. As such devices can be developed using neodymium magnets, this factor is predicted to bolster the growth of global neodymium magnets market in the coming years. Region wise, the neodymium magnets market is dominated by Asia Pacific region as the Asian countries such as China, Japan, India, and Thailand are collectively responsible for most of the worlds magnet supply. Wind generators, electric bicycle, acoustic devices, elevators, air conditioners, and various PM motors are few major neodymium magnet related applications. Also, the strong production of non-licensed neodymium magnets in China is also backing the growth of Asia Pacific neodymium market. However, price volatility of rare earth materials such as dysprosium and neodymium due to the ban of export of rare earth elements from China to other regions is estimated to hamper the growth of the neodymium magnet market.SegmentationThe research offers a comprehensive analysis of Neodymium Magnets market with respect to following sub-markets:By Application- Automobile- Electronics- Power Generators- Medical Industry- Wind Power- OthersBy Geography- North America (U.S. & Canada)- Europe (Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Russia and Rest of Europe)- Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and Rest of Asia Pacific)- Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Rest of Latin America)- Middle East & Africa (GCC, North Africa, South Africa and Rest of Middle East & Africa)Competitive LandscapeThe report profiles various major market players such as:- Adams Magnetic Products Co.- Delta Magnets- Hitachi Metals, Ltd.- Magma Magnetic Technologies Ltd.- AIM Magnet- Dexter Magnetic Technologies- Arnold Magnetic Technologies- Allstar Magnetics, LLC- Stanford Magnets, Inc.- Other Prominent PlayersCompetitive landscape analysis provides detailed strategic analysis of the companys business and performance such as financial information, revenue breakup by segment and by geography, SWOT Analysis, key facts, company overview, business strategy, key product offerings, marketing and distribution strategies, new product development, and recent news (acquisition, expansion, technology development, research & development and other market activities).Browse Full Report With TOC@Table of Contents@Research MethodologyMarket Definition and List of Abbreviations1. Executive Summary2. Growth Drivers & Issues in Global Neodymium magnets Market3. Global Neodymium magnets Market Trends4. Opportunities in Global Neodymium magnets Market5. Recent Industry Activities, 20176. Porter's Five Forces Analysis7. Market Value Chain and Supply Chain Analysis8. Products Average Price Analysis, By Country9. Global Neodymium magnets Market Value (USD Million), 2017-202310. Global Neodymium magnets Market Segmentation Analysis, By Application10.1. Introduction10.2. Market Attractiveness, By Application10.3. BPS Analysis, By Application10.4. Automobile Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202310.5. Electronics Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202310.6. Power Generators Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202310.7. Medical Industry Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202310.8. Wind Power Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202310.9. Others Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311. Geographical Analysis11.1. Introduction11.2. North America Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.2.1. By Application11.2.1.1. Introduction11.2.1.2. Market Attractiveness, By Application11.2.1.3. BPS Analysis, By Application11.2.1.4. Automobile Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.2.1.5. Electronics Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.2.1.6. Power Generators Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.2.1.7. Medical Industry Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.2.1.8. Wind Power Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.2.1.9. Others Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.2.2. By Country11.2.2.1. Market Attractiveness, By Country11.2.2.2. BPS Analysis, By Country11.2.2.3. U.S. Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.2.2.4. Canada Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.3. Europe Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.3.1. By Application11.3.1.1. Introduction11.3.1.2. Market Attractiveness, By Application11.3.1.3. BPS Analysis, By Application11.3.1.4. Automobile Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.3.1.5. Electronics Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.3.1.6. Power Generators Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.3.1.7. Medical Industry Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.3.1.8. Wind Power Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.3.1.9. Others Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.3.2. By Country11.3.2.1. Market Attractiveness, By Country11.3.2.2. BPS Analysis, By Country11.3.2.3. Germany Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.3.2.4. United Kingdom Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.3.2.5. France Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.3.2.6. Italy Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.3.2.7. Spain Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.3.2.8. Russia Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.3.2.9. Rest of Europe Market Value (USD Million) Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-2023ContinueCheck for Discount@About KD Market InsightsKD Market Insights has come with the idea of helping business by intelligent decision making and thorough understanding of the industry. We offer a comprehensive database of syndicated research, customized reports as well as consulting services to help a business grow in their respective domain. At KD Market Insights, we offer our client a deep Market research reports accompanied by business consulting services that can help them to reach on top of the corporate world. Our customized reports are built by keeping all factors of the industry in mind.Contact Us150 State street, 3rd Floor,Albany, New YorkUnited states (12207)Telephone: +1-518-300-1215Email: - sales@kdmarketinsights.comWebsite: - Flow Cytometry Market Demand Escalating on Growing Popularity In Healthcare Sector Appraised By Global Players Becton Dickinson and Company, General Electric Company, Luminex Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. Global Flow Cytometry Market https://bit.ly/2VnfqiN https://bit.ly/2EkmwxB https://bit.ly/2II938B https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/phase-xs/ Flow cytometry is a laser- or impedance-based, biophysical technology employed in cell counting, cell sorting, biomarker detection and protein engineering. The process is conducted by suspending cells in a stream of fluid and passing them through an electronic detection apparatus. The simultaneous multiparametric analysis of the physical and chemical characteristics of particles is facilitated by a flow cytometer at a speed of up to thousands of particles per second. The process is used in the diagnosis of health disorders such as blood cancers along with several applications in basic research, clinical practice, and clinical trials.Request Sample Copy of Research Report @Flow cytometry facilitates study of the expression of cell surface and intracellular molecules along with characterization of different cell types in a heterogeneous cell population. Moreover, flow cytometry also allows simultaneous multi-parameter analysis of single cells. The combination of technological improvements, growing research activities in life science and increasing clinical application of flow cytometry in diagnosis of HIV and cancer are some of the major factors driving growth of the flow cytometry market.Increase In Clinical Applications Of Flow Cytometry Is Expected To Favor The Flow Cytometry MarketThe use of flow cytometry in clinical laboratory has grown substantially due to the development of smaller, user-friendly, less expensive instruments and increasing number of research application such as, immunophenotyping, cell sorting, cell cycle analysis, Apoptosis, cell proliferation assays, and intracellular calcium flux is expected to favor the growth of flow cytometry market. Besides, flow cytometry has a unique ability to investigate large cell populations at the single-cell level. This favors the adoption of flow cytometry for clinical application.Furthermore, flow cytometry is also gaining attraction in drug discovery and development, which helps transforming every stage of preclinical and clinical development, that guide new product evaluation, selection and monitoring. Flow cytometry increases the probability of success in drug development and also allows for more informed decision making. The demand for flow cytometry is growing at all phases of development from early to late favoring the growth of flow cytometry use in industry for drug development process.Flow cytometry is also employed in testing of CD4 count in order to treat HIV patients with suitable antiretroviral drugs. The BD Biosciences provides CD4 testing facilities and products. BD Biosciences has 3 different systems, namely, BD FACSCount system, mostly used in emerging economies, owing to its ease of use; the BD FACSCalibur system is used in large-volume labs where over 1,000,000 tests are performed annually, and the BD FACSCanto II system, used for HIV monitoring and other applications.Browse Research Report At:Some major players operating in the flow cytometry market are Becton Dickinson and Company, General Electric Company, Luminex Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Miltenyi Biotec GmbH, Merck & Co Inc., Sysmex Corporation, Agilent Technologies, Inc. and Danaher Corporation.Detailed Segmentation:Global Flow Cytometry Market, By Technology:Cell BasedBead BasedGlobal Flow Cytometry Market, By Product:AnalyzerSorterReagents & ConsumablesGlobal Flow Cytometry Market, By End User:HospitalsClinical Testing LabsResearch LaboratoriesGlobal Flow Cytometry Market, By Geography:North AmericaEuropeAsia PacificLatin AmericaMiddle EastAfricaRequest For Customization of Research Report @Also, Coherent Market Insights has a proprietary database of pipeline biologics and biosimilars, called PHASE-XS. This database provides analytical data in addition to the clinical information of ongoing trials for biologics and biosimilars. An amalgamation of more than 30 parameters, PHASE-XS helps biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to analyze the market trend, competition, and market potential. For more information or to access this database, kindly click on the below link or contact at sales@coherentmarketinsights.comAbout Coherent Market InsightsCoherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact UsMr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com 2019-2027 Cancer Biomarkers Market Global and Regional Outlook Lead by F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Bio-Rad Laboratories, QIAGEN, Illumina, GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, bioMerieux, Creative Diagnostics Cancer Biomarkers Market Regional Analysis to 2027 https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPBT00002663 https://www.theinsightpartners.com/inquiry/TIPBT00002663 https://www.theinsightpartners.com/buy/TIPBT00002663 https://www.theinsightpartners.com Rising awareness regarding personalized medicine is expected to offer significant growth opportunities in the market in the coming years. Rise in the number of cancer cases as well as increasing research and development activities is anticipated to drive the growth of the cancer biomarkers market.Cancer Biomarkers Market to 2027 - Global Analysis and Forecasts By Biomarker Type (Genetic Biomarkers, Protein Biomarkers and Other Cancer Biomarkers), Profiling Technology (Omics Technologies, Imaging Technologies, Immunoassays, Cytogenetics, and Bioinformatics), Cancer Type (Breast Cancer, Lung Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Leukemia, Bladder Cancer, and Other Cancer Types), Application (Diagnostics, Research and Development, Prognostics, and Other Applications), and GeographyCancer biomarkers are the molecules that help in the diagnosis as well as the treatment of various forms of cancer. These molecules are produced by the cancer tissue or by other cells in the body in response to cancer. These molecules can be monitored by obtaining samples such as, blood, stool, urine, tumor tissue, or other tissues or bodily fluids.Get Sample Copy atThe omics technologies is further categorized as, proteomics and genomics. Imaging technologies are classified as, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and mammography. The cancer biomarkers market is classified based on cancer types such as, breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, leukemia, bladder cancer, and other cancer types. On the basis of application, the market is segmented as, diagnostics, research and development, prognostics, and other applications.The report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global cancer biomarkers market based on biomarker type, profiling technology, cancer type, and application. It also provides market size and forecast till 2027 for overall market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South & Central America. The cancer biomarkers market by each region is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report covers analysis and forecast of 13 counties globally along with current trend and opportunities prevailing in the region.Key Companies mentioned in this report-1. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.2. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd3. Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.4. QIAGEN5. Illumina, Inc.6. GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY7. bioMerieux, Inc.8. Creative Diagnostics9. Hologic Inc.10. Quest DiagnosticsNorth America is expected to contribute to the largest share in the cancer biomarkers market in the coming years, owing to rising incidence of cancer. Asia Pacific is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period, due to increase in the number of R&D activities being conducted in the field of cancer therapy.Have Queries? Ask us atTable of Contents Overview:Chapter 1 Executive SummaryChapter 2 Abbreviation and AcronymsChapter 3 Preface3.1 Research Scope3.2 Research Methodology3.2.1 Data Collection3.2.2 Data Analysis3.2.3 Data Validation3.3 Research Sources3.3.1 Primary Sources3.3.2 Secondary Sources3.3.3 AssumptionsChapter 4 Market Landscape4.1 Market Overview4.2 Classification/Types4.3 Application/End UsersChapter 5 Market Trend Analysis5.1 Introduction5.2 Drivers5.3 Restraints5.4 Opportunities5.5 ThreatsChapter 6 Industry Chain Analysis6.1 Upstream/Suppliers Analysis6.2 Cancer Biomarkers Market Analysis6.2.1 Technology Analysis6.2.2 Cost Analysis6.2.3 Market Channel Analysis6.3 Downstream Buyers/End UsersChapter 7 Latest Market Dynamics7.1 Latest News7.2 Merger and Acquisition7.3 Planned/Future Project7.4 Policy DynamicsBuy this Report now atAbout Us - The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services.Contact us Contact Person : Sameer JoshiPhone : +1-646-491-9876Email Id : sam@theinsightpartners.comWebsite: Military Smart Weapons Market 2019 To Grow At A Higher Rate |Leading Competitors Like The Boeing Company, Denel SOC Ltd, Kongsberg Gruppen, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Orbital ATK Military Smart Weapons Market https://www.researchnreports.com/request_sample.php?id=56532 https://www.researchnreports.com/ask_for_discount.php?id=56532 https://www.researchnreports.com/enquiry_before_buying.php?id=56532 Military Smart Weapons Market 2019 provides in-depth analysis of various attributes of the industry such as trends, policies, and customers operating in multiple geographies. Qualitative and quantitative techniques have been used by analysts to provide accurate, applicable data to readers, employers and industry professionals.The global Military Smart Weapons Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of +10% during the forecast period from 2019 to 2026.Ask For Sample Copy of This Report:A smart weapon. Bombs and projectiles led by laser and other means. They have been employed to demonstrate the effects of US-led forces in the Persian Gulf War and other conflicts.Top Key Vendors: The Boeing Company, Denel SOC Ltd, Kongsberg Gruppen, Lockheed Martin Corporation, MBDA, Orbital ATK, Raytheon Company, Textron IncThis research report summarizes several attributes of a business, such as the demand and outline of a product or service. This research report presents a 360-degree outline of the competitive landscape of the global market. For accurate business outlook, global Military Smart Weapons Market The market document contains some important plans that can be practically studied. became. All sectors of the market have been described in detailSegment by Type:Air-to-Ground MissilesSurface-to-air missilesSmart BombsSensor Fused WeaponsDirect Energy WeaponsPrecision Artillery AmmunitionsElectro-Magnetic Pulse WeaponsSmart BulletsOthersSegment by Application:Land BasedAir BasedSea BasedEarly buyers will receive up to 40% discount on exclusive report:The market is seeing the introduction of new and innovative Military Smart Weaponss, such as fingerprint authentication and improved interior integration. This factor will drive current and future market growth prospects. In contrast, the use of different types of wallets and new trends in digital wallets in the market are expected to hinder the growth of the Military Smart Weapons Market.Military Smart Weapons Market report offers business insights on the following key pointers:-Market Penetration-Product/ services developments-Competitive landscape of the market via competitive assessment-Analysis of top key players-Elaboration of key trends, technological advancements, tools, and platforms-different sales approaches-Analysis of global opportunities-The global economic impact on companies-Global demand-supply chain analysis-Analysis of global trading like import, export, local consumption-The regional outlook of the market across the globeEnquiry before buying this report:About Research N Reports:Research N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently, we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.Contact us:Mr. Sunny Denis10916, Gold Point, Dr, Houston, TX - 77064.Contact No. +1-888-631-6977sales@researchnreports.com(Research N Reports) LDL Test Market | 2019 - Major Participants Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, Sekisui Diagnostics, Express Biotech International, Randox Laboratories Ltd, Reckon Diagnostics, DiaSys Diagnostics India Private Limited Etc LDL Test Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/4215 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/ldl-test-market-4215 As per the latest market intelligence report published by Market Research Future, the Molecular Diagnostics Market is progressively growing in the forecasted period.Key Market PlayersQuest Diagnostics Incorporated, Sekisui Diagnostics, Express Biotech International, Randox Laboratories Ltd, Reckon Diagnostics, DiaSys Diagnostics India Private Limited, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd and others.Try Premium Sample Report atLDL Test Market - HighlightsLDL is referred as low-density lipoprotein, which is type of cholesterol found in body. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), often known as bad cholesterol, is a microscopic blob made up of an outer rim of lipoprotein and a cholesterol center. It's bad because it becomes part of plaque, and that can clog arteries and make heart attacks and strokes more likely. The major driving factor for the market are increasing prevalence of obesity, deskbound lifestyle and lack of exercise. According to OMICS International, atherosclerosis account for 32% of total deaths in the world, out of which, 13.8% prevalence is among adults of 20 years and above. The cases of heart failure were estimated about 30% across the globe. Coronary heart disease mortality rate was about 60% in 2010. In addition to this, increasing healthcare expenditure, increasing awareness among the people and government initiatives for research and development have fuelled the market growth. The global LDL test market is projected to grow at a CAGR of ~ 5.5 % during the forecast period 2017-2023.SegmentationThe global LDL test market has been segmented on the basis of types, components, applications and end users.Based on types, the market has been segmented into LDL-C, LDL-P, LDL-B and others.Based on components, the market has been segmented into devices, kits & reagents and others. Devices is further sub-segmented into syringes & needles, spectrophotometers and others. And kits & reagents is further sub-segmented into toxicity assays kit, blood chemistry assays kit, cytotoxicity assays kit.Based on application, the market has been segmented as atherosclerosis, obesity, dyslipidemia, diabetes, angina, stroke, carotid artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, others.Based on the end users, the market has been segmented as hospitals and clinics, pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies and others.Regional AnalysisGeographically, the global LDT test market is segmented into Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East & Africa. The Americas account for a significant market share owing to extensive use of medications, high expenditure on the health care, huge patient population and increasing government support for research & development. Also, major research and manufacturing companies are present in America.Europe is the second largest market in the world due to high income, government support for research & development and availability of resources.Asia Pacific region shows the fastest growth owing to the presence of huge population base, and continuous development in the healthcare sector. China and India are likely to lead this market due to fast growing healthcare sector during the forecasted period.Browse Complete 80 Pages Premium Research Report Enabled with Respective Tables And Figures AtOn the other hand, the Middle East & Africa has the least market share due to limited development in the healthcare sector. Middle East holds a major share for the market due to presence of gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The African region is expected to witness a moderate growth owing to poor economic and political conditions and poor healthcare development.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 55 market data tables and figures spread over 110 pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content (TOC) & market synopsis on Global LDL test Market Research Report Forecast till 2023.About US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Electricals Retailing in Portugal Market Sales, Market Leaders, Growth Rate, Trends, Product- Type and Forecast until 2022 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=2100167 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/electricals-retailing-in-portugal-market-shares-summary-and-forecasts-to-2022-report.html This research report titled Electricals Retailing in Portugal, Market Shares, Summary and Forecasts to 2022 has been added to the wide online database managed by Market Research Hub (MRH). The study discusses the prime market growth factors along with future projections expected to impact the Electricals Retailing in Portugal Market during the period between 2017 and 2022. The concerned sector is analyzed based on different market factors including drivers, restraints and opportunities in order to enlighten the readers about the actual scenario prevailing in the Electricals Retailing in Portugal Market.Request for sample copy of this report@Electricals Retailing in Portugal, Market Shares, Summary and Forecasts to 2022Summary"Electricals Retailing in Portugal, Market Shares, Summary and Forecasts to 2022", provides data for historic and forecast retail sales, and also includes information on the business environment and country risk related to Portugal retail environment. In addition, it analyzes the key consumer trends influencing Portugal electricals industry.Electricals sales in Portugal stood at 3.1 billion in 2017. During 2012-2017, the sector produced 3.7% CAGR due to the weak economic scenario and high unemployment rate, however, it is estimated to grow the fastest at 4.5% CAGR over the next five years supported by an improved economy and growing household consumption.What else does this report offer?- In-depth analysis of the latest trends in consumer shopping, covering the factors driving shopping, consumer insights, market dynamics- The report also details major retailers in electricals category group with their product proposition analysis and market positioning in 2017 along with recent key developments- Market insights based on consumer trends, changing economic and demographic factors, technology innovations, and other macroeconomic factors- Retail sales and the fastest-growing product categories in electricals sector- Qualitative and quantitative insights of changing retail dynamics in electricals sector.Scope- Positive economic and labour dynamics with improved purchasing power drive sales- Specialist stores are losing their market share to rapidly growing online retailers- Online channel penetration is the highest in electricals sector- Worten is the undisputed market leader in electricals sector with 21.0% share in 2017- Avenir Telecom SA registered the highest growth during 2016-2017.Reasons to buy- Gain a comprehensive knowledge on electricals sector in Portugal retail market and develop a competitive advantage from the start of your supply chain- Investigate current and forecast behavior trends in electricals category to identify the best opportunities to exploit- Analysis of key international and domestic players operating in the electricals market- Explore novel opportunities that will allow you to align your product offerings and strategies to meet demand by analyzing the vital economic and population trends, key consumer and technology trends influencing the electricals market- Analyze the recommended actions to align your marketing strategies with the crucial trends influencing consumer behavior- Analysis of key international and domestic players operating in Portugal retail market - including store counts and revenues that give you a competitive edge and identify opportunities to improve your market share.Browse Full Report with TOC@@Table of ContentsKey findingsThe state of the nationThe state of retailElectricalsDefinitionsMethodologyTo be continue.About Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports of different sector like retail market research and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of industry reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.com Digital note Market Growing CAGR and Owing high demand by Analyzing Industry Leaders Profile (Wacom, Kent displays, Moleskine, Livescribe, Luidia, Neo smartpen, NoteSlate, I.R.I.S., Sony, ACE CAD Enterprise, E-pens) Digital note https://www.worldwidemarketreports.com/sample/258611 https://www.worldwidemarketreports.com/quiry/258611 Digital note is a form of note taking using digital devices to connect to iPhone, iPad, or Android devices or computer to transfer anything written into a digital format. Digital note industry is vague as it is an application concept attempts either to save paper and make it easier for organizing all notes, or to skip the process converting the hand-writing notes into electronic copies. The approach of syncing the information is more tend to via wireless method instead of using cable. In this report, we have targeted two basic forms (digital notepad and smart pen) and concentrated mainly on the hardware side. Digital stylus, when combined with app in tablet, could act digital note function. However, digital stylus is not included in this study.Get Sample Copy of this Report:Top Companies Studied In This Report are:Wacom, Kent displays, Moleskine, Livescribe, Luidia, Neo smartpen, NoteSlate, I.R.I.S., Sony, ACE CAD Enterprise, E-pensScope of the Report:At present, in the foreign industrial developed countries the Digital Notes industry is generally at a more advanced level, the world's large enterprises are mainly concentrated in China and USA. Meanwhile, foreign companies have more advanced equipment, strong R & D capability, the technical level is in a leading position. But foreign companies' manufacturing cost is relatively high, compared with Chinese companies, the manufacturing cost has competitive disadvantage, as the Chinese Digital Notes production technology continues to improve, their share in the international market is increasing, competitiveness in the international market gradually increase .The worldwide market for Digital Notes is expected to grow at a CAGR of roughly 5.9% over the next five years, will reach 980 million US$ in 2024, from 700 million US$ in 2019, according to a new GIR (Global Info Research) study.This report focuses on the Digital Notes in global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversDigital NotepadSmart PenMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoProfessional DesignBusinessEducationTable of Contents1 Digital Notes Market Overview2 Manufacturers Profiles3 Global Digital Notes Market Competition, by Players4 Global Digital Notes Market Size by Regions5 North America Digital Notes Revenue by Countries6 Europe Digital Notes Revenue by Countries7 Asia-Pacific Digital Notes Revenue by Countries8 South America Digital Notes Revenue by Countries9 Middle East and Africa Revenue Digital Notes by Countries10 Global Digital Notes Market Segment by Type11 Global Digital Notes Market Segment by Application12 Global Digital Notes Market Size Forecast (2019-2024)13 Research Findings and Conclusion14 Appendix14.1 Methodology14.2 Data SourceInquire Before Buying:About Us:Worldwide Market Reports is your one-stop repository of detailed and in-depth market research reports compiled by an extensive list of publishers from across the globe. We offer reports across virtually all domains and an exhaustive list of sub-domains under the sun. The in-depth market analysis by some of the most vastly experienced analysts provide our diverse range of clients from across all industries with vital decision making insights to plan and align their market strategies in line with current market trends. Worldwide Market Researchs well-researched inputs that encompass domains ranging from IT to healthcare enable our prized clients to capitalize upon key growth opportunities and shield against credible threats prevalent in the market in the current scenario and those expected in the near future.Contact :Mr. ShahWorldwide Market ReportsTel: +1 415 871 0703Email: sales@worldwidemarketreports.com Discover the Growing Influences in Space Tourism Market with Top Key Players Like SpaceX, XCOR Aerospace, Bigelow Aerospace, Virgin Galactic, Boeing, Armadillo Aerospace, Excalibur Almaz Space Tourism Market https://www.theresearchinsights.com/request_sample.php?id=5360 https://www.theresearchinsights.com/ask_for_discount.php?id=5360 https://www.theresearchinsights.com/enquiry_before_buying.php?id=5360 https://www.theresearchinsights.com The report for Global Space Tourism Market includes primary research alongside the complete examination of subjective as well as quantitative viewpoints by different industry specialists, key supposition pioneers to gain the more profound understanding of the market and industry execution. The report gives the sensible picture of the current market situation which incorporates authentic and anticipated market approximation in terms of esteem and volume, technological advancement, macroeconomic and leading factors in the market.One of the latest trends that will gain traction in the market in the imminent years is the decrease in the cost of space tourism. The cost of getting into space will decline quickly if the next generation of space planes can reach the orbit. This will significantly reduce the cost of launching satellites or space examination missions, making it an economically feasible option for a larger customer segment. Furthermore, the reduced cost can also enable vendors to launch multiple nano-satellites in the solar system. Space Tourism Market is rising at a CAGR of +17% between 2019 and 2025.Request for Sample Copy of this report@:Top Companies (Space Tourism Market):SpaceX, XCOR Aerospace, Bigelow Aerospace, Virgin Galactic, Boeing, Armadillo Aerospace, Excalibur Almaz, Space Island Group, Zero2Infinity, Space Adventures, and Astrium, among others.Space tourism is space travel for entertaining, leisure or business purposes. To date only orbital space tourism has taken place providing by the Russian Space Agency, although work continues developing sub-orbital space tourism vehicles by Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic.Space Tourism Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia), Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type: Suborbital OrbitalThe Research Insights analysts employ primary and auxiliary research methods to find out the size and merchant landscape in a range of business sectors. Investigators acquire data using a combination of bottom-up and top-down methodologies, other than using in-house Space Tourism Market modeling tools and exclusive databases.The Global Space Tourism Market is characterized by the presence of a large number of global, regional, and local players and is highly-competitive. These worldwide players are progressively focusing on expanding their geographical presence and they have huge production facilities located across the world. Several vendors are increasingly rival against each other based on factors such as innovations. Vendors with better financial and technological other resources can resist changes in different market conditions when compared to their competitors.Early buyers will get upto 40% Discount on this report@:Table of Content:Global Space Tourism Market Research Report 2019-2025Chapter 1: Industry OverviewChapter 2: Space Tourism Market International and China Market AnalysisChapter 3: Environment Analysis of Market.Chapter 4: Analysis of Revenue by ClassificationsChapter 5: Investigation of Revenue by Regions and ApplicationsChapter 6: Analysis of Space Tourism Market Revenue Market Status.Chapter 7: Scrutiny of Industry Key ManufacturersChapter 8: Sales Price and Gross Margin Analysis of Market.Chapter 9: Marketing Dealer or Supplier Analysis of Market.Chapter 10: Development Trend of Space Tourism Market 2019-2025.Chapter 11: Industry Chain Suppliers of Market with Contact Information.Chapter 12: New Project Investment Probability Analysis of Market.Chapter 13: Conclusion of the Space Tourism Market Industry 2025 Market Research Report.In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Space Tourism Market are as follows:History Year: 2014-2018Base Year: 2018Estimated Year: 2019Forecast Year 2019 to 2025For more enquiry about this report@:About us:The Research Insights A global leader in analytics, research and advisory that can assist you to renovate your business and modify your approach. With us, you will learn to take decisions intrepidly. We make sense of drawbacks, opportunities, circumstances, estimations and information using our experienced skills and verified methodologies. Our research reports will give you an exceptional experience of innovative solutions and outcomes. We have effectively steered businesses all over the world with our market research reports and are outstandingly positioned to lead digital transformations. Thus, we craft greater value for clients by presenting advanced opportunities in the global market.Contact usRobinSales managerContact number: +91-996-067-0000sales@theresearchinsights.com Automotive Active Aerodynamics Market to become US$ 1,113.5 million opportunity in 2023 Stratview Research Market Report https://www.stratviewresearch.com/330/Automotive-Active-Aerodynamics-Market.html https://www.stratviewresearch.com/toc/446/Automotive-Composite-Liftgate-Market.html https://www.stratviewresearch.com/Request-Sample/330/Automotive-Active-Aerodynamics-Market.html https://www.stratviewresearch.com/market-reports/Automotive-Transportation.html As per the latest market intelligence report published by Stratview Research, the Automotive Active Aerodynamics Market is anticipated to reach at US$ 1,113.5 million by 2023.The research studies Automotive Active Aerodynamics Market in the trend period of 2012 to 2017 and forecasted period of 2018 to 2023 under three segments by Vehicle Type (Passenger Car, LCV, and M&HCV), by Component Type (Active Grille Shutter, Active Spoiler, Active Rear Wing, and Others), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2018-2023The study finds Europe is expected to remain the largest automotive active aerodynamic components market during the forecast period. Active grille shutter is likely to remain the most dominant active aerodynamic component in the automotive industry during the forecast period. Passenger car segment to remain the growth engine of the global automotive active aerodynamics market. An increased dependency on active aerodynamic components to achieve better fuel efficiency and to reduce carbon emissions in cars is primarily driving the segments market over the next five years.Click here to read the detailed description:Go through the TOC:Automotive Active Aerodynamics Market: HighlightsThe automotive industry is very keen to adopt technologies that can reduce carbon emission levels and meet or exceed emission norms imposed by different regulatory authorities of various countries. Aerodynamics is the third most effective technique for reducing emissions in the automotive industry after powertrain improvement and weight reduction. Active aerodynamic is the advanced aerodynamic technology, which selectively admits or restricts airflow based on real-time requirements and contributes towards the reduction in drag and thereby reducing emissions.The auto industry has efficaciously been ushering in a new era of aerodynamic vehicles with a meticulous investment into advanced components that can address the changing business requirements in the most effective manner. All the major automakers have vigorously been incorporating active components in their most-renowned vehicle models with the purpose to improve the overall fuel efficiency of vehicles in order to address stringent government regulations, such as CAFE Standards and EU Commission on Carbon Emissions Reduction Targets.Request free sample here-The global automotive active aerodynamics market is likely to grow at an impressive double-digit over the next five years to reach US$ 1,113.5 million in 2023. Increasing vehicle production coupled with an increasing penetration of active aerodynamic components in newer vehicles, a rise in demand for improved aerodynamics in vehicles, and the implementation of stringent emission norms for reducing carbon emissions in the automotive industry are the major growth drivers of the automotive active aerodynamics market.The global automotive active aerodynamics market is segmented based on vehicle type as Passenger Car, LCV, and M&HCV. The passenger car is expected to remain the growth engine of the global automotive active aerodynamics market during the forecast period. An increased dependency on active aerodynamic components to achieve better fuel efficiency and to reduce carbon emissions in cars is primarily driving the segments market over the next five years.Based on the component type, the market is segmented into Active Grille Shutter, Active Spoiler, Active Rear Wing, and Others. Active grille shutter is likely to remain the most dominant active aerodynamic component in the automotive industry during the forecast period. Over the last decade, active grille shutter has experienced a tremendous gain in various segments, especially in luxury and premium vehicles. On an average, 20% of the air in front of the vehicles goes below the hood of vehicles and reduces the aerodynamic drag. Active grille shutters perform a vital role in efficiently managing such airflow and improving aerodynamic efficiency.There are various other active aerodynamic components currently at the development stage for mass usage. These components are also likely to mark their presence in mass-selling vehicle models in the coming years. For instance; recently launched active air dam in Ram 1500 pickup truck is the first such active aerodynamic component being launched in a serial production vehicle model.Based on the regions, Europe is expected to remain the largest automotive active aerodynamic components market during the forecast period. Stricter emission norms of European Commission have led to a faster adoption of active aerodynamic components, especially active grille shutter, into the European vehicles. BMW AG, Audi AG, Ford Motors, Daimler AG, Lincoln, Volkswagen AG, Groupe Renault, and PSA Group are some of the key OEMs in Europe, which are increasingly adopting active aerodynamic components in some of their vehicle models.The key automotive active aerodynamic component manufacturers are Rochling Group, Magna International Inc., Valeo SA, HBPO GmbH, and SRG Global. Some of the key raw material suppliers for automotive active aerodynamics include BASF SE, Celanese Corporation, and Lanxess AG.Report FeaturesThis report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum input to the entire value chain of BMI Prepreg. The key features of the report are - Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porters five forces analysis, SWOT analysis Market trend and forecast analysis Market segment trend and forecast Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc. Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities Emerging trends Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players Key success factors.Stratview follows a rigorous process for conducting business research from primary and secondary sources to understand the entire market ecosystem. It has several high value market reports in the chemicals and materials industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through the reports:Click Here for Other Reports from Stratview Research in the Automotive Industry:About Stratview ResearchStratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making.400 Renaissance Center, Suite 2600, Detroit, Michigan, MI 48243 United States of America Zika Vaccines Market Opportunities and Forecast Assessment, 2018 - 2026 Global Zika Vaccines Market https://bit.ly/2Xqngu9 https://bit.ly/2SxqKHA https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/phase-xs/ Zika vaccines are developed for immunization & prevention against diseases caused by Zika virus. This virus belongs to genus Flavivirus and is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The virus can also be transmitted through blood transfusion, sexual contact or from infected pregnant women to the fetus. Diagnosis of this infection is confirmed by detecting viral DNA through PCR. However, only 1 in 4 people with zika infection are prone to develop symptoms. In November 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that zika infection no longer constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) as major cases of zika virus were asymptomatic.For In depth Information Get Sample Copy of this Report @In April 2015, a major ongoing outbreak of Zika virus was registered in Brazil, which later affected the population in South and Central America. This outbreak caused mild illness (fever, rashes, joint pains, conjunctivitis, nausea, and muscle pain), though the recent outbreaks showed severe complications such as microcephaly, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and various congenital neurological abnormalities in infants who were born to infected mothers. The link between zika virus and microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome was identified and reported in 2015 in Brazil.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 70 new zika virus infection cases were reported in the U.S. in 2015, which increased to 41,181 cases in 2016. Lack of reporting is a major factor for lower incidence rate in 2015. Increase in awareness can result in more diagnosis and reporting thus generating growth of the global zika vaccines market.Researchers at the Queensland University of Technology found that the extract of San Francisco plant (Codiaeum variegatum) found in Australia, can kill the zika virus. This extract can arrest the virus and stop it from replicating without causing any damage to the host cells.Continuous increase in human clinical trials and rise in number of zika cases will drive the growth of Zika vaccines marketAs of March 2016, 67 companies and research institutions were working on various kinds of R&D projects and clinical trials aided to develop effective vaccines against zika virus. The FDA approved the first human clinical trial for GLS5700 in June 2016, a zika vaccine being developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals. Further in 2017, a grant was approved for phase 2 clinical trials for a DNA vaccine conducted by NIAIDs Vaccine Research Center (VRC).Increasing awareness among the population would aid in controlling the incidence rate of zika infection. The WHO implemented a global framework for creating public awareness through its Zika Strategic Response Framework and Joint Plan in February 2016. This plan outlines all the points to be taken care of at the time of infections. In June 2016, WHO Regional Office for Europe developed a training curriculum to increase awareness by the publication of Zika Risk Assessment for European Region.High investment costs required for R&D and the development of effective zika virus vaccines serves as a restraining factor for the global zika vaccines market.Request For Customization of Research Report @While major of the Zika virus cases occur in tropical regions such as Brazil, Paraguay, Venezuela, Colombia and Suriname, there are higher chances of mosquito infections in tropical areas of the U.S. like Texas and Florida. According to Pan American Health Organization, around 1,246 suspected and confirmed cases were reported between epidemiological week (EW) 10 and EW 14 of 2016 in the sub region which involves Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Ecuador.Competitive LandscapeSome key players operating in the zika vaccines market are Cerus Corporation, Biken Inc, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Bharat Biotech International Pvt. Ltd, GeneOne Life Science, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Immunovaccine Inc., NewLink Genetics Corp. and Sanofi S.A. The companies launched various R&D measures and clinical trials to attain immunogenicity against zika virus. In February 2016, Sanofi S.A launched a vaccine research and development project, with the introduction of Dengvaxia (Dengue vaccine) that will aid the company understand the Zika virus and develop an effective vaccine against it. Likewise, Inovio Pharmaceuticals initiated a clinical study of zika vaccine (GLS-5700) in Puerto Rico in August 2016. This trial may provide a potential push to Inovios vaccine if positive results are reported as there was a rapid progression of zika outbreak in Puerto Rico at that time. This could benefit the trial in assessing true efficacy and safety of the vaccine. Rapid progression in clinical trials and approval would augment the zika vaccines market growth.Also, Coherent Market Insights has a proprietary database of pipeline biologics and biosimilars, called PHASE-XS. This database provides analytical data in addition to the clinical information of ongoing trials for biologics and biosimilars. An amalgamation of more than 30 parameters, PHASE-XS helps biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to analyze the market trend, competition, and market potential. For more information or to access this database, kindly click on the below link or contact at sales@coherentmarketinsights.comAbout Coherent Market InsightsCoherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact UsMr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com Ultrasound Systems Market 2014-2025| High Business Opportunities Focusing by Top Key Players- Mindray Medical International, Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthcare, Philips Healthcare Ultrasound Systems Market https://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/report-sample/HC022634 https://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/send-an-enquiry/HC022634 https://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/check-discount/HC022634 Ultrasound Systems Market By Modality (Compact/Handheld Ultrasound and Cart/Trolley Based); Application (Gastroenterology, Radiology, Cardiovascular, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Others (Breast Imaging, Urology, Emergency Care and among others), and End-Use (Diagnostic Imaging & Surgical Centers, ASCs, Hospitals & Clinics and Others) - Global Industry Analysis And Forecast To 2025It provides market analysis of international markets, including development trends, competitive landscape analysis and key regional development status. Additionally, it logically features the existing circumstance and outlooks with a financial and industrial aspect published by Crystalmarketresearch.comKindly request for Sample Copy of Report @This Ultrasound Systems Market report provides an in-depth look at including technology, key trends, market drivers, challenges, standardization, regulatory environment, deployment model, operator case studies, opportunities, future roadmaps, value chains, ecosystem player profiles and strategies. The report also presents forecasts for market investments Till 2025.Competitive Analysis:Toshiba Medical Systems CorporationEsaote S.P.ACompany TenMindray Medical InternationalFujifilm Holdings CorporationGE HealthcareSiemens HealthcarePhilips HealthcareHitachi Medical CorporationIndustry Overview:Global Ultrasound is an imaging technique which uses high-frequency sound waves to observe at organs and structures inside the body. Ultrasound finds its application in medical procedures for observing heart, kidneys, liver, blood vessels and other organs functioning. Ultrasound is widely used for checking the growth of fetus during pregnancy period. Ultrasound is safe compared to X-rays as body is not exposed to any harmful radiation. for Ultrasound testing a transducer is used which generates sound waves projecting it towards the part to be examined, also it captures the waves bounced back from the tissues. The ultrasound machine creates the image of organ from the sound waves captured. Wide range of applications in medical field and some other is the reason for growth of Ultrasound Systems. Therefore, the Ultrasound Systems Market is anticipated to expand and has tremendous scope during the forecast period. The global Ultrasound Systems Market anticipated to flourish in the future by growing at a significantly higher CAGR.Market Segmentation:Ultrasound Systems Market, By ModalityCompact/Handheld UltrasoundCart/Trolley BasedUltrasound Systems Market, By ApplicationGastroenterologyRadiologyCardiovascularObstetrics and GynecologyOthers (Breast Imaging, Urology, Emergency Care and among others)Ultrasound Systems Market, By End-UseDiagnostic Imaging & Surgical CentersASCsHospitals & ClinicsOthersThe report unique content which highly exhibits on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability. The report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global Ultrasound Systems Market based on Market Segmentation.Regional Area Covers:1. Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)2. North America (U.S, Canada, Mexico)3. Europe (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Rest of Europe)4. Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, Australia, India, South Korea, Rest of Asia-Pacific5. Rest of the World (Brazil, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Others)To Share Any Query, Ask Our Experts@We do forecast on basis of several parameters such as market drivers, market opportunities, industry trends government regulations, raw materials supply and trade dynamics to ensure relevance of forecast with market scenario. With increasing need to granulized information, we used bottom-up methodology for forecasting where we evaluate each regional segment differently and combined all forecast to develop final market forecast.Major TOC:1. Introduction1.1. Report Description2. Executive Summary2.1. Key Highlights3. Industry Overview3.1. Introduction3.1.1. Industry Definition3.1.2. Industry Segmentation3.2. Industry Dynamics3.2.1. Drivers3.2.2. Restraints3.2.3. Opportunities3.3. SWOT Analysis4. Market Analysis by Regions4.1. North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)4.2. Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Rest of Europe)4.3. Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Rest of Asia-Pacific)4.4. South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Rest of South America)4.5. Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Rest5. Ultrasound Systems Market, By Modality5.1. Introduction5.2. Global Ultrasound Systems Revenue and Market Share by Modality (2014-2018)5.2.1. Global Ultrasound Systems Revenue and Revenue Share by Modality (2014-2018)5.3. Compact/Handheld Ultrasound6. Ultrasound Systems Market, By Application6.1. Introduction6.2. Global Ultrasound Systems Revenue and Market Share by Application (2014-2018)6.2.1. Global Ultrasound Systems Revenue and Revenue Share by Application (2014-2018)6.3. Gastroenterology6.3.1. Global Gastroenterology Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2018)10. Global Ultrasound Systems Market Competition, by Manufacturer10.1. Global Ultrasound Systems Revenue and Market Share by Manufacturer (2016-2017)10.2. Global Ultrasound Systems Price By Region (2016-2017)10.3. Top 5 Ultrasound Systems Manufacturer Market Share10.4. Market Competition Trend11. Ultrasound Systems Market Forecast (2018-2025)11.1. Global Ultrasound Systems Revenue (Millions USD) and Growth Rate (2018-2025)11.2. Ultrasound Systems Market Forecast by Regions (2018-2025)List of Tables and Figures:Figure United States Ultrasound Systems Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2014-2025)Figure Canada Ultrasound Systems Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2014-2025)Figure Mexico Ultrasound Systems Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2014-2025)Figure Germany Ultrasound Systems Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2014-2025)Figure France Ultrasound Systems Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2014-2025)To avail Reasonable Discount of Report @About Crystal Industry Research:Crystal Offers One Stop Solution For Industry Research, Business Intelligence, And Consulting Services To Help Clients Make More Informed Decisions. It Provides Both Syndicated As Well As Customized Research Studies For Its Customers Spread Across The Globe. The Company Offers Industry Intelligence Reports Across A Broad Range Of Industries Including Healthcare, Chemicals & Materials, Technology, Automotive, And Energy.Contact Us:Judy S,304 South Jones Blvd, Suite 1896,Las Vegas NV 89107,United StatesToll Free: +1-888-213-4282Email: Sales@CrystalIndustryresearch.Com Fly Ash Market is projected to grow at a good CAGR between 2017 and 2023 www.knowledge-sourcing.com/requestsample&sample_id=2152 www.knowledge-sourcing.com/fly-ash-market The recent study, titled, Fly Ash Market Forecasts from 2018 to 2023 covers an in-depth analysis of the market on the basis of type, application, and geography. The report also covers the country level analysis within the regions as well. Additionally, the report covers the key trends in the market along with drivers and restraint during the forecast period 2018-2023. The report has segmented the fly ash market by the type (class F, class C), application (road construction, cement & concrete, structural fill) and geography (North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific). Fly ash is produced in small dark flecks by the burning of powdered coal or other materials; they are very fine with cement like properties and are used as an additive in cement. The demand for Fly Ash is increasing during the forecast period mainly due to the rising investment in infrastructure sector in various countries. In addition, rapid urbanization and expansion of the construction industry are expected to further fuel up the demand for fly ash during the forecast period.Request Sample:Application in Concrete and Cement is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period.Application in the concrete and cement is expected to hold a substantial share of the fly ash market in 2017. Fly ash is considered as a cost-effective substitute for Portland cement in many markets and is also recognized as an environmentally friendly material because of its byproduct. Fly ash produces dense concrete with a smooth surface and sharp detail that reduces crack problems, permeability, and bleeding. Increasing investment in the construction industry around the globe is projected to drive the growth of concrete and cement segment during the forecast period.The Asia Pacific is expected to account for a significant share in the marketAsia Pacific fly ash market is estimated to have a significant share in the global market and the region is further anticipated to grow during the forecast period on account of increasing investment in construction and infrastructure sector. The growing population in the region is placing a strain on the existing infrastructure leading to additional investment in the infrastructure industry. Moreover, promotion of fly ash by the government in developing economies in the region is further supplementing the growth of the market in the region during the forecast period.Some of the major industry players profiled as part of the report are Boral Limited, Charah Inc., Aggregate Industries, Cemex S.A.B. De C.V., Salt River Materials Group, Flyashdirect, and Lafarge North America Inc, among others.Request customization or place an order:About Us:Knowledge Sourcing Intelligence (KSI) is a market research and consulting organization based out of India. KSI publishes research studies spanning across ten industry verticals. KSI has a team of experienced and young professionals with a singular focus on delivering high-quality research services to enterprises, non-government organizations, government agencies, and research institutes and organizations. We publish hundreds of reports per year centering on niche and latest technologies. We engage with key decision makers and stakeholders across the value chain to provide clients with a detailed analysis and birds-eye view of the market with whole market dynamics, statistical forecasts, competitive analysis, key trends, market drivers and challenges and strategic recommendations for making informed decisions. Our success lies in the effort of our analysts who strive to meet client expectations by delivering quality work within the stipulated deadlines.Contact:Knowledge Sourcing Intelligence LLP2nd Floor, D-77, Sector 63Noida, U.P. - 201301IndiaE: sales@knowledge-sourcing.com | P: +1-866-714-4587 Bacterial Cell Culture Market 2023 Top Key Players are ScienCell Research Laboratories, Inc. Becton, Dickinson and Company, bioMerieux S.A., Hi-Media Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Neogen Corporation Bacterial Cell Culture Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/696 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/bacterial-cell-culture-market-696 MRFR is the Leading Brand in The Research Company who Recently Published Bacterial Cell Culture Market Research Reports which includes Study of growth, Regional Analysis, Top Industry Players Formation, Major Drivers, Upcoming Trends and Forecast to 2023.Overview:Fast transforming economies have led to a search for a better lifestyle that involves the efficient exploration of alternatives. One such is the bacterial cell culture market that can provide not just drugs for better treatment procedures but can substitute traditional fossil fuel as well. The global bacterial cell culture market is banking heavily on these drivers and is expecting significant growth during the forecast period (2018-2023), reports Market Research Future (MRFR) in a detailed study. Researches in life science and advanced antibiotics are proving impressive determinants for the global market and are aptly backed by demand for renewable energy from biological waste. Bacterial cell culture has also started infiltrating other sectors such as cosmetics, and food & beverage as well which ensures its future prospects.Get Sample Copy @However, bacterial cell culture setup requires aseptic setting which can incur huge cost. Associated elements such as media, reagent, and instruments come at a high price as well which can bottleneck the market for a significant period. The scarcity of trained professionals and high chances of contamination can pull back the market from its expected trajectory during the forecast period.Competitive Dashboard:Globally, the market is very competitive. Presence of a number of well-established companies, all vying for a significant share of the market, has made it so. This has spurred a growth in investment and is taking the market forward.Some of the key players for the Global Bacterial Cell Culture Market are ScienCell Research Laboratories, Inc. Becton, Dickinson and Company, bioMerieux S.A., Hi-Media Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Neogen Corporation, Eiken Chemical Co, Ltd., EMD (Merck) Millipore, Scharlab S.L., and Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., and Culture Media & Supplies, Inc., and others.Industry News:Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) reveal that a new enzyme has been discovered which can ensure production of a renewable alternative to toluene, an octane booster. This can enable researchers to produce first of its kind aromatic hydrocarbon fuel.Scientists from the Rockefeller University have recently found a new class of antibiotics, malacidins, from previously unknown microorganisms which can kill several superbugs including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).Segmentation:The Global Bacterial Cell Culture Market can be segmented by consumable, instruments, application, and end-user.Consumable-based segmentation includes media, reagents, and others.Instrument-wise, the market segmentation comprises incubator, centrifuge, spectrophotometer and biosafety cabinet.Based on application, the market is segmented into food testing, water testing, animal feed testing, bioenergy production, agricultural research, and others.On the basis of end-users, the market consists hospital & clinics, diagnostic centers, the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology companies and academic and research institutes.Regional Analysis:Region-specific analysis of the bacterial cell culture market girdles namely the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), and the Middle East & Africa (MEA).The Americas is dominating the global market. Regionally, North America, at present, is spearheading the market with its well-structured biopharmaceuticals and life science industries that are continually putting in efforts to develop new products. Life science sector alone, as per the published report of the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation 2018, invested around USD 96.5 billion in 2013.Europe assumes the second position. The region is witnessing growing demands from the food & beverage sector as the region has a disturbing experience in getting affected by food allergies.The APAC has the potential to become the largest market for bacterial cell culture in countries such as China, Japan, and India are investing heavily in researches to get favorable results.Poor economies and stringent government policies are affecting the market in the MEA region, and they are contributing the least to the market growth.Access Report @About US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com On-board Diagnostics Aftermarket to hit USD 1.5 billion by 2024 | Key players are Intel Corporation, Verizon Communications, Danlaw, Azuga, Bosch, CalAmp, Metromile, Mojio, Continental https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2839 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2839 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/on-board-diagnostics-obd-aftermarket https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/by-2024-atm-market-to-reach-25-billion-2018-09-19 https://www.gminsights.com http://solutionrocket.com The hardware segment held a majority share of over 40% in the OBD aftermarket in 2017 due to the large-scale adoption of traditional OBD scanners such as scan tools and code readers to access the vehicles OBD port. These scanners act as an interface to provide users with the vehicles engine-related parameters. However, with the emergence of OBD dongles, additional information, such as driver behavior analytics and remote diagnostics, can be effectively extracted from vehicles.Request for a sample of this research report @OBD Aftermarket size is set to exceed USD 1.5 billion by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. The increasing emphasis on developing connected vehicle solutions and the growing adoption of IoT technology in the automobile sector are driving the growth of the OBD aftermarket. The increase in vehicle production, particularly LCVs and HCVs, has generated the demand for more stringent emission control standards. The government agencies around the world have implemented stringent emission control regulations to combat the increasing impact of air pollution on the environment. The increasing complexities in vehicles have generated the need to have more robust remote diagnostics solutions. Remote diagnostics technology is also gaining more popularity as it provides the vehicle owners and technicians with the real-time information about the vehicles status and helps in the effective monitoring of vehicle components remotely.Company profiled in this report based on Business overview, Financial data, Product landscape, Strategic outlook & SWOT analysis: Autel Intelligent Technology Corp.,Ltd. Automatic Labs AVL Ditest Azuga Bosch Diagnostics CalAmp Continental AG Danlaw, Inc. ERM Electronic Systems LTD Geotab Inc. Innova Intel Corporation Magneti Marelli S.p.A. Metromile Mojio TomTom International BV. Vector Informatik Verizon Communications Xirgo Technologies, Inc.The passenger vehicles segment held a dominant share of over 40% in 2017 in the global OBD aftermarket. The increased production of passenger vehicles, particularly in the U.S. and China, is majorly contributing to the adoption of OBD telematics solutions in the segment. According to the American Auto Council, the U.S. auto production is expected to exceed 12 million vehicles per year through 2019 and reach 13 million by 2020. As it has been made mandatory by government institutions in various countries to have OBD compatibility for passenger vehicles, the segment is projected to grow consistently during the forecast timeline.The OBD apps segment is expected to exhibit the fastest growth by 2024 at a CAGR of over 25%. The increasing penetration of smartphones and the adoption of advanced telematics technologies have triggered the demand for mobile-based apps. As the OBD apps reduce the dependency on any hardware to gather information and make it possible for the user to convert the smartphone or tablet into a portable OBD scanner for gathering diagnostic information, the demand for apps is likely to grow during the forecast timeline. These apps handle all the information collected from the OBD systems and ease the task of monitoring the vehicle parameters in the real-time, allowing the continuous monitoring of the vehicles status.The fleet management segment dominated the OBD aftermarket in 2017 with a market share of over 45% and is expected to maintain the dominance throughout the forecast period. The use of OBD in the fleet management software offers effective management of fleet operations and provides access to the real-time data regarding the vehicles location. It also monitors the driving patterns and helps in early diagnosis and mitigation of any malfunction in the vehicle components. With the significant growth in the electric vehicle technology, the demand for OBD telematics systems for managing and controlling the vehicle components is expected to increase significantly. The fleet management software in electric vehicles helps in increasing the fleet efficiency and reducing the operational costs.North America held a major share of the OBD aftermarket in 2017. The proliferation of OBD dongle-based solutions is estimated to grow at a faster pace in the region between 2018 and 2024. The automobile sector in this region continues to record a steady growth due to the high penetration of advanced technologies in the transportation systems and the increased momentum of autonomous vehicles. The presence of some major global automobile players and the increasing investments by foreign auto suppliers in their manufacturing facilities are driving the regions automobile market growth.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Companies operating in the On-board Diagnostics Aftermarket focus on offering new products along with strategic acquisitions to leverage their mutual technological capabilities and create innovative offerings. For instance, in April 2018, Quartix launched a new installation option; plug, and track. The new tracking device can be easily installed into the OBD port and it eases the installation and flexibility when moving the tracking function from one vehicle to another without disconnecting the hardwiring. In April 2017, SiriusXM acquired Automatic, the maker of the Automatic Pro and Automatic Lite connected car OBD II ports accessories for USD 10 million. The acquisition enabled the company to expand and improve its connected vehicles services.For instance, in January 2018, Ford planned to invest USD 11 billion in electric vehicles to have 40 hybrid and fully electric vehicles in its model lineup by 2020. Similarly, in April 2016, Nissan made strategic investments in its U.S. operations to meet the growing need of the U.S. consumers. The company has invested around USD 10.8 billion in its U.S. operations since 1981.Browse Full Report @Some of the key players operating in the OBD aftermarket are Continental, Automatic Labs (SiriusXM), Magneti Marelli, Tom Tom, Geotab, Danlaw, CalAmp, Verizone, Mojio, Intel, Metromile, ERM Telematics, Azuga, Xirgo Technologies, AVL Ditest, Vector Informatik, Bosch Diagnostics, and Autel.Browse Related Report:ATM Market Size By Solution (Deployment [Onsite, Offsite, Worksite, Mobile], Managed Services), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa), Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2017 2024About 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:Blog: Hormonal Contraceptive Market to Grow at a Steady CAGR 2019 - 2023: Major Worldwide Key Players - Ansell Limited, Bayer AG, Church & Dwight, Johnson & Johnson, Mayer, Merck & Co Hormonal Contraceptive Market https://www.businessindustryreports.com/sample-request/25961 https://www.businessindustryreports.com/check-discount/25961 https://www.businessindustryreports.com/buy-now/25961/single A fresh report has been added to the wide database of Business Industry Reports. The research study is titled Hormonal Contraceptive Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2023 which provides important data about the production, consumption, revenue and company profiles for key industry participants.Global Hormonal Contraceptive Market Synopsis:According to Market Analyst, The Global Hormonal Contraceptive Market is expected to grow at an impressive Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2019 to 2023.If you want to know more about Hormonal Contraceptive, Get Sample Copy of Report @Hormonal contraception acts on the endocrine system to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Synthetic forms of naturally occurring hormones such as progestin and estrogen are used to prevent ovulation and avoid fertilization. These forms of birth control methods also change the environment of the uterus, making it unfavorable for fertilization. Pill, Intrauterine Devices (IUD), injectable, vaginal rings, implants, and patches are various methods used for hormonal contraception. Hormonal contraception methods act on the endocrine system to prevent ovulation.According to Report, The global hormonal contraceptives market is likely to show significant growth during the forecast period. This is attributed to the urbanization, increasing user awareness, rise in menstruating population worldwide, and encouragement by government to use contraceptives.The hormonal contraceptives market is segmented by method, by hormone, by end users and by geography. Based on method, the market is segmented into combined oral, oral, implanted, injected, intrauterine, transdermal patch, and vaginal ring contraceptives. The hormonal contraceptives market, by hormone is categorized into androgens, estrogens, progestrogens, gonadotropins, antiandrogens, and others. Based on end users, the market is segmented into hospitals, homecare, gynecology centers, clinics, and ambulatory surgical centers.Regionally, North America dominated the global hormonal contraceptive market in 2016. The region is expected to retain its position throughout the forecast period. This can be attributed to high per capita income, strong presence of key market players, higher awareness about sexual health, and large number of unintended pregnancies. Asia Pacific is projected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period.Request a Discount on standard prices of this premium report @The Market is segmented and projected on the basis of major key players:1 Ansell Limited2 Bayer AG3 Church & Dwight Co4 Johnson & Johnson5 Mayer Laboratories6 Merck & Co7 Mylan N.V.8 Pfizer9 Teva Pharmaceutical IndustriesMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers:1 North America2 Europe3 China4 Japan5 Southeast Asia6 IndiaComplete report on Hormonal Contraceptive Market spread across 110 Pages and No. of Table of contents. Buy Research @Key Questions Answered in this Report:1 Which would be global Hormonal Contraceptive market opportunities and restraints with producers in the industry?2 What all segmentations covered?3 Which will be the Hormonal Contraceptive trending variables currently impacting the market shares?4 What will be the global Hormonal Contraceptive market size in 2023?5 Who will be the top vendors in Hormonal Contraceptive market?6 Whats going to be the growth speed?7 Which will be the significant Hormonal Contraceptive market trends?8 Which industry regions are currently affecting on Hormonal Contraceptive markets development?TABLE OF CONTENTSGlobal Hormonal Contraceptive Market Size, Status and Forecast 20231 Industry Overview of Hormonal Contraceptive2 Global Hormonal Contraceptive Competition Analysis by Players3 Company (Top Players) Profiles4 Global Hormonal Contraceptive Market Size by Type and Application (2013-2019)5 United States Hormonal Contraceptive Development Status and Outlook6 EU Hormonal Contraceptive Development Status and Outlook7 Japan Hormonal Contraceptive Development Status and Outlook8 China Hormonal Contraceptive Development Status and Outlook9 India Hormonal Contraceptive Development Status and Outlook10 Southeast Asia Hormonal Contraceptive Development Status and Outlook11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2019-2023)12 Hormonal Contraceptive Market Dynamics13 Market Effect Factors Analysis14 Research Finding/Conclusion15 AppendixAbout usBusinessindustryReports.com is digital database of comprehensive market reports for global industries. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Media ContactBusiness Industry ReportsPune Indiasales@businessindustryreports.com+19376349940 Dental X-ray Systems Market Analysis by Key Growth Factors and Opportunities 2018 to 2026 | FONA, J. MORITA CORP., Danaher Corporation, PLANMECA OY, Prexion Corporation, Carestream Dental U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-8960 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-8960 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Increasing incidences of acute diseases like cancer has created a robust demand for effective diagnostics and treatment for the early detection of this disease and increase the probability of survival. As a result, dental X-ray systems have witnessed a rapid rise in their demand, on the back of their qualification as a promising diagnostics and treatment procedure. In addition to this, the dental X-ray systems significantly reduce the radiation dose among the patients, which strengthens the trust of the medical practitioners in the equipment and boosts the growth of the dental X-ray systems market.Rising geriatric population and their edentulous issues directly open lucrative opportunities for the dental X-ray systems market. Moreover, healthcare facilities utilized by the elderly population are subsidized by the government, which in turn, has boosted the usage of dental X-ray systems. According to a report published by Future Market Insights (FMI) opines that the global dental X-ray systems marketwill grow at a striking CAGR of over 6% by the end of 2026.Request to View Sample of Research Report @With the increasing comfort provided by the portable intraoral X-ray systems, the traditionally used floor mounted dental X-ray systems are gradually becoming obsolete. When weighted on the basis of cost, dental X-ray systems provides far better affordability to the dental clinics and hospitals as compared to the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) systems, which is why the sales prospects of the former are better.Challenges Pertaining to the Dental X-ray Systems Market: Reduction in ReimbursementA notable reduction in the primary healthcare facilities for many diseases including oral health will affect the capacity and the resources adversely. Newly formed legislation will enforce reduced reimbursement regulations on the MPFS (Medicare Physician FEE Schedule) and HOPPS (Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System), which is expected to cause a drop in the growth of the dental X-ray systems market.Technological Advancements to Lend Ample Growth Opportunities to the Dental X-ray Systems MarketInnovations and advancements brought about in the medical imaging vicinity and especially, dental X-ray systems have intensified the growth prospects of the dental X-ray systems market. Owing to the progress made by the healthcare industry, there has been a consistent need for the precise diagnosis of the diseases, which has been fulfilled by the dental X-ray systems. Given the multifold applications of these systems, the global dental X-ray systems market is projected to grow exponentially.North America to Maintain a Strong Hold on the Global Dental X-ray Systems MarketThe study on dental X-ray systems market provides a detailed analysis on the basis of several factors affecting the market growth. The key geographies assessed in this study include China, APEC, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Middle East and Africa (MEA). Depending on the market size, North America leads the dental X-ray systems market, attributed to the advanced healthcare facilities and excellent spending capacity. As a subsequence, the regional dental X-ray systems market is expected to bear positive results for the global dental X-ray systems market.Following the footsteps of North America, Europe is the second most dominating region influencing the growth of the dental X-ray systems market. In addition to this, Asia Pacific is equally estimated to contribute to the growing market size during 2018 2026.A Methodology of this Report is Available upon Request @Collaboration and Mergers to Trigger the Growth of the Dental X-ray Systems MarketThe report on the dental X-ray systems market includes a comprehensive analysis of the companies devising innovative solutions in the market. The leading players incorporated in the report are FONA, J. MORITA CORP., Danaher Corporation, PLANMECA OY, Prexion Corporation, Carestream Dental, LLC, Owandy Radiology, Vatech Co. Ltd., The Yoshida Dental Mfg. Co. Ltd., Dentsply Sirona, LED Medical Diagnostics Inc., Cefla S.C., and Air Techniques, Inc., among others.About UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Contact UsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: Fire Blanket Market Is Expected to Reach $320 Million by 2025, Growing At A Cagr Of 4.2% | Tyco International, Kidde Safety, Honeywell Safety, ULINE Fire Blanket Market https://www.qyresearchgroups.com/request-sample/1166186 https://www.qyresearchgroups.com/send-an-enquiry/1166186 https://www.qyresearchgroups.com/check-discount/1166186 Global Fire Blanket market size will increase to 320 Million US$ by 2025, from 230 Million US$ in 2018, at a CAGR of 4.2% during the forecast period. In this study, 2018 has been considered as the base year and 2019 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Fire Blanket. Fire Blanket Market report provides an in-depth overview of product specification, technology, product type and production analysis considering major factors such as revenue, cost, gross and gross margin. The company profiles of all the key players and brands that are dominating the Fire Blanket Market with moves like product launches, joint ventures, merges and accusations which in turn is affecting the sales, import, export, revenue and CAGR values are mentioned in the report. This report focuses on Fire Blanket volume and value at global level, regional level and company level.This report focuses on the top players in global market, like: Tyco International Kidde Safety Honeywell Safety ULINE Hollinsend Fire Safety Junkin Safety Triangle Fire Water Jel Oberon Acmetex JACTONE Safelincs Acme United Corporation KLEVERS-Italian YaoxingRequest a sample of this report @Fire Blanket Market Report Also Covers:1. Market Entry Plans;2. Counter-measures of Economic Impact;3. Marketing Stations;4. Feasibility Studies of New Project Investment;5. Research Benefits of Fire Blanket Industry;A fire blanket is a safety device designed to extinguish incipient (starting) fires. It consists of a sheet of fire retardant material which is placed over a fire in order to smother it. A fire blanket consists of a piece of fire-resistant fabric (usually woven glass fibre) that can be used to smother a small fire or wrap around a person whose clothing is alight.A fire blanket is a safety device designed to extinguish incipient (starting) fires. It consists of a sheet of fire retardant material which is placed over a fire in order to smother it. The types of body fire blanket mainly include fiberglass fire blanket, asbestos fire blanket, cotton fire blanket and others. The fire blanket is not concentrated, the production of top fifteen manufacturers account about 35% of global production. The high-end products mainly come from United States and Europe.In the world wide, the plants of major manufactures mainly distribute in United States and Europe, In United States, like Kidde Safety, are the leading manufacture in this area. As to Europe, Tyco International becomes the leader of domestic manufactures.Europe is the largest consumer of fire blanket. In 2015, the consumption of fire blanket is about 24565 K Units in Europe; its proportion of total global consumption exceeds 34%. China has witnessed a major chunk of the consumption of fire blanket in the Asia region.Global Fire Blanket Market account by forms of types: Fiberglass Fire Blanket Asbestos Fire Blanket Cotton Fire Blanket OthersMarket segment by Application, Fire Blanket can be split into: Industrial Use Public Places Home OthersGlobal Fire Blanket Market Regional Segment Diagnosis: North America Europe China Japan Southeast AsiaThe report on Fire Blanket Market is a professional report which provides thorough knowledge along with complete information pertaining to the Fire Blanket Market industry a propos classifications, definitions, applications, industry chain summary, industry policies in addition to plans, product specifications, manufacturing processes, cost structures, etc.Do You Have Specific Requirement? Ask To Our Experts @The potential of this industry segment has been rigorously investigated in conjunction with primary market challenges. The present market condition and future prospects of the segment has also been examined. Moreover, key strategies in the market that includes product developments, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, etc., are discussed. Besides, upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also conducted.Prominent Points in International Fire Blanket Market Trends Report: Market Methodology and Repository: Methodology/Research Approach, Research Programs/Design, Global Fire Blanket Market Size Estimation, Economy Breakdown, and Data Triangulation, Repository (Secondary Resources, Main Resources ), Disclaimer. Fire Blanket Key Players, Types and Application: Key Players Profile, SWOT Analysis and Forecast, Revenue Volume Sales Price Cost, and Gross-margin, Contest by Players/Suppliers, Region, Types, and Application. Industry Chain and Supply Chain: Industry Chain Structure, R&D, Recyclables (Components), global Fire Blanket market Manufacturing Plants, Regional Trading (Import export and Neighborhood Sales), on the Web Sales Channel, off Line Channel, End-users, Manufacturing (Key Components, Assembly Manufacturing). Fire Blanket Economy by Manufacturing Cost Analysis: Price Trend, Key Providers, Market Concentration Cost of Chemical Materials, Proportion of Manufacturing Cost Structure (Labour Cost), Manufacturing Process Analysis. Fire Blanket Size (Revenue and Sales) Forecast (2019-2025): Earnings (K Components), Revenue (Mn/Bn USD) Forecast (2019-2025), Revenue Published by Regions (2019-2025), Forecast by Program (2019-2025), global Fire Blanket market Revenue Forecast by Product (2019-2025), Proposed by Guidance Technique (2019-2025).Get Attractive Discount on This Report @About QY Research Groups:QY Research Groups is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. QY Research Groups is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends.Contact Us:Call : +1-888-236-2744Email: sales@qyresearchgroups.com Airway Clearance Systems Market Global Industry Analysis 7.6% CAGR by 2025 https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/110115030/Airway-Clearance-Systems-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/discount/110115030/Airway-Clearance-Systems-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/rd/110115030/Global-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com The requirement for airway cleaners is rising with the betterment in the reimbursement structure as well as the rising worries on a sound living. So as to conform to the developing necessity, the companies functioning in the market have made an effort to improve work. The airway clearances are hence arising to be the vital choice since they change liquid medication into mist or aerosol. In addition, the increase in per capita earnings in determining individuals to expend more on health care therefore worries about healthcare is growing with rising standards of living. The other aspects which are profiting the North America market for airway clearance systems are the enlargement of third-party payer reporting by producers, expansion of institutional and home care market, a higher occurrence rate of chronic ailments, usage of the Affordable Care Act as well as the bringing down price of the therapy settings. On the other hand, it is nevertheless to be determined that whether the rigid regulation scenario acts the same as a difficulty or not.Market players in the overall market are majorly centering on increasing in other regions, establishing advanced airway clearance technology fitting into the consumers requirement with the purpose of gaining a comparatively bigger market share. The global market for airway cleaner systems is likely to record a 7.6% CAGR for the duration of 2017 to 2025. Increasing from an evaluation of US$ 434.0 Million during 2016, the market is projected to account for an evaluation of US$ 838.7 Million before the finish of 2025.Request For Report Sample:Region-wise, North America market is likely to take over the worldwide market because of growing disposable income together with expanding elderly populace all through the years to come. On the contrary, Europe market is likely to anticipate an upright expansion over the years to come. The price structure of institutional services or hospitals and home care in Europe alters substantially because of the value of services extended by respiratory care service manufacturers or providers that constitute another type of hospitality and monitoring services.Request Report Discount:Based on the device type, the global market includes mechanical cough assist, intrapulmonary percussive ventilation, high-frequency chest wall compression, OPEP (oscillatory positive expiratory pressure) and PEP (positive expiratory pressure). Based on the application type, the overall market includes immotile cilia syndrome, bronchiectasis, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, and others. Based on the end user, the overall market includes home care settings, ambulatory surgical centers, hospitals and clinics, and others.Conventional participants have determined a value and brand image throughout the years that have made market infiltration very composite for novel players. The foremost companies operating in the global market are Monaghan Medical Corporation, Vortran Medical Technology, General Physiotherapy, Inc., Electromed Inc., Thayer Medical, Aptalis Pharma US, Inc., Philips Respironics (Koninklijke Philips N.V.,), Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. and others.Report Analysis:Research Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trends.Research Report Insights (RRI)42 Joseph StreetPort carling P0B 1J0Muskoka, Ontario1Phone - +1-631-721-4201Website:Email: sales@researchreportinsights.com Comprehensive Analysis on Joint Reconstruction Devices Market Size with Key Players: tryker, Zimmer Biomet, Medtronic Spinal, Smith & Nephew, DePuy Synthes Companies, Integra LifeSciences and Aesculap Implant Systems https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/1230582/?utm_source=openpr.com&utm_medium=Pc https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/1230582/?utm_source=openpr.com&utm_medium=Pc https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/joint-reconstruction-devices-market/?utm_source=openpr.com&utm_medium=Pc www.marketstudyreport.com www.marketstudyreport.com/blog This report compiled by Market Study Report, LLC, focuses on factors influencing the present scenario of the Joint Reconstruction Devices market. The research report also offers concise analysis referring to commercialization aspects, profit estimation and market size of the industry. In addition, the report highlights the competitive standing of major players in the projection timeline which also includes their portfolios and expansion endeavors.Joint Reconstruction Devices Market will exceed USD 21.5 billion by 2024; as per a new research report.Rising prevalence of Osteoarthritis is one of the prominent factors driving the joint reconstruction devices market growth. Being one of the most common disease around the globe and leading cause of disability among the population aged above 40, the need to address the problem will be largely responsible for rapid demand for various reconstruction devices.Request a sample of this premium report at:Some of the notable industry players are Stryker, Zimmer Biomet, Medtronic Spinal, Smith & Nephew, DePuy Synthes Companies, Integra LifeSciences and Aesculap Implant Systems among others. Industry players focus on increasing their research and development activities by launching innovative technology and enhanced joint replacement implants. Also, companies carry out merger and acquisition to expand the market at geographic level in order to sustain in the competitive market.Moreover, augmented rate of technological advancements with consistent research and development has boosted the demand for joint reconstruction devices in the European countries and will continue influence adoption curve during the forecast period. With introduction of new products into market such as, Agili-C by an Israeli startup CartiHeal Ltd, that will be effective in joint replacement surgery is most likely to contribute to industry expansion. The rapid technological advancement brings in accuracy and precision in joint reconstruction replacement, alignment and placement; fueling the total joint reconstruction devices market growth.Expanding geriatric population base suffering from orthopedic diseases such as Osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal disorders that causes joint pain, stiffness and inflammation will result in rising demand for major joint replacement and implant products. Also, increasing life expectancy of the people in emerging economies will increase the chances of more and more joint related disorders. The Asia Pacific region is witnessing a rapid rise in the number of people over the age of 65 and require frequent use of joint reconstruction devices due to deteriorating bones and tissues. The increasing risk of getting affected by musculoskeletal disorders will augment the growth of joint reconstruction devices market in the forthcoming years.Joint reconstruction surgeries are becoming prevalent, recurrent and more complex at the same time. However, patient?s undergoing joint reconstruction surgeries are more susceptible to several post-surgical complications such as bleeding, wound complication, thromboembolic disease, neural deficit, etc. The rise in cases of post-surgical complications will hamper the market growth.Knee replacement devices market will grow at 3.7% CAGR in near future. Knee replacement was the 14th most common inpatient surgical procedure in the year 2013. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) report of 2014, around 10% and 18% men and women above 60-year age suffer from osteoporosis, proving to be one of the most impact rendering factor for the segment growth over the forecast period.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:Hip replacement devices market held significant market share and was valued around USD 6,677.3 million in the year 2017. Hip replacement is one the most common joint replacement procedures conducted across the globe, resulting in high hip replacement devices demand. In past few years, hip replacement procedures have increased drastically, making the hip device market second biggest in the world after knee replacement devices.U.S. joint reconstruction devices market will grow considerately at 2.4% CAGR in the foreseeable future. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, nearly 70 million American population have some or the other form of chronic joint disorder or arthritis. The large population base with high musculoskeletal disorder prevalence will create ample opportunities for the growth of joint reconstruction devices market in the United States.China joint reconstruction devices was valued around USD 501.5 million in the year 2017. China has been progressing drastically in the last few years in the bone and joint market segment. Joint replacement surgery is accepted for people suffering from surgically remediable joint diseases and conducted routinely across the country. The recent technological advancements along with increasing adoption of joint replacement procedure in the country will boost the market growth.More Details on this Report:About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report LLC4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog: Flood Insurance Market Set for Rapid Growth, To Reach CAGR of Over 17.6% by 2024 | Allianz, Zurich, Allstate, Tokio Marine, Assurant, Chubb, PICC, Sompo Japan Nipponkoa, CPIC, PingAn, etc Flood Insurance Market https://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00012462688/sample https://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00012462688/discount https://www.reportsweb.com/buy&RW00012462688/buy/3480 Flood insurance denotes the specific insurance coverage against property loss from flooding. To determine risk factors for specific properties, insurers will often refer to topographical maps that denote lowlands, floodplains and floodways that are susceptible to flooding. The global Flood Insurance market is valued at 6640 million USD in 2018 and is expected to reach 17600 million USD by the end of 2024, growing at a CAGR of 17.6% between 2019 and 2024.Flood Insurance Market research report is the most comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We provide the current industry scenario, technical data, manufacturing plants, qualitative and quantitative analysis, also regional study, development trends and investment feasibility analysis of the competitors through our exclusive syndicated researchTop Manufacturers Analysis Of Flood Insurance Market are:Allianz, Zurich, Allstate, Tokio Marine, Assurant, Chubb, PICC, Sompo Japan Nipponkoa, CPIC, PingAn, Sunshine, Berkshire Hathaway, Suncorp, Progressive, American Strategic.Get Sample Copy of this Report atThe effective statistics about facts and figures are presented by using effective methodologies. Collectively, it focuses on historical records, and current trends along with future predictions. Different key players are aggregated on the basis of their manufacturing base and productivity.Scope of the Report:This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.This report focuses on the Flood Insurance in global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa.Most important types of covered in Flood Insurance Market report are: Life Insurance, Non-Life Insurance.Most widely used Application covered in Flood Insurance Market report are: Commercial, Residential, Other.Get discount on Purchase report @Reason to Buy- Save and reduce time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the growth, size, leading players and segments in the Flood Insurance Market.- Highlights key business priorities in order to guide the companies to reform their business strategies and establish themselves in the wide geography.- The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the Flood Insurance Market, thereby allowing players to develop effective long term strategies in order to garner their market revenue.- Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets.Table of Contents:1 Market Overview2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 Allianz2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Flood Insurance Type and Applications2.2 Zurich2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Flood Insurance Type and Applications2.3 Allstate2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Flood Insurance Type and Applications3 Global Flood Insurance Market Competition, by Manufacturer4 Global Flood Insurance Market Analysis by Regions10 Global Flood Insurance Market Segment by Type11 Global Flood Insurance Market Segment by Application12 Flood Insurance Market Forecast (2018-2023)13 Sales Channel, Distributors, Traders and Dealers14 Research Findings and Conclusion15 AppendixPurchase a Copy of Report atAbout UsReportsWeb is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers.The market research industry has changed in last decade. As corporate focus has shifted to niche markets and emerging countries, a number of publishers have stepped in to fulfil these information needs. We have experienced and trained staff that helps you navigate different options and lets you choose best research solution at most effective cost.Contact UsPhone : +1-646-491-9876E-Mail : sales@reportsweb.com Smoking Tobacco in Germany 2019 | Imperial, BAT, PMI, Poschl, JTI, HvL, Van Horsen, Santa Fe, Von Eicken, STG, Planta, etc Smoking Tobacco in Germany Market https://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00012485780/sample https://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00012485780/discount https://www.reportsweb.com/buy&RW00012485780/buy/975 "Smoking Tobacco in Germany, 2019", is an analytical report by Publisher that provides extensive and highly detailed current and future market trends in the Danish tobacco market. It covers market size and structure along with per capita and overall consumption. Additionally, it focuses on brand data, retail pricing, prospects, and forecasts for sales and consumption until 2028.Smoking Tobacco in Germany Market research report is being presented with a motive to enrich readers by offering an extensive and explicit analysis of Smoking Tobacco in Germany industry. The report covers each characteristic of the Smoking Tobacco in Germany industry including market growth.Top Key Players:Imperial, BAT, PMI, Poschl, JTI, HvL, Van Horsen, Santa Fe, Von Eicken, STG, Planta.Get Sample Copy of this Report atThe German market for tobacco products is the largest in Western Europe. Total volumes were 108,172 tons in 2018. Smoking tobacco forms the second largest sector of the German tobacco products market with 25.2% of volumes in 2018. Sales were 27,350 tons in 2018 compared with 23,732 tons in 2008.Scope-The German smoking tobacco market is dominated by FCT, which accounted for 86.8% of total consumption in tonnage terms in 2018.-Per capita consumption stabilized over the next couple of years to stand at 313g per person in 2017, however, it has since been forecast to dip to 295g in 2018.-Since the withdrawal of pre-portioned fine cut products following the tax changes at the end of March 2006, the smoking tobacco market has undergone changes.-The German FCT market is led by Reemtsma, the subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco. Reemtsma has led the market since overtaking BAT in 2009, and has demonstrated steady growth since to stand above both BAT and PMI with 19.8% in 2017.Get discount on Purchase report @Reasons to buy-Get a detailed understanding of consumption to align your sales and marketing efforts with the latest trends in the market.-Identify the areas of growth and opportunities, which will aid effective marketing planning.-The differing growth rates in regional product sales drive fundamental shifts in the market.-This report provides detailed, authoritative data on these changes-prime intelligence for marketers.-Understand the market dynamics and essential data to benchmark your position and to identify where to compete in the future.The study objectives of Smoking Tobacco in Germany Market are:To analyze and research the global Smoking Tobacco in Germany status and future forecast involving, production, revenue, consumption, historical and forecast.To present the key Smoking Tobacco in Germany manufacturers, production, revenue, market share, and recent development.To split the breakdown data by regions, type, manufacturers and applications.To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.Purchase a Copy of Report atAbout UsReportsWeb is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers.The market research industry has changed in last decade. As corporate focus has shifted to niche markets and emerging countries, a number of publishers have stepped in to fulfil these information needs. We have experienced and trained staff that helps you navigate different options and lets you choose best research solution at most effective cost.Contact UsPhone : +1-646-491-9876E-Mail : sales@reportsweb.com Interceptor Missiles Market to reach $14 Bn by 2024: what you need to know - Key Players- Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems - Career https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2401 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2401 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/interceptor-missiles-market https://www.gminsights.com Global interceptor missiles market is expected to cross 3,000 units till 2024. Continuously increasing threat of attacks from rival countries has resulted in proliferating demand for interceptor missiles over the forecast timeframe.Multiple countries across the globe including Netherlands, U.S, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, etc., have purchased patriot interceptor missiles to strengthen their defense inventory, impacting the industry positively.Industry is witnessing regular upgradations and innovations in interceptor missiles. For instance, HQ-19 is a significant upgradation of HQ-9 and has gained prominence in 2017. It can target satellites and ballistic missiles in lower earth orbit and is featured with kinetic kill vehicle. Moreover, it can intercept the ballistic missiles from a range of 3,000 kms. These innovations are anticipated to induce immense growth potential to the interceptor missiles market over the coming years.Get Sample Copy of This Report @Surface to air missiles are expected to capture maximum interceptor missiles market revenue share of more than 80% by 2024. Some of the benefits offered includes light-weight and portability which in turn will drive the industry demand. Water to air missiles will exhibit approximately 7% CAGR owing to rising adoption of these missiles in various countries across the globe for naval border protection.Company profiled in this report based on Business overview, Financial data, Product landscape, Strategic outlook & SWOT analysis: Lockheed Martin Corp. Boeing Co. Raytheon Co. Aerojet Rocketdyne Rafael Advanced Defense SystemsMake an Inquiry for purchasing this Report @Interceptor missiles of up to 125 kms range are anticipated to dominate the interceptor missiles market, generating a demand of over 2,000 units till 2024. Continuously increasing penetration of missiles conforming to this range such as PAC-3, Iron Dome, and SM-3, from MEA including UAE, Israel, and Saudi Arabia will primarily support the industry dominance.Interceptor missiles of range above 200 kms will exhibit over 18% CAGR in terms of revenue owing to rising deployment of advanced missiles such as HQ-19. Regular innovations in these missiles in countries such as China will further strengthen the industry penetration over the forecast timeframe.PAC-3 is expected to account for highest interceptor missile market share crossing USD 6 billion over the coming years. Proliferating demand of these missiles, especially in developed countries will primarily support the revenue generation. For instance, in January 2013, the U.S. army entered into several contracts worth USD 755 million for purchasing 168 PAC-3 missiles and associated services and equipment. HQ-19 will exhibit over 40% CAGR till 2024 owing to its continuously rising usage as an upgradation of HQ-9. Its enhanced features as compared to its counterparts will further support the industry growth till 2024.MEA interceptor missiles market will showcase dominance over the next eight years owing to rising threat of enemy attacks across the region. Collaborations of various countries with industry players for purchasing of these missiles will further contribute towards the high revenue generation. For instance, UAE and Qatar are anticipated to enter an agreement with Lockheed Martin for supplying patriot missiles. Europe will witness over 7% CAGR till 2024 owing to rising sales of interceptor missiles from countries including Sweden and Poland.Browse Report Summary @Lockheed Martin Corp., Boeing Co., Raytheon Co., Aerojet Rocketdyne, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems are among the major industry players. Regular product innovations is among prominent strategies implemented by these participants. For instance, in January 2018, Lockheed Martin made enhancements in Aegis missile that is anticipated to result in rapid detection of threats and reduction in reaction time.About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone:1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb: Patient Handling Equipment Market Share Growth Size Trends Report | Key Players: Stryker, Hill-Rom, Invacare Corporation, Prism Medical, Maquet Getinge Group, Guldmann Inc, Linet spol. s r.o., Handicare North America U.S. Patient Handling Equipment market, By Product, 2013 2024 (USD Billion) https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2142 https://www.gminsights.com/toc/detail/patient-handling-equipment-market https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2142 https://www.gminsights.com http://solutionrocket.com U.S. market dominated North America patient handling industry in 2017 with USD 3,264.8 million market size in 2017. Increasing geriatric & bariatric pool, numerous laws for safe patient handling coupled with rising patient population will act as high impacting factor for U.S. patient handling industry growth. According to American community Survey (ACS), in 2016, overall proportion of people with disabilities in U.S. was 12.8 %. Such trends will result into greater adoption rate of patient handling equipment in upcoming years.Expanding geriatric population across the globe will stimulate the market growth in upcoming years. Older population contributes to higher percentage of hospital admissions and re-admissions. Aging population is also highly associated with reduced mobility. According to Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), about half of the adult population that occupies hospital beds are aged above 65 years of age. Thus, rising elderly population coupled with high risk of acquiring chronic diseases will surge the demand for patient handling equipment in foreseeable future.Request for a sample of this research report @Rising number of regulations and guidelines to ensure safety of healthcare workforce against manual lifting will offer lucrative patient handling business growth. New York State's Safe Patient Handling Law identifies that manual patient lifting may cause injuries to the caregiver as well as patient and safe patient handling program can decrease its risk and improve quality of care. Such guidelines prevent healthcare staff from affecting from injuries as a result of manual handling, thereby majorly impacting patient handling equipment market growth.Inadequately trained caregivers owing to high training cost and duration will hinder patient handling equipment market growth. Issues faced by caregivers such as musculoskeletal disorders, sprains and spinal injuries can potentially impede patient handling industry growth over the coming years.Medical bed segment accounted for the highest market share of 26.9% in 2017 owing to increasing number of obese population, elderly population and rising number of surgeries. Medical beds available with wide range of customizations and advancements offer numerous benefits to the patient, enhancing patient care. Customizable features such as easy-to-adjust parts of bed, better patient positioning, adjustability, and other advantages will boost the business size. Furthermore, rising birth rate and booming healthcare expenditure should further drive segmental size in foreseeable years.Browse Full Report Details @Mechanical and transfer equipment segment is forecasted to grow lucratively at 12.6% CAGR over the forecast timeframe. Rising number of patients suffering from mobility issues due to disability or excess weight will increase the demand for mechanical and transfer equipment. Disabled patients need mechanical and transfer equipment in hospitals during treatment. With increasing number of advantages offered by the equipment owing to technology advancements will render high segmental share.Company profiled in this report based on Business overview, Financial data, Product landscape, Strategic outlook & SWOT analysis: Stryker Hill-Rom Invacare Corporation Prism Medical Maquet Getinge Group Guldmann Inc Linet spol. s r.o. Handicare North AmericaMobility assistance segment was valued at USD 3,123.8 million in 2017. With rapidly growing number of patient admissions affected with some form of chronic illness or mobility impairment, mobility assistance segment should witness substantial growth. In addition, escalating handling problems by caregivers will boost mobility assistance equipment adoption rate. According to American Nurses Association, 62% nurses reported development of disabling musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). Aforementioned factors will primary impact segmental size in forecast timeframe.Long term care segment is estimated to grow at 12.5% CAGR during the projected period. There is increasing patient burden suffering from age-associated disabilities. Increasing population affected with disabilities will demand for long term care facilities that will in turn positively impact the market for better patient care. Moreover, risk of sprains and strains in long term facilities is elevated that will result into high adoption rate of patient handling equipment, thus spurring segmental growth.Hospitals segment contributed to USD 5,119.7 million in 2017. The segmental size is attributable to capability of hospital facilities to provide advanced patient care along with high-end technology. California Hospitals approaches safe patient handling for secure employee and patient care purposes. Additionally, American Nurses Association mentions that hospitals must include ergonomic design principles to offer a safe environment care. Above initiatives and infrastructure will augment hospital patient handling equipment market growth in the forthcoming years.Home care settings segment will foresee a significant segmental growth at 12.3% CAGR during the projected timeframe. Well-trained homecare workforce, increasing demand for homecare settings and personal care will act as primary factors for segmental growth. Availability of medical devices for patient transfer will increase customer preference for patient handling equipment in homecare settings. Above factors that enable better patient care in homecare settings will increase adoption rate of patient handling equipment in recent years.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Japan market will foresee momentous growth at 13.6% CAGR over the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to increasing number of innovations in patient handling equipment, initiatives to prevent injury coupled with availability of sophisticated healthcare infrastructure. Moreover, increasing number of musculoskeletal disorders among Japanese nurses will pace adoption of such equipment, thereby impelling Japan patient handling equipment market in forthcoming yearsGlobal 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.Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Blog: Ottawa, ON Ottawa orthodontist Dr Charles Cohen has confirmed his Braces Haven dental clinic will expand their open days for clients to now include Tuesdays. Braces Haven is a modern, family-friendly Ottawa Orthodontic clinic located in Barrhaven, Nepean, where the team provides a range of brace solutions for people of all ages. Dr Cohen said the clinic is open six days a week, but Tuesdays and Thursdays are usually by appointment First thing you should know about Nightfood, a new sleep-friendly ice cream, is that its a genius idea. That statement is true whether it actually works. But many people have trouble sleeping, and many people love eating ice cream, and the possibility of cookies-and-cream-flavored Ambien, even though thats not exactly how the product functions, is going to be irresistible to insomniacs everywhere. "Part of me is like, I'm jealous I'm not part of this marketing scheme," said Raj Dasgupta, assistant professor of clinical medicine specializing in sleep at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. "They knew exactly where to strike." Yep, right in the taste buds. Nightfood's ice creams come in flavors such as decaf cold brew, Bed and Breakfast (waffles and syrup), chocolate cherry and Cookies n' Dreams. The ice creams do not contain melatonin or other sleep supplements, so they will not necessarily help you fall asleep. The point is they will not keep you awake, either: The ice cream is configured to include less of the stuff that can impede your digestion to cause disrupted sleep, like lactose, sugar and caffeine. It also has boosted levels of certain vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium, which studies have shown is beneficial for sleep. It is endorsed by Michael Breus, the "Sleep Doctor," who was a consultant involved in its development. You could eat Nightfood any time of day without feeling drowsy, but the product is designed for sleep because surveys have shown one of the most common times people tuck into a pint of ice cream is at night, probably while watching Netflix. But can junk food really solve your sleep problems? Probably not, Dasgupta said. The best way to improve your sleep is to practice good sleep hygiene: Have a set bedtime and wake time every day, avoid caffeine and screens late at night, and, uh, do not eat within two hours of your bedtime. But our willpower fails us in the face of a "Russian Doll" binge with a pint of mint chocolate chip. "They know no one is going to listen to this advice, so, might as well cater to them," Dasgupta said. Sugary snacks "are the no-no foods you don't want someone to eat [before bed]. If they're going to eat it anyway, I'd rather they grab the nutritious one rather than the Twinkie or the cupcake." And here's the thing: It actually tastes really good. Unlike other "functional" ice creams that boast of higher protein and lower sugar and fat, Nightfood uses real sugar - no alternative sweeteners. There is milk and cream in the ingredients list. It has fewer calories than your typical pint, but you would hardly know it from the texture or taste. (Though, one wonders how many calories are shaved off by slightly underfilling the pints - something I noticed with every container of Nightfood I tried.) It does not seem like a healthy ice cream, which makes it all the more likable. Compared with Haagen Dazs, Nightfood's pints have significantly less sugar and fat - but they taste way better than other low-fat alternatives, like Halo Top. I cannot say for sure whether it actually improved my sleep, though. Trendy adaptogenic foods - foods with natural compounds that promote certain physiological functions, such as healthier skin, less anxiety or improved concentration - are on the upswing, but it is hard to determine how well these products fulfill their claims. The placebo effect is strong. And while my sleep was not disrupted after eating Nightfood, it typically is not after eating other ice creams, anyway. "I don't think they're going to run a double-blinded control trial on ice cream," Dasgupta said. Nightfood is not the only sleep-friendly product on the market. Counting Sheep Coffee, launched in 2013, is a decaffeinated coffee that contains valerian, a natural sleep aid. There are also several carbonated sleep drinks, including Som and Neuro Sleep. They might help a bit, but Dasgupta cautions that sleep-promoting foods are not a cure-all. "You're not just going to start eating this food and get great sleep. There's other things that go into it, too," like your overall health, stress level and the amount of time you spend aimlessly scrolling through Twitter in bed. So if you were hoping your doctor would prescribe you ice cream . . . well, in your dreams. Garrett Wilhelm was chatting with the Facetime app on his Apple iPhone, police say, as he sped along an interstate highway northwest of Dallas on the day before Christmas in 2014. He crashed his SUV into a sedan carrying a young family, killing five-year-old Moriah Modisette and injuring her parents and sister. Ashley Kubiak was reading a text on her iPhone when she drove her Dodge Ram pickup into a Chevy Tahoe in Rusk County, Texas, in April 30, 2013. Seven-year old Sammy Lane Meador was left paralyzed, and his grandmother and great aunt were killed. Wilhelm and Kubiak would face criminal charges, but the legal fallout has touched Apple as well. Apple had clearly grasped the danger of drivers compulsively fiddling with their iPhones. In 2008, the company submitted a patent for a lockout system that could disable smartphone functions that may interfere with the safe operation of a vehicle by a driver. The document summed up the need for the lockout in blunt terms. Texting while driving has become so widespread that it is doubtful that law enforcement will have any significant effect on stopping the process, it said. Yet Apple didnt implement the lockout technology. That led to a trickle of lawsuits stemming from distracted driving crashes, though Apple so far has made short work of these cases. All have been dismissed, prior to trial, including those filed by the Modisette and Meador families. And today, Apple notched another victory when the California Supreme Court declined to review the Modisette case, leaving only the Meador claim hanging by a thread. In rejecting at least five cases, courts have ruled that Apple had no legal duty to implement the lockout technology, nor was responsible for the reckless acts of distracted drivers. That is likely to be the prevailing view until the judges daughter gets run over by somebody whos texting, groused Jonathan Michaels, a Southern California plaintiff lawyer who filed one of the failed lawsuits. This is a ridiculously dangerous issue, he said. Successful product litigation can have the force of regulation, causing manufacturers to add safety features as a shield against liability. However, device makers and wireless service providers so far have flicked away legal attacks. There has been an unbroken line of court decisions rejecting attempts to expand tort liability for distracted driving, Apple lawyers said in a recent court filing. Still, the lawsuits might have had one modest effect In 2017, Apple introduced Do Not Disturb While Driving, an app that allows motorists to block incoming messages and calls. But like other anti-distraction apps, it must be activated by the driver, so its use is completely voluntary. Critics say drivers who know better than to use their smartphones behind the wheel dont need Do Not Disturb, while the compulsive users will ignore it. The scene of a fatal crash in Denton, Texas, involving a driver who police said was chatting on his smartphone. His SUV struck a sedan carrying a young family, killing five-year old Moriah Modisette and injuring her parents and sister. (David Minton/Denton Record-Chronicle) An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the litigation, and wouldnt say if it prompted the rollout of the anti-distraction app. Bethany and James Modisette, parents of Moriah, filed their wrongful death suit in Santa Clara County Superior Court in California, Apples home base. After the court threw out the case, a state appeals court in December rejected the Modisettes appeal. We are not persuaded that California law imposes a duty on the manufacturer of a cell phone to design it in such a manner that a user is incapable of using it while driving, the panel ruled. In January, the Modisettes filed the petition that the states highest court today denied without comment. Citing the compulsive behavior triggered by smartphones, the Modisette lawyers said they could not be compared with other sources of distraction. A device which in numerous respects has altered the way mankind lives, behaves and thinks, cannot be equated to a cheeseburger, a tube of lipstick, or even an ordinary cell phone, the petition said. Apple and the body of studies observing smartphone induced distracted driving recognize that law enforcement aimed at drivers will likely not be enough to effectively limit or prevent distracted driving the petition said. This case therefore presents important legal issues for not only this particular case, but for the safety of everyone using Californias highways and roads. For their part, the Apple lawyers argued that the appeals ruling did not warrant Supreme Court review. It merely echoes what courts in California and nationwide have consistently recognized: that product manufacturers are not liable for distracted driving accidents. The Meador case was filed in 2015 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. It, too, was dismissed, and last month the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals shot down the appeal. No Texas case has addressed whether a smartphone manufacturer should be liable for the actions of a distracted driver, the court declared. To our knowledge,no court in the country has yet held that, and numerous courts have declined to do so. Gregory Love, a lawyer in Henderson, Texas, for both the Meadors and Modisettes, said a petition for U.S. Supreme Court review of the Meador case will be filed this spring. In an email to FairWarning, Love said the only way to address what he described as an epidemic of distracted driving tragedies was at the smartphone design levelIf you create the monster, you have a duty to control the monster, he said. However, in absolving Apple the courts are finding that it is not inducing this unsafe use of the product, theyre just not preventing it, said Gregory Keating, a professor of law and philosophy at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. The cases are close to the line, he said, and a court could decide one differently, but a string of similar rulings has a persuasive impact. Once several courts go one way, Keating said, the less likely another jurisdiction is to go the other way. Moreover, in suing Apple, plaintiffs are taking on maybe the most famous and admired company in America, he observed. That doesnt make a close case any easier to win. In 2017, according to a federal figures, distracted driving crashes killed an estimated 3,166 peoplesome due to cellphone use. Officials concede that distraction deaths relating to cellphones may be substantially undercounted, since its usually hard to determine if a driver in a fatal crash was on a phone. Safety advocates have urged the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to adopt regulations to limit distraction from smartphones and other portable devices. The agency has spurned the idea of mandatory standards. But in December, 2016, it proposed nonbinding guidelines calling for device makers and wireless providers to collaborate on technology that could disable drivers phones without blocking the devices of passengers. Despite their nonbinding nature, the proposed guidelines came under furious attack from the wireless industry, with the powerful Consumer Technology Association branding them the worst of government overreach. More than two years later, NHTSA has not adopted the guidelines nor said if it will. Many regulatory initiatives advanced during the Obama administration have been watered down or revoked since President Trump took office. This one seems simply to have fallen off the radar. NHTSA did not respond to a question about the status of the guidelines. This story was produced by FairWarning (www.fairwarning.org), a nonprofit news organization based in Southern California that focuses on public health, consumer and environmental issues Its not everywhere, but in areas where fog is forming, be award of freezing temperatures early on Thursday and the possibility of slick conditions due to freezing fog. Most main freeways and larger roadways are clear and ice-free Thursday morning. No major issues have been reported as of 6:30 a.m., but the central and southern Willamette Valley is experiencing foggy conditions from as close as Aurora to Salem, and down in Eugene. Use caution, increase stopping distance and expect low visibility. #Traffic Kuebler at I-5 Dense Fog forming is areas in and around #Salemor Freezing fog will create slick roads and sidewalks Use Caution if driving or walking. Reduce your speed and allow extra stopping distance #orwx #Salemwx pic.twitter.com/G6xJz6CMMr WxSalem Oregon (@WeatherSalem) February 28, 2019 The TriMet MAX Blue line to Hillsboro experiencing at least 15 minute delays thru 7 a.m. Thursday due to an earlier operating issue near Gresham City Hall. Factor that into your commute. Update 8 a.m.: The MAX Blue line continues to have delays of at least 15 minutes through 8:30 a.m. *** SYLVAN 8:25 a.m.: A stalled truck is blocking the right lane of U.S. 26 eastbound just before the Sylvan overpass. ODOT is with the vehicle. Traffic is backed up to before the OR 217 interchange. Update 8:35 a.m.: Cleared. *** In good weather/travel news, the Oregon Department of Transportation announce the reopening of U.S. 20 at the Santiam Pass about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday after crews cleared debris from a recent landslide. The area has experienced at least three landslides due to heavy snowfall in the last week. The larger slides closed the highway for as much as a day. Current forecasts call for only light snow through the Cascades through the weekend. Well hope for better driving conditions for those who need to use the passes. Also, OR 38 (Umpqua Highway) is now open from Reedsport to Elkton (mileposts 0-36). The highway is still closed between Elkton and Drain (mileposts 36-50), and Oregon 138W (Elkton to Sutherlin Highway) is closed to through traffic due to downed trees and powerlines, snow and debris. On the southern Oregon coast, U.S. 101 remains closed at milepost 344 (15 miles north of Brookings) due to a slide. Motorists are advised to use alternate routes. A contractor has been hired to fix and reopen the highway and work got underway on Wednesday. Back in Portland, sewer construction on North Vancouver Avenue at Russell Street will cause delays and detours for the next three months. On Feb. 25, crews began work on the project. Construction hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday. Drivers will be detoured onto Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and cyclists will use Rodney Avenue. All lanes reopen to travel during non-work hours. Even if Oregon lawmakers adopt Portlands bill to bar arbitrators from overturning police discipline under certain circumstances, the city might not be able to benefit from it. A six-year-old city agreement with the police union could stand in the way. The legislation would bar arbitrators from overturning discipline if its in line with a police agencys discipline guide. But when Portlands then-Mayor Charlie Hales and the president of the Portland Police Association signed an agreement on the adoption of a police discipline guide in December 2013, the agreement included this sentence: "Notwithstanding the citys use of a Discipline Guide, the just cause and due process disciplinary standards under parties collective bargaining agreement still apply and are not modified or supplanted by the discipline guide. Michael Selvaggio, a lobbyist for the Oregon Coalition of Police and Sheriffs, read the clause Tuesday to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee as Senate Bill 383 was introduced. The city of Portland agreed when adopting its police discipline guide that it would not supplant the collective bargaining agreements discipline process, Selvaggio said. He argued that the bill would do just that. Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw, Portlands Chief Deputy City Attorney Mark Amberg and Rob Bovett, legal counsel for the Association of Oregon Counties, testified in favor of the bill. Committee chair Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, signaled hed support an amendment that would ensure whatever agreements are in place wont be adversely impacted by the bill as he sent it to a work session. Portland city officials would have to renegotiate the 2013 agreement with the police union and drop the clause in question for the proposed bill to take effect, the union argues. Portlands city attorney disagrees. Th city believes that the current legislative proposal would be fully complaint with the just cause and due process disciplinary standards under the current PPA contract, City Attorney Tracy Reeve said. The city adopted a police discipline matrix as a condition of its settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice over police use of force against people with mental illness. Amberg told lawmakers that he believes the guide upholds a basic principle that supervisors must have just cause to discipline an officer. He said it sets out reasonable penalties for misconduct and ensures that similarly situated employees are treated the same. He argued that some arbitrators arent familiar with police work and their decisions often undermine police accountability. He cited the 2014 arbitration ruling that overturned then-Chief Mike Reeses demotion of Todd Wyatt from captain to lieutenant. The arbitrator instead ordered a 60-day suspension without pay for Wyatt but reinstated him to the higher rank with back pay. A Portland police review board had found Wyatt inappropriately touched several female employees and escalated an off-duty road rage confrontation. Wyatt has since retired as a police captain. The city and police union representatives have haggled over the years about whether the police discipline guide is advisory or must be followed to the letter. One clause in the guide allows the chief or police commissioner to deviate from this guide as conditions and circumstances warrant. Selvaggio said if the city isnt happy with arbitrators rulings, Id suggest the city attorney choose different arbitrators. Outlaw testified that the disciplinary system, to be considered fair by employees and trusted by the community, has to be predictable and consistent. Arbitration is not, she said. This essentially defeats the purpose of the guide. The bill would direct arbitrators to determine whether the city appropriately applied its discipline guide and not allow arbitrators to make their own subjective assessments of what is fair, she said. The Oregon Association Chiefs of Police, as well as the Oregon State Sheriffs Association, support the bill, Outlaw told lawmakers. She called it a small, deliberate and thoughtful step in the right direction. It makes everyone follow the same playbook when making decisions, she said. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. The tale of a Portland coffee shops tangle with free speech and the free market continued this month, as the wife of the owner of Ristretto Roasters wrote several articles, including an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times, and then the coffee company began soliciting donations on its website. If youre just tuning in, the story began in December when Nancy Rommelmann, a writer and the wife of Ristretto owner Din Johnson, started a YouTube series and now podcast called "#MeNeither with columnist Leah McSweeney. The title of the show, and its content, positioned it in direct opposition to the #MeToo movement, and a group of 30 employees and former employees of Ristretto sent a letter of protest to Portland media outlets. We believe it is a business owners responsibility to create a safe and supportive working environment for their employees, the letter said. Invalidating assault survivors throws into question the safety of Ristretto Roasters as a workplace and has the potential to create a demoralizing and hostile environment for employees and customers alike. This cannot be tolerated. Rommelmann, who previously reviewed books and wrote feature stories as a freelance writer for The Oregonian/OregonLive, at the time insisted she was in no way involved with the business. But business records, earlier news reports and emails signed by Rommelmann that were sent to employees, disputed that claim. Later, Rommelmann admitted she was behind a Twitter tirade against a former employee that came from the official Ristretto account. Rommelmann and McSweeney continued to produce the #MeNeither show -- the most recent episode went up two weeks ago -- and consequences compounded. New Seasons Market and Market of Choice stopped carrying Ristrettos coffee in their stores, and then a Ristretto location in Northwest Portland suddenly closed. Ristretto said the location closed because its lease was up. But Sara Fritsch, the president of Schoolhouse, where the coffee shop was located, said in a statement, It has been an abrupt and unfortunate ending to a long relationship," adding, "We are now focused on establishing a fresh coffee partnership with a company that shares our values and complements our brand. In mid-February, Rommelmann began writing op-eds about the backlash against Ristretto. On Quillette, attached to a picture of Rommelmann and Johnson behind the counter at Ristretto, Rommelmann wrote an article called The Internet Locusts Descend on Ristretto Roasters, blaming one former employee -- the same one she earlier attacked on Twitter -- for the problems facing Ristretto. In her email to Ristretto employees, Camila described our show as vile, dangerous, and extremely misguided, Rommelmann wrote. And when Camila took her complaints public? The career-destroying potential of the internet mob immediately snapped into action, Rommelmann said. In the Quillette piece, Rommelmann describes herself as at the victim of an internet mob, intent on destroying her husbands business: The digital activists swarm like locusts, descending and leaving the earth shorn before moving on to the next field. It is a theme she returned to in her other articles. In A Guide to Surviving Your 15 Minutes of Hate, for Reason, Rommelmann compares herself to Nicholas Sandmann, the Covington Catholic teen. There are some differences, of course. Sandmann is a minor and he was caught on camera acting in a way that some people interpreted as being disrespectful. Rommelmann is an adult who repeatedly expressed controversial opinions on camera. In the Reason article, Rommelmann talks about the consequences of her YouTube show: Within days, she writes, a quarter of the Ristretto staff quit and the company lost major accounts. She offers advice for what to do if you are ever in her shoes, including Build a war room with an oblique reference to initial coverage in The Oregonian/OregonLive: This last helps when the first major story states that you could not immediately be reached for comment. Within a minute of it posting, you can call the reporter and say she did not try to contact you, and while she makes the correction, you now know whats its like to deal with reporters who have different standards of truth-telling than you do, which on top of everything else should not be crushing, but is. For the record: We had reached out to Rommelmann on Facebook -- the only contact we could find -- but she did not see the message. In her L.A. Times op-ed, called Outrage culture is out of control, Rommelmann again compared her situation to that of Sandmann, blamed the former employee and the media for baristas quitting and wholesale accounts leaving. Meanwhile, Ristretto Roasters took the interesting step of soliciting donations. On Wednesday morning, the home page of the companys website said: Donate to Ristretto, and added Your support allows us to continue doing what we love most: roasting coffee and sharing it with the world. Ristretto Roasters homepage, Wed. February 27, 2019. The Oregonian/OregonLive emailed and called Ristretto Wednesday about the nature of the donation campaign, but didnt receive a response. Later, the home page changed to one advertising a type of coffee. But a donate tab, suggesting donations of $10, $25 or $50, either one time or on a monthly basis, remained up. Embattled companies asking for donations is nothing new. In 2015, the people behind Sweet Cakes by Melissa raised hundreds of thousands of dollars after violating Oregons anti-discrimination laws by refusing to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. That crowdfunding page continues to take donations. Dave Turin, who became a favorite with Gold Rush viewers when he appeared on the hit Discovery series working with fellow Oregon miner Todd Hoffman, is getting his own spinoff show. As the Hollywood Reporter writes, the new Discovery Channel series will be called Gold Rush: Dave Turins Lost Mine. In addition to further extending the brand of the hit Gold Rush show, Dave Turins Lost Mine will also be, as the Hollywood Reporter story notes, the first multiplatform series for the Gold Rush franchise. The first seven episodes will premiere on the Discovery GO streaming app on Friday, March 8. Discovery GO is free for viewers who also have a cable subscription. In these first digital episodes, the focus will be on Turin looking for an abandoned mine, which will then be featured on Gold Rush: Dave Turins Lost Mine. The new episodes that will air on cable, on the Discovery Channel, will follow the process of Turin working on the mine he selects, in search of gold that may have been left behind when the mine was abandoned. The TV episodes will premiere at 10 p.m. Friday, April 5, on the Discovery Channel. Gold Rush fans will recall Turin, whos nicknamed Dozer Dave, as providing expertise and common sense feedback when he worked with Hoffman, of Sandy, Oregon, and his crew. Turin left the show at the end of Season 7, which saw Hoffman lead a brief, disastrous foray in Baker County, Oregon, before moving his mining operation to Colorado. The stressful season ended with a fistfight between Turin and another member of the Hoffman team. Turin announced in a season round-up special that he was leaving the show. Since that 2017 announcement by Turin, Hoffman announced that Season 8 of Gold Rush would be his last, and that he was leaving the show to explore other TV production projects. The Hollywood Reporter story includes a statement from Scott Lewers, executive vice president of multiplatform live event programming and network strategy at Discovery and Science Channel. Lewers says, "Dave Turin cemented himself as a fan favorite as viewers witnessed his successes, failures, persistence and now, a whole new chapter, adding, This digital-first series invites everyone to join him on his latest adventure and thrilling pursuit for gold. -- Kristi Turnquist kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. The movie craze for turning toys into feature films may soon include View-Master, which generations of kids used to get 3-D views of everything from natural wonders to Disney movie characters, thanks to its stereoscopic design. According to the Hollywood Reporter, MGM and Mattel, which now owns the brand, are teaming up to develop a live-action View-Master movie. In the story, the Hollywood Reporter includes statements from Robbie Brenner, head of Mattel Films, and Jonathan Glickman, MGM motion picture group president. Brenner says, in part, Since the 1940s, View-Master has inspired wonder and joy in children of all ages, creating huge opportunities for storytelling." Glickmans statement says, "View-Master was the first device that allowed families all over the world to escape their reality and take them places they never thought they could go. We couldnt be more excited to partner with Mattel to create a family adventure integrating the old school turn and click stereotypic device with the modern world of virtual reality. The View-Master toy has its roots in Oregon. As The Oregonians Terry Richard reported in a 2015 article: "An Oregon inventor, William B. Gruber visited the Oregon Caves in 1938. He brought his own unique version of a stereo camera to capture the caverns dramatic interior. Grubers invention used two Kodak Bantam Specials mounted together on a tripod. His device transcended the Victorian periods stereoscope and involved machinery that mounted tiny pieces of 16mm Kodachrome color-transparency film onto thick paper reels. Oregons postcard publishing czar, Harold J. Graves, happened to be visiting the caves at the same time as Gruber, and was curious about the inventors double camera. That evening over dinner at the Oregon Caves Chateau, the new friends discussed Grubers prototype for a 3D reel viewer. From their synchronistic encounter, plans for the View-Master were devised. The device was introduced at the 1939 Worlds Fair in New York. The View-Master was intended as an alternative to scenic postcards and was sold in photography shops, stationery stores, and scenic attraction gift-shops. Produced by Oregon publishing house Sawyers Inc., the View-Master was purchased by Mattel Inc. after several decades of Sawyer production." For more than 30 years, Beaverton was home to the View-Master manufacturing plant. But concerns later arose about the presence of the degreasing agent trichloroethylene (TCE) in the factory supply well. Workers at the plant and advocacy groups expressed concerns about links between TCE and certain cancers, as the Oregonian reported in 2011. The Oregon Health Authority has links to reports investigating worker exposure to TCE and other public health issues. The View-Master brand has gone through several updates, including Virtual Reality and smartphone apps. -- Kristi Turnquist kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. Correction appended An elderly man keeping guard over logging equipment was stranded for three days atop a forested hill under heavy snow in southern Oregon until he was rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter Wednesday. Lloyd Cline, 73, had some food and water but had run out of propane and gas to heat his trailer on Monday, according to Scott Lucas, state search and rescue coordinator with the Oregon Office of Emergency Management. Cline had been working security at the logging site near Drain in Douglas County when he became snowed in at about 1,400 feet elevation, Lucas said. Cline was stranded 15 miles from the main road in 3 to 4 feet of snow. He couldnt drive his truck out of there, and there were so many trees down in the area, so there was nowhere to go even if he could drive, Lucas said. He was about done in. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter flew from the Oregon coast to retrieve Cline. A crew member was lowered down to the ground as the chopper hovered overhead and wrapped Cline in blankets. The pair were then hoisted up into the aircraft, Lucas said. They then flew to PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend in Eugene, where Cline is being treated for hypothermia, Lucas said. He is expected to survive. The rescue coincides with a heavy snowfall in the area that has caused widespread power outages, closed a state highway for non-emergency vehicles, and left nearly 200 people stranded aboard an Amtrak train for more than 36 hours. Thousands of people in the Eugene area could be without power for a week or more due to downed power lines, the local power company said Tuesday. Emergency dispatchers received reports about Cline being stuck sometime Monday morning, Lucas said. Authorities were able to determine where Cline was via his cellphone signal. According to Lucas, weather conditions made a ground rescue the most viable option at first. But some equipment, such as a county snow-cat vehicle, had to be diverted elsewhere. Search and rescue crews attempted to climb up the mountain and cut through downed trees but didnt have chainsaws that were big enough, Lucas said. Loggers arrived Tuesday to help clear the trees. They made it about 6 1/2 miles up the mountain but had to turn back because more snow arrived, making it difficult to see and causing more trees to fall, Lucas said. Crews that returned Wednesday morning were forced start over from the bottom again. They made it about 1 mile up when they encountered a large tree blocking their path. We were running out of time, Lucas said. He kept in communication with us by texting and at some point he was saying that hes breathing hard, not feeling well and it was clear that he was showing symptoms of hypothermia and just couldnt stay warm. Air rescue became the best option, particularly because the weather had cleared up, Lucas said. A Coast Guard crew flew from North Bend on the Oregon coast around 1:20 p.m., reached Cline about an hour later and landed at the hospital at 3:05 p.m., officials said. Lucas said the logging company that hired Cline plans to cover his medical expenses. *Note*: A previous version of this article misstated the area where Drain is located. -- Everton Bailey Jr. ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 |@EvertonBailey Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. Thieves have targeted boats docked at a downtown Portland marina, stealing thousands of dollars worth of items, according to a media report. KOIN (6) reported Wednesday that one boat at Riverplace Marina had been hit twice in four days. The thieves left little behind in the first heist, boat owner Max Orsini told the news station, and tried to steal the boat the second time. They even had a dinner that included popcorn and alcohol during their second trip aboard, according to the news station. KOIN reports a boat disappeared from the marina last week and that several boats have sustained break-ins. The marina harbormaster told KGW (8), which also reported about the issue, that increased security measures are being taken. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. The thief was just looking for a sweet getaway. But his heist was put on ice when he crashed a stolen Odwalla delivery truck Wednesday morning in snowy Beaverton and he was tracked down, police said. The juicy plot began about 8:10 a.m., when Beaverton police responded to a WinCo Foods store after a delivery driver reported his truck had been stolen, according to police. Officers found the stolen truck seven minutes later and tried to stop it, police said. But the suspect refused to stop, police said, and drove into oncoming traffic at one point. Officers stopped the chase because of the icy conditions and public danger. But police said the truck crashed into a small tree and parking sign before the suspect fled, apparently unknowingly, toward the Beaverton Police Department. He took off some of his clothes to alter his appearance, police said, but was found near the south side of the department. Police said they arrested 29-year-old Alan Baker, who is accused of several crimes. Odwalla, according to its website, is a pioneer in the premium juice category. Its products include smoothies, protein shakes and juices. A Beaverton police spokesman said the truck was carrying a load of juice estimated to be worth $15,000. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. From St. Patricks Day to National Celery Month, March is filled with opportunities to raise a glass or two. No matter what you end up celebrating, here are nine events to help you find the wines to pour for your guests. McMinnville Food and Wine Classic Sip! The 26th annual Mac Classic brings together 75 Oregon wine producers and dozens of artists, bakers, brewers, chefs and distillers for a non-profit event to benefit childrens education at St. James School. Single-day tickets are $16 to $28 and three-day passes are $44. After entry, guests pay for each tasting or food item on an individual basis. 3-9 p.m. March 8, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. March 9, noon-5 p.m. March 10, Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, 500 N.E. Captain Michael King Smith Way, McMinnville, web@macclassic.org. The McMinnville Food and Wine Classic packs the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum. (Charles Hillestad) Pamplin Family Winery barrel tasting and open house While their winery is in the Willamette Valley, Pamplin Family makes cabernet sauvignon-based wines with grapes from some of Washingtons top vineyards. The fee is $15 to taste wines from barrel as well as Pamplins current releases. Noon-4 p.m. March 9, Pamplin Family Winery, 31235 N.E. Bell Road, Sherwood. pamplinfamilywinery.com or 503-538-0225. Statera chardonnay tasting at Anam Cara Cellars Luke Wylde of Statera Cellars is taking over Anam Caras tasting room to pour single-vineyard chardonnays he makes with partner Meredith Bell. Chardonnay is the only wine they make at Statera Cellars and their devotion shows in the glass. For a $15 fee, guests will taste Statera and Anam Cara wines. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. March 9, Anam Cara Cellars, 306 N. Main St., Newberg, info@anamcaracellars.com or 503-537-9150. Owen Roe wine and chocolate tasting The Society Hotel Cafe welcomes representatives from Owen Roe for a decadent wine and chocolate tasting. Owen Roe is known for rich, expressive red wines which will be paired with the Chakralot line of botanical chocolates. There is no fee for this tasting. 6-10 p.m. March 13, Society Hotel Bar and Cafe, 203 N.W. Third Ave., Portland, thesocietyhotel.com or 503-445-0444. Zafa Wines tasting with winemaker Krista Scruggs Krista Scruggs of Zafa Wines is a rising star based in Burlington, Vermont. Wine Enthusiast named her one of the top 40 young innovators of 2018 because she uses non-traditional grapes from Vermont and Texas to make wine. Scruggs will be pouring her wines for the first time ever in Portland at Bar Norman. 7-10 p.m. March 15, Bar Norman, 2615 S.E. Clinton St., Portland, barnorman.com or 971-229-0290. St. Patricks Day at Coria Estates The Coria family is pulling out all the stops to celebrate St. Patricks Day. Bagpiper Bill will be on hand to serenade guests while the Coin Operated Boy food truck will be selling corned beef and cabbage and other treats. Coria wines will be available for purchase by the glass. 2-5 p.m. March 17, Coria Estates, 8252 Redstone Ave. S.E., Salem, coriaestates.com or 503-363-0525. Golden Cluster wine tasting with winemaker Jeff Vejr Jeff Vejr leaves no stone unturned in his quest to find the rarest grapes from the oldest vines in Oregon to make wine. Exotic grapes like semillon, flora, savagnin rose and Pearl of Csaba are just a few of the wines Vejr makes for his Golden Cluster label. Vejr will be at Dame Restaurant to pour for wine lovers who arent afraid to take a walk on the wild side. His wines will be available for purchase in flights and by the glass, both in the restaurant and at the bar. Walk-ins are welcome. 6 p.m. March 21, Dame Restaurant, 2930 N.E. Killingsworth St., Portland. damerestaurant.com or 503-227-2669. Jeff Vejr of Golden Cluster Wines, shown with his Novum clay winemaking vessel. (Michael Alberty)Michael Alberty Sequitur Vineyard pinot noir tasting Sequitur Vineyard is owned by Mike Etzel Sr. of Beaux Freres fame and his partner and wife, Carey Critchlow. The vineyard is planted with 17 clones of pinot noir and the wines Etzel makes with them are as good as they are difficult to find. Sequitur grapes are also sold to three other winemakers, all of whom will join Etzel at Valley Wine Merchants to pour, discuss and sell their latest vintage. If you love epic Willamette Valley pinot noir, do not miss this tasting. 6-8 p.m. March 22, Valley Wine Merchants, 112 S. College St., Newberg, valleywinemerchants.com or 503-538- 5388. Raptor Ridge gruner veltliner release party Raptor Ridge is celebrating the release of its new 2018 vintage of gruner veltliner by throwing an oyster party. Gruner veltliner pairs nicely with bivalves and the folks from EaT: An Oyster Bar will be shucking as fast as the Raptor Ridge team can pour. The fee is $45 and club discounts apply. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. March 24, Raptor Ridge Winery, 18700 S.W. Hillsboro Highway, Newberg, raptorridgewinery.com or 503-628-8463. Michael Alberty writes about wine for The Oregonian/OregonLive. He can be reached at malberty0@gmail.com. To read more of his coverage, go to oregonlive.com/wine. The creative spirits behind a Saginaw Valley State University-produced magazine featuring poetry and art from Saginaw and Bay county residents will host a publication party for the public this week. Still Life, produced by the SVSU's Writing Center and the SVSU Center for Community Writing, will unveil the second issue during an event scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28 at Counter Culture Arts Collective, 620 Gratiot in Saginaw. The literary-arts journal features submissions from residents across Bay and Saginaw counties. The publication was created by SVSU's Writing Center in part to celebrate the writing-focused office's outreach efforts extended to the neighboring communities in recent years. SVSU's Writing Center opened the Saginaw Community Writing Center in 2015 and the Bay Community Writing Center in 2017. "I think there are so many people who have stories to tell, whether they're real or fictionalized," said Christopher Giroux, an SVSU associate professor of English and the publication's faculty editor. "They are things that are important to them, and Still Life provides that venue for them to share that in a very public setting that they may not have otherwise." Along with community submissions, Still Life includes photography selected from submissions by SVSU art students. The latest issue contains 35 pieces of poetry and prose, two of which were the winning submissions at community-wide contests organized by the SVSU Center for Community Writing. The issue contained the winners of the March 2018 "Write Like Roethke" poetry contest and the summer 2018 "Get to Work" flash fiction contest. Still Life editors also provided cash prizes for the best submissions in several categories. The release party at Counter Culture will include an open mic poetry jam -- open to all -- with cash prizes for the winners. The event is free and open to the public. Copies of Still Life will be available at the publication party as well as the community writing center locations at Butman-Fish Branch Library, 1716 Hancock in Saginaw, as well as Alice and Jack Wirt Public Library, 500 Center in Bay City. The inaugural issue of Still Life was released in January 2018 and grant-funded by SVSU's Center for Academic Innovation. Still Life is now funded by Saginaw neurologist and author Debasish Mridha. The editors of Still Life accept submissions year-round. Information can be found at www.svsu.edu/writingcenter/stilllife/. The Reaching Out For Justice & Peace Committee of Memorial Presbyterian Church will host a free public seminar, Multifaceted Prison Ministries: Just Justice, on Saturday, March 9 from 9 a.m. to noon in Mayton Hall. The seminar will explore the personal experiences of three community members, Barbara Sumi and Annette Ripper with Keryx Prison Ministry and James McDaniel with Higher Ground Ministry. Jennifer Vannette will offer the context of racialized history of incarceration, and Rob Worsley, director of Midland Community Former Offenders Advocacy and Rehabilitation (MCFOAR), will share their work of reintegration of offenders into society. Matthew Robert Gordon of Midland, with a 4.0 grade point average, is among the students from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., as well as 78 countries listed on the University of Oklahoma Norman campus honor roll for the fall 2018 semester. In most colleges, students must earn a minimum 3.5 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale to be included on the honor roll. Students in the College of Architecture are recognized with a 3.3 or better, and students in the College of Engineering are recognized with a 3.0 or better. Everything I do as your new representative in the Michigan House is done with energy, optimism and the best interests of Midland and Bay counties at heart. That's why I am honored to serve on the House Appropriations Committee in the 2019-20 legislative session. This position provides an excellent opportunity to represent and protect taxpayers while responsibly building a better Michigan for today and tomorrow. The House Appropriations Committee is tasked with helping to shape our state government budget, which in turn affects each and every Michigan resident in countless ways. The governor and Legislature will begin work on the next state budget within the next few weeks. This is the taxpayers' money -- they entrust it to government to provide the services necessary to ensure the quality of life we've come to expect here in Michigan. Every dollar must be spent wisely and efficiently by a government that lives within its means, because taxpayers deserve the best possible return on their investment. I serve as vice chair of a subcommittee shaping budgets for state departments related to occupational licensing and regulatory affairs. I believe these departments should protect the health and safety of Michigan residents while allowing job providers to create opportunities for the people of our state without needless bureaucracy. I am also a member of subcommittees overseeing budgets for health and human services, and also for schools -- where I will focus on results such as improved third-grade literacy and enhanced educational options for all students. The priority is serving our children and helping them prepare for whatever future they choose for themselves -- be that skilled trades, higher education, small business ownership or some other option. The current state budget includes, for the first time ever, $500,000 in new funding for "at risk" students attending Midland schools, a source of revenue other schools districts in Bay and Midland counties have received for decades. But that new allocation for Midland schools does not provide as much funding per pupil as in other districts. The budget also includes funding for a demonstration project, already successful in improving third-grade reading scores, that employs teaching methods proven effective by the Bay City Dyslexia Center. I'll work to secure funding equity for Midland's "at risk" students, and to expand the third-grade reading project to more districts. I also serve as vice chair of a subcommittee overseeing state budgets for environmental quality and natural resources to ensure Michigan's water and beautiful resources are clean, preserved and maintained. Hunting and fishing is a huge part of our economy and heritage here in Midland and Bay counties, and I am excited to work on budgets connected to it. Thank you for the opportunity to represent you on these matters of vital importance to our families, communities, and the entire state. I will be accessible and responsive to you as our state budget process moves forward. Annette Glenn lives in Williams Township. She represents the 98th House District, which includes portions of Midland and Bay counties. Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has warned the country's judiciary against manipulation of justice and told judges and magistrates to remain cautious about criminals out to escape accountability Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - Sudan has reacted harshly to a statement by the Troika group on the recent developments in Khartoum, saying that the statement is meddling into the internal affairs of the country Ayelet Tsabaris life makes for a fascinating and, at times, upsetting read. The Art of Leaving, her memoir in essays, charts a childhood shaped by loss, an adolescence that put her at odds with the Israel Defense Forces, and a young adulthood defined by constant relocation. Along the way, Tsabari shares stories of assaults, drug usage, relationships, and her struggle to find a place she might call home. That struggle, as she explains in the first essay, began with the loss of her father and her eventual realization of its impact on her life. I had this big epiphany, Tsabari tells Paste. It happened as I was writing, and I was thinking about someone I missed. I thought to myself that I was mad at him for leaving, and I wrote that it seemed similar to the anger a child might feel towards their father of dying. I had a moment of like, Oh shit. It shaped who I am as a person. That moment was also defined by a rejection of her Yemeni and Mizrahi identity. Tsabari grew up in Israel in a Yemeni family, although she explains that her exposure to what that meant beyond a culinary heritage and language was limited. The Mizrahi Jewish community in Israel has long struggled against racism and lack of representation; she explains that one of the few prominent Mizrahi female musicians, Ofra Haza, was brought to fame with an image as being a freha, an Arabic term connoting promiscuity and lack of intelligence. There was something about Yemeniness and Mizrahiness that almost turned me off as a child and a young teen, she says. I wanted to be It, and It was not that. An appreciation of her heritage came later, after living in India and Canada, getting married and divorced, and having experiences that illuminated the ways her distance from home was isolating. I was feeling rootless, Tsabari says. On one hand, how excitingthe anonymity, the freedom. But on the other hand, something in me really yearned for my roots. She began researching, asking her family questions, and reconnecting with traditions. It allowed her to get in touch with a community that she deeply loves today. Its so important to me to celebrate my community and their traditions and to carve a little place in world literature for my people, Tsabari says. Thats definitely something that drives me. One of the most striking things about Tsabaris memoir is how she utilizes her own story to illuminate the overlooked ways in which minority communities struggle in Israel. I try to break the single Jewish story that is familiar in North America by introducing something else. In the final third of the book, Tsabari explains that becoming a mother lent urgency to connecting with her roots, as raising her daughter in Canada made it more difficult to impart the Yemeni part of her identity. She also struggled to impart facets of what had been easy to understand in Israel: language, history, Jewishness. I just want it to be easy like it is in Israel, she says. I didnt really find the right way to sort of introduce her to that aspect or her identity Tsabari writes about bringing her daughter to Israel for the first time, just as she learns that her childhood home is going to be demolished. Its a striking way of expressing what became a deeper hurt; the house was yet another ache in [her] heart. So Tsabari and her family returned to Israel. After many years of finding ways to leave, it was returning home that allowed her to connect with her roots and to pass down that heritage and cultural identity to her young daughter. She conveys the magnitude of this with a simple, moving anecdote: She was recently singing a traditional Yemeni song, and her daughter, despite not knowing or understanding the words, started to sing along. It is a tradition that passes along from mother to daughter, a tradition that is very close to extinction because it just died when [Yemeni immigrants] came [to Israel], Tsabari explains. They just didnt sing anymore and didnt pass it onto their daughters who were Hebrew speakers. This is how traditions get lost. By digging into her cultural identity, shes able to pass down these traditions to her child. Tsabari describes this as necessary, because though her own mother has been a remarkable resource, Tsabari has had to ask that information be shared. [My daughter] will have access to a lot of stuff that I had to work hard to unlock, Tsabari says. My mom needed to be asked. [Her mother and grandmother] didnt have that kind of time [to tell stories]. I think when youre busy surviving and raising a bunch of children and trying to feed them, it becomes a luxury. Tsabaris story interlinks with the women who came before her, many of whom also had complex relationship to home. The final section of the memoir, titled Return, casts a fascinating light on these histories and Tsabaris place within this lineage. Its made more powerful with her insights about becoming a mother to a daughter; that intergenerational relationship is one shes explored at length, but shes still learning. Im like, Ask more, ask more, she says of her daughter. Dont waste this time. The Art of Leaving is available now from Random House. Bridey Heing is a freelance writer based in Washington, DC. More of her work can be found here. Its been an exciting week in the world of comedy labor relations, one that thankfully appears to have a happy ending. On Friday rumors began to swirl about changes in the format of Sirius XMs Canada Laughs station. The Montreal Gazette reported that Sirius XM struck a deal to turn its Canada Laughs radio station into Just For Laughs Radio. While stations change names all the time, this was more than just rebranding. The proposed deal with Just For Laughs, the Montreal-based comedy festival that was recently bought by a partnership that includes Howie Mandel, would have lead to the death of Canadian comedians one reliable revenue stream: Sirius XM royalties Under the deal Canada Laughs would have switched from playing tracks from Canadian comedy albums to tracks from Just For Laughs archives. Beyond opening the door to the station playing non-Canadian comedians, it also meant an increase in old content. Playing a JFL set from 2003 might be interesting from a historical standpoint, but how is it better for audiences than a new track from a Canadian voice? Despite Just for Laughs and Sirius XM announcing the change wont happen until the Spring, listeners were already noticing a difference. One Twitter user counted just 22 minutes of Canadian material over an entire hour of listening to Canada Laughs. The response from the Canadian comedy industry was immediate and furious. For over a decade Canada Laughs has been a dedicated source for Canadian comedy across North America, and a major source of revenue for Canadian comics. Because Canada Laughs only plays Canadian comedians, the station provided a way to earn a living for comics outside the club system in the Great White North. Due to the sudden wave of overwhelming opposition from within the Canadian comedy industry, Sirius and JFL changed their plans on Wednesday evening. In a press release, the companies announced the new station will be called Just For Laughs Canada and will feature 100 percent Canadian content. Canadian artists will also be eligible for the same royalties as they were under the previous channel. Brue Hills, President of Just For Laughs, used the release to apologize to Canadian comics, stating, Weve listened carefully to the concerns of Canadian artists and regret the stress we have caused the comedy community. We are invested in the growth of Canadas comedy industry and are working to include even more Canadian talent in all our initiatives. To that end, we will continue to engage directly with the industry and work with CASC [Canadian Association of Stand-up Comedians] to strengthen and advance Canadian comedy. To understand why the change caused such outrage in the first place, its important to understand the struggles of Canadian comedians. Unlike the United States, where even small towns can have year-round comedy clubs, there are fewer opportunities in Canada. According to comedian Michelle Shaughnessy, clubs in Canada are different. Clubs can be an avenue for some, but for example, in the summer a lot of clubs go from four or five shows a week to two, she explained over email. There arent that many here to sustain a living and you can really only headline them each once a year. Its this lack of opportunity that made Canada Laughs so important. According to Shaughnessy, even newer comedians who were not necessarily headlining yet could have some great tracks in rotation and get some exposure and some money. This is hard for me to post because Ive wanted to be a part of Just For Laughs since I was a kid. But theyve over looked me for a decade so what do I have to lose? Oh ya just the income theyre now taking from all Canadian comedians. Pls read #justformoneypic.twitter.com/jvoGmy1OxJ Michelle Shaughnessy (@Michellesfunny) February 23, 2019 That money is also important to the survival of Canadians in other countries. Steph Tolev, a three-time JFL performer currently living in Los Angeles, depends on her Canada Laughs royalties to get by. I pay my full rent off of my plays, on top of me having two other part-time jobs out here, she says. Beyond her current bills, the revenue was invaluable to coming to the United States in the first place. According to Tolev, it helped me pay for my green card. That was $15,000 once it was all said and done. In a chaotic industry, Canada Laughs helped provide a safety net. Knowing that every month I can pay my rent keeps my spirits up. When the news of Sirius and JFLs change in position broke Tolev was one of the first to Tweet about it. OH. MY. FUCKING. GOD. WE DID IT!!!! The god damned Canadian comics came together to hard WE DID IT!! WE GOT OUR CHANNEL BACK!!!!!! I AM CRYING AND THIS TIME ITS A HAPPY CRY!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/0Zz3RGeXu3 Step Toilet (@StephTolev) February 28, 2019 While the Canadian government offers grants for artists, stand-up comedy isnt officially recognized as an art form. If a comedian wishes to get government funding, they must prove they meet the criteria for a theatre artists profile, including formal training. Just For Laughs, on the other hand, as an organization that promotes the performing arts, is eligible for millions of dollars in government money. The exposure from Sirius XM allows Canadian comedians who cant afford the expensive process of getting a green card to build an audience outside their home country. We asked Tolev about the process of working legally in America and if Laughs Canada helped. In order to get a green card you have to prove youre an amazing talent, she explained. I had two albums getting played when I applied for mine which I am sure helped me a lot. Comics who arent planning on leaving the country for work would have felt the sting in losing their ability to build a bigger fanbase. I often get messages through my website or fan page from someone in Ohio or Texas saying they heard my bit while driving to work, says Michelle Shaughnessy. It was amazing. These are people who wouldnt have ever been exposed to us before. Its a good thing Sirius XM and Just For Laughs have listened to the response from the Canadian comedy industry. But this situation demonstrates how important collective action is when resolving industry disputes. Comedians are solitary artists, often without the power to negotiate until they have representation with ties to the industry. In Canada, theres actually an advocacy group for comedians, the Canadian Association of Stand-Up Comedians, which was in communication with JFL and Sirius XM this week. Comedians are used to working for free and rolling with every punch thrown their way. In an industry where theres always someone willing to work for free, its hard to turn down opportunities when they arise. Before they ever get paid by a club, comedians are already rich in exposure, but exposure doesnt pay the bills. Creating a comedy advocacy group in the United States like the one in Canada would be a daunting task. But as artists are expected to do more to promote their careers by themselves before the industry takes note, the idea of an organization that can help fight for minimum industry standards becomes more attractive. At a minimum, it would make collective action easier for US comics. Some things seem basic. Clubs should pay performers when theyre charging tickets. Services like YouTube should be transparent in how changes in their algorithms impact performers ability to make a living. Festivals should help house performers they ask to travel. Most importantly, comedians shouldnt be left to negotiate these issues one at a time in private. In less than a week the Canadian comedy industry rose up to defeat a change that would hurt its members. Their collective action should be an inspiration to mistreated comedians everywhere. John-Michael Bond is Pastes assistant comedy editor. Hes on Twitter @BondJohnBond. With the never-ending churn of political machinations within the nations capital (to say nothing about the repetitive monotony of it all), drinking is almost a contact sport in the District of Columbia, from lobbyists blowing their expense accounts at Jack Rose Dining Saloon, which boasts the largest collection of rare whiskey and bourbons in the States, to commiserating rail shots fueling legions of Capital Hill interns. But surprisingly, DC didnt have a bona fide hometown distiller until 2011. George Washington mightve been distilling booze in Mount Vernon, VA. But thats on the other side of the Potomac River, and the city lacked a dedicated resource for home-grown alcohol until New District Distillers decided to occupy a 90-year-old warehouse near the Art Deco landmark Hecht Co. warehouse in the mostly-abandoned neighborhood of Ivy City and start producing their truly amazing Green Hat Gin. Since those pioneer days, distilling has exploded across city, with spirits that range from vodka and gin to rum, amaro, and whiskey. One cold day in February I visited three of DCs distillerieschosen by my father as part of a holiday present to me and my brother-in-lawand though he based his selection of establishments based on whether or not they took reservations (which can obviously simplify the logistics), the picks offered a perfect snapshot of where DC isand where its goingin the exponentially-expanding distilling landscape. One of the newer establishments to DC, District Distilling opened three years agoand quickly and successfully lobbied to change the citys liquor laws, a decision that has since benefited all the other distilleries: now all distilleries are permitted to have an open bar on-site. But in no way was this spot an off-handed see if itll work venture. Its new space occupies converted three row houses in the U Street Corridor neighborhood, just west of 14th Street, a neighborhood where one row house commands prices well over $1 million. Not only did they gut those three houses, knocking down walls to create an impressive footprint throughout its maze-like floor plan. They also custom-ordered distilling equipment from Germany to fit this converted space and sourced an experience distiller to get the operation up and running. And their distribution is equally ambitious, with product in the DC area as well as California, Pennsylvania, and the UK. No doubt both the bar and the soon-to-open third-floor restaurant will benefit from all the foot traffic, but their products are high-quality enough to justify a visit. As with most distillers in DC, District Distilling is too young to have produced and aged whiskey on-site. Instead, they craft the base spirit here, add them to barrels with a medium char from Kentucky and ship them to Wyoming to be aged; the whiskey they sell now, including two whiskeys and a rye, are crafted from gray-market bourbon. Despite those logistics, they still hand-bottle each batch, four at a time, one pallet an hour. Those dark spirits join a host of others in semi-regular rotation, including two rums, multiple gins, a vodka, and a grappa. Their Corridor Vodka, distilled 42 times and rested in stainless steel at temps down to 42 degrees, lives up to its marketing as a whiskey-drinkers vodka. The amount of rye (80%, along with 20% barley) exceeds the amount found in their aged rye, and delivers spicy notes seldom associated with a clear spirit. And their Buzzard Point Rum also leans into spices rather than sweetness, reminiscent of more flavor-forward rums found in the Caribbean. The Checkerbark Barrel-Aged Gin also won praise. It rests on new oak and used bourbon barrels on-site for 10 months, and stands proud alongside their vodka as a whiskey-drinkers gateway into the juniper-forward spirit. But the clear winner that day was their Wild June Gin, a Western-style spirit made with wild-foraged red berry junipers from the West Texas Mountains that won the Gold Medal at the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Tours cost $10 and run hourly starting at 4 on weekdays, and noon on Saturdaysthe price of admission gets you a tour and tastes of at least four spirits. Unlike District Distilling, who wiggled themselves into an already crowded part of the city, Republic Restoratives followed the path of Green Hat Gins New District Distillers by taking full advantage of the available warehouse space in Ivy City. Occupying one corner of traffic-dense New York Avenue, the place boasts a vibrant front room bar/tasting room that was positively buzzing on a random Saturday afternoon, along with loads of space for distilling, barrel-aging, and the other mad crafts of spirit-making, spread across two warehouse floors. The small-batch operation was founded by two women, life-long friends that utilized crowd funding in 2015 to source their investment; they doubled the initial ask for $60,000. As with other young distilleries, they buy third-party whiskey wholesale and put their own spin on the spirit via various aging processes, which takes place in the second-floor barrel room. On-site, the base alcohol that will later be released as on-site bourbons and whiskeys is derived of 100% corn is filtered through desiccated coconuts 24 hours a day, seven days a week to achieve the desired purity. They first released their Civic Vodka, followed by a host of others including a strikingly good apple brandy, the Borough Bourbon, and the Rodham Rye, a blend of whiskeys that delivers a surprisingly smooth, almost buttery finish atypical to the style. It should be noted that the spirit got its name in 2016, long before Trump won, and a portion of proceeds goes towards recruiting and training more women to run for office. This reinforces the owners commitment to giving back, and in many ways Republic Restoratives feels like a DIY project gone right; they work regularly with other distillers to learn the craft and host an incubator kitchen on part of their property. Even their logo nods to the local community. At first glance it appears like hand displaying crossed fingers, but the symbol is actually the sign for the letter R in honor of nearby Gallaudet, a federally chartered private university for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing. Tours here run $12, and includes tasting of each spirit as well as a commemorative glass. If District Distilling seems focused on drafting off the nightlife in an already thriving neighborhood and Republic Restorative feels like artists in love with all things distilling, then One Eight Distilling feels focused first and foremost on distribution. Admittedly, right now you can only find their booze in DC and Maryland, but their warehouse space, also located in Ivy City an easy walk from Republic Restoratives, speaks to their greater ambitions. It includes 1,800 square feet for distilling, bottling, and barrel-aging in as much as 1,700 vessels, alongside a front bar that carries a convivial barn house vibe. It was founded in 2014, and is named after Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution, which mandated the creation of a federal city. All the ingredients are sourced from within 100 miles, tapping into the bounty of farmlands in Virginia and Maryland, as well as the surprisingly spirit-friendly DC tap water. Two years after they opened, they shifted their handful of releases (including the Ivy City Gin and Rock Creek Whiskey) under one over-arching brand, dubbed District Made, and the label and bottle carries all kinds of DC-centric Easter eggs, from the octagonal shape of the bottle to the diamond cut-out on the front label that reveals a gold map of the District on the side. They still call their gin Ivy City, in an affectionate reference to their home hood, and vapor-distill the spirit with a laundry list of botanicals that include Appalachian all spice, lemongrass, lemon peel, fennel, and a whole mess of rye (62%) that denotes a bit of spice. Its District-Made Bourbon Whiskey comes from an heirloom corn varietal and was the first bourbon to be made from grain to glass in DC since Prohibition, bottled at a robust 95 proof. Both were grand, but my memory shifts back to the tastes from their Untitled series, small-batch releases that lean on the playful and unexpected. On hand that day, their No. 11 Whiskey was the clear winner. The blend of bourbons was finished in a combo of Cognac, Ruby Port, and Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks that created a spirit that was so delightful and complex, I was tempted to not add so much as a single drop of water (though when I did, it opened the flavors up quite nicely). One Eight also offered the best value for the price of the $16.50 tour; in addition to the samplings, you also got a free cocktail at the front bar/tasting room as well as $10 off any bottle. Today Google Home is a smart speaker powered by Google Assistant that lets you control smart devices, and get information, all via voice commands. One day in the future, according to a newly granted patent, the Google Assistant may take on a robotic body to assist around the home or factory floor. As technology advances, robotic devices are being created for performing a variety of functions that may assist users. For instance, robotic devices may be used for applications involving material handling, transportation, welding, assembly, and dispensing, among others. Over time, the manner in which these robotic systems operate is becoming more intelligent, efficient, and more intuitive. Robotic devices are often used to complete tasks in a variety of settings, including manufacturing, retail, and household assistance. To improve the performance of robotic operations, a robotic device may utilize robotic radar assistance that involves a radar unit made up of one or more radar antennas coupled to portions of the robotic device monitoring one or more buffers (e.g., volumes of space) around portions of the robotic device. Considering that Google is miles ahead of the competition in autonomous vehicles, it's not really surprising that Google may now be starting a secondary avenue to use their advanced autonomous systems for future assistance in the home, factory floor and beyond. Can you say RoboCop? Okay, not in the short run but it's interesting to see that this project has actually begun. For more on Google's robot invention, read our Patently Mobile report here. In light of Boeing announcing unmanned fighter aircraft for global defense taking flight in 2020, an autonomous robot seems like child's play. Were the Nephites racist? Yes, by todays standards they probably often were. (Few pre-modern peoples werent racists by todays standards, and rather egregiously so.) I have at least two particular reasons for reposting the two items below. Both of those reasons are connected with an item from Stephen Smoot, to which I referred yesterday. (See Top 20 Evils Youre Responsible For By Believing the Book of Mormon.) *** This column appeared in the Deseret News back on 23 June 2011: For many years, I regarded Helaman 13:5-6 as an example of bad, repetitious prose in the Book of Mormon: And he said unto them: Behold, I, Samuel, a Lamanite, do speak the words of the Lord which he doth put into my heart; and behold he hath put it into my heart to say unto this people that the sword of justice hangeth over this people; and four hundred years pass not away save the sword of justice falleth upon this people. Yea, heavy destruction awaiteth this people, and it surely cometh unto this people, and nothing can save this people save it be repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, who surely shall come into the world, and shall suffer many things and shall be slain for his people. Repeating the phrase this people six times in two sentences was, I thought, boring, even embarrassing, and definitely very poor style. Reading the passage aloud one day, however, I realized that I was wrong. Samuel, who deliberately stresses that hes a Lamanite, is speaking from the wall of the city of Zarahemla to a violently hostile Nephite audience. Theyre wicked, but theyre also inclined to think themselves superior because of their lineage. (Samuels acute awareness of the ethnic issue is obvious at Helaman 14:10 and in Helaman 15:3-17.) In the preceding chapter (Helaman 12:4-7), the prophet Mormon had inserted an editorial comment, drawing not only upon the materials he was editing but upon his own experience (see Mormon 3:9; 4:8): O how foolish, he exclaimed, and how vain, and how evil, and devilish, and how quick to do iniquity, and how slow to do good, are the children of men. Yea, how quick to be lifted up in pride; yea, how quick to boast. His own view? O, he exclaimed, reflecting on human resistance to Gods authority, how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth. When I read aloud Samuels denunciation of the people of Zarahemla, I understood it. The repeated condemnations of this people were followed by a promise that the divine Savior would enter into our world in order to suffer and be slain for HIS people. Samuel was contrasting this people (the Nephites) from Gods people. He was telling his prideful audience that merely being Nephites would not save them. Being faithful to their covenants, and, thus, enrolled among the Lords covenant people was their only hope of salvation. The passages repetitive drumbeat of this people was designed, I think, to emphasize the concluding his people. Its rather like what music theorists call resolution, which is the move from a dissonant or unstable sound, either a single note or a chord, to a consonant or stable one. The irritating this people yields to the serene and comforting his people. I learned from this little reading experience that its very helpful to read the scriptures aloud, to hear them with our ears as well as in our minds. It dawned on me, too, that the style of the Book of Mormon might be (and I now testify that it actually is) much more subtle and sophisticated than we often realize. We need to be better readers. The Book of Mormon will amply repay the effort. But I also realized that the Book of Mormon cautions us powerfully against racism and undue ethnic pride. And Ive recognized since then that this seemingly modern theme is more common in the scriptures as a whole than weve often noticed. Consider an example from the Old Testament: During the fifth-fourth centuries before Christ, Ezra and Nehemiah and other Jewish exiles, returned from Babylonian captivity, were rebuilding Jerusalem. They were also purifying the rolls of the priests, expelling those with uncertain lineage or non-Israelite wives. (By New Testament times, Jews were altogether forbidden to eat or socialize with Gentiles.) Some scholars believe that the book of Ruth was written (or, at least, finalized) during or just after this period, as a protest or caution against overemphasis on racial purity. Ruth, a Moabite woman the Moabites were despised neighbors of Israel converts to the religion of the Israelites, marries into Israel, and becomes the ancestor of the royal house of David and, thereby, of the Messiah himself. His people, not this people. *** This blog entry was posted slightly more than a year ago, on 12 February 2018: Further notes from John W . Welch, et al., eds., Knowing Why: 137 Evidences That the Book of Mormon Is True (American Fork: Covenant Communications, 2017): What Does It Mean to Be a White and Delightsome People? (136-138) For many, the Book of Mormons contrast between the righteous, light-skinned Nephites and the wicked, dark-skinned Lamanites constitutes obvious proof that its a product of nineteenth-century American racism and, thus, can be (and should be) dismissed. But, of course, the contrast isnt really that simple in the Book of Mormon. Sometimes, for example, its the Lamanites who are righteous and the Nephites who are unrighteous. Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you. . . . Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, which is the word of God, that ye revile no more against them because of the darkness of their skins. (Jacob 3:5, 9) Note the explicit condemnation of racism. And other passages in the Book of Mormon likewise declare the Lords overall indifference to race, ethnicity, and skin color: [T]he Lord . . . inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile. (2 Nephi 26:33) And dont forget this passage, in which Ive marked some words for special emphasis. Samuel, one of the greatest of Book of Mormon prophets and himself a Lamanite is addressing a large audience of Nephites who are trying to kill him and who, it seems, trust for their salvation in their lineage: Behold, I, Samuel, a Lamanite, do speak the words of the Lord which he doth put into my heart; and behold he hath put it into my heart to say unto this people that the sword of justice hangeth over this people; and four hundred years pass not away save the sword of justice falleth upon this people. Yea, heavy destruction awaiteth this people, and it surely cometh unto this people, and nothing can save this people save it be repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, who surely shall come into the world, and shall suffer many things and shall be slain for his people. (Helaman 13:5-6) And, anyway, for the last four centuries of Nephite history (which is only a thousand years long in total), Lamanites and Nephites dont seem to be ethnic terms at all. This short chapter doesnt mention all of the things that I mention here while treating some topics that I havent but it shows that the matter isnt nearly so simple as most critics have presumed. Whiteness, in the Book of Mormon, connotes purity a connection that exists far beyond the Book of Mormon (e.g., I might note, in the Quran) and far beyond the nineteenth century. And theres still a great deal more that can be said. Also worth a look on this topic is The Charge of Racism in the Book of Mormon, by the late and much-missed John Tvedtnes. Several days ago, I came upon an article shared by Kamala Harris. While the article was about Medicare for all, the comment that showed up in the preview below the post had nothing at all to do with Medicare. Instead, it was a rant about Kamala Harris wanting to slit newborn babies throats. Say what? At issue is the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which was voted down by the Senate this past Monday. Lets dive into whats actually going on here, curtesy of Vox: The Senate on Monday voted against a bill that would have put in place requirements for the care of infants born after failed abortions and could have sent doctors to prison if they failed to comply. The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, sponsored by Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE), fell short of the 60 votes it needed to move forward, with 53 senators voting in support of the measure and 44 voting against. But its part of a bigger debate about abortions very late in pregnancy that could intensify in the runup to the 2020 election. Sasse said the legislation was necessary to protect newborn babies its cowardly for a politician to say theyll fight for the little guy but only if the little guy isnt an actual seven-pound baby whos fighting for life, he said in a statement earlier this month. If Sasse thinks its cowardly for a politician to say theyll fight for the little guy but vote against this act, Ive got news for him. I think its hypocritical for a politician to say theyre pro-life and then vote to allow insure companies to refuse to insure individuals with preexisting conditions. But theres another issue here. Sasse makes this bill about an actual seven-pound baby whos fighting for life. Fetuses dont typically eight seven pounds until the last week of gestation, if then. I didnt weigh seven pounds when I was born. Mean birth weight is around seven and a half pounds. What Sasse described does not happen. High tech ultrasounds that identify fetal abnormalities are typically conducted around the 20th week of pregnancy. If a fetus is found to have a condition incompatible with life, one of two things happen: either the woman has an abortion, or she decides to finish the pregnancy. There would be no point in doing bothfinishing the pregnancy and having an abortion. That doesnt pass the common sense test. As the Vox article continues: [R]eproductive rights and physicians groups said the bill could criminalize doctors and was unnecessary since laws already exist to protect an infant in the extremely unlikely scenario of a birth after an abortion attempt. The bill maligns and vilifies providers and patients to push a false narrative about abortion later in pregnancy, Dr. Kristyn Brandi, a board member of Physicians for Reproductive Health, told Vox in an email. The problem is that we have lawmakers making laws about medical procedures, rather than having physicians who actually know how things work set the rules. The issue is not that Democrats want to murder newborn babies. The issue is that physicians are already required to provide medical assistance if a case like this were to occurcurtesy of a statute created by the bipartisan Born-Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002making this act nothing but a publicity stunt designed to mislead the public into thinking theres some huge, hideous baby-murdering problem loophole out there when there isnt. Theres a reason Sasse brought this bill when he did. Hes seizing a specific momentwidespread misinterpretation of comments made by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam regarding a Virginia bill that would have rolled back restrictions on abortion, including those conducted late in a pregnancy. See, its not just Republicans who arent physicians. Democrats arent either. Its no wonder they sometimes make confusing statements that are then widely misinterpreted. But then, laypeople arent physicians either. In a legislative context, then, you have non-physicians asking the questions, non-physicians answering those questions, and non-physicians interpreting their answers. Its a perfect storm. As outlined in another Vox article earlier this month: The [Virginia] bill began inspiring outcry among abortion opponents nationwide after its sponsor, Virginia Delegate Kathy Tran, said in a committee hearing on Monday that it would technically allow abortion until the point of birth, if a doctor agreed it was necessary. Gov. Northam, a Democrat, was asked about the bill in a radio interview on Wednesday, and his response only added to the controversy. Appearing to discuss what would happen if a child was born after a failed attempt at abortion, he said, the infant would be resuscitated if thats what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother. Some took Northams comments as an endorsement of infanticide. In just a few years pro-abortion zealots went from safe, legal, and rare to keep the newborns comfortable while the doctor debates infanticide, said Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) in a statement on Wednesday. A spokesperson for Gov. Northam told Vox his comments were absolutely not a reference to infanticide, and that they focused on the tragic and extremely rare case in which a woman with a nonviable pregnancy or severe fetal abnormalities went into labor. First, lets talk about Tran. Trans bill would have allowed abortions to take place at any time during the third trimester if a pregnancy became a threat to a womans mental or physical health. Debate over the bill included this exchange: How late in the third trimester could a physician perform an abortion if he indicated that it would impair the mental health of the woman? Majority Leader Todd Gilbert (R.) asked. Or physical health, Tran said. Okay, Gilbert replied. Im talking about the mental health. I mean, through the third trimester, Tran said. The third trimester goes up to 40 weeks. Okay, but to the end of the third trimester? Gilbert asked. Yup, I dont think we have a limit in the bill, Tran said. Where its obvious that a woman is about to give birth, she has physical signs that shes about to give birth, would that still be a point at which she could request an abortion if she was so certified? Gilbert asked. Shes dilating. Tran responded that is a decision between the woman and her doctor would have to make. Gilbert asked if her bill would allow an abortion right before the infant was born. My bill would allow that, yes, Tran said. That does not happen. Dr. Jen Gunter, an OB/GYN who blogs about womens health, has written about this exhaustively. She once worked in a clinic where abortions were permitted through the end of pregnancy. The latest she ever saw an abortion performed was in the 32nd week of pregnancyand that case involved a 12-year-old girl who was raped by her 17-year-old brother, and had to wait for an abortion until she could secure a court order. Remember what I mentioned earlier about how its a bad idea to have lawmakers, rather than doctors, set guidelines for medical procedures? That scenario Gilbert invented, about a woman at the end of her third trimester, physically in labor, asking for an abortion? The issue isnt just that that wouldnt happen. Its also that no doctor would perform an abortion in that circumstance. If a woman in labor is going through a medical emergency, doctors perform a C-section, not an abortion. If there were evidence that women were walking into abortion clinics at 40 weeks pregnant and asking for abortions, and that doctors were performing these abortions, I would have some serious questions. For one thing, I would want to know why this was happening. Because that actually matters. Because honestly, if that were happening, it would be bizarre enough that there would have to be some explanation. I was all for shutting down Kermit Gosnells Philadelphia clinic, which preyed on low-income women, performing illicit abortions for low rates and leaving dead and mutilated women in his wake. If there is evidence of a problem, I will absolutely support laws designed to mitigate and prevent these problems. But here? Here, there is no evidence of a problem. There are only meddling lawmakers who dont understand how procedures work, trying to gin up partisan controversy and create the appearance of a crisis. Tran did her best to answer Gilberts comments, but she is also not a doctor. If a medical provider had been there to answer Gilberts questionsa doctor like Gunter, with experience in this areaGilbert might have learned something, like that the scenarios he was dreaming up were absurd, or that a bill like Trans would help ensure that women in tragic circumstances have access to abortions later in pregnancy, without some of the unnecessary hoops that currently make an already difficult process that much more painful. Next, lets talk about Northams comments: [W]hen we talk about third-trimester abortions, these are done with the consent of, obviously, the mother, with the consent of the physicians, more than one physician by the way. And its done in cases where there may be severe deformities, there may be a fetus thats non-viable. So in this particular example, if a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered, the infant would be kept comfortable, the infant would be resuscitated if thats what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother. In their full context, I find Northams comments very clear, and not confusing at all. Hes answering Gilberts question about what would happen if a woman seeking abortion went into labor. He notesas Gilbert does notthat abortion typically occurs late in pregnancy in cases where a fetus is non-viable. He then answers the question: if an abortion-interested woman went into labor, the non-viable fetus would be delivered, resuscitated if thats what the parents want (were talking about cases where a fetus is incompatible with life), and made comfortable. The doctor and parents would then discuss the next steps. Parents of infants with severe deformities have a lot of hard questions to answer. If the infant has no brain activity, they may decide to take him or her off life support. Other questions have to be answered as wellwhether to intubate the baby, what level of care to provide. These are hard, hard questions, and while the medical profession should absolutely ensure that children born with severe deformities are treated with respect, many of these children have short life expectancies, and painful existences. Northam wasnt talking about a discussion about whether to slit the infants throat, as those facebook commenters on Kamala Harris facebook page insisted. He was talking about a discussion about what level of care to provide the infant. We have these same conversations about our elderlywhether to continue sometimes painful interventions, or to transfer a beloved elder to hospice care until the end. But those on the Right werent interested in recognizing any of this complexity. They didnt even want to read Northams full comments. They were more interested in claiming that Northam was promoting infanticide and scoring political points. Theyre more interested in making abortion into a wedge issue than they are in ensuring that every person has access to affordable healthcare, food, and basic education. Remember when the Republicans played chicken with funding for the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) last year? I do, because I got to watch friends start to panic over whether their children would have access to medical care, as the deadline when their state would run out of money loomed. So much for caring so very much about childrens ability to, you know, not die. So, there you have it. Democrats dont want to slit babies throats; doctors, not lawmakers, should be the ones answering questions about abortion; and Republicans are simply trying to create a wedge issue in hopes that voters will overlook the fact that they played chicken with childrens healthcare; tried to take away protections for preexisting conditions; separated thousands of immigrant children from their families and put them in cages; and shut down the government for no reason for over a month. I have a Patreon! Please support my writing! For one day everyones favorite doughnut in central Pennsylvania is the fastnacht. Every year on Shrove Tuesday bakeries, grocery stores and churches sell the indulgent treats in a variety of flavors, from plain to cinnamon sugar. This year Fastnacht Day falls on March 5. Its a once a year thing. Its a traditional thing, said Mike Pronio, owner of Pronios Market in Hershey, where they sell fastnachts from St. Cecilias Catholic Church in Lebanon. Unlike regular doughnuts, fastnachts are heavier and not as sweet. They arent decorated with sprinkles or filled with jelly or cream. You know youve eaten one when youre done, Pronio said. The tradition of eating fastnachts on Fat Tuesday started with the Pennsylvania Dutch, who were looking for recipes to use up fat such as lard in the house before Lent. Fastnacht is a German word meaning night before the fast. Not every fastnacht is the same and recipes vary. Some fastnachts are square or diamond-shaped, while others are round. Some have holes. Authentic fasnachts are made with yeast or baking soda. Some recipes call for mashed potatoes or potato flour. Traditional fasnachts are supposed to be deep-fried in lard. At Oak Grove Farms in Monroe Township, customers stop at the market as early as 6:30 a.m. to pick up fastnachts made from potato flour, said assistant manager Emily McGuire. Its crazy. Its almost like a holiday, she said. To ensure you dont miss out on the doughnut tradition, heres a list of places in and around the Harrisburg region that will be selling fastnachts in the coming days: The Pennsylvania Bakery, Camp Hill The bakery is selling fastnachts for $1.05 cents apiece, $5.95 a half dozen and $11.25 a dozen in plain, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, granulated sugar and glazed. The bakery is also selling cream filled fastnachts by order-only in lemon, raspberry, white buttercream, chocolate buttercream, peanut butter and vanilla custard for $1.55 a piece and $17.95 a dozen. They also are selling beignets for 95 cents apiece and $10.95 dozen. King Cakes are selling in various flavors including plain, cream cheese, lemon, raspberry and pineapple, for $15.25 each. The cakes serve about six people. The bakery is bringing back its fastnacht cupcakes made with buttermilk, cinnamon, and brown sugar cake, topped with a cinnamon sugar buttercream, rolled in sugar and topped with a piece of made-from-scratch fastnacht. They sell for $2.75 apiece. 1713 Market St., 717-763-7755 The Pie Haus, Carlisle Limited amount of fastnachts will be available on March 5 in plain, powdered, cinnamon sugar, glazed, Bavarian cream and peanut butter for $1.99 a piece, $12 for a half dozen and $22 for a dozen. 46 W. High St., 717- 404-6939 Oak Grove Farms, Mechanicsburg The market sells plain, glazed, powdered sugar and cinnamon sugar fastnachts for $8.99 a dozen. Its recommended you pre-order doughnuts for large orders. 846 Fisher Road, Monroe Township, 717-766-2216 Maple Donuts Maple Donuts will be selling fastnachts at its four bakeries in York County March 4-5. If you want three dozen or more fastnachts, you must pre-order them. The bakeries are selling powdered, plain and glazed for 99 cents apiece, $5.89 a half dozen and $9.99 a dozen. They are also selling paczki, a filled Polish pastry. Locations include: 3455 E. Market St. (East York) 717-757-7826 204 St. Charles Way (South York) 717-747-9147 970 Loucks Road (West York) 717-843-4276 50 Robinhood Drive, Goldsboro (North York) 717-938-5544 St. Cecilia's Catholic Church, Lebanon This church is the most well-known spot for fastnachts in central Pennsylvania. Fastnachts will be available starting at 7 a.m. March 3 until supplies run out. The price is $5 for a half dozen and $10 a dozen, plain or sugared. Unfortunately, pre-orders for six or more dozen are no longer being accepted. 202 E. Lehman St., Lebanon, 717-272-4412 Schenks Bakery, Lower Paxton Township Schenk's is selling plain, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar and glazed for $15 a dozen or $1.75 apiece. Pre-orders are being accepted. 1061 N. Mountain Road, 717-671-5133 The Filling Station, Palmyra The restaurant will be selling granulated sugar, powdered sugar, glazed and plain fastnachts for $8.50 a dozen and $5.50 a half dozen. Pre-order is available through March 4. The restaurant also will sell them individually from its bakery case starting at 5 a.m. on March 4. 320 W. Main St., 717-838-9077 Cornerstone Coffeehouse, Camp Hill The coffee house will be selling fastnachts again this year. They will be selling glazed, granulated sugar and powdered sugar. Price is $1.25 apiece, $7 for a half dozen and $13.25 a dozen. 2133 Market St., 717-737-5026 Ciao! Bakery, Harrisburg This city bakery with ties to Bricco restaurant is selling homemade fastnachts in cinnamon sugar, granulated sugar and powdered sugar for $1.25 a piece and $12 a dozen. Pre-order is suggested. The bakery is also selling king cakes for $8.50. 304 Chestnut St., Harrisburg, 717-724-0236 Desserts Etc., Hershey The bakery will sell fastnachts for $1.75 a piece and $18 a dozen on March 5 only. Varieties include plain, cinnamon sugar, granulated sugar, powdered sugar and glazed. The bakery is accepting pre-orders. 840 E. Chocolate Ave., 717-533-7505 ext. 4 Prince of Peace Roman Catholic Parish, Steelton The parish is making fastnachts again this year. The pre-order deadline has passed. However, they will be selling those orders that are not picked up to the public on a first come, first served basis. The price is $9 per dozen and $5 a half-dozen. Parish Center, 815 S. Second St. Pronio's Market, Hershey Every year Pronio's brings in fastnachts from St. Cecilia's Catholic Church in Lebanon. This year the market will be selling plain and granulated sugar fastnachts on March 5. They arrive at about 9:30 a.m. and will sell on a first come, first served basis for $12.50 a dozen. 236 W. Caracas Ave, Hershey, 717-533-2869 Karns Quality Foods, multiple locations Karns supermarkets will be selling fastnachts in plain, glazed, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar and granulated sugar. Prices are: $4 for a six-pack and $29 for a tray of 48 fastnachts. Pre-orders are being accepted and can be picked up starting at 11 a.m. March 4. Giant Food Stores, multiple locations - NEED Giant will be selling powdered sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon sugar and glazed fastnachts at its stores for $4.99 a dozen. Wegmans, Silver Spring Twp. The grocery store will be selling cinnamon sugar, glazed, powdered sugar fastnachts. They sell for 85 cents apiece and $8.50 for a dozen. They also are selling paczki four packs for $4.50, king cakes for $12 and eight-packs of hot cross buns for $5. 6416 Carlisle Pike, 717-791-4500 Weis Markets, multiple locations The supermarket sells a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch fasnacht made with potato flour in glazed and sugar. They sell for $5 a dozen and $3 a half dozen. Weis also sells paczki doughnuts for $3 a four-pack in choice of Bavarian creme or jelly fillings and powdered or granulated sugar. Many of the snow geese and tundra swans that gather at Middle Creek have wintered south of Pennsylvania and are beginning their migration north to their breeding grounds, following the spring thaw. These snow geese were found at sunset at nearby farm fields in Derry Township, Dauphin County, near Hershey, and in Londonderry Township, Lebanon County, near Palmyra. The snow goose is one of the worlds most abundant waterfowl species. An estimated 85,000 snow geese were spotted Monday, February 25, at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area on the Lancaster-Lebanon county line near Kleinfeltersville. It was the highest number of the large waterfowl so far this year, well ahead of the peak of more than 70,000 in 2017 and the peak of more than 65,000 in 2016, but less than half the record 200,000 of last year. An estimated 3,500 tundra swans have joined the snow geese this year. Last year, swan numbers peaked at 5,500 on February 22; in 2017, at 4,500 on February 6; and in 2016, at 3,500 on February 29. The snow geese being seen in Pennsylvania now are on their way north to the arctic and subarctic, where they will breed during the coming spring and summer, before migrating south once again in the fall. They winter along the Atlantic Coast and along inland waters. More about snow geese and Middle Creek: Mirna Gonzalez had just stepped away from Gate C7 at Portland (Oregon) International Airport when she heard the screaming. She had left for only a moment to buy a coffee while she and her children waited for an Alaska Airlines flight to Texas just before Christmas, on Dec. 18, 2017. Her 5-year-old daughter, Gabriella, was supposed to be sitting at the gate with her older brother. But when Gonzalez returned, Gabriella's face was covered in blood. While her mother was away, Gabriella asked if she could pet a dog, a pit bull, that allegedly was an emotional support animal. As soon as she reached out her hand, it bit her in the face. Thats according to a $1.1 million lawsuit Gonzalez filed on behalf of her daughter this week against the dogs owner, Alaska Airlines and the municipal agency Port of Portland, accusing them of negligence since the dog was allowed through the airport without being in a crate. The incident is one of numerous high-profile allegations of bad support-animal behavior at airports as airlines and the federal government have scrambled to respond to a growing pile of complaints, ranging from poor potty training to nasty bites. The episodes have proliferated over the past two years, fueling a debate over how the animals should be regulated while traveling. In June 2017, a 70-pound emotional support dog bit a man in the face as he sat down in his window seat on a Delta Air Lines flight departing Atlanta, leaving him with 28 stitches. In February 2018, an emotional support dog chomped at a little girls forehead on a Southwest Airlines flight departing Phoenix, leaving her with a scrape but causing panic. In Gabriella's case, she had to undergo tear-duct surgery, leaving her with permanent scars, her attorney, Chad Stavley, told The Washington Post. The pit bull severed her tear duct and disfigured her upper lip, leaving a chunk of it missing, according to a graphic photo of her injuries provided by Stavley. Gabriella Gonzalez suffered a severed tear duct, a lacerated lip and other injuries during a dog attack at Portland International Airport on Dec. 17, 2018, according to her family's lawyer. Stavley said he hopes the lawsuit, filed Monday in Multnomah County Circuit Court, will push airports and airlines to strictly enforce the policies surrounding emotional support animals that most created in response to the 2017 and 2018 dog bites. The new rules intend to clamp down on fraudulent emotional support animals or service animals peoples house pets disguised as helpers while also making sure the animals that people really need are kept away from other passengers as much as possible. Stavley said he plans to investigate whether the dog that bit Gabriella was a legitimate emotional support dog. The dog's owner, Michelle Brannan, claims that it was, according to the lawsuit. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday night. It's unclear if she still owns the dog. According to a December 2017 report from KATU 2 News, the dog was quarantined at an animal shelter for 10 days following the attack, and the owner was cited by police for failing to crate the dog. "There's a lot of abuse of this emotional support animal situation," Stavley said, "and folks who have legitimate service animals - people who are blind and need guide dogs and the like - are kind of getting thrown into the same boat [as emotional support animals]. It shines a poor light on those folks." The Port of Portland and Alaska Airlines, which Brannan and the Gonzalez family were flying that day, both declined to comment, citing the pending litigation. Alaska Airlines was among the airlines that changed their policy on emotional support animals in 2018. The airlines new rule, which went into effect in October, requires that owners keep their dog or cat the only animals allowed aboard in a carrier or on a leash at all times and provide 48-hour notice and appropriate documentation ahead of their flights. "We are making these changes now based on a number of recent incidents where the inappropriate behavior of emotional support animals has impacted and even injured our employees, other guests and service animals," Ray Prentice, Alaska Airlines director of customer advocacy, said in an April 2018 statement. "Most animals cause no problems. However, over the last few years, we have observed a steady increase in incidents from animals who haven't been adequately trained to behave in a busy airport setting or on a plane, which has prompted us to strengthen our policy." The support-animal incidents have not been limited to dog bites. One service dog, a golden retriever named Eleanor Rigby, gave birth to puppies at a terminal in Tampa in June, though people didn't complain very much about that. In sad news, an emotional-support hamster named Pebbles was flushed down the toilet by its owner in February 2018 after Spirit Airlines informed the student she could not take the pet with her on the flight from Baltimore. Another man got angry at United Airlines for denying Dexter, his Instagram-famous emotional-support peacock, a seat on the plane from Newark, even though he had purchased a ticket for the bird. We explained this to the customer on three separate occasions before they arrived at the airport, an airline spokeswoman told The Post then. When United announced its policy change in February 2018, the airline said it had witnessed a 75 percent increase in customers bringing emotional support animals aboard. When Delta announced changes with its policy in January 2018, the airline reported an 84 percent increase "in reported animal incidents" since 2016, including urination and defecation and "acts of aggression" from the animals, "behavior not typically seen in these animals when properly trained and working." The concerns from the airlines also prompted the Transportation Department to review its own rules for service and support animals last year. The agency intended to crack down on the "fraudulent use" of animals who aren't really service animals and to make sure measures are in place to prevent badly behaved pets from boarding flights. It has yet to issue a final rule change. In the meantime, Stavley said, Gabriella Gonzalez will not be boarding any flights anytime soon. The girl developed a fear of airports, he said, as well as a fear of petting dogs. (c) 2019, The Washington Post Meagan Flynn A 17-year-old from New York has been charged as an adult in a fatal shooting that police say happened in Lebanon on Wednesday. Lindley Thelismond is charged with criminal homicide, and additional charges are pending the completion of the investigation, police said. Officers in Lebanon were dispatched at 10:20 p.m. Wednesday to a report of a shooting in the 1000 block of Orchard Avenue. Officers found 26-year-old James Jeter dead as a result of apparent gunshot wounds, police said. The shooting happened during an argument between Jeter and Thelismond, police said. Thelismond fled but was arrested hours later, police said. Officers have also recovered the handgun they believe was used. Police said Jeter and Thelismond recently met. Police did not say what the argument was about. As a result of the investigation into the shooting, two other people have also been charged: Matthew Correia, 22, of the 300 block of N. 12th Street, Lebanon, was taken into custody on Lancaster County warrants. Richard Andino, 35, of Lebanon, is charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia after police searched a residence on Orchard Avenue. This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the Lebanon City Police Department at 717-272-2054, or Crime Stoppers at 717-270-9800. A small Arizona town has issued a formal apology to a 12-year-old reporter from Pennsylvania who said a marshal threatened her with jail time as she was trying to check out a news tip. Hilde Kate Lysiak, who created the online Orange Street News in Selinsgrove in 2014, last week posted a video of her encounter with Patagonia Marshal Joseph Patterson, who had stopped her as she was on her bicycle, heading to check out a tip. The young journalist, whose family spends part of the year in Arizona, identified herself as a member of the media and gave her name and phone number. She says that Patterson made a remark about not wanting to hear about press freedom and said he "could be thrown into juvie." The video records their conversation from that point, and includes Patterson telling her that she could video him, but would be breaking Arizona law if she put the video on the internet, which is not true. Patagonia council issued the following apology during its meeting Wednesday night, and posted it on the town's website: "The governing body for the Town of Patagonia would like to apologize for the 1st Amendment rights violation inflicted on Hilde Lysiak, a young reporter within our community. We are sorry Hilde, we encourage and respect your continuing aspiration as a successful reporter. "We believe and fully support the constitutional right to freedom of speech in the public sector. We will not tolerate bias of any kind, including infringement of freedom of speech." Lysiak's father, Matthew, a former New York Daily News journalist expressed his appreciation. I've received a lot of interview requests. I'm sorry but everything I had to say I said through the facts in the story. Here is more about me if interested. Thank you. https://t.co/9QLLOxHGCD Hilde Lysiak (@orangestreetnew) February 22, 2019 "We are very thankful to the town of Patagonia and especially to Mayor Andrea Wood," he said. "Hilde is excited to get back to reporting the news." Hilde was not at the council meeting because she was headed to Florida to give a long-scheduled speech, her father said. Her sister recorded it, he said. Patagonia is a small town in southern Arizona near the Mexican border. WASHINGTON - For six years, Rep. Mike Thompsons job as House Democrats point man on combating gun violence amounted to stretches of obscurity punctuated by tragedy. As leader of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, he convened countless meetings of lawmakers, experts, advocates and victims, trying to build support for some kind - any kind - of gun control legislation. And when a mass shooting occurred, he stepped forward alongside Democratic leaders to explain the need for the kind of action the House Republican majority had no interest in taking. Thompson, of California, recalled a meeting with then-Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, shortly after the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, the tragedy that spurred the task force's creation. "He was very candid," Thompson said of Boehner. "He said, 'There's not an appetite on my side of the aisle to deal with this - it's not a front-burner issue.' So we just kept plugging away, plugging away. And you saw what happened in the midterms." Democrats' sweeping 40-seat pickup in the November elections has paved the way for the first House votes on substantial firearms legislation in more than a decade this week. On Wednesday, lawmakers passed a bill that would broaden federal background checks for firearms purchasers, and on Thursday, they are likely to back legislation that would expand the amount of time federal authorities have to complete those checks. But despite a sea change in gun politics - one that helped deliver the House majority to Democrats and has increased the task force's ranks to 172, nearly three-quarters of the caucus - top leaders are determined to move cautiously. They have not announced firm plans for further gun votes, and prominent voices on the issue are hardly talking about action on aggressive measures such as an assault weapons ban that have long been liberal lodestars. Their caution - which extends from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California to Thompson to outspoken freshmen such as Reps. Lucy McBath of Georgia and Jason Crow of Colorada - stands in sharp contrast to other pockets of the Democratic caucus. On health care and climate change, for instance, liberals have been emboldened to push the envelope of what is possible, offering far-reaching proposals like the Green New Deal and Medicare-for-all. On gun control, leading Democrats are instead talking about incremental steps - measures like "red flag" laws allowing courts to temporarily seize weapons from dangerous individuals, or a closure of the "boyfriend loophole," which allows some domestic abusers to own guns. Even so, the bills are unlikely to receive consideration in the Senate, where Republicans have a 53-seat majority and legislation typically needs 60 votes to pass. "Speaker Pelosi and the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force are moving strategically, and they are moving thoughtfully," said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun control advocacy group founded by former New York mayor Michael A. Bloomberg that works closely with Democratic lawmakers. "I think it's going to be step-by-step, and I think that what you're going to see is the leadership look at the data - look at what's most important from a policy perspective and gauge what the public wants most." The rationale for that pragmatic approach is partly rooted in history, where Democrats endured drubbing after drubbing in rural districts and states where the National Rifle Association and other pro-gun organizations mobilized voters against their candidates. Many rural and suburban Democrats remained in a defensive crouch, which helped explain why, during their last House majority from 2007 till 2011, party leaders never brought a gun bill to the floor - even when the party held the presidency and a Senate supermajority, as well. "It was the most productive Congress in the history of the republic, and what did they do on guns? Absolutely nothing," said Peter Ambler, a former Democratic congressional aide who is now executive director of Giffords, another gun control advocacy group. "Not only did they do nothing, it wasn't even on the table . . . I don't even remember a single discussion about even whether we ought to bring guns for a vote." The politics began to shift in 2010, when the Republican midterm wave drastically thinned the ranks of moderate "blue dog" Democrats. A further shift came after the 2012 Sandy Hook tragedy, in which a gunman killed 20 children and six adults and spurred a number of reliably pro-gun Democrats to split with the NRA for the first time. That included Thompson, a Vietnam infantry vet who represents the rural heart of California wine country and frequently talks about his own history as a gun owner. Hanging on the wall inside his Capitol Hill office is a framed Sonoma Magazine spread of Thompson holding a 20-gauge Browning shotgun - the very image of "responsible gun ownership" Democrats have long sought to embrace. But as the politics have continued to evolve, the face of gun control has changed, too. A continuing string of mass shootings have elevated the issue among suburban voters, and some breakout Democratic stars of the 2018 House campaign ran firmly and unapologetically on new gun laws without nodding to the sanctity of the Second Amendment. McBath, in particular, has emerged as a leading voice on the issue barely two months into her term. A flight attendant who turned full-time to advocacy after her son Jordan Davis, 17, was fatally shot in 2012, McBath has been named a vice chair of the task force and won a seat on the House Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over gun legislation. But McBath, too, said she is eager to move carefully, looking for bipartisan areas of compromise while building a big-tent coalition. "The face of what gun violence prevention looks like is changing," she said. "We need survivors like me; we need other survivors. That element is crucial, it's key, because we've lived it and we're not just statistics and just numbers. But we need the force and the help of gun owners and people that are NRA members and people that are just common everyday people." McBath is among the 190 Democratic co-sponsors of a recently introduced bill to ban assault weapons, but that is a piece of legislation neither McBath, Thompson nor leading advocates discuss when they contemplate their next steps. For one thing, convincing another 28 Democrats to support that legislation, giving it the margin it needs to pass, remains a tall order - especially as long as Senate passage and a presidential signature remain pipe dreams. While the ranks of rural Democrats have dwindled, there are still enough to make a difference. Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., said he planned to vote Wednesday for the expanded background checks but remained undecided on extending the review period on "red flag" laws. And he said he was firmly opposed to a ban on assault weapons or high-capacity magazines. "I'm not big on going a whole lot further than what we're talking about here right now," Schrader said. "You know, the Second Amendment's pretty crystal clear. I want to make sure the right people have weapons to defend themselves and enjoy themselves, and that people who shouldn't have them don't have them. And that's where these bills are." Democrats on the presidential campaign trail are being less cautious. Every senator who has announced or is contemplating a 2020 campaign has co-sponsored a bill sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., to ban assault weapons. One House member entertaining a bid, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., has floated not only a ban, but a mandatory buyback of existing assault weapons - endorsing the kind of government confiscation gun-rights supporters have long warned voters about. That represents a wholesale shift from past Democratic campaigns that tread carefully on the issue, in part because they were wary of alienating rural Iowa and New Hampshire voters. "You aren't going to see Democrats running ads with hunting rifles in their arms or telling stories about how they go up shooting with their parents - I don't think those are going to be part of the ads for 2020," Feinblatt said. Thompson said that if gun control advocates actually want to make progress, it remained imperative to pursue measures that can attract Republicans and pro-gun Democrats like Schrader. And that, he said, is where his infantry-veteran, shotgun-toting bona fides matter. Nothing is going to happen unless its bipartisan, he said. So if somebody else is doing this, and they dont know about guns, and they dont know about the gun culture, and they dont have friends on the other side of the aisle who know about and care about guns, I dont think it goes very far. Eric King, who was captured on video shooting another man inside a Harrisburg bar, took the witness stand during his murder trial Thursday morning. During his nearly three hours there, he insisted he was a victim of circumstance, a man who was drawn into a dangerous situation through no fault of his own. Most of all King insisted, repeatedly, that he never intended to kill 44-year-old Derick Garner during what he called the Dec. 29, 2016 incident at ODs Plantation at 16th and Sycamore streets. My intention wasnt to hurt nobody, King told the Dauphin County jury. I thought Derick was about to shoot me. Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Gettle is insisting that King deliberately shot Garner three times, once inside the bar and twice outside. She is seeking a first-degree murder conviction and a life prison sentence for the 36-year-old King. During his stint on the witness stand, King said he only shot Garner because he feared Garner was about to shoot him. Questioned by First Assistant Public Defender Mary Klatt, King said he was especially attuned to danger because he had been shot and severely wounded outside ODs in 2008. The divorced father of four testified that on the night Garner was shot, Garner had threatened him. King said he and two friends were in ODs when Garner got into an argument with one of Kings friends. Garner threatened him, too when he tried to defuse the tense situation, King said. He testified that when he told Garner he was just going to get a drink and leave, He said, The only thing youre going to get is a (expletive) bullet in your head. At that point, King said he was afraid to just leave ODs because he might be walking into an ambush. He said he did tell another patron that Garner had disrespected him, but said that in reference to Garners supposed threat. King said he kept watching Garner, and drew his pistol when a female friend, Shanelle Baltimore, told him to watch his back. He said he spun and pointed his gun at Garner. I pulled a gun out and I told him, Dont do it, broHe puts his hand right in his pocket, King said. That, King said, is when he racked a round into the pistol and fired. He said he didnt realize he had hit Garner. Police claim Garner took the first bullet in his right arm and left a blood trail as he fled out the bars front door. They contend King then shot Garner in the abdomen and the lip outside ODs. King insisted he fired more shots into the ground outside ODs to deter Garner from firing at him, but never aimed at Garner. He said he saw Garner wielding a pistol. Under cross-examination, King told Gettle he systematically lied to police when first questioned about the killing. He said he even told the cops he wasnt at ODs the night of the shooting, even though he knew the now-closed bar had surveillance cameras. You told lie after lie after lie after lie? Gettle asked. Yes maam, King replied. He then accused several prosecution witnesses of lying. He insisted again under the prosecutors questioning that he was sure Garner had a gun and that his own life was in peril. As soon as (Garner) put his hand in his pocket I shot in the area of his hand, King said. I didnt want to hurt nobody, he insisted. That aint my job. Thats Gods. When Gettle pressed him about a flirtatious Facebook conversation he unknowingly had with a Harrisburg cop hours after the shooting, King insisted he was just talking with that person to see if someone was trying to use a woman to set him up for retaliation. Daril Foose, the officer in the Facebook convo, testified earlier that King messaged that she was cute and tried to arrange a rendezvous. Eleven members of Pennsylvanias congressional delegation are raising their voices against President Trumps declaration of a national emergency to fund a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico using dollars appropriated for military projects including one at Fort Indiantown Gap. In a Wednesday letter to Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, all Democratic representatives in the states delegation as well as U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick called this reallocation of funds from military projects an ill-advised approach that will have serious consequences for our military readiness and local economies. In particular, they identified three Pennsylvania projects totaling nearly $200 million that could potentially be impacted. They are: $8 million for a National Guard project at Fort Indiantown Gap to replace an aging operations training facility and dining hall, which could impact the Guards ability to recruit and train effectively. $85 million for an Air Force Reserve project in Pittsburgh to convert the smaller C-130 aircraft to the larger C-17s. These larger aircraft can provide strategic airlift of cargo and personnel to support service members deployed overseas while supporting construction and related jobs in the western part of the state. A delay in this transition will mean a real loss of military readiness and good-paying jobs, the letter states. More than $71 million to construct a Submarine Propulsor Manufacturing Support facility in Philadelphia for the Navy. This facility is seen as critical to the defense departments plans to move forward with the Columbia Class submarine development. This investment will ensure the highest quality products are delivered for our new submarines on schedule, the letter states. A spokesman for U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said they have since been assured that the national emergency declaration will have no impact on the funding for Air Force Reserve project in Pittsburgh. That project is anticipated to be completed in 2020. We are in the process of determining whether the other two projects listed may be affected, said Toomey spokesman Steve Kelly. " Regardless, Senator Toomey will continue to advocate for the timely completion of military construction projects in Pennsylvania. He further added, Senator Toomey is concerned about the presidents emergency declaration and had hoped this dispute would have been settled through the legislative process. Had the presidents reasonable request for border security funding been granted, there would be no need for concern about these projects. Beyond the concerns expressed in the letter to the acting defense secretary about the Pennsylvania projects, the delegation also voiced dismay about what they call as a dangerous precedent for administrative overreach into congressional powers. In the letter, they state: The choice to use national emergency authorities for this purpose contravenes congressional funding authority an essential checks and balances power given to Congress in the Constitution and circumvents the appropriations process. They reminded the secretary noted that Congress passed on a bipartisan basis an appropriations bill Trump signed in September to appropriate money for a series of military construction (MILCON) projects, which the department now believes is eligible to be reprogrammed for border wall construction. They ask the department to identify which Pennsylvania military projects are at risk. Our constituents deserve a clear explanation of the tradeoffs the administration is proposing, the letter states. They also ask for an accounting of the military construction backlog including future-year projects planned in Pennsylvania and an assessment of the impact that delaying them could have on training, readiness and military family quality of life. * This post has been updated to include comments from Sen. Pat Toomeys office. Crews are at the scene of a fatal crash involving a pedestrian in Lancaster County. The crash happened near the Turkey Hill on in the 200 block of West State Street in Quarryville, ABC27 reports. The coroner and an accident reconstruction team are at the scene. A Philadelphia man faces felony charges in Lebanon County after local detectives said he sexually assaulted a 7-year-old boy in 2014. Officials at the Lebanon County Detective Bureau have announced that Joseph R. Graves, 34, of Philadelphia has been charged with felony counts of corruption of minors and intimidating a witness, as well as misdemeanor counts of indecent assault of a person younger than 13 and endangering the welfare of a child. The charges stem from 2014, when Graves was living in Lebanon, authorities said. According to authorities, Graves assaulted the boy at a home on the 800 block of Willow Street. Graves then threatened the child, telling him not to report the assault, authorities said. Graves also threatened to kill the juvenile if he ever told anybody about the incident, authorities said. Authorities said a warrant was issued for Graves arrest, and he was later taken into custody by U.S. Marshall Service and State Parole agents at his Philadelphia home. Graves was then transported to Lebanon County. He was arraigned on his charges Wednesday morning before Magisterial District Judge Thomas M. Capello. He is to appear for a preliminary hearing at 8 a.m. March 7. As of Wednesday afternoon, online court documents showed that Graves remained incarcerated in Lebanon County Prison unable to post $50,000 cash bail. Central Pennsylvania Republicans will meet in Williamsport Saturday to pick the partys choice to succeed newly-retired U.S. Rep. Tom Marino in Congress. Marino, of Lycoming County, abruptly resigned his 12th District seat in January, just months after winning election to a 5th term. He has since told reporters that health concerns were prominent in his decision. A special election for the remainder of Marinos term is scheduled for May 21, the same day as this springs municipal primary. Interest in succeeding Marino is high, no doubt in large part due to the strong chance the GOP nominee will have to go to Congress given the 12th Congressional Districts strong Republican advantages in both voter registration and voter performance. President Donald Trump won the district with 69 percent of the vote in his head-to-head match-up with Hillary Clinton in 2016. You cant say it will be easy to win this nomination, however. As of Wednesday, Republican State Committee officials - who will run the selection process since it crosses county lines - said they had received letters of candidacy from more than 20 candidates. The party is not releasing the names because of the fields fluidity up until Saturday. But The Lewistown Sentinel reported the following had taken an opportunity to meet with GOP committee members in Mifflin County earlier this week: Jessica Bowman-Hosley, Clinton County; Malcolm Derk, Snyder County; Kevin Ferrara, Clinton County; Stacy Garrity, Bradford County; Davis Haire Wyoming County; Chris Hoffman, Juniata County; Fred Keller, Snyder County; Doug McLinko, Bradford County; Pat Miller of Centre County; Maria Montero, Lycoming County; Joseph Moralez, Northumberland County; Robert Noerr, Clarion County; Joe Peters, Wyoming County; Jeff Wheeland, Lycoming County. That list includes two state representatives, (Keller and Wheeland); a 2018 GOP primary challenger to Marino (McLinko); a former GOP candidate for state Attorney General (Peters) and a member of the Penn State board of trustees (Hoffman), and a lawyer who served in Gov. Tom Corbetts administration (Montero). Most of the others have been active in local politics or community affairs. All candidates who are properly nominated at Saturdays convention will have the floor for five minutes to make a direct pitch to the 202 district delegates, allotted to the 15 12th District counties at one seat per each 1,000 votes cast for Trump in 2016. If no one captures a majority in the ensuing first-round vote, the field will be shrunk to the top 10 vote-getters. They will then get a second chance to address the conferees and stand for questions in the afternoon, after which balloting will continue until someone emerges with a majority. The eventual nominee will face Democrat Marc Friedenberg, an assistant professor at Penn State who mounted an unsuccessful challenge against Marino last year. It may be a green-clad holiday marked by copious booze consumption, but according to police, this years State Pattys Day was a relatively crime-free green-clad holiday marked by copious booze consumption. State College Police and Penn State University Police have both reported a considerable decrease in arrests and calls during last weekends State Pattys Day when compared to 2018. In fact, police say the decline in crime has been a steady one since problems with the event peaked in 2011. State Pattys Day started in 2007 when St. Patricks Day coincided with Penn States spring break. This prompted students and visitors get an early start on the holiday, and they have kept up that the tradition ever since, generally during the weekend after Thon. According to police, the total number of crimes and ordinance violations reported to the State College police came in at 96 this year, compared to 144 in 2018 and 293 at the events pinnacle in 2011. Thats a 33.3 percent drop in crime from last year to this year and a 67.2 percent drop from 2011. Similarly, the university police are reporting 25 crimes and ordinance violations from over the weekend, compared to 39 last year and 88 in 2011. The total number of arrests is down 60.4 percent between this year and last year for State College police and 77.4 percent from 2011. For the university police, arrests are down 69.2 percent from last year and 89.3 percent from 2011. And the total number of police calls is down 29.2 percent from last year and 49.6 percent from 2011 for State College police and 43.4 percent from last year and 56.3 percent from 2011 for university police. Heres a look at the steady decline over the last couple of years: Crime and police calls have decreased steadily since 2011 during the State Patty's Day celebration, State College and Penn State police report. The Pennsylvania State Police as well as the Ferguson Township and Patton Township police departments assisted with the weekend patrols. According to Penn State officials, the increased patrols were part of a collaborative effort with police to mitigate the dangerous drinking activities that tend to occur over St. Pattys Day weekend. In a Feb. 20 memo to members of the State College Tavern Owners Association, State College Borough Manager Tom Fountaine and Penn State Vice President for Student Affairs Damon Sims asked owners to help impede the negative excesses that State Pattys Day encourages. Although we typically celebrate the arrival of out of town visitors in our community, we want to discourage those who visit us specifically for the recklessness of State Pattys Day and do harm to our community and themselves in the process, Fountaine and Sims wrote in the memo, according to Penn State officials. Only by working together, with all of us contributing in the ways we can, will we overcome the deeply troubling outcomes State Pattys Day can produce. Nearly 60 percent of the 2011 arrests, the peak year of crime, were out-of-town visitors. Penn State took some additional steps to curtail the drinking over the weekend, according to a news release. Among those steps: A man and woman are accused of supplying the drugs that killed a 30-year-old man last May in Lancaster County. The woman has been arrested, but the man remains at-large, police said. Lancaster Police said they are looking for Emilio Morales, 49, of Lancaster, who is wanted on felony charges of drug delivery resulting in death, conspiracy and criminal use of a communication facility, according to online court documents. Alyssa Fisher, 26, of West Reading was arrested last June and faces the same felony charges, according to Lancaster police. Police said they were called about 10:03 p.m. May 4 to the 400 block of East Ross Street, where it was reported that a man had overdosed on heroin. When officers arrived they found that 30-year-old Justin Pugh had died, police said. A later autopsy revealed that Pugh had died from multiple drug toxicity," and heroin and fentanyl were found in his system, police said. According to police, an investigation showed that Pugh had gotten the drugs from his ex-girlfriend, who was identified as Fisher. Through a further investigation, police said they learned that Fisher got the drugs from Morales. That information led to the charges against Morales, police said. Police have asked anyone with information about Morales whereabouts to contact them at 717-735-3345 or to call Lancaster Crime Stoppers at 1-800-322-1913. Tips can be made anonymously, police said. Firefighters in Camp Hill put out a trash fire in a parking lot Wednesday afternoon after the contents of a garbage truck caught fire. Among the debris was a full-size dead cow. The driver noticed smoke and flames emerging from the back of the truck and pulled over at the Harrisburg Bridge Club at 349 N. 21st Street Wednesday afternoon. Flames were still visible when firefighters arrived. The truck dumped the flaming contents onto the parking lot so firefighters could extinguish the blaze, said Camp Hill Fire Chief Mark Simpson. Thats the standard procedure for putting out a trash truck fire, he said. Simpson said he did not know whether the Advanced Disposal truck stopped at the Bridge Club to pick up trash from a commercial bin or whether the truck driver just stopped there to get help with the fire. As far as the cow, Simpson said he didnt know where the truck driver picked it up or how long it had been in the back of the truck. PennLive called Advanced Disposal to see if the truck driver was aware he had a dead cow in the back of the truck, whether picking up dead cows was an expected part of the route and where the dead cow was eventually disposed. Mark Nighbor, a spokesman for Advanced, said the truck was a front-loader so the driver would not have known about the presence of the cow. Nighbor said there are routes in this area that include farm property and that the landfill owned by Advanced is allowed to accept dead livestock. A trash truck caught fire Wednesday Feb. 28, 2019 and had to pull over to dump its load in the parking lot of the Bridge Club at 349 N. 21st Street. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture website lists several rules regarding the disposal of a large animal carcasses. The domestic animal must be properly disposed of within 48 hours of death The carcass must not be exposed to other living animals or the public While transporting dead animals, the health of other animals, the public, and the environment should not be threatened. The website also notes there are five ways to properly dispose of a dead cow, including: burying it under at least two feet of soil and a minimum of 100 feet from waters, incinerating it in a special enclosed incinerator, rendering it at a licensed facility, composting it, using a freestanding pile on well-drained or improved foundation, disposing of it at a landfill that has a license to accept lifeless animals. Officials from the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority, which owns the Harrisburg incinerator, said they are not licensed to accept dead cows. They said they would have refused the dead cow and asked trash truck workers reload it back into their truck. After Wednesdays blaze, the trash company brought in a bull dozer and other equipment to pick up all of the wet trash that had been spread across the parking lot. Simpson said garbage-truck fires happen occasionally, because drivers can inadvertently pick up smoldering trash from large trash bins along the routes. But Ive got to say, Simpson said. Ive never seen a cow in the trash before. Editors Note: This article was updated to include comments from Mark Nighbor. WASHINGTON - Course corrections do not happen quickly in politics, no matter how big the defeat might have been in November. Instead, whether it was a "thumping" or a "shellacking," the party thrown out of power tends to grasp for unity first, especially when it's a Republican Party that is very much dominated by President Donald Trump. Which is one reason just 13 House Republicans on Tuesday opposed Trump's emergency declaration to bypass Congress and seize roughly $8 billion in funds to build hundreds of miles of a southwest border wall. And that's why on Wednesday just eight Republicans voted for the Democratic proposal to create a near universal background check on gun purchases. Both of those issues provided headaches for House Republicans in the 2018 midterms, particularly in the suburban battlegrounds that broke so sharply against them en route to a loss of 40 seats and the majority. Many sharp GOP strategists are looking for candidates next year who can appeal to swing district voters. For now, however, the herd mentality has taken root among House Republicans and will only reinforce the idea that they are Trump's most loyal defenders in Washington. Of the 197 Republicans in the House, just three represent districts that Hillary Clinton won over Trump in 2016, down from more than 20 last year. That ideological purity creates a reflex action in which most Republicans now see backing Trump as their first instinct, no matter what his standing might be in national polls. House GOP women confront a political crisis - their party is mostly men. So if Trump is supporting a border wall, they rally around him, even if it might contradict their own positions during Barack Obama's presidency and the executive actions he took on immigration. "I mean, I'll be real honest, if Obama had done this, Republicans would be going nuts. That's just the reality. Even if Obama had the authority to do it, just like I think President Trump does," Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, a 20-year congressman, told The Washington Post's Erica Werner. Democrats expected very little crossover appeal for a vote that shaped up more as a test of one's loyalty, or opposition, to Trump and his clamor for a border wall. "My guess is that the folks who are going to vote with us, they're probably in swing districts; I'm guessing they're in districts Hillary Clinton won or they are in districts that are trending more suburban," Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois, chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, predicted before Tuesday's roll call. Bustos was off on her prediction by a little bit. The 13 GOP defections on the resolution opposing the emergency order included four politically safe conservatives who hold more libertarian views. On Wednesday, the eight Republicans who voted with Democrats on the background-check all come districts in the suburbs that are trending more diverse. There's a rich tradition of the minority party trying to forge unity and not working in bipartisan fashion, especially on a president's key priority. After the 2006 midterms that then-President George W. Bush dubbed a "thumping," House Republicans beat back Democratic proposals to force a timeline for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq. In March 2007 just two Republicans joined Democrats in approving a funding plan that included a deadline. In February 2011, after the 2010 midterm "shellacking," as Obama dubbed it, Democrats did not provide a single vote to the new GOP House majority when it passed a spending plan that cut more than $60 billion from federal agency budgets. It's an early exercise in trying to build team spirit for a dejected caucus thrust into the minority, even if the ultimate outcome is sometimes far different. In 2007, facing Bush's opposition and a Senate filibuster, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., eventually passed a funding plan that included most of what the president sought for Iraq. And in 2011 House Republicans agreed to greatly reduced spending cuts. Why is the GOP sticking with Trump on border wall? Look at the 2020 Senate map. But course corrections usually have to be made, one way or another. And the other Republicans who opposed Trump on Tuesday's wall vote are those trying to point the party in a different direction, one more tolerant of minorities and women that includes a return to a more globally oriented economy than Trump's "America First" vision. For Reps. Will Hurd, R-Texas, and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., whose districts favored Clinton in 2016 and where they barely survived their 2018 races, opposing Trump was the easy political move. They also voted with Democrats on gun legislation. And Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., who clung to victory in 2018 in a district that is growing more suburban north of Portland, also opposed the border emergency. The warning sign for GOP leaders came from five votes in particular against Trump. Reps. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., both in their second term, have pushed for the GOP to become a more socially modern party. And the other three are senior Republicans who are effectively thumbing their nose at party leadership. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., who faced a somewhat difficult race last year but still won by 10 percentage points, spent the past decade in elected GOP leadership and knows that leaders want their rank and file to take tough votes. Having left leadership, she chose to stand with her friend, Herrera Beutler, against leaders. Finally, Reps. Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Greg Walden, R-Ore., are prominent moderates with deep ties to former Republican speakers John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Paul Ryan, R-Wis. Walden ran the party's campaign apparatus for four years under those two, while Upton chaired the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee. Walden replaced Upton as the top Republican on that panel, and together they have regularly bucked Trump and leadership on border security and government funding votes this year despite their senior status. For now, this baker's dozen of Republicans remain isolated in their caucus, opposing Trump and leadership, with little indication that a mutiny is brewing. The test, over the next few months, will be whether more Republicans join the likes of Upton, who also voted with Democrats on the gun bill. -- Paul Kane is The Washington Posts senior congressional correspondent and columnist. His column about the 115th Congress, @PKCapitol, appears throughout the week and on Sundays. He joined The Post in 2007. Ward and Eis Gallery to support Women's Resource Center with benefit Ward and Eis Gallery will host its annual 'Gifts Twice Given' benefit to support Womens Resource Center of Northern Michigan programs and services on Dec. 11 and 18. DELTA, Pa. The beige consoles and pale walls of the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station control room are festooned with knobs, dials, and lights from a different era. The operators joke that they still consult paper manuals in three-ring binders. No digital help screens here. The system that controls the two giant Peach Bottom reactors in York County is largely analog, installed when the company then known as Philadelphia Electric Co. now Peco Energy launched the units in 1974. The current owner, Exelon Generation, says it expects to fully digitize the control room in the next decade, part of an ongoing effort to modernize a plant that supplies electricity to 2.7 million homes. The Peach Bottom plant, 60 miles west of Philadelphia near the Maryland border, is operating under a 20-year extension from its original 40-year license, like many of Americas aging fleet of nuclear reactors. Last year it became one of the first plants to apply for what the Nuclear Regulatory Commission calls a Subsequent License Renewal that would permit the reactors to run through 2053 and 2054, when they turn 80 years old. As the construction of new nuclear power plants fell off after the Three Mile Island accident in 1979 the average age of a U.S. reactor is nearly 40 years old older units like Peach Bottom are being pressed into longer service, and some worry that safety will suffer. A lot of life left Theres still decades more carbon-free generation than we can get from todays nuclear facilities, and these facilities can serve as a bridge to the next generation of carbon-free nuclear generation in the U.S., said John Kotek, vice president of policy development and public affairs for the Nuclear Energy Institute. But skeptics say that nuclear plant owners, ever alert to degradation from a harsh operating environment, will be challenged to keep geriatric power plants operating into their seventh and eighth decades. Market forces, driven by competition from inexpensive natural gas plants and renewable power, are not working in nuclear energys favor. There is this rush of license-renewal applications for the 60-to-80-year period that are pushing beyond our knowledge of the impact of aging, said Paul Gunter, director of the reactor oversight project for Beyond Nuclear, an antinuclear group that has challenged Peach Bottoms license extension. Edwin Lyman, senior scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, which is wary of nuclear power, said reactor owners will be required to conduct more frequent inspections, maintenance, and repairs of aging reactors while facing increasing pressure to keep costs low. Its not clear to me that can be done at the same time compatibly, he said. Profitability of U.S. Nuclear Power Plants More than a third of existing nuclear power plants in the U.S. are unprofitable or are scheduled to close, according to a recent report, accounting for 22 percent of the country's total nuclear capacity. In the Mid-Atlantic states, 25 percent of the plants that are part of the PJM Interconnection grid are marginally profitable. In the map below, circle sizes are proportional to a plant's operating capacity. SOURCE: Union of Concerned Scientists JOHN DUCHNESKIE / Staff Artist The nuclear industry has invested billions of dollars in new safety and security features after the devastating Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011 and the accident 40 years ago this month at Three Mile Island Unit 2, just 36 miles up the Susquehanna River from Peach Bottom. It has invested billions more to improve efficiency and output. Most nuclear plants now operate year-round, near full capacity there is not much more juice that can be squeezed out of existing designs. With just two new U.S. reactors under construction, the industry increasingly must rely on keeping its 98 existing plants operating into the middle of the century. Coexisting with climate activists As producers of 60 percent of the nations carbon-free energy, the industry is seeking common ground with climate activists, who are pressuring lawmakers to set aggressive targets to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Its not always a warm embrace. The Democratic authors of the New Green Deal initially excluded nuclear power from the equation, saying they wanted to transition to renewable energy alone. But nuclear-power advocates say all sources of zero-carbon energy will be needed if the nation transitions away from fossil fuels. Peach Bottoms reactors produce nearly six times as much carbon-free energy as all of Pennsylvanias wind and solar generators combined, and there are no new wind farms planned in Pennsylvania. If you really believe in climate change, this is the solution, at least an intermediate solution, said Patrick D. Navin, Exelons site vice president at Peach Bottom. You cant get there if you start shutting these things down. The Nature Conservancy, in a 2018 report on sustainability, endorsed an increase in the share of nuclear power, along with a bigger build-out of renewable power, to dramatically reduce the dependence on fossil fuels by 2050. The transition not only reduces carbon dioxide, it said, but emissions of other pollutants and particulates that affect public health. Peach Bottom currently is profitable, which differs remarkably from Exelons Three Mile Island Unit 1, the aging reactor near Harrisburg. Exelon is threatening to close Unit 1 this year, without some kind of ratepayer subsidy. Exelons Three Mile Island reactor is next to the infamous Unit 2, dormant since the 1979 accident, which is owned by First Energy Corp. The General Assembly is expected to take up legislation soon to add nuclear power to the states Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard, which mandates a portion of all power consumed in the state be derived from renewable and alternative energy sources. But until details of the proposed subsidy are clarified, the potential cost to ratepayers is unclear. The TMI effect If the state does not come to its rescue, Exelon says, it will shut down Three Mile Island Unit 1 in September, an irrevocable decision. The Exelon reactor would then be permanently decommissioned, along with Unit 2. The Three Mile Island accident, though it caused only a small radiation leak and no documented health issues, dramatically reshaped the landscape for nuclear energy. The partial meltdown of Unit 2 destroyed a new nuclear reactor, and shook public confidence in nuclear energy. The accident exposed weaknesses in reactor design and oversight, resulting in new regulations and safety features that added time and expense to building plants. In the decade after the 1979 Three Mile Island accident, operators canceled plans for 62 reactors, though the industry blames high borrowing costs and flattening electricity demand for the cancellations. Only one new reactor has begun commercial operations in the last 20 years. Two Georgia reactors are the only units under construction, and they have been plagued by cost overruns. The nations 98 operating reactors include nine in Pennsylvania and three in New Jersey. Exelon, the nations largest producer of nuclear power, has ownership stakes in 22 reactors. It co-owns the Peach Bottom facility with New Jerseys Public Service Enterprise Group. With each passing year, more reactors retire, sometimes prematurely. Exelon in September retired its Oyster Creek Generating Station in Forked River, N.J., after 49 years of operation. Like Three Mile Island, Oyster Creek was a single-unit plant with higher operating costs than multi-unit sites such as Peach Bottom, or Exelons Limerick Generating Station in Montgomery County. Old, but more efficient Despite the closures, the nuclear industry has maintained about a 20 percent share of the nations power supply 39 percent in Pennsylvania and 45 percent in New Jersey -- by squeezing more power out of existing plants, and, it says, by operating them more safely and efficiently. In the 70s, you might have seen capacity factors of around 60 percent for nuclear power plants, said Kotek of the Nuclear Energy Institute. This past year they exceeded 93 percent. Operators have proven year in and year out that running a plant safely is in their economic best interests. Exelon has poured $800 million in recent years into upgrading Peach Bottom Units 2 and 3 (Unit 1 was a small experimental reactor that shut down in 1974). The two units now produce 2,770 megawatts, about 24 percent more than when they started. Peach Bottom units often exceed 100 percent of their capacity they essentially run nonstop the entire year during years when they are not shut down temporarily for refueling. Exelon says some of Peach Bottoms older systems function perfectly well. The analog control room, for instance, still has one significant advantage over modern digital systems it cant be hacked. Exelon will include cybersecurity measures when it installs the new digital control systems to make sure the system cannot be tampered with or unauthorized access into any of those systems," said Navin. The new controls should be in place before the current licenses expire in 2033 and 2034. Is it safe? Critics say theyre particularly worried about cracking, embrittlement, and corrosion of critical plant components in place for 60 years that cant be inspected, such as hidden electric cables, structural concrete, and the reactor vessel itself, which contains the uranium fuel that creates heat that is converted into electricity. The NRC rejected a suggestion that it should order a closer post-mortem of older nuclear power plants that are being decommissioned to measure the effect of prolonged operations, said Gunter of Beyond Nuclear. He suggested that Exelon should be forced to conduct an autopsy on the decommissioned reactor vessel at Oyster Creek, which is the same make and design as the Peach Bottom units. It would behoove the public health and safety for the cost of doing the autopsy to be borne by the operator that wants to extend the operation of a plant with the same design, Gunter said. Were questioning the licensing process as if its some kind of crystal ball that they can manage aging. Exelon said that the Department of Energy and the Electric Power Research Institute have conducted research that supports extended plant operation. Exelon Generation regularly uses industry research, including analysis of materials from operating and decommissioned reactors, technical guidance and operating experience to develop and implement effective asset management programs, spokesperson Liz Williamson said. The NRC will also not consider changes in conditions since the plants were originally licensed, such as an increase in population density, or the effects of climate change, said Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists. All you can look at is whether there is an appropriate aging management program for those components that cant be replaced, and you have to justify why they arent going to fall apart by the end of the extended period," he said. Lyman also questioned Peach Bottoms method of storing spent fuel in a water pool, citing a 2016 study he coauthored that estimated if a catastrophic earthquake caused the pool to drain, the densely packed fuel assemblies could overheat and catch fire, spreading radioactive material into the atmosphere. A spent fuel fire at Peach Bottom could force Boston to relocate, not to mention Philadelphia -- thats how bad it could be, said Lyman. Post-Fukushima precautions The NRC rejected the arguments, saying that the chances of such an accident were extremely remote and that the post-Fukushima improvements at the plant provide an added measure of security, including the ability to add more water to the spent fuel pool even if there is a loss of onsite power. Used nuclear fuel is safely stored at plants around the country, and post-Fukushima, all reactors have put measures in place to quickly add water to the pool and assure sufficient cooling, should that become necessary, said Matthew Wald, a Nuclear Energy Institute spokesperson. Exelon says it spent $700 million across its fleet, including $45 million at Peach Bottom, to build massive steel-reinforced bunkers called FLEX buildings on their sites to store emergency pumps and other equipment that can be quickly deployed during an accident. The industry also built two warehouses near airfields from which emergency equipment can be airlifted to any reactor in the country. In this Friday, Feb. 15, 2019 photo, boxes of Tramal, an addictive pain killer, are stacked on the table of a pharmacy in Gaza City. An opioid crisis has quietly spread in the Gaza Strip, trapping thousands of people in the hell of addiction and adding another layer of misery to the blockaded and impoverished coastal territory. Tramal, believed to be a more addictive form of Tramadol, gained popularity after the first war between Hamas and Israel in 2009. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) Read more Pennsylvanias auditor general has once again zeroed in on the role of pharmaceutical middlemen, and this time for their behind-the-scenes negotiations with drug companies, in the agencys study of rising drug prices, according to a report released Thursday. Auditor General Eugene DePasquale called for legislation that would require pharmacy benefit managers whose role in the state Medicaid program came under review last year to be paid by flat fees rather a percentage of the rebates they negotiate and win from drugmakers. DePasquales office found that rebates from drugmakers are working well for Pennsylvanias Medicaid program, by returning about $2 billion to the state on nearly $3.5 billion in prescription spending in 2017 thereby saving taxpayers about 50 percent on Medicaid drugs. But the report raised concerns about how rebates are serving people with private insurance. When consumers go shopping they are accustomed to getting a fair price, but when it comes to prescription drugs, the price is often a mystery, DePasquale said during a news conference Thursday at a pharmacy in Western Pennsylvania. The price can vary greatly, depending on who is paying, and how. He said one reason for that variation is rebates, which are essentially discounts on a drugs list price. In the Medicaid program, rebates are federally regulated, and states have to receive the lowest available price for a drug. But for people with private insurance, rebates do not save money, DePasquale said. For one thing, he said, rebates incentivize drugmakers to simply set a higher starting list price to maintain their profits. Citing discussions with drug manufacturers, the report said rebates drive up prices as much as 30 percent. And, DePasquale said, rebates might never reach the consumer. Instead of returning money to you, the patient, the rebate process is a behind-the-scenes exchange among a drug manufacturer, your insurer, and your pharmacy benefit manager, or PBM, the report said. The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, a trade group for PBMs, blasted the report as biased and factually wrong," and for reciting drug manufacturer talking points. Contrary to the narrative promoted by some, manufacturer pricing strategies are unrelated to the rebates they negotiate with PBMs, April Alexander, the groups assistant vice president for state affairs, wrote in a letter to DePasquale. The solution to high list prices is very simple: Just cut the price, Alexander said in the letter. The trade group said that PBMs pass on most, if not all rebate funds to insurers, and argued that rebates are the only tool to force drug companies to drive down net costs. U.S. spending on prescription drugs reached $333.4 billion in 2017, and drug companies and PBMs are both fighting for their respective pieces of the market as Washington bears down on rising drug prices. Seven drug company executives appeared before the U.S. Senates Finance Committee this week, and were warned against finger-pointing at other industries while also being assured that PBMs would get their turn for a hearing, too. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the committees ranking Democrat, demanded commitments in writing from the executives that they would lower drug prices if lawmakers got rid of rebates through legislation. John Dagle, president of Teamsters Local 628, joined several dozen other Teamsters outside the Sofitel Hotel Philadelphia, where drug wholesaler AmerisourceBergen was holding its annual 2017 shareholders meeting. Read more CEO Steve Collis received a $1.6 million pay increase last year, earning $11.5 million in 2018. But if the city of Philadelphia gets its way at the companys annual meeting Thursday, Collis paycheck would be calculated differently going forward: His pay would be cut if the Chesterbrook-based drug distributor paid out large sums to settle lawsuits about the opioid epidemic. We believe senior executives should not be insulated from legal risks, the citys pension board said in a shareholder proposal to the company, especially given the potential reputational, legal and regulatory risks [AmerisourceBergen] faces over its role in the nations opioid epidemic. The firm has asked stockholders to vote against the proposal. That measure will come up for a vote Thursday, as company executives and investors convene at Center Citys Sofitel Philadelphia hotel. Its a reflection of the shareholder pressure around opioids thats been building in AmerisourceBergens own backyard -- where a proposal backed by local nuns picked up support from the likes of asset managers Vanguard and Charles Schwab. And the Teamsters and the state treasurers office successfully advocated for the company to split its CEO and board chair positions, which they argued would improve governance. I am encouraged that we are seeing acknowledgement from the industry that changes need to be made to save lives," state treasurer Joe Torsella said in a statement. The treasurers office also supports the citys proposal on legal costs affecting executive compensation. The citys pension board is acting as a fiduciary and a good corporate citizen ... with an eye toward requiring companies to ensure that its corporate officers are paid an appropriate amount when considering any costs related to the crisis, spokesperson Mike Dunn said. Nationwide, more than 47,000 people died in 2017 from opioid-related overdoses, according to the CDC. In Philadelphia, 1,217 people died from drug overdoses, 88 percent of them involving opioids, according to the citys health department. More than 30 Pennsylvania counties have filed lawsuits against drug distributors and manufacturers. The companies are fighting about 1,500 lawsuits related to the opioid crisis brought by counties, tribes, and other groups. Those suits are largely consolidated in federal court in Cleveland, where the first trials are expected to begin in October. Hundreds of suits, meanwhile, are sitting in state courts and at least eight had their own trials scheduled as of January, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts. AmerisourceBergen, in its proxy statement, said that it is actively working to help solve the opioid epidemic, but that it does not view the citys proposal as an appropriate response." A spokesperson said the company and stockholders are best served if the board maintains the flexibility" to assess whether or not legal costs should affect compensation. Just two years ago, Teamsters protested outside AmerisourceBergens shareholder meeting in Philadelphia, part of the efforts that led to the formation of the Investors for Opioid Accountability. The coalition now counts as members 54 institutional investors that hold more than $3.5 trillion in assets, and its members have notched a series of wins, aimed at companies including McKesson and Cardinal Health (both distributors), Endo International (which has its U.S. headquarters in Malvern), and AmerisourceBergen. "The wave of changes were seeing are somewhat unprecedented in the shareholder world, said Michael Pryce-Jones, a senior analyst for the Teamsters. Of the Big Three drug distributors -- which control more than 80 percent of the market for moving pharmaceuticals from manufacturers to pharmacies and hospitals -- AmerisourceBergen was the last to agree to the board chair-CEO split, leaving the company scrambling to catch up with the reforms at the other drug distributors," Pryce-Jones said. The citys shareholder resolution to tie legal costs to pay is a new type of proposal, said Maureen OBrien, a corporate-governance consultant to the pension board. Shareholders want to be sure that executives are being incentivized to create good returns, she said, but also not to get the company into situations where they can create real risk to shareholders. Opioid maker Teva Pharmaceuticals, responding to a similar proposal, agreed not to exclude any legal settlements when calculating the metrics that determine executive pay, OBrien said. AmerisourceBergen announced in its shareholder proxy statement last month that it will split the job of board chair from the CEO once Collis retires. The spokesperson said the companys board regularly reviews its leadership structure and that in 2018, the company sought input from a significant number of shareholders ... and duly considered their feedback in our governance practices. The proxy also laid out that AmerisourceBergen plans to produce a report by Sept. 30 on its role in the supply chain and the boards oversight of business risks related to the distribution of opioid medications. -- ---- where a proposal backed by local nuns picked up support from the likes of asset managers Vanguard and Charles Schwab. And the Teamsters and- the state treasurers office successfully advocated for the company to split its CEO and board chair positions, which they argued would improve governance. For a first-time proposal to capture that much of the vote, the shareholders spoke pretty loudly that this is a huge issue, McCaney said. The sisters filed the proposal again for this years annual meeting, but withdrew it when they saw the progress that AmerisourceBergen made toward producing an oversight report. We wanted to know from the board what their strategy was going forward, because theres nothing static about this its either going to get worse or get better. Its not going to stay the same, McCaney said. "And in the meantime, people are dying. Two years ago, One Liberty Place was still the tallest building in Philadelphia, with Two Liberty Place runner-up. But construction was underway on the Comcast Center (right), which eventually eclipsed them greatly. Read more Philadelphia will become the first major U.S. city to force shops to take cash after Mayor Jim Kenney signed off Thursday on a law that would ban so-called cashless stores. With the exception of some businesses, the ordinance will prohibit most retail locations from refusing to take cash or charging cash-paying customers a higher price. Violators of the law, which will take effect July 1, will face fines of as much as $2,000. Passage of the law runs counter to the growing trend of businesses migrating to only cards and mobile devices for payments as fewer consumers carry cash. Its also reminiscent of an obscure 1984 Pennsylvania law that sought to protect consumers without credit cards. Supporters of the new law said it was needed to protect low-income Philadelphians from discrimination. But the measure carves out some businesses from the cash requirement and therefore does not go far enough, said advocates for residents in poverty. A city spokesperson cited Philadelphias 26 percent poverty rate and noted that many poor consumers still do not have access to bank accounts in explaining why Kenney signed the bill into law despite "continued concerns about how this legislation might impact innovation in our retail sector. We will continue to monitor this, as we face the ongoing challenge of growing our economy while ensuring that growth is inclusive, the spokesperson said in a statement. The ordinance will affect the operations of several city stores and had attracted backdoor lobbying by online retail giant Amazon, which wanted an exemption from the cash requirement as it looks to open a chain of cashierless Amazon Go convenience stores across the country. As technology gives consumers more ways to pay, including with their smartphones, some stores have gone cashless to improve efficiency, reduce the risk of robbery, and avoid the hassle of handling cash. In Philadelphia, that includes the salad chain Sweetgreen, the coffee shop Bluestone Lane, and several locations at the University of Pennsylvania food hall, Franklins Table. None of them returned requests for comment. Proponents of the new ban argue that cashless stores effectively discriminate against poor consumers who do not have access to credit or bank accounts. Nearly 6 percent of residents in the Philadelphia region were unbanked in 2017 and roughly 22 percent were considered underbanked, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Amazon warned Philadelphia officials behind closed doors that a ban on cashless stores would force it to reconsider its potential plans for Amazon Go stores in Philadelphia. Emails obtained by the Inquirer showed that the web giant also lobbied city officials to try to carve itself out of the cash requirement. An Amazon spokesperson declined comment. Amazon plans to open up to 3,000 Amazon Go cashierless stores across the country over the next few years. The convenience stores allow consumers with a mobile app to grab items they need and leave, eliminating the need for a traditional checkout process. After the customer leaves, Amazon charges the users online account. Retiring Councilman William Greenlee, a Democrat who sponsored the bill along with fellow Democrat Maria Quinones-Sanchez, has said the laws language should allow Amazon to open its stores in the city. But Amazon and its legal counsel dont think that the language is applicable to the Amazon Go model, according to Lauren Cox, a Commerce Department spokesperson. In particular, Amazon has concerns with the word membership because the companys Prime membership is not required to access Amazon Go stores, Cox said in a statement last week. The law does exempt some businesses from the cash requirement. Parking lots and garages, wholesale clubs, retailers that accept mobile payments through membership programs, and rental companies can still stop taking cash. Sales made by phone, mail, and online will also be excluded, as well as goods and services sold exclusively to employees. Mariana Chilton, director of the Center for Hunger Free Communities at Drexel University, said she supports the ban on cashless stores, which she said are exclusionary. But the carve-outs for some businesses diminishes the new law, she said. I think it presumes people who are low income dont want to park their car or dont use BJs [Wholesale Club], she said, adding that the exemptions demonstrate that City Council will kowtow to big business and thats wrong. In a statement, the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association said that it should be businesses -- not government -- that should decide whether to go cashless. Businesses should be able to run their business how they see fit, without government interference, said the trade group, which represents thousands of businesses in the restaurant, hotel, and tourism industries. But not all business groups opposed the ordinance. A spokesperson for Cardtronics, the worlds largest ATM operator, called Kenneys signing the bill into law a great day for consumer payment choice. Cardtronics applauds the mayor and city lawmakers of Philadelphia for recognizing the need to protect cash, the foundation of our economy, spokesperson Crystal Wright said. Americans are less reliant on paper bills and coins, according to a Pew Research Center survey released in December. The survey of 10,683 U.S. adults found that 29 percent said they made no purchases using cash during a typical week, up from 24 percent in 2015. Likewise, those who made all or almost all of their weekly purchases with cash dropped from 24 percent in 2015 to 18 percent today, according to the survey. Massachusetts was the first state to pass a law requiring retailers to accept cash, in 1978. New Jersey lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a bill banning cashless stores in January, sending the legislation to Gov. Phil Murphy, who can sign or veto the measure. Similar legislation has been introduced in Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. With continued cash flow problems and falling enrollment, Cheyney University is "likely" to lose its accreditation in November, the state system's new chancellor told state senators last week. Read more Cheyney University, facing continued enrollment struggles and a nearly $10 million cash-flow problem, got a little more breathing room Wednesday after Gov. Tom Wolf met with leaders of the state university system. They decided to continue to support the schools efforts to transform, and postponed any decision on whether the system would make Cheyney another loan. The meeting at Wolfs Harrisburg office included Daniel Greenstein, the new chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education; board of governors chair Cynthia Shapira; Cheyney president Aaron Walton; and State Sen. Vincent Hughes (D., Phila.). Walton said after the meeting that all agreed to support Cheyneys exciting plan for transformation that includes public-private partnerships and other innovation alternatives aimed at securing Cheyneys long-term future. The meeting followed a Senate budget hearing last week, during which Greenstein said the historically black university was highly likely to lose its accreditation this year. Rather than wait for the hammer to fall, Greenstein said, Cheyney should plan for that likelihood and figure out a new path, perhaps one in which it affiliates with another university as a department or school, or provides career training programs that dont require accreditation. None of those scenarios envisioned Cheyney which has lost two-thirds of its enrollment since 2007 as a fully accredited university. Enrollment at Cheyney University The number of students enrolled each fall has fallen by 67 percent since 2007, compared with a drop of 10 percent for the other 13 Pennsylvania state-supported universities. SOURCE: Pa. State System of Higher Education Staff Graphic The system, Greenstein said at the Senate hearing, must begin to plan for a transition for current employees and students, and ask itself hard questions, such as whether it is appropriate to enroll new students for next year. There are lessons to be learned from what has happened at Cheyney, Greenstein said. Whatever happens, I hope we will take the time and create the space to learn those lessons so they will never be repeated in this commonwealth or this country. Greensteins comments shook many Cheyney supporters, who believed the school was on the path to better times after a decade of management problems and financial hurdles. The university in July announced plans to partner with Thomas Jefferson University, Starbucks, and others in creating an African American-focused institute that would promote the schools legacy. While those plans are underway, they havent led to a financial turnaround. There has been two years of hard decisions that no one else wanted to make before, and a positive trend right now," Hughes said at the hearing. "And what I dont want us to do is to snatch the rug out of that positive trend. Hughes, who serves on Cheyneys council of trustees, said nothing less than a fully functioning Cheyney was acceptable. Kenn Marshall, a spokesman for the state system, said the chancellor was pleased with the governors meeting and the plan to support Cheyney. But that doesnt answer the questions the chancellor posed. Where we go from here, I dont think anythings been decided, Marshall said. Founded in 1837, Cheyney, on 275 acres in Delaware and Chester Counties, has a storied history but has struggled in recent decades. Greenstein said the school, which has a $27 million budget, appears to need nearly $10 million to make it through this fiscal year. Without it, Cheyney would be in violation of a requirement that the Middle States Commission on Higher Education set as a condition to keep its accreditation, he noted. The school has received a two-year extension from the commission to fix its finances, and there is no mechanism to provide a third. In addition, Cheyney may have to repay the federal Department of Education tens of millions because of mismanaged financial aid stemming from a 2015 review, Greenstein said. And enrollment has fallen to 415 students this spring, Greenstein said, down from more than 1,400 a decade ago. The board of governors had been considering voting Thursday on extending Cheyney the $10 million. Another loan would seem to counter what system leaders promised in 2017 when they agreed to forgive Cheyney $30 million in prior loans if it maintained a balanced budget for the next four years. And another lifeline from the state system, some fear, could hurt Cheyneys accreditation, showing the commission that the school didnt maintain a balanced budget. The money lent to Cheyney has come from the other 13 universities in the state system, many which also have lost enrollment and are struggling. For the first time since 2001, the systems overall enrollment dipped below 100,000 this year, and Greenstein said projections call for an additional 2 percent drop next year. Walton said he remains confident that the university can finish the fiscal year with a balanced budget and hes prepared to aggressively raise funds to close whatever gap there is. He said hes also confident the university will keep its accreditation and noted that the school still has eight months to work things out before Middle States decides. We have until June 30 to balance the budget," said Walton, a retired executive who took over at Cheyney nearly two years ago. Thats what we have to do, and were going to do it. Both Hughes and Walton noted that the school has seen a 33 percent increase in applications and a jump in students who have paid deposits for the fall. But Greenstein laid out other numbers about Cheyney: Six-year graduation rates between 15 percent and 25 percent. Nearly a third of its students default on student loans. Cheyney performs, he said, below other historically black colleges and universities, as well as universities generally. But he would not recommend closing it, he said. Other options that have been discussed include converting Cheyney into a training ground for teachers who work in inner-city districts or a place that trains the next generation of public policy leaders in social justice and race equity, Greenstein said. Staff writer Angela Couloumbis contributed to this article. Daniel Greenstein, who became chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education earlier this year, unveils his vision for the system. Read more Toting a backpack and sometimes riding a bike, Daniel Greenstein spent some of the fall visiting Pennsylvanias 14 state-owned universities, which he was hired last year to oversee. He talked to students. He talked to faculty. He talked to staff. And on Wednesday, the new chancellor unveiled his vision: The schools must start operating more like a system, consolidate business and administrative operations to save precious dollars, and open courses on all campuses to all students. Those moves and others, Greenstein said, are critical to the long-term survival of the system, beleaguered for nearly a decade by dropping enrollment, less state revenue, and ever-tightening finances. Im not talking about making modest adjustments to our enterprise, Greenstein, 58, said in an address to the State System of Higher Education board of governors, faculty and student leaders, university presidents, and campus supporters. We wont tweak our way out of this. Total student enrollment for the 14 state universities is at about 98,000. The largest school in the system is West Chester University with 17,552 students; the smallest is Cheyney University with 469. Just how consolidation would occur and how much money it would save are among the details that need to be worked out in coming months through meetings with faculty and staff, Greenstein said. He hopes to have a plan ready in six to nine months. His framework also takes into account reports from several groups of faculty and staff that have been looking at redesigning aspects of the system since it received a 2017 report from a consultant recommending changes. With the support of the universities, Greenstein would like to open up every course on every campus to all students, no matter which university they are enrolled in. That would mean that students who enrolled at one school would receive a catalog with course offerings on all the campuses. It also means a system of universities that have largely competed with one another would begin sharing faculty, staff, and students. Much of the cross-campus course-taking likely would happen through distance learning, because the schools are spread across the state. But some of the schools, like West Chester and Cheyney the systems historically black university arent far from one another, and students might be able to attend class in person. Some students in certain programs already take classes at universities other than the one they are enrolled at, but Greenstein said in an interview before his address, If were really responsive to the needs of our students, lets make our full depth [of courses] available to everyone. Other universities in the system are Bloomsburg, California, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, and Slippery Rock. Greenstein, who earns $380,000 annually, came to the system from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where he had been a senior adviser. Before that, the University of Pennsylvania graduate served as a vice provost in the University of California system, which is more than twice the size of Pennsylvanias. In his address, he also proposed a greater focus on adult education, student retention, and partnerships with private enterprise. We must explore a whole new generation of public-private partnerships in virtually every aspect of our enterprise, and ramp up and professionalize our fund-raising efforts, building whole new revenue streams, Greenstein said. He also said the system must work with private and state-related universities and community colleges to find solutions to the struggle with enrollment that higher education is experiencing, given the drop in the number of high school graduates. The limits of what we can accomplish are the limits of our imagination, he said. Longtime AccuWeather meteorologist Elliot Abrams will retire from full-time broadcasting on Friday, March 1 after more than 51 years of weather work. AccuWeather announced Abrams retirement on its website today, writing that weather broadcaster will wrap his full-time run at the company after hundreds of thousands of forecasts, but will maintain a part-time role. According to the writeup, AccuWeather is the only company Abrams has worked for full-time, and he regularly worked out of its State College headquarters throughout his career. Its been 51 years, so I though I might try something else, he said. READ MORE: Weather is a passion for Americas Wittiest Weatherman A Philadelphia native, Abrams, 71, has long been interested in weather forecasting, and reportedly got started in the field as a youngster by posting forecasts in his parents front lawn. He began at AccuWeather in 1967 as a part-time employee, and moved to full-time when he received a masters degree in meteorology from Penn State in 1971. Abrams helped establish AccuWeathers popular radio service, with forecasts initially airing in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area. Other stations, including stations like Philadelphias own KYW Newsradio, picked up his reports shortly thereafter. Television coverage, meanwhile, began in 1972. Over the course of his career, Abrams earned a reputation for providing precise information to viewers, like whether they could expect their car door keyholes to freeze over in a storm, as well as his easily understandable style of present complex weather patterns, which AccuWeather reports came from Abrams pioneering research into the subject. Fans, however, may best remember Abrams for his typical sign-off line: Have the best day youve ever had. Until tomorrow. In addition to his position as a revered broadcaster in the area, Abrams is also a distinguished meteorologist. According to the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia, he is one of just two meteorologists to be a Certified Consulting Meteorologist that has also received an American Meteorological Society Seal of Approval for radio and television. He was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphias Hall of Fame in 2009. I just hope that people were glad they worked with me, Abrams told AccuWeather. Im going to miss the people I work with every morning. Alex Honnold climbs Yosemite's El Capitan in the documentary film "Free Solo," which makes its television premiere on Sunday, March 3, on the National Geographic Channel. Read more Mikey Schaefer spotted me easily. As clips from Free Solo, the National Geographic documentary recording Alex Honnolds rope-free ascent of Yosemites forbidding El Capitan, played during a recent press session to promote the films March 3 TV premiere, I was looking away at certain points discreetly, I thought just as I had when Id first seen it in a theater last year. Schaefer, one of the cinematographers on the film that won an Oscar last Sunday for feature documentary, told me afterward that his first thought on seeing me from the stage was, Shes so not interested." His second: "Oh, she cant watch it now. Ive spent most of my adult life challenging a fear of heights, succeeding to the point where I can now look down from angles and altitudes that once wouldve left me a heart-pounding puddle of sweat. What I still cant do easily is watch others do the same. And Honnolds feat goes way beyond what most sane people can even imagine attempting. Thanks to Free Solo, whose premiere Sunday will be commercial-free, Schaefers met plenty of people like me who identify with him because of a moment during the film when, with his camera trained on Honnold, he briefly turns away, unable to watch. Most screenings I come out and everybodys like, Oh, my gosh, yes, you are the person who also found it hard to look," he said. We love watching the audience, Schaefer said. Thats why I noticed you, too. I was watching. The reaction of the crowd is so gratifying for us when people cant watch, when people are like gasping. The moment when Schaefer, a lifelong climber, couldnt watch Honnold, though, was a bit different from what audiences might experience. I think I had a unique ability to understand what he was going through. And I dont free-solo, but I have climbed that route and I was the only person on the crew thats actually climbed that route with a rope. But Ive gone up there and Ive grabbed those holds, Schaefer said. When he was going through the boulder problem [a particularly tricky part of the ascent], Im intimately aware of the size of that hold and the difficulty of that move, so I think for me especially it was just really hard to watch, he said. And, as hed told reporters earlier, Just being so close to like a good friend of yours and knowing he could perish in front of your eyes and then having to be mentally prepared for that moment, it was fairly draining for me. And Alex has said this before: It was probably harder on us than it was on him in that regard. Like, he didnt have to watch us. Its that emotional journey by the people working with Honnold, not just the dizzying angles, that makes Free Solo, directed by the husband-and-wife team of Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, so fascinating. Honnold comes across both on film and in person as hyper-focused and slightly feral asked whether he preferred the night hed just spent in a luxury hotel to his van, he chose the van, with its easy access to his pee bottle. But the people around him had to repeatedly weigh the project against his safety and examine their consciences as they filmed his preparation for a climb that could easily have ended in his death. Schaefer, who grew up in Washington, south of Seattle, has been rock climbing since the age of 13 and first scrambled up El Capitan at 15. He thinks of himself as a climber first, even though now people are like, Oh, youre a cinematographer and a filmmaker I climb probably two days for every one day I work." As a sponsored athlete known as a rock climbing ambassador for Patagonia, he began working with cameras as he and other climbers would take pictures of each other and then sell them back to the marketing department of the outdoor clothing chain. You couldnt send a photographer out with us because they couldnt keep up. Chin got involved in photography and filmmaking in much the same way, Schaefer said. Originally, it was just like, oh, were going to get the trip paid for. Oh, were going to get some free jackets. When youre living in a van or your truck, like that sounds great. You know, I mean, I lived in my van for 12 years, like Alex, he said. Hes thankful that the success of Free Solo hasnt had the same impact on me as it has had on Alex, he said. Still, I go to the climbing gym or I go out to the climbing cliff and people want to chat, he said. Which, honestly, is nice. I didnt get to talk about it for years. We were under NDA [nondisclosure agreements]. I had to like lie to my friends about what we were doing. Because we didnt want external pressures kind of influencing Alex. So we had to keep it all under the radar, he said. And so now I get to talk to people and really, like dissect the film with climbers and my friends, and I really appreciate that, he said. Professionally, nothings changed that much yet, Schaefer said, adding that he hopes to continue to work in the documentary filmmaking world and find subjects that are as fascinating as Alex and as inspirational but maybe not as risky. Free Solo. 9 p.m. Sunday, March 3, National Geographic Channel. Selma Blair arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar party Sunday in Beverly Hills, Calif., supporting herself with a cane. Read more Actress Selma Blair captivated viewers of Good Morning America this week when she described her life with multiple sclerosis (MS), her voice faltering as a result of the neurological disease. She was diagnosed with MS in August and went public with it in October, but she thinks it may have begun its course as many as 15 years ago. Blair, 46, said some physicians had not taken her seriously at first when she described exhaustion and other symptoms, so in some ways, the diagnosis was welcome. I cried," she told GMAs Robin Roberts. They werent tears of panic. They were tears of knowing I now had to give in to a body that had loss of control. And there was some relief in that. Blair did not reveal the type of multiple sclerosis she has, other than to say it was aggressive. Here are the basics of the disease, courtesy of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Clyde E. Markowitz, a neurologist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and director of Penn Medicines Multiple Sclerosis Center. What is multiple sclerosis? The disease is characterized by inflammation or breakdown of myelin, the protective insulation that coats nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. As a result, the body is less able to transmit signals through those nerve cells. What are the symptoms? The kinds of symptoms and the speed with which they progress can vary greatly. Some patients experience extreme fatigue and numbness, while others may have vision or memory problems. In the most common form of the disease, called relapsing-remitting MS, symptoms can improve in a matter of weeks or months, though they may flare up again later, Markowitz said. Blair said her physician told her she might regain 90 percent of her abilities within a year. In severe cases, patients suffer partial or complete paralysis, but most people with MS do not become severely disabled. Two-thirds of patients remain able to walk, though many need a cane or crutches. Blair sported a stylish cane at Vanity Fairs Oscars party. What causes the disease? MS is considered to be an auto-immune disease, meaning the immune system is attacking the patients healthy tissue. It is not clear what triggers this reaction. Some researchers have explored the possibility that the immune system is responding to a virus and for some reason goes on to attack the myelin sheaths on nerve fibers, Markowitz said. Symptoms can improve if the immune system manages to readjust itself and tamp down this abnormal response. Even if a patient has suffered permanent lesions on a specific region of nerve cells, another region of the brain or nervous system may be able to compensate by taking on the function of the damaged area, Markowitz said. Is the disease fatal? Research suggests that on average, the life expectancy for people with MS is seven years less than that of the general population, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. More than 2.3 million people worldwide have the condition, the nonprofit organization says. Is it common for someone to go years without the correct diagnosis, like Blair? Early in the course of the disease, symptoms can resemble those that result from other conditions, said Markowitz. That can result in a delay in diagnosis, especially if the patient does not seek medical attention. People may complain of intermittent tingling or numbness that can be mistaken for I slept on my arm funny or 'I injured myself things like that, Markowitz said. Even if the person seeks medical care, a primary-care physician can mistake the symptoms for something else. And by definition, a conclusive diagnosis of MS cannot be made until a person experiences more than one attack, Markowitz said. Blair described being so exhausted that after dropping her son off at school, she sometimes had to pull over and take a nap. Feeling despair, sometimes she self-medicated with alcohol. I was ashamed and I was doing the best I could, she told Roberts. At one point, physicians told her she might have a pinched nerve. On Instagram, Blair credited fellow actress Elizabeth Berkley for urging her to see her brother, a neurologist, who made the diagnosis after identifying nervous-system lesions on Blairs MRI scans. At what age does it occur? Most patients are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50. Women are more than twice as likely as men to be diagnosed. Certain genetic variations may predispose a person to develop MS, but more research is needed. Is there a cure? No, but more than a dozen medications are available that can reduce the severity and frequency of symptoms in patients with the relapsing-remitting variety of MS, Markowitz said. What are the different types of MS? The relapsing-remitting variety accounts for 85 percent of cases. The remainder of cases are described as primary progressive, meaning the symptoms grow steadily worse after the initial onset of the disease. Some patients with relapsing-remitting MS shift to a progressive form of the disease, referred to as secondary progressive" a shift that is more likely if they do not seek treatment. From now on, everyone is getting dried food. Read more My cat is a picky eater. And so is my fox. I don't know where to begin. Maybe with the fact that I have four dogs, none of whom is a picky eater. They eat the same dry food every day, and they never make a fuss. I'm not a picky eater, either. I eat the same thing every day for lunch and dinner, and I have no problem with that. Its easier, and one of the pleasures of having an empty nest is that you dont have to feed any little birdies anymore. By the way, Daughter Francesca wasnt a picky eater, either. But when she comes home to visit, she brings her cat Mimi, who used to live here with my cat Vivi. You may remember that Francesca ended up taking Mimi to New York with her because I wasnt meeting the cats emotional needs. To this, I plead guilty. I was busy meeting my dogs emotional needs, so that they could meet my emotional needs. Theres a lot of needy emotionalism at my house. And we like it that way. After all, every time you cuddle your pet, it cuddles you back. Unless its Vivi. Vivi is the most aloof of cats, which may be redundant. I know, not all cats are aloof, but Vivi has raised aloof to an art form. She has lived with me for 12 years and every day looks at me like I dress funny. Actually, I do. I have no problem meeting Vivis emotional needs, because all she wants is to be fed and left alone. And every day until recently, Vivi ate dry food without complaint. But when Francesca came home for Christmas, she brought Mimi, and Mimi has gotten accustomed to wet food, so we fed both cats wet food. But now, Francesca and Mimi have gone back to New York, and I have returned to feeding Vivi dry food. Which she boycotted. Day after day, she ignored her bowl of dry food, meowing for wet food. I tried to wait her out, but she won. No one wins an argument with a cat. At the same time, wet food is a euphemism. It's actually goopy food. And smelly food. And, sadly, its little bits of animals that are lower on the food chain. I'm a vegetarian, so I'm having carrots. My cat is having prime rib. And leftover wet food dries like superglue to a plate, so right now, I have a sink full of soaking plates covered with indeterminate minced meats. The problem is, Vivi doesn't take yes for an answer. I started giving her flaked tuna, but she boycotted it until I gave her minced tuna. Then she got sick of minced tuna, and I switched to turkey. She turned down turkey, but she went for the beef. Which lasted three whole days before her next boycott. I spend all my time buying and comparing wet food. And somehow I end up with assortment packs, because she will eat only one of the three types, leaving two-thirds wasted. But then the other day, I happened to notice that a fox was eating birdseed that had dropped to the ground from the bird feeder in my backyard. And I thought to myself, the fox might present a solution. So I started giving the fox the wet food the cat didn't want. And you know what? The fox likes the turkey, but not the beef. The fox likes the salmon, but not the tuna. Then I ran out of fox food. It was a snowstorm and I didn't want to go to the pet store, so I figured the fox would go back to eating his birdseed. But now the fox is boycotting the birdseed. I'm waiting for the cat to boycott the fox. In any event, I'm boycotting them both. When the snow melts, everybody's getting dry food. As Mother Mary used to say, this is for the birds. Look for Lisa and Francescas humor collection, I See Life Through Rose-Colored Glasses, and Lisas number-one best-selling thriller, After Anna, and her Rosato & DiNunzio novel, Feared, in stores now. Also look for Lisas new novel, Someone Knows, coming April 9. lisa@scottoline.com. The first thing visitors see when they enter From Today, Painting is Dead: Early Photography in Britain and France is a billboard-size picture of two people in a rowboat on a pond full of water lilies. It is easy to see why the Barnes would want to start with this, a blowup of Peter Henry Emersons 1885 photograph Gathering Water Lilies. Despite its English origin, it has an idyllic, impressionist, late-afternoon leisure about it, so it is an easy fit with the Barnes permanent collection. Moreover, it has a contemporary spontaneity about it, as though you were in the next boat, snapping it on your iPhone, Instagramming it before you reached shore. This accessible image, though, is a bit misleading because its from the tail end of photographys early era. The exhibition, the second one the Barnes has drawn from the outstanding collection of Michael Mattis and Judy Hochberg, concentrates mostly on images from the first couple of decades after the introduction of the daguerreotype in 1839. As such, it features the hard-won images of those who were inventing their medium as they went along. It consists of 250 pristine vintage prints and daguerreotypes, including some of the earliest photographs in existence. Many of these images will strike the viewer as dull or cliched. A road through a forest, for example, is a tired subject for a photograph. The Road to Chailly, Forest of Fontainebleau (c. 1849) by Gustave Le Gray may not have been the first such picture, but it is early enough in the history of photography that its making and printing required innovation, even if the image looks to contemporary eyes less than spectacular. The show contains a handful of notable photographs, but it demands viewers patient enough to understand how even those that seem unremarkable chronicle the invention of a new way to see and depict the world. We are accustomed nowadays to living our lives, snapping promiscuously, preserving memories that will soon be forgotten, images we may never even look at. It is difficult to imagine how laborious it once was to capture an image particularly in the half century or so from the mediums invention to its transformation into a mass pastime with Kodaks point-and-shoot camera, introduced in 1888. Being a photographer then required a working knowledge of optics, a fair amount of chemistry, the strength to carry and operate bulky and balky equipment, and the ability to deal with subjects who were not used to staying perfectly still for many minutes at a time. It took decades of technical experimentation and artistic exploration before a photograph as seemingly fresh and informal as Gathering Water Lilies could be made. As it turns out, painting wasnt dead The shows title is based on an anecdote that even the museums own label describes as far-fetched. It is what the influential French painter Paul Delaroche is supposed to have said in about 1840, when he first saw a photograph. He didnt mean it entirely; he continued to paint. Still, the statement does affirm an understanding that photography was what we would now call a disruptive technology, one whose impact went far beyond the fine arts. Much of the excitement of early photography came in discovering how it could be used. A lot of the earliest photography dealt with architectural and natural landmarks, which were convenient because they did not move, and which dovetailed with the emergence of the tourism industry at the time. We also see early studies of motion, prints of leaves, photomicrographs that show, for example, an ordinary flea magnified 1,600 times. From the Crimean War, we see a battlefield scene of the aftermath of the 1854 conflict described in Tennysons The Charge of the Light Brigade, which a label tells us may be the earliest known example of photojournalism. The label also tells us that a few of the cannonballs lying around on the ground may have been carried in to enhance the picture. And there is also a photograph of Tennyson and his family an early moment in the story of celebrity. Early porn, early household inventory There is some early pornography, filling its now-traditional role of helping a technology make money. And there is perhaps the dullest photo in the show, Articles of China (1844) by William Henry Fox Talbot, who a few years before had developed the key innovation in the history of photography, the making of prints from a negative. In this picture of seemingly random pieces of ceramic, Talbot was demonstrating the usefulness of photography for making inventories of collections or other household items. And, of course, there are plenty of portraits, including some wonderful examples of daguerreotypes, the earliest successful photographic process. These images are unique, made without negatives. They are captured on a metal plate, but they seem to float in some hazy other world. A gold-decorated 1847 image of a young man by an unknown photographer is, even now, a striking apparition. Only a few years after the development of photography, photographers such as the Scottish team of David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson made portraits of characters who seem to have stepped right out of Charles Dickens or Robert Louis Stevenson. About 20 years later, Julia Margaret Cameron shot portraits, mostly of her aristocratic friends, that have a warmth and character that have rarely been equaled. But when she got her friends to dress up as, say, David and Bathsheba, she traded deep humanism for a Victorian theatricality that looks very dated. A careful reader of labels and scrutinizer of prints will pick up quite a lot of information and insight at this show. Unfortunately, it is organized around a 19th-century hierarchy of art genres historical scenes at the top, landscapes pretty low, and still lifes at the bottom which is largely forgotten today and which the show proves was never relevant to photography in the first place. Indeed, as in Camerons case, those that try hardest to be important and artistic are the hardest to look at. Because the show is organized by genre, the chronology is a muddle. You need to work hard to see how photography changed, especially during its earliest years, with the development of more portable cameras and faster exposure times. The Barnes seems to be telling us that the development of photography was a moment in the history of art. It was that, but it was more. It was a revolution in culture and in perception. Many of the photographs here communicate the difficulty of capturing an image. It must have been miraculous at first and if you slow down, look, and think, it still is. ON EXHIBIT From Today Painting is Dead: Early Photography in Britain and France Through May 12 at the Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. WednesdaysMondays. (closed Tuesdays). Admission: $25, adults; $23, seniors; $5 ages 13-18 and students with ID (kids under 13 free). Information: 215-278-7000 or barnesfoundation.org. Sheri Minkoff stands next to her repaired Subaru Legacy that had been damaged in a hit-and-run accident. She had waited two hours for 911 to send someone to her rescue. Read more What do you have to do to get a cop to come to your aid die? Thats what Sheri Minkoff was wondering when she was the victim of a hit-and-run driver. She couldnt get a cop to the scene, not even after calling 911 six times in a two-hour period. We respond to all auto accidents if called to 911, says a police spokesperson. How long you have to wait depends on where it happened, if cars are occupied on other assignments. Before I report Minkoffs harrowing tale, I can tell you that last Oct. 17, I saw legendary DJ Jerry Blavat talking with a motorist at Sixth and Walnut. The Geator told me the car had struck him on his bicycle and knocked him over. A park ranger called 911 about a half-hour earlier, Blavat told me about 3 p.m. I waited with him for 20 minutes. It was like waiting for Godot, who never shows. After a while, waiting seemed pointless, and everyone left the scene. It puts me in mind of Frank Rizzo, who jokingly referred to 911 as Dial-a-Prayer. In Minkoffs case, her 2017 black Subaru Legacy was run into by another car about 8:30 a.m. Jan. 22 at Roosevelt Boulevard and Front Street. She was on her way to work at a health-care institution when a car with Delaware plates smashed her cars front-left side and kept on rolling. It happened so fast that Minkoff, 55, didnt get a look at the car. It was bad, and about to get worse. She called 911. And called again. She kept on calling that morning: 8:38, 9:03, 9:15, 9:23, 10:06, 10:24. She works in corporate communications, but had trouble communicating with 911. I felt vulnerable and unsafe standing in 6-degree weather on a street corner, says Minkoff, who tells me she was crying. Minkoff, who lives in Philly near City Avenue, says 911 told her she was not a priority. Minkoff was standing next to her disabled vehicle with the hazard lights blinking while talking with 911. An operator advised her to try to flag down a police car. She was told to remain at the scene. Amazingly, a few minutes later a patrol car with two officers was approaching. Minkoff says she waved her arms like crazy and the patrol car went right past her. On the door she saw the police motto: Honor, Integrity, Service. After two hours, cops didnt arrive but a tow truck did, and it was not going to wait for the cops. The truck towed the car and gave Minkoff a lift to work. Early that afternoon, she and her son, Aron, 25, acted on a suggestion from 911 and went to the police district to file a report. Theyd been directed by 911 to go to the 25th District, but that was wrong. On arrival, they were told to go to the 24th, which is in the same building but that was wrong, too. For the first time that day, a cop, Cpl. Brian Younger at the 24th, volunteered to help them by filling out their incident report and faxing it to the 35th District. Seems to me that when 911 knows no cars are available, it ought to tell victims they dont have to wait at the scene and they should file a report at the police district. They should be given the address of the correct district. How hard is that? Minkoff later inquired about obtaining surveillance-camera footage and a copy of her own police report. Both requests were rebuffed. Police reports, called DCs, are not immediately available to victims, and that is another travesty. Police didnt respond to my invitation to discuss Minkoffs claims. I am left feeling like no one can and will help, she says. She is upset that the driver of the car with Delaware plates got away with it and may harm someone else. Cops are not interested at all in investigating this accident." Minkoff was so distressed by everything that happened and didnt happen she filed a complaint with Internal Affairs. An officer has been assigned to investigate. Minkoff is not optimistic. You can understand why. Correction: An earlier version of this column inaccurately reported that Minkoffs son had been in the car with her when the accident happened. A view of the crowd at a public meeting on the fate of the Atwater Kent collection at the National Constitution Center. Read more Harsh words were directed at the City of Philadelphia on Wednesday evening, at a public meeting called to air plans for Drexel University to assume ownership and control of the collection of the Philadelphia History Museum, which was shuttered in June because of budget cuts. Philadelphia deserves a real history museum, said John Gallery, former head of the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. Its a disgrace. The museum has never lived up to its potential because its been chronically underfunded, said another man. Its closure, he said, "is a disgrace for the city. Even David Brownlee, a University of Pennsylvania professor of art history, who praised Drexel for its extraordinary public spirit" in working to save and retain the collection in Philadelphia, said the city-Drexel plan was not enough. The city, he said, needs something that resembles a museum. The discussion, which drew about 400 people to the National Constitution Center, sought to lay out plans that called for an evaluation of each item in the vast collection it is now said to number over 130,000 artifacts, ranging from the wampum belt supposedly given to William Penn by the Lenni-Lenape in 1683 to the sign and restaurant furniture from Little Petes restaurant on South 17th Street, closed in 2017. Drexel has begun an assessment of this unique trove with an eye toward paring the collection to an undetermined but focused size, digitizing it, putting the whole thing online, caring for it, and lending it to venues around the city and region. Currently, the entire collection resides in a climate-controlled storage facility; nothing is left in the John Haviland-designed museum building on South Seventh Street, the first home of the Franklin Institute. The university would not open a new museum building, according to Rosalind Remer, Drexel vice provost and director of the Lenfest Center for Cultural Partnerships. But, she said, if a proposal came along for a sustainable history museum in the future, the collection could find a home there. The purpose of the plan is to prevent the breaking up of the collection. Both Remer and David Rasner, president of the Philadelphia History Museums board of trustees, said no blanket sales are planned or foreseen. Objects will be evaluated from the perspective of the Philadelphia story. Does the object have some relationship to the city? Does it have an identifiable history? Is it a duplicate? Is it in decent condition? Remer and historian Page Talbott, who is conducting the evaluation, said a committee of independent experts will look at every item the evaluation identifies as possibly not suitable for the collection, a prelude for divesting, or deaccessioning in museum parlance. Any deaccessioned items would be offered to area collecting institutions and historical sites free. Only if no one wanted an object would it be sold, they said. All sales proceeds will go back into care of the collection and acquisitions. The city, museum, and Drexel encourage comments on the plan, which will be posted on the museum website, philadelphiahistory.org. Comments can be made directly on the website after Friday. Those interested have until March 20 to jot their thoughts down. Another public meeting will be held following the revision of the plan. Neil Jordan, director of the film "Byzantium," poses for a portrait at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival, Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012, in Toronto. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Read more When Neil Jordan went looking for actresses to play the title role in his new thriller Greta, he didnt find many takers. "In the original script, the title was The Widow, and she was old and kind of dumpy, like a witch in a Grimm brothers fairy tale, and they all found it repellent. The consensus was definitely, No way, Im not going there, said Jordan, who stopped in Philadelphia recently to promote the film. Then the script found its way to Isabelle Huppert, who loved it, probably because she is in no way dumpy, and saw it as a chance to play a different kind of character. When Huppert signed on, Jordan started rethinking the role and began to tailor it for her like a smart suit. When she decided to do it, I decided to change the character significantly and add a veneer of sophistication and put her character in Chanel and made her a pianist, and when Isabelle heard that, she laughed and said, I think Ive done that before, referring to her infamous role as a sadomasochist in Michael Hanekes 2001 film The Piano Teacher. Jordan wasnt constructing an in-joke for buffs, though. He was building a character with old-world associations Greta likes to play Franz Liszt, appropriate for her French/Hungarian roots. He liked the idea that Gretas refinement would prove disarming to the character played by Chloe Grace Moretz, who falls under Gretas influence, which goes from apparently benign to possessive and malevolent. Hupperts natural beauty and attractiveness adds to the fun, said Jordan, known for The Crying Game, The End of the Affair, and, more recently The Borgias for Showtime. They very thing that attracted me to the movie is that Isabelle has the part that is normally played by, say, Anthony Perkins (the film has a shout-out to Psycho) or Terence Stamp. Here, that role is occupied by a woman, which changes the dynamic completely, and it actually becomes more terrifying, he said. "If you think of Terrence Stamp in The Collector, hes this weird dude with a glass eye who wanders around pubs staring at women, and you look at him and you know theres something wrong with him. I mean, you know you dont want to get to close to him. Here, Isabelle is like the nice lady you might meet at the Museum of Modern Art. The idea of being drawn into her world, and then suddenly getting exposed to the monster underneath, thats what appealed to me. Tires and other rubbish pile up at an illegal dumping site near Emerald and Silver streets in Kensington. ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Read more The evidence piles up. A man dumped furniture, closet doors, and assorted construction debris in Fairmount Park, saying he was following his boss orders. Two people drove from New Jersey to dump in Kensington. A hauling company, paid to dispose of trash legally, dumped it on Erie Avenue. Some people dump in the middle of the night. Some dump in the middle of the day. Some dump in secluded wooded areas. And some just dump in the middle of the street, said Philadelphia Police Detective Mark Flacco of the environmental crimes unit. Theres dumping all over the city. Its really, really bad, he said. There are streets you cant even drive down, theyre so filled with stuff." In the fight to rid the city of its Filthadelphia reputation, the city is turning to a new law enforcement tool: cameras specifically set up to catch dumpers. In December it announced the installation of 15 cameras. That number will grow to 50 by the spring. And by the end of the year, officials plan to have 100 throughout the city. Philadelphia, which spends millions annually cleaning up illegally dumped debris, is counting on the cameras to help deter or prosecute dumpers. The cameras supplement ones used by police. The city joins communities across the country combating persistent piles of filth with photographic evidence. Houston, a city of 2.3 million, began its camera program in 2015. It had a bit of a rough start: Some of the first cameras got shot out. Now, they are sleeker and better hidden, and the city has roughly 100 of them. In certain areas, thats not enough," said Houston Council member Jerry Davis, who said the bulk of his constituents complain about dumping. He said there will never be enough funding or people to monitor video to put cameras at every dumping site. Two Bucks County municipalities that are renting cameras through the nonprofit Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful told the organization they want to keep their efforts quiet to catch dumpers off guard. Allentown, Pittsburgh, Camden, and Norwalk, Conn., are among the cities that use illegal-dumping cameras. Reading started a pilot program in August and wants to expand it. Atlanta began one last month. Cities and community groups across the country agree that cameras arent a panacea but a tool in cities toolboxes, which include public education campaigns, the promotion of legal dumping sites, and bulk waste drop-offs and pickups. And the cameras dont work without arrests and prosecutions. The camera program is the latest initiative to curb illegal dumping, in addition to increased penalties, and targeted litter enforcement corridors. And then theres the inevitable: When cameras go up, youll find its human nature [people] will go somewhere else and dump," said David Shockley, a Norwalk city official. Philadelphia officials plan to place cameras in dumping hot spots, and some are already up along Wyoming Avenue and Courtland Streets and elsewhere. As technology has advanced, so has the quality of surveillance cameras photos and video. Philadelphias $4,000 cameras detect motion, rotate, zoom, and can take clear images at night. Streets Department employees monitor the cameras and 311 tips and refer cases of dumping to police. When officers know when and where dumping occurs, they sometimes lie in wait to catch people in the act. Since 2013, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has rented out roughly 40 sets of cameras through its state-funded program. In five years, 65 people have been convicted and municipalities and state agencies have collected more than $20,000 in fines and court costs. Often, the litter problem on a block is so bad that a community thinks many people are dumping, but in reality, it may be one or two, said Robert Dubas, a program coordinator for the nonprofit. If those people are prosecuted, sometimes that can be enough to help an area, he said. The organization has shipped cameras to Aurora, Colo., and is in talks with Durham, N.C. Camden started using cameras four years ago and just replaced them with four high-tech models, which cost $7,000 each, a few weeks ago. City officials plan to assess the cameras success and, potentially, to buy more. Keith Walker, the citys Public Works director, said prosecuting people using cameras helped stop dumping at the site of the former Camden Labs building, a long-trashed area that the city is turning into a park. But the cameras dont work everywhere. A nonprofit that manages a 30-square-mile watershed across Philadelphia and Montgomery County used cameras along an isolated, winding stretch of road that leads into Tacony Creek Park. Although the group placed cameras strategically, dumping always happened out of frame. After six months, people found and destroyed the cameras, said Robin Irizarry, Philadelphia watershed coordinator for the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership. Oakland, Calif., a city of about 420,000, has four illegal-dumping cameras. Officials said last February that their program, a few years old, was not working and not worth expanding. The city also has a strong Privacy Advisory Commission and residents fear police surveillance. Allentown officials said cameras in use since 2000 have helped decrease illegal dumping. Although Allentown issued 52 illegal-dumping citations from 2016 to 2018, most came from identifying offenders from material they dumped, not from the citys cameras. "Well try anything to cut back on illegal dumping and the costs that are involved in cleaning these places up, said Tom Harper, SWEEP manager for Allentown. He said the additional cameras in Philadelphia mean a hundred more eyes on the dumping problem. Ruokai Chen, shown here in front of his Kensington home last year, won an appeal of his land value last year by arguing to a judge that his land was assessed higher than his neighbors'. The land value of his home, which has a 10-year tax abatement for new construction, increased again this year. Read more When Ken Gold purchased a newly built home in Fishtown in 2016, he expected to pay about $600 a year in property taxes, thanks to Philadelphias 10-year tax abatement for new construction. But his tax bill is now more than three times higher than that estimate, which the city had given to Golds builder. The city taxes only the land on such abated properties, not the buildings. In 2017, however, Philadelphia reassessed land values. The value of the land underneath Golds four-story rowhouse is now more than other lots nearby some larger than his. Were willing to pay whats fair, but we dont want to be treated differently than anybody else, and we feel that people with new construction are being treated a lot differently, Gold said. For many homeowners, land values are largely immaterial, because they are simply portions of properties total market value used to calculate real estate tax bills. But they are very relevant for Gold and the thousands of other property owners who have tax abatements for new or rehabilitated buildings. Land assessments are influenced by the buildings on a property, officials say. Most of the other lots on Golds Master Street block regardless of whether they have an abatement are assessed at a level between 26 percent and 30 percent of their propertys total market value. But that means Golds property, as well as others with abatements, have higher land values, because their homes are more expensive than older ones. A recent report from City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart as well as an audit of assessments commissioned by City Council raised questions about Philadelphias methods for assessing land and suggested that they do not meet industry standards. Both reports were released this year as the Office of Property Assessment (OPA) faces scrutiny for recent assessment increases that led to tax hikes for many property owners. While Mayor Jim Kenneys administration has defended OPA and disputed findings in the audit and controllers report, the office has committed to making improvements. Last week, Kenney launched a national search for a new head assessor, giving in to Council President Darrell L. Clarkes calls to replace Michael Piper, who has held the job since 2014. Land valuation is just one aspect of valuing property, but the criticism speaks generally to transparency issues: The city does not publicly post explanations of how it arrives at values, making it difficult for owners to understand whether their property is assessed fairly and how best to appeal if they believe it is not. (City officials testified at a Council hearing in January that they will soon post more detailed assessment explanations online, as is required by city code.) OPA says it values land using a method approved by the International Association of Assessment Officials, and takes into account a lots location and size as well as the condition of the building on the land. The most common land values are 15 percent or 30 percent of overall market value, said Mike Dunn, a city spokesperson. Philadelphia began using that method in 2017, when, assessment officials said, it corrected previously inaccurate land values. The changes brought in an additional $31 million in tax revenue, the city said at the time. A Pew Charitable Trusts analysis found that 23,000 properties received higher tax bills as a result. The controllers report said the 2017 reassessment led to large price discrepancies in land value on a per-square-foot basis at times among similar lots on the same block and made the citys land values worse overall. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner earlier this month. He has agreed to settle a campaign-finance violation with the city's Board of Ethics. Read more Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has agreed to settle with the citys Board of Ethics after acknowledging that his 2017 campaign violated city law by accepting $11,020 in excess in-kind contributions and failing to disclose them. Under the settlement, announced Thursday by the Board of Ethics, Krasners campaign will pay a $4,000 fine and reimburse the city for the excess in-kind contribution from Real Justice PAC, a San Francisco-based group that says it works to elect reform-minded local prosecutors across the country. Real Justice PAC has agreed to pay the city $8,000 in penalties. Hes happy to have this resolved, said Krasner attorney Adam Bonin. He was happy to cooperate with the board. Bonin described the mistake as a question of a first-time candidate not having all the controls in place to track what a well-meaning group was doing to support him. Krasner won the crowded Democratic primary in 2017, with help from liberal groups like Real Justice and an independent super PAC funded by the progressive billionaire George Soros. Under city law in 2017, a political committee could not contribute more than $23,800 to a candidate for district attorney either in direct campaign donations or in-kind contributions, such as providing a service without charge that benefits the candidate, the Ethics Board said. Three staffers for Real Justice PAC were embedded with Krasners campaign during the Democratic primary, and one of them worked through the general election. Real Justice, whose treasurer was a senior adviser to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign, paid the three staffers a total of $34,820 for their work $11,020 in excess of the limit imposed by Philadelphias campaign finance laws, according to the settlement agreement. The agreement says Real Justice and the Krasner campaign both knew that the PACs spending would count as in-kind contributions, but Real Justice miscalculated how much money would be attributable as such. The PAC didnt provide information to the campaign regarding its staff payments, nor did the campaign request it, the agreement says. The Board of Ethics said it opened an investigation into the matter in June 2018 after it learned of possible violations of the citys campaign laws. A 32-year-old man was hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday after he was allegedly shot by his father in the Grays Ferry section of South Philadelphia, police said. Just after 5:40 p.m., the victim was shot in the chest during what police called a domestic dispute inside a residence in the 1400 block of South 31st Street. Police took him to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. The father was taken into custody and a gun was recovered, police said. Their names were withheld, and no other details were released. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greet each other during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. The talks are expected to focus on the situation in Syria. (Maxim Shemetov/Pool Photo via AP) Read more MOSCOW (AP) Israel's prime minister vowed Wednesday to prevent Iran from securing a lasting presence in Syria as he visited Moscow for talks focusing on regional security. For Benjamin Netanyahu, it's the first trip to Moscow since September's downing of a Russian warplane by Syrian forces that were responding to an Israeli air strike. The incident left 15 Russian crew dead and threatened to derail close security ties between Russia and Israel. Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the start of Wednesday's talks that "it's very important to discuss the situation in the region and security issues." He added that the high-level consultations are essential in view of the evolving situation. Netanyahu began the talks by reaffirming Israel's strong determination to block attempts by Iran to establish a foothold in Syria. "The greatest threat to stability and security in the region comes from Iran and its satellites," he said. "We are determined to continue with our aggressive action against the efforts of Iran, which calls for our destruction, and against its attempts to entrench militarily in Syria." Moscow has played a delicate diplomatic game of maintaining friendly ties with both Israel and Iran. Last summer, Moscow struck a deal with Tehran to keep its fighters away from the Golan Heights to accommodate Israeli concerns about the Iranian presence in Syria. Netanyahu noted that he and Putin have had 11 meetings since September 2015 and hailed "the direct, open and true way in which we maintain the relationship between Russia and Israel." "The direct connection between us has been an essential element that has prevented risks and conflicts between our militaries, and that has contributed to regional security and stability," the Israeli leader said. Netanyahu congratulated Putin on the military holiday Russia marked last weekend and invited him to visit Israel to attend the opening of a monument to the Nazi siege of Leningrad during World War II. "We will never forget the role of Russia and the Red Army in the victory over the Nazis," he said. Putin, a native of the city, accepted the offer. Netanyahu praised "excellent bilateral relations," noting "more than one million Russian speakers who have made a great contribution to Israel, have turned into a part of us, and have made Russian culture a part of Israeli culture." ___ Associate Press writer Ilan Ben Zion contributed to this report from Jerusalem. Councilman Jeffree Fauntleroy, left, talks with Atlantic City Mayor Frank Gilliam, right, as they appear at North Wildwood Municipal Court in North Wildwood, N.J. The assault complaints against Gilliam and Fauntleroy were dismissed. Fauntleroy will pay a $500 fine on obstruction of traffic ordinance violation, stemming from a melee outside an Atlantic City casino. Read more NORTH WILDWOOD Atlantic City Mayor Frank Gilliam walked away from a municipal courtroom 40 miles from his hometown with all assault and harassment complaints against him stemming from a Nov. 11 fight outside a casino dismissed. His co-defendant, City Councilman Jeffree Fauntleroy, whose punches caught on a security video landed their mark, unlike the ones seen thrown by the mayor, agreed to pay a $500 fine imposed by Municipal Court Judge Louis Belasco on one violation of a city ordinance against obstructing traffic. The mayor was accosted and attempted to protect himself, said attorney Vincent Campo after the hearing, which followed about two hours of negotiations with the prosecutor. Were happy the mayor was exonerated, as we knew he would be of any illegal or untoward conduct. Gilliam, who did not speak during the brief hearing and stayed seated next to his lawyer, said only: The justice system proved itself to be what we said from the very beginning. Its basically about moving Atlantic City forward. Gilliams legal problems are far from over. As Fauntleroys attorney alluded to after the hearing, Gilliam remains under investigation by the FBI and IRS, whose agents raided his home in December. Based upon whats been reported by the media," attorney James Leonard said outside the courtroom, "the mayor has bigger fish to fry than this. The video showed a fight outside the Golden Nugget casino involving Gilliam, Fauntleroy, and three employees of the Haven nightclub, including Greg Aulicino and Joseph Camarota, who filed the original complaints against the two elected officials. Both attended Thursdays hearing and agreed to dismiss the complaints against Gilliam, and amend the complaint against Fauntleroy to one municipal violation. After, Aulicino read a short statement and said he was glad to see someone thats taking responsibility for their actions. Its a shame to see public officials behave so poorly, said Aulicino, a VIP host. It makes my job a little bit harder to promote the city of Atlantic City when you have someone like Jeffree Fauntleroy putting a black eye on Atlantic City. Asked if the two elected officials would be welcome back at Haven, Aulicino said, I dont believe so. In court, Fauntleroy acknowledged only that his actions impeded the flow of traffic in a public place, in this case the valet area outside the Golden Nugget, where the 2:30 a.m. scrum took place. Hes acknowledged he obstructed the flow of traffic on Nov. 11, 2018, said attorney Leonard. "Thats exactly what the video showed him doing. " Fauntleroy said he was absolutely satisfied with the outcome. "Its a great day for me, a great day for Atlantic City. I get to move forward." The hearing was the second time for Gilliam and third for Fauntleroy traveling from Atlantic City to the quiet off-season courtroom in North Wildwood, where the cases were transferred to avoid a conflict of interest in Atlantic City. The two entered not-guilty pleas in December to the complaints, in which the three employees of the Haven accused the officials of simple assault and harassment. When agents raided Gilliams home, they carted away boxes and computer equipment. Former political allies of Gilliam have said they have been questioned in connection with possible campaign finance violations. A nonprofit Gilliam founded, Connecting the Dots, which was the announced recipient of money raised at Gilliams inauguration gala, has also been scrutinized. The FBI has made no public statements about the investigation into Gilliam since the day of the raid. The Cape May County Prosecutors Office declined to file criminal charges against the officials, but the complaints proceeded in Municipal Court, where they would have been punishable by up to 180 days in jail. According to the citizens complaints, Aulicino accused Gilliam of attempting to punch him. Aulicino stated that Gilliam swung a punch but missed but kept trying to attack him, the complaint stated. A second complaint, by Camarota, also said Gilliam swung and missed, and chased him around a car. The third complaint, by Julie Rodriguez, accused Gilliam of harassment, and said he yelled and made threats to her, saying Ill [expletive] you up. Rodriguez filed a similar complaint against Fauntleroy. Aulicinos complaint against Fauntleroy stated that he punched him several times and threw him to the ground. A plan to build a controversial $90 million gas pipeline through the New Jersey Pinelands could be dead after a main reason for its existence is now gone, and environmentalists are rejoicing. However, the company behind the pipeline said it still may seek to build, but possibly with a different path. South Jersey Gas had received approval from the Pinelands Commission to construct a 22-mile-long, mostly underground pipeline known as the Cape Atlantic Reliability Project. It was designed to run from Millville to Upper Township in Cape May County to feed the B.L. England electric generating plant. The plant was under order by the state to stop burning coal. The plan was to convert it to natural gas fed by the pipeline. The plants owner, RC Cape May Holdings LLC, however, notified the state this week in a court document that it would not be repowering the plant. The state Attorney Generals Office then filed paperwork notifying a court that new information undermines the basis for the pipelines path through the Pinelands. This is a big win for clean air and a major setback for the South Jersey Gas pipeline," Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, said in a statement. "The B.L. England plant would have been the largest polluter and greenhouse gas emitter in this part of South Jersey. Without this plant, there is no need for the SJG pipeline. The pipeline should now be stopped. Carleton Montgomery, executive director of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, called it a big victory for the Pinelands." He said the Pinelands Commission should withdraw its approval. Both nonprofit conservation groups have fought the pipeline for years. Environmental groups have also sued. Marissa Travaline, a spokesperson for South Jersey Gas, said the change does not necessarily mean there will be no pipeline, but she acknowledged any new line might have a different path. Travaline said the pipeline had another function: to serve as a secondary line to 142,000 customers in Cape May and Atlantic Counties. A second line is needed, she said, if the existing line fails from, say, a major storm or other damage, which could knock it out of service for weeks or even months. So, for us, that remains a really high priority, she said. Dave Robbins, president of South Jersey Gas, said in a statement that while he was disappointed that the B.L. England plant would not power up, getting a pipeline built is still a priority. He said the company has already begun to explore alternative solutions" for a secondary supply of gas. Michael J. Renna, president and chief executive officer of South Jersey Industries, the parent company of South Jersey Gas, addressed the issue during a quarterly conference call Thursday with investment analysts. Renna told investors he was very disappointed" with B.L. Englands owners for backing out of the project. He said details for a possible alternative could be announced by the end of March. That could involve looping off some existing feeds in a smaller-scale project. The Pinelands pipeline called for a 24-inch main to be installed along Route 49 and was one of two approved plans by the Pinelands Commission at often tempestuous meetings during former Gov. Chris Christies tenure. Environmentalists contended that Christie had packed the body with pro-development commissioners. The other pipeline, known as the Southern Reliability Link, is approved to run 12.1 miles through the Pinelands National Reserve and military base within it. That plan is by New Jersey Natural Gas, and has also been challenged in court but is currently under construction. Staff writer Andrew Maykuth contributed to this article. Shana Decree (left) and Dominique Decree were charged with five counts of homicide in an apparent murder-suicide pact in Bucks County. Read more Walidah Campbell knew something was wrong when her niece didnt return her Happy Birthday text on Feb. 11. NaaIrah Smith wasnt like that, Campbell said Wednesday. She always kept in close contact with her family. Unbeknownst to Campbell, 800 miles away in Georgia, the silence was seen as an early warning sign of a sharp change in behavior for Smith and Campbells two older sisters, Shana S. Decree and Jamilla Campbell. In the last month, the women seemingly retreated into a cramped unit in the Robert Morris Apartments in Morrisville, pulling their children out of school and isolating themselves from the outside world, according to relatives and others who struggled to reach them. The brief conversations that did happen were troubling, relatives said exchanges peppered with bizarre imagery of demons and pearly gates. I really wish I could ask my sister what happened, Walidah Campbell said. NaaIrahs fiance was concerned. The childrens fathers were concerned. It all happened so fast. The seclusion was shattered late Monday when a caseworker from Bucks County Children and Youth Social Services discovered five members of the family dead inside the apartment: Jamilla Campbell, 42, and her 9-year-old twin daughters Imani and Erika, along with two of Decrees children Smith, 25, and Damon Decree Jr., 13, according to investigators. Decree, 45, and her daughter Dominique, 19, were there as well, reportedly lying disoriented" in a bedroom down the hallway from the bodies, authorities said. The two women told police that everyone at the apartment ... wanted to die, and confessed to choking some of their own relatives, according to court documents. They each face five counts of criminal homicide and conspiracy, and remain in the county prison without bail. Authorities, who continue to investigate, said they knew of no motive for the quintuple homicide, a crime that Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub called an unspeakable tragedy. For the family, the loss is staggering, the alleged crimes unimaginable. Shana is such a good-hearted woman, Walidah Campbell said. I dont understand how she went from that to this. What were seeing here isnt her. Campbell and her extended family tried for two weeks to contact her sisters and their children, a group of eight who had been living together in the apartment for about a month. The crowding together confused her. Decree and her two younger children had been living there for some time, but Smith had her own home, Campbell said, as did Jamilla Campbell, who lived with her twin daughters and teenage son. Questions about the living situation went unanswered, she said even her father, James, couldnt get the family to answer the door when he stopped by the apartment, concerned. At his home in Trenton on Wednesday, James Campbell declined to talk about the deaths or the guarded silence that preceded them, telling a reporter he had nothing to say. The only contact Walidah Campbell had with the family in the last month came through an aunt who had been in touch with them. She said they told her they were afraid to leave their home because of the demons they saw all around them, Campbell said. This is not normal for them. They were all very sweet, intelligent people, she said. I think it was something they got into, something that took over them. Morrisville Police Chief George McClay said Wednesday that his officers had no indication that fringe religious beliefs played any role in the murders. He stressed that the investigation was still in its early stages and that authorities were waiting for the results of autopsies. McClay noted that Dominique Decree was taken into custody with very superficial cuts to her neck. They appeared to have been recently self-inflicted and were bleeding when she was taken into custody, he said. Before the grisly discovery on Monday, Morrisville police had little contact with the family, other than a few minor calls for disturbances at the apartment, he said. But the family had attracted the attention of Bucks County Children and Youth. The caseworker who stumbled upon the bodies had visited the apartment on Feb. 5, and had tried to contact the family again on Saturday. Sources familiar with the investigation said the caseworker was sent to check on the family at the request of officials at Morrisville Junior/Senior High School. The schools principal called the agency on Feb. 1 after Damon Decree Jr. had been absent for several days and his mother did not return officials calls. Police said Jamilla Campbells daughters, Imani and Erika, were registered for school in Trenton, but had not been attending in recent weeks. Jason Harris, superintendent of the Morrisville School District, said he couldnt comment on the districts interaction with Children and Youth. But he confirmed that Damon Decree Jr. had missed nearly 10 days of school in the last month. The school district was eventually able to reach Shana Decree, who told them she wanted to remove her son from the school and begin homeschooling him, Harris said. The district had begun making arrangements for that when the boy and his relatives were discovered dead. Late Wednesday, some of Damon Decrees friends and classmates paid a visit to the growing memorial outside his familys apartment, cordoned off by crime scene tape and overseen by police officers. He came to school every day. He kept a smile on his face. And he just made sure to keep pushing," said Tahmeer Glover. Im sure on the inside it must have been hurting. On the outside, he made it seem like he was going through something good. Glover, 18, a neighbor of Decree and his family, said he could sense that something was bothering the teenager in recent weeks. I dont think he told anybody. I think he was too afraid," Glover said. "I think he kept all that pain inside instead of telling somebody for help. It was Damon Decrees spirit and that of his family that hundreds of people mourned and honored Wednesday night at a vigil that filled the pews at the Morrisville United Methodist Church. Over an hour, leaders from five local churches led the congregation in prayer, stopping regularly to hold moments of silence for each of the victims, each of whom had a candle lit in memory. Attendees held each other and bowed their heads, and some cried quietly during the most somber of Bible passages. And then, in a sudden turn, the mood shifted when the Rev. Ronald W. Dunston of the Resurrected Life Church in Morrisville stepped to the microphone. Its time to forgive, he said, his voice booming, inciting nods, murmurs of Amen, and some hands in the air. Its time to forgive. Its time to move forward. In a case that has become a flash point in an increasingly bitter battle between U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain and Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, federal prosecutors filed charges Thursday against a West Philadelphia AK-47 gunman who received what critics of Krasner considered a lenient plea deal. McSwain, the citys top federal law enforcement officer, announced a federal indictment against Jovaun Patterson, 29, at a news conference. Patterson shot and nearly killed a store owner with the assault-style rifle during an attempted robbery May 5, and under the plea deal was sentenced to 3 to 10 years in state prison. Saying Krasners office did not give victim Mike Poeng justice, McSwain unleashed criticisms of Krasners policies, stating that when the office consistently undercharges violent-crime cases, when it offers sweetheart deals to violent defendants, when its overall stated priority is decarceration, when it leads the charge for lenient bail conditions when the district attorney refers to himself as a public defender with power violent criminals take notice of all of that. And they become emboldened. They think they can literally get away with murder. McSwain, flanked by Assistant U.S. Attorney Salvatore Astolfi and agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, contended that Krasners policies have a very, very strong correlation with last years rise in homicides in the city. A chart on an easel showed Philadelphia homicides from 2013 to 2018, a year when 351 homicides were recorded in the city, more than in any other year since 2007 and 11 percent higher than in 2017. About two hours later, Krasner responded to McSwain in a hastily scheduled news conference of his own. The district attorney had not been consulted about the federal indictment, but said he nonetheless welcomed it. But he said it was unfair to blame him or his office for last years increase in homicides. We are in the middle of an opioid epidemic, Krasner said, criticizing McSwains comments, adding: It is highly inappropriate to frighten the people who live in Philadelphia. Police Commissioner Richard Ross and Krasner both said in December that drug-related homicides contributed to the citys increase. As of Dec. 30, police statistics showed that drugs were listed as the primary factor in 130 homicides during the year, nearly double the 66 drug-related killings in 2017. Krasner said those statistics are based on evidence and science," and contended that McSwains comments originated from political motives. Pattersons attorney, S. Philip Steinberg, said in a text message after the federal announcement that he looked forward to advocating on his clients behalf. Patterson pleaded guilty Nov. 15 in Common Pleas Court to aggravated assault and related offenses in the shooting of Poeng, then 50, during an attempted robbery outside Poengs beer deli at 54th and Spruce Streets. The plea deal stunned Poeng, who was not notified of it or the sentencing hearing, in violation of the Pennsylvania Crime Victims Act. It also sparked criticism after the agreement was first reported by the Inquirer. Poeng, who was shot in the groin and can no longer walk on his own, attended McSwains news conference in a wheelchair, accompanied by family members, none of whom spoke during the news conference. Tom Malone, an attorney for Poeng, told reporters afterward: Theyre extremely happy that the U.S. Attorneys Office has taken up the mantle and has decided to pursue this case. Poeng told the Inquirer, Im happy with the outcome. The federal indictment charges Patterson with a Hobbs Act robbery, which targets criminals who rob or attempt to rob a business engaged in interstate commerce, and with carrying and using a firearm in a crime of violence. If convicted under the federal firearm statute, Patterson would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, consecutive to any other sentence he is to serve. Pattersons case is the first during Krasners tenure in which federal prosecutors have filed charges after a defendant was convicted and sentenced in the city court system. Former federal prosecutors interviewed could not cite a case in which the U.S. Attorneys Office in Philadelphia filed charges after a defendant had been prosecuted and sentenced in the city system for the same offense. Linda Dale Hoffa, a Center City criminal defense attorney who previously worked for the U.S. Attorneys Office in Philadelphia including as chief of the criminal division called the scenario unusual. I do not remember a time when a matter was prosecuted at the federal level after sentence was imposed at the state level, Hoffa said. Federal prosecutors were able to charge Patterson, who is currently at the State Correctional Institution in Coal Township in central Pennsylvania, after approval from the Justice Department under its Petite Policy, which allows a federal prosecution following a state prosecution on the same incident if the matter involves a substantial federal interest and the state prosecution was deemed unvindicated or inadequate. Under the dual-sovereignty doctrine, the federal and state governments are deemed separate sovereigns and each may prosecute a person for the same act without violating the Constitutions protection against double jeopardy if the persons conduct violated both jurisdictions laws. When the Inquirer first reported about the district attorneys plea deal, Krasners spokesperson, Ben Waxman, called it wholly appropriate. After criticism emerged, Krasner in a Dec. 7 motion asked Common Pleas Court Judge Rayford Means to vacate the deal and sentence. The District Attorneys Office blamed the assistant district attorney who handled the case for offering the deal without supervisory approval. In a Dec. 18 WHYY-FM Radio Times interview, Krasner said that although his office did not notify Poeng of the deal, it had extensive contact with the victim even in hospital, there was extensive contact. Poeng says thats not true. He has said that a district attorneys victim-services coordinator visited him just once, when he was at Magee Rehab. Krasner also implied in the radio interview that Means could vacate Pattersons sentence, which he called insufficient. He didnt mention that Means, at an impromptu Dec. 12 status hearing, acknowledged there was no legal basis for him to reconsider a negotiated sentence. Means had scheduled a Feb. 11 hearing for Poeng to give a victim-impact statement, but Poeng was unable to go because of recent surgery. The hearing was postponed to April. Not able to work, Poeng was forced to sell his store. McSwain, asked at his news conference if he expects to federally charge more city cases after they have been sentenced, said, My hope is, no. My hope is the District Attorneys Office will do what its supposed to do. SEPTA Transit Police move through the concourse outside Suburban Station after midnight February 19, 2019, after clearing out the large number of homeless people who routinely stay there. Read more On a cold night in January, SEPTA transit police officers asked a group of homeless people who were finding shelter in Suburban Station to leave as the station was closing for the night. The group refused. Violence erupted and the officers used their batons and pepper spray. Who threw the first punch is disputed. A few days later, a SEPTA police officer was filmed dragging a homeless person who seems to be in a state of stupor in a wheelchair across Suburban Station. When confronted by a bystander, the officer responded: You want to take him? Go. Take him home with you. Some people who saw the video saw a burned-out police officer who handles a difficult population on a daily basis. Others saw lack of empathy and dehumanization of a person who is homeless. At the heart of both of these incidents are police officers who are tasked with dealing with a social problem, not a crime. Its easy to blame this kind of behavior on specific officers, but that avoids a larger conversation about the role of police in Philadelphia and if it matches the citys evolving needs. In addition to an increase in homicides in recent years and a persistently high number of shooting incidents, officers in Philadelphia find themselves not only responding to crime but reversing overdoses, driving victims of penetrating trauma to emergency rooms, helping community members find jobs, and facilitating gun buyback programs, just to name a few examples. At the same time, six of 10 homicides in the city go unsolved. The situation at Suburban Station is more than a one-off incident. It is another piece of evidence that we need to rethink the role of police in our society. Police Commissioner Richard Ross agrees that the challenges police face are changing. We are confronted with things that we never had to deal with before, he told the Inquirer this week. The social services aspects seem to be increasing one year to the next. Police officers are on the front lines. Theyre often the first responders and the witnesses to escalating incidents criminal or not. If they are asked to help or see someone in need, saying this isnt our job is not an option. Police officers understand that in these changing times we have to adapt, Ross said. And the times are changing. SEPTA Police Chief Thomas Nestel says that the shift in opinion around criminal justice reform has also contributed to the evolving role of police. If [police officers and departments] are not recognizing that change is occurring and that the expectation of our function is changing, then [they] are not going to succeed. And while the citys police leadership has adapted to that mentality, its not always so easy for police on the ground. Nicole Bixler spends many of her weekends in Kensington, where she gives out food, clothes, and naloxone with Operation in My Backyard, a small nonprofit that she cofounded. Bixlers experience with police is anecdotal and mixed. She has seen officers reverse overdoses and others even drop food by the encampments under the bridges before they were evacuated. But shes also had negative experiences. I was cleaning up syringes with another female with my group, Bixler recounts. We were alone on Tusculum Street and there was a male on his face. The man was lying facedown, seemed unconscious, in the backyard of an abandoned house. I tried to turn the male over, and we were in the backyard when the police came and said: Get out of here. This is a crime scene. The officer waited for the ambulance to arrive and administer naloxone. Meanwhile, Bixler was standing a few feet away with naloxone in her hand that she couldnt use because the officer wouldnt let her go near the man. Bixlers story is emblematic of the tension in policing right now officers who are trained to investigate crime, manage a crowd, use force, and maintain order are now being asked to view situations through a completely different lens in which the basic tools of policing arent helpful. For the man who overdoses, that backyard wasnt a crime scene, it was his sickbed. To give officers the tools to respond to these types of situations, police are being offered more educational opportunities to increase their skills. This includes naloxone training, which teaches them how to identify and reverse an overdose; crisis-intervention training to better respond to mental-health crises; and even tourniquet training so they know how to stop severe bleeding. But we cant expect officers to be good at everything. Dealing with overdoses, homelessness, and mental-health crises on top of the daily violence that officers witness also contributes to burnout. It weighs on you as a human being, Commissioner Ross explains. We are relegating these police officers into circumstances that most people cant even comprehend. It raises the question: Why are we asking police officers to deal with situations that arent criminal in nature? If, for some officers, the transition from an enforcer of the law to a pseudo-social worker/paramedic is not a welcome one, if the added tasks contribute to burnout, if training is costly, and if officers arent the best-trained people to be on the frontline of social issues such as homelessness and widespread addiction, then maybe it is time to restructure policing and to divert more resources toward more appropriate responders. What distinguishes the police from other government workers is their ability and authorization to use violence, explains Alex Vitale, a professor of sociology at Brooklyn College. "While [police] may attempt to solve things through dialogue initially, at the end of the day they will turn to the use or threat of violence as the ultimate way to solve a problem. Looking back at the clash in Suburban Station, a trained social worker might have been able to engage the homeless people who were sleeping in Suburban Station in a way that a police officer couldnt have. Even if theyd refused to leave, without the implicit threat of force that comes with every police interaction, it is possible that violence might not have erupted at all. What if we could have deployed social workers, peer-recovery specialists, and mental-health experts instead of police officers that night? What if those people could respond instead of police to the many situations that occur daily throughout Philadelphia where arrest and force arent the appropriate tactic? Chief Nestel hopes to get there. He says that for some circumstances, instead of the police responding, wouldnt it be great to have a mental-health delegate responding? As a first step, SEPTA is hiring a mental-health professional to respond to some calls with SEPTA police. Ideally I would love them to go themselves, and were watching on camera to make sure that they are OK, and we have a police officer on the mezzanine level in case they are needed, but the police wouldnt even have to respond. Nestels idea is achievable. It is only a matter of reallocating resources in a way that reflects our priorities. A common refrain is that we cant arrest our way out of the overdose crisis or out of mass homelessness. And yet, we keep sending the only people in our society who are authorized to arrest and use force to the front lines of these crises. Instead, we should shift resources away from police and toward the best-trained people for the job. That would free up police to focus on what they do best solving and preventing serious crimes. Racial tensions at a Northeast Philadelphia magnet school spilled over this week, sparking protests, a social media threat, and a heavy police presence. The situation has been developing at the Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush on Knights Road, where half the 600-plus students are white, while just under 20 percent are black and a similar number are Latino. Asian and multi-racial students account for the rest. Tensions had been building but began to flare last week following a Black History Month assembly, according to students. During the assembly, students said, a white student shouted racial slurs. Separately, the same student wrote a slur on a desk. This week, that student was suspended. In an Instagram post, a member of the student group Minorities Silenced described what happened and said black and Latino students at Rush have been subjected to racial prejudice. Friday after our African American assembly, allegedly a white male student said that blacks dont deserve an African American assembly, they only use it as a reason to tear whites down, the post reads. He also say n are a bane of his existence. this is the same white male teenager who wrote on paper saying that n are oogily boogily banana eating monkeys." Principal Lori DeFields said in an email to parents Thursday that on Wednesday night, an unknown person posted a concern that a Rush student who was recently suspended made a threat to shoot up our school. Another post indicated that this Rush student spoke to a student from another school, who then reported the information to their counselor. Concerned parents then filed reports with the Philadelphia Police Department. Police officials said the investigation was still active, but Lee Whack, a School District spokesperson, said there is no further threat to the school at this time. No arrests have been made, according to police. The district confirmed that attendance was down Thursday. Parents posting on social media indicated that they were too worried to let their children go to Rush despite authorities assurances. They lamented that the school, known for its strong academics and arts focus, was going through turmoil. Extra police were stationed at the school, as were School District staff working to help ease tensions, Whack said. Its clear that there are racial tensions at the school, among the student body, said Whack. We are working with the students to do social-emotional learning around these types of issues. Whack added that hate speech and racial slurs are completely unacceptable. He said the district would hire an extra Rush staffer to help with racial conflicts, and also was hoping to form a school-sanctioned minority student group. In the days leading up to the social media threat, some Rush students of color had begun to be vocal about what they say is unfair treatment at the school. They created Minorities Silenced social media accounts and protested at Rush, gathering on the school steps with fists raised and tape over their mouths to symbolize being silenced. They held signs: Yall want silence right? Silence! Together with students from other schools, the Minorities Silenced group planned a protest at School District headquarters after dismissal on Friday. The demonstration has been canceled out of fear for the students safety. We were repeatedly facing racism in the way that punishments suspensions, detentions are carried out, one Rush student said in an interview. The students were upset that the white student did not face immediate consequences for his hate speech, that he was slow to be disciplined. I feel like I dont have a voice at my school, like Im treated differently. I have to censor my thoughts. I have to act a certain way, another Rush student said. The students asked that their names be withheld because they feared retribution from peers and school staff. The students said they felt scared by the threat to shoot up the school, but they did not regret that the racial tensions were coming to light. A sample of indenture documents at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society papers collection. Read more The lasting impacts of slavery, for Saidiya Hartman, are clear. Her new book, Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments: Intimate Histories of Social Upheaval, focuses on how black women in Philadelphia and New York lived in the early 19th century. Hartman, a professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University, sees a through line from the era that followed emancipation up to our contemporary realities. In February 2019, the Inquirer took a look at indentured servitude in Pennsylvania, as it rose in popularity following the passage of Pennsylvanias historic abolition law. Indenture applied to black residents born after 1780 and allowed enslavers to keep people captive, and further allowed them to bind the children of enslaved people as indentured servants until they turned 28. Hartman took some time before the Philadelphia stop on her book tour to discuss the transitional periods after enslavement and the difficulty of finding first-hand accounts from those the most impacted by its effects. Her comments have been edited and condensed for brevity and clarity. On the through line between enslavement and servant status. "Theres a continuity between slavery and a variety of forms of involuntary servitude, even when those other states of involuntary servitude are recognized as something distinct from slavery. One of the ways we see this in Philadelphia, well into the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, is in terms of black laborers being consigned to domestic servitude, which black people definitely understood. And especially black women, since over like 90 percent of black women were working as domestic servants. People were clear that it was work for them that was marked by the taint of slavery. They understood it to be continuous with slavery People are understanding themselves being employed through these forces of economic coercion and being confined to the lowest sector of wage labor and understanding it as racialized, understanding it as a continuity. Again, in the beginning, the first decades of the 20th century even, white liberals and progressives are talking about the resemblance between domestic labor with other kinds of involuntary servitude under slavery and under feudalism." On how slavery influenced the formation of race in America Obviously another point of continuity between slavery and the other mode of involuntary servitude is in regard to prisons. For example, we know when we think about Eastern State Penitentiary, and the whole practice of solitary confinement that the first prisoner is Charles Williams, a black person. Or that when slavery is formally abolished, that we see then these efforts to really racialize citizenship as a white entitlement. So the state constitution, for example, changing voting so that its not just about property qualifications for suffrage, but that the notion of a freemen is modified by the word white freemen over 21. [NOTE: Black men in Pennsylvania were stripped of the right to vote in 1838.] The paradox of Philadelphia is that people think of it as a cradle of liberty, as this seed of abolitionists activity. But the fact is that, black people, black men in Philadelphia didnt gain the right to vote until their southern brethren and ex-slaves gain that right to vote after the passage of the 15th amendment so what we see are not only those kinds of continuities between forms of labor that are determined more by coercion and direct forms of control and domination, but we see the emergence of a racialized order. On how modern segregation followed slavery and indenture We [see] that direct connection between the status of the ex-slave in the South and the status of free blacks in a place like Philadelphia. When we look at the beginning of what becomes that next space of racialized enclosure, that is the ghetto, right? The making of segregation and the making of the black slum in the urban context and Philadelphia largely because of [W.E.B.] Du Bois and his study of the Philadelphia Negro, we see the ways in which black folks are kind of barred from employment in this modernizing industry. Whats interesting about the North when we think about Philadelphia or in New York, the way in which theres kind of social mandates by elites to produce a racialized order, often in the absence of an explicit legal apparatus like dictating segregation that we see in the South. So we dont have those kinds of laws, but we had those things playing out everywhere, around housing, around employment, around access to education. On the challenge of detailing the life histories of the enslaved and indentured Any account that we have of slavery is always narrated from the outside, to a certain extent, or after the fact, right? Because the people writing, or, for the most part, telling the story of their enslavement are no longer in that state. So, the most exceptional person then is narrating the experience of that institution. Outside that ... for the most part, it hasnt been possible to narrate an account of the institution while one is still inside it. Those other stories are largely yet to be activated. Thats one of the things, I certainly always try to do in my work. So how is it that we tell the story, not of the exceptional individuals, but of that multitude of folks. Who lived, endured, suffered and died in the context of these brutal institutions. And thats much more challenging. Its the conundrum, but thats actually the experience that one is most curious about: How do you tell the life of the unknown? Verizon lost a local tax case in Hopewell Borough that has reverberations throughout the state. Read more When Verizon Communications told Hopewell Borough that it no longer had to pay about $40,000 in a local New Jersey business tax because it didnt meet the market share threshold, Mayor Paul Anzano didnt believe it. Almost everyone Anzano knew in Hopewell, population 2,000, still had a Verizon landline the state requires phone companies to pay business property taxes if the so-called dial tone market share exceeds 51 percent. Anzano thought that Verizon still served at least that proportion of Hopewell. So began a 10-year trek through the courts that has cost the borough at least $200,000 in legal fees but also brought a hard-earned victory. Last month, New Jersey Tax Court Judge Mary Siobhan Brennan ruled that Verizon must cough up the local business tax after a trial revealed that Verizon had substantially underestimated its market share. Instead of the 44 percent to 48 percent of the borough that Verizon claimed to serve, Verizons share was closer to 90 percent, she concluded. The verdict is an important one not just for Hopewell, but also about 223 municipalities across New Jersey that collect an estimated $50 million in similar taxes from Verizon, which may have been looking at Hopewell as a test case. Thinking outside the box We did our neighbors a huge favor, an ecstatic Anzano said in a phone interview, referring to the other New Jersey towns watching the case. We showed the way. We were never mad at Verizon. We knew what they were doing. We did not think we should pass on a revenue stream at the expense of taxpayers. To make itself look like a minor phone provider in Hopewell, Verizon included a 450-acre Merrill Lynch office complex three miles outside the Hopewell boundary while calculating its market share, Brennan found at trial. The 10,000 phone lines at the Merrill Lynch office complex in Pennington were served by competitor AT&T making it seem that Verizon was a small provider in the Hopewell area. Verizon had no comment. The case is likely to reverberate across the state as hundreds of similar tax cases were stayed or not acted on in court as the Hopewell-Verizon case played out. Edward Purcell, a New Jersey lawyer, said that "this is a much-needed win for New Jersey towns and municipal taxpayers. The court really took Verizon to task for its skewed review of the phone-share numbers. When it comes to taxes, its always trust but verify. Still, the boroughs elation was muted by a Verizon legal win. Hopewell, in reality, won the case for only one tax year: 2009. Following Brennans late January decision, Verizon continues to challenge that it has to pay the tax for subsequent years, Joseph C. Tauriello, the Princeton lawyer who represented Hopewell Borough, said. As part of the court decision in the Hopewell case, Verizon can challenge the 51 percent market share each year in the hundreds of New Jersey towns it serves a huge potential legal liability for municipalities. Waste of taxpayer resources Michael Darcy, executive director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities, said that the group was pleased with the decision in the Hopewell case. But some of the enthusiasm is tempered because it took longer than 10 years to resolve one tax year, Darcy said. Verizon will keep arguing each year over how many dial tones they provided within a geographic region, Darcy said, adding that these possible Verizon town-by-town tax fights in New Jersey would be a great waste of taxpayer resources. Hopewell Borough paid $200,000 in legal fees to protect about $500,000 in tax revenue from Verizon, Anzano said. Verizon has $3 million to spend on coffee cups and [cup warmers], and we have a $3 million [borough] budget. I think we were being picked on, he said. They were bleeding us to death in legal fees. Echoing a complaint heard around the state, Darcy said that Verizon should not be the setting their own numbers to determine whether and how much local taxes they owe municipalities. We think the Legislature has to clean this up. Calculating market share Central to the Hopewell-Verizon case was whether Verizon should use geographic boundaries in local phone exchanges to determine market share or whether it could use phone numbers, which dont adhere to strict geographic areas. Verizon claimed that it should use phone numbers. After the 609 area code, Verizon said that the three-digit prefixes 274, 309, 333, 466, 527, 564, 639, 644, 925 and 979 were part of Hopewell. The Merrill Lynch complex used the 274 prefix. But Hopewell contended that Verizon had to use physical maps on file with the state and federal regulators to determine market share not telephone number prefixes. "We sought to hold Verizon to its own tariff map and product guide, Tauriello said. A local exchange must be defined by a geographical boundary. Using Verizons definition, they could not draw with a Sharpie [marker] their definition of a local exchange on a map, he said. The judge agreed with Hopewell. And as the mayor of a little borough north of Trenton, Anzano believed that Verizon chose Hopewell a decade ago as the runt of the litter of New Jersey towns, believing it would not fight back over the tax. The borough showed the company it could stick it out, Anzano said. Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, listens as he finishes a day of testimony to the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Read more Wednesday was a long day for Michael Cohen and Congress as President Donald Trumps former lawyer took center stage to answer lawmakers questions about his own conduct and that of the president. It was a lot to take in, so weve got a recap of the hearings most talked about points for you this morning. If youre already caught up on the hearing, dont miss my colleague Brandon Hardens look at the storied history of a North Philly jazz bar thats still going strong after all these years. Its star-studded, to say the least. Reading this online? Sign up here to get this newsletter delivered to your inbox every morning. Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com) Michael Cohen, President Donald Trumps former fixer and lawyer, testified before Congress Wednesday, calling Trump a con man, a racist, and a cheat." In sometimes heated exchanges with the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Cohen spent the day describing how he acted and lied over the years to protect Trump. Throughout the questioning, Republican lawmakers repeatedly took aim at Cohens credibility, though former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie wondered why none were defending Trump. Cohen has been sentenced to three years in prison for campaign finance violations, tax evasion, and lying to Congress. Cohen testified before the committee that: Trump would significantly inflate or deflate the value of his financial assets to suit his purposes, including to insurance companies and for a loan to buy the Buffalo Bills. Trump told him to lie about whether he was aware of hush-money payments made to Stormy Daniels. He has never been to Prague or the Czech Republic, as stated in former MI6 agent Christopher Steeles now-infamous dossier. Trump once instructed Cohen to find a straw bidder to drive up the price of a portrait of Trump at auction. Trump reimbursed the fake bidder with a $60,000 check from the Trump Organization and kept the portrait for himself. Trump directed him to threaten the presidents high school, his colleges, and the College Board to never release his grades or SAT scores. Trump attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The president, meanwhile, was in Vietnam Wednesday for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but it abruptly ended Thursday with no deal reached. Trump said talks broke down because North Korea wanted its U.S. sanctions lifted without the country committing to denuclearization. New Barbers Hall in North Philadelphia has hosted music legends like John Coltrane, Issac Hays, Patti LaBelle, Dottie Smith the list goes on. Jake Adams has owned the Hall since 1978. Through all that time its served as a community hub for the neighborhood and for jazz aficionados. Adams has had offers of up to $3.5 million for his club, which is close to Temple Universitys campus. But hes not going anywhere. What you need to know today Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly The way the building and sky complement each other is just lovely, @mcjw13. Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and well pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out! Thats Interesting Opinions Our goal has always been to make the park more self-sufficient. Rather than balancing the budget by reduced cleaning, landscaping maintenance, or programming, we are adding a new amenity that everyone is free to patronize or ignore. Center City District president Paul R. Levy on why the CCD is bringing a Starbucks to Dilworth Park. The practice of councilmanic prerogative, in which City Council allows district Council members to have final say in their districts, has left a trail of blight throughout Philadelphia, writes architecture critic Inga Saffron. Since learning that about half of Philadelphias recyclables are going straight to the incinerator, washing and sorting them each week has become a frustrating charade for author Nathaniel Popkin. What were reading A Daily Dose of | Compost No need to throw out those food scraps. Philly entrepreneurs are turning your trash into treasure (aka compost) with bike-based businesses. In this Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 file photo, anti-abortion activists protest outside of the U.S. Supreme Court, during the March for Life in Washington. President Trump's call for a ban on late-term abortions is unlikely to prevail in Congress, but Republican legislators in several states are pushing ahead with tough anti-abortion bills of their own that they hope can pass muster with the reconfigured U.S. Supreme Court. Read more It seems that everyone has an opinion about the fact that 44 Senate Democrats voted against the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act this week. I certainly do. Im sure you do, too. My social media has been filled with sound and fury in support of the bill, but it amounted to nothing, because the bill was defeated on Tuesday. Regardless, I want to discuss what actually happened when abortion supporters opposed the lowest hanging fruit on the tree of common decency: giving aid to an ailing child who miraculously beat the odds and survived an abortion. Lets start with the text of the legislation, which garnered the support of three Democrats: Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Doug Jones of Alabama, and Pennsylvanias own Robert Casey. The words of the bill would have simply reaffirmed that a child born in this country is entitled to legal protections as a person: 1. If an abortion results in the live birth of an infant, the infant is a legal person for all purposes under the laws of the United States, and entitled to all the protections of such laws. 2. Any infant born alive after an abortion or within a hospital, clinic, or other facility has the same claim to the protection of the law that would arise for any newborn, or for any person who comes to a hospital, clinic, or other facility for screening and treatment or otherwise becomes a patient within its care. This is the relevant portion of the bill, the section that defines person for legal and medical purposes. We are no longer in that dense, verbal forest of abortion politics, where the question of when does a fetus become a baby weighs on our consciences and taxes our common sense. This legislation presumes that there is a born child, one that has exited the womb and can no longer be considered a part of the mothers body. We are talking about babies here, whole and separate entities who are both legal persons as well as U.S. citizens under the 14th Amendment. This failed bill is not about abortion, because the legislation in question presumed that a child was already here, having passed through the birth canal and into the waiting world. This was about recognizing the rights of infants who had survived abortions and were no less human than children born to mothers who wanted them. And even here, the strongest supporters of a womans right to choose insisted on ignoring the humanity of the infant. The words of the bill would have simply required that a child who survived an abortion be given the most efficient, lifesaving care available. If the child died despite all of medicines best efforts, it would have at least been given a fighting chance at life, as promised in the Declaration of Independence. Opponents of the bill pushed back and raised the specter of a nonviable child being resuscitated and brought back from the brink of death, only to live a life of misery. They pushed back against the suggestion that they were anti-baby, and deflected attention from their political solidarity as Democrats by reminding us all that Republicans put kids in cages. They pushed back with the suggestion that this bill violated the mandate in Roe v. Wade, overturning a womans desire to terminate a pregnancy by administering care to the accidental, unwanted child. Years ago, Hillary and Bill Clinton addressed the difficult moral questions raised by abortion in their now-famous slogan of safe, legal, and rare. Todays abortion advocates seem to have abandoned that last point, demonstrating a desire to extend a womans right to choose even beyond her own body. The tentacles of Roe are long. There are a lot of things that I could say about the defeat of this simple, self-evident law. But I think that my friend Helene said it best: I am a nurse, and also have a business which serves the special-needs population. This is not just a slippery slope, this is a bloody slide into hell. Philadelphia Police check tents to make sure there are no people in them at the Emerald Street encampment, which was being cleared out, today in Kensington, Philadelphia, January 31, 2019. Read more When kids dress up as police officers for Halloween, they pretend to catch robbers and find clues that will help them solve mysteries. But the reality of being a police officer in Philadelphia today is very different. Officers spend their time responding to pressing problems overdoses, homelessness, and mental-health crises, to name a few. And at the same time, nationwide, the majority of crime goes unsolved. Could the reason be that we are asking too much of police? We asked a variety of experts to answer that question and give us a sense of what police should prioritize. To glean that information, we asked them how they would recommend that a police department spend an imaginary gift of $100,000. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity. Interviews were conducted by Abraham Gutman. Police as problem solvers. Are we asking police to do too much? Historically, the role of police for centuries has included a mandate to handle situations, maintain order, enhance public safety, and provide service. This has not changed police have always been involved in social work to some extent. When we limit our conception of police to only law enforcers, we do a disservice to the profession. What we need to provide are more resources and tools for officers to effectively and efficiently handle the situations they encounter. With the opioid crisis, these resources may include stronger police/public health partnerships, investments in treatment facilities, police training in crisis intervention, providing officers with additional alternatives to arrest, and structuring our law enforcement agencies to support these alternatives through changes in policies, training, and supervision. We are not really adding more tasks to police; we are asking police to be problem solvers and therefore we need to provide them the tools and resources to do that effectively." How would you recommend the Philadelphia Police Department spend $100,000? I would invest the money in a comprehensive review of the Police Department the policy, the procedure, the practice. I would assess the needs and the resources, talk to citizens and officers, and come back with a plan for evidence-based policing. Robin S. Engel is a professor of criminal justice at the University of Cincinnati and director of the IACP/UC Center for Police Research and Policy I need you to go out there. Are we asking police to do too much? "In the past few years we, as law enforcement, have been moving away from the law enforcement-only standard and have been moving into a guardian position where our role is to take care of the public, take care of the citizens, take care of those who depend on us the most. I dont think that being a law enforcement officer and being a guardian have to be mutually exclusive. I would contend that a really effective police officer says, I need you to go out there, and you dont have to lock everyone up, but you do have to have a good relationship with a community that we serve.' " How would you recommend the Philadelphia Police Department spend $100,000? My priority would be dealing with the public. That can be implicit bias training, cultural diversity training, how to deal with a difficult situation, use of force if you effectively figure out those things, everything else falls into place. Lt. Sonia Pruitt is the national chairperson of the National Black Police Association. She has been serving as a police officer in Maryland for the last 27 years. When no one else can help, we call the cops. Are we asking police to do too much? We always have been -- thats what cops do: Pick up the pieces of what society has failed at solving. In a way that is their job. The buck has to stop somewhere. Its a shame that issues like mental health and homelessness arent solved. But when no one else can help, we call the cops and ask them to do something." How would you recommend the Philadelphia Police Department spend $100,000? Public safety trumps a lot. I dont believe it is possible to solve societys greatest problems if people are afraid and sometime for good reason of getting shot when they leave their house. We need proper evaluation of programs. A hundred thousand dollars isnt that much money, but it could fund a proper study. ... So much more depends on leadership instead of a little bit of money here and there. Peter Moskos is a professor and chair of the department of law, police science, and criminal justice administration at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He served as a police officer in Baltimore for two years. Policing is dealing with social problems. Are we asking police to do too much? We certainly are, within the current constraints of how much we are willing to support them. We increasingly ask more of police, and they could take additional roles if we supported them appropriately, but we dont. Law enforcement is just enforcing legislation, but policing involves dealing with many more social problems. We give police officers law enforcement training and tools, but we ask them to do a social service mission. And so their tools and training and support are not set up for the duty that they have now evolved into." How would you recommend the Philadelphia Police Department spend $100,000? I would spend the money on more hours of police foot patrol in small crime hot spots in the summer. We know that violence tends to spike in the summers. We know that violence concentrates in small, specific crime hot spots just a few corners, a few localized places. And we know that if we put police officers, especially rookie police officers who tend to work hard and engage with the community, in those locations, weve shown already in Philadelphia that that can have a measurable impact on one of the citys most acute challenges." Jerry Ratcliffe is a professor of criminal justice at Temple University. He served as an officer with Londons Metropolitan Police for 11 years. Invest in alternatives to police. Are we asking police to do too much? For too long, police have been used and invested in as a catch-all for a range of issues from substance abuse to homelessness to even school discipline. That is way beyond what the role of the police should be. Instead of police, we should be investing in alternatives. In response to public health issues like substance abuse, we should be having mental-health providers responding to calls involving people who are having mental-health crises rather than police. I think the police are doing entirely too much. How would you recommend the Philadelphia Police Department spend $100,000? There are things that take money to do and that need to be done in the context of policing, like the creation of oversight structures, accountability structures, and crisis intervention training. However, the police already receive so much money. In many cities its like 40 percent of the city budget. Thats more than enough to do those things. Samuel Sinyangwe is the cofounder of Campaign Zero, a data-informed platform that presents comprehensive solutions to end police violence in America. Decisions about police spending are like Sophies Choice. Are we asking police to do too much? In many respects, we are. Throughout my career, starting in Boston decades ago, that has been the case. The basic mission for which police exist is to prevent crime and disorder. After 9/11, police departments, particularly in large cities, are expected to commit resources to preventing terrorism. We are expected now to deal with cyber crime, and the opioid crisis. Police are being expected to be better trained to deal with emotionally disturbed people on the street. We are asking police officers in the 21st century to be almost doctors what drug are they probably on? What mental-health condition? I have an expression that we used in Los Angeles, but I think it applies for the profession as a whole: too few who have been asked to do too much with too little for too long. " How would you recommend the Philadelphia Police Department spend $100,000? In terms of prioritization, first has to be technology. Training, because the vast majority of departments in America do not do enough in terms of training. Third, we must address the sufficient number of police. There is the old adage of You get what you pay for. So $100,000, in some respects is a Sophies choice dilemma. William Bratton is the executive chairman, risk advisory, at Teneo Consulting. He served as the police commissioner of New York City, the chief of police of Los Angeles, and the commissioner of the Boston Police Department. Invest money in communities, not cops. Are we asking police to do too much? When we look at the most criminalized communities, largely black and brown communities but also communities where folks have disability and are struggling with drug addiction, we know that the thing that will help them overcome those deeply embedded challenges is not continued criminalization and suppression, but instead investments in the common good. Investment in housing, education, health care, and jobs. Police are not mental-health professionals, they are not trained to provide health care to people, they are not social workers, and we need to reevaluate the role of policing in society and reimagine public safety in a way that invests in communities and neighborhoods, not incarcerates them, surveils them, and oppresses them." How would you recommend the Philadelphia Police Department spend $100,000? I believe that we need a massive divestment from policing and the police state. The role of policing has largely been about social control, about the control of black and brown bodies, and the intersection of racial capitalism that allows people to exploit and profit largely off of communities of color. If you said Im going to give you $100,000 for policing, I would say, we dont need to put $100,000 more in policing. In fact we need to be taking millions of dollars out of policing and invest that money in our communities. Jennifer Epps-Addison serves as the president and co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy and CPD Actions network of 49 partner organizations in 33 states. The funeral card for Gail D. Harrison shows her date of death in 2011, but deeds forged in her name are dated July, 2015. Read more Gail Harrison kept to herself, rarely venturing from her two-story rowhouse on Seybert Street, in Brewerytown. She died at age 59 in 2011. A few years after her death, her home became the object of a growing Philadelphia scam house theft. One man allegedly forged the deed to her house and sold it at a huge profit. A second man allegedly filed a phony will to take the house, reported Inquirer staff writer Craig R. McCoy. Prosecutors say that in 2016, William E. Johnson allegedly forged Harrisons signature and that of a notary on the deed to Harrisons home. He sold it for $89,000 to a developer, who flipped it for $250,000. The District Attorney arrested Johnson earlier this month on charges of stealing Harrisons home and a half dozen others. In 2017, the Register of Wills accepted Donnie McLaurin as Harrisons rightful heir even though both her signature and that of a notary appear fake. (He didnt get the house because Johnson beat him to it.) The alleged scammers slipped through a bureaucracy that depends on people telling the truth, a quaint notion that when determining the disposition of someones property, is not a good idea. Not only was Harrisons signature forged on the deed and the will but it is significant that the notaries signatures appear forged as well. The notary is the one person whom the government believes can authenticate an individuals signature. But government workers, who process deeds and wills, dont authenticate the notaries. They should especially because house theft scams are a growing problem in gentrifying neighborhoods. Complaints about stolen homes have shot up from 44 in 2013 to 136 in 2018, according to the city Department of Records. The department is making changes to its security system in the aftermath of the Inquirer stories, but it declined to detail the upgrades fearing it would tip off scammers. City officials, in charge of deeds and wills, say they check to see if documents are properly notarized and require a photo ID from anyone filing them. But they dont have the staff to fully authenticate a notarys status. Thats inexcusable, especially since the Department of State has a simple search page to verify whether notaries are still active. The state has records showing notaries signatures, which should be digitized so government workers involved in property transfers can immediately see if notaries signatures on official state documents match those on wills and deeds; if they dont, that should raise a red flag. Another weak link is the Department of Health, which issues death certificates. In the case of the allegedly forged will, McLaurin presented a death certificate to the Register of Wills. Death certificates are available only to heirs but the state acknowledged it mails death certificates to people who say theyre relatives of the deceased. Thats just naive. The state should verify heirs. In this digital age, it is not too much to expect city and state departments to take further steps to verify a documents authenticity, especially given the growth in scams of all types especially those who take advantage of the dead. President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One after a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi. Read more Here is the most glaring takeaway from the collapse of the North Korea summit in Hanoi: You cant negotiate with a wily dictator as if he were a real-estate mogul in New York. President Donald Trump has famously touted his personal relationships with autocrats as the prelude to great deals. We fell in love, he said of the half-dozen or so beautiful letters he received from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Clearly, love was insufficient. The president and his team appeared blindsided by the gap between the U.S. and North Korean positions at his second summit with Kim. Trump stated at a news conference that Kim wanted all sanctions removed against his country in return for dismantling a key nuclear complex at Yongbyon. But that deal would have left North Koreas nuclear arsenal, missiles, and other production facilities still standing. North Koreas foreign minister later claimed that North Korea only sought partial sanctions relief, but the gap was still clearly unbridgeable. With all or most sanctions lifted, U.S. leverage to eliminate Pyongyangs arsenal would have shrunk. So, no matter how much Trump may have wanted to distract attention from the Michael Cohen hearings in Washington, he had no choice but to walk away from Kims offer. The gulf between him and the North Korean leader was wider than the 6,800 miles that separate Washington and Pyongyang. How could Trump have gotten his expectations so wrong? The answer clearly revolves around Trumps deep belief that his personal relationships and brilliance are sufficient to outwit tough autocrats. The president was reportedly warned about Kims insistence on major sanctions relief, but believed he could persuade the dictator to shift positions. This entire diplomatic process is distinctive because of President Trump and North Koreas decision-making at the top level," says Council on Foreign Relations Korea expert Scott Snyder. The North Koreans [hoped] to go to the top and get what they want from Trump. As the Hanoi debacle displayed with such drama, personal diplomacy couldnt budge the North Korean. Less clear is whether Trump grasps the need to revamp his negotiating approach. That approach had already proved lacking at Trumps first summit with Kim, in Singapore in June 2018. Despite the hoopla, that summit failed to produce any concrete results on or road map toward denuclearization. The two sides have not even agreed yet on the meaning of that term, or whether it requires the elimination of all of Pyongyangs nuclear weapons. As recently as the Munich Security Conference earlier this month, Vice President Mike Pence claimed that Kim had committed to complete denuclearization of North Korea. That statement was false. Yet, even with lowered expectations for the Hanoi summit, the White House assumed some kind of deal would be reached. The U.S. side had already scheduled a goodbye lunch and signing ceremony. (Both were canceled.) U.S. officials had leaked reports to the media that Pyongyang would pledge to close the Yongbyon complex in return for a modest relaxation of some economic sanctions and the signing of a peace declaration between the U.S. and North Korea. Even that deal would have involved large concessions to Kim, since a peace declaration would have relaxed pressure on Pyongyang to make further moves toward denuclearization. However, in Hanoi, Kims demand for lifting of all or most sanctions in return for inadequate concessions revealed that the two sides were operating in totally different worlds. Under any previous presidency, a U.S. negotiating team would at least have worked out a basic framework before a president traveled all the way to Asia. But Trump devalues experts and detailed preparation. As hes said, I have a gut, and my gut tells me more sometimes than anybody elses brain can ever tell me. The limits to that approach became painfully clear in Hanoi. Perhaps the North Korean leader thought Trumps yen for a deal would impel him to accept a wildly insufficient offer. Kim made clear he preferred dealing with Trump than meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Moreover, Trumps chief North Korea negotiator, Stephen Biegun, is a businessman who had no prior experience with complex North Korea dealings. The North Koreans, on the other hand, have been running rings around U.S. leaders for years. The question now is whether Trump will revise his approach, broaden his team, and recognize the difference between geopolitical deals and real-estate manipulations. The presidents effusive praise of Kim has already lowered global pressure on Pyongyang for nuclear concessions. Having expended enormous political capital on two summits, the president now faces a long slog of U.S.-North Korea talks that may never lead to full denuclearization of that country. His personal relationship with Kim may help keep those talks alive. But unless he realizes the limits of personal diplomacy, he will continue to get played. Ruokai Chen, shown here in his Kensington home, in Philadelphia, Wednesday, February 28, 2018. Chen has a tax abatement, in 2016 he received notice that that city was raising the assessment on his taxable land. Chen fought back and won in the Court of Common Pleas. Read more Ruokai Chen is among the thousands of Philadelphia property owners who were shocked in 2016 to learn that their taxes were going up even though they had a 10-year tax abatement. The city changed the allocation of the total market values between the land and the building or other improvements citywide, claiming that it was making the assessed values of the land more accurate. In Chen's case, the city increased the taxable land assessment to $113,150 from $16,300 and said he could not contest that, only the total market value. Chen, 29, fought back and last month scored a rare victory in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas when a judge set his land value at $79,000 for 2017, 30 percent less than the city's value. Chen, who represented himself, says he believes he is the first to get a favorable court decision in a case involving the 2016 land-only reassessments of 15,000 abated properties. "The most important part of this to me isn't necessarily that I got $900 back, although just to be fair no one will be sad about getting some money back," said Chen, a 2010 clarinet graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music who works as an actuary for a health-care consulting firm. "The most important thing for me is that a precedent has been established," perhaps making it easier for others to win their appeals of land values only. The city said Wednesday that it would not appeal Judge Gene D. Cohen's Feb. 5 decision. It downplayed the significance of Chen's case, saying the judge's decision was based on the specifics of Chen's property. Real estate lawyers said it appears that the city is trying to get around the 10-year abatement on new construction and improvements. "If land goes up by 10 percent, they are allowed to increase the taxable land by 10 percent, but if the city says 'well, the land may have only gone up by 10 percent, but now that you built a nice building on it, the land is worth twice as much as before,' to me that's bad faith because the ordinance says any increase in value due to the improvements should be abated," said Larry Arem, a partner at Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg LLP. For people such as Chen, who had just purchased his house in Kensington for $415,000 in 2015, the city made it hard to contest the increase in land assessments by insisting that taxpayers could appeal only the total market value. How could he say the market value was inaccurate when he had just bought the property? The Philadelphia Office of Property Assessment was not increasing the total value. "You really cannot appeal the land value separately. You can appeal the total market value," an Office of Property Assessment official emailed Chen the week before his March 16, 2017, hearing at the Board of Revision of Taxes. The official told Chen that all the land under the new and rehabbed properties on his block was assessed at 27 percent of the total market value, suggesting that he could withdraw the appeal. Chen kept at it, but was rebuffed by the BRT. "Under applicable state law, the BRT and in turn the Court of Common Pleas if a BRT decision is appealed is charged with determining value for an entire parcel and not just some portion or component of a parcel," the city said by email Wednesday. "If true, it would mean that anyone who has a tax abatement would have no recourse to ever challenge their taxes, because the land value is the only thing that matters to them," said Steve Silver, a lawyer who was at Chen's BRT hearing representing other clients. Silver, who moved to Portland, Maine, in April, but was in Philadelphia for the last of his appeals hearings in November, said he doesn't know anyone else who won one of these cases. Before leaving Philadelphia and selling his house, Silver was dealing with a reassessment of his taxable land near the Italian Market to $100,890 from $7,500. Empty lots on that block are still assessed in the $7,000 to $8,000 range. Chen said he knows of three other cases similar to his pending in court. In his case, the judge accepted the value proposed by city's expert witness, an outside appraiser. "Just the fact that the city would even take the stance it did before the BRT I think is very unsavory in that the appeals process is actually a very important part of getting property taxes right," Chen said. Thomas P. Haaf, manager of Exelons Three Mile Island Unit 1, stands in front of the nuclear plants iconic cooling towers near Middletown, Pa. Read more MIDDLETOWN, Pa. Workers are setting the groundwork at Three Mile Island for a maintenance outage this month to replenish Unit 1's uranium core, an elaborately choreographed event that requires 1,500 contract workers and injects millions of dollars into the local economy. But TMI's biennial refueling outage has a tinge of melancholy this year: It could be the last time fuel is ever loaded into Unit 1, whose neighboring twin reactor shut down in 1979 after the nation's worst commercial nuclear accident. Exelon Generation, the company that operates Unit 1, announced in May that it plans to prematurely shut down the power plant in 2019 unless the Pennsylvania legislature rescues the nuclear industry, which is struggling to compete in a world where newfound natural-gas resources have driven down electricity prices. "We've got almost 300 people over there who are scared to death they're going to lose their jobs," said John Levengood, president of Electricians Local 777, which represents about 40 percent of the plant's full-time employees. "That's my biggest concern." As workers erected scaffolding around the plant for the upcoming outage, nuclear-industry lobbyists are erecting a political foundation 12 miles up the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg to secure support for the state's five nuclear plants a bailout, opponents say. It's unclear when or in what form nuclear subsidies will be proposed, but it's likely that electricity customers, not taxpayers, would be asked to pay the cost through higher rates. The nuclear industry, by far the largest producer of zero-carbon-emission electrical power, is facing a similar struggle nationwide as plans for new reactors get scrapped and existing plants battle to compete in states with deregulated power markets. Some wonder whether natural gas, with a history of price volatility and occasional scarcity, has really entered a golden era of reliable abundance with the development of hydraulically fractured shale gas. TMI's 675 total employees remain committed to operating the plant safely and efficiently even though their future hangs in the balance, said Thomas P. Haaf, the Unit 1 plant manager. "Our folks are optimistic that something might change, but they're committed that even if we are going to shut down in 2019, they're going to be the best plant that ever shut down," Haaf said on a recent tour of the plant, located just outside Middletown in Londonderry Township. "That's the only thing we can do." The 852-megawatt reactor has lost $300 million in the last five years, even though it operates 96 percent of the time and is one of Exelon's most efficient units. "We're not going to be able to cost-cut ourselves out of this situation we're in," said David Fein, an Exelon Corp. vice president for state government affairs. "There needs to be some policy changes to address the market flaws and market challenges we're seeing." Exelon and its allies have marshaled an arsenal of arguments about the dangers of allowing the plant to shut down: The loss of TMI's $60 million payroll; a reduction in local and state tax payments from the plants; and the environmental and competitive risks of losing a reliable source of emissions-free energy. But an alliance of large energy customers and the natural-gas industry, which stands to gain share in the power-generation sector with the closure of nuclear plants, say government should not change electricity-market rules to favor one industry. They expect nuclear's supporters will try a similar approach adopted in Illinois and New York state, which approved zero-emissions credits to lift the price nuclear producers receive for power, similar to renewable-energy credits that incentivize solar and wind producers. The cost of the credits are passed on to customers in electricity rates. Opponents in Illinois and New York have sued to overturn the subsidies, but the states and the nuclear industry have prevailed in the first round of appeals. Neither bailout has gone into effect, so it's difficult to test the competing claims that the subsidies will have either a negligible or a catastrophic impact on consumers. In Pennsylvania, the debate may not be resolved until after next year's statewide elections, and is being closely monitored in other states, said Martin Williams, business manager of Boilermakers Local 13 in Philadelphia, which represents about two dozen TMI contract workers. "If Pennsylvania doesn't act in a similar way to Illinois and New York, I just wonder about the message that's going to send to other states in the region that are grappling with the same issue, such as Ohio, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut," he said. Citizens Against Nuclear Bailouts, an advocacy group backed by large manufacturers and the gas industry, says that competitive wholesale electricity markets have served consumers well in the 21 years since they were adopted in Pennsylvania and should not be tinkered with. "Should competitive electricity markets be turned on their head to save a dinosaur?" Steve Kratz, a spokesman for Citizens Against Nuclear Bailouts, said of Three Mile Island. TMI's Unit 1 was acquired by Exelon in 2003 and is licensed to operate until 2034. The adjacent Unit 2 shut down in 1979 after the infamous accident that put the brakes on the nation's nuclear program is owned by FirstEnergy Corp. Final cleanup of the damaged Unit 2 reactor awaits the retirement of the surviving unit. Opponents say the 10-year dismantlement and decontamination of the site would be an employment boost on its own. "We believe there are more jobs to be had from decommissioning the plant than keeping it open," said David N. Taylor, president of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association. But TMI's supporters say the plant's ongoing contribution to the community, in terms of jobs, taxes, and a charitable corporate presence, is immeasurable. "If the plant goes, we will be hurting," said Mike Pries, a Dauphin County commissioner and co-chair of an Exelon-supported coalition, Clean Jobs for Pennsylvania. He said the value of the property, and the $1 million a year Exelon pays in property taxes, would plummet the moment Unit 1 shuts down. Pries says lawmakers need to "level the playing field" so that nuclear energy receives value for its emissions-free power similar to that given other renewable-energy resources. Opponents of a nuclear bailout say the industry already received a handout during the 15-year transition to competitive wholesale markets, when the state allowed utilities to maintain capped electricity rates to recover their "stranded investments" primarily the sunk costs of the expensive nuclear fleet. Peco Energy Co., an Exelon subsidiary, kept rates in place until the end of 2010, mostly to pay for its Limerick Generating Station in Montgomery County. "We don't want to purchase the same rug at the bazaar another time," Taylor said. Exelon's Fein said the state-approved rate caps allowed the company to recoup investments that went to build power plants, but did not pay for new capital costs to comply with greater security measures imposed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks or the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. As with other nuclear reactors, the visible new security measures at Three Mile Island are impressive. The place is a fortress. The main employee parking lots were relocated about 200 yards from the plant entrance, separated by massive concrete barriers. The property is swarming with black-uniformed security personnel carrying military-style weapons, and bristles with guard towers, security gates, cameras, motion-detection devices, and steel ballistic barricades for delaying the advance of enemy combatants. On an upper floor inside the plant's turbine building, Haaf pointed to two new 500-kilowatt diesel generators, an additional redundant power supply installed to comply with new rules imposed after a tsunami knocked out the backup power supply at the Fukushima complex, triggering a disastrous meltdown. "The whole plant can keep operating even if the island is completely underwater," said Haaf. The cost to produce nuclear power nationwide was about $34 a megawatt hour last year, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute. That's higher than the $20 to $30 current wholesale price of electricity. But production costs were 22 percent higher at single-unit plants, which are more expensive to operate than multi-unit sites, such as Exelon's Limerick and Peach Bottom plants, according to the institute. Many of the reactors slated for early retirement are single-unit plants, like Three Mile Island. Whether Pennsylvania legislators are willing to pay the extra cost for nuclear energy's attributes remains to be seen. Nearly 70 legislators signed on to an industry-inspired Nuclear Caucus this year, but legislative leaders have made no commitments. At a time when the Trump administration is skeptical of the climate-change threat, it's unclear whether TMI's zero-emission credentials alone are sufficient to swing the debate in Harrisburg. "Different constituencies see different value in what nuclear power brings," said Exelon's Fein. "The resiliency and the fuel diversity and even the national-security issue is real important to a lot of people. Whether the federal government ever does something on climate change and we've seen the mood in Washington we've also seen states taking action." Cheyney University received another year's extension on its accreditation. The troubled university, which sustained another large enrollment loss this year, has been given more time to execute its turn around. Read more Cheyney University will get another year to execute a turnaround plan designed to rebuild its plummeting enrollment and improve its finances. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education, a regional accrediting panel, agreed Tuesday to extend the historically black university's accreditation through November 2019, noting that the school is continuing to make "significant progress." Cheyney president Aaron A. Walton said he was pleased by the commission's decision. "We are working in a deliberate manner to transform the university to ensure it continues to serve the commonwealth into the future," he said. "We're now going to continue our efforts to make sure we have complied with all the requirements so we can continue to move forward with the transformation. The university, part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, must submit a report to the commission by August, documenting its progress. The extension is the second and final one available to the university under commission policy, said spokesperson Brian Kirschner; the board will decide next year whether Cheyney can keep its accreditation. The university has been on probation since 2015. In granting the extension, commission chairman Gary L. Wirt cited Cheyney's "good-faith effort to remedy existing deficiencies." Cheyney has struggled for years with declining enrollment, an abysmal academic record, and unstable leadership. Last month, the state system announced that most of its universities had lost enrollment, and that Cheyney's enrollment stood at 469 students, down 286 or nearly 38 percent from last fall. Founded in 1837, Cheyney has a storied history as the nation's oldest historically black college, but has lost more than half its enrollment over the last decade. In July, Cheyney officials announced plans to partner with Jefferson University, Starbucks, and others in creating a new African American-focused institute that will promote the school's legacy. Walton said last month that applications were up, admission standards had increased, and academic performance had improved. Cheyney University announces a key piece of its plan to revitalize the campus partnerships with other colleges and businesses as part of a new institute focusing on the contemporary African American experience. Read more Cheyney University, which has struggled with academic and financial woes for years, on Tuesday announced plans to partner with Thomas Jefferson University, Starbucks, and others in creating a new African American-focused institute that will promote the school's legacy as the nation's oldest historically black college. The Cheyney University Institute for the Contemporary African American Experience follows a key recommendation from a Cheyney task force looking to develop a new business model for the beleaguered school. It will explore issues related to race, ethnicity, access, and diversity in American society; present potentially new research and internship and job opportunities for students and staff; and seek to position the university as a national leader in finding answers to some of today's problems, Cheyney president Aaron A. Walton said. "We're in this for the long haul," Walton said. "We're transforming Cheyney for the future." He announced the plan on the school's 275-acre Chester and Delaware Counties campus, surrounded by dignitaries including Gov. Wolf, legislators, the superintendent of the Chester-Upland School District, and Stephen K. Klasko, CEO of Jefferson. The partnership with Jefferson, which includes a medical college and hospitals, means new pathways to graduate degrees in the medical profession for Cheyney students, as well as research work for faculty and students, looking initially at health disparities among diverse communities in the Philadelphia region. "Cheyney is here to stay and is only going to get better," Klasko said, drawing applause. The institute also plans to conduct research with the national Starbucks Foundation, after the coffee chain came under intense scrutiny this year when one of its Philadelphia stores called the police on two African American men who were sitting there but had not purchased any products. And Epcot Crenshaw, a West Chester-based company that focuses on the environmental impact of food production, will relocate its headquarters to the Cheyney campus. For Cheyney, the partnerships could bring much-needed money and prestige. Founded in 1837, the university has a storied history but lost more than half its enrollment over the last decade, educating just over 600 students last spring. The school last year was in danger of losing its accreditation, almost a certain death knell, but got a year's reprieve from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the accrediting body. Cheyney must submit an updated report on its progress to the commission by Sept. 1 and will learn later this year whether it will have its accreditation renewed. "We are optimistic that we are making the level of progress that will encourage them to look favorably on accreditation," Walton said. All the partnerships will be aimed at fostering excellence in academics, character development, and social responsibility and develop new revenue streams, Walton said. Epcot Crenshaw, for example, plans to rent three to five acres of campus property for a laboratory and technology demonstration facilities, administrative offices, greenhouses, labs, and new aquaponics research and production areas. The university and firm plan to jointly seek research funding for the science programs. C. Satish Smith, company CEO, said the firm has been working with Cheyney faculty and students for a decade and now can develop a more streamlined approach. "It is a good opportunity for us to be an anchor on the campus," he said. "We really want to create a bridge that strengthens the students' ability to compete for jobs." Cynthia Shapira, chair of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, said she hopes the new partnerships serve as a model not only for Cheyney but also the 13 other universities in the system, many of which face financial challenges. "After facing some difficult challenges in recent years," Wolf told the crowd, "the Cheyney University you're in right now is on a new path." The school has struggled with deficits and years of mismanagement. The state system last year agreed to forgive $30 million in loans to Cheyney if it balances its budget in each of the next four years, with a warning that it would be the last financial lifeline. Walton said Cheyney is on track to meet that goal this year. Some hard decisions have been made, including bowing out of the NCAA. The school also continues to work with the U.S. Department of Education on rectifying $29 million in mishandled financial aid funds, discovered in 2015, he said. Walton said he expects enrollment to bottom out this year, with fewer than 700 students coming in the fall, and then begin to climb as Cheyney rebuilds its image and launches new efforts. He hopes the announcement about the institute will attract students who may be on the fence about Cheyney. "We have to shrink to grow," Walton said. "This has been our year of refocusing and adjusting, and now we're going to forge ahead." Cheyney also has changed its enrollment strategy. In recent years, it has accepted just about everyone, operating like an open-enrollment university. The school now will seek to attract higher-caliber students with more aggressive recruiting and scholarships, he said, while still maintaining its mission as a school of opportunity for some students who may be denied experience elsewhere. In the past, only 44 percent of its freshmen made it to sophomore year, the lowest rate in the state university system. And less than 20 percent have gone on to graduate within six years. Alumni at the event were excited. "We are about to rise up from the ashes like a phoenix," said Alphonso Coleman Jr., a retired teacher and 1972 Cheyney graduate, who is president of Cheyney's national alumni association. "This is a fantastic opportunity for the university, for potential students. It will be a driving force to encourage young people to come to Cheyney." President Donald Trump during a news conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, following his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Read more President Donald Trump has defended North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the death of Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old American student who was imprisoned there and died days after returning to the United States in a vegetative state in June 2017. He felt badly about it. I did speak about it, and I dont believe that he would have allowed that to happen, Trump told reporters during a news conference Thursday following the abbreviated summit in Hanoi, Vietnam. He tells me that he didnt know about it, and I will take him at his word. Trump added, Those prisons are rough, and bad things happen, but I really dont believe he knew about it. Trumps comments defending Kim were widely criticized Thursday morning. CNN chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto, who was covering the summit in Vietnam, called it truly remarkable that Trump would run cover for Kim on Otto Warmbier. Rep. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.), one of the presidents most outspoken critics, called his defense of Kim detestable. He seems to find warmth with authoritarian dictatorships, and believes them and their word when they have records of violating international law and human rights rather than to believe our own intelligence community," Sen. Bob Menendez (D., N.J.) said in a statement. Trumps comments were also called out by Nikki Haley, his former U.N. ambassador, who wrote on Twitter that Americans know the cruelty that was placed on Otto Warmbier by the North Korean regime. Senior CNN analyst Rick Santorum, a former Republican Pennsylvania senator and an outspoken supporter of the president, was among those harshly criticizing Trumps comments about Warmbier. This is reprehensible, what he just did, Santorum said on CNNs New Day. He gave cover, as you just said, to a leader who knew very well what was going on with Otto Warmbier. I dont understand why the president does this. I am disappointed, to say the least, that he did it. Trumps defense of the North Korean leader echoed his repeated backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin despite assessments from U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia interfered during the 2016 presidential election. "Every time he sees me, he says, 'I didnt do that, Trump said during a news conference alongside Putin following a meeting in Helsinki, Finland, last year. I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it. Trump was also widely criticized by fellow Republicans when he said he believed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who claims to have no involvement in the murder of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi in October. Why such generous assessments of dubious claims by geopolitical opponents or those deeply implicated in bad activity? wrote Post national correspondent Philip Bump. Because, it seems, Trump believes that his personal relationship with those leaders is the best route to getting what he wants in his interactions with them. According to the United Nations, North Korea is among the worlds worst abusers of human rights, including committing crimes such as murder, enslavement, torture, false imprisonment, and prolonged starvation. The unspeakable atrocities that are being committed against inmates of the political prison camps resemble the horrors of camps that totalitarian states established during the 20th century," a 2014 U.N. commission report stated. Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was arrested and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor after being accused of removing a propaganda banner from a hotel during a visit to Pyongyang in January 2016. He was returned to the U.S. in June 2017 after having spent 17 months in custody, but in a state known as unresponsive wakefulness. He died two days later. "We need only look at the depraved character of the North Korean regime to understand the nature of the nuclear threat it could pose to America and our allies, Trump said during his first State of the Union speech, six months after Warmbiers death. Warmbiers parents were in the audience, watching from Melania Trumps box. "You are powerful witnesses to a menace that threatens our world, and your strength inspires us all, Trump said to Warmbiers parents. Tonight, we pledge to honor Ottos memory with total American resolve. READ MORE: Failure of Trump-Kim summit shows limits to presidents personal diplomacy | Trudy Rubin READ MORE: Does Trump want peace with North Korea more than getting rid of its nukes? | Trudy Rubin Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials have warned Philadelphias mayor and City Council that the wireless-internet kiosks being installed throughout the city may violate rules against advertisements along state and federal roads, a breach that could cost the city millions in government funds for such projects as the planned cap over I-95 near Penns Landing. The kiosks may be considered outdoor advertising devices subject to PennDot regulation" under a law banning most advertising along roads that include some of Center Citys busiest throughways, deputy secretary for highway administration George McAuley wrote in a Dec. 20 letter to Mayor Jim Kenney and Council President Darrell L. Clarke. McAuleys letter came after advertising and media company Intersection had finished installing the first of what are expected to be 100 kiosks citywide under the LinkPHL moniker. Intersection has installed similar kiosk networks in New York, where it is based, and in Newark, N.J. The tall, slablike WiFi hotspots also offer cell phone charging ports, telephones that can make domestic calls, and small screens displaying local information such as weather forecasts, all supported by big digital ads that run on the sides of the devices. >>READ MORE: Streetside data kiosks have arrived in Philly, but how useful are they? PennDots reaction to the kiosks is the latest volley in a years-long tussle between city officials and the transportation department over Philadelphias permissiveness toward outdoor advertising along federal- and state-controlled roads within its borders. While PennDot has no information regarding the location of the kiosks and whether any additional kiosks are to be installed, we are requesting that the city consult with PennDot prior to authorizing installation," McAuley wrote in his letter, which was obtained by anti-billboard advocacy group Scenic America under the states Right-to-Know law and provided to the Inquirer. PennDots failure to effectively control outdoor advertising could result in the loss of federal highway funds" If states fail to regulate advertisements along their state and federal roads, known as controlled routes," they can lose 10 percent of their yearly allocation of federal highway funds. Or they can be barred from spending any highway money inside municipalities that are authorized to control their own ads, but are failing to do so. Pennsylvania typically receives more than $1.6 billion a year in federal highway investments, according to PennDot, so it would lose at least $160 million if it were docked 10 percent. Philadelphias allocation for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 is $162.7 million, according to the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, which administers the program. The federal funds are helping pay for Philadelphia projects including the planned cap over I-95 from Chestnut to Walnut Streets and the rehabilitation of the Market Street bridge over the Schuylkill River. In 1974, PennDot agreed to let Philadelphia police controlled routes within its borders, which include busy urban arteries such as Market, Broad, Chestnut and Arch Streets, as well as limited-access routes such as I-95. The state department in 2014 took back control of all of Philadelphias controlled routes except a strip of Market Street east of City Hall, fearing that some of the ads going up in the city could cost it transportation funds that are contingent on adherence to the federal laws. About a year later, Philadelphia lost control of the Market Street segment, too, with Federal Highway Administration officials saying the city had not demonstrated that it was adequately vetting outdoor-ad proposals for legal compliance when awarding permits. The kiosks at the center of the latest flare-up between City Hall and PennDot are being installed as part of a 20-year concession agreement with a company that merged to form Intersection. The deal, which was approved by City Council and signed by former Mayor Michael Nutter in 2014, also calls on Intersection to install ad-supported shelters and seating at transit stops. Philadelphia could pocket an estimated $18 million in shared advertising revenue over the life of the agreement, city spokesperson Kelly Cofrancisco said in an email. The Philadelphia Art Commission, which has jurisdiction over signage on city streets, has so far approved 35 kiosk locations, Cofrancisco said. Nine of these locations including the seven that currently have kiosks in place have received necessary approvals from the Philadelphia Streets Department and PennDot, she said. This was contradicted by PennDot spokesperson Chelsea Lacey-Mabe, who said in an email that PennDot has issued neither approvals nor permits for any kiosks in Philadelphia. We are working with the city to schedule a meeting to discuss the issue, she said. The Federal Highway Administration said in a statement that it is aware of the concerns raised regarding Philadelphias digital kiosks, and PennDots communication with city officials that these kiosks must conform with state and federal outdoor advertising requirements. Intersection said it is aware of the letter and continues to work very closely with the City of Philadelphia and PennDot. Each LinkPHL location requires review and permitting from PennDot as well as the Streets Department and Art Commission, and installation is on schedule, the company said in a statement. Clarke spokesperson Jane Roh said the Council presidents legislative staff is waiting to hear from the mayors office about timing for a meeting with PennDot. Cofrancisco said city officials have been in contact with PennDot about the kiosks since receiving the December letter and that they are optimistic we will be able to work through their concerns. We have had similar conversations previously with PennDot about the advertising on street furniture controlled by the city," including on bus shelters and panels over subway entrances, Cofrancisco said. The practice of advertising on state roads is not new. But Mary Tracy, executive director of Scenic Americas Philadelphia chapter, said ads on such street fixtures as bus shelters are routinely given a pass by regulators because they support what is seen as vital urban infrastructure. There is less of an urgent need for WiFi signals and power sockets to charge cell phones, which are already easy enough to access, she said. These are not such pressing needs that we want to give up our precious public space and treat our cities like were consumers, not citizens, Tracy said. The city has gone too far with this one. This map shows the path that Sunoco Logistics Mariner East 2 pipeline will cut through Delaware County. Read more The Chester County commissioners said Thursday that they are seeking to join a legal challenge against Sunocos Mariner East pipeline and also are ending an agreement to grant the company access to some county land. Time and again, Sunoco has been severely lacking in effective communication and transparency and we have no choice but to take these formal measures, said Michelle Kichline, chair of the commissioners. Even with the groundswell of activity and appeals from elected officials, grassroots organizations and residents affected by the pipeline, the company is not playing ball. We have no confidence that they ever will and we are done with trying to get answers on our own." The Mariner East is planned to bring natural gas liquids from the Marcellus and Utica Shale via a 20-inch pipeline. Natural gas liquids are defined as propane, ethane and butane. Plans call for new pipeline to be buried, as well as upgrades made to existing pipelines. Chester County commissioners had already notified the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) earlier this year about their growing concern over issues such as a lack of communication and failed repeated attempts by the county to get information related to Mariner East, specifically about a sinkhole. The PUC has regulatory authority regarding the pipeline. A sinkhole opened in the backyard of a West Whiteland Township home in January, prompting safety concerns among residents. The five-foot-wide, 10-foot-deep sinkhole appeared less than a year after the PUC ordered pipeline operations to halt when sinkholes were found in the same neighborhood of single-family homes. The pipeline resumed operation last May. But the commissioners now say they want to formally join an existing legal action started by a group of seven Delaware and Chester county residents against Sunoco and its parent company, Energy Transfer Partners. The legal complaint by the residents alleges numerous safety risks associated with the Mariner East pipelines, which are part of a multibillion-dollar effort to bring natural gas liquids from Western Pennsylvania to the Sunoco refinery in Marcus Hook and elsewhere. A spokeswoman for Energy Transfer Partners could not immediately be reached for comment. In December, a judge denied an emergency request by the residents to halt operations of the pipelines because of safety concerns. That decision was unanimously upheld by the PUC last month. The residents original lawsuit is proceeding. If Chester County is granted a motion to intervene in the complaint, its lawyers could present evidence, call or cross-examine witnesses, or file briefs. Also Thursday, Chester County commissioners said they sent a letter to Sunoco terminating an agreement they had with the company to provide access to county library property in Exton. A natural gas pipeline already runs under the property. But Sunoco needs access to upgrade the line as part of the Mariner project. Last week, Delaware County also filed a petition with the PUC to join the lawsuit. Several school districts, townships, and a homeowners association already have joined the lawsuit. Sam Rubin, an organizer with Food & Water Watch, hailed Chester County officials actions, especially the denial of access to land. The commissioners are acting in response to the powerful community movement that is committed to stopping the Mariner East pipelines, Rubin said. Arts Festival Chairman Chief Lapuenmal (right) poses with Ambong Thompson of National Cultural Centre who is also from Malekula The United States Coast Guard Reserve was originally established on 23 June 1939 as a civilian reserve.1 This civilian reserve was renamed the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary on the passage of the Coast Guard Reserve and Auxiliary Act of 19 February 1941 and the military reserve commenced operations at that time. Passage of this act designated the Reserve as a military branch of the active service, while the civilian volunteers, formerly referred to as the Coast Guard Reserve, became the Auxiliary. It is this day, February 19, that the official birthday of the United States Coast Guard Reserves is celebrated as well as sharing the day with "President's Day". Persons joining the Coast Guard after 1 February 1942 were signed on as Regular Reservists and were obligated to serve for "the duration plus six" months. These Reservists served in every type of job that the Coast Guard had been tasked. Other volunteers and Coast Guard Auxiliary members formed what was termed the Temporary Reserve and they generally served without pay, receiving only reimbursement for fuel expenses on their privately owned boats to perform coastal patrols and port security. The Women's Reserve was authorized by act of Congress on 23 November 1942 and soon became known as SPARS; derived from the Coast Guard's Motto: Semper Paratus, Always Ready. SPARS served in administrative, maintenance and training functions in the United States. Lieutenant Commander (later Captain) Dorothy C. Stratton was selected to head the SPAR Program and is credited with naming the group. Because all of the personnel inducted in the Coast Guard after the start of the war were Reservists, only 8% of the 214,000 Coast Guardsmen that served during World War II were non-reservists. An additional 125,000 Temporary Reservists also contributed to the war effort. At the end of the war most Reservists were released to inactive duty or discharged. The SPARS were disbanded in July 1947. The Mission of the United States Coast Guard Reserve is: Provide, operationally capable and ready personnel to support Coast Guard surge and mobilization requirements in the Homeland and abroad. As the United States Coast Guard Reserve has grown and developed it has established a true through the uniform a strong vision. The Vision of United States Coast Guard Reserve is: The Coast Guards only dedicated surge force, the Reserve, is a contingency-based workforce trained locally and deployed globally to provide appropriately trained personnel to meet mission requirements within the prioritized focus areas of Defense Operations, Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security, Incident Response and Management, & Mission Support. The Coast Guard has 40,992 men and women on active duty, 7,000 reservists, 31,000 auxiliarists, and 8,577 full-time civilian employees, for a total workforce of 87,569. 1.History of the Coast Guard Reserve", Coast Guard History, U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office and wikipedia Today's FFA members are the innovators and leaders of tomorrow. Through agricultural and hands-on learning, they are preparing for more than 250 unique career opportunities in the food, fiber and natural resources industry. The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 669,989 student members who belong to one of 8,630 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The organization is also supported by 459,514 alumni members in 2,236 alumni chapters throughout the U.S. In Wyoming alone there are 61 chapters stretching across the map. FFA is more than "plows, sows, and cows," the National FFA Organization is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Developing competent and assertive agricultural leadership all while increasing awareness of the global and technological importance of agriculture and its contribution to the well-being of the country. By doing so it strengthens student's confidence, builds character and promotes citizenship, volunteerism and patriotism. In twelve short words, FFA members are very familiar in the FFA motto that allows them to live by as they experience the opportunities in the organization. Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve. Designated a national week in 1947, the week of George Washington's birthday, National FFA Week runs from Saturday to Saturday and gives FFA members an opportunity to educate the public about agriculture. During the week, chapters conduct a variety of activities to help others in their school and community learn about FFA and agricultural education. As a part of National FFA Week, now for Pine Bluffs this week wasn't their first rodeo to handle. This year the Pine Bluffs FFA chapter didn't skip a beat in participating in the advocating week to celebrate FFA and remind those the true meaning of being a member of FFA. To start of the week the Pine Bluffs chapter began with chapter t-shirt days in honor of our hometown, this year officers came with an awesome t-shirt design that has their motto "I can, you can, we can!" with a creatively drawn food can on the back of the shirt. On Tuesday it was drive your tractor to school day, but it was almost impossible because of the frigid temperatures that sat down on Pine Bluffs the night before. Now as any farmer or rancher knows, dropping temperatures and tractors do not go together due to the fact the diesel in the tractor begins to gel up making it unable to start. Following, Wednesday, was official dress day where members of the FFA was asked to wear their official dress, but that wasn't all going on. The chapter also hosted a supporter's luncheon in honor of those local supporters. We are grateful to see even 4 Rivers Equipment out of Cheyenne, and FVC Pine Bluffs workers. Towards the end of the week members planned on doing a community service project, this year they decided to paint the classroom a mellow blue and soft yellow color a project they have been wanting to do for several months! Needless to say Pine Bluffs FFA Chapter had a very successful week of celebration! Pictured left to right: Greg Fornstrom, Diana Sanchez, Reagan Pachel and Joey Romans, whose team took second place at the Wyoming Academic Challenge competition held in Torrington. Students from Pine Bluffs earned second place at the Eastern Wyoming College Wyoming Academic Challenge tournament held over the weekend. The team consisting of Greg Fornstrom, Reagan Pachel, Joey Romans and Diana Sanchez earned the honors. Pine Bluffs also took home first place honors in the small schools division. Cheyenne East won the overall tournament. According to a press release, teams of two-to-four competitors competed in four rigorous rounds of competition. Questions ranged from current events, literature and mathematics. Douglas High School took third at the event. There are three more events remaining this year in Wyoming Academic Challenge. The all-star playoff is slated for March 16 at Casper College. On April 6, the state tournament will be held at Central Wyoming College in Riverton. Lastly, students will compete in the Wyoming-Montana match at Sheridan College. A date for the Sheridan tournament has yet to be determined. Nanga Parbat in winter, photographed from Base Camp. There has been no news from Daniele Nardi and Tom Ballard since Sunday 24 February when the two were above 6000 meters on the Mummery Rib. Photo by Daniele Nardi, Tom Ballard Nanga Parbat: rescue team reaches BC for Daniele Nardi and Tom Ballard 28.02.2019 by by Planetmountain A break in the poor weather has enabled helicopters to transport a rescue team to Nanga Parbat. An initial first reconnaissance flight resulted in no signs of Daniele Nardi and Tom Ballard. Update at 16:40 on 28/02/19 Daniele Nardi's official FB page states that, weather permitting, tomorrow two helicopters will set off from Skardu in order to reach K2 Base Camp where they will collect "the four Russian mountaineers, led by Vassily Pivtsov, who this morning agreed to support the Daniele Nardi and Tom Ballard rescue mission on Nanga Parbat. The mountaineers will be dropped off as close to Camp 3 as possible." At present in the Nanga Parbat area it is 20:50. Update 13:40 Here is a translation of the press release just published on Daniele Nardi's official page: "Ali Sadpara has comunicated that from the helicopter the tent at Camp 3 was identified, filled with snow. Traces of avalanches were seen on the slope, indicating the dangerous nature of the area. The weather below 7000 meters remains stable and we are waiting to receive further photographs and video from Base Camp and from the Pakistan aviation." Published at 11:20 on 28/02/2019 The news broke about 10 minutes ago, on both Daniele Nardi's official page and via Anna Piunova of www.mountain.ru, that the weather cleared up sufficiently for the Pakistan Army to fly the Pakistani rescue team to Nanga Parbat Base Camp. The pilots also made a first reconnaissance flight of the mountain in search of Daniele Nardi and Tom Ballard, but unfortunately neither the mountaineers nor their camps were detected. According to the latest updats, a second reconnaissance flight should be carried out shortly before the helicopters return to their base. The rescue mission is also working on transporting mountaineers from K2 to Nanga Parbat as soon as possible. Demo Kiriopoulos Wins WPT Fallsview Poker Classic February 27, 2019 Mo Nuwwarah Demo Kiriopoulos topped a Canada-heavy final table on Monday to win World Poker Tour Fallsview Poker Classic at Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Kiriopoulos won CA$517,424, or about $393,000. He got through a field of 602 entries for his biggest cash. Kiriopoulos had three previous six-figure scores, including a sixth-place finish in partypoker MILLIONS Canada last spring for CA$400,000. "This one is special because it's home court," he told tournament reporters after the win. WPT Fallsview Poker Classic Official Final Table Results Place Player Home Country Prize (~USD) 1 Demo Kiriopoulos Canada CA$517,424 ($393,462)* 2 Wing Yeung Canada CA$362,853 ($275,922) 3 Andrew Pantling Canada CA$233,339 ($177,445) 4 Jake Schwartz USA CA$167,388 ($127,292) 5 James Morgan Canada CA$128,471 ($97,703 6 Noeung Troeung Canada CA$105,170 ($79,982) *includes $15,000 WPT Tournament of Champions Seat The single-reentry event produced a prize pool of over $2 million despite having just 10 levels of registration and a single starting day. Ping Liu, Peter Jetten, Brian Altman, Luc Greenwood, Darren Elias and Andrew Chen were some of the players who cashed but missed out on the final table. Kiriopoulos went into the final day with one of the shorter stacks at under 15 big blinds, but he found kings early in Day 3 and held against king-ten all in preflop to get his head above water and surpass 30 big blinds. He would make the final table with around 36 big blinds. WPT regular Jake Schwartz also advanced to the final table despite having just a single big blind late on Day 2, as he was able to run it up and make the final nine with 57 big blinds. Final Table Action 1 Million One Drop final table participant Andrew Pantling held the chip lead going into the final table and he busted the first player, Jason Sagle, when his queens held up against ace-king. Pantling only increased his edge as Schwartz scored the next two eliminations of Brad Lampman and Garrett Dansereau to get the field to the official final table. By that point, Pantling held 9.5 million for 95 big blinds, out of about 25 million in play. Pantling's aggression produced the first elimination, although he was only peripherally involved as he opened a pot only to have two players shove behind him. The first shipper, James Morgan, had and he wound up knocking out Noeung Troeung, who called off about 11 big blinds with tens. Kiriopoulos then took a huge chunk from Pantling to grab the lead. On a board of , Kiriopoulos three-barreled with and Pantling paid him with , having turned a straight. Pantling would get much of that back by making a flush against Morgan, who was crippled down to a few big blinds. He busted in short order when sixes couldn't hold against the of Wing Yeung. Kiriopoulos then raised and called the shove of Jake Schwartz, who had 12 big blinds and . Kiriopoulos had and flopped an ace to bust Schwartz, playing at his fifth WPT official final table. Schwartz ran it back up from one big blind. Three-handed, Kiriopoulos dropped a large flip to Yeung and was in third place with 20 big blinds. However, he got back in it with a double through Pantling after flopping a set against top pair in an unraised pot blind versus blind. Yeung would then get his own double shoving 25 big blinds on the button with queen-jack, cracking Pantling's ace-king with a rivered queen. Yeung got the remaining eight big blinds when his deuces cracked Pantling's kings. Kiriopoulos had a 2-1 edge heads up and Yeung never got much traction. He got very short and doubled up once in a race but it was over after about 35 hands when Yeung ripped in on the button for 10 big blinds and ran into pocket tens. The WPT Main Tour continues in just a few days with the highly anticipated L.A. Poker Classic, one of the few $10,000 freezeouts still out there on the poker schedule. Photos courtesy of WPT Rachel Maddow laid out two clear paths forward after Michael Cohens dramatic testimony before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday and both options are bad for Donald Trump. Given the damning criminal evidence that Cohen presented to the committee, Maddow said there are two potential outcomes for the president: impeachment or criminal charges. [Impeachment is] the clear straightforward constitutional path here, the MSNBC host explained. But the other path, the other perhaps parallel, perhaps intersecting path, is the path of the criminal law. Video: Maddow said: The straightforward way a congressional committee is supposed to handle allegations like this, information like this, is that theyre supposed to investigate it themselves. And if the allegations are substantiated, and if members Congress believe its warranted, that information is supposed to become the basis for possible impeachment proceedings in the House, which could eventually lead to a trial in the Senate, which could eventually lead to a president being removed from office. Thats the clear straightforward constitutional path here. But the other path, the other perhaps parallel, perhaps intersecting path, is the path of the criminal law. And one of the things about living through this Trump era is that it has never been fully clear to us the American people throughout the scandals of this presidency just how susceptible this sitting president might be to potential prosecution himself, Not only in Congress and a potential impeachment proceeding, but potentially in a court of law as well. Michael Cohens testimony The night before Michael Cohens testimony, Rachel Maddow predicted that the hearing had the potential to end Trumps presidency. After Cohen presented the committee with damning evidence that implicates the president in multiple crimes, that outcome became more likely on Wednesday. With Democratic-led committees now firing on all cylinders and the Southern District of New York continuing to investigate Trump, the likelihood of both impeachment and potential criminal charges continues to go up. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter 3.2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Michael Cohen told Congress under oath that he is worried about there not being a peaceful transition of power if Trump loses in 2020. Cohen said, I did things and I acted improperly at times on Mr. Trumps behest. I blindly followed his demands. My loyalty to him cost me everything. My familys happiness friendships, my law license, my company, my livelihood, my reputation and soon my freedom. And I will not sit back and say nothing and allow him to do the same to the country. Indeed given my experience working for Mr. Trump, I fear if he loses the election in 2020 that there will never be a peaceful transition of power. Video: #Cohen Indeed given my experience working for Mr. Trump, I fear if he loses the election in 2020 that there will never be a peaceful transition of power. pic.twitter.com/YpHsUnnj2A Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 27, 2019 The big fear is that if Trump loses in 2020 he will refuse to transfer power and leave quietly. Trump will lose then try to invalidate and discredit the election. Trump will try everything that he can to stay in office because for Donald Trump, the presidency is the only thing that is keeping away from being indicted or in prison. Heed Michael Cohens Warning Few people know Trump better than Michael Cohen. Trumps former lawyer is right. The president is only interested in winning, and if he loses, he will do everything in his power to try to stay in office. Beating Trump wont be enough. The country will have to soundly reject him in order to not give him a reason to claim that it was stolen from him. Trump doesnt do peace, which is why the country had best prepare for a political war to get rid of this plague on the presidency. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook Former Democratic Rep. Beto ORourke says he and his family have made a final decision regarding their plans for 2020 and they will announce them soon, according to a new report in The Dallas Morning News. In a statement to the newspaper, ORourke said, Amy and I have made a decision about how we can best serve our country. We are excited to share it with everyone soon, he added. The Dallas Morning News added that ORourke likely will announce a campaign for president soon, citing people in the former Democratic congressmans circle. ORourke has ruled out another Senate run For weeks, there has been speculation that ORourke may take another shot at the U.S. Senate in 2020 after he nearly unseated incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz last November. But the same report notes that he has ruled out a second Senate campaign in which he would have faced off against Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Ruling out a second bid for the Senate seems to leave one option for ORourke: a campaign for the presidency. Trump should fear Beto ORourke In deep red Texas, Beto ORourke came within three percentage points of defeating Ted Cruz. If he can build a national campaign that was as unique and energizing as his Senate operation in Texas, he will be a formidable threat to Donald Trump. A recent poll showed ORourke beating Trump by a solid six percentage points nationally, and thats before he has formally introduced himself to the country on a large scale. Not to mention: ORourke showed earlier this month that he can beat Trump on his signature issue of immigration. Not only did he turn out more people to his rally on the border in El Paso, but he masterfully tore the presidents immigration lies to shreds. In an already large field of Democratic hopefuls, Beto ORourke is likely to thrust himself into the top tier of candidates just by announcing his campaign in the coming weeks. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter 945 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard GOP strategist Rick Wilson tore into Republicans on the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday for how they behaved during Michael Cohens testimony. In an interview with MSNBCs Chris Hayes, Wilson compared the band of GOP committee members led by Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan to immature high school students. They never asked a substantive question today, the Republican said. What you got was a lot of high school drama class overacting. He added, Its so over the top and its so silly. Video: GOP strategist Rick Wilson slammed the Republican performance at Wednesdays Cohen testimony. #ctl #p2 pic.twitter.com/mnvut3QTYW PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) February 28, 2019 Wilson said: They never asked a substantive question all day today. They never addressed anything. They avoided saying the t-word, Donald Trump, the entire time and what you got was a lot of high school drama class overacting by Jim Jordan throwing his arms around and throwing paper and Mark Meadows practically spitting hes so angry. All of it was just contrived, phony. Like I said, its high school drama class. Its so over the top and its so silly. And of course, theyre demeaning themselves. The Republicans have stopped pretending they care about doing their jobs The Republican performance on Wednesday was just the latest demonstration that the GOP no longer cares about upholding their responsibilities as members of Congress. The party has completely given up its power and decided that its more important to protect the president instead of act as an independent branch of government. Thats why, as Rick Wilson noted, they refused to ask serious questions or show a sincere interest in Cohens credible allegations, even when presented with damning evidence that the president committed crimes. GOP members of the House Oversight Committee spent all day attacking Trumps former lawyer and playing political games to protect the president, but in doing so they showed that they are no better than the man they accused Michael Cohen of being. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter 3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard In the latest sign that Donald Trump is a terrible deal-maker, U.S. negotiators admitted on Wednesday they will no longer demand that North Korea share the complete details of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile arsenals as discussions between the two countries continue. According to NBC News, U.S. negotiators are no longer demanding that North Korea agree to disclose a full accounting of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs as part of talks this week between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, according to current and former senior U.S. officials. The concession is an admission by Trump that he will not be able to accomplish the chief goal of his talks with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, which is denuclearization. More from NBC News: The decision to drop, for now, a significant component of a potential nuclear deal suggests a reality that U.S. intelligence assessments have stressed for months is shaping talks as they progress: North Korea does not intend to fully denuclearize, which is the goal Trump set for his talks with Kim. Disclosure of a full, verifiable declaration of North Koreas programs is the issue over which the last round of serious negotiations between Pyongyang and world powers, including the U.S., fell apart a decade ago. Trump cares more about the spectacle than reaching a deal It has been clear for months that Donald Trump was never going to get North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, especially since he has already given Kim Jong Un everything he wanted. As I wrote during the first summit between the two men in Singapore last year, Trump has been playing North Koreas hands all along. In just two meetings, he has given Kim Jong Un something that decades of American leaders have refused to give the North Korean regime: legitimacy. While this second summit is likely to give Trump another photo-op to distract from his crumbling presidency here at home, Wednesdays admission by U.S. negotiators is proof that the meetings have already failed on the substance. In one fell swoop, this president has made North Korea an international player and they didnt even have to give up their nuclear arsenal. All they had to do was write a love letter to Donald Trump. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter By Andy Sullivan (Reuters) Special Counsel Robert Mueller and other U.S. prosecutors have been investigating whether President Donald Trumps 2016 campaign conspired with Russia and whether the president unlawfully tried to obstruct the inquiry. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded Russia interfered in the presidential election with a campaign of hacking and propaganda to sow discord in the United States and damage the Republican Trumps Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. Russia denies it. Trump has denied collusion and obstruction of justice. Here are some key figures in the investigation. DONALD TRUMP JR. Trumps eldest son set up a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower in New York with a Kremlin-linked lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and other Russians who had offered damaging information on Clinton. In an email after being promised the Clinton dirt, Trump Jr. wrote I love it. When news of the meeting broke in July 2017, Trump Jr. issued a statement saying the meeting was set up to discuss adoption policy, not politics, before later admitting he had been expecting intelligence on Clinton. President Trumps advisers eventually said the president dictated the misleading statement put out in his sons name, after initially denying his involvement. JARED KUSHNER Trumps son-in-law has served as a senior adviser to him as both candidate and president. Kushner initially did not list any Russian contacts on his application for a White House security clearance, but subsequently revised those forms to reveal he had participated in the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting and discussed setting up a secure communications line at the Russian Embassy in Washington after Trump won the November 2016 election with Sergei Kislyak, then-Russian ambassador to the United States. JEFF SESSIONS Sessions, a longtime U.S. senator from Alabama, served as a campaign adviser and then Trumps first attorney general. During his Senate confirmation hearings he said he did not meet with Russian officials during the campaign, but later admitted he had met at least twice with Kislyak. Under pressure, he recused himself from oversight of the Russia investigation, which at the time was led by the FBI and later by Mueller. The recusal angered Trump, who eventually fired Sessions in November 2018. MICHAEL FLYNN A retired U.S. Army lieutenant general, Flynn was a top campaign adviser and served as Trumps first national security adviser until he was fired after only weeks on the job for lying about his conversations with Kislyak in December 2017, after Trump won the election but before he took office. Flynn discussed U.S. sanctions with Russia and asked the ambassador for help with a U.N. vote, according to court filings. Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and has been cooperating with investigators. Before he joined Trumps campaign, Flynn sat next to Russian President Vladimir Putin at a Moscow dinner in December 2015 celebrating RT, a pro-Kremlin Russian-owned English language media channel. PAUL MANAFORT Manafort served on Trumps campaign from March to August 2016, including three months as chairman, ensuring Trump secured the Republican presidential nomination during the partys convention in Cleveland. During that time, the Republican Party softened its support for arming U.S. allies in Ukraine. He participated in the Trump Tower meeting with Russians who offered damaging information on Clinton. Manaforts lawyers said that after the convention he shared election polling data and discussed a way to end the Ukraine conflict with Russian Konstantin Kilimnik, a former business associate who Muellers team has called an agent of the Kremlin. Manafort faces decades in prison for crimes relating to his work earning millions of dollars as a political consultant and lobbyist for pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine. He was found guilty of bank and tax fraud and has pleaded guilty to separate lobbying violations. A judge ruled on Feb. 13 that Manafort violated his plea agreement with prosecutors by repeatedly lying to Muellers team. RICK GATES Manaforts longtime lobbying associate served as deputy campaign chairman and worked on the transition after Trump was elected. Gates pleaded guilty to lying to investigators and was a star witness in Manaforts 2018 trial, testifying that he helped his boss file false tax returns and hide millions of dollars offshore. Gates has continued to cooperate with the investigation, according to court filings. MICHAEL COHEN Trumps former longtime personal attorney once boasted that he would take a bullet for his boss, but has since turned on him. In a series of guilty pleas, Cohen said he worked on a deal to build a Trump tower in Moscow for nearly a year while Trump was running for president, and acted at Trumps direction to break campaign-finance laws by arranging hush money payments to women who claim to have had sexual relationships with Trump. Cohens turn against Trump was on dramatic display in his congressional testimony on Wednesday, accusing the president of being a racist, conman and cheat. ROGER STONE Stone is a self-proclaimed political dirty trickster who has known Trump for about four decades. Stone is accused of telling members of Trumps presidential campaign that he knew in advance of plans by the WikiLeaks website to release damaging emails about Clinton. Cohen has said he heard Stone tell Trump on the telephone in July 2016 about a forthcoming release by WikiLeaks of the stolen emails. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded the emails were stolen by Russians. They sowed division among Democratic voters by showing that Democratic Party officials had favored Clinton over insurgent candidate Bernie Sanders. INTERNET RESEARCH AGENCY Mullers team has said this St. Petersburg-based organization tried to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election through fake social-media accounts, aiming to spread distrust about the candidates and the American political system. The organization employed hundreds of people, according to an indictment. RUDY GIULIANI The former New York mayor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate has offered a freewheeling defense of the president in the news media since signing on as Trumps personal lawyer in April 2018. Giuliani has occasionally misstated facts, drawing rebukes from Trump or other members of his administration. MARIA BUTINA This Russian woman, a former graduate student at American University in Washington, has admitted to trying to infiltrate the influential National Rifle Association lobby group and make inroads with conservative activists and Republicans as an agent for Moscow in a criminal case in parallel with the Mueller investigation. Butina pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in December 2018 and has agreed to cooperate with U.S. investigators. JAMES COMEY As FBI director, Comey oversaw the initial stages of the Russia investigation until Trump fired him in May 2017. The White House initially said Comey was fired because he had mishandled a 2016 investigation into Clintons emails, but shortly thereafter Trump told NBC that he had this Russia thing on his mind in the dismissal. Comey has said that Trump pressured him to end the investigation of Flynn. CARTER PAGE The Trump foreign-policy adviser met with Russian officials in Moscow in July 2016, and has said he reported back to Sessions and other senior campaign officials after the trip. His contacts attracted suspicion from the FBI, which said in surveillance applications that it believed Page has been collaborating and conspiring with the Russian Government and had established relationships with Russian intelligence officers. Page, who has not been charged, has said he did nothing wrong. (Compiled by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Will Dunham) 3.9k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) said that after listening to Michael Cohen talk about the SDNY investigation in a closed session to the House Intelligence Committee, it is clear that Trump and his kids are in serious legal jeopardy. The Trump Family Legal Problems Are Getting Worse Transcript of Rep. Castro talking to MSNBCs Katy Tur: Rep. Castro: As you can imagine a lot of it affirms of what Michael Cohen said. He brought up the fact that he believed that president trump had knowledge of the trump tower meeting that he had knowledge of upcoming Wikileaks dumps, at least one of them. It is clear to me listening to him today, the southern district of New York investigation could be just as legally perilous to the president. Tur: Tell me why you said that? Castro: I cant speak specifically about the kinds of cases that are being talked about but based on what was described to us, it gets pretty close to the Tur: He said theyre investigating more crimes. Can you tell us if it is financial crimes or are they fraud crimes? What sort of crimes, campaign finance crimes? Castro: I cant say right now but theyre a serious matter and can pose serious legal jeopardy for the president and his family members. Tur: You say and his family members so I am assuming you are talking about don Jr. And Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner? Castro: I will leave it as his circle of family members. Video: Rep. Joaquin Castro on the SDNY investigations into the Trumps, "Theyre a serious matter and can pose serious legal jeopardy for the president and his family members." https://t.co/4zucOP5hF6 pic.twitter.com/6s9jqRIm1c PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) February 28, 2019 The SDNY Is The Biggest Threat To Trump Michael Cohen said it during his public testimony, and it is true. Conspiracies are hard to prove, which is why Mueller might not come back with evidence that Trump himself conspired with the Russians during the 2016 election. However, the Southern District of New York has already connected Trump to multiple felonies. The New York investigations dont have the limited scope of the Mueller investigation. The biggest threat to Trump is that his decades of financial fraud and crimes will be revealed. While Trumps connection to Russia is the bigger national security threat, it is the SDNY prosecutions that could land Trump and his kids in prison. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook 267 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard WASHINGTON (Reuters) Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled an ambitious proposal to move all Americans into the governments Medicare health insurance program, tapping into public frustration over the rising cost of healthcare that has become a key issue for the party as it seeks to gain control of Congress and the White House in 2020. The bill, unveiled by Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal from Washington state, would transition the U.S. healthcare system to a single-payer Medicare for All program funded by the government in two years. The legislation is the partys most high-profile and ambitious single-payer proposal in the new Congress and has more than 100 co-sponsors, many from the partys progressive flank. It is unlikely to gain the support of any Republicans in the House or the Senate, who have derided single-payer healthcare as a socialist policy and oppose government interference in healthcare. It also remains unclear whether Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will bring the legislation up for a vote. Americans are literally dying because they cant afford insulin or they cant get the cancer treatment they need, Jayapal said on a call with reporters on Tuesday. There are some things that should not be provided through the for-profit market. Medicare currently serves about 60 million Americans who are age 65 or older, or disabled. Jayapals legislation would eliminate the age threshold. The new Medicare would not require any beneficiaries to pay premiums or deductibles and would not charge patients co-pays or out-of-pocket costs after receiving care. It does not include new or increased taxes or other additional revenues to pay for the healthcare overhaul. Jayapal said possible ways to pay for the bill include a tax on millionaires and billionaires, employer premiums and closing tax loopholes for the wealthy. The idea of Medicare for All was first proposed by Independent Bernie Sanders in 2017 as a single-payer system that would largely replace private insurance. It gained traction among Democrats running for congressional office in 2018, and is now a central campaign issue for party members vying for the 2020 presidential nomination. A Reuters/IPSOS poll in August found that 70 percent of Americans support some sort of single-payer system. The health industry has opposed single-payer proposals, saying they would ultimately lead to less access to care. Critics include the American Hospital Association and Americas Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the health insurance industrys biggest trade group. This bill will hurt patients, consumers, and taxpayers: Americans will pay more, to wait longer, for worse care, AHIP said in a statement. Lets focus on real solutions that deliver real results, not a one-size-fits-all government system. The House proposal unveiled on Tuesday would not eliminate private health insurance entirely, as it would allow patients to purchase supplemental coverage. Many Americans under the age of 65 rely on private insurance provided by their employer. A single-payer system is variously understood as one in which the government pays for healthcare for more people, or one where the governments owns health services providers and manages all aspects of care, such as in the United Kingdom. Several U.S. Democratic lawmakers have introduced different versions of expanded Medicare, such as allowing people aged 50 and older to buy into the program. The new House proposal would cover most aspects of patients care, including primary care, hospital and outpatient services, prescription drugs, dental, vision, audiology, womens reproductive health services, maternity and newborn care. (Reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb; Additional reporting by Amanda Becker and Susan Cornwell in Washington; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) 705 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard By Gina Cherelus (Reuters) A Texan who shot at counter-protesters after a white nationalist rally at the University of Florida in 2017 has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, court records showed. Tyler Tenbrink, 30, pleaded no contest to charges of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a felon during a hearing on Wednesday in Alachua County, Florida. No one was hurt in the shooting, near the universitys campus in Gainesville after a speech by Richard Spencer, an avowed white nationalist, drew hundreds of counter-protesters. Ahead of Spencers speech, Tenbrink spoke with a Reuters journalist and described himself as a white nationalist who wanted to preserve our heritage and the American way of life. According to Gainesville police, he and two other men later made Nazi salutes and threatened a group of counter-protesters before Tenbrink fired a shot from a handgun that hit a building. The three men fled in a pick-up truck before being arrested. Tenbrink was originally charged with attempted homicide but later reached a plea agreement with prosecutors. He was sentenced to 15 years for aggravated assault and firearm possession by Judge James Colaw. Tenbrink said he would ask the Florida Department of Corrections if he could serve his sentence in Texas to be closer to his family, according to the Gainesville Sun newspaper. A representative from the state attorneys office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Alistair Bell) 671 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Rep. Rashida Tlaib on Thursday said that she and other people in the House Oversight Committee hearing room gasped when Rep. Mark Meadows (R, NC) pointed to a black Trump administration official as evidence that Donald Trump is not racist. I think if we want to talk about race in this country, thats not the way to do it, says Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who accused Republican Rep. Mark Meadows of a racist act by using a black woman as a prop at the Cohen hearing VIDEO: "I think if we want to talk about race in this country, that's not the way to do it," says Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who accused Republican Rep. Mark Meadows of a "racist act" by using a black woman as a "prop" at the Cohen hearing https://t.co/wFM4X1f1iu pic.twitter.com/7XMnTw4Y9u CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 28, 2019 The Michigan Democrat condemned Meadows actions as racist. I think all of us, I mean, even folks at home kind of gasped when that actually happened, Tlaib (D-Mich.) said early Thursday morning on CNN. I think if we want to talk about race in this country, that was not the way do it. During his explosive public testimony in front of the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, Donald Trumps former personal attorney Michael Cohen made many allegations against the president. He called his former boss a racist, and said that he repeatedly disparaged African Americans. Republican Oversight Committee members spent most of their time during the hearing trying to discredit Cohen instead of inquiring further into allegations of Trumps crimes. Meadows introduced a black Department of Housing and Urban Development staffer, Lynne Patton, to rebut Cohens allegations of Trumps racism. Meadows told Patton to stand up in front of the committee and then he spoke on her behalf. Meadows was immediately criticized for using Patton as a token and lambasted for his ineffective attempt to prove that Trump is not a racist. After Tlaib accused Meadows of racism, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus fired back. He requested that Tlaibs comments be stricken from the record. During the ensuing discussion Tlaib clarified that she called the act racist, but not Meadows himself. The North Carolina conservative claimed a record of combating racism and said that he has nephews and nieces who are people of color. Patton also spoke out Thursday about the exchange saying she never meant to speak on behalf of all black people and that she was happy to defend the president. She also said on her Instagram account that she was not a prop and that committee Democrats played the race card in their criticisms. I said it before, I say it again, the president does not see color, race, creed, religion, Patton said. What he sees is success and failure. Tlaib said this morning she meant no disrespect toward Patton, but she was going to stand by her earlier comments. When she was asked if she believes Meadows is a racist, Tlaib said: Look, I feel like the act was, and thats up to the American people to decide whether or not he is. 2.3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Trumps pal Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is about to be charged with three felonies including bribery and fraud. Netanyahu is the first Israeli PM to be indicted: BREAKING via Israeli TV: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicted on three counts including bribery and fraud. First time ever an Israeli PM has been indicted. Michael Del Moro (@MikeDelMoro) February 28, 2019 The Indictment Against Netanyahu Has Been Two Years In The Making Netanyahu was first investigated in 2017 when he was suspected of taking illegal gifts from foreign and domestic businesspersons. In February 2018, Israeli police recommended that Netanyahu be charged with bribery in two cases. The man who one of Trumps few international leader friends now is in the middle of a Trump-like corruption scandal. What happens to Netanyahu now? Before the case can officially move forward, Reuters reports, The actual filing of charges, which include bribery, fraud and breach of trust, will depend on the outcome of a required hearing, the Justice Ministry said in a statement. At that hearing which could take place after the April 9 election Netanyahu can try to persuade the attorney-general, Avichai Mandelblit, not to indict him. Netanyahu is accused of taking $240,000 in illegal gifts. It is clear now why Trump and Netanyahu get along so well. They are two birds of a criminal feather. Much like Trump, Netanyahu has ruled out resigning, so Israeli voters who wish to clean up their government will have to do it themselves at the ballot box. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook 1.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard In his closing press conference at the North Korean Summit in Vietnam today Donald Trump claimed that Michael Cohens testimony before Congress yesterday cleared him of charges of conspiring with Russia to win election to the U.S. presidency. Trump: Cohens testimony cleared me of Russian collusion https://t.co/Z5lR79fVD7 The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) February 28, 2019 The president was asked about the testimony of his former lawyer during the press conference which took place after his meetings with North Koreas Kim Jong-un were cut short due to a disagreement over sanctions. During the press conference Trump stated: He lied a lot, but it was very interesting because he didnt lie about one thing, he said no collusion with the Russian hoax I was actually impressed that he didnt say, Well, I think there was collusion for this reason or that. He didnt say that. He said no collusion, and I was a little impressed by that, frankly The most important question up there was the one on collusion, and he said he saw no collusion. The truth is that Cohen did address Russian collusion in his prepared statement that was released to the media early yesterday morning. In it he wrote: Questions have been raised about whether I know of direct evidence that Mr. Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia. I do not. I want to be clear. But, I have my suspicions. In the statement Cohen referred to an incident in June of 2016 in Trump Tower when Cohen was in Trumps office and Don Jr. came in and told his father, The meeting is all set, to which Trump reportedly replied, OK good let me know. Cohen said he believed that the presidents oldest son was informing his father about the infamous June 2016 Trump Tower meeting with Russians who had promised to provide the campaign with dirt about Hillary Clinton. The Russians in the meeting represented the government of Vladimir Putin, and the purpose of the meeting was to see what they could do to help Trump beat Clinton. Its not clear if Donald Trump is lying again, or if he is completely delusional. But it is clear that his stated belief that Cohens testimony cleared him of Russian collusion charges is totally and completely wrong. In fact, the opposite is probably true if you consider that Cohen is talking to both House and Senate intelligence committees about classified topics such as Russian collusion. 1.4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Trump humiliated and weakened the United States with a second N. Korea summit that was even worse than his first. Kori Schake, the Deputy Director General of the International Institute For Strategic Studies, ran through all the ways that Trump lost to N. Korea: Quite a lot accomplished if youre the North Koreans. You have two summits in the space of the year from the United States. You have distance between the United States and South Koreans. You have reduced military readiness of South Korean and American forces because the president canceled the exercises. You got to keep your 30-some nuclear weapons and your missiles that can hit the united you got a pass on human rights and being the largest prison camp in the world. Thats a fabulous outcome if youre the North Koreans. Im relieved that the president did not agree to something even worse, that he doesnt deserve any credit for creating a circumstance where were grateful that the outcome isnt worse. Video: Trump lost big at his distract from Michael Cohen N. Korea summit. pic.twitter.com/fdUn4xeSqZ Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 28, 2019 Trump continues to give up everything and get nothing from North Korea Donald Trump doesnt understand that not removing the sanctions isnt a tough stance or a win. It should have been the default negotiating position of the country until North Korea gives up its nuclear program and improves on human rights. Not making a worse deal is the best that can be said for Trumps two day waste of time. The president doesnt realize it, but just by holding these summits, he is giving Kim Jong-un what he wants. Trump has elevated Kim and the regime, and the North Koreans have given up nothing to accomplish this goal. It is an embarrassment for the worlds only superpower to go to these summits and constantly get played and owned. Trump weakened the United States for a cheap photo-op distraction from the Michael Cohen hearings. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook Russian television host Dmitriy Kiselyov attempted to clarify what President Vladimir Putin meant when he threatened the United States with retaliation during his annual address to the Federation Council, the Russian parliament. Putin declared that should Washington deploy intermediate-range missiles in Europe, Russia would be forced to strike at key decision-making centers in the United States. He then spoke of Russias progress in developing a hypersonic missile, the Tsirkon, which Moscow claims would have a range of 1,000 km and move with a speed of 11,000 km. Russian TV host and CEO of the Kremlins media arm Rossiya Segodnya, Kiselyov, who is reportedly close to Putin, was quick to identify the U.S. military decision-making centers located along the East and West coasts. But he blundered, listing nonexistent military bases as Russian targets and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitriy Peskov immediately distanced the government from war scenarios presented on its own state-owned television outlet. We never interfere and cannot interfere in the editorial policy of our television channels, even the state ones. Therefore, in this case, the question must be addressed directly to the television channels, said Peskov. Kiselyov listed the Pentagon as the defense departments headquarters and Camp David, as the command center of the U.S. president and the Joint Chief of Staff.. But the remainder of Kiselyovs list seems to not have been updated for at least two decades. Two of the military facilities he named were closed more than twenty years ago and he misrepresented the functions of the third base. Kiselyov claimed that the U.S. military decision-making centers are Fort Ritchie, Maryland, the command post of the American President and the command center for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. On the West Coast is McClellan (California), where is the command center of the strategic offensive forces, and Jim Creek (Washington) hosting the nuclear command control center. He then described in detail how Russias prospective hypersonic missile, the Tsirkon, would eliminate them in seconds. Fort Ritchie Closed The former U.S. military base Fort Ritchie was closed in September 1998 pursuant to the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission. It is now a census-designated location in Washington County, Maryland, with a population of 314 according to the U.S. Census tabulations for State of Maryland in 2010. The Maryland National Guard built Camp Ritchie in 1926 as a training ground. During World War II, it was designated as a War Department Military Intelligence Training Center, where 20,000 intelligence troops were housed and trained over a four-year period. From 1964 to 1975, the post was used as a support installation and eventually headquarters for the 7th Signal Command. In 1995, Fort Ritchie was placed on the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) list; all military activity ceased by 1998. The base was never a command center of the President of the United States and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as Kiselyov claimed. But the TV host apparently failed to check the status of the former base before announcing the Russian target in Maryland. McClellan Air Force Base Closed Kiselyev made the same blunder in naming the former McClellan Air Force Base, located near Sacramento, California, which has been closed for 18 years. In fact, it has been converted to a public airport general aviation airport. As is part of McClellan Park, Sacramento McClellan Airport is one of the most successful conversions of a former military base in the country, says the airports website. The Pentagon slated McClellan Air Force Base for closure in 1993, after serving as the pivotal supply depot on the West coast during World War II and later as one of the five repair and maintenance depots for military aircraft. The Air Force base provided major logistical repair and maintenance support for the Korean War, Vietnam War, and Operation Desert Shield/ Storm. But McClelland was never a command center of the strategic offensive forces of the United States as Kiselyov claims, although it employed 4,250 military personnel and 17,652 civilians at the height of the war effort. 'Jim Creek' Naval Radio Communication Kiselyovs last gaffe was to claim that Jim Creek is a nuclear command control center. The base actually consists of the Jim Creek Naval Radio Station and a recreation park for military personnel. The radio station is as a very low frequency (VLF) radio transmitter facility with its main mission to communicate orders one-way to submarines of the Pacific fleet while submerged. Its daily functions are controlled by the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station (NCTAMS) Pacific Command. The local newspaper in the area, the Seattle Times, describes it as a relatively obscure U.S. military site in an article about the Kiselyov broadcast. In 1953, when the Naval Radio Station Jim Creek was dedicated, it was recognized as the most powerful radio station in the world. Today it is still among only a handful of radio stations capable of providing more than one million watts of power, allowing the U.S. Navy to communicate with ships, submarines, and aircraft anywhere around the world, according to Homeport Northwest, the official blog of the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Northwest. While the radio station is indeed a strategic installation, critical for U.S. Navy in the Pacific, it is not a nuclear command center, as Kiselyov claimed. In the Nuclear Matters Handbook 2016, which is online and available to the public, the Department of Defense lists fixed command centers at the Pentagon and an Air Force base in the State of Nebraska as part of the Nuclear Command and Control System. The Jim Creek radio location is not listed. Kiselyov, however, went on to describe how the prospective Russian Tsirkon hypersonic missile which is still in development with no clear project completion date could destroy those American command centers in five minutes. He said that 40 Tsirkons could be mounted on any Russian ship or submarine and launched from 200 miles away in the ocean, just beyond the U.S. territorial waters and target those "command centers." Internet users noted, however, that the images Kiselyov used to illustrate the Tsirkon are very similar to those of the X-51 missile developed by the American company Boeing. According to Interfax, Russia conducted several tests of the Tsirkon in 2015, but open sources do not include any official images or video recordings of this missile. As to Dmitriy Peskovs separate claim that the Kremlin does not call the shots at state-owned media, that could certainly be a subject of a separate fact check. The last Freedom House report on press freedom in Russia says that Television, which is still the leading source of news and information, often functions as a propaganda tool for the government. Get the SC business stories that matter. Our newsletter catches you up with all the business stories that are shaping Charleston and South Carolina every Monday and Thursday at noon. Get ahead with us - it's free. Teachers from across South Carolina came to the Statehouse on Tuesday, Jan. 29, to lobby legislators for more money. Seanna Adcox/Staff Gregory Yee covers the city of Charleston. He's a native Angeleno and previously covered crime and courts for the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, CA. He studied journalism and Spanish literature at the University of California, Irvine. The man accused of killing a 60-year-old woman in her Mount Pleasant home in early February was indebted to her for $20,000, a newly released arrest affidavit shows. Norman Phillip Browne, 44, was taken into custody in Myrtle Beach on Wednesday night and charged with murder in the death of Ann Witherspoon, whose body was found Feb. 9 in her Seminole Street home after a friend reported her missing. Witherspoon had been struck over the head with an unknown object, then shot, authorities said, adding that they believe she was killed in her home. Browne waived his bond hearing Thursday and will remain jailed until he can appear before a circuit judge who will decide whether to set bail. In South Carolina, a magistrate cannot set bail for a charge of murder. Browne was previously charged in the theft of Witherspoon's car. It was on Feb. 6 when investigators said Browne met with Witherspoon at his storage unit in Myrtle Beach "to talk about his business," according to the affidavit, and a $20,000 loan she had given him. It was not clear, based on the court documents, what the loan may have been used for. After the meet-up, the two reportedly returned to Browne's apartment where they had a dinner of chipped steak, peas and carrots and afterward returned to the same storage unit. While at the storage unit, Browne told police that Witherspoon injured her head, which caused a significant amount of bleeding, so he drove her back to her Mount Pleasant residence the same night, according to the affidavit. Once in her home, Browne helped Witherspoon into bed and left back for Myrtle Beach. The next day, Feb. 7, Browne contended he spoke with Witherspoon on the phone and that they agreed to meet at a Waffle House in Wilmington, N.C., where he would return her car. When investigators reviewed surveillance footage from that day, they found no evidence that the two ever met up at the restaurant, the affidavit said. The car was found nearby in a parking lot at Cape Fear Community College, which is also in Wilmington. When Witherspoon was reported missing on Feb. 9 by her friend, according to the affidavit, police found Witherspoon's body in her bedroom. A gun was laid down near her head, where she had been shot, authorities said, in order to make the scene look as if it were a suicide. "There were large amounts of blood in the bed and officers believe based on the evidence found at the scene that her body was re-positioned in the bed by someone else," the document stated. The Charleston County Coroner's Office estimated she had died about two days earlier, investigators said. Political Editor Schuyler Kropf is The Post and Courier political editor. He has covered every major political race in South Carolina dating to 1988, including for U.S. Senate, governorship, the Statehouse and Republican and Democratic presidential primaries. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. The Post and Courier provides a forum for our readers to share their opinions, and to hold up a mirror to our community. Publication does not imply endorsement by the newspaper; the editorial staff attempts to select a representative sample of letters because we believe its important to let our readers see the range of opinions their neighbors submit for publication. Jamie Lovegrove is a political reporter covering the South Carolina Statehouse, congressional delegation and campaigns. He previously covered Texas politics in Washington for The Dallas Morning News and in Austin for the Texas Tribune. Assistant Columbia bureau chief Adcox returned to The Post and Courier in October 2017 after 12 years covering the Statehouse for The Associated Press. She previously covered education for The P&C. She has also worked for The AP in Albany, N.Y., and for The Herald in Rock Hill. AMES, Iowa Beer fans and local farmers gathered Feb. 15 at a bar here to meet the CEO of MillerCoors who thanked farmers on behalf of the organization. MillerCoors CEO Gavin Hattersley was traveling throughout Iowa as a part of a national "Toast to Farmers" tour. Some of the farmers in Ames said they believe Hattersleys visit was in response to the conversation surrounding the use or not of specific ingredients in beer, including corn. The issue was sparked by a Bud Light ad that aired during the Super Bowl on Feb. 3. The commercial featured a beer that is brewed without corn syrup. MillerCoors took to Twitter to post a statement that said Bud Light failed to make a, "distinction between corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup." MillerCoors also said corn syrup is a normal part of the brewing process and does not actually end up in your beer. Hattersley said the company thought coming to the "heartland" was the right thing to do when addressing this issue. "The right thing to do was to thank these farmers and quite frankly, we wouldnt be able to make these beers if it wasnt for them," he said. "Without the corn we wouldnt have Coors Light and thats why (this tour) is important for us." Hattersley said the Bud Light message was disappointing. "Its disappointing that the largest beer company in the world has chosen to denigrate Americas corn farmers," he said. "Its an ingredient that almost every brewer in America uses and are proud to use." Anheuser-Busch, the maker of Bud Light, released an unapologetic statement after the controversy brewed, saying it likes corn, just not in its beer, and that it brews its beers with rice, hops, barley and water. During his visits with farmers, Hattersley said he has heard pride and thanks from farmers. "(Farmers said) how proud they are of what they do and what ingredients they have and how appreciative they are of us (speaking out)," he said. Iowa corn farmers produced an estimated 2.52 billion bushels of corn in 2018, the third largest in a state that is the largest corn producer in the country. Jim Chenhall, of Webb, Iowa, said he was at the Ames event on behalf of his sister. He said she owns a corn and soybean farm in northwest Iowa. "I think its great that he gets out and talks about agriculture," Chenhall said. "Right now, we dont do as good as a job about promoting how much agriculture is important to the state of Iowa." Leah Maass is a farmer in Helsworth, Iowa, and she said the Bud Light commercial brought a new conversation others may not have thought of before. "Who would have thought corn syrup would have had to do anything with beer in the first place?" she said. "Its a tremendous opportunity into learning about anything we consume." AMES, Iowa Beer fans and local farmers gathered Feb. 15 at a bar here to meet the CEO of MillerCoors who thanked farmers on behalf of the organization. MillerCoors CEO Gavin Hattersley was traveling throughout Iowa as a part of a national "Toast to Farmers" tour. Some of the farmers in Ames said they believe Hattersleys visit was in response to the conversation surrounding the use or not of specific ingredients in beer, including corn. The issue was sparked by a Bud Light ad that aired during the Super Bowl on Feb. 3. The commercial featured a beer that is brewed without corn syrup. MillerCoors took to Twitter to post a statement that said Bud Light failed to make a "distinction between corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup." MillerCoors also said corn syrup is a normal part of the brewing process and does not actually end up in your beer. Hattersley said the company thought coming to the "heartland" was the right thing to do when addressing this issue. "The right thing to do was to thank these farmers and quite frankly, we wouldnt be able to make these beers if it wasnt for them," he said. "Without the corn we wouldnt have Coors Light and thats why (this tour) is important for us." Hattersley said the Bud Light message was disappointing. "Its disappointing that the largest beer company in the world has chosen to denigrate Americas corn farmers," he said. "Its an ingredient that almost every brewer in America uses and are proud to use." Anheuser-Busch, the maker of Bud Light, released an unapologetic statement after the controversy brewed, saying it likes corn, just not in its beer, and that it brews its beers with rice, hops, barley and water. During his visits with farmers, Hattersley said he has heard pride and thanks from farmers. "(Farmers said) how proud they are of what they do and what ingredients they have and how appreciative they are of us (speaking out)," he said. Iowa corn farmers produced an estimated 2.52 billion bushels of corn in 2018, the third largest in a state that is the largest corn producer in the country. Jim Chenhall, of Webb, Iowa, said he was at the Ames event on behalf of his sister. He said she owns a corn and soybean farm in northwest Iowa. "I think its great that he gets out and talks about agriculture," Chenhall said. "Right now, we dont do as good as a job about promoting how much agriculture is important to the state of Iowa." Leah Maass is a farmer in Helsworth, Iowa, and she said the Bud Light commercial brought a new conversation others may not have thought of before. "Who would have thought corn syrup would have had to do anything with beer in the first place?" she said. "Its a tremendous opportunity into learning about anything we consume." MELROSE, Minn. New protections for dairy farmers in the Farm Bill make it a good time to enter the field of dairy farming, Rep. Collin Peterson said last week. DFLer Peterson and Republican Rep. Tom Emmer held a joint town hall in Melrose, near the border of their two districts, to talk about agriculture and dairy programs. About 100 people showed up to the meeting at the American Legion, asking questions about immigration, agriculture and trade, as well as new Farm Bill protections for dairy farmers. "You literally will not be able to lose money with this program," Peterson told farmers about the Farm Bills new Dairy Margin Coverage program, which gives higher returns than the previous iteration. "Frankly this is the best time to get young people into the dairy business with this kind of protection," Peterson said. "If you dont sign up (for the coverage) youre going to be kicking yourself." Not everyone agreed with Peterson on the assessment. "I think thats extremely optimistic and extremely shortsighted," said Mark Rohr, who lives in Bluffton, Minn., and works in dairy for the National Farmers Organization. "This is not the fix-all. I think its good. But its not going to cure the disease." Farmers have had a tough time lately with low prices for crops and milk. Trade wars have limited some international markets. And about 8.5 percent of Minnesota dairy farmers left the industry this year. The Farm Bill includes various protections for farmers, including loan program improvements and various types of insurance. Those at the meeting thanked the lawmakers for passing it. Still waiting on Congressional action is President Donald Trumps new trade agreement for North America the so-called USMCA. Emmer anticipates some trouble from Democrats on the deal and said trade deals need to be reviewed regularly, because the worlds changing so fast. USMCA replaces NAFTA, which had been in place since 1994. Emmer and Peterson delved into the topic of immigration when asked about supporting a guest-worker program so big dairies could bring in legal workers. Not everyone who comes to the U.S. wants to become a citizen, some just want to work, said both representatives. "People should come here legally, and we should know that theyre coming here for the right reasons," Emmer said. A strong ag economy is important for national security, Emmer said. "You cant have food insecurity in the United States of America. All you have to do is look around the world and see what it does to a country. " A lot of farmers already have plans and rotations set for their spring crop, but because of the financial landscape, theres still a good chunk of uncertainty in the air. "With the financial situation, farmers will be looking at which crops offer them the best opportunity for profit potential," said Kent Thiesse, farm management analyst and senior vice president at MinnStar Bank in Lake Crystal, Minn. "Theres probably more uncertainty this year than past years, as we go into the March intentions report. And there could be more movement beyond those intentions." Each February, the USDA mails questionnaires to producers, asking them to provide information about the types and amount of acres of crops they intend to plant in the spring. The results are released to the public in the annual Prospective Plantings report and quarterly Grain Stocks report, both released on March 29 every year. More corn and wheat An increase in corn acreage and decrease in soybean acreage will likely be revealed in the March reports, as some analysts are predicting up to 5 million more acres of corn than last year. According to Thiesse, there has been optimism in the corn market for several months, with many expecting the market to begin edging upwards. But he said in the last few years, the market looks more to be stable than on its way up. "We are still probably below the break-even prices for raising corn," he said. What happens with year-round E-15 sales is a big player for the future of corn prices, said Thiesse. If corn prices do improve, he said that would bode very well for the farm economy. But its been three to five years since that has happened. Thiesse said the March reports will also probably reveal an increase in wheat acreage. He said wheat prices are around similar break-even marks as the current corn price points. For southern Minnesota, Thiesse said there isnt a great market for wheat, or the ideal conditions to grow it. "Historically, (southern Minnesota) hasnt been able to produce the yields on wheat that could compete with soybeans or corn," said Thiesse. That leaves grain farmers in southern Minnesota and Iowa deciding mainly between acres of corn and acres of soybeans. But wheat is a more viable option for farmers in northern Minnesota and the Dakotas. Thiesse said the marketing comes into play as well, as the wheat market in northern Minnesota and the Dakotas is equally as solid as the market for corn and soybeans in southern Minnesota and Iowa. "The economics just dont favor wheat versus corn and soybeans in most areas of southern Minnesota," he said. Soybeans still a safe option Theres been a lot of pessimism around soybeans since the price drop came during the middle of the last growing season as a result of the trade dispute with China. Prices have came back only slightly since then, but Thiesse said soybeans remain to be a lower-cost crop to raise than corn. "So if push comes to shove, especially if we see any kind of rally in the soybean market, some of those acres might come back to soybeans," said Thiesse. "But definitely I think well see more corn acres than soybean acres this year. What that level that is, well have to wait and see." Consider the snow Especially for crops in the Upper Midwest, Thiesse said the wild card to consider is the amount of snow weve gotten this winter. If that pushes farmers to a later spring, it doesnt favor corn or wheat crops. Soybean crops, however, fare better with a late planting date. Safer now than the 80s The comparisons of the current market to the one during the farm crisis in the 1980s began last year when soybean prices started to drop, but Thiesse doesnt believe the farm economy will get anywhere near that bad. He said reduced commodity prices did contribute to the downturn in the 80s, but it was also heavily driven by rapidly declining asset values. Land values dropped dramatically in the 1980s, and many farmers quickly found that they had more borrowed against their land than it was worth. "Weve had some decline in land values, but not nearly to that degree, and its been gradual," said Thiesse. "And most ag lenders and farmers have been a lot more cautious with how much money they borrow against their land. The balance sheets of farmers are in a lot stronger positions than they were in the 80s." As for the commodity price drop, he doesnt foresee a total crash. But he said a lot is still up in the air, especially with American commodities being so reliant on export markets. "There are a lot of wild cards out there, beyond just raising corn and soybeans," said Thiesse. He said market volatility creates challenges but opportunities as well. When its least expected, there can be rallies that get prices up to profitable levels and "it makes marketing decisions critically important for a farm." Ten Minnesota high schools have been awarded grants to establish habitat for imperiled insect pollinators and monarch butterflies. The pollinator habitat grants were awarded by Sand County Foundation and Enel Green Power North America Inc. to Minnesota agricultural and science educators. Each grant recipient will receive native wildflower seedlings, a training webinar and consultation, and a $1,000 grant for the school district or FFA chapter to offset project expenses. The schools are: Central High School in Norwood Young America (Carver County). Chisago Lakes High School in Lindstrom (Chisago County). DREAM Technical Academy in Willmar (Kandiyohi County). New London-Spicer in New London (Kandiyohi County) Rosa Parks Charter High School in Rochester (Olmsted County). Owatonna High School in Owatonna (Steele County). NRHEG High School in New Richland (Steele and Waseca counties). Buffalo High School in Buffalo (Wright County). Dassel-Cokato High School in Cokato (Wright County). Jane Goodall Environmental Sciences Academy in Maple Lake (Wright County). "Our objective is to engage students in adding native wildflower diversity to rural areas for the benefit of pollinators and Monarch butterflies," said Craig Ficenec, Sand County Foundation program director. "Pollinators are essential for crop pollination and ecological diversity, but the numbers of wild bees and monarch butterflies have dropped, partly because of the loss of native wildflower habitat near farmland." To qualify for the grants, the schools needed greenhouses or suitable indoor growing areas to raise the nearly 600 seedlings of milkweed, prairie blazing star, wild bergamot, and other species they will receive in March. They were also required to identify a rural area, preferably a farm, where they will transplant these native wildflowers in the spring, and tend to them through the summer. NEW ORLEANS Sugar cane is on the rise in Louisiana, with a good crop and decent prices encouraging more farmers to plant the tall tropical grass. Stable sugar prices and a resilient crop are big reasons, said LSU AgCenter sugar cane expert Kenneth Gravois. In spite of a soggy harvest season, he said, the 2018 crop set records for tons of cane sent to mills and tons of sugar produced. And prices have been about 26 cents a pound for raw sugar, he said. Joe Denais, whose farm is in the Vermilion Parish community of Andrew, said he used to plant mostly rice, but prices of $16 per 162-pound barrel prompted him to cut back on rice and expand his sugar cane fields. "It was hard to make money at $16 unless I started crawfish farming," he said many farmers double-crop rice and crawfish. "I decided to go to cane instead of crawfish because everybodys getting into crawfish now," Denais said. Denais, who started farming at age 18 with 100 acres in 1994, said he has increased his sugar cane fields from 1,900 to 4,700 acres over the past few years. Now 43, he hopes to plant up to 1,800 new acres of sugar cane this year, if he can buy 500 acres to go with 1,300 he already owns. Gravois said farmers harvested 459,000 acres of cane between late September and mid-January, both for harvest and for seed cane. Thats 19,000 acres more than the previous season. Louisiana generally has a bit more land planted in sugar cane than Florida. However, because Floridas growing area is farther south and its growing season longer, it generally produces more sugar. Texas is far behind; Hawaiis last sugar cane harvest was in 2016. Breaking off pieces of glass with a hammer and chisel, refining tesserae with a nipper, and placing each of the pieces in a bed of mortar, Debra DSouza brings nature to life in her mosaics. Landscapes, scenery, and natural subjects are where the Rochester artists interests lie, from still lifes of oranges and strawberries to portraits of flowers and birds. She works with an array of textures, colors, and sizes within the mosaics, lending to each works andamento, or the physical and visual feeling, rhythm and flow that the viewer can directly see. She pieced together scenes from shards and slivers of the colored glass in her creations alla prima, or all in one sitting. By limiting herself only three to eight hours per 6-by-6 mosaic, DSouza tried not to get caught up in the details. "That really is easy to do in this process, because thats kind of what makes it," DSouza said. "But it did help me to make decisions quicker and not to second-guess what color Im going to put in, for instance, or if this shape is better. I just needed to decide to use that piece and put it in." Now, 50 of those works will be on display (in chronological order of their creation) in her new exhibit, "Modern Exploration of Ancient Mosaic Practices." As part of the Rochester Art Centers "Rooted" program, an opening reception will kick off the exhibition Friday, while the art will be up through April 13. The hundreds and thousands of pieces of traditional glass DSouza used for these mosaics are called Italian Smalti. During an artist residency in Belgium, she got them directly from Orsoni, a manufacturer in Venice. "Theyve made the same colors the same way for hundreds of years," she said. "So, its this whole tradition, which Im really interested in the tradition and materials of this method." She said that original Italian producer makes 2,500 different colors of the material. She bought 288 lbs. of their scrap pieces big and small and shipped it back home. While she doesnt know exactly how many separate colors she has currently, she estimates it could be between 300 and 500 different tones. "Im just painting with glass instead of paint." A lifelong student of the arts, DSouza said she utilizes her painting background in mosaics, transforming it in similar yet starkly different ways. "Basically, this is the same thing, except Im just painting with glass instead of paint," DSouza said. "Its really interesting how,when you see a piece up close, it looks like all these different colors mish-mashed together. But when you back up, thats when it all comes together thats when the magic happens." That almost built-in interactive element of DSouzas work is one of many reasons why Sheila Dickinson, the RACs Artistic Director, said her work is something to go see in the exhibit, itself. "You really cant experience mosaics in a digital format," Dickinson said. "Because it is almost a relief sculpture, something that comes off the surface, it is a 3D element that you have to see in person. You just cant see an image of it and it does it any justice. Its like a puzzle, the intricacies of two the stones and the glass work together to create an image." That ability to create such a puzzle is due in part to DSouzas focus in a multitude of classes, from Chicago to Mexico to Italy. In a couple weeks, shell even be heading back to Venice to study with a master mosaicist. But when shes not learning herself, she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge of the craft with others, too. "Every time that I have an opportunity to talk to somebody about mosaics and about the traditional (techniques), they give me this blank look," DSouza said. "I think they should come and learn about a different medium, a different way of making art that has been around for thousands of years. They can come and talk and look at something new, thats not really new." What Opening Reception, "Modern Exploration of Ancient Mosaic Practices" When Friday, March 1, 6-8 p.m., with an artist talk at 7 p.m. Where Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE Cost Free Guam police have made an arrest in connection with the death of a businessman and father of two at his construction company compound in Harmon last week. Guam police spokesman Sgt. Paul Tapao confirmed Thursday that Frank Joseph Salas Guzman, 27, was booked and confined following his arrest Wednesday at his Dededo home by detectives from the Guam Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division. Joseph Shon, a family friend, identified the victim as Pyung Sik Lee. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Lee was the owner of LSP Construction. He was found unresponsive outside the LSP company office shortly before 7 a.m. on Feb. 19. He was later pronounced dead at Guam Regional Medical City. When I opened this place (Lee) came to me (as a customer), said Shon who is the owner of CPSS, a printing shop in Harmon. That was seven years ago, he said, and they became friends. They both came from South Korea, and the Korean immigrant community on Guam is closely knit, he said. Somebody attacked (Lee), said Shon, who then pointed to his head and made a stabbing motion at his side. (Lee) died ... And then they took his car. Stolen vehicle The day following Lees death, police issued an all-points bulletin for Lees vehicle, a bronze 2010 Hyundai Tucson with dark tinted windows. On Tuesday, the Tucson was found in the Haasu area of Dededo, Tapao stated. Later that day, Tapao stated, patrol officers from the Dededo precinct stopped the driver of a vehicle along Ysengsong Road in Dededo which contained items allegedly stripped from another stolen vehicle. Inside the vehicle, Tapao reports, patrol officers discovered numerous items that belonged to the victim. During the course of the investigation, Tapao stated, detectives were able to learn the identity of the individual responsible for the assault. Guzman is facing allegations of aggravated assault; robbery; possession and use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony; theft of a motor vehicle; destruction of evidence; criminal trespass; assault; and theft of property from a vehicle. There is no allegation of murder against Guzman. Its not clear why. An autopsy has yet to be performed on Lee to determine the cause of death. Guam still is without a medical examiner. Dr. Aurelio Espinola retired last month. A good man Sometimes he brings business, said Shon about his friend. Maybe two, three times a week we have lunch together. Lee was a good man, said Shon. He (says to) everybody, Hi, and says brother, uncle, something like that, said Shon. Lee is survived by two boys and a wife, he said. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero made the case for lifting H-2B visa restrictions on Guam during a congressional hearing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. The critical shortage of skilled foreign labor for the island's construction industry was the sole focus of her testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources. The governor asked committee members "for legislative or administrative clarification that Guam, along with our sister territory of the Northern Mariana Islands, be exempted from prohibitions in accessing foreign labor from the Philippines." Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Her testimony echoed the remarks she made Tuesday to the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Leon Guerrero spoke in support of H.R. 560, a bill by CNMI Del. Gregorio Sablan. The delegate is vice chairman of the committee's insular affairs subcommittee and he presided over the hearing. Sablan's bill seeks to exempt the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands from President Donald Trump's decision to revoke "the humanitarian parole" the Obama administration granted to certain stateless residents of the commonwealth. That December 2018 parole decision threatens to force approximately 1,500 people to leave the CNMI by June. In his opening remarks, Sablan said the Department of Homeland Security decision to remove the Philippines as a source of foreign workers through H-2B visa program was taken without consulting the Marianas. He said the ban comes at a bad time for the CNMI, which is recovering from a series of typhoons and "there is a critical need for construction workers to repair and rebuild." Guam Del. Michael San Nicolas, who sits on the committee, asked Leon Guerrero for clarification. He asked, rhetorically, if her intent was "to displace the American workforce ... in trying to try and pursue an H-2B remedy." "Absolutely not," Leon Guerrero said. "Our intent in getting H-2 workers is to expand our economy, is to fortify our economy, is to grow our economy. And it is also to harden national security on our islands." Although DHS cited the problem of human trafficking and the 40 percent overstay rate in its decision to remove the Philippines from the list of H-2B eligible nations, the governor said, "this is not the case for Guam." "The island's rate of H-2B workers who intentionally overstay is negligible," she said, "and there are no known trafficking cases involving Philippine citizens." 'Seemingly arbitrary denial' of visas The H-2B restrictions go beyond the recent ban imposed by Homeland Security, said the governor. She told the committee that beginning in late 2015, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services made a "seemingly arbitrary denial of nearly all H-2B petitions for Guam" that has led to a severe shortage of skilled foreign labor. Guam went from a yearly average of 1,500 H-2B workers prior to 2015 to none in May 2018. Leon Guerrero called that "unprecedented." The governor acknowledged that the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act partially addressed this issue by including language to allow exemptions for workers needed for the military buildup. "However, uncertainty of approvals on the civilian side has led to delays in ongoing projects and discouraged contractors from bidding on new ones," the governor said. The labor shortage has driven up construction costs, stifled private-sector development, and caused irreparable harm to the local economy and the military buildup, she said. "We welcome the military buildup and the economic impact it will bring," Leon Guerrero said, "but it must be done at a pace that will benefit our local people, our island, and the U.S. military." She called on the committee to amend the 2020 defense spending legislation "to allow for the approval of workers from the Philippines, notwithstanding" the ban currently imposed by Homeland Security. "All projects on Guam must be considered as associated with the military realignment," the governor argued, and that exemption should be included in the NDAA. Families relying on the Guam Medical Referral Assistance Offices in Hawaii and California will still receive services, but as of last night the office in Manila had not confirmed it would be open today. The Guam Medical Referral Assistance Office, which falls under the office of the governor, had a contract with local attorney Tom Fisher. That contract expired yesterday, Feb. 28. The services were supposed to end today under the contract, but I got a call after close of business today asking if we can continue services for another month, Fisher said by phone last night. He was able to get in touch with the Los Angeles and Honolulu offices to confirm continuation, and while hes pretty certain that his contractors in Manila will be able to reopen tomorrow, as of last night, he had not been able to confirm with them. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. We thought we were shutting down today and then we were called at the end of the business day to hang on for one more month, he said. The offices at the three locations provide transportation and other services to families who have to travel for medical care. The Leon Guerrero-Tenorio administration released a statement regarding services stating the medical referral office "is continuing to work to ensure that all clients receive the quality of services that is expected and deserved." "Our priority continues to be providing essential services to the people," the governor's office stated, in part. "We will continue to serve our clients requesting assistance and we do not expect any interruption in service. The contract has been operating on a month-to-month basis because of legislation introduced by then-Sen. Dennis Rodriguez Jr. stating that a nonprofit organization should operate the medical referral office, Fisher stated. The legislation put a cap on expenditures at 15 percent of the expenditures for the upcoming year. Fisher added that former deputy chief of staff Rose Ramsey had contacted Rodriguez and told him the challenges in finding a nonprofit to run the tri-city operations and asked him to fix the problem. We live in a different era. As we head into 2022, with the COVID-19 variants on the rise, I am grateful for us as a community. We have done ou Read more EXETER A township man has been charged following an investigation into alleged drug trafficking activity involving postal office packages. Emery Phillips, 20, has been charged with possession with intent to deliver, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal conspiracy. Subsequently, Phillips was transported to the Berks County Sheriffs Department Central Processing Center for processing and arraignment by the on-duty district judge. Information on bail was not available. The total street value of the controlled substances is estimated to be over $100,000, police said. Police said in a release Wednesday that the Berks County Drug Task Force Detectives initiated a drug investigation involving United States Postal Office packages being shipped from Los Angeles to 1157 Fox Run, Exeter Township. The investigation was based on the Reading Police Department Vice Unit receiving information from the United States Postal Inspector. The U.S. Postal Inspectors investigation learned that over the past year approximately 70 parcels of bulk amounts of suspected marijuana products were delivered to 1157 Fox Run, Exeter Township, PA 19606. The investigation revealed that marijuana was being distributed from 1157 Fox Run, authorities said. During the investigation, the United States Postal Inspectors intercepted several parcels bound to and addressed to 1157 Fox Run. These parcels contained large quantities of high grade marijuana and vape canisters containing THC oil, police said. Subsequently, detectives obtained a search warrant for the residence of 1157 Fox Run, Exeter Township. On Tuesday, Feb. 26, at approximately 5:10 p.m., the Berks County Drug Task Force Detectives served the search warrant. Police said Phillips and Susan McMillan, 56, were found inside the residence. As a result of the search warrant, police seized the following items: * Approximately 570 grams of suspected marijuana * Approximately 1.6 pounds of suspected marijuana wax * Approximately 387 vape THC oil canisters * Approximately 80 ready to smoke suspected marijuana blunts * Approximately 36 suspected marijuana brownies * Two gallon bags of suspected marijuana cookies * Approximately 17 containers of suspected marijuana concentrate * A .22 caliber rifle * Previous parcels * Packaging material * Working cellular telephones & computers * Approximately $4,000 in cash believed to be proceeds from sales Police say the investigation is continuing and charges for the second suspect, McMillan, are pending as a result of the investigation. The Mercurys Feb. 16 editorial Pa. has long history of denying funds for public schools misses critical facts about our states education funding. The argument that Pennsylvanias public education system is underfunded is false. However, the editorial board is correct in assessing that the funds are disbursed unfairly. Education spending in the state topped $30 billion in 2017, the highest ever. State aid to school districts is up 23 percent since 2012. Nationally, Pennsylvania ranks ninth in funding per student. We can debate if funds should come from the state or the locality, but the fact is that the system, as a whole, is not lacking in funds. The true problem is that we are myopically focused on piling more cash into a system we all admit isnt working. According to a recent study by Liebowitz and Kelly, spending more money has virtually no effect on student performance. So, rather than clogging a broken machine with cash, lets fix the machine. We fix it by allowing resources to follow students. This means education choice coupled with fair public school funding. Fair funding shifts the focus from systems to students. It enables growing public schools to receive equitable levels of funding per student. Choice places parents in the driver seat by empowering them and their kids to choose the best possible education, rather than having one option dictated by zip code. By expanding educational opportunities, we can ensure our children receive the best education, not just the most expensive one. -Derek Jacobson Commonwealth Foundation Earlier this year, I wrote about how the Supreme Court was ducking important issues about the rights of gay and transgender individuals. The questions it has been avoiding are (1) whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on sexual preference and (2) whether it prohibits discrimination based on transgender status. Together, these two questions affect the rights of millions, if not tens of millions, of Americans. And its not as if, by avoiding them, the Supreme Court strikes a blow against judicial activism. Lower courts are deciding these issues. The circuit courts of appeal are divided on both questions. The Supreme Court has before it cases through which it can answer definitively both questions. Yet, when I wrote about this matter in January, the Court had repeatedly relisted these cases. When a case is relisted, its set for reconsideration at the Justices next Conference. When a case is repeatedly relisted, the Court is kicking the can down the road. Since I wrote my January post, the Court has relisted the cases in question a few more times. It seems determined to keep ducking the issues they present. What cases has the Court been deciding? Few that are important enough for you likely to have heard about unless youre a law professor or an appellate court/Supreme Court practitioner. Yesterday, the Court decided that Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(f) is not subject to equitable tolling. Good to know, but hardly momentous. Today, the Court decided that farmers and fisherman from India may be able to sue the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in a federal court because the IFC is not absolutely immune from suit. This outcome may be cause for celebration in India, but its inconsequential for Americans. In two cases of greater importance, the Court today veered leftward in the area of criminal law. In a 6-3 decision, it refined standards regarding ineffective assistance of counsel claims and criminals who sign waivers of appeals. The Court determined that a presumption of prejudice applies if the lawyer was ineffective even when a criminal signs an appeal waiver. Justice Sotomayors opinion was joined by the three other liberals, plus Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Kavanaugh. In addition, the Court ruled 5-3 that the Eighth Amendment may prohibit executing a prisoner who suffers from dementia (the prisoner in question has been death row for 30 years) but is not insane or delusional. The Chief Justice voted with the liberals. Kavanaugh did not participate because the case was argued before he joined the Court. Are we stuck with a milquetoast Supreme Court? Maybe. It ducks hugely important issues as to which conservatives may have a majority, doesnt seem hesitant to decide ones where the liberals have five or more votes, and appears partial to deciding cases where ideology plays no part. To be fair, come June well see some big decisions. But for those who follow the Court closely, this Term might end up being as noteworthy for the issues the Court refused to decide as for the ones it decided. This is not what Trump voters expected when they voted for a candidate who made the Supreme Court one of his main issues in 2016. What went wrong? Two things, I believe, one of which Trump couldnt do anything about. First, Chief Justice Roberts wants to avoid controversy, so as to protect the Supreme Court. God forbid that the conservative majority issue too many conservative decisions. The media might start to question the legitimacy of the Supreme Court. Second, Justice Kavanaugh wants to avoid controversy. The rumor mill has it that he plans to lay low during his first year due to all the controversy that surrounded his confirmation. I cant vouch for the truth of this rumor, but his behavior to date is consistent with it. Kavanaugh can wait ten years. Hell always be a lightning rod for the left and its media allies unless he turns out to be another Justice Kennedy (or maybe becoming another Justice Souter is required). Chief Justice Roberts strikes me as the more principled of the two reluctant Justices. At least hes protecting the interest (as he sees it) of an institution. Kavanaugh seems to be protecting only his own interest. Do you think any Justices appointed by Democratic presidents would be behaving as Roberts and Kavanaugh are if there were five of them on the Supreme Court? I dont either. Back in 1983, the British Labour Party, traumatized by Margaret Thatcher, contested a general election on a distinctly anti-American platform calling for unilateral disarmament, stepped up socialism, and other crazy ideas that the British press called the longest suicide note any political party had ever proposed. (They also couldnt help themselves by embracing a offensive slogan about Thatcher, Ditch the bitch!) Thatcher crushed Labour, in one of the largest landslides in British history. Of course, that was then, and nowadays Labour said, hold my beer, and summoned up Jeremy Corbyn. In any case, the media is starting to get alarmed that the Democratic presidential field is lurching too far to the left, and may be assuring Trumps re-election. Jennifer Rubin worries: Democrats also give Trump the upper hand when they are willing accept the role hes designated for them: Socialists. Weve already heard his Green New Deal attack. Socialists want to take away your car and outlaw cows (or the reverse)! Likewise, if you promise to take away private health insurance, Trump would be delighted to run on Democrats say you cant keep your doctor. It would be a particularly egregious error for Democrats to identify with proposals that are non-starters (Abolish ICE! Reparations!). Its an unforced error with no upside. If you have to go so far out on the left-wing to attract support, chances are youre not making the case effectively to an electoral majority. One of the Posts other liberal columnists, Richard Cohen, beat her to this theme several days ago: Democrats Are Wrapping a Gift for Trump I dont quite know what a handbasket is, but the Democratic Party is heading in one to electoral hell with its talk of socialism and reparations. Given a Republican incumbent who has never exceeded 50 percent in Gallups approval ratings poll and who won the presidency thanks to a dysfunctional electoral college, the party is nevertheless determined to give Donald Trump a fair shot at re-election by sabotaging itself. In fact, its veering so far to the left it could lose an election in 1950s Bulgaria. Likewise Ed Kilgore in New York magazine: Will 2020 Democrats Help Trump By Destroying Each Other? . . . It would be smart for Democrats right now to make sure that on November 4, 2020, they arent looking down the barrel of an eight-year Trump presidency and wondering how their party blew it again. This advice is falling on deaf ears mostly. I think the left believes that Trump is so weak and beatable that now is the moment to go for it with the most left platform possible. A lot of liberals have talked themselves into believing that the hard left is the new center. Politico offers for example: Democrats Must Reclaim the Center by Moving Hard Left . . . The Democratic Party must reclaim the political center. And the only way to do that is by boldly moving toward the so-called radical left. If you look at the press clippings for AOC you can see why this appeals to the confirmation bias of a leftist, never mind that most progressive candidates actually fared rather poorly in the midterm election just past. Beyond the media, there is an entire theory from the academy and coffee houses of Cambridge, Berkeley, and Madison to the effect that Democrats have been too far to the right for a long long time. Maybe my favorite example of leftists determined to brew up the Kool Aid for the 2020 campaign comes from The New Republic, a former magazine, where Alex Sheppard writes of The Overdue Death of Democratic Pragmatism.' Now Id be the first to celebrate the death of capital-P Pragmatism, on the grounds that it doesnt work, but what Sheppard really means is the kind of moderation under people like Bill Clinton and Tony Blair that is now despised on the left as neoliberalism. This paragraph strikes me as especially wacko: The partys rightward drift began in the mid-1970s, when the so-called Watergate Babies began to replace New Deal Democrats, but proceeded in earnest in the 1980s due to Ronald Reagans two landslide victories. The Democratic Leadership Council, formed in the wake of Walter Mondales defeat in 1984, pushed Democrats to embrace balanced budgets, welfare reform, and other centrist policies. The argument was that the Democratic Party must meet American voters where they were. This neoliberal turn also led Democrats to embrace technocratic policy as an engine for social change: markets, not governments, would solve the major challenges of our time. The kind of imagination and ambition that drove the New Deal and the Great Society became passe. First of all, losing 44 states in 1980 and then 49 states in 1984 does have a way of concentrating the mind about how to win an election, and high-octane leftism didnt seem like the way. But it is this sentence that really jumps out: The partys rightward drift began in the mid-1970s, when the so-called Watergate Babies began to replace New Deal Democrats. . . Sheppard has it exactly backwards. The so-called Watergate babies of 1974 marked the beginning of a major step change to the left for the Democratic Party, as I explained in volume 1 of The Age of Reagan: Watergate had provided the impetus for organizing and accelerating the generational transition within the Democratic Party. Seventy-five of the 292 House Democratsa quarterwere freshmen; half of the Democratic caucus in the House had been elected since 1970. The Watergate babies, as they became known, were infused with a liberal and in a few cases radical reformist zeal formed in the crucible of the antiwar movement and tempered by the convulsion of Watergate. The official Democratic Party magazine, The Democratic Review, estimated that the incoming representatives were more than twice a liberal as the Democratic members they replaced. A Washington Post survey asked the incoming Democrats, What nation, if any, do you consider a threat to world peace? The largest plurality, 27 percent, thought the United States was the leading threat to peace, with only 20 percent naming Americas principal adversary, the Soviet Union, along with Israel. I hope (and expect) that liberals will continue to indulge their revisionist history and slouch toward a suicidal campaign, even as I stock up on popcorn. The Washington Post reports that Sen. Tom Cotton is privately raising questions about Neomi Rao, President Trumps nominee to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Says the Post, though he hasnt voiced them publicly, Cotton shares concerns outlined by Sen. Josh Hawley earlier this week about Raos judicial philosophy, which Hawley detailed in a letter to Rao earlier Tuesday. Sen. Cotton is a Harvard law grad. He clerked for a federal appeals court judge and then practiced law with a top law firm. He knows what hes talking about. Sen. Hawley probably appreciates Sen. Cottons backing. He has come under intense and unfair pressure to ignore his doubts about Rao and toe the party line. The Wall Street Journal attacked him in a condescending editorial. The Judicial Crisis Network plans to pressure him through an ad buy in Missouri. Its chief counsel claims that Hawley is already acting like Claire McCaskill when it comes to judges as if scrutinizing a nominees writings to see if she has liberal activist instincts is the same thing as opposing virtually every conservative nominee for not being a liberal activist. Finally, according to the Post: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell upbraided Hawley, a freshman senator, over the Rao nomination, according to two people familiar with it who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private matter. During the meeting, a displeased McConnell told the senator from Missouri that there were two sides in the Rao nomination battle Republicans and allied groups, and Democrats. McConnell then pressed Hawley: Which side do you want to be on? One of the people describing the meeting likened it to a student being called to the principals office. The thing is, McConnell and Hawley have somewhat different interests. McConnells interest is simply to confirm every nominee Trump sends him. Hes basically a traffic cop, and bless him for being an effective one. Hawleys interest, and Cottons, is different. They want reliably conservative, non-activist judges. Thus, they want to be as confident as possible that nominees wont at times indulge in liberal activism, for example, by inventing new constitutional rights in the name of dignity and autonomy. Hawley says he has found indications in Raos academic writing that she might have such activist tendencies. He believes that at least one of her articles places too much weight on dignity and autonomy. Hawley is doing the right thing by trying to satisfy himself that this isnt a problem or at least not a dealbreaker. Conservatives have been burned too many times by the nominees of Republican presidents not to do their due diligence every time. The Post says that Hawley met with Rao today to discuss her writings. It was the second such meeting between the two. The first apparently could have gone better. I hope Rao assuaged Hawleys concerns. Theres much to like about this nominee. Either way, however, Hawley should vote his conscience. In the third installment of our preview of the new (Winter) issue of the Claremont Review of Books (subscribe here), Algis Valiunas takes up Francis Parkmans monumental history of the settling of North America and the contest between France and England for control. Parkmans work has itself receded into history that exists only to be renounced and condemned. In the review/essay Battle for a continent, Algis declines to subscribe to the new orthodoxy: To establish civilization in the North American wilderness required heroic energy, courage, sacrifice, and dauntlessness, from both ordinary and extraordinary men and women. The annals of discovery, exploration, settlement, and conquest recount prodigies of boldness and perseverance that the comfortable modern reader can scarcely imagine. Americans used to take pride in the achievements of those forebears, who made possible the sweet, comfortable, civilized life most of us enjoy. Such pride has of course become unfashionable, not to say racist. The ugliness in Americas origins, and our complicity as the beneficiaries of the ancestral crimes, is all we are allowed to see of our beginnings; and we are admonished to be appropriately horrified and revolted. Now that the wilderness has itself become holyfor many, the last sanctuary of holinessthe fact that large cities and their suburbs sprawl where primeval forest or drear desert once stood is desecration. And with the destruction of the wilderness came the dispossession of the lands rightful possessors, in the perfection of their Neolithic innocence: the indigenous peoples who would have lived in peace, but were defeated in unjust, even genocidal war. All nations origins have their ugliness, and it is right that the truth be told. Without candor and a sense of proportion, however, the whole truth about the encounter of civilization with barbarism in North America has degenerated into a Hollywood fantasy of unforgivable evildoing on the part of white invaders who, professing to bring salvation to savagery, had proved to be themselves the real savages. A corrective to this woke narrative can be found in the writings of Francis Parkman (18231893), the supreme historian of that fateful encounter, which was really a world-historical collision. President Trumps summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un this one in Hanoi has concluded with no agreement. I have embedded Trumps 37-minute press conference with Secretary Pompeo in its entirety below (thank you, MSNBC). It is worth a close look. Kim wanted sanctions lifted in their entirety in exchange for too much of nothing (the dismantling of the Yongbyon nuclear complex). It had always worked for Kim in the past. Why not this time? Nicholas Eberstadt had warned against a bad deal here in the New York Times. However, Trump did the right thing; he walked. It was about the sanctions, Trump said. Pompeo expressed optimism that they would ultimately reach a deal, as did Trump. They are now headed back to the United States. The Wall Street Journal story by Vivian Salama and Jonathan Cheng has just been posted here (accessible here via Outline). My daughter Elianas interesting Politico story has just been posted here. Like Paul, I am much relieved to see the news today that Neomi Raos nomination to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals has passed out of the Judiciary Committee, with Sen. Josh Hawley voting yes. Ive been holding back in commenting on this story. (Also Im traveling.) I guess I should, in the spirit of disclosure that journalists follow these days, tell my favorite Neomi Rao story, as I do know her a bit. Way back in the early aughts, I remember discussing the contested Florida 2000 election result, and quipping that in an election that close, even the Zoroastrians might reasonably claim to have been the margin of victory for George W. Bush. To which Neomi replied, Well, actually Im Zoroastrian! By birth, I want to clarify: she converted to Judaism, which isnt that great a leap from Zoroastrianism, which was an early monotheistic religion with definite Mosaic characteristics. But in any case I didnt think there were really any live Zoroastrians walking among us. I couldnt be sure from the media coverage how intensely Sen. Hawleys hesitations were, or whether he might be in part trying to send a message to the new White House counsel Pat Cippilone to keep his eye on the ball with all judicial nominations (I have no doubts in my mind about Cipillones acumen on this), or whether Hawley was trying to burnish his standing with social conservatives in Missouri. The stated reasons in the news accounts struck me as extremely misguided, even if your central concern is abortion. In fact I go further and say that the stated hesitation over Rao was mistaken especially if your central concern is abortion and the egregious Roe v. Wade decision. I say this not from any direct or personal communication with NeomiI never asked her about Roe largely because way back when it never occurred to me that she might be a judicial nominee some daybut from some general principles. I use what social scientists call pattern recognition, and in this case it means starting with the simple fact that Rao is one of the most formidable critics of the administrative state and the violence it does to the constitutional principle of the separation of powers. This, and not her views on abortion, are the real explanation for the lefts opposition to her appointment, because the administrative state is the partisan instrument of the Democratic Party. I think Hawley knows this (I know Tom Cotton does), and this leads me to my second data point in my pattern recognition. While opposition to the administrative state doesnt guarantee that a judge will also be averse to Roe, the strong probability is that it means she will. I once had a senior person in the Reagan Justice Department tell me how they finally figured out a good screen to detect if a potential nominee would be opposed to Roe (since you werent supposed to ask about it directly), and the proxy question was: what is your attitude about property rights? Remember that in the mid-1980s there were the first cases reviving a more robust protection for property rights under the 5th Amendments Takings Clause, and it turns out in practice that judges who have a robust view of property rights also vote against abortion (and vice versa). Today I suggest that a potential judges view of the constitutional defects of the administrative state (which comprises property rights questions) is similarly a good proxy. This is why I am also puzzled and perhaps dismayed of the media reports that say Hawley is concerned that Rao is favorable to substantive due process. I understand what he meanssubstantive due process was the dubious workhorse for the Warren Court and for the invention of rights that were supposedly hidden all along in the emanations and penumbras of the 14th Amendment. But we should not throw out the baby with the bathwater. In one sentence (and this is a long story, requiring three or four lectures in my class on the Constitution when I cover this topic), it will likely require the revival of an older substantive due process (though following Clarence Thomas Id call it natural rights jurisprudence), both to rein in the administrative state, and also to roll back Roe. There is vigorous and serious debate on this question among conservatives. Just look up some of the back and forth between Randy Barnett and Ed Whelan on this topic from a few years ago, or read chapter 7 of an important recent book for some good background on both sides of this debate. Even if you disagree with Justice Thomass point of view on this, it is a bad reason to oppose Neomi Raos confirmation. I am relieved that cooler heads prevailed. As of October 2013, according to WHO, there were around 35.3 Mn people globally, infected with HIV. Therefore, increased viral infection incidences is one of the important factors that drives the anti-viral drugs market growth. Because of the solid R&D activities, newer and advanced treatments and formulations, such as vaccines, combination therapy and others Anti-Viral Drugs Market PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 12:30:59 Press Information Future Market Insights Future Market Insights U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Umesh SEO Manager 3479183531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 726 Words Future Market InsightsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comSEO Manager3479183531 Anti-viral drugs are medicines which are used specially for treating viral infections. Most anti-viral drugs are used for particular viral infections, similar to antibiotics, while a broad-spectrum anti-viral drug is effective against a varied range of viruses. Antiviral drugs do not kill their target pathogen, instead they inhibit the development of those viruses. The global anti-viral drugs market is projected to register a moderate growth rate in the pharmaceutical market and which is anticipated to increase due to rise in awareness level, increase in the diseased population and introduction of new drugs with improved efficacy. Some major patents are reaching their expiry during forecast period, such as for Combivir, Sustiva, Tenofovir, Tamiflu, Relenza and Telbivudine.The patent expiries of these blockbuster drugs is expected to trigger generic competition in the antivirals therapeutics market, which will make the market more competitive. The late stage pipeline drugs are expected to enter the market, which will positively impact the market. Most antivirals are considered comparatively harmless to host, and therefore are used to treat infections. They are different from viricides, which are not used for medication but can destroy or deactivate virus particles, either outside or inside the body. The anti-viral drugs are used in the treatment of patients suffering from herpes viruses, HIV, influenza A and B viruses and the hepatitis B and C viruses.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1951 Anti-viral Drugs Market: Drivers and RestraintsAs of October 2013, according to WHO, there were around 35.3 Mn people globally, infected with HIV. Therefore, increased viral infection incidences is one of the important factors that drives the anti-viral drugs market growth. Because of the solid R&D activities, newer and advanced treatments and formulations, such as vaccines, combination therapy and others, are being introduced in the market. Hence, strong R&D is one of the crucial factors in the anti-viral drugs market growth. On the other hand, high risk of failure, high cost of R&D and therapy, and government austerity are some of threats expected to hinder the growth of market. These are some factors anticipated to fuel growth of global anti-viral drugs market within the forecast period of 2016-2026. However, increasing usage of natural products and high cost of developing drugs are the key challenges faced by the market.Anti-viral Drugs Market: SegmentationThe global anti-viral drugs market is classified on the basis of product type, end user and geography.Based on product type, the global anti-viral drugs market is segmented into the following:Hepatitis-C antiviralsHIV antiviralsHerpes antiviralsHepatitis-B antiviralsInfluenza antiviralsOthers (Pneumonia, Flu, etc.)Based on end user, the global anti-viral drugs market is segmented into the following:HospitalsClinicsAmbulatory Surgical CentersAnti-viral Drugs Market: OverviewThe generic market of anti-viral drugs is presently dominated by products such as didanosine, zidovudine, lamivudine and stavudine. The biggest driver of overall anti-viral drugs market is Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) therapeutic sales which accounted for more than half the share of the market 2010. At the end of 2012, 9.7 million people in low-income and middle-income countries were on antiretroviral treatment (ART). According to WHO, in 2012, number of patients on ART increased by 1.6 Mn, the largest increase in one year. Nearly four out of five people were freshly put on treatment in the sub-Saharan Africa. In 21 African countries with a high burden of HIV, two out of three people in need are receiving treatment, and two out of three positive pregnant women are receiving antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV transmission to their infants.Anti-viral Drugs Market: Regional OverviewRegion wise, the global anti-viral drugs market is classified into regions namely, North America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Latin America, Japan, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. According to WHO, in countries with Major ART scale-up such as Brazil or China, the death rate among people living with HIV has decreased by 80%. In 2015, in India the number of people living with HIV were 2.1 Mn and in U.S. the number was around 1.2 Mn in the year 2013.Request to View TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1951 Anti-viral Drugs Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in global anti-viral drugs market, which are focusing on general molecular mechanisms of antiviral drugs rather than therapies for individual viruses, include Roche, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Bristol-Myers-Squibb, Abbott, AstraZeneca, Cipla, Schering-Plough, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co and others. PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 09:17:27 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,, Abhishek Budholiya Manager 3479183531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 623 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,,Manager3479183531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 In an automobile internal combustion engine, the engine bearing is usually a journal or a plain bearing on which the crankshaft rotates. The function of a bearing is to hold the crankshaft in place and to prevent the dislodging of connecting rod from the crankshaft. The engine bearing also plays a vital role in prevention of the force created by the piston and its transmission to the crankshaft, instead using the forces for the conversion of the reciprocating movements into rotation. The bearing is considered as one of the most important components of the engine assembly and its proper functioning is necessary to maintain the overall efficiency of the automobile. Research and development is going on in the field of automotive engine bearings in order to innovate the best suitable bearings for longer life and improved performance of the engine.The automobile engine parts and components have high wear and tear rate owing to its continuous operation to power the vehicle. The robust operation of the engine bearings is achieved if the material of construction possesses the properties such as high strength (wear resistance, cavitation resistance and load capacity) and softness (conformability, compatibility and embeddability).Request For Report Sample @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3757 Global Automotive Engine Bearings Market: DynamicsThe market for automotive engine bearings exhibits a huge potential to grow, owing to the development and growth in the overall automotive sector. Moreover, in developed nations, high standard of living and rising disposable incomes have enabled consumers to use vehicles, which have all the aftermarket products fitted for the effective use of automobiles. Furthermore, growth in production of automobiles, is in turn, expected to fuel the growth of the automotive engine bearings market over the forecast period. The development in technology and research & development to produce more strong materials, which can sustain more load is also estimated to bolster the automotive engine bearings market growth. The replacement rate of the automotive engine bearings is high and thus automotive aftermarket holds a significant share in the automotive engine bearings market.Global Automotive Engine Bearings Market: SegmentationThe automotive engine bearings market can be segmented on the basis of product type, sales channel and vehicle type.By product type, the global automotive engine bearings market can be segmented as:Ball BearingsRoller BearingsPlain BearingsOthersBy sales channel,the global automotive engine bearings market can be segmented as:Original Equipment ManufacturersIndependent SuppliersBy vehicle type, the global automotive engine bearings market can be segmented as:Passenger CarsLight Commercial VehiclesHeavy Commercial VehiclesTwo WheelersGlobal Automotive Engine Bearings Market: Regional OutlookAsia Pacific and North America hold major shares in global automotive engine bearings market owing to the large number of automobiles present in these regions. Consumers tend to equip their vehicles with durable and robust parts so that their vehicle is in good condition and also to avoid breakdown of engines. These conditions are expected to act as catalysts for the growth of the overall automotive engine bearings market over the forecast period. The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations, which are the target markets of the automobile manufacturers will contribute significantly to the growth of the overall automotive engine bearings market over the forecast period. The automotive engine bearings market is projected to grow with a noteworthy CAGR owing to the increasing adoption of these systems in motorcycles and bikes globally.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-3757 Global Automotive Engine Bearings Market: Market ParticipantsExamples of some of the market participants in the global Automotive Engine Bearingsmarket identified across the value chain include:ORS BearingsNachi Fujikoshi Corp.MAHLE Aftermarket Inc.Minebea Co., Ltd.SNL Bearings Ltd. According to the Behavioral Health Software Market survey report, the market is expected to witness a relatively higher growth rate during the forecast period 2018-2025. Behavioral Health Software PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 19:22:57 Press Information Research N Reports Contact us: (Research N Reports) 10916, Gold Point Dr, Houston, TX, Pin - 77064, Sunny Denis (Sales Manager), +1-8886316977, sales@researchnreports.com , www.researchnreports.com Sunny Denis Sales Manager 8886316977 email http://www.researchnreports.com # 650 Words Contact us:(Research N Reports)10916, Gold Point Dr, Houston, TX, Pin - 77064,Sunny Denis(Sales Manager),+1-8886316977,sales@researchnreports.com ,www.researchnreports.comSales Manager8886316977 The report titled as a global Behavioral Health Software market has recently added by Research N Reports to get a stronger and effective business outlook. It provides an in-depth analysis of different attributes of industries such as trends, policies, and clients operating in several regions. The qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques have been used by analysts to provide accurate and applicable data to the readers, business owners and industry experts.The Behavioral Health Software Market is expected to grow worth of USD +2 Billion and also the market is likely to exhibit a strong +14% CAGR over the forecast period 2018-2025.Behavioral health, more commonly referred to as mental health, can be defined as the scientific study of a persons biology relating to mental well-being, emotions, concept of self, behavior, and ability to function in day to day life. It can be defined as custom-built specialized software that is used by psychologists to understand behavioral patterns in patients and suggest treatment to deal with various behavioral issues such as anxiety, stress, addiction, and depression.Top Key Vendors in Market:Cerner Corporation, InSync Healthcare Solutions, Valant, Inc., Core Solutions, Inc., NextStep Solutions, Qualifacts, Netsmart Technologies, Advanced Data Systems Corporation, Mediware Information Systems, Welligent, Inc., Accumedic, and CompulinkGet Sample Copy of this Report @Technical expansions of the Behavioral Health Software market have been examined by focusing on different technical platforms, tools, and methodologies. The notable feature of this research report is, it incorporates clients demands as well as future progress of this market across the global regions.The analysts have distributed the global Behavioral Health Software market into several regions such as North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and India for detailed study. The financial aspects of the business have been scrutinized by considering the several attributes such as price, profit margins and sales by regions in the forecast period.The study is a source of reliable data on: Market segments and sub-segments Market trends and dynamics Supply and demand Market size Current trends/opportunities/challenges Competitive landscape Technological breakthroughs Value chain and stakeholder analysisGet upto 40% Discount on this Report @Different driving factors and global opportunities of Behavioral Health Software Market have been examined in this research report to understand the current and futuristic growth of the businesses. It sheds light on dynamic aspects of the businesses such as clients needs and feedback of the various customers. Finally, researchers direct its focus on some significant points to give a gist about investment, profit margin, and revenue.Table of Content:Global Behavioral Health Software Market Research Report 2018-2025Chapter 1: Industry OverviewChapter 2: Behavioral Health Software Market International and China Market AnalysisChapter 3: Analysis of Revenue by ClassificationsChapter 4: Analysis of Revenue by Regions and ApplicationsChapter 5: Analysis of Behavioral Health Software Industry Key ManufacturersChapter 6: Sales Price and Gross Margin AnalysisChapter 7: Development Trend of Market 2018-2025.Chapter 8: ---continue to TOC.For more Information:About Research N Reports:Research N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat Global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof. Decision Management Applications Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2016-2026 PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 06:57:38 Press Information Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 622 Words Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Decision management applications decision oriented evaluative software that help an enterprise to solve critical problems, manage and analyses huge data, and delivers decisive results. Also, enterprises are using decision management application for minimizing error and to get accurate results within a short period of time. These application helps an organization to maximise its profitability and efficiency. According to traditional approach, decision management used to be done manually without using any technical tools or applications.Decision Management Applications Market Segmentation:On the basis of type global decision management application market is segmented into Analytical management application, business rule management application, operational optimisation application, testing management application, workflow management application, and monitoring & governance application.Request Report Sample@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1896 On the basis of application global decision management application market is segmented into business research management, fraud management, regulatory compliance management, accounting and revenue management, human resource management, credit risk management, customer management. Business research management is sub segmented into business intelligence and analytics. Business intelligence manages database, helps in analysis, and also tracks reporting. Analytics consist of sophisticated tools with abilities to discover insights in data. In decision management application these three technology areas can perform both together and separately as well. Customer management is sub segmented into Cross-sell and up-sell, web- based purchasing, single channel management and multichannel management.Geographically, decision management application market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. North America, Western Europe and Japan are the lucrative regions for global decision management application; where, U.S., European Union (EU)-5, Japan are the most revenue generating countries in this market. North America and Western Europe holds the majority of the market share in the decision management application market. Asia Pacific excluding Japan market for decision management application is one of the fastest growing market in terms of revenue generation. India, China, Malaysia, Singapore are the significant contributing countries in terms of revenue growth.Decision Management Applications Market Dynamics:Decision management application delivers solutions and results of a complex data. Currently, enterprises are adopting this applications in order to reduce the timeline of projects and also to optimise the affectivity of a project. These benefits are primarily driving the decision management application market. This applications are used by both service and manufacturing industries. Moreover, increasing critical data and complex business situation require strong result oriented decision, understanding the requirement developers have been improving the model of decision management. Currently, there are number of high level model of decision management application are available in the market. This technological advancement is another factor that drives the global decision management application market. However, owing to have high price, many big and small enterprises cannot effort decision management applications. Moreover, to run these applications, it requires skilled employees, which is again a cost bearing factor for the companies. These are the factor that are restraining the high growth of global decision management application market.Request For Table Of Content @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1896 Since, decision management application is a recent trend of a decision management market, many large scale enterprises already adopted this application, and most of the small and medium enterprises are still untapped, are the opportunity to the decision management application market globally. New models of decision management applications are always an opportunities to the decision management application market, hence decision management application companies have been developing value added decision management applications.Decision Management Applications Market Key Players:Some of the key players operating in the decision management application are IBM Corporation, SAS Institute Inc., AbsolutData Holdings, Inc., Mu Sigma Inc., Manthan Software Services Pvt. Ltd., salesforce.com , inc., Nimble, Inc. PipelineDeals, Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 09:51:57 Press Information research report insights Research Report Insights (RRI) 42 Joseph Street Port carling P0B 1J0 Muskoka, Ontario1 Phone - +1-631-721-4201 Website: https://www.researchreportinsights.com/ Email: sales@researchreportinsights.com bishu CEO 6317214201 email https://www.researchreportinsights.com/ Published by Ethan Taylor +44-631-787-4201 e-mail https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com # 465 Words Research Report Insights (RRI)42 Joseph StreetPort carling P0B 1J0Muskoka, Ontario1Phone - +1-631-721-4201Website: https://www.researchreportinsights.com/Email: sales@researchreportinsights.comCEO6317214201Ethan Taylor+44-631-787-4201 With the constantly increasing number of data sources and the complexity of data generated within the healthcare organizations, which can be useful and also has the potential to increase revenue as well as profitability, the healthcare business intelligence market is shaping up. Overall this involves the aggregation, analysis, and use of clinical, financial, operational, and non-traditional data captured inside and out of the healthcare setting to directly inform decision-making. It has the power to positively impact patient care delivery, health outcomes, and business operations.The driver for this is the need for advanced analytics to support decision-making capabilities. Hospitals and other healthcare organizations require predictive modeling and data visualization tools from modern business intelligence software applications to gain insights regarding patient care and satisfaction, labor distribution, clinical operations, daily practices of physician and nurses, and administration and management. Healthcare is increasingly dependent on digital technology to support the operations of a functioning healthcare system. Hospitals and other healthcare organizations need an environment that supports the daily practices of physicians, administration, and all other healthcare personnel.The restraints has been the changing govt regulations which can prove too costly at times as it might result in overhauling the system and thus cost factor might result in stagnating the market. The opportunities has been in providing services to small hospitals and whose budget are low. Thus, custom solutions-based ion the budget of small hospitals is going to prove new avenue to explore. Further collaborations with govt for real time healthcare under the programs of e governance and digitizing the healthcare services sponsored by government is the arena where the BI can get an enormous Phillip.Request For Report Sample: https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upsample/120124876/Healthcare-Business-Intelligence-(BI)-Market Based on the application, the healthcare business intelligence market is segmented into clinical analysis, financial analysis, and operational analysis. On the basis of deployment model, the healthcare business intelligence market is segmented into on-premise, hybrid, and cloud-based models. On the basis of the region, the healthcare business intelligence market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia, and the RoW.North America is expected to account for the largest share of the market, followed by Europe. On-premise model segment is expected to account for the largest share of the healthcare business intelligence market, in the classification based on deployment model.Request Report For Toc: https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/TOC/120124876/Healthcare-Business-Intelligence-(BI)-Market Some of the major players in the market are Microsoft (US), IBM (US), Oracle (US), SAP SE (Germany), SAS Institute Inc. (US), Tableau Software (US), MicroStrategy Incorporated (US), QlikTech International AB (US), Information Builders (US), Sisense Inc. (US), Yellowfin BI (Australia), and BOARD International (Switzerland) are some of the leading payers in healthcare business intelligence market.Report Analysis: https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upcomming/120124876/Healthcare-Business-Intelligence-%28BI%29-Market PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 07:21:52 Press Information Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 626 Words Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Dextrin is a group of carbohydrates with low molecular weight produced form starch using enzymes like amylase or glycogen. Dextrin can be used as crispness enhancer for food processing in food industry, coating agent in textile industry to increase the weight and stiffness of textile fabrics, binding and thickening agent in pharmaceutical as well as in paper industry and stabilizing agent for some explosive metal azides. Health benefits of dextrin makes it popular in manufacturers for using it in various food products. Dextrin helps in promoting healthy intestinal flora, maintain cholesterol levels etc. Use of dextrin as cleansing agent in cosmetics is fueling its demand in global market. Dextrin is used in various industries due to its non-toxic property. Obtained in dried form dextrins are easy for handling and transportation.Dextrin Market Segmentation:Dextrin market is segmented on the basis of type as maltodextrin, cyclodextrin, amylodextrin, limit dextrin, highly branched cyclic dextrin etc. Maltodextrin is a short chain starch used as a food additive which is easily digestible. Limit dextrin has two types as beta limit dextrin and alpha limit dextrin hydrolyze beta amylase and alpha amylase respectively. Cyclodextrin is formed by degradation of starch by bacterias. Highly branched cyclic dextrin is obtained from enzymatic breaking of amylopectin in clusters.Request Report Sample@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3227 Dextrin market is segmented on the basis of application in different industries such as food industry, pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics industry etc. In food industry, dextrin is used in confectionary and dairy products. In confectionary, dextrin acts as a thickening agent which is soluble and does not affect the taste of the final product. In dairy industry, dextrin is used as a replacement of fat, and hence market demand from dairy industry is growing rapidly as health conscious consumers preferring fat free dairy products. In pharmaceutical industry, dextrin act as a binding agent in medicine preparation. In cosmetics industry, dextrin is used as an ingredient for cosmetic formulations in skin and hair care products.Dextrin Market Regional Outlook:On the basis of regions, the Dextrin market has been segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe and Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific Excluding Japan, Japan, and the Middle East and Africa. North America dominates the global dextrin market while Asia Pacific is expected to represent comparatively higher CAGR over the forecast period. The global dextrin market is growing in North America region as a result of considerable inflow of money due to rise in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries in the region. Dextrin market in Western Europe is expected to grow over the forecast period due to increasing establishments of food industries in Germany.Ask The Analyst@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/dextrin-market#engage_analyst Dextrin Market Drivers and Trends:Versatile application of dextrin in various industries such as food industry, cosmetic industry, pharmaceutical industry fueling increasing market demand for dextrin in globally. Cosmetic industry is growing in global market and dextrin is used in cosmetic hair and skin care products, which is in turn fueling market demand for dextrin. Dextrin possesses excellent film-forming capacity which makes it popular in some of the specialty industries. Dextrin is usually obtained in dried form which makes it easy for transportation and handling which is factor driving global import and export market for dextrin. Dextrin has various health benefits such as it promotes healthy intestinal flora, supports healthy cholesterol level, used for cleansing, maintains blood sugar, supports heart health etc. thus various application in pharmaceutical industry in turn fueling the market demand and growth of dextrin in global markets.Dextrin Market Key Players:Some of the key players in the global dextrin market include Visco Starch, Sunar Grup, Dinosaur Nutrition Labs, True Protein Pty Ltd., MILLECOR, Nutricia etc. are among these. PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 18:08:34 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 776 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TALLINN, ESTONIA / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / Coins Marketplace Technologies OU is excited to announce that the DX.Exchange app is now available to iPhone users in the Apple App Store, and Android users in the Google Play store.With a single tap, users across the globe will now be able to trade digital stocks and cryptocurrencies on the EU-regulated DX.Exchange , straight from their smartphones. Like the DX.Exchange desktop version, the smartphone apps offer an array of cutting-edge features designed to ease and enhance the trading experience.Trading FeaturesThe app is quick to set up and easy to use. The interface is deliberately designed to be simple, vibrant and intuitive. Each section is clearly defined so that a trader only needs a short glance to understand what they are seeing.At the same time, all the data necessary for making informed and successful investments is available on-screen. The app shows 24-hour trading volume for each asset, together with 24-hour highs and lows. CryptoCurrencies are displayed with their logos, and each digital stock with its company icon, alongside the current prices and percentage point changes over the previous 24 hours. The app offers all the same assets as the DX.Exchange desktop version.To start trading, a user selects their chosen asset, and from there, they can place buy or sell orders quickly and easily. Limit orders and depth analysis of price fluctuations for each asset are also available within the app. Users can make deposits and withdrawals in both fiat and cryptocurrencies.Trade Digital Stocks on the MoveOne of the standout features of DX.Exchange at the initial launch in January 2019 was the listing of digital stocks. A digital stock is a blockchain-based token backed 1:1 by real-world equity.Owners of digital stock have all the same rights as shareholders, including the entitlement to receive dividend payments. However, in contrast to physical stocks, digital stocks are tradable instantly without needing to go through a broker. Users of the DX.Exchange smartphone app can now also enjoy the benefits of trading digital stocks in companies like Facebook, Tesla, Intel, Google, Amazon and many more.Enhancing the Trading ExperienceIn addition to the core trading functionality, the DX.Exchange app offers many other features that help traders stay ahead of the curve. Like the desktop version, mobile users will have access to DX.TV , a video channel dedicated to providing up-to-the-minute news from the world of cryptocurrency and digital assets. Access to this kind of real-time information alongside a fast mobile exchange interface allows users to make in-the-moment trading decisions based on market behavior.Users can also conduct background research on digital coins available on the DX.Exchange platform, right within the app. Each coin has its own information section containing a written description and an informational video. All the relevant stats about the coin are provided, including the current market price, 24-hour price change, supply, and start date. The white paper for each coin will also be accessible within this section.The DX.Exchange customer support team is available 24/7 from the chat feature within the app. There is also a market sentiment section, continually updated with market trends and analytics. This section also includes predictions and market insights from top analysts of the cryptocurrency and stock markets.Finally, the app offers access to account details, current portfolio value, wallets, personal details, app settings, and the DX.Exchange referral program. For security, users can also log out of the app when they aren't using it.A Significant Milestone DX.Exchange is delighted to offer its customers all of these features from the simple interface of a smartphone app. Using only a smartphone and the DX.Exchange app, users can access their portfolio, make trades and gain market insights and information, at any time, from anywhere in the world.The app release is a significant milestone in the development of DX.Exchange following the main launch in January. It brings the company a step closer to the vision of helping to create wealth for people all over the world no matter their social or economic situation.About DX.Exchange DX.Exchange is the first digital asset exchange offering the opportunity to trade in cryptocurrencies and digital stocks with cryptocurrency or fiat currency. DX.Exchange holds operating licenses with the Estonian Financial Intelligence Unit. License FVR000051 is for providing exchange services to exchange virtual currencies against fiat currencies. License number FRK000039 is for providing a virtual currency wallet service. With over 70 research and development engineers, the global team at DX.Exchange brings extensive experience in UI and financial technology.Contact:Dan Edelsteinpr@ marketacross.com +972-545-464-238SOURCE: DX.Exchange ESD Trays Market PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 08:48:58 Press Information Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 608 Words Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Globally, nearly six percent of the electrical & electronic devices such as PCBs and semi-conductor gets damaged every year from static electricity which is generated due to frictional contacts or electrostatic induction between two electrically charged objects. Due to such reasons, ESD trays are predominantly used as protective packaging across electronic and electrical industries. Countries like China, Taiwan, and South Korea have highly demanded ESD trays in order to render protection to devices from external damages.Conventionally, air bubble and cartons were used for protection of electronic devices and equipments, but with innovation, in technological development and material use, ESD trays are majorly used to transport and store static sensitive components. ESD trays are built with the feature to render hermetic protection from external humidity and static flow of electricity. Overall, the ESD trays market is expected to witness a remarkable expansion due to rising electronic production.Global ESD Trays Market - Market Dynamics:Manufacturers of ESD trays are now using metal layers or metal oxides to provide conductive properties to packaging material instead of additive. Moreover, use of carbon additive damages the mechanic properties of devices and component. Thus leading ESD tray manufacturers are using current metal filler instead of additive which has saved immense production cost and increased revenue margin of the manufacturer.Request to Sample of Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-5779 On the flip side, use of alternative packaging material such as air bubble wraps and cartons poses a market share risk to ESD trays which is hampering the revenue of manufacturers operating in ESD packaging market.An observing trend in increasing demand of ESD trays is high growth rate in defense & military across the region of North America and APEJ. With countries in particular China and U.S. are the heavy spender nation on defence and military. Such factor is accelerating a steady demand across ESD trays manufacturers.Global ESD Trays Market - Market Segmentation:Global ESD Trays market is segmented into application type, material & additive type, end user base industries. On the basis of application type, the global ESD trays market is segmented into electrical & electronic component, equipment, drugs, etc. On the basis of material and additive types, the global ESD trays market is segmented into conductive and dissipative polymers, metal and additive. Further, conductive and dissipative polymers are sub-segmented into Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polycarbonate (PC), Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), Polyamide (PA), Styrene Acrylonitrile (SAN), and others. Furthermore, metal is sub-segmented into aluminium, steel, tin, copper and others. Additionally, additive is sub-segmented into electrical & electronic, automobile, defense & military, manufacturing, aerospace, healthcare and others. On the basis of end use base, the global ESD trays is segmented into electrical & electronics, automobile, defense & military, manufacturing, aerospace, healthcare & others.Global ESD Trays Market - Regional Outlook:North AmericaLatin AmericaEastern EuropeWestern EuropeAsia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ)Middle East & Africa (MEA)JapanThe global ESD Trays market is monopolized across the APEJ and Japan. China electronic market being one key factor which is fuelling the growth of ESD trays. Countries across the region of North America and Europe are expected to showcase a high growth for ESD trays during the forecast period.Increasing demand for electrical and electronic component is a prime factor for accelerating growth in ESD trays market.Request Report for TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-5779 ESD Trays Market Key Players:Some of the key players operating in the global ESD trays market include Conductive Containers, Inc., Tandem Equipment Sales, Inc., Elcom (UK) Ltd., Global STATCLEAN SYCTEMS, Electrotek Static Controls Pvt. Ltd., PB Statclean Solutions Private Limited, Engineered Components & Packaging, LLC., RTP Company. PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 04:24:02 Press Information Future Market Insights U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way,, Suite 2-9018, Vall Abhishek Budholiya Manager 3479183531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 649 Words U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way,, Suite 2-9018, VallManager3479183531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Dielectric gases, also known as insulation gases, are dielectric materials that exist in the gaseous state. These gases are generally used as insulating medium in high voltage transmission units, such as switchgears, transformers, gas insulated lines, etc. The gas used as an insulating media must have good dielectric strength, chemical inertness, high thermal stability, non-flammability and low boiling point. The most common gases used across the globe for insulation purpose in dielectric gases are dry air, nitrogen and SF6. Moreover, the global market for dielectric gases is anticipated to grow with healthy CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period. The global dielectric gases market will attain the value of US$ 214.6 Mn by the end of 2028. Furthermore, growing demand for electricity due to rapid infrastructural development and industrialization is also expected to create significant demand for gas insulated transmission units in future. This is further expected to drive the global market for dielectric gases between 2018 and 2028.Request For Report Sample @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-8514 Increasing urbanization in emerging as well as developed economies has led to surge in construction activities around the world. Due to growing installation and use of Office Equipment, HVAC, IT and telecommunications as well as increasing demand for civic utilities involving lighting, water supply and consumer appliances, consumption per unit of electricity has been increasing. The commercial sector generally employs medium to moderately high rated voltage consumption.The industrial sector is estimated to have consumed 54% of the total electricity generated across the globe during 2017. Increasing investments in general manufacturing and telecom and IT industry, owing to high demand from telecommunication networks, data storage banks and multinational IT corporations, is leading to increased demand for medium voltage substations. This is anticipated to create healthy demand for dielectric gases in the coming years. Dielectric gases have also become the preferred insulating medium in electricity transmission units.Growing R&D activities by leading manufacturers of dielectric gases are estimated to create several growth opportunities in the dielectric gases market in the coming future. Manufacturers in the dielectric gases market are highly engaged in the development of SF6 alternatives. As a matter of fact, this is the key strategy being adopted by many manufacturers to increase their share in the dielectric gases market. This strategy has been helping manufacturers enhance their brand value and market share in dielectric gases market. 3M, a prominent manufacturer in the dielectric gases market, recently launched a new product by the name Novec. For the development of this product, the company collaborated with ABB and GE, the two leading companies engaged in the manufacturing and sales of electronic transmission units across the globe. Technology exchange was the key reason behind this collaboration and now alternatives are developed by these companies.Asia Pacific is one of the most prominent regions in the global dielectric gases market. The region is estimated to hold more than 57% share in the global Dielectric Gases market by the end of 2028. Growing demand from the region can be attributed to infrastructural development and rapid establishment of various industries. Hence, the demand for power transmission products will also increase, which in turn, is further anticipated to fuel the demand for dielectric gases in future. Moreover, technological innovations and development activities in Europe have made the region the innovation leader in the global dielectric gases market. Significant presence of the many prominent players, such as 3M, Solvey, Linde, Messer Group, ABB and GE, among others, is another reason responsible for Europes leading position in the dielectric gases market.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-8514 3M Company, Solvay S.A., The Linde Group, Messer Group, General Electric Company, ABB Inc., SHOWA DENKO K.K., KPL International Limited, Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. and Kanto Denka Kogyo Co., Ltd., among others, are some of the key players involved in the manufacturing of dielectric gases in the global market. The demand for High Density (HD) Cell Banking is fueled by growing research and development spending in biotechnology and medical industry. The growing life science industry and increasing applications of biological drugs derived through genetic engineering and cell culture techniques. High Density (HD) Cell Banking Market PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 12:48:25 Press Information Future Market Insights Future Market Insights U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Umesh SEO Manager 3479183531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 731 Words Future Market InsightsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comSEO Manager3479183531 Cell banking is a process of separation and storage of cells belonging to a specific genome which are used in biological research, drug development, and medical use. The cell banking technique involves a lengthy process of extraction, and scale up owing to which the cells become more susceptible to contamination and lot of time is wasted before the cells are actually used for research or clinical purpose. High density (HD) cell banking technique is used to eliminate delay and reducing the chance of contamination.. The HD cell banking technique reduces the number of expansion steps involved in the scaling up process which are required in the traditional cell culture and turn reduces the process time and increases the level of automation in the process.In high-density cell culture technique, the cells are dispensed directly into single-use bioreactor or culture vessel which in turn speeds up the creation of homogenous cells and eliminates the need for centrifugation and dilution processes, moreover high-density cell culture reduces the interactions with the culture and in turn reduces the risk of contamination. High-density cell cultures market is expected witness robust growth over the forecast period owing to its technological advantages over traditional cell culture techniques.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1985 High Density (HD) Cell Banking Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe demand for High Density (HD) Cell Banking is fueled by growing research and development spending in biotechnology and medical industry. The growing life science industry and increasing applications of biological drugs derived through genetic engineering and cell culture techniques. High retention of the cells in the high-density cell culture, increases productivity owing to which HD cell banking market is expected to witness robust growth over the forecast period. Growing demand for stem cell research in therapeutic areas like cancer and autoimmune diseases worldwide is expected to boost demand for high-density cell banking over the forecast period. Moreover the adoption of cell culture processes for manufacturing of industrial enzymes and other proteins is growing especially in the developed and emerging economies which in turn is expected to boost demand for high density cell banking globally, however low awareness of the technology and lack of technical expertise is expected to hamper revenue growth of the high-density cell banking market over the forecast period.[RD1] High Density (HD) Cell Banking Market: SegmentationThe global high density (HD), cell banking market, is classified on the basis of end user and regional presence.Segmentation by End UsersPharmaceuticals CompaniesBiotechnology CompaniesChemical & MaterialAgricultureAcademic & Research InstitutesHigh Density (HD) Cell Banking Market: OverviewThe high density (HD), cell banking market, is largely penetrated by some key global players and is expected to witness healthy CAGR regarding revenue owing to increasing applications and high adoption rate of high density (HD) cell banking technique in research and academics globally. The entry of new players and development of enhanced technology in the high density (HD) cell banking market is expected to create fierce competition over the forecast period in the market.High Density (HD) Cell Banking Market: Regional OverviewGeographically, the global high density (HD), cell banking market, is classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, Middle East and Africa (MEA).North America dominates the global high density (HD) cell banking market followed by Europe. North America and Western Europe (comprising EU5 countries) regions are expected to witness significant growth due to increased adoption of high density (HD) cell banking and due to awareness in these regions. APEJ is expected to witness significant growth as compared to other regions and countries owing to increase in spending in pharmaceutical sector and presence of several biotechnology and research and development institutions. Latin America and MEA regions are expected to witness sluggish growth due to low adoption of high density (HD) cell banking equipment. However, increasing healthcare spending may boost the growth of high density (HD) cell banking market in these regions during the forecast period.Request to View TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1985 High Density (HD) Cell Banking Market: Key PlayersSome of the major players operating in the market for High Density (HD) Cell Banking are Genzyme Corporation, REPLIGEN CORPORATION, Pall Corporation, General Electric Company, Sartorius AG, Merck Millipore Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. and others. Above manufactures are upgrading the traditional technology and concentrating on market penetration. Goethe University co-ordinates mega-project on cybersecurity and data protection With a total grant amount of 16 million, 'mega' is hardly an exaggerated designation for the project "CyberSec4Europe". The European Commission desires to set international standards in cybersecurity and boost the effectiveness of Europe's security capacities. The goal of the new "Horizon 2020" programme's initiative is to establish and operate a cybersecurity competence network and develop a strategy for cybersecurity and data protection as European branches (industries). The Commission selected a total of four projects for the pilot, of which "CyberSec4Europe", co-ordinated by business informatics expert Professor Kai Rannenberg from Goethe University in Frankfurt, comprises the most EU member states, and is concerned with domains that are relevant to every EU citizen such as banking, healthcare, identity management and smart cities. "A flagship project like this is of great significance for Goethe University," comments University President Professor Birgitta Wolff with regard to the noteworthy achievement. "We have great expertise in matters of information security and data protection. It is wonderful that this now enables us to make a contribution within the European context." "Our main tasks are the strategic coordination and organisation of the project," explains Professor Kai Rannenberg, who holds the Chair for Mobile Business and Multilateral Security at Goethe University and who conceived this project. He will co-ordinate the consortium from Frankfurt. Staff has been and will continue to be recruited for the project, as the funding applies retroactively to 1st February 2019. CyberSec4Europe's official two-day kick-off event starts on 28 February in Brussels. During the course of a public event on the evening of the first day, attendees will hear a panel of distinguished speakers representing stakeholder organisations expressing their expectations from the Cybersecurity Competence Network Centre pilot projects. The focus will be on cybersecurity and data protection in the economy, infrastructures, society and democracy. CyberSec4Europe will build on existing structures such as "Trust in Digital Life" (TDL), the European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO) and the Council of European Informatics Societies (CEPIS), and brings experts together from various disciplines. The 43 consortium partners from 20 European Union countries, as well as from Norway and Switzerland, include research establishments from enterprises such as Siemens or ATOS in addition to universities and research institutes. Within the next 42 months they will all collaborate to strengthen the research and innovation competence of the EU in cybersecurity. The question of "governance" is of primary concern: How can data protection be regulated, who has authority in which areas? Seven key demonstration cases will be investigated to ensure a close connection to real-world situations. "We want to use these real-life examples to investigate where structures, regulations and technology are lacking," says Professor Rannenberg, Lead Co-ordinator of the consortium. The Payment Service Directive 2 (PSD2) is one example. PSD2 is intended to make the switch to a new financial service provider easier for customers by enabling the new provider to access the necessary bank data through interfaces. But what can be done to protect customer data from unauthorised access? The Faculty of Law at Goethe University Frankfurt is also involved in the project in the person of data protection expert Professor Indra Spiecker. She heads the central subproject on the development of a European cybersecurity governance. "We will take up pertinent citizen-friendly regulations such as the European Data Protection Regulation and examine their implementation and management, applying what we learn to cybersecurity," says Spiecker. The 16 million will be distributed to the consortium partners from the central location of Goethe University. Approximately 2 million will remain at Goethe University. ### Further information: Professor Kai Rannenberg, Chair for Mobile Business & Multilateral Security, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Westend Campus, Tel +49 (0)69 798-34701, E-Mail CyberSec4Europe@m-chair.de Current news about science, teaching, and society in GOETHE-UNI online (http://www. aktuelles. uni-frankfurt. de ) Goethe University is a research-oriented university in the European financial centre Frankfurt The university was founded in 1914 through private funding, primarily from Jewish sponsors, and has since produced pioneering achievements in the areas of social sciences, sociology and economics, medicine, quantum physics, brain research, and labour law. It gained a unique level of autonomy on 1 January 2008 by returning to its historic roots as a "foundation university". Today, it is one of the three largest universities in Germany. Together with the Technical University of Darmstadt and the University of Mainz, it acts as a partner of the inter-state strategic Rhine-Main University Alliance. Internet: http://www. uni-frankfurt. de Publisher: The President of Goethe University Editor: Dr. Anke Sauter, Science Editor, International Communication, PR & Communication Department, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Tel: +49(0)69 798-13066, Fax +49(0)69 798-761 12531, sauter@pvw.uni-frankfurt.de. This story has been published on: 2019-02-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 12:20:42 Press Information Published by ACN Newswire +65 6304 8926 e-mail https://www.acnnewswire.com/ # 1096 Words ACN Newswire+65 6304 8926 HONG KONG, Feb 28, 2019 - (ACN Newswire) - Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the 36th HKTDC Hong Kong International Jewellery Show opened today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The five-day show (28 Feb to 4 March) has attracted 2,615 exhibitors from 38 countries and regions, among which Jordan, Latvia and Liechtenstein are taking part for the first time. Also new this year are pavilions from Mexico and Indonesia, bringing a new dimension to the event. The show presents a diverse array of finished jewellery, from the rarest and most luxurious to the exclusive collections of internationally renowned brands, as well as works from emerging designers, amber jewellery and wedding jewellery.Meanwhile, the sixth HKTDC Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show, focusing on jewellery raw materials, opened on Tuesday (26 Feb) at AsiaWorld-Expo and runs until Saturday (2 March). Together, the two shows have attracted a record of more than 4,600 exhibitors from 48 countries and regions and continue to form the world's largest jewellery marketplace.Exhibitors from around the world; Japan as first-time partner countryHKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau said: "By bringing together exhibitors from all corners of the world and showcasing the finest jewellery and jewellery raw materials, the two HKTDC shows serve not only as a one-stop promotion and sourcing platform for the industry, but also make Hong Kong a top jewellery trading and sourcing hub for buyers globally." He added: "In the midst of the current economic instability, these jewellery trade shows help brace the industry for the challenges ahead." This year, with support from the Japan External Trade Organisation and the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong, the HKTDC has collaborated with the Japan Pearl Exporters' Association and the Japan Pearl Promotion Society to invite Japan as the shows' partner country for the first time, highlighting the country's top-quality jewellery. Mr Chau pointed out that Japanese jewellery items, and the country's pearl products in particular, have long been coveted in the market.The Japan Pearl Exporters' Association and the Japan Pearl Promotion Society have set up a Japan Pearl Jewellery Pavilion and Japan Pearl Pavilion at the Jewellery Show and Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show, respectively. About 130 exhibitors in the two pavilions are promoting Japan's cultured pearls and pearl jewellery to buyers from around the world. Other than regular fine pearl jewellery, exhibitors also present the rare Tsushima Blue and Tsushima Green pearls, bringing new business opportunities to the trade.New Avenue of Jewellery Creators presents Greater Bay Area creativityA number of new themed zones have been added to the Jewellery Show this year, including the Avenue of Jewellery Creators set up by the Asia Pacific Creator Association to introduce jewellery designers from Hong Kong and Mainland China, with a particular focus on presenting culture, art and creativity from across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Pavilions from emerging markets such as Mexico and Indonesia are making their debut appearance to feature jewellery with a distinctive local flavour.Among the new exhibitor groups in 2019 are Donghai, a county in Jiangsu province in the mainland famous for its crystal products, and Dongguan, a Guangdong city known for its fine silver jewellery. And the Hong Kong Jewellery & Jade Manufacturers Association and Italian Exhibition Group SpA are collaborating to present the "T-GOLD+METS" Pavilion, featuring professional jewellery and watchmaking machinery along with jewellery-making equipment, technology and supplies from international exhibitors. Other group pavilions are from France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Peru, Portugal, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and more.Convergence of famous brands at Hall of FameVarious themed zones have been set up to meet the sourcing needs of buyers, with the Hall of Fame continuing to attract some of the world's most famous jewellery brands. Lao Feng Xiang (Booth No: CEC 3B-D06), a well-known brand in the mainland, brings to the show one of its latest gold necklace collections, The Feather of Phoenix - Ling Yu, which uses an innovative colour filament drawing technique and combines Chinese art and culture with exquisite craftsmanship. Other participating brands include Italy's Giorgio Visconti (Booth No: CEC 3B-D14) and Japan's Kuwayama (Booth No: CEC 3B-E08), as well as new participants such as Hong Kong's Asia Star (Booth No: CEC 3B-F10), Japan's Kawamura (Booth No: CEC 3B-E13), Russia's Kabarovsky (Booth No: CEC 3B-E11) and the UK's JT Jewellery Theatre (Booth No: CEC 3B-D18).IT Solutions for Jewellery zone helps business expansionRiding on the positive response to its debut last year, the IT Solutions for Jewellery zone returns in 2019 to show how the latest technologies can help jewellery companies increase their operational efficiency to stand out from the crowd. For example, the smart display shelves developed by Hong Kong's Megasoft Limited (Booth No: CEC 5B-D24) use smart sensors to collect customer preference data to facilitate sales and bolster security. The jewellery chip technology developed by another Hong Kong company, Wenwen Technology (Booth No: CEC 5B-E35), can turn luxury jewellery into tools for communication, messaging or even emergency alerts. Wenwen's waterproof smart chips can be embedded into high-density ceramics and gemstones, or set onto jewellery pieces such as bracelets, necklaces and earrings. Various other exhibitors introduce the latest management technologies for the industry, including solutions for jewellery designing, production and e-commerce, and Internet of Things (IoT) equipment suitable for use by jewellery companies.Hall of Extraordinary spotlights jewellery masterpiecesThe Hall of Extraordinary returns to the show, showcasing masterpieces from some 100 companies and continuing to be a crowd-pleaser. On display are a collection of striking, valuable and rare jewellery pieces. Paraiba tourmalines, considered the "king of tourmalines", have been very much sought after in recent years. Dehres (Booth No: CEC GH-B02), an internationally renowned jewellery brand, is attracting attention with an exquisite ring adorned with a nine-carat Mozambique paraiba tourmaline stone with a deep blue hue. Jadmily Jewelry Corporation Limited, a Hong Kong company (Booth No: CEC GH-BO5), presents a jade necklace valued at HK$64 million. The oval centre stone of the necklace is a jadeite cabochon, weighing more than 50g, that was extracted from a top-tier ancient mine in Myanmar. Unique Brilliant Limited, another Hong Kong exhibitor (Booth No: CEC GH-C32), presents a 24.13-carat oval-cut padparadscha sapphire ring valued at more than HK$7 million.Press release: http://www.acnnewswire.com/press-release/english/50003/ Fair Websites:Hong Kong International Jewellery Show: http://hkjewelleryshow.hktdc.com Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem and Pearl Show: http://hkdgp.hktdc.com Enhanced Security Measures for Buyers: http://hkjewellery.hktdc.com/dm/2019/security/index_en.html Photo download: https://bit.ly/2Vr8fpN PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 15:26:59 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 491 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 D'Ovidio, Who Has Been Nicknamed "Ad Prophet" By His Fans, Offers His Top Five Predictions for Marketing Trends this YearLOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / Dante D'Ovidio, an internet entrepreneur who has been dubbed the "Ad Prophet" by his many enthusiastic fans, is playing into the title by releasing a new video on YouTube that includes his top 5 marketing predictions for 2019.As a spokesperson for D'Ovidio noted, he is well known for his public speaking engagements about advertising, marketing and lead generation. Recently, he traveled from Puerto Rico, where he is currently living, back to his native Las Vegas to film a YouTube video that focuses on his marketing predictions for 2019.As D'Ovidio noted at the beginning of the video, although there was no monetary benefit to sharing his thoughts on YouTube, he wanted to disclose what he calls the "real knowledge" about marketing, and what he feels are the five most effective approaches.While he acknowledged that some "secretive underground experts" will not like it that he made the video, D'Ovidio said he really wanted to provide a sneak peek into what he feels is especially important in marketing in 2019.To watch the new video in its entirety, please check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13XJEgF6anM&feature=youtu.be/ Thanking the universe for bringing his audience to YouTube, and suggesting that viewers imprint his words on their brains - should he have to pull the video at any time - D'Ovidio started out with his first prediction: the fact that traditional, hard selling techniques are dead.While he admits that older generations may still go for the traditional "buy this for $10 and get a free one, and another free one" approach, the better option for younger shoppers uses native advertising. Describing it as a million times better than hard selling, D'Ovidio explained that this approach creates ads that are native to each user.For example, if someone is on Instagram, he or she may see posts that look like regular Instagram posts but are actually ads, D'Ovidio noted, adding that companies can use native advertising on blog posts as well as news sites, and that there is a variety of ways to make it not look like an ad.D'Ovidio presents four other predictions in the interesting video; he strongly urges those who are interested in learning more about the topic of online advertising to check out the video as soon as possible.About Dante D'Ovidio:Dante D'Ovidio is an internet marketing expert who is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada. Currently living in Puerto Rico, he has a secret Facebook group and is known by his fans as the "Ad Prophet." To watch his controversial video before it could possibly be taken down, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13XJEgF6anM&feature=youtu.be/ Contact:Ivan KennedyContact@ DanteDovidio.com (949) 555-2861SOURCE: Dante D'Ovidio Kraft Bubble Mailers Market PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 08:50:37 Press Information Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 644 Words Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 E-commerce is becoming primary mode of buying things. Today United States accounts for approximately US$ 650 Billion of E-commerce sales. Booming E-commerce market is contributing to growth of logistics & supply chain industry. The constant rise in demand for efficient solutions to ship small to medium sized valuable items in E-commerce has led to the growth in demand for Kraft bubble mailers. Kraft bubble mailers are in general made of kraft paper with PE bubble linings. The outer kraft surface provides an easy medium for writing or printing product, destination, billings and other details. In recent years the kraft bubble mailers market has witnessed may new manufacturers entering the market.The kraft bubble mailers market is highly dominated by regional small to medium sized players. The trend of consolidation is in its introduction stage. Changing E-commerce distribution landscape is expected to make kraft bubble mailers market volatile for short period of time. Packers & movers are coming with very innovative E-commerce distribution solutions, which is expected to positively affect the kraft bubble mailers market.Request to Sample of Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-5729 Kraft Bubble Mailers: Market DynamicsIncreasing penetration of E-commerce into emerging markets like China, India, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, and Nigeria is expected to drive the kraft bubble mailers market. Changing buying patterns across globe e.g. increasing home shopping & online retail, e-auctions (e.g. E-bay) are helping the kraft bubble liners market to expand at higher growth rates. Kraft bubble mailers increasing applications e.g. gifts, books, frames, jewellery, watches, novelties, audio cds, spare parts, electric parts, circuit boards, video cassettes, drugs and vitamins are driving the demand for kraft bubble mailers market. Kraft bubble mailers are available in many shapes & sizes. Per unit price of kraft bubble mailers varies significantly from product to product.Growing intolerance towards plastic is expected to negatively affect the kraft bubble mailers market. Governments regulations & guidelines on E-commerce businesses and shippers related to environmental footprint, sales discounts, and labour laws are restraining the growth of kraft bubble mailers market. Growing biodegradable & recyclable plastic products market is expected to positively affect the kraft bubble mailers market. Overall the kraft bubble mailers market is expected to expand at a lucrative compound annual growth rates (CAGR) during the forecast period.Kraft Bubble Mailers: Market SegmentationThe Kraft Bubble Mailers market is segmented on the basis of carrying capacity and application. On the basis of carrying capacity, the global Kraft bubble mailers market is segmented intoLess the 300 g300 to 500 g500 to 1000 g1000 to 2000 gAbove 2000 gBased on the application global kraft bubble mailers market is segmented into:Books & Audio CDsJewelleryMedicines & NutrientsGiftsFramesWatches & noveltiesElectric parts & circuit boardsVideo cassettesOthersBooks & CDs and medicines & nutrients product segments is expected to offer a lucrative market opportunity for kraft bubble mailers market players.Kraft Bubble Mailers Market: Regional outlookKraft bubble mailers market has been segmented on the basis of region into North America, Latin America Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Middle East & Africa (MEA), and Japan. North America is expected to dominate the overall global kraft bubble mailers market. This is due to United States dominating e-commerce & retail market. Growing business to business ecommerce market is also helping the North America kraft bubble mailers market. Western Europe is expected to stand at second place by kraft bubble mailers market. France, Germany & U.K are major contributors in Western Europe. China is driving the APEJ kraft bubble mailers market.Request Report for TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-5729 Kraft Bubble Mailers Market: Key playersSome of the players in the global kraft bubble mailers market are BETA (ShenZhen) Package Products Co.Ltd ., Bravo Pack Inc., PAC Worldwide, Inc., Pregis Corporation, Sealed Air Corporation, Yorkshire Envelopes, Chemco Group, Ariv Pak, Shenzhen Ebetek Co. Ltd., Plastec Systems and others. Region wise, the global Lab Chip Devices Market is classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa.North America leads the global Lab Chip Devices Market followed by Europe. Lab Chip Devices Market PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 12:29:08 Press Information Future Market Insights Future Market Insights U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Umesh SEO Manager 3479183531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 736 Words Future Market InsightsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comSEO Manager3479183531 A lab chip device is a device which assimilates one or more laboratory tasks on a sole chip to achieve high-throughput screening and automation. Dimensions of the chip may vary from few millimeters to square centimeters. LOCs handles extremely small volume of fluid which can be close to pico liters. Lab-on-a-chip devices are actually a part of Micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS). These devices are often designated by "Micro Total Analysis Systems" (TAS). Lab Chip devices are the devices which primarily describes the manipulation. The Lab Chip devices indicates the mounting of multiple or single lab process to a chop format. Whereas Micro Total Analysis systems helps in integrating the total sequence of complete Lab processes to perform the analysis. Basically Lab chip devices are the instruments which allows the chemical analysis or the laboratory synthesis on a very small scale. Over the past 2 decades LOC devices have shown good benefits and appreciable potential for a wide range of applications like genomic research proteomics research, point of care diagnostics, analytical chemistry, biohazards detections and environmental monitoring. Compare to the conventional devices these small devices offera a wide range of advantages. They reduce reagent and sample consumption, shortens reaction time. Also it requires a less power, portable in nature and have very less manufacturing cost as compared to the conventional bulkier Lab machines. The recent advancement in Lab Chip devices can be designed with higher precision. The flow of the samples used can be precisely controlled with the help of external valves and pumps and the analytes can be detected with high sensitivity using electrical, optical and magnetic based techniques.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1942 Lab Chip Devices Market: Drivers and RestraintsLab Chip devices is a new technology which is driving the current Laboratory testing market and also suffices the current need of the market where the trace samples are to be analyzed. The applications of such devices are more inclined towards the medical examination and life sciences, where protein crystallization and DNA, RNA sequencing can be studied. Moreover the features of being handy and easy to use are the factors expected to fuel the growth of global Lab Chip Devices Market. These devices are also portable and easy to carry hence can be widely used in Hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers as well. Use of the conventional laboratory services may act as a restraint in the present market as it may take time for the technology to be acknowledged and admired by health care professionals.Though there are hurdles pertaining to the commercialization of new technology, but in the long run these devices will become crucial.Lab Chip Devices Market: SegmentationThe global Lab Chip Devices Market has been classified on the basis of application, end user and geography.Based on application, the global Lab Chip Devices is divided into following:Clinical DiagnosticsGenomicsIn vitro DiagnosticsPoint of Care DiagnosticsProteomicsDrug DiscoveryOthers (Biodefense, Food Pathogen Identification, and Environmental Contamination)Based on the end user type, the global Lab Chip Devices is divided into following:Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical CompaniesHospitalsForensic LaboratoriesDiagnostics CentersAcademic & Research InstitutesLab Chip Devices Market: OverviewThe first ever lab chip devices was created by Stanford university in the year 1979 for gas chromatography. However the actual use of lab chip devices began in the late 80s through the adaptation of micro fabrication processes and development of the micro fluids. In 1990s the scientist began to explore fluids and shorten the biochemical operation such as PCR. Recently all the most probable applications of Lab chip devices have been studied and have shown promising results. For many applications the Lab chip devices not only shows capacity of integration and parallelization but also demonstrates promising results as compared to the conventional technology. Currently these technology is widely used in molecular biology, proteomics, Cell biology and chemistry.Lab Chip Devices Market: Regional OverviewRegion wise, the global Lab Chip Devices Market is classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa.North America leads the global Lab Chip Devices Market followed by Europe.Request to View TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1942 Lab Chip Devices Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in global Lab Chip Devices market are Takara Bio, Inc., Biacore AB, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Ltd., Caliper Life Sciences, Cepheid. and others. PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 09:18:21 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,, Abhishek Budholiya Manager 3479183531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 642 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,,Manager3479183531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Linear actuators assist in converting energy into straight line motions, generally for positioning applications. Most of the linear actuators are either mechanical or electro-mechanical devices that provide controlled movement and positioning. These actuators are primarily used in industrial machinery, computer peripherals, valves, and many other places where linear motion is required. A typical linear actuator generally produces push and pull action. As most processes across a variegated range of industries gets automated, the global linear actuators market is expected to expand with an impressive CAGR throughout the forecast period.Linear ActuatorsMarket: Drivers & RestraintsThe major factors boosting the growth of linear actuators market is rising automation across manufacturing industry. Industrial objectives such as achieving complete factory automation, and integrating Industrial Internet of Things are some of the prime reasons that will drive more demand for linear actuators. While, rising industrialization particularly in the third world countries is another factor that will drive the demand in the global linear actuators market, on the backdrop of increasing number of factories. As the number of research studies conducted increases, demand for telescopic actuators is expected to increase significantly. Also as companies overcome their legacy systems to achieve higher efficiency, and replace existing actuators with new ones, demand for linear actuators is expected to rise. Furthermore, as an increasing number of industrial process adopt self-control and positioning demand in the linear actuators market is expected to continuously rise.Request For Report Sample @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3778 However, as concerns regarding employment rises among most countries on the backdrop of increasing automation in factories, demand for linear actuators might get sluggish over the end years of the forecast period. Adoption of 3D printing in many industries is another factor that will restrain the demand for linear actuators, as usage of machines will decrease.Linear ActuatorsMarket: Market SegmentationThe Linear Actuators Market is segmented into two parts based on operation type and end use industry:Based on operation mechanism, the linear actuator market is segmented into:MechanicalHydraulicPneumaticPiezoelectricElectro-mechanical actuatorsBased on End Use Industry, the linear actuator market is segmented into:AutomotiveMedical/HealthcareEnergy and Mining,SteelConstructionMilitaryChemicalOthersLinear Actuators Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, linear actuators market has been categorized into seven key regions including North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, Japan, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.A prominent share of the demand for linear actuators comes from North America, and the region is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. Furthermore, with more inclination towards shifting manufacturing in US from China and other ASEAN countries, demand for linear actuators will further rise in the region. Asia Pacific Exc. Japan is another prominent shareholder in terms of demand for linear actuators, amid, large manufacturing sector of China. Moreover, with India and Indonesia picking up at a fast pace, demand for linear actuators is expected to expand with a bullish growth rate over the forecast period. Being home to large automotive and research base companies, Western Europe is another prominent region generating huge demand for linear actuators. Eastern Europe is also expected to generate descent demand for linear actuators, particularly from energy and defense sector. Rising industrialization and the already dominant oil and gas industry of Middle East and Africa is the prime reason driving automation in the Middle Eastern region. Thus driving more demand for linear actuators. Japan is another prominent industrial nation, which drives demand for linear actuators, due to high automation penetration in their industries coupled with growing semiconductor industry of the region.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-3778 Linear Actuators Market: Key PlayersSome of the players identified in Global Linear Actuators market are:-Duff-NortonHelix Linear Technologies, Inc.Altra Industrial MotionTolomatic, Inc.Fabco-Air, Inc.Actuonix Motion DevicesTusk Direct, Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 07:15:45 Press Information Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 673 Words Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Glutamate is a natural amino acid found in the human body and in foods which contain protein, such as fish, mushrooms, tomatoes, meats, nuts, seaweeds and most dairy products. Glutamate is manufactured by the fragmentation of corn or sugarcane, as well as by bacterial fragmentation. The product obtained is a white crystal, to which sodium is added to form monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG. The fermentation process is used for mass production with low cost. It is used as a food additiveand flavor enhancer for many dishes, such as baked goods, sauces, milk and meat products and cheeses.It is also used as an additive in dairy applications to increase the shelf life and taste of products.Food processing industries are major end users for monosodium glutamate, using it for the manufacturing of convenient & functional food, snacks, seasonal blends, instant noodles and soups. MSG is also used in institutional food service providers and restaurants.It is available in the market under various trade names, such as accent, ajinomoto and third spice. It is classified by the European Union as a safe for use food additive and by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) food ingredient.Monosodium Glutamateis commonly used in fast foods. It doesnt have its own distinct flavor but it helps intensify the natural flavor of the food and is described as Umami, the fifth basic taste after sweet, bitter, sour, and salty.Request Report Sample@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3412 Other than the food industry, it is also used in medical/pharmaceutical applications. Medical applications include parenteral nutrition, for congenital metabolic diseases and as a hypertension neuroregulator. Monosodium Glutamateis also used in animal feed in negligible amounts.Monosodium Glutamate Market:Market DynamicsThe growing preference towards processed food and fast food, owing to hectic lifestyles is expected to remain a key driving factor for the global monosodium glutamate marketin the forecast period. The manufacturing of monosodium glutamate has shifted from the extraction method to the fermentation method, as this method can be used for large scale production while maintaining a low per-unit cost. Thus owing to an increase in the profit margin, which has largely impacted growth of the monosodium glutamate market. However, health concerns associated with the consumption of MSG, such as headache, sweating, chest pain, nausea, and skin rashamong consumers and its regulation by regional FDA (Food & Drug Administration) authorities are anticipated to be a restraint to the monosodium glutamate market.Monosodium Glutamate Market:Market SegmentationSegmentation of the monosodium glutamate market on the basis of end use industry:Food Processing IndustryMedical/pharmaceutical industryLivestock IndustryCosmetic IndustrySegmentation of the monosodium glutamate market on the basis of application:AdditivesPreservativesFlavor enhancersAcidity regulatorsMonosodium Glutamate Market: Regional OutlookThe global monosodium glutamate (MSG) market is fragmented within certain companies. Competition within these companies is on the basis of the price. China is a major consumer and producer of monosodium glutamate. After China, Japan is a major consumer for the monosodium glutamate market. Increasing demand for fast food in the Indian subcontinent and South East Asia has made Asia Pacific a major consumer segment of the monosodium glutamate market.Asia Pacific is followed by North America in terms of consumption, as the U.S. has substantial demand for monosodium glutamate owing to huge demand from the food manufacturing sectorand the increasing demand for Asian food. Europe has a significant demand for monosodium glutamate due to the growing food manufacturing sector in this region. The rest of the global market also showing a positive influence on the market growth of the monosodium glutamate market in the forecast period.Request For Table Of Content @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-3412 Monosodium Glutamate Market: Market ParticipantsExamples of some of the market participants in the global monosodium glutamate market, identified across the value chain are:Fufeng GroupAjinomoto Co., IncSunrise Nutrachem GroupMeihua Holdings GroupVedan International (Holdings) LimitedGlobal Bio-Chem Technology Group Company Limited Natural Polymer Market PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 08:54:01 Press Information Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 742 Words Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Natural polymers are those substances which are derived from natural sources. These polymers are either synthesized by addition polymerization or condensation polymerization. Polymers are extensively found in nature, some of the main natural polymers includes, cellulose ether, exudate & vegetable gum, starch & fermentation products and protein based products, among others. Cellulose is a main structural component of the plants. Cellulose is one of the most abundant natural polymer found on earth, it is mainly used in paper and pulp industry, textile, medical and food & beverage industry.Natural polymers are non-toxic, renewable, biodegradable, safe, economical and abundant source of biocompatible materials for suitable for various applications in the medical field. Natural polymers finds widespread applications in the shipment of non-durable goods, pharmaceuticals, oilfields as well as food & beverages. Natural polymers are also finds its diverse application in various industries such as construction, adhesives, paints and inks, packaging etc. among others.Request to Sample of Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-5939 Global Natural Polymer Market: Market DynamicsNatural polymer market is anticipated to be primarily driven due to increase in demand for non-petroleum based and eco-friendly products. Further, increasing penetration of natural polymer based products in pharmaceutical industry for various applications such as for binders and fillers in drugs, excipients, wound dressing, and treatment of arthritic-affected joints, etc. Rise in demand of natural polymers from oilfield industry in hydraulic fracturing fluid is also expected to drive the natural polymer market. Another most prominent consumer of natural polymer is in packaging, with the growth in packaging industry the natural polymer market is expected to be driven.With the increasing trend of applications towards the use ecofriendly products may many factures are focusing on research and development of natural polymers for various applications for instance development of newer drug delivering techniques using natural polymers. Further, increasing acceptance of natural polymers as substitute in medical field industry is expected to boost the natural polymer market over the forecast period.The natural polymer market is governed through stringent environmental rules and regulations which is expected to hamper the growth of market over the forecast period. Further, increasing awareness about deforestation and protection of animals is anticipated to act as a minor barrier for the market. Ready availability of alternatives for natural polymers, such as for cotton and natural rubber, is expected to be a restraining factor the market growth.Increasing concern for environmental pollution and degradation over the use of non-biodegradable petroleum based substitutes along with volatile price of crude oil is expected to drive demand of natural polymer. Further, increasing investment for research and development led by the government initiatives have yielded in to various industrial application of natural polymers, in the field of agriculture, medical, pharmaceutical and packaging industry.Global Natural Polymer Market: Market SegmentationThe global natural polymer market on the basis of type can be segmented as:Cellulose EthersExudate & Vegetable GumsStarch & Fermentation ProductsOther PolymersThe global natural polymer market on the basis of application can be segmented as:ConstructionFood & BeveragesMedicalOilfieldCosmetics and ToiletriesInks and PaintsAdhesivesPackagingOthers (Textile and Leather, etc.)Global Natural Polymer Market: regional outlookNorth America is expected to dominate the natural polymer market over the forecast period. Natural polymer market in North America is expected to be driven due to increasing application in medical, oilfield industry and packaging industry. Growing construction industry in Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa is expected to drive the natural polymer market. However, due lack of technological advancement and capital investment in most of the developing countries in MEA is expected to constraint the natural polymer market.Growing population, increasing industrialization along with increase in an affluent middle class in the Asia Pacific region is expected to propel the growth of natural polymer market at a significant pace. Europe natural polymer market is anticipated to expand with a healthy growth rate primarily driven by the increase in demand for non-petroleum based and environmentally friendly product. Latin America market is expected to grow at relatively slower pace over the forecast period.Request Report for TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-5939 Global Natural Polymer Market: Key ParticipantsExamples of some of the market participants operating in the global natural polymer market are as follows:Ashland Inc.Novamont S.p.A.Archer Daniels Midland CompanyDow Chemical CompanyEconomy Polymers & ChemicalsCP KelcoEncore Natural PolymersAkzo Nobel N.V.BASF SECroda International PlcCargill, Incorporated PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 14:48:05 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 788 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Flexible corporate culture, social responsibility, performance and integrity exemplify managed IT services leader's commitment to customers, communities, partners, small businesses and employeesDENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / NexusTek, an award-winning cloud, managed IT services and cyber security provider, today unveiled its company mission statement and core values to the public. Recently named 2018 MSP of the Year, NexusTek helps thousands of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across the country manage and optimize their respective IT environments for business continuity, productivity and efficient operations.NexusTek Mission and Values:OUR MISSION: Enabling the latest technology solutions for small to medium-sized businesses to power their success.OUR VALUESPEOPLE: We value our team members and have a passion for what we do.COMMUNITY: We are united for the good of our Company and the business communities we serve.COURAGE: We adapt and reach above and beyond.INTEGRITY: We act ethically, honestly, and fairly.PERFORMANCE: We deliver what we promise."For small business owners and IT leaders at mid-market companies, NexusTek enables their success by providing technology services and solutions that eliminate performance-hindering inefficiencies, coupled with the scalability to support future growth," said NexusTek CEO, Mike Jenner. "Having achieved record growth in 2018, we are very proud of our team's performance and commitment to delivering better services. These results reflect a belief that success is not derived from any one source, but from an amalgamation of diverse contributions from the people with whom we work and the communities in which we operate." Through WOWSA, NexusTek's employee engagement program, the company helps employees find fulfillment and purpose in the workplace. WOWSA is an acronym for, "Why Our Workplace Stays Awesome." "Business leaders often lose sight of the fact that IT personnel have the same needs as other employees. Programs like WOWSA are the foundation of a progressive, collaborative corporate culture and professional environment in which all team members are engaged, find meaning and a sense of purpose," said NexusTek Vice President of Human Resources Suzanne Harris.Corporate social responsibility is paramount at NexusTek. Exemplifying an adherence to its core value of Community, the company supports a myriad of philanthropic organizations across the country to help less fortunate members of society.NexusTek's Orange County team recently joined forces with Orangewood Foundation to pack over 100 backpacks full of school supplies for the organization's annual backpack drive. Recently in Nevada, employees from NexusTek's Las Vegas office teamed up with PENTA Building Group to volunteer at Three-Square Food Bank to package lunch boxes. In addition, NexusTek's employees, customers and partners came together at NexusTek's annual client event, at The M Resort in Las Vegas, to pack 54,000 meals at the inspiring Kids Around The World Serve Event.In Denver, NexusTek deployed a team from headquarters to participate in the Colorado Apprentice Fair in support of CareerWise Colorado. CareerWise Colorado partners with local businesses to offer three-year apprenticeships to high school students. As part of this unique program, NexusTek is sponsoring two students for apprenticeships that begin Summer 2019.NexusTek also supports employees' philanthropic efforts by matching their donations to charitable organizations. Each year, NexusTek's community giving programs result in tens of thousands of dollars in contributions.Since inception, NexusTek has championed the importance of "giving back" to the community, as evidenced by the thousands of hours personnel spend volunteering. With this public declaration of its new mission and core values, NexusTek conveys its relentless pursuit of both a positive corporate culture for team members and accountability as a socially-responsible community partner.ABOUT NEXUSTEKThousands of small and medium-sized businesses depend on NexusTek to manage and optimize their IT and cloud environments for business continuity, productivity, operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness. With an all-encompassing services portfolio, infrastructure, high-touch personal attention and IT consulting expertise, NexusTek delivers true end-to-end, outsourced IT management to organizations nationwide.An SSAE 16 SOC II certified company, NexusTek designs problem solving and efficiency-minded IT solutions that bring together storage, virtualization, unified communications and collaboration, data protection and networking technologies from the world's foremost technology leaders. NexusTek Cloud Services offer the flexibility and control businesses need to be agile, and can address customers' unique cyber security, business continuity, compliance and auditing requirements in cloud, hybrid or on-premise environments. NexusTek is ranked as a top Managed Services Provider in North America on the MSPmentor 501 List, is a CRN MSP Elite 150 list member and award-winning Microsoft Gold Partner. Unfettered visibility, 24 x 7 x 365 monitoring, management and a true 24 hour staffed helpdesk, coupled with its comprehensive solutions portfolio and more than 22 years' experience, empower NexusTek to deliver better services to customers, regardless of how their needs change.CONTACT:For additional information, please visit https://www.nexustek.com Mostafa RazzakJMRConnect202.904.2048m.razzak@ jmrconnect.net SOURCE: NexusTek Parchment Paper Market PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 08:48:05 Press Information Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 623 Words Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Parchment paper is a high density, natural, and non-stick paper which is used to bake food products in the conventional or microwave oven. The paper is safe to use in the microwave oven up to 420 degrees Fahrenheit. It is produced by the parchmentizing process which includes the process of passing the paper through sulphuric acid or zinc chloride, which causes the fiber of the paper to swell and then the paper becomes dense, translucent, and greaseproof and possess good wet-strength characteristics. The paper offers convenience to the bakers such as easy clean-up and easy transfer of food items from pan to cooling rack.The parchment paper is used in the variety of applications including baking, roasting, reheating, and wrapping of the food items. The parchment paper is generally made from the unbleached chlorine-free greaseproof paper which offers high density and non-sticky characteristics to the paper. It is generally available in the pre-cut form and could be used conveniently during the cooking process. The paper could also be used for cooking and roasting of the chicken, seafood, and vegetables. The parchment papers meet all the regulatory compliances including FDA approvals. The paper is widely used by the bakeries, restaurants, caterers, and individuals.Request to Sample of Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-5776 Parchment Paper: Market DynamicsThe increase in disposable incomes of the middle-class households to buy convenience products such as parchment papers is driving the parchment paper market. The consumers are preferring products which offer easy clean-up and easy transfer characteristics during the cooking process. Also, there has been an increase in the consumer habits to spend more in the restaurants and bakeries which will further fuel the parchment paper market in the near future. Due to the high cost of the parchment paper, it cannot be used on a daily basis by an individual which restraints the parchment paper market.Also, the production of the paper may result in the deforestation and indirectly harms the environment. The trends observed in the parchment paper market are the use of chlorine-free paper to reduce the harmful effects on the environmental. It is noticed that due to many environmental risks involved in the production of the parchment paper, it is no longer made in the North America. There are lots of opportunities in the parchment paper market for the new entrants to open new manufacturing facilities in the emerging countries such as India, China, Brazil, etc. where penetration is very low and is expected to increase several folds in the near future.Parchment Paper: Market SegmentationParchment Paper market is segmented as follows-Parchment Paper market segmentation by paper gradesBleachedNaturalResin TreatedOthersParchment Paper market segmentation by end use SeafoodChickenVegetablesOthersParchment Paper Market: Regional outlookGeographically, the global Parchment Paper market is segmented across following regions- Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, North America, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. The demand for Parchment Papers is expected to increase in Asia-Pacific due to high demand for convenience products in the food industry. The European region is expected to be the largest market for the Parchment Papers due to the high penetration of the consumer demanding convenience products in this region. The North America region is also expected to gain market share in the Parchment Paper market due to the slight increase in demand for parchment papers in the region. The MEA and Japan also offer untapped growth potential for the Parchment Paper market.Request Report for TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-5776 Parchment Paper Market: Key playersSome of the key players in the global parchment paper market are Reynolds Consumer Products Inc, Paterson Pacific Parchment Company, AMOL Group, JK Paper Ltd., and Black Label Paper Company. PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 09:18:29 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,, Abhishek Budholiya Manager 3479183531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 719 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,,Manager3479183531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Pressure Relief Valves are used to control the pressure in a system in case of a process upset, or equipment failure. The extra pressure in the systems is relieved through an auxiliary passage. A typical pressure relief valve is designed to operate at a predetermined set pressure to assist in protecting other vessels and equipment from being subjected to unsafe pressure. If the pressure in the system exceeded the relief valve automatically becomes the passage of least resistance and helps retain the pressure. Pressure relief valves finds application in a variegated range of industries ranging from F&B, Pharmaceuticals, Oil & Gas, Power and Paper & Pulp.Due to sluggish growth rate among most of these industries, the global pressure relief valves market is expected to expand with a moderate CAGR over the forecast period.Request For Report Sample @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3779 Pressure Relief Valves Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe prime factor boosting the growth in the global pressure relief valves market is the reviving oil & gas and chemical industry, coupled with the rapidly growing industrialization efforts in the developing world. As companies relocate their manufacturing plants and set up new units across different geographies as per supply-demand scenario, demand for pressure relief valves is bound to increase. Increasing preference towards nuclear power generation particularly from countries such as India and China will also drive the demand for pressure relief valves. Furthermore, as most of the refineries showing plans for capacity expansion in near future, demand for pressure relief valves is anticipated to significantly increase. Rapidly increasing health and safety concerns across all industry verticals is another factor that is pushing existing industries to replace their legacy systems and upgrade to the new ones, thus fuelling more demand in the global pressure relief valves market.Pressure Relief Valves Market: Market SegmentationThe Pressure Relief Valves market is segmented into three parts based on product type, set pressure and end use industry:Based on product type, the Pressure Relief Valves market is segmented into:Spring loaded Pressure Relief ValvesPilot operated Pressure Relief ValvesDead weight Pressure Relief ValvesOthersBased on set pressure, the Pressure Relief Valves market is segmented into:High PressureMedium PressureLow PressureBased on end use industry, the Pressure Relief Valves market is segmented into:Oil and GasUpstreamMidstreamDownstreamChemical Processing IndustryPower IndustryPaper and Pulp IndustryTextile IndustryFood and Beverage IndustryPlastic IndustryLeather IndustryFertilizers and PesticidesPharmaceutical IndustryOthersPressure Relief Valves Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, pressure relief valves market has been categorized into seven key regions including North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, Japan, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. North America is anticipated to dominate the global pressure relief valves market, amid, large number of chemical processing industries, and the rapidly expanding oil and gas production in the region. As oil and gas companies in the region explore more and more unconventional energy resources such as shale gas extraction, demand for pressure relief valves in the region is expected to remain high. Further, Western Europe being a global leader in chemical production is also anticipated to continue providing vast opportunity for pressure relief valves manufacturers. As, Asia Pacific Exc. Japan (APEJ) countries focus more on their domestic chemical production in turn relying less on western imports, demand for pressure relief valves in the region is expected to rise significantly. Moreover, on the backdrop of upcoming power generation projects inclusive of nuclear power plants in APEJ, the pressure relief valve market of the region is expected to grow throughout the forecast period. The Middle East and Africas pressure relief valves market is also anticipated to contribute significantly to the overall demand. Further, as oil prices revive demand for pressure relief valves in the region is expected to grow gradually. Japan is also a prominent region in terms of demand for pressure relief valves, however the growth rate is expected to remain moderate throughout the forecast period.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-3779 Pressure Relief Valves Market PlayersSome of the key players identified in Global Pressure Relief Valves market are:-Pentair Ltd.Weir Group PLCGE CoCurtiss Wright Corp.LESER GmbH & Co. KGIMI plcAlfa Laval ABFlow Safe, Inc.Conbarco Industries Robotic Vision Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2016-2026 PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 06:48:55 Press Information Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 609 Words Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Robotic vision comprises of vision algorithm, calibration, temperature software & cameras that are used to identify and determine the position of all the objects in robot workplace. Apart from identification and navigation, robotic vision also facilitate robots to analyse, interpret, extract and characterize the image information and to make description accordingly. Robotic vision technology provides several benefits including improvement in quality, reliability, safety and productivity. Performance of robotic vision depends on the effective communication between robot system & application and control over the environment.Robotic Vision Market: Drivers and RestraintIntelligent homes are specifically designed for the ageing population, where robots are capable to assists the elderly people in day-to-day tasks. The demand for intelligent homes is continuously increasing, as the ageing population is growing with significant rate across the globe. Increase in demand for intelligent homes, government regulations about sanitation in food processing industry and rising need of precise, safe and reliable vision guided robots in different verticals are major driving factors of the robotic vision market.However, high initial investment and lack of global standards for robotic implementation are some of the major challenges for the robot vision market.Robotic Vision Market: SegmentationRobotic Vision market can be classified on the basis of component, application and type.On the basis of component, the market can be bifurcated into hardware and software. Hardware segment consists of camera, sensors, lightning, and optics. Camera, sensors, lightning and optics incorporate with each other in order to facilitate the collapsible free movement of robot in environment. Camera, lightning and optics are used to capture the images while sensors allows obstacle free movement of robots. Software segment is composed of object tracking and image processing software.Request Report Sample@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1913 Robotic vision has high demand in wide range of industries including food processing, automotive and aerospace for several applications. On the basis of applications, the robotic vision market is segmented into inspection & testing, material handling, manufacturing, assembling and packaging. Manufacturing and packaging are the dominating segments in the category, as the governments across the major countries maintain stringent sanitation standards in food processing & packaging industry.On the basis of type, the market can be categorised in to 3D and 2D. 3D vision is more precise and capable of providing accurate dimensional data of an object. Currently, 3D robotic vision systems are more expensive than 2D and restricted for specialised operations.Segmentation on basis of Region:Robotic Vision Market is segmented into 7 key regions- North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa.Robotic Vision Market: Region-wise OutlookNorth America was the largest market of robotic vision in terms of consumption in 2015. US was the leading market in the region, as there was significant growth in rate of deployment of reliable and precise vision guided robot systems in food and manufacturing industries in 2015.Request For Table Of Content @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1913 By the end of year 2015, Asia Pacific was the fastest growing market for robotic vision, due to significant growth in demand for industrial robots in manufacturing and automotive industries in the region. China, South Korea and Japan were the leading regional markets in Asia Pacific.Robot vision market in Europe is driven by the metal, automotive and food & beverage industry. Germany was the largest market in the region in terms of volume consumption in 2015.Robotic Vision Market: Key PlayersOmron Adept Technologies, Inc (US),? ComauS.p.A.(Italy) , MVTec Software GmbH (Germany), Matrox Electronic Systems Ltd. (Canada), ABB Ltd (Switzerland), Point Grey Research, Inc. (US),Cognex Corporation (US), Matrox Electronics Systems Ltd (Canada), Keyence Corporation (Japan), IVISYS (Sweden). Region wise, the global smart contact lens market is classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa.North America leads the global smart contact lens market followed by Europe. Smart Contact Lens Market PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 12:49:29 Press Information Future Market Insights Future Market Insights U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Umesh SEO Manager 3479183531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 669 Words Future Market InsightsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comSEO Manager3479183531 The smart contact lens contains a wireless chip and miniaturized sensor for monitoring of physiological parameters such as glucose levels in tears of a diabetic patient or intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients. These sensors are embedded inside the two layers of soft lenses and a tiny hole in the outer layer allows the tear to flow into the sensor which measures the necessary parameters and data is transmitted to the wireless device for storage, via hair-this antenna. U.S. FDA has recently approved a smart contact lens to continuously monitor intraocular pressure in patients of glaucoma, which is the major cause of irreversible blindness. Triggerfish smart contact lens is a single use lens worn for 24 hours by glaucoma patients. According to Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute, U.S., 60.5 Mn people across the world are affected with glaucoma and the number is expected to increase to 79.6 Mn by 2020.Advances in ophthalmology and contact lens technology would thus be beneficial for glaucoma patients and also to the manufacturers of innovative products such as smart contact lens. Currently many companies are working on the smart contact lens technology to apply it in various health aspects. Google Inc. is developing a smart contact lens with Alcon, an eye care division of Novartis AG, which can detect the blood glucose levels from the tears and is expected to launch in the global market in next 5-6 years.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1982 Smart Contact Lens Market: Drivers and RestraintsAdvances in ophthalmology and growing demand for the more efficient and revolutionary glaucoma management approaches are the factors expected to drive the growth of global smart contact lens market. Increasing prevalence of glaucoma, increasing cases of diabetes related complications such as eye disorders, cataract and blindness, expanding aging demographics with presbyopia (long-sightedness), rising demand for user-friendly and self-monitoring devices are some other factors expected to fuel the growth of global smart contact lens market. According to American Diabetes Association, diabetes patients are 40% more susceptible to the glaucoma and 60% more likely to develop cataract than people without diabetes and the susceptibility to diabetes related glaucoma increases with age.Smart Contact Lens: SegmentationThe global smart contact lens market has been classified on the basis of application, end user and geography.Based on application, the global smart contact lens market is divided into following:Continuous Glucose MonitoringIntraocular Pressure MonitoringBased on the end user type, the global smart contact lens market is divided into following:Home Care SettingsClinicsSmart Contact Lens: OverviewIntraocular Pressure Monitoring application type segment would constitute the global market for smart contact lens in 2016. In March 2016, United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Triggerfish Sensor which helps ophthalmologists to identify the best time to measure the intraocular pressure, which can eventually damage the vision of a patient. Triggerfish is the only FDA approved smart contact lens so far while Googles smart lens technology for continuous glucose monitoring and correction of presbyopia is under clinical investigation and would launch in the global market. The technology is expected to transform the way of management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and glaucoma. For instance, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Korea is involved in the development of a combination of smart contact lens and eyeglass which can be used to monitor a diabetes and dispensing of medication on-demand.Smart Contact Lens: Regional OverviewRegion wise, the global smart contact lens market is classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa.North America leads the global smart contact lens market followed by Europe. The clinical trials for Triggerfish Sensor have been conducted in countries such as France, Denmark, India, Canada, Spain, Israel, Germany, Belgium, Poland and Switzerland.Request to View TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1982 Smart Contact Lens: Key PlayersSome of the key players in global smart contact lens market are Sensimed AG, Google Inc., Novartis AG, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Innovega Inc. and others. PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 11:51:10 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: abhishek.b@futuremarketinsights.com FMI Blog: https://www.fmiblog.com/ Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Blog: http:// Abhishek Bhudholiya Manager +1-347-918-3531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 793 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: abhishek.b@futuremarketinsights.comFMI Blog: https://www.fmiblog.com/Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comBlog: http://Manager+1-347-918-3531 A subcutaneous implantable defibrillator system is a type of defibrillator which continuously monitors the heart rates in cardiac patients. Being placed subcutaneously, it generates electric impulses to treat heart suffering from ventricular tachyarrhythmia and normalized the heart rhythm. Subcutaneous implantable defibrillator system (S-ICD) helps to save patient life by regulating irregular heartbeat. It is generally not used in patient with symptomatic bradycardia. Subcutaneous implantable defibrillator system (S-ICD) consists of titanium case powered with battery and circuit that offers defibrillation therapy, subcutaneous electrodes and accessories. Subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems is programmed in order to deliver tier therapy like antitachycardia pacing (ATP) and cardioversion shocks for treating slower hemodynamically stable ventricular tachycardias and high energy shocks for treating hemodynamically unstable VT and ventricular fibrillation (VF). Fast ventricular tachycardia are common in cardiac patients. Antitachycardia pacing helps to reduce these episodes by decreasing incidences for syncope. Antitachycardia pacing against fast ventricular tachycardias helps to decrease morbidity for shocks. However, it is generally harmful in patient suffering with symptomatic bradycardia as heart beats too slowly in symptomatic bradycardia patients. The subcutaneous implantable defibrillator system (S-ICD) is implanted without insertion of the leads in the heart. The subcutaneous implantable defibrillator system is implanted subcutaneous (under the skin) below the armpit along the rib cage or the left axilla and not inserted at the standard location near collar bone. The lead connecting the device is placed under the skin instead of placing it inside the heart. The advantages of subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems over other defibrillator are that it provides defibrillation therapy without generating transvenous leads. Moreover, the subcutaneous implantable defibrillator system (S-ICD) do not show any of the symptomatic or long-term complications caused due to implanting a lead in the heart, such as collapse of the lung, perforation of the heart, etc. Subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems market is anticipated to be driven by factors like, easy implantable procedure and very less complications.Subcutaneous implantable defibrillator system Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe major factors driving the global subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems market are rising incidences of cardiovascular diseases, increasing awareness about cardiovascular disorders, rising need for cardiac monitoring system like subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems, etc. According to report published by WHO in 2015, 17.5 million people died due to cardiovascular disease which represents 31% of the global death. Factors contributing to increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases are growing aging population, changing lifestyle, increasing disposable income, smoking, etc. Subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems market has anticipated to grow at significant growth rate in next few years owing to increase in the cardiac patient pool. The American Heart Association has recommended several guidelines to use subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems in order to produce desirable impact on arrhythmia. The conditions like acute myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia, electrolyte imbalance and drug toxicity leads to arrhythmia, which could be life threatening when not treated efficiently. Monitoring patients with arrhythmia with subcutaneous implantable defibrillator system has proven to deliver effective treatment. With significant scope, subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems market has anticipated to imbibe a high potential with a significant growth rate.Subcutaneous implantable defibrillator system Market: SegmentationBy Product TypeSingle ZoneDual ZoneOthersBy End UserHospitalsClinicsAmbulatory surgical centersCardiac catheterization laboratoryOthersSubcutaneous implantable defibrillator system Market: Region-wise OutlookGeographically, the market has been categorized in five main regions: North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa. Increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, growing aging population and active intervention by government like Million Hearts initiative by US government to spread awareness about risk associated with cardiovascular diseases are the factors contributing to the growth of subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems market in North America, and followed by Europe. In addition, the market in North America is expected to grow rapidly due to high demand for new and innovative products. According to a recent report by the Japan Aging Research Center, the Asia Pacific is on the verge of suffering from aging of population. Japan, China, and South Korea are the countries experiencing highest problem of aging population followed to rising risk for cardiovascular diseases. The growing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in Asia will be responsible for increase in cardiovascular burden across the region. The region also constitutes some of the developed markets such as Australia and New Zealand. These nations possess well established infrastructure along with high awareness and huge demand for subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems and is expected to propel the market.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2128 Subcutaneous implantable defibrillator system Market: Key PlayersThe Key players operating in the global subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems market are Boston Scientific Corporation, Imricor Medical Systems, Inc., LivaNova PLC Company, Mayo Clinic US, Medtronic plc, MicroPort Scientific Corporation, MRI Interventions, Inc., St. Jude Medical, Inc., etc. PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 09:17:56 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,, Abhishek Budholiya Manager 3479183531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 773 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,,Manager3479183531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Supplementary Protectors is a manually resettable device which is designed in such a way that it opens the circuit automatically on predetermined value of time versus voltage or current in electrical equipment or within the appliance. Supplementary protectors may also be provided means for closing or opening the circuit. The primary function of supplementary is to protect the equipment from excess voltage or current. Owing to the contrast with branch circuit breaker that is applied with at 75% of the rated current value, the supplementary protector can be applied at 100% of the rated current values, unless marked differently on the device. Supplementary protectors are used for electrical equipment or within appliances such as control power transformers, control circuits, relays, lighting circuits and PLC I/O points. Supplementary protectors have three different types of tripping characteristic such as type B, type C, type D. These characteristics or tripping defines the speed of the devices in response to the various level of overcurrent. The tripping characteristic is applied on the basis of the application, for instance, type B supplementary protectors are developed primarily to protect conductors and low-level signal device. Type C is primarily with moderate inrush currents such as computers, appliance, lighting, circuits, and coils. Type D is developed primarily for applications with high inrush currents, i.e., power supplies, transformers, and heaters.Global Supplementary Protectors Market: DynamicsSupplementary Protectors is driven by its primary application to the protection from overvoltage, over current and under a voltage of current within an appliance or other electrical equipment. The supplementary protector can be used as long as branch circuit overcurrent protection is provided or is not required and is a potential factor to the use of supplementary protector and its growth. The supplementary protectors provide additional protection to the device concerning the presence of branch circuit. The rise of supplementary protectors is owed to a prevention of inrush current of the device being protected from continuous current, circuit voltage in the circuit and other operating condition. The growing application for commercial purpose as well as residential purpose has boosted the growth of the supplementary protectors. Electricity fluctuation in the building can not only lead to a short circuit in the wire but can lead to damage the device installed at the office or resident. The supplementary circuit provides complete protection to the devices installed at the workplace and thus leads to advantage during oversupply of current. Factors such as, devices that can be used in applications up to 48V DC and 480V AC with interrupting capacities up to 10kA through supports to the growth of the global supplementary protectors market. Moreover wide application in number of industrial application to power supply by allowing the user to quickly find the problem about circuit and take action without having shut down on all other control circuit is another potential factor to the growth of supplementary protector market.Request For Report Sample @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3785 Global Supplementary Protectors Market: SegmentationBased on Pole: Global Supplementary Protectors market is segmented intoOne poleTwo poleThree poleBased on Current Rating: Global Supplementary Protectors market is segmented into0.5-10 A13-25 A30-50 A63 ABased on Characteristic: Global Supplementary Protectors market is segmented intoTrip curve B protectorsTrip curve C protectorsTrip curve D protectorsBased on Neutral: Global Supplementary Protectors market is segmented intoNo neutral+Neutral OptionGlobal Supplementary Protectors Market: Region Wise OutlookThe global Supplementary Protectors market is divided into seven regions, namely North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). APEJ holds a relatively major share in the supplementary protector market is owing to higher population and rising industries and houses in the region which give a boost to the supplementary protector owing to its primary application. Thus rising demand for growing houses and industries due to rapid urbanization has made APEJ be a lucrative market for supplementary protectors. North America and Europe is estimated to hold second major share in the supplementary protector market. The regions growth is attributed to countries focusing on enabling the use of supplementary protector with respect to use branch circuit which provides overcurrent prevention. Japan is estimated to witness high CAGR during the forecast period of supplementary protectors owing to rising population and urbanization.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-3785 Global Supplementary Protectors Market: Prominent PlayersFew of the prominent players in the Supplementary Protectors market are as followsGeneral Electric CompanyEaton.Rockwell Automation, Inc.Sprecher + SchuhOMEGA EngineeringSiemens Industry, Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 07:05:52 Press Information Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 667 Words Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Thaumatin is a natural protein and low-calorie flavoring agent physically isolated from berries from a shrub the Katemfe Fruit (Thaumatococcus daniellii). Few proteins from Thaumatin sweeteners family are approximately 2000 times sweeter than sugar. Thaumatin is highly stable to heating, water-soluble and stable under acidic conditions. Thaumatin was firstly discovered by the university of lfe, Nigeria. In recent years, Thaumatin has been widely used in dairy and non-dairy products. In confectionary products, Thaumatin is widely used for hard candied, chocolates and gummies to prolong and improve flavors especially mint, berry, and citrus. Thaumatin provides a sugar kind of taste in combination with polyols and some high-intensity sweeteners and reduces the salt level in savory products. Thaumatin masks astringency and reduces sour flavors or bitterness from low-fat yogurt and soya based desert. The berries are significantly used as a flavor enhancer for centuries wherein some other areas the leaves and stalks are used, and berries are considered as waste. The process of extraction of Thaumatin from fruit is quite expensive so, lots of companies tried to use recombinant DNA technology on the gene which is accountable to produce Thaumatin protein.Request Report Sample@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3799 Thaumatin Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe key driving factors of Thaumatin market are rapid consumption of dairy and non-dairy products and increasing health awareness among consumers across the globe. The macroeconomics factors such as per capita income, emerging economy, changing lifestyle and rapid rate of urbanization which are driving the global Thaumatin market. Another major driving factors of global Thaumatin market are mergers and acquisition among the Thaumatin market players and high investment in food & beverages industry. The market players operate in Thaumatin market can capture high market share by doing forward integration and through the merger with domestic players. The key restraining factor of Thaumatin market is limited availability zone, mostly in West Africa.Thaumatin Market: SegmentationThaumatin market can be segmented based on end-use industry type, application type and region type globally.Thaumatin market can be segmented based on end-use industry type as follows:-PharmaceuticalNutraceuticalCosmeticsFood & BeverageOthersThaumatin market can be segmented based on application type as follows:-Flavoring agentSweetenerothersThaumatin Market: Segmentation OverviewThaumatin market segmentation is done by the end-use industry includes the pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics, nutraceutical, food and beverages industry and others. Among above-mentioned industry, Food and Beverage account highest market share in global Thaumatin market and is estimated to witness a positive growth over the forecast year. Another segmentation of global Thaumatin market is done based on application types such as flavoring agent, sweetener, and others. Among these mentioned application type, flavoring agent captures high market share in global Thaumatin market. Food and confectionary have been the largest market for Thaumatin for long years.Request For Table Of Content @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-3799 Thaumatin Market: Regional OutlookBy the geographies, the global Thaumatin market is segmented into seven regions including Latin America, North America, Japan, Middle East & Africa, WesternEurope, Eastern Europe and Asia-Pacific except Japan. Among the regions, North America is expected to dominate the global Thaumatin market with relatively high growth rate, owing to high demand for food and beverages products. Western Europe is projected to expand at a high growth rate in Thaumatin market followed by North America, attributed to strong health consciousness among consumers across the regions. Thaumatin is widely harvested from the West African forest. Asia-Pacific accounts for relatively high volume share and is expected to expand at the significant growth rate in global Thaumatin market, owing to rapidly growing the population, changing the lifestyle of consumers and rapid rate of urbanization across the region. Overall, the outlook for the global Thaumatin market will have a positive growth over the forecast period, attribute to high demand for organic and healthy food across the globe being a counterfeiting factor.Few prominent market player of Thaumatin market as follow:-NaturexBeneo Palatinit GmbHNatexKF Specialty Ingredients Nutraceutical GroupNeptune Bio-Innovations PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 15:20:41 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 421 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 4AutoInsuranceQuote Has Just Posted a New Article that Highlights 10 Companies that Offer the Best Auto Insurance for SeniorsNEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / The founders of 4AutoInsuranceQuote, one of the nation's top auto insurance quote providers, are pleased to announce that they have just researched, written and posted a new article that examines the best auto insurance for seniors.To read the new article, titled ''What are the Best Car Insurance Companies for Seniors?'' it is entirety, please visit https://www.4autoinsurancequote.com/blog/best-car-insurance-companies-for-seniors/ As a company spokesperson noted, the founders understand that for many seniors, their hoped-for golden years are not always as financially stable as they would like. Many are living on fixed incomes, and are doing all they can to make ends meet.The founders also realize that as drivers get older and more experienced, they typically can get better rates on their car insurance. To help seniors learn more about the best auto insurance companies for older drivers, the founders spent a great deal of time researching a number of companies. The new article highlights the 10 best car insurance companies in the country for senior drivers.Coming in at number one on the list is The Harford. As the article notes, The Hartford is one of the most well-liked insurance companies for older drivers.''One of the reasons The Hartford is so popular is because of its AARP program,'' the article noted, adding that thanks to The Hartford's AARP plan, seniors can get discounted car insurance premiums along with certain bonus features.''The Hartford's AARP car insurance for senior drivers, for example, allows drivers to enjoy a vanishing deductible, where your deductible decreases every year you remain accident-free.'' Another terrific bonus that comes from having The Hartford for insurance coverage is that the car insurance company doesn't drop drivers. They guarantee coverage unless drivers fail to pay their premiums or lose their driver's license, the article noted.Other companies that made the list include GEICO, which has a specialized car insurance policy for senior drivers; Amica Insurance, which is known for their great customer service; and Allstate Insurance, which offers terrific deals for senior drivers.About 4AutoInsuranceQuote:4AutoInsuranceQuote is one of the leading auto insurance quote providers in the United States. Since 2008, 4AutoInsuranceQuote has provided more than one million free insurance quotes to American drivers. Please visit https://www.4autoinsurancequote.com today to see how much 4AutoInsuranceQuote can help drivers save on their auto insurance.Contact:James Wilcoxwebmaster@4 autoinsurancequote.com 4015807272SOURCE: 4AutoInsuranceQuote PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 15:17:30 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 977 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 BOISE, ID / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2019 / Thunder Mountain Gold, Inc. (OTCQB: THMG; TSX-V: THM), (Company or THMG) is pleased to announce that It has entered into an option agreement (the "Option Agreement") with BeMetals Corp. (TSXV: BMET) ("BeMetals" or the "Company") and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, to acquire up to a 100% interest in the South Mountain Project ("South Mountain" or the "Project" or the "Property") in southwest Idaho, U.S.A. (see Principal Terms of the Option Agreement below). South Mountain is a high-grade zinc-silver-gold focused polymetallic development project largely located on private property. The mine operated from the mid-1800s until the 1960s with most of production during World War II for strategic minerals for the war effort.Option Agreement Benefits to Thunder Mountain Shareholders:Unlocks immediate value while retaining exposure to the upside of South Mountain's advancement towards productionReduces shareholder risk and dilutionCreates upside for THMG with exposure to work with a world-class development and operations team that has proven ability to raise capital and expedite the advancement of South MountainLeverage to results driven news flow for South Mountain, BeMetals' Zambian exploration project, as well as potential future acquisitions through the BeMetals consideration sharesAccess to higher trading liquidity and improved capital markets exposureEric T. Jones, President and CEO of Thunder Mountain, stated, "Given the current market interest in high grade zinc, and base metal deposits, we are very pleased to be partnering with a strong group of mining professionals that have the technical and financial capabilities to immediately begin advancing the South Mountain Project. We look forward to working with the BeMetals team to unlock the true value of this high-grade asset." The South Mountain ProjectSouth Mountain is a polymetallic zinc-silver-gold development project, located approximately 70 miles southwest of Boise, Idaho (see Figure 1). The Project was intermittently mined from the late 1800s to the late 1960's and its existing underground workings remain intact and well maintained. Historic production at the Project has largely come from skarn-hosted, high-grade massive sulfide ore bodies that remain open at depth and along strike (see Figure 2). These high-grade massive sulfide zones comprise South Mountain's current mineral resource (see Table 1 below). According to historical smelter records approximately 53,642 tons of ore have been mined to date. These records also indicate average grades; 14.5% Zn, 10.6 o.p.t Ag, 0.058 o.p.t Au, 2.4% Pb, and 1.4% Cu were realised.Since 2008, Thunder Mountain has completed 27 drill holes for a total of 5,500 metres on the Property. Thus far, drill results have been encouraging and significant potential exists to increase the known mineral resource with additional drilling, as well as to expand the existing measured and indicated mineral resource classifications with in-fill drilling. Last year a technical report for the South Mountain Project was completed by Hard Rock Consulting, LLC, entitled, "National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report: Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the South Mountain Project Owyhee County, Idaho USA".Since the Project is largely on and surrounded by private surface land, the permitting and environmental aspects of the Project are expected to be straightforward. Based on the existing Project permits, coupled with the associated work completed to date, including a long and successful history of mineral exploration in the region, BeMetals does not anticipate barriers to proposed exploration or development at the Project.Figure 1. South Mountain Project Location MapFigure 2. South Mountain Project Long Section (Showing mine levels and high-grade massive sulfide zones)Table 1: South Mountain Mineral Resource EstimateNotes:The effective date of the mineral resource estimate is April 7, 2018. The QP for the estimate is Mr. Randall K. Martin, SME-RM, of Hard Rock Consulting, LLC, who is independent of Thunder Mountain.Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Inferred mineral resources are that part of the mineral resource for which quantity and grade or quality are estimated on the basis of limited geologic evidence and sampling, which is sufficient to imply but not verify grade or quality continuity. Inferred mineral resources may not be converted to mineral reserves. It is reasonably expected, though not guaranteed, that the majority of Inferred mineral resources could be upgraded to Indicated mineral resources with continued exploration.The mineral resource is reported at an underground mining cutoff of 6.04% ZnEq within coherent wireframe models. The ZnEq calculation and cutoff is based on the following assumptions: an Au price of $1,231/oz, Ag price of $16.62/oz, Pb price of $0.93/lb., Zn price of $1.10/lb. and Cu price of $2.54/lb.; metallurgical recoveries of 75% for Au, 70% for Ag, 87% for Pb, 96% for Zn and 56% for Cu, assumed mining cost of $70/ton, process costs of $25/ton, general and administrative costs of $7.5/ton, smelting and refining costs of $25/ton. Based on the stated prices and recoveries the ZnEq formula is calculated as follows; ZnEq = (Au grade * 43.71) + (Ag grade * 0.55) + (Pb grade * 0.77) + (Cu grade * 1.35) + (Zn grade).Rounding may result in apparent differences when summing tons, grade and contained metal content. Tonnage and grade measurements are in imperial units.Principal Terms of the Option AgreementThe transaction structure was designed to minimize near-term share dilution for THMG shareholders, while allowing sufficient time for additional exploration and reserve definition to maximize the value of the Project prior to its acquisition by BeMetals. Under the terms of the Option Agreement, a subsidiary of BeMetals has the right to acquire all of Thunder Mountain's interest in the South Mountain Project by way of acquiring 100% of the outstanding shares of South Mountain Mines Inc. ("SMMI"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Thunder Mountain (the "Acquisition"). SMMI currently holds a 75% interest in the Project and has the right to acquire the remaining 25% subject to a 5% Net Returns Royalty capped at US$5 million on or before November 3, 2026.In order to complete the Acquisition, BeMetals must:Make an initial cash payment of US$100,0 PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 11:22:22 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: abhishek.b@futuremarketinsights.com FMI Blog: https://www.fmiblog.com/ Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Blog: Abhishek Bhudholiya Manager +1-347-918-3531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 686 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: abhishek.b@futuremarketinsights.comFMI Blog: https://www.fmiblog.com/Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comBlog:Manager+1-347-918-3531 Bioprocessing referred as biopharmaceutical manufacturing, is a part of bioprocess engineering which aims at establishing reproducible and robust manufacturing process for the production of therapeutic cells. The products of bioprocess are of high commercial value and targeted application. Bioprocess Manufacturing is differentiated into two major processes: Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream process involves steps such as media development, cell culture, and development, harvesting of cells and fermentation. This process is done under the stringent aseptic condition, and particular temperature and pH levels are maintained throughout the process. Cell Banking is also done by upstream processes. The primary objective upstream processes are to provide an environment necessary for the growth of cells. Since the upstream process is a part of bio manufacturing process, it involves the production of therapeutic proteins, antibiotics, hormones, enzymes, blood substitutes, and vaccines. Many of the diseases like lymphoma, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus and growth hormone insufficiency that can be treated by specific proteins produced from bioprocesses. There are two types of cells used in the bioprocessing equipment, mammalian cells, and bacterial cells.Upstream Bioprocessing Equipment Market: Drivers and RestraintsAs the prevalence and incidence of chronic diseases have increased, there is a need to increase the production of substances to cure them. With innovation in technology, equipment with the well-established production system, providing high-quality biologic drugs and increased productivity is possible. This, in turn, increases the usage of upstream processing equipment which drives the biopharmaceutical market. Along with this increase in the need for cell therapy research, drug discovery, antibody production, monoclonal antibody and recombinant productions are also the major drivers for the upstream bioprocessing equipment market. However, the high cost incurred in setting up an upstream processing unit, its maintenance as the current challenge is to eliminate the contamination and the space required for the setup are the major restraining factors for the growth the Upstream Bioprocessing Equipment.Request Sample Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2016 Upstream Bioprocessing Equipment Market: SegmentationThe upstream bioprocessing equipment market can be segmented according to the type of cell used, type of processing, by product, by end users, and by geography. By type of cell, the upstream bioprocessing equipment is segmented as mammalian cell and bacterial cell. According to the processing, the market is segmented into disposable, single use bioprocessing system and continuous bioprocessing systems. By type of product the bioreactors and fermenters. By end users, the upstream bioprocessing equipment market is segmented into biopharmaceutical manufacturing companies and research organizations. Geographical segmentation is North America, West Europe, APEJ, Japan, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East and Africa.Upstream Bioprocessing Equipment Market: OverviewThe Single-use bioprocessing units are the major drivers in the coming decade as single-use bioprocessing units eliminated the risk of contamination. It also reduces the time required for the sterilization between batch which in turn also increases the efficacy. Over a decade disposable and single use processing units have gained momentum as it is possible to develop a small amount of drugs used for pre clinical and clinical testing. The future in the upstream bioprocessing system is single bioprocessing units as it has all kinds of the system used in upstream processing such as bioreactors, membrane absorbers, bioprocess containers, disposable mixers, and samplers.Upstream Bioprocessing Equipment Market: Regional OverviewGeographically the market for bioprocessing equipment is increasing globally. The U.S. and Europe been the strong regions for the growth of upstream processes equipment has it has shown double-digit growth over last year. In U.S. the Single-use bioprocessing units have grown significantly when compared to continuous bioprocessing system. Along with Europe and U.S., the emerging markets like Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa shows great potential for the growth of upstream bioprocessing equipment market. Japanese beverage, food and pharmaceutical industry are diversifying into high-value products which boosted the growth of upstream bioprocessing equipment in Japan. The government in Japan also provides financial support for research and development to industry players for the growth, which enables the industry to prosper.Request to View TOC@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2016 Upstream Bioprocessing Equipment Market: Key Players Increasing aging population along with risk of urological disorders such as urinary incontinence, rising demand for hygiene products and reimbursement policies are the factors expected to drive the growth of global urinary collection device market. Urinary Collection Device Market PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 12:50:20 Press Information Future Market Insights Future Market Insights U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Umesh SEO Manager 3479183531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 728 Words Future Market InsightsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comSEO Manager3479183531 Urinary collection device (UCD) is a medical product helps in managing urinary output, hygiene required for long term medical care and collection of urine sample for urinalysis which include detection of various disorders such as urinary tract infection. Urinary collection device is used as a backup to bladder urine collection system or to prevent accidental leakage primarily among patients who stay in the hospital for long time and need bed rest. Urinary collection device is also used during spaceflight, in military fighter aircraft that are not equipped with toilets help pilots to empty their bladder who are required to fly aircraft for several hours, and among patients suffering from urinary incontinence disorder. Urinary collection device also helps in minimizing the contamination of urine specimen with bacterial flora from the patients and minimize the risk of urine leakage and odor. Urinary collection device is useful during travel or where the accessibility to a toilet is difficult.Urinary Collection Device Market: Drivers and RestraintsIncreasing aging population along with risk of urological disorders such as urinary incontinence, rising demand for hygiene products and reimbursement policies are the factors expected to drive the growth of global urinary collection device market. Increasing prevalence of chronic kidney disease, rising demand for cost effective reusable products and self-monitoring devices are some other factors expected to fuel the growth of global urinary collection device market. However, complications associated with wear of device, difficulty in device maintenance, increasing in the risk of urinary tract infections during urinary drainage, difficulty in disposal of product, chances of skin irritation are the factors that may hamper the growth of urinary collection device market.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1998 Urinary Collection device: SegmentationThe global urinary collection device market has been classified on the basis of product type, raw material and end user.Based on product type, the global urinary collection device market is divided into following:Urine Sample SystemUrine Sample ContainerUrine Sample TubeUrine Sample BottleUrinary CatheterFoley CatheterIntermittent CatheterExternal CatheterUrine BagsUrinary Leg BagsUrinary Bedside BagsUrinary Belly BagsBased on raw material type, the global Urinary Collection Device Market is divided into following:LatexSiliconePlasticRubberBased on end user type, the global Urinary Collection Device Market is divided into following:Home Care SettingsNursing FacilitiesClinicsDiagnostic LaboratoriesHospitalsUrinary Collection device: OverviewBased on urine catheter product type segment, intermittent catheter is the most common type of catheter used to collect urine. On the other hand, external collection device is an alternative to Foley catheter used to manage urine output among patients. Enhancement in the standardization of device maintenance and fitting procedures helps in increasing the urine catheter drainage capacity along with less chances of injurious associated with catheter. The urinary collection devices are designed for precise groups of pathogens such as viral, chlamydia, bacterial and parasites. Urinary sample tubes helps in avoiding urine leakage during transportation and maintains urine sample from contamination for 48 hours without refrigeration. Also, helps in preventing from false positive or bacteria overgrowth. Based on urine collection bags, belly bag is the novel product introduced for both men and women who have a Foley catheter to collect urine. Belly bags are more effective than urine leg bags which helps in prevent from involuntary catheter extraction and enhance mobility of urine bag.Urinary Collection device: Regional OverviewDepending on geographic region, urinary collection device market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. North America held largest share in the urinary collection device market followed by Europe, Japan and Asia Pacific owing to high incidence of chronic diseases, favorable reimbursement policy, rise in research & development activities and developed healthcare infrastructure. The developing nations in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa hold huge potential for growth in the urinary collection device market, due to increase in the awareness about hygiene care, rising per capita income and living standards along with increase healthcare expenditure.Request to View TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1998 Urinary Collection device: Key PlayersSome of the key players in global urinary collection device market are Teleflex, Medline Industries, Inc., Hollister Incorporated, Coloplast Ltd., Braun Melsungen AG, CR Bard Inc., Boston Scientific Corporation, Covidien Plc, CooK Medical, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. and BD. Urology Imaging Systems Market: Urology Imaging Systems Industry Analysis, Industry Segment Analysis, Regional Outlook, Market Revenue, Share, Competitor Analysis, and Industrial Growth by Future Market Insights Urology Imaging Systems Market PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 11:58:18 Press Information Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 780 Words Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Imaging is a technique that gives a visual representation of the interior organs of the body for medical intervention and clinical analysis. Imaging plays an important role in diagnosing and treatment of any internal organs of the body. Urology imaging systems are used to manage and diagnose many urological diseases. Imaging techniques include X-rays or conventional radiology, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Ultrasound, Computed tomography (CT Scans) and radionuclide scans.By urology imaging systems, the healthcare provider can identify the cause of urinary infections, urinary retention, and urinary urgency, blockage of urine, urinary incontinence, and blood in the urine, kidney failure, and high blood pressure. Through urology imaging systems, the urologist can clarify the tumors, kidney diseases, urinary tract infections, small bladder capacity, and urinary reflux. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 30 million people in the United States is estimated to have chronic kidney disease with a prevalence of 15%. High demand for urology imaging systems is increasing the global market.Request to Sample of Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-8911 Urology Imaging Systems: Market DynamicsUrology is a technology-driven specialty. Urology imaging systems are significantly increasing the global market due to the rise in prevalence of chronic kidney disease, an increase in urinary tract infection, urinary bladder infection etc. Increase in new technology in urology imaging systems has impacted the global market.For example, Olympus has developed new VISERA 4K UHD Camera Control Unit (OTV-S400) which is designed with 4K high-quality processing of the image with improving operation. Urology imaging systems provide the urologists to have three-dimensional visualization, scaling of the motion, reduced fatigue and also the elimination of tremor are factors which will drive the global urology imaging system market. High maintenance cost and expensive capital and no tactile feedback may restrain the urology imaging systems market. Also, imaging systems are quiet lengthy and lack of skilled professionals may reduce the growth of the urology imaging systems market.Urology Imaging Systems Market: SegmentationThe global urology imaging systems market is segmented by product type and end user.Segmentation by Product TypeConventional radiology urology imaging systemsIntravenous pyelogram urology imaging systems (IVP)Voiding cystourethrogram urology imaging systems (VCUG)Ultrasound urology imaging systemsAbdominal ultrasound urology imaging systemsTransrectal ultrasound urology imaging systemsMagnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)Computed Tomography (CT Scans)Segmentation by End UserHospital settingsNursing homes settingsAmbulatory Surgical CentersUrology Imaging Systems Market: OverviewUrology has been an emerging field in surgical robotics with the increasing use of da Vinci robotic prostatectomy. Media coverage has spread the awareness of urology imaging systems worldwide which has increased the demand for urology imaging systems. Some of the current technology used in urology imaging systems include an automated endoscopic system for optimal positioning (AESOP), EndoAssist, ZEUS robotic surgical system, da Vinci surgical system. ZEUS robotic surgical system is the first generation surgical system that allows the surgeon to control the instrument at a console remote from the operating table. Apart from this, da Vinci surgical system is most widely used urology imaging systems like these are the most advanced form which includes a surgeon console, an image-processing stack, and a patient-side cart.Urology Imaging Systems Market: Region-wise OutlookOn the basis of geography, the global urology imaging system market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa. North America is projected to hold the largest share in the urology imaging systems market due to advanced healthcare facilities and an increase in healthcare expenditure is having a high impact in overall urology imaging systems market. Europe market protrudes to have high growth in urology imaging systems market due to the increasing burden of urinary infection and rising costs in healthcare. The Asia Pacific is also potentially stimulating the growth of the urology imaging systems market due to increasing chronic kidney diseases and increasing awareness of new technologies seems to drive the urology imaging systems market. Japan has the potential to grow the overall urology imaging systems market due to advancement in technology and increase in urinary infection. Middle East & Africa have less impact in overall urology imaging systems market due to lack of healthcare facilities and low healthcare expenditure may thrive the urology imaging systems market.Request Report for TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-8911 Urology Imaging Systems Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players present across the value chain of the global urology imaging systems market are Guerbet, Benetec, Olympus Corporation, Siemens Healthcare GmbH, GE Healthcare, Exact imaging, Dornier MedTech, Koninklijke Philips N.V, BK Medical Holding Company, Nikon Instruments Inc., Richard Wolf GmbH, Karl Storz. Depending on geographic region, global vascular access system market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. Vascular Access Systems Market PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-28 12:18:47 Press Information Future Market Insights Future Market Insights U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Umesh SEO Manager 3479183531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 1144 Words Future Market InsightsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comSEO Manager3479183531 Vascular access systems are intended for a series of diagnostic tests and treatments such as central venous pressure readings, blood sampling, fluid infusion, blood transfusion, parenteral and drugs administration such as chemotherapeutic agents, analgesics, antibiotics. Vascular access systems can be defined as the material which is implanted subcutaneously in a region over the upper chest wall, having a dwell time of nearly 14 days, with the catheters inserted in the sub clavian vein, jugular vein, or basilic vein.Utilisation of Vascular Access Systems Depends Upon Medical Conditions and RequirementsCentral Venous Access systems are essential for the care of many sick children. In order to reduce the risk of infection and thrombosis and also to increase the line longevity, appropriate type of catheter must be selected and inserted in a standardized procedure. Vascular access systems market covers implantable-ports, Huber needles, (PICCs) peripherally inserted central catheters, (CVCs) central venous catheters, dialysis catheters, needleless connectors, needles and syringes. The usage of these medical systems depends on various medical conditions and its requirements that may include the purpose for its requirements, size of the device, the duration of time it needs to be in-situ.Request Report Sample@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1737 Peripheral Vascular Access Systems- Appropriate for Short-Term TherapiesPeripheral vascular access systems are the most appropriate for short term therapies as they cause less irritation. A peripherally inserted central catheter is inserted through antecubital fossa vein, which may be basilic or cephalic, further progresses through the superior vena cava. The position of the catheters tip is radiologically confirmed. The procedure are relatively easy to insert. This makes them a potentially more economically option. The risk involved for the rate of thrombosis and sepsis is lowered. The risk of large vein perforation and pneumothorax is also reduced, which is linked to centrally inserted catheters. Whereas central vascular access systems are used in cases like medicines having greater pH than 9.0 or less than 5.0, parentral nutrition with glucose concentration greater than 10%, infusion fluids which are known irritants, intra venous inotropes and vesicants.Tunneled Central Venous Catheters Restrict Infection from Reaching the BloodstreamTunneled central venous catheter are known as Hickmann lines. These are more often required when the patient is on long-term infusion therapy, example chemotherapy, and total parentral nutrition and also provide access for taking blood samples. This type of line is manufactured in the form of large-bore silicone line having single or double lumen. Tunneled lines can be used for long-term infusion therapy with the time duration ranging from months to years. The tip of the catheter is directly inserted into the subclavian vein or jugular and then it is threaded through to end up in the superior vena cava. Various tunneled central venous catheters are equipped with a fibrous cuff. These are assembled in the skin tunnel. This enables the tissue of the patient to bond with the line so as to create a secure fix. This mechanical barrier stops infection from reaching the bloodstream to cause sepsis. These central venous catheters can be of two types, namely open-ended or valved. This type of line insertion is done usually in theatre or radiology with the help of an image intensifier for the correct positioning of the catheter.Insertion of Non-Tunneled Catheter Requires Strict Sterile ConditionsThe non-tunneled type is often known as a short-term percutaneous central venous catheter and is most commonly used central venous catheter in secondary care. It is directly inserted into a central vein. Strict sterile conditions are required for the insertion of this type of catheter. The positioning of non-tunneled catheter is to be confirmed using radiological devices. The Jugular region (area near to the neck) is more susceptible to infection because of the difficulty of placing the catheter to the neck of the patient securely. Implantable ports are vascular access systems inserted into the chest, antecubital area or abdomen. They are useful in long-term intravenous therapy, blood sampling, bolus injections and total parentral nutrition.Adoption of Implantable Ports Lowered Post-Recent Advancements in Vascular Access DevicesThe recent advancement in the vascular access devices such as central venous catheter and peripheral inserted central catheters have lowered the use of implantable ports. Ports are inserted subcutaneously. Implantable ports are often preferred by the patient because they are less visible. Medical staff prefer them as they are linked with less risk and are easily accessed. These ports can remain in situ for up to seven days. Ports have been used for epidural pain relief and can be used alternatively for subcutaneous infusions. The condition of being unobstructed is maintained by rinsing heparin solution after definite intervals. It involves minimal manipulation and care.Vascular Access Systems Market: Drivers and RestraintsAs some of the central venous catheter can be in place for months together but replacement is required for few catheters due to the poor functioning. Certain types of ports have a life of reservoir septum of about 1000 puncture that is not at all suitable for patients who require daily IV access. Few patients have poor vein condition which is not at all suitable for placement of catheter. Long term access of the veins eventually lead to the vein damage (example: long term IV feeding). These all factors contributes to the restraints of the vascular access market.Globally, there is a constant rise in number of diseases like as cancer, trauma, and acute illness which has significantly raised the demand of proficient vascular access systems in recent years by healthcare professionals in hospitals, emergency rooms, and operation theaters. Further contributing to the driver for the vascular access system market.Visit For TOC@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1737 Vascular Access Systems Market: SegmentationBy ProductCentral Vascular Access SystemCentral Vascular CatheterNon tunneledTunneledImplanted PortsPeripheral Vascular Access SystemPeripheral CatheterMidline CatheterBy End UserHospital PharmacyAmbulatory Surgical CentreHospital PharmacyCatheterization LabBy regionNorth AmericaLatin AmericaWestern EuropeEastern EuropeAsia Pacific Excl. JapanJapanMEAVascular Access Systems Market: OverviewDepending on geographic region, global vascular access system market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa.North America holds the largest share of the global vascular access systems due to the cumulative aging population and extensive technological advancement.Vascular Access Systems Market: Region-wise OutlookBased on geographic region, global vascular access system market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan, and Middle East & Africa.North America holds the largest share of the global vascular access systems owing to the cumulative aging population and extensive technological advancement.Cluster Headache Syndrome Market: Key PlayersNipro Medical Corporation, B. Braun Medical Inc., Edwards Life sciences Corporation, Medtronic, Siemens Medical Solutions Inc., Baxter, , GE Healthcare Inc., Teleflex Medical and. Becton, Dickinson and Even as major development finance institutions were committing to funding the development of Nigerias special economic zones in Abuja, work had commenced on Enyimba Economic City in Abia State. We agreed to be part of the project because it has been long overdue. We have no doubt that it will succeed, said Mr Kayode Pitan, managing director of the Bank of Industry. For Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, and the communities that donated land, it was hope kept alive as the management of Nigeria SEZ Investment Company Limited (NZESCO) and the chief executive officers of Afreximbank, Bank of Industry and Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) signed the dotted lines at an event presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in the Council Chambers of Aso Rock. According to Okechukwu Enelamah, whose ministry -Industry, Trade and Investment is implementing the development of the special economic zones under the direct supervision of President Buhari, the initial projects such as the Enyimba Economic City, are underway and feasibility studies are going on in eight states. The three development finance institutions are among the five to partner with NSEZCO and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated. NSEZCO intends to raise at least US$500million in equity over the first five years to develop special economic zones in the country. The other investment partners are the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Africa Finance Corporation (AFC). The President described the ceremony as another landmark in the journey to industrialize Nigeria and create jobs for people; and thanked the DFIs for their strong demonstration of support for this important. At that same venue a few months back, the President had presided over the signing of an agreement for the development of Enyimba Economic City and the governor had returned home a happy man enthusing in an interview with a newspaper that, Most of our people dont bequeath legacies that are futuristic. I am from the South-east and I am pushing for the Enyimba Economic City. This project will blossom and create 200,000 jobs because of the sheer enormity of the positive effects on my people. I see the concomitant impact on the life of my people and area. PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER SIGN OF NSEZCOM AND ITS INVESTMENT PARTNERS 3B. R-L; Managing Director and Chief Executive officer Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). Mr. Uche Orji, Director of NSEZOM, Mr Femi Edun,Representatives of MOFI, Dr Bakari Wadinga, Managing Director Bank of Industry, Mr Olukayode Pitan and President of Afreximbank, Dr Benedict Oramah during the signing of agreements between Afreximbank, BOI and NSIA with the Nigeria Special Economic Zones Investment Company (NSEZCOM) and its Strategic Investment Partners held at the Council Chambers, State House in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. FEB 8, 2019 PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER SIGN OF NSEZCOM AND ITS INVESTMENT PARTNERS A. R; President Muhammadu Buhari, SGF Mr. Boss Mustapha, chief of Staff Malla Abba Kyari, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Okechukwu Enelamah, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma and CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele during the signing of agreements between the Nigeria Special Economic Zones Investment Company (NSEZCOM) and its Strategic Investment Partners held at the Council Chambers, State House in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. FEN 8, 2019. I know my people are people who want to create things, so all you need to do is to make them neighbours to people who are actively manufacturing. The Enyimba Economic City project, believed to be capable of sparking an industrial revolution in the South-East is a 9, 803 hectares of land, spanning three local government areas of Ukwa East, Ukwa West and Ugwunagbo. It is located at the centre of the five South-east and four South-south states and it is to be designed to drive massive economic expansion of the region and by extension Nigeria. The agreement for the Economic City is a public-private partnership of NSEZCO, which holds 20 per cent stake, with the Abia State Government and Crown Realities Plc. Abia State Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Planning, Uche Ihediwa, signed the agreement on behalf of the state government; Femi Edun, a director of NSEZCO signed for the Federal Government, while Darl Uzu signed for Crown Realities Limited, the private sector developer. PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER SIGN OF NSEZCOM AND ITS INVESTMENT PARTNERS 1B. L-R; President Muhammadu Buhari, Chairman of Bank of Industry, Alhaji Aliyu Abdulrahman, Executive Director of Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr. Segun Awolowo, MD/CEO Eyimba Industry, Dr Darl Uzu during the signing of agreements between Afreximbank, BOI and NSIA with Nigeria Special Economic Zones Investment Company (NSEZCOM) held at the Council Chambers, State House in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. FEB 8, 2019 PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER SIGN OF NSEZCOM AND ITS INVESTMENT PARTNERS 3A. EXCHANGES OF SIGNED DOCUMENT; R-L; Managing Director and Chief Executive officer Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). Mr. Uche Orji, Director of NSEZOM, Mr Femi Edun, Representatives of MOFI, Dr Bakari Wadinga, Managing Director Bank of Industry, Mr Olukayode Pitan and President of Afreximbank, Dr Benedict Oramah during the signing of agreements between Afreximbank, BOI and NSIA with the Nigeria Special Economic Zones Investment Company (NSEZCOM) and its Strategic Investment Partners held at the Council Chambers, State House in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. FEB 8, 2019 Mr Uzu, who is also the Managing Director of Enyimba Economic City Development Company Limited, noted that the investment will facilitate the development of the economic city in line with governments policy objectives and have a transformational impact in the entire South-Eastern and South-Southern area of the country. But the special economic zones hold much more promise for the entire country and the rest of the continent. Indeed, the accelerated pre-development work had been carried out by a multi-disciplinary team of consultants including Surbana Jurong of Singapore; CBRE, India; Allott Nigeria Limited; Roughton International, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and a number of others. And further to the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment in June 2018, Shandong Ruyi Group of China who met with Mr. President during in China announced an investment commitment of $2bn to the Cotton, Textile and Garment industry in Nigeria by way of anchor investments in manufacturing facilities in Enyimba Economic City, Abia State, Funtua Cotton Cluster and Lekki Free Trade Zone. In Lekki, the Lagos State Government has allocated a parcel of 1,000 hectares of land in the North East Quadrant of the Lekki Free Zone to the project company to be owned jointly by its holding company, Lekki Worldwide Investments Limited and NSEZCO. Project MINE (Made in Nigeria for Export) which is to develop the world-class special economic zones (SEZ) is designed to position Nigeria as the pre-eminent manufacturing hub in sub-Saharan Africa, and a major exporter of made in Nigeria goods and services regionally and globally. The project was indeed envisioned by the Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment and the Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority. According to NSEZCO, it had been noted from recent economic history that when SEZs are developed within a coherent, well designed, executed and funded framework, they help developing countries to utilise their factor endowments and comparative advantage to industrialise, diversify their economies and achieve prosperity for their people within one generation. Such countries, an official of the company explained, have used SEZs to overcome infrastructural disadvantages and constraints; mobilized substantial domestic and foreign direct investment; increased technology penetration; attracted new skills and technologies; integrated into global value chains; created large number of quality jobs; increased export earnings; and achieved structural transformation of their economies. Project MINE seeks to achieve the following specific objectives: Aid structural transformation of the Nigerian economy by increasing the manufacturing sectors contribution to GDP to 20% by 2025; Contribute to sustainable inclusive growth by creating 1.5 million new direct manufacturing jobs in the initial phase of Project MINE; Increase and diversify foreign exchange earnings to at least US$30bn annually by 2025, by increasing manufacturing sector exports; Create local models of global best practice in the provision of world class infrastructure at competitive costs connecting SEZs to international and regional markets with transport links, uninterrupted power, ICT, water, sewage and other services to ensure smooth and efficient operation of SEZ businesses; Promote the cluster effect to be gained by locating similar export-oriented manufacturing businesses within the same locality; Attract world-class investors with strong positions in global supply chains and investors with the potential to increase the scale of operations rapidly to set up operations in SEZs; and PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER SIGN OF NSECOM AND ITS INVESTMENT PARTNERS B. L-R; President Muhammadu Buhari, Managing Director and Chief Executive officer Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). Mr. Uche Orji and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Okechukwu Enelamah during the signing of agreements between the Nigeria Special Economic Zones Investment Company (NSEZCOM) and its Strategic Investment Partners held at the Council Chambers, State House in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. FEN 8, 2019 Create an enabling environment for SEZ businesses by instituting best in class legal and regulatory frameworks, using technology and streamlined processes to facilitate movement of people, goods and capital and easy access to government services, approvals and permits. At the signing ceremony, President Buhari said the Federal Government set up NSEZCO as a vehicle for participating in Public-Private Partnerships involving Federal and State governments and local and foreign private investors to develop new special economic zones all over the country, offering world-class infrastructure and facilities at competitive costs. The first set of projects in the pilot phase are Enyimba Economic City, Funtua Cotton Cluster and Lekki Model Industrial Park. Providing the background of the initiative, the President said, When we decided to continue with the implementation of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan of the previous Administration and launched our Economic Recovery and Growth Plan to fast track implementation, we had a vision of Nigeria as the pre-eminent manufacturing hub in Sub-Saharan Africa and a major exporter to our immediate West African sub-region, the rest of Africa and indeed the World. Special Economic Zones have an important role to play in achieving this vision. They offer investor friendly incentives, world class infrastructure and ease of doing business in order to attract local and foreign investment and have been used as a catalyst for rapid and inclusive development, job creation, industrialisation and diversified export earnings in several countries. Under my direct supervision, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment is implementing Project MINE as a Presidential special priority intervention using Special Economic Zones to achieve the objectives of: boosting manufacturings share of GDP to 20%, generating $30bn in annual export earnings; and creating 1.5 million new jobs all by 2025. PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER SIGN OF NSEZCOM AND ITS INVESTMENT PARTNERS 5. L-R; President Muhammadu Buhari in a handshake with the Director of NSEZOM, Mr Femi Edun. Others are President of Afreximbank, Dr Benedict Oramah and Managing Director Bank of Industry, Mr Olukayode Pitan after the signing of agreements between Afreximbank, BOI and NSIA with Nigeria Special Economic Zones Investment Company (NSEZCOM) held at the Council Chambers, State House in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. FEN 8, 2019 PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER SIGN OF NSEZCOM AND ITS INVESTMENT PARTNERS 6. L-R; President Muhammadu Buhari in a handshake with the President of Afreximbank, Dr Benedict Oramah. Others are, Managing Director Bank of Industry, Mr Olukayode Pitan Representatives of MOFI, Dr Bakari Wadinga, NSEZOM, Mr Femi Edun after the signing of agreements between Afreximbank, BOI and NSIA with Nigeria Special Economic Zones Investment Company (NSEZCOM) and its Strategic Investment Partners held at the Council Chambers, State House in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. FEN 8, 2019 In his introduction, Mr Enelamah had said that the initiative was the choice of President Buhari for the industrialization drive of the government under its three-point agenda on security, economy and the fight against corruption. We are happy to be here today to progress the project, he added. On his part, Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank expressed the appreciation of the bank to the Federal Government for the opportunity to be part of the project. PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER SIGN OF NSEZCOM AND ITS INVESTMENT PARTNERS 3B. R-L; Managing Director and Chief Executive officer Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). Mr. Uche Orji, Director of NSEZOM, Mr Femi Edun,Representatives of MOFI, Dr Bakari Wadinga, Managing Director Bank of Industry, Mr Olukayode Pitan and President of Afreximbank, Dr Benedict Oramah during the signing of agreements between Afreximbank, BOI and NSIA with the Nigeria Special Economic Zones Investment Company (NSEZCOM) and its Strategic Investment Partners held at the Council Chambers, State House in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. FEB 8, 2019 PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER SIGN OF NSEZCOM AND ITS INVESTMENT PARTNERS 1B. L-R; President Muhammadu Buhari, Chairman of Bank of Industry, Alhaji Aliyu Abdulrahman, Executive Director of Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr. Segun Awolowo, MD/CEO Eyimba Industry, Dr Darl Uzu during the signing of agreements between Afreximbank, BOI and NSIA with Nigeria Special Economic Zones Investment Company (NSEZCOM) held at the Council Chambers, State House in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. FEB 8, 2019 He said the objectives of the bank align with that of the project and they are pleased with the ability of the project to grow industrialization. Uche Orji, Managing Director of Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority also thanked Mr President for the opportunity of the NSIA to participate in the project. The board saw it as an opportunity to help SEZCOs lift the country through industrialization. It is a good platform for attracting investors and we look forward to its implementation, he said. Femi Edun, a director of NSEZCO and Dr Bakari Wadinga, Director, Ministry of Finance Incorporated, signed on behalf of the company. BISI DANIELS IS A SPECIAL ADVISER ON MEDIA TO THE NIGERIAN MINISTER OF INDUSTRY, TRADE AND INVESTMENTS. SUNDAY AGHAEZE( HND Mass Comm, PGDBA) (Personal Assistant to the President on Photography) International Photojournalist Nigerian farmers have been advised not to be deceived by the early rainfall in the Savannah region to rush into agricultural activities. The national coordinator of Zero Hunger Farmers Association, Tunde Arosanyin, gave the advice on Wednesday in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES. Mr Arosayin, who is also the national technical adviser to the All Farmers Association Nigeria (AFAN) was speaking against the backdrop of early rainfalls in parts of Nigeria. PREMIUM TIMES reported that residents of Port Harcourt experienced the first rain in the year with a heavy downpour and cloudy weather Wednesday morning. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also reported that the residents had expected the rain last week when they experienced partly cloudy weather. It also rained in Lagos on Wednesday. The rain lasted for about one and a half hours, causing heavy flash floods and traffic gridlock in some areas, especially in the Surulere axis. In Calabar where there was also a downpour, many residents heaved a sigh of relief due to the harsh weather they experienced since the yuletide seasons. The Cross River State capital witnessed its first rain of 2019 which fell steadily for almost two hours. Some parts of Ilorin metropolis also recorded the first rain of the year. It was reported that the rain, which lasted less than one hour, brought relief to residents, who had been under hot weather condition for months. The rains started when several residents were still asleep. Mr Arosanyin said most farmers rush to the farm at the sight of the early rains but end up disappointed as the rains will cease. Most rainfall from the Savannah, middle belt and rain forest is very deceptive, he said. Most farmers when they record one or two rains, they rush to their farms. When it ceases, the crops are less which is a loss to the economy, he added. I advise farmers not to run to their farms because there is no sufficient moisture content in the soil that can support plant growth, he said. He said no agency has released the pattern of rainfall for the year 2019. He said farmers were using their cumulative experience of the last 10 years to avoid any rush in serious crop production. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had predicted lower-than-normal rainfall over most parts of Nigeria in 2019 with an expected late start of rains in the north. The agency also said the south-eastern zone and the coastal areas would experience the normal onset of rains. Presenting NiMets 2019 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP), the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said most of the northern states would experience earlier than normal end growing season. According to the minister, these are risk factors for farmers in the affected areas and have to be carefully and scientifically managed Some farmers will get excited about the rain while some will panic and rush to the farm, Mr Arosanyin said. In the last three years, farmers who did not listen to our warnings had poor harvest at the end of the year, he added. He said the level of improvement in agricultural production depends on the support of the government. He lamented that the level of support from the government is currently poor. The standard factor in agriculture production is 500 farmers ratio to one tractor. But in Nigeria, it is 3000 farmers to one tractor, he said. Qatar Airways has suspended plans to add new destinations in Africa due to a blockade imposed on Doha by four Arab states, the National Carrier said on Wednesday. Due to the unjust blockade against Qatar, we had to suspend some planned new destinations especially in West and Central Africa, the airline said in a tweet. In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic, transportation and economic links with Qatar, accusing it of supporting and funding terrorists, a charge that Doha denies. Regional and international bids to resolve the dispute have fizzled out without success. In 2018 the airline reported a 69-million-dollar loss in the 12 months until the end of March 2018, describing it as the most challenging year in its history. (dpa/NAN) Nigeria is the destination for new projects in the oil and gas industry in Africa valued at over $48 billion, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Maikanti Baru, has said. This is about 25 per cent of a total $194 billion capital expenditure (CAPEX) budget for various upcoming projects in Africa between 2018 and 2025. About 23.8 per cent of the CAPEX in Africa would be spent in Mozambique, 11.3 per cent in Angola, while about 29.2 per cent would be spent in Tanzania, Senegal, Mauritania, Uganda, Egypt, Algeria and Kenya combined. Mr. Baru, who disclosed this at the 2019 International Petroleum Week conference which began in London, Wednesday, said this excludes over 20 planned projects in the pipeline in various locations across the continent. The NNPC GMD was contributing to a panel discusion on the topic The New Frontier for Africas Oil & Gas. He described the continents energy outlook as positive, despite the difficult operating and economic headwinds. However, he called on investors to utilize the huge investment opportunities available in these upcoming capital projects within Nigerias oil and gas Industry. These opportunities, he said, include endowments of over 41billion barrels of oil reserves, and about 319trillion cubic feet of gas yet to be discovered in sub-Saharan Africa alone. Between 2008 and 2017, Mr Baru said exploratory success in the sub-region for these resources was at least 45 per cent, despite several challenges. With over 14 oil producing countries, Africa currently accounts for about 126.5 billion barrels of crude oil, or 7.5 percent, and about 488 TCF of gas, or 7.1 percent of global proven oil and gas reserves respectively, he said. On production, the NNPC boss said the continent accounts for about 8.1million barrels per day (about 8.7 percent) of global oil production, and 21.8billion standard cubic feet per day (scfd), or 6.1 percent of global gas production. Also, the continent consumes about 4million barrels of oil per day and 13.7billion scfd of gas (equivalent to 4.1 percent, and 3.9 percent of global oil and consumption respectively). On investment opportunities in Nigeria, Mr. Baru said the NNPCs Frontier Exploration Service was currently drilling the Kolmani River-2 Well where desktop estimates revealed it is expected to encounter about 400 billion cubic feet of gas. He said several new frontiers for exploration opportunities abound in Nigeria, even as offshore discoveries in the country have mostly been limited to between 1,000 and 1,500m of water depth. Beyond these water depths, the new frontiers of ultra-deep waters need to be tested. And that is where we need the investors with the right expertise and technology, Mr Baru told the audience. Apart from issues related to legal and regulatory uncertainties, he said other issues that may not allow for the achievement of the full potentials of the continents oil and gas Industry to include lack of infrastructure, skilled manpower shortage, transparency and accountability Organised annually by the London-based Energy Institute, the IP Week is a global oil and gas platform where executives and other energy professionals discuss the big issues affecting the sector. Africa needs to bridge the gap between it and Africans in the diaspora so as to develop the continent. Participants gave this advice on Thursday at a panel discussion organised by the United States Embassy, Abuja in commemoration of the Black History Month. The theme of the event was Building bridges between Africa and the Diaspora. The Black History Month began in 1926 in the United States when historian Carter Wooden and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced the second week of February as Negro History Week. Aside from the lecture, there will be a performance by the Theatre Arts Department of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria to showcase African-American contributions to the arts. The performance titled The Meeting is a play about the meeting between two prominent black- American civil right activists, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr in 1965 during the height of the civil right movement in the US. According to the African Union, the African Diaspora is composed of people of African origin living outside of the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality, and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union. Speaking at the event, Tanya Hill, an officer with the American embassy said the Black History Month is very important because it helps the lost diaspora find a connection to their roots. Ms Hill, who is an African American, said though she has not traced her descent in Africa, she is proud about everything that makes her African. She said as a child of the slave trade, she can only trace her genealogical roots to the 19th century. She, however, said it is very important to African countries to start building bridges with Africans in the diaspora. This, she said, has become important as it can assist with the socioeconomic development of the continent. Ms Hills said revaluing the relationship with Africans in the diaspora is a great way to bridge the gap between people of African descent across the globe. She said many black Africans have been doing so through DNA genealogical tracing of their roots, It is interesting that we start the discussion with someone who is a child of the diaspora. Many children of the diaspora do not know the element of Africa that they retain. A diaspora is a tremendous number of people flung across every corner of the globe. There is a need to build the bridge across to these people because not knowing what part of Africa a person retains can be a challenge giving the person a lost feel. The notion of celebrating the Black History Month in Nigeria is also a way to bridge the gap, she said. Speaking in a similar vein, Abubakar Liman, who is the Dean of Arts at ABU, called on the Nigerian government to take a serious step towards intercommunication with Africans in the diaspora. He said African in the diaspora are descendants of African slaves who were carted away in the trans-Sahara and transatlantic slave trade. The professor of English and Literary Studies said the problem people are facing in Africa is that there seems to be no awareness of Africans outside Nigeria. He said for Nigeria to properly benefit from the knowledge and skills of African in the diaspora, the country needs to break down the intercommunication differences by setting on a truth commission where all grievances will be laid on the table. He said the distrust between home Africans and Africans in the diaspora has been a deterrent factor putting off most African Americans and those of other descent off the continent. Mr Liman said Africa needs to tap into the skills of its diaspora across the world so as to make a significant contribution to the world. More needs to be done in terms of tourism, cultural exchange, social media, and entrepreneurs exchange. The descendants of African slaves are the largest people around the world. The new forms of people travelling out in search of better lives have also joined some of the Africans in the diaspora. As at last year, about $9 trillion was believed to have been remitted to Nigeria through this channel. Mr Liman said it is unfortunate that the government is not tapping into the cash flow to develop the country, unlike India, which he said at some point tapped into the cash flow from its diaspora for development. Most of the money sent from abroad goes to the informal sector and that has been what has been making the economy thrive. The bulk of the money from the oil well has been unaccounted as most of it has been carted away, he said. On the new trend of Africans leaving their countries in search greener abroad, Mabel Evwerhoma said African leaders need to urgently tackle issues that have been causing the emigration. She said there should be a movement from prejudices, reparation of looted artefacts, and political power to the regeneration of the African economy. African leaders should ask what Africans are fleeing from and reposition them. They need to invest more in economic development and good governance. We need to counter the negative narration of Africa in the media, especially, the foreign media, she said. The Hausa movie industry, popularly known as Kannywood, on Wednesday threw aside partisan differences to join supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari in celebrating his reelection for a second term. The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, early Wednesday morning declared Mr Buhari the winner of the presidential election of February 23. He said the APC fag bearer polled 15,191,847 votes to beat his 72 challengers. Reacting to the outcome of the election in which two northerners were the frontrunners, prominent supporters of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and of its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, sent congratulatory messages to the APC and Mr Buharis supporters in Kannywood. Kannywood was sharply divided with some pitching tent with the PDP presidential candidate while others stood on the side of President Buhari. Zaharaddeen Sani, popularly called Sarkin Yakin Atiku (meaning Atiku frontline supporter in the industry), took to his Instagram page to congratulate his colleagues on the other side of the political divide. Sharing on his wall Ali Nuhus picture, he wrote, Congratulation Sir. Immediately, Mr Nuhu replied, thanking Mr Zaharadden for the goodwill message. Mr Nuhu had earlier written on his Instagram congratulating the president on his reelection. Hail my President PMB! Congratulations to all BUHARISTS, despite the mockery and the hate speech we finally won. Our gratitude goes to Allah, the actor enthused. Fati SU went beyond hailing the president. She also posted her pictures in a beautifully designed graphics in a show of joy and thanking God for Mr Buharis electoral success. Fati was a frontline supporter of the president in the Kannywood. She featured more than other Kannywood actresses in Mr Buharis campaign songs and promotions. Hannatu Bashar, Ado Gwanja, Nuhu Abdullahi and many others also took to their pages to congratulate the president on his reelection. Popular Nigerian Actress, Tonto Dikeh, has announced plans to host 10 ordinary Nigerian women to some luxury come March 8. Ms Dikeh disclosed this on her Instagram page on Thursday, saying that the event would be in commemoration of the 2019 Womens Day celebration. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the International Womens Day is celebrated on March 8 every year. It is a focal point in the movement for womens rights. After the Socialist Party of America organised a Womens Day on February 28, 1909, in New York, the 1910 International Socialist Womans Conference suggested a Womens Day be held annually. The theme for the 2019 International Womens Day is #BalanceforBetter. Ms Dikeh, who has over three million followers on Instagram, has promised to make the day great for the chosen women. According to her, the event which has the title, 10 women with Tonto will treat women to a lunch date, makeovers, shopping, heart to heart talk, amongst others. The celebrity said the event aimed at hosting women from all walks of life, ranging from food vendors, market women to the least woman in the society. The Tonto Dikeh Foundation plans to give start-up funds to the 10 women for their businesses, she wrote. Ms Dikeh added that the event also aimed at celebrating the achievements of women in the society. The celebrity called on well-meaning Nigerians to support the planned event. (NAN) A Saudi minister told the United Nations on Wednesday it would cooperate with its human rights mechanisms. He, however, did not explicitly refer to a UN-led inquiry into the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Agnes Callamard, a UN investigator on extra-judicial executions, said after a mission to Turkey this month that evidence pointed to a brutal murder planned and perpetrated by Saudi officials. However, her final report is due in June. U.S. intelligence agencies believe Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered an operation to kill Khashoggi, a critic and Washington Post columnist. They say his body was dismembered and removed to a location still publicly unknown. His murder in the Saudi Istanbul consulate on October 2 provoked widespread revulsion and tarnished the image of the Crown Prince, who previously was admired in the West for his reform efforts. We will also cooperate with the UN mechanisms related to human rights, including the Human Rights Council, Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, told the Geneva forum. Jubeir, asked twice by a Reuters reporter whether that meant the kingdom would cooperate with the Khashoggi investigation led by Callamard, declined to respond. The Saudi public prosecutors spokesman said late 2018 that 11 Saudis had been indicted and referred for trial over the case, with authorities seeking the death penalty for five. (Reuters/NAN) Amid a surge in racism, the South African Government on Thursday announced the approval of the long-awaited National Action Plan (NAP) to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. The NAP would contribute to and ensure the governments compliance with its international, regional and national obligations, the South African cabinet said in a statement after a fortnightly meeting in Cape Town. South Africa is a signatory to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the UN. The declaration was adopted by the UN following the 3rd World Conference against Racism held in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal in 2001. The approval of the plan followed extensive consultations with government departments, Chapter-Nine institutions, civil-society organisations and relevant stakeholders in all provinces, according to acting Cabinet spokesperson, Phumla Williams. Chapter-Nine institutions is a group of organisations established in terms of Chapter Nine of the Constitution to guard democracy. Although apartheid was brought to an end more than two decades ago, the country is still struggling with incidents of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. The South African Human Rights Commission said that during the 2015/16 financial year, it received 505 race-related complaints. Since 1994 when apartheid ended, successive administrations have worked to unite all South African people, foster national unity and ensure greater social cohesion, Williams said. Healing the divisions of the past is a continuous process that must go hand in hand so as to ensure greater economic opportunities for more people, she said. It is against this backdrop that the NAP has come into being, Williams said. The NAP provides a technical guiding framework for the governments policies, programmes and strategies to combat racial discrimination. It is also providing steps toward complying with the governments obligation to give effect to the constitutional value of equality and non-discrimination. (Xinhua/NAN) Thousands of protesters on Thursday took to the streets in several parts of Sudan demanding President Omar al-Bashir step down. Thursdays mass demonstrations were in defiance of a state of emergency, imposed last week, which bans unapproved demonstrations or public gatherings. Riot police and security forces tried to break up the protests with tear gas in various cities, several witnesses said. In the town of Burri, in Khartoum State, security forces beat and arrested protesters, a resident said. On February 19, security forces arrested at least twelve opposition leaders ahead of a planned protest against the regime of al-Bashir in the capital, Khartoum. The East African nation has seen ongoing protests for several weeks, since a sharp hike in bread and fuel prices caused a public outcry. In early January, the Interior Ministry said more than 800 demonstrators had been arrested. While the Sudanese government confirmed the deaths of 29 protesters, human rights organisations say dozens of people have been killed in clashes with security forces. The oil-rich countrys economy was badly affected when it split with South Sudan in 2011, and the government is currently facing an economic crisis while also battling several rebel groups. (Xinhua/NAN) As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate the 2019 Zero Discrimination Day, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has called for legal protection against HIV-related discrimination in the country. The Director General of the Agency, Sani Aliyu, made the call in a statement on Wednesday to mark the Zero Discrimination Day being celebrated across the globe. Since 2014, the Zero Discrimination Day has been celebrated annually on March 1. It is a global event that promotes diversity and recognizes that everyone counts. Mr Aliyu said the lack of protective law can feed stigma and discrimination. This, he said, further hinders access to HIV services for people living with HIV. He noted that discrimination can be institutionalised through existing laws, policies and practices that negatively target people living with HIV and marginalized groups. He stated that legal protection against HIV-related discrimination is an essential prerequisite for an effective national HIV response. Mr Aliyu also emphasised the importance of creating public awareness on the countrys 2014 national HIV and AIDS Anti-Discrimination Act. The Act makes it an offence to discriminate on the basis of ones real or perceived HIV status. It also prohibits any employer, individual or organisation from requiring a person to take an HIV test as a precondition for employment or access to services, he said. He urged Nigerians to take advantage of the Act to know their rights and protect themselves from all forms of HIV-related stigma and discrimination. People living with HIV continue to face various forms of stigmatisation, discrimination and violations of their rights and dignity, which are barriers to the efforts to scale up access to comprehensive care, treatment, and support. These have been described as major stumbling blocks to HIV and AIDS mitigation programmes as they discourage people from using HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) services and pose a barrier to accessing treatment. In a message published on their website, the Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Michel Sidibe, said there is an urgent need to take action against discriminatory laws. The message reads in part; In many countries, laws result in people being treated differently, excluded from essential services or being subject to undue restrictions on how they live their lives, simply because of who they are. Such laws are discriminatorythey deny human rights and fundamental freedoms. States have a moral and legal obligationunder the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, human rights treaties, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other international obligationsto remove discriminatory laws and to enact laws that protect people from discrimination. Ending discrimination and changing laws is the responsibility of us all. Everyone can play a part in ending discrimination and can try to make a difference, in ways both big and small. The Zero Discrimination Day 2019 campaign challenges people to act against laws that discriminate in their country, the message highlighted. No fewer than 102 people have been confirmed to be positive with Lassa fever, in addition to 15 deaths recorded in Ondo State between January and February. Wale Oke, the State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Akure. As at Thursday, February 21, 102 people have been tested positive to Lassa fever this year. 82 people in January and 20 people so far in February apart from 15 deaths recorded in January as a result of the fever but no death has been recorded so far in February. Most people that died either reported late or were already subjected to alternative treatment and doing self-medication before they eventually came to the hospital. Their kidneys and livers had been affected as a result of the delay, he said. Mr Oke, who is also a staff member at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, urged residents of the state to report early to the medical centre if they experienced an upsurge of temperature in their bodies. We have Contact Tracing Mechanism whereby we can place on surveillance for 21 days for those that may have contact with infected persons. We continue to monitor their temperature. If it is above 37.8,we direct them for quick treatment, he said. According to him, the centre has the highest success rate out of the three treatment centres in Nigeria for Lassa fever treatment. He added that the state government had put in place measures to curtail the fever, adding that the government had declared a state of emergency on the health sector. Mr Oke explained that Ondo NMA alongside Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and others had engaged in a series of sensitisation for the people of the state. He explained that the exercise was aimed at preventing further cases in the state. Since the outbreak of Lassa fever, we have been moving round all the health facilities to sensitise our people to the need to maintain universal caution and also to be vigilant about Lassa fever. So far, we have been to almost all the local government areas in the state. We rounded off with Akoko last Wednesday. NMA is concerned with the infection, prevention and control out of the so many pillars involved in the management of Lassa fever, hence the basis for the sensitisation. However, Mr Oke revealed that Owo, Ose, Akoko North, Akure South and Akure North were the local government areas in the state that had recorded cases of Lassa fever. (NAN) President Donald Trumps former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, on Wednesday told the U.S. Congress that Mr Trump is a `racist, a `conman and a `cheat. Mr Cohen, Mr Trumps onetime `fixer, said Mr Trump knew in advance about a release of emails by the WikiLeaks website aimed at hurting his 2016 Democratic presidential rival. According to Mr Cohens prepared testimony, Mr Trump directed negotiations for a real estate project in Moscow during the White House race even as he publicly said he had no business interests in Russia. I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is, he is a racist, a conman and a cheat, Mr Cohen said in an opening statement to a House of Representatives committee. Donald Trump is a man who ran for office to make his brand great, not to make our country great, Mr Cohen said. He had no desire or intention to lead this nation, only to market himself and to build his wealth and power. Michael Cohen warned members of Congress not to follow Donald Trump `blindly, saying his own fate is a cautionary tale. The more people that follow Mr Trump as I did blindly are going to suffer the same consequences as I am suffering, Mr Cohen noted. He, however, blamed the president for the destruction of civility in the country. Mr Cohen accused Trump of becoming an autocrat and using his Twitter account to intimidate. He was also sharply critical of members of Congress who he accused of silliness. Im responsible for your silliness because I did the same thing youre doing now, for 10 years, referring to his time employed by Mr Trump. (dpa/NAN) The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and major opposition parties in Oyo State are seeking alliances in order to occupy the Agodi Government House by May. The election to the Agodi Government House, the seat of power in the state, will take place on March 9. PREMIUM TIMES gathered on Thursday that the need to form an alliance became necessary because of the performance of the leading political parties during the last presidential and National Assembly elections held on Saturday. The APC lost the presidential election in Oyo State as well as some Senate and Reps seats. Although there are over two dozen governorship candidates, the race is expected to be between five candidates. These are the APCs Adebayo Adelabu, the candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Sharafadeen Ali, Olufemi Lanlehin of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party and Adebayo Alao-Akala of the Action Democratic Party (ADP). The result of the presidential election also shows that the state is still up for grabs as over 70 per cent of the registered voters did not participate. Also, the PDP only defeated the APC with less than 2,000 votes in the presidential election. The APC had been having talks with a former governor of the state, Adebayo Alao-Akala, who is also the candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP). It was gathered that the ruling party had through its national leader, Bola Tinubu, met Mr Alao-Akala in Abuja on Wednesday on the possibility of forming an alliance with the APC to win the election for its candidate. Former Lagos state governor, Bola Tinubu. [Photo credit: THISDAYLIVE] When contacted on the alliance talks, the spokesman of the APC candidate, Bayo Busari, said his party will welcome any alliance. Alliances are not out of place under the circumstance that we are at this stage, he said. He, however, said his party does not need such an alliance to win the election. If we do (form an alliance) its just to make us more comfortable in the elections, Mr Busari said. We have done our homework very well, we campaigned vigorously and we have put forward a gubernatorial candidate that has the best credentials, the best any party can have, he added. Adebayo Alao-Akala A close aide to Mr Alao-Akala, who asked not to be named, confirmed the meeting between his principal and Mr Tinubu. He, however, said no agreement was reached at the meeting. We remain in ADP. Though, there was a meeting, the meeting does not translate that he has left ADP. We, the ADP members had a meeting today, and we say that we remain in ADP. There will be meetings, but I am telling you that we remain in ADP. There may be a possibility of an alliance, but we are still in ADP as I am talking to you now, he said on Thursday evening. Other parties also talking The Director of Public Communications and New Media of the ADC, Akeem Olatunji, confirmed that a separate alliance talk was being held between his party and other major opposition parties. We are open to forming an alliance with all interested parties who have the interest of the masses at heart and it has to be based on mutual respect and trust. Discussion is about to be rounded up which involves our principal, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, Engineer Seyi Makinde of PDP, Otunba Alao Akala of ADP and Barrister Sharafadeen Alli of ZLP. Once the process is transparent and all-encompassing, we of ADC have no problem as it is a game of give and take and hopefully we promise to make the welfare of Oyo State citizens a priority if Sen Olufemi Lanlehin is adopted as the sole gubernatorial candidate of the coalition. When contacted on the alliance talks, the ZLP Publicity Secretary, Olajide Olanipekun, said his party was willing to form an alliance with other opposition parties. On the part of Zenith Labour Party of Oyo State, we are still meeting and consulting with other willing opposition parties for a possible alliance. We will brief the press whenever we are able to reach compromise. Thank you. Yes. For now. ZLP will form an alliance with any opposition party that is willing to work with us, Mr Olanipekun said. The media aide to the PDP candidate, Dotun Oyelade, said his party was willing to form an alliance with any of the parties except APC. We are working and forming alliances with all the parties except APC and our candidate is strong and popular. We are looking good. We did well during the presidential polls. In Oke Ogun, Ibadan municipal, Ogbomoso our performance was good and can only be better during the gubernatorial race. It is also incorrect and hasty to assume that the alliance has crumbled, he said. As the ninth Senate begins to take shape, at least ten senators will now be qualified to be called ranking members. This is because they will be returning to the upper chamber for their third, fourth or fifth terms respectively. Following Saturdays presidential and National Assembly elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission announced at least 80 senators who won the elections in their senatorial districts. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the All Progressives Congress (APC) has clinched a majority of the senatorial seats announced so far. Of the 109 lawmakers expected to resume in the ninth Senate, about 10 of them will be serving for a third, fourth or fifth term. They include: IKE EKWEREMADU Mr Ekweremadu, who represents Enugu West Senatorial District, is a ranking four-term senator. Having won the Enugu West senatorial election on Saturday, he will be returning to the upper chamber for his fifth term. He was first elected into the Senate in 2003 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu He has been the Deputy Senate President since 2007 over a period of 12 years. During this period, the senator has been active as he has sponsored important bills such as the State Police Creation Bill, State of the Nation Address Bill and River Basin (Amendment) Bill. The lawmaker, like most of his colleagues over the years, has had issues with the State Security Service and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. He was once accused of false declaration of assets and the government is moving to get a court order for him o forfeit some of his international assets. It is expected that in the ninth Senate, and being a ranking member, Mr Ekweremadu will represent his constituency and the nation as a whole in a laudable manner. JAMES MANAGER James Manager is also a ranking four-term senator who represents Delta South Senatorial District. He assumed office in 2003 (during the fifth assembly) under the platform of the PDP. His victory at Saturdays election means he will be returning to the Senate for a fifth term. The lawmaker, who is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, has sponsored a number of bills including the bill for the Establishment of Nigerian Maritime University. He has also been vocal on the floor of the Senate as he has contributed to several motions. KABIRU GAYA Mr Gaya is a ranking three-term senator who was elected into the Senate in 2007 to represent Kano South Senatorial District under the platform of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP). He was the Senate deputy minority whip from 2007 until 2011. KABIRU GAYA Now a member of the APC, Mr Gaya will be returning to the Senate for a fourth term. The Kano lawmaker has sponsored a number of bills including the Finance Management and Accountability Bill and the Millennium Development Agency Bill. AHMED LAWAN Mr Lawan, another ranking three-term senator since 2007 is currently the Senate leader. He represents Yobe North Senatorial District. His victory in Saturdays election means he will be returning for his fourth term in the upper chamber. As a member of the APC, Mr Lawan has always been vocal on the floor of the Senate in the past four years. He as proven to be an ardent supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration and is tipped to be a contender for the Senate presidents seat after he lost the seat to Mr Saraki in the outgoing Senate. Senator Ahmed Lawan He has contributed by sponsoring bills and motions. Some of his sponsored bills are Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshot Bill, Desertification (Control) Commission Bill and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Bill. He is also in charge of executive bills and other communications brought before the Senate. OLUREMI TINUBU Ms Tinubus return to the Senate will make it her third term in the chamber. Ms Tinubu, who is the former first lady of Lagos State (during Bola Tinubus reign as governor of the state), was first elected in 2011 to represent Lagos Central. Senator Remi Tinubu. Unlike a few other female senators, Ms Tinubu has, over the years, been active. She is currently the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and has sponsored a number of bills including Social Security for Elderly Citizens Bill and a bill seeking a special status and federal grant for Lagos State which was, however, rejected by the Senate. AJAYI BOROFFICE Mr Boroffices return to the ninth Senate will make it his third term in the upper chamber. He was first elected in 2011 to represent Ondo North Senatorial District under the platform of the Labour Party. He later decamped to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2011 and then moved again to his current party, APC. Senator Ajayi Boroffice [Photo credit: boroffice4ondo.com] He has made positive contributions of the floor of the Senate by sponsoring bills like Nigerian Council for Food Science and Technology Bill. He is currently the chairman of the Senate committee on Science and Technology. ALI NDUME Mr Ndume is a ranking two-term senator representing Borno South Senatorial District. He was first elected in 2011. The ninth Senate will, therefore, make it his third term in the upper chamber. Mr Ndume was made the Senate Leader of the 8th National Assembly but was removed on January 10, 2017. Ali Ndume He was suspended in March of the same year for six months by the Senate committee on ethics and privileges for calling for a probe into the allegations of an imported bulletproof range rover with fake documents allegedly involving Senate President Bukola Saraki, seized by the Nigerian Customs. Just like the Senate Leader, Mr Ndume is an ardent supporter of President Buhari and was ever willing to promote and support any executive bills on the floor of the Senate. He is currently the chairman of the Senate Committee on Establishment. DANJUMA GOJE Having served two terms as governor of Gombe State under the PDP from 2003 to 2011, Mr Goje joined in 2011. Having served two terms in the upper chamber (representing Gombe Central Senatorial District), Mr Goje will be returning for a third term. Senator Danjuma Goje: Abdullahi Suleiman writes about the shenenigans of the Senator in Gombe State. He is, however, returning under the platform of the APC which he joined in 2014. Mr Goje has been fairly vocal in the upper chamber. He is currently the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation. He has sponsored a few bills, one of which is the North East Development Commission Bill. He is currently being prosecuted for allegedly stealing Gombe funds while he was governor. ABDULLAHI ADAMU Also a former two-term governor of Nasarawa State from 1999 to 2007 under the platform of the PDP, Mr Adamus return to the ninth assembly will be his third. Senator Abdullahi Adamu He was first elected into the upper chamber to represent Nasarawa West Senatorial District in 2011 with the PDP ticket. He joined the APC in 2013. Mr Adamu is one who speaks on the floor of the Senate only when necessary. He has, however, had several rounds of verbal wars with Senate President, Bukola Saraki. He was one of the many who cautioned Mr Saraki against leaving the APC. After the exit of the latter, he had constantly rebuked him (Mr Saraki). He was once arrested by the anti-graft agency for allegedly embezzling $100 million of government money meant for a public project. He is facing prosecution. EMMANUEL BWACHA Mr Bwacha is a ranking two-term senator who was first elected in 2011 to represent Taraba South Senatorial District under the platform of the PDP. Senator EMMANUEL BWACHA His victory in the recent polls means he will return for a third term. Mr Bwacha is currently the deputy Senate minority leader and was the former chairman of the committee on police affairs. Eyinnayan Abaribe? It is not clear if Eyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) will return to the Senate as elections were rescheduled in some parts of his senatorial districts. However, if he returns, he will be serving his fourth term in the upper chamber. The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has said former vice president, Atiku Abubakar was never destined to rule Nigeria. He said this at a press conference while reacting to the Peoples Democratic Party candidates rejection of the election result. It borders on arrogance that our future is tied on his presidency. Atiku is destined never to be president of Nigeria, Mr Oshiomhole said. Leadership is about character. Atikus desperation is so obvious, so desperate that in 2003, he challenged his own boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo, not to do a second term. Mr Abubakars fourth attempt to clinch the presidency was dashed in the just concluded presidential election when the incumbent president, Muhammadu Buhari was announced as winner. He has said he will not accept the result of the election because the process was not fair and is seeking legal redress in court. Mr Oshiomhole said Saturdays election was a referendum between integrity and no integrity and Nigerians have made their choice. Some prominent senators in the Eighth National Assembly will not be returning in the next assembly, having lost at the polls on Saturday. Millions of Nigerians on Saturday went to the polls to elect a president who will lead Africas most populous country for the next four years. The voters also elected federal lawmakers who will represent them at the National Assembly for the next four years. All of Nigerias 109 Senate seats and 360 House of Representative seats were also for grabs across the 36 states and the FCT. A total of 1,904 candidates took part in the senatorial elections while 4,680 sought seats in the House of Representatives. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a total of 72.8 million (72,775,585) were eligible to vote in the elections, having collected their permanent voters cards (PVCs). Of the 36 states and Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, and Rivers led with the highest number of eligible voters. A total of 91 political parties were registered to participate in the elections which took take place in 119,973 polling units and 57,023 voting points nationwide. But based on INECs official result, some of the strong pillars in the eight assembly have been rejected by their constituencies and fallen in the battle to secure a place in the ninth assembly. PREMIUM TIMES checked on how the senators were rejected by their constituencies. BUKOLA SARAKI (PDP) Mr Saraki, the Senate President, lost both his bid to return to the Senate for the third time and a firm grip on Kwara State politics. Mr Saraki, a medical doctor, who contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after joining Kwara politics in 2003 by riding on his fathers profile, lost to another medical doctor, Ibrahim Oloriegbe of the All Progressive Party (APC). Mr Oloriegbe of the APC polled 123, 828 to beat Saraki of the PDP who scored 68, 994. The loss is a major setback for the Saraki dynasty in 43 years since the head of the family, the late Olusola Saraki, a former Senate Leader, dominated Kwara politics. The Saraki dynasty has installed six governors since 1979, hundreds of lawmakers at the national and state levels, councillors and chairmen of local government areas. According to the results released by INEC, Mr Saraki was defeated in all the four local government areas in the district. ABIODUN OLUJIMI (PDP) The Senate minority leader, Biodun Olujimi, also lost her bid to return to the Senate, as she was defeated by former fellow party man, Dayo Adeyeye, of the All Progressives Congress. Mr Adeyeye emerged victorious at the end of the count of votes for Ekiti South senatorial district. Senator Biodun Olujimi Mr Adeyeye defected to the APC shortly before the 2018 governorship election, after the controversial PDP governorship primaries. The Returning Officer for Ekiti South senatorial district, Laide Lawal, said Mr Adeyeye polled 77, 621 to defeat his closest rival, Mrs Olujimi who scored 53, 741. Mrs Olujimi joined her husband in politics in 1997 as the National Publicity Secretary of the extinct NCPN. She moved to All Peoples Congress (APC) after the extinction of her former party, and still became the National Publicity Secretary in APC. In 2002, she joined Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and in 2003 she was appointed the Special Assistant to the Executive Governor of Ekiti State. From there, she was elected to the Federal House of Assembly. She became the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State under the governor, Ayo Fayose, in 2005. In 2015, she contested for a Senatorial seat and won, and became a senator representing the Ekiti South constituency in the National Assembly under the Peoples Democratic Party. SHEHU SANI (PRP) Mr Sani, a senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, in October, joined Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), three days after he left the All Progressives Congress (APC). Having fallen out with the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, Mr Sani left the APC and joined the PRP. The former senator representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly, Shehu Sani He is the current chairman of the Senate Committee Chairman on Local and Foreign Debts. He lost his Kaduna Central Senatorial Seat to Uba Sani, the candidate of the APC who scored a total of 167,373 votes in the 2019 senatorial election. Shehu Sani scored a paltry 11,799. He has already called for the cancellation of the election, complaining that the exercise was characterised by irregularities and massive rigging. In 2003, Mr Sani contested for the Senate under Alliance for Democracy (AD) and lost to Muktar Aruwa of the All Nigerian Peoples Party. In 2011, he contested for the Senate under Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and lost to Sani Saleh in the primaries. But he won the Senate seat after defeating Mr Saleh in the primaries and Mr Aruwa in the general election in 2015. On September 4, 2015, he became the first and only Nigerian Senator to declare his assets publicly. On October 20, 2018, he announced his resigned from the APC and defected to the PRP in Kaduna. GODSWILL AKPABIO (APC) Godswill Akpabio, a senator from Akwa Ibom State, lost his bid to return to the Senate for a second term. Mr Akpabio had dumped the PDP late in 2018, promising to deliver Akwa Ibom to the ruling APC. The INEC, on Tuesday afternoon, finally declared Mr Akpabios opponent, Chris Ekpenyong, the winner of the election in Akwa Ibom North-West District. Godswill Akpabio The declaration was done at the commissions headquarters in Uyo. There was suspense and tension in the state after INEC suspended the release of the result of the election in which both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP claimed victory. According to the result announced by the returning officer, Peter Oban, a professor, Mr Akpabio, a former governor of the state, scored 83,158 votes, while Mr Ekpenyong scored 118,215 votes. In 2006, Mr Akpabio aspired for the governorship of Akwa Ibom state in a contested primary election and defeated 57 other aspirants to emerge the candidate of the PDP. He was elected Governor in 2007 and re-elected for a second term in office in 2011. In 2013, he was elected chairman of the newly formed PDP Governors Forum. In 2015, he contested and won the Senate seat of the Akwa Ibom North West (Ikot Ekpene) Senatorial District to represent the district in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Mr Akpabio was nominated for the position of the Senate Minority Leader by the South-South caucus of the PDP. In August 2018, Senator Akpabio resigned as the Senate Minority Leader, after he had announced his defection to the APC. His defection was marked by Political rally in his hometown at the Ikot Ekpene township stadium, Akwa Ibom State. MONSURAT SUNMONU (ADC) Monsurat Sunmonu, who contested under the platform of African Democratic Congress (ADC), was defeated in the Oyo Central senatorial district election which that took place on Saturday. A former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin of the APC, was declared the winner. The returning officer, Peter Falayi, announced that Mr Folarin won in six, out of the seven local governments in the area. Senator Monsurat Sunmonu steps in after family subjected teenager to torture for alleged theft Mrs Sunmonu is the chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs in the 8th Assembly. Prior to becoming a senator, she was the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Nigeria. While in the House of Assembly she was the member representing Oyo East and Oyo West local governments. She became the first female Speaker in the history of Oyo State on June 10, 2011. BINTA GARBA (APC) Though not a popular name in the Nigerian Senate, she deserves a mention as she is the only female Senator from Northern Nigeria. Mrs Garba, a first-time senator, was defeated in the Adamawa North Senatorial Election by Ishaku Abbo of the PDP. She scored 63, 219 votes while her opponent got 79, 37 votes. Sen. Binta Garba She served as a Chairperson, Adamawa State chapter of All Progressives Congress and she is the first female State Chairperson of a registered major political party in Nigeria. She served the Federal House of Representatives three times, from 1999 to 2011. She is the only female Senator-Elect in all the 19 Northern States of Nigeria in 2015 elections. She was also, the only female delegate from Adamawa State to the National Conference in Abuja. MAO OHABUNWA (PDP) He won the Abia North Senatorial seat in 2015, defeating the former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor-Kalu. The election was later cancelled by the court and a re-run ordered, but Mao Ohabunwa won it a second time. He was not third-time lucky, however, as Mr Uzor-Kalu, now an APC member and ardent supporter of the president, Muhammadu Buhari, emerged victorious after Saturdays elections. Mao Ohabunwa The returning officer for the election, Charles Anumodu, announced that Mr Uzor-Kalu had a total of 31,203 votes, and Mr Ohabunwa scored 20,801. However, Mr Ohabunwas campaign team is alleging malpractice on the part of the INEC officers and wants the election to be cancelled completely. In 1998, Mr Ohabunwa ran for a seat in the Nigerian Federal House of Representatives the umbrella of the United Nigeria Congress Party and won, before the process was truncated. He became the first person to represent both Arochukwu/Ohafia constituency when he yet again contested and won in the 1999 elections, this time, under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party and was subsequently elected the Deputy Leader of the House of Representatives. He went on to contest for a seat to represent Abia North in the Nigeria Senate in the 2007 general elections under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and lost. But, undeterred, he went ahead and contested in the 2015 general election which he won and also won March 6, 2016 re-run after the Appeal Court annulled his earlier victory. ANDY UBAH (APC) It was a battle of three Ubas in the Anambra North Senatorial District election. The serving senator representing the district is Emmanuel Nnamdi Uba, popularly known as Andy Uba. He was first elected into office in 2011 and was re-elected in 2015, both on the platform of the PDP. But he left the PDP in 2017 to join the ruling APC. Andy Ubas younger brother, Chris Uba, was the PDP candidate for Saturday, but both brothers were defeated by Ifeanyi Ubah, another popular politician who had contested for the governorship position of Anambra State. Mr Ubah, a businessman and owner of capital oil, contested on the platform of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) and scored a total of 87,081 votes. Andy and Chris Uba got 13,245 and 62,462 respectively, according to the result announced by the returning officer, M.N Umenweke, a law professor at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. In 2011, Mr Uba returned to the PDP and was nominated as PDP candidate for Anambra South Senatorial district in the April 2011 elections. He won with 63,316 votes, ahead of Chukwmaeze Nzeribe of the APGA party with 43,798 and the incumbent senator, Ikechukwu Obiorah of the Accord party with 24,724. Ubas election was challenged by Senator Obiora, the Accord candidate, who claimed that Mr Uba had forged his West African School Certificate (WASC) and had not obtained any of the university degrees that he claimed. The story of allegedly faked degrees dates back to a story written by two investigative reporters and published by The News in December 2006. Reporters claim that both Concordia and California State University said that although Mr Uba enrolled, he did not graduate from either university. GEORGE AKUME (APC) Senator George Akume who is currently serving in the 8th Senate has lost his seat to incumbent serving House of Representatives member, Emmanuel Orker Jev, who has just been announced the winner of the Benue North West Senatorial seat. Mr Jev, of the PDP polled 157,726 to beat the incumbent Senator and APC leader in the state, Akume who scored 115,422 votes. GEORGE AKUME The Returning Officer, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nicodemus Ochani, said the election could not be cancelled or annulled as initial issues raised were resolved. Mr Akume was the minority leader of the Senate from June 2011 to June 2015. He was also the Governor of Benue State from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He was the first governor of Benue State to have completed two terms in office. He was elected governor of Benue State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and was then elected to the Senate. Mr Akume was re-elected Senator for Benue North-West in the April 2011 elections, running on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Meanwhile, there are also some governors who want to return to the Senate because they have already spent eight years of their tenure as governors. OLUSEGUN MIMIKO (ZLP) Mr Mimiko, who is the candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for Ondo Central Senatorial District, lost to Ayo Akinyelure, a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The INEC returning officer for Ondo Central Senatorial District, Mr Bello, announced the official results at St. Peters Unity Secondary School on Sunday midnight. He also declared Ayo Akinyelure, the winner of the election. Former Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko Mr Mimiko polled a total of 56,628 to secure a third place in the result officially declared by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday. Mr Mimiko was beaten by Mr Akinyelure of the leading opposition PDP by a total of 11,366 votes. Mr Akinyelure polled 67,994 votes after he also beat the incumbent Senator, Tayo Alasoadura, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who got 58,092 votes. Mr Mimiko was a first two-term governor of Ondo State and the first Labour Party governor in Nigeria. In September 2018, he declared his intention to run for president of Nigeria in the 2019 elections. He received the nomination as the presidential candidate of the Labour Zenith Party in October 2018. On November 14, 2018, Mr Mimiko announced that he was suspending his presidential campaign, a few days before the campaign season was formally opened. He took up the Zenith Labour Partys senatorial ticket for Ondo Central federal constituency. ABIOLA AJIMOBI (APC) The incumbent governor of Oyo tate and senatorial candidate of Oyo South senatorial district, Abiola Ajimobi lost his seat to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Kola Balogun, in the 2019 election. The returning officer of the district, Wole Akinsola, at the INEC collation centre office located in Ibadan North LGA, declared Mr Balogun as the winner of the Oyo South senatorial district. Mr Balogun saw off contest from his closest rival, Abiola Ajimobi, of the All Progressive Congress, with a vote difference of 13,502. The PDP candidate ended the contest with a total of 105,720 votes while the candidate of the APC had 92,217 votes. PREMIUM TIMES had earlier announced how Mr Ajimobi lost in all four of the first declared LGA results. In total, Mr Ajimobi won in three of the local governments in the senatorial district. Mr Balogun won the remaining six. Former Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi [Photo: Today.ng] Mr Ajimobi won in Ibadan Southwest, Ibarapa Central and Ido. Mr Balogun won in Ibadan North, Ibadan Northwest, Ibadan Northeast, Ibadan Southeast, Ibarapa North, Ibarapa East. The incumbent senator representing the district, Soji Akanbi, who contested on the platform of ADC, finished behind the duo, in third place. In 2003, Mr Ajimobi became a Senator of the Republic of Nigeria. Ajimobi who was a principal officer in the Senate served as the Deputy Minority leader of the Senate. In 2007, he contested the gubernatorial election under the umbrella of the ANPP but lost the election bid. Mr Ajimobi contested again in 2011 under the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and was elected in a keenly contested election. Mr Ajimobi contested for a second term in an election that took place on April 11, 2015. He contested under the APC for re-election against two of his predecessors in office, Alao Akala and Rashidi Ladoja. In the event of his re-election into office as the governor, Mr Ajimobi is the first person to occupy the seat twice and as well in succession. IBRAHIM DANKWAMBO (PDP) Also, the incumbent governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo, a member the PDP, lost his bid for the Senate seat of Gombe North Senatorial District. He lost to the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Saidu Alkali, in Saturdays National Assembly election. The INECs Returning Officer, Umar Gurama from the Federal Unversity Kashere, said Mr Alkali polled 152,546 votes. While Mr Dankwambo polled 88016 votes during Saturday National Assembly elections at the Gombe North Senatorial district in the state. Mr Dankwambo who worked at the Central Bank of Nigeria from 1988 to 1999, was then appointed Accountant General of Gombe State, holding this position until 2005. Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo [Photo credit: The Worldfolio] He was appointed Accountant General of the Federation on 20 April 2005 and held this office until he resigned to start his campaign for election as Governor of Gombe State in January 2011. In the April 26, 2011 election, Mr Dankwambo polled 596,481 votes, ahead of Abubakar Aliyu of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) with 91,781 votes and Senator Saidu Umar Kumo of the All Nigeria Peoples Party with 84,959 votes. As a governor, Mr Dankwambo lost his deputy, David Miyims Albashi, who died on November 4, 2011 in a German hospital of injuries he sustained in a car crash on August 28. On December 17, 2011, Mr Dankwambo appointed Thaanda Rubainu as deputy governor. After his re-election in 2015, Charles Iliya has been his deputy governor. The just-concluded presidential election which gave the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari, a second term mandate sprung surprises especially with the scores polled by some smaller parties. The five parties which garnered the highest votes are: the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Coalition Party (PCP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Action Democratic (ADP). The APC clinched power from the opposition PDP in 2015 after a keenly contested poll that saw the then incumbent, Goodluck Jonathan, conceding defeat to Mr Buhari even before the final vote tally. It was the first time in Nigerias history that an opposition party would unseat a ruling one. The 2019 presidential election was equally hotly coo steered across the regions. The PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who came second has rejected the outcome of the polls and has said he will be heading to court. Statistics There were 84 million registered voters before the 2019 election, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but after the final results were collated, the commission said there were 82,344,107 registered voters as collated by the states. Out of these registered voters, the total accredited voters stood at 29,364,209 while total votes cast were 28,614,190. The total valid votes and rejected votes were 27,324,583 and 1,289,607 respectively. Surprises? It was surprising for many that parties like the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), and Young Progressives Congress (YPP) who had promising and prominent candidates did not get more votes. The APC polled the highest votes making it the winner, followed by its main challenger the PDP. The third party with the highest votes, PCP, came as a surprise seeing its campaign activities before the election were negligible. Some have humorously said voters may have erroneously thumb printed the slot for the PCP because the partys slot is just before the PDP on the ballot. Below is a list of the parties and their scores. APC 15,191,847 PDP 11,262,978 PCP 110,196 APGA 66,851 ADP 54,930 The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adam Oshiomhole, has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rigged former Akwa Ibom governor, Godswill Akpabio, out of his Senate reelection bid. Mr Oshiomhole made this known while briefing journalist on Thursday at the partys secretariat in Abuja. He said the APC found it interesting that the opposition was complaining about the outcome of elections in Akwa Ibom when it favoured them. We have a petition that we have written to INEC how we were rigged out in Akwa Ibom state and it is interesting that it is PDP that is complaining about the outcome of election in Akwa Ibom state, he said. The chairman had accused Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), and its Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Akwa Ibom, Mike Igini, of of working for PDP. In the just concluded polls, Mr Akpabio, a former Senate minority leader who defected to the APC, lost his senatorial seat to Chris Ekpenyong. Mr Ekpenyong, a former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom, was declared winner of the election in Akwa Ibom North-West District by INEC. Mr Akpabio has however petitioned the INEC over what he described as unfair treatment by the REC against the APC. How do you explain that INEC cancelled so many units not only in Akwa Ibom state, so many other states in other to be able to declare PDP candidates as winners? That is how Senator Akpabio was rigged out in Akwa Ibom state, he said. President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday met with Governor Adegboyega Oyetola behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the meeting between the president and the governor lasted for about 30 minutes. It was gathered that Mr Oyetola used the opportunity of the meeting to congratulate the president over his re-election for another four years in office. Mr Oyetola, however, declined comment on the outcome of the meeting. Mr Buhari, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who was declared winner of the 2019 presidential election, had continued to receive congratulatory messages over his re-election from within and outside Nigeria. (NAN) The legal directorate of the All Progressive Congress Presidential Campaign Council has said it is ready to defend President Muhammadu Buhari. The APC made this announcement in a statement by its presidential campaign council on Thursday. The statement was signed by the councils deputy director for legal, Mamman Yusufari. According to the council, interested parties who are not satisfied with the results of the just concluded elections are free to challenge same, following the due process of the law. The statement said the council took the decision after its meeting on Thursday. The meeting came after hours after the Peoples Democratic Party called a similar meeting of its legal officers for possible litigation arising from the announced results. The PDP has rejected the results after President Muhammadu Buhari was declared winner, ahead of the PDPs candidate, Atiku Abubakar. We congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari for winning the 2019 presidential election and thanks Nigerians for their overwhelming support, the statement said. We commend the presidential candidates, political parties and their support groups for their general respect for the law in the campaign activities. The council also commends INEC for conducting the presidential and National Assembly elections in substantial compliance with the law. We on our part condemn few cases of violence in some parts of the country and calls on the appropriate authorities to deal with the perpetrators in accordance with the law. We hereby call on interested parties who are not satisfied with the results of the elections to challenge same by following due process of the law. This affirms the councils readiness to defend the resounding victory of President Muhammadu Buhari with all the legal expertise at its disposal. King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on his re-election for a new presidential term. In a telephone conversation with Mr Buhari on Thursday, the custodian of the two Holy Mosques wished the Nigerian president success and good health in his second term in office. The Saudi king extended good wishes of steady progress and prosperity to the government and people of Nigeria. Mr Buhari expressed appreciation to the king, affirming his readiness to enhance aspects of cooperation between the two countries in various fields. Also, the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, sent a cable of congratulations to President Buhari on his re-election, wishing the Nigerian president success and the Nigerian people further development and progress. Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, Alexey Shebarshin, also sent a congratulatory message, saying: I am honoured to extend my congratulations to you personally, Mr President, and the people of Nigeria on the successful conduct of free, transparent and credible Presidential and National Assembly elections on February 23, 2019, that will shape the destiny of this nation for the upcoming four years and beyond. While describing the elections as yet another substantial step towards further strengthening of Nigerian democracy, the Russian ambassador wrote: It is my conviction that your decisive victory will pave the way for yet stronger and more prosperous Nigeria that you will be able to deliver on the peoples mandate. The Russian ambassador expressed the hope that the Nigerian presidents second term in office will be associated with further enhancements of bilateral cooperation and closer contacts between the two countries. UK Minister of State for Africa, Harriett Baldwin, said: I offer my congratulations to President Buhari on securing a second term as the Nigerian President. The UK is a long-standing friend and partner of Nigeria and the Nigerian people, and a stable and prosperous Nigeria benefits Africa and the world. French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs in its congratulatory message said: France congratulates President Muhammadu Buhari on his re-election on February 23. It will continue to stand by Nigeria and to provide its full support for the implementation of the countrys priorities, especially economic diversification, job creation, counter-terrorism and the fight against corruption. President Buhari has also received congratulatory messages from Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya. The senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, says the relative peace in the North East contributed to the high number of votes President Muhammadu Buhari got in the area in Saturdays presidential election. Mr Ndume, a member of the APC, stated this on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while speaking with State House Correspondents shortly after a visit to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. He said, however, that he had a higher expectation than what the party got in the North East. The North East Director of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council said the postponement of the election negatively affected the turnout of voters in the area. First of all, let me say that in 2015, we delivered close to half a million votes for the president in Borno; giving him up 95 per cent. I was thinking that we were going to improve on that; I was looking at 97 per cent and this time around, we had 836, 496; it is okay; but I was expecting much more than that to be frank. The postponement actually contributed in the reduction in turnout; so I was surprised when the PDP presidential candidate was talking about Borno. Last time, in Borno, we gave the president half a million; this time around we gave over 800; because we have more relative peace; in 2015, most of us were scattered all over the country, even outside as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). This time around I was able to go and vote in my Local Government Area (LGA); I slept in my area; the last time, in 2015, we held our election in IDP camps and turn out that number of vote; this time around we went home to vote with our people and turn out the number, he said. Mr Ndume expressed optimism that the turnout of voters would be higher in the governorship election in Borno as APC would win with a landslide. The former Senate leader said APC already has 64 APC Senators and is still hoping for more, adding that the party would not repeat its previous mistake in the Senate. When you make a mistake, you use that mistake to improve the future; we are going to have a very good 9th assembly by Gods grace. This time, the party will play its role; we have learnt from the mistake we made last time; we are not going to repeat that mistake, he said. (NAN) A prosecution witness on Wednesday told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that Doyin Okupe, Senior Special Assistant on Media to former President Goodluck Jonathan collected N702 million from governments treasury for doing nothing. The witness, Osas Azonabor, was speaking at an Abuja Division of the Federal High Court where Mr Okupe is facing trial on 59 counts for allegedly diverting the said amount. According to a statement by the commission, Mr Azonabor said the defendant allegedly received the sum in different tranches between 2012 and 2014. According to the statement, Mr Azonabor told the court that the commission began investigating the former media aide after it was tipped off about the alleged fraud in 2016. Azonabor told the court that the EFCC wrote to the ONSA, demanding the vouchers of the payments made to Okupe. According to him, after analysing the payment vouchers, it was realised that cash payment of N50 million, was made into Okupes account, as stated in the voucher of April 8, 2014. He also stated that another cash payment of N6 million was found to have been made to Okupe on April 2, 2014. He explained that there were series of payment in multiples of N10 million that was made to Okupe between 2012 to 2014. The witness gave the testimony while answering questions from a lawyer, Ibrahim Audu who also works for the EFCC. The witness further told the court that EFCCs investigation found the sum of N50 million paid into Zenith Bank account of Value Trust Investment Limited, which Mr Okupe is a director. He said another N35 million was paid into the account of Abraham Telecoms Nig Limited, in which Mr Okupe is a signatory. He told us he was the Senior Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan from 2012 and was placed on a monthly salary of N835, 000, paid to him by the SGF, Mr Azonabor said. Okupe said he was paid N10 million monthly for 24 months by ONSA and that the money was reduced to N5 million monthly from January 2015 to May 2015. Deception? Okupe said the money was for special services and when asked to elaborate what he meant by special services, Okupe said part of the money was used to sponsor Insight, a programme on NTA. In the course of the investigation, Mr Okupe reportedly submitted a budget proposal by NTA to EFCC, the statement said. It, however, added that a letter was written to the TV station to confirm the authenticity of the document that emanated from NTA. In response to that letter, the NTA agreed that the document came from them but added that the said programme was aired free of charge, in line with the televisions regulations for addressing its corporate social responsibility. The witness further informed the court that Okupe claimed that part of the money collected from ONSA was used to pay workers, but when asked to show proof of payment he only brought a list of names on a written piece of paper and also a typed paper. There was no payment voucher, receipt or pay slip to show evidence of payment and when we asked him to produce staff he paid to, he couldnt produce any, Mr Azonabor said. However, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) documents of the Value Trust Investment Ltd and Abraham Telecoms Nig Ltd, and a letter of response from ONSA to the EFCC Acting Chairman and statements of the defendants were all admitted in evidence, the statement said. The case has been adjourned till Thursday for cross-examination. Mr Okupe, among others, is facing trial for alleged diversion of funds from the Office of the former NSA. In the morning of the Nigerian Election Day, residents of Maiduguri, Borno State, woke up to thunderous sounds of explosions as Nigerian soldiers exchanged fire with Boko Haram fighters attempting to invade the city. More than a dozen deafening explosions echoed over the city as residents cringed inside their homes. No one knew the direction from which the sounds were coming. It was not yet dawn, everywhere was dark and no one would risk going out to find out what was happening. But many people knew there was an attack the previous night on a suburb of Maiduguri called Zabarmari in Jere local government and it was confirmed that Boko Haram was responsible. But as the explosions were happening on election day, the police quickly came up with a statement denying there was an attack. The police said what was being heard was friendly firing by security forces on a show of force exercise. The statement issued by Edet Okon, the police public relations officer, read; Owing to the sound of heavy gunfire heard this morning around Maiduguri Metropolis, the Commissioner of Police Borno State, CP Damian Chukwu, wishes to inform members of the public that theres no attack on any part of Maiduguri and hence no threat to public peace and order. The gunfire was not targeted at members of the public but was for security purpose. The CP, therefore, calls on all qualified voters in the state to come out en masse to vote for candidates of their choice. However, later in the day, as people went out to cast their votes in various polling units designated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), facts concerning the explosions began to emerge, and it became obvious that the security forces were not saying the truth. There was indeed an attack by Boko Haram, and what the security forces were doing in the earlier part of the day was not a friendly firing but repelling the attack. As voters met at the polling units, those who came very close to the attacks began to give accounts of what they saw or experienced. It became clearer that the multiple explosions were not of the usual Boko Haram suicide bombs, but from bombs mechanically fired from a distance over and into the city. It was indeed a day Maiduguri residents witnessed the rain of rocket-propelled grenades (RPG). As the news began to spread around the city, the police had to come up with another statement which contradicted an earlier one issued by the PPRO. This time around, the police confirmed that the explosions had to do with Boko Haram attempting to attack key military formations in Maiduguri. Police have confirmed that at about 0520hrs, suspected Boko Haram terrorists operating from the outskirts of Maiduguri town, fired sporadic artillery shots into Maiduguri, ostensibly targeted at strategic locations, especially security facilities, to disrupt ongoing electioneering activities in Borno State. Some of the missiles were said to have strayed into vulnerable locations like Teachers Village IDP Camp. However, no casualties so far, but two expended shells of mortar bombs were recovered at Teachers village IDP Camp, near the HQ of 7Div Garrison. More details are yet to be accessed, but the election processes are not being hindered. The Ignored Casualties of Zajeri While the Nigeria security operatives continued to deny any form of casualties in respect of the attack on Maiduguri, the residents of Zajeri, a crowded suburb of the city had different testimonies about the attack. It was not certain from which side it came, but a particular RPG fired from a distance landed on a residential compound filled with women and children and left the entire place in rubbles. PREMIUM TIMES visited the heartland of Zajeri, where 95 percent of the residents are poor. According to the witnesses, who are mostly victims, the warhead landed on their house at about 5.20 a.m; when the residents were either up or out for prayers. One of the victims in the compound where the RPG landed, Hadiza Muhammed, said she was still in bed when the missile landed on their house. All I could recall was that there was a loud explosion and I became deafened, said Mrs Muhammed, who is in her early 50s. I was still in bed; everywhere was dark and filled with thick dust. I could not stand up because my legs were shaking, so I started crawling and groping in the dark for the two orphaned grandchildren living with me. I could not see clearly but I heard one of them calling out for me, until we bumped into each other and I picked them up. Mrs. Hadiza said she still felt pains on her head and was having difficulty sleeping because of the fear another attack might come. Another victim was Amina Ali, a mother of two who is in her mid-20s. She said she was performing ablution within the compound for her morning prayers when she heard a whistling sound. The sound was coming with speed, then suddenly, I was blinded by lighting, she said. Within a short while, everywhere was filled with thick dust. I was pushed by the vibration to the ground; so I crawled to find my two children who were crying inside the room. My husband ran back from the mosque and I heard him shouting my name because he could not see me. When we finally found ourselves, we ran to a corner of the house and ducked while we continue to hear sounds of shootings like it was coming from all over the place. My husband was injured by shrapnel. I could not sleep well since then. The entire house has been blown apart. Aisha Muhammed, 28, was the luckiest. The RPG landed on a small stall at the gate of the compound demolished the shop and levelled her room. But for the fact that she had passed the night with her parents in the next neighborhood, she would have been dead. She said she was woken up by neighbours who called to inform her that her house was bombed. I ran back only to find my room in rubbles, she said. The entire walls have fallen as well. They said it was caused by a bullet; and I still cannot understand what kind of bullet will do such a thing to a building. But my joy is that I was not in when that happened because it occurred at the time I used to be fast asleep. Now I have been rendered homeless in my matrimonial home, so I have to pack few of the things that did not spoil and return to my mothers. The women want the government to come to their aid, especially in getting their homes rebuilt. We want government to come to our aid, since we have nothing left here, one of the women, Hadiza said. The RPG did not only destroy the home of Hadiza and her neigbours, it also shook most of the houses around them. A cleric, Sayyinna Abacha, in his mid-70s said he had performed his morning prayer when he heard a sound like that of a jet. He said it was followed by an explosion as something landed in the compound behind his. He said the impact of the explosion pulled down a makeshift apartment where some Almajiris used to sleep. Some of the children sustained injuries like cuts from zinc roofing sheets but none had any fracture, said the cleric. It was the first time the terrorists would fire RPGs on Maiduguri. This has left many citizens worried especially with the insurgents now having the capacity to deploy a shoulder-fire anti-tank weapon system from a distance into the city. Experts said RPGs are usually fired to neutralise an enemy battle tank; hence its use in a civilian location is the most barbaric act of warfare. The Boko Haram/ISWAP had claimed credit for the attack. In an online post, the group claimed it fired 10 missiles targeting military locations and the airport. An AFP report quoted an undisclosed military source saying one soldier was killed and 20 were injured. But in the poetic lines of J P. Clerk, casualties are not only those who are dead. The people of Zajeri who lost their homes and peace to a warhead that they dont even know its correct name are also casualties. An Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on Thursday sentenced a former Air Vice Marshall, Tony Omenyi, to seven years imprisonment for fraud. In a short judgment, Nnamdi Dimgba, the judge, ordered the forfeiture of N62 million to the Federal Government of Nigeria, being part of the N136 million recovered from Mr Omenyi by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Mr Dimgba also ordered the winding up of the company listed as the second defendant in the suit, describing it as a vehicle of corruption. Mr Omenyi stood trial alongside his company, Aeronautical Engineering and Technical Services Ltd (AETSL), for receiving over N136 million kickback from Syrius Technologies and Sky Experts Ltd., engaged by the Nigerian Air Force, NAF. The Supreme Court on Thursday fixed May 17 to deliver judgment on the suit seeking to set aside the six-count charge of non-assets declaration against the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen. The suit filed by the Attorney General of Cross River State on behalf of the state government is challenging the suspension and trial of Mr Onnoghen at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). Mr Onnoghen is from Cross River State. The suit marked SC/45/2019 and dated January 22, 2019, has the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as defendants. But the Federal Government has asked the apex court to dismiss the suit as the plaintiff has no right to institute it. When the matter came up for hearing on Thursday, counsel for the plaintiff, Locius Nwosu (SAN), adopted his brief of argument, urging the court to grant the reliefs sought by the state. On his part, counsel representing the defendants, Dayo Akpata argued his notice of preliminary objection urging the court to dismiss the suit on the ground that the plaintiff lacked the to institute right the action. Legal fireworks In a notice of preliminary objections filed by the AGF, Abubakar Malami, the Federal Government further challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter on the grounds that there is no dispute between the defendants in this suit and the plaintiff as envisaged under section 232(1) of the 1999 constitution (as amended). It is also the contention of the Federal Government that the subject matter of this suit is personal to Hon. Justice Onnoghen Nkanu Walter Samuel and does not in any way affects the Cross River State government as to confer it with the locus to institute this suit. The reliefs and claims made herein by the plaintiff are not for the benefit of Cross River State but personal to Hon Justice Onnoghen Nkanu Walter Samuel. Mr Akpata informed the apex court that the subject matter of the suit is already before the Court of Appeal which has reserved judgment. He submitted that the action of the Cross River State amounted to forum shopping and an abuse of court process. Counter-argument Regardless, Mr Nwosu insisted that the case of his client is different from the appeal filed by Mr Onnoghen at the Court of Appeal. My lords, the suit is not about Justice Onnoghen but about the interpretation of the constitution. It is for the interpretation of the provisions of the 1999 constitution, particularly sections 4,5,6, 153(1), 158(1), Paragraph 21(b) of Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 constitution (as amended), the purported filling of the charge in charge No. CCT/ABJ/01/19 between FGN vs Hon. Justice Onnoghen Nkanu Walter Samuel before the Code of Conduct Tribunal against a Judicial officer who in this case is the Chief Justice of Nigeria, without any formal complaint having been made against him to the National Judicial Council (NJC) robbed the tribunal of jurisdiction to try the charge, and all the proceedings relating thereto are null and void, a nullity. After taking all the arguments for and against the suit, the seven-member panel led by Bode Rhodes Vivour accordingly adjourned the case to May 17 for judgment. Other Justices of the panel include Olukayode Ariwoola, Mary Odili, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Musa Mohammed and Dauda Sidi. Mr Onnoghen was taken to the CCT on January 14, for failing to declare his bank accounts used for the transfer of foreign currencies after his appointment as CJN. Mr Onnoghen pleaded not guilty to the allegations and was released on bail on self-recognition. His trial is expected to resume before the CCT on March 11. The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it may not participate in the March 9 governorship election in Jigawa State unless the states police commissioner, Bala Senchi, moves away from the state. The party alleged rigging, vote buying and police intimidation in the state during the presidential and National Assembly elections. Mustapha Lamido, a defeated senatorial candidate for the PDP, said this Wednesday night in an interview with Freedom Radio Dutse. Mr Lamido is a son of a former governor of the state, Sule Lamido. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) won all the elections in the state on February 23, picking all the states seats in the National Assembly. Mr Lamido was the Jigawa North Central senatorial candidate for the PDP, but lost the election to the APC candidate, Muhammad Sabo. Mr Sabo polled 224,543 votes to defeat Mr Lamido who scored 143,611 votes. Mr Lamido said the APCs sweep of the state happened because the police and other security agencies were partisan during the elections. He said police officers escorted APC chieftains to polling units where it said they beat up and intimidated the opposition and engaged in vote buying. We will boycott the election if the police commissioner, Bala Senchi, remains in Jigawa because he has already been compromised, Mr Lamido said. We dont see the reason why the police commissioner is still in Jigawa despite his redeployment from the state, he said. PREMIUM TIMES reported February 6 that the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, redeployed some senior police officers to zones, formations and commands. The commissioner of police in Jigawa State, Mr Senchi, was affected by the exercise. His replacement in the state, Rabiu Ladodo, is yet to report at his new duty post, leading to the speculation of political interference. Mr Lamido alleged the police arrested and intimidated many members of the the PDP in the opposition partys strongholds. I personally stood up and defended many innocent voters arrested by the police until they were released, he said. I called the police commissioner five times on different occasions, telling him that a particular person in a particular place snatched a ballot box but he was reluctant about the issue. The police and other security agencies colluded with the APC to defraud the people of Jigawa of their mandate through unjust arrest and detention of PDP stakeholders at various wards across the state, Mr Lamido said. When contacted, the police spokesperson in the state, Audu Jinjiri, declined to comment. Senegal President, Macky Sall, won re-election with 58 per cent of votes cast in last Sundays poll, the electoral commission said Thursday. The majority win hands Mr Sall a second term without a run-off vote. Opposition candidate, Idrissa Seck, came second with 21 per cent of votes, while Ousmane Sonko placed third with 16 per cent. Mr Sall, whom rights groups have criticised for squeezing out rivals was tipped to win after a modernising first term that propelled Senegals economic growth to more than six per cent one of the highest in Africa. Since Sundays vote, opposition candidates have rejected reports of an out-right victory for Mr Sall, saying their tallies point to a second round of voting. Messrs Seck and Sonko have not yet commented on the National Vote Counting Commissions results, which are preliminary until validated by the constitutional council. The candidates have 72 hours to register an appeal. Senegal has long been viewed as West Africas most stable democracy, with peaceful transitions of power since it gained independence from France in 1960. More than 66 per cent of 6.7 million registered voters took part in the election. Mr Sall, in power since 2012, became the elections frontrunner after two prominent opposition figures were excluded. Karim Wade, a former minister, and Khalifa Sall, the former mayor of Dakar, were barred from the election over convictions for misuse of public funds. (Reuters/NAN) Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has appealed to United States Government to intervene in the prevention of alleged harassment of electorate in Saturdays governorship and state assembly elections. Mr Tambuwal made the appeal on Thursday when he received the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington, in Sokoto. He told Mr Symington that the just-concluded Presidential and National Assembly Elections witnessed harassment of leaders and loyalists of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). According to him, many PDP members were hounded and arrested by security agents on the election day. Our appeal is to ensure the electorate in whatever political parties are not intimidated or terrorised. Because our people were intimidated to the extent of failing to discharge their civic duties in the remaining elections, scheduled for March 9. As such, I want appeal to the US Envoy to call on the Nigerian government to allow the will of the people be granted during the forthcoming Governorship and State House of Assembly elections. The opposition has engaged in post-election violence, with attacks on citizens and razing many properties and houses within and outside the metropolis in the state, in a show of terror against perceived opponents and non-partisan members of the public. he said. He thanked the envoy for the visit, describing such as important for the peace and development of democracy in the state. Earlier, Mr Symington said he was in Sokoto to encourage more peaceful atmosphere throughout the electioneering period and beyond. There is no any development that can come without peace, so I appeal on all stakeholders and the good people of Sokoto to ensure peaceful polls, he said. (NAN) The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State on Wednesday boasted that the outcome of the presidential election, was a true victory. Though the party lost in the state, it said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was unable to allocate imaginary votes. The PDP won in the state with 473,971 to defeat the All Progressives Congress which had 150,710 votes in the presidential election held last Saturday. In the 2015 presidential election, APC polled an insignificant 69,238 against PDPs 1.4 million. Speaking during a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, a co-coordinator of the APC presidential campaign in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, suggested that the outcome of the last election was indication that the results from previous elections were incredible. All that is required of anyone desirous of the truth is to compare the 2015 electoral figures where total votes cast was 1,584,768 with APC getting 69,238 while PDP got 1,487,075; to that of 2019 where total votes cast was 666,585 with APC getting 150,710 (even after 72,000 votes in Emohua was unconstitutionally removed) and PDP getting 473,971 and the story would clearly unfold, said Mr Cole, an oil tycoon, who is battling in court to be on the ballot in next Saturdays governorship election as the candidate of the APC. He said his party mobilised efforts to check the alleged PDP plan to concoct results. In the wake of INEC not affirming the relisting of our candidates, we had promised the people of Rivers State that APC will closely follow every ballot box, every vote cast and every result declared to its final conclusion, said Mr Cole. We affirmed not to allow the votes of the citizens to be stolen and to ensure the results will be as close to reality as is humanly possible. He added that the true victory and a loud statement of intent that the people of Rivers State against the PDP was that in the midst of such heavy intimidation and array of forces squarely aimed at destroying the Rivers APC, in an election where we had no candidates, APC faithful still turned out with well over 200,000 votes, while the PDP, unencumbered by money, full array of candidates, robust campaigns and incumbency power was strictly restricted to the unpleasant reality of recording just over 450,000 votes, the lowest tally of votes they have ever recorded. The PDP has accused the APC of militarising Rivers State to disenfranchise people in its stronghold. Out of the 23 LGAs in the state, results from only 17 were collated. The election was marred by widespread violence that caused outright cancellation of voting in Bonny and Akuku Toru LGAs and absence of collation exercise in four others, Okrika, Ahoada West, Ikwerre and Emohua LGAs. Two Electoral Officers accused the Nigerian Army of disrupting collation exercise in Ikwerre and Okrika. The military is yet to react. However, on Tuesday, the spokesperson for the army formation based in Port Harcourt, Aminu Iliyasu, accused the governor, Nyesom Wike, of compromising security agents and masterminding violence to gain an advantage in the elections. Speaking further on Wednesday, Mr Cole accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of siding with the PDP. He cited the deletion of the controversial Emohua results and the refusal of the commission to accept APC nominations for the elections following a court order. But he expressed confidence his party would participate in the governorship and state legislative elections holding next Saturday. Speaking on the violence in Akuku Toru Local Government Area in which several persons were killed last Saturday, he denied responsibility. Instead, he accused the agents of the PDP of encouraging armed cult groups who fomented the trouble which led to the killings, a view shared by the Nigerian Army. M.N. Umenweke, a professor and Returning Officer for Anambra South Senatorial District in the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly election, said on Thursday he was not under pressure to declare Ifeanyi Ubah the winner of the senatorial contest. Mr Umenweke made the statement in a letter to the Resident Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC) in Anambra, obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Akwa, the state capital. He said he was neither threatened with gun nor knife and did not declare under duress. He said the earlier letter where he declared the election inconclusive was to enable him debrief the seven local government collation officers on the issues raised in the petition of February 23. The Professor of Law said Election Tribunal remained the constitutionally recognised means for any aggrieved party in elections. Within this interval, I have made extensive inquiries and investigation from the seven local government collation officers and none received any report from the wards in the form of Form EC40. Consequently, none of them generated any Form EC 40 G1, no reports whatsoever were received by the Local Government Officers involved in the Anambra South Senatorial Elections, no such report was given to me. In the light of the above, there is no evidence to support the claims of the writer of the petition of February 23. By virtue of the foregoing, I hereby reaffirm my declaration that Mr Ifeanyi Ubah, the candidate of Young Progressives Party (YPP) is the winner of the Anambra South Senatorial seat. My letter of February 25 is hereby withdrawn, he said. Ifeanyi Ubah was announced as winner of the contest with 87,081 votes after beating Chris Uba and the incumbent, Sen. Andy Uba to second and third places. (NAN) The Importers Association of Nigeria (IMAN) special task force says it has intercepted 10 containers of substandard goods, including contrabands, at Lagos seaports. Prosper Okolo, the Chief Operating Officer, IMAN Special Task Force, South West Zone, said during a press conference Thursday that they have also cracked down on some companies producing fake and substandard drugs in Lagos. IMAN, a non-governmental organisation, initiated the task force to assist government agencies in curtailing illegal importation into Nigeria. IMAN Special Task Force on illegal importations through credible intelligence has recorded tremendous successes since it started its enforcement activities in the first two months of 2019, said Mr Okolo. We are pleased to announce to you that in the last two months a total of 10 containers of six by 20ft and four by 40ft containers with various infractions ranging from concealments, banned and smuggled goods imported into the country was intercepted in various parts of Lagos State by the task force. Aside from the concealements, some of them short paid the government to the tune of billions of Naira. Mr Okolo said within the period under review, the task force also received credible intelligence of some warehouses involved in the production and importations of fake and sub-standard products without the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) regulations. The task force has so far sealed five warehouses which were found to deal in importation of tyres, used clothings, unwholesome products among others without the required regulations and permits. Some of the affected warehouses which were found to have gone against the importation laws such as concealments of up to five small tyres into big ones to pay lesser duties. These acts the task force sees as not only economic sabotage, but also endangering the lives of Nigerians as these tyres though new, but have lost its value due to the way it was concealed and imported into the country. Mr Okolo listed some of the companies allegedly involved in the nefarious activities to include Megachem Nigeria Limited, Kevolinks Digital Limited, Kwikfit Nigeria Limited, Inomek Nigeria Limited, and Bosac Nigeria Limited among others. It is interesting to note that some of the warehouses visited by our team involved in these acts are owned by foreigners, mostly Chinese, he added. The group denied claims that it was selective in its approach to arresting offenders, insisting that it was not embarking on a witch-hunt. We want to reiterate that the IMAN Special Task Force is not out to witchhunt anybody or organizations, neither is it to challenge or rub shoulders with any agency of government, but to complement the efforts of the government agencies to rid our country of nefarious activities perpetrated by unpatriotic Nigerians and their foreign collaborators who deprived the country of not only required revenue, but also post danger to the health of Nigerians. We, however, appeal to all security agencies, especially those involved in imports, exports and other regulatory functions to collaborate with the IMAN Special Task Force to rid Nigeria of these menace. Our appeal also goes to the importers, clearing agents and manufacturers to please abide by the regulatory and fiscal requirements in line with the law in carrying out their businesses. The commissioner of police in Lagos State, Zubairu Muazu, has said Igbo and other ethnic groups in the state are safe to go about their normal businesses. Mr Muazu gave the assurance on Thursday while briefing journalists on the update of security situation in the state ahead of the governorship election of March 9. According to Mr Muazu, one serious issue the command is contending with is the menace of fake news circulated on social media, on the plan attack on Igbo traders in Lagos. The commissioner, however, warned those he described as initiators and distributors of fake news to stop causing unnecessary tension. He said the command had provided adequate security for all Igbo and other persons in Lagos State. Let me re-emphasis that Lagos State is peaceful and Lagosians are peace-loving people. There is no tribe or community under threat in any part of the state. Our patrol and surveillance are intensified. We have reviewed and redoubled our strategies to ensure a peaceful conduct of Governorship and State House Assembly Elections come March 9. I called on Lagosians to support the police to serve them better by being vigilant and report any suspicious movement or persons to the police. Let me use this medium to sound a big warning to initiators and distributors of fake news. We will identify you, isolate you and bring you to justice. To good people of Lagos State, do not just believe everything you see on the social media, you are free to always verify such information from us, he said. The CP said he had met with some ethnic groups leaders, including the Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba after the presidential election, adding that suggestions and observations from the meetings would be used for other elections. He said there would be total restriction on the election day, stressing that no motorcycle or tricycle would be allowed to move as INEC had engaged vehicles to move materials and officials. (NAN) For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. - Aidoc's solution for flagging and prioritizing pulmonary embolisms is now commercially available in Europe TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Aidoc, the leading provider of AI solutions for radiologists, announced today the commercial release of its CE-marked product for the identification and triage of pulmonary embolism (PE) in CT pulmonary angiograms. By flagging obstructions in blood-flow to the lungs, Aidoc prioritizes radiologists' work-queues and helps them detect critical conditions faster, leading to quicker treatment and saving lives. "We're happy to provide the market with yet another CE marked time-sensitive pathology in our full-body AI solution," says Elad Walach, Aidoc co-founder and CEO. "Together with our CE marked solutions for flagging intracranial hemorrhage and c-spine fractures, our comprehensive solution runs in the background and gives the radiologist the peace of mind that no urgent cases are sitting at the bottom of the worklist waiting to be read." In the United States alone, up to 600,000 people are diagnosed with PE annually and it is estimated to be responsible for 100,000 annual deaths, making it the third most common cause of cardiovascular death. PE diagnosis can be highly challenging due to its variable and non-specific presentation, making the case that it can truly benefit from AI-driven workflow triage. At ECR in Vienna, Aidoc will be demonstrating its suite of AI-based workflow solutions at booth AI-02 in the AI Exhibition. The diagnostic performance of Aidoc's PE solution at the University Hospital of Basel will be presented as part of the ECR scientific sessions, demonstrating research concluding that Aidoc can complement conventional workflows with worklist prioritization and has the potential to improve the quality of healthcare by accelerating the diagnostic process and communication. About Aidoc Aidoc is the leading provider of artificial intelligence solutions that support and enhance the impact of radiologist diagnostic power - helping them expedite patient treatment and improve quality of care. The company's solutions reduce turnaround time and increase quality and efficiency by flagging acute anomalies in real time. Radiologists benefit from state-of-the-art deep learning technology that is "Always -on", running behind the scenes freeing them to focus on the diagnosis itself. Aidoc's healthcare-grade deep learning algorithms benefit from large quantities of data, making their solutions the most comprehensive in the field, and enabling them to provide diagnostic aid to the broadest set of pathologies. Aidoc is currently deployed at over 60 leading medical centers and has just hit the 1 million mark for total patients reviewed. Media contacts Ariella Shoham VP Marketing Aidoc ariella@aidoc.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/743732/Aidoc_Logo.jpg Related Links https://www.aidoc.com SOURCE Aidoc Reviewed by 66 judges including representatives from Coca-cola, Tetrapak, Westrock, Nestle, and Pearlfisher; experts joined forces from around the world to determine the best in packaging across the industry. A leader in experiential packaging design, the Duallok was first developed by the talented structural engineers at Burgopak in central London, UK, before launching as a limited company in late 2018 with the winning patented Duallok CR3 packaging solution. Rosie Reardon, MD at Duallok commented to say "we're thrilled to see such early success of the Duallok. This award is the result of two years of R&D and eight months of child-resistant testing to create the highest standards in child safety in a premium packaging solution." The double locking mechanism behind the Duallok was designed with kid's safety at it's core. Certified under 16 CFR 1700 guidelines for child-resistance, the package provides a premium and compliant solution with instructions built-in in such a way that they provide sufficient guidance for adult opening, without detracting from the wider branding. Working closely with Hippo premium packaging to develop an insert to house the Theory Wellness cannabis vape cartridge series, it was possible to produce a robust and reliable fitment that added to the brands continuity by enabling the external art work to flow into the internal structure. Amongst this year's finalists were Hersheys, Dove, Olay, Starbucks, Lush Cosmetics, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Pfizer, and Kellogg's. The Duallok design for Theory Wellness was the only packaging solution targeting the legalised cannabis industry to receive such recognition. Rosie says, "The feedback is incredibly positive. We're already receiving a great level of interest for the Duallok not only in the legalised cannabis industry, but across pharmaceuticals and other highly-controlled substances." For more information, or to request your free sample contact Duallok on info@duallok.com, or visit the website on www.duallok.com About Duallok Child-safe. User Friendly. Brand Aware. Duallok is a packaging company that specialises in user-friendly, child-resistant packaging containers with distribution partners worldwide. Developed by an award-winning design team, the Duallok provides a beautiful, user friendly and a 16 CFR 1700 compliant package for high-end controlled substances. The format can be tailored to house a wide range of products from vape cartridges, pre-rolled joints and concentrates, to pharmaceuticals and other healthcare related products. Read about the Duallok's journey through child-resistant testing in their latest feature on the Dieline: The Long Road to Certification; Designing & Testing Child-Resistant Packaging For Cannabis. Connect: Facebook: facebook.com/duallok Twitter: @BurgopakDuallok Instagram: instagram.com/duallok Pinterest: pinterest.com/duallok YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCJK5YbYMVIwwYGU86vcMsFA Website: www.duallok.com Contact: Alethea Price, +44(0)2070891950, info@duallok.com (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/827916/Duallok.jpg ) Related Links http://www.duallok.com/ SOURCE Duallok BEIJING, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 23rd, Kerui Petroleum, along with a geothermal exploration company in East Africa, successfully signed a geothermal exploration contract with the Ethiopia electric power. The contract value is more than USD 80 million. The project is Ethiopia's first geothermal energy exploration project and the largest one in the geothermal energy field. After completion, the project will provide living and industrial electricity for cities and towns in Ethiopia. The project includes 2 sets of 50DB geothermal drilling rigs and the whole year of geothermal drilling services. As important support of Ethiopia's national geothermal exploration strategy, the selection of suppliers for this project is also extremely demanding. Kerui Petroleum stood out in the fierce competition and gained recognition from customers relying on its joint strategic partners, the advantages of one-stop integrated solutions in equipment, oil service and engineering, as well as its mature technical solutions and rich project experiences. Ethiopia has abundant geothermal energy, and the Ethiopian government attaches great importance to the development of the energy industry, especially the renewable energy industry, among which wind energy and geothermal energy will be focused on. Ethiopia is an important country of the Belt and Road Initiative and Kerui Petroleum has developed the market for many years. The business area continues to expand, from spare parts supply to integrated services like complete equipment services, technical services, maintenance as well as operation. These provide a solid foundation for the acquisition of the project. "The acquisition of the project has enhanced the influence of the Kerui petroleum brand in the African region," Ding Tuanwei, the project leader, said. "The next priority is to complete project delivery and take the project as an opportunity to accelerate the localization of Kerui petroleum, develop deeper the Ethiopian and the entire African market, promote mutual benefit and win-win cooperation with strategic partners and customers, and continue to contribute to the development of oil & gas energy in the Belt and Road Initiative". SOURCE KERUI Petroleum LUCERNE, Switzerland, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts has conducted its fourth review of the Swiss FinTech market. The results of the study indicate the continued strong growth and increasing importance of the local FinTech sector. The study also seeks to investigate how traditional banks are dealing with the digital evolution. The "IFZ FinTech Study 2019" from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, which was released today, provides an extensive overview of the current condition of and developments in the Swiss FinTech sector. In line with the results from last year's study, the Swiss FinTech sector is still shown to benefit from excellent conditions. The global FinTech hub ranking once again positions the cities Zurich and Geneva on rank 2 and 3 (see image available at AP Images). FinTech is important for Switzerland The FinTech sector experienced strong growth in the year 2018. At the end of the year, Switzerland hosted 356 FinTech companies, corresponding to a growth rate of 62 percent compared to the previous year. Judging by the increasing number of employees and capitalisations of the companies, the sector is also maturing. In contrast, developments in the traditional financial sector show a decreasing number of institutions and employees. Fin is local, Tech is global One of the important conclusions drawn from the FinTech Study 2019 was that global innovation drives FinTech companies. A specific pattern can be identified among the different FinTech business areas. On the one hand, the tech-driven FinTech companies, namely in the areas of Distributed Ledger Technology (eg. Blockchain) and Analytics, have an international orientation. On the other hand, the finance-driven FinTech companies, such as those in the areas of Deposit & Lending or Payment, set their focus on the domestic market. This pattern is observed among the local, as well as international FinTech companies. Innovation should solve a real problem The main objective of technological innovation in the financial industry should be to achieve higher business volumes, lower costs and/or lower risks for businesses, as well as improved usability and lower costs for users. The consistent implementation of a solid business model is by far more important than the use of exotic technologies. The financial industry needs solutions that are both reliable and interpretable. This presents opportunities for Switzerland as an innovation centre. From hype to reality through disillusionment The findings from last year's study identified the FinTech sector as moving from a hype to reality. This conclusion is confirmed by the results of this year's study with an increased maturation of the sector and larger venture capital transaction volumes. On the contrary, the cryptocurrency market suffered from significant corrections. The developments in the FinTech sector are very diverse and at different stages depending on the business segment and individual company. Traditional banks have to evolve or will end up becoming irrelevant Although FinTech companies are not expected to replace banks, new technologies could make some of the services and processes in the traditional banking industry become irrelevant. The winners of the digital transformation are those businesses which possess the right skills and corporate culture to implement technological innovation quickly and consistently. IFZ FinTech Study 2019 The "IFZ FinTech Study 2019" from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts is released today. The study provides an extensive overview of the Swiss FinTech sector. On the one hand, the study describes the FinTech ecosystem. The analysis is based on the description of the political and legal, economic, social, and technological environment. Furthermore, a review of the different business models from Swiss and foreign FinTech companies is provided, more specifically for the 149 Swiss FinTech companies which participated in the survey. The overviews provide information on the markets, distribution channels and revenue models, as well as the key figures of the company. On the other hand, the study looks at how banks position themselves towards digitalisation and FinTech. The entire study can be ordered at ifz@hslu.ch . What is FinTech? FinTech is defined as software solutions for innovative products, services, and processes in the financial industry, improving, complementing, and/or disrupting existing offerings. Hence, FinTech companies are firms whose main activities, core competencies, and/or strategic focus lie in development those solutions. - Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) - Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts the university of applied sciences of Central Switzerland The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts is the university of applied sciences of the six Central Swiss cantons and comprises the Lucerne Schools of Engineering and Architecture, Business, Information Technology, Social Work, Art and Design, and Music. More than 6,200 students are working towards bachelor's or master's degrees here, while a further 4,400 are in continuing education. The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts is the largest educational institution in Central Switzerland and employs nearly 1,700 staff. www.hslu.ch Media contact: Lucerne School of Business Institute of Financial Services Zug IFZ Prof. Dr. Thomas Ankenbrand Phone: +41-41-757-67-23; e-mail: thomas.ankenbrand@hslu.ch SOURCE Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts Deal with UK brand grows the company to 22 service brands, 1.5 billion in annual system-wide sales and nearly 3,700 franchisees. BANBURY, England, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Neighborly, the world's largest franchisor of home service brands, has announced the acquisition of Dream Doors, the UK's No. 1 kitchen makeover franchisor. The addition marks the first acquisition of 2019 and brings Neighborly to a total of 22 service brands, nearly 3,700 franchise owners and more than 850 colleagues across nine countries. The deal includes 91 locally-owned and operated franchise showrooms of Dream Doors across the UK specialising in fully-fitted kitchen makeovers, replacement doors and countertops and the installation of new appliances. As a result, Neighbourly UK now consists of a total of six brands, including Aire Serv, Bright & Beautiful, Countrywide Grounds Maintenance, Drain Doctor, Mr. Electric and Dream Doors, and three support offices in Banbury, Manchester and Portsmouth. "Dream Doors has delivered on its promise of 'new life for old kitchens and bedrooms' for the past 20 years, making the brand a perfect complement to Neighborly Brands' community of premium home services," said Mike Bidwell, President and CEO of Neighborly. "This brand furthers our expertise for Neighborly in today's home improvement industry and accelerates the franchise's growth of in-demand home services throughout the UK." "The successful acquisition of this value-add new brand builds on our position as a UK leader in the services, helping people to repair, maintain and enhance their homes and businesses. We are always looking to strengthen and grow our portfolio of brands in the UK and Europe and establish new strategic partnerships to help us maximise the breath and value of our franchise opportunities," says Jeff Meyers, Vice-President of International Operations for Neighborly. "We are really excited to have Dream Doors on board and welcome them to our neighborhood." Based in Portsmouth in the south of England, Dream Doors was founded on providing kitchen makeovers and recently expanded to offer custom wardrobes. As a result of its proven business model and innovations, Dream Doors has received numerous franchise accolades and awards for excellent service and satisfaction over the years. Founder and Chairman Troy Tappenden will step down and depart from the company. The Dream Doors network will continue to be overseen by Managing Director Philip Carr who has been instrumental in implementing the brand's long-term expansion strategy since 2017. "By joining the world's largest franchisor of home services, Dream Doors will gain new vendor relationships, a powerful peer group of other Neighborly service brands and more," said Carr. "Supported by Neighborly's expertise moving forward, I look forward to this new phase of growth for our brand." For more information about Neighborly's service brands visit www.neighborlybrands.com. About Neighborly: Neighborly is a holding company of 22 service brands, focused on repairing, maintaining and enhancing consumers' homes and businesses. The company operates online platforms that connect consumers to service providers in their local communities that meet their rigorous standards as a franchisor across 15 service categories at www.getneighborly.com in the United States and www.getneighbourly.ca in Canada. The company was founded in 1981 as Dwyer Group and is based in Waco, Texas. More information about Neighborly/Neighbourly, and its franchise concepts, is available at https://www.neighborlybrands.com/. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/747251/NBLY_LO_US_NoTag_RGB_FullColor_0218_Logo.jpg Related Links http://www.neighborlybrands.com SOURCE Neighborly BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Openbravo, the global cloud-based omnichannel platform vendor for agile and innovative retailing, today announced its results for the full year ending December 31, 2018. Openbravo experienced exceptional business momentum during 2018 with a stunning +70% annual growth in its retail software subscription bookings. Strong growth driven by Openbravo Cloud Openbravo achieved solid growth across all revenue lines, led principally by its main client group of mid-sized and larger specialty retailers as well as the market traction that the Openbravo Cloud offering has generated with new and existing customers alike. Openbravo confirmed important new projects and strengthened its strategic partnerships with key long-time clients like Decathlon and Cirque du Soleil. The year has been also very positive in terms of new customer wins including iconic new names such as Toys "R" Us, which selected Openbravo for its revamp of its 61 stores in Spain & Portugal. Another good example is Groupe Rand of France which selected Openbravo to replace Columbus, its legacy system, with the aim of improving the customer experience across its 43 stores in France, Spain and Italy for its renowned brands Lollipops and Balabooste. Growing interest from large retailers running SAP Openbravo also detected growing and strong interest in its retail solution from large retailers running SAP enterprise software, specially after achieving the official certified integration of the Openbravo Commerce Suite with SAP Applications. The integration of the two platforms allows larger retailers to continue to use SAP as their back-office system while enjoying the benefits of Openbravo's best-of-breed retail platform, which provides comprehensive end-to-end mobile-enabled and cloud-ready omnichannel capabilities for retailers seeking faster innovation and greater business agility. Acceleration of the international expansion 2018 was also important for international growth of the company with two new office openings. First, in June Openbravo inaugurated an office in Lille, France, led by a highly experienced team that came from Cylande and Raymark. Their objective is to reinforce Openbravo's position in the French market and facilitate the expansion into Northern European countries. Second, in September Openbravo opened an office in Dubai, UAE, to support company growth in the Middle East and offer enhanced service to existing retail customers in the region - like Sharaf DG and Organic Foods & Cafe - which are already using Openbravo's omnichannel solution. "This excellent 2018 consolidates our positioning and illustrates our determination to become a market leader in the retail software space. The completeness and flexibility of our omnichannel platform give us a tremendous competitive advantage over other software vendors and thanks to new functional enhancements, such as the certified integration with SAP, we are becoming more and more the preferred option for larger companies to transform their retail operations. Openbravo Cloud is key to our future as it enables us to continue to accelerate sales and so achieve significantly more revenue and profits, and is instrumental in keeping client satisfaction high." said Marco de Vries, CEO of Openbravo. And in 2019 In addition to building on the strong results in 2018, company focus for the current year will be on maintaining exceptional client satisfaction and putting more emphasis on accelerating growth, both by continuing to win new names in existing markets as well as with selective office openings to further support its increasingly global business footprint. About Openbravo Openbravo is a global omnichannel platform vendor for agile and innovative retailing. The Openbravo Commerce Cloud is a cloud-based omnichannel platform providing comprehensive omnichannel capabilities. It is built on a highly flexible, mobile-enabled technology platform, which allows retailers to innovate more and faster, and to manage change more efficiently. With customers in more than 60 countries and over 16,000 back-office users and 25,000 points of sale currently using its solutions, Openbravo offers the most flexible omnichannel platform on the market. Openbravo has offices in France, Dubai, India, Mexico, and Spain. Visit www.openbravo.com to learn more. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/703504/Openbravo_Logo.jpg) Contact: Xavier Places Marketing Director +34 607 676 568 xavier.places@openbravo.com Related Links http://www.openbravo.com SOURCE Openbravo (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/828728/PETRONAS.jpg ) 24-year-old Travers will provide five-time FIA F1 World Constructors' Champions, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Motorsport , with a comprehensive suite of fluid support services during the 2019 season. After over 7000 applications, there was a rigorous five stage selection process, culminating in an interview with PLI Group Chief Executive Officer, Giuseppe D'Arrigo. "We are delighted to welcome Stephanie on-board as a new PETRONAS Trackside Fluid Engineer (PTFE) today," said D'Arrigo. "Stephanie will operate at every race in the travelling PETRONAS Trackside Laboratory. These engineers represent the technical excellence of PETRONAS in Formula One and the company's commitment to building a pool of talent for the advancement of our fluid technology from track-to-road. PETRONAS employs the best and the brightest throughout the company and I believe that Stephanie's skillset, passion, determination and positive attitude will make her an incredible addition to our team." Introduced by PLI Group Technology Officer, Eric Holthusen, at the Circuit de Catalunya, Stephanie will be mentored by incumbent PTFE, Ahmad Nasri Mohd Shafie. "PETRONAS has contributed greatly to the performance and the reliability that is at the very heart of the success we've enjoyed over the past five seasons," said Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO of Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Motorsport. "PETRONAS has continuously raised the bar throughout our decade-long partnership, providing us with the technology and the technical expertise to give us a competitive advantage. The PETRONAS Trackside Fluid Engineer programme has been part of our partnership from the very beginning; it's an important pillar in our hunt for performance and reliability. Having fluid engineers in the on-track laboratory gives us the opportunity to quickly analyse lubricants from the car and to respond to potential challenges in real-time. The programme has also become a great asset to find and develop talent in our highly competitive industry and I'm sure that Stephanie will further strengthen our team at the track. Welcome to the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Motorsport family, Stephanie!" Technical partner since 2010, PETRONAS has co-engineered PETRONAS Primax fuel, PETRONAS Syntium engine oil and PETRONAS Tutela gearbox fluid, in close collaboration with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Motorsport, Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP), and PETRONAS Fluid Technology Solutions. SOURCE PETRONAS Lubricants International LONDON and NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES and PORTLAND, Oregon and AMSTERDAM and DUBAI, United Arab Emirates and SINGAPORE, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Introducing the exclusive 2018 Global Creativity Report from the Cannes Lions, the company's VP of Creative Excellence Simon Cook presents a fascinating chart. In it, a ten-year spike of Cannes Lions Grand Prix and Gold winners dramatically rises above an upward spike in the internationally recognized S&P 500 Index. The visuals elegantly drive home the illustration's title, and its point: Creativity is business critical. Today, Splash Worldwide CEO Paul Stonebridge and his colleagues are very proud to formally unveil their new positioning, tagline ("Unleash Creativity"), visual identity system, and website (http://www.splashworldwide.com). "Splash has now transitioned from a pure production vendor to a much more integrated partner that can create, produce, and distribute content across channels at scale anywhere in the world," Stonebridge began. "With equal emphasis on our creative, production, media and technological expertise, we now consider Splash to be the world's finest independent creative technology company." According to Global Creative Director Chris Goddard, Splash's growing network of 150 employees in offices spanning the globe presents the perfect partnership to address the nuanced challenges brands now face in marketing, especially across borders. "It's an incredibly exciting time for us as we move forward in the new world of communications," he explained. "Our energetic vision of Unleashing Creativity on the world reflects the feedback we receive from our clients every day. As for our unique industry position, we wanted to encapsulate our passion for ideas, craft and global campaign rollouts, delivered through our smart technology solutions." Chief Strategy Officer Alastair Duncan agreed. "Splash is perfectly placed to help brands ensure the creativity and effectiveness they value is delivered around the world," he said. "As a creative technology company, we are perfectly positioned to combine Splash's extensive creative agency experience with our industry-leading production values to deliver creative excellence and effectiveness for all of our clients, on every piece of work we partner on." Many of Splash's global leaders gathered recently in the firm's newly relocated New York office to set the path for the future and celebrate growth and rising client achievements. "Our teams in New York, Portland and LA are building some incredibly productive relationships with global brands, and it was an important opportunity for us to align on how we continue to drive great value for our current and new clients," said Client Services Director Audra Brown. "As a team, our abilities to streamline strategic marketing activities for brands have reached a new peak, as evidenced through the case studies featured on our new website." Charged with bringing Splash's new positioning to life, the new website showcases the company's global portfolio, revealing its full breadth of capabilities and its industry thought-leadership. "Presenting the complete Splash proposition, our site also provides a broader overview of the issues we are helping our clients navigate," said Andrew Starling, Global Business Development and Marketing Director. "Visitors can also look forward to frequent updates on our technology innovations, office launches and our latest Thinkfast events." Splash executives also point to the invaluable client case studies on the new site including ones for BMW, Dow DuPont, Hilton, and the Norwegian Seafood Council which speak volumes about the firm's capabilities, the caliber of its global clientele and the longstanding tenure of many of its client relationships. Stonebridge also favors the "Services" section of the new site: "Providing a summary of each of our capabilities, this area makes our service offerings transparent and easy to understand," he emphasized. To support Splash Worldwide's mission to Unleash Creativity around the globe, the expanding company continues to seek out dynamic individuals driven to innovate and collaborate with the world's best. To learn more about open positions across its network of offices in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, please visit http://bit.ly/SplashWW. About Splash Worldwide Splash Worldwide (https://www.splashworldwide.com) is a creative technology company that unleashes creativity for everyone, everywhere. With multi-disciplinary insight, creative, production, technology, consulting and innovation teams, we collaborate with clients to create impactful content and distribute it within the right ecosystems. Our offices in London, New York, Los Angeles, Portland, Amsterdam, Dubai, and Singapore serve the world's largest brands and bridge the gap from concept to delivery. NOTE TO EDITORS: Video and images to accompany this story available here: http://www.darnellworks.com/splashww/brand.html Contacts: Roger Darnell DWA for Splash Worldwide +1.828.424.7698 rd@darnellworks.com Related Links http://www.splashworldwide.com SOURCE Splash Worldwide BEIJING, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Zhao Deming, Secretary of Guiyang Municipal Party Committee, says the 2019 International Big Data Industry Expo in Guiyang, Guizhou Province will be a "sumptuous feast at which elite intellectuals and industry trailblazers gather to challenge each other with insights and ideas, catalyzing innovation and lighting up the road ahead." On Monday (25 February) in Beijing, Zhao spoke at a press conference to outline and promote this year's event which will be held in Guizhou's provincial capital from 26 to 29 May. "Our exposition is about frontier technologies and innovations, and their adoption by business and industry," he said. "We're going to hold abundant events and activities. Organization is proceeding smoothly." Last year's winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics Paul Romer, who is also a former World Bank chief economist, is one prominent intellectual who has already signed up to deliver a keynote speech. Another is Whitfield Diffie, a pioneer in public-key cryptography, who in 2015 was awarded the prestigious Turing Award, often called the Nobel Prize of computing. Forums and panel discussions will be held throughout the expo on critical subjects in the field of big data, including 5G telecoms, blockchain, industrial internet, artificial intelligence, the city of the future, and e-commerce and poverty alleviation. Guiyang's first deputy mayor Xu Hao, who chaired the Beijing press conference, said this year's big event will be "richer in content and more diverse in form" than previous years. The theme for 2019, he added, will be: innovation and the future. "The Internet and big data are changing people's lives at greater speed than ever," said Xu. "So this year we're focusing on humans amid advancing digitalisation and artificial intelligence, and what life will look like in the world of tomorrow." Among more than 400 exhibitors who will be putting on displays this year, 40 percent are foreign. Domestic companies include heavyweights such as Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei and Qihoo 360. Participants from overseas will include Google, Qualcomm, NTT Data and Seagate Technology. The organizers are expecting over 100,000 visitors over the expo's four days. After exhibition displays and speaking events, a third attraction at the Guiyang expo will be four or five competitions. One such contest, says Xu, will be a race for driverless cars. Another will be for internet security; pitting hackers against each other in a contest to exploit vulnerabilities in a given cyber security system. Guiyang's annual International Big Data Industry Expo was the first of its kind in China when inaugurated in 2015. In addition to Guizhou Provincial People's Government, it is also hosted by national government super-ministries: the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State Internet Information Office. In its second year 2016, it was upgraded in importance to a national level event. Guiyang itself, meanwhile, is now booming as the nation's big data pilot zone, taking advantage of its cool mountain climate, abundant hydroelectric power and good network infrastructure. Apple, Qualcomm, Huawei, Tencent, Alibaba and Foxconn have all built cloud computing and big data centers there. "Big data" refers to the use of algorithms and artificial intelligence to spot useful patterns in the increasingly vast amounts of data thrown out by things like internet searches, mobile phones, e-commerce and, more recently, the "internet of things". As Xu Hao points out, China's comparative advantage in big data is its sheer "big-ness", or size; 1.4 billion people using over three times as many smart phones as America's population of 330 million. Mobile payment platforms such as Alipay and WeChat are so advanced that many citizens live life almost entirely without cash. Says Xu, China's contribution to this fast-growing industry of the future will be threefold: to "share in the building of a new digital home on earth; share in the creation a new era of digital civilization; and share in the enjoyment of the digital life of tomorrow." SOURCE 2019 International Big Data Industry Expo Organizing Committee NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Two legends of the NY fashion scene are coming together this season. Century 21 Stores is excited to announce an exclusive collaboration with FUBU, the leading sportswear brand of the '90s. The capsule collection will introduce 10 styles, based on classic pieces that redefined streetwear over 25 years ago. "Century 21 is so excited to be a part of this next chapter in the FUBU brand story," said CMO Michael Wolkoff. "It is our passion to bring our loyal shoppers access to the iconic brands they love and this capsule definitely fits the bill. We can't wait for original fans of the brand to line up as well as the next generation of shoppers to discover it in our store." The Vice President of FUBU Keith Perrin states, "We were in over 5,000 doors globally in the 90's and today we are taking the Ecommerce business model route and collaborating with strategic partners that are a natural fit. When the idea came up about reemerging our brand, we felt Century 21's downtown location was the best fitif you're developing a relationship with a brick-and-mortar store you couldn't ask for a better partner to reach diverse consumers. Century 21 has always been the place to find premium clothes at a good price. Century 21 is just a great overall retail partner." Founded in 1992 by four neighborhood friends from Queens, New York trying to make quick cash by selling tie-top hats to their friends and family, FUBU quickly grew from a shoestring budget of $40 into a $6 billion fashion empire. In 2017, FUBU celebrated the brand's 25th anniversary with a highly coveted capsule collection revisiting the classics with plans to introduce larger collections and more collaborations in the near future. The Century 21 capsule will be the first debut of new product from the FUBU "Can't Resist a Classic" campaign. It's no coincidence that the iconic retailer was chosen as the brand continues to challenge retail boundaries and invest in its consumers' wants and needs similar to the FUBU ethos. The melding of these two fashion giants has resulted in a capsule collection of iconic FUBU staples with a nod to their collective New York roots. On Friday, March 1, from 1-3 p.m., FUBU and Century 21 will kick things off with an exclusive Meet & Greet at Next Century, located within Century 21's Downtown Manhattan store at 21 Dey Street. The first 100 shoppers to make a FUBU purchase that afternoon will meet FUBU Founders, Daymond John, Keith Perrin, J. Alexander Martin and Carl Brown. The collection will then be available while supplies last exclusively at Next Century and online at https://www.c21stores.com/ . Follow along @century21stores @fubuthecollection #CantResistAClassic About Century 21 Stores: Century 21 Stores, a NYC icon for more than 55 years, is legendary for its exceptional offering of designer brands at amazing prices. Century 21 remains a leader in high-end, off-price fashion retail, offering men's, women's and children's apparel, footwear, outerwear, lingerie and accessories, along with beauty and home goods at select stores and online at C21Stores.com . The retailer is headquartered in Downtown Manhattan. Additional locations in New York include Lincoln Square, Brooklyn, Queens, Yonkers, Long Island and now Staten Island. There are locations in Philadelphia, Pa. and Sawgrass Mills, Fla., as well as three stores in New Jersey: Paramus, Morristown and Elizabeth. For more information, follow Century 21 Stores on facebook.com/century21stores and @Century21stores on Twitter and Instagram. About FUBU FUBU (short for For Us By Us) was founded in 1992 by Daymond John, J. Alexander Martin, Keith Perrin and Carl Brown. The earliest collection consisted of a small line of tops and hats with the FUBU logo. By 1995, an extensive sportswear line was designed and produced by FUBU using raw materials imported from around the world. With the success of the collection, distributors and investors came calling. To date, over 5,000 stores globally have carried the FUBU collection and more than $6 billion in merchandise has been sold at retail. The partners of FUBU soon became leaders in one of the most successful sportswear companies of all time and the creators of a whole category of marketing innovations that are now considered to be staples of industry. Their philosophy was to make clothing for the consumer by the consumer. For more information, follow FUBU on facebook.com/fubuthecollection and @fubuthecollection on Twitter and Instagram. Contact: Michelle Katz, [email protected] SOURCE Century 21 Stores Related Links https://www.c21stores.com "It's a great way to bring the Iditarod into the classroom and get our children excited about reading," expressed Darlene Gates, president of ExxonMobil Alaska. "Students read their way through the Iditarod Trail by earning one mile for each page or minute they read." As a company with deep roots in Alaska, ExxonMobil Alaska views civic involvement as a responsibility and an essential component of building strong and healthy communities. ExxonMobil Alaska supports educational programs through financial support, partnership and outreach in communities through its employees. "We are particularly proud of our support for the Iditarod Education Program which helps teachers use hands-on activities to spark imagination and get students enthusiastic about applying the fundamentals of reading, math and science," noted Gates. ExxonMobil Alaska currently provides support to the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP), the Alaska Native Heritage Center, Anchorage School District, the Harold Kaveolook School in Kaktovik, Junior Achievement, the Literacy Council of Alaska, and through initiatives such as Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. Teachers are encouraged to share photos of their students participating in the IditaREAD with ExxonMobil Alaska's Facebook page. Remember to tag @ExxonMobil Alaska. For more information, go to https://www.ideafamilies.org/iditaread/. ABOUT EXXONMOBIL ExxonMobil has been a proud supporter of the Iditarod since 1978. The largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, ExxonMobil uses technology and innovation to help meet the world's growing energy needs. In 2017, together with its employees and retirees, ExxonMobil, its divisions and affiliates, and the ExxonMobil Foundation provided $204 million in contributions worldwide. Additional information on ExxonMobil's community partnerships and contribution programs is available at www.exxonmobil.com . MEDIA CONTACT: Brittany Brown via [email protected] or 907.223.8525 SOURCE ExxonMobil Related Links https://corporate.exxonmobil.com NACKA STRAND, Sweden, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The shareholders of Hexagon AB are hereby invited to attend the Annual General Meeting to be held at 13:00 CET, Monday 8 April 2019, at City Conference Center Stockholm (Norra Latin), Drottninggatan 71 B, Stockholm. Shareholders who wish to attend the Annual General Meeting must: (i) be recorded in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB on Tuesday 2 April 2019, and (ii) notify the company of their intention to attend the Annual General Meeting by filling out a form at Hexagon's website, www.hexagon.com, or by post to: Hexagon AB, "Annual General Meeting", c/o Euroclear Sweden AB, P.O. Box 191, SE-101 23 Stockholm, Sweden, or by phone +46 8-402 92 21, on Tuesday 2 April 2019 at the latest. When giving notice of attendance, the shareholder shall state name, personal identity number/corporate identity number, address, telephone number (daytime) and shareholding. For shareholders that will be represented by a proxy, an original proxy to act on behalf of the shareholder shall be attached to the notice of attendance. A proxy form will be held available on the company's website www.hexagon.com and will be sent by post to shareholders that contact the company and state their address. Representative of a legal entity shall also send a copy of the registration certificate or similar documentation of authorisation. In order to participate at the Annual General Meeting, shareholders with nominee-registered shares should request their bank or broker to have the shares owner-registered with Euroclear Sweden AB. Such re-registration must be made by 2 April 2019, which entails that the nominee should be notified of this in due time before the said date. As stated in the AGM notice, the Board of Directors proposes an ordinary dividend of 0.59 EUR per share, and that the record date for entitlement to the dividend shall be 10 April 2019. Proposal for agenda 1. Opening of the Meeting. 2. Election of Chairman of the Meeting. 3. Preparation and approval of the voting list. 4. Approval of the agenda. 5. Election of two persons to check the minutes. 6. Determination of compliance with the rules of convocation. 7. The Managing Director's report. 8. Presentation of a) the Annual Report, the Auditor's Report and the Consolidated Financial Statements and the Group Auditor's Report for the financial year 2018, b) statement by the auditor regarding whether the guidelines for remuneration to senior executives, which have been in effect since the last annual general meeting, have been observed, and c) the proposal of the Board of Directors for dividend and statement thereon. 9. Resolutions regarding a) adoption of the Statement of Income and the Balance Sheet and the Consolidated Statement of Income and the Consolidated Balance Sheet, as per 31 December 2018, b) appropriation of the company's profit according to the adopted Balance Sheet and resolution regarding record day, and c) discharge from liability of the Board of Directors and the Managing Director. 10. Establishment of the number of members and deputy members of the Board of Directors. 11. Establishment of fees to the board members and auditors. 12. Election of board members and auditors. 13. Election of members of the Nomination Committee. 14. Guidelines for remuneration to senior executives. 15. Closing of the Meeting. The AGM notice, including all proposals for the AGM, is available on Hexagon's website, hexagon.com, and is appended to this press release. For further information, please contact: Daniel Johansson, Investor Relations, Hexagon AB, +46-8-601-26-27, [email protected] Kristin Christensen, Chief Marketing Officer, Hexagon AB, +1-404-554-0972, [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/hexagon/r/notice-of-annual-general-meeting-in-hexagon-ab--publ-,c2751401 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/387/2751401/999392.pdf Notice of AGM SOURCE Hexagon Related Links http://www.hexagon.com PROVO, Utah, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its annual investor day, Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. today shared its long-term strategy for consistently sourcing pure, safe and effective ingredients for use in its products. To accomplish this, Nu Skin plans to build on its investment in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) technologies to develop sustainable ingredients that are traceable from seed to solution. Nu Skin's CEA strategy grows out of a desire to provide consumers safe, effective and traceable product ingredients while drastically reducing the land and water resources required. Nu Skin believes it will be able to uniquely position itself in CEA by combining its world-class scientific rigor with patented technology that controls and adjusts the growing environment. This ability to control factors such as water, light and temperature allows Nu Skin to optimize ingredients for its various products. "At Nu Skin, we have always focused on using only the best, most effective ingredients in our products," said Ritch Wood, CEO. "This is a natural evolution in our commitment to innovate where we intend to infuse the best of nature, the latest in science and the most advanced technology into pure, safe and sustainable products." Nu Skin's initial CEA investment has been centered around the acquisition of Groviv and its subsequent technology development. Groviv develops automated, climate-smart agriculture systems that use a fraction of the water and land required in traditional farming without the use of herbicides and pesticides. Nu Skin plans to continue to develop its Groviv technology while also identifying additional technologies or companies that support its product development initiatives. As the technology is developed, Nu Skin plans to begin adding CEA-sourced ingredients to its products in place of traditionally grown ingredients. About Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. Founded more than 30 years ago, Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. develops and distributes innovative consumer products, offering a comprehensive line of premium-quality beauty and wellness solutions. The company builds upon its scientific expertise in both skin care and nutrition to continually develop innovative product brands that include the Nu Skin personal care brand, the Pharmanex nutrition brand, and most recently, the ageLOC anti-aging brand. The ageLOC brand has generated a loyal following for such products as the ageLOC LumiSpa skin cleansing and treatment device, ageLOC Youth nutritional supplement, the ageLOC Me customized skin care system, as well as the ageLOC TR90 weight management and body shaping system. Nu Skin sells its products through a global network of sales leaders in Asia, the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Pacific. As a long-standing member of direct selling associations globally, Nu Skin is committed to the industry's consumer guidelines that protect and support those who sell and purchase its products through the direct selling channel. Nu Skin is also traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "NUS." More information is available at nuskin.com. Important Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that represent the company's current expectations and beliefs. All statements other than statements of historical fact are "forward-looking statements" for purposes of federal and state securities laws and include, but are not limited to, statements of management's plans regarding the company's CEA strategy and the outcomes and success of this strategy. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "continue," "will," "would," "could," "may," "might," the negative of these words and other similar words. The forward-looking statements and related assumptions involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from any forward-looking statements or views expressed herein. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, competitive pressures, technological difficulties and limitations, alternative strategies and alternative uses of company and management resources, management's limited experience with CEA technologies, and consumer demand for the ingredients and products developed through the CEA strategy. The company's financial performance and the forward-looking statements contained herein are further qualified by a detailed discussion of associated risks set forth in the documents filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements set forth the company's beliefs as of the date that such information was first provided, and the company assumes no duty to update the forward-looking statements contained in this release to reflect any change except as required by law. SOURCE Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. Related Links http://www.nuskin.com LIMASSOL, Cyprus, March 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Orbex has been awarded Best Trading Education Provider by the renowned financial magazine: The European. The win was announced in the Winter 2018 issue of the quarterly business publication which targets corporate organizations and high-level professionals. Nominated among a large group of leading brokers in a process that considered multiple international nominees, Orbex was crowned as the winner of its category in the magazine's annual Business & Finance Awards. "Orbex was built with the highest ethical standards in mind, and with a philosophy that challenges the status quo. We believe it is our responsibility to set our traders up for success by providing the highest quality educational material in the industry. This award is proof that our mission is being accomplished, and we cannot thank The European enough for this wonderful honor," said Managing Director, Mohammad Yaghi. This is the third award of its nature for Orbex, having previously won the same title in 2016 from FX Daily Info, as well as Best Analysis Provider at the 2016 Saudi Money Expo in Jeddah. With its publishing of daily technical analysis, the latest news updates as well as educational content for all experience levels, Orbex has produced over 1000 articles, 25 webinars, 50 trade ideas and two quarterly market outlook reports in the last four months alone. The broker has started the year off strong with 3 more nominations in FX Daily Info's 2019 Forex Broker Awards. Orbex will be up for: Best News & Analysis Provider, Best Trading Platform, and Best Trading Experience. About Orbex Orbex is an award-winning global forex broker, fully licensed and regulated by CySEC. Headquartered in Limassol, Cyprus, Orbex specializes in the provision of access to the world's largest and most liquid financial markets. The company offers multiple asset trading including forex, indices, commodities and metals. With a focus on research, analysis and enhanced security of client funds, Orbex upholds a reputation of seasoned expertise within the industry. SOURCE Orbex VANCOUVER, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Pacton Gold Inc. (TSXV: PAC, OTC: PACXF) (the "Company" or "Pacton") is pleased to announce its participation in the following events in March: Redcloud Pre-PDAC Mining Showcase, Metals Investor Forum and PDAC 2019 convention in Toronto, Canada. Redcloud Pre-PDAC Mining Showcase Event Details Date and Time: Friday, March 1, 2019 ( 8.00 am 5.00 pm ) ( ) Location: Omni King Edward Hotel, 37 King Street East, Toronto Metals Investor Forum Event Details Date and Time : Saturday, March 2 (9. 00 am to 6:00 pm ) and Sunday, March 3, 2019 ( 9.00 am 4.00 pm ) : (9. ) and ( ) Location : 3rd floor, Delta Hotel, 75 Lower Simcoe Street, Toronto : 3rd floor, Delta Hotel, 75 Lower Simcoe Street, Pacton Presentation: Dale Ginn , Chairman and Director will present on Sunday, March 3 at 10:40 am PDAC Event and Booth Details Event : PDAC 2019 : PDAC 2019 Date : March 3 6, 2019 : 6, 2019 Location : Investors Exchange, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada : Investors Exchange, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Booth Number : 3142 : 3142 Booth Hours Sunday, March 3 , 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday, March 4 , 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Tuesday, March 5 , 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Wednesday, March 6 , 9:00 am - 12:00 pm , , , , Company Website: www.pactongold.com About Pacton Gold Pacton Gold is a Canadian exploration company with key strategic partners focused on the exploration and development of high grade conglomerate and orogenic gold properties located in the district-scale Pilbara gold rush in Western Australia and the Red Lake District, Ontario. Pacton's Red Lake mineral claims are strategically located between Pure Gold's Madsen property, including the Wedge Zone, and Great Bear Resource's Dixie discovery. The property geology is made up of two key packages known to host significant gold mineralization in the district. The Confederation Assemblage and the Balmer Assemblage hosts the high-grade gold mineralization at Great Bear Resources' Dixie Project and Pure Gold's Madsen property, respectively. A high-resolution helicopter magnetics survey is underway to identify D2 structures and folding that are proposed to have significant control on gold mineralization in the district. On Behalf of the Board of Pacton Gold Inc. R. Dale Ginn Executive Chairman Neither TSX Venture Exchange, the Toronto Stock Exchange nor their Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Pacton Gold Inc. SUMMERVILLE, S.C., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The fast-paced, growing community of Nexton soon will offer boutique office spaces custom-designed and developed by the talent at SL Shaw & Associates. This new office park, coined "[email protected]," simultaneously welcomes both entrepreneurs seeking a place to grow as well as companies looking to relocate. The office park will consist of six buildings ranging from 3,500 to 5,000 square feet that can be split into smaller units owned or leased and customized to fit specific business needs. SL Shaw & Associates chose Nexton for many reasons, with the most important being its convenient location. "Nexton has so many positives, including nearby Nexton Square where the region's most desirable shopping and dining destinations are opening this summer," explains Phillip Manchester, Managing Partner at SL Shaw. "And the geographic location doesn't get more convenient; it's directly off I-26, which makes it easily accessible to everyone throughout the Charleston area." In addition to [email protected] joining the roster of growing tenants, Nexton will also welcome Coastal Fertility Specialists in spring of 2020. The newest location for Coastal Fertility Specialists will consist of a 6,500 square foot facility that will take advantage of Nexton's 10 Gig Internet speeds to provide state of the art infertility evaluation and treatment to the Summerville area. With over 50 years combined experience Drs. Schnorr, Slowey and Cook have some of the highest pregnancy rates in the country. "Our mission is to help families grow in a compassionate and nurturing environment," says Dr. John Schnorr, founding partner of Coastal Fertility Specialists. "With aligning missions, quick access to I-26, and 10 Gig Internet speed, Nexton is the ideal community for our next facility." Both of these new additions are adjacent to Nexton Square, where business owners, employees, and clients will have quick access to restaurants like Halls Chophouse, Taco Boy and Vicious Biscuit as well as conveniences like Optical Impressions, fitness studios and shopping. "The addition of boutique office space and specialty medical uses, enhance the lifestyle of Nexton and solidify its position as a growing job center," said Brent Gibadlo, Vice President and General Manager of Nexton. "These new organizations reflect our wellness and innovation cornerstones, and enhance the lives of our residents and the surrounding community." For more details take a look at our newest blog posts featuring the new [email protected] being developed by SL Shaw & Associates and Coastal Fertility Specialists on Nexton.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram. LINK TO RENDERINGS: https://we.tl/t-H9y00AAwWw About Nexton Nexton, located in the heart of Charleston's vibrant growth corridor, is a 5,000-acre mixed-use community features three housing villages: Brighton Park Village, North Creek Village and Del Webb at Nexton that have homes ranging from the $200,000s to the $500,000s. Upon completion, Nexton will have over 6,500 homes. Nexton is where innovation is fueled by South Carolina's first community-wide, 10-Gigabit broadband service. Nexton continues to grow as an emerging community where you can live, work, eat and shop all within walking or biking distance from your front door. Nexton is being developed by Newland, the largest private developer of planned residential and urban mixed-use communities in the United States. The Nexton community is owned by a business entity of North America Sekisui House, LLC (NASH), and is being developed by Newland Real Estate Group, LLC. NASH and Newland share a deep commitment to sustainable development practices and apply these core values to the vision, planning, and development of their projects. Nexton is one of more than 30 assets the NASH-Newland partnership owns and manages together across the US. SOURCE Nexton BEIJING, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 9-10, 2019, Smartshare (SSP) will hold an offline meeting in Taipei and Taichung with founder Frank Chen planned to be in attendance. The meeting will focus on the changes in data validation and privacy security in the decentralized Internet of Things (IoT) and introduce Smartshare (SSP) IoT ecosystem products. Southeast Asia is the first region to be promoted to outside of mainland China, and is also the region that orders the most hardware products, making it a key region for Smartshare (SSP) to expand its community. Smartshare (SSP) is an intelligent and trusted decentralized blockchain technology platform designed to reshape the value of IoT and data as well as enhance IoT's economic value by using Smartshare (SSP) Token to realize the value quantification and circulation of terminals and data within the platform. Smartshare (SSP)'s intelligent hardware consists of CCTV's Dengdeng Robot, Three Papa's Air Purifiers, X-KEY and the self-developed Sleep Shells. Users can obtain Smartshare tokens by contributing their data when using these products, which can then be redeemed for products within the ecosystem. Currently, there are 200,000+ terminal data uplinks with plans to use mobile phones as terminals that users can use to upload exercise data. In an IoT system, various monitoring devices collect real-time objects or processes that need to be monitored, connected, and interacted with, and establish stable and safe links between objects and objects, objects and people, and objects and networks. Requirements are high to prevent criminal attacks that could result in economic losses. In addition to strict legal and policy regulations, applying decentralized IoT systems and technologies can also provide significant protection. Smartshare (SSP) is working to solve the data value problem of IoT terminals, realize user's data rights and value transactions through decentralization, and protect the data value of users and devices. It enables entities to exchange value on the Internet without requiring trust, enabling purchase of sensor measurement data. The expansion of technology and products has enabled more and more users to join the Smartshare Chain. From November to December 2018, Smartshare (SSP) held six offline events in Southeast Asia, encouraging everyone to treat IoT data security seriously and maintain data rights. In last year's campaign, Smartshare (SSP) expanded its community in Southeast Asia, provided deep coverage and application to the IoT industry, and applied blockchain technology to more new businesses. This event in Taipei and Taichung is the second round of community meeting in the global road show. Smartshare (SSP) plans to build a global community in Southeast Asia, North America, Japan and South Korea. SOURCE Smartshare Global Genes Founder Nicole Boice is representing the rare disease community at the Rare Disease Day Conference 2019 on March 2nd at Notre Dame's Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases. There, she'll be part of a panel addressing community resources and empowerment of rare disease patients. In addition, she's a guest lecturer at Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business' 10 Years Hence speaker series, exploring issues, ideas and trends likely to affect business and society over the next decade. Boice will speak to advances in the patient advocacy space over the last decade and patient's role in directly driving innovation and progress in the years ahead. "Collaboration and investment in rare disease will continue to be critical to advancing treatments for these complex conditions as 95 percent of rare diseases still have no treatments available," said Nicole Boice, Founder of Global Genes. "But with the advancement of new technology, patients are becoming more connected and empowered than ever they are essential participants in drug development and advocacy which is key to driving innovation and progress in the years to come." As part of Rare Disease Week on Capitol Hill Global Genes team including Interim Executive Director, Angie Rowe, join more than 500 patient advocates in Washington, DC for a week of events dedicated to legislative advocacy and meeting with Members of Congress to support policies and practices benefitting rare disease research. In addition, the team exhibits at the National Institute for Health's (NIH) Rare Disease Day to raise awareness about rare diseases and NIH research collaborations to advance new treatments. Global Genes kicked-off its month-long emphasis on rare disease awareness with the launch of its new website and RARE Portal an online community for patient connection and collaboration. The portal is a space where patients and advocates are eliminating barriers to rare disease information and resources. Within this space, they are connecting globally, sharing stories, creating and joining rare disease events and finding tools and resources personalized to their unique needs. World Rare Disease Day is an annual observance on the last day of February to raise awareness for the more than 350 million people worldwide affected by rare disease - which is greater than the US population. To date, there are more than 7,000 identified rare diseases, with more being discovered every day. To take action this Rare Disease Day or to learn more about Global Genes, please visit globalgenes.org . About Global Genes Global Genes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on a mission to connect, empower and inspire the rare disease community. We provide hope for more than 350 million people affected by rare disease around the globe. To date, we've educated 6 million people in 100 countries about rare disease, equipped 30,000 patients and advocates with tools and resources, and provided $400,000 in support for innovative patient impact programs. This is just the beginning of what we can achieve together. Visit globalgenes.org to get involved today. SOURCE Global Genes Related Links http://www.globalgenes.org LOS ANGELES, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- San Gabriel Valley Water and Power's (SGVWP) Tres Hermanos Sustainability Project takes a great stride toward answering Governor Newsom and Mayor Garcetti's call for renewable energy and storage projects. This project speaks to what our leaders and our California residents have mandated: 50 percent of California's electricity to be powered by renewable resources by 2025 and 60 percent by 2030 and working toward a goal of 100 percent clean zero-carbon electric power by 2045. The location for the Tres Hermanos Sustainability Project is ideal not only because of its strategic location in the LA Basin but also because of its proximity to existing infrastructure. According to Anthony Barkett, Managing Partner for SGVWP, "With the energy market evolving, it is imperative that we figure out long-term plans for California's energy future and generating renewable energy locally to improve Los Angeles County's reliability. The Tres Hermanos Sustainability Project will generate up to 200 megawatts (MW) of solar power and it will include one of California's largest energy storage facilities (2,500 MW)". Recently, Mayor Garcetti announced that three natural gas power plants that generate 38% of L.A.'s electricity would be taken offline by 2019. This decision accelerates the urgency for exploring renewable energy projects through public private partnerships to meet the goal set by Los Angeles to be carbon-neutral by 2050. SOURCE San Gabriel Valley Water and Power Related Links http://www.sgvwp.com PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In a ceremony officiated by the Regional Council of Central Denmark Region, Anders Kuhnau, and attended by both the Danish Prime Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen, and the Chairman of the A.P. Mller Foundation, Ane Maersk Mc-Kinney Uggla, the Varian-equipped Danish Center for Particle Therapy (DCPT) officially opened today, at the Aarhus University Hospital in Aarhus, Denmark. The three-treatment-room facility features the Varian ProBeam proton therapy system and has already begun patient treatments. "We are very pleased with our partnership with Varian on the installation and implementation of the ProBeam system and the ARIA oncology information management and Eclipse treatment planning software," said Professor Morten Hyer, medical director at DCPT. "Since treating our first patient for a brain tumor, we were quickly able to begin treatments for five other brain tumor patients. We have used all the relevant capabilities of the system from the first day of operation, including multi-field optimization, robust optimization and cone-beam imaging. In April, our second treatment room will be operational, and the extra capacity will allow for treatment of other diagnoses like head and neck cancer, pediatric cancers and breast cancer." "Varian and DCPT worked very closely on the development and installation of the ProBeam system at the center and we are proud to see patients now receiving much needed treatments," said Kolleen Kennedy, chief growth officer and president, Proton Solutions at Varian. "The opening of DCPT is another important step in the growing global availability of this advanced treatment technology and moves us closer to achieving our vision of a world without fear of cancer." Varian's ProBeam system offers fully-integrated intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) to enable more efficient adaptive proton therapy. Varian's pencil-beam scanning technology gives clinicians the ability to deliver the dose precisely within the contours of the tumor to minimize dose to healthy tissue. In Europe, ProBeam systems are already in clinical use in Germany, Switzerland, Russia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. ARIA is a comprehensive electronic medical record and image management system that aggregates patient data into an organized, oncology-specific medical chart with functional components for managing clinical, administrative and financial operations for medical, radiation and surgical oncology. The ARIA system provides a seamless flow of information for managing the patient's entire journeyfrom diagnosis through follow-up. Eclipse treatment planning software creates an optimized treatment plan based on a physician's dose instructions, and information about the size, shape, and location of the tumor to be treated with proton therapy. About Varian Varian (NYSE:VAR) is a leader in developing and delivering cancer care solutions and is focused on creating a world without fear of cancer. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Varian employs approximately 7,000 people around the world. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com and follow @VarianMedSys on Twitter. Press Contacts Mark Plungy Director, Global Public Relations +1 (650) 424-5630 [email protected] Sue Schneidhorst Head EMEIA Communications +41 (0)79 246 96 01 [email protected] Investor Relations Contact J. Michael Bruff Senior Vice President, Investor Relations +1 (650) 424-5163 [email protected] SOURCE Varian Related Links http://www.varian.com SUWANEE, Ga., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Xstrahl Medical, global leader in superficial radiotherapy devices to treat non-melanoma skin cancer and dermatological conditions, is spotlighting its RADiant treatment system at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) annual meeting in Washington from March 1st to 5th. The RADiant system is a small and compact unit specifically designed for use by dermatologists. RADiant is a dual modality treatment system offering both superficial radiotherapy and electronic brachytherapy treatment options. Xstrahl "RADiant expands the dermatologists' non-melanoma skin cancer treatment options with the latest dual modality radiotherapy technology," says Adrian Treverton, CEO of Xstrahl. "RADiant offers an extremely effective treatment option for when Mohs is not available, or the patient is unsuitable for surgery." With the RADiant system, treatment delivery is fast, convenient and pain free. Patient visit time is kept to a minimum, typically 15 minutes including setup and treatment, leaving them free to continue with their normal daily activities. Advanced features such as illuminated halo applicators and an intuitive clinical dashboard provide physicians with meticulous control to deliver superior, surgical quality results. About Xstrahl Group Xstrahl is a leading designer and manufacturer of superficial orthovoltage medical X-ray systems used in the treatment of cancers and dermatological disorders. Headquartered in the UK with manufacturing facilities both in the UK and USA, Xstrahl operates globally through its international network of distributors. Media Enquiries: Neil Madle, [email protected], + 44 7776 659529. www.xstrahl.com SOURCE Xstrahl Related Links http://www.xstrahl.com By chronicling the importance of cannabis throughout history, the film aims to educate, inform and de-stigmatize the cannabis plant by revisiting prohibition and its complex history based upon misinformation and state-imposed propaganda. "While perceptions of the plant continue to evolve, we are witnessing a post-prohibition booming industry, where the medicinal nature of the cannabis plant is being recognized," commented Mr. Brayden Sutton, President and CEO of 1933 Industries, and added, "The trends in the cannabis market are akin to those at the end of alcohol prohibition, where the rapid growth of new companies, brands, jobs, and investment have the potential to create an industry as large as that of alcohol today." View the full short film directed by Atlee James from Potential Pictures at www.1933industries.com YouTube: https://youtu.be/PMwsFaPDc2g About Potential Pictures Since 1999, Mr. Atlee James has dedicated himself as a producer and director, collaborating with clients to develop storytelling that is compelling and that educates and creates a movement for change. About 1933 Industries Inc. 1933 Industries Inc. is a vertically integrated cannabis company with operations in the United States and Canada. Operating through three subsidiary companies, 1933 Industries owns licensed medical and adult-use cannabis cultivation and production assets, proprietary hemp-based, CBD infused products, CBD extraction services and a specialized cannabis advisory firm supporting clients in security, intelligence and due diligence. The Company owns 91% of both Alternative Medicine Association and Infused MFG. and 100% of Spire Global Strategy. Please visit our website at http://www.1933industries.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Notice regarding Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company's disclosure documents, which can be found under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. 1933 Industries undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE 1933 Industries Inc. Related Links https://1933industries.com/ DUBLIN, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Load Monitoring System Market by Offering (Load Cell, Indicator & Controller, Data Logging Software), Technology (Analog, Digital), Industry (Automotive, Healthcare, Marine, Construction), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The load monitoring system market is estimated to grow from USD 2.6 billion in 2018 to USD 3.3 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 4.0% during the forecast period. The key factors driving the growth of the market include a rise in demand for a load monitoring system in healthcare, increase in use of load monitoring system for testing and monitoring aircraft parts, the decline in instrumental errors owing to technological innovations in load cells, an increase in demand for remote load monitoring. However, compliance with various standards and complex manufacturing process are the key restraining factors for market growth. Indicator and controller to witness high growth potential during forecast period The market for indicator and controller is expected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2018 to 2024. The indicators and controllers are basically displayed units that display the readings and data collected by the load cells. The critical industrial applications are expected to create growth opportunities for load cell indicators and controllers. The load indicator and controller facilitate in increasing process control with ease of operation and enhance workers' safety. In addition, the growing adoption of Industrial IoT and automation is expected to increase the demand for load cell indicators and controllers. The indicators and controllers play a major role in the load monitoring system as they help the users to understand the load measurements and carry out the further activities. Market for a digital load monitoring system to grow at higher CAGR during forecast period The digital load monitoring system market is estimated to grow at a higher CAGR from 2018 to 2024. Analog load cells can show errors owing to the number of environmental discrepancies, As a solution, a number of manufacturers have inbuilt A/D converter to the load cells, thereby eliminating the disturbance due to use of connecting wires between strain gauge and A/D converter. Factors such as increased digitization, IoT adoption, higher accuracy, and digital load cell durability are fuelling the digital load monitoring system market. Furthermore, the rising demand for precision weighing in heavy lifting applications is expected to drive the growth of the digital load monitoring system market. "Load monitoring system market for healthcare to grow at highest CAGR during forecast period The load monitoring system market for the healthcare industry is expected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2018 to 2024. The development in technology and functionality of medical devices and digitization in healthcare operations are the factors fuelling the growth of load cells in the healthcare industry. The use of the load monitoring system plays a vital role in the R&D process of pharmaceutical manufacturing as scientists have to precisely weigh chemicals and substance samples. One of the major applications of the load cell is prosthetics. The load cells used in prosthetics are sensitive, reliable, and durable, and are used for detecting minute changes in the load. Further, load cells are expected to be used in several applications, including a wide range of preventive medical equipment, in the coming year. Europe to be the largest market for load monitoring system during forecast period Europe is expected to lead the load monitoring system market, in terms of size, from 2018 to 2024. The load monitoring system market in Europe is mainly concentrated in Western Europe with countries including Germany, the UK, and France. The presence of a large manufacturing base of automotive and aerospace industries that cater to material handling activities drives the demand for a load monitoring system in Europe. The pharmaceuticals industry is among the major contributors to the growth of the European economy. According to the IMS Health Data (MIDAS, May 2017), Europe accounted for 21.5% of the world pharmaceuticals sales in 2016. Major pharmaceutical companies such as Accord, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Novartis, Roche, and Bayer have their manufacturing facilities set up in this region. These companies are expected to increasingly adopt advanced and customized load monitoring systems for meeting their pharmaceuticals manufacturing demands. Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Load Monitoring System Market, 2018-2024 (USD Billion) 4.2 Load Monitoring System Market, By Offering 4.3 Load Monitoring System Market, By Technology 4.4 Load Monitoring System Market, By Industry 4.5 Load Monitoring System Market, By Geography 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Rise in Demand for LMS in Healthcare 5.2.1.2 Increase in Use of LMS for Testing and Monitoring Aircraft Parts 5.2.1.3 Decline in Instrumental Errors Owing to Technological Innovations in Load Cells 5.2.1.4 Increase in Demand for Remote Load Monitoring 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 Compliance With Various Standards 5.2.2.2 Complex Manufacturing Process 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Rise in Demand for Digital Load Cells 5.2.3.2 Increase in Demand for Customized Load Monitoring System 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Entry Barriers for New Vendors From International Players 5.2.4.2 Volatility in Demand for LMS 5.3 Value Chain Analysis 6 Load Monitoring System Market, By Offering 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Load Cell 6.2.1 Single Beam Load Cell 6.2.1.1 Single Beam Load Cell Holds Largest Share of Load Monitoring System Market 6.2.2 S-Type Load Cell 6.2.2.1 S-Type Load Cell to Grow at Highest Rate During Forecast Period 6.2.3 Dual Shear Load Cell 6.2.3.1 Dual Shear Load Cells are Mainly Used for Heavy-Load Industrial Applications 6.2.4 Bending Beam Load Cell 6.2.4.1 Bending Beam Load Cell is Popularly Used in Commercial Weighing Applications 6.2.5 Others 6.2.5.1 Compression Load Cell 6.2.5.2 Load Link 6.2.5.3 Load Pin 6.2.5.4 Load Shackle 6.3 Indicator and Controller 6.3.1 Indicators and Controllers to Grow at Highest CAGR From 2018 to 2024 6.4 Data Logging Software 6.4.1 Software Helps in Easy Analysis and Monitoring of Load 7 Load Monitoring System Market, By Technology 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Analog 7.2.1 Analog Technology to Hold Larger Share of Load Monitoring System Market in 2018 7.3 Digital 7.3.1 Digital Technology to Grow at Higher CAGR From 2018 to 2024 7.4 Difference Between Analog and Digital Load Cell 8 Load Monitoring System Market, By Industry 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Automotive 8.2.1 Increasing Competition in Automotive Industry Compelling Players to Follow Safety and Quality Standards 8.3 Marine 8.3.1 Increasing Globalization Led to Shipbuilding Industry Growth 8.4 Construction 8.4.1 Construction Industry Growth Fuelled By Ever-Increasing Population 8.5 Food & Beverages 8.5.1 Increase in Automation in F&B Industry Propelling LMS Market Growth 8.6 Aerospace 8.6.1 Globalization Led to Increase in Airline Passengers Fuelling Demand for Aircrafts 8.7 Oil & Gas 8.7.1 Harsh Environmental Conditions at Oil & Gas Exploration Sites Fuelling Demand for LMS 8.8 Healthcare 8.8.1 Development in Medical Technology Supporting LMS Market Growth 8.9 Agriculture 8.9.1 Increasing Adoption of Automation in Agriculture Industry Fuelling Demand for LMS 9 Geographic Analysis 9.1 Introduction 9.2 North America 9.2.1 US 9.2.1.1 Presence of Heavy Industries Supports LMS Market Growth in Us 9.2.2 Canada 9.2.2.1 Manufacturing Industry in Canada Propels LMS Market Growth 9.2.3 Mexico 9.2.3.1 Increasing Medical Device Manufacturing Supports LMS Market Growth 9.3 Europe 9.3.1 Germany 9.3.1.1 Automotive and Shipbuilding Industry in Germany is Among Major End-Users of LMS 9.3.2 UK 9.3.2.1 F&B and Oil & Gas Industries Drive LMS Market Growth in the UK 9.3.3 France 9.3.3.1 Industrial Manufacturing Sector Propels LMS Market Growth in France 9.3.4 Rest of Europe 9.3.4.1 Rising Number of Manufacturing Facilities and High Safety Standards Propel LMS Market Growth in Rest of Europe 9.4 APAC 9.4.1 China 9.4.1.1 Rapidly Growing Industrial Manufacturing Along With Agriculture Industry Propels LMS Market Growth in China 9.4.2 Japan 9.4.2.1 Highly Advanced Automotive Industry Keeps Steady Demand for LMS in Japan 9.4.3 India 9.4.3.1 Rising Investments in Automotive Industry Propel Demand for LMS in India 9.4.4 Rest of APAC 9.4.4.1 Increasing Automation in Industrial Manufacturing Supports LMS Market Growth in Rest of APAC 9.5 RoW 9.5.1 South America 9.5.1.1 Developing Economies of South America Drive Demand for LMS in the Manufacturing Sector 9.5.2 Middle East 9.5.2.1 Oil & Gas and Marine Industries are Major Drivers of LMS Market in the Middle East 9.5.3 Africa 9.5.3.1 Agriculture and Automotive Markets Drive LMS Market Growth in Africa 10 Competitive Landscape 10.1 Overview 10.2 Ranking of Players in Load Monitoring System Market 10.3 Competitive Leadership Mapping 10.3.1 Visionaries 10.3.2 Innovators 10.3.3 Dynamic Differentiators 10.3.4 Emerging Companies 10.4 Strength of Product Portfolio 10.5 Business Strategy Excellence 10.6 Competitive Situations & Trends 10.6.1 Product Launches 10.6.2 Expansions 10.6.3 Contracts and Partnerships 10.6.4 Mergers and Acquisitions 11 Company Profiles 11.1 Key Players 11.1.1 Flintec 11.1.2 Mettler Toledo 11.1.3 Precia Molen 11.1.4 Spectris 11.1.5 Vishay Precision Group 11.1.6 Dynamic Load Monitoring 11.1.7 JCM Load Monitoring 11.1.8 LCM Systems 11.1.9 Load Monitoring Systems 11.1.10 Straightpoint 11.1.11 Wirop Industrial 11.2 Other Key Players 11.2.1 Eilersen Electric Digital Systems 11.2.2 Euroload 11.2.3 Futek Advanced Sensor Technology 11.2.4 Mantracourt Electronics 11.2.5 PCE Deutschland 11.2.6 Standard Loadcells 11.2.7 Strainsert 11.2.8 Tecsis 11.2.9 Thames Side Sensors For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/k8wd3t/3_3_bn_load?w=5 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com CINCINNATI, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Advantech, a leader in the global intelligent systems market, held its first Advantech IoT Co-Creation Summit at Suzhou, China, International Expo Center last November. More than 5,000 Advantech clients and partners around the world attended the opening day of the summit. During the event, Advantech introduced its newest Internet of Things (IoT) platform structure WISE-PaaS 3.0 and 32 IoT solution ready packages (SRPs) co-created with software and industry partners. The event in itself will aid in the software and hardware integration for various industries, connect and build a complete industrial IoT ecosystem and value chain, and allow Advantech and partners to officially step into the next IoT stage. Advantech Chairman KC Liu said within the diverse and fragmented IoT application market, Advantech has assisted industries in integrating and connecting existing hardware and software creating a complete industry value chainAdvantech's primary task in IoT industry development. In line with this trend, Advantech launched its WISE-PaaS platform in 2014. Two years later the connected platform works from top to bottom, including services such as, sensing, edge computing, communications, PaaS platform, SRPs, cloud service operation, and creating a complete IoT supply chain. Liu explained that for this chain to be fully executed and for application landing population, success lies in adequate collaboration and integration between the platform technology supplier and industry professionals to create standardized and replicable SRP products with combined software and hardware systems. Systems integrators can then install the SRPs at a users' site and perform subsequent maintenance, completing a field solution and forming an industrial IoT supply chain. To accelerate the integration of software and hardware in each industry, Advantech prepared 32 IoT SRPs, to satisfy several market applications. Advantech Corporation With the theme of Intelligent Automation and Seamless Integration, the IIoT Group of Advantech Corporation is a pioneer in intelligent Automation technology. By combining connectivity, flexibility, ruggedness and being at the leading-edge of Internet of Things technology. With more than 30 years of experience in providing a full range of products to different vertical markets, the Industrial Automation Group is proving to be a global leading Automation Product and Services provider. US operations for the Industrial Automation Group are based in Cincinnati, OH (888-576-9668). Advantech Corporation, Industrial Automation Group, 11380 Reed Hartman Highway, Cincinnati, OH 45241. Website: www.advantech.com/ea. Email: [email protected]. SOURCE Advantech DETROIT, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratview Research announces the launch of a new research report on Aircraft Aerostructures Market by Aircraft Type (Narrow-Body Aircraft, Wide-Body Aircraft, Very Large-Body Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, General Aviation, Helicopter, Military Aircraft, and UAV), by Material Type (Metal Aerostructures and Composite Aerostructure), by Application Type (Fuselage, Wings, Empennages, Nacelles & Pylons, and Others), by Sales Channel Type (OEMs, Tier-I, and Tier-II), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2019-2024. This report, from Stratview Research, studies the aircraft aerostructures market over the trend period of 2013 to 2018 and forecast period of 2019 to 2024 with a high emphasis on the accurate market data, insights and competitive landscapes. The report segments and analyzes the market in the most detailed manner in order to provide a panoramic view of the market. The vital data/information provided in the report can play a crucial role for the market participants as well as investors in the identification of low-hanging fruits available in the market as well as to formulate the growth strategies. Aircraft Aerostructures Market: Highlights Aerostructures are the most vital parts of an aircraft and hold the largest share of more than 30% in the overall aircraft production value, followed by aero-engines, avionics, systems & electronics, and interiors. The growing wealth of emerging economies, which is triggering accessibility to air traffic, is a preeminent factor leading to a rise in passenger traffic or trips per capita across the globe. This, in turn, is leading to the demand for newer aircraft, which is pushing the global aerostructures market. A trend that will most probably be impacting the competitive dynamics of the market, is an expected shift in the manufacturing of aerostructures from tier players to OEMs. The year 2018 witnessed many high-value M&A activities in the industry. Major tier players acquired other leading players with an aim to capture a larger chunk of the market. However, this led to the announcement made by Boeing and Airbus to integrate backward by making crucial components including aerostructures for their upcoming programs. Also, major tier-I players generally enjoy higher margins than OEMs, another factor pushing OEMs to increasingly produce crucial aircraft parts in-house. As per Stratview Research, the global aircraft aerostructures market is projected to grow at a healthy rate over the next five years to reach US$ 82.9 billion in 2024. Increasing commercial and regional aircraft deliveries, increasing production rates of the next-generation aircraft (B787 and A350XWB) programs, increasing penetration of composites in aircraft structures, and advancements in technologies are some major factors that are underpinning the growth of the market. The research's findings suggest that narrow-body aircraft is likely to remain the largest segment of the market during the forecast period. Increasing production rates of the key programs, such as B737 and A320 family; market entry of new players, such as COMAC and Irkut; and introduction of variants of existing and upcoming aircraft programs, such as B737 max, A320neo and COMAC C919, are likely to create a strong demand for aerostructures in the narrow-body aircraft segment. Wide-body aircraft is likely to remain the second-largest segment and is expected to grow at an impressive rate during the forecast period. Click Here to Browse the Detailed TOC of the Report Metal aerostructure is likely to remain the larger segment, whereas composite aerostructure is likely to witness higher growth over the next five years. Airliners are aggressively seeking lightweight composite parts/structures that can contribute to their goal of achieving higher fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. This has resulted in an increased demand for composite aerostructures. A350XWB and B787 are the growth engines for composite aerostructures. Fuselage and wings of the A350XWB and B787 programs are the major applications made of composites instead of metals, unlike other aircraft. Based on the application type, the market is segmented as fuselage, wings, empennages, nacelles & pylons, and others. Fuselage is projected to remain the largest application segment of the market during the forecast period as it is the principal component of an aircraft covering the main body section. However, wings are likely to experience the highest growth in the market due to a gradual shift from metal to composite wings in the newer aircraft models. Upcoming aircraft program B777x is an example of such shift as it has composite wings instead of metal wings. Register Here and Ask for a Free Sample of the Exclusive Report As per the study, North America is projected to remain the largest market during the forecast period. The USA is the growth engine of the North American aircraft aerostructures market. The country is the hub of aerospace industry with the presence of several tier players, aeroengine OEMs, and aircraft OEMs. Whereas, Asia-Pacific is likely to depict the highest growth during the same period, mainly driven by the upcoming commercial and regional aircraft, such as C919 and MRJ, and the opening of assembly plants in China by Boeing and Airbus. The key aerostructure manufacturing companies are Spirit AeroSystems Inc., GKN PLC, UTC Aerospace Systems, Premium Aerotech GmbH, Triumph Group, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation, STELIA Aerospace S.A.S., Safran SA, Leonardo SPA, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd, FACC AG, Korean Aerospace Industries, Ltd., and Subaru Corporation. Development of lightweight structures, speeding up of production rates, mergers & acquisitions, and collaboration with OEMs for the joint development of aerostructures are some of the strategies adopted by the major players in order to gain a competitive edge in the market. Report Features This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights on the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report: Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis. Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis. Market trend and forecast analysis. Market segment trend and forecast. Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc. Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities. Emerging trends. Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players. Key success factors This report studies the aerostructures market in the global aerospace industry and has segmented the market in five ways, keeping in mind the interest of all the stakeholders across the value chain. The following are the five ways in which the market is segmented: Aircraft Aerostructures Market, By Aircraft Type Narrow-Body Aircraft (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Wide-Body Aircraft (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Very Large-Body Aircraft (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Regional Aircraft (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) General Aviation (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Helicopter (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Military Aircraft (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) UAV (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Aircraft Aerostructures Market, By Material Type Metal Aerostructures (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Composite Aerostructures (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Aircraft Aerostructures Market, By Application Type Fuselage (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Wings (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Empennage (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Nacelles & Pylons (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Others (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Aircraft Aerostructures Market, By Sales Channel Type OEMs (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Tier-I Sales (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Tier-II Sales (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Aircraft Aerostructures Market, By Region North America (Country Analysis: The USA , Canada , and Mexico ) Europe (Country Analysis: France , Germany , the UK, Spain , Russia , and Rest of Europe ) Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: Japan , China , India , and Rest of Asia-Pacific ) Rest of the World (Sub-Region Analysis: Latin America , the Middle East , and Others) Stratview Research has number of high value market reports in the global aerospace & defense industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports: Click Here for Other Reports from Stratview Research in the Aerospace & Defense Industry Some of our other premium market reports in the aerospace & defense industry: Global Aircraft Nacelle Components Market by Aircraft Type (Narrow-Body Aircraft, Wide-Body Aircraft, Very Large Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, Business Jet, and Military Aircraft), by Component Type (Inlet Cowl, Fan Cowl, Thrust Reverser, Exhaust Components, and Others), by Material Type (Composites, Nickel Alloy, Titanium, and Others), by Process Type (Hand Layup, Resin Infusion, AFP/ATL, Forming, and Others) and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2018-2023. Aircraft Fairings Market by Aircraft Type (Narrow-Body Aircraft, Wide-Body Aircraft, Very Large-Body Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, and General Aviation), by Application Type (Wing-to-Body Fairing, Flap Support Fairings, Engine Cowls, Vertical Fin Fairings, and Others), by Material Type (Composite Fairings and Metal Fairings), by Manufacturing Process Type (Prepreg Layup, Stamping, and Others), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2019-2024. About Stratview Research Stratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas. We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies. Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making. For enquiries, Contact: Ritesh Gandecha Stratview Research E-mail: [email protected] Direct: +1-313-307-4176 SOURCE Stratview Research ATLANTA, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Acknowledging the challenge Americans face in paying for a college education, Apartment Guide announces the launch of its College Scholarship Contest, in which two winners will each receive $2,500 to help offset education-related expenses. Prize money can be used to pay for housing, books, tuition, study-abroad or other education-related expenses for the upcoming Fall 2019 semester. To qualify for entry, applicants must be 17 years of age; a U.S. citizen or legally residing in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia; enrolled in or accepted as a fulltime student at an accredited college, university or technical school for the Fall 2019 semester; pursuing a bachelors or associate degree; and have a 2.5 minimum GPA. Entrants are asked to submit a 500-600 word essay on the topic "What is your responsibility for ending homelessness?"; deadline for entry is April 12, at 11:59 pm ET. Apartment Guide will narrow the field to 10 finalists, who will each be given two weeks to create a one-to-three minute video to accompany their essay. The finalists' essays and companion videos will be posted for one month on ApartmentGuide.com and votes will be cast by the public. Based on a combination of public voting results and judging criteria, two winners will be selected. The two $2,500 winners will be featured on Apartment Guide's Scholarship page, along with their essays and videos. To enter the contest, visit the Apartment Guide college scholarship page , for an official entry form, contest description, deadlines and other information. Complete contest rules can be found here. No purchase is necessary to enter. Key Dates to Remember February 19 - April 12 - Application process open - Application process open April 19 - 10 finalists announced at www.apartmentguide.com/students/scholarship - 10 finalists announced at www.apartmentguide.com/students/scholarship June 3 - July 1 - Public voting - Public voting July 10 - Winners announced About Apartment Guide Apartment Guide was a rental industry leader long before its website debut 20 years ago. This trusted legacy brand - now part of the RentPath family of digital brands - has a team of editors and experts who help make every stage of the rental journey easier. From hot tips and cool hacks to helpful articles and videos, Apartment Guide creates content that empowers renters by boosting their knowledge and confidence. The Apartment Guide website also contains apartment listings across the United States, including in college destinations. About RentPath RentPath is a leading digital marketing solutions company, that empowers millions nationwide to find apartments and houses for rent. Through its brands, RentPath continues to simplify the apartment search experience while driving quality advertiser leads that result in occupancies and a high return on investment. With powerful online and mobile solutions that provide prospective renters with the information and tools they need, RentPath connects consumers with a home that reflects their personal lifestyles. RentPath helps people navigate the rental journey by providing a delightful, stress-free experience so that all renters find and enjoy their ideal home. Contact: Misty Skedgell 404-229-5655 [email protected] SOURCE Apartment Guide Related Links http://www.apartmentguide.com "Oftentimes, feelings of shame, fear or uncertainty prevent students from seeking help," said Dr. Christine Moutier , AFSP's Chief Medical Officer. "Through ISP, we are able to reach those students who may be struggling with issues like anxiety, depression or adjustments to college life. Through a customized and highly confidential approach, ISP addresses individuals' perceived barriers to getting help." All South-Dakota based colleges and universities that offer mental health services to students, including medical and technical schools, are welcome to apply to bring ISP to their school by submitting a proposal through AFSP's website at www.afsp.org/ISPSD2019. Applications are accepted from February 28, 2019 through May 15, 2019; and the three selected new programs will launch in September 2019. About ISP ISP is the only online screening program that offers students a safe and confidential way to connect with campus counselors and receive personalized recommendations and support. Since its official launch in 2006, ISP has expanded to over 100 colleges and universities nationwide and connected more than 40,000 students to a campus-based mental health professional. ISP is listed on the Suicide Prevention Resource Center's Best Practice Registry for Suicide Prevention. ISP is also currently being used by workplaces, law enforcement agencies, and Employee Assistance Programs. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that's smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, and with a public policy office in Washington, D.C., AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report, and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. About Sammons Financial Group, Inc. The member companies of Sammons Financial Group, Inc. (SFG), are here to help families and businesses protect their future, so they can enjoy life's moments today. A subsidiary of Sammons Enterprises, SFG is a group of privately-owned financial companies, including several of the most enduring and stable companies in our industry. SFG's member companies, Midland National Life Insurance Company, North American Company for Life and Health Insurance, and Sammons Institutional GroupSM offer some of today's most sought-after life insurance, annuity, and retirement planning products. Sammons Financial Group: With You for Every MomentSM. SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Related Links http://www.afsp.org MCHENRY, Ill., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- HR Green, Inc. (HR Green) was presented with three public works engineering awards by the American Public Works Association (APWA) Illinois at a recent luncheon on Monday, Feb. 25, 2019. HR Green received two awards for "Project of the Year" and one for "Management Innovation." The Project of the Year Award for structures of less than $5 million was presented for the City of Wood Dale's "Clock Tower Plaza" project, and the "Will County Public Safety Complex" project was honored in the structures $25 million to $75 million category. The Management Innovation Award was for the "Water Main Replacement Program" in the Village of Lake in the Hills (LITH). About the Award Winning Projects The Clock Tower Plaza is an anchor project that will serve to initiate redevelopment opportunities for the downtown commercial district of the City of Wood Dale. Key features of the project included upgrading and enhancing the existing land use, creating an iconic City Center, landmark and identity, and invoking and creating a sense of civic pride. The new $30 million, 85,000-square-foot Will County Public Safety Complex accommodates all divisions of the sheriff's offices, including the consolidated 911 Dispatch Center. HR Green provided the design for the water and sewer utilities extension, which included a sanitary sewer lift station, the civil and landscaping site design, ALTA Survey, public utility easement document preparation, and permitting services for the site design components. The $19 million LITH Water Main Replacement Program began in 1999 when aging water mains were earmarked for replacement. This 17-year program resulted in LITH completing the project with no outstanding debt, water rates in line with rates of surrounding communities, and all the water mains in their entire system less than 25 years of age. About HR Green Founded in 1913, the HR Green Family of Companies includes HR Green, Inc.; HR Green Pacific, Inc.; HR Green Development, LLC; HR Green Fiber and Broadband, LLC; HR Green California, Inc., and HR Green Michigan, LLC. HR Green has offices throughout the nation providing engineering, technical, and management solutions that build communities and improve lives in: Transportation, Water, Governmental Services, Land Development, Environmental, Construction, and Fiber and Broadband. For more information, visit www.hrgreen.com. SOURCE HR Green, Inc. Related Links https://www.hrgreen.com CHESTNUT HILL, Mass., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As Adobe ends support for its Flash software platform by the end of 2020, Area9 Lyceum has a new, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics enabled solution, Rhapsode|BRIDGE, available for education companies and corporate learning and development departments. Rhapsode|BRIDGE will enable companies to migrate their Flash content and materials up to five times faster and more cost effective than alternative solutions. Adobe's decision to stop support for Flash will require companies to migrate their software and content to new open formats, such as HTML5 and SCORM. The problem is significant for many companies who are still searching for an efficient strategy to migrate their large libraries of education content based on Flash. "Companies worldwide will soon find their existing platforms will no longer be supported and they will need to move all their valuable content to a compatible system," said Dr. Ulrik Juul Christensen, CEO of Area9 Lyceum. "In addition to our expertise in education, we have built the most advanced automation content development workflow systems to streamline content creation and curation. There are several great solutions to transition Flash-based web content. For educational content, there is a significant gap because educational content is in many ways much harder to transition. Rhapsode|BRIDGE can close that gap. It is still not a 'one-click' operation, but it is significantly easier." Using AI and robotics, Rhapsode|BRIDGE can facilitate the transition from Flash to a responsive platform up to five times faster than the alternatives. The process starts with an advanced ingestion layer that takes apart the Flash file and generates a library of resources. These are rebuilt again using Area9's Rhapsode|CURATOR to a responsive component with the same or better functionality as the original. When the content is rebuilt, it is critical to validate it. Area9 Lyceum has used its industry-leading experience to build new workflow automation and technology platforms to massively streamline such reviews and validation processes. "Our team has more than 20 years of experience working with highly regulated areas such as health care and we can help those companies manage and streamline compliance and regulatory approval," Dr. Christensen said. The final step is to publish the content with a brand-new technology that can cross compile the learning packages into modern formats, such as HTML5, ePub, SCORM, LTI, QTI or to Area9's adaptive format. This allows companies to use the most advanced education specific technologies to do the migration of their content without getting locked in or having to make the full investment towards adaptive learning. "We didn't intend to resolve this problem or predict the Flash dismissal; however, our solution is a powerful way to solve it," added Dr. Christensen. Area9 Lyceum leverages more than 20 years of research to identify the human factors that influence learning, such as when students prepare for medical exams or health-care professionals prepare for continuing medical education. Other key industries include aviation, defense, heavy industry, telecommunications, retail, professional services and higher education. To get started unlocking Flash content with Area9 Lyceum, please visit www.area9lyceum.com/Flash. For more information on Area9 Lyceum, visit https://area9lyceum.com or follow them on social media at Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn . Media Contact: Molly Lynch Lynch Communications Group, LLC [email protected] 773-505-9719 SOURCE Area9 Lyceum Related Links http://www.area9lyceum.com thierry Ehrmann: "After five years of research, analysis and polemics, the two men have announced that the owners are happy to let the Art Market decide the value of this exceptional and extraordinarily powerful work for which the French State has finally granted an export visa". (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/644091/Artprice_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/828816/Toulouse_Caravaggio_in_London.jpg ) [ http://serveur.serveur.com/Press_Release/video/caravage-london.mov] This Thursday 28 February at the Colnaghi Gallery in London, against the backdrop of London first prestige sales of the year, Eric Turquin and Marc Labarbe confirmed at a press conference that the Judith and Holofernes painting will be auctioned on 27 June 2019. However the location of its sale is the biggest surprise not London, not New York, not even in Paris... but rather where it all began... in the south-west of France where it was found, by chance, in the attic of a house near Toulouse, in 2014. Moreover, the painting's owners have re-confirmed that the Toulouse auctioneer they originally contacted - Marc Labarbe, who first recognized the exceptional qualities of the work - will be responsible for orchestrating the sale of this extraordinary painting. The stakes are high indeed... not only for all art lovers around the world who enjoy a good story and the thrill of market surprises, but also and particularly for the French Art Market. Thirty years after the historic Parisian sale of Pablo Picasso's Noces de Pierrette (1905), an auction organized on French soil could once again rock the global Art Market. A museum-quality work As revealed by Artprice in January, the sellers have opted for an extremely original sales strategy via which they hope to elicit the kind of interest required to sell such a masterpiece. The work is indeed exceptional in many respects. Its subject (a biblical decapitation), its age (more than 400 years old), its discovery (in an attic in the South of France) and especially its attribution to Caravaggio and the piercing power of Judith's look, all give this painting a very special place in History and on the Art Market. Only 68 works by Caravaggio are known to date, scattered throughout the Western world. Many have remained in Italy, hanging in the most beautiful churches of Rome, Naples and Sicily, while the others contribute to the notoriety of some of the world's most prestigious European and American institutions: London's National Gallery, New York's Metropolitan Museum and the Paris Louvre each have three, while Madrid's Prado and Saint Petersburg's Hermitage each have a single painting by Caravaggio. Acquiring this latest discovery probably appeals to all of the world's major museums. However, few of them can afford it. The current estimate for the work is somewhere between between 100 and 150 million; but, the annual acquisition budget of the Louvre Museum (the world's leading museum by visitor number) is still under 20 million. Likewise, lots of Japanese, English and Russian museums - who would love to own this newly discovered masterpiece - are unlikely to be in the running to acquire it. Unless a State decides to make an exceptional grant, public museums will have to give way to major private collectors. In recent years Western, Asian and Middle Eastern billionaires have snapped up all the best works auctioned. Their immense financial power seems limitless when it comes to investing in the last remaining jewels of Art History in circulation. Auction results above $100 million Arptrice.com Artist Artwork Price Sale Auction House 1 Leonardo DA VINCI (1452-1519) Salvator Mundi (c.1500) $450,312,500 15/Nov/2017 Christie's - New York 2 Pablo PICASSO (1881-1973) Les femmes d'Alger (Version 'O') (1955) $179,365,000 11/May/2015 Christie's - New York 3 Amedeo MODIGLIANI (1884-1920) Nu couche (1917-18) $170,405,000 09/Nov/2015 Christie's - New York 4 Amedeo MODIGLIANI (1884-1920) Nu couche (sur le cote gauche) (1917) $157,159,000 14/May/2018 Sotheby's - New York 5 Francis BACON (1909-1992) Three Studies of Lucian Freud (1969) $142,405,000 12/Nov/2013 Christie's - New York 6 Alberto GIACOMETTI (1901-1966) L'homme au doigt (1947) $141,285,000 11/May/2015 Christie's - New York 7 QI Baishi (1864-1957) Screens of landscapes (1925) $140,954,580 17/Dec/2017 Poly - Beijing 8 Edvard MUNCH (1863-1944) The scream (1895) $119,922,500 02/May/2012 Sotheby's - New York 9 Pablo PICASSO (1881-1973) Fillette la corbeille fleurie (1905) $115,000,000 08/May/2018 Christie's - New York 10 Jean-Michel BASQUIAT (1960-1988) Untitled (1982) $110,487,500 18/May/2017 Sotheby's - New York 11 Pablo PICASSO (1881-1973) Nude, Green Leaves and Bust (1932) $106,482,500 04/May/2010 Christie's - New York 12 Andy WARHOL (1928-1987) Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster) (1963) $105,445,000 13/Nov/2013 Sotheby's - New York 13 Pablo PICASSO (1881-1973) Garcon a la pipe (1905) $104,168,000 05/May/2004 Sotheby's - New York 14 Alberto GIACOMETTI (1901-1966) L'homme qui marche I (1960) $103,689,994 03/Feb/2010 Sotheby's - London 15 Alberto GIACOMETTI (1901-1966) Chariot (1950) $100,965,000 04/Nov/2014 Sotheby's - New York To date, only fifteen works have publicly sold above the $100 million threshold. All of these were hammered in the three major capitals of the Art Market, organised by the three most powerful auction houses on the planet. However, today, with globalisation having so radically changed the global art market, this operating system could well be completely obsolete. Having remained locked up Eric Turquin's Paris offices for many years, the Toulouse Caravaggio has finally received its export visa and has began a world tour. Currently in London, the work will then be taken to New York to steal the spotlight during the prestige sales in May, before returning to Toulouse to be put on sale. According to Artprice's CEO / Founder, thierry Ehrmann, "when everyone has seen Judith decapitating Holofernes and has experienced the extraordinary power of this painting, the location of the sale will not matter much. Whether sold in Toulouse or New York, Caravaggio will go to the highest bidder. In any case, the painting will certainly not remain in Toulouse, nor in France. The work's owners want an 'authentic' sale, giving the Market the final word... without trying to control it. It's a way of doing things that we have almost forgotten, and yet it is the veritable purpose of public sales. This confidence in the market can only be rewarded." Copyright 2019 thierry Ehrmann - http://www.artprice.com Try our services (free demo): https://www.artprice.com/artist/23640/baishi-qi Subscribe to our services: https://www.artprice.com/subscription About Artprice: Artprice is listed on the Eurolist by Euronext Paris, SRD long only and Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF. Founded by thierry Ehrmann (see Who's who certified Biography ) (c) https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2018/10/bio-2019-whos-who-thierry-ehrmann.pdf ). Dicover Artprice in video: https://www.artprice.com/video Artprice is the global leader in art price and art index databanks. It has over 30 million indices and auction results covering more than 700,000 artists. Artprice Images gives unlimited access to the largest Art Market resource in the world: a library of 126 million images or prints of artworks from the year 1700 to the present day, along with comments by Artprice's art historians. Artprice permanently enriches its databanks with information from 6,300 auctioneers and it publishes a constant flow of art market trends for the world's principal news agencies and approximately 7,200 international press publications. For its 4,500,000 members, Artprice gives access to the world's leading Standardised Marketplace for buying and selling art. Artprice is preparing its blockchain for the Art Market. It is BPI-labelled (scientific national French label) Artprice's Global Art Market Annual Report for 2017 published last March 2018: https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-art-market-in-2017 Artprice is associated with Artron Group the Chinese leader in the Art Market, its solid institutional partner. About the Artron Group: "Artron Art Group (Artron), a comprehensive cultural industrial group founded in 1993 by Wan jie, is committed to inheriting, enhancing and spreading art value. Based on abundant art data, Artron provides art industry and art fans with professional service and experience of quality products by integrated application of IT, advanced digital science and innovative crafts and materials. Having produced more than 60,000 books and auction catalogues, Artron is the world's largest art book printer with a total print volume of 300 million a year. It has more than 3 million professional members in the arts sector and an average of 15 million daily visits, making it the world's leading art website." Artron's Web: http://www.Artron.net Artprice's Contemporary Art Market Annual Report for 2017 - free access at: https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-contemporary-art-market-report-2017 Artprice's press releases: http://serveur.serveur.com/Press_Release/pressreleaseen.htm https://twitter.com/artpricedotcom Artmarket News: https://twitter.com/artpricedotcom & https://twitter.com/artmarketdotcom https://www.facebook.com/artpricedotcom 3.8 million subscribers http://artmarketinsight.wordpress.com/ Discover the Alchemy and the universe of Artprice http://web.artprice.com/video, which headquarters are the famous Museum of Contemporary Art, the Abode of Chaos: http://goo.gl/zJssd https://vimeo.com/124643720 The Contemporary Art Museum The Abode of Chaos https://www.facebook.com/la.demeure.du.chaos.theabodeofchaos999 3.5 million subscribers Contact: thierry Ehrmann [email protected] SOURCE Artprice.com NORTHBROOK, Ill., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas today announced the promotions of James Kellerman to senior vice president and head of Intellectual Property (IP) Legal, reporting to Linda Friedman, executive vice president and Astellas General Counsel; and Dr. Peter Sandor to senior vice president Primary Focus Lead Immuno-Oncology, reporting to Naoki Okamura, chief strategy officer in Tokyo, Japan. Additionally, Michael Rafa has been appointed to senior vice president, head of IP Innovation and New Technologies. Rafa will also report to Okamura. These new appointments will be effective April 1, 2019. Kellerman and Rafa will transform the current IP organization into two new teams: IP Legal and IP Innovation & New Technologies, respectively. The IP Legal Team will oversee IP assets from Development through commercialization and further enhance a globalized approach to enforcing and protecting Astellas' intellectual property. The IP Innovation & New Technologies team will focus on pre-clinical and early stage research such as cell therapy, gene therapy, regenerative medicine and other new therapies and platforms. "The two team structure of IP Legal and IP Innovation & New Technologies (INT) is consistent with best practices in other pharmaceutical companies," said Friedman. "This new structure will enable us to further leverage and facilitate operational efficiencies, while also expanding our work to better serve Astellas' growing pipeline." Kellerman joined Astellas in 2014, and has nearly 30 years of broad IP and industry experience in the pharmaceutical industry as well as experience in other roles early in his career. Prior to Astellas, Kellerman worked at GlaxoSmithKline in the IP department in the US, as well as in China. Previously, he was the corporate intellectual property counsel for Sepracor Inc. Kellerman received his B.S. in Pharmacy from the University of Cincinnati, College of Pharmacy and his law degree from the Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, New Hampshire. Michael Rafa rejoins Astellas from Haug Partners, LLP in New York where he was a Partner for two years. Prior to this role, he served as Vice President and Chief Patent Counsel at Ophthotech Corporation. Rafa has nearly 30 years of experience in developing and executing IP strategies for pharmaceutical and biotech companies. He previously worked at Astellas from April 2012-2014 as Vice President and Chief Patent Counsel, and prior to Astellas was part of Astellas' acquisition of OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Rafa holds a B.S. in Chemical and Biomedical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and earned his law degree from the University of San Francisco. In Immuno-Oncology, Dr. Sandor will be responsible for developing and executing the roadmap for Astellas' Immuno-Oncology strategy. "Peter's experience in strategy and portfolio management coupled with his vast knowledge of the field of Oncology will help Astellas prioritize the investment of our research and development resources on the most appealing and promising programs," stated Okamura. Sandor joined Astellas in 2015 as vice president, head of oncology therapeutic area in Marketing Strategy at Astellas. Prior to Astellas, Sandor held the position of vice president, Global Marketing Therapeutic Area Head Oncology at Amgen. He was also vice president, Strategy and Portfolio Management, Specialized Medicine at Bayer. Sandor earned his master's degree in business administration from Middlesex University, United Kingdom and Economy School of Pecs Hungary. He holds a M.D. from the University of PECS in Hungary. About Astellas Astellas Pharma Inc., based in Tokyo, Japan, is a company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. For more information, please visit our website at https://www.astellas.com/us/. SOURCE Astellas Pharma US, Inc. Related Links http://www.us.astellas.com SEATTLE, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Bardy Diagnostics, Inc., ("BardyDx"), a leading provider of ambulatory cardiac monitoring technologies and custom data solutions, announced today it has entered into a distribution agreement with JNC Medical, a distributor of innovative medical technologies based in Ottawa, Ontario. The agreement grants JNC Medical the right to distribute the BardyDx Carnation Ambulatory Monitor ("CAM"), the industry's first P-wave centric ambulatory cardiac patch monitor and arrhythmia detection device, in the Canadian market. "The collaboration with JNC Medical strengthens BardyDx's international distribution and business development initiatives, which are key priorities for the Company this year," said Ken Nelson, BardyDx Chief Commercial Officer. "Combining BardyDx's innovation and leadership in ambulatory cardiac monitoring with JNC Medical's Canadian market-specific expertise, distribution logistics, and deep connections with Canadian physicians will accelerate penetration of the CAM patch into the global market." Following strong product demand in the US, the partnership aims to enable access to the CAM patch for all Canadian patients and accelerate the transition away from legacy Holter technologies and outdated ECG reporting solutions. As part of its distribution strategy, JNC Medical intends to leverage its healthcare industry networks and physician demands for extended monitoring, encouraging a transition to digital monitoring technologies. "We are excited to partner with BardyDx by assisting in the commercialization of the market-disrupting CAM patch in Canada," said JNC Medical Business Partner Christopher Mulvanny. "It is our goal to bring the world's most innovative device technologies to Canadian physicians and patients, and the CAM patch is a perfect match to add to our growing portfolio." In preparation, BardyDx recently received a Health Canada Medical Device License, allowing the CAM patch to be marketed in Canada. Additionally, to support international expansion initiatives and as a compulsory requirement for entering the Canadian market, BardyDx was recently awarded MDSAP (Medical Device Single Audit Program) certification, a program involving a single regulatory audit of a medical device manufacturer's quality management system that satisfies the requirements of multiple regulatory jurisdictions worldwide. "Obtaining Health Canada's approval for the CAM patch is an important milestone for us," said Mark Handfelt, BardyDx Chief Operating Officer. "It is additional validation of our technology and quality programs and a vital step in laying the groundwork needed to provide BardyDx's transformative ECG monitoring technologies to patients all over the world." About Bardy Diagnostics: Bardy Diagnostics, Inc. is an innovator in digital health and remote patient monitoring, with a focus on providing diagnostically-accurate and patient-friendly cardiac patch and other monitors to the industry. The company's CAM patch is a non-invasive, P-wave centric ambulatory cardiac monitor and arrhythmia detection device that is designed to improve patient compliance for adults and children weighing >10kg (22lbs) through its lifestyle-enabling design. Designed to be worn comfortably and discreetly, the female-friendly, hourglass-shaped CAM patch is placed on the center of the chest, directly over the heart for optimum ECG signal collection. The proprietary technology of the CAM patch provides optimal detection and clear recording of the often difficult-to-detect P-wave, the signal of the ECG waveform that is essential for accurate arrhythmia diagnosis. Additional information can be found at the recently launched redesign of the BardyDx corporate website at www.bardydx.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Jonathan Wu Director, Marketing Bardy Diagnostics, Inc. 1-844-422-7393 [email protected] SOURCE Bardy Diagnostics, Inc. Related Links http://www.bardydx.com The state-of-the-art Borstar technology, which will be used in North America for the first time, will allow Baystar to produce enhanced polyethylene products for the most demanding applications. Approximately 1,750 jobs will be created during the peak engineering and construction activity. Baystar is also building a one-million-ton per year steam cracker in Port Arthur, Texas. The new cracker will process ethane, which is abundantly available and competitively priced in the U.S., and will supply feedstock for its existing 400,000-ton-per-year polyethylene units as well as the new Borstar polyethylene unit in Pasadena. "This new Borstar unit will more than double the site's capacity and allow Baystar to provide our North American customers with a greater range of high-value-added and resource-efficient products," said Baystar President Diane Chamberlain. "The Port Arthur cracker and the new Borstar unit are tangible evidence of the power of partnership between Total, Borealis and NOVA Chemicals." Speaking at the ceremony, the three joint venture partners commented: "With the ethane cracker project in Port Arthur now well underway, it is exciting to be here today with our partners Borealis and NOVA Chemicals to start the construction of the polyethylene unit here at Baystar," said Christophe Gerondeau, President and Chief Executive Officer, Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA. "These two projects are a perfect example of Total's strategy to expand in petrochemicals where we can leverage cost-advantaged feedstock and capitalize on our integrated platforms such as Port Arthur." "Borealis is very pleased to be bringing our third-generation Borstar technology to the North American market for the first time," said Borealis CEO Alfred Stern. "Baystar will profit from this superior technology, but also from our success in developing and sustaining ambitious joint ventures on a global scale. We are also glad to have found partners who share our commitment to safety at all levels of operations." "It's exciting to be here today as Bayport Polymers celebrates this next milestone. We look forward to having Borstar technology available in North America, which allows us to better serve our customers with innovative products that help make everyday life healthier, easier and safer," stated NOVA Chemicals CEO, Todd Karran. Total and NOVA Chemicals are founding members of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, an alliance of nearly 30 companies from the plastics and consumer goods value chain committed to advance solutions to help end plastic waste in the environment, especially in the ocean. Borealis is a founding member of Project STOP, an initiative that aims to eliminate the leakage of plastics into the environment. ABOUT BAYSTAR Bayport Polymers LLC (Baystar) is a joint venture 50% owned by Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA, Inc. (TPRI) and 50% owned by Novealis Holdings (a joint venture between Borealis and NOVA Chemicals). Baystar combines Total's expertise in operating major industrial platforms with the Borealis proprietary Borstar technology and NOVA Chemicals' deep customer and technical expertise in polyethylene to deliver a broad range of products to help meet the growing global demand for plastic products. The joint venture includes an ethane-based steam cracker with a capacity of 1 million tons per year a project initially developed by Total and currently under construction in Port Arthur, Texas and a new 625,000 metric ton-per-year Borstar polyethylene unit to be built in Pasadena, Texas. www.baystar.com ABOUT TOTAL Total is a major energy player, which produces and markets fuels, natural gas and low-carbon electricity. Our 100,000 employees are committed to better energy that is safer, more affordable, cleaner and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, our ambition is to become the responsible energy major. www.total.com ABOUT BOREALIS Borealis is a leading provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers. With its head office in Vienna, Austria, the company currently has more than 6,800 employees and operates in over 120 countries. Borealis generated EUR 8.3 billion in sales revenue and a net profit of EUR 906 million in 2018. Mubadala, through its holding company, owns 64% of the company, with the remaining 36% belonging to Austria-based OMV, an integrated, international oil and gas company. Borealis provides services and products to customers globally, in collaboration with Borouge, a joint venture with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and with Bayport Polymers, a joint venture with Total and NOVA Chemicals in Texas, USA. www.borealisgroup.com Borstar is a registered trademark of the Borealis Group. ABOUT NOVA CHEMICALS NOVA Chemicals develops and manufactures chemicals and plastic resins that make everyday life safer, healthier and easier. Our employees work to ensure health, safety, security and environmental stewardship through our commitment to sustainability and Responsible Care. NOVA Chemicals, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is wholly-owned, ultimately by Mubadala Investment Company of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. www.novachem.com Responsible Care is a registered trademark of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada For further information please contact: Baystar Gary Cambre , Communications, Baystar / Bayport Polymers LLC [email protected] Total Media Relations: Tricia Fuller, Communications Director, Total American Services [email protected] Borealis Media Relations: Virginia Mesicek , External Communications Manager [email protected] NOVA Chemicals Media Relations: Jennifer Nanz, Director, Communications [email protected] Jennifer Nanz, Director, Communications Investors Relations: Patty Masry , Leader, Financial Reporting & Investor Relations [email protected] Cautionary note This press release, from which no legal consequences may be drawn, is for information purposes only. The entities in which TOTAL S.A. directly or indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. TOTAL S.A. has no liability for their acts or omissions. In this document, the terms "Total" and "Total Group" are sometimes used for convenience where general references are made to TOTAL S.A. and/or its subsidiaries. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TOTAL S.A. nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE Bayport Polymers LLC Related Links http://www.baystar.com "Our collaboration with the Houston Rockets consistently focuses on giving back to Houston and its communities," said BBVA Compass Houston CEO Mark Montgomery. "This has been a particularly special initiative. These two women were pioneers in the Civil Rights Movement, and have lived by the 'creating opportunities' mantra their entire lives. Black History Month celebrates the undying courage of civil rights leaders whose accomplishments have echoed through the decades, cultivating social progress. We wanted to leverage our long-standing friendship with the Houston Rockets to proudly present this event and inspire those in attendance." Carlotta Walls LaNier was the youngest member of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students, who in 1957, became the first to attend classes at Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army to ensure that LaNier and her classmates could safely enter the school. LaNier and the rest of the Little Rock Nine, were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Bill Clinton in 1999. Lucille Bridges' oldest daughter, Ruby, was six years old when she became the first African-American child to integrate a white Southern elementary school on Nov. 14, 1960. They were accompanied by U.S. Marshals to protect them from protesters. Ruby's first day entering school is the is the subject of a 1964 painting, The Problem We All Live With, by Norman Rockwell. In addition, during the Rockets' game vs. the Miami Heat at 7 p.m. tonight, as part of the Rockets Black History Night celebration, the team will honor LaNier and Bridges on the court during game breaks. To learn more about BBVA Compass, visit: www.bbvacompass.com For more news visit: www.bbva.com and newsroom.bbvacompass.com About BBVA Group BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group has a strong leadership position in the Spanish market, is the largest financial institution in Mexico, it has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt Region of the United States; and it is also the leading shareholder in Garanti, Turkey's biggest bank for market capitalization. Its diversified business is focused on high-growth markets and it relies on technology as a key sustainable competitive advantage. Corporate responsibility is at the core of its business model. BBVA fosters financial education and inclusion, and supports scientific research and culture. It operates with the highest integrity, a long-term vision and applies the best practices. More information about BBVA Group can be found at bbva.com. About BBVA Compass BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 644 branches, including 331 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 63 in Arizona, 61 in California, 45 in Florida, 37 in Colorado and 18 in New Mexico. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (6th). BBVA Compass has been recognized as one of the leading small business lenders by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and ranked 8th nationally in terms of dollar volume of SBA loans originated in fiscal year 2018. Additional information about BBVA Compass can be found under the Investor Relations tab at bbvacompass.com. For more BBVA Compass news, follow @BBVACompassNews on Twitter, visit newsroom.bbvacompass.com, or visit bbva.com. SOURCE BBVA Compass Related Links http://www.bbvacompass.com SAN RAMON, Calif., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- BioVentrix, Inc., a pioneer of technologies and procedures for less invasive treatment of heart failure (HF), today announced a significant reimbursement achievement. InEk, the German Institute for Hospital Remuneration, has reconfirmed the award of NUB Status 1 for the Revivent TC TransCatheter Ventricular Enhancement System. The NUB process recognizes select innovative medical devices for reimbursement support in Germany. It enables participating hospitals to receive full reimbursement for the product and a supplemental payment when utilizing groundbreaking technologies not listed in the existing German healthcare system. NUB Status 1 is the highest priority designation available, and was only assigned to a handful of innovative technologies in 2018. Revivent TC achieved this status for the third consecutive year in 100+ hospitals in Germany. "Attaining NUB Reimbursement Status 1 for a third time is a testament to the impact Revivent TC is having in the German heart failure community. The number of hospitals applying for coverage of Less Invasive Ventricular Enhancement (LIVE) procedures with the Revivent TC system more than doubled. This large increase in product adoption demonstrates the existing therapy gap and growing need for clinically impactful, less invasive, and cost effective HF treatment options," stated Kenneth Miller, President and Chief Executive Officer of BioVentrix, Inc. "We will continue to partner with German heart failure centers who wish to provide this novel therapy to patients who have limited options available to treat their left ventricular dysfunction." About BioVentrix and the Revivent TC System BioVentrix, a privately held medical technology company headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., is focused on developing and commercializing minimally invasive therapies for treating HF. The Revivent TC TransCatheter Ventricular Enhancement System is a closed-chest procedure for plication of scar tissue in post-MI, ischemic cardiomyopathy patients. Placement of the Revivent TC System via the LIVE procedure obviates the need for more invasive surgery. Instead, small titanium anchors are placed along the outer surface of the heart and along one of the interior walls via a catheter-based approach. The anchors are then pulled towards one another, effectively excluding the scarred and non-functioning heart wall. Ventricular volume is immediately reduced as a result of the exclusion, by as much as 30-40 percent1. Click here for corporate video with animation Note: The Revivent TC System is approved for sale in Europe; it is not approved for sale in the United States. 1Wechsler, A. et al., Clinical benefits twelve months after less invasive ventricular restoration operations without ventriculotomy. Annual meeting of the European Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, 07 Oct. 2013, Vienna, Austria. SOURCE BioVentrix, Inc. Related Links http://www.bioventrix.com Toulouse, 60, has served as interim senior vice president of Communications since September 2018. Effective immediately, she continues in the role on a permanent basis, leading the organization responsible for media relations, brand development and management, digital, advertising, in-house creative services, and executive and employee communications. Toulouse will continue reporting to Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Dennis Muilenburg and serve on the company's Executive Council. "Anne has worked tirelessly over the course of her 30-year Boeing career to strengthen the company brand and share our story with key stakeholders," said Muilenburg. "A proven leader with a unique combination of creativity, passion, business acumen, One Boeing strength, and a customer-focused mindset, Anne has the right skills, experiences, values and strategic thinking to lead our world-class communications organization." Prior to her current assignment, Toulouse led Boeing's global brand-building programs designed to help position the company for growth in its second century. Responsibilities included the company's brand strategy, global advertising, sponsorships, the Boeing Store, the in-house creative team, historical archives and corporate identity. Toulouse has also held a number of other Boeing positions including vice president of Employee Communications, Business Operations and Corporate Identity and Advertising. Toulouse joined Boeing in 1989 as a media relations manager in Huntington Beach, Calif., at what was then McDonnell Douglas. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University and is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago. She is also the executive sponsor and ally of the Chicago Boeing Employees Pride Alliance. Contact Chaz Bickers, Boeing +1 312-544-2002 [email protected] SOURCE Boeing Related Links http://www.boeing.com "I am honored to be selected by our partners for this critical role," said Baldiga. "I am looking forward to building upon the tremendous success that we have achieved under Joe's leadership with a strong emphasis on delivering the partner-driven service, focused expertise and highly collaborative approach that we are known for and that our clients expect." In addition to his new role, Baldiga will continue to represent public and private companies and committees of creditors and shareholders in major restructuring cases. "I plan to remain very close to our clients, soliciting feedback and identifying how we can refine what we do to provide greater value," said Baldiga. Most recently, Baldiga represented The Boston Herald in its chapter 11 case, and is perhaps best known for his groundbreaking interpretation of "cause" in restrictions on credit bidding in the Fisker Automotive case. He began his career at Brown Rudnick as a summer associate in 1982, and has taken on several leadership roles, including: head of the firm's Litigation and Restructuring Department; and Hiring, Pro Bono and Diversity Committee Member. Joe Ryan joined the Brown Rudnick in 1978 after a judicial clerkship. During his legal career he has represented debtors, creditors and creditor syndicates in complex public and private company restructurings. As Brown Rudnick's CEO since 2003 he has led the firm through a period of significant growth, including the opening of offices in Paris, Washington, D.C. and Orange County, significant expansion of the firm's offices in London and New York, and the development of leading practices in white collar, IP litigation and European finance and special situations. Under Ryan, the firm has prospered through turbulent economic times, including the global financial crisis, and through many changes in the legal industry. Brown Rudnick's novel socio-economic diversity fellowship program, begun under Ryan, is an example of how the firm responds to change and implements its commitment to equity, inclusion and diversity. "It has been a privilege to lead Brown Rudnick as Chairman and CEO," said Ryan, "and I am so pleased Bill will succeed me. He is a bright, able, deeply experienced firm leader. He will be nimble and flexible in the face of change, and he understands that to deliver the highest value services to our clients requires that we foster an inclusive and collaborative work environment where every one of our lawyers can realize his or her full potential. I am sure the firm will continue to achieve great things under Bill's leadership." The firm continues to be nationally recognized for leadership in corporate restructuring and distressed situations, M&A, and life sciences. Brown Rudnick represents well known buyers and sellers in the M&A arena such as Staples, Victoria and Northwest Broadcasting in transactions around the world. The firm's financing practice includes household names such as Stanley Black & Decker and Hologic. Within the last 12 months, Brown Rudnick has represented high profile clients such as Mark Cuban and Johnny Depp in litigation matters. In Paris, Brown Rudnick's finance team represents the developer of Paris's largest real estate project in decades. Brown Rudnick's restructuring group has represented the primary economic constituencies in the chapter 11 cases relating to the General Motors ignition switch defect claims and the Weinstein Company abuse cases. In the criminal and bankruptcy proceedings relating to the Takata airbag inflator defect, the firm respectively represents the Special Master of the Department of Justice Restitution Fund and the Trustee of the Victims' Fund. Brown Rudnick has also been engaged by the Special Claims Committee of the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico to investigate and prosecute potential claims against third parties in its massive restructuring case, including an action to declare void more than $6 billion of bond debt. Last year alone, the firm represented clients based in more than 90 countries in disputes and transactions. About Brown Rudnick LLP At Brown Rudnick, we combine ingenuity with experience to achieve great outcomes for our clients. We deliver partner-driven service; we incentivize our lawyers to collaborate in the client's best interest; and we put excellence before scale, focusing on practices such as life sciences, corporate restructuring, M&A, white collar defense, international disputes and intellectual property, where we are recognized leaders. We have more than 250 lawyers and government relations professionals across the United States and Europe, with offices in key financial centers. Beyond the United States and Europe, we serve clients in the Middle East, North Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America. SOURCE Brown Rudnick LLP Related Links http://www.brownrudnick.com PROVO, Utah, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Season five of the award-winning unscripted competition series "Relative Race" will air on BYUtv beginning Sunday, March 10 at 9 p.m. ET/7 p.m. MT/6 p.m. PT. The genealogy-based show follows four teams on a surprising, emotional 10-day journey throughout the United States as they complete challenges, discover unknown relatives identified through DNA testing and compete for a $50,000 grand prize. "After four seasons of 'Relative Race' you'd think we'd have seen it all, but the unexpected events in just the premiere episode of this season prove otherwise," said Michael Dunn, managing director of BYUtv. "Three of the four teams are sibling pairs, including adopted and half siblings searching for two family lines, and all four teams are hoping to find at least one biological parent. We are proud to continue to present a show that helps deserving people explore their roots while offering a touching, exciting viewing experience for families to share together." The new diverse lineup for this season includes Team Red, adoptive sisters Liz and Maria Clifton from New York City, who were both adopted into the same family as infants and are searching for each of their biological families; Team Blue, husband and wife Demetrius and Chonta Flowers from Atlanta, who are looking for answers about Demetrius' biological father; Team Green, half-brothers Marcus Taylor and Keith Breedlove from Los Angeles who are hoping to meet relatives on their respective fathers' sides as well as shared family on their mother's side; and Team Black, identical twin sisters Kaley and Kristin Dignen from Orlando, Fla., who are looking for their dad and his family. Armed with only paper maps, a loaner car and a flip phone with a camera, each day the teams receive instructions via text message to navigate to a designated city and complete a challenge that leads them to their previously unknown relatives. The last team to finish each day receives a strike, and after three strikes, a team is eliminated. Season five of "Relative Race" begins in St. Louis, the "Gateway to the West," from which the teams disperse in all directions throughout the United States to meet their relatives. Co-winner of the 2016 Cynopsis Media Best New Competition Reality Series award, the fifth season of "Relative Race" will air 10 episodes. For the fifth consecutive year, BYUtv teamed up with Utah-based veteran reality TV and documentary production company Lenzworks to create the race and challenges. The show is hosted by Dan J. Debenham, Lenzworks' principal, executive producer and former ESPN executive producer, who has been working in the television and production industry for 30 years. In addition to "Relative Race," BYUtv's original programming slate includes the new scripted adventure comedy "Dwight in Shining Armor," in which the Middle Ages meets Middle America; the long-running sketch comedy series "Studio C," which touts over 1 billion views on YouTube; "Random Acts," an unscripted hidden-camera reality show that highlights the altruistic nature of human beings by featuring real people who are the recipients of random acts of kindness; and the new cooking competition series "Dinner Takes All" that's all about food, family and fun. BYUtv is available across the country via cable, satellite and multiple digital media platforms. For a complete listing of BYUtv's programming and to view full episodes, visit www.byutv.org. About BYUtv BYUtv provides families more than 1,700 hours of entertaining and compelling programming they can enjoy together. The network's content is trusted, contemporary and clean, yet clever and sophisticated enough to inspire children and parents alike. BYUtv's diverse portfolio of original, co-produced and acquired content includes scripted and unscripted dramas and comedies, 700+ hours of live HD collegiate sports, game shows, and holiday special made-for-tv movies, docudramas and concerts. BYUtv is available in 50 million homes in every state of the country on DISH Network, DirecTV and 146 other major cable systems. A digital pioneer, BYUtv was the first U.S. television network to stream all of its content live and unencrypted over the internet. Today, BYUtv has over 1 million YouTube subscribers and 1 billion views and is available live and on-demand on multiple digital platforms free of charge, including Apple TV, YouTube, Roku, Amazon Fire, Chromecast, Xbox One, Windows Media, digital apps for iOS and Android, and BYUtv.org. Based in Provo, Utah, BYUtv is part of BYU Broadcasting, which is owned by Brigham Young University. SOURCE BYUtv Related Links https://www.byutv.org Since its inception over a decade ago, CAMTC has worked in partnership with law enforcement agencies throughout the state to fight human trafficking in illegitimate massage businesses, and has developed a model approach to the issue in a state that has seen human trafficking dramatically increase in a number of realms. The President of the California Police Chiefs Association (Cal Chiefs), Morgan Hill Police Chief David Swing, notes that "California's police chiefs recognize the impacts of human trafficking in our communities. We have partnered with the California Massage Therapy Council to proactively strengthen the massage industry in California and are committed to continued work in this area." CAMTC's 50,000 certificate holders regularly receive information about how to identify and report human trafficking in massage, and CAMTC has been diligent about keeping the issue at the forefront to protect massage therapists and consumers. "Prevention of human trafficking has been a core CAMTC initiative for over a decade, and we have several efforts in place to limit its spread in California," added CAMTC Chief Executive Officer Ahmos Netanel. "We focus on massage schools, individual therapists, consumers, anti-human trafficking task forces, victim advocacy groups, and law enforcement agencies in a coordinated effort that has been extremely successful." CAMTC and law enforcement agencies throughout the state continue to work in partnership to stop human trafficking. CAMTC, in its role as a Cal Chiefs Strategic Partner, will provide training on human trafficking prevention in early March at the Cal Chiefs annual training symposium in Santa Clara. For more information go to: https://www.camtc.org/cpca-strategic-partners Contact: (951) 823-7659 or [email protected] SOURCE California Massage Therapy Council For more than 20 years, CareOne thanks to the leadership of CEO Daniel E. Straus and EVP Elizabeth Straus, has placed a strong emphasis on ensuring that the individual needs of every patient and resident are met or exceeded. Over the course of 2018, a sampling of CareOne's customers and their families participated in monthly telephone interviews that include open-ended questions, as well as the opportunity to rate CareOne in specific categories. Every month, CareOne gathered its real-time survey results to gain a better understanding of the patients and residents needs and make improvements when necessary. By qualifying for the Pinnacle Customer Experience Award, CareOne has satisfied the rigorous demand of scoring in the top 15% of the nation across a 12-month average. Clients have the opportunity to achieve this Best in Class distinction on a monthly basis in many categories designed to accurately reflect each patient or resident's experience. About Pinnacle Quality Insight A customer satisfaction measurement firm with 22 years of experience in post-acute healthcare, Pinnacle conducts over 150,000 phone surveys each year and works with more than 2,500 care providers in all 50 US states, Canada and Puerto Rico. About CareOne With services that include post-hospital care, rehabilitation, assisted living, long-term care and a variety of clinical specialty programs, CareOne offers compassionate care in gracious, professionally managed centers and communities. CareOne serves thousands of patients every day and admits and discharges more than 20,000 patients every year. With more than 64 centers in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, and Virginia, CareOne's outstanding programs and services are conveniently located throughout the state. Interested parties can engage with CareOne on social media by following @CareOneMgt on Twitter,@careonemgt on Instagram, and CareOne Management, LLC on Facebook and LinkedIn. SOURCE CareOne Management Related Links http://care-one.com RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- ChannelAdvisor Corporation (NYSE: ECOM), a leading provider of cloud-based e-commerce solutions, today announced a new strategic partnership with Avalara, Inc . (NYSE: AVLR), a leading provider of cloud-based tax compliance automation for businesses of all sizes. ChannelAdvisor and Avalara will work in close collaboration to assist brands and retailers affected by a Supreme Court ruling allowing states to tax remote sales. With the combination of ChannelAdvisor's robust software and Avalara's sales tax compliance tools, brands and retailers can proactively manage online sales and calculate their tax obligations under the new court-mandated policies. As sellers expand to keep pace with the rapidly-evolving e-commerce landscape, developing a streamlined sales tax process becomes increasingly critical to tracking and protecting revenue. "In light of the recent Supreme Court ruling allowing states to tax remote sales, ChannelAdvisor customers have an increasing number of tax questions. Our client base is looking to remove barriers that limit their online sales channel expansion," said Paul Colucci, Vice President, Global Business Development, ChannelAdvisor. "We've developed a strategic partnership with Avalara to provide our customers with a solution. Together, ChannelAdvisor and Avalara can help brands and retailers comply with new tax laws more efficiently, helping them save time and money while strengthening their online strategies." Additionally, ChannelAdvisor's comprehensive platform gives brands and retailers access to more than 100 global marketplaces, helping them to meet the needs of today's empowered consumer across multiple channels. Through this strategic alliance, online sellers can leverage Avalara's tax expertise and software solutions to navigate complex transactions. "ChannelAdvisor understands the needs of its customers, and its e-commerce platform reduces complexity across a variety of mission-critical business functions," said Greg Chapman, SVP of business development at Avalara. "As we continue to see marketplaces and traditional retailers converge, the additional layers of complexity faced by businesses competing in this modern retail arena demand the digitization of essential business processes. We are proud to help provide more accurate and efficient compliance solutions to our shared customers." For more details about ChannelAdvisor, visit ChannelAdvisor's blog , follow ChannelAdvisor on Twitter @ChannelAdvisor , like ChannelAdvisor on Facebook and connect with ChannelAdvisor on LinkedIn . For more information on Avalara, visit https://www.channeladvisor.com/about/partners/avalara/ . About ChannelAdvisor ChannelAdvisor (NYSE: ECOM) is a leading e-commerce cloud platform whose mission is to connect and optimize the world's commerce. For nearly two decades, ChannelAdvisor has helped brands and retailers worldwide improve their online performance by expanding sales channels, connecting with consumers around the world, optimizing their operations for peak performance and providing actionable analytics to improve competitiveness. Thousands of customers depend on ChannelAdvisor to securely power their sales and optimize fulfillment on channels such as Amazon, eBay, Google, Facebook, Walmart and hundreds more. For more information, visit www.channeladvisor.com. ChannelAdvisor Media Contact: Tamara Gibbs [email protected] 919-249-9798 SOURCE ChannelAdvisor Corporation Related Links http://www.channeladvisor.com CHICAGO, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Power Rogers & Smith, L.L.P. is comprised of trial attorneys who've been instrumental in cultivating the practice's reputation as one of the most successful personal injury law firms in Chicago, and who have helped the firm recover more than $4 billion in compensation for its clients. Their successes and record-setting results are continually recognized by some of the nation's leading legal publications and professional rating services, including Lawdragon's eponymous 500 Leading Lawyers guide. Established in 2005, Lawdragon has become a national leader in the legal field, recognizing some of the top legal minds in an array of practice areas throughout the country with specialty guides and its highly anticipated Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America list, and is considered one of the most elite distinctions in the profession. Lawyers are selected based on peer nominations, law firm submissions, and a rigorous review and editorial research process. This year, six attorneys from Power Rogers & Smith, L.L.P. were named to the prestigious 2019 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America: Joseph A. Power Jr. Joseph Power is continually recognized among the best personal injury lawyers in the country, and has previously been inducted into the Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame. Since becoming the youngest trial lawyer in the country to obtain a jury verdict exceeding $1 million dollars , Mr. Power has gone on to secure more than 200 settlements and verdicts in excess of $1 million for his clients, including the largest jury verdict in Illinois history, and other record-setting results involving medical malpractice, trucking accidents, and serious injuries. is continually recognized among the best personal injury lawyers in the country, and has previously been inducted into the Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame. Since becoming the youngest trial lawyer in the country to obtain a jury verdict exceeding , Mr. Power has gone on to secure more than 200 settlements and verdicts in excess of for his clients, including the largest jury verdict in history, and other record-setting results involving medical malpractice, trucking accidents, and serious injuries. Larry R. Rogers Jr. Mr. Rogers, Jr. is has earned a reputation for his tireless efforts fighting for victims of civil rights abuses, police misconduct, medical malpractice, and preventable injuries. Over his 23+ years in practice, Mr. Rogers, Jr. has obtained a number of million and multi-million results in an array of claims for his clients and has become known for his implacable approach to difficult and high profile cases, including several national cases involving officer-involved shootings and wrongful death. Mr. Rogers, Jr. is has earned a reputation for his tireless efforts fighting for victims of civil rights abuses, police misconduct, medical malpractice, and preventable injuries. Over his 23+ years in practice, Mr. Rogers, Jr. has obtained a number of million and multi-million results in an array of claims for his clients and has become known for his implacable approach to difficult and high profile cases, including several national cases involving officer-involved shootings and wrongful death. Todd A. Smith Todd A. Smith is an Illinois native who has secured some of the largest jury verdicts and settlements in the state in cases of medical malpractice, defective products, serious personal injury, aviation, and wrongful death. Over the course of his career, Mr. Smith has earned widespread respect throughout the local and legal communities. He is a recipient of the American Association for Justice's Lifetime Achievement Award (2009), Chicago Lawyer Magazine's Person of the Year award (1998), and numerous other honors and accolades. Todd A. Smith is an native who has secured some of the largest jury verdicts and settlements in the state in cases of medical malpractice, defective products, serious personal injury, aviation, and wrongful death. Over the course of his career, Mr. Smith has earned widespread respect throughout the local and legal communities. He is a recipient of the American Association for Justice's Lifetime Achievement Award (2009), Chicago Lawyer Magazine's Person of the Year award (1998), and numerous other honors and accolades. Thomas M. Power Tom Power is a former Public Defender who handled more than 300 trials during his 7-year tenure with the Cook County Public Defender Murder Task Force. Since becoming Partner of Power Rogers & Smith, L.L.P. , he has leveraged his tremendous trial experience to secure millions of dollars in compensation for victims and families in cases involving automobile negligence, product liability, wrongful death, and medical malpractice, including a $13 million medical negligence verdict for a child who suffered brain damage after the treating physician failed to test for tuberculosis. is a former Public Defender who handled more than 300 trials during his 7-year tenure with the Cook County Public Defender Murder Task Force. Since becoming Partner of Power Rogers & Smith, L.L.P. , he has leveraged his tremendous trial experience to secure millions of dollars in compensation for victims and families in cases involving automobile negligence, product liability, wrongful death, and medical malpractice, including a medical negligence verdict for a child who suffered brain damage after the treating physician failed to test for tuberculosis. Thomas G. Siracusa Mr. Siracusa is a highly experienced litigator who focuses his practice on personal injury and wrongful death claims involving medical negligence, product liability, and auto and trucking collisions. A frequent author and speaker on trial practice, Mr. Siracusa has secured a number of record-setting results for victims and families. That includes a $23M settlement for a mother who suffered brain damage during labor (the largest settlement in Illinois for maternal birth injury), $19.25M for a child injured due to a medication error, and $15M for the family of a women who died from excessive radiation administered during surgery. Mr. Siracusa is a highly experienced litigator who focuses his practice on personal injury and wrongful death claims involving medical negligence, product liability, and auto and trucking collisions. A frequent author and speaker on trial practice, Mr. Siracusa has secured a number of record-setting results for victims and families. That includes a settlement for a mother who suffered brain damage during labor (the largest settlement in for maternal birth injury), for a child injured due to a medication error, and for the family of a women who died from excessive radiation administered during surgery. Carolyn Daley Scott Carolyn Daley Scott represents clients in a range of civil claims, including personal injury and wrongful death cases related to auto negligence, product and premises liability, medical malpractice, and defamation, as well as qui tam / whistleblower claims for fraud committed against the government. In addition to fighting on behalf of clients, Ms. Daley Scott is an active member of various local, state, and national professional organizations, and serves as the Chicago Region Chair for the Georgetown Scholarship Program. Power Rogers Smith, L.L.P. is consistently regarded as Chicago's top personal injury firm. Since its founding, the firm's award-winning trial lawyers have recovered more than $4 billion in verdicts and settlements for clients, and since 2000, have recovered $800 million more in compensation than its closest competitor, according to the Chicago Lawyer Annual Settlement Survey. The firm has gained particular notoriety for noteworthy and record-setting results in plaintiff injury cases involving birth injury, medical malpractice, trucking accidents, aviation accidents, product liability, and wrongful death. The firm's entire legal team is driven to help clients obtain the justice they deserve, while also ensuring corporations and companies are compelled to protect the public, uphold their legal obligations, and do the right thing. More information about the firm can be found at: www.prslaw.com. SOURCE Power Rogers & Smith, L.L.P. Related Links https://www.prslaw.com FORT MYERS, Fla., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Chico's FAS, Inc. (NYSE: CHS) (the "Company") today announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.0875 per share of its common stock, a 3% increase over the March 2018 dividend rate. This represents the ninth annual increase since the dividend was established in 2010. The dividend is payable on April 1, 2019 to the Company's shareholders of record at the close of business on March 18, 2019. ABOUT CHICO'S FAS, INC. The Company, through its brands - Chico's, White House Black Market and Soma is a leading omni-channel specialty retailer of women's private branded, sophisticated, casual-to-dressy clothing, intimates and complementary accessories. As of November 3, 2019, the Company operated 1,431 stores in the U.S. and Canada and sold merchandise through 83 international franchise locations in Mexico. The Company's merchandise is also available at www.chicos.com, www.chicosofftherack.com, www.whbm.com and www.soma.com as well as through third party channels. For more detailed information on the Company, please go to our corporate website at www.chicosfas.com. The information on our corporate website is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this press release or incorporated into our federal securities law filings. Executive Contact: Julie Lorigan Vice President Investor Relations, Public Relations and Corporate Communications Chico's FAS, Inc. (239) 346-4199 Chico's FAS, Inc. 11215 Metro Parkway Fort Myers, Florida 33966 (239) 277-6200 SOURCE Chico's FAS, Inc. Related Links http://www.chicos.com WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Clutch.co, a data-driven B2B ratings and reviews platform, named 205 companies as B2B leaders in the San Francisco metro area today. These companies stand out as experts in their respective industries based on their commitment to client satisfaction, transparent project management, extensive thought leadership, and valuable service offerings. Clutch Leaders Award - Top B2B Companies in San Francisco The leaders can be found in the following research lists: https://clutch.co/top-service-providers/san-francisco https://clutch.co/seo-firms/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/sem/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/social-media-marketing/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/ppc/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/branding/san-francisco https://clutch.co/pr-firms/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/event/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/digital/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/digital-marketing/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/inbound-marketing/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/content-marketing/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/app-marketing/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/email/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/direct-marketing/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/digital-strategy/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/media-buying/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/market-research/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/digital-design/san-francisco https://clutch.co/web-designers/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/creative/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/print-design/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/product-design/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/packaging-design/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/ui-ux/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/video-production/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/experiential/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/naming/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/logo-designers/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/graphic-designers/San-Francisco https://clutch.co/web-developers/san-francisco https://clutch.co/app-developers/san-francisco https://clutch.co/developers/san-francisco https://clutch.co/developers/shopify/san-francisco https://clutch.co/developers/ruby-rails/san-francisco https://clutch.co/web-developers/php/san-francisco https://clutch.co/app-developers/iphone/san-francisco https://clutch.co/app-developers/android/san-francisco https://clutch.co/developers/dot-net/san-francisco https://clutch.co/developers/magento/san-francisco https://clutch.co/developers/ecommerce/san-francisco https://clutch.co/developers/virtual-reality/san-francisco https://clutch.co/developers/wordpress/san-francisco https://clutch.co/developers/drupal/san-francisco https://clutch.co/developers/blockchain/san-francisco https://clutch.co/developers/artificial-intelligence/san-francisco https://clutch.co/developers/internet-of-things/san-francisco https://clutch.co/developers/artificial-intelligence/chatbots/san-francisco https://clutch.co/developers/artificial-intelligence/machine-learning/san-francisco https://clutch.co/developers/artificial-intelligence/robotics/san-francisco https://clutch.co/bpo/san-francisco https://clutch.co/it-services/san-francisco https://clutch.co/accounting/san-francisco https://clutch.co/it-services/staff-augmentation/san-francisco https://clutch.co/transcription/san-francisco https://clutch.co/translation/san-francisco https://clutch.co/call-centers/lead-generation/san-francisco https://clutch.co/call-centers/san-francisco https://clutch.co/call-centers/answering-services/san-francisco https://clutch.co/bpo/virtual-assistant/san-francisco https://clutch.co/consulting/san-francisco https://clutch.co/it-services/cybersecurity/san-francisco https://clutch.co/it-services/crm/san-francisco https://clutch.co/it-services/cloud/san-francisco https://clutch.co/hr/san-francisco https://clutch.co/hr/staffing/san-francisco https://clutch.co/hr/recruiting/san-francisco https://clutch.co/it-services/erp/san-francisco https://clutch.co/it-services/ecm/san-francisco https://clutch.co/it-services/msp/san-francisco https://clutch.co/it-services/analytics/san-francisco https://clutch.co/call-centers/appointment-setting/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/design/lighting/san-francisco https://clutch.co/corporate-training/san-francisco https://clutch.co/agencies/design/architectural/san-francisco https://clutch.co/real-estate/commercial-brokerage/san-francisco https://clutch.co/real-estate/commercial-property-management/san-francisco "As a city that runs on creativity and innovation, San Francisco attracts the top talent nationwide," said Senior Business Analyst Sara Philibotte. Businesses seeking a service provider in San Francisco can use Clutch's rankings to assist in their search. "The sophisticated scoring methodology Clutch uses in our research is proven to help clients find the B2B company that best suits their needs," Philibotte continued. "Clutch's leaders' matrices account for the best partner in every industry segment, from international names to innovators in a specific market niche." Clutch's research on companies in San Francisco is ongoing, and rankings are dynamic. The Clutch team invites interested companies to apply to get listed in the report next year. The results are a snapshot of Clutch's Leaders Matrices on Thursday, February 21. Rankings are dynamic and may not reflect the rankings currently listed on Clutch's website. About Clutch A B2B research, ratings, and reviews firm in the heart of Washington, D.C., Clutch connects small and medium businesses with the best-fit agencies, software, or consultants they need to tackle business challenges together and with confidence. Clutch's methodology compares business service providers and software in a specific market based on verified client reviews, services offered, work quality, and market presences. Contact Sara Philibotte (202) 609-9922 [email protected] SOURCE Clutch SEATTLE, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Clyde Hill Publishing and Levine Greenberg Rostan (LGR) Literary today announced that their client, former Amazon executive John Rossman, has signed an agreement with McGraw-Hill to publish his latest book, THINK LIKE AMAZON: 50 1/2 Ideas to Become a Digital Leader, available for pre-order now. The publication date is May 3, 2019. "For the last five years, my clients and the readers of my two previous books have asked repeatedly their own version of this question: 'What would Jeff do?' Of course, when people ask me, 'WWJD?' they're really asking questions like: What does being 'digital' mean? How do I avoid disruption? Will Amazon enter this business or geography? How does Amazon get these types of results? Would Amazon be interested in partnering with me? Would Amazon be interested in acquiring our company? How do I make my function as easy as shopping at Amazon? There are hundreds of questions in this vein, but they can all be boiled down to 'What would Jeff do?'" There is a playbook or system of beliefs and approaches for how they get results and think about their business. If you've been paying attention, you, too, can figure out how to think like Amazon. The wide set of scenarios and examples in Think Like Amazon may not directly answer your specific question, but by understanding Jeff's general worldview, if you will, you can better apply his insights and principles to your circumstances. "John is a superb example of the literary voices we want the world to hear more from," said Greg Shaw, founder of Clyde Hill Publishing. "He has lived digital disruption and he has really important stories and lessons that should be shared widely." The Amazon Way on IoT is available now on Amazon. You can also learn more on Rossman's popular blog, The Amazon Way at http://the-amazon-way.com/blog/visual-one-pager-the-amazon-way/ John is a business advisor to several boards and business leaders. He is represented by Executive Speakers for engaging keynotes on innovation and leadership. About Clyde Hill Publishing Clyde Hill Publishing is an independent, small press focusing on books by, for and about founders, innovators, thinkers and tinkerers. @ClydeHillPub. SOURCE Clyde Hill Publishing Related Links http://www.clydehillpublishing.com ATLANTA, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Six commercial out-parcels around a Lowe's store in Fredericksburg, Virginia, sold for $792,000 in John Dixon & Associates' February Multi-Seller auction of properties being sold by banks, hedge funds and investors of all sizes. "We got a great response on the out-parcels, and the seller was pleased. In all, we sold 70 offerings for a total of $2.85 million," said John Dixon, president of the auction company. The auction attracted approximately 40 bidders for the two days of live bidding in Atlanta. More than 50 others watched the streamed event and bid via the Internet. "We literally had real estate from Virginia to South Florida, and from Texas to Georgia, so there were a lot of people who were bidding on properties near them. This gives us the best of live and Internet bidding, allowing us to greatly expand our range," said Dixon. Sales also included two former school facilities in West Orange, Texas; canal front residential lots in Cape Coral, Florida; and 45 home sites in McCormick, South Carolina. "One thing that jumped out was the increase in demand for quality subdivision lots, which had been slow to bounce back. It looks like the builders have about built out their supply of home sites and are back looking for more across the board. We had three home sites in Alpharetta that averaged about $83,500 each, and also got some nice prices on lots in Douglasville subdivisions," said Dixon. John Dixon & Associates, headquartered in Marietta, Georgia, is already lining up properties for its next multi-seller auction in the spring. Individuals, financial institutions, investment funds and others seeking additional information on selling may visit johndixon.com or call 770-425-1141. For more information: Carl Carter, 205-823-3273 SOURCE John Dixon & Associates NEW YORK and LONDON and OSLO, Norway, Feb. 28 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Confirmit has won the Gold Stevie Award in the Business Intelligence Solution category in the 13th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are the world's top honors for customer service, contact center, business development, and sales professionals. The Stevie Awards organization stages seven of the world's leading business awards programs, including the prestigious American Business Awards and International Business Awards. Confirmit was honored for enabling organizations to drive real business change from their insights and feedback programs by helping people make better decisions and then monitoring action to ensure that they have a positive impact on key business results. This capability is underpinned by Confirmit's engagement technologies that incorporate action management techniques, predictive analytics and machine learning. Businesses using Confirmit's solutions can map and connect feedback and data sources, drive smarter decisions, and enable faster reactions. Most importantly, they can monitor the impact of action taken and help determine ROI. Two key technologies that help businesses see success include Confirmit Concept Miner and Confirmit Action Planner. Concept Miner uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced deep learning techniques to ensure quick and easy understanding of key insights that may be hidden within text data. Action Planner empowers companies to track and monitor the impact of initiatives on business results and drive viral change. These tools give every team member access to insight that informs smart decisions and ensures everyone can see the impact of them uncovering new best practices and avoiding repeat mistakes. "Our aim is to empower our customers not only leaders, but all team members to make better business decisions every day," said Michael Wooh, Chief Marketing Officer, Confirmit. "But with that power comes responsibility, so as well as supporting better decision making, Confirmit provides freedom within a framework. This means ensuring that everyone follows through with plans, actions are monitored, experiences are shared, and impact is measured. We congratulate all those nominated and are honored to be recognized by the Stevie Awards." More than 2,700 nominations from organizations in 45 nations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were evaluated in this year's competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 150 professionals worldwide in seven specialized judging committees. "All of the Stevie Award winners should be very proud of their achievements," said Stevie Awards President and founder, Michael Gallagher. "Independent professionals around the world have agreed that their accomplishments are worthy of public recognition." Details about the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service and the list of Stevie winners in all categories are available at www.StevieAwards.com/sales. About Confirmit Confirmit is the world's leading SaaS vendor for multi-channel Customer Experience, Employee Engagement, and Market Research solutions. The company has offices in Oslo (headquarters), Grimstad, London, Moscow, New York, San Francisco, Sydney, Vancouver, and Yaroslavl. Confirmit's software is also distributed through partner resellers in Madrid, Milan, Salvador, and Tokyo. Confirmit powers Global 5000 companies and Market Research agencies worldwide with a wide range of software products for feedback / data collection, panel management, data processing, analysis, and reporting. Customers include Aurora, British Standards Institution, Cross-Tab, Dow Chemical, GfK, GlaxoSmithKline, GMO Research, Nielsen, RS Components, QRS, and Swisscom. Visit www.confirmit.com for more information. About the Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com. Sponsors of the 13th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service include Sales Partnerships and ValueSelling Associates. Confirmit Contact: Sara Beth Fahey Matter Communications [email protected] SOURCE Confirmit Related Links http://www.confirmit.com Chinese coal imports have increased by a CAGR of 11% since 2015, considerably stronger than underlying demand growth of 1% per year. During this period there has been major consolidation of the country's coal mining industry that resulted in a 9% drop in coal production in 2016 and limited supply growth in 2017. This consolidation is viewed as successful, as profitability of the coal industry has improved; however, higher imports are an undesirable, albeit very predictable, outcome from supply-side reform and now market conditions are such that policy makers feel able to do something about rising imports. While CRU estimate the Chinese coal industry remains profitable, margins are falling and are at their lowest since restructuring began. Coal demand, particularly in coastal China, fell significantly towards the end of 2018 as Chinese industrial activity deteriorated. At the same time, Chinese coal supply has gradually improved in recent quarters as the pace of capacity closures has slowed and incremental capacity has been expedited in order to bring down fuel costs. Coal production has risen by 5% y/y in recent months, while demand growth has slowed and most Chinese consumers have plenty of stock to use. Both parties will be affected Despite the fairly weak market in China, domestic thermal and coking coal prices have risen in response to this development, albeit slightly. In the last three years, Australian coal has accounted for 30% of total Chinese coal imports but CRU estimate that Australian met. coal accounts for 80% of met. coal imports on the coast (i.e. excluding inland imports from Mongolia). Australian thermal coal accounts for 20% of Chinese thermal coal imports, but the relatively high energy content of these tonnes means that Australian coal has accounted for 30% of energy imported in coal. Read the full story: https://www.crugroup.com/knowledge-and-insights/insights/2019/china-discourages-australian-coal-imports/ Read more about CRU: http://bit.ly/About_CRU About CRU CRU offers unrivalled business intelligence on the global metals, mining and fertilizer industries through market analysis, price assessments, consultancy and events. Since our foundation by Robert Perlman in 1969, we have consistently invested in primary research and robust methodologies, and developed expert teams in key locations worldwide, including in hard-to-reach markets such as China. CRU employs over 280 experts and has more than 11 offices around the world, in Europe, the Americas, China, Asia and Australia our office in Beijing opened in 2004 and Singapore in 2018. When facing critical business decisions, you can rely on our first-hand knowledge to give you a complete view of a commodity market. And you can engage with our experts directly, for the full picture and a personalised response. CRU big enough to deliver a high-quality service, small enough to care about all of our customers. SOURCE CRU MARLBOROUGH, Mass., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- EMSCULPTthe first and only non-invasive body shaping procedure to address both muscle and fatrevolutionized the aesthetics industry worldwide with its launch last year being recognized by top physicians as a gamechanger in body shaping. The treatment continues to gain recognition, this time by patients themselves. EMSCULPT was proclaimed one of the "Most Worth It" procedures of 2019 as recognized by RealSelf, the leading online resource to learn about cosmetic treatments and connect consumers with medical aesthetic doctors. The RealSelf "Most Worth It" procedures are determined by patient's "Worth It" ratingsa proprietary consumer satisfaction score based on their first hand reviews following a treatment, and rate them as "Worth It" or "Not Worth It." EMSCULPT received a "Worth It" rating of 92% in the newly released ranking, which is based on a cumulative "Worth It" rating over the past 12 months (Jan. 1 Dec. 31, 2018). "We're honored to receive this distinction, especially since it's coming from the patients who have invested in and experienced EMSCULPT themselves," shared John Ferris, VP of US Marketing, of BTL, the company manufacturing the product. "This is a testament to the treatment's innovative technology and impressive results. It also further demonstrates the impact the treatment has had on the industry since it just started rolling out in July." Beyond consumers, the brand continues to receive rave reviews from physicians. Not only because of EMSCULPT's impact on the body shaping category overall, but also its ability to help grow a practicephysicians report that approximately 55% of EMSCULPT patients are new to the practice. The brand plans to further this industry buzz by showcasing EMSCULPT during the annual American Academy of Dermatology meeting this weekend (March 1st 3rd). The brand will be hosting multiple peer-to-peer education sessions with leading physicians and clinical advisors. Sessions will showcase best practices and dramatic results achieved with EMSCULPT, as well as how the treatment can be leveraged as a key business driver. BTL will also show their appreciation for physician partners and their contributions to the success of EMSCULPT with an EMbassadors Party on Friday. Utilizing proprietary HIFEM technology, protected by numerous US and foreign patents with more pending, EMSCULPT introduced an entirely new technology to aesthetics that goes beyond waist line reduction and elimination of fat cells to strengthen muscles as well. The unique technology induces approximately 20,000 supramaximal muscle contractions per 30 minute session and is the ONLY technology that destroys fat while simultaneously building muscle. The treatment is ideal for patients who live a healthy and active lifestyle but looking to strengthen and define hard to target areas including the abdominals and buttocks. For more information on EMSCULPT or to register to attend a BTL session during AAD, please visit: www.bodybybtl.com. About BTL Industries Founded in 1993, BTL has grown to become one of the world's major manufacturers of medical and aesthetic equipment. With over 1,500 employees located in more than 53 countries, BTL has revolutionized the way to offer the most advanced non-invasive solutions for body shaping, skin tightening & other medical aesthetic treatments, including women's intimate health and wellness. BTL Aesthetics' brands include EMSCULPT, BTL EMSELLA, BTL Vanquish ME, BTL Exilis ULTRA, and BTL Cellutone. Additional information can be found at http://www.bodybybtl.com. About RealSelf Methodology RealSelf is the leading online marketplace for people to learn and share experiences about cosmetic procedures and connect with the right doctors. To be included in the 2019 Worth It Ranking, treatments must have received 20 or more "Worth It" or "Not Worth It" review ratings between Jan 1-Dec 31 2018 (reviews rated as "Not Sure" are excluded). To be recognized as a Most Worth It procedure in the surgical category, treatments must have received 100 or more "Worth It" or "Not Worth It" ratings between Jan. 1-Dec. 31 2018, while treatments in the nonsurgical category must have received a minimum of 30 eligible ratings. Ratings of "Not Sure" are excluded. To be recognized in either category, a procedure must have a cumulative Worth It Rating of 90% or higher. SOURCE BTL Aesthetics Related Links http://www.bodybybtl.com Fastline Media Group has grown from a traditional magazine and print business to a full-service digital and data-centered operation that provides mixed marketing solutions to the agriculture and related industries. "Over the last few years we have seen tremendous success providing email, digital and data-driven solutions, on top of our already successful magazine and print solutions. We are anxious to build upon our momentum and look forward to Mr. Rushton's data, digital and national marketing background to take us there," said Bill Howard, Fastline Media Group's Founder and CEO. Mr. Rushton joins the Fastline Media Group team from Kentucky Marketing Consulting, where he provided marketing, start up and business intelligence consulting for companies like RooClick.com, the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana and Fastline. Prior to consulting, Mr. Rushton spent seven years as the Director of Digital Media at the University of Louisville and several years managing digital for national brands and running eight different tech startups. About Fastline Media Group Fastline Media Group has grown from a traditional magazine and print business to a full-service digital and data-centered operation that provides mixed marketing solutions to the agriculture and related industries. The company produces 22 farm industry catalogs, digitally and in print, across the United States. Fastline also owns i3 Digital Agency, MCW Printing and provides marketing and business intelligence to the agriculture and related industries. SOURCE Fastline Media Group LLC Related Links http://fastline.com NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Finn Partners strengthens and expands Health Practice senior leadership within its New York office with the promotion of Michael Heinley to senior partner from partner; appointment of Ann Hemingway as partner; and the newly formed medical and scientific advisory services led by former Johnson & Johnson medical affairs leader, Joseph Hulihan, MD. Joe Hulihan, MD, MS-HP, Medical and Scientific Advisor, Finn Partners Health Practice Michael Heinley, Senior Partner, Finn Partners NY Health Group Ann Hemingway, Partner, Finn Partners NY Health Group "As FINN continues to experience industry-leading growth, we recognized the need to expand our senior leadership team, and our capabilities to address the significant opportunity to meet the needs of client and the patient communities," said Kristie Kuhl, JD, managing partner, New York and Chicago Health Groups and US Pharma Team. "We're thrilled to recognize the contributions of leaders such as Michael Heinley, and to strengthen FINN client services with seasoned industry pros Ann Hemingway and Dr. Hulihan." Recognized as the US Healthcare Agency of the Year and a top five global healthcare agency by The Holmes Report, and most recently by the Observer as its #1 Power PR Firm in Health, the Finn Partners Health Practice is among the agency's largest and fastest growing units. Senior Staff Promotions & Appointments Michael Heinley has served as partner and deputy of the New York Health Group since 2016. His promotion to senior partner recognizes the significant contribution to FINN leadership, growth and staff development across the Health Practice. Heinley manages client teams spanning biopharma, medical devices, diagnostics, and advocacy organizations, and he also champions the Practice healthtech accounts group and global collaboration. Heinley is a frequent editorial contributor and speaker on issues affecting the health industry, such as pricing, reputation, issues management, marketing and the transforming digital health environment. Heinley is a health industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience, including leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson, Merck and WebMD. He serves on the Board of Directors of Donate Life New York State. Heinley holds a B.A. in Journalism from Temple University. Ann Hemingway joins as a partner in FINN New York Health Group. Hemingway plays an important role within several biopharma accounts. Hemingway is an accomplished PR professional with more than 20 years of experience leading global and US health accounts. Her career has focused on pharmaceutical product communications including the development, launch and management of programs and cross-functional teams on a large scale including multiple geographies and disciplines. Prior to joining FINN, Hemingway was senior vice president at Edelman and oversaw several portfolios of business and integrated communication campaigns. She also has worked at Ogilvy and HAVAS. Hemingway graduated from Miami University, Oxford Ohio, with a B.S. in Mass Communication. Heinley and Hemingway report to Kristie Kuhl, JD, managing partner, New York and Chicago Health Groups and US Pharma Team. FINN Medical & Scientific Advisory Services "Navigating the health ecosystem requires deep insights and expertise that informs communication strategies to align patient, provider, payer, policymaker, product and service sector interests," said Gil Bashe, managing partner, Global Health Practice. "Dr. Joe Hulihan joining our agency as advisor reinforces our dedication to client service and our dedication to ensure patients can make informed decisions based on accurate information." Joe Hulihan, MD, MS-HP, former head of Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Neuroscience Medical Affairs, serves as medical and scientific advisor to the FINN Health Practice. In this advisory role, Dr. Hulihan provides medical and scientific input and day-to-day guidance to ensure content is medically accurate and compliant with regulatory requirements and valuable to patient communities. Dr. Hulihan also provides staff training and practical medical insight surrounding disease education, product and scientific communication strategies and related activities for data communications, medical expert engagement, medical affairs studies, clinical research programs, and product/data analyses. Prior to establishing his consulting practice in 2015, Dr. Hulihan worked at Johnson & Johnson in neuroscience drug development and medical affairs for 15 years. He was involved in drug development and post-approval medical support for numerous therapeutic areas. He holds a Master of Science degree in Health Policy from Thomas Jefferson University, bachelor's degree from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA, and attended medical school at Drexel University School of Medicine, completing a neurology residency at Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia and a fellowship at Mayo Clinic. Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, Dr. Hulihan was Associate Professor of Neurology at Temple University School of Medicine, and Director of the EEG Laboratory and Clinical Neurophysiology fellowship program at Temple University Hospital. About Finn Partners, Inc. Founded in 2011 on the core principles of innovation and collaborative partnership, Finn Partners has quadrupled in size in seven years, becoming one of the fastest-growing independent public relations agencies in the world. The full-service marketing and communications company's record setting pace is a result of organic growth and integrating new companies and new people into the FINN world through a common philosophy. With almost 700 professionals, FINN provides its clients with global access and capabilities in the U.S., Europe and Asia, in addition to PROI Worldwide. Headquartered in New York, FINN's other offices are located in: Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Hong Kong, Fort Lauderdale, Frankfurt, Jerusalem, London, Los Angeles, Munich, Nashville, Paris, Portland, San Francisco, Singapore and Washington D.C. Find us at finnpartners.com and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @finnpartners. Contact: Renee Martin, Partner [email protected] 212.715.1600 SOURCE Finn Partners Related Links http://www.finnpartners.com CHICAGO, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: FR), a leading fully integrated owner, operator and developer of industrial real estate, today announced that the Company's Annual Meeting of Stockholders will be held on May 8, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. First Industrial's Board of Directors set March 15, 2019 as the record date for the Annual Meeting. About First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: FR) is a leading fully integrated owner, operator, and developer of industrial real estate with a track record of providing industry-leading customer service to multinational corporations and regional customers. Across major markets in the United States, our local market experts manage, lease, buy, (re)develop, and sell bulk and regional distribution centers, light industrial, and other industrial facility types. In total, we own and have under development approximately 65.9 million square feet of industrial space as of December 31, 2018. For more information, please visit us at www.firstindustrial.com. Forward-Looking Information This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We intend for such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, and are generally identifiable by use of the words "believe," "expect," "plan, "intend," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "seek," "target," "potential," "focus," "may," "will," "should" or similar words. Although we believe the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained or that results will not materially differ. Factors which could have a materially adverse effect on our operations and future prospects include, but are not limited to: changes in national, international, regional and local economic conditions generally and real estate markets specifically; changes in legislation/regulation (including changes to laws governing the taxation of real estate investment trusts) and actions of regulatory authorities; our ability to qualify and maintain our status as a real estate investment trust; the availability and attractiveness of financing (including both public and private capital) and changes in interest rates; the availability and attractiveness of terms of additional debt repurchases; changes in our credit agency ratings; our ability to comply with applicable financial covenants; our competitive environment; changes in supply, demand and valuation of industrial properties and land in our current and potential market areas; difficulties in identifying and consummating acquisitions and dispositions; our ability to manage the integration of properties we acquire; potential liability relating to environmental matters; defaults on or non-renewal of leases by our tenants; decreased rental rates or increased vacancy rates; higher-than-expected real estate construction costs and delays in development or lease-up schedules; changes in general accounting principles, policies and guidelines applicable to real estate investment trusts; and other risks and uncertainties described under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed from time to time in our other Exchange Act reports and in our other public filings with the SEC. We caution you not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect our outlook only and speak only as of the date of this press release or the dates indicated in the statements. We assume no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements. For further information on these and other factors that could impact us and the statements contained herein, reference should be made to our filings with the SEC. SOURCE First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. Related Links http://www.firstindustrial.com DUBLIN, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Cancer Diagnostics Market Analysis Report By Type (Laboratory Tests, Genetic Tests, Imaging, Endoscopy), By Application (Breast, Lung, Liver, Cervical, Colorectal, Skin), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global cancer diagnostics market size is expected to reach USD 249.6 billion by 2026, exhibiting a 7% CAGR during the forecast period. Continual introduction of innovative products, coupled with increasing need for early diagnosis of various diseases, is a prime factor driving the market. In addition, rapid growth of the healthcare and diagnostics sector can be attributed to penetration of technologically advanced laboratory systems that have improved oncological screening in yielding accurate outcomes. Rising incidence of cancer is triggering demand for these screening tests and imaging modalities used for monitoring disease progression. Collaborative and independent initiatives led by governments and companies are striving to raise cognizance about the benefits of early cancer diagnosis. In addition, cancer research organizations, along with public and private entities, are investing heavily on research projects to launch advanced diagnostic tools in the market, which are capable of diagnosing the disease much before the symptoms appear. Furthermore, giant players are collaborating with governments and other agencies to enhance patient accessibility to these tests and products. For instance, Illumina, Inc. launched a new venture called GRAIL with investors, Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, with an investment of more than USD 100 million. GRAIL is mainly focused on blood-based oncological screening for timely diagnosis of the most common tumor types through simple laboratory tests. Further key findings from the report suggest: Rapid adoption of technology and escalating need for early diagnosis is augmenting the growth of imaging systems. Thus, the segment is expected to exhibit the fastest CAGR at 8.0% during the forecast period The breast cancer segment accounted for the largest share based on application due to high incidence rate of breast cancer triggering the need for its early diagnosis In 2018, North America dominated the global space with the largest revenue share of 42.0%. Focused research efforts in oncology for development of early tumor detection tools, coupled with grants from government healthcare agencies, are contributing to a strong medical ecosystem to fight cancer in this region dominated the global space with the largest revenue share of 42.0%. Focused research efforts in oncology for development of early tumor detection tools, coupled with grants from government healthcare agencies, are contributing to a strong medical ecosystem to fight cancer in this region Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as the fastest growing region during the forecast period. Favorable regulatory framework and growing patient pool in India , China , and Japan due to support in diagnostic process at comparatively lower prices are some of the factors boosting the market growth in this region is expected to emerge as the fastest growing region during the forecast period. Favorable regulatory framework and growing patient pool in , , and due to support in diagnostic process at comparatively lower prices are some of the factors boosting the market growth in this region Major players competing in this market include GE Healthcare, Abbott, Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., and Siemens Healthcare GmbH. Other prominent players include but are not limited to Becton Dickinson & Company, Illumina, Inc., Koninklijke Philips N.V., and Hologic, Inc. Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1 Methodology and Scope 1.1 Market Segmentation & Scope 1.2 Market Definition 1.3 Information Procurement 1.4 Information Analysis 1.5 Market Formulation & Data Visualization 1.6 Data Validation & Publishing Chapter 2 Executive Summary 2.1 Market Outlook 2.2 Segment Outlook 2.3 Competitive Insights Chapter 3 Market Variables, Trends & Scope 3.1 Market Lineage Outlook 3.1.1 Parent market outlook 3.1.2 Related/ancillary market outlook 3.2 Penetration & Growth Prospect Mapping 3.3 Industry Value Chain Analysis 3.3.1 Raw Material Trends 3.3.1.1 Major Raw Materials Market Analysis 3.3.1.2 Procurement Best Practices 3.3.2 Manufacturing Trends 3.3.2.1 Technology Trends 3.3.2.2 Outsourcing & Contract Manufacturing Trends 3.3.2.3 Cost Structure Analysis 3.3.3 User perspective analysis 3.3.3.1 Consumer Behavior Analysis 3.3.3.2 Market Influencer Analysis 3.3.4 Procedure cost analysis/breakdown 3.3.5 List of Key End-users, by region / by product / by country 3.4 Technology Overview 3.4.1 Technology Timeline 3.5 Regulatory Framework 3.5.1 Reimbursement framework 3.5.2 Standards & Compliances 3.6 Market Dynamics 3.6.1 Market Driver Analysis 3.6.2 Market Restraint Analysis 3.6.3 Industry Challenges 3.7 Cancer Diagnostics Market Analysis Tools 3.7.1 Industry Analysis - Porter's 3.7.2 PESTEL Analysis 3.7.3 Major Deals & Strategic Alliances Analysis 3.7.4 Market Entry Strategies 3.7.5 Case Studies Chapter 4 Cancer Diagnostics Market: Competitive Analysis 4.1 Recent Developments & Impact Analysis, By Key Market Participants 4.2 Vendor Landscape 4.2.1 List of key distributors and channel partners 4.2.2 Key customers 4.2.3 Key company market share analysis, 2018 4.3 Public Companies 4.3.1 Company market position analysis 4.3.2 Company Market Share/Ranking, by region 4.3.3 Competitive Dashboard Analysis 4.3.3.1 Market Differentiators 4.4 Private Companies 4.4.1 List of key emerging companies' /technology disruptors/innovators 4.4.2 Funding Outlook 4.4.3 Regional network map 4.4.4 Company market position analysis 4.4.5 Supplier Ranking Chapter 5 Cancer Diagnostics Market: Type Estimates and Trend Analysis 5.1 Definition and Scope 5.2 Type Market Share Analysis, 2018 & 2026 5.3 Segment Dashboard 5.4 Global Cancer Diagnostics Market, by Type, 2014 - 2026 (USD Million) 5.5 Market Size & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2014 to 2026, by Type 5.5.1 Laboratory Tests 5.5.2 Genetic Tests 5.5.3 Imaging 5.5.4 Endoscopy 5.5.5 Biopsy 5.5.6 Others Chapter 6 Cancer Diagnostics Market: Application Estimates And Trend Analysis 6.1 Definition And Scope 6.2 Application Market Share Analysis, 2018 & 2026 6.3 Segment Dashboard 6.4 Global Cancer Diagnostics Market, By Application, 2014-2026 (USD Million) 6.5 Market Size & Forecasts And Trend Analyses, 2014 To 2026, By Application 6.5.1 Breast Cancer 6.5.2 Colorectal Cancer 6.5.3 Cervical Cancer 6.5.4 Lung Cancer 6.5.5 Prostate Cancer 6.5.6 Skin Cancer 6.5.7 Blood Cancer 6.5.8 Kidney Cancer 6.5.9 Liver Cancer 6.5.10 Pancreatic Cancer 6.5.11 Ovarian Cancer 6.5.12 Others Chapter 7 Cancer Diagnostics Market Regional Estimates & Trend Analysis, by Product & Application 7.1 Regional Market Snapshot 7.2 Regional Market Share and Leading Players, 2018 Chapter 8 Company Profiles Abbott Laboratories Qiagen N.V. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Siemens Healthineers Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. GE Healthcare Hologic, Inc. Becton Dickinson & Company & Company Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Philips) Illumina, Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/4fxq23/global_cancer?w=5 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Amplifon S.p.A. ("Amplifon" or the "Company"; MTA; Bloomberg ticker: AMP:IM), global leader in hearing solutions and services, has moved its North American headquarters from Plymouth, Minn. to Fifth Street Towers, at 150 S. 5th Street, Minneapolis. With global headquarters in Milan, Italy, Amplifon Americas has annual (2017) revenues of $258,537,000 and a total of 470 employees throughout the U.S. and Canada over 180 of whom will now work out of its new Minneapolis offices. "Our city is an emerging force in the tech sector, and we are thrilled that Amplifon will be adding to the buzz by joining us in downtown Minneapolis," said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. "I hear that Amplifon has an excellent team, and I can't wait to meet them all out on Nicollet Mall." Contained within Amplifon Americas' new Minneapolis headquarters are its core business units and shared services teams. In the U.S., the business units include: Miracle-Ear Minnesota through its founder Ken Dahlberg and celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2018. A new customer care call center has been added to the Minneapolis headquarters to serve patients. Learn more at: , the nationwide hearing solution franchisor that distributes branded technology to remove the barriers of hearing loss through more than 1,400 franchised locations across the U.S. Miracle-Ear has deep roots inthrough its founderand celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2018. A new customer care call center has been added to theheadquarters to serve patients. Learn more at: https://www.miracle-ear.com/ Amplifon Hearing Health Care , an independent provider of hearing benefit solutions that works with health plans to provide high-quality, affordable hearing health care insurance and benefits to their members. Through Amplifon Hearing Health Care, their members have access to the broadest nationwide network of high-quality hearing providers, complete lines of hearing devices from all major brands, and personalized support from a team of patient care advocates. Learn more at: https://www.amplifonusa.com /. Elite Hearing Network , a member-driven hearing aid buying group for independent hearing health care providers including private practice audiologists, ENT physician practices, large hospital system providers and hearing instrument specialists. It is the largest network of independent hearing care providers with over 750 members. Through Elite Hearing Network, members have access to nine major manufacturers, peer to peer insights, and dedicated business consultants. Learn more at: https://www.elitehearingnetwork.com/ In addition, the new downtown headquarters offices the Miracle-Ear Foundation, a non-profit organization that works to improve the lives of those who need hearing health care but cannot afford it. Founded in 1990, the Miracle-Ear Foundation has donated more than 21,000 hearing aids to over 11,100 adults and children with hearing loss nationwide. "We're thrilled to become part of the downtown Minneapolis community, and especially welcome our proximity to dozens of other innovative companies in the Minneapolis medical device and health care industry," said Amplifon Americas executive vice president, Marc Lundeberg. "Best of all, our move downtown brings us closer to top talent to people attracted to the downtown area, who are coming in looking for a sense of purpose." Amplifon Americas' ultra-modern 44,000-square foot office was designed by ESG/Elness Swenson Graham Architects with Crawford-Merz as the general contractor. The new headquarters features a 10 foot by 10 foot Amplifon logo sculpted out of 81 glowing light tubes, designed to allude to an important aspect of hearing sound waves. The vibrant, modern workspace modeled after Amplifon Americas' parent headquarters in Italy encourages collaboration to help expand the company's capabilities and meet the growing needs of the markets it serves. About Amplifon Amplifon, global leader in the hearing care retail market, empowers people to rediscover all the emotions of sound. Amplifon's around 16,000 people worldwide strive every day to understand the unique needs of every customer, delivering exclusive, innovative and highly personalized products and services, to ensure everyone the very best solution and an outstanding experience. Amplifon operates through a network of around 11,000 points of sale in 29 Countries and 5 continents. More information about the Company is available at: www.amplifon.com/corporate. Amplifon Americas, a division of Amplifon Group, is a leading provider of hearing health care solutions in the U.S. and Canada. Headquartered in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, Amplifon Americas has been awarded a Top Workplace for the last five years. Its team of 470 people is dedicated to serving the diverse needs of its customers through four unique and independent brands: Miracle-Ear, Elite Hearing Network, Amplifon Hearing Health Care and Miracle-Ear Canada. Together, its mission is to empower people with hearing loss to rediscover all the emotions of sound. Through a powerful combination of leading-edge technology and high-quality care, Amplifon Americas' hearing care solutions strive to improve lives, relationships, and its communities. SOURCE Amplifon Americas FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Greenspoon Marder is pleased to announce the appointment of partner, Myrna Maysonet, as the Chief Diversity Officer. Ms. Maysonet joined Greenspoon Marder in 2000 and went on to become the first female partner. She has since served as a mentor to the firm's diversity and even worked to provide same sex benefits a decade before it was considered to become a law. "Greenspoon Marder is committed to taking big strides in diversity. Myrna has proven to be an integral part of those efforts over her 18 years with the firm," comments Michael Marder, Co-Managing Director. "Our firm make-up is regularly changing and adding dynamics which allow us to better serve and connect with our clients. With Myrna's leadership we plan to continue to diversify our ranks more and more each day," comments Gerald Greenspoon, Co-Managing Director. Ms. Maysonet is an advocate for LGBTQ and women's rights and incorporates these values into her practice. She has covered these issues in a number of speaking engagements and panel discussions. Additionally, Ms. Maysonet is regularly featured on local, national and Hispanic networks including El Sentinel Orlando, Univision, Orlando Business Journal, South Florida Business Journal, Law360 and HR Magazine. About Greenspoon Marder Greenspoon Marder is a national full-service business law firm with more than 200 attorneys and 26 locations across the United States. Since our inception in 1981, our firm has been committed to providing excellent client service through our cross-disciplinary, client-team approach. Our mission is to understand the challenges that our clients face, build collaborative relationships, and craft creative solutions designed and executed with long-term strategic goals in mind. We serve Fortune 500, middle-market public and private companies, start-ups, emerging businesses, individuals and entrepreneurs nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.gmlaw.com. SOURCE Greenspoon Marder Related Links https://www.gmlaw.com TSX-V: HVT;OTCQX: HRVOF VANCOUVER, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Harvest One Cannabis Inc. ("Harvest One" or the "Company") (TSX-V: HVT;OTCQX: HRVOF) today announced the release of its financial and operating results for the three and six months ended December 31, 2018. Highlights: Q2 2019 net revenue for the Company was $3.7 million , a sequential increase of 123% over Q1 2019 ( $1.7 million ). This increase was primarily attributed to initial recreational load-ins under our supply agreements with British Columbia , Ontario , Manitoba and Saskatchewan . , a sequential increase of 123% over Q1 2019 ( ). This increase was primarily attributed to initial recreational load-ins under our supply agreements with , , and . Q2 2019 gross margin before fair value adjustments of 47%. Included in this, is a gross margin of 53% for United Greeneries which is in line with larger Canadian Licensed Producers. As of December 31, 2018 , the Company maintains a very robust balance sheet with a cash balance of $41.0 million . This cash position means all current expansion plans are fully funded and allows for accretive transactions that support the Company's brand and product development strategy. , the Company maintains a very robust balance sheet with a cash balance of . This cash position means all current expansion plans are fully funded and allows for accretive transactions that support the Company's brand and product development strategy. Through its extraction agreement with Valens GroWorks Corp. ("Valens"), the Company has initiated its product development strategy to produce oil based derivative products. Satipharm launched sales of its reformulated proprietary capsules online in the United Kingdom and in the European Union where local regulations allow. Brick and mortar distribution will be available shortly with Canadian distribution to follow. and in the European Union where local regulations allow. Brick and mortar distribution will be available shortly with Canadian distribution to follow. Expansion plans at the Duncan and Lucky Lake facilities are on track as the Company targets an annual run rate of 20,000 kg premium indoor grown flower by the end of calendar 2019. facilities are on track as the Company targets an annual run rate of 20,000 kg premium indoor grown flower by the end of calendar 2019. The Company upgraded to the OTCQX under the ticker "HRVOF" increasing its exposure to the US investment community and improving its liquidity for investors both in Canada and the US. "We are delighted to announce our second successive quarter of record growth for Harvest One with an increase of 123% in revenue over the previous quarter" says Grant Froese, CEO of Harvest One. "These results reflect a successful roll out of our recreational strategy as we continue to deliver on our agreements with all our provincial and private partners. As we focus on operational excellence and execute on our strategy across all our divisions, we will continue to drive revenue growth for Harvest One throughout 2019". Harvest One's 2019 second quarter MD&A and consolidated financial statements for the quarter ended December 31, 2018, along with all previous Harvest One public filings, may be found on SEDAR at www.SEDAR.com. About Harvest One Cannabis Inc. (TSX-V: HVT;OTCQX: HRVOF) Harvest One is a global cannabis company that develops and provides innovative lifestyle and wellness products to consumers and patients in regulated markets around the world. The Company's range of lifestyle solutions is designed to enhance quality of life. Shareholders have significant exposure to the entire cannabis value chain through its wholly-owned subsidiaries; United Greeneries, a Licensed Producer; Satipharm (medical and nutraceutical); and Dream Water Global (consumer); and a minority interest in Burb Cannabis (retail operations). For more information, please visit www.harvestone.com. This press release contains "forward-looking statements," which may be identified by the use of words such as, "may," "would," "could," "will," "likely," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "plan," "forecast," "project," "estimate," "outlook" and other similar expressions, including statements regarding our growth potential, the sustainability of growth, completion of construction at the BC and Saskatchewan expansion sites, output and production estimates at the BC and Saskatchewan expansion sites, development of new products, demand for our products and the medical and adult-use cannabis markets. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management in light of management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, including assumptions in respect of current and future market conditions. Actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from that expressed in, or implied by, any forward-looking statements in this press release, and, accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements and they are not guarantees of future results. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks, assumptions, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual future results or anticipated events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. Please see the heading "Risk Factors" in our 2019 second quarter MD&A which was filed on SEDAR on February 28, 2019 for a discussion of the material risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are included herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Neither TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Harvest One Cannabis Inc. ZUG, Switzerland, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hitachi Healthcare is presenting next levels of diagnostic imaging solutions: the new CT scan, the SCENARIA View, the new high field MRI system, the ECHELON Smart Plus, and SynergyDrive suite at European Society of Radiology (ECR), Vienna, Austria February 28, 2019. SCENARIA View is an all new design that raises the bar for versatility and affordability in the CT industry's largest market of 64/128-slice CT's. The SCENARIA View enhances patient comfort with an open design allowing to both accommodate the largest of patients and precise clinical targeting to feature high dose reduction. The broad range of choices for clinical applications will meet the individual provider's needs as well. ECHELON Smart Plus is a next level 1.5T conventional superconductive MRI system, featuring state-of-the-art technology and enhanced productivity with uncompromised diagnostic value. Echelon Smart Plus also enhances patient comfort featuring very quiet examination, as well as professionals needs with Hitachi's latest SynergyDrive technologies. SynergyDrive represents comprehensive hardware and software that is designed to streamline operations for examinations for MRI, and CT modalities. It comprehensively addresses the bottlenecks in the MRI and CT scanning process from start to finish from patient registration to post-processing and image sharing. It gives value to radiologists, technologists, department administrators and most of all to patients. Mr. Jean-Luc Budillon, President and COO of Hitachi Medical Systems Europe: "SCENARIA View changes the view of CT examinations. It combines all of Hitachi's experience and expertise in a remarkable new product providing an unmatched combination of speed, comfort and quality. ECHELON Smart Plus consistently falls in Hitachi social innovation with its new workflow concepts designed for efficient and simple operations of coil setting, patient positioning and high speed, high clinical value imaging. I invite all ECR attendees to step up and admire the new human centered design in CT and MRI." About Hitachi Medical Systems Europe Hitachi Healthcare in Europe is represented by Hitachi Medical Systems Europe Holding AG, Zug, Switzerland. The company is a first-choice supplier of open and powerful high-field MRI systems, multi-slice CT systems as well as medical ultrasound, endoscopic and optical topography systems. Ultrasound expertise encompasses clinical applications such as radiology, cardiology, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, gastroenterology, urology and surgery. Hitachi Medical Systems Europe offers a complete range of solutions to address a wide range of medical challenges. For more information about Hitachi Medical Systems Europe Holding AG. For more information, please visit http://www.hitachi-medical-systems.eu. About Hitachi, Ltd. Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges, combining its operational technology, information technology, and products/systems. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2017 (ended March 31, 2018) totaled 9,368.6 billion yen ($88.4 billion). The Hitachi Group is an innovation partner for the IoT era, and it has approximately 307,000 employees worldwide. Through collaborative creation with customers, Hitachi is deploying Social Innovation Business using digital technologies in a broad range of sectors, including Power/Energy, Industry/Distribution/Water, Urban Development, and Finance/Social Infrastructure/Healthcare. For more information, please visit http://www.hitachi.com. Pictures are available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) Contact Romea Wallnoefer Hitachi Medical Systems Europe Holding AG Phone +41-41-748-63-33 [email protected] SOURCE Hitachi Medical Systems Europe Holding AG ARMONK, N.Y., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM ) today announced a new portfolio of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions that team artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics to help asset intensive organizations, such as the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), to improve maintenance strategies. The solution is designed to help organizations to lower costs and reduce the risk of failure from physical assets such as vehicles, manufacturing robots, turbines, mining equipment, elevators, and electrical transformers. IBM Maximo Asset Performance Management (APM) solutions collect data from physical assets in near real-time and provide insights on current operating conditions, predict potential issues, identify problems and offer repair recommendations. IBM today announced a new portfolio of Internet of Things solutions, IBM Maximo Asset Performance Management, bringing together artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to help asset intensive organizations, such as the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) in Georgia, to improve maintenance strategies. The solution collects data in near real-time from any physical asset, such as vehicles, manufacturing robots, turbines, mining equipment, elevators, electrical transformers and more, an d provide insights on current operating conditions, predicts potential issues, identifies problems and offers repair recommendations. (Source: IBM) Organizations in asset-intensive industries like energy and utilities, chemicals, oil and gas, manufacturing, and transportation, can have thousands of assets that are critical to operations. These assets are increasingly producing enormous amounts of data on their operating conditions. Keeping these assets up and running is critical to operations and monitoring and optimizing assets on-going maintenance, repair, and replacement decisions requires constant analysis. According to analyst firm Aberdeen Research, unplanned downtime can cost a company as much as $260,000 an hour. Business leaders can now know if a machine is likely to fail, using advanced analytics and AI to understand timing, predict consequences and identify problems. IBM's APM solutions help organizations shift asset maintenance strategies from preventative to predictive and prescriptive by integrating disparate data sources to find assets in need of attention and recommending actions. This solution complements a company's existing enterprise asset management (EAM) capabilities, such as IBM's market leading Maximo EAM solution, and integrates seamlessly with other EAM providers. It includes: Asset Health Insights : Provides asset health assessments in near real-time using asset records, sensor data, and other external data to inform maintenance and replacement decisions. : Provides asset health assessments in near real-time using asset records, sensor data, and other external data to inform maintenance and replacement decisions. Predictive Maintenance Insights: Predicts asset health using statistical models and machine learning. Includes failure date/probability, key drivers, degradation curves, and anomaly detection. Predicts asset health using statistical models and machine learning. Includes failure date/probability, key drivers, degradation curves, and anomaly detection. Equipment Maintenance Assistant: Enables technicians to repair equipment with an AI-powered assistant providing quicker access to documentation, diagnostics and recommendations for repair IBM will also offer the APM suite customized for specific industries, beginning with APM for Energy and Utilities (E&U). This provides industry-specific capabilities to analyze and act on insights from utility assets and includes risk/criticality scoring, health and degradation models, standard industry data model, and weather data integration. "It's critical for companies to think about how effective their maintenance practices are. With the launch of its new Asset Performance Management solutions, IBM is helping organizations make insight-driven decisions with an integrated portfolio of advanced analytics and AI capabilities to help them improve operational effectiveness and efficiency," said Kareem Yusuf, Ph.D., general manager, IBM Watson IoT. "Maximo APM is designed to enhance an organization's existing Enterprise Asset Management system by addressing all aspects of asset performance including health, predictive maintenance and repair optimization." MARTA Keeps Atlanta, Georgia Running The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), the principal public transit agency in the Atlanta metropolitan area, is working with IBM to implement a predictive maintenance solution to improve reliability of assets, minimize costs and create a Transit Asset Management (TAM) tool that provides asset inventory, condition assessment, performance measures and decision support. Through data mining, machine learning and AI, MARTA can access and analyze data to better understand the condition of equipment classified in the categories of life safety, operation critical and operation support to identify potential concerns of a "system" with multiple stakeholders. Ultimately, the solution will allow MARTA to seamlessly move from tracking asset performance KPIs to predicting and preventing asset failures. "MARTA is on track to become the first North American public transit agency to achieve ISO 55000 certification. Collaborating with IBM provides MARTA with the innovation from a technology icon, which fortifies us as an industry leader in Transit Asset Management," said Remy Saintil, director of facilities at MARTA. About IBM IBM solutions are designed to enable clients to improve the operational efficiency of their physical assets and reduce costs through the power of IoT data and artificial intelligence. By collecting and curating data from billions of connected devices, sensors, and systems worldwide, we empower enterprises to derive new insights from their equipment, vehicles and facilities. IBM's industry expertise, leading security, and solutions built for a hybrid cloud environment firmly establish us as a leader in IoT. For more information on IBM Watson IoT, please visit www.ibm.com/iot. Media Contacts: Lowell Eschen Hanna Smigala IBM Media Relations IBM Media Relations 1-303-913-2569 1-203-512-5497 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE IBM Related Links http://www.ibm.com Over four years, the program will grant a total of 46 scholarships to candidates in Norway, South Africa, Liberia, and Ethiopia. The Fellowships for Leading Norwegian Talent will include two scholarships for undergraduate studies and 20 scholarships for pre-experience masters and the Fellowships for Leading Africa Talent will include 24 scholarships for pre-experience masters for candidates. All scholarships will cover up to 100% of tuition fees including living expenses and travel arrangements for the master programs. Scholarship candidates must demonstrate academic and personal excellence, strong leadership capabilities, an entrepreneurial mindset, and a commitment to impacting their home countries upon graduation. With this recent gift and creation of the Kistefos Young Talented Leaders Scholarships Program for undergraduate and master studies at IE University, Kistefos AS continues its support of young talent, specifically in the company's home country of Norway and on the African continent. In the past decade, the investment company, has established programs focused on public service in coordination with other academic institutions such as the Kistefos Public Service Fellowship at Harvard Kennedy School and the Kistefos St. Gallen Masterclass Scholarship. Through this new partnership with IE University, Kistefos AS continues that tradition of empowering young talent to make a difference, now by nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators. "For IE Foundation, this major gift is a testament to both the generosity of Norwegian entrepreneur and philanthropist Mr. Sveaas and our desire at IE to ensure that all students have access to a transformative university experience that will help them forge their own paths and help bring about change for the better," said Santiago Iniguez, President of IE University. For the past five years, IE has awarded approximately 15 million euros per year in scholarships to more than a total of 6,000 students from +150 countries. The IE "Talent without Borders" scholarships program, of which the Kistefos Young Talented Leader Scholarships Program is the latest donor, aims to provide a wide range of scholarships and grants to individuals from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. "Africa's young population will soon become tomorrow's leaders and in the coming years no other region in the world will have such high demand for management education which will drive sustained economic growth and innovation," said Christen Sveaas. "These scholarships will help students from Ethiopia, Liberia, and South Africa develop the skills in technology, business and development which will enable them to have meaningful impact in their countries upon graduation." "The scholarship fund sets out to attract Norwegian students who demonstrate high potential yet lack the financial resources that make an international education possible. These scholarships aim to develop socially responsible leaders who will innovate and advance Norway's business sector through innovative entrepreneurial initiatives," said Bengt A. Rem, CEO of Kistefos AS. About IE University IE University offers a technology-based learning ecosystem for leaders making a difference in the world through innovation, global vision, an entrepreneurial mindset and a Humanities-based approach. IE's faculty includes more than 500 professors who teach degree and master's programs, doctorates and executive training to students from 131 countries. About Kistefos AS Kistefos is a private investment company wholly-owned by Christen Sveaas, with a portfolio that includes Norwegian and foreign companies within the segments offshore, shipping, financial services, telecommunications, real estate as well as financial investments. Contact Kerry Parke Associate Director of Communications, IE University [email protected] +34-915-689-850 SOURCE IE University Related Links https://www.ie.edu MELVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Stability is not a word normally praised; however, in an industry that is navigating through changes, Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, shared positive financial results and customer successes during a recent gathering of esteemed industry analysts and media. During the exclusive event, held February 11-12 in Boca Raton, Florida, Canon presenters, including enterprise, wide-format and production printing, echoed a common theme: The Company's stability and growth were due to working closely with clients and providing exceptional customer service and solutions that help ensure high satisfaction. "With net worldwide sales in 2018 of approximately $36 billion, Canon continues to set itself apart as a strong brand, investing approximately eight percent yearly in R&D to spur technological innovation," said Sam Yoshida, executive vice president and general manager, Canon U.S.A. Inc. "We are optimistic that our growth will remain strong by continuing to support our customer needs and market trends in areas such as cloud/security, offset to digital, vertical markets and digital transformation." Addressing the topic area of document security features, Canon spoke of the recent announcement of the third generation, third edition of its flagship imageRUNNER ADVANCE line. This was the first launch in which Canon MFPs incorporated Security Information Event Management (SIEM) integration and other cybersecurity feature enhancements that allow for activity monitoring and threat detection. In response for the need for security, Pete Kowalczuk, president of Canon Solutions America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., shared staggering security data numbers and the Company's response to this growing trend. "The average data breach in the U.S. cost businesses $7.91 million last year1," Kowalczuk said. "Canon Solutions America is expanding its five-pillar strategy around data security based on: Device, print, document, information and cyber, with new security solutions such as EventSentry and PhishLine from Barracuda." Outpacing industry growth, the Production Printing Solutions Division reported impressive numbers across all print production areas, 83 billion pages were printed on Canon production devices sold by Canon Solutions America in 2018. Exceeding Canon Solutions America's expectation in one year, the Oce ProStream 1000 contributed greatly to its success with four installs in 2018. During the one-day event, guests not only attended executive presentations, but were given the opportunity to hear directly from Canon customers and a dealer during three panel discussions that gave unique insight into real-world benefits of using Canon technology and entrusting the brand as a business partner. Quotes from customers: Chuck Wingard , president of Tree Towns Imaging & Color Graphics located outside of Chicago , shared how the Oce Colorado 1640 wide-format printer has impacted the business. "Not only is the technology nearly four times faster than what it replaced, the print is more durable (ideal for installation by general contractors) and previous issues with dimensional stability have been eliminated." , president of Tree Towns Imaging & Color Graphics located outside of , shared how the Oce 1640 wide-format printer has impacted the business. "Not only is the technology nearly four times faster than what it replaced, the print is more durable (ideal for installation by general contractors) and previous issues with dimensional stability have been eliminated." Jennifer Gilliland , director of desktop engineering at Phillips 66, a Global Fortune 500 company, shared its Managed Print Services transformation experience with Canon Solutions America. "Canon developed a program specifically with a custom short-term lease program, and a right sizing of the environment with more advanced technologies." , director of desktop engineering at 66, a Global Fortune 500 company, shared its Managed Print Services transformation experience with Canon Solutions America. "Canon developed a program specifically with a custom short-term lease program, and a right sizing of the environment with more advanced technologies." Kris Tanner , manager, Solutions Support Group, Schneider Electric, also a Global Fortune 500 company, spoke of its relationship with Canon Solutions America: "They do not treat me as a customer, I'm not just a number on the books. Canon is invested in my success and that is a huge part of why we enjoy our relationship." About Canon U.S.A., Inc. Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $36 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents granted in 2018 and is one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2018. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA. Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office. 1 Ponemon, the 2018 Cost of a Data Breach Study: Global Overview. Availability and specifications are subject to change without notice. Canon products offer certain security features, yet many variables can impact the security of your devices and data. Canon does not warrant that use of its features will prevent security issues. Some security features may impact functionality/performance; you may want to test these settings in your environment. Neither Canon Inc., Canon U.S.A., Inc., nor Canon Solutions America, Inc. represents or warrants any third-party product or feature referenced hereunder. Canon does not provide legal counsel or regulatory compliance consultancy, including without limitation, Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, GLBA, Check 21 or the USA Patriot Act. Nothing herein should be construed as legal or regulatory advice concerning applicable laws; customers must have their own qualified counsel determine the feasibility of a solution as it relates to regulatory and statutory compliance. Canon is a registered trademark of Canon Inc. in the United States and elsewhere. Oce is a registered trademark of Oce-Technologies B.V. in the United States and elsewhere. All other referenced product names and marks are trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged. 2019 Canon U.S.A., Inc. All rights reserved. SOURCE Canon U.S.A., Inc. Related Links http://www.usa.canon.com WESTON, Fla., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Inceptra, LLC, a global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Manufacturing System solutions provider, and the largest Dassault Systemes' value-added reseller (VAR) in North America, is pleased to welcome Yanik Van Coppenolle as its new Marketing Manager. Yanik brings a passion for automation and engineering software with a track record of successfully building marketing operations that produce increased business impact in high tech environments. Over the last 20 years, Yanik has held marketing management roles with ownership of the strategy and execution of integrated marketing plans that include brand awareness build, lead generation, and sales support. Some of Yanik's previous positions include: 5 years as RAND Worldwide's Marketing Director responsible for the VAR's PLM solutions; 6 years at Cimatron Technologies in a management role accountable for developing, implementing and managing all aspects of business operations and marketing for the CAD/CAM/PDM software developer; and most recently, 8 years as Marketing Manager for Kawasaki Robotics where she was hired to grow the marketing function for the robot manufacturer's Americas sales and services subsidiary, successfully spearheading new marketing initiatives that were adopted globally. "With an impressive marketing background of proven growth performance as well as years of experience in our industry and related automation industries, Yanik is both a skilled professional and very familiar with our market and solutions," said Jim Ryan, President and CEO, Inceptra. "We're looking forward to leveraging her talents to continue raising awareness with engineering and manufacturing companies for Inceptra's products and world-class consulting and support services, to create interest and drive demand." About Inceptra Headquartered in Weston, FL, with resources throughout North America, Inceptra is dedicated to Dassault Systemes' product portfolio, plus complementary solutions and internally developed PLM acceleration solutions. Inceptra's offerings include software, support, training and consulting services, including integration services, automation services, and key industry best practices in disciplines such as composites design. Inceptra's customers include engineering and manufacturing enterprises of all sizes across a variety of industries including aerospace, automotive, industrial equipment, consumer goods, high tech, life sciences and civil engineering. This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com. SOURCE Inceptra ASEAN Super 8 gains support from leading companies and government bodies for its debut edition next month KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The organisers of ASEAN Super 8, UBM Malaysia, have announced a top-notch line up for their upcoming trade event held from 19-21 March in Kuala Lumpur - ASEAN Super 8 -- ASEAN's leading event for the built environment, combining 8 established events supported by Ministry of Works (MOW) and Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) and held in conjunction with International Construction Week (ICW). The launch edition which includes ASEAN M&E, Tenaga, ASEAN Solar, ASEAN Lift, ASEAN Ecolight, Ecobuild Southeast Asia, HeavyMach, and IFSEC Southeast Asia has already attracted leading companies such as Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB)-leading urban property developer, UES Heavy Machinery Sdn Bhd, Sime Darby Industrial Sdn Bhd, Dahua Security Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Hikvision (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Leader Cable Industry Berhad and many more has confirmed their participation in the exhibition. Support from big wigs in the industry including platinum sponsor -- Panasonic Malaysia Sdn Bhd, global leader in air conditioning and ventilation, Gamuda Berhad as the gold sponsor, one of the largest Malaysian infrastructure companies, and Aerial Lift & Equipment Sdn Bhd as silver sponsor, the official distributor of JLG Access Equipment for Malaysia and international distributors of fork-lifts, access equipment. ASEAN Super 8 is endorsed by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). Aside from these, the event which is organised by a leading international trade show organiser, UBM Malaysia, is expected to deliver a quality event at the new state of the art venue, Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC), and is expected to attract 20,000 high calibre trade visitors and professionals, and will host over 500 participating companies and 5 international pavilions (German, India, China, Singapore, Turkey). The focus for ASEAN Super 8 and the co-located events will be to bring together a plethora of local and international companies and players from the construction, engineering, energy, heavy machinery & equipment and security industry. Apart from the main trade show, the event is also working with leading government bodies and associations to provide a content driven experience for its audiences including seminars organised by the Malaysian Photovoltaics Industry Association (MPIA), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE Malaysia Chapter), International Construction Transformation Conference (ICTC), and a co-located conference - the 2nd Electricity Distribution Conference by CIRED Malaysia to name few. Also to be held in conjunction with ASEAN Super 8, the Malaysian Security Industry Excellency Award (MSIEA) 2019 celebrates the very best in the security industry. "In addition, ASEAN Super 8 this year offer an extensive onsite business match-making programme that will ensure our visitors have a productive time on the show floor and enhance their experience at the event," said Gerard Willem Leeuwenburgh, Country General Manager of UBM Malaysia. To view full list of exhibiting companies or to register as a trade visitor, please visit www.super8asean.com. About UBM Asia -- the show organiser (www.ubm.com) We Create Business For You Owned by UBM plc listed on the London Stock Exchange, UBM Asia is Asia's leading exhibition organiser and with a track record spanning over 30 years. We provide a non-stop diversified global service for high-value business matching, quality market news and online trading networks. In ASEAN, UBM Asia operates from its offices in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Myanmar, Vietnam and the Philippines with over 50 events in this region. For media enquiries please contact Shyan Tan at [email protected]. SOURCE UBM Asia (Malaysia) Related Links http://www.super8asean.com TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Inolife R&D Inc. ("Inolife"), an emerging life science company and innovation leader in comprehensive needle-free injection solutions, is pleased to announce it has named Camillo Ricordi, M.D. to its Advisory Board. "As one of the world's leading diabetes researchers, we know Dr. Ricordi will help us in our mission to inject well-being through innovation," said Inolife President & CEO Michael Wright. "His expertise will be invaluable as we work to further develop needle-free injectable solutions and nanoparticle powder pharmaceuticals." Inolife Dr. Ricordi serves as Director of the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami (UM). There, he holds the Stacy Joy Goodman Chair in Diabetes Research and is a Professor of Surgery, a Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and Professor of Microbiology and Immunology. He is well known for his cure-focused diabetes research and cell transplantation innovations that are used in centers around the world. The brilliant scientist used cell transplants to pioneer the first successful bioengineered endocrine pancreas transplant. He holds 26 patents and was inducted into the National Academy of Inventors in 2018. "It is my professional life mission to help people who have diabetes. Inolife's synergistic mission makes us excellent strategic partners," said Dr. Ricordi. "Inolife technology allows diabetes patients to inject their medication without needles, with the objective of increasing care plan compliance and improving overall outcomes. I look forward to working with Inolife to positively impact the world through novel drug delivery system development." As a clinical researcher, Dr. Ricordi embraces needle-free injection technologies in a variety of applications, beyond insulin delivery. Needle-free injections are the preferred method for achieving clinical immunogenicity and safety when injecting novel drugs, biosimilars, and heavy complex molecules such as DNA vaccines. Inolife's needle-free injection technologies represent superior drug delivery solutions that pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations, and universities count on to provide safe and consistent results. Dr. Ricordi noted, "In a time of rapid innovation, we must move past outdated drug delivery systems. The hypodermic needle syringe was invented in 1853 and now, more than a century later, I'm excited that we are finally seeing innovation ready to enter the market, I'm looking forward to collaborating in the development of Inolife's next-generation technologies." ABOUT INOLIFE R&D INC./INOLIFE SCIENCES Inolife R&D Inc. is a life science company and an innovation leader in needle-free injection technologies. Inolife commercializes patented, FDA-cleared, needle-free injection systems. Founders built the company to take advantage of novel techniques of the liquid jet and ballistics-based epidermal drug injection that improve patients' and healthcare workers' quality of life by making medicines easier and safer to administer, work better, and remove the anxiety and inconvenience associated with hypodermic needle injections. For more information about Inolife and its products, visit www.inolifesciences.com. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking" and are based on the opinions and estimates of management or on opinions and estimates provided to and accepted by management. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Contact: Michael Wright President & CEO, Inolife Phone: +1 (866) 834-3777 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Inolife Related Links http://www.inolifesciences.com BOSTON, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE: PDT) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Advisers, LLC and subadvised by John Hancock Asset Management a division of Manulife Asset Management (US) LLC, announced today sources of its monthly distribution of $0.0975 per share paid to all shareholders of record as of February 11, 2019, pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan. This press release is issued as required by an exemptive order granted to the Fund by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Notification of Sources of Distribution This notice provides shareholders of the John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE: PDT) with important information concerning the distribution declared on February 1, 2019, and payable on February 28, 2019. No action is required on your part. Distribution Period: February 2019 Distribution Amount Per Common Share: $0.0975 The following table sets forth the estimated sources of the current distribution, payable February 28, 2019, and the cumulative distributions paid this fiscal year to date from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short term capital gains; net realized long term capital gains; and return of capital or other capital source. All amounts are expressed on a per common share basis and as a percentage of the distribution amount. Source Current Distribution ($) % Breakdown of the Current Distribution Total Cumulative Distributions for the Fiscal Year to Date ($)1 % Breakdown of the Total Cumulative Distributions for the Fiscal Year to Date1 Net Investment Income 0.0899 92% 0.2872 74% Net Realized Short- Term Capital Gains 0.0000 0% 0.0162 4% Net Realized Long- Term Capital Gains 0.0000 0% 0.0837 21% Return of Capital or Other Capital Source 0.0076 8% 0.0028 1% Total per common share 0.0975 100% 0.3899 100% Average annual total return (in relation to NAV) for the 5 years ended on January 31, 2019 10.54% Annualized current distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of January 31, 2019 8.02% Cumulative total return (in relation to NAV) for the fiscal year through January 31, 2019 4.15% Cumulative fiscal year-to-date distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of January 31, 2019 2.67% You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's managed distribution plan. The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income." The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. The Fund has declared the February 2019 distribution pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan (the "Plan"). Under the Plan, the Fund makes fixed monthly distributions in the amount of $0.0975 per share, which will continue to be paid monthly until further notice. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact your financial professional or call the John Hancock Investments Closed-End Fund Information Line at 1-800-843-0090, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined by the United States securities laws. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Fund's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. An investor should consider a Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. About John Hancock Investments John Hancock has helped individuals and institutions build and protect wealth since 1862. Today, we're one of the strongest and most-recognized financial brands. We serve investors globally through a unique multimanager approach: We search the world to find proven portfolio teams with specialized expertise for every strategy we offer, then we apply robust investment oversight to ensure they continue to meet our uncompromising standards and serve the best interests of our shareholders. Our approach to asset management has led to a diverse set of investments deeply rooted in investor needs, along with strong risk-adjusted returns across asset classes. About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial John Hancock is a division of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading international financial services group that helps people achieve their dreams and aspirations by putting customers' needs first and providing the right advice and solutions. We operate primarily as John Hancock in the United States and as Manulife elsewhere. We provide financial advice, insurance, and wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups, and institutions. Assets under management and administration by Manulife and its subsidiaries were over CAD$1.1 trillion (US$849 billion) as of September 30, 2018. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as MFC on the TSX, NYSE, and PSE, and under 945 on the SEHK. Manulife can be found at manulife.com. One of the largest life insurers in the United States, John Hancock supports approximately 10 million Americans with a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, and education savings plans. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com. 1 The Fund's current fiscal year began on November 1, 2018, and will end on October 31, 2019. SOURCE John Hancock Investments BOSTON, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Jumpstart, a national early education organization, is celebrating 25 years of providing language, literacy, and social-emotional programming for preschool children from underserved communities. To kick off the celebration, the organization launched the 25 Faces of Jumpstart campaign, recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions that shaped the growth and advancement of the organization throughout its 25-year history. What started in 1994 as a pilot tutoring program out of Yale University that paired college students with preschoolers from underserved communities has transformed the lives of more than 123,000 children with the help of more than 50,000 college student and community volunteers. By leveraging partnerships with institutions of higher education, community organizations, Head Start programs, community-based preschools, and school districts, Jumpstart now has programs all across the country in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Evidence-based practices and evaluation have been strong components of Jumpstart's program from the beginning, and today over two decades of research support the critical impact that early development of literacy, language, and social-emotional skills can have on young children growing up in poverty. A recent evaluation found that 91% of Jumpstart children showed growth on specific language and literacy skills, while results from the Test of Preschool Early Literacy indicate that Jumpstart children are closing the gap and developing language and literacy skills that are important for kindergarten readiness. A recent pilot study also found that Jumpstart children were nearly 2x more likely than those in the normed sample to demonstrate stronger social-emotional skills, another important indicator of school readiness. Jumpstart also recognizes that in order for our youngest learners to build a strong foundation for lifelong learning, their educators must be well-prepared, trained, and supported in order to succeed and stay in their profession. As a result, throughout the last decade, Jumpstart's programming has grown and evolved to include multiple aspects of early childhood education from workforce development to advocacy. "We are inspired by the thousands of college student and community volunteers who build deep and lasting relationships with young children and provide critical programs that have a proven impact on school readiness," says Naila Bolus, President and CEO. "Many of our volunteers go on to pursue careers as early childhood educators, and all of our volunteers gain valuable skills that better position them to lead in their careers." Throughout 2019, in honor of its 25th Anniversary, Jumpstart will be shining a light on those who have played a major role in the organization's history with 25 Faces of Jumpstart. This campaign celebrates a wide variety of people including the founders of Jumpstart, volunteers, Jumpstart children and their families, higher education partners, and influential donors and supporters. The 25 Faces of Jumpstart are as follows: Raymond Buford Eric Carle David Carmel Joseph Castro Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro Kamalah Fletcher Emily Haber and Massachusetts Service Alliance Chris Hernandez Vanessa Kirsch Jess Lazzara Aaron Lieberman Jen Marrus Jordan Meranus Dianne Morales Marta Moret State Representative Tram Nguyen Astriz Perez Samantha Perez Patrick Romero Dale Atkins Rosen Rebecca Weintraub Sharon Scott-Chandler and Action for Boston Community Development Chris Stadler Jen Waldron Rob Waldron "While it was difficult to narrow the list of Jumpstart champions to just 25 Faces, we are eager to celebrate them and all those they represent who have shared our passion for closing the opportunity gap and putting children first. We are looking forward to continuing to make an impact on the lives of children and their communities for the next 25 years," shares Bolus. Learn more about Jumpstart's 25-year history and read the first 25 Faces profile about Jumpstart's founders at https://www.jstart.org/25th-anniversary/. ABOUT JUMPSTART Jumpstart is a national early education organization working toward the day every child in America enters kindergarten prepared to succeed. Jumpstart provides language, literacy, and social-emotional programming for preschool children from underserved communities and promotes quality early learning for all children. Jumpstart is a proud member of the AmeriCorps service network. Learn more at jstart.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @Jumpstartkids . SOURCE Jumpstart Related Links www.jstart.org Across schools globally, 25 percent of what the teacher says in class never reaches students' brains. In the back of the classroom or away from the instructor and presenters, the amount of missing information approaches 40 percent; Kernsville Elementary's adoption of FrontRow classroom audio to overcome this learning barrier is an indicator of its commitment to excellence. Among a multitude of benefits, the teacher and student microphones have shown a positive impact on students' reading and comprehension. "Their [the students'] phonic skills have definitely improved because, when I use the microphone, they can hear those individual sounds. They're able to stretch out words a little more easily," says Kernsville first grade teacher Traci Falco. "They're able to spell words more easily. And they're able to read more fluently because they're clearly hearing all the sounds in their heads as they use the audio system." Phonemic awareness the ability to distinguish individual speech sounds is a basic requirement for developing young skillful readers. It's hard to be aware of phonemes if you're not consistently and clearly hearing them. Because FrontRow sound systems increase speech clarity and phonemic awareness, they significantly enhance Kernsville Elementary's effectiveness of reading and spelling instruction. A boost in confidence when using the student handheld microphone also plays a role in developing better young readers. "I love watching the struggling readers build more confidence in themselves and they volunteer a lot more because they feel like using the microphone makes them extra special; they get excited to do that," says Kernsville teacher Allison Davis. "A lot more hands go up in the air once I hand out the microphone, so they really love using it." And classroom audio also addresses a costly reality that plagues schools nationwide: a high number of teacher sick days due to vocal disorders and voice attrition. "With school children working in different parts of the room, you kind of feel the need to project a little more, which then therefore causes loss of voice and sore throat. So the audio system really just helps to make sure that your voice can reach the kids in all areas of the room," says Cathy Bendekovits, also a first grade teacher at the school. In the US, $2.5 billion dollars are spent annually on sick leave for teachers with vocal problems and those teacher absences can create learning snags for students, as lessons lose cohesiveness; having a classroom audio system substantially curtails this number. "When I didn't have my audio system, I would go home at night and my voice would be absolutely exhausted," shares Falco. "With a group of first graders, it's hard to be talking all day long and not go home without a raspy voice. Now with FrontRow's Juno system, I find that I don't have to project my voice quite as loudly and it's really saving on my vocal cords." Kernsville Elementary's Principal Michael Gehringer notes the dramatic changes in school performance and how time and energy can be best distributed once the need for classroom audio is addressed. "We use SWPBS, which is school-wide positive behavior. With classroom audio in all learning spaces, we're able to really focus on those positives and there are a lot less negativesbecause we're not stopping due to children not hearing what's going on. A teacher can act and speak in their normal tone and everyone is getting the same instruction or the same directions," shares Gehringer. "Kernsville's results reflect how our classroom audio technology can provide a path for academic performance and education success," says FrontRow CEO Jens Holstebro. "FrontRow is helping transform the modern classroom into a more successful space for learning, elevating teacher and student achievement." When asked why he would encourage other principals and districts to adopt this education technology, Gehringer is fast to echo his teachers' findings and is keen on citing the increase in teacher and student engagement across the school. "It is going to get your students and your teachers actively engaged in the learning process, not only within the curriculum, but in the classroom, which is the most important thing." Images Teacher 1: Allison Davis teaching her first grade class students on floor teaching her first grade class students on floor Teacher 2: Allison Davis close-up with microphone close-up with microphone Teacher 3: Traci Falco in her first grade class in her first grade class Principal: Michael Gehringer in his office in his office Student 1: First grade student participating in class and surrounded by group of classmates Student 2: Two students reading and holding the mic during class Student 3: First grade student holding mic with classmates around her Student 4: First grade student reading while holding mic Video About FrontRow FrontRow helps schools communicate effortlessly with students, groups, and devices. More than 25,000 schools choose FrontRow for its easy-to-use products, better academic outcomes, and a more efficient campus. FrontRow ed tech solutions include: Classroom audio systems (soundfield) for teacher voice, student voice, and media audio amplification Automated lesson capture and distribution AV control and management Campus communication and control, including IP paging, intercom, and bell scheduling FrontRow is part of the William Demant Groupfounded in 1904 and listed on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange (CSE3247)through 45 Group companies in over 20 countries, its consolidated sales exceed US$1.9 billion. SOURCE FrontRow Related Links http://www.gofrontrow.com PRAGUE, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Krupa Global Investments ("KGI"), a Prague-based investment firm and formerly a significant shareholder of AmTrust Financial Services, Inc. ("AmTrust") has filed a complaint against Stone Point Capital ("Stone Point") and AmTrust before the European Commission Directorate-General for Competition alleging that AmTrust and Stone Point violated Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union by committing antitrust violations. Stone Point Capital, along with the Zyskind/Karfunkel family together formed Evergreen LP, which purchased and privatized AmTrust in 2018 in a transaction that KGI strongly opposed and believed was suspicious. KGI contends that the AmTrust and Stone Point potentially engaged in advance of the aforementioned transaction in violation of EU law. Specifically, KGI's complaint centers on two principal alleged infringements of Article 7 of Regulation No 1/2003 of the aforementioned Article 101. The first alleged infringement is that AmTrust and Stone Point engaged in coordinating the market behavior of AmTrust and insurance companies controlled by Stone Point Capital. KGI alleges that this behavior includes an agreement on collective boycotting of AmTrust customers by lowering the stability of insurance products provided by AmTrust. Furthermore, KGI contends that AmTrust and Stone Point agreed not to compete with each other in certain areas of the insurance business thereby reducing competition and adversely impacting consumers. The second alleged infringement is that AmTrust, Stone Point, and insurance companies controlled by Stone Point exchanged sensitive business information with one another thereby again adversely impacting consumers. Both AmTrust and Stone Point are based in the United States but have significant EU operations through subsidiaries thus making both firms, in KGI's view, accountable to EU regulations. KGI cites as the chain of events leading up to the eventual merger and privatization transaction as further evidence of the allegedly collusive activities of AmTrust, Stone Point, and insurance companies controlled by Stone Point. On February 27, 2017, AmTrust surprised many investors when it announced issues with financial reporting. Subsequently, they announced that financial statements for 2014, 2015 and most of 2016 could no longer be relied upon. In April 2017, the Wall Street Journal reported that AmTrust was under investigation by the SEC, the FBI and the New York Department of Financial Services. AmTrust stock decreased rapidly from $27.66 per share on February 27, 2017 to $15.30 per share on April 11, 2017. KGI believes this rapid stock decline, which saw AmTrust stock go below $10 per share in late 2017 may have been caused by manipulation by AmTrust management, Stone Point and the Zyskind/Karfunkel for the purpose of conducting the aforementioned merger at the lowest possible price. KGI and its related entity Arca Capital successfully fought Stone Point and the Zyskind/Karfunkel family, forcing two successive price increases from $12.25 to $13.50 and subsequently from $13.50 to $14.75. Nonetheless, KGI contends that $14.75 is far from a fair value for AmTrust and that fair value is in excess of $20 per share. KGI is asking the EU Commission to initiate a formal investigation into the aforementioned alleged infringements of Article 101. Furthermore, KGI has recently filed a complaint in Delaware Chancery Court against AmTrust alleging breach of fiduciary duty. Pavol Krupa, Chairman of Krupa Global Investments, had the following comment, "AmTrust, Stone Point Capital and the Zyskind/Karfunkel family have disrespected investors through pushing an absurdly low priced privatization transaction and disenfranchising minority shareholders. They have disrespected their customers through their anti-competitive activities, which have increased prices and decreased the quality of the product. Now, we believe they have brazenly disrespected the European Union through violating established antitrust regulations. We believe that a full investigation by EU regulators will show conclusively that AmTrust, Stone Point and the Zyskind/Karfunkel family have failed to follow EU regulations and that subsequently appropriate action will be taken." About Krupa Global Investments: Krupa Global Investments, previously known as Arca Capital, is a private investment group with a focus on energy, real estate, retail and service activities, as well as regulated activities focused on building and managing fund structures focusing on energy, real estate and financial services. It is named after its founder and chairman, Pavol Krupa. The firm takes an activist approach, with the goal of remedying and eliminating management actions that have a negative impact on companies, and with the goal of achieving significant positive change in strategy, financial structure or management. The firm has fought and won many successful battles and in so doing has streamline companies and realize hundreds of millions in shareholder value. Contact for media: Barbora Hanakova, Spokesperson +420 776 575 096 [email protected] www.krupainvestments.com SOURCE Krupa Global Investments Related Links http://www.krupainvestments.com CHICAGO, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Supply Chain Sources will be introducing several new product lines under the LIFESMART brand for the 2019-2020 season at the International Housewares Show, March 2nd thru 5th at McCormick Place in Chicago. LIFESMART SIGNATURE GRILLS & GRIDDLES LIFESMART PUREWASH The LIFESMART brand, which was founded in 2009 by Mike Dolder and Lauren Brill, has been an industry leader in Infrared Heating products, Infrared Fireplace and Spas over a 10-year period. Dolder and Brill sold the company to a private equity group in 2013 and started other ventures in massage chairs, lift chairs, grills and stand desks. In 2017, Tim Hu along with the original Chinese suppliers bought the brand back from private equity, sold the LIFESMART spa brand to Watkins Manufacturing, and combined the remaining assets with Dolder and Brill to form Supply Chain Sources in 2017. "Our mission in 2017 was to re-establish and expand the LIFESMART heating program," said Dolder. "In 2018, we combined the heating program with fans, coolers, humidifiers, pellet grills, kamado grills, griddles, shiatsu massage chairs and recliners, and lift chairs. This has allowed us to open more doors and extend the brand." "For 2019, our focus is innovation and brand recognition," said Hu. We will be introducing a new opportunity with the Deen Brothers to promote our latest line of grills, kamados and griddles. They have contributed innovation along with recipes, rubs and accessory items to enhance the line." "Additionally, The Deen Brothers will help us launch our latest addition: the LIFESMART PUREWASH. This a food purification device that effectively washes vegetables and fruit for safety and healthy consumption. It is FDA listed and the product is not limited to fruits and vegetables - it can be used for toys and other heavy use products to sanitize safely," said Hu. "We really see the addition of the Deen Brothers as a natural for our grills and our PUREWASH," said Dolder. The Deens are both New York Times' best-selling authors of 7 cookbooks with countless network television appearances and shows of their own, both separately and together. Jamie and Bobby share a quick wit and a love of cooking. Together, they blended their individual tastes & styles to create a line of Deen Brothers products, including BBQ sauces, cookware, spices, and rubs. In addition, they are co-owners and partners of 6 restaurants around the US. The LIFESMART brand continues to grow and expand. Learn more about the LIFESMART brand: http://lifesmartproducts.com https://www.facebook.com/lifesmartproducts Media Contact: Mike Dolder [email protected] 435-757-9949 SOURCE LIFESMART Related Links http://lifesmartproducts.com WASHINGTON, Feb 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumenis Ltd., the world's largest energy-based medical device company for aesthetic, surgical, and ophthalmic applications, will unveil a wide range of new solutions at this year's AAD. Launching on the show floor March 1st March 3rd will be updates to brand-favorite technologies such as the new LightSheer QUATTRO and SPLENDOR X in the hair-removal category, PiQo4 for tattoo removal, pigmentation and skin resurfacing, and rounding out the range of new launches will be the exciting new NuEra Tight. Lumenis Unveils a Wide Range of Innovative Technologies for Multiple Skin and Body Applications at the 2019 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Conference (PRNewsfoto/Lumenis Ltd) The innovative NuEra Tight will be Lumenis' showcase platform on display during the AAD. The non-invasive, intelligent temperature-controlled RF technology can be used for both superficial and deep heating that treats a variety of conditions such as skin laxity and the appearance of cellulite around the abdomen, flanks, buttocks, inner and outer thighs, upper arms, elbows, knees, bra and back fat. The next generation of the FDA-cleared, high-power device will be unveiled with a new, sleek design, a novel large screen, an updated GUI system and a new HP design lending to a more ergonomic use. "The deep heating of the NuEra Tight allows me to get deep into the skin's tissue for lasting results and lets me personalize my patient's body's needs," said Board-Certified Dermatologist, Dr. Quenby Erickson. "The temperature control feature of the non-invasive RF device allows me to provide a safe and effective treatment for all." Erickson will be presenting live demos and hosting two talks during AAD where she will discuss the NuEra's body-smoothing abilities. In addition to Erickson's presentations on NuEra, esteemed physicians including Dr. Vic Ross, Dr. Daniel Friedmann and Dr. Girish Munavalli will be showcasing Lumenis celebrated portfolio of technologies through multiple activations and live demonstrations of products such as SPLENDOR X, LightSheer QUATTRO , M22 and PiQo4. Guests will be able to learn more about utilizing Lumenis' wide range of devices to treat skin and body, and observe revolutions in hair removal, skin resurfacing and body smoothing, in addition to other topics of interest. "We are excited to showcase our diverse portfolio of innovative, premium solutions and technologies, reflected in our theme Success Comes in Many Shapes," said Tzipi Ozer-Armon, CEO of Lumenis. "As leaders in the Aesthetic category, we are committed to continuous technological and clinical innovation, offering our customers a broad range of market-leading solutions to shape their practices and achieve better treatment outcomes." Lumenis will be providing booth attendees complimentary professional headshots and hosting an exclusive VIP Champagne toast at their booth on Friday, March 1st at 3PM. For more information, please visit Lumenis.com or visit booth #1837. Lumenis is a global leader in the field of minimally-invasive clinical solutions for the Surgical, Ophthalmology, and Aesthetic, Surgical, and Ophthalmology markets, and is a world-renowned expert in developing and commercializing innovative energy-based technologies, including Laser, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and Radio-Frequency (RF). For 50 years, Lumenis' ground-breaking products have redefined medical treatments and have set numerous technological and clinical gold-standards. Lumenis has successfully created solutions for previously untreatable conditions, as well as designed advanced technologies that have revolutionized existing treatment methods. Lumenis is a portfolio company of XIO Group, a global alternative investments firm headquartered in London. For more information visit: www.lumenis.com Forward-Looking Statements Information provided in this press release may contain statements relating to current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about future events that are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may include but are not limited to the Company's plans, objectives and expectations for future operations, including its projected results of operations. Forward-looking statements are often characterized by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "believe," "should," "intend," "plan," "project" or other similar words, but are not the only way these statements are identified. These forward-looking statements are based upon our management's current estimates and projections of future results or trends. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties these forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether a result of new information, future events or otherwise. http://www.lumenis.com/ For further information, contact 5W Public Relations at [email protected]. SOURCE Lumenis Ltd Related Links http://www.lumenis.com IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Founded in 2004, The Law Office of Marshall Silberberg has focused exclusively on helping injured people exercise their rights. With precision and thorough investigation at the forefront of their firm's values, the Law Office of Marshall Silberberg has tried in surfeit 250 cases to verdict. Dedicated to providing their clients with the quality legal counsel they deserve, the firm is commended for lending a compassionate approach to those they serve. Mr. Silberberg has served over 30 years as a defense attorney for hospitals and physicians. Venerated for his outstanding contributions to the field of law, throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Silberberg has attained extensive expertise in the areas of personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, legal malpractice, medical malpractice, and toxic torts. Mr. Silberberg has tried to verdict an excess of 200 medical malpractice cases. The firm as a whole has won more than $500 million on behalf of its clients. It was during his time at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles where Mr. Sillberberg received his exceptional educational background, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in 1970. Thereafter, Mr. Silberberg would go on to attend McGeorge School of Law at the University of the Pacific in Sacramento where he earned his Juris Doctor degree. Mr. Silberberg is a distinguished fellow of several elite organizations including the Los Angeles County Bar Association, American Bar Association, State Bar of California, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel where he sits on the Board of Directors, American Board of Trial Advocates, and International Academy of Trial Lawyers. In recognition of his many professional distinctions, Mr. Silberberg was the honorary recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Civil Procedure and Family Law. Contact: Katherine Green , 516-825-5634 [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com BRAMPTON, ON, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - MDA, a Maxar Technologies company (NYSE: MAXR) (TSX: MAXR), today applauded the announcement by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) minister Navdeep Bains that Canada will join the Lunar Gateway program, a major international initiative led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to return to the Moon. Canada will provide artificial intelligence-based robotics for the Lunar Gateway, extending the Canadarm program for another generation. In addition to the Lunar Gateway announcement, the government announced a number of other space initiatives and committed to unveiling a long-term space strategy in the coming days. Canada's commitment to the Lunar Gateway program totals CAD $2.05 billion over the duration of the program. The Lunar Gateway will be a Moon-orbiting outpost that will support persistent human activity on the lunar surface and serve as short-term habitat for astronauts, a communications node, a science laboratory and a staging ground for exploration into deeper space. The first elements of the Lunar Gateway will launch in 2022, and construction will take place over the next several years. "We are extremely pleased to see the Government of Canada continue our country's leadership role on the international space team, and to advance Canada's unique world leadership position in space robotics," said Mike Greenley, Group President of MDA. "MDA is honoured to have been the provider of space robotics to the Canadian government for over 35 years on the Space Shuttle program and the International Space Station." The "Canadarm3" robotics on the Lunar Gateway will be essential for critical operations and maintenance of this new international space station, on both the outside and inside of the station, and will consist of a larger manipulator arm and a smaller dexterous arm. Whereas the current International Space Station (ISS) operates approximately 400 kilometres from Earth, the Lunar Gateway will orbit the Moon approximately 400,000 kilometres from Earth, requiring a significant advancement in robotic and autonomous control systems and capabilities. Because of this great distance, the highly specialized Canadian contribution to the Lunar Gateway program will leverage the Canadian industrial base expertise in both space robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) two areas where Canadian firms and academic organizations are established international leaders. "Over 500 companies across Canada participated in the ISS robotics program," added Mr. Greenley. "We expect a similarly robust and diverse pan-Canadian supply chain will form to execute Canada's commitment to the Lunar Gateway, including Canada's strong AI community." MDA has conducted a number of early concept studies for the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) on the Lunar Gateway robotics solution over the past several years, as well as a survey of Canadian firms that could be engaged to deliver this capability. In 2018, MDA conducted its own industry day to meet with key industrial suppliers across Canada to explore this potential space robotics opportunity. MDA estimates that the Lunar Gateway program will create 10,000 person-years of employment over the duration of the program involving high quality Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) jobs in Canada as a result of this commitment by Canada. Furthermore, this flagship program will enable follow-on exports and commercialization in the new space economy and enhance industrial competitiveness on the global stage. Canada's world-renowned space robotics and on-orbit servicing capabilities span more than 35 years, including more than 90 on-orbit servicing missions with Canadarm as part of the Space Shuttle program, plus 18 years of continual robotic operations using Canadarm2 and Dextre to build and maintain the International Space Station. In return for Canada's contribution of space robotics, Canada was offered astronaut flights to date, nine Canadian astronauts have flown on 17 spaceflight missions. MDA has been part of an initiative called Don't Let Go Canada, a coalition of close to 70 space companies, associations, student groups, academia and labour that has called on the government to announce a long-term space strategy and investment in Canada's space program in order to extend Canada's leadership in space, secure tomorrow's STEM jobs and to position Canada to succeed in the emerging $1 trillion commercial space economy. ________________ About MDA MDA is an internationally recognized leader in space robotics, space sensors, satellite payloads, antennas and subsystems, surveillance and intelligence systems, defence and maritime systems, and geospatial radar imagery. MDA's extensive space expertise and heritage translates into mission-critical defence and commercial applications that include multi-platform command, control and surveillance systems, aeronautical information systems, land administration systems and terrestrial robotics. MDA is also a leading supplier of actionable mission-critical information and insights derived from multiple data sources. Founded in 1969, MDA is recognized as one of Canada's most successful technology ventures with locations in Richmond, Ottawa, Brampton, Montreal, Halifax and the United Kingdom. MDA is a Maxar Technologies company (TSX: MAXR) (NYSE: MAXR). For more information visit www.mdacorporation.com. About Maxar Technologies As a global leader of advanced space technology solutions, Maxar Technologies is at the nexus of the new space economy, developing and sustaining the infrastructure and delivering the information, services, systems that unlock the promise of space for commercial and government markets. As a trusted partner, Maxar Technologies provides vertically integrated capabilities and expertise including satellites, Earth imagery, robotics, geospatial data and analytics to help customers anticipate and address their most complex mission-critical challenges with confidence. With more than 6,100 employees in over 30 global locations, the Maxar Technologies portfolio of commercial space brands includes MDA, SSL, DigitalGlobe and Radiant Solutions. Every day, billions of people rely on Maxar to communicate, share information and data, and deliver insights that Build a Better World. Maxar trades on the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange as MAXR. For more information, visit www.maxar.com. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements and other information included in this release constitute "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") under applicable securities laws. Statements including words such as "may", "will", "could", "should", "would", "plan", "potential", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate" or "expect" and other words, terms and phrases of similar meaning are often intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, expectations, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions, risks and uncertainties, as well as other statements referring to or including forward-looking information included in this press release. Forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this release. As a result, although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. The risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, the risk factors and other disclosures about the Company and its business included in the Company's continuous disclosure materials filed from time to time with Canadian and U.S. securities regulatory authorities, which are available online under the Company's EDGAR profile at www.sec.gov, under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com or on the Company's website at www.maxar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. All such forward-looking statements are based upon data available as of the date of this release or other specified date and speak only as of such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this release as a result of new information or future events, except as may be required under applicable securities legislation. SOURCE Maxar Technologies Ltd. Related Links http://www.mda.ca WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- More than one-third of small businesses (40%) choose not to invest in a website, according to a new survey from Visual Objects, a portfolio website that showcases work from top creative firms from around the world. In addition, the survey found that 28% of small businesses are unlikely to create a website in the future. Graph - resources small businesses use to maintain their websites Graph - why small businesses do not have websites In contrast, most small businesses (60%) do have a website, primarily to establish brand legitimacy and authority. The survey of 529 U.S. small businesses found that quality websites are affordable and accessible for small businesses. Most small businesses believe a website is a necessary component of any successful digital marketing strategy in 2019. Some Small Businesses Consider Websites Irrelevant Nearly a third of small businesses that choose not to have a website (28%) say a website is irrelevant to their company's needs. These companies tend to leverage their personal networks and traditional marketing strategies, such as email and PR, to generate business. Industry experts, however, are skeptical of businesses that rely on word-of-mouth marketing strategies without websites. "At some point, businesses get into the outer reaches of that word-of-mouth network," said Jackson Fox, director of user experience at Viget , a full-service digital agency near Washington, D.C. "Without a digital presence in some way, people who don't know you may not trust your business." Cost and the use of social media for a web presence are other reasons small businesses gave for not creating a website. Most Small Businesses Spend Less Than $10,000 on Their Websites Websites have become more affordable for small businesses: 65% spend less than $10,000 to design, build, and launch a website. Website builders such as Squarespace and Wix help small businesses establish a basic website presence quickly without budgetary strain. However, the ability of these website tools is limited, and the advanced design features are often beyond the average small business owner's skill level. Kristine Neil, owner and creative director at web design firm Markon Brands in Vancouver, Wash., says website builders tend to establish unrealistic expectations for amateur web designers. "Those [platforms] really oversell and underdeliver when it comes to the lay person's ability to execute or recreate the samples that they're seeing," Neil said. Web Design Agencies Help Small Businesses Meet Strategic Goals Nearly 20% of small businesses use a web design agency to maintain their websites. Most small businesses (52%), however, keep website maintenance in-house and may not have the necessary expertise for complex website features. Web design companies can save small businesses time and effort by creating a high-quality product that empowers clients to take over day-to-day maintenance of the final version. Roxana Colorado, creator of the LatinaNomad business blog, hired a developer after attempts to build her own website came up short. "The hours spent trying to figure it all out were insane," Colorado said. "The learning curve on the development side was huge. I would have been better off hiring someone." Read the full report here: https://visualobjects.com/web-design/top-web-designers/small-business-websites-2019 About Visual Objects Visual Objects is a portfolio website that showcases work from top creative firms from around the world. Use Visual Objects to visualize a firm's projects, which helps you find the right design partner for your business. You wouldn't want to make a hiring decision without seeing a company's quality of work Visual Objects compiles this work on one easy-to-use site. Media Contact: Kelsey McKeon [email protected] (202) 684-2125 SOURCE Visual Objects CHICAGO, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new research report "Motor Monitoring Market by Offering (Hardware, Software), Monitoring Process (Online, Portable), Deployment, Industry (Oil & Gas, Power Generation, Metals & Mining, Water & Wastewater, Automotive), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Motor Monitoring Market is expected to grow from USD 1.6 billion in 2018 to USD 2.3 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 7.4% during the forecast period. Major factors driving the market growth are the growing prominence of predictive maintenance and increasing need to minimize revenue loss caused by motor faults. Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=142439618 Software offerings to witness higher CAGR in global motor monitoring market during forecast period The motor monitoring market has been segmented on the basis of offering into hardware and software. The use of software offerings to collect data from hardware monitoring and generate a database to analyze the working of motors is likely to grow during the forecast period. These software are used for data analytics to deduce faults or errors in motors in a manufacturing plant; however, skilled workforce is required to successfully run preventive or predictive maintenance through motor condition monitoring solutions. Browse in-depth TOC on "Motor Monitoring Market" 64 Tables 17 Figures 120 Pages Oil & gas to continue to hold largest share in global motor monitoring market during forecast period The oil & gas industry held the largest share of the motor monitoring market in 2018, and it is expected to be the leading segment over the forecast period. Oil & gas companies have been emphasizing on increasing productivity and lowering operating costs in response to the pressure built by the fluctuating oil prices in the global market. Hence, these industries are likely to adopt monitoring solutions and related services to maintain the efficient working of their critical assets and reduce downtime. APAC to hold largest share of motor monitoring market by 2023 APAC is expected to overtake North America to hold the largest share of the motor monitoring market by 2023. The region has a huge industrial sector with the presence of several manufacturing units of big companies. APAC has become a global focal point for large investments and business expansion opportunities. Many countries in this region also has supportive governments that implement several initiatives and policies to support the local manufacturing industry. China, Japan, South Korea, and India are some of the prolific countries in APAC with a considerable presence of manufacturing industries; therefore, there is a continuous demand for motor monitoring systems in APAC. Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=142439618 Key players in the motor monitoring ecosystem are Banner Engineering (US), ABB (Switzerland), National Instruments (US), SKF (Sweden), Siemens (Germany), Honeywell (US), General Electric (US), Emerson Electric (US), Rockwell Automation (US), Qualitrol (US), Schneider Electric (France), Mitsubishi Electric (Japan), Advantech (Taiwan), Eaton (Ireland), WEG (Brazil), Dynapar (US), KCF Technologies (US), Phoenix Contact (Germany), T.F. Hudgins (US), and Koncar (Croatia). Please Explore Relevant Reports: Machine Condition Monitoring Market by Monitoring Technique (Vibration Monitoring, Thermography, Oil Analysis, MCA), Deployment (On Premise, Cloud), Monitoring Process (Online, Portable), Offering, Industry, and Region - Global Forecast to 2024 Equipment Monitoring Market by Monitoring Type (Vibration, Thermal, Motor Current, Alarm, GPS), Monitoring Process (Online, Portable), Deployment Type (On-premise, Cloud), Industry (Oil & Gas, Power, Automotive), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Shelly Singh MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/motor-monitoring-market.asp Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com SOURCE MarketsandMarkets NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Not sure what a chaturanga dandasana is? You are not alone! Daily Burn is breaking down the barriers (and the moves) to achieving the long, lean yoga body fitness enthusiasts and beginners alike desire, with their newest app, Yoga Workouts by Daily Burn. Today marks the launch of the second mobile app focused on a fitness vertical from Daily Burn, a leading destination for premium fitness content and expert video guidance. Yoga Workouts by Daily Burn offers the look and feel of a one-on-one training experience with a personal trainer guiding members through every pose and personalized plans which can be completed anytime and anywhere no matter the fitness level. After answering a few quick questions, members can expect personalized yoga routines delivered weekly. These yoga routines take the work out of discovering a great workout and are designed to make members sweat their way to longer, leaner muscle. Anyone can experience an introductory yoga workout for free or even sign up for a free trial to personalize your workouts. To download Yoga Workouts by Daily Burn go to bit.ly/yogabydb. "Yoga Workouts by Daily Burn recreates the knowledgeable and personalized experience one expects with an in-class yoga instructor, but without the price tag, complicated yoga terminology or scheduling complexity so there are very few barriers to get you moving on the mat," said Amanda Kerpius, Daily Burn Yoga Instructor. "Beyond the core benefits, features like Quick Resets and our welcoming in-app community make the experience of using the app something special and entirely unique." With Yoga Workouts by Daily Burn, members of every fitness level can deepen their practice and stay motivated with a fully-guided and personalized format. Other features include: The feel of one-on-one personal training led by yoga experts. Fully guided weekly training programs tailored to fitness goals. Simplified key yoga poses and fundamentals so postures are easy to follow and flow. This breakdown helps users ensure they have the correct form, giving them a real workout. Quick Resets, daily 3-5 minute dynamic stretches specially designed to reset mind and body in any setting. A strong community of yoga lovers to Namaste and stay motivated together. Users have the ability to find the perfect yoga workouts based on their mood that day, as part of the app's Explore functionality. Finally, Daily Burn yogis can track their progress through workout history and estimated calories burned, and even link their account to Apple Health. In late 2018, the company launched HIIT Workouts by Daily Burn , a mobile app dedicated to High Intensity Interval Training, and one of the few HIIT apps on the market that includes fully-guided video workouts led by expert trainers, personalized so that users can hit their workout moves efficiently, effectively and safely. Daily Burn will be launching additional mobile apps throughout 2019, ensuring effective workouts for all styles. About Daily Burn Daily Burn is a leading fitness tech brand dedicated to helping all people live better lives through movement and now offers mobile apps HIIT Workouts by Daily Burn and Yoga Workouts by Daily Burn, and will release additional mobile apps in 2019. Daily Burn also provides a popular, daily group class (Daily Burn 365) streamable to any device, plus a library of more than 1,000 on-demand workouts available and taught by certified trainers everything from cardio to Pilates to bodyweight training along with personalization tools to help users discover the perfect workout for their goals and fitness level and a supportive and motivating community. The company is headquartered in New York and owned and operated by IAC. Learn more at www.dailyburn.com . SOURCE Daily Burn Related Links http://www.dailyburn.com PHILADELPHIA and BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Bioinfogate, a leading healthcare data science organization, today announced it has entered into a global agreement with Clarivate Analytics to cross-link the OFF-X translational safety intelligence portal with Cortellis preclinical intelligence. In addition, Clarivate will leverage its commercial footprint to expand OFF-X usage to life science professionals who are benefiting from Cortellis, its suite of life sciences data and analytics solutions. The agreement makes it easier for customers to integrate, access and apply toxicity and adverse events intelligence across all phases of drug research and development (R&D). Toxicity and adverse events cause more than 30% of drugs to fail during the R&D process, which costs the industry approximately $35 billion each year. OFF-X is used across pharma and biotech organizations, in leading research centers and by regulatory bodies around the world, addressing the need for new approaches to enhance early safety assessments that can reduce patient burden and avoid costly failures. Updated daily, OFF-X enables safety liabilities to be monitored and anticipated across all phases of drug R&D. In this partnership, both organizations have also agreed to identify, develop and deploy new capabilities, including additional platform cross-linking, content syndication, and API-enabled integration to ensure interopability. Cortellis drug and target ontologies are used within OFF-X to provide platform linkages, which pave the way for enhanced data delivery. "We are pleased to partner with Clarivate Analytics to expand and accelerate the reach of our safety and toxicology data assets," commented Josep Prous, Jr., Executive Director, Bioinfogate. "We look forward to expanding the OFF-X value proposition by giving researchers and regulators access to complementary data, analytics and insights in Cortellis." "Ensuring drug safety is of vital importance to our industry, and enabling the interoperability between Cortellis and the OFF-X platform will help to advance this goal," said Mukhtar Ahmed, President, Life Sciences, Clarivate Analytics. "Through this partnership, we'll be able to significantly expand the reach and utility of critical drug efficacy and safety information to researchers around the world." About Bioinfogate Bioinfogate is a forward-thinking, private company working to solve unmet medical needs. Our innovative data science products support the discovery and development of better and safer drugs. We are committed to building industry leading solutions and identifying and investing in emerging projects that align with our core business in the life sciences and data analytics. Our passion and capabilities stem from more than 60 years' experience creating and managing biomedical knowledge, first at Prous Science (1958-2007, acquired by Thomson Reuters in 2007), and then at Prous Institute for Biomedical Research. Bioinfogate is the latest initiative within the Prous Group of companies to embrace a long tradition and expertise in scientific knowledge management. For more information visit www.bioinfogate.com About Bioinfogate OFF-X The Bioinfogate OFF-X portal provides integrated preclinical toxicity and clinical adverse event intelligence for drugs and targets in all phases of drug R&D, including first-in-class and emerging targets. OFF-X allows prompt identification of toxicology & safety signals and de-risking of R&D projects. As of February 2019, the portal covers a range of 15,000 targets and 10,000 drugs & biologics, and is populated with more than 260,000 expertly curated safety alerts and 500,000 references of interest associated to 4,000 adverse effects. OFF-X is used across pharma and biotech organizations, in leading research centers and regulatory bodies For more information visit www.targetsafety.info About Cortellis Cortellis gives life to science by unlocking the hidden insights in data. This industry-leading solution curates the broadest and deepest sources of intelligence to enable precise, actionable answers to specific questions across the R&D lifecycle from discovery and clinical development through regulatory submission and commercialization. By supporting data-driven decisions, Cortellis helps pharmaceutical companies, biotech and medical device/diagnostic firms accelerate innovation. In 2017, 80% of U.S. companies filing NMEs, 91% of companies achieving breakthrough therapy status and 70% of the top licensing deals were informed by Cortellis intelligence. To learn more, visit www.Clarivate.com/Cortellis About Clarivate Analytics Clarivate Analytics is a global leader in providing trusted insights and analytics to accelerate the pace of innovation. Building on a heritage going back more than a century and a half, we have built some of the most trusted brands across the innovation lifecycle, including the Web of Science, Cortellis, Derwent, CompuMark, MarkMonitor and Techstreet. Today, Clarivate Analytics is a new and independent company on a bold entrepreneurial mission, to help our clients radically reduce the time from new ideas to life-changing innovations. For more information, please visit www.clarivate.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release and oral statements made with respect to information contained in this release may contain forward-looking statements regarding Clarivate Analytics. Forward-looking statements provide Clarivate Analytics' current expectations or forecasts of future events and may include statements regarding anticipated synergies and other future expectations. These statements involve risks and uncertainties including factors outside of Clarivate Analytics' control that may cause actual results to differ materially. Clarivate Analytics undertakes no obligation to update or revise the statements made herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Media Contacts: BioInfogate [email protected] Clarivate Analytics [email protected] +34-934151281 SOURCE Bioinfogate S.L. Related Links http://www.bioinfogate.com This law, sponsored by openly gay Councilman Ritchie Torres and supported by the City Council LGBT Caucus, would make New York City the largest municipality in the United States to intentionally include LGBT-owned businesses in municipal contracting and economic development opportunities. Such inclusion is a best practice of the private sector and of an ever-growing number of states and municipalities thanks to the advocacy of NGLCC and its state and local affiliates, including nglccNY. "Thanks to this bill, LGBT entrepreneurs in New York City will now have the opportunity to create jobs and develop innovations that benefit all who live in the most diverse city in America. Right now hundreds of certified LGBT Business Enterprises in the region are already providing goods and services across the Fortune 500 companies in the city, and they are eager for their shot to compete for work in the city they love, as well," said NGLCC Co-Founder & President Justin Nelson. "More diverse suppliers help NYC achieve its diversity goals and save taxpayer dollars: greater diversity creates greater competition, greater competition drives bid prices down, lower prices mean major taxpayer savings to be reinvested in the city." In 2018, NGLCC won the inclusion of LGBTBEs in Baltimore, MD; Jersey City, NJ; and Hoboken, NJ, while also advancing statewide bills in New York and New Jersey. Previously NGLCC won LGBTBE inclusion in California, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, along with major cities like Nashville, Seattle, Newark, Columbus, and Philadelphia. "The timing for this bill could not be more auspicious as we are also working in Albany to bring LGBT, disability, and veteran business inclusion to the entire Empire State now that GENDA and other essential LGBT-inclusive bills have passed. Collectively, LGBT-owned businesses contribute $1.7 trillion dollars to the national economy and create tens of thousands of new jobs. Progressive and inclusive leadership, like that of the New York City Council today, will ensure greater access to the American Dream for every American," said NGLCC Co-Founder & CEO Chance Mitchell. NGLCC MEDIA CONTACT: Jonathan Lovitz Senior Vice President, NGLCC [email protected] 954-695-5896 ABOUT NGLCC: The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) is the business voice of the LGBT community and is the largest global advocacy organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people. NGLCC is the exclusive certification body for LGBT-owned businesses, known as LGBT Business Enterprises (LGBTBEs). www.nglcc.org @nglcc New York City area businesses wishing to become LGBTBE certified can contact nglccNY at www.nglccny.org SOURCE National LGBT Chamber of Commerce Related Links http://www.nglcc.org RESTON, Va., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a FORTUNE 500 science and technology leader, has been awarded an $85.5 million follow-on contract by the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency to provide sustainment and adaptive maintenance for nine NGA mission applications. The single award, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract has a one-year base followed by four option years. Work will be performed in Gaithersburg, Md., Alexandria, Va., and Tucson, Az. NGA collects, analyzes and distributes geospatial intelligence in support of national security. Under the NGA's restructured Sustainment for Analysis Services (SAS) contract, Leidos engineers will sustain legacy applications crucial to the agency as it develops new capabilities for its analysts and the greater geospatial community. Analysts use these applications for tasks such as imagery mapping, structured observation management, and data analysis. The Leidos team leveraged its past performance on eight of the nine SAS mission applications along with its proven agile software development tools and processes to create an efficient solution for NGA that also minimizes transition risk for the agency's critical national security mission. Additionally, Leidos developed four of the applications that provide imagery exploitation and structured observation management under previous NGA development contracts. "We have a long history supporting the NGA and have a deep understanding of their unique mission needs within the intelligence community," said Vicki Schmanske, Leidos Intelligence Group President. "We will continue to provide reliable applications that enable the NGA and other national security decision makers to swiftly respond to complex security threats facing the country." About Leidos Leidos is a Fortune 500 information technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. The company's 32,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $10.19 billion for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2018. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com. Statements in this announcement, other than historical data and information, constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 28, 2018, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. SOURCE Leidos Related Links http://www.leidos.com From March 11 - 13, 2019, NHK will showcase the world premiere of the 8K live concert footage captured along Sting and Shaggy's critically-acclaimed 2018 world tour, 44/876, featuring songs off their GRAMMY Award-winning album of the same name, as well as their collective greatest hits. This will be accompanied by other 8K contents from Japanese musicians: Sakanaction, Japan's top rock band; and Superfly, a celebrated solo female artist. The SXSW installation will bring the world's highest quality in experiencing images and sound through its 8K x 22.2 multi-channel sound . The 8K Theater will be installed in Austin during SXSW at Grimes Studio (500 E 5th St. Austin, TX. 78701) and feature a giant 440-inch LED screen (31.8ft wide by 17.7ft tall) that incorporates Sony's Crystal LED Display System, a visual system that utilizes ultrafine LEDs, measuring about the thickness of a human hair (0.003 mm). The 8K Theater will provide an experience unlike any other TV broadcast through 8K visuals, images with 16-times more pixels than current HD technology, and a truly immersive 22.2 multi-channel sound system. This brings the powerful 8K experience on a screen 4-times larger than the one used in the 2018 SXSW installation. The 8K Theater will provide super high-fidelity visuals on a 440-inch screen with 3D sound from a 24-speaker system. NHK's footage will be delivered by the Sony's Crystal LED Display System . This goes beyond conventional display technologies by delivering over a million-to-one contrast, precise color reproduction, a 99 percent black surface area using 0.003 mm ultrafine LED, and a 180-degree viewing angle. The technology is currently used in professional applications including broadcast studios and corporate showrooms around the world. Its modular nature enables the Crystal LED display to accommodate any size or aspect ratio for immersive viewing experiences at the show. https://pro.sony/ue_US/technology/crystal-led About NHK NHK, Nippon Hoso Kyokai (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), is Japan's only public broadcaster. As a public broadcaster funded by fees received from TV viewers, NHK delivers a wide range of impartial, high-quality programs, both at home and abroad. NHK had launched the world's first 8K satellite channel in December 2018. https://www.nhk.or.jp/bs4k8k/eng/about8k/ For press inquiries please contact Jennifer Gross Evolutionary Media Group +1 (323) 658-8700 [email protected] SOURCE NHK Related Links http://www.nhk.or.jp RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Energy announced today it will provide up to $1.5 million in environmental grants this year through the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation. This competitive program, which has been expanded to regions in North and South Carolina previously served by SCANA gas and electric companies, is designed to support nonprofit organizations and schools working to improve the environment and provide educational experiences in communities served by Dominion Energy. "Protecting and conserving the environment is an important focus of our company, and each year, our foundation supports many organizations that offer innovative and engaging environmental programs in our communities," said Hunter A. Applewhite, president of the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation. "These grants support groups that truly make a difference to protect the natural resources in the places we call home." One such organization is the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach, Va., which was recognized with a grant in 2018 for the rescue and treatment of sea turtles hooked by recreational anglers. Watch this video to learn about the aquarium's efforts to rehab and care for turtles mistakenly hooked by fishermen on piers. "It does take a lot of people to care for these animals at our Stranding Response Center, so support from the community and businesses, like Dominion Energy, is really appreciated," said Dr. Allyson McNaughton, veterinarian at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. Nonprofit organizations are invited to apply for grants up to $25,000 that focus on specific, short-term projects that promise measurable results to improve the environment. Also, public and private K-12 schools in eligible regions can apply for classroom grants up to $5,000 each for environmental education programs. Eligible organizations in Connecticut, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming and other areas in Dominion Energy's footprint can submit applications through April 30, 2019. Dominion Energy will consider grant requests that focus on one or more of the following priorities: Educating K-12 students and the public about environmental stewardship Protecting and preserving natural habitats Improving open spaces and making nature accessible For details and online application, please visit: https://www.dominionenergy.com/envirogrants. About the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation Nearly 7.5 million customers in 18 states energize their homes and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D). Through its Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, as well as EnergyShare and other programs, Dominion Energy contributed nearly $35 million in 2018 to community causes. The Foundation supports nonprofit causes that meet basic human needs, protect the environment, promote education, and encourage community vitality. Please visit www.DominionEnergy.com to learn more. SOURCE Dominion Energy Related Links http://www.dominionenergy.com SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Nurx , the all-in-one healthcare company providing unlimited online consultations with medical providers and seamless delivery of medications and home testing, is now available in South Carolina. The telemedicine company is focused on providing convenient and affordable options for everyday healthcare needs, and today offers access to birth control, cervical cancer screening, and the HIV prevention medication PrEP. Nurx leverages telemedicine to reach those who face barriers to essential and time-sensitive healthcare by offering more convenient and cost-effective options. With contraception, people consult with a state-licensed medical provider through Nurx's app and then choose from over 50 birth control brands , many of which are affordable for those with and without health insurance. Nearly half of all pregnancies in South Carolina are unintended, and public spending for unintended pregnancies in the state topped an estimated $411.2 million in 2010.* Nearly 100,000 women in South Carolina are in need of publicly funded family planning services. "We're committed to making it easy and affordable for everyone to take control of their healthcare decisions," said Nurx CEO and co-founder Hans Gangeskar. "We believe our unique and cost-effective approach to healthcare will help fill the gap for those who face steep barriers to healthcare. This is especially important considering South Carolinians are facing significant cuts in federal and state funding to much needed family planning and preventive care." In addition to contraception, Nurx also offers PrEP , a daily pill that is up to 99 percent effective at ensuring HIV-negative people stay HIV-negative. Nurx is the only company that provides the ability to go through the entire process of requesting and receiving PrEP without needing to visit a physical health center - including consulting with a medical provider to determine if PrEP is right for them, complete the necessary lab work with the company's PrEP home test kit, receive and fill the prescription, and have PrEP delivered straight to their door. South Carolina has one of the highest rates of HIV in the country, with 14.3 new cases for every 100,000 people in the state.** Accordingly Southern states have the highest number of new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. but have disproportionately fewer people using anti-HIV treatment.*** Nurx also recently removed a critical barrier to cervical cancer screening by offering a Home HPV Screening test , which allows women to conveniently and affordably check their risk for cervical cancer from the comfort of their own home. Nurx's Home HPV Screening test checks for high-risk strains of HPV that can lead to cervical cancer, which is one of the most preventable types of cancer and nearly 13,000 women are diagnosed with each year. HPV is estimated to cause nearly 600 cancers diagnoses in South Carolina each year, and the HPV vaccination rate in South Carolina falls far behind the national average, with only 31 percent of girls and 27 percent of boys getting the vaccine.**** Nurx offers a seamless all-in-one healthcare experience by integrating its app with a network of medical providers and an owned-and-operated pharmacy. Nurx is now available in 23 states and the District of Columbia, encompassing more than 70% of the US population. The list includes Alabama, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, and now South Carolina . The company operates according to state and federal standards, including HIPAA. About Nurx Nurx is an all-in-one healthcare company that offers easy online access to medical providers and seamless home delivery of medications and testing kits. We're committed to putting people in control of their healthcare decisions. From diagnosis to delivery, we make every part of getting healthy and staying healthy, better. Source * Guttmacher Institute ** CDC *** Aidsvu **** Medical University of South Carolina Media Contact Allison Berry [email protected] (650) 799 2676 SOURCE Nurx Related Links https://www.nurx.com/ "We are so pleased to honor the outstanding teachers and schools who participate in the OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education," said OnPoint President and CEO Rob Stuart. "We know that strong communities are nurtured by the meaningful work happening every day in local classrooms and schools." Founded in 1932 by 16 school teachers, OnPoint continues its commitment to strengthening local education by supporting students, schools and educators. The OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education is the centerpiece of OnPoint's support for education in the communities it serves. The 2019 OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education includes several awards and recipients will be announced on May 21. Educator of the Year: One teacher representing grades K-8 and one representing grades 9-12 will be named Educators of the Year. OnPoint will pay their respective mortgages for one full year and donate $2,500 to their schools. to their schools. One K -8 teacher and one 9-12 teacher will be named Educator of the Year finalists and will each receive a $5,000 cash award and $1,500 for their schools. -8 teacher and one 9-12 teacher will be named Educator of the Year finalists and will each receive a cash award and for their schools. Six additional teachers will be named to the Circle of Excellence and will each receive a $1,500 cash award and $1,000 for their schools. cash award and for their schools. Community Builder Award: Four schools will receive $1,000 for a project of their choice. A fifth school, selected by community votes, will receive $2,000 . Last year, Lucas Houck, a middle school teacher at Corbett Middle School in Corbett, OR, was named K-8 Educator of the Year. Houck's dynamic approach to motivating students was recognized by his colleagues and school community. He develops an innovative curriculum to engage students with coursework in unique ways. Also in 2018, Janine Kirstein, choral music teacher at Gresham High School in Gresham, OR, was named 9-12 Educator of the Year. Kirstein's skill, patience and dedication challenge and inspire her students to excel. She uses her passion for music and pursuit of excellence to teach her students teamwork, perseverance and musicianship. "For those considering nominating a co-worker for the OnPoint Prize, I encourage you to think about how much every teacher impacts their students," said Lucas Houck, 2018 K-8 Educator of the Year. "Most people will realize they are surrounded by incredible teachers who deserve to be nominated." Information about the OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education and nomination forms are now available at www.onpointprize.com. Submissions will be accepted until 5:30 PM PDT on April 8, 2019. Anyone can nominate an educator, and educators may also nominate themselves. Applicants must be a full-time or job-share classroom teacher, counselor or librarian of grades K-12 in an accredited public, private or charter school located within any county that OnPoint serves (Benton, Clackamas, Columbia, Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, Lane, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington and Yamhill counties in Oregon, and Clark and Skamania counties in Washington). For information about the campaign, additional qualifications and contest rules, please see www.onpointprize.com. ABOUT ONPOINT COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION OnPoint Community Credit Union is the largest credit union in Oregon, serving more than 360,000 members and with assets of $5.4 billion. Founded in 1932, OnPoint Community Credit Union's membership is available to anyone who lives or works in one of 13 Oregon (Benton, Clackamas, Columbia, Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, Lane, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington and Yamhill) and two Washington counties (Skamania and Clark) and their immediate family members. More information is available at www.onpointcu.com or 503-228-7077 or 800-527-3932. SOURCE OnPoint Community Credit Union Related Links https://www.onpointcu.com NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Earning a spot in Law360's annual "Employment Practice Group of the Year" category is an accomplishment for any law firm. For Outten & Golden LLP, achieving the honor as the sole employee-side firm making the list three years in a row is unprecedented. "This award spotlights the tremendous caliber of our attorneys and our commitment to clients across the many types of matters we handle," said Adam T. Klein, Outten & Golden's Managing Partner. "We are humbled to be among such powerhouse law firms and immensely proud of our distinction as the only firm in the category to represent employees exclusively." From four offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., Outten & Golden's lawyers pursue and defend employees' rights in and out of the courtroom. The firm is highly regarded for representing workers subjected to sexual assault, harassment, and discrimination, as well as whistleblower and other types of workplace retaliation. Attorneys also advise executives and professionals in employment contract negotiations and separations, partnership and equity arrangements, and expatriate issues, and in arbitration and litigation when disagreements become disputes. Outten & Golden's class and collective actions practice has been quite visible in the past few years, fighting for large groups of employees alleging unpaid wages and overtime, WARN Act violations associated with mass layoffs, and illegal background and credit history checks. In support of the firm's selection as an "Employment Group of the Year" for 2019, Law360 cited several multimillion-dollar settlements the firm obtained in 2018 against defendants such as Computer Sciences Corp., Uber, Southwest Airlines, L-3 Communications, and Target. "This achievement is particularly fulfilling because it coincides with our 20th anniversary," said Partner Wayne N. Outten, who founded the firm in 1998 and is now Chair. Mr. Outten transitioned his managing partner role to Adam Klein in January, and he remains a member of the executive committee and co-chair of two practice groups. "Law360's award is a recognition of our accomplishments, especially in recent years, and it's a terrific way to launch the firm into the next two decades." Outten & Golden LLP focuses on advising and representing individuals in employment, partnership, and related workplace matters both domestically and internationally. The firm counsels individuals on employment and severance agreements; handles complex compensation and benefits issues (including bonuses, commissions, and stock/option agreements); and advises professionals (including doctors and lawyers) on contractual issues. It also represents employees with a wide variety of claims, including discrimination and harassment based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, disability, national origin, religion, and age, as well as retaliation, whistleblower, and contract claims. The firm handles class actions involving a wide range of employment issues, including economic exploitation, gender- and race-based discrimination, wage-and-hour violations, violations of the WARN Act, and other systemic workers' rights issues. Outten & Golden has nine practice groups: Executives & Professionals, Financial Services, Sexual Harassment & Sex Discrimination, Family Responsibilities & Disability Discrimination, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Queer (LGBTQ) Workplace Rights, Discrimination & Retaliation, Whistleblower Retaliation, Class & Collective Actions, and WARN Act. Outten & Golden has offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. For media inquiries, please contact Managing Partner Adam T. Klein at (212) 245-1000. SOURCE Outten & Golden LLP EMERYVILLE, Calif., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Peet's Coffee, The Original Craft Coffee, announced the release of its annual, limited edition Anniversary Blend which honors the company's founding by giving back to origin through its Drink a Great Cup, Do a Good Thing program. This year's blend specifically highlights and supports women coffee farmers. "Drink a Great Cup, Do a Good Thing" in Support of Women Entrepreneurship The 2019 Anniversary Blend is comprised of two washed coffeesone from Rwanda, the other from Colombiathat create an aromatic dark roast of floral and fruity flavors with chocolate notes. Both craft-roasted coffees are grown by remarkable women farmers. Through its Drink a Great Cup, Do a Good Thing program, Peet's will donate up to $50,000 USD of the blend's proceeds to an entrepreneurship program that empowers women coffee growers from Huila, Colombia. The program, led by Coocentral cooperative and Sustainable Harvest, will provide access to business training to one hundred women. "Each spring we celebrate our anniversary with our beloved tradition of crafting a great coffee that gives back to a community at origin," said Doug Welsh, Vice President, Coffee, Peet's Coffee. "And with every cup of Anniversary Blend that you savor, you help support Women's Entrepreneurship in Colombia. From business skills to income diversification, supporting the women of Coocentral cooperative means supporting the entire region. We can drink to that." The 2019 Anniversary Blend is available as of 3/6/2019, in distinctive purple bags, and while supplies last. The blend can be purchased at participating Peet's coffeebar locations at $20.00 USD per pound and at www.peets.com at $19.95 USD per pound. To learn more, visit https://www.peets.com/anniversary-blend. About Peet's Coffee: Peet's Coffee is a U.S. specialty coffee company founded by Alfred Peet in 1966 in Berkeley, California. Mr. Peet grew up in the coffee trade and moved to America from Holland after World War II. His coffee style was unlike anything Americans had ever tasted beforesmall batches, fresh beans and a superior quality roast that is rich and complex. Mr. Peet's influence on the artisan coffee movement inspired a new generation of coffee entrepreneurs, including the founders of Starbucks. Today, Peet's upholds its commitment to delivering a premium product by continuing to source the world's best beans, hand-roast in small batches, and craft every beverage by hand. Peet's also asserts a strict standard of freshness to ensure optimum flavor with a team that personally vets the freshness date on every bag of beans and on every ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee available at over 15,000 grocery locations. Peet's is dedicated to growing its business through its retail, grocery, on-premise, and e-commerce channels while maintaining the superior quality of its coffee. Peet's is also proud of its status as the first LEED Gold certified roastery in the United States. For more information, visit www.peets.com. Stay connected to Peet's: @peetscoffee on Twitter and Instagram and facebook.com/peets. SOURCE Peet's Coffee Related Links http://www.peets.com OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Poets&Quants, the definitive online publication for business education news, has released its annual list of the Top 100 MBA Startups. The list requires two main criteria for inclusion. Each startup must have a founding or launch date between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2018. Additionally, they must have at least one founder or co-founder who graduated with an MBA during that same period. Based on these simple criteria, the Poets&Quants editorial team searches the Internet and solicits school nominations of recent startups from their respective schools. These startups are then evaluated based on the amount of funding they have received in the past five years. This year's first-place honor went to Branch, a mobile linking platform started by Stanford MBAs. Topping the list with a staggering $242.10 million in venture backing, Branch eclipsed the 2018 top startup's haul of $193.9 million. Second-place startup Plenty raised $226 million and third-place Rivigo raised $16.2 million, moving up one spot this year. To make the 2019 list, it took a minimum of $5 million in funding. "Entrepreneurship continues to be a popular option among MBA students at elite B-schools. Stanford has more than 60 courses that have an entrepreneurship and innovation component," says John A. Byrne, founder and editor-in-chief of Poets&Quants. "At the Rock Center for Entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School, about 25% of elective courses offered in the full-time MBA program have an entrepreneurial focus. We have seen the competition on this list grow exponentially since we first started it in 2013." Visit Top 100 MBA Startups to learn more about the Top 100 Startups of 2019. About Poets&Quants: Poets&Quants is the leading resource for complete coverage of graduate business education. We feature multiple tools and authoritative content, including: consolidated B-school rankings, news and in-depth features, videos, podcasts, two searchable directories and events, empowering our community with information needed to make decisions along their journey from pre- to post-MBA. This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com. SOURCE Poets&Quants Related Links https://poetsandquants.com/ "We are very proud of this achievement the opening of a special facility in a special place. This major milestone is happening as Quaker celebrates more than 20 years in India. Today's inauguration of the Dahej Manufacturing Facility, a truly world-class and world-scale manufacturing facility, begins yet another chapter in Quaker India's already successful journey," said Gulshan Kumar Sachdev, Managing Director, Quaker Chemical India. The newly built plant combines state-of-the-art technology with Quaker's long history of manufacturing excellence and safety. The site incorporated unique features in its design, such as high efficiency induction motors to reduce energy, a water condensation recovery system, and waste water treatment technology that supports Quaker's environmental goals. The Dahej facility will add between 7,000 and 12,000 metric tons of capacity to the company's operations by the end of 2019, with plans to increase that capacity to 20,000 metric tons over the next few years. "Quaker is truly proud to add this new production capability for the benefit of our regional customers. In particular, this site strengthens Quaker's supply chain in western India, the Middle East, and eastern Africa," said Wilbert Platzer, Vice President Global Operations, EH&S and Procurement. "Together with our existing manufacturing partner, Asianol Lubricants based in Kolkata, and our warehousing infrastructure around India, Quaker is able to provide customers with an efficient, secure, and reliable supply chain they can count on." About Quaker Quaker Chemical is a leading global provider of process fluids, chemical specialties, and technical expertise to a wide range of industries, including steel, aluminum, automotive, mining, aerospace, tube and pipe, cans, and others. For 100 years, Quaker has helped customers around the world achieve production efficiency, improve product quality, and lower costs through a combination of innovative technology, process knowledge, and customized services. Headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania USA, Quaker serves businesses worldwide with a network of dedicated and experienced professionals whose mission is to make a difference. SOURCE Quaker Chemical Corporation Related Links http://www.quakerchem.com In the last season that recently premiered, the mother and daughter of a Vietnamese-American family were introduced. And it is Elyse's role, in Queen Sugar, that for the first time, she does not play a marginalized character, but a contemporary character of Vietnamese descent. "It's pretty realistic," Elyse said of the way Queen Sugar represents Vietnamese-American culture. "My character owns a seafood processing plant. There is a real women who is like my character, and she is awesome. Her name is Theresa. We shot on location at her seafood plant." Like the character she plays, Elyse is also a Vietnamese refugee. "I was 8. Went to school there," Elyse recalled of her life in Vietnam on Brad Show Live. "I got to second grade there. I remember the day that we left. I remember I had to beg my grandfather to come with me, and he wouldn't. He said I am an old man and will take my chances here." Having never seen her grandfather again, she escaped the Vietnam War with her mother and father, where they ended up at Camp Pendleton, a military base that was reinvented to house thousands of Vietnamese refugees. Among Elyse and her family living at the refugee site were the relatives of Vivien Ngo, the actress who plays Elyse's daughter in Queen Sugar. "I know Elyse was probably at Camp Pendleton at the same time my family was," Vivien said on Brad Show Live. "They just never crossed paths because it was so huge." While Vivien was born in California, her immediate relatives similarly left Vietnam, and settled in a Vietnamese community in Southern California. "My father was one of the first ones to arrive. They [ my father and his brothers] left pretty much the week of the fall [Fall of Saigon].... My dad talked his way onto a spot on a boat," Vivien said. He "stayed in Guam and wound up at Camp Pendleton." Many Vietnamese refugees, including Vivien's father, who stayed at Camp Pendleton, were later sponsored by American families. This allowed for her father to slowly, but surely, file and petition the rest of his family to come to the U.S. For the refugees that were never sponsored, they remained undocumented, protected by the sheer measure that the U.S. could not deport them due to poor U.S.-Vietnamese diplomatic ties. Because of that, for decades, thousands of Vietnamese refugees lived in the U.S., where they created business and families. "Decades later, they [the Vietnamese refugees] are law abiding wonderful citizens with families," Vivien weighed in on the state of undocumented Vietnamese refugees. Despite years of living in the U.S., the families that Elyse and Vivien grew up with and were surrounded by, are now being targeted by the Trump Administration's deportation efforts. Check out the full interview, and watch Brad Show Live with Bernstein_Brad Monday through Friday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. EST on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/user/sparandbernstein/featured CONTACT: Jill Gould, [email protected] SOURCE Brad Show Live DUBLIN, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Recovered Carbon Black (rCB) Market by Application (Tire application, Non-Tire Rubber application, Plastics application, Coatings application, and Inks application), and Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, RoW) - Global Forecast to 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The recovered carbon black market size is estimated at USD 55 million in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 491 million by 2023, at a CAGR of 55.0% between 2018 and 2023. The recovered carbon black market is driven by various factors, such as increasing use of recovered carbon black in various applications, such as tires, non-tire rubber, plastics, coatings, and inks; abundant availability of end-of-life tires; and low and fixed cost of recovered carbon black. Tire application to witness the highest CAGR in overall recovered carbon black market during the forecast period. The market in the tire application is projected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period. The growing automotive industry and rising need for environmentally-friendly and sustainable products in this industry are expected to increase the demand for green tires across the globe. This is expected to drive the consumption of recovered carbon black for the production of green tires in the automobile industry. Non-tire rubber application is the second-fastest growing application in the overall recovered carbon black. North America estimated to account for largest share of recovered carbon black market during the forecast period. North America is estimated to account for the largest share of the recovered carbon black market in 2018, with the US estimated to be the biggest market in North America. Canada and Mexico are the other major countries contributing to the growth of the recovered carbon black market in this region. The increasing demand for environmentally-friendly products from applications such as tire, non-tire rubber, plastics, and coatings is expected to drive the recovered carbon black market in these countries. Europe is the second-largest market for recovered carbon black. Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Market Overview 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Advantages Of RCB 4.3 Comparison Of RCB And Virgin Carbon Black 4.4 Pricing Analysis 4.5 Market Dynamics 4.5.1 Drivers 4.5.1.1 Abundant availability of ELTs, the raw material for RCB production 4.5.1.2 Low and fixed price of RCB 4.5.2 Opportunities 4.5.2.1 Need for green alternatives to reduce carbon footprints 4.5.2.2 Growing demand for tire and rubber products 4.5.3 Challenges 4.5.3.1 Fear of using RCB as an alternative to virgin carbon black 4.5.3.2 Providing consistent quality of RCB 5 Industry Trends 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Development Of Standards For RCB 5.3 Supply Chain Analysis 5.4 Porter's Five Forces 5.5 Macroeconomic Indicators 5.5.1 Gdp Growth Rate Forecast Of Major Economies In The World 5.5.2 Tire Industry Analysis 5.5.3 Rubber Industry Analysis 6 RCB Market, By Application 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Tire 6.2.1 Tire To Remain The Dominant Application Of The RCB Market 6.3 Non-Tire Rubber 6.3.1 APAC To Be The Fastest-Growing Market For RCB In Non-Tire Rubber Application 6.4 Plastics 6.4.1 Rising Plastic Production To Drive The Demand For RCB In Plastics Application, Globally 6.5 Coatings 6.5.1 North America To Remain The Largest Market For RCB In Coatings Application 6.6 Inks 6.6.1 APAC To Be The Fastest-Growing Market For RCB In Inks Application 7 RCB Market, By Region 7.1 Introduction 7.2 North America 7.2.1 US 7.2.1.1 US to be fastest-growing market for RCB in North America 7.2.2 Canada 7.2.2.1 Tire to remain the dominant application of RCB market in Canada 7.2.3 Mexico 7.2.3.1 Growing tire manufacturing to drive the RCB market in Mexico 7.3 Europe 7.3.1 Germany 7.3.1.1 Germany to be the largest market for RCB in Europe 7.3.2 France 7.3.2.1 Tire industry to be the fastest-growing consumer of RCB in France 7.3.3 UK 7.3.3.1 Growing tire industry to drive the RCB market in UK 7.3.4 Italy 7.3.4.1 Tire to be the largest application for RCB in Italy 7.3.5 Rest of Europe 7.3.5.1 Growing demand from tire and non-tire rubber applications to drive the RCB market in Rest of Europe 7.4 APAC 7.4.1 China 7.4.1.1 China to be the fastest-growing market for RCB in APAC 7.4.2 India 7.4.2.1 Growing rubber manufacturing to drive the RCB market in India 7.4.3 Rest of APAC 7.4.3.1 Tire to remain the dominant application of RCB in Rest of APAC 7.5 RoW 8 Competitive Landscape 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Start-Up Microquadrant For RCB Manufacturers 8.2.1 Progressive Companies 8.2.2 Responsive Companies 8.2.3 Starting Blocks 8.2.4 Dynamic Companies 9 Company Profiles 9.1 Pyrolyx 9.2 Black Bear Carbon 9.3 Scandinavian Enviro Systems Ab (Enviro) 9.4 Delta-Energy Group 9.5 Radhe Group Of Energy 9.6 Klean Industries 9.7 Alpha Carbone 9.8 Bolder Industries 9.9 Dron Industries 9.10 DVA Renewable Energy JSC 9.11 Enrestec 9.12 Integrated Resource Recovery (Irr) 9.13 SR2O Holdings 9.14 New Entrants For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/9p3zm2/recovered_carbon?w=5 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com ST. LOUIS, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) today issued a reminder that it will release its 2019 first quarter financial results at approximately 6 a.m. (Eastern Time) on Tuesday, April 23, 2019, and host a conference call afterwards at approximately 8:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) to review the results. Michael F. Neidorff, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Jeffrey A. Schwaneke, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, of Centene Corporation will host the call. Investors and other interested parties are invited to listen to the conference call by dialing 1-877-883-0383 in the U.S. and Canada; +1-412-902-6506 from abroad, including the following Elite Entry Number: 1795523, to expedite caller registration; or via a live, audio webcast on the Company's website at www.centene.com, under the Investors section. A webcast replay will be available for on-demand listening shortly after the completion of the call for the next 12 months or until 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Tuesday, April 21, 2020, at the aforementioned URL. In addition, a digital audio playback will be available until 9 a.m. (Eastern Time) on Tuesday, April 30, 2019, by dialing 1-877-344-7529 in the U.S. and Canada, or +1-412-317-0088 from abroad, and entering access code 10129281. About Centene Corporation Centene Corporation, a Fortune 100 company, is a diversified, multi-national healthcare enterprise that provides a portfolio of services to government sponsored and commercial healthcare programs, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Many receive benefits provided under Medicaid, including the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), as well as Aged, Blind or Disabled (ABD), Foster Care and Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS), in addition to other state-sponsored programs, Medicare (including the Medicare prescription drug benefit commonly known as "Part D"), dual eligible programs and programs with the U.S. Department of Defense. Centene also provides healthcare services to groups and individuals delivered through commercial health plans. Centene operates local health plans and offers a range of health insurance solutions. It also contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide specialty services including behavioral health management, care management software, correctional healthcare services, dental benefits management, commercial programs, home-based primary care services, life and health management, vision benefits management, pharmacy benefits management, specialty pharmacy and telehealth services. Centene uses its investor relations website to publish important information about the Company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Centene is routinely posted and is accessible on Centene's investor relations website, http://www.centene.com/investors. SOURCE Centene Corporation Related Links http://www.centene.com A famously warm and welcoming atmosphere 90+ programs designed specifically for solo travelers Roommate matching options available on many programs to reduce cost Special offers for solo travelers "Road Scholar programs are renowned for offering enriching programs for all lifelong learners, and solo travelers especially solo female travelers have a special affinity for our unique brand of learning adventures, " said James Moses, President and CEO of Road Scholar. "Whether enrolling as a solo traveler, as a couple, or with a group of friends, everyone who participates in a Road Scholar program returns home with a new set of friends, enriched by their shared experiences." The organization recently announced its new solo traveler-friendly floating classroom aboard the 350-passenger Aegean Odyssey. Eighty cabins have been allocated for solo travelers. To learn more, visit: https://www.roadscholar.org/aegean-odyssey Top Three Programs in the U.S. for Solo Travelers Top Three International Programs for Solo Travelers Learn more about solo travel with Road Scholar, here. About Road Scholar Road Scholar is the nation's largest educational travel organization for adults a true university of the world. This not-for-profit educational organization offers 5,500 extraordinary learning adventures in 150 countries and 50 states. Dedicated to making educational travel available to everyone, Road Scholar offers financial aid for those who otherwise could not participate in its programs. Road Scholar educational adventures are created by Elderhostel, the not-for-profit world leader in educational travel for adults since 1975. Learn more at press.roadscholar.org. SOURCE Road Scholar Related Links http://www.roadscholar.org Sadis has been involved with the creation of various investment products as well as many distribution models including seed transactions, acceleration capital, creation of hedge fund platforms, joint ventures, and the retention of third party marketers. Working with over 1,000 funds, the firm is actively involved in the most current legal trends in the industry. Sadis attorneys partners routinely handle a diverse range of enquiries, providing legal counsel to domestic and international financial institutions, family offices, hedge funds, private equity funds, venture capital funds, real estate funds and commodity pools. In addition to the Financial Services Group, Sadis & Goldberg provides a full range of sophisticated legal services, including corporate transactions (acquisitions and divestitures), regulatory and compliance, tax, ERISA, commercial and employment litigation and arbitration, corporate governance and shareholder activism, derivative transactions, M&A litigation and appraisal rights, as well as investor due diligence. "We have been fortunate to represent managers located throughout the United States, as well as across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and South America," says Paul Marino, Financial Services Partner at Sadis. "While our clients employ a broad range of investment strategies, over the last several years we have seen a material growth in sponsors launching private equity funds, hedge funds and hybrid structures utilizing alternative financing strategies such as hard money lending, asset-backed lending and litigation finance. In addition, we've seen a continued demand for equity and quantitative-related strategies; global macro, equity long/short and distressed debt." On winning this year's award, Ron Geffner, Financial Services Partner at Sadis commented: "We are honored to receive this award from HFM. We pride ourselves on understanding our clients' needs and consistently delivering high quality and reliable service." To read the full list of winners, please click on the link below: https://aciusservicesawards.awardstage.com/#Winners_2019 SOURCE Sadis & Goldberg LLP Related Links http://www.sglawyers.com During the 2019 IH+HS held in Chicago, Kenmore will be debuting their new Kenmore and Kenmore Elite floor care vacuums inclusive of their latest designs and new color palettes during scheduled partnership meetings with many of the major retailers throughout North America. "We are excited about the opportunity to expand the Kenmore line of vacuums to key retailers and continue the legacy of the Kenmore brand," said Bob Davis, CEO of Cleva North America, Inc. "Cleva is passionate in our commitment to bring top performing, high-quality Kenmore vacuums to the market. With our ongoing attention to product innovation and consumer focused solutions, Cleva will be adding new products to its current award-winning portfolio of Kenmore vacuum cleaners." ABOUT CLEVA NORTH AMERICA, INC: Cleva North America, Inc. offers an award-winning portfolio of innovative brands, including Vacmaster, Vacmaster Professional, Duravac, Kenmore, Kenmore Elite, Armor All and LawnMaster. With award-winning, proven experience in engineering and motor technology, Cleva incorporates the latest processes and highest standards for engineering, design, and production. The result is high-quality products with exceptional performance and durability. Cleva takes pride in producing a premium product at a great value. For more information on our entire product portfolio contact us at [email protected] or Vacmaster, visit vacmaster.com; like us on Facebook (facebook.com/vacmastervacs); or follow us on Twitter (@vacmastervacs). SOURCE Cleva North America, Inc. LOS ANGELES, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced it has filed a request with the California Public Utilities Commission seeking to offer renewable natural gas to its 21 million customers in Central and Southern California. Renewable natural gas is a fuel produced from waste and agriculture that can be used to heat homes and businesses, for cooking, and to fuel trucks and buses. The fuel assists in helping California reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions because it is carbon-neutral or carbon-negative, meaning that it can take more GHG emissions out of the air than it emits as an energy source. Under the proposed program, millions of Californians would have the option to purchase a portion of their natural gas from renewable sources, just as many today can opt to purchase renewable electricity. The program is expected to create increased demand for renewable natural gas, which should help increase supply and lower its cost over time, similar to what has happened with renewable electricity created from wind and solar power. Photos of renewable natural gas projects in California are available here. "Renewable natural gas is an important component in California's efforts to reduce GHG emissions," said Sharon Tomkins, SoCalGas vice president of customer solutions and strategy. "Using renewable natural gas in homes and commercial buildings will cut greenhouse gas emissions just as much as mandating all-electric appliances, but 2 to 3 times more cost-effectively. This solution not only preserves consumer choice, it can achieve climate goals at a lower cost." As California seeks to reduce GHG emissions from homes and commercial buildings, renewable natural gas has emerged as a viable and cost-effective solution. A study last year showed that replacing less than 20 percent of SoCalGas' traditional natural gas supply with renewable natural gas by 2030 can achieve the same greenhouse gas reductions as converting all homes and commercial buildings to electric-only energy. That same study also found that using a mix of both in- and out-of-state renewable gas resources is up to 2 to 3 times more cost effective in reducing greenhouse gases than an electrification scenario. A 2016 study by the University of California, Davis calculated that California has the potential to produce approximately 90.6 billion cubic feet (bcf) per year of renewable natural gas from dairy, landfill, municipal solid waste, and wastewater treatment plant sources alone. This would be enough to meet the annual natural gas needs of around 2.3 million California homes. In addition, out-of-state sources of renewable natural gas are significant and growing. According to the U.S. Department of Energy the U.S. currently produces 1 trillion cubic feet of renewable natural gas every year, and that number is expected to increase to 10 trillion by 2030. Using even a portion of this renewable fuel would meet the needs of millions more Californians. Renewable Natural Gas Program Details If approved, the renewable natural gas program will be available to nearly all SoCalGas core residential and small commercial and industrial customers. Residential customers will be able to have some of their natural gas delivered from renewable sources, choosing from several set dollar amounts to be provided from renewable natural gas supplies. Commercial customers will be able to have all of their natural gas come from renewable sources or select from a series of set dollar amounts or a percentage of their total gas use. Each month, participating customers would see a line item on their bill that includes the amount of renewable gas they received, along with a very small program fee. To allow the utilities to enter into the longer-term contracts necessary to purchase renewable natural gas, residential customers will have to commit to one year. After one year, they would have the option to change their dollar amount or could participate on a month-to-month basis. As customers opt to purchase renewable natural gas, SoCalGas will buy the renewable gas from producers and reduce the amount of fossil gas that is brought into their pipeline systems. As renewable natural gas enters the SoCalGas pipeline system, its molecules blend together with traditional natural gas and cannot be separated or filtered by source, just like solar and wind electrons on the electric grid. Every additional therm of this renewable fuel that is purchased means one less therm of traditional natural gas is used. Renewable fuel will be displacing fossil gas and helping build the market for more renewable natural gas. SoCalGas hopes to offer the program beginning in 2020 if regulators at the California Public Utilities Commission approve the proposal. Customers who support being able to purchase a portion of their gas from renewable sources and increase their use of green energy should express their support by contacting the Public Utilities Commission Public Advisor at 1 (877) 849-8390 or [email protected]. Increasing Demand will Encourage Further Production of More Renewable Fuel California has the potential to produce more than 90 billion cubic feet of renewable natural gas per year from waste sources, enough to meet the natural gas needs of around 2.3 million California homes. SoCalGas has been bringing renewable natural gas into its pipeline system from out of state since about 2013, in large part because using the renewable fuel in vehicles is supported by the state's Low Carbon Fuel Standard, a program designed to reduce greenhouse gas and air pollution from the transportation sector. In 2018, renewable natural gas produced in California began flowing into SoCalGas pipelines for the first time, from an anaerobic digester built and operated by waste hauling company CR&R. CR&R's facility produces renewable natural gas using organic waste collected in Southern California cities' green waste bins. In February 2019, SoCalGas announced that renewable natural gas was flowing into its system from a dairy digester pipeline cluster run by biofuel producer Calgren. The Calgren facility will eventually collect biogas from anaerobic digesters at 12 Tulare County dairies. Those digesters will capture and process manure from more than 75,000 cows, preventing about 130,000 tons of greenhouse gas from entering the atmosphere each year, the equivalent of taking more than 25,000 passenger cars off the road for a year. Today, there are already 24 California dairy methane capture projects either operating or in development, and experts estimate there could be as many as 120 projects funded and operating in next five years. In addition, as the state seeks to divert organic waste from landfills and capture emissions from wastewater treatment plants, more and more renewable natural gas will become available. Consumer polls support the increased production and use of renewable natural gas. Research shows nine out of 10 California families use natural gas in their homes. A recent California Building Industry Association survey of California voters found that only 10 percent of voters would consider purchasing an all-electric home and 80 percent oppose laws that would take away their natural gas appliances. Renewable natural gas is complementary to other renewable energy sources like solar and wind, since it is available day and night to make the entire energy system cleaner and more reliable. This renewable fuel has already begun to clean the air and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California's transportation sector, which accounts for more than 80 percent of smog forming emissions and about 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the state. Proposal Has Broad Support Many organizations and businesses have voiced support for the renewable natural gas proposal, including environmental groups, businesses, and universities. A list of supporters may be found here. "The University of California supports the SoCalGas proposal to offer customers renewable natural gas," said David Phillips, associate vice president of energy and sustainability of the University of California's Office of the President. "UC is committed to carbon neutrality and has been working to develop our own renewable gas supply projects. New programs like this proposal are necessary to create a robust and cost-effective commercial market for renewable natural gas in California." "Renewable natural gas (RNG) is an important alternate fuel with significant greenhouse gas and air quality benefits," said Arun Raju, director of the Center for Renewable Natural Gas at the University of California, Riverside. "RNG, like most other renewable fuels, is more expensive than fossil fuels due to a number of factors. With proper policy support, the costs will very likely decrease over time as more projects are developed and technology keeps maturing. SoCalGas' proposed initiative is an excellent way to support RNG, and similar approaches have worked for other renewable resources and in other jurisdictions. This approach also gives individuals and organizations a unique opportunity to support a clean, renewable fuel and combat climate change." "This is smart policy and is wholly aligned with California's goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2045," said Jonathan Parfrey, executive director of Climate Resolve, a Los Angeles-based environmental non-profit. "SoCalGas' program is a practical way for households, businesses, even entire cities, to achieve carbon neutral goals." "Renewable natural gas is the lowest-carbon fuel available -- in fact the California Air Resources Board verified it is net-carbon negative over its lifecycle, when food waste or manure are the feedstocks," said Matt Tomich, president of the non-profit Energy Vision. "RNG is 'pipeline grade' so it can reach its markets through the same pipelines used to transport fossil gas. It's one of the most powerful decarbonization tools there is, and California's and SoCalGas's leadership in scaling it up has important national impact." For more information on renewable natural gas, go to: socalgas.com/smart-energy About SoCalGas Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas is the largest natural gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, clean and increasingly renewable natural gas service to 21.8 million customers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California, where more than 90 percent of residents use natural gas for heating, hot water, cooking, drying clothes or other uses. Natural gas delivered through the company's pipelines also plays a key role in providing electricity to Californiansabout 60 percent of electric power generated in the state comes from gas-fired power plants. SoCalGas is committed to investing in its natural gas system infrastructure, while keeping bills affordable for our customers. From 2013 through 2017, the company spent nearly $6 billion to upgrade and modernize its natural gas system to enhance safety and reliability. The company is also committed to being a leader in the region's clean energy future, and is working to accelerate the use of renewable natural gas from dairy farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants and the development of renewable energy storage technologies. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), an energy services holding company based in San Diego. For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook. SOURCE Southern California Gas Company Related Links http://www.socalgas.com KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Speedcast International Limited (ASX: SDA), the world's most trusted provider of remote communication and IT solutions, announced today that it has been awarded a new master service agreement and multi-year contract to deliver fully-managed communications onboard assets for Sapura Energy Berhad (Sapura Energy), a leading global integrated oil and gas services and solutions provider headquartered in Malaysia. The scope of the contract is to provide secure satellite communications systems for the customer's fleet of engineering & construction vessels supporting its operations in over 20 countries. Taking advantage of Speedcast's global scale that combines extensive satellite coverage with terrestrial networks and local engineering resources, Speedcast will provide a robust combination of C-band, Ku-band, Fleet Broadband and 4G/LTE connectivity to the customer's fleet of vessels located in remote and harsh environments. "We have created a partnership with Sapura Energy to support their assets all around the world," said Keith Johnson, Speedcast's EVP of Energy. "This is a great opportunity to demonstrate Speedcast's technology-agnostic approach, using multiple technologies to deliver the best communications solution for each individual asset. We design systems that are the best fit for secure and reliable communications based on factors such as geographic location, weather, bandwidth availability, and look angle; and can use multiple options for added redundancy and reliability." For more information about Speedcast's capabilities, please contact [email protected]. About Speedcast International Limited Speedcast International Ltd (ASX: SDA) is the largest provider of remote communications and IT services in the world. Speedcast's fully-managed service is delivered via a leading global, multi-access technology, multi-band and multi-orbit network of 70+ satellites and an interconnecting global terrestrial network, bolstered by extensive on-the-ground local support from 40+ countries. This global "network of networks" allows customers to fully rely on the most robust, integrated infrastructure available in the market for their mission critical applications. Speedcast is uniquely positioned as a strategic business partner, tailoring communications, IT and digital solutions to meet unique customer needs and enable business transformation. Speedcast extends its managed services through differentiated technology offerings including cyber-security, crew welfare, content solutions, data and voice applications, and network systems integration services. With a passionate customer focus and a strong safety culture, Speedcast serves more than 2,000 customers in more than 140 countries in sectors such as Maritime, Energy, Mining, Enterprise, Media, Cruise, NGOs and Government. Learn more at www.speedcast.com. Speedcast is a trademark and registered trademark of Speedcast International Limited. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective owners. 2019 Speedcast International Limited. All rights reserved. Contact Information: Toni Lee Rudnicki Vice President, Global Marketing Speedcast International Ltd [email protected] +1-832-668-2634 SOURCE Speedcast International Limited Related Links https://www.speedcast.com BELLINGHAM, Wash., and CARDIFF, United Kingdom, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, published its 2019 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report. The society's ninth annual salary report is the largest such study in the optics and photonics community, building on data from more than 6,000 individuals in 104 countries. "The goal of our annual salary survey is to provide the community with up-to-date information on pay, job satisfaction, and other workplace issues," said SPIE Marketing Analyst and author of the report Adam Resnick. "We believe that the survey has become a highly-trusted source for job seekers and hiring managers across academia, industry, and government." "In order to thrive in your industry, you must offer salaries that are competitive with similar businesses in your industry and in your location," notes Jenoptik Senior Member of Technical Staff and R&D Manager Tolis Deslis. "In order to do that, you need to know what those salaries are. While this information is often shrouded in secrecy after all, no business wants to give its competition an advantage there are organizations such as SPIE that are devoted to gathering this valuable information, accurately and transparently, from within the optics and photonics community. As a hiring manager, I appreciate the work that SPIE does with their salary survey, and for sharing this information for the benefit of all its members." A few of SPIE's key findings this year: The median salary for full-time employees is $74,000 , up over three percent from $71,748 last year. , up over three percent from last year. Entry-level pay is highest in the United States , where employees with less than one year of experience earn a median salary of $69,500 . Germany , Canada , and South Korea follow, with entry-level salaries of $62,710 , $39,600 , and $31,173 . , where employees with less than one year of experience earn a median salary of . , , and follow, with entry-level salaries of , , and . The highest-paid discipline is aerospace, with a median income of $120,000 . Aerospace has held the top spot for all nine years that this survey has been conducted. . Aerospace has held the top spot for all nine years that this survey has been conducted. Median salaries are 29% higher overall for men than for women, though gaps in median pay are smaller during early career stages. Survey respondents are highly satisfied with their jobs overall: 95% find their work meaningful and enjoy it, while 92% feel that their work is respected by their peers. Most full-time workers 65% identify as engineers. Within this group, 62% have engineering degrees and are working as engineers, 22% have engineering degrees but are not working as engineers, and 13% work as engineers without having engineering degrees. The largest proportion of engineers are focused on optical engineering (37%), followed by electrical engineering (14%) and mechanical engineering (9%). Startups account for just over 13% of workers at for-profit organizations. These workers earn median salaries of $88,725 , versus $101,000 for those at traditional companies. SPIE delivers its Global Salary Report each year, free of charge, as part of its mission to partner with researchers, educators, and industry to advance light-based research and technologies for the betterment of the human condition. About SPIE SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, an educational not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based science, engineering, and technology. The Society serves 257,000 constituents from 173 countries, offering conferences and their published proceedings, continuing education, books, journals, and the SPIE Digital Library. In 2018, SPIE provided more than $4 million in community support including scholarships and awards, outreach and advocacy programs, travel grants, public policy, and educational resources. www.spie.org. Contact: Daneet Steffens Public Relations Manager [email protected] +1 360 685 5478 @SPIEtweets SOURCE SPIE Related Links http://www.spie.org TRUE BLUE, Grenada, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, St. George's University School of Medicine announced that it will award Interlaken resident Jake W. Schuler a 2019 CityDoctors scholarship on behalf of Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center. "We're excited to provide this scholarship to Jake," said Dr. G. Richard Olds, President of St. George's University. "It's a priority for us at St. George's to make medical school accessible and affordable to aspiring doctors from a variety of backgrounds who are intent on returning home to New Jersey to practice." Schuler is the first recipient of a CityDoctors Scholarship through St. George's partnership with Jersey Shore University Medical Center. The scholarship will cover four years of tuition. Priority consideration for the Jersey Shore University Medical Center CityDoctors scholarship is given to applicants who are from Monmouth or Ocean County or are affiliated with the Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Veterans, those with demonstrated financial need, and those from groups underrepresented in medicine also receive priority. "This new scholarship program allows us to grow our academic programs and help area residents, perhaps even the children of our team members, pursue their dreams of becoming doctors," says David Kountz, M.D., MBA, FACP, vice president for Academic Affairs at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and co-chief academic officer of Hackensack Meridian Health. "We're thrilled to support Jake's journey. While there is no commitment for students like Jake to return to Jersey Shore University Medical Center for their residency, we are hopeful they will want to return 'home' when they complete their studies." Other partners in the CityDoctors Scholarship Program include NYC Health + Hospitals and Hackensack University Medical Center. St. George's is one of the leading providers of doctors to New Jersey -- and the third-largest source of licensed physicians for the entire United States. In 2018, more than 110 St. George's University graduates began post-graduate residencies in New Jersey. About St. George's University St. George's University is a center of international education, drawing students and faculty from 140 countries to the island of Grenada, in the West Indies, to its programs in medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, science, and business. St. George's is affiliated with educational institutions worldwide, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Ireland. The University's over 20,000 graduates include physicians, veterinarians, scientists, and public health and business professionals across the world. The University programs are accredited and approved by many governing authorities and repeatedly recognized as the best in the region. For more information, visit www.sgu.edu. MEDIA CONTACT: Madeline Auerbach (202) 471-4228 ext. 101 [email protected] SOURCE St. Georges University Related Links http://www.sgu.edu NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- IQTalent Partners, Inc. , a talent acquisition and consulting firm, announced the move of its official corporate headquarters from Silicon Valley to Nashville, TN. The company also added four senior management positions as a result of unprecedented growth over the last year. Chris Murdock, IQTalent Partners Co-Founder and Senior Partner The official relocation to Nashville incorporates an office footprint of 24,000 square feet in the 4th and Church building, including a 12,000 square foot expansion to be completed in March. IQTalent Partners' investment in Nashville follows the city's trending growth of startups and tech firms relocating to the mid-state. "I never let go of Nashville after graduating from Vanderbilt in 1999," stated Chris Murdock, Senior Partner and Co-Founder. "Although I worked in three different states and then founded a company in Silicon Valley, ultimately, I wanted to return to Nashville. The people, the economy, the culture - all of it just fits the way IQTalent Partners does business." In order to support a staff that has grown over 60% since January 2018, the company announced the addition of four management positions: John Beck , Director of Technology Kendra Deas , Director of Human Resources Mark Israel , Director of Account Management and Business Development Stacie Kinder , Director of Marketing IQTalent Partners CEO David Windley stated, "We are thrilled to have such talented and diverse leaders join the IQTP team. Their combined experience and enthusiasm position us well for our next phase of growth as we celebrate the start of our 10th year in business." Watch IQTalent Partners video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOiTqXDtwpE About IQTalent Partners: IQTalent Partners, Inc., is a talent acquisition and executive search firm offering consulting, candidate sourcing, candidate research and full cycle recruiting to its clients. It uses a unique on-demand business model in which IQTP augments the client's in-house talent acquisition team in a partnership without commissions or long-term contracts. Founded in 2009 with a mission to find a better, more cost effective and efficient way for organizations and candidates to find a match, the company has partnered with more than 250 corporations from Fortune 500s to startups. www.iqtalentpartners.com. Media Contact: Stacie Kinder, Director of Marketing [email protected] | 408.780.3191 SOURCE IQTalent Partners, Inc. Related Links http://www.iqtalentpartners.com GREENSBORO, N.C., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE: SKT) announced today that it will participate March 4-6, 2019 in the Citi Global Property CEO Conference. The roundtable presentation by Steven B. Tanger, Chief Executive Officer, is scheduled for 10:15 AM Eastern time on Tuesday, March 5, 2019. A live audio webcast can be accessed at investors.tangeroutlets.com. A replay will be available through Friday, March 15, 2019 and can also be accessed via the company's website. About Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE:SKT), is a publicly-traded REIT headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina that presently operates and owns, or has an ownership interest in, a portfolio of 44 upscale outlet shopping centers. Tanger's operating properties are located in 22 states coast to coast and in Canada, totaling approximately 15.3 million square feet, leased to over 3,100 stores which are operated by more than 530 different brand name companies. The Company has more than 38 years of experience in the outlet industry. Tanger Outlet Centers continue to attract more than 189 million shoppers annually. For more information on Tanger Outlet Centers, call 1-800-4TANGER or visit the Company's website at www.tangeroutlets.com . Contact: Cyndi M. Holt Vice President, Investor Relations (336) 834-6892 SOURCE Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. Related Links http://www.tangeroutlet.com Founded in 1998 when brothers Shep and Ian Murray left their desk jobs to start selling neckties, vineyard vines is an American lifestyle apparel brand with products for men, women and kids. Inspired by summers spent on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, the brand and its products reflect the state of mind, 'Every day should feel this good.' After more than 20 years in business, vineyard vines has expanded to over 100 freestanding stores and is available in more than 600 specialty and department stores across the country. "Our partnership with Target allows us to share our brand with more people than ever before," said Ian Murray, CEO and co-founder of vineyard vines. Shep Murray, CEO and co-founder of vineyard vines, added, "We are excited to collaborate with Target, a brand that shares many of our same values including fun, optimism and innovation. We look forward to testing out new product categories and ultimately spreading our message of 'Every day should feel this good' in a new and fun way." Target pioneered the concept of mass retail design collaborations nearly 20 years ago, and vineyard vines is the most recent partnership from the retailer. Past collaborations include TOMS, Lilly Pulitzer, Hunter and Marimekko. Vineyard vines for Target will be available beginning Saturday, May 18, 2019. To further support the partnership's focus of bringing people together, Target and vineyard vines will support Camp Southern Ground with camper scholarships, operations, products and essentials for the 2019 summer season, as well as apparel and product for the camp staff. Camp Southern Ground is the passion project of Zac Brown, leader of Zac Brown Band, and is a camp that brings together kids ages 7-17 from all backgrounds. The remainder of the year, the camp provides programs supporting veterans. More information about vineyard vines for Target is available on ABullseyeView.com. Guests are invited to join the conversation on social media using #vineyardvinesForTarget. About Target Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) serves guests at more than 1,800 stores and at Target.com. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its profit to communities, which today equals millions of dollars a week. For the latest store count or more information, visit Target.com/Pressroom. For a behind-the-scenes look at Target, visit Target.com/abullseyeview or follow @TargetNews on Twitter. About vineyard vines The lifestyle apparel brand headquartered in Stamford, CT, and best known for its smiling pink whale logo was founded in 1998 on Martha's Vineyard when brothers Shep and Ian Murray left their desk jobs to start making ties that represented the Good Life. In addition to signature neckwear, vineyard vines offers a variety of clothing and accessories for men, women and children. Products are sold in over 600 specialty and department stores worldwide, through a seasonal catalog, at 1.800.892.4982, online at vineyardvines.com and at over one-hundred freestanding stores. vineyard vines is part of an active community on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube. SOURCE Target Corporation Related Links www.target.com COLLEGE PARK, Md., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Maryland announced today that Michael R. Bloomberg, the successful entrepreneur and three-term mayor of New York City who has become one of the nation's most prominent philanthropists and advocates on gun violence, climate change, public health, and other issues, will deliver the university's commencement address on Friday, May 24, 2019. Bloomberg will address thousands of graduates, family and friends during the ceremony at the XFINITY Center. "It is an honor to speak at the commencement of one of America's top public universities especially one that has been such a leader on sustainability and climate change," said Bloomberg. "I have strong ties in Maryland and I look forward to addressing all the Terps on their big day." Bloomberg founded a start-up tech company, Bloomberg LP, in 1981. By building desktop computers and connecting them to an intranet he created that provided real-time financial data and news, he revolutionized the investment industry and leveled the playing field for smaller firms. The company has grown from a one-room office to nearly 20,000 employees in more than 120 countries. In 2001, he was elected as the 108th Mayor of New York City, just weeks after the terrorist attacks on September 11th. During his three terms as mayor, New York City saw an increase in high school graduation rates, a decrease in crime, and a reduction in the city's carbon footprint. The city also became the largest funder of arts and culture in the nation. As chair of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership group from 2010-2013, Bloomberg helped focus international attention on cities' leading role in combating climate change. He currently serves as the United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy for Climate Action and in 2017, he and California Governor Jerry Brown launched "America's Pledge" a new initiative to compile and quantify the actions of states, cities, and businesses committed to driving down their greenhouse gas emissions, to reach the goals America set under the Paris Climate Agreement. Bloomberg co-authored the 2017 bestselling book, Climate of Hope: How Cities, Businesses, and Citizens Can Save the Planet, with Carl Pope, the former executive director the Sierra Club. As the World Health Organization's Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases, Bloomberg is helping to advance the WHO's push to reduce premature NCD deaths by one-third by 2030 and to halve the number of road deaths and injuries by 2020. "Mr. Bloomberg's successful innovation in business, public service and civic engagement represents an extraordinary role model for our students and graduates on this Do Good campus," said University of Maryland President Wallace D. Loh. "He has shown himself a true champion of higher education, the environment, and public health. We welcome him." Bloomberg Philanthropies was created with five focus areas that speak to his passions, including the arts, education, the environment, government innovation and public health. The foundation uses a data-driven approach to foster global change, rooted in Bloomberg's experiences as an entrepreneur and mayor. To date, Michael Bloomberg has given more than $6.4 billion to a variety of initiatives that transform lives every day, including giving committed to supporting need-blind undergraduate university admissions. He earned a BS in electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 1964, paying his tuition by taking out loans and working as a parking lot attendant. He served as chairman of the Hopkins Board of Trustees from 1996-2001, and in 2001, the university renamed its School of Hygiene and Public Health the largest public health facility in the U.S. "The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health," to recognize Bloomberg's unprecedented commitment of energy to the field of global public health. Bloomberg went on to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1966. About the University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 40,000 students, 10,000 faculty and staff, and 280 academic programs. Its faculty includes two Nobel laureates, three Pulitzer Prize winners, 60 members of the national academies and scores of Fulbright scholars. The institution has a $1.9 billion operating budget and secures $514 million annually in external research funding. For more information about the University of Maryland, College Park, visit www.umd.edu. SOURCE University of Maryland Related Links http://www.umd.edu OXFORD, England and CLEVELAND, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Oxford and University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio, today announced a multi-year affiliation to establish a global center for rare diseases. The Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre will bring together the capabilities, resources and expertise of both institutions to deliver new treatments for rare diseases, for which therapeutic options are lacking. More than 350 million people worldwide are living with a rare disease, and approximately 50 percent are children. There are about 7,000 known rare diseases, with new diseases being discovered every day. A rare disease affects one in 10 Americans, or 10 percent of the US population. Similarly, Europe has approximately 30 million people who suffer from a rare disease. The majority of all rare diseases are genetic in origin, which means they are present throughout a person's life. Only five percent of rare diseases have a treatment approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and similar estimates have been made for treatments approved by the European Medicine Agency (EMA). Therefore, someone with a rare disease today faces a lifelong, often life-threatening, condition with little hope for a cure, or even an effective treatment option. In this partnership, the University of Oxford and Harrington Discovery Institute commit to addressing unmet need in rare disease. Through their combined resources, the new Centre will set the science and innovation agenda to support cutting-edge breakthroughs across the UK and US with the greatest chance for clinical impact. The University of Oxford is a world-renowned academic institution with more than 250 Principal Investigator scientists working on over 350 rare diseases. The Oxford Rare Disease Initiative, established in 2012, is a collaboration between the University of Oxford and the Oxford University Hospitals Trust, which provides the opportunity to combine pre-clinical and clinical expertise in areas such as neurology, inflammation and immunology, hematology, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and has created an extensive rare disease network. Since its founding in 2012, Harrington Discovery Institute part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development has supported more than 100 drugs-in-the-making across disease areas and academic institutions, with a concentration in diseases where unmet need is greatest. The Harrington Project was established to advance scientific discoveries over the 'Valley of Death' the stage in the drug development process when a new discovery is seen as promising, but is insufficiently validated to attract the funding necessary for clinical trials. Harrington Discovery Institute advances these promising discoveries towards the clinic by aligning, through mission and structure, scientific and drug discovery expertise into a new model for drug development. "Our partnership with Harrington Discovery Institute recognizes the combined experience needed in world-class science and drug development if we are to change the rare disease landscape in a meaningful way and Oxford is committed to doing so through this unique, open model supporting the most impactful innovation throughout the UK," said Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford. "Advancing breakthroughs in rare diseases will require bold, new approaches that can overcome scientific challenges and create new medicines. This affiliation represents a commitment to patients first and a tremendous opportunity to improve the health and outcomes of those living with a rare disease," said Jonathan S. Stamler, MD, President, Harrington Discovery Institute and Reitman Family Distinguished Chair of Cardiovascular Innovation at University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre has been several years in planning through efforts of Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford, and with the help of David U'Prichard, ex-Global Head of Pharma R&D and Advisor to The Harrington Project. The Centre will be headquartered both in Oxford, under the leadership of Professor Georg Hollander and Professor Matthew Wood, and in Cleveland within the Harrington Discovery Institute, and managed by its leadership. The Centre will be leveraged by researchers worldwide, and raise awareness for rare diseases. "Our family is thrilled to see the incredible evolution of the Harrington Project in only 7 years. Our US program has generated interest from disease foundations to biotech and pharma, and we are so pleased to see it extend to the UK. We are honored and privileged to be collaborating with perhaps the most illustrious university in the world, and we welcome them as true partners in our efforts to cure disease," said Ronald G. Harrington, whose family co-founded the Harrington Project with Dr. Stamler at University Hospitals. "Our Centre promises to advance the best scientific breakthroughs not only at Oxford but also across the UK. This is a unique feature of our commitment to science and patients and one I am most proud of," said Georg Hollander, Head of the Department of Paediatrics. Matthew Wood, Professor of Neuroscience and Director of the Centre remarked, "The enormous challenge of bringing new medicines into the rare disease space requires not only scientific excellence but also mechanisms to share knowledge and ambitious approaches to translate this successfully into new drugs for patients. We are thrilled that the new Centre will partner with Harrington Discovery Institute and benefit directly from their extraordinary track record in new drug development and commitment to patients." "This is a wonderful example of the synergy in science and innovation that is needed to move discovery forward, and it is gratifying to see our institutions in Cleveland and Oxford combine their strengths to this end," said University Hospitals CEO Thomas F. Zenty III. The Centre is supported in part by a grant from the Cleveland Foundation. "This is a phenomenal opportunity for Cleveland to further distinguish itself as a leader in biomedical innovation," said Cleveland Foundation President and CEO Ronn Richard. "We are excited by the capabilities of Harrington Discovery Institute, which will support medical breakthroughs across the US and UK through its affiliation with one of the world's premier medical institutions." University of Oxford Medical Sciences Division Oxford University's Medical Sciences Division is one of the largest biomedical research centres in Europe, with over 2,500 people involved in research and more than 2,800 students. The University is rated the best in the world for medicine and life sciences, and it is home to the UK's top-ranked medical school. It has one of the largest clinical trial portfolios in the UK and great expertise in taking discoveries from the lab into the clinic. Partnerships with the local NHS Trusts enable patients to benefit from close links between medical research and healthcare delivery. Harrington Discovery Institute The Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals in Cleveland, OH part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development aims to advance medicine and society by enabling our nation's most inventive scientists to turn their discoveries into medicines that improve human health. The institute was created in 2012 with a $50 million founding gift from the Harrington family and instantiates the commitment they share with University Hospitals to a Vision for a 'Better World'. The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development (The Harrington Project), founded in 2012 by the Harrington Family and University Hospitals of Cleveland, is a $300 million national initiative built to bridge the translational valley of death. It includes the Harrington Discovery Institute and BioMotiv, a for-profit, mission-aligned drug development company that accelerates early discovery into pharma pipelines. For more information about The Harrington Project and the Harrington Discovery Institute, visit: HarringtonDiscovery.org. University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio For information, please go to UHhospitals.org. SOURCE Harrington Discovery Institute Related Links http://HarringtonDiscovery.org BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- TripMedic, a global health service matching tourists and expats with medical professionals, presented a pioneering RCS demo at the Google stand at MWC19 in Barcelona. Rich Communication Services allows brands to create compelling, immersive and engaging services for their customers, making it easy to browse, shop and pay directly within the messaging platform. RCS messaging is aiming at replacing SMS, as it will be similar to popular consumer chat apps like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp, and also free to use by consumers. TripMedic decided to partner with Google on this new technology as they need the stability of the telecom network whilst also adding features similar to other internet-based chat apps. Following TripMedic's integration, anyone could directly request a consultation of choice with a doctor within hours. TripMedic is one of the first European companies to implement the Google technology in it's platform. The TripMedic demo is only a starting point for both companies as RCS is set to redefine the mobile communication landscape. MWC Barcelona (Mobile World Congress) is the largest mobile event in the world, bringing together the latest innovations and leading-edge technology from more than 2,400 leading companies. Up to day TripMedic is a global, multilingual medical service that provides consultations in the patient's own language with a specialist of choice in 9 countries and 20 cities serving more than 4000 patients since TripMedic launch in 2017. All it takes is using the free booking platform to make an appointment. Learn more at www.tripmedic.com SOURCE TripMedic The Europa EP: Side A features an exclusive new mix of previously unreleased material from U2's recent eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour: Charlie Chaplin's electrifying speech from the movie The Great Dictator (1940) underscored with a mash-up of Songs Of Experience album track 'Love Is All We Have Left' and 1993 classic 'Zooropa', leading into a performance of 'New Year's Day' recorded live in Dublin on November 5 th last year. Side B is comprised of two 'Euro'-tinged remixes: St. Francis Hotel's mix of the original album version of 'New Year's Day' and Jon Pleased Wimmin's Euromantic mix of 'Love Is All We Have Left'. The EP cover art is a Chaplinesque homage to the Europe-themed artwork of U2's 1993 album Zooropa and features the figure 130, in celebration of Chaplin's 130th birthday which falls on April 16th, 2019. The Europa EP track listing: SIDE A: 1. Love Is All We Have Left (eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Intro / Chaplin Speech) New Year's Day 'Live' (Dublin 5th November 2018 eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour) SIDE B: 2. New Year's Day (St Francis Hotel Remix) 3. Love Is All We Have Left (Jon Pleased Wimmin Euromantic Mix) The Europa EP is available exclusively at participating independent record stores on Saturday April 13th, 2019. For a full list of stores, visit https://recordstoreday.com/ Press images available here. www.U2.com About Record Store Day Record Store Day 2019 will take place on Saturday April 13th. Record Store Day is the one day of the year when over 200 independent record shops all across the US come together to celebrate their unique culture. Special vinyl releases are made exclusively for the day and many shops and cities host artist performances and events to mark the occasion. Thousands more shops celebrate the day round the glob in what's become one of the biggest annual events in the music calendar. https://recordstoreday.com/ SOURCE UMe HOUSTON, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- An internationally recognized authority on race relations and anti-discrimination law will explore racism faced by the growing number of "multiracials" in the U.S. on March 4 as speaker in the annual Yale L. Rosenberg Memorial Lecture at the University of Houston Law Center. Professor Tanya Kateri Hernandez says some scholars contend the historical concept of black-white racism has changed and call for revision of existing civil rights laws. But, Hernandez, the Archibald R. Murray Professor of Law at Fordham University School of Law, draws upon court cases to demonstrate that multiracials face the same discrimination as other minority groups because of their "non-whiteness." Instead of changing the current legal structure, she calls for a renewed focus on existing civil rights laws in light of today's resurgence of racism. Law Center Dean Leonard M. Baynes will moderate a panel discussion following her lecture titled, "Multiracials and Civil Rights: Mixed-Race Stories of Discrimination." Commentators are: Dr. Guillermo De Los Reyes, UH associate professor of Latin American Cultures and Literatures; Dr. Mark Goldberg, director of Jewish Studies, UH History Department; and Dr. Amy Lucas, assistant professor of Sociology and Women's Studies, UH Clear Lake. Dean Baynes and Dean Antonio D. Tillis, UH College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, will deliver welcome remarks. Hernandez received her A.B. from Brown University, and her J.D. from Yale Law School. She has taught at the Universite Paris Ouest Nanterre La Defense, in Paris, and the University of the West Indies Law School, in Trinidad. She has previously served as a Law and Public Policy Affairs Fellow at Princeton University, a faculty fellow at the Institute for Research on Women at Rutgers University; a faculty fellow at the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, and as an Independent Scholar in Residence at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. She is a Fulbright Scholar, a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, the American Law Institute, and the Academia Puertorriquena de Jurisprudencia y Legislacion. Her research on comparative race relations and anti-discrimination law has been published in numerous university law reviews and news outlets, including the New York Times. She is the author of "Racial Subordination in Latin America: The Role of the State, Customary Law and the New Civil Rights Response" and "Multiracials and Civil Rights: Mixed-Race Stories of Discrimination." The lecture, co-sponsored by Houston Public Media, will begin at 6:30 p.m., March 4, at the University of Houston Law Center, 4604 Calhoun. A reception and book signing will follow in the Albertus Room. Click here to register. Attorneys will earn .75 hour of CLE credit. The Yale L. Rosenberg Memorial Fund was established to fund a student writing prize and to bring distinguished speakers to the Law Center. Rosenberg joined the University of Houston Law Center faculty in 1972 after a distinguished career in government. His teaching of Civil Procedure, Federal Jurisdiction, Professional Responsibility, and Jewish Law earned him the UH Teaching Excellence Award in 2000. An award-winning scholar, Rosenberg has been called "America's prophet" for his analysis of the decline of federal habeas corpus. An alumnus of Rice University, he graduated from New York University Law School in 1964. To view and download COMPARATIVE AMERICAN AND TALMUDIC CRIMINAL LAW by Irene Merker Rosenberg and Yale L. Rosenberg, a book published electronically by the University of Houston Law Center, please visit: law.uh.edu/rosenberg/jewishlaw/mobile/index.html Media contacts: Carrie Anna Criado, UH Law Center Assistant Dean of Communications and Marketing, 713-743-2184, [email protected]; Elena Hawthorne, Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing, 713-743-1125, [email protected]; John T. Kling, Communications Manager, 713-743-8298, [email protected]; and John Brannen, Senior Writer, 713-743-3055, [email protected]. About the University of Houston The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter for excellence in undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city and one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse regions in the country, UH is a federally designated Hispanic- and Asian-American-Serving institution with enrollment of more than 46,000 students. About the University of Houston Law Center The University of Houston Law Center (UHLC) is a dynamic, top tier law school located in the nation's 4th largest city. UHLC's Health Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Part-time programs rank in the U.S. News Top 10. It awards Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees, through its academic branch, the College of Law. The Law Center is more than just a law school. It is a powerful hub of intellectual activity with 11 centers and institutes which fuel its educational mission and national reputation. UHLC is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. SOURCE University of Houston Law Center Related Links http://www.law.uh.edu BAAR, Switzerland, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Weatherford International plc (NYSE: WFT) (the "Company" or "Weatherford") today announced it has completed the sale of four contracted drilling rigs in Algeria. The Company expects that the remaining two rigs will transfer within the following four weeks after relocating within Algeria. This will complete the sale of Weatherford's land drilling operations in Algeria, which in total includes six drilling rigs, 350 employees and contractors and associated customer contracts to ADES International Holding PLC for $60 million in cash. Proceeds are expected to be received in tranches with $40 million received upon sale of the contracted rigs and $10 million for each of the rigs to be relocated, subject to other customary adjustments agreed in connection with finalizing the overall transaction. In July 2018, a subsidiary of Weatherford signed definitive agreements with ADES International Holding PLC for the sale of Weatherford's land drilling rig operations in Algeria, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia as well as two idle land rigs in Iraq, for an aggregate cash purchase price of $287.5 million (the "Transaction"). The Transaction includes 31 land drilling rigs and related drilling contracts, as well as approximately 2,300 employees and contract personnel. This is the third in a series of four closings subject to regulatory approvals, consents and other customary closing conditions. In December 2018, the Company announced the closing of its Precision Drilling Services Saudi Arabia land drilling operations for $92.5 million in cash. In November 2018, the Company announced the closing of its Kuwait land drilling rigs sale for $123 million in cash, and an additional $12 million to be received in equal $6 million increments upon the delivery of two idle land drilling rigs from Iraq. Weatherford intends to use the proceeds to reduce its debt. About Weatherford Weatherford is one of the largest multinational oilfield service companies providing innovative solutions, technology and services to the oil and gas industry. The Company operates in over 80 countries and has a network of approximately 700 locations, including manufacturing, service, research and development, and training facilities and employs approximately 26,500 people. For more information, visit www.weatherford.com and connect with Weatherford on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. About ADES International Holding ADES International Holding extends oil and gas drilling and production services through its subsidiaries and is a leading service provider in the Middle East and Africa, offering onshore and offshore contract drilling as well as workover and production services. Its over 4,000 employees serve clients including major national oil companies ("NOCs") such as Saudi Aramco, Kuwait Oil Company and Sonatrach as well as joint ventures of NOCs with global majors including BP and Eni. While maintaining a superior health, safety and environmental record, the Group currently has a fleet of twenty-six onshore drilling rigs, thirteen jack-up offshore drilling rigs, a jack-up barge, and a mobile offshore production unit ("MOPU"), which includes a floating storage and offloading unit. For more information, visit investors.adihgroup.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements as defined under federal law, including, but not limited to, those related to the sale transactions described in this press release and the use of proceeds therefrom. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "may," "should," "could," "will," "would," and "will be," and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Such statements are subject to significant risks, assumptions and uncertainties. Known material factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from the results contemplated by such forward-looking statements are described in the forward looking statements and risk factors in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 and those risk factors set forth from time-to-time in other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Weatherford undertakes no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except to the extent required under federal securities laws. Contacts: Christoph Bausch +1.713.836.4615 Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Weatherford Karen David-Green +1.713.836.7430 Senior Vice President, Stakeholder Engagement and Chief Marketing Officer, Weatherford SOURCE Weatherford International plc Related Links http://www.weatherford.com According to the agreement, the two parties will establish a long-term collaboration on Fintech to jointly promote the futuristic urban development of the Macao SAR. Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cloud Computing, among other innovative technologies, will be used to enhance the science and technology capabilities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao 'Greater Bay Area'. Ma Chi Ngai, President of Adm. Committee of FDCT, stated: "Building a Smart City is a strategic step for the SAR government to develop its economy and to improve residents' livelihood. As a governmental agency, the FDCT will actively work with the Macao government to promote the implementation of the Smart City. In this collaboration, we will utilize innovative technologies such as Blockchain as a fulcrum to strengthen the technological innovation capabilities of the SAR government, to promote the development of the Smart City, and to benefit people's livelihood through science and technology. Moreover, through the strong collaboration and mutual support, we will take full advantage the Greater Bay Area's strength in technological innovation to inject new vitality into the region." Henry Ma, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of WeBank, said in his speech: "WeBank is the first digital-only bank in China. Based in Shenzhen, the capital of innovation in the Greater Bay Area, we are committed to combining Fintech best practices with our own open technology strategy to provide secure, reliable and open source solutions for partners around the world. In the future, WeBank and the Macao government will expand their collaboration and jointly explore new models of cooperation between the public and private sectors. I am expecting that our collaboration will provide a meaningful reference for all enterprises and individuals committed to the development of the Greater Bay Area." According to both parties, the first collaboration project is based on "WeIdentity", an Entity Identity Authentication and Trusted Data Exchange solution. In the traditional model, the exchange of personal data across agencies and departments poses many problems. WeIdentity offers a secure and efficient solution for inter-institutional identity authentication and data cooperation through Blockchain, providing technical support for e-government services in Macao and enhancing the service experience of Macao residents. With technology deeply imbedded into the bank's DNA since inception, WeBank continues to drive improvements through the development of leading technologies. Investment into technology R&D accounts for more than 30% of the total expenditure at the bank with more than half of all staff serving in technical roles. Since 2015, WeBank has been a leader in the development of Blockchain and distributed ledger technology. Relying on its core technological expertise in Blockchain, WeBank had made great advancements in R&D, use case exploration, industry knowledge exchanges and government cooperation on the topic of Blockchain. The newly released "Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area" indicates the aim of implementing an innovation-driven development strategy, boosting the coordination of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in constructing a dynamic community of collaboration and innovation. The signing of this agreement between WeBank and the FDCT serves as a powerful example of this strategy with both government agencies and enterprises making contributions in developing the Greater Bay Area. Please visit http://fintech.webank.com/weid for more information. SOURCE WeBank "We're thrilled our new partners share our vision of working with people, plants and the planet. The investment will help scale operations as we continue to build Vermont as the agricultural hub of nationally distributed CBD oil," says co-founder and CEO Alejandro Bergad. In 2019, Sunsoil increased its footprint in Vermont by securing additional acreage for farming and production to meet growing demand and enable continued growth through key retailer expansion. The new Sunsoil name honors the natural good that comes from where the sun meets the soil with branding that brings the Vermont landscape to the forefront. "Despite the name transition, our mission remains the same: bring the most good to the most people by increasing the accessibility and availability of CBD. We're creating better access through a more attainable price-point while not sacrificing quality," says co-founder Jake Goldstein. Sunsoil's quality is reaffirmed as it uses three different ISO (International Organization for Standardization) compliant labs for every consumer-facing product, setting a consistent quality standard despite being in a loosely monitored space. Sunsoil's proprietary, vertically integrated seed-to-shelf process efficiently produces full spectrum hemp products with an uncompromised focus on quality. The brand's natural extraction process uses organic coconut oil instead of CO2 or harsh solvents. The efficiencies from its agricultural and natural production practices are passed on to the consumer, evident by Sunsoil's leading price position in market (price/CBD mg). Sunsoil has strong footing in the national CBD conversation: In two years, the in-market success of its product line is speaking for itself as every Sunsoil product is turning in the top ten percent of all CBD products in the natural channel1. "The productivity of our portfolio shows that consumers are responding to Alejandro and Jake's vision of setting the standard for quality and value in an emerging market with a more efficient process," says Bobby McConnell, Sunsoil's Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "The numbers are even more impressive when you consider our limited brick and mortar distribution... there is so much opportunity." In late January, Sunsoil released a new Cinnamon-flavored CBD Oil tincture with twice the CBD concentration of its existing portfolio, and it is already proving to be the brand's most successful offering yet. Sunsoil will continue to forge market expansion, most immediately with the introduction of soft gels at the Natural Products Expo West show in Anaheim, CA March 6 - 8, the leading trade show within the natural food and supplement space. Attendees are invited to visit Booth 3593 (Hall D, Supplements Section) for more information about Sunsoil and their products. ABOUT SUNSOIL In 2015, Alejandro Bergad and Jacob Goldstein founded Sunsoil (formerly Green Mountain CBD) with an unwavering commitment to organic farming, natural processing and accessible pricing. Today, Sunsoil produces CBD more efficiently than anyone else in the country. Setting the standard in the hemp economy, Sunsoil's simple processing methods yield a premium CBD oil, while keeping costs down. Bergad and Goldstein established their first hemp farm among the rolling hills of the Northeast Kingdom in Hardwick, Vermont because of the nutrient rich soil, pure water and a population with generations of experience working the land. Vermont conditions yield plants rich in cannabinoids with a wide spectrum of terpenes (lab results available). Sunsoil is compliant with all State and Federal laws. For more information, visit www.sunsoil.com and follow the farm at facebook.com/sunsoil and @sunsoil on Instagram. 1 Source: SPINS: 52 Week Ending 1/27/2019 SOURCE Sunsoil Related Links https://www.sunsoil.com/ BOYNTON BEACH, Fla., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The South Florida Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Transplant Institute DBA Maharaj Institute of Immune Regenerative Medicine in Boynton Beach, Florida, is conducting a "Phase 1/2 Clinical Study Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Fresh Frozen Plasma (GMFFP) from young healthy donors ages 18 to 35, who have received Granulocyte - Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) to Ameliorate Frailty and Enhance the Immune Risk Profile in Older Individuals." This Study is under an FDA (Food and Drug Administration) IND (Investigational New Drug Application) and is IRB (Institutional Review Board) approved as per the FDA guidelines. We are following all the FDA guidelines and have a Principal Investigator overseeing the study. The FDA has issued an IND number for the study and a copy of this FDA communication, acknowledging the IND is available on request to qualified consumers considering treatment. Study participants are not being charged for the treatments, the follow up or treatment side effects associated with this study. SOURCE Maharaj Institute of Immune Regenerative Medicine The AI-driven online employment marketplace rolls out new partnerships, a dedicated sales team, and a full product suite for Canadian employers and job seekers LOS ANGELES, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- ZipRecruiter ( www.ziprecruiter.com ), a leading online employment marketplace powered by AI matching technology, announced today that it has expanded its services to actively connect Canadian companies of all sizes with job seekers nationwide. The move, which helps address pain points on both sides of the historically tight Canadian labor market, is part of ZipRecruiter's international expansion of its marketplace. With Canada's national unemployment rate near its forty-three year low at 5.8%, and more jobs being created than there are available workers, companies are struggling to fill open jobs, while job seekers in certain industries are facing localized shortages of job opportunities matching their skills and experience. ZipRecruiter connects millions of job seekers to highly relevant jobs through its #1 rated job search app in Canada and partnerships with popular employment sites, including Google job search, Kijiji, and over 50 of the country's top job boards. On the employer side of the labor market, the company's dedicated local sales team supports the specific hiring needs of Canadian businesses of all sizes. "We're excited to further expand the reach of our AI-driven employment marketplace in Canada," said Greg Isaacs, VP of International at ZipRecruiter. "With our highly proficient matching technology, top-rated mobile job search app and partnerships with leading companies, we are uniquely positioned to connect Canadian employers and job seekers to their next great opportunity." ZipRecruiter, which was named one of the world's most innovative companies in 2019 by Fast Company, is rated #1 by U.S. employers* and, since 2010, has connected over 1.8 million businesses of all sizes with quality candidates. *Based on TrustPilot ratings of hiring sites with over 1,000 reviews. ABOUT ZIPRECRUITER ZipRecruiter is a leading online employment marketplace. Powered by AI-driven smart matching technology, the company actively connects millions of all-sized businesses and job seekers through innovative mobile, web, and email services, as well as partnerships with the best job boards on the web. ZipRecruiter has the #1 rated job search app on iOS & Android in the U.S. and Canada. Founded in 2010, the Los Angeles-based marketplace has over 1000 employees in two states and three countries. Visit us at ZipRecruiter.com and ZipRecruiter.com/blog . SOURCE ZipRecruiter Related Links https://www.ziprecruiter.com Ottawa, Feb 28 : Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland has urged India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any further military escalation over rising tensions between the two countries. In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Freeland said that "Canada is gravely concerned about rising tensions between India and Pakistan", Xinhua news agency reported. "Dialogue between India and Pakistan is needed to identify a durable diplomatic solution and maintain peace and security in the region," the minister said. Early Wednesday, Pakistan said it took one Indian pilot into custody, a day after Indian fighter jets conducted an air strike in Pakistan. Hostilities between the two countries have increased since a suicide attack in Kashmir killed over 40 Indian soldiers earlier this month. India's air strikes this week represented the country's first attack inside Pakistan since 1971. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called for peace talks between the two nations on Wednesday. Damscus, Feb 28 : A Syrian-Russian joint coordination committee has demanded the US forces to withdraw from Syria, according to Syrian state news agency SANA. The Joint Coordination Committee for Return of Syrian Refugees said in a statement that the US must withdraw its forces, which are illegally present on Syrian soil, Xinhua news agency reported. The Syrian government in coordination with the Russian side will organise humanitarian convoys as of the beginning of March to help return the displaced Syrians in the Rukban camp in southeastern Syria to their areas, said the statement. The US forces in the al-Tanf area are preventing aid convoys from reaching the camp, which is controlled by the rebels near the Syrian-Jordanian border, it said. The humanitarian convoys would reach the area in coordination with the UN, the statement added. The Syrian and Russian sides opened two humanitarian corridors near al-Tanf for the evacuation of people from al-Rukban on February 19. The statement charged that the US forces in al-Tanf were preventing the people from leaving the camp. The Rukban camp is home to 50,000 displaced Syrians, who are suffering from the harsh humanitarian situation because of the cold weather and lack of supplies. Juan Guaido (C), head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, delivers a speech at the Francisco de Miranda avenue, in Caracas, Venezuela, on Jan. 23, 2019. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday announced he was severing "diplomati Image Source: IANS News United Nations, Feb 28 : The UN Security Council is set to consider conflicting resolutions on the situation in Venezuela from the United States and Russia, diplomatic sources said here. The US recognizes Juan Guaido, the leader of Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly, as the oil-rich nation's acting president, while Russia supports incumbent head of state Nicolas Maduro, Efe news reported on Wednesday. Both texts have been circulated among the 15 members and the council is likely to take up the competing resolutions in a single session on Thursday, the sources said. The US draft, seen by EFE, calls for the start of a peaceful political process in Venezuela that leads to "free, fair and credible presidential elections" and urges UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to employ his "good offices" toward that end. Washington regards the May 2018 ballot that brought Maduro second term to be illegitimate. The document likewise insists on the need to avoid a worsening of the humanitarian situation in Venezuela and demands that the Maduro government allow the entry of US aid stockpiled in neighboring Brazil and Colombia. Russia's draft warns against the use of force against the Maduro administration and emphasizes the principles of national sovereignty and non-interference in countries' domestic affairs. The US is in the vanguard of the roughly 50 countries, including the major European powers except Italy, that have recognized Guaido since he proclaimed himself interim president on Jan. 23. Russia, a major ally of Venezuela, has stood by Maduro and denounced what Moscow describes as an attempt to impose regime change on the South American nation. To pass the Security Council, a resolution must secure nine votes, and the US draft appears capable of meeting that threshold. But each of the five Permanent Members - the US, Russia, China, France and Britain - has the power to veto a resolution and Moscow is sure to block Washington's text. Tuesday's emergency Security Council session on Venezuela, requested by Washington, featured a sharp exchange between a US senior official and the Venezuelan foreign minister. "We call on the members of the Security Council to join us in meeting the growing needs in Venezuela and the region. We call on member states to consider what resources and tools they have to contribute to Venezuelan democracy and to pressure the illegitimate Maduro regime to peacefully step down," the US special representative for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, said. He said that the world should back Guaido and "address the destabilizing results of Maduro's corrupt, fraudulent and incompetent reign, which just this weekend brought instability and violence" to the borders of Brazil and Colombia. Abrams was referring to clashes that occurred Saturday as Guaido supporters tried to force their way into Venezuela with US-donated aid rejected by Maduro as a stalking horse for military invention. Four people died on the Brazilian border and more than 200 others were injured in disturbances on the boundary with Colombia. In his remarks, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza asked the Security Council to pass a resolution rejecting "the threat and the use of force" against his country. Citing what he described as US preparations for war in Venezuela, he urged the council to "exclude that option completely," after Abrams reiterated Washington's "all options are on the table" position. The foreign minister said that the violence last weekend on the Colombian border was initiated by Guaido supporters who accompanied the trucks loaded with aid, emphasizing that most of the wounded were members of the Venezuelan security forces. "That was the last chapter in the coup on Saturday," he said, before directly addressing Abrams in English: "Read my lips - it failed. Now is the time for us to return to sanity." Hanoi, Feb 28 : US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have begun talks on the second day of their summit here to clinch a deal for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula on Thursday. The second summit between the two leaders comes eight months after their first meeting in Singapore last year. On Thursday, the two leaders had a dinner date in Hanoi. Both the leaders sat side by side at a round-table along with their respective aides. From the US side, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney were present. Kim was accompanied by Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho and regime's senior official Kim Yong Chol. Trump said he looked forward to a "very successful" summit with Kim and that "our relationship is a very special". "It's an honour to be with Chairman Kim. It's an honour to be together in Vietnam. It's great to be with you, we had a very successful first summit and I hope the second summit will be equal or greater than the first," Trump said. Denying that he was "walking back" on denuclearisation, Trump said he looked forward to helping Kim achieve a tremendous economic future for his country. On a declaration on formal end to the Korean War, Trump said: "We'll see." The North Korean leader said they would "have a very interesting dialogue" and hoped the Hanoi summit delivers "an outcome welcome by everyone". He also alluded to the slow progress of negotiations, saying "it's been a period that required a lot of patience and effort". We "have been able to overcome obstacles," Kim added. Kim said the "outside world" had "misunderstood" the US-North Korean relationship in the period after the Singapore summit and added we shared a "very interesting conversation" for 30 minutes upon meeting on Wednesday. Canberra, Feb 28 : Australia and Brazil have decided to escalate a trade dispute with India over sugar subsidies before the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Canberra said. Trade Minister Simon Birmingham announced this late Wednesday after it was decided that subsidies paid to Indian sugar farmers was leading to an abundant global supply of sugar and significantly lower prices, disadvantaging other country's farmers. The global sugar price has hit a 10-year low, crippling sugar farmers in Australia who have also had to combat drought and floods, he said. "That's hurting canegrowers and sugar millers whether they're in Australia, Brazil, or any other country in the world," Birmingham told reporters. Birmingham said that Australia has voiced its concerns to India to no avail, leaving the government with "no other choice but to initiate formal WTO dispute action, together with Brazil", Xinhua news agency said. "Last year, we saw around 1 billion Australian dollars (AUD) of additional new subsidies to Indian sugar farmers," he said. According to the Australian Sugar Mining Council, the subsidies could amount to 360 million AUD in losses for Australian farmers over the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 financial years. New Delhi, Feb 28 : The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely on Thursday evening to take stock of the situation as tension escalated between India and Pakistan. An Union Cabinet meeting is also slated for 6.30 p.m. Both meetings are scheduled to take place at the Prime Minister's residence. Sources said that the CCS at the 7, Lok Kalyan Marg will discuss steps to bring back an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot, who was captured by Pakistan on Wednesday. Islamabad had also issued a video on social media of an interview with Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, the pilot. India, however, was yet to confirm his name officially. The tension between India and Pakistan escalated following the February 14 Pulwama attack in Jammu and Kashmir by the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror outfit, which claimed the lives of 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)troopers. India carried out a "non-military pre-emptive attack" on the JeM's biggest terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot in a pre-dawn air strike on Tuesday that led to dogfights between the IAF and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Wednesday. Hanoi, Feb 28 : North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday said he would not be at a summit with US President Donald Trump if he was not ready to denuclearise. The second summit between the two leaders in Hanoi, Vietnam, comes eight months after their first meeting in Singapore. They are believed to be discussing a roadmap for removing nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula and could also announce a formal treaty ending the Korean War. Trump tried to limit expectations, saying there was "no rush" for a deal, the BBC reported. But after Kim told a reporter that if he was not ready to denuclearise he "wouldn't be here", the US leader responded: "That might be the best answer you've ever heard." Washington had previously said North Korea had to unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons before there could be any sanctions relief, but that condition is known to be a sticking point for the North Koreans. Speaking ahead of their talks, Trump appeared to again address scepticism about the success and progress of their last summit, saying he wanted to get the "right deal". "I've been saying very much from the beginning that speed is not that important to me. I very much appreciate no testing of nuclear rockets, missiles, any of it," Trump said, adding that he had "great respect" for Kim. Meanwhile, answering his first question from a foreign reporter, Kim said: "It's early to tell, but from my instincts, I do have a feeling that good results will emerge." The leaders were joined by their advisors. From the US side, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney were present. Kim was accompanied by Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho and the regime's senior official Kim Yong Chol. The North Korean leader said they would "have a very interesting dialogue" and hoped the Hanoi summit delivers "an outcome welcome by everyone". He also alluded to the slow progress of negotiations, saying "it's been a period that required a lot of patience and effort". Kim said the "outside world" had "misunderstood" the US-North Korean relationship in the period after the Singapore summit and added they shared a "very interesting conversation" upon meeting on Wednesday. Ranchi, Feb 28 : A Maoist leader was killed in a gun battle with police in Jharkhand's Ramgarh district early on Thursday, police said. Bajiram Mahto, area commander of the banned Maoist outfit People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI) was killed during the gun battle in Tundi forest. He was wanted in many cases, including abduction and seeking extortion, police said. Attari : , Feb 28 (IANS) Authorities in Pakistan have suspended the Samjhauta Express between India and Pakistan in view of rising tensions between the countries. The train, which was to leave Lahore for Attari in India early on Thursday, was cancelled and did not arrive here, security officials said. Passengers who were to travel to India were told they could seek a refund for their booked tickets. The train runs between both countries on Mondays and Thursdays. It links Lahore with Attari in Punjab. A link train (of Samjhauta Express) ferries passengers from Attari to Delhi. On Wednesday, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said the Samjhauta Express (link train) service will continue as per schedule from Delhi to Attari in Punjab. Following the Jaish-e-Mohammad's suicide bombing of a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama which killed 40 troopers, the passenger footfall in the train fell drastically. Hardly a hundred passengers travelled on Monday. Mumbai, Feb 28 : Actor Vidyut Jammwal says animal flow workout helped him be at ease while shooting with animals for his film "Junglee". Animal flow is a form of workout which copies the movements of different animals. The actor spent time observing various animals, their habit and studied the form to come up with a plan of animal flow which could be imbibed in the film. The actor has collaborated with three different teams across the globe and planned the action sequences in the film. "Kalaripayattu is a discipline that has encouraged people to pick up on strength, sensibility and personality traits of various fantastic animals. It was amazing for me to extend my knowledge of Kalaripayattu by practicing animal flow," Vidyut said in a statement. "Most of the conventional exercises in the gym isolate only two muscles at a time. However training like an animal functionally overcomes this one way to optimise strength, flexibility, mind body control," he added. The actor feels "humans are emotional beasts and hence face trouble in being in the moment". He added: "That is why we are not natural fighters like the leopard or the tiger who do not get paralyzed by fear. These animals do not get paralyzed by guilt situation. "This awareness, apart from additional strength from animal flow helped me be at ease with the animals I shot with for 'Junglee'. I was awed by the depth of this stream of martial arts and wanted to bring on big screen with 'Junglee'." The makers have released a video showcasing Vidyut doing animal flow in the movie. A Junglee Pictures production, "Junglee" is a family action directed by Chuck Russell, produced by Vineet Jain and co-produced by Priti Shahani. The film is set to release in cinemas on April 5. Patna, Feb 28 : Security has been beefed up for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Sankalp rally here on March 3 when he is likely to launch NDA's campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, police said on Thursday. Top officers of Bihar Police along with officials of advance security liaison (ASL) of Special Protection Group (SPG) - an elite commando force - Intelligence Bureau and other security agencies have been working for a full-proof security in and around rally venue Gandhi Maidan. Security has been tightened across Patna, including at airports and railway stations. Gandhi Maidan has been completely sealed for the public. Security personnel have been deployed on high rise buildings around the venue, Patna senior Superintendent of Police Garima Malik said. According to a police officer, every move near the venue is under high tech surveillance. Bihar will be on full alert during Modi's rally. During the rally, 4,000 policemen along with hundreds of officials from various intelligence agencies will be deployed. "NDA leaders, workers and supporters will come in 30 trains for the rally," Janata Dal-United (JD-U) General Secretary and party's Rajya Sabha member R.C.P. Singh said. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Bihar Cabinet Minister Nand Kishore Yadav said more than 5,000 buses will come to Patna for the rally, besides hundreds of four vehicles. Leaders of the BJP and its allies JD-U and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) have been busy touring different parts of the state to mobilise support for the rally. The Sankalp rally will be the first joint rally of Narendra Modi and JD-U chief Nitish Kumar and their first big show after Nitish Kumar joined hands with the BJP in July 2017. Hanoi, Feb 28 : A summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vietnam's capital was cut short on Thursday without any agreement, the White House announced. Trump and Kim had been scheduled to hold a working lunch before holding a joint press conference later, but those plans were abruptly abandoned around midday. "The two leaders discussed various ways to advance denuclearisation and economic driven concepts. No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders was cited as saying by CNN. She added that the two leaders had "had very good and constructive meetings". The original White House programme for the day had planned for a "Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony" as well as a working lunch for the two leaders, but expectations were abruptly dashed with the cancellation of both. Kim was seen leaving the Metropole hotel in central Hanoi, while Trump's motorcade also departed from the venue of the summit for the Marriott hotel, where a press conference was scheduled for later. Reporters at the Metropole hotel were first told that the lunch was delayed, before a White House spokesperson announced there had been "a programme change". The summit, the second between the two leaders in less than a year, was held to kickstart the stalled denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, as agreed at their first meeting in Singapore last year. Kim and Trump had met earlier on Thursday at the Metropole hotel, during which the North Korean leader had said that he would not have attended the summit if he did not want to denuclearise. "If I wasn't willing to do that, I wouldn't be here right now," Kim said. He also told reporters that he was feeling good about what could be achieved. "It's too early to tell but I wouldn't say that I'm pessimistic. What I feel right now, I do have a feeling that good results will come out," Kim told reporters through a translator. Trump said he was in "no rush" during the negotiation process, saying: "Speed is not important. What's important is that we do the right deal." Islamabad, Feb 28 : Pakistan on Thursday said that it will decide on the status of captive Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman "in a couple of days". Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said that the Indian pilot, who was caught on Wednesday, was "safe and healthy". "India has raised the matter of the pilot with us. We'll decide in a couple of days what convention will apply to him and whether to give him Prisoner of War (POW) status or not," he said. Jammu, Feb 28 : Indian and Pakistani armies traded mortar and small arms fire in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district for a second time on Thursday after the Pakistan Army violated the bilateral truce on the Line of Control (LoC). Defence Ministry spokesman Lt Colonel Devender Anand said that at around 1 p.m., the Pakistanis shelled mortars and fired from small arms along the Krishna Ghati sector. "The Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively," the spokesman said. Heavy firing exchanges had taken place earlier in the day between the two armies in the same sector for one hour from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. At around 6 a.m., Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling mortars and firing from small arms along the Krishna Ghati sector, the spokesman said. Authorities have shut down all educational institutions within 5 kilometres of the LoC and the international border in Rajouri, Poonch and Samba districts. Mumbai, Feb 28 : If Pakistan frees the captured IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman and orders a ceasefire, then Prime Minister Narendra Modi should grab his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan's offer for talks, MNS President Raj Thackeray said on Thursday. "If Pakistan is really sincere in their offer of constructive talks, then the first step in this direction must come from them. They have to release our pilot Abhinandan immediately and call for ceasefire," the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief said. "If this can be achieved, then we can believe that Imran Khan's intentions are noble. If all this takes place, then Modi should not let this opportunity pass by," he said. Thackeray's statement came against the backdrop of Khan's offer for talks to resolve the tensions between the two neighbours in the aftermath of the February 14 suicide attack in Kashmir and the subsequent developments. Los Angeles, Feb 28 : "Game of Thrones" author George R.R. Martin had a chance to appear in the upcoming final season of the popular fantasy series, but he decided against it. The author, whose "A Song of Ice" and "Fire" novels form the basis for the HBO hit, was extended an invitation by series showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss to travel from his New Mexico home to Northern Ireland to be included in a scene in season eight. But the author decided to focus on writing his next book, the long-awaited "The Winds of Winter", instead, reports ew.com. "David and Dan invited me to a cameo in one of the final episodes, which I was tempted to do," Martin said. "But I didn't think just for the sake of a cameo I could take the time to return to Belfast." Martin pointed out that he previously did film a cameo in the show in the first "Game of Thrones" pilot, which was subsequently reshot. "There was a cameo in the original pilot that was cut," he noted. "I was a guest at Dany's wedding. But that was when she was played by Tamzin Merchant so all that footage got thrown out when we recast with Emilia Clarke." The final season will arrive in April next year. It will air in India on Star World. Kolkata, Feb 28 : Fire indication observed by the pilot during boarding delayed a Doha-bound Qatar Airways flight by nearly five hours on Thursday in Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. The flight QR-541 was originally scheduled to take off at 3.15 a.m. Officials from the Airport Authority of India said while boarding of Qatar Airways flight QR-541 was in progress, the pilot observed fire indication in the auxillary power unit. A full emergency was declared by Air Traffic Control at 3 a.m. which was withdrawn an hour later. After the aircraft was checked and cleared, the flight finally departed at 8.11 a.m. Hanoi, Feb 28 : A summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended on Thursday with no agreement after Washington refused Pyongyang's demands for economic sanctions relief. Addressing reporters in the Vietnamese capital after the two-day summit with Kim was abruptly cut short earlier than planned, Trump said that he walked away from signing a denuclearization deal with the North Korean leader after they failed to reach an agreement for economic sanctions on Pyongyang to be lifted. "It was about the sanctions. Basically they wanted sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn't do that... We had to walk away. "We had to walk away from that particular suggestion of completely lifting the economic sanctions on North Korea", Trump said, adding that neither he nor Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "felt it was appropriate to sign an agreement". "We had papers ready to be signed, but it wasn't appropriate. I wanted to do it right, rather than fast," Trump said. According to the US leader, Kim said he was willing to dismantle the Yongbyon complex -- the development and testing facility at the heart of North Korea's nuclear programme -- but wanted all sanctions on North Korea lifted in exchange, something the US was not prepared to do. He added that no plans had been made for a third summit with the regime leader. Although no deal was signed, Trump insisted that his relationship with Kim was "very warm" and that he was optimistic that further progress could be made while highlighting the improvements in their bilateral relationship since the US leader took office two years ago. Trump said his meeting with Kim didn't end contentiously but with "a very friendly walk". "This wasn't a walk away like you get up and walk out," Trump told reporters of the end of the summit. "He has a certain vision, it's not exactly our vision, but it's a lot closer than it was a year ago. Eventually I think we'll get there. With time (the gap) will be bridged at a certain point. But there is a gap", Trump told the media. He added that Kim had promised him that his regime would not resume nuclear weapons tests. "I trust him and take him at his word. I hope that's true." "He (Kim) said the testing will not start, he said he's not gonna do testing of rockets or missiles, or anything to do with nuclear, and all I can tell you is that's what he said." The original White House programme for the day had planned for a "Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony" as well as a working lunch for the two leaders, but expectations were abruptly dashed with the cancellation of both. The summit, the second between the two leaders in less than a year, was held to start the stalled denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, as agreed at their first meeting in Singapore last year. Kim and Trump had met earlier on Thursday at the five-star Metropole hotel in central Hanoi during which the North Korean leader had said that he would not have attended the summit if he did not want to denuclearize. Kabul, Feb 28 : Officials of the US and the Taliban have decided to take a two-day break in the ongoing peace talks in Qatar and regroup again over the weekend for the negotiations aimed at ending the 17-year Afghanistan conflict. US Special Representative for Afghanistan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad tweeted on Thursday negotiators would regroup on Saturday after a two-day pause for internal deliberations. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said both the sides have decided to consult their respective leadership following discussions on the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan and the need for guarantees against terrorism in the war-torn country. "The meetings ended last night (Wednesday) as both the teams agreed to take a break today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday) for consultations and preparations for the third meeting, which shall be held on Saturday," Mujahid was quoted as saying by Efe news. He said during the first three days of the latest round of talks in Qatar "extensive discussions were held about the method of foreign troops' withdrawal" from Afghanistan. "From that time onwards, discussions revolved around preventing Afghanistan from being used against others," he said in reference to the use of Afghan territory as a base for carrying out attacks against the US and other countries. Khalilzad termed the "three solid days of talks with the Taliban in Doha" as "productive". "We continue to take slow, steady steps towards understanding and eventually peace. Both sides will take the next two days for internal deliberations, with plans to regroup on Saturday. All four key issues remain on the table," he tweeted. The two sides have made "progress on forming a national team in Kabul to engage in intra-Afghan dialogue and talks with the Taliban," he said. The meeting is the fifth round of negotiations between the US and the militant group, aimed at arriving at an agreement to put an end to conflict in Afghanistan. Islamabad, Feb 28 : The captured Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot will be freed on Friday "as a peace gesture", Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced on Thursday. Addressing a joint session of the National Assembly, Khan said the India-Pakistan situation should not "get out of hand" otherwise "Pakistan will have to retaliate", the Dawn reported. "Countries are ruined because of miscalculation," said Khan. Alleging "war hysteria" in India, he said: "I'm afraid there might be a miscalculation. "War is not a solution. If India takes any action, we will have to retaliate." The joint session of Parliament was called to discuss the rising tensions with India. "The only purpose of our strike (on India on Wednesday) was to demonstrate our capability and will," said the Prime Minister. "We did not want to inflict any casualty on India as we wanted to act in a responsible manner." He said he tried to call Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the telephone on Wednesday because "escalation is not in our interests nor in India's". Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman of the IAF was captured by Pakistanis on Wednesday after his MiG was shot down and fell in Pakistani territory during a dogfight. New Delhi, Feb 28 : Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi here on Thursday urged India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and create an atmosphere of trust and transparency. "For the safety, security and well-being of all our children, I appeal to the governments of India and Pakistan to exercise restraint. I urge Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and Prime Minister (Imran) Khan to create an atmosphere of trust and transparency, and work together to uproot terrorism in all earnestness," Satyarthi said in a statement. He also appealed religious leaders, media and youth of both the countries to work with their governments for restoring peace. "Terrorism in any part of the world is a threat to humanity. Our children have the right to grow up in peace," he noted. New Delhi, Feb 28 : Union Minister Suresh Prabhu on Thursday called upon state governments to join the regional air connectivity scheme, Udan, to realise the growth benefits from the multiplier effect of travel and tourism. Inaugurating the third edition of 'Wings 2019' here, the Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation Minister said that in order to make air travel affordable and accessible to the common man, states would have to be integral partners in the scheme and join hands with airlines and other stakeholders. "It is the states where the action is. It is they who will have to drive the process and become beneficiaries of growth," he said at the event which was jointly organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). The states, he said, would have to envisage having facilities to accommodate wide-body aircraft from their airports. On January 25, the Central government awarded contracts to 11 companies to operate fixed-wing and seaplane services under the third round of Udan scheme connecting destinations like Ambala, Amravati, Campbell Bay and Car Nicobar among others. Accordingly, the ministry issued "Letter of Awards" for 73 proposals involving 235 regional connectivity scheme (RCS) and water aerodrome routes which were received under the third round of RCS-Udan. This was the first time that proposals for connecting tourist destinations and seaplane services have been awarded. In the current scheme, the support fund for routes connecting tourist destinations will be provided by the Ministry of Tourism. Subsequently, flight operations are expected to connect destinations like Kushinagar, Jharsuguda, Saharanpur(Sarsawa), Guwahati River Front, Nagarjuna Sagar, Statue of Unity in Gujarat among others. According to the ministry, 16 unserved and 17 underserved airports, along with six water aerodromes and 50 served airports would be connected, based on the proposals identified for the award. Currently, 128 routes have been started under the various phases of the Udan scheme. London, Feb 28 : Oral typhoid vaccination, which has weakened strains of a common bacteria, can also protect against other infections potentially saving lives in the developing world, the results of a clinical trial revealed. Typhoid fever is a bacterial bloodstream infection caused by Salmonella Typhi that is estimated to affect between 11-18 million people and cause between 128,000-190,000 deaths annually worldwide. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are two vaccines to prevent typhoid. One is an inactivated (killed) vaccine gotten as a shot. The other is a live, attenuated (weakened) vaccine which is taken orally (Ty21a). The findings, published in the Science Advances journal, suggest that Ty21a can strengthen the immune response against subsequent, unrelated infections. "Live-attenuated Salmonella vaccines are low-cost, well-tolerated and easily administered," said lead author Shaun Pennington from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the UK. "These vaccines could potentially be included in global vaccination programmes, not just for their impact on Salmonella, but also for their off-target, non-specific beneficial effects," Pennington added. Previous evidence has suggested that some live-attenuated vaccines, such as those for measles and polio, can stimulate the human immune system to generate a wider protective response and lower all-cause mortality. In order to investigate whether Salmonella vaccines might offer similar protection, the researchers vaccinated a small group of 16 healthy adults in the UK with the Ty21a vaccine and studied its impact on their immune system over the course of six months. The changes observed to levels of infection fighting white blood cells (monocytes) and immune system messengers (cytokines) suggest that Ty21a can strengthen the immune response against subsequent, unrelated infections. "Salmonella vector vaccines could provide Salmonella-specific protection, vectored-pathogen protection and non-specific protection, making live-attenuated Salmonella a hugely powerful 'triple threat' tool for global vaccine development," said Professor Melita Gordon from the University of Liverpool. New Delhi, Feb 28 : Flaying Prime Minister Narendra Modi for seeking to strengthen electoral booths rather than the country, the Congress on Thursday said for the BJP, party was above the nation. On a day when Modi, while holding a mega video conference with Bharatiya Janata Party workers, exuded the confidence of winning the Lok Sabha elections, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the BJP should rise above "crass politicking". "At a time when the nation is looking towards its leadership and wants it to speak to it, the Prime Minister chose to address the booth workers of the BJP rather than addressing the nation. "When the priority should be further strengthening the nation, the Prime Minister thinks this is the time to strengthen the electoral booths," Tewari told the media here. "Modi in his addresses always claims that for him and his party, nation comes first. But when the time came to actually display that, he made it apparent that for him his party is above the nation," said the former Union Minister. The Congress leader's comments came a day after 21 Opposition parties unanimously expressed their anguish over the BJP and the Modi government's "blatant politicisation" of the armed forces' sacrifices. Pointing at several BJP leaders seeking to politically encash the air strike by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) training camp at Balakot in Pakistan on Tuesday, Tewari said that by doing so, the BJP leaders were actually playing into the hands of the Pakistan propaganda. "The day the non-military preemptive strikes took place, BJP President Amit Shah was appealing for the re-election of the Prime Minister. The Home Minister was in Chhattisgarh, attending political programmes of the BJP while former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said that the strikes will help the BJP win 22 of the 28 seats in the state. "All these statements are playing into the hands of the Pakistan propaganda. We would like to tell the BJP-led NDA government that they need to reign in the motormouths. This is not the time for crass politicking," Tewari said. Expressing concerns over the escalating tension between India and Pakistan, Tewari said it was time for the BJP and the Modi government to act like one and stand together with the nation. "The sensitivity of the entire situation is completely lost on the BJP. The nation and the entire Opposition is standing as one and there is a need for the Modi government and the BJP to come together," added Tewari. Kolkata, Feb 28 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday prayed for safe return of captured Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot from Pakistan. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured by Pakistan on Wednesday after his MiG 21 fell in the Pakistan territory during a aerial dogfight. "Along with his family members and all our countrymen, we are anxiously waiting for the safe return of pilot Abhinandan," she wrote on Twitter. Banerjee's comments came shortly after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that the captured IAF pilot will be freed on Friday "as a peace gesture." Gangtok, Feb 28 : The Indian Army has rescued over 300 tourists who got stranded in Changgu and adjoining areas of East Sikkim due to heavy snowfall, officials said on Thursday. The tourists, travelling in 50 to 60 civil vehicles, were evacuated amid the blizzard and taken to safety on Wednesday. The stranded travellers included women, children and elderly persons. "There were a number of tourists who required immediate medical care due to the inclement weather and effect of high altitude. They were evacuated in Army ambulances and suitable treatment was also provided," said an official. The tourists were transported 17 miles from Changgu in Army vehicles and subsequently dropped in Gangtok. Islamabad, Feb 28 : The captured Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot will be freed on Friday "as a peace gesture", Pakistan Prime Minister announced on Thursday, hours after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Imran Khan was ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to de-escalate tensions between the two neighbours. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman of the IAF was captured by Pakistanis on Wednesday after an aerial engagement between the air forces near the Line of Control (LoC). He parachuted and fell into Pakistani territory. Addressing a joint session of the National Assembly, Khan said: "In our desire for peace, I announce that tomorrow, and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody." He told Parliament that the India-Pakistan situation should not "get out of hand" otherwise "Pakistan will have to retaliate", the Dawn reported. The joint session of Parliament was called to discuss the rising tensions with India. "The only purpose of our strike (on India on Wednesday) was to demonstrate our capability and will. We did not want to inflict any casualty on India as we wanted to act in a responsible manner." Tensions spiked between two countries after the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed 40 CRPF troopers in Jammu and Kasmir's Pulwama on February 14. India, in retaliation, carried out pre-dawn raid strikes on a JeM terror camp in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and killed a large number of terrorists and their trainers. Khan on Thursday told Parliament: "I had said that if India does something then we will respond. India violated the UN Charter. India gave us a dossier today, two days after they attacked us. "Could this not have been done earlier? We had already offered to investigate and cooperate." Alleging "war hysteria" in India, he said: "I'm afraid there might be a miscalculation. Countries are ruined because of miscalculation. War is not a solution. If India takes any action, we will have to retaliate. "Indian media created war hysteria. Our media showed solidarity and acted responsibly." He said he tried to call Modi on the telephone on Wednesday because "escalation is not in our interests nor in India's". Earlier in the day, the Pakistan Foreign Minister said the same that Khan was ready to talk to his Indian counterpart over telephone to defuse tensions. Stating that the current situation arose because of Kashmir, Khan told Parliament: "I want to ask the Indian public about all that has happened over the past four years. There is an indigenous movement in Kashmir. At one point, Kashmiri leaders had not wanted separation, but because of Indian brutality, today all they demand is independence. "Shouldn't they (Indians) ask why a 19-year-old agreed to become a human bomb? How long will Pakistan be blamed for everything in Kashmir? And asked to take action without any proof?" he asked. "I have a feeling that the Indian public does not agree with the current government's warmongering. If their media had seen what our media has seen over the past 17 years, they would not have created this war hysteria." Stressing that talks about Kashmir were important, he said: "The situation should not get out of hand or Pakistan will have to retaliate. "I hope the international community will play its part to ensure the situation does not escalate beyond this." Ghaziabad, Feb 28 : Markets in Ghaziabad remained closed on Thursday in protest against killing of a trader by robbers on Wednesday night. Police said three robbers armed with pistols confronted Bijendra Garg, the trader, when he reached near his home in the Nusratpura area. He was carrying the money earned through sale of edible oil and was accompanied by two aides from the shop. As he reached near his home, the robbers appeared from a narrow lane, stopped him and fired in the air. They snatched the bag containing the cash, shot dead the trader and escaped. As the news spread, traders across the city decided to close the market. On Thursday morning, traders staged a noisy protest urging the police to take immediate action against the killers. Islamabad/New Delhi, Feb 28 : In what is being seen as a diplomatic victory for India, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced on Thursday that the captured IAF pilot will be freed on Friday after New Delhi sought his unconditional, immediate and unharmed release. Calling it a "peace gesture", Khan told a joint session of the Pakistan National Assembly that the India-Pakistan situation should not "get out of hand" or otherwise Islamabad "will have to retaliate". The announcement about Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman -- taken prisoner a day earlier -- came hours after India demanded his release and ruled out talks on the issue, saying Pakistan cannot use this issue for a deal. Khan said countries were ruined because of miscalculation and alleged that there was a "war hysteria" in India. "I'm afraid there might be a miscalculation. War is not a solution. If India takes any action, we will have to retaliate," he said at the session called to discuss the rising tensions with India. "The only purpose of our strike (on India on Wednesday) was to demonstrate our capability and will," he said. "We did not want to inflict any casualty on India as we wanted to act in a responsible manner." He said he tried to call Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the telephone on Wednesday because "escalation is not in our interests nor in India's". The 35-year-old Wing Commander was captured by Pakistan on Wednesday after his MiG was shot down and it fell in Pakistani territory during a dogfight. Earlier in the day, India said that Pakistan needed to create a conducive atmosphere for talks by taking credible and verifiable action against cross-border terrorism emanating from its soil and terrorist proxies. Government sources said India had told the international community that it was Pakistan which escalated matters by targeting military installations and what India did was counter-terrorism action as Pakistan had not shown any inclination to act against terrorists and their proxies after the February 14 Pulwama attack and the claim by the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) was ignored. They also referred to Khan's statement on Wednesday that two Indian pilots were captured and later corrected it to one, saying that if they cannot get a simple fact right, it speaks about the credibility of the Pakistan government. The sources said that at 9.45 a.m. on Wednesday, a sizeable force of Pakistan Air Force jets - over 20 in number - flew from a number of bases in Pakistan and approached the Indian air space. Some crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and launched some laser-guided bombs. Their target was military installations but they missed narrowly because they could not come closer. This, the sources said, happened against the backdrop of Khan's claim that Pakistan wanted to show its strength but it was false because their actual target was military installations. Khan said on Thursday that Islamabad's action was intended to convey that if India can come into Pakistan, then Pakistan can do the same. The sources said that there was deliberate effort by Pakistan to create a war psychosis by shutting its airspace and informing foreign embassies that India would launch missiles and also that there could be attack by the sea. He said India conducted a targeted operation at a venue where fidayeen jehadis were being trained and there were no civilian casualties. On Khan's demand for actionable intelligence, the sources said India had considered giving it but felt there will be no use given that Pakistan had not acted on the detailed information given after the terror attacks on Mumbai and the Pathankot IAF base -- even after a Pakistani team was given access. They said India consistently briefed the international community and Pakistan's reluctance in the past to act against terror perpetrators, and this was appreciated. Mumbai, Feb 28 : Telecom major Bharti Airtel on Thursday said its board of directors has approved fund raising up to Rs 32,000 crore, through rights issue and perpetual bonds. The board, in its meeting during the day, approved a proposal to raise Rs 25,000 crore through rights issue and Rs 7,000 crore through perpetual bonds, Bharti Airtel said in a regulatory filing. "The board approved the issuance of fully paid-up equity shares of the company for an amount aggregating upto Rs 25,000 crore by way of a rights issue to eligible equity shareholders of the company as on the record date (to be notified subsequently)," the filing said. The board also approved "perpetual bonds of upto $1 billion (Rs 7,000 crore) denominated in foreign currency subject to price, market conditions and other terms and conditions as acceptable, and with conditions allowing for full accounting equity credit and subject to all applicable laws including under ECB (external commercial borrowings) Regulations." The rights would be issued at Rs 220 per equity share, which have a face value of Rs 5 per share. Rights entitlement ratio has been pegged at 19 shares for every 67 shares held by eligible shareholders as on the record date. The shares of Bharti Airtel on the BSE settled at Rs 317.95 per share on Thursday, lower by Rs 2 or 0.63 per cent from the previous close. New Delhi, Feb 28 : The government is studying various models of PSU banks consolidation though a concrete decision will be taken only after the success of three-way merger of Bank of Baroda (BoB), Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank, official sources said on Thursday. "There are various models that could be looked at. There could be a merger of 5-6 pan-India banks with regional reach, like the Bank of Baroda. The second option is to combine 12-15 banks. The other option is merger of regional banks on the basis of their strengths," sources said. "The success of the merger happening right now (BoB-Dena Bank-Vijaya Bank) will be looked at closely before deciding on a future course," said a source. The merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda is underway to create the third biggest public sector bank (PSB) after the State Bank of India (SBI) and the Punjab National Bank (PNB). The merger will be effective from April 1. The merged entity will also be the third in terms of assets after the SBI and the ICICI Bank. The government is looking at the possibility of merging PSBs to create healthy large banks which could compete globally. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has on several occasions stressed the need to have stronger consolidated banks, which could have economies of scale and operational efficiencies. After April 1, the number of PSBs will come down from 21 to 18 following the amalgamation of three banks. PSBs have been hit hard by around Rs 8 lakh crore bad loans. Many of them have weak balance sheets and are under the Reserve Bank of India's prompt corrective action (PCA) framework due to bad asset quality. Moscow, Feb 28 : Russia is ready to propose it can host talks between India and Pakistan to help defuse tensions "if they wish", Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday. "Certainly, if they wish this," Lavrov was quoted as saying by TASS news agency. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also said that Moscow was ready to do anything it could to help ease tensions between India and Pakistan. Beijing, Feb 28 : China on Thursday urged India and Pakistan to resolve their problems through dialogue in the wake of escalating tensions between them. "India and Pakistan are both friends of China. We urge the two sides to resolve their problems through dialogue, work in the same direction, and maintain communication to avoid an increase in tensions," Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Ren Guoqiang said at a press conference. "China wants to see peace and stability in the region," Ren said. New Delhi, Feb 28 : Academic work at Delhi University (DU) remained completely suspended for the second consecutive day on Thursday, with university teachers continuing their strike demanding the absorption of ad hoc teachers and the beginning of faculty hiring. There are about 4,000 ad hoc teachers across 60-plus colleges of DU. Hired temporarily, some of them have been working for more than a decade. The teachers have struck work with the demand to make the ad hoc teachers permanent. "No one is listening to us. We have been making the same demands for years now -- make ad hocs permanent. All our pleas have fallen on deaf ears, including the Vice Chancellor, who has not deigned to reply or even care that an entire university is not functioning for two days," Rajesh Jha, an Executive Council member, told IANS. Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD), had promised two years back that all vacant seats will be filled within a year. But the government soon after put a stop on hiring again, expressing reservations against a 2017 Allahabad High Court judgement, which decreed a change in the mode of faculty recruitment from one that was based on the university as a unit to the department as a unit. The government, as did many teachers representations, have said that recruiting with the department as a unit would be detrimental to the chances of SC/ST and OBC candidates. After it dismissed a Special Leave Petition earlier, the Supreme Court on Wednesday again rejected a review petition filed by the University Grants Commission and the HRD Ministry challenging the verdict. The HRD Ministry is yet to announce its further course of action. According to the data given by the Ministry in Parliament last year, the Delhi University faculty was understaffed by almost 60 per cent. New Delhi, Feb 28 : The Indian Army said on Thursday that its weapons systems were on high alert and its mechanized forces were on standby in the wake of the Pakistan Air Force's (PAF) attempts to hit Indian military installations a day earlier. Major General S.S. Mahal told the media that on Wednesday PAF jets tried to target a Brigade Headquarters, a Battalion Headquarters and logistics installations in Jammu and Kashmir. But their designs were foiled because of the high level of preparedness by the Indian armed forces, he said at a tri-service press conference here. Air Vice Marshal R.G.K. Kapoor refuted Pakistan's claims that it had not used F-16s on Wednesday and said that one F-16 was shot down by a MiG-21 Bison. New Delhi, Feb 28 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday India's space programmes were examples of how the country has come up with innovations despite having limited resources. "If we have the will, we can achieve success despite resource crunch. Our space programme is an example of how amazing results can be achieved with limited resources," Modi said at a function at Vigyan Bhawan, here, organised On the occasion of National Science Day to confer the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar prizes for science and technology. The prize, named after the founder director of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, recognise outstanding Indian works in the field of science and technology. Modi conferred the prizes for 2016, 2017 and 2018. "Indian scientists have always contributed and worked towards the goodness and progress of humanity. The institutions that are associated with science, technology and research need to frame themselves considering the future needs of the society," Modi noted. The Prime Minister said medicines made in India were being exported to over 200 countries and there was a need to promote the pharma and biotechnology sector. Bhopal, Feb 28 : Some unidentified persons in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh allegedly pulled out hair from head and ears, and moustaches of a veteran Congress leader after assaulting him and his son, police said on Thursday. The father and son are currently undergoing treatment in a Indore hospital, the police said. "Some goons allegedly kidnapped veteran Congress leader Jaswant Dangi (60) and his son Narendra on gun-point when they were returning from an event of Chief Minister Kamal Nath, organised in Sonkatch area of Dewas district," a police official said. According to the police, the goons held them hostage for around three hours, assaulted the two publicly and tortured Dangi by pulling out the hair from his head and ears and his moustaches. The kidnappers fled the site before the police reached there. A Sonkatch police officer told IANS on Thursday: "The matter is related to old rivalry and the accused are from Gurjar community. Eleven people have been booked in the case." New Delhi, Feb 28 : The Indian Air Force (IAF), Army and Navy said on Thursday that they were on high alert and that Pakistani jets tried to target Indian military installations in Jammu and Kashmir a day earlier but were pushed back. Air Vice Marshal R.G.K. Kapoor told the media at a tri-service press conference that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) breached the Indian airspace west of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. The Pakistani attempt was to target Indian military installations but the Pakistani jets were forced to retreat by Indian MiG, Sukhoi and Mirage aircraft. Air Vice Marshal Kapoor said while Pakistan claimed that its jets fired bombs in open areas, "the fact is that Pakistan targeted military installations but we thwarted their plans. The bombs were unable to cause any significant damage due to swift IAF action". "IAF remains ever vigilant and ready to take on any eventuality," he said. He refuted Pakistan's claims that it had not used F-16s on Wednesday and said that one F-16 was shot down by a MiG-21 Bison. Major General S.S. Mahal said that PAF's targets on Wednesday included a Brigade Headquarters, a Battalion Headquarters and logistics installations in Jammu and Kashmir. But their designs were foiled because of the high level of preparedness by the Indian armed forces, he said. He said Indian weapons systems had been put on high alert and mechanized forces had been placed on standby. "We are fully prepared to respond to any provocation." Rear Admiral D.S. Gujral said: "The Indian Navy is deployed in a high state of readiness and remains poised in three dimensions -- surface, under the sea and in air to deter, prevent and defeat any misadventure by Pakistan in the maritime domain. "I can assure you of a resolute, swift and strong response by the Navy whenever needed." Islamabad, Feb 28 : Pakistan on Thursday said it has conveyed reservations over Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj's presence at the upcoming Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in the UAE in the wake of rising tensions between the two neighbours. India has been invited for the very first time to attend the Foreign Ministers' conclave in Abu Dhabi in March where Sushma Swaraj will be the "guest of honour". "India is neither a member of OIC nor an observer. The host country had invited the Indian Foreign Minister as a guest speaker for one inaugural session. I have spoken to the United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister and apprised him of Pakistan's reservations," Foreign Minister Qureshi was quoted as saying by Geo News. "I told him that he should have spoken to us before inviting (Sushma) Swaraj," he said, adding that he was not hesitant to meet his Indian counterpart, but OIC was not the forum for talks with her. Qureshi had on Wednesday said that he will not attend the OIC meet due to his Indian counterpart's presence. Talking about the OIC's invitation to the Indian Foreign Minister, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) President Shehbaz Sharif said the body should have "condemned India's brutality in Kashmir instead of inviting them as a guest of honour". "This is not acceptable to us," he was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper. Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 28 : After accusing the Central government of a "scam" in the tender for operating five international airports, including Thiruvananthapuram, to Adani Enterprises, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the airport here not be handed over to Adani. In the letter, Vijayan demanded Modi's immediate intervention to see that the state-owned Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd-led company, formed especially for operating the airport, be given the running of the Thiruvananthapuram Airport. "If this new company is handed over the running of the airport, then the interests of both the state and the Centre would be protected. It's surprising how come a private company has bagged the right to run the airport even when this particular company has no experience in running airports. In Kerala, two airports (Kochi and Kannur) are run by specially formed companies under the Kerala government and are doing well," he said. Vijayan noted that for the airport here, Kerala government had taken over 635 acres of land and handed it for free, while in 2005, another 23.57 acres was again given free for the airport. "There is a clause in the agreement that, if in future, the airport is handed over to a private company, then the value of the land given for free for the airport by the state government should be converted into equity of the state government," he said in the letter. Vijayan also pointed out that the KSIDC has already approached the Kerala High Court over the handing-over and it has ruled that any decision on finalizing the tender should take place after the court's ruling come. In the financial bid opened on Monday, Adani had quoted the highest rate for a passenger for the Thiruvananthapuram airport at Rs 168, against the KSIDC's Rs 135 and the GMR's Rs 63. The other airports that Adani have won in the tender are Mangaluru, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Jaipur. Visakhapatnam, Feb 28 : Protests seeking special category status to Andhra Pradesh will greet Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he lands in this port city on Friday to address a public rally. The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Congress, Left parties, Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the 'Prateekya Hoda Sadhana Samithi' - a group fighting for special category status, trade unions and various other organizations have called for protests during Modi's visit. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday asked TDP leaders to stage the protests with black flags, black badges and black balloons. The TDP chief reiterated that Modi has no right to visit the state without fulfilling the commitments he made. Barring the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the YSR Congress, all parties had staged protest during Modi's visit to Guntur on February 10. This was Modi's first visit to the state after the TDP pulled out of BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in March last year over the issue of special status. Naidu undertook a day-long fast in New Delhi on February 11 to demand the Centre to confer special category status and fulfill all the commitment made in Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014. Leaders of several opposition parties had expressed solidarity with him. Ahead of Modi's visit to Visakhapatnam, the Centre announced creation of a railway zone named South Coast Railway with its headquarters at Visakhapatnam. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal's announcement addressed one of the provisions of Reorganisation Act. Hailing the announcement, state BJP leaders hoped that Modi would announce some more sops to the state on Friday. Naidu, however, slammed the Centre for splitting Waltair Division while creating the new zone. He alleged that higher revenue-generating part of the division was merged with the railway zone in Odisha and termed this as another betrayal by Modi. Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements were in place for Modi's visit. State police have deployed 2,200 personnel as part of the security at Railway Grounds where he will address a rally organized by the BJP. Security agencies will be keeping a tight vigil around the rally venue in view of the tense situation on India-Pakistan border and the protests called by various parties seeking special category status to the state. Senior police officials led by Visakhapatnam Commissioner of Police Mahesh Chandra Laddha will monitor the security. Police, in coordination with Special Protection Group, installed barricades and made other arrangements. Bomb disposal squads and dog squads were also deployed. New Delhi, Feb 28 : The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed arrest of Amrapali Group chairman-and-managing director Anil Kumar Sharma as well as two other directors -- Shiv Priya and Ajay Kumar -- in an alleged criminal case involving cheating. The Division Bench of Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit also allowed the Economic Offences wing of the Delhi Police to interrogate Sharma and the two directors. It also ordered attachment of properties belonging to Sharma (including his bungalow in South Delhi) and the two others. The court has asked forensic auditors to complete by March 22 audit of the group's accounts for alleged diversion of the homebuyers' money. Sharma, Priya and Kumar are in the custody of UP Police since October 9, following a Supreme Court order after they failed to hand over all documents related to their 46 companies to forensic auditors. A court had ordered the action observing that their was blatant and deliberate violation and non-compliance of its order. "If they want to live in dignity, then they should hand over all the documents immediately," it said. The trio is restricted to a hotel room in Noida from where they are taken to their offices everyday to hand over documents. However, sources said so far they were not arrested. They were only in police custody to ensure compliance of the top court order. The next hearing in the case is on March 26. Chennai, Feb 28 : Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S.Ramadoss on Thursday welcomed Pakistan's decision to release Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Varthaman Abhinandan. In a tweet Ramadoss said: "The news about Abhinandan being freed from Pakistan's custody is joyous. India, and more so Chennai, is ready to welcome back the brave son." Meanwhile Abhinandan's father retired Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthaman declining to comment on the news, told IANS: "We are bit tied up now. Thank you." Earlier in the day, leaders of various political parties called on the parents of Abhinandan here and expressed support to them. Phnom Penh, Feb 28 : Cambodia on Thursday called on Pakistan and India to exercise "utmost restraint" and avoid further clashes. "Cambodia follows with great concern the recent escalation of tensions between Pakistan and India in the Kashmir region," the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "As friends of both countries, Cambodia hopes Pakistan and India exercise utmost restraint to avoid further armed clashes, which would give rise to hostile sentiment among the peoples of the two countries," it said. The statement, cited by Xinhua news agency, said Cambodia believed that Pakistan and India could work through negotiation to defuse the current tension and find appropriate solution to disputes through peaceful means. HANOI, Feb. 28, 2019 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump (L) speaks at a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, Feb. 28, 2019. A gap remained between what the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) wanted and what the U.S. wanted, Donald Trump Image Source: IANS News HANOI, Feb. 28, 2019 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, Feb. 28, 2019. A gap remained between what the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) wanted and what the U.S. wanted, Donald Trump tol Image Source: IANS News Hanoi, Feb 28 : US President Donald Trump on Thursday said his former attorney Michael Cohen had repeatedly lied during his testimony before a senate panel but told the truth that his 2016 election campaign did not collude with the Russian government. Trump was answering a question during a press conference at the end of a summit with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the Vietnamese capital. "Well, it's incorrect," Trump replied when asked if he was "a racist", "a cheat" and a "conman", as Cohen had described him during his testimony before a House committee on Wednesday. "And he lied a lot, but it was very interesting because he didn't lie about one thing, he said no collusion with the Russian hoax during the 2016 presidential elections," Trump said. The President said he tried to watch as much of Cohen's testimony as he could from Hanoi and wondered "why he didn't lie about that too like he did about everything else". "He said no collusion and I was a little impressed by that, frankly. He could have gone all out," Trump said. Trump described his former lawyer's testimony as "shameful" and said holding the hearing "in the middle of this very important summit" was a "a terrible thing", Efe news reported. Cohen will begin a three-year prison sentence in May for violating campaign finance laws in Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. He testified before the House Oversight and Reform committee in the only open session of his three congressional appearances this week. "Questions have been raised about whether I know of direct evidence that Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia. I do not. I want to be clear. But I have my suspicions," Cohen said during his testimony. "I lied to Congress about when Trump stopped negotiating the Moscow Tower project in Russia. I stated that we stopped negotiating in January 2016. That was false -- our negotiations continued for months later during the campaign." Cohen also said Trump knew that one of his longtime advisers, Roger Stone, was in touch with WikiLeaks for the release of emails hacked from the Democratic Party, which affected the campaign of his rival Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. He also detailed alleged racist comments Trump had made to him in private. "While we were once driving through a struggling neighbourhood in Chicago, he commented only Blacks could live that way. He told me Blacks would never vote for him because they were too stupid," Cohen said. New Delhi, Feb 28 : The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed pleas of V.K. Sasikala and T.T.V Dhinakaran challenging the EC decision of awarding the 'two leaves' symbol and the AIADMK name to a faction led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E.K. Palaniswami. The Division Bench of Justice G.S. Sistani and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal upheld the Election Commission's (EC) decision. After the AIADMK had split into two, the EC recognised Palaniswami's group as the real AIADMK and alloted it the 'two leaves' poll symbol. The court noted that figures show a clear majority enjoyed by the faction led by the Palaniswami's group. "Consequently, none of the grounds urged by the petitioners are made out. We find no infirmity in the order of the (Election) Commission warranting interference by this court," the Bench said. Sasikala-Dhinakaran's counsel and advocate Abhishek Singhvi had requested the court to direct the poll panel not to allot the 'pressure cooker' symbol to any party in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for at least 15 days to allow them to file an appeal in the Supreme Court seeking remedies, to which the EC agreed. Tarn Taran: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh meets father of Pulwama martyr Sukhjinder Singh during a tour of border areas in Tarn Taran district as part of his confidence-building measures for residents, on Feb 28, 2019. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Tarn Taran: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh meets father of Pulwama martyr Sukhjinder Singh during a tour of border areas in Tarn Taran district as part of his confidence-building measures for residents, on Feb 28, 2019. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Tarn Taran : , Feb 28 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday welcomed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's announcement on the release of the captured IAF officer, terming it "a goodwill gesture that would help ease the prevailing tensions at the border". Interacting with Border Security Force (BSF) personnel at the Khalra observation post during a tour of border areas in Tarn Taran district as part of his confidence-building measures for residents, he said that "the Pulwama attack by Pakistan-backed terror forces was an act of cowardice, necessitating the retaliation by the Indian government". Amarinder Singh, however, hoped normalcy would return soon at the border. The Chief Minister extended all support on behalf of his government to the BSF to deal with the current situation in the aftermath of the IAF strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Pakistan's Balakot. "We are there for you," he told the BSF personnel. A nostalgic Amarinder Singh, who served as a captain in the Army in the 1960s, also recalled his own days in the sector in 1965. "I found the morale of the people and forces in the border areas very high. I met officials and personnel from the Army and the BSF and they all were well prepared to deal with any situation," he told media. During his tour, the Chief Minister interacted with residents of at least 15 border area villages, including Shaheed Baba Tara Singh Wala, Rajoke, Kalia Shatara, Dholan, Lakhna and Kals and urged them to remain calm and not to be swayed by rumours. Assuring the huge crowd that had gathered at village Mastgarh, just two km from the International Border, to see him, the Chief Minister reaffirmed his commitment to ensure the safety and security of every citizen. Having lunch with them, he urged all to guard against manufactured hysteria and not get waylaid by rumours. "The Punjab government stands shoulder to shoulder with you in this critical hour," he told the residents in village Kals, urging them not to panic. Earlier, he also visited the 14th BSF Battalion headquarters at Khemkaran and was briefed about the overall defence preparedness by Inspector General, BSF, Mahipal Yadav and assured that the force was fully prepared to thwart any untoward incident from across the border. Interacting with the bereaved family of Pulwama martyr Sukhjinder Singh of Tarn Taran, the Chief Minister extended his condolences, assuring them of all possible support and assistance. On his arrival at village Ghariala in Tarn Taran earlier, he took stock of the situation and was briefed by top police and administrative brass regarding the prevailing situation and measures taken for the security of citizens. He asked the civil and police administration to work in coordination to prevail upon the border residents not to leave their homes in panic but to jointly hold meetings of village panchayats and prominent local residents to instil a sense of confidence. Amarinder Singh also impressed upon the residents not to be swayed by the false propaganda and desist from rumour-mongering in the prevailing situation. He said that he was in constant touch with the Centre and keeping a tab on the situation. Six border districts - Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Fazilka and Pathankot - fall on the state's 553-km-long border with Pakistan. Geneva, Feb 28 : The UN Independent Commission of Inquiry said on Thursday that Israel may have committed war crimes against Palestinian protesters during the 2018 Gaza protests in which 189 Palestinians were killed, mostly by Israeli fire. Among the deceased were 35 children, three paramedics and two journalists, said the commission in a report which will be presented at the ongoing 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council on March 18 in Geneva, Efe news reported. "The Commission has reasonable grounds to believe that during the Great March of Return, Israeli soldiers committed violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Some of those violations may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity and must be immediately investigated by Israel," the Chair of the Commission, Santiago Canton, said on the official UN Human Rights Council website. "There can be no justification for killing and injuring journalists, medics and persons who pose no imminent threat of death or serious injury to those around them. Particularly alarming is the targeting of children and persons with disabilities," said Sara Hossain, a Bangladeshi lawyer and a member of the Commission. Hossain added that the lives of many youngsters had been changed forever with 122 total amputees having been operated on since March 30, 20 of which were children. During the 2018 Gaza Protests, a total of 6,106 Palestinians were injured by live ammunition and 3,098 others by "bullet fragmentation, rubber-coated metal bullets or by hits from tear gas canisters," according to the Commission's report. The report also stressed that only four Israeli soldiers were wounded, while one Israeli soldier died. The border protests began on March 30 last year as part of the Great March of Return, an action demanding the right of Palestinian refugees and their descendants - who according to the UN make up around two thirds of Gaza's population - to return to their homeland inside what is now Israel. Israel had accused the Islamist Hamas movement, which has been controlling the coastal enclave since 2007, of using the protests as a cover to damage the border fence, infiltrate Israeli territory and launch attacks. "The Commission finds that these protests were a call for help from a population in despair," Canton said, adding that "not only Israel but also the de facto authorities led by Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have responsibilities towards them". "The Commission calls on Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza and on all three duty bearers to comply with their responsibilities and improve the living situation in Gaza." New Delhi, Feb 28 : Presenting evidence that the Pakistan Air Force used F-16s to target Indian military installations, the Indian armed forces on Thursday warned Pakistan that they would respond to any "misadventure" from across the border. The Air Force welcomed Pakistan's decision to return the captured pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, but said the gesture was only in accordance with the Geneva Convention. The service officers said the forces have enough evidence of successfully implementing what they wanted to in bombing a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) terror camp. "Whatever we planned, we have got it. It is for the government and top leadership to present evidence. It will be premature to talk about casualties," said Air Vice Marshal R.G.K. Kapoor in reply to a question as to how many terrorists were killed in the Tuesday action in Balakot and what was the damage caused. At a joint media briefing, top officers of Air Force, Army and Navy said Pakistan was trying to lie and hide facts. "There is enough evidence of PAF having used the American AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile), which is a modern beyond-visual-range missile (used by F-16). The fact is that one F-16 was brought down by the IAF," Air Vice Marshal Kapoor told reporters in the first joint briefing by the three services after India carried out air strikes on a JeM training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The press conference was deferred by two hours to 7 p.m. apparently after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that Varthaman would be released on Friday. To a question whether India considered Pakistan Air Force targeting Indian military installations as a declaration of war on India, Army official Major General Surender Singh Mahal said: "We continue to maintain strict vigilance along the Line of Control and International Border and the anti-aircraft weapons systems are on standby and so are our mechanised forces". The Army officer said as long as Pakistan continues to harbour terrorists "we will continue to target agencies which are inimical to India." "We are fully prepared and are on heightened readiness. We are prepared to respond to any Pakistan provocation and maintain peace and stability," he said. Navy officer Rear Admiral Dalbir Singh Gujral told the media that the Indian Navy has been put on high state of readiness on sea, under water and in the air to defeat any misadventure by Pakistan. "I can assure you a resolute and strong response by the Indian Navy. We --the Army, Navy and Air Force -- stand as one to ensure safety and security of the nation and our citizens," he said. Giving details of the Air Force operations on Thursday when the Pakistani jets targeted India, Kapoor said that on Feb 27 at 10a.m. Indian Air Force radars detected a large package of PAF fighter jets heading towards the Indian territory towards general area Jangar. They breached the Indian air space west of Rajouri in the Sunderbani area. The ingressing aircraft were observed to be at various levels. "The IAF fighters, including MiG 21 Bison, Sukhoi MKI and Mirage 2000 were tasked to intercept the intruding Pakistani aircraft. The PAF jets attempting to target our military installations were intercepted by the IAF which foiled their attack. "In the aerial combat that ensued, one F-16 of PAF was shot down by IAF's MiG 21 Bison aircraft. The F-16 crashed and fell across the Line of Control (LoC) in the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir," said Air Vice Marshal Kapoor. The IAF lost one MiG 21 in the aerial engagement, though the pilot ejected safely. His parachute drifted to the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir where he was taken into custody by the Pakistan Army, he said. "There have been many factually incorrect statements made by Pakistan. The first information was that the two IAF aircraft were shot down by Pakistan and three pilots of the IAF were downed. This figure was later revised in the evening that two IAF aircraft were down," he said. The fact, he said, was that Indian Army units had reported citing two parachutes in Pakistan-occupied J&K which were of two F-16 pilots. Pakistan later in the evening changed its statement to say that one Indian pilot was in their custody. Therefore it was only by late evening that they corrected it, the Vice Marshal said. "Secondly, Pakistan claimed that they intentionally dropped weapons in an open space where there was no human presence or military post. The fact is that PAF targeted military installations, however they were intercepted by the IAF which thwarted their plans. However, PAF bombs fell inside an Indian Army formation compound which could not cause any significant damage due to our swift action," he said. Pakistan also stated that no F-16s were used in the operation and that no Pakistani plane was downed by IAF. "There is enough evidence such as electronic signature that shows PAF used F-16s. Pakistan is trying to hide this fact," said Vice Marshal Kapoor. Also parts of AMRAAM missiles, which are carried by only Pakistan F-16, were recovered east of Rajouri. Therefore, the fact remains that one F-16 of PAF was shot down by IAF MiG 21 Bisons, he said. At the press conference, the IAF officer displayed fragments of the missile. Answering a query, Kapoor said while Pakistan used F16, JF7 and some MiGs to target India, the IAF used Sukhoi, MiG21 and Mirage. --aks-rak-vn-bns-ps/vsc/prs New Delhi, Feb 28 : While Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced that Wing Commander Varthaman Abhinandan will be released from captivity on Friday, the protocol for such return is confined to the sole incidence of Flight Lieutenant K. Nachiketa (now Group Captain), an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer who was released by Pakistan in 1999 during the Kargil War. Khan said captured IAF pilot Varthaman will be freed as a "goodwill gesture" after New Delhi sought his unconditional, immediate and unharmed release. The 35-year-old Wing Commander was captured by Pakistan on Wednesday after his MiG fell in the Pakistani territory during an aerial dogfight. Before Varthaman, the last Indian officer to be released by Pakistan from its custody was Nachiketa, an MiG pilot, who fell into Pakistan's captivity during the 1999 Kargil War when he ejected himself from his "flamed out" aircraft. Nachiketa was later handed over to then Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan G. Parthasarathy who narrated the procedure that was followed in the pilot's return. "He was handed over to the Indian Embassy by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). I then sent him to the Wagah border with an Air Commodore and a Navy Commodore. There is no protocols as such for transfers like these. The only time it happened was after the Kargil War," Parthasarthy told IANS. While receiving Nachiketa, the diplomat said he refused to have any media presence to prevent the transfer from becoming a high voltage "dog & pony show". "I did it out of my own accord because I knew Pakistan will make a big hoo-haa right in the middle of the Kargil War, showing how generous they were. I had to take the decision immediately. I couldn't say I will check with Delhi. An Indian Air Force officer treated like that would be too much for me to see, so I said no," he said. Nachiketa was released after eight days in captivity. In an interview in 2016, Nachiketa recounted the details of his days in captivity during which he suffered at the hands of his captors torture that was just short of third degree. Although it is reasonable to believe that Varthaman didn't have to go through any torture, the former diplomat emphasised he should be treated like a Prisoner of War (PoW) as described under the Geneva Convention on treatment of PoW. Chandigarh, Feb 28 : Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here on Thursday expressed his desire to receive Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Varthaman Abhinandan after he is freed on Friday. The 35-year-old Wing Commander was captured by Pakistan on Wednesday after his MiG fell in Pakistani territory during an aerial dogfight. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced on Thursday the captured IAF pilot will be freed as a "goodwill gesture" on Friday after New Delhi sought his unconditional, immediate and unharmed release. "Dear @narendramodi ji, I'm touring the border areas of Punjab & I'm presently in Amritsar. Came to know that @pid_gov has decided to release #AbhinandanVartaman from Wagha. It will be an honour for me to go and receive him, as he and his father are alumnus of the NDA as I am," Singh said in a tweet. The IAF pilot is likely to be released by Pakistan through the Wagah-Attari joint check-post, around 30 km from Amritsar. Singh had earlier welcomed Imran Khan's announcement as "a goodwill gesture that would help ease the prevailing tensions at the border." The Chief Minister is presently touring the border villages in Punjab, which share border with Pakistan. Singh has also extended all support on behalf of his government to the Border Security Force (BSF) to deal with the current situation in the aftermath of the IAF air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp at Balakot in Pakistan in the wee hours of Tuesday. New Delhi, Feb 28 : India on Thursday presented the first evidence in public to show that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) used F-16s to drop bombs at an Indian military installation near the LoC, saying the forces were prepared, but there was palpable relief at the scheduled return of captured pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman who became the poster boy of the two-day hostilities. In a sign of de-escalation, India did not spell out its future course of military action. India said it has the evidence to show destruction of a target in Balakot on Tuesday in an air strike. However, it refused to hazard a guess about the casualties in the terror camp. The decision to show the evidence will be taken by the political leadership, said Air Vice Marshal R.G.K. Kapoor who was one of the officers in the integrated service press conference held on Thursday to share first operational details of the events of the last two days. The briefing, which was to be held in the afternoon, was delayed following annoucement about the release of the Indian pilot by Pakistan. The service officers said the forces have enough evidence of successfully implementing what they wanted to in bombing a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) terror camp. "Whatever we planned, we have got it. It is for the government and top leadership to present evidence. It will be premature to talk about casualties," said AVM Kapoor in reply to a question as to how many terrorists were killed in Tuesday's action in Balakot and what was the damage caused. AVM Kapoor, assistant chief of staff space operations, said Wing Commander Abhinandan was being released under Geneva Convention. Sharing details of an air raid by PAF on the LoC on Wednesday morning, Kapoor said that a large pack of PAF's F-16, JF-17 Thunders and Mirages had come to attack Indian military installations which was repulsed by IAF's Mirages, Mig-21 Bisons and Su-30s. In the engagement, an F-16 was shot down and IAF lost an Mig-21. Pilot Abhinandan's parachute drifted towards Pakistan-held Kashmir. Calling Pakistan's bluff that F-16s were not used in the raid, IAF produced a piece of an Amraam missile which landed in an Indian military compound. The missile is exclusive to F-16. The IAF also identified F-16s through electronic signature. Speaking about the escalation in the ceasefire violations in the last two days, Major General Surender Singh Mahal said the Army was giving a befitting response. To a question whether India considered Pakistan Air Force targeting Indian military installations as a declaration of war on India, Major General Mahal said: "We continue to maintain strict vigilance along the Line of Control and International Border and the anti-aircraft weapons systems are on standby and so are our mechanised forces". The Army officer said as long as Pakistan continues to harbour terrorists "we will continue to target agencies which are inimical to India." Rear Admiral Dalbir Singh Gujral said the Navy was also on a high state of alert. "I can assure you a resolute and strong response by the Indian Navy. We --the Army, Navy and Air Force -- stand as one to ensure safety and security of the nation and our citizens," he said. Kolkata, Feb 28 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee here on Thursday claimed conflicting reports have surfaced in the international media about the Indian Air Force (IAF) air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) training camp in Balakot across the Line of Control, and urged the central government to clear the air regarding the details of the strike. The air strike was conducted in the wee hours of Tuesday. Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "not holding a single meeting" with the opposition parties since the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, Banerjee claimed the armed forces should be permitted to divulge details of the air strike. "We want to know exactly where the bombs were dropped and whether the targets were hit. I have read some news reports in New York Times and Reuters where it has been said the bombs dropped by the IAF missed target and no casualties were reported, while some reports claimed one person was killed," Banerjee said. "On the other hand, some television channels reported that close to 300 operatives were killed in the air strike. We want to know how many people have been killed? Has anyone been killed at all or not," she asked. Claiming that the people have "every right to know the truth," the Trinamool Congress supremo said she would support going to war for the sake of national security, but not for the sake of politics or winning elections. "We are with the Indian armed forces. But we want them to be given a chance to reveal truth. People of the country have every right to know truth," she said. "We do not want war for the sake of politics. If war is needed for the sake of the nation, we are with it. But we do not want war for the sake of winning elections. We want peace," Banerjee said. Referring to previous incidents of terror attack on the Indian Army in Uri and Pathankot during the Narendra Modi regime, she alleged the government pushed the army personnel in the face of death in spite of having "advisory" about those attacks. "We all love our country. But we do not love doing politics with the blood of our soldiers. Their lives are precious because they fight to secure the borders while some of us do politics to gain electoral benefits. I condemn such actions," she said. New Delhi, Feb 28 : India has given specific information about Jaish-e-Mohammad to all 15 members of United Nations Security Council even as the US, the UK and France having moved a fresh proposal there to designate the Pakistan-based terror group's chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. Government sources said here on Thursday that a decision to designate Azhar a global terrorist will build pressure on Pakistan. They said his designation as a global terrorist was not "be all and end all" but will send a message to Islamabad that no one was on their side. The JeM has claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. The fresh proposal was moved on Wednesday by the three veto-wielding members and the Security Council Sanctions Committee will have 10 working days to consider it. China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, had been blocking earlier proposals to name Azhar a global terrorist. The sources said they have information that other Security Council members are trying to convince it not to block the fresh proposal. The sources said that India has also given Pakistan a large dossier about the activities of JeM and it was for Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to walk the talk on terror. They said Pakistan needs to create a conducive atmosphere for talks by taking immediate credible and verifiable action against cross-border terrorism emanating from its soil and terrorist proxies. They said specific details of camps and information about members has been shared and the ball was in its court as the evidence it was talking about has been given. The sources said that India was ready to carry forward the dialogue concerning Kartarpur Corridor despite the strain in ties following the Pulwama terror attack and subsequent escalation of tensions. India had on Thursday briefed members of the Security Council about Pakistan's effort to target Indian military installations through air strikes. Sources said that international community has appreciated India's stand on counter-terrorism as part of which it had targeted a JeM terror camp in Pakistan. They said the narrative was back on counter-terrorism despite Pakistan's efforts at war-mongering. They said India had told the international community that it was Pakistan which escalated matters by targeting military installations and what India did was counter-terrorism action as Pakistan had not shown any inclination to act against terrorists and their proxies after the February 14 Pulwama attack and the claim by the JeM. The sources said that at 9.45 a.m. on Wednesday, a sizeable force of Pakistan Air Force jets - over 20 in number - approached the Indian air space. Some crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and launched laser-guided bombs. Their target was military installations but they missed narrowly because they could not come closer. This, the sources said, happened against the backdrop of Imran Khan's claim that Pakistan wanted to show its strength but it was false because their actual target was military installations. Imran Khan said on Thursday that Islamabad's action was intended to convey that if India can come into Pakistan, then Pakistan can do the same. The sources said that there was deliberate effort by Pakistan to create a war psychosis by shutting its airspace and informing foreign embassies that India would launch missiles and also that there could be attack by the sea. He said India conducted a targeted operation at a venue where fidayeen jihadis were being trained and there were no civilian casualties. On Khan's demand for actionable intelligence, the sources said India had considered giving it but felt there will be no use given that Pakistan had not acted on the detailed information given after the terror attacks on Mumbai and the Pathankot IAF base -- even after a Pakistani team was given access. New Delhi, Feb 28 : The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved setting up a new AIIMS at Rewari in Haryana at a cost of Rs 1,299 crore and turning the AIIMS New Delhi into a "world class Medical University". The new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will come up at Manethi in Rewari district. Besides adding 100 MBBS seats and 60 Bachelor Nursing course seats, the new AIIMS will have 15-20 Super Specialty Departments and add around 750 hospital beds. As per data of current functional AIIMS, it is expected that each new AIIMS would cater to around 1,500 Out Patient Departments (OPD), said Union Minister Arun Jaitley, informing about the cabinet decision. The proposed institution will have a hospital with a capacity of 750 beds which will include emergency/trauma beds, AYUSH beds, private beds and ICU specialty & super specialty beds. In addition, there will be a medical college, AYUSH Block, auditorium, night shelter, guest house, hostels and residential facilities. The Cabinet also gave approval to the implementation of a 'master plan' to convert the Delhi AIIMS into a medical university. The plan envisages freeing up adequate space and optimizing the infrastructure of the institute for the next 20 years. a The project would provide highly specialized state-of-the-art healthcare to the patients and an integrated 'one campus' answer to all the investigative, physiotherapeutic, operative, rehabilitative and vocational needs of the patients. It would ensure smart mobility and accessibility for the patients and become an apex tertiary care centre for advancement of research, clinical applications and management of patients. New Delhi, Feb 28 : To facilitate payment of dues of sugar cane farmers for the current sugar season, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Thursday approved the proposal to provide soft loans to the extent of about Rs 7,900-10,540 crore to the sugar industry. "With a view to liquidate dues of sugarcane farmers, the government will bear the interest subvention cost up to 10 per cent to the extent of Rs 553 crore to Rs 1,054 crore for one year," an official statement said after the CCEA meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government has mandated that banks will obtain from the sugar mill, the list of farmers with bank account details with the extent of cane dues to be paid, so that the dues are directly paid into the accounts of the farmers on behalf of the sugar mills. "Subsequent balance if any, will then be credited into the mill's account," it said. In order to incentivise the mills to clear their dues, the CCEA also decided that the approved soft loans will be provided to those units which have already cleared at least 25 per cent of their outstanding dues in the sugar season 2018-19. Surplus sugar production over domestic consumption requirement during the last sugar season 2017-18 (October 2017-September 2018) adversely affected the liquidity position of the sugar mills resulting in building up of cane price arrears of farmers which reached to an alarming level of Rs 23,232 crore in May 2018. The government said that surplus production was estimated in the current sugar season 2018-19 which has also affected the liquidity position of sugar mills resulting in building up of cane price arrears of farmers which has reached to the level of Rs 20,159 crore as on February 22. In order to improve liquidity of sugar mills to enable them to clear cane dues of farmers, the government increased minimum selling price of white sugar from Rs 29 per kg to Rs 31 per kg with effect from February 14. New Delhi, Feb 28 : The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the proposal for cost revision for the Asian Development Bank-assisted "North Eastern State Roads Investment Programme" (NESRIP) to Rs 2,144.56 crore. The original approved cost for the project was Rs 1,353.83 crore. The programme aims to construct and improve 433.7 km of state roads in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura. The project has also been extended up to August 2022, an official statement said. THe NESRIP was approved by the Cabinet on May 19, 2011 to be executed within five years. "Around 4.8 million people living adjacent (within 10 km) to the project roads will be benefited directly," said the statement. New Delhi, Feb 28 : An Union Cabinet here on Thursday gave the in-principle approval for divesting the Centre's stake in the Kamarajar Port Limited (KPL) to the Chennai Port Trust (ChPT). "The cabinet committee on economic affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister has given 'in-principle approval' for strategic disinvestment of 100 per cent equity shares of Government in Kamarajar Port Limited to the Chennai Port Trust in a single stage process by following 'arm's length' principles," the official statement read. The government and ChPT hold 67 per cent and 33 per cent shares, respectively, in KPL, it said. It would help avoid duplication of capacity creation in ports and better human resource management between the two ports would increase efficiency of the both, it said. "ChPT and KPL will be able to evolve a clear policy on focus areas by devising optimum business strategy and defining dedicated cargo profile," it said. Kamarajar Port, located on the Coromandel Coast, is about 24 km north of the Chennai Port. New Delhi, Feb 28 : In a measure to woo farmers ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday approved waiving, in the interim, Aadhaar seeding for farmers to receive the second instalment of the income support scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN). Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the one-time waiver of the mandatory quoting of Aadhaar to avail benefits under PM-KISAN was made due to paucity of time as the second instalment is to be given on April 1 as promised by the Modi government. "The PM-KISAN was launched in Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) on February 24 by the Prime Minister and the first instalment of the income to the tune of Rs 2,021 crore has already been transferred to the beneficiaries. "For the second instalment which is to be paid on April 1, the cabinet has decided that Aadhaar quoting will not be mandatory," said Prasad. The PM-KISAN entailing a direct cash support of Rs 6,000 for farmers was announced in the Interim Budget 2019. The cabinet also approved promulgation of the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019. The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed by the Lok Sabha in its sitting held on January 4. However, before the bill could be considered and passed by the Rajya Sabha, the House was adjourned sine die. Prasad also said the voluntary use of Aadhaar will be considered in either electronic or physical form. "Any entity that takes Aadhaar will follow the privacy standards. Aadhaar can be used on voluntary basis for KYC documents for Telegraph Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act," he said New Delhi/Srinagar, Feb 28 : The Central government on Thursday banned the Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir, declaring it an "unlawful association" under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. New Delhi/Srinagar, Feb 28 (IANS) The Central government on Thursday banned the Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir, declaring it an "unlawful association" under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The order by the Union Home Ministry said that the organisation has "been indulging in activities which are prejudicial to internal security and public order and have the potential of disrupting the unity and integrity of the country". Around 200 leaders and cadres of the Jamaat have been arrested in nocturnal raids across the Kashmir Valley in the last seven days. New Delhi, Feb 28 : The closure of Pakistan air space resulted in cancellation of 24 international flights to and from the national capital's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Thursday. According to reports, Pakistan has banned Indian aircraft from using its airspace and Pakistan's Air Traffic Control (ATC) has banned flying of any aircraft below 32,000 feet. The air space restriction by Pakistan impacted traffic at the IGI Airport with 24 international cancellations -- 12 departures and 12 arrivals. On Wednesday, the restriction had resulted in cancellation of 15 flights -- 8 departures and 7 arrivals, in addition to 2 diversions. The development comes a day after the IAF chased away intruding Pakistani fighter jets in the J&K's Nowshera sector. On their part, airlines like Lufthansa and Air India, however, said the restriction would not have any major impact on operations. A Lufthansa Group official here said: "With immediate effect, Pakistan has closed its airspace due to the current dispute with India. In addition to our routes to India, connections to Bangkok and Singapore are also affected. We are already preparing adjusted routings and will increase the amount of additional fuel in the event of delays. "Some traffic rights for the new routing must also be secured. Overall, it is to be expected that there will be hardly any major impact on flight operations." A Jet Airways spokesperson said that the airline has decided to waive off reissue or refund penalties on confirmed tickets issued on or before February 26, 2019, valid for travel between February 26, 2019 and March 31, 2019 due to closure of certain airports in north India on February 27. The waiver will be provided for flights into and out of Dehradun, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Srinagar and Leh. "The company will also waive off date change, flight change, fare difference, if any, and/or re-routing penalties," the spokesperson said in a statement. On Wednesday, national carrier Air India said inbound and outbound flights from the US and Europe for Delhi are being re-routed through Ahmedabad and Mumbai. "Flights from the US and Europe are being re-routed via Dubai and Sharjah and will land in India with a delay," an airline statement said. "No flights are cancelled. There will be only an increase in the flying time," said Air India. Rome, Feb 28 : Jihadism continues to pose a security threat, especially due to its resilience and ability to evolve, Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte said on Thursday, noting that home-grown extremism is growing in his country. "The jihadist threat is not over," Conte said at the presentation here of an annual security report published by Italy's intelligence services. "It distinguishes itself by its ability to adapt and its resilience. "We have reasons not to lower our guard," he said, while praising progress made in Italy's counter-terrorism efforts. Conte drew attention to the "ever growing" and "ever-more evasive" phenomenon of home-grown jihadists. "This requires ratcheting up research and surveillance. But the report gives reassuring information on the high level of counter-terrorism activity." While the Islamic State jihadist group's ability to plan and give direct support to terrorist acts has been weakened by its defeat in its former strongholds and its loss of territory in Iraq and Syria, as well as fighters and senior leaders, it can still inspire attacks in Europe and give guidance, the report warns. New Delhi, Feb 28 : A 24-year-old female student of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) was found murdered at an isolated place in the national capital, police said on Thursday. The body of victim -- later identified as Nisha Kumari -- was on Wednesday found in a jute sack lying near a railway track in south Delhi's Sarita Vihar area, according to the police. "A resident of Ambedkar Nagar, the victim had been missing since Monday. Her parents said that she had left the home to meet her friend for a job interview but did not return after that," Deputy Commissioner of Police Chinmoy Biswal said. "We are scanning her call detail record (CDR) and questioning her friends to track down the culprit," Biswal added. "As my father works as a security guard, my sister was looking for a job for helping him financially. She had gone for a job interview on Monday but did not return. She was a student of IGNOU," victim's younger brother Manish told IANS. A case of murder has been registered at Ambedkar Nagar Police station. Rome, Feb 28 : Italy's populist government is committed to its membership of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, Premier Giuseppe Conte said on Thursday. "This government has absolutely no intention of questioning the major international political choices of the post-war era - the European Union and the Atlantic Pact," he said at the presentation here of an annual security report published by Italy's intelligence services. Conte also renewed longstanding calls by Italy for Europe Union countries to share the burden of migration, saying the crisis would only deepen and the bloc's security would be at risk if narrow self-interest continued to prevail. "If we keep acting according to short-sighted national expedience, Europe will continue in a downward spiral of crisis that we will never end," he said. "Italy will continue its battle for immigration to be handled as a problem that affects all," Conte said. The new report signalled a more than 80 percent drop in migrant arrivals over the past year but warned that jihadists had "sporadically" sought to enter Europe aboard the people-smuggling boats. "It is comforting in respect of two cornerstones of government policy: first, to give no quarter to human traffickers and second, that no one can close themselves off and think that the problem doesn't affect them," Conte said. Italy "saved Italy's honour" by rescuing hundreds of thousands of boat migrants since 2014 but the main trafficking routes were now from North Africa to Spain and the eastern Mediterranean, Conte noted. "And in the years to come, more migrants will be trafficked from Asia by land," he added. Italy's anti-migrant Interior Minister and Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini has closed the country's ports to migrant rescue vessels, vowing no more migrants will reach Italy by boat from Africa and wants to deport 500,000 illegal immigrants from the country. Rome, Feb 28 : Libya's Interior Minister Fathi Bashaga held talks on Thursday with his Italian counterpart Matteo Salvini, Defence Minister Elizabetta Trenta and Deputy Foreign Minister Emanuela Del aimed at strengthening the UN-backed government's control over security in the chaos-stricken country and to rein in the power of its armed groups. Premier Giuseppe Conte confirmed Bashaga's presence in Rome as well as that of the second-in-command of the UN's mission in Libya, Stephanie Williams, telling reporters that Libya was "the main focus of our foreign policy". Bashaga's visit came the day after UN-backed premier Fayez al-Sarraj and powerful eastern warlord Khalifa Haftar agreed in UN-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi to reform Libya's Constitution, hold national elections and "on ways to maintain stability in the country and unify its institutions", according to a statement from the UNSMIL mission. Libya has been in turmoil since the NATO-backed ouster of late dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with rival governments in Tripoli and the east of the country backed by a myriad of militias who are vying for control of the oil-rich North African country. Gandhinagar, March 1 : Fuelled by the growing construction sector in the country and a rise in exports to the advanced nations, the Indian ceramic industry, which has the potential to be the largest producer in the world, is looking to double its turnover by 2021, according to industry experts. With many new projects lined up in the country, the construction sector is growing at an approximate rate of 7 to 8 per cent. The demand for industrial ceramic products such as ceramic tiles, sanitary wares and pipes required in construction applications too are expected to increase. The government has also announced an investment target of $376.5 billion in infrastructure by 2020. "Looking at all these factors, the ceramic industry expects a huge growth in volume," Tarun Marwah, Director, Messe Muenchen Ind, told IANS. He said the ceramic industry is divided equally into two halves -- the first comprising the organised sector with the existence of a few large players, while the other comprising the unorganised sector. The industry presently produces around 2.5 per cent of the total global output, in which Gujarat accounts for 70 per cent of the total output. "But looking at the upcoming projects in the country and the increase in exports to major destinations like Saudi Arabia, Mexico, the USA and the European countries, we are looking to double the turnover by 2021. We have the potential to become the largest ceramic producer in the world," Marwah said. He was talking on the sidelines of the three-day Indian Ceramics Asia 2019 Expo which kicked off at the Exhibition Centre here on Wednesday. The exhibition, organised by Messe Muenchen India, brings together the best of raw materials, ancillary equipment, ceramic machinery, raw material manufacturers and technology suppliers from across the country and the world. It features over 300 global and Indian companies and over 8,500 visitors are expected to attend the exhibition. The three-day event also includes a job fair, workshops, innovation exchanges and buyer-seller meets. According to a market research report on the ceramic industry, the Morbi ceramic industry in Gujarat is likely to have an investment of Rs 1,500 crore in the first quarter of 2019 involving 50 new wall tiles manufacturing plants. "Because of global recession, production in the ceramic industry world wide is going down. From 2015 to 2018, there were too many ceramic products without any buyers. So we need to find buyers, find out ways to export our products which will take a long time. But despite that the revenue is growing because of the upgradation in technology and improvement in quality," said Ken Wong, General Manager at Unified Exhibition Service. "From China we have 120 companies participating in this three-day event. The relations between Chinese and Indian ceramic companies are growing stronger by the day. With new slab technology, 3D printing, glazing and inkjet printing, the industry is likely to grow in leaps and bounds," said Wong. New Delhi, March 1 : Russian President Vladimir Putin called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi over phone on Thursday and conveyed solidarity of the Russian people with India's people in the fight against terrorism. He also expressed his deep condolences on the Pulwama terrorist attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. An official release said that Modi thanked Putin for Russia's steadfast support for India's efforts to protect its interests against cross-border terror attacks. He renewed India's commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in countering terrorism as a pillar of privileged and special strategic partnership. Both leaders agreed that all concerned should stop all support to terrorism. Both the leaders also agreed that the growing cooperation between the two countries will take their Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership "from strength to strength". President Putin reiterated the invitation to the Prime Minister to attend the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok later this year. Modi welcomed the invitation and underscored the significance of growing economic cooperation, including in the Russian Far East, between the two countries. United Nations, March 1 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday welcomed Pakistan's offer to release Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured when his MiG-21 went down in Pakistan-occupied territory. His Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters: "The report of the release of the Indian pilot by the Pakistani authorities would be very much a welcome step. We would encourage both parties to do whatever they can to de-escalate the situation." Guterres has been in contact "with both sides at various levels", Dujarric said, while declining to identify the contacts. Dujarric added that de-escalating tensions "is the message that has been passed on by the United Nations and, I think, by the international community as a whole". General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa joined in the international call for dialogue between India and Pakistan. She "asks for both sides right now to seek dialogue to avoid an escalation of tensions, but also to avoid further tragic loss of life", her Spokesperson Monica Billela Grayley said. Espinosa, who has visited the region is "following with great concern the latest reports on the situation between India and Pakistan", Grayely said The Assembly president visited Pakistan in January and India in August. Espinosa "stresses that the use of diplomatic means is basically the best way to settle political differences, to settle political disputes, and she hopes that the relevant parties can actually resolve the current situation through peaceful means", Grayley added. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan told the National Assembly that the captured IAF pilot will be freed on Friday as a "peace gesture". Varthaman was seized by Pakistan on Wednesday when his MiG was shot down and crashed in Pakistan-held territory during an Indian Air Force operation to repel Pakistani planes intruding into Indian territory. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) Lucknow, March 1 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for approving the metro rail projects for Agra and Kanpur, officials said. He said these projects will not only ease congestion but also make commuting easier and environment friendly. The Union Cabinet in a meeting chaired by Modi approved the Kanpur metro rail project having two corridors which will connect major public nodes and cluster areas of the city. The length of IIT to Naubasta corridor will be 23.785 km. It would be partly elevated and partly underground. The section has 22 stations -- 14 elevated and 8 underground. The length of Agriculture University to Barra-8 corridor is 8.60 km comprising four elevated and four underground stations. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 11,076.48 crore and the project will be completed in 5 years, officials said. IIT Kanpur to Naubasta corridor will pass through heart of the city covering several prominent educational institutions, railway and bus stations, including IIT Kanpur, CSJM University, GSYM Medical College, Jhakarkati bus station and Kanpur Central railway station. The Cabinet also approved Agra metro rail project having two corridors. It would pass through the heart of the city and connect prominent tourist places including Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Sikandra as well as ISBT, Raja Ki Mandi Railway Station, Medical College, Agra Cant Railway Station, Collectorate, Sanjay Place and surrounding densely populated residential areas. New Delhi, March 1 : Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Zayed al-Nahyan on Thursday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan, stressing the importance of dialogue and communication in resolving differences. The Crown Prince said in a tweet that he talked to Modi and Khan, and stressed the "importance of dealing wisely with recent developments and giving priority to dialogue and communication". The Crown Prince is also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The tweet came a day before the meet of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in which India -- for the first time, has been invited as guest of honour at the plenary. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after India struck a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Pakistan on Tuesday following the February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. Pakistan sought to target some Indian military installations next day and in the ensuing aerial fight, both countries lost a fighter jet. Pakistan has decided to release on Friday Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was taken in its custody after his MiG-21 went down in Pakistan-occupied territory. UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Samuel Moncada (front), Venezuela's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, addresses a Security Council meeting on Venezuela, at the UN headquarters in New York, Feb. 28, 2019. The UN Security Counci Image Source: IANS News UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28, 2019 (Xinhua) -- The photo taken on Feb. 28, 2019 shows the United Nations Security Council voting on a Russia-drafted resolution on Venezuela at the UN headquarters in New York. The UN Security Council on Thursday failed to Image Source: IANS News United Nations, March 1 : The UN Security Council on Thursday failed to adopt two competing draft resolutions on Venezuela, sponsored by the US and Russia respectively. The US draft received nine votes in favour, three against, and three abstentions in the 15-member council. Russia and China vetoed the resolution, Xinhua news agency reported. Minutes later, the Security Council voted on the Russian draft, which received four votes in favour, seven against and four abstentions. Thursday's Security Council meeting is the third on the situation in Venezuela in just over a month due to the escalation of political tension facing the Latin American country. Venezuela has been plunged into a political crisis since January 23 when National Assembly President Juan Guaido declared himself interim president and was recognized by the US and some other countries. A US-backed drive to deliver "humanitarian aid" to Venezuela through border crossings on February 23 met strong resistance from the Venezuelan government as President Nicolas Maduro believed the aid, mainly from the US, is a smokescreen for a military invasion. The Venezuelan government has closed borders with Brazil and Colombia and some air and sea routes. GUEST OBSERVATION Rural and regional Australia is a big place too big to be contained in one rural policy or represented by a single political party. Several features of contemporary rural and regional Australia stand out, though, as deserving of serious policy attention. The Indigenous estate Indigenous peoples are among rural and regional Australias largest landholders. Native title rights are recognised on more than 37% of the Australian landmass. Exclusive possession native title applies to around 13%. Both these numbers will grow. The cultural and social significance of the Indigenous estate is immense. So too is its economic significance. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enterprises are active in agriculture, mining, infrastructure development, land and water management, and protected area management. Governments have taken some positive steps to assist Indigenous enterprise. Changing procurement policy to encourage local suppliers is an excellent example. This must be seen in the context, however, of the missteps of the Indigenous Advancement Strategy and failure to engage with the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Respecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aspirations for sovereignty and closing the gap on health, safety, education and employment are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, finance, insurance and business models that are relevant to the collective and enduring nature of native title rights will go a long way towards realising the economic potential of the Indigenous estate. National Native Title Tribunal, CC BY New labour markets Agriculture, mining and other resources industries contribute mightily to Australias GDP. Yet their contribution to employment is comparatively small. In 2016, agriculture, forestry and fishing accounted for 215,601 jobs in regional Australia. Mining provided 102,639 jobs. By contrast, health care and social assistance provided 445,087 jobs, retail 341,190, construction 292,279, education and training 291,902 and accommodation and food services 253,501. Health care and social assistance and education and training contributed more new regional jobs over the last decade than any other industry. This is not about commodity price cycles and their short-term impact on labour demand. It is about the relentless substitution of labour with technology as business owners strive to lift productivity and lower costs. Advances in automation and telecommunications will accelerate this trend. The policy imperative is not to ignore resource industries or the workers who depend on them, but to face up to structural change in the labour market. It is not unreasonable for regions hit by job losses following mine or plant closures to look for new projects to fill the void. But it is important to recognise that fewer jobs will be on offer in the resources industries. And these jobs will require higher levels of skills and training. Maintaining high employment across non-metropolitan regions will depend, ultimately, on continued growth in other industries. Climate action In the land of drought and flooding rain, climate variability is a given. Managing for that variability is something we need to do better, even before taking climate change into account. The South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Royal Commission into water use shows that political commitment to cross-border cooperation and the maintenance of environmental flows is fragile. What evidence we do have on rural and regional Australians beliefs about climate change suggests uncertainty and lack of trust in government are more prevalent than outright denial. A precautionary approach to climate is favoured over business as usual. Why a precautionary approach? Because failure to act on climate presents a number of risks. These include: reduced market access for regions and industry sectors not seen to be reducing emissions failure to develop cost-effective and industry-specific technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions lost opportunities to develop markets in carbon sequestration escalating economic and social impacts on rural and regional communities as climate variability increases. Importantly, only the last of these risks is actually contingent on climate change. Transition planning The sustainability challenges facing rural and regional Australia are not solely environmental. In the 21st century, industries require stable, high-speed telecommunications infrastructure. Thats no less true of agriculture and mining than it is of tech start-ups and e-retailers. Unfortunately, the digital divide between urban and rural Australia is a significant constraint on innovation. The industries of the 21st century also require stable and responsive institutional and governance infrastructure. The rural politics we see reported in the media looks every bit as polarised and resistant to change as anywhere. Yet Australias best rural policies have always been the result of collaborative approaches to planning and innovation. Landcare and regional natural resource management programs stand out for the positive relationships they have built across the agriculture, conservation, industry and Indigenous sectors. While federal and state infrastructure funding is critical for the regions, so too is support for integrated and collaborative planning. Place-based approaches are not a panacea but it is always in specific places, and specific communities, that business, services, natural resource management, energy, transport and telecommunications infrastructure, and so on, come together. Electoral diversity Social conservatism, support for traditional rural industries and scepticism about climate change are all highly visible in rural politics today. I have outlined some of the risks arising from climate scepticism, but contemporary social conservatism carries political risks too. Most obvious is the alienation of voters who do not share these views. They include: farmers who want meaningful action on climate lifestyle migrants with no historical loyalty to the National Party young people with more socially progressive attitudes. It is worth remembering that in the plebiscite on marriage equality most rural and regional electorates took the progressive option and voted yes. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voters warrant extra attention. Indigenous voters have swung elections in the Northern Territory with their preference for candidates who respect local leadership and priorities over traditional party allegiances and ideologies. Candidates for any seat with a large Indigenous population ignore these voters at their peril. As the Australia Electoral Commission works to lift the Indigenous vote, this influence will grow. In sum, the issues that matter to rural and regional Australians are far more diverse than those discussed here. Many will disagree with how I have represented one or other issue. That, really, is the point. Stewart Lockie, Director, The Cairns Institute, James Cook University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. GUEST OBSERVATION Populism is driven by the view that everyday people are suffering economic hardship as the corporate and political elites prosper. A sense of rising inequality and injustice is the foundation stone of populist rhetoric. In Australia, the financial services royal commission has lent credence to these concerns across a large part of the Australian community. Its hearings and reports give weight to the view that Australias middle and working classes have been systematically ripped off by their financial service providers. What is of concern for us here in Australia is not so much the lightning rod that has been the findings of the royal commission, but the prospect of much harder economic times ahead. Australia is not used to tough economic times. It has been 27 years since our last major recession. In the past 26 years, the annual average unemployment rate has climbed on only five occasions. It has been steady or fallen in 21 of the past 26 years. The economic tide could well turn against us over the next three years. This, as much as anything, will give vigour to the kinds of populist voices that are wreaking so much havoc in other Western societies right now. Populism is toxic to democratic societies. It preys on peoples worst fears and appeals to their darker instincts. Populism brings poor policy decisions and entrenches political dysfunction. We are already seeing the effects that growing discontent with the major parties has on our political system. A surge of support for populist candidates and parties will magnify these problems. Australian populism Defining the concerns of populism is a tricky business. The most common is that economic and political elites benefit at the expense of the public, whether that be because the system is rigged against them or because those elites break social convention and even the laws to extract from the rest. An extension of this perennial theme is that the elites, particularly in the business world, get away with it. The authorities do not pursue them and they are rarely held to account by the law. Populism tends to be cultivated in an environment of poor economic performance and is exacerbated by growing inequality, real or perceived. Australias democracy has a long history of stable centrist parties dominating the parliament and public policy. Since our Federation in 1901, the two or three major parties at the time of each federal election have averaged about 90% of the primary vote. These moderate tendencies are regarded as a hallmark of our nation, and key to the resilience of Australia as a society. But, as the accompanying chart shows, there have been periods when voters have drifted away from the major parties with considerable enthusiasm. For the first 30 years of our federal parliament, minor parties and independent candidates captured just 5% of the vote on average. The peripheral candidates were just that; peripheral and insignificant. That all changed in the 1931 election with the onset of The Great Depression and lasted right through to the second world war. We experienced another extended period of major party dominance in the 1950s and the 1960s. In the 1970s a rising share of the vote started going outside the major parties and this has continued to this day. We now are in a situation where minor party and independent support is near the levels seen at the height of the Great Depression. There also appears to be a greater polarisation within the major parties, particularly when they are in government. Not a single prime minister elected in the past decade has survived his or her first term of office an unattractive milestone for a relatively young democracy. Populism is always lurking below the surface of Australian society. It rears its head from time to time, but the broader community is pretty good at resisting its urges. A strong economy and low unemployment are critical ingredients in this success. It could be argued that Australia is less susceptible to populism than other Western democracies. Just look at the contrast between what has happened here in the past ten years and the experiences of the United States or Europe. Sure, the minor party vote has increased and some of that has been to candidates pushing a populist agenda. But these forces have largely operated at the margins of Australias policy agenda. Complacency is dangerous The once-in-a-century commodity boom supported our economy through both the global financial crisis and its destructive aftermath. It was a luxury not afforded the US or Europe. The end of the mining boom was greeted by a residential construction boom. That too looks like concluding. The forces of weak income growth, high debt levels and sluggish economic activity are upon us. Income and output growth are going to be much harder to come by in Australia in the years ahead. We cannot assume that just because we have avoided a significant recession for 27 years, we will avoid another one. The last thing the Australian economy needs in this environment is greater political discord. The major parties share of the vote is already at post-war lows. A new wave of populism that takes the vote of others to further heights could have serious consequences for effective management of our economy. We have an open economy heavily burdened with debt and reliant on immigration and trade to provide a healthy underpinning to future economic growth. We dont know how our economy would cope with a reversal of these key pillars of our modern prosperity. Curtailing populist anger is a priority Whether we like it or not, the evidence of misconduct in the financial services industry has become a flashpoint for popular discontent within Australia. The financial services industry most certainly is not the root of all economic evil in our society, but that is irrelevant to the public mood and those who seek to take advantage of it. The fact that the royal commission has laid bare such widespread abuse of market power means that right now the banking industry is the prime example of elites taking advantage of everyday people. Its extraordinary revelations have left Australians in a state of shock. The broader community wants action, not just to prevent what was uncovered happening again, but to make sure that the people responsible are held accountable for the damage done. Real or imagined, a lack of genuine accountability will mean people lose faith in the capacity of mainstream political forces and institutions to serve the broader community. What is to be done? If the moderate forces that operate in our parliament and government institutions are not seen to be delivering for the broader community, people will justifiably look elsewhere. The immediate priority is to act following the final report from the royal commission. Commissioner Kenneth Hayne has made it perfectly clear that it is the role of the regulators, specifically the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. There is every likelihood that more dangerous economic waters lie ahead. Policymakers will need to be both decisive and agile to deal with the malaise, whatever form it takes. We are not facing a new financial crisis, at least we hope we are not. We dont need to throw the kitchen sink at the economy right now. But the government we elect will have to work closely with the parliament and our key economic institutions to guide the country through new and uncertain economic times. An effective parliament will be more important than ever. Warren Hogan, Industry Professor, University of Technology Sydney This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. GUEST OBSERVATION Former federal trade minister Andrew Robb says he has quit his A$880,000-a-year consultancy job with Chinese-owned Landbridge Group because it didnt have anything for him do. Former Victorian premier John Brumby says he has quit as a director of Chinese tech giant Huawei in Australia because he has too much else to do. Former federal foreign minister and ex-NSW premier Bob Carr has quit his job as director of the Australia-China Relations Institute, an organisation bankrolled by a Chinese billionaire with a history of using donations to cosy up to politicians. It might be just a coincidence that these decisions have come just days before new foreign influence transparency laws come into effect on March 1. The new laws are supposed to make visible the nature, level and extent of foreign influence on Australias government and political process. There is more than enough evidence that greater transparency is needed. But the extent to which the new rules will achieve this is questionable. Money talks Federal parliament passed the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act (FITS) in December. The Act obliges individuals to register if they act on behalf of foreign principals be they governments, government-related entities, political organisations or government-related individuals. Failing to apply for (or renew) registration, providing false and misleading information or destroying records may lead to a prison term of up to six years for individuals and fines of A$88,200 for companies. Registrable activities include: parliamentary and political lobbying on behalf of a foreign principal communications activities for the purpose of political or government influence employment or activities of former cabinet ministers. An example of the latter is Andrew Robb. In February 2016 Robb resigned as federal trade minister and announced he would not recontest his seat. He left parliament in July. Three months later he had his new job, getting paid way more than the prime minister as a consultant to the Landbridge Group. It is always instructive to note the first jobs taken by politicians after they leave parliament. Those appointments generally reflect relationships already well-groomed. Landbridge is a privately owned Chinese company, but like many Chinese companies has strong ties to the ruling Chinese Communist Party. Its substantial interests in petrochemicals and ports includes a 99-year lease over the Darwin port, which is considered of strategic importance in Chinas diplomatic dance with the United States. Qualitative differences China isnt the only foreign power interested in having influence in Australia, of course. Historical ties have meant that Britain once dictated Australias foreign policy. Since World War II the United States has had almost as much power. Now China, Australias largest trading partner, taking about 30% of our exports, looms large. But the power exercised by the Chinese regime is qualitatively different. For all its economic liberalisation since the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, China remains a one party state, with repression worsening under Xi Jinping. On freedom of the press, for example, China ranks 176 out of 180 countries. Commercial, military and political influences are wrapped up together. Lines between state and private enterprises are blurred. When Chinese business interests curry favour with foreign politicians and officials, theres a high chance that statecraft is also being advanced. Soft power is used extensively. Agent of influence This is what made the tawdry scandal involving former NSW senator Sam Dastyari so alarming. Though a humble senator, Dastyari was a key Labor Party fundraiser and powerbroker. He later admitted that vanity and arrogance made him susceptible to the charm offensive of Huang Xiangmo the billionaire who courted Bob Carr to head up the Australia-China Relations Institute. Dastyari accepted financial gifts from Huangs company, including a A$44,000 payment to settle a legal dispute, along with payments from other donors connected to the Chinese Communist Party. Such payments made it obvious why he defied his own partys policy and defended Chinas militant stance in the South China Sea. He was subsequently labelled a Chinese agent of influence. These revelations resulted in Dastyari resigning from parliament in 2017. Earlier this month it was revealed the federal government had rejected Huangs bid to become an Australian citizen and stripped him of his permanent residency visa. On the basis of these examples highlighted above, theres a strong case for making influence peddling open and transparent. Whether the new laws can achieve that is another matter. They may curtail flagrant scenarios where those leaving public office sell their wares to the highest bidder. But to work effectively, the laws and their enforcers will need to constantly adapt and evolve as agents look for creative ways to wield influence from the shadows. John Garrick, Senior Lecturer, Business Law, Charles Darwin University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. LeaseCrunch wants to help CPA firms enhance client relationships by providing essential features and innovative solutions through a simple interface, said Ane Ohm. LeaseCrunch, the only lease accounting software made by former CPA firm auditors for CPA firm auditors, today announced that AccountLease will use their software platform to serve clients. Swenson Advisors LLP and Cresa San Diego launched AccountLease as a comprehensive solution designed to address the new lease accounting standards, which require companies to record substantially all real estate, equipment leases, and leases embedded in service agreements as assets and liabilities on their balance sheets starting as early as 2019 for publicly traded companies. We are pleased to be working with AccountLease, helping their clients navigate the new lease accounting reporting requirements, said Ane Ohm, Co-Founder and CEO of LeaseCrunch. Steve Austin, Managing Partner at Swenson Advisors, has been at the forefront of the new lease standard and led one of the first new lease accounting implementations in 2017. LeaseCrunch is designed to accommodate the needs of companies with large, complex portfolios, while still being a cost-effective solution for companies with as few as 1-5 leases, who most likely have an office lease material enough requiring full implementation, said Austin. AccountLease is implementing LeaseCrunch at a major health system that has over 4,000 leases in their portfolio and a big reason for that was LeaseCrunchs ease-of-use. This project joins several Integra International firms, led by KSDT in Miami to provide a comprehensive team of specialists. LeaseCrunch wants to help CPA firms enhance client relationships by providing essential features and innovative solutions through a simple interface, said Ohm. Tools and features that save CPA firms time and money include electronic audit trails, automated quantitative footnote disclosures, leasing wizards for classification and lease term, simplified policy election templates, custom reporting, journal entry exports and amortization schedules. Clients have full control of whether the firm can access their lease portfolio for implementation or audit. About LeaseCrunch Named by Accounting Today as one of the top new products of 2019, LeaseCrunch provides cloud-based lease accounting software for CPA firms, designed to help organizations implement the new lease accounting standards, ASC 842 and IFRS 16. Designed by CPAs, former Big 4 public accounting auditors, software development veterans and a former member of the FASB staff, the application offers an easy-to-use customer interface that delivers audit in a box lease accounting services, reducing the time it takes clients to prepare for an audit. LeaseCrunch allows companies to identify policy elections for the leasing standard through templates for both US GAAP and IFRS. For more information go to: http://www.LeaseCrunch.com About AccountLease AccountLease is an alliance of professionals whose expertise is focused on the implementation of the new lease accounting standards under FASB Topic 842 and IFRS 16. This team has been working with public and private companies addressing the accounting requirements for over 100,000 leases since 2016. The accounting, lease analysis, and real estate lease evaluation in coordination with lease accounting software such as LeaseCrunch provides an effective and efficient end-to-end solution to the recording of operating and finance leases onto balance sheets in compliance with these new standards for a wide variety of commercial and nonprofit organizations. About Integra International Integra is a global association of accounting and tax firms who work together to provide audit, tax, and consulting solutions for local and multinationals companies around the globe. Firms such as Swenson Advisors, Cresa Global, and KSDT are examples of the wide range of skills of over 5,000 professionals with a geographic footprint available to meet the needs of middle market and Fortune 100 organizations. # # # Press Contact: John Vita John Steven Vita Communications John.vita@jsvcom.com 847/853-8283 Millions of people suffer from some kind of discomfort when sleeping. More often than not, this pain stems from their pillow. If a pillow is too thin, it can cause can stiff neck, headaches, pinched nerves and spine misalignment. If a pillow is too thick, then it can cause pinched nerves and muscle strain. With just the right amount of filling right where you need it, The Sleep Right Pillow helps provide support for your neck and your back, serving as an overall aid for better sleep. With its unique, patent-pending design, The Sleep Right Pillow is a universal pillow for all sleeping positions. You can turn The Sleep Right Pillow to any edge, for a different shape, feature, or thickness. You can even remove or redistribute the fillings to fit your individual needs. Constructed of one hundred percent cotton and filled with high quality Poly Silk, The Sleep Right Pillow is hypoallergenic. With The Sleep Right Pillow, you can sleep comfortably however you desire. The Sleep Right Pillow works for everyone says Trudy Dunn, Founder of The Sleep Right Pillow. It was important for me to create something that wasnt just for people who have neck or back pain when trying to sleep, but also for those who have CNH pressure sores or those who use CPAP masks. Im happy to be working with AsSeenOnTV.pro and expand my audience. The Sleep Right Pillow is a truly unique product says Lisa Vrancken, Executive Vice President of Business Development at AsSeenOnTV.pro. So many people can benefit from The Sleep Right Pillow and we are ecstatic about getting the word out about them. As part of its DRTV campaign with AsSeenOnTV.pro, The Sleep Right Pillow will be appearing in 60 second spots set to air nationwide and feature the original Shark himself, Kevin Harrington. AsSeenOnTV.pro is comprised of an award-winning team of producers, writers, videographers, and editors as well as industry veterans dedicated to finding the latest, most innovative products and ideas, and putting them on the DRTV map. About AsSeenOnTV.pro Headquartered in South Florida, AsSeenOnTV.pro is a full-service production, branding, and marketing company that specializes in direct response television, short- and long-form commercials, and brand building. Based out of a 25,000+ sq ft, state-of-the-art studio, the companys creative team handles every aspect of production from script to screen to airing. For nearly two decades, AsSeenOnTV.pros veteran staff of writers, producers, videographers, and editors has amassed more than 50 Telly Awards, thousands of prestigious clients, and over $20 million in television placements. About Kevin Harrington As the inventor of the infomercial, founder of As Seen on TV, and one of the original Sharks on Shark Tank, Kevin Harrington has worked with some of the worlds biggest celebrities and launched some of the best-selling DRTV campaigns in history. Since producing his first 30-minute infomercial in 1984, Harrington has been involved in over 500 product launches that have resulted in over $4 billion in sales. Now, in his latest venture with AsSeenOnTV.pro, Harrington is on the hunt for the best new products and ideas, bringing them to homes everywhere through personalized DRTV campaigns featuring the Shark. For more information on The Sleep Right Pillow, please visit http://www.TheSleepRightPillow.com. Chicago Social Security Disability Attorney Jonathan L. Pearson Pearson Disability Law, LLC has helped thousands of disabled individuals in the Chicago area receive social security benefits. Pearson Disability Law, LLC, is proud to announce that attorney Jonathan L. Pearson has made the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list for the fourth consecutive year. Super Lawyers is a nationally recognized rating service that annually selects the top attorneys in each state based on independent research and evaluation by a peer panel. Attorneys are eligible for Rising Stars if they are age 40 or younger or have been practicing law for 10 years or less. Only 2.5 percent of nominated attorneys are chosen for the Rising Stars list each year. Chicago lawyer Jonathan Pearson is the managing attorney of Pearson Disability Law, LLC, with six Chicago area offices. He practices Social Security disability law exclusively, helping clients receive the disability benefits that they need. Jonathans clients work with him on a personal basis and pay only if he is successful in winning their case. Jonathan received a bachelors degree in psychology from the University of Delaware in 2001 and juris doctor from the New England School of Law in 2005. Jonathan is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, DuPage County Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, and the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives. About Pearson Disability Law, LLC: Pearson Disability Law, LLC has helped thousands of disabled individuals in the Chicago area receive social security benefits. In addition to its Chicago office, the firm now assists clients from convenient office locations in Downers Grove, Evanston, Lake Forest, Schaumburg, and Orland Park, Illinois. If you are unable to travel, Attorney Jonathan L. Pearson offers accommodating consultation options to meet your needs, view the office visit page for more information. If you need help with your Social Security disability application contact an experienced and knowledgeable Chicago disability lawyer at Pearson Disability Law, LLC today at 312-999-0999 or visit https://www.disabilitylawyerschicago.com. CUNA Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union JPMorgan Chase spends around $5 billion a year on marketing and advertising, and research shows that credit unions are outspent by banks in marketing by a ratio of $43-to-$1. We therefore knew that this campaign had to punch above its weight." The digital, research-driven national credit union awareness initiative is a national program that is building through regional market launches. Designed to complement credit unions existing marketing programs, the initiative, led by BrandCap, promotes the industry by combating two primary myths uncovered in extensive customer research, executed by the Glover Park Group (GPG). Consumer consideration is undermined because: people do not think theyre eligible to join; and people think access is restricted to local usage only. The Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union campaign demonstrates in compelling ways how people arent just account numbers at credit unions; theyre valued members who own a piece of the pie and enjoy extraordinary benefits. Because credit unions are member-owned, all of the profits are reinvested in the form of better rates on everything from checking accounts to loans. All you need to do is open your eyes to an easy, better way to do money. The focus of the creative concept is a series of black and white portraiture; reflecting the diversity of the American population, framing their eyes with their hands. To complement these portraits are a series of eye catching, colourful scenarios that are connected to specific messages that aim to attack the myths behind credit unions. The scenarios have been styled to cut through the deluge of advertising consumers see every day, and be very different from traditional financial services content. A number of assets have been created for digital and print channels, using the Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union portraits, messages and scenarios. They are available to use by all contributing credit unions to amplify the campaign. The Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union creative drives consumers to a newly launched website: http://www.yourmoneyfurther.com, which explains what a credit union is and inspires visitors to reassess whether a credit union is the right choice for them. Landing pages within the site provide specific information on the eligibility, fee-free ATMs, rate offerings, financial planning and mobile banking access availability at credit unions nationwide. Additionally, it includes an easy-to-use 'find the right credit union for you tool. To ensure an efficient and effective media strategy, a segmentation study was undertaken to identify key target audiences for the campaign. The findings were used to define the consumer segments most amenable for the campaign and provide insights into the way they bank, the media channels they use, and the key attributes that drive their decisions in selecting a financial service provider. The resulting target audiences were found to be ambitious and socially conscious 24-34-year olds and parents ages 35 to 50. The Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union campaign is deploying a digitally-led media strategy and that will be featured heavily across key digital and social channels, as well as being supported by digital out-of-home, out-of-home and ambient. CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle said: This campaign has inspired our members to work together as one for the greater good and the number of invested stakeholders continues to grow. Through its strategic, yet creative, approach weve been able to collaborate with BrandCap to ensure were not only delivering an effective program nationally, but also addressing the needs of each and every stakeholder. Ed Bolton, Creative Director, BrandCap added: JPMorgan Chase spends around $5 billion a year on marketing and advertising, and research shows that credit unions are outspent by banks in marketing by a ratio of $43-to-$1. We therefore knew that this campaign had to punch above its weight. By bringing together all the credit unions and creating a category campaign we are able to make it much bigger than the sum of its parts. We were delighted to be a part of the movement to create a programme that unifies the category and ultimately results in large scale attitude shift and behaviour change. Mike Brooks, Campaigns Lead, BrandCap said: When you think about it, its so obvious that a credit union is better for you. Its simple you get more from your money if you join one. The challenge is shaking people out of apathy that pervades financial services and convincing a sceptical national audience to re-assess their current providers. Were excited about the potential of this campaign to grow the consideration set for the credit union industry across the US. About CUNA Credit Union National Association (CUNA) is the only national association that advocates on behalf of all of Americas credit unions, which are owned by 115 million consumer members. CUNA, along with its network of affiliated state credit union leagues, delivers unwavering advocacy, continuous professional growth and operational confidence to protect the best interests of all credit unions. For more information about CUNA, visit cuna.org. To find your nearest credit union, visit YourMoneyFurther.com. About BrandCap BrandCap is a performance branding specialist, which uses creative brand thinking to solve business challenges and make an impact where it matters most. BrandCap has offices in New York, London and Hong Kong. The BrandCap Team David Martin: Chairman Ryan Arshad: Managing Director, BrandCap US Ed Bolton: Creative Director Mike Brooks: Campaign Lead The research was carried out by Glover Park Group, the media buying by Just media and strategic advice around the communications strategy has been provided by Indelable. FCA Digital Certified Provider In order to be an FCA Digital Website Provider, the provider or vendor must pass a list of requirements that prove they are among the best in the digital automotive space. Dealer eProcess is proud to have this opportunity to partner with FCA Digital and provide dealerships within this program access to our website offerings. As an FCA Digital Website Provider customers receive benefits such as automatic submission of PAP funds for certain products and service. The dealers website and location will be shown on within the Find a Dealer tool on the corresponding brand websites. For a full list of programs benefits, please visit the FCA Digital Certified website. As a Dealer eProcess customer, dealers get to choose from FCA Exclusive Website Designs that are ADA compliant and high-converting. Within each website are key features such as a highly functional SRP (Search Results Page), advanced VDP (Vehicle Details Page), and website personalization. Additional tools include Local SEO and Reputation Management, DriveCentive, DEPi, and more. Spanish language websites are also available through the program. FCA Certified Website options through Dealer eProcess are available immediately and apply to CDJR, FIAT, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati dealers. Our team would be happy to answer questions in regards to fund reimbursements, billing rules, program lengths, and other details. About Dealer eProcess Dealer eProcess is the industry leader in automotive websites and digital marketing. Dealer eProcess has won dozens of awards and is recognized by the experts as the most technologically-superior website and digital marketing solution for automotive dealers. Along with being a recognized leader in and award-winner, Dealer eProcess has also partnered with the best in the business to offer their dealers the most complete digital solution available. Dealer eProcess is a Google Premier Partner, Yahoo/Bing Select Partner, a Reynolds & Reynolds certified provider, and has partnered with numerous other industry-leading solutions. Dealer eProcess is headquartered just outside of Chicago, IL, and has offices in Washington and Arizona. Please make sure to connect with Dealer eProcess on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. You can learn more about Dealer eProcess on their website: http://www.dealereprocess.com Electricraft can help property owners take advantage of these low-interest loans and financing programs. Electricraft, Inc. has announced the continuation of financial incentives that are available to help install solar for San Luis Obispo County property owners. Electricraft can help property owners take advantage of these low-interest loans and financing programs. The California Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program makes it possible for property owners to install solar and other green initiatives with no credit checks and no down payment. The loan is repaid through a property tax assessment. The term of the financing for the PACE program can range from five to 25 years. Both residential and commercial property owners can realize immediate savings on energy costs while paying for their solar panels. Even with the temporary increase in the property tax assessment, most property owners start keeping extra cash in their bank accounts right away. The PACE program was first enabled in 2007 with the passage of AB811, amending the law to allow financing to install green initiatives, including solar in San Luis Obispo and throughout California. In 2010, state legislators passed SB77, which set up the states Loan Loss Reserve Fund for residential PACE programs. Residential and commercial PACE has flourished in the state since then, financing over $2 billion for clean energy improvements throughout the state. Federal tax credits for solar installations are also available as part of the 2008 Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, authorizing $18 billion in incentives for clean and renewable energy technologies. The 2008 legislation extended the solar investment tax credit (ITC) through December 31, 2016. Legislation in late 2015 renewed these credits for five years with an incremental de-escalation of the credits. Property owners wishing to take advantage of the solar ITC should discuss this matter with their tax professional. The solar professionals at Electricraft, Inc. have years of experience, training, and certification for installing solar for San Luis Obispo county property owners. Theres never been a better time to invest in a solar energy system for home or business. The Electricraft team of qualified solar technicians will work diligently to answer all questions and assist with: High quality and custom solar panel designs Free estimates Rooftop and ground mount systems Warranties Turnkey design, permitting and installation Troubleshooting service and maintenance Contact Electricraft today for more information about starting a solar installation for your property. Electricraft, Inc. 200 Suburban Rd., Suite A San Luis Obispo, CA (805) 544-8224 This press release is by San Luis Obispo Publicity Company Access Publishing, 806 9th Street, #2D, Paso Robles, CA 93446. (805) 226-9890. FESCO has so much potential in todays environment where both the public and the private sectors are seeking sustainable, smart and cost-efficient energy solutions. FESCO Energy (FESCO or the Company), is pleased to welcome Ms. Elodie Michaels to its Executive Management Board. Ms. Michaels brings over 20 years of experience in the energy industry across multiple roles including operations, sales, business development, mergers and acquisitions. She will provide insights and guidance to FESCO and its executive team to support its growth objectives. Ms. Michaels said, FESCO has so much potential in todays environment where both the public and the private sectors are seeking sustainable, smart and cost-efficient energy solutions. I am thrilled to be working with industry leaders like those on the management team of FESCO Energy and helping develop new opportunities together. I am extremely pleased that the leadership team was able to bring on such a well-known and capable professional. Ms. Michaels talent and experience will complement the team well and is directly aligned with FESCOs long term plan, said John Dukes, President. About FESCO Energy FESCO Energy provides complete turnkey energy supply, demand and resiliency projects managed by an executive team with over 80 combined years of proven experience. Based in Frederick, Maryland, FESCO develops and implements energy efficiency, distributed generation, renewable energy, water conservation, operations and maintenance, and provides electricity and natural gas commodity contracts nationally for educational, public sector, commercial, and industrial customers. It helps customers develop electricity and natural gas cost-of-service analysis and advises on rate designs using a cloud-based analytics platform that ensures the right rate based on customer usage patterns. In 2018, FESCO earned an Innovator of the Year award from the Maryland Clean Energy Center. Learn more at http://www.fescoenergy.com Frances Dewing Why would a childs puzzle game need access to your phone contacts and precise geolocation? Frances Dewing, CEO Frances Dewing, Co-Founder and CEO of Rubica, the worlds first proactive cybersecurity service for consumers, will speak March 6th at 1:10pm PST at RSA Conference 2019, the largest annual gathering of security professionals in the world, taking place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. In her talk, The Emerging Grey App Threat: Mobile Kids Apps Are The Gateway To Parents, she will reveal the results of a study done on childrens mobile apps being the weak link cybercriminals use to infiltrate adults digital lives. Dewings presentation will include Rubicas safety ranking of popular kid games and how they provide access to sensitive information from the whitepaper titled: Cyber Crime and Privacy Risks in Free Mobile Apps for Kids: A True CyberSecurity Report. Dewing will discuss why parental controls on devices are sometimes not enough. She will detail how secondary applications, advertised in download prompts within mainstream free gaming apps, serve as an entry point for cybercriminals. You have to ask yourself, says Dewing. Why would a childs puzzle game need access to your phone contacts and precise geolocation? At RSA, Frances and her Rubica co-founder Roderick Jones, also founder of Concentric, a leading company protecting heads of nation states and billionaires, will discuss why the consumer space is an important market opportunity for a proactive cybersecurity firm. Cybercriminals will always innovate around the latest technical protections, so in security there is always a need for continuous monitoring and reacting, says Dewing. Despite how technologically sophisticated and well-funded hackers are, they prey on simple human deception and unfortunately kids are an easy target and entry point into their parents digital lives. About Frances Dewing: Frances Dewing is Co-Founder and CEO of Rubica, the first proactive cybersecurity product for consumers. Prior to forming Rubica with former Scotland Yards Special Branch detective Roderick Jones in 2016, Dewing served as in-house council and COO of Concentric Advisors, now one of the largest personal security firms for heads of nation states and global billionaires. At Concentric, Dewing was instrumental in building the business in Seattle and Silicon Valley and creating Concentrics billionaire cybersecurity service. About Rubica: Rubica believes in human-centric security the idea that cybersecurity requires both smart tools and smart people to detect and mitigate threats and that cybersecurity should be accessible to all people. We exist to protect individuals digital rights and ultimately reduce the incidence of cybercrime. Rubica is the only solution that is powerful enough to protect a world-class corporation but designed specifically to provide security and privacy for individuals, families and teams. Architected by top security experts from the NSA, DOD and Scotland Yard, and originally designed for heads of nation states and global billionaires, the easy-to-use consumer products are the only ones of their kind. For more information, visit Rubica.com and follow @Rubica. Duffy Hudson breathes excitement into the life of Harry Houdini. Franklin County Visitors Bureau invites the public to the historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Chambersburg for Houdini! His Life, His Magic on March 8 at 7:30 PM. Broadway and film actor, Duffy Hudson breathes excitement into the life of Harry Houdini, in a one-man show that celebrates the escape artist's life and his astonishing magic. Harry Houdini was an illusionist and escape artist, who successfully liberated himself after being buried alive, submerged handcuffed in water-filled containers, or suspended in a straightjacket from a towering height. All attendees of the show will have a chance to participate in a free paranormal investigation of the 92-year old Capitol Theatre with the Ghost Pit, after the Houdini show. The winner will be selected by a raffle, and Duffy Hudson will join the investigation. Tickets can be purchased online here or at the door. Adult tickets are $20. Tickets for attendees 60 years or older are $17. Tickets for attendees ages 3-22 are $13. The Franklin County Visitors Bureau invites all to explore Franklin County PA and enjoy the history, arts, recreation, natural beauty, fresh foods and warm hospitality of communities like Chambersburg, Greencastle, Mercersburg, Shippensburg, and Waynesboro. Franklin County PA is located just north of the Mason Dixon Line and is an easy drive to Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. Discover more. Plan your visit at ExploreFranklinCountyPA.com, by contacting 866.646.8060, or by visiting the Franklin County 11/30 Visitors Center on the square in Chambersburg. Online car insurance quotes can help drivers find better insurance deals. All they have to do is to fill in the form and start comparing offers, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. Compare-autoinsurance.org has launched a new blog post that explains how online car insurance quotes can help policyholders find better insurance deals. For more info, please visit: https://compare-autoinsurance.org/online-auto-insurance-quotes-will-help-you-find-an-advantageous-policy/ Every driver wants to obtain the best car insurance possible by paying as little as possible. The best way to find the best auto insurance possible is by using online car insurance quotes. Policyholders can sit in the comfort of their homes and obtain multiple online insurance quotes to compare. Online quotes offer the following benefits for drivers that search for advantageous policies: Brokerage websites offer multiple choices. When a policyholder chooses to fil a form on a brokerage website, he will receive multiple offers from multiple insurance companies that are licensed to sell policies in that area. Drivers will save time and will be less stressed knowing they have multiple insurance choices and not just a few. Online quotes can help drivers preview the final price of their policy. Policyholders will have a better view on how much they will pay on insurance, how much they can save with the discounts they are eligible, and they can plan ahead a budget if they want to take advantage of the paid in full discount. Online tools can be customized. Drivers can easily change the coverage parameters before obtaining quotes. They can change the levels of deductibles or what options and additional coverages they want. By doing so, they can find coverage that suits them. Online quotes are free. Besides that, many insurers offer discounts for those policyholders that obtained insurance estimates from them. Comparing online quotes is the best way to find affordable coverage. Drivers only need several insurance quotes to compare. Policyholders should remember to compare quotes that have the same coverage options. For additional info, money-saving tips and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/ Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. As we continue to grow rapidly into new areas and industries, such as the tech sector, having experts like Ted and Christian, with their on-the-ground experience, is going to be invaluable. - Introhives Head of North American Sales, Adam Draper Introhive, the market leader in relationship intelligence and sales automation technology, welcomed seasoned sales experts Ted Hartley and Christian Grandy to its North American sales team this month as the startup continues to expand its focus on the technology and financial services sector, as well as the U.S. Midwest region. As we continue to grow rapidly into new areas and industries, such as the tech sector, having experts like Ted and Christian, with their on-the-ground experience, is going to be invaluable, said Introhives Head of North American Sales, Adam Draper. Hartley joins the Introhive team as Senior Sales Director, bringing with him nearly two decades of enterprise sales experience with Fortune 500 companies and clients like software disruptor, Salesforce, as well as professional services and accounting firms, like KPMG and Deloitte. Sales Director Christian Grandy offers the fast-growing startup more than 15 years of strategic sales experience with SAP, Brainshark, WebEx and others. Hartley will focus on strategic global and named accounts, while Grandy will concentrate on the U.S. Midwest region. Draper describes Introhive as a business-automation and artificial intelligence tool that gives its more than 140,000 global users a birds eye view of all their business-relationship data while automating previously manual data entry into customer relationships management (CRM) systems. Its paramount to the success of any business that you have a solid understanding of your relationships network and access to company insights, which Introhive delivers, Grandy said. And our automation of manual processeslike syncing contacts and activitiesreally empowers the digital transformation a lot of todays innovative companies are undertaking as they modernize their sales approach, Hartley added. Headquartered in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, and founded in 2012, the startup has grown quickly to eight global offices, including a flagship office in London to support Introhives expansion into EMEA, and more than 150 employees across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. The company recently announced an expansion in the middle east with long-time partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Visit Introhive.com to learn more. About Introhive Introhive is the leading relationship intelligence and sales automation platform for enterprise. Customers across an array of roles and industriesfrom legal to accounting to commercial real estate and beyonduse Introhives automated data collection and AI-powered relationship visualizations to grow business connections, while saving time and money. Introhives platform integrates with most business technology (including CRM software, e-mail, and business intelligence) to reveal insights and eradicate manual data entryboosting sales, revenue, technology adoption, productivity and data quality. Learn more at http://www.introhive.com. By Anirban Chowdhury, Joel Rebello, The Economic Times | Feb. 28, 2019 Jet Airways has in the last two months trimmed its fleet by 28 planes and will ground about a dozen more aircraft in March mainly due to non-payment of rentals, said two people in the know. Eight ATR turboprop jets, a Boeing 737 Max recently included into the fleet, a Boeing 777 and an Airbus A330 plane, and at least seven Boeing 737 NG planes are among the 40 odd aircraft that have been, or are in the process of being taken off the fleet, one of them told ET. Earlier, Jet had a fleet of 123 planes, which means it will have cut its fleet by close to a third by April. It grounded some planes after notices from unpaid aircraft lessors, some for lack of spare parts, and the remaining have been returned to lessors. A Jet Airways spokesperson disputed the number of planes being taken off its fleet. "Jet Airways clarifies that your information on the airline's number of aircraft that stand withdrawn from operations as on date, due to various listed reasons, is incorrect," the person told ET. Jet said it has been keeping the regulator, DGCA informed about the developments with regard to its fleet. "Consequently, the airline has undertaken certain proactive adjustments to its flight schedule and is keeping its guests informed of these interim changes, offering them alternate choices, including re-accommodation on the airline's alternate flights, in line with applicable guidelines," the spokesperson said. "Jet Airways regrets the inconvenience caused to its guests." In a statement to the Bombay Stock Exchange, the airline said it has grounded seven more planes "due to non-payment of amounts outstanding to lessors under their respective lease agreements". It had in two earlier statements confirmed the grounding of six aircraft. Amended laws in the country have made it easy for a lessor to stop a plane from operating in case of non-payment of rentals. But it's still difficult to repossess planes and take them back to their base. "Some of these planes that have been returned were supposed to be replaced by incoming Boeing 737 Max aircraft," said one of the persons cited earlier. "Those deliveries have stopped coming after the fifth plane. That is making matters worse," he said. ET had on January 17 reported on Jet's plans to defer deliveries of the Max planes indefinitely because of payment issues. Earlier this month, a senior executive at MC Aviation Partners, an aircraft leasing unit of Mitsubishi Corp, had said that since October Jet has defaulted on lease payments on five Boeing 737 planes. There are other lessors to which the airline owes more. The systematic trimming of fleet has impacted Jet's operations even as the airline struggles to get approvals for a resolution plan from various stake holders. Jet Airways partner Etihad Airways' CEO Tony Douglas on Wednesday met the Indian airline's top lender State Bank of India to discuss the resolution plan which includes enhancing its share capital, making lenders the majority shareholders and then issuing fresh shares to be subscribe by existing shareholders. Besides Douglas, the meeting was attended SBINSE 0.49 % chairman Rajnish Kumar and its managing director in charge of corporate accounts Arijit Basu. It is likely that the top brass at SBI wanted a sense of how much equity Etihad is ready to infuse in the troubled airline. Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal and Douglas had on Monday issued a statement saying that all stakeholders are working towards the finalisation and implementation of the resolution plan. According to the Jet spokesperson, the airline, its principal shareholders including Etihad, and key financial stakeholders are working to finalise and implement the bank-led provisional resolution plan (BLPRP) "to ensure that the airline emerges financially strong and resilient". Jet board of directors had approved the plan on February 14, and the company shareholders voted in its favour at an EGM last week. Some discordant notes have ensued from various shareholders, though. Cash-starved, debt-ridden and loss-burdened, Jet has delayed paying salaries since March, cut workforce and defaulted on loan repayments since December. The airline earlier this month faced a mass sick leave by engineers after it threatened to sack one of them. Pilots threatened to go on strike over non-payment of salaries but called off the plan on Friday, citing security issues the country is currently facing. Jet Edge International, a leading aviation services platform and top ten charter operator in the United States, today announced it has raised $60 million in equity and debt that will be used to fund a number of strategic initiatives. The investment round was led by Solace Capital Partners, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm. Jet Edge has grown significantly over the past several years and currently manages a fleet of more than 50 large-cabin and super-midsize aircraft, including Bombardier, Dassault, Embraer, and one the worlds largest collections of Gulfstream jets. After moving into its brand-new headquarters last year in the heart of the Van Nuys Airport, complete with two modern hangars and state of the art offices, Jet Edge recently expanded in New Jerseys Teterboro Airport, adding 40,000 square feet of hangar space and 4,000 square feet of office space. The company will use the proceeds of this investment to continue its growth by building out additional infrastructure in both new and existing markets, as well as by offering additional value-added services to its aircraft owners and charter clients. The new partnership between Jet Edge and Solace Capital is about continuing our commitment to offering our clients the highest levels of service and safety, said Jet Edge CEO Bill Papariella. With a strong position in key markets including Southern California, Florida, and the New York metropolitan area, we are excited to continue to build our footprint and portfolio of services for our customers, and are thrilled that Solace Capital supports our vision of becoming a global force in the industry. Jet Edge is a market leader in private aviation and is well-positioned within the fastest-growing segments of the industry, said Christopher Brothers, Managing Partner at Solace Capital. We are pleased to support the company through its next phase of growth. Jefferies LLC served as the exclusive financial advisor to Jet Edge. Michelman & Robinson LLP served as legal advisor to Jet Edge and OMelveny & Myers LLP served as legal advisor to Solace Capital. About Jet Edge International Jet Edge International is a premier aviation management platform that provides a full suite of services to aircraft owners, including flight operations, charter services, in-house maintenance and repairs, and assistance with aircraft sales and acquisitions. The company currently manages a fleet of more than 50 large-cabin and super-midsize aircraft for both corporations and ultra-high net worth individuals. Jet Edge is a Top 10 charter operator in the United States and adheres to the three most prominent safety standards in the industry: ARG/US Platinum Rating, Wyvern Wingman Recommendation and the International Standard for Business Operations (IS-BAO) Stage 3 certification. The Company currently employs more than 425 employees and is based in Van Nuys, California. For more information please visit: http://www.flyjetedge.com. About Solace Capital Solace Capital is a private investment firm focused on constructive investing in lower-middle market companies in the United States and Canada. Solace Capital provides flexible equity and debt solutions for established businesses and seeks to leverage its extensive expertise to provide financial stability, lead operational improvements and drive performance growth in its portfolio companies while generating attractive risk-adjusted returns for investors. Solace Capitals principals have on average 25 years of relevant investing experience across various sectors and invested over $5 billion across over 100 companies. Launched in 2014, the firm has approximately $640 million of assets under management with offices in Los Angeles and New York. For more information please visit: http://www.solacecap.com. From the Eyes of the Freedom Baby: a gripping and powerful story that exposes the challenges associated with African Americans who are living through the civil rights movement to obtain basic human rights that many took for granted. From the Eyes of the Freedom Baby is the creation of published author, Kathryn Galloway, an avid promotor of the right to vote and helping others use their voice. She is a native of Selma, Alabama who resides in Eustis, Florida with her husband. Galloway states, Now moving from a large city into Selma, Alabama, where the blacks were not allowed to even sit and be served in a restaurant or able to walk on the same side of the sidewalk with white folks, was big cultural shock. My father was very bright, a self-educated kind of man. He could talk to anyone about anything, so to come into this small town and look at what was happening, his radar went off as to things that needed to change in the South. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Kathryn Galloways new book dives into the middle of the civil rights movement. Galloway shares the emotional story of one of the most heartrending civil wars of American history and how her father coped with being a minister and rallying behind fellow men and women who were determined to make a change. View a synopsis of From the Eyes of the Freedom Baby on YouTube. Consumers can purchase From the Eyes of the Freedom Baby at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about From the Eyes of the Freedom Baby, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Littman Krooks Partner Marion M. Walsh, Esq. I am honored to present before a national audience to share the important work we are doing. Access to this information is essential for parents and students and. I feel a responsibility to ensure that parents understand these important issues," says. Marion. Marion M. Walsh, Esq., a partner in the law firm Littman Krooks LLP, will be speaking at the COPAA 2019 Annual Conference on March 9. COPAA, the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, is a national organization with a mission is to protect the legal and civil rights of students with disabilities and their families. Marions presentation is entitled, How to Build and Litigate a Child Find Case for Students with Emotional Disabilities Who Cannot Attend School and Pitfalls to Beware. She will discuss strategies that she has honed in her legal practice to help students receive appropriate services in cases where districts have failed in their obligations. Child Find is a school district's obligation under the law to identify and evaluate students whom they should suspect have a disability, including an emotional disability, even if the students are passing grade to grade. It is a primary and fundamental obligation under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, says Marion. A federal appeals court has acknowledged child find as a profound responsibility with the power to change the trajectory of a childs life. Unfortunately, many districts do not meet their obligations to evaluate and support students, says Marion. While there is training and support, often there are not sufficiently individualized programs. Even many caring school professionals do not understand the child find obligation for students with mental health issues and miss the signs that a child needs services. In a scenario that happens too often, a student may have excellent grades in one quarter and then, if suffering from major depression or anxiety, may stop attending school and may even require hospitalization. By then, without appropriate school support, parents, upon hospital recommendations, may place their child in an appropriate therapeutic school and seek reimbursement for the tuition. With earlier interventions and with more programs, its more likely a child will be able to stay in their public school district, says Marion. Parents with children suffering from mental health concerns often feel alone and devastated. Parents need to know that the school district is obligated to identify, evaluate and appropriately support these students, and to learn how to advocate for them. Today, statistics show an epidemic of mental health concerns in young people. One in five children are diagnosed with a mental health disorder each year. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among young people 10 to 34, according to the CDC. Depression is the leading cause of disability world-wide. School districts are overwhelmed and often, in the most complex cases, underestimate student needs," says Marion. Marion is a frequent speaker with parent and advocacy groups in New York. This is the first year that she will be speaking at COPAA. I am honored to present before a national audience to share the important work we are doing. Doing this seminar is particularly important to me, given the misunderstandings in the law. Access to this information is essential for parents and students. I feel a responsibility to ensure that parents understand these important issues," Marion says. Marion focuses her practice in special education advocacy, with a particular focus on mental health concerns for youth. She is a member of the Board of Directors of NAMI Westchester to help support families. She also volunteers to speak to youth and families through NAMIs Ending the Silence program to alert students and families to early warning signs of mental health concerns and suicide risk and on how to get help. To learn more about Marion M. Walsh, click here. About Littman Krooks LLP Littman Krooks LLP provides sophisticated legal advice and the high level of expertise ordinarily associated with large law firms along with the personal attention and responsiveness of smaller firms. These ingredients, which are the cornerstone of effective representation and necessary to a successful lawyer/client relationship, have become the foundation of the firms success. Littman Krooks LLP offers legal services in several areas of law, including elder law, estate planning, special needs planning, special education advocacy, and corporate and securities. Their offices are located at 655 Third Avenue, New York, New York and 399 Knollwood Road, White Plains, New York. For more information about Littman Krooks LLP, visit http://www.littmankrooks.com. Music In Our Schools Month 2019 logo To those music program leaders, superintendents, school boards, parents, and local businesses supporting their own schools music programs, we applaud you for supporting the difference music makes for all students, our future leaders. This March, the voices and instruments of music students will fill the halls and public spaces of communities around the country, as music educators showcase their programs for parents, administrators, elected officials, and the general public, demonstrating the inherent value of music in the lives of all students. The variety of music performed in the classroom and in school auditoriums is more diverse than it has ever been, as music educators endeavor to reach all students from myriad backgrounds with all kinds of music. The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) recognizes March as the thirty-fourth annual Music In Our Schools Month or MIOSM(TM). Since 1985, MIOSM has been observed as a yearly month-long celebration when schools and communities celebrate music in their local schools and the educators who dedicate themselves to bringing music into the lives of students every day. This year the NAfME Council for General Music Education has provided teachers resources to show the learning process throughout the whole school year, and for the first time observance of MIOSM was encouraged in the fall and the spring. This years Music In Our Schools Month theme is All Music. All People. Every day, in classrooms and rehearsal rooms across the United States, music educators dedicate themselves to reaching all students with music, said Michael J. Blakeslee, NAfME Executive Director and CEO. What parents, administrators, and the wider community have not always had the opportunity to observe, however, is the months of practice and rehearsals, and the process of learning that takes place in the music classroom and on the stage. And so, this year MIOSM has been an opportunity for music educators to show that process through informancesshowcasing the students at various learning stagesbefore the performances at the end of that process, Blakeslee added. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to demonstrate their growth and learning in the music classroomand for educators to show the incredible work they are doing in their music programs. To those music program leaders, superintendents, school boards, parents, and local businesses supporting their own schools music programs, we applaud you for supporting the difference music makes for all students, our future leaders. NAfME encourages teachers to share on social media how their schools are celebrating music education, using the hashtags #AllMusicAllPeople and #MIOSM and tagging @NAfME. This year NAfME has provided MIOSM lesson plans for nine songs, including resources from the Library of Congress, instructional goals and objectives, connections to the National Core Arts Standards learned in each lesson, worksheets, and more. Additionally, music educators can join in the biggest school chorus in the world with American Young Voices, which has provided lesson plans, teaching aims and objectives, sheet music, vocal tracks, and more for the song Maliswe. NAfME has also provided classroom materials for MIOSM that teachers can share with their students as they celebrate All Music. All People. in their classrooms and schools. All of these items are available at https://nafme.org/MIOSM. Meanwhile, state music education associations are conducting their own advocacy days this spring in state capitals to support music education for all students. Ensembles are performing for elected officials at their state capitols and in local communities to demonstrate the importance of music education. NAfME will host a free webinar March 13, 7:30 PM EDT, during which attendees will hear about state advocacy success stories. Learn more at http://bit.ly/NAfME2019Q1advocacywebinar. Music In Our Schools Month and MIOSM(TM) are trademarks of NAfME, and may not be used for fundraising or materials produced for profit. ### National Association for Music Education, among the worlds largest arts education organizations, is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. NAfME advocates at the local, state, and national levels; provides resources for teachers, parents, and administrators; hosts professional development events; and offers a variety of opportunities for students and teachers. The Association has supported music educators at all teaching levels for more than a century. With more than 60,000 members teaching millions of students nationwide, the organization is the national voice for music education in the United States. Follow NAfME on Twitter (twitter.com/nafme) and on Facebook (facebook.com/nafme). For additional information, contact Catherina Hurlburt at catherinah@nafme.org or 703-860-4000, ext. 216. MediaPlatform and Ramp offer a compelling solution that combines the industrys most reliable and scalable webcasting platform with Ramps innovative HTML5 multicasting capabilities, said Mike Newman, CEO of MediaPlatform. MediaPlatform, a leading enterprise webcasting and video content management platform for the Global 2000, and Ramp, the leading provider of enterprise video delivery solutions, today announced a joint webinar on an increasingly urgent topic: how enterprises can leverage their existing multicast networks for webcasting once the Flash protocol reaches its end of life in 2020. Called Gone in a Flash: Multicast in a Flash-free World, the webinar features solutions experts from both companies already working as a seamless team to convert Flash- and Windows Media-based multicast customer environments to standards-based, plugin-less HTML5 live webcasting. MediaPlatform and Ramp offer a compelling solution that combines the industrys most reliable and scalable webcasting platform with Ramps innovative HTML5 multicasting capabilities, said Mike Newman, CEO of MediaPlatform. Our joint approach gives presenters the premium quality global broadcasts they seek coupled with software-based HTML5 distribution that uses the Cisco multicast networks theyve already bought and deployed, Newman said. Companies are pleased to see how simple it is to solve the issue of Flash-less webcasting, and may do so without requiring network infrastructure upgrades, said Tom Racca, President and CEO of Ramp. To realize the benefits of HTML5 live webcasting, most customers experience a very simple and straightforward software upgrade from Adobe Flash server to a Ramp AltitudeCDN server. Experts Michele Thomas, Ramp Director North American Sales, Gil Mayrand, Ramp Technical Sales and Customer Success Engineer and Jim Weldy, MediaPlatform Enterprise Sales Director Southeast, will host the webinar, which will be delivered via MediaPlatforms live webcasting platform. The event takes place on March 6th 11:00 PST/2:00 EST. Viewers can register here https://bit.ly/2XvDBNS. About Ramp Ramp specializes in optimizing the distribution of video behind the firewall to alleviate network congestion and significantly reduce bandwidth consumption. Ramps AltitudeCDN enterprise content delivery network (eCDN) is a suite of software solutions for multicasting and advanced video caching, two of the most favored approaches for managing the impact of video traffic on the corporate network. Including enterprise administration capabilities and real-time analytics for performance monitoring, AltitudeCDN is common enterprise streaming infrastructure (CESI) that will optimize video from virtually all streaming platforms deployed within an organization. Many providers in our large ecosystem of technology partners have tightly integrated AltitudeCDN with their platforms to simplify deployment and management of the combined video solution and provide a seamless solution that ensures the best viewing experience inside the enterprise. Ramp is headquartered in Boston and can be reached at (857) 202-3500 or ramp.com. About MediaPlatform MediaPlatform is a leading enterprise video platform enabling large-scale live streaming and on-demand video that companies use to engage remote employees, empower and motivate workers by giving them the power to rapidly self-educate and share knowledge, and attract and keep top talent. Named a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Video Content Management, MediaPlatform gives customers an end-to-end solution and world-class services so they can use their networks for business broadcasts, consolidate disconnected video systems, accelerate their digital workplace transition, and gain insights into the reach and impact of their video communications. mediaplatform.com Ncontracts, the leading provider of active risk management for banks and credit unions, hopes to solve the problem financial institutions have with data protection once it transitions to a vendor through the addition of an advanced cyber monitoring feature. Banks and credit unions are on the hook if their vendors have a data breach, so its important to know data is secure, says Michael Berman, chief executive officer of Ncontracts. According to a 2017 Verizon study, 95% of breaches featuring the use of stolen credentials leveraged vendor remote access to hack into their customers POS environments making continuous monitoring a business necessity. Were trying to get in front of the issue by ensuring the controls a vendor has in place are actually working on a continuous basis. Berman compares it to the LifeLock theft-protection solution for consumers, as it protects financial institutions from risks related to vendors. The new feature, which becomes available February 1, is part of the companys comprehensive vendor management application. The cyber monitoring feature is powered by artificial intelligence, offering sophisticated reconnaissance. The Vendor Cyber Monitoring feature instantly rates, understands and continuously monitors the security risk of any vendor, sending alerts allowing banks and credit unions to take prompt action. Cyber monitoring has always been necessary, but the technology has evolved to where it can fend off problems proactively, before they start, says Berman. This proactive stance is what our clients have been asking for but wasnt possible before the advent of sophisticated data analytics. Ncontracts is part of the rapidly expanding fintech sector, with global investments in fintech companies climbing from $19.9 billion in 2014 to nearly $40 billion in 2017, according to Fintech Global. About Ncontracts Nashville-based Ncontracts is the dedicated provider of active risk management for banks and credit unions. Since 2009, over 1,250+ banks and credit unions across the U.S rely on Ncontracts customized services, integrated risk management platform and robust applications to proactively manage every aspect of vendor, operational, and compliance risk. Transform risk management from issue focused to business-ready, reduce risk, decrease cost and effort, and protect organizational reputation with Ncontracts. Learn more at http://www.ncontracts.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Network of Executive Women Partners with The Mom Project Our research shows 2 factors influence a womans intent to stay with a company: A feeling of belonging & the ability to achieve long-term career goals, said NEW President and CEO Sarah Alter. Our partnership with The Mom Project is aimed at helping organizations retain & advance talented women. Network of Executive Women, a non-profit organization whose mission is focused on advancing all women, is announcing a partnership with The Mom Project. NEW and The Mom Project share a vision of building more flexible and authentic workplaces that support professionals building careers and families. The Mom Project is committed to helping women remain active in the workforce at every career pivot point. Key initiatives of the partnership include NEW and The Mom Project joining forces to advance gender parity, improve flexible work opportunities for women and men with families and demonstrating to companies the key steps they must take to retain women. NEW produces critical research and actionable intelligence, such as the NEW Blueprint for Gender Equality, which provide processes for organizations to transform and drive change from the top down and bottom up. NEW solutions provide career-accelerating learning for women, deliver unique insights on women in the workplace, partner with C-Suite leadership to advance women and empower women where they work and live. Our research shows two factors influence a womans intent to stay with a company: A feeling of belonging and the ability to achieve long-term career goals, said NEW President and CEO Sarah Alter. In both areas, companies are falling short. Our partnership with The Mom Project is aimed at helping organizations retain and advance talented women to reap the many business benefits of womens leadership in a gender diverse and inclusive workplace. The Mom Project has developed a predictive methodology, called Personal Investment in Role (PIR), to identify drivers of employee retention and link them to corporate ROI. The Mom Project and NEW are partnering to develop PIR industry benchmarks for consumer goods, retail, financial services and technology. Additionally, individual companies may get their own PIR Score. The Mom Project and NEW are offering the PIR Score to NEW corporate partners at qualifying levels as a benefit of partnership. Companies are at differing junctures in their efforts to bring full gender equality into their workplaces. The PIR Score will enable organizations to benchmark themselves, focus their efforts on the retention drivers that matter most and quantify the success of their diversity and inclusion efforts. Affiliates of The Mom Project will have access to a reduced NEW membership fee of $99. NEW Title and Foundation corporate partners and Future Fund donors will have the opportunity to receive their own company PIR score. To demonstrate The Mom Project's commitment to NEW and its members in 2019, the organization will offer all NEW corporate partners that sign on to support the Women's Work Initiative The Mom Project's program designed to maximize female workforce participation exclusive program rates and special benefits. We are thrilled to join forces with NEW to move the needle on gender parity in the workplace, said Allison Robinson, founder and CEO of The Mom Project. The ability to provide companies with tools to objectively assess the impact of their diversity and inclusion efforts is key to making gender parity a reality. Companies have the power to impact real change when it comes to parity. Providing them with data and insights to prove out their D&I efforts gets us one step closer to creating a better, more equitable workplace for all. In addition to leveraging the Personal Investment in Role model, NEW and The Mom Project will coauthor a research paper and present their findings at future conferences. NEW and The Mom Projects partnership will activate our powerful and growing communities. ABOUT NEW Founded in 2001, the Network of Executive Women represents more than 12,000 members, 900 companies, 115 corporate partners and 22 regions in the U.S. and Canada advancing all women and building business. For more information about NEW and its learning programs, events, content and insights, visit http://www.newonline.org. Connect with us on social media @newnational. Festival Acadien de Caraquet 2016 in Caraquet, New Brunswick The Acadian people, descendants of the original French settlers occupying the northeastern region of North America, have called New Brunswick home since the 1600s. The Acadian Coast spans nearly 250 miles along the eastern seaboard of the province, with the Acadian Peninsula jutting into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. English and French are both spoken in New Brunswick, Canadas only bilingual province, and its Acadian heritage offers rich cultural experiences all along the coast. National Acadian Day is honored every August 15, and in 2019 travelers can celebrate in Dieppe, New Brunswick with the World Acadian Congress, an international festival that has taken place for 25 years. The festival invites travelers to discover Acadian music, cuisine, and traditions for the entire month of August with events and workshops leading up to the great parade of Tintamarre on National Acadian Day. During the parade, visitors will march through the community with improvised instruments and noisemakers to demonstrate the vitality of Acadian society. Afterwards, an outdoor concert will take place, featuring traditional music by emerging and established artists. New experiences on the Acadian Coast in 2019 include: Seaside Cielo Glamping A place to reconnect with nature, the Cielo Glamping Maritime is a new four-season resort in Haut-Shippagan, offering five all-equipped glamping domes. The domes are located in the heart of the Acadian Peninsula, and visitors can watch the sun set over the sea each night. Skylights enable guests to stargaze from the comfort of a sofa on the second floor, and domes come equipped with a private patio, wood-fired hot tub, seasonal outside shower, barbecue, and waterfront hammock. Price starts at $180 CAD per night. Taste and Tour at an Acadian Distillery Distillerie Fils Du Roy, a local family-owned distillery founded in 2011, is committed to recognizing historical events and creating limited edition bottles in tribute to their Acadian heritage. This year, the team created 415 bottles of a limited-edition single malt whiskey, one for each of the 415 years since the French settlements and birth of Acadia in 1604, and dedicated the production to the World Acadian Congress. They also produce a signature Sour Mash Brut with sour mash typically used to produce whiskey, which is an experimental technique unique to the distillery. In 2019, the distillery will begin constructing its own Malt House spanning over 700 acres. Once completed, all whiskey will be made from the malt processed onsite. Complimentary tours and tastings are available year-round. Kayak Seafood Excursion Travelers can eat like a local on a three-hour journey with NB Explorer through the Tracadie River by kayak. Participants will go clamming and fishing for mussels along the sandy coast, using the traditional techniques practiced by fisherman with their families and friends. The trip begins in the traditional Acadian fishing village of Val-Comeau, located between the Grand Tracadie River and the Gulf of Northumberland. After working up an appetite kayaking through salt water channels, an experienced guide will cook the fresh clams and mussels directly on the shore. The seafood feast will be paired with seasonal fruits and beverages. The excursion is priced at $75 per adult, $60 per child, and $220 for a family pass (includes two adults and two children). New Flavor and Traditional Techniques New culinary adventures also await travelers taste buds on the Acadian Coast. The Origines Cuisine Maritime restaurant was established last spring by owner and Chef Benjamin Cormier after returning to his home region of Caraquet, New Brunswick. The restaurant sits on the shore of the Acadian peninsula, offering beautiful views of the sea. A gourmet tasting menu is dedicated to serving the freshest local foods which change seasonally with the tides. Visitors can take a cooking class in a 19th century kitchen at the Village Historique Acadien, a historic site with more than 40 restored buildings, including several farmsteads, a tavern, and a school. The living museum is staffed with interpreters portraying the daily lives of Acadians. Culinary enthusiasts will prepare an entire meal from start to finish and learn to cook over an open fire in Madame Savoies home. Afterwards, guests can visit the general store and boutique, or stop by the Cafe-Bistro du Village for a slice of famous sugar pie. Cooking classes are available daily June 23 September 14 and priced at $75 per person. For more information on New Brunswick, visit https://www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca/. About Atlantic Canada Agreement on Tourism (ACAT): This project has been made possible through funding provided by the Atlantic Canada Agreement on Tourism (ACAT). ACAT is a nine-member pan-Atlantic initiative comprising the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the four Atlantic Canada Tourism Industry Associations, and the four Provincial Departments responsible for tourism. For more information on the four provinces, visit these websites or follow on social media: New Brunswick Web: http://www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca Instagram: @DestinationNB Twitter: @SeeNewBrunswick Facebook: @DestinationNB Nova Scotia Web: http://www.novascotia.com Instagram: @VisitNovaScotia Twitter: @VisitNovaScotia Facebook: @NovaScotia Newfoundland and Labrador Web: http://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com Instagram: @newfoundlandlabrador Twitter: @NLtweets Facebook: @NewfoundlandLabradorTourism Prince Edward Island Web: http://www.tourismpei.com Instagram: @tourismpei Twitter: @tourismpei Facebook: @tourismpei MEDIA CONTACT: Gina Dolecki/Ashley Mindnich Redpoint 212.229.0119 dolecki(at)redpointspeaks(dot)com mindnich(at)redpointspeaks(dot)com 81 percent of Baby Boomer respondents said they will retire in Mexico, nearly 52 percent within two years. A new survey by online magazine Expats In Mexico of people who are considering moving to Mexico found that 81 percent of Baby Boomer respondents said they will retire in Mexico, nearly 52 percent within two years. Its not surprising that so many Baby Boomers, primarily from the U.S. and Canada, are considering retiring in Mexico, said Robert Nelson, Expats In Mexico co-founder and author of Boomers in Paradise Living in Puerto Vallarta. I discovered this trend 11 years ago while researching my book and it has just continued to pick up steam. The Mexican government reported over 1.2 million expats were living in Mexico through 2017, the latest figure available. The 2000 Mexican census data showed just under 540,000 expats in Mexico. Americans represented over 80 percent of all expats living in Mexico two years ago, nearly 900,000. Retirement is the main reason why Boomers and all respondents want to move to Mexico. Both groups also rated cost of living and better climate as top reasons to move. Mexico as a retirement destination for Baby Boomers makes sense, Nelson said. According to a recent report by the Stanford Center on Longevity, U.S. Baby Boomers hold less wealth, are deeper in debt and will face higher expenses than retirees a decade older than them. Why not live better in a nicer climate? But all is not perfect south of the border. About 45 percent of all respondents and Boomers say security issues in Mexico might be a concern for them. Lack of Spanish language skills and quality of healthcare were less important considerations. Both Baby Boomers and all respondents selected Puerto Vallarta as their destination of choice, followed by the Lake Chapala area and Los Cabos. About 38 percent of all respondents and Boomers chose a wide variety of other locations in Mexico. The self-selected online survey was completed by 337 respondents in January and February 2019. Respondents were primarily Americans and Canadians. Expats In Mexico The Expat Guide to Living in Mexico is an online magazine designed for both expats currently living in Mexico and aspiring expats who are considering moving to Mexico. Pictured is the firms packaging design for BihlerFlexs line of pet products. Jamie Rosen, Director of Art and Design for Delia Associates This was a fun and challenging project that called for an outside-of-the- packaging-box approach." Delia Associates, a leading New Jersey-based business branding and marketing firm, was recently honored with a 2019 Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) package design award for the BihlerFlex line of pet products. Last year, the firm also was honored with an NJ Ad Club Jersey award for the BihlerFlex line of high-performance bungee cords. Upon learning of the award, Ed Delia, President of Delia Associates, commented, Were delighted and grateful to be recognized. It takes great clients, a great team and an outstanding partnership to produce award-winning work. This honor speaks to the caliber of our creative team, and of our great working relationship with BihlerFlex, and the other Bihler companies. Jamie Rosen, Director of Art and Design for Delia Associates, also commented on the award-winning package design, This was a fun and challenging project that called for an outside-of-the-packaging-box approach. Using the tug toy handles as physical frames, we inserted photography of dogs on the hang tags, making it easy for pet owners to match toy sizes with dog sizes. The combination of product and graphics maximized creative impact in the limited hang tag space. The final packaging solution enabled BihlerFlex to relaunch this amazing dog toy line with an eye-catching, energetic shelf presence while applying a cost-effective and sustainable approach to the size of the hang tag. Rosen concludes, It was a real win for everyone involved and being recognized by GDUSA is just icing on the cake. ABOUT THE GRAPHIC DESIGN USA AMERICAN INHOUSE DESIGN AWARDS For more than 50 years, Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) has been an information source for graphic design professionals. Each year, GDUSA holds the American Inhouse Design Awards competition, a contest designed to recognize and celebrate the increasingly expansive ways that graphic design shapes business, society, products and services, and culture. ABOUT DELIA ASSOCIATES Founded in 1964 and based in New Jersey, Delia Associates is a second-generation business branding and marketing firm specializing in brand development, website development, content, and search marketing. Clients range from global to regional business-to-business companies, with an emphasis on manufacturing organizations. The firms proprietary Brand Leadership Solution, a unique brand-based marketing platform, has helped hundreds of brands establish market distinction, generate increased demand, and achieve sustainable growth. For more information, please visit http://www.delianet.com. For additional press information, please contact: Ilena Della Ventura Delia Associates 908-534-9044 idellaventura(at)delianet.com By Alexandra Deabler, Fox News | Feb. 28, 2019 A mom has filed a US$1.1 million lawsuit against the owner of a pit bull and Alaska Airlines after the animal allegedly mauled her 5-year-old's face at the Portland International Airport. The lawsuit, filed Monday in Multnomah County by Mirna Gonzalez on behalf of her daughter, Gabriela Gonzalez, claims Michelle Brannan, the dog's owner, should have known her animal had "vicious propensities" and that Alaska Airlines allowed her to bring a dangerous dog into the gate waiting area without being confined or trained. According to the suit, the incident took place Dec. 18, 2017, while Gabriella Gonzalez was waiting at Gate C7 with her family for a flight to Texas at the Portland hub. Gabriella, then aged 5, was waiting at the gate when Brannan entered the area with her pit bull, which was not kept in a crate, kennel or other secure container, the lawsuit claims. The child allegedly gained permission from Brannan to pet the dog. While she was petting the animal, it bit her, causing serious injuries. "As a result of the incident, Gabriella Gonzalez suffered injury to the muscles, tendons, bones, nerves and soft tissue of her face, eye, eyelid, tear duct and lip, as well as emotional trauma," the lawsuit reads, noting that Gabriella was left with permanent scarring and "required surgery to repair complex facial lacerations and a damaged tear duct, and has incurred medical expenses and will incur future medical expenses." Brannan had told the airline the pit bull was an emotional support animal and went through the ticketing process at Alaska Airlines. Alaska Airlines does not require emotional support animals to be in crates, stating on its website that pets must be at least leashed and under control of the owner. However, the Port of Portland felt Brannan's dog should have been in a crate or kennel and cited her for failing to do so before the alleged attack. Alaska Airlines declined comment to Fox News, stating "it would be inappropriate" for them to comment about the case. They have yet to receive the lawsuit. Kama Simonds, a spokeswoman for the Port of Portland, said in an email to the Oregonian that the Port may ask a traveler if the dog is a trained service animal and can ask what service the dog provides. "The traveler need only answer those questions and we're required to accept the answer," she said. Chad Stavley, the Gonzalez' attorney, told Oregon Live Brannan reportedly was carrying what appeared to be a form letter from her therapist, though it was not specific. "It didn't say what kind of animal," Stavley said. "It was just a generic 'animal.'" The suit claims Brannan is liable for all damages incurred during the incident and is seeking US$100,000 for past and future medical costs and US$1 million for the child's pain and suffering. It was not immediately clear what happened to the dog after the incident. ACG Solutions, a leading provider of state-of-the-art information technology (IT), security and telecommunications solutions, today announced that North Georgia Community Foundation (the Community Foundation) has adopted components of the companys Protect solutions to create a more safe and protected environment at its headquarters, two buildings based in Gainesville, Ga. In addition to providing funding to many nonprofits in the North Georgia 15-county region, the Community Foundation also offers affordable office space to 13 501c3 organizations on its campus. By engaging ACG Solutions to architect customized access controls for each individual non-profit, as well as its own staff, the Community Foundations technology initiative serves to enhance building security while protecting the privacy of those seeking crisis counseling and other forms of critical community services. Further security measures include the installation of 911 panic buttons and Collaborative Response Graphics (CRGs) to support first responders in coordinating a threat response. CRGs, known as geo-spatial maps, combine a gridded overlay, high resolution imagery of floor plans and other building details to give emergency response teams the ability to instantly visualize their physical location in real time during an emergency. In this case, the Community Foundations CRGs have been filed with the local sheriffs department to support a quicker, more accurate response time, as well as improve command and control. The North Georgia Community Foundation is focused on providing our staff and non-profit tenants a safe place to carry out their respective missions, said Michelle Prater, President and CEO of North Georgia Community Foundation. We greatly appreciate the knowledge, experience, and support that ACG provided us during this process. About CRGs - intelligent situational awareness graphics Through its strategic partnership with Critical Response Group, ACG Solutions is uniquely positioned to offer the CRG technology in Georgia. CRGs were adopted from a U.S. Special Operations military mapping technique used overseas to communicate during counter-terrorism missions. It is now nationally recognized and adopted in thousands of schools and private companies throughout the United States. CRG building graphic details encompass room labels, hallway names, external door numbers, and key utility locations. ACG Solutions offers comprehensive and integrated security solutions that help businesses upgrade their infrastructure and communication capabilities with law enforcement, which unfortunately in these times, is an important and pragmatic step for emergency protocols, said Laura Faught, president and COO, ACG Solutions. We are pleased to support the Community Foundation in achieving its goal of setting a higher standard for building security and privacy to further its philanthropic mission. About the North Georgia Community Foundation Founded in 1985 by Lou Fockele and other business leaders, the North Georgia Community Foundation supports nonprofit organizations and donors by building, distributing, and preserving philanthropic assets. To learn more, call 770-535-7880 or visit http://www.ngcf.org. About Critical Response Group, Inc. Formed in 2016 and formerly the Geospatial Intelligence Division of The Rodgers Group, LLC, Critical Response Group is a team of dedicated, experienced and proven professionals from the U.S. Military Special Operations and domestic public safety communities. Members of our team have served as Police Chiefs, SWAT team commanders, Fire Chiefs, Emergency Management Coordinators, Fusion Center Directors and former members of the U.S. Military Special Operations Command who have served on numerous tours in combat. They have a proven record of success operating in environments ranging from the war on terror overseas to man-made and natural disasters here at home. For Further Information, Contact our office at 732.779.4393 or http://www.crgplans.com or https://youtu.be/10aghbY3AKI. About ACG Solutions ACG Solutions serves all industries with a complete portfolio of information technology, security, and telecommunications solutions for powering the intelligent building. For more information, please visit http://www.acg-solutions.com. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheACGTeam/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/acgsolutions/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheACGTeam Only Natural Pet B Corp It is so common to think sustainability is solely about our environment. Its notits about also being good stewards of our community, our customers, and our employees. Only Natural Pet (http://www.onlynaturalpet.com), a Boulder, CO-based leader in natural pet products, is proud to announce it has been certified as a B Corp from the nonprofit B Lab, becoming the first pet food and treat company in North America to earn designation. Certified B Corporations are a new kind of business that balance purpose and profit. They are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment. B Corp is a community of for-profit companies committed to using business as a force for good. For Only Natural Pet, the B Corp certification was the logical next step in our Companys evolution, said Marty Grosjean, Founder and President of Only Natural Pet. Since our founding in 2004, Only Natural Pet has had a significant focus on sustainability as part of our philosophy, goals and brand identity. We have always been dedicated to transparency when it comes to pet health and by going through the B Corp assessment and becoming a Certified B Corp, we are able to take our commitment to sustainability to the next level. Only Natural Pet is a founding member of the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC) (http://www.petsustainability.org), which strives to make the planet healthier for both humans and their pets. Only Natural Pet works closely with other industry leaders to set standards that cover everything from efficient facilities to sustainable products. As members of the PSC, Only Natural Pet already had exposure to parts of the B Corp assessment as PSC makes segments of it available to its members to help them assess their sustainability practices. "We're thrilled to welcome Only Natural Pet as a Certified B Corp by meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and legal accountability, said Andy Fyfe, of B Lab. By supporting B Corps, people are supporting businesses that are reducing inequality, lowering levels of poverty, designing a healthier environment, and creating more high-quality jobs with dignity and purpose. It's up to each of us to think about our daily choices and vote every day. Only Natural Pet just made it easier to cast that vote." As a result of the B Corp assessment, Only Natural Pet found new areas of the business to focus on from a sustainability standpoint. Those areas included supply chain, day-to-day operations, and employee sustainability. It is so common to think sustainability is solely about our environment, said Grosjean. Its notits about also being good stewards of our community, our customers, and our employees. As a result of our B Corp assessment, we have identified new ways to ensure we are looking at sustainability from all angles. We want to invest in our employees, our suppliers, and our customers so that they will continue to invest in us. About Only Natural Pet Only Natural Pet (http://www.onlynaturalpet.com) is a leading brand in the natural pet supplies marketplace. Founded in 2004 in Boulder, Colorado, as an e-commerce business, we now make over 200 of our own highly popular Only Natural Pet branded products, including food, treats, supplements, and natural flea prevention & treatment sold both online and in retail stores nationally. Our retail locations are in Boulder, Aspen and Greenwood Village (Denver), Colorado. The clamp attachment with narrow rollers, motorised rotation and extended reach is the ideal solution to increase efficiency and improve health and safety conditions. New to Packline Materials Handling is the clamp attachment with motorised rotation, narrow rollers and extended reach, designed to load and unload rolls of film or foil from a pallet and load them into a wrapping machine. This roll handling solution is suitable for food processing and pharmaceutical industries. The clamp is fitted with narrow rollers with long reach capability. This enables the machine to lift rolls from any area on a pallet, including the rear. It also allows the handling of rolls even if they are stored quite close together and deliver them to a wrapping machine (or similar) which may have limited or restricted access. This clamp attachment also has motorised rotation which provides swift and easy handling of the rolls of film. This feature is controlled by a hand held pendant type control which means that the operator can observe the loading and unloading of the rolls for greater precision. The raising and lowering of the clamp attachment is made by a battery powered mechanism which is operated by simple up and down buttons that are located ergonomically on the machines handle bars. Ease of operation is further enhanced with a slow start feature that provides the operator with precise and accurate positioning when docking, loading and un-loading. The design offers impressive stability, strength and durability and together these features combine to provide the transportation of the rolls with ease, confidence and compete safety. The attachment is backed up by a full bespoke design service ensuring the right solution can be made to suit most applications and requirements. All Packline attachments are fully interchangeable and can be easily fixed or removed from any model of the Packline Compac lifting machine that is fitted with the quick release system. The clamp attachment with extended reach has a lifting capacity of up to 150kg depending upon the machine model. This stainless steel roll lifting machine is suitable for use in the following industries: Food Drinks and Beverages Dairy Pharmaceutical Medical Chemical FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) The purpose-designed compact framework, positioning of handlebars and addition of an optional remote-control device provide improved manoeuvrability and ease of use for the operator. The small footprint makes this roll handling equipment highly manoeuvrable and a natural choice for todays narrow production lines and demanding lifting requirements. For further information on this clamp attachment, or the full range of lifting and handling equipment, please contact Packline Materials Handling, or contact Ultrasource LLC in the USA for more information on the EZ Lift. Packline Ltd Unit 28 Newtown Business Park Ringwood Road Poole, Dorset BH12 3LL, UK https://www.packline.co.uk/ USA Distributor: Ultrasource USA LLC 1414 West 29th Street Kansas City, MO 64108-3604 (O): 816.360.2034 | Ext 2034 https://www.ultrasourceusa.com/ For a full list of worldwide distributors please visit Packlines website. The Manufacturing in America conference has offered our team a perfect environment to learn from and collaborate with other professionals in the manufacturing community over the years. The conference has become bigger and better each year and we are looking forward to what is in store this March. Patti Engineering, Inc., a leading control system integration company based in Auburn Hills, MI with offices in Texas and Indiana, today announced its participation in Manufacturing in America 2019, hosted by Siemens and Electro-Matic Products. The event will take place March 20-21, 2019 at Ford Field in Detroit. Patti Engineering will exhibit on Ford Field itself, where attendees can attempt to kick a field goal. The display will track and rank data about the participants kicks, including velocity, trajectory, and predicted field goal range. It will showcase IoT and asset tracking technology, including MindSphere, the open cloud-based IoT operating system from Siemens; RFID (radio frequency identification); and RTLS (real-time locating system). The Manufacturing in America (MiA) conference brings together over 3,200 manufacturing executives, engineers and enthusiasts to network, learn about the newest technologies, and share best practices. MiA is held annually in Detroit, which has the second largest concentration of engineers in the country. The event kicks off with The Summit on Wednesday, March 20th, 2019, where Raj Batra, President of Digital Factory Division, will open the event in his welcoming speech. The Summit will continue with thought-provoking presentations and discussions with leading experts in manufacturing, the economy, technology, and innovation. This years keynote speaker is world-renowned enterprise strategist, CEO and innovator, Nicholas J. Webb. In addition to The Summit, the MiA offers over 100 technical learning seminars, and 50 exhibits focused on emerging automation, controls, drive technologies and PLM within this evolving industry. The Manufacturing in America conference has offered our team a perfect environment to learn from and collaborate with other professionals in the manufacturing community over the years, said Sam Hoff, founder and CEO of Patti Engineering. The conference has become bigger and better each year and we are looking forward to what is in store this March. To learn more and register, visit http://www.attendmia.com About Patti Engineering, Inc. Patti Engineering, Inc. is a CSIA Certified control systems integration company offering high-caliber engineering and software development services. Patti Engineerings technical expertise in electrical control and information systems provides turnkey control systems integration for industrial automation, production intelligence and shop floor IT solutions. Customer satisfaction and project success earned the company placement in the Control Engineering Magazines Hall of Fame. As a MindSphere Gold Partner, Patti Engineering has multiple technical staff trained by Siemens through the MindSphere Technical curriculum, multiple MindSphere apps developed or being developed, and a joint go-to-market agreement to assist our customers in achieving substantial business value through IoT technology generally and MindSphere specifically. For more information, visit http://www.pattieng.com. Polar Bears and Solar Flares - featuring Dr. Susan Crockford, researcher and author on polar bears, and Dr. Willie Soon, astrophysicist, explaining how the sun drives climate change Past News Releases RSS Polar Bears and Solar Flares is the theme of the Friends of Science Societys 16th Annual Climate Change event in Calgary, Alberta, and will feature polar bear researcher and author, Dr. Susan Crockford and Dr. Willie Soon, astrophysicist to discuss how the sun drives climate. The event will take place at the Red and White Club, McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta at 6pm and features a buffet dinner along with the two speaker presentations. Tickets are available now on Eventbrite. Polar Bears: Researcher and Author Dr. Susan Crockford: "Polar Bears: Too Hot to Handle" will be speaking about how a thriving species like the polar bear came to be classified as threatened with extinction based on untested computer models. This is the story of what happened when Dr. Crockford challenged that determination and showed that the models had failed: sea ice declined abruptly but polar bear numbers did not. A few biologists and some proponents of catastrophic man-made global warming made unseemly attacks on Dr. Crockford but could not stop the erosion of public support regarding their messages of doom. Dr. Crockford's brand new book The Polar Bear Catastrophe that Never Happened will be available for purchase at the event as well as her novel (EATEN) and polar bear science book for kids (Polar Bear Facts & Myths). Solar Flares: Astrophysicist - Dr. Willie Soon: "The Sun Also Warms" As a northern country with vast agricultural lands, solar activity cycles have long been suspected to have direct effects on Canadas climate. In this talk, Dr. Soon will probe the long history in the quest to understand Sun-climate connections. Specifically he will present the rather surprising new evidence on how the Sun effects climate in Canada. Solar impacts are many and can cause significant changes in climate. These presentations are designed for the general public. No special economics or climate science knowledge required. The Global Warming Policy Foundation has just released Dr. Crockfords State of the Polar Bear Report 2018. About Friends of Science Society is an independent group of earth, atmospheric and solar scientists, engineers, and citizens who are celebrating its 16th year of offering climate science insights. After a thorough review of a broad spectrum of literature on climate change, Friends of Science Society has concluded that the sun is the main driver of climate change, not carbon dioxide (CO2). Friends of Science Society P.O. Box 23167, Mission P.O. Calgary, Alberta Canada T2S 3B1 Toll-free Telephone: 1-888-789-9597 Web: friendsofscience.org E-mail: contact(at)friendsofscience(dot)org Web: climatechange101.ca Prof Philip CHAN, Interim President, PolyU, and Dr Paul THOMPSON, Vice Chancellor, RCA, signed the MoU in the presence of the Hon Mrs Carrie LAM CHENG Yuet-ngor, the Chief Executive of the HKSAR. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Royal College of Art (RCA), United Kingdom, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to confirm their intention to establish the PolyU|RCA Artificial Intelligence Design Laboratory (AIDL). The Laboratory will be the worlds first and leading research facility to advance the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the design of products and service. Targeted to uncover knowledge and techniques related to design and scientific principles, new design process and innovative products, AIDL will address industry demands for efficiency, automation and customising products and services in the innovation and technology era. Its research deliverables will support industries including healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality and retail services. The Hon Mrs Carrie LAM CHENG Yuet-ngor, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) attended the ceremony and witnessed the signing of MOU by Prof Philip C. H. CHAN, Interim President and Provost of PolyU and Dr Paul THOMPSON, Vice-Chancellor of RCA. Also joining the ceremony as witnesses were Dr LAM Tai-fai, Council Chairman of PolyU; Ir Prof Alex WAI, Vice President (Research Development); Dr Miranda Lou, Executive Vice President; Prof Naren BARFIELD, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost of the RCA; Prof Juan Cruz, Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities and Ms. Helen PROTHEROE, Director of Development & Alumni Relations of RCA. Addressing in the ceremony, The Hon Mrs Carrie Lam, said, The opportunity to witness this marriage of design and AI which belongs to the technology portfolio is extremely gratifying. I am sure that the collaborated team of PolyU and RCA will find in Hong Kong the appeal of time-tested legal system, robust intellectual property protection, strong financial sector, and the support for commercialisation of R and D results, as well as the distinctive east meets west culture which sparks creative inspiration. Prof Philip C. H. Chan said, I am confident that this Laboratory will bring together the strengths of both institutions to lead the world in this new design paradigm, contributing to the innovation and technology development in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. Founded 182 years ago, in response to the first industrial revolution, the Royal College of Art (RCA) today stands at the turn of the fourth revolution. The world will witness breakthroughs across design and technology including artificial intelligence where art and design will meet. As the worlds number one art and design university, we have built our capacity to work across disciplines, combining our art and design research expertise with insights from science, technology and engineering. We are delighted to collaborate with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University to bring together unrivalled capabilities, said Dr Paul Thompson Vice-Chancellor of RCA. PolyU will engage researchers and resources from various disciplines including Department of Applied Mathematics, Department of Computing, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Institute of Textiles and Clothing, Department of Mechanical Engineering and School of Design to work together with RCA on a number of theme-based research. Among them, there will be empirical research in Affective Computing and Social Robots that could recognise and analyse human emotions. Other studies will include Intelligent Fashion Design; Intelligent Textile and Apparel Design and Manufacturing; innovating materials of the future that are extremely light, robust and able to detect human bio-metrics for fashion and wearables; creating automatic systems for ergonomic design and human modelling, and using regenerative approach in product design and material development for sustainability in the circular economy, etc. Committed to supporting the HKSAR Governments InnoHK initiative in developing Hong Kong as the hub for global research collaborations, the two institutions has just submitted a proposal to the HKSAR Government under the AIR@InnoHK research cluster initiative. https://www.polyu.edu.hk Port of Kalama's mixed-use commercial development takes next step. The Spencer Creek Business Park is being built as a part of the Port of Kalamas long-term plan to diversify the regions business and will support a mix of commercial business, retail, dining, lodging and light industrial. The Port of Kalama board of commissioners awarded the contract for the Spencer Creek Business Park Phase 1 Improvements Project to C & R Tractor and Landscaping, Inc. of Kelso, WA. The $5,591,238.13 contractincluding Washington sales tax includes site preparation, grading, utilities, roads, a roundabout and sidewalks, new lighting and irrigation. Contractor work at the Spencer Creek site is expected to commence in April 2019 and run through mid-summer. Traffic patterns will be impacted so the Port urges citizens to watch for signage and check the Ports social media and blog channels for updates. The Spencer Creek Business Park is being built as a part of the Port of Kalamas long-term plan to diversify the regions business and will support a mix of commercial business, retail, dining, lodging and light industrial. Similar to the long-term build-out of the popular Kalama River Industrial Park, the Port constructs infrastructure like roads and utilities to invite business and opportunity to the community. The Port has already invested in the recreational facility the community enjoys at East Port with the opening of Haydu Park. With the surface road project at Spencer Creek Business Park, the Port is on the way to developing the area to welcome new diverse businesses and jobs. About Port of Kalama Where rail and water meet The Port of Kalama is located in Southwest Washington on the Columbia River and immediately off of Interstate Highway 5. The port exists to induce capital investment in an environmentally responsible manner to create jobs and to enhance public recreational opportunities. Port of Kalama's industrial area includes five miles of riverfront property adjacent to the 43' federally-maintained deep draft navigation channel of the Columbia River. The Port is served by the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe and Union Pacific railroads. There are over 30 businesses located at the Port of Kalama, employing over 1,000 people. Port of Kalama offers all the superior facilities businesses need to thrive, and an unsurpassed quality of life. The port offers shovel ready sites, a new Industrial Park, state of the art Marine Terminals and transportation accessibility to rail and highway all just a 30-minute drive to the Portland International Airport. Port of Kalama also offers high-bandwidth communications, with dual access fiber-optic service to Seattle and Portland. Properties currently available at the port for businesses wishing to expand and thrive: Visit http://portofkalama.com/available-properties/. Contact: Liz Newman, marketing manager, Port of Kalama, 360-673-2379 or Claudia Johnson, PR, 503-799-2220. Hype, an original web series based in Durham, North Carolina, has been released and can be watched at hypedurham.com. Hype was created, written and directed by Holland Gallagher (Vacay, Immaculate Taste) and executive produced by Phonte Coleman (Little Brother) and Brendan Bradley. On its face, Hype is about rap and startups and the nuances therein, a nod to Durhams thriving arts and tech scenes as well as a nod to Gallaghers personal background in music production and as an employee of a streetwear startup operating out of a Google-funded incubator. Gallagher channelled his music producing background, producing the soundtrack to the series via Immaculate Taste record label, which features North Carolina natives WELL$, Angelo Mota, and others. Coleman was a member of Durhams acclaimed and beloved Little Brother with 9th Wonder and rapper Big Pooh. He is one of raps most respected figures, working with artists ranging from the Roots to Drake to Kaytranada. His decades-long rap career is accentuated by a recent expansion into acting, voice acting, and he is the co-host of the Questlove Supreme podcast. The original soundtrack for Hype was released through the boutique label and creative collective Immaculate Taste, which is based in North Carolina and home to other artists Well$, Angelo Mota, Santi, Alec Lomami, and the Black Hearts Club, and producers Vacay, Lucho, and Tommy Coyote. Gallagher joined Immaculate Taste in 2014 after he met Well$ and manager Mike Tambashe in Chapel Hill, and has been producing and performing with him (as an accompanying producer) since. Hype tells the story of Smiles, an exceedingly optimistic young man who is trying to buy the house back for his adolescent love. He is approached by Ava, a hungry entrepreneur trying to prove herself in the space about starting a new VR company, and he hesitantly accepts. As the company works toward a major pitch to investors and simultaneous live-streaming concert, they get intertwined in a local rap scene full of interpersonal conflict and combative ambition between mainstay rapper Bulldoze and new sensation Rakim Wilde. A guiding principle in Hype is that much of a new rap artist or startup companys success is due to the hype surrounding it, and this acts as a metaphor for each of the characters arcs. According to Gallagher, the overarching question of the series is How do we use our personal perceptions to mitigate our realities? Gallagher says, Hype began as a passion project born out of a desire to tell the story about a place that I consider a home, Durham, North Carolina. As a city undergoing immense change, the type of change mirrored in cities across America (in short: swift and front-facing gentrification), Durham is a place with new stories to tell. Hype was written to tell some of these stories and to provide a visual perspective in a conversation about the areas future. But beyond the ties the rap and start-up worlds have to myself and Durham, there is an inherent connection between them. The younger generation in America is a self-starter generation, full of a belief in the promise of doing exactly what they want and only what they think is important. Its an entrepreneurial way of thinking and one that parallels the rap industry and, obviously, the startup world. Gallagher says another word he would use to describe the series is ambition. And ambition, of course, is not without its obstacles. Where boundless ambition meets the restriction of economy and relationships is another thread in Hype, something I am interested in personally as a young person navigating creative industries, he says. Holland Randolph Gallagher is a first time filmmaker, coming from the music production space (as Vacay) where he works with artists across genres including rapper and lead Hype actor Well$. Director of Photography Bruce F. Cole graduated from UNCSA and then AFI for cinematography. His most recent film Jinn won awards at SXSW, and this year he was selected as one of Film Independents 2018 Project Involve fellows. Hype features an ensemble cast of Willie Raysor, Andie Morgenlander, Robert Dartez Wright, Leroy Well$ Shingu, Melvin Gray Jr. and Zen Zensofly Stewart, all actors and artists, importantly, local to North Carolina. Hype has recently been featured on noteworthy outlets such as News & Observer, RESPECT Magazine, Bandcamp and DJBooth. For more information and/or media requests please reach out below: sarah (at) coakleypr (dot) com 734-612-4486 The Opportunity Fund Development Company, LLC Timing issues are critical for Opportunity Zone Development. Having a team in place to get entitlements, prepare plans and establish realistic budgets is the main course when investing in Opportunity Zones and the better prepared the project sponsor is, the higher the likelihood of success. The U.S. Congress in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act established a new community development program called Opportunity Zones. According to the Internal Revenue Service, An Opportunity Zone is an economically-distressed community where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment. This tax-incentive program promotes funding of a variety of projects, inside of these zones. The Opportunity Zone Development Company formed by Witt helps taxpayers navigate this process and helps prepare projects targeted for zones to obtain funding. Timing issues are critical for Opportunity Zone Development. Having a team in place to get entitlements, prepare plans and establish realistic budgets is the main course when investing in Opportunity Zones and the better prepared the project sponsor is, the higher the likelihood of success, said Witt, who has over 34 years of real estate and investment management experience. My experience is helpful, and my contacts are gold for clients. The current estimate of unrealized capital gains in the United States is $6.1 trillion. This profit exists on paper, and the tax consequence of selling these assets is restricting the flow of capital for reinvestment. To illustrate, if an investor purchased 1,000 shares of Apple stock on January 4, 2003, their basis would be $1,000.00. After 14 for 1 in splits and an increase in stock price that $1,000 investment was worth $2,351,020.00 at the close on January 28, 2019. The $2,350,020 is unrealized gain until it is sold. The $470,004.00 capital gains tax would decrease the wealth of the investor after the sale and does impact the liquidity of capital in the marketplace. This incentive makes projects inside of Zones easier to fund. There are three main benefits to Investing in Opportunity Zones. . 1: A deferral of tax liability until 2026. Taxpayers, Witt noted, can invest in Opportunity Zone Funds or form their own funds to invest in Opportunity Zone projects and defer the tax liability until 2026. 2: A reduction in taxable gain to the lessor of 85% of the gain or fair market value in 2026. 3: There is no capital gain on increases in value of the fund as long as the money has been invested in the fund for 10 years. The Opportunity Zone Development Company LLC was formed to help ensure clients get the maximum benefit from the investments, added Witt. As with most opportunities, there are rules that need to be followed. First, the investment must be made within 180 days of a statutory defined date, Witt enumerated. Second, the funds must be invested in an Opportunity Fund. Third, the Opportunity Fund must invest the funds in Qualified Opportunity Zone assets. Fourth, the Treasury wants these funds invested in projects sooner than later, so the funds must invest 90% of the capital within a maximum of 180 days from the date they receive the funds. The Opportunity Zone Development Company is presently working on a number of projects that will qualify for the funding. This company is here to help in that process, Witt stated. Doing it right can provide significant benefits and help taxpayers retain and build net worth. Trust is earned, not granted, Witt concluded, and earning trust for me is all about protecting clients net worth. I believe service is the key to success. Listening, identifying needs and meeting those needs continues to provide significant opportunities for above-average returns to partners and clients, and thats why The Opportunity Zone Development Company was formed. About Robert Witt, The Opportunity Fund Development Company, LLC Robert Witt is the President of the Beaver Creek Villas Condominium Association, Managing Partner of The Opportunity Zone Development Company, Managing Partner of Simonton Ranch Land Holding Company, Managing Partner of Verde Income Partners LLC. For more information, please call (928) 202-1000. He is located at 400 W Finnie Flat Suit 1C, Camp Verde Arizona 86322. For media inquiries, please call the NALA at 805.650.6121, ext. 361. Mr. Robert Lawson has over 35 years of financial experience in securities, investments, insurance, and commodities and in a professional capacity as a financial advisor, investment fiduciary, supervisor, and managing principal. He serves as the President of Barrington Financial Consulting Group, Inc. and the President and Chief Investment Officer of Barrington Capital Management, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisory Firm and Insurance Agency that he established in 1988. Per LawsonAs a longtime member of the IARFC as a Registered Financial consultant (RFC) since 1997, and a newly credentialed Master Registered Financial Consultant (MRFC) since 2018, I am truly honored and privileged to have the opportunity to join the MRFC Board. I am looking forward to being a valued MRFC Board Member to advance the mission of this prestigious organization. As a Securities & Insurance Expert Witness and Litigation Support Consultant, Mr. Lawson is retained by both claimants and respondents for FINRA arbitrations, mediations, and court settings. Retaining counsel is supported by extensive research, expert witness reports and testimony, and decades of industry experience. Continues Lawson.... As the current Membership Chair of the Minnesota State Bar ADR Section, Board Member of the Securities Experts Roundtable (SER) and a FINRA Arbitration Chair and Mediator, I believe I am well-positioned to provide an immediate and positive impact for MRFC. I look forward to contributing towards the long-term success of our organization and its members. Mr. Lawson is dedicated and knowledgeable in the financial services industry with numerous nationally-recognized certifications and has conducted over 500 presentations, classes, and workshops for industry professionals and the investing public. Robert will be an experienced contributor to the MRFC Certification Board, welcomes Chairman Barry Dayley, MRFC. His ability to succinctly articulate the importance of the MRFC credential will be invaluable as we look to increase the visibility of the program and its significance to financial consultants who qualified to apply. Accredited in 2018 by the National Commission of Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the MRFC Board operates independently from the IARFC to establish and uphold high standards of competence for the MRFC Certification Program and its credentialed holders. The mission of the Board is to provide an ongoing benefit to the general public by granting and recertifying the MRFC credential and upholding the credential as a standard of excellence of ethical, valued, competent and client-focused financial consultants. To read more about the MRFC Certification Program and apply for the credential, visit the MRFC section of the IARFC website. China Aviation Daily | Feb. 28, 2019 The proposed strategic partnership between Boeing and Embraer was approved today by Embraer's shareholders during an Extraordinary General Shareholders' Meeting held at the company's headquarters in Brazil. At the special meeting, 96.8% of all valid votes cast were in favor of the transaction, with participation of approximately 67% of all outstanding shares. Shareholders approved the proposal that will establish a joint venture made up of the commercial aircraft and services operations of Embraer. Boeing will hold an 80 percent ownership stake in the new company, and Embraer will hold the remaining 20 percent. The transaction values 100 percent of Embraer's commercial aircraft operations at US$5.26 billion, and contemplates a value of US$4.2 billion for Boeing's 80 percent ownership stake in the joint venture. Embraer shareholders also agreed to a joint venture to promote and develop new markets for the multi-mission medium airlift KC-390. Under the terms of this proposed partnership, Embraer will own a 51 percent stake in the joint venture, with Boeing owning the remaining 49 percent. "This groundbreaking partnership will position both companies to deliver a stronger value proposition for our customers and other stakeholders and create more opportunities for our employees," said Paulo Cesar de Souza e Silva, President and CEO of Embraer. "Our agreement will create mutual benefits and boost the competitiveness of both Embraer and Boeing." "Approval by Embraer's shareholders is an important step forward as we make progress on bringing together our two great aerospace companies. This strategic global partnership will build on Boeing's and Embraer's long history of collaboration, benefit our customers and accelerate our future growth," said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing chairman, president and chief executive officer. Embraer's defense and executive jet business and services operations associated with those products would remain as a standalone publically-traded company. A series of support agreements focused on supply chain, engineering and facilities would ensure mutual benefits and enhanced competitiveness between Boeing, the joint venture and Embraer. "Our shareholders have recognized the benefits of partnering with Boeing in commercial aviation and the promotion of the multi-mission airlift KC-390, as well as understanding the opportunities that exist in the executive aviation and defense business," said Nelson Salgado, Embraer Executive Vice President of Finance and Investor Relations. "People across Boeing and Embraer share a passion for innovation, a commitment to excellence, and a deep sense of pride in their products and their teams - these joint ventures will strengthen those attributes as we build an exciting future together," said Greg Smith, Boeing Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Enterprise Performance & Strategy. Boeing and Embraer announced in December 2018 that they had approved the terms for the joint ventures and the Brazilian government gave its approval in January 2019. Shortly thereafter, Embraer's board of directors ratified its support for the deal and definitive transaction documents were signed. The closing of the transaction is now subject to obtaining regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, which Boeing and Embraer hope to achieve by the end of 2019. Embraer will continue to operate the commercial aviation business and the KC-390 program independently until the closing of the transaction. Forward-Looking Information Is Subject to Risk and Uncertainty Certain statements in this release may be "forward-looking" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the proposed terms of the transaction, the ability of the parties to satisfy the conditions to executing or closing the transaction and the timing thereof, and the benefits and synergies of the proposed transaction, as well as any other statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements are based on current assumptions about future events that may not prove to be accurate. These statements are not guarantees and are subject to risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. As a result, these statements speak only as of the date they are made and neither party undertakes an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as required by law. Specific factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include the effect of global economic conditions, the ability of the parties to reach final agreement on a transaction, consummate such a transaction and realize anticipated synergies, and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in the filings of The Boeing Company and/or Embraer with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Contributed by Embraer Sandy Evanski, a registered emergency and intensive care nurse living and working in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has completed her book 70 Days with Hugh Jackman: a lighthearted and entertaining glimpse of life on set for a medic on call to treat the illnesses and injuries sustained by the huge casts and crews of Hollywood movies. Lights, camera, action! Years of caring for critically ill patients came naturally to Sandy, an RN who trained in hospitals across the country in intensive care units and emergency rooms. She discovered this was just the background needed to render treatment to world-renowned directors, producers, movie crews, and movie stars injured during the production of a movie. There was no movie script to follow. No lines to learn. When the cameras were rolling, accidents happened without warning. Sandy writes, The best advice to follow was, if you didnt know how to handle an emergency, then just get out of the way. Someones life depended on how fast the set medic could move and treat a severed artery, anaphylaxis, or blunt trauma to the chest. Now she found herself working with one of the biggest movies stars in the industryHugh Jackman. What could possibly go wrong, you ask? Well, just grab your jump kit and be ready for anything! Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Sandy Evanskis book is an entertaining and action-packed insiders view of the scrapes, breaks, and medical emergencies involved in Hollywood moviemaking. Readers who wish to experience this work can purchase70 Days with Hugh Jackman at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional New York-based, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not overwhelmed with logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and the like. Its roster of accomplished authors and publishing professionals allows writers to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. This years lineup of continues to grow, adding speakers with different perspectives and diverse backgrounds, said Jeffrey Hill, Chairman of SATELLITE 2019. Conference attendees should expect innovative ideas from speakers united through global connectivity technology. SATELLITE 2019 is delighted to announce the latest round of new speakers for the 38th Annual SATELLITE Conference & Exhibition, which will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C., on May 6-9, 2019. SATELLITE unites aerospace thought leaders, entrepreneurs, executives, engineers, end-users and enthusiasts together in one place for the largest and most important global connectivity technology event of the year. SATELLITE 2019 welcomes the following featured speakers: David Reichert Global Business Development, Electronics & Imaging, Interconnect Solutions, DuPont David Reichert executes global business development for DuPonts Electronics and Imaging Interconnect Solutions defense segment. He is responsible for helping create the business unit growth strategy, identifying technology gap opportunities, and execution of top programs. Reichert has 29 years of experience with DuPont, previously holding roles as a corrosion expert, fuel cell technology expert, fuel cell business leader, ballistics technology expert, and ballistics business development leader. He will join the program during the closing session From the Outside Looking In: Industry 4.0 in Space to discuss increased activity in space as a business investment. Navid Motamed Associate VP, Satellite Systems Development & Spectrum Engineering, AT&T Navid Motamed is Assistant Vice President Public Policy at AT&T Navids current responsibilities include corporate development, strategic planning and public policy issues related to satellite communications and spectrum engineering. Previously, Navid was AVP- Satellite systems and engineering leading the team managing End to End Satellite Systems for DIRECTV and affiliated pay TV platforms in Latin America. Navid joined AT&T via DIRECTV in 2004 and has held various positions with the company related to satellite systems development. Prior to joining DIRECTV, Navid held positions with Booz Allen Hamilton, PanAmsat/Intelsat Corp, and Hughes Space and Communications. Navid will speak on a panel alongside experts from Echostar Satellite Services, LLC, Newtec, and SES for a session titled, OTT and Streaming Digital Media Services. Emma Park VP, Europe, Sigfox Emma Park is Vice President Europe for Sigfox, inventor of the 0G network and the worlds leading IoT (Internet of Things) service provider, available in 60 countries with 1 billion people covered. Emma has 22 years experience in various sales and business development roles in the IoT, Defense, Space and Telecommunications sectors. For the last 4 years, Emma has been leading Sigfoxs growth in Europe, expanding the network from 5 to 25 countries via the Sigfox Operators and pushing connectivity revenues significantly in the region. Emma joins the program to moderate a session titled, Global Satellite Operators: The Future is Now with other industry experts from around the globe. Rebecca Keiser Ph.D. Head, Office of International Science & Engineering, National Science Foundation Rebecca Keiser, Ph.D. joined the Office of International Science and Engineering in 2015. She came to the National Science Foundation from NASA where she was a special advisor for Innovation and Public-Private Partnerships, reporting to the NASA Administrator and an executive-in-residence at American University. Keiser also served as assistant to the director for international relations at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she provided policy guidance to the President's science advisor. Keiser's experience covers science and technology policy, agreements and other cooperative efforts. She is a board member of Women in Aerospace and a member of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science. Keiser will share her insight during the session entitled Our Collective Role in Empowering Women and Cultivating Diversity in Aerospace with women from Stellar Solutions, Springboard Enterprises, Lquinox Consulting, Ball Aerospace, Inmarsat, Inc, and Space Foundation. This years lineup of continues to grow, adding speakers with different perspectives and diverse backgrounds, said Jeffrey Hill, Chairman of SATELLITE 2019. Conference attendees should expect innovative ideas from thought leaders, entrepreneurs, executives, engineers, and end-users united through global connectivity technology. Attendees will dive into the technology and applications driving connectivity innovation and walk away with the tools they need to turn insight into profit for their business. Curated in collaboration with a variety of content partners, the conference program ventures outside of traditional satellite industry discussions and brings fresh faces to the stage. SATELLITE 2019 will be held May 6-9, 2019 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center located at 801 Mt Vernon Pl NW, Washington, D.C. 20001. To register to attend, visit https://www.xpressreg.net/register/sate0519/landing.asp?sc=SSPREM To apply for press credentials, visit http://www.SATShow.com/press-registration For members of the media whod like to be added to the press release distribution list, visit https://accessintel.wufoo.com/forms/satellite-2019-press-release-distro/ About SATELLITE 2019 SATELLITE unites 15,000 aerospace and connectivity thought leaders, entrepreneurs, executives, engineers, end-users and enthusiasts from over 100 countries for the largest and most important global satellite technology event of the year. Serving all industries looking to better their business operations or enhance their strategy through connectivity, the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition will take place on May 6-9, 2019 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. SHRM NM Two-Day Leadership/Legislative Conference Prepares Business Leaders for the Future of the New Mexico Workforce Technological, demographic, and social changes are sweeping across New Mexico. Are business leaders prepared to meet these challenges? The New Mexico chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM NM) will present a two-day leadership and legislative conference from April 1-2, 2019, to discuss emerging trends; gain new insights; and help businesses grow, attract, and retain qualified employees in the 2020 marketplace. On Monday, April 1, Preparing New Mexicos Workforce for 2020 and Beyond: What Business Leaders Must Know to Meet the Challenge will feature prominent thought leaders such as Lieutenant Governor Howie Morales, SHRM President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Economic Development Cabinet Secretary Designate Alicia J. Keyes, New Mexico Highlands University President Dr. Sam Minner, Meow Wolf CEO Vince Kadlubek, and many more. Planned activities include: State of the State address: Whats on the horizon for New Mexico? Discussion among thought leaders in government, education, and business A look at the demographics of New Mexicos workforce, how they access information, the industries they favor, and more by Tom Garrity, President of The Garrity Group Presentation on creating a new business model that allows us to grow, attract and retain qualified workers by Mark Lautman, CEcD, Founder of the Community Economics Lab An optional afternoon of masters-level human resources education, including Dr. Denise Montoya, SHRM SCP, SPHR, and a presentation by Jamai Blivin, Founder and CEO of Innovate+Educate An opportunity to engage with others during an end-of-day networking event On Tuesday, April 2, Legislative Conference: Updates, Reminders, and Whats on the Horizon will bring together top employment-law attorneys and other expert speakers to share the latest on legislation, regulations, compliance and case law. Planned speakers and topics include: A federal update from Emily Dickens, SHRM Chief of Staff A look at the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (DWS) from Bill McCamley, Cabinet Secretary, New Mexico DWS The future of gender pay-equity issues with Dr. Martha Burk, national gender pay equity consultant, and Jaclyn McLean, Partner at Hinkle Shanor; Jeremiah Ritchie, Associate at Sheehan & Sheehan; and Pamelya Herndon, CEO of the KWH Law Center for Social Justice and Change Labor law panel moderated by Kevin Gick, Associate Council at UNM; featuring Stephen Curtice, Associate at Youtz & Valdez; Danny Jarrett, Office Managing Principal at Jackson Lewis; and Ryan Randall, Director of Employee and Labor Relations at UNM Hospital What HR professionals should know about immigration laws with Olsi Vrapi, Managing Partner at Noble & Vrapi; and Eduardo Garcia and Jazmin Coronel, Fellows at the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center Conducting Internal EEO Investigations by Loretta Medina, EEOC Senior Trial Attorney State legislature update from Quentin Smith, Shareholder/Director at Sheehan & Sheehan City of Albuquerque Employment Law initiatives update by Winter Torres, Deputy City Attorney for the City of Albuquerque The 2019 HR Professional of the Year award presentation All events for the two-day conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 1901 University Blvd. NE in Albuquerque. To register and find event updates, visit shrmnm.org/events.aspx. To register as a sponsor or exhibitor, complete the Sponsor Registration Form at bit.ly/sponsorshrmnm2019. Questions about the April 1 event should be directed to Bob Daniel, Conference Co-Chair, at rdaniel(at)pulakos(dot)com or Barbara Marcus, SHRM NM State Council Director, at marcus(at)visitabq(dot)org Questions about the April 2 event should be directed to Quentin Smith, Conference Co-Chair, at qs(at)sheehansheenan(dot)com or Kevin Gick, Conference Co-Chair, at kgick(at)salud(dot)unm(dot)edu. About SHRM New Mexico SHRM New Mexico connects HR professionals throughout the state and partners with local chapters and stakeholders to educate business professionals on current and emerging human resources trends. The SHRM New Mexico State Council is an affiliate of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), the leading membership association for over 250,000 human resources professionals worldwide. Learn more at shrmnm.org. Says Slone Partners CEO Leslie Loveless, As Velocity Clinical Research grows its business in North America, Dr. Evans' experience should prove invaluable to companies seeking high quality data and to patients contributing to the approval of next generation therapies." Slone Partners, North Americas leading executive search firm for life sciences and diagnostics companies, announces the placement of G Paul Evans, PhD, as President and Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Clinical Research. Based at the companys headquarters in Durham, North Carolina, Dr. Evans will be responsible for setting the strategic vision, scaling teams and research sites, and delivering high-quality study data to clients while growing patient recruitment. Over the past 20 years, Velocity Clinical Researchs numerous clinical research sites have completed over 1,700 studies in a wide range of therapeutic areas, including allergy and immunology, Alzheimers, biologic therapies, cardiovascular, dermatology, endocrinology and metabolism, gerontology, infectious disease, musculoskeletal disorders, neurology, neurodegenerative disorders, pain management, Parkinsons, psychiatry, respiratory, rheumatology, sleep disorders, and vaccines. With 75 direct employees at multiple sites, Velocity Clinical Research controls its own data, patient care, and outcomes - from study feasibility to patient recruitment, and from study management to database lock. The company is strategically located near target client biopharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations (CROs) in the heart of the scientific healthcare community which comprises Research Triangle. Immediately prior to joining Velocity Clinical Research, Dr. Evans served as Corporate Vice President, Global Site Solutions at PAREXEL, the international life sciences CRO and consultancy. Prior to that, he served as Vice President, Global Site Management at IQVIA (formerly Quintiles and IMS Health), the worlds largest life sciences CRO and healthcare IT company. He also served as Founder and Executive Director of Synexus Limited, Europes largest site management organization (SMO). He holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of London and immediately thereafter completed a 3-year research fellowship, managing major collaborative research projects between the university and industry. He relocated to Durham from the UK upon accepting the CEO position with Velocity Clinical Research. Says Slone Partners CEO Leslie Loveless, Dr. Evans UK-based executive career in life sciences exemplifies Slone Partners global reach and access to top executive talent. As Velocity Clinical Research grows its business in North America, Dr. Evans' experience should prove invaluable to companies seeking high quality data and to patients contributing to the approval of next generation therapies." ABOUT SLONE PARTNERS Slone Partners delivers the leaders who build amazing healthcare organizations - People Are Our Science. Since 2000, Slone Partners specializes in delivering world-class C-suite leadership, executive, and upper management talent to the most promising and established life sciences, research, diagnostics, precision medicine and laboratory services companies. With coast-to-coast presence in the most active healthcare industry hubs of Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Austin, Research Triangle Park NC, and Washington DC, Slone Partners uniquely and precisely provides an array of executive search and advisory services to exceptional clients. Our full suite of services includes identifying, negotiating with, onboarding, and relocating talent, in addition to post-placement mentoring, success monitoring, and culture fit services. To learn more about Slone Partners value proposition and processes, visit http://www.slonepartners.com or call 888.784.3422. Specialty Technical Publishers Specialty Technical Publishers (STP) and Specialty Technical Consultants (STC) announce the availability of the newly updated International Audit Protocol Consortium (IAPC) EHS audit protocol for Thailand. Leading companies around the world use IAPC EHS audit protocols to understand the scope of their EHS regulatory obligations and rapidly collect, share, archive, and export audit findings in a cost effective manner. IAPC EHS audit protocols are now prepared by STC in partnership with STP and continue to focus on those national (plus, in some cases, regional or provincial) EHS requirements that have site-specific application for manufacturing operations. As a leading EHS management consulting firm with a global network of experienced EHS teaming partners, STC has indepth knowledge and technical expertise of local/regional EHS requirements. STP and STC maintain leading-edge EHS audit protocols for more than 50 jurisdictions. The protocol documents are written in English and are available in MS Word, Adobe Acrobat and Excel formats, as well as through STPs web-based portal or can be integrated into an existing company platform. Using the protocols custom templates and advanced functionality features, auditors can easily track audit findings and manage data over time to improve compliance, risk management and safety performance. In addition, STPs formatting is compatible with leading risk management and sustainability platform providers. Highlights of selected legislation covered in the newly developed protocol include: The Notification of the Ministry of Industry Re: Determining the Contamination Criteria in Soils and Underground Water, Preparation of Report on the Results of Underground and Underground Water Quality Monitoring and Control Measures to Reduce Contamination in Soils and Underground Water B.E. 2559 (2016) November 29, 2016 covers various requirements regarding control of contamination including the following: preparation of a report proposing measures to control soil and groundwater contamination; observation of wells for determination of contamination; mapping of locations of observation wells and chemical storage, etc.; and creation of a standards table for soil and groundwater contamination contingencies in the factory area. Ministerial Regulation (No. 25) B.E. 2559 (2016) Issued Under the Factory Act B.E. 2535 (1992), December 30, 2016 was issued under the Factory Act B.E. 2535 and regards the prohibition of expansion of all type or sizes of factories within the area of 100 meters from the public water source, except for the factories which improve the quality of waste, including the community wastewater or the expansion of factory that has adequate treatment system of the factory. Ministerial Regulation Re: Establishment of Health Hazardous Business B.E. 2560, August 4, 2017 prescribes criteria, methods, and measures of control for the establishment of businesses that are harmful to health. This regulation also repeals the Ministerial Regulation Re: Prescribing Standards, Procedures and Measurements for Control of a Business Dangerous to Health B.E. 2545. Notification (No. 4) of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Re: Rules, Procedures, and Guidelines for the Preparation of Reports for Environmental Impact Assessment of Projects or Businesses that May Cause Impact on the Community, Environmental Quality, Natural Resources and Health B.E. 2560 (2017), September 18, 2017 repeals the Notification of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Re: Prescribing Criteria, Methodology, Practices and Guidelines for the Preparation of Environmental Impact Assessments for Projects or Activities which May Cause Severe Impacts on Natural Resources, Environmental Quality or Health in the Community (2009); the Notification Re: Preparation of Environmental Impact Assessments for Projects or Activities which May Cause Severe Impacts to Natural Resources, Environmental Quality or Health in the Community (No. 2) B.E. 2553 (2010); and the Notification of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Re: Rules, Procedures and Regulations Environmental Impact Assessment Report for Projects or Companies that may have Serious Impact on the Community as a Whole, Natural Resources and Health (No. 3) B.E. 2555 (2012), dated April 24, 2012. Notification of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Re: The Type and Size of the Project or Activities which Must Submit EIA and the Rules, Procedures and Guidelines for Preparing the EIA (No. 11), B.E. 2560 (2017) November 28, 2017 amends the Notification of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Re: Types and Sizes of Projects or Activities of a Government Agency, State Enterprise or Private Person for which Reports on Environmental Impact Assessments are Required (2012). This Notification revises and updates the list of the types and sizes of projects or activities for which EIAs must be prepared. Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act (No. 2) B. E. 2561 (2018) April 19, 2018 has been introduced as an Amendment to the Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act B.E. 2535, April 4, 1992. This Amendment prescribes requirements for preparation of EIA of project/business that may affect the environment/natural resources/health/quality of life. Notification of the Department of Industrial Works Re: Guidelines for Approving the Import of HCFCs for Domestic Use (No. 2) B.E. 2559 (2016), December 9, 2016 replaces the details attached in the Notification of the Department of Industrial Works Re: Guideline for Approving the Import of HCFCs for Domestic Use B.E. 2555 (2012) with new details prescribing the import quota for hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and the phase-out of such substances by 2583 (2040). Notification of Ministry of Industry Re: Factories prohibits the use of HCFC-141b (dichloro-fluoro ethane) in the foam production process, B.E. 2560 (2017), June 30, 2017 specifies that no factories shall use HCFC-141b (dichloro-flouro-ethane) or Polyphenols containing HCFC-141b (dichloro-flouro-ethane) in any foam production processes, except for the injection molded foam and spray foam. This Notification is issued in accordance with Factory Act B.E.2535 (1992). Notification of the Ministry of Industry Re: Disposal of Wastes or Unusable Materials (No. 2) B.E. 2560 (2017), July 25, 2017 amends the Notification Re: Disposal of Wastes or Unusable Materials B.E. 2548. The Notification informs that the application for license or authorization for disposal of waste or unused materials in factories can be made through electronic system. Notification of the Department of Industrial Works Re: Rules, Procedures and Conditions to apply for Permits for the Disposal of Waste or Unusable Materials Out of the Factory Premises, through Electronic System, B.E. 2560 (2017), August 3, 2017 sets out the requirements for applications for the License/Permits through electronic system, for disposal of waste and unusable material outside the factory. Notification of the Department of Industrial Works Re: Rules, Procedures and Conditions to apply for Permits for the Disposal of Waste or Unusable Materials Out of the Factory Premises, through Electronic System, (No. 2) B.E. 2561 (2018), February 20, 2018 specifies the requirements for applications in reference to the Notification of Department of Industrial Works dated August 3, 2560 (2017) and extends the date to apply for the License/Permits through electronic system, for disposal of waste and unusable material outside the factory premises, until 30 April 2018. Notification of the Department of Industrial Works Re: Rules, Procedures and Conditions for Obtaining Permits for the Disposal of Waste or Unusable Materials Out of the Factory Premises, through Electronic System B.E. 2561 (2018) April 18, 2018 prescribes the rules, procedures, and conditions to obtain permission through electronic system, for disposal of the waste or unusable materials outside the factory premises. Notification of the Department of Industrial Work Re: Determining the Type of Waste or Unusable Materials and Methods of Disposal and Permission to Dispose of Unused Waste Outside the Factory Premises, by Automatic Transmission through Electronic System, B.E. (2018), April 26, 2018 lists the types of waste or unusable material and its disposal method, and requires the factory to obtain authorization to dispose waste and unusable material outside the factory premises through an electronic system. Notification of Department of Industrial Work Re: Certification through Automatic/Electronic system, for Treatment and Disposal of Waste or Unusable Materials outside the Factory Premises, B.E. 2561 (2018), April 26, 2018 describes the certification procedure through automatic/electronic system, for factories that dispose of waste and unusable material outside factory premises. Notification of the Ministry of Industry Re: Exemption from Permission to Dispose of Non-Hazardous Waste or Unusable Materials outside the Factory, B.E 2561 (2018), June 1, 2018 exempts factories from the requirement to obtain permission to dispose of non-hazardous waste or unusable material outside the factory premises. This Notification lists the codes for the exempt and non-hazardous types of waste or unusable materials, which is included in Appendix 4-F. Notification of Department of Industrial Work Re: Cancellation of the Rules and Procedures about the Permit for Disposal of Scrap and Plastics Material (Used or Not in Use) Imported in the Kingdom of Thailand B.E. 2551, B.E. 2561(2018) August 7, 2018 cancels the Notification of the Department of Industrial Works Re: Rules, Procedures and Permission for the Disposal of Scrap and Unused Plastics, (Used or Not Used) in the Territory of the Kingdom of Thailand, dated January 28, 2008. Notification of the Ministry of Industry issued under the Factory Act B.E. 2535 Re: Standardization of Wastewater Discharge from Factories, B.E. 2560 (2017) June 7, 2017 repeals the Notification of the Ministry of Industry No. 2 B.E. 2539 and establishes new pollution discharge limits for wastewater from factories and defines analytical methods for evaluating wastewater quality. Ministerial Regulation Re: Oil Tank and Maintenance of Oil Tank, B.E. 2560 (2017) October 12, 2017 sets out the requirements for testing and maintenance of oil storage tanks in facilities where the capacity of such tank is 2,500 liters or more. Ministerial Regulation Re: Test of Underground Storage Tanks by Other Methods, B.E. 2560 (2017) November 30, 2017 prescribes the methodology and standards for testing of underground storage tanks. Ministerial Regulation Re: Establishment of Health Hazardous Business B.E. 2560, August 4, 2017 prescribes the criteria, methods, and measures for control establishments of businesses that are harmful to health. Ministerial Regulation B.E. 2561 (2018) Re: Radiation Safety, October 5, 2018 describes radiation safety measures for protection of the public and environment from radiation exposure. Ministerial Regulation B.E. 2561 (2018) Re: Radiation Security October 5, 2018 describes radiation security measures for the radioactive material, for the protection of the public and environment from radiation exposure. Notification of the Department of Energy Business Re: Rules and Methods for Installation, Testing and Inspection of Protection Systems and Fire Extinguishing Systems B.E. 2561, August 27, 2018 prescribes the firefighting and fire suppression systems for the storage of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders. Notification of Department of Labor Protection and Welfare Re: Rules and Procedures for Establishing Hearing Conservation Measures in Establishments B.E. 2561, June 12, 2018 prescribes the requirements with regard to hearing conservation in workplace. Notification of the Ministry of Industry Re: List of Hazardous Substances No. 4 B.E. 2561 (2018), January 11, 2018 amends the list of hazardous substances published by the Ministry of Industry in 2013 by further including new hazardous substances. Notification of Department of Labor Protection and Welfare Re: Concentration Limit of Hazardous Substances B.E. 2560 August 3, 2017 prescribes the concentration limits of hazardous chemicals in workplace as required under the Ministerial Regulation Re: Prescribing Administration, Management and Implementation Standards for Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Related to Hazardous Chemicals B.E. 2556 (2013), Clause 28. For more information on all International EHS audit protocols offered by STP and STC click here. About Specialty Technical Publishers Specialty Technical Publishers (STP) produces technical resource guides covering environmental, health & safety, transportation, accounting, business practices, standards and law, offering comprehensive guidance on key compliance and regulatory issues. STP is a division of Glacier Media Inc., a Canadian information communications company that provides primary and essential information in print, electronic and online media. Glaciers Business and Professional Information Group publishes directories, technical manuals, research and development materials, medical education, electronic databases, investment information and specialty websites. About Specialty Technical Consultants Specialty Technical Consultants, Inc. (STC) is a specialized management consulting firm working to enhance environmental health and safety (EHS) performance. Through its consulting services, STC partners with clients to strengthen management systems' design and implementation, and identifies needs and implements solutions to meet business objectives. Services provided include: EHS compliance support; risk assessment; EHS auditing; corporate responsibility and sustainability; EHS management systems development and implementation; EHS regulatory information tools; and EHS training. STC is certified as a Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Womens Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and the Supplier Clearinghouse for the California Public Utilities Commission, and as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program. Like the Prodigal Son I Returned: a powerful narrative containing the authors determined life despite the challenges in his faith. Like the Prodigal Son I Returned is the creation of published author, Steven "Red" Salas, a ham radio operator; a member of the Amateur Radio Emergency Services and Skywarn; a life member of the Disabled American Veterans the Doug Herrle Chapter 61 of Seguin, Texas; a life member of the Texas Trappers and Fur Hunters Association; and a life member of the NRA. Salas shares, Steven (Red) Salas was born into a traditional Catholic family in Racine, Wisconsin. His life seemed to be a contradiction from the very beginning. It was not a loving Catholic home, instead his parents divorced when he was quite young (six years old), and he and his brother lived with his physically and verbally abusive mother. Even though he went to weekly church services, he actually felt a deeper connection to the Christian programming found on TV. As Red grew into adolescence, he quickly found himself in trouble with the law on multiple occasions and forsaking his faith. He didnt start hanging out with the wrong crowd; instead, he was the wrong crowd. His mother eventually gave up and sent him to live with his father, but the courts finally ordered Red to live with a foster family, hoping that this would get him back on the straight and narrow. He returned back to his wild ways when he was allowed to go home to his father. When the time came that Red became a young father himself, he knew he had to do something different. So he defied the odds and joined the US Army. The military proved to be a positive change that Red needed. He accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior, learned respect, and was achieving success in his military job. Until one day, an army work-related accident happened; he suffered a traumatic brain injury. The side effects began to take over, but being a strong man, he pushed things aside. He got out of the army and started a new life with his family in San Antonio, Texas. The side effects of his TBI by then had helped to make it difficult to hold down a job, his first marriage fell apart, and his faith seemed to be drained. Red was left raising three daughters by himself and still seeking the unconditional love from a woman that had always been a void in his life. Time passes and wounds heal. He found himself praying to G-d but still not fully allowing him to work in his life. Red met his SECOND wife, the love of his life. But between the process of climbing the ranks and finally achieving the rank of vice president of the notorious San Antonio chapter of the Bandidos MC (one of the most well-known and dangerous outlaw 1%er motorcycle clubs in the world) and the continued side effects of his TBI, their marriage fell apart. Red hit rock bottom. The pain from the TBI became too much and he checked himself into the VA hospital. Finally, he got the medical help that he needed for so many years. He reconciled his marriage and retired from the Bandidos MC after ten years of loyalty. Follow the story of a young Catholic boy turned born-again Christian as he defies his faith, gets mixed up with the law, and becomes a member of the Infamous Bandidos MC. But like the Prodigal Son, he returns home because of G-ds mercy and Reds faith in Jesus Christ. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Steven "Red" Salass new book bears witness to Gods benevolence for people afflicted by sorrow and invigorates them with grace, love, and healing. View a synopsis of Like the Prodigal Son I Returned on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Like the Prodigal Son I Returned at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Like the Prodigal Son I Returned, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Uberall, Inc., the location marketing solution for businesses competing to attract and win local brick-and-mortar customers, today released new data on how customers feel about interactions with chatbots. A chatbot is a chat robot designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially over the internet. Chatbots are available on chat platforms such as Facebook Messenger or Slack, as well as voice assistants (Alexa, Siri, etc.), SMS and mobile apps, and are typically used to encourage engagement, answer questions, or stimulate sales on B2B and B2C brand websites. For the study, Uberall commissioned a survey of more than 1,000 adults throughout the U.S. Heres a closer look at what they found. 40% are interested in chatbot experiences from brands Respondents were asked about their level of interest in chatbot experiences from major brands. Forty percent said they were interested with 20% of those saying they were very interested in interacting with the AI. However, 30% of consumers had a tepid response to chatbots, saying they were somewhat uninterested, and 29% indicated no interest at all. Theres definitely growing interest in branded chatbot experiences, but most consumers still need convincing, said Florian Huebner, Co-CEO and Co-Founder. Many are wary, either because chatbot technology in the past was not advanced enough to ensure a good experience, or because consumers worry chatbots could easily become another spam channel. Brands have to do a better job creating AI experiences that customers find personalized, helpful and worthwhile. 80% have had a positive experience with chatbots The good news is some brands appear to be getting it right. Despite ambivalence about chatbots in general, 80% of people who have interacted with a chatbot say the experience was generally positive. In fact, 14% of respondents called the chatbot interaction very positive. Just 16% said that their experience was somewhat negative while only 4% reported a very negative experience. Most people whove used chatbots have had some positive experiences, which is great news. It speaks to consistent improvements in the underlying technology, and the power of familiarity, Huebner said. What this means for marketers is that once consumers actually try a branded chatbot, the experience can usually be worth it. It seems the challenging part is convincing them to adopt in the first place. 36% of consumers think chatbot accuracy needs to improve Chatbots do have some opportunities to grow, howeverparticularly in the areas of artificial intelligence and natural language processing (NLP). When asked what elements of chatbots needed improvement, a plurality of respondents said chatbots need to work on their accuracy in understanding what customers are asking or looking for (43%). Other areas cited for improvement included the ability of customers to get a human customer rep involved where needed (27%), ability to hold a more human-sounding, natural conversation (19%) and Id like to see more of them b/c there just arent many opportunity to use chatbots (10%). If a chatbot is struggling to address a consumers questions, it can be exponentially more frustrating than trying to be understood by a human. A few interactions like this will pollute their perception of the technology, said Huebner. Its important for brands to focus on the AI and NLP powering these experiences so that they deliver a more frictionless experience. More than half of consumers are likely to try a chatbot that offers location-based deals Chatbots with a local connection are interesting to customers the survey found. When consumers were asked how likely they would be to try a chatbot that offers location-based coupons, deals or promotions from brick-and-mortar retailers nearby. More than half (55%) said that they were likely to do so, with 45% saying they were unlikely. Location-based chatbots have real promise, Huebner said. An end-users location makes the interaction more tailored and personalizedmaking the experience more relevant, while delivering concrete value for local shoppers. 38% of consumers think brands should use chatbots for deals, coupons and promotions What do consumers think the best use of chatbots is? Surprisingly, customer service was not first on the list of most consumers. More than a third, 38% said offers of deals/coupons/promotions would be something theyd most like to see chatbots offer. Customer service support, which is one of the most common current uses of the technology, was second at 31%. Other answers includedprovide store locations/hours near me (17%), to offer personalized product recommendations (7%), to give the option of directly buying an item (6%), and other (2%). Using chatbots to deliver savings and sell consumers on the technology is a no-brainer, said Huebner. Customer service interactions can often be seen as pushy or self-serving, but offering a coupon experience can help customers to feel like they are benefitting from the interaction, and can open the way to more positive engagement with that customer. As chatbot technology becomes increasingly sophisticated and chatbots become more common, this gives us an important insight into how consumers will want to use the technology, and the many advantages retailers can gain by adapting to those preferences. About Uberall, Inc. Uberall is a global leader in location marketing technology. Its flagship Location Marketing Cloud platform empowers the world's biggest brands to connect with their customers and turn online interactions into offline sales. Uberall gives businesses central control of their digital presence and online reputation, enabling them to easily manage brand interactions in real-time on all digital platformsmobile, voice and desktopacross websites, mobile apps, store locators, search engines, maps, social platforms, and advertising networks. The Location Marketing Cloud provides a consistent, accurate digital brand footprint that helps businesses capture new customers and maximize revenue for every location. Uberall is headquartered in Berlin, with additional offices in San Francisco, London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Cape Town. Its clients include Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders from all over the world. Surgical Spine Team Volunteers It felt amazing to have a direct effect on a childs life and not only improve their appearance but improve their quality of life and life expectancy, stated Dr. Joseph. Dr. Samuel Joseph and Dr. Andrew Moulton, along with a dedicated team of volunteers traveled to the Dominican Republic over Valentines week to save the lives of children and young adults with severe spinal deformities. The volunteers had a grueling schedule which included 4 to 5 surgeries daily for the week, along with patient screenings and lectures to orthopedic residents. The team performed 23 scoliosis and kyphosis cases and he stated seeing one of the most severe cases they had ever come across. Dr. Samuel Joseph, founder of Joseph Spine of Tampa and neurosurgeon Dr. Salvatore Zavarella from New York performed the most severe case. The patient was suffering from extreme kyphosis. This patient was actually a somewhat rare instance of the team taking on an adult case, a 36-year-old female that said to her husband less than 12 hours post op when looking in the mirror sitting up, I feel like a supermodel. Although the days were long the team was energized by the work they were doing and the gratitude of their young patients. It felt amazing to have a direct effect on a childs life and not only improve their appearance but improve their quality of life and life expectancy, stated Dr. Joseph. Thinking about how many people this child will then affect in their life makes you really take a step back and be humbled by what we as a team are so fortunate and blessed to be able to do. Many of these young patients travel great distances to receive surgery. Most of the patients have been long suffering from adolescent or congenital scoliosis or in need of kyphosis correction. These young patients are heroes themselves, braving the travel and unfamiliarity with their surgeons. The surgeons and other volunteers take extra time with these children to help them cope with the upcoming days. Meeting strangers and allowing them to perform dangerous and painful surgery was a great leap of faith, Dr. Moulton. Many of these cases were quite severe. Dr. Joseph, the founder of Joseph Spine in Tampa, performed an eight-hour surgery, along with neurosurgeon Dr. Salvatore Zavarella from New York. The patient was somewhat of a rare instance of an adult with a severe kyphosis case. The patient had lived with this severe deformity since childhood and it had devastating social consequences for her throughout her life. She stood up the day after surgery holding Dr. Joseph and looked straight forward without craning her pelvis and neck essentially for the first time in her life. We have seen these hundreds of times before, she is now the butterfly escaping the bound up cocoon and with thrive, Dr. Moulton. The Butterfly Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the sharing of spine surgery technology, expertise, and care to patients and to teaching spinal deformity surgery in developing countries. Local physicians work alongside establish deformity corrective surgeons such as Dr. Joseph and Dr. Moulton as they perform life-saving surgeries while promoting the advancement of spine deformity treatment technology by training local surgeons. The Butterfly Foundation was founded by Dr. Moulton in 2003. He was inspired to start the foundation as he realized the mission trips could only provide help to a small percentage of the population. In order to make a real difference for the population, it was necessary to train local surgeons. Teach a man to fish and he feeds his community for a lifetime is our motto, states Dr. Moulton. Dr. Moulton explains how the name Butterfly Foundation was chosen. Because of societys attitudes toward their deformity, we saw how these kids would come in, bundled up, socially withdrawn, embarrassed, even outcast. Once they have their surgeries and heal, they stand up straight, they run, and they jump and play. Theres such a profound joy to see them move so freely, without pain. Their transformation reminded us of how a butterfly is born and the name stuck. About the Butterfly Foundation Established in 2003, The Butterfly Foundation (Fundacion Mariposa in Spanish) is dedicated to not only fixing spinal deformity but training others to do it as well. Dr. Andrew Moulton, from Joseph Spine, St. Petersburg, FL, was inspired to form the foundation to help people complete the metamorphosis needed to live again- much like that of a caterpillar into a butterfly. FSHD Skyland Trail Race Across America team logo There may come a time when I cannot pedal a bicycle. Until then, I will continue to ride." - George Pollock, Jr. The FSH Society and Skyland Trail today announce that they are jointly entering an eight-person team in the 2019 Race Across America (RAAM) to raise funds for their respective causes. The two non-profit organizations, one focused on facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) and the other on mental health and suicide prevention, joined forces to tackle the grueling, 3,000-mile bicycle race because of a personal friendship between George Pollock and Powell Brown, who share a belief that the link between mental and physical health is real and critical to whole-person care. Two years ago, more than 400 people joined Pollock in raising $107,000 for the first RAAM campaign to support research and bring awareness for FSH muscular dystrophy. Pollock has the hereditary muscle disease, but he is able to compete in the long-distance race. The FSH Society funds research to develop treatments for the disease, which affects around 1 in 8,000 men, women, and children and can lead to severe disability. Supporting Pollocks 2017 effort was his friend Powell Brown, who was so inspired that he asked to join the RAAM team this year on behalf of Skyland Trail, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that helps people with mental illness thrive through a holistic program of evidence-based psychiatric treatment, integrated medical care, research, and education. This June, Team FSHD Skyland Trail will race in RAAM, pedaling from Oceanside, California, to Annapolis, Maryland. The team expects to cover more than 450 miles a day and complete the race in fewer than seven days. We are raising awareness, helping to erase the stigma associated with mental illness and raising money for education, research, and treatment of these serious disorders which affect so many of our friends, family, and colleagues, says Brown. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in youth ages 10 to 24. I am riding to change that. FSH muscular dystrophy affects me, along with nearly one million others around the world, Pollock notes. There may come a time when I cannot pedal a bicycle. Until then, I will continue to ride, and I encourage everyone to enjoy their passions and be ambassadors for our efforts to find a cure. Supporters can choose to donate to either the FSH Society or Skyland Trail: FSH Society at teamfshd.fshsociety.org/raam Skyland Trail at https://www.bbinsurance.com/raam/ The FSH Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is the worlds largest research-focused patient advocacy organization for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). Based in Lexington, Massachusetts, its mission is to accelerate the development of research on treatments and a cure; to educate, empower, and activate individuals and families with FSHD; and to increase support for FSHD research and patients through effective engagement of government and private sector organizations. For more information, visit http://www.fshsociety.org and facebook.com/FSHSociety. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, Skyland Trail is a nationally recognized nonprofit mental health treatment organization. Skyland Trail offers residential psychiatric treatment and day treatment programs for adults struggling with mood, thought and anxiety disorders. A residential program for adolescents ages 14 to 17 is scheduled to open in fall 2019. Clients of all ages receive expert, integrated care that enables them to improve mental health and physical wellness. For more information, visit http://www.skylandtrail.org. "By utilizing the latest eCommerce tactics, companies can attract valuable customers, encourage them to interact with the brand and foster strong conversion rates that increase revenue." -- Gabriel Shaoolian, founder and executive director Studies show that eCommerce revenue is projected to reach $700 billion internationally by the year 2022. With a steadily increasing reliance on eCommerce transactions, businesses are incorporating additional strategies to ensure that their brand doesnt get lost in the shuffle and continues to grow revenue. DesignRush.com, a B2B marketplace connecting brands with agencies, researched the leading eCommerce tactics that improve time on site, search rankings, conversions and more. The top 5 eCommerce web design strategies include: 1. Search Engine Optimization Research shows that 43 percent of all eCommerce traffic derives from organic Google searches. This demonstrates that almost half of all consumers are actively searching for products with the intention of converting. Thus, eCommerce brands will benefit vastly from investing in proper SEO. Search engine optimization will enable them to attract valuable consumers and increase conversions by generating meaningful traffic. To improve SEO rankings, eCommerce companies should: Optimize code. Ensure the site loads fast. Build internal links. Invest in external link building. Add meta descriptions to web pages. Include strategic web page titles. And more! 2. Clear Calls To Action Over 90 percent of consumers that read headlines will also read calls to action. In addition, anchor text calls to action increase conversions by up to 121 percent. By incorporating clear CTAs, brands can guide consumers along the buyers journey and increase the likelihood that they spend time on the website and purchase a product. Successful calls to action have several qualities, including: Compelling copy. Clear and concise language. First-person language. A sense of urgency. And more! 3. Responsive Web Design eCommerce across the board is expanding but the importance of mobile is multiplying at an even greater rate. Mobile eCommerce revenue is expected to surpass $420 billion by 2020. Plus, 85 percent of consumers begin a purchase on one device yet finish it on another. Brands that create responsive and mobile friendly eCommerce sites have the power to build a more robust audience. 4. Effective Demographic Targeting Not every Internet user will want every product available online. Therefore, it is imperative that brands target their audience accurately and create a user-friendly platform that their ideal consumers enjoy engaging with. For example, Generation X spends more money online than Millennials and Baby Boomers. However, 30 percent of Millennials purchase products directly on Facebook. eCommerce businesses can use a variety of tactics to hone in on their demographic successfully, such as: Pay-per-click ads. Retargeting and remarketing. Social media marketing. Paid search ads. And more! 5. Easy-To-Use Checkouts Unsurprisingly, an intuitive checkout process is paramount to the success of eCommerce websites. After all, if a consumer cant easily complete the checkout process, they may abandon their cart, forgo the process and hinder potential business growth. To optimize eCommerce checkouts and ensure consumers complete the process, brands should: Allow consumers to view their cart upon request while shopping. Minimize the number of steps. Avoid required account registration. Isolate the checkout process from the rest of the site. And more! eCommerce websites have one goal: Get consumers to convert, says DesignRush Founder and Executive Director Gabriel Shaoolian. By utilizing the latest eCommerce tactics, companies can attract valuable customers, encourage them to interact with the brand and foster strong conversion rates that increase revenue. DesignRushs Agency Listing section features the best local and global eCommerce website design companies. Some of the top eCommerce web design agencies from around the world include: 1. Absolute Web Services Absolute Web Services is a full-service agency specializing in digital development, ecommerce and marketing. Since 1999, they have relied on their expert team of digital strategists, project managers, certified developers, and designers to provide clients with solutions that will increase business and online conversions. Through digitally led strategic and tactical solutions, they harmonize their marketing programs with sales processes to drive awareness and increase digital traffic. Their specialized approach is guaranteed to transform a companys bottom line. Visit Absolute Web Services at: https://www.absolutewebservices.com/ 2. Applaudo Studios Applaudo Studios provides full software development services for top tier customers in the United States, Europe, and beyond. Their team of iOS, Android and web developers have created some of the most amazing products in the mobile and web world. They take care of projects from the Inc500, Fortune500 and some of the most amazing startups around. Applaudo Studios can also support staff augmentation, temporary resource staffing needs for companies. Visit Applaudo Studios at:https://applaudostudios.com/ 3. Atomo Interactive Atomo Interactive is an eCommerce and digital marketing agency. They create brand synergy. They make your business sell online in a Latin market, and help with product and promotion management of their clients stores. They create promotional and communication strategies focused on sales. They also do the follow-up and customer service to encourage the repurchase. Visit Atomo Interactive at: http://atomointeractive.com 4. Bonsai Media Group Bonsai Media Group is a clan of designers, developers, and marketers based in Seattle, WA. From start to finish, they handle every aspect of cultivating a profitable online presence for their clients. They do everything from designing and developing an eye-catching, results-driven website to implementing precise and effective marketing strategies for SEO, online advertising, content creation and promotion, eCommerce and beyond. Visit Bonsai Media Group at: https://bonsaimediagroup.com/ 5. CommerceShop CommerceShop began in 2009 building websites and developing mobile apps. As they grew, their customers started asking them for eCommerce marketing help. CommerceShop offers the best of both worlds -- eCommerce marketing and development -- all under one roof. Visit CommerceShop at: https://www.thecommerceshop.com/ 6. Datadial Datadial is a highly-skilled group of individuals that can offer fantastic continuity and fluent teamwork working together instinctively, and coming up with great ideas to make online businesses as successful as possible. They offer services in web design, eCommerce, web development, SEO, digital PR, email marketing, pay-per-click advertising, social media marketing and more. They aim to form close working relationships with their clients, and many of those have lasted years. Their clients love having a single point of contact for all their design, marketing and technology services. Clients love being able to speak directly to key people, and they love the agencys fast speed of response. Visit Datadial at: https://www.datadial.net/ 7. DotcomWeavers DotcomWeavers is a top-rated, award-winning web design and development company. They are a Magento certified company that specializes in eCommerce, custom software, and mobile apps. Since 2007, they have completed over 400 projects for businesses of all sizes and industries. Between their offices in Paramus, New Jersey, and Hyderabad, India, they have over 80 team members who are all superstars at what they do. Unlike other agencies, DotcomWeavers offers a personal consultative approach that allows them to understand their clients' business goals and technical requirements. Their innovative solutions help businesses stay competitive and support their goals, which is why their first core value is to 'treat our clients like partners for life, understanding and keeping their best interests as our #1 priority.' Visit DotcomWeavers at:https://www.dotcomweavers.com/ 8. Elmwood Elmwood is the worlds most effective brand design and brand experience consultancy. Elmwood began in 1977 and has studios in Leeds, London, New York, Singapore, and Melbourne. Today, Elmwood is still very much independent, offering industry-leading services in brand strategy and insight, brand identity; creative, design and activation; branded content and experience; and consulting. They can tick off a long list of sectors including retail, government, sport, media, FMCG, B2B and more. Their joint ventures also mean that they can offer specialized services in sustainability consulting, industrial design and environmental design. Elmwood has been accredited a 'Silver' standard by Investors in People and made the Sunday Times Best 100 Companies to Work For in 2008 and 2011. Visit Elmwood at: https://www.elmwood.com 9. Factory With a presence across multiple continents, Factory is a team of 25 people passionate about technology. With their clients, they strive to deliver successful and innovative solutions. Factory designs and develops native mobile and web applications that people can't stop talking about! Some of their tools include unique Android and iOS application, fresh technologies, responsive web app, the highest level of professionalism and client support, and more. Visit Factory online at: https://www.factory.hr 10. IG Webs IG Webs, a Huntsville web design agency, began its operation in 2004 to serve small and medium size business owners that do not have nor want in-house technical resources. They are dedicated to providing clients with an affordable solution for establishing and maintaining an internet presence. IG Webs is a small web design house in Huntsville, Alabama that can respond to you quickly. Client care and service is our top priority and they are small enough to be able to do just that, yet big enough to meet all brand demands. A quick look at their portfolio will show you our uncompromising quality and attention to detail that is noticeable. https://www.igwebs.com 11. JSC Interaktyvi reklama (IDEA) IDEA is a leading web agency in Lithuania with 16 years of experience. The company provides website, web design and e-commerce development services for local, British and Scandinavian companies. They have worked with companies like Microsoft, Nestle, Apple, Kesko and Philip Morris. Visit IDEA online at: https://www.idea.lt/ 12. Magneto IT Solutions Founded in 2009, Magneto works with passion to bring their clients ideas to life and create stunning applications for startups and corporate. They mainly focus on eCommerce, mobile application, custom web A]application, IOT, chatbot and more. They understand that professional service as an opportunity to walk on the path of values. Every day is a fresh challenge to adhere to essential milestone principles. From their very beginning in 2009, Magneto has been pursuing a set of values as definitive guidelines for providing quality service. Visit Magneto IT Solutions at: https://magnetoitsolutions.com 13. Moonbird Studios, LLC Moonbird Studios is a Newport, Rhode Island-based digital agency specializing in website design, branding, social media and application development. Moonbird Design is a small yet ultra-efficient team of developers and designers devoted to creating beautiful, useful, and feature-packed websites while also specializing in branding, social media, and mobile application development. Visit Moonbird Studios online at: https://moonbirdstudios.com 14. Norte Digital LATAM Norte Digital LATAM is a marketing result-oriented digital media agency and a Google Premier Partner, which has made them one of the most important agencies on the markets in which they operate. They aim to maximize the investment of their customers through powerful digital strategies. Their high level of specialization and experience in the services they offer, added to the large number of clients they serve, has given them a lead in knowledge, technique and methods to establish high degree automation processes, allowing them to spend more time optimizing our client's campaigns. They are focused on technical knowledge, customer service, customer education, and more. Visit Norte Digital LATAM online free at: https://norte.digital 15. OperationROI OperationROI is a full-service e-commerce marketing management agency that specializes in developing marketing initiatives to grow successful e-commerce businesses. Their team of professionals leverage today's biggest e-commerce channels like Amazon, Google, Walmart, eBay, Facebook, Bing and more to reach new audiences and convert sales. They are experts in a variety of channels including shopping networks, marketplaces, paid search, affiliate programs, website development, as well as e-mail and social marketing. They realize that to be successful, we must provide excellent service, so their commitment to each and every client is maintained and built outstanding campaigns while providing unmatched customer service. Visit OperationROI at: https://www.OperationROI.com 16. Planet Web Solutions Pvt. Ltd Established in the year 2004, Planet Web Solutions has garnered the respect to be a pioneer in the field of delivering a comprehensive range of web and mobile app development solutions across the globe. It has over 15 years of relevant expertise in the field. Planet Web Solutions are masters in providing professional web development solutions as per the unique requirements of the clients. Our team includes an optimum combination of 70+ industry experts who are well-inducted and appraised to provide the best output and maximum value. Visit Planet Web Solutions online at:https://www.planetwebsolution.com/ 17. PSDCenter PSDCenter is a Charlotte-based eCommerce development agency, specializing in major eCommerce platforms like BigCommerce, Shopify, 3dcart, Lightspeed, etc. PSDCenter also has its very own theme store where businesses can find premium themes and plugins. Apart from eCommerce design and development services, PSDCenter also provides digital marketing Services to businesses. Visit PSDCenter online: https://www.psdcenter.com/ 18. Renaissance Digital Marketing Renaissance Digital Marketing can provide a comprehensive and aggressive digital marketing strategy to take your fast-growing eCommerce business to new heights. Marketing as a process has existed for over a millennium, with the word first finding a reference in 16th-century dictionaries. In its 19th-century form, marketing was defined as the commercial activity of buying and selling a product or service. Moving to the present, the definition of marketing has seen a substantial makeover. In a time when trends, patterns and the best strategy change at a rapid pace, keeping your business ahead of the digital marketing curve is an absolute necessity. Visit Renaissance Digital Marketing at: https://www.21strenaissance.com/ 19. RG Infotech RG Infotech was founded in the year 2007 and recommended for its web development, eCommerce development and mobile development solutions by industry leaders. RG Infotech has been considered as a full service one stop solution provider for custom software development, mobile application development, web development, and eCommerce development by the thousands of clients worldwide. They combine proven methodologies and technology expertise of skilled IT professionals to deliver high-quality solutions. Visit RG Infotech at: http://www.rginfotech.com 20. RIPEN RIPEN is an agency that understands a brands goals and executes to exceed expectations. Professional sites need to grab eyes, get clicks, and ultimately drive orders, which is why their approach to user research, strategy, and planning work by our in-house design team leads to creating compelling commerce experiences. Visit RIPEN at: https://www.ripen.com 21. Simplemachine Simplemachine is a family owned and operated marketing company here to connect clients and their brands to your customers. They will work with clients to make sure they are reaching their goals and most importantly, reaching your customers. Simplemachine is here to serve your business needs. Simplemachine is creators through web design and web development, graphic design and logo design solutions, search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM/Google Adwords), content marketing and social media advertising. Visit Simplemachine at: https://simplemachinedesigns.com 22. SpurIT SpurIT is a software development and marketing company. They specialize in e-commerce and app development, marketing services for Shopify and other eCommerce platforms. Their products are used by more than 60 000 companies monthly, covering more than 15 mln users all over the world. Visit SpurIT at: https://spur-i-t.com/ 23. The Weird Company The Weird Company is a New York-based eCommerce agency passionate about helping businesses grow. They have assembled 3 customizable plans with only the proven, most essential elements of a profitable internet business. Visit The Weird Company at: https://theweird.company 24. Tvisha Technologies Pvt LTD Tvisha Technologies is a leading mobile app development company that delivers the best in the industry across all industries and domains. They have developed over 250+ applications in Android, iOS, native and hybrid. They have a team of 200+ finely polished professionals who are experts in project management, code development, web designing, UI/UX design, quality assurance, business analytics, intelligence, and many other verticals. Tvisha Technologies understands the client requirement clearly and continue to deliver the modules or projects in due time without compromising on the quality. Visit Tvisha Technologies at: https://www.tvisha.com/ 25. Xtreme Websites Think of Xtreme Websites as the Strategic Partner web design company. They utilize the latest technology, design trends and online marketing strategies to automate our client's operations and increase their online revenue. Everything they do and every recommendation they make is based on research and experience in each of their clients industries and on their projects. Through strategic planning, technical know-how, and dedication to their clients success, they have helped hundreds of clients grow, market, and run their businesses more effectively using the web. Visit Xtreme Websites at: https://xtremewebsites.com Brands can view the best eCommerce web design firms by average hourly rate, case studies, experience, reviews and more on DesignRush. Users can easily filter to compare eCommerce website design agencies and find the best eCommerce web designers that can improve online business growth. About DesignRush: DesignRush.com is B2B marketplace connecting brands with agencies. DesignRush features the top agencies around the world, including the best eCommerce Web Design Companies, Digital Agencies, Logo Design, Branding, Digital Marketing, Website Design, and more. TEHERAN - Iran's president rejected the resignation of his foreign minister on Wednesday, throwing his full support behind the diplomat who negotiated the country's nuclear deal with world powers. President Hassan Rouhani earlier gave a speech praising Mohammad Javad Zarif after the foreign minister's sudden resignation shocked the Islamic Republic late on Monday night. His rejection of the resignation, reported by the state-run IRNA news agency, continued that praise. "Since I consider you in the front line of resistance against broad pressures by the United States, I consider acceptance of your resignation against the expedience of the country and I do not agree with it," Rouhani reportedly told Zarif. It's unclear what will happen next. Zarif could stop going to work at the Foreign Ministry. But there's no precedent for that in the history of the Islamic Republic. Zarif, 59, more than likely will return to work. There was no immediate response from him. It remains unclear what sparked Zarif's resignation. However, it came after Zarif was not present for a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday. Assad was warmly received by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of an elite unit of the Revolutionary Guard. The Guard's website later quoted Soleimani as offering his support to the foreign minister. "Definitely, Zarif is in charge of foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and he has been always supported by top officials including the supreme leader," Soleimani reportedly said. An ally of Zarif said his resignation was motivated by criticism of the nuclear accord, under increasingly intense fire in Iran since the US abandoned it last year. Since Washington walked out of the nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions, Rouhani has had to explain why Iran has continued to abide by its restrictions while reaping virtually none of the foreseen economic benefits. AFP - Reuters (China Daily 02/28/2019 page11) Red - existing Cohen Clinics Blue - new Cohen Clinics for 2019 All of our new locations for 2019 will allow us to expand our ability to deliver high-quality care in areas of great need so our clients get back to better," said CVN President & CEO Dr. Anthony Hassan. Moving to fulfill a $275 million commitment from financier-philanthropist Steven A. Cohen to help reduce veteran suicide and care for military families, the Cohen Veterans Network (CVN) will open its 11th clinic in Tacoma Washington, followed by clinics in three more cities later this year. The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Valley Cities in Tacoma, WA, will hold a public opening in the near future, and later in 2019 CVN will open new clinics in Tampa, FL, Virginia Beach, VA, and San Diego, CA. In addition, CVN is exploring partners for new clinics in Honolulu, HI, Anchorage, AK, and at least one other city this year. Mr. Cohen created CVN in 2016 to help stem the epidemic of suicide our veterans face. By 2021, CVN is expected to have 25 clinics open nationwide. We want the veterans and their families who are suffering to get better, as soon as possible. We have kept our promise to provide care for veterans and military families, said CVN President & CEO Dr. Anthony Hassan. All of our new locations for 2019 will allow us to expand our ability to deliver high-quality care in areas of great need so our clients get back to better. CVN was founded with a commitment to provide high-quality mental health care for issues such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, transition challenges, and more. Treatment is available for any post-9/11 veteran who has served in the United States Armed Forces, regardless of role, discharge status, or combat experience. This includes services for the National Guard and Reserves as well. We welcome the entire military family, Dr. Hassan said. When a Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Coast Guardsmen, or Marine serves, their families serve with them. To date, nearly half of our clients are family members of someone who served, including the families of current active-duty military. Cohen Clinics also offer support services to ensure clients have access to care, such as childcare during appointments, transportation assistance to reach the clinics, as well as night and weekend hours. Additionally, the Community Rooms in each Cohen Clinic have become hubs of activity in every location, featuring group therapy and other complimentary opportunities such as art workshops, yoga, and family activities. CVN also uses telehealth to deliver treatment for clients who cant come in to a clinic. The network launched an online therapy platform in 2017 and video counseling services are offered in every state that has a Cohen Clinic. Ten percent of active CVN clients have had at least one session of care delivered via online therapy. ABOUT THE COHEN VETERANS NETWORK The Cohen Veterans Network is a 501(c)(3) national not for profit philanthropic network of mental health clinics for post-9/11 veterans and their families. CVN focuses on improving mental health outcomes, with a goal to build a network of outpatient mental health clinics for veterans and their families in high-need communities, in which trained clinicians deliver holistic evidence-based care to treat mental health conditions. The network currently will soon have 14 locations serving veterans and their families across the country. Learn more about the Cohen Veterans Network. Media Contact: Anthony Guido (203) 569-0284 anthony.guido(at)cohenveteransnetwork.org FOXG1 syndrome is a rare neurological disease that affects approximately 500+ children worldwide, with the diagnosis rate growing at 100% year. For all rare disorders to move forward towards clinical trials, it is critical to acquire data from the worldwide population of patients. The registry is launching with English, Spanish, German and French languages; Mandarin and Portuguese will be launched shortly after. The registry will take approximately 20 minutes to complete and real-time population data is displayed in an effort to educate and engage the parent/caregivers. The de-identified data will be accessible to parents/caregivers and researchers worldwide. This data will help advance the understanding of FOXG1 syndrome and contribute to the development of much-needed therapies not only for FOXG1 syndrome, but also for diseases related to the FOXG1 gene such as autism, Alzheimers, epilepsy, brain cancers and more. The registrys patient-centric approach is unique in that it provides insight into the disease while the patients profile is being completed. Real-time data is displayed in the form of user-friendly charts so parents come away with an understanding of the locations, genetic mutations, and developmental profiles of the entire FOXG1 population and how it relates to their child. A global patient registry is critical in order to be considered for clinical trials. According to co-founder Nicole Johnson, If we are seeking any viable treatments for FOXG1, the first thing a pharmaceutical company asks is do you have a strong global registry? In addition to gathering demographic, genetic and developmental data, the caregiver is able to securely upload genetic reports and other documents that will fast-track research insight. We selected Beneufit to develop the registry because of their patient-centric approach to understanding the complexities of another complex disease, Parkinsons disease and their experience producing digital studies for world-class organizations such as Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, explains CEO, Nasha Fitter. Weve put a lot of effort into developing our research platform and the collaboration with the FOXG1 Research Foundation enables us to provide a similar services to other rare disease organizations who need high-quality and cost-effective patient registries, said Beneufit CEO Jeff Broderick. About The FOXG1 Research Foundation (FRF) The FOXG1 Research Foundation was founded in 2017 by three moms whose children were born with the rare neurologic disorder called FOXG1 syndrome. Along with a team of FOXG1 parents from across the globe, The FOXG1 Research Foundation is accelerating research to find a cure for every child in the world with FOXG1 syndrome. FRF is dedicated to raising money to fund the world's leading scientists that are integral along the strategic Path to a Cure. FOXG1 is a transcription factor gene that is linked to many brain disorders, affecting millions of patients, such as autism, Alzheimers, schizophrenia, brain cancers, and more. FRF will continue to apply its research to solve all related disorders. More information is available at https://www.foxg1research.org. About Beneufit, Inc. Beneufit is a digital health company whose goal is to improve outcomes by providing real-world insight into disease treatment plans, symptoms and side-effects. More information is available at https://www.beneufit.com. Media Contact: Nicole Johnson Co-Founder & President, FOXG1 Research Foundation nicole(at)foxg1research.org No other event in the world has brought together such a stellar array of award-winning, widely-read cartoonists and comics creators." - Steve McGarry, NCSFest Director. The National Cartoonists Society announces that tickets are now available for the first-ever NCSFest in Huntington Beach, CA. The festival dates are May 17-19, 2019. More than 100 cartoonists from around the world participating in both free and ticketed events. Information about every event and all of the cartoonists and comic artists attending can be found at NCSFest.com. Tickets and passes can be ordered here: https://ncsfest.com/tickets/ Ticket passes allow fans to register for exclusive workshops and seminars held at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach throughout the festival. Award-winning cartoonists and comic artists will be on-site speaking about their craft with many available for personal meet-and-greets and memorabilia signings. There are single-day passes ($15-20 each), or full weekend bundle ($50). A selection of award-winning cartoonists conducting ticketed workshops, signings and talks include: Charlie Adlard The Walking Dead Daniel Clowes - Ghost World Sergio Aragones, Tom Richmond, Luke McGarry Mad Magazine Cathy Guisewite - Cathy Gilbert & Jaime Hernandez Love and Rockets Patrick McDonnell - Mutts Penelope Bagieu - Brazen Robb Armstrong JumpStart Bill Morrison The Simpsons David Silverman Director of The Simpsons Movie and co-Director of Monsters, Inc. "We are thrilled that the National Cartoonist Society chose Huntington Beach as the location for the first NCSFest," states Huntington Beach Mayor Erik Peterson. "We are internationally known as 'Surf City USA,' and are widely regarded as a haven for artists, celebrating a variety of creativity ranging from street art to crafting. This is an exciting event that we expect to develop into an annual tradition and celebration for our community, as well as those who will experience the event in our beach community from around the globe." The majority of events during NCSFest are FREE and open to the public no tickets or passes required except where noted. Free events will be held Saturday and Sunday, May 18-19 throughout Huntington Beach: on the Huntington Beach Pier, on Main Street and on 5th & PCH, at the Huntington Beach Library (Main Street branch) and at the Huntington Beach Arts Center. Some of the free events include: Artists Alley on Huntington Beachs historic Main Street. The marketplace features more than a hundred artists displaying and selling their work, doing signings and caricatures alongside booths devoted to publishers, bookshops, and international organizations. The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity presents U Draw, We Draw, a colorful and inspiring world of drawing and where families can drop in and draw alongside a wide range of artists throughout the weekend. A unique chance to explore, play and develop their creative skills. All along Main Street and 5th & PCH the Windows on Comic Art Trail features original comic art in the windows of a number of local Huntington Beach businesses. An important part of NCSFests aim to involve the local community and take over Downtown for the weekend with all things comic art, the trail will open on May 6th and run until May 24th. In association with the Orange County School of the Arts, the iconic Huntington Beach Pier will become the Comic Pier. A performance will allow the public to see live drawing by the talented art students alongside acclaimed cartoonists. The students will also perform in the finale of NCSFest, celebrating the work of The Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard, with a Pacific Coast Zombie Walk on the main stage at the Pier. Acclaimed exhibitions coming from France such as Hero(in)es and French Comics Framed will be presented downtown and in the Huntington Beach Arts Center. NCSFest Director Steve McGarry, who also serves as President of the National Cartoonists Society Foundation, the charitable and educational arm of the NCS, states No other event in the world has brought together such a stellar array of award-winning, widely-read cartoonists and comics creators. We are showcasing superstars from the worlds of comic books, comic strips, editorial cartoons and feature films. We know that the thousands of fans who will attend NCSFest will leave with memories that last a lifetime or at least until NCSFest 2020! There will be activities for everyone and every age at the inaugural NCSFest, May 17-19 in Huntington Beach. Please visit NCSFest.com for more information and https://ncsfest.com/tickets/ to purchase passes for the exclusive events. NCSFest is a partnership between NCS, The Lakes International Comic Art Festival in the UK Lyon BD Festival in France, Visit Huntington Beach, Huntington Beach Arts Center, City of Huntington Beach, Orange County School of the Arts, and INNOCEAN USA. ABOUT THE NATIONAL CARTOONISTS SOCIETY The National Cartoonists Society is the world's largest and most prestigious organization of professional cartoonists. It was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the troops. They found that they enjoyed each other's company and decided to get together on a regular basis. Today, the NCS membership roster includes over 500 of the world's major cartoonists, working in many branches of the profession, including newspaper comic strips and panels, comic books, editorial cartoons, animation, gag cartoons, greeting cards, advertising, magazine and book illustration and more. Membership is limited to established professional cartoonists, with a few exceptions of outstanding persons in affiliated fields. The NCS is not a guild or union, although we have joined forces from time to time to fight for member's rights, and we regularly use our talents to help worthwhile causes. Tony Noreigas encouragement for writing his debut book titled Fruit for Thought (published by iUniverse) derives from combined personal experience, study, meditation and general realization as he goes through his daily walk in life. This book is a cornucopia of original and nuanced inspirational thoughts, philosophical views, one-liners and poetry meant to encourage people to ponder, enjoy and reimagine life. Readers who would like to know more and purchase the book may visit https://www.iuniverse.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001173638. Fruit for Thought is a relatively succinct publication composed of philosophical expressions and inspirational thoughts written to be used as a conversational piece, scholastic inspiration or an insightful guide. It is an amalgamation of various subjects related to the beauty of life and its challenges. The book is rather condense and spacious allowing for a moment of reflection while being applicable to circumstances which occurs in ones daily life. According to the author, this book do have commonality to other authorships. Notwithstanding, its purpose is designed to serve as a microscopic footprint toward personal growth. Its content is expressed as a new voice with a unique rhythm of thought. It is my hope that everyone who devotes their precious time to reading this book, walks away a bit more refreshed, inspired, versed or simply with a smile, Noreiga adds. Fruit for Thought By Tony Noreiga Softcover | 5.5 x 8.5in | 86 pages | ISBN 9781532046506 E-Book | 86 pages | ISBN 9781532046513 Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble About the Author Tony Noreiga grew up in Trinidad and Tobago West Indies and moved to Brooklyn, New York, at age 12. He served four years in the U.S. Navy before graduating from Iowa Podiatric Medical School and has been a practicing foot surgeon for 20 years in Texas. iUniverse, an Author Solutions, LLC, self-publishing imprint, is the leading book marketing, editorial services, and supported self-publishing provider. iUniverse has a strategic alliance with Indigo Books & Music, Inc. in Canada, and titles accepted into the iUniverse Rising Star program are featured in a special collection on BarnesandNoble.com. iUniverse recognizes excellence in book publishing through the Star, Readers Choice, Rising Star and Editors Choice designationsself-publishings only such awards program. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, iUniverse also operates offices in Indianapolis. For more information or to publish a book, please visit iuniverse.com or call 1-800-AUTHORS. For the latest, follow @iuniversebooks on Twitter. Trident University staff members taking part in the 38th Annual Los Alamitos Race on the Base on Saturday, Feb. 23rd. On Saturday, February 23rd, Trident University International (Trident) took part in the 38th Annual Los Alamitos Race on the Base, held on the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Base in Los Alamitos, CA. A total of 15 staff members participated in various events that helped to raise money for local veterans causes. Race on the Base partners with various charities and community partners, including Honoring Our Fallen, Rock for Vets, Casa Youth Shelter, and Lestonnac Free Clinic. Involvement in this event has become a yearly tradition for Trident, and it is tied in with the Universitys commitment to local, military, and veteran causes. Trident covered a portion of the registration fee for each employee participating in one of the events at Race on the Base. Thank you to all of those who joined us for this years Race on the Base, states Kendra Temple, Tridents Director of Alumni Engagement. It was a great day to promote health and wellness, while also supporting the military community of northern Orange County. Trident continues to maintain an active role in its local community. For their support of the military and veteran communities, the University was recognized by the City of Cypress as the 2018 BRACE Business of the Year. In December, Trident partnered with the Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerces annual Adopt-a-Family program to raise $5K for families in need. About Trident University Founded in 1998, Trident University International (Trident) is a leading online postsecondary university serving adult learners. Trident uses the EdActive learning approach, which employs case-based learning in an online setting to teach real-world relevant critical thinking skills to enhance the lives and careers of students. Trident offers high-quality associates, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree programs and certificates, led by a qualified faculty team, over 80% of whom have doctoral degrees. Trident is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and has over 27,000 alumni, including more than 22,000 with a military affiliation. The University has received multiple acknowledgements from Military Times and Military Advanced Education & Transition for their dedication to military-affiliated students. Visit http://www.trident.edu, Tridents Facebook page, or call at (855) 290-0290 to learn more about Trident's wide range of educational options. Twin Air LLC We are honored to have been recognized by Trane for our customer service and reputation for excellence - Tollie Wyant VP of Sales Twin Air in Manassas has been recognized by Trane Inc. as one of the few HVAC service providers in Northern Virginia to qualify as Trane Comfort Specialists. The TCS program is a network of HVAC technicians recognized by Trane as foremost in the field, with a consistent record of quality and customer service. The designation is by invitation only, and Trane chooses which providers to include. They base their decision on factors like reputation, which they can gauge not only from customer reviews, but also from the Trane representative in the area. The company wants to know that a dealer gives customers high satisfaction before letting them carry the Trane logo. Continuing education is another important aspect, and TCS designation requires staying current with both Trane technology and with new technology in the wider industry. It is for the best of the best, said Trane representative Taylor Thomas, adding that TCS dealers must be at the forefront of technology. Customer service, for them, includes not only doing each job well, but also working out payment plans if needed. Taylor estimates that roughly 3 out of 5 heating and air conditioning businesses dont offer any financing options. In addition to a reputation for quality, Trane expects dealers to have a strong online presence, as they will be representing the company and the Trane brand. We saw them as a positive investment, Taylor said of the Twin Air team. Trane Inc. has been an international leader in heating and air condition since 1913, and has supplied systems to such buildings as the Skydome in Toronto, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and the Channel Tunnel between France and England. We are honored to have been recognized by Trane for our customer service and reputation for excellence, said VP of sales Tollie Wyant. As a small family owned business we are committed to ethics, excellence and integrity in helping all of our clients and our community. We look forward to continuing to work with Trane in helping provide homeowners with effective solutions for their heating and cooling needs. About Twin Air Twin Air, LLC has been providing heating and air conditioning services in Manassas and the surrounding area since 2005, when two of the current owners, Josh and Jeremy Wyant, bought the HVAC business where they had worked for several years. The twins, along with their father Tollie, have been running Twin Air for 14 years. You can call Twin Air for more information at (703) 754-1062 or visit them on their website. Boston Cottage we like to share our gem with as many people as we can Craigville Retreat Center announces a new variation on vacationing for summer travelers. The popular retreat is open up reservations for summer 2019. While Craigville Retreat can host groups in Lodges, the cottages are excellent options for family get-togethers. Cottages are less costly than comparative lodging and offer own cooking options. Craigville Retreat Center is the perfect place to host a summer family reunion at the perfect time of year. People who book before April 30 for a June to August rental will receive a Craigville Welcome Basket with homemade goodies from the Retreats Kitchen. Each cottage sleep 8-15 guests, depending on the cottage. Multiple bathrooms, a kitchen, and living room are decorated in cozy New England decor. The summer cottages fill up fast and we like it that way as we like to share our gem with as many people as we can! says on site staff director Matthew CastleMan. Craigville is located in the town of Centerville which is quaint and enjoyable. In addition to the beautiful landscapes, the Red Lily Pond Project which supports the natural waters and wildlife, may be of interest to those interested in local Cape Cod environmental sustainability. Right now is the perfect time to book a summer cottage. The cottages are nestled into Craigville Village, a unique and charming enclave of Cape Cod homes overlooking Nantucket Sound. Craigville Retreat guests enjoy the benefits of the private Craigville Beach, with sand volleyball, clubhouse, changing rooms, restrooms and shower house, plus rental equipment for lounging and playing. As always the staff is happy to provide information on local happenings to retreat guests and cottagers. To book a cottage call 800-678-5102 or visit uccr.org/craigville for more information Craigville Retreat is managed by United Camps, Conferences and Retreats (UCCR), a non-profit camp and retreat management cooperative with 14 locations across the United States. The Richmond II is a three-bedroom, ranch floorplan with over 1,500 square feet of living space. The new Akron-Medina model features the popular Craftsman front elevation. Wayne Homes, an Ohio-based custom home builder, celebrated the grand opening of the Richmond II Craftsman model at the companys Akron-Medina Model Center in Norton, Ohio on February 16 and 17. The Richmond II is a three-bedroom, ranch floorplan with over 1,500 square feet of living space. The model shows the third bedroom as a den with French doors at the entrance and a partially finished basement complete with a bar. The open living space features a cathedral ceiling in the great room, an eat-in kitchen, a spacious master suite, and a large owners entry and laundry room. The Richmond II is a smaller, cottage style home that has become very popular in recent months, Maurie Jones, Senior Vice President of Marketing, said. Our clients have been asking for a smaller footprint and this plan works for couples in their first home or empty nesters! Were excited to introduce our newest ranch model at our Norton, Ohio location. The kitchen highlights popular design trends, including contrasting Aristokraft Lillian purestyle white and stone gray cabinets, along with marble-look laminate countertops and a tile backsplash. The home was decorated by Kelly Cappelletti and Darek Wilson from Kellys Suite II in St. Clairsville, Ohio to feature current popular design styles that are on trend for todays new home buyer. At the event, guests also had the opportunity to win a Date Night themed basket worth $250 and Home Depot bucket and gift card, courtesy of Home Savings. Nancy Juchnowski won the Date Night basket, and Anne Jeffery won the Home Savings Home Depot bucket and gift card. For more information about Wayne Homes and the Richmond II model at the Akron-Medina Model Center, please visit WayneHomes.com. About Wayne Homes Wayne Homes is a custom home builder in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Michigan, and West Virginia (see all Model Home Centers). We offer 50 fully customizable floor plans and a team dedicated to providing the best experience in the home building industry. For more information, Ask Julie, our online sales team, by Live Chat or call us at (866) 253-6807. We need a vision for our world, a path forward for how we can mindfully engage in politics, heal from trauma, use technology wisely, and authentically connect with others. For ten years, the annual Wisdom 2.0 Summit has gathered people from the international community to explore ways to live more mindfully and thoughtfully in the modern era. Wisdom 2.0 2019 will be held March 1 - 3 at the Hilton Union Square in San Francisco. Talks from the mainstage will be livestreamed at http://www.wisdom2conference.com. Featuring multiple stages and over 50 speakers, Wisdom 2.0 2019 will bring together thousands of people from around the world for an event that is part conference, part festival, part idea generator. The programming combines mainstage sessions, focused breakouts, and interactive or practice based sessions, as well as parties, dinners, and informal opportunities to meet like-minded people. Speakers include Chelsea Handler, Jack Kornfield, Michael Pollan, Spring Washam, Aalayah Eastmond, and many more. The Wisdom 2.0 community is dedicated to mindfulness and authentic connection, focused on waking up to what really matters. This year's conference theme is the need to define a path forward during these tumultuous times, with sessions including Mindfulness and Trauma: Embodied Practices for Collective Liberation, and The Power of Love: The Road to Healing in Parkland, Florida. See the full schedule of sessions at wisdom2conference.com/schedule. So many systems today are in flux, from the political to the economic. Yet this time of turmoil is also inviting us to ask, What kind of systems do we want to create that support the world we want to live in?, says conference founder Soren Gordhamer. We need a vision for our world, a path forward for how we can mindfully engage in politics, heal from trauma, use technology wisely, and authentically connect with others. At Wisdom 2.0, fostering presence and connection among attendees is as important as the mainstage presentations and sessions. The event will include an Embodiment Lounge, sponsored by the Strozzi Institute; and the Fetzer Institute returns to sponsor the Wisdom Village, an expansive, interactive space that will house the Q & A Stage and provide space to mix, mingle, rest and connect. Finally, it wouldnt be Wisdom 2.0 without a great dance party. The 10-year anniversary party will be held on Saturday night at the Folsom Street Foundry. Attendees will enjoy various elixirs & libations, tasty tapas, art installations, ecstatic DJ sets, surprise performances, and interactive games at this quintessentially San Franciscan venue. Tickets are available at wisdom2conference.com/register. For those who cannot attend in person, tickets may be purchased for the 2019 Livestream at wisdom2conference.com/livestream. Join the livestream and get unlimited access for one month after the event; Early Bird livestream tickets are only $25. Visit Wisdom 2.0 online at http://www.wisdom2conference.com for information. CONTACT: info@wisdom2conference.com 5.7 million people today have Alzheimer's. Hardly anyone doesn't know someone, either among friends or family, touched by the disease Deborah P. Halls book,C-Sharp Minor: My Mothers Seventeen-Year Journey through Dementia ($17.99, paperback, 9781545644072; $8.99, e-book, 9781545644089) is available for purchase. C-Sharp Minor: My Mothers Seventeen-Year Journey through Dementia recounts all phases of one woman's dementia from initial subtle symptoms through death, yet still tries to honor as well the "diamonds," or the bright moments glittering amidst the coal. C-Sharp Minor offers hope for caregivers that we are not alone on the journey while trying to prepare people honestly for the dark days that will occur. Ultimately, it reminds us this disease is not the end. This book celebrates a life, not just a decline, said Hall, who is passionate about the topic of dementia. 5.7 million people today have Alzheimer's. Hardly anyone doesn't know someone, either among friends or family, touched by the disease. Hall is donating 5% of all proceeds she receives to the Alzheimer's Association. Deborah P. Hall was raised first in Georgia, then in southwest Missouri. She won the Gannett Foundation scholarship from the Springfield News-Leader in 1987 and went on to Carleton College in Northfield, MN where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude. Hall has also written A Goodly Heritage, commissioned by First Baptist Church, Springfield, MO, in honor of their 150th anniversary. Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the worlds largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 12,000 titles published to date. C-Sharp Minor: My Mothers Seventeen-Year Journey through Dementia is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.\ With the world watching current events unfold in North Korea, readers will identify with this story and be moved by the resilience of a young American teacher four decades ago Rebecca Wilsons book Re-Searching Seoul ($20.49, paperback, 9781545657300; $9.99, e-book, 9781545657317), is available for purchase. Re-Searching Seoul is about a single young teacher who moves to Seoul, Korea in 1981. As she adjusts to a new language and culture, she also fights the Korean government to adopt a child. There is a strong emotional element in the adventures this young woman experiences in a strange new land, and persistence and fortitude carry her far in her struggles to adjust and adopt. With the world watching current events unfold in North Korea, readers will identify with this story and be moved by the resilience of a young American teacher four decades ago, said Wilson. Rebecca Wilson, born and raised in Wabash, Indiana, earned a B.S. degree in elementary education from Taylor University, taught first grade for nine years in Lancaster, Ohio, and then moved to Seoul, Korea where she taught first and second grades. She authored a best-selling set of three English textbooks for Korean Middle Schools (1988-93). Re-Searching Seoul is the sequel to Seoul Searching. Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the worlds largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 12,000 titles published to date. Re-Searching Seoul is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com. A full suite of regulatory cleared 2D, 3D, and 4D analytical tools provides consistent functionality across the enterprise, without compromise. Ziosoft, a pioneer in 3D/4D medical visualization, will feature its comprehensive suite of multi-modality and multi-clinical advanced visualization and post processing application system on a true vendor neutral platform at the annual European Congress of Radiology being held in Vienna February 27 March 3, 2019. The platform provides a robust and clinically validated algorithm, which is driven by both a traditional and new era of machine learning, unlocking the potentials of artificial intelligence for efficient and repeatable outcomes. Our flagship Ziostation2 provides vendor-neutral advanced visualization platform across multiple imaging modalities, said Rajeev Taitriya, vice president of Business Development and Marketing, Ziosoft. It is an economical and scalable multi-departmental solution. A full suite of regulatory cleared 2D, 3D, and 4D analytical tools provides consistent functionality across the enterprise, without compromise. The Ziostation2 provides capabilities through pre-processing algorithms that can autonomously create images and cines. These then reformat and automatically transmit the results to PACS, obviating the need for any human intervention. Imagine image visualization that is simpler, more cost-effective, and helps you to advance the current clinical standard of diagnosis, said Shusuke Chino, co-founder and president, Ziosoft. As our sole development focus, the Ziostation2 was engineered to enhance and simplify virtually every aspect of image visualization and analytics. Together with our customers, weve led advanced visualization for over 20 years. Now were helping create imagings future. In addition, the Ziosoft technology offers a level of workflow customization that is unprecedented in the industry. Whether the clinician wants a subtle change in one of the factory workflows or desires an altogether new workflow using existing tools, both extremes can be accomplished on-site. We specifically designed our platform for both clinical efficacy and seamless workflow, said Taitriya. Our goal is to enable state-of-the-art visualization tools to help provide our clinical partners diagnostic confidence in support of excellence in patient care. About Ziosoft, Inc. Ziosoft provides a comprehensive multi-modality, advanced processing and viewing solution for any specialty. Its customizable platform provides automated workflow to maximize efficiency. It is also a scalable, enterprise platform for "anywhere" accessibility and, as a software-only platform, it is simplified to minimize cost of ownership. For further information, visit http://www.ziosoftinc.com. If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity. PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Senior scientists from Johns Hopkins and MIT will provide leadership for two key departments in Purdues College of Science beginning Friday (March 1). Janice Evans, a biologist and professor from the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, will become department head for Biological Sciences. Daniel Cziczo, an atmospheric chemist and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will become department head for Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. Patrick J. Wolfe, the Frederick L. Hovde Dean of Science, said of his new colleagues, Im incredibly proud of our recruitment of Drs. Evans and Cziczo. Both are exemplary scientists and scholars with demonstrated leadership experience, and together they will provide exactly the creative thinking necessary to advance these key Purdue departments. These appointments speak to the reputational excellence of Science at Purdue and present outstanding opportunities for even greater accomplishments. Purdues Provost Jay T. Akridge said, We are excited to welcome Drs. Cziczo and Evans to campus, and to these important department head positions. Under the direction of Dean Wolfe, our College of Science is advancing on all fronts teaching, research, and engagement and these two outstanding individuals join a strong leadership team that is focused on expanding enrollment, increasing research activity and impact, and further raising the national and international profile of the college. Evans received her Bachelor of Science degree cum laude in biology from Davidson College and her doctoral degree in biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research addresses the biology underlying reproductive processes, and has been continuously supported by the National Institutes of Health since 1996. Her group's work identified specific molecules involved in sperm-egg interaction during fertilization, and revealed processes of the egg membrane's block to prevent fertilization by multiple sperm. Her research team's current focus is regulation of the temporal and spatial requirements of the egg's progression through meiosis. She received both the Young Andrologist Award (2006) and Distinguished Service Award (2017) from the American Society of Andrology, and is the current president of the Society for the Study of Reproduction (2018-19). Evans is the first woman to lead the department in its more than 100-year history. I am extremely pleased to be joining Purdue University, she said. Both my background and my professional interests regarding higher education are aligned with the mission of a public and land-grant institution. I am very excited about helping facilitate the department's outstanding research and scholarship as well as support a rich learning environment for our students. Cziczo received his Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Illinois. He went on to receive his Master of Science and doctoral degrees in geophysical sciences from the University of Chicago. His research is focused on improving our understanding of the chemical and physical properties of atmospheric particles, and identifying how these properties affect the environment. While at MIT, Cziczo was the Victor Starr Career Development Chair in Atmospheric Chemistry. Among his numerous awards are the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers and a United States Department of Energy Outstanding Performance Award. I am tremendously excited and grateful for the opportunity to join the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Cziczo said. The Department has a rich history and an exciting future, and I look forward to taking advantage of the myriad opportunities to make an impact in this broad range of disciplines. Purdues College of Science, founded in 1907, comprises nearly 350 tenure-track faculty. It enrolls more than 1,200 graduate students and more than 4,300 undergraduates across seven departments: biological sciences; chemistry; computer science; earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences; mathematics; physics and astronomy; and statistics. Writers: Jennifer Jeffries, 765-496-1682, jcjeffries@purdue.edu Logan Judy, 765-494-9503, ljudy@purdue.edu Sources: Patrick Wolfe, 765-494-1730, patrick@purdue.edu Jay Akridge, 765-494-9709, akridge@purdue.edu WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. A College of Engineering alumnus famous for his one small step will be honored through a new program intended to bolster Purdue Universitys impactful engineering research, engagement and education. The Neil Armstrong Distinguished Visiting Fellows program begins in March, bringing highly accomplished and recognized scholars and practitioners to collaborate on work with engineering faculty and students. These professionals visit for several weeks a year over the course of three years. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Armstrong becoming the first man to walk on the moon as commander of Apollo 11. He earned a bachelors degree from Purdue in aeronautical engineering in 1955 and was awarded an honorary doctorate in engineering from Purdue in 1970. Arvind Raman, senior associate dean of the faculty, said the inaugural cohort of visiting fellows is highly recognized and represents expertise in diverse areas ranging from heterogeneous catalysis, jet fighter design, remote sensing, construction and hydrology. Purdue Engineering is proud to launch this program to bring highly accomplished and recognized scholars and practitioners to Purdue Engineering to catalyze collaborations that can lead to increased impact and visibility for our visitors and their faculty hosts, schools/divisions, and college, said Raman, the Robert V. Adams Professor in Mechanical Engineering. The visitors in the first cohort are all National Academy of Engineering members and include: Enrique Iglesia, of the University of California, Berkeley, researches catalysts compounds that speed up or facilitate specific chemical reactions. His work involves synthesizing inorganic solids that are useful as catalysts for transforming molecules into chemicals and fuels. Dara Entekhabi, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is an expert in hydrological remote sensing and serves as science team leader for the NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite mission. Paul Bevilaqua, formerly at Lockheed Martin, is renowned for inventing the vertical lift concept in the F-35 Joint-Strike Fighter during his time there. Randall Poston, of Pivot Engineers consulting firm in Austin, Texas, has championed the repair of existing structures for upward of 30 years and is one of the preeminent structural consultants in the U.S. Andrea Rinaldo, of Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, is renowned as co-founder of the field of Ecohydrology (interactions between water and ecosystems) and for his theory of self-organized fractal river networks and efficient transport networks. Suresh Rao, the Lee A. Rieth Distinguished Professor in Environmental and Ecological Engineering, said collaborations with Rinaldo will entail areas related to sustainability of natural resources, and influences of socio-economic systems on eco-hydrological processes. As an alum of Purdue Civil Engineering, we are excited to have Dr. Rinaldo return and re-engage with faculty and students in the College of Engineering and across the campus, said Rao, who is hosting Rinaldo. The range of his intellectual contributions to general theories of scaling and networks in natural systems would be of interest to a broad spectrum of Purdue colleagues. Julio Ramirez, the Karl H. Kettlehut Professor of Civil Engineering, said he looks forward to hosting Poston and the benefits he will bring to the Lyles School of Civil Engineering. Dr. Postons visit will energize and challenge our students, while simultaneously serve as a catalyst for innovation with our faculty and professional staff, he said. James Garrison, a professor of aeronautics and astronautics at Purdue, said he will host Entekhabi with the intent on researching new satellite mission concepts for globally mapping sub-surface soil moisture and snow. Entekhabi also will be involved with a two-part course for undergraduate and graduate students in fall 2019 and spring 2020, Earth Observation Mission Design the definition of a venture class NASA Earth science mission. Tom Shih, the J. William Uhrig and Anastasia Vournas Head of the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, plans to collaborate with Bevilaqua on aerodynamics, aeroacoustics and new concepts in aircraft design. Bevilaqua also will review undergraduate design projects and participate as a panel member on ethics for undergraduate students. Iglesia will work with faculty and students involved with the Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR). He will be hosted by Fabio Ribeiro, the Norris and Eleanor Shreve Professor of Chemical Engineering and director of CISTAR. Professor Iglesias unerring ability to reduce complex problems to their most fundamental aspects, use quantitative relations between those underlying features to solve the problem at hand, and then to generalize the solution to provide predictive design principles has provided an unprecedented breadth of field-defining concepts in heterogeneous catalysis and practical solutions to grand challenge problems related to energy and the environment, Ribeiro said. Participants were nominated from College of Engineering faculty as well as endorsements by Engineering school heads and Mung Chiang, the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering. They were selected, in part, based on the likelihood of impact of the nominees visit on research and education at Purdue. Program coordinators anticipate as many as three new visiting fellows to be announced each year. During their visits, the scholars will collaborate with Purdue Engineering faculty on research projects, and/or on broader school or college priorities including new research directions, industry engagement, on-campus and online educational efforts, increasing diversity and inclusion, as well as entrepreneurship. The visits are expected to begin in March with Rinaldo. The visiting scholars will stay a total of up to three months through 2021. The time can be taken in multiple visits. The host is expected to organize events such as workshops during the visit. Writer: Brian Huchel, 765-494-2084, bhuchel@purdue.edu Source: Arvind Raman, 765-494-5733, raman@purdue.edu UK: Indian automotive and transport component supplier Motherson Sumi Systems Ltd's PKC Group announced on February 28 that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire Bombardier Transportations UK rolling stock electrical component and system production and installation activities. Welcome to Railway Gazette. This site uses cookies. Read our policy. OK In a further divestment of European assets that it regards as non-core, Liberty Global has reached a binding agreement to sell its Swiss operation, UPC Switzerland, to Zurich-based telco Sunrise Communications Group. The transaction, valued at CHF 6.3 billion ($6.3 billion) and expected to close prior to year-end 2019, will create what Liberty and Sunrise say will be the leading converged challenger in the Swiss market with scale across all elements of the quad play bundle. At the end of 2018, UPC Switzerlands cable network passed 2.3 million homes and served 1.1 million customers who subscribed to 1.1 million video, 700,000 broadband and 520,000 voice services. A combined company is attributed with having the scale to drive innovation, invest in new services and pursue growth in Switzerland with competitively priced offers.Liberty Global has agreed to provide certain transitional services to Sunrise for a period of up to five years following completion. Such transitional services principally comprise network and information technology-related functions. The annual charges for such transitional services will depend on the actual level of transitional services required by Sunrise.Commenting on the transaction, Sunrise CEO Olaf Swantee said: Today's announcement is an important milestone for Sunrise, our customers, employees and shareholders. Together with UPC Switzerland, we will create a stronger, truly converged challenger and significant value for our shareholders. We are committed to accelerating innovation and enhancing customers experience, building on the enlarged scale of the combined business and superior next generation network infrastructure. We have undertaken an extensive due diligence exercise, which gives us a lot of confidence in the deliverability of the synergies. We are excited about the prospects of the combined business.Net proceeds from the sale will likely see use by Liberty Global for general corporate purposes. Todays announcement further validates our strategy of building or enabling national champions in our core European markets, noted Liberty Global chief executive officer Mike Fries. After 13 years of investment, innovation and growth, UPC Switzerland will combine with Sunrise to form a strong challenger in the Swiss market. This is a great moment for the Swiss consumer as network quality, product innovation and customer experience is at the heart of both companies.The transaction with Sunrise comes after a similar deal in December 218 which saw the global media operator reach an agreement to sell its Eastern European DTH satellite TV assets to M7 Group. The Trump administrations all of the above energy policy continues to work wonders for American consumers, amidst decades-low fuel prices and historically high US energy production. But President Trumps otherwise bold agenda has the glaring weakness of being tethered to the coal industry, which has proven it cannot survive in a thriving energy marketplace. Recently, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) voted to close two coal plants in Kentucky , despite pressure from the White House and the Kentucky GOP to keep the plants open. In a tweet earlier in the month, President Trump called for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to rescue Paradise Unit 3, a half-century-old coal power plant that TVA has deemed too expensive to keep operating. The plant just so happens to source its coal from a subsidiary of Murray Energy, one of the President's top supporters. President Trump also happens to have appointed four of the seven members of TVA's board, meaning the political pressure to adopt the Presidents proposal would be immense. Despite the fact that TVA has mothballed more than half its coal fleet in favor of more competitive plants that run on sources such as natural gas, the President and others continue the beat the drum for using taxpayer subsidies to save coal. But what does that mean? For starters, it means that the President Trump is playing the same political games that he asked his rivals to stop playing on issues such as the border wall and the government shutdown and is supporting the same types of bailouts for coal he rallied against for other energy sources. With this latest social media lobbying effort, he is using his bully pulpit to question the closure of a single coal-fired power plant that is connected to one of his closest political allies. Never mind that TVA itself has identified flat customer demand, low natural gas prices, and high operating costs as multiple reasons for recommending closing the plant. More importantly, the President is undermining with the integrity of competitive markets. Data clearly shows that coal is on the decline, helped in no small part by record-low natural gas prices and a bounty of natural gas unlocked by new technologies and new reserves. Thats why the latest federal projections show coal consumption by U.S. power plants will continue to plummet, even with Obama-era regulations having been rolled back by the Trump administration. In fact, TVA, the target of the Presidents latest save coal messaging, recently retired two other coal-burning units in favor of new, cleaner gas-burning generation. Despite the clear downward trajectory of coal, the administration has also advanced a faulty narrative that taxpayers should bail out coal for purposes of national security, a narrative that continues to be discredited. For example, coal bailout proponents have claimed that a lack of fuel supply from natural gas infrastructure threatens national security and that coal plants, with on-site reserves, are preferable during severe events. This has been the driving rationale behind the call for coal subsidies. However, a draft report commissioned by the DOE leaked earlier this month demonstrates this to be completely false. Vulnerabilities to the grid system, the DOE report found, not fuel security or plant operations, are the greatest threats to grid reliability and resilience. In other words, there is no valid national security reason for using taxpayer money to bail out coal. The findings of DOEs leaked report, as well as other evidence such as a detailed study by the Rhodium Group, found that fuel supply problems arent the real cause of grid issues, work to undermine the Trump administration's push for big government market interventions to boost struggling coal plants like Paradise Unit 3. The truth is that playing politics with fuel sources doesnt just mean picking winners and losers. It also means hurting taxpayers and consumers. Government intervention in electricity markets will raise costs for families and businesses. A report by the Brattle Group estimates it will cost taxpayers a staggering $34 billion over two years if every coal and nuclear plant in the country were bailed out as proposed. That is a steep price to pay when those funds could be used for more practical measures like strengthening the nations energy grid, investing in cyber-protection technologies, or upgrading general infrastructure to bolster the nations natural gas supply. Bailouts and subsidies for solar and wind power have already cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars. Instead of continuing down the save failed path with coal, the president should embrace the same free market principles his conservative base believes in and allow competitive markets to provide affordable, reliable, and safe electricity to Americans. Political favoritism is not the answer, especially for taxpayers. Ross Marchand is the Director of policy for the Taxpayers Protection Alliance. WARSAW: Over the past two decades, relations between Russia and Belarus have been in constant flux. Both countries share a Soviet legacy and strong ethnic ties, but these have not stopped them from playing hard ball with each other. Moscow and Minsk have developed deep interdependence, and main bones of contention usually encompass business and military matters. Throughout 2018, Belarusian-Russian tensions over energy issues resulted in belligerent rhetoric from both sides. Today the problem focuses on a new tax regime for oil introduced by Russia. This tax maneuver would cost the Belarusian economy billions of dollars and President Alexander Lukashenko is concerned about serious internal perturbations undermining his authoritarian grip over the nation of about 10 million people. Lukashenko has been president since 1994. Russia offers an alternative solution, or ultimatum, as some observers argue. A deal would coerce Belarus into deeper integration with Moscow and, in return, Russian subsidies for Minsk would be kept intact. President Vladimir Putin met with his Belarusian counterpart twice in December and again in February to discuss the divergent positions: In sum, Russia concentrates on restricting Belarus foreign policy while lowering the alliance's costs for the Kremlins budget while Minsk pushes for greater independence and more non-returnable loans. With this latest episode in a series of Russia-Belarus disputes, it is increasingly evident that Belarus lacks reliable partners and alliances even as it shares borders with four countries besides Russia Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine. The West has had difficulties dealing with the regime still deemed authoritarian, one demonstrating little respect for civil liberties and human rights. Russia for its part often treats Minsk instrumentally, applying pressure and striking convenient bargains with Lukashenko as needed. Consequently, Lukashenko has skillfully pursued a multi-vector foreign policy. The 2013/2014 revolution in Ukraine, annexation of Crimea, and the war in Donbas were milestones that again altered Minsks relations with Moscow and the West. After these destabilizing events in its direct neighborhood, Belarus issued a statement calling for peace, and the government has not recognized Crimea as Russian territory. In the years that followed the crisis in Ukraine, Belarusian authorities have stressed neutrality as a fundamental tenet of the countrys foreign policy this can only be a quick fix that neither facilitates relations with the European Union and the United States nor satisfies the Kremlin. Still, the strategy is efficient, considering that the Lukashenko regimes overriding goal is self-preservation. Neutrality does not enlarge Minsks circle of friends, but as the prime objective is to exert lucrative concessions from both Moscow and the West, the approach is relatively successful. Lukashenko has played Russia and the West off one another for the past 25 years. He reverts to public diplomacy any time his economic or political interests are endangered and repeatedly accuses Moscow of using coercion to convince Minsk to further integration. During the 2018 state-of-the-nation address, he said that strained relations with Moscow would not stop Belarus from seeking cooperation with Brussels and Washington. Belarus has no other choice than to collaborate with Russia. Minsk remains dependent on Moscow financially continuing to receive loans and subsidies including oil and gas discounts. Belarusian authorities have developed a quaint oil business model that allows the country to import cheap product from Russia, refine it domestically, and sell to Europe at market price. Russia is also Belarus top trade and investment partner. Whereas Minsk seems to be an indispensable part of Russias integration projects, including Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union, and is crucial from the Kremlins military standpoint. Belarus shields Russia with its air-defense system in addition to hosting two military installations the missile launch tracking station and the communication center for atomic submarines. Terms of lease agreements on these facilities expire in 2021 and will definitely be utilized as leverage in negotiations with Russia. With all that in mind, Moscow cannot afford to lose Belarus as it lost Ukraine. Russias aggressive foreign policy and economic stagnation have become sufficient incentives for the Belarusian authorities to normalize relations with the West. Progress is slow, but the dialogue is there. As a result, the European Union permanently eased most of the sanctions against Belarus in 2016. The United States offered temporary relief, to be reviewed in fall of 2019. In addition, Washington might help Belarus reduce its economic dependence on Russia by facilitating a loan from the International Monetary Fund and bringing trade and investments. The IMF suspended talks in summer 2018 after the government balked at recommendations for reforms increasing the private sector. About 75 percent of industry and GDP is under state control. Now, Belarus seeks to resume negotiations for the $3 billion credit line at low interest. In October, Lukashenko met with US Assistant Secretary of State Wess Mitchell, the highest ranking American diplomat in a decade. In January, Belarus lifted a cap on the number of US diplomats allowed in the country, and Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei reported that negotiations continue on the return of the US ambassador, whom Belarus expelled in 2008. Minsks wobbling policy irritates both Russia and the West. Lukashenko put repressive practices on hold, but has yet to commit to structural political and economic reforms as demanded by Brussels and Washington. Russia wishes to move forward with integration, setting up a full union state with single currency, customs and judiciary system. Moscow also has a tactical goal to set up a full-scale military base in Belarus a plan opposed by Belarus as this could lead to loss of sovereignty. A notion widespread in Belarus is that the main threat for the country is escalation of tensions between Russia and the West. In case of a conflict, Belarus lying between east and west would become a chief victim. Thus, Lukashenkos policy includes criticizing both Russia as well as the West, while also occasionally sending encouraging signals to one side or the other. In December, Belarusian Defense Minister Andrei Ravkov explained that if a US base opened in Poland this would be a military challenge to Belarus and the country would have to revise its position regarding hosting the Russian facilities. Belarusian willingness to act more independently on the international arena has grown in recent years. However, Lukashenkos options and foreign policy tools are limited. On one side, Minsk keeps the channels of communications with the West open, but disregards human rights domestically. On the other, he claims Russia is a brotherly nation to his country while resisting Russian efforts to beef up its military presence in Belarus. Serious tensions between Russia and Belarus are likely to continue in the coming months. In the long-term, Minsk is doomed to be adrift between the West and Moscow unless Russia steps up its geopolitical game in Eastern Europe. Reprinted with permission from Yale Global. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate , We're sorry, this article is not currently available Porterville, CA (93257) Today Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. High 59F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight A few clouds. Low 41F. Winds light and variable. Athens, GA (30605) Today A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. High 57F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low 44F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. For Air India and Jet Airways, airspace closure over Pakistan would mean flights to US and Europe will have to take a longer route. Arindam Majumder reports. The escalation of military tension between India and Pakistan is set to have an adverse impact on the aviation industry, which is already under stress. Wednesday's decision on closure of airspace in Pakistan and parts of northern India will force airlines to cancel or divert some flights, thereby pushing up cost. As Pakistani fighter jets targeted Indian establishments across the Line of Control on Wednesday, the Indian Air Force's Western Command asked airlines to stop operations to several airports, including Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Pathankot, Amritsar, Shimla, Kangra, Kullu Manali and Pithoragarh. While more than 30 flights were cancelled from the closed airports, around 47 of them were affected from Delhi airport. "As the initial notice had indicated a month-long shutdown, we had decided to close sales for these airports. Overall, it is a massive revenue loss and operational hiccup," says an airline executive. However, low-cost carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet said cancellation charges to these airports had been waived till March 31. For Air India and Jet Airways, an airspace closure over Pakistan would mean their flights to the US and Europe will have to take a longer route. That will stretch the travel time by almost two hours. "Our flights to North America from Delhi will now go to Ahmedabad, take a right turn to avoid Pakistan airspace, head to Muscat and fly to North America over Iran. The route entails an additional time of two hours and will require a fuel stop probably in Sharjah depending on the payload being carried," says an Air India official. Another two hours for the flight would imply burning extra fuel. It would also involve complexities due to the flight duty timings of the crew. "Air India uses the Boeing 777 and 787 for the Europe and US flights. It burns fuel worth around Rs 7 lakh per hour. So, the new route would translate into an additional expense of Rs 14 lakh," the Air Indian official adds. The airline will have to station more crew for the return flight too as they will need an extra day's rest after longer flight hours. "While as of now we are not cancelling any flight, the commercial department is looking at the viability," he points out. IndiGo and SpiceJet flights to Dubai and Afghanistan will also get longer in order to avoid Pakistan airspace. Flights to Gulf cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi will take additional 30 minutes while SpiceJet's flight to Kabul will take an extra four hours. While tour operators have denied any significant impact on their business so far, they fear that an escalation of tension would possibly hit the inbound tourist flow due to the ongoing tension. "As of now, it is too early to gauge the impact. But if this situation continues and advisories come from foreign countries, inbound tourist flow may get impacted," says Sharat Dhall, CEO, Yatra.com. Already, the US and French embassies have issued advisory asking their citizens to avoid Jammu and Kashmir and other border areas. IndiGo's situation points to a deeper malaise where skill shortage can challenge India's status as the fastest-growing aviation market, say experts. Photograph: Vivek Prakash/Reuters Hundreds of cancelled flights and disgruntled customers; reprimand from the regulator and a possible cut in expansion plans -- IndiGo's public image has taken a severe beating in the past one week or so, forcing analysts to doubt if India's infrastructure and skill gap will support the country's largest airline's aggressive growth plan. IndiGo has said the situation is well in control and that it will not slow capacity addition. "We are sticking to the growth forecast given to investors. There was a slight mismatch in the projected and actual availability of pilots. But we are on our way to set things right by April," IndiGo's Chief Operating Officer Wolfgang Prock-Schauer said in an interview. Prock-Schauer attributed the disruption to a hailstorm and simultaneous runway closure at Bengaluru and Mumbai airports. "We don't want to cancel flights, but with such a large network and so many things happening together, it creates a ripple effect, leading to disruption," he said, explaining the cancellation of 2 per cent of the airline's total flights. However, industry executives pointed out that Prock-Schauer's reasoning and the magnitude of cancellation revealed a tight situation with availability of pilots. "That one storm can disrupt operations of the airline for one month shows that IndiGo doesn't have a bench strength of pilots, which is essential for the airline's wide network. IndiGo cannot be hand-to-mouth with crew availability. On any bad day, they will hit the ceiling of regulated flying time of pilots," said the head of operations of a low-cost carrier. A poor system of crew scheduling and planning only made things worse, according to many top executives. "Crew planning and scheduling must be perfect during rapid expansion. In this case, there was no sync between fleet planning and the flight operations department," he added. In fact, the genesis of the pilot crisis is being linked to the Pratt & Whitney engine issue. Aircraft delivery had slowed down due to the Pratt & Whitney engine problems for about one year, and this led to under-utilised crew for the airline. This, in turn, resulted in an increase in the employee cost by almost 25 per cent during the first quarter of 2016-17. "During the last financial year, we witnessed an increased employee cost primarily on account of excess bench strength of operational staff because of the delay in capacity addition," IndiGo Chief Financial Officer Rohit Philip had said. Sources said the airline, known for its obsessive focus on cost control, stopped hiring new captains, and upgradation of first officers. But within one year, delivery of new planes was back on track. IndiGo was now deploying one new aircraft per week but the availability of commander didn't pick up. "The tell-tale signs have been visible for the last seven months now. Induction was continuing, but commanders were in short supply," said an airline executive. The first sign that something was wrong with IndiGo's famed tight ship showed up last summer. Calls to pilots from the rostering department to work on offdays had become frequent and on short notice. What made the situation more complex was a regulatory change introduced in 2017, extending the notice period for commanders to one year. "While IndiGo with its higher salary was able to poach pilots from rivals, the new rules made it difficult to do so," said an IndiGo executive, who recruits pilots for the company. To tide over the crisis, IndiGo dispatched recruiters to Latin America and West Asia -- areas where troubled airlines were cutting costs and laying off pilots. But multiple approvals required for inducting an expat pilot slowed the process. A foreign pilot needs to get approval from security agencies, besides passing an oral examination conducted by aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which conducts it only once a week. Typically, it takes around three months from after security clearance to get DGCA approval, sources said. "We had planned to induct 120 expat pilots by the end of the year. Twenty of them have joined and remaining will join by June. There was some delay, more than anticipated as it requires multiple regulatory approvals," said Prock-Schauer. Last June, the management put out a call offering pilots more money to work on extra days -- the first time it had done so. While most IndiGo pilots work on a contract of 56 days of privilege leave, the company asked pilots to reduce it to 42 or 22 days for a bonus of Rs 35,000 and Rs 86,500. "As you are aware, the induction of new aircraft is now reaching a rapid and aggressive phase. Under these difficult economic conditions, a lot of time has been devoted by us in trying to find ways of rewarding more productivity with financial benefits," the airline's head of flight operations Ashim Mittra wrote to pilots. But the scheme proved to be short-sighted as it resulted in captains hitting the limit of 1,000 hours of allowed flying per month. Expansion also meant the airline was opening multiple bases, but crew shortage resulted in uneven staffing in smaller bases. For instance, in Mumbai, it parks only six planes overnight, but has over 250 pilots, while the airline has stopped hiring for smaller bases like Pune, Jaipur, and Bhubaneswar. This resulted in increased layover for pilots, leading to fatigue and uneven duty patterns. Many IndiGo pilots are currently operating three-four days at a stretch away from home. "From the start of the summer schedule, there were very clear signs of issues in crew control. Pilots voiced their concerns multiple times and many resigned or are on notice period," said a commander of the airline. In a communication sent to pilots in December, Mittra had accepted the resentment among the crew. "While we have been able to expand our footprint in key markets, I have to admit that the complexities of our network and infrastructure constraints have affected the quality of life," Mittra wrote in an email with the subject 'Work Life Balance', assuring the crew that the problem would be resolved soon. According to Prock-Schauer, there was a "slight mismatch" between supply and availability of commanders. But he promised to fight it with aggressive hiring plans. "In the last one year, we have upgraded 200 of our own first officers to captains. We will be stepping that up and additionally hiring 100 more expat pilots," he said, adding it would increase the number of captains per aircraft. "We don't have a shortage. For IndiGo, there are 6.65 captains per aircraft. We would like to take that to seven to prevent such disruptions in future," he said. Experts view the scenario differently. IndiGo's situation points to a deeper malaise where skill shortage can challenge India's status as the fastest-growing aviation market, they believe. Pilot training is very costly in India and not many can afford it unless it is borne by the airline, said Hemanth D P, head of Hyderabad-based Asia Pacific Flight Training School. Airlines in India recently rejected a government proposal of inducting their own simulator for training, saying it will increase their operating cost. "No, I don't think IndiGo should go into training pilots. That is not our business," Prock-Schauer said when asked about it. Instead, the airline has plans of increasing tie-ups with flight training schools to strengthen the pipeline of pilots. "We have recently tied up with a new academy and are in talks with two more," said Prock-Schauer. 'Will it lead to a full-scale war? I doubt it.' 'But I do think there will be some kind of limited conflict.' A week ago, in his column in The Hindu, Happymon Jacob warned, 'If an aircraft is shot down or pilots are captured, it could become a bigger headache for the government.' For the last 15 years, Dr Jacob -- -- associate professor of diplomacy and disarmament studies at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University -- has been travelling to Pakistan to research India-Pakistan relations and the Pakistani army. His book, The Line Of Control: Travelling With The Indian And Pakistani Armies, published by Penguin Random House in December, is an effective look at the ground Zero situation on both sides of what is termed as one of the most dangerous borders in the world. For the last two years, Dr Jacob has also been researching ceasefire violations on both sides of the Line of Control. This resulted in Line On Fire: Ceasefire Violations And India-Pakistan Escalation Dynamics, which was published in January. After Tuesday and Wednesday's strike and counter-strike, will calm return to the LoC? Or are India and Pakistan on the brink of an aggravated military conflict? "Given the fact that elections are very close and given the fact that India has faced both repercussional and material damage, they will look at extracting something militarily from the Pakistani side," Dr Jacob tells Rediff.com's Savera R Someshwar. Part 1 of a two-part interview: IMAGE: A rocket fired from a multi-barrel rocket launcher during a military exercise at the Mahajan field firing ranges in Rajasthan. Photograph: Kamal Kishore/Reuters Did you expect this escalation? How close are the two nations to war? As far as I am concerned, there was a certain amount of expectation that Pakistan would retaliate because, after their initial denial that India had undertaken any strike within Pakistan, it was clear that the Indian Air Force had actually struck deep inside Pakistan in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The fact that the international border was breached was seen as a red line for Pakistan. I did expect Pakistan to do something in retaliation and they now have. How close are the two sides to a war at this point in time? I think that round one of the conflict is over at this point in time as we speak (this interview was conducted last night). The Pakistanis have carried out their air strikes, so have India, although at this point in time, there is more damage on the Indian side than on the Pakistani side. It is possible that the two sides decide to de-escalate on the basis of a certain mutual understanding. However, I do not think that is likely to happen simply because there seems to be more damage on the Indian side than on the Pakistani side. Hence, the Indian side may not necessarily want a rapprochement at this point of time. Keeping domestic political considerations in mind, they might want to escalate it a bit further. Therefore, I think we are probably looking at more escalation. Will it lead to a full-scale war? I doubt it. But I do think there will be some kind of limited conflict. Do you believe Pakistan will release Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman soon? I don't think they will release him without any preconditions. They will use him as a bargaining chip and will try and negotiate and extract something from the Indian side before they release him. I think he is only going to return to India as part of a negotiated package. After the Pakistani incursion, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked for dialogue with India. How do you assess this offer and how do you assess the lack of response from India? India has given a dossier to Pakistan today (February 27), once again providing evidence that the Jaish-e-Mohammed is in India, evidence that terror attacks have been carried out and evidence linking terror attacks to the Jaish. It is not enough for the Pakistani prime minister to say that he is willing to enter a negotiation. It is also important for the Pakistani prime minister to show that he is willing to act against terrorism. I think it needs more than an open offer from Imran Khan to get India to the negotiating table. Even if Imran Khan says he is willing to cut down on terror and put Masoor Azhar behind bars, I don't think that is enough for India to sit at the negotiating table and reach a return-to-status. India will now need more than words. And that is probably why the Indian side has not openly responded to the offer from Pakistan. IMAGE: 'Given the fact that elections are very close, they will look at extracting something militarily from the Pakistani side.' Photograph: Vijay Verma/PTI Photo When you say more than that, what do you think India is looking at? Given the fact that elections are very close and given the fact that India has faced both repercussional and material damage, they will look at extracting something militarily from the Pakistani side. It is looking at I think, one, some more military strikes against Pakistan and also some credible actions from the Pakistani side against the Jaish-e-Mohammed. And while that may be a desirable thing, I don't think it is going to happen. Do you believe Pakistan embarrassed itself internationally by claiming on Tuesday that there was no attack and retaliating on Wednesday? India too initially denied that a pilot was missing before accepting it later in the day and demanding that Wing Commander Abhinandan be returned unharmed. I don't think that is something that should be taken seriously because, initially, they may have wanted to downplay the incident. And when they realised that downplaying is not going to help them -- that it is going to have repercussional damage for the Pakistan army and the prime minister, Imran Khan -- they came out with the truth which is that India did strike a target in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. While that was definitely a change in the narrative, I don't think it has any repercussional damage for Pakistan. And their saying earlier they have captured two pilots and now saying that they have only one, again states engage in all sorts of spin... What is the message India has sent out with the 'pre-emptive non-military action'? Have we crossed the Rubicon of 'strategic restraint'? By carrying out that strike against a target at Balakot in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, India probably, according to Pakistan, has crossed a threshold or a Rubicon as it were. There was a traditional understanding that, in a conflict between the two sides, they would fight it out between themselves across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. By striking Pakistan in the heartland, India has probably crossed the international border and that may have been perceived as a major escalation by the Pakistani side. The other Rubicon we crossed is the use of the air force. After 1971, India has not used the air force against targets within mainland Pakistan. Even during the Kargil conflict, the Indian side ensured that Indian aircraft did not cross the Line of Control. This time, we have actually gone and struck targets within mainland Pakistan across the international border. India has, to some extent, overcome this taboo; India has, to some extent, overcome its own partial restraint. So, in a sense, what you are witnessing is one side trying to create a new military normal as far as restraint is concerned, as far as how far one can go is concerned and the other side desperately trying to reinstate the past status quo. To that extent, it is a clash between the old status quo and the new status quo. India has crossed a red line, that's how Pakistan sees it. IMAGE: 'After 1971, India has not used the air force against targets within mainland Pakistan.' Photograph: Reuters Like you said, this is the first time the IAF has acknowledged crossing the LoC in nearly 50 years. Why do you think the IAF was chosen to spearhead the attack? Most likely because of the surprise factor... because last time the surgical strike used the Indian Army. And if you have noticed, over the last week, before the air force strike, there has been a lot of activity on the Line of Control. While the Pakistani side was firing at Indian forces, the Indian side was not firing at the Pakistani side. Photograph: Kind courtesy Happymon Jacob/Twitter It is possible that, because of this, the Pakistani leadership may have expected India to carry out some sort of a shallow incursion across the Line of Control. In order to offset that planning on their side, the air force was used. It is also possible that the air force was used to go into PoK and then carry out a strike inside Pakistan. So they may not have actually gone into the mainland Pakistani airspace. They may have only gone into PoK and then used the air force. I think you can look at the strategy in terms of offsetting the Pakistani expectations. Part 2: 'India's attack is a blow to Jaish e Mohammad' 'They will keep him there for quite some time.' 'There are no easy options.' 'It won't be unusual for a foreign power to intervene and get him released after some time, but not immediately.' IMAGE: A portion of a downed Pakistani air force jet seen in Pakistan occupied Kashmir on Thursday, February 27, 2019, along with troops of Pakistan's 7 Northern Light Infantry. Photograph: ANI Photo Bringing back the Indian Air Force pilot captured by Pakistani forces on Wednesday will not be easy and depend on formal and back-channel negotiations between the two nations and international intervention, experts say. The Indian pilot's MiG 21 was shot down by Pakistan on Wednesday. India said it shot down a Pakistan F-16 in engagements over the Line of Control. Pakistan officially said Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was in its custody. Pakistani media and social media circulated videos of him being questioned. In the absence of a formal declaration of hostilities, the Geneva Convention governing the treatment and repatriation of prisoners of war do not apply. "The Geneva Convention is applicable to a war or a war-like situation. And, there is no declaration of war yet," says Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak (retd) of the Centre of Air Power Studies. The Geneva Convention clearly states PoWs must be treated humanely, cannot be prosecuted for taking part in hostilities, and should be released and repatriated without delay after the end of hostilities. None of these apply to the IAF pilot. "There are always channels of communication for such situations. Since this time an Indian pilot has been captured, we should initiate talks to get him back," says Air Vice Marshal Kak, putting the onus on the Indian government to begin the process. P D T Acharya, former secretary-general of the Lok Sabha, says it is unlikely the pilot will be repatriated soon, and a lot will depend on intervention by other global powers. "They will keep him there for quite some time. There are no easy options. It won't be unusual for a foreign power to intervene and get him released after some time, but not immediately," says Acharya. "Once the temperature between the nations comes down, we can see some movement. Pakistani PM (Imran Khan) has already talked about dialogue. He seems to be in a conciliatory mood. That only shows there has been intervention by foreign countries," says Acharya. "If we escalate, you can forget about this boy," warns Wing Commander Praful Bakshi (retd), a security expert. "There can be talks between the two high commissions and foreign ministries, the two director generals of military operations, even the prime minister's offices," says Wing Commander Bakshi. All three analysts agreed on one thing: That the IAF pilot won't be mistreated or tortured. Because he was declared by the Pakistani channels and establishment as being in Pakistan's custody, because his videos were being circulated, it showed that Pakistan is responsible for him now and that sort of gave him protection from any mistreatment, they said. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has offered to receive Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman at the Attari border in Amritsar district when the Indian Air Force pilot arrives on Friday after being released by Pakistan. The Congress leader tweeted his request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Pakistan PM Imran Khans announcement that the IAF pilot would be released on March 1. Dear @narendramodi ji, Im touring the border areas of Punjab & Im presently in Amritsar. Came to know that @pid_gov has decided to release #AbhinandanVartaman from Wagha. It will be a honour for me to go and receive him, as he and his father are alumnus of the National Defence Academy as I am, Singh wrote. Meanwhile, official sources said in New Delhi that a delegation of IAF will on Friday receive Wing Commander Varthaman at the Wagah border. Varthamans MiG 21 was shot and he bailed out after bringing down one Pakistani F-16 fighter during a dogfight to repel a Pakistani attack on Wednesday morning. He has been in Pakistan since then. The chief minister arrived here this evening as part of his visit to border areas to take stock of situation and instil confidence among the people in the wake of heightened tensions. Amaridner Singh has offered to receive Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman at the border on his arrival from Pakistan, the Chief Ministers Officer said in a statement. Wing Commander Abhinandans father S Varthaman retired as an Air Marshal. The chief minister later said it was a spontaneous gesture on his part and a desire that came from his heart, given the prevailing situation. Amarinder had earlier, in an informal interaction with mediapersons in Jalandhar, welcomed the announcement of the Pakistani prime minister and termed the decision to release Abhinandan a goodwill gesture that could help ease the tensions at the border. Following reports of the IAF pilots capture by Pakistan, the chief minister had urged the Indian government to take all possible steps to secure his early release. He had also urged Pakistan to ensure the officers safety and wellbeing as per the Geneva Conventions. The Congress on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party of doing crass politicking on the pre-emptive strikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Pakistan and said he should have worked on strengthening the nation at such a time, instead of focusing on electoral booths for his party. IMAGE: The Congress said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had misplaced priorities as he was busy addressing BJP workers rather than focusing on the nation. Photograph: @BJP4India/Twitter Prime Minister Modi has misplaced priorities and he is desperate only for re-election, the principal opposition party alleged, attacking Modi on a day he addressed BJP workers as part of his partys Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot programme ahead of Lok Sabha polls. Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the statements made by leaders of the BJP including party chief Amit Shah are playing into the hands of Pakistani propaganda and asked the National Democratic Alliance-Bharatiya Janata Party government to rein in their motor mouths. He referred to the statements made by Shah in Gazipur where he sought votes to re-elect Modi in the immediate aftermath of the Indian Air Force strike on terror camps in Balakot in Pakistan and that of former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and Union Minister Giriraj Singh. This is not the appropriate time to be going ahead with political programmes., However, what really shocked us was as at this point in time when the nation is looking towards its leadership, when the nation wants its leadership to speak to it, the prime minister chooses to address the booth workers of the BJP rather than address the nation. It is unfortunate that at this point in time, when the priority should be further strengthening the nation, the Prime Minister thinks that this is the time to strengthen their electoral booths...Today, there is need to strengthen the nation, he said. Referring to the IAF pilot being in Pakistan captivity, he said Home Minister Rajnath Singh was in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, attending BJPs political programmes and claimed the sensitivity of the entire situation seems to be completely lost on the BJP. He said Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman displayed exemplary courage, and exemplary dignity and exemplary poise in the face of adversity. Tewari alleged that a Union minister had said that all those who do not participate in the NDA rally and the Prime Minister's rally on March 3 would actually be considered as Pakistanis. With great respect all the statements play into the hands of Pakistan. They play into the hands of Pakistani propaganda. We would like to tell the NDA-BJP Government and we would like to tell the BJP that they need to rein in their motor mouths. This is not the time for crash politicking. The nation today stands as one, but, it is time that the NDA-BJP government and the Bhartiya Janata Party come together as one with the nation, he said. The Congress leader alleged that while the prime minister has always been claiming that the nation is bigger than the party, but the statements made by him in such a sensitive situation indicate that the party is bigger than the nation for him. Tewari said the NDA government decided on a course of action and the entire nation and the opposition have unanimously stood behind the decision of the government. Pakistan carried out certain incursions into Indian territory, he said these incursions are nothing but chicanery to subterfuge for decades of using semi state actors against India. Four decades of using proxies to target India and its instrumentality. However, what is the matter of grave anguish is the conduct of the BJP. Ever since the pre-emptive non-military strikes were carried by the Government, the Indian National Congress postponed its meeting of the Congress Working Committee and various other political programmes associated with it, he said. The partys chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, in a tweet, alleged that the prime minister was hell-bent on creating a video-conference record when the entire country was praying for the return of its braveheart pilot. Glaring case of misplaced priorities! 132 Crore Indians pray for safe & immediate return of India's brave-heart Wing Comm, Abhinandan but Modiji desperate only for re-election. Congress cancelled its imp CWC and Rally today. Pradhan Sevak hell-bent on creating a Video Conf. record (sic)! Surjewala wrote on Twitter. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal also targeted Yeddyurappa saying, On 27th February B S Yeddyurappa at Chitradurga in a public function said: The Indian Armed Forces proved their mettle by destroying the terrorists hideouts. The impact of this strike will help BJP win more than 22 seats in the state. Is this patriotism or crass politics? he asked. Surjewala, in a tweet, hit out at Prime Minister Modi saying, The armed forces are taking care of the borders and the Pradhan Sewak the booth. These are the soldiers of power. IMAGE: Mita Santra, wife of Bablu Santra, a CRPF personnel who was killed in Pulwama attack, during the last rites of her husband at Bauria village in Howrah district. Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters Unfazed by trolls she faced for her advocacy of peace between India and Pakistan, the widow of a Central Reserve Police Force jawan killed in Pulwama attack on Thursday asserted she stands by her views that dialogue should be 'given a chance'. She also urged the Centre to ensure the safe release of Indian fighter pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan on Wednesday. Mita Santra's husband Bablu Santra was one of the 40 victims of the suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Kashmir's Pulwama on February 14. Mita said she was not worried about the criticism she faced on social media over her anti-war stand. "We should give dialogue a chance instead of war that will lead to loss of so many more lives," Mita told PTI and urged the Government of India to make all efforts to ensure Varthaman's return. "I urge our government to engage with that of Pakistan to get back Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman safely," she said. Wg Cdr Varthaman was captured following a fierce engagement between fighter aircraft of the two sides along the Line of Control in which a Pakistani F-16 jet was downed. The Indian Air Force also lost a MiG 21 Bison aircrft being flown by Varthaman, who bailed out but was captured and arrested. Following the death of her husband, Mita had made a strong anti-war pitch despite calls for avenging the suicide attack, insisting that a war should be avoided as it will snuff out many more lives on both sides of the border, leaving women widowed, mothers without sons and children without fathers. Mita said she was not bothered about social media trolls criticising her stand on war, adding that if one person has criticised her, 10 others appreciated her approach. The trolls even questioned her love for her husband. "After February 14, nothing touches me. Anybody can say anything, I am not worried," said the mother of a six-year-old girl. However, she wondered if those criticising her had a family member serving in the armed forces. "Sitting in their homes, some people are saying so many things, but do they have any of their family members in the Army, Air Force, Navy or paramilitary forces?" she asked. It is natural that the armed forces will have to go to war and make the ultimate sacrifice, but the Indian government must ensure their security, she said. "I want security of the forces to be ensured. All the forces, be it the Army or the paramilitary like CRPF or Indo-Tibetan Border Police, are of the Government of India and it is the duty of the government to take necessary measures to ensure their security," she said. Mita, who has a masters degree in modern history and teaches at a private school, said she has been offered a job in the CRPF but has not yet decided on taking it up. She said since a job in the CRPF would be transferable, it will come in the way of her taking care of her aged mother-in-law. "I want a job in the West Bengal government as was promised by ministers who visited our house following my husband's death," she said. The United States has asked Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. This US statement came after India on Wednesday handed over to Pakistan a dossier on specific details"of involvement of the Jaish-e-Muhammed in the Pulwama terror attack on Central Reserve Police Force as also the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror outfit in that country. Forty CRPF personnel were killed in a suicide attack by Pakistan-based JeM in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14, sparking outrage in the country. "Cross-border terrorism, such as the recent attack on India's CRPF on February 14, poses a grave threat to the security of the region. We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds," a State Department spokesperson said. The ministry of external affairs handed over the dossier Pakistan's acting high commissioner on Wednesday. It was conveyed that India expects Pakistan to "take immediate and verifiable action" against terrorism emanating from territories under its control. Responding to reporters questions over the current situation between India and Pakistan, the spokesperson joined the White House and the Pentagon in urging the two countries to de-escalate their tension and avoid military to resolve their differences. "The United States calls on India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and for a return to stability," the spokesperson said. "We urge both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation, including through direct communication. Further military activity will exacerbate the situation," the spokesperson said. Fearing an escalation of the current tensions between India and Pakistan, the Pentagon on Wednesday urged the two South Asian neighbours to avoid further military action. The Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan has been in contact with the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Advisor John Bolton, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford, and Commander of US Central Command General Joseph Votel regarding India-Pakistan tensions. Acting Secretary Shanahan's focus is on de-escalating tensions and urging both of the nations to avoid further military action, the Pentagon said in a statement. Canada also called for de-escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan. Canada is gravely concerned about rising tensions between India and Pakistan. We urge both sides to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any further military escalation, Chrystia Freeland, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, said. He called for a durable diplomatic solution to the existing problem between the India and Pakistan. Dialogue between India and Pakistan is needed to identify a durable diplomatic solution and maintain peace and security in the region, Freeland said. Canada remains steadfast in its support of the global fight against terrorism, the Canadian Foreign Minister said. We are committed to working with India, Pakistan and our international partners in this effort, she said. Following the Pulwama terror attack, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. On Wednesday, Pakistan claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot. The Pakistan prime minister said the move to release the downed pilot was a 'gesture of peace' and 'first step' to open negotiations with India. Pakistan Prime Minster Imran Khan on Thursday announced that Indian Air Forces captured pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released on Friday as a gesture of peace and the first step to open negotiations with India. The surprise announcement during a joint session of Parliament came barely an hour after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Prime Minister Khan is ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions. As the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif took the floor of the House, Pakistani Prime Minister Khan apologised for interrupting him and said he wishes to announce that the Indian pilot captured by Pakistan Air Force on Wednesday will be released Friday as a peace gesture. In our desire for peace, I announce that tomorrow (Friday), and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody, Khan said. The announcement was greeted by thumping of desks by Pakistani lawmakers. India on Thursday made it clear that IAF pilot Abhinandan cannot be a bargaining chip and New Delhi will not strike any deal with Islamabad for his release. The joint session of Parliament was held on Thursday to discuss rising tension with India. The Pakistani Air Force on Wednesday carried out a retaliatory strike, a day after Indian struck inside Pakistan, destroying the biggest terrorist training camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed. Addressing the House, Khan said, The only purpose of our strike was to demonstrate our capability and will. We did not want to inflict any casualty on India as we wanted to act in a responsible manner. He warned if India moved ahead with the aggression, Pakistan will be forced to retaliate and urged the Indian leadership not to push for escalation as war is not solution to any problem. Warning that any miscalculation from India would result in disaster, he said, Countries are ruined because of miscalculation. War is not a solution. If India takes any action, we will have to retaliate. Khan, however, said that Pakistans desire for de-escalation should not be misconstrued as its weakness. Our armed forces are battle-hardened and they are fully prepared to respond to any aggression, he said. He said Pakistan is a peace loving country and desires peace and stability in the region. Pakistani Prime Minister Khan said he tried to call the Indian prime minister on the phone Wednesday because escalation is not in our interests nor in Indias. The prime minister urged the international community to play its role in de-escalation for peace and stability in the region. Pakistan detained the IAF pilot following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control when his MiG 21 fighter jet was downed. Pakistans Foreign Office said that the Indian Air Force pilot was safe and sound. The armed forces rescued him from the mob that went after him after his plane crashed in Kashmir, the FO said. India on Wednesday summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan and demanded immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot who was detained by Pakistan following an aerial engagement by air forces of the two countries. It has also been made clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, the external affairs ministry said in New Delhi, adding that it has conveyed strong objection to the neighbouring country at the vulgar display of an injured personnel in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. Opposition parties hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday for his address to Bharatiya Janata Party workers through a mega video-conference amid escalating tension between India and Pakistan. An Indian Air Force pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat on Wednesday during which the two sides said they shot down each other's warplanes that followed an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes that sparked fears of war. The prime minister on Thursday had direct dialogue with BJP workers and volunteers as part of the party's 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot' programme through, what the party claims, the world's largest video conference'. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said Modi 'continuing' with his election campaign either indicates that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthman will be back home in the next couple of days or that the prime minister 'does not care enough'. 'PM Modi continuing with his #Elections2019 campaign is the surest sign #WingCommanderAbhinandan will be back in the next 24-48 hours. Either that or he really just couldn't care less,' Abdullah said in a tweet. Abdullah had on Wednesday called for suspension of all political activities till Wing Commander Varthman returns home. 'PM Modi must suspend his political activities until #WingCommanderAbhinandan is returned safely. It can't be business as usual with him cross crossing the country at tax payer expense making political speeches while our pilot is a Pakistani captive,' Abdullah had said in a tweets after the IAF pilot's capture by Pakistan was confirmed. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati termed PM's programme 'ridiculous and a betrayal of national sentiments'. 'At a time when India is facing hostility of war and country needs firm leadership, PM Narendra Modi instead of concentrating on the matters of national security trying to serve political interest by addressing his BJP workers is ridiculous besides betrayal of national sentiments (sic),' Mayawati wrote on Twitter. 'Indian forces foiled Pakistani attack yesterday it is a matter of big relief but an IAF pilot is under Pak custody is a matter of great concern. India should try to do its best at all levels to ensure safe return of the pilot only then the country will feel relief (sic),' she added. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav tweeted, 'When the entire nation is standing along with the government as an Indian rising above politics, BJP is going to make a record of contact with booth level workers ..even the BJP supporters are ashamed of this.' 'The situation could be very bad but this suited-booted BJP will continue with its festivities...condemnable,' he said. In another tweet, the SP chief said, 'It has been nearly 24 hrs since our pilot has gone missing.On the other hand 6 brave IAF personnel lost their lives in a helicopter crash. The nation is praying. We're all waiting with baited breath but not a word from out leadership.The silence is deafening.' First reactions from Indian politicians and public figures over release of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman announced by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday. IMAGE: School students gather for the safe return of Air Force Pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, before his release was announced by Pakistan, in Ahmedabad, on Thursday. Photograph: Santosh Hirlekar/PTI Photo I'm very happy, I had demanded his release earlier too. This is going to be a step towards goodwill and I hope this will be lasting. -- Captain Amarinder Singh, Punjab Chief Minister The decision to hand over Wing Commander Abhinandan is a great gesture & shouldnt be seen in isolation. It also comes at a time when Pak could've chosen to further escalate an already tensed situation. I see it as a mark of reconciliation. Our leadership should reciprocate. -- Mehbooba Mufti, People's Democratic Party chief Along with his family members and all our countrymen, we are anxiously waiting for the safe return of our pilot #Abhinandhan. -- Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal CM Indian IAF Fighter Pilot #Abhinandan held captive comes back home tom. (cheers) for Indias firm stand and international glare. -- Kiran Bedi, Puducherry governor Very glad to know that #WingCommandarAbhinandan will be heading home. I'll wait for him to be back on Indian soil before I welcome him back but Im greatly relieved that PM @ImranKhanPTI has announced the imminent release of our pilot. -- Omar Abdullah, National Conference chief It is the best news for his family and everyone in India. We are very proud of him and our security forces. Peace is significant and very important. -- Robert Vadra, businessman IMAGE: People pray for safe return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman in Varanasi. Photograph: ANI India has not asked for consular access to the Indian Air Force pilot captured by Pakistan, and is insisting on his unconditional and immediate return, government sources said on Thursday. They asserted that there was no question of any deal on the return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. The sources said Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has to walk the talk on investigating the February 14 Pulwama attack and that India wants immediate, credible and verifiable action against terrorists and their proxies. "India has not asked for any consular access to the IAF pilot. We want him back immediately," a source said. "The IAF pilot has to be repatriated unconditionally and immediately. There is no question of any deal," he said. The sources also questioned Khan's statement on Wednesday that two Indian jets were downed in an air combat and asked 'was he not briefed or did he say an untruth'. Denouncing Pakistan's breach of the Line of Control, they said their air force 'specifically targeted Indian military facilities, while we targeted only Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp'. Asked on talks with Khan, the sources said Pakistan must first take 'concrete and specific anti-terror steps'. People are very scared. And frightened. There is apprehension of war. We are under the shadow of swords from both sides and in the middle, we get crushed. As the conflict between India and Pakistan dramatically escalates, villages along the Line of Control fear for their lives. Villagers show a damage portion in front of a house after shelling by the Pakistani Army in Chhajla Patri village near the Line of Control in the Mankote sector of Poonch on Wednesday. The government has put the border districts on high alert. Villagers along the LoC say they fear the worst as the tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours are at a boil. Photograph: PTI Photo Families move away from Chhajla Patri village after shelling by the Pakistani army near the Line of Control, in the Mankote sector of Poonch. One villager was quoted as telling Al Jazeera, "We had cooked dinner yesterday but did not eat. All of us were anxious. We feared the firing might increase. For us, this is a daily routine, the firing is common. But this time, what if it leads to a war?" Photograph: PTI Photo Villagers take shelter at a shrine after shelling by the Pakistani Army near the Line of Control at Mendhar. While many villagers opt to leave the area, some say they opt to live on there, but feel homeless in their own homes. The villagers say they have been told by the army to keep their lights off during the nights. Photograph: PTI Photo A worker walks after painting a Red Cross sign on the rooftop of a hospital in Srinagar. Photograph: Danish Ismail/Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express his deep condolences over the Pulwama terrorist attack and conveyed the solidarity of his country with New Delhi in its fight against terror. Modi thanked Putin for Russias steadfast support for Indias efforts to protect its interests against cross-border terror attacks, a statement from the Prime Ministers Office said. In their telephonic conversation, the prime minister also renewed Indias commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in countering terrorism as a pillar of privileged and special strategic partnership. Both leaders agreed that the concerned should stop all support to terrorism. The two also agreed that the growing cooperation between the two countries will take their special and privileged strategic partnership from strength to strength. Russian President Putin reiterated the invitation to Modi to attend the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok later this year. The PM welcomed the invitation and underscored the significance of growing economic cooperation, including in the Russian Far East, between the two countries, the statement added. Pakistan is ready for talks with India on all issues including terrorism, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday, maintaining that dialogue is the 'only way' for peace and stability in the region. Chairing a Cabinet meeting, Khan briefed the members about the latest developments in the Indo-Pak relations following the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 and subsequent aerial engagement by the two countries' fighter jets. "Dialogue is the only way for peace and stability in the region," Khan said. "I had made an offer to India to investigate the Pulwama attack and hold dialogue on bilateral issues. "Pakistan is ready for talks with India on all issues including terrorism," Geo News quoted Khan as telling Cabinet members. India on Thursday told Pakistan that it has to take concrete steps against the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group before they could engage in talks. A 12-point agenda, including the current security situation, was discussed during the meeting and the ministers of foreign affairs and defence briefed the Cabinet on the Indian 'aggression', sources said. The report quoted Khan as saying that he 'tried to call Modi last night' (Wednesday). Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Prime Minister Khan is ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Modi over the telephone to offer him peace. Qureshi told Geo News that if India gives priority to peace, Pakistan is ready for peace. "Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to talk to Narendra Modi on the telephone and ready to extend an invitation of peace. Is Modi ready?" he asked. "We are ready for every eventuality. If they give priority to peace, we are ready for peace. If they prioritise dialogue, we are ready for dialogue," the foreign minister said. Qureshi also confirmed the receipt of India's dossier on the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 in which 41 Central Reserve Police Force soldiers were killed in an attack claimed by Pakistan-based terror group JeM. "Let's talk together on the basis of the dossier. I am ready to talk. You want to talk about terrorism, I am ready. You want to talk about peace, I am ready. You want to make it a common challenge, I am ready," he said. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. Pakistan on Wednesday claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot. Later, Prime Minister Khan said that Pakistan will release the pilot as a goodwill gesture. A village head says that after the IAF pilot landed on Pakistani soil he attempted to destroy documents in his possession. IMAGE: Children hold banners and national flags after Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan said Pakistan will release an Indian Air Force pilot. Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters When Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman landed on Pakistani soil after ejecting from his fighter jet, his first question was whether he was still in India, says Mohammad Razzaq Chaudhry, the chief of Horran village in Pakistan who witnessed the Indian Air Force pilots capture. In a report to BBC, Chaudhry said that he ran to the spot along with other villagers when he saw the MiG 21 crashing to the ground. Varthamans first question on landing was whether he was in India, Chaudhry said, disclosing that the pilot was pelted with stones and also shot in the leg while fleeing. My objective was to capture the pilot alive. I had seen the Indian flag on his parachute and knew he was Indian, Chaudhry was quoted as saying. According to the 58-year-old eyewitness, Varthaman asked some of the villagers if he was in India, and the villagers tricked him with an affirmative response, leading the pilot to raise patriotic slogans about India. However, he was in for a shock. The boys around him responded by saying, Long live Pakistan! Chaudhury told the BBC, adding that Varthaman then pulled out his gun and fired in the air to intimidate them. The move led to more hostility and the villagers began pelting stones at Varthaman who by then was on the run. The boys chased him until he fell into a stream and one of my nephews who was also armed shot him in the leg, Chaudhry said. The pilot was then asked to drop his pistol, and was pinned down by a villager to prevent him from using any other weapon that he might have had. The pilot attempted to destroy the documents in his possession by stuffing them in his mouth. However, the villagers managed to get hold of some papers which were later handed over to the army, the BBC reported. Varthaman was also thrashed by the angry mob until the Pakistani army came to his rescue. Our boys were angry and continued to force their way closer to him to punch and slap him, though some of them tried to stop the aggressors. I also told them not to harm him, to leave him alone until the army officers arrived, Chaudhry said. The Indian Air Force pilot, who has been the centre of global attention since his capture on Wednesday, will be released on Friday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced in Parliament. Rescuers have retrieved the second heavily decomposed body of an unidentified digger from a 370-feet illegal rat-hole mine in Meghalayas East Jaintia Hills district, 77 days after 15 men got trapped inside the flooded coal quarry, an official said on Thursday. The body, located 200 feet away from the bottom of the mine, was brought out using the Indian Navys underwater remotely operated vehicle and an National Disaster Response Force boat on Wednesday, said operations spokesman R Susngi. This is the second heavily decomposed body to be lifted from the mine after it flooded accidentally on December 13, 2018. The first body, identified as that of Amir Hussain from Assams Chirang district, was pulled out of the mine on January 24. Assistant Commandant of Guwahati-based NDRF battalion, Santosh Singh, who has been leading a team of rescuers from the starting day of the tragedy, said on Thursday three more bodies of the miners were sighted in last few days but they slipped and vanished in course of being pulled out of the narrow shaft of the mine. Efforts are on to relocate these bodies and bring them out of the mine, he said from the mine site located on the western side of a small hillock in Khloo-Ryngksan area by the side of Lytein river. The body pulled out of the mine on Wednesday was dispatched to the civil hospital at the district headquarters at Khliehriat for post-mortem examination, Susngi said. Fifteen miners were trapped deep inside the coal pit after water from the nearby Lytein river had gushed into the mine at Lumthari village in the Ksan area of East Jaintia Hills district on December 13 last year. Apart from the Indian Navy, the army and the NDRF, the states agencies are engaged in the operations that began hours after the accident took place. Giving details of the Wednesday operation, the NDRF officer said five persons, four NDRF rescuers and one from navy, went down into the main shaft number 26. After all the hardship and our dedicated efforts finally this body was recovered from 200 ft inside rat-hole with the help of ROV, Singh said. The NDRF official said their efforts would continue till the last body was retrieved from the mine. Three companies, the Coal India Ltd, Kirloskar Brothers Ltd and the KSB, continued with de-watering the mines and their total water discharge in 24 hours is over 1 crore litre, Susngi said. The mine disaster had shocked the nation. Media reports have highlighted about the cash-rich illegal coal mining in East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya in violation of a ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal in 2014. The Supreme Court had on January 3 expressed strong dissatisfaction over the rescue efforts to trace the trapped miners and told the state government to bring them out dead or alive. The Delhi high court on Thursday dismissed the pleas of T T V Dinakaran and V K Sasikala challenging the Election Commission's order granting the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam name and two leaves symbol to the faction led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. A bench of justices G S Sistani and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal upheld the EC's decision of November 23, 2017, saying none of the grounds of challenge taken by Dinakaran and Sasikala were sufficient to set aside the poll panel's order. The court said there was no infirmity in the poll panel's decision to allot the AIADMK name and two leaves symbol to the faction headed by Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam. After the order was pronounced, senior advocate Abhishek M Singhvi, appearing for Dhinakaran and Sasikala, urged the bench to direct the Election Commission not to allot the pressure cooker symbol to anyone during the next 15 days so that they have time to move the Supreme Court and seek an appropriate relief from there. The EC, thereafter, agreed not to allot the 'pressure cooker' symbol to anyone for next 15 days in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The court had on February 8 reserved its decision in the matter after hearing arguments on behalf of the EC and the two factions vying for the AIADMK name and the party symbol. The bench had said it would deliver the judgement within four weeks in view of the February 7 Supreme Court order that the EC can decide Dhinakaran's plea for an interim poll symbol, if the high court's decision does not come within four weeks. Dinakaran had floated Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam after he and Sasikala were expelled from the Palaniswami-led AIADMK. The apex court had on February 7 also vacated its order of abeyance on the high court's interim decision of March 9, 2018 directing the EC to allot a common symbol, preferably that of a 'pressure cooker', and a name to the then AIADMK (Amma) faction led by Dinakaran. The top court had said that since the matter was pending before the high court for final adjudication, there was no just reason as to why the interim arrangement of allotting 'pressure cooker' symbol by the poll panel ought not continue. The apex court's order had come on an application filed by Dhinakaran for a direction to the EC for allocating his group a common symbol, preferably 'pressure cooker', as a by-election to fill the vacant assembly seat of Thiruvarur in Tamil Nadu had been announced for January 28. Later, the by-election to Thiruvarur seat was rescinded by a notification issued by the EC on January 6. The 'pressure cooker' symbol was allotted as an interim measure, to Dinakaran faction last year during the bypolls of the R K Nagar constituency in the state which he had won with a margin of over 40,000 votes. The EC in March 2017 had given the 'hat' symbol to the Sasikala-Dhinakaran group after it froze the use of the 'two leaves' symbol to which the group led by Palaniswami and Panneerselvam had also staked claim. The Palaniswami-Panneerselvam faction had at the same time been granted the 'electric pole' symbol. However, on November 23, 2017, the poll panel had ruled in favour of the Palaniswami-Panneerselvam faction by allotting the 'two-leaves' symbol to them. The symbol issue has been lingering since April 2017 in the aftermath of the announcement of the by-poll to Radha Krishnan Nagar constituency in Tamil Nadu following the death of AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa in December 2016. Earlier, rival factions led by Sasikala and Panneerselvam had staked claim over the symbol. Palaniswami was then in the Sasikala camp. Later, a large number of legislators led by Palaniswami revolted against Sasikala. The chief minister on Thursday hailed the HC verdict, saying that it showed they are the 'true AIADMK'. Describing the order as a 'good' one, Palaniswami said, "It has been confirmed that we are the true AIADMK." There was little possibility for an appeal against the verdict by Dinakaran, the chief minister, who is also the AIADMK joint coordinator, told reporters in Tirupur. In an apparent reference to Dinakaran, the CM said, "Some created a lot of hurdles with the intention of taking over the party." "With this good verdict, a solution has been found to that. Now, the AIADMK will march ahead," he added. Palaniswami alleged that Dinakaran had moved the court on this matter as part of the rival 'DMK's conspiracy' against the AIADMK, but did not elaborate. Asked about the possibility of the rival side appealing against the verdict, Palaniswami said, 'I believe there is no possibility for that' since similar material will be placed before the apex court too. "Today, it has been established that true AIADMK is on our side," Palaniswami added. President Donald Trump on Thursday voiced confidence that the hostilities between India and Pakistan would end soon, saying he has some 'reasonably decent' news with the United States involved in trying to help reduce tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. IMAGE: US president Donald Trump speaks at a news conference at the JW Marriott Hanoi, following talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photograph: ANI/Reuters Photo In his opening statement at a crowded press conference at the end of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the Vietnamese capital, Trump said the US has some 'reasonably attractive news' from Pakistan and India. "We have been involved in trying to help them (India and Pakistan) stop and we have some reasonably decent news," he told the reporters. "I think hopefully that (tensions) could be coming to an end, it has been going on for a long time," Trump said in his first comments since India and Pakistan both claimed to have shot down each other's fighter planes on Wednesday, with Pakistan capturing one Indian pilot. Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama attack by claimed by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group. The US president also said that there is a lot of 'dislike' (between India and Pakistan). Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a telephonic talk with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval amidst the tense ties between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack and New Delhi's air strike against JeM terror training camp in Balakot. Pompeo and Doval are understood to have discussed the current situation in the region during the telephonic conversation on Wednesday, the Secretary of State's office confirmed. No other details available about the telephonic conversation between Pompeo and Doval. US Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan has also been working on efforts to de-escalating tensions and urging both Pakistan and India to avoid further military action, the Pentagon said in a statement. Shanahan has been in contact with the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Advisor John Bolton, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford and Commander of US Central Command General Joseph Votel on the India-Pakistan tensions, it said. The US State Department also asked Pakistan to abide by its UN Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. "Cross-border terrorism, such as the recent attack on India's CRPF on February 14, poses a grave threat to the security of the region. "We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds," a State Department spokesperson said in Washington. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot on Tuesday. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. 41 CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on February 14 in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a JeM suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. The United States, the United Kingdom and France have moved a fresh proposal in the United Nations Security Council to designate Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, a listing that will subject him to global travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo. The fresh proposal was moved on Wednesday by the three permanent veto-wielding members of the 15-nation security council. The Security Council Sanctions Committee will have 10 working days to consider the fresh proposal submitted by the three members. The proposal is the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist. In 2009, India moved a proposal to designate Azhar, whose UN-proscribed JeM claimed responsibility for the suicide attack against Indian security forces in Pulwama on February 14 in which over 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed. In 2016 again, India moved the proposal with the P3 -- the United States, the United Kingdom and France -- in the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar, also the mastermind of the attack on the air base in Pathankot in January, 2016. In 2017, the P3 nations moved a similar proposal again. However, on all occasions, China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the security council, blocked India's proposal from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee. It remains to be seen how China will vote on the proposal this time. China, a close ally of Pakistan, has consistently blocked moves first by India and later by the US, the UK and France to designate Azhar as a global terrorist by the 1267 Committee by putting technical holds. France assumes the crucial rotating presidency of the UN Security Council in March. At least 40 CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on February 14 in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a JeM suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. India has strongly reiterated its appeal to all members of the international community to support the proposal to list terrorists, including Azhar, as designated terrorists under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, and to ban terrorist organisations operating from territories controlled by Pakistan. The Indian Air Force on Thursday said it is very happy that captured pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman is returning home but dismissed suggestions it was a goodwill gesture, insisting it was in line with the Geneva Conventions. We are very happy Abhinandan will be freed tomorrow and look forward to his return, Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor, assistant chief of Air Staff, told a news conference. Varthamans MiG 21 was shot and he bailed out after bringing down two Pakistani F-16 fighters during a dogfight to repel a Pakistani attack on Wednesday morning, he said. He has been in Pakistan since then. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in Parliament on Thursday that Varthaman would be released on Friday as a peace gesture. Asked if the Indian Air Force sees it as a goodwill move, Kapoor said, We see it as a gesture in consonance with the Geneva Conventions. He was addressing the media along with the representatives of the army and the navy, who both said the armed forces are on high alert and ready to meet any security challenge on land and sea. Tensions between the two countries escalated after Indian fighters bombed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammeds biggest training camp near Balakot deep inside Pakistan early Tuesday. It came 12 days after the JeM claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a Central Reserve Police Force convoy in Kashmir, killing 40 soldiers. WATCH: Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor addresses the media Kapoor said it was up to the political leadership to decide when and how to release evidence of the Balakot strikes success. He was responding to a question on the scepticism in some quarters about whether IAF fighters had hit the intended targets. Kapoor said there is credible information and evidence that we hit the intended targets and it was premature to assess the casualties and damage. The IAF showed parts of Amraam missiles as proof that Pakistan used F-16 aircraft to attack Indian military establishments on Wednesday. Pakistan lied that no F-16 was used but there was enough evidence, Kapoor said. Stating that Pakistan aircraft targeted military installations, he added that Pakistan air force bombs were unable to damage any of Indias defence installations. Addressing the gathering, Indian Armys Major General S S Mahal said escalation of tensions had been done by Pakistan but India was prepared for any contingency if the enemy provoked it. Mechanised forces were put on standby and troops were ready to deal with any security challenge, he said. Rear Admiral of the Indian Navy Dalbir Singh Gujral said the force was in a high state of readiness to deal with any Pakistan maritime misadventure. IMAGE: A BSF personnel stands guard at the international border with Pakistan. Photograph: PTI Photo A woman was killed and a jawan injured as the Pakistani army shelled civilian areas and forward posts in six sectors along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Rajouri districts on Thursday, drawing heavy retaliation from the Indian forces, an official said. This is the seventh consecutive day that Pakistan has targeted forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC). "The Pakistan army continuously resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violations along the LoC at about 1500 hours with heavy mortar shelling and small arms fire in Sunderbani, Mankote, Khari Karmara, Degwar Sectors in J&K," a defence spokesperson said. The firing had started around 6 am, he added. "At about 1415 hours, Pakistani troops initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling with mortars and firing of small arms along the LoC at Nowshera sector in Rajouri," the official said. There was another round of firing from across the border around 1 pm along the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector, he said, adding, "The Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively." In the Chajjala area of Mendhar, one woman died after sustaining critical injuries from a mortar shell, officials said. An army jawan was injured in the shelling and was undergoing treatment, they added. Earlier at about 6 am, the Pakistan army had resorted to shelling and small arms fire in the Krishna Ghati sector, the spokesperson said. In view of the prevailing situation, authorities have ordered a temporary closure of educational institutions located within five kilometres of the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch. People living close to the border have been asked to stay indoors. The year 2018 had witnessed the highest number of ceasefire violations -- 2,936 -- by Pakistani troops in the last 15 years along the Indo-Pak border. Pakistan continues to violate the ceasefire understanding of 2003 despite repeated calls for restraint and adherence to the agreement during flag meetings between the border guarding forces of the two nations, the official said. ***** Pakistan Army says troops on high alert along LoC The Pakistan Army said on Thursday that its troops are on high alert along the LoC with all required safeguards to thwart any 'Indian aggression' amidst tense ties with New Delhi. "Due to the prevailing environment, the Pakistan Army troops are on high alert along the Line of Control (LoC) with all required safeguards along the Eastern Border in place to thwart any Indian aggression," army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said in a statement. He said that the Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Navy continued to stay fully alert. "During the last 48 hours, Indian troops resorted to increased ceasefire violations in Kotli, Khuiratta and Tatta Pani sectors along the LoC," Ghafoor said. Pakistan Armed Forces are in a state of readiness for all eventualities, the spokesperson added. Contributed Photo PLYMOUTH - Extra police will be on hand at one Plymouth school Thursday after an online threat, according to WTNH. A picture of an automatic weapon and the school's initials, ETJMS, Eli Terry Junior Middle School, was posted on Snapchat, prompting the superintendent of schools to send an email to parents explaining that extra security will be in place. TORRINGTON The Meals on Wheels Program sponsored by the Litchfield Hills Northwest Elderly Nutrition Program, The City of Torrington and partially funded by the Western CT Area Agency on Ageing announce the kick off of the Buy A Wheel fundraising event. The campaign benefits the local Meals on Wheels Program that delivers 2 meals each day to homebound seniors. Participants include Bantam Market, March 1-31; LaBonne's Market (Salisbury location), March 15-29 and Davis IGA of Kent, April 14-29. Stores are offering customers the Meals on Wheels wheel for a $1 donation. The wheels, listing each donors name will be displayed at the store. The campaign will run for two weeks or more throughout the month of March during store-selected weeks. Meals on Wheels is administered by The City of Torrington, Litchfield Hills Northwest Elderly Nutrition Program which also provides meal services at local senior centers. We are asking participants of any of these services and their family and friends to please support this event that assists with keeping homebound seniors independent in their own home. For more information on the Buy A Wheel event or other services, contact Sherry Cote or any Nutrition Staff member @ 860-482-4151 or email at sherry_cote@torringtonct.org. Technical school to hold open house TORRINGTON - Oliver Wolcott Technical High School, part of the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System (CTECS), will hold an open house for prospective students and their families on Monday, March 11, 6-8 p.m. at 75 Oliver Street, Torrington. Wolcott Tech is accepting applications for students entering grades 9 and 10 in fall 2019. The open house event will provide prospective students with information about academics and the 12 trade areas offered by the technical school. Trades include automotive collision repair and refinishing; automotive technology; carpentry; culinary arts; electrical; hairdressing and cosmetology; health technology; plumbing, heating, and cooling; electronics technology; graphics technology; mechanical design and engineering; and precision machining. Wolcott Tech offers students in grades 9-12 a full-day high school program that focuses on rigorous core academics while preparing graduates for immediate employment, entry into apprenticeship programs or admission into a two- or four-year college. There are several opportunities to earn college credit while attending the technical school through partnerships with Northwestern Community College, UCONN, and more. Unique to the technical high school experience are the real projects and hands-on career development experience students get through partnerships with local companies. For more information about the open house, please contact the school at 860-496-5300 and ask for the main office. Visit wolcott.cttech.org to download an application. CTECS is a statewide system of 17 diploma-granting technical high schools serving approximately 10,200 high school students, two Aviation Maintenance Technician schools and a Technical Education Center. The Connecticut Technical High Schools provide students with a comprehensive academic and advanced trade/technologies curriculum. Learn more at www.cttech.org. Essentrics fitness program offered Litchfield Park and Rec has added a new fitness program called Essentrics, a unique exercise technique that works with the neuromuscular system to rebalance each joint and increase the range of motion. All ages are welcome. Veteran fitness teacher Maureen Bellmay, a certified Essentrics instructor, said, Its unlike anything I have experienced before. Essentrics will benefit yogis, runners, cross fitters, cyclist or the new to exercise person to rebalance their body in a healthy and efficient way. Classes are Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. at the Bantam gym. The class is $10 each and last an hour; bring a yoga mat. Contact Maureen at 860-601-1714 or by email: mbellmay@yahoo.com for more information, or attend the first class. Market to hold winter harvest dinner LITCHFIELD The Litchfield Hills Farm-Fresh Market will host a Winter Harvest Dinner, March 16, 6-10 p.m. at Mockingbird Kitchen and Bar, Bantam. Chef Samantha Tilley, owner of Mockingbird, is the dinners executive chef, and has offered to host the dinner at her restaurant. Tilley will be joined by contributing chefs Carol Byer-Alcorace, executive chef for the summer Farmers Table Dinners; and baker Barbara Mojon-Gugnoni, who has done the desserts for both the summer and harvest dinners. Dinner ingredients provided by our vendors and other local CT producers including Arethusa Farm, Earths Palate Farm, Plum Brook Chocolate, Bantam Bread, Laurel Ridge Farm, Stella Rose Farm, Berry Ledges Apiary, Maple View Farm, Troy Brook Bakery, Birdseye/Tanner Brook Farm, Mohawk Mtn. Mushrooms, Twin Pines Farm, Brookside Farm, Olive Oil Factory, Wave Hill Bread, and Cato Corner Farm. All proceeds from the event support the markets educational programs. Tickets are $100 per person. Reservations confirmed with receipt of payment, first come first served. Tickets available at the Farmers Market on Saturdays, Feb. 23 and March 2 and also at http://www.litchfieldfarmersmarket.org/winter-harvest-2019.html. Or mail a check to Winter Harvest Dinner, c/o LHF-FM, PO Box 607, Litchfield, CT 06759. xxx GUILFORD For many, Harriet Beecher Stowe the Connecticut-bred woman behind the book Uncle Toms Cabin represents one of the countrys most famous abolitionists. But Dennis Culliton, the Guilford history teacher behind the Witness Stones project, wants to illuminate another, largely untold piece of Stowes history: though Stowe and her like-minded relatives seem seemed to form the epitome of an enlightened New England family, they also benefited from slavery, a reality common throughout the region. In a March 7 presentaton at the Guilford Free Library, Culliton and Beth Burgess, collections manager of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, will use archival evidence to illustrate this lesser-known story. Culliton emphasized Stowes story which features her maternal relatives hometown of Guilford forms only a small piece of the puzzle, one he hopes will contribute to a larger conversation about the Norths complicity in slavery. With that bigger picture in mind, Culliton plans a second event later this spring as a follow-up to his presentation: a discussion with Jenifer Frank and Anne Farrow, co-authors of Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged, and Profited from the Slave Trade. Looking at messy and muddy history According to the Harriet Beecher Stowe Centers website, Stowe is thought to have helped precipitate the abolition of slavery by writing about its realities in her novel Uncle Toms Cabin, which reached a global audience. While Culliton said he does not seek to diminish Stowes work, he does want to tell a fuller story about her life and background. A long-standing but incorrect narrative about Stowe, for example, tells that as a Litchfield native, she was first exposed to slaverys horrors during temporary residence in Ohio, he said. In reality, Culliton said, archival evidence shows Stowe was exposed to slavery as a child in Connecticut, before her time in southern states. Stowes attitudes toward slavery evolved throughout her lifetime, Burgess added. Changes in Stowes attitudes manifest in her writing, Burgess said, pointing to a chapter in Uncle Toms Cabin that pertains to Liberia, where Stowe expressed support for the idea that, instead of living as members of a free and equal society in the U.S., slaves might be better off returning to Africa. Some years later, editorials in which Stowe urged Lincoln to end slavery immediately suggested her beliefs had changed, Burgess said. According to Burgess and Culliton, myriad evidence shows Stowes maternal aunt, Harriet Foote, owned slaves, and that Stowe had contact with them during visits to her aunts house in Guilford (after Stowes mother died, she lived with her aunt for a time). During her early life, slavery would likely have been acceptable to Stowe, Burgess added, just as it was to her parents and grandparents generation. While Culliton was conducting his research, a section from Stowes autobiography drew his attention. In the passage, Stowe describes a moment where, as a younger child who normally didnt have much clout in the family, she felt pleased she wasnt stuck at the bottom of Aunt Harriets household hierarchy; instead, she held status over black Dinah and Harry the bound boy. Suspecting Harry and Dinah were slaves, Culliton pursued their identities in his research. Eventually, he found a family history in which a Foote cousin claims Harriet Foote inherited Dinah and Harry from another relative, indicating they were considered property. Another aspect of Stowes background applies directly to her parents, Roxana and Lyman Beecher, Culliton said. Based on the evidence Culliton compiled, he and Burgess have concluded that while the Beechers were living in East Hampton, two young girls of color became servants in their household. When the Beechers left for Litchfield some years later, they took the girls likely just 10 years old, Culliton said with them. Records suggest they were indentured to the Beechers until age 18, when they would have been released with a meager compensation for years of servitude, Culliton noted. The idea the Beechers took these girls far away from their families not only troubled Culliton, it struck him as ironic given Stowes famous condemnation of the family separations that slaves so often endured. History, Burgess said, is messy and muddy, even when it comes to people such as Stowe. From Burgesss perspective, rethinking Stowes relationship with slavery represents one of the uncomfortable discussions about race that we have to have. Instead of being a house museum that only presents the positive aspects of a historical figures life, the HBSC has been working to take Stowe off her pedestal and paint a more nuanced historical picture, Burgess said. They are excited to participate in a program like Cullitons, she added. When it comes to Stowe, its important to recognize that her narrative is not the only narrative, Burgess said, and to bring the stories of people of color into dialogue with Stowes history. Complicity: Broader implications of Stowes family history Stowes connection to slavery went beyond her interaction with enslaved people. Like many prominent New England families, Culliton said, her predecessors owed much of their wealth to slavery. Culliton pointed to the large, classic New England homes in towns like Guilford are known for. You dont have these big two- and three-story houses because people were selling hay to each other, he said. Among the documents essential to Culliton and Burgesss presentation are correspondences, ship manifests and company records, which indicate that along with his brothers, Stowes grandfather Eli Foote regularly participated in the West India Trade, Culliton said. Foote would bring New England products to the West Indies and trade them for valuable goods like sugar and molasses, Culliton noted, adding it was the toil of hundreds of thousands of slaves that produced those goods. And the Foote family business was not unique to Guilford or New England: one of Eli Footes ship manifests lists the goods he carried to the West Indies on behalf of other prominent Guilford families, Culliton said. Frank, a journalist and the co-author of Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged, and Profited from the Slavery said this practice was commonplace. Contrary to the myth the North was not involved in slavery, northerners both owned slaves themselves and profited from slavery, Frank said. There was frequent and huge trade between New England and the West Indies. Its how Connecticut got wealthy, she added. Stowe and the Footes provide a localized example of a reality common throughout the region, Culliton said, and their connection to abolitionism makes their case allthemore striking. Were using a unique family to tell a common story, he added. Culliton hopes the program will help people re-think their communities and question the idea slavery was a southern problem. He sees it as an adult ed extension of his Witness Stones Project, an initiative where middle-school students research the stories of Guilfords slaves and install commemorative stones at the spots where they lived. Burgess and Culliton will present their findings at the Guilford Free Library at 7 p.m. March 7. The follow-up discussion with the authors of Complicity will be held on April 9 at 7 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to read the book prior to the event. meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com This is probably not the reception Gov. Ned Lamonts administration was expecting when his economic team was announced. State Senate President Martin Looney this week declined to commit support for former Goldman Sachs partner David Lehman when his confirmation as the states top economic development official comes up. This came after a hearing that focused on the nominees past work in the financial industry and its links to the 2008 economic crash. It was a month ago that Lamont announced with great fanfare the team of Lehman, former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi and former Webster Bank head Jim Smith to lead the states economic recovery. Lehman is to lead the Department of Economic and Community Development, while Nooyi and Smith would head the nonprofit Connecticut Economic Resource Center in a public-private partnership with DECD. The move seemed like an example of Lamonts business ties, along with his Greenwich address, paying off for the state. As an added bonus, Lehman said he wouldnt take a salary to lead DECD as he stepped away from Wall Street at only 41 years old to work for the betterment of Connecticuts economy. About a week later, in a column by Hearst Connecticut Media writer Colin McEnroe, the state learned a bit more about Lehmans work at Goldman Sachs with what are called Collateralized Debt Obligations. Its a complicated story, but at heart its about a slew of toxic assets that were portrayed as something else entirely. As McEnroe put it, Goldman told some people these were good investments while they themselves were treating them as bad investments. Lehman was one of two co-chairs of the department running the system. Lehman testified before the state Senate this week, and he was asked many questions about his Goldman tenure. Some lawmakers seemed satisfied with his answers, others not as much. Lehman himself says he has a clear conscience. Any suggestion that I knew a product was going to be worthless and subsequently sold it to a client is completely and wholly untrue, he said, and the Lamont team is standing with him. Its unlikely Lehmans nomination, which requires approval from the Senate only, will not go through. Still, senators are right to refrain from rushing through his confirmation. Theres likely some frustration that goes beyond the nominee and centers on a Greenwich-based policymaking team embarking on a plan to solve our economic woes by, among other things, charging people tolls to drive to work while levying a tax on textbooks and haircuts. But beyond that, Lehmans role at Goldman Sachs in relation to the financial crisis demands scrutiny. I just think due diligence on the part of the General Assembly requires a careful analysis of someone who arguably had a role or at least was involved in the activities relevant to that crisis, Looney said. As they ponder their vote, lawmakers may want to consider that, more than a decade later, the state has yet to recover all the jobs it lost during the Great Recession. Rangers stand near a green turtle heading back to the sea after laying eggs at a beach on Thameehla Island in Myanmar, Oct. 19, 2018. While turtle populations around the world have been declining steadily, heres good news from the Pacific. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), recent data suggest that some of the worlds endangered green sea turtles primary nesting locations are stabilizing. Green turtles nest in more than 80 countries and inhabit coastal waters in more than 140 countries. In NOAAs Pacific Islands Region, green sea turtles nesting occurs in Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI). But nature inevitably takes a toll: Green sea turtles and endangered Hawaiian monk seals suffered heavily in early October of last year when a hurricane struck East Island in northwestern Hawaii. East Island, a small strip of sand among the French Frigate Shoals, served as a major nesting ground for green sea turtles. When Hurricane Walaka struck, it scattered rocks and sand, and the island disappeared under the water. Seven researchers studying seals and green sea turtles had to be evacuated. Its still not clear how many green sea turtles were able to escape. Meanwhile, in East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, well-organized criminal gangs seeking high profits are involved in the trafficking of turtles. Turtles are endangered not only in Asia but in many other parts of the world. One small example suffices to illustrate this: Early this month, a Philadelphia man pleaded guilty to trafficking in protected turtles, according to the Associated Press. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said that David Sommers admitted to sending a package to Canada in 2014 containing 11 diamondback terrapin hatchlings. The demand side Michael Lau, senior head of the program for local biodiversity and regional wetlands at the World Wildlife Fund in Hong Kong reported three years ago that the demand for sea turtles among consumers in China was rising. A number of sea turtles were also getting caught and accidentally drowned in fishing boat nets, and Chinese consumers have long sought the turtles for their meat and eggs. But Hawaii might now offer a model for how to protect green sea turtles. Though the turtles are revered by some in Hawaii who consider them to be aumakua, a guardian spirit or protective deity, it should also be noted that other Hawaiians value the turtles for their meat and skin and not necessarily for their purported spiritual connections. Success in protecting the turtles on Hawaiis island of Kauai is based on legal protections plus public awareness and the advocacy work of nonprofit organizations. Both federal and state laws here protect wild marine mammals and turtles from harassment. In Kauai, this means approaching them no closer than 20 feet and doing nothing that disrupts their behavior as they rest on beaches or rocks or in sea caves. The turtles eat plants growing on rocks. and when well-protected can live for decades. Large adults can weigh between 240 and 420 pounds and are capable of swimming long distances. But the turtles can be extremely sensitive to artificial light. On Feb. 12, two Hawaiian environmental groups sued to block the replacement of some 4,800 streetlight fixtures across Maui County with LED fixtures that threatened to either kill or injure imperiled seabirds and sea turtles. Why we should care about turtles Turtles are among the most threatened animals on earth, experts say. More than 300 species are threatened with extinction, according to internationally recognized Red List criteria. If current trends continue, all seven species of sea turtles could face extinction. Aside from the sea turtles, the other six species are flatbacks, hawksbills, Kemps ridleys, leatherbacks, loggerheads, and olive ridleys. The Sea Turtle Conservancy in Gainesville, Florida, says that the extinction of sea turtles could have major ecological effects. Sea turtles, and especially green sea turtles, are among the few animals to eat sea grass. Sea grass beds need to be cut short to enable the grass to grow across the sea floor, and sea turtles perform this service. Sea grass beds provide breeding and development grounds for many species of fish, shell fish, and crustaceans, according to the Sea Turtle Conservancy. And without sea grass beds, many marine species that humans harvest could be lost. The impact of human activity on turtles Turtles and tortoises have survived since the age of the dinosaurs, but the biggest threat to them in recent years has become the intervention of humans. Industrial development around the world has contributed to the possible extinction of turtles and tortoises by eliminating their nesting habitats in many places. Humans also generate various forms of waste that can entangle turtles and tortoises. And some forms of waste, such as plastic, can be inadvertently consumed by them. Some scientists rank habitat destruction and climate change as the biggest future threats to sea turtles. Scientists say that while turtles and tortoises have survived 220 million years, their shells no longer ensure their continued survival. Shells work great against natural predators, but are no match against humans intent on consuming them, said Peter Paul van Dijk, co-editor of a report on the 25 most endangered turtles and tortoises. Seventeen of those most endangered are found in Asia. In China, the trade has been enormous, with imports of turtle and tortoise products coming not only from Asia but also from as far away as Africa and North America. Traffickers can make high profits from trading in all species of turtles. According to a 2011 report, wealthy collectors will pay thousands of dollars on the black market for turtles and tortoises. The report was produced by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG), Conservation International (CI), and the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. In many parts of the world, turtles are theoretically protected by anti-poaching laws and by an international treaty. But these laws are often poorly enforced. But in reality, nothing seems to be working. The groups report highlights the extent of the trade in turtles meat, shells, and eggs, and the fact that it seems to be expanding despite attempts to rein it in. The report also found that the main regional trade route for whole turtles and turtle derivatives seemed to originate in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The products were shipped mostly to East Asia, where demand was reported to be on the rise both Chinese demand for turtle meat and medicine, and Japanese and Taiwanese demand for traditional crafts made of turtle bone. In 2014, the Indian Ocean Sea Turtle Agreement (IOSEA) group released a report on the Illegal Take and Trade of Marine Turtles in the IOSEA Region, which looked at key trends and patterns since 2000. It highlighted the extent of the trade in meat, shells and eggs. Countering trafficking by raising awareness WildAid, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization, launched a campaign last year in China aimed at discouraging Chinese purchases of turtle products such as turtles meat, skin, and scales. At the time, a WildAid survey of 1,500 people conducted in five locations in China found that 17 percent of respondents had purchased sea turtle products in the past, and 22 percent expressed an interest in buying more in the future. Only 57 percent knew that it was illegal to purchase sea turtle products in China. WildAid released a series of TV messages featuring the popular Chinese actor Liu Ye to raise awareness of the threats to turtles. The campaign reached nearly 34 million views online and was featured in Chinese state media, according to Steve Blake, WildAids China chief representative. On March 3, which is World Wildlife Day, WildAid plans to release sea turtle messages from the actor Eddie Peng calling on Chinese to avoid purchasing sea turtle products. Blake said that WildAid is also working on a 75-minute-long film with Eddie Peng on sea turtles that will be broadcast on the video platform Youku, based in Beijing. And in April, Taiwanese musician and songwriter Jay Chou will be featured in yet another campaign. Dan Southerland is RFA's founding executive editor. Cambodias Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has kicked off an investigation into the assets of one top-ranking police official in Kandal province as it winds down an inquiry into those of another in Mondolkiri, drawing praise Thursday from graft watchdogs who urged the government to probe further cases. ACU chief Om Yentieng said Wednesday that the unit had launched an investigation into Kandal province deputy police commissioner Sreng Sokha after Facebook users questioned how he could afford gifts of U.S. $100,000 and a new car for his fiance at a recent engagement event when he earns an official salary of around U.S. $500 per month. Om Yentieng also announced that the ACU will complete a corruption investigation of former Ratanakkiri provincial military police chief Kim Reaksmey in coming days, noting similarities between his case and that of Sreng Sokha. The ACU had launched a probe into Kim Reaksmey after the military police chief announced in a video clip posted to Facebook that he was giving U.S. $100,000 to each of his five children during a birthday party for one of his grandchildren. After the video was posted, a number of photos surfaced on Facebook purportedly showing Kim Reaksmeys home built from luxury timber, accompanied by comments questioning whether he had benefited financially from forestry crimes in Ratanakkiri. King Norodom Sihamoni issued a royal decree firing Kim Reaksmey earlier this month. Sreng Sokha confirmed to RFAs Khmer Service Thursday that he had received a letter from the ACU requiring him to attend a hearing and provide testimony on March 4. Morm Sitha, president of Cambodias Independent Commission Against Corruption, on Thursday welcomed the governments investigation into the two corruption cases, but stressed that there are many more cases of high ranking officials that require action. She said the ACU should be more proactive in investigating other cases, without waiting for complaints from the public or civil society. We want this kind of action to be taken more broadly and not just target individuals or small groups of people, she said. If there is any information about corruption, the ACU should look into it. We cannot accept action taken according to double standardsit has to be equally applied to everyone. At the time of King Norodom Sihamonis royal decree, Om Yentieng said that whistleblowers provided the ACU with information regarding suspected irregularities while Kim Reaksmey was acting Ratanakkiri military police chief, and that the unit had already been investigating him before the video posted on Facebook went viral. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. An employee at a firm providing business registration services in Hong Kong's central business district produces a document with procedures for mainland Chinese to open shell companies, saying that her firm would not ask any questions, December 2018. The arrest of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on suspicion of fraud linked to shell companies registered in Hong Kong sparked renewed interest in corporate regulation in the former British colony. And exiled Hong Kong media boss Gu Zhuoheng tweeted this week that he will reveal details of a tangled web of corporate assets owned by President Xi Jinping's family and other elite Chinese families, 3,000 of which are based in Hong Kong. According to the Companies Registry, around 1.4 million companies are domiciled in Hong Kong, with some 140,000 new firms registering every year from 2014 to 2017. Last year, that number ticked up to around 160,000, however, with a total of 141,366 new companies set up in Hong Kong from January to November 2018 alone. The registry also sees around 800 registrations of overseas-domiciled companies' Hong Kong subsidiaries, although it recorded more than 1,000 such registrations from January to November 2018. Anyone can set up a company in Hong Kong via the E-Registry website, or via a licensee who provides registration services to trusts and companies. Hong Kong is home to more than 6,000 of such service providers, charging a wide range of services for varying fees. Some offer to set up a company free of charge, only adding service charges later if further tasks are required. Fees can range from 6,000-30,000 Hong Kong dollars (U.S. $760-3,800), a December investigation by RFA revealed. Some offer virtual offices, the use of a Hong Kong address for registration, mail collection and telephone answering services. Same across the board Several licensees responded to inquiries on the part of a fictional mainland Chinese businessman who was unable to travel to the city in person, and who wished to set up a company there. Their replies were the same across the board: All applicants need is a photocopy of their Chinese ID card and proof of address through a third party or by e-mail, and to complete a declaration form for submission to the city's government. Such a person could set up a Hong Kong-based company in as little as five days or a week, they said. No verification of signatures or in-person applications are required, and falsified or borrowed ID would be hard to discover. "You don't have to come in person. You can just provide a photocopy of their ID and proof of address," an employee who answered the phone at one service provider in the central business district told RFA in December. "There is no stipulation that you have to have any employees or an account at a Hong Kong bank," she said. She said that since a government crackdown on the practice, some people were now using shell companies as a substitute for offshore companies domiciled in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), as a way of avoiding tax. "This is a BVI company," she said. "Offshore companies aren't domiciled in Hong Kong, but in the British Virgin Islands." She added: "In the past, people used to use these companies a lot to evade taxes, but now its harder to open bank accounts there, so our clients are using shell companies [in Hong Kong] more than they are using offshore companies." Sheets of paper tacked to the outside wall of an empty office unit in Hong Kong's Sheung Wan area in December 2018 list more than 1,800 firms that are likely shell companies using the location as their main business address. The office is just down the street from a company providing business registration services to mainland Chinese. Credit: RFA Documents for a fee Asked if companies are required to show proof of operation after being set up, all of the service providers contacted by RFA said they could provide the necessary documents for a fee, and the government was unlikely to check. One service provider in the central business district offered a variety of service packages, starting with the most basic fee for setting up private, limited liability company. Apart from administrative services like mail collection and phone-answering, an additional fee could ensure that no questions were asked about whether the company had any operations. Another service provider in Sheung Wan district said the cost of setting up the company would be H.K. $10,000 (U.S. $1,270), with additional secretarial services costing about H.K. $3,000 (U.S. $380) a month. "If you do not open a bank account, as long as you pay the fees, the government will not pay any attention to you," an employee told RFA. "The government won't care if you don't do any business, as long as you pay its fees every year," she said. At an address registered to one licensee company in Sheung Wan, a total of 1,867 company names were listed on 38 sheets of A4 paper tacked to the wall likely shell companies using the address for registration. The address was just down the street from the registered address of the licensee. Attempts to inquire about one shell company that had been under investigation in connection with a pyramid scheme in recent weeks met with no success. "We have many [customers] ... and we are only responsible for setting up the company for them, and providing annual returns," an employee at the company's service provider told RFA. "But we don't know what they do, and we don't check them individually." "If you can't find [this company], I don't think we will find it," she said. "We only communicate with them via e-mail." It will have an impact Last March, the Hong Kong government passed a new amendment to the Companies Ordinance to adopt a licensing system for such service providers. The key requirements for licensing operations are that the licensees must carry out due diligence on their clients. Chu Yiu-kwong, director of Weitong Registration Co., a licensee, said Hong Kong's status as an international financial company could be affected by the accusations against Huawei's Meng Wanzhou, who is accused of using a Hong Kong-based shell company to disguise Huawei's dealings with Iran. "It will definitely have an impact, because this incident is all about using Hong Kong companies ... and Hong Kong bank accounts to conduct illegal transactions," Chu said. "It is likely that ... both the United States and the United Nations will require Hong Kong to take more measures, which will make life more difficult in other ways, and the Hong Kong government and banks will be more strictly regulated," he said. Democratic Party lawmaker and former corruption investigator Lam Cheuk-ting said the relaxed attitude towards business registrations is part of a long-term pro-business stance on the part of the Hong Kong authorities. "If people are using shell companies to carry out illegal activities, then we should make a serious effort to tackle this, and start looking at existing shell companies," Lam told RFA. "In particular [we need to look at] the regulation of these companies offering secretarial services ... We should take a multi-pronged approach," he said. "Penalties should be strengthened if the operations of these shell companies pose a significant risk, or cause large-scale financial losses," Lam said. An RFA reporter who visited a Hong Kong business registration firm in December 2018 to inquire about a shell company it registered that had been investigated in connection with a pyramid scheme was told by an employee that her firm is only responsible for setting up companies for clients and providing their annual returns. Credit: RFA The US has concerns However, details have emerged since Meng's arrest surrounding Skycom, a Hong Kong-registered company that Huawei denies controlling and U.S. investigators say was covertly controlled by the company. The appearance of a Hong Kong-registered company at the heart of a major financial fraud allegation and international diplomatic incident has put the spotlight firmly on Hong Kong's ability to regulate companies in keeping with international standards. Civic Party lawmaker Au Nok-hin said part of the problem appears to be a lack of transparency on the part of the government itself. "In the case of Skycom, we have to wonder whether the Hong Kong government was lacking in enforcing the law," Au said. He said many in Hong Kong fear that the city could lose its separate trading status, based on promises made by Beijing that it would continue to operate as a separate jurisdiction after the 1997 handover to China. "The U.S. already has concerns over whether Hong Kong has already become the same as China, or whether it is being used as a center for arm's length laundering of money with a Chinese government background," Au said. "If the U.S. suspects that there are loopholes like this operating in Hong Kong, then the fear is that they will no longer extend special treatment to Hong Kong," he said. Reported by Tam Siu-yin for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. T-shirts featuring prints of U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are displayed in a tourist area Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, in Hanoi, Vietnam, site of the second U.S.-North Korea summit. The collapse of U.S.-North Korea summit on Thursday over disagreements on nuclear disarmament and economic sanctions is likely to put talk of a North Korean opening to the world on hold and that is just fine for privileged elites in Pyongyang who would lose out if their country pursued major economic reforms like host Vietnam has carried out. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Koreas Kim Jong Un, abruptly ended their second summit meeting in Hanoi on Thursday when negotiations failed to make any headway on nuclear disarmament, a peace declaration or reducing sanctions on the North. The failed summit will send Trump and Kim home empty-handed and raise concerns about renewed tensions if the two countries cant reconcile their competing demands. For elites in North Korea, however, there may be relief at the outcome. Failure to move ahead in relations with the United States also puts off their reckoning with a more open economy and more competition implied by the choice of Vietnam as summit host and expressed by Trump, who praised Vietnams development and suggested Pyongyang could follow in Hanois footsteps. Vietnam, like North Korea, remains a one-party communist state despite undergoing economic reforms after normalizing with the United States in 1995. Now, the U.S. is a major trading partner with Vietnam, with the Southeast Asian country earning tens of billions in exports to the U.S. each year. North Korean economic advisors traveled to Vietnam with Kim, and made several side trips to study the Vietnamese economic model, according to the Associated Press. The rich are profiting Back not everyone in North Korea is enthusiastic about a new economic model. They are well aware that Vietnam chose to reform and open up to Western countries like the U.S. a long time ago, said a source from North Koreas North Pyongan province on Tuesday, Feb. 26 to RFAs Korean Service. The source noted that Vietnam became a world-class rice and coffee exporter because of the reforms, but was still able to remain socialist. [A lot of these rich people] dominate the national sales market with the foreign cash they earn in the Sinuiju area [which had been one of North Koreas exclusive open trade zones], said the source, speaking before the Hanoi summit broke down. They forecast that [on the heels of the summit with the United States] there will be a huge increase in foreign investment if North Korea adopts the Vietnamese economic reform model, with money even coming in from the U.S. and South Korea, the source added. The source said North Korean elites are worried about not being able to compete with foreign investors. The rich have been under the protection of the state and made profits by investing in state-run factories. They have also dominated the high-interest loan sector, the source said. The source said that in a market economy, these elites would not have the same protections and would have much less cash than their foreign competitors. Another source from North Pyongans Ryongchon county said, The rich have been making steady profits under the name of state-run companies. But they have acquired information from senior government officials that North Korea is researching ways to adopt Chinese and Vietnamese economic reform models. This news has made them anxious about any potential political changes, according to the source. Most of the rich are secretly listening to South Korean programs every day and they hear news that Kim Jong Un would be able to develop North Korea into a great economic power if nuclear negotiations with the U.S. president go well, said the source. [They] forecast that if economic reforms begin, there will be an initial chaos, and the rich will no longer be able to make profits with their secretive methods. [They fear] being victims of economic reform, the source said. Potential purge targets The source also noted that in the past the rich and their relatives are often purged whenever there is public unrest from dramatic political changes. A third source, a resident in Ryongchon county, said, Rich people are afraid of a war because they make easy money and live well. But if there is a change in the system, the state will execute [them] first, the source said. The source said that many of the rich people in the area are quite active in the smuggling business. [They] are repairing their ships to get ready for the spring smuggling season, but they are also getting ready for defection, just in case. Reported by Hyemin Son for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may both be returning to their home countries empty-handed after failing to come to an agreement on North Koreas denuclearization Thursday, but experts remain optimistic that they walked away from the negotiation table on good terms. Shortly after talks began on Thursday, Kim and Trump reportedly found themselves at an impasse. Trump said during a press conference that during the talks Kim had offered to dismantle North Koreas Yongbyon nuclear research facility in exchange for total sanctions relief, something the U.S. was not prepared to give. President Trump showed that he doesnt want a deal so bad that he is willing to make a bad deal. So President Trump was absolutely right for walking away from a deal, said David Maxwell, a Senior Fellow at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies in an interview with RFAs Korean Service Thursday. Trumps claim has been disputed by North Koreas Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, who said that Pyongyang only sought partial sanctions relief. With both sides now pointing fingers at each other, several experts said that it is clear that the two leaders went into the summit further apart than they both realized, and this emphasized a need for more lower-level diplomatic engagement prior to a high profile summit. What the Hanoi outcome underscores is the critical importance of moving away from head of state summits and establishing an effective diplomatic process that empowers the U.S. and North Korean negotiating teams, said Kelsey Davenport, the Director for Nonproliferation Policy at the Arms Control Association, during a conference call with reporters. Working-level talks are a much more appropriate forum for hammering out the details on concrete verifiable actions that roll back Pyongyangs nuclear program in exchange for measured addressing of North Koreas economic and security concerns, she added. Former congressman John Tierney, now the executive director of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation agreed, saying The leaders role is to pull rabbits out of the hat, but technical experts and diplomats, their job is to put rabbits into the hat. He was critical of those who believed the president had negotiation skills sufficient enough to resolve these issues on a one-to-one basis. Now I think we can hope that the reality TV portion of the program is over. We can hope that the president finally allows those experienced technocrats and diplomats to get to work with their counterparts from North Korea, and work toward a process to build trust with some incremental, reciprocal actions that would lead to a desired result, he added The level of disappointment is high among many experts, but some have said that the outcome was not a disaster and said that Trump and Kim did not burn any personal bridges between them, indicating that negotiations could be ongoing. The silver lining, I think, from not getting this joint statement, I would say, look at the last sentence of that White House statement that said no agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future, said Richard Johnson, a Senior Director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative. Erica Fein from the Washington-based Win Without War advocacy coalition also felt that a continuation in negotiations was likely. Weve got to take the long view here. There are always setbacks in diplomacy and that is clearly what this is, but Im optimistic that the door is still open, she said. It will take a lot of skill from those invested in a better outcome, like [South Korean] President Moon Jae-In, and South Korean and U.S. civil society to make this a priority for, said Fein. But there are some who doubt a deal will ever be reached. I think the prospect for successful negotiation in the future is not so high, said Sue Mi Terry of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. How do you [continue] from here? We dont even have [an] agreed upon definition of denuclearization, we dont have [an] agreed timeline, [or an] agreed road map, she said. Kim and Trump met at highest level. I dont think it going be easy. Additional Reporting by Soyoung Kim for RFAs Korean Service. A white sedan and an extended-cab police vehicle sit alongside a roadway between sugarcane fields after being hit by a mine blast in Ponnagyun township, western Myanmar's Rakhine state, Feb. 27, 2019. Two police officers were killed and two others were injured when vehicles in a police convoy hit a mine on Wednesday along the main road in Ponnagyun township of Rakhine state, local residents and law enforcement authorities said, in the latest bout of violence in Myanmars volatile western region. Villagers told RFA that they heard two explosions two minutes apart around 7 p.m. local time, while the convoy traveled between the townships Kyan Khin and Pan Nilar villages as it made its way from Kyauktaw township to the Rakhine's capital Sittwe. The blasts were followed by 20 minutes of gunfire, they said. When local residents went to check the area on Thursday morning, they found a damaged police vehicle and a white sedan. I went to the area to see what happened, said Shwe Than from Pan Nilar village. I saw about 20 policemen and damaged vehicles. They were a police vehicle and a white sedan. The two vehicles seemed to have been damaged by the mine explosion. Some Pan Nilar residents left their village for fear of being arrested on suspicion of collaborating with rebel fighters operating in the area who are believed to have planted the explosive devices, the online journal The Irrawaddy reported. RFA was unable to reach Ponnyagyun townships police station, township administration, or the Sittwe district police chief for comment. Rakhine state police chief Kyi Lin later told RFAs Myanmar Service, Right now, we are still making an assessment of the situation. We dont have anything to announce yet. Ye Zarni, the official Facebook of Myanmars police force, said that four officers were driving three extended-cab police vehicles and a white sedan confiscated from a criminal case to Rakhine state police headquarters in Sittwe when the blasts occurred. Two policemen were killed, and two others sustained injuries, with one of them being sent to a hospital for medical treatment, the online post said. The police called the blasts an attack by the rebel Arakan Army (AA) which is engaged in hostilities with Myanmar forces in several areas of Rakhine state. RFA was unable to reach the AA for comment. Since 2016, there have been several instances of homemade bombs exploding along the Yangon-Sittwe highway which runs through Ann, Myebon, Minbya, Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw, and Ponnagyun townships in Rakhine state. Most of the incidents have occurred when military vehicles passed through the areas. The AA set up a training camp and an operations area in hills to the east of the Kyauktaw-Mrauk-U highway, where Arakan soldiers have been blocking, destroying, and planting and exploding land mines on public roads and forcibly recruiting villagers, the state-run Myanmar News Agency reported on Wednesday. When government forces captured an outpost there, they claimed they found Myanmar military uniforms and insignias worn by Arakan Army soldiers to impersonate national soldiers to detain and torture local residents in a scheme to smear the government, Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun from Myanmars military information committee told RFA. Civilians bear the brunt Northern Rakhine state has been rocked by an escalation in hostilities between the Myanmar military and the AA, an ethnic insurgent group fighting for greater autonomy in the state, since late November 2018. The government instructed the military to crush the AA after its fighters carried out deadly coordinated attacks on four police outposts in Buthidaung township in early January. An unknown number of civilians have been killed by crossfire or unexploded ordinance, and roughly 7,000 in Rakhine and neighboring Chin state have been displaced by the armed conflict. In a separate report, The Irrawaddy said that a couple from Ahtet Thin Pone Tan village died in Ponnagyun township on Wednesday when an artillery shell they had found in a wooded area exploded on their way home. Civilians have reported that Myanmar soldiers are detaining them for questioning if they are suspected of having ties to Arakan fighters, and are forcing some to work as porters or guides. Soldiers from Myanmar Army Battalion 539 detained a 17-year-old student from Kyauktaws Pyi Taw Thar ward on Feb. 21 for questioning, but released him three hours later after he showed them proof that he was scheduled to take his 10th-grade examinations. It remains unclear why Zaw Naing Naing Htay was taken away, though Aung Tin Win, the administrator of Kyauktaws Ponna village, said it appeared that the troops may have wanted him to be a porter. The teenager was later taken to two hospitals for psychiatric treatment after his family learned that he had been beaten by the soldiers, his father Shwe Sein Oo told RFA on Tuesday. His family said Thursday that Zaw Naing Naing Htay has now been transferred to Myanmars commercial center Yangon for further medical treatment because his condition has not improved. He has been in shock and is suffering mental distress from the incident, Shwe Sein Oo said. The family has filed a criminal case against the army which denies any wrongdoing and has filed a criminal defamation lawsuit against Shwe Sein Oo and Kyaw Hla Myint, a Kyauktaw resident who posted information about the incident on Facebook. Administrators questioned Meanwhile police in Mrauk-U township took four village administrators in for questioning as they gathered for a monthly meeting at the township administration office, local lawmaker Tun Thar Sein said Thursday. The detainees are Maung Oo Sein of Pying Cha village, Sein Hla Maung of Yan Aung Pyin village, Maung Tin Shwe of Pauk Pin Kwin village, and Aung Naing Tun of Kyaukse Pyin village, he said. Another local village administrator, Khin Maung Tun, told RFA that the administrators are being held, but no reason has been given. Police have not allowed visitors to see the men while they are in custody, he said. Mrauk-U township and Rakhine state police officials were unavailable for comment. Eleven other civilians have been missing in Mrauk-U township since a mid-February flare-up in fighting between government soldiers and the AA, though the national military has denied arresting them, people with knowledge of the situation told RFA earlier this week. Eight of the missing are from the townships Yan Aung Pyin, Tanaing Khan, and Tharsi villages, while another three are vendors from northwest Myanmars Sagaing region, sources said. Local residents believe the Myanmar Army arrested them to force them to serve as guides, said Zaw Zaw Tun, secretary of Rakhine Ethnics Congress, who serves as a relief volunteer in the region. Reported by Min Thein Aung and Zarni Htun for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung and Nandar Chann. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. A Vietnamese activist serving a seven-year prison term for his role in protesting a chemical waste spill three years ago on Vietnams coast has entered the seventh day of a hunger strike calling for police officers and prison guards who assaulted him to be punished. No action has been taken on petitions written by Nguyen Van Hoa denouncing his treatment, Hoas sister Nguyen Thi Hue told RFAs Vietnamese Service on Thursday, two days after visiting Hoa at An Diem prison in south-central Vietnams Quang Nam province. Hoa is now demanding that an investigation be carried out into beatings he received in detention in 2017 and later in 2018, when he was brought from prison to testify in the trial of another detainee, Hue said. The officers responsible for the abuse must then be prosecuted, and written apologies presented for his treatment in custody, the petitions demand, with copies addressed to authorities in Nghe An province, Nghe Ans Ha Tinh district, and the Supreme Procuratorate in the capital Hanoi. Hoa, who blogged and produced videos for RFA, has vowed to continue his strike until his demands are met, Hue said. Hoa, aged 22, was jailed by the Peoples Court of Ha Tinh in Nghe An province on Nov. 27, 2018 after filming protests outside the Taiwan-owned Formosa Plastics Group steel plant whose spill in 2016 killed an estimated 115 tons of fish and left fishermen and tourism industry workers jobless in four central provinces. He was arrested on Jan. 11 for abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the state under Article 258 of the Penal Code, but the charges against him were upgraded in April to the more severe "conducting propaganda against the state" under Article 88. Held for nine days at the Ha Tinh police station following his arrest, Hoa was hung by his hands and beaten by eight police officers, who also threw water in his face, one of Hoas petitions says, listing the names of the officers who attacked him. On Aug. 18, 2018, after being brought to testify at another activists trial in Nghe An, Hoa was taken by police guards to an isolated room where he was again beaten and verbally abused, with guards from the team transferring him from his prison to the court taking part, Hoas petition reads. Hoas petition notes that physical abuse in custody is prohibited by Vietnams own constitution and laws, and by the U.N.s International Convention on Civil and Political and Rights. Plea for help Speaking to RFA on Thursday, Hoas sister Hue said she has contacted the U.N. Committee Against Torture, asking for their intervention in her brothers case, saying that prison officials at An Diem may never have allowed Hoas petitions to be sent. Hoa has asked his family to visit him in prison as soon as possible in March, and he has also asked for a Catholic priest to come to perform a blessing, Hue said. New York-based Human Rights Watch has said that police brutality is systemic in Vietnam, whose own Ministry of Public Security has admitted that 226 suspects and inmates died in police stations and detention facilities throughout the country between October 2010 and September 2014. Prominent blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, known as Mother Mushroom and one of the best-known of Vietnams roughly 130 political prisoners before her release into exile last year, had documented 31 cases of mysterious deaths in police custody before being imprisoned for her online writings criticizing the government. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by An Nguyen. Written in English by Richard Finney. U.S. President Donald Trump and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Phu Trong, shake hands at their meeting in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, Feb. 27, 2019. A brief meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Phu Trong in Hanoi Wednesday yielded some $21 billion in airline orders and service contracts for American companies, but no apparent mention of human rights, disappointing some activists suffering from Vietnams latest crackdown. Vietnamese air carriers and U.S. companies signed the aviation deals with Trump and Trong looking on and Trump made upbeat remarks about Vietnams economic boom, but their public comments and transcripts released after the meeting showed no evidence of discussion of human rights in Hanoi. It is possible that Trump raised the issue in private. Members of Vietnams beleaguered rights activist community, scores of whom have been jailed in a recent tightening of political controls, lamented Trumps failure to raise human rights, although some noted that the U.S.-Vietnam top-level meeting was a sidebar to Trumps second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Vietnam is so clever to satisfy Trump with bilateral trade issues, said veteran activist Nguyen Quang A. Mr. Trump cares about the upcoming election, satisfying himself; he does not care about the core values of the USA: democracy and human rights, he told RFAs Vietnamese Service. Professor Hoang Dung said he had placed no expectations on Trump raising issues like human rights, which he said are for Vietnamese to decide. Mr. Trump is not a savior who would come to wherever there are calls for help. He just acts in the way that he thinks are good for the USA, he told RFA. Vietnam now is good for the USA in terms of politics so Trump did not speak up for human rights, Dung added. Trumps trip to Hanoi came a week after three U.S. lawmakers wrote a letter urging the U.S. president to raise human rights issues with officials in Vietnam. Being chosen to host a summit of this magnitude is an honor the Vietnamese government neither merits nor has earned, particularly given its deplorable human rights record, the detention of American citizens, and a new cybersecurity law that has already led to the censorship of social media posts from American and German citizens, wrote U.S. House of Representatives members Zoe Lofgren, Chris Smith, and Alan Lowenthalco-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam in a letter dated Feb. 19. We ask you to raise these issues in any discussion you may have with Vietnamese government and Communist Party leaders during your visit. They must not come away from the summit emboldened to expand restrictions on fundamental freedoms, but should know that the Administration views the status quo as unacceptable. Activist Nguyen Chi Tuyen told RFA that Trumps reason for visiting Hanoi this week is to solve issues with Pyongyang while having a brief meeting with Trong. Such a visit cannot be for raising human rights issues, Tuyen said. The visit brought heave policy pressure on Tuyen and other activists, he said. They deployed security agents at the houses (of activists) and mine is one of them or they brutally block some others," he said. The fact that they keep dissidents home reflects the real face of Hanoi which they boast is the City of Peace. I would want to ask: Peace for whom and how is it? Former political prisoner Bui Thi Minh Hang said that on Tuesday his house was locked from outside and the lock was filled with glue. Nationwide, from the north down to the south, the dissidents are persecuted, detained, under house watch, kidnapped Some have been detained when they are on the street, Hang said. My viewpoint as a dissident inside the country is that the Vietnamese people should not vest too much expectation in Trump or anybody else who can intervene in the human rights issue of Vietnam, he said. Vietnamese people, he said have to be more courageous in the face of current situation. Do not expect from Mr. Trump because he is not responsible to care for the human rights of Vietnam, added Hang. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by An Ngyuen. Written in English by Paul Eckert. The European Union and Turkey have signed an agreement to help finance the construction of a high-speed railway line from Istanbul to the border with EU-member-state Bulgaria. European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen said at a joint press conference in Istanbul with Turkish Finance Minister Berat Albayrakhe that the EU will provide a grant of 275 million euro, or about $313 million, for the project. The total cost of the project is 1 billion euros, or about $1.14 billion dollars. The train deal is the EU's largest single investment project in Turkey. The railway line is meant to link Istanbul's Halkali Station to the Bulgarian border crossing point at the Kapikule-Svelingrad station. "With the signing of this flagship railway project, EU and Turkey show once more that they can work hand in hand for the benefit of their peoples," EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc said, describing Turkey as "our bridge between east and west." Turkey has been an EU membership candidate for almost 20 years but has regressed on the bloc's benchmarks in areas such as the rule of law, citizens' rights, and media freedom since a government crackdown on dissent following a failed coup in July 2016. Membership talks for Turkey are currently on hold with EU-member states disagreeing on whether to formally suspend the process. With reporting by Reuters and dpa The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has punished France and Greece for their treatment of migrant children in two unrelated cases. The ECHR ordered France on February 28 to pay 15,000 euros ($17,100) to compensate a young Afghan who spent six months in a migrant camp in Calais in 2016. The Afghan, identified as Jamil Khan, who was 12 at the time, was living in the camp when the government ordered its demolition. A French court ordered that the child be cared for, but the state did not carry out the order. Because of that failure, the court ruled, the child "spent six months living in an environment manifestly unsuitable for children, characterized by insalubrity, precariousness, and insecurity." Khan crossed the English Channel in March 2016 and is now living in Birmingham, England. In the second case, the court ordered Greece to pay 4,000 euros ($4,550) to nine teenagers -- six Syrians, two Iraqis, and a Moroccan -- who arrived in the country in early 2016. The court found they had been held for between three and five weeks in police or border-guard stations before being transferred to migration authorities. The ECHR said the detention facilities were unsuitable for such long terms, particularly for children. The court rejected a claim by the migrants that the reception center to which they were eventually sent was overcrowded and unsanitary. The court said the influx of migrants to Greece at the time was an "unprecedented migratory and humanitarian crisis" and that the reception center had been created on an emergency basis. Based on reporting by dpa and AP Russian news agencies say authorities have filed criminal charges against the owners of four companies in the Pacific region of Primorye for holding dozens of captive whales in shoddy and cramped conditions. The case had sparked outrage in Russia and criticism from President Vladimir Putin when images of the captive whales, which included orcas and belugas, were published last year. Russian media have called the conditions a "whale prison." The RIA-Novosti and TASS news agencies said February 28 that the Federal Security Service had accused the owners of violating federal fishing laws, and ordered the animals released. "An examination showed that the animals were kept in unsatisfactory conditions, and must be released into their natural habitat," TASS quoted the service as saying. The whales were destined for sale in aquariums abroad. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that Putin had personally gotten involved in the issue. Peskov also noted that Russia allows catching whales for scientific purposes. The issue had drawn international attention as well, with a online petition to release the whales, circulating on social media. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was among celebrities who had shared the petition, which has gathered more than 900,000 signatures. The UN Security Council has rejected rival resolutions on the crisis in Venezuela presented by the United States and Russia. The United States supports opposition leader Juan Guaido, while Russia backs leftist President Nicolas Maduro, who has been criticized for alleged human rights abuses and for his handling of Venezuela's economy. A resolution needs nine votes to pass the 15-member Council and no vetoes by the permanent members -- the United States, Russia, China, France, and Britain. The U.S. resolution received the minimum nine votes on February 28, forcing Russia and China to use their veto rights. The vote on the Russian resolution was four in favor, seven opposed, and four abstentions. The U.S. draft urged "the peaceful restoration of democracy" in Venezuela, "free, fair, and credible" presidential elections, and unobstructed delivery of humanitarian aid to all Venezuelans in need. President Donald Trump has said all options are on the table in dealing with Venezuela. Maduro has blocked aid deliveries from the United States, saying they are part of a plot by Washington to remove him from office. The Russian draft voiced concern at threats to use force against Venezuela and interfere in the country's domestic affairs. Maduro took office in 2013 after the death of Hugo Chavez, and was sworn in for a second term in January following elections in May 2018 that were marred by an opposition boycott and claims of vote-rigging. With reporting by AP and Reuters The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Laura Codruta Koevesi, Romania's former anticorruption chief, oversaw the prosecution of dozens of high-level officials. She's now the front-runner to become the EU's chief public prosecutor -- but Romania's ruling party is actively campaigning against her. Prosecutor Laura Codruta Koevesi, the former head of Romania's anti-corruption agency, DNA, is due to appear in court in Bucharest next week over allegations of corruption, Romanian media reports say. Koevesi, a front-runner to become the European Union's first-ever top prosecutor, has been summoned for March 7 in a case where she is accused of abuse of office, bribery and false testimony, according to Romanian news agency Agerpres, which quoted unnamed judicial sources. On the same day, the European Parliament and representatives of EU member states are set to start talks to choose the head of the new European Public Prosecutor's Office. Koevesi was dismissed by Romania's government last year in what critics say was a move to prevent the DNA from convicting senior members of the governing alliance. The leftist government, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, has actively campaigned against Koevesis candidacy for the European prosecutor post. Koevesi has been widely praised by the EU for her results in fighting graft in one of the bloc's most corrupt countries. Koevesi had already appeared once in court on February 15, on the same day she had been due in Brussels to present her candidacy for the EU prosecutor job. Critics have said that Koevesi was suddenly subpoenaed to court on abuse-of-office and other charges in order to smear her record and diminish her chances of getting the Brussels position. Last week, representatives of EU member states backed Koevesi's French rival Francois Bohnert for the top EU anti-corruption post. But on February 27, European lawmakers threw their support behind Koevesi. As a result, both sides will now need to work out a compromise next week. Based on reporting by Agerpres and AFP A nephew of Dmitry Kiselyov, a Russian state media boss known for fiery anti-Western diatribes, has been sentenced to two years and three months in a German prison on charges of planning to take part in military activities alongside Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. A court in Munich on February 28 sentenced Kiselyov's nephew, a German citizen whose name was spelled Sergej Kisseljow by German media, after convicting him of threatening state security and illegally possessing weapons. The judge in the case said prosecutors failed to prove definitively that Kisseljow underwent training in the Russian city of St. Petersburg in 2014 in order to join the separatists' fight against Ukrainian government forces. Kisseljow admitted that he was waiting to be sent to eastern Ukraine but denied that he'd received any paramilitary training. He also admitted that he eventually went to eastern Ukraine. But he insisted he did not kill anyone there. German authorities began investigations against Kisseljow in late 2017. He was detained in Bulgaria several months later and deported to Germany. The United Nations estimates some 13,000 people -- one-quarter of them civilians -- have been killed since April 2014 in the war between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists who hold parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The conflict erupted after Ukraine's pro-Russia former president, Viktor Yanukovych, fled to Russia in February 2014 in the face of mass protests known as the Maidan, and Russia seized control of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. Kisseljow's uncle, Russian TV pundit Dmitry Kiselyov, has said twice in interviews that his nephew fought against Ukrainian armed forces in eastern Ukraine. He was also decorated with a medal from the pro-Russia separatists. The Russian TV pundit heads the state-owned media company Rossia Segodnya. He is best known for propaganda against Washington and the West that he issues on a weekly program he hosts. On February 23, Kiselyov ran a segment showing a map of the United States with targets that he said would be hit in the event of a nuclear war between the United States and Russia. Those targets included the Pentagon and the U.S. presidential retreat Camp David outside Washington. With reporting by RTVI and RBC KURSK, Russia -- When a trainload of tanks, guns, and other military hardware supposedly seized from the Syrian battlefields pulled up at Kursk railway station on a cloudy afternoon this week, a jubilant crowd was there to greet it. An orchestra belted out Soviet war songs. A state-funded paramilitary youth movement performed a dance for world peace. A World War II veteran in battered shoes lauded Russia's armed forces. And officials in slick suits delivered the obligatory praise for the president and commander in chief, Vladimir Putin. "The next generation must understand that the enemy is not far away," said Acting Regional Governor Roman Starovoit. "It must be liquidated on the threshold of our motherland's borders." Kursk, a city of 450,000 people five hours by train from Moscow, was the third stop on a nationwide, 28,000-kilometer propaganda tour launched by Russia's Defense Ministry to showcase the achievements of its military campaign in Syria. Putin announced the campaign in September 2015 with the promise of air support for his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad's fight against the extremist Islamic State group (IS) and against rebel forces backed by the West. The travelling exhibition, titled Syrian Breakthrough, is meant to raise support for the armed forces among a Russian population weary of the country's military campaigns in Ukraine and the Middle East, and increasingly preoccupied with problems at home amid stagnating incomes and falling real wages. The train left Moscow on February 23, a Russian holiday named Defenders of the Fatherland Day, and will stop at 61 cities on its route to the far eastern port of Vladivostok. On its rolling platforms stand Russian T-55 tanks and American Humvees used by IS and apparently captured by the Russian Army, as well as various four-wheel drives the terrorist group customized for military operations or suicide-bombing missions. Toy Tanks And T-Shirts Inside its 20 boxcar carriages are displays of IS weaponry and equipment, photo galleries glorifying the Russian military and a souvenir shop selling toy tanks and Putin T-shirts. Posted throughout are Russian servicemen fresh from tours of duty in Syria, who for 72 days will traverse this vast country sharing tales of their exploits before returning to Moscow ahead of World War II Victory Day on May 9. "This exhibition is important for people to see what aggression is coming from terrorist organizations, and how strong they are today," said Andrei Selivanov, a military adviser who has served in Syria since the start of the Russian campaign. "All of this shows the scale of that aggression and what tragedy could occur in the future if all of this isn't stopped and suppressed." He did not elaborate on how the items on show came into the possession of the Russian Army, which officially has no boots on the ground in Syria. It's not just about issuing a warning, though. From its first weeks, Russia's intervention has been accompanied by a turbo-charged campaign on state TV, with video-game style reports showing fighter jets lifting off from Russia's air base in Syria's Hmeimim and to-the-minute coverage of the targets struck. Presenters praised the might of a Russian Army revived under Putin's rule. Parked in front of the Kursk train station was a mobile recruitment center for the armed forces. Above the door, a scrolling text listed the Russian military's claimed achievements in Syria: 1.3 million Syrian refugees returned to their homes; 1,024 towns liberated; 67,000 square kilometers of IS territory cleared. Inside, two servicemen handed out leaflets and advice to boys looking to enlist. Much of Russia's media campaign and its official rhetoric has sought to hammer home the point that the devastating chemical attacks, which have killed hundreds of civilians in Syria, have been the work of rebel forces armed and supported by the U.S.-led coalition, and not, as the United States and United Nations claim, the Syrian government of Assad. Selivanov, the military adviser, said that was not the point of the Syrian Breakthrough exhibition. "We're not here to accuse anyone -- not the West, not anyone," he said. "The exhibition is aimed not at placing blame, but to show the scale of the tragedy that may happen." But inside one of the train's carriages, one exhibit appeared to paint a different picture. Two mannequins with gas masks stood around dummy equipment for chemical-weapons production. A serviceman posted to the installation rattled off lines he'd memorized from a script in his right hand, while he pointed to the relevant objects with a pointer he held in his left. "With the help of this installation and chemical reagents made abroad, the rebels produced poisonous gas and used various methods of delivering it to the target," the serviceman said, indicating the control board, the chemical reactor, and the electric motor that powered the set-up. The equipment had been found in the basement of a bombed-out building in Douma, a city close to the Syrian capital Damascus, in April 2018, he said. That month, a chemical-weapons attack the West blamed on Assad's government, which Russia called a Western provocation, claimed at least 70 civilian lives. "With the help of such munitions the rebels fired on the Syrian Army and used them for shelling of civilians as a form of provocation," the serviceman continued. He then pointed to the gas mask worn by one of the mannequins, with the words "Made in Finland" emblazoned on it. "As we see, foreign production," he said. The message was not lost on the crowd. Valentin Pinaev, a 63-year-old Kursk native who had come with his wife, turned to a Western reporter. "You see, your equipment is here, too. You helped those mujahedin," he said, using a term for Islamist guerrilla fighters who fought Soviet forces in Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan War. "Who cultivated IS? Do you know who? We know -- but they don't talk about it over there in the West." He then raced off with his wife to glimpse the military vehicles before the train departed. Between June 1943 and October 1948, over 7.5 million Soviet citizens visited an open-air exhibition of Nazi war trophies captured by the Soviet Union during World War II, and the current exhibition riffs directly off that. In one of the carriages, an entire wall is devoted to a photo gallery of that event. Series Of Stunts But the initiative is also part of a series of similar stunts launched in recent weeks by the Russian Defense Ministry, whose Main Political Directorate is tasked with promoting patriotism and military values. In January, a train carrying 30 World War II-era T-34 tanks, which enjoy cult status in Russia for their role in repelling the Nazi invasion, left Vladivostok for Moscow. The train was greeted with crowds, fanfare, and TV cameras in every city it passed. The agitpoyezd, or propaganda train, is a legacy of the Soviet Union, which staged regular public events aimed at instilling loyalty to the state. In recent months, Russia has escalated its rhetoric in the ongoing confrontation with the West. In his state-of-the-nation address on February 21, Putin, in a veiled reference to the United States, said that "Russia will be forced to create and deploy types of weapons that can be used not only in respect of those territories from which the direct threat to us originates, but also in respect of those territories where the centers of decision-making are located." It was not an isolated threat. During his flagship evening news show three days later, the content of which is almost certainly aired only with Kremlin approval, TV host Dmitry Kiselyov raised the tension once again. Sweeping his hand over a map of the mainland United States, he showed viewers the locations of those "centers of decision-making": the Pentagon, the Jim Creek naval station, and the Camp David presidential retreat, among others. "For now, we're not threatening anyone, but if such a deployment takes place, our response will be instant," Kiselyov said. 'Militarist Hysteria' Aleksandr Golts, an independent military analyst, believes Russia's military campaigns in Syria and Ukraine have fueled a militarist streak that is sweeping parts of the population, aided by an active effort on the government's part. "A militarist hysteria is being assiduously and determinedly pumped into society," he said in a telephone interview. "But this has not been successful. People are tired of it, and they've begun to feel fear." A public opinion poll conducted last April by the independent Levada Center found that 57 percent of Russians fear that Russia's stand-off with the West could escalate into World War III. Eighteen months earlier, that figure stood at 48 percent. "The louder the TV shouts about how Russia's regained its status as a great power, about how everyone respects us because they fear us, the more the subconscious fear grows that this can escalate into World War III," Levada's director Lev Gudkov told RFE/RL. "It's noticeable in the focus groups we hold." Still, Gudkov attributes far greater influence to TV propaganda than individual initiatives like Syrian Breakthrough. The Syrian war feels far away to Russians and has not yet become a damaging political issue for Putin's government. Russian authorities say an officer of Russia's Black Sea fleet and his partner have been imprisoned on charges of spying for Ukraine. Russia's North Caucasus Regional Military Court sentenced Major Dmitry Dolgopolov to 10 years in prison and Anna Sukhonosova to 9 years after convicting the couple of selling classified materials to Ukraine's Security Service (SBU). Both the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Russian military court described Sukhonosova as Dolgopolov's "common-law wife." The two were arrested in September 2017 in Ukraine's Russian-occupied region of Crimea. Russias Black Sea fleet is based at the Crimean port of Sevastopol. The FSB statement said Dolgopolov and Sukhonosova pleaded guilty to the charges. "The named individuals collected and handed to Ukraines Security Service materials containing state secrets on operations of units of the Black Sea Fleet," an FSB statement said. Based on reporting by RIA Novosti and Interfax KRASNODAR, Russia -- A court in Russia's southern region of Krasnodar has sentenced a woman to 10 years in prison in connection with a murder case known as the "Krasnodar cannibals," officials at the regional directorate of the Investigative Committee told RFE/RL. Earlier, 43-year-old Natalya Baksheyeva was found guilty of incitement to murder and dismemberment of a person. The prosecutor in the case had sought a 12-year prison sentence for her. Baksheyeva was accused of urging her husband, 36-year-old Dmitry Baksheyev, to kill a woman after an argument at the couple's home in September 2017. During the investigation, police found pickled body parts in the home that Baksheyeva shared with her husband. Forensic tests later revealed that pieces of flesh found in jars of brine were parts of the victim's body. The couple was arrested in 2017 after authorities said they received a call from people who found a phone Baksheyev had lost that contained photographs of Dmitry Baksheyev posing with human body parts. Natalya Baksheyeva went on trial in October. Her husband, who is being treated for tuberculosis, is being tried separately. Ukrainian lawmaker and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has accused the leadership of parliament -- the Verkhovna Rada -- of intentionally impeding an impeachment process against President Petro Poroshenko just a month before Ukraine's presidential election. Tymoshenko, a presidential candidate whose Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party has joined with other parties to start the impeachment process, told parliament on February 28 that the Verkhovna Rada's leadership had annulled forms to support the impeachment drive. She also said the parliamentary leadership has refused to register a draft resolution on creating a temporary commission to investigate the alleged involvement of Poroshenko's close associates in the smuggling of spare parts from Russia for military equipment. "That means that [parliament's leadership] is covering up the crime, is trying to silence it," Tymoshenko said. Parliament speaker Andriy Parubiy rejected Tymoshenko's statement and called on her "to stop imposing pressure on parliament's activities." Tymoshenko announced her party's move to impeach the president on February 26, accusing Poroshenko of treason. The move came a day after a media outlet aired a program alleging that people close to Poroshenko enriched themselves by smuggling spare parts for military equipment from Russia. With the March 31 election less than five weeks away, the report on media outlet Bihus.Info's program Nashi Hroshi (Our Money) threw an explosive new element into the election campaign. Poroshenko, a pro-Western tycoon who came to power after Moscow-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych fled to Russia in early 2014, is trying to overcome a steep drop in public support in order to be reelected. The election comes amid persistent economic challenges in the country and an ongoing war in eastern Ukraine against Russia-backed separatists. Poroshenko on February 28 issued his first public reaction to the investigative journalists' report, saying on his presidential website that a probe has been launched into the allegations. The presidential website said the Prosecutor-Generals Office, the National Anticorruption Bureau (NABU), and the Specialized Anticorruption Prosecutor (SAP) are investigating the case. "If the facts are confirmed, then, no doubt, neither names nor posts will save anyone involved.... I remind that following the investigation, all guilty persons will be held accountable," Poroshenko said. Meanwhile, three Ukrainian lawmakers on February 28 announced that they've decided to quit Poroshenko's political group, the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko (BPP), because of the investigative report. Mustafa Nayyem wrote on Twitter that he and the BBP "have been on different sides of the barricades for a long time," and his decision to quit was just a formality. Serhiy Leshchenko and Svitlana Zalishchuk announced about their decision to quit the BPP on Facebook. Allegations about ties or transactions involving Russia are particularly sensitive In Ukraine because of Moscow's seizure of Ukraine's Crimea and its role in the war that has killed some 13,000 people in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed separatist hold parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Ukrainian Constitution says the president "can be impeached if he or she commits high treason or other crimes." Among other things, the process requires an investigation by a special prosecutor and multiple votes in parliament, including a three-fourths vote following approval by the Constitutional Court. With reporting by UNIAN The U.S. envoy who is meeting with Afghan Taliban delegates says the latest round of peace talks in Qatar have been put on hold until March 2 so that both sides can conduct "internal deliberations." "Both sides will take the next two days for internal deliberations, with plans to regroup on Saturday," Zalmay Khalilzad tweeted on February 28 following three days of talks with Taliban negotiators in Doha, aimed at finding a negotiated solution to Afghanistan's 17-year war. After the February 27 session, both sides decided to adjourn in order to hold consultations and prepare for their next session, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement. The Taliban statement said the latest round of talks included extensive discussions on how foreign troops could be withdrawn from Afghanistan, and on how to guarantee the country will not be used again by outside forces to attack other countries. Describing the talks as "solid" and "productive," Khalilzad wrote on Twitter: We continue to take slow, steady steps toward understanding and eventually peace. In the past, Khalilzad has tried to convince the Taliban to hold direct talks with representatives of Afghanistan's government. The Taliban has rejected that proposal. In Kabul, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on February 28 reiterated that an Afghan-led peace process would provide lasting stability in the country. "Afghanistan wants cooperation and collaboration, but Afghans and the legitimate government of Afghanistan should own the peace process," he said. According to Mujahid, the Talibans newly appointed political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar did not take part in the latest round of talks in Qatar. But Mujahid said Baradar did meet with Khalilzad and General Scott Miller, the top NATO and U.S. commander in Afghanistan, as well as with Qatari officials in Doha. Baradar, a co-founder of the Islamist group, was released from a Pakistani jail in October. His appointment to the post was widely seen as the sign of a new push by the Taliban to achieve political and diplomatic legitimacy. During a previous round of talks in Doha in January, U.S. and Taliban negotiators said they reached a "basic framework" on how to take the peace process forward. That framework agreement calls for the Taliban to prevent international terrorist groups from basing themselves in Afghanistan and for the United States to withdraw all of its military forces from Afghanistan. But details on the timeline for a complete U.S. withdrawal have not been agreed upon. U.S. troops are known to have been in Afghanistan since U.S. special forces were killed in the downing of a helicopter in October 2001 following Al-Qaeda's September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States. U.S. support for anti-Taliban fighters in Afghanistan -- including air strikes on Kabul and front-line Taliban positions -- led to the downfall of the Taliban government after it refused to hand over Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and other terrorists blamed for orchestrating the September 11 attacks. With reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, and dpa Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan says Islamabad will release an Indian pilot captured by Pakistani forces on February 27 after his warplane was shot down in the disputed region of Kashmir. Khan said in a speech to Pakistan's parliament on February 28 that "the captured Indian pilot" will be released on March 1 as "a gesture of peace." In New Delhi, however, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was defiant in his first public remarks since both Pakistan and India claimed they shot down each other's fighter planes near Kashmir's Line of Control -- the de facto border that divides the Himalayan region between Indian and Pakistani rule. Modi said citizens of India should "stand as a wall, as a rock," and unite "as the enemy seeks to destabilize India." "The entire country is one today and standing with our soldiers," Modi said. "The world is looking at our collective will and we have faith in our forces' capacity. India will live as one. India will work as one. India will grow as one. India will fight as one. India will win as one." The remarks from the Pakistani and Indian leaders came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump said that Washington was mediating to help defuse the crisis and that he expected "reasonably decent news." The United Nations and world powers -- including the United States, China, Russia, and the European Union -- have expressed concerns that escalating tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi could spiral out of control. In another sign of easing tensions, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said India had handed over intelligence it has about a deadly February 14 attack on Indian security forces in Kashmir that sparked the crisis. Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal said Pakistan will examine the Indian "dossier" on the bombing that Islamabad received through diplomatic channels on February 28. Faisal did not provide details about the information New Delhi shared. Pakistan's military said its air force shot down two India Air Force jets in its airspace and captured a pilot on the ground in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. India confirmed the loss of one of its MiG-21s and the capture of its pilot. It said it also foiled an attack by Pakistani warplanes over Kashmir and shot down one Pakistani plane. Islamabad denies any of its aircraft were shot down. The aerial confrontation came a day after India on February 26 struck what it said was a militant camp in northeastern Pakistan in retaliation for a suicide bombing that killed at least 41 Indian troops in the India-controlled part of Kashmir A Pakistan-based group, the Jaish-e Muhammad (JeM), claimed responsibility for the February 14 attack -- the deadliest to take place during a three-decade insurgency against Indian rule in Kashmir. India has accused Pakistan of having a "direct hand" in the attack and providing sanctuary to the militants. Islamabad denies involvement. India's air strikes in Pakistani territory on February 26 were the first since the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on February 27 that the escalation of violence has the potential to lead to serious and dangerous consequences for the two countries and the wider region." China, a close ally of Pakistan, expressed hope that Islamabad and New Delhi will "earnestly fulfill their commitments to prevent the expansion of the situation." Russia also urged calm and offered to act as a mediator. With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters WASHINGTON -- The United States says it welcomes the assessment by international monitors that Moldovas February 24 parliamentary elections were competitive and generally fair, but it adds that it shares concerns about a variety of alleged violations. A statement by the State Department on February 27 said the United States congratulates the people of Moldova, the Central Electoral Commission, and the winners in the February 24 parliamentary elections. It added that it welcomed the assessment by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that the Balkan countrys parliamentary elections were competitive and generally respected fundamental rights. The State Department added, however, that it shares OSCE concerns of allegations of bribing voters and misuse of administration resources and it called on Moldovan authorities to investigate the claims. Authorities should also give serious consideration to OSCE, Venice Commission, and other international recommendations for future elections, including clarifying elements of the electoral code, it added. The statement said Washington urges Moldovas leaders to move quickly to form a new government that respects the will of Moldovan voters and serves the Moldovan people by fighting corruption, promoting judiciary reforms, and securing Moldovas progress on its democratic trajectory. The OSCE released its assessment on February 25, the day after Moldovans headed to the polls as rival political forces are engaged in a tug-of-war between integration with the European Union and closer ties with Moscow. Although the Moldovan Central Electoral Commission (CEC) said the polls were held without major incidents, both the Socialists and the ACUM alliance have accused the ruling Democrats of massive fraud. Both the Socialists and Democrats accused each other of vote buying. Election authorities said they will look into the matter. The pro-Russia Socialists were poised to gain the most seats in the next parliament, but they failed to secure a majority. The Socialists finished with 31.2 percent of the vote, while ACUM had 26.8 percent, and the Democrats had 23.6 percent. But the vote was held under a new electoral system that divides the 101-seat parliament into 50 seats elected by party lists and 51 seats by individual face-to-face races. Initial calculations indicate the Socialists will receive 35 seats, followed by the ruling Democrats, which have called for closer ties with the West, with 30 seats; and ACUM, a pro-European Union coalition that ran on an anticorruption platform, with 26 seats. The conservative Shor Party will get seven seats, and independent candidates will receive the remaining seats. ACUM has pledged not to enter into a coalition with either the Socialists or the Democrats. President Igor Dodon, who headed the Socialist Party until he became president, is a vocal supporter of closer ties with Russia and a staunch ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Chisinau's relations with Russia, however, deteriorated after Moldova signed an Association Agreement with the EU in 2014. Russia then placed an embargo on some Moldovan goods. Now, 70 percent of Moldovan exports head to the EU. With reporting by RFE/RLs Moldovan Service Entire nation is praying for the safe release of IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman who was held captive by Pakistan army after his MIG 26 crashed across the border in the heightened tensions between India Pakistan after IAF strikes inside Pakistan which destroyed terrorist camps. In the midst of all this, it is coming out that star director Maniratnam consulted Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman's father for his film Kaatru Veliyidai (Cheliya in Telugu) which starred Karthi and Aditi Rao Hydari. Advertisement The film was all about Kargil War and an Indian Air Force fighter jet is shot down by Pakistan. Karthi played the role of Sqn Ldr Varun Chakrapani in the film. Maniratnam during that time consulted Abhinandan Varthaman's father Air Marshal Varthaman for inputs for the film. What Maniratnam portrayed in the film and the worst fears of Varthaman came true when his son Abhinandan was held captive. Karthi who played the lead role in the film said, "I'm very fortunate to have met a few of our fighter pilots in #IAF. It's a true honor to know them and they are men of a different league. I sincerely pray for the safe return of our warriors." Rapist Tony Chapman A DANGEROUS rapists appeal against his 25-year prison sentence has been thrown out at the High Court. Tony Chapman (42), formerly of Lindley Street, Eastwood, had his appeal dismissed on all grounds at Fridays Court of Appeal hearing. Chapman was jailed in May as part of the National Crime Agencys investigation into historic abuse in Rotherham. He was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court to 25 years in prison after being found guilty of three counts of rape, actual bodily harm and making threats to kill against two teenage girls. Chapman (pictured) also admitted before the nine-day trial to committing 11 counts of indecent assault against a girl aged 13. During his trial, Chapman was described as violent, controlling and temperamental. Judge David Dixon said he was a very dangerous man who had a particular fascination with girls of about 13 to 16. To date, Chapman has been handed the second-highest prison sentence for historical child sexual exploitation offences in Rotherham behind Arshid Hussains 35-year sentence for 24 offences against ten girls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Chandigarh, 28th Feb (Ravijot Kaur): At a time when the country is reeling with the aftereffects of Pulwama attack and the following Air Strikes by IAF on Pakistani soil, the Prime Minister of India is carrying his electioneering. When the whole country is praying for the safe return of Indian pilot captured by the Pakistani Army, the nation saw a large-scale video conference by the Prime Minister, in which he addressed his booth workers across the nation. The Prime Minister, in his address, claimed that his video conference is going to make a record in the world, by having the largest number of attendees. This video conference had been scheduled for some time now, but there had been rising voices in demand of its postponement in accordance to the grave security situation. PM Modis wish to create a world record, and blatantly stating this has been seen in a bad taste. Advertisement Pulwama Attack The slogan loving Prime Minister reiterated the 2019 campaign slogan, Mera Pariwar, Bhajapa Pariwar. He encouraged all BJP workers to hoist a BJP flag in front of their homes, shops and on their vehicles, reaching above their height, in an hour when the national unity is required and not a party divide. He also announced a Vijay Sankalp Bike Rally on March 2, which is aimed at wooing the young first-time voters for 2019. Despite the leaders of ruling party asking the political leaders across nation, to not gain political mileage out of the crisis, and the opposition showing commendable restraint too, all that now looks like a lip service. The PM himself has been indulging in using the recent developments to his political benefit. In his address today he said, that if BJP is not elected again, the country will go back to being mismanaged again, as it was before 2014. Advertisement NAMO App He blamed the non-BJP state governments for being anti-development, and for not providing any benefits to the public which the Central Government schemes do. He tried instilling the rise of scandals again, if his government is not re-elected. He perhaps forgets his partys many alleged involvements. PM Modi talked about a healthy competition between the Government and the Opposition. But, as he clarified in his very next sentence, more important that that relationship is a healthy competition within a party. Encouraging a healthy competition among BJP booth workers, he asked them to take up the challenge of knowing at least 10 families before the election, and also propagate the NAMO app to as many people. All in all, the todays program proved to be in a very bad taste, where the supreme leader of a country in crisis was busy making his priorities clear, which are campaigning for election, using the martyrs for personal gain, and using the armed forces to achieve its own propaganda. It needs to be seen how well this bodes with the people of the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi New Delhi, Feb 28: It is necessary to ensure that nothing is done to dent the morale of the security forces, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, a day after Pakistani fighter jets violated Indian air space in response to Indian forces targeting a JeM terror camp in its territory. Modi also said India will fight, live, work and win as one and nobody can create hurdles in its march towards development. Pakistani fighter jets violated Indian air space Advertisement "The enemy is trying to destabilise us, carry out terror strikes... they want to stop our growth... we will fight, live work and win as one," he said. He was interacting with about one crore BJP workers in 15,000 locations through what the party said was the "world's largest video conference". Modi said in his address that the 2014 election was a mandate for fulfilling people's necessities and the 2019 polls will be about fulfilling people's aspirations. IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat Indians have to be hard working in all spheres and should be grateful to all those who are protecting the country, the prime minister said. Some people, for their selfish interests, dislike a strong government, he said. BJP workers need to tell people the benefits of a strong government, he added. An IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat Wednesday. Both sides said they shot down each other's warplanes. Social media turmoil on the appointment of the new Commissioner of Labour Pakistan PM Imran Khan Chandigarh, 28th Feb (Ravijot Kaur): The premier of Pakistan, Imran Khan today addressed the joint session of Pakistan Parliament. He termed the upcoming elections as the reason of a not so good response from Indian side. He said, that Kartarpur was an effort towards peace and to open a dialogue between the two nations. But still, the statements coming from India were not positive, with claims of the possibility of closure of the proposed corridor project. Pakistan government attributed this to the upcoming elections, and decided to wait for the elections to happen. But Pak Government feared the occurrence of some event which the current Indian Government would exploit for its gain. Pak did not have a hand in Pulwama, as it would have been foolish on its part. It had a very important visit of the Saudi Arabia Crown Prince around the same time, who was supposed to make a huge investment in the fund hungry Pak economy. Advertisement An effort to plan such an event in its neighbouring territory would have sabotaged the visit. He said that Pak repeatedly asked for actionable evidence related to Pulwama attack, which has been handed over today in the form of a dossier, after violating UN charter and showing aggression by attacking Pakistan. Had India given the dossier earlier, and had Pakistan not acted upon it, then Indian action could have been justified. Prime Minister Narendra Modi But it seemed the Indian Government was set to exploit the situation for the upcoming election. Pakistan acted only when India attacked, to send a message that if attacked, it would retaliate. But only after investigating the damage Indian Air Force had caused, it behaved responsibly and planned its retaliation so as to not cause any collateral damage to India. Applauded Pak media, as learning from the past experiences, did not indulge in was mongering. Advertisement The Pakistan media acted in a very responsible manner, owing to the last 15 years of internal terror. But Indian media created a war hysteria, which paved way for the aggression. PM Imran Khan also claimed that he tried to call his Indian counterpart PM Modi yesterday, but could not have a dialogue with him. He evoked the people of India, to ask where have the torturous tactics of last four years brought Kashmir. He cited the example of a conclave he had attended in India, 20 years back, and recalled the then Kashmiri leaders standing in unity with the rest of India. He urged the people to think what has brought Kashmir and its youth at the edge today. He termed suicide bombing as a weapon of the weak and a sign of desperation, and not an Islamic concept, as Indian mainstream leaders and media is propagating. Pulwama attack Advertisement The fact remains that war is not a solution to any problem, but still, it is a sad reality that Indian media and government has indulged in war mongering. Pakistan does not want war at all, but it will be forced to retaliate if attacked upon. Pakistan stands for peace and development. Pakistans effort to de-escalate the situation is not a sign of weakness. Here he chose the much-debated freedom fighter, Tipu Sultan, and hailed him as a hero. He said that as Tipu Sultan chose death with dignity instead of slavery of the British. He said that Pakistan as a nation choses dignity, just like Tipu Sultan. It is notable, that Tipu Sultan has been a subject of much debate in India, with the Hindu fanatics denying to accept him as a freedom fighter. He claimed, that India had plans of attacking Pakistan with missiles last night, which were later diffused. He appealed the international community to take notice of the situation and push both nations to de-escalate and solve the issue through dialogue. In the end, he announced the release of the captured Indian pilot tomorrow, as a peace gesture. Captain Amarinder Singh Taran Taran, February 28: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has welcomed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khans announcement on the release of IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan tomorrow, terming it a goodwill gesture that would help ease the prevailing tensions at the border. Interacting with BSF personnel at the Khalra observation post during a tour of the border areas as part of his confidence-building measures for the residents, the Chief Minister said the Pulwama attack by Pak-back terror forces was an act of cowardice, necessitating the retaliation by the Indian government. He, however, hoped normalcy would return soon at the border. The Chief Minister extended all support on behalf of his government to the BSF to deal with the current situation in the aftermath of the IAF strikes on terror hideouts across the Line of Control (LoC). We are there for you, he told the BSF personnel. A nostalgic Captain Amarinder recalled his own days in the sector in 1965, when he was with the Indian Army, and said he still remembers his own 22 days in the region. Advertisement During his tour of the Tarn Taran region to assess the ground situation, the Chief Minister interacted with residents of at least 15 border area villages, including Shaheed Baba Tara Singh Wala, Rajoke, Kalia Shatara, Dholan, Lakhna and Kals. During his interaction with the residents, he urged them to remain calm and not to be swayed by rumours. Assuring the huge crowd that had gathered at village Mastgarh, just two Kilometers from the International Border to see him, the Chief Minister reaffirmed his commitment to ensure the safety and security of every citizen. Imran Khan The Chief Minister, who shared lunch with them, urged one and all to guard against manufactured hysteria and not get waylaid by rumours. The Punjab Government stands shoulder to shoulder with you in this critical hour, Captain Amarinder told the residents in village Kals, urging them not to panic. Advertisement Earlier, Captain Amarinder Singh also visited the 14th BSF Batallion Headquarters at Khemkaran, the bravehearts of which are stationed along the international border, and was briefed about the overall defence preparedness by IG BSF Mahipal Yadav. He was assured that the force was fully prepared to thwart any untoward incident from across the border. Interacting with the bereaved family of Pulwama martyr Sukhjinder Singh of TaranTaran, the Chief Minister extended his condolences, assuring them of all possible support and assistance. The Chief Minister, on his arrival at village Ghariala in TaranTaran district earlier, took stock of the situation and was briefed by top police and administrative brass regarding the prevailing situation and measures taken for the security of citizens. The Chief Minister asked the civil and police administration to work in coordination to prevail upon the border residents not to leave their homes in panic but to jointly hold meetings of village panchayats and prominent local residents to instill a sense of confidence. Sqdn Ldr Abhinandan Advertisement Captain Amarinder Singh also impressed upon the residents not to be swayed by the false propaganda and desist from rumor mongering in the prevailing situation. Reiterating his governments firm commitment to stand by the people of the border areas in the tense atmosphere, the Chief Minister said that he was in constant touch with the Centre and keeping a tab on the situation. The Chief Minister also informed the people that he had already directed the state Chief Secretary and DGP to stay in close touch with the district and police administration of the six border districts viz. Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Fazilka and Pathankot, and work with them on the contingency plans, Meanwhile, in an informal chat with media, the Chief Minister said that during his visit to the border villages he found the morale of the people and forces very high. He said he had met officials and personnel from the Army and the BSF and they all were well prepared to deal with any situation. He said during his visit several villagers had raised their problems with him and he will ensure that they are resolved at the earliest. Ive already instructed officers to visit the area tomorrow and resolve complaints relating to absence of teachers and doctors in schools and hospitals. The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Media Advisor Raveen Thukral and DGP Dinkar Gupta. Others present during the visit included MLA Patti Harminder Singh Gill, MLA TaranTaran Dr. Dharamveer Agnihotri, MLA Valtoha Sukhpal Singh Bhullar, former Minister Gurchet Singh Bhullar, former MLA Jasbir Singh Dimpa, DGP Dinkar Gupta, IG SPS Parmar, Deputy Commisioner Tarn Taran Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal and SSP Kuldeep Singh Chahal. Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa Chandigarh, February 28: The cooperative sugar mills of the state have crushed 1,56,70,692 quintal sugarcane during the current crushing season. The sugar mills have made payments on their own level to the tune of Rs. 284 crore out of the total Rs. 485.62 crore which is calculated in accordance with the price of Rs. 310 per quintal fixed by the Punjab Government. The payments made account for 59 percent of the total payments which are to be made. This was disclosed here today by the Cooperation Minister, Punjab, S. Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. The minister further said that during the crushing season 2018-19 the cooperative sugar mills have crushed 1.56 crore quintal sugarcane till 27.2.2019 and the average on date recovery of sugar in respect of the mills is 10.41 percent and the to date recovery is proceeding at 9.84 percent which is likely to increase further. Advertisement Payment of Rs. 284 crores made to sugarcane farmers In comparison with the previous crushing season, the cooperative sugar mills have till date produced sugar worth Rs. 25 crore more. The Cooperation Minister further said that the cooperative sugar mills are making arrangements aimed at timely payments to the sugarcane farmers during the 2018-19 crushing season. The minister also divulged that the balance payments amounting to Rs. 74.67 crores pertaining to the crushing season 2017-18 regarding which the Chief Minister has already permitted the release of funds. S. Randhawa also elaborated that the Punjab Government is fully committed to the welfare of the farming community and as part of the strategy to give fillip to the sugarcane sector, the setting up of a Sugarcane Research Centre with the assistance of the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana is being given active consideration for providing new varieties of sugarcane which yield more sugar and more produce besides apprising farmers of the innovative techniques with regard to the sugarcane farming. The decision in this respect would be taken soon. SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. Three men were arrested and charged with drug possession and other crimes in Saratoga Springs on Feb. 26. New York State Troopers and Saratoga Springs Police say they spotted a male passenger attempting to exit a moving vehicle on Henry St. Police say the vehicle was also moving erratically on several side streets. At 12:33 a.m. Troopers say they stopped Joshua R. Bedore, Wayne A. Commissiong, and Jaron M. Paradise and noticed an odor of alcohol and marijuana was emanating from the vehicle. Upon exiting the vehicle, State Police say Bedore placed drugs in the vehicle in an effort to avoid detection. Trooper then noted as Bedore was being arrested, Commissiong exited the vehicle, becoming belligerent and uncooperative with troopers by attempting to interfere in the arrest of Bedore by grabbing a troopers arm. Upon a search of the vehicle, the front seat passenger, Troopers say Jaron M. Paradise refused commands to get out of the vehicle, pushing troopers as they attempted to arrest him. All three were subsequently taken into custody. All three men were charged with two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and Bedore was also charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Commissiong and Paradise were also charged with second-degree obstruction of governmental administration, resisting arrest, and second-degree harassment. Both were arraigned in the City of Saratoga Springs Court and sent to Saratoga County jail for lack of bail. A multi-center study led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center revealed that a liquid biopsy test called Guardant360, is comparable to standard tissue biopsies in detection of guideline recommended biomarkers in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), has a faster turn-around time, and has the potential to support identification of more patients who can be treated with targeted therapy. The study findings are significant given that 30 percent of lung cancers can be treated successfully with molecular-targeted therapies, which often yield higher response rates than chemotherapy. Trial results were shared during a media preview of the AACR Annual Meeting 2019, to be held March 29-April 3, in Atlanta. The multi-institutional trial was led by Vassiliki Papadimitrakopoulou, M.D., professor of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology. "When choosing therapy for patients with NSCLC, it is vital that we know which patients have gene mutations that often respond to molecular therapies. The response rates can be up to 30 percent higher than with chemotherapy or immunotherapy, said Papadimitrakopoulou, "In the past, our only option to test for mutations was to rely on tissue-biopsy-based testing, which can be invasive, have serious complications, is time-consuming and often not adequate to test for all relevant targetable mutations." In this comprehensive liquid biopsy study conducted at several participating institutions, Guardant360 employed cell-free tumor DNA (cfDNA) in blood to test for mutations in 282 patients. The test detected seven known predictive biomarkers including genomic alterations in ROS1, BRAF, RET, MET, ALK, EGFR and ERBB2, and one prognostic biomarker, KRAS mutations. Standard tissue sampling detected at least one of predictive biomarkers in 60 patients, while Guardant360 identified biomarkers in 77 patients. Among the remaining 193 patients who did not have one of the seven biomarkers, the liquid biopsy test found the KRAS mutation in 92 patients, compared to 24 patients with standard tissue sampling. Therapies specifically targeting EGFR, ALK, ROS1 and BRAF gene mutations or fusions are already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "We know that guideline-recommended testing is normally completed in only 8 percent of patients with NSCLC," said Papadimitrakopoulou. "This does not provide all the crucial information for physicians to make an informed therapy decision. This study shows that a highly sensitive and specific liquid biopsy should be part of the standard of care for these patients." The study reported a median turn-around time from test order to final results of nine days for the liquid biopsy test, compared to 15 days for tissue-based testing. "Given that advanced NSCLC is often fatal, it is important we get patients on treatment at the earliest possible time," said Papadimitrakopoulou. "Our findings show that we can greatly reduce the amount of time between testing and initiation of therapy." The study's limitations included that the test was compared to the standard-of-care tissue genotyping test and not the tissue-based next-generation sequencing test. The study results were applicable only to the Guardant360 test and not to other liquid biopsy tests. The study incorporates analysis of patient outcomes that will be separately reported at a later date. Making people more aware of their own internal body signals, such as heartbeat or breathing rate, could promote positive body image, according to new research published in the journal Body Image. Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University recruited a sample of 646 adults and found that there were statistically significant relationships between people's interoceptive awareness -- the extent to which people are aware of internal signals given out by the body such as heartbeat or feelings of discomfort or hunger -- and body image. While previous studies on the subject have tended to recruit small groups of young women, this study included both men and women, aged between 18 and 76. The study found that people who can sustain attention towards their internal body signals tended to report higher levels of positive body image. It was also found that people who trust their internal body signals are more likely to hold a positive view of their own body, and be less preoccupied with being overweight. Lead author Jenny Todd said: "Unfortunately, experiences of negative body image are extremely common, to the extent that some academics consider this a 'normal' experience for women in Western society. "Our research finds associations between the awareness of internal body signals and measures of body image. This could have implications for promoting positive body image, for example modifying interoceptive awareness through mindfulness-based practices. "However the research, which was conducted with exclusively British participants, also demonstrates that the relationship between interoceptive awareness and body image is complex and requires further investigation." ASIA Afghanistan Expected Council Action In March, the Council is expected to hold a briefing, followed by consultations, on Afghanistan and to extend the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, is expected to brief. The mandate of UNAMA expires on 17 March. Key Recent Developments The October 2018 parliamentary elections were marked by widespread disruptions and irregularities, and exposed a range of vulnerabilities within the Afghan electoral system. After consulting stakeholders, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) postponed the presidential elections from April to July to address outstanding problems. In a statement, UNAMA urged the IEC to take corrective measures and implement necessary reforms, noting that mismanagement of the presidential elections would be unacceptable. On 12 February, the Afghan government fired all twelve commissioners of the IEC and the Electoral Complaints Commission (EEC), which were blamed for widespread irregularities and disorganisation during the parliamentary elections. IEC is tasked with supervising all aspects of the elections while EEC reviews complaints and reports irregularities during the elections. Among other requirements, members of both commissions, who are appointed by the president, cannot be members of any political party. At press time, no appointments were made. Over the past several months, representatives of the US and the Taliban have held several rounds of talks on a possible withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. The US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, announced on 28 January that a framework agreement with the Taliban had been reached. The announcement came following six days of talks in Qatar between the US and Taliban delegations. The framework agreement envisions a phased withdrawal of US and international troops in exchange for the Talibans assurance that it would not host terrorist organisations on Afghan territory. The Taliban is estimated to control around 18 percent of the Afghan territory while also contesting another 26 percent with the government. The talks left uncertainty on several other issues, however, chief among them the question of the Talibans participation in future Afghan governments. The Taliban still refuses to engage in direct talks with the government, whose legitimacy it does not recognise. While there has been no agreement on specific timelines, Khalilzad seemed to have indicated that he is hopeful that a deal could be reached before Afghanistans July presidential elections. In a separate political process in Moscow, the Taliban delegation met on 5 February with prominent Afghan political opposition actors, led by former president Hamid Karzai. The Afghan government criticised the Taliban for not engaging in direct talks with the government, emphasising that a political solution must be the result of an inclusive Afghan-led process. Acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on 11 February, during which he met with the Afghan leadership, including President Ashraf Ghani. Shanahan assured the government that the US maintains a strong interest in the security of Afghanistan and the wider region. Addressing the question of a possible troop withdrawal, he said that the Pentagon has not been instructed to draw down the US military presence in the country. On 14 February, Pakistan announced that it would host the next round of talks between the Taliban and US negotiating teams. The talks did not take place, however; the meeting, initially scheduled for 18 February, was later cancelled. The US has indicated that it did not receive any formal invitation from Pakistan while the Taliban claimed its delegation could not travel because of UN Security Council travel restrictions. Human Rights-Related Developments On 21 March, during its 40th session, the Human Rights Council expects to consider the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan and technical assistance achievements in the field of human rights (A/HRC/40/45). Women, Peace and Security-Related Developments The Secretary-Generals December 2018 report on Afghanistan expressed concern about the prevalence of violence against women and girls, which causes profound human suffering, inflicts grave harm on families and inhibits the full participation of women in public life. The report welcomed the establishment by the government of a technical committee to review the Elimination of Violence against Women Law of 2009 and expressed hope that this would result in stronger legal protection from violence for all Afghan women and girls. Issues and Options Key issues for the Council include how it can help the mission to support the organisation of the presidential elections and how the mission can play a constructive role with regard to the peace talks with the Taliban. The Council could furthermore consider adopting a presidential statement encouraging a free, fair and transparent electoral process and urging the new IEC to implement the necessary reforms. Regarding the peace process, the Council could request that Khalilzad brief members in an informal interactive dialogue on the framework agreement. This would be an opportunity for members to learn more about the agreement and solicit insights from Khalilzad, an Afghanistan-born former US ambassador to the UN (2007 to 2009), on how the Council can best support negotiating efforts in the future. Council Dynamics Long-standing concerns remain in the Council about the difficult security, political and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and the under-development of the country. Members recognise the importance of holding fair, transparent and inclusive presidential elections as a means of promoting political stability in Afghanistan. At the most recent UNAMA debate on 17 December, the US said that Khalilzads appointment in September 2018 sent a clear message that the US believes that peace is possible in Afghanistan. During the debate, a number of other membersEquatorial Guinea, Kuwait and the UKexpressed support for Khalilzads efforts. Equatorial Guinea, France and Russia continue to express concerns about the connection of drug production and trafficking in Afghanistan to terrorism. Germany and Indonesia are co-penholders on Afghanistan, and Indonesia chairs the 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee. UN DOCUMENTS ON AFGHANISTAN AFRICA Democratic Republic of the Congo Expected Council Action In March, the Council will renew the mandate of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Before that, a briefing on the Secretary-Generals latest report and consultations with the head of MONUSCO, Leila Zerrougui, are likely. MONUSCOs mandate expires on 31 March 2019. Key Recent Developments Felix Tshisekedi was inaugurated as president on 24 January in what some are calling the first peaceful transfer of power in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) history. Since then, he seems to have been accepted by the region and the international community, although the only head of state to attend the inauguration was Kenyas President Uhuru Kenyatta. In early February, Tshisekedi attended the AU heads of state summit and travelled around the region. At the summit, he held bilateral meetings with Paul Kagame of Rwanda, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and the EUs High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini. The EU and the DRC have also reached an agreement for the EUs ambassador to return to Kinshasa after he was expelled by former President Joseph Kabila last December. During a visit to the Republic of Congo-Brazzaville, Tshisekedi called for thousands of DRC exiles to return to the country. It remains to be seen how the new government will act. In his AU speech, Tshisekedi called for the return of the rule of law following the elections, an end to corruption, and increased control by the DRC of its own resources. However, in the parliamentary election, the pro-Kabila Front for Congo (FCC) coalition won 337 seats; opposition party Lamuka, fronted by Martin Fayulu in the presidential election, received 102 seats; and Tshisekedis Heading for Change coalition won 46 seats, posing real questions as to whether Tshisekedi will be able to achieve his agenda when his party is in the minority. With Prime Minister Bruno Tshibala due to submit the governments resignation soon, the new government is expected to be fully formed by April. Meanwhile, opposition candidate Fayulu, whom several international and national groups considered the actual winner of the election, wrote to the AU calling for another round of elections in six months. Legislative and provincial elections in fact still need to be held in Beni, Butembo and Yumbi in March after being postponed because of government concerns about Ebola and the security situation. In mid-January, Internet access was restored after being suspended on 31 December 2018. Apart from political developments, a major concern has been the Ebola situation. At press time, over 800 people had been infected, resulting in at least 546 deaths, and about 80,000 people had been vaccinated. DRC Health Minister Oly Ilunga Kalenga has praised the vaccination effort and believes it has contained the outbreak. Other organisations, however, remain worried about the continued spread of the disease. Medecins Sans Frontieres has reported a surge of cases since 15 January. Given the suspension of healthcare activities during the electoral season because of security and capacity considerations, the numbers of registered cases may be increasing simply because these activities have resumed. On 8 February, two Medecins Sans Frontieres staff members active in Ebola prevention were abducted in the Masisi health zone in North Kivu. While the staff members were returned unharmed, safety fears remain, and field operations were suspended at press time. In January, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that there was evidence of a massacre in December 2018 in which at least 890 people were killed in four villages in Yumbi territory, Mai-Ndombe province, in the west of the country, apparently in clashes between the Banunu and Batende communities. On 13 February, the DRC army announced it had arrested 15 people for alleged complicity in the killings. On 12 February, the spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said there had been a rise in refugees coming into the DRC from South Sudan, with approximately 5,000 having arrived in north-east Ituri province border towns. Sanctions-Related Developments The 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee met in a briefing on 1 February with UN member states from the region. The meeting provided an opportunity for those countries to comment on the Panel of Experts report. Human Rights-Related Developments On 19 March, the Human Rights Council is scheduled to hold an enhanced interactive dialogue during its 40th session on the oral update by the High Commissioner for Human Rights on developments in the human rights situation in the Kasai region, as well as the report by the High Commissioner on the situation of human rights in the DRC before, during and after the December 2018 elections (A/HRC/40/47). Women, Peace and Security The Secretary-Generals January report on MONUSCO noted that conflict-related sexual violence continued during the reporting period, including an increase in sexual violence in Ituri Province perpetrated by both the Force de resistance patriotique dIturi (FRPI), often in the form of gang rape and in association with the looting of villages. There were also reported incidents of rape by the Forces Armees de la Republique Democratique du Congo in Djugu, Ituri Province. In Tanganyika Province, an upsurge in ethnically motivated conflict-related sexual violence was documented, and a worrying trend of mass rapes by certain factions in northern Shabunda continued, the report said. The report also noted that MONUSCO paid greater attention to involving women in countering the Ebola outbreak and addressing the specific needs of women. Key Issues and Options The main issue for the Council in March is the renewal of MONUSCOs mandate. Given that the electoral process is almost over, the existing mandate will need to be adjusted. Resolution 2409 of March 2018 requested the Secretary-General to support the electoral process and report on such efforts to the Council. Given the continued fragile situation after the elections, some members may propose a short mandate renewal, with few changes at this time. Several months from now, once the electoral process is finalised and there is a new government in the DRC, MONUSCOs position could be re-evaluated. If the latter type of mandate renewal occurs, the resolution is likely to include a request for an independent or strategic review to better prepare for an eventual withdrawal, exit strategy, or modification of MONUSCO. The last strategic review took place in 2017, and there are some questions whether its conclusions remain applicable today. Council Dynamics The Council met three times on the situation in the DRC in January but did not meet in February. Having since moved on from responding to Decembers elections, it will be interesting to see if the divisions that were apparent then resurface for the mandate renewal. Some members do not want to reconfigure the mission in an uncertain environment. On the other hand, the fact that MONUSCO and its predecessor, the UN Mission in the DRC, have been in place since 1999, has led some to call for an exit strategy and eventual drawdown. At the end of January, France led an experts-only mission to the DRC with the Councils European members, the US, and South Africa. The purpose of the trip was to better understand the situation on the ground and gather information ahead of the mandate renewal. The members visited several cities in the DRC, among them Kinshasa, Goma and Beni. At the conclusion of the visit, the experts from those states appeared to agree that the situation in the DRC remains unpredictable and that a mandate change would be inadvisable until a new government is formed. Some expressed optimism that this may be a new era of cooperation between the UN and the government of the DRC. There has not been a press statement about the situation in the DRC since 15 January before the Constitutional Courts ruling on the validity of the elections, but it seems unlikely that another press statement would be agreed upon now because of divergences by Council members on how to characterise the elections. France is the penholder on the DRC, and Kuwait chairs the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee. UN DOCUMENTS ON THE DRC SECURITY COUNCIL AND WIDER UN STRUCTURE EU-UN Briefing Expected Council Action In March, the Council will hold its annual meeting on strengthening the partnership with the EU under its agenda item on cooperation between the UN and regional and subregional organisations in maintaining international peace and security. Federica Mogherini, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, will brief the Council. Background Cooperation between the UN and the EU has evolved over the years and has continued to grow in importance. Recognising this, the Council has had a practice, starting in 2010, of holding annual briefings (except in 2012 and 2018) on cooperation between the two organisations. In 2014, the Council endorsed this relationship when it adopted a presidential statement on EU-UN cooperation. Since 2013, Council members have also met annually with members of the EU Political and Security Committee. The EU members of the Council have made a concerted effort to coordinate their positions and present a unified front on some issues on the Councils agenda, such as Kosovo, Syria, Ukraine and Venezuela. Another practice that has emerged recently has been for the EU members of the Council (including incoming and recently departed members) to make joint statements at the Council media stakeout presenting the EU position on specific Security Council issues. In another effort to enhance this coordination, Mogherini met with the foreign ministers of current EU members of the Council on 28 January in Brussels. She emphasised bringing the EUs views on peace and security and on the importance of multilateralism to the Council. The briefings on cooperation between the EU and the UN usually follow a consistent format. Mogherini is likely to emphasise the areas of cooperation between the two organisations, present the EUs main foreign policy priorities and objectives, and address some of the ongoing crises that occupy the agenda of both the EU and the Council. The EU has maintained a strong interest in finding a political solution to the conflict in Syria and has led major humanitarian efforts in the region. It has announced plans to organise a third Brussels conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region. At the Brussels conference last year, donors pledged $4.3 billion for humanitarian assistance. Mogherini has emphasised that eventual EU funds for post-conflict reconstruction in Syria will be directly linked to the UN-led political process. In the context of peacekeeping, the cooperation between the EU and the UN is most evident in Africa, where the two organisations work alongside one another in several countries. The EU provides training for security forces and assists in security sector reform in the Central African Republic, Mali and Somalia. The EU also provides salaries for the UN-authorised AU Mission in Somalia. Member states of the EU are the largest collective contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget, providing over 30 percent of total contributions. The EU has emphasised its commitment to preserving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement which places limits on Irans nuclear programme and provides sanctions relief. In May 2018, the US unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA which the Council had endorsed in 2015 in resolution 2231. In January, France, Germany and the UK announced the creation of a Special Purpose Vehicle which would facilitate legitimate financial transactions with Iran. The EU members of the Council have maintained a unified position on the importance of preserving the JCPOA as long as Iran continues to adhere to its provisions. In addition, Mogherini is likely to discuss the Middle East peace process, the situation in Libya, the humanitarian situation in Iraq, cooperation with other regional organisations, transnational crime, climate change, and sustainable development, among other issues. UN DOCUMENTS ON EU-UN COOPERATION AFRICA Great Lakes Region Expected Council Action In March, Said Djinnit will brief the Council for the last time as Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region, before being succeeded by Huang Xia. Recent Developments and Dynamics The Council continues to be seized of several country issues in the Great Lakes region. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), elections were held on 30 December 2018 after a two-year delay. Provisional results were announced on 10 January, declaring Felix Tshisekedi, head of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress, the winner of the presidential election ahead of rival opposition candidate Martin Fayulu and former Interior Minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary from then-President Joseph Kabilas party. Despite protests from the National Episcopal Conference of the Congo (CENCO), which observed the elections and claimed that Fayulu was the clear winner, Tshisekedi was inaugurated on 24 January. Notwithstanding questions surrounding the election results, Council members seem to have taken the view that the best way forward is to engage with the new president and his government. Ahead of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) mandate renewal at the end of March, France led an expert-level visit to the DRC in January that included European members, the US, and South Africa. At the conclusion of the visit, some of the experts were of the view that the situation in the DRC remains unpredictable and that a mandate change would be inadvisable until a new government is formed in April. The security situation and human rights violations in the DRC continue to be of concern. On 16 January, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement that according to credible sources, at least 890 people were killed between 16 and 18 December 2018 in four villages in Yumbi territory, Mai-Ndombe province, in clashes allegedly between the Banunu and Batende communities. (For more see the DRC brief in this Monthly Forecast.) On the Central African Republic (CAR), the Council adopted resolution 2448 on 13 December 2018, renewing the mandate of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) until 15 November 2019. On 31 January, in resolution 2454, the Council renewed the sanctions on CAR until 31 January 2020. The resolution further expresses the Councils intention to establish, no later than 30 April, benchmarks that could serve as a potential basis for the Council to lift the arms embargo currently placed on the government of the CAR. A Global Peace Agreement was signed by the CAR government and 14 armed groups, which still control vast parts of the country, on 6 February under the auspices of the AU-led African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in the CAR. On 13 February, Council members issued a press statement welcoming the signing. The agreement was discussed during the briefing on the latest MINUSCA report on 21 February. On Burundi, the political situationwhich deteriorated sharply after April 2015 when Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza announced that he would run for a controversial third term later that yearremains unsettled. The future of the East African Community-led inter-Burundian dialogue, which has yet to produce results, is unclear after its facilitator, Benjamin Mkapa, provided his final report concluding his work in December 2018 to the official mediator, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. On 19 February, the Secretary-Generals Special Adviser on Burundi, Michel Kafando, and the Chair of the Burundi Configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission, Ambassador Jurg Lauber (Switzerland), briefed the Council, followed by consultations. During the meeting, some Council members, including China and Russia, suggested that Burundi be removed from the Councils agenda as the security situation is stable. Others, such as the UK, argued that given the political situation and human rights violations, the Council should continue to be seized of the issue. UN Documents on the Great Lake Region In Hindsight: Security Council Annual Report to the General Assembly Under the UN Charter, the Security Councils only clear obligation to the UN General Assembly is to submit an annual report for its consideration, as set out under Article 24(3). For nearly three decades, the annual report has been criticised by the UN membership. The Council has, however, made efforts to address some of the problems. During the Cold War, the annual reports were often published with a delayat times, the wait was several years. Interest in the annual report grew with the dramatic increase in the Councils activity in the early 1990s. After the report covering 16 June 1991 to 15 June 1992 was submitted only in June 1993, too late to be discussed during the main part of the 47th session, the General Assembly adopted a resolution agreeing to hold a substantive debate on the annual reports from the Security Council (A/RES/47/233). In subsequent General Assembly debates, members raised matters pertaining to the content, format and timing of the report. The format of the annual reportsat the time, prepared entirely by the Secretariathad changed little since 1946, and was largely a compendium of Council documents, communications received, and meetings held. It contained no analysis. In a June 1993 note by the president, the Council proclaimed that it would adopt the report in public and circulate its early draft to interested member states (S/26015). A June 1997 note by the president announced that the report of the Council for future years will be changed, taking into account views expressed on the existing format (S/1997/451). The changes included an earlier deadline30 Augustfor the Secretariat to submit the draft in order that it could be adopted by the Council in time for a discussion during the main session of the General Assembly. Yet member states continued to complain that it remained a catalogue of documents and meeting dates, still lacking analysis and offering scant insight into how the Council worked. After extensive discussions on the format and on including an element of analysis the Council issued a note by the president in 2002 entirely focused on the annual report (S/2002/199). In it, the Council again acknowledged that it had reviewed the reports format having taken into account the views expressed during the debate on the report at the 56th session of the General Assembly. Henceforth, the introduction was to be an analytical piece capturing the years most important moments, assessing the Councils ability to deal with problems at hand, and signalling difficulties and areas for improvement. In addition, the note said that starting in 2002, the introduction would be drafted by the delegation that held the July presidencythe first time that members of the Council would take an active part in the elaboration of the report. Members would adopt the introduction in a public session to allow for exchanges of views on the text. The body of the report, which would continue to be drafted by the Secretariat, was to be shortened significantly and made more informative. The new format seemed to promise substantive changes. In 2002, the introduction was indeed analytical and quite concise. But the improvements were short-lived. In the following years the introduction became longer and lost its analytical edge. The only public debate the Council has held on its annual report also took place in 2002. Since then, it has been adopted in a short routine session with no discussion. During successive annual General Assembly debates, members have continued to raise concerns about the annual report, especially its dearth of analysis. With ongoing calls for improvements, the Councils subsidiary body responsible for much of its working methods deliberations, the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions (IWG), has discussed aspects of the annual report and introduced further modifications. On the joint initiative of Lithuania and Russia, the IWG again revised the process for the elaboration of the annual report in 2015. The resulting note by the president, S/2015/944 of 10 December 2015, changed the reporting cycle to cover a calendar year, starting with 2017. Since 1947, the Councils annual report had covered a period of 12 months ending in June or July, relatively close to the start of the General Assembly session during whose main part it would be presented. The 2015 note moved the presentation of the report from the main part of the General Assemblys regular session to the following spring. The note also specified that the introduction should be concise, not to exceed 10,000 words, and would continue to be prepared under the coordination of the July presidency. If the member holding the July presidency were to leave the Council at the end of the yearand thus no longer be among its members during the draftingthe task of coordinating the introduction of the report shall then devolve on the member of the Council next in English alphabetical order and who will not be leaving the Security Council that calendar year. It stipulated, however, that the introduction should be approved by all members of the Council who served on the Council during the reporting period and that the report would continue to be adopted at a public meeting of the Security Council, at which members of the Council who wish to do so may comment on the work of the Council for the period covered by the report. The most recent version of the comprehensive compendium of Security Council working methodsthe so-called Note 507, which was updated in 2017 and issued as document S/2017/507incorporated the 2015 document on the annual report with the addition of a few new elements, including a provision that the member drafting the introduction may, when necessary, seek advice from other members of the Council. It may also consider organizing, where appropriate, interactive informal exchanges of views with the wider membership. Because of the transition to the new reporting period, there was no annual report to the General Assembly in 2016. The first report prepared under the new procedure (exceptionally covering 17 rather than 12 months) was adopted on 9 August 2017 and discussed by the General Assembly during the final weeks of its 71st session. The experience of the first two years after moving to a calendar-year cycle with the aim of presenting the report to the General Assembly late in the session has been of much shorter, but also less focused, discussion in the General Assembly. Both in 2017 and 2018, the drafts were finalised considerably later than stipulated (the deadlines for circulating the drafts to Council members are 31 January for the introduction and 15 March for the body of the report). The Council adopted the drafts in August, pushing the General Assembly discussion to near the end of its session, with most delegations already gearing up for the opening of the next session. Once the Council succeeds in meeting its own deadline aspirations and, as intended, the General Assembly discussion is held during the spring, it will be easier to assess the impact of the revised process. MIDDLE EAST Lebanon (1701) Expected Council Action In March, the Council expects to receive the Secretary-Generals report on the implementation of resolution 1701, which called for a cessation of hostilities between the Shia militant group Hezbollah and Israel in 2006. Briefings are expected from Jan Kubis, newly appointed Special Coordinator for Lebanon, and possibly from a representative of the Department of Peace Operations. The mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expires on 31 August. Key Recent Developments The Secretary-General announced the appointment of Kubis as the new Special Coordinator for Lebanon on 9 January. Pernille Dahler Kardel had served as the acting Special Coordinator following the departure of Sigrid Kaag in October 2017. Kubis formally assumed his post on 11 February and subsequently held a series of meetings with high-level government officials. On 20 January, Lebanon hosted the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit, after which the participants issued a joint statement calling for the creation of an Arab free trade zone and international support for countries hosting refugees. Lebanon bears the burden of hosting over one million Syrian refugees, and it has continually called for their return after the Syrian government took control of most of the countrys territory. After eight months of talks between the major political parties, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced on 1 February the formation of a government of national unity. The Council welcomed this development in an 8 February press statement and emphasised the urgency of implementing structural reforms and fulfilling commitments made during the major international donor conferences for Lebanon in 2018. Hezbollah and its allies made major gains at the May 2018 parliamentary elections while Hariris Future Movement lost almost half of the seats it had held in the legislature. This development provided Hezbollah with a better negotiating position in talks, led by Hariri, on forming the new government. Hezbollah has leveraged its increased representation to influence the appointment of the important post of health minister, whose ministry has a substantial budget and receives foreign aid. The new health minister, Jamal Jabbak, is not a member of Hezbollah but is believed to have close ties with the groups leadership. The new government faces several immediate challenges, most notably the mounting public debt and a lack of sufficient economic growth. Furthermore, Lebanon is under pressure from the International Monetary Fund to initiate fiscal adjustments to address government debt, and another set of reforms is required for Lebanon to access loans pledged during the 2018 Paris donor conference. Within days of its formation, the new government approved a set of economic reforms that it said could be difficult, but also necessary, to avoid further worsening of the countrys socio-economic conditions. UNIFIL head and force commander Major General Stefano Del Col chaired the monthly tripartite meeting on 13 February with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Israel Defense Forces to discuss the situation along the Blue Line, the border demarcation between Israel and Lebanon. Noting that the situation had been calm over the past month, he commended the parties for their cooperation. In December 2018, the Secretary-General sent a letter to the Council with a set of recommendations to improve the management of UNIFIL civilian resources, as requested by resolution 2433. He suggested that UNIFIL and the Special Coordinator optimise coordination of their political, public information and security strategies; ensure increased coordination in the provision of support to the LAF; and rationalise resources. The Special Coordinator is responsible for managing UN activities and all political aspects of the mission. The force commander, who is also the head of UNFIL, is mainly responsible for peacekeeping issues and the operational requirements of the mission. Key Issues and Options The situation in UNIFILs area of operations has remained generally calm. The Council remains concerned, however, that more than a decade after the adoption of resolution 1701, there has been little progress towards implementing its main objectives, including a permanent ceasefire. A principal problem for the Council is that Hezbollah and other non-state actors still maintain significant amounts of weaponry. This inhibits the governments ability to exercise full authority over its territory, poses a threat to Lebanons sovereignty and stability, and contravenes its obligations under resolutions 1559 and 1701. A related issue is Hezbollahs involvement in the Syrian civil war and the movement of arms from Syria to Hezbollah. Council Dynamics The Council continues to demonstrate unity in its support for Lebanons sovereignty, territorial integrity and security and for the countrys efforts to insulate itself from the damaging effect of the Syrian conflict. The Council has also recognised the decisive role of the LAF in responding to security challenges. Members are divided, however, in their view of the security dynamics in the region and the role of the mission. This has been particularly evident during the mandate renewal negotiations over the past two years. The US has continued to emphasise the threat posed by Iran, Hezbollah, and the proliferation of weapons in southern Lebanon and has promoted a more active role for UNIFIL in confronting these threats. The US has also raised concerns over the growing influence of Hezbollah in the new Lebanese government. On the missions configuration, the US has strongly advocated for a reduction of UNIFILs Maritime Task Force, leading towards its eventual termination. Most other members, however, share the view that the missions mandate and tasks should remain unchanged. These members are cautious about drastic changes in the missions mandate because of their potential impact on the fragile calm that has been maintained in southern Lebanon for over a decade. France is the penholder on Lebanon. UN DOCUMENTS ON LEBANON SECURITY COUNCIL AND WIDER UN STRUCTURE OSCE Briefing Expected Council Action In March, Slovakian Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, the current Chairperson-in-Office for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), is expected to provide a briefing to the Security Council on the activities of the organisation. Background The chairmanship of the OSCE rotates yearly, and on 1 January, Slovakia succeeded Italy in this function. Briefing by the Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has been a Council agenda item since 2001 and 2004, such briefings have been held annually in open chamber. Slovakia has indicated that its chairmanship will be ambitious in promoting dialogue and trust, but also realistic in regard to challenges and complexities. It outlined the following priorities: preventing, mediating and mitigating conflict and focusing on the people affected; providing for a safer future; and effective multilateralism. The situation in Ukraine has featured prominently in the work of each chairmanship since the start of hostilities in 2014. The OSCE has emerged as a leading organisation responsible for monitoring the implementation of the 2015 Minsk agreements concerning the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which the Council endorsed in resolution 2202. The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) currently maintains around 800 international monitors, most of whom are based in eastern Ukraine. The SMM gathers information about ceasefire violations and the withdrawal of heavy weapons. Furthermore, the OSCE participates in the work of Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), which serves as a forum for addressing implementation aspects of the Minsk agreements. Given the OSCEs prominent presence and access to information on the ground, the Council has occasionally sought briefings by OSCE representatives on the situation in eastern Ukraine. Most recently, Chief Monitor Ertugrul Apakan of the SMM and Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Martin Sajdik briefed on 12 February. During his 10 January address to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, Lajcak stressed that the situation in Ukraine will be among the main priorities during Slovakias chairmanship of the OSCE. In his first official visit upon assuming the role of Chairman-in-Office, Lajcak travelled to Ukraine and visited the areas in eastern parts of the country most affected by the conflict. During the visit, he called on the parties involved in the conflict to increase their efforts in finding a political solution. The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will provide international monitoring of the upcoming presidential elections in Ukraine, scheduled for 31 March. In February, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law that bars Russian citizens from taking part in the ODIHR election observer mission in Ukraine. During his 17 February meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, Lajcak regretted that Ukraine had undertaken such measures, which he said were not in line with OSCE commitments and not in the best interest of the organisation. While the conflict in Ukraine occupies most of the OSCEs attention, the organisation is also involved in conflict resolution and mediation in protracted conflicts in areas such as Transdniestria, Nagorno-Karabakh and Georgia. During its chairmanship, Slovakia will also focus on other issues, including promoting dialogue between regional and international partners; transnational threats such as violent extremism and terrorism; promoting sustainable development; effective use of youth perspectives in the work of the OSCE; cybersecurity; and addressing negative consequences of rapid technological changes. In December 2018, the EU and the OSCE held the first high-level meeting of the two organisations, with the aim of improving cooperation on matters of common interest, such as conflict prevention and resolution, and peacebuilding. Much of the discussion centred around potential cooperation in the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe and Central Asiaincluding some issues on the Councils agenda. Both organisations agreed to formalise their relationship by holding annual high-level meetings. UN DOCUMENTS ON THE OSCE Overview France will hold the presidency in March. France and Germany, the Council president in April, will hold a joint presidency covering both months. There will be one open debate on combating the financing of terrorism, during which a resolution may be adopted. The Council is expected to carry out a visiting mission to Mali. A briefing on the visiting mission and a ministerial meeting on Mali with the participation of Malian Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga are scheduled shortly after the delegation returns. Regarding other African issues, there will be briefings, followed by consultations, on South Sudan (UNMISS), the DRC (MONUSCO), and the Great Lakes Region. Consultations are also anticipated on Libya (UNSMIL) and the 1970 Libya sanctions regime. The Council is scheduled to adopt resolutions renewing the mandates of UNMISS, MONUSCO, and UNSOM (Somalia). The Council will be briefed on Yemen on the implementation of resolution 2452, which established the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA). It will also receive the monthly briefings on the humanitarian situation, the political process and the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Other Middle East issues that will be considered include: Israel/Palestine, the regular monthly meeting; Lebanon, an update on the implementation of resolution 1701, which called for a cessation of hostilities between the Shia militant group Hezbollah and Israel in 2006; and UNDOF in the Golan Heights, the quarterly report and most recent developments. Two meetings are anticipated on European issues: Federica Mogherini, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, is expected to brief the Council on UN-EU cooperation in maintaining international peace and security; and Slovakian Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, the current Chairperson-in-Office for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), will brief on OSCE activities. Council members anticipate a briefing on Haiti (MINUJUSTH), most likely from Special Representative and head of MINUJUSTH, Helen Meagher La Lime, and will also consider the most recent report on the implementation of resolution 2410which set a timeline for the gradual drawdown of formed police unitsand political and security developments in the context of the 15 April expiry of MINUJUSTHs mandate. In a change of practice, the Council will hold its quarterly meeting on Afghanistan (UNAMA) as a briefing, followed by consultations, rather than in debate format, prior to renewing the missions mandate later in the month. The Council is also expected to adopt a resolution renewing the mandate of the Panel of Experts of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee. A briefing of the 1540 Sanctions Committee is also anticipated during the month. There will be an informal interactive dialogue on the Middle East region. Arria-formula meetings are anticipated on womens participation in peace processes, on Crimea, and on criminal justice and human rights. Council members will continue to follow closely developments in Venezuela and may meet on this and other issues not on the programme as needed. AFRICA South Sudan Expected Council Action In March, the Council will renew the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) before its 15 March expiration. Prior to this, the Council expects a briefing, followed by consultations, on the Secretary-Generals 90-day report. Key Recent Developments The level of political violence in South Sudan has dropped dramatically since the signing of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) on 12 September 2018, Special Representative and head of UNMISS David Shearer said during a press conference in New York on 5 February. However, ethnic violence continues, and clashes are ongoing in Central and Western Equatoria states between the governments South Sudan Peoples Defence Forces (SSPDF) and fighters of Thomas Cirillos National Salvation Front (NAS). Cirillo rejected the R-ARCSS on the basis of wanting a more federalist system with administrative autonomy for the different regions. On 15 February, UNHCR said that thousands of people had fled into the Democratic Republic of the Congo to escape violence in Central Equatoria following clashes between the SSPDF and NAS. The human rights, humanitarian, food security and economic conditions in the country remain dire, with an enormous impact on civilians. There were over two million South Sudanese refugees and nearly two million internally displaced persons with 193,219 civilians in six UNMISS protection of civilians (POC) sites, as at 17 January. Since the signing of the R-ARCSS, some refugees have returned to South Sudan, and some people have started to leave UNMISS POC sites or have requested assistance to move back to their homes, Shearer said at the 5 February press conference. On the implementation of the R-ARCSS, the most recent progress report of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission available at press time, which covers October through December 2018, noted that except for the Independent Boundaries Commission and the Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Commission, all institutions and mechanisms required under the R-ARCSS have been established, but much work remains to be done, and funding and technical support are identified as major challenges. The report also notes particular concern over the slow pace of the cantonment, DDR and unification of armed forces, which are critical before the Transitional Period commences in May under the terms of the R-ARCSS. While opposition members are present in Juba and participating in the various mechanisms under the R-ARCSS, Shearer expressed concern at the press conference that the momentum in moving the process forward might slow. Opposition leader Riek Machar, currently based in Khartoum, has said he plans to return to South Sudan in May. On 20 December 2018, the AU Peace and Security Council adopted a communique expressing support for the Intergovernmental Authority on Developments (IGADs) decision to request the Security Council to review the composition and mandate of the Regional Protection Force (RPF), which is part of UNMISS. According to resolution 2406, the current UNMISS 17,000-troop ceiling of includes the RPF at levels to be set by the Secretary-General but not exceeding 4,000 troops. IGAD has proposed that its members, namely Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda, contribute troops to fill what it has identified as the RPFs deficit of 1,695 troops as follows: 499 each from Kenya, Uganda and Sudan and 99 each from Somalia and Djibouti. (The RPF currently includes troops from Ethiopia and Rwanda.) The Council was last briefed on South Sudan on 18 December 2018 by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix; Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten; and Ambassador Joanna Wronecka of Poland, the chair of the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee. Lacroix emphasised that the peace process is not yet assessed as being fully sustainable and irreversible and will need positive engagement and compromise from the parties and continued reinforcement. Patten told the Council that sexual violence escalated dramatically in 2018, despite the signing of the R-ARCSS. She said that her office, together with OHCHR, had submitted a confidential letter to the chair of the South Sudan Sanctions Committee with the names of three alleged perpetrators. Patten outlined four recommendations: first, that the government investigate all incidents of sexual violence and share the results with the UN; second, that the Council consistently apply sanctions for crimes of sexual violence, based on the stand-alone designation criteria on sexual violence set out in resolution 2428; third, that comprehensive services be provided to survivors; and fourth, that conflict-related sexual violence be addressed as a central aspect of R-ARCSS and any peacebuilding arrangements. Human Rights-Related Developments On 12 March, during its 40th session, the Human Rights Council is scheduled to hold an interactive dialogue with the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan and to consider its report (A/HRC/40/69). The report concludes that despite the signing of the R-ARCSS, violations including rape and sexual violence continue to occur and may amount to international crimes, including war crimes. The Commission is expected to provide the High Commissioner for Human Rights with a confidential list of names of alleged perpetrators. Women, Peace and Security-Related Developments On 7 December 2018, the Security Council issued a press statement condemning the heinous incidents of sexual and gender-based violence against women near Bentiu in the northern Unity region of South Sudan. The statement said that according to reports, armed men in military and civilian clothing attacked more than 150 women and girls in government-controlled areas. The statement reiterated the Councils willingness to impose targeted sanctions against the responsible individuals or entities. On 15 February, UNMISS and OHCHR published a joint report containing the findings of an investigation into these incidents by the UNMISS Human Rights Division, which determined that at least 134 cases of rape or gang rape and 41 cases of other forms of sexual and physical violence occurred between September and December 2018 near Bentiu. Of these 175 cases, 111 victims were women and 64 were girls (some of whom were as young as eight). According to the report, there are reasonable grounds to believe that these attacks were carried out primarily by armed elements of the pro-Taban Deng faction of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO [TD]) and the governments SSPDF. The report urged the committee that was established by President Salva Kiir on 19 December 2018 to carry out a prompt, effective and impartial investigation to identify the perpetrators of these attacks and hold them accountable. The response of UNMISS to these incidents included increasing patrols in the area and facilitating the deployment and work of a mobile court in Bentiu to hear cases involving serious crimes, including sexual violence, the report said. The Informal Expert Group on Women, Peace and Security met on 28 February to discuss South Sudan. Key Issues and Options An immediate issue for the Council to consider is what changes are necessary to the mandate of UNMISS. The most likely option is for the Council to renew the mandate for one year, maintaining core elements such as the protection of civilians, monitoring and verification of human rights violations, and facilitation of humanitarian access. In doing so, the Council might consider including language on some of the following: increasing the flexibility of the missions political strategy and responsibilities to support the peace process and regional efforts, which could include providing advice and technical support towards implementation of the R-ARCSS; increasing the effectiveness of protection efforts beyond POC sites and the role of UNMISS in facilitating the safe and voluntary return of internally displaced persons;reviewing the RPFs mandate and troop levels to adapt to the current political and security environment, including IGADs proposal to contribute troops; and emphasising its willingness to consider imposing targeted sanctions against individuals who meet the designation criteria of planning, directing, or committing acts involving sexual and gender-based violence in South Sudan as set out in resolution 2428. Council Dynamics Given the fragile and evolving situation in the country, Council members believe that the protection of civilians, the facilitation of humanitarian access, and human rights monitoring should remain core elements of the UNMISS mandate. As many members share concerns over the need to sustain momentum in implementing the R-ARCSS and the need for durable peace, it is likely that they will be in favour of language explicitly authorising UNMISS to provide advice and technical support in this regard. At the 18 December 2018 briefing, many members expressed concern over the humanitarian situation and high levels of displacement, and several condemned continuing incidents of sexual violence, including Cote dIvoire, Equatorial Guinea, France, Kuwait, Peru, Poland, the UK and the US. Regarding proposals for IGAD member states to participate in the RPF, Russia in particular welcomed the initiative while others such as France and the UK said certain conditions should be met, such as the need for any forces deployed to be under a unified UN chain of command and comply with UN peacekeeping standards. The US is the penholder on South Sudan. Poland chairs the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee. UN DOCUMENTS ON SOUTH SUDAN Status Update since our February Forecast Somalia On 1 February, the 751 Somalia Sanctions Committee met with its Panel of Experts to discuss their programme of work for the year. On 7 February, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo briefed Council members on her 30-31 January visit to Somalia. Mercenaries On 4 February, the Security Council held a high-level debate on Mercenary activities as a source of insecurity and destabilization in Africa (S/PV.8456). Equatorial Guinea circulated a concept note in preparation for the debate (S/2019/97). President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea presided. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Moussa Faki Mahamat (via video teleconference), Chairperson of the AU Commission, briefed. Other than Council members, the CAR, Chad, Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Rwanda and Sudan participated in the debate. Children and Armed Conflict The Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict met on 4, 5 and 8 February to negotiate its conclusions on the Secretary-Generals report on children and armed conflict in Syria (S/2018/969). On 12 February there was an Arria-formula meeting on the protection of children affected by armed conflict in contexts where humanitarian space is shrinking, with a specific focus on the CAR. It was organised by Belgium, the CAR, Cote dIvoire, Equatorial Guinea and France, in partnership with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba. In her introductory remarks, Gamba highlighted the child protection provisions, which were included in the recent peace agreement signed in the CAR and provided data on recent attacks on humanitarian personnel and infrastructure which shrank humanitarian space. The briefers were Ambassador Ambroisine Kpongo (the CAR); Nathalie Ben Zakour Man, Senior Child Protection Adviser in MINUSCA; and Hichem Khadhraoui, Director of Operations, Geneva Call. Ambassador Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium) moderated. Crime at Sea On 5 February, the Security Council held a debate on transnational organised crime at sea (S/PV.8457). Equatorial Guinea circulated a concept note ahead of the meeting (S/2019/98). Equatorial Guineas Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Simeon Oyono Esono Angue, chaired the meeting. Executive Secretary of the Gulf of Guinea Commission Florentina Adenike Ukonga and the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime Yury Fedotov briefed. Sudan (Darfur) On 7 February, the Security Council adopted resolution 2455 extending the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee until 12 March 2020 (S/PV.8458). The resolution expressed the Councils intention to establish clear, well identified, and measurable key benchmarks that could serve in guiding the Security Council to review measures on the Government of Sudan. On 25 February, the Council was briefed by Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Bintou Keita on UNAMID and the Secretary-Generals 90-day report (S/2019/44). Assistant Secretary-General of the UN Development Programme Mourad Wahba and Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support Oscar Fernandez-Taranco also briefed. The briefing was followed by consultations. Kosovo On 7 February, Special Representative and head of UNMIK Zahir Tanin briefed the Council on the Secretary-Generals latest report (S/2019/102) and recent developments in Kosovo (S/PV.8459). Leading up to the meeting, the Council was unable to agree on a programme of work for February due to disagreement among members on whether Kosovo should be discussed during the month. The US, together with the EU members, objected to holding the meeting in February in line with their common position that the Council should reduce the frequency of meetings on Kosovo. Russia and some other members strongly opposed this, however. A compromise was reached, to avoid future disruption of the work of the Council, to hold the meeting on 7 February, while also specifying a new schedule of meetings. Members agreed on a note by the president (S/2019/120) which stated that, in addition to the 7 February meeting, the Council will hold briefings on Kosovo in June and October 2019 and that as of 2020, the briefings will be held twice a year (in April and October). Women, Peace and Security On 8 February, there was an open Arria-formula meeting in the Trusteeship Council Chamber on the preventive impact of criminal accountability for conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence. The meeting was organised by Germany, in partnership with Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, France, Kuwait, Peru, Poland, South Africa and the UK. The meeting was chaired by Katarina Barley, the Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection of Germany. Military Staff Committee On 8 February, the Military Staff Committee discussed the UN Intelligence Policy Framework and the work of MINUJUSTH. On 22 February, it discussed the work of MINURSO and UNISFA. Ukraine On 12 February, the Council held a meeting on the situation in Ukraine (S/PV.8461). Russia requested the meeting to mark the anniversary of the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements, also known as the Minsk II agreement, adopted on 12 February 2015. Assistant Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Miroslav Jenca; Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Ursula Mueller; Chief Monitor of OSCE Special SMM Ertugrul Apakan; and Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Martin Sajdik briefed. The discussion was marked by the longstanding divisions among permanent members of the Council on this issue. Russia accused Ukraine of not adhering to the Minsk agreements and escalating tensions in eastern Ukraine. On the other hand, the US and the EU members of the Council emphasised the Russian role in the conflict and its violations of the international law. The members agreed on the importance of upholding the Minsk agreements and the need to implement all its provisions. Central African Republic On 13 February, Council members issued a press statement welcoming the signing of the Global Peace Agreement in the CAR (SC/13701). On 21 February, Departing Special Representative and head of MINUSCA Parfait Onanga-Anyanga briefed the Council (S/PV.8467) on the latest MINUSCA report (S/2019/147). Ambassador Smail Chergui, the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security; Koen Vervaeke, the European External Action Service Managing Director (via video teleconference); Ambassador Gbolie Desire Wulfran Ipo, Deputy Permanent Representative of Cote dIvoire, which chairs the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee; and Ambassador Omar Hilale (Morocco), chair of the Peacebuilding Commissions CAR configuration, also addressed the Council. On 22 February, the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee discussed the Panel of Experts progress update with its coordinator. Iraq On 13 February, the new Special Representative and head of UNAMA, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, briefed the Council on the latest Secretary-Generals report (S/2019/101) and recent developments in Iraq (S/PV.8462). She expressed concern over the slow pace of completing the process of formation of the new government and called on Iraqis to focus on addressing the immediate needs of the country and refrain from factional politics. On 19 February, the Council adopted a presidential statement (S/PRST/2019/1) welcoming the cooperation between Iraq and Kuwait on the issue of missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals and the return of missing Kuwaiti property, including national archives (S/PV.8463). DPRK (North Korea) The 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee held two meetings, on 13 and 21 February, to discuss the final report of the Panel of Experts. On 25 February, the chair of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Christoph Heusgen (Germany), briefed the Council in consultations on the work of the committee during the past three months. Visiting Mission Security Council members undertook a visiting mission to Cote dIvoire and Guinea-Bissau from 14 to 16 February, co-led by Council president Equatorial Guinea and Cote dIvoire. In Cote dIvoire, Council members held meetings with Ivorian Foreign Minister Marcel Amon-Tanoh and with Vice President Daniel Kablan Duncan to take stock of Cote dIvoires ongoing transition from peacekeeping to peace consolidation since the departure in 2017 of UNOCI. This was followed by a roundtable discussion with the resident coordinators of the UNs Ivorian and Liberian country teams to consider the experiences and best practices on the transitions of UN peacekeeping operations to non-mission peacebuilding settings in Cote dIvoire and Liberia. In Guinea-Bissau, Council members encouraged political actors, including President Jose Mario Vaz, to keep to the 10 March date for legislative elections, which were delayed twice last year, and indicated that the presidential election should also be organised during 2019. Members further stressed the importance of the legislative elections in order to begin institutional reforms, which Bissau-Guinean political parties committed to doing in a stability pact signed the day before the Councils arrival. Members used the visit to consider the Secretary-Generals proposed plan to reconfigure and then withdraw the mission by the end of December 2020. On 26 February, the Council was briefed by the co-leads of the visiting mission. Counter-Terrorism Council members issued a press statement on 14 February that condemned the terrorist attack in Sistan-Baluchestan Province, Iran, on 13 February, in which 27 people were killed and 13 others wounded (SC/13703). On 21 February, Council members issued a press statement condemning the 14 February suicide bombing in Jammu and Kashmir, noting that over 40 Indian paramilitary forces had died and dozens had been wounded in the attack, for which Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility (SC/13712). Guinea-Bissau The Council visited Guinea-Bissau from 15 to 16 February. On 28 February, the Council adopted a resolution renewing the mandate of UNIOGBIS for one year. The resolution sets out that the reconfiguration of UNIOGBIS, as a streamlined good offices mission (as proposed by the Secretary-General in a 5 December 2018 special report [S/2018/1086]), should begin after the current electoral cycle in 2019. Earlier in February, the Secretary-General submitted his report on Guinea-Bissau and the activities of UNIOGBIS (S/2019/115). The Guinea-Bissau 2048 Sanctions Committee met on 7 February, receiving a briefing from Pierre Lapaque, Representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Office for West and Central Africa, on drug trafficking and transnational organised crime in Guinea-Bissau and the region. Burundi On 19 February, the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy, Michel Kafando, briefed the Council on Burundi (S/PV.8465). Ambassador Jurg Lauber (Switzerland), the chair of the Burundi configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission, and Permanent Observer of the AU to the UN Fatima Kyari Mohammed also participated in the meeting, which was followed by consultations. Israel-Palestine On 20 February, the Security Council held a briefing, followed by consultations, on the Middle East (Israel/Palestine) (S/PV.8466). Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov briefed the Council via video teleconference. He reviewed developments on the ground and said that a heavy toll is being exacted on Palestinian society by unilateral measures, unceasing violence, and financial pressures. Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Ursula Mueller also briefed on this issue for the first time in several months. She urged progress toward a political solution and for member states to increase support for the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan. Eritrea On 21 February, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo briefed Council members in consultations on Eritrea-Djibouti relations, including on the 18 February letter from the Secretary-General to the president of the Council on the issue (S/2019/154). Silencing the Guns Open Debate On 27 February, the Council held a high-level open debate on the AU Silencing the Guns by 2020 initiative. It was chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Equatorial Guinea. It followed an Arria-formula meeting held in October 2018 on this issue. Equatorial Guinea held the meeting to address several questions on AU-UN cooperation for this initiative, such as how to preserve gains made and how to strengthen tools to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts. There was a wide range of participation by UN member states. Venezuela On 26 February, the Council held a briefing on Venezuela (S/PV.8472). Cyprus On 27 February, Council members issued a press statement welcoming the 26 February meeting between Cypriot leaders and progress on confidence building measures (SC/13722). Myanmar At press time, the Council was expecting a briefing followed by consultations on 28 February on the situation in Myanmar from Special Envoy Christine Schraner Burgener, who visited the country at the end of January. MIDDLE EAST Syria Expected Council Action In March, the Council will receive the monthly briefings on the humanitarian situation, the political process and the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Key Recent Developments March marks the ninth anniversary of the beginning of the Syrian conflict. The humanitarian situation in Syria remains dire and has been exacerbated by harsh winter conditions, including torrential rains. Thousands remain trapped by ongoing hostilities in areas of the Deir ez-Zor region held by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and there are concerns about the well-being of civilians who have fled the area, including family members of foreign terrorist fighters. The situation in Idlib remains critical. In January, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (a Council-designated terrorist group) took over control of most of Idlib from the National Liberation Front, the Turkish-backed coalition of moderate armed groups. Following an upsurge in attacks by government forces and in civilian casualties in Idlib, Turkey has reinforced the 12 ceasefire observation stations established as part of a deal with Russia in September 2018 to create a demilitarised zone. Divergences over the fate of Idlib became clear at a 14 February meeting of the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey, the guarantors of the Astana process. Their joint statement stopped short of justifying a military offensive and merely agreed to effectively counter the attempts by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham to increase its control over the area as well as to take concrete steps to reduce violations in the Idlib de-escalation area. The situation in the north-east of Syria remains fragile after the December 2018 announcement by the US regarding the withdrawal of its troops. The US actively supports the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes the Kurdish YPG militia, and the US decision has introduced fresh uncertainty into efforts to prevent an escalation of violence between Turkey and the YPG, as well as counter-terrorism operations against ISIL and the fate of the territory currently controlled by the SDF in the north-east. While details of the withdrawal, including its timeline and conditions, remain unclear, the US has indicated that about 200 troops will remain in the north-east for some time. After many delays, in early February the UN and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent were able to reach the Rukban makeshift camp near the border with Jordan. The interagency convoy, which included 118 trucks with life-saving assistance, was one of the largest and most complex humanitarian missions since the beginning of the conflict. UNHCR considered conditions in the camp to be desperate and catastrophic. Once in Rukban, humanitarian partners stayed for nine days to make sure that assistance was not diverted and to conduct a survey of camp residents intentions. Despite the interest of many interviewees in returning home, they have been unable to do so until now. Some of the families have been at Rukban for more than four years. Since taking office as Special Envoy for Syria on 7 January, Geir O. Pedersen has travelled extensively, including to Damascus to conduct consultations with the government and to Riyadh to hold discussions with the oppositions Syrian Negotiation Commission. In a press encounter on 15 February, he emphasised that his mandate remains the terms spelled out in resolution 2254, which provides for a Syrian-led, UN-facilitated process to establish credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance, set a process for drafting a new constitution, and conduct free and fair elections. While he expressed his hope to convene as soon as possible a meeting of the constitutional committee in Geneva, which can be a potential door-opener for the political process, he highlighted that he also wants to work on other issues in parallel. He said there was a need to step up work on confidence-building measures, including the situation of detainees, abductees and missing persons. Even though the Astana guarantors have established a working group to address these issues, and some dozens of prisoners have been swapped in November 2018 and in February, much work remains to be done. At press time, Pedersen was expected to brief the Council for the first time on 28 February, followed by consultations. The High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, briefed the Council on 6 February. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) continues to have concerns regarding the limited cooperation of the Syrian government in addressing the gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies identified in Syrias initial declaration of its chemical weapons stockpile. Human Rights-Related Developments On 19 February, High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement that the intensified ground-based bombardment of Idlib and surrounding areas by government forces and their allies in recent weeks has led to numerous civilian casualties and left some one million people, including hundreds of thousands of displaced people, in an extremely vulnerable situation. The bombardment of the demilitarized buffer zone that includes Idlib and areas of northern Hama and western Aleppo governorates started to escalate in December 2018 and has further intensified, the statement said. Bachelet called on all parties involved, as well as external governments with influence, to ensure that the protection of civilians is held paramount in the planning and execution of all military operations in accordance with international law. During its 40th session, the Human Rights Council is scheduled to hold an interactive dialogue on 12 March with the Commission of Inquiry on Syria and to consider its report (A/HRC/40/70). Key Issues and Options Given the crucial role of Russia, Turkey and Iran on both the political and humanitarian fronts, Council members could seek an informal interactive dialogue with their representatives to have a more action-oriented discussion regarding current and future efforts to avert a full-fledged military offensive in Idlib. Council members continue to be profoundly divided over Syria, and some question whether any effort on the political process is likely to yield results, considering the Syrian governments emphasis on regaining territory and consolidating control. As Pedersen starts his tenure, Council members could hold an informal and frank discussion to consider how, individually and collectively, they can best support the prospects of a political process based on resolution 2254. The issue of detainees, abductees and missing persons has not attracted much attention in the Council and is mostly considered under the rubric of confidence-building measures being discussed by the Astana guarantors. With little progress on this front and the Syrian governments release of thousands of prisoner death notices, the Council could hold a meeting and call on the guarantors to use their influence on the government to engage in good faith on this matter. A new concern is that the recent takeover of most of Idlib by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham could be used to justify a military offensive by the Syrian government and its allies. The Council could request a briefing from the Secretariat to focus on the potential for instability in north-eastern Syria, call on the actors involved to exercise restraint, and support good offices efforts to address long-standing grievances. Following up on the 6 February consultations, Council members could invite representatives of the OPCW and the Syrian government to discuss their cooperation, including on outstanding issues. Council and Wider Dynamics The Council continues to be divided over the Syrian conflict, but the arrival of a new envoy provides an opportunity to reinvigorate the political process. Council members are also divided over whether there can be international support for the reconstruction of Syria, an issue that is expected to feature in the EU-hosted Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region, which will take place in late March. In the past, the P3 and EU countries have argued that there can be no international support for funding development and long-term reconstruction in Syria until irreversible progress has been made in the political process. Belgium, Germany and Kuwait are co-penholders on humanitarian issues in Syria. UN DOCUMENTS ON SYRIA MIDDLE EAST UNDOF (Golan Heights) Expected Council Action In March, the Council is expected to receive a briefing on the activities of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). The Department of Peace Operations (DPO) is expected to brief Council members in consultations on the Secretary-Generals latest 90-day report on UNDOF, due out in March, and on the most recent developments. The mandate of UNDOF expires on 30 June. Key Recent Developments UNDOF was established following the conclusion of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria, which ended the Yom Kippur war, and is mandated to maintain the ceasefire between the parties and supervise the disengagement of Israeli and Syrian forces as well as the so-called areas of separation and limitation. The Secretary-Generals 6 December 2018 report, covering the period from 15 September to 20 November, said that despite several violations of the Disengagement of Forces Agreement of 1974, the ceasefire between Israel and Syria was largely being maintained. The report noted that by August 2018, conflict had largely ceased in the areas formerly held by various non-state armed groups as the government of Syria regained control. Some military activity was reported as part of the Syrian security forces efforts to clear the remnants of war from the area. According to the report, UNDOF also observed an increase in Syrian armed forces presence in the area, particularly in staffing a number of checkpoints. The Council stressed in resolution 2426 of June 2018 that there should be no military activity of any kind in the area of operations, which also relates to the Russian military police noted in the report as being present occasionally in the area of separation. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continued to fire across the ceasefire line and into the area of separation, according to the report. UNDOF personnel also continued to observe crossings by unidentified individuals between Lebanon and the Bravo (Syrian) side and from the Bravo side to the Alpha (Israeli) side on a daily basis. The individuals crossing were usually described in the report as shepherds and farmers. The Secretary-Generals report noted that the number of people crossing the southern part of the area of separation decreased once a hospital providing humanitarian assistance to people from the Bravo side was closed by the IDF in August 2018. On 15 October 2018, the Qunaytirah crossing point, which had been closed since 2014, was reopened. UNDOF had been unable to help with humanitarian crossings while the point was closed, but reiterated in the Secretary-Generals report that it now remained ready to facilitate crossings. On 11 February, the Syrian state-run SANA news agency reported that Israel had fired missiles on parts of the city of Qunaytirah. At press time, the Israeli military had not responded to queries, but the incident was widely covered in the regions press. Two UNDOF peacekeepers were lightly injured in August and October 2018 in Camp Faouar by stray bullets, according to the Secretary-Generals report. UNDOF has not determined the origin of the shots nor their intended target. UNDOF made further progress towards a limited return to operations on the Bravo side in accordance with a phased UNDOF plan, namely on phase two: preparations for the reoccupation of observation posts. On 30 October, UNDOFs Observer Group Golan was able to establish temporary observation posts near three empty former posts. UNDOFs mechanised infantry company has conducted more than 80 protected patrols since such patrols resumed on the Bravo side in February 2018, as well as several assessment visits to parts of the area of separation. UNDOF still considers there to be significant threats to UN personnel in the area of UNDOF operations. The report highlighted that on 12 and 13 September, UNDOF personnel worked in the area of the Bravo and Charlie gates at the Qunaytirah crossing to remove mines, unexploded ordnance and other remnants of war. An independent review of UNDOF was conducted in September and October 2018. The review analysed the conditions of the mandate, particularly the assumptions that underpin it and the conditions for its successful implementation. The reviews conclusions, highlighted in the Secretary-Generals report, said that UNDOF plays an important role in maintaining communications with the IDF and Syrian authorities and that this function should remain. The review found that UNDOF had de-escalated tensions in several incidents. It recommended trying to find further opportunities to build trust between the parties. Regarding UNDOFs eventual return to the Bravo side, the review urged the use of new observation technologies and noted that there would need to be significant reconstruction of the posts that had been abandoned. The Council renewed UNDOFs mandate in a unanimous vote on 21 December 2018 in resolution 2450. Key Issues and Options Ongoing issues for the Council are the numerous violations of the Disengagement of Forces Agreement of 1974 and UNDOFs ability to implement its mandate, including the deployment of appropriate technologies as recommended. Given Syrias reassertion of control over areas of separation and the reopening of the Qunaytirah crossing point, UNDOF may be getting close to an eventual full return to the Bravo side. The return of the situation to pre-2014 conditions may cause the Council to consider requesting the Secretary-General to resume a six-month reporting cycle instead of 90 days, as had been the practice until December 2012. Council and Wider Dynamics The Council remains largely united on this issue, as evidenced by the unanimous reauthorisation of the mandate in December. Negotiations on the draft were relatively straightforward and technical. There was little apparent disagreement by members, and no states felt the need to give explanations of their votes. Russia and the US are the co-penholders on UNDOF. MIDDLE EAST Yemen Expected Council Action In March, the Council expects a briefing on the implementation of resolutions 2451 and 2452 by Special Envoy Martin Griffiths. The 2140 Yemen Sanctions Committee has planned a visit to the region at the end of the month. Resolution 2456, adopted on 26 February, extended for an additional year the Yemen financial and travel ban sanctions, reaffirmed the provisions of the targeted arms embargo, and renewed the mandate of the committees Panel of Experts. Key Recent Developments Implementing the Stockholm Agreement, reached between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels at UN-brokered consultations in Sweden last December, has remained difficult, with only limited progress. The Stockholm Agreement set out three different arrangements: a deal to avoid a battle for the key port city of Hodeidah, an executive mechanism to implement a prisoner exchange agreement, and a statement of understanding on the city of Taiz. From 3 to 6 February, the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC), which is chaired by the UN and oversees the agreement on Hodeidah, held its first meeting in nearly a month, bringing together the committees Yemeni government and Houthi representatives on a UN vessel anchored off Hodeidah. Discussion centred around UN proposals to conduct the mutual redeployment of forces from the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Saleef and Ras Issa. Following the third day of meetings, General Michael Lollesgaard took over on 5 February as RCC chair and as head of the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA), succeeding General Patrick Cammaert. On 16 and 17 February, the RCC held its fourth meeting, reaching an accord for implementing the first phase of the mutual redeployment of forces set out in the deal on Hodeidah. In a first step, Houthi forces would redeploy from the ports of Saleef and Ras Isa. In a second step, the Houthis would redeploy from Hodeidah port and both parties would withdraw forces from critical parts of the city of Hodeidah associated with humanitarian facilities. This includes opening up the Red Sea mills, which hold sufficient grain stocks to feed 3.7 million people for one month. At the RCC meeting, the parties also agreed, in principle, on the second phase of redeployments, which entail the full withdrawal of forces from Hodeidah city, though further consultations were required with the leadership of each side. Following a 19 February briefing and consultations on Yemen, a Council press statement three days later stressed the critical importance of the parties implementing their commitments in the Stockholm Agreement. It called for the immediate implementation of the first phase of the redeployment of forces. A 26 February high-level pledging conference in Geneva raised $2.6 billion for the 2019 Yemen humanitarian response plan, which OCHA says will require $4.2 billion. Key Issues and Options Advancing implementation of the Stockholm Agreement remains an immediate issue. This includes fulfilling the new commitments on Phase 1 troop redeployments, and reaching an agreement to implement Phase 2 redeployments. Deploying UNMHA and scaling up the presence of other UN entities has also been a challenge. Moreover, there has not been tangible progress yet in implementing the prisoner exchange, which is overseen by a supervisory committee chaired by the Office of the Special Envoy and the ICRC, nor in creating more humanitarian access to Taiz as envisioned in the statement of understanding on that city. Violence has decreased in Hodeidah, but other frontlines, in particular Hajjah governorate, have seen continued fighting. If the sides remain at an impasse in implementing the commitments regarding Hodeidah, an option is for the Council to adopt a presidential statement to exert greater pressure on the parties to follow through on those commitments. Resuming talks on a framework for a comprehensive political solution is another key issue. A new round of consultations has been on hold until further progress is made in fulfilling the Hodeidah agreement. However, Griffiths recalled the importance of restarting such talks during his last briefing. Upon the parties agreeing on a negotiating framework, one option for the Council would be to adopt a resolution endorsing this framework, as Griffiths has proposed. The humanitarian crisis remains a critical issue, with 24 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, including over 10 million people at risk of famine, according to the 2019 Humanitarian Needs Overview for Yemen of OCHA and the UN Country Team. Members are likely to reiterate their public calls for the parties to facilitate humanitarian access, including the Red Sea mills and by re-opening the Sanaa-Hodeidah main highway. Council Dynamics Members appear united in wanting the parties to fulfil their commitments under the Stockholm Agreement. Two press statements were issued in February to maintain this pressure. Kuwait is part of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition that backs the Yemeni government and tends to champion coalition positions. It has sought to facilitate political efforts, hosting peace talks for three months in 2016 and providing aircraft to transport the Houthi delegation to the consultations in Sweden in December 2018. Belgium, Germany, Peru and Poland have been among members that have sought to highlight issues around the humanitarian crisis and international humanitarian law. The US often raises concerns about the role of Iran, which it views as having a destabilising effect on the region. The UK is the penholder on Yemen. Peru chairs the 2140 Yemen Sanctions Committee. UN DOCUMENTS ON YEMEN A Reddit thread is asking folks to share their greatest SEO success story and there are some good ones. But Google's John Mueller chimed in and said his was as simple as instructing someone to remove the noindex from their site. He said "sometimes good things come in small checkboxes." John said "Told someone to remove the setting that added the noindex to all pages. They were pretty happy; sometimes good things come in small checkboxes." The funny thing is - I had a similar situation and I often keep going back to it when I talk to people. A fortune 500 company hired me to talk to their 10 person SEO team about an issue they had with one of their large sites not ranking well in Google. I have this policy of only doing SEO consulting for SEOs - but I generally do not do any SEO consulting - but in some cases I'll let SEOs hire me for an hour to shoot questions at me. I don't look at the questions beforehand and I don't look at the site in question beforehand. So when the call started, I fired up a screen share, they told me the domain name and within 60 seconds I spotted the site had a noindex. As you can imagine, the SEO team was super shocked and I guess a bit embarrassed since the head of marketing was on the call as well. But yea - sometimes it is the most basic things that have the biggest impact. Forum discussion at Reddit. Google announced they have launched a new form to submit spam reports about Google local, maps and Google My Business related spam. Google calls it the Business Redressal Complaint Form and is for fraudulent activity. You can access the form over here. Google said If you come across misleading information or fraudulent activity on Google Maps related to the name, phone number, or URL of a business, you may use this form to submit a complaint. Complaints submitted through this form will be reviewed in accordance with the Google guidelines for representing businesses on Google Maps. Marissa Nordahl, Community Manager, Google My Business said in a Google My Business Help thread "If you come across a business name, phone number, or URL on Google Maps that leads to fraudulent activity, you can now submit a complaint using this form. We'll close the Spam board on this community, so please use the new form to report spam-related issues." Joy Hawkins, a local SEO, posted more details in the Local Search Forums: Do I get a response when the report was processed? You'll get a generic response but it will be just like social support where they tell you that since it's not a business you manage, you won't get an update on what happened. For this reason, I suggest setting a reminder for yourself to just check back in a few weeks. What if I want to report tons of locations at once? There is a spreadsheet upload option on the form - use this option. What if I don't want to tell Google the business it's impacting? Lots of business owners are reluctant to report spam because they don't want their competitors knowing they were the ones to report it. The safest bet here is just to put NA in those fields. Can I use this form to report fake reviews? Not currently. You should send these requests to Google's social support. You can tweet to them at @googlemybiz or message them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GoogleMyBusiness/. Usually they respond in 1-5 business days. Forum discussion at Local Search Forums, Google My Business Help and Twitter. Dawn broke under bright blue skies Thursday in Guerneville, and with it came hope that the soggy ordeal might soon be over for the nearly 2,000 people still stranded on day two of the Russian River flood. But it wont come fast. And it wont be cheap. The brown lake of floodwater that transformed downtown into a 300-yard island of dry land had receded a bit by noon, but it looked like the townsfolk will still be marooned until late Friday. Or even Saturday. Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation Thursday for Sonoma and four other Northern California counties affected by storm damage to funnel in aid; yet that wont change the fact that anyone whose property suffered significant damage has months of nail-biting repairs ahead. Its a war zone, man, said John Sundberg, 62, as he climbed out of his kayak after paddling through north Guerneville to check on a friends house. He pointed to his pals neighborhood, on Mill Street, and shook his head. That right now is just a huge lake, he said. Now Playing: Guerneville residents have been forced to get into canoes to survey Video: San Francisco Chronicle The same sort of misery greeted residents and business owners throughout the North Bay wherever rivers and creeks jumped their banks. More than 3,000 homes were swallowed by floodwaters all along the Russian River. The Barlow, a huge arts, dining and shopping collective in Sebastopol, got whomped with 4 feet of merchandise-ruining water. In Forestville, the natural gas service to the town blinked out. Up the North Coast in Humboldt County, a man died late Wednesday night when he was swept away by floodwaters while trying to save his children. The three children were rescued. Newsoms emergency order also included Lake, Amador, Glenn and Mendocino counties, and it came exactly one week after he issued a similar storm-related declaration for 21 counties throughout California. That number may grow next week, when National Weather Service forecasters say another atmospheric river is set to arrive Tuesday and stay all week. Meanwhile, two weaker storms are coming this weekend. The future for places like Guerneville, the hardest-hit community this week, holds little certainty. So, as they have time and time again in past floods, the locals carried on Thursday, one unflappable step at a time. Some put their canoes away. One woman clopped her horse, Diva, down Main Street, free at last to romp after being cooped up for days. With the towns main grocery, Safeway, reopened after a day of shutdown, locals began filtering in and a semblance of normalcy began to return. Now Playing: A horse named Diva survived the flood, and so did her rider Video: San Francisco Chronicle Shirley Valley, 71, drove her truck into town to shop at first light, after being stranded in her home on Armstrong Woods Road since Sunday. A creek had flooded to block off access. The first time I saw the blue sky, I thought, Wow, theres hope. Its going to be OK, Valley said. She should know. Valley has lived in Guerneville since 1963, and shes seen the most epic floods in the towns history. This is nothing compared to the 86 flood, when the river was flowing down Main Street, Valley said. This is the deluxe of the floods, because we had lights, I had internet, everything. I call it the Cadillac of floods. It could have been so much worse. Were old hat knowing the ins and outs of this. Under Thursdays clear skies, the river continued to inch down all day more slowly than expected, but steadily. Readings in the morning measured the waters at 44.47 feet, said Drew Peterson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The shoreline was visible at first light 200 feet lower down the main streets than the previous night, when the river hit its peak at nearly 46 feet by 9 p.m. But even as conditions improved with every hour, driftwood, bloated diapers and other detritus littered River Road as if an angry child had flung his toys. Submerged cars were beginning to reappear after 24 hours underwater, the muddy roof of a white pickup truck bearing traces of the flood. Now Playing: A CHP helicopter rescued two people on Wednesday and is flying again Thursday Video: San Francisco Chronicle All roads in and out of Guerneville, and many of the other villages sprinkled along the shoreline, were still blocked by the roiling river, and they were likely to remain that way most of the day a disappointment, considering forecasters had predicted Wednesday that the Russian River might drop to the point of flood stage by noon Thursday. Based on past similar floods, the cost to fix ruined wallboard, contaminated water systems, waterlogged car parts and other damage will run into the millions. The 2005-06 floods in the North Bay, when the Russian crested at 41.6 feet about 4 feet lower than this week wreaked more than $400 million in damage. However, things have improved over the past decade-plus. Since the catastrophic floods of 1997-98, more than half the homes in the Russian River flood plain were jacked up on stilts or rebuilt at higher elevations, either with private or government funding, so needed repairs will be less extensive. Claire Odie, 59, lives on Armstrong Woods Road, where she shifted her house uphill after it was inundated by the extensive 1995 flood. Her home still took on a little water this time and, like Valley, she was cut off from downtown for a few days. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. But like most of her neighbors, Odie said, she wouldnt think of leaving, occasional soakings be damned. You know, Ive been to a lot of places in this world, and this is home. My heart is here, Odie said. I stayed behind because of the animals. I have four cats, two dogs and nine chickens. I wasnt going to leave them or the house. Everybody who lives here is prepared. We know the routine. Other impacts of this weeks storm: Rainfall National Weather Service officials said two weak storms will swing over the Bay Area over the weekend, dropping less than an inch of rain. A bigger storm will arrive Tuesday. Over the past 48 hours, Guerneville received close to 5 inches of precipitation. San Francisco received just over half an inch of rain, Oakland received just under an inch and Santa Rosa received 3.05 inches of rain. Power Power was slowly being restored to residents of flood-soaked Sonoma County on Thursday, although 1,000 customers in Cazadero remained in the dark, a PG&E spokeswoman said. By the afternoon, outages still affected 2,925 customers along the Russian River, primarily in Duncans Mills, Forestville, Monte Rio and Guerneville. Snow Most ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe area were pummeled with snow over the past three days. In total, Squaw Valley Resort had 4 feet of snow. Boreal and Soda Springs received 5 feet. The most snow, close to 8 feet, fell on a nearby mountain, Castle Peak. And more was expected starting Friday night into Sunday morning. Caltrans advised weekend skiers and snowboarders that the best days to travel this weekend are early Friday and Monday. San Francisco Chronicle staff writers Sarah Ravani and Gwendolyn Wu contributed to this story. Peter Fimrite and Kevin Fagan area San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com, kfagan@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @pfimrite, @KevinChron Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Thursday in Sonoma County, a day after disastrous flooding From the Russian River left numerous communities across Northern California inundated with water. The governors order, which included Lake, Amador, Glenn and Mendocino counties, allows Caltrans and local government agencies to request immediate assistance from the Federal Highway Administrations Emergency Relief Program and the Office of Emergency Services. The announcement comes exactly a week after Newsom issued a storm-related emergency declaration for 21 counties across the state. In Guerneville, the Russian River was slowly receding Thursday morning and expected to drop to a minor flood stage by midnight, officials said. At its height, the river crested at 45.38 feet at 9 p.m. Wednesday. By 6 a.m. Thursday, the river was following a downward trend and had dropped to 44.47 feet, said Drew Peterson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Now Playing: Guerneville residents have been forced to get into canoes to survey Video: San Francisco Chronicle Given that there has been no additional heavy rainfall, we are starting to see those water levels recede, he said. Over the past 48 hours, Guerneville received close to 5 inches of precipitation. San Francisco received just over half an inch of rain. Oakland received just less than an inch of rain. Novato had 3.47 inches of rain, San Anselmo received 3.47 inches, close to 4.5 inches dropped in Kenwood and Napa got nearly 4 inches. Santa Rosa received 3.05 inches of rain, Windsor had 5.15 inches and Monte Rio received 3.17 inches. Flood levels in Guerneville are expected to continue dropping throughout the day, but Peterson said there will still be flooding throughout the area. Emergency crews on Wednesday pulled dozens of cars and drivers out of roadways turned into mini-lakes, residents paddled canoes to get around neighborhoods and businesses suffered untold damage to merchandise on their flooded first floors. Overnight the town of Guerneville was quiet with no calls for rescues, according to the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office. Power was slowly being restored to residents of flood-soaked Sonoma County on Thursday, although 1,000 customers in Cazadero remain in the dark, a PG&E spokeswoman said. As of early afternoon, outages still affected 2,925 customers along the Russian River, primarily in the towns of Duncan Mills, Forestville, Monte Rio and Guerneville. In addition, natural gas lines to 265 customers in Forestville that were switched off as a precaution on Wednesday night remained disconnected. PG&E spokeswoman Deanna Contreras advised those customers to prepare for another day and night without natural gas. Repair crews were regaining access to areas along Highway 1, and a helicopter was helping to assess the damage, Contreras said. Most ski resorts in Tahoe were pummeled with snow over past three days. In total, Squaw Valley Resort had 4.5 feet of snow. Boreal and Soda Springs received 5.5 feet. Castle Peak received the most with close to 8 feet of snow. And more was expected starting Friday night into Sunday morning. Donner Pass, Ebbetts Pass, Sonora Pass and Tioga Pass could receive another 2 feet of snow before the end of the weekend. Lassen Park and Echo Pass could get 1.5 feet of snow. Carson Pass is expected to receive up to 2.5 feet of snow. Caltrans advised weekend skiers and snowboarders that the best days to travel this weekend are early Friday and Monday. 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 wet system headed for Tahoe was also expected to make landfall in the Bay Area with two separate storms through the weekend. Forecasters remain optimistic that the impending rain wont pummel the North Bay. The first system, starting Friday night and ending Saturday morning, will bring light to moderate rainfall to the region. The second system, starting Sunday, will bring rain showers. In total, the weekend storms are expected to bring just less than an inch of rain to the North Bay, San Francisco and Oakland, and half an inch to San Jose. Luckily, the bulk of the rain is staying out of the North Bay so that is not going to exacerbate the existing flooding conditions, Peterson said. There will be a response on the rivers and tributaries, but just half of an inch to three quarters of an inch shouldnt really cause them to spike back up again. Despite the brief reprieve, forecasters are keeping their eye on another atmospheric river that will arrive Tuesday and last through the week. For now, the storm seems to be heading toward Big Sur and Southern California, but the forecast could always shift it northward, Peterson said. We wouldnt want more rain on top of areas that are already flooding, he said. San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Steve Rubenstein contributed to this report. Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @SarRavani San Francisco Mayor London Breed is expected to announce Thursday that the city has managed to clear a backlog of more than 900 permits for accessory dwelling units that had been languishing in the approval pipeline. Breed handed down an executive order in August instructing city departments to dramatically cut down on the time it takes to assess, revise and approve permits for ADUs often referred to as in-law units or granny flats. Breed wanted the 919-unit application backlog cleared by the end of February, and the departments met the deadline. Since Breeds directive came down, the city has issued 439 permits for ADUs more than 90 percent of which are rent-controlled that may now begin construction. The remainder of the applications have been reviewed by the city and are awaiting a response from applicants. As the city confronts a punishing housing shortage, ADUs apartments usually converted from basements, garages and other spaces are widely seen as an important and creative way to grow the citys housing stock. Breed has complained about ADU delays since before she was mayor. But for years, the complexity and glacial pace of the permitting process has delayed projects by months and driven up costs for applicants. One of the biggest problems, city officials said, was a lack of consistent standards. Departments involved in reviewing the permits including the Fire Department, the Department of Building Inspection, the citys Public Utilities Commission, Planning and Public Works frequently gave conflicting interpretations of the same building codes when reviewing applications. One department might sign off on a proposed design while another might mandate alterations. This is just a first step. I will not let our bureaucracy stand in the way of building more housing, especially new rent-controlled housing, because we need more places for people to live in San Francisco, Breed said in a statement. Whether its streamlining the approval process or eliminating permitting fees, we can and will do more to get more housing built in our neighborhoods. The directive is emblematic of Breeds efforts to get more housing built during her first seven months in office as she takes aim at bureaucratic and technical barriers holding up development. Recently, shes introduced legislation to eliminate permit fees for ADU and 100 percent affordable housing. Breeds directive also required that the city process all new ADU applications within four months. Breeds office said that 206 ADU applications had come in since the executive order was issued, and all were reviewed by the city within four months. Eighteen applications were approved, and the rest are awaiting responses from applicants. ADU information For more information about San Francisco's accessory dwelling unit program, visit sfdbi.org/adu See More Collapse 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. Much of the progress on ADU permitting over the past six months came from departments reviewing applications together. Getting the departments to talk to one another at the same time has made a dramatic difference, according to Serina Calhoun, a principal architect at Syncopated Architecture. It has been a radical shift for the better. I cannot tell you how much that announcement has changed the entire process, she said. Youre not ping-ponging back and forth between departments with the same overlapping reviews. Since Breeds directive, 15 of Calhouns projects have been approved. That translates to 42 new apartments that will soon begin construction. Its like a dream, she said. Its totally cleared up. Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa Inside Alicia Johnsons Berkeley home Wednesday, a handful of kindergartners finished their morning math activity at the dining table and dashed downstairs to a playroom filled with a meandering train track, a rubber T. rex, costumes and a toy kitchen. A few older kids played on a Nintendo Wii upstairs after finishing their own morning lesson. There were 13 children in all. Its the new norm at Johnsons strike school, a safe haven nestled in the Hiller Highlands neighborhood where parents drop their kids off before heading to work, unwilling to cross the picket line of educators that has all but shut down Oakland schools for one week. Johnson, 38, is in a group of parents across the Oakland Unified School District who have stepped up as impromptu caretakers and teachers during the strike, opening up their homes to other school kids as a show of solidarity to teachers asking for better wages and more resources. The district upped its offer Wednesday to an 8 percent raise plus a 2 percent bonus. Teachers are seeking a 12-percent raise, among other demands, and the Oakland Education Association did not comment immediately on the new proposal. It helps put parents mind at ease, said Johnson, whose two kids attend Kaiser Elementary School. They dont have to stress, they dont have to worry about missing work, not being paid. And I know they would do it for me if I had an emergency and needed help, too. Many of these at-home schools dubbed solidarity schools by organizers and parents have popped up across the district, though numbers werent available districtwide. Parents have established more than 40 solidarity schools at Melrose Leadership Academy alone, according to the organization Bay Rising, which has helped coordinate many of the schools. Parents, high school students and young kids held a solidarity school protest in downtown Oakland Wednesday, calling on state representatives to support the teachers union. Oakland schools have remained open during the labor action, with substitute teachers and administrators on duty. But school attendance is a small fraction of normal, and many students instead meet in auditoriums or libraries instead of classrooms. Johnson doesnt focus on how long this will go on. Instead, shes set on fighting for the teachers who welcomed her family to the Bay Area when they left Orange County two years ago. I hope that they can come to a resolution quickly, but I want the teachers to get what they are asking for, she said. We prefer that our students get back to school and into the classroom, but not at the expense of teachers not being able to live in Oakland and the district having such a poor retention rate. There are not-so-subtle hints that Johnson, a stay-at-home mom, is caring for a lot more kids these days. Her front door was lined with tiny sneakers and rain boots on a misty Wednesday morning, and her counters topped with large bags of goldfish crackers and cookies. 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. Johnson has her schedule down to a science: At 8 every morning, she loads her kids Mickey, 8, and Grace, 6 into her car and heads to the picket line to drop off a hot breakfast for teachers. By 8:45 shes back at home, ready to welcome her students, who range from 6 to 13 years old. The kids start their day by doing math or reading worksheets and have a snack at 10 a.m. The rest of the day is filled with a flurry of activities: walks around the neighborhood, exercise videos, reading circles and free play. Parents stop by each day to assist. Its good if parents can volunteer to do things that other parents might need, said Darrow Deluca, whose son Delano, 5, also goes to Kaiser. The 39-year-old pediatrician helps out at the strike school before work on some days. Its great that Alicia has a nice, big house that parents can bring their kids to. Other parents can do other things some parents are free in the morning to help out with the teachers and with food and the picket lines. Everybody is doing their part and its good to have a network. Tatiana Sanchez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tatiana.sanchez@ sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @TatianaYSanchez The state Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to consider reinstating an Alameda County jurys $1.6 million damage award to a former construction worker who was stricken with cancer after cutting pipes laden with asbestos, and sued the pipe supply company. Frank C. Hart suffers from mesothelioma, an often-fatal cancer most commonly caused by exposure to asbestos. He had installed thousands of feet of asbestos-cement pipe in sewer lines in McKinleyville (Humboldt County) from September 1976 to March 1977, before most of the current federal restrictions on use of asbestos had taken effect. Hart and his wife, Cynthia, settled claims against some of the companies involved in manufacturing or providing the pipe, but Keenan Properties, a pipe supplier, declined to settle, and their case went to trial. A jury found that Keenan had been one of the companies that harmed Hart, and awarded damages for financial losses and pain and suffering. Last October, however, the First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco overturned the verdict and said key evidence against the company should not have been presented to the jury. A company official testified he had no information that Keenan had sold pipes in McKinleyville at the time, and invoices from that period had been destroyed long ago. The only evidence identifying Keenan as the supplier was a foremans testimony that he recalled seeing the companys logo, a circled letter K, on invoices he signed when receiving the pipes. Because the jury never saw the invoices, the foremans testimony was hearsay a secondhand account of events occurring outside the courtroom and it should therefore have been excluded from the trial, the court said in a 2-1 ruling. The foreman lacked personal knowledge of who the supplier was, had not seen the invoices prepared and thus could not properly authenticate them, Presiding Justice Barbara Jones said in the majority opinion. In dissent, Justice Henry Needham said the foreman had personal knowledge of the documents he had seen. Because the invoices were allegedly prepared by Harts opponent in the suit an exception to the usual ban on hearsay evidence the jury was entitled to decide whether the identification was authentic, Needham said. 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. Lawyers for the Harts cited Needhams argument in their appeal to the states high court. They also said identification of a company name or logo was a simple, matter-of-fact observation that should be exempt from the usual restrictions on hearsay. The court unanimously granted review of the case Wednesday and will schedule a hearing. The case is Hart vs. Keenan Properties, S253295. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Nothing to see here. That was, essentially, the conclusion of an internal probe the Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office conducted in 2017 after allegations arose that immigrants detained in the county jail were being mistreated. No, the county sheriff said, no one was being locked up for hours on end in their toilet-less cells, unable to access restrooms, as I had been reporting. No, the county sheriff said, no one had been forced to urinate or defecate in red biodegradable bags. The detainees were lying, the sheriffs report insinuated. Nearly all of the complaints were unfounded and unsubstantiated, Sheriff David Livingston said in a statement Dec. 22, 2017. Now, we have the results of an investigation by the state attorney generals office that found that, yes, immigrants at West County Detention Facility and other jails in California, were being mistreated. On Tuesday, the states attorney generals office released a report that confirmed allegations of mistreatment by the detained women that I interviewed at West County Detention Facility, contradicting what Livingston and jail officials had said about alleged incidents at the jail the sheriffs office operates. The review by Attorney General Xavier Becerras office encompassed conditions at 10 centers in California where the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detains people who have pending immigration cases. A 2017 state law gives Becerra the power to monitor conditions in public and private immigration jails for 10 years. Less than a week after The Chronicle published the initial allegations, state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, was the first state lawmaker to request an investigation by the attorney generals office. It (the attorney generals report) validated much of the complaints that Freedom for Immigrants had documented from women detainees, Skinner told me Tuesday, referring to the immigrant advocacy group that monitors jails where immigrants are detained. So how could the AGs report have such a different conclusion than the one put out by Livingston? The sheriffs office, which ended its contract to house detainees last year amid frequent protests at the jail, declined my interview request. Instead, the sheriffs office sent this statement: We immediately launched a thorough investigation after allegations were raised by a small group of female ICE detainees out of the over 5,000 detainees held in our facility over the past several years. While we found their allegations to be largely unfounded, measures were put into place to improve our policies and staffing. Thats just not good enough. Skinner contends perhaps its time for a closer look at exactly whats going on in the Contra Costa County jails. The DOJs findings of ICE inmate mistreatment do warrant a closer look at the Contra Costa Sheriffs operations, Skinner said, noting the sex allegations against a deputy who worked at West County. There should be a similar look at the whole Contra Costa County sheriff and how they hold people. When I toured the Richmond jail in October 2017, deputies said they didnt understand why the women were complaining. They denied that detainees were locked up for long periods of time. They were shocked to hear about women using red bags to relieve themselves. But Deborah Lee, director of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, a nonprofit that organizes churches, mosques, synagogues and people of faith for collective action such as the monthly vigils that were held outside of West County to protest immigration detention, said she began hearing complaints of detainees being held in their cells for up to 20 hours a day in 2011. We had taken that to the sheriffs office, Lee said. We had been having regular advocacy meetings with the sheriff about conditions at West County, the women not having opportunities to go out of their cells, including sometimes to go to the bathroom. (Livingston) has definitely heard about these for many years. 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 AGs staff first went to West County on Nov. 16, 2017. According to the report, it was during the second trip, on Dec. 5, 2017, that female detainees we informally spoke with corroborated the allegations reported in the news articles. Workers on inmate cleaning crews told investigations theyd seen other women urinate or defecate in a biohazard bag, and that they personally handed out biohazard bags and removed them from cells. Whats more, four of the 13 female county inmates interviewed during another trip in August told investigators theyd used biohazard bags to relieve themselves. Somehow, the sheriffs investigators missed this. What else is getting overlooked by deputies in the county? Liz Martinez, director of advocacy and strategic communications for Freedom for Immigrants, said the attorney generals investigation underscores the importance of monitoring from an independent source. The fact that this report confirms what (detainees) were reporting, it just goes to show that if theres this one anecdote, imagine how many other anecdotes exist in this system of abuses and horrible conditions, she said. A year ago, the group was banned from the jail by the sheriffs office, which said the group posed a security and safety hazard to the detention facility. The group had publicized a letter signed by 27 detainees alleging abusive treatment by deputies. The threat certainly wasnt to the detainees. Its not only the fact that these abuses are happening in detention thats concerning, but its the cover-up, too, and the fact that you make detained individuals look like liars, Martinez said. Were glad that this report draws attention to this. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis R. Taylor Jr. appears Mondays and Thursdays. Email: otaylor@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @otisrtaylorjr Figuring out which California cities and counties are doing the best or worst job of creating housing is no easy task, but a report issued Thursday by Beacon Economics makes an attempt. The report grades each of Californias 539 cities and counties based on their progress toward meeting goals set out in the Regional Housing Needs Assessment. This is a statewide program that determines how much housing a local jurisdiction should create at four different income levels over a five- or eight-year cycle. The grades are often surprising and illustrate some shortcomings of the assessment process. A lot of regions have high grades because they have very low housing targets relative to their population, said Adam Fowler, Beacons research director. It also highlights how little progress the state as a whole is making. In the Bay Area, five jurisdictions got an A-plus: Calistoga, Mill Valley, Hillsborough, Healdsburg and unincorporated Sonoma County. Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle The nine jurisdictions statewide that earned an A-plus had a housing target that averaged only 0.7 new units per 100 persons. Those that earned an F had an average of 3.3 units per 100 persons, said the report, commissioned by San Francisco think tank Next 10. A-rated Beverly Hills was allocated the grand total of three units over the current eight-year cycle, even though a regional transportation plan predicted it would add 300 households and 3,400 jobs between 2008 and 2020. Those two calculations seemed to live in very different silos, Fowler said. Thats a problem. San Francisco got a B-plus, despite having a relatively high bar. Four bills passed in the last two years are designed to impose consequences on cities that dont meet their goals, and to improve the goal-setting process when the state enters its next cycle. The Beacon report is based on the current cycle, which began in 2013, 2014 or 2015 and lasts for either five or eight years, depending on the region. Most regions are roughly midway through their cycles. The process starts with the California Department of Housing and Community Development, which determines how much new housing each region needs based on population estimates from the Department of Finance. Those estimates rely largely on past rates of new household formation. The use of household growth forecasts as a benchmark for housing policy has become a vicious self-reinforcing process, the report says. It fails to account for the fact that many Californians in high-cost areas are living with parents or roommates rather that moving out on their own. By relying on past trends in household formation, the current housing needs assessment fails to capture the extent of housing demand in the state, it said. The housing department then tells each regional council of governments, such as the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), how many new units should be created in its region. Each council, in consultation with local governments, divides that big number among its cities and unincorporated areas of counties. The allocation for each jurisdiction is further divided into housing at four income levels ranging from very low income to above moderate income. The councils have a lot of flexibility when it comes to allocating these numbers, and their methodologies are often impenetrable. Each jurisdiction is supposed to submit an annual progress report to the state housing department showing how many units they permitted in the four categories each year, but many dont. Beacon found that 100 jurisdictions never submitted a report from 2013 to 2017. Most are in lower-income areas and may not have the staff of wealthier communities. Beacon graded each of the states 539 jurisdictions based on two criteria: How many years it submitted an annual report (20 percent of its grade) and its prorated progress toward reaching its goal for the current cycle (80 percent). Beacons formula gave greater weight for the creation of very-low- and low-income housing. It prorated progress to adjust for the fact not every regions cycle starts and ends at the same time. Data is through the end of 2017. For the state as a whole, the findings were grim. Roughly halfway through the current cycle, only 25.9 percent of the allocated units have been completed across all income levels, the report said. And at their current rate of development, certain jurisdictions in California will not meet their low-income housing production targets for more than 1,000 years. Of the states nine regions, the Bay Area got the highest grade, B-minus. But nobodys cheering. ABAG set the targets when the Bay Area was coming out of the recession and did not envision the economic boom that drove rents and home prices into the stratosphere and forced many residents into long commutes. The bar was pretty low, said Ken Kirkey, planning director for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and ABAG. I dont think anyone in the Bay Area could say the regions doing a great job. ABAG aligned its allocations with a longer-term plan that calls for creating housing near job and transit centers. The result was that some of the larger cities received relatively larger allocations than some of the smaller jurisdictions, Kirkey said. Beacon gave Marin and Napa counties a B+, but their housing goals amounted to only 0.9 and 1.1 percent, respectively, of their 2017 populations. San Francisco had the highest bar in the Bay Area, 3.3 percent, yet still managed a B-plus. During the current cycle, it permitted 13,091 units out of its 28,869 target, according to housing department data. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Rio Vista is the only Bay Area city that didnt submit an annual report and scored an F. Pinole and Millbrae got an F for progress toward their goals, but Pinole got a final grade of C-minus because it turned in all its annual reports. Millbrae did not and scored a D-minus. According to housing department data, Millbrae permitted only 3 units out of its 663 target by 2023. The report does not accurately reflect Millbraes progress toward housing production, Millbrae City Manager Tom Williams said. The city has approved a total of 844 units including 163 for low- or very-low-income households in two housing projects next to the BART/Caltrain station, but has not yet permitted them. If it does, Millbrae would exceed its target. Pinole has permitted only five units. Its goal, of 297 units, is not unreasonable, said Winston Rhodes, Pinoles planning manager. He said the city has approved every housing application it has received, but not everyone who submits an application follows through to the permit stage. Some of those bigger cities can go get grants to develop affordable housing, he said. Smaller cities have difficulty with that. Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle Tiny Calistoga permitted 63 units through 2017, far surpassing its goal of 27 units. Thats not a very high bar, admits Lynn Goldberg, the citys planning and building director. The city bought a piece of land and leased it for $1 a year to a nonprofit developer, the Corporation for Better Housing, that built a 30-unit apartment building for very-low-income seniors. It opened last year. At the other end of the spectrum, the city permitted 20 homes that are going up as part of the Four Seasons Resort & Residences Napa Valley. Asking prices range from $3.5 million to $5.7 million. Kathleen Pender is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: kpender@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kathpender Filipa Ioannou / The Chronicle A 19-year-old construction worker was killed after a coworker inadvertently backed over him with a forklift in Rohnert Park on Wednesday morning, officials said. Just before 10 a.m., Rohnert Park Public Safety and Sonoma Life Support officials were called to 541 Carlson Ave. for a medical emergency. The address was a construction site for a future apartment complex, and is in its initial framing stages. A Dublin man who police said was wanted for killing a man in a Danville parking lot Sunday had traveled to Illinois, where he was found dead Wednesday, police said. Mark Allan Sypien, 51, who was wanted on a murder warrant, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. At about 2:25 p.m. Sunday, Danville police were called to a parking lot on the 3400 block of Fostoria Way on a report of gunshots. Responding officers found 76-year-old Danville resident John Moore suffering from gunshot wounds, and he soon died at the scene. Investigators publicly identified Sypien as the suspect and obtained a warrant for his arrest, but declined to say what evidence tied him to the case. Officials suspected that Sypien might return to his parents home in St. Charles Township, Ill., and warned neighbors to be on the lookout, according to a Beacon-News report. A tipster called police after seeing Sypien pull into the street. As police arrived on the scene, they heard a single gunshot and found Sypien on his parents front lawn suffering from a wound to the head, the report stated. 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. In a statement, Danville police Chief Allan Shields said the department regretted the loss of life but were pleased to resolve the case. We are very grateful for the collaboration and assistance of the Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office in investigating this crime and bringing closure to the family and friends of Mr. Moore, he said. Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy George Randall-Saldivar was less than 8 years old when he was found wandering the streets of San Franciscos Chinatown. His mother couldnt take care of him. He had nobody. Things, though, began to turn around for the abandoned boy. Social workers placed him in foster care, and by 2003, he was adopted by two loving dads. Sure, he acted out at times, but the new routine put him on the path he always needed. He later graduated from high school and began taking classes at City College. But his potential would never be realized. Authorities pulled the lifeless body of the 23-year-old out of San Francisco Bay near Pier 39 on Feb. 18. Investigators determined Randall-Saldivar was strangled, drugged and stuffed into a suitcase. Later, the killers, officials said, dumped his body in the bay. As one defendant faced a judge on Wednesday and a second was arrested in the grisly crime those who knew the victim struggled to accept that the young man had met such a tragic end. Anyone that knows George knows how much his parents loved him and how hard they worked to be supportive and build good character, said family friend Bevan Dufty, a former San Francisco supervisor and current president of the BART Board of Directors. He was a very gracious and kind person even in trying circumstances. All of us who know him have admiration for his parents and are devastated at the loss theyre experiencing. Dufty met Randall-Saldivars parents, Mark Randall and Chris Saldivar, through a city LGBT runners group called Frontrunners. Randall-Saldivar grew up among the 60 to 100 members, running alongside the pack as they fawned over the energetic little boy, Dufty said. He was precocious and confident and had a great smile, he said. He enjoyed the smile of all these adults in the gay and lesbian community. We really watched George grow up. After finishing high school, Randall-Saldivar fell into a series of stops and starts as many young people do, Dufty said. He was taking some classes at City College, working various jobs in retail and restaurants and figuring out how to live in one of the most expensive cities in the world. He had been a client at Larkin Street Youth Services, where he received assistance and housing in one of their buildings in the Tenderloin. Dufty said he recently bumped into the young man near the J-Church Muni stop on Duboce Avenue. The two chatted, keeping their brief conversation light as they caught up. I hoped and I believe he knew if he needed something he could tell me, Dufty said. For me, its just important to say there was so much potential and possibility for George, and its a tragedy that was taken from him. Its been devastating for his parents. While the family continues to grieve their son, Gerald Rowe, 47, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in San Francisco Superior Court. A second, unnamed person was also arrested and is being transported to San Francisco to face charges in the killing, prosecutors said. Rowe is charged with murder with the special circumstances of lying in wait and torture, along with charges of conspiracy, torture, kidnapping, battery with serious bodily injury, false imprisonment, possession of a firearm by a felon and drug offenses. He said nothing, standing in court in his orange jail-issue clothing, as Judge Vedica Puri read the crimes that prosecutors said were all captured on video. 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 footage, prosecutors said, shows Rowe and the accomplice having consensual sex inside a home on the 1272 block of Market Street on Feb. 3 before Randall-Saldivar shows up at the front door. The victim enters the apartment and sits on a chair, where the others tie his hands behind his back, put a noose around his neck and begin yanking on it, Assistant District Attorney Michael Swart wrote in a motion to detain Rowe without bail. The two then put a bag over Randall-Saldivars head and inject him with a drug believed to be fentanyl, prosecutors said. Randall-Salvidar collapses and the two take him to a bed and begin slapping him before they retrieve a suitcase, prosecutors said. Rowe and his accomplice then place Randall-Saldivar in the suitcase, and push it into a corner where it sits for an entire day, Swart wrote. In the early morning hours of Feb. 5, Rowe and the other person allegedly roll the suitcase onto Market and vanish. This defendant is charged with some very serious charges, said Alex Bastian, a spokesman for the district attorneys office. The allegations here are some of the most disturbing allegations that you hear in our world in the criminal justice system. Deputy Public Defender Jacque Wilson, who stood in for Rowes attorney Steve Olmo at the hearing, said he has not seen the video. Mr. Rowe maintains his innocence, Wilson said outside court. We look forward to a vigorous defense as well. Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky Alameda County prosecutors filed charges Wednesday against two men they say committed the armed robbery of a Bay Area news crew whose security guard was shot. Prosecutors say Bay Point residents Donald Jeter, 21, and Maurice Turner, 21, robbed the KPIX television news team of their camera equipment on Sunday, while the crew was outside a library in East Oakland. Jeter, prosecutors said, shot the security guard, who returned fire, striking Turner several times. Jeter is charged with a battery of felonies, including two counts of second-degree robbery, various gun charges and two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm. Turner faces robbery and firearm charges. Both are held at an Alameda County jail. In addition to Jeter and Turner, prosecutors charged Lolita Brinson with receiving stolen property connected to the robbery. Brinson, 33, of Oakland, was arrested on Sunday after she was found driving a car that contained the equipment, police said. Brinson is scheduled for a plea hearing Thursday in Alameda County Superior Court. Police said several people approached the news team about 5 p.m. outside a library on the 1000 block of 81st Avenue and robbed them of their camera and tripod. Matthew Meredith, the security guard and a retired law enforcement officer who was hired by KPIX, was shot in the leg and later released from the hospital. He was able to return fire, and hit the suspect vehicle and one of the suspects several times, police said. Turner was later dropped off at a local hospital suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, from a car that appeared similar to the suspect vehicle, according to a police report. Police did not say if he was arrested at the hospital. Shortly after the robbery, officers determined that the stolen property was at a residence near the 5900 block of Tevis Street in Oakland, near the Coliseum. 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. Police noticed Jeter leaving the residence and taking the suspect vehicle, touching off a brief pursuit that ended when Jeter crashed into multiple vehicles. Jeter was then taken into custody. Shortly before the chase, officers noticed Brinson in a second car that was following Jeter. Brinson returned to the residence after the pursuit began and she was detained at the home. Officers discovered the KPIX property in plain view in the vehicles rear passenger seat. Victims identified Turner and Jeter as suspects in the robbery through a photo lineup and an in-person identification. Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Regarding Battered Bay Area prepares for floods (Page 1, Feb. 27): Only a few months ago, Bay Area residents were struggling to cope with raging wildfires that caused significant property damage, dozens of fatalities, and a sea of people wearing face masks due to hazardous air quality. Years of drought were taking a severe toll on California. Now comes a front page headline, which describes a wet and unrelenting storm causing power outages, flooding, and evacuations along the Russian River. These dramatic events are surely consequences of climate change. Those who believe the presidents contention that global warming is a hoax need to open their eyes and see whats going on around us. Next year, we need to elect a new chief executive who believes that taking action to address climate change is a top priority. Suzanne Peterson-Reed, Santa Rosa Kudos to Pelosi Kudos to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for leading the Democratic majority-led House of Representatives (along with a dozen Republicans) to vote against President Trumps invocation of the National Emergencies Act as a means to get billions of dollars for his Ill make Mexico pay for it border wall. The power of spending taxpayer dollars rests with the legislative not the executive branch, and Trumps actions are an unconstitutional power grab. Whether the Senate will follow the House on this matter, or muster enough votes to override a presidential veto, is questionable. But Pelosi has made it clear that the representatives of U.S. citizens take oaths to uphold our countrys Constitution, not its president. Karl Gustaffson, Half Moon Bay Dismissive of ideas Regarding Feinsteins error (Editorial, Feb. 27): Another name to be added to this editorial, which takes issue with Sen. Dianne Feinsteins rough demeanor with a group of young activists wanting her to support Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs Green New Deal proposals, is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Like Feinstein, Pelosi has been dismissive of Ocasio-Cortezs ideas, calling them the green dream. As someone who is still in college and will live in the world that these veteran politicians leave behind, I strongly resent their cavalier attitudes about the need for drastic measures to fight our countrys real national emergency climate change. Elizabeth Samuelson, San Francisco Price on carbon In this day and age when some politicians create fake emergencies, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman has got it right in declaring a climate emergency and calling on city government to take immediate steps to address this real climate crisis. As Mandelman points out, state and local governments have to step in when our national leadership fails to see the threat. But there are actions at the national level that can have big impacts on rapidly moving to a clean energy economy. An escalating price on carbon with all revenues returned to American families is just such a plan. There is a bill in the House now that calls for this. Every congressperson must be held accountable to act on the climate emergency by voting in favor of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (HR 763). Robin Cooper, San Francisco A second chance Regarding Amazon dumps N.Y. headquarters (Business, Feb. 15): In retrospect, Jeff Bezos should be thankful. In walking away from New York as Amazons second headquarters he has been given a second chance to transform himself from a greedy, petulant bully into an urban hero by doing what he should have done in the first place. Rather than seeking billions in tax breaks and concessions that he doesnt need, from a city that can actually afford to pay it, Bezos should select a struggling Rust Belt city that has the basic willingness, logistics and infrastructure required and use Amazons own resources to help transform that city into a viable community moving forward (and still make it profitable for Amazon in the process). Perhaps, when he sees how well that will help everyone involved, he may want to do it again for a new Midwestern headquarters. Joseph Chance, Emeryville Climate peril Regarding Feinsteins error (Editorial, Feb. 27): The writer stated in the piece that we will start seeing dramatic effects from climate change in just 12 years. Its quite clear we are living in the new world of climate disruption currently and it will only escalate without radical intervention. Sen. Dianne Feinsteins dismissal of the urgent concerns of the activist young people amply demonstrates this lack of understanding of the peril human life faces. I highly recommend the vivid analysis of the urgent challenges faced by all life on Earth, in the book The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming by David Wallace-Wells. He makes it quite clear that we needed climate action decades ago; therefore, we must compensate for our inattention and misinformation now. Please take heed, Feinstein. Adina Haun, San Francisco Guest opinions in Open Forum and Insight are produced by writers with expertise, personal experience or original insights on a subject of interest to our readers. Their views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Chronicle editorial board, which is committed to providing a diversity of ideas to our readership. Read more about our transparency and ethics policies I am the sister of a mentally ill woman and am in favor of expanding San Franciscos conservatorship laws to focus on those who are living on the streets with both drug addiction and serious mental illness. Last year, the Legislature passed and the governor signed Senate Bill 1045, legislation authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco. It establishes a five-year pilot project for San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego counties by granting the ability to help those living on our streets by conserving some of those who are suffering from mental illness or drug addiction. Each county, however, separately must approve of the project and develop a plan. That effort in San Francisco is led by District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman. His bill will soon be before the Board of Supervisors. I might have been on the other side of this issue, had my sister not become ill with bipolar disease when we were both in our 20s. Now, 50 years later, she was recently released from a six-week stay in Sheppard Pratt Psychiatric Hospital in Maryland. She found herself there after being asked to leave homeless shelters and the library, and for kicking police officers who were arresting her, and throwing plastic bottles at restaurant staff after not paying a bill. She went off her medications about a year ago and slowly deteriorated to the point that she was asked to leave her daughters home. She then lost all her identification and had no idea where her SSI checks were since she had closed her checking account in a bank whose name she had forgotten. It is very disheartening when supposedly enlightened groups such as the ACLU exclaim, Conservatorship is the most extreme deprivation of civil liberties aside from the death penalty. When I see psychotic individuals on San Francisco streets, I think of my sister and realize like her, their civil liberties have, in fact, been usurped by their severe mental illnesses. Their freedom of choice is such that they cannot take care of themselves and are in danger of dying, being assaulted or possibly harming others which is unusual, but happens. The families of such people live in constant fear of getting a phone call regarding their psychotic loved ones demise in some horrible way. I hope San Franciscans will consider support of the Housing Conservatorships ordinance, which (I was surprised to find) has strong due process and civil liberties protections. For example, individuals are only eligible to be referred for a housing conservatorship if they have had eight or more 72-hour involuntary holds (colloquially known as 5150s) in the preceding 12 months due to grave disability or the danger they pose to themselves or others. The individual considered for a conservatorship must also be evaluated for less restrictive voluntary services, including assisted outpatient treatment. A clinical assessment and a courts determination that assisted outpatient treatment is inappropriate to treat the prospective conservatee are required before a conservatorship can happen. An assisted outpatient treatment program was created in San Francisco in 2014 under Lauras Law, a state law that allows compelled treatment of mentally ill individuals. Moreover, the prospective conservatee has the right to a public defender, the right to a jury trial before a judge, and the right to petition the court at any time during the course of conservatorship for a hearing to contest the power granted to her conservator. In other words, a conservatee has paths to end or contest his or her conservatorship at any point in the process. The conservatorship automatically terminates after the first year, unless a petition is filed to continue the conservatorship. Its important to know that being conserved does not mean the state can force anti-psychotic drugs on anyone. If voluntary services are best for the person, then that request should be supported. We should want people treated in the most successful and appropriate manner possible. We should take into account, however, that some individuals who are the most mentally ill will frequently not accept services no matter how persuasive or talented the mental health outreach worker. Given our street scene in San Francisco, should we not accelerate a commitment to more basic services, such as housing and treatment but also conservatorship for those desperately ill individuals who need longer, more intensive care? Its time to stop abandoning the gravely ill to the streets. Kathy Lipscomb, a housing activist, lives in San Francisco. WASHINGTON The House passed legislation by North Bay Rep. Mike Thompson to expand background checks for gun sales Wednesday, but key senators say the bill wont go any further. Just eight Republicans joined the Democratic majority in the 240-190 party-line vote. Two Democrats opposed the bill. House passage was itself a victory for Thompson, a lifelong hunter and gun owner from St. Helena who has worked for more than six years to pass legislation to curtail gun violence. The Democrats bill would expand the requirement for background checks of gun purchasers to those buying firearms in private sales. Those would include gun shows and online sales. Congress has not passed major gun violence prevention legislation in more than two decades, and the Senate has failed to approve measures similar to Thompsons twice in the last 10 years. Several Democrats who won Republican-held seats in November ran pro-gun regulation campaigns, helping the party to claim the House majority. Thompson was cheered by other members of Congress and gun-regulation advocates as they emerged from the Capitol after the bill passed. This is an important day. This is an important vote. This is an important piece of legislation, Thompson said. And if the Senate does their job, its going to save lives. But the chances of the bill becoming law are slim. The Senate and White House are still under Republican control, and the GOP has largely opposed the idea of expanding background checks for gun sales as an infringement of the Second Amendment right to possess firearms. If all Senate Democrats voted for the bill, it would need 13 Republican votes to reach the 60-vote threshold to advance. President Trump has not taken a position on Thompsons bill. Im still trying to find a way to get there, said Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., who has worked for years on similar legislation to Thompsons with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. I cant point to you how we get to 60. But that would be my goal. And if we could find something similar to Manchin-Toomey that got us to 60, then we could go to conference with the House and get something worked out. Any such bill would need to go through the Senate Judiciary Committee, whose chairman says he will not move on background checks. South Carolina GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham said he would hold hearings instead on red flag legislation, which would allow local law enforcement to stop people who pose a risk to themselves or others from possessing guns. I dont see anything new on that front, Graham said of previously defeated background check proposals. To me, the red flags make the most (sense) the problem to me is the convergence of disturbed people and guns. The House bill did face an unexpected last-minute hurdle, when Republicans pulled off a procedural maneuver to add controversial language. Before passage, House rules allow the minority to offer a motion to recommit an opportunity to add something to the bill that, in practice, is often intended to put the majority in a tough political position. Republicans surprised Democrats with an amendment requiring that undocumented immigrants or immigrants prohibited from buying guns be reported to Immigration and Customs Enforcement if they try to purchase one. Democrats lost 26 members who voted with Republicans to add the language, meaning it became part of Thompsons bill. The House then passed the overall legislation. It was just an effort from Republicans, who have done nothing on this for six years, to throw the proverbial monkey wrench in the system, Thompson said. Those motions to recommit put some people in a rough spot, and thats what the Republicans were trying to do, and it worked 26 times. Thompson said a House gun violence prevention task force he chairs would consider other legislative options, including the red-flag measure, and would keep the pressure on the Senate to pass his bill. I dont think its as much me and you as it is the millions of people across the country who want background checks expanded, and I think the senators are going to hear from their constituents, Thompson said. Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. February 28, 2019: This report focuses on the global Port Security status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the Port Security development in United States, Europe and China. Port security refers to the physical and cyber security implemented in airport and marine port premises. The main reason for port security is because of the increase in terrorist attacks and criminal activities. In 2017, the global Port Security market size was xx million US$ and it is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during 2018-2025. Download sample Copy of This Report at: https://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-port-security-market-size-status-and-forecast-2018-2025/request-sample The key players covered in this study Honeywell L3 Communications SAAB Siemens Unisys Bae Systems DvTel Flir Systems James Fisher and Sons Motorola Solutions Read Complete Report With TOC @ https://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-port-security-market-size-status-and-forecast-2018-2025 Market segment by Type, the product can be split into Airport Security Management Market Port Security Management Market Market segment by Application, split into Video Monitoring Weapons Detection Visitor Management Intrusion Detection Fire Detection Other Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers United States Europe China Japan Southeast Asia India Central & South America The study objectives of this report are: To analyze global Port Security status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. To present the Port Security development in United States, Europe and China. To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their development plan and strategies. To define, describe and forecast the market by product type, market and key regions. In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Port Security are as follows: History Year: 2013-2017 Base Year: 2017 Estimated Year: 2018 Forecast Year 2018 to 2025 About Radiant Insights Radiant Insights is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. We assist and facilitate organizations and individuals procure market research reports, helping them in the decision making process. We have a comprehensive collection of reports, covering over 40 key industries and a host of micro markets. In addition to over extensive database of reports, our experienced research coordinators also offer a host of ancillary services such as, research partnerships/ tie-ups and customized research solutions. For More Information, Visit Radiant Insights Contact: Michelle Thoras Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Radiant Insights, Inc Phone: 1-415-349-0054 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: sales@radiantinsights.com Blog URL: http://ictmarketforecasts.wordpress.com Seven hours of Michael Cohen testimony before the House Oversight Committee wasnt enough for Rep. Eric Swalwell. The Dublin Democrat was looking forward to hearing Cohen testify Thursday, in private, before the House Intelligence Committee. There, Swalwell told the Its All Political podcast, his first order of business would be to ask the question that the federal marshal played by Tommy Lee Jones famously asked in the 1993 movie The Fugitive: Do you want to change your bulls story, sir? Im very grateful that hes coming clean, but weve got a big bulls story that we were told and he needs to clean it up, Swalwell said. Nevertheless, Swalwell sees value in hearing from Cohen, even though President Trumps former personal attorney is about to serve a three-year prison term after pleading guilty to nine felonies, including campaign finance violations and tax evasion. Or, as Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the top Republican on the House Oversight Committee, described Cohen on Wednesday: A fraudster, cheat, felon and, in two months, a federal inmate. Swalwell said he has worked with a lot of witnesses like this before, during his time as an Alameda County prosecutor. This isnt much different from prosecuting a gang case and having a witness who has broken away from the gang and lied to investigators initially but now wants to come around, he said. Because they lied initially, you have to corroborate even more so what they told you from outside sources. Swalwell said he and others on the panel have a lot of questions about just what he saw inside Trump Tower. What he saw in the personal, political and professional life of Donald Trump. Swalwell believes that despite Cohen being a flawed witness, he can help Americans understand the motivations of the five Trump associates who have pleaded guilty to various crimes as a part of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. If you believe that others are currently lying, it really allows you to understand what their motivations to lie are. Especially for a jury and in this case, the jury of public opinion, Swalwell said. Swalwell thinks Americans will look at all of these other people around the president who it looks like have been lying and now theyll have this a-ha moment: I get it. Thats why theyre going to such great lengths to protect this guy, Swalwell said. Whether that a-ha moment leads to impeachment is another, more complicated question that will depend on what Mueller has found, Swalwell said. Donald Trump is being impeached, Swalwell said. Its just a matter if its at the ballot box or in Congress. But he is not going to be president on Jan. 20, 2021. Im certain of that. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli Retired Judge Steven Bailey, who was trounced in his campaign for California attorney general last year, took another beating Wednesday from the states judicial disciplinary agency when it found he had improperly used his judicial position to promote his campaign and steer business to his son. Bailey plays by his own rules with little concern for whether his conduct comports with the rules applicable to all judges, said the Commission on Judicial Performance. It imposed the stiffest penalty available for a former judge a public censure and a lifetime ban on judicial service in California, a frequent short-term occupation for retired judges. Bailey can appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court. His lawyer, James Murphy, was unavailable for comment. But in filings during the case, Murphy denied any wrongdoing by Bailey besides inadvertent paperwork errors, and said the panels largely Democratic appointees were politically motivated. Bailey was an El Dorado County Superior Court judge for 8 years before retiring in August 2017. Running as a Republican, he finished second in the June 2018 primary for attorney general but was defeated by Democratic incumbent Xavier Becerra in November, receiving 36.4 percent of the vote. Before his retirement, the commission said, Bailey organized an exploratory campaign in which he posed in his judicial robes, regularly referred to his title and touted his experience as a judge in speeches. In November 2016, Bailey sought advice from Julie Conger, a former Alameda County judge and an expert on judicial ethics, who advised him to take a leave of absence from the bench before using his judicial title in his campaign, the commission said. He remained a judge for another nine months. The commission also cited a conversation between Bailey and a building industry lobbyist, in which he told the lobbyist that the attorney general has an impact on the building industry by enforcing air and water quality standards and environmental laws. A reasonable person, the commission said, would interpret those comments as a suggestion that while on the bench, Bailey would apply those laws in a manner favorable to the building industry. Murphy argued that ethical standards barring judges from using their positions to run for office or raise money for a campaign violate free speech. But the commission said the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld restrictions on judges political activities. The commission found other ethical violations, including five cases from 2009 to 2014 in which Bailey ordered defendants charged with drunken driving and other alcohol-related crimes to use a companys ankle monitoring bracelets. His son, John Bailey, worked as a case manager at the company and received a commission for every defendant he monitored. Bailey said he had cleared the arrangement with the California Judges Association, but the commission said he had not disclosed all the facts to the group. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Its chilly and wet, an unpleasant morning in the Castro. John Constantine wakes up in front of a doorway on Market Street at Church and realizes he only has a few minutes to gather his belongings before the police come around. As someone who frequently sleeps in doorways in the Castro, he knows the drill. Constantine, 39, who has lived on and off the streets for more than 20 years, said he used to sleep in a tent in Mission Dolores Park. But after being shooed away a number of times, he now just lays his head wherever he can find some cover. Ive slept here, and in (doorways) down there and there, he said, pointing down Church Street. After piling his clothes and food into a cart, he shuffles away. Now Ill probably go find a sign to panhandle and get some breakfast. While city statistics show a dramatic reduction in large tent encampments around San Francisco and a significant increase in shelter beds in the past six months, people like Constantine still find themselves scattering into neighborhoods like the Castro looking for refuge. And the citywide improvements have done little to ease the problem for residents and merchants, who say they remain frustrated with homeless people sleeping outside their stores and homes. Tents coming down Citywide statistics show a decrease in tent camps July 2018: 568 tents/structures January 2019: 341 tents/structures Decrease: 40 percent Sites with six-plus tents/structures July 2018: 17 sites January 2019: Six sites Decrease: 65 percent New shelter beds since July 2018 338 Source: Healthy Streets Operations Center Hearing on homelessness Supervisor Rafael Mandelman will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. Thursday in Room 263 of San Francisco City Hall. For more information, go to: https://sfbos.org/meetings/48 See More Collapse District Eight Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who represents the Castro, said he gets dozens of texts, emails and calls every day from residents complaining about tents, feces and needles in their neighborhoods. But he doesnt always know what to tell them. People have a lot of questions, like why dont they just get rid of that (the tents)? and what is the city doing? Mandelman said as he walked past a tent on a recent morning. I have constituents who are upset about the sweeps, but I also have others who dont understand why we are tolerating such a mess in public. To respond to the complaints, Mandelman will hold a hearing Thursday at City Hall to tell the public how the city is addressing the problem of tents and homeless people spreading into neighborhoods that historically have been more isolated from the problem. Hell also try to figure out what else needs to be done. Tent camps and the homeless have long been part of life in San Francisco and one that a string of mayors have struggled with. Mayor London Breed has worked quietly to eliminate tent encampments in her first year in office. Since Breed took office, the Healthy Streets Operations Center a collection of city agencies addressing homelessness reported a 40 percent decrease in tent structures, from 568 to 341, between July 2018 and January 2019, according to its latest quarterly count. In the same time period, tent camps defined as six or more tents in one area decreased by 65 percent, from 17 to six. Meanwhile, the city has opened 338 more shelter beds among multiple Navigation Centers since July. Police officers will issue a citation or confiscate a tent only when HSOC confirms there is a shelter space available for a homeless person, said HSOC spokesman Andy Lynch. If there is no shelter available, he said officers wont issue a citation, confiscate the tent or make them move, unless theyre blocking the sidewalk. Sixty-five percent of residents in camps that HSOC has removed were placed in a shelter or Navigation Center. There are clear improvements in areas of the city, like along Division Street and the Inner Mission, where not long ago there were dozens of tents, Lynch said. And since Breed took office, there have also been anecdotal improvements with less open drug use and fewer people sleeping on the sidewalks, especially around the Civic Center. Theres certainly more work to do, and HSOC is in the process of adapting to a different environment, in which we dont have these large encampments, said Jeff Kositsky, director of the Department of Homeless and Supportive Housing. When I started my job in June of 2016, there were well over 1,000 tents in the city, and now there are less than 400. Jessica Christian / The Chronicle Still, as more attention has been paid to areas where the homeless have traditionally gathered the Tenderloin, the Civic Center and the part of SoMa now home to the new high-rises of the Transbay district residential neighborhoods like the Castro are feeling overwhelmed by the citys homeless crisis. On Wednesday, Derron Jones, a street cleaner with the Castro Community Benefit District, swept up sopping wet socks, sweaters, sleeping bags, cardboard and banana peels from Market Street. Then he wiped feces or something that looks like it from a storefront, and walked past others where homeless people had spent the night, swaddled in sleeping bags and blankets. And this is clean, he said, as he grabs his broom. Elsewhere in the city, the problems are similar. District Five Supervisor Vallie Brown, who represents the Haight, Hayes Valley and the Inner Sunset, has heard the same complaints as Mandelman. I have people complaining constantly that theyre getting inundated with homeless people that they havent dealt with before, Brown said. Maybe its getting better in certain parts of the city, but for us, we are seeing a lot of them being pushed into the neighborhoods. Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who represents the Mission, said her district used to be overrun by tent camps, especially after parts of downtown were swept in preparation for Super Bowl events in 2016. Despite a dramatic improvement after a Navigation Center opened in the Mission, the issue lingers stubbornly. Its a constant struggle, she said. But of course thats going to happen. Its logic. If we dont have enough spaces for people to be, and if theyre moving people from one space without giving them somewhere inside to go, theyre going to move to another outdoor space. San Francisco progressive groups and homelessness advocates have expressed concerns about tents being confiscated when a person refuses a shelter space particularly during inclement weather. That could arise as an issue during Mandelmans hearing. Sasha Perigo, a member of the San Francisco Democratic Socialists of Americas homelessness working group, said she was concerned the hearing could inspire more police-driven responses to addressing tents in residential areas. Sleeping on the streets is much more terrifying than seeing a homeless person, Perigo said. Thats my frustration with the framing of this hearing. Back in the Castro Ashley McCumber lives on Collingwood Avenue, a quiet, pleasant street, where he said homeless people often pitch tents and spend the night. While the city may have fewer tent camps and more shelter beds, he doesnt feel like those changes have helped his neighborhood. I dont want to see people living in poverty and be criminalized, McCumber said. But at the same time, we have a desire to have a neighborhood that isnt fraught with problems. Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani As I began to dig into the Chinese American restaurant scene here, I realized that the story often needs to begin with a family tree. Much like reading the Game of Thrones books for the first time, you need a diagram to flip back to as you proceed, to remember who started this or that restaurant and trained up X chef who opened up that new spot across town. I loved what I saw and ate at Sama Uyghur Cuisine, a halal Uighur and Chinese restaurant that opened in a strip mall in Union City in 2017. As Melissa Hung reported for The Chronicle, two-thirds of the team behind the restaurant met while working in the kitchen at Fremonts Eden Silk Road, which used to be the only game in town for dedicated Uighur cooking. The two Akbar Amat and Pattar Dilmurat left to start their own project, though you can tell, from the rectangular shapes of the meat-filled samsa pastries and the hefty, whole-animal cuts of roasted lamb, that the two restaurants are connected. In other cases, the lineage is more direct: Chili House, in San Franciscos Inner Richmond neighborhood, is a project by Li Jun Han, the owner of Chinatowns Sichuan specialist Z&Y Restaurant. Chili House represents a shift in direction, with a distinct banquet menu that looks toward the court cuisine of Beijing. The dining rooms of both share elements like ornate tasseled lanterns and Chinese calligraphy on the wall. But last year, Han opened a new restaurant, Z&Y Bistro, a bit closer to home. Its right across the street from Z&Y Restaurant and represents a serious pivot for the restaurateur, with major switch-ups in its approach and menu. Unlike Starbucks, which has a documented tendency to open carbon-copy outlets close to each other and cannibalize its own business, the two restaurants are different enough that theyd appeal to divergent customer bases. Other projects, like Dragon Beaux in San Francisco and its younger sibling in Millbrae, Stick & Steam, also intentionally switch things up to grab a different piece of the pie. Whats interesting is that each of these new-generation restaurants adapts its parents aesthetics in completely different ways, causing me to ask: What do we as diners expect from our Chinese restaurants, and how do we interpret the moves that these restaurateurs have made? Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle The server at Dragon Beaux speaks to me in Cantonese, gesturing toward my deep-fried taro puffs ($4.75) with a pair of kitchen shears. When I nod, she nods and cuts the puffs in halves the perfect size for picking them up with chopsticks. I dont speak Cantonese. But in that moment, I dont want to let her down, so I go along with the illusion. Im already used to doing this with my grandmother, who has probably told me a lot of stories in Vietnamese that went over as well as a pebble thrown through a thick fog. Like knowing at what points to laugh when my grandma tells that one story again, I know what to expect out of my dim sum. Or at least, I thought I knew. As a first-time diner, there were so many things on the menu at Dragon Beaux that I had never seen before. Steamers of xiaolongbao ($10.88) flew out of the kitchen, with each taut dumpling wrapper colored with beet, kale, squid ink and turmeric. Chicken buns ($7.75) brushed with cocoa powder and cracked on top like fresh shiitakes also caught my attention. And at the tables around me, folks were taking close-up photos and birds-eye view shots of it all. In May 2018, Jonathan Kauffman wrote about the Instagram-friendliness of places like Dragon Beaux, and how that was a deliberate strategy on the part of the owners, Willie Ng and Jenny Huang. He pointed out that the rainbow xiaolongbao, baby chick dumplings and other over-the-top presentations of dim sum signal a newer approach to Chinese American restaurants. Inspired by recent trips to Hong Kong and the mainland, owners are looking to expand their audiences and stay relevant in an age where Instagram can be an incredibly effective marketing tool. Dragon Beauxs family tree traces back to Daly Citys longtime dim sum favorite, Koi Palace, which introduced the colorful xiaolongbao to the Bay Area. Dragon Beaux took that concept further with a bigger selection of photogenic dumplings. The restaurants ambience hangs on high-impact elements like carved stone pillars and formidable black partitions throughout the dining room. Its newer cousin, Stick & Steam, shares a parking lot with an In-N-Out Burger and serves new-age dim sum with an informal style built for the same post-commute dinner crowd. Its walls are painted a Panera-ish gray, with one featuring a pink Instabait neon sign that reads, S X S. I used to automatically dislike restaurants like these because they werent authentic enough. The decor was wrong, the uniforms were wrong, the dishes werent spicy enough and I would quietly mourn the loss of realness that the term signified. The authenticity grievance was something I would hear again and again from my elders and others when it came to restaurants that served the food they grew up with. But over time, I realized that this mind-set kept me from accepting that restaurants and the people behind them were capable of growth. Italian DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) foods aside, the idea of an objective truth when it comes to what a real Chinese restaurant is supposed to look like is completely ridiculous. Amy Osborne/Special to The Chronicle Take Z&Y Bistro, for example. The vibe reads as slightly clubby with dark lighting, exposed brick walls and industrial shelving behind the bar. Compared to Z&Y Restaurant, and its ornate red lanterns on the ceiling and calligraphy on the walls, the decor here is much more contemporary. Though the bistro serves several of the same dishes as the place across the street, it also has an extensive menu of Japanese robatayaki and ramen. Overall, its quieter and less of a tourist attraction perhaps, one might think, because its not as authentic or spectacular. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Z&Y Bistro offers ramen ($9.95-$12.95), a dish invented in China, but its version is the one that emerged in Japanese markets after World War II, featuring pink-spiraled fish cakes, squares of nori and chashu without a fleck of red coloring. I sense that this inclusion can be partially explained by the different reputations of Chinese and Japanese cuisines in the United States. In the past few decades, the latter has become associated with haute cuisine, while the former still languishes under stereotypes about cheapness, low quality and artificiality. How many white American chefs have been lauded for traveling to China to heighten their culinary sensibilities, versus Japan? For restaurants like these, bringing the two together on a single menu may be one shorthand way to shift expectations higher. Amy Osborne / Special to The Chronicle While eating all-natural negima ($7.95) and miso pork skewers ($6.95) at Z&Y Bistro in a fairly empty dining room, I wondered whether Z&Y Restaurant could simply have cloned itself, without forcing its offspring to look so generic? But at the same time, what am I asking of a place like this? Is it necessarily a demerit for a Chinese restaurant to not look Chinese or stick to its own regional dishes? And whos to say that there arent restaurants that genuinely look and feel like this in 2019 Chongqing or Guangzhou? So often when we talk about authenticity, were talking about an extremely conditional idea of accuracy. The tension between authenticity and its perceived dilution whether through an updated menu or exposed brick walls is such a personal thing, with an overemphasis on the former potentially perpetuating the commodification of our own idea of what a culture can, and should, look like. Instead, appreciating how restaurateurs like Han and the Ngs have shifted their visions over time is part of dismantling that trap and creating a culinary environment where everyone can grow together. Want to read more from Soleil? Subscribe to her weekly newsletter, Bite Curious, here. As the San Francisco Chronicles restaurant critic, I will not be using the star rating system. Im sure other critics have very involved parameters and formulas for deciding whether a restaurant deserves two or three stars, but honestly, I dont. I dont hold myself to be an objective authority on restaurants who can accurately quantify the experience for you. When I review restaurants, Im talking about their context, how they exist in the world. I want to describe the images and feelings restaurateurs and chefs produce in me with the choices they make with their menus, architecture, marketing and music, to share the experiences Ive had in restaurants with you in fresh and interesting ways. I think my qualitative analysis of a place is much more valuable than a quantitative one. If I used a star system, a playlist featuring lots of tracks by the Police would probably merit two stars, while one heavy on the Rihanna would receive five. Makes sense to me, but its certainly not fair. Others, like my editor whod argue for 73 stars for Rihanna, would rightly disagree with my assessment. [ Want to read more from Soleil? Subscribe to her weekly newsletter, Bite Curious, here. ] Since I plan to write reviews of everything notable that I find in the Bay Area, from disappointing tortas to avant-garde collard greens to molecular banh mi, I believe imposing a star rating system that purports to put all of those things along the same spectrum would do a disservice to all of them. Rather, I want you to actually read what I have to say about a restaurants qualities and drawbacks and judge its appeal for yourself. A new Alaska Airlines Lounge is set to open on the rooftop of Terminal 2 at San Francisco International Airport in 2020, the carrier announced today. The lounge space is located in the reconstructed area that originally housed the base of the airport's control tower. The company said that the 8,500-square-foot lounge on the fourth floor will provide "the highest viewpoint of any other domestic lounge at SFO with stunning sights of the Bay and runway."And after a hard hat tour of the lounge space on Tuesday, one of the clearest days of the year, I agree-- the views are breathtaking. See my slideshow at the top of this post for a look inside and out! To get to the lounge, members will make a hard left after passing through Terminal 2 security toward a new elevator bank for a lift to the top (fourth) floor. Since the space is still steel beams and concrete, Alex Judson, Alaska's Manager, Alliances and Lounges, explained to me the airline's vision for the lounge experience. The elevator door will open to a dramatic view through floor to ceiling windows over the rooftop the the T2 boarding gates, across the ramp and runways, and over the Bay. Because the day was so clear, I took in a rare sight: snow capped peaks of the Diablo Range! See the slideshow at the top for a look. Exiting the elevator and taking in the view, you'll turn right and walk along a bank of windows to the Alaska Lounge entrance. After checking in at the front desk, you'll enter a homey food and beverage area where a Starbucks-trained barista can whip up a latte or any other coffee or tea concoction you'd like-- which means you can avoid the long coffee lines in the terminal below (more on that here). In the mornings, there will be a breakfast bar with steel-cut oatmeal, pancakes, greek yogurt, fresh fruit, fresh breads/pastries, and hard boiled eggs. At lunch there will be soups, salads and snacks along with rustic breads and fresh made cookies. At dinner, there will be a tapas bar with chips, dips, cheese and soup (Judson said clam chowder is the most popular at the seven other Alaska Lounges.) In addition to complimentary grazing options, the lounge will offer hot, made to order meals such as omelets, a warm egg brioche sandwich at breakfast, or a chicken pesto panini or asian rice bowls at lunch or dinner. Prices range from $6-$10 and items can be packed to bring on the plane. Once you pass through the food and beverage area, there will be a quiet lounge area with a cozy fireplace and specially designed recliners facing the big windows where aviation geeks can sit back, relax and watch jumbos approach SFO runways from the south. Wow! From there, you'll turn right and into a more lively, clubby zone where custom playlists are piped in. Here members can sit at high top bar tables and have a drink from the bar. Local craft beers, red and white wine and well brand cocktails will be free. Premium cocktails, wine and spirits (such as the Bay Area's very own Hangar 1 Vodka) will sell for around $8 a pop. From the bar and social area, you can peer out to the runways, or look southwest over the top of the new Terminal 1 toward the peninsula hills. Oddly, you'll look onto what appears to be an outdoor observation deck, but Judson said that "for the time being there will not be any outdoor access." That's too bad since outdoor space and fresh air are so coveted by frequent fliers. But who knows, maybe it's tied up in permitting for now and will eventually open. Stay tuned. (Check out SFO's newest outdoor deck here.) Speaking of outdoor decks, there will soon be a pre-security public observation deck on the same floor as the Alaska Lounge-- but since it provides landside access, lounge guests who have already passed through security will not have access to it. You can see the public deck in the slideshow at the top of this post. Currently, American Airlines operates the only lounge at SFO's Terminal 2, but Alaska Airlines passengers do not have access to it. Once American moves into Terminal 1 in 2020, its Admirals Club lounge will likely convert into more food, beverage and retail outlets. Judson said that the Admirals Club space is not large enough to accomodate the 500 or so guests expected at the Alaska Lounge each day. (And it's not nearly as dramatic!) The Alaska Lounge will have space for 150-200 guests at a time. Chris McGinnis To celebrate the SFO lounge announcement, flyers traveling through SFO's Terminal 2 today can win a free Alaska Lounge membership for the entire year. Go to Gate 54B in Terminal 2 for a demo of Alaska's upgraded lounge experience, giveaways, and special appearances by San Francisco Giants mascot Lou Seal and San Jose Sharks mascot S.J. Sharkie. For a chance to win, travelers can take a picture of themselves enjoying the lounge experience and post it to Twitter and Instagram, tagging @AlaskaAir with the hashtag #MostWestCoast. As part of an overall $50 million investment in its seven lounges, Alaska Airlines recently opened its first east coast lounge a New York JFK, and the new flagship 15,000-square-foot lounge at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is expected to open in June. In addition to opening a new lounge in SFO, Alaska says that it is "revitalizing the look-and-feel and upgrading the amenities of its lounges in Portland, Anchorage, Los Angeles and the Seattle." Here's a look at Alaska's newest lounge at New York-JFK- you can expect many similar design touches at the new San Francisco lounge . At SFO and all other Alaska Lounges, day passes, subject to capacity controls, are available for $50 per visit. Standard annual membership fees start at $450, but are discounted to $295 for elite level members of Alaska's Mileage Plan program. Judson said that it has yet to be determined if the SFO lounge will become part of the Priority Pass lounge network. Overall, this new lounge will be a welcome addition for frequent Alaska Airlines fliers who've lived mostly loungeless at SFO two years. I can't wait to see the current space of steel beams and concrete come to life. Have you visited an Alaska Lounge yet? Flown Alaska Airlines from SFO? Tell us about your experience in the comments. Read all recent TravelSkills posts here Get twice-per-week updates from TravelSkills via email! Sign up here Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis. HANOI, Vietnam President Donald Trump and North Koreas Kim Jong Un appeared to find some common ground in their high-stakes summit Thursday, with Kim suggesting an openness to denuclearization and allowing a historic U.S. presence in his reclusive nation, even as doubts remained about whether the regime would give up the devastating weapons it believes ensures its survival. A summit that already bordered on the surreal took another surprising twist as the leaders adopted almost a role reversal during their face-to-face discussions in Hanoi. As nervous global capitals looked on, Trump deliberately ratcheted down some of the pressure on Pyongyang, declaring he was in no rush. We just want to do the right deal. But Kim, when asked about denuclearization during an unprecedented question-and-answer session with journalists, said, If Im not willing to do that I wont be here right now. The leaders seemed to find a point of agreement moments later when Kim was asked if the U.S. may open a liaison office in North Korea. Trump declared it not a bad idea and Kim called it welcomable. Such an office would mark the first U.S. presence in North Korea. Kim fielded questions from Western journalists for likely the first time, with the reporters receiving some coaching from the president, who implored, And dont raise your voice, please. This isnt like dealing with Trump. The North Korean leader struck a largely hopeful note, saying, I believe by intuition that good results will be produced. After a reporter asked Kim if they were discussing human rights, Trump interjected to say they were discussing everything, though he did not specifically address the issue. Earlier, accompanied only by translators, the unlikely pair a 72-year-old brash billionaire and a 35-year-old reclusive autocrat displayed a familiarity with one another as they began the days negotiations. 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 relationship is just very strong and when you have a good relationship a lot of good things happen, said Trump. He added that a lot of great ideas were being thrown about at their opulent dinner the night before. I believe that starting from yesterday, the whole world is looking at this spot right now, Kim said via his translator. Im sure that all of them will be watching the moment that we are sitting together side by side as if they are watching a fantasy movie. Deb Riechmann and Foster Klug are Associated Press writers A Clearlake woman with the last name of Meth was sentenced to two years in prison for smuggling a fatal dose of methamphetamine to a California inmate. Johna Martinez-Meth, 46, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the May 28, 2018, death of Adrian Sepulveda, who swallowed several balloons full of the drug shortly after Martinez-Meth visited him at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville. A week into the Oakland teachers strike, around 100 educators from neighboring Bay Area districts joined their Oakland peers on the picket lines Thursday in a show of transbay solidarity. They echoed Oakland teachers sentiments about better working conditions, higher pay and smaller class sizes and expressed similar struggles at schools in San Francisco, Berkeley, San Lorenzo and Albany. Elizabeth Dutton, a math teacher at Mission High School, said the effort followed a smaller-scale sickout on Monday, when she, along with four other Mission High teachers and one student, joined the picket line at Skyline High School. I want to build a larger solidarity movement and eventually see California educators go on a statewide strike and build off the movement happening in Oakland, Dutton said. I think a larger movement is needed to make real change. On a normal day, 250 to 300 teachers miss school in San Francisco Unified School District. On Thursday, that number was 385. Momentum was high following a Wednesday afternoon gathering at a scheduled school board meeting where Oakland Unified School District officials were planning to vote on $21.75 million in budget cuts. The disruption canceled the vote, which was originally scheduled for Feb. 11 but had been postponed to allow board members more time to discuss the plan. The meeting was rescheduled for Friday at 2:00 p.m. If the board does not meet, we cannot make the difficult but necessary financial decisions to honor our teachers and students, and finally bring an end to the strike, the district said in a statement Thursday. Ismael Armendariz, a member of Oakland Education Associations bargaining unit and the first vice president of the union, said the teams had negotiated throughout the night Wednesday and ended at 5 a.m. Thursday. The school district revealed on Wednesday that it had upped its offer from a 7 percent raise plus a 1.5 percent bonus to an 8 percent raise and a 2 percent bonus. Since the strike started Feb. 21, 87 percent of the unions 3,000 member base participated in picket lines and 95 percent stayed out of the schools, Armendariz said. He estimated that 20,000 community members had joined picket lines over the week. We are on day six and were making movement, he said. We are almost there. Dutton said shes taking insight from Oaklands teachers, as contract negotiations for San Francisco teachers begin next year. As a rank-and-file member, Im focused on trying to figure out what their picket lines look like but then Im also getting inspiration from the fact that OEA hasnt stepped down or settled. Several staff San Franciscos June Jordan School for Equity, a school focused on social justice, showed up Thursday with signs in hand. Toni Gill, a paraprofessional educator at the school, said she felt compelled to show support for her hometown, Oakland. Eventually this is going to trickle down our way and were preparing for it, Gill said. What happens to them affects us. Kathya Correa Almanza, a sophomore at June Jordan, was one of a handful of San Francisco students who missed school and made the trek to Oakland. Even though theres only a couple of students here from San Francisco, were all here in heart and were representing our schools, Correa Almanza said. Slowly but surely, everyones going to get the courage to come out here and fight for the change that we need. Ashley McBride is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ashley.mcbride@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ashleynmcb PG&E Corp., the bankrupt California utility owner, reported its biggest loss ever and said that it's "probable" its equipment will be blamed as an ignition point for the deadliest wildfire in California history. The blaze, called the Camp Fire, raged across Northern California for two weeks in November, destroying the town of Paradise, killing 85 people and prompting PG&E to file for Chapter 11 last month. The company will take a $10.5 billion charge in connection to the fire, resulting in the record $6.9 billion fourth-quarter loss, according to a filing Thursday. Investors have been waiting to see if PG&E, California's largest utility owner, would take additional fire-related charges after recording a $2.5 billion pretax hit for blazes in the second quarter of 2018. In the nearly four months since the Camp Fire, PG&E has lost $16 billion in market value, removed Chief Executive Officer Geisha Williams and filed the largest-ever U.S. utility bankruptcy. "Management has concluded that these circumstances raise substantial doubt about PG&E corporation's and the utility's ability to continue as going concerns," the company said in the filing. PG&E said in Thursday's filing that it told investigators a transmission line near the ignition point malfunctioned 18 minutes before the Camp Fire broke out on Nov. 8. The company also said it would take an additional $1 billion charge for Northern California fires in 2017. PG&E said in June it was recording a $2.5 billion pretax hit for those blazes. Authorities began probing power lines as a possible cause of the Camp Fire within hours of it breaking out. The company's statement that its equipment would probably be deemed as an ignition point comes five weeks after the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection cleared the utility of blame for a separate deadly blaze -- the 2017 Tubbs Fire -- that devastated Northern California's wine country. "There're may be people who hoped the exposure wouldn't be this large or that the Camp Fire wound be found not to be their fault,'' Kit Konolige, an analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence, said in an interview. "Obviously it's not a positive." The company has taken a total of $14 billion in pretax charges related to the 2018 Camp Fire and the 2017 Northern California wildfires to date, which reflects the lower end of the range of estimated losses the company faces from such wildfires. Those charges will be "partially offset by probable insurance recoveries of $2.2 billion," according to the filing. PG&E said it filed a request for state regulators for a waiver of its equity level requirements. Investors are watching to see if California lawmakers pass legislation to protect PG&E and other utilities from claims arising from future blazes. Governor Gavin Newsom has formed a ''strike team'' to devise a strategy within weeks to address the issue. PG&E is also under pressure from lawmakers, regulators and shareholders including New York investment firm BlueMountain Capital Management LLC to revamp management. The company has said no more than five of its 10 board members will seek re-election, and that the new board will have 11 directors. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. February 28, 2019: This report focuses on the global Online Clothing Rental status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the Online Clothing Rental development in United States, Europe and China. The rental market works to address clothing needs of the consumers who cannot afford or do not want to spend money on the clothes to be worn for one or two occasions, making it more affordable. North America already has an established structure for online rentals, here the influx of startup in clothing rentals started five years back. Download sample Copy of This Report at: https://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-online-clothing-rental-market-size-status-and-forecast-2018-2025/request-sample While in Asia-Pacific, increase in internet penetration in developing countries, such as India, China, and Brazil, helps the online clothing rental market post a strong growth rate. In 2017, the global Online Clothing Rental market size was xx million US$ and it is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during 2018-2025. The key players covered in this study Chic by Choice Rent the Runway Lending Luxury Share Wardrobe Click Here For Complete Report @ https://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-online-clothing-rental-market-size-status-and-forecast-2018-2025 Secoo Holdings Limited Gwynnie Bee Glam Corner Pty Le Tote Dress & Go Secret Wardrobe Girls Meet Dress Dress Hire Swapdom StyleLend Rentez-Vous FlyRobe Walkin Closet Swishlist Couture Liberent & Ms. Collection Style Lend Market segment by Type, the product can be split into Women Men Kids Market segment by Application, split into Business to consumer(B2C) Consumer to Consumer(C2C) Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers United States Europe China Japan Southeast Asia India Central & South America The study objectives of this report are: To analyze global Online Clothing Rental status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. To present the Online Clothing Rental development in United States, Europe and China. To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their development plan and strategies. To define, describe and forecast the market by product type, market and key regions. In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Online Clothing Rental are as follows: History Year: 2013-2017 Base Year: 2017 Estimated Year: 2018 Forecast Year 2018 to 2025 About Radiant Insights Radiant Insights is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. We assist and facilitate organizations and individuals procure market research reports, helping them in the decision making process. We have a comprehensive collection of reports, covering over 40 key industries and a host of micro markets. In addition to over extensive database of reports, our experienced research coordinators also offer a host of ancillary services such as, research partnerships/ tie-ups and customized research solutions. For More Information, Visit Radiant Insights Contact: Michelle Thoras Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Radiant Insights, Inc Phone: 1-415-349-0054 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: sales@radiantinsights.com Blog URL: http://ictmarketforecasts.wordpress.com California's wealthiest residents gave big last year. The state had the highest amount of "top donors" in the nation, the majority of whom live in the Bay Area. The Chronicle of Philanthropy creates an annual ranking of the top-50 donors in the U.S. The newly released list for 2018 determined Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan were the top givers in California and seventh in the country, with their donations totaling $213,598,215 last year. The Facebook CEO, whose net worth is estimated at $60.3 billion, founded the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative with his wife in 2015 to support the use of technology in solving global problems. Behind Zuckerberg for California donors is Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist. Long a proponent of media issues, Newmark gave $143,800,000 to various organizations in 2018. Newmark, who lives in San Francisco, donated $20 million to CUNY Journalism School last year. "In this time, when trustworthy news is under attack, somebody has to stand up," Newmark told the New York Times. "And the way you stand up these days is by putting your money where your mouth is, and that's what I've done." You can see the rest of California's top donors, and how much they gave, in the above slideshow. The full list can be viewed on the Chronicle of Philanthropy website. Of the 50 donors included in the list, 13 reside in California, seven of whom live in the Bay Area. Behind California is New York (7 donors), Texas (5) and Washington (4). California is home to the highest population of millionaires in the nation. Some studies claim San Francisco has the third-highest number of billionaires of all the world's cities, behind New York City and Hong Kong. Net worth does not always correlate with big giving, however. Newmark provides a strong case study. His estimated net worth in 2019 is $1.6 billion Zuckerberg's is about 38 times higher. Nonetheless, Zuckerberg donated only about $7 million more last year. The public might not recognize some names on the list, including Paul and Betty Woolls, a retired Napa lawyer and real estate developer who came in at No. 46 on the Philanthropy list. The couple donated $40,140,000 last year, $40 million of which went to Wabash College in Indiana. In an analysis of the "Philanthropy 50," the Chronicle noted that the biggest U.S. donors collectively donated $7.8 billion last year. In 2017, the top donors gave almost double that amount $14.7 billion. "Whether the reduced giving reflected a greater sense of caution about the state of the world is unclear," the Chronicle explained. "What is certain from the nature of those gifts, however, is their deep concern about the future." The analysis found that many of the biggest donors were tackling topics with a "futurist bent," like artificial intelligence and data privacy concerns. Methodology available here. Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com. Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news. The operator of a video-sharing app popular with teenagers agreed to pay $5.7 million to settle federal allegations it illegally collected personal information from children . The Federal Trade Commission said the Wednesday penalty against lip-syncing app Musical.ly, now known as TikTok, is the largest ever obtained in a childrens privacy case. The FTC said the app violated the federal Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act, which requires kid-oriented websites to get parents consent before collecting personal information from children under 13. The app changed its practices in 2017 to officially ban kids under 13 from joining, but it wasnt hard to find children as young as 8 or 9 sharing short videos of themselves on the platform. Just because you say its intended for over-13 doesnt mean that it is, said Andrew Smith, director of the FTCs Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a conference call Wednesday. Musical.ly, founded in 2014 and registered in the Cayman Islands, grew rapidly and operated out of offices in Shanghai and Santa Monica. The FTC said the app has been downloaded by more than 200 million people worldwide, and 65 million in the U.S. It built a devoted community of self-described musers who regularly shared lip-syncing, dancing, gymnastics or comedy videos. But the app also raised concerns among many parents, especially after news reports of adult predators using the app to contact children. Smith said that along with failing to adequately seek parents permission, the operators of Musical.ly didnt honor parents requests for personal information to be deleted. Smith said the company deleted some underage accounts but didnt delete their videos and profile information from its own servers. Profile information often included email addresses as well as a childs name, age, school and picture. Until October 2016, one of the apps features allowed users to find others within a 50-mile radius. Beijings ByteDance Technology announced in late 2017 that it was acquiring the service, and last summer it folded Musical.ly into its own popular video app, TikTok, which is based in Los Angeles. TikTok said in a blog post Wednesday that in conjunction with the FTC agreement, its starting a separate app for younger American users with stronger safety and privacy protections. Children using the new app will be able to watch videos but wont be able to share their own videos, make comments, maintain a profile or message other users. TikToks intention to start a new app for children was troubling to Josh Golin, who directs the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood. TikTok should be nowhere near children and children should be nowhere near TikTok, Golin said. Golin and other privacy advocates were also underwhelmed by FTCs record fine, arguing that big companies like ByteDance will see it as merely the cost of doing business. Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., who wrote the decades-old privacy law the FTCs complaint was based on, said in a statement Wednesday that the fine is not high enough for the harm that is done to children and to deter violations of the law in the future by other companies. Childrens advocates have pushed the FTC to investigate whether other companies, including Googles YouTube, are similarly violating childrens online privacy. The FTC said its Musical.ly investigation was sparked in part by a referral from the Better Business Bureaus Childrens Advertising Review Unit, a group set up by industry to regulate itself. Matt OBrien is an Associated Press writer. A man suspected of fatally shooting a Danville resident has died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, after traveling to his parents' home in St. Charles, Ill., following the slaying, officials say. Mark Allan Sypien was named a suspect a day after the shooting death of John Moore of Danville. Moore, 76, was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds Sunday, after police responded to calls of shots fired in the area of an industrial park in Danville. Moore was pronounced dead at the scene. READ ALSO: Woman, 64, fatally struck by hit-and-run driver in SF An arrest warrant was issued for Sypien, 51, who fled the area after the shooting. Sypien later turned up at his parents' home in St. Charles, Ill., on Wednesday afternoon, where his parents reportedly barricaded themselves in their basement after his arrival, the Kane County Chronicle reported. When police arrived, Sypien was found suffering from a gunshot wound on the front lawn and was transported to a local hospital, where he later died. "While we regret the further loss of life, we are pleased that we were able to resolve the case," said Danville Police Chief Allan Shields, in a released statement. "We are very grateful for the collaboration and assistance of the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office in investigating this crime and bringing closure to the family and friends of Mr. Moore." Although a connection between the two men was not initially disclosed by police, Sypien and Moore have known each other for a number of years, after Sypien dated Moore's daughter in the 2000s, the San Jose Mercury reported. READ ALSO: Police found a car in a ditch in Marin. A man was alive inside. Sypien was allegedly abusive toward Moore's daughter and her children during their relationship, according to court records, but when the couple broke up in 2014, Sypien apparently continued to harass and threaten the family. In a restraining order request cited by the Mercury, Moore said he believed that Sypien "has the capacity to be a sociopath." Sypien had previous run-ins with the law, according to the Kane County Chronicle, and was apparently jailed for violating an order of protection. Other previous incidents include battery, domestic battery and violating an order of protection. Read Dianne de Guzman's latest stories and send her news tips at ddeguzman@sfchronicle.com. Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news. WASHINGTON President Trumps longtime lawyer and fixer accused him on Wednesday of an expansive pattern of lies and criminality, offering a damning portrayal of life inside the presidents orbit where he said advisers sacrificed integrity for proximity to power. Michael Cohen, who represented Trump for a decade, told Congress that the president lied to the American public about business interests in Russia during the 2016 campaign and lied to reporters about stolen Democratic emails. Trump also told Cohen to lie about illegal hush payments to cover up alleged sexual indiscretions, the lawyer charged. The allegations, aired at a daylong hearing before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, exposed a dark underside of Trumps business and political worlds in the voice of one of the ultimate insiders. Perhaps no close associate of a president has turned on him in front of Congress in such dramatic fashion since John Dean testified against President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal. He is a racist. He is a con man. And he is a cheat, Cohen said of the president. Cohen, who has pleaded guilty to lying under oath to Congress, among other crimes, said he did so to protect Trump. I am not protecting Mr. Trump anymore, he said. But it remained unclear whether his testimony would change the political dynamics of a series of scandals that have already polarized Washington and the country and that could lead to an impeachment battle later this year. Assailing Cohen as a proven liar, Republicans denounced the hearing as a charade and an embarrassment for our country. Democrats said Republicans ran away from the truth as they sought to defend a corrupt president who has employed textbook mob tactics. As with so many other moments of the Trump era, the hearing seemed to be as much about partisan theater as fact-finding, with the two sides fixed in their views and unbending in their approach. Democrats and Republicans set forth their own conflicting narratives about the man who once served Trump, either as a dissembling disgruntled former employee trying to reduce his sentence or a fallen sinner who has realized his mistakes and is now trying to redeem himself by coming clean. Through it all sat Cohen, 52, with dark circles under his eyes as he awaits a three-year prison term that begins this spring. Apologizing repeatedly to his family, Cohen described his 10 years working for Trump as a trip into a world of deceit in which the lawyer ignored his own conscience in order to get close to a magnetic person of power. The presidents re-election campaign organization dismissed Cohen as a convicted perjurer who should not be believed. This is the same Michael Cohen who has admitted that he lied to Congress previously, Kayleigh McEnany, the campaigns national press secretary, said in a statement. Why did they even bother to swear him in this time? Republicans on the committee aggressively challenged Cohen along the same lines. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the ranking Republican, called Cohen a fraudster, cheat, felon and, in two months, a federal inmate. The hearing drew enormous interest on Capitol Hill, where Democrats just last month took control of the House and are under enormous pressure from their liberal base to impeach Trump. Peter Baker and Nicholas Fandos are New York Times writers. SAN DIEGO Lindsey Muller served in the Army as a man for nearly a decade before telling her commanders in 2014 that she identified as a woman and would resign because military policy barred transgender personnel. Her superiors, citing her outstanding performance, persuaded the decorated attack helicopter pilot to stay. After then-President Barack Obama changed the policy, she started dressing in uniform as a woman. Muller went on to be recommended for a promotion as the surgery to complete her gender transition was scheduled, but the operation was postponed in 2017 when President Trump announced on Twitter that he was re-instituting the ban. In the nearly three years since the U.S. military welcomed transgender people into the armed forces, they have largely served without incident. Some, like Muller, have earned prestigious medals or received other forms of recognition. They say they stand as proof against President Trumps argument that their presence is a burden. Once you meet transgender people who have served in the different branches ... its really hard to dismiss the fact that you will find Purple Heart recipients, Bronze Star winners, attack aviators, Navy SEALs, said Muller, who will not be testifying but is a plaintiff in one of four lawsuits challenging the ban. Trump has cited tremendous medical costs as a reason for the ban. According to new data from the Defense Department provided to the House Armed Services Committee ahead of the hearing, the military has spent about $8 million on transgender care since 2016. The militarys annual health care budget tops $50 billion. Muller, a 19-year Iraq combat veteran, diligently followed the Pentagon guidelines to transition. She was grounded after going on hormone replacement therapy, though non-transgender people on hormone replacement therapy routinely receive waivers to keep flying. Since then, Muller has been an aviation safety officer in South Korea, overseeing 1,100 troops near the demilitarized zone. Her commander recommended her for a promotion, calling her the best battalion officer in the brigade. At the time, Muller was scheduling surgery to complete her transition when Trump tweeted in 2017 that the Pentagon cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. She has since gotten the surgery and continues to serve. While the Supreme Court in January lifted national injunctions by two courts, two others remain in place. Military chiefs testified before Congress last year that they found no problems with transgender troops on morale. An estimated 14,700 troops on active duty and in the Reserves identify as transgender but not all seek treatment. Julie Watson and Jennifer McDermott are Associated Press writers. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Exhaust Gaskets Market report covers the valuable data useful for the estimation of the market .The Exhaust Gaskets industry report presents the factors, such as gross margin, consumption, production, export, cost, growth rate, and share, size and capacity utilization, impacting on the Exhaust Gaskets Market. Get Sample Copy of this Report - https://www.orianresearch.com/request-sample/816071 . The Global Exhaust Gaskets Market 2019 research provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Global Exhaust Gaskets Market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status. Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins. Top Company: Federal Mogul Business Overview Recent Development Mahle Dana ACDelco ELCIM Group Global Exhaust Gaskets Industry 2019 Market Research Report provides exclusive vital statistics, data, information, trends and competitive landscape details in this niche sector. Inquire more or share questions if any before the purchase on this report @ https://www.orianresearch.com/enquiry-before-buying/816071 . Key segments covered in this report: North America, US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, UK, Sweden, Germany, Spain, Russia, France, Rest of Europe, Asia & Pacific, China, Japan, India, Korea, Australia, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia & Pacific, LAMEA, Latin America , Middle East, Africa With Table and figures helping analyze worldwide Global Exhaust Gaskets market, this research provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market. Order a copy of Global Exhaust Gaskets Market Report 2019 @ https://www.orianresearch.com/checkout/816071 . For competitor segment, the report includes global key players of Exhaust Gaskets as well as some small players. The information for each competitor includes: Company Profile Main Business Information SWOT Analysis Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margins Market Share About Us Orian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on the World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products. We also specialize in custom research in situations where our syndicate research offerings do not meet the specific requirements of our esteemed clients. Contact Us Ruwin Mendez Vice President Global Sales & Partner Relations Orian Research Consultants US: +1 (415) 830-3727 | UK: +44 020 8144-71-27 Email: info@orianresearch.com Website: www.orianresearch.com/ Follow Us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company-beta/13281002/ Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Echinacea Extract Market report covers the valuable data useful for the estimation of the market .The Echinacea Extract industry report presents the factors, such as gross margin, consumption, production, export, cost, growth rate, and share, size and capacity utilization, impacting on the Echinacea Extract Market. Get Sample Copy of this Report - https://www.orianresearch.com/request-sample/816250 The Global Echinacea Extract Market 2019 research provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Global Echinacea Extract Market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status. Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins. Top Company: BIOFORCE AG Business Overview Recent Development Jamieson Laboratories New Natural Biotechnology Co.,Ltd Xi an Rainbow Biotech Shaanxi Jintai Biological Engineering Co., Ltd . Global Echinacea Extract Industry 2019 Market Research Report provides exclusive vital statistics, data, information, trends and competitive landscape details in this niche sector. Inquire more or share questions if any before the purchase on this report @ https://www.orianresearch.com/enquiry-before-buying/816250 Key segments covered in this report: North America, US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, UK, Sweden, Germany, Spain, Russia, France, Rest of Europe, Asia & Pacific, China, Japan, India, Korea, Australia, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia & Pacific, LAMEA, Latin America , Middle East, Africa With Table and figures helping analyze worldwide Global Echinacea Extract market, this research provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market. Order a copy of Global Echinacea Extract Market Report 2019 @ https://www.orianresearch.com/checkout/816250 For competitor segment, the report includes global key players of Echinacea Extract as well as some small players. The information for each competitor includes: Company Profile Main Business Information SWOT Analysis Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margins Market Share About Us Orian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on the World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products. We also specialize in custom research in situations where our syndicate research offerings do not meet the specific requirements of our esteemed clients. Contact Us Ruwin Mendez Vice President Global Sales & Partner Relations Orian Research Consultants US: +1 (415) 830-3727 | UK: +44 020 8144-71-27 Email: info@orianresearch.com Website: www.orianresearch.com/ Follow Us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company-beta/13281002/ Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. In this latest report on Inorganic Chemicals Market, the market size is expected to scale up to USD BN by the end of the financial year 2025. This report valued the market at USD BN in 2018. After evaluating the various market drivers and market restraints the report expects a % of CAGR across the study period. The report takes a deep dig in the market with detailed analysis on the Revenue, Production, and Capacity from 2013 to 2025. The report also studies the marketing pricing, trends and extrapolates the growth rate for the next six years. The manufacturers data covered in the report assists in understanding the competitive scenario along with planning the capacity expansion plans. The latest developments such as the organic and inorganic growth adopted by the key players mentioned in the report, throws light on the strategic planning of the competitors, thus assisting in taking informed decisions. Ask for free sample report of Plate Demagnetizer market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-41241 The following manufacturers are covered: AkzoNobel BASF Bayer DowDuPont Evonik Formosa Plastics Innes LG Chem LyondellBasell Mitsubishi Chemical Segment by Regions North America Europe China Japan Segment by Type Non-metallic oxides Elementary substances Inorganic salts Metal oxides Alkali Inorganic acids Segment by Application Concentrators Separators Condensers Vaporizers Reactor vessels Heat exchangers Hoppers Diluters Scrubbers Access Report with Full Table of Contents @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ip/41241-inorganic-chemicals-industry-market-report Table of Contents-Snapshot - Executive Summary Chapter 1 Industry Overview Chapter 2 Industry Competition by Manufacturers Chapter 3 Industry Production Market Share by Regions Chapter 4 Industry Consumption by Regions Chapter 5 Industry Production, Revenue, Price Trend by Type Chapter 6 Industry Analysis by Applications Chapter 7 Company Profiles and Key Figures in Industry Business Chapter 8 Industry Manufacturing Cost Analysis Chapter 9 Marketing Channel, Distributors and Customers Chapter 10 Market Dynamics Chapter 11 Industry Forecast Chapter 12 Research Findings and Conclusion Chapter 13 Methodology and Data Source Follow our other sites for more information: Top News Corner DecisionDatabases Blog About Us: DecisionDatabases.com is a Global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research Report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains. Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed. For More Details: DecisionDatabases.com E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com Phone: +91-90-28-057900 Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ After years of contentious debate, an act of vandalism and a public vote, President William McKinley has lost his home at the center of Arcata Plaza in Humboldt County. The 8 1/2 foot tall bronze statue of McKinley - forged in San Francisco - had stood watch over the picturesque college town's main square for over a century, but future drum circles and farmers markets will have to take place without homage to the 25th president. McKinley's expansionist policies are now widely viewed as racist toward indigenous people. During his presidential tenure at the turn of the century, McKinley annexed tribal lands in the western U.S. and Hawaii in the name of Manifest Destiny. ALSO: San Francisco quietly removes controversial 'early days' statue A public vote on a measure to protect the state was voted down in Nov. 2018, allowing the city council to move forward with removal plans. The city confirmed that the statue is now gone via press release Thursday. Social media images captured the removal process. "City staff continued with the statue removal process when a break in the rain occurred with a long enough window for it to be transported safely and at a time when Plaza businesses, parking and traffic would be least impacted," the city wrote. City officials say the statue of the assassinated president was brought to Arcata after it was created in San Francisco and nearly ruined in the 1906 earthquake and fire. The community of McKinleyville, just north of Arcata, was named in honor of the former president. Many locals reacting on the Lost Coast Outpost Facebook page cheered the removal, but others felt the change was no cause for celebration. "It's sad to see history removed, even bad history has a good story to tell," wrote one commenter. "Unfortunately, it's the squeaky little wheels that get greased," wrote another. Last October, vandals threw an acidic substance at the statue, causing the discoloration that can be seen in photos. Arcata is working with the City of Canton, Ohio - the site of McKinley's national memorial - to relocate the statue. SFGATE's Michelle Robertson contributed to this report. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The report " Dairy Testing Market by Type (Safety (Pathogens, Adulterants, Pesticides), Quality), Technology (Traditional, Rapid), Product (Milk & Milk Powder, Cheese, Butter & Spreads, Infant Foods, Ice Cream & Desserts, Yogurt ), and Region - Forecast to 2022 " , The dairy testing market is projected to reach USD 5.90 Billion by 2022 from USD 4.13 Billion in 2017, at a CAGR of 7.4% from 2017. The market is driven by the increase in outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, globalization of dairy trade, and stringent safety & quality regulations for food. Lack of coordination among market stakeholders and improper enforcement of regulatory laws and supporting infrastructures in developing economies are the major restraints for this market. The years considered for the study are as follows: Base year - 2016 Estimated year - 2017 Projected year - 2022 Forecast period - 2017 to 2022 Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=240885146 The objectives of the report To define, segment, and project the global market size for dairy testing To define, segment, and forecast the size of the dairy testing market with respect to type, technology, product, and region To analyze the market structure by identifying various subsegments of the global dairy testing market To provide detailed information about the crucial factors that are influencing the growth of the market (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges) To analyze opportunities for market leaders To the forecast the size of the global dairy market and its various sub-countries with respect to four main regions, namely, North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Rest of the World (RoW) To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their core competencies To analyze competitive developments such as new service launches, mergers & acquisitions, expansions & investments, partnerships, agreements, joint ventures, and collaborations in the dairy testing market Safety testing is projected to be the fastest-growing segment during the forecast period The market for safety testing is projected to be the fastest-growing, by type, from 2017 to 2022. Significant emphasis being placed on food safety testing of food output with regulatory authorities focusing on addressing regulatory loopholes, prevention, malpractices, and labeling mandates driving the market for safety testing of dairy. Rapid technology is projected to be the fastest growing market during the forecast period Rapid technology is forecast to be the fastest in the period due to its low turnaround time, higher accuracy, sensitivity, and ability to test a wide range of contaminants in comparison to traditional technology. Speak to Analyst: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=240885146 Asia Pacific is projected to be the fastest growing market during the forecast period The market in the Asia Pacific region Also, Asia Pacific is home to major dairy producing countries such as China, Australia and New Zealand, and India as these countries are becoming more aware of food safety and implementing regulations. This report includes a study of marketing and development strategies, along with the service portfolios of leading companies. It also includes the profiles of leading companies such as SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek, Eurofins, TUV SUD, and ALS Limited, among others. ANTIOCH (BCN) Four people were displaced by a house fire Wednesday afternoon in Antioch, a spokesman for the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District said. The fire was first reported at 2:17 p.m. on the second floor of a home on Tupelo Way, fire spokesman Steve Hill said. When firefighters arrived on scene, they found smoke coming from the second floor and all the occupants of the building outside. The fire was under control by 2:29 p.m., and the American Red Cross had arrived on scene by 3:15 p.m. to assist the displaced residents. No injuries were reported. Information about the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage it caused was not immediately available Wednesday evening. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. BERKELEY (BCN) The Berkeley City Council will hold a special meeting on Thursday evening to consider options for dealing with the increasing number of people who live in RVs, including prohibiting them from doing so for extended periods of time. A group called Berkeley Friends on Wheels, which describes itself as a vehicular community of families, University of California at Berkeley students, gig economy workers, veterans, elderly and disabled people, says it will oppose the stricter options being considered. The group alleges in a release that the stricter options "will vote poor people out of the city." One option the Council will consider would clarify an existing code that prohibits RVs and all vehicular residents to park for longer than 72 hours without an RV permit and create a permit program that would only allow vehicular residents to park on Berkeley streets for 14 days a year. The option also calls for the enforcement of city ordinances that make it unlawful to live in "any house car or camper for human habitation." The second option calls for revising municipal codes that ban overnight parking between the hours of 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. and enforce the prohibition of sleeping in oversized vehicles. In addition, it would call for the city to hire a staff member to do outreach for RVs and allocate $3,000 each for 100 vehicle dwellers for mechanical repairs and registration fees. Berkeley Friends on Wheels says that would cover only about half of the city's vehicular population. "Neither option considers the needs and voices of our community," the group said. In its release, the group says, "Berkeley Friends on Wheels strongly believes that a safe haven should be allocated for our community on wheels in order for our neighbors to thrive and find stability." It says, "While order must be established on the streets, vehicular residents are asking that our opinion counts when city policy is being drafted. Solving the problem does not mean the city should ban our existence from Berkeley." City staff members said they are proposing the two options because the city "is experiencing an increasing number of RVs parking for long periods of time, impacting public safety, health and the parking needs for Berkeley residents and businesses." Last July, the city of Berkeley evicted about 35 homeless people who were living in RVs and vans in the parking lot of the recently closed HS Lordships restaurant in the Berkeley Marina. City spokesman Matthai Chakko said at the time that the city responded to the encampment at 199 Seawall Drive after families who use the nearby Adventure Playground and the management of the nearby DoubleTree Hotel complained about assaults, drug needles and defecation in the area surrounding the encampment. City staff said in their report for the meeting on Thursday that the city has received more than 1,500 complaints from businesses and residents about people who live in RVs, including the loss of parking and the illegal dumping of trash, debris and human waste onto city streets, sidewalks and waterways. The council is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. at the Berkeley Unified School District board room at 1231 Addison St. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. A man who died in the ocean near the Pigeon Point Lighthouse early Monday morning has been identified as 30-year-old Jeffery Conley Young, San Mateo County sheriff's officials said. Young moved to California from Texas about three years ago, deputies said. He lived in Southern California and frequently visited the Santa Cruz area. The circumstances of his death remain uncertain. Deputies were dispatched to the area of state Highway 1 and the Pigeon Point Lighthouse after receiving reports of a man crying for help at about 4:47 a.m. The man was located about 30 yards from the shore just south of the lighthouse with help from the U.S. Coast Guard, but he was unresponsive and first-responders were unable to revive him. Investigators believe Young may have been with other people in Santa Cruz the night before he died. Pigeon Point Lighthouse is located about 40 miles north of Santa Cruz, however. Deputies said they've launched an investigation due to the "unusual circumstances surrounding" Young's death. U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen traveled to San Francisco Wednesday for a discussion with leaders in emerging technologies and evolving threats to see how partnerships between public and private organizations can help keep the U.S. safe, DHS officials said. Tuesday Nielsen visited Napa to meet with technology companies and foreign partners to combat terrorists' use of the web. The secretary announced that her agency is changing its approach to preventing terrorism by asking all of society to help rather than calling on all of government. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. A man suspected of fatally shooting a senior citizen in Danville on Sunday afternoon has died of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound in St. Charles, Illinois, according to the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office. Mark Allen Sypien, 51, allegedly shot and killed 76-year-old John Moore in a parking lot on Fostoria Way around 2:25 p.m. Sunday, according to Danville police. Moore died at the scene. Investigators identified Sypien as a suspect and obtained a warrant for his arrest. A three-day manhunt ensued, but he apparently fled the state. Sypien was found outside his parents home in Illinois on Wednesday, injured, and died from those injuries. "While we regret the further loss of life, we are pleased that we were able to resolve the case," Danville Police Chief Allan Shields said in a statement. The case remains under investigation, according to the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office, and local detectives are working with their counterparts in the Kane County Sheriff's Office. Anyone with information relevant to that investigation is asked to call (925) 313-2600. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SONOMA (BCN) A Sonoma Valley High School student was arrested Wednesday for allegedly making threats about a school shooting using the messaging app Snapchat. The student has been arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats and false reporting of an emergency, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office. At 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, school staff began receiving information from concerned students and parents about a planned school shooting that was going to occur on Friday. Deputies said the threat was made in a Snapchat post that was distributed to a few students who then brought it to the attention of school staff. Staff at the high school reported the incident to an on-site school resource deputy who began investigating. The suspect was identified as a student at the school, and the student was located and taken into custody. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) Hundreds of people rallied outside of the San Francisco Public Defender's Office Wednesday night to honor Public Defender Jeff Adachi, who died suddenly last week. The vigil began with a rally followed by a march to City Hall. In addition to residents, community activists, city officials and members of the public defender's office, as well as Adachi's wife Mutsuko Adachi, were also in attendance. "I saw him fight the powerful, I saw him battle the police, the D.A.'s (District Attorney's Office), the judges, anybody who was standing in the way of justice," said the public defender's office's Chief Attorney Matt Gonzalez. "Jeff Adachi's legacy will not be diminished, it will not be forgotten. Rest in peace, Jeff." Angela Chan, policy director and senior staff attorney at the Asian Americans Advancing justice - Asian Law Caucus, called Adachi "a real-life superhero who was fearless and brilliant in his defense of the underserved, marginalized community members." "Jeff was on a crusade to end the prison to school pipeline," Deputy Public Defender Jacque Wilson said in describing Adachi's passion for working with troubled youth. "Jeff lived his life serving others." Adachi, 59, passed away Friday after having dinner with a friend in North Beach. Police have ruled out foul play in the death. Adachi was credited with advocating for the reform of the state's cash-bail system and with calling out alleged injustices happening within San Francisco's police department and sheriff's office, including allegations of abuse at the city's jails and racist text messages sent between police officers. He was also known for advocating for the families of victims of police shootings. Adachi, the state's only elected Public Defender, was first elected in 2002. He attended University of California at Berkeley and graduated from University of California Hastings College of Law. A memorial service for Adachi has been planned for Monday at City Hall at 11 a.m. and is open to the public. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) A federal judge heard arguments in San Francisco Thursday but deferred ruling on a lawsuit in which two Alameda County jail inmates said they are subjected to unconstitutional sleep deprivation. Inmates Tikisha Upshaw and Tyreka Stewart are being held at the county's Santa Rita Jail in Dublin while awaiting trial. They claim their physical and cognitive health is endangered because they are allowed only five and a half hours of sleep in dim light before being awakened for breakfast at 4 a.m., and that their sleep during that time is interrupted by noise and cell checks. The inmates are asking U.S. District Judge James Donato for a preliminary injunction requiring jail officials to provide at least seven hours of uninterrupted sleep. Donato took the request under submission Thursday and said he will rule at a later date. Alameda County officials contend the jail's schedule and lighting conditions conform to state law and are needed for safety reasons. County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly said, "We don't sleep-deprive people and we'll prove that in court." Yolanda Huang, a lawyer for the inmates, said after the hearing that she was pleased that Donato appeared to be concerned about the health effects of sleep deprivation. "I'm grateful that the judge recognized that sleep is an essential human need, just like air, water and food," Huang said. Upshaw, also known as Tikisha Ong, is awaiting trial on a charge of murder for allegedly hiring two people to kill Adan Katami of Antioch, who was fatally shot in his truck on July 13, 2016. Sheriff's officials alleged they found a sophisticated illegal marijuana grow in her San Leandro home when they arrested her on Dec. 22, 2016. Upshaw has been in custody since then and claims that more than two years of sleep deprivation at the jail have impaired her mental and physical health and her ability to help her attorneys defend her. Stewart is awaiting trial on burglary, robbery and other charges and has been in custody for more six months. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. A rally and an announcement of legal action against the Vallejo Police Department will be held Thursday afternoon in front of Vallejo City Hall for a 20-year-old rapper shot dead by Vallejo police, the office of civil rights attorney John Burris said Wednesday. The rally will start at 2 p.m. at City Hall at 555 Santa Clara St. for Willie McCoy who was shot 25 times by police after they found him asleep in a car at a Taco Bell drive-thru Feb. 9. Burris will demand that police immediately release body-worn camera footage from McCoy's shooting. Burris said McCoy was shot after he was startled awake and that police "did not even try to safely retrieve Mr. McCoy from the car through the open passenger window while he was asleep, after telling the public that Mr. McCoy's car was locked." The attorney said police showed "an egregious lack of concern for the preservation of human life." He said his office is also representing Adrian Burrell, an African American Marine Veteran, who was allegedly violently assaulted by Vallejo police Officer David McLaughlin after Burrell started videotaping McLaughlin making a traffic stop. Vallejo police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Major flooding is expected to continue into Thursday along the Russian River in Sonoma County, National Weather Service officials said Wednesday. A flood warning for the Russian River at Johnson's Beach near Guerneville continues until further notice as the river continues to rise and is expected to crest near 45.5 feet Wednesday night. As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, the river level was 45.2 feet. Flood stage is 32 feet. Weather officials said at 46 feet disastrous flooding will occur and much of downtown Guerneville will be flooded. At 45 feet similar flooding was expected. A flood warning for the Russian River near Healdsburg has been extended until Thursday morning while a flood warning for the Napa River near Napa has been canceled. Flood waters on the Napa River are receding, weather officials said. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN JOSE (BCN) San Jose police have confirmed the names of four officers who were involved in a fatal police shooting on Christmas Day after pursuing the wrong vehicle in a suspected shooting. Jennifer Vazquez, 24, was shot at least 10 times before she died, according to her family and friends. Police say she was driving a stolen car and tried to use the vehicle as a weapon to ram officers when they began shooting. Officers Marco Mercado, Eliseo Anaya, Mitchell Stimson and Mark Koska were involved in the shooting, police spokeswoman Gina Tepoorten confirmed Thursday. Nonprofit Silicon Valley De-Bug obtained the names this week through a request under state Senate Bill 1421, a police transparency law which went into effect in January. The pursuit began shortly after 2:09 a.m. on Dec. 25 in the area of Clemence Avenue and Story Road, where police responded to gunshots and found two adults suffering from at least one gunshot wound each. Shell casings were also found at the scene. Officers began following Vazquez's car at the direction of witnesses, and pursued her briefly before she crashed into a chain-link fence at the intersection of Fruitdale and Leigh avenues. Police said she drove back and forth in an effort to free her vehicle from the fence, then used the vehicle as a weapon to ram into officers. The four officers then shot Vazquez and injured her passenger, 28-year-old Linda Bueno of San Jose. Bueno was hospitalized and later booked into Santa Clara County Jail on a misdemeanor bench warrant. Tepoorten said three of the officers, Anaya, Stimson and Koska, have been with the department less than two years, while Mercado has been a San Jose police officer for six and a half years. Police records show that Mercado was involved in another officer-involved shooting in October 2016. Jose Valle, of SV De-Bug, said Mercado is one of seven "repeat offender" officers involved in 60 police shootings in San Jose since 2009, according to the SB 1421 request. The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, police internal affairs and the Independent Police Auditor are currently investigating the shooting, and would typically release the officer's names at the end of the process. Vazquez's parents, Maria Elena Vazquez and Jose De Jesus Ramos, sought help from SV De-Bug to learn more information about their daughter's death. The nonprofit filed the information request in early January, and said police are releasing the details one piece at a time. Lidia Jimenez, a Midtown Family Services caseworker who mentored Vazquez, held a news conference Tuesday to call attention to the lack of information surrounding the woman's death. She said District Attorney Jeffrey Rosen listened to them attentively after the shooting, but has not shared any significant updates with the family. Jimenez and Vazquez's friends surrounded her parents as they called for the district attorney's office to prosecute the officers who shot Vazquez. "I met with the family of Jennifer Vazquez and two family advocates a few weeks ago," Rosen said in a statement. "I gave them my condolences and assured them that we would carefully consider all the evidence before making our decision. That process is ongoing." Investigations into police shootings can take several months, if not years, and Jimenez said the District Attorney's Office must streamline the process for the sake of grieving parents. "Families shouldn't have to wait that long, it's sad," Jimenez said. "It shouldn't take a year -- it shouldn't take two years." Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) A three-alarm fire caused when third-party contractors installing cables underneath San Francisco's Geary Boulevard struck a gas line ignited in less than ten seconds, according to a preliminary report released Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board. The five Kilford Engineering Inc. employees working at the scene of the Feb. 6 incident, located along Geary Boulevard at Parker Avenue, were able to escape injury because of "audible and visual cues" that indicated that a mini-excavator had struck the line, the report said. The contractors were installing fiber optic cables and initially used a jackhammer to remove the top layer of concrete. After the concrete was cleared, the contractors used a mini-excavator with a bucket and a hand shovel to remove the soil underneath, according to the report. The mini-excavator then struck a part of a 2-inch gas line where it connected to a 4-inch gas line, resulting in the fire's ignition around 1:15 p.m. Police officers and firefighters responded and were able to evacuate about 100 people from the area, the report said. PG&E crews arrived about 20 minutes later and began excavation on the 4-inch polyethylene gas main, which took about an hour. In order to shutoff the gas, PG&E crews had to turn off six street-level valves located at different nearby points and mechanically squeeze off the 4-inch main, the report said. During that time, firefighters cordoned off the area and applied water to the flames. The final valve was closed at about 3:35 p.m. and the gas-fueled blaze was extinguished just before 3:40 p.m., according to the report. After that fire was extinguished, firefighters then began containing fires started by the fire at nearby buildings. No one was injured in the fire, however fire and police officials said two buildings were left with major structural damage and three others sustained extensive water damage. Although a preliminary report has been released, the NTSB investigation is ongoing. NTSB investigators will now look into the preparedness and qualifications of Kilford to perform the excavation work and how PG&E, police and fire officials executed the emergency response. Investigators will also be working with the California Public Utilities Commission, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, California Underground Facilities Safe Excavation Board, PG&E and the San Francisco Fire Department. Immediately following the fire, PG&E officials said the contractors had called 811 to check for any utilities underneath the area before the digging commenced and PG&E sent crews to the area to make markings. A lawsuit filed last week by two San Francisco residents who said they were left homeless by the blaze has named Kilford as a defendant, as well as MasTec Services Company Inc., MasTec Renewables Construction Company Inc., Advanced Fiber Works Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. The suit alleges the fire and subsequent explosion were a direct result of the defendants' "reckless and willful violation of California law of using a backhoe to dig a trench near subsurface installations." Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. HAYWARD (BCN) Hayward police Chief Mark Koller announced Wednesday that he will retire in July after a 38-year career with the department. Koller, 55, a second-generation career Hayward police officer, has led the 197-officer department since August 2016, when City Manager Kelly McAdoo appointed him acting chief after she placed former chief Diane Stuart on administrative leave over a confidential personnel issue. McAdoo appointed Koller to be interim chief in December 2016, after Stuart announced her retirement, and to be permanent chief in July 2017 following a national search. Koller, whose father was an inspector in the department, said in a statement, "Serving the Hayward community as its chief of police has been the greatest honor of my career." Koller said his decision to retire was based on his desire to spend more time with his family. "After nearly four decades of service, it is time to pass the torch and devote my time to my wife and family, who have been patiently waiting and supporting me all along the way," he said. McAdoo said, "Mark Koller brought stability to the department when it was needed and moved it forward in ways that are increasingly important in society today." McAdoo said Koller's legacy will include the formation of a new advisory panel to the Chief of Police, a body to be appointed by the mayor, city manager and police chief to improve trust and strengthen understanding between police and community members. McAdoo said she will announce her plans for identifying and appointing a new police chief in the near future. Hayward officials said Koller began his law enforcement career at the age of 14, when he became a police explorer and then a cadet in nearby Newark. Koller joined the Hayward Police Department in 1981 at the age of 18, when he was hired as a police assistant, the equivalent of the current position of community service officer. He then worked as a jailer and a crime scene technician until he was promoted to be a police officer in 1984. Koller rose through the department's ranks after that and was made a lieutenant in 2012 and a captain in 2013. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) Police in San Francisco are looking for the public's help in locating the vehicle involved in a fatal hit-and-run collision that left a woman dead Tuesday. On Tuesday at 8:07 p.m., officers with the San Francisco Police Department responded to a report of a hit-and-run collision at California Street and 18th Avenue. Police said the victim, a 64-year-old woman from San Francisco, was crossing California Street at 18th Avenue when a vehicle struck her. The driver of the vehicle then fled the scene. The victim was transported to the hospital, where she later died. The suspect vehicle, described as a silver or gray sedan with possible front-end and windshield damage, was last seen traveling north on 19th Avenue and then east on Lake Street, according to police. Police are asking residents and business owners in the area to check their surveillance camera systems for possible images of the suspect vehicle. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the SFPD 24-hour tip line at (415) 575-4444. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN MATEO (BCN) Police are asking for the public's help to identify a suspect in a San Mateo package theft last weekend. At about 9 p.m. Sunday, officers were called to an apartment building in the 1500 block of Lago Street in order to investigate the theft. Security video footage shows the suspect returning to the building after allegedly casing the front doors, looking for packages, according to San Mateo police. The suspect appears to be a male between 15 and 25 years old who was wearing a dark New York Yankees hat, a black hooded sweatshirt, a brownish green jacked, blue jeans with decorative holes in the front and white Nike sneakers. He was also holding a skateboard that was black on top and orange underneath, according to police. Anyone with information about the theft or the suspect's identity is asked to contact San Mateo police Officer Nick Franquez at (650) 522-7522, ext. 5134 or nfranquez@cityofsanmateo.org. Anonymous tips can be called in to (650) 522-7676. Copyright 2019 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) Sonoma County officials said Wednesday that flooding conditions from the persistent storm this week in the county are improving in most locations but the Guerneville area will remain in flood stage for at least 24 hours after the Russian River crests at about 46 feet later in the day. "This is considered a major flood," said Chris Godley, Director of Emergency Management in the county's Fire and Emergency Services Department. Godley urged residents countywide to be mindful of mudslides and debris flows along the river and in the burn scar areas from the 2017 wildfires. "Watch for cracks in roads, leaning trees and the sound of trees breaking," Godley said. An estimated 3,600 people were included in mandatory evacuation notices in the Guerneville area as of 5 p.m. Tuesday. "Guerneville is an isolated community. Roads are cut off, water is starting to creep up Main Street and will be approaching the Safeway store in the next several hours," Godley said. "We are no longer asking people to evacuate. Remain in your residence and hunker down on the second story," he said. The lower Russian River area is a series of islands of segregated communities, Godley said. The county requested four helicopters for emergency medical transport from the California National Guard, and Cal Fire is providing two of them, Godley said. The National Guard also is providing swift water rescue personnel and trucks that navigate high water. Local fire departments and law enforcement agencies also have access to boats for rescue, Godley said. The goal is to make each island self sufficient for the next 24 to 48 hours, Godley said. There is no estimate on the number of people who remain in the Guerneville area and it would be a significant challenge to reach them, according to Godley. He said there are several thousands people living higher up in the hills who chose to stay behind. Two shelters for evacuees were opened Tuesday. Fifty-five people stayed at the Sebastopol Center of the Arts and 19 at the Grace Pavilion at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, Godley said. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) San Francisco prosecutors allege that a man charged with the murder of a 23-year-old man, whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase discovered in the Bay last week, helped torture the victim along with another suspect after the trio had consensual sex at a Mid-Market neighborhood hotel room. Gerald Rowe, 47, has been charged with murder, conspiracy, torture, kidnapping, battery, false imprisonment, and possession of a firearm by a felon, as well as drug-related offenses, according to court documents. Prosecutors allege that Rowe, along with an unnamed co-conspirator, killed George Saldivar at the Donnelly Hotel at 1272 Market St. sometime between Feb. 3 and Feb. 5. Much of the ordeal was captured on video, which investigators recovered from the room. Rowe was arraigned Wednesday and pleaded not guilty. "At this time, Mr. Rowe maintains his innocence," said his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Jacque Wilson. "My understanding is that with Mr. Rowe, the video will clear him of the actual murder act." Alex Bastian, spokesman for the District Attorney's Office said, "As of right now, this defendant is charged with some very serious charges. The allegations here are some of the most disturbing allegations that you can hear in our world, the criminal justice system." Referencing the unnamed co-conspirator mentioned in the court documents, Bastian said, "There is another person who is in custody and that person will also be charged." According to court documents, after the three had consensual sex, the co-conspirator then tied Saldivar's hands behind his back as he sat in a chair. Rowe then helped the co-conspirator make a noose, which was then placed over Saldivar's neck. The pair then elevated the rope and pulled on it at various times. A bag was also placed over Saldivar's head, court documents said. Using a syringe, the co-conspirator injected narcotics, possibly fentanyl, into Saldivar. At that point Saldivar collapsed, court documents allege. The two then placed Saldivar on the bed and slapped him. The co-conspirator allegedly retrieved a suitcase from the closet and, with Rowe's help, they placed Saldivar inside, sealing the suitcase with plastic. The suitcase with Saldivar inside remained in the room for an entire day, prosecutors said. At some point, prosecutors allege, Rowe ate food and played a guitar over the suitcase. On Feb. 5, around 2:30 a.m., Rowe and the co-conspirator rolled the suitcase out of the room and walked down Market Street, court documents said. After the suitcase was found on Feb. 18 in the water near 1600 The Embarcadero, investigators identified the body inside as Saldivar's. Two days later, on Feb. 20, investigators obtained information leading them to the Market Street hotel room, where Rowe was a registered tenant, court documents said. Rowe was booked into jail last Thursday and he's being held without bail, according to jail records. He is set to reappear in court on Monday. The name of the co-conspirator has not been released and an arraignment date has not been set. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. OAKLAND (BCN) The Oakland school board postponed a meeting scheduled for Wednesday night as a strike by 3,000 teachers, nurses, counselors and other staff members continued for a fifth day. The school board had been scheduled to vote on the district's proposal to make $21.75 million in budget cuts for the 2019-20 school year, as the district says it faces a $56 million budget shortfall by 2020-21 if no reductions are made. The district also said in a statement, "These reductions are needed to prioritize investing in a raise for our Oakland Education Association (the teachers' union) members that will help students and teachers return to school as soon as possible." But the district said, "Unfortunately, the teachers' union prevented the meeting from happening by directing members to picket 'until meeting cancelled.'" It said, "We are disheartened by tactics that directly interfere with the district's ability to give the teachers a raise and get students and teachers back into classrooms." The district said the board will hold its meeting on the proposed budget cuts at a later date. The teachers' strike began last Thursday after two years of failed negotiations between the union and the school district and likely will continue for a sixth day on Thursday. The teachers' union is seeking a 12 percent pay raise over three years and the district previously offered a 5 percent raise over three years but last week made a new offer of 8.5 percent over four years. However, OEA President Keith Brown has said that's still not enough to meet the union's demand for a living wage that addresses the high cost of living in Oakland. The district said that on Monday it increased its offer to an 8 percent ongoing raise plus a 2 percent bonus for a total increase of 10 percent. The district said, "Collectively, we could end this strike now. We look forward to receiving a new proposal from the OEA and remain hopeful that we will reach an agreement soon." On Wednesday morning strike supporters occupied the lobby of the Elihu M. Harris State Office Building in downtown Oakland, where the talks between the union and the school district are taking place, to try to put pressure on the district to settle the contract dispute. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SANTA CRUZ (BCN) A suspect in 2009 homicide in Santa Cruz has been booked into the county jail following his extradition to the U.S. from Mexico, police said Wednesday. Ivan Tapia, 32, is a suspect in the fatal stabbing of Tyler Tenorio at about 10 p.m. on Oct. 16, 2009, near the corner of Chestnut and Laurel streets in Santa Cruz. Tapia was located and arrested by Mexican authorities with the help of the FBI. Tapia is being held without bail. Police said witnesses told them that Tenorio was in an argument with multiple suspects right before the stabbing. Police said witnesses said Tenorio was walking along Laurel Street with a friend when the argument started. One of the suspects stabbed Tenorio in the chest multiple times. Police said an off-duty lifeguard tried to save Tenorio's life but he was pronounced dead by medics at the scene. Investigators are still trying to find out how many suspects were involved in the stabbing. Santa Cruz police are urging anyone who saw the stabbing or has information about it to call the Police Department's investigations section at (831) 420-5820. Callers who want to remain anonymous can call (831) 420-5995. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Eight U.S. Postal Service letter carriers will be honored Thursday morning in Oakland for driving a million miles without an accident, postal officials said. The eight carriers work at the Civic Center Post Office in Oakland and will be honored at 8 a.m. at the post office at 201 13th St. The eight carriers are also being inducted into the National Safety Council "Million Mile Club." The eight are Mel Banagan, Gregory Ellington, Humphrey Gee, Sullivan Smothers, Charles McDaniels Jr., Richard Davis, Margaret Patrick and Jeffrey Shipp. Postal officials said the eight drove their one million accident-free miles all within the city limits. Major flooding is expected to continue into Thursday along the Russian River in Sonoma County, National Weather Service officials said Wednesday. A flood warning for the Russian River at Johnson's Beach near Guerneville continues until further notice as the river continues to rise and is expected to crest near 45.5 feet Wednesday night. As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, the river level was 45.2 feet. Flood stage is 32 feet. Weather officials said at 46 feet disastrous flooding will occur and much of downtown Guerneville will be flooded. At 45 feet similar flooding was expected. A flood warning for the Russian River near Healdsburg has been extended until Thursday morning while a flood warning for the Napa River near Napa has been canceled. A man suspected of fatally shooting a senior citizen in Danville on Sunday afternoon has died of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound in St. Charles, Illinois, according to the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office. Mark Allen Sypien, 51, allegedly shot and killed 76-year-old John Moore in a parking lot on Fostoria Way around 2:25 p.m. Sunday, according to Danville police. Moore died at the scene. Investigators identified Sypien as a suspect and obtained a warrant for his arrest. A three-day manhunt ensued, but he apparently fled the state. Sypien was found outside his parents home in Illinois on Wednesday, injured, and died from those injuries. "While we regret the further loss of life, we are pleased that we were able to resolve the case," Danville Police Chief Allan Shields said in a statement. The case remains under investigation, according to the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office, and local detectives are working with their counterparts in the Kane County Sheriff's Office. The Oakland school board postponed a meeting scheduled for Wednesday night as a strike by 3,000 teachers, nurses, counselors and other staff members continued for a fifth day. The school board had been scheduled to vote on the district's proposal to make $21.75 million in budget cuts for the 2019-20 school year, as the district says it faces a $56 million budget shortfall by 2020-21 if no reductions are made. The district also said in a statement, "These reductions are needed to prioritize investing in a raise for our Oakland Education Association (the teachers' union) members that will help students and teachers return to school as soon as possible." But the district said, "Unfortunately, the teachers' union prevented the meeting from happening by directing members to picket 'until meeting cancelled.'" It said, "We are disheartened by tactics that directly interfere with the district's ability to give the teachers a raise and get students and teachers back into classrooms." A three-alarm fire caused when third-party contractors installing cables underneath San Francisco's Geary Boulevard struck a gas line ignited in less than ten seconds, according to a preliminary report released Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board. The five Kilford Engineering Inc. employees working at the scene of the Feb. 6 incident, located along Geary Boulevard at Parker Avenue, were able to escape injury because of "audible and visual cues" that indicated that a mini-excavator had struck the line, the report said. The contractors were installing fiber optic cables and initially used a jackhammer to remove the top layer of concrete. After the concrete was cleared, the contractors used a mini-excavator with a bucket and a hand shovel to remove the soil underneath, according to the report. The mini-excavator then struck a part of a 2-inch gas line where it connected to a 4-inch gas line, resulting in the fire's ignition around 1:15 p.m. Police officers and firefighters responded and were able to evacuate about 100 people from the area, the report said. A suspect in a 2009 homicide in Santa Cruz has been booked into the county jail following his extradition to the U.S. from Mexico, police said Wednesday. Ivan Tapia, 32, is a suspect in the fatal stabbing of Tyler Tenorio at about 10 p.m. on Oct. 16, 2009, near the corner of Chestnut and Laurel streets in Santa Cruz. Tapia was located and arrested by Mexican authorities with the help of the FBI. Tapia is being held without bail. Police said witnesses told them that Tenorio was in an argument with multiple suspects right before the stabbing. Police said witnesses said Tenorio was walking along Laurel Street with a friend when the argument started. A man who died in the ocean near the Pigeon Point Lighthouse early Monday morning has been identified as 30-year-old Jeffery Conley Young, San Mateo County sheriff's officials said. Young moved to California from Texas about three years ago, deputies said. He lived in Southern California and frequently visited the Santa Cruz area. The circumstances of his death remain uncertain. Deputies were dispatched to the area of state Highway 1 and the Pigeon Point Lighthouse after receiving reports of a man crying for help at about 4:47 a.m. The man was located about 30 yards from the shore just south of the lighthouse with help from the U.S. Coast Guard, but he was unresponsive and first-responders were unable to revive him. Investigators believe Young may have been with other people in Santa Cruz the night before he died. Pigeon Point Lighthouse is located about 40 miles north of Santa Cruz, however. Deputies said they've launched an investigation due to the "unusual circumstances surrounding" Young's death. A rally and an announcement of legal action against the Vallejo Police Department will be held Thursday afternoon in front of Vallejo City Hall for a 20-year-old rapper shot dead by Vallejo police, the office of civil rights attorney John Burris said Wednesday. The rally will start at 2 p.m. at City Hall at 555 Santa Clara St. for Willie McCoy who was shot 25 times by police after they found him asleep in a car at a Taco Bell drive-thru Feb. 9. Burris will demand that police immediately release body-worn camera footage from McCoy's shooting. Burris said McCoy was shot after he was startled awake and that police "did not even try to safely retrieve Mr. McCoy from the car through the open passenger window while he was asleep, after telling the public that Mr. McCoy's car was locked." The attorney said police showed "an egregious lack of concern for the preservation of human life." Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. The eastbound lanes of Highway 37 in Novato reopened Wednesday afternoon after officials closed parts of the road due to flooding for a second time this month, California Highway Patrol said. The westbound lanes between Atherton Ave. and Highway 101 remain closed, with no estimated time to reopen. California Highway Patrol in Marin said the westbound lanes were "completely underwater in multiple locations" in a tweet at 3:57 p.m. Wednesday. The Russian River in wine country north of San Francisco crested at more than 46 feet Wednesday night, exceeding flood stage by some 14 feet. The water swelling over riverbanks inundated homes, businesses, and entire communities, including much of the small town of Guerneville. Drone footage of the area shows rivers where roads should be. "It came up super fast last night," Chris Baker, who is staying in a safe place in Guerneville through the flood, told SFGATE in an email. "You could almost watch it rising and it clearly caught out even experienced flood watchers. Unfortunately, several people have had cars/trucks swamped in our neighborhood... beyond all the basements/lower levels that have taken on water." ALSO: Soaked! Atmospheric dumps 6 inches on Marin while delivering only drizzle to SF The river frequently floods in rainy weather but it had not reached that level for 25 years and wasn't expected to recede again until late Thursday night. The estimated 2,000 buildings inundated by floodwaters were mainly in and around the community of Guerneville, said Briana Khan, a Sonoma County spokeswoman. "Guerneville has essentially become an island," Khan said. The entire town has been cut off since Tuesday, and the Sonoma County Sherriff's Office announced at 9 a.m. Wednesday, "Water receding slower than expected. No access to Guerneville for 24 to 48 hours due to flooded roads." The nearby town of Monte Rio also was also isolated when roads leading to it were swamped. No injuries were reported in the Guerneville area and by Wednesday night the rain had eased but about 3,500 people in two dozen river communities remained under evacuation orders. In addition, two sewage treatment plants were not working, leading to concerns about potential sewage spills, she added. MORE: Entire town of Guerneville cut off by Russian River flooding during evacuation orders In Guerneville, streets became seas of muddy brown water. Jeff Bridges, a hotel co-owner who is president of the Russian River Chamber of Commerce, spent the day canoeing through town and gave a ride to a couple and their dog who were stranded in a low-lying apartment. Five people whose homes were flooded were bunking down at his two-bedroom home. "We saw quite a few fish swimming by my front porch," he said. Bridges said this flood was the fourth he's experienced in 33 years and the locals took the disaster calmly. "It's the price you pay to live in paradise," he said. "Buffalo, New York puts up with blizzards. Miami and Houston put up with hurricanes...we have floods." However, Bridges said it will take weeks to clean up his R3 Hotel, as he has done in past floods. More than 8 feet of water inundated the 23-room business. "Anything that's been flooded you've got to rip it out, sanitize everything...and rebuild," he said, but added nonchalantly: "Everything's fixable." The Associated Press contributed to this story. The storms hitting California in February have left their mark on California's largest and most important water reserve. Shasta Lake jumped 39 feet in elevation since February 1 and as of Tuesday it was at 85 percent of capacity and only 25 feet from its crest. Amid a wet winter, dramatic lake level rises have been common this year. Folsom Lake east of Sacramento rose 30 feet in January, while Lake Oroville shot up 75 feet in February. But for a reservoir the immense size of Shasta you could put four and a half Folsom Lakes in Shasta a 39-foot increase requires substantially more water. MORE: More rain on the way: Three more storms in the forecast for Bay Area Shasta would likely be overflowing its rim, except the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has released water this winter to prevent flooding and for environmental reasons. On Wednesday, the bureau announced it will incrementally increase releases below Keswick Dam from 7,000 cubic feet per second to 25,000 cfs by 2 p.m. on Feb. 28. Todd Plain, a spokesperson with the bureau, says, "This is very typical for these kinds of conditions. 79,000 cfs was the max release out of Shasta in 2017." Plain adds: "We have a certain elevation height during the year and as the year progresses, we're able to hold more in our reservoirs. We try to hold onto as much water as we can can." ALSO: Healdsburg declares emergency after wastewater facility floods With the release, levels on the Sacramento River are expected to rise below Keswick Dam and the bureau cautions the public to steer clear of the rising waterway. With a capacity of nearly 4.5 million acre fee, Shasta is the state's third largest body of water after Lake Tahoe and the Salton Sea. It's an important link in the Central Valley Project, providing irrigation and municipal water to the Central Valley and flood control for the Sacramento Valley downstream of the dam. Water releases generate power through the Shasta Powerplant located just below the Keswick Dam. In the gallery above, scroll through images showing California reservoirs in 2016 after several years of drought and in 2017 amid a wet year. Start receiving breaking news emails on floods, wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news. HANOI North Korea is disputing President Trumps account of why the summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un collapsed, insisting the North demanded only partial sanctions relief in exchange for shutting down its main nuclear complex. Trump said before leaving Hanoi that the talks broke down because North Koreas leader insisted that all the punishing sanctions the U.S. has imposed on Pyongyang be lifted without the North committing to eliminate its nuclear arsenal. The president made no mention of the disagreement as he addressed U.S. troops during a stopover at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska. A group of tourists had a once in a lifetime experience when they encountered a pride of lions at a farm in South Africa. The footage, filmed on February 24 near Johannesburg, shows the owner of the farm being greeted by a male lion and his two lionesses. The filmer Josh Berman told Newsflare: ''The lions treat him as one of the pride and even play with his dogs on the farm. He keeps them in an enormous enclosure and very well kept and fed, as can be seen in the video.'' The man raised the lions at his home in Sandton and eventually moved them to his private farm. Page Content Mexico is making a major investment in the education and workforce training of its young adults. The country's new president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who has been in office since Dec. 1, 2018, has launched a nationwide program called Youngsters Building the Future. This unique program will provide training and skills development for one year to 2.3 million jobless young adults between ages 18 and 29 who are not in school, plus educational opportunities for 300,000 high school graduates. The Mexican government will pay each participant the equivalent of U.S. $200 each month to attend training programs at volunteer companies. They will be trained in areas such as information technology and soft skills. After a year, each company will decide if it can hire one or several of the trainees. Approximately 40,000 companies will participate in this program. Program Objectives The program objectives include: Involving young adults in on-the-job training activities. Giving young people the opportunity to attend universities through monthly scholarships. Keeping young people away from unemployment and anti-social behavior. Speeding up the training. Including the private sector in social-responsibility activities to develop young adults. [SHRM members-only toolkit: Introduction to the Global Human Resources Discipline] Modalities The program focuses on education and job training: Education: The program will benefit 300,000 high school graduates who seek to attend universities. Mexico's Public Education Ministry will coordinate it, guaranteeing access to higher education, and give a monthly scholarship to low-income youth while they continue their university education. The program will benefit 300,000 high school graduates who seek to attend universities. Mexico's Public Education Ministry will coordinate it, guaranteeing access to higher education, and give a monthly scholarship to low-income youth while they continue their university education. Job Training: The program is also aimed at 2.3 million other young people who are not pursuing university education. Mexico's Labor Ministry will operate it, linking young people to workplaces where they will receive training. The program beneficiaries will receive a monthly grant of the equivalent of approximately U.S. $200 for up to one year. Platform For the implementation of this program, a technology platform will be developed that stores all information and will automatically connect the young adults, according to their interests and place of residence listed in their profile, with available jobs. At the same time, the platform will monitor the progress of each participant and follow up on the performance of the program. Training at Work Beneficiaries of workplace training will be young adults between ages 18 and 29 who are neither working nor studying. They will be directed to the workplaces available, considering their interests and place of residence. Training The program will be implemented through collaborative agreements with the private, public and social sector (approximately 70 percent, 20 percent and 10 percent of agreements, respectively) and some business associations. There will be monitoring to prevent the replacement of an existing worker. Trainers who will support and train the participants will be designated at the workplaces. The trainers should have experience in the area they are coordinating and maintain frequent contact with the participants. The trainers will: Receive online training about the program, the use of the platform and tutorials. Evaluate the participants every month during the training. Follow the training regulations established for the acquisition of specific competences. Training Plan The trainer will be able to propose his or her training plan, so long as it is oriented to the certification of an ability or competence; otherwise, Mexico's Labor Secretariat will provide the guidelines according to each case. Monitoring and Assessment There will be a mutual assessment by the trainers and participants, which will be carried out every month through the platform. Certification Successful participants will receive a certificate attesting to the acquisition of abilities and competencies. General Conditions General program conditions depend partly on payment, medical services and whether participating companies are "socially committed companies" (see below). Payment. The economic support is given directly to the participants. This support will not be given through the staff of the program, but through a financial institution. Medical services. All the participants will have health insurance, provided by Mexico's social security, to cover work risks and illnesses. Certification as a socially committed company. The Labor Secretariat will recognize companies that join this program as socially committed companies. Movements. Participants will be able to request a change of workplace just once, and the request should be duly justified. A workplace will be able to request the removal of a participant, so long as there is cause for such a request. If a participant is removed twice, he or she will be removed from the program. At any time during the training, the tutor will be able to formally hire the participant and end his or her participation in the program. Additionally, the tutor will have the option of requesting a new program participant. Jorge Jauregui is immediate past president of the World Federation of People Management Associations. He is also a former president of the North American Human Resource Management Association and of the Mexican National Association of Human Resources (Asociacion Mexicana en Direccion de Recursos Humanos AC--AMEDIRH). STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. We had another one of those breathless moments in Washington this week, another of those times when the walls were supposed to close in a little tighter around President Donald Trump. The presidents former attorney, Michael Cohen, testified before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday. The nation stood still to watch. Cohen has been painted as the guy who knows where all the bodies are buried when it comes to Trump. He was Trumps legal fixer. The guy who has the dirt on the dirt. If anybody knew about the supposed collusion between Trump and the Russians that landed Trump in the White House, it would be Cohen. This could be it! Didnt work out that way. Cohen dished a lot of dirt on Trump. We heard about hush money payoffs to Stormy Daniels again. He said Trump was a tough boss, a mobster who ordered employees to lie, hide information, and even break the law if it served Trumps purposes. Cohen without proof said that Trump knew in advance about the release of emails damaging to Democratic presidential opponent Hillary Clinton. He said Trump lied about his business interests in Russia during the campaign. He said there were other investigations of Trump going on. Another carrot dangling out there. But Cohen said he had no direct evidence of the collusion that Special Counsel Robert Mueller has been investigating all these months. All Cohen could offer were suspicions, and how he thought it was odd that Trump got along so well with Vladimir Putin. So thats pretty much the ballgame. At least for now. Were back where weve been throughout this whole process: If there was collusion between Trump and the Kremlin, we havent seen any proof of it yet. Mueller and others have rung up a number of Trump associates on various charges, pressured them to turn on the president. Weve had information leaked to us. Weve had press conferences. Weve had congressional hearings. Blaring headlines. But we dont have any proof of the thing that kicked this all off: The allegation that Trump cheated his way to the White House by colluding with Putin. We dont even have any slam-dunk impeachable offenses. And now were getting signals that the long-awaited Mueller report may not contain the smoking gun either. Theres talk that the report wont be released publicly. The Democrats, who now control the House, say that theyll subpoena Mueller, make him testify before Congress. That theyll force the release of the report. I thought Mueller was supposed to be one of the good guys. In other words, the Dems are already looking past the Mueller report, which was supposed to be the final word in all this. Theyre already looking to justify yet more investigations. They seem convinced that if they keep digging, theyre sure to find something. Or theyre sure to force Trump into doing something reckless in reaction that they can impeach him for. This has been their hope all along. Trump has not obliged them. Meanwhile, the fact that members of the FBI and the Justice Department tried to mount a coup against Trump by looking to invoke the 25th Amendment is treated like a blip by the anti-Trumpers. Where are the House hearings on this actual threat to the republic? Leaders of the GOP-controlled Senate have already vowed to look into it. The Dems are busy with other things. With undoing the 2016 election. With dragging the party to the extreme left. If theyre not careful, they could have another Trump victory that needs undoing. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The strange case arising from the discovery of a Mariners Harbor mans remains in the woods behind a Greenridge townhouse complex three weeks ago took another twist on Thursday. Prosecutors unsealed an indictment in state Supreme Court, St. George, against Troy Williams, 33, one of two men originally arrested on murder charges stemming from the discovery of Mandel Harveys body on Feb. 6. But Williams wasnt charged with murder. Instead, he is accused of hindering prosecution, evidence tampering and concealing a human corpse for allegedly helping Steven Mazzelli, 27, dispose of the victims body. Mazzelli is expected to be arraigned Friday on murder, robbery and other charges. The goateed Williams pleaded not guilty through his lawyer, Michael Cirigliano, to the charges. Cirigliano previously told the Advance his client did not kill Harvey, 50, and was not present when the victim was slain. He said a witness puts the defendant in Manhattan when the killing occurred, and prosecutors are aware of it. A spokesman for the district attorneys office declined comment, and during the arraignment, Assistant District Attorney Darren Albanese did not discuss Williams whereabouts when Harvey was slain or why murder charges werent filed against the defendant. But Albanese did say Williams is still a suspect in the ongoing murder investigation. Since there is no statute of limitations to file murder charges in New York state, Williams could potentially be charged with murder at a future date. As for the charges against him, Albanese said Williams helped to move and conceal the victims body after he was slain inside the residence at 138 Emily Lane. He said the defendant moved the body twice initially to a garage at the premises and later to the adjacent woods. The indictment accuses Williams of rendering criminal assistance to a person who committed a high-level felony between July 15 and 31, 2018, and between Jan. 1 and 9 of this year. According to a criminal complaint and law enforcement source, Mazzelli allegedly attacked Harvey with a bat sometime between July 15 and 31, 2018, inside Mazzellis Emily Lane residence. Mazzelli forcibly stole undisclosed property during the fatal attack, the complaint said. Acting on a tip, authorities discovered Harveys remains in a shallow grave in the woodland near Ilyssa Way and Arthur Kill Road, police and the source said. The site is behind the Aspen Knolls complex. Williams was also charged under a separate indictment with three counts of grand larceny for allegedly stealing a vehicle and two debit cards on Feb. 2. The defendant was caught on surveillance video swiping a Nissan Maxima from in front of a home on Hett Avenue in New Dorp Beach, said another criminal complaint. Albanese told the court Williams was living with a woman and drove off with her car and the debit cards while she slept. Williams was originally held without bail on the murder case and on $100,000 bail in the grand-larceny case. Cirigliano, the defense lawyer, requested $10,000 bail on the former matter, arguing his client is no longer charged with murder but, rather, had been indicted for non-violent crimes. He asked that Williams be released on his own recognizance on the grand-larceny charges. Cirigliano said the $100,000 bail had been set in Criminal Court in that case because murder charges were also pending against the defendant then. Albanese noted Williams remains a suspect in the murder probe and requested $100,000 bail in that case. He asked that bail remain the same in the theft case. Justice Alexander Jeong set bail at $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash for the hindering-prosecution indictment and at $25,000 bond or $10,000 cash for the grand-larceny indictment. The matters were adjourned to April 12 for a conference. Outside court, Cirigliano declined comment. Mazzelli and Williams both have criminal records. They have served prison sentences for attempted burglary and attempted robbery, respectively, according to online records of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Cops are searching for a suspect in the reported theft at knifepoint of a livery car in Port Richmond. The suspect allegedly menaced the driver with a knife on Faber Street and stole the black Prius around 9 a.m., according to an NYPD spokesman. The suspect then fled westbound in the car on Richmond Terrace. The police spokesman was unable to confirm emergency radio transmissions that the man abandoned the livery car nearby on Larkin Street and then fled on foot. Police described the suspect as a black man in his 30s wearing a black hooded shirt. No arrests have been made, the police spokesman said. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- If youre hunting for love in the Big Apple, you better be packing the big bucks. New York City has been named Americas most expensive city to go on a full date, ride share and tip included, according to a tuxedo company. The Black Tux compiled the cost of shared transportation, dinner, tip, movie tickets and post-movie drinks to reach an average date cost of $155.78. (Pro tip for the locals: The Staten Island Railway is mostly free. The Staten Island Ferry is free and has served as date night in the past.) For comparisons sake, San Franciscos average is $144.94, follow by and San Jose, Calif., at $141.55. For many Americans, especially the ones that live in these cities, the top 10 probably doesnt come as a shock," writes The Black Tux. "However, we were surprised to see Miami, FL ($127.18) and Sacramento, CA ($123.34) on this list, especially since they beat out cities like San Diego, CA ($121.97) and Chicago, IL ($119.61). The New York Post wrote about the shops findings first, and the publication also quoted a wise Staten Island business owner (and poet) who found a respectable way to save money while keeping the date classy: For me, its coffee and cake on the first date at most I might spend $10, said Jack M. Freedman, 37. The cheapest cities for dates also were mentioned in The Black Tuxs findings. To save a few bucks, Tinder users can set their radii to approximately 550 miles to (maybe) swipe right on a love interest in Richmond, Va. ($97.96), Cleveland ($101.06) or Columbus, Ohio ($102.23). Good luck. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Everything inside the Excelsior Grand, which recently sold for $10.2 million to a Manhattan-based restaurateur, will be put up for auction on Saturday. Everything thats not nailed down has to go. ...Some items will start with bids of $1, said said Vincent Casale, who owns the self-titled Princes Bay-based auction company that will host the event at the New Dorp facility beginning at 11 a.m. and lasting until everything is sold." And thats everything from the facilitys sparkling chandeliers, lighting fixtures and wall and table decor, to the tables and leather chairs, kitchen items, dishes, silverware and even the grand piano. Casale estimated that bidding on forks and knives might start at $1, chandeliers at $100 and the piano at $500. He said items will be auctioned in lots of similar items. If someone bids on and wins one chair, then he or she would have the option of buying more chairs for the winning bid, he said. Anyone can attend the auction; to register people must give a $200 deposit to participate. I expect there to be five or six hours of non-stop selling, said Casale. We require up to 50 percent deposit on the items they win. While there will be an electrician on hand for the fixtures, winning bidders must make arrangements to remove the property on their own, said Casale. Everything is sold as is, where is. We wont take anything down, said Casale. They have to bring their own movers to move things. The electricians can help take down the chandeliers. Excelsior Grand owner Gerardo Campitiello, who also formerly owned the Monte Bianco, sold the property at 2380 Hylan Blvd. to Bi Hang Cheng, said James Prendamano, CEO of Casandra Properties, who brokered the deal for the seller, along with Rob Nixon, broker associate. Sources said the new owner operates several Asian restaurants in Manhattan, and is looking to bring a similar style facility to the space that accommodates 1,000 guests, and includes a 9,600-square-foot main banquet hall. In 1993 Casale sold the contents of the former Shalimar catering hall to make way for the Excelsior Grand, after the facility changed ownership. For more information, visit: https://www.casaleauctioneer.com/ FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A driver is in custody and a Staten Island boy was rushed to the hospital after the 7-year-old was struck by a car in Brooklyn Wednesday, according to a spokesman for the NYPD. The child, Steven Sanfilippo from Graniteville, was initially announced to be in critical condition, but his injuries are not life-threatening, according to police. The incident happened on 56th Street, between Fourth and Fifth avenues in Sunset Park at approximately 3:30 p.m. Steven Sanfilippos father, also named Steven, said that the boys mother was with him when a car came out of nowhere and struck the child. They just put 10 stitches on the forehead and sedated him to put a cast on his leg, the father said. The child sustained what appears to be a broken leg, along with a gash to the head, his father said. Sanfilippo, a freelance photographer whose photos have appeared in the Advance, said that his son will spend the night in NYU Langone Hospital to monitor vital signs. Police did not immediately identify the driver of the vehicle, who was taken into custody and charges are pending. Shira Stoll, a multimedia specialist for the Advance/SILive.com, is the filmmaker behind the Where Life Leads You documentary and the Staten Island 's Holocaust survivor series. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. When Rachel Gottlieb tells the story of how she survived the Holocaust, she doesnt just talk about it, she sees and relives it all over again. It costs me a little health, because everything I say now, its coming back [to me], she said. But the world has to know it. I first met Gottlieb, a Willowbrook resident, at the 2017 Cafe Europa at the Jewish Community Center in Seaview. As I was setting up for the interview, she didnt wait for me to turn my cameras on or ask a question. She just started. She needed to tell her story. Born in March 1924, Gottlieb was 20 years old when the Hungarian police invaded her home in Rozavlea, Romania. She still remembers her mother covering her face with an umbrella so that the others in the town wouldnt see her crying as her family was torn from its home and taken to the Dragomiresti ghetto. After four weeks in the ghetto, Gottlieb, her mother, father and one of her brothers were taken to Auschwitz. Her other brothers were in work camps. In her last memory of her father, she was bringing him a suitcase to bring on the train. But, he didnt want it. He only wanted his tallis and tefillin, a Jewish prayer shawl and box which contains verses of the Torah. And with this tallis and tefillin, my father went into the crematorium, she said. Gottlieb just barely escaped death on multiple occasions between 1944 and 1945. After the trains arrived in Auschwitz, Gottlieb walked towards the crematorium with her mother. At the last minute, she looked to the left and saw a line of girls in their 20s. She realized that she wasnt supposed to be with her mother. She told her friend, Suri, who was also walking in with her mother, that they had to run after the girls. The two ran two blocks to get to the other girls. No one stopped them. She quickly turned back to get a glimpse of her mother walking into the crematorium. A Polish girl, who was cleaning nearby, pointed out the smoke from the crematorium, revealing that the smoke was her mothers ashes. I lied down on the floor and I cried,'' Gottlieb recalled. "This was the first time and the last time. After being in Auschwitz from May through October 1944, Gottlieb was sent to Bergen-Belsen, Lippstadt, and later to Leipzig, where she was forced to go on what was called a Death March. Prisoners were forced to march for hundreds of miles in the cold with no food, water or sleep, and those who could not continue were shot. After walking for hours, they were finally allowed to sit in the street to rest. Gottlieb and a friend, Yoli, went to opposite sides of the street to gather potatoes and vegetables. All of a sudden, I hear a shot, Gottlieb recalled. A girl she knew was screaming at her to run away. Dont you see?'' the girl asked. They shot Yoli. When Gottlieb turned her head, she saw only the barrel of a rifle aimed at her face. But the German soldier behind the rifle didnt shoot. God took care of me, Gottlieb explained. After the war ended, she came home to Rozavlea and was reunited with two of her six surviving brothers. She also met her husband, Maier, and they eventually moved to Israel. In 1962, they settled in Borough Park, Brooklyn. Twenty years later, they bought a house in Willowbrook, where she still lives, across the street from another Holocaust survivor, Goldie Schwartz, her son Michaels mother-in-law. Gottlieb never lost her faith in God and is quite religious. She is thankful for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Today I have interviewed Gottlieb three times, beginning with the first day we met at Cafe Europa. Each time, she is eager to share her story, never missing a chance to show someone new the number 7564 on her arm, or tell of the many miracles that saved her throughout the war. Whoever listens to her story is always rewarded with a blessing: Be well and live long! We invite you to hear Rachel Gottliebs story and receive the blessing she shares with all who listen. CITY HALL -- Island commuters who use the Verrazzano Bridge to get to Manhattan are unlikely to receive a credit for congestion pricing fees under a recent plan unveiled by Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) earlier this week. The current plan calls for electronic tolling devices to be installed around the perimeter of the Central Business District (CBD) at streets south of 61st St. in Manhattan, not including the FDR Drive. According to the governors office, bridges and tunnels that feed directly into the CBD area are likely to receive a credit, however, crossings outside of that district, including the Verrazzano Bridge, will likely not. Before the plan takes effect, it will have to be approved by the state Legislature. The governors office said the credits are still subject to negotiations. But not all local representatives are thrilled by the joint congestion pricing plan. Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio announced plans to fund the MTA through congestion pricing. I continue to be wary of the plan, particularly because under the current proposal commuters who use the Queens Midtown Tunnel, the Hugh Carey Tunnel, the Lincoln Tunnel and the Henry Hudson Bridge will receive a credit for congestion pricing fees, but there is no credit for those using the Verrazzano Bridge, said Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-East Shore). Without a credit for Staten Islanders who need to use the Verrazzano Bridge to enter Manhattan, the plan will be unfair and serve as a double fee for Staten Islanders. Additionally, if this is to become a reality, I would like to see a cap on congestion fees so they will not be subject to a bi-annual increase as is currently the case on MTA bridges and tunnels. On Thursday, Speaker Corey Johnson slammed the mayor and governors plan for excluding outer borough commuters. Johnson said he would try to put forth another congestion pricing plan in a more equitable way and provide more specifics about what he wants to do during his State of the City address March 5. If youre going to have congestion pricing, which I support, its not fair for a Councilmembers [Paul Vallones] constituents who take the Whitestone Bridge to not get a discount on that bridge, if youre going to create the congestion fee coming into Manhattan, so I think theres a way to do it in an equitable way and hopefully gain support in the outer boroughs from Council members, and Assembly members and state senators. CUOMO SAYS FEW COMMUTE BY CAR The governors office noted that the percentage of residents who commute into Manhattan from the outer boroughs like Staten Island is low. Citing recent U.S. Census Bureau statistics, the governors office pointed out that just 2.3 percent of Staten Islanders commute by car into Manhattan. HOW CONGESTION PRICING WORKS Congestion pricing refers to the use of electronic tolling to charge vehicles for entering certain areas during peak commuting hours. Under the plan, congestion pricing tolls would be supplemented through state and city revenue from a fixed amount of new internet sales tax generated from sales in New York City in addition to a percentage of state and city revenue from the cannabis excise tax. The electronic tolling system will account for tolls previously paid by drivers coming into Manhattan from designated crossings and tolls would fluctuate and discounts would be given during off-peak hour travel. The joint plan also calls for mass transit fare increases limited to increases of 2 percent per year. Asked on the Brian Lehrer Show on Tuesday how he would convince state lawmakers from places like Staten Island, Queens and Long Island to sign off on the plan, Cuomo said he did not think many commuters from the outer boroughs still drove into Manhattan anymore. I think there was a misimpression that you had all these people in Nassau, and Westchester, and Queens that were driving in to the city. Maybe that was true at one time, I don't remember it, but it's not true anymore Brian. Because driving into the city, just think how expensive that is, Cuomo said. Parking is 40 or 50 dollars, you have to pay a toll in most places, gasoline, it easily costs 50, 60, 70 dollars per day to drive your car in. So who's doing that? In early 2018, Fix NYC, Cuomos transportation advisory panel, released its congestion pricing report, which outlined a proposed congestion pricing system for implementation in New York City. According to recommendations from the Fix NYC report, cars that travel south of 60th Street in Manhattan would have been subject to a $11.52 charge, while trucks would pay $25.34. On Tuesday, the governor could not immediately say how much the toll would be. But an expert panel will eventually set the fee using a variable pricing structure. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Following a rarely seen unified call from Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo to restructure and repair the ailing MTA, the agency has announced massive cost reduction and reform initiatives needed to avoid service and staff cuts, as well as significant fare increases. The MTAs operating agencies, which include New York City Transit, the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North, MTA Bridges and Tunnels, and MTA headquarters, have been asked to identify $500 million in annually recurring savings. The MTA is under significant financial stress, facing massive gaps in both operating and capital budgets. Without these cost reductions, in addition to congestion pricing and additional revenue from state and city partners, the agency will be forced to make service and staff cuts, as well as substantially raise fares to help cover capital costs, according to the MTA. Failure to enact congestion pricing alone will require the agency to raise fares by nearly 30 percent, according to the MTA. The operating agencies have all submitted consolidation proposals within their agencies, and have been told that the $500 million in total annual savings is not a target, but a hard, institutional requirement. In addition to the urgency of securing additional revenue, we recognize we must fundamentally reform the MTA, said MTA acting chair Fernando Ferrer. No more tinkering. No more nibbling around the edges. The MTAs new leadership team will accept nothing less than large-scale, organizational reform. This work will build on the 10-point plan released by the Governor and Mayor yesterday, as well as the success weve seen through the Subway Action Plan. The MTA will look to consolidate a majority of back-end office work, including accounting, claims, communications, engineering, government relations, human resources, legal, marketing, planning and procurement. The agency will also reduce the hourly rate of all vendors and contractors by 10 percent without reducing the scope of work done, resulting in $75 million in savings. The MTA will carefully review all existing and upcoming consulting engagements in hopes of terminating all relationships deemed not absolutely and demonstrably necessary. The agency is implementing strategies to optimize the procurement process, resulting in increased competition and allowing projects to be completed more quickly and efficiently. As a result, the MTA is seeing far more projects delivered on-time and on budget including the LIRR Ronkonkoma branch double track, which was completed more than a year ahead of schedule - along with hundreds of millions of dollars in savings, according to the agency. The MTA will work with city and state officials to crackdown on fare evasion, a longstanding issue that costs the MTA approximately $215 million annually. The strategy will include both personnel and station design modifications that do not criminalize fare evasion but instead prevent fare evasion, sanction violators and increase enforcement, according to the agency. The agency will continue to work with academic experts and other outside innovators, on an advisory basis, following the outside solution that prevented the complete L train shutdown. The construction review team will be headed by the deans of Cornell School of Engineering and Columbia School of Engineering to assure state of the art design and technology is being deployed, according to the MTA. These initiatives come following 10 years of aggressive cost-reducing efforts on the part of the MTA. Over the past decade, the MTA has implemented savings programs that have reduced annual operating expenses, on an on-going basis, by more than $2 billion, and that number is growing, according to the agency. Last year, the MTA implemented an agency-wide hiring freeze on all non-essential employees, before earlier this year establishing an executive committee to ensure that all vacant MTA jobs are still needed. CITY HALL -- Dozens of Staten Islanders made the trip to Manhattan Wednesday to attend a city Planning Commission meeting to take part in the next phase of the Bay Street Corridor rezoning plan process as it made its way to the commissions desk for review. Many who attended the meeting wanted to know how the city would address issues like a replacement for Cromwell Center, transportation, water and sewage infrastructure while still providing affordable housing to Staten Islanders on the North Shore. But few received the answers they sought. The meeting came just days after Borough President James Oddo vehemently objected to the plan, slamming it for not addressing any infrastructure needs and for tying the rebuilding of the long-awaited Cromwell Center facility to the proposal. What analysis has been done on the infrastructure with respect to sewer, water where are we on that in this area given whats planned already and what may come down the pipe and the possibility of additional development as a result of this application? Planning Commissioner Alfred Cerullo asked. While the rezoning is intended to spur the creation of more affordable housing and at least 1,800 mixed income apartments, the Bay Street Corridor is expected to bolster ongoing efforts to buy up and develop North Shore properties as large projects begin to rise along the waterfront. City officials said they were still developing a drainage plan and did not have all the specifics on it. Senior Vice President for Development at the citys Economic Development Corporation Cecelia Kushner said she could only speak to infrastructure the city was working on in Stapleton, which would be serving the nearby community. She said she did not know how that infrastructure would serve the rest of the Bay Street Corridor rezoning plan. TRAFFIC AND CONGESTION Others wanted to know about how the city planned to tackle issues around traffic and whether it had considered potentially moving the 120 precinct to another location to help mitigate congestion. When theres development theres a variety of issues. I think the one that resonates most with most communities, but certainly Staten Island, is traffic, said Cerullo, a Staten Island resident. This is one of the more critical issues, and I would call it a challenge that were facing with respect to how this all plays out. Staten Islands Department of Transportation Borough Commissioner Tom Cocola said the agency was mainly focused on creating a pedestrian- and cyclist-oriented corridor with more bikes lanes and traffic signals. Cocola said the city would try to widen some of the streets in the future too. Echoing Oddos repeated appeals to the city, Island City Planning Commissioner Allen Cappelli, the other Island member, also pressed the city to consider a fast ferry route from Stapleton to Brooklyn. Others demanded more affordable housing be put in the plan before it is approved. In my years on Staten Island, Ive seen North Shore residents with housing issues, young adults I know have moved out of state, Ive seen and I see multiple families and multiple generations living in housing that was built for one family, and Ive seen a young working mother forced with a child, forced into a shelter because she could no longer afford the rent on her apartment and shes not alone, on the North Shore there are many renters who are just one rent increase away from homelessness, said the Rev. Janet Jones of Rossville AME Zion Church. THE BAY STREET PLAN The rezoning proposal aims to turn this part of Bay Street into a connector to the town centers of St. George, Tompkinsville and Stapleton. In January, the North Shores Community Board 1 overwhelming rejected the rezoning plan and asked at the time to send it back to the drawing board to be redone. The plan then went to Oddo, who also sent a formal letter of disapproval to the city. I have not asked the city to use the Bay Street Corridor to fix the infrastructure problems that currently exist, Ive asked them to explain how the Bay Street Corridor wont exponentially worsen those infrastructure problems, Ive asked them those questions for five years, Oddo said. ... You want to introduce 2,500 units -- anywhere from 6,000 (to) 8,000 more people -- explain to Staten Islanders how youre going to address traffic, water and sewer, schools, the need for police officers, firefighters, emergency medical responders, impact on emergency rooms. Oddo has also objected to the City Council approving the rezoning plan for the sake of getting a new Cromwell Center. Oddo and many others believe the city should fund the rebuilding of the new Cromwell Center separately and use the funding it will give the Island as part of the rezoning for other facilities they say the area desperately needed instead. If Staten Island sells itself short, and sells its soul and accepts the Bay Street Corridor for $90 million or $100 million for a new Cromwell Center that is the worst deal a borough has seen since the sale of Manhattan Island. The Planning Commission plans to vote on the rezoning at the end of April before sending it back to the City Council for a vote. North Shore Councilwoman Debi Rose (D) said she plans to fight for the Cromwell Center and push for the areas infrastructure needs to be addressed. Since before this process formally began, every public statement and every private conversation I have had regarding this rezoning has begun and ended with our infrastructure needs, from Cromwell to school seats to sewers and everything in between. The North Shore needs infrastructure investments, and I will be negotiating for them..., Rose said. Its a shame the administration has tied the Cromwell Center to this rezoning. We need it now, and I am going to fight for it no matter what. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The city Department of Administrative Services (DCAS) has released its examination schedule for March. Open, competitive, computer-based tests will be administered throughout the month for various positions, such as a correction officer and traffic enforcement agent. Applications for the positions have begun, and the testing period runs through March 30. New York City employs hundreds of thousands of people in its 80 agencies. Taking a test is the way to get started in the hiring process for most of these positions. Application fees range from $40 to $101. For more information about registering for these and other tests, log onto the DCAS website. The following is a list of things to know when taking an exam at a DCAS Computer-based Testing and Applications Center (CTAC). Electronic devices, including cell phones, are not permitted in the testing areas. Check the Notice of Examination for the test you will be taking to see if calculators are permitted. If you are requesting a fee waiver, you must provide a copy of acceptable documentation. DCAS staff cannot make copies of your documentation. Seating is limited. Once the CTAC is filled to capacity, no more candidates will be admitted. Testing centers are located at: 2 Lafayette St. in Manhattan; 210 Joralemon St. in Brooklyn; and 135 Canal St. in Stapleton. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 56-year-old woman poured gasoline inside an apartment building in Port Richmond and threatened to set it on fire, authorities allege. Janice Sylvester, 56, doused a hallway with gasoline at about 12:30 p.m. on Saturday while residents were inside the three-story building on the 300 block of Jewett Avenue, according to the criminal complaint. She lived in the building and the ignitable liquid was intentionally placed on the floor of stairwell in the building, creating a risk of serious physical danger, according to police. Its gas, a witness overheard the suspect say, according to the criminal complaint. Im gonna burn the motherf-----g building down. But Sylvester allegedly told a fire marshal, I threw frankincense and myrrh. A police spokesman was unable to provide information about what prompted the incident. Real estate listings indicate that there are 42 units in the building, which was constructed in 1971. Sylvester has been charged with reckless endangerment and criminal nuisance. Bond has been set at $1,000 and the suspect is due back in Criminal Court on Friday, according to public records. Her attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 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! BHPs shuffling of executives at the pointy end of its management structure provides an insight into its priorities and a glimpse into its future. While two of the changes were effectively forced on Andrew Mackenzie by executives deciding of their own volition to move on, the choices he has made in remaking his executive leadership team signal his views on the most significant challenge confronting the group, and the most likely talent pool from which the successors to his successor will come. BHP CEO Andrew Mackenzie: His choice of replacements and additions to his leadership team is revealing. Credit:Trevor Collens One of the departures was obvious, after the $US10.8 billion sale of the groups US onshore shale oil and gas business. Steve Pastor, who headed up the BHP petroleum business, saw his portfolio greatly reduced and decided to move on, hoping to land a role in a business with greater scale. The director of a company at the centre of an alleged $40 million corporate fraud scandal involving National Australia Bank has been arrested and charged with more than 50 bribery and corruption offences. Helen Rosamond, 43, is the owner and director of Human Group, an events and human resources company that has held lucrative contracts with NAB going back 12 years and worth almost $120 million. Police will allege Ms Rosamond paid multiple extravagant bribes between 2013 and 2017 to an executive at the bank in order for the executive to approve bloated invoices. Such bribes allegedly included a four-night trip for 13 people from Melbourne to Sydney costing more than $76,000, a one-month trip to the US for eight people which cost $485,000, multiple trips to the Emirates resort at Wolgan Valley, prepaid credit cards, private helicopter transfers and a $46,000 boat. Coal-fired power companies have been named as Australia's largest polluters by the Clean Energy Regulator, dominating the list of the top 10 biggest carbon emitters. The level of scope-one emissions, which are created directly from a company's activity, stayed broadly flat year on year at 336 million tonnes, the regulator's latest data shows. The Loy Yang B power station has changed hands over the past year, but it remains in the top 10 emitters. Credit:Caria Gottgens However, the top 10 polluters now account for a greater proportion of these emissions, with 50.2 per cent in 2017-18, up from 49.7 per cent the previous year. The electricity generation sector accounted for more than half of all scope-one emissions, although emissions fell from 176 million tonnes of carbon equivalent in 2016-17 to 169 million tonnes in 2017-18, thanks to the closure of the Hazelwood coal-fired power plant and greater energy efficiency at power stations. However, this reduction was largely written off by a booming West Australian LNG industry, which saw its emissions increase by 4.1 million tonnes. Australian dance choreographer Wade Robson has alleged in a US TV interview how a "magical" first visit to Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch as a seven-year-old boy led to the pop star sexually abusing him. Wade Robson detailed Jackson's alleged abuse on CBS This Morning. Credit:CBS Robson, now 36, and another alleged Jackson victim, American James Safechuck, 40, feature in the controversial new two-part documentary, Leaving Neverland, that recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and airs in Australia on Ten next Friday. Jackson was touring Australia when he first met five-year-old dance prodigy Robson, a friendship grew and Robson and his family were invited to stay at Neverland Ranch in California. "This was just the most magical thing I'd ever seen," Robson, describing visiting Neverland for the first time, told CBS This Morning's Gayle King on Thursday. Pressure is mounting on Labor to rule out adapting a plan by the Morrison government that would effectively halve Australia's emissions reduction effort under the Paris climate accord. The government's policy, released this week, confirmed it intends to carry over surplus carbon credits generated during the current Kyoto Protocol period to count against Australia's 2030 Paris target. That would slash 367 million tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent from the 695 million tonnes reduction goal. Mark Butler, Labor's Climate Change and Energy spokesman, speaking to reporters in Melbourne this week after the Morrison government announced its 'Climate Solutions Package'. Credit:David Crosling, AAP The government's move - assuming it doesn't get blocked when the Paris rule book is finally settled - means Australia's target of cutting 2005-level emissions 26 per cent by 2030 would actually drop to about 12 per cent. Labor's climate spokesman Mark Butler refused to reject the use of such credits, despite saying earlier this week that "de-carbonising our economy is a long-term obligation and dodging it by using accounting tricks is just shifting the obligation on to our children and our grandchildren". A Labor government in NSW would expand national parks to protect koalas, curb feral horses, and step up climate change action including setting a target to source half the state's electricity from renewables by 2030. A Climate Change Summit would be called within the first year of a Daley-led government to determine the best pathways to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The gathering would inform a Climate Change Act to drive the transition, including the setting of interim goals for 2025, Labor said in a statement. Land clearing is having a devastating impact on koala numbers in the Moree region. Credit:Nick Moir The burst of election policies, announced on Thursday, was generally welcomed by environment groups, although several called for an immediate moratorium of deforestation of koala habitat to arrest a rapid drop in the numbers of the much-loved marsupial. "NSW doesn't have another four years to waste to take real action on climate change and to arrest the biodiversity crisis in the state," Penny Sharpe, Labor's deputy leader and environment spokeswoman, said. "This really is the line in the sand." David Attenborough and Donatella Versace. Not a huge crossover there, you'd have thought. But partly thanks to the former, Donatella is far more aware of the environmental challenges facing us all than she was a year or two back. "It's the biggest issue," she says. "Now, when I see someone with a plastic straw or a single-use water bottle in the office, I want to go over and take it off them." Although real fur has been banished from the brand's inventory and her own wardrobe, outwardly, the DV trademarks remain remarkably constant. "I must have been born wearing tight leather," Donatella says. But there's a clear evolution to the brand. Judging by what she's just shown me - in an exclusive preview of the winter 2019 collection before the show last week - the Versace woman has from rock chick to sophisticated kook. Donatella Versace waves to the audience at the end of the presentation of her Fall/Winter 2019/20 collection at Milan Men's Fashion Week. Credit:AP As we meander through three rooms in the brand's Milanese palazzo HQ, each spilling over with colourful fake furs (the ecological argument against faux doesn't seem to have reached Milan yet), satin slip dresses, and shoes, what is most striking apart from the colour combinations, multiple contrasting textures and layering ("the only way to dress that really makes sense," according to Donatella ) is how charmingly eccentric and often vintage-y it looks. Eccentricity was never a prominent trait of the Versace woman Dontella says it is her British side coming out (her son Daniel lives in the UK). But it's surely also a testament to the Gucci effect. Not entirely coincidentally, Alessandro Michele, Gucci's creative director, is the living designer she most admires. A woman who stole $49,500 from an asbestos charity by putting her own details on a cheque has avoided a custodial prison sentence and been ordered to perform 300 hours of community service. Catherine Koster, 53, worked for the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia as an office manager when she was given an invoice in November 2017 and told to pay for the charity's annual fundraising race day. Catherine Koster stole $49,500 from her former employer, the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia. Instead of paying for the fundraiser which collects money for medical research and to support those living with asbestos-related diseases she filled out the $49,500 cheque with her own details and deposited it at the ANZ bank at Westfield Parramatta. Months later, her deception was uncovered and Koster was confronted and fired. Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate a missing teenager who was last seen in Sydney's north. Trystien Caceres, 19, was last seen at a home on Ryries Parade, Cremorne, on Wednesday evening. Police were alerted to his disappearance on Thursday. Police are urging anyone with information about Trystien Caceres' whereabouts to contact them. Credit:NSW Police Police and family members hold concerns for his welfare. Police have described Mr Caceres as being of Caucasian appearance, with a medium build, approximately 180-185 centimetres tall, with brown hair and brown eyes. Researchers believe the effect of the recent flooding in north Queensland on the Great Barrier Reef could be as bad as recent bleaching events. The latest research from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University found sudden dramatic changes in ocean salinity provoke a reaction in coral similar to extreme heat or acidity. Professor David Miller from JCU said they used genetic testing to find the effect of desalinification on the coral. Summer flooding in north Queensland delivers significant freshwater runoff into the Coral Sea creating concerns over the impact to the adjacent Great Barrier Reef. Credit:USGS/NASA Landsat The input of a large amount of freshwater is particularly damaging to corals, because the freshwater is lower density to saltwater so it will sit on top of the saltwater, Professor Miller said. A firefighting aircraft drops water on a bushfire at Punty Lane, Shoreham. Credit:Nine News A bushfire that was threatening homes in Shoreham on the Mornington Peninsula has been brought under control. An emergency warning was issued for people living south-east of the blaze about 1.45pm on Thursday, however, it was downgraded to a "watch and act" just before 4pm. Firefighters were able to stop the spread of the fire, which was burning very close to homes on Tucks Road. Loading The male officer spoke to the woman and called her an ambulance after she told him she could not stand up. Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said the police officers who assisted Ms Duncan when they arrived did what the first officers should have done five hours prior. "There was a cascading failure of duty throughout this incident until the new staff took proper action," he said. "Every officer involved in this seemed to think she was feigning an injury or exaggerated, or bunging it on, and nobody seems to have considered the possibility that she was actually in pain. "In the un-pixelated version you can see her face and each time her foot hits against another step [as she is dragged through the station] you can see the pain contorting her face." It was later determined Ms Duncan had a dislocated hip and she made an online complaint about the incident months later in November 2017. A Corruption and Crime Commission investigation report, released on Thursday, likened the lack of care given to Ms Duncan to Ms Dhu, an Aboriginal woman who died at South Hedland police station in 2014. A coronial inquest into Ms Dhu's death was delivered two weeks before Ms Duncan's incident and criticised police officers would thought Ms Dhu was faking an illness. Ms Dhu died in custody. "The publicity ought to have heightened awareness in custody officers as to the care to be taken in cases of suspected medical issues," the CCC report found. "Incredibly, the only reason [Ms Duncan] was detained for a lengthy period was because she was unable to stand at the counter to have her fingerprints taken. "It was not until she was due to be transferred to the Perth Watch House that Ms Duncan received the medical treatment to which she was entitled, when she was taken by ambulance to Fiona Stanley Hospital." The police internal affairs unit has recommended disciplinary proceedings in respect to a number of officers involved, who conceded their failings. One of the officers was also involved in a previous police incident in Fremantle, where the CCC ruled police used excessive force during an arrest and injured a man. In CCTV footage of the most recent incident, Ms Duncan can be heard repeatedly saying: "I'm not faking, please take the cuffs off me, I can't stand up." At times she is screaming while being forcefully moved by the officers, another time she sobs, and on a later occasion she moans in pain, to which one police officer joked to another, "she having an orgasm, or what?" The woman pleaded with the officers that she wasn't faking her pain. Credit:CCC The female officer watching Ms Duncan teases her through the window of a glass holding cell. "You need to tone your story back a little because that's what's really giving you away. Just a future tip," she said. To which Ms Duncan replied: "Tone down what?" "Tone down this whole act," the police officer replied. "What act? This is no act," the woman said, to which the police officer said: "It most certainly is." Shortly after Ms Duncan was sent to hospital, she was later charged with failing to provide her personal details and assaulting a police officer as he attempted to restrain her. After a trial she was acquitted and the magistrate made adverse comments about the credibility of the police officers, while finding the evidence of Ms Duncan and her daughter had the ring of plausibility. Commissioner Dawson said Ms Duncan had never refused to give her details, rather she was detained simply because she couldn't stand to have her fingerprints taken at the counter. "The right to medical treatment in custody is not a gift to be offered out from time to time, it is a statutory enshrined legal right that every one of us has and no member of the community should be treated like this," he said. The CCC investigation into the matter concluded any person interacting with police was entitled to humane treatment. "There were so many failures by many officers to afford Ms Duncan timely medical attention, that it is pointless for the Commission to form an opinion of misconduct in respect of any one individual," it found. "Collectively, the actions on the night justify an opinion that the treatment of Ms Duncan was oppressive, unjust and contrary to law. "Together, the failure of duty amounts to serious misconduct in the form of reviewable police action." Police are attempting to determine the circumstances around a road rage incident in Perth's south that saw a man hospitalised with serious injuries. The incident occurred on Old Coast Road in Halls Head on Wednesday afternoon, when traffic became congested near an intersection. Vision from Nine News Perth showed a white ute was rear-ended by a red vehicle, and the driver of the white ute got out to confront the other driver. Reporter Jacqueline Robson said it was unclear what happened next, but witnesses said the man became pinned between both cars and was severely injured. EDITOR'S NOTE: The High Court overturned Cardinal George Pell's conviction for historic child sex offences in a judgment handed down April 7, 2020. In a unanimous decision all seven High Court judges found Victoria's Court of Appeal should not have upheld Pell's conviction. It found the evidence could not support a guilty verdict. If you ever find yourself in Budapest, you really must visit the House of Terror museum. Its chilling because it occupies the very building that was the source of the atrocities it documents: this was once Nazi headquarters in Hungary before being taken over by the Communists' secret police. In it is a room devoted to Jozsef Mindszenty, who until very recently was the last Catholic Cardinal to have been sent to prison. Needless to say his story is very different to George Pells. Mindszenty ascends to his incarceration. Pell emphatically falls to his. Illustration: Andrew Dyson Credit: Both the Nazis and the Communists imprisoned Mindszenty, the latter on charges of treason and conspiracy. His main crime seems to have been his protest against the Communist states policy of confiscating Church property, and taking over Church schools. For the Communists, this amounted to a Church rebellion that had to be put down. Mindszenty was tortured, gave a bogus confession, and was then convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in a show trial. About seven years later he escaped in a popular uprising, but when the Soviet Union invaded Hungary to re-establish Communist rule, he sought asylum in the US embassy where he stayed for 15 years. A kind of Cold War Julian Assange. Some of the ABC's most recognisable names have praised the appointment of Ita Buttrose as the public broadcaster's chair, welcoming her media experience and commitment to independence. While concerns persist about the government ignoring the shortlist put forward by an independent nomination panel, high-profile figures are positive about Ms Buttrose's credentials to steer the ABC after a tumultuous period. Ita Buttrose and Scott Morrison at the announcement on Thursday. Credit:Jessica Hromas Announcing the appointment on Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Ms Buttrose was the government's pick because she could be trusted to lead the ABC with integrity and independence. Ms Buttrose promised to protect the broadcaster's independence and said her first priority would be restoring stability after the sudden departures last year of her predecessor Justin Milne and managing director Michelle Guthrie. President Donald Trump said he takes Kim Jong-un "at his word" that he wasn't aware of North Korea's imprisonment and torture of US college student Otto Warmbier, who died after being detained for more than 17 months. Trump told reporters that he had discussed the Warmbier case with Kim before the leaders' hastily adjourned second summit in Hanoi and that the dictator assured him he only learned of Warmbier's treatment after the fact. "In those prisons and those camps you have a lot of people, and some really bad things happened to Otto, some really, really bad things," Trump said. "But he tells me he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word." Trump said Kim "felt bad" about the episode. Pakistan's prime minister has pledged his country will release a captured Indian jetfighter pilot, a move that could help defuse the most-serious confrontation in two decades between the nuclear- armed neighbours over the disputed region of Kashmir. Prime Minister Imran Khan made the announcement in an address to both houses of Parliament on Thursday, saying he tried to reach his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Wednesday with a message that he wants to de-escalate tension. An Indian soldier walks past the wreckage of an Indian aircraft after it crashed in the outskirts of Indian controlled Kashmir. Credit:AP There was no immediate reaction from India, though Modi earlier in the day warned that "India's enemies are conspiring to create instability in the country through terror attacks". "We are releasing the Indian pilot as a goodwill gesture tomorrow," Khan told lawmakers. He did not say whether the release was conditional. London: Women enslaved and abused by Australians who joined Islamic State overseas should be entitled to victims compensation payments in Australia, says a British group campaigning for refugee Yazidis. The Lotus Flower, a British-based not-for-profit, says it is in the final stages of pressing a compensation claim in a NSW court, which it hopes may set an international precedent. In addition, they want the government to confiscate funds frozen under sanctions against IS terrorists and use them to reimburse these women and help restart their shattered lives. The money wont be a lot for the victims but it is more about their moral standing, said The Lotus Flower founder Taban Shoresh. It will never take away their pain but we believe compensation will bring them a sense of closure. London: Former prime minister Tony Abbott has come in for another pasting from trade and economics experts, after accusing Britain of "losing its nerve" on Brexit by trying to avoid a 'no-deal' divorce from the European Union. Days after Theresa May changed her Brexit policy to lessen the likelihood of a dangerous no-deal Brexit, Abbott used a column in Spectator magazine to criticise the withdrawal deal May struck with the EU last year, saying to go through with it would "represent failure on an epic scale". Former prime minister Tony Abbott. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen He downplayed the risks of no-deal as an alternative, saying the real problem was a "neurotic anxiety of the official political class about leaving the European project". "A disorderly Brexit would mean, at most, a few months of inconvenience," Abbott wrote. "Perhaps some modest transition costs. But these difficulties would quickly pass." United Nations: The UN Security Council has rejected rival resolutions on Venezuela sponsored by the United States, which supports opposition leader Juan Guaido, and Russia, which backs President Nicolas Maduro. The US resolution received the minimum nine "yes" votes in the 15-member council on Thursday, but was vetoed by Russia and China. Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya, right, votes against a resolution concerning Venezuela during a Security Council meeting at UN headquarters in New York. Credit:AP The vote on the Russian resolution was four in favour, seven opposed and four abstentions. The US draft urged "the peaceful restoration of democracy" in Venezuela, free and fair presidential elections and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to all people in need. PHILIPSBURG:--- On Thursday, February 28th the mothers of two 13 years old girls filed reports at the Juvenile and Morals Department regarding their daughters who are good friends with each other and who have left their homes since Wednesday, February 27th around 06.00 p.m. and have not returned home or heard from since. The reason why these two girls left their home is still not clear. Kayla Watson is 13 years old, skinny (slim posture), brown complexion, low cut hair (afro style) and resides with her mother in Cape Bay. Her mother is Carol Watson and can be reached at Tel: 526-1059 Rhiana Pitter is 13 years old, slim posture brown complexion and resides with her mother in Sint Peters. Her mother is Sophia Rowe and can be reached at Tel: 556-6562 There is information that the two teenagers may possibly be hanging out on the French side of the island. Anyone who has any information regarding these two teens should immediately get in contact with the parents or call the Juvenile and Morals Department at 54-22222 ext. 501 or call 911. KPSM Press Release Fit Body App by Anna Victoria Offers 3 New Programs, Tone, Shred & Sculpt Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Influencer, Anna Victoria, has just released 3 new programs in her app, Fit Body, the ultimate fitness app that gives women the tools to achieve personalized fitness goals through workouts and proper nutrition. These new programs are called Tone, Shred, and Sculpt. Tone incorporates bodyweight and dumbbell-based workouts, while Shred requires no equipment at all, using only bodyweight moves, both designed to help burn body fat. Sculpt incorporates barbells and gym machines, as well as body weight and dumbbell-based moves to help you sculpt your body by building lean muscle and burning fat. This marks one of Anna Victoria\-\-s biggest milestones. Everyone at Body Love Group is thrilled to launch this service. Those within Body Love Group say, \We are excited about this launch because this is what Anna Victorias community has been asking for, to be able to choose workouts based on their goals. Between Shred, Tone and Sculpt, Fit Body with Anna Victoria has an option for every woman and every goal.\ Maithili Mokashi, Marketing Manager at Body Love Group, when asked about Fit Body App said: \Fit Body with Anna Victoria provides a complete solution to your fitness and health goals. The app includes custom workouts that allow you to choose between shredding, toning, and sculpting your body as well as custom macro and calorie meals according to your personal goals and needs. There is no other app that provides this level of customization for both workouts and meals.\ Women that want to get stronger, shed fat, tone and sculpt their body will be very interested in this app. Fit Body is perfect for women between the ages of 18-45 who are wanting to look and feel their best, enjoy their workouts, eat delicious and healthy food, and enjoy their best life! This new fitness app has many unique and custom features designed to help women reach their personal fitness goals including the ability to customize workouts. This customization feature was included because everyones body is different, and everyone has a different fitness goal in mind. You should never be limited by your workouts, but empowered by them. Fit Body App offers daily workouts that only last 30-45 minutes. Anna believes this is crucial, as you shouldn\-\-t have to spend hours in the gym every day to reach your fitness goals. Women today want it all, and with Fit Body app they dont have to settle. Users will benefit from this because they can make themselves a priority while going to school, having a career, raising a family, and living their day to day life. Giving yourself 30-45 minutes to focus on your own physical, mental, and emotional health, will help you be the best version of you, for yourself, and for others. Plus, youll feel and see results in as little as 4 weeks. One final piece of information being released states that this new service will also have custom calorie and macro meal plans with hundreds of quick and delicious recipes that are guaranteed to give you the results you want to see. Maithili Mokashi said, \This is important because what you eat is crucial to obtaining physical results. Fit Body takes all the guesswork and unknowns out of figuring out if you are eating healthy or not. All the calculations are done for you in the app. The app will ask for your age, height, weight, activity level, and fitness goal, to calculate your personal daily caloric and macro needs. Then, when you go to the meal plan, all the portions are custom to YOU. This is extremely beneficial because the number one reason women dont see progress is from eating the wrong portions and the wrong macros.\ Those interested in learning more about the Fit Body App can go directly to [www.fitbodyapp.com](https://bodylove.com/#/landing) and download the app today! To learn more about Body Love Group and Anna Victoria, head to their business website, https://annavictoria.com/. Dynamic start into 2018 / 2019: ISRA profits from investments double-digit growth guidance Posted by Publisher Internet br /> Revenues rises to 34.2 million euros, up 10 % (Q1 17/18: 31.2 million euros) EBT growth of 11 % to 6.9 million euros (Q1 17/18: 6.2 million euros) Earnings margins remain at high level: o EBITDA up 18 %, margin at 34 % of revenues and 31 % of total output (Q1 17/18: 32 % and 29 %) o?EBIT up 11 %, margin at 20 % of revenues and 18 % of total output (Q1 17/18: 20 % and 18 %) o?EBT up 11 %, margin at 20 % of revenues and 18 % of total output (Q1 17/18: 20 % and 18 % ) Gross margin at 62 % of total output (Q1 17/18: 61%) and 57 % of revenues?(Q1 17/18: 57 %) Operating cash flow rises to 4.8 million euros (Q1 17/18: 4.4 million euros) Intense actions to improve efficiency in production continue to be in focus ? cash flow expected to increase High? order backlog of around 96 million euros gross (PY: 83 million euros gross) Acquisitions with focus on market and technology expansion at advanced stage? Earnings per share after taxes up 15 % to 0.23 euros (Q1 17/18: 0.20 euros) Dividend increase of 27 % to 0.15 euros per share planned (PY: 0.118 euros) High equity ratio of 66 % (September 30, 2018: 63 %) Outlook for 2018/2019: Low double-digit growth in revenue and earnings ? additional inorganic effects anticipated ISRA VISION AG (ISIN: DE 0005488100) ? the TecDAX company for industrial image processing (machine vision) and one of the world?s leading providers of surface inspection solutions and 3D machine vision applications, recorded double-digit revenue and earnings growth in the first quarter of the 2018/2019 financial year to continue on its profitable growth path: With revenues increasing by 10 percent to 34.2 million euros (Q1 17/18: 31.2 million euros) and EBT growth of 11 percent to 6.9 million euros (Q1 17/18: 6.2 million euros), the Company made further progress toward its medium-term target of 200+. The operating cash flow increased to 4.8 million euros (Q1 17/18: 4.4 million euros). With the equity ratio rising by three percentage points to 66 percent (September 30, 2018: 63 %), net liquidity of 1.8 million euros (September 30, 2018: 1.8 million euros) and the available credit lines, ISRA has solid capital resources for future growth opportunities and is optimally prepared for potential acquisition projects. Earnings per share (EPS) after taxes increased by 15 percent to 0.23 euros (Q1 17/18: 0.20 euros). ISRA is continuing its sustainable dividend policy; at the Annual General Meeting on March 19, 2019 the management will propose an increase in the dividend for the 2017/2018 financial year of 27 percent to 0.15 euros per share. In the first quarter, ISRA confirmed and further extended the high margin level it achieved in the previous financial year: The gross margin (total output minus material and labor costs of production) increased to 62 percent of total output (Q1 17/18: 61 %) and remains unchanged at 57 percent of revenues (Q1 17/18: 57 %). EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation) increased significantly by 18 percent to 11.7 million euros (Q1 17/18: 10.0 million euros), thereby the EBITDA margin improved by two percentage points each to 34 percent of revenues (Q1 17/18: 32 %) and 31 percent of total output (Q1 17/18: 29 %). EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) increased by 11 percent to 6.9 million euros (Q1 17/18: 6.3 million euros), the EBIT margin therefore corresponds to 20 percent of revenues (Q1 17/18: 20 %) and 18 percent of total output (Q1 17/18: 18 %). EBT (earnings before taxes) also improved by 11 percent to 6.9 million euros (Q1 17/18: 6.2 million euros), resulting in an EBT margin of 20 percent of revenues (Q1 17/18: 20 %) and 18 percent of total output (Q1 17/18: 18 %). The first three months of the current financial year demonstrate the initial positive effects of the recently initiated measures for an increased production efficiency through process and capacity optimization: Inventories in the consolidated balance sheet declined slightly to 36.7 million euros (September 30, 2018: 36.9 million euros). Trade receivables amount to 105.0 million euros (September 30, 2018: 111.8 million euros). Net debt (short-term and long-term liabilities minus cash and equivalents) was eliminated completely in the 2017/2018 financial year ? this means the Company is mathematically debt-free, with equity of 201.2 million euros at the end of the first quarter (September 30, 2018: 197.8 million euros). With more than 25 locations worldwide, ISRA is one of the most broadly positioned providers in the machine vision industry. Its presence in all significant future markets and growth regions represents a further key pillar of its long-term business development alongside its multi-industry strategy. In addition to its existing locations, the Company is currently examining new opportunities for expansion in Great Britain, Eastern Europe, North and South America, as well as in India and South East Asia. The first quarter of 2018/2019 showed positive business development in almost all regions. The Company recorded double-digit revenue growth in the European markets, with strong customer demand suggesting that the healthy order situation will continue in the coming months. Revenues in Asia were at a similar high level compared to the previous year. Orders from American customers saw similar development. Intensive marketing and sales activities and the strengthening of the regional management team in the US and Brazil are expected to result in increased order momentum in the coming months. The Industrial Automation segment, whose customer base includes global premium automotive manufacturers and global players from a wide range of industries in particular, achieved growth of 7 percent in the first quarter of the 2018/2019 financial year, with revenues rising to 8.3 million euros (Q1 17/18: 7.8 million euros). EBIT also increased by 7 percent to 1.8 million euros (Q1 17/18: 1.7 million euros) with an EBIT margin at 18 percent of total output (Q1 17/18: 19 %). In addition to innovative 3D machine vision solutions for robot-guided assembly and high-precision 3D metrology, the segment result was driven by the high level of customer demand for the ?Touch & Automate? products that are designed for INDUSTRY 4.0. ISRA expects to see additional momentum in the coming months thanks to its extended sales as well as its expanded business focus on smart factory automation and its planned entry into new markets for connected automation using machine vision, which will center on combining the Company?s 3D machine vision expertise with robot automation. To this end, ISRA has already expanded its organization in a targeted manner and intensified its sales activities. Revenues in the Surface Vision segment increased by 10 percent to 25.9 million euros in the first quarter of 2018/2019 (Q1 17/18: 23.4 million euros). EBIT amounts to 5.2 million euros (Q1 17/18: 4.6 million euros), corresponding to an EBIT margin of 18 percent of total output (Q1 17/18: 18 %). The metal inspection business is continuing to benefit from the complete portfolio strategy ? in the current financial year, the management anticipates additional growth thanks to the enhancement of innovative steel inspection solutions for the automotive industry as well as the expansion of new software solutions for the entire metal production process and INDUSTRY 4.0-compatible systems. In the field of glass there are specifically demands for solutions for inspecting display glass and, increasingly, solar and automotive glass. The growth is being supported by intensive marketing and sales measures. With its extended focus on innovative materials, Advanced Materials (formerly Plastics) generated higher revenues than in the same period of the previous year; the Company is currently developing additional applications for innovative materials and extending well-established solutions. Revenues in the printing industry are rising significantly, with the management team being expanded in order to intensify activities in the area of digital print applications. Having implemented design-to-cost measures for the paper industry, the Company is concentrating on high-growth industries such as packaging and is stepping up its marketing and sales activities. In the security business (formerly specialty paper), ISRA is seeing high demand for its portfolio of specialized inspection solutions for high-security paper and printing. New revenue impulses emerge in the solar industry: Several major orders are already at an advanced stage of negotiation and expected to be completed in the near future. In the relatively new business area semiconductor, the Company is intensifying its focus on Asian market following the successful acquisition of strategic orders from leading European manufacturers. Two high-volume projects are currently being negotiated. Service business contributed to the positive business development in the first quarter 2018/2019, again accounting for a double-digit share of revenues. The Company is consequently extending its Customer Support and Service internationally and plans to increase the service revenues above average in its revenue share in the medium term by diversified offers and realignment of the management. With its profitable results for the first three months of the 2018/2019 financial year and a high gross order backlog of around 96 million euros at present (previous year: 83 million euros gross), ISRA has made a robust start into the new financial year. A key element of ISRA?s growth strategy remains the acquisition of companies that will sustainably advance its technology leadership, market position or expansion into new markets. Several potential target companies from the areas of 3D industrial automation, production analysis software tools and embedded systems are currently being examined ? some of them in advanced stages. In addition to the organic and acquisition-based growth, the management sees significant revenue potential in the enhancement of the product portfolio with INDUSTRY 4.0 architecture for the new business areas of smart factory automation and production analytics. Assuming no significant changes in the global economic conditions, the management is forecasting profitable organic revenue and earnings growth in the lower double-digit range in the 2018/2019 financial year; the potential closure of an acquisition project in the near future could lead to higher overall growth in the current year. The Company is addressing regional and industry-specific fluctuations by intensifying its marketing and sales activities. ISRA?s strategy remains focused on sustainably expanding its global market position through product innovations for industrial automation accompanied by efficiency improvements as well as increasing its revenues to over 200 million euros in the medium term, meanwhile optimizing costs and working capital. Further information is available at www.isravision.com. EnWave Announces 2019 First Quarter Posted by Publisher Internet EnWave Corporation (TSX-V:ENW | FSE:E4U) (?EnWave?, or the \Company\ http://www.commodity-tv.net/c/search_adv/?v=298830 ) today reported the Company?s consolidated interim financial results for the first quarter ended December 31, 2018. EnWave?s interim consolidated financial statements and MD&A are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Company?s website www.enwave.net. Key Financial Highlights for Q1 (expressed in ?000s): Reported the highest quarterly revenue ever for the Company in Q1 2019 of $7,806 compared to $4,519 for Q1 of 2018, an increase of $3,287. Royalty revenues for Q1 2019 increased to $251, compared with $203 for Q1 of 2018. Revenue growth was driven by increased sales and distribution of the Company?s Moon Cheese? product. Achieved gross profit of $3,037 for Q1 2019 compared to $1,426 for Q1 2018, an increase of $1,611 or 113%. Gross margin as a percentage of revenue was 39% for Q1 2019 compared to 31% for Q1 2018. Continued to strengthen the cash flow profile with Adjusted EBITDA(*) of $1,163 for Q1 2019 compared to $315 for Q1 2018, an increase of $848. The growth in positive EBITDA represents the Company?s continued ability to generate cash from its operations. Reduced the consolidated net loss for the period after taxes to $15 for Q1 2019 compared to a net loss of $397 for Q1 2018, an improvement of $382 year-over-year. Invested in selling and marketing with S&M expenses of $976 for Q1 2019 compared to $590 for Q1 2018, an increase of $386. S&M expenses increased as part of the strategy to invest in marketing for Moon Cheese? as well as selling activities that promote REVTM technology across the food and cannabis sectors. Increased G&A and R&D expenses to $998 and $341 for Q1 2019, respectively, compared to $592 and $272 in Q1 2018. The Company added an experienced, full-time CEO for NutraDried to drive growth in the subsidiary business, and invested strategically in intellectual property to support our royalty licensing business model. Significant Accomplishments: Entered into a royalty-bearing commercial sub-license agreement with The Green Organic Dutchman (?TGOD?) and Tilray, Inc. (?Tilray?) granting TGOD non-exclusive rights to use EnWave?s technology for processing legalized cannabis in Canada. Received a purchase order from TGOD for a 60kW REVTM machine and robotic tray handling system. Received a purchase order from Milne Microdried Inc. (?Milne?) for a 120kW REVTM processing line. The purchase order represents Milne?s third 120kW REVTM machine and significantly increases Milne?s total royalty-bearing processing capacity. Signed a royalty-bearing commercial license agreement with Royal FrieslandCampina N.V. (?Friesland Campina?), one of Europe?s largest dairy companies. Friesland Campina will deploy REVTM technology to develop new products that fit the evolving consumer needs and taste preferences. Friesland Campina purchased a 10kW REVTM unit to initiate production. Received a purchase order from Bare Foods Co. (?Bare Foods?), a leading American snack food company recently acquired by PepsiCo, for its third 10kW REVTM machine to expand commercial production of healthy fruit snack products. Announced the commercial launch of Bonduelle Group?s (?Bonduelle?) InFlavor? dehydrofrozen vegetable product into the retail and food service channels. The Company extended Bonduelle?s exclusive rights to EnWave?s technology for dehydrofrozen vegetable products until September 30, 2019 in exchange for a milestone payment. Bonduelle must purchase a 400kW REVTM machine before September 30, 2019 in order to extend the term of its exclusive rights. Signed a royalty bearing commercial sub-license agreement with Your Wasabi Farms (?YWF?) and Tilray granting YWF the non-exclusive rights to use EnWave?s technology to process cannabis plant material and industrial hemp. Ended a commercial license agreement with Agropur Dairy Co-operative (?Agropur?). Agropur failed to purchase the large-scale REVTM machine that was required in order to extend its agreement with the Company. Installed the first scaled-up Good Manufacturing Practices (?cGMP?) freezeREV? machine for Merck and passed site acceptance testing. The machine will be used by Merck for potential development of freezeREV? technology as a continuous dehydration alternative to lyophilization. Expanded sales and distribution of Moon Cheese? with additional product rotations in a number of Costco divisions. Doubled the Company?s production capacity of Moon Cheese? through the installation of a second 100kW nutraREV? machine and a 10kW REVTM machine. The expansion was facilitates continued sales growth of Moon Cheese? and positions for future projected demand in the consumer marketplace.? Appointment of Mr. Stephen Sanford to the Board of Directors: The Company is pleased to announce that Mr. Stephen Sanford has been appointed to the Board of Directors as a new independent director. The addition of a highly experienced legal executive will further strengthen the diverse skillset of the Company?s Board of Directors. Mr. Sanford is a seasoned legal professional with over 30 years of experience as an executive for a Fortune 500 company. He is the Senior Vice President and Managing General Counsel at Fluor Corporation (?Fluor?), a global engineering and construction company. Mr. Sanford has significant experience structuring major commercial transactions in a variety of legal systems around the world. In his role at Fluor, Mr. Sanford manages a team of legal professionals with a global footprint that addresses intellectual property matters, taxation, insurance and risk management matters. During his tenure at Fluor, Mr. Sanford has provided legal expertise and leadership during the structuring of billions of dollars in transactions. Mr. Sanford obtained both his Bachelor?s Degree and Law Degree from Dalhousie University and holds an MBA from the University of Calgary. (*) Non-IFRS Financial Measures: Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under IFRS. We define Adjusted EBITDA as earnings before deducting amortization and depreciation, stock based compensation, foreign exchange gain or loss, finance expense or income, income tax expense and non-recurring impairment charges. This measure is not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies and should not be construed as an alternative to net income or cash flow from operating activities as determined in accordance with IFRS. Please refer to the discussion included in the Company?s interim MD&A for December 31, 2018 and annual MD&A for the year ended September 30, 2018. About EnWave EnWave Corporation, a Vancouver-based advanced technology company, has developed Radiant Energy Vacuum (?REV??) ? an innovative, proprietary method for the precise dehydration of organic materials. EnWave has further developed patent-pending methods for uniformly drying and decontaminating cannabis through the use of REV? technology, shortening the time from harvest to marketable cannabis products. REV? technology?s commercial viability has been demonstrated and is growing rapidly across several market verticals in the food, and pharmaceutical sectors including legal cannabis. EnWave?s strategy is to sign royalty-bearing commercial licenses with industry leaders in multiple verticals for the use of REV? technology. The company has signed over twenty royalty-bearing licenses to date, opening up nine distinct market sectors for commercialization of new and innovative products. In addition to these licenses, EnWave has formed a Limited Liability Corporation, NutraDried Food Company, LLC, to develop, manufacture, market and sell all-natural cheese snack products in the United States under the Moon Cheese? brand. EnWave has introduced REV? as the new dehydration standard in the food and biological material sectors: faster and cheaper than freeze drying, with better end product quality than air drying or spray drying. EnWave currently has three commercial REV? platforms: nutraREV? which is used in the food industry to dry food products quickly and at low-cost, while maintaining high levels of nutrition, taste, texture and colour; powderREV? which is used for the bulk dehydration of food cultures, probiotics and fine biochemicals such as enzymes below the freezing point, and quantaREV? which is used for continuous, high-volume low-temperature drying. An additional platform, freezeREV?, is being developed as a new method to stabilize and dehydrate biopharmaceuticals such as vaccines and antibodies. More information about EnWave is available at www.enwave.net. Safe Harbour for Forward-Looking Information Statements: This press release may contain forward-looking information based on management\-\-s expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the Company\-\-s strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures, and the expected synergies following the closing are forward-looking statements. All third party claims referred to in this release are not guaranteed to be accurate. All third party references to market information in this release are not guaranteed to be accurate as the Company did not conduct the original primary research. These statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Hanneke Weitering is an editor at Space.com with 10 years of experience in science journalism. She has previously written for Scholastic Classroom Magazines, MedPage Today and The Joint Institute for Computational Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. After studying physics at the University of Tennessee in her hometown of Knoxville, she earned her graduate degree in Science, Health and Environmental Reporting (SHERP) from New York University. Hanneke joined the Space.com team in 2016 as a staff writer and producer, covering topics including spaceflight and astronomy. She currently lives in Seattle, home of the Space Needle, with her cat and two snakes. In her spare time Hanneke likes to explore the Rocky Mountains, basking in nature and looking for dark skies to gaze at the cosmos. The first batch of satellites that will make up OneWeb's immense global satellite internet constellation successfully launched into orbit today (Feb. 27) on a mission to make the internet accessible to people everywhere on Earth. A Soyuz rocket provided by the European launch company Arianespace lofted six OneWeb satellites into low Earth orbit today after lifting off from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana at 4:37 p.m. EST (2137 GMT). Those six satellites are the first of hundreds that the Virginia-based communications company OneWeb plans to launch over the next two years. "And they are off! The first six OneWeb satellites have begun their journey," a commentator for Arianespace said during a live webcast of today's launch as the Soyuz rocket soared into a blanket of clouds. In Photos: OneWeb Launches New Global Satellite Internet Constellation Image 1 of 6 (Image credit: Arianespace) Image 2 of 6 (Image credit: Arianespace) Image 3 of 6 (Image credit: Arianespace) Image 4 of 6 (Image credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace) Image 5 of 6 (Image credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace) Image 6 of 6 (Image credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace) One hour after liftoff, two of the six OneWeb satellites successfully separated from the rocket's upper stage, and the other four satellites were released into their orbits about 20 minutes later. About the size of a washing machine, the satellites each weigh about 326 lbs. (148 kilograms). They will circle the Earth in near-polar orbits, passing over the North and South poles at an altitude of about 750 miles (1,200 kilometers). Initially, OneWeb's constellation will consist of 648 satellites that will start providing worldwide internet access via Ku-band radio frequencies by 2021. And that's just the beginning. OneWeb plans to increase that total to more than 900 satellites as the company scales to meet a growing demand for its service. According to OneWeb founder Greg Wyler, the company determined it would need at least 600 satellites, because that "is what it takes to achieve global coverage and coincidentally where the company reaches enough profitability to self-fund growth," he tweeted in January. "Remember, 600 is the minimum number, not the maximum." However, OneWeb is already considering more than tripling that number by launching nearly 2,000 additional V-band satellites, Wyler told SpaceNews . Roughly one-third of them will join the first-generation satellites in low Earth orbit. The rest will make up a separate constellation that will orbit at a higher altitude in medium Earth orbit. "With its system deployed, the OneWeb constellation will enable user terminals capable of offering 3G, LTE, 5G and Wi-Fi coverage, giving high-speed access around the world by air, sea and land," Arianespace officials said in a statement . Orbital debris With so many satellites circling Earth in similar orbits, OneWeb has been conscientious about mitigating the risk of orbital debris or " space junk ." If any of the satellites were to crash into each other or any other satellite in orbit, the debris created by the crash could pose serious problems for anything in their path. Space debris can break operational satellites and even puncture the walls of the International Space Station, putting human lives at risk. Thankfully, OneWeb has a plan to make sure that its satellites don't crash into anything. The company designed the satellites to autonomously conduct maneuvers to dodge other objects in orbit. "We have to make sure that all of the satellite systems have their own altitudes, that they are not all at the same place physically at the same time," Wyler told SpaceNews . OneWeb satellites have a five-year life span, and once they are no longer operational, they will deorbit and burn up in the atmosphere as they safely fall to Earth. An artist's illustration depicts a OneWeb satellite in orbit. (Image credit: Arianespace) Further complicating the space-debris problem, several other communications companies are also working to build their own global satellite internet constellations. SpaceX has already launched prototype satellites for its Starlink constellation , and the company aims to launch nearly 12,000 satellites by the mid-2020s. Samsung has also announced plans to launch its own constellation of 4,600 satellites within the next decade, and Boeing is considering launching a nearly 5,000-satellite constellation as well, according to Universe Today . These plans by satellite internet providers to offer access to a cheaper and more reliable internet spells good news for consumers, especially those living or traveling in rural areas with little to no connectivity. However, if any of these companies end up creating a field of orbital debris, the dream of worldwide internet access could be short-lived. Artist's illustration of the hypothetical Planet Nine, which may lie undiscovered in the outer solar system. Planet Nine will probably be detected within a decade or so, if the putative world does indeed exist, a new study suggests. Three years ago, Caltech astronomers Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown estimated that the hypothesized Planet Nine also known as Planet X, Giant Planet Five or Planet Next is perhaps 10 times more massive than Earth and lopes around the sun at an average distance of 600 astronomical units (AU). (One AU is the Earth-sun distance about 93 million miles, or 150 million kilometers.) But in a detailed and lengthy new review paper, Batygin, Brown and two other researchers determined that the putative planet is likely smaller and less far-flung than that. Related: The Evidence for 'Planet Nine' in Our Solar System (Gallery) Orbits of distant Kuiper Belt objects and the hypothesized Planet Nine. Orbits rendered in purple are primarily controlled by Planet Nine's gravity and exhibit tight orbital clustering. Green orbits are strongly coupled to Neptune and exhibit a broader orbital dispersion. Updated orbital calculations suggest that Planet Nine is an approximately 5-Earth-mass planet that resides on a mildly eccentric orbit with a period of about 10,000 years. (Image credit: James Tuttle Keane/Caltech) Observational evidence and computer-modeling work indicate that 10 Earth masses is an upper limit for Planet Nine, according to the new study. Indeed, 5 Earth masses, and an average orbital distance of 400 to 500 AU, are likely to be closer to the actual marks, the scientists found. And that means Planet Nine is probably easier to spot than scientists had suspected. "Perhaps counterintuitively, the increase in brightness due to a smaller heliocentric distance more than makes up for the decrease in brightness due to a slightly diminished physical radius, suggesting that Planet Nine is more readily discoverable by conventional optical surveys than previously thought," Batygin and his colleagues wrote in the paper. The study was published online this month in the journal Physics Reports . You can read it for free at the online pre-print site arXiv.org . Indeed, the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) project in Hawaii could conceivably spy Planet Nine any day now. And even if the hypothesized world is on the fainter and more distant side, it will probably still be detectable by the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, which is scheduled to come online in Chile in the early 2020s, the researchers said. "Therefore, Planet Nine if it exists as described here is likely to be discovered within a decade," they wrote in the study. The newly published paper also sums up the case for Planet Nine's existence, organizing the available observations into four main lines of evidence. All four deal with peculiarities in the orbits of small objects way out in the frigid wastes beyond Neptune's orbit. Such peculiarities are best explained by the existence of a big, distant "perturber," whose gravity has shepherded the objects onto their current paths, the researchers wrote. (The magnitude of this sculpting effect is determined by both the perturber's mass and distance from the sun. So, a smaller-than-thought Planet Nine would have to be closer to the sun to produce the observed results.) "Although this analysis does not say anything directly about whether Planet Nine is there, it does indicate that the hypothesis rests upon a solid foundation," Brown said in a statement . This foundation is, indeed, very solid, Batygin said. In a conversation with Space.com last fall, he pegged the probability of the world's existence at "over 90 percent." Another key player in the Planet Nine hunt, Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution for Science, is similarly bullish, putting the odds in the 80 to 90 percent range. It may seem strange that an object considerably bigger than Earth could stay hidden in our own solar system for so long. But Planet Nine's neighborhood is extremely distant; for perspective, Pluto orbits the sun at an average distance of just 39.5 AU. So, Planet Nine is likely to be quite faint, and its orbital path is huge, meaning that astronomers have a lot of celestial ground to search. "We've covered very little of the sky to the depth that's needed to be covered to find something this faint," Sheppard told Space.com last fall . "You can hide a very big thing in the outer solar system very easily." Addis Ababa, Feb 07, 2019 (SPS) - The President of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Mr. Moussa Fakih Mohamed, reaffirmed the position of the African Union as guarantor of the solution in Western Sahara together with the United Nations in accordance with the decisions and charters of the two organizations "The issue of Western Sahara remains one of the most important continental issues that has been pending for decades and requires greater efforts and cooperation," said the president of the African Union (AU) during the 34th ordinary session of the foreign ministers of the Council of the African Union (AU). He added that this issue requires effective cooperation and an intensification of efforts between the African Union and the United Nations to reach a final solution to the conflict in Western Sahara based on decisions of international legitimacy. The 34th ordinary session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) began today in Addis Ababa to prepare the draft decisions of the summit of Heads of State and Government of the AU, to be held on 10 and 11 February, in the African nation headquarters.SPS 125/090/TRA London; Feb 28 2019 (SPS) - Non-governmental organization Amnesty International denounced on Tuesday the pressure exerted by the authorities of the Moroccan occupation against peaceful demonstrations in the occupied Sahrawi cities. The Moroccan Police dispersed violently in June a peaceful demonstration in occupied Aaiun, during a visit of the Personal Envoy of UN Secretary General for Western Sahara, denounced Amnesty International in its report on the situation of human rights in the Middle East and North Africa, published on Tuesday. Last September, underlined the human rights organization, the police of the Moroccan occupation resorted to an unjustified force against peaceful Sahrawi demonstrators who were against the illegal agreement on fisheries concluded in August by the European Union (EU) and Morocco, affirming, in this regard, that the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) gave a ruling in February according to which this agreement shouldnt be applied to the adjacent waters in occupied Western Sahara. While broaching the imprisonment of the Sahrawi activists and defenders of Western Saharas self-determination, Amnesty International said that men and women, human rights defenders were sentenced to imprisonment for expressing their opinion peacefully, underlining that some activists were also condemned this year after unfair trials. The prison authorities transferred detainees from a prison to another, or to jails far from the city where they live, by way of reprisal, said the NGO.SPS 125/090/TRA Stamford-based Q88 LLC is moving to Fairfield. The software provider is moving its Connecticut headquarters from Stamford to 1501 Kings Highway East. Q88 signed a long-term, multiyear lease for a 7,800-square-foot building near the Fairfield Metro Station, doubling its space in the process. The reason we are moving is to meet our future goals of expansion, said a Q88 spokesperson. The company declined to comment any further on the transaction. Q88 has been around since 2001, offering software solutions to clients in the global shipping industry. The company also has offices in London, Athens and Singapore, and caters to a client base of more than 11,000 users and 10,000 vessels. According to a news release from Westport-based brokerage HK Group, the company chose the building due to its immediate proximity to public transit and its look. The building is fully reconstructed with the modern industrial look that many companies modern and young companies are looking for, said Franco Fellah, executive vice president at HK Group, which represented landlord Powerscourt Westover LLC during the transaction. Q88 will occupy the entire building. Powerscourt bought the building in 2017 for $765,000 and renovated it. At the time, it was a 3,800-square-foot blighted building near the train station. Tom McLaughlin, owner of Powerscourt, transformed the vacant brick structure into a two-story modern, glass office building, about double the size of the original building. The commercial real estate company owns the building at 1525 Kings Highway East and had been leasing the site next door since 2011 to use its 28-space parking lot. Q88 is projected to move sometime during this summer; town officials said they are looking forward to the addition to the commercial base. Were pleased anytime a new business moves into Fairfield, said Mark Barnhart, director of economic development. Were certainly happy that Q88 stayed within Fairfield County and the region instead of moving out of state. We understand this is a competitive marketplace and were excited to have them apart of the Fairfield business community. Q88s new headquarters is located in an area that has seen ongoing activity and interest from developers over the past couple years with the introduction of the Fairfield Trademark Apartments and more. The second phase of the Fairfield Trademark construction has already begun even closer to the train station and is expected to bring a trove of apartments to the town. Its really an emerging area and a very active local market, Barnhart said. Editors note: An earlier version of this story included an image of the wrong building. Contributions from Keila Torres-Ocasio. Jordan.grice@hearstmediact.com STAMFORD When author Jason Reynolds was growing up in Oxon Hill, Maryland, his teachers were always trying to get him to read classic literature: Lord of the Flies, To Kill A Mockingbird, Moby Dick. But Reynolds wasnt interested. In fact, he didnt read a novel for the first time until he was 17, despite his teachers encouraging him to develop a relationship with literature. I know what it means to fight for my life, Reynolds said. I know what its like to watch my family fight for their lives. (These books), theyre going to get it wrong ... (the characters), they dont look like me. They dont walk like me. They dont talk like me. ... Why would I want a relationship with something that doesnt want a relationship with me? I didnt see myself in literature. Instead, Reynolds turned to rap music. The first rap tape he ever owned, Black Reign by Queen Latifah, inspired him to start writing his own poetry which he called his King Latifah poems. In them, he described losing friends to gun violence, gang violence and drunk driving. He wrote about his family members battling cancer, addiction and depression. All of this was when he was still a teenager. It wasnt until college that Reynolds began reading after discovering Black Boy by Richard Wright. From there, his love of literature and writing took off and he published his first book in 2008 after finishing college. He has gone on to write multiple novels and poetry collections for young adults and middle school students, including the Track series, Long Way Down, which is written in verse, and Miles Morales: Spider-Man, based off the Marvel Comics character. He is a Newberry Award honoree, an NAACP Image Award Winner and has won multiple Coretta Scott King honors and his book Ghost was a National Book Award Finalist for Young Peoples Literature. Reynolds told his story about how he went from disinterested reader to an award-winning young adult and middle grade writer to Dolan Middle School students via a Skype call Wednesday. He explained the process of finding his voice and writing literature based on his own life, breaking many writing rules along the way as he wrote the kind of stories he needed when he was young. I wrote about all of my friends, my family members, my neighborhood, he told students. All your life, youll have people who convince you youre not enough. ... Never forget everything that makes them mad are the things that make music. ... Your story, its the only thing you own. The call was a cap-off to the schools celebration of Black History Month. Much of Reynolds work, which is also noted for its unique style and voice, features young black characters, representing a version of himself he didnt see in literature growing up. Today marks a celebration of black history and literature, said Dolan Prinicpal Charmaine Tourse. Jason Reynolds is an example for a history maker for all races, cultures and religion. Reynolds Skype visit was made possible through DonorsChoose.org and the Dolan Parent-Teacher Organization. Media specialist Jenna Cinelli and support specialist Kristen Corbi-Miller were the ones who came up with the idea to have Reynolds speak to students. I am a huge fan of his work because it speaks to our students, Cinelli said. I really wanted our students to hear from him, listen to him and be inspired by him. Through fundraising, all English classes were given copies of some of Reynolds books and did related activities leading up to the conversation. After hearing Reynolds speak, many students were also given the opportunity to ask him about his favorite books, music and his writing process. We really are looking for ways to inspire our students to read and explore writing, Corbi-Miller said. We want them to be motivated by someone who has a similar story or whose writing looks different from other books in school. erin.kayata@stamfordadvocate.com; (203) 964-2265; @erin_kayata Gov. Ned Lamont on Thursday named Sibongile Bongi Magubane, a former information-technology executive at Aetna, as the commissioner of motor vehicles, the department that Lamont once described as a metaphor for what is wrong with government bureaucracy. For many residents, the DMV is the face of state government it is an office that virtually every adult needs to interact with and for far too long it has been overly bureaucratic, arduous, and quite frankly operating in the 21st century while relying on 20th century processes, Lamont said. The appointment reflects two commitments by Lamont, a former cable entrepreneur with an MBA from Yale: an emphasis on providing residents better online access to their state government, and a commitment to diversity. Magubane, a native of South Africa raise and educated in Connecticut, is the fourth commissioner named since Friday morning. Three are black and one is Hispanic. Earlier, Lamont nominated a former IBM executive and tech entrepreneur, Josh Geballe, to oversee the Department of Administrative Services, the agency responsible for hiring, contracting and information technology. Magubane is currently the human relation director for Specialty Transportation, the bus contractor for the public schools in Hartford. But she spent much of her career at Aetna, first from 1979 to 1994, and then from 2000 to 2011. In addition to Aetna, Magubane worked as a consultant for the information technology company, Keane, between 1998 to 2000 and at Cigna from 1994 to 1998, where the administration says her duties included maintaining and enhancing capabilities across the companys billing, banking, and eligibility shared service functions. She lives in Hartford, where she recently stepped down as the president of the West End Civic Association. Three years ago, computer malfunctions and widespread complaints prompted Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to hire Judeen Wrinn, a retired Aetna corporate executive with experience fixing customer service systems, as a trouble-shooter at the DMV. The department has made progress, with wait times dropping from 76 minutes in November 2015 to 41 minutes in December 2017. But the DMV was an issue during the 2018 gubernatorial campaign, with Republicans calling for its privatization. Lamont took his own shots at the department while campaigning: You walk into DMV a Democrat, you leave a Republican. On Thursday, he said in a statement that Magubane would bring a new approach. We need a fresh approach with this agency - one that prioritizes convenience, ease, and reliability for customers, while also delivering efficiency and cost effectiveness for its administrative needs, Lamont said. Bongi has earned a reputation for doing exactly those things for some of our nations leading private sector companies. Shes a sharp, solutions-oriented thinker with a strong business acumen who will bring to state government an innovative approach that works to cut red tape and brings to the DMV the solutions that so many residents of our state are demanding. Nearly 40 percent of the governors department heads are minorities. Lamont has now nominated 14 new department heads and retained 10 commissioners from the Malloy administration. Five of the 14 new appointees are black and one is Hispanic. Of 10 holdovers, two are black and one is Hispanic. He has yet to nominate leaders for the departments of Social Services and Agriculture. The vacant post of state education commissioner is an indirect appointment, made through the state Board of Education. STAMFORD Susan Iacovacci and Linda Gibson grew up in Glenbrook and now raise their children there. Its no surprise they are fighting for their homes on Sutton Place. But zoning regulations say a school-bus depot has as much right to be there as they do. Glenbrook has always been a mix of residential and commercial properties. The problem, the women said, is that commercial use in some spots such as 316 Courtland Ave., which backs up to Sutton Place has become more intense. I knew the property had changed hands, but all of a sudden one day we came home and there were all these school buses, Iacovacci said. It was a sea of yellow. A flood of problems followed, she said of the First Student bus depot. I smell diesel inside my home. I can no longer open my windows to let fresh air in. I can no longer enjoy my front porch or back deck and pool, Iacovacci said. I have a child whose asthma has gotten worse and now needs monthly injections from his pulmonologist. The noise is constant, she said beeping as buses back out of the lot; safety alarms that remind drivers to check for children before parking for the day; motion-sensitive security alarms; and more. The buses start idling and beeping their horns at 4:45 a.m., Iacovacci said. The drivers yell to each other over the sound of the engines. The dog doesnt even want to go outside because of all the high-pitched noises. Our backyard reeks of fumes. Gibson said its difficult to believe such a use is allowed. We counted 50 to 60 buses, between the ones parked outside and the ones in the bays getting serviced, Gibson said. I remember years ago we wanted to build a garage on our property but the city said no, zoning wont allow it. Now we have a bus depot in our backyard, and thats OK? It is, Land Use Bureau Chief Ralph Blessing said. The zone allows for all kinds of uses, including a bus terminal, he said. The reason is rooted in history. Its a legacy use because of where industry was at one time, Blessing said. There were a lot of industrial areas along the train line. Railroad tracks wind around the end of Sutton Place, a pleasant cul de sac that branches from Sutton Drive, a circular street of well-kept homes. Blessing is updating zoning regulations and will propose a change to require larger setbacks, buffer plantings and fencing or walls between industrial and residential properties in the future. But that will not help Sutton Place, he said. The bus company operator leased the property under the assumption he could do that there, Blessing said. The city cant force the company to move the buses. They are doing what they are allowed to do in that district. The only remedy is to talk to the bus operator. Blessing said he called First Student without success. A woman who answered the phone at one of the Stamford offices referred calls to company headquarters in Cincinnati. A company spokesman, Jay Brock, emailed a statement Wednesday evening saying, First Student operates within all zoning guidelines for the property. We have proactively reconfigured our bus operations in order to continue to be a good neighbor. He did not explain. Besides Courtland Avenue, First Student has depots on Selleck Street and Brown House Road. Its website says the company, which operates in 1,100 school districts in the United States and Canada, moves more passengers each day than all U.S. airlines combined. City Rep. Monica di Costanzo, D-7, said she worked with city and school officials to set up a meeting about Sutton Place. Michael Pollard, chief of staff to Mayor David Martin, said he held the meeting at the end of the summer but did not invite First Student. We couldnt find a property owner to speak to, so theres no community consciousness there, Pollard said. Property records show the site is owned by 316 Courtland Realty of the Bronx, one of a long list of limited-liability companies under Simone Development of the same New York address. Some of the Courtland Avenue buses serve Stamford schools and some are for Darien students, Pollard said. A line of greenery would absorb fumes and noise, Pollard said, but the city cannot force the property owner to plant it. The school district could add terms to First Students next contract, but it wont be renewed until June 2021. Its a tough nut to crack, Pollard said. Gibson and Iacovacci said they are frustrated. We have mold in school buildings and I pay taxes to clean that up, but here we are breathing in diesel fumes, Gibson said. I grew up a few streets from here. There were always businesses around, but nothing like this. Commercial use has become more intrusive, she and Iacovacci said. The lot occupied by First Student was used for decades by the former Southern New England Telephone Co., they said. We never had a problem with SNET, Gibson said. Another lot nearby, once home to Handyman Lumber, now is the site of City Carting. Now garbage trucks go up and down Courtland Avenue all day with trash flying out, Iacovacci said. She is tired of getting the runaround, Iacovacci said. I live near the tracks. I dont mind the trains. I know what this neighborhood is, she said. But the buses are beyond that. Im tired of hearing, Well, you live in Glenbrook. So we have to put up with this because its a middle-class neighborhood? Di Costanzo said there is frustration citywide with commercial uses intruding on residential neighborhoods. The lack of enforcement is a huge issue. The city is enforcing more, but I dont think its caught up, and I think a lot of it is catch me if you can, di Costanzo said. If we dont deal with it, its going to escalate. acarella@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2296. STAMFORD Westover Magnet Elementary School students and faculty will remain at the 1 Elmcroft Road location through the 2019-20 school year, according to the Mold Task Force. FAQ: What we know about the mold problem in Stamford schools The extent of the water intrusion issues at 412 Stillwater Ave. are proving as complicated as we suspected when we determined that students and faculty required relocation back in November, said Director of Administration and Task Force Member Michael Handler. The data and information received to date does not suggest that it is necessary to abandon the existing site; however, the experts working on the project agree that a renovation of the existing building is the appropriate course of action. The base rent on the space is due to rise in September, from $20 per rentable square foot to $30. The total rent for the 2019-20 school year will be $4,355,750, which includes electric, according to the lease. The fate of the old campus remains unclear. The Mold Task Force has scheduled a public meeting for Wednesday at 7 p.m., in the third floor auditorium at Westover Magnet School at 1 Elmcroft, to outline, in detail, the progress and strategy for the Stillwater property. According to a letter sent home to parents from Westover Principal Kathy Wunder, the renovation of the Stillwater campus is necessary and will require at extended period of time to complete. The letter also says Director of Operations Mark McGrath will be at the March 6 meeting to address concerns of student and public use of Kosciuszko Park. I am very excited that ... we will be able to remain in this beautiful building all together until the issues at Westover are resolved, Wunder said in the letter to families. In early November, the Mold Task Force announced they would be closing the Westover Stillwater campus indefinitely due to water intrusion issues and mold infestation. The school was originally closed on Oct. 30 due to the results of air quality testing done in the school after parents spoke out about its conditions. By mid-November, the district had moved the students to the 1 Elmcroft Road campus, which is owned by Building and Land Technology and previously served as the world headquarters of Pitney Bowes. A temporary lease for the building was signed in early November to occupy the property through the end of June. The total cost to do so was about $1.87 million, including utilities, with the option to rent the space for the next school year if needed. ekayata@hearstmediact.com. STAMFORD A sophomore from J.M. Wright Technical High School has been honored for his exemplary volunteer service with a Presidents Volunteer Service Award. Ethan Fleck, 16, a sophomore in the Carpentry Technology trade at Wright Tech, was recognized for his volunteer work at Lower Fairfield County CT Foodbank and The Ferguson Library. The award, which recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country, was granted by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. J.M. Wright Technical High School nominated Fleck for national honors this fall in recognition of his volunteer service. Ethan is passionate about all he creates in shop and works hard until he gets the job done, said Dr. Phyllis Bartoli, Wright Tech Principal of the Stamford student. He also has great relationships with his classmates. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), recognizes middle level and high school students across America for outstanding volunteer service. Across the United States, young volunteers are doing remarkable things to contribute to the well-being of the people and communities around them, said Prudential CEO Charles Lowrey. Prudential is honored to celebrate the contributions of these students, and we hope their stories inspire others to volunteer, too. "Demonstrating civic responsibility through volunteerism is an important part of life," said NASSP Executive Director JoAnn Bartoletti. "These honorees practice a lesson we hope all young people, as well as adults, will emulate." Prudential Spirit of Community Award application details were distributed nationwide last September through middle level and high schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and Affiliates of Points of Light's HandsOn Network. These schools and officially-designated local organizations nominated Local Honorees, whose applications were advanced for state-level judging. In addition to granting Presidents Volunteer Service Awards, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards selected State Honorees, Distinguished Finalists and Certificate of Excellence recipients. Volunteer activities were judged on criteria including initiative, effort, impact and personal growth. erin.kayata@stamfordadvocate.com Anna Meyer This weeks guest owes a lot of his success to me. At a previous job, I worked across the street from the Gregorys Coffee on W. 46th Street here in New York City, and Im pretty sure I personally paid their stores rent for an entire year with the number of espresso shots I purchased from them on a daily basis. If youre in the New York area, youre likely familiar with Gregorys Coffee (and by the way, for any grammar police out there who want to have me arrested, there is no apostrophe in the name). It started with one location in 2006 and has since expanded to 30 locations in New York, New Jersey and a couple in Washington, DC. Suspicious of his brother over missing money from two companies they owned at the New Jersey shore, Keith Caneiro emailed two business associates last fall, saying he was going to cut off further payments to his brother, Paul. The next day, Keith Caneiro, his wife and their two young children were found dead in their burning mansion in New Jersey horse country. Paul Caneiro was arrested on arson and other charges. On Monday, authorities unsealed court documents charging Paul Caneiro with murdering his brother, sister-in-law, a niece and nephew, detailing evidence recovered tying him to the killings including clothing and a knife both smeared with blood. An indictment charges Paul Caneiro, 51, with murder, felony murder, aggravated arson and a weapons offense. He also faces counts of theft, misapplication of entrusted property and hindering his own apprehension. The charges stem from the deaths of Keith Caneiro, 50; his wife, Jennifer, 45; and their two young children. Their bodies were found after a fire broke out at their Colts Neck home Nov. 20. According to the affidavit, Jennifer had been shot in the head and stabbed. Both children, ages 8 and 11, were stabbed multiple times. Paul Caneiro has pleaded not guilty. His attorneys have said their client loved his family, had no reason to harm them and had been wrongly accused. They said they plan to release a statement later Monday regarding the indictment. An affidavit filed by law enforcement officers in support of the criminal charges shows tensions brewing between the two brothers, who jointly owned a pair of businesses in Asbury Park. The night before he was killed, Keith Caneiro sent an email to two business associates indicating that there was money missing from the business and that he, (Keith), would be discontinuing payment to Pauls wife until the money was found, according to the affidavit. An office manager for the businesses, who was not named in court documents, told investigators that because Paul Caniero was disabled from a car accident, his salary was being paid to his wife. The office manager reported that in the past year, Keith has told her to stop payment to defendants wife because of arguments with Paul over money, the affidavit read. Keith Caneiro was 90 percent owner of Squareone Inc. a technology firm, with his brother owning the remaining 10 percent. The brothers were equal owners of a second business, EcoStar Pest Management, both of which were operated out of a single office in Asbury Park. Keith Caneiro wanted to sell one of the businesses and was frustrated with Paul and the amount of money Paul spent from their business accounts, according to the affidavit. Colts Neck police were dispatched to Keith Caneiros mansion in New Jersey horse country at 12:38 p.m. on Nov. 20 after a neighbor reported the house was on fire. Officers found Keith Caneiros body on the lawn; he had been shot once in the lower back and four times in the head. Inside the mansion were the bodies of his wife, Jennifer, their 11-year-old son Jesse and 8-year-old daughter Sophia. The children were stabbed multiple times; their mother was shot and stabbed. Officers searching Paul Caneiros house in nearby Ocean Township found a plastic container in the basement containing bloody clothing and a latex glove, according to court documents. The blood was later determined to have come from Sophia Caneiro, and her DNA was found on a knife recovered at the crime scene, according to law enforcement officers. A former Norwalk police officer injured during training testified before the state Legislature Wednesday supporting a law change that would allow municipalities to supplement disability payments for responders injured on the job, according to WFSB TV. Officer Phil Roselle was shot during a firing range training session in September of 2017 and still carries a bullet inside his chest. The city at first denied his workers' compensation claim, The Norwalk Hour said. He is now receiving retirement disability payments at about 75 percent of his workers' compensation payments, which is causing his family financial hardship, Roselle said. Under a law proposed by state Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, municipalities could provide supplemental payments to responders injured in the line of duty who are forced to retire. He is unable to return to work and is still suffering from injuries related to the shooting, he told legislators Wednesday. Roselle and his family testified Wednesday before the Legislature supporting the bill. Roselle's 15-year-old son, Michael, told lawmakers that his life has changed since his dad was injured. "I cant throw the ball with my father anymore because his arm is not working, hes just not the same. I miss my old dad," he said. The proposed bill would give municipalities the option of providing supplemental payments until the injured responder is old enough to receive their full pension. Mary Kingwoods home felt freshly settled. The roomy first-floor apartment in a yellow house sits on a quiet street north of downtown up Norwalk, as Kingwood called it. On a winter morning, sunlight flooded through windows and a sliding glass door leading to a small porch, warming the kitchen and den. A TV sat atop a stand, encircled by plastic chairs placeholders as Kingwood waited for her furniture to be delivered and cardboard boxes lined the walls. Kingwood, 73, likes her porch and the peacefulness shes found since moving two weeks ago into the Wilton Avenue home, which took her many months and multiple apartment visits to find with a Section 8 voucher. Her search was narrowed by her congenital heart disease and the oxygen tank she must maneuver around her living space. Per her doctors orders, only single-story, two-bedroom homes for an aide, or her children, to watch her after shes had an episode would do. Several places had potential, but one had no closet space and another, she liked, but they wanted water and electric and heat. Section 8 dont want to pay for that, Kingwood said. The move was spurred by the razing and redeveloping of her 46-year home at Washington Village the oldest housing project in Norwalk. The former federally funded project will be replaced by Soundview Landing, mixed-income development funded thanks to a $30 million federal Choice Neighborhood Initiative Grant and the private developer Trinity Financial. The new complex will feature 136 federal public housing units (Washington Village also had 136), 67 workforce housing units and 70 market-rate units. Kingwood was given a voucher to relocate during the construction and, upon its completion, will be offered a unit in the new development. But after more than four decades in a place, she is struggling to adjust. Soundview Landing looks to her like a hotel, cramped and without personal space, and Wilton Avenue can be lonely. Washington Village had room for her kids to play and it was in that space that she and her family laid down deep roots. Youd go to your front door, or youd go to your back door in the morning, and theres usually somebody standing there waving good morning, Kingwood said. This particular morning on Wilton Avenue, only the empty yards of neighboring houses were visible from Kingwoods porch. Death by a thousand cuts The Norwalk redevelopment is part of a nationwide trend: Inadequate federal funding has forced local Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) to cultivate private partnerships to provide affordable housing. Results for tenants have been mixed. In November, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development sent a directive to PHAs, acknowledging that need had outpaced available funding and instructing them to reposition their housing stock. That repositioning means making it easier to demolish public housing and also making it easier for PHAs to voluntarily convert public housing to vouchers, said Ed Gramlich, a senior adviser at the nonprofit National Low Income Housing Coalition, based in Washington, D.C. Vouchers are one of several types of federal assistance that provide aid to families, the disabled and the elderly to find housing. Other means of housing assistance include subsidized private development and state and federal public housing, the last of which has become increasingly less palatable to the government. By October, the feds aim to eliminate 105,000 units nationwide. Statewide, federal public housing stock has already dropped by more than 3,000 since 2008, from 17,149 to 14,074 units. This decrease has happened at varying rates in Connecticut municipalities. Norwalk, bucking the trend, gained nine units since 1998. Bridgeport has lost just 23 federal public housing units since 2012, though by one estimate, the citys low-income housing stock has dropped by as many as 1,000 units since the 1970s. New Haven lost more than 900 federal public housing units from 2002 to 2012. In Stamford, the average number of federally subsidized units through much of the 1990s was nearly 1,200. Today, there are 360. Once upon a time the federal government was very active in providing funding for new housing, not just keeping up existing, and thats gone, Stamford Land Use Bureau Chief Robin Stein said. Thats where big dollars used to come for a lot of housing projects. Gramlich estimated that since 2010, public housing has been underfunded by roughly $50 billion. During that same time, HUD has estimated a loss of between 10,000 and 15,000 public housing units a year. According to 2017 NLIHC estimates, there is a shortage of 7.4 million affordable extremely low-income (at or below the poverty guideline or 30 percent of area median income) rental homes. In Connecticut, there are only 36 affordable and available rental homes per 100 extremely low-income rental households. And with less funding, unresolved maintenance issues have piled up. With constant underfunding of the capital budget, basic repairs cannot be made, Gramlich said. When you starve the beast, the physical integrity of the units begins to crumble and then youre forced to demolish and theres no money to replace. Its kind of a death by a thousand cuts. PHAs must find alternate solutions. What were hearing over and over again from HUD is that theyre unable to fund public housing at a level that would allow us to maintain it properly, said Adam Bovilsky, executive director of the Norwalk Housing Authority. One of the main reasons for conversions is in order to ensure that public housing doesnt get dilapidated because of lack of funding. A dream takes seed A Dream Come True. So begins the second annual report from the Housing Authority of Bridgeport, dated 1940. Public housing has become a reality, through the working out successfully of one of the greatest cooperative enterprises in civic improvement that Bridgeport has ever seen, the report gushes, touting the citys first two public housing projects: the 1,251-unit Yellow Mill Village and the 516-unit Marina Village. The projects were made possible, in part, thanks to the petitioning in Hartford for funds by Father Stephen Panik, first chairman of Bridgeports Housing Authority, and socialist Mayor Jasper McLevy, and the passage of the federal Wagner-Steagall Act of 1937, which established the United States Housing Authority and allowed for the allocation of federal money to local housing agencies. The aim was to clear substandard housing to which low-income people were relegated in the pre-war years where conditions of crime and disease constitute a menace to the health, safety, morals and welfare of the residents, according to the Bridgeport report and replace it with cleaner, safer, subsidized options. They were located in cities like Bridgeport and New Haven to support factory workers and improve their housing conditions, particularly in relation to strategic industries, like gun production, said Alan Plattus, professor of architecture at Yale University. In Connecticut and nationwide, the concept was embraced and projects were erected in large numbers. Projects like Elm Haven in New Haven, Washington Village and Roodner Court in South Norwalk and Southfield Village and Vidal Court on Stamfords West Side were sold as beacons of hope for the citys neediest residents. Upon its completion in 1941, Yellow Mill Village, later renamed Father Panik Village, was heralded by McLevy as the biggest event in the history of Bridgeport. A dream deferred But by the mid 20th century, the dream had begun to wither, and projects were sources of the social ills they were ostensibly meant to cure. The reason: No jobs, or the disappearance of good, relatively high-paying, relatively low-skilled factory jobs, Plattus said. This is a familiar story. In the 19th and early 20th century, immigrants and people from rural areas in the South came to industrial cities. Without advanced degrees, or in some cases, without degrees at all, they could get a good factory job with benefits, join the union and build wealth, Plattus explained. So a lot of the people who started out in public housing, typically would move to better housing eventually. De-industrialization of cities also struck a heavy blow. Factories, which once sustained cities like Bridgeport and New Haven, shut down or relocated. Public housing became relegated to the housing choice of last resort, Plattus said. When a lot of this public housing was built, starting in the 1930s and on through the 1940s and early 1950s, segregation was legal, Gramlich said. In the years before the Civil Rights Act, properties were either intentionally placed in areas of low-income and racial concentration, or in some cases, were racially segregated by project building. That kind of racial dynamic was kind of baked into the system, Gramlich said. As conditions worsened in the 60s, 70s and 80s, public housing was deemed a failed experiment and politicians squeezed funding. Projects became synonymous with drugs, crime and general depravity. Glaring examples of the systems failure (Father Panik and Elm Haven, among many) became cautionary tales. Alternatives were sought, including the HOPE VI Housing plan in the 1990s, and more recently, the Obama-era Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program and loosened Section 18 demolition and disposition regulations. Each enables PHAs to demolish failed public housing and build replacements often with the aid of a private partner either with voucher or mixed-income units, that are seemingly meant to reduce the concentration of poverty and provide better living conditions and more opportunity for residents. I think that the old model of large public housing complexes is generally frowned upon at this point. I think theres general consensus among most policy makers that concentrating poverty is not healthy for families or cities, Bovilsky said. Where there are concentrations of poverty, theres normally less economic opportunity and outcomes for children tend to be reduced. Success, however, was varied. The push for repositioning justified the further depletion of HUD funds and, in many cases, destroyed projects were not replaced with an equal number of low-income units. Often, displaced former residents of housing projects were denied re-entry to the new developments built where their homes once stood. What generally happened is there was no 1-for-1 replacement, Gramlich said. By 1994, Father Panik was completely razed and in 2017, Crescent Crossings, a mixed-income, partially federally-funded complex opened in its footprint. In recent years, Elm Haven, Southfield Village, Vidal Court, and most recently, Washington Village, have succumbed to the same fate, ushering in a new and not necessarily improved era of housing assistance. I think it changes the face of how we serve our low-income communities, Bovilsky said. It depends on how you do it. Theres no question of a greater need of affordable and deeply affordable housing, whatever the trends of public housing may be. Moving up, moving out? Kingwood didnt come to Washington Village by choice. She was living with her children in an apartment on Flax Hill Road when, in 1970, the landlord sold to a developer. Kingwood, then a teachers aide, applied for public housing. I really didnt want Washington Village. But they put you where they wanted, Kingwood said. Nevertheless, Kingwood adjusted. Her children, then her grandchildren, grew up in the project and, like Kingwood, forged bonds among the rows of brick apartments. Neighbors barbecued in the summer, played games in the courtyard and hosted seasonal clean-ups. Kingwood, along with the other single mothers that surrounded her apartment, formed an informal support group, often coming to each others aid in intangible ways. I never had to worry because normally the kids would go out and there was another mother out there watching, Kingwood said. They say it takes a village to raise a family. Washington Village was that village. There were, undoubtedly, problems at the project while Kingwood lived there. And there are, undoubtedly, positives to the privacy of her new apartment. But only one of the two places really feels like home. To ride by and see it torn down hurts. Theyre not just tearing down a building, Kingwood said, of Washington Village. There were a lot of memories. Staff reporters Emlie Munson and Barry Lytton contributed to this story. justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586 STAMFORD A Port Chester, New York landscaper will probably be deported to his native Guatemala after having to spend a year in prison for having sex with a 15-year-old Stamford girl in a South End alley. Alex Flores, 22, pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree sexual assault and will be sentenced in May. Assistant States Attorney Elizabeth Moran told Judge John Blawie that police were called to Ludlow Street on July 25 at about 5 p.m. on the report of a young man having sex with a young girl. When police pulled up, they saw Flores holding onto the girl from behind in an alleyway. When the girl moved away from him, Moran said Flores penis was exposed and police found a used condom in his left rear pocket, Moran said. Police talked to the girl, and she told them she was 15 years old and that Flores was a family friend. The girl admitted to having sex with Flores before the officer arrived. Flores initially told police he was 17, and then falsely claimed he was 20, when in fact he was 21. Through an interpreter Blawie asked Flores if he knew what he was doing by pleading guilty and if the facts alleged by Moran were essentially correct. Flores said yes to both questions. Blawie said that by making the plea, Flores would almost guaranteed be deported after serving his sentence. jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media STAMFORD A Norwalk man will be sentenced to 42 months in prison after he pleaded guilty Wednesday at the Stamford courthouse to reduced charges for helping rob a Westport Avenue convenience store in 2015. Ernest Morales, 21, of Chapel Street, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree robbery and failure to appear in court. In late April he will be given an eight-year sentence that will be suspended after he completes three-and-one-half years in jail. He must serve five years probation following his prison sentence and if he violates probation he could be made to serve all or part of his four-and-one-half year suspended sentence. NEWTOWN The Sandy Hook memorial contract could have been awarded to architects with a national reputation, or to architects who have done good work here before, such as the firm that designed the new Sandy Hook School. Instead, Newtown chose two unknowns in the architectural world named Ben Waldo and Dan Affleck, whose memorial design of a walk through nature captivated the town. When they came to us, they were humble and passionate, and that really impressed us, said Dan Krauss, chairman of the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial Commission, the group that has spent five years helping Newtown decide how best to honor 26 first-graders and educators slain in the Sandy Hook shootings. They obviously thought a lot about this project, and we felt a real connection to them. The architects, in an interview with Hearst Connecticut Media, said part of what distinguished them from others whose designs also drew on natures connection to life, death and rebirth is that their motivations were not professional. They were personal. Both men work for San Francisco-based SWA, and have occasionally been on the same design teams for municipal parks or commercial projects. Dan and I had been talking about working on a project together on our own that was meaningful, said Waldo, 29, who grew up playing music before he could read. So this is a project we worked on after hours during weekends and lunches. We wanted to keep this personal, agreed Affleck, 40, a Hartford native who studied painting before focusing on architecture. So when they had the big public meetings for the (semifinalist) designers, we wanted our presentation to be just the two of us. The result was an interconnected design that inspired Sandy Hook families from the start a walk through the 5-acre woods of the memorial site to a circular center, where a young sycamore tree is planted in a reflecting pool. There is something spiritual about it that is aesthetic and emotional, said Alan Martin, a member of the memorial commission. It spoke to us, and we felt good about it. Newtown is in the final phase of a deliberate process to build a monument of commemoration and hope on a semi-secluded site near the new Sandy Hook School, which opened in 2016. First Selectman Dan Rosenthal is negotiating with SWA about a budget that Newtown residents would have to approve, perhaps in a referendum as soon as November. Although its too soon to say how much Newtown is prepared to spend on the monument, Rosenthal has reserved $4 million in the towns multi-year capital improvement fund to be used for the solemn site. The town has also paid SWA $250,000 to develop blueprints for the design created by Waldo and Affleck, known as The Clearing. The words resonate on two levels, Affleck said. There is the natural physical clearing of woods on the site itself, and a spiritual clearing in terms of clarity. Inviting interaction As soon as Affleck and Waldo agreed they wanted to work together on the Sandy Hook memorial, they encountered the overwhelming burden of the task. No piece of design is ever going to heal wounds as deep as a tragedy like this leaves, Waldo said. Added to that was the burden that somehow the monument had to be more meaningful than the sum of its elements. With that in mind, the duo handled the weight of the task in three ways: they tried to erase all of their preconceptions, they spoke with people they knew who lost loved ones, and they thought about the project for six weeks before starting to sketch. Their solution was a walk through nature to a circle with no beginning and no end, animated by a tree planted in water to represent the distance between life and death. People can engage in the mystery by placing an object in the water that embodies thoughts, emotions or reflections, Waldo said. When you give that away and send it across that space, it is like the culmination of a ritual. Affleck agreed, saying a floating object placed at the edge of the reflection pool will be gently carried by fountain hydraulics to the sycamore tree planted in the center. The water can be described as the unknown space between the now and the hereafter, Affleck said. We cannot cross over it, but we can send a candle over it. The hope is construction can begin next spring, and the memorial will be ready to dedicate on Dec. 14, 2020 the eighth anniversary of the Sandy Hook shootings. The architects stress they cannot say what someone might feel while walking in that space, except the memorial will have the ability to ground people. It locates you emotionally, Affleck said. By bringing people together in a circular nature, the physical form suggests a way to think about what happened. A medical cannabis firm is mulling a listing on the Londons junior stock market this year as it taps into growing investor appetite for the drug, the Standard can reveal. Founded by serial entrepreneur Alexandra Chong, 37, Jacana grows in northern Jamaica and completed its first deliveries to cannabis-testing firm Anandia in Canada late last year. Its investors include venture capitalists Eileen Burbidge and Bill Tai as well as former Microsoft executive Mich Mathews. Cannabis regulation has slackened in recent years, including in the UK where medical cannabis has been legal since last October. Chong (pictured) sold her last venture, the dating website Lulu, to app giant Badoo in 2016. Jacanas 4.4 million square farm is located in St Ann, North Jamaica, which Chong says offers the ideal conditions for cultivation of medical grade cannabis. Chong said: Were looking to raise more money and have big ambitions to grow. Weve been approached to float by several banks and the UK is one of our home markets. Medicinal cannabis can be used to treat epilepsy, chronic pain and mental health conditions like schizophrenia and posttraumatic stress. London is fast emerging as the European hub for cannabis companies looking to raise money and list. Investment bank and broker Canaccord, which has advised many cannabis groups in Canada, has set up a specialist unit in the UK ahead of the expected wave of listings in the coming year. Rival European Cannabis Holdings, which completed the first legal marijuana shipment into the UK last week, has hired Canaccord Genuity to work on a float. It is understood to be eyeing a valuation of more than 100 million. O ne line in Aston Martin Lagondas profit highlights today tells you all you need to know about how its 4 billion float came to be so overpriced. Excluding one-off IPO costs, AML delivered a profit before tax of 68 million. Inclusive of IPO costs, AML recorded a loss of 68 million. In other words, the City float cost 136 million including 13 million in fees and commissions. The company bought up pretty much every bank and broker in the City. Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Lazard, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse, HSBC, Unicredit, CI Capital, Houlihan Lokey, Numis and Mediobanca. With all that lot having a vested interest in a high float price, few big-bank research teams were free to say the price was blatantly wrong. So fund managers bought into the float with the publics pensions at 19 a share. After todays figures, theyre languishing at 12.40. Dismal. Whats so disappointing about this is that Aston Martin is a great British company doing well. The very kind of high-skilled, industrial business we should be nurturing to spread our economy away from its reliance on London financial services firms. Yet thanks to those very City firms, it now looks like a failure. Another company reporting today was also ill-served by the big banks when it came to float. Ready meals giant Bakkavors 2017 IPO was so overpriced that investors refused to buy in. On that occasion, smaller broker Peel Hunt rescued it, persuading the team to go for a more honest price, and got the float away. Sensible advice: after spending more than a year around and above the IPO price, despite grim figures today,it is only down a fifth on the IPO price. So, the City can get it right. If only Aston Martin had been so well advised. Metro Bank pays price for lost trust Metro Banks shares crashed to new lows today as it continues battling to salvage its reputation. The biggest crisis is, of course, its weak financial position. But it has a major issue of trust, too. Particularly over its communications with the City. First, it buried its accounting errors deep down in a press release in January, then its chief executive claimed the bank uncovered the mistakes when actually it was the regulators. Then, late on Tuesday after many City early birds had packed up for the day, it announced a cash call and issued financial results shortly before an unscheduled conference call to explain them. In the results, yet again, it buried news of a Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority investigation on page seven. R SA chief executive Stephen Hester reported his first down year since taking over the insurer after wild weather and underwriting losses in the London market hurt profits. The FTSE 100 firm, which offers home and car insurance through brands like More Th>n, posted its worst year since 2013. It is taking action to dampen the volatility and will have a better 2019, it said. Hester, who joined in 2014, said: Theres no way you can eliminate volatility in insurance but we would like to have less of it. Many things are going well but this is our first down year in the last five and we intend it to be our last down year for some time to come. The business is scaling back its presence in the larger-ticket London market, which offers insurance for large corporate customers, exiting areas like international construction and international freight. The size of the London market will halve from 300 million to 150 million. It made a colossal 109 million underwriting loss last year. A Singapore-based venture capital firm backed by tech and banking experts has launched its first London office and on Thursday unveiled plans to invest some 24 million in startups here. Antler said a team of 10 employees based in Old Street will look to invest 120,000 each into some 200 small businesses in London over the next four years. The firm was set up Magnus Grimeland, who co-founded Singapore-based fashion online retailer Zalora. Backers include Spotifys former chief technology officer Andreas Ehn, economist Lawrence Summers who was the former US secretary of treasury for President Clinton, and ex Goldman Sachs director Andrea Hajdu-Howe. Grimeland said: London is a truly dynamic, entrepreneurial city brimming with fantastic business talent. We think London is, and will continue to be, a global hub for entrepreneurs with ambition and drive . The city is full of opportunity and energy. A study in Political Heroism, 10 Downing Street. PMs Aide: Prime Minister, the members of your government are completely ignoring you. Collective responsibility has broken down. You must fire someone. PM: Youre quite right. Time for a firm grip. Ill sack the three Cabinet ministers who wrote a newspaper article publicly forcing me into a U-turn over a no-deal Brexit vote. PMs Aide: You cant do that! Theyre too important and well known. They could bring you down with them. PM: OK. How about we get rid of all those junior ministers who go on the radio issuing ultimatums and threatening to resign? PMs Aide: Im afraid not. Youre not in a strong enough position to do that. PM: So who should I fire? PMs Aide: Alberto Costa. PM: Who? Never heard of him. PMs Aide: Exactly. Hes our Tory MP for South Leicestershire and assistant to the Scottish Secretary. Hes very loyal and never rebelled. Thats why you havent heard of him. PM: So why are we firing him? PMs Aide: Because we can. Hes junior enough. Our excuse is hes tabled a motion requesting that you ask the EU for a separate deal to protect the rights of European citizens in Britain, and vice-versa. PM: But isnt that my own idea? I said so in 2016. PMs Aide: True But it wasnt his place as a lowly member of the Government to say so. PM: Well be voting against his motion, I assume. PMs Aide: No, well be supporting it. PM: So were firing Alberto Costa because he supports government policy? PMs Aide: Yes, Prime Minister. Its the best way to restore discipline to your government. Very courageous, Prime Minister. Anxious wait for schools Thousands of parents across London are wondering what tomorrow will bring: March 1 is national offer day, the moment secondary school places are confirmed. This year will be more anxious than most as we report, a third of children wont get a place at their first-choice school, and more than half of Londons boroughs have more children looking for places than they have available in their schools. Of course parents can appeal against decisions but with the capitals schools oversubscribed, they are less likely to be successful than anywhere else in England. Thats the bad news and its not about to go away, given the demographic bulge, which means demand for new places in secondary schools is set to keep growing until 2022. Our city needs more places, not only in established schools but also in new ones such as free schools. But theres good news too even for those who dont get their first-choice place tomorrow. Londons schools are not only in demand but also (mostly) successful. Ofsteds latest annual report found 92 per cent of all schools in the capital were judged good or outstanding at their latest inspection, compared with 86 per cent nationally. The capital also has the lowest proportion of schools judged to be stuck in poor performance. Thats a huge turnaround from the troubled Eighties when Londons secondary schools produced some of the worst results in the country. Its a tribute to the success of education reforms under a series of governments, most of them widely opposed at the time, and to the dedicated work of many teachers. Meanwhile, if you are a parent or pupil waiting for news tomorrow good luck. Koko turns up the music Without places to play, new bands can never become big. But London is short of venues, and more keep shutting than open. The 12 Bar Club in Denmark Street is just a memory now. But today brings some good news from Camden: Koko, the old Camden Palace (where Madonna first played in London), is about to undergo a 40 million redevelopment which will those behind it promise keep its 1,500-seat main hall and provide new performance and rehearsal spaces. T heres just over a week to go until International Womens Day and already Ive been inundated with emails about it, revealing the broad spectrum of feminism in 2019. Virtue-signalling companies are serving girl power afternoon teas chill out about #MeToo, let them eat pink macaroons which are thankfully being countered by practical campaigns to close the gender pay gap. Adding to this melee is feminist fashion. Accessorize now sells gold necklaces reading feminist. Even without equal pay theyre affordable statements of intent at 5. Its an improvement on the bling that was in when I was young enough to pull off Accessorize. I was furious with my mum for refusing to let me wear a Playboy necklace it signified cool in year five, as did trackpants emblazoned with sexy bad b*tch across the bum. Accessorizes decision to sell the necklaces will be about profit but marketing yourself as a feminist brand is no bad thing. At least its consistent Accessorizes gender pay gap is below the average. Can feminist fashion achieve meaningful results, though? Diors show opened this week with a Sisterhood Global T-shirt. It looks mega, as do the high-street imitations, but however right on your outfit is it wont stop sexism if only it were that simple. Youre not what you wear, as I discovered to my chagrin when I tried to talk about Blitzkrieg Bop with a boy in a Ramones T-shirt. I dont know who they are, I just like the T-shirt, he shrugged. Ive interviewed women who wear empowering T-shirts but baulk at the suggestion that they are feminists. The word can feel uncomfortable and some argue that it should be: its challenging entrenched systems. And what if not wearing feminist jewellery excludes you from the girl gang? What if your necklace breaks or, worse, goes out of fashion? Necklaces, then, are a feminist issue. Nothings inherently wrong with that, as long as feminism doesnt become white noise with no message, worn and then forgotten. BBC censors prefer to say paedophile The word c*** is too much for the BBC. Without wanting to give any spoilers about the new series of Fleabag, in episode one a man is asked why he doesnt like his brother. In the original script, he says because hes a c***. Despite the c-bomb becoming more common and used to great effect in the film The Favourite, where men are c***struck over beautiful women producers deemed it offensive. Its a sign of Fleabag writer Phoebe Waller-Bridges genius that she came up because hes a paedophile as an alternative. The c-word is implied. Instagram stars can help charities Stacey Dooley / Rex Features Why single out Stacey Dooley? MP for Tottenham David Lammy has criticised her for posting Instagram pictures of herself hugging a child in Uganda, saying the world does not need any more white saviours. Lammy misses the point. The presenter doesnt need me to stick up for her, shes already told Lammy she has worked in Africa for 12 years; no one there is upset by her picture and Comic Relief has raised more than 1 billion. Of course, charities and anyone who works in areas of war should constantly question their practice. The photographer Don McCullin was always asking what his work achieved during the 1969 Biafran famine he felt inept because all he could do was take photographs. But his pictures became etched on the public imagination and forced the cause to the top of the international agenda. Its the charitys responsibility to make sure that celebrity involvement is well managed. Dooleys approach was imperfect but if someone with 667,000 Instagram followers wants to draw attention to your cause, it seems short-sighted to refuse them. The writing is on the wall for Corbyn As archaeologists interpret the meaning of ancient graffiti found on Hadrians Wall (they doodled willies back then, the old jokes are the good ones), there have been some changes in spray paint stylings in north London. I f all goes to plan Ill be smiling by the time you read this column and not like an over-friendly pirate either. Thats because today is the day that my long dental nightmare comes to an end; Im having a new bridge fitted. Ever since Christmas Eve, when I knocked out my front tooth while retrieving a heavy gravy jug from a high cabinet, Ive had a full set of teeth only intermittently. Its been a boring, sometimes painful, but mostly embarrassing nine weeks, during which my boyfriend has kept himself amused by referring to me as Ofcom and sometimes Financial Conduct Authority because Im toothless (geddit?). On the plus side, the experience has enabled me to transcend to a higher spiritual plane where I am no longer concerned with such trivial matters as my appearance. Only joking! Im still as vain as ever. I have, however, learnt an important lesson about saving the planet. Settle in. Like the mandibular canine, this one has deep roots. It goes back to when I was waitressing at Walthamstow dog track, the now-closed greyhound circuit. One of the regulars was a feted celebrity of the cockney underworld, on account of having once spotted Reggie Kray across a crowded pub or something. He groped with impunity and told jokes about jigaboos, but the thing that terrified me most was his gruesome oral hygiene. The mans entire mouth was a memento mori, each tooth a tombstone, imploring you to Floss! Floss! Floss! While you still can! But did I? Well I did, but not enough. And I didnt get braces when I should have. And I certainly didnt visit the hygienist as often as youre supposed to. According to a recent Colgate survey, one in three people regularly forget to brush their teeth, and six in 10 know they should be taking better care of their teeth but still dont. Is that you? Its something to think about when youre lying back in the dentists chair, listening to the drill whirring. Maybe most of us are just constitutionally incapable of flossing properly. And by that I dont mean only the dental hygiene practice, or even the pre-teen dance craze (although that too). "Unglamorous innovations like these, which make it convenient to be virtuous, are our only chance of survival" I mean committing to the kind of tedious good habit that has no immediate pay-off but will surely benefit you in the future. Instead of making decisions according to principle, or even just common sense, we are often guided by convenience. Thats why the most significant news story of the week is nothing to do with Labours support for a second referendum or even the unsettling February sunshine. Its the invention of the first truly flushable wet wipe. Unglamorous innovations like these, which make it convenient to be virtuous, are humanitys only chance of survival. Seriously. Well need thousands more to stave off the apocalypse, of course. But still, theres something to smile about. Emmas still got the time for Times Up Emma Thompson / Getty Images Time's up. Its been up for ages but it still takes Emma Thompson standing there, impatiently tapping at her watch to get things moving. On Tuesday the two-time Oscar-winner reclaimed the title of Britains most fervently adored actress (soz, Olivia) by making public her reasons for pulling out of the upcoming animated feature Luck. In a letter to Skydance Media, the producer of Luck, she details why she felt unable to work with John Lasseter, who left Pixar amid sexual harassment allegations and was soon snapped up as Skydances head of animation. Thompson also questions doling out second chances when Lasseter is presumably being paid millions of dollars to receive that second chance and any Skydance employees who dont want to give him a second chance have to stay and be uncomfortable or lose their jobs. Holding #MeToos villains to account is complicated and wearying but cheering the heroes is one way to sustain ourselves for the road ahead. The fascinating question now is whether Luck will go ahead and, if so, which oblivious or wilfully contrary star will they get to fill in. Perhaps Kevin Spacey. Everyone deserves a second chance, right? Riris new fashions are right on track The pop star turned fashion powerhouse Rihanna has just signed a multi-million-dollar deal to launch a new clothing brand with luxury French conglomerate LVMH. There are no details yet on the design direction but since its been internally dubbed Project Loud France, the track listing of her 2010 album, Loud, provides some clues. S&M obviously means leather goods, Whats My Name? is monogrammed robes, Love the Way You Lie is tailored suits, and Skin should be a 55-shade line of nude-toned lingerie inspired by Fentys diversity-promoting foundations. Karl Lagerfelds name may be synonymous with his long and illustrious career at Chanel and Fendi but in Paris today it was his time at the helm of Chloe that was honoured. At the French fashion houses latest showcase, the legacy of the late, great Lagerfeld - whos career spanned not one but two stints at the brand, the first between 1963 an 1983, and again for five years from 1992 before handing the reigns to Stella McCartney - was remembered through tributes placed on every seat. Chloe pays deepest respect and gratitude to Karl Lagerfeld for the incredible genius he brought to us over his 25 years with the house, it read. His joyous capturing of the spirit of the Chloe woman is eternally treasured by us, and by everyone who felt the freedom and beauty of wearing his clothes. This heartfelt dedication was bound around a series of postcards documenting some of his most memorable images and quotations during his time there, including one taken from the February 1977 edition of Vogue Paris which read: Discretion is the key word. My dresses are for women who go beyond the obvious. Theyre made to transform everyday life into a fairytale, to create an atmosphere at every moment. Chloe AW19 show, Paris / Getty Images Today the house of Chloe, under the charge of Parisian Natacha Ramsay-Levi, also sought to recall his ability to create clothes which are as beautiful as they are practical. From immaculately cut camel cape coats to neck-tie silk blouses teamed with utilitarian cargo pants, this was functional, uber-femininity at its finest. Undoubtedly, the easy checked shirt dresses, zip-hem flared trousers and cool shearling coats were designed with the city-dweller at heart, but the spirit of freedom and adventure was laced into the very fabric of the collection too. Chloe AW19 show, Paris / Getty Images Trophy t-shirts emblazoned with the print of two hikers was among the most literal interpretation of Ramsay-Levis brand of wearable escapism, while looks laden with Talisman-style jewellery, from coral necklaces to shark tooth earrings, hinting at a woman well travelled. Since joining the house in 2017 from Louis Vuitton, Ramsay-Levi has been busy carving out her own legacy - most notably through a series of It-bags which have served as her collections most covetable additions since her arrival. Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle get all the column inches in the UK, but there's another, somewhat overlooked, royal who consistently scores highly in the fashion department. Over the years Queen Letizia of Spain has successfully managed the delicate balancing act of mixing high street and high end. On Thursday, the Spanish monarch showcased her fashionable flair at the opening of ARCO, a contemporary art gallery in Madrid, along with the Peruvian president, Martin Alberto Vizcarra. Wearing a fittingly contemporary leather dress, featuring side slits, kimono style sleeves, pockets and a low-v neckline, the look pushed the boundaries of royal wardrobe protocol in all the right ways. Continuing her penchant for an affordable hero number, the belted leather midi dress was from none other than & Other Stories, costing 299. Queen Letizia of Spain attends the opening of ARCO 2019 / Getty Images Queen Letizia accessorised the look with classic nude Prada heels, but also gave a nod to one of 2019's hottest trends: hair accessories. She accessorised the look with a black hair bow / Michael Murdock / SplashNews.com Taking note from the catwalks, the Spanish royal debuted a neatly tied black bow in her hair, which had been swept into a ponytail and sleek side fringe. Her makeup - smokey winged eyeliner and a nude lip - accentuated the look. Get The Look V iolinist Nicola Benedetti visited a south London school as part of a drive to encourage more youngsters to take up classical music. The professional musician from Ayrshire, who earned a 1 million record deal at 17, visited Jubilee Primary School in Brixton, where she ran a workshop with 140 children aged between five and eight. Ms Benedetti said playing to the children was the most incredible experience. She added: I have always felt driven to share my experiences, knowledge and the incredible teaching I have been so fortunate to have had access to. I believe everyone should have access to high quality music education, and I am passionate about promoting that. She played for the children before teaching them about the different ways music can be performed. Benedetti visited the school in her role as ambassador for music education charity London Music Masters (LMM). The charity, based in Kennington, sees teachers go into inner-city primary schools and teach the violin or cello. It has worked with more than 2,500 children and their families since it was founded in 2008. LMMs Rob Adediran said: Seeing Nicola work with our own teachers is inspiring. A mbience: 4/5 Food: 5/5 My visit to Yeni a new London sibling for one of Istanbuls hottest restaurants coincided with one of those sanity-testing work days: you know, the stressful drip drip of unfinished tasks and unsent replies. Youve got something stuck on you, said my cousin, Tenne, as we sat down to eat, pulling a long strand of hair that belonged to my wife, or one of my kids or, I dont know, some stranger Id fallen asleep against on the train, off my inside-out jumper. Anyway, I say this because two hours later, floating out into hopeful February sunshine after a spectacular meal, all those contorting stresses and life worries had melted away. In Yeni, Leiths-trained Turkish chef Civan Er has crafted a special restaurant, where the first arrivals from the kitchen induce a state of spa-break ease. And the familiar tropes of Anatolian cuisine are modernised and reappraised without losing any of its grit, soul or assertive, rough-hewn deliciousness. This compact and understated room in Sohos Beak Street (with its broad windows, tiled tables and faintly whitewashed brickwork) is almost certainly the best place I have eaten in so far this year. First from the sharply edited menu (broken up into 10 shareable starters and mains) came cig kofte tartare; a densely herbed, bolshily piquant patty of finely ground beef, topped by a ball of crisped potato, which opened up to unleash the dribbly gorgeousness of an egg yolk. Incredible. Octopus brought an invitingly charred tentacle beside a killer Ottolenghi-ish tangle of crimson bulgur wheat, fragrant isot chillies, pomegranate and sour cherries, all dolloped with a cooling blob of labneh. Compact and understated: Jimi Famurewa loves everything about Yeni / Jade Nina Sarkhel Pan-fried feta wearing a light jacket of flaky batter and served with samphire and a chilli honey packing an addictive catch-your-breath burn played the same notes in a different, equally enthralling order. Lamb shank (too often a drab, Flinstones meat-cosh that youre sick of after a couple of bites) had that perfect mix of crackled skin and blushing succulent flesh, plus assiduously cooked, pretty pieces of rainbow chard studding a reservoir of gluggable tamarind-laced jus. What was less than amazing? Well, brill with prunes and pastrami-like pastirma in a tarragon-green, raki-spiked sauce didnt fully hang together for me. Tenne noted that his Chianti (from a sizeable, ranging list) was merely fine. And as our bill came to 125 quid with hardly any booze, let us generously say that pricing here reflects the realities of rent in one of the more financially brutal parts of town. But, truly, I just loved everything about Yeni (which aptly means new in Turkish). I loved the Turkish pop songs randomly mixed into the unobtrusive indie on the stereo. I loved the fact that in a bold move the only coffee available is of the soil-like, Turkish rocket fuel variety. I loved the toasted slabs of sourdough, served with the waxy, clarified thrill of smoked butter. And I especially loved the frizzy-haired little custard fritters we had for pudding, squashed next to gently aniseed mastika ice cream and dancing in an insane, sherbety orange syrup. Yeni soothed and pleased me greatly, and I cannot wait to go back. I may even look in a mirror first next time. Yeni 1 Small glass Chianti Classico, 8.50 1 Cig kofte, 14 1 Octopus, 17 1 Lamb shank, 27 1 Brill, 32 1 Pan fried feta, 12 1 Fritters, 9 Total 125.50 Yeni, 55 Beak Street, Soho, W1F 9SH, yeni.london M awkishly nostalgic books about London are two-a-penny, and here, on the surface, is another one. Robert Elmss tears are very much to the fore as the book begins, his mother dying in University College Hospital, and a cabbie asking him how shes doing. Elms made his mothers condition public on his BBC Radio London show, and it seemed as though the whole city knew. This is no longer my London, are the opening words of the book, spoken by his mother, and the rest of the book describes the journey of how London got from there to here there being the London Elmss parents knew but with nods and excursions to a more distant past. Elmss sentiment is evident throughout the book no one who has heard his show could imagine how it would be anything else. Hes not exactly tight-lipped, and theres also a hucksterish element to his writing, a fairground barkers way with words that perhaps works better spoken aloud than on the page, but then this is a freewheeling book that revels in the tales it tells and it tells plenty. I thought I knew London; I lived here for the first 54 years of my life, after all, and was paying attention, or thought I was. But Elms digs out eye-popping stories that were new to me. The bus driver who gunned his double-decker, full of passengers, over the opening gap of Tower Bridge (A scene, writes Elms, which if it occurred in a cliched London movie would be laughed off the screen); the buses that were destined for Cuba but which ended up sinking or being deliberately sunk in the Thames; the story of the largest mass murder in Britain committed by a single person at 18 Denmark Place in 1980. This is a lament for a lost London, one which used to be much wilder, darker and poorer than the one you see about you. If you are the kind of person who thinks that building Crossrail and carving huge lumps out of the citys history in the process is a good thing, this book might not be for you. I, however, am with Elms every inch of the way as he protests against the sanitisation of his hometown. He knows that in many respects modern London is a better place than it used to be but it is certainly more boring. And yet he is honest enough to admit that there is something a little fabricated about his feelings for London, for he comes from Burnt Oak, almost a suburb in his day, and when he identifies with the anarchic enclave of Frestonia in an ungentrified Notting Hill, he admits: I know I never came from here. This cockney saudade is a common malaise, he says earlier, of a yearning for places one didnt actually grow up in (as an East Finchley boy, I know exactly what he means). But if you are reading this newspaper, ideally on public transport, then you are a part of London, like it or not and this book will help you see it through new eyes. It is a delight. I miss my wall, sighs Billie Eilish, slumped so far into a sofa that she looks like shes about to slide right off. Shes just arrived in one of Pariss swankiest hotel suites grand piano, chandeliers, direct view of the Eiffel Tower but the 17-year-olds mind is back home on the outskirts of LA where she grew up under the encouraging, homeschooling guidance of actor parents. Specifically, Billie is thinking of the bedroom wall on to which, for the past few years, shes been scrawling thoughts she cant even bear to put into her music. Which is saying something, considering her songs dont exactly shy away from intense topics: her jarringly sparse current single, Bury a Friend, contains a chant of I wanna, I wanna, I wanna end me. The bedroom wall is hidden by a blanket, Billie says. When you lift it up, theres a whole bad dream to look at. If you were to come across that wall in someones house youd leave. The walls first encounter with a Sharpie came when Billie scrawled WHO AM I, EVEN? across it in huge block letters. (I dont really think I want to know, she says, when I ask if she ever found out.) Its latest addition? Not words at all. It was a picture of a monster Id had a dream about. A weird creature with dripping parts of its body. I have a lot of these creatures in my head. All of which will come as precisely zero surprise to the fans, currently standing at more than 30 million monthly Spotify listeners who have been with Billie since 2015 when she accidentally set out on a journey to become one of the planets most essential new artists. Theyll know, for instance, that Fingers Crossed, the first song Billie ever wrote, was inspired by zombie saga The Walking Dead. I ask her if she remembers how she felt when shed finished making it, back when she was just 13. I thought I was a genius, she says. I thought it was so good. I was so excited. To be fair, she had a point. The Walking Dead may have lost the plot after a strong start but Billies potent pop proposition comes into sharper focus with each release. One of her idols, Lana Del Rey, is a fan; earlier this month Dave Grohl enthused that Billies relationship with her fans reminded him of his own experiences in peak-era Nirvana. It is telling that Grohls introduction to Billies world was through his daughters: her success has happened inside the phones of her fanbase. Labels are now falling over themselves to manufacture the next Billie Eilish. Which is missing the point, of course. I was so the opposite of an industry plant, she says today. Tellingly, and convincingly, she also says: People really love the idea of fame. I dont. Billies breakthrough came when she recorded a song with her brother Finneas, who as an actor you may recognise from Glee, and as a musician still collaborates on all Billies music; he now travels with his sister as part of the band. Today, Billie is also joined by her mother, Maggie Baird, who as well as being an actor is a part-time trapeze instructor and the apparent instigator of one of Billies middle names: Pirate. Billie, whod been singing and dancing since the age of three, had been asked to write a song for a dance project; Ocean Eyes was the result and Billie uploaded the song to Soundcloud. It was for my friends who liked my voice, Billie remembers. And really, not even them, because half my friends thought it was a joke. I remember specifically someone saying: Billie, this is s***. Top by Fendi (fendi.com) Shorts by STUDIO ALCH (selfridges.com) The strange and charismatic song went viral and has since been streamed more than 322 million times across Spotify and YouTube alone, an object lesson in the benefits of refusing to underestimate music fans demand for something interesting. Its also true of Bury a Friend, which is currently on Radio 1s A List despite it sounding, each time its played, as if the station has been replaced by an emergency broadcast from outer space. Not to be weirdly cocky, she says, but people are cool, I guess? It follows that while Billie is undeniably influential to her 13.5 million Instagram followers, she steers clear of being an influencer. Her Insta posts are far from obsessive and she doesnt even run her own Twitter account, suggesting a scepticism towards social media. Its not worth it, to share things on the internet any more, she says. It takes away. Its way better to be mysterious. I wish I could go back to the beginning and not show the internet who I am. One thing she did keep private until the end of last year was that as a child she was diagnosed with Tourettes syndrome one physical tic is an involuntary eyeroll. Her hand was forced, slightly not knowing of the diagnosis, fans had compiled clips of Billie rolling her eyes in interviews. I know youre all confused as to what it is, she told them in an online post, so just to let ya know its Tourettes. Billies new album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, is the successor to 2017s nine-track collection Dont Smile at Me, which was billed as an EP but ended up scaling the planets album charts anyway. It builds on the thematic palette of Bury a Friend and delves into nightmares, sleep paralysis and the unexplainable places you go when you sleep. The more Billie talks about dreams, the more understandable is her obsession. The thing is, dreams keep coming true. Like the dream she had last night that a bee landed on her leg. And earlier today, she professes, a bee landed on my leg in the exact same place. The fact that dreams somehow come to life has blossomed [into] a lot of unnecessary worrying. Top by Fendi (fendi.com) Its particularly worrying because Billies most traumatic recurring nightmare is one in which shes killed. When I ask her what she thinks it means, I wonder if shell regale me with some elaborate dream analysis; but no, shes simply worried about being killed. Its very creepy to me, because She stops. Ive never told anyone this, by the way. Then another long pause. And then she says there actually was a moment last year when she genuinely felt her life was in danger. She wont discuss the specifics, but she remembers precisely how she felt. I literally felt like I was drowning, she says, as tears form in her eyes. All I could think was: Id never be able to have a kid. I thought about how my moms life would be ruined. And she would be so sad. Parts of Billies noir-ish pop proposition do seem exaggerated for instance, she smiles far more in person than youll ever see in her photos or videos. At the risk of blowing her image entirely, shes incredibly likeable. But her music seems rooted in honesty. At the very start of our chat, when I asked Billie how she was, she replied: Fine! Then when I asked her, seriously, how are you?, her answer was rather less casual: I dont really know. I feel like I try to stay away from that side of my brain, thinking about how I am. I feel like if I do, I get inside my head and wallow into a pit of sadness. People really love the idea of fame. I dont I ask how often she sees her therapist, which turns out to be rather presumptuous. I dont have one, she says. There were a couple of sessions, she adds, but they didnt come to anything. I really need therapy. I just dont really like talking about specific things. Im comfortable talking about how I feel, but not why Were working on that, interjects Billies mum, Maggie, from the other side of the room. Its all about finding the right person, Maggie says, not to mention finding enough time. In the meantime Billie seems hyper-aware of both the benefits and the risks of her music operating as tacit therapy for her young fan base. Its a big responsibility, Billie nods. I think instead of changing the art I make, its about letting everyone know that my art is just my way of release. Young people and depression is a serious issue and some might argue that her lyrics are not helpful. There are songs on the album where if you were in a vulnerable state and you werent in the right mindset, they could potentially She chooses her words wisely. ...not help you. I try to make everyone aware that I know theyre suffering, and this is my art for you to hug and take as a comfort. I know some of my music, being as depressing as it is, may not sound like its helping people, but talk to those girls who are sitting outside overnight to see me and ask them if its helping them. In fact there are plenty of girls, and a handful of boys, outside our hotel right now; Billie usually waits until she has moved on before she posts photos on social media, but an hour ago she absent-mindedly added a shot from our window to her Instagram Story. Fans figured out our location from the position of the Eiffel Tower. We go down to meet them; hugs all round, dozens of selfies. Billie and her mum already know some of them by name theres a Hannah, a Sarah, an Iris. On the way back inside, Billie sticks out her tongue playfully and flashes the fans a peace sign. Its clear she knows a lot about the lives of her fans, but of course she does: international success aside, shes one of them. Top by Off White (off---white.com) Back upstairs we talk about how older generations often dont take seriously the mental health of teenagers. Billies response is: Adults are so f***ing dumb sometimes. When I mention the younger generation being ignored and even ridiculed on topics like climate change, gun control and Brexit, shes even more direct. Old people should shut up, is her first thought. Thats what they should do. Imagine, she proposes, moving out of a house and telling the new tenants what colours the walls should be painted. Youre not going to live there any more youre moving out! The person whos moving in should be able to make the decisions. When Im 60 Im not even going to pretend I know whats best for 17-year-olds, because I wont. A 70-year-old now doesnt know whats best for me. No way! Ugh! She smiles. I mean, I dont even know whats best for me. But I should still be able to decide what my future is. Billie Eilish plays Shepherds Bush Empire 4-6 March. Her album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? is out 29 March. Photographed on location in the Haute Couture Suite at Dorchester Collections Hotel Plaza Athenee: Dorchestercollection.com T he first artwork Tiffany Zabludowicz acquired was a small drawing by Grayson Perry: she was given it for her bat mitzvah. This tells us two things. First, that she has long been destined for her current occupation, as collector and curator. Second: it was a really, really nice bat mitzvah. Zabludowicz is a strong enough name in the first place, but if youre an art lover at least, its getting harder and harder to ignore. You should know it already thanks to the efforts of Tiffanys parents, Poju and Anita, who are notable collectors themselves: it helps that theyre regularly ranked among the top 10 wealthiest couples in Britain, with a fortune of around 1.5 billion. Tiffany, now 26, is the second of their four children. She has pretty much always been surrounded by their host of Chapmans, Emins and Hirsts, and for the past 10 years or so has been discreetly adding to it herself. Were here then, at the Zabludowicz Collection gallery near Kentish Town, to discuss her new curated show, which features a mixture of established artists like Cindy Sherman and Isa Genzken, and edgy young Instagram-friendly ones like Chloe Wise and Signe Pierce. It looks properly credible, and has an enjoyably feminist edge. So collector, yes, curator, yes: one label shes less keen on is heiress. Heiress? Eugh! I mean, help, she says. Im not Paris Hilton! In fact shes almost the anti-Paris brunette and petite and discreetly dressed, mostly in black and a modish check blazer. The only thing they have in common is a soft nasal voice, but she is absolutely not Valley Girl rather, her nice north London vowels have been moulded by years spent living in New York. Actually, maybe two things in common: Zabludowicz isnt short of ambition either. Curating is her passion, she tells me, over a very civilised tea. I feel like if I get really good at it, I can impact the field. And I really do wanna get very good at it. I want to become a master. "If youre pushing yourself to do things differently, you have to be open to the craziness of it" Lets be honest: when youre in line to inherit gazillions of pounds, you kind of are an heiress. But Zabludowicz does a pretty good job of pushing that to the bottom of her CV. Im not living a spoiled life, she promises. Im spending my time working really hard with artists who are the most down to earth people. Im someone whos willing to be packing up boxes of art for six hours. It just doesnt quite fit with the term heiress, you know? But then, she sighs in her deadpan way, I also dont care. Whatever. And to be fair, the only time she sounds a bit one per cent is when she sighs about one of the main problems of being a young collector today. I would like to be on a plane a bit less, she says sweetly. How often is that? It varies, but sometimes too often. Is it your plane? No, no, no, she laughs, One hundred per cent not. Economy BA. But I am an airmiles holder, so thats good. Zabludowiczs show, World Receivers, does sound fun. Its themed around identity, and since thats a pretty mad and fragmented concept these days, it sounds pretty mad and fragmented, too. A portrait of the transgender actress Hari Nef, by Chloe Wise, will sit alongside works made of gel, or cowhide, or a tapestry that asks: What would the mermaids think about Christopher Columbus?. There is also a performance devised by someone called Puppies Puppies, inspired by the existential plight of Olaf the Snowman of Frozen fame. Once a week, a performer will don an Olaf costume and dance until they collapse, exhausted. A cacophony of very relevant but also quite entertainingly presented statements, is how Zabludowicz puts it. When she is helping pull all this together, does she ever think: this is a bit mad? Thats whats fun, is if its a bit mad. If youre pushing yourself to do things differently, you have to be open to the craziness of it. I think thats the point, she goes on. Its never work, its always playtime, which is amazing. It was Anita who first introduced her young daughter to art, dragging her around galleries as a child. Tiffany recalls being taken to see Michael Landys Break Down, in 2001, when the artist infamously pulverised everything hed ever owned. It made quite an impression on the eight year old. I remember watching his entire lifes possessions placed on a conveyor belt and systematically turned into sawdust, she smiles. I was horrified, mildly. But also inspired by how wide-reaching art could be. Anita sounds like quite a force of nature herself, a Geordie who was working in Harrods when she met Poju in a Chelsea nightclub. When I suggest to Zabludowicz that maybe she collects the younger artists, and her mother the older ones, she quickly sets me straight. Its not quite so simple, because my mums so cool, and so on the pulse of my generation. Shes sometimes more millennial than me, which is a little... frightening. Like, Mum, get off Instagram! Zabludowicz stresses that her childhood was normal (lets assume it was as normal as they could make it). She got the bus every day to the local school, for instance, but that school was the prestigious all-girls Channing in Highgate. Its clear that both parents, each gritty northerners of a sort (Poju is Finnish), wanted their kids to stay down to earth. Its upbringing, but its also a choice, says their eldest daughter. You can choose to be a brat, or you can choose to be a productive human. Zabludowicz duly studied well at Channing, and then went to the prestigious Brown University, on the east coast of America, to pursue art history. After that she moved to New York, which is home, although both London and Finland are, too. Zabludowicz struggles to define the differences between London and New York (possibly because there are fewer and fewer, particularly at a globetrotting art market level). But she does think that London is more experimental, and offers a better quality of life. What she is much more decisive on is the identity politics that have defined this decade. Trumps shock election galvanised her, and she finds the art worlds lack of gender equality still far fewer female artists represented by London galleries, still fewer female solo shows terrifying. Her own show, in contrast, only has four males among its 16 artists, and its no coincidence, she admits. I dont understand why the [art] world hasnt caught up with the movements that have been taking place, she says, but maybe that takes time. My generation is very thoughtful. Were more aware of issues like that; people are constantly checking themselves and contemplating the morality of their actions, because we have to. Because the world is at stake. Perhaps a better comparison than Paris Hilton is Peggy Guggenheim, though the obviousness of it would make Zabludowicz wince. Like Guggenheim, she comes from a phenomenally wealthy, prestigious Jewish family, and has a deep passion for her field. Unlike the naughty Guggenheim, she is generally well behaved, and being lined up to do something Guggenheim never quite nailed. I mean, my mum just wants me to get married, she jokes and then retracts and then doesnt. She says that, but the minute I stop working, she goes nuts and pushes and pushes me. Which is amazing, she adds. Whether she finds the right boy or not, you do sense shell stick to the art. She plans to keep curating, obviously, and she is tantalisingly vague as to whether shed set up her own Guggenheim-style foundation. Who knows what the future will bring? By the way, does what she buys end up in the family collection? Theres no secret Tiffany store, she laughs. Unless youre talking about jewellery. A second 17-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of a young man stabbed outside a south London youth club. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested in Manchester on Wednesday and charged with murder on Thursday, Scotland Yard said. Glendon Spence, 23, was attacked at the Marcus Lipton youth centre in Brixton on the evening of Thursday, February 21. Another 17-year-old appeared at Bromley Youth Court on Monday charged with murder and possessing a bladed article. A global money launderer who helped fraudsters steal more than 6 million before auction house Christies raised the alarm has been jailed for nine years. Kazeem Akinwale, 43, offered his services to criminals around the world for three-and-a-half years, setting up bank accounts from his home in south-east London as more than 100 businesses were targeted. Victims were fooled by spoof emails, apparently from genuine business customers or suppliers, asking for invoices to be paid to a bank account which had been set up by Akinwale. The scam, known as a mandate fraud, was finally unravelled when Christies realised it was being targeted, sparking a National Crime Agency investigation which led back to Nigerian-born Akinwale. Jailing him at the Old Bailey yesterday, Judge Mark Dennis said: This was very serious offending over a prolonged period, engaging in money laundering large sums obtained as a result of the fraudulent activities of others. Australian mother-of-two Melissa Walsh said her company Melobaby took two years to recover after falling victim to the scam. She said in a statement: It took me a year to recover emotionally. The fraudsters hacked into the internal email accounts of the businesses and spoofed emails. Victims believed they were still messaging genuine clients or customers. Between August 2013 and March 2017, Akinwale using the alias Ola Gapiano set up bank accounts which would receive the stolen money and swiftly move it on to other accounts, receiving a commission for his illicit work. He was caught with messages to and from fraudsters as well as screenshots of the stolen money being deposited. Akinwale, of Erith, even continued after investigators first came to his door, before he was formally arrested. In total he processed 6,087,596. Only just over 1 million has been recovered, the court heard. Investigators found evidence of 73,270 in commissions paid to Akinwale, but believe his earnings were much larger. T wo teenage boys, aged 14 and 16, have been stabbed after a "big fight" broke out in an east London street. Police and paramedics were called to Beehive Lane, a busy road in Ilford, shortly before 4pm on Thursday. The younger boy was rushed to hospital in a life-threatening condition however his injuries are no longer thought to be critical. A large group of youths had been fighting, Scotland Yard said. Local MP Wes Streeting said there had been a "big fight" and thanked the emergency services for their "rapid response". A police spokesman added: Two teenage boys were found suffering from stab injuries. They have both been taken to an east London hospital. Another male has been arrested on suspicion of GBH. A crime scene is in place. It comes after a young man was stabbed to death outside Ilford station shortly before 9pm on Tuesday. A young father stabbed to death after being chased down by a gang in north London has been pictured by police. Kamali Gabbidon-Lynck, 19, from Enfield, died in hospital from multiple stab wounds after being abushed and chased in Wood Green on February 22. The teenager was surrounded outside a Vue cinema before being pursued by a gang on bicycles armed with a samurai sword, knives and a gun and cornered in a nearby hair salon. A second man, 20, was shot but survived the attack at 8pm on Friday evening. Detective Chief Inspector Simon Stancombe of the Homicide and Major Crime Command has urged any witnesses to speak to the police. Kamali Gabbidon-Lynck was stabbed to death in north London / Metropolitan Police He said: Kamali was chased into a hairdressers where he was cornered by the suspects and attacked, sustaining the knife wounds that would end his life. I know that there were a lot of people that witnessed at least part of this incident and I know that many of those people will be afraid to come forward and speak with police I urge those people to make use of the anonymous services available to enable my officers to remove these violent criminals from the area where you live, work or socialise. Who are the males on the bikes? Do you know their names? Did you hear shots fired? Even more important, do you have footage of any stage of this tragic incident? If you do please share it with us by visiting ukpoliceimageappeal.com. Help us identify these suspects, for Kamali, for the second victim, and for the safety of your community. There have been no arrests, police said. A relative of Mr Gabbidon-Lynck previously told the Standard the family were devastated at the loss of the teenager. The relative said: We are devastated. Kamali was brutally murdered. A family friend added: Yesterday I sat in a house and watched a mum cry over the loss of her son, I had to watch a sister cry over the loss of her brother and to top it all off had to see a baby girl playing, not even knowing someone has taken her dad from her. A woman who bludgeoned her husband to death with a hammer has won an appeal against her murder conviction in a landmark decision. Court of Appeal judges ruled Georgina 'Sally' Challen will face a retrial nine years after she killed her husband Richard at their home in Surrey. The ruling was made today on the grounds that she was suffering from two mental disorders at the time of the killing. Challen wiped away tears as the decision to quash her murder conviction was announced, while supporters present in court burst into applause. Speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, her son David said: "It's an amazing moment... the abuse our mother suffered, we felt, was never recognised properly and her mental conditions were not taken into account. "Her sons will get another shot for our story to be heard, the events that led to our father's death to be heard, and for our mother to have another shot at freedom, freedom she has never had since the age of 15." Sally Challen and her husband Richard, right Challen, 65, attended the appeal on Wednesday and Thursday via video link from HMP Bronzefield in Ashford, Surrey. Lady Justice Heather Hallett, sitting with Mr Justice Sweeney and Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, ordered that she must face a retrial for murder. She said: "The Court of Appeal heard that, in the opinion of a consultant forensic psychiatrist, the appellant was suffering from two mental disorders at the time of the killing. "This evidence was not available at the time of the trial and and the court quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial." Challen says she killed 61-year-old Richard in August 2010 after 40 years of being controlled and humiliated by him. She was found guilty of his murder at Guildford Crown Court in 2011 and jailed for life. At her trial, Challen, from Claygate, admitted killing the former car dealer but denied murder, claiming diminished responsibility. The prosecution case was that it was the action of a jealous woman who suspected infidelity. She was jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years, later reduced on appeal by four years. A record 33,000 children will miss out on their first choice of secondary school in London, education experts have predicted. The Good Schools Guide, which produced the analysis, warned that half of the capitals local authorities are at breaking point over places. Tomorrow is national offer day, when families across England learn where their children will start school in September. It is predicted 34 per cent of all London children will start at secondary schools that are not their top preference. Out of the capitals 32 boroughs, 16 are estimated to have received more applications than they have places, analysis of government figures shows. Secondary schools in London will have 96,000 applicants 4,000 more than last year. Figures from the past six years show that the situation has deteriorated every year. As well as a shortage of places, experts said there was an oversubscription of the most popular schools. Bernadette John, a director at The Good Schools Guide, said Londoners are being let down by inadequate provision. She said a demographic bulge of children had worked its way through primary schools and was hitting the secondaries. It has been a long time coming, but it is proving very hard to open new schools in the capital and the alternative of adding classes to schools already fit to burst is not sustainable, Ms John said. We will continue to see demand for year-seven places grow until at least 2022, and, to rub further salt in the wound, London parents who wish to challenge a school place decision have the worst rate of success for appeals in the country. Last year 66 per cent of the capitals applicants were given a place at their first-choice school. It is in contrast to the rest of the country, where children have an 82 per cent chance of receiving their first choice. A newborn baby with unexplained bruising was discharged into a harmful situation at home four times as social workers showed undue deference to senior doctors, a report revealed today. The child, known only as Baby Adam, was six weeks old when he came to the attention of a GP and social services in Tower Hamlets in February 2015. But despite injuries considered non-accidental, it took six to eight weeks before paediatricians at Whitechapels Royal London hospital ordered his urgent removal from the family home. Todays report from Tower Hamlets council made 20 recommendations. It took four years to be published eight times longer than it should have. Report author Briony Ladbury said: Insufficient attention was paid to the age of Adam when he presented with bruising. The failure to instigate a robust response resulted in his discharge into a harmful situation on four occasions. Adam, now four, and his elder brother, whose overexcited behaviour startled a visiting social worker, were made the subject of a court order in May 2015 and transferred to the care of their grandparents. Adam, who has fully recovered, was first referred to the hospital after a GP became concerned about facial bruising. At later visits a left-eye haemorrhage was found. His father explained leg bruises may have been caused by Adam being held down in a salt-water bath after being circumcised. Doctors checked for cancer and blood disorders. When X-rays, which showed healing rib fractures, were eventually ordered, it took 13 days for them to be reviewed by paediatricians. It was only when a newly qualified consultant argued against his colleagues that Adam was recalled and taken into protection. The report said: There were sufficient factors to suspect maltreatment. He was depicted as a baby who bruised easily and his parents were described as concerned [and] cooperative. There was no police investigation due to a failure to gather evidence during Adams care. Debbie Jones, Tower Hamlets corporate director of children, said: [There was] weak practice that placed too much weight on the views of parents and the need to wait for a diagnosis. We have taken action to change how we work. A n award-winning artist is appealing for help finding a bespoke Donald Trump wig worth 15,000 which she accidentally left in London taxi. Alison Jackson made the appeal on her Instagram account on Tuesday after apparently leaving the hairpiece in a black cab in Leicester Square. The artist, who won a Bafta for her BBC show Doubletake in 2002, photographs lookalikes of famous people in compromising situations as a commentary on celebrity culture. After losing the wig, Ms Jackson said: "I've got to have it back. Please. It's got an orange quiff and it looks like Donald Trump's hair." The wig was fitted on a wig maker's block inside a black bin liner and is made of human hair which was dyed, cut and styled to be as close to the real US president's barnet as possible. It was intended to be worn by a Trump lookalike who will appear in Ms Jackson's Leicester Square show next week. "He's very attached to it, he doesn't like to take it off," she told the Press Association. "It's extraordinary what happens, one minute he's nobody and suddenly he's got the wig on and he's a complete and utter star. "That wig is part of his stardom, and probably Donald Trump's himself." An award-winning artist is appealing for help after losing a bespoke Donald Trump wig / Alison Jackson Without it, he is just "an overweight, bald, normal-looking guy", she added, referring to the lookalike. "It's the wig that makes the man." Ms Jackson reported the loss to Transport for London but has yet to hear anything back. A TfL spokesman could not confirm if any wigs had been handed in but urged anyone who loses belongings on the transport network to contact the lost property office. As well as the official report and social media appeal, Ms Jackson said she had been putting up signs on lampposts to ask for any sightings "like a lost cat". The hairpiece took 15 stylists more than six months to make, she claimed, following detailed research into 1960s hairstyles and "diagrams of how to do it on the internet". Ms Jackson first rose to prominence in the 1990s after producing photographs of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al-Fayed lookalikes with a mixed-race child. Her BBC show Doubletake featured celebrity lookalikes in embarrassing situations and, more recently, she organised a protest rally with the Trump lookalike and scantily clad women in Manhattan ahead of the 2016 US presidential election. "I just need it back is the main thing," she said of the wig. "If nobody comes back from TfL or the taxi lost property office then I'm completely stuck. "It's been missing since 10 in the morning and the show opens on Tuesday with the Donald Trump lookalike. T heresa May Mays government was rocked today by the resignation of a minister who warned Britain is facing final humiliation over Brexit. Agriculture minister George Eustice quit after the Prime Minister bowed to Cabinet pressure to allow MPs a vote on delaying Brexit. In a hard-hitting resignation letter, he stressed he had remained in Government despite a series of rather undignified retreats already. But he now felt that Parliament - rather than the Prime Minister and her government - is in direct control of events. He added: I fear that developments this week will lead to a sequence of events culminating in the EU dictating the terms of any extension requested and the final humiliation of our country. French president Emmanuel Macron has warned that the EU would only agree to an extension if the UK can give a good reason for the extra time to resolve the Brexit crisis. Leave supporter Mr Eustice, a long-term anti-EU campaigner who was part of the campaign against Britain joining the euro, also lashed out at Brussels for the tough and unified negotiating stance it has taken, which has contrasted with the civil war raging in the Tory Party. He argued that Britain should be prepared to quit with no deal despite the predicted economic and social turmoil which the Government says could be unleashed. I do not believe that the (European) Commission has behaved honourably during these negotiations, he said. They have deliberately made progress slow and difficult. They have stated in terms that they will refuse to even hold substantive negotiations on a future partnership until after we leave. If the position of Parliament is now that we will refuse to leave without an agreement then we are somewhat stuck. This is uncomfortable for everyone, but we cannot negotiate a successful Brexit unless we are prepared to walk through the door. His words highlighted how the Government was forced by Brussels to retreat on a series of initial demands including that the future trade deal should be negotiated in parallel with the divorce agreement, a move which is seen to have significantly undermined the UKs position. Mr Eustices resignations comes after a series of other departures including two Brexit Secretaries, David Davis and Dominic Raab, and Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary. As he left, he also took a swipe at MPs who have refused to back Mrs Mays Brexit blueprint. I appreciate that you have been terribly undermined by those in Parliament who refuse to respect the referendum result, said the Camborne and Redruth MP. A n MP today called for more CCTV in care homes after telling how she found her elderly father mysteriously covered in blood and bruises. Rosena Allin-Khan told fellow MPs how she pleaded in vain for an explanation for her fathers catalogue of injuries sustained at a council-funded home for elderly people. Describing how her father, who has dementia and can no longer talk, could not tell her what happened, she said a Wandsworth council official told her he had asked for it. Now Dr Allin-Khan is calling for video equipment to be more widely used to protect vulnerable people who do not have the ability to tell their families or the police if somebody is hurting them. Vulnerable people in care facilities rightly need their privacy, but we could most definitely increase CCTV in black spot areas, she told the Standard. One of the most difficult parts of an investigation is finding evidence, and without evidence abusers go undiscovered and unpunished. Tooting MP Dr Allin-Khan said her familys nightmare began with a hushed phone call from a whistleblower urging her to check urgently on her father, a former university lecturer aged 76. Nothing prepares you for arriving to find your loved one with black eyes, bruises, cuts and blood on their face, she told the Commons. Despite the family getting no official alert, she discovered the injuries were already three days old. Dr Allin-Khan, who is an A&E doctor, expressed surprise that an ambulance had not been called to a senior citizen on blood thinners with a head injury. She said there would have been a great deal of blood loss from the brutal injuries. Staff said he had not fallen nor been outside the home, Ensham House, but had no explanation. After complaining to Wandsworth council, she said she was warned by relatives of other residents that staff had boasted that they were trying to get dad out because we were asking too many questions. On another occasion, the family discovered bruises all over his body when undressing him. She noticed that her father was choosing to sleep in a communal area where there were CCTV cameras and other people around, rather than in his room. The final nail in the coffin, and the point of no return, was when we found my father unconscious on the floor, with blood on the walls and the floor, and a carers set of keys left next to him, she told MPs. Following this, he spent one month in hospital. Dr Allin-Khan said her father was now settled in another facility with no problems. Wandsworth Council said it gives the highest priority to safeguarding vulnerable adults and children. It went on: We have been in dialogue with Rosena Allin-Khan MP about her father for some time, and are aware of her concerns. Although she makes some important points related to wider public policy, in the investigations to date we have not been able to validate her specific complaint about her fathers care. C omic Relief has previously offered to collaborate with Labour MP David Lammy on a charity film in Africa but the politician snubbed it, the charity claimed today. The organisation told Lammy the "offer is still open" after he criticised Stacey Dooley on Wednesday over her work on a film ahead of Red Nose Day. Lammy accused the Strictly Come Dancing star of perpetuating "tired and unhelpful stereotypes" after she travelled to Africa for an upcoming documentary. Responding on Thursday, a spokesman for Comic Relief made no apologies, thanking Dooley for helping people "working with or supported by Comic Relief projects tell their own stories in their own words". It said: "We are really grateful that Stacey Dooley, an award-winning and internationally acclaimed documentary maker, agreed to go to Uganda to discover more about projects the British people have funded there and make no apologies for this. "She has filmed and reported on challenging issues all over the world, helping to put a much-needed spotlight on issues that affect people's lives daily. Labour MP David Lammy accused the reporter of perpetuating 'tired and unhelpful stereotypes' / PA "In her film, people working with or supported by Comic Relief projects tell their own stories in their own words. "We have previously asked David Lammy if he would like to work with us to make a film in Africa and he has not responded. The offer is still open." Stacey Dooley shared pictures of her trip to Uganda, with one snap showing her posing with a young child. / Stacey Dooley/Instagram Mr Lammy, who has been the MP for Tottenham since 2010, said he told Comic Relief he was "not prepared to become part of a PR exercise." "Its not about me making a nice film, but about Comic Relief giving some of their very privileged platform on the BBC to the hundreds of African comedians, filmmakers, celebrities and everyday people who live on the continent. "My job as a politician is to raise the issue, and to point out that many ethnic minorities and others find the tired tropes in much of Comic Reliefs coverage problematic. After the meetings I had with Comic Relief in Parliament, I had hoped this years coverage will not be more of the same, he said. He sparked the row after posting on Twitter that the 31-year-old investigative reporter was reinforcing unhelpful stereotypes about Africa. He said: "The world does not need any more white saviours. As I've said before, this just perpetuates tired and unhelpful stereotypes. "Let's instead promote voices from across the continent of Africa and have serious debate." Mr Lammy said his issue was not "personal" with Dooley and he does not question her "good motives". Instead, he said he had a problem with "British celebrities" being flown out to Africa by Comic Relief to make films that send "a distorted image" of the continent and perpetuate "an old idea from the colonial era". Dooley replied and invited Mr Lammy to travel to Africa himself. She said: "David, is the issue with me being white? (Genuine question) ... because if that's the case, you could always go over there and try raise awareness? Comic relief have raised over 1 billion pounds since they started. I saw projects that were saving lives with the money. Kids lives." Mr Lammy, who is of Guyanese descent, replied saying "many" black Britons are "deeply uncomfortable" with Comic Relief's "poverty porn". This is not the first time Comic Relief has been accused of perpetuating the white saviour trope. In March last year, the charity said celebrities would take a backseat on on-location appeals following complaints about "poverty tourism". Ed Sheeran was previously criticised for reinforcing white saviour stereotypes during a visit to Liberia. Red Nose Day takes place on March 15. S ome 100 passengers were evacuated from a Flybe plane at Exeter airport today due to "haze in the cabin" before takeoff, the airline said. The plane was due to fly to the Spanish resort of Alicante when the incident took place on Thursday morning. Its passengers and five crew members were quickly evacuated from the aircraft. Footage showed people sliding off the plane before being helped to their feet, with others being carried in people's arms. The runway was closed for one hour during the incident, Exeter Airport said. A replacement aircraft departed on Thursday afternoon and was expected to arrive in Alicante at 4pm local time. Flybe apologised to passengers for "any inconvenience experienced". In a statement, the airline said: "All passengers have been issued letters upon boarding in which they have been informed that they will be refunded the full cost of their flight in addition to EU261 compensation. T he winner of RuPauls Drag Race hit out at Theresa May after she sent a message of support to a contestant in a charity drag competiton. Aquaria, who won the tenth season of RuPauls Drag Race in 2018, told Theresa May to get your policies together before enjoying the hit series. Mrs May had tweeted she hadnt had chance to catch up on RuPauls Drag Race after she was asked if she were a fan. The PM had sent her support to Ben Tye after he made it to the final of the first ever UK charity drag pageant, Miss Drag UK, on March 10. The Daily Gazette reported Mrs May had sent a letter to the 22-year-old, wishing him luck in the competition. The letter included a brief note from the PM, as well as a headshot of Mrs May. Mr Tye said: "The letter shocked me completely. "I didn't know what to do with myself I had to ring my partner in disbelief!" When asked on Twitter if Mrs May was a fan of RuPauls Drag Race, she said: Must admit I havent had a chance to catch up on @RuPaulsDragRace, but wishing Ben all the best in raising money for a great cause @SandsUK. Aquaria called Mrs May a mess in a reply, tweeting: Honestly thanks for the support but no thanks. Get your policies together and then feel comfortable enjoying our art. Mess. Mrs May has been approached for a comment by the Standard. Mr Tye said he appreciated the Prime Minister's show of support. Aquaria won the 2018 series / Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows "I think it's amazing she's finally showing support for the LGBT community, I know it's been a touchy subject with politics recently," he said. "I think more education on LGBT should be given and there's always room for improvement on rights but she's going in the right direction." S tacey Dooley has hit back after she was accused of encouraging a white saviour complex over her Comic Relief trip to Africa. Labour MP David Lammy said Ms Dooley was perpetuating tired and unhelpful stereotypes after she travelled to Uganda for an upcoming documentary. Mr Lammy said the issue was not personal with Ms Dooley and that he does not question her good motives. But he added: "The world does not need any more white saviours. Investigative reporter Ms Dooley hit back, saying in response to his tweet: David, is the issue with me being white? (Genuine question). Responding on Thursday, a spokesman for Comic Relief made no apologies, thanking Dooley for helping people "working with or supported by Comic Relief projects tell their own stories in their own words". She added: Because if thats the case, you could always go over there and try raise awareness? Comic relief have raised over 1 billion pounds since they started. I saw projects that were saving lives with the money. Kids lives. Stacey Dooley shared pictures of her trip to Uganda, with one snap showing her posing with a young child. / Stacey Dooley/Instagram Stacey Dooley shared pictures of her trip to Uganda, with one snap showing her posing with a young child. Labour MP David Lammy accused the reporter of perpetuating 'tired and unhelpful' stereotypes / PA Another showed her during filming ahead of Red Nose Day. Mr Lammy, MP for Tottenham, said she was reinforcing unhelpful stereotypes about Africa. He said: "As I've said before, this just perpetuates tired and unhelpful stereotypes. Let's instead promote voices from across the continent of Africa and have serious debate." Commenting on the row on BBC Two's Victoria Derbyshire on Thursday, he added: The image that she wants to tweet conveys an age old trope that's her as the heroine, the black child as victim and weve got to stop it. The image is a perpetual image of people who are impoverished who need white celebrities who are largely uneducated about the context (in Africa). That image evokes for lots of ethnic minorities in Britain a white beautiful heroine holding a black child with no agency, no parents in sight, finger in the mouth. Its supine. He added: We've got to change the formula of sending mostly white celebrities out to Africa. David Lammy speaks about his row with Stacey Dooley Mr Lammy had earlier said he had a problem with "British celebrities" being flown out to Africa by Comic Relief to make films which send "a distorted image" of the continent and perpetuate "an old idea from the colonial era". He said "many black" Britons are "deeply uncomfortable" with Comic Relief's "poverty porn". He told Ms Derbyshire that the charity's formula had to change. It's not that the charity isnt good but it's that Comic Relief is doing nothing to educate its public, he said. Comic Relief is responsible for young people in Britain black and white for their understanding of Africa. This is not the first time Comic Relief has been accused of perpetuating the so-called white saviour trope. In March last year the charity said celebrities would take a backseat on on-location appeals following complaints about "poverty tourism". A Comic Relief spokesman said: We are really grateful that Stacey agreed to go to Uganda to discover more about projects British people have funded there and make no apologies for this. In her film, people working with or supported by Comic Relief projects tell their own stories in their own words. S tacey Dooleys Strictly Come Dancing partner has come to her defence after she was criticised for perpetuating a white saviour complex during her Comic Relief trip to Africa. Kevin Clifton told Labour MP David Lammy he was so wrong for saying Ms Dooley was perpetuating tired and unhelpful stereotypes after she posted a photo from Uganda of her holding a child. Im sorry but @DavidLammy u r so wrong on this. What are your priorities? he tweeted. He added: Some are in desperate need of help. If people are in a position to raise money and awareness why should they not just because they are white? You just cant win for trying to help. Mr Lammy made the comments after Ms Dooley, an investigative journalist, shared pictures of her posing with a child during her trip for an upcoming documentary with Comic Relief. He said the issue was not personal with Ms Dooley and that he does not question her good motives. But he added: "The world does not need any more white saviours. Ms Dooley hit back, saying in response to his tweet: David, is the issue with me being white? (Genuine question). She added: Because if thats the case, you could always go over there and try raise awareness? Comic relief have raised over 1 billion pounds since they started. I saw projects that were saving lives with the money. Kids lives. Labour MP David Lammy / PA On Thursdays Victoria Derbyshire program, Mr Lammy said Comic Reliefs formula of sending mostly white celebrities to Africa was unhelpful and had to stop. The image is a perpetual image of people who are impoverished who need white celebrities who are largely uneducated about the context (in Africa). It keeps the continent of Africa poor. It keeps people in their place. This is not the first time Comic Relief has been accused of perpetuating the so-called white saviour trope. A celebrated designer is facing a police investigation after a tree in the grounds of her 8 million estate fell on to a passing car, crushing a former soldier to death. Saxon Bowes-Crick, 46, a triathlete and explorer, was killed instantly when the oak toppled into the road and on to a Lexus in which he was a passenger. Four other people in the vehicle were injured. The car was in traffic on the busy A308, which runs alongside the grounds of society stylist Tessa Kennedys sprawling estate on the banks of the Thames in Runnymede, near Egham in Surrey. Ms Kennedy, 80, who styled the homes of George Harrison, Elizabeth Taylor and King Hussein of Jordan, claims the tree was recently inspected and declared safe by the local council, whom she considered to be responsible for its upkeep. Designer Tessa Kennedy with Joan Collins / Rex Features Ms Kennedy told the Evening Standard: I wasnt home when it happened. The council had been down to cut the branches off the tree a couple of years ago. It should have been safe. They had dealt with it but unfortunately it fell down. Surrey county council is generally responsible for managing trees and shrubs at the side of main roads to ensure they do not pose a risk to vehicles and pedestrians. However, the council has argued the tree was on private land and claims maintenance is the responsibility of the land owner. The tree fell, crushing a car in which the former soldier was a passenger A council spokesman said: This was a tragic incident. The tree was on private land and the police are leading the investigation. Ms Kennedy achieved notoriety in the Fifties when, aged 18, she eloped to Cuba with society portrait painter Dominic Elwes against her fathers wishes. Frank Sinatra sang at their secret wedding, but they were soon forced to flee on a raft to Miami to escape Fidel Castros revolution. Ms Kennedy went on to study in Paris, before joining a design firm whose clients included Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton. She styled Claridges, The Berkeley and the Rivoli Bar at The Ritz, for which she was named designer of the year. She remarried Hollywood film producer Elliott Kastner after being introduced by Warren Beatty, and has five children. She retired to Runnymede after a Christies auction in 2014 of the contents of her opulent Knightsbridge home, which was packed with gifts and mementoes from friends including Rudolf Nureyev, Marlon Brando and Richard Burton. Police investigating the tragedy have appealed for witnesses and dash-cam footage from around the time of the accident, near the Magna Carta monument, at 4pm on Sunday, February 17. Tributes have poured in for Mr Bowes-Crick from around the world, with friends and fellow travellers remembering a living legend with an unforgettable laugh. He worked as a tree surgeon, friends said, having served in the Army, and had just returned home to Haywards Heath, West Sussex, after a gruelling solo bike-rafting trip across Mongolia. His family announced his funeral on Facebook, saying: All great journeys must come to an end and even for the indomitable Saxon. Youve travelled far and touched so many lives along the way. Your adventures will never be forgotten. Emma Bowes-Crick wrote: Just to let everyone know. Saxon was killed instantly by a tree that fell on the car he was a passenger in. There was no pain, fear or suffering. Edward Howard-Williams said he served in the Queens Fusiliers alongside the victim in the early Nineties. He told the Standard: Saxon always had a joie de vivre and young professionalism for the British Army that left some in the shade. A tenant living in one of the bungalows on the estate said: That tree was unreal, it was phenomenally big. Only about a third of it fell in the road. It had no bark because it had been struck by lightning so many times. F ebruary is set to be the warmest on record but the wall-to-wall sunshine of recent days is about to ease off and make way for rain, forecasters have said. Scattered showers on Thursday will bring an end to the warm spell, which saw new winter record temperatures on two consecutive days, according to the Met Office. It said the current month is likely to be the hottest February since records began. The previous warmest was in 1998, when the average maximum daily temperature was 9.8C (49.64F). With just one day to go before the beginning of March, this year's maximum daily average has already reached 9.9C (49.82F), the Met Office said. Forecaster Becky Mitchell said it would be "exceptional" to beat the 1998 record given the chilly start to the month. She said: "At the moment, the current average is 9.9C and of course we have got just one more day of February to go, so it looks like we are on track to be the warmest February on record." Ms Mitchell added: "It was really quite cold at the start of the month - it's pretty exceptional to have caught up with the 1998 one." Warm Weather: February 2019 - In pictures 1 /33 Warm Weather: February 2019 - In pictures Tourist and office workers continue to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather in Hyde Park, London PA Workers cross London Bridge, with Tower Bridge seen behind during the morning rush hour in the city of London Reuters People pass colourful flowers in full bloom near the Royal Crescent, Bath PA Families were seen soaking up the sun on Boscombe beach near Bournemouth PA A squirrel forages for nuts among daffodils in full bloom in Royal Victoria Park, Bath PA People cross the Millennium Bridge in central London, as many parts of the UK enjoyed unusually warm temperatures PA PA Tourist and office workers continue to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather in Hyde Park, London PA Tourist and office workers continue to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather in Hyde Park, London PA A worker looks at his phone as he crosses London Bridge, with Tower Bridge seen behind during the morning rush hour in the city of London Reuters Tourist and office workers continue to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather in Hyde Park, London PA Tourist and office workers continue to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather in Hyde Park, London PA People on a bench enjoy the sunshine at Woolacombe PA A beautiful Valentine's Day sunrise over the London skyline James Burns/London from the Rooftops Regent's Canal at Camden Lock on February 25 Getty Images A woman relaxes in the daffodils during sunny spring weather in St James's Park EPA A couple relax in the sun in St James's Park in London, Reuters The UK has been experiencing unseasonably mild weather conditions Getty Images The sun rises over the North Sea near Whitley Bay, North Tyneside PA Londoners were seen relaxing in the sun in Hyde Park AFP/Getty Images People sit in the sun in St James Park, London, as many parts of the UK enjoyed unusually warm temperatures PA People enjoy the sunshine in Regent's Park on Monday Getty Images People enjoying unseasonably mild weather conditions in Brighton Getty Images People enjoyed boat rides in the Serpentine in Hyde Park as the capital basked in sunshine on Sunday AFP/Getty Images Two people pose for a photo in front of daffodils in St James Park, London PA A man uses a newspaper as a sun hat as people enjoy the afternoon sunshine in Regent's Park Getty Images A woman practices yoga in the sun in St James's Park Reuters A bee takes pollen from a spring bloom in St James's Park Reuters Two women take a selfie photograph in the daffodils during sunny spring weather in St James's Park EPA People enjoy the afternoon sunshine on the Palace Pier in Brighton Getty Images People enjoy the afternoon sunshine on Primrose Hill Getty Images A couple eat ice-creams in the sunshine at South Beach, Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales Reuters Children play in the sea at South Beach, Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales Reuters Experts said climate change is heating up the whole weather system and making extremes more likely. Amid February's exceptional conditions, fires have broken out at Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, on Saddleworth Moor in West Yorkshire and in North Wales, Sussex and Lancashire. The warmest winter temperatures on record were measured on Monday and Tuesday as temperatures beat the previous record of 19.7C (67.4F) in Greenwich, south-east London, in 1998 A squirrel forages for nuts among daffodils in full bloom in Royal Victoria Park, Bath / PA Thursday is predicted to stay mild, with cloudy skies and highs of 14C (57.2F) forecast in London. But it will be more unsettled than the previous clear days, with fog expected in the morning and "possibly heavy and thundery" showers moving east across England and Wales. Friday will see some heavy rain in western parts of the UK, and the unsettled weather is to continue "right through the weekend", Ms Mitchell said. P resident Trump has blasted the Michael Cohen hearing branding it a witch hunt and fake. The president made the remarks during a press conference following a summit with North Korea. On Wednesday, Mr Cohen, the former lawyer of Mr Trump, was grilled over a series of damning accusations levelled against the US president including claims of racism and Russian collusion. In his testimony, Mr Cohen labelled the president a racist a conman and a cheat. Michael Cohen, former attorney to US president Donald Trump, testifies before Congress / EPA He also suggested that Mr Trump implicitly told him to lie about a Moscow property project and knew in advance about a release of emails by WikiLeaks aimed at hurting his 2016 Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton. Mr Cohen, who once boasted he would "take a bullet" for Mr Trump, said: "I am ashamed of my weakness and misplaced loyalty, of the things I did for Mr Trump in an effort to protect and promote him. "I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr Trump's illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. "I am ashamed because I know what Mr Trump is." In response, Mr Trump told reporters: Having a fake hearing like that during this important summit is incredible and he lied a lot. The president made the remarks during a news conference / Reuters This should never happen to another president. He added: "He didn't lie about one thing, he said 'no collusion'." Mr Trump's comments came as he wrapped up his summit with Kim Jong Un that ended earlier than planned without an agreement. He told reporters that he had walked away without a deal being reached. "Sometimes you have to walk," he added. A n Indian pilot captured by Pakistan will be released tomorrow as a "peace gesture", the Pakistani prime minister has said. Imran Khan made the announcement on Thursday as he addressed parliament in Pakistan, convened to discuss the latest situation amid rising tensions with India over the disputed territory of Kashmir. It comes a day after Islamabad said it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. The two nations exchanged gunfire through the night as tensions continued to grip the contested area. Footage circulated by Pakistan military shows a man who identified himself as the pilot of the Indian aircraft shot down on Wednesday / AP Mr Khan added that he had tried to reach his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Wednesday with a message that he wants to de-escalate tension. He did not say how India responded to his initiative but reiterated his offer for talks to New Delhi, saying this is the only way to solve all issues. It follows escalating conflict between India and Pakistan that began with a February 14 suicide car bombing killed more than 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. India responded with an air strike on Tuesday inside Pakistan, the first such raid since the two nations' 1971 war over territory that later became Bangladesh. Following Wednesday's aerial skirmish, Pakistan said it had shot down two Indian aircraft, one of which crashed in the Pakistan-held part of Kashmir and the other in India-controlled Kashmir. India acknowledged one of its MiG-21s, a Soviet-era fighter jet, was "lost" in skirmishes with Pakistan. The Ministry of External Affairs said it "strongly objected to Pakistan's vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force", and that it expects his immediate and safe return. India also said it shot down a Pakistani plane, something Islamabad denied. Pakistan's military later circulated a video of a man who identified himself as the Indian pilot, sipping tea and responding to questions, mostly by saying: "You know I can't answer that." He appeared in good health as he was questioned about his home town, his aircraft and his mission. Indian and Pakistani officials reported small-arms fire and shelling along the Kashmir region into Thursday. The violence on Wednesday marked the most serious escalation of the long-simmering conflict since 1999, when Pakistan's military sent a ground force into Indian-controlled Kashmir at Kargil. That year also saw an Indian fighter jet shoot down a Pakistani naval aircraft, killing all 16 on board. N orth Koreas position will not change even if the US offers another round of talks after the Trump-Kim summit collapsed, the countrys foreign minister has said. Speaking after the summit was cut short, Ri Yong Ho said North Korea was ready to offer a permanent halt of the country's nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and that the US wasted an opportunity that "may not come again". An abruptly scheduled news conference in Hanoi heard Mr Ri dispute Donald Trumps account of why the summit between the US president and Kim Jong Un collapsed. He said the North demanded only partial sanctions relief in exchange for closing its main nuclear complex, and that the discussions collapsed after the US demanded further disarmament. President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi. / AP It contradicted the explanation by the US president, who hours earlier told reporters that the North had demanded a full removal of sanctions in exchange for shuttering the Yongbyon nuclear facility. Mr Trump had said in Hanoi that there had been a proposed agreement "ready to be signed". However, he said after the summit was cut short, "Sometimes you have to walk." Asked about the North Koreans' claim that they only demanded partial sanctions in exchange for shutting down its main nuclear facility, White House press Secretary Sarah Sanders said: "I'll refer you back to the president and Secretary Pompeo's remarks at the press conference" in Hanoi. Mere hours after both nations had seemed hopeful of a deal, the two leaders' motorcades roared away from the central Hanoi summit site within minutes of each other, their lunch called. The president's closing news conference was hurriedly moved up and he departed for Washington more than two hours ahead of schedule. Donald Trump meets Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam - In pictures 1 /36 Donald Trump meets Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam - In pictures U.S. President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam AP AFP/Getty Images North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sit down for a dinner during the second U.S.-North Korea summit at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam Reuters AP AFP/Getty Images Reuters AP Reuters AP AFP/Getty Images AP U.S. President Donald Trump passes wellwishers in his car on his way to meet North Korea leader Kim Jong Un AP Vietnamese children wave Vietnamese and US flags before the arrival of US President Trump at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam EPA Vietnamese policemen sit on stools near the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi AFP/Getty Images People gather near the area where U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meet in Hanoi AP Pham Quang Dung, 8 years old, holds a placard that reads 'For a World of Peace' in Hanoi AP People watch a television broadcast showing coverage of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un visit to Vietnam ahead of a Hanoi summit with US President Donald Trump, in a public square in Pyongyang AFP/Getty Images US President Donald Trump waves to his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Phu Trong (not pictured) after their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi AFP/Getty Images People gather near the area where U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meet in Hanoi AP Security keeps watch near the area where President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will meet for dinner in Hanoi, Vietnam AP The motorcade carrying U.S. President Donald Trump drives past Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam AP Vietnamese policemen escort a motorcade into the Melia hotel in Hanoi AFP/Getty Images People gather near the area where U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meet in Hanoi AP North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is welcomed on his arrival at the Melia Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam AP North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un's delegation leaves the North Korean embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam Reuters A motorcade with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un travels at a street after he made a visit to the North Korean Embassy, in Hanoi, Vietnam EPA A woman stands near t-shirts with the faces of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump Reuters People read a copy of Rodong Sinmun newspaper reporting Tuesday's arrival of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam, in Pyongyang, North Korea AP A vendor (C) waits for customers while displaying T-shirts with pictures of US President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi AFP/Getty Images Vietnamese policemen patrol near the Melia hotel AFP/Getty Images Vietnamese policemen stand guard near the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi AFP/Getty Images Special force policemen are driven in a truck to be deployed, in Hanoi, Vietnam AP US President Donald Trump (C) waves a Vietnamese flag as Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) looks onupon their arrival for a meeting at the Government Office in Hanoi AFP/Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam Reuters AFP/Getty Images The disintegration of talks came after Mr Trump and Mr Kim had appeared to be ready to inch toward normalising relations between their still technically warring nations. In something of a role reversal, Mr Trump had deliberately ratcheted down some of the pressure on North Korea, abandoning his fiery rhetoric and declaring that he wanted the "right deal" over a rushed agreement. For his part, Mr Kim, when asked whether he was ready to denuclearise, had said: "If I'm not willing to do that I won't be here right now." The breakdown denied Mr Trump a much-needed triumph amid growing domestic turmoil back home, including congressional evidence this week by his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen. Mr Cohen called Mr Trump a "racist" and "con man" and claimed prior knowledge that WikiLeaks would release emails that would damage Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016. Donald Trump speaks to reporters after his summit with Kim Jong-un / REUTERS Mr Trump insisted his relations with Mr Kim remained warm, but he did not commit to having a third summit with the North Korean leader, saying a possible next meeting "may not be for a long time". Though both he and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said significant progress had been made, the two sides appeared to be galaxies apart on an agreement that would live up to US stated goals. "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that," Mr Trump told reporters. Mr Kim, he explained, appeared willing to close his country's main nuclear facility, the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Centre, if the sanctions were lifted. But that would leave him with missiles, warheads and weapon systems, Mr Pompeo said. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un with Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho (left) / REUTERS There are also suspected hidden nuclear fuel production sites around the country. Longstanding US policy has insisted that US sanctions on North Korea would not be lifted until that country committed to, if not concluded, complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation. Mr Trump declined to restate that goal, insisting he wanted flexibility in talks with Mr Kim. "I don't want to put myself in that position from the standpoint of negotiation," he said. White House aides stressed that Mr Trump stood strong. There was disappointment and alarm in South Korea, whose liberal leader has been a leading orchestrator of the nuclear diplomacy and who needs a breakthrough to restart lucrative engagement projects with the impoverished North. Yonhap news agency said that the clock on the Korean Peninsula's security situation has "turned back to zero" and diplomacy is now "at a crossroads". The two leaders had seemed to find a point of agreement when Mr Kim, who fielded questions from American journalists for the first time, was asked if the US may open a liaison office in North Korea. Pakistan to tackle militant groups Pakistan plans to take action against militant groups operating on its soil, a minister said on Monday, amid global pressure to act after a suicide bomber killed 40 Indian paramilitary police in Kashmir last month. But Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry denied Indian accusations that Pakistan was involved in the February 14 attack, which led to a sharp rise in hostilities, saying it "had nothing to do with us." Chaudhry said the decision to act was taken at a meeting of the National Security Committee before the suicide bombing, claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), in Kashmir. He said: "A full-fledged strategy is now in place. P akistan is prepared to return the Indian pilot shot down and captured this week if it helped ease the ongoing crisis with its neighbour, its foreign minister said today. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told local television station Geo TV on Thursday: "We are willing to return the captured Indian pilot if it leads to de-escalation." He also said the Saudi foreign minister was expected to visit Pakistan with a special message from Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who visited both Pakistan and India earlier this month. It comes a day after Islamabad said it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot in the disputed region of Kashmir. Footage circulated by Pakistan military shows a man who identified himself as the pilot of the Indian aircraft shot down on Wednesday / AP World leaders have urged peace from India and Pakistan as tensions escalate between the two nuclear powers. On Thursday morning troops from India and Pakistan briefly exchanged fire in Poonch, a district in Kashmir, according to a statement from the Indian army. Tensions have escalated in the contested region since a February 14 suicide car bombing killed more than 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. India responded with an air strike on Tuesday inside Pakistan, the first such raid since the two nations' 1971 war over territory that later became Bangladesh. The situation escalated with Wednesday's aerial skirmish, as Pakistan said it had shot down two Indian aircraft, one of which crashed in the Pakistan-held part of Kashmir and the other in India-controlled Kashmir. India acknowledged one of its MiG-21s, a Soviet-era fighter jet, was "lost" in skirmishes with Pakistan and that its pilot was "missing in action". India also said it shot down a Pakistani plane, something Islamabad denied. Pakistan's military later circulated a video of a man who identified himself as the Indian pilot, sipping tea and responding to questions, mostly by saying: "You know I can't answer that." He appeared in good health as he was questioned about his home town, his aircraft and his mission. Indian and Pakistani officials reported small-arms fire and shelling along the Kashmir region into Thursday. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday there would be some reasonably decent news on the ongoing conflict. "They have been going at it and we have been involved in trying to have them stop," Trump said. Stranded passengers wait at the check-in area at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok on February 28. / AFP/Getty Images "We have been in the middle trying to help them both out." Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for talks between the two nations. Pakistan said the firing began overnight. "The firing continued in intervals throughout the night. It was moderate. Even now it's continuing," said Shaukat Yusufzai, an administration official in the Pakistan-controlled part of Poonch. Pakistan has shut its airspace in response to the strikes, forcing commercial airlines to reroute. Pakistani soldiers stand next to what Pakistan says is the wreckage of an Indian fighter jet shot down in Pakistan controled Kashmir at Somani area in Bhimbar district near the Line of Control. / AFP/Getty Images Thai Airways International announced on Thursday that it had cancelled flights to Pakistan and Europe, which left thousands of passengers stranded in Bangkok. "Last night there were about 5,000 passengers who came to check-in but unable to fly, mostly Thai Airways," Colonel Umnart Chomshai, superintendent of tourism police at Suvarnabhumi Airport, told Reuters. Another airport official said a help centre had been set up for stranded travellers. Thai Airways said it would resume flights later on Thursday after China granted permission to use its airspace for nearly a dozen flights to Europe scheduled to leave on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. Many airlines route flights over Pakistan and the closure of its airspace caused major disruptions on Wednesday. Emirates and Qatar Airways suspended flights to Pakistan and others, such as Singapore Airlines and British Airways, were forced to reroute flights. On Thursday, Singapore Airlines said all of its Europe-bound flights would now continue as planned, without the need for refuelling stops, and they would reroute to avoid the affected airspace as necessary. Malaysia Airlines said on its website it was not currently flying over the affected airspace and was avoiding Pakistan and northern India for flights to and from Europe until further notice. With a general election due in India by May, an upsurge in nationalism from any conflict with Pakistan could become a key factor, potentially favoring Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Late on Wednesday BS Yeddyurappa, a BJP leader in the southern state of Karnataka, said India's strike inside Pakistani territory would help the party to win back power in the state - the first such comment from a member of the ruling party. "This has brought a pro-Modi wave all through the country," he told reporters. "The effect of this will be seen in the elections." A lost Caravaggio painting worth 129million was ignored by burglars years before it was rediscovered because they thought it was worthless. The work by the Italian master, found five years ago in a farmhouse attic in the French city of Toulouse, was unveiled in London on Thursday after being restored. Burglars broke into the home and stole items including bottles of perfume but left the painting as they thought it worthless, auctioneer Marc Labarbe said. Titled Judith And Holofernes, the piece sat for a century in anonymity against a wall between old clothes, family antiques and crockery. The work was lost in Amsterdam in 1617 and rediscovered in an attic in a Toulouse farmhouse in 2014 / AP Speaking at the unveiling of the work at the Colnaghi gallery, Mr Labarbe joked the burglars had not deemed the painting "adequate" enough to steal it. He said: "One of my clients was clearing his attic and he needed two men to help him. It took a year to sell all the antiquities. "Clocks, toys, pieces of religion, in good and bad condition, clothes, crockery, as well as many things of no interest. Everything was very dusty. "I have to tell you that a few years before, burglars broke into the attic and stole many things, included eau de parfum bottles. "Fortunately, our painting was not adequate." Auctioneer Marc Labarbe speaks at the unveiling of the long lost painting / AP He added: "On the 23rd of April 2014, late in the morning, my client called me again because he had found a painting and wanted my opinion on it. "I went to his house and climbed the stairs to the landing of the attic where the painting was displayed. "At this moment there was what was like a fog across the whole canvas. "The painting was blurry and it was almost impossible to see the details, but I was impressed by the state of the composition." According to Paris-based art appraiser Eric Turquin, the work was painted in 1607. It depicts the biblical tale of Judith, a widow from the city of Bethulia, who breaks the siege of her home by seducing the Assyrian leader and beheading him. It will be sold without reserve on June 27 in Toulouse at the La Halle aux Grains, with Mr Labarbe saying: "This magnificent story began in Toulouse. It has to continue in Toulouse." The painting is Caravaggio's second version of the same subject, with the first painted in Rome around 1600. The discovery means there are now 68 known paintings attributed to the artist, who was born in 1571 and died in 1610 of suspected lead poisoning from his paint. Judith And Holofernes will be on display at Colnaghi at 26 Bury Street from March 1 until March 9. W ith over a month to go before Easter Sunday, families can avoid the last minute grocery store scramble and get some of the best deals on chocolate right now. Thankfully Tesco has come to the rescue for those looking to save a bit of cash with a huge price drop on its medium Easter eggs. The supermarket giant launched a half price deal online on Wednesday, slashing Easter egg prices across the range from 1.50 to just 75p. The deal includes KitKat Chunky, Aero, Rolo, M&Ms, Creme Eggs and Mini Eggs and is the cheapest place to get your hands on medium eggs right now. The second most affordable range of medium is available at Asda, where eggs can be found from 1. And Tesco's eggcellent offer lasts until March 9 online, meaning families can making huge savings on their Easter celebrations this year. But be warned, because the promotion is expected to be very popular and the eggs are likely to sell out. Savvy shoppers can also get their hands on Freddo Faces eggs, Mars eggs, Rolo, Cadbury's and Smarties. The range is online at Tesco right now, so we recommend that you head over to grab a bargain if you want to plan ahead. G emma Collins has praised her parents 42 year marriage amid reports that she has split from boyfriend James Argent after allegedly receiving fat-shaming texts from the TOWIE star. The former Dancing On Ice contestant shared a sweet video of Joan and Alan Collins on her Instagram account, as she confirmed that her mother was back home after being treated in hospital for pneumonia earlier this week. The clip showed the 71-year-old giving his wife a goodbye kiss before heading out to organise Collins car tax, while the TOWIE star brushed her mums hair. Looking after mum today, giving her a little hair brush as she doesnt feel well, she told followers, adding: Love you dad! In the caption, Collins gushed over how well her dad looks after her mum, and praised him for his energy. 71 years old still goes to work everyday, she wrote. Hes VEGAN hes got so much ENERGY and most of all he looks after my mum very well and has been her rock through her debilitating rheumatoid arthritis MARRIED 42 YEARS lucky to have such a wonderful dad and mums [sic] on the mend thank you for all your lovely messages. PS dad Im not 18 any more I can pay me own car tax but thank you. Fans described the pair as adorable, and commended her dad as a real gentleman. Gemma Collins - In pictures 1 /31 Gemma Collins - In pictures PA Gemma Collins on Instagram @gemmacollins1 Gemma Collins on'Celebs Go Dating' Channel 4 Gemma Collins on 'The Only Way is Essex' ITV Gemma Collins on 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!' in 2014 ITV/Rex Gemma Collins on'Celebs Go Dating' Channel 4 Gemma Collins on'Celebs Go Dating' Channel 4 Gemma Collins on 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!' in 2014 Rex Features Nominated: Gemma Collins and Danniella Westbrook are up for Tuesday's eviction along with Stephanie Davis Channel 5 Gemma Collins appearing on Celebrity Big Brother Channel 5 Gemma Collins arriving at the ITV Gala 2017 held at the London Palladium Getty Images Gemma Collins makes US TV on Wendy Williams after her Radio 1 Teen 2017 Awards fall Gemma Collins is helped by Amber Davies, Jamie Jewitt and Marcel Somerville as she falls on stage during the BBC Radio 1 Teen Awards 2017 at Wembley Arena Getty Images Gemma Collins makes fun of her Radio 1 Teen 2017 Awards fall on Instagram @gemmacollins1 Gemma Collins attending BBC Radio 1's Teen Awards 2017 PA Gemma Collins attending the European premiere of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets at Cineworld in Leicester Square in 2017 PA Gemma Collins appearing on Celebrity Big Brother Channel 5 Gemma Collins.in 'Sugar Free' ITV Gemma Collins on 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!' in 2014 ITV Gemma Collins on 'The Only Way is Essex' ITV Getty Images Exciting: the GC teased new plans for a trip to Los Angeles Getty Images 'Standing on ice': Gemma Collins was mocked by viewers ITV Rex Features ames Argent with Gemma Collins PA Channel 4 @gemmacollins1 @gemmacollins1 @gemmacollins1 @gemmacollins1 @gemmacollins1 How fabulous are they. You are one lucky lady, one wrote. I think you dads amazing but rare to find nowadays, another added. OMG your Dad is simply adorable!!! Love the dynamic between your parents.precious couple!!!!! Get well soon Joan, another Instagram user said. James Argent films Gemma Collins snoring Collins heartfelt post comes after the 38-year-old reportedly dumped Argent after he shared a video of her snoring on Instagram. Though he deleted the clip soon after, the GC is thought to have been left fuming by the episode. Arg then reportedly sent her a stream of weight-related texts, including messages which described her as a fat joke with more rolls than Greggs. The pop princess, who has been swarmed with rumours that she is about to release new music, took to social media to tease her fans over their excitement. Swift shared an image of her cat Olivia looking stunned on Instagram and captioned the post: She just read all the theories. Earlier this week, Swifties flooded social media with their workings out which appeared to claim the star had been posting a subtle countdown after a picture which showed five palm trees emerged on her Instagram page. The snap was followed up by a picture of Swift sat on the sixth step and then another of her looking through a fence with five holes. Whilst her most recent post appeared to tease fans, supporters of the I Did Something Bad hitmaker were left convinced the image still fit with the theory that she is counting down the days to a release. Reputation: Swift's last release came in 2017 / AFP/Getty Images Many claimed that her famous pet is four-years-old, which fits with the countdown theme. One excited user wrote: Isnt Olivia four years old? If so that might be a clue. Taylor Swift - Reputation Tour - Netflix What is Taylor is only going to post the next hint of #TS7 if we solve the previous one? We didnt get a clue yesterday but Olivia is 4 years old, which means she didnt jump a day ahead, added another. Ahead of the Reputations release, Swift went off the grid completely before coming back with revenge song Look What You Made Me Do. Swift, who has been known to drop hints ahead of a release, is yet to confirm the speculation. M arta Krupinska is used to cutting deals around a table. In 2014, the Polish-born serial entrepreneur and co-founder of international money transfer start-up Azimo was approached by Google. The tech megalith wanted to help Azimo grow. And grow it did: the business went on to raise $70 million in funding and became one of the fastest-growing fintech companies in the world, while Krupinska was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 in the finance division. Now Krupinska, 31, is on a mission to help other early-stage start-ups write their own success stories. She has just been appointed head of Google for Startups UK, based at their shiny Campus in Shoreditch, which reopens officially today. Its all about generating and educating the next generation of founders, she says, as we begin a tour of the six-floor tech hub off Silicon Roundabout. Krupinska wants it to be an incubator for the capitals brightest minds, and the new Campus is full of metaphors for that collaborative message. Take the single barista coffee station installed in the basement. Our early-stage start-ups are in the basement, so we want everyone from the building to go to the basement and meet these people while theyre getting coffee, she explains. Its teaching people that habit of paying it forward: everyone in the building is the founder of a cool business, so go and give advice to that person on level -1 working on that first big break. Meanwhile, floors one to five an on-brand mash-up of bright co-working spaces, colourful bean bag areas and collaboration corners are dedicated to residency programmes: six-month mentorship schemes for social impact tech start-ups. Alumni include online counselling app Spill, drug discovery start-up GTN and social funding platform Alice, that uses blockchain technology to track charitable spending. Krupinska feels strongly about using tech to change the world. Why build a gambling business when you can build one that brings social outcomes as well as financial ones? she says. She swears by meditation app Headspace for keeping her calm at work and uses food sharing app Karma for her lunch. The next residency starts in March and Krupinska wants to champion under-represented founders, starting with women and migrants. Its about creating a tech community that represents the community in which we live. Obviously 50 per cent of the world is women and theres a vast proportion of people of colour in the city, so its about how we can represent them best. Of course shes experienced the tech industrys bias herself when you go to fund-raise and youre the only woman in the room, when nobody knows where the bathroom is, when you dont feel heard or seen but she hopes nods like her Forbes placing, as well as this role at Google for Startups, will help her to change the tech world for the better. Marta Krupinska photographed at Google Campus / Adrian Lourie Largely, its an issue of representation. If you open a newspaper and the person on the front page is a black woman who built a business changing her community, this will change the way you think, she says. She wants to change the stories that are told: later this year, she wants to open her focus to championing LGBTQI and disabled founders, and shes introducing a series of non-residential programmes for founders outside London to create local success stories. Shell begin with those from other British cities such as Bristol, as well as those from Africa and central and Eastern Europe. The more diverse the industry, the easier it is for that to become a new status quo. If youre a guy who plays polo and you go into a room and the investor is a guy who plays polo, theres a better chance youll create a meaningful connection. Fund-raising is like a marriage: youre not only agreeing a financial transaction, youre agreeing to have a relationship because this person owns part of your business. The better the chance of creating a relationship both parties want to engage with, the better the potential outcome. In a world where only five per cent of venture capitalists are women and fewer are people of colour, this means the opportunity for people of those backgrounds is much less.